Bleacher Report - Articles by Greg Riot

Pacquiao-Mayweather: Could Be Fight Of The Year

Greg Riot — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:43:37 -0500

When Floyd “Money” Mayweather took a brief retirement to concentrate on promoting, we all knew the reason. He saw how much money Oscar De La Hoya made off the 2007 super fight, and wanted in on the action.

Mayweather looked out across the boxing landscape and, after delivering a TKO to Ricky Hatton, didn’t feel that there was anyone who could offer him a real challenge. Four years later and that challenge arrived; and his name is Manny Pacquiao.

Mayweather reclaimed his WBC and Ring Welterweight belts after dismantling Juan Manual Marquez in September and soon after the fight, rumors about a Pacquiao-Mayweather brawl began to hum like a parked car.

After Pacquiao’s utter decimation of Miguel Cotto two weeks ago, the boxing community stood up on its feet and demanded the super fight. We’re mere days away from the official announcement, and it certainly could not have come at a better time.

Though boxing isn’t as often in the limelight as it once was, it doesn’t take much for guys to cram into bars to watch people punch each other in the face. The lingering truth about boxing is that there simply isn’t the draw there used to be. We have to wait months to see a great boxing fight, and yet only three weeks between UFC events.

The fact that the Klitschko brothers are so reluctant to fight (and who could blame them) for the heavyweight belts certainly hasn’t helped but, to be honest, neither of the Russians are big enough household names to revive the sport. Right now, no two stars in fighting are bigger than Pacquiao and Mayweather , and fans across the world are just waiting for a reason to care about this sport.

The proposed date for this super fight is March 13th or May 1st, but there are tons of obstacles in the way to get the fight signed, sealed, and delivered. The fight needs promotion, a venue, and if the fight happens in May, it will coincide with Pacquiao’s second run at a congressional seat in his home country of the Philippines.

Yet while the nitty gritty details are ironed out, there are five things fight fans have to consider about this match.

1. What would a loss mean for Pacquiao?

Pacquiao is currently the top ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and his performances as of late have done nothing but bolster the immense hype behind his name.

He’s become so prolific that even my grandmother was asking me who he was (and she doesn’t even really understand what the Internet is). In the last five years he’s destroyed fighters like Cotto, Hatton, De La Hoya, Marquez, and Erik Morales. He’s been—in a word—unstoppable.

If he loses to Mayweather in any fashion, it almost completely derails his popularity, and there’s actually a lower chance of this becoming a trilogy than you might expect.

2. Is Mayweather in it for the money?

The last super fight that came across our plates was the tilt between De La Hoya and Mayweather.

But instead of a super fight, it was just super boring. De La Hoya danced like he was in a salsa class, and remained virtually untouched the entire fight. He seemed resigned to losing the fight, and more concerned with how he was going to spend the money he generated off the gate for promoting the event.

“Money” has bankrupted names like Hatton, De La Hoya, Castillo, and Judah. Could Mayweather , who's now in the promotion business himself, be doing the very same thing? This is a guy who whored himself to the WWE for $10 million. If he stands to make over $50 million for one night’s work, would he even care if he won or lost?

3. What would it do to Mayweather’s legacy?

Mayweather is one of the rare talents to avoid defeat in his 40-fight career. Considering that he is just coming out of a two-year hiatus and is currently the only athlete on the planet peaking higher than Pacquiao, Mayweather's record could very well fall to 40-1.

4. What are the chances of a trilogy ?

Let’s be honest here for a moment. If Mayweather loses this fight, there is little to no chance he would step in to the ring again with Pacquiao, instead of choosing retirement.

If Pacquiao loses the fight, there’s a high chance that Mayweather would refuse a re-match and try to keep his perfect record intact. If this trilogy doesn’t happen, there’s not much left on the docket for boxing fan.

The next three top fighters include Shane Mosley (who’s 38), Juan Manual Marquez (who has lost against both men already), and Bernard Hopkins (who’s 44). The rest of the best aren’t even close to the pedigree that Mayweather and Pacquiao thrive in. It also doesn’t help that Roy Jones Jr. just got KO’d in the first round of his much anticipated fight against Danny Green.

So what would be next for boxing without a trilogy? Absolutely nothing.

5. Is Mayweather even capable of Beating Pacquiao?

Let’s put aside the money, the pride, and the importance this fight has to the sport of boxing for just one second. If you’ve seen Pacquiao fight, he moves faster than Tiger Woods in an Escalade. Simply put, this guy may be too fast and strong for Mayweather, especially considering he’s a southpaw.

Pacquiao is younger, quicker, stronger, and thriving in his prime. Again, if Mayweather wants to tarnish his perfect legacy, stepping in the ring with Pac-Man is the only way it will happen. That being said, we’re still in wait-and-see mode with this fight. There is almost too much on the line for Mayweather’s legacy for him to risk getting blasted by The Fighting Pride of the Philippines.

Then again, the sport is always bigger than any athlete. Boxing as a mainstream sport is eating the dust of entities like the NFL, UFC, and NBA. As a sport, boxing needs this fight to happen. It would be the biggest fight since Mayweather and De La Hoya, and would very well receive the type of insane media attention that Tyson-Holyfield did.

If it even remotely lives up to the hype, it could very well match the historical relevance of Ali-Frazier. However, as I’ve said, do enough people still care about boxing for any of that to matter?

Has Tiger Been a Tigger Bouncing Between His Wife and Other Women?

Greg Riot — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:01:23 -0500

Has Tiger Woods been a Tigger? You know? Tigger! That bouncy tiger thing in the Winnie the Pooh cartoons and books?

According to all of the women that have suddenly come forward, perhaps he has been a Tigger, bouncing between women, jumping from bed to bed while he travels from city to city. It wouldn’t be the first time that a pro athlete with a spotless reputation (MJ, anyone?) suddenly came up dirty in the bedroom.

Not only does it appear that Tiger’s wife tried to scratch his face off because of the affair (Running to his car barefoot? Driving away in a hurry? What else could it be?), but it also appears that this isn't the first time that Mr. Woods had produced a needed woody with someone other than his wife.

News on Tiger Woods coming clean about his transgressions are spreading like wildfire on the net. Who woulda thunk it? El Tigre Perfecto Senor Woods having an affair with not just one, but possibly three women?

Of course, I have a much different list. To me, El Tigre Perfecto would only sleep with someone as perfect or close to perfect as himself. Because of that, I’ve created a list along with odds, detailing whom the Master of the Stroke might have gotten it on with.

Top 5 Most Likely Tiger Woods’ Mistresses

5. Brangelina +50,000 — Apart Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie reach infinity -1. Together, they are infinity +1 which means that they probably wouldn’t lower themselves to the just “perfect” Mr. Woods. Supra-perfect never lowers itself to just perfect. Not in Hollywood, baby! Then again, if any dude, including Tiger, were to have a threesome and another man had to be involved…

4. Barbra Streisand +2500 — Babs is babs and everybody knows it. Unlike Liza Minelli, who almost made this list for being the perfect alcoholic, Babs is just, well, perfect. Ask anybody. She can sing, she can dance, she can probably cook, and considering that she slept with Nick Nolte and not only lived to tell about it but solved his marriage issues as well (in the Prince of Tides ), makes her the perfect candidate for El Tigre Perfecto.

3. Kim Brown (Cleveland Brown running back Jim Brown’s daughter) +500 — "Dear Jim Brown : You alleging that I don’t do enough for the African community reeks of hypocrisy. Just last night your daughter Kim and I scored a miraculous come back after failing to deliver the goods. She has the details regarding the entire wonderfully blessed ordeal. Let’s just say that yours truly is better at scoring a hole-in-one in things other than golf than anyone your daughter has ever met in the supposed African community. I give it up plenty and so does Kim. Sincerely, El Tigre Perfecto”

2. Oprah -200 — I know that Oprah would never do this, but like the old question asks, “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody heard or saw it, did it really fall?” The forest in this case, of course, is El Tigre Perfecto’s mind and the tree would be Oprah because Oprah is the most perfect, beautiful, entity that the universe has ever been graced with. I’m getting butterflies in my stomach thinking about her…

1. El Tigre Perfecto -50,000 - - Duh. Does this one need any explanation? Does it? Who else would the Master of the Stroke perfect his already perfect stroke with? Duh!!

Top 10 Hottest College Football Cheerleaders

Greg Riot — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:44:20 -0500

With college football season coming to its most crucial point, it'd be easily to focus solely on everything taking place on the field. But remember for every touchdown scored and field goal kicked, there's a cheerleader behind it, whose endless enthusiasm and excitement made it happen. And this weekend coming up, with Oregon and Oregon State battling each other for top placement in the college football rankings, there are plenty of reasons to tune into the action.

To curb your excitement, and to feast your eyes on some eye candy, here are my Top Ten Hottest College Football Cheerleaders with bonus pics!:

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Top Four Worst Thanksgiving Halftime Shows

Greg Riot — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:00:43 -0500

This year I have plenty to be thankful for.

Beer.

Cable TV (including the NFL network).

A lazy boy that still supports my fat ass.

A delicious turkey dinner.

And an extra serving of not two, but THREE Thanksgiving game matchups with some of the most dreadful teams in NFL history.

As if that alone weren'tt enough to gobble down Aunt Mary’s not-so-great-gravy, we also get to watch Thanksgiving NFL halftime shows!

Unfortunately, it is confirmed that we’ll miss out on any sexy, unexpected appearances from Mrs. Janet Jackson's right breast or any other “wardrobe malfunctions” since the sister to the King of Pop won’t appear in any of the halftime shows this year, at least not on Thanksgiving Day.

We will, however, get a taste of the music from the Jackson 5 through a Tribute to Motown’s 50th Anniversary during the 2009 United Way Thanksgiving Day NFL Halftime Show in the first game between the Green Bay Packers and the Detroit Lions at the Ford Field in Detroit (FOX 12:30pm ET).

Performing the classics of Motown artists like Diana Ross and The Supremes , The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye, the halftime show will feature recent Motown artists like Forever The Sickest Kids and Kem, both of whom have been influenced by these stars and had no better plans for Thanksgiving.

Just kidding.

They got paid very well, too.

But what the hell kind of names are those? Forever the Sickest Kids ? Ok...

And, yes, I guess I’m not hip enough and have not heard of Melanie Fiona Hal Linton , Shontelle, and Vita Chambers , but they’ll perform too.

Over at the Cowboys Stadium, former American Idol season five finalist Chris Daughtry has been announced as the entertainer for their annual Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and the Oakland Raiders (CBS 4:15pm ET).

Sounds like halftime shows this year will be the perfect time to go out to that muddy/snowy lot and play some backyard football.

And it has been that way for some years now. To prove that point, here’s my list of the crappiest Thanksgiving Game Halftime Shows.

1.) Jonas Brothers in 2008

SEA @ DAL, 4:15 PM (FOX)

Here, the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Seattle Seahawks. And, yes, this ended up being their 10th loss of the season, and, yes, this was their fifth loss in a row, but I am willing to bet any money that it only happened because they got sidetracked by the tunes of teen hormone-packed songs like “Tonight,” “Lovebug,” and “Burning Up."

No, seriously, I’m sure any parent is OK with taking their 12-year-old daughter to a jam-packed concert of The Jonas Brothers or even playing their CDs in the car, but I’m sure you really don’t want them at your football game, too.

Let’s face it; this was really “off-target” for the type of audience that is normally glued to the TV watching Thanksgiving Day matchups.

2.) Jesse McCartney: (a.k.a. Turkey) in 2008

Unless Jesse McCartney is related to Paul McCartney (which he is not, I just Googled him), then I give up.

I have no clue who the heck this kid is.

Since I’m clueless about this fellow and in honor of the festivities, I will nickname him "Turkey."

Why? On Nov. 27, 2008, at the Ford Field in Detroit, he showed up on TV singing for the Thanksgiving halftime show performance.

According to Dictionary.com the definition of Turkey is:

a. person or thing of little appeal; dud; loser

b. naive, stupid, or inept person

c. poor and unsuccessful theatrical production; flop

But in his favor I have to say the production really wasn’t THAT bad.

3.) Bon Jovi in 2002

OK performance, decent sound.

What happened to the stage? Half of it was abducted?

They lost the luggage in which the other half was packed?

Bon Jovi is as American as giving your kids a wedgie, so I won’t slaughter the man for the low-budget production.

It’s not the Super Bowl halftime show, but it's as close as you can get before Christmas.

Bonus points for not lip syncing: You could hear the guy. But it was clear that, Jack Daniels, cigarettes, staying up late, and lots of women have each left their mark in his now really raspy voice.

Still, Bon Jovi set the perfect mood for the day on which the Patriots defeated the Lions, 20-12 on Thanksgiving Day in the Motor City in 2002.

4.) Mariah Carey in 2005

No song on earth can be any more boring than a song by Mariah Carey.

I’m sure half the stadium was asleep.

But then again, who cares if the song’s boring? Is anyone listening?

For all I care, you can put the TV on mute.

Oh wait? She’s talking, put the sound back on! Cause maybe she’s talking all sexy and stuff.

Other than the usual fireworks, lots of dancers, and the sexy Mariah Carey herself, if I were to rate just the performance, it was awful.

Crucify me, slaughter me for criticizing her, but the show was lame, plus what’s with her being carried in this inflatable bed everywhere? A sprained ankle? Pure laziness? I recommend a Segway.

In any case, the Lions didn’t appreciate how the Atlanta Falcons destroyed them 27-7 on the Thanksgiving game in 2005 after coming off four consecutive losses.

I think it was you and your song that brought them bad luck, Mariah. I’m just saying...

BONUS (This performance actually DIDN’T suck)

Destiny’s Child in 2004

OK, here is for something good for a change!

From prepubescent kids with stringy voices to three curvaceous hot women by the names of Kelly, Michelle, and Beyoncé in shiny outfits strutting down a football field with a marching band behind them, a million-dollar production with fireworks, lights, and an all-out Hollywood stage for them to go crazy on!

This is the moment on Thanksgiving Day when you do actually feel like giving thanks! There is a God out there!

The Prairie View A&M University Marching Storm accompanied Destiny’s Child during the halftime show in the 2004 Turkey Day Game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Chicago Bears.

For some it was the worst NFL game ever played, but for me it was the best halftime show in Thanksgiving history!

Worst Celebrity Sports Couples of All Time

Greg Riot — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:44:04 -0500

WORST CELEBRITY COUPLES PAIRS OF ALL TIME? WELL, HERE’S SOME OF THEM It is quite possible that these are not the absolute worst of all-time, as we could certainly find others with more painstaking research. But these are enough for now. Hey - we could surely come up with a lot more in the way of couples if fellatio was a sport (at least officially), because there are plenty of candidates who were probably consummate pros in that area. Think of the possibilities.

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Top 10 Funniest Moments (and Comedians) in NFL Football

Greg Riot — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:23:15 -0500

Too many goofy things happen on the football field. So, in order to get a list together that’s below infinity, I’ve decided to stick to the NFL or former or current NFL players.

After all, when kids screw up, it’s funny. When professionals screw up, it’s downright hilarious.

Let’s get to the list.

10.) Chad Johnson, Chad Ochocinco or Terrell Owens - - Please, don’t get on my case for not paring down the list regarding this ridiculous threesome…err, pair. Remember Chad Johnson’s Mohawk hairdo? Chad Ochocinco is just, well, the man’s name is Ochocinco after his number, and Terrell Owens? How about the popcorn incident or the signing the football incident or the crying because the media was picking on his quarterback, Tony Romo incident…again, you choose the best idiotic thing with these guys.

9.) Funny football dances - - I love this one. Just go onto youtube and put in “funny football dances”. This actually isn’t #9 per se, more like #10A because most of the funny football dances are done by the two funniest men in football history, Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens. There’s the cabbage patch, running man, hula hoop dance, and good old fashioned football scoring spike the ball, jig. Oh, I forgot…Magic fingers! Magic fingers!

8.) Streaker Gets Belted - - Better to show you than describe to you. Watch here. Did you watch? Did you? Ouch.

7.) Whiffed Punts, Kicks and the Bad Snaps - - There’s also the ball falling out of the quarterbacks hand and the QB throwing the pigskin onto the back of one of his players. Whatever the case may be players just can’t seem to keep the ball in their hands sometimes. My favorite? The 1986 Giants vs. Bears playoff game where G-Men punter Sean Landeta loses the ball because of a gust of win, it gets picked up by Chicago’s Shaun Gayle and he marches into the end zone. A funny moment and yet so, so sad.

6.) Phil Luckett Coin Flip Call - - We've witnessed a lot of bad call this 2009 NFL season, like the embarrassing calls in the Ravens vs Patriots game, but this one takes the cake. Sure, it’s not Adam Sandler funny, more like Frasier funny, but it’s funny. I will always try to find a place for Phil Luckett’s bad con flip call in the 1998 Thanksgiving overtime game between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Detroit Lions. Phil, Jerome said, “Tails.” Tails, Phil. Tails. That was one of the worst NFL calls of all time.

5.) Leon Lett Gets Funky and Looks Like a Fool in the Super Bowl - - Double L makes the list twice. The first is for his ridiculous I’m going to put the ball over the goal line before I get into the end zone move that cost him a touchdown in the 1993 Super Bowl when Don Beebee stripped it from him. Big Bad Leon wanted to get cute and, instead, looked like a fool. Of course…Double L wasn’t going to let one stupid thing stop him from ever doing another stupid thing, right?

4.) Leon Lett and Snow Are Enemies - - Man, I miss Double L! In a snowy game in 1993 against the Miami Dolphins, yes, in the same year, the Cowboy block a field goal and seemingly have the game won, but Double L decides to chase down the ball and scoop it up only the ball slipper because, like, it’s snowing, and like, Double L has these massive, uncoordinated hands, and like, well, like, the Dolphins recover and like kick the field goal because after Double L touched it the ball was live. Yep. The Dolphins won the game.

3.) Gus Frerotte Gets Manhandled by Padding in the End Zone - - Gus Frerrotte, a graduate of Tulsa University, scored a touchdown in a game in 1997 against the New York Giants when he was with the Washington Redskins, head butted the padding at the back of the End Zone, and injures his neck. Check out the video: “Yeah, baby! Touchdown! Oh…man..that stings…”

2.) Broadway Joe Wants to Get It On with Suzy Kolber - - I love Joe Namath. Want to succeed in New York, Mark Sanchez? Played as Joe played, but don’t do as Joe did off of the football field. Well, maybe, that’s not such a bad thing. Somehow, I think pretty boy Sanchez would have more luck with Suzy Kolber than Skid Row Joe. Click here to watch.

1.) Peyton Manning…Comedian - - This is for real, folks! Petyon Manning is freaking hilarious. The man is a comedian. Check out his commercial work in the video below. Or, how about his work on SNL. Peyton does comedy almost as well as he plays on the football field. “Funny moments? I’ll give you funny moments? I am a funny moment!”

Unofficial Interview With Mark McGwire, Cardinals New Hitting Coach

Greg Riot — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:06:19 -0500

Introducing Mark McGwire Will Be Tricky

Oh…MAN! The St. Louis Cardinals are having trouble coming up with ways to introduce their new hitting coach, Mark McGwire , because…well…he’s a douchebag. McGwire literally went into hiding after the congressional hearing about performance enhancing drugs and now has thrust himself in to the spotlight by aligning himself with his former team in a coaching role. The air of intrigue surrounds Busch Memorial Stadium is at an all-time high, and if the PR team of the Cards isn’t suited to handle this particular intro, I’m here to help!

Question: So Mark, let’s talk about the past…
Answer: I’m not here to talk about the past. I’m not going to talk about what happened in my childhood, when I was a teenager, when I was a player or even what happened five-seconds ago. I’m not even going to talk about things I just said. I want to focus on the future.

Question: Where have you been for the past four years?
Answer: Didn’t you hear what I just said? The last four years were wiped from my memory banks. I could’ve been doing volunteer work in Cambodia for all I know. I’ve hired a professional hypnotist to clear my memory so that I can focus on the future. The future is all that matters.

Question: Ok…so about the immediate future…
McGwire: Yes?

Question: How do you hope to help the Cardinals this upcoming season?
McGwire: My assistants tell me that St. Louis ranks 18th in the league last year in batting, but I’m not here to discuss the past. I only want to talk about the future.

Question: Jesus…
McGwire: Jesus is a figure of the past! We’re not talking about the past! Only the present and the future!

Question: Ok, sorry, Mark. How do you plan on improving Albert Pujols ? He’s the best hitter in baseball, some say, and he led the league in home runs last year with 49.
McGwire: Pujols needs to hit the ball in the field more. Getting people around the horn is more important. He needs to respect history more and keep his home runs for when they’re needed most.

Question: What? Since when are home runs a bad thing?
McGwire: Since I stopped playing, basically. The game has changed. Power hitters have no place in baseball anymore. But, again, I’m not here to talk about the past.

Question: Okay fine. So what about the future are you worried about?
McGwire: Robots. I’m terrified of robots. They can’t be trusted.

Question: Robots? What about the Dodgers or the Phillies? Aren’t you concerned about them?
McGwire: Yes I am. They’re great teams, and both proved they can be dangerous in the post season. But until they have robots on their roster, I think we have a chance.

The idea, for you PR newbies, is to swerve and deflect. Once the press is done scratching their heads about the threat of cyborgs and robots overwhelming the safety of humanity , they’ll stop caring about the scandal that McGwire pioneered nearly ruining baseball.

Sammy Sosa's New White Look!

Greg Riot — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:07:16 -0500

While most sports players like to adopt a different life style or put on a few pounds when they retire, Sammy Sosa has taken it a step further; the former Chicago Cubs slugger made quite a sensation at last week's Latin Grammy Awards with his skin looking amazingly pale!

It is not clear whether or not Michael Jackson had any influence on this new trend, but the effect was certainly striking. Not surprisingly, the former US Baseball player denied that he had undergone any type of skin lightening process and blamed his white appearance on bright lights. Apparently Sosa has had a skin rejuvenation treatment, a common beauty procedure women use a lot. According to friends, the pictures taken at the Grammy Awards were deceiving, the bright lights giving his skin a very pale shade.

The 41 year old retired player swears that whoever would see him in the flesh would hardly notice a difference, while the pictures make him almost look like a different person.

Sosa was caught in various scandals, including the famous corked bat issue back in 2003. Sosa denied any blame and claimed it had been a mistakes and that he had played with the bat he normally used for practice. The big question that followed was whether he had been cheating all along, and for how long!

Earlier this year the truth about his doping finally came out in the open; after years of denial, the truth came out and Sosa was on the list with 104 other pro sports players who had used performance enhancers. That was to be one of one of the biggest scandal in the world of sports.

Top Ten Hottest Celebrity Sports Fans

Greg Riot — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:40:30 -0500

They’re PHAT: Pretty Hot and Tempting

While diehard sports fans spanning the globe likely watch their favorite sports first and foremost because of their love for the game. But taking in a little ‘eye-candy’ every now and then has never hurt anyone.

C’mon fellas, we all know that a close-up shot of a scorching-hot babe sitting court-side is a bonus every time. Then reality kicks back in and you have absolutely no shot of reaching first base with whatever ‘hottie’ was just shown on the tube.

Still, a little fantasizing can go a long way and is just an added bonus of watching sports, especially in HD.Besides that, it's always interesting to see what the celebs will do on camera and who they will show up with.Who know, they might make it into the next entertainment betting props.

With that in mind, let me break down my top 10 hottest celebrity sports fans.

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Best Rivalries in Sports Ever

Greg Riot — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:21:10 -0500

Okay, it would be impossible to come up with a Top 10 list of the greatest rivalries in sports history.

That's just not possible because, well, there are 10 rivalries in college football that stand out right now. So, I’m going to take a different approach and just list the top rivalries of all time in each of the following sports: the NFL, college football, golf, hockey, horse racing, boxing, college basketball, NBA basketball and MLB baseball.

That should do it!

Top Rivalries of All Time

NFL Football —Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears

Forget it. Sure, the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons hate each other and the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins despise each other, but the Packers and Bears are just big time, throw it down, old school football rivals.

I could write a book on how badly these teams hate each other. You think Packer fans are upset that Favre plays for the Vikings? Put him in a Bears’ uniform and then we can talk about being upset!

This rivalry goes back to the dawn of football as we know it and the fact that both teams are decent in 2009, means that the rivalry will continue to be as hot as it always has been.

College Football —Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Michigan Wolverines

This rivalry is so intense that HBO did a documentary on it .

How intense is this?

Former Buckeye’s Coach John Cooper had a winning team with Ohio State and won a Rose Bowl, but was still fired because he couldn’t beat Michigan. So intense, that if Rich Rodriguez beats Ohio State in 2009, his job will be secure. If he doesn’t, alumni will call for his head.

So intense, that an a-hole like Woody Hayes could continue to beat up his players year in and year out and keep his job because he goes after the Wolverines. Just beat Ohio State, Michigan and just beat Michigan, Ohio State.

That’s all that anyone involved with either one of these teams cares about. They’d rather go 1-10 every year if the lone victory is against their hated rival, than go to the Rose Bowl every year forever.

Golf —Jack Nicklaus vs. Arnold Palmer

The Golden Bear, that’s Nicklaus, out dueled Palmer for seven major titles between 1962 and 1967. So, there wasn’t really a rivalry. But golf is more of a public opinion sport than anything and Arnold Palmer was the most popular golfer to ever walk the earth until Jack came around.

Today, the two men are still rivalries in the advertising world as both of them continue to fight for pitchman dollars.

Hockey —Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Montreal Canadians

From 1944 to 1978, the Leafs and Canadians met each other in the playoffs 12 times and faced off in the Stanley Cup Finals five times.

This rivalry is also symbolic of two seemingly different cultures. Montreal is French-Canadian; Toronto is not. That’s the real reason that the fans from these teams can’t stand each other.

Also, for the longest time, there wasn’t a team in Vancouver, Calgary or Edmonton. You were either a Leafs fan or a Canadians fan.

Horse Racing —Affirmed vs. Alydar

In each of the three Triple Crown races in 1978, the Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes, Affirmed held off the on rushing Alydar to record a Triple Crown victory.

The thing that a lot of sports fans don’t recall, is that Affirmed and Alydar faced each other 10 total times during their careers.

Alydar beat Affirmed three times. Of course, not one of the three was as important as Affirmed sweeping the Triple Crown in 1978, but hey, Alydar held his own in three out of the 10.

Boxing —Joe Frazier vs. Muhammad Ali

The Thrilla in Manila, arguably the greatest fight of all time, was the icing on the cake in the three battles between these rivals.

In the first, Ali was returning from his imposed exile for not gong to Vietnam during the war. Ali, a Muslim, claimed that it was against his faith.

Frazier put him on his back in that first fight. Ali returned to beat Frazier for the right to fight the then heavyweight champ George Foreman in their second battle.

Then, after Ali upset Foreman, he took on Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila. Ali claims that fighting Frazier in the Thrilla in Manila was as close to death as he’s ever been and that if Frazer hadn’t decided to throw in the towel after the 14th round, he might have died in the ring.

College Basketball —Duke Blue Devils vs. North Carolina Tar Heels

Sure, Louisville and Kentucky can’t stand each other, but Duke and North Carolina are just mean towards each other.

They hate each other with a passion that goes beyond the hardwood, as the Blue Devils and Tar Heels are arguably the two most successful modern day college hoops programs.

UCLA dominated the 1970’s, but they didn’t play anybody. The Blue Devils and Tar Heels are located roughly eight miles apart from each other on Tobacco Road.

Den Smith vs. Coach K. Now, Coach K. vs. Roy Williams. In the toughest conference in college hoops, Duke and NC are the two toughest teams. That’s a rivalry!

NBA Basketball —Los Angeles Lakers vs. Boston Celtics

I absolutely love this rivalry! Why? Because when these two teams face each other, it’s usually for all of the marbles.

East Coast vs. West Coast. Blue collar Celtics versus Hollywood Lakers, this rivalry has it all!

Back in the day it was Wilt vs. Russell. Then, in the 1980’s, it was Magic vs. Bird. Now, it’s Kobe vs. KG.

The Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers have always dominated the NBA. That’s just the way it has always been and always will be.

MLB Baseball —New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox

These teams hate each other almost as if there are no other teams in MLB.

It all started with the Curse of the Bambino which I really can’t get into in this article. Let’s just say that this is a deep, deep rivalry that won’t go away until human beings stop playing baseball.

NFL's Worst Calls of 2009…So Far

Greg Riot — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:25:12 -0500

I had to write “so far” in the title of this article because there’s about a half a season left to play in the NFL, but, man, this is bad.

I don’t know what we NFL fans will do if the calls get worse than what we’ve seen so far. I mean, some of the stuff has been ridiculous. Calls can actually cost NFL betting fans money.

So, to say that referees make mistakes and that they’re all human is one thing, but to flippantly write off a bad call is another. One call leads to a change in the game. Any change in the game can lead to a non-cover against the spread or a flat out loss. Changes build upon changes in the NFL, after all.

Bad calls cost money. That sucks for the guy who loses dollars because of some ridiculous Zebra whistle.

Top Five Worst Calls in the 2009 NFL Season...So Far

1.) Pass Interference Turns to Taunting in the Patriots vs. Broncos Game — The Broncos needed a touchdown to tie, remember? Of course you do! Former Patriots assistant Josh McDaniels versus his mentor Bill Belichick? Kyle Orton vs. Tom Brady? Randy Moss vs. Brandon Marshall?

Well, needing a TD to tie, the Broncos get a pass interference call on Pats’ safety Brandon Meriweather, no, make that a taunting call on the Patriots at the 11 yard line.

Okay...wait...I’m confused! Of course, I wasn’t the only one. The ref threw the flag before the taunt, which was a simple stand over and look down taunt, not a kick you in the groin taunt, occurred. So, my thinking is that the ref thought it was pass interference realized it wasn’t and then changed it to the taunt.

Or, he had money on the Broncos who won the game in overtime 20 to 17. Whatever.

2.) S.F. Gets Hosed No. 1 — In a terribly close game against the Minnesota Vikings, you know, the one where Brett Favre sent that magical pass to back of the end zone for what turned out to be a game winning touchdown, Minnesota kept a drive alive when S.F. defensive end Justin Smith hit Favre a split second after the ball left Favre’s hand. Whistle blown. 15 yards. Keep the drive alive. But...the drive wasn’t over.

3.) S.F. Gets Hosed No. 2 — Because to make sure that the drive wouldn’t end, S.F. defensive back Shawntae Spencer was called for a 15 yard taunting penalty on a third-down Favre incompletion. Hey, when the refs want you to lose, you lose, right? Spencer's unspeakable infraction? Waving off the incompletion, a la a referee, to signal that the pass was, well, incomplete. That is just amazingly unsportsmanlike.

4.) Calling for excessive celebration when players are just praying — How many times has the flag been thrown on a guy that scores a touchdown, points to the sky, and thanks the all mighty one in 2009? I don’t know, but it’s been quite a few times. Maybe, it happens when his teammates rush into the end zone to hug him.

Maybe, it happens in a city where praying to god is frowned upon. Maybe, it just happens because the ref is trying to get the damn whistle out of his throat and the other ref is doing the Heimlich maneuver on him and all of this occurs as soon as the player bends down and points towards the sky.

Maybe, the NFL is just mad because they thought they had stolen Sunday from god for good.

5.) You Mean, We Can’t Go Back in Time? — In the Oakland Raiders versus San Diego Chargers game, where the Chargers won 24 to 16, Raider QB JaMarcus Russell lost the ball as his arm moved forward, which is an incomplete pass.

Russell was afraid that the refs might call it a fumble—the ball ended up in the hands of Chargers’ LB Shaun Phillips—so he hurried up and called a play. The ball was snapped, the Raiders were stopped, and everybody could have moved on.

But the refs, understanding the rules better than regular fans, blew the whistle and looked back on the incomplete pass play, which, of course, isn’t allowed because Russell and the Raiders had already snapped the ball.

Ah...that’s why the NFL is angry at the Lord. They can go back in time and he can’t. Now, I get it.

Five Best Bowl Games of All Time: 1973 Notre Dame vs. Alabama Tops Them All

Greg Riot — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 18:49:22 -0500

What’s the greatest college football bowl game of all time? Since it’s an opinion question, there really isn’t any way to answer it definitely, but, like almost every college football fan, I’ve got my list.

Most individuals might have a 10-Bowl list. But for the sake of keeping the list special, I’ve got mine down to five. I tend to weight the overall history of a program in with the actual game itself. To me, a close game between Central Michigan and Florida International isn’t the same as a tough game between Notre Dame and Alabama.

Which is why, of course, the 1973 classic between those two teams tops my list.

Top Five Bowl Games of All Time

1.) 1973 Sugar Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Alabama

Was it the closest bowl game ever? No. Was it the best bowl game that either team has ever been a part of? That’s debatable.

But the fact that it was two of the top five, if not the top two, college football programs playing each other in a bowl game has to count for something. In 1973, both the Crimson Tide and the Fighting Irish went into the Sugar Bowl undefeated. ‘Bama was ranked No. 1. Notre Dame was No. 2. ‘Bama was coached by the legendary Bear Bryant. Notre Dame was coached by the legendary Ara Parseghian.

Notre Dame leads the Tide 21-17 going into the fourth quarter until back-up quarterback Richard Todd catches a pass from ‘Bama halfback Mike Stock. ‘Bama goes up 23-17 but, get this, they miss the extra point! With 4:26 remaining in the game, Notre Dame manages to punch one in and the Fighting Irish go up 24-23 and win the National Championship.

Two great programs, a great finish, a great game. The ’73 Sugar Bowl tops the list.

2.) 1979 Sugar Bowl: Penn State vs. Alabama

Over 76,800 folks showed up in 1979 to see the No. 1 Penn State Nittany Lions take on the No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. There weren’t a lot of fireworks until, leading 14-7, the Nittany Lions recover a ‘Bama fumble on the Tide’s 19-yard line. Penn State gets to the 8-yard line and runs three times before getting stopped inches away from ‘Bama’s goal line. On fourth down, the Nittany Lions try to get over the goal line again, but are stopped short in what has since been referred to simply as “The Goal Line Stand”.

They rejoice in Tuscaloosa and cry in Happy Valley.

3.) 1979 Cotton Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Houston

Suffering from the flu, Notre Dame quarterback Joe Montana has only two things he can do, eat chicken soup and pray.

He ate the chicken soup, but didn’t spend a whole lot of time praying. Instead, he marched onto the field with the Fighting Irish down 34-12 and willed his team to victory.

After Notre Dame’s Steve Cichy grabs a Cougar blocked punt and runs it into the end zone to make the score 34-18, Montana connects with Vagas Ferguson for the two-point conversion to get the score to 34-20.

He runs a touchdown in from three yards out and Notre Dame gets another two-pointer to get the score to 34-28. With no time remaining, Montana tosses an eight-yard pass to Kris Haines, the extra point is good and the Fighting Irish win 35-34.

Montana, of course, would go on to become arguably the greatest NFL quarterback of all time. And to think he owed all of it to chicken soup.

4.) 1997 Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Arizona

Former ASU coach John Cooper leads the Buckeyes into Pasadena to take on the undefeated Sun Devils. ASU is led by quarterback Jake Plummer, who does an amazing job in the fourth quarter, scrambling for a touchdown to put the Devils up 17-14 with about 1:40 left on the clock.

But that’s too much time for Ohio State sophomore back-up quarterback Joe Germaine. Germaine takes the Buckeyes 65 yards and hits wide receiver David Boston for the game-winning touchdown with only 19 seconds left. Ohio State wins 20-17.

Plummer would have a decent NFL career, but Cooper’s days in Columbus were numbered. Boston never lived up to the hype and Germaine never made it to the NFL.

5.)1984 Orange Bowl: Miami vs. Nebraska

How good were the Nebraska Cornhuskers in 1984? They were 12-0 and averaged 56 points per game. They were arguably the greatest college football team of all time until they ran into quarterback Bernie Kosar and the Miami Hurricanes in the 1984 Orange Bowl.

Kosar was spectacular, leading the Hurricanes to a 17-0 lead after the first quarter. In the fourth quarter, Kosar and Miami held a 31-17 lead and looked well on their way to victory until Nebraska came back with two touchdowns, one of which came on a fourth-and-8.

‘Husker Coach Tom Osborne, with the score 31-30, decides to go for two. The attempt fails and Nebraska loses the Orange Bowl and the national championship.

Kosar ends up having a more-than-decent NFL career while Osborne takes a break from Nebraska football only to come back as the school’s athletic director in 2008.

Top-10 Brothers in Sports: Yes, Serena and Venus Are Dudes

Greg Riot — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:53:24 -0500

I’m not talking about brothers in the way black people use the name—I’m talking actual siblings. These are the best sibling pairs in all of professional sports right now, with honorable mentions to get out of the way before we begin!

HONORABLE MENTIONS
Champ and Boss Bailey
Champ is one of the best cornerbacks to play since Deion Sanders, while Boss was recently cut by the Denver Broncos and failed to sign with another team. What’s sad about this pair is not that they only got to play one season together on the same team…it’s that they never had a third brother. What was his name going to be? Chairman? Vice-President? King? Emperor? Optimus Prime? Lord of the Rings? Lion-O? Admiral? Illuminati? We’ll never know.

Julius and Thomas Jones
Both of the Jones brothers play running back for mid-card teams (Jets and Seahawks). Thomas was traded by the Bears after several productive seasons to the Jets where he became the AFC Rushing Champion in 2008. Julius lost all credibility as a starting back while trying to spit carries with Marion Barber in Dallas, before finding his way to Seattle.

Thomas is clearly the better of the two, which is proven in both his salary and the value the Jets have in him. Thomas has nearly double the yards and seven-times as many touchdowns. Of course, it doesn’t help that Julius has just one touchdown under his belt this year. Turns out the only way Julius gets noticed is by getting crazy ass mohawk haircuts .

OFFENSE VS. DEFENSE
#10b. - Byron and Brian Westbrook
As an undrafted rookie, Byron hasn’t had the time to cement his legacy like his big brother. Brian (30-years old) was a third round draft choice who has played his entire eight-year career in the city of Philadelphia. He’s known as one of the best gainers from scrimmage, and though he doesn’t have a Super Bowl title to his family name, Brian can certainly try to tie that notch in the twilight of his career in 2009, where the Eagles are pretty solid bets to challenge for the NFC.

It was a heart warming sight two weeks ago when older brother Brian was concussed on the field, and his younger brother was looking over his shoulder. At once, all of America thought the same thing: “How freaking lazy are Mr. and Mrs. Westbrook?!”

#10a. - Marion and Dominique Barber
Marion and ‘Nique are the sons of Marion Barber Jr. (who might be the son of Marion Barber Sr…he doesn’t have a Wikipedia page so I don’t know) who was also an NFL player. But Marion is a Pro Bowl worthy back who plays who’s known for his crazy power and awesome dreadlocks.

Dominique is in just his second year after being drafted in the 6thround , and rotates in and out of safety. The hard part here is giving Dominique a nick name. We call Marion “The Barbarian” because it fits. What do we call Dominique? “Obsolete”?

(note —The Barbers and Westbrooks tied because the big brother is a proven NFL asset and the little brother is still spreading their wings)

#9 - Adrian and Mike Peterson
Mike Peterson is the brother of "the other Adrian Peterson", aka the backup running back for the Chicago Bears. Big brother Mike has 47 tackles, one sack, one pick and two forced fumbles in 2009. Something tells me that if the 33-year old brother of Adrian got a crack at his younger brother in a Chicago-Atlanta tilt, it’d be like old times growing up.

ALL IN THE FAMILY
#8 - Staal Brothers (NHL)
Eric, Marc, Jordan and Jared are part of the famous, Canadian hockey family. Three of the brothers are in the NHL right now, while the youngest, Jared, is playing for the farm team for the Phoenix Coyotes.

In a strange twist, it’s the first and third brothers that are amongst the NHL elite. Jordan (the 2nd youngest) won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins last year, and big brother Eric was the second overall pick in 2003, but has yet to win a championship.

#7 - The Flying Molinas
Jose Molina is the current catcher for the New York Yankees., who stands to win his second World Series. Yadier and Bengie, his younger brothers, are also catchers and have a World Series ring on each of their fingers. Never have parents been so happy to see their sons squatting like primates.

THE TWINS
#6 - Brook and Robin Lopez
The two former Stanford players are both 7-foot-0, 260 pound centers in their second year of NBA action. Robin was drafted 15th overall to Phoenix, and his brother Brook was taken 10th overall by the New Jersey Nets. I always imagine it’s awkward when one of the twin brothers is obviously more retarded than the other. Robin is averaging 3.2 points and 2.0 rebounds for the Suns while Brook is putting up 17.3 points per game as an integral building block for the Nets.

It makes me wonder how awkward that must be for the parents (not the giving birth to two gigantic twins part), consoling one brother who is destined to make gabillions as a legitimate NBA star, while the other is a relegated bench warmer.

I mean, when one brother is significantly better than the other there’s a usual explanation. Peyton, for example, is stronger than his little brother. But what’s the excuse when you’re twins? I wonder if on family movie night they watched the movie “Twins” and the parents knew when the kids were just babies that one of their kids was destined to be Danny DeVito and gave each other an awkward stare.

#5 - Daniel and Henrik Sedin
The first and second overall picks in the 1997 draft both play for the Vancouver Canucks’ top line and last year they both notched 82-points. How creepy is that? Not only are they identical twins, who play on the same line, they bring out the best in each other. Daniel is the gifted assist man, while Henrik is the deadly scorer. Of course, that’s all because they’re cheating (they have telepathic abilities. I can’t prove this but I’m damn sure of it.) I can’t wait until 2013 when professional sports bans performance enhancing mutant abilities. Let’s see what you can do then, freaks!

TO BE DETERMINED
#4 - Marc and Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol is a champion on the Lakers, while his little brother Marc was part of the canon fodder thrown in to that gruesome Lakers-Grizzlies trade that brought Pau to Kobe’s flank. Of course, Marc is five-years younger than his “big” brother, but he’s definitely the larger of the two. Marc was apparently so pissed off to be included as dead weight on his brother’s trade that he vowed to become a dominant center. In four games thus far, Marc has 19.0 points and 12.3 rebounds per game slightly edging his big brother. I would’ve really appreciated, however, if Marc had a cooler name like “Thwomp” or “Bam”. I take it his parents didn’t watch enough of the Adam West “Batman” series, which I was sure they did when they named their first son “Pau”.

BEST OF THE BEST
#3 - Venus and Serena Williams
Ok, fine. So they aren’t brothers, but if you’ve seen this “women” on the court then you know that they’re closer to being men then most of the people reading this article. Between them, the Williams sisters have 76 titles, 20 major wins and Venus also has a gold medal in her pocket. Basically, they’re the most decorated pair of siblings in sports history…unless you count the Kardashian sisters who have Reggie Bush and Lamar Odom as arm candy.

#2 - Eli and Peyton Manning
It didn’t take too long for little brother Eli to capture the Super Bowl ring that eluded his bigger brother for his first eight-years. But Peyton is the stud of the family and his rather large shadow casts over Eli’s dwindling efforts to cement a unique history of his own.

Peyton is undeniably one of the greatest quarterbacks in league history, winning MVP in the regular season (three times), Pro Bowl and Super Bowl. This season, there will be no Manning Bowl for the talking heads to get frothed up about…unless they meet in the Super Bowl and Eli is once again trying to topple an undefeated team to win the championship.

#1 – The Klitschko Brothers
The shared record between the two heavyweight boxing brothers is 91-5, including 80 knock-outs. Vitali is the current WBC world heavyweight champion, while his younger brother, Wladimir, is the IBF, WBO, IBO and Ring Magazine heavyweight champion. To make matters even crazier is that both brothers are so good that they avoided concussions and managed to get their Ph.D’s in sports science.

The Klitschko brothers have vowed never to face each other in the ring for a professional fight. Can you blame them? I’ve tried to fight my big brother before…when I was 10 (I lost every single time). As an adult, there’s no way that my brother and I would fight with the intention to hurt each other. With the brothers entrenched in fame, glory and a truck load of money, they have nothing to prove by fighting each other…except to prove who’s better.

The only strap that eludes the brutish brothers it he WBA title, and both Wladimir and Vitali are known to be better than the idiot that’s holding on to that title. It’s a dream match in fighting that EVERYONE wants to see, yet it’s no match that anybody would want to recreate themselves if they were in the shoes of these heavyweight champs.

It’s one thing for Peyton to hurt his little brother’s feelings by winning the Manning Bowl. It’s completely different if they were actually trying to punch each other in the face. That being said, they’re in a dying sport and from a dying country. Frankly, the physical culmination of this sibling rivalry might be the only thing that saves boxing.

Falcons-Saints: Monday Night Football Preview

Greg Riot — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:33:15 -0500

The undefeated New Orleans Saints will try to prove once again that they are the best team in the NFL right now as they host the 12-point underdog Atlanta Falcons 8:30 PM ET at the Superdome in a NFC South Monday Night Football showdown.

Atlanta Falcons +11.5
New Orleans Saints -11.5
O/U 56

Odds provided by BetUS.com

It's really hard to find anything negative about how the Saints play. Last week they scored 22 points in the last quarter to win 46-34 over the Dolphins. No team has allowed 34 points this season and managed to win the game by at least two scores.

"Everyone thinks we're a finesse team and we're always up early, but here we showed that we can come from behind," running back Mike Bell said. "There was a major (deficit) at halftime, and we came back, and persevered, and we stuck together."

Atlanta, on the other hand, will try to bounce back after an ugly 37-21 loss last week against the Cowboys. Matt Ryan threw for 198 yards with two scores and two interceptions. He has four picks in the last two games.

Ryan is playing against a talented passing defense that is ranked seventh in the league. The Saints have 13 total interceptions (third in the NFL) and 14 sacks. Being as aggressive as the Saints defense is, the Falcons may find some big plays down the field with Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, and of course, Tony Gonzalez.

"If we've got any chance of winning the division, I think the guys in the locker room know this is a big game for us," running back Michael Turner said. "We don't want to fall three games behind. In the NFL it's tough to catch up once you fall that many games behind and they have a win on you already. We've got to do whatever it takes to pull off this win on Monday."

On defense you can expect the Falcons' fast front seven to blitz a lot to make Drew Brees uncomfortable and keep him away from throwing inside the pocket—although the Jets and the Bills can tell you stopping Brees may not be enough to beat the Saints.

New Orleans has won seven out of eight games at the Superdome dating to last year, beating Atlanta 29-25 on Dec. 7.

Head to Head Matchup

Dec. 7, 2008         ATL 25, NOR 29
Nov. 9, 2008         ATL 34, @NOR 20
Dec. 10, 2007       ATL 14, @NOR 34
Oct. 21, 2007        ATL 16, NOR 22
Nov. 26, 2006      ATL 13, @NOR 31
Sep. 25, 2006       ATL 3, NOR 23
Dec. 12, 2005       ATL 36, @NOR 17

My pick: The Saints. Over

Medaglia D'Oro Bucks Downward Trend of Stud Fees

Greg Riot — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:46:24 -0500

The declining U.S. economy has impacted the horse racing industry in many areas, especially in the breeding shed.

Stud fees began falling in 2007 and continued this year. Yearlings sold last year in North America through early November averaged 5.8 percent, according to BloodHorse.com, while the median was 13.3 percent.

Citing the economic situation that face breeding and sales in North America and Europe, Sheikh Mohammed’s Darley operation announced on Oct. 28 fees for 37 of its 40 stallions on both continents would remain unchanged or decrease for ’10.

One of the exceptions turns out to be the hot U.S. sire Medaglia d’Oro that was acquired by Darley from Stonewall Solutions in June. The purchase price was not disclosed.

He had been standing for an advertised stud fee of $40,000 at Stonewall, but by the time of his sale that had jumped to $60,000.

Medaglia d’Oro’s fee rose again to a whopping $100,000 next year, prompted by super filly Rachel Alexandra, who whipped the boys in the Preakness, Haskell, and Woodward en route to likely Horse of the Year honors.

The Kentucky-bred has been most successful off the track—the current leading second-crop sire, with 59 winners and earnings exceeding $8 million this year. His fillies have been a hot commodity with the majority of first-crop stakes winners being females.

During his racing career, he banked more than $5.7 million, winning eight of 15 starts. He captured the Jim Dandy and Travers in 2002, the Whitney in 2003 and the Donn in 2004.

The multiple Grade One winner also was runner-up in the 2002 Belmont, the 2002 and 2003 Breeders’ Cup Classic and the 2004 Dubai World Cup.

“Sheikh Mohammed has been following Medaglia d’Oro's stud career with great interest,” said chief Darley bloodstock adviser John Ferguson, “and has been most impressed not only by the likes of Rachel Alexandra and many other exciting prospects in his first crop, which are now three-year-olds, but also by the quality of yearlings that we have seen at public auction.”

The 10-year-old’s sire also was pretty good at breeding winners. El Prado, who passed away at age 20 in September, arrived in this county for a stud career as a relative unknown despite being a two-year-old Irish champion in his racing days.

But that changed mainly because of Medaglia d’Oro ’s performances. He made the Top five general sires index from 2002 through 2005. His most accomplished siblings included 2004 champion turf horse Kitten’s Joy.

TUF Heavyweights: Fights Don't Meet The Hype

Greg Riot — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:27:20 -0500

When boxer Floyd Mayweather called out MMA fighters , saying they were nothing more than barroom brawlers, most knowledgeable fans called him out for being dead wrong.

MMA fighters are skilled in multiple disciplines and while their striking skills usually won’t look as good as boxers, K1 kick-boxers, or muay thai fighters among other disciplines because of the constant threat posed by take-downs in MMA, cage fighters are starting to step up their games drastically in that respect as well.

The Lyoto Machida vs. Shogun Rua light heavyweight title fight at UFC 104 is excellent proof of the evolution of the sport and should be used as a shining example of a fight to show people who don’t think MMA fighters are highly skilled athletes.

But if there’s one group of fights you wouldn’t want to show someone to prove that same point, it would be the fights we’ve seen on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights , you know, the one featuring Kimbo Slice.

It’s not Kimbo’s fault that the fights have been bad, but the season has shown yet again that the heavyweight division has a long way to go before it catches up with the other classes in terms of talented depth.

Take the Matt Mitrione-Scott Junk fight from this past Wednesday’s episode. Mitrione is a former NFL fullback and a very good athlete with a long reach who showed some good stand up skills early in the fight. He does have a lot of potential, but his cardio in the fight was stunningly bad and led to an ugly fight.

Junk, who was purported to be one of the top guys in the house, had equally bad cardio. The fight devolved into a sloppy affair that looked like two drunken brown bears with tranquilizer darts in their back pawing at each other as they slipped out of consciousness. Mitrione won the decision but it wasn’t pretty.

Other fights on the season have been at times equally bad. The Wes Shivers-James McSweeney match showcased the fighters’ similarly bad cardio that made their striking skills look rudimentary to say the least by the end. Roy Nelson beat Kimbo by essentially laying on top of him and punching him repeatedly two separate times in two different rounds. And then there was the Darrill Schoonover vs. Zak Jensen fight in which Schoonover dominated with a flurry of sloppy-looking punches.

Truth to be told, none of the fights have been good so far this season with just one remaining in the first round. That doesn’t mean the show hasn’t been entertaining so far because it has with coaches Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans leading the way in addition to an eclectic, personable cast.

And the next round should bring some interesting, higher-quality match-ups that could yield excellent fights. But for now, the actual fights in a show based around fighting have been awful at best, and a reminder of just how hard it is to find a good heavyweight these days.

Top 10 Ugliest Uniforms in Sports Today

Greg Riot — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:58:58 -0400

It’s almost Halloween but for some teams every day is Halloween because for some teams scary happens whenever they put on a uniform.

You know the type of uniform that I’m talking about, right? The type that makes you change the channel if you have a regular television or scratch your eyes out if you have an HD set? Yep. That type of uniform.

Well, here’s the list of the Top 10 Worst Uniforms in Sports today. Anybody can go back and check out the Denver Nuggets skyline atrocity of the 1980’s, but finding the worst uniforms of today isn’t easy.

Believe it or not, the marketing department for most college and pro teams has gotten much savvier today than in the past. They know what people like. They know what’s ugly and what’s not, but mistakes do happen and the 10 below are mistakes. Some are newer mistakes. Some are traditional mistakes, but they’re all mistakes because nobody would create these things on purpose.

Let’s get to it!

Begin Slideshow

UFC 104 Salaries Announced: Big Winners and Losers

Greg Riot — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:13:57 -0400

The UFC 104 salaries have been announced, and there’s a surprise near the top of the rankings. Under-card fighter Pat Barry (fighter in black shorts in the image to the right) took home the most of anyone outside of the controversial Shogun vs. Lyoto fight, the main event.

Barry banked a cool $134,000 for his night, a KO win over Antoni Hardonk, supplementing his meager $14,000 salary (counting his $7,000 win-bonus). He earned $60,000 in bonuses for both Fight of the Night and Knockout of the Night.

The Fight of the Night bonus in particular surprised many, considering the back-and-forth action, star power and tension of the main event.

Machida took home the most cash on the night, notching $200,000 (despite no win-bonus). Shogun got a solid $155,000 check despite going home empty-handed in the win department due to what many feel was a questionable decision on the judges’ scorecards.

Fourth place overall went to Joe “Daddy” Stevenson, the former Ultimate Fighter winner who still has a fairly large fan base. Stevenson took out Spencer Fisher with ease and banked $94,000, including a $47,000 win-bonus on the night.

Cain Velasquez received $70,000 (with $35,000 win-bonus) and Ben Rothwell took home $50,000 for co-headlining UFC 104.

Other salaries for UFC 104 are listed as follows. Razak Al-Hassan banked the event’s lowest figure at $3,000 for his loss to Kyle Kingsbury.

-Gleison Tibau: $38,000 (includes $19,000 win-bonus), beating Josh Neer: $14,000

-Spencer Fisher: $26,000 for loss to Stevenson.

-Anthony Johnson: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win-bonus) for beating Yoshiyuki Yoshida: $12,000. Johnson forfeited 20 percent of his $15,000 show money for being six pounds overweight in the 170-pound welterweight division.

-Ryan Bader: $30,000 (includes $15,000 win-bonus) for beating Eric Schafer: $13,000.

-Antoni Hardonk: $76,000 (includes $60,000 Fight of the Night bonus).

-Chael Sonnen: $54,000 (includes $27,000 win-bonus) for beating Yushin Okami: $18,000

-Jorge Rivera: $36,000 (includes $18,000 win-bonus) for beating Rob Kimmons $9,000:

-Kyle Kingsbury $16,000 (includes $8,000 win-bonus).

-Stefan Struve $74,000 (includes $7,000 win-bonus and $60,000 Submission of the Night bonus) for beating Chase Gormley: $10,000.

My Top 10 Healthy Football Foods

Greg Riot — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:49:28 -0400

If you consume as many calories during a game as passing yards or rushing yards your prime time players clock in over a season, things can start to go south quickly for you. Literally.

That is the peril many NFL fans face every year during the football season when sport, pizza, wings and beer conspire hand-in-hand and create an irresistible caloric down-slope. Compounded over many seasons and things are sure to get out of hand. Not to mention bad breath from bad eating. (Yikes!)

Traditional football eats are loaded with saturated fat, calories and added salt, which really should come with a screaming health warning. Too many footballers are helpless against the unlimited supply of snacks and treats that prop up as a veritable buffet during game-day. Resisting the temptation can be a real challenge. For those of you who can't watch football without the grease, read My Top Ten Football Foods .

But you don’t have to make such tough choices. All it takes is a little bit of creativity and a few healthy substitutions and you can serve up game-day snacks that are sure to help keep the pounds off and save you from having to buy a bigger couch down the road.

Hosting the game next week? Serve any of these 10 healthier options:

Serve whole wheat pita with hummus , salsa or dips prepared with non-fat yogurt or reduced-fat sour cream
Serve vegetarian bean chili instead of regular beef chili
Serve baked tortilla chips, reduced-fat cheese, salsa and fat-free sour cream
Instead of those dreaded chicken wings, try grilled chicken tenderloins or shrimp skewers with hot sauce and low-calorie blue-cheese dressing
No one has ever gained any weight from vegetables. Having crunchy carrot sticks, celery slices, bell pepper strips, sliced cucumbers with fat-free or low-fat dressings, salsa or yogurt dips is an excellent option
Serve baked chips instead of regular chips
Make a sandwich platter using whole-grain hoagies with lean deli meats such as turkey and ham and assorted vegetables (lettuce, tomato, pickles, roasted peppers, etc.). Hold the mayo and use mustard instead.
Cold shrimp with cocktail sauce.
Edamame (serve steamed soy beans in the pod)
Fresh fruit platters

Top Eight Plays from College Football Week Eight

Greg Riot — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:46:31 -0400

1. ‘Bama Blocks Its Way to Victory

The Volunteers were 44 yards away from upsetting the Alabama Crimson Tide, climbing a mountain for 59 minutes. But Tennessee failed to reach the summit of Terrence “Mount” Cody, the 350-pound nose guard who bulldozed his way to the kicker and blocked the field goal attempt to seal the victory in the dying seconds of this SEC tilt.

2. Jonathan Banks Is Money

Tim Tebow, ranked third in Heisman Rankings, threw his first pick of the game in the end zone on a tip drill, which landed in the hands of Jonathan Banks, who took the ball back for the money shot on a 100-yard interception return to put Mississippi State in range for the upset.

He streaked down the sidelines, then patiently waited for two blocks to set up before careening across the field for the score. That touchdown completely messed up the spread for Florida.

3. C.J. Spiller Spills Points All Over the Board

C.J. Spiller was a tour de force against the speedy defense of Miami, running for 81 yards and pulling in 104 yards receiving. But it was his 56-yard touchdown reception and his 90-yard kickoff return that propelled the Clemson Tigers through a hurricane and put them in a position for the staggering win over ninth ranked Miami.

4. David Sims Bobbles His Way to Interception

Zac Lee threw a prayer to the Iowa State one-yard line, and it was bobbled by his receiver, the guy covering him, another receiver, and the guy covering him, until David Sims yanked it up and ran 16 yards to get Iowa State out of its own end zone with a crafty pick.

5. Noel Is Divine against UConn

The Mountaineers were down 24-21 with just minutes to go in the fourth, but Noel Devine made sure there would be no intervention from UConn playing with their hearts on their sleeves. Devine rushed for a 56-yard score and stayed inbounds despite being hammered from behind at the 30. Devine capped the day with 178 yards and the game winning score.

6. Tebow Matched Herschel Walker for SEC Rushing Record

Tebow was abysmal through the air on Saturday, but his 49th career rushing touchdown tied him with Herschel Walker atop the SEC record books. Tebow ran for 26 yards dragging two defenders into the end zone with him.

7. Mallett Hammers Hail Mary

The Razorbacks needed a miracle to stay alive in the third quarter and Ryan Mallett delivered a 58-yard pass into traffic that was tipped by a cluster of Rebels before being snagged out of the air by Carlton Salters for the touchdown.

8. Ronald Johnson Dives for the Pass

In just his second game since returning from a broken collarbone, USC junior Ronald Johnson soared across the end zone to receive a 22-yard floater from quarterback Mark Bradley.

NFL Week Seven: Top Seven Plays

Greg Riot — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 19:30:25 -0400

In the Nicks of Time

With the Giants and Cardinals locked in a tie with two minutes left in the first half, Eli Manning launched a ball in Mario Manningham’s direction which was batted in to the air by Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. It was a great play by the Cardinals defensive back…except that it deflected right into the hands of Hakeem Nicks who hauled it in for a 62-yard score to put the Giants up 14-7 going into the break.

Reggie Bush Soars Six Yards for Six

The double-reverse play is always nauseating for a fan. It either breaks out for a huge gain, or gets mauled in the backfield for a terrifying loss of yards.

But when Reggie Bush got the ball, he sprinted up the sidelines and dove over a Dolphin defender from the six yard line, propelling himself into the end zone for the score.

The play created some awkward tension at the new Odom-Kardashian house where Khloe asked hubby Lamar, “Why don’t you ever do that? Don’t you, like, jump for a living or something?”

Crazy…Like A Fox!

Brett Favre was poised to make the announcing team gush with the winning score just 18 yards away. Instead, Chester Taylor freaked out when Brett Favre dumped the ball into his face and Keyaron Fox returned the interception 82 yards for the game winning score.

Almost as remarkable was offensive tackle Phil Loadholt chasing down Fox and nearly catching him at the goal line. Loadholt's weight: 343 goddamn pounds.

Dirty Sanchez Munches Raiders on Field, Hot Dogs on Bench

Ok, so maybe it wasn’t exactly a “play”, but that’s just how ridiculous the 38-0 skunking of the Raiders got to be. A shot of rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez keeled over with a hat pulled over his brow revealed that he was on the bench stuffing a hot dog in to his mouth…during the game. He tried to cover it up and hide the fact, but the cameraman caught him in the action.

My question is: How the hell did he get the hot dog? Did the trainer give it to him? “No, Mark, you really would prefer to eat a granola bar or a banana right now. A hot dog? Seriously? Those things are like $7 here! Fine. I think I have some change in my car. What? You want everything on it? Now you’re being ridiculous!”

Romo Sheds Tackles, Haters

On the 12 yard line, the pocket around Tony Romo completely collapsed and four guys had clear shots at Romo. Instead, Tony made Romosexuals out of the entire defensive line from Atlanta and shed three tackles to throw a five-yard touchdown to Patrick Crayton. The play gave Dallas a decisive 17-7 lead heading in to halftime and put Dallas back in favor with its betting faithful.

Ricky Williams Burns Saints, Not Joints

Ricky Williams broke out a 68-yard touchdown run against the Saints to put the Dolphins up 14-3 in the first quarter. The former burnout instead burned down the Saints, scoring three touchdowns and racking up 80 yards on the day in the loss.

LaDanian Gets Stuffed Four Times in a Row

Last week, LDT was grumbling like a spoiled brat on the sidelines about Darren Sproles getting the goal line carries. Granted, a 5'6", 185-pound back-up should NEVER get those carries (read: Ray Lewis, Week Three) in the first place, but LDT did absolutely nothing to bolster his case in the second and third quarters.

On two consecutive attempts from the two yard line, LDT was stuffed by the Chiefs. In the third quarter, a touchdown was nullified on an illegal substitution penalty.

Norv Turner then said “screw it” and went for it four times with Tomlinson from inside the KC two yard line and Tomlinson was rejected more times than Richard Heene by TLC.

College Football Week Eight Quick Picks

Greg Riot — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:21:37 -0400

Notre Dame Could Be in Trouble Again

The Fighting Irish have covered only one spread in 2009, against Nevada in Week One, and only beaten a single spread in 2009, last week against the USC Trojans. Now, as favorites once again, the Irish host Boston College .

The football betting line on the game is Notre Dame -7½, but don’t be so quick to jump on Charlie Weis’ team based on the spread. They’ve really had trouble against teams that they should have run over with ease this year, like Purdue, who they beat 24-21 as 6½ point favorites in the NCAA sportsbook and Michigan State whom they lost to straight-up 33 to 30 as 10 ½ point favorites.

Will the golden domers prove to be a horrible football wager again against the point spread? Probably. Boston College is 4-2 ATS and beat Florida State straight-up as 3½ point underdogs.

The Eagles aren’t pushovers, and Notre Dame has proven in 2009 that if you have even the slightest bit of talent, you can play with them.

Oregon Leads Quick Picks

The Oregon Ducks have solidified their status as the best team in the Pac-10. Sure, USC is ranked higher but against the spread, the Ducks have been the toast of the west coast.

Save for two straight losses ATS in the first two weeks of the season, the Ducks have been perfect against the spread. They’ve covered against Utah, ending Utah’s winning streak, Cal, destroying the Bears when the Bears were ranked in the Top 10, Washington State, and UCLA on the road.

Now, they face the Washington Huskies as 10-point betting favorites. Expect the Ducks to cover again.

I also like:

Arkansas to beat Mississippi straight up at +210 on the college football moneyline.

Iowa to cover the 1½ points against the spread on the road against Michigan State.

TCU to cover the 2½ points as road favorites against BYU.

Mississippi State to actually fight Florida hard as 23½ point underdogs at home.

South Florida to bounce back after their loss to Cincinnati straight-up at +210 on the money line against Pittsburgh on the road.

Top 10 Ways to Ditch a Girl at Game Time

Greg Riot — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 19:06:10 -0400

We’ve all been there. It’s Sunday and you're stoked for the NFL Game of the Week. It's around 12:30 p.m. EST and you’re busy killing your hangover by throwing back shots of Jack Daniels for breakfast while searching the Internet for news on LaDainian Tomlinson’s new vaginal injury to see where your money should be going.

It’s beautiful outside and you could not care less because there’s football on TV. There’s no reason to leave the house today unless you run out of beer. Even God took Sundays off. Why can’t you?

Because you have a girlfriend and she’s not putting up with you sitting on the couch all day.

So, for all the guys out there who have this dilemma, we’ve hatched a list of 10 surefire ways to get that hag out of the house so you can enjoy the day you’ve waited for all week. It’s the least we can do so you can spend your days with us, instead of her.

LAST DITCH EFFORTS

10. Encourage Office Romance
Huh? Why would you do that? Because if your girlfriend is as vindictive as my ex-girlfriends are then they’ll hate your guts for liking football, as if God forbids you from enjoying hobbies!

The more you commit your Sundays to football, and your Saturday nights to college ball (and your March to college basketball, and October to baseball…you get the idea), the more she’ll feel inclined to stab you in the face with a budding affair that will never go anywhere.

Chances are that the guy who’s hitting on your girlfriend or wife at work is such a douchebag that he doesn’t even like sports. So really, all you have to do is find some way to get her to spend the day with this chump and you’re set.

The best way? Act like it really, really bothers you that she spends her free time with him. My favorite part about this is that she won’t do anything while out on her “date”…and when she gets back, you can be justifiably angry at her and completely ignore her while enjoying Sunday Night Football.

9. Use Tequila On Saturday Night To Stir Up A Fight
This is when your gleeful betting habits collide with your awesome drinking habits. Get her drunk on Saturday night and just start fighting with her over something dumb. Here are some great kick-starters:

“Jon Gosselin is soooooo the victim! Are you nuts?”
“I hear what you’re saying, but you could still clean the toilet a few more times a week…”
“What do you mean Letterman’s wife should be upset? Why? Because of all the money he brings home?”

Once things go south just flip the script and pretend like she’s attacking you personally. When you get so irate that you storm home and tell her “not to bother to come home” you’ll be free as a bird on Sunday.

When she calls you on Sunday, just tell her at halftime, “Listen, I just can’t talk right now…I’m still upset over last night…I just need a few more hours, ok?” Then, once your team has hit the TOTAL, you can invite her back over.

8. Bet Your Life Savings On A Rams Away Game
Granted, this strategy has a lot more potential to damage you in the long-term, but the short-term benefits are what we’re focused on here.

Once you’re done trying to convince her that "the Rams are due!," she’ll have slapped you in the face and kicked you in the balls. Now all you have to do is just bolt the door shut once she’s gone and block all of the calls from her mother’s house.

Hey, it’s called a “last ditch effort” for a reason! Desperate times call for desperate measures…and nothing is more desperate than banking your entire life savings on Kyle Boller away from home.

SEND HER ON AN ALL-EXPENSES TRIP

7. Keep A Loaded Gun
I mean that figuratively, not literally. Unless you’re a total relationship failure, she’s done something in recent memory that she still owes you for.

So, when I say that you’re sending her on a “trip,” I’m really just telling you that it’s about time you call in the favor and send her on a guilt trip.

This probably isn’t the best time to do so, and you’ll probably screw up down the road and wish you hadn’t burned this favor, but at least you’ll have all of Sunday to yourself!

WHY YOU HAVE FRIENDS

6. Gather The Wives
You have one friend who has a cool wife or girlfriend. You do. She’s awesome, with the only discernible dent in her resume being that she doesn’t really like sports. This woman is your ally.

One quick call to her to rally the girls to go shopping (or whatever the hell women do in their spare time) and pretend like they’re the whores from Sex In The City for a day, and she’ll be gone for hours.

Sure, it’ll put a gushing knife wound in your shared credit card, but that’s the price you have to pay for freedom sometimes.

5. Invite That Guy She Hates To Watch The Game
I have a friend, whom we’re going to call “Pete” for this article, that is as horrifically inappropriate to my girlfriend as any guy can be.

He hits on her when he’s drunk, he makes lewd comments to anything with breasts, and he stinks to high hell.

You know you have a “Pete” in your arsenal. You don’t mind him, but your girlfriend hates him. It’s time to use him.

So when Sunday morning rolls around, walk back in to the bedroom with your cell phone in hand and say with genuine depression in your voice, “Hey, the guys are coming over today, and one of them accidentally invited Pete over. I just wanted to give you the heads up because I know you’re not his biggest fan.” This cleverly disguised ploy comes off as a favor, so it’s a win-win.

4. Don’t Let Your Friends Take Their Shoes Off

If your wife or girlfriend is a neat-freak, the thought of 30 grungy dudes filling up your living room will drive her insane.

If the sight of muddy carpets, beer stained couches, and tumbled chili-dogs is enough to put her in “Kate mode,” then you’re on the verge of getting her out of the house. All she needs is a little nudge.

Get your friends over about an hour before game time, make sure they track as much mud and crap through your beautiful house as possible, and make sure she sees it. You can even have some of them to break something. Whatever.

By the time there are too many people in the house to kick out, she’ll be storming out the front door screaming, “This goddamn mess better be cleaned up by the time I get home!” Get $10 from all your buds, call Molly Maid, and you’re good to go.

THE GOOD IDEAS

3. Find A Cooler Girlfriend
She may be a budding doctor, or a sharp real estate agent that makes boat loads of money.

Either way, if she’s not going to genuinely support your hobbies by cooking your friends lunch and serving up Patron every time there’s a touchdown, it’s about time you get rid of her.

2. Surprise Her
When she wakes up in the morning, tell her, “Hey, you need to get out of the house and keep yourself busy…I have a surprise for you.”

She’ll spend all day running around town thinking about what the surprise is and you’ll spend all day without her constant chirping while the Bengals are burning up the spread.

Now, if you’re a real dick head, when she comes home you’ll just tell her that you lied to her to get her out of the house.

But if you’re smart, then you’ll get all the supplies you need on Saturday and surprise her with something sweet that will lead to the perfect end to your perfect Sunday: a blowjob.

1. Three Words: Spa Gift Certificate
My buddy does this every week to get his wife out of the house, because he’d rather spend $100 on facials and muddy rubdowns than listen to his wife chatter on about all the stuff he’s supposed to fixing in the house.

He gets her a gift certificate to a spa so she can treat herself to a “day for herself,” and he can enjoy Sundays in peace.

The best part? The spa is about an hour and a half away from his house. Two hours if there’s bad traffic.

The other best part? Watching my buddy lose his mind after betting a two-team parlay failure that was intended to cover the cost of the gift certificate.

My Top 10 Football Foods

Greg Riot — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 12:19:10 -0400

There are certain things that just go hand-in-hand: peanut butter and jelly, Frank Sinatra and New York, and football with greasy/messy food. Sunday is just an excuse to have a party where you eat and drink way too much.

The food usually served up for a Sunday afternoon full of NFL Football is not for the vegetarian’s in the crowd, although there have been some mean veggie chilies consumed in my day. For the most part, it’s about men and a carnivorous buffet of fall-off-the-bone, saucy, greasy, and delicious dishes.

Without further adieu, here are the top 10 football foods.

10. Nachos

Let's start off with a classic that is always a good call for a pregame appy, Nachos. It’s hard to go wrong with tortilla chips smothered in melted cheese, but when you kick it up a notch with jalapeño peppers, beans and even some ground beef, you got a winning dish. Of course, you can’t serve the chips without some salsa, but a real winner would have some guacamole and sour cream on the side.

9. Meatballs

Hot balls of meat that are oozing with flavor and, depending on the cook, sauce is a welcome addition to any football party. Anything that needs only a toothpick to eat is fine in my books.

8. Steak Tips

The key to great steak tips, aside from not over cooking, is the marinating process. You’ll be able to tell that someone is serious about their Sundays if they let those babies sit over night to soak up all that goodness, which really pays off come chow time.

7. BBQ Baked Beans

A classic, that’s all that can be said. If you want to go about it in the long route, you can spend the 24 hours soaking the dry beans and marinating and baking the beans in a combination of molasses, brown sugar and BBQ sauce. But honestly, the canned stuff they have nowadays is on point. Save yourself the trouble, grab a can opener, a pot, and a wooden spoon, and in 5 minutes, you got a football classic that’s a great side dish for anything on this list.

6. Pizza

Whether it's from the freezer or the front door, this is a Sunday must. If you want to keep your guests happy, order up a couple pies and your job is done. No fuss, no muss.

5. Pulled Pork

This is for the serious Sunday man. Most guys will save this little beauty for the Super Bowl as you really need to put in your time with this one. Not only does it take a while to cook the pork, but if your doing it right, you need to whip up the sauce as well and bring it all together with some fixings (coleslaw is a classic).

4. Chili

Ah chili, it’s great for Sundays, but it's great on any day. The best thing about chili, other than the awesomeness, is that you can make way in advance and just heat it up for game time and you’re ready to go. It’s a one-pot job that fills you up just right. Pair it with a nice loaf of bread and some grated cheese and you’ll have people napping at halftime without fail.

3. Ribs

Just like its cousin, pulled pork, ribs are a job and a half. It's totally understandable if you want to save these bad boys for Super Bowl, but if you want to make an exception when your team is playing in the Sunday Nighter, we won’t stop you. There are a few things about ribs that makes them special, they are difficult to cook just right, the sauce is almost as important as the rib and they aren’t cheap. But when you get them right, it’s the Grand Pu Bah of Sunday foods.

2. Sausages and Hot Dogs

You can go with the classic hot dog but if your looking to impress, there’s nothing better than a hot/sweet Italian Sausage smothered in sautéed peppers and onions then topped with a little cheese and all wrapped up in fresh hoagie bun. I just drooled on myself typing that.

1. Hot Wings

Wings are pretty much the official food of football. They are easy to make but even easier to order. Like many things on this list, the secret to great wings is the sauce. I’m a classic hot sauce guy but there are plenty of varieties to spice up your Sunday. If you don’t like the work involved in de-meating the bone, try boneless wings. It’s a nice chunk of white meat smothered in sauce without any of the fuss. Is it Sunday yet?

College Coaches We Could/Should See in the NFL

Greg Riot — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:23:17 -0400

Coaching in the NFL is strangely different than the college ranks. A lot of guys have found that out. Bud Wilkinson, as much of an institution as the college game ever produced, was a fish out of water in the NFL.

Barry Switzer never quite achieved any respect, despite a Super Bowl win. Steve Spurrier was laughed out of the league. Nick Saban had an unfortunate and uncomfortable exit from Miami. Bobby Petrino's departure from Atlanta was a complete farce. A lot of so-called coaching "icons" have had nibbles, including Joe Paterno, but they never took the plunge, possibly because the process of player procurement in the NFL might have put them on a level playing field with everyone else (I would say they couldn't cheat, but I'll be more diplomatic).

There are coaches in the college ranks that have taken their teams to the top of the BCS National Rankings and who could make good pro coaches, or who already have. There are others who we'd like to see get the opportunity or take the shot, just to see what they could do when matched up with the more advanced minds on the pro level, and we're only being half-facetious when we say that.

Let's look at our list:

1.) KIRK FERENTZ, Iowa -- This guy's been well-respected for a long time. Ferentz was an offensive line coach for six years in the NFL, and spent three of those seasons with Bill Belichick in Cleveland. He's sent his share of players to the next level while at Iowa, and has constantly been mentioned in conjunction with head coaching jobs in the pros. He was able to leverage this interest into a contract at Iowa that will keep him there through 2015, and he is one of the highest paid coaches in the country.

2.) CHARLIE WEIS, Notre Dame -- Listen, the guy has been absolutely reviled at times in South Bend, and that goes with the territory, but he spent fifteen years in the NFL as an assistant, including three years of winning Super Bowls with the New England Patriots, and if he wanted, he probably could have had an NFL job by now. Say what you will, but he helped develop Brady Quinn into a quarterback who could be drafted in the first round, and he's doing the same with Jimmy Clausen. The question is: Would a job with one of the NFL's lesser lights be a step down for him?

3.) MIKE SHERMAN, Texas A&M -- Sherman has had careers in both college and pro coaching. He won three straight division titles with the Green Bay Packers and also served as offensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks and Houston Texans. He is, as far as I can tell, the only current college coach who has also been an NFL general manager. He has made his Aggies respectable, running pro sets. With a lot of freshmen and sophomores, the best is yet to come. Sherman is committed to A&M through 2014 at $1.8 million per year.

4.) BO PELINI, Nebraska -- Most people really admire the job Pelini has done in re-injecting some toughness and defense into the Huskers, something that was lost under former NFL coach Bill Callahan. Pelini spent nine years in the NFL as an assistant with the Niners, Packers and Patriots. His contract runs through 2013, and like Sherman, he's making $1.8 million yearly.

5.) JEFF TEDFORD, California -- The two-time pac-10 coach of the year, Tedford was offensive coordinator at Fresno State and Oregon before taking the head job at Cal, where he has gone to six straight bowl games. He is renowned for the job he has done working with quarterbacks. Tedford has worked with the likes of Trent Dilfer, Joey Harrington, Kyle Boller, Aaron Rodgers, Billy Volek and AJ Feeley in the college ranks, and is generally known as a pretty sharp offensive mind.

6.) MIKE RILEY, Oregon State - Riley has had success in his second tour of duty with the Beavers, making it into five bowl games. He has been around the block, coaching in the Canadian Football League and the World League of American Football , not to mention three years as the head coach of the San Diego Chargers. I think that maybe he deserves another shot somewhere in the NFL.

7.) CHRIS PETERSEN, Boise State -- The guy's had nothing but success. When he was working under Dan Hawkins as an assistant, he was nominated for the Broyles Award as the nation's top assistant coach. Since taking over the Boise State program, he's had a 40-4 record, and things just seem to get better. He's only making $850,000, which makes him a relative pauper compared to others who are competing for BCS spots. Other WAC schools wish the NFL would make him an offer.

8.) URBAN MEYER, Florida -- Meyer is one of those guys who certainly prefers the security of college and the recruiting edges he can have over other coaches, and I would imagine he could be a "lifer." Yet I would like to see what he could do on an NFL level, if for no other reason than that the spread option, with which he has won two national titles at Florida and authored an undefeated season at Utah. His system become the rage in high school and college football and eventually "spread" to the NFL in the form of the "Wildcat" and other variations, and it would be fun to see how that offense would perform if it were implemented on a full-time basis.

9.) JERRY GLANVILLE, Portland State -- I bet you didn't realize he was still coaching, but the truth is, he's been back at it for several years now, first working as June Jones' defensive coordinator at Hawaii (no, that's not a joke) and now as the head coach at Portland State, where his team sports the third-ranked passing offense in FCS ball, even though they're just 2-4. At last he's had some success as an NFL head man, coaching in seven playoff games. Hey - how many guys have coached in the Sun Bowl, Senior Bowl and Pro Bowl, AND driven in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series AND leave tickets for Elvis at every game AND may have been one of the last people to see Jimmy Hoffa alive? That's right - nobody.

I want to leave room for one assistant....

10.) MARK WHIPPLE, Miami -- Whipple has an impressive resume. He won a Division 1-AA national title with U-Mass, and has been an assistant coach with the Steelers and Eagles in the NFL. At Miami he has really added some imagination to that offense, taking shots downfield, and the Hurricanes are relevant again. He'll be one year at Miami, then he'll get a shot at a head coaching job. I suspect his eyes are on the NFL again one day.

For the future, there's also:

11.) PAT FITZGERALD, Northwestern -- Northwestern is a tough place to coach because of the academic requirements, and Fitzgerald has the program showing signs of life, with a 9-4 record and a bowl game last year, and two wins away from bowl eligibility this season. The former Dallas Cowboys linebacker just needs some more seasoning; he's only 34 yards old.

Honorable mention:

Pete Carroll, USC (he'd never go back), Butch Davis, North Carolina (I bet he'd love to go back), Steve Fairchild, Colorado State (former NFL coordinator), Jim Harbaugh, Stanford (he's right on track), Ralph Friedgen, Maryland (he may need a job at season's end).

NFL Week Five Picks for Sunday's Must-See Games

Greg Riot — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 15:12:10 -0400

The NFL is getting hot after the first month and every single Sunday there are multiple interesting games to watch. Here are my NFL Week Five Picks for Sunday's must-see games.

Texans vs. Cardinals

Both teams have amazing offenses and explosive air performances week in and week out. So for those who love a TD festival, this is the game for you. Expect a game over the 50 points that most odds and lines have given.

Just imagine Matt Schaub throwing down the field to Andre Johnson or to Kevin Walter, or Kurt Warner looking for a huge play with Larry Fitzgerald or Anquan Boldin—boy this will be a great game.

Patriots vs. Broncos

I’ll be looking forward to see if the Broncos remain undefeated after Tom Brady and the Patriots visit them this weekend. Against all the odds, Denver beat the Cowboys at home last week. Now I want to see if the Broncos D is solid enough to stop Brady and his offense.

Remember that coach Josh McDaniels spent eight seasons under Bill Belichick with New England and knows everything about that organization.

Colts vs. Titans

At the beginning of the season, this was a big matchup between two teams built to win the AFC South and probably the AFC conference. But the Titans have played terrible in the first four weeks in the season and need to wake up if they want to save the year.

QB Kerry Collins is not playing like last season and could end up being benched this Sunday Night. Maybe we’ll get the chance to see Vince Young playing.

VY is the kind of QB that could make any defense look bad with his running game, but at the same time, he also can look awful if he starts throwing the ball down the field.

Of course, on the other side, Peyton Manning is a guaranteed show any given Sunday. Manning is playing like a true MVP candidate and it is so much fun to watch him be able to find any receiver, and when I say any receiver, I mean it!

Manning has found Reggie Wayne, Dallas Clark, Pierre Garcon, and Austin Colllie in the end zone this season; a big passing game is always enjoyable to watch.

NFL Picks: Take the Cards, Pats, and Colts to bring home the bacon this Sunday.

What Does It Mean To Florida With or Without Tim Tebow?

Greg Riot — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:36:41 -0400

Tim Tebow is back at practice and Gator fans are breathing a sigh of relief. After all, Tebow is the main reason, some might say only reason, that the Florida Gators are ranked top 5 in every single Week 6 Power Rankings out there.

The Florida Gators live and die with Tim Tebow, or do they? That’s the main question that college football fans are asking because Florida’s doctor has not cleared Tebow to play on Saturday. If Tim cannot go, then the Gators will start back-up quarterback John Brantley.

How will Brantley, or Tebow for that matter, effect both Florida and LSU’s game planning? Let’s take a look.

Florida’s Offense with Tebow vs. LSU’s Defense

With Tim Tebow the Florida Gators are one of he greatest college football teams that have ever walked onto a football field. That’s not to say that LSU’s defense cannot stop a Tim Tebow led Florida offense, but LSU’s chances of stopping Florida from scoring are greatly diminished with Tebow under center.

It all comes down to play calling and Coach Urban Meyer is a master play caller. He understands how to take advantage of matchups and how to get his speedy wide receivers and running backs in position to break out for huge yardage plays. With Tebow, Meyer has a huge yardage guy under center. Tebow could throw for 20, 30, 40 yards, or more if allowed to run wild.

Not only that but defending Tebow requires a spy from LSU’s defense. What a spy does is basically square his eyes on the quarterback and simply follows every move that the quarterback makes. Because of Tebow’s speed and cagey moves, LSU will most likely have to use a nickel defender to spy Tebow or safety Chad Jones. Taking any player away from defending against Florida’s fantastic wide receivers and pass catching running backs will hurt LSU’s ability to defend. Taking Chad Jones away from the defensive backfield and making him the spy on Tebow could lead to disaster for the Tigers.

Florida’s Offense with Brantley vs. LSU’s Defense

I’ve seen footage of John Brantley and I’m impressed. The man doesn’t have Tebow’s wheels, but he’s definitely got wheels and, this is key: he’s a better drop back passer than Tim.

The big question with Brantley is can he make decisions on the fly against a fantastic LSU defense? Meyer will game plan somewhat differently for Brantley, using more drop back type passing formations, allowing the LSU defenders to run past the running backs on draw plays, and just calling a more basic football game with Brantley in there, but Florida will find some success.

How much depends on Brantley, under the lights, against LSU’s feared defense. Brantley will have to make perfect decisions.

For LSU, a spy might still be an option as Brantley will run with the ball, but more than likely Coach Les Miles will count on his speedy linebackers to get to Brantley before Brantley can pick up huge chunks of yardage. Again, Brantley has wheels, but he doesn’t have Tebow type wheels.

Final Analysis Says Florida Wins with Tebow and Possibly Loses with Brantley

With Tim Tebow, the Florida Gators should beat the LSU Tigers on Saturday night. If Tebow isn’t suffering any ill effects from the concussion, then Tebow provides too many matchup issues for LSU and changes LSU’s defensive game planning too much for the Tigers to have success against Florida’s offense.

Now, if Brantley plays, then the story changes. Florida is still a better overall team than LSU, but LSU gets to play Florida in Baton Rouge. That’s a huge advantage as the Tigers are 45 and 4 at home in night games in this decade and throwing passes in practice against top defenders is different than doing it in Bayou Country.

Whoever starts for Florida, college football fans should expect an exciting SEC Conference game between the Tigers and the Gators.

College Football Week Six Picks

Greg Riot — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:00:59 -0400

College football betting has a ton of options in Week Six. There are some marquee matchups across the country with some BCS conference clashes taking center stage.

Here are three showdowns to watch and wager this weekend...

Alabama Crimson Tide at Mississippi Rebels (+6.5)

The Crimson Tide continue to roll behind their stingy defense. Alabama ranks second in the country in total yards allowed and has given up just over two touchdowns per game this season.

That's helped lead the Tide to a 5-0 record (4-1 ATS) and the No. 3 spot in the SEC Power Poll.

The rushing offense is also clicking for Alabama. Running back Mark Ingram is rumbling for more than 97 yards per game and stares down a Mississippi line that has given up an average of 188 rushing yards.

The Rebels rebounded from a loss in Week Four with a 23-7 win over Vanderbilt this past weekend. Ole Miss' offense is still trying to find its stride while star quarterback Jevan Snead is connecting on just 51 percent of his passes.

Against the Commodores, Snead passed for three touchdowns, but also threw three interceptions. He's up against an Alabama pass defense which has picked off five balls and leads the SEC with 15 sacks.

Wisconsin Badgers at Ohio State Buckeyes (-16)

In a reversal of roles, the Badgers look like the team to beat in the Big Ten after starting the season 5-0 (3-2 ATS). However, Wisconsin has yet to face a challenge like the talented Buckeyes, especially with this weekend's game being held in the Horseshoe.

The Badgers lead the conference in rushing with more than 217 yards per game. Running back John Clay is coming off a huge game against Minnesota in which he rushed for 184 yards and three scores.

Ohio State's defense will be keeping close tabs on No. 32. The Buckeyes boast the Big Ten's premiere rushing defense, allowing only 83 yards on the ground through their first five games.

Ohio State’s biggest issue heading into the weekend is its passing attack. Quarterback Terrelle Pryor has come under fire from skeptics after back-to-back poor outings. He's completed just 58 percent of his passes and has thrown five interceptions this season.

Pryor is still a threat on the ground, scrambling for 59 yards a game and three scores this season.

Oregon Ducks at UCLA Bruins (+6.5)

On the West Coast, the Oregon Ducks are trying to get themselves back into the National Title talks.

Oregon has bounced back from a rough start to the year by winning four straight games, including victories over Cal and Utah. The Ducks' energetic defense has thrived on causing chaos. They have forced seven fumbles, registered 13 sacks, and picked off six passes.

On the other side of the ball, quarterback Jeremiah Masoli is nursing an injured knee and missed practice this week. He's improving under center and has Oregon scoring over 34 points per game—most in the Pac-10.

The Bruins' hot start came to an end with their conference opener, falling 24-16 to Stanford last Saturday. UCLA is dealing with quarterback issues of its own heading into the weekend.

Starter Kevin Prince is still recovering from a broken jaw suffered in a win over Tennessee three weeks ago and could return this Saturday. Local media are reporting the red-shirt freshman is doing light work in practice and will have an X-ray later this week to confirm his status against the Ducks.

While Prince was out of action, senior QB Kevin Craft took snaps. He passed for 390 yards with one touchdown and one interception against Kansas State and Stanford.

Five Fantasy Football RB Busts This 2009 NFL Season

Greg Riot — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 13:22:54 -0400

Running backs are usually selected in the first picks of your fantasy football draft, but some of those big names did not live up to their hype.

Here are five fantasy RBs whose fire got blown out during the first four weeks of the NFL.

5. LenDale White

He is not the kind of RB that is going to run for more than 100 yards every game, but near the end zone he was always the go-to guy for the Titans offense.

This season Tennessee’s offense has been mediocre, and in the last game against the Jags they were awful. White ran twice for two yards and caught one to gain seven yards.

If White hadn't scored against the Jets last week, he would be having an embarrassing season. So far he has 82 yards rushing in three games.

White has recorded 12 points in four weeks: two against the Steelers, two against the Texans, eight against the Jets, and zero against the Jaguars.

4. Larry Johnson

LJ used to smash any offensive line that was in front of him, but Johnson has been held to under three yards per carry in three of his four games.

He is still very talented but has not proved his true worth yet this season.

He averages over four fantasy points per week after making two against Baltimore, 11 against Oakland, and one against Philadelphia and the Giants.

3. Reggie Bush

In most formats Bush will not be considered the first running back option. He has been nothing more than a sidekick out of the Saints backfield.

Mike Bell stole the RB starting position from him, and last week Pierre Thomas was the No. 1 RB against the Jets when Bell was out.

Bush ran six times for 37 yards and caught three passes for seven yards against New York. His nine touches were his fewest in four games this season, which makes you wonder: What happened to the Reggie Bush from college?

He has averaged 6.25 fantasy points in four weeks.

2. Darren McFadden

The Raiders offense is a mess, and there is nothing new about that. However, fantasy McFadden owners expected the team to lean on McFadden this season.

He was healthy at the beginning of the season and was expected to prove he’s a top quality RB. But even with a very favorable matchup against the Texans, who ranked as the worst run defense, he struggled. The Texans built a big lead in the second half, and the Raiders were forced to stay away from the ground offense altogether last week.

Darren averages 4.75 fantasy points per game and only has one TD scored so far.

1. LaDainian Tomlinson

After putting up some huge numbers in the 2006 season, LT became a must start every single week in any fantasy league. However, since last year the Chargers RB hasn’t been the same.

Tomlinson scored a touchdown in San Diego's 24-20 win at Oakland on Monday night in the first week, but he missed two games in a row and came back against Pittsburgh this weekend with a mediocre performance, with seven carries for 15 yards and one catch for minus-one yard.

He is probably the most difficult RB to get rid of because LT can catch fire on any given Sunday.

Top Five Prime Time Players in NFL Week Three

Greg Riot — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 16:04:54 -0400

In Week Three on the gridiron, several players stepped up and made the difference for their team in covering the spread. Now, I present the list of the players that had the biggest impact on cashing your winning NFL betting tickets last week...

5.) QB Peyton Manning, Indianapolis Colts: Ho hum. The future Hall of Famer moved the Colts to a perfect 3-0 SU and 2-1 ATS this season by throwing for 379 yards and four touchdowns against Arizona last week on Sunday Night Football.

Manning absolutely put on a clinic for the second straight week under the national spotlight, and once again, he did so without the services of WR Anthony Gonzalez.

WR Reggie Wayne and TE Dallas Clark are the only targets that Manning is 100 percent comfortable with, but to prove just how good of a quarterback he is, it doesn't matter who is lined up on the opposite side of the field, he's going to find the right man and make the right decisions. That's why the Colts are No. 4 in the AFC Week 4 Power Poll and a serious Super Bowl contender year in and year out

4.) QB Matthew Stafford, Detroit Lions: No, Matt Stafford's numbers weren't fantastic on Sunday against Washington, but how can we not make mention of the first quarterback to lead the Lions to a SU victory in almost two full seasons? The No. 1 overall pick had the best game of his young career, going 21/36 for 241 yards with a touchdown, but most importantly: he didn't turn the ball over and kept Detroit in a position to win the game at all times.

He was smart by throwing the ball away under pressure when he had to, and scrambled for 23 yards when he was in trouble as well. If he accomplishes nothing else this season, Stafford is already a hero in the Motor City.

3.) RB Maurice Jones-Drew, Jacksonville Jaguars: The Jags wouldn't have stood a chance in Houston on Sunday afternoon without their little bowling ball of a running back.

Jones-Drew rumbled through Houston's defense for 119 yards and three touchdowns and caught another four passes for 28 yards. He set the tone that HC Jack Del Rio was hoping to set in the second half by pounding the football play after play. And even though the Texans kept him bottled up at times, he busted enough big runs to make the Jaguars winners for the first time this season.

2.) DL Elvis Dumervil, Denver Broncos: Let's give some love to the big boys on the defensive line for the Broncos. Dumervil picked up a pair of sacks off the end and terrorized Oakland QB JaMarcus Russell all day in Denver's 23-3 victory against the Raiders. It was a complete defensive effort for HC Josh McDaniel's boys, as they held the men in silver and black to just 137 total yards of offense.

1.) QB Mark Sanchez, New York Jets: This rookie is playing like anything but a rookie. Sanchez stood tall in the pocket and did a number on Tennessee's stout defense last week in the Jets' 24-17 victory in the Meadowlands.

The USC product ran for the game's opening score, and threw two other TD passes in the victory, including the strike with 5:07 to play in the third quarter that stopped a 17-0 Tennessee scoring run and put New York ahead for good.

HC Rex Ryan's defense may be getting the accolades, but Sanchez is doing enough right now to make himself the clear frontrunner for Rookie of the Year honors.