Bleacher Report - Articles by andrew

Notre Dame Is SO Bad... ("How Bad Are They?!")

andrew — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 09:07:18 -0500

Listen, Syracuse has been so horrendous lately that their head coach, Greg Robinson, wasn’t even remotely surprised when he was fired last week. (CLICK HERE for the story.)

“I don’t think it really comes as a surprise to anyone. It doesn’t come as a surprise to me,” Robinson said at a news conference.

Having said all that, Robinson *was* allowed to finish out the season as the coach, and sure enough, was able to beat Notre Dame on Saturday.

Why am I telling you about this? Only because the Fighting Irish fans were so ticked off that they began pelting their OWN PLAYERS with snowballs. Typically, fans in snow-heavy cities will pelt the opposing teams, or sometimes the refs, with snowballs.

When was the last time you heard of fans targeting their own guys?

SOUTH BEND, Ind. (Associated Press)—Notre Dame football players were pelted by snowballs from fans sitting in the student section during their loss to Syracuse on Saturday.

“To throw snowballs at their own team, I didn’t think that was a smart thing to do. I guess [they thought] it was funny,” defensive tackle Pat Kuntz said after Syracuse upset the Irish 24-23.

South Bend was hit with about 10 inches of snow Friday. While the field had been cleared before the game, there was still snow along the fringes and in some areas of the stands.

Fans at first threw snow in the air, but then quickly switched to tossing snowballs toward the Notre Dame sideline. Defensive lineman Ian Williams got hit in the helmet, defensive end Ethan Johnson was struck on the left cheek, and a St. Joseph County police officer on the sideline looking into the crowd got hit in the chest. An NBC cameraman also was a frequent target and several snowballs reached the field, although none landed near where play was occurring.

When the Irish defense held a meeting on the sideline, injured linebacker Brian Smith stood on a bench to try to shield his teammates. But when a snowball hit Kuntz, he stood and faced the crowd and appeared to challenge whoever threw it to come down on the field.

“I was pretty mad about that, but whatever the fans want to do,” Kuntz, a senior who was playing his last game at Notre Dame Stadium, said flatly.

At least one fan was seen being led away by police.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

All of this is doubly-bad news for Charlie Weis. First it looks like his stomach stapling surgery “didn’t take,” and now he’s about to get canned, just like Greg Robinson.

However, something tells me ol’ Chuck won’t be saying, “It didn’t come as a surprise to me...”

- YOUbeQB.com

Vernon Davis, It's Been Nice Knowing You

andrew — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 10:54:42 -0400

I realize that we spend far too much time in our blog focusing on boneheaded, young NFL tight ends who seem to be five parts selfish to one part talent. (Are you listening, Kellen?)

But now it turns out that Vernon Davis of the 49ers (a former No. 6 overall pick in the draft) is in serious deep weeds with his new head coach, Mike Singletary.

A report on Sunday has the first-time coach—who replaced the fired Mike Nolan less than a week ago—blasting Davis for a stupid penalty in the late stages of their blowout loss at home to the Seahawks. Then he SENT HIM TO THE LOCKER ROOM with 10 minutes left in the game.

Hit the showers, V.D.!

This comes on the heels of him getting benched a month ago for showing up his own coaching staff. After he was chastised for not practicing hard enough, he caught a ball in the fourth quarter in a different loss, and he jumped up and started gesturing to his OWN BENCH—taunting the coaches who had had the gall to attempt to—you know—COACH HIM.

Mike Nolan immediately benched him for the rest of that game, and it seemed to do him some good, until today.

Mike Singletary put his stamp on his coaching debut for the San Francisco 49ers, benching turnover-prone quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan in the second quarter and then sending volatile tight end Vernon Davis to the locker room with more than 10 minutes remaining Sunday.

“I told him that he would do a better job for us right now taking a shower and coming back and watching the game than going out on the field,” Singletary said after the 34-13 loss to Seattle. “Simple as that.”

The confrontation with Davis started after Davis was called for an unnecessary-roughness penalty for slapping a Seahawks defender’s head after a tackle on a seven-yard reception in the third quarter.

Davis tried to avoid his coach as he ran to the sideline, but Singletary got in his face and gave him an earful before sending him to the bench. Singletary said he was upset by what he considered a nonchalant attitude by Davis, who did not seem to understand why his coach was so upset.

Singletary later walked over to talk to Davis on the bench, yelling some more at the former No. 6 overall pick in full view of his teammates. Then, with 10:41 remaining in the game, Singletary went back to Davis and told him to go to the locker room. Davis started walking before being called back to get his helmet. He then waved his helmet at the crowd as he left.

“I’d rather play with 10 people and just get penalized all the way until we have to do something else rather than play with 11 when I know that right now that person is not sold out to be a part of this team,” Singletary said.

“It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them, cannot win with them, cannot coach with them. Can’t do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win.”

Thanks for playing, Vernon. We have some nice parting gifts for you—enjoy your time next season on the Detroit Lions or Cincinnati Bengals.

- YOUbeQB.com

Kurt Warner Almost Retired After Hit on Anquan Boldin?

andrew — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 18:03:15 -0400

Cardinals QB Kurt Warner was so shaken by the savage helmet-to-helmet hit on his WR Anquan Boldin a week ago in the game against the Jets, that he was prepared to retire on the spot.

Apparently, Warner changed his mind about retiring after it turned out that Boldin was not seriously injured. He was released from a New York-area hospital when tests came back negative and he was able to return to his Arizona home.

WARNER WAS GOING TO RETIRE LAST WEEK

Though the scary head injury suffered eight days ago by Cardinals receiver Anquan Boldin wasn’t bad enough to knock him out of the game for more than a couple weeks, it almost knocked the man who threw the ball that Boldin was trying to catch out of the league permanently.

Per Michael Silver of Yahoo! Sports, quarterback Kurt Warner decided after the Sept. 28 game against the Jets to retire immediately.

“This is it. I can’t do this anymore. It’s time to retire,” Warner wrote in a text message to his wife, Brenda.

“Something scary like that just makes you contemplate what’s really important and puts football in perspective,” Warner told Silver after Sunday’s 41-17 win over the Bills. “It’s things like that make you say, ‘This game isn’t everything, and I’m not sure if I can do this anymore.’ Because the bottom line is that all I really want is to be able to go home to my wife and kids.”

Warner changed his mind about hanging it up after he learned that Boldin’s injuries weren’t serious.

That was great news for the Cardinals. Warner bounced back from a six-turnover (NFL.com still says it was seven) performance against the Jets and led the Cardinals to a season-correcting win, which put them back on top of the NFC West, 2.5 games ahead of the umpteen-time defending champs from Seattle.

Against the previously unbeaten Bills, Warner completed 33 of 42 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, he generated no turnovers.

I’m not surprised to hear this: That was one of the scariest hits I’ve ever seen in football, and I don’t blame Warner for feeling like he put Boldin in a vulnerable position. I’m glad to see everything seems to be returning to normal. Kurt Warner is one of the all-time good guys in sports, and this would have been a terrible way for his career to end.

YOUbeQB

Top Ten Truths in Advertising

andrew — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:24:30 -0400

10. Nike: Your ass is still slow regardless of the shoes.

09. Gatorade: That explains the sweat stains.

08. Budweiser: Is the game OVER already?

07. Fed-Ex: When your divorce papers HAVE to be there overnight.

06. Schick: Four blades simply means more toilet paper band-aids.

05. Southwest Airlines: None of these guys could fit in out seats.

04. Campbell's Soup: Yeah, that's gonna fill these 380 lb. guys up.

03. Subway: Jared is uncoordinated.

02. Ford Trucks: No one does any of this stunt stuff in real life.

01. Cisco Stystems :Tech geeks might buy your team.

- YOUbeQB.com

Sports Illustrated: Best NFL Shots from Week One

andrew — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 05:20:26 -0400

Plaxico Burress lands awkwardly after catching a pass in the first quarter of the Giants’ 16-7 win. Burress had 10 receptions for 133 yards.

Tom Brady’s left leg buckles on the hit by Chiefs safety Bernard Pollard midway through the first quarter. The Patriots went on to win 17-10 under backup quarterback Matt Cassel. Brady will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury.

Marion Barber dives over Browns safety Mike Adams for extra yardage in the second quarter of the Cowboys’ 28-10 win. Barber had 16 carries for 80 yards and two TDs.

Tight end Dante Rosario leaps to catch the game-winning 14-yard touchdown pass over Chargers safety Eric Weddle as time expires. Rosario led the Panthers with 7 catches for 98 yards in their 26-24 victory.

Texans cornerback Fred Bennett knocks the ball loose from wide receiver Santonio Holmes after a reception in the first half of the Steelers’ 38-17 win. The fumble went out of bounds with the Steelers retaining possession.

L.J. Smith stays inbounds at the back of the end zone for a touchdown reception in the first quarter of the Eagles’ 38-3 win over the Rams.

David Garrard tries to get away from the grasp of Titans defensive tackle Tony Brown during the Jaguars’ 17-10 loss. Brown had two of Tennessee’s seven sacks in the game.

Vince Young holds his left knee after spraining it in the fourth quarter against the Jaguars. Young will likely miss a few games with a strained MCL.

Jerious Norwood leaps into the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter of the Falcons’ 34-21 victory over the Lions. Atlanta dominated the game on the ground with Michael Turner’s 220 yards on 22 carries, along with Norwood’s 93 yards on 14 carries.

Tight end Desmond Clark is tackled by Colts safety Antoine Bethea at the one-yard line after picking up 26 yards in the fourth quarter of the Bears’ 29-13 victory.

- YOUbeQB

Bend Your Eyes Like David Beckham

andrew — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 06:51:51 -0400

Even super-duper-star David Beckham gets in trouble with his wife for checking out cheerleaders when he’s supposed to be averting his gaze.

Who woulda thunk?

- YOUbeQB

Top 5 Olympic Movies of All Time?

andrew — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 08:17:41 -0400

I’ve been enjoying the Olympics quite a bit, and it seems like I’m not alone when you look at the TV ratings.

I don’t want to write anything specifically about "these" Olympics, because there are professionals who get paid to do that.

But I did notice this list on the website for L.A. 2Day Magazine of—purportedly—the "Top 5 Olympic Movies of All Time."

Perhaps there is not a large enough pool of "Olympic movies" from which to draw from, but this list was comically bad. Here is the list, in reverse order, with some commentary from me on each choice.

5. “BLADES OF GLORY” (2007)

First of all, any list that claims to be the "Best" of ANYTHING, which also includes naming THIS dreadful movie, immediately disqualifies itself from being taken seriously by any right-thinking human being.

This movie was horrendous, and I’d imagine its own director and producers probably even share that opinion.

But forget how putrid the film is—it’s not even ABOUT the Olympics! The Olympics are never even named in this film; they’re called the "World Games" or something like that. So we’ve got a fairly inauspicious start, I’d say. (But what can you expect from a magazine that calls itself L.A. Today, but spells it "2Day"?)

4. “COOL RUNNINGS” (1993)

The “inspired by a true story” of the Jamaican bobsledding team was a feel-good picture released less than a year before its star, John Candy, passed away. The film was fairly schmaltzy, certainly making a shameless play at heartstring-tugging; but I suppose it belongs on a list of this kind.

I have a bigger problem with the fact that two of the "headliners" in this movie had names like "Doug E. Doug," and "Leon." That is his entire name: Leon.

3. “PREFONTAINE” (1997)

I can’t comment too much here, because I didn’t see this movie. In typical Hollywood fashion, two competing "Steve Prefontaine" biopics were being rushed to release around the same time (kind of like "Deep Impact" and "Armageddon" being released within a year of each other).

The other Prefontaine movie was called "Without Limits," and one of them had Jared Leto playing "Pre" and the other had Billy Crudup playing the same role. I think this one was the Jared Leto one, though I wouldn’t bet on it.

2. “MUNICH” (2005)

Now this is patently absurd. “Munich” listed as an OLYMPIC MOVIE?! Riiiiight.

This is an Olympic movie in the same way a porn film is a "public health message"—since, after all, Jenna Jameson puts a condom on the guy at the very beginning, right?

Ridonkulous.

1. “MIRACLE” (2004)

I have no issue with this movie being on this list—after all, the story of the U.S. Olympic hockey team upsetting Russia in the 1980 Olympics at Lake Placid is a watershed moment in ALL sports, not just the Olympics, and the film captured it very well.

“Miracle” was one of the first movies I thought of when I saw the title of the list, so I don’t have a problem with it being in the top slot.

What I DO have a problem with, however, is the omission of “Chariots of Fire” (1981) from the list entirely. That was the other movie I thought of instantly when I saw the article, and assumed that it was a lock for one of the top two spots.

Now, the writer does admit that "Chariots of Fire" is a seminal Olympic film, but claims it was omitted because it is “a given,” whatever that means.

“The Best Picture of 1981 tells the true story of British athletes preparing for and competing in the 1924 summer Olympics in Paris. At 123 minutes the film clocks out as a sprawling epic and is recognized by critics as one of the best sports movies ever made. This film was a given which is why I failed to include it in the original list.”

I reject that argument summarily. And if you can’t come up with at least 10 of whatever it is for a “Best of…” list, then you probably shouldn’t make the list.

But at least I got a blog post out of it.

-YOUbeQB

Matt Leinart is a USC Trojan but is acting like he's learned nothing

andrew — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:44:48 -0400

I just want to know what Matt Leinart is doing right here.

As I have chronicled before, Matt Leinart is a guy who loves his own celebrity, and takes advantage of it, much in the same way 98% of us probably would if we were in our mid-20s, with millions of dollars, and was ‘handsome as all git-out’ (which is a technical quantification of attractiveness).

I’m just confused as to what on earth is going on in this photo above.

What does USC teach its students? Nothing worthwhile, apparently, and certainly nothing about how to behave oneself in public.

When you couple this bit of Leinart debauchery with Carson Palmer’s (another former USC quarterback) gaffe last month, I have to think that the Trojans should be sending their jocks to finishing school.

- YOUbeQB

Spain's Basketball Team: A Lesson In Being Politically Correct

andrew — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 06:23:19 -0400

Spain's Olympic basketball team created uproar (in Asia) this week, when the above photo was published in Spanish newspaper, El Mundo.

Showing the players slanting their eyes for the Beijing Olympics, the picture was published in an advertisement promoting the Spanish courier company, Seur, that sponsors the Olympic team.

While El Mundo is debating whether the picture is racist or not, I got a good laugh out of it—yet the response from Pau Gasol is misleading.

“Some of us didn’t feel comfortable doing it just because to me it was a little clownish for our part to be doing that,” Gasol said. “But the sponsors insisted and insisted. I think it is just a bad idea I guess to do that, but it was never intended to be offensive or racist against anybody."

Pau, here is a little advice: If something sounds like a bad idea, and you don't feel comfortable doing it, it's probably not the best idea to go ahead and do it. Especially when the action is aimed at about two billion people and you are going to be representing your country in a convention that promotes unity.

A round of applause for the Spanish Basketball Team. You now have an entire continent against you.

- YOUbeQB.com

Top Ten Worst NFL Mascots

andrew — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 06:41:10 -0400

10. Ramster, St. Louis Rams

9. Gumbo The Dog, New Orleans Saints

8. Mid 1990’s San Diego Chargers

7. Barrel Man, Denver Broncos

6. T-Rac, Tennessee Titans

More after the jump.

Enjoy this video about Steely McBeam.

- YOUbeQB Team

Top 10 Changes Federal Government Would Make to the NFL

andrew — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 09:50:23 -0400

YOUbeQB's Top 10 Changes the Federal Government Would Make If They Ran the NFL:

10. Two Words: Helmet Tax

9. Department of End Zone Security

8. Referees calls would be referred back to committee

7. Execs would be padding their wallets at our expense...wait, no change there...

6. Number of stadium workers would triple

More after the jump.

Enjoy!

- YOUbeQB Team

Top-10 Worst Things About Being a Quarterback in the NFL

andrew — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 07:19:00 -0400

YOUbeQB.com's worst things about being a quarterback in the NFL top-10 list.

10. I have to put my hands WHERE?

9. You’re probably only going to get Brady/Romo “leftovers”.

8. Cramp in arm from holding clipboard for three years.

7. Hearing, “I was OPEN” 25,000 times a year.

6. 350lb guys who are as fast as you are at a buck 90.

More after the jump.

ENJOY!

- YOUbeQB.com

Fantasy Training Camp

New Ways to Score in Fantasy Football for 2008-2009

andrew — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 06:56:23 -0400

This list was written a few months ago, but how about "Player gets arrested for possession of a controlled substance, cocaine: -1000 points." Too soon?

So here they are: YOUbeQB.com's New Ways to Score in Fantasy League for 2008-2009.

10. Fan streaking when your player has the ball: 25 pts

09. Your kicker has ball blow off the tee: 5 pts.

08. Player yanked down by the hair: 7 pts.

07. Someone on your team gets a United Way commercial: 12 pts.

06. Safety… on the gun in your player's pants: 2 pts.

Ways 5 through 1 here.

Enjoy,

- YOUbeQB.com

Comments and alternate scoring options welcome. Just keep them appropriate. More Top Ten Lists, Blog, Fantasy Football Training Camp

Top Ten Rex Grossman Heckles

andrew — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:55:26 -0400

Next time you see Rex on the field you can either thank him for playing against your favorite team or if you're a Bears' fan, you can borrow one of our lovely insults.

Comments welcome and if you have a Top Ten List of your own don't be afraid to submit it! Report to Training Camp now!!

10. The punt, pass, and kick tryouts were yesterday!!

09. Your skirt blew up in your face on that one.

08. Hester’s returns will get him MVP. Just seeing to it you don’t see the field.

07. Miami is calling!

06. Only YOU could make Lovie hate.

Heckles 5-1 here.

- YOUbeQB.com

Comments and alternate heckles welcome. Just keep them appropriate.

Whaddaya Get When You Cross...Top 10

andrew — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 06:01:31 -0400

10. Ricky Williams and an offensive lineman? A Pot Holder

9. Al Davis and Brian Urlacher? Mr. Yuk Sticker

8. Refrigerator Perry and a Miami Dolphin? Biggest Loser

7. O.J. and a Green Bay cheesehead? Killer Nachos

6. Cowboy Cheerleaders and Redskin Cheerleaders? 105 total IQ

5. Bill Belichick, a Titan QB, and Jim Carey? A filming of the Young and the Restless.

4. Michael Vick and Jerry Kramer? A Prison Guard

3. Chad Johnson and Matt Schaub? A loud-mouthed Texan

2. Sylvester Stallone and a Raider Nation fan? Rocky Horror

1. Patriots, Romo, and Brady? Kraft Singles

- YOUbeQB.com

Former Ram Kicked with Felony Rape Charges

andrew — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 10:11:16 -0400

Prosecutors have charged former L.A. Rams kicker Antonio "Tony" Zendejas with drugging a woman and then raping her.

The L.A. County DA says that in January, the 48-year-old owner of Zendejas Mexican Restaurant in Pomona gave a woman a drink at the popular bar that made her "groggy." They then say the victim woke up at a motel down the street and called police, saying she had been raped. He was arrested this morning in San Dimas and is still in jail on $260,000 bail. Zendejas retired in 1995 after playing for 10 seasons with the Rams, Houston Oilers, Atlanta Falcons, and San Francisco 49ers. He faces up to 15 years in the joint.

What about the statue of limitations? It's a little suspicious that he just got arrested today when the event happened six months ago. But if a motel receipt were to surface, I'm sure probable cause were to take place.

Also, It seems the pick-up line, "I was a kicker" doesn't work well with the ladies anymore.

- YOUbeQB.com

Ugliest Throwback Uniforms

andrew — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 06:20:44 -0400

For some reason, pictures don't work. But have no fear, pictures are right here.

1975-1986 Astros

1977-1982 Giants

1978 Padres

Syracuse University

Pittsburgh Pirates - late 1970s

Team Canada Hockey

White Sox - early 1980s

Vancouver Canucks - Unknown (so ugly, no year wanted to claim it)

- YOUbeQB.com

Japanese People Can Be Nutty

andrew — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 12:38:47 -0400

Have you ever seen a Japanese game show? If not, go to YouTube and type in ‘japanese game shows’, and kiss an hour or two goodbye.

In the meantime, check out this wild sequence in a professional baseball game in Japan.

I would say that it was probably not a strike (though the ump called it a strike and rang up the batter anyway)—but there was no way he was going to call it a ball, right?

That’s about as likely as Jamie-Lynn Spears’ new baby actually having a chance to succeed in life.

By the way, I wouldn't be surprised if the sign in the picture above is offensive.

- YOUbeQB.com

What's Wrong With TV Today? Five Events to Turn Down, Five Events to Pump Up!

andrew — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 08:41:47 -0400

So here it is. I hope ESPN is listening.

Five Events To Turn Down:

U.S. Scrabble Open
Chess
Spelling Bees
Pool/Billiards
Madden Nation

Honorable mentions: STIHL Timber Sports Pro Series, WSOP, Bass Fishing, MLS, ABC's Wipe Out, Paintball

Five Events To Pump Up (Note: Not all are real):

Arena Football League
NFL Cheerleader Combine (List of proposed events)
Hockey (OK, call me any names you want, but hey, what's better than watching players slam into each other while drinking your Saturday morning coffee?)
Competitive Eating
Ultimate Tail-Gate Cook-off!

Honorable Mentions: Sepak Takraw, Pong Toss (AKA Beer Pong)

-Powered by YOUbeQB.com

Packers GM No Likey Brett Favre?

andrew — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:14:48 -0400

Source: Mike Vandermause, Green Bay Press-Gazette

Biloxi Sun Herald reporter Al Jones, a self-described friend of Favre’s, added fuel to the Brett Favre fire in an interview on Milwaukee’s WTMJ radio when he said Favre was forced into retirement by GM Ted Thompson.

“It all comes down to Ted Thompson,” Jones said. “The main thing is the man has shown no respect to perhaps the greatest quarterback in their franchise history. Brett’s a little disappointed. He feels like he can still play. He knows he can still play.”

Jones added that Favre has been working out, throwing passes every morning, and doesn’t want to play for any other team.

“When it’s all said and done, Ted Thompson is the man to blame on all this,” Jones said. Thompson has been unavailable for comment since the latest Favre news broke. But in an interview before he left on vacation, I asked Thompson to respond to the perception the organization didn’t do enough to talk Favre out of retiring. “I never understood that, quite frankly,” Thompson said.

“We went about this offseason the way we have the last several, making sure Brett knew that Mike (McCarthy) and I both felt he’s still a good player, can still play the game, can still win, and that our team was going to be in a position to win.

“I think that’s what a veteran looks for: Do we have a chance to win? And can I still play? “Other than that, it’s not my place to try to convince someone that they’re making a bad decision or a good decision. It’s my place to say, these are the facts as I see them, now it’s up to you and Deanna to make your choice.”

There has of course been speculation that Thompson, who hand-picked Aaron Rodgers as Favre’s successor four years ago, has been impatient for the Rodgers Era to begin. Thus, Favre’s annual waffling about whether to come back has been especially difficult for Thompson to tolerate.

-YOUbeQB.com