Bleacher Report - Breaking News

Raider Receivers Emerge in Wild Fourth Quarter to Upset Steelers

David Xaviel is the Real Mr. X — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 16:46:01 -0500

Wow. What a fourth quarter that was!

After a defensive struggle between the Steelers and Raiders for three quarters, both offenses exploded in the fourth quarter for a combined five touchdowns, with the Raiders upsetting the playoff hopeful Steelers 27-24.

The winning touchdown went to Raiders receiver Louis Murphy to cap an 88-yard drive led by Pittsburgh native and Raiders quarterback, Bruce Gradkowski.

In possibly the best quarterback performance since the days of Rich Gannon, Gradkowski would finish the day with 308 yards passing, three touchdown passes, three runs for 20 yards and much elusiveness to avoid pressure despite two sacks by LaMarr Woodley.

After a blowout loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving, the Raiders responded with quite possibly their most exciting game since 2002 when the Raiders outdueled the Buffalo Bills in a shootout.

It is important to note that Dallas has a tendency to win big at home on Thanksgiving. I say that because, despite the Dallas game, the overall trend of the Raiders has been upwards since the switch at quarterback to Gradkowski.

I also have a new nickname for Louis Murphy, "Murphy's Law," except instead of anything that can go wrong will go wrong, it's anything that can go right will go right. In the fourth quarter, Murphy caught four balls for 128 yards and two touchdowns, including a 75-yarder.

Murphy, however, was not alone amongst Raider receivers. Chaz Schilens would also catch a touchdown in the wild quarter, while Johnnie Lee Higgins would make big plays all game and Todd Watkins brought down a key first down in the fourth quarter.

This performance is important because the Raiders were uber-maligned for selecting Darrius Heyward-Bey instead of Michael Crabtree in the 2009 draft. Heyward-Bey was deactivated for today's game. In the same draft, the Raiders selected Murphy in the fourth round.

In retrospect, it would have been nice if the Raiders had taken a player at a different position, but clearly the pick of Heyward-Bey will not impede the development of the receiver corps.

It is important to note that Steelers safety Troy Polamalu was inactive for today's game, which hurt Pittsburgh in deep pass protection. Nevertheless, had this performance resulted solely from the absence of Polamalu, it seems that the Raiders would have scored long touchdowns all day.

Thus, it was great to see the Raiders respond the way they did in the fourth quarter. Especially since the big problem as seen by Raider fans in the last few seasons was lackluster performances in the fourth quarter.

We haven't seen this much life from the Raiders in quite awhile, and it is another reason why the future of the Raiders looks brighter.

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Urban Meyer Hospitalized Following the Game on Sunday

Larry Burton — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 14:12:06 -0500

According to University of Florida spokesman Steve McClain, Urban Meyer was admitted to Shands Medical Hospital in Gainesville after the team returned from Atlanta, and was treated for dehydration.

He checked himself in, and there was no word of his condition at the time this article was written.

The only other public mention of a Meyer illness was his arachnoid cyst on his brain that was discovered in 1998. Doctors told him then it was not life threatening, but he could suffer head pain if the stress caused the condition to flare up.

The Crimson Tide certainly gave him a lot to be stressed over yesterday as Meyer watched his team totally dominated in a way he hasn't seen since taking over as head coach.

Despite the jokes that many may make about Meyer and Tebow becoming dehydrated because of all the crying, for Meyer and Florida this was no laughing matter.

He was not able to tape his television show and there is no word on when he'll be released.

*** Update*** Urban Meyer has been released and is expected to do an afternoon taping. He was said to be fine upon release....

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Blazers' Greg Oden Likely Done For Season: Primetime Breakdown and Impact

Brandon Ribak — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 12:37:14 -0500

Click here to get sent to NBA Primetime for the full article!

The Portland Trail Blazers starting center Greg Oden, who is averaging career-highs in every statistical category, went down with a season ending injury against the Houston Rockets on December 5.

In the first quarter Oden fractured his left knee while coming down after attempting to block a shot.

Fans began to chant for their young center shouting out, "Oden! Oden!" while trainers and physicians circled around the 7 footer.

Oden, who is averaging 11.1 PPG, 8.5 RPG (23rd in NBA), and 2.3 BPG (3rd in NBA) had this to say after the game,

"I'm obviously disappointed having worked so hard to get to where I was. This is a setback but I'll be back. It's in God's hands now," Oden said in a statement released by the team. "I want to thank the fans, my teammates and everyone in the Blazers family for all of their good thoughts."

The Blazers have reported that Oden will need surgery and that there is no timetable for his return.

NBA Primetime Breaks-down the injury and its impact to the team.

With Oden's injury prone NBA track record and for how great he has played thus far in 21 games this season, it was predictable that it would only be a matter of time before the 21-year-old fell down with another injury.

The Blazers will now have to fall onto the shoulders of 7'1" center and nine year veteran Joel Przybilla, who is posting 3.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 1.3 BPG in just under 20 minutes per contest.

In past years Przybilla has served as a sub-par starter for Portland, defending opponents from attacking the basket while blocking shots and grabbing boards at a high rate.

With a starting gig the center will inevitably boost his production in every category and can ultimately fill in for the shoes of Oden, maybe.

Portland should be grateful for the fact that they have another 7 footer on the bench that could instantly enter the game and take his work ethic to the next level.

What kind of impact does this injury have to the team?

The big(ger) question for the matter would be what kind of impact does this injury have on the Blazers for playoff contention?

As of right now the Blazers (13-8) rank fifth in the West with a .619 winning percentage.

With the Western Conference always being a dogfight come playoff time, this injury will undoubtedly affect Portland's chances of both ranking high in seed and surpassing the first round of the postseason.

Like Brandon's writing? Click here to get sent to NBAPrimetime.com

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Patrick Vieira, A January Target for Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Spurs

Willie Gannon — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:17:58 -0500

With only a few weeks until the January transfer window opens, the rumours are beginning to surface. But the most surprising of which sees 33 year old Patrick Vieira at the centre of a four-way tug of war between Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Spurs.

Chelsea have become the latest suitors for the French international. The Stamford Bridge side is bracing itself for the absence of several important players during the African Nations Cup in January.

Among those missing will be Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel, so there will be a dearth of combative type players for a month that could decide the league title. Vieira would fill what is likely to be an important midfield gap for the Blues for that month, as well as providing important cover for the rest of the season.

The Pensioners will have learned a valuable lesson from Rafael Benitez's disastrous signing of Alberto Aquilani during the summer. The Italian player was injured when signed and has yet to begin a match for the Anfield side.

This loss of an important midfield player in the side has resulted in Liverpool's title challenge being over by October and early elimination from the Champions League.

Chelsea seem unwilling at this stage of the season to take a risk and sign no cover as they lose important players, and are believed to have offered the Frenchman a deal worth £50,000 per week for the next 18 months to head off interest from his preferred destinations of Arsenal or Liverpool.

With Liverpool's midfield thread bare at the moment Rafael Benitez will be looking for short term answers that are invariably cheap.

Patrick Vieira fits this bill perfectly for Rafa. He is available for next to nothing and would almost go straight into first team action in place of Lucas Leivia, who has yet to reach the levels expected of him.

Benitez would only be able to offer Vieira a six month deal, but the lure of first team football on the eve of the World Cup in South Africa would be a huge attraction.

Arsenal are also looking for Vieira but for different reasons again.

Wenger sees his former captain as the ideal influence his young team needs off the pitch. The Gunners are badly lacking character and Vieira would bring that in spades.

Although the move would go against Wenger's footballing philosophy, it would be a huge boon to have someone of Vieira's stature in the dressing room, a player unafraid to take responsibility.

The signing could even add to Wenger's armoury in fending off the inevitable interest from Real Madrid and Barcelona for Arsenal's skipper Cesc Fabregas.

The young Spaniard is the midfield lynch-pin of the Gunners and takes on responsibility at every turn, but all too often he has to do this by himself. Vieira coming in would enable him to shed the load while learning from one of the games great midfielders.

Tottenham's interest in Vieira has waned somewhat since the summer, when the Frenchman was on the verge of a move to White Hart lane only to pull out at the last moment when Arsenal signalled their interest.

Harry Redknapp wants Vieira for the exact same reasons as his North London rival but has since switched his attention to Brazilian U-20 captain Sandro, and Moussa Sissoko of Toulouse.

However, Redknapp has built a reputation for getting the best out of players who others believe are past their prime and there is no doubt that Vieira would be a welcome addition to Tottenham's dressing room.

Conventional wisdom would suggest that at 33 Patrick Vieira's best days are behind him, but with four of England's best managers all showing signs of interest there is obviously life in those old legs yet.

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It's Confirmed: TNA iMPACT Vs WWE RAW On January 4, 2010

Joe Burgett — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:08:40 -0500

We all saw it coming when Hulk Hogan signed with TNA Wrestling. It was only a matter of time before TNA decided to move a show to Monday Night. It looks as if they are testing that out, as Spike TV has allowed TNA to have a LIVE TNA iMPACT on Monday, Jan. 4, 2010.

This will of course go head-to-head with WWE RAW, and is the first time two promotions went against one another head-to-head on Monday night since the Monday Night Wars in the '90s.

This will also be the night Hulk Hogan makes his iMPACT debut. On top of that the show is going to be a three hour special, which means that it will be on an hour before RAW, which would hopefully help to steal some RAW viewers.

However, the WWE is not taking this lying down of course. It is rumored that the WWE has asked USA Network if they can do a three hour RAW on the same night! This is not confirmed as of yet, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it come to pass.

The WWE has a lot of pull with the USA Network, and usually when they want a three hour show, they get it. Some have even been hearing that this Monday Night RAW will also be commercial free, which means no one would have time to switch over to iMPACT. This is also rumored and not yet confirmed.

The WWE did do quite well in their last commercial free show, scoring some of the highest ratings for RAW since the '90s when they went head-to-head with WCW.

I know what you are going to say: Joe the only reason they scored so high was because there were World Title matches and on top of that Donald Trump was there as the new owner of RAW and people wanted to know more about it, so they tuned in.

You think the WWE won't do something similar this time around? I'm sure Trump won't make an appearance, and RAW won't be sold. But there may be World Title matches and on top of that The Great One is rumored to be hosting RAW in January.

It has been talked about for some time now that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson will be hosting in January. So the WWE may want to bring him in at this time seeing as it is a big show for them.

TNA won't move to Monday Night if they see RAW getting massive ratings against them. Sure, they can't do gimmicks weekly, but neither can TNA. Hogan can only make one debut, meaning if he is there every week it will be nothing special.

Rocky would be similar, but at least with RAW you have a different host every week and some of the top names in wrestling who can still go are there, not so with TNA.

TNA has some big names of course, but because WWE is still the powerhouse in the industry, TNA is not going to dethrone them anytime soon. Also, I remember during the Monday Night Wars that both promotions in WWE and WCW really stepped it up.

I am all for another war, simply because of the great shows we would see. But will TNA get the best ratings? Probably not. At least with WCW they had a ton of top names and their marketing was really good.

TNA doesn't have that, and not many top names are clamoring to go to TNA like they were with WCW. The only people who go there are ones who are let go by the WWE. So basically TNA is getting WWE rejects.

Now, there are a few who are there that simply let their current deal with the WWE expire or quit the WWE before going to TNA. But when you think about it, all of those people are older vets who are really not great in the ring anymore. Sure, Kurt Angle is still pretty good, but he is probably the only top name vet there from the WWE who can still go just as good as he did in the WWE.

TNA has a lot of work to do to get to the level of the WWE. Think of this, back when WWE and WCW were at war, the WWE was not as big as they are now and they still ended up winning in the end. Now they are huge in the public eye while TNA is still trying to get there.

Will I watch both shows? Yes. I mean the invention of TiVo and the DVR has really helped me out, and that is something WCW and the WWE didn't have to help them back in the '90s. Also, those recordings count as ratings as long as they are watched within a week after the recording.

So both will get views, but which will the fans prefer? That is the question that will hopefully be answered in 2010. It looks like the year is starting off well for wrestling fans if you ask me. But if you had to choose between which show you would watch, what would it be, RAW or iMPACT?

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Greg Oden to Undergo Surgery, Likely Out for the Season

Shady Botros — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 00:16:42 -0500

Saturday night, during a game against the Houston Rockets, Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden fractured his patella which means he’ll undergo surgery and be out for season.

It is really sad to see Greg Oden with another long term injury, especially due to the fact that Oden already suffered an injury which forced him to sit out his rookie year after being the first overall pick.

The 7 footer clutched his left knee after colliding while Aaron Brooks was driving. Oden was immediately surrounded by trainers and physicians and the Rose Garden was in shock. The game was stopped for about seven minutes and finally Oden left the court in a stretcher and was taken for some MRIs.

The previous first overall pick’s career has continued to be plagued with injuries. In case you don’t remember Oden was healthy for his year at Ohio State in which he was absolutely dominant. In fact, NBADraft.net went as far as calling Oden the next Bill Russell.

While Oden may never be the next Bill Russell he has shown some flashes and does have the tools to make him a dominant center in the NBA. Coming off an offseason in which Oden conditioned well and lost weight, Oden had been having a solid season averaging about 12 points and nine rebounds a game.

This is not the first season ending injury the Blazers have suffered as forward Travis Outlaw fractured his foot back in November.

Other injuries have plagued the Blazers such as Nicolas Batum needing surgery before the opener against Houston, forward Rudy Fernandez did not play Saturday night and it is uncertain whether he’ll be traveling with the team for the four game road trip coming up. Even Blazers head coach Nate McMillan is going to undergo surgery after rupturing his right Achilles’ tendon during practice as he will be missing the upcoming road trip and be replaced by assistant head coach Dean Demopoulos.

Back to Oden, this is a guy who is regarded as one of the nicest young players in the league. Oden has had nothing but the burden for being the guy picked first overall and more importantly being the guy picked ahead of Kevin Durant.

However, I do believe that almost every GM would’ve gone with the 7 footer due to the fact that having a dominant big man is such a rarity in this league. There are probably less than a handful of quality centers and the Blazers thought that this was their chance to get a center like Oden who had a massive upside. In fact, there is only two starting centers averaging at least 18 points and 10 rebounds, Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum.

Do I think that you can now automatically call Greg Oden a bust? Absolutely not. By the time next season rolls around Oden will be 22, and big men don’t typically peak until around 30-years-old. Which means Oden has a lot of time, and with some hard work and luck hopefully Oden can return to playing basketball, and justify prove that he can be a great center in this league.

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Breaking News: TNA Airing Monday Night, Huge 3-Hour Live Impact

Shane H. — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:42:46 -0500

Previously posted on Hit the Ropes .

Huge announcement today in the world of professional wrestling. Where was it made? At an MMA event. Really? Yes.

The UFC Ultimate Fighter 10 finale is tonight and live, in attendance, is TNA's President Dixie Carter, Hulk Hogan, and Eric Bischoff. The three were sitting in the front row of the event.

After the match between Matt Veach and Frank Edgar, Joe Rogan went over to speak with Hogan. Hogan expressed how he is a fan of the competition that is on display tonight and that he is a fan of UFC. It was here that he dropped the bombshell that TNA would be going head-to-head with the WWE on Monday nights beginning Jan. 4, 2010.

Monday Night Wars part deux?

We shall soon see.

Hogan has been talking a big game since signing with TNA. He's confident in bringing in the likes of Ric Flair, RVD, and other names in wrestling, whether they are past or present stars. He's also said he wants to get rid of TNA's six-sided ring.

I truly hope that this move works out for TNA. They have barely been able to maintain a 1.2 rating on their current Thursday night slot. I am not completely confident that a change in date will create a jump in ratings. Maybe, hopefully, (please let it) it will work.

If this move does improve TNA's ratings this is a big thing for the world of wrestling. With TNA doing better, it means other companies (WWE, I mean you) will have to step up their game. Competition breeds better television, I say.

What will this three-hour live episode of iMPACT! produce? We can only sit back and wait until that Monday night.

Shane Howard is a member of Hit the Ropes Radio Show. You can check out the web site here . HTR Radio airs every Sunday and Wednesday at 6 p.m. ET. Next Sunday, Chasyn Rance joins HTR and in two weeks, Hall of Famer, The Iron Sheik.

Be sure to join the Facebook group as well (click here ). Also, check out FOW and WR for your wrestling news, as well as my work there.

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Come To Think Of It: Cubs To Sign Mike Cameron As Soon As Bradley Deal Is Done

Bob Warja — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 23:08:48 -0500

According to Will Carroll from Baseball Prospectus, the Cubs will sign free agent Mike Cameron to play center field as soon as Milton Bradley is moved. Carroll tweets that the Bradley deal has been "imminent for 72 hours."

Cameron will turn 37 in January but is still an above average defender, at least according to a UZR/150 of 10.3, despite a weak arm. He should be a huge improvement over Kosuke Fukudome, who can move back to right field.

Offensively, he has power but has a mediocre career .250/.340/.448 slash line. He hit 24 home runs in 2009. Bill James predicts a .237/.328/.428 slash for Cameron in 2010.

The Brewers didn't offer Cameron arbitration, so the Cubs will not lose a draft pick for signing the veteran. But since he made $10 million in 2009, it will likely take at least that much per season to sign him.

The deal hinges on the trade of Bradley for two reasons. One, they need to free up salary, though they will likely need to either pay some of his salary or accept a contract like Pat Burrell in return, which they would need to flip to another team.

Second, they need to free up right field for Fukudome.

All in all, while this will improve their outfield defense, I do not expect it to be an upgrade offensively because I expect a comeback from Bradley next season if he is healthy.

Instead, this represents a move that Jim Hendry and the Cubs feel is necessary because of fan sentiment, which is largely in favor of moving Bradley at almost any cost.

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Iowa Coach Todd Lickliter Misses Game Due to Surgery

Bret Feddern — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:47:10 -0500

Todd Lickliter missed Iowa's 80-51 victory against Prairie View A & M on Saturday after undergoing an unspecified medical procedure at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics earlier in the day.

After the game, a team physician met with the media and made very general comments, pleading with members of the press to leave Coach Lickliter and his family alone.

"He will be in the hospital over the next day or two. He should be able to give you more details regarding the situation over the next couple of days," explained the team physician.

It has been reported that Lickliter suffered severe migraine headaches during the team's recent tournament in Kansas City and he was reportedly hospitalized for several hours on Thanksgiving.

No information was given as to the type of procedure Lickliter underwent, or if it was related to his recent headaches.

Lickliter, 54, also missed Friday's telephone conference with reporters as the result of medical testing. Based on the results of those tests, he was admitted into the hospital for a procedure.

The severity of the issue seems clear, though, as his red-shirt freshman son, John, did not attend Saturday's game either.

Assistant Chad Walthall coached the team on Saturday, and will fill in if Lickliter if he is unable to attend Tuesday's game against Northern Iowa.

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Terrell Suggs Faces Restraining Order

Jarrett Carter — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 20:38:33 -0500

So, there are questions about the Ravens defense and offense, uncertainty about the playoffs and no real answers without the name ‘Ray Rice’ attached to them.

So why not throw in a distraction? I think a restraining order against Terrell Suggs would do quite nicely, wouldn’t you agree?

“I won’t have anything to say,” Suggs, 27, told The Baltimore Sun Saturday. “It’s a family matter, and family matters should be kept personal. But all you guys [in the media] know me and my character, and hopefully at the end of the day that stands for something.”

Got it. A woman soliciting the assistance of the court to keep one of the biggest guys in the Mid-Atlantic region away from her? Yeah, I’m sure Eddie Winslow and Steve Urkel can work this one out before Carl gets home.

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Brian Kelly Will Listen to Notre Dame If They Come Calling Next Week

Dan Scofield — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:29:09 -0500

According to Irish Sports Daily , Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly will agree to talk to Jack Swarbrick next week if approached about the vacant coaching position in South Bend.

Even though he has ignored and put off the Notre Dame questions from the media this past week, Kelly never indicated that he had no interest in the position. Instead he called it a distraction and focused on the Bearcats' game against Pittsburgh this afternoon.

Jack Swarbrick reiterated again this week that money would not be a factor in getting a new coach to South Bend, so expect him to approach Kelly and other candidates, including Bob Stoops and Urban Meyer, with a blank check.

However, Stoops told The Sun Times today that he "will not be the next coach at Notre Dame." With that being said, expect the Irish to make a full push to make Kelly Charlie Weis' successor.

Being an Irish Catholic from the depths of Boston and with South Bend having a familiar backyard on the recruiting trail, the Notre Dame offer will look very appealing to Kelly, along with a large pay raise.

Kelly led his team to a come from behind win against the Panthers just hours ago, winning the game 45-44 after a last minute touchdown pass and a failed extra-point attempt by Pittsburgh.

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Boston Red Sox Will Not Open 2010 Season in Australia

Amanda Bruno — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 16:09:00 -0500

There was a claim earlier that the Boston Red Sox would be opening up the 2010 season in Sydney, Australia.

The Sunday Telegraph , the Sunday edition of The Daily Telegraph reported:

"THE Boston Red Sox, one of the world's most famous baseball teams, are coming to Australia for a Major League game at our own field of dreams—the Sidney Cricket Ground—next year."

The story said that team officials watched the Danny Green-Roy Jones Jr. fight at Acer Arena on Wednesday night as guests.

The Boston Globe's Peter Abraham posted later on the Extra Bases blog that the reports were not true saying a "Red Sox source said the story wasn't true ."

That's too bad, but then again I'm sure the players are even more relieved that it's not true. Can't imagine how they felt after the Japan opener in 2007, in yet they also made it to the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays.

But then again, everyone knows how that ended.

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Report from the East: Alistair Overeem Represents MMA in K-1 Grand Prix

Jung Soo Kim — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 12:20:05 -0500

The 2009 K-1 Grand Prix Finals ended in spectacular fashion just hours ago, with Semmy Schilt becoming the champion for the fourth time (this prestigious record is only matched by Ernesto "Mr. Perfect" Hoost, another legend of the K1 world).

The giant from Netherlands finished Jerome Le Banner, Remy Bonjasky, and the potent Badr Hari. They were all first-round KO's or TKO's.

As an MMA fan, my eyes naturally veered towards Alistair "The Demolition Man" Overeem. After destroying another K1 superstar and veteran Peter Aerts just months ago, this genetic freak seemed to have no limits.

I considered him as a great candidate to possibly make the upset (although secretly I had a gut feeling that Schilt was going to take it) and to be honest, he didn't do such a bad job at all.

Overeem's first opponent in the Finals was Ewerton Teixeira, a tough Kyokushin Karateka who had never been knocked out in his relatively short but impressive K1 career. Overeem dwarfed Teixeira, who is not a small man by any means (6'2'', 240 lbs), but took a more conservative approach against the Brazilian fighter.

Many expected this fight to go to a decision, mainly because Teixeira had proven countless times how durable his chin was, but Overeem got him in a clinch and landed a devastating knee just 1:06 in to the first round. That was the end of Teixeira; to the shock of the Japanese crowd, he collapsed to the mat face first and was knocked out cold.

Now Overeem just had to win two more fights; his next opponent was someone who he had embarrassed a year ago—K1 Bad Boy Badr Hari.

In their first fight, Overeem had surprised Hari, and the world, by beating the K1 representative to the punch and showing incredible power and accuracy. Overeem made MMA proud by finishing Hari in the first round wth a vicious left hook

Hari made several excuses after the match, saying how he was unprepared and unmotivated. This was the perfect opportunity to prove his dominance.

I hoped for the repeat of the first fight to occur, but Hari seemed to have changed; I guess all of that new physical training regimen did him some good, because he was even faster and more accurate than Overeem in the rematch.

Overeem was tentative and slow; in the clinch he easily overpowered Hari, pushing him or simply rag-dolling him to the mat.

But when Hari maintained some distance, he peppered the Demolition Man with kicks and punches. Eventually Overeem ate a laser-straight right hand that dropped him, and just seconds after that, he succumbed to a left high kick to the head.

That was the end of Overeem's run in the 2009 Grand Prix.

But in fact, there was another MMA representative in the event tonight—Russian heavyweight Sergei Kharitonov—who had beaten such greats as Fabricio Werdum, Pedro Rizzo, and Semmy Schilt in the MMA universe—faced off against Daniel Ghita, a dangerous kick-boxer armed with incredible low kicks.

Kharitonov fared well, thanks to his boxing background, but eventually was TKO'ed due to the constant leg kicks that he couldn't check.

To sum up the event tonight; Remy Bonjasky earned a hard fought decision against Errol Zimmerman, but was knocked out by Schilt. Badr Hari finished his nemesis Ruslan Karaev in less than a minute, and also disptached Overeem in impressive fashion, but showed a disappointing performance against the near-invincible Schilt.

Hari could do nothing about Schilt's left straight, and eventually ate a left kick to the head, prompting the referee to stop the fight.

It was a great night for Schilt, and although I hoped for Overeem to do more, I can't complain.

I just want him to come back to the MMA scene and defend his Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion title against Fedor "the Last Emperor" Emelianenko.

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Philadelphia Flyers: Quick Thoughts on the John Stevens Firing

Mark Ritter — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 06:39:25 -0500

Written By: Mark "The Hard Hitter" Ritter

Let me start this off by saying, I am in a bit of a rush to get this out there...more on that later. Here are some quick thoughts on the John Stevens firing.

So, John Stevens, fired, interesting! While I am not a proponent of quoting fan sites, there certainly was a ton of talk about wanting Stevens fired on many fan sites I visited over the past couple of weeks.

The reality is, Stevens' abilities were questioned last season when the Flyers went on a couple of extended losing streaks, leading me to believe that the Flyers faithful were just looking for an excuse to throw stones at Stevens in the first place.

Many feel that because the Pittsburgh Penguins changed their coach last season and won the Cup that somehow this is the formula for success.

Let's face it, changing your coach (as seen with Chicago as well) can pay significant dividends but, more times than not, only serves as a short-term fix, to what are likely bigger problems.

In this case, I think Stevens was changing lines too often, leading to a lack of chemistry and, from all accounts, there seemed to be a lack of a system in place, and that can hurt any team.

Are the Flyers sh--ing the bed? I would say no, only because this move has been rumored for well over a year now, so it's not a shock move.

Coaching had become a legitimate concern for the Flyers and, by all accounts, management felt there was a better man waiting in the wings.

Laviolette was fired from the Carolina Hurricanes last season, and while I am not sure he is the right fit for the Flyers, he does have a Stanley Cup on his resume. It's funny how one team's garbage becomes another team's gold inside of 12 months, isn't it?

Now, make no mistake about it, "Lavi" is a decent enough coach, but I am still unsure that he is the right fit for the Flyers. In fact, nothing about him says "Flyers" to me.

There was a lot of support for "Iron" Mike Keenan out there (A move I would not have endorsed). That said, I may have done a little more digging and tried to find a coach who was more of a task-master.

Another candidate who seemed to be getting a ton of support was Guy Carbonneau; now that would have been interesting, an ex-Hab behind the Flyers bench!

The Flyers should have fired Stevens in the off-season and brought in Pat Quinn. I know he has the rep of letting the players run the room, but I am not so sure that is the case anymore.

He has changed, and for that reason, I think Quinn would have been a better candidate.

It's the same old same old here. You can't trade all the players, so you bring in a new coach and hope it lights a fire under their butts. Time will tell how this all plays out.

A bigger question is looming for the Flyers, one that may cause significant controversy: Is Mike Richards still the right player to lead this Flyers team, or is this Chris Pronger's team now? An interesting debate indeed, one that I will weigh in on in more detail very soon.

I will have more on this in my column, which may not be until Sunday morning as I am doing the Christmas party circuit this weekend. To my readers, sorry, this will have to suffice for now.

Until next time,

Peace!

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Temple Set To Party Like It's 1979

Mike Gibson — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:54:38 -0500

Temple head coach Al Golden passed on word today that Sunday will be party time.

The university is holding a bowl selection announcement party at the Liacouras Center on Sunday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 PM.

Golden and his football team will be there, so will many of its fans, sitting in front of the TV and waiting for their name to be drawn just like the Temple basketball team has done or so many other selection Sundays.

It will be a party unlike anything the university has seen since 1979, which was the last time the Owls made a bowl game.

Hopefully, guys like Bobby Bernardo and Joe Klecko and Wayne Hardin will be able to make it.

Bernardo was a linebacker on the last Temple team to win 10 games in a row and, in 1973, he was a sophomore starting linebacker when the Owls won eight-straight games. The star on that team was a nose guard named Joe Klecko, who would later gain fame as an All-Pro with the New York Jets. A photo of Klecko and then Temple coach Hardin accompanies this story.

Bernardo took time out to recall those years when a guest on the Bob Rovner radio program recently.

"We were supposed to go to the Tangerine Bowl," Bernardo said, "but that was the year of the gas shortage and they were worried about their being enough gas for the fans on cars and planes and they picked Florida State instead. There were only about eight bowls in those days.

"We were 9-1. Florida State was 5-5, but they were closer so they were picked."
Such is the history of Temple's near-misses in bowl games.

In 1990, the 7-4 Owls were one of six teams wooed by the Poulan Weed-Eater Independence Bowl but they picked a 6-5 Maryland team instead.
"They (the Poulan Weed-Eaters) made the mistake, we didn't," quarterback Matty Baker said.

The Owls are looking at two primary options right now.

1) They have a good shot of taking the ACC's unoccupied spot in the Eagle Bank Bowl in Washington, D.C.

2) They are a lock for the International Bowl in Toronto if they don't.
If I had to handicap it right now, I would say 60 percent chance for Eagle Bank and 40 percent chance for Toronto.

The party will be for this wonderful team that won nine straight, but it will also be for guys like Bobby Bernardo, too.

"Ever since I can remember, my dad (Bill, the former Northeast High coach) was taking me to Temple games," Bobby said. "That since 1957. I've been going all these years and I can't tell you how wonderful it's been to go to the games this season."

Bernardo was on one of about five Wayne Hardin squads which deserved to go to bowl games, but never did.

College football has never been about getting the best teams in bowls, but bringing the teams with the most fans. That's why the cycle of the same teams being good all the time has been perpetuated ad naseum.

Other teams deserve a shot to be good, too, and get rewards like bowl games.
Temple did its part to break that corrupt cycle this year and now awaits its reward.
The Owls won't be passed over this time and that's one of the advantages of being in a conference.

Party on, Wayne's boys.

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Eddie Fatu: WWE Releases Statement On The Death Of "Umaga"

Jon Alba — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:32:49 -0500

The WWE has released the following statement on the death of Eddie Fatu (Umaga), who passed away earlier today at the age of 36:

“WWE would like to express its deepest condolences to Mr. Fatu’s family, friends and fans on his tragic passing. Mr. Fatu was under contract with WWE at various time periods and most recently performed under the name ‘Umaga.’ Mr. Fatu’s contract was terminated on June 11, 2009.”

Fatu suffered a second heart attack after being hospitalized when he was found unconscious while bleeding from his nose and his mouth. It is believed that pills were involved, but obviously nothing can be said until the toxicology reports come back.

If the drugs are in fact related in his death, he will be yet another famous wrestler to pass away from such a cause. Others include the tragic death of Eddie Guerrero in 2005 and the double-murder suicide of Chris Benoit. The latter is often linked to use of performance-enhancing drugs.

I alongside my site, SportsFullCircle, would like to wish condolences to the family of Fatu.

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New York Mets Hire Wayne Krivsky: Omar Minaya's Seat Just Got Hotter

Adam Bernacchio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:42:13 -0500

According to current New York Mets beat writer and future Director of Player Development Adam Rubin, the Mets have officially announced the hiring of former Cincinnati Reds’ GM Wayne Krivsky as special assistant to GM Omar Minaya.

Despite having “assistant” in his title, trust me when I tell you, Krivsky will not be answering the phone for Minaya. And trust me when I tell you, Minaya had nothing to do with this hire.

The Mets are trying to bring in as many quality baseball people as possible, so not only can they try to right the ship for 2010, but when they eventually do get rid of Minaya, they have internal options.

In my opinion, Krivsky will be the next GM of the Mets.

At this point, Minaya is just a figurehead. He is the Bobby Bowden of the Mets, minus the success or credibility.

From what I have been hearing, Minaya has little or no power with the Mets anymore. Jeff Wilpon is the one calling the shots in Flushing.

The only reason the Mets have not fired Minaya after his disaster both on and off the field is because he signed a three-year extension that just kicks in next year and the Mets don’t want to pay his salary.

Are there two bigger lame ducks in baseball than Minaya and Jerry Manuel?

Last month the Mets hired Wally Backman, who is a good bet to replace Manuel–to manage the Brooklyn Cyclones–a move I have been saying the Mets should make for years. And now they have hired Minaya’s eventual replacement in Krivsky.

My guess is Minaya and Manuel won’t be around for the 2011 season.

This will be Krivsky’s second stint with the Mets. He held the same title in 2008 before leaving to take a similar position with the Baltimore Orioles in 2009.

The fact Krivsky would leave a team and an organization on the rise to come to a dysfunctional organization just strengthens my belief that he came to the Mets to eventually become the GM.

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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Umaga Fatu Found In Serious Condition By His Wife

Kevin Eck — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 18:04:11 -0500

Former WWE star Umaga, whose real name is Eddie Fatu, has been hospitalized and is in a “life-threatening condition,” according to reports from various wrestling Web sites.

Wrestlingobserver.com reported that family members had been told that Fatu, 36, suffered a heart attack. The Web site went on to say that he apparently fell asleep watching television Thursday night, and his wife found him hours later not breathing with blood coming out of his nose. Fatu, who was fired by WWE last June for refusing to go to rehab after his second violation of the company’s Wellness Program, had just returned home to Houston after being part of the Hulkamania Tour in Australia.

Umaga was initially with the WWE as a trainee in early 2002 after he graduated from the Wild Samoan Wrestling School. But his gimmick with Jamal never took off and he was habitually ridiculed on air by Eric Bischoff before leaving in 2003.

He spent the next two years travelling between the US and Japan where WWE started to become interested in him again after a change in character.

He was re-signed in 2005 to partner Rosey and Jamal in a new version of Three Minute Warning but Jamal was released and WWE returned Umaga's character to the drawing board.

Then in early 2006 WWE decided to revive a version of Kamala and it was felt that Umaga was perfect for the role.

The move proved hugely popular. As a heel, Umaga was used to destroy most of the faces on the roster and his star began to rise.

WWE decided to let Umaga go unbeaten for eight months before he was allowed to challenge John Cena for the WWE title, where his run was brought to an end after Cena pulled Umaga's tights in a roll-up.

This was to represent the height Umaga was allowed to reach as his character began to be used in out of ring roles, such as enforcer and body guard.

Eventually his character had dropped a few levels and he was out of the title picture. He then began to feud for the Intercontinental title, which he held twice.

WWE then started using him as fodder for the top ranked guys and the likes of Triple H, Batista, and Jeff Hardy were all put over after easy wins.

His star kept falling and he failed a drug test under the WWE wellness policy. Then on June 8th 2009, he failed a second one. He refused to accept rehabilitation and reluctantly WWE released him.

Umaga had been trying to reach better fitness levels in the hope of being picked up by Dixie Carter but this latest episode will stunt any entrance into the squared circle for some time.

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NEWS: Philadelphia Flyers Fire Head Coach John Stevens

TAB BAMFORD — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:14:27 -0500

Reports on Friday afternoon are that John Stevens is out as coach of the Philadelphia Flyers. Stevens was named the head coach on Oct. 22, 2006.

The Flyers are currently in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 13-11-1 record (27 points), and trail first place Pittsburgh by 13 points. Philadelphia has lost seven of their last 10 games.

Philadelphia currently ranks ninth in the NHL, scoring 3.00 goals per game, while allowing 2.68, good for 10th in the league. They also rank fourth in the NHL in offensive power play at 22.8 percent, but are 14th in penalty killing at only 80.9 percent.

They spent a lot of money to upgrade the roster this summer, most notably adding Chris Pronger to a roster that finished 44-27-11 (99 points) last season. They were eliminated from the Eastern Conference playoffs in the first round by Pittsburgh in six games.

Rumors are that Peter Laviolette could replace Stevens on the Flyers' bench. Carolina has already granted Philadelphia permission to speak with Laviolette, who will reportedly make his debut on the Flyers' bench on Saturday.

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2010 World Cup Schedule: Breakdown of the Individual Groups

Alex Dimond — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:35:34 -0500

With the World Cup draw finally completed earlier today, all 32 qualified nations now know who they will be facing when the group stages kick off on June 11th 2010.

Below is a brief outline of each of the eight groups, and which teams might be confident of progression:

Use the comments section below to leave your view on how the group stages might play out.

More in-depth analysis of the group stages can be found here.

Read another perspective on the group stage draw here.

Read about the winners and losers of the World Cup draw here.

Group A

South Africa
Mexico
France
Uruguay

Games: 11-22 June

The hosts will be relatively pleased with this draw, which gives them a good chance of progressing to the knockout stages if they can somehow overcome two out of their three other group opponents.

In terms of talent, France are the undisputed class side of the group—but they have struggled to reach such heights under coach Raymond Domenech. With the hugely unpopular Domenech still likely to be in charge for the tournament next—he was sitting proudly at the draw in Cape Town—the other teams in the group will certainly fancy their chances of getting a decent result against them.

Uruguay, the last team to cement their place at the World Cup, are arguably the weakest side in the group, but with Atletico Madrid striker Diego Forlan to rely on will be confident they can progress.

Mexico may not be as strong as in competitions past, but in the likes of Andres Guardado, Giovani Dos Santos and the evergreen Cuauhtemoc Blanco they have the sort of quality and experience that must make them likely progressors from this evenly-matched group.

Read about Mexico's perspective on the draw here.

Group B

Argentina
Nigeria
South Korea
Greece

Games: 12-22 June

Argentina manager Diego Maradona might have been banned from attending the draw, but even he will have found little about this group to really dislike.

Despite their struggles in qualifying, the former World Cup winner will be confident of seeing his side progress to the business end of the tournament, with all their fellow group teams clearly a notch below Argentina in terms of their international pedigree.

Greece, led by the astute Otto Rehhagel, will be an awkward opponent, and might be the marginal favourites to gain second in the group. South Korea, semi-finalists eight years ago, will feel they have a great opportunity—but without home advantage will surely struggle to repeat the feats of 2002.

African teams have been tipped to do well in the first World Cup on their continent, but Nigeria are not one of their best sides and will surely struggle to live up to the respectable performances of previous performances.

Any team that can call upon a strikeforce of Yakubu and Obafemi Martins needs to be respected, however, and if their suspect defence holds up they could grab second spot in the group that is also fairly open.

Read about Argentina's perspective of the draw here.

Group C

England
USA
Algeria
Slovenia

Games: 12-23 June

Fabio Capello won’t be complaining at this draw, which leaves England as heavy favourites to progress comfortably onto the Second Round.

Arguably the only negative for the Three Lions is that the game against the United States is their first of the tournament. Bob Bradley’s side are marginally the second strongest side of these four, and have the ability to catch out England if they start off slowly.

Success in South Africa during last summer’s Confederations Cup (where they made the final) should make them likely qualifiers from the group regardless of that first result, but Algeria will be another tough proposition.

The Fennecs proved themselves a mentally strong side by overcoming Egypt in a one-off qualification decider, and in the likes of Nadir Belhadj and Karim Ziani have a few players capable of causing any team problems.

Slovenia are undoubtedly the weakest team of the groups, but beat the widely-heralded Russia in the playoffs to make these Finals so cannot be underestimated.

Nevertheless, it would be a major surprise if their tournament lasted any longer than these three group games.

Read about England's view on the draw here.

Read an American assessment of the draw here.

Group D

Germany
Australia
Serbia
Ghana

Games: 13-23 June

Arguably this is the Group of Death, with four very good teams involved that all harbour realistic ambitions of reaching at least the quarter-finals.

Germany are the marginal favourites for the top spot, having made the semi-finals in 2006 and qualifying for this tournament in impressive fashion. On paper they are certainly the strongest team, although their perhaps lack the individual star power many have come to expect.

Australia, driven forward by Everton’s Tim Cahill, will fancy their chances of progression, although their lack of a top draw backline could hold them back come crunch time.

Ghana will prove a very difficult team to beat, especially as in Michael Essien and Sulley Muntari they have two world-class centre midfielders. But their attacking options look very limited—Asamoah Gyan excepted—and that could well prove their downfall against opponents that should score plenty of goals.

Serbia have been tipped by many to be the dark horse of the tournament, finally making a splash on the international stage after notable success at youth level in recent times. With the likes of Branislav Ivanovic and Nemanja Vidic in defence they have some real quality, while the likes of Milos Krasic, Dejan Stankovic have impressed in Europe this season.

With beanpole striker Nikola Zigic up front, they also have a aerial threat that could well propel them through what looks a very draining group stage for all involved.

Read Germany's perspective on the draw here.

Read Australia's perspective on the draw here.

Group E

Netherlands
Denmark
Japan
Cameroon

Games: 14-24 June

The World Cup can still provide some very local ties, as proved by the fact European near-neighbours Netherlands and Denmark square off in the opening game of Group E.

The winner of that tie will gain a crucial advantage in the bid to escape the group, with the loser already facing a very difficult challenge if they want to achieve similar success.

Cameroon are not one of the most heralded African sides, but with Inter Milan hotshot Samuel Eto’o leading the line they will always be capable of scoring a goal.

Japan have long dominated Asian football, but might struggle against three sides that have a lot of experience in international tournaments. Nevertheless, with players of the quality of Shinsuke Nakamura to call upon—not to mention a fervent support—they could well cause a few surprises.

Read a Danish view on the draw here.

Group F

Italy
Slovakia
New Zealand
Paraguay

Games: 14-24 June

The World Cupholders might be experiencing something of an identity crisis when it comes to the current state of Calcio, but this sort of favourable draw might appease the Azzurri faithful for a little while longer.

Marcelo Lippi will be confident of seeing his side through the group stages, with few threats to their superiority as they look to build up some momentum.

Paraguay are a good, if limited outfit, who are regulars on this stage but will nontheless be pleased to make the Second Round.

Slovakia, led by Napoli star Marek Hamsik, might well fancy their chances of progressing on their first appearance at a World Cup. The meeting between those two sides, in fact, could well decide who follows Andrea Pirlo et al into the next round.

For New Zealand, however, even this relatively kind draw will not raise their hopes of progressing any deeper. In just making this tournament they have already succeeded, and even the All Whites' likely fourth place finish in this group will surely not hamper any of their spirits.

Read an Italian perspective on the draw here.

Read about New Zealand's view on the draw here.

Group G

Brazil
Portugal
Ivory Coast
North Korea

Games: 15-25 June

Far and away the most interesting group of the opening draw. With three top-drawer sides and one punch-bag (no disrespect to North Korea), the head-to-head ties between Portugal, Brazil, and Ivory Coast will take on added significance.

That could increase the chances of Brazil suffering a shock early exit, but in reality Dunga’s side have looked so dominate in recent times that it is almost unfathomable that they will slip up.

That makes Portugal’s meeting with Ivory Coast the pivotal match of the group stages, with the winner highly likely to progress as group runners up. Portugal’s breadth of talent—Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Alves, Joao Moutinho—will make them favourites, but in Didier Drogba the Ivorians have a striker that has made every pundit pick them as one to watch.

With Yaya Toure enforcing in midfield and his brother at the back, they could well progress if Carlos Quieroz continues to struggle to get the Portuguese firing on all cylinders.

All in all, this is the sort of group that World Cups are made for.

Group H

Spain
Switzerland
Honduras
Chile

Games: 15-25 June

The consensus favourites for the tournament before the draw, bookies and fans alike will see no reason to change that opinion after Vincent Del Bosque’s men found themselves in a very manageable group.

Barring a sizeable mishap—even greater than the one that saw them surprisingly beaten by South Africa in the Confederations Cup—Spain should progress to the knockout stages with a game to spare against eminently beatable opposition.

Switzerland will perhaps consider themselves the likely runners up of the other three, especially as in the likes of Johan Djourou, Tranquillo Barnetta, and Phillipe Senderos they have a good amount of experience on this stage.

Honduras will likely be the fall-guys of the group, with the hard-work of the likes of Premier League impressors Wilson Palacios, Hendry Thomas, and Maynor Figueroa likely to cause teams problems but not halt their progress.

Chile are another team with limited aspirations, although the wily tactics of former Argentina manager Marcelo Bielsa will doubtless make them a tough proposition. If the Swiss slip up, they could certainly be the ones to capitalise.

Read Spain's view on their draw here.

Agree or disagree with the views expressed above? Any other comments, thoughts, or opinions on the draw? Please leave them below!

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Former WWE Superstar Umaga Hospitalized-In Life Threatening Condition

Joe Burgett — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:03:41 -0500

It is being reported from various news outlets that former WWE superstar Umaga (Eddie Fatu), 36, has been hospitalized and is in life-threatening condition according to a long-time friend.

Details are not clear at the moment, but some are saying that Fatu feel asleep watching TV last night and several hours later, his wife found him not breathing with blood coming out of his nose. He was then rushed to the hospital.

Many believe it was drug related, simply because he has a history with drugs. I will not say that, for certain, Fatu is in the hospital over a drug overdose. However, even if he was clean at the time he was hospitalized, his past drug usage may be to blame for what happened.

We have seen people die from drug use some in the wrestling world. Eddie Guerrero was a guy who had a problem with painkillers. He was clean at the time of his death, but many believe, including doctors, that his heart attack was caused by his past abuse.

Rey Mysterio came out and said that he went into rehab for painkillers simply because he didn't want to end up like Guerrero. He mentioned that he has had so many injuries to his legs and he competes a lot in the ring, so the painkillers were needed. He knows that if he gets hooked now, when he probably needs them, it could cost him his life.

Fatu is another type of person. He has abused painkillers before, but he also got caught with marijuana. There are apparently other drugs he had issues with, too, but no one is giving specifics, so I won't post all that are out there.

In any case, he was released by World Wrestling Entertainment months ago because he failed the WWE Wellness Policy for the second time and when offered rehab, he refused.

Jeff Hardy also refused rehab when he was caught a while back and Jim Ross, who was the head of talent relations at the time, told Hardy he would have to go to rehab or leave the company. Hardy chose to leave the WWE instead of rehab.

He left the WWE and was said to have gotten clean before he went to TNA Wrestling. When he left TNA and came back to the WWE, he failed another test, which resulted in a suspension and also kept him out of Wrestlemania.

With all the problems he is now suffering because of drugs, it looks like rehab may have been a good idea in hindsight. So, if anyone is offered rehab, taking it would be wise.

If Fatu doesn't make it through, and it is proven that drugs did this to him, other wrestlers with drug problems should sit back and think, "Do I want to end up like that?" Especially if they have a family.

Now, I am discussing all things drug related, as if Fatu being hospitalized was caused by it. But I just want people to know I am not saying Fatu was hospitalized due to drugs, even though it makes a lot of sense due to his past.

Also with what little information given, drugs make sense as well. I mean blood coming out of one's nose doesn't happen for just any reason. If he is not breathing, and his nose is bleeding, he could have drawn a line or two, if you catch my drift.

I hope Fatu gets better soon and if drugs are the cause, wouldn't one think that rehab is a good idea at this point? I'm just saying...

UPDATE: Pro-Wrestlers have come out tweeting about Fatu such as Bobby Lashley, who tweeted: "Very sad day. A good friend is gone" and he is right from what reports are now saying.

I can now confirm to you that Eddie Fatu has passed away after suffering his second heart attack within 24 hours while in the hospital. He was taken off life support earlier in the day and doctors told his family to get in town and to the hospital quickly when things looked grim, which was why the plug wasn't pulled sooner when they found no brain activity.

People are saying he this is a result of abusing prescription pills, but until an autopsy is performed, no one can confirm that. My condolences to his family.

It is indeed a shame to see him pass on, as he just got back from Hulk Hogan's Tour in Australia and said that he may be returning to the WWE, which no one could confirm yes or no on. It is a big loss, as he was one of the best wrestlers ever at his size. He moved so quickly for a guy over 300 lbs and was said to be a good person.

As I mentioned earlier, this should open people's eyes. Death can happen at anytime, especially for a person with a drug problem, and Fatu was believed to have had one. Anyone with a drug problem should have learned from past deaths of others who also did, but maybe this one will be the one that finally makes them say no more. We can only hope.

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Jim Harbaugh the Top Choice to Replace Mangino at Kansas

Denny K. — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:58:02 -0500

Mark Mangino is gone.

No explanation for this has been given by Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins. We know that there was an internal investigation into alleged verbal abusive by Mangino and that its findings will never be made public. We know that Mangino and Perkins were never friendly with one another and we know that Mangino lost his last seven games at Kansas. Outside of that, we know nothing.

No doubt, Mangino's exit from Kansas and his feuding with the athletic director will live on in Lawrence lore much like the similarly bizzare and equally contentious exit of Roy Williams.

For now, though, Kansas fans are speculating about who will be the next coach at Kansas. This is the way it should be.

Numerous names have been tossed around as potential candidates: Jim Harbaugh, Phillip Fulmer, Skip Holtz, Randy Edsall, Kevin Sumlin, Larry Fedora, Tommy Tuberville, Nolan Cromwell and even, incredibly, Super Bowl Champion Brian Billick.

Would any of them actually agree to come to Kansas? Maybe. We will have to see. It is not unlikely that Kansas will get told "no" more than one time. Kansas' great advantage though is that it is likely willing to pay over the $2 million mark to compensate for taking over a troubled Big 12 North program.

Sources today in different media outlets are reporting that Jim Harbaugh is the clear front runner for the Kansas job. Does this actually make sense and is it possible? I think so.

Harbaugh is a successful, exciting, media savvy, and telegenic young coach. In his last two jobs he has quickly turned around troubled football programs. He is famous from his college and NFL careers with the Michigan Wolverines, Chicago Bears, and Indianapolis Colts and would generate enormous excitement among the Jayhawks fan base.

No doubt, the marketing division of the athletic department would love to be able to plaster the smiling mugs of Jim Harbaugh and Bill Self all over university publications and advertisements.

At first thought, Harbaugh coming to Kansas seems unlikely. I'm sure, as we all have been told, it is never a good career decision to make a "lateral" move. Is Kansas a job that is really better than Stanford? Its hard to say, but it is certainly true that many people will argue that Kansas is the lesser of the two jobs.

That said, Harbaugh does have connections to Kansas through his wife and much more importantly, Kansas would be able to double Harbaugh's salary. Could Harbaugh turn down two to three million? It's a thought worth pondering. The old saying goes though that "money talks," and it might very likely have the last word in that decision-making process for Harbaugh.

Many are saying that Harbaugh will not take the Kansas job because he is holding out for Michigan. While I do think it is possible that Harbaugh would say "no" to Kansas to hold out for an upper tier college or NFL job, I don't see Michigan in Harbaugh's future. Harbaugh, known for his straight-shooter style, famously told off Michigan's athletic department in his first year at Stanford and I don't think the wound has healed enough for the two sides to reconcile.

What are the drawbacks with Harbaugh? Not many, but there are a couple.

Harbaugh has no traditional tie-ins or experience with the Big 12 or recruiting in Kansas or Texas. While this deficiency could be covered with a good assistant coaching staff, it is generally a negative factor.

Secondly, and more interestingly, Lew Perkins never got along with Mark Mangino because of differences in personality. Perkins, to put it nicely, seems to be something of a control freak. Harbaugh has a long history dating to his playing days of having a fiery and outspoken personality. If the two men ever got off the same page, the results could possibly be similar to what Mangino experienced.

Is Perkins' willing to risk this happening with the next Kansas football coach? I don't know, but I hope he is. Harbaugh would be an intriguing choice that would bring lots of excitement to Kansas Jayhawks Football and the Big 12 North next season.

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All Signs Point to Richmond's London As Next UVA Coach

Quentin Penn-Hollar — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:36:20 -0500

Various reports say Mike London will be UVA's next coach. The Daily Progress reported last week that the favorite for the job was Boise State's Chris Peterson, but has since revoked that statement. Two days ago the paper reported that many of the players favor London as Al Groh's replacement.

“He is a great coach. He was my first coach when I got here,” former defensive end Nate Collins said. “I feel like he did a lot for me. You always feel like when a coach is on you that you might not like things like that, but at the same time I give a lot of my success here to [London]."

London was an assistant under Groh at UVA until leaving to become Richmond's head coach. Last year he led the Spiders to an 11-1 record, an FCS national title, and is currently defending that title in the playoffs.

London has always made the most sense for the job. He is young, familiar with the players at UVA, familar with recruiting in the state of Virginia, and more likely to relate to players and their families than someone like Peterson coming from across the country.

Yesterday Daily Progress Sports Editor Jerry Ratcliffe reported London to the be the "favorite" for the job.

Jim Donnan of Atlanta Radio 680AM reported this afternoon that London will be the next coach at Virginia.

Based on all the information coming out of Charlottesville, expect UVA to announce London as their next head football coach within days of the Richmond Spiders' final game. Richmond plays Appalachian State in the FCS quarterfinals this Saturday, and their season could continue until Dec. 18th if the Spiders make it to the championship game again.

So the Wahoo faithful may have to wait a few more weeks to get their new coach. Until then don't be surprised if speculation surrounding other potential coaches, like Tommy Tubberville, Jim Grobe, and others, surface, but if UVA picks anyone other than London this Bleacher Reporter will be shocked.

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Hull City's Jimmy Bullard a Banker For Barclays

Carolina Tiger — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 14:21:57 -0500

It was announced today that Hull City's Jimmy Bullard was the recipient of this month's Barclays Player of the Month Award.

Bullard had put in some inspirational performances for the Tigers since his return from a long-standing knee injury that saw him miss all but 37 minutes of last season for the Tigers.

Since returning to fitness Bullard has scored two first team goals in four games and assisiting in almost all of the Tiger's recent goals. He has helped to lead the Tigers to a four-game unbeaten run that has carried the East Yorkshire club four points clear of the relegation zone.

This was Bullard's first Barclays Player of the Year Award.

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World Cup 2010: The Draw

Gareth Llewellyn-Stevens — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:46:47 -0500

A short time ago the draw for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa was made in Cape Town, conducted by FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke.

Draw assistants were Ethiopian marathon runner Haile Gebrselassie, South African cricketer Makhaya Ntini, South African rugby captain John Smit, South African defender David Booth, South African women's player Simphiwe Dludlu, and a man who needs no introduction...David Beckham.

Oh, and actor Charlize Theron played the role as Valcke's glamorous assistant who had no idea what was happening, despite going through a number of rehearsals.

The Groups are as follows:

Group A

1 South Africa

2 Mexico

3 Uruguay

4 France

Group B

1 Argentina

2 Nigeria

3 South Korea

4 Greece

Group C

1 England

2 USA

3 Algeria

4 Slovenia

Group D

1 Germany

2 Australia

3 Serbia

4 Ghana

Group E

1 Netherlands

2 Denmark

3 Japan

4 Cameroon

Group F

1 Italy

2 Paraguay

3 New Zealand

4 Slovakia

Group G

1 Brazil

2 North Korea

3 Cote D'Ivoire

4 Portugal

Group H

1 Spain

2 Switzerland

3 Honduras

4 Chile

England has been handed a very favourable draw against the USA, who they have a good record against, Algeria, who they've never played before, and Slovenia, who they beat in a friendly earlier this year.

Without doubt the game of the group is England vs. USA, arguably the best time to play the USA, who proved in the Confederations Cup earlier this year just how dangerous they can be.

England's dream could see them face France in the quarterfinals and Brazil in the semifinals.

The Group of Death comes in the form of Group G as Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, and Portugal face off.

Spain, Italy, Argentina, and the Netherlands are all favourites to qualify from their group, while France should also qualify from Group A and Germany from Group B.

But this is the World Cup Finals, and anything can happen.

Early betting odds are:

Spain 4/1

Brazil 11/2

England 13/2

Argentina 10/1

Italy 12/1

There are just 188 days until the opening game between hosts South Africa and Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg.

Game on!

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UFL to NFL: Some UFL Players Are Making The Jump To The NFL

Eddie Garrison — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:40:28 -0500

The United Football League who just finished their "premiere" season has seen some of its players already make the jump to the next level and into the NFL.

This move could not only benefit the players, but the UFL in regards to its future.

The UFL announced this week that 11 of its players have been signed to NFL contracts in one way shape or form. Seven more also were invited to various teams to tryouts including the UFL championship game MVP running back Dede Dorsey.

Among the players to be signed included California Redwoods quarterback Shane Boyd, who signed a deal with the Indianapolis Colts to their practice squad. Also among the better known names was Florida Tuskers place kicker Matt Bryant who has agreed to terms with the Atlanta Falcons, who have had kicking issues all season.

The other UFL players that have been signed to NFL teams include:

Florida Tuskers DB Michael Grant (Browns)
Florida Tuskers LB Quinton Culberson (Panthers)
Las Vegas Locos TE Jake Nordin (Lions)
California Redwoods QB Tyler Palko (Steelers)
New York Sentinels OL Christian Gaddis (Bills)
New York Sentinels DB Paul Pratt (Lions)
New York Sentinels OL Jason Watkins (Bills)

One of the reasons NFL teams could not bring in players from the UFL earlier in the season is that the UFL had in its contracts that players were unable to talk or discuss signings with NFL teams until their UFL season was over.

The UFL did not want to compete with the NFL in any way. It wanted and wants to be its own league. However after their UFL seasons are complete, the league has no objections to their players talking or signing with NFL teams.

UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue said, “Less than a week after the conclusion of our "Premiere" season, NFL clubs have shown interest in almost 20 UFL players. These signings further illustrate the overall quality of play in the UFL and the talent of these players, who if given the opportunity, can compete in the NFL. We wish our players the best of luck with their new teams in the NFL.”

These signings of UFL players to the NFL may and will most likely effect the overall staying power of the UFL in the future. Not only will it be able to revive player careers in the UFL, but it could also give the UFL some much needed exposure to football fans to ultimately put some fans in the stands in future seasons.

The simple fact that the NFL is even considering bringing UFL players into their organizations says leaps and bounds for what the UFL and UFL players can do for football.

If the NFL and football fans in general have never seen a UFL game before, seeing these guys come from that league and sign into the NFL to have an impact on higher level will surely bode well for the future and perhaps staying power of the upstart league.

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Calm Before The NCAA Storm At LSU, A Play For Pay Scandal Breaks Soon

Larry Burton — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:18:01 -0500

Since Les Miles took over many good things have happened at LSU. They won another national championship, they've hauled in great recruiting classes and Miles has has kept the program clean.

Or has he?

Today LSUreveille.com broke the news that will sadden many LSU fans and should cause them to shake in fear. Apparently a coach on Les Miles' staff has paid a player to transfer to LSU from Sacramento City Community College in California.

Junior defensive lineman Akiem Hicks is the player under focus and apparently there is enough smoking guns to warrant an immediate reaction from LSU.

This transgression and egregious violation has now also started an NCAA probe which could result in severe penalties for the LSU program.

LSU has already started damage control by saying Les Miles' job is not on the line for this violation.

While LSU coach Les Miles’ contract states he has “an obligation personally to comply with and to exercise due care that all personnel and students subject to his direct control or authority comply with governing athletic rules,” LSU Chancellor Michael Martin released a statement Tuesday saying Miles’ job will not be affected by the alleged violations.

“This situation has absolutely zero impact on the employment contract of coach Les Miles,” Martin said in the statement. “He has been highly cooperative in this matter and from the earliest stages has actively participated in the process of resolving this situation.

In other words, they are saying Les Miles had no knowledge of this until it became public to everyone else.

In a sense, it's hard to say which is worse. Having a coach paying a player to attend your school or having a head coach who has no idea that such things are being done in his program.

Following a second straight disappointing season, the news comes at a bad time for the Tigers as they prepare for the upcoming bowl game.

The good news is that the player in question has not played in any games and therefore no losses would be forfeited, however taking money makes Hicks a professional and therefore voids his status as an amateur, making him ineligible.

As for Coach D.J. McCarthy, he was already planning on jumping ship at the end of the season and going to Memphis along with LSU running back coach Larry Porter. It will be interesting to see if Porter would still want him if he's the focus of NCAA scrutiny however.

Hicks was a much sought out lineman and was also pursued by many other schools including Tennessee before landing at LSU.

Pay for play is one of the more serious charges the NCAA can level. Having it come from a coach makes it even more serious and can cause the dreaded "Lack of Institutional Control" label.

For LSU fans, this off season won't be filled with speculation over which recruits the Miles staff comes in with this year, but what penalties this staff, or at least this one coach, will bring down upon them.

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Seattle Mariners Leading the Chone Figgins Derby

Hayato Uwai — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:41:37 -0500

According to Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports, the Seattle Mariners are "clear front-runners" to sign free agent third baseman Chone Figgins . The Mariners did offer Adrian Beltre , their starting third baseman for last several years, arbitration but he will likely sign elsewhere as he is only a Type-B free agent and his Gold Glove defence should be enough for him to get a contract he wants.

Figgins, who will turn 32 in January, posted line of .298 BA/.395 OBP/.394 SLG/.789 OPS in 2009, along with five homers and 54 RBI. He also swapped 42 bases this year.

Figgins is a guy who can draw walks, a type of player the Mariners don't have. He can also run, as 42 stolen bases shows that. He and Ichiro Suzuki can team up to create strong one-two punch in the lineup.

Figgins is a versatile player so even if Beltre accepts arbitration, Figgins can move over to second or outfield. In that case, Jose Lopez will likely move to second or Michael Saunders becoming their fourth outfielder. Figgins posted 16.7 UZR this year at third, so he is better at third defensively.

In any case, adding a player like Figgins is a great move for the Mariners. They need a guy who can consistently get on base and can play solid defence at third to fill a hole made by Beltre's departure. Do you think adding Figgins will help the Mariners get closer to winning AL West?

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Rampage Jackson's MMA Return in Store for 2010

Bryan Levick — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 09:23:39 -0500

Yes, MMA fans all over the world have received an early Christmas present this year.

Quinton "Rampage" Jackson has announced that he will be ending his self-imposed exile from the UFC and return to take on nemesis, Rashad Evans.

In a brief statement released on his web site , Jackson stated that he intended to come back to the UFC and fulfill his contractual obligations.

His main reason for coming back was his fans, although he did say that he was also returning to shut Rashad's mouth along with Dana White's.

Once he is done with that, he will return to making movies. On another note, Jackson hinted about partaking in a yearly boxing match to keep himself in shape.

Now, I don't know about you, but I was pretty sure that Jackson would be returning at some point.

The animosity between Rampage and Evans continued to fester throughout The Ultimate Fighter 10 season.

It was Evans's team that has the two finalists fighting for the six-figure contract tomorrow night, and that has had to have a profound effect on Jackson.

During the show's last episode, a dejected and emotional Jackson admitted to the cameras that he not only wanted Marcus Jones to win his semifinal bout with Brendan Schaub to help further his own career, but he also had selfish reasons.

He had truly hoped that even though his team was dominated during the show, having one of his men win the whole thing would have given him the edge over Evans.

I cannot wait for these two to hook 'em up. I relish the day that Jackson puts Evans to sleep, not unlike Dan Henderson's knockout of fellow big mouth coach, Michael Bisping.

Jackson has been storing all of the nonsense that Evans has doled out during the season, with plans on using it once the cage door shuts behind them.

Jackson was not without his moments, but he at least had a humorous spin on his actions.

From placing chickens in Rashad's SUV, to transforming the Team Rashad warm-up room into a little girls princess fantasy, Jackson has maintained a good sense of humor for the most part.

Evans has repeatedly tried to goad Jackson into a physical altercation, but thankfully Jackson remained calm, and refused to risk a major payday by beating Evans for free.

Two great fighters who truly can't stand for each other, whether or not the past two seasons will produce the next UFC star, it has been used to promote the grudge matches in a great way.

Who do you got in this bout between former UFC light-heavyweight champions?

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Kimi Raikkonen's Future Revealed: Rallying for Citroen's Junior Team

Stuart Baird — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 06:30:47 -0500

Kim Raikkonen, the 30-year-old 2007 World Champion, will be rallying next season for Citroen's junior rally team in the WRC.

The Finn has signed a one year deal with Citroen's Red Bull backed junior team. This would give Citroen a great boost, having the greatest driver in Rallying in their main team, Sebastian Loeb, and an ex-F1 World Champion.

Kimi will team up with fellow compatriot Kaj Lindstrom as his co-driver, who previously partnered multiple rally champion Tommi Makinen.

"I always wanted to compete in rally, especially in the World Rally Championship at some point in my career," said Raikkonen, who impressed on his debut at the Rally Finland, earlier this year. "Thanks to Red Bull, I have the opportunity to drive the best car of the series with the Citroen C4."

Citroen team boss Olivier Quesnel as released a statement about Citroen's future.

"We will continue to count on Sebastien and Dani to defend our world titles in 2010. We will also be prolonging our association with Sebastien Ogier who showed outstanding potential this year.

"Last but not least, it is with immense joy that we welcome Kimi Raikkonen to our ranks. We are very proud he has chosen Citroen."

Raikkonen will contest 12 out of 13 events, as the team are not entered into the New Zealand Rally.

Raikkonen has said he will return to F1, but only if he is offered a seat in a title winning car, stating, "We will see what happens in the future."

Raikkonen is taking a sabbatical after Spaniard Fernando Alonso was given his seat at Ferrari, and Kimi failed to secure a seat at his old team, McLaren, who took the 2009 World Champion Jensen Button instead.

The question is now, however, is whether many Raikkonen fan's will begin watching more Rallying to see if their can man perform as well as he has done in F1.

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