Wednesday, August 28, 2013

So, How's That Fox Sports 1 Thing Working Out?

You'd think the constant promos, numerous ads, promises of not being ESPN, and talk about Regis for the past six months would lead to a big first week for Fox Sports 1.
Not really. More like 161,000 average viewers.
FS1 finished fifth in primetime for it's first week, trailing not only ESPN but also the NFL and MLB's networks. To add insult to injury, they were only 3,000 viewers better than last year, when the network was Speed Channel. Both Fox Sports Live and Regis' Crowd Goes W!ld did poorly, but the news isn't all bad: they managed to beat Golf Channel and NBATV.
But the news does get worse. FS1 is down to 81,000 average viewers in total day ratings, less than the 100k Speed Channel got last year. And two NASCAR Truck races were the network's highest-rated programs.
But hey, at least you got that whole "fun" thing going for you.
Read more at Variety.

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

There's Another Book That College Football Won't Like

A new book by CBS' Armen Keteyian and SI's Jeff Benedict, "The System", is promising to be a deep look into college football's seedy underbelly. One chapter deals with claims by Texas A&M's Ricky Seals-Jones about his recruiting process. He and his family claim a "top-20" school offered $300k in cash, a luxury suite plus eight season tix, and $1k and $500 a month for Ricky and his family. Even when an ACC and an SEC school offered to double any offer, the family refused out of principle (that, and they were afraid they'd get caught).
Other chapters deal with claims of Tennessee paying co-eds to influence high school recruits with "pseudo romantic relationships", and Missouri's use of female students for "lightly supervised" tutoring of football players.
Kick-off's Thursday! Are you ready?
Read more at Yahoo! Sports.

It's Not Been The Best Year For Lamar Odom



With TMZ reporting rumors around the clock, and an incident with paparazzi back in July, Lamar Odom hasn't had a good 2013. Earlier this year, ESPN's Outisde The Lines did an expose on athlete charities, including Lamar and Khloe's "Cathy's Kids." While other athlete's organizations were examined, Lamar's situation was made worse when he chose to be the only athlete to speak on camera with ESPN. Odd that an NBA player who married into a reality-show family would be so willing to step in front of a lens, but it's his money.

ESPN Would Like Out Of The NASCAR Business - Like, Right Now

Last month, ESPN and Turner Sports told NASCAR they didn't want to renew their contracts, which end after the 2014 season, citing stale ratings and aging demographics. NBC bought up most of their Cup races, and they split the Nationwide races with Fox. Now Sports Business Journal reports ESPN and Turner have told NASCAR they don't want to wait until 2015: they want to get out at the end of this year. If the legal wrangling required goes through, it would be an unprecedented move by a network to leave a contract early, especially with five separate groups of sports broadcasters competing for content.
Looks like finishing 20th or worse in 20 out of 24 races killed off Danicamania pretty quick.
Read more at Sports Business Journal.
Image courtesy ESPNW.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Why Can't Bay Area Fans Just Chill?


Sunday evening, a fan ran onto the field at Candlestick Park during a preseason tilt between the Vikings and 49ers. That wouldn't be so bad, except there were two more invaders, and nearby police in the parking lot were brought into the stadium to maintain crowd control. It hasn't been a good month for Bay Area fans: earlier this month, a Giants fan threw a banana at black Orioles OF Adam Jones, and a fan invaded the pitch of an Everton-Juventus preseason match at AT&T Park.



Of course, these were lighthearted incidents for Bay Area fans. More after the jump.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Tweets To Think About

Blog On Fox-Owned Network Slams Speed Channel Fans


Awful Announcing is a blog that's self-described as "putting announcers on notice since 2005." They're also a part of Fox's Yardbarker network. So it should be no surprise there's been little criticism from the blog who's whole purpose is criticizing the sports media. So on Thursday, Awful Announcing chose the tried-and-true method of trolling - publishing internet comments.
More after the jump.

This Man Is The Leader Of A Major Higher-Education Institution

John Sharp is the chancellor for the Texas A&M system. He's actually in charge of not just one, but a system of institutions of higher learning. And when recently opening a new addition to that system, he spoke on Johnny Manziel. Read more after the jump.

Monday, August 19, 2013

Developing: Barkely Admits To Payments While At Auburn

Video later, if and when available, from The Tim Brando Show on CBS Sports Network.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Thank You For Your Service, But You Can't Play Football

Steven Rhodes, a 24-year-old Marine, enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University following his five-year active service. Rhodes always had a dream to play college football, and he initially had a spot as a walk-on, possibly as tight end or defensive end. But the NCAA said no, because Rhodes played one year in a military-only rec league, which means he loses two years of eligibility plus cannot play a game this season. From the Daily News Journal:
Rhodes was shocked by the news. He knew what that recreational league was. It was not pay-for-play. It was not highly competitive. It was not even well organized.
“Man, it was like intramurals for us. There were guys out there anywhere from 18 to 40-something years old,” said Rhodes, chuckling and shaking his head. “The games were spread out. We once went six weeks between games.”
So add that to the list of dumb shit the NCAA says: playing a season against 40-year-olds from the base's traffic control is worth as much as playing two against draft prospects in the NFL's de facto minor league.
Read more at The Daily News Journal.

That's So A-Rod! Alex Hires A TV Lawyer

Alex Rodriguez has hired a new lawyer, and it's MSNBC regular Joe Tacopina. And in his first comments on his client's case, he was as sensationalizing as you'd expect. From the New York Times:

Tacopina said the team had not wanted to see Rodriguez play again and had been engaged in a yearlong campaign to embarrass him and keep him off the field.
During the 2012 playoffs, Tacopina said, the Yankees hid from Rodriguez that a magnetic resonance imaging test had revealed that he had a torn labrum — essentially a hole in his hip — and continued to play him, even though he was struggling mightily.
“They rolled him out there like an invalid and made him look like he was finished as a ballplayer,” Tacopina said.
[...]
Rodriguez learned the extent of his injuries in the off-season, and the Yankees sent him to Dr. Bryan T. Kelly, a prominent surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan. Tacopina said Kelly later told Rodriguez that before the operation, Levine told Kelly, “I don’t ever want to see him on the field again.”
“It sent chills down Alex’s spine,” Tacopina said.
Rodriguez asked Kelly if Levine’s comment was a joke, Tacopina said, and was told that “it wasn’t a joke.”
This should be the greatest thing, until the NCAA hires Nancy Grace in their Johnny Football case.
Read more at the New York Times.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

Miguel Tejada To Be Suspended 105 Games

Yahoo! Sports' Jeff Passan reports Royals infielder Miguel Tejada will be suspended 105 games for twice testing positive for Adderall, an amphetamine. Having already tested positive once, his second positive means a 25-game ban, and Tejada received an additional 80 games for testing positive a third time shortly after that. Tejada is currently on the 60-day disabled list, and would begin his suspension afterwards. One more positive, and he receives a lifetime ban.
Read Jeff Passan's report at Yahoo! Sports.

Friday, August 16, 2013

Humpy Wheeler: Corporations Ruined NASCAR



H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler was one of NASCAR's pioneering promoters. Whether it was boxing matches, a shark in a tank eating whole chickens while being driven around the track, or full-fledged military battle reenactments, Humpy's pre-race promotions were landmarks in the racing world. Now retired, Humpy took to YouTube to address NASCAR's recent struggles.
"We're not getting all the best drivers, I hate to say that. But because they don't talk right, they don't look right, they don't dress right - they may not be corporately-inclined. And I hate that word. Corporations, to a certain extent, have put us into this and that is big controversy - me saying that. People will say 'They are the people that fed you. They are the people that sponsored Lowes Motor Speedway. All these companies made racing what it is today' - well it is to a certain extent. But what happened is they got some fancy people working for them that did not know what racing was all about. They tried to change it."
Besides the lack of a "working man's driver," Humpy pointed to the emphasis on points over wins, suggesting bigger bonuses for leaders and race winners. Humpy's comments come during declining ratings and attendance, including only 80,000 for a 240,000-capacity Brickyard 400 and both TNT and ESPN declining to renew their television deals.
Read more at WBTV.


MLB Didn't Have Replay, People Bitched. MLB Now Has Replay, People Are Bitching.



For years everyone complained that Major League Baseball was a dinosaur, sticking with the human element instead of using technology to get the call right. Well, now MLB has announced they have a plan for a replay system, due to be voted on in November's meetings with the owners. Everyone's take? It's abandoning the human element, and games will take too long.
This is America. You will not please anyone.
For a reminder, here's a breakdown of the replay system:
  • Managers get one review in the first six innings, two after the seventh (no carryovers). 
  • If the manager wins, he keeps his challenge.
  • Managers cannot argue a reviewable call unless they call for replay.
  • All replays would be handled in MLB's offices in New York, like the NHL's system.
  • Future replays should take about a minute to 75 seconds.
  • Home run reviews will be handled as they are now; only the umpire can call for those.
Read more at MLB.com.

That's So A-Rod! Snitching?

CBS' 60 Minutes reports Alex Rodriguez's inner circle leaked unredacted Biogenesis documents to Yahoo! Sports in February. The documents revealed the names of Ryan Braun, Oriole Danny Valencia, Melky Cabrera, a minor leaguer, and A-Rod's own teammate, Francisco Cervelli; all have been suspended. The leak came after the Miami New Times ran documents documenting A-Rod's involvement, which had Braun's and Cervelli's names redacted.
If true, it could be evidence A-Rod not only obtained documents in the Biogenesis scandal, but Major League Baseball could use it as proof Rodriguez tried interfering with their investigation. It would also create issues with his own union, since the CBA states any allegations of use must be handled privately before a public announcement.
Read more at CBS' 60 Minutes.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Don't Worry, Tarheel Fan: P.J. Hairston's Coming Back!


That's what UNC AD Bubba Cunningham (BUBBA!) promised at a faculty retreat. He said Hairston would return to play, "but not all the games." The man who leaked this out? A journalism professor: Andy Bechtel.
Hairston was UNC's leading scorer (14.6 per), but he's had a rash of off-the-field issues that resulted in a suspension in the offseason. But now UNC might look past a speeding a reckless driving charge. And a seperate possession of marijuana and driving without a license charge (which he's gone through a drug program for). And the fact there was a gun in the 2013 Yukon he was driving. And the fact the car was rented by a Haydn "Fats" Thomas, a convicted felon.
Yes, UNC forgives!
Read more at ESPN.

Towson Coach Gets Contract Extension Despite No Postseason

Towson University just backed the truck up to Pat Skerry, who in two years has taken Towson to 1-31, then 18-13. But the team did not make the postseason, as their Academic Progress Rate was too low to make the postseason. Yes, Towson just extended a contract of a coach whose players' grades are too low for postseason play.
Towson, of course, shut down their storied baseball and soccer teams earlier this year claiming budget concerns. Skerry will also begin play in a new $62M arena.
Read more at College Basketball Talk.

Yeah, About That "College Sports Video Game" Talk...

Earlier this year, the NCAA announced they would not renew their license with EA Sports for NCAA Football. Of course, conferences and schools could sign licensing deals for their rights, but the SEC announced they would not renew their license. Of course, schools could still sign for their own rights. So how many schools have decided not to renew with EA Sports for it's now-untitled college football game?
1.
One goddamn team.
And the SEC will return next year.
That's what sources are telling gamer-blog Kotaku. The Big Ten and Pac-12 are out, and the NCAA is still out as well, but those have no impact on the issue of player likenesses being used. The game will only be limited by the inability to use the two conferences' logos and championship games. And the lack of NCAA license simply means a name change since they can't use NCAA Football.
Read more at Kotaku.

Fox Sports 1? More Like Fox Sports .23!

Remember when Fox said they were just going to launch Fox Sports 1 on Speed? Remember when suddenly they were asking for $0.80 per sub instead of the original $0.23 per sub? Remember when it looked like all the major distributors said "No" and it looked like Fox Sports 1 would launch nowhere? Well, according to Sports Business Daily's Jon Ourand, Fox caved in, and all the distributors will be paying the old Speed rate of $0.23 per sub. So everybody gets Regis!
Read more at Sports Business Daily.
Image courtesy NY Post.

Get Ready For Your Los Angeles KISS!

Never being one to pass over a nickel, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley are buying into an AFL Franchise. In 2014, the L.A. Kiss (or KISS?) will begin play at the Honda Center in Anaheim, home of the NHL's Ducks. The last pro team to play in Los Angeles were the Staples Center-based LA Avengers, who folded during the 2009 league bankruptcy.
Read more at Pro Football Talk.

Another Discrimination Lawsuit Against Chivas USA

Cynthia Craig (who is listed in the article as "black") recently filed a discrimination suit against MLS side Chivas USA. The side has been alleged to be signing only Mexican players and sending off anyone who isn't, keeping in line with the policy of their Guadalajara-based parent club. Craig claims four coaches from Mexico were hired in January, but were not authorized to work in the U.S. When she was ordered to add them to the payroll, she refused, and management payed them in other ways. The coaches later received their visa's in April.
Craig also alleges owner Jorge Vergara held meetings in Spanish, and told employees "If you didn’t understand what I just said, then it is time for you to get a job down the hall," meaning the L.A. Galaxy. This follows claims by Ted Chronopoulos and Dan Calichman in their May lawsuit, in which they claim Vergara told employees "If you don’t speak Spanish, you can go work for the Galaxy, unless you speak Chinese, which is not even a language."
Chivas USA shares a stadium with LA Galaxy, ironically the first team in American pro sports to play an openly gay player.
Read more at the Daily Breeze.

Reason 184 That Brian Kelly's A Dick



Apparently, Kelly's as good at knowing his training equipment as he is judging wind speeds.

John Cougar Mellencamp's Kids Are Facing Battery Charges

Hud and Speck Mellencamp are two of three people charged with felony battery charges stemming from a July incident in Indiana. The two brother's told police Speck was hit in the face earlier in the night; when they returned later, they found someone sitting on the porch. Speck struck first, and the fight was on. Hud claimed he only observed, but witnesses say otherwise. It's anticipated both will turn themselves over to police.
Hud was a walk-on cornerback for the Duke Blue Devils and about to start his sophomore year. He had no high school football experience, but he was a two-times Golden Gloves champ.
Read more at CBS Sports.
Image courtesy Zap2It.

Dufner Got A Puppy!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Rangers Cut Ramirez

Remember when the Rangers announced they would give Manny Ramirez a tryout? Well, they just released him, after 30 games for the AAA Round Rock Express. Manny was hitting .259 with 3 HR, and had a .698 OPS.

Read more at Pro Baseball Talk.

Korea Made A Movie About A Baseball-Playing Gorilla

Joe Morgan Agrees: Let Pete In

Bob Nightengale's USA Today article argues that recent PED scandals have improved Pete Rose's image. And he quotes Joe Morgan for his argument:
Joe Morgan, the Hall of Fame second baseman who's also vice chairman of the Hall of Fame, doesn't want anyone associated with doping to ever set foot in the museum. Yet, Morgan says Rose deserves to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
"I think if you're going to allow guys with PEDs on the ballot," Morgan told USA TODAY Sports, "then we have to allow him to be on the ballot. Let's face it, he's been punished for 24 years. I think they have to take a second look at Pete now that this has come out."
Read more at USA Today.

Slam Man Throws First Pitch




Here's comedian, radio host, and film star Jay Mohr throwing heat before yesterday's NYM-LAD game at Dodger Stadium.
Listen to Jay's show on Fox Sports Radio and his Fake Mustache podcast network.
Video courtesy MLB.

Tweets To Think About

AP: Juan Pablo Montoya Not Returning To Ganassi Next Season

The Associated Press is reporting Juan Pablo Montoya will not return to Chip Ganassi Racing's NASCAR Cup team in 2014. It would end an eight-year run which saw two wins and one postseason appearance, a disappointment for a driver who won the 1999 Champ Car championship in his first year, the 2000 Indy 500 in his first start, and the 2001 Italian Grand Prix in his first F1 season. He would win six more Grands Prix, including Monaco, before leaving for NASCAR in 2006.
Read more at Motorsports Talk.

Monday, August 12, 2013

UPDATED: Man Dies After 65 Foot Fall From Turner Field's Upper Deck

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports a man fell 30 feet from the upper deck at Turner Field, landing in a parking lot. Besides the report he is in critical condition, no other information has been made available. The game against the Phillies was in a rain delay.
UPDATE: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports the man has died from his injuries at Atlanta Medical Center. Also, the height is now said to have been 65 feet, twice than the original report.

ESPN: Johnny Football Involved In Two More Autograph Sessions



ESPN's Outside The Lines is now reporting Manziel took part in two more autograph signings for merchandise dealers last January. The first took place in South Florida during the title game, the other took place in Houston a few weeks later. Florida-based Kevin Freistat reportedly arraigned the sessions, rumored to be a total of 1,500 items. Add the original report of 1,100 for Drew Tieman, and two northern-based brokers who claim they paid $7,500, that's six signings for three different brokers across three states in one month.
Outside The Lines also reported on signed items removed from e-Bay following a complaint from the "rights holder", which ESPN reports was prompted by the Manziels' legal representation, J. Bennett White of Tyler, Texas. That jives with Bruce Feldman's report of Manziel merchandise dealers getting shut down on e-Bay, and a Florida dealer saying "if anyone has an ax to grind, pick any of those people."
Read more at ESPN.com.

Footballer Pants Footballer



Soccer season's coming. Get ready.

Vols Fan Makes Tribute Video To First-Year Coach



Butch Jones has yet to coach a down of SEC football, but that hasn't stopped his fans from creating musical tributes.

Army Schedules More Games Off-Campus At Yankee Stadium

After playing Notre Dame and Rutgers in 2010 and 2011, Army will play again in Yankee Stadium next season. They are scheduled to face UConn in 2014 and Rutgers in 2015, and are working on Norte Dame in 2016.
Read more at College Football Talk.

Now Pac-12 Is In The Cable-Channel Fight Business

The Pac-12 Conference, who's main job should be administrating the 22 sports they sanction amongst their twelve member schools, has launched a campaign to get their fans to drop DirecTV. With the Pac-12 Network in it's second year, DirecTV still does not carry it, so the conference is hoping to pressure them by costing them business. Their website has 30-second ads and messages from the twelve Athletic Directors pleading their case.
Again, this was a conference that had issues with for-profit Grand Canyon State University joining D-1.
Read more at the Pac-12 website.

Johnny Football Has One Hell Of A Family Tree

There's something infuriating about Deadspin: one minute they're in some petty fight, the next they do brilliant things like this. After pouring through court records, biographies, and newspaper archives, they've compiled a Manziel family history that makes Johnny Football's actions look less surprising. Even the family's oil business has a story, starting in the backyard of a black church after Johnny's great-grandpa "ran the negroes down in his flivver until all 40 would permit him to drill." Among his family's long laundry list of incidents are cocaine trafficking, conspiracy in a murder case, counterfeiting, rumors of ties to the Dixie Mafia, and even cockfighting. With Bobby Joe owning as many as 1,200 game-birds and a private plane to take them to matches, his son Norman Paul (Johnny's grandfather) took over, and became your 1983 Cockfighting World Champion. They've even got their own breed named after them: the Manziel Greys.
You definitely want to read more at Deadspin.

New "Rush" Teaser Trailer - Meet James Hunt

Charlie Hustle Should've Been An Alky Or Wife-Beater

Pete Rose recently spoke to Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan to discuss baseball and his own life. And when he spoke about his life, he admits he made a mistake:
I made mistakes. I can't whine about it. I'm the one that messed up and I'm paying the consequences. However, if I am given a second chance, I won't need a third chance. And to be honest with you, I picked the wrong vice. I should have picked alcohol. I should have picked drugs or I should have picked up beating up my wife or girlfriend because if you do those three, you get a second chance. They haven't given too many gamblers a second chances in the world of baseball.
Hear the full interview at 93.7 The Fan.

Texas LB Apologizes For Being Out Past Curfew

Texas Longhorn LB Jordan Hicks has apologized for he and QB Case McCoy being suspended for this past December's Alamo Bowl. From the Austin American Statesman:
“I was a leader on this team and I was out past curfew. As a leader, I shouldn’t have done that,” Hicks said Saturday night. “I haven’t had the chance to apologize to the whole fan base, and I would like to do that.
“I’ve done everything I can to earn back the respect of this team and I think I’ve done that.”
Nice for Hicks to apologize for being out past curfew, although KENS-TV reported this back in December:
Longhorns head football coach Mack Brown said at a press conference on Friday that two players accused of sexual assaulting a woman at a San Antonio hotel have been suspended from the team and sent home.
So remember: they were out past curfew. That's all it was. Nothing to see here.
Read more at the Austin American Statesman and KENS-TV.
Image courtesy Wikipedia.

Tweets To Think About

It's Preseason, You Idiots

This is the world we live in: an NFL exec has to apologize for a preseason game.

Bleacher Reports' Eight UFC Commandments

Deadspin, never one to take the high road, has had a beef with UFC recently. The main issue appears to be they want to put videos of PPV fights on their site during the events, and the guy who gets paid by that doesn't. So when they got their hands on an internal memo from Bleacher Report listing ways to stay on Dana White's good side, they jumped all over it. An abbreviated list:
  • "Don't delve too deep into Zuffa financials. This goes for fighter pay, revenue, money donated to political campaigns. This is Dana's biggest pet peeve."
  • "Don't 'report' things unless you have two very credible sources. Don't take a rumor and post it as fact."
  • "Don't report something a manager tells you unless you have verified it with someone who is not a manager. Managers will often use you to get their message out."
  • "Don't be a mouthpiece for a fighter, either. They'll use you in the same way managers do when trying to send a message to the UFC."
  • "Don't talk about Dana's history with his mom."
  • "If you're writing an opinion article with a negative slant on Zuffa, make sure it's clearly worded as opinion...Dana has told me personally that he doesn't care if you write negative opinion stuff, so long as people know it's opinion."
  • "Don't be negative just to be negative or edgy."
  • "And finally, always remember this: you would be SHOCKED to learn how much they pay attention to when it comes to MMA media."
Most of these aren't bad (use credible sources, don't trust everything the talent says, and don't just criticize to criticize), although the financial stuff and mother issues are odd ones. It also shows Dana has no problem with opinion, which when running an MMA outfit is a good attitude to have.
So credit to Deadspin, who will soon bring you how much Dana White tips and what horrible bands he likes.
Read more at Deadspin.
Image courtesy Babble.

Stand-off Between Sports Nets And Distributors On The Horizon

With less than five days to go, Fox has yet to finalize Fox Sports 1 carriage deals with Dish Network, DirecTV, and Time Warner. When FS1 was announced this spring, they promised it would be on the current Speed channel. But now Fox has announced they will keep Speed going as punishment to those providers who don't shell out for FS1, offering a watered-down version that's just reruns of Pinks and Pimp My Ride (which was basically full-fledged Speed). Fox is looking for a raise from $0.23 per sub for Speed to $0.80 per sub, with an increase to $1.50 later.
Of course, Fox-owned Awful Announcing is keeping their mouth shut about this, but they are reporting Dish Network may have issues with ESPN at the end of September. The argument revolves around a raise from $5 per sub to $7 for ESPN, with an increase up to $8 later, and Dish may react by pulling all Disney networks and ABC stations.
Read more at Sports Business Daily and Awful Announcing.

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Fox Sports Columnist Trolls By Comparing Manziel To Rosa Parks

Once upon a time in this country, there were ugly, racist, tyrannical rules dictating where a black person could sit on a bus. There were all kinds of these laws, actually, created and defended by the racists who benefited from them.
What kick-started change was an average, everyday woman named Rosa Parks, who had grown tired of being tired. Hers was not the first protest, nor was it particularly the best. It was merely the tipping point for many Americans long since tired of these immoral laws.
Those were the words Jen Floyd Engel opened her latest column - which Deadspin claims was originally titled "Manziel is the new Rosa Parks" before being changed to "Manziel case was tipping point." And Deadspin pretty much showed her ass to the world, bringing up a previous article where she slammed Terrel Pryor for basically lesser crimes:
He did not play enforcer for the NCAA. Nor did he overstep his bounds or act as a capricious holy roller, as many have implied. In this increasingly ugly and infinitely cynical time in college football, he took a stand. Roger sent a clear message that the NFL will no longer be a safe harbor for college football terrorists...
...Please also stop with the “he’s a catalyst for change” meme.
Real change begins with a guy willing to sacrifice for a larger principle, the guy standing in front of the tank at Tiananmen Square, not a guy trying to get the Chinese word for “Buckeye” tattooed onto his bicep for free.
Oh, and this gem about Tim Tebow:
What if Tim Tebow were a Muslim?
Imagine for a second, the Denver Broncos quarterback is a devout follower of Islam, sincere and principled in his beliefs and thus bowed toward Mecca to celebrate touchdowns. Now imagine if Detroit Lions players Stephen Tulloch and Tony Scheffler mockingly bowed toward Mecca, too, after tackling him for a loss or scoring a touchdown, just like what happened Sunday.
I know what would happen. All hell would break loose.
This is what we have to look forward to on Fox Sports 1. It's The 1 For Fun!
Read more at Deadspin.

College Sports Dossier: Tevin Drake

Western Michigan RB Tevin Drake was arrested on August 1, and has been charged with domestic battery, resisting with violence, resisting without violence and battery of a law enforcement officer. According to the police report obtained by mLive:
The release states that officers responded at 12:33 a.m. on Aug. 1 to a residence in Brooksville, Fla., in reference to a battery, where a woman told officers Drake battered her.
The press release says Drake became uncooperative and combative as he pushed an officer out of a doorway before fleeing on foot. After a 20-minute foot pursuit Drake returned to the original residence and resisted officers, who used a Taser to subdue Drake before transporting him to the Hernando County Jail, where he is held without bond.
Funny how Drake got the business end of a Taser, considering he is a Business major at WMU.
Read more at mLive and the WMU Broncos Bio Page.

Tweets To Think About

Tweets To Think About

Tweets To Think About

Umm...OK?

For the record, this was from a KARE-TV 11 report about tailgating at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome.


Five Reasons To Hate Tom Hicks

Everybody hates Alex Rodriguez. When you read about A-Rod's huge contract with so little results, you ask "What idiot would write that check?" Well, that idiot was Tom Hicks, who's even admitted that was a dumb move. But if you think you can give a mulligan, you'd have to look into the full history of a man hated in at least four cities and on three continents. More after the jump...

PA Accidentally Rolls Out Crue, Everyone Loses It



The guy who runs the PA system for the Diamondbacks screwed up Saturday night, hitting the opening cord of Motley Crue's "Kickstart My Heart," and causing J.J. Putz to spike the ball halfway from the plate. The PA guy seems to know he screwed up, since there's a rule against noise during play, but to see the broadcasters freak out really is sad.
Video courtesy MLB.com.

Manchester United Wins Community Shield

Manchester United scored it's first trophy of the David Moyes era by beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 in the FA Community Shield, English soccer's version of the Hall-Of-Fame Game. With Wayne Rooney out of the starting XI, Robin van Persie came through to score both goals (6', 61').
Read more at Pro Soccer Talk.

Red Bull's Slow-Mo Pit Stop



Red Bull's Formula 1 team does an awesome job on the internet, with insider videos and cool stunts like driving a car at speed through the Lincoln Tunnel and running around the Circuit of the America's when it was still dirt. Now they've broken down their record pit stops in slow motion.

Attorney To Teach Football Players How To Not Get Caught Raping

West Virginia U.S. Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld watched the Steubenville Rape Case, where two football players were convicted thanks to tweets and Instagrams of the incident. So his solution?
"We thought, 'Let's start calling athletic directors and coaches to see if they're interested.' That investment of time hopefully will pay dividends down the road, not only because you hope the kids are going to stay out of trouble. Social media creates so many distractions off the field for coaches. Maybe we can help them avoid that situation as well."
Yes, the program is going to focus on the role social media played in the case. It's a great service for football players:
"We bring the perspective of 'OK, if you do this, this is what can happen. We don't want to see you in court,' " Ihlenfeld said.
Among the football programs who will learn how social media impacts your ability to rape will be "Brooke, Cameron, Hundred, John Marshall, Magnolia, Wheeling Central, Wheeling Park, ...Oak Glen, Paden City and Weir high schools." Invitations will also be sent to other high school and college programs in the 32 counties covered Ihlenfeld's district.
Read more at the Charleston Daily Mail.
Image courtesy West Virginia Public Broadcasting.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Jack Clark Gets He And His Co-Host Fired For Not Knowing How Libel Works

Jack Clark started as a co-host of a St. Louis radio show over a week ago, so he's probably not aware of how to handle accusations and opinions. So when the topic of whether or not Pujols used steroids came up, host Kevin Slaten said that he believed Pujols "has been a juicer", a statement of his personal belief. But then Clark had to butt in: 
I know for a fact he was. The trainer that worked with him, threw him batting practice from Kansas City, that worked him out every day, basically told me that’s what he did. 
Well, that's a statement of fact without evidence, which is libel. This morning, WGNU announced both men would be fired, despite the fact Slaten knew how to cover his ass. Of course, Clark's short-lived radio career included calling the third-in-the-NL Cards "quitters" and saying they have "poopy in their pants." Both men were fired after Pujols said he was seeking legal action. Which is fair, but if these allegations are true, Pujols may want to remember Lance Armstrong's win over a British newspaper; they had to pay out after saying he was juicing, but they're now suing back after he revealed he was.
Read more at Pro Baseball Talk and the St. Louis Post Dispatch.

John Amaechi Tells Gay Olympians To Be Loud And Be Proud

In the face of the 2014 Winter Games being held in illegal-to-be-gay Russia, openly-gay basketballer John Amaechi blogged that not only does he think there shouldn't be a boycott, but that gay Olympians should be as vocally open as possible.
Make no mistake that when powerful people chose not to challenge injustice, we become tainted for life by that decision.  Perhaps that idea in the face of supposed distraction from gold, possible sanction by your Olympic committee or rebuke from fans for speaking out seems a small risk, but just as history is littered with the powerful men I described earlier, it is equally strewn with other figures who could have made a stand and taken action to highlight and embolden the oppressed but instead chose not to... and to my mind, no amount of gold hung around a neck can outshine the shame of such a stain.

I understand the logical, principled stand behind a call for a boycott, but I see it as impractical, politically untenable and if attempted, at best, piecemeal.  I have also spoken to several key Russian activists who want the games to go ahead so that the athletes can compete, win and most importantly when they take those podiums - stand for something more than their personal and national glory.

Like Tommie Smith and John Carlos before you, you do not change the world by winning alone, but by using that podium as a soap box and in the 21st century the ways you can do that are wonderfully creative and varied, but don’t fool yourself into thinking, as one athlete I spoke to today, that winning in silence will show your support, that act is an abdication of the most important role any athlete can aspire to have - that of multidimensional exemplar to the world of sport and beyond.
Amaechi also asked athletes to speak out against the Sochi games that will be held "on the backs of the abuse of migrant workers, the threatening of environmental activists and journalists, the ‘disappearance’ of €25 billion and indeed, in the context of a country that is facilitating and then ignoring the torture of young gay boys and girls."
Read Amaechi's "Sport's Abdication of Responsibility and Principle: An open letter to competitors and officials heading to Sochi" at his blog.
Image courtesy Manchester Pride.

The World Asks For No World Cup In Qatar

After next year's Winter Olympics in anti-gay Russia and the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Games in broke-dick Brazil, the 2022 World Cup is scheduled for 120-degrees-in-the-shade Qatar. FA head Greg Dyke officially petitioned FIFA to either reschedule the 2022 World Cup to winter or out of Qatar altogether. And the head of Germany's Bundesliga agrees.
Both England and the United States are slated as back-up hosts, but since Qatar paid a lot for these games FIFA doesn't like to back out unless really necessary, chances of relocation are slim to none. So enjoy your World Cup in Qatar, where a player recently had a heart attack in a practice match, where over a hundred tanks have been brought in in case of terrorism, and even FIFA inspectors claimed the temperatures were "high risk."
Read more at Pro Soccer Talk.

NBC Has Assigned Each NYC Hood An EPL Club

This sign has appeared at bus stops as NBC continues to promote it's upcoming Premier League debut. Besides the fact it's assigned a team to each neighborhood, it did avoid the obvious link of placing Chelsea FC in Chelsea.
Read more at Pro Soccer Talk.

Friday, August 9, 2013

Tweets To Think About

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Bill Murrray And Harry Carey At First Night Game For Wrigley



Yes, this happened. This is what gold the internet was made for. Video courtesy MLB.com.

NCAA's Store Keeps Getting Dumber

Yes, Bilas found a shirt celebrating 400 wins - 102 of which were vacated by the NCAA itself - on their online store. Also, Larry Brown Sports found an autographed picture of a Reggie Bush photo.

Images courtesy Deadspin and Larry Brown Sports.

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Are Merch Dealers Dropping Dimes Over Johnny Football's Trademark?

Last year, Johnny Manziel's family took out a trademark on "Johnny Football." People who file for trademarks like to protect them, and e-Bay protects other people's trademarks because they don't want legal issues with them. So after the trademark came down, e-Bay swept through, removing any Manziel-related item and suspending accounts. One of those was Tampa's Rob Rudolph, who lost 400 items because he had six or eight items related to, but not signed by, Johnny Manziel. Rudolph's a small time operator, but he told CBS Sports "I am quite sure for people whose livelihood are this business, that was crippling. If anyone has an ax to grind, pick any of those people."
When Rudolph does do autographs, it's with pro players, often for cash, without any cameras around. Which is why he's surprised there's video of Manziel signing items, saying "I can't believe that a college player would be that dumb quite honestly."
Read more at CBS Sports.

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Jay Bilas Broke The Manziel Jersey Story, And He Didn't Stop There


For whatever reason, Deadspin took Jay Bilas' tweet about the Manziel online section at the official NCAA online store and gave no credit. But no matter, because going through his timeline, he went to town, swinging on the NCAA like it was batting practice. More after the jump...

LSU Reinstates Twice-Convicted Player



In January 2012, high school senior Jeremy Hill plead guilty to "carnal knowledge" of a minor, after he and another 18-year-old had a 14-year-old girl perform oral sex on them. He was sentenced to probation, and Les Miles offered him a scholarship to LSU. Last July, Hill plead guilty to battery after punching a man (caught on video) outside a bar in Baton Rouge. Although he was given a six-month suspended sentence and two years probation, the previous court ruled last week he did not violate his original probation. So Miles announced Monday Hill will be returning to the team.
But Les Miles isn't the bad guy: he put it up to his players, who voted him back.
Oh, and both judges have degrees from LSU. That might be worth mentioning.
Read more at CBS Sports.

Johnny Football Jerseys (Were) Available On Official NCAA Store

With Johnny Manziel looking down the barrel of an NCAA investigation for taking money for autographs, Deadspin strolled over to the NCAA's official online store. They discovered that of you entered "Manziel" in the search bar, you'd get #2 Texas A&M jerseys for results (with no visible mention of Manziel's name, of course).
Or, at least you could do that: after the story was published at 2:35 Eastern, the search bar was deleted from the online store by 4pm. But if you don't want to use hyperspace wizardry, you can still find Manziel merch at Amazon.
Read more at Deadspin.

Tony Stewart Injured In Sprint Car Crash

3-Time Sprint Cup Champion Tony Stewart was hospitalized Monday night after a crash in a sprint car race at Southern Iowa Speedway. Stewart, who was leading the 30-lap feature race, required surgery on his broken right tibia and fibula. Stewart-Hass Racing was forced to cancel a test at Atlanta Motor Speedway Tuesday, and no replacement has been named for this weekend's race at Watkins Glen. Stewart's injury comes a week after flipping in a Sprint Car at Ohsweken Speedway in Canada, which Stewart told the media was blown out of proportion.
Read more at Motorsports Talk.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

ESPN: NCAA Investigating Johnny Football



ESPN is quoting two sources who say Johnathon Manziel is being investigated for accepting "a five-figure flat fee" for signing memorabilia during a Miami trip to attend the BCS title game. Alledgedly, known autograph broker Drew Tieman approached Manziel in the airport after his landing. Manziel and his assistant Nathan Fitch then visited Tieman's apartment, where they signed hundreds of items, and one source says he returned after the title game and signed hundreds more. Reportedly, the NCAA already talked to Tieman about Manziel-signed items on e-Bay. While Paul Manziel has claimed many items as false, two well-known autograph verifiers have authenticated many items, including a set of 999 photos numbered sequentially, usually done for items marked for wholesale.
If Manziel (or any family member or representative) takes money for his autographs, that is a violation of NCAA Bylaw 12.5.2.1 ("accepting money for promoting or advertising the commercial sale of a product or service"), which by rule would make Manziel ineligible to play.
Recently, independent merchandiser Aggieland Outfitters auctioned six helmets signed by Heisman winners Manziel and John David Crow for $81,000. The 12th Man Foundation, Texas A&M's booster organization, sold a dinner for six with Manziel and Crow for $20,000. By NCAA rule, both transactions are legal.
Read more at ESPN.com.

Friday, August 2, 2013

BREAKING NEWS: Tim Tebow Has No Comment On Riley Cooper

The recently-signed Patriots quarterback was asked about the whole Cooper situation:
“I haven’t seen everything that’s happened,” Tebow said, via Emily Kaplan of the Boston Globe. “I’ve been pretty busy. I’m going to wait to comment until I hear what happened.” 
Does Tebow actually have a comment he's keeping private? Is this "no comment" related to Aaron Hernandez? Could his inability to know what's happened be caused by concussions?
Stay tuned for the latest updates to this story at Pro Football Talk.

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Could The NCAA Wind Up Costing Us Biographical Works And Documentaries?



The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today on Sam Keller's lawsuit against EA Sports. The former Nebraska quarterback sued over his likeness in EA Sports' "NCAA Football" (much like the class-action O'Bannon case, but separate). The court ruled that EA Sports had a First Amendment issue in the case, but ultimately denied EA Sports' appeal. Two of the three judges on the panel argued EA Sports' “use does not qualify for First Amendment protection as a matter of law because it literally recreates Keller in the very setting in which he has achieved renown.” To which dissenting Judge Sidney Thomas responded:
The logical consequence of the majority view is that all realistic depictions of actual persons, no matter how incidental, are protected by a state law right of publicity regardless of the creative context. This logic jeopardizes the creative use of historic figures in motion pictures, books, and sound recordings. 
What this means is any subject's depiction in a documentary, biopic, or any other work could be subject to an injunction by said subject. Mark Zuckerberg could have halted Social Network if he felt it painted him in a bad light. Jack Torrance would not be allowed to say, "Here's Johnny" because Carson or McMahon weren't compensated. And if you were doing alternate reality fiction, you wouldn't be able to use real celebs or politicians. Even the heads-in-jars on Futurama could be in trouble if it's determined those have anything to do with that celebrity's "realistic setting." Behind The Candelabra, Game Change, and You Don't Know Jack would all be in jeopardy.
While the NCAA has decided not to renew their license with EA Sports, some schools have continued with individual deals through the Collegiate Licensing Company. By NCAA rule, athletes cannot profit from the games, not even a free copy.
Read more at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

BBC To Go "The Decision" On Doctor Who

The BBC will air a half-hour special on Sunday night to announce who will be taking over the lead role on their 50-year-old tent-pole program. The Beeb also added BBC America will simulcast live (at 2pm ET). The favorites to play the Twelfth Doctor are Peter Capaldi, Chris Addison (both of The Thick of It), Burn Gorman (Pacific Rim), David Harewood (Homeland), Ben Daniels (House of Cards), and Rory Kinnear (Quantum of Solace, Skyfall).
Of course, tabloid speculation in Britain is never really accurate: they've had Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Jason Statham, and Jacko's daughter Paris rumored to be considered, and Idris Elba and Dame Helen Mirren have both had to publicly deny interest.
If nerds didn't have enough reason to be giddy, they can take pride in the BBC needing a half-hour less than LeBron James.
Read more at the L.A. Times.

Tom Emanski's Kickball World Fundamentals





This internet spoof is classic, but it fails miserably on one thing: where's Crime Dog and his five-inch high trucker cap?

Prime Directive #5 - Score Chicken Nuggets



Commercials from foreign lands are already weird with odd celebrity cameos, but RoboCop breaking into a house and jacking an icebox for some chicken nuggets just stands out. Probably because it's dead-on with all the capitalism parodies you see in the first films.
Prime Directive #6 - For relaxing times, make it Suntory time.

Russia Says The IOC Doesn't Know What It's Talking About

After Russia passed legislation banning "propaganda of nontraditional sexual relations" last month, the International Olympic Committee came out and assured everyone that no one attending the games would be targeted. Well, sports minister Vitaly Mutko told Russian paper Ria Novosti that's not true:
"No one is forbidding an athlete with non-traditional sexual orientation from coming to Sochi, but if he goes onto the street and starts propagandizing it, then of course he will be held accountable." 
So thanks for the clarification, Vito. You can be gay, you're just going to be held accountable to their interpretation of what "propaganda" is.
Read more at Deadspin.