Sports...and then some. : CBSSports.com Blogs

Cincinnati a stepping stone for more than coaches

Wed, 23 Dec 2009 14:33:30 EST

For college football fans that support so called "mid-major" schools, its a familiar scene. Coaches like Urban Meyer, Dennis Erickson and Mack Brown all got their starts as head coaches for lesser D-1 schools. Anytime a MAC, Sun Belt or C-USA team has a great season, the athletic directors from larger schools. It may not be new to everyone, but it's very new to Cincinnati folks. I remember when the Bearcats were in C-USA and drew flies to Nippert Stadium. It really impresses to see fans in Cincinnati actually care enough about football to react to Brian Kelly's departure to Notre Dame, much less egg his house.

In the middle of that firestorm was Mardy Gilyard, Cincinnati's All-American wide receiver. In an era when much of the attention on football players surrounds their shortcomings and transgressions, Gilyard is a true success story, after screwing up in his first couple of years at Cincinnati and living in a car for a while, he turned his life around to become a hugely successful player and a very classy human being. I have seen video on Youtube of Gilyard where he runs over a kid in the stands at the end of a play, then checks on the kid to make sure he is ok and gives him a hug. So when I heard that he blasted Coach Kelly after his ND announcement, I wasn't sure if it was the same guy. Well, after a couple of weeks to think about it, he regrets his impulsive reaction. I read this story and it reminded me that he is still a young man that will make youthful mistakes. He is also a true gentleman that knows when he is wrong and is willing to admit it and set the record straight.

The Legacy of Rich Rodriguez...

Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:39:36 EST

Just call it more of the same. Two more West Virginia players have gotten in trouble...this time for a fight that occured in a Morgantown bar. Its more of the same for Mountaineer fans, who were hoping to be in the NC title picture this year. With a disappointing season already assured, dealing with more character issues from players is certainly not what the doctor ordered. Unfortunately, the man that recruited them, Rich Rodriguez, didn't seem to mind bringing in more than his fair share of miscreants and hoodlums. Now the folks in Morgantown are left to clean up his mess. The laundry list is seemingly endless. Look at the number of players Bill Stewart has had to cut from the team already.

RB Eddie Collington, DL James Ingram and LB John Holmes off the team for possession and intent to distribute drugs.

Election 2008: America on the rebound...

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 12:38:29 EST

You know the term rebound right? Its that guy or girl you seem to run to immediately after a troubled relationship. A general rule of thumb is that the rebound guy or girl is usually someone easy and uncomplicated, a stark contrast to the relationship you were just in. More often than not though, the one on the rebound is usually easily persuaded and unwilling to acknowledge the obvious fatal flaws in the new catch. The rationale is always, "Well, its better than the last one."

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you America on the rebound.

Before you start whining in my general direction, let me just explain that this is not an anti-Obama rant. The facts still apply even if McCain had won. The fact that the Republican party even nominated McCain for president was in itself a rebound. McCain was the anti-Republican of Republicans. McCain was well known for alienating the party, often voting with the Democrats. Many a bill labeled "bi-partisan" by the media was nothing more than McCain and the Democrats. There was really only one area that McCain and Bush did agree on...the War on Terror.

Greatest Guy Movie of All Time.

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 9:06:17 EST

OK, I am going to change some pace and do a little blog tournament. What is the greatest "Guy Movie" of all time? You know...action flicks, or great macho movies with a great storyline. I am taking nominees. Reply and give me 5 or less nominees for the greatest Guy Movies of all time!

Kimbo Slice....Boom! Outta Here!

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:37:36 EDT

I had never heard of Kimbo Slice before Elite XC started pumping him up for their debut show on CBS a few months ago. I was a casual fan of PRIDE, but I had always been a UFC guy. I remember watching Royce Gracie during the UFC's first incarnation. It was much more barbaric and typically the winner was the guy that didn't leave with a broken arm, leg or face. In those days, ultimate fighting was not so much about sport as it was about survival. I think the movement to create more of a sport out of MMA was a great thing, but its also opened the door for a lot of commercial opportunities for organizations that are looking to cash in on the sports sudden popularity. I had been a big Pride and UFC guy, but this EXC stuff seemed a little too campy...too much production value to cover up not enough talent. The only thing Elite XC has that is actually interesting to me is women's MMA. I am all about giving the women an opportunity to step in and prove themselves. The most annoying part of EXC was the creation of this Kimbo Slice guy. I like a good underdog as much as the next guy, but how can you be the underdog when no one even knows who any of the other guys in your weight class are? They hand pick tomato cans for this guy to beat on in order to prop him up longer and obviously squeeze more money out of his fights. Slice knows next to nothing about martial arts. The fact that he went down and turtled to a pink haired dude from the weight class below him made the fall much more compelling than the rise. The rise of Kimbo was artificial. He fought a few bums and CBS pumped a ton of money into him. He really hadn't earned any respect from the legions of educated MMA fans. Everyone said he would not stand a chance against an even average MMA fighter. That prophecy was revealed last Saturday night when Kimbo was defeated by Seth Petruzelli, a journeyman light heavyweight that wasn't even scheduled to be on TV that night. The interesting part of this scenario is whether EXC is going to start treating Petruzelli like the next big thing now...pink hair and all. Given the Kimbo build-up, they should give this guy a huge push. I somehow suspect that is not going to happen, because this was not about competition or making a good fight. This was about the old saying..."Any news is good news." In this case, I don't buy it though. The Kimbo goose didn't lay the golden egg, and EXC hasn't dont much to prepare themselves for life after Kimbo. They need to thing of something fast, because Kimbo went the way of Buster Douglas, Chaminade and Carl Douglas singing "Kung Fu Fighting." His 15 minutes are up!

My Other Fantasy Team....

Thu, 18 Sep 2008 12:26:38 EDT

This is the private league I formed with friends. This draft actually came out pretty much how I scripted it.

Round 1 (8) Clinton Portis - RB

Round 2 (17) Reggie Wayne - WR

Round 3 (32) Earnest Graham - RB

Fantasy Football...Ready for a challenge.

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 19:45:37 EDT

I really need to try to get a private league together next year because the public leagues here are filled with blissfully ignorant owners or those that flat don't show up for live drafts. How else could an owner picking up Maurice Jones-Drew at #40 and Reggie Bush with the 81st pick? Thats right...I drafted Reggie Bush at #81. Don't get me wrong, I see Reggie Bush as a top flight backup or low #2 RB at best, but the fact that he is still around in the seventh round means there were a lot of lesser players taken before him. Its just highway robbery that I can end up with Randy Moss and Wes Welker and still have a starting RB pair like Clinton Portis and MJD. I think 9 TE's had been selected by the end of the 5th round. I didn't even select a TE until the 11th round (Todd Heap) and I don't think Heap is a bad selection...especially considering he was projected between 6-8 rounds. This is how my team broke down...if you are interested.

China's Pollution Crisis Solved??

Mon, 04 Aug 2008 4:20:15 EDT

For one day at least, Beijing has managed to get an air pollution reading index below 50. The day before it was over 110. Apparently a nice rain and wind storm came through and moved the polluted air along to Beijing's neighboring provinces. What they had to do to get that rating was absolutely draconian. Apparently they have gone to a system of reducing auto emissions by half by only allowing half the cars on the road each day. No fooling. They apparently have an "even-odd" system going with their license plates so they will be cited if they are driving odd cars on even days. On top of that, they shut down their pollution-causing industries and contructions until further notice. So what are these hard working Chinese people doing during these unplanned "days off"? Are they in effect being laid off or are they still collecting their checks while they aren't working? I can say this. Things would not go well in my house if the government came in one day and gave me an unplanned, unpaid month long vacation. Then again, perhaps the money I would save in athesma inhalers alone might offset the cost. I just know that yesterday, Tiananmen Square was filled with pollution. Today, pollution had cleared the Square without even having to bring out tanks or the People's Liberation Army. Maybe China has learned a thing or two in 20 years. All I know is, the minute the Olympic flame goes out, it will be back to pollution as usual in China. In the mean time, these poor Chinese people will have to put up with the inconvenience of breathing clean air for the next 5 weeks

Brett Favre....Drama Queen

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:33:14 EDT

There is no doubt that members of the sports media love, adore, focus their mancrush on Brett Favre. He is really the closest thing there is to an icon left in the NFL. Brett Favre is to the sports world what Paris Hilton is to the tabloids. Even when you think the story is over, another one is just beginning. Everyone knew the end of his career would come, but accepting it would be the hardest part, for all concerned. For the last few seasons, there has been a pre-season death watch that left reporters on a daily basis asking "Will he come back or won' t he?" After a last year's great season, it appears the Packers organization didn't want to go through that drama again. They asked Brett to make a decision back in March. The plan was certainly aimed at getting Favre to commit to off-season mini-camp and work toward winning a Super Bowl. That was not a commitment Favre wanted to make. Well, its time to start preparing for pre-season and guess who is back? Its the football verson of A.I.'s rant about "practice." Its game time and now Brett wants in. He retired because he couldn't make the commitment to practice. Brett wanted no part of spring drills...so now that spring drills are over, he thinks he can just inviite himself back to the game. I am surprised to see the Packers playing hardball with him, but you really can't blame them. Aaron Rodgers commited himself and went to spring drills. He did the time. He prepared and the team feels like he is ready to play. So Brett...what is this exactly? He says he doesn't have the commitment to do the work, but now that its time to suit up, he wants the glory and the spotlight. I hope Brett comes back...as a backup. Thats what happens to guys that bail out on their teammates. If you want to be the starter, you are going to have to beat Rodgers to get it. If you REALLY want to play that badly Brett, those are the rules. So, is it about the love of the game, or is it about getting all the glory? Which is it, Brett?

Kid at Six Flags Haiku...feel free to contribute

Sun, 06 Jul 2008 8:13:31 EDT

Remember Haiku meter is 5-7-5

I jumped two fences

I tried to get my hat back.

Now I don't need one.

Music: Near misses.Who SHOULD have made it?

Sat, 21 Jun 2008 8:46:00 EDT

There are a few CD's in my collection that I have to sit back and wonder...how did these guys NOT make it huge? Arc Angels...What a great sound. Sweet Vine. Man, what great songs...but only ONE and done. Sometimes I feel like I was the only one, but I know there must be other that know of these acts. I remember seeing Hootie and the Blowfish in Greenville, NC long before they were famous. They opened for a group named Dillon Fence, that I thought for sure would make it big. I just thought it would be interesting to get my musically minded friends to help me out. Help a music lover expand his collection even more.

Mariners Meltdown...The decline of Richie Sexson.

Thu, 05 Jun 2008 10:07:34 EDT

This was a season the Seattle Mariners believed they had the tools to win their division. They had a pitching staff any team in baseball would envy. All they thought they would need is a rebound from Richie Sexson and continue with their solid fielding and they would definately be in the hunt. Well no one in the rotation has a record above .500, three of the four have ERA's over 5.00. Richie Sexson is still tanking. The always reliable Ichiro is hitting well below his career average. Even their defense has been bad, falling among the worst in baseball. It was the making of a classic manager meltdown...but it was more than that. The last two weeks have been leading to this ultimate ground zero. GM Bill Bavasi came out publically May 24th and took the heat for the team's ineffectiveness. Bavasi all but laid it out that the players weren't take care of their business. The next day, McLaren sends Arthur Rhodes out in relief and the Yankees torch him...again! I guess he figured with an lifetime ERA over 7 against the Yankees, McLaren must have thought he was due. Wrong answer. Yesterday, the Mariners president calls the coaching staff into a meeting and rips them a new one. The players promptly go out and choke away a close game...leading to McLaren opening and closing his press conference with a explitive laced tirade that was certainly loud enough for his team to hear. Bavasi backed McLaren again. "I think people would have thought he was justified if he chain locked the doors to the clubhouse and set it on fire. It's time to be upset. It has been time to be upset for quite a while. And he has been upset, he's just been trying to protect the players and be a good leader and take the hits for them."

Whats Your Favorite Meltdown?

Fri, 30 May 2008 18:49:23 EDT

Some guys dig ditches or collect trash for a living. Then there are some guys that make their money participating or coaching sports. I always keep that as a frame of reference when I watch some of these players and coaches meltdown in front of the cameras. My favorite was Hal McRae dropping a cluster bomb on reporters in his office. One dude forgot his blast shield and got hit with something and suffered a cut across his face. I can see TV crews getting ready for McRae's next Press Conference.

Camera - Check!

Microphone - Check!

Microphone Cord - Check!

Philly Fans defend Rocky's honor.

Wed, 14 May 2008 12:05:38 EDT

What a great story! Rabid hockey fans from Pittsburgh made an early morning attempt to put a Sidney Crosby Penguins jersey on the statue of Rocky Balboa in Philadelphia. This is WONDERFUL!!!!! This is even better than the kook in Raleigh, NC that was arrested for cutting down Hurricanes jerseys that were placed on Civil war statues in the downtown area during the Hurricanes 2006 Stanley Cup run. Now you have Philly fans doing 24 hour watch over the Rocky statue like they are on a stakeout. How much fun is THAT? Then again, how big a loser do you have to be sitting around at night in a car eating Cheetoes and guarding a statue. Truth is, Philly fan should have already put a Mike Richards wrapper on the Stallion's back already themselves. I have been refraining from taking sides in this little civil war, but Crosby Nation is proving to be much more creative than Philly fan so far. I completely expect for Philly fan to respond in game 3 as usual... start a few fights, use Pens fans as urinals...you know, typical Philly fan stuff. Turning Rocky into a Steel towner...even if for only a few minutes is a great start to this little skirmish.

The NBA - National BONG Association!

Sat, 07 Jun 2008 13:22:09 EDT

After about 5 years completely off the radar screen, the NBA has recently started to interest me again. I got very tired of seeing the thug environment created in the wake of Michael Jordan's decline. MJ walked above everyone else in the league. The only real controversy that he ever created was gambling. Given the money that man made in his career, I consider that the equivalent of me blowing 250 Bucks on a bad round of golf. As the face of the league, Jordan was a straight laced business man with seemingly no skeletons lurking in the closet. Once 23 became 45 however, the league had no apparent heir and was suddenly full of Dennis Rodman-like characters full of hate, smoking weed and trying to throw down on players and fans alike. Well, the pugilism is down, but it appears that players are still trying to get baked. They are even coming out publically and saying as much...well, Mav's forward Josh Howard is anyway. Howard appeared on Michael Irvin's radio show this week and said he and most of the players in the league go Spicoli during the off-season. If Josh is being truthful, and I certainly believe he is, how big a joke must the NBA drug testing program be? To come out and say something like this publically, I have to think he was high when he said it. I am sure David Stern will not be happy to know that the players are becoming brazen enough to challenge the moral code publically. The last thing the league wants is a bumper crop of hippy lettuce ruining the league's revival. Congrats on getting your coach fired Josh...It should have been you.

Philadelphia - The City of Brotherly HATE!

Fri, 09 May 2008 11:48:33 EDT

I have always been one of those guys that believes in respect. I don't have any problem going to a game and enjoying myself and letting opposing fans enjoy their night out. I am not naive enough to expect that from others, but I do expect some decency...except as it relates to Philly fan. Philadelphia is another story entirely. Year after year, I am always impressed to see the new lows that Philly fans will stoop to. And no one is immune to it. Whether you are the opponant or a hometown player in a slump. You get it from the minute you enter to the time you leave. This past Friday when the Phillies hosted the Mets, they showed their true colors once again when the Mets Jose Reyes appeared to be injured after a collision with Phillies Chase Utley. They were of course screaming for encores, raising the ire or former Phillies and current Mets pitcher Billy Wagner. After the game, Wagner said "this is about the only place I've ever seen somebody get cheered when they get hurt... They boo Santa Claus. What's it tell you? They've taken it to a whole new level when you're cheering for somebody to be hurt." Thanks Billy. I had forgotten about the Santa part. It just adds to my take.

UCLA football team skips on practice...

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 9:27:12 EDT

Tradition is great. I love tradition in sports. I think watching Chief Osceola drive a flaming spear into ground in Tallahassee is tremendous. Army/Navy...wow. At East Carolina, my alma mater, there is a huge roar when the Pirates emerge from a cloud of purple smoke to Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze." There is something really cool about raising the red "No Quarter" flag to begin the 4th Quarter. All these traditions are designed to excite the fans and motivate the team to a potential victory.

Tuesday, UCLA's football team continued a tradition of their own...perhaps the dumbest tradition I have ever heard of. It didn't pump up the team, it didn't endear them to their fans or their coaches. They skipped practice in what is called "going over the wall." Well, actually it was the front gate, but what does common sense matter when it comes to tradition right? This stunt reminds me of the tiny college I went to right out of high school. The seniors would schedule a "sneak day" every fall and the entire student body would be awakened in the middle of the night and "sneak" off to an undisclosed location. The professors would be made aware of the "sneak" once they arrived for class, then were given the location of the sneak and they would show up later and the whole school would have an outing together at some state park or campground. Well, at least that brings unity and harmony to the campus. This over the wall crap not only set the team back in terms of preparing for the coming season, they also left several potential recruits hanging on their official visit to campus as well. Word of advise to lazy football dudes...get your butt on the field and leave the lame get out of jail free card on the table until the next turn.

"America's Team" or "America's Most Wanted"?

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 9:14:02 EDT

For years, we have heard that the Dallas Cowboys are "America's Team." You can debate the validity of that label all you want and you will never get anywhere with the Dallas honks. But as the years go by, imaging and market a team needs to be updated to reflect the changing times and continue to be true to the image of the team. It may be a copyright infringment, but I think a change to "America's Most Wanted" would be a more accurate reflection of the current situation in Dallas.

Jerry Jones has a soft spot in his heart for rejects and miscreants that dates back to 1992, when they picked up Charles Haley. Haley had fallen out of favor in San Francisco for starting a fight in the locker room and urinating on a teammate's car. I can understand the fight...boys will be boys. But football is a team game. At the end of the day everyone has to pull in the same direction. It might be a little difficult to support a guy after he emptied his lizard on your hood ornament. For Jones, it was his first successful rehabilitation of a player. Since then, he has brought in a variety of misfits to mixed results. So the latest is Pacman Jones

Its time for the WAVE to drown!

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 16:27:18 EDT

I am a big Carolina Hurricanes fan. I love hockey and I like to think I am more than just a novice spectator. This past Thursday, I was watching a critical Southeast Division game between the Canes and the Florida Panthers. The game was very tight and both teams were getting great scoring opportunities. At the end of regulation, the score was tied 1-1. So we head into overtime. I am tensing up on the couch as overtime starts. There are a couple of shots that almost end the game...and its getting more tense. The Hurricanes dump the puck in and I start to notice the crowd making a little more noise and then behind the glass I see...thats right...idiot fans doing the WAVE! Now don't get me wrong...I am all for having a good time. If you shell out your hard earned dollars, by all means enjoy yourself. But if I was a Florida Panther player at that moment, I would probably be about as annoyed as Tiger Woods is at 18 different "Get in the Hole!!!" guys per round. The WAVE? Platform shoes thought that was tired and played out! And its certainly not the best way of giving love to the team you allegedly support. Here we are in potentially the most pivotal game of the season where a point in the standings could mean the difference between the playoffs and early spring tee times...and your fans are more concerned with keeping the WAVE going than paying attention to the game. I can give the occasional pass if you are at least three goals ahead or after a few cans of suds, the WAVE seems more entertaining than the effort your team phoned in that night. Neither were the case here though. Your team was on the cusp of winning and gaining ground in the playoff chase. And its nothing personal against Florida fan. Its not all on you. These people are everywhere. The WAVE is a tired exercize in Pavlovian behavior. Its like when your mother asked you as a kid if so-and-so jumped off a bridge, would you? Obviously, these Mensas haven't figured it out yet. Do us all a favor...save the WAVE for a time when its welcome. In fact, if its that much fun, lets find an open stadium and let you retards just do the wave whenever you want. We can come back the same time tomorrow and you will still be there, doing the WAVE. Just stay there and do it until you get it out of your systems...and then maybe we will let you degenerates back into the real arenas