November 26, 2007 -- Missouri and West Virginia have one more step to take before bumping into each other in New Orleans.
The Tigers and Mountaineers hold the top two spots in the Bowl Championship Series standings released yesterday with a week left in a topsy-turvy regular season.
The Tigers play Oklahoma (10-2) in the Big 12 championship game at San Antonio on Saturday and the Mountaineers face rival Pittsburgh (4-7) at home. If both win, it'll be Missouri-West Virginia in a most unlikely BCS championship game Jan. 7 at the Superdome.
A month ago, neither team was even in the top five of the BCS standings, but a string of upsets have left Chase Daniel and the Tigers and Pat White and the Mountaineers in control of their own destinies.
"I've been telling the guys, the more you win, the more that's at stake," West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said in a conference call with reporters.
If either Missouri (11-1) or West Virginia (10-1) trip up next week, third-place Ohio State (11-1) is poised to take advantage and play in its second straight title game.
If the Tigers and Mountaineers both lose, the national title picture gets very murky.
Georgia was fourth in the standings, followed by Kansas (11-1). Neither will play in their conference title games, but both still have a shot to play for a national championship.
Georgia (10-2) could become the first team with two losses to play for a national title and several other two-loss teams could make a claim to be in the championship game if the top two lose for a second consecutive week.
Sixth-place Virginia Tech (10-2), seventh-place LSU (10-2), eighth-place Southern California (9-2) and ninth-place Oklahoma all have one last opportunity to surge up the BCS standings on Saturday
Ohio State's regular season ended Nov. 17 with a victory over Michigan that made the Buckeyes the Big Ten champions. The week before, Ohio State was No. 1 in the country when it lost to Illinois at home and seemingly fell out of the title race.
At worst, the Buckeyes, who lost the national championship game 41-14 to Florida last season, will be in the Rose Bowl.
Hawaii moved up to 12th in the standings after beating Boise State 39-27 and winning the Western Athletic Conference, putting Colt Brennan and the Warriors in position to earn an automatic BCS bid.
The Warriors, the last remaining unbeaten team in the nation, finish the season at home against Washington and need to be in the top 12 when the final standings come out next Sunday.
Missouri was No. 1 in the Harris poll and West Virginia was No. 1 in the USA Today coaches' poll yesterday. Those polls make up a two-thirds of a team's BCS average. Missouri was first in the computer rankings with West Virginia second.
The Tigers' BCS average was .978 and the Mountaineers were at .971.
A Missouri-West Virginia final seemed to be a long shot when October ended. Both had a loss and were stuck behind a pile of teams in the BCS standings. On Oct. 28, West Virginia was seventh in the standings and Missouri was ninth.
Since then it's been a steady climb as the Tigers and Mountaineers have kept winning while the other contenders have tanked.
It started when Ohio State lost to Illinois on Nov. 10. A few days later, Oregon lost quarterback Dennis Dixon to an injury in the first quarter and the Ducks' national title hopes went with him in a loss at Arizona.
Two days later, Oklahoma lost its second game of the season at Texas Tech, leaving Missouri and Kansas as the Big 12's best hope for a national title.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Report: Redskins' Taylor Shot, In Critical Condition
Miami, FL (Sports Network) - Washington Redskins safety Sean Taylor died Tuesday morning from injuries suffered in a shooting incident.
The Redskins were told of the death by Taylor's family. He was 24 years old.
"This is the worst imaginable tragedy," Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder was quoted as saying on the team's web site. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family."
Taylor died one day after being shot in the leg during an alleged home invasion.
Miami-Dade patrol officers received a call about 1:45 a.m. (et) Monday that a homeowner had been shot in the leg. Paramedics responded and found Taylor with a gunshot wound.
Taylor was flown to the Ryder Trauma Center of Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Reports Monday evening indicated that doctors were cautiously optimistic after Taylor was able to squeeze a nurse's hand. However, he apparently never regained consciousness.
"The entire NFL is deeply saddened by the death of Sean Taylor," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement.
"We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Sean's family, friends, teammates and the Redskins' organization. This is a terrible tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it. Our office is staying in close contact with the Redskins to provide all appropriate support to the club and Sean's family. We also are working to determine the facts surrounding this tragic event. We will honor the memory of Sean Taylor at all games this weekend."
Taylor was in his fourth NFL season, all with the Redskins, who selected him with the fifth overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft.
The former Miami-Florida All-American earned his first Pro Bowl berth last season and this year was leading the Redskins with five interceptions. He had missed the team's last two games with a knee injury.
Taylor was engaged to be married and leaves behind a one-year daughter named Jackie.
The Redskins were told of the death by Taylor's family. He was 24 years old.
"This is the worst imaginable tragedy," Redskins owner Daniel M. Snyder was quoted as saying on the team's web site. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Sean's family."
Taylor died one day after being shot in the leg during an alleged home invasion.
Miami-Dade patrol officers received a call about 1:45 a.m. (et) Monday that a homeowner had been shot in the leg. Paramedics responded and found Taylor with a gunshot wound.
Taylor was flown to the Ryder Trauma Center of Jackson Memorial Hospital, where he underwent surgery.
Reports Monday evening indicated that doctors were cautiously optimistic after Taylor was able to squeeze a nurse's hand. However, he apparently never regained consciousness.
"The entire NFL is deeply saddened by the death of Sean Taylor," said NFL commissioner Roger Goodell in a statement.
"We extend our heartfelt sympathy to Sean's family, friends, teammates and the Redskins' organization. This is a terrible tragedy involving the loss of a young man who leaves behind many people struggling to understand it. Our office is staying in close contact with the Redskins to provide all appropriate support to the club and Sean's family. We also are working to determine the facts surrounding this tragic event. We will honor the memory of Sean Taylor at all games this weekend."
Taylor was in his fourth NFL season, all with the Redskins, who selected him with the fifth overall pick of the 2004 NFL Draft.
The former Miami-Florida All-American earned his first Pro Bowl berth last season and this year was leading the Redskins with five interceptions. He had missed the team's last two games with a knee injury.
Taylor was engaged to be married and leaves behind a one-year daughter named Jackie.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Tom Brady Wants Time Off for Baby's Birth
New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is seeking a timeout – for the birth of his first child with former girlfriend Bridget Moynahan.
"I hope so," Brady, 30, said Monday, noting that he'll need the approval of coach Bill Belichick in the face of his team's upcoming busy schedule.
"Bill has a lot to say," Brady acknowledged, according to the Associated Press, "so we'll deal with it when it happens."
On Friday, Brady and his team are due to play Carolina in the third of four exhibition games, with the Patriots' first regular season game slated for a Sept. 9 kick-off against the New York Jets.
Brady declined on Monday to say whether Moynahan will deliver their child before the Jets game. (The actress and Brady broke up last December, before her pregnancy was announced.)
Brady – who is now dating Gisele Bündchen – is unaware when he'll receive the call informing him he's about to be a dad.
"I wish I did," Brady said with a smile. "That's God's decision. The good lord is making that call. So I think everybody's anxious. I'll put it that way."
When asked if he jumps every time the phone rings, he added, "It's stuff that's very private to me and it's my family. I'm sure it won't be hard to figure out when it happens."
As for asking for personal time off, he said: "Certainly, a lot of people make sacrifices for their family, and I'm dealing with a certain situation, a very joyous, happy situation. And some people have dealt with death in the past and that's incredibly difficult."
Chimed in Coach Belichick: "[Personal situations] are all talked about and dealt with on an individual basis. It doesn't matter who the player is. There are plenty that have come up through the course of the year. I'll deal with them like I do all of them."
"I hope so," Brady, 30, said Monday, noting that he'll need the approval of coach Bill Belichick in the face of his team's upcoming busy schedule.
"Bill has a lot to say," Brady acknowledged, according to the Associated Press, "so we'll deal with it when it happens."
On Friday, Brady and his team are due to play Carolina in the third of four exhibition games, with the Patriots' first regular season game slated for a Sept. 9 kick-off against the New York Jets.
Brady declined on Monday to say whether Moynahan will deliver their child before the Jets game. (The actress and Brady broke up last December, before her pregnancy was announced.)
Brady – who is now dating Gisele Bündchen – is unaware when he'll receive the call informing him he's about to be a dad.
"I wish I did," Brady said with a smile. "That's God's decision. The good lord is making that call. So I think everybody's anxious. I'll put it that way."
When asked if he jumps every time the phone rings, he added, "It's stuff that's very private to me and it's my family. I'm sure it won't be hard to figure out when it happens."
As for asking for personal time off, he said: "Certainly, a lot of people make sacrifices for their family, and I'm dealing with a certain situation, a very joyous, happy situation. And some people have dealt with death in the past and that's incredibly difficult."
Chimed in Coach Belichick: "[Personal situations] are all talked about and dealt with on an individual basis. It doesn't matter who the player is. There are plenty that have come up through the course of the year. I'll deal with them like I do all of them."
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Sources: Larry Johnson Will Be Shut Down for the Season
According to Rotoworld, the Kansas City Chiefs are preparing to shut Larry Johnson down for the remainder of the 2007 season. An outcome that was speculated back on November 6th, but was later questioned when Johnson claimed he was going to return.
Sources close to Larry Johnson indicate that the Chiefs and their star runner are expecting to shut Johnson down for the season.
The decision was apparently made before the results of a Monday MRI are revealed. While the news may not officially announced right away, the team and Johnson were looking at a best case scenario in which Johnson would return for a few meaningless games.
And although nothing is official yet, it looks like Fox 31 in Colorado had it right in the first place.
With the Chiefs slowly going downhill, this seems like a logical decision. Even if Johnson were able to return, it probably wouldn't happen until week 16 or possibly even week 17. And even then, it would be rushed. So rather than risk his career, Kansas City will ask him to pocket his pride ego and watch Priest Holmes get all his carries.
Sources close to Larry Johnson indicate that the Chiefs and their star runner are expecting to shut Johnson down for the season.
The decision was apparently made before the results of a Monday MRI are revealed. While the news may not officially announced right away, the team and Johnson were looking at a best case scenario in which Johnson would return for a few meaningless games.
And although nothing is official yet, it looks like Fox 31 in Colorado had it right in the first place.
With the Chiefs slowly going downhill, this seems like a logical decision. Even if Johnson were able to return, it probably wouldn't happen until week 16 or possibly even week 17. And even then, it would be rushed. So rather than risk his career, Kansas City will ask him to pocket his pride ego and watch Priest Holmes get all his carries.
NFL to Get New Deal With Ticket Resellers: Are Fans Winners or Losers?
The NFL voted this month to choose one of six ticket sellers to be the official ticket reseller of the NFL. Having a league-wide deal would replace the team by team deals that currently exist.
The Patriots and Steelers have no reseller deals, and apparently, the new deal will have to be lucrative to replace the mid to high six figure deals the rest of the teams have. The league-wide deal also would not derail individual rules that prohibit resale of tickets.
The Patriots, for example are cracking down on the resellers. They are currently suing StubHub for ticket markups which are against local laws and the Patriots' rules against reselling tickets.
I don't know what to think about this issue. I know ticket resales will happen, and I have bought tickets through legal ticket brokers before. If the league knows that resales are going to happen, why shouldn't they profit from them?
But on the other hand, as a fan, I kind of like the Patriots' approach of banning resale for profit. Here's my explanation:
I'm a season ticket holder for the Texans. This year, the team has been emphasizing how we as fans are "The Homefield Advantage." But in the meantime, they are getting big coin from StubHub being the official ticket resellers for the Houston Texans. So, instead a Texan fan on the wait list getting the two tickets in front of mine, each week they are sold to mostly opposing fans. (I've been told through StubHub).
In addition, as a season ticket holder, I get StubHub spam in my email and in my mailbox because the Texans gave them that information. Oh lovely. Spam and junk mail reminding me that opposing fans will be sitting in front of me.
So as the Texans are imploring me to be the homefield advantage, they are undercutting that by encouraging their season ticket holders to sell their tickets for profit to the highest bidder, fan allegiance be damned.
I live in the United States, and I like capitalism as much as the next person, but it bothers me when it interferes with my fandom. If you are selling tickets to another person at your cost, it is likely going to be another fan of your team. If you are doing it week after week to make a profit or as your business, it is likely that a large number of those tickets will go to opposing fans.
It also probably means that traitorous profiteers very casual fans will keep their seats to resell them, instead of selling their personal seat licenses to someone who actually cares.
So I'm fine with the Patriots wanting the tickets to go to Patriot fans, and not resellers. I love the real season ticket holders, the ones I see and socialize with at every game. And I'd prefer not to wonder whether the opposing fans in the seats in front of me will be cool people or drunk jerks. (I think the ratio tends to be 1:3. I think that when opposing fans pay a ton of money for seats, they feel like they can behave like donkeys. Will say once in a while there are cool drunk people in those seats, but it's rare).
The Patriots care about winning and getting tickets in the hands of actual season ticket holders who go to games and are likely to root for the Patriots. And I guess most of the rest of the league is more interested in dollar signs. We should hear who the reseller choice is by the end of the month in time for the playoffs.
I'd be interested to hear what you think about this.
The Patriots and Steelers have no reseller deals, and apparently, the new deal will have to be lucrative to replace the mid to high six figure deals the rest of the teams have. The league-wide deal also would not derail individual rules that prohibit resale of tickets.
The Patriots, for example are cracking down on the resellers. They are currently suing StubHub for ticket markups which are against local laws and the Patriots' rules against reselling tickets.
I don't know what to think about this issue. I know ticket resales will happen, and I have bought tickets through legal ticket brokers before. If the league knows that resales are going to happen, why shouldn't they profit from them?
But on the other hand, as a fan, I kind of like the Patriots' approach of banning resale for profit. Here's my explanation:
I'm a season ticket holder for the Texans. This year, the team has been emphasizing how we as fans are "The Homefield Advantage." But in the meantime, they are getting big coin from StubHub being the official ticket resellers for the Houston Texans. So, instead a Texan fan on the wait list getting the two tickets in front of mine, each week they are sold to mostly opposing fans. (I've been told through StubHub).
In addition, as a season ticket holder, I get StubHub spam in my email and in my mailbox because the Texans gave them that information. Oh lovely. Spam and junk mail reminding me that opposing fans will be sitting in front of me.
So as the Texans are imploring me to be the homefield advantage, they are undercutting that by encouraging their season ticket holders to sell their tickets for profit to the highest bidder, fan allegiance be damned.
I live in the United States, and I like capitalism as much as the next person, but it bothers me when it interferes with my fandom. If you are selling tickets to another person at your cost, it is likely going to be another fan of your team. If you are doing it week after week to make a profit or as your business, it is likely that a large number of those tickets will go to opposing fans.
It also probably means that traitorous profiteers very casual fans will keep their seats to resell them, instead of selling their personal seat licenses to someone who actually cares.
So I'm fine with the Patriots wanting the tickets to go to Patriot fans, and not resellers. I love the real season ticket holders, the ones I see and socialize with at every game. And I'd prefer not to wonder whether the opposing fans in the seats in front of me will be cool people or drunk jerks. (I think the ratio tends to be 1:3. I think that when opposing fans pay a ton of money for seats, they feel like they can behave like donkeys. Will say once in a while there are cool drunk people in those seats, but it's rare).
The Patriots care about winning and getting tickets in the hands of actual season ticket holders who go to games and are likely to root for the Patriots. And I guess most of the rest of the league is more interested in dollar signs. We should hear who the reseller choice is by the end of the month in time for the playoffs.
I'd be interested to hear what you think about this.
NFL General Stats
Titans and Broncos MNF stats not included.
Points Scored
New England Patriots- 411
Dallas Cowboys- 324
Cleveland Browns- 288
Indianapolis Colts- 278
Pittsburgh Steelers- 269
Points Allowed
Pittsburgh Steelers- 145
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 151
Tennessee Titans- 152*
New England Patriots- 157
Green Bay Packers- 159
Indianapolis Colts- 159
Points Scored vs. Against
New England Patriots- +254
Pittsburgh Steelers- +124
Indianapolis Colts- +119
Dallas Cowboys- +106
Green Bay Packers- +100
Home Records
Pittsburgh Steelers- 6-0
New England Patriots- 5-0
Seattle Seahawks- 5-1
Green Bay Packers- 5-1
Cleveland Browns- 4-1
Detroit Lions- 4-1
Dallas Cowboys- 4-1
San Diego Chargers- 4-1
Indianapolis Colts- 4-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 4-1
Road Records
New England Patriots- 6-0
Dallas Cowboys- 5-0
Green Bay Packers- 4-0
Indianapolis Colts- 4-1
New York Giants- 4-1
Jacksonville Jaguars- 4-1
Undefeated in Division
New England Patriots- 4-0
Dallas Cowboys- 4-0
Pittsburgh Steelers- 4-0
Indianapolis Colts- 3-0
Detroit Lions- 3-0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 3-0
Winning Streaks
New England Patriots- 10
Green Bay Packers- 5
Dallas Cowboys- 4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 2
Houston Texans- 2
Seattle Seahawks- 2
Jacksonville Jaguars- 2
Arizona Cardinals- 2
Philadelphia Eagles- 2
St. Louis Rams- 2
Points Scored
San Francisco 49ers- 113
Atlanta Falcons- 142
Kansas City Chiefs- 145
St. Louis Rams- 149
Denver Broncos- 153*
Buffalo Bills- 153
Points Allowed
Cleveland Browns- 294
Cincinnati Bengals- 286
Miami Dolphins- 274
St. Louis Rams- 257
New Orleans Saints- 246
Points Scored vs. Against
San Francisco 49ers- -110
St. Louis Rams- -108
Miami Dolphins- -91
Denver Broncos- -85
Atlanta Falcons- -71
Home Records
Miami Dolphins- 0-5
St. Louis Rams- 0-4
Carolina Panthers- 0-4
San Francisco 49ers- 1-4
Oakland Raiders- 1-4
Road Records
Miami Dolphins- 0-5
New York Jets- 0-4
San Francisco 49ers- 1-4
Atlanta Falcons- 1-4
Oakland Raiders- 1-4
Baltimore Ravens- 1-4
Cincinnati Bengals- 1-4
Minnesota Vikings- 1-4
San Diego Chargers- 1-4
Winless in Division
Baltimore Ravens- 0-5
Miami Dolphins- 0-3
Houston Texans- 0-3
Oakland Raiders- 0-3
Losing Streaks
Miami Dolphins- 10
San Francisco 49ers- 8
Oakland Raiders- 6
Baltimore Ravens- 4
Carolina Panthers- 4
Kansas City Chiefs- 3
Detroit Lions- 2
Washington Redskins- 2
New Orleans Saints- 2
Points Scored
New England Patriots- 411
Dallas Cowboys- 324
Cleveland Browns- 288
Indianapolis Colts- 278
Pittsburgh Steelers- 269
Points Allowed
Pittsburgh Steelers- 145
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 151
Tennessee Titans- 152*
New England Patriots- 157
Green Bay Packers- 159
Indianapolis Colts- 159
Points Scored vs. Against
New England Patriots- +254
Pittsburgh Steelers- +124
Indianapolis Colts- +119
Dallas Cowboys- +106
Green Bay Packers- +100
Home Records
Pittsburgh Steelers- 6-0
New England Patriots- 5-0
Seattle Seahawks- 5-1
Green Bay Packers- 5-1
Cleveland Browns- 4-1
Detroit Lions- 4-1
Dallas Cowboys- 4-1
San Diego Chargers- 4-1
Indianapolis Colts- 4-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 4-1
Road Records
New England Patriots- 6-0
Dallas Cowboys- 5-0
Green Bay Packers- 4-0
Indianapolis Colts- 4-1
New York Giants- 4-1
Jacksonville Jaguars- 4-1
Undefeated in Division
New England Patriots- 4-0
Dallas Cowboys- 4-0
Pittsburgh Steelers- 4-0
Indianapolis Colts- 3-0
Detroit Lions- 3-0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 3-0
Winning Streaks
New England Patriots- 10
Green Bay Packers- 5
Dallas Cowboys- 4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 2
Houston Texans- 2
Seattle Seahawks- 2
Jacksonville Jaguars- 2
Arizona Cardinals- 2
Philadelphia Eagles- 2
St. Louis Rams- 2
Points Scored
San Francisco 49ers- 113
Atlanta Falcons- 142
Kansas City Chiefs- 145
St. Louis Rams- 149
Denver Broncos- 153*
Buffalo Bills- 153
Points Allowed
Cleveland Browns- 294
Cincinnati Bengals- 286
Miami Dolphins- 274
St. Louis Rams- 257
New Orleans Saints- 246
Points Scored vs. Against
San Francisco 49ers- -110
St. Louis Rams- -108
Miami Dolphins- -91
Denver Broncos- -85
Atlanta Falcons- -71
Home Records
Miami Dolphins- 0-5
St. Louis Rams- 0-4
Carolina Panthers- 0-4
San Francisco 49ers- 1-4
Oakland Raiders- 1-4
Road Records
Miami Dolphins- 0-5
New York Jets- 0-4
San Francisco 49ers- 1-4
Atlanta Falcons- 1-4
Oakland Raiders- 1-4
Baltimore Ravens- 1-4
Cincinnati Bengals- 1-4
Minnesota Vikings- 1-4
San Diego Chargers- 1-4
Winless in Division
Baltimore Ravens- 0-5
Miami Dolphins- 0-3
Houston Texans- 0-3
Oakland Raiders- 0-3
Losing Streaks
Miami Dolphins- 10
San Francisco 49ers- 8
Oakland Raiders- 6
Baltimore Ravens- 4
Carolina Panthers- 4
Kansas City Chiefs- 3
Detroit Lions- 2
Washington Redskins- 2
New Orleans Saints- 2
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