Seats Getting Real Hot In NFL

For a usually frigid time in late November, it sure is getting awfully hot in the NFL.

The only problem is that the scorching heat can be felt on many seats that support the behinds of team’s head honchos. This 2010 season is becoming remembered as a season of unfulfilled ambitions and disappointing leadership with head coaches either given the pink slip during the season or possibly getting their pardon papers in the near future.

The changing of the guard during the season is nothing new in the NFL; certain teams underperform in previous years and have sent head coaches home packing early. The difference is that many of those teams were sliding downhill in previous seasons as well.

This year, many of the teams that played well in 2009 started this year with big goals, but were never even close to reaching them as 2010 progressed. Some franchises have already cut ties with their head coaches, while others are nearly ready to sever those bonds soon enough.

Dallas Cowboys: Started With Wade Phillips; Now With Jason Garrett

America’s team appeared ready to return to prominence after last season. With an 11-5 record and first place of the NFC East, the Cowboys rumbled into the playoffs with a big win at home over their rival Philadelphia Eagles, but would come up short against the Minnesota Vikings in the second round.

Owner Jerry Jones’s state-of-the-art stadium was selected to host the 2011 NFL Super Bowl and his dream was to have the team become the first team to play a Super Bowl at home.

That dream soon turned into a nightmare.

Dallas would drop their first two games of the season before finally getting their first win just as their bye week came in week four. They would then go on to drop five in a row, prompting Jones to make a switch at head coach from four-year coach Wade Phillips to offensive coordinator Jason Garrett.

Since then, Garrett has appeared to adjust the direction of the ship back in the route Jones expected of his team to head prior to the start of the season. He has won two of the three games in which he’s been at the helm and is holding on to any slim chance of making Jones’s dream come true.

Minnesota Vikings: Started With Brad Childress; Now With Leslie Frazier

After losing an overtime heartbreaker in the NFC Championship game in 2009, this season became Super Bowl-or-bust for the Vikings. With virtually the same team returning from a year ago (including the age-less Brett Favre), Minnesota felt it was their year to be greater than last year and never lose in the playoffs.

The only problem is that they had to actually get through the 2010 regular season first.

The season began with the Vikes playing the first game of the season against New Orleans, the team that beat them out in the overtime championship game, and then against the Miami Dolphins. Both would end in losses. They would finally beat out the Detroit Lions for their first win just before they headed into their bye week.

That week produced a trade for WR Randy Moss, a move that looked to be a shot in the arm for a team in need of a boost. The trade instead became a virus of what was wrong with the Vikings as they would go on to lose three of the next four they played and the waiver of the superstar wideout after only acquiring him a month earlier. They would then go on to win only one of the next three outings and owner Zygi Wilf decided it was time for a change.

That change came in the form of canning head coach Brad Childress and promoting Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier as the interim head coach. Although they won their first game with their new leader, it appears that the Vikings took the bust road for the 2010 season with the hope of a title riding farther off into the sunset.

Coming Up Next For Possible Fired Coaches

San Francisco 49ers: Mike Singletary

Since becoming the coach of the 49ers in 2008, Singletary has become the face and voice of the team with his proclamations and domineering antics. He professes that this team, as well as his ability to coach, will continue to improve and progress with 2010 being the year that they would return to the promise land the organization once owned during the 80s and 90s.

Yet, as the 2010 season got underway, it appeared that the 49ers season appeared to reflect a year in their history that was not a part of those glory decades. San Francisco lost their first five games and got off to their worst start since 1979. A complete 180 for a team that not only believed themselves to be a division winner before the season started, but also a squad others picked as preseason NFC West favorites as well.

Now the 49ers are 4-7 and are hanging on to the ledge of the worst division in football with just a few fingers. Although they were shut out at home for the first time since 1977 against Tampa Bay, they have bounced back with a big win on the road at Arizona.

Will they ownership of the 49ers keep their faith in their extremely vocal leader, or will they kick him to the curb with the feeling that he is just all talk and no substance?

Cincinnati Bengals: Marvin Lewis

The hot seat is nothing new for Marvin Lewis. The eight-year head coach of the Cincinnati Bengals has been the in this same discussion topic since after the 2005 playoff run with no returns to the postseason since. He erased all those doubters with a 10-6 record in 2009 and finally getting back to the playoffs.

During the offseason, the Bengals acquired controversial WR Terrell Owens with hopes of capitalizing on last year’s success with a deeper playoff run this season. With another talented, but loud mouthed WR in Owens on one end, wideout Chad Ochocinco labeled the both of them Batman and Robin.

Except the only similarities that both receivers have is being a part of a bomb like the 1997 “Batman And Robin” movie.

After a 2-1 start, they have lost eight in a row including losses to 3-7 Cleveland and 2-8 Buffalo. It doesn’t get any easier for the team many thought would be a contender for the AFC North champions as four of their last five games are against teams with winning records.

Now that he is returning back into the hot seat discussion, Lewis can only hope the real Batman and Robin could come in to save this disastrous season and his job.

By Norcal JW with No comments

Jeopardy Host Alex Trebek Laughs At "Stick-Handling"

To be honest, Jeopardy host Alex Trebek has a rather tough job when dealing with rather unfunny contestants during their bio portion of the show.

Recently, a Canadian contestant was talking about how he met his wife at a stick-hockey game and well, he showed her how to handle something:



(Courtesy of Out of Bounds)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Derek Anderson Post Game Outburst After Laughing Incident

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson got into a little heated discussion with a reporter during a post-game press conference from last night's MNF affair against the 49ers.

ESPN cameras caught Anderson talking with teammate Deuce Latui and sharing a little laugh. So naturally, a reporter asked Anderson regarding the incident and if he should be acting this way during a 18-point deficit.

DA didn't appreciate that type of question:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Bart Simpson Takes Shot At The Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions had been cannon-fodder for jokes for the past decade or so, so it was only natural that The Simpsons get their shot in.

In the latest episode called, "How Munched Is This Birdie In The Window?", Bart takes a shot at the Lions after Mo the Bartender mentions pigeon racing:



(Courtesy of It's Always Sunny in Detroit)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Russell Westbrook Posterizes Shane Battier

One thing that I do love about the National Basketball Association is when a little guy dunks on a rather larger fellow.

The Thunder's Russel Westbrook decided to put Rockets forward Shane Battier on a poster with this nasty dunk from last night:



(Courtesy of The Basketball Jones)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Nice Shin Interception, Aqib Talib

During yesterday's Ravens/Buccaneers tilt, Tampa Bay's Aqib Talib came up with an impressive interception of Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco.

What's the old saying, two shins are better than two hands?

By Ben Chew with No comments

Oklahoma State Tip Drill Interception vs. Oklahoma

During Saturday's Oklahoma-Oklahoma State game, Oklahoma State's Broderick Brown deflected a pass thrown by Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones that was going out of bounds.

Brown's deflection was so impressive that the ball ricocheted into the hands of teammate Shaun Lewis for the interception:



(Courtesy of The Sports Geeks)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Andre Johnson and Cortland Finnegan Get All Fightey

During yesterday's Texans/Titans affair, Texans wide receiver Andre Johnson and Titans defensive back Cortland Finnegan got into a little brewhaha after some rough play during the game.

The NFL is currently reviewing the below fight to see if there will be any suspensions or fines levied against either player:



(Courtesy of Bob's Blitz)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Top Five Reasons New York Giants Should Be Thankful for Week 12

After consecutive losses to the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, the New York Giants entered Week 12 in dire need of a victory to end their recent slide and keep pace in the NFC playoff picture.

So with the Jacksonville Jaguars paying a visit to the new Meadowlands Stadium, and games against the Washington Redskins (2), the Minnesota Vikings, the Eagles and the Green Bay Packers remaining on their schedule, it goes without saying the Giants’ margin for error decreases significantly with each passing week.

That said, as Week 12 action draws to a close, the G-Men should be extremely thankful for several results that placed them in prime position to control their playoff destiny.

5. Minnesota Vikings – 17, Washington Redskins – 13

Prior to their home tilt with Minnesota, the Redskins stood only one game behind the Giants in the NFC East and the race for the last NFC wild-card spot.

However, despite Leslie Frazier making his debut on the head coaching circuit and Adrian Peterson, the NFC’s leading rusher, sidelined since the second quarter with an ankle injury, Minnesota handed the Redskins a crushing defeat at FedEx Field.

The loss opened the door for the Giants to double their lead over Washington with only five games left to play in the regular season.

4. Baltimore Ravens – 17, Tampa Bay Buccaneers – 10

With an enthusiastic, young second-year head coach and a 22-year-old quarterback who’s taken giant leaps in his maturation process this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone from preseason outcasts to viable playoff contenders.

And with a dominating 21-0 victory over the San Francisco 49ers in Week 11, Tampa Bay moved one game ahead of the Giants for the final wild-card spot in the NFC.

But a tough road loss to the Baltimore Ravens, one of the top teams in the AFC, left the Buccaneers on the outside looking in coming down the home stretch and in a chase with the Green Bay Packers to catch the New York Giants for the aforementioned wild-card spot.

3. Atlanta Falcons – 20, Green Bay Packers – 17

Unlike Tampa Bay, several NFL analysts tabbed the Packers to represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLV.

Nevertheless, following Sunday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, the Packers, who have made due in spite of season-ending injuries to running back Ryan Grant and tight end Jermichael Finley, wouldn’t even make the playoffs if the season ended today.

In fact, as it currently stands, Green Bay has to leap-frog the Buccaneers and the Giants to qualify for the postseason. So their game against New York at Lambeau Field the day after Christmas looms extremely large.

2. Chicago Bears – 31, Philadelphia Eagles – 26

Although the Chicago Bears have their fair share of doubters, all they do is keep on winning to maintain their lead over Green Bay in the NFC Central.

Their fourth consecutive victory, and their most convincing one of the season, came at the expense of Michael Vick and the red-hot Philadelphia Eagles at Soldier Field.

So although the Eagles remain perched atop the NFC East by virtue of their win over New York in Week 11, they have a quick turn-around this week as they face the Houston Texans Thursday evening before hitting the road to take on the Dallas Cowboys and the Giants in Week 14 and Week 15 respectively.

In addition, what the Eagles’ loss did is give the Giants an edge over Philadelphia in a conference tie-breaker scenario if that were ever to come into play as far as postseason positioning is concerned.

1. New York Giants – 24, Jacksonville Jaguars – 20

If the Giants can consistently play turnover-free football and combine it with a swarming defense that pounds opposing quarterbacks into submission, like they did in the second half of their game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, they should win their five remaining games to qualify for the postseason.

And for New York, controlling their own destiny is exactly the position they want to be in at this stage of the season.

Therefore, the G-Men can look to Week 12 as a time when the football bounced in their favor in Washington, Baltimore, Atlanta, Chicago and, most importantly, in the friendly confines of the new Meadowlands Stadium.

Now it’s all on their shoulders to capitalize on this good fortune.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and highlights from Week 12 action in the NFL.

By RMM with No comments

Fantasy Drafthelp: NFL Week 12

Here’s a few standard preface notes:

^ Notwithstanding the claims of any website to be your “home for Sunday morning injury report news,” nothing beats Google News – nothing. Entering a player name into this search engine trumps any other means of gathering information because it culls the data from an unbelievably wide variety of sources.

^ Especially earlier in the season, it’s always good to refer to a strong baseline of where players should have been drafted – and nothing beats FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010.

^ Unless there are any injury questions, we never discuss “gimme” players. Such core players should be started week in and week out unless there is any question surrounding their playing status. Winning teams only need to worry about “playing the matchups” with one, two or (at the most, during bye weeks) three spots in the lineup. With a full slate of games, and players drafted in a certain order for a multiplicity of reasons, we especially don’t advocate much juggling for the first two weeks of the season. Some websites promise you a crystal ball for how to manage high-risk, high-reward juggling during the season. We don’t. We play the percentages. That approach may be boring, but it’s highly effective and much more intellectually honest in what we promise you.

^ By the way, here are your core players who should not be benched if healthy or available (players listed in their order on our draft board):

QB: Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Tony Romo

RB: Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Mathews, Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, Shonn Greene, Matt Forte, Beanie Wells, Cedric Benson, Jonathan Stewart, LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown

WR: Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Miles Austin, Greg Jennings, DeSean Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Anquan Boldin, Marques Colston, Steve Smith (Carolina), Chad Ochocinco, Calvin Johnson, Steve Smith (NY Giants), Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, Donald Driver, Vincent Jackson

TE:, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, Brent Celek, Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Jermichael Finley

^ Here are the players who have been added to the list this season:

QB: none

RB: Arian Foster, LaDainian Tomlinson, Peyton Hillis

WR: Wes Welker, Terrell Owens, Hakeem Nicks

TE: none

^ Here are the players who have been removed from that list this season:

QB: none

RB: Ryan Grant

WR: Pierre Garcon, Mike Wallace

TE: Dallas Clark

^ Links for each game take you to the NFL.com home page for each game, with stats and analysis.

^ All times listed are EDT.

^ Teams listed as “All-In” have a combination of all of the above players and any marginal players reaching a status where QB/RB1/RB2/WR1/WR2/TE all should be played. Teams listed as “All-Out” should have only the above “locks” for their team in a fantasy lineup, with all marginal players being benched.

^ All advice is relative, because there are exceptions to every rule. There are no marginal players who absolutely should be played or benched, but the ones we refer to here should be in the vast majority of circumstances.

^ Of the non-gimme players we like this week, the stronger plays are the ones in all caps.

Week 12

Sun. Nov. 28

Titans at Texans, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Titans, WR Walter

Buccaneers at Ravens, 1:00 PM WR M Williams, QB Flacco

Jaguars at Giants, 1:00 PM QB Garrard, TE Lewis, QB E Manning

Panthers at Browns, 1:00 PM RB Goodson, all-out on marginal Browns

Steelers at Bills, 1:00 PM All-in on marginal Bills, QB Fitzpatrick, WR S Johnson, WR Evans

Eagles at Bears, 1:00 PM QB Vick, WR Maclin, QB Cutler, WR Knox

Vikings at Redskins, 1:00 PM TE Shiancoe, QB McNabb, WR S Moss

Packers at Falcons, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Packers, QB Ryan

Chiefs at Seahawks, 4:05 PM QB CASSEL, RB T Jones, QB HASSELBECK

Dolphins at Raiders, 4:05 PM RB R Williams, RB McFadden

Rams at Broncos, 4:15 PM QB Bradford, QB ORTON, WR Lloyd

Chargers at Colts, 8:20 PM RB Tolbert, WR B White

Mon. Nov. 29

49ers at Cardinals, 8:30 PM QB T Smith, WR Breaston

By Rick Morris with No comments

Nevada Pulls Upset of Boise State, Wacky Finish Time!

It appeared that Boise State was going to pull a rabbit out of the hat at the end of their match-up against Nevada.

Sadly after two missed field goals and after blowing a 17 point lead, The Boise State Broncos BCS title dreams went up in smoke after a red-shirt freshman kicker won it in overtime for the Wolfpack.

Below is the wacky series of events that lead up to the Nevada victory:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Felix Pie Does Not Appreciate Your Call, Mr. Umpire!

Baltimore Orioles outfielder Felix Pie is currently playing in the Dominican Republic winter league for the Estrellas Orientales.

Recently in a game versus Aguilares, Pie was picked-off and decided to vent his frustration towards the first base umpire:



(Courtesy of Bob's Blitz)

By Ben Chew with No comments

The Case for Michael Vick to Spend More Time in Prison

This holiday season should be especially humbling for Philadelphia Eagles starting quarterback Michael Vick, as well as a time for conscientious reflection.

A little over three years ago, Vick pleaded guilty to federal charges in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation, resulting in an indefinite suspension from the National Football League, without pay, for conduct Commissioner Roger Goodell described as “cruel and reprehensible”.

During his 19-month incarceration, Vick’s financial condition deteriorated rapidly due to having virtually no income and substantial ongoing expenses for attorneys, the maintenance of several luxury homes in multiple states and living expenses for friends and relatives.

So with debts in excess of assets by millions of dollars, and collection efforts and judgments from creditors staring him in the face, Vick empowered his attorneys to file for Chapter 11 federal bankruptcy protection in July 2008.

By the three-time Pro Bowler's own admission, these were the darkest hours in his life. The inability to simply go home and, excluding being the financier of an illegal dog fighting ring, lead the life he had been accustomed to living over the course of nearly a decade.

But when former Indianapolis Colts head coach Tony Dungy paid him a visit at Leavenworth Penitentiary, he offered Vick a ray of hope within an emotional, mental and spiritual pit of despair.

His words of advice and encouragement would be the impetus to Dungy becoming Vick’s mentor after his release from prison in an effort to help Vick get reacclimated to life as a civilian, a father and a football player.

Prior to Vick’s conditional reinstatement to the NFL, Dungy inspired him to carefully examine how he could get involved in the community to honor his personal commitments, including youth outreach and partnering with the Humane Society to educate people about the ills of dog fighting.

Dungy would also counsel Vick on selecting the franchise that would provide the best support in helping him get back into the routine of being a football player.

And it wouldn’t be long before Vick made the decision to sign a one-year contract with the Eagles last August, with an option that was picked up by the team for this season.

Since then, the trade of Donovan McNabb this past offseason and a concussion suffered by Kevin Kolb in the first game of this season opened the door for Vick to display his evolution as a quarterback and most importantly, as a man.

Now Vick is widely considered a leading candidate for the Most Valuable Player Award and drawing praise for his humility, patience and work ethic in addition to his commitment to community service.

Thus, while Vick thrives, another former NFL star continues to languish in a prison cell on Rikers Island. His name: Plaxico Burress, the former standout wide receiver for the New York Giants.

In August 2009, Burress accepted a plea deal that would imprison him for two years with an additional two years of supervised release, for attempted criminal possession of a weapon. The charges stemmed from Burress suffering an accidental self-inflicted gunshot wound to his right thigh at a New York City nightclub less than a year earlier.

As a result, Burress not only derailed the Giants’ hopes of repeating as Super Bowl Champions, he lost his primary source of income and the privilege of witnessing the birth of his daughter, Giovanna--the latter of which brought a stream of tears to his eyes during a televised interview.

Arguably, nothing humbles a man more than when his freedom is taken away from him. Michael Vick knows this feeling all too well.

And who better to give Burress the same ray of hope that was given to him than the NFL’s current poster boy for redemption.

In Burress, Vick has a unique opportunity to demonstrate what he should have truly learned from his own experience. An appreciation for the simple things in life and the empathy to lift someone up in the midst of his own personal pit of despair.

If Vick can relay these poignant messages to Burress, who is scheduled for release in the latter half of 2011, it will transcend anything he does on the football field; especially if it’s done with as little fanfare and publicity as possible.

Vick doesn’t owe this to Burress, he owes it to himself. Burress needs to intently look into the eyes of a man who is, for all intents and purposes, his mirror image and realize that redemption is merely a change of heart away.

Not toward being a better and improved football player, but a better man, a better husband and a better father.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special ESPN E:60 interview with Plaxico Burress.

By RMM with No comments

Detroit Lions Fans Dressed Like Pilgrims, That's About It!

In recent history, the Detroit Lions know what the Thanksgiving holiday is all about by giving wins to their Thanksgiving day opponents.

After the New England Patriots opened up a lead in the 4th quarter, most of the fans started to file out of Ford Field.

However, two Lions fans dressed as pilgrims decided to stay put and of course, CBS cameras decided to capture another classic Thanksgiving day memory:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Happy Thanksgiving From Outside the Boxscore

From all of us here at Outside the Boxscore, we would like to wish all of our audience, a very Happy Thanksgiving.

So in honor of the holiday, ESPN's Pardon the Interruption did their annual, "Turkeys of the Year", Enjoy!:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Les Miles Answers Question About Erin Andrews From 86-Year Old Reporter

During a pre-game press conference, LSU head football coach Les Miles was asked a question by 86 year old freelance journalist Ted Castillo about ESPN's Erin Andrews.

The expression on Les Miles face makes the entire video at 24 second mark:



(Courtesy of Ted Williams Head)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Tony Parker's Divorce Gets Taiwanese-Animated!

With the recent fall-out from NBA player Tony Parker's divorce, the peeps over in Taiwan have already made an animated video about it.

Grab some popcorn, it's going to be a show:



(Courtesy of That NBA Lottery Pick)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Sporadic Era-tic: The Death of the Superfriends

Blowing in the Wind, originally uploaded by awonderfulsplash.

Worry not, dear friends! The Superfriends meme is not dead. It just falls to this lonely spore to wind the clock of change and paradigm. Someone has to declare something dead after all this talk of viral this video and viral that, hashtag trending moments in the blistering web-spun online sun. Our eyes can only be hosts to these ghosts of existence for so long.

So, existence versus non-existence tonight. I declare death to the Superfriends not because they do not exist and/or will not soon come to proliferate. I only offer that such a means to overcoming the mean streets of mediocrity must at some point come to be judged as either viable or f(l)ailing. I recognize it's early in the NBA season, but a verdict must be passed such that all other verdicts may be measured, consciously or collective-subconsciously, upon its wavily inconsistent metaphorical shores.

Sorry, a little rusty here. I offer, in return for your patience and persistence and co-pre-cognizance with me, an alternative.

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh: These are the new figureheads of the Superfriends mold. Amar'e, CP3, 'Melo: These are the leaders of the new, if new be someday told. Right now, the verdict is out on the ledge like hot pie charts waiting for sticky fingered nerds to reach out and grasp at the pretense of truth. And who's the early boy playing Worms: Battle Islands? I'll give you a hint: it's not the eight-and-six Heat. Rather, I suggest you take a look at the twelve-and-eleven Spurs.

That's right, the wily vets, the geriatric section, divorcee's row, the leaders of the old, the Spurs currently hold the best win percentage in the league. How are they doing it? Not with an injection of new legs, because Tiago Splitter ain't doing diddly past six points and three pulls, and DaJuan Blair is the opposite of new legs. They're doing it with the same old system based around Tim Duncan and trickling down to the aforementioned soon-to-be divorcee Tony Parker, the finally healthy Manu Ginobli, and the revitalized Richard Jefferson.

So the Spurs are twelve-and-one. What's new, Nagamatsu? Why write about the difference in paradigms now? Because LeBron James affords us a unique perspective on the efficacy of Superfriends vs. San Antonio as models for building successful basketball teams. In Cleveland, King James was privy to a build similar to that of the Spurs, as was much bruited about when the two teams faced in the finals of '07. Under the careful build of Popovich acolytes Danny Ferry and Mike Brown, LeBron James saw a solid string of successful seasons. Now, having left the patronage of such system, he enters into something more akin to the 80's Laker Showtime teams under Pat Riley's baleful, pomaded watch.

Obviously, the Showtime teams weren't quite a Superfriends model. Perhaps I'm just saying that because they were successful and such a model would ruin my paradigm study. Still, those squads lacked the mercenary feel of such teams as the post-championship Rockets featuring Olajuwon, Drexler, and Barkley and/or Pippen, as I mentioned in my last epocrypha. What other unsuccessful Superfriends squads can we point to? Barkley's 76ers with Dr. J and Moses Malone, as well as Pippen's stint with the Jail Blazers both fit the bill. Dallas' multiple attempts at paving their way to super teams with the Mark Cuban's Benjamins failed, as did the '04 Lakers. (And I'm sure I'm forgetting a whole host of 'em)

Batmanuel, Captain Liberty, The Tick and Arthur, originally uploaded by Walkabout Wolf.

Which brings us to the anomalies, the outliers as Malcolm Gladwell would put it. Sure, the '04 Lakers failed with Gary Payton and Karl Malone in tow, but realistically they should have won. Statistically, they should have won. Only Malone's injury kept them from dominating that series. And then Shaq left, and who knows. But what about the current, contemporary version of the Lakers? Isn't that a four-headed beast with Kobe, Pau, Lamar, and Artest? In short, yes. This current iteration is what one might term a "Superfriends" squad. However, what separates them is the system. Phil Jackson's "trust your players to fall or fly when they most need your trust" system is one of a kind. As a Lakers fan, I am petrified at the thought of trying to get that seventh in my watching career without the Zen Master. Here's the other thing: Until recently, this system was not one that played nice with the Superfriends mold. In the first three-peat, the team swallowed stars whole and left them barely shells of role players. Glen Rice, Mitch Richmond, Isaiah Rider. All three were eaten up and spit out by the '00-'02 Lakers.

The other outlier? The '08 Boston Celtics. There's a team that fit the Superfriends mold to a T. What sets them apart is Ubuntu. They had an identity from the start. Furthermore, the team's looking more and more like a Spurs team built around Rondo. But that's a side note. San Antonio is not the only team prospering under the Popovich Spurs paradigm. The 10-2 New Orleans Hornets (3rd highest win percentage in the league right now) are newly adapting themselves to the model under Popovich pupil Monty Williams. Similarly, the 10-4 Oklahoma City Thunder have followed Sam Presti in making Durant their Duncan and building down from there.

Pencil Vs Camera - 19, originally uploaded by Ben Heine.

What tic should you take away from all this? What should you allow to syphon blood from your Superfriend-like excessive thoughts? Let's just say the Lakers have Zen, the Celts have Ubuntu, what do the Heat have?

By snagamat with No comments

Alexander Ovechkin Dancing, Alexander Ovechkin Dancing!

It's been awhile since I have posted something related to the National Hockey League but this might be well worth the wait.

It's about a three minute video of Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin cutting a rug at a Russian club:



(Courtesy of Sportress of Blogitude)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Steve Johnson's "Why So Serious?" Touchdown Celebration

The Buffalo Bills appeared to be on their way to another loss against the Cincinnati Bengals but rallied to win the game by a score of 49-31.

The run started with this touchdown pass from Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick to wide receiver Steve Johnson who pulled the "Why So Serious?" touchdown celebration:



(Courtesy of Black Sport Online)

By Ben Chew with No comments

NY Islanders Play By Play Man Doesn't Care Too Much About The Islanders

The New York Islanders have had a pretty rough season so far in the NHL and it only got worst after their 13th straight loss versus the Islanders.

MSG and Islanders play by play man Howie Rose thought that the game was sent to a commercial and decided to air out how bad the team has been playing along with the fact that he would rather be covering spring training for the New York Mets.

The major problem for Howie, someone in the production truck didn't send it to commercial:



Rose apologized during the 2nd period intermission of the MSG telecast and it's possible that this rift might cost him his job.

(Courtesy of Bob's Blitz)

By Ben Chew with No comments

NC State's Lorenzo Brown Poster Dunk on Georgetown

It only seems like yesterday that March Madness had ended but college hoops is back and NC State's Lorenzo Brown decided to make his mark on the season.

Watch this impressive dunk vs. Georgetown as he rises over Jerrelle Benimon:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Are Tony Parker & Eva Longoria the Reason NY Yankees' Derek Jeter Isn't Married?

With the recent announcement that actress Eva Longoria has filed for divorce from San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker, eyes widened and jaws dropped all across the country. Especially in light of the discovery of numerous text messages from Parker to Erin Barry, the wife of former teammate Brent Barry.

Unfortunately though, the impending dissolution of the Parkers’ three-year marriage shouldn’t come as much of a surprise at all. Over the course of the past several decades, the professional sports landscape is replete with evidence that marital fidelity has gradually become a dying concept.

The reality is polls and studies indicate that while nearly half of marriages within the general population end in divorce, a discouraging statistic intrinsically, the divorce rate among professional athletes is between 60 and 80 percent.

What’s even more disheartening is there are no viable solutions in sight because the contributing factors to this dilemma are inherent to the occupation.

Much like actors, actresses and music artists, professional athletes are increasingly hard pressed to give what it emotionally, mentally and spiritually requires to sustain a marriage.

Between what is necessitated to keep their bodies in peak condition, rigorous travel schedules and numerous public appearances, among other time commitments, it appears that when they utter the words ‘I do/will’ athletes are married to their profession and public image more than their actual spouses.

But what truly takes its toll on the marriage of a professional sports athlete is the temptations associated their celebrity status. And the most irresistible of them all, particularly for male athletes, is sex.

Day in and day out, today’s male athlete is bombarded by offers from attractive women who will go to extreme lengths for the monetary gain and/or thrill of ‘bedding’ one. An allurement that would test the moral character and fiber of any married man.

On the flip side of the coin, the aforementioned ease of access to sexual trysts often results in pursuits of those experiences by the athletes themselves. And the results can be extremely devastating.

Marital infidelity, broken unions and even the contraction of the AIDS virus have plagued the lives of athletes from all walks of life, from Kobe Bryant to ‘Magic’ Johnson to Tiger Woods.

The marriage of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria is simply the latest and one of the most publicized to fall victim to this incurable epidemic.

Male athletes and their wives may enter the institution with the best of intentions. But because they either spend more time preparing for a lavish wedding than the reality of marriage or take for granted the level of commitment to sustain it, up to eight out of 10 fall by the wayside.

This brings us to the curious case of New York Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter, who has dated a bevy of beautiful starlets including Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Jordana Brewster and Mariah Carey.

But yet at 36-years-old, even with Esquire’s Sexiest Woman Alive, Minka Kelly, on his arm nowadays, the captain of Major League Baseball’s most valuable team and America’s favorite baseball player has managed to elude the bite of the marriage bug.

So although becoming a husband and a father would have enhanced his already squeaky clean public persona, Jeter has chosen the road less traveled.

Now is it because Jeter is fully cognizant of how taxing being a professional athlete is on a marriage or is the freedom that comes with being single too difficult to give up for the eleven-time All-Star?

Or is it both?

Either way, today’s male athlete should be more contemplative about getting married when the plethora of challenges that come with playing professional sports are thrown into the equation.

So whether it’s the divorce of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria, the Tiger Woods sex scandal or ‘Magic’ Johnson contracting the AIDS virus, as surprising as those stories are, the level of shock should be at an absolute minimum at this point.

Athletes can do extraordinary things on the field, but they are only human. And fame and fortune can be as much of a curse as they are a blessing.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special report on the impending divorce of Tony Parker and Eva Longoria.

By RMM with No comments

Richard Seymour Punches Ben Roethlisberger In The Neck

After throwing a touchdown pass to Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger said something to Raiders defensive end Richard Seymour and Seymour decided to retaliate.

How you may ask? The Seymour Punch!:



(Courtesy of Black Sports Online)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Fan Runs Onto Field During Jets/Texans, Rex Ryan Gets A Chuckle

During today's Texans/Jets affair, a lone fan decided to run out onto the field and stop play in the third quarter.

After getting tackled by a bunch of security guards, Jets coach Rex Ryan got a giggle out of it:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Fantasy Drafthelp: NFL Week 11

Here’s a few standard preface notes:

^ Notwithstanding the claims of any website to be your “home for Sunday morning injury report news,” nothing beats Google News – nothing. Entering a player name into this search engine trumps any other means of gathering information because it culls the data from an unbelievably wide variety of sources.

^ Especially earlier in the season, it’s always good to refer to a strong baseline of where players should have been drafted – and nothing beats FANTASY FOOTBALL DRAFTOLOGY 2010.

^ Unless there are any injury questions, we never discuss “gimme” players. Such core players should be started week in and week out unless there is any question surrounding their playing status. Winning teams only need to worry about “playing the matchups” with one, two or (at the most, during bye weeks) three spots in the lineup. With a full slate of games, and players drafted in a certain order for a multiplicity of reasons, we especially don’t advocate much juggling for the first two weeks of the season. Some websites promise you a crystal ball for how to manage high-risk, high-reward juggling during the season. We don’t. We play the percentages. That approach may be boring, but it’s highly effective and much more intellectually honest in what we promise you.

^ By the way, here are your core players who should not be benched if healthy or available (players listed in their order on our draft board):

QB: Drew Brees, Peyton Manning, Matt Schaub, Aaron Rodgers, Philip Rivers, Brett Favre, Tom Brady, Tony Romo

RB: Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Ray Rice, Maurice Jones-Drew, Frank Gore, Steven Jackson, Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams, Rashard Mendenhall, Ryan Mathews, Jamaal Charles, Knowshon Moreno, Shonn Greene, Matt Forte, Beanie Wells, Cedric Benson, Jonathan Stewart, LeSean McCoy, Ronnie Brown

WR: Andre Johnson, Randy Moss, Reggie Wayne, Roddy White, Miles Austin, Greg Jennings, DeSean Jackson, Larry Fitzgerald, Brandon Marshall, Anquan Boldin, Marques Colston, Steve Smith (Carolina), Chad Ochocinco, Calvin Johnson, Steve Smith (NY Giants), Dwayne Bowe, Michael Crabtree, Donald Driver, Vincent Jackson

TE:, Antonio Gates, Vernon Davis, Brent Celek, Jason Witten, Tony Gonzalez, Jermichael Finley

^ Here are the players who have been added to the list this season:

QB: none

RB: Arian Foster, LaDainian Tomlinson

WR: Wes Welker, Terrell Owens, Hakeem Nicks

TE: none

^ Here are the players who have been removed from that list this season:

QB: none

RB: Ryan Grant

WR: Pierre Garcon, Mike Wallace

TE: Dallas Clark

^ Links for each game take you to the NFL.com home page for each game, with stats and analysis.

^ All times listed are EDT.

^ Teams listed as “All-In” have a combination of all of the above players and any marginal players reaching a status where QB/RB1/RB2/WR1/WR2/TE all should be played. Teams listed as “All-Out” should have only the above “locks” for their team in a fantasy lineup, with all marginal players being benched.

^ All advice is relative, because there are exceptions to every rule. There are no marginal players who absolutely should be played or benched, but the ones we refer to here should be in the vast majority of circumstances.

^ Of the non-gimme players we like this week, the stronger plays are the ones in all caps.

Week 11

Sun. Nov. 21

Packers at Vikings, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Packers, WR Harvin, TE Shiancoe

Redskins at Titans, 1:00 PM QB McNabb, WR S Moss, TE Cooley, QB V Young

Cardinals at Chiefs, 1:00 PM All-out on marginal Cardinals, RB T JONES

Ravens at Panthers, 1:00 PM WR Mason, all-out on marginal Panthers

Bills at Bengals, 1:00 PM QB Fitzpatrick, RB F Jackson, WR Evans, WR S Johnson, QB Palmer

Lions at Cowboys, 1:00 PM RB Best, RB F JONES, WR Bryant

Texans at Jets, 1:00 PM WR Walter, QB SANCHEZ, TE Keller

Raiders at Steelers, 1:00 PM RB McFadden, QB Roethlisberger, WR Wallace,WR Ward

Browns at Jaguars, 1:00 PM QB McCoy, RB HILLIS, QB Garrard

Seahawks at Saints, 4:05 PM QB Hasselbeck, WR Moore

Falcons at Rams, 4:05 PM QB Ryan, QB Bradford

Buccaneers at 49ers, 4:05 PM QB Freeman, RB Blount, all-out on marginal 49ers

Colts at Patriots, 4:15 PM WR Garcon, RB GREEN-ELLIS

Giants at Eagles, 8:20 PM QB E Manning, RB Bradshaw, QB VICK, WR Maclin

Mon. Nov. 22

Broncos at Chargers, 8:30 PM QB Orton, WR Lloyd, all-out on marginal Chargers

By Rick Morris with 1 comment

Throw It Down, Marcus Johnson! Throw It Down!

As you can tell, we are huge fans of German club team basketball and when the Giessen Pointers Marcus Johnson decided to go all Tom Chambers on DeUndrae Spraggins, we took note:



(Courtesy of Deadspin)

By Ben Chew with No comments

Julio Jones Nice Catch vs. Georgia State

Although it's been a rather disappointing year for Alabama football, the Crimson Tide are still playing hard regardless of being out of the National Championship hunt.

Watch this rather impressive catch by wide receiver Julio Jones against Georgia State:

By Ben Chew with No comments

Nasty Boxing Knock-Out At 2010 Asian Games

As you can tell, we here at Outside the Boxscore are huge fans of the 2010 Asian Games being held in Guangzhou, China.

During the boxing event, Kyrgyzstan’s Asadullo Boimuradov decided to finish off his opponent, Syria’s Mustafa Farah in rather spectacular fashion:



(Courtesy of Frumpzilla)

By Ben Chew with 2 comments

New York Giants Seek Redemption in The City Of Brotherly Love

As the National Football League community continues to gush over Michael Vick’s riveting comeback from a self-inflicted two-year exile, the New York Giants will attempt to write the first chapter of their own redemption story at Lincoln Financial Field Sunday evening.

After a 41-7 rout of the Seattle Seahawks in Week 9, the Giants appeared to be among the viable candidates for the mythical title of best team in the league. Clearly, a distinction that no squad has a legitimate claim to this season.

However, New York’s candidacy and five-game winning streak became a distant memory in the wake of an inexcusable 13-point home loss to the 2-7 Dallas Cowboys. And, to add insult to injury, the G-Men fell to the same team whose interim head coach was making his debut and featured Jon Kitna as its starting quarterback.

So instead of maintaining a one-game lead in the NFC East, the Giants, along with the rest of the country, watched the NFL’s poster boy for redemption turn FedEx Field into his own personal playground. And with the record-breaking triumph, the Philadelphia Eagles pulled into a dead heat with Big Blue for division supremacy.

Interestingly enough, the last time New York strung together five consecutive victories was a little over one year ago, when they jumped out to a 5-0 start to kick off the 2009-10 season. But this was followed by losses in eight of their last eleven games to finish 8-8 and as a playoff non-participant.

In light of this disappointment, this season has been about redemption for the Giants. Redemption for the unfulfilled promise of last year.

Similarly, New York will be seeking redemption this weekend, in particular, after a deafening hiccup in what has otherwise been a solid season.

It won’t be easy though.

In Michael Vick, who’s rapidly filling the pages of his own redemption story, the Giants’ defensive unit will be attempting to neutralize the most dynamic player in the league who, by the way, deserves serious consideration for the Comeback Player of the Year Award and the Most Valuable Player Award.

This season, Vick has eleven touchdown passes, no interceptions and a league-leading quarterback rating of 115.1, as well as 341 rushing yards and a robust rushing average of 7.8 yards per attempt.

But in striking contrast to last season, the Giants are tops in the NFL in total defense, second in the NFC in pass defense (fourth in the NFL) and second in the conference (third in the NFL) in rush defense.

When all these factors are taken into consideration, one could argue that this is a classic case of the irresistible force meeting the immovable object.

Ironically, another way to view the Eagles/Giants match-up is as the intersection of the redemption road for Michael Vick with that of the New York Giants in a town commonly known as the “City of Brotherly Love”.

The winner takes a stranglehold of the NFC East while the loser falls into a four-team battle royal (Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints, Tampa Bay Buccaneers) for the two conference wild-card spots.

The stakes couldn’t be any higher for the Philadelphia Eagles and, especially, the New York Giants, who can ill afford to stir up the ghosts of collapses past with a second consecutive loss.

Click here to read the original article on Examiner.com, which includes relevant links and a special highlight reel of Michael Vick's record-breaking performance against the Washington Redskins.

By RMM with No comments

Early Stories For 2010-11 NBA Season

It’s still very early for the NBA hoops season in 2010, but the results have been quite intriguing so far.

Come back wins galore, a 30-30 game for the first time in decades, and a rookie posting a triple-double early in his career are just a small percentage of what the general public is raving about currently. Along with the ups of the season include some of the downs so far already with teams underperforming, incomprehensible trash talking and certain issues that just never change.

Here are some story lines that are dominating a year just starting in its early infancy stage:

Surprise Play Of Teams, Both Good And Bad.

Let’s just get this out of the way because it’s the team everyone will concentrate on all season long: The Miami Heat.

Disappointing doesn’t speak enough on how the Heat have been playing in their first eleven games. They do have a winning record, but could only manage seven wins during that time point, a paltry record for a team with such high expectations at this point.

Two of the big three have come on well at the start of the season. Lebron James is playing well, but that’s not encouraging for a player who set the bar high for himself over the summer. Dwyane Wade is recovering well from injury and is establishing himself as the best on his team uplifting his game to a higher level.

Chris Bosh, though, is the Achilles heal of this team currently and is becoming the biggest reason for their meager start. Although he has a 35 point game in his last outing, his numbers have to start mirroring his Toronto days if the team is to improve.

While the most captivating team in recent memory continues to find cohesion, other teams have quietly become the toast of the league.

New Orleans became the last team to remain undefeated…

Wait…

The Hornets became the last team to remain undefeated? As hard as it is to believe, they won their first eight before losing their ninth, and have Chris Paul second guessing the requests he made for a trade over the summer.

Utah has always been a contender and this season is no different as they were expected to be in the playoffs again, despite losing inside powerhouse Carlos Boozer. It’s not the fact that they are 8-4 and sit atop the Northwest, but how they have gotten those valuable wins. Four of those wins have been road comebacks against Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, and Charlotte.

Golden State was coming off one of its worst seasons and appeared to be in a state of influx with new owners overseeing the team and a new coach bringing a new philosophy. While this was supposed to be a team lost in transition, the Warriors appear to have found their way at the moment. They are 7-4 so far and are just behind the Lakers for the top spot in the Pacific.

The Monta Ellis Effect

The credit to most of the Warriors success can be given to Monta Ellis.

The sixth year guard has been scorching the rim as if he were “on fire” in the NBA Jam video game. He is second in the league in scoring behind Kevin Durant and is ahead of the likes of Kobe Bryant, Derrick Rose, and Dirk Nowitzki. He and Rose are also currently the only players to average ten field goals made per game.

What is even more impressive than his scoring average is his ability to score at an alarming percentage. So far, he is shooting 51.4% from the field, an impressive mark for man who stands at a miniscule six foot, three inches and doesn’t even eclipse 200 pounds.

Ellis has a chance to become the first All Star for the Golden State Warriors since Latrell Sprewell made it in 1997.

Is Everything Melo Up In Denver?

From the end of the summer to the start of the season, one of the biggest questions on the mind of many fans has been centered within the Rocky Mountain area.

What will happen with Denver Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony?

He is currently fifth in the league in scoring and playing some of the best basketball of his career according to his stat line. Despite that, his play hasn’t inspired the team to a great start. The Nuggets are 5-5 and fourth in their division, sitting on the outside looking in on the early playoff picture.

Questions about him leaving or possible trades have been looming around for months, but now appear to be at a standstill. Although Denver and Anthony have been all quiet on their front, the barrage of requests he made and numerous trade options that were reported give the impression that he is likely gone at some point. This concept will burn hotter with truth if the team continues to play sub-par like they have so far.

Don’t be shocked if Anthony’s jersey comes with a new color and logo at some point before the trade deadline.

Can Yao Really Make A Full Return?

2009 was a Yao-less year for the NBA as the big man had to recover from foot surgery.

Now, Yao Ming returns back to Houston’s active roster for 2010, but is being held to a 24 minute per game restriction and the Rockets holding him out of second games for back-to-backs.

So far, the seven foot, five inch mammoth giant is playing below his usual greatness, but is slowly getting back into his grove. He’s averaging a mere ten points and five rebounds a game and hasn’t gone past that 24 minute restriction.

Now, the native from China is dealing with a strained tendon in his leg and has the front office people of the Rockets worried about future injuries to his foot or any other areas of his body. With their record at 3-8, will they be able to keep their franchise player’s minute restriction down?

The Rookie Watch

During each season, the most fascinating players to watch are the first timers who come into the league. Seeing or hearing about them in college or overseas and watching their freshman season in the NBA is one of the most fascinating parts of the basketball year.

Washington Wizard’s John Wall is as good as any, not just with rookies, but with all point guards at this point. He’s averaging nearly 18 points and just under 10 assists a game, as well as a triple-double under his belt. Along with the statistical factor is the leadership quality, which he has assumed over Gilbert Arenas as the face of the franchise.

Demarcus Cousins and Wesley Johnson are playing decent for their teams, but look like rookies with their reasonable play. They appear on their way to improving into key players for their squads in the next few years.

Evan Turner’s corner has been extremely quiet all season long. Although he’s getting a good amount of minutes on the floor with just under 29 minutes per game, his level of play as one of the best young players to come out of college in the 2010 NBA Draft doesn’t equate his current statistics. There is still plenty of time with the season just underway and Turner’s ability is too good for him to just be a face in the rookie crowd

By Norcal JW with No comments