40,504

More than 40,000 fans showed up to TCF Bank Stadium yesterday, most of them Vikings supporters and watched a listless effort from the “home” team. The 40-14 loss was coupled with yet another injury from Brett Favre. It’s now a serious question whether the future Hall of Famer will even play another down this year. Dare we say he retires before the end of the season?

879

The hatred between Duke and North Carolina fans is about to get worse. With Duke’s win over Elon last night, Coach K tied the venerable Dean Smith with 879 wins. He needs 23 more victories to pass his old mentor Bobby Knight, a feat that may come this year if the Blue Devils continue to play the way they have.

3-10

In the preseason, the Broncos never thought they’d be in this position. Amidst a 3-10 record, a fired coach, and cheating scandals they’ve decided to hand the reigns to rookie quarterback Tim Tebow. And truthfully, what do they have to lose. Starting quarterback and veteran Kyle Orton seems to be taking it well. Granted, with that record and how putrid the team is playing, I’m not sure he wants to get in there anyways.

12

It was only a matter of time before the Miami Heat “heated” up. Their 12 consecutive victories were something most thought they’d pull off several times this season. But early injuries to Dwyane Wade and Mike Miller along with a lack of team chemistry has hurt them. Whether or not that was a factor in their loss last night to the Mavs is hard to tell. It could just be that the Mavs are playing that damn good and the zone is difficult to play against.

The Metrodome roof collapsing has essentially made a clusterf$%$ of the entire Vikings home field situation. Less than a week after playing a game at Ford Field in Detroit, the Vikings and the NFL decided that TCF Bank Stadium, home of the University of Minnesota, was in good enough shape to play on Sunday.

They just needed shovelers. And hundreds of them. At $10 bucks an hour, it was a no-brainer for many of the unemployed in the area.

Bowman said the university “needs no more help shoveling today,” but added that anyone interested in helping Friday should check back with the school later Thursday for updates.

The announcement came after hundreds of shovelers turned out at the stadium in the dark and cold hoping to get inside by 8 a.m. to pull a four-hour shoveling shift at $10 an hour. For many, however, the morning wait was painfully slow and frustrating. Dozens, in fact, were still outside by 9 a.m. Many soon left, numbed by the cold and disgusted by the long wait to get inside.

Ok, so the situation has been resolved. Wait, what’s that you say? The Bears want to file a protest for the game this weekend. This is officially getting ridiculous.

Reports emerged from Minnesota today that the Bears plan to protest the decision to play their game against the Vikings at TCF Bank Stadium. The league now denies that the Bears plan to lodge a formal complaint.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello told Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com that the reports of a Bears protest are “inaccurate.”

Maybe I’m confused as to how protests are lodged against NFL teams, but uh, does it really matter?

Chicago: We protest the game being played at TCF.
Commissioner: Ok, we’re still going to play the game there.
Chicago: Well, we strenuously protest.
Commissioner: Not sure how that makes a difference but thank you for the concern.

All in all, I like to blame God and Mother Nature for this ordeal. And yea, those engineers that constructed the Metrodome, they’re a huge part of the problem too.

Maybe, just maybe, you should account for thousands of feet of snow on top of your inflatable dome because you know, you’re in Minnesota and all.

TCF Bank Stadium has surplus of shovelers [Star Tribune]

29

Contrary to what Minnesota Vikings officials have been saying for days now, the Metrodome will not be ready for its last game of the 2010 campaign. The Vikings will instead use the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium. Oddly enough, the Monday night affair comes exactly 29 years to the day that a game was last played outside in Minnesota.

7

Days after just missing an upset of the Michigan State Spartans, the Oakland Grizzlies upset the #7 ranked Tennessee Vols 89-82. The reigning Summit League champs are no slouches, they have a center named Keith Benson that is a legit college big man and may very well play in the NBA one day. The near misses for Oakland have been plentiful this year. They played both Purdue and Illinois tough in the first half before faltering late in the game. Tennessee, it seems, did not take them seriously enough. That, or, maybe the Vols were just a tad overrated themselves.

2-11

Don’t blame that 2-11 Bengals start on the players, it’s on the coaches says wide receiver Terrell Owens. Way to deflect the blame there T.O. I’m sure Carson Palmer’s repeated pick-sixes have little to do with that record. “Of course, we have to go out there and play the game. But in order for us to do what we’re allowed to do at the best of our abilities, the coaches have to put the players in the best position.” Yes, I think I speak for everybody when I say, shut up T.O.

750,000

The fall of Mark Prior has to be one of the more fascinating but sad stories in baseball over the last decade. At one point, people were saying Prior could one day win multiple Cy Young awards and possibly get into the Hall of Fame. But after he peaked in the 2001 season with an 18-6 record and an All-Star game appearance, things have gone south for him. The Yankees are giving him one last shot signing him to a minor-league contract yesterday. If Prior does indeed make the big leagues, he’s due to make 750k.

297

Ford Field may very well host two Brett Favre milestones within weeks of each other. His consecutive start streak was broken there yesterday and the Vikings play the Lions in the last week of the season. Given all the trials and tribulations Favre has faced this year, he probably won’t be coming back next year. Although, as I say that, I can easily see another team making the trek to Kiln, Mississippi to court him sometime next July.

99,95

It’s hard to blame Matt Schaub for the loss last night despite his terribly thrown pick 6 in overtime. In the 4th quarter alone, Schaub had drives of 99 and 95 yards to lead the Texans to an improbable tie with Ravens. Had the comeback been complete, Schaub would have been remembered for years to come as leading one of the greatest comebacks in MNF history. But as it stands now, people will just remember him for the interception.

25,000

Yesterday we told you about Sal Alosi, the Jets strength coach who tripped a Dolphins player on the sidelines. A punishment was to be handed down but nobody knew exactly what it was going to be. Well, the Jets finally decided to suspend him the rest of the season and fine him $25,000 dollars. Not sure how much he makes but regardless, $25k is a lot for an assistant coach. Then again, not like anybody feels bad for him. What he did was absolutely despicable.

9

Maybe the Miami Heat just needed time to well, “heat” up. After a disappointing start to the season, the team seems to be playing with more chemistry led by Dwyane Wade’s offensive resurgence. They’re currently on a 9-game winning streak as they toppled the Hornets 96-84 last night. And again, Wade was unstoppable breaking the 30-point barrier for the third consecutive game.

941

The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is unraveling before our very eyes. Last week, Derrell Johnson-Koulianos was charged for running a drug house and faced multiple felony chargers. Yesterday, two of his teammates were suspended including star running back Adam Robinson who led the team with 941 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns this season. No word on whether or not he was involved with Johnson-Koulianos but the timing does seem rather odd otherwise.

48,000

The Metrdome roof collapsing has instantly become one of those videos you have to see. The roof, under the weight of heavy snow, collapsed as cameras caught the entire action inside the dome. The New York Giants-Minnesota Vikings game was later moved to Detroit’s Ford Field today and tickets are surprisingly free. The weather, however in Detroit, isn’t much better than Minneapolis. 48,000 people in the area are without power as the city tries to fight off this massive Midwest storm that has paralyzed the region.

369

I’m starting to believe that Tom Brady is either a sherpa or part polar bear. While everyone looked uncomfortable during the Patriots-Bears snowstorm game yesterday, Brady looked right at home. He passed for 369 yards and 2 TDs en route to a 36-7 beat down of the Bears at Soldier Field. His counterpart, Jay Cutler did not perform as well completing less than 50% of his throws and tossing two picks.

41

How far have the mighty fallen? The Miami Hurricanes hired Al Golden to replace Randy Shannon as head coach. Golden led the Temple Owls from a barely functional NCAA team to a MAC contender. The 41-year old, however, is not the big splash hire many “U” alums thought their school was capable of bringing in. But the days of Miami owning healthy recruiting grounds in the state of Florida are in the past and sadly, so is the football program.

80,000

A round of applause for former tennis great Martina Navratilova. Only months after undergoing radiation treatment for breast cancer, Navratilova’s attempt to peak Mount Kilimanjaro was halted after she simply had trouble breathing. Despite her failure, Navratilova was able to raise $80,000 for philanthropic projects supported by the Laureus Sports Academy, an association of 46 sports stars.

65,000,000

Carmelo Anthony will not sign a $65-million dollar extension with the Denver Nuggets unless he is traded to New York says ESPN.com. Although Anthony has not ruled out playing in Denver entirely, this kind of ultimatum doesn’t exactly scream loyalty. “Whatever decision I make, that is going to be the first thing that gets done,” Anthony said of signing the extension.

126,000,000

Still trying to wrap my head around two things. How is Jayson Werth getting $126 million dollars and why in the hell is he going to the Washington Nationals? Maybe he panicked, maybe he didn’t think he’d get money like that from another team. But if he wanted to play in empty stadiums and have October off every year, well then, he certainly signed with the right organization.

293

The 293rd consecutive start for Brett Favre may prove to be his last. After taking a vicious hit, it was revealed in the post-game presser that Favre had sprained his throwing shoulder. According to him, that’s the first time in his career it has happened. If this is indeed the end of the road for the aging quarterback, you’d have to think his decision to comeback and play this year will in some ways taint his legacy. Not only was his on-field performance sub-par, but the scandal with Jenn Sterger painted him in a poor light.

6,200,000

The Adrian Gonzalez deal was on, then it was off, and apparently, now it’s on again. After missing the deadline Sunday to complete the trade, it now appears that the Red Sox have finally agreed to the deal. At issue was the extension Gonzalez wanted which was in the eight year range. The Red Sox were only willing to go to six years, but ultimately, they thought enough of the young power-hitter to resolve that issue sometime later in the year. Gonzalez is due to make $6.2 million in 2011.

4

The most compelling story of Sunday’s sports action was not on the football field and it was not in the wacky BCS standings, it was at the Chevron World Golf Challenge. Tiger Woods had taken a 4-stroke lead into the day’s action and looked poised to win his first tournament of the year. But his playing partner was no slouch. Graeme McDowell was the reigning U.S. Open Champion and for all intents and purposes was the best golfer in the world. And he proved it with a stunning finish as he dropped a putt in regulation and in the playoff to beat Woods.

0

Of course, our morning round-up would not be complete without the idiocy of the BCS. Yes, the championship game looks like it will work out like it was supposed to with Oregon and Auburn. However, a four loss UConn team will also play in the Fiesta Bowl as the Big East Champion while a one loss MSU team, that won the Big Ten, was left out in the cold. Wisconsin sneaked into the Rose Bowl despite losing to MSU which, by logic, makes absolutely no sense.

The shameful performance on the field carried over into the stands when several Redskins fans came to blows. And judging from the results, I think it’s fair to say that it is the most action Clinton Portis has been involved in all year.

.969

Cincinnati Reds first baseman Joey Votto finally stripped Albert Pujols of the NL MVP award. Votto received 31 of 32 votes (96.9%), and ended Pujols 2-year reign. “After the season, when I looked at my numbers and at Albert’s numbers, I thought: ‘Holy cow! He’s beaten me in a lot of them,’ ’’ Votto said. In the end though, as we all know, a winning team was taken into account.

.500

A few weeks ago, if you said you thought the Chargers would make the playoffs, you’d look like an idiot. But now at 5-5, not only is it a real possibility, but they may very well win the division. San Diego disposed of Denver rather easily 35-14 on MNF. Philip Rivers is playing like a man possessed throwing four touchdowns to four different receivers. Dare I say NFL MVP?

30

By far, the saddest thing you’ll hear today is the tragic death of a 2-year old who fell nearly 30 feet from a Staples Center luxury box Sunday night. From the sounds of it, the parents had lost track of the child and were looking for him when he somehow climbed over the protective plexiglass and fell below. An investigation is certainly to follow, although, I think we can all just agree that a child’s death is punishment enough for the parents.

.519

We didn’t hit on this yesterday but unless you were hiding under a rock, you know that Brad Childress was fired as Vikings head coach. Shocking, I know. Though Childress sported a winning record with the Vikings (.519), this year has been an unmitigated disaster. From his handling of Brett Favre, Randy Moss, Percy Harvin along with the fighting on the sidelines last week, it was only a matter of time before he was ousted.

2132

In 1982, a little school in Hawaii named Chaminade beat the top ranked Virginia Cavaliers. It was an impressive performance made more so because of this fact: Chaminade, at the time was only a NAIA school. For those of you unaware of college athletics, that is essentially below or equal to Division 3. Why are we brining this up? Yesterday, the #2 ranked MSU Spartans trailed Chaminade by 8 in the first half and didn’t pull away for a win until late in the game. So yea, a school with only 2132 kids almost pulled it off again. A tip of the cap to the Silverswords

180,000

And now, here’s your daily Cam Newton update. Yesterday, Kenny Rogers, one of the main players in the scandal told a radio station that he had a conversation with Cecil Newton in November of last year and discussed how much it would take to get his son to play for Mississippi State. According to Rogers, the figure was between $100-$180k. This, of course, begs the question…Why is MSU not good at sports if they have a plethora of powerful boosters?

33,033

Speaking of ineligible college athletes, Kentucky recruit Enes Kanter was found to have to taken $33,033 in excess from his Turkish team during the 2008-2009 season. It should be noted that playing on club teams is not against NCAA rules, but taking money above necessary expenses is. According to the NCAA, “actual and necessary expenses” are those required for practice and competition, such as meals, travel to practices and competition and medical insurance.

1-6

Yet another bump in the road for oft injured Yao Ming who underwent an MRI on his left ankle yesterday. Though it only revealed a “mild sprain”, he’ll miss at least a week, and regretfully, it comes at a terrible time for the 1-6 Rockets.

2

You really have to feel for Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin. He’s sat out the last two days of practice with migraine headaches, something that has plagued him his entire athletic career. And to give you an idea how clueless Brad Childress is, this was his comment on the situation. “Just under the weather”. No wonder they can’t stand this guy.

5-4

It’s official folks, the Miami Heat are a bad basketball team. They’re 3-2 at home, 5-4 overall and lack any sense of chemistry. To top it all off, it appears the word is out already in the league. If you have a serviceable big man who can pound the ball underneath and a point guard who can penetrate, well then, that’s your formula for success against this squad. Only a matter of time before Pat Riley makes his way down to the bench now.

Despite running one of his biggest detractors, Randy Moss, out of town, Vikings head coach Brad Childress is still persona non-grata amongst many in the organization.

The Chicago Sun-Times reports of several displeased players and from the looks of it, some of his colleagues on the coaching staff as well. His confrontation last week with WR Percy Harvin irked many.

The two had to be separated, but Harvin was applauded by several teammates and even coaches for standing up to Childress.

Whether Childress lasts the season remains to be seen. Some in the media, however, speculated that a loss last Sunday would have forced owner Zygi Wilf to let him go. So, in essence, it may not be a matter of “if” but “when” for Childress.

”We know that Childress doesn’t have our backs, so why should we have his?” one player said. ”We’re playing for us, and we’re winning despite him.”

”He has absolutely no people skills,” one team source said.

Those aren’t exactly ringing endorsements both for Childress as a head coach and frankly, as a human being. With Wade Phillips being ousted earlier this week, the hot seat for Brad Childress is now spewing lava. The back-to-back division games the next two weeks will ultimately decide his fate, that is, if Wilf hasn’t decided it already.

307

Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is listed at a paltry 307 lbs. Most of the time that kind of beefiness exempts you from special teams duty. But when Jason Hanson left the game with a leg injury, the soccer-playing Suh was pressed into kicking an extra point. Unfortunately, he pushed it wide right and in the end it proved to be the difference as the game went to overtime. Nevertheless, people this morning are asking if there’s anything Suh can’t do. Judging from the length of Matthew Stafford’s recent shoulder injury, can he line up under center?

1-800-4-Cowher

We talked to Keyshawn Johnson last week about the future of Cowboys coach Wade Phillips. He thought that he was done but not before the end of the season. Well, after last night’s embarrassing performance against the Packers, Wade’s days are officially numbered. The Cowboys looked unprepared and frankly uninterested and were blown right off the field 45-7. Wait, what’s that you say Mr. Jones? You need Bill Cowher’s number ASAP?

446

Unlike his colleague Wade Phillips, Brad Childress’ job appears to be safe for the time being. Less than a week after the Randy Moss debacle, reports surfaced that WR Percy Harvin and Childress had to be physically separated after a heated argument. But leave it up to Brett Favre, who again, stole the headlines and ruined an otherwise expected firing of a coach that no doubt deserves it. Favre passed for 446 yards yesterday, a career high–I guess that’s surprising because I was under the impression that passing yards only counted when your own team caught the ball.

184

Cleveland running back Peyton Hillis is a flat-out stud and if the Pro-Bowl announcement was made today, he’d a be a shoo-in to start. The heavy-set Hillis bruised and battered the Patriots defense en route to 184 yards on the ground. The Browns also used some imagination on offense running a trick play with Josh Cribbs at quarterback and Chansi Stuckey lined up over guard.

3

Barring catastrophe, it doesn’t appear like the Boise State Broncos will have a chance at the BCS title game this year (nor should they with that schedule) TCU absolutely obliterated Utah on the road and leaped ahead of Boise State in the rankings last night. Unless one of these favorites lose, which doesn’t look likely, Boise State will probably be playing in one of the other BCS bowls (Rose?).

69

I’m about to make every single reader feel like a lazy POS right now. Edison Pena, the Chilean miner who was stuck a mile under the earth for 69 days competed in the NYC marathon yesterday. While Pena, at times, needed medical attention for his ailing knees, he still limped his way across the finish line holding the Chilean flag. For what it’s worth, in the 5 hours, 40 minutes and 51 seconds it took Pena to finish, I polished off a large pizza and a half order of breadsticks. His feat was only slightly more impressive.

We spoke with former NFL wide receiver and current ESPN analyst Keyshawn Johnson this morning and he offered some insight on a wide array of NFL issues including the Randy Moss situation and the use of anti-concussion helmets.

Q: Is Randy Moss playing himself out of the league with his attitude?

“I don’t know what attitude he has other than speaking the truth or how he feels. He hasn’t done anything wrong, he doesn’t get in trouble off the field, doesn’t go to jail, never late to practice, doesn’t do anything. Where’s he a troublemaker at? In the locker room? He doesn’t throw his quarterbacks under the bus…”

Q: What about his press conference on Sunday when he talked about how much he loved the Patriots and denigrated Brad Childress?

“He’s speaking the truth, if he really feels strong about the Patriots and he wanted to tell the world how he felt about the Patriots, that’s his right to do that. He doesn’t have to kiss Brad Childress’ ass.”

Q: Is Wade Phillips gone?

“I would think so, I don’t know that but I would bet my house that he’s gone…I’m sure you would to”

Q: Is Brett Favre going to be in the NFL next year with all the off-season distractions he’s had?

“Probably not, but who knows with him. A lot has happened since the summer with him and he had the whole Jenn Sterger thing, the video cam, the phone, the elbow, the ankle. It’s just a lot to have to deal with at 41-years old.

Q: DeSean Jackson is using a new helmet this week….If you were still playing today, would you consider using it?

“Probably not, I didn’t have any concussions. Just because somebody else would change…I’m a guy that kinda sticks to what I do, my routine stays the same and when my routine gets interrupted, then I have a real problem with that”

Q: Super Bowl pick?

“New England Patriots-New Orleans Saints”

Keyshawn is doing some work promoting Captain Morgan and their one million pose pledge over the next year. The World’s Largest Pose,” a 180 ft. human mosaic stretching the length of the field at New Meadowlands Stadium was done yesterday. Here’s a view from high atop the new Meadowlands. Very creative.

For more information, go the Captain Morgan Facebook page.

Less than 24 hours after being officially released by the Minnesota Vikings, Randy Moss found a new home in Tennessee. Several teams slotted higher than Tennessee on the waiver wire elected to pass on him–amongst them St. Louis and Oakland.

Moss fell out of favor with the Vikings organization when he declared his man-love for the Patriots and delivered a thinly veiled shot at coach Brad Childress. Aside from that, Moss’ performance on the field thus far in 2010, has been less than stellar. In eight games, he’s recorded 22 catches for 313 yards and 5 tds. Not atrocious numbers per se but definitely far from what he’s capable of.

Moss will be an unrestricted free agent after the season, so essentially these last eight games are a job audition. You can only live off your past reputation for so long, something Randy Moss knows all too much about.

If loving Bill Belichick is wrong, then Randy Moss doesn’t want to be right. Less than 24 hours after delivering one of the most bizarre impromptu press conferences ever, the Vikings waived Randy Moss.

If you haven’t seen the press conference yet, well, it’s a doozie. Not only does he express his love for all thing Patriots but he takes a thinly veiled shot at the Vikings coaching staff, specifically Brad Childress.

News continues to roll in but for now,PFT is reporting that Moss was not even aware he was waived. The NFL Network even went on to say that coach Brad Childress informed the team of the decision before he told Moss.

Just classic stuff here folks. And to think, in all of this, the Patriots may get Moss back after he was traded for draft picks. No wonder they are such a successful organization, they get players for free.

He misses them like crazy by the way.

6

As if things weren’t already bad for the Notre Dame program, now star QB Dayne Crist is out six months after knee surgery to repair a torn patella tendon. Almost exactly a year earlier, on Oct 31st, 2009, Crist suffered a torn ACL. I’m guessing he won’t be holding a Halloween party next year to commemorate the event.

1

Our wild and wacky neighbors to the north had one crazy ending to a game over the weekend. The CFL’s Toronto Argonauts and the Montreal Alouettes traded punts late in the game to prevent a game winning single point field-goal “rouge”. It’s a play I didn’t even know existed in modern play football. Naturally, I asked for help from CFL Yahoo! blogger Andrew Bucholtz. Trust me, it’s worth watching the bizarre play and reading his explanation.

58

Former Blazers star Maurice Lucas passed away yesterday as a result of bladder cancer. Lucas, 58, led the Portland Trailblazers to their only NBA Title in 1977. The five-time All-Star average 14.4 points and 8.8 rebounds in 12 NBA seasons with Portland, New Jersey, New York, Phoenix, the Los Angeles Lakers and Seattle.

39,073

Everyday for the last 36 years, Walter Byerly has run at least one mile. The 80-year old doesn’t really think about it much saying “it’s something I’ve got to do”. In totally unrelated news, everyday for the last 15 years I’ve successfully eaten a jelly-filled donut. I consider my accomplishment to be a much greater feat.

21

I’m not sure I totally grasp MLB scheduling World Series games on Sunday during NFL season but nevertheless, there was a game last night and the Giants pulled to within one win of the championship. 21-year-old rookie pitcher Madison Bumgarner pitched a gem for San Francisco, holding the Rangers offense to 3 hits in 8 innings in a 4-0 victory. Tonight’s pitching match-up is the same as Game 1, Lincecum and Lee. For the Rangers to have any shot of extending this series, Lee will have to perform much better than he did a week ago.

26

Ryuji Imada received a 26-stroke penalty for not adhering to local rules at a tournament in China. Instead of placing a drop (after a lift and clean) within a scorecard’s length, Imada opted to use the more customary club-length rule. When he was informed of the mistake, Imada told officials he had done it at least 13 times which resulted in a 2-stroke penalty for every occurrence.

8

Brett Favre was carted off the field midway through the 4th quarter after taking a brutal helmet shot to the chin but don’t worry folks, his start streak is still alive. After receiving eight stitches, Favre told the media that he will be ramped and ready to go for next week’s game. That collective groan you hear is from Brad Childress, whose head coaching fate now rests on the abilities of a 41-year old attention whore.

4

Jay Cutler completed four passes to DeAngelo Hall on Sunday, which would be great, you know, if Hall wasn’t on the other team. In what can only be described as a staple of the Mike Martz offense, Cutler’s four interceptions to Hall tied a NFL record. One of them, a 92-yard return for a touchdown, proved to be too much for the Bears to come back from in a 17-14 loss at home to the dreadful Redskins.

50.4

Cutler wasn’t the only quarterback who struggled Sunday. NFL legend and sexting whore Brett Favre threw three second-half interceptions en route to a rare loss for him at Lambeau. Vikings coach Brad Childress was critical of Favre’s play after the game saying “You can’t throw it to them, you’ve got to play within the confines of our system..It always will be hard that way. It’s hard to overcome on the road”. Apparently, Favre must have sent Sterger those pics from a home game.

25

Despite going undefeated in the 2004-2005 season, Auburn was never ranked #1. In fact, the Tigers have not sniffed the top ranking since the 1985 season. But that all changed Sunday when the BCS computers vaulted them into the #1 spot ahead of Oregon and Boise State. But it may not be a ranking they necessarily want. The top ranked teams have been falling at will including Oklahoma’s loss at Missouri over the weekend.

4,000,000

Disgruntled NBA star Allen Iverson is apparently taking his talents to Turkey. After he wasn’t able to secure a contract with a NBA team, Iverson decided that playing overseas was his best bet. Besitkas of the Turkish pro-league will pay him four million dollars over two years including a stipulation that he will not able to leave mid-season for the NBA.

225

Raise your hand if you had Kenny Britt in your fantasy league yesterday? The Titans wide receiver, who was involved in a club fight only three days earlier had the best game of his career tallying 225 yards and 3 touchdowns. Maybe this will spark a new trend? Brawlin and ballin, I can see it now.

204

The most exciting finish of the weekend? No, it did not take place on a baseball or football field but rather on the 204-yard, 17th green at TPC Summerlin. In the 4th playoff hole of the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, Jonathon Byrd scored a hole-in-one to cap off the Fall PGA schedule.

Got to watch an exciting video from the NFL today on illegal hits. ‘Someone’ drew a diagram to explain it.

If you haven’t seen the video, trust me, you’re not missing much. That is, unless you want some guy to painfully explain to you how the NFL has gone “righteous” this week.

That aside, the part that Kluwe is referring to is the absolute knockout of Seahawks punter Jon Ryan last week. In it, Ray Anderson the vice president of football operations applauds the clean nature of the hit even though he refers to Ryan as defenseless.

All in all, solid artistic work from Mr. Kluwe. Now, if only he could provide a caricature of Brett Favre’s dong…

Kluwe’s tweet draws a clear picture [Star Tribune]

John Madden was later seen massaging “Lil Favre”.

Video via SBNation:

3

The preliminary results of the North Carolina football scandal are in, and thus far, it doesn’t look good for the Tar Heels. Standout defensive tackle Marvin Austin was kicked off the team outright and two others were declared permanently ineligible. The NCAA had found that all three received improper benefits from agents. Somehow, head coach Butch Davis has remain unscathed but that may change in the near future.

13

It appears that the 13th Grand Slam win for Serena Williams was unlucky. After winning Wimbledon earlier this year, Williams was celebrating with some friends when she “allegedly” stepped on glass. The injury required surgery and she has yet to step on the court since then. Though she has been seen frolicking on the beach in Miami the last few weeks, she made an announcement that she was going to take the rest of the year off. That was one hell of a jagged piece of glass I tell ya.

293

Let me introduce to possibly the toughest man in college football. 293 pound Greg Nosal of Virginia Tech lost the tip of his finger during a game Saturday. When he realized something had happened, he ran over to the sideline to tell the trainer. After a medical evaluation revealed that his freaking bone was sticking out, doctors wanted to reattach it then and there. But Nosal, he had other plans. He played all the way into the 4th quarter before finally yielding and getting the surgery done.

45

Color me shocked folks–a man named Adam Jones got in trouble with the law. Thankfully for Adam “Pacman” Jones of the Cincinnati Bengals, it wasn’t him. The cornerback was wrongfully held and arrested for 45 minutes before police realized they had the wrong person in custody. Because, you know, Adam Jones is such an uncommon name. We’ve ripped on Pacman before here, but this time the dude has a legitimate beef.

264

Despite Brett Favre’s best efforts, his Minnesota Vikings fell to 1-3 on the season after losing to the Jets last night. Favre’s 264 yards and 3 touchdowns were crucial in the comeback but his interception with 1:30 to play proved to be costly. Dwight Lowery returned for a touchdown and sealed the win. Favre admitted after the game that he is also fighting tendinitis in his throwing arm. Wonder if the Vikings are regretting that decision to bring Favre back?

After some overnight speculation that included a preemptive tweet by Bill Simmons, Randy Moss was officially traded to the Minnesota Vikings. In exchange for Moss, the Patriots received a 3rd round pick in next year’s draft.

It’s been a tumultuous ride for the receiver the last few weeks. He openly complained about coaching/management in a press conference that lasted several minutes. Then this past Monday night, he caught no passes for the first time in his Patriots career and was only thrown at once the entire game.

Needless to say, he already had one foot out the door and management was more than willing to guide him completely out.