An update in the Tiger Woods ambulance to hospital story: the 911 call that one Fire Department spokesperson told TMZ.com came from Woods home and then backed off on the report, then another source claimed came from another residence in the area is confirmed to have come from Tiger Woods home.
And while that was going on, Jaimie Grubbs, another alleged mistress of Tiger Woods, is revealing just how much she hates men. According to Radar Online.com, Grubbs said that "boys" were "like toys" to her.
Jaimie Grubbs is not showing a good side of herself and the media's not helping her cover it up. The public news is that she worked or works in a medical marijuana store and was arrested for shop lifting. But what's more terrible is that Jaimie Grubbs opens up and first allegedly sells a voicemail of a person said to be Woods to US Weekly for $150,000, then uses an affair that's obviously contributing to the emotional harm of the Woods family to develop her own fame.
Very bad behavior.
Stay tuned.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
Tiger Woods ambulance news: 911 call for Barbro Holmberg, Woods mom-in-law
In the Tiger Woods ambulance story this update: the 911 call was made for Tiger Woods mother-in-law, Barbro Holmberg.
TMZ.com reports Barbro Holmberg, Elin Nordegren's mother and a Swedish Social Democratic politician, was rushed to the hospital after complaining of stomach pains.
According to the New York Daily News, Homberg she was appointed Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy in the Swedish Government on October 10, 2003 and left office October 6, 2006 after the Swedish government election.
For more on the Woods hospital story, click here.
Barbro Holmberg
TMZ.com reports Barbro Holmberg, Elin Nordegren's mother and a Swedish Social Democratic politician, was rushed to the hospital after complaining of stomach pains.
According to the New York Daily News, Homberg she was appointed Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy in the Swedish Government on October 10, 2003 and left office October 6, 2006 after the Swedish government election.
For more on the Woods hospital story, click here.
Tiger Woods hospital news: woman on advanced life support released
An as of this writing unidentified middle-aged blonde woman was rushed to Health Center hospital early this morning and is now released. According to TMZ.com, the Orange County (Florida) Fire Department spokesperson reported that 911 call came from Tiger Woods home, but then the Fire Department rep backed off the story.
TMZ explains that sources have told them the mother of Tiger Woods' Wife Elin Nordegren had traveled from Sweden to the United States to be with her daughter.
There are conflicting reports. Some claim that the 911 call came from Woods house; others say it came nearby. The second report may be the case, as it matches with Monday's new of Woods wife moving out of their home and into that of a friend in the area.
According to WKMG a woman was taken to the hospital and followed by a blonde woman in a black Escalade from Deacon Circle to Heath Center Hospital. The same hospital that Woods himself was taken to after his car accident. Here's the video link from TMZ.com (embed code was not operating): LINK
RadarOnline.com reports that the woman has been released from the hospital as of 9:41 AM EST. They describer her as in her 50s with "blondish-gray" hair.
Stay tuned.
Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren (Zap2it.com)
TMZ explains that sources have told them the mother of Tiger Woods' Wife Elin Nordegren had traveled from Sweden to the United States to be with her daughter.
There are conflicting reports. Some claim that the 911 call came from Woods house; others say it came nearby. The second report may be the case, as it matches with Monday's new of Woods wife moving out of their home and into that of a friend in the area.
According to WKMG a woman was taken to the hospital and followed by a blonde woman in a black Escalade from Deacon Circle to Heath Center Hospital. The same hospital that Woods himself was taken to after his car accident. Here's the video link from TMZ.com (embed code was not operating): LINK
RadarOnline.com reports that the woman has been released from the hospital as of 9:41 AM EST. They describer her as in her 50s with "blondish-gray" hair.
Stay tuned.
Oakland got $65 million in Economic Stimulus; where's the jobs?
I received this email from Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums' Oakland Community Task Force late Sunday night:
Ok. Great. The Mayor's giving a City Council report tonight on Economic Stimulus money to Oakland for ...$65 million? Wow.
But here's the question: where are the jobs?
Oakland is a city of just around 400,000 people; the Chicago Metro area's about 4 million. To compare Oakland to a much bigger city in terms of monies received is one thing but it also means what's done with the cash is to be questioned.
$65 million is a lot of money.
I check the City of Oakland's Economic Stimulus Website and found something disturbing: a list of program grants applied for that had not been updated in months. Under the estimate of jobs to be created most of the boxes had TBA which I guess means "To Be Added".
And for those areas where jobs were listed, the total was just over 2,500 positions. But 1,750 of those were from a block grant program that the website doesn't report the City got money for. It doesn't read that the City of Oakland was rejected either - it really doesn't tell you much of anything beyond the application due date and the program description.
Yikes.
This website has not been updated in months! Terrible!
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is scheduled to present the Oakland Economic Stimulus report tonight, Tuesday, at 7 PM at Oakland City Hall. Ask him what happened to the $65 million.
He will tell you that most of the money has not been claimed, but how much has not? Also, when will the jobs become available? Now, or in stages over the next year? And if it's in stages will that be enough to offset projected higher unemployment rates?
And then ask him with $65 million, why does the City of Oakland gouge its residents with high parking ticket costs and overly aggressive enforcement?
Geez.
Hear Mayor Dellums report on stimulus funding (some of which will fund task force-related recommendations). Oakland has received $65 million in stimulus funding, including half from competitive grants.
A preliminary review of selected cities indicates that this makes Oakland second after Chicago (my emphasis) in the amount of competitive funding received. And Oakland is not, by any means, the second largest city. Congratulations to the Mayor, the wonderful city staff led by task force member Margaretta Lin, and other task force members who participated in the planning process and grant writing.
Ok. Great. The Mayor's giving a City Council report tonight on Economic Stimulus money to Oakland for ...$65 million? Wow.
But here's the question: where are the jobs?
Oakland is a city of just around 400,000 people; the Chicago Metro area's about 4 million. To compare Oakland to a much bigger city in terms of monies received is one thing but it also means what's done with the cash is to be questioned.
$65 million is a lot of money.
I check the City of Oakland's Economic Stimulus Website and found something disturbing: a list of program grants applied for that had not been updated in months. Under the estimate of jobs to be created most of the boxes had TBA which I guess means "To Be Added".
And for those areas where jobs were listed, the total was just over 2,500 positions. But 1,750 of those were from a block grant program that the website doesn't report the City got money for. It doesn't read that the City of Oakland was rejected either - it really doesn't tell you much of anything beyond the application due date and the program description.
Yikes.
This website has not been updated in months! Terrible!
Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is scheduled to present the Oakland Economic Stimulus report tonight, Tuesday, at 7 PM at Oakland City Hall. Ask him what happened to the $65 million.
He will tell you that most of the money has not been claimed, but how much has not? Also, when will the jobs become available? Now, or in stages over the next year? And if it's in stages will that be enough to offset projected higher unemployment rates?
And then ask him with $65 million, why does the City of Oakland gouge its residents with high parking ticket costs and overly aggressive enforcement?
Geez.
Monday, December 07, 2009
Toby Gerhart named one of Heisman finalists 2009
The Heisman finalists for 2009 have been named and Stanford's Running Back Toby Gerhart is among them. As The Chronicle's Tom Fitzgerald explains, Gerhart, who led the nation in yards gained with 1,736 and 26 touchdowns, would become the second Stanford player to get the award if he won on Saturday. Quarterback Jim Plunkett was the first Heisman winner for The Cardinal in 1970.
Gerhart is up against stiff competition in Texas Quarterback Colt McCoy, Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow, Nebraska Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh, and Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram.
While Ingram played for the undefeated Crimson Tide, his numbers are far less impressive than Gerhart's. Ingram rushed for 1,542 yards this season with 15 rushing touchdowns, 11 less than Gerhart.
Meanwhile my Tim Tebow Crying Poll is a virtual dead heat with 34.51 percent who voted that crying was OK, versus 34.69 percent who think he should have not cried, out of 2,776 votes since Sunday.
Gerhart is up against stiff competition in Texas Quarterback Colt McCoy, Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow, Nebraska Defensive Lineman Ndamukong Suh, and Alabama Running Back Mark Ingram.
While Ingram played for the undefeated Crimson Tide, his numbers are far less impressive than Gerhart's. Ingram rushed for 1,542 yards this season with 15 rushing touchdowns, 11 less than Gerhart.
Meanwhile my Tim Tebow Crying Poll is a virtual dead heat with 34.51 percent who voted that crying was OK, versus 34.69 percent who think he should have not cried, out of 2,776 votes since Sunday.
Gloria Allred to talk about motherhood, not Tiger Woods, on MyWorkButterly.com
A quick note to post an interesting comment by Bradi Nathan placed at Zennie62.com and which points to her cool new social network for working mothers called MyWorkButterly.com:
I checked out the new social network and it's really a great online concept. It's fascinating to see how the social networking industry is so segmented with portals for working moms like MyWorkButterfly.com and others for parents and kids in sports teams like MakeItPro.com.
I'll look out for the Gloria Allred interview!
When I received an email from Gloria (Allred) this past Friday, 12/4, stating that she was suddenly free for our video interview, I was shocked and thrilled. My partner and I knew she was in the midst of the Tiger Woods case and were originally set to visit her Malibu home on Saturday. We later learned that she cancelled her press conference that, according to her daughter Lisa, was most likely due to a settlement from the parties at hand.
Gloria invited us to her office in LA for a 30 minute interview that I wished lasted all-day. She put her trial aside to talk about all things motherhood and empowerment. Gloria's interview will be loaded to our site, MyWorkButterfly.com, to inspire our online community of return to work and working moms.
This is a woman who should be in the forefront of the news, not Tiger Woods (a man who can't keep his club in his pants!).
Bradi, Co-Founder, www.myworkbutterfly.com
I checked out the new social network and it's really a great online concept. It's fascinating to see how the social networking industry is so segmented with portals for working moms like MyWorkButterfly.com and others for parents and kids in sports teams like MakeItPro.com.
I'll look out for the Gloria Allred interview!
Tiger Woods wife moves out; porn star Holly Samson 8th woman
UPDATE: Woman rushed to hospital Tuesday morning released.
Tiger Woods wife Elin Nordegren has reportedly moved out of their home and in with friends in the Windemere, Florida neighborhood they live in. Meanwhile Porn Star Holly Sampson is listed as the 8th woman to have had an alleged affair with the World's Greatest Golfer. This is a sad series of developments, as it appears Woods life as he and we knew it is crumbling before our collective eyes.
Holly Sampson
Radar Online.com lead with the story "Elin Nordegren moves out" that was confirmed by the Chicago Sun Times. There's no more new information on that report as of this writing or if she took their two children with her. That information needs to be included here.
Separated?
Meanwhile, Porn Star Holly Sampson has not denied sleeping with Tiger Woods and Fox News claims that while Samspon is the 7th woman allegedly linked to Woods, there's an 8th, a 9th and a 10th woman as well.
Beyond the 8th woman, who's I can explain in a moment, I think it's irresponsible of Fox News to allege there's a 9th and 10th without evidence that is even a child of deductive reasoning. Let's recap how many women have been connected with Woods to date:
1. Rachel Uchitel - The National Enquirer-outed nighclub executive who denied sleeping with Woods but later admitted it after two other women stepped forward.
2. Jaimie Grubbs - The San Diego cocktail waitress who gave US Weekly her recording of Woods alleged voicemail to Grubbs that she remove her name from her phone because his Wife was going to call her.
3. Kalika Moquin - While linked to Woods by a source to Radar Online and other gossip pubs, Moquin has denied any relationship and not given any additional statements. She's the marketing manager at The Bank Nightclub at Bellagio in Las Vegas.
4. Jamie Jungers - The 26-year-old Las Vegas entertainer-for-hire model is the fourth woman who came forward on Saturday. She claimed she was going to tell her story to a British publication, but has yet to do so.
5. Mindy Lawton - Of all the women connected to Woods, 34-year-old Mindy Lawton is closest to his home in Orlando, and was said to have worked at a local restaurant called Perkins Diner. They carried on a 14-month affair (starting in 2006 and ending in 2007) which was said to have been documented by the National Enquirer, which never ran the story.
Lawton's proximity to Woods gave the World its closest look at the golfer's "off-course" lifestyle, consisting of meetups with friends and party girls in VIP areas of places like The Blue Martini in Orlando. Lawton reportedly took their affair seriously, so it is no wonder that she's allowing her story to be told far and wide - she's pissed.
Mindy Lawton
6. Cori Rist - A source told the New York Post that the 31-year-old Upper East-Side dwelling Rist met Woods at a New York Nightclub called "Butter" then flew her to places where he had golfing engagements.
7. Holly Sampson - The first, and hopefully for Woods the last porn star to make this list, Holly Sampson was introduced to the British Daily Mail via another unnamed source. Sampson has made 85 movies from Lingerie or Bust to Diary of a Horny Housewife. Holly Sampson has not confirmed or denied that she slept with Woods as of this writing.
8. Name by Michael O'Quinn - Michael O'Quinn has said he also represents a woman who allegedly had an affair with Woods, but since O'Quinn has not come forward, that woman has to be "Number 8" because he has said he does not represent any one else.
Fox News claims there's a 9th woman and a 10th woman but has no media partner to confirm that assertion as of this writing. Unlike "Number 8" which can be linked to Michael O'Quinn, there's nothing, not even mention of an unnamed source to justify the introduction of a 9th or 10th woman.
I think Fox News is trying to advance and move the search pattern of this story to favor its own website, which is a terrible process to use in this or any news story.
Now, with all of these reports coming fast and furious, our attention should turn to Woods and his mental state. I have no idea, and the media does not seem concerned to know, how he's doing.
I've got to believe all of these affairs, some real and many questionable, may in some way be connected to the passing of his father Earl Woods, who was so central to Woods development as a man and a level-headed celebrity.
Finally, I wonder why Woods selected nightclub executives and waitresses as opposed to sports executives and lawyers or Stanford coeds? Woods was at Stanford for just two academic years before his golf life took over and he turned pro in 1999. Maybe he didn't get the full experience of a Cardinal education, complete with all of the amazingly talented female leaders that come from The Farm.
I don't know. I just don't know.
Stay tuned.
Blind Side Number 1 Movie, Michael Oher video interview
The Blind Side, the amazing true story of how Baltimore Ravens Offensive Tackle Michael Oher emerged from homelessness to become an NFL star with the help of Ole Miss Alum Leslie Ann Toughy, now reached the level of the number one highest grossing movie in America last weekend.
According to Nikke Finke at Deadline Hollywood Blog, the feel-good pict gained a total of $129.2 million to date and scored $20.4 million last weekend with $6.8 million on Friday and $8.5 million on Saturday.
What's interesting about the Sandra Bullock movie is its' real star, Oher refuses to see it. According to Sports Illustrated, he's focused on being a better player in the NFL.
I had the pleasure of meeting Michael Oher at the 2009 NFL Draft and recording what turned out to be the only readily available online video interview.
In the video, Oher talks about his past life saying that "I still can't believe it" regarding his new stardom, but really lights up when the conversation turns to the playing field. Oher mentioned that he liked going against Florida Linebacker Brandon Spikes, who talked to him during the game, calling him by Oher's middle name, Jerome. Oher: "He would say "Martin? Jerome in the house? He's a funny guy."
For more NFL and college football news and views, listen to Football Reporters online at this link, where you can listen to a nationally-represented panel of coaches, draftniks, and bloggers like me on last Thursday's BlogTalkRadio show, or tune in to the next program.
Window at home in Georgia
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Overheard in New York: a cool blog that's a good example for Oakland
I figured I'd save video-blogging for Monday and just cyber-walk over to New York to see what was happening in the blogsphere there. Being in Georgia for about a third of the year gives me a weird national perspective that I bring to my Oakland and Bay Area blogging and vice versa. (Also there's just more coin in national video-blogging.) But also I have something like eight city blogs so I have to pay attention to what's happening in those towns anyway; eventually I wind up looking at the whole damn country.
Just to keep on my toes I typed NY blogs, found a blog directory called NYCbloggers.com , then meandered into Noisiest Passenger, which recommended a blog called Overheard In New York.
Much of the blogging in Oakland and San Francisco leans toward the art scene or the politics arena (except the sports blogs, which do just that). Nothing wrong with that but in New York the blogging tends to be more about crap that happens in urban life. Much like some of my video-blogs like the Angry Cab Driver, but in text. Such is Overheard In New York.
Overheard In New York is just that: a blog consisting of what the blogger actually heard someone say, somewhere in in New York. I would think the rule is the saying had to actually happen, and I think it would make a better video-blog, but its entertaining. No, the sayings are not about other people, so defamation is not a concern.
Here's a taste of what's there:
And...
And..
Or...
And...
You get the idea.
It's a good example of how bloggers in Oakland and San Francisco can better represent what happened around them rather than what they chose to look at. It's said that there are 178 bloggers in Oakland alone but to me it seems like there are only 10 or 15 at best who are active. Then within that group there's a few that have a narrow set of interests, then exhibit a kind of clique approach, writing about the same topics and identical perspectives weekly.
Because they have a small, but loyal readership that talks to each other, that group thinks their blog set is more widely read than in reality. In all, it makes for a rather boring mix of text and almost no video. We as a collective can do better at showing Oakland and San Francisco as they really are.
As for me, the International scene's getting more and more interesting. Now if I can only link all of them effectively I'll have a better Zennie62.com
Just to keep on my toes I typed NY blogs, found a blog directory called NYCbloggers.com , then meandered into Noisiest Passenger, which recommended a blog called Overheard In New York.
A random guy, listening..
Overheard In New York is just that: a blog consisting of what the blogger actually heard someone say, somewhere in in New York. I would think the rule is the saying had to actually happen, and I think it would make a better video-blog, but its entertaining. No, the sayings are not about other people, so defamation is not a concern.
Here's a taste of what's there:
Teenage boy: We should go hang out in Park Slope.
Teenage girl: No, we shouldn't. The yuppies will run us over with their strollers.
--Long Island City
Overheard by: Sunny
And...
Girl to friend: What's the difference between penguins and puffins?
Friend: Well, for one thing, puffins are birds.
--Central Park Zoo, Penguin/Puffins Exhibit
And..
Drunk girl to another: There's like 7 miles of cock out there and I can't even get 7 inches.
Friend: I'd be happy with 4 inches.
--Chaos Club
Or...
Little boy: Mommy, mommy!
Mom: What?
Little boy: Can I please have this? (holds up Transformers toy)
Mom, laughing: Yeah, the tooth fairy's gonna have to come a lot more for you to afford that.
--Target
And...
Girl: Yeah, like I mean, I would definitely say that I was in the best shape of my life when I had my eating disorder.
Guy, after long pause: Uhhhhh... at least you're honest!
--Fordham University
Overheard by: Rachel
You get the idea.
It's a good example of how bloggers in Oakland and San Francisco can better represent what happened around them rather than what they chose to look at. It's said that there are 178 bloggers in Oakland alone but to me it seems like there are only 10 or 15 at best who are active. Then within that group there's a few that have a narrow set of interests, then exhibit a kind of clique approach, writing about the same topics and identical perspectives weekly.
Because they have a small, but loyal readership that talks to each other, that group thinks their blog set is more widely read than in reality. In all, it makes for a rather boring mix of text and almost no video. We as a collective can do better at showing Oakland and San Francisco as they really are.
As for me, the International scene's getting more and more interesting. Now if I can only link all of them effectively I'll have a better Zennie62.com
SNL Tiger Woods skit has Blake Lively playing Elin Nordegren
The SNL Tiger Woods skit is totally off the hook. It aired last night on the popular NBC Saturday Night Live telecast hosted by 'Total Babe for Tiger Woods' Gossip Girl's Blake Lively, (@itsmelively).
Blake Lively
Tiger Woods is played by Kenan Thompson and Lively is his wife Elin Nordegren. The setting is a CNN Situation Room report where SNL actor Jason Sudeikis is Wolf Blitzer. CNN breaks to a new Tiger Woods report explaining another accident that covers for the fact that she kicked his butt after his misstatements during press conferences!
Blake Lively does more of a German than Swedish accent, but who's paying attention to that?
Oscar buzz: Live Action Short Films paired to 10 from 71
AMPAS, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, announced that out of 71 entries, 10 films advanced in the voting process for the three to five nominees that will make up the Live Action Short Film category at the 2010 82nd Annual Academy Awards. The movies, listed in alphabetical order by title and with their production company, are:
* “The Door,” Juanita Wilson, director, and James Flynn, producer (Octagon Films Ltd.)
* “The Ground Beneath,” Rene Hernandez, director, and Kristina Ceyton, producer (Passion Pictures)
* “Hotel,” Tim Conrad, director-producer (Oyster Films)
* “Instead of Abracadabra,” Patrik Eklund, director, and Mathias Fjellstrom, producer (Direktorn & Fabrikorn)
* “Kavi,” Gregg Helvey, director-producer (Gregg Helvey)
* “Miracle Fish,” Luke Doolan, director, and Drew Bailey, producer (Druid Films)
* “The New Tenants,” Joachim Back, director, and Tivi Magnusson, producer (Park Pictures)
* “The Response,” Adam Rodgers, director, and Sig Libowitz, producer (Look at the Moon Productions)
* “Short Term 12,” Destin Daniel Cretton, director-producer, and Michelle Steffes, producer (Destin Cretton)
* “Sidney Turtlebaum,” Tristram Shapeero, director, and Daniel Jewel, producer (Third Man Films Limited)
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee paired the list from 71 to the 10 listed. Now, AMPAS Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will cast their votes for the final nominee safter screenings that are coming to San Francisco, as well as Los Angeles and New York in January 2010.
The favorite in this area is hard to determine, but Steve Pond over at The Wrap has done a great job of presenting each movie with a video where available. Please take time to read his blog!
* “The Door,” Juanita Wilson, director, and James Flynn, producer (Octagon Films Ltd.)
* “The Ground Beneath,” Rene Hernandez, director, and Kristina Ceyton, producer (Passion Pictures)
* “Hotel,” Tim Conrad, director-producer (Oyster Films)
* “Instead of Abracadabra,” Patrik Eklund, director, and Mathias Fjellstrom, producer (Direktorn & Fabrikorn)
* “Kavi,” Gregg Helvey, director-producer (Gregg Helvey)
* “Miracle Fish,” Luke Doolan, director, and Drew Bailey, producer (Druid Films)
* “The New Tenants,” Joachim Back, director, and Tivi Magnusson, producer (Park Pictures)
* “The Response,” Adam Rodgers, director, and Sig Libowitz, producer (Look at the Moon Productions)
* “Short Term 12,” Destin Daniel Cretton, director-producer, and Michelle Steffes, producer (Destin Cretton)
* “Sidney Turtlebaum,” Tristram Shapeero, director, and Daniel Jewel, producer (Third Man Films Limited)
The Short Films and Feature Animation Branch Reviewing Committee paired the list from 71 to the 10 listed. Now, AMPAS Short Films and Feature Animation Branch members will cast their votes for the final nominee safter screenings that are coming to San Francisco, as well as Los Angeles and New York in January 2010.
The favorite in this area is hard to determine, but Steve Pond over at The Wrap has done a great job of presenting each movie with a video where available. Please take time to read his blog!
Pete Carroll with grad student - Charlie Weis says he didn't say it
The talk in sports is former Notre Dame Head Coach Charlie Weis mistaken blast on USC Coach Pete Carroll during a wide-ranging interview with Irish Illustrated. Before I get to some of the other notable comments Weis made, let's focus on the one that's got everyone talking and produced some confusion with me.
First, Weis makes a profound statement to Irish Illustrated:
Here Coach Weis is right on. In the old days of media, nasty, lying, and insulting letters to the editor never saw the light of day; now Internet comment trolls are allowed to get away with murder. (Which is being curtailed slowly because they're harming website ad sales.)
But then Coach Weis goes off and says this:
Now given what Charlie Weis himself said in the same sentence, why would he go and do that? It feeds the same animals Weis says writes things he does not like regarding his family. Plus, it makes Weis look like a troll.
Coach Carroll, very upset, said this to USC sports information director Tim Tessalone:
The Weis got wind of the Internet tidal wave and backtracked, saying...
I know for a fact Weis and Carroll don't like each other much, so Weis let a little of his reported issues with Carroll slip. It's not Coach Weis' finest moment.
It's too bad Coach Weis couldn't go out with class. He says he's going to coach for an NFL team next year. But here's hoping he thinks twice before he talks about other coaches in the future.
Also, Irish Illustrated should have used video rather than be accused of misquoting Weis.
Pete Carroll and Charlie Weis (ESPN)
First, Weis makes a profound statement to Irish Illustrated:
Q: You talked about the negativity with the media and the community, and the irreparable harm that it’s done on your family.
CW: What people don’t understand is that in the day of the Internet and tweeting and everything else that’s out there, when people put things out that are not based on fact, they all come back to your family. They all come back. As hardened as I am and as many blows as I’ve taken, I’m still standing, fellas. They didn’t beat me down. But they beat my wife down and they beat my son down. Hannah doesn’t know what she doesn’t know. So they didn’t beat her down.
But the pain that Maura went through and Charlie went through, I’ll never forgive them is the term. You can take all the shots you want at me. Fire away, but you have to understand that when they’re personal, they go directly to your wife and kids, and that’s really inexcusable. Those people really should be ashamed of themselves. As a matter of fact, I’ll make sure that the next time I’m at the Grotto, I’ll light one for all those people so that maybe they can see the light and stop being so vindictive. It’s a shame. It really is.
Here Coach Weis is right on. In the old days of media, nasty, lying, and insulting letters to the editor never saw the light of day; now Internet comment trolls are allowed to get away with murder. (Which is being curtailed slowly because they're harming website ad sales.)
But then Coach Weis goes off and says this:
Q: Is it frustrating to you Pete Carroll, for example, portrayed in one way…
CW: Let me ask you this question: You guys know about things that go on in different places. Was I living with a grad student in Malibu, or was I living with my wife in my house? You could bet that if I were living with a grad student here in South Bend, it would be national news. He’s doing it in Malibu and it’s not national news. What’s the difference? I don’t understand. Why is it okay for one guy to do things like that, but for me, I’m scrutinized when I swear. I’m sorry for swearing; absolve my sins.
Now given what Charlie Weis himself said in the same sentence, why would he go and do that? It feeds the same animals Weis says writes things he does not like regarding his family. Plus, it makes Weis look like a troll.
Coach Carroll, very upset, said this to USC sports information director Tim Tessalone:
“It’s untrue, it’s irresponsible, and it’s incredible he’d be talking about me like that,"
The Weis got wind of the Internet tidal wave and backtracked, saying...
“In no way was I trying to take a shot at Pete,” Weis said in a phone message. “What we were talking about was how the rumor mill can affect people’s lives. When I was asked a specific question like that, I responded like, 'This is the same crap that I’m talking about.' You start saying things like this and one thing, this guy does this and I do that and all of a sudden the Internet takes it all over the place.
"So, in no way was I trying to take a shot at Pete. I feel if I offended Pete, I will run Pete down and apologize. ... In no way do I have any idea what’s going on in anyone’s life other than the fact that rumors on the Internet can affect coaches' lives in a very, very negative fashion.”
“In no way would I be disrespectful to that guy,” and “All I know is that he kicked the crap out of me five times.”
I know for a fact Weis and Carroll don't like each other much, so Weis let a little of his reported issues with Carroll slip. It's not Coach Weis' finest moment.
It's too bad Coach Weis couldn't go out with class. He says he's going to coach for an NFL team next year. But here's hoping he thinks twice before he talks about other coaches in the future.
Also, Irish Illustrated should have used video rather than be accused of misquoting Weis.
Tiger Woods alienates black community with white lovers? Garbage!
The Associated Press' material can be a howler at times. The latest funny was this title: "Tiger Woods alienates black community with white lovers" which was conceived and written by a writer at the AP who presents his take on what the "Black Community" is and who represents it by turning to the old mainstream media standard, the legendary Tom Joyner.
Now, I love Tom Joyner, so it's not his fault; I'm aiming at the AP's 39-year-old Jesse Washington, who, while African American, has no idea what the "Black Community" is.
In a time when interracial dating is common, and black women with white men in commercials are more common than the opposite, its downright silly to complain about Tiger Woods' choice of female companions, blonde, brunette, or polka-dot, Rachel Uchitel, Jaimie Grubbs, Jamie Jungers, Kamile Moquin, Cori Rist, or Mindy Lawton.
Besides, why would any woman regardless of color want to be compared with or take the place of the alleged mistresses Tiger Woods has been linked to, given the PR backfire that can ensue?
Jesse Washington's AP-blasted take is a reflection of a certain part of Black America
that no longer represents the sum total of Black America: those who racially segregate themselves and hate any image of racial mixing for fear that it may result in the devaluation of their blackness.
Washington (who's background includes work in Detroit and New York City) reflects a part of the East Coast's Black Community that's far more hardened against and critical of interracial dating than on the West Coast, in San Francisco or Los Angeles or Oakland. I'm black and I'm certainly not the kind of person Washington implies "we" are. Moreover, many African Americans are not like that at all and root for Tiger Woods to overcome his problems.
What's interesting is Jesse Washington cherry-picked his sources to make the article he advanced. For example, he went to Tom Joyner as a source rather than The Root, the Washington Post-backed black blog site where Terence Samuel's blog post on Tiger Woods mentioned nothing about race.
And the study Washington references refers to adolescent interracial romance and not the adult American population. Washington should know that two studies referenced in the USA Today explain that interracial dating is so common in the Millenial Generation that the new generation "doesn't blink at interracial relationships."
And on a personal note, my mother and her friends and family, all black, still root for Tiger Woods. My African American friends who send emails and texts all want Tiger to succeed. So this idea Jesse Washington is advancing - that Tiger Woods' is in some way "alienated" from the black community - is just pure garbage with all due respect to Mr. Washington, who's overall work I enjoy.
I just disagree with my brother.
Now, I love Tom Joyner, so it's not his fault; I'm aiming at the AP's 39-year-old Jesse Washington, who, while African American, has no idea what the "Black Community" is.
Jesse Washington
In a time when interracial dating is common, and black women with white men in commercials are more common than the opposite, its downright silly to complain about Tiger Woods' choice of female companions, blonde, brunette, or polka-dot, Rachel Uchitel, Jaimie Grubbs, Jamie Jungers, Kamile Moquin, Cori Rist, or Mindy Lawton.
Besides, why would any woman regardless of color want to be compared with or take the place of the alleged mistresses Tiger Woods has been linked to, given the PR backfire that can ensue?
Jesse Washington's AP-blasted take is a reflection of a certain part of Black America
that no longer represents the sum total of Black America: those who racially segregate themselves and hate any image of racial mixing for fear that it may result in the devaluation of their blackness.
Washington (who's background includes work in Detroit and New York City) reflects a part of the East Coast's Black Community that's far more hardened against and critical of interracial dating than on the West Coast, in San Francisco or Los Angeles or Oakland. I'm black and I'm certainly not the kind of person Washington implies "we" are. Moreover, many African Americans are not like that at all and root for Tiger Woods to overcome his problems.
What's interesting is Jesse Washington cherry-picked his sources to make the article he advanced. For example, he went to Tom Joyner as a source rather than The Root, the Washington Post-backed black blog site where Terence Samuel's blog post on Tiger Woods mentioned nothing about race.
And the study Washington references refers to adolescent interracial romance and not the adult American population. Washington should know that two studies referenced in the USA Today explain that interracial dating is so common in the Millenial Generation that the new generation "doesn't blink at interracial relationships."
And on a personal note, my mother and her friends and family, all black, still root for Tiger Woods. My African American friends who send emails and texts all want Tiger to succeed. So this idea Jesse Washington is advancing - that Tiger Woods' is in some way "alienated" from the black community - is just pure garbage with all due respect to Mr. Washington, who's overall work I enjoy.
I just disagree with my brother.
Tiger Woods 4th mistress - Media loses count of alleged affairs
Ok Tiger Woods 4th mistress is a headline, even as we have alleged mistresses number 5 and 6, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
What's going on?
What's going on is at this point the media's not paying attention to details. Read my previous blog post for the right update on all of this.
But if you're keeping score, here's the list of alleged affairs: Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
What's going on?
What's going on is at this point the media's not paying attention to details. Read my previous blog post for the right update on all of this.
But if you're keeping score, here's the list of alleged affairs: Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton Tiger Woods alleged 5th and 6th affairs
Ok, within two days we've seen three more women surface claiming to have had affairs with Tiger Woods, and so many new names the media's losing count: Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
Jamie Jungers was alleged mistress number four, but what happened was that an Orlando lawyer named Michael O'Quinn surfaced reporting that he represented the 4th mistress. But that was questionable because Jamie Jungers lives in Las Vegas and gave her story to a British tabloid. So that pointed to a 5th woman and possibly a 6th woman.
Now we have both and it means that my video presenting the first three will have to be revised, but here it is if you need a "who's who" background:
Again, that was Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, and Kalika Moquin.
Now and again we have Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
So lets put them all in a row: Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
Of these, Rachel Uchitel and Jamie Grubbs are confirmed. Kalika Moquin's not talking. Jamie Jungers story seems shaky to me. Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton are new, but Mindy Lawton's the one backed by Orlando lawyer Michael O'Quinn, even though her really detailed story is described in a British publication Mail Online.
The New York Daily News has Cori Rist as reportedly an NY Upper East Side 31-year-old Manhattan "nightclub goer" (which can't be her profession) who claims to have met Woods at a nightclubs called "Butter" and then he flew her to tournaments.
Now we're into Silly Season.
So why is Cori Rist in our midst if her story is of a shaky trist? Because some unnamed source blabbed to the NY Daily News. But geez, is that all it takes to get on Tiger Woods "alleged affairs" list? That's ridiculous.
Cori Rist is not talking and the NY Daily News could be fishing for attention (ok, they got it) so scratch Cori Rist from your list for now.
We've got to start calling out this crap when it happens rather than getting caught up in the numbers. Society has no shortage of low-lifes who will spread bad lies about a person just to do it and because they don't feel good about themselves. The Tiger Woods issue is fertile ground for this.
The NY Daily News should have really fleshed out that story before going public with it.
By contrast, the Mindy Lawton story in the Mail Online is more fleshed out. It's a story of Mindy Lawton, the "$8-an-hour-waitress" who had an alleged affair with Tiger Woods that was reportedly chronicled as far back as 2006 then reportedly kept out of the media for years until a tabloid sting in 2007 came close to outing Tiger's affair.
The Mail Online's article, written by Sharon Churcher and Caroline Graham, starts like this:
Yikes.
The Mail Online explains all of this reportedly happened right in Orlando in Tiger Woods backyard as Lawton worked at Perkins, a dinner near the Windermere home of Tiger and his wife Elin Nordegren reportedly ate. And then when his management company got wind of a tabloid sting then reportedly (that word again) when into overdrive and made a deal to kill the story.
The source for that view is Neal Boulton, who was an editor with Men's Fitness at the time. Men's Fitness is the magazine that Tiger Woods reportedly agreed to be in as an exchange for the National Enquirer which was going to run with the story. Both the National Enquirer and Men's Fitness are owned by American Media Inc.
But Gawker reports that American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker is calling Neal Boulton a "disgruntled former employee" and the Gawker author who revealed this, Hamilton Nolan, wrote that Boulton once stiffed him for a freelance article he wrote for Boulton, so he's biased against Boulton.
Geez.
It's the financial agendas and personal issues like that one which color the Tiger Woods story and will continue to do so in the future.
Stay tuned.
Jamie Jungers was alleged mistress number four, but what happened was that an Orlando lawyer named Michael O'Quinn surfaced reporting that he represented the 4th mistress. But that was questionable because Jamie Jungers lives in Las Vegas and gave her story to a British tabloid. So that pointed to a 5th woman and possibly a 6th woman.
Now we have both and it means that my video presenting the first three will have to be revised, but here it is if you need a "who's who" background:
Again, that was Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, and Kalika Moquin.
Now and again we have Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
Jamie Jungers
So lets put them all in a row: Rachel Uchitel, Jamie Grubbs, Kalika Moquin, Jamie Jungers, Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton.
Of these, Rachel Uchitel and Jamie Grubbs are confirmed. Kalika Moquin's not talking. Jamie Jungers story seems shaky to me. Cori Rist and Mindy Lawton are new, but Mindy Lawton's the one backed by Orlando lawyer Michael O'Quinn, even though her really detailed story is described in a British publication Mail Online.
The New York Daily News has Cori Rist as reportedly an NY Upper East Side 31-year-old Manhattan "nightclub goer" (which can't be her profession) who claims to have met Woods at a nightclubs called "Butter" and then he flew her to tournaments.
Now we're into Silly Season.
So why is Cori Rist in our midst if her story is of a shaky trist? Because some unnamed source blabbed to the NY Daily News. But geez, is that all it takes to get on Tiger Woods "alleged affairs" list? That's ridiculous.
Cori Rist is not talking and the NY Daily News could be fishing for attention (ok, they got it) so scratch Cori Rist from your list for now.
We've got to start calling out this crap when it happens rather than getting caught up in the numbers. Society has no shortage of low-lifes who will spread bad lies about a person just to do it and because they don't feel good about themselves. The Tiger Woods issue is fertile ground for this.
The NY Daily News should have really fleshed out that story before going public with it.
By contrast, the Mindy Lawton story in the Mail Online is more fleshed out. It's a story of Mindy Lawton, the "$8-an-hour-waitress" who had an alleged affair with Tiger Woods that was reportedly chronicled as far back as 2006 then reportedly kept out of the media for years until a tabloid sting in 2007 came close to outing Tiger's affair.
The Mail Online's article, written by Sharon Churcher and Caroline Graham, starts like this:
Perhaps he didn't notice the SUV parked across the road. If he did, he wasn't troubled by its blacked-out windows or any nagging hint of familiarity about its presence.
In fact, if Tiger Woods thought so much as twice about what he was doing, then Mindy Lawton had no inkling of it as they enjoyed a secret assignation in Tiger's Cadillac Escalade 4x4 in a church car park soon after daybreak during a Florida spring.
But every move of that alfresco encounter was recorded by a surveillance team of reporters and photographers from one of America's biggest-selling tabloid magazines. It was a scoop - the first example of what we now know to be a pattern of infidelity on Tiger's part.
Yikes.
The Mail Online explains all of this reportedly happened right in Orlando in Tiger Woods backyard as Lawton worked at Perkins, a dinner near the Windermere home of Tiger and his wife Elin Nordegren reportedly ate. And then when his management company got wind of a tabloid sting then reportedly (that word again) when into overdrive and made a deal to kill the story.
The source for that view is Neal Boulton, who was an editor with Men's Fitness at the time. Men's Fitness is the magazine that Tiger Woods reportedly agreed to be in as an exchange for the National Enquirer which was going to run with the story. Both the National Enquirer and Men's Fitness are owned by American Media Inc.
But Gawker reports that American Media Inc. CEO David Pecker is calling Neal Boulton a "disgruntled former employee" and the Gawker author who revealed this, Hamilton Nolan, wrote that Boulton once stiffed him for a freelance article he wrote for Boulton, so he's biased against Boulton.
Geez.
It's the financial agendas and personal issues like that one which color the Tiger Woods story and will continue to do so in the future.
Stay tuned.
Oakland Adams Point Action Council Party December 8th
The Oakland Adams Point Action Council, a group of neighbors that live in the Adams Point area next to Lake Merritt, is having its Holiday Party Tuesday, December 8th at 7 PM the Bellevue Club 525 Bellevue Avenue.
They're asking you to bring cookies and other "nibbles" to share, but come-on. It's a holiday party, so someone bring spiked egg nog and grilled chicken. There's a Kentucky Fried Chicken nearby on Lake Park, right next to the Grand Lake Theater, for goodness sakes!
They're asking you to bring cookies and other "nibbles" to share, but come-on. It's a holiday party, so someone bring spiked egg nog and grilled chicken. There's a Kentucky Fried Chicken nearby on Lake Park, right next to the Grand Lake Theater, for goodness sakes!
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Tim Tebow crying after Florida loss; give Heisman to Toby Gerhart
Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow is without a doubt one of the best quarterbacks in college football in the 21st Century. Before the SEC Championship pitting undefeated and number one-ranked Florida against undefeated and number two-ranked Alabama, Tebow was a virtual lock for the Heisman Trophy.
But I don't think that's going to happen because Florida lost 32 to 13 and Tebow cried. That's right, he cried.
I can understand being upset over losing, especially after throwing a costly interception. But I would think a religious leader like Tebow would cry more for those less fortunate than he, rather than a football game that will not take much out of his future endorsement checks or NFL contract.
The Heisman Trophy is given to the best college football player in America. The trophy itself is designed to encourage the energy and drive of a leader: the runner side steps one tackler and stiff-arms another. A person who does that on the football field doesn't have time to cry.
I'm not saying there's something wrong with crying or that one's not a man to cry. Hey. I cry. But crying over a football game rather than just going out there and fessing up to the loss and shaking the hand of every Alabama player (which he did try to do in fairness) with a smile? No.
In my book Tim Tebow has to prove he can stare down an opponent and will a win all over again, just as those of us at Football Reporters thought he could do before the SEC Championship Game. And just as it seems Stanford's great player Running Back Toby Gerhart can do.
When I think or this Stanford Cardinal, I think of Jim Brown. Few have Gerhart's ability to gain yards as he glides through a defense, or outrun defenders with just a thought. Gerhart is fun to watch and epitomizes what the game's all about: great plays by a great student-athlete who gets it done with little fanfare.
I can see Toby Gerhart crying when its appropriate to do so, but not after a loosing a football game.
Geez.
Ok, here's my poll on Tim Tebow's crying.
make a free poll on pollsb.com
Tim Tebow
But I don't think that's going to happen because Florida lost 32 to 13 and Tebow cried. That's right, he cried.
I can understand being upset over losing, especially after throwing a costly interception. But I would think a religious leader like Tebow would cry more for those less fortunate than he, rather than a football game that will not take much out of his future endorsement checks or NFL contract.
The Heisman Trophy is given to the best college football player in America. The trophy itself is designed to encourage the energy and drive of a leader: the runner side steps one tackler and stiff-arms another. A person who does that on the football field doesn't have time to cry.
I'm not saying there's something wrong with crying or that one's not a man to cry. Hey. I cry. But crying over a football game rather than just going out there and fessing up to the loss and shaking the hand of every Alabama player (which he did try to do in fairness) with a smile? No.
In my book Tim Tebow has to prove he can stare down an opponent and will a win all over again, just as those of us at Football Reporters thought he could do before the SEC Championship Game. And just as it seems Stanford's great player Running Back Toby Gerhart can do.
When I think or this Stanford Cardinal, I think of Jim Brown. Few have Gerhart's ability to gain yards as he glides through a defense, or outrun defenders with just a thought. Gerhart is fun to watch and epitomizes what the game's all about: great plays by a great student-athlete who gets it done with little fanfare.
I can see Toby Gerhart crying when its appropriate to do so, but not after a loosing a football game.
Geez.
Ok, here's my poll on Tim Tebow's crying.
make a free poll on pollsb.com
Cal v. Washington - Cal reverts to old ways; Huskies hammer Bears
I'm not going to write a long blog post right now, even though I'm angry enough to chew nails or at least chew-out Cal's offensive and defensive coordinators Andy Ludwig and Bob Gregory respectively. Cal's 42 to 10 loss to Washington was avoidable.
For those of you reading my take for the first time, I'm a Cal Alum. For those of you returning to read my text, Bear or Husky, strap yourself in for a ride. I'm pissed.
OK, some of you, like tenplay's wife over at the BearInsider Forum, may be happy Cal lost because as he wrote:
But I'm not lukewarm. Cal had two weeks to prepare for Washington and an entire season to get rid of the habit of forcing the ball downfield rather than engineering a precision short passing attack and on defense learn to blitz aggressively and frequently.
But no; that didn't happen. Talk about a Thanksgiving turkey of a game plan.
And it leads to the same old song on offense: sacks. Five sacks courtesy of Washington Saturday night. I'm sure Ludwig is concerned with Cal QB Kevin Riley's health, so he should prove it by designing a game plan that doesn't leave Riley as a sitting duck in the pass pocket.
What's that? The Ducks are going to the Rose Bowl? Very funny.
How many times do I and other Cal Alumns have to repeat this song? It's old now. We're tired of it! Tired of seeing Cal not consistently make the adjustments we ask for. And totally exhausted from seeing our defense riddled and picked apart because we gave passers like the Huskies' Jake Locker time to fake handoffs to running backs and throw.
I'd love a chalk talk with Coach Gregory to learn why he tries to insert a percentage defensive strategy in places where its more appropriate to take away one aspect of what an offense does? I'd also like to know why it seems the Golden Bears are reluctant to alter their game plan when a contest calls for it. There's an old saying in coaching: the "sudden change" is ours.
But what Coach Gregory must understand is it's the job of the defense to cause the "sudden change" - the turnover that changes the direction of the ball game. You can't hope that happens; you have to make it happen and that is where aggressive defense is important.
Ok. I'm done. For now.
Emerald Bowl in San Francisco? From what I understand, that's Stanford's slot now because USC lost to Arizona. And the Sun Bowl looks like it belongs to Oregon State. Just where we're going is anyone's guess.
But what hurts is Cal lost a chance to be in a three-way tie with Oregon State and Stanford behind Oregon. Now we're down there....with USC.
Even when USC's at their worst Cal just can't seem to over take them. Or for that matter beat them, or defeat a team, the Huskies, guided by the Trojans' former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
Geez.
For those of you reading my take for the first time, I'm a Cal Alum. For those of you returning to read my text, Bear or Husky, strap yourself in for a ride. I'm pissed.
OK, some of you, like tenplay's wife over at the BearInsider Forum, may be happy Cal lost because as he wrote:
She wants to go to SD, LV or SF instead. She wants to go to a fun place with shopping, good food and entertainment for the holidays. I wonder if anyone else has a partner who is wishing the same result. I can see her point since she is a very luke-warm fb fan.
But I'm not lukewarm. Cal had two weeks to prepare for Washington and an entire season to get rid of the habit of forcing the ball downfield rather than engineering a precision short passing attack and on defense learn to blitz aggressively and frequently.
But no; that didn't happen. Talk about a Thanksgiving turkey of a game plan.
And it leads to the same old song on offense: sacks. Five sacks courtesy of Washington Saturday night. I'm sure Ludwig is concerned with Cal QB Kevin Riley's health, so he should prove it by designing a game plan that doesn't leave Riley as a sitting duck in the pass pocket.
What's that? The Ducks are going to the Rose Bowl? Very funny.
How many times do I and other Cal Alumns have to repeat this song? It's old now. We're tired of it! Tired of seeing Cal not consistently make the adjustments we ask for. And totally exhausted from seeing our defense riddled and picked apart because we gave passers like the Huskies' Jake Locker time to fake handoffs to running backs and throw.
I'd love a chalk talk with Coach Gregory to learn why he tries to insert a percentage defensive strategy in places where its more appropriate to take away one aspect of what an offense does? I'd also like to know why it seems the Golden Bears are reluctant to alter their game plan when a contest calls for it. There's an old saying in coaching: the "sudden change" is ours.
But what Coach Gregory must understand is it's the job of the defense to cause the "sudden change" - the turnover that changes the direction of the ball game. You can't hope that happens; you have to make it happen and that is where aggressive defense is important.
Ok. I'm done. For now.
Emerald Bowl in San Francisco? From what I understand, that's Stanford's slot now because USC lost to Arizona. And the Sun Bowl looks like it belongs to Oregon State. Just where we're going is anyone's guess.
But what hurts is Cal lost a chance to be in a three-way tie with Oregon State and Stanford behind Oregon. Now we're down there....with USC.
Even when USC's at their worst Cal just can't seem to over take them. Or for that matter beat them, or defeat a team, the Huskies, guided by the Trojans' former offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian.
Geez.
Cal v. Washington an important game for the bowl picture
What's the difference between 9 and 3 and 8 and 4? Plenty in the college football bowl hunt. Cal takes its 8 win 3 loss, two game win streak into Washington to play the Huskies tonight. The difference being a trip to the Sun Bowl in El Paso or the Holiday Bowl in San Diego at 9 and 3 and the Emerald Bowl in San Francisco at 8 and 4.
While many Cal Alumns want the prize that went to Oregon, The Rose Bowl, many would be happy with the Sun Bowl simply because some have expressed a desire for a bowl other than the Holiday or the Emerald. But Cal's got to beat Washington before we can have that conversation.
After a promising start, Washington's at 4 and 7, with all four of its losses coming at home. The key will be Cal's defense versus Washington's passing offense, which rides on the arm of Tyrone Willingham-recruit Jake Locker, who's thrown for 2,552 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Cal's QB Kevin Riley goes into this contest with a 133.49 passer rating, 2,421 yards and 16 touchdowns. Big Game hero Running Back Shane Vereen (three touchdowns) has 738 yards rushing on 147 carries and 10 touchdowns.
Given that Cal's had two weeks to prepare for Washington, the Golden Bears should be looking at a 9 and 3 win come late Saturday night. Then we can look at the bowl picture. As of this writing, USC is tied with Arizona at 14-all in the 3rd quarter. If USC looses, bring it to 8 and 4, it may fumble that automatic Holiday Bowl invitation.
On second thought, San Diego's not so bad after all.
GO BEARS!
While many Cal Alumns want the prize that went to Oregon, The Rose Bowl, many would be happy with the Sun Bowl simply because some have expressed a desire for a bowl other than the Holiday or the Emerald. But Cal's got to beat Washington before we can have that conversation.
After a promising start, Washington's at 4 and 7, with all four of its losses coming at home. The key will be Cal's defense versus Washington's passing offense, which rides on the arm of Tyrone Willingham-recruit Jake Locker, who's thrown for 2,552 yards and 18 touchdowns this season.
Cal's QB Kevin Riley goes into this contest with a 133.49 passer rating, 2,421 yards and 16 touchdowns. Big Game hero Running Back Shane Vereen (three touchdowns) has 738 yards rushing on 147 carries and 10 touchdowns.
Given that Cal's had two weeks to prepare for Washington, the Golden Bears should be looking at a 9 and 3 win come late Saturday night. Then we can look at the bowl picture. As of this writing, USC is tied with Arizona at 14-all in the 3rd quarter. If USC looses, bring it to 8 and 4, it may fumble that automatic Holiday Bowl invitation.
On second thought, San Diego's not so bad after all.
GO BEARS!
FOOTBALL TALK-What to make of Week 12
FOOTBALL TALK-By David Ortega for Football Reporters Online
What to make of Week 12
Packers are looking like Post Season bound….
After losing to the Buccaneers in week eight and falling to .500 in the standings, the Packers have reeled off three straight wins to move back into the playoff picture. One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been the play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been efficient completing over 70 percent of his passes and even more effective throwing six touchdowns during the winning streak and passing for over 300-yards in each of the last two. The Packers have a big matchup on Monday night against the Ravens and there's no question Rodgers and the passing game are going to be key.
Should we be talking about the Chargers?…
The Chargers have now rattled off six straight wins and sit atop the AFC West at 8-3 and no one is talking about them; but they should. This season Philip Rivers has been the quiet leader in San Diego and one of this year's best fantsay quarterbacks. His 19 touchdowns and 2,900-yards passing rank him among the elite, but he is not alone. The Chargers also boast a pair of the league's premiere pass receivers and fantasy studs with wideout Vincent Jackson (49 receptions, 7-touchdowns) and tight end Antonio Gates (59 receptions, 827 yards). With a formidable lineup the Chargers offense has become explosive this season ranking 3rd in scoring and 9th in passing this season. We may not be hearing much about the Bolts at the moment, but you can bet come playoff time this fantasy squad will be making plenty of noise to be heard.
More fantasy Notes
With so much attention being paid to a former Packer's quarterback (Favre), maybe fantasy owners should be directing more of their attention on the current one. Aaron Rodgers has been one of the hottest arms over the past several weeks. In his last three starts Rodgers has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions and passed for 881 yards (293.6-yards per game). In the same stretch he has averaged 25 fantasy points per game.
For those not keeping up with current events apparently the Seahawks have found themselves a pretty good ball carrier with 2nd year running back Justin Forsett. The former Cal Bear has quickly stormed onto the fantasy scene with two 100-yard rushing games in his last last three. He is averaging 122-yards per contest and also has four touchdowns to his credit during the span. Forsett has become a fantasy stud, but with Julius Jones set to return fantasy owners will have to be cautious before buying what Forsett is selling.
What to make of Week 12
Packers are looking like Post Season bound….
After losing to the Buccaneers in week eight and falling to .500 in the standings, the Packers have reeled off three straight wins to move back into the playoff picture. One of the biggest reasons for the turnaround has been the play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers has been efficient completing over 70 percent of his passes and even more effective throwing six touchdowns during the winning streak and passing for over 300-yards in each of the last two. The Packers have a big matchup on Monday night against the Ravens and there's no question Rodgers and the passing game are going to be key.
Should we be talking about the Chargers?…
The Chargers have now rattled off six straight wins and sit atop the AFC West at 8-3 and no one is talking about them; but they should. This season Philip Rivers has been the quiet leader in San Diego and one of this year's best fantsay quarterbacks. His 19 touchdowns and 2,900-yards passing rank him among the elite, but he is not alone. The Chargers also boast a pair of the league's premiere pass receivers and fantasy studs with wideout Vincent Jackson (49 receptions, 7-touchdowns) and tight end Antonio Gates (59 receptions, 827 yards). With a formidable lineup the Chargers offense has become explosive this season ranking 3rd in scoring and 9th in passing this season. We may not be hearing much about the Bolts at the moment, but you can bet come playoff time this fantasy squad will be making plenty of noise to be heard.
More fantasy Notes
With so much attention being paid to a former Packer's quarterback (Favre), maybe fantasy owners should be directing more of their attention on the current one. Aaron Rodgers has been one of the hottest arms over the past several weeks. In his last three starts Rodgers has thrown six touchdowns with no interceptions and passed for 881 yards (293.6-yards per game). In the same stretch he has averaged 25 fantasy points per game.
For those not keeping up with current events apparently the Seahawks have found themselves a pretty good ball carrier with 2nd year running back Justin Forsett. The former Cal Bear has quickly stormed onto the fantasy scene with two 100-yard rushing games in his last last three. He is averaging 122-yards per contest and also has four touchdowns to his credit during the span. Forsett has become a fantasy stud, but with Julius Jones set to return fantasy owners will have to be cautious before buying what Forsett is selling.
NFC South Wrap Up Week 12
NFC South Wrap Up Week 12
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer
Southeast Region Football Reporters Online
New York Jets 17 Carolina 6
Somehow some way Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme finds a way to get the ball in the hands of his opponent. Sometimes he does that a little too often, like he did Sunday when he threw four more interceptions and was a miserable 14-34 for a mere 130 yards. He looked about as lost as a kitten in a dog pound. He got absolutely no help from his running game either as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 75 yards on 25 carries. There was also the problem of 11 first downs to go with 179 yards of total offense and three sacks of Delhomme. Head coach Jack DelRio is already on the hot seat and must now decide if its time to bench his quarterback. Then add the fact that Delhomme broke a finger which will make the decision easier. He had a passer rating of 12.7 and appears to have lost all confidence in himself. He now has 18 interceptions and that is his career high for a single-season. The worst part is that alot of his picks have resulted in scores too. When they had an oppotunity to score they could not. They had just intercepted Jets QB Mark Sanchez and Delhomme quickly hit Steve Smith in the end zone for a touchdown. Jets head coach Rex Ryan did not believe it was a catch and challenged the call. He would wn and the Panthers would have to settle for a field goal. It has been a season to forget for Carolina and Delhomme and it isn't over yet. The question is not whether Matt Moore will start next week. The question is will Delhomme ever get his job back. Speaking of jobs, what about DelRio? Can he last the season and if he does will he be here next year. Highly unlikely at this point so please stand by. One thing is certain and that would be that this team has to make alot of changes if they hope to compete next year.
Atlanta 20 Tampa Bay 17
It has not been a kind season for either of these teams. The Falcons had high expectations coming into this season but were 5-5 coming in. The Bucs, playing under new head coach Raheem Morris, have had one of those years you already want to forget. Still they have played hard for their coach and rookie QB Josh Freeman is showing that he can be an NFL quarterback. On this day he was sacked six times but was 20-29 for 250 yards and two touchdowns. His counterpart Matt Ryan was hurt early when his foot was rolled on and he could not return. Also injured for the Falcons were running back Michael Turner, linemen Harvey Dahl and Sam Baker, The question is when will they return because they are so key to the Falcons success. So Chris Redman came in and saved the day when he hit Roddy White for the winning score with 23 seconds left. The Bucs had a chance to win but like usual found a way to lose it. Atlanta finds itself still in the playoff hunt but will need to keep winning and get some help from the rest of the NFC. The Bucs find themselves at 1-10 and need help badly. They could only muster 13 first downs and had just 73 yards on the ground. Penalties continue to haunt them and they added eight more on Sunday. They appear to have their quarterback of the future and have Cadillac Williams in the backfield. They will need to shore up the offensive line to protect Freeman better and their defense needs to improve dramatically. Redman was not bad in going 23-41 for 243 yards and no picks with two touchdowns. Tony Gonzalez is the only thing they have to count on as he addded nine catches for 83 yards. The Falcons are still in the playoff hunt but need teams like Philly and Green Bay to lose as well as continuing to win themselves. Three of the last five games are at home where they are 5-0 this year and one of those are against Philadelphia. They also go to the Jets and Tampa where they have a good chance to win those games if they are healthy. If Ryan and Turner do not return soon it won't matter because Atlanta needs them if they have any chance at making the postseason.
New Orleans 38 New England 17
Wow would be a word to describe this Saints offense I would say. Another could be explosive or plain and simply terrific. It was the showdown of the week and it was not supposed to disappoint. Drew Brees against Tom Brady is all the billing you needed to sell this one but it was Brees who made the statement. He was as accurate as you can be and finished 18-23 for 371 yards and five touchdowns. It was the first time a quarterback has thrown for that many scores against a Bill Belichick defense. They had no way of stopping Brees especially in the second quarter when he threw three scoring passes to three different players. Yet, as much as the offense has done the real story is the improvement of their defense. Darren Sharper sent Brady to bench for good with one of two picks the D had and the Pats looked lost and confused. It was a sight to see when Brady walked off the field each time he was stopped. He had a look on his face rarely seen during his career. His offense could not move the ball and his ground game did not help. They got two touchdown runs from Laurence Maroney and that was all they could get. Brady was harrassed and knocked around the whole game. So now the Saints are 11-0 like the Colts and are looking to run the table. It is games like this that can define a season and the Saints can use this win to propel them all they way to the Super Bowl. Saints receivers had a ball as Marques Colston had only four catches but that was good enough for 121 yards and a touchdown. Devery Henderson chipped in with only three catches but he finished with 116 yards and a nice 75-yard strike from Brees. So with their offense in sync and their defense playing ferociously the Saints have a good chance of running the table. Of course we all know that will be a moot point if they end their year the same way these Pats did when they went 16-0 only to lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl. Now we will see if they can win out and with games at home against the likes of Dallas and Tampa and roadies at Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, an undefeated season is looking better every week. I have a question for all of you. Give me a reason for Brees not getting the MVP this year.
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer
Southeast Region Football Reporters Online
New York Jets 17 Carolina 6
Somehow some way Carolina quarterback Jake Delhomme finds a way to get the ball in the hands of his opponent. Sometimes he does that a little too often, like he did Sunday when he threw four more interceptions and was a miserable 14-34 for a mere 130 yards. He looked about as lost as a kitten in a dog pound. He got absolutely no help from his running game either as DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for 75 yards on 25 carries. There was also the problem of 11 first downs to go with 179 yards of total offense and three sacks of Delhomme. Head coach Jack DelRio is already on the hot seat and must now decide if its time to bench his quarterback. Then add the fact that Delhomme broke a finger which will make the decision easier. He had a passer rating of 12.7 and appears to have lost all confidence in himself. He now has 18 interceptions and that is his career high for a single-season. The worst part is that alot of his picks have resulted in scores too. When they had an oppotunity to score they could not. They had just intercepted Jets QB Mark Sanchez and Delhomme quickly hit Steve Smith in the end zone for a touchdown. Jets head coach Rex Ryan did not believe it was a catch and challenged the call. He would wn and the Panthers would have to settle for a field goal. It has been a season to forget for Carolina and Delhomme and it isn't over yet. The question is not whether Matt Moore will start next week. The question is will Delhomme ever get his job back. Speaking of jobs, what about DelRio? Can he last the season and if he does will he be here next year. Highly unlikely at this point so please stand by. One thing is certain and that would be that this team has to make alot of changes if they hope to compete next year.
Atlanta 20 Tampa Bay 17
It has not been a kind season for either of these teams. The Falcons had high expectations coming into this season but were 5-5 coming in. The Bucs, playing under new head coach Raheem Morris, have had one of those years you already want to forget. Still they have played hard for their coach and rookie QB Josh Freeman is showing that he can be an NFL quarterback. On this day he was sacked six times but was 20-29 for 250 yards and two touchdowns. His counterpart Matt Ryan was hurt early when his foot was rolled on and he could not return. Also injured for the Falcons were running back Michael Turner, linemen Harvey Dahl and Sam Baker, The question is when will they return because they are so key to the Falcons success. So Chris Redman came in and saved the day when he hit Roddy White for the winning score with 23 seconds left. The Bucs had a chance to win but like usual found a way to lose it. Atlanta finds itself still in the playoff hunt but will need to keep winning and get some help from the rest of the NFC. The Bucs find themselves at 1-10 and need help badly. They could only muster 13 first downs and had just 73 yards on the ground. Penalties continue to haunt them and they added eight more on Sunday. They appear to have their quarterback of the future and have Cadillac Williams in the backfield. They will need to shore up the offensive line to protect Freeman better and their defense needs to improve dramatically. Redman was not bad in going 23-41 for 243 yards and no picks with two touchdowns. Tony Gonzalez is the only thing they have to count on as he addded nine catches for 83 yards. The Falcons are still in the playoff hunt but need teams like Philly and Green Bay to lose as well as continuing to win themselves. Three of the last five games are at home where they are 5-0 this year and one of those are against Philadelphia. They also go to the Jets and Tampa where they have a good chance to win those games if they are healthy. If Ryan and Turner do not return soon it won't matter because Atlanta needs them if they have any chance at making the postseason.
New Orleans 38 New England 17
Wow would be a word to describe this Saints offense I would say. Another could be explosive or plain and simply terrific. It was the showdown of the week and it was not supposed to disappoint. Drew Brees against Tom Brady is all the billing you needed to sell this one but it was Brees who made the statement. He was as accurate as you can be and finished 18-23 for 371 yards and five touchdowns. It was the first time a quarterback has thrown for that many scores against a Bill Belichick defense. They had no way of stopping Brees especially in the second quarter when he threw three scoring passes to three different players. Yet, as much as the offense has done the real story is the improvement of their defense. Darren Sharper sent Brady to bench for good with one of two picks the D had and the Pats looked lost and confused. It was a sight to see when Brady walked off the field each time he was stopped. He had a look on his face rarely seen during his career. His offense could not move the ball and his ground game did not help. They got two touchdown runs from Laurence Maroney and that was all they could get. Brady was harrassed and knocked around the whole game. So now the Saints are 11-0 like the Colts and are looking to run the table. It is games like this that can define a season and the Saints can use this win to propel them all they way to the Super Bowl. Saints receivers had a ball as Marques Colston had only four catches but that was good enough for 121 yards and a touchdown. Devery Henderson chipped in with only three catches but he finished with 116 yards and a nice 75-yard strike from Brees. So with their offense in sync and their defense playing ferociously the Saints have a good chance of running the table. Of course we all know that will be a moot point if they end their year the same way these Pats did when they went 16-0 only to lose to the Giants in the Super Bowl. Now we will see if they can win out and with games at home against the likes of Dallas and Tampa and roadies at Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, an undefeated season is looking better every week. I have a question for all of you. Give me a reason for Brees not getting the MVP this year.
AFC South Wrap Up Week 12
AFC South Wrap Up Week 12
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer
Southeast Region-Football Reporters Online
Tennessee 20 Arizona 17
When we last saw Vince Young and Matt Leinart on the big stage it was 2006 in the Rose Bowl. It was an epic battle between two of college football's best players and it came down to the final drive. On that drive Young would basically will his team down the field and he finished it off with that run into the end zone to give Texas the national championship over USC. Fast forward to this past Sunday and these two guys were at it again in Nashville. Cardinals starting quarterback Kurt Warner was ruled out and Leinart got his chance. The Cards came in at 7-3 in the NFC West and were looking to pad their lead. The atmosphere was electric before game time and a slight misty rain bothered no one in attendance. The Titans struck first when Rob Bironas hit a 52-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 3-0 lead. It was 6-3 at the half and both teams went into the lockeroom not knowing the drama about to unfold. In the third quarter the teams traded punts and then the Titans got the ball with 3:56 to go. On first down Young went deep to Bo Scaife but the pass was incomplete. So now it was second and ten and the play was a left tackle run to Chris Johnson. He went left, trying to navigate through the crowd and then popped out by the sidelines. A defender tried to get him and he sped up a bit then side stepped another and then he was gone 85 yards for the score. It was the third touchdown run of 85 yards or more this year for Johnson and no one has ever done that in their entire career. He ended up with 154 more yards to tie the NFL record of 125+ yards in six straight games. The record he tied was held by the great Eric Dickerson in the same year he ran for an NFL record 2,105 yards. In fact, Johnson is ahead of Dickerson's pace for that year. He continues to make it look easy as he piles up the yards. Still he was not the story on this misty day. It was 13-3 and it looked like Tennesse had another victory in the bag but Leinart had other plans. He remembered that day in the Rose Bowl and did not want to go out like that again. He got help from LaRod Stephens-Howling on the ensuing kickoff when he blew past the coverage by Tennessee and ran 99 yards to make it 13-10. So the stage was set for what looked like a fantastic finish. In the fourth the Cardinals were in position to take the lead and they drove 79 yards on nine plays and did just that. Tim Hightower ran it in from six yards barely touched and Arizona was up 17-13 with just over 12 minutes left. The teams once again traded punts and then Tennessee got the ball wth 4:37 left and a chance to take the lead. On third and nine Young hit Kenny Britt on a beauty of a pass that was good for 51 yards. When Britt caught the ball he fell on the turf untouched so he decided to get up and get some more yards. As he got up he was hit from behind, the ball came loose and the Cards recovered it at their own 30. All they had to do at this point was work the clock and the Titans four game winning streak would be over. Instead they went three and out and had to punt the football back to the Titans. The punt should have been returned but instead return man Kevin Kaesviharn let it go and it was downed at the one. So here were the Titans, 99 yards away from a wining touchdown, with a quarterback that had not been known for these kinds of situations. After a seven-yard completion to Britt on first down Young missed his next two passes. It was fourth down and time was not on their side when Young lined up in the shotgun. He threw a pass to Britt that was too high and too close to the defender but Britt reached over the defenders head and made a great catch to keep the drive alive. They were able to move the ball into Cardinals territory but were faced with another fourth down and one wondered if this was the end. Needing just four yards Young hit LaVelle Hawkins for 13 yards and it was now first down at the Arizona 31. There was about 30 seconds left and it was third and five from the 26 when once again Young came through. He hit Jared Cook for 17 yards to the nine and the whole stadium now held it's collective breath. Three plays later it was fourth down again at the nine and hope had all but run out for a comeback. Six seconds left and an entire stadium stood together to see if another miracle could happen in Nashville. Young got the snap and stepped back but had to come up in the pocket to avoid the rush. It looked like he decided to run when he threw the ball sidearm into the end zone. It felt like time had stood still for just a few seconds as I turned away from the play. A second or two later all I heard was the cheeering and yelling of victorious fans. When I went back to the field to see the replay all I could do was shake my head. Everyone that was a Titan fan was laughing with utter joy. What seemed impossible had just materialized before a crowd of 69,143 rabid fans. The real story though was Young himself especially on that last drive. He started at his own one-yard line and never once did Chris Johnson touch the ball. It was an 18-play drive that will not be forgotten anytime soon. Young has been known for not being able to move the football. For not being able to stay in the pocket long enough to make a play. On this day he became an NFL quarterback that runs through his progressions and he had a career-high 387 yards passing. He was 27-43 wth no picks and only had eight yards rushing. What we witnessed on this day was the maturation of a quarterback that can now become a deadly weapon. Five straight wins with five more to play and the possibility of the playoffs. After the game he spoke like a grown man and praised his players and coaches. He still has a ways to go but if Young continues to improve like this the skys the limit. They go to Indy next week looking to end the Colts undeafeated season and looking for a sixth straight win. If they can puul this one off 10 wins in-a-row is not out of the question.
Indianapolis 35 Houston 27
When the season began it was known that Texans head coach Gary Kubiak needed to get this team over the hump and to the playoffs. He had the talent and had been given time to get this done, but after the last two years of getting close nothing but the playoffs would do for this franchise. So after 10 games they stood at 5-5 with the Colts coming to town. They had underacheved to this point an were looking to knock off the undefeated Colts. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead after one and were ahead 20-7 at the half but knew that would not be enough against this team. The one thing the Texans wanted to do was finish the game. They have had so many heartbreaks because they fail to play four quarters consistently. The third quarter was relatively quiet except for a Colts score when Peyton Manning hit Reggie Wayne from four yards out to cut the lead to 20-14. Now it was time to get nervous if you were a Texan fan because they had been here before. So many times before this team has found a way to lose and they neded this win badly to keep Indianapolis from clinching the division while trying to improve their own playoff position. The thing is the Colts have been making a habit of this comeback stuff recently. They had trailed in the fourth quarter in the last four games and now it was five. Peyton time was fast approaching and Houston knew it. So at the start of the fourth he went to work and at the 8:24 mark he hit Dallas Clark for a six-yard touchdown and just like that it was 21-20 Colts. Now came the test as the Texans got the ball and needed to score but Matt Schaub was off and his pass was picked off by Clint Sessions and he ran it back 26 yards to make it 28-20. With the wind about out of their sails Houston went back to work but to no avail. Schaub gave the game away when he fumbled the ball and the Colts recovered. Later the Colts would score again when Chad Simpson ran it in from 23 yards to put the game away. Houston scored a meaningless touchdown with 18 seconds left to end the scoring. Now the Colts will host the hot Titans next week as the division champs. The question is will they play to their potential or will they let up giving Tennesse a chance at a sixth consecutive win? As for Houston, well they are about done and out the door. The playoffs are now a longshot after such a good start to the season. The question here is will Kubiak's job still be his at seasons end after another disappointing year? Can the Texans right their ship in time to save his job? With the luck this team has had in recent years it looks like they will be starting from scratch next season.
San Francisco 20 Jacksonville 3
Speaking of inconsistent teams with jobs on the line takes us to the Jags and their season of hope. They too have a head coach who's job is in question and this game did not help. Coach Jack Del Rio started this year like Kubiak, win or bust. His team is another that has not been able to put four quarters together for a win. On this day they made 49ers QB Alex Smith look like a number one draft pick as he was precise and accurate all day. He threw two touchdown passes while going 27-41 for 232 yards. He is showing more and more why he was the top pick in his draft as he matures. The Jags got a good day from QB David Garrard as he went 25-36 for 307 yards but no TD's. They have been outscored by west coast teams by a margin of 61-3 and if things don't get better quick it will be curtains for Del Rio. His team had more total yards, more rushing and passing yards. They had more first downs but it all added up to three points. In the red zone they were not a factor going 0-4. Second place was a lock for this team a few weeks ago but now they have the "red hot" Titans in their rear view mirror. Adjustments must be made in hopes of getting to the playoffs but even if they do the Jags just keep being one of those teams tat cannot get to the next level.
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer
Southeast Region-Football Reporters Online
Tennessee 20 Arizona 17
When we last saw Vince Young and Matt Leinart on the big stage it was 2006 in the Rose Bowl. It was an epic battle between two of college football's best players and it came down to the final drive. On that drive Young would basically will his team down the field and he finished it off with that run into the end zone to give Texas the national championship over USC. Fast forward to this past Sunday and these two guys were at it again in Nashville. Cardinals starting quarterback Kurt Warner was ruled out and Leinart got his chance. The Cards came in at 7-3 in the NFC West and were looking to pad their lead. The atmosphere was electric before game time and a slight misty rain bothered no one in attendance. The Titans struck first when Rob Bironas hit a 52-yard field goal to give Tennessee a 3-0 lead. It was 6-3 at the half and both teams went into the lockeroom not knowing the drama about to unfold. In the third quarter the teams traded punts and then the Titans got the ball with 3:56 to go. On first down Young went deep to Bo Scaife but the pass was incomplete. So now it was second and ten and the play was a left tackle run to Chris Johnson. He went left, trying to navigate through the crowd and then popped out by the sidelines. A defender tried to get him and he sped up a bit then side stepped another and then he was gone 85 yards for the score. It was the third touchdown run of 85 yards or more this year for Johnson and no one has ever done that in their entire career. He ended up with 154 more yards to tie the NFL record of 125+ yards in six straight games. The record he tied was held by the great Eric Dickerson in the same year he ran for an NFL record 2,105 yards. In fact, Johnson is ahead of Dickerson's pace for that year. He continues to make it look easy as he piles up the yards. Still he was not the story on this misty day. It was 13-3 and it looked like Tennesse had another victory in the bag but Leinart had other plans. He remembered that day in the Rose Bowl and did not want to go out like that again. He got help from LaRod Stephens-Howling on the ensuing kickoff when he blew past the coverage by Tennessee and ran 99 yards to make it 13-10. So the stage was set for what looked like a fantastic finish. In the fourth the Cardinals were in position to take the lead and they drove 79 yards on nine plays and did just that. Tim Hightower ran it in from six yards barely touched and Arizona was up 17-13 with just over 12 minutes left. The teams once again traded punts and then Tennessee got the ball wth 4:37 left and a chance to take the lead. On third and nine Young hit Kenny Britt on a beauty of a pass that was good for 51 yards. When Britt caught the ball he fell on the turf untouched so he decided to get up and get some more yards. As he got up he was hit from behind, the ball came loose and the Cards recovered it at their own 30. All they had to do at this point was work the clock and the Titans four game winning streak would be over. Instead they went three and out and had to punt the football back to the Titans. The punt should have been returned but instead return man Kevin Kaesviharn let it go and it was downed at the one. So here were the Titans, 99 yards away from a wining touchdown, with a quarterback that had not been known for these kinds of situations. After a seven-yard completion to Britt on first down Young missed his next two passes. It was fourth down and time was not on their side when Young lined up in the shotgun. He threw a pass to Britt that was too high and too close to the defender but Britt reached over the defenders head and made a great catch to keep the drive alive. They were able to move the ball into Cardinals territory but were faced with another fourth down and one wondered if this was the end. Needing just four yards Young hit LaVelle Hawkins for 13 yards and it was now first down at the Arizona 31. There was about 30 seconds left and it was third and five from the 26 when once again Young came through. He hit Jared Cook for 17 yards to the nine and the whole stadium now held it's collective breath. Three plays later it was fourth down again at the nine and hope had all but run out for a comeback. Six seconds left and an entire stadium stood together to see if another miracle could happen in Nashville. Young got the snap and stepped back but had to come up in the pocket to avoid the rush. It looked like he decided to run when he threw the ball sidearm into the end zone. It felt like time had stood still for just a few seconds as I turned away from the play. A second or two later all I heard was the cheeering and yelling of victorious fans. When I went back to the field to see the replay all I could do was shake my head. Everyone that was a Titan fan was laughing with utter joy. What seemed impossible had just materialized before a crowd of 69,143 rabid fans. The real story though was Young himself especially on that last drive. He started at his own one-yard line and never once did Chris Johnson touch the ball. It was an 18-play drive that will not be forgotten anytime soon. Young has been known for not being able to move the football. For not being able to stay in the pocket long enough to make a play. On this day he became an NFL quarterback that runs through his progressions and he had a career-high 387 yards passing. He was 27-43 wth no picks and only had eight yards rushing. What we witnessed on this day was the maturation of a quarterback that can now become a deadly weapon. Five straight wins with five more to play and the possibility of the playoffs. After the game he spoke like a grown man and praised his players and coaches. He still has a ways to go but if Young continues to improve like this the skys the limit. They go to Indy next week looking to end the Colts undeafeated season and looking for a sixth straight win. If they can puul this one off 10 wins in-a-row is not out of the question.
Indianapolis 35 Houston 27
When the season began it was known that Texans head coach Gary Kubiak needed to get this team over the hump and to the playoffs. He had the talent and had been given time to get this done, but after the last two years of getting close nothing but the playoffs would do for this franchise. So after 10 games they stood at 5-5 with the Colts coming to town. They had underacheved to this point an were looking to knock off the undefeated Colts. They jumped out to a 14-0 lead after one and were ahead 20-7 at the half but knew that would not be enough against this team. The one thing the Texans wanted to do was finish the game. They have had so many heartbreaks because they fail to play four quarters consistently. The third quarter was relatively quiet except for a Colts score when Peyton Manning hit Reggie Wayne from four yards out to cut the lead to 20-14. Now it was time to get nervous if you were a Texan fan because they had been here before. So many times before this team has found a way to lose and they neded this win badly to keep Indianapolis from clinching the division while trying to improve their own playoff position. The thing is the Colts have been making a habit of this comeback stuff recently. They had trailed in the fourth quarter in the last four games and now it was five. Peyton time was fast approaching and Houston knew it. So at the start of the fourth he went to work and at the 8:24 mark he hit Dallas Clark for a six-yard touchdown and just like that it was 21-20 Colts. Now came the test as the Texans got the ball and needed to score but Matt Schaub was off and his pass was picked off by Clint Sessions and he ran it back 26 yards to make it 28-20. With the wind about out of their sails Houston went back to work but to no avail. Schaub gave the game away when he fumbled the ball and the Colts recovered. Later the Colts would score again when Chad Simpson ran it in from 23 yards to put the game away. Houston scored a meaningless touchdown with 18 seconds left to end the scoring. Now the Colts will host the hot Titans next week as the division champs. The question is will they play to their potential or will they let up giving Tennesse a chance at a sixth consecutive win? As for Houston, well they are about done and out the door. The playoffs are now a longshot after such a good start to the season. The question here is will Kubiak's job still be his at seasons end after another disappointing year? Can the Texans right their ship in time to save his job? With the luck this team has had in recent years it looks like they will be starting from scratch next season.
San Francisco 20 Jacksonville 3
Speaking of inconsistent teams with jobs on the line takes us to the Jags and their season of hope. They too have a head coach who's job is in question and this game did not help. Coach Jack Del Rio started this year like Kubiak, win or bust. His team is another that has not been able to put four quarters together for a win. On this day they made 49ers QB Alex Smith look like a number one draft pick as he was precise and accurate all day. He threw two touchdown passes while going 27-41 for 232 yards. He is showing more and more why he was the top pick in his draft as he matures. The Jags got a good day from QB David Garrard as he went 25-36 for 307 yards but no TD's. They have been outscored by west coast teams by a margin of 61-3 and if things don't get better quick it will be curtains for Del Rio. His team had more total yards, more rushing and passing yards. They had more first downs but it all added up to three points. In the red zone they were not a factor going 0-4. Second place was a lock for this team a few weeks ago but now they have the "red hot" Titans in their rear view mirror. Adjustments must be made in hopes of getting to the playoffs but even if they do the Jags just keep being one of those teams tat cannot get to the next level.
Jamie Jungers is Tiger Woods 4th alleged mistress; but 5 and 6?
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Tiger Woods 4th mistress alleged - Woods scandal heats up
UPDATE: Tiger Woods alledged mistresses five and six are named.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Internet water, Tiger Woods 4th mistress is alleged to exist. TMZ (who else) discovered this new but as of this writing unnamed woman and reported it in the early morning hours today.
Reportedly she's got an Orlando lawyer named Michael O'Quinn of Fowler and O'Quinn to represent her and make an announcement to the press. TMZ sources claim the woman is (like Jaimie Grubbs) a cocktail waitress who claims to have met Woods in 2004 when she was 20-years old and says they had a two-year relationship. 2004 was the year Woods married Elin Nordegren.
Michael O'Quinn is well-known in Orlando business as part of the Arena Football League Orlando Predators ownership group. According to his firm's website, he specializes in "real estate and eminent domain litigation, transactional and commercial real estate matters and general business law," so he may be a bit out of his league in this arena.
No offense to the well-connected Mr. O'Quinn but the person should have hired an entertainment lawyer who's used to the huge media interplay O'Quinn's about to be involved in. Still, O'Quinn may be representing her as a friend and for the massive exposure he's going to get and has already enjoyed. But if there are holes in her story, the result could be a blast of negative PR for her and possibly O'Quinn. That's the risk he takes on here.
Meanwhile Woods public image is taking a massive beating in the media, with US Magazine taking the lead. The rag not only was rumored to have paid $150,000 for Jamie Grubbs affair story and voicemail, but now has information about Tiger Woods relationship and communications with nightclub executive Rachel Uchitel.
Stay tuned.
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the Internet water, Tiger Woods 4th mistress is alleged to exist. TMZ (who else) discovered this new but as of this writing unnamed woman and reported it in the early morning hours today.
Tiger Woods, Jaimie Grubbs, Rachel Uchitel, Kalika Moquin, and Number 4?
Reportedly she's got an Orlando lawyer named Michael O'Quinn of Fowler and O'Quinn to represent her and make an announcement to the press. TMZ sources claim the woman is (like Jaimie Grubbs) a cocktail waitress who claims to have met Woods in 2004 when she was 20-years old and says they had a two-year relationship. 2004 was the year Woods married Elin Nordegren.
Michael O'Quinn is well-known in Orlando business as part of the Arena Football League Orlando Predators ownership group. According to his firm's website, he specializes in "real estate and eminent domain litigation, transactional and commercial real estate matters and general business law," so he may be a bit out of his league in this arena.
No offense to the well-connected Mr. O'Quinn but the person should have hired an entertainment lawyer who's used to the huge media interplay O'Quinn's about to be involved in. Still, O'Quinn may be representing her as a friend and for the massive exposure he's going to get and has already enjoyed. But if there are holes in her story, the result could be a blast of negative PR for her and possibly O'Quinn. That's the risk he takes on here.
Meanwhile Woods public image is taking a massive beating in the media, with US Magazine taking the lead. The rag not only was rumored to have paid $150,000 for Jamie Grubbs affair story and voicemail, but now has information about Tiger Woods relationship and communications with nightclub executive Rachel Uchitel.
Stay tuned.
Lakers Kobe Bryant game winning shot v Miami Heat
This shot last night shocked the Twitter World with tweets ranging from "Kobe's ridiculous", to "I hate Kobe Bryant" but one thing they all have in common the the expression of shock and awe over Kobe's last second three-pointer against the Miami Heat in LA.
Kobe Bryant, post the Colorado sex scandal, has emerged as the NBA's best player. One would think earning a ring this year would satisfy his will to win just a little, but thankfully, no. Kobe Bryant: simply the best.
Jets Hold On for 19-13 Win
(photo By Bill Menzel)
JETS HOLD ON 19-13: SANCHEZ HURT
by TJ Rosenthal for Football Reporters Online
The Jets survived a late scare when QB Mark Sanchez left with a third quarter knee injury to hold on 19-13 against the Bills in Toronto. The win moves Gang Green to 6-6 and into playoff contention, with 1-10 Tampa Bay and the banged up 6-5 Falcons up next. Any hopes of a playoff run will be dampened though, if Sanchez is out for any extended time.
The Jets took control late in the second quarter. Down 10-9, Braylon Edwards (3-45yds 1TD) hauled in a tough 13 yard throw in traffic and stretched over the goal line with 2:58 left in the half. The play was ruled down at the one but head coach Rex Ryan challenged it and the call was overturned. 16-10 Jets. This made up for a key drop by the former Cleveland Brown, wide open, on a long throw from Sanchez in the first quarter.
Still up 16-10 in the third, Sanchez then hurt his knee on a third down dive for a first down. He had worked with Yankees manager Joe Girardi this past week on sliding, after aggravating the knee on a scramble last week in the 17-6 win against Carolina. The play however called for an aggressive attempt in order for the Jets to keep possession, not a slide. QB Kellen Clemens took over the rest of the way, and was shaky at best. The career backup fumbled a snap and got stripped on a third down roll out inside the Jets twenty. Luckily the Jets recovered. Clemens did however make a key third down throw to the outside in the middle of the fourth quarter to WR Jerricho Cotchery. The completion led to K Jay Feely's third FG of the game, a 37 yarder to put the Jets up 19-10 with 7:00 left.
Bills K Rob Lindell answered with a 32 yarder to cut the Jet lead to 19-13 with just under 5:00 left. The Jets then went three and out, leaving the season in the hands of the defense. Prior to Thursday night, the defense had twice given up game winning scores on the final drive in 2009. In Toronto, the D answered the call. DE Sean Ellis, who was active all night, put the Bills in a quick hole on their final drive with a key first down sack. On second down, the Bills went for it all down the right sideline, but CB Darrelle Revis, who held hot WR Terrell Owens to just 31 yards, intercepted the Ryan Fitzpatrick bomb to put the game away. Revis has now shut down star wideouts Andre Johnson, Marques Colston, Randy Moss twice, Steve Smith, and now Owens twice. LB David Harris also had a stellar game with 11 tackles and a forced fumble that led to points.
Thomas Jones who finished with 109 yards on 25 carries, iced it on the ensuing drive with a 25 yard run with just over 2:00 to go. The Jets torched the league's 32nd ranked rushing defense with a combo of Jones and rookie Shonn Greene (11-59yds).
The win allows the Jets the right to believe again; To rally around the truth that they are back in the playoff hunt. Jacksonville is 6-5 and the club that Gang Green is chasing for the sixth and final spot. The big key over the next ten days, will be whether Sanchez can respond from the second straight knee injury in two games. During the post game press conference, Sanchez admitted that "in the heat of the moment I was just trying to advance the chains." The team will conduct more tests on Sanchez's right knee over the coming days. As of Friday morning they are calling it a mild knee sprain. If the Sanchise is hurt, really hurt, the Jets may be in trouble. The latest Jet drama comes while they escape dire straits with two straight solid wins in five days.
A LOOK BACK ON THE THREE KEYS TO BUFFALO:
Darelle Revis vs Terrell Owens: Revis island owned TO. 31 yards was all Owens could muster up. Three deep throws to Owens, led to two incompletions and a game ending pick for the leagues top corner.
Thomas Jones vs Bills Defense: We said Jones needed 100 yds and a TD in order for the Jets to win. He didn't get the TD but went over 100 which meant the Jets were running downhill in the second half.
Unsung hero?: We asked for someone outside of the usual suspects to step up. Shonn Greene, Brad Smith, perhaps Danny Woodhead. Greene had 59 yards, Smith made some nice plays, Woodhead tripped on a screen and failed to look up on an early throw to him. Sean Ellis was the difference maker. Getting pressure all night in a game where the Jets had to have pressure so speedy Lee Evans would not have the time to expose CB Lito Shephard downfield. Shephard also played great , jumping short routes all night , almost coming up with some big picks.
follow TJ Rosenthal on twitter@ thejetreport
Friday, December 04, 2009
Florida QB Tim Tebow plays receiver before SEC Championship
This very interesting and just posted YouTube video features Florida Quarterback Tim Tebow playing receiver and some cornerback in a practice before Saturday's SEC Championship game against Alabama.
Is it possible we will see a trick play from the spread option involving a throw to Tim Tebow? Well, it's possible; take a look at this double pass play from The Spread:
It features the quarterback (QB) throwing to the running back (R), who then throws back to the quarterback which has ran downfield to the left corner.
It's going to be a great game, but I don't think Alabama will win because of the coaching skill of Urban Meyer. The conversation of the SEC Championship took up a good degree of time on the Football Reporters show Thursday night. Click here for the show.
Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio Thursday nights at 6 PM PST, 9 PM EST.
Is it possible we will see a trick play from the spread option involving a throw to Tim Tebow? Well, it's possible; take a look at this double pass play from The Spread:
It features the quarterback (QB) throwing to the running back (R), who then throws back to the quarterback which has ran downfield to the left corner.
It's going to be a great game, but I don't think Alabama will win because of the coaching skill of Urban Meyer. The conversation of the SEC Championship took up a good degree of time on the Football Reporters show Thursday night. Click here for the show.
Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio Thursday nights at 6 PM PST, 9 PM EST.
George Clooney jokes on Tiger Woods scandal; Up In The AIr gets Oscar buzz
George Clooney, who's new movie Up In the Air is enjoying its first awards success of the Awards Season scoring four prizes at the National Board of Review Awards Thursday, cracked a joke about the Tiger Woods scandal at the Los Angeles premier of the flick Monday night. According to Fox News.com, Clooney said:
As Clooney was cracking on Woods, Up In The Air was moving, well, up in the level of Oscar buzz surrounding it. New York Magazine has the film as the Oscar Best Picture front runner as of this writing, and picks it ahead of Bright Star, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Invictus, Nine, Precious, A Serious Man, A Single Man, and Up.
But that's New York, which seems to have it in for Precious.
What makes Up In The Air so appealing is its somewhat contemporary story. But why does Clooney's character have to be captured in promotional trailers sharing a racial stereotype? What's the point? In a trailer, there's a segment where Clooney's character says that he gets behind Asians in the security line because they're efficient. Or...
Here's the trailer:
Here I agree with Carmen Van Kerckhove from New Demographics and Racialicious blog, who wrote:
I think the movie would have been just as effective without such crappy lines. I don't care if its the character, in 2009 we do have a choice not to present such attitudes, why not avoid doing so? I just don't get it and I'm sure I don't want to. I'm not alone in saying that America craves a truly contemporary movie; this isn't quite it.
But that written, Up In The Air's assent will be interesting to watch.
Stay tuned.
“I never get mad. But I do I get mad at Stan (Rosenfield, his long-time publicist) sometimes but what I do is hit him. I hit him with a golf club the other day…you heard about that?”
As Clooney was cracking on Woods, Up In The Air was moving, well, up in the level of Oscar buzz surrounding it. New York Magazine has the film as the Oscar Best Picture front runner as of this writing, and picks it ahead of Bright Star, An Education, The Hurt Locker, Invictus, Nine, Precious, A Serious Man, A Single Man, and Up.
But that's New York, which seems to have it in for Precious.
George Clooney in Up In The Air
What makes Up In The Air so appealing is its somewhat contemporary story. But why does Clooney's character have to be captured in promotional trailers sharing a racial stereotype? What's the point? In a trailer, there's a segment where Clooney's character says that he gets behind Asians in the security line because they're efficient. Or...
Bingo. Asians. They pack light, travel efficiently, and have a thing for slip on shoes, god love ‘em.”
“That’s racist!”
“I’m like my mother. I stereotype – it’s faster.”
Here's the trailer:
Here I agree with Carmen Van Kerckhove from New Demographics and Racialicious blog, who wrote:
Cue eye roll at blatant “he’s so cool and un-PC” ploy.
Bonus points for making a “post racial” joke when there are no other people of color in the trailer. Not even as background extras.
I think the movie would have been just as effective without such crappy lines. I don't care if its the character, in 2009 we do have a choice not to present such attitudes, why not avoid doing so? I just don't get it and I'm sure I don't want to. I'm not alone in saying that America craves a truly contemporary movie; this isn't quite it.
But that written, Up In The Air's assent will be interesting to watch.
Stay tuned.
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