Baltimore’s Dirty Laundry

Baltimore’s Dirty Laundry
By Drew Moss for Football Reporters Online
 
Those rags. 
 
Cue Charlton Heston circa 1968: Those damn, dirty yellow rags!
 
Not the (in)famous Terrible Towels. Penalty flags.  Lots of them.  Thrown at the visiting Baltimore Ravens. Often, and worse – late.  Very late.
 
The Steelers’ season long crunch time woes were masked by the Baltimore Ravens’ ill-timed sloppiness as two fourth quarter touchdowns were nullified by penalties in a 23-20 Ravens loss at hostile Heinz Field.
 
With a game winning 38 yard field goal by kicker Jeff Reed with 5:25 remaining under his black hat, Steelers' coach Mike Tomlin held to the tried and true NFL mantra of “no apologies, no excuses” in his post-game, insisting that while the Steelers had “made their bed” with a nearly even, and therefore very uneven 8-7 record, he “likes they way they (the Steelers) are lying in it.”
 
Raven’s coach Jim Harbaugh did his best to stay positive as well, trying to steer clear of the penalty disparity (Ravens 11-113 yards, Steelers 4-20) in his post-game. But his venom was unmistakable.
 
When specifically pressed on Willis McGahee’s 32 TD-run that was wiped off the books by a holding call on Ravens wide receiver Kelley Washington, Harbaugh came as clean as a wallet-conscious NFL coach can.
 
“I think that call was very late,” Harbaugh seethed.  “It didn’t seem like it affected the play.”
 
Add to this the illegal block in the back called on Terrell Suggs’ that wiped out Domonique Foxworth’s interception/TD return of consistently inconsistent Ben Roethlisberger (17 for 33, 259 yards). 
 
Then throw in cornerback Frank Walker’s illegal contact penalty that spared the Steelers from another late game implosion, stripping Baltimore of any chance at last second heroics with good field position - and Harbaugh would have every reason to rip the Zebras and/or his team.
 
But to his credit, Harbaugh more or less stuck to the high road. “You can go to penalties if you want, you can put your finger on whatever you want, but we’re going to Oakland to play our hearts out.”
 
As well they should.  Despite the loss, the Ravens still control their own destiny. A win against the ever- reeling Raiders would land Baltimore in a wild-card berth, while the Steelers still need help from a slew of teams (count the Jets, Broncos and Texans among them) to get to the postseason.
 
Tomlin stuck fast to his rah-rah message in the face of the twisted playoff math. “We’re going out to control the things we can control, which is to play winning football,” said Tomlin.
 
As the Fat Man sang once or twice when visiting the Three Rivers: “Wave That Flag” Coach. “Wave it wide and high.”
 

AFC South Week 16 Wrap Up

   AFC South Week 16 Wrap Up
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
San Diego 42 Tennessee 17
The game was never a contest from the start and the Titans season is now over. Eliminated from the playoffs, Tennessee looks towards other goals. First off was Christmas night, a game versus a Chargers team that had won nine straight games. The Titans needed a win to keep their playoff hopes alive but could not deliver. Vince Young has taken this team from 0-6 to 7-7 and back in the playoff talk. The problem was they ran into a San Diego team playing December ball like no other in the league. They have not lost in December since 2006 for a total of 18 straight. Phillip Rivers picked the Titans defense apart going 21-27 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. He is playing just as well as any of the top quarterbacks in the league. On the other side of the ball it was Tennessee playing like they did while they were going 0-6. Young had his worst game since he took over going 8-21 for only 89 yards with two picks. He also had a key fumble when he was sliding for a first down. The one bright spot continues to be Chris Johnson and his ability to get yards. He ran for 142 yards on 21 carries with a touchdown and needs only 128 to get to 2,000. He would have probably gone over 200 on Christmas night if the Chargers didn’t have such a big lead. So next week is the last game of the season and they will play to get Johnson to 2,000 and possibly, if he can get 234 yards, pass Eric Dickerson’s mark of 2,105 yards. They are also playing for a .500 but a good point needs to be mentioned. If the Titans lose to Seattle next week they would get better positioning in next year’s draft and would play a better schedule. Now no one wants to play to lose but just thought I would mention that.
 
New York Jets 29 Indianapolis 15
See this is why I have a problem with pulling players at years end. If you are going to do it why let your key players play into the third period? I can see playing them a series or two or maybe even a quarter. Not only that they did it in their home finale of the season. Way to treat your fans to a good game. So with the score 15-10 Jim Caldwell decided to pull Peyton Manning in favor of Curtis Painter and it bombed. Painter was greeted rather rudely and was hit often. He even fumbled on his second series that turned into a touchdown for the Jets. So perfection is gone and what is the point to the Colts. Let us remember that the ultimate goal is to win the Super Bowl. It doesn’t matter if you win all your games or go 8-8. Still as a fan you would have wanted to see how it would have panned out next week had they won this game? The loss helped the Jets and hurt the Ravens making the last week of the season one to remember. So the main guys will rest next week in preparation for the playoffs. The media and the fans will second guess the decision for weeks to come but if Indy can win the big one it wont matter. If they don’t win it all it will be questioned into next season. They better hope that the likes of Austin Collie and other young players are not hurting their rhythm by not playing with Manning too much.
 
Houston 27 Miami 20
This is why they play the game as they say. When the season began the Texans had aspirations of a playoff berth for the first time in franchise history. As the season progressed things began to slowly unravel. They lost key games and kept making the mistake that have hurt them in years past. As the season has come to a close they are playing the brand of football they had hoped to play all year. On this day they looked great jumping out to a 27-0 lead as Matt Schaub had two quick scoring passes and Arian Foster chipped in with a 17-yard run. Kicker Kris Brown also had two field goals in the first half for 27-3 lead. They had to hold off a Dolphin 20-point rally but still looked like a team ready to make its first postseason appearance. Foster looked good running for 97 yards and Andre Johnson had five catches for 71 yards and a score. The defense held Miami to just 60 yards on the ground with Ricky Williams getting just 35. On the other side of the coin they did allow Chad Henne to go 35-55 for 322 yards too. So now they play to win next week and wait for the help they need. They have played hard and coach Gary Kubiak knows what’s at stake and the team is playing like it too. Let’s see if they can accomplish their goal and what they will do if they get there.
 
New England 34 Jacksonville 7
Another team in search of the postseason with jobs on the line is the Jags. On Sunday things did not go as planned when Tom Brady and Randy Moss put on a show that all but eliminated Jacksonville from playoff contention. They saw Brady go a near perfect 23-26 for 267 yards and four touchdowns. Moss had a huge day with three touchdowns on four catches. Maurice Jones-Drew failed to get 100 yards again getting just 63 on 18 carries. They managed just 275 yards of offense and David Garrard was picked off twice. When they had any kind of drive it was killed, as they were 4-11 on third down efficiency. They made Wes Welker look like one of the best receivers in the league as he caught 13 passes for 138 yards and leads the league with 122 catches. They failed to get to Brady and remain one the worst teams in the league as far as sacking the opposing quarterback is concerned. So they will need to win next week and get a lot of help or its lost season. If they do not make the playoffs changes will be needed and most of the time it starts with the head coach.

NFC South Week 16 Wrap Up

                             NFC South Week 16 Wrap Up
 
By Rafael Garcia
Sr. Contributing Writer Football Reporters Online
Southeast Region
 
 Atlanta 31 Buffalo 3
Now that the playoffs are not possible the Falcons decided to play for wins and pride. On Sunday they manhandled the Bills from the start. On the first play from scrimmage Matt Ryan hit Roddy White from 42 yards out to make it 7-0. The Bills would never be in the game from that point on. They managed just 187 total yards with only 40 coming via the run. Ryan finished 18-35 for 250 yards and three touchdowns. White had another scoring catch to close the scoring and finished with 139 yards on eight catches. The running tandem of Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood combined for 28 carries for 120 yards and the defense is playing the way they had hoped they would all year. They held the Bills to 11 first downs and 2-10 in third down efficiency. They forced three turnovers and 10 penalties for 60 yards and two sacks. Next week they go to Tampa Bay to try and finish the year with a winning record.
 
Tampa Bay 20 New Orleans 17
The last fourth of this season has been really hard on the Saints.  They started off so strong but have been exposed in the last month. The defense is the first thing that needs to be addressed and fast. They are finding ways to keep drives alive by allowing the big play, like the 77-yard punt return by Michael Spurlock to tie the game late in the fourth. They gave up 439 yards total yards to the Bucs. Tampa Bay was 7-12 on third downs and had the ball for 36 minutes. Not too bad for a team that started so bad. It was to the point where people were asking if head coach Raheem Morris could survive more than one year. New Orleans actually lead 17-0 and it was still 17-3 at the half. It would not be enough as Drew Brees was held under 300 yards passing and the Bucs defense came up big when they needed to. They took advantage of an injury to Saints running back Pierre Thomas and shut down the run game in the second half. Josh Freeman continued his evolution going 21-31 for 271 yards with no touchdowns and two picks. He did make a big play in the overtime that kept the winning drive alive. So Tampa continues to look like they are improving with each week and the Saints keep looking more vulnerable game after game. They and some fans thought they had won the game in regulation but Garrett Hartley missed a field goal from 37 yards out with five seconds left in the game. So Tampa moves on to finish the year next week looking to next year and the improvements they need to make. On a last note Morris may have saved his job with the team’s play in the last month or so.
 
Carolina 41 New York Giants 9
It was the last game at the Meadowlands and it hit home for me personally. I grew up going to that stadium and was looking to see the Gmen go out with a win. Unfortunately the Panthers had other plans. They came in with many questions in a season that had gone south. So, with not much to play for, they decided to show up and show out. Matt Moore had an effective day going 15-20 for 171 yards and three touchdowns. On top of that Jonathan Stewart ran all over the Giants defense to the tune of 206 yards on 28 carries and a score. The Panthers were 10-15 on third downs and had 416 total yards. They ran for 247 and forced four turnovers. The defense held the Giants to 60 yards rushing 27 minutes in time of possession. It was an ugly way for New York to go out as they showed no heart and little emotion. Eli Manning was 29-43 for 296 yards but he was playing from behind all day. It was 24-0 at the half and 34-3 by the end of the third. It was Carolina’s third win in their last four games and just like in Tampa that may have saved their coaches job for sure now.

Happy New Year! Oakland Predictions, 2010

Happy New Year, 2010!. It's time for predictions for the new year 2010 and specifically related to my current hometown, Oakland, California. 2010 is an election year, so politics takes center stage, but it's got a huge one in Oakland. This year, Oakland picks a new Mayor.

The stage must be appropriately set by explaining that Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums is a giant in Oakland's political history, but a disappointment as mayor. At a time when politicians are expected to act and react fast, and learn quickly, Dellums was too slow to do so. At just the time when it seems he's settled into the job, it's too late: Oaklanders want a change of leadership.

The race for Oakland Mayor currently only consists of two main players, former California State Senator Don Perata and Oakland Councilmember Jean Quan. Don Perata will win, and because he's the only person out of a few well-qualified people that wants the position enough to aggressively go after it.

Don Perata will be Oakland's Mayor, but not after one more big name enters the race, but that person will do so too late and serve only to take potential votes away from Jean Quan. Personally, I'm disappointed that Perata didn't challenge himself and go for higher office, like California Senator, but I'm sure he has his reasons.

Meanwhile, Quan's District Four Council Seat isn't safe either because my long-time friend, Libby Schaaf, the Senior Policy Advisor for Community & Economic Development to the City Council, has been interviewing campaign managers for her run for that position, if Jean Quan's mayoral fantasy becomes reality.

Personally, I think Libby should challenge Jean right off the bat. It's nothing against the personable Quan - let's face it, running for Mayor has made her a nicer person than in the past - but Libby's Oakland ties and friendships run much deeper. Moreover, District Four needs someone who will be a worthy replacement to the legendary shadow cast by former District Four Councilmember Dick Spees, and that person is Libby Schaaf. I don't write that just because she's my friend, but because its true. But I digress.

Regarding Oakland's government, we will see more job cuts and salary reduction efforts this year, as the City works to close its massive budget deficit. More and more Oaklanders will fall victim to the aggressive parking enforcement system and its stupidly-high set of fees, all forcing the successful gathering of signatures for an initiative to change the Oakland parking enforcement and fee system as we know it.

At least one of Oakland's newest downtown and Piedmont Avenue restaurants will close because there's just not enough money to go around. But more small cafes will open, and in neighborhoods that already have too many of them.

The crime problem in East Oakland will get worse, just as Oakland lacks the resources to deal with the problem, even with the stimulus package.

I'm just getting warm with my Oakland predictions, but it's New Year's Day, and I've got to eat breakfast.

Stay tuned.

Happy New Year, 2010! - family is important

Happy New Year, 2010! It's a new decade and even though it wasn't rung in by watching Justin Bieber and Selena Gomez, or New Year's Eve Times Square Live, or drooling over Jennifer Lopez' New Year's outfit, or watching Dick Clark's show with Ryan Seacrest and the live ball drop, or even catch the New Year Countdown online or Adam Lambert, or catch-up on Rush Limbaugh, I did get to spend it with family and we didn't make predictions for 2010.

For me it started with the spiritually impossible situation of not being able to get out of O'Hare Airport to San Francisco. The last United Airlines' flight I was listed for had an unbelievable 108 standbys. The United 767 used only held about 160 people. I was standby passenger number 52, and even though I've been in such a situation before and made it on board, it wasn't happening this time.

So I wound up talking with my Mom and a family friend until 3 AM CST here in my hometown of Chicago. And during that time we watched a movie I stumbled upon and always wanted to see: The Ice Storm. Not to digress, but it's an excellent movie that deals with family communication, or lack thereof .

At the end of it, FOX Entertainment CEO Tom Rothman, who hosts the show around which Fox movies were presented last night, obvered that The Ice Storm was about how we try to escape our family, only to have circumstances bring us back to our family.

That was wild.

I sat in total amazement. I've always believed in God, but never more so than last night because not only did that whole flight fiasco bring me to my small family, but talking about how things have changed was a great and necessary way to really take stock of how things have changed. Especially with so many people I've known who died in 2009.

Here I was worrying about meeting friends at the Balboa Cafe and whatever fun I would miss, and I was slammed into this very necessary event. In other words, having been with my family, I was seeking escape with the idea that I was headed toward something "more fun", and all the way missed what family was about. Not any more.

Our families know who we are and accept us, period. They don't have to be blood relations, just people who really truly love you without condition. And those people are there before you, but in the quest to be cool, all of us miss (and mistreat) those who really do care about us. In doing that, we lose the part of ourselves that sometimes we need to find just to successfully carry on.

So I've learned a lesson I'm passing on. Well, let's say I got a refresher course. Family is important to me, but frankly I saw it as a burden at times. It's not. It's freedom and love.

2010 predictions comes later!

Happy New Year from O'Hare Airport in Chicago

Well, as is a habit with my life, I'm stuck in The United Airlines Terminal at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport.

Getting to San Francisco on United Airlines is always a challenge, but it's more so during the holidays.

Fortunately, I'm in a great city, my hometown, so if I wind up spending New Year's Eve here, it will be OK.

Even though my plans were thrown off.

That happens.

All that aside, Happy New Year to everyone and have a great 2010! Oh, I see where the Stanford Cardinal's tied with Oklahoma at 24-all in the 3rd quarter.

Interesting.

Stay tuned. There's a lot to look back on, which we'll do next week.

Is YouTube / Google Employment as fun as this Google Slide?

On November 11th 2009, I was invited to be one of several YouTube Partners at the YouTube Community Roundtable. The idea was for YouTube Partners who make original video content and are compensated by Google for the traffic those videos generate to meet the staff that helps us. It was a fantastic idea because much of our contact with YouTube is via email and messages on the site itself. We don't get to see the faces behind the names.

Well, until that meeting.

The event was one part meetup and another part tech support and the third part new product roll-out. We saw YouTube's 3D and High Definition initiatives as the new product end of the meeting. But what was cool was just access to the team. Finding out how others are using their channels and ideas they have to revenue generation and content development.

As I understood it this was the "West Coast" Roundtable Meeting; there was a meeting in New York as well. Our meeting turned into a "sharefest" where I quickly learned that many YouTubers were faced with the same problem: comment spammers and flamers.

"It's part of the territory", was the eventual conclusion all of us came to and that perhaps it was a badge of honor to sustain such attacks and keep on churning out content on a regular basis. We also learned how to make full use of all of YouTube's "channel branding" features and got to chime in on what changes we wanted to see in YouTube.

One of the changes we asked for was implemented almost immediately. The "Insight" features that gives traffic updates is now more detailed with respect to time frame. I still want to see more a real time traffic measurement system, but what they have is a great start.

Finally, we were made aware of some of YouTube's vital stats in a kind of "annual report" presentation. For example, YouTube has over 1 million uploads each day, but there are only about 2,500 people who are YouTube Partners who are paid for their efforts via traffic generation. Of the YouTube Partners, some make over six-figures per year and have as many as 40 million views per month.

Amazing.

And on the way out, I took my Flip Video Camera for a ride down the Google Slide.  Check out the video above to ride with me!

I encourage you to start vlogging and work to become a YouTube Parnter. If you have questions, don't hesitate to contact me.

Texas Tech's Mike Leach Fired; Cal's Jeff Tedford on hot seat

In the wake of Texas Tech's firing of Head Coach Mike Leach today, we have now-week-old Internet chatter about Cal's Jeff Tedford heating up again.

Cal's uphill battle can do without Leach

Mike Leach was fired for his treatment of Redshirt Sophomore Wide Receiver Adam James, the son of ESPN's College Football Analyst Craig James. Coach Leach twice confined the younger James to a dark, closed room he called a closet and Leach called a room in the wake of James' mild concussion.

Cal's Jeff Tedford had his star player, Running Back Jahvid best sidelined with a concussion toward the end of the season. To Tedford's credit, even with the pressure of several big games, including the Poinsettia Bowl, Cal's Head Coach never pressured his best running back to play for even a single down. In Cal's last game, Best remained in street clothes on the sidelines.

While online publications like Bleacher Report fan the idea that Coach Tedford's on "the hot seat", the reality is he's not, nor should he be. Cal's problems are schematic; Tedford defends his players and to my knowledge he has not, nor would he treat a player like Mike Leach is said, (and agrees) to have done.

Moreover, Texas Tech's real problem with Coach Leach is that he acted like he was bigger than the program. The letter released by Texas Tech President Gus Bailey on Leach's behavior tells much:

Dear Coach Leach,

As you know, we have been conducting an inquiry into allegations by a student athlete that your treatment of him, subsequent to his being diagnosed with a mild concussion, may have been injurious to his health and served no medical and/or educational purposes. Texas Tech takes these allegations very seriously. In addition to being unacceptable, if proven, these allegations constitute a breach of your employment contract.

So that we can carry out an inquiry that takes into account the safety of our student athletes and in addition, that is fair to the students, yourself, and the university, we have determined that you must abide by the following guidelines from this day forward:

1. All practices and other team meetings will be monitored by the athletic director or his representative. (Crossed out with the initials GB beside it.)

2. Any player claiming an injury will be examined by a physician and cleared in writing prior to practicing or playing. Decisions regarding whether an injury warrants suspension from practice and/or play will be determined by a physician without pressure from you or your staff.

3. You must recognize that the players you are working with are student athletes and that you have an obligation to treat them with respect and further to conduct yourself in a manner consistent with your position as an instructor of students.

4. You must at all times assure the fair and responsible treatment of student athletes in relation to their health, welfare, and discipline, and if you are not doing so, you must immediately cease any actions not in compliance with this provision of your contract.

5. There will be no retaliation against any student who has suffered an injury.

Again, these allegations are serious, and should they be substantiated will result in disciplinary action ranging from public or private reprimand, monetary fines or adjustments in compensation, adjustments in the term of this contract, up to termination.

Sincerely,

Guy Bailey

President

Given this letter, and the report that Leach didn't sign it, I can't see Mike Leach being seriously considered for even an assistant's job at Cal Berkeley. Not to say it wouldn't happen, but I can't see it, nor can I see a logical reason for it. The Airraid Passing Concept is not complicated and Cal's problems lean more to passing philosophy rather than just scheme.

Still, all of this will not stop some bloggers from trying to throw Jeff Tedford under the bus, forgetting that he did build this program to where it is today: annually in bowl contention. I still believe Cal can be a National Champion in NCAA Football, but we don't have to sell our soul to get one.

GO BEARS!

Bohemian Grove wins timber battle; Vanity Fair's Shoumatoff looses

Remember this video on Vanity Fair's Alex Shoumatoff and The Bohemian Club?



Well, it's all over folks! The Bohemian Club won.

Today, The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection approved the Bohemian Club's application for what is called a "Non-Industrial Timber Management Plan".

Here's what I wrote about the story in my blog on April 6, 2009:

If you remember, Alex Shoumatoff set out last year to help his Harvard roommate Jock Hooper do a smear job on the Bohemian Club, which is a kind of resort home for many San Francisco luminaries, and not all of them male. Hooper was someone described as a "disgruntled former member" of the exclusive gentlemen's club that is favored by the business elite, former presidents, international leaders, and men who enjoy music, wine and song, and ok, I know at least two women who've recently been there (with their boyfriends). The club's lightened up a lot over the years.

Alex Shoumatoff

Anyway, Hooper quit the club when it wouldn't approve his forest management plan (read: major ego) and then became the leading critic of the club's plans to preserve and protect old growth redwood trees on its property. He then got Alex and Vanity Fair to do some dirty work for him, or try to.

This story started last year when Shoumatoff managed to sneak in to the Bohemian Grove during the annual event the club holds in July. But his wandering, covered in detail in his story, only lasted 40 minutes before he was arrested by security guards and a part-time service employee at the famed Grove who quickly spotted that the kind of sloppy, preppy Topsider-wearing editor was not one of their own.

In VF, Alex writes that he was trying to fit in with that style of dress, but folks I talked to say he wasn't hard to miss: he was dressed like a caddy wearing a Pebble Beach pullover and apparently asked off-beat questions that proved to be his downfall. Most of which he mentions in his article.

He was quickly captured cowering behind a bush. Shoumatoff was then arrested by the Sonoma County Sherriff's Department, spent the night in county jail, and forced to pay a fine for trespassing.

Thankfully, that drama is behind everyone, even Shoumatoff , I would think. The objective of the Club has been to guard against overgrowth of trees which could cause forest fires and protects the old-growth Redwoods. “For the past several years we have worked with a variety of environmental agencies, professional foresters and Cal-Fire to craft a plan that protects the majestic old growth trees on our property, preserves important wildlife habitat and allows us to lower the very real risk of a catastrophic fire,” said Emmett MacCorkle, President of the Bohemian Club.

"We appreciate the decision made by Cal-Fire to approve this plan,"MacCorkle continued. "For more than a century, the Bohemian Club has been working to restore this forest and protect it for future generations. This plan will allow us to continue that effort."

The Club reports that the new plan will result in the elimination of more than 254,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions over its life time. You can visit its website ProtectbohemianGrove.org for more information.

Mike Leach fired by Texas Tech - update, details, and poll

Suspended Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach was fired by Texas Tech today after Redshirt Sophomore Wide Receiver Adam James, the son of ESPN College Football Analyst Craig James, said that Leach twice ordered him to remain in a dark place that James described as a closet and Coach Leach called a room. But Mike Leach didn't see what was wrong with what he did. Meanwhile, scores of Mike Leach supporters have come out in support of the legendary football mind.

Dennis Dodd of CBSSports.com has published a number of emails in support of Coach Leach and attacking Adam James. Here's one example from Inside Receivers Coach Lincoln Riley:

"He [James] complained to me that we were not doing our jobs as coaches and that his effort was just fine ... It's just another example of Adam thinking that he knows more about coaching than people who have been coaching their entire lives. I have no doubt that anger from this led to where we are today ... and is his way of trying to "get back" at us coaches."

Mike Leach's actions against Adam James led to a suspension on Monday, meaning he would not be able to coach The Red Raiders in The Alamo Bowl, January 2nd. To get around the order, Coach Leach filed a Temporary Restraining Order, that, if upheld by a judge in a Lubbock, Texas courtroom. According to ESPN, Texas Tech's general counsel Pat Campbell gave Leach's lawyer Ted Liggett the letter of firing just minutes before the two were to appear in the Lubbock courtroom. Leach's reaction?

Liggett said, "Well, he's not thrilled." Liggett said he planned to file a lawsuit on Leach's behalf against the school "soon."

Reportedly, Leach contract of $12.7 million is such that he would have been able to collect on a buyout of $1.6 million had he been fired on Thursday and not Wednesday. The nest step is an arbitration hearing for Leach to get his promised $800,000 bonus. Mike Leach is to receive a $400,000 annual severance over the next four years.

The feelings on this run both for Coach Leach and against, as some of his players have expressed support for Adam James in the wake of the firing. But the problem extends beyond Adam James and Craig James, and to the recruits that were considering Texas Tech and even more important, Texas Tech Alumni.

From reading the live chat at RedRaiders.com the number of people for Leach is almost 60 percent. But those upset are people who follow the team and are concerned with maintaining its performance in the wake of Leach's ouster. For example:

Comment From sab]
if there is more to this i can't wait to hear it. this is nothing more than myers getting even for having his pants pulled down in front of everyone last year during contract negotiations. the biggest thing is that tech finally made it to the status of being a big time program and didn't know how to handle the problems that can arise from that. i still contend that if it was some kid whose father didn't work for espn this would have been a non-story. but i have a feeling james threatened to say something if he didn't get his way. he says he never hovered around the football program BULL. he all but said that he did during broadcast of the games.

The commenter is referring to last February's bruising contract negotiations between Texas Tech and Mike Leach. At that time, Texas Tech offered Leach a $12.7 million contract that he at first rejected, then signed later in 2009. But it appeared that Mike Leach had become bigger than Texas Tech, and at that point, a once family-like relationship begin to get icy. It didn't help that Coach Leach referred to some of the players as having "Fat little girlfriends" after their loss to Texas A&M in October:



What's clear is that this ice that's now fully formed will only melt under the hot light of a large lawsuit. Just how far the lawsuit will extend is anyone's guess. Mike Leach could and reportedly feels that his coaching methods have been painted in a way as to smear him. Indeed, reports are that a video showing the actual place where Adam James was told to remain will be shown and that the venue was a media workroom. Whatever the specifics, this is going to get uglier before it gets better.

What do you think? Take my poll:

Health for the holidays: Hangover cures - a 7-step medical review

Hangovers are ugly beasts - if you don't believe me, re-watch that insta-Hollywood-classic, The Hangover for a brutal refresher course (keeping mind that chemical results, like so many things in Hollywood, were artificially augmented). Bertie Wooster, in The Mating Season, described the more vintage experience: "I am told by those who know that there are six varieties of hangover - the Broken Compass, the Sewing Machine, the Comet, the Atomic, the Cement Mixer and the Gremlin Boogie, and his manner suggested that he had got them all."

Ooh, my aching head...

New Year's Eve festivities loom, with New Year's DAY inevitably to follow. Which means you may be asking yourself - can you actually cure or prevent a hangover? Medically, that is? Other than with that vilest (but proven most effective) of interventions (gasp) teetotaling?

Here are some proposed hangover treatments, the science behind whether they work or not, and some tips on keeping yourself safe this New Year's Eve.

1) Does it matter which alcohol you drink? The data is, well, murky, on this question. While there are many beliefs and anecdotes about which drinks are more likely to cause a hangover (the cloudier a drink is, the more it causes a hangover, is one theory), the science just hasn't kept up. Research DOES show that, in general, the darker the drink (as in red wine, port, etc.), the more likely it is to cause migraines in those people susceptible to them. But, keep in mind, for many migraineurs, any alcohol at all can induce a splitting headache (which may be mistaken for a hangover). Finally, many people avoid certain drink combinations, purely for fear of what the drink might taste like on its way back up (shudder).

2) Does it help to "pre-treat" a hangover? By "pre-treat," we're talking about taking a medicine before you start drinking (such as an aspirin) in the hopes that it will fend off hangover symptoms before they begin. In general, the answer, again, is no, although there is a tiny bit more science to support that claim. You should be aware that, in particular, taking acetaminophen (the active ingredient in, for example, Tylenol) before OR after a drinking bout can actually be very tough on your liver. In fact, several case reports have documented people who accidentally died while taking relatively low doses of acetaminophen in the setting of large amounts of alcohol (especially chronic alcohol ingestion). So if you want to treat that pounding headache on New Year's Day, clearly the safest thing (if you can't turn back time and refuse your third martini) is a cold compress and a dark room. Personally, if you need to take a medicine, I'd recommend taking good old aspirin instead of acetaminophen (as long as aspirin is not contraindicated for you). Sure, aspirin can irritate your stomach, but in its most brutal terms (which is how we doctors tend to think), it's a heck of a lot easier to treat a GI bleed, than it is to get a new liver.

3) How many drinks does it take to cause a hangover? Keeping in mind the uncertainties about which drinks cause more hangover symptoms (see #1, above), there are some general numbers thrown around by researchers, based on gender. Physiologic gender differences exist when it comes to alcohol metabolism. These metabolic differences exaggerate existing differences due to larger/smaller body mass. When it comes to alcohol, drinking is an area where the girls actually should never try to keep up with the boys. Additionally, women are also much more likely (many times over) to get migraines, which can be precipitated by alcohol of all types, complicating the incidence of reported hangover symptoms. Further, a binge drinker is defined differently for men and women. For women, a binge drinker is anyone drinking 4 or more drinks on one occasion, and 5-6 or more for a man. However, at least one study shows that these numbers, while useful, are (as you might expect) variable for individuals - the larger the number picked, the greater the likelihood of long-term alcohol problems. For health benefits, recommendations are that women drink no more than 0-2 drinks a day (no more than 7 total per week), and men no more than 2 a day, but even staying within those numbers, some people will, over the long-term, develop drinking problems. On the opposite end of the spectrum, you may be wondering why your buddy never seems to get a hangover, no matter how much he/she drinks. It's annoying, isn't it? But is it real? Studies have shown that approximately 20-30% of the population is resistant to hangover. And paradoxically, the people resistant to hangover may actually also be more resistant to developing drinking problems. Hangover symptoms may be a form of short-term alcohol withdrawal (even in people who don't drink consistently). Withdrawal symptoms typically induce cravings, which lead to addictions (you get the idea...see "hair of the dog," below). So experiencing hangovers (for ANY small or large number of drinks) can be a warning sign to take seriously.

4) Can you do anything while drinking to reduce future hangover symptoms? A rigorous look at hangover treatments of all kinds in the British Medical Journal in 2005 found that, of many proposed hangover-prevention treatments, including "propranolol, tropisetron, tolfenamic acid, fructose or glucose, and the dietary supplements Borago officinalis (borage),Cynara scolymus (artichoke), Opuntia ficus-indica (prickly pear), and a yeast based preparation." The results? Nada. Nothing worked, with the authors concluding that "The most effective way to avoid the symptoms of
alcohol induced hangover is to practise abstinence or moderation." All that being said, more recent research shows two area of promise. One study shows that asparagus may ameliorate hangover symptoms - especially the younger shoots and leaves (but you do get, however, asparagus pee as a normal side-effect). Second (and more promising) are physiologic studies of the effects of alcohol which indicate a massive disruption of many your body's mediators, including your ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) function. In other words, when you drink alcohol, your hydration hormone gets screwed. Kind of like a Greek myth, you're drinking and drinking but your body is getting thirstier and thirstier. That's probably the reason why re-hydrating a person with fluids has been a mainstay of improving hangover symptoms (just check out New Year's Day ERs and count the number of IV poles). Dehydration also makes nausea much worse - but if you're hangover puking, how can you rehydrate? One suggested approach is to, the night before, drink a large glass of something non-alcoholic for every alcoholic beverage you drink. While the rigorous data is not yet in, this approach definitely at least slows down the rate of alcohol consumption, and some swear by its effectiveness at preventing hangover symptoms the next day, even for the same number of alcoholic drinks ingested. Finally, some researchers indicate taking B6 may help prevent hangover symptoms, but rigorous studies are lacking.

5)What about taking a little "hair of the dog"? Drinking alcohol the next morning to alleviate hangover symptoms ("the hair of the dog that bit you"), is more and more recognized as a marker of alcohol problems, rather than an effective "cure" for hangover symptoms. Studies also show that, while gross tests of psychomotor function are within normal limits during a hangover, judgment can be impaired (and this study also). The "hair of the dog" is definitely going to impair those judgments more, as well as possibly prolonging future alcohol withdrawal symptoms into the next day.

6) Doesn't a hangover teach you a lesson? Um, sorry, but the data are kind of scary in this regard. People who drink heavily, including college students, are the MOST likely to underestimate both the number of drinks it takes to impair their judgment AND to significantly underestimate the actual bad outcomes they have personally experienced while impaired. These bad outcomes run the gamut of everything from severe hangovers to unintended higher-risk sexual encounters. The more you drink, the less likely you are to comprehend, much less learn from, the impact of your drinking. As an explicit example, one case report noted an unusual cause of a patient's reported hangover headache - a "retained knife blade" found lodged inside the brain tissue.

7) Dodging death - how do I tip the odds in my favor? First, studies show that binge drinking is a significant predictor of future alcohol problems. But many people may not know that it's also a predictor of death. When you think about it, that's not a surprise - when you're drunk, you're more likely to stumble into traffic, get behind a wheel, or wander down the wrong alley. More and more studies also show the effect of impaired judgment on unsafe behaviors, like regretted sexual choices. When you head out to party, get your personal dodging death packet ready. Pack some condoms, a Plan B pack of pills (yes guys, even you - studies show men are more likely to report condom breakage and reduce unwanted pregnancies if they have a set of Plan B pills on hand). Also make sure you've got your travel plans safely arranged. Taxi numbers, transit cards, spare cash - make sure you're ready to avoid getting behind a wheel (or piling in a car with an impaired driver behind a wheel). Finally be especially careful to NOT mix and match your ingestions. Make a vow to yourself before the evening begins - no mixing substances. Even the most experienced user can die from an unholy cocktail, taken while your judgment is impaired. Finally, never forget that a person can die from an alcohol overdose. Read these Doc Gurley tips on managing a friend who's overdone it. It's also extremely important to remember that "hangover" can be a mistaken diagnosis - a sign of severe medical problems, including liver damage and infections. If anything about your symptoms seems abnormal or severe, seek medical help.

New Year's is a time to celebrate new beginnings. Be safe out there, folks.

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