MiniVanGundy

Jessica Simpson and the Giants playoff runs

2012-01-20T11:33:00.001-08:00

If I am a San Francisco 49ers fan I do not want Jessica Simpson anywhere near Candlestick park this weekend. Why would she be there one might ask? Well she happens to be engaged to former 49ers tight end Eric Johnson. Now Johnson is no all time great by any standard, however in his heyday he was nothing to shake a (candle)stick at and I'm pretty sure if he had the desire to make the trek to the Bay Area for Sunday's AFC championship game, he could probably get tickets with relative ease. For fans of the Giants they can only hope he is joined by his famous fiancé, seeing as how last time the pop star attended a Giants playoff game, Eli Manning led New York to a stunning playoff victory over the Dallas Cowboys prompting Terrell Owens to be overcome with emotion while proclaiming his love for Tony Romo (Vernon Davis anyone?).

In things MJ or Kobe would never tweet news

2012-01-12T12:11:00.001-08:00

We bring you this from the Twitter feed of Lebron James apparently distraught over his dismal performance last night...

Pretty sure if Pau Gasol asked Kobe if he wanted to talk about it after a tough loss, he would be listed as day-to-day.

Find things we would tweet @MiniVanGundy

Peyton Hillis might as well do something for your fantasy team this year.

2011-11-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

Peyton Hillis has let so many fantasy owners down this year. He missed a game with strep throat (is that an NFL first?) and apparently needs a new hamstring more than a new contract. It's not like me to kick a player when he is down but if you miss a children's event that you've committed to that pretty much makes you fair game, so I'm calling on all of you who own Peyton Hillis to rename your fantasy squad something that vents your frustrations towards him, tweet your new fantasy name to me @MiniVanGundy and I'll retweet them as long as they are not overly offensive (like Hillis this season, see what I did there?).

Did you go to bed thinking the Texas Rangers won the World Series?

2011-10-28T05:38:00.000-07:00

Admit it, you were tempted to turn off the TV when Derek Holland crossed the plate last night giving the Rangers a three run lead and seemingly a stranglehold on the franchise's first World Series title. If you did, you and the fans who left the stadium before the end of the game have to be kicking yourself this morning. In order to make sure this type of thing never happens to you again, we've created a set of guidelines for you (not based on any science or empirical evidence whatsoever) as to when it is okay to turn the TV off or leave the stadium (if you absolutely must) so you do not miss the next "greatest game ever."

Baseball: Never, there is no time limit, the game is done when the last out is recorded. If you missed it last night, you deserve the shame and ridicule that comes with it.

Football: If it is a 3 possession game and there is less than 4 minutes left and the other team is out of timeouts, I'd say you are pretty safe, that is unless your team's quarterback's name is Tony Romo.

Basketball: If it is a 4 possession game with approximately one minute left and the leading team is about to shoot free throws you are safe (including games involving Reggie Miller).

Hockey: If an empty netter is hit, it's okay to empty the arena, also the first time the zone is cleared in a three goal game with under two minutes to play.

Soccer: In a three goal game once there is under 10 minutes to play (games involving the Italian men's national team and Brazilian women's
team you will have to account for injuries) it is okay to start heading for the car, chances are if a comeback is going to happen the first goal
will be scored before you can make it out of the stadium.

Golf: Changed dramatically since Thanksgiving of two years ago but if Phil Mickelson or Dustin Johnson is involved, stay tuned.

Tennis: Only matches you should be watching are those involving at least 2 of the following 3: Djokavic, Nadal, Federer but if you are an American diehard as soon as Andy Roddick drops the second set the rest of the day is yours to do what you want with it.

Don't miss us on Twitter @MiniVanGundy

WVU owes a certain former coach a big thank you today

2011-10-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

The college football dominoes continued to fall today as word came that West Virginia University would be joining the Big 12. There is not a whole lot coming out of Morgantown right now, so we cannot confirm nor deny whether WVU plans to have any ceremony honoring the man who without all this would be possible... Former head coach Rich Rodriguez. Yes, as much as Mountaineer fans and alumni may hate to hear that, they owe their pardon from conference purgatory to a man who is reviled in their state. Scanning various social media outlets today the rhetoric coming from the WVU faithful has largely centered around their success over the last decade, including two BCS bowl wins, all this of course under Rodriguez. The facts are that conference realignment has centered around football and the efforts of Rodriguez made WVU an asset that was valuable enough for the Big 12 to justify bringing in and feeling good about. So as you breathe a sigh of relief today after being plucked from the junk pile that is the Big East perhaps you will swallow some of that lingering bitterness from the day RichRod bolted to Ann Arbor and realize that without him, this probably is not possible.

Occupy Movement: Sports Edition

2011-10-25T06:41:00.000-07:00

Occupy my Twitter @MiniVanGundy

The occupy movement that started on wall street and has become a global phenomenon shows no signs of slowing down. It is just a matter if time before it sweeps over the sports landscape. Taking that into account we give you a list of movements that should or are likely to happen...

LSU fans should occupy honey badger's whereabouts to make sure he is eligible to play against Bama

Tim Tebow should occupy quarters 1-3

The Dolphins should be glad they continued to occupy the loss column #suckforluck

Donovan McNabb should occupy retirement.

If Peyton Manning wants to make sure the Colts aren't in position to draft Andrew Luck he should occupy the offensive coordinator duties

Tashard Choice should no longer occupy a roster spot for the Cowboys

West Virginia head coach Dana Holgerson should occupy the barbershop after occupying a Bill Murray Kingpin costume for Halloween.

Roddy White should be prepared for opposing fans to occupy Rodney chants.

For his postgame press conferences Ron Washington should occupy a jacket that isn't three sizes too big for him.

Tony Larussa should occupy a megaphone.

Potential Peyton Manning Trade Partners

2011-10-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Tony Dungy thinks the Indianapolis Colts should draft Andrew Luck if given the opportunity and trade Peyton Manning. With what would've been a willing suitor in the Oakland Raiders following their trade for Carson Palmer we look at other potential destinations for the future hall of fame quarterback.

Kansas City Chiefs: A franchise that has some history dealing for legendary quarterbacks, and a team that despite a terrible start has shown signs of life. With the return of Jamaal Charles and Tony Moeaki in 2012, to join an offense with Dwyane Bowe and Steve Breaston, it could be an appealing destination for Manning.

Washington Redskins: Are we really to believe Mike Shanahan is going to strap his cart to John Beck or Rex Grossman for the long haul? Also, do you think Dan Snyder would be able to resist making a move like this.

San Francisco 49ers: Behind Jim Harbaugh and a nasty front seven on defense this is a team in the rise. They've built a solid offensive line that could keep Manning upright and possibly let Michael Crabtree finally reach his potential.

Baltimore Ravens: To me, this is the one that makes the most sense, with one caveat, the Ravens do not win the Super Bowl this season. Say Baltimore gets bounced by Pittsburgh in the playoffs again, do you really think anyone in that front office would be brave enough to tell Ray Lewis that they're sticking with Flacco?

Dallas Cowboys: If they miss the playoffs, the calls for Tony Romo's head may be too loud to ignore. Much like Baltimore, this is a team built to win now.

Why you hate fantasy football: Week 7

2011-10-24T05:58:00.000-07:00

The most hated player on your team.

Ryan Torain: owners should've known Shanahan would've killed any chances of him producing a worthy line after a disappointing line against the Eagles, however, the zone blocking scheme leads to delusions of grandeur which even yours truly fell victim to. Don't be surprised if Torain has a few more decent performances though, I'm pretty sure Shanahan just likes to mess with everyone.

Runner up: Darren McFadden

Michael Bush put up 111 yards after run dmc went down, could've been an epic day.

The most hated player on your opponent's team:

Demarco Murray: here's the situation, your friend gets up Sunday morning, looks at the waiver wire and sees Murray available and Tashard Choice available. They choose Murray and proceed to not shut up until Fox's animation domination goes off the air.

Runner up: Arian Foster

Might get some flak for not going with a member of Saints here, but you knew Brees and co. would take the Colts behind the woodshed. Foster was so good, he made Ben Tate a decent pickup again.

Your weekly Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player report

2011-10-24T05:09:00.000-07:00

Ndamukong Suh is becoming the second most scrutinized player in the NFL (Broncos quarterback cough cough). Following the Detroit Lions loss to the Atlanta Falcons the biggest headlines to come out of the game were about things Suh may or may not have said following an injury to Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, not about the Falcons starting to play up to their potential or the injury to Matthew Stafford. No, all anyone wanted to talk about is how Suh said "get the cart" following the injury to Ryan and how classless that was. Now I have no idea what is said in the trenches during an NFL game, but I'm going to go out on a limb and say Suh probably said some nastier things then "get the cart" during the course of the game. If players have a problem with what he's saying, they could always try blocking him, that might keep him quiet. Also, once again, I'm not privy to the inner workings of the NFL but I'll go out on another limb and say that a lot of players probably lost respect for the members of the Falcons who chose to figuratively throw Suh under the bus to the media.

NBA Lockout: The main issues holding up a deal

2011-10-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was not a good day for the NBA. After marathon negotiating sessions produced no deal, the respective sides took to the media to spin their side of the demands. The players have said from the beginning that the owner's proposal is unreasonable and we tend to agree with them. We've provided a list of 10 of the major issues below though so you can judge for yourself.

1. 50 percent of all televised free agency decisions revenue.

2. Must cover at least 50 percent of Michael Jordan's gambling losses.

3. Ability to sell naming rights on any future name changes by players (Metta World Piece presented by TD Ameritrade).

4. Player's must agree to purchase at least 10,000 WNBA season tickets.

5. Portion of their income to go into escrow to pay for Mark Cuban's fines.

6. Agree to cover damages from any future sexual harassment suits against Isaiah Thomas and the Knicks.

7. Charles Barkley and Antoine Walker must only enter the Palms in Las Vegas as this will serve as the primary financing of new arena in Sacramento.

8. Future players are prohibited from dating Kendall and Kylie Jenner.

9. Anytime Dwight Howard misses a free throw, each owner gets a $100 Best Buy gift card.

10. Lebron's free fries from his new McDonald's commercial.

New SEC shirts for Texas A and M

2011-08-16T12:12:00.000-07:00

According to AggielandOutfitters.com the grass really is greener on the SEC side for the Aggies.

Boris Said is ready to fight

2011-08-15T10:09:00.001-07:00

Nascar driver and road track specialist is no fan of Greg Biffle. Will he use Mapquest or Google Maps?

@MiniVanGundy

Video: Crazy Tiger Woods Fan

2011-08-12T11:17:00.000-07:00

He's no cigar guy, but I found him pretty entertaining. Is he somehow related to Kevin James?

Follow us on Twitter @MiniVanGundy

Giants can be mad, but not at Steve Smith

2011-08-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

There are reports surfacing today that New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin feels betrayed by new Philadelphia Eagles receiver Steve Smith. Giants executive Pat Hanlon, in one of his least inflammatory tweets of the past day or two said that the Giants made responsible offers to Smith and Kevin Boss. I'm not sure what a responsible offer is, but chances are for a wide receiver coming off microfracture surgery, it probably was an incentive laden deal and I'd be shocked if it was longer than one year. Smith knew he had to find the best deal for him, because his chance to get his real contract will be coming up next year and maybe if Giants tone down the anger and rhetoric they'll have their chance to give Smith the contract they apparently are so desperate to give him.

Make sure you are following us on twitter @MiniVanGundy

NFL Stadiums that should be blown up

2011-08-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

With the story circulating yesterday about Heinz Field’s role and demise in the upcoming Dark Knight Rises movie, we decided it would be a good idea to examine which NFL stadiums deserve the same fate.

San Francisco 49ers:
Candlestick Park-Comes across on television as quite possibly the ugliest stadium in the league. No one quite knows what is going on with those seats that keep wrapping around, is there some abyss under the midfield seats? The good news is that everything seems a go for them to finally move into a new stadium in the coming years.

Buffalo Bills
To put it bluntly, this is a team that the past few seasons has chosen to go play in another country once a year to try and generate more fan interest and revenue. Owner Ralph Wilson has said once he passes the team will be sold to the highest bidder, the Bills may be in a holding pattern until then.

Oakland Raiders
With the Florida Marlins moving into new digs next year, the Raiders will be the only remaining team in the NFL that shares their stadium with a Major League Baseball team. Raiders fans have to hope Los Angeles doesn’t swoop in and steal them away again before the Raiders secure a new stadium in the Bay Area.

San Diego Chargers
The Chargers escape the Major League Baseball distinction the Raiders have, only because the Padres moved to beautiful Petco Park. Another team that is on the Los Angeles radar.

Minnesota Vikings
Mother Nature did her best to finish off the Metrodome last year. Has to be frustrating for Zygi Wilf to constantly go through the political tug of war to try and get a new place built.

St. Louis Rams
The Rams have the same stadium problems that the Vikings have, they are in a place that just is not capable of generating the type of revenue some of these new palaces are. Like the Raiders they could look to go back to Los Angeles.

Chad Henne is hearing same boos Drew Brees heard

2011-08-08T11:04:00.000-07:00

Remember way back when Drew Brees was on the San Diego Chargers? Through the first three seasons of his NFL career he certainly was not the franchise quarterback San Diego had drafted him to be. In fact his performance for the team through those first three seasons was enough for the Chargers to pick Eli Manning and then flip him for Phillip Rivers in the 2004 NFL draft. We all know the rest of the story, Brees turns his career around, goes to New Orleans in free agency and the rest is history. Well now we sit here in 2011 and look at Chad Henne with the Miami Dolphins and can’t help but ask if he has the potential for a Drew Brees type career turnaround? Looking at their career statistics, their numbers are not that dissimilar through their first three seasons. Between Brandon Marshall, Davone Bess, Anthony Fasano, and now Reggie Bush there are pieces there that should make Henne’s life easier. Also if you factor in the fact that Jake Long is protecting his blind side, if things stay the same this year you have to believe Miami will make a move to address the quarterback position and quiet the boos coming from the fans there, unfortunately for Tony Sparano, it will probably be too late.

Kyle Orton is the better quarterback, is he the right one?

2011-08-03T13:36:00.000-07:00

A lot of the NFL free agency buzz the past few days has taken a back seat to the quarterback competition taking place at Denver Broncos training camp between Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. From all reports Orton has vastly outplayed Tebow in practice, to the point that Broncos players (and Miami Dolphins fans) have anointed him the clear-cut starter. Here is the question though, just because Kyle Orton has been the better quarterback in practice, does that make him the right quarterback for this Broncos team. Last time I checked, the Broncos weren’t exactly in win-now mode. This is a Denver team that finished last in their division and had the 2nd pick in the draft. By all measures, Tim Tebow is the quarterback of the future for Denver and unless you think Orton is taking you to the playoffs, (I can only confidently name three teams in the AFC that I think Denver could finish ahead of) I think it’s pretty fair to ask if it is the right time to move on? It’s almost a win-win for Denver, if Tebow proves to be a legit quarterback, then Denver has got their guy, if it is a disaster, then there’s a good chance John Elway gets to take the second coming of John Elway in Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

Rachel Nichols, meet Randy Moss’ front yard

2011-08-02T06:35:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like us, you are not 100 percent sold on Randy Moss’ retirement. We have questions that we need answered and we feel like we need someone to camp out on Moss’ front lawn for daily coverage on Sportscenter. Who better than ESPN’s resident retirement reporter Rachel Nichol’s? To help her out we tweeted her directions to Moss’ hometown of Rand, West Virginia from Hattiesburg Mississippi, because we heard she keeps a summer home there. Mapquest puts the voyage at 818.13 miles and estimates it will take 12 hours and 34 minutes.

Follow us on Twitter @MiniVanGundy

Should Ahmad Bradshaw fire his agent?

2011-08-01T14:09:00.000-07:00

Twelve million dollars; that is the difference in the amount of guaranteed money given to New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw and Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams. Bradshaw had to be very excited when he saw Williams sign his monster deal last week, thinking that he would likely be in line for something similar, however, his patience ended up costing him and he was forced to take significantly less. What went wrong for Bradshaw? Well, he watched interested teams in the Dolphins and Redskins trade for Reggie Bush and Tim Hightower and the Bengals keep Cedric Benson, leaving really only the Giants to negotiate with and taking away all his leverage. Everyone knew that once the lockout was over free agency was going to be a mad dash and second tier free agents like Bradshaw and Williams were in position to cash in on a team looking to fill their roster quickly and get more than they probably deserved. Williams was able to get his monster deal, Bradshaw has to be disappointed, even if it was his desire to stay with the Giants. All is not lost for Ahmad, the best strategy he can employ now is to just keep what he’s doing. Let’s say the next couple of seasons he puts up something in the range of the 1500 total yards he put up in 2010, if I were his agent I would advise him to hold out. At that point Bradshaw will be close to 30 and it will likely be his agent’s last opportunity to get his client the big contract he should have gotten this time.

Peyton Manning: The Smartest Man in Football

2011-07-08T12:29:00.000-07:00

I feel sorry for all those kids participating in this year’s Manning Passing Academy, they unwittingly have become pawns in the NFL labor standoff thanks to the smartest man in football: Peyton Manning. If you’ve watched Manning over the years, you know that no one is more adept at reading defenses and adjusting on the fly than he is; he has total freedom, essentially he’s an extra coach on the field. This week, however, he’s shown that he can play the public relations game with the best of them as well. For the first time in 16 years he is not physically participating in the academy he puts on with his father Archie and brother Eli. The reason he is not participating is because he is in “cautious mode” while rehabbing from offseason surgery to repair a bulging disc in his neck. He is being “cautious” because per the rules of the lockout he cannot have contact with the team’s therapist Erin Barill, who has overseen Manning’s rehabilitation from two other surgeries. Take that Jim Irsay. Your golden goose is on record saying he’s not feeling too good about his injury, and if you read the undertones he’s saying if you want to keep me happy you better get in there with your buddies in the owner’s boxes and solve this thing or we could be in trouble. He’s sending a message for all the other player’s out there who are paying for their own surgeries and rehabbing on their own that if you want your money’s worth out of your investments then maybe you should try and get this fixed. It’s a subtle message, unlike ones sent out by players by Antonio Cromartie and others via Twitter and the like but a much more impactful one, but what would you expect from a guy with the pedigree Manning has? When it comes to the game on and off the field, Peyton Manning is once again proving that he is the best of the best.

Steve Nash to the Lakers… The NBA trade that needs to happen.

2011-06-23T11:06:00.000-07:00

Sorry Steve Nash, you’re just too nice, too loyal, you need people around you who know what’s better for you than you do yourself, a no-holds barred, take charge, cutthroat type of person who can take you to where you ultimately need to be. Let me introduce you to that person, Steve Nash meet Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant meet Steve Nash. The NBA draft is always ripe with teams looking to deal, and it is no secret that after getting swept by the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA playoffs the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to upgrade significantly and give Kobe the chance to maximize his last few opportunities at NBA championships and pad his legacy. This is where Steve Nash comes in, it would be a match made in heaven, the significant upgrade at point guard that the Lakers need and we could watch Nash and Kobe ride into the sunset together. Now I know what you are thinking, the Lakers do not have the pieces to sufficiently whet the Phoenix Suns’ appetite, and you would be right. This would have to be one of those complicated three or four team NBA trades to really make this work. Here is the scenario: the Lakers get Nash and are good to go, The second (and possibly third), team, most likely an average or terrible squad that thinks they are a few pieces away get Lamar Odom, Marcin Gortat, Shannon Brown, Robin Lopez or some other role player that a general manager thinks has great upside but will ultimately never be more than a role player and they up their win total and possibly make the playoffs saving jobs in the process. Finally the Suns get some young players with “upside” and some good draft picks from the second (and possibly third) team to start their rebuilding process. This is all contingent on someone stepping up and saving Steve Nash from himself, his good buddy Dirk and the Mavs have no intentions on giving up their title and do you really think up and coming teams like Oklahoma City and Memphis are going to get worse? I know he wants to do right by Phoenix but the window has closed for him there, a wide open one is waiting for him in L.A.

U.S. Open Preview: NBA Finals Edition

2011-06-15T06:07:00.000-07:00

To all of you casual sports fans out there who only seem to turn the dial to golf when Tiger Woods is playing, the U.S. Open is this weekend at Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Maryland. Still three days later, all the talk in the sports world seems to still be revolving around the recently completed NBA Finals so with that in mind we give you a look at some of the principles in this weekend’s U.S. Open and there closest NBA Finals counterpart.

Lee Westwood – Dirk Nowitzki

Supremely talented Europeans. Lee, like Dirk (before Sunday night) has never really been given his due thanks in part to some close calls and heartbreak on the biggest stage. Westwood can take the next step with a major victory this weekend.

Rory McIlroy – Lebron James

Has all the talent in the world to win multiple championships. Could be immaturity, could be putting too much pressure on themselves, whatever it is they have yet to put 4 rounds (or quarters) together and win the ultimate prize.

Phil Mickleson – Rick Carslile

The elder statesman. Has always shown themselves to be a winner. Willing to take some risks to get the job done and seems to have a few more tricks in their bag than their opponents.

Dustin Johnson – Mark Cuban

Willing to go for broke to get to their goal. Also seems to have issues with authority (i.e. Mark Cuban vs. David Stern; Dustin Johnson vs. non-existent bunkers).

Rickie Fowler – J.J. Barea

Not the biggest guys out there or even the most talented, but they certainly are the flashiest.

Graeme McDowell – Dwyane Wade

They don’t always get talked about as much as those around them, but no one can take away that they have reached the top of the mountain.

Steve Williams – Chris Bosh

Have made a mark for themselves in their game, however, their ultimate task is to aid the brighter stars around them in getting to a championship level.

Bubba Watson – Jason Terry

No one around them will ever say they lack confidence, and what can I say… Chicks dig the long ball.

Luke Donald – Erik Spoelstra

Have spent a lot of time climbing the ladder and putting themselves at what seems like the top of their profession, to be taken seriously though, they need to take that next step.

Matt Kuchar – Brian Cardinal

A hairline joke would be too easy, not to mention cruel (and I don’t want or need that karma coming back to me). What I will say is that you have to admire how hard each of them works out there and they seem to be having fun doing it.

Tiger Woods – Kobe Bryant

Neither one of them make it to their sports biggest stage this year, and you have to ask yourself what it will take for them to get back to the top.

Ranking the NBA Championship Hats 2000-Present

2011-06-14T09:16:00.001-07:00

Winning an NBA title is the pinnacle of a player's career, a memory that will last them a lifetime. Some players however, might have their pictures a little more front and center than others based on the hat they are given to wear for their post game celebration. We examine that championship hats from all the NBA Finals winners since 2000 and rank them from best to worst.

1. 2007 San Antonio Spurs

Simple, clean and understated, much like that 2007 Spurs team.

2. 2001 Los Angeles Lakers

Phil Jackson's best Lakers team also deserved the best championship hat.

3. 2005 San Antonio Spurs

After a brutal and physical 7 game series with the Detroit Pistons the Spurs were rewarded with the number 3 hat on our list.

4. 2009 Los Angeles Lakers

Kobe Bryant's first title post-Shaq can be remembered even more fondly when he looks at this one in his trophy case.

5. 2008 Boston Celtics

A little louder and little more flashy, much like that championship team centered around the Big 3 in Boston.

6. 2002 Los Angeles Lakers

Simple but nothing is eye-grabbing or stands out, that's why it falls in the middle of our list.

7. 2004 Detroit Pistons

It works for that blue collar Pistons team, but imagine if that Lakers team with Karl Malone and Gary Payton would've won, could you imagine a Lakers logo on this hat?

8. 2000 Los Angeles Lakers

Loses points because of an identity crisis. This was the 1999-2000 NBA season and this design trended more towards the 1990 side of things rather than Y2K.

9. 2003 San Antonio Spurs

After running off 3 straight titles the Lakers were dominating the NBA and a lot of teams were just giving up, obviously the designers of this hat did as well and the Spurs suffered.

10. 2010 Los Angeles Lakers

I'm pretty sure if you go back and check the tape, Kobe did all his interviews with his hat backwards.

11. 2006 Miami Heat

Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry erased a lot of the painful memories from the 2006 NBA Finals by defeating the Miami Heat this year, had they won however, they'd always have the painful memories of this championship hat.

12. 2011 Dallas Mavericks

Can't do anything for Dirk and Jet on this one, pretty sure people at Adidas were sure Lebron James and the Heat were going to win it so they designed the ugliest hat they could think of to make the King look as silly as possible, he did a good enough job of that himself though with his performance against the Mavs.

Lebron, a wise investment?

2011-06-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Take a look at the diagram below, it charts the fluctuations of Nike's stock from the start of the NBA Finals to it's closing today after the Miami Heat were eliminated by the Dallas Mavericks and Lebron's quotes about people having to go back to their personal problems circulated throughout the world.

A couple of observations and we are only speculating here because we are in no trying to position ourselves as experts: the dip after the Heat's win in Game 1, could that have been attributed to the feeling then that Miami was going to walk through the Mavericks to the title and was fueled by the anti-Lebron sentiment? Also, it is hard to ignore the dips after Lebron's disappearing act in games 4 and 5.

One question to ponder, how does Lebron's marketing team and the gurus at Nike work to repair the damage done? America loves a comeback story, we've seen numerous other athletes fall, whether personally or professionally only to come back and be admired for it, however, with Lebron it is different. He had the chance to own up for his shortcomings last night and instead used his platform to essentially spit in the face of middle America i.e. the consumers his advertisers count on. He looked as lost in the post game press conference as he did out on the floor, deferring to Dwyane Wade to answer the tough questions. The fact is, and it's a scary and puzzling one for Nike and other Lebron sponsors, their spokesman has a serious image problem.

Mark Cuban curses on Sportscenter

2011-06-12T21:41:00.000-07:00

Censors miss Mark Cuban calling out the Miami Heat fans.

Statement from MiniVanGundy on the recent comments of Stan Van Gundy

2011-06-10T11:56:00.000-07:00

We the creators of MiniVanGundy would like to announce that the recent comments of Stan Van Gundy questioning the basketball talent of Scottie Pippen in no way shape or form reflect the thoughts or opinions of our blog. We have the utmost respect for the career achievements and talents of Scottie Pippen and recognize his place as one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. Furthermore, the purpose of this statement is in no way shape or form to disparage the coaching acumen or ability of Stan Van Gundy. We at MiniVanGundy are certain that his resume and achievements in the NBA would be comparable had he never been blessed to coach transcendent basketball talents such as Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard. This will be our only statement on the matter. We wish Mr. Van Gundy the best of luck in all of his future endeavors and especially would like to wish his brother Jeff Van Gundy the best of luck in any future opportunities he may deem fit in returning to coach in the NBA, therefore freeing a captive audience from his attempts at basketball analysis and humor.

Sincerely,

The creators of MiniVanGundy.

Another Reason Lebron James isn't Michael Jordan

2011-06-10T09:24:00.000-07:00

If I am not mistaken Lebron James is one of the most visible athletes on the planet. Lebron has said he wants to reach billionaire status and has taken great steps in extending his marketing reach domestically and globally. Lebron, however could learn a lesson in advertising in that when you are the most notable spokesperson for Company A, let's call them Nike, it is usually not a good idea to be spotted with the logo of Company B, let's call them Adidas, who happens to be Company A's biggest competitor. I give you example A, where you will notice Company B's logo (circled in green) front and center on the T-Shirt Lebron James is wearing.

Now I understand Adidas may be the official apparel supplier of NBA gear, however, there are always ways to get around that, especially when what you are wearing is under your direct control. Michael Jordan was notorious for never allowing himself to be in this type of situation as he famously used the American flag to hide the Reebok logo on his U.S.A. warmups during the gold medal ceremony of the 1992 Olympics.

Looking ahead, brighter future, Ohio State or Michigan?

2011-06-01T09:12:00.000-07:00

Even the most diehard Ohio State fan has to accept the fact that the resignation of Jim Tressel is going to be a detriment to their program, at least in the short-term. The real question on their minds has to be if they can continue to exert their decade long dominance over their hated rival Michigan. Ohio State really is catching a break here after the Rich Rodriguez debacle, as Michigan found itself in an identity crisis that they never could seem to get out of (not to mention they had absolutely no talent on defense.) The good news for Michigan is that they acted decisively, got rid of Rich-Rod and with any new coach at a big program; they should be able to ride some good momentum early in recruiting. The problem for the Wolverines is that it is going to take some time for Hoke to get his guys in and reverse the damage done by the previous regime. Sanctions or not, Ohio State still carries a lot of clout, and anything short of the death penalty (do you really think the most powerful man in college football Jim Delaney, would let that happen to one of his schools?), will have a minor impact on their ability to bring in talent in the form of players and new coaches. This week’s developments certainly have narrowed the gap between the two rivals, but Michigan still has a long way to go.

Pat Riley asleep?

2011-05-31T19:32:00.000-07:00

During the 2nd quarter of game 1 of the NBA Finals, ABC cut to this shot of Pat Riley who did not appear to be into the game...

To be fair, Michael McDonald did sing the National Anthem... very soothing.

The world's most popular sport is also the worst run

2011-05-31T16:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently the quickest way to get the boot at FIFA these days is not to bribe your counterparts for their votes in securing a World Cup or your reelection, but to attempt to expose the corruption and scandals that keep FIFA and the game as a whole from growing and progressing on a global scale. Chuck Blazer, the man who brought the bribery allegations forward against various members of FIFA's executive committee, has been fired according to acting CONCACAF president Lisle Austin.

Lisle Austin says Blazer's conduct was "inexcusable and a gross misconduct of duty and judgment," and the American is no longer fit to be CONCACAF's secretary general. But it wasn't immediately clear whether Austin has the authority to remove Blazer, also a member of FIFA's executive committee.

If we are to judge the conduct of FIFA members Sepp Blatter, Mohamed bin Hammam and Jack Warner as the standard to which FIFA members are to strive than certainly Blazer has no place among them.

NFL Mock Draft: Supplemental Edition

2011-05-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

Now that the inevitable Jim Tressel resignation has come down, the next in line to take the fall for the transgressions of Ohio State could be quarterback Terrelle Pryor. Already suspended for the first five games of the 2011 season, it might be best for all parties involved if Pryor just go ahead and call it a college career, especially amid reports that the NCAA has launched an independent probe of Pryor himself. Assuming he would even be allowed to play in 2011, it would be interesting to see what kind of reaction Pryor would get from the Buckeye faithful. It’s not hard to imagine Pryor becoming the lightning rod for those angry with the Tressel exit, as he has been the most noteworthy of the athletes involved in the scandal. There is no need for Pryor to delay his NFL career any further and all would be best served if he were to enter the supplemental draft. With that in mind we take a look at some potential landing spots for him.

Washington Redskins: The Donovan McNabb experiment has failed miserably and with John Beck or Rex Grossman in line to start heading into the season, many Redskins fans looked for Mike Shanahan and company to take a quarterback early in the draft. Frustrated when that didn’t come to fruition, the ‘Skins could get another chance to address the position getting a dynamic athlete at a potentially lower price.

Arizona Cardinals: A team that has all the pieces to contend, especially in a weak NFC West, except at quarterback. If you read the tea leaves though, the Cardinals are most likely waiting for the ongoing lockout to be resolved and to make a play for Eagles backup Kevin Kolb who would be more ready to step in and make the Cards a viable squad.

Minnesota Vikings: A veteran laden team that is also in position to win now. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see McNabb end up here, however, if they could grab Pryor at a discount and develop him behind Donovan for a few years, Leslie Frazier could kill two birds with one stone.

Miami Dolphins: Like Redskins fans, Dolphins fans waited and waited during the draft for their team to address the quarterback position. The coaching staff and front office gave a vote of confidence to incumbent Chad Henne by instead trying to surround him with some talent on the offensive side of the ball. Pryor could be a nice fit in a run-first Miami scheme.

Buffalo Bills: When it was obvious that the Bills had no shot at drafting Cam Newton, they shifted their attention in the draft to rebuilding their defense. Pryor and Newton are similar in stature and athleticism and the Bills might be hard pressed to not spend a third round pick on someone they could tool their offense around.

Mavericks aim to reverse the curse of DFW

2011-05-27T09:24:00.000-07:00

Seriously, how lucky do you feel if you are a casual sports fan living in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth Area? In the span of less than a year you are playing host in some form to the three most prestigious championships in American team sports: The World Series, The Super Bowl and now the NBA Finals. Now Mark Cuban surely hope this go around turns out better for them than for the Texas Rangers (and in 2006), and residents have to be feeling pretty confident the area will not be hit by a freak ice storm like it was during Super Bowl week. The biggest questions on their collective minds besides wondering if Lebron will guard Dirk or if Jerry Jones is going to give a toast at Tony Romo’s wedding is why the Dallas Stars aren’t holding up their end of the deal?

Editor’s Note: The Stars can lay claim to being the last major team from the area to win their championship

Orlando Magic help Miami Heat reach the NBA Finals

2011-05-27T08:40:00.000-07:00

Last night the Miami Heat defeated the Chicago Bulls to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. While fans of the Bulls certainly are feeling disdain for their southern Florida counterparts they should save some of their venom for the other team from the sunshine state, the Orlando Magic. During the offseason the Bulls attempted to bring in J.J. Redick, signing him to a three year, $19 million offer sheet. However, much to Chicago’s chagrin, the Magic decided to match the Bulls’ offer and retain the rights to Redick. Now, this is where it’s going to sound a little crazy, but the series against the Heat might’ve played out a little differently had the Magic decided to let Redick go to Chicago. Despite a few embarrassing defensive moments (YouTube J.J. Redick and ankles), Redick has developed into a pretty solid defensive player. If nothing else, he is a guy who embraces his role, brings constant energy and is definitely not afraid of a big moment. I’m not saying Chicago wins the series with Redick on their team (I’m not gutsy enough to make that call), but I think it’s pretty hard to argue that given the choice between having Redick or Kyle Korver on the floor in the last two minutes of a close game, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau is not going with Redick in that situation, call me crazy if you want, but I think it’s an interesting discussion to have.

If being a coach of the Redskins was not hard enough...

2011-05-26T16:22:00.000-07:00

Would you expect anything else from the Washington Redskins? A report is circulating today that the Redskins assistant coaches, all 17 of them signed a statement supporting ownership in the ongoing lockout against the players. The report says head coach Mike Shanahan did not sign the statement, however, as the team’s executive vice president he is considered part of management. The question here is why? Not only are you going against the players you demand trust, respect, blood, sweat and tears from, but you have openly come out against your peers in the coaching circle who filed their own statement (through the NFL Coaches Association) supporting the players. Someone dropped the ball here. With so much negativity surrounding the Redskins between the Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth debacles (and the prospect of John Beck or Rex Grossman being your starting quarterback), the best thing the mostly anonymous and unknown assistant coaches could do is keep their heads down, mouths shut and figure out how they were going to right the ship. Instead, they have managed to become a major story in what has been a relatively quiet week for the NFL. I ask again though, would you expect anything else from this franchise?

I wish Wilpon would sell, but...

2011-05-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

As a Mets fan I might be more upset about Fred Wilpon’s comments about the state of his franchise if he had not hit the nail right on the head. The agony of watching Carlos Beltran leave the bat on his shoulder with 2 strikes and 2 outs in game 7 of the NLCS is still very real for me. The fact remains that Beltran could hit 50 homeruns a season and they still will not forgive him for that moment. If you don’t take my word for it, ask one, and I’m pretty sure you’ll get the same reaction that you’re getting from me. As for Jose Reyes, he’s off to a nice start this season. Reyes is the type of player that can change a game just by getting on base, but Wilpon is right, is it wise to invest nine figures in a guy who has not played for much of the past 2 seasons, especially when his greatest value to the team may be in helping you restock the absolutely bare cupboard at starting pitcher through a trade? The comments about David Wright are tricky. I say that because, Wright was a superstar, and then the Mets moved to their fancy new digs at Citi Field and neutralized their best power hitter by putting him in a cavernous pitcher’s park. Imagine Wright playing in the bandbox across town, or the one down I-95 in Philadelphia and tell me that he isn’t a superstar. The truth hurts sometimes, and if this were one of the talking heads in the sports media saying all this no one would give it a second thought.

Call now before they're gone!!! Only 161 Games Left.

2011-03-31T09:28:00.000-07:00

While scrolling through various social media outlets this morning, I’ve noticed a lot of my friends and acquaintances taking delight in Major League Baseball’s Opening Day. For a sport that has a grueling and arduous 162 game season, I’ve never understood the pure joy people take in opening day. Suggestions of making it a national holiday seem unfounded to me; I can think of three days concerning sports that should be a holiday above baseball’s opening day: the day after the Super Bowl, and the first two days of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Perhaps it is the optimism it brings every fan base. Baseball, unlike any other sport lends itself to what seem like miraculous turnarounds (Detroit Tigers, Tampa Bay Rays), and every team at this point should feel like this could be their year (even you Cubs fans). This year’s weather notwithstanding, I guess you could say the start of baseball officially makes it spring, however, I could think of many other things I’d rather do on a nice spring day then sit on hard bleachers, or more recently uncomfortable plastic seats. I’m not even going to get into the fact that more than half the teams aren’t playing today, and you should thank me for not going down a George Carlin-esque route comparing football and baseball. I know by writing this I’m opening myself up to ridicule and criticism, but the excitement isn’t there for me (being a Mets fan doesn’t help). It has a contrived feeling and it seems like I’m supposed to love it because this is the way it has always been. My response to that would be, my grandparents used to walk 5 miles through the snow uphill both ways, that doesn’t mean I had to also.

Ray Lewis is a great player, but not a great leader.

2011-01-17T17:55:00.000-08:00

There's an old saying that goes "attitude reflects leadership," and that sums up the story of the Baltimore Ravens. The Ravens behind Ray Lewis have danced and talked their way into the playoffs since Joe Flacco came aboard, however, have found themselves on the short end of the stick. Following Saturday's loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Lewis typically deflected blame from himself and the defense for the loss, and while he may have a point, as the three turnovers by the Ravens offense during the third quarter totally turned the game around, Lewis' stance is a selfish one and one of convenience. Is it time to question the legacy of Lewis? Peyton Manning gets thrown under the bus for his postseason failures, but the fact remains, he has as many rings and Super Bowl MVPs and like Lewis is a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer. Is it time to bring the leadership of Lewis under the microscope? When the Ravens defeated the Giants in Super Bowl 35, that team was loaded with veteran leadership on both sides of the ball. Lewis was the most talented player on that team, however, he was surrounded by veterans like Rod Woodson and Michael McCrary on defense. Lewis at the time was under scrutiny for his alleged role in a murder in Atlanta the previous year, and it was Shannon Sharpe who infamously came to the aid of Lewis in the week leading to the Super Bowl, deflecting much of the criticism and pressure from the linebacker, which no doubt allowed him to go out that Sunday and have his MVP performance. I understand to Ravens fans and many NFL insiders, it may be sacrilege to question the legacy of Lewis but it seems fair to question whether his leadership has brought the right attitude to Baltimore.

Available for rent: the story of the 2010 Auburn Tigers

2011-01-10T22:11:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to the Auburn Tigers on winning the BCS National Championship over the Oregon Ducks tonight. Available now to rent is the story of their epic season.

Just make sure you return it on time, the penalties are pretty severe, just ask USC.

Rest easy Panthers fans, chances are you're still in Luck

2011-01-06T20:01:00.000-08:00

Many Carolina Panthers fans had to be devastated today by the announcement that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will be keeping his talents in Palo Alto. However, before you Panthers fans begrudgingly go out and get your Jimmy Clausen jerseys and stand by your man, ask yourself this, what's to stop you from landing the number 1 pick in the 2012 draft?
Carolina had the worst record this year by 2 games, and looking at their present situation, who is to say they will be any better? They are in a beast of a division which includes, Matt Ryan and the #1 seed Atlanta Falcons, Drew Brees and the defending world champion New Orleans Saints and Josh Freeman and the young upstart Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The closest team in the NFC to Carolina was the Arizona Cardinals, who are probably a quarterback away from competing for the NFC West crown. Perrenial cellar dwellers the Detroit Lions seem to be on the uptick, and it is hard to envision either of the other last place teams in the conference (Washington and Minnesota) taking a step down to the Panthers level.
Looking at the AFC, you would think the Buffalo Bills could give them a run for their money, but the Bills were close in many of their losses this year and will only improve with a strong draft. The Bengals took a monster step back this year, however are a year removed from a division title. Denver owns the second pick in the draft, but as hard as this may be to believe (sarcasm alert) Tim Tebow could actually get better. Tennessee has the potential to take a step back, however, with Chris Johnson in the fold, they also have the potential to take a step forward.
So rest easy Panthers fans because a rough 2011 could bring good luck in 2012.

Cam Newton's Report Card

2011-01-05T19:11:00.000-08:00

With speculation swirling that multiple Auburn players may have had grades changed and in part maintained their eligibility for Monday night's BCS championship game, we have obtained the report card for Heisman Trophy winner Cam Newton and it seems that he did pretty good this semester:

Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary there does it?

Vince Young out in Tennessee, where will he land?

2011-01-05T17:11:00.000-08:00

In a move that is sure to bring a smile to Jeff Fisher's face, it is being reported that the Tennessee Titans are planning to move on from quarterback Vince Young. Young, who fell out of favor with Fisher could be a fit for teams searching for a quarterback, but where would he be the best fit?

Arizona Cardinals-Another 5 win season will certainly ratchet up the heat on coach Ken Whisenhunt, Vince Young could be the gamble that either saves his job or ushers him out the door. One thing is for sure he cannot go into next season with John Skelton as his starting quarterback.

Minnesota Vikings-Could certainly fit into place with the Vikings, however, with Joe Webb showing some signs of life against the Eagles, will new coach Leslie Frazier be inclined to move forward with Webb, knowing that he has a grace period as a new coach.

Washington Redskins-Donovan McNabb was a disaster for the 'Skins this season and Mike Shanahan is kidding himself if he thinks Rex Grossman is the answer, however, would he bring in another quarterback like Young that is in the McNabb mold, especially one that has had issues with his head coach?

Buffalo Bills-Ryan Fitzpatrick did show some promise this year, however, he fell prey to the cold in the later weeks. With such a high draft pick, my gut would tell me the Bills would be more inclined to draft a quarterback and try and develop him.

San Francisco 49ers-Probably the best fit out there for VY with one caveat, Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh has to know if he takes this job, patience would definitely be thin among Niners fans, not only because of the high salary Harbaugh will command, but the talent level San Francisco has at seemingly every position but quarterback. Harbaugh has to know that Young could only make his ice thinner.

The most anticipated decision since "The Decision"

2011-01-05T15:52:00.001-08:00

The best sports story of the day comes from Cleveland Ohio, where the hometown Cavaliers have offered a job to a homeless man with a voice made for announcing. The twist on this story is that the Cavaliers aren't the only sports entity bidding for Ted Williams' services.

When he first heard Williams' beautiful, bottomless voice, Kevin McLoughlin of NFL Films, which has chronicled pro football for nearly 50 years, knew he had to contact the unknown man.

"It's that voice," said McLoughlin, director of post-production films for the NFL told AP. "When he was telling his story, I said, 'That's what we do. This guy can tell a story.' Somehow, some way, I need to get a demo with him. He could be that diamond in the rough."

Of course Williams could go the Harry Kalas route, the legendary voice of the Phillies who also did voice over work for NFL Films, and if you have heard Ted Williams voice you have to hope he can multitask.

Bad Tweet of the day: Gene Wojciechowski

2011-01-05T13:17:00.000-08:00

I can understand when your name is Gene Wojciechowski you probably have had your last name murdered, whether it be with how to say it or spell it, however, when you are a journalist for the world wide leader you need to know how to spell the names of the athletes you are covering.

That is from "Geno's" Twitter feed, where he has no trouble with Palmeiro, however, he can't seem to get Mark McGwire's name right, who was only the biggest name in baseball for a few seasons.

With Rich Rod gone what's next for Denard Robinson

2011-01-05T09:50:00.000-08:00

With today's news that Michigan has decided to relieve Rich Rodriguez of his head coaching duties, ESPN's Adam Rittenberg hits the nail right on the head when he says:

No Michigan player is impacted more than Rodriguez's firing than [Denard] Robinson

With that in mind we examine a few options that might be a better fit for Shoelaces, should he decide to move on.

5. Washington Huskies-Could bring the athletic element to quarterback that the Huskies have enjoyed with Jake Locker, plus could see a boost in his development at quarterback under Steve Sarkisian.

4. LSU Tigers-In their losses this season LSU was done in by inconsistent play at quarterback, Robinson's ability to extend plays and freelance would fit in nicely with Les Miles mad hatter philosophy.

3. Nebraska Cornhuskers-Nebraska's offensive success this season can be mostly attributed to the athleticism of Taylor Martinez, Robinson would fit in nicely where he had the option to run first.

2. Oregon Ducks-The Ducks philosophy seems to be, put the best athletes all over the field and see if you can catch us, Robinson would bring the same element to the quarterback position that the Ducks have enjoyed this season with Darron Thomas and his predecessor Jeremiah Masoli.

1. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets-Would be a match made in heaven, Robinson would bring the same athletic element to the triple option attack that Josh Nesbitt has, with one exception, he is a better thrower.

For Sale: Sugar Bowl MVP Trophy

2011-01-04T21:35:00.000-08:00

Ohio State quarterback Terrelle Pryor picked up some more hardware at the Sugar Bowl tonight and it sure didn't take long to hit the open market.
Once he receives his ring from the Sugar Bowl you can be sure that will be up for auction as well.

Lottery numbers from the world of sports

2011-01-04T14:49:00.000-08:00

With tonight's mega millions jackpot currently residing at approximately $355 million, lottery fever has captured the nation. We were fortunate enough to obtain some of the lotter numbers from figures in the world of sports.

Lebron James
2-Second banana.
3-Don’t you dare call him anything but a small forward
4-Everything was good until Game 5 vs. Boston
23-He told everyone this number should be retired so he’s hoping to be the only one to play it.
56-The highest number you can choose in Mega Millions and the approximate number of bad nicknames Lebron is going to give himself.
?-Still trying to figure out what he should do.

Brett Favre
0-How much effort was required for his cameo in There’s Something about Mary.
2-The number of interceptions in NFC Championship Games Favre wishes he could have back.
4-Did you see the Deadspin photos?
18-Number of guy who will break most of his records.
46-Approximate number of days Favre will hold ESPN hostage waiting to make his retirement announcement.
8-Number of the greatest iron man in sports.

Rich Rodriguez
1 the number of plays made by the Michigan defense this season (2 point conversion against Illinois)
2-Rich Rod got 2 more seasons at Michigan than he would’ve gotten at Alabama for the same results.
11-Closest he ever came to Ohio State
24-How many hours a day he wishes he would have never left West Virginia.
48-Number of states he is welcome in after his last two coaching jobs.
50-That’s five oh, as in call the police if he were to take the Pitt job.

Jim Harbaugh
1-Number of questions he answered from Michelle Tafoya last night.
2-Number of seconds he thought about taking the Michigan job.
6-Number of picks the San Francisco 49ers would like to trade up in the draft.
7-Number of wins Stanford can expect next season.
8-Number of wins it would take for the 49ers to make the playoffs in the NFC west.
49-Number of points he will try and hang on Pete Carroll every time they meet.

Do with these what you will but if you happen to win playing any of these numbers tonight, how about a little cut for us?

New Collectible Jimmy Clausen Action Figure

2011-01-03T22:31:00.001-08:00

Following Stanford's rout over Virginia Tech, led by presumed number 1 pick Andrew Luck, the Carolina Panthers have released this new Jimmy Clausen action figure.

Bench is sold separately.

Fantasy owners are breathing a sigh of relief going into week 17

2010-12-30T12:15:00.000-08:00

If you are one of the unfortunate ones like me, and are saddled with a fantasy commissioner who puts the championship game in week 17, you have to be resting a little easier going into the weekend. The move made by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to have division matchups in the last week of the season has left us with a slate of interesting and relevant games, which makes the job of fantasy owners a bit more simple. As shocking as it is, the Indianapolis Colts have not wrapped up their AFC south title just yet, meaning Peyton Manning and Reggie Wayne are going to be out there putting meaningful points up for their owners this year. Taking a glance at the week 17 slate, there are very few chances I see where owners need to worry. The Patriots may have already clinched the number 1 seed and the bye that comes with it, but do you really see Bill Belichick giving his team two weeks off? The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are still fighting for the NFC South crown, meaning Roddy White, Michael Turner, Drew Brees and Marques Colston can place them in their lineup with confidence. The Steelers and Ravens are in the same situation as the Falcons and Saints and their defenses could be in line for big days against the Browns with a dinged up Peyton Hillis and the Bengals missing Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco. The Kansas City Chiefs likely have little to play for, but can Todd Haley afford to give a week off to such a young team that will get their first playoff taste. The Chicago Bears could dial it in this week, as they will already know where they stand when they take the field against the Packers, however, Jay Cutler has already said he expects to play the entire game. All in all, there are more games this Sunday that will affect the playoff chase than not, making for an interesting finish to the fantasy season if you weren't fortunate enough to already have had your championship game.

Terrelle Pryor is coming back... at least according to Jim Tressel

2010-12-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

According to Ohio State Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel, quarterback Terrelle Pryor will be back in a Buckeyes uniform next season.

According to the Columbus Dispatch, Tressel said Thursday that he told the players they "have to make any decision based on the future" before the team left for New Orleans. He said that "it wouldn't be fair if someone was able to participate" and then leave for the NFL.

Pretty interesting stuff, no word if Tressel made Pryor promise to get his Buckeyes tatoo removed in case he goes back on his word.

Jay Cutler sings music to the Giants' and Bucs' ears.

2010-12-30T06:38:00.000-08:00

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler says he fully expects to play the entire game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, which has to put a smile on the faces of the New York Giants and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"(Coach Lovie Smith) said prior to that game that we're going to be playing, we're going to be going and we're going to be full go on Sunday," Cutler said. "So that's what we expect."

For the Giants to make the playoffs, they need to first beat the Washington Redskins and then hope for Chicago to beat the Packers later that day. The Bucs also need Chicago to win, and they need to hope the Giants lose against the Redskins as well. It wouldn't be hard to blame Lovie Smith for resting his starters, as the Bears have already earned a first round bye and their chances at the #1 seed are very slim with Atlanta taking on the Carolina Panthers, however, Bears fans will probably attest that they never want to lose to the Packers, plus this is a team that the Bears could possibly see in the playoffs if they were to win on Sunday, so wouldn't it be in their best interest to go ahead and try and eliminate them now?

Peyton gets good news, Eli... not so much.

2010-12-29T10:36:00.001-08:00

Going into the final week of the season where a win against the Tennessee Titans would secure a playoff berth for Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts, comes this bit of news from the AFC South: David Garrard will miss the season finale against the Houston Texans with a finger injury, meaning Trent Edwards will get the nod. This is just the latest in a string of bad losses for the Jaguars, who will also be missing Pro Bowl running back Maurice Jones-Drew.

The news for little bro Eli Manning is not as good, as Hakeem Nicks may miss the season finale against the Washington Redskins with a broken big toe. With the Giants already missing Steve Smith and facing a must-win at Washington on Sunday, look for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to be the focal point of the Giants offense.

Top 10 punishments by the NFL for Brett Favre

2010-12-29T08:13:00.000-08:00

With the news this morning that the NFL will be disciplining Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the next 48 hours, we have uncovered the Top 10 possible punishments commissioner Roger Goodell is considering levying against Favre.

10. Take Rachel Nichols place in Hattiesburg for Favre Watch 2011.

9. Permanent place on the cover of Madden.

8. Catch a bullet pass from Brett Favre.

7. Traded to the Redskins and having his 12 game start streak broken by Rex Grossman.

6. Has to star in a Law & Order SVU episode about himself and Jenn Sterger.

5. Get a new job with Fox Sports and discover he will be doing color commentary with Brad Childress.

4. One more throw in a NFC championship game.

3. Has to groom Aaron Rodgers to take over the Wrangler commercials.

2. When his jersey is retired in Green Bay it has to say Farve.

1. Isn’t going to Detroit 3 times in one season punishment enough.

Pro Bowl Debate: Matt Ryan vs. Aaron Rodgers

2010-12-28T21:29:00.000-08:00

Whenever rosters are announced for any all star type contest for a professional sports league, there is sure to be some debate over players who are omitted. Our first debate this year comes from the NFC Pro Bowl squad, as Green Bay quarterback Aaron Rodgers was left off of the roster behind 2 seemingly less deserving quarterbacks. We could make a case that Rodgers was more deserving than Drew Brees, however, in this case we will be looking at the case of Rodgers vs. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan. While not surprised by the choice of Ryan, he is not more deserving than Rodgers. Ryan has been a big reason of the success of Atlanta this year, however you can make the argument that Michael Turner is the most important piece of the Atlanta offensive puzzle. The same such argument cannot be made about Rodgers. One could argue that besides Peyton Manning, there is not another player in the NFL that means more to their offense than Rodgers does to the Packers. Rodgers' case may have been hurt by the time he missed because of concussion problems, but even with the time off he still was able to throw for more yards and touchdowns than Ryan, and in the all-important quarterback rating, he is over 12 points higher. Those stats alone do not measure Rodgers' value, as you must also take into account his threat as a runner. When you combine passing and rushing, Rodgers has accounted for over 4,000 yards and 31 touchdowns, while only turning the ball over 11 times. While Ryan deserves accolades for Atlanta's stellar season, they should not come at the expense of a more deserving candidate.

NFL hot seat alert: fans plan rally against Gary Kubiak

2010-12-28T09:33:00.000-08:00

A pair of Houston Texans fans are planning to stage a protest against Gary Kubiak for Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Fans Brad White and Scott Carter are hoping the demonstration before Sunday's season finale against the Jacksonville Jaguars will help convince team owner Bob McNair to change coaches, according to the report.

"I want to stress that I don't want people to come out to bash Kubiak," White told the Chronicle. "We don't want vulgar signs out there. We're not there to bash him. We're there to say that we want a change."

No word if Bill Cowher's anonymous source will be handing out signs and buttons to campaign for the job.

Expanding Lebron James Vocabulary (a short list of other words Lebron James does not know the meaning of)

2010-12-28T07:59:00.000-08:00

"That’s crazy, because I had no idea what the word ‘contraction’ meant before I saw it on the Internet,"

Those are the words of Lebron James, who showed a complete lack of sense, not to mention respect for his NBA peers, who happen to be locked in a fairly public (not everything concerning the NBA is about you Lebron) and ugly battle with the owners over the next collective bargaining agreement. And while union president Derek Fisher may say publicly Lebron's stance has not hurt their cause, he certainly couldn't be happy with the most public and talked about NBA player making comments that go along with what the owners want. Despite his designation as the "chosen one," Lebron has shown that he is not all-knowing in his NBA career, so we decided to give him a little vocabulary lesson to better help him on his way.

Championship-designation as champion.
Lebron James’ performance in the NBA playoffs has left him without a championship.

Persevere-To persist in a state, enterprise, or undertaking in spite of counterinfluences, opposition or discouragement.
Following game 5 versus the Boston Celtics, Lebron James could have put forth more effort in his quest to bring the city of Cleveland a championship, however, he chose not to persevere.

Clarity-the quality or state of being clear.
Lebron James’ decision to announce his intention to sign with the Miami Heat on a nationally broadcast special showed a lack of clarity (as well as common sense).

Chorus-Something performed, sung, or uttered simultaneously or unanimously by a number of persons or animals.
In visiting arenas across the NBA, Lebron James hears a chorus of boos.

Outspoken-Spoken or expressed without reserve.
Since joining the Miami Heat, Lebron James has become outspoken, as evidenced by his comments on contraction in the NBA.

NFL coaches beware: meet the Green Bay Packers

2010-12-27T20:55:00.000-08:00

Tom Coughlin entered Sunday on shaky enough ground coming off the debacle the week before to the Philadelphia Eagles. After a 45-17 thrashing by the Green Bay Packers, in which his New York Giants squad turned the ball over six times and seemed to go brain dead in key moments, one must wonder if he is in his last days as head coach of the Giants. Losses to Green Bay have already ushered Wade Phillips and Brad Childress out their respective doors this season and win or lose on Sunday, if the Giants fail to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season, one must wonder if the Giants brass will look back on this listless performance and decide that it is time to make a change. Coughlin is 64 years old and only has one year remaining on his contract, so if the Giants were to make a move, now would be the time to do it.

If the college football playoffs started this weekend

2010-12-06T09:55:00.000-08:00

Let's take a look at the final BCS standings and see what kind of matchups we might see if we were going to do the sensible thing and have a playoff in college football... you know since we might want to know who the best team is.

#16 Alabama at #1 Auburn: Why would anyone want to see a rematch of these two fierce rivals?

#15 Nevada at #2 Oregon: The Duck better be ready to do more pushups.

#14 Oklahoma State at #3 TCU: Classic matchup of great offense vs. great defense.

#13 Virginia Tech at #4 Stanford: Guess BCS got it right since these two are playing in the Orange Bowl.

#12 Missouri at #5 Wisconsin: Wisconsin might be playing as good as any team in the country right now, so let's give them a month and half off.

#11 Boise State at #6 Ohio State: After the comments by Ohio State's prez, why would this game even need to be played?

#10 LSU at #7 Oklahoma: Sooners fans have got to be more excited for the UConn matchup right.

#9 Michigan State at #8 Arkansas: Since Michigan State's Capital One Bowl matchup vs. Alabama is going to get such good ratings, why would we want to see this game.

Qatar has disaster written all over it

2010-12-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

The decision by FIFA to award the 2022 World Cup to the tiny country of Qatar is a curious one at best. This tiny oil-rich country nestled in the Middle East has many hurdles to overcome in order to make the event a success. Most notably is the intense heat. Some are predicting temperatures could reach as high as 130 degrees Fahrenheit which would not only be a nightmare (not to mention dangerous) for fans in the stands, but almost impossible for players on the pitch to overcome. The Qatar contingency has noted that they will employ state-of-the-art technology to keep the outdoor stadiums cool during play, but the fact remains, for the majority of the matches, players and fans alike will be exposed to the desert sun.

As mentioned before, Qatar, like a lot of other Middle Eastern countries depends on oil for their economic success. Now, this may be far off in the distance where time is concerned, but aren’t we starting to see a shift globally from oil to alternative energy resources. Was it the best decision to award the world’s largest sporting event to a country that could see such a seismic economic shift in the next 20 years?

Lastly, who is going to want to attend this World Cup? Many are viewing this as a novelty pick by FIFA, with the underlying story being, uniting a region that has seen its share of strife. A worthy cause certainly, however, do you really see any westerners planning a trip to a region where they believe they could be a target of violence? Regardless of logistics and security employed, there are many who will not be able to overcome the mental hurdle of traveling to such a high profile event in the Middle East, where some radical group could be looking to make a statement on the world stage.

Logistically, this may be the most challenging undertaking for a sporting event ever. Those in Greece may argue with that, however, I’m sure many there would have told the Qatar contingency to yield to a country with the proven infrastructure and resources to put on such an event. I can’t wait for that 2030 U.S. or Australia World Cup.

Dennis Green and Derek Anderson in confrontation following loss by Arizona Cardinals

2010-11-30T09:25:00.000-08:00

New Video: Mashup of Dennis Green's epic meltdown and Derek Anderson's tirade following losses by the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football.

Will we see a 100 point game in college football this weekend?

2010-11-24T07:51:00.000-08:00

TCU takes on New Mexico this weekend in what is their final chance to impress pollsters and the BCS computers. New Mexico is 1-10 on the season and shouldn't pose even a minor challenge to the Horned Frogs on Saturday. The question is, if (and when) TCU gets the chance to run up the score on the Lobos, what score will they name? TCU has to score some serious style points to maintain their slim BCS lead over Boise State, ensuring they will be the ones to slide into the championship game should Auburn or Oregon stumble on Friday. New Mexico has allowed under 30 points in a game only once this season and were beaten by the Ducks 72-0. This might be the perfect storm of ugliness, and do not be surprised to see Andy Dalton and the rest of the starters in the game late throwing the ball around. Not saying it is likely but the century mark is definitely possible.

Reasons to keep watching Eagles-Skins game.

2010-11-15T20:14:00.000-08:00

With the score now 59-21 (trying to type this out as quickly as I can before the Eagles score again), I wanted to give you some reasons to keep watching this game.

1. See if the Eagles can beat Wisconsin from this past weekend.
2. The inevitable garbage time sack that will come from a 'Skins player and ensuing dance, which will bring any number of adjectives from Tirico, Jaworksi and Gruden.
3. See if there is a cutaway to Dan Snyder with a bottle of whiteout.
4. See if they can uncover anymore punt, pass and kick footage of Andy Reid.
5. Rex Grossman... again.

The Giants Resurgence Changed the Perception of the NFC

2010-11-12T12:15:00.001-08:00

Last night, one of the NFC's best teams: the Falcons, beat one of the AFC's best teams: the Ravens in a thrilling game. Some were billing it as a Super Bowl preview, with many picking the Falcons to overcome the Ravens. Flashback a month ago, the Seahawks, and the Bears were early leaders in their divisions, while perceived powers the Cowboys and Vikings were struggling. The general perception was, whoever the NFC sends to the Super Bowl will have a nice parting gift in the George Halas trophy, but there is now way they have a shot against the mighty AFC. Then something funny happened on the way to the playoffs, Eli Manning and the Giants turned their season around, and their playoff experience, Super Bowl pedigree, running game and stout defense shot them to the top of many power rankings. Now NFC teams like the Falcons, Packers and Eagles look a lot stronger by comparison. Combine it with the Saints starting to look like last year's team and the winner of the Big Game in February is no longer a foregone conclusion.

TCU Is Right Where They Need To Be

2010-11-09T15:39:00.000-08:00

In the wake of TCU's dismantling of Utah this weekend, the question that came to mind is, is TCU worthy of playing in the national championship game? While that question will not be answered until the final BCS standing are released, TCU has to feel very good about their chances. Utah was to TCU what Virginia Tech was to Boise State. The Horned Frogs only now need to guard against total indifference to win their final two games and coach Gary Patterson's squad could very well find themselves ascending to the top 2 in the rankings. As we have found out over the past few seasons and as Auburn coach Gene Chizik put in his press conference addressing the latest allegations against Cam Newton, every week is big in the SEC. Georgia certainly will be no pushover this weekend, and a trip to Tuscaloosa for the Iron Bowl could easily unravel Auburn's season amidst all the headlines concerning their star quarterback. Throw in a trip to Atlanta to face South Carolina (who gave Auburn all they could handle the first time around) or Florida, and TCU could find themselves in Glendale.

If the Vikings lose on Sunday does Wylf fire Childress on the spot?

2010-11-06T11:48:00.000-07:00

The Minnesota Vikings take on the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday in what is a must-win for the Vikings. Much of the attention paid to the Vikings this season has been on Brett Favre and the brief return of now Titans receiver Randy Moss, but the story no one seems to be talking about is the vanishing act put on by the Minnesota defense. Defensive end Jared Allen and the Williams brothers have taken a page out of Favre's book this season and have looked old. The pressure that helped them flourish last season (remember the beating they gave Aaron Rodgers on the Monday Night game in the Metrodome last season?), has been their achilles heel this season. This is where the Cardinals come in. The Arizona quarterbacks have been hard pressed to show a pulse this season and present the perfect opportunity to right the Vikings ship (see what I did there?). The Minnesota defense is too talented to let Derek Anderson or Max Hall beat them and in the spirit of election day, a loss here would be a referendum on Childress; an obvious sign that he has lost the locker room, even if he does not know what that means.

"I could care less" rings hollow coming from athletes

2010-11-04T06:24:00.000-07:00

When did the phrase "I could care less" become the calling card of the postgame interview or press conference. Kobe Bryant could care less about the rest of the NBA; Randy Moss could care less about the media, Bill Bellichick could care less about what Randy Moss is doing and Lebron James could care less if you call him a point guard, just as long as Erik Spoelstra does not call him one. I understand getting caught up in the moment, but this whole trend is already beyond cliche. If you ask me, it does is a disservice to sports fans in general for athletes and coaches to care less about anything related to them and their sport. These figures are in the position they are in because they care more and worked hard to get where they are at today and for them to say otherwise rings hollow and untrue.

Randy Moss is the only 10 the titans see

2010-11-03T13:20:00.001-07:00

Randy Moss is going to the Tennessee Titans per Adam Schefter of ESPN. Turns out the San Diego loss could be the best thing that ever happened to the Titans as it helped their waiver priority... hopefully Moss likes the food in Nashville though or it could be the worse.

Desean Jackson once again proves he is faster than everyone else

2010-11-03T12:05:00.000-07:00

After one of the scariest hits anyone has ever seen in the NFL, no one would've blamed Desean Jackson for taking his time in getting back to the field. Well 17 days later, after only missing one game Jackson returned to the practice field for the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Pro Bowl wide receiver sustained a concussion when he took a vicious helmet-first shot from Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson in Philadelphia's 31-17 win over Atlanta on Oct. 17.

Jackson laid flat on the ground, motionless after the hit. Robinson was immobile for a bit, too.

But Jackson could be back on the field when the Eagles (4-3) host Indianapolis (5-2) on Sunday. He has passed post-concussion testing, and took part in his first full practice session.

Just add this to Jackson's resume as one of the fastest players in the NFL, not only does he blaze by defensive backs but he was months ahead of Eagles wide receivers in criticizing Donovan McNabb

In Mike Shanahan, Dan Snyder gets what he paid for

2010-11-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

Have you ever seen that commercial about saving for retirement and the guy says he is just blindly throwing money at his account and hoping something good happens? Welcome to the wonderful world of the Washington Redskins and Dan Snyder. Redskins fans for years have bemoaned Snyder and his loose wallet. All the free agent acquisitions that have not panned out or the trades that have decimated their drafts have made the Redskins and their fans easy targets. All that was supposed to change this season though. Enter Mike Shanahan, he of two world championships and Bruce Allen and his impressive NFL pedigree. Well eight games in to the new era, it is obvious that the Redskins still do not get it. Lack of cardiovascular endurance notwithstanding, it is clear Donovan McNabb will be a costly (two high draft picks) one year rental. The team seems to be allergic to finding a young running back. And the cupboard has been bare at wide receiver for years. Shanahan worked wonders in Denver with Jake Plummer, but it was getting John Elway over the Super Bowl hump (assist to Terrell Davis) that made him one of the most sought after free agents on the coaching market, and as we all well know, Dan Snyder cannot resist spending on free agents.

Charlie Villanueva wants to fight Kevin Garnett

2010-11-03T07:57:00.000-07:00

Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett's trash talking may finally catch up with him. According to tweets sent from Detroit Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva's twitter account, Garnett called Villanueva a cancer patient

One of the tweets says: "KG called me a cancer patient, I'm pissed because, u know how many people died from cancer, and he's tossing it like it's a joke."

Garnett is known for his trash talking on the court. Villanueva suffers from alopecia universalis, a medical condition that results in hair loss. The Pistons forward does not have hair on his head.

Another tweet from Villanueva's account says that Garnett's alleged comments hit home.

"I wouldn't even trip about that, but a cancer patient, I know way 2 many people who passed away from it, and I have a special place 4 those," the message reads.

Villanueva went on to challenge Garnett to a fight in another tweet, it read: "KG talks alot of crap, he's prob never been in a fight, I would love to get in a ring with him, I will expose him." I can neither confirm nor deny whether Garnett has ever been in a fight, but it is just a matter of time with Delonte West lurking in the Celtics locker room.

Former Eagles Offensive Tackle Jon Runyan headed for House of Representatives

2010-11-02T21:15:00.000-07:00

Former Philadelphia Eagles offensive lineman Jon Runyan is headed for the House of Representatives after his victory over Jon Adler in New Jersey. Perhaps Adler should have enlisted the help of Former Giant Michael Strahan who made a career out of beating Runyan.

Hockey team to wear denim jacket jersey

2010-11-02T15:01:00.000-07:00

The Saskatoon Blades of the Western Hockey League will be wearing this masterpiece for their upcoming game on November 12 against the Portland Winterhawks:

We are still waiting on confirmation that the assistant to the traveling secretary for the Blades is in fact George Costanza.

Top 10 reasons Mike Shanahan and the Redskins are considering signing Jamarcus Russell

2010-11-02T10:28:00.000-07:00

If you are anything like me, you find the report that the Redskins are working out former Oakland Raiders quarterback Jamarcus Russell to be a little curious coming on the heels of Shanahan benching Donovan McNabb for lack of cardiovascular endurance. Turns out there is a method to Shanahan's madness as we have uncovered the top 10 reasons why the Redskins are considering this move:

10. Further embarass Cowboys when they beat them.

9. Shanahan would do anything to make Al Davis look bad.

8. Opposition might confuse him for an offensive lineman.

7. His big arm gives them a chance to pin the offense back when he throws a pick.

6. It only took him three tries to pass the conditioning test.

5. Keep entire bench warm for McNabb.

4. Have to play Giants twice.

3. Who else do they put in there, Rex Grossman?

2. They needed a nose tackle.

1. Two words: Jake Plummer

Donovan McNabb is down for the count

2010-11-01T23:17:00.000-07:00

New video mashup, Donovan McNabb's story as told through the sports blogosphere and the sounds of Mike Tyson's Punch Out

Randy Moss: NFL beat reporter

2010-11-01T12:41:00.000-07:00

So Randy Moss is going to conduct his own interviews? It seems like there would be enough information to fill an entire newspaper's worth of material. Luckily for everyone we found that paper, here it is enjoy...

click for larger version

With pride off the table, what is left for Dallas to play for?

2010-11-01T09:04:00.000-07:00

While watching the game on Sunday night between the Pittsburgh Steelers and New Orleans Saints, NBC took the time to preview next week's contest between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers. In their promo they said that Dallas would be playing for pride, an obvious oversight on their part as any pride Dallas may have had was washed away by the career performance by David Garrard earlier in the day. One of the worst things that can happen to a team is for them to read and believe what is being written about them, and Dallas has been guilty of this all season. They foolishly believed the hype that they were the NFC favorites and has a great chance to play in the Super Bowl on their home field, and perhaps worse for Cowboys fans, they listened this week to all the experts tell them that their season was over with the injury to Tony Romo (which was probably true, but you can't believe that if you are a player). The question is, where do they go from here? Does Jerry finally usher Wade Phillips out the door?

The Worst Sports City in America

2010-10-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

With the report that there were still good seats available for tonight's Magic vs. Heat clash, can we call Miami the worst sports city in America? The Marlins regularly have less than 10,000 (and that's being generous) fans. Ever watch a Hurricanes game? Only time they have a respectable showing is when Florida State or Virginia Tech comes to town. Would anyone in Miami even know that the Florida Panthers are in their metro area? And while the Dolphins are not blacked out, it seems like a lot of those fans come dressed as empty seats each week. But is Miami the worst sports city in America, here are the MiniVanGundy unofficial rankings:

10. Columbus: Calm down Buckeyes fans, NHL expansion town that never seem to fit.

9. Oakland: Fans are passionate, but it's hard to stay that way with incompetent leadership, team and municipalities.

8. Cincinnati: It took Ochocinco going to the streets to sell out a game last year.

7. Charlotte: They lose an NBA team and cry about it, get another one and could care less.

6. Atlanta: Tonight's giveaway at Turner Field... tickets!

5. San Diego: Regular on the NFL blackout circuit, Chargers are tough to watch though.

4. Jacksonville: Here's how to guarantee a sell out everytime, just put a black tarp over all the empty seats.

3. Memphis: With their crime rate I wouldn't want to go to a game either.

2. Tampa: Tampa teams shouldn't feel bad, fans don't support any of them.

1. Miami: Maybe they shouldn't start the games until 2 a.m.

Magic vs. Heat: The most important basketball game of all-time… ever

2010-10-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

Tonight, the Orlando Magic travel to Miami to take on the Heat in what will be an early litmus test for each respective squad. Orlando is coming off an 112-83 drubbing of John Wall and the Washington Wizards, while the Heat are asking “what should we do?” after a 1-1 start. Well we here at MiniVanGundy would like to present you with 5 reasons why this is the most important basketball game of all time.

1. Inspired the most apathetic fan base in America (South Florida).
2. Chris Bosh’s self worth will be at an all time high.
3. The FCC will be watching.
4. Has given Miami something else to talk about.
5. Stan Van Gundy will be looking dapper.

Between Two All Stars: Lebron James interviews crazy Florida Atlantic announcer Dave Lamont

2010-10-28T21:24:00.001-07:00

New video mashup, Lebron James interviews Florida Atlantic announcer Dave Lamont in this Between Two Ferns parody.

Oregon not scared of the aura of Monte Kiffin

2010-10-28T13:33:00.000-07:00

When you listen to the college football talking heads discuss this weekend’s Oregon vs. USC matchup, you will hear them put Oregon on upset alert because USC is three points away from being undefeated. Take a closer look and USC should be on pride alert. USC has given up over 30 points in three games this season something Oregon has more than doubled three times. Like it or not USC fans, but since Carroll left town the Pac-10 has gone back to it’s old ways, that is score first, score again then if we have enough time, play defense later, and the Oregon Ducks seem like the team best equipped to play that strategy to perfection and a national championship berth. Monte Kiffin is one of the greatest defensive minds of our time, however, this season has not been the greatest sample of his work. It would appear on paper that USC does not have the defense to stop Oregon, meaning this game could have shootout written all over it, my money is on the Ducks.

Chris Bosh is who we thought he was

2010-10-28T10:06:00.000-07:00

Two games into the NBA season and we already have it all figured out don’t we? Well it is obvious that the Miami Heat do not, as they have struggled to get into a flow on offense, and have looked passive at times. These are the questions that were being asked coming into the season, who was going to step up and be the leader of this team, Lebron or Wade? No one however, was asking if this was going to be Chris Bosh’s team. Bosh is tentative and possibly uncomfortable with the criticism that is being hurled at his team. Remember, Bosh played in Toronto, where it was easy to disappear from the spotlight. He had trouble getting the Raptors to the playoffs in an Eastern Conference that did not include the likes of Amare Stoudemire or Carlos Boozer. His front office thought so much of him that they spent the #1 overall pick on Andrea Bargnani. When he bolted for Miami, Bryan Colangelo publicly questioned his commitment and toughness. Miami fans are asking for Bosh to show the passion he showed in Toronto, be careful what you wish for.

Is the Kardashian run over?

2010-10-28T07:13:00.000-07:00

With the proclamation of Dallas’ demise after Michael Boley’s hit on Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, can we safely say that the Kardashian championship run is over? Miles Austin has to be thinking, how did it all go so wrong? Coming into this season Dallas seemed to have all the pieces in place to make a serious run at the Super Bowl; a dynamic offense, a defense able to harass opposing quarterbacks and force mistakes, and a secret weapon in Kim Kardashian. For those of you unaware of the power the Kardashians have in the sporting world here is the rundown: Kim dates Reggie Bush, the Saints win the Super Bowl, Khloe marries Lamar Odom, the Lakers win the NBA Championship. It would seem to reason that when Miles Austin and Kim Kardashian started their romance, it put Dallas in a great position to be the first team ever to play in the Super Bowl on their home field. However, the romance has seemed to bring nothing but bad luck to the Cowboys. Perhaps there is such a thing as too much star (see what I did there) power, and after the path that Jessica Simpson’s career went down following her split from Tony Romo, maybe it would be better for all involved if Austin and Kardashian went there separate ways. Lakers beware...

Joe Flacco inspires a Jersey Shore revolution

2010-10-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

Joe Flacco had the perfect Halloween costume, as he showed up at a Baltimore charity event looking exactly like The Situation from the Jersey Shore. Well how fun is it to go out into the mine field and fist pump alone so we picked out the best NFL players to fill out the rest of the Seaside Heights crew.

Ronny-Ben Roethlisberger
The resident bad boy, likes to party hard, but a little too much alcohol has had him run afoul of the law on more than one occasion.

Sammi-Brett Favre
Just doesn't know when to quit, recent relationships have gone on a little too long and have ended up getting them hurt.

JWoww-Phillip Rivers
At first glance their stats POP out at you, but spend a little time with them and they can be a bit of a drama queen.

Angelina-Terrell Owens
Always seems to start out on the right foot, but sooner or later they will cause some drama that ends up dividing the house, always seems to get a second chance though.

Pauly D-Chad Ochocinco
Has often been criticized for playing with a little more style than substance, but when it matters they get the job done.

Vinny-Jay Cutler
Has no problem hooking up with anyone, whether it be a friend or an enemy.

Snooki-Troy Polamalu
What more can I say... the hair.

Ohio Radio host hires witch doctor to curse Lebron James

2010-10-26T14:31:00.000-07:00

The host of an Ohio radio program hired a witch doctor to curse former Cleveland Cavaliers player Lebron James.

The witch, Samhain and assistant witch Lady Magick used bones, blood, and James' Miami Heat jersey to place a hex on the star live on the air. Rover asked all Cleveland-area listeners of the show, which is based at 100.7 WMMS-FM, to simultaneously focus all their negative energy towards James during the ceremony.

"A broken leg, hand or other debilitating injury would be the best outcome," says Rover. "At the very least a sordid sexual misconduct accusation against LeBron would be alright I suppose."

LeBron James was widely criticized for the way in which he declared his departure from the Cavaliers, announcing it on a live television broadcast on ESPN titled The Decision.

"The city of Cleveland has been cursed for decades with losing sports franchises," notes Rover. "Now we're going on the offensive to curse others. It may not help our teams win, but it will sure make us feel better."

It'll be interesting to see how things play out tonight with Miami visiting Boston and Lebron already having to compete against the luck of the Irish.

The Boise State question not being asked

2010-10-26T12:21:00.000-07:00

Boise State gets another chance to impress the coaches and pollsters tonight as they get Tuesday night all to themselves in a game vs. Louisiana Tech. At this point it has to be pretty obvious to Broncos supporters that they will most likely end up on the outside looking in, with the computers likely to hand the championship berth to Auburn, Michigan State or Missouri (provided they finish undefeated). Utah and TCU would have worthy arguments as well, especially TCU who would boast a win over Oregon State (along with Boise State), a win over a team likely ranked in Top 10 at the time (Utah), and would have done it in a Mountain West Conference which I think most would argue is tougher than the WAC, however neither team’s chances are likely. Many are suggesting that the fix is in to keep Boise State out of the championship game, and asking what will happen if Boise State gets left out? I think the more interesting question that nobody seems to be asking is what happens if Boise State gets in? What happens if Auburn, Michigan State or Missouri (teams from traditional power conferences and with tougher schedules than Boise State) gets passed over for the Broncos? What will happen if an outsider is able to successfully manipulate and play the system (designed to keep teams like Boise State on the outside looking in) against the powers-that-be? Could that be the catalyst to finally push for a playoff? Could it finally be what we have been hoping for?

Steelers vs. Dolphins: the rest of the story

2010-10-25T16:48:00.000-07:00

I understand the Miami Dolphins feel like they were robbed of a win yesterday, and the whole incident has made for great fodder on sports radio and websites today (especially the report that Gene Steratore was somehow in on the fix). Let's take a closer look at the situation though. On the play in question Ben Roethlisberger fumbles into the endzone with 2:30 left in the game. For the sake of argument let's say the play is called a fumble, Miami recovers in the endzone and gets the ball on their own 20 yard line after the resulting touchback. What happens after that is anyone's guess. If you look at the game though, Pittsburgh still had all of their timeouts left, plus the 2 minute warning, meaning the Dolphins would have had to get at least 1 first down to win the game, possibly 2. The Dolphins would've most likely been running the ball in that situation to try and force the Steelers to use their timeouts. Neither team was running the ball particularly well yesterday, meaning the probability of the Steelers getting the ball back in relatively good field position was high. From there all the Steelers would need to take the lead would be a field goal, but how likely is it that Ben Roethlisberger would lead a 4th quarter comeback? Maybe all the Dolphins fans crying foul would like to take the time to ask the Arizona Cardinals about that.

Vikings, this is your reality.

2010-10-25T11:03:00.000-07:00

After another loss last night and some mind-boggling throws by quarterback Brett Favre, Minnesota Vikings fans have to be thinking what exactly has happened to this season? Where did it all go wrong? Well we have a theory, and to try and explain it to you we need to reference one of the great movie series of all-time, Back to the Future. This was supposed to be the year where everything came together for the Vikings, ending in Dallas with a Super Bowl triumph. However, it seems what was supposed to be has careened off into an alternate 2010, where the triumph has been replaced with personal strife and in-fighting. We have diagramed what exactly has happened to the Vikings, Doc Brown style below:

Fantasy Football: Illegal Hits edition

2010-10-24T08:52:00.000-07:00

Brandon Meriweather can breath a sigh of relief for this week because it seems that San Diego may not have any defenseless receivers for him to hit.

Fantasy owners might want to suspend their pursuit of Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez. He's being counted on to replace the production of Austin Collie, however, it is being reported that he has tweaked his nagging ankle injury.

Falcons defensive back Dunta Robinson is out with a concussion, will it help Ochocinco get back to the endzone?

James Harrison did not retire, Miami receivers beware.

Phillies lose, city destroyed?

2010-10-24T08:17:00.000-07:00

Be careful if you are traveling through the Philadelphia metro area today, according to Philadelphia Inquirer columnist John Gonzalez, when Phillies slugger Ryan Howard was frozen by Giants closer Brian Wilson on a called strike 3 last night, it was akin to the 1906 earthquake that destroyed most of San Francisco.

In April 1906, a powerful earthquake devastated the Bay Area, reducing much of San Francisco to rubble. The fires that broke out as a result might have been even more devastating. The inferno raged for days and burned through huge sections of the city. When it was over, the town was a charred, smoldering mess - a blackened patch of scorched earth that left the survivors shocked and shattered as they tried to figure out what happened and how to move forward.

More than a century later, the Phillies and their fans are experiencing their own unexpected disaster. The plans for a third straight trip to the World Series, along with the hope of hosting another Broad Street parade, abruptly went up in flames on Saturday night. Philadelphia's dreams were torched and turned to ashes when, once more, the Phillies failed to extinguish the inexplicably hot Giants. Philadelphia lost Game 6, 3-2, thanks in large part to Juan Uribe, who hit a soul-crushing eighth-inning home run into the right field stands to secure the National League Championship for the Giants.

Lebron James inspired David Stern

2010-10-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Sorry I missed his hater day on Twitter but Lebron James will be the death of the NBA. How else do you explain the latest actions from NBA Commissioner David Stern? First the report, that hewants to cut player salaries by a third, cutting $750-800 million in expenses from the owners. They all no doubt saw the act by Lebron James taking less money to chase a championship and said to themselves: if the most recognizable star in our league is willing to take less money then everyone else should be willing to fall in line. There is also the report that Stern is considering contraction. This was no doubt inspired by Lebron as well, as his idea of a super team has caught on, which has Stern questioning why should we even have a teams like the Raptors, Bobcats or Grizzlies if we only have 5-6 viable teams? It may have taken David Stern years to realize this, but Lebron James has shown him the light and ugly (or not so ugly, depending which side you are on) truth... that the smartest people in the league are not the guys signing the checks, but the ones cashing them.

In NFL Fines to James Harrison and others, life imitates art.

2010-10-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

There has been so much theatre and drama concerning the fines to James Harrison, Dunta Robinson and Brandon Meriweather we decided to compare the situation to the greatest theatre of all... professional wrestling. Here is our take on how this situation has panned out in the form of a pro wrestling poster, enjoy.

Mike Golic cheats on P90x

2010-10-21T20:22:00.000-07:00

Follow MVG onTwitter @MiniVanGundy

If you’re anything like me, you are probably sick and tired of listening to the ESPN Radio crew shill for P90x. Well, apparently Mike Golic is sick and tired of doing P90x as evidenced by his new ad campaign for Tabasco. Have you seen the new commercial where he slathers the sauce on a piece of pizza? As someone who knows how those commercial shoots go, there is no way he did that shoot in one take, so imagine how many bites of pizza he had to take to get it perfect. I don’t do P90x, but everyone I know who does tells me that half of the program is sticking to the diet plan… now can anyone tell me if pizza and hot sauce are part of that plan?

Editor’s Note: I am all for hot sauce on pizza but Frank’s is the way to go

Brian Wilson joins the NWO

2010-10-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Remember when Hulk Hogan devastated the pro wrestling world and joined forces with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash to form the NWO? Well from then we went down a crazy path of beard proportions with Hulk Hogan where we never were quite sure what to make of the black beard and bleach blonde hair, we only knew there would be hell to pay in the form of a leg drop if the bandana came off. Now enter Giants closer Brian Wilson… this has been the year of the beard, from the epic beard man bus fight, to Brady’s Bieber look vs. Moss’ “homeless” look. Wilson has taken it to a whole new level, exposing America and the world to his look in the baseball playoffs. We at MiniVanGundy suspect that Wilson used up all his spray paint to aid his look (how else do you explain the glazed look in Wilson’s eyes before every pitch), however, that did not stop him from belt whipping anyone who stood in his path the way Hollywood used to.

Dallas Clark out... is Vernon Davis next?

2010-10-21T09:13:00.000-07:00

This has not been a good week for elite tight ends in fantasy football circles. First Antonio Gates owners got a scare with his ankle/toe injury, then Jermichael Finley’s injury turned out to be far more serious than first reported and his season was ended when the Green Bay Packers put him on injured reserve. Now comes the report that Dallas Clark is out indefinitely, and could be gone for the rest of the season. If I am Vernon Davis or even Tony Gonzalez I am very nervous that this injury epidemic that only seems to be striking tight ends with real value will get me next (don’t see any need for Zach Miller or Mercedes Lewis owners to worry, neither are elite and it should be too hard to find them in Oakland and Jacksonville).

Petition to have Maurice Jones-Drew removed from can’t cut list

2010-10-20T14:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Fantasy Sports entities, this is a petition to have Maurice Jones-Drew removed from your can’t cut list in fantasy football. All the suckers out there that drafted Jones-Drew anywhere from #3 to #5 overall have suffered with his production all season. We do not blame Jones-Drew entirely, in fact much can be blamed on the stagnant development of the interception machine known as David Garrard and the take 1 step forward 2 steps back Mike Sims-Walker. With the recent development that Trent Edwards, Todd Bouman or heaven forbid: Patrick Ramsey will move forward as the starting quarterback with the Jacksonville Jaguars, we urge you to do the right thing. We will no longer stand for eight and nine man boxes without recourse. How can we as loyal fantasy players expect any production from MJD with such a lack of talent around him?

Bud Selig's Thank You Letter to Texas Rangers

2010-10-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Dear Texas Rangers,

I owe you a debt of gratitude after last night’s ALCS Game 4. The path carved by this game was wrought with hazard for me personally and I would certainly be mistaken if I didn’t thank you for your scoring outburst in the later innings to make the story today about your fine performance and Joe Girardi’s questionable managerial tactics instead of my resistance to technological advancements which would certainly make life easier for my umpiring crews.

I also would like to extend thanks to you on behalf of Major League Baseball fans everywhere for saving us from Jared Macchirole. He certainly will have his 15 minutes of fame; however, it would be very hard for us all to accept this “gentleman” reaching the folk hero/villain status of Jeffrey Maier.

Your team has been a breathe of fresh air in this series and certainly has helped drown out the even worse than usual viciousness of New York Yankees fans.

I wish you continued success in masking my ineptitude and saving me from modern times.

Sincerely,

Bud Selig
Commissioner: Major League Baseball

Sabermetrics vs. Slugging: Stats have been the Yankees doom

2010-10-20T07:11:00.000-07:00

Interesting column from Bob Klapisch on how Joe Girardi's reliance on stats cost the Yankees last night.

That was the rationale for plowing through the inning, which soon reached its crossroads with a runner on second and two out. With an open base, Girardi again refused to listen to his inner voice, ignoring common sense to intentionally put the go-ahead run on base.

Why? Because of his maddening attachment to numbers. Girardi was uncomfortable with David Murphy's career 5-for-18 against Burnett, so he called for an intentional walk. Never once did Girardi consider what an extra base runner would do to Burnett's fragile psyche.

Girardi does know that Bill James works for the Red Sox doesn't he?

Media Spin watch: Apparently NFL is not doing enough

2010-10-19T16:40:00.000-07:00

After taking some time to peruse the headlines concerning the fines to James Harrison, Brandon Meriweather and Dunta Robinson, you can see the overhype machine is in full effect. ESPN continues their trend of being the news maker and not the reporter with their headline NFL fines for flagrant hits after vow to suspend and then there was this on Peter King's twitter page:

I guess after the spin put on James Harrison's comments (where he took care to distinguish between hurting and injuring players so he wouldn't be taken out of context yet still was) you would've thought these guys would've been summoned to Roger Goodell's office for a personal conduct violation.

A.J. Burnett vs. Tommy Hunter by the numbers

2010-10-19T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yankees fans have to be cringing at the thought of A.J. Burnett taking the mound tonight (especially knowing that they have to win 3 straight games to avoid seeing Cliff Lee again in Game 7). Much has been made of Burnett's contract so we decided to take a look at the value each of tonight's starters have provided for their respective teams.

A.J. Burnett
2010 salary - $16,500,000
Record - 10-15
G - 33
IP - 186.2
K - 145
BB - 78
H - 204
R - 118
ER - 109
HR - 25

Tommy Hunter
2010 salary - $409,850
Record - 13-4
G - 23
IP - 128
K - 68
BB - 33
H - 126
R - 55
ER - 53
HR - 21

If you average it all out Burnett got paid $500,000 per game($1,650,000 per win). His average length was just under 5.2 IP, average strikeouts per game was 4.4, he walked 2.4 batters, gave up 6.2 hits, 3.6 runs, 3.3 earned runs and 0.8 homeruns.

Hunter on the other hand was paid $17,819.56 per game ($31,526.92 per win). His average length was also just under 5.2 IP, average strikeouts per game was just about 3 per game, he walked 1.4 batters, gave up 5.5 hits, 2.4 runs, 2.3 earned runs and 0.9 homeruns.

As you can see Burnett only has a significant advantage in stikeouts (and he should, he led the AL in strikeouts in 2008), Joe Girardi is putting a lot on Burnett's shoulders tonight probably because Girardi is afraid to put Phil Hughes out on short rest for the first time ever. If it doesn't work, Burnett will shoulder a lot of the blame, which is probably unfair, however if it does, the Yanks have got to feel good with C.C. Sabathia going again in game 5, win there and then all the pressure will come full circle to Phil Hughes in game 6.

The Five most tradeable Raiders

2010-10-18T16:37:00.000-07:00

According to Adam Schefter the Raiders have let it be known that their all of their players are available in a trade. To save NFL GMs time we combed the Raiders roster and assembled the Top 5 Raiders to trade for:

1. Rolando McClain: When he was drafted with the eighth overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft, it shocked the NFL world because the Raiders made the smart pick. I'm sure given a second chance Al Davis could screw it up.

2. Bruce Gradkowski: The best Raiders quarterback since Rich Gannon?

3. (Tie) Shane Lechler and Sebastian Janikowski: At least the one thing Oakland has nailed down is their kicking game.

4. Zach Miller: It has to kill Al Davis that his most dangerous receiving threat is the least likely to catch a deep ball.

5. Richard Seymour: Perhaps Deion Branch's performance on Sunday has Bill Belichick missing the good old days.

Retirement Gone Wrong: Brett Favre and Urban Meyer

2010-10-18T10:26:00.001-07:00

Check out the parallels between Vikings quarterback Brett Favre and University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer.

Tale of the Tape:

-Retired after losing NFC championship game to Saints.
-Retired after losing SEC championship game to Alabama.

-Favre’s Vikings were beaten in rematch with Saints 14-9.
-Meyer’s Gators were beaten in rematch with Alabama 31-6.

-Favre’s Vikings are 2-3 overall.
-Meyer’s Gators are 2-3 in the SEC.

-Favre’s consecutive start streak (now at 290 games) could be in jeopardy if he is found to have violated NFL’s personal conduct policy for alleged texts and photos sent to a former Jets employee.
-Meyer’s Gators streak of 89 straight weeks being ranked in the Associate Press Top 25 poll ended after a 10-7 loss versus Mississippi State this past weekend.

-Percy Harvin bailed out Favre and the Vikings in a win over Dallas yesterday with a 95 yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
-Urban Meyer would give anything to replace Chris Rainey with Percy Harvin.

-Favre’s Vikings play archrival Packers this weekend with chance to get back to .500 and in the playoff hunt.
-Meyer’s Gators play archrival Georgia this weekend and still control their destiny in SEC East.