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

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.

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Occupy Movement: Sports Edition

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

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

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

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.

NFL Stadiums that should be blown up

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

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?

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

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.



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Should Ahmad Bradshaw fire his agent?

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

Vince Young out in Tennessee, where will he land?

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"

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.

New Collectible Jimmy Clausen Action Figure

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

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.

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

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.

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.

Pro Bowl Debate: Matt Ryan vs. Aaron Rodgers

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.