KnoxAnimal Twitter is Metro Pulse Runner-Up!

Thanks for everybody that voted for the KnoxAnimal twitter page in the Metro Pulse's Best of Online Knoxville.

AC Entertainment's twitter page was the winner, but I'm cool with finishing runner-up to them. The other runner-ups were metropulse and MoxCar.

Book Suggests A-Rod Used Steroids In High School

In the book 'A-Rod', scheduled to be released May 12, it is suggested that New York Yankees star third baseman Alex Rodriguez has been on steroids since his teen years while attending Miami's Christopher Columbus Catholic High School.

The book, written by Sports Illustrated's Selena Roberts, offers an unflattering portrayal of the baseball star that could destroy what career the slugger has left.

A-Rod has admitted to using steroids while while with the Texas Rangers, but insists it was only during the span with the Rangers and has quit taking them since he has been with the Yankees. The book, however, says that a high school teammate of Rodriguez told Roberts that the slugger was on steroids and that the his high school coach Rich Hoffman knew about it. The book also notes that Hoffman denies the accusation.

The book also supports the accusations that A-Rod is still using steroids in the Yankees clubhouse based on side effects and other evidence.

This book is sure to cause quite a stir and if A-Rod's reputation was destroyed with the initial steroid scandal, it will surely be hurt even more if the information presented in the book is indeed true. A-Rod has transformed himself from an Idol for youngsters to a complete asshole that nobody should model themselves after. He may be a talented ballplayer, but he isn't so great that his ego can get in the way of the game. He is not bigger than the game of baseball and frankly he should be drug tested every day until he is out of the game for good.

MSNBC

The story was first reported by The Daily News.

Matt Giraud Can't Hang With Top Four

This week's results show has performances by Season Five winner Taylor Hicks, Natalie Cole and Jamie Foxx. As I said via ratings last night, the worst two performances of the night were between Matt Giraud and Allison Iraheta. It was a tough week because I thought all the contestants performed well.

The bottom three is Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, and Matt. That means Allison and Danny Gokey are safe this week.

Kris was the first of the three sent to safety, so the bottom two came down to Matt and Adam.

Was there ever a question with who would go home when it came down to Matt and Adam? It was Matt's time to go, but the guy did a good job on this show and making it to the top five is pretty awesome in itself. I am interested to see where Matt's career goes after the show, because he has a lot of potential.

Biggest Loser Says Goodbye Filipe!

This week's Biggest Loser proved to be one of the most difficult ones of the season both physically and mentally. After Kristen was kicked off last week, Bob asked Ron if he had anything to do with her leaving the ranch. In typical fashion, Ron lied to Bob's face and said that he didn't have anything to do with it. Ron seems like a good guy, but was there really a reason to lie to Bob because everybody knows that you are playing the game so your son can win. Everybody understands that, so there is no point of lying about it. Not to mention Bob knows all, so he knew Ron was lying to him.

All five contestants have lost enormous amounts of weight this season. The challenge this week and final challenge of the show was for each contestant to carry the amount of weight they have lost on the show. Mike lost 153 pounds, Ron 132, Filipe 120, Tara 117, Helen 96. The winner of the challenge gets either $10,000 or a one-pound advantage at the weigh-in. The second place finisher gets whatever the winner didn't take.

Each contestant carried their weight in a big oversized dufflebag up a hill. Once they reached the top, they had to throw the weight over the side. Tara won the challenge like she usually does and later on in the show chose the pound advantage. Mike finished second, so he added $10,000 to his bank account.

This week's last chance workout was as brutal as ever and it set the stage for the final weigh-in while being on the ranch. Here's how the weigh in went down.

Ron: 298/289 lost 9 pounds for a 3.02% this week. He lost 141 pounds in 17 weeks.

Filipe: 244/234 lost 10 pounds for a 4.1% this week. He lost 130 pounds in 17 weeks.

Helen: 161/154 lost 7 pounds for a 4.35% this week. She lost 103 pounds while on the ranch.

Mike: 235/224 lost 11 pounds for a 4.68% this week. He lost 164 pounds while on the ranch.

Tara: 177/169 lost 8 pounds for a 5.08% this week. She lost 125 pounds while on the ranch.

Ron and Filipe fell below the yellow line, so it was up to the others to decide their fate on the show. Ron convinced the house that Filipe is a bigger threat and that they should vote off Filipe, and the house listened.

Filipe did a hell of a job on the show and I look forward to seeing him at the finale in two weeks as he competes for the $100,000 consolation prize.

American Idol: The Five Rats

We are down to five and it is Rat Pack week aka show tunes week on American Idol. As the show begins, it is revealed that the mystery mentor this week was Jamie Foxx. I usually don't like this week very much, but I did tune in, and I haven't turned it off yet, so I will stick it out the best that I can. Here's how it went down:

Kris Allen - The Way You Look Tonight by Frank Sinatra

It was different to see Kris without a guitar up there on stage. A lot of times when the contestants are out of their comfort zones, it shows. However, Kris looked as comfortable as always up there, and he did very well. Tonight's performance had a very Jason Mraz type feel too it. Kris did a very good job, and I think he has emerged as a potential finalist.

Allison Iraheta - Someone To Watch Over Me by Ella Fitzgerald

It was almost weird to think about Allison doing a song like this, but she did a good job with it. It's not my favorite of the night, but she did a very nice job. She continues to be very mature for her age, and she does look like she could be in the finals.

Matt Giraud - My Funny Valentine by Frank Sinatra

Matt was confident coming into this week, and for good reason. However, it was a tough song and wasn't perfect. He didn't own the song the way that it needed to be owned. It was good, but not my favorite tonight. Based on the competition so far, he could be in trouble.

Danny Gokey - Come Rain Or Come Shine by Billie Holliday

I will be the first to admit that I don't like Danny. However, he was pretty good up there tonight. He actually took control of the song and showed a little excitement and confidence. It was a strong week for Danny, maybe even in the running for the performance of the night.

Adam Lambert - Feeling Good by Michael Buble

Holy shit! Adam did it again. There has never been a contestant on American Idol thatg has the combination of skill and orginality as great as Adam has. He surprised me tonight, and he earns my performance of the night.

With there being only five contestants left, I am going to rate the performances against each other. The first is the best and the fourth and fifth are in danger of going home tomorrow night.

1. Adam Lambert - Performance of the night
2. Danny Gokey - Better than usual
3. Kris Allen - Good, but very safe
4. Allison Iraheta - Nice job overall, but didn't wow me.
5. Matt Giraud - Did alright, but I felt he could have done better.

Austin City Limits 2009 Lineup Is Awesome

Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys and Kings of Leon are all set to headline the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, TX October 2-4.

See you all there!!!

Jessica Alba Is Dumb

Jessica Alba got a ticket for driving down a one-way street, the wrong way in Santa Monica today. There is no way that officer would have written her that ticket before she was married and had a baby.

photo from SplashNewsOnline.com

Raiders are stupid and Day 1 Draft Notes

Everybody knows that Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders don't always see things the way others see them. The Raiders selected Maryland receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey with the No. 7 overall pick in the draft in what experts feel was the day's first boneheaded move of the day. However, Knox Animal feels differently for a couple reasons.

The first reason is that you cannot coach speed. Heyward-Bey was the fastest receiver in the draft this year as the UMD product ran the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds at the combine. That is some serious speed, and that is what opened Davis' eyes. The other reason is that he is more experienced then Texas Tech receiver Michael Crabtree and Missouri receiver Jeremy Maclin. Those two receivers are extremely gifted, but they were both sophomores. There is a history of talented receivers that enter the draft and turn out to be huge busts in the NFL. I like the Raiders' pick here and think Heyward-Bey has a big impact right away.

Redskins Land Orakpo

After Mark Sanchez got swooped up by the New York Jets at the No. 5 pick, the Redskins turned to the defensive side of the ball. What set up the ability for the Skins to land Brian Orapko was thanks to the Kansas City Chiefs selecting DE Tyson Jackson from LSU with the No. 3 overall pick. The Buffalo Bills then selected DE Aaron Maybin from Penn State with the No. 11 overall pick. The other team that was looking for a DE was the Cleveland Browns, but they traded their pick (No. 5) to the Jets. The Skins landed a big time player with Orakpo and what was once a very mediocre defensive line in the NFL, got much stronger with the Haynesworth acquisition and now Orakpo. Quarterbacks be scared - be very scared.

USC Linebackers almost all go Rd. 1

The badass trio of linebackers from USC nearly all went in the first round, but MLB Rey Maualuga went as the sixth player taken in the second round to the Cincinnati Bengals. OLB Brian Cushing was taken at 15 overall by the Houston Texans and OLB Clay Matthews went No. 26 to the Green Bay Packers.

Stafford is No.1 pick and NFL Draft Day Notes

Matt Stafford agreed to a six-year, $72 million contract with the Detroit Lions to make the Georgia quarterback the number one overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. The contract guarantees $41.75 million, giving Stafford the NFL record for highest guaranteed money.

The St. Louis Rams are basically on the clock, and they could go a variety of ways. Will they go lineman? Quarterback? Receiver? Linebacker? The Rams' choice here will shape the entire NFL draft.

Draft day trades

Today is the day that we find out if several players on the trading block get traded for draft picks. Braylon Edwards, Anquan Boldin, Brady Quinn, Jason Campbell and a new name Marc Bulger have emerged as possible trade candidates over the weekend.

Mock Drafts

Okay, everybody loves mock drafts, but seriously - what a bunch of bullshit. Who can honestly say creating a mock draft is worth the time and effort? The first round is one thing, but what is the point of doing a seven round mock draft? Nobody can predict that, and once one pick gets messed up, it makes the mock creator look like an idiot. So next year, if you want to make a mock draft - save your time and stop after round one.

Where will Mark Sanchez end up?

USC quarterback Mark Sanchez has been a hot commodity the last few weeks. Several teams are interested in Sanchez including the St. Louis Rams, who own the No. 2 pick in the draft. They won't draft him there, but have expressed interest in trading down to be able to lock him up. The New York Jets, Denver Broncos and Washington Redskins have all expressed intense interest in Sanchez. I wouldn't expect him to fall out of the top 10, so all three teams would need to trade up to snag him. This is sure putting a lot of faith in a quarterback that has only 16 college starts under his belt.

Are the UT Transfers All Part of Kiffin's Plan?

With much news and hoopla surrounding sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman's decision to leave the University of Tennessee football team, it begs to question whether it was Kiffin's plan all along to let the Chattanooga native walk.

As the players walked off the field after the Orange and White game this past Saturday, senior Jonathon Crompton looked to be the guy that Vols head coach Lane Kiffin was going to hand the reigns to going into summer workouts. It was Kiffin's plan all along to have Crompton start this season for the simple fact that he is a senior and he can tell incoming prospects that they can compete right away for the starting job.

After a wrist injury this spring to junior QB Nick Stephens, it was evident that Coleman was the number two guy. After a self proclaimed great spring from Coleman, it appeared that Coleman would never work his way to being the number one guy in the Vols system if he didn't this year. Coleman felt he had to make a move - so he quit.

One of the first memories we have of Kiffin as the Vols head coach is when he turned highly touted quarterback prospect Tajh Boyd away. I commended Kiffin at the time because he was honest with the recruit. He could have brought Boyd in and plugged him into the system and strung him along - essentially wasting his college career away since he knew that he didn't intend on using him. Kiffin didn't have the same luxury with Coleman, because he was already here at UT. Coleman had a couple of brief meetings with Kiffin and his staff to find out where he stood, and given Kiffin's honesty - he told him.

All Kiffin is doing right now is trimming the fat off the team to make room for the players that he wants on the team. As Kiffin sees it, there is no room for overhyped prospects and under performing players in his system. By getting rid of the players, it makes more room for players that have talent levels suitable for Kiffin's standards.

As for Ahmad Paige, the sophomore receiver has met with coaches about his future at UT. While there is still a chance that Paige could stay at UT, indications are pointing towards a transfer. We are also monitoring the Chris Donald situation, because he too looks like a strong candidate to leave the Vols football team this summer.

B.J. Coleman Leaves UT... More To Follow?

Reports from the Times Free Press Chattanooga have confirmed that sophomore QB B.J. Coleman is leaving the University of Tennessee football team. At this time is unknown where he is heading, but strong indications are pointing towards UTC. Coleman made it known that he wants to play now, and he didn't feel like that was a possibility at UT. If he transferred to UTC, he could potentially start right away without losing a year of eligibility because it is a I-AA program.

Another player leaving the Vols is offensive lineman, Darris Sawtelle. The sophomore is coming off surgery to both shoulders. Reportedly, Lane Kiffin met with Sawtelle and the two discussed his future after the lineman continued to fall down the depth chart. Shortly after the meeting the decision to leave the program was made.

Sawtelle and Coleman join safety Demetrice Morley, tailback Lennon Creer, receiver E.J. Abrams-Ward and offensive linemen Preston Bailey, Donald Langley, Ramone Johnson and Darius Myers as players from last season who either left the program or were dismissed for various reasons.

Information continues to support the strong possibility that more players are going to transfer from the UT squad. Ahmad Paige and Chris Donald appear to be strong candidates to leave the program as their careers haven't jump started at UT after being highly touted prospects coming out of high school.

http://timesfreepress.com/news/2009/apr/23/tennessee-coleman-leaves-ut-program/

http://www.govolsxtra.com/news/2009/apr/23/sawtelle-leaves-ut-after-meeting-kiffin/?partner=RSS

Redskins Shopping Jason Campbell? And More...

Reports are suggesting that the Washington Redskins are still trying to shop quarterback Jason Campbell around the league in hopes of moving up to grab USC QB Mark Sanchez in this weekend's NFL Draft.

One team that is known to have interest in Campbell is the New York Jets. Because of the limited number of picks the 'Skins have this year, the likely scenario would be a three-team deal that in turn would enable the 'Skins to grab Sanchez. It is no secret that the 'Skins want Sanchez. Because of that, the Skins better be able to get a deal done for Campbell or they are going to have a very upset QB next season.

Other draft news:

This weekend's draft looks to be a platform for several teams to deal current players. One of the bigger names that has been floating around the trading block has been Cleveland Browns receiver Braylon Edwards. The most likely destination for Edwards looked like the New York Giants, but according to the NY Daily Times, those talks are dead now. Instead the Giants have moved their focus to drafting a receiver in the draft. I still wouldn't rule out the possibility of Edwards ending up in NY.

The Detroit Lions are waiting to see if they can get a deal done with Georgia QB Matt Stafford to make him the No. 1 pick in Saturday's draft. The Lions already have a deal in place with Wake Forest OLB Aaron Curry to make him the No. 1 pick if negotiations fail with Stafford. The Lions prefer to pick Stafford, but he comes with a higher price tag and the uncertainty of drafing him without a contract is a risk that the Lions don't seem willing to take. Look for a deal to get done late Friday or early Saturday before the draft, and the Lions to choose Stafford with the top pick.

Percy Harvin's name has been floating around a lot the last few weeks. Not only has the former Florida star failed a drug test for marijuana, but reports suggest that the receiver needs more surgery to his foot/ankle. Harvin battled this ankle injury the majority of last season and reports are that it still isn't healed. Even though the talent is there, Harvin could be a very risky first round pick at this point.

American Idol Down To Five

The Idol contestants got to show off their disco dancing skills to start the show. It was pretty bad, but it wasn't any worse than the usual group song, so I give them a fist bump for their efforts. With news of David Archuleta, last year's Idol runner up, singing tonight, I was naturally very under enthused.

So naturally I feel that based on skill and performance only, Lil' Rounds should be a definite to go home tonight. The second to go home should come down to Danny Gokey, Matt Giraud or Anoop Desai.

Here's how it actually went down:

Lil' was sent home immediately and it wasn't a surprise. It was amazing how Lil' stayed in this competition after making numerous poor song choices and not singing them well. She did have a ton of fans, but at this point in the competition being good on a consistent basis is very important, and Lil' hasn't been good since the start of the competition. It was her time to go.

The second contestant to leave came down to Anoop and Allison. Anoop is going home - which isn't shocking when it was down to him and Allison. Anoop has a good run at it, but he was either going home this week or next.

B.J. Coleman Update and More UT Transfers?

Rumors have been swirling around the University of Tennessee about sophomore quarterback B.J. Coleman transferring to Duke, but a source tells the Knox Animal that University of Tennessee Chattanooga is more likely at this point.

As reported Monday, Coleman most likely believes that he will not be able to beat out senior Jonathon Crompton for the starting job - and he doesn't want to sit around and be a No. 2 guy. If he transferred to Duke, like the rumors suggest - he may not see the field there either. Plus he would have to sit out a year. Instead, it appears that a very likely destination for Coleman is in his hometown of Chattanooga to play for the Southern Conference's I-AA Mocs. Not only would he not have to sit out a season because of the transfer, but he also will probably be the No. 1 QB - something that Coleman is definitely looking for.

Coleman may not be the only Vol on the move this offseason as rumors surrounding sophomore receiver Ahmad Paige and sophomore linebacker Chris Donald transferring do appear to have legs according to Knox Animal insiders, but none would go on the record quite yet.

Biggest Loser: Tara Likes To Cry

With Laura going home last week, Tara is feeling lost. She feels like the rest of the house is against her, and she probably should feel that way. However, it isn't that way because Laura is gone - it is that way because Tara is a bitch. Tara might be the most selfish contestant to ever be on the Biggest Loser. We know it is a game, but Tara single handedly makes this show a miserable experience to watch because she is constant bitching about everything.

The bottom two: Helen and Kristen

Kristen is going home this week on the Biggest Loser and she was pretty pissed about it. She weighed 360 when she arrived and when she left, she weighed 244. She was a great contestant on the show and has lost the most weight ever for a woman on the Biggest Loser. It's a new beginning for Kristen and frankly it is great to see. She hopes to be under 200 pounds for the finale.

Next week is the last week on campus
The finale is in two weeks!

American Idol: Lucky 7 Again

After last week's judges save to keep Matt Giraud around, this weeks contestants are in for daunting task. It's not only disco week - which is just terrible in every aspect, tomorrow's show will send two of the final seven contestants home. At this point in the competition, not only do the contestants have to perform well, but they must win the fans over. Here's how tonight went down.

Lil Rounds - I'm Every Woman by Chaka Kahn

Holy hell, Lil Rounds was actually pretty good tonight. She looked better on stage tonight than usual, but I still don't think she is going to be safe this week.

Kris Allen - She Works Hard For The Money by Donna Summer

One word: Awesome. Kris is the most natural sounding contestant this season. He is original and always has awesome beats. He rocks out with the acoustic guitar and he gets better every week. He has a real shot at winning this competition and has emerged as my favorite. Bad ass performance tonight.

Danny Gokey - September by Earth, Wind & Fire

This was way karaoke. The performance contained absolutely no creativity. At least he stayed consistent and stayed boring. It's time for Danny to go home. Good God man, he has been here way too long.

Allison Iraheta - Hot Stuff by Donna Summer

The song started off incredible with her sitting on steps. When she stood up, it seemed a little whiny for me. However, I still think it was a very solid night for Allison. Based on performance alone, she should not be in the bottom three tomorrow, but she could be - based on the fan vote.

Adam Lambert - If I Can't Have You by Yvonne Elliman

I didn't like it. Paula cried because Paula cries. Simon liked it because Simon likes Adam. Randy is a dumbass because Randy is a dumbass. Kara pisses me off because Kara pisses me off. It was a nice slow song for Adam, but not my favorite. They should just go ahead and name him king of American Idol.

Matt Giraud - Stayin' Alive by The Bee Gees

Any time somebody does a very well known song like this, it will always sound karaoke. It was an attempt to win over some fans by choosing a popular song, but it could backfire on him. Looks like Matt will be in the bottom three this week.

Anoop Desai - Dim All The Lights by Donna Summer

I don't know man. I usually like it when Anoop sings slower songs. He sung it well, the problem was that it was a horrible song choice. It was bordering on annoying and repetitive. Anoop should be safe based on performance, but you never know what is going to happen on Idol.

Knox Animal Performance of the Night: Kris Allen
Knox Animal Bubble Watch: Lil' Rounds, Danny Gokey, Matt Giraud

Florida Gators are Funny!

The Florida Gators have bounced back from University of Tennessee head coach Lane Kiffin's comments about beating the Gators in the swamp this year with a t-shirt that is currently being sold on eBay right now.

NCAA FLORIDA GATORS "MEMO TO LANE KIFFIN" T SHIRT - eBay (item 120379963358 end time May-18-09 07:56:41 PDT)

This is a pretty funny attempt to bounce back from comments made from a first year SEC coach. Anybody can make a t-shirt that says you are going to do something, it's a whole different ballgame to actually say comments about beating certain teams when media is present. Hats off to the Gators for attempting the war on words, but Lane's comments on singing Rocky Top at the Swamp after the Vols win were priceless and undeniably better.

NFL Briefs

Torry Holt - The former St. Louis Rams receiver signed a three-year, $20 million deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars yesterday. It was widely believed that he would end up in Tennessee, but Holt chose the Jags. It could be an interesting fit and the Jags desperately needed some WR help.

Anquan Boldin - The Arizona Cardinals are shopping the disgruntled receiver around the league in hopes of finding a first and third round pick in this weekend's draft. The Eagles, Ravens and Giants are believed to be the most interested. The Ravens have offered a first rounder and may be willing to give up a second rounder or a player to acquire the pro-bowler. The Giants number one wish is Braylon Edwards from the Browns, who is also being shopped around. If Edwards falls through, expect the Giants to make a strong push for Boldin. The Eagles were the initial team that was said to be interested, but talks have slowed down as of late. Pretty much the only conclusion is that Boldin could end up anywhere next year, even Arizona.

Chad Johnson - The Bengals receiver wants out of Cincinnati very badly. Bengals teammate T.J. Houshmandzadeh told the NFL network that Chad called him "crying" the other day because he wanted to be traded so bad. Chad could be a great fit with several other teams, so it could be interesting if he was dealt. However, the Bengals have made it known that they are unwilling to trade Johnson despite his numerous requests. I think the Bengals budge on this and trade Johnson if they can get a good deal for him.

Ronnie Brown - The Miami Dolphins running back is apparently on the trade block for the right price. This could be kind of misleading because most players could be on the trading block for the right price. The trade value of running backs has decreased over the years because of current NFL offense's being able to find system backs. It is unlikely that the Dolphins will get whatever they are looking for, but several teams could be intrigued.

Dominic Rhodes - The Buffalo Bills locked up Rhodes to fill the void left by Marshawn Lynch as he serves his three game suspension at the beginning of the season. Rhodes is a solid player and will serves as one of league's better backups when Lynch returns.

NFL Combine Drug Tests - Apparently the news several players failed drug tests were mostly false. Illinois CB Vontae Davis, Boston College DT B.J. Raji, USC LB's Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews all denied the postive tests the entire time, and it turns out that they weren't lying. This is good news for all for potential first round draft picks.

Sheldon Brown - The Philadelphia Eagles cornerback requested a trade. He is under contract through 2012, so he probably won't get traded unless somebody really wants him. However, he could be traded for draft picks this weekend if the Eagles want to part ways with the cornerback.

Detroit Lions Try To Get Scary!

The Detroit Lions have come up with a new logo fresh off their 0-16 campaign last season. The problem was obviously that the logo just wasn't scary enough. With their new logo this season, the Lions are sure to be a contender in the NFC. After all, who can compete with a Lion that is showing teeth? Surely the Bears, Vikings and Packers are no match for such a beast in the NFC North.

photo from ESPN.com

B.J. Coleman transferring to Duke?

The latest rumor surrounding the Tennessee Vols football team is regarding quarterback B.J. Coleman possibly transferring to Duke.

The sophomore to be is in a heated battle with senior Jonathan Crompton and junior Nick Stephens right now for the starting quarterback position. If Coleman transfers right now, it means either two things. No. 1, He thinks he won't be able to beat out Crompton for the starting job this season and No. 2, he doesn't think he has a shot at starting in years to come because UT will be bringing in stud QB next year to take the job.

It wouldn't be that crazy to think Coleman could transfer to Duke given that Duke head coach David Cutcliffe, former UT offensive coordinator, recruited Coleman and has always been very high on him. Last year when Cutcliffe took the job at Duke, these same rumors were swirling around.

Take this how you want, but this is one rumor that actually sounds like it has a chance of happening. This could be very troublesome for UT if this does happen, because it would give the Vols virtually no depth at the QB position.

This could be a story to follow this off season, and Knox Animal will be on it.

UFC 97: Anderson Silva dominates

UFC 97 gave us a first hand glimpse of what somebody who is scared to fight Anderson "The Spider" Silva looks like if they were put in a ring with the Middleweight Champion. Thales Leites proved to be very similar to a scared little puppy thrown into the ring with a older much more adult dog. Silva dominated all five rounds to get the easy decision win. I'm pretty sure Leites didn't land more than a few kicks and punches - doing absolutely no damage to the untouchable Silva. Leites frustrated Silva by laying down on the mat a bevy of times throughout the night, but Silva smartly wouldn't enter into Leites' trap.

Mauricio "Shogun" Rua knocked Chuck Liddell down with a straight punch to the jaw and pounced to earn the win via TKO 4:28 into the first round. The win proves that Shogun is back and forces Liddell into a probable retirement. It was the second time in the last two fights that the MMA legend Liddell has been knocked out.

UFC newcomer Brian Stann got dominated as Krzysztof Soszynski got the former WEC Light Heavyweight champ to tap via kimura arm bar 3:53 into the first round. Stann looked absolutely horrible in this fight, and probably wont see a match on a televised UFC card for a while. Sosynski looked confident coming into the fight, and it was evident why. It was a nice win for Soszynski despite the fact that Stann was a terrible opponent.

Cheick Kongo continued to dominate his opponents as he beat Antoni Hardonk via TKO in the second round. Kongo continues to improve in the sport, and he should contend for a heavyweight title soon.

In the first televised match of the night, Luiz Cane defeated Steve Cantwell via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27.

Undercard Results

• Denis Kang def. Xavier Foupa-Pokam via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Nate Quarry def. Jason MacDonald via TKO (strikes) - Round 1, 2:27
• Ed Herman def. David Loiseau via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
• Mark Bocek def. David Bielkheden via submission (rear-naked choke) - Round 1, 4:57
• T.J. Grant def. Ryo Chonan via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
• Eliot Marshall def. Vinicius Magalhaes via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
• Sam Stout def. Matt Wiman via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

UFC 97: Weigh Ins and Predictions

Yesterday's weigh ins gave us a little concern over the health of UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva, who weighed in at 182 - three pounds under the 185 weight limit. He may have just overcut due to fighting his last few fights at 205. Or, he may have something wrong with him that we don't know about. Or, better yet, he may have just done it on purpose so everybody is wondering what the hell is wrong with him. Whatever the reason, I expect to see "The Spider" put on a hell of a show tonight. Here are the Knox Animal Predictions. Winners in bold and italics.

Main Event – UFC Middleweight Championship
Anderson Silva (182) vs Thales Leites (185)

Chuck Liddell (206) vs Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (206)
Cheick Kongo (232) vs Antoni Hardonk (249)
Steve Cantwell (205) vs Luiz Cane (206)
Krzysztof Soszynski (204) vs Brian Stann (206)

Undercard (Not on TV)

Vinicius Magalhaes (204) vs Eliot Marshall (205)
Denis Kang (185) vs Xavier Foupa-Pokam (185)
Jason MacDonald (186) vs Nate Quarry (186)
David Loiseau (185) vs Ed Herman (186)
Mark Bocek (154) vs David Bielkheden (157)
Ryo Chonan (171) vs TJ Grant (169)
Sam Stout (155) vs Matt Wiman (155)

Fight of the night: Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
KO of the night: Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk
Undercard Fight of the night: Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry

Check back tomorrow for the official Knox Animal UFC 97 Results story.

UFC 97: Redemption Preview

Location: Montreal, Canada
Venue: Bell Centre (Le Centre Bell)
Broadcast: Pay per view 10:00 E.T.

MAIN CARD (on TV)

Anderson Silva vs. Thales Leites
Chuck Liddell vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua
Krzysztof Soszynski vs. Brian Stann

Cheick Kongo vs. Antoni Hardonk

Luis Cane vs. Steve Cantwell

UNDERCARD (not on TV)

Vinicius Magalhaes vs. Eliot Marshall

Xavier Foupa-Pokam vs. Denis Kang

Jason MacDonald vs. Nate Quarry

Ed Herman vs. David Loiseau

David Bielkheden vs. Mark Bocek

Ryo Chonan vs. T.J. Grant
Sam Stout vs. Matt Wiman

UFC 97 should make for one hell of a night for the sport of mixed martial arts. Superhuman Anderson “Spider” Silva (23-4 MMA, 8-0 UFC) takes on Thales Leites (14-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) for what could surprisingly be a very good match. Silva just turned 34 years old, and has plans to retire from the sport at the age of 35. In his last mate against Cote, even though the Spider won, he wasn’t his usual untouchable self. Will Silva bounce back with vengeance, or will he put together another lackluster performance against the 27 year old Leites?

Can Chuck Liddell (21-6 MMA, 16-5 UFC) regain the dominance he had just a few years ago? My guess is that Chuck, 39 years old, is on the downside of his career, but that doesn’t mean that he won’t have a good showing against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Shogun (17-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has been a complete disappointment since entering the UFC. Rua has only two fights, and both have been mediocre to say the least. The last time Chuck stepped into the octagon, he was destroyed by Rashad Evans. You don’t have to be the most educated person in world to find the importance in this bout for both fighters.

The ‘All American’ Brian Stann (6-1), former WEC Light Heavyweight champion, will make his UFC debut against Krzysztof Soszynski (17-9-1). Stann, who is a US Marines captain, will need to make the most of his opportunity if he wants to rise fast in the UFC ranks.

Cheick Kongo (23-4-1) will look to continue his assault on the UFC as he takes on Antoni Hardonk (8-4-0). Steve Cantwell (7-1-0), who beat Stann for the WEC title to give the All American his only professional defeat, takes on Luis Cane (10-1-1) in the first televised bout of the evening.

The undercard fight featuring Jason MacDonald and Nate Quarry could be one of the best fights of the night. It's a shame that it isn't on the main card because the fight could turn out to be incredible.

I will have my Knox Animal predictions coming tomorrow, so make sure you check back.

UFC 2009 Undisputed Demo Release Date 4-23

The much anticipated release of UFC 2009 Undisputed isn't slated until May 19, but in the meantime the demo found on PlayStation Network and XBox Live will be released April 23.

The demo will feature a match from this Saturday's pay per view match between Chuck Liddell and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. The demo also features a full tutorial so gamers can learn the moves prior to the full game release next month.

This is one of the most anticipated games of the year. This game has been under development since the PS3 system came out. It is exciting to see that the game is finally coming out and the demo gives us a sneak peak of the final product. Looking forward to this.

American Idol: Lucky 7 Results

After last night's average show, the person going home could be virtually anybody. We pretty much know that Adam is safe even though he sucked last night. Even though he is a complete douche bag and isn't improving at all since the beginning, Danny Gokey will probably be safe. Anoop Desai and Kris Allen should be safe based on their performances last night, but the way Idol is - that doesn't necessarily mean shit. Let's see how the night turned out, and who is headed home.

The bottom three: Anoop Desai, Lil' Rounds, Matt Giraud

The bottom two: Lil' Rounds, Matt Giraud

Lowest number of votes: Matt Giraud

The bottom two this week was pretty dead on, but I think that the wrong person got the least amount of votes tonight. The judges used the save this week, so nobody is going home.

Next week two people will go home as the contestants rock out to disco music.

Can I Have My Spider Back!

I saw this for the first time about a year ago and I saw it again today. I have no idea where it came from, but it still makes me laugh.

Biggest Loser: Goodbye Laura

The challenge this week was nuts. The contestants walked a tight rope across the California hills. Ron quit a few feet in because he knew he was going to lose and because he is a punk. Tara won even though she fell off the rope and struggled to get back on.

It is makeover week on Biggest Loser this week, so its always interesting and pretty cool to see how the contestants look thus far.

The contestants were told that they were going to a Hollywood movie premiere, but instead they went to a movie premiere that was all about them. Each contestant had a family member waiting for them at the premier and the movie they saw was all about them and their journey on the Biggest Loser.

The two that fell below the yellow line were Kristen and Laura.

Laura is headed home, but in her defense she had a hip injury the last week that caused her to gain three pounds. She weighed 285 at the beginning of the show and now she weighs 208. She had a good journey especially since she was in the shadows of Tara. The hip injury appears to be getting better and Laura looks like she is keeping up with the weight loss.

American Idol Lucky 7 Review

Music from the movies is the theme this week and the mentor is Quentin Tarantino. It should be interesting - here is how it went down:

Allison Iraheta - I Don't Want To Miss A Thing by Aerosmith

Terrible outfit. Pretty good performance. It wasn't one of my favorite Allison performances, but it was pretty good.

Anoop Desai - Everything I Do, I Do It For You by Bryan Adams

Very good job Anoop. You had two good performances in a row - a first for you on Idol. Anoop stepped his game up tonight and rocked that shit. Anoop, you might actually stick around another week.

Adam Lambert - Born To Be Wild by Steppenwolf

A little out of control tonight. It was a pretty good rock performance I guess, but not good overall. Adam is capable of much better, so this week was a bit of a disappointment.

Matt Giraud - Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman by Bryan Adams

Another good performance tonight. It was solid, and I could dig it. It wasn't the best of Matt's Idol career, but it was still a fairly decent performance. He could be in trouble based on his popularity.

Danny Gokey - Endless Love by Lionel Richie

Danny dropped the glasses and shaved his chin mess - very good for you Danny. Unfortunately, you went back to being your boring ass depressing self. What a horrible song choice for this point in the competition. Not a fan before the song and I am not a fan after the song.

Kris Allen - Falling Slowly from Once

Very awesome. He was my favorite of the night. Kris has blown up the last few weeks. He has actually become a contender in this competition. Keep your shit up kid, you're killing it right now.

Lil' Rounds - Some Say Love by Bette Midler

It was just okay. She is not as good as she thinks she is, and frankly I don't know why she is still on the show. Lil' should be in some real danger tonight.

Knox Animal Bubble Watch: Lil' Rounds, Matt Giraud, Danny Gokey
Knox Animal Performance of the Night: Kris Allen

Volscars Get Crazy!

Bruce Pearl rapping??? Don't act like you are surprised. The University of Tennessee men's basketball coach has been known to do some crazy things such as body paint, orange jackets, being an overly loud and outspoken individual, but this is a first for the coach.

During the Volscars - the Vols take on the Espy's and Oscars, the coach took the stage in an orange and white checkerboard jacket, chain, sunglasses and mic. This could have been easily forseen as Vols Hoops players Bobby Maze and Renaldo Woolridge are self proclaimed rappers themselves - even though their rapping skills are as bad as their basketball game.

The Bruce Pearl video is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kx3cmeLhEcg

Renaldo Woolridge's video is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7U6ZPhjiPE&feature=related

Bobby Maze's video on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXrrFSYO_WA

American Idol: Lucky 7 Preview

The theme for tonight's American Idol is 'Idol at the Movies' - whatever that means. Quentin Tarantino will do the mentoring this week and if I expect anyone from the lucky 7 to stand out, it would be Adam Lambert. The fluffy performer should be at his best, which is bad news for the rest of the contestants tonight.

Based purely on the past, I would expect Anoop Desai, Kris Allen and Lil' Rounds to struggle tonight. Anoop was solid last week, but given his history - he as trouble stringing together back-to-back solid performances. Kris has improved every week, but his lack of showmanship could have him struggling a little bit tonight. Lil' Rounds just isn't that good, so it's only a matter of time before she is sent home.

Kanye West vows to be less of a douche

After Kanye West was ripped a new one on last week's episode of South Park titled Fish Sticks, the mediocre rapper has vowed to stifle his ego.

West issued the following statement after he was portrayed as an egotistical rapper who didn't see the truth because he thought he could do no wrong.

“SOUTH PARK MURDERED ME LAST NIGHT AND IT’S PRETTY FUNNY. IT HURTS MY FEELINGS BUT WHAT CAN YOU EXPECT FROM SOUTH PARK! I ACTUALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON MY EGO THOUGH. HAVING THE CRAZY EGO IS PLAYED OUT AT THIS POINT IN MY LIFE AND CAREER. I USE TO USE IT TO BUILD UP MY ESTEEM WHEN NOBODY BELIEVED IN ME. NOW THAT PEOPLE DO BELIEVE AND SUPPORT MY MUSIC AND PRODUCTS THE BEST RESPONSE IS THANK YOU INSTEAD OF “I TOLD YOU SO!!!” IT’S COOL TO TALK SHIT WHEN YOU’RE RAPPING BUT NOT IN REAL LIFE. WHEN YOU MEET LITTLE WAYNE IN PERSON HE’S THE NICEST GUY FOR EXAMPLE. I JUST WANNA BE A DOPER PERSON WHICH STARTS WITH ME NOT ALWAYS TELLING PEOPLE HOW DOPE I THINK I AM. I NEED TO JUST GET PAST MYSELF. DROP THE BRAVADO AND JUST MAKE DOPE PRODUCT. EVERYTHING IS NOT THAT SERIOUS. AS LONG AS PEOPLE THINK I ACT LIKE A BITCH THIS TYPE OF SHIT WILL HAPPEN TO ME. I GOT A LONG ROAD AHEAD OF ME TO MAKE PEOPLE BELIEVE I’M NOT ACTUALLY A HUGE DOUCHE BUT I’M UP FOR THE CHALLENGE. I’M SURE THE WRITERS AT SOUTH PARK ARE REALLY NICE PEOPLE IN REAL LIFE. THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DRAW MY CREW. THAT WAS PRETTY FUNNY ALSO!! I’M SURE THERE’S GRAMMATICAL ERRORS IN THIS… THAT’S HOW YOU KNOW IT’S ME!”

Well it's good that Kanye can finally see humor in somebody mocking him, because he is not as good as he thinks he is. After his infamous Bonnaroo appearance last year - I can never be a Kanye fan. There are very few people that could keep a crowd waiting for as long as he did and get away with it - Kanye is not one of them. He lost a lot a hopeful fans that night and a lot of Kanye fans gave up on the very average performer.

I am glad that South Park poked a little fun at the disgrace known as Kanye because it might have actually made the word assassin a little sad inside. Some might even call it the night that Kanye cried a little.

Rolling Stone

photo from Comedy Central and Rolling Stone

Browns Put Quinn and Edwards On Trade Market

The Cleveland Browns are in the midst of rebuilding its terrible team into one that they hope will be a bit less terrible. Already this off-season, the Browns cut ties with potentially great tight end Kellen Winslow, who signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Browns have also potentially lost receiver Donte Stallworth for a very long time, if not forever, because he hit and killed a pedestrian bicyclist with his car while under the influence of alcohol a few months ago. Now, the Browns are reportedly shopping All-Pro receiver Braylon Edwards and backup/part-time starting quarterback Brady Quinn around the league to potential suitors.

Edwards could be a great addition for any team seeking a big time receiver. The knock on Edwards though is his drive. During the Browns breakout season in 2007, Edwards had a stellar season as he caught 80 passes for 1289 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 2008, when the Browns struggled, Edwards lacked the same drive he had the previous season and his number reflected that. Edwards caught only 55 passes for 873 yards and three touchdowns. The frustration was obvious, and the feeling we get is that the Browns don't want to risk paying a guy a lot of money if he doesn't want to be there. Every team could be in play here for Edwards, but expect the New York Giants to be big players in this deal. I also wouldn't count out the Cowboys, who let T.O. go this offseason. The Jets could also be a possible destination for the wideout, but a lack of having a quarterback might be less of a favorable situation for Edwards. Wherever he ends up, I expect near year 2007 stats for Edwards as he rejuvenates his career with a new team.

Quinn to Denver? It seems like that could be a good fit for both Quinn and the Broncos, who are trying to replace Jay Cutler at quarterback. The Browns have made their decision to stick with Derek Anderson, so the chance to get as much value as a first round pick for Quinn could be a good move for the Browns. Quinn could finally be the No. 1 guy in Denver, and the Broncos would be getting a young quarterback with some upside. It seems like a good fit, but would the Broncos be willing to give up a first round pick to get him? Quinn could also fit in with San Francisco 49ers, who have struggled to find consistent quarterback play the last few seasons.

Both of these players would probably receive a first round pick as a base, and more picks would be likely. The Browns are in full rebuilding mode, so getting a bunch of picks could be a good place to start.

Knoxville Woman Is A Liar!!!

Robin Lankford, 30, is a big liar!

Lankford pretended to be a cancer patient to cash in on an insurance policy. She claimed that she had ovarian cancer in order to convince an insurance company to pay her $100,000. She has forged two doctors names on documents and even altered a pathology report in the last year.

This makes me sick! This isn't only illegal, but it is morally horrible. This woman should be ridiculed and mocked the rest of her life.

Original Source for picture and story: WBIR

Who Is Knox Animal?

Knox Animal is the blog for sports, music and popular current events that interest me. My name is Chris Murray and I am originally from the Gaithersburg, Maryland area, but have lived in Knoxville, TN since 2000. I graduated from the University of Tennessee, so I take special interest in the Vols and other Knoxville based events.

If you have any tips, comments or advertising requests for Knox Animal send an email to KnoxAnimal@gmail.com.

Five Athletes I Would Punch

I was on Facebook the other day when I came across an Application that asked who the five athletes I would punch in the face were. So I thought this was pretty cool, so I did my five, but I really would have liked to explain why I would punch them in the face as well, so here I am.

Barry Bonds

Well, I don't like the way Barry handles himself on and off the field. Barry in his younger years was a fun, incredible five tool outfielder. As Barry got older he continued to progress into a complete asshole. He treated the media like shit and there were several reports that he was a terrible teammate. But the thing that pissed me off the most about Barry was the fact that he continued to deny steroid use even though he bulked up more than he ever had when he was approaching 40 years old. Barry, you deserve a punch in the face.

Gilbert Arenas

Gilbert my man, I do like you, but could you please stay healthy? You take a lot of my Wizards money, yet you are never on the court. I know that injuries happen, but Jesus Gilbert - every year you have a damn injury that keeps you out 75% of the season. This is more out of frustration, but Gilbert, you deserve a punch in the face.

Terrell Owens

I should be hugging you T.O. because you have caused problems for both the Eagles and Cowboys - both in division rivals of my 'Skins. However, you will not receive a hug from me because of two reasons.

1. You are a complete asshole and that alone makes me want to knock you out.
2. You not only left the NFC East, but you left the NFC as a whole to sign with the Buffalo Bills. Who cares if you cause trouble up there - you are playing for the Bills? LOL

T.O., you deserve a punch in the face.

Tiki Barber

Dude, you annoy the hell out of me. You used to run all over the Redskins when you played for the Giants and now you run your mouth all over my TV during the football season. You are the most annoying football player and TV analyst I have ever seen in my life. You Tiki Barber deserve a punch in the face.

Jason Taylor

Jason, I was ecstatic when the 'Skins signed you last season. You were supposed to fill the void at end and help anchor the whole defensive line. Instead you got hurt, which I understand happens - and you even wanted to play without taking any time off after your emergency calf surgery. So last year was a little bit of a bust mainly because of that injury and adjusting to the new system. So this year was going to be huge for you and the 'Skins both, but instead you are a little punk and you wanted more money than you deserve. So you were cut loose.

Jason, you deserve a punch in the face!

Idol Results: The Lucky 7

Last night's show was mostly filled with solid performances, but there were a few that stood out as terrible by Knox Animal's standards. Scott MacIntyre and Lil' Rounds both need to go home. Either one of them will do this week, and the other should follow next week.

After those two, it's Anoop Desai- even though he did awesome last night. He should be here a couple more weeks if this competition is truly based on talent.

Then it's up in the air after that. I would put Danny Gokey, Kris Allen and Matt Giraud on the same level. I would rank Allison Iraheta slightly about each of them because of her confidence and natural ability. She is only 16 years old for hell's sake - the problem is that she is on the verge of going home every week because she has a weak fan base.

Adam Lambert is as fluffy as they come, but he is by far the most talented contestant this year. Every week, minus the Johnny Cash week, he has been very impressive. I expect that the rest of the way from Adam.

Here is how the results show went down this week:

A special appearance from Frankie Avalon because his song was at the top of the charts the year Simon was born (1959).

The group song was as atrocious as it usually is. This week they sang Can't Get You Out Of My Head by Kylie Minogue, which was from 2002 - the year American Idol was born.

The first to get called out to the bottom three was Anoop. Scott and Lil' joined shortly after. Lil' was sent back first, so it is down to Anoop and Scott.

Scott is sent packing. It was the right choice. Next week should be Lil' Rounds unless she has a stellar week.

Vols Dismiss Morley From Team

Tennessee Volunteers safety Demetrice Morley has been kicked off the football team after missing his fourth spring practice. Lane Kiffin and his new staff made it clear that they weren't going to put up with any member of the football team breaking team rules-they weren't kidding.

Morley as a freshman in 2006, was a complete monster on the field, but academic troubles forced him to be ineligible in 2007. After completing the necessary hours at Pellissippi State Technical Community College, the safety was allowed to rejoin the team under Philip Fulmer in 2008.

Morley was arrested in September after a routine traffic stop, when the officer discovered he had a warrant out as a result of a robbery charge stemming from his Miami days. He was given 75 hours community service, which he completed in May. Morley has continued to be in Lane Kiffin's dog house since the coach was hired. Morley was suspended from the first spring practice last month after missing a team meeting.

It's all about priorities, and D-Mo definitely had a different agenda. The former No. 1 rated defensive back prospect in the country turned out to be a complete bust. He is as talented as anybody when he is on the field, but he has the mindset of an immature high school freshman. He may not have been handed the easiest life off the football field, but with as many chances and offers for help he has received, he could have gotten his shit together if he really wanted to.

There is no question that Morley is a stud on the field when he wants to be - but that is the problem. Kiffin demands discipline and Morley apparently lacked it. This is a true sign that the Vols football program is moving in the right direction, because the players know that talent alone cannot keep you in the program if you continue to make the wrong decisions on or off the field. Morley will be missed, but the Vols will be a better team without him and his continuous struggles.

Biggest Loser: Ron is Pissed!

Ron is pissed about being apparently betrayed by Filipe at last week's vote. Ron - shut the hell up and lose some damn weight. How can you get pissed because people vote for you? If you lose weight, you don't have to worry about it. So Ron is pissed and his son, Mike, is right there with him. The house is beginning to get divided as the game is winding down and all I can think is - it's about freaking time.

The temptation this week was to eat a bunch of food under platters until a golden ticket was found. Laura won, which means that she is able to vote off whoever she wants if they fall below the yellow line. Tara ate 4,000 calories, so it's a good thing that Laura won the challenge.

The challenge this week is to run stairs at the rose bowl. Which could make anybody have a heart attack, much less the Biggest Loser contestants. As usual Tara and Sione are the best. The two faced off head-to-head to see who wins the two-week trip for four to a spa resort. Tara won it, which isn't really a surprise since that bitch always wins.

The contestants are focusing all their attention on Ron controlling the game. I do not understand this whatsoever because Ron will never win a challenge - so how would he control anything. He is always near the bottom on weight loss so I cannot believe these people are so focused on this guy taking them out. All he has is a vote - the same as them. Anyway it doesn't matter this week because Laura has the only vote this week.

The bottom two this week were Helen and Sione.

Sione is gone this week purely based on the fact that he is the strongest guy in the house. He weighed 372, he is now 235 for a total weight loss of 137 pounds. He wants to now become a personal trainer. I am a Sione fan, and I hope he has a successful career as a personal trainer. Good job Sione.

American Idol Great 8 Review

American Idol's great 8 take the stage this week, singing songs from the year they were born. The year's each contestant is born are below:

Danny Gokey - April 24, 1980

Adam Lambert - January 29, 1982

Lil Rounds - November 14, 1984

Matt Giraud - May 11, 1985

Kris Allen - June 21, 1985

Scott MacIntyre - June 22, 1985

Anoop Desai - December 20, 1986

Allison Iraheta - April 27, 1992

Here's what this week's contestant rocked out to, and how they did:

Danny Gokey - Stand by Me by Nicky Deez

This is one of the great songs in history. Danny started it very well, but he lost it for me about midway through. It felt a bit weird for me. I didn't like it. Danny did however look a little less douchebagish tonight. Good job.

Kris Allen - All She Wants To Do Is Dance by Don Henley

Kris is coming into his own the last few weeks and this week isn't any different. He looks very comfortable up there and he is turning everything into his own song. I liked it, it was very chill and that's what I want to see from Kris.

Lil' Rounds - What's Love Got To Do With It by Tina Turner

Great song choice for Lil', and she had her best week in a while. She actually showed a little bit of her talent this week. She should stay around even though she is highly overrated for this level of the competition. She could be in danger, but I think she sticks around for another week.

Anoop Desai - True Colors by Cyndi Lauper

Such a soft gentle side for our little Anoop tonight. When Anoop calms down he can actually sing very well. This was a great performance for Anoop - one he really needed. If he didn't perform well, he would be gone, so good thing he performed well. Way to bring your shit tonight Anoop.

Scott MacIntyre - The Search Is Over by Survivor

Holy shit, Scott isn't sitting down behind a piano! He rocked out with an electric guitar and it was actually pretty good. It was nice to see this side of Scott, but it still didn't blow me away. I think that he could have a little trouble getting through to next week, but he did as well as he could have done.

Allison Iraheta - I Can't Make You Love Me by Bonnie Raitt

It was a pretty good performance from Allison tonight. It was a much slower song than she usually chooses, so it was a nice change up. It shows a little versatility from our youngest contestant. She still continues to perform well, lets just hope the fans support her because she has been in the bottom three a few times. Vote people!

Matt Giraud - Part Time Lover by Stevie Wonder

I was a little worried about this song choice, but Matt pulled it off. He controlled the song and stage both equally impressively. Great performance and could be Knox Animal's performance of the night.

Adam Lambert - Mad World by Gary Jules

It was a pretty good performance, Adam is good, but this wasn't one of his best performances. That is mainly because the song is pretty slow and depressing. It was the theme song for the Gears of War XBox commercial - so it's obviously depressing as hell. Not the best, but Adam is still the best this season has to offer.

Knox Animal Bubble Watch: Lil' Rounds, Scott MacIntyre, Danny Gokey
Knox Animal Performance of the Night: Matt Giraud

MLB Opening Day Notes

Major League Baseball Opening day is always an exciting time of the year. It is the one time that all baseball fans are fully into the season. The majority of people I talk to seem to lose interest right after the All-Star break and then pick it up again during the playoffs. The baseball season is long and grueling, but opening day is always special. Here's part of what went down yesterday in Major League Baseball.

The Orioles roughed up the Yankees and newly signed pitcher, C.C. Sabathia

My Orioles beat the Yanks 10-5 on opening day as C.C. Sabathia was terrible. The $161 million Sabathia allowed six runs on eight hits in 4 1/3 innings, while walking five and recording no strikeouts. The other newly signed star for the Yankees, Mark Teixeira was 0-for-4 and left 5 runners on base.

The Orioles were led by Adam Jones (3 hits, 2 RBI), Brian Roberts (3 hits), Nick Markakis (2 hits, 2 RBI), Cesar Izturis (2-run homerun), Aubrey Huff (3 RBI).

Jeremy Guthrie got the win on the mound for the O's as he went six innings, giving up three runs on seven hits.

Ken Griffey Jr. Homers in Mariners Reunion

Junior hit his 612th career homerun in the fifth inning to help the Mariners beat the Twins 6-1. Griffey, back with Seattle after spending nine seasons with the Cincinnati Reds and half of last season with the Chicago White Sox, was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Seattle ace, Felix Hernandez was even more impressive in the win as he went eight innings, allowing one run on five hits while striking out six.

Dodgers win with no help from Manny Ramirez

Manny Ramirez was 0-for-3 with a walk and run scored in the season debut as the Dodgers still beat the Padres 4-1.

Pirates won a game?

The Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for four runs in the ninth to win their first game of the season as they beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-4. Pirates fans, this will probably be the only time this season you are over .500 so celebrate now because you are undefeated.

Mets win a squeaker

Johan Santana struck out seven in 5 1/3 innings pitched while giving up one run. Donnie Murphy drove in both runs as the Mets beat the Reds 2-1.

Nationals still suck

Newcomer Adam Dunn doubled and homered for the Nats, but they still lost 12-6 to the Marlins. Dunn drove in four runs in his Nats debut, but perhaps they should have spent some money to aquire some pitching in the offseason as well. Hanley Ramirez led the Marlins with 5 RBI.

Movie Review: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a perfect example of a movie that I knew I wouldn't really like before I saw the movie. After sitting through a grueling 2 1/2 hours, my original thoughts were confirmed.

It is nothing against the movie, because it is a very good movie - if you like long, meaningful, boring stories.

This movie won three Oscar's, so I'm not going to bash it because it's obvious that it is actually a good movie - its just isn't my kind of movie.

The plot is pretty simple: Benjamin (Brad Pitt) is born as an old man and he ages backwards. The movie is essentially a book that is being read about Benjamin's life. The flashbacks are stories of different events that occurred throughout Benjamin's life.

Overall Score - 3/5

The movie was very long and boring. It failed to keep me interested. However, it was a pretty decent story and if you like long and boring movies - I guess this is right up your alley.

Movie Review: Fast & Furious

Vin Diesel is back in the fourth installment of The Fast and The Furious movie series. The original crew of Dom (Diesel), Brian (Paul Walker), Mia (Jordanna Brewster) and Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) are back at it in the fast paced, car thriller.

Alright, I'm going to be completely honest here; When I heard they were coming out with a fourth movie, I was a little skeptical. Then the pieces began to fell together for me. The stars of the original cast were reunited and that automatically garners hype for the movie.

The movie starts off with Dom and his crew robbing oil trucks in the Dominican Republic. After a close call, he knew that he couldn't continue to live like this because his life was going to run out. Without telling anybody, Dom packs up in the middle of the night, and leaves his love Mia asleep with a pile of cash next to the bed.

In the meantime, Brian is off being a cop - causing trouble as well as proving how terrible an actor he really is. Brian is off trying to get names of a major drug lord, Braga.

Dom, who was now working on cars in Panama City, Panama, gets a phone call saying that Letty has been murdered. After a little investigating, Dom found out that the person that murdered Letty was somebody on Braga's crew.

The two are reunited, but each had their own agenda.

I have to admit, this movie was pretty damn good. I did enjoy the earlier Fast and the Furious movies and would score them:

The Fast and the Furious: 4/5
2 Fast 2 Furious: 3.5/5
The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift 3/5

This installment had everything that one could have hoped. There was a good story line, the main characters from the original were back, and there is ample reason to make another one - 5 Fast 5 Furious?

Fast & Furious: 4/5

UFC's Dana White Likes To Cry

UFC President Dana White went off on Sherdog.com reporter Lorretta Hunt for basically doing her job.

In Hunt's story, she wrote that Zuffa, the company that owns and operates promotions for the UFC and WEC, notified some fighter representatives that they will no longer receive credentials to sit with their clients backstage on fight night.

Which is pretty accurate, because the fighters choose to do that. Each fighter can nominate who they want to have backstage with them as they are allotted a certain number of credentials. Whatever, who cares?

White said some pretty harsh things in the video, including calling Hunt a "dumb bitch", "faggot", saying her story was, "f-ing retarded" and many other vulgar things. Hunt probably shrugged it off like nothing because she can probably take a little criticism. Why don't you cry a little more Dana? You act like you are such a bad ass, but when something like this happens, your little man syndrome kicks in and you feel like you have to be tougher than you could ever possibly portray yourself to be. Words don't do anything Dana, except expose the weak when they can't take the criticism. Dana go to your room you little baby, and don't come out until you grow the hell up.

The video link is below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VOLXBMHOje8

Friday Sports Briefs

Jay Cutler - The Chicago Bears swooped in to steal the crybaby quarterback just when it seemed like it was a sure thing that he was headed to the Washington Redskins. The Broncos acquired QB Kyle Orton, its first and third round pick in 2009, and its first round pick in 2010. Now that is has been made known that the 'Skins were trying to get rid of Jason Campbell to acquire the ex-Broncos quarterback, will Campbell and the 'Skins have the same kind of rocky relationship going forward that Cutler and the Broncos had? Only time will tell, but this could end up hurting the 'Skins pretty badly.

NFL Draft prospects do Drugs - So far Florida receiver Percy Harvin, Illinois cornerback Vontae Davis and UTEP kicker Jose Martinez all tested positive for marijuana at the combine. Boston College DT B.J. Raji also tested positive for an undisclosed drug at the combine and he already tested positive for marijuana last season. There are also reports that USC linebackers Brian Cushing and Clay Matthews tested positive for steroids at the combine. Is this a surprise to anybody? Tell us something we don't know. The drug problem is only getting bigger in sports.

Bruce Pearl - Heavy rumors were swirling around Pearl leaving the Tennessee Vols for the vacant Memphis coaching job. Instead Pearl and the Vols agreed on a new deal to extend his tenure in Knoxville. Terms of the deal were not immediately known. Had Pearl gone to Memphis, he would have been the most hated man in Knoxville without question. He did the smart thing and resigned with the school that made him famous.

Final Four - Well its the weekend that college basketball fans wait for every year - The Final Four. I had a terrible year picking winners in my bracket and I can only assume that I will be equally as bad picking winners in the final four - but a guy can try right?

No. 1 Connecticut vs. No. 2 Michigan State

Connecticut is playing really well right now, and I don't think Michigan State has enough firepower left after they pissed me off and beat Louisville. UConn dominates.

No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 3 Villanova

UNC is a much better team than Villanova. The big story entering the tournament was Ty Lawson's injured toe and whether he would be able to play. Lawson has proved that he is plenty healthy enough during the tourney as he has led UNC to this point. UNC rolls.

National Championship

UConn vs. UNC

This should turn out to be a hell of a game. It's hard to give the edge to either team. I would give the experience edge to UNC, but I would say UConn has all the tools to handle the Heels. I'm going to go with UNC knocking off UConn to win the championship. This game is kind of a toss-up for me, but the leadership of Lawson and Tyler Hansbrough is unmatchable, so i go with the Heels.

Relay For Life: Donate Now!

This year, hundreds of thousands of people will hear the words "You have cancer", and there's a good chance that some of them will be people we know and love. We have all been touched by cancer in some way ... and we all have the power to make a difference. That's why I have chosen to fight back right here in my own community by participating in the American Cancer Society Relay For Life®.

I want to invite you to join me in the fight against cancer by making a donation in support of my efforts. Further down in this message is a link to my personal Relay For Life® web page where you can make an online contribution. Every amount, no matter how small, makes a difference and provides hope. You can also sign up to join my team and learn more about Relay and how it's changing lives.

Relay For Life® brings more than 3.5 million people from across the country together each year to celebrate the lives of those who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost, and fight back against a disease that takes too much. This fun-filled, overnight event empowers everyone to help fight cancer by raising money and awareness to support the American Cancer Society's lifesaving mission.

Thank you in advance for your support. Together, we will celebrate, remember, and fight back.
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