The New York Daily News is reporting that Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis has been fired.
Nothing officially has been released by Notre Dame, but the NYDN is reporting that a close source tied to Notre Dame gave them the info. ND athletic director Jack Swarbrick has publicly said he will make a decision on Weis' future within the next few days.
In the meantime, Notre Dame players have scheduled a mid-afternoon players meeting for Monday while awaiting official word on Weis. The meeting will include a vote on whether the players want to play in a bowl game after a 6-6 season. Any bowl invite at this point will be a disappointment for a team that started the season with high expectations.
News of Weis' departure isn't exactly shocking. He has continued to recruit well, but the product on the field has not matched the talent that has been brought in. That lack of player development is what ultimately cost the big man the job as the head guy at Notre Dame. Weis has said that he has been contacted by six NFL teams about offensive coordinator jobs, but the truthfulness remains suspect since there is still five weeks remaining in the season. Nonetheless, it is realistic to think that Weis will be a NFL offensive coordinator next season, but at this point it is too early to speculate as to where that may be.
ESPN does it, so why can't Knox Animal? Here is this week's Heisman Watch:
1. Toby Gerhart, RB, Stanford
Gerhart destroyed the Notre Dame defense by rushing for 205 yards and three touchdowns en route to a 45-38 win over the Irish. Gerhart has rushed for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns on the year. Nobody deserves the Heisman more than Gerhart statistically this season, but Stanford's 8-4 record on the year will hurt. Nonetheless Gerhart deserves some serious Heisman consideration. The award goes to the best overall player in the nation and just think about what Gerhart means to Stanford. Without Gerhart Stanford would not be anywhere near 8-4.
2. Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Ingram's Heisman stock took a hit this week as he left the game with an injured hip after only rushing for 30 yards on 16 carries. Ingram has rushed for 1,429 yards and 12 touchdowns on the year. Ingram has been solid for No. 2 Alabama and the Crimson Tide's success could carry him to win the award. However, he will need a big game against Florida in the SEC Championship.
3. Colt McCoy, QB, Texas
A big Thanksgiving game against Texas A&M upped McCoy's Heisman stock. The senior quarterback threw for 304 yards and four touchdowns and rushed for 175 yards and a touchdown in a 49-39 win. There is no question that McCoy has been No. 3 Texas' leader this season as he has thrown for 3,328 yards and 27 touchdowns this season, while rushing for 368 yards and two touchdowns.
4. Kellen Moore, QB, Boise State
Moore has continued to light up the stat sheet all season long and against Nevada this week, it was more of the same. The senior threw for 262 yards and five touchdowns as No. 6 Boise State kept its BCS hopes alive with a 44-33 win. Moore has thrown for 3,053 yards and 38 touchdowns on the season.
5. Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
The only reason Tebow isn't higher on the list is for the simple reason that he had statistically better seasons both last year and the year before. There is no question that Tebow is arguably the best player to every play college football. What he means to the University of Florida is unparalleled. That was evident this week as he threw for 221 yards and three touchdowns, while rushing for 90 yards and two touchdowns as the No. 1 Gators beat rival Florida State 37-10. Tebow has thrown for 2,166 yards and 17 touchdowns, and rushed for 796 yards and 13 touchdowns this season.
6. Golden Tate, WR, Notre Dame
Tate will not win this awards based on the simple fact that Notre Dame is 6-6 on the season. Nonetheless that does not mean that Tate does not deserve to be in New York when the award is announced. It will be hard to argue what Tate means to his team as the junior has 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. Tate did his best this week to try to lead the Irish to a comeback as he caught 10 passes for 201 yards and three scores.
The outside looking in:
C.J. Spiller, RB, Clemson; Jimmy Clausen, QB, Notre Dame; Case Keenum, QB, Houston
(Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images North America)
I am already 2-1 on the week after Thursday's turkey games. Here are the rest of the picks for Week 12.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta
Miami at Buffalo
Cleveland at Cincinnati Seattle at St. Louis
Carolina at NY Jets
Washington at Philadelphia Indianapolis at Houston
Kansas City at San Diego
Jacksonville at San Francisco
Chicago at Minnesota Arizona at Tennessee
Pittsburgh at Baltimore
No. 18 Clemson at South Carolina No. 24 North Carolina at NC State Syracuse at UConn Wake Forest at Duke No. 25 Mississippi at Mississippi State
No. 12 Oklahoma State at Oklahoma
New Mexico at No. 4 TCU UCF at UAB
Southern Miss at East Carolina North Texas at Arkansas State Tulane at SMU Marshall at UTEP
Florida State at No. 1 Florida No. 14 Virginia Tech at Virginia No. 17 Miami (FL) at South Florida Arizona at Arizona State Boston College at Maryland
Missouri at Kansas
Western Kentucky at Florida Atlantic MTSU at Lousiana-Monroe
No. 21 Utah at No. 19 BYU
Utah State at Idaho Texas Tech at Baylor
Washington State at Washington Arkansas at No. 15 LSU Tennessee at Kentucky Troy at Louisiana-Lafayette
Georgia at No. 7 Georgia Tech
Rice at No. 23 Houston
New Mexico State at San Jose State
Notre Dame at Stanford
San Diego State at UNLV
UCLA at No. 20 USC Navy at Hawaii
Rutgers at Louisville
Temple at Ohio
Illinois at No. 5 Cincinnati
Northern Illinois at Central Michigan Wyoming at Colorado State
Toledo at Bowling Green
Eastern Michigan at Akron
Buffalo at Kent State No. 2 Alabama at Auburn Nebraska at Colorado
Memphis at Tulsa No. 9 Pittsburgh at West Virginia
Nevada at No. 6 Boise State
The fantasy football season is winding down, so every game from this point forward is critical.
QB - edge KA
RB - edge KA
WR - edge KT
TE - edge KT
D - edge KT
K - edge KA
University of Tennessee freshman safety Janzen Jackson has rejoined his team after the charges against him were dropped. Jackson, who had been barred from team activities, had the attempted armed robbery charges against him dismissed earlier this week after the Knox County district attorney said there wasn't sufficient evidence to proceed. Jackson will play this Saturday as the Vols take on the Kentucky Wildcats in their regular season finale.
Vols coach Lane Kiffin released this statement regarding Jackson and the incident:
"As I've said before, we wanted to take our time. These were very serious allegations," Kiffin said according to ESPN.com. "We wanted to make sure we handled this properly. After an extensive and thorough investigation by the Knoxville Police Department, they have cleared Janzen of any wrongdoing. He will join the team activities today."
This is definitely good news for the Vols football team, who get one of its starters back. The defense has struggled mightily in Jackson's absence. The injuries have piled up and the news of Jackson's reinstatement to the team couldn't have come at a better time. Having already served a suspension for the Memphis game because of a team rules violation, Jackson missed the next two games while his fate from the arrest was determined. Obviously Kiffin felt that three games was enough punishment.
This is a MAC West thriller - can you tell that I am being sarcastic? Ball State enters the game with a 1-10 record, while WMU brings a 5-6 record to the table. This games allows WMU to get to .500 on the season, so I would think that it is obvious that they want to win more than the lousy Ball State team.
It may not be a thrilling game, but hell, it's a game.
When Red Robin came to Turkey Creek, the shopping capital of Knoxville just outside of Farragut, the buzz was intense. Everybody flocked to the self proclaimed "gourmet burger" joint and it continued to receive rave reviews. I however was not about to be swayed by the comments of others when it comes to a great burger. Because I know a great burger when I see one and even before I stepped foot into Red Robin - I knew it was not as good as everybody was saying it was.
Knox Animal is on team Fuddruckers all the way. Fuddruckers has been satisfying my burger cravings for years and when I think of getting a burger, that is where I usually go. The one-pounder is the perfect hunger quencher and when comparing burgers, that is the benchmark.
So, when I get to Red Robin, Mrs. Knox Animal and I ordered a tower of Onion Rings because they too have received rave reviews. They came on a tower with two dipping sauces and they were pretty good. Was it possible that I was wrong when judging Red Robin? The meal started off great, but could it finish strong?
I was hungry, so naturally I looked for the biggest burger on the menu. The Monster Burger is what I saw since it is a double-patty burger. It immediately caught my attention - so that is what I ordered. Mrs. Knox Animal ordered the Sauteed 'Shroom Burger, so that we had two burgers to try - making our review of the hyped up burger joint legit.
The burgers came wrapped up nicely so that they wouldn't fall apart, but as we began to devour our burgers, it became clear why they are served wrapped in wax paper. The meat is greasy, the bun is weak and it was just an all around disappointment. When I eat a burger, I want it to ooze with flavor. The only oozing from this burger, was the grease from the outside of the burger running down my hands when I ate it. After eating my Monster Burger rather easily, I ate half of Mrs. Knox Animal's Sauteed 'Shroom Burger. Thinking that maybe the double meat patty was the cause for the greasiness of my burger, I was eager to try the single patty burger. It too was very greasy. To make matters worse, both burgers and toppings were seeping through the bun, so we were forced to finish the burgers with knives and forks - not exactly the way I like to eat a burger.
At Red Robin, they give you never ending fries with each burger, it's even advertised on the menu. It's a nice touch, but all in all Red Robin is a bunch of crap. I knew that going in, but as the wife and I were driving around Turkey Creek last Sunday afternoon, we decided to give it a try. As the old saying goes, you can never judge a book by its cover, but Knox Animal can judge a burger place before stepping into it.
Beautiful Supermachines - Shut Up
Birdman - Priceless
Susan Boyle - I Dreamed A Dream
Lady Gaga - Fame Monster
Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment
Memphis Bleek - The Process E2
Ike Reilly - Hard Luck Stories
Rihanna - Rated R
Shakira - She Wolf
Timbaland - Shock Value 2
Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom (Live)
DVD
Angels & Demons
Four Christmases
Funny People
Imagine That
Shorts
Prosecutors have dropped attempted aggravated robbery charges against Tennessee Vols freshman safety Janzen Jackson. The Knox County District Attorney's office confirmed today that charges have been dropped against Jackson, 18.
With that being said, the future for Jackson as a member of the Vols still is uncertain, but this is certainly good news for Jackson. All signs point towards Jackson being able to rejoin the team, but the question is when. With one regular season game left and then a bowl game in the future, it makes sense to suspend Jackson for the remainder of the year, or at least for the regular season finale against Kentucky. Sunday, Vols coach Lane Kiffin said that he hasn't made a decision concerning Jackson.
Charges were also dropped against 22-year-old Marie Montmarquet, who had been accused of driving the getaway car. According to ESPN.com, The district attorney's office said neither person knew the robbery was going to happen.
Charges are still pending against Jackson's former teammates, Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards, who are accused of holding up two men at a convenience store. Both Richardson and Edwards were kicked off the Vols football team because of the incident.
For a player that has battled injuries throughout his career, Tennessee senior defensive lineneman Wes Brown had a senior day moment that he will never forget. Brown intercepted a pass, rumbled toward the endzone, carried a Vanderbilt player on his back and plunged into the endzone for the score. It was a storybook ending for a special Tennessee player that will set the tone at the University of Tennessee for many years to come. UTSports.com writer Drew Edwards wrote a great story about Brown and his final game.
LSU head coach Les Miles apparently forgot how to run a two minute drill as the coach let time expire in a 25-23 loss to Ole Miss. The Tigers were divided over what plays to call, lost 17 seconds when the team tried for a timeout and didn't get it, and there was admittedly no backup plan when LSU went for the end zone on the last play of the game and came up short at the Ole Miss 6 with 1 second left. Man, oh man, talk about unprepared. Miles will take a lot of heat for this.
Stanford loses and their hope for a PAC-10 title went out the window with a 34-28 overtime loss to Cal. Although senior running back Toby Gerhart continued to prove that he should be a legit Heisman candidate as he rushed for 136 yards and four touchdowns on 20 carries.
Charlie Weis has most likely coached his last game in South Bend as the Irish lost 33-30 to UConn in overtime. Weis has a worst record than Tyrone Willingham, so there isn't much that supports his candidacy to stay the ND head coach. Weis, I hate to say it, but its time to pack your bags.
No. 10 Ohio State at Michigan
Minnesota at No. 13 Iowa
Duke at No. 20 Miami (FL)
Maryland at Florida State
Louisville at South Florida
North Carolina at Boston College
Chattanooga at No. 2 Alabama
Mississippi State at Arkansas
FIU at No. 1 Florida Oklahoma at Texas Tech
Memphis at No. 24 Houston
Kent State at Temple No. 4 TCU at Wyoming
Iowa State at Missouri
Northern Illinois at Ohio
Tulane at UCF
UConn at Notre Dame No. 8 LSU at Mississippi No. 14 Penn State at Michigan State
NC State at No. 15 Virginia Tech No. 16 Wisconsin at Northwestern
Air Force at No. 22 BYU
Virginia at No. 23 Clemson Purdue at Indiana
UAB at East Carolina
Rutgers at Syracuse
UTEP at Rice
Baylor at Texas A&M
San Diego State at No. 21 Utah
Arizona State at UCLA
Army at North Texas
Florida Atlantic at Troy
SMU at Marshall
Arkansas State at MTSU No. 19 Oregon State at Washington State
Louisiana Tech at Fresno State Colorado State at New Mexico
Louisiana Monroe at Louisiana Lafayette
Vanderbilt at Tennessee
No. 25 California at No. 17 Stanford
Tulsa at Southern Miss
Kentucky at Georgia
Kansas State at Nebraska
Kansas at No. 3 Texas No. 11 Oregon at Arizona Hawaii at San Jose State Nevada at New Mexico State
You know there is something wrong with you when you are getting rejected by the New York Knicks. Allen Iverson, who became a unrestricted free agent last night was thought to be heavily pursued by the Knicks, but we found out today that the Knicks are no longer interested in the 34-year old former All-Star.
This was decided after two days of weighing the pros and cons according to espn.com. The four-time NBA scoring champion was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies after only three games this season.
So, lets look at the facts. The Grizzlies don't want him and the Knicks don't want him. At this point in his career, Iverson is best suited coming off the bench, but apparently that doesn't work for him as he showed frustration last year in Detroit and this year in Memphis about it. Has the Answer played his last game in the NBA? I doubt it, but we shall see if anybody takes a chance on AI.
"The Blind Side" depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. (Sandra Bullock, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron)
This movie is one of those feel-good stories. I especially like this one because it deals with somebody that I know about. I have heard the story of Oher and it truly is incredible.
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
After Bella recovers from the vampire attack that almost claimed her life, she looks to celebrate her birthday with Edward and his family. (Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner)
By the looks of the previews, it looks like this movie is going to be more than a simple birthday celebration. Despite what you might think about the Twilight series, this movie looks pretty awesome. I never read any of the books and I never will, but I saw the first movie and it wasn't too bad. My wife says this movie will be better than the first, so then I guess it will be pretty awesome...
The Bad Lieutenant
Terence McDonagh is a drug- and gambling-addled detective in post-Katrina New Orleans investigating the killing of five Senegalese immigrants. (Nicolas Cage, Val Kilmer, Eva Mendes)
Planet 51
American astronaut Captain Charles "Chuck" Baker lands on Planet 51 thinking he's the first person to step foot on it. To his surprise, he finds that this planet is inhabited by little green people who are happily living in a white picket fence world, and whose only fear is that it will be overrun by alien invaders...like Chuck! (Animated, Voices by: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Seann William Scott)
Today, Bonnaroo.com revealed that the dates for the 2010 festival will be June 10-13. In addition to the dates, they announced that presale tickets will go on sale starting November 27, 2009. Word of the announcement came from Consequence of Sound and Spinner, so thanks to those guys for being on top of it.
Due to Thursday night games being in full-swing, Knox Animal NFL Picks will now be done on Thursdays.
Knox Animal Week 11 NFL Picks
Thursday Miami at Carolina
Sunday
Washington at Dallas
Cleveland at Detroit San Francisco at Green Bay Pittsburgh at Kansas City
Atlanta at NY Giants New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Buffalo at Jacksonville Indianapolis at Baltimore
Seattle at Minnesota Arizona at St. Louis
NY Jets at New England Cincinnati at Oakland San Diego at Denver Philadelphia at Chicago
It's hard to get excited about an 8-2 Oklahoma State team taking on a 3-7 Colorado team on Thursday night football. The one saving grace is that the Colorado Buffaloes have a slight chance to upset the No. 12 ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys. The chances are unlikely, but the chance is why they play college football - and why college football is awesome.
Buffalo at Miami (OH) Central Michigan at Ball State
It looks like a day for visitors. Buffalo is 3-7 while Miami (OH) is 1-10. Both teams are very bad, but Buffalo is slightly less bad. Central Michigan is 8-2 and Ball State is 1-9. CMU has one of the best quarterbacks in college football with Dan LeFevour, so the Chippewas get the nod in my book.
Freshman safety Nyshier Oliver was arrested on November 7 and charged with shoplifting at a department store in West Town Mall according to a WBIR.com report.
The police report says Oliver was spotted putting a brown shirt worth approximately $110 in a Dillard's bag. He was arrested around 1:45 that Saturday - five hours before the Vols played Memphis.
Oliver will have an arraignment in the matter on November 23rd.
Seriously? Are we really talking about another Vols arrest? This has been one hell of a couple weeks for the Vols and coach Lane Kiffin. Not long after he adressed the fate of Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards, the coach will have to handle another situation involving one of his freshman players.
First of all why are players even thinking about stealing anything, especially when players are given all the Adidas apparel they could ever want. Second of all, why was Oliver at the mall five hours before the Vols were about to take the field against Memphis? All I know is that I would not want to be in that locker room anytime soon.
Two teams came to mind as possible destinations for Larry Johnson when he was released - Cincinnati and Oakland. Why these two teams? Well, basically because both seem to ignore all red flags when considering signing a player. So, confirming our suspicions the Cincinnati Bengals decided to give the Kansas City reject an opportunity.
The fit seems ideal for the time being. Starting running back Cedric Benson is having a breakout season, but he is a little banged up right now. Signing Johnson gives solid depth to a Bengals running game that has been very effective this season. Johnson is not expected to come in and steal the show away from Benson, but with him being beaten up and with a long season ahead, the added depth is a smart move. He will most likely be listed as the third string back for the time being.
It looks like a win-win situation for the time-being. Johnson is joining a first-place Bengals team and being a part of a winning franchise may just what Johnson needs to turn his attitude around. The Bengals don't lose much by adding the former All-Pro and if he acts up, cutting him won't be too hard to do.
CD
50 Cent - Before I Self Destruct
Kris Allen - Kris Allen
Annie - Don't Stop
Bellflur - Last Quarter Of The 20th Century Blues
Justin Bieber - My World
Boyz II Men - Love
The Chairs - Nine Ways
Fall Out Boy - Believers Never Die (Greatest Hits)
Janet Jackson - Number Ones (Greatest Hits)
Norah Jones - The Fall
Leona Lewis - Echo
John Mayer - Battle Studies
Anthony Narvaez - Light Show & Audio
Dave Rawlings - A Friend Of A Friend
Real Estate - Real Estate
Corey Smith - Keeping Up With The Jones
Tape Deck Mountain - Ghost
Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
Hawksley Workman - For Him And The Girl
DVD
Bruno
My Sister's Keeper
Star Trek
Food Beware: The French Organic Revolution
Humpday
Is Anybody There?
The Limits of Control
Thirst
University of Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin announced today that Nu'Keese Richardson and Mike Edwards have been kicked off the Vols football team. Information is still being gathered regarding Janzen Jackson and his future remains in limbo. In the meantime, Jackson will not be allowed to participate in any Vols activities.
According to Knoxnews.com, Kiffin released this statement:
“After extensive and thorough research of the situation over the last four days and considering various disciplinary options, I’ve decided it’s in the best interest of our program to remove Nu’Keese and Mike,” Kiffin said. “As I’ve said many times before, we hold our student-athletes to an extremely high standard on and off the field. Our student-athletes must be responsible members of society, and this type of conduct will not be tolerated.
“We want a positive culture for our student-athletes that allows them to succeed in the classroom, on the field, and in life after college. My hope is that these two young men will learn from their terrible decision. Clearly, their actions have no place in our program.”
Everybody knew that Richardson and Edwards didn't stand much of a chance at being invited to rejoin the Vols and today, everybody's suspicions were made official. As for Jackson, not much has been made known about his future. It is a good bet that he will at least be suspended for the remainder of the regular season, which is only two more games - but then again, we really don't know and anything released now is strictly speculation.
With 2:08 to go in last night's game against the Indianapolis Colts, New England head coach Bill Belichick elected to go for it on fourth-and-two from his own 28 yard line. The result was not so nice for the Patriots as the Colts took over and ended up scoring the winning touchdown on a 1-yard pass to Reggie Wayne with 13 seconds remaining. The score capped off a 18-point fourth quarter rally to beat the Patriots 35-34.
The bottom line is that Belichick did not trust his defense. Colts (9-0) quarterback Peyton Manning scorched the Patriots all night as he finished with 327 yards and four touchdown passes. The Patriots (6-3) couldn't cover Wayne as the receiver ended with 126 yards on 10 catches and two touchdowns.
The truth is that the Manning-Wayne duo tears everybody apart, but for Belichick to go for it in his own territory when ahead, is a blow to his defense. The defense that has won championships and has been the glue for this New England team is now being doubted by their head coach - not a good sign for a team that hopes to compete for a title at the end of the year.
Sunday New Orleans at St. Louis
Tampa Bay at Miami
Detroit at Minnesota
Jacksonville at NY Jets
Buffalo at Tennessee
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh Denver at Washington Atlanta at Carolina
Kansas City at Oakland
Seattle at Arizona Dallas at Green Bay
Philadelphia at San Diego New England at Indianapolis
No. 3 Texas at Baylor No. 7 Georgia Tech at Duke No. 15 Houston at UCF
Indiana at No. 18 Penn State
Michigan at No. 20 Wisconsin
Syracuse at Louisville
South Dakota State at Minnesota Tennessee at Ole Miss Clemson at NC State Florida State at Wake Forest
VMI at Army
Northwestern at Illinois Michigan State at Purdue Kentucky at Vanderbilt Missouri at Kansas State No. 21 Virginia Tech at Maryland UAB at Memphis
Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan No. 22 BYU at New Mexico
Colorado at Iowa State
San Jose State at Utah State
UTEP at SMU No. 1 Florida at South Carolina
Idaho at No. 6 Boise State
Stanford at No. 9 USC
No. 10 Iowa at No. 11 Ohio State No. 14 Miami (FL) at North Carolina Washington at No. 23 Oregon State Tulane at Rice Boston College at Virginia
Nebraska at Kansas
Delaware at Navy
Arkansas State at Florida Atlantic
Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Monroe Fresno State at Nevada
Louisiana-Lafayette at MTSU
Southern Miss at Marshall UCLA at Washinton State
UNLV at Air Force No. 2 Alabama at Mississippi State
Louisiana Tech at No. 8 LSU No. 17 Arizona at California Auburn at Georgia
Texas A&M at Oklahoma North Texas at FIU
No. 16 Utah at No. 4 TCU
Troy at Arkansas
Notre Dame at No. 12 Pittsburgh
Texas Tech at No. 19 Oklahoma State
Wyoming at San Diego State New Mexico State at Hawaii
Arizona State at No. 13 Oregon
When No. 25 West Virginia hits the field against No. 5 Cincinnati tonight, they will be playing for more than just themselves. West Viginia (7-2) will be trying to knock Cincinnati (9-0) out of a BCS game.
Offense has been the primary reason why Cincinnati remains in the national championship conversation and has a chance for the best start in the program's history. The 1951 team also began 9-0 but lost its 10th game. West Virginia is hoping to do the same thing tonight. Aside from national championship talk, the Bearcats also need to keep winning in order to defend their conference title. Pittsburgh is tied with Cincinnati at the top of the Big East.
West Virginia will rely heavily on junior running back Noel Devine. The back has 1,010 yards and 10 touchdowns on 167 carries this season. Devine injured his ankle last week in a 17-9 win over Louisville, but he should be rearing and ready to go tonight.
Knox Animal Picks
No. 25 West Virginia at No. 5 Cincinnati Temple at Akron
2012
An epic adventure about a global cataclysm that brings an end to the world and tells of the heroic struggle of the survivors. (John Cusak, Amanda Peet)
The Boat That Rocked (Pirate Radio)
A period comedy about an illegal radio station in the North Sea in the 1960's. (Philip Seymour Hoffman)
Dare
A drama centered around three high school seniors - an aspiring actress, her misfit best friend, and a loner - who become engaged in an intimate and complicated relationship. (Emmy Rossum, Zach Gilford)
Fantastic Mr. Fox (animated)
Angry farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with a sly fox, look to get rid of their opponent and his family.(voices: George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray)
Love Hurts
A newly separated father has to learn how to date again with help from his teenage son who himself dreams of conquering one girl's heart. (Jenna Elfman, Carrie-Anne Moss, Janeane Garofalo)
The Messenger
An American soldier struggles with an ethical dilemma when he becomes involved with a widow of a fallen officer. (Ben Foster, Jena Malone, Woody Harrelson)
Women In Trouble
A serpentine day in the life of ten seemingly disparate women: a porn star, a flight attendant, a psychiatrist, a masseuse, a bartender, a pair of call girls, etc. All of them with one crucial thing in common. Trouble.
Nu'Keese Richardson, Janzen Jackson and Mike Edwards are the three latest Tennessee Vols to get in trouble with the law as they face armed robbery charges after they were arrested in connection with the robbery at the Pilot convenience store on Cumberland Avenue's "Strip," according to a police report obtained by the News Sentinel. The alleged incident happened in the Pilot parking lot.
According to the police incident report, Edwards and Richardson approached a parked car in the parking lot of the Pilot at 2218 Cumberland Ave. Here is the excerpt from the incident report:
The victims stated that moments before calling 911, they were sitting in their parked vehicle, a 1998 Hyundai Elantra on the southwest corner of the convenience store, while their friend was inside. The victims stated they had parked next to a light blue Toyota Prius. The victims stated that a black male then approached, wearing a black hoodie, brandished a black semi-auto handgun, opened the drivers door and stated, "Give me everything you have." The victims stated that a black male then exited from the passenger side of the Prius, wearing a black hoodie, walked around to the front passenger door of their car, opened it, and stated, "Give us everything you've got." The victims stated that they all presented their wallets to the suspects and showed them that they did not have money. The victims stated that a third black male then approached and told the other two black males, "We've got to go." The victims then stated that the three got into the Prius and that it was last seen traveling southbound on Volunteer Blvd West.
As the officers received information about the suspects and vehicle, it was bolod so that other responding officers could attempt to locate it. A witness indicated there was a female driving the car and that it was occupied by three black males when she had observed it. As we continued to investigate, assisting officers observed the suspect vehicle in question, traveling near Gibbs Hall on Lake Loudoun Blvd. A felony stop was conducted on the vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Prius, light blue in color, on Neyland Dr near Leinard Ln. Four subjects were detained from the vehicle: a light-skinned black female, Marie Montmarquet and three black males: Janzen Jackson , Michael Edwards and Nukeese Richardson .
In plain view, officers observed two black hoodies on the back seat. Underneath the back seat towards the middle, officers located a black, CO2 powered pellet gun. Inside the glove box, officers located a marijuana grinder. A search of the suspects revealed one clear plastic baggie containing a green leafy substance believed to be marijuana in Montmarquet's jacket pocket. Montmarquet would later state that the marijuana grinder also belonged to her. Crime Lab responded to the scene and confiscated the hoodies, the pellet gun and the marijuana grinder. The vehicle was towed to the City Impound lot. The marijuana was confiscated by officers.
Richardson and Jackson have already been in trouble this season and this could be the final straw for them as far as being members of the Vols football team. One of head coach Lane Kiffin's top priorities was to clean up the program starting with discipline, so this definitely won't sit well with the first year coach.
Jackson was starting at safety aside All-American Eric Berry and Richardson was making strides at receiver and on special teams. Edwards, a cornerback, was highly regarded coming out of high school, but had yet to make his mark on the field for the Vols. All three have/had promising futures as Vols so it will be interesting to see how this plays out. Right now, it looks like the UT playing days of these three freshman could have hit an abrupt end.
When Toledo travels to Central Michigan tonight to take on the Chippewas they will have one thing on their mind: How are we going to stop CMU quarterback Dan LeFevour?
LeFevour leads CMU (7-2) in passing and rushing and is regarded as one of the best quarterbacks in college football. The 6-foot-3, senior has thrown for 1,848 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for 548 yards and nine touchdowns on the year. If Toledo (4-5) wants to win this game, slowing him down has to be their number one priority.
Toledo is ranked 18th in the country in total offense with 440 yards per game. Their 305 passing yards per game is good for 14th in the country. By the looks of it, this game appears to be headed for a shootout. The over/under doesn't disagree with that statement as it is currently sitting at 61.
For the first time since the Neyland Stadium expansion in 2006, the average attendance has fallen below 100,000. According to No Silence Here, The average attendance this season is 98,805, which is a hell of a lot lower than the past few years. This is ironic since the general consensus around UT football is that Lane Kiffin and his staff have done a great job.
Last year's average attendance was 101,448, but there has been a steady decline every season. Here's the average attendance for other years:
2001/02: 106,843
2002/03: 106,705
2003/04: 105,038
2004/05: 106,642
2006/07: 105,789
2007/08: 103,918
So, what is the deal? Is it high ticket prices? Is it just better to watch games in the comfort of ones own home or bar in HDTV? Is it the fact that students now have to pay for tickets? Is it the fact that the University of Tennessee is a dry campus and it is just better to watch the Vols while holding a cold beer?
When the University of Tennessee played the Ohio earlier this season, I thought that would be the only time this season that we would discuss the Bobcats. However, I was wrong as Ohio and Buffalo get ready to do battle tonight in an epic Tuesday night match-up. Well, maybe not epic, but since it's the only game tonight - it will be treated that way.
Ohio (6-3) is a one-point underdog to Buffalo (3-6) based on the sole fact that the game is in Buffalo. Given that it is a MAC conference game, nobody really knows what the hell to expect. Ohio has looked good at times this season and at other times they have looked really bad. Buffalo has looked terrible most of the season. Based on that observation, I'm going to give the edge to Ohio tonight.
Tori Amos - Midwinter Graces
Bobby Birdman - New Moods
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Live CD/DVD
Bon Jovi - The Circle
Dashboard Confessional - After The Ending
Flyleaf - Memento Mori
Robyn Hitchcock - I Often Dream Of Train in New York
Hurricane Bells - Tonight Is The Ghost
Wyclef Jean - From The Hut To The Projects To The Mansion (EP)
Omar Rodriguez Lopes - Xenophanes
Mr. Gnome - Heave Yer Skeleton
Puscifer - C Is For
Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane
The Kansas City Chiefs confirmed today that they have released its former star running back Larry Johnson. He was just 75 yards away from breaking Priest Holmes team rushing record.
Johnson's career has been filled with controversy and his latest antics proved to be the last straw. On October 25, Johnson posted on his Twitter account several insults to fans, questioned coach Todd Haley's credentials and used a gay slur. He repeated the slur the next day to reporters and was suspended by the Chiefs for two weeks.
The 30-year-old is on the downside of an otherwise solid career on the field for Kansas City. He ends his Chiefs career with 5,996 yards rushing and 55 touchdowns. He also caught 151 passes for 1,369 yards and six TDs.
Washington at Atlanta Arizona at Chicago Baltimore at Cincinnati
Houston at Indianapolis
Miami at New England Green Bay at Tampa Bay
Kansas City at Jacksonville
Carolina at New Orleans
Detroit at Seattle
Tennessee at San Francisco
San Diego at NY Giants Dallas at Philadelphia
UCF at No. 2 Texas
Northwestern at No. 4 Iowa
Syracuse at No. 13 Pitt
Virginia at No. 17 Miami (FL) No. 21 Wisconsin at Indiana
Western Michigan at Michigan State
Purdue at Michigan
Illinois at Minnesota
Louisville at West Virginia
South Carolina at Arkansas Kansas at Kansas State
Tennessee Tech at Georgia
Eastern Kentucky at Kentucky
Maryland at NC State
Furman at Auburn Texas A&M at Colorado
Florida Atlantic at UAB
Baylor at Missouri BYU at Wyoming
Navy at No. 22 Notre Dame
Rice at SMU No. 9 LSU at No. 3 Alabama
No. 8 Oregon at Stanford
Wake Forest at No. 10 Georgia Tech
No. 16 Ohio State at No. 11 Penn State
Washington State at No. 18 Arizona No. 19 Oklahoma State at Iowa State Washington at UCLA
Duke at North Carolina
Army at Air Force
Kent State at Akron
Louisiana-Lafayette at Arkansas State
UTEP at Tulane No. 6 TCU at San Diego State
Louisiana-Monroe at North Texas FIU at MTSU Troy at Western Michigan
New Mexico at No. 14 Utah
Oregon State at No. 20 California
Memphis at Tennessee
Vanderbilt at No. 1 Florida No. 15 Houston at Tulsa
Northern Arizona at Mississippi Florida State at Clemson
Connecticut at No. 5 Cincinnati No. 12 USC at Arizona State No. 24 Oklahoma at Nebraska
Colorado State at UNLV
Utah State at Hawaii Fresno State at Idaho
I don't know if it's just me, but I am so sick and tired of seeing Boise State play terrible opponents. Boise State is ranked No. 7 in the country and why wouldn't they be? Aside from beating Oregon to open the season, the Broncos (8-0, 3-0) haven't played anybody else with any credibility whatsoever. Yes, they are in the WAC, but I would expect the nations No. 7 ranked team to face some stiffer competition.
Tonight, Boise State travels to Lousiana Tech, and like usual they are the heavy favorites. The spread is Boise State -22 over Tech. I say Boise State covers that easily and the Broncos remain perfect on the year.
A small wooden box arrives on the doorstep of a married couple, who know that opening it will grant them a million dollars and kill someone they don't know.
A Christmas Carol
An animated retelling of Charles Dickens classic novel about a Victorian-era miser taken on a journey of self-redemption, courtesy of several mysterious Christmas apparitions.
The Fourth Kind
Fact-based thriller involving an ongoing unsolved mystery in Alaska, where one town has seen an extraordinary number of unexplained disappearances during the past 40 years and there are accusations of a federal cover up.
The Men Who Stare At Goats
A reporter in Iraq might just have the story of a lifetime when he meets Lyn Cassady, a guy who claims to be a former member of the U.S. Army's First Earth Battalion, a unit that employs paranormal powers in their missions.
Precious: Based On The Novel Push by Sapphire
In Harlem, an overweight, illiterate teen who is pregnant with her second child is invited to enroll in an alternative school in hopes that her life can head in a new direction.
Three weeks ago, Virginia Tech was ranked as one of the Top 5 teams in the country. Many thought they had a chance to contend for a National Championship, but then reality sunk in.
Since then, the Hokies (5-3) have lost two straight at the hands of ACC foes Georgia Tech and North Carolina. Now Virginia Tech finds themselves hanging on as the No. 23 ranked team. Tonight, they will try to take out some frustration on East Carolina (5-3).
The Hokies were 5-3 at this point last year and went on to win five of six to finish 10-4. That is the direction Virginia Tech hopes to take this year and it starts tonight.
Knox Animal Picks
No. 23 Virginia Tech at East Carolina
Miami (OH) at Temple
Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois
There is nothing that I hate more in sports than seeing the team in pinstripes win. So when the New York Yankees beat the Philadelphia Phillies 7-3 in Game 6 of this year's World Series to capture the crown, naturally I was a bit bummed out.
The man of the game for the Yankees was Hideki Matsui, who's six RBI tied a World Series record. When it was all said and done, he was also named series MVP for his work of dominating Phillies pitchers. Andy Pettitte, 37, got the win as he outlasted the 38-year-old Pedro Martinez. Martinez only lasted four innings as his four earned runs, all driven in by Matsui, were too much for Phillies manager Charlie Manuel to endure. Pettitte lasted 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on four hits. Pettitte's command was off as he surrendered five walks, but then again it proved to be enough to get the job done against the Phillies.
For the Yankees, it was a hell of a way to christen their new $1.5 billion ballpark. For the Phillies, the thought of being so close is swept away by the reality of being the second best team this year after winning the title last year. Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Andy Pettitte all earned their fifth World Series rings, proving that no matter how much money the Yankees spend, those four have been the constant in the nucleus of the Yankees.
New York had gone eight seasons without a World Series title, and I suppose the drought had to end sometime. Damn it was nice for those eight seasons to see other teams able to bask in the glory of winning a championship. But, as I watched the Yankees celebrate their 27th World Series title last night, I was reminded that the New York Yankees are the best baseball franchise in the world. That is why when another team manages to win the World Series it is such a big deal. When the Yankees win, it just seems like the way it should be - not a big deal, just the norm.
Knox Animal is riding a three game winning streak and has slipped its way into second place. This week KA takes on the first place Big Bad Botta.
Knox Animal faces its toughest week yet as eight of its players have byes this week. We'll see what happens, but one thing is for sure - Knox Animal is back.
It's do or die time for the Philadelphia Phillies in Game 6 of the 2009 World Series. Trailing the series 3-2, the Phillies are counting on Game 2 starter Pedro Martinez to keep them alive. Martinez lost Game 2 after allowing three runs in six innings of work. He struck out eight in the outing and the Phillies hope that this time, he can get them a win.
He will oppose Andy Pettitte, the Yankees Game 3 starter. The tale of the tape on the two pitchers is very similar. Both are near the end of great big league careers and both are considered big game pitchers. It will come down to which team's offense better supports their pitcher.
The stage couldn't be set better for the Phillies and Martinez. The Yankee faithful will give Martinez an earful the entire game, but he feeds off it. Martinez is 1-3 in seven postseason appearances against the Yankees and 0-3 in his past six. Martinez and the Phillies would like nothing for than for the 38-year-old old righty to end that streak. Martinez is 8-5 against the Yanks in their home ballparks after losing, 3-1, in Game 2 last Thursday night.
It should be a fun one tonight and the outcome will determine if Pedro will once again be forced call the Yankees his daddy.
When it comes to college football, no game goes unnoticed by Knox Animal. Tonight, Bowling Green travels to Buffalo and it has potential. Bowling Green and Buffalo both like to throw the ball and any time you get two passing oriented teams on the field, there is always the chance for an exciting game.
Bowling Green's Freddie Barnes leads the nation in receiving yards and catches with 1,054 yards and 99 grabs on the year. His 9 touchdowns rank second in the country. Bowling Green quarterback Tyler Sheehan has thrown for 2,678 yards and 15 touchdowns on the year.
Does anybody want to take the bet that Barnes grabs catch number 100 tonight?
CD
Andrea Bocelli - My Christmas
Kate Earl - Kate Earl
Melanie Fiona - The Bridge
Holopaw - Oh Glory, Oh, Wilderness
Ryan Leslie - Transition
Lymbyc Systym - Shutter Release
Molina and Johnson - Molina and Johnson
Morrissey - Swords
Max Richter - Memoryhouse
Shwayze - Let It Beat
The Swimmers - People Are Soft
Carrie Underwood - Play On
Vagina Panther - Vagina Panther
Wale - Attention Deficit
Weezer - Raditude
DVD
Aliens in the Attic
I Love You, Beth Cooper
The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
Vols linebacker Savion Frasier is done for the year after suffering a knee-injury against South Carolina Saturday. Frazier was filling in at middle linebacker for Nick Reveiz, who suffered the same injury against Ohio earlier in the year.
The news comes from knoxnews.com, that Frazier has a torn ACL and will miss the remainder of the 2009 season. The injury surely presents a problem for a thin linebacking core.
Frazier, a junior, was filling in nicely for Reveiz at the position and the Vols defense will now try to replace two players in the second level. Frazier is tied for fourth on the team with 38 tackles.
Houston Texans tight end Owen Daniels was on pace for a 80 catch, 1,038 yard and 10 touchdown season before suffering a season-ending knee injury last Sunday. Daniels was easily the most productive fantasy tight end this season and his absence will surely hurt the Texans passing game.
Daniels was becoming Matt Schaub's number one red-zone target and paired with receiver Andre Johnson, the Texans have one of the best duo's in the league. It could be interesting as the four-year pro is in a contract year. If Daniels can prove he is healthy, the Texans would be stupid to let him go. However, we have seen stranger things in the NFL.
The 26-year-old had 40 catches for 519 yards and five touchdowns this season.
University of Florida All-America linebacker Brandon Spikes has been suspended for the first half of Saturday's game against Vanderbilt after he attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in a 41-17 victory this past Saturday.
According to Gators head coach Urban Meyer, Spikes was retaliating after getting his eye poked earlier in the game. The Southeastern Conference said it will look at replays of the incident later in the day to determine if further punishment will be handed out.
Spikes is fourth on the team with 42 tackles and has three sacks. The senior is considered one of the top at the position for next year's NFL draft.
We all know that emotions can get the best of players on the field, but attempting to gouge out somebody's eyes? Seriously, this is on the same level of Mike Tyson biting off a part of Evander Holyfield's ear. There is no need for that kind of behavior in any sport. Spikes is an All-American and there comes a certain level of responsibility with that. He is looked at as a role model and he needs act with a little more maturity than that.
Alex Rodriguez may have had a big part in helping the New York Yankees take a 3-1 series lead last night over the Philadelphia Phillies, but the highest paid players in major league baseball is still not living up to postseason expectations.
Rodriguez struck out six times in the first two games. He homered in Game 3, and through the first 8 innings of Game 4, he was hitless. In the ninth, the third baseman gave the Yankees the lead on an RBI double off Phillies closer Brad Lidge.
A-Rod is hitting .143 in the series, and if it wasn't for his timely hit - many Yankees fans would be really pissed right now. It just goes to show you that timing is everything. If Rodriguez doesn't get anymore hits in the series, he will still be remembered as having the big hit that won Game 4. Baseball is a funny game like that, but shouldn't the Yankees be getting a little more than a couple hits from the highest paid player in the league?
