NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 31

BELL HELICOPTER ARMED FORCES BOWL

Houston vs. Air Force
12:00 p.m. ET ESPN

By the name of the bowl, it seems like they would want Air Force to win. However, I am not persuaded that easily. I take the Houston team that was ranked earlier in the season.

Knox Animal Pick: Houston

BRUT SUN BOWL
Oklahoma vs. Stanford
2:00 p.m. ET CBS

This is one of the more intriguing bowl matchups this year. Oklahoma was depleted by injuries this season, leading to a less than spectacular year. While Standford on the other hand has been a pleasant surprise. Led by senior running back and Heisman finalist Toby Gerhart, the Cardinal will look to pound the ball on the ground. Oklahoma could never really find their rhythm with backup quarterback Landry Jones running the offense. Look for a good game with Stanford pulling it out.

Knox Animal Pick: Stanford

TEXAS BOWL
Navy vs. Missouri
3:30 p.m. ET ESPN

Very creative bowl name I must say.

Knox Animal Pick: Missouri

INSIGHT BOWL
Minnesota vs. Iowa State
6:00 p.m. ET NFL Network

No comment.

Knox Animal Pick: Minnesota

CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
No. 11 Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee
7:30 p.m. ET

The highlighted game of the day obviously and it should be a good matchup. Tech is known for special teams while the Vols special teams has been terrible this season. Jon Crompton and the Vols offense has been rolling in the second half of the season. Tennessee defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has had plenty of time to work up a scheme for Tyrod Taylor and the Tech offense. If Tennessee can get out to an early lead, it will be awfully hard for Tech to come back in this one.

Knox Animal Pick: Tennessee

Texas Tech Fires Mike Leach

Just as Mike Leach expected, he has been fired by Texas Tech just short of its bowl game against Michigan State. So, it looks like the pirate will not be coaching the Red Raiders after all.

Leach's lawyer was handed a termination letter effective immediately stemming from allegations from sophomore receiver Adam James, who accused Leach of confining him to small, dark spaces two times during practice after the player was diagnosed with a concussion. James is the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James, which in all likeliness made this story much bigger than it should have been.

What makes this story interesting is that Leach was due to receive a $800,000 bonus if he was still the team's head coach at year's end. It was part of the agreement Leach and the school made when he signed a five year, $12 million deal earlier this season. Leach will be owed $400,000 for each remaining year on the contract.

Leach was a hot commodity a year ago for several coaching vacancies across the country after he led Tech to a school best 11-2 record. There is no denying his ability to create a hell of a spread offensive attack, but his off-the-wall personality was always a question mark. It looks like his personality finally got the best of him.

Charlie Sheen's Wife: 911 Call

Charlie Sheen is so screwed.

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 30

ROADY'S HUMANITARIAN BOWL
Bowling Green vs. Idaho
4:30 p.m. ET ESPN

Before you immediately write this game off as sucking, let me tell you that BG receiver Freddie Barnes needs only five catches to break the NCAA mark of 142 in a season. Barnes has scored 14 touchdowns and averaged 158.1 yards receiving in his last seven games. It's no secret that BG likes to throw the ball - to Barnes specifically.

Knox Animal Pick: Bowling Green

PACIFIC LIFE HOLIDAY BOWL
No. 20 Arizona vs. No. 22 Nebraska
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

Nebraska and phenom defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh look to wreak havoc on Arizona. Suh led the Huskers with 82 tackles, 12 sacks and 23 tackles for loss this season. His best performance was in the Big 12 title game, where he matched a career high with 12 tackles and had 4 1/2 sacks. The Heisman finalist is arguably the best defensive player in the nation this year and will most certainly be a Top 5 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. It's going to be hard for Arizona to slow him down.

Knox Animal Pick: Nebraska

Lil Wayne's $14 Million Florida Mansion

Ronde Is As Dumb As His Brother

I don't know what it is about these Barber brothers, but a few year's after Tiki Barber retired from the Giants, Ronde is threatening to do the same thing if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers don't retain head coach Raheem Morris according to Pewter Report.

I don't see why this would have any pull with the Bucs organization since Ronde is a 35-year-old washed up cornerback. He has 75 tackles and no interceptions for the 3-12 Bucs this season. Since there is probably no way in hell Tampa will keep Morris as their coach, Barber can join his brother Tiki in the studio as an analyst and become my second most hated analyst behind his brother.

Mike Leach Takes Prisoners

Texas Tech head coach Mike Leach is known as an off-the-wall kind of guy. He likes pirates, he gives the media odd quotes and he calls his player's girlfriends fat. Now, according to ESPN.com he is accused of mistreating a player, Adam James, after he reportedly suffered a concussion on December 16. Leach has been suspended by the University until the investigation is complete - meaning that it doesn't look like he will be coaching in the Valero Alamo Bowl on Jan. 2 against Michigan State.

James, the son of ESPN college football analyst Craig James has accused Leach of putting him in a shed after being diagnosed with the injury. So, as a result, he and his family filed a complaint. This like most of these stories need to be taken with a grain of salt because there are different sides to every story.

No matter what comes from this, Leach has always been crazy. With that being said, James knew that and the fact that he had his mommy and daddy complain about the incident for him sounds a little wimpish. On top of that, the fact that his father is a ESPN analyst is just hilarious.

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 29

EAGLEBANK BOWL
UCLA vs. Temple
4:30 p.m. ET ESPN

When is a 6-6 team favored by 4 over a 9-3 team? When there is a shitty bowl matchup. That's exactly what we have here when UCLA (6-6) takes on Temple (9-3). I find it remarkable that Temple was able to win nine games in one season. If they are able to sneak by UCLA tonight, I will be amazed. UCLA sucks and they are in the Pac-10, but that conference looks incredible compared to MAC conference.

Knox Animal Pick: UCLA

CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
No. 15 Miami (FL) vs. No. 25 Wisconsin
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

I don't know what it is about Wisconsin, but they produce boring football games. Both teams are 9-3 and it looks like a pretty good game on paper. Miami likes to throw and Wisconsin likes to run. Miami has speed, Wisconsin has power. It's a game of opposites, so it could prove to be interesting.

Knox Animal Pick: Miami

CD and DVD Releases For December 29

CD

Ryan Star - 11:59

DVD

A Perfect Getaway
9
Weather Girl
Paranormal Activity
Jennifer's Body
Carriers

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 28

ADVO CARE V100 INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Texas A&M vs. Georgia
5:00 p.m. ET ESPN2

Many people predicted Georgia to finish second in the SEC East, but I wasn't so naive to think that this year's Georgia team was any good. Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt may be one of the most overrated coaches in college football and it was proven this year. Georgia (7-5) should destroy A&M (6-6), but that doesn't mean anything with this year's Georgia team. Quarterback Joe 'Ginger' Cox will need to lead his team if Georgia wants to win this game, since we all know that Richt can't lead anybody.

Knox Animal Pick: Georgia

NCAA Football Picks: December 27

GAYLORD HOTELS MUSIC CITY BOWL
Kentucky vs. Clemson
8:30 p.m. ET ESPN

The battle of Randall Cobb and C.J. Spiller. The almost Heisman finalist Spiller is the most dangerous player in the country when the ball is in his hands. The gameplan for Clemson will be to make sure that he has the ball a lot in this one. Kentucky will need the same kind of magic from their do everything receiver Randall Cobb, or Spiller and company will run away with this one..

Knox Animal Pick: Clemson

Urban Meyer Quits

When University of Florida head coach Urban Meyer announced he was stepping down after the team's bowl game, I can't say I was shocked. I will say though that health reasons being the reason, is quite shocking. Meyer is young and in good shape, so how could health reasons be the cause of him leaving the best college program in the last three years?

After the loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game, Meyer had to be checked into a hospital because of dehydration. Nobody knew that the excessive amount of crying as a result of losing a football game could lead to dehydration until Meyer proved that it could. Not only is he used to not losing, but superhero quarterback Tim Tebow, his best player and the main reason the Gators have been so damn good the last four years is about to play his last game as Florida Gator.

You can say stress is the reason for Meyer stepping down and it ultimately is, but he has been dealing with this for the past few years. So, is it a coincidence that he just so happens to leave the same time as the greatest college football player in history? Hell no, he just thought that that the high expectations without Tim Tebow as his starting quarterback would lead to some real health issues.

NCAA Football Picks: December 26

Knox Animal Picks

LITTLE CAESARS BOWL
Marshall vs. Ohio
1:00 p.m. ET ESPN

I like the way Ohio played the Vols earlier in the season, so there is no reason to believe that they wouldn't dominate Marshall today.

Knox Animal Pick: Ohio

MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
No. 17 Pittsburgh vs. North Carolina
4:30 p.m. ET ESPN

Pittsburgh has looked great this year. They should close out the year with a win over a underachieving North Carolina team.

Knox Animal Pick: Pittsburgh

EMERALD BOWL
Boston College vs. No. 24 USC
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

USC has been unimpressive this season to say the least. However, Boston College hasn't been any better. I will take a not-so-good USC team over a ACC team almost any day.

Knox Animal Pick: USC

NFL Week 16 Picks

Knox Animal NFL Picks

Friday, December 25
San Diego at Tennessee

Sunday, December 27
Buffalo at Atlanta
Kansas City at Cincinnati
Oakland at Cleveland
Seattle at Green Bay
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Houston at Miami
Jacksonville at New England
Tampa Bay at New Orleans
Carolina at NY Giants
Detroit at San Francisco
St. Louis at Arizona
NY Jets at Indianapolis
Denver at Philadelphia
Dallas at Washington

Monday, December 28
Minnesota at Chicago

Movie Releases Week of December 21

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel

The world famous singing pre-teen chipmunk trio return to contend with the pressures of school, celebrity, and a rival female music group known as The Chipettes. (voices by Justin Long, Matthew Gray Gubler, Jesse McCartney)

 

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
A traveling theater company gives its audience much more than they were expecting. (Andrew Garfield, Christopher Plummer, Richard Riddell)

It's Complicated
During his son's college graduation, Jane hooks up with her ex-husband, Jake, who's married to a younger woman. (Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, Alec Baldwin)

Sherlock Holmes

Detective Sherlock Holmes and his stalwart partner Watson engage in a battle of wits and brawn with a nemesis whose plot is a threat to all of England. (Robert Downey Jr., Jude Law, Rachel McAdams)

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 24

SHERATON HAWAII BOWL
Nevada vs. SMU
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

There probably couldn’t be a game that I am less interested in. Nevada (8-4) takes on SMU (7-5) in Hawaii. It’s ironic because it’s a homecoming of sorts for former Hawaii coach and now SMU coach June Jones.

I will say that if you are going to go to a shitty bowl game, this is definitely the one to go to because it’s a vacation to Hawaii. Surfing, warm weather, beaches – it doesn’t get much better than all that. As for the game, who cares?

Knox Animal Pick: Nevada

Derrick Roland Seriously Injured

Texas A&M guard Derrick Roland breaks his leg in a game against the Washington Huskies last night. Tough break for the kid and I wish him the best in his recovery. The video shows the incident and aftermath, believe me - it is not a pretty sight.

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 23

SAN DIEGO COUNTY CREDIT UNION 
POINSETTIA BOWL
No. 23 Utah at California
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

If you would have told me before the season started that Utah and Cal would be playing in a bowl game against each other, I would have thought it would have been a better bowl game than the Poinsettia Bowl. I think it’s fair to say that both No. 23 Utah and unranked Cal are pretty disappointed with the way the season ended up.

Utah (9-3), who has won eight straight bowl games, finished the year third in the Mountain West, behind TCU and BYU. Cal (8-4) on the other hand finished fifth in the Pac-10.

Cal lost their top offensive weapon and arguably one of the top running backs in the nation when junior Jahvid Best took a hell of a fall while jumping over defenders in the end zone Nov. 7. He suffered a concussion and hasn’t played since then, and he won’t play in the bowl game either. In his absence, sophomore Shane Vereen filled in nicely by rushing for 444 yards and four touchdowns in the last three games. The Golden Bears will need a huge game from him in the one if they want to have a chance.

The Utes will rely heavily on running back Eddie Wide. The junior led the Mountain West with 1,032 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Knox Animal Pick: Cal

Nota Wins Sing Off

Nota performs "Down" (originally by Jay Sean) on the Sing Off. Nota eventually won the competition, basically because of this performance. I'm not a big fan of this song, but Nota made it sound bad ass. Plus they were much better than those annoying little "Bubs".

The Redskins are the new Lions

After watching last night's massacre of the Washington Redskins on Monday Night Football, I can honestly say that it was the worst showing of football I have ever seen. The New York Giants (8-6), who aren't that good, absolutely demoralized the Redskins (4-10) in every possible way. If Redskins coach Jim Zorn's fate wasn't already decided before last night, it surely is now after the 45-12 blowout on national television.

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 22

MACCO BOWL LAS VEGAS
No. 18 Oregon State vs. No. 14 BYU
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

Here we have it, a bowl game actually worth getting excited about. It marks the first time this young bowl season that we see a match-up of ranked teams. Both teams may have had higher hopes, but we are left with what should be a great matchup between No. 14 BYU (10-2) and No. 18 Oregon State (8-4).

BYU will be looking for its third bowl win in four years, while Oregon State would like to increase its bowl winning streak to six in a row. Oregon State was hoping for a Rose Bowl berth by winning the Pac-10, but a 37-33 loss at No. 7 Oregon on Dec. 3 allowed its in-state rival to earn the Pac-10 championship and spot in the Rose Bowl. Nonetheless, the Beavers are looking forward to their matchup against BYU, who earlier in the season was considered a BCS at large candidate.

BYU's rush defense, ranked 23rd in the country, faces a major test in sophomore Jacquizz Rodgers. The first-team all-Pac-10 running back ran for 1,377 yards and a school-record 20 TDs. His older brother, junior James Rodgers led Oregon State with 87 receptions, 1,007 yards and nine TDs this season, and needs three catches to tie Mike Hass for the school record of 90 set in 2005. We have seen a one man show, but it is a one-family show for Oregon State.

BYU is led on the ground by Harvey Unga, who led BYU in rushing with 1,031 yards and 10 touchdowns this year. He is the Cougars' all-time leading rusher with 3,384 yards. However, the real strength of BYU is through the air, behind the arm of senior quarterback Max Hall, who threw for 3,368 yards and 30 touchdowns this season.

Knox Animal Pick: Oregon State

CD and DVD Releases For December 22

CD
Mary J. Blige - Stronger
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony - Uni5: The World's Enemy
Eminem - Relapse: Refill
Mudvayne - Mudvayne

DVD
(500) Days of Summer
All About Steve
District 9
Extract

Brett Favre Is Pissed

With the Minnesota Vikings up 7-6 over the pathetic Carolina Panthers last night, Vikings coach Brad Childress walked over to legend quarterback Brett Favre in the third quarter with the intention of benching him for the rest of the game. As one might imagine, Favre was fairly pissed, and he did not leave the game.

Here is what Favre said about the incident after the game according to ESPN.com:

"We were up 7-6. Yeah, it's not 70-6, but we're up 7-6," Favre added. "So I said, 'I'm staying in the game, I'm playing.' I don't know if it was exactly to protect me, or we had seven points, I'm not sure. That's his call. But we talked it out. We didn't have time, I didn't have time to sit there and say why or what. My response was, we've got to win this ballgame and I want to stay in and do whatever I can. Now, unfortunately, I didn't do that, but that was my intention."

Childress downplayed the incident and called it a "good conversation", but we all know that Favre was not too happy about it. The guy is a million years old, he has played in the league for a thousand years, so why would he take any crap from Childress? It's not like they have a great backup quarterback in Minnesota that is waiting to come in. Favre will never come out of the game on his own and frankly, he has earned the right to do whatever he damn well pleases - even if the Vikings end up losing the game 26-7.

How Embarrassing!

Talk about a let down from my team. The only double digit scorer was Ray Rice, so he will be forgiven. As for the rest of the team, that was just pitiful. Knox Animal still has two players playing tonight in Redskins tight end Fred Davis and receiver Devin Thomas, but they wont even get me close. A top four finish might be fine for some people, but for me it's a disgrace. Knox Animal will be back next year, you can bet on that.

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 20

R & L CARRIERS NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Southern Miss vs. MTSU
8:30 p.m. ET ESPN

This may not be a bowl game that excites many people, but don’t tell that to MTSU and Southern Miss fans. MTSU (9-3) surpassed basically everybody’s expectations and are pretty damn happy to being playing in a bowl game this year after last season’s 5-7 finish. Southern Miss (7-5) on the other hand is hoping to finish one win better than their 2008 campaign that saw them finish 7-6.

The MTSU offense is run by do it all quarterback Dwight Dasher. Dasher spread the ball around while racking up 2,627 yards and 21 touchdowns - 10 different players caught a TD pass and nine receivers reached at least 100 yards. He also ran for a team-best 953 yards and 11 TD’s. On the other side, Southern Miss has a solid weapon in senior running back Damion Fletcher. It seems like Fletcher has been there forever because he has posted 1,000 plus yard seasons in each of his first three seasons, and needs only 63 yards to do so again this year. If he gets those 63 yards, Fletcher will become only the ninth player in NCAA history to accomplish the feat. The senior, who has 5,224 career yards also has a good chance to surpass Herschel Walker (5,259) and LaDainian Tomlinson (5,263) for eighth on the NCAA's all-time list.

Knox Animal Pick: MTSU

NCAA Football Bowl Picks: December 19

NEW MEXICO BOWL
Fresno State vs. Wyoming 
4:30 p.m. ET ESPN

Led by the top rusher in the nation, Ryan Mathews, Fresno State kicks off the bowl season against a Wyoming team that is appearing in a postseason game for the first time in five years.

Mathews, a junior, led the Football Bowl Subdivision with 151.3 rushing yards per game. He rushed for a total of 1,664 yards and 17 touchdowns this season. If I was a betting man, which I am at times, I would say that Mathews is going to get the ball a lot during this game.

After starting the season 1-3, the Bulldogs (8-4) rebounded to go 7-1 over their final eight games, ending the season with a 53-52 overtime victory at Illinois and earning a trip to Albuquerque for the second consecutive season. On the other hand, Wyoming (6-6) won its final game to become bowl eligible.

Knox Animal Pick: Fresno State

ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
Presented by Beef ‘O’ Brady’s
UCF vs. Rutgers
8:00 p.m. ET ESPN

Rutgers (8-4) made it to its fifth straight bowl game to and they take on a UCF (8-4) team that is hungry to become a regular post season bowl contender.

Rutgers' ground attack is led by sophomore Joe Martinek, who rushed for 923 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns while averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Martinek, though, was limited to 194 yards and one touchdown over the last three games. Not a good thing as the Scarlet Knights are going up against a UCF team that ranks fourth in the nation in rush defense at 82.5 yards per game. Defensive end Bruce Miller is the undisputed leader of the UCF defense, as the junior finished the season fifth in the nation with 12 sacks en route to becoming the Conference USA defensive player of the year.

Miller and the UCF defense will be after Knights freshman quarterback Tom Savage all night, who was last in the Big East with a 52.3 completion rate while throwing for 1,917 yards, 12 touchdowns and six interceptions. He was sacked for a conference-high 34 times, so you know that UCF is licking their chops at the thought of playing this game.

Knox Animal Pick: UCF

Jack Bauer Interrogates Santa Claus

"A person is a success if they get up in the morning, get to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do" - Bob Dylan

Movie Releases For Friday, December 18

Avatar

A paraplegic marine dispatched to the planet Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home. Surely by now, everybody has heard about this supposedly epic movie directed by James Cameron. If anybody ends up seeing it, let me know how it is, because I won't be seeing this garbage. (Sam Worthington, Zoe Saldana, Sigourney Weaver)

Did You Hear About The Morgans?
In New York City, an estranged couple who witness a murder are relocated to small-town Wyoming as part of a witness-protection program. The typical date movie for the week. I'm not sure how I feel about this one, but something tells me that Mrs. Knox Animal will want to see it. (Hugh Grant, Sarah Jessica Parker)

Nine
Famous film director Guido Contini struggles to find harmony in his professional and personal lives, as he engages in dramatic relationships with his wife, his mistress, his muse, his agent, and his mother. (Daniel Day Lewis, Penelope Cruz, Nicole Kidman, Judi Dench, Kate Hudson, Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson, Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard)

The Young Victoria
A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert. (Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany)

NFL Week 15 Picks

Knox Animal NFL Picks

Thursday, December 17
Indianapolis at Jacksonville

Saturday, December 19
Dallas at New Orleans

Sunday, December 20
Atlanta at NY Jets
San Francisco at Philadelphia
Houston at St. Louis
New England at Buffalo
Chicago at Baltimore
Miami at Tennessee
Cleveland at Kansas City
Arizona at Detroit
Oakland at Denver
Cincinnati at San Diego
Green Bay at Pittsburgh
Tampa Bay at Seattle
Minnesota at Carolina

Monday, December 21
NY Giants at Washington

Knoxville Zoo Gets New Rhino

The Knoxville Zoo has a new white rhinoceros named Maggie. The 14-year-old rhino came from The Wilds, a nonprofit conservation center in southeastern Ohio. Maggie came to the zoo through a breeding loan recommendation by the Species Survival Plan.

Photo by Michael Patrick/Knoxnews

Juco QB Matt Simms Signs With Vols

Quarterback Matt Simms, the son of former NFL star Phil Simms and younger brother of ex-Texas QB Chris Simms has signed a letter of intent to play at Tennessee, a source inside the Volunteers program has confirmed to ESPN.com.

After beginning his college career at Louisville, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound Simms has two years of eligibility remaining and will compete with senior Nick Stephens and incoming freshman commitment Tyler Bray for the starting quarterback job next year. In 2009, while playing for El Camino College in Torrance, Calif., Sims completed 159-of-269 passes for over 2,200 yards and 17 TD. He broke his hand with two games to go in the season, but he has since had surgery and is scheduled to resume throwing next week.

This is huge news for the Vols, who were once lacking depth at the position. Now with commitments from Bray and now Simms, the position has a little hope. After losing three lineman commitments yesterday, the signing of Simms makes those losses seem nonexistent.

Vols Lose Three Prospects

Three University of Tennessee commitments are no longer heading to Knoxville next year as weight issues and grades stood in the way of playing for the "Big Orange".

Offensive lineman Jose Jose from Miami (Fla.) Central High School has switched his commitment from UT to South Florida. At 6-foot-1, the guard is listed at 330 pounds, but it is believed that he was playing closer to 365 this season. With the weight issues, it isn’t hard to understand why several schools were cautious about Jose and I’m sure Vols coach Lane Kiffin didn’t hide the fact he was concerned about his weight issues.

The Vols also lost two defensive tackle commitments in Risean Broussard (La.) and Pat Harris (Juco, Calif.). Both have had academic concerns and many have wondered if they would even get into UT. Based on this, it appears obvious that the speculation regarding their academic standing was correct. Still, this should not be a big shock to Vols fans.

Raiders Sign Ex Bills QB J.P. Losman

J.P. Losman has worked his way back to the NFL as the Oakland Raiders have decided to give the former Buffalo Bills signal caller a chance.

Losman was Buffalo's first-round pick in 2004 out of Tulane, but starred in the UFL under head coach Jim Fassel of the champion Las Vegas Locomotives this season. His play there obviously prompted the Raiders to make the move. The deal is believed to be for one-year. Oakland was in need of a quarterback after Bruce Gradkowski was injured last week. Gradkowski has two bad knees and is expected to miss the year, leaving a void at the quarterback position. Charlie Frye and former No. 1 overall pick Jamarcus Russell are both on the roster, but the Raiders will do everything in their power to keep him off the field, prompting the signing of Losman. It isn't unreasonable to think that Losman could be on the field as early as this week, but Frye will most likely be the starter.

I found it hard to believe that Losman wasn't wanted in the league before now, especially after the Bills quarterback struggles this season - but he has to be happy to be back. Maybe he won't suck so bad that he will be forced out of the league again.

CD and DVD Releases For Tuesday, December 15

CD
Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
Tim Cohen - Laugh Tracks
Alicia Keys - The Element of Freedom
Kylie - Kylie: Live In New York
Shiny Toy Guns - Girls Le Disko
Robin Thicke - Sex Therapy
Phil Vassar - Traveling Circus

DVD
The Hangover
Inglourious Basterds
G-Force
Taking Woodstock

UNC Hoops Coach Roy Williams Has Fan Ejected

University of North Carolina coach Roy Williams had a fan from Presbyterian ejected Saturday for simply saying some variation of "Hey Deon! Miss it!" Seems a little overboard for such a mild taunt if you ask me.

Video from wralsportsfan

Did Mark Ingram Deserve The Heisman?

The Heisman trophy is supposed to be awarded to the best college football player each season. Several factors play into that such as stats, overall team success, how to player performs in big games and overall impact each player had this season in college football.

There is no doubt in my mind that Stanford running back Toby Gerhart was the best running back in college football this season. He outrushed Alabama running back Mark Ingram 1,736 yards to 1,542 and he scored more touchdowns than Ingram with 26 to 15. Ingram meant a hell of a lot to his team, but Gerhart was Stanford. Yes, Stanford lost four games and finished the season 8-4, but those numbers could have been reversed if Gerhart didn't carry them this season.

It could also be argued that Texas quarterback Colt McCoy should have won the award. McCoy's situation is a little different. He had solid numbers, but you have to look at McCoy's body of work. He has won more college games than anybody in NCAA history. He threw for 3,512 yards and 27 touchdowns in leading No. 2 Texas to the National Championship game.

photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images

What do you guys think about how the Heisman finished?

Is Anybody Going To Watch Army vs Navy?

Knox Animal NCAA Pick

Army vs. Navy

This is one of the storied rivalries in college football, but this game really shouldn't be close. Navy (8-4) is a much better team than Army (5-6) and it should show on the field. This should be a quick game as both teams like to run the ball as both teams are averaging less than 100 yards through the air per game. Navy junior running back Ricky Dobbs needs only 87 yards for 1,000 on the season, so it's a good bet that he will reach that today.

Brian Kelly To Be Notre Dame Coach

Nearly a week and half after Notre Dame fired Charlie Weis, the Irish have found their new leader in former Cincinnati head coach Brian Kelly. Speculation was that Kelly was the only real candidate for the job and the quick hire supports that.

Kelly, 47, hopes to bring the Irish back to the powerhouse it once was after it struggled through a 6-6 season this year. He was 34-6 in three seasons at Cincinnati, leading the Bearcats to back-to-back Big East titles and two straight Bowl Championship Series berths. The Bearcats set a school record last season for victories with an 11-3 record, then topped that with a 12-0 mark this season. Let's not forget that he did that with Cincinatti - not exactly an easy team to win with when he took the reigns.

Kelly got a five-year deal from Notre Dame and will be introduced as coach in South Bend on Friday afternoon. He will not coach Cincinnati in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

There is no denying that Kelly is a hell of a coach. Look what he did with Cincinnati. They were a pathetic team when he took over and now they have had two straight BCS games at the end of the year. He has made Cincinnati one of the best teams in the country. The thought process is that if he can do it with a Cincinnati team, he sure as hell can do it with Notre Dame. The Irish name basically recruits itself, so there is no doubt that Kelly will get the players. It appears to be a good hire for now, but only time will tell. Let's not forget that Charlie Weis looked like a good hire and we all know what happened there.

Movie Releases For Friday, December 11

It looks like a relatively slow week at the movies. The Blind Side continues to impress as it was the top movie in the box office last week. If you haven't seen it, you should definitely check it out.

Invictus
Nelson Mandela, in his first term as the South African President, initiates a unique venture to unite the apartheid-torn land: enlist the national rugby team on a mission to win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. (Morgan Freeman, Matt Damon)

A Single Man

A story that centers on an English professor who, after the sudden death of his partner tries to go about his typical day in Los Angeles. 

The Slammin' Samon

The owner of a Miami restaurant indebted to the mob institutes a contest to see what waiter can earn the most money in one night. (Jeff Chase, Carla Gallo, Paul Soter)

Bonds No More; MLB Notes and Briefs

The playing days for Barry Bonds appear to be over. Even though the "home run king" hasn't officially retired, it is looking very unlikely that any team will sign him. Bonds has been out of the league for two years and there hasn't been any interest so far, so to say that a team wouldhave interest in the 45-year old seems unlikely. If he has indeed played his last game, he finished his career with 762 home runs and 1,996 RBI.

The Boston Red Sox have dealt third baseman Mike Lowell to the Texas Rangers for catcher Max Ramirez according to espn.com reports. The Sox will pay $9 million of Lowell's $12 million salary.

The Atlanta Braves traded reliever Raphael Soriano to the Tampa Bay Rays for reliever Jesse Chavez. Soriano had 27 saves and a 2.97 ERA for the Braves last season and Chavez was 1-4 with a 4.01 ERA in 73 appearances last season.

The Rangers traded veteran starting pitcher Kevin Millwood and $3 million to the Baltimore Orioles for reliever Chris Ray and a player to be named later. I'm not really sure how much Millwood has left in the tank, but it is nice to see the Orioles attempting to do something to better their team. The move made room for the Rangers to acquire pitcher Rich Harden for $6.5 million in 2010 and a $11.5 million mutual option with a $1 million buyout, sources told ESPNDallas.com's Richard Durrett.

The Yankees signed centerfielder Curtis Granderson in a three-team deal. In the trade, the Diamondbacks obtained pitchers Edwin Jackson and Ian Kennedy, while the Tigers received pitchers Max Scherzer, Daniel Schlereth, Phil Coke and outfielder Austin Johnson.

The Yankees re-signed 37-year-old veteran pitcher Andy Pettitte to a one-year, $11.75 million deal and the Milwaukee Brewers signed pitcher Randy Wolf to a three-year contract worth $29.75 million.

NFL Week 14 Picks

Knox Animal NFL Week 14 Picks

Thursday
Pittsburgh at Cleveland

Sunday
New Orleans at Atlanta
Green Bay at Chicago
NY Jets at Tampa Bay
Miami at Jacksonville
Detroit at Baltimore
Seattle at Houston
Denver at Indianapolis
Buffalo at Kansas City
Cincinnati at Minnesota
Carolina at New England
Washington at Oakland
St. Louis at Tennessee
San Diego at Dallas
Philadelphia at NY Giants

Monday
Arizona at San Francisco

Swiperboy At It Again With Tip Off (College Hoops Time)

Tennessee Vols sophomore basketball player Renaldo "Swiperboy" Woolridge once again shows off his rapping skills. Here is his latest: Tip Off (College Hoops Time).

Ochocinco Fined Again

Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chad Ochocinco finds himself in trouble again with the NFL after his latest touchdown celebration. Last week, Ochocinco put on a sombrero and poncho after reaching the end zone and the NFL has promptly slapped him with a $30,000 fine.

Ochocinco was fined $20,000 last month for conduct "unbecoming an NFL player" after he flashed a dollar bill at an official during a replay challenge in what he jokingly referred to as a "bribe."

Ochocinco is in Minnesota this week to Vikings. He has already tweeted  "This Sunday when I score I'm taking that loud horn from the Viking mascot and using it<--is that a fine to?" It might be worth following his official twitter page for more updates.

There comes a time when a player just needs to shut the hell up and play by the rules. I understand the obsession for Ochocinco to celebrate. I get it. But seriously dude, at least if you are going to do something, make it memorable. Putting on a hat and poncho is a pretty damn stupid thing to get fined over. But then again, I am not an overpaid athlete that can afford to throw that kind of cash away.

Saints Fans Hate TV's

Season Over For Redskins Portis

The Washington Redskins put running back Clinton Portis on the injured reserve, officially ending his 2009 season. Portis suffered a concussion on November 8 against Atlanta and its lingering effects left doctors no choice but to put an end to Portis' season.

Portis' season ends with a career-low 494 yards rushing on 124 carries and one touchdown. Although only 28, he already has 2,176 carries, third most in the NFL since entering the league in 2002, and was already showing signs of wear and tear before the concussion. Portis has battled injuries throughout his entire career and to say they have finally caught up to him would be an understatement.

The Redskins are 3-9 on the year, so there was no sense of rushing Portis back when the playoffs are far out of the picture. With that being said, there are expected to be major shakeups to the Redskins roster after the season, so nobody knows what the future may hold for Portis.

If in fact Portis has played his last game in Washington, nobody can ever question his heart and how hard he has played the game. The guy has been one of the best running backs in the league throughout his career and he also wasn't afraid to throw blocks. Portis is a complete football player and played the game the way it should be played. If there is a way, Portis will be back on the field no matter what color jersey he is wearing - but he is also smart enough to know when it's time to walk away.

Who Will Win the 2009 Heisman?

With the revealing of the Heisman finalists last night, it still is not clear who will win the coveted trophy this Saturday. The Heisman trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in college football, is clearly the most coveted individual trophy in college football. There can be a solid argument for each one of the five finalists to walk away with the trophy. With that being said, let's break this thing down and find out who should be the winner.

Here are the nominees:

Tim Tebow, QB, Sr, Florida
Tebow will be attending his third Heisman ceremony and won in 2007 as a sophomore. Tebow threw for 2,413 yards and 18 touchdowns this season and rushed for 859 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Colt McCoy, QB, Sr, Texas
McCoy is no doubt a favorite to win the Heisman this season. Texas will be playing in the National Championship and McCoy is their unquestioned leader. The senior has thrown for 3,512 yards and 27 touchdowns this season and rushed for 348 yards and three touchdowns. McCoy had a great season, but performed terrible in a last second win in the Big 12 Championship game against Nebraska last week.

Mark Ingram, RB, So, Alabama
Ingram has performed admirably this season. The sophomore has rushed for 1,542 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. He has been a force on the ground and has shown both power and speed en route to leading Alabama to the National Championship game against Texas. He had a great game against Florida in the SEC Championship last week to strengthen his candidacy.

Toby Gerhart, RB, Sr, Stanford
Gerhart's numbers certainly warrant winning the Heisman as the senior rushed for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdowns. The thing that will hurt Gerhart is that Stanford has an 8-4 record. Even though it can be argued that Stanford's record would have been a lot worse than that without Gerhart, it will be a factor.

Ndamukong Suh, DT, Sr, Nebraska
Suh has been the most dominant defensive player in the country this season. He is rated on top of most draft boards and is an impressive stud in the middle. Suh emerged onto the Heisman scene after a monster game against Texas last week in the Big 12 Championship, where he recorded 12 tackled and four sacks. Suh finished the season with 82 tackles and 12 sacks, which is hell of impressive for a defensive tackle. The problem is that it is rare for a defensive player to win the Heisman and I would consider it a long shot in this situation.

So, let's break this down.

We are going to eliminate Suh based on history and we are left with two running backs and two quarterbacks.

Quarterbacks Tebow and McCoy are both seniors and there is no question what each means to his team. Based on numbers and the fact that McCoy is playing in the National Championship game for his No. 2 ranked undefeated Texas team, the edge has to go to McCoy. Tebow put up monster numbers in 2007, the year he won the Heisman, and would of had to put up more impressive numbers if he was going to win the award again.

Running backs Gerhart and Ingram both had very impressive years for their teams. The fact that Gerhart is a senior and put up better numbers than Ingram makes it hard to overlook him. However, Ingram plays for the best team in arguably the best conference. Bama will be playing for a National Championship and Ingram has been their most impressive player all year. With both arguments made, I have to give Gerhart the edge based on numbers.

So we are down to McCoy and Gerhart. As much as I want to give the award to Gerhart, I have to lean towards McCoy. McCoy has been in the Heisman hunt the past two years and very well could have won it last year. McCoy has played well all season in leading his team to the National Championship game. The quarterback has won more games than any college quarterback ever and I think this is the year that McCoy takes the trophy.

Gerhart should be honored to be there and Ingram will have his day, but you simply cannot overlook what McCoy has done for Texas throughout his four years as their quarterback.

CD and DVD Releases For December 8

CD
30 Seconds to Mars - This is War
Abbo Abbas - Abbo Abbas
Lowell Brams - Music For Insomnia
Chris Brown - Graffiti
BG - Too Hood 2 Be Hollywood
Jimmy Buffett - Buffett Hotel
Clipse - Til The Casket Drops
The Game - The R.E.D. Album
Puddle of Mudd - Volume 4: Songs in the Key of Love and Hate
Redman - Reggie Noble 9 1/2
Snoop Dogg - Malice N Wonderland
STS9 - Ad Explorata
Timbaland - Shock Value 2

DVD
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Julie & Julia
Public Enemies
The Cove
Somers Town
World's Greatest Dad

As Expected, Jimmy Clausen Will Enter NFL Draft

When Notre Dame gave head coach Charlie Weis the axe last week, it became very evident that junior quarterback Jimmy Clausen was probably headed out the door as well. Clausen spent his three seasons in blue and gold learning how to be a quarterback from perhaps one of the better offensive minds in football.

Clausen threw for 3,722 yards and 28 touchdowns this season as a junior. He threw only four interceptions, a much better number than the 17 he threw as a sophomore. Clausen's improvement was immense and it was very obvious he had grown as both a quarterback and leader.

According to ESPN.com, Clausen is rated as perhaps the top quarterback in this year's class, he is believed to be coveted by St. Louis, Cleveland and Washington - three teams that will most likely be picking in the Top 5 of the 2010 NFL Draft.

Clausen should be able to adapt to the pro game well, given that Weis installed a pro style offense at Notre Dame. Clausen struggled his first two years, but this season, he proved that he had grown as a quarterback and was very comfortable running that style of offense. With the coaching search up in the air for Notre Dame right now, it was a no brainer that Clausen would enter the NFL Draft now, rather than learn a new offense his senior year. 

NFL Week 13 Picks

Knox Animal Picks

Thursday, December 3
NY Jets vs. Buffalo Bills, (Jets 19, Bills 13)

(Toronto, Canada)

Sunday, December 6
Philadelphia at Atlanta
St. Louis at Chicago
Detroit at Cincinnati
Oakland at Pittsburgh
Tennessee at Indianapolis
Denver at Kansas City
New England at Miami
New Orleans at Washington
Tampa Bay at Carolina
Houston at Jacksonville
San Diego at Cleveland
Dallas at NY Giants
San Francisco at Seattle
Minnesota at Arizona

Monday, December 7
Baltimore at Green Bay

Somebody Made Fun Of Nickelback

NCAA Championship Saturday Picks

Knox Animal Picks

No. 5 Cincinnati at No. 15 Pittsburgh
(Big East Championship)
No. 21 Houston at East Carolina
(Conference USA Championship)
No. 23 West Virginia at Rutgers
Fresno State at Illinois
San Jose State at Louisiana Tech
New Mexico State at No. 6 Boise State
Arizona at No. 18 USC
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 2 Alabama
(SEC Championship)
No. 19 California at Washington
Florida Atlantic at FIU
No. 3 Texas at No. 22 Nebraska
(Big 12 Championship)
No. 10 Georgia Tech at Clemson
(ACC Championship)
South Florida at UConn
Wisconsin at Hawaii

Our Lonely Friday NCAA Pick

Knox Animal NCAA Picks

2009 MAC Championship

Ohio vs. Central Michigan 
(Ford Field, Detroit Michigan)

Our feeling is that Central Michigan quarterback Dan LeFevour will take over this game. LeFevour has thrown for 2788 yards and 25 touchdowns on the year, and ran for 650 yards and 14 touchdowns. This guy will be all over the place in this game and the feeling is that he will carry CMU on his back.

Movie Releases for Friday, December 4

Armored
A newbie guard for an armored truck company is coerced by his veteran coworkers to steal a truck containing $42 million. But a wrinkle in their supposedly foolproof plan divides the group, leading to a potentially deadly resolution. (Matt Dillon, Laurence Fishburne)


Brothers
A young man comforts his older brother's wife and children after he goes missing in Afghanistan. Based on Susanne Bier's film, "Brothers". (Jake Gyllenhal, Natalie Portman, Tobey Maguire)

Everybody's Fine
A widower who realized his only connection to his family was through his wife sets off on an impromptu road trip to reunite with each of his grown children. (Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore, Kate Beckinsale)

Transylmania
Spoof horror in which a group of college kids do a semester abroad in Romania and realise that if the partying doesn't kill them, the vampires just might!
Last Week's Movie Releases

Ninja Assassin
A young ninja turns his back on orphanage that raised him, leading to a confrontation with a fellow ninja from the clan.

Old Dogs
Two friends and business partners find their lives turned upside down when strange circumstances lead to them being placed in the care of 7-year-old twins. (John Travolta, Robin Williams)

The Princess & The Frog
A fairy tale centered on a young girl named Princess Tiana who lives in New Orleans' French Quarter during the Jazz Age. (Voices by: Anika Noni Rose, Bruno Campos, Keith David)

Thursday Football Picks

Knox Animal NCAA and NFL Picks

NCAA

Arkansas State at Western Kentucky
No. 16 Oregon State at No. 7 Oregon

NFL

NY Jets at Buffalo

Is Tiger's Repuation Tarnished?

Tiger Woods has been under intense scrutiny the past few days as details of his alleged mistresses have come to light. All this stemming from an intriguing single car accident involving Woods in his driveway early Black Friday morning.

When talking about Tiger Woods, we are all aware of the talented golfer. Woods is without question the greatest golfer ever. He does things on the golf course that nobody has ever seen before. He made golf cool when golf wasn't. Those are the things that we associate with Tiger Woods.

His personal life? Who cares. As long as Woods returns to greatness on the golf course, his reputation shouldn't change. He will continue to be known as the best golfer in the world because that is in fact what gave Woods his reputation - not what he does off the golf course.

Iverson's Going Going Back Back To Philly Philly

With starting point guard Lou Williams out for a couple months with an injury, the Philadelphia 76ers have signed veteran Allen Iverson to a one-year deal.

Iverson began his career with the 76ers and was a star in his early NBA days. The 76ers are hoping for more of the same from Iverson, now 34 years old. The contract is for a pro-rated veteran's minimum of $1.3 million.

When Iverson was released from Memphis earlier this year, it was hard to think of Iverson joining another team this season. The Knicks didn't want him, so his options were obviously limited. The former All-Star even contemplated retirement. With the 76ers looking for a guard and Iverson available, the match seems perfect. Even though he isn't expected to have the same impact as he once did with the team when he guided them to the NBA Finals, he is expected to play a critical role in the team. Of all the teams for Iverson to sign with the 76ers were the perfect match on paper, only time will tell if it is the perfect match on the court.

It's All Peachy For Vols and Virginia Tech

The University of Tennessee and Virginia Tech will clash heads in the 2009 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, Georgia, December 31.

According to KnoxNews.com, this comes from a source very familiar to the bowl selection process. The Vols still don't have an official bid either verbally or in writing at this point according to a separate source in the UT athletic program, but that appears to be a formality.

The Vols (7-5, 4-4 SEC) fell into the Chick-fil-A Bowl when the Outback Bowl surprisingly selected Auburn earlier on Tuesday, breaking from tradition and selecting a team from the SEC West over the second-place finisher in the East.

CD and DVD Releases For December 1

CD
Julianna Barwick - Florine
The Bravery - Stir The Blood
Deer Tick - More Fuel For The Fire
Allison Iraheta - Just Like You
Juvenile - Cocky And Confident
R. Kelly - Untitled
Alicia Keys - The Element of Freedom
Mr. Hudson - Straight No Chaser
Yellow Fever - Yellow Fever

DVD
Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian
Terminator Salvation
A Christmas Tale
Paper Heart