Orioles Help Red Sox Fall

When you suck, it's the little things that are important. For the Orioles a 69-93 record in 2011 was not what they dreamed up before the season began. But a win last night over the Boston Red Sox ended the season on a high note and ended Boston's in utter disappointment.

Sure most of what kept the Red Sox out of the playoffs was due to their own collapse in the last month of the season that saw the Red Sox go 7-20 in the month of September. It was one of the worst collapses in MLB history and the Orioles can say they were a part of it.

The Orioles went 5-2 against Boston down the stretch to seal their fate. Sure Boston won 90 games this season, but they will be watching the playoffs at home just like the Orioles and everybody else that wasn't good enough to make it in.

Random Vid Of The Day: Granny Airbag

 

I first stumbled across this video a couple of years ago, but it resurfaced again today...

How Michael Vick's Injury Will Impact The Eagles

Sources are reporting that Michael Vick will be out an expected three-four weeks with a hand injury suffered Sunday. These are early reports, and others including Eagles head coach Andy Reid are saying that he could be back in as soon as a week. Regardless of how long Vick will be out, this injury could become a problem for Eagles.

I'm not going to say it is as catastrophic of a loss as Peyton Manning is to the Colts, but it is huge and will definitely hurt the team.

The Eagles offense is built around Vick's ability to scramble around in the pocket and buy time for his quick receivers to get open. Without Vick in the lineup, the Eagles will struggle to get any offensive rhythm. Even with Vince Young's ability to move around, he is still not Vick.

For the team that was anointed as a super team heading into the season, there are some big issues. The team with Vick has struggled this year and things aren't going to get any better without him.

[image: AP Photo / AP Photo/John Amis]

Redskins and Cowboys on Monday Night

For as long as I can remember the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys rivalry has been one of the greatest in all of sports. I remember as a child growing up in Maryland as a die-hard Redskins fan, this game was the biggest of the year.

My dislike for the Cowboys goes hand and hand with my love for the Redskins. There isn't any other way around it. If you are a Redskins fan, you hate the Cowboys. If you are a Cowboys fan, you hate the Redskins. That is the way it was and is today - no exceptions.

For this game to be on a Monday night just adds to the excitement. In my eyes, nothing is better when it comes to football and let's just say that I am ready for kickoff.

Texas A&M Officially Joins SEC

According to ESPN reports, Texas A&M has officially joined the SEC. This is a move that was expected to happen for some time now, but it is now a reality after deals with Oklahoma and Texas to the Pac-12 fell through. So with those two teams staying put, the fight for A&M to stay in the Big 12 was not as strong as it would have been.

I'm not sure what this means for the SEC in the future, but now it seems to be a pretty good addition. A&M is a good basketball school and their football team is good this year. They have been down in football for the past decade or so, but bringing the team with the famous 12th man could be a good add for the SEC.

Hillis Ruled Out, Hardesty Will Start

An illness has forced the Cleveland Browns to rule out starting running back Peyton Hillis for Sunday's game against the Dolphins. As a result, former Vol Montario Hardesty will get the start.

It's probably not the way Hardesty wanted to earn a start, but I'm sure he will take it. The injury plagued Hardesty nearly won the starting job a year ago before he injured his knee. Hardesty could get a lot of touches today and it might be the break he needs to work his way into the regular lineup.

X Factor Spotlight: Chris Rene

 

 This guy absolutely blew me away with his X Factor audition.

F Romo

It's Redskins vs. Cowboys week and this picture sums up how the majority of Redskins fans feel this week. There has been a lot of talk about Tony Romo's ribs and the fact that Redskins corner DeAngelo Hall said that he will hit Romo this week. Cowboys fans are whining, but it is football and there isn't a player on any team in the NFL that doesn't feel the same way as Hall.

[image: 7oh3rd]

Ray LaMontagne Has Epic Nashville Show

Tonight Ray LaMontagne was incredible. He is hands down one of the greatest artists ever. His lyrics captivate and his sound gives chills. To say the show tonight at the Grand Ole Opry was epic would be an understatement.

Yazoo Hop Project

Music Video of the Day: Ray LaMontagne - For The Summer

 

Ray LaMontagne - For The Summer

Here is a little music video for you and it's only fitting because I am on my way to Nashville to see Ray LaMontagne tonight at the Grand Ole Opry House. This will be my second time seeing him and it should be an incredible show.

Michael Boley Touchdown Celebration

 

New York Giants linebacker Michael Boley probably hasn't scored many touchdowns in his career, but he sure knows how to celebrate once he does. Here he pegs the ball at some dude wearing a sweatshirt and nails him in the face. 

Vols Justin Hunter Out For The Season

When Vols star receiver Justin Hunter went down with a knee injury against Florda Saturday, the Vols and Vols fans knew it wasn't good. It was known that Hunter would not be returning to the game, and many knew that he wouldn't be returning to the field for a while. After seeing the replay, the first thing that popped into my head was a torn ACL. After undergoing an MRI yesterday to determine the extent of the damage, my assessment was accurate. Hunter also damaged his MCL and he is out for the year.

To say losing Hunter for the season is a huge blow for the offense is an understatement. The Vols offense thrives on the passing game and Hunter is the main reason why. The combination of Hunter and Da'Rick Rogers is one of the most lethal in college football. Taking away one of elite receivers in the game is more than detrimental.

Once Hunter exited the game Saturday, the Vols offense struggled. A loss like this completely forces the Vols to change their gameplan. The added focus on Rogers will force other Vols receivers to step up and make plays. I'm not saying that it won't happen, but it will be hard. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray is good. Bray is tough, but his security blanket is gone now. Bray has determination as made evident by the way he finished the game. It will be up to him to rally this offense into a productive one for the remainder of the year.

Other Florida game notes:
Vols center James Stone was absolutely terrible. Bray was forced to field grounders all game as a result of the horrific display of snapping the ball by Stone. This must improve if the offense is going to get any rhythm going.

The Vols running game was okay at times and terrible at others. With the loss of Hunter, the Vols need to get the running game rolling.

The Gators are a good team with an explosive offense. They are always capable of making big plays, but it is up to the defense to limit them. The Vols got burned on an 83-yard touchdown pass to Chris Rainey and never recovered. Rainey also blocked a punt that led to a Florida score.

[image: http://tennessee.247sports.com]

Prince Fielder Ready To Move On?

In an interview last night with TBS after a 6-2 loss to Colorado, Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder said, "I'm signed for this year, but being real about it, it is probably the last year."

For the potential NL MVP candidate to say something like this when his team is starting to get focused on the playoff picture is just ignorant. Leave all contract talks for the off-season and focus on the team that is currently paying your salary. I understand that professional sports are a business, but when Fielder is making as much money as he is to be a leader on the Brewers, he should be focused on his current team and leave all distractions for after the season.

[photo: http://onemansausagefest.com]

UT vs. Montana Impressions

It is always a treat to watch the Vols play the first game of the season. Sure it is usually against a mediocre team  and this year was no different. As I watched UT defeat Montana 42-16 Saturday night at Neyland Stadium, I was overall very pleased with what I witnessed. Sure, there were a couple areas of concern, but for the most part I was happy with the team's play.

The biggest area of concern for me was the lack of a pass rush. I expected the Vols defensive front to wreck havoc all night in the Montana backfield. but that was not the case at all. Against better teams, the Vols must get a pass rush or better quarterbacks will pick the Vols secondary apart. The Vols must find a way to improve this fast.

The next area that stood out for me was the play of the running backs, in particular Tauren Poole. I expected Poole to have a field day against the Montana defense, but this was not the case. Even though this stood out to me, it isn't as big of a concern for me going forward because I know the Vols will improve in this area. In Poole's defense, Montana stacked the box expecting the run all night and as a result Tyler Bray and the Vols passing attack could do whatever it wanted through the air.  Poole is a good running back, so I am going to chalk this up as just having an off game. I was impressed with the younger Marlin Lane in the action that he saw. The duo of him and Poole will be nice to watch as the season progresses.

As I mentioned earlier, the passing game was excellent. Bray looked to be in control the entire game and the sophomore receiver tandem of Justin Hunter and Da'rick Rogers are going to be fun to watch. The sky is the limit for these guys and I am looking forward to seeing how well they do throughout the year.

It was a good way for the Vols to start the season off, but this week's game against Cincinnati will pose a greater test. The Bearcats are coming off a 72-10 win over Austin Peay. We all know that Cincinnati has a powerful offensive attack, but it will be interesting to see how the Vols do against their defense.

Chris Johnson Gets Contract Extension From Titans

The Tennessee Titans and running back Chris Johnson have reached an agreement on a $53 million, four-year extension with $30 million guaranteed according to ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. 


I don't think there was a person that is familiar to this situation that didn't think a deal would get done. Johnson is one of the best playmakers in the league and he wanted to be paid like one. The Titans were willing to make him the highest paid running back in the league, but didn't know if they could afford to make him one of the highest paid players in the league. 


Having Johnson under their control through the 2016 season is a big plus for the Titans. And signing him this week was a necessity. Johnson hasn't practiced and with a new quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck, the need for 
the two to mesh is of utmost importance.


[image: http://sportsofboston.com/]

It's Time For Some Football

There comes a time every year that we can say it's time for some football. After a couple months of waiting around for the first kickoff to take place, we can finally say it's underway tonight. The 2011 NCAA football season kicks off tonight with a handful of games highlighted by No. 11 Wisconsin hosting UNLV and No. 20 Mississippi State visiting Memphis.

The 2011 college football season is sure to be as exciting as always and I am definitely looking forward to it. A couple of things I will be looking for this season are:

• How will the Vols do this season compared to last season?
• How will Vols sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray do this year being the starter from day one?
• How will the Vols defense look after losing some key players?
• How will the Florida Gators perform under new offensive coordinator Charlie Weis and head coach Will Muschamp?
• Will Notre Dame return to being a dominant college football team?
• How will Maryland do in its first year under head coach Randy Edsall?