NBA Needs To Get Rid Of Age Limit

The current NBA age limit is 19 years old, which was put in place to try and limit high school players from jumping straight into the NBA. This sounds nice in theory, but the reality is that by putting an age limit on when a player can enter the NBA severely hurts college basketball.

There has been widespread talk of the NBA pushing the age limit to 20, but I look at it much differently than merely a number. It can be argued that a player is not ready to enter the NBA immediately after high school. With the few exceptions, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Amare Stoudemire, etc... many players have not had much success adapting to the professional game. It is also true that many straight out of college have not adapted well to the professional game as well.

By placing an age limit on players, it forces them to do something they do not want to do. In many cases it is play college basketball. Going to college and playing a sport is a privilege not a right. It only makes sense to offer scholarships to student athletes that really want to attend the school. Why does a school have to spend at least a year recruiting somebody that doesn't even really want to go to school and are just buying time before they can enter the NBA draft? I would prefer to just allow those players that want to risk it, enter the draft straight out of high school. If they think they are the next Kobe or Lebron, let them try and prove it. Why are we trying to force athletes to go to college?  Let's let the athletes that want to play college basketball play college basketball. 

Red Sox Hire Bobby Valentine

The Boston Red Sox finally put an end to the who is going to be their next manager question by hiring Bobby Valentine as their next manager. Valentine has been working as a Major League Baseball analyst for ESPN and has managerial experience both in the MLB and in Japan.

The hiring of Valentine is a good fit for the Red Sox organization. Even though he might be most famous for the incident where he was ejected when he was the manager of the Mets and later returned to the dugout in disguise, he is a manager with experience in a big market that has won.

Valentine is taking over a underachieving team with a lot of talent to work with. The Red Sox famously collapsed in September last season, losing 20 games in that month alone. With Valentine's leadership, the Red Sox can hope that a collapse like that never happens again.

[Image: Sports of Boston]

It's Time For Fairley To Step Up

The time has come for Detroit Lions 2011 first round pick Nick Fairley to step up and prove that he was worthy of the 13th overall pick in this past year's NFL draft.

With Ndamukong Suh banned for two games, it is time for the former Auburn Tigers standout to make a name for himself in the National Football League. Fairley has battled injuries in his rookie season, but is now healthy and ready for action. He has played sparingly as a defensive line backup this season and has only six tackles on the year. Fairley's time to make a difference has come and the Lions are in desperate need for the first year player to prove that he can be a star in the NFL.

[Image: MJB Sports Network]

Why Suh Should Have Been Suspended Longer

When Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh threw a temper tantrum and stomped on the arm of Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith, I knew a suspension was coming. What I did not expect is that the National Football League and commissioner Roger Goodell would be too lenient in this matter and only suspend Suh for two games.

Let's rewind to 2006 when the NFL suspended then Tennessee Titans lineman Albert Haynesworth five games when he stomped on the face of Dallas Cowboys center Andre Gurode. Haynesworth's stomping may have been worse because it happened on Gurode's head, but nonetheless the actions are very similar.

What makes Suh's case worse in my book is that this is not the first time Suh has done anything wrong or vicious on the field. In fact, it is his fifth violation in his two years of being on the field, according to the NFL. Suh even met with Goodell earlier this season to discuss how he can clear his name from being considered a dirty player.

Suh's actions Thanksgiving day were ridiculous, but the punishment is just as bad. Suh should have been suspended the rest of the regular season at least. Too harsh? Please. By sitting out two games, Suh will not learn anything. It will merely give the freak of a defensive tackle a little break before the last couple games of the season. If the NFL wanted to make an example of Suh, they would have benched him without pay for the rest of the year.

[Image: Oplions]

Vols Hit Rock Bottom, Lose To Kentucky

I never thought the day would come where I would watch the University of Tennessee lose to Kentucky in football. Sure, it was bound to happen at some point, but it seemed more likely to happen in a dream or video game. As I watched the game unfold on Saturday, the realization that Tennessee football really is in terrible shape came to light. When the final whistle sounded and the scoreboard read Kentucky and Tennessee 7, it felt as if something extremely wrong just happened. This just isn't supposed to happen, it hasn't happened since 1984.

When it was announced that Matt Roark would guide the Kentucky offense, there wasn't a person in the stadium that thought the Wildcats would beat the Vols. Roark, a senior wide receiver, was starting his first game of his collegiate career at quarterback for Kentucky. Sure, he was a high school quarterback, but Roark hasn't taken a snap for Kentucky in his entire college career. Surely, Roark wasn't going to beat the Vols by running the 'Wildcat' offense all game. Think again...

Roark torched the Vols defense for 124 yards on 24 carries. He threw for 15 yards on 4-of-6 passing, but his damage came on the ground. The Kentucky offense ran basically three plays all game and the Vols defense really didn't have a great answer for the first time quarterback.

The real issues for the Vols were on the offensive side of the ball. Sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray looked terrible, throwing for 215 yards on 15-of-38 passing. His 53-yard touchdown pass to Raijon Neal was his lone bright spot. For the most part, the offense looked dead, uninspired and lacked leadership.

A lot of the blame should fall on the coaches. Derek Dooley and his staff have failed to motivate the Vols players on a number of occasions. This latest loss to Kentucky, brings light to the fact that this is a major issue. We have watched the Vols come out after halftime flat in nearly every game this season. We can talk about lack of leadership from the Vols players, but it has to start with the coaches. A good coaching staff can get the best out of their players. Instead, Dooley just chalks it up to not being a very good team. I'm sorry, but that excuse is unacceptable. You don't need to be a good team to beat this year's Kentucky team, you just need to be awake.

A lot needs to be done in the offseason to improve things for next season. Leaders need to emerge in the Vols locker room fast and they need to take control. A 5-7 season for Vols football cannot happen again. Most definitely a season cannot end with a loss to Kentucky. There is supposed to be some pride when wearing the orange and white, this current reality of embarrassment leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Sources: Meyer Accepts Ohio State Job

As suspected, sources are reporting that Urban Meyer has taken the head coaching position at Ohio State. The deal is worth a reported $40 million over seven years. It was widely reported last week that a deal was in place, but now sources are confirming the deal.

It will be interesting to see how Meyer holds up coaching the Buckeyes. Many have stated that Meyer's dream job was Notre Dame, but his true dream job is Ohio State. Meyer is from Ohio and coaching OSU, couldn't be closer to home for the former Utah and Florida coach.

[Image: The Inquisiter]

Lauren Alaina Messes Up National Anthem

 

Former American Idol runner-up, Lauren Alaina, messed up the National Anthem at the Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions game on Thanksgiving day.

NBA Lockout Over

Early this morning, it was announced that the NBA lockout will be ending. Games will start Christmas day and a 66 game schedule is planned.

All I can say is that it is about damn time the two sides could reach an agreement. The deal is tentative right now because a lot of fine tuning still needs to get done. The important thing here is that the two sides did reach an agreement to start the basketball season in 2011.

Suh Really Is A Dirty Player

If there was every any doubt about whether or not Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh is a dirty player, his actions Thanksgiving day were all the proof anybody needed. Suh was ejected in the third quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers after losing his cool and stomping on a Green Bay player that was on the ground.


I have defended Suh before, stating that his actions are a result of his aggressive style of play and they are not intended to harm opponents in a deliberate manner. However, Suh's actions Thursday were unjustified. 


Suh defended himself after the game, saying the following according to ESPN:

"I want to apologize to my teammates, my coaches and my true fans for allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game," Suh said. "What I did was remove myself from the situation the best way I felt, with me being held down."

"My intention was not to kick anybody, as I did not, removing myself," he said. "I was on top of a guy, being pulled down, and trying to get up off the ground -- and why you see me pushing his helmet down, because I'm trying to remove myself from the situation, and as I'm getting up, I'm getting pushed, so I'm getting myself on balance."

All I can say about that is that is one hell of a half-assed excuse for what happened. Anybody that saw the game or saw a replay of what happened, can attest to the fact that there was no way Suh didn't know he was doing when he stomped down on Evan Dietrich-Smith. 


Suh met with league commissioner Roger Goodell a few weeks ago to clear his name and frankly it looks like Suh wasted his time. Suh is a dirty player and will continue to be a dirty player. Suh does play the game hard, but he also is reckless. His careless play Thursday against Green Bay should get him suspended. Suh not only proved that he plays the game dirty, but he also proved that he doesn't care about letting his team down when they are so dependent on him.


[Image: Oplions]

Martin Has UT Men's Basketball Playing Well

Just looking at the overall record for the University of Tennessee men's basketball team doesn't tell the story of how well the Vols have played in their first four games of the year. The Vols under first year head coach Cuonzo Martin have a modest 2-2 record, but it is how they played in their two losses that has Vols fans, including myself, excited about the future of UT men's basketball.

Under Martin's guidance, the Vols hung tough with two top 10 teams in Duke and Memphis in the Maui Invitational tournament this week. The Vols gained praise from Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski in their 77-67 loss to a talented No. 6 Blue Devils team Monday night. Tuesday, the Vols took No. 8 Memphis to double overtime before falling 99-97. Even though the Vols lost both games, they showed great character and even more importantly what the direction the program is headed.

At the end of the day it comes down to wins and losses, but if the Vols keep playing hard, they will win some big games this year. It's always tough when a new coach comes into a program. It takes a little bit for the new coach to implement his system. The Vols players seemed to buy into what Martin has done so far. This could be the start of something great in Knoxville with Martin and Vols men's basketball.

[Image: EveryJoe.com]

Reports: Urban Meyer To Ohio State

According to sources, Urban Meyer has struck a deal to become the next head coach at the Ohio State University. Reports suggest that after the Michigan game this weekend, Meyer will be announced the new head coach of the Buckeyes.

Brock Lesnar vs. Alistair Overeem

 

 Does it get any better than this? Two monsters, one cage.

Brewers Braun Wins NL MVP

He may not have been the main star of Milwaukee Brewers last season, but Ryan Braun is the league's most valuable player. Sharing the spotlight with first baseman Prince Fielder, Braun capped off a fantastic 2011 campaign by edging out Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp for the award.

Many thought that Kemp was a lock to be the NL MVP, but Braun proved everybody wrong. Braun finished the season with a .332 batting average, 33 homeruns, 33 stolen bases, 111 RBIs and a slugging percentage of .597.

Kemp finished second in voting and Fielder finished third.

It's about time Braun earned some respect. Braun has been solid throughout his career, posting a .312 career batting average, 161 homeruns, 531 RBIs and a .531 slugging percentage. Simply put, the guy has been a stud since he played his first game for the Brewers in 2007.

[Image: lehighvalleylive]

Why Rodriguez Is A Good Hire For Arizona

The Arizona Wildcats football team made a splash yesterday when it announced on its Twitter site that it has hired former West Virginia and Michigan head coach Rich Rodriguez. In case you skimmed over the first part I will repeat, the Arizona FOOTBALL team made a SPLASH.

It isn't often that we have anything to say about Arizona's football team, but a hire like Rodriguez can bring some excitement to the Wildcats program. Arizona (3-8) fired its coach Mike Stoops on October 10 and has since been looking for his replacement.

Rodriguez made a name for himself as head coach at West Virginia. He was 60-26 and won the Big East title four times while coaching the Mountaineers. He made West Virginia a legitimate Top 25 team each year and as a result was offered the head coaching position at Michigan to replace Lloyd Carr. Rodriguez didn't have much success at Michigan and was 15-22 including 6-18 in Big Ten play, before being fired in 2010.

Rodriguez runs an offense that thrives on speed. There are many great athletes coming out of high school on the West Coast that have now taken note that Rodriguez is now the head coach at Arizona. It won't take long for him to get some good athletes in his system that will thrive in his offense. He wasn't ever able to get quite the right people in his system at Michigan in his short tenure. Arizona is the perfect sized program for Rodriguez to have the opportunity to build the way he wants and I think he will have some success there.

[Image: Sports Nola]

Tigers Verlander Wins AL MVP and Cy Young

Forget the Cy Young award, Detroit Tigers ace pitcher Justin Verlander won the American League Most Valuable Player award as well. I can't say Verlander didn't earn it.

Verlander was 24-5 this season with a 2.40 earned run average. He struck out 250 batters and had a WHIP of 0.92. Simply put, Verlander was remarkable in 2011.

Verlander is the first pitcher to be named MVP since Dennis Eckersley won the award in 1992. It's not often that a pitcher earns the award, but it was hard to image somebody else beating Verlander after the year he had. He was simply amazing this season and was as clutch a performer as there was in 2011. I can't think of a better award winner.

[Image: Crabcake Sports]

Bears Cutler To Have Thumb Surgery

Just when the Chicago Bears were starting to play their best football of the season,  they lose quarterback Jay Cutler for the season. Cutler broke his thumb on his throwing hand during the Bears 31-20 win over San Diego Sunday. Cutler is expected to undergo surgery on the injured thumb in the near future.

This is devastating news for the Bears (7-3), who were expected to be one of the teams competing for a playoff spot at the end of the season. Caleb Hanie will take over the team's starting role. Hanie, a four year veteran hasn't taken a snap this season, but did see limited action last season for the Bears. When Cutler injured a knee in the NFC title game last year against the Green Bay Packers, Hanie filled in and went 13-of-20 for 153 yards a touchdown and two interceptions in the loss.

It's time for Bears running back Matt Forte to carry the load the rest of the way. If the Bears can maintain its running game with Forte, Hanie should be able to manage the game enough to allow the Bears to have success. If the running game suffers as a result of Cutler's injury, it could put an end to the Bears hopes of returning to the playoffs this season.

[Image: Bear Goggles On]

The Redskins Really Are This Bad

As I watched the Washington Redskins take on the Dallas Cowboys yesterday, I really finally accepted the fact that the Redskins are a terrible football team. It hit me like a sledgehammer, but that is I guess what it took for me to realize that my beloved Redskins are one of the worst teams in the league.

After a 3-1 start to the year, all hell has broken out the last six games as Washington has fallen to 3-7 and last in the NFC East. Sure, the effort Sunday against the Cowboys was admirable as the Redskins took their rival to overtime, but once again, Washington failed to finish strong and let another game slip away.

It is tough being a dedicated fan of a underachieving team year after year. It's hard work, but it's necessary. Necessary because one of these days the Redskins will be worth a damn. I have been a fan for 27 years and will continue to be for as long as I live. I live and breath Washington Redskins football and sooner or later the Redskins will put a good product on the field, and I will be glad that I stuck with them.

Hail.

Tebow's Heroics Wreck Jets

As soon as Jets cornerback Darelle Revis opened his mouth the other day, you just knew that Tim Tebow was going to do something great to make the big-mouthed cornerback with he hadn't said anything.

So trailing 13-10 with less than six minutes remaining in the game, Tebow orchestrated a 95-yard drive capped with a 20-yard TD run from the scrutinized quarterback. Yes, Tebow did it again.

The Denver Broncos (5-5) are 4-1 with Tebow as their starter and are a half game behind the Oakland Raiders in the AFC West race.

Before the final drive, Tebow was 6-of-15 for 69 yards and had 11 yards rushing on two carries. On the final drive, Tebow was 3-of-5 passing for 35 yards and had 57 yards rushing on six carries. It's fair to say that Tebows shines late and I don't think there is a team in the NFL that wants to be in a position where they have to stop Tebow when he has a chance for a game-winning drive late in the game.

[Image: Ron Chenoy, US PRESSWIRE]

Dale Sveum And Cubs A Match

The long search for a Chicago Cubs manager came to a close today as former Milwaukee Brewers hitting coach Dale Sveum accepted the gig.

Sveum will be the first manager under the Theo Epstein regime, which is interesting because Sveum was also reportedly the front runner to be the next manager of the Red Sox, Epstein's former team.

It looks like Epstein one-upped his former team, but only time will tell how this will work out for the Cubs, who are coming off a 71-91 campaign.

[Image: Bettor.com]

Jets Revis Challenges Tebow and Broncos

For New York Jets cornerback Darelle Revis, playing the Broncos might get a little boring in the secondary. So he says...

Revis has pretty much come out and said that according to ESPN that he doesn't think Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow has a good arm.

"We can't fall asleep back there in the secondary," Revis said. "It can get boring, especially when a team just keeps running the ball, series after series, play after play."

Sure, Tebow isn't going to put up the passing numbers of an Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, Tom Brady or Philip Rivers, but he knows how to get the ball down field when he needs to. Tebow is 2-1 as the Broncos starter this season, something that the apparent better throwing quarterback in Kyle Orton couldn't do as the starter through the team's first five games of the year.

The funniest thing about Revis' comments are that there are many people convinced that the quarterback on his own team in New York isn't the right guy to get the job done. If you look at the numbers, Mark Sanchez and Tebow have pretty much the same quarterback rating. Well, Tebow is 81.6 and Sanchez is 81.5. Tebow's passing numbers will not blow you away as he has only completed 45 percent of his throws. However, he has seven touchdown passes to only one interception which means that he is taking care of the ball. Sanchez has thrown 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions on the year. The Jets signal caller has completed 56.7 percent of his passes, but the nine turnovers balance the two quarterbacks out in my book.

[Image: eWorldPost]

Orioles Bring Back The Cartoon Bird

The Baltimore Orioles have decided to bring back the cartoon bird logo in 2012. The logo was last used in 1988. Also for the first time since 1992, the Orioles will feature an orange jersey for select home games.

This is a good change-up for the Orioles and their fans. It's hard to get excited about the Orioles from a fan's perspective, but at least a uniform change can give the fans something positive to talk about.

Sandusky Interview Makes Him Sound Creepier

The world around Penn State and former coach Jerry Sandusky is crumbling at a rapid rate. Sandusky was interviewed last night by Bob Costas on NBC and it sure didn't help his cause in my opinion.

Sandusky is not the world's greatest speaker in the first place, so the entire interview sounded like one big lie. In addition to his all over the place answers, Sandusky's slow speech demeanor made him sound like a creepmaster. Despite those two factors, Sandusky's answer to the question of "Are you sexually attracted to children" bothered me. It seems pretty clear that if the answer was no, it wouldn't be too hard to simply say no. Instead Sandusky danced around the answer while repeating Bob's question. After repeating the question to buy time, Sandusky gave an incredibly strange answer:

"Sexually attracted, no. I enjoy young people, I love to be around them, but, no, I'm not sexually attracted to young boys." - Jerry Sandusky

Could there be a more creepy answer to such a simply question? I know that there is still a trial that needs to happen here and Sandusky claims he is innocent, but seriously, Sandusky appears guilty in every sense of the word. 

[Image: PennLive]

DeSean Jackson Let The Eagles Down Sunday

When do you hurt your team the most? When you miss a meeting and are consequently suspended for the following game. That is exactly what happened to Eagles star receiver DeSean Jackson when he missed a special teams meeting Saturday.

The excuse was that Jackson overslept. When you are a leader on a team, you do not oversleep. You invest in a good alarm clock or two and make sure they are set before you go to sleep.

The Eagles could have used the speedy Jackson Sunday in their 21-17 loss to the Cardinals. Instead Philadelphia saw quarterback Michael Vick have a terrible game, passing for 134 yards on 16-of-34 and throwing two interceptions. Vick also broke ribs in the game, making the terrible game that much worse. It's hard to say that the Eagles would have performed better if Jackson was on the field, but it's fair to say that they wouldn't have looked worse. Jackson is in the final year of his rookie contract, so you would think he would be trying to show some leadership. Sleeping through meetings is not the way to show coaches and the team that you are a leader.

[Image: All Sports Everything]

The Florida Marlins Are Staying Busy

In an offseason where they introduced new head coach Ozzie Guillen already, the Florida Marlins are trying to make a big splash in free agency by courting Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and now Albert Pujols.

The odds of the Marlins landing all three of the high profile free agents are highly unlikely and even their chances of landing two of the three seem too good to be true, There is no question that the Marlins have the money to sign a big fish this free agency, but will those three all come together to play for one team?

I still have strong feelings that Pujols, 31, will remain a member of the St. Louis Cardinals. It's hard to believe that Pujols would actually suit up for somebody else besides St. Louis. While stranger things have definitely happened, I have strong feelings that Pujols will remain a member of the Cardinals in 2012.

As for Reyes and Buehrle. They both seem much more likely to sign with Florida. Reyes will almost certainly not be a member of the New York Mets next season. Signing with Florida is a good opportunity for Reyes to continue his career as a standout shortstop. He could fit the leadoff spot nicely and looks like an ideal match for Guillen. As for Buehrle, a reunion with Guillen seems like an ideal situation. There hasn't been a bigger pitcher for Guiellen when he was the manager of the Chicago White Sox than Buehrle. He was the go to guy and it seems likely that Guillen will do everything in his power to sign him.

Whoever the Marlins end up with, they will be joining a team with some young talent to work with. With the Marlins opening up 2012 in a new stadium, it seems very fitting to add a big name free agent to booster the excitement. We'll be keeping an eye on the Marlins this offseason for sure.

Why Is Mike McQueary Still Able To Coach At Penn State?

Penn State wide receivers coach Mike McQueary will not attend the Penn State vs. Nebraska game this weekend, but the bigger question is why is McQueary still on the coaching staff?

McQueary was the one what actually witnessed Jerry Sandusky's horrific behavior. McQueary was a graduate assistant at the time on Joe Paterno's staff and allegedly alerted Paterno of Sandusky's actions. Then we all know that nobody followed through based on the abundant media coverage of the situation at Penn State this week.

So if Paterno went down in a giant ball of flames, why is McQueary's job still safe? It seems like everybody that knew anything about the situation should be fired and treated in similar ways. I know Paterno was the leader, so the fact that he is getting all the attention is not surprising. However, why is McQueary still allowed to be on the coaching staff after playing a part in how this situation was never controlled?

[Image: Onward State]

UPDATED: Joe Paterno Fired Effective Immediately

After yesterday afternoon's breaking news that legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno was going to step down after this season, a bombshell broke at 10:00 p.m. last night after the board of trustees met and decided to fire Paterno effective immediately.

There is no doubt that this is a terrible situation for Penn State. Paterno is a living legend in State College, PA, but there was no choice but to rid the coach of his duties. Penn State president Graham Spanier was also fired.

The 84-year-old Paterno is as beloved in the State College, PA area as anybody could possibly be. For as long as most people can remember, Paterno has been coaching at Penn State. An icon, a legend, a role model are all terms that can be used to describe the coach that has won a record 409 games. His legacy until now was unblemished. Paterno lived his life by preaching good morals, so it is ironic that his morals are what ultimately brought him down.

For as long as Paterno has coached, he has been know as "doing things the right way". It would be unfortunate if the Jerry Sandusky ordeal tarnished Paterno's name. Paterno has not been accused of legal wrongdoing. But he has been assailed, in what the state police commissioner called a lapse of "moral responsibility," for not doing more to stop Sandusky's illegal actions.

According to ESPN, Paterno has been questioned over his apparent failure to follow up on a report of the 2002 incident, in which Sandusky allegedly sodomized a 10-year-old boy in the showers at the team's football complex. A witness, Mike McQueary, is currently receivers coach for the team but was a graduate assistant at the time.

Paterno could have done more and he should have followed up to make sure the situation was taken care. Sandusky was not a member of Paterno's staff at the time, so Paterno put his head in the sand and told McQueary to report it to the athletic director. Paterno didn't do anything technically wrong, but he could have done a lot more.

Paterno is the scapegoat for a terrible situation. Paterno's failure to properly handle the situation will forever haunt him and Penn State supporters. Sandusky is a coward, a loser and a scumbag of the lowest capacity. If Paterno knowingly covered for him, he is on the same moral level. What Sandusky did was wrong and not following through or even covering up his actions are wrong in every regard. A punishment had to come down on Paterno and the only punishment was to relieve him of his duties as head football coach.

[Image: Inventive Education]

Patriots Cut Albert Haynesworth

So much for resurrecting his career. Albert Haynesworth, a once stud defensive tackle with the Tennessee Titans is now just the latest to see his very promising career plummet in a matter of a few seasons.

After seeing what a train wreck Haynesworth was with the Washington Redskins, the New England Patriots decided to sign the disgruntled veteran prior to the 2011 season. Haynesworth entered camp with determination and he declared that he was going to redeem himself and return to his once high level of play. Barely halfway through the season, the Patriots decided they were tired of waiting for the has-been to show glimpses of his former All-Pro self.

It is hard to imagine Haynesworth being picked up this season after his horrendous track record the past couple of years unless he is willing to go somewhere for cheap. Knowing how Haynesworth operates, I would be hard to image him doing anything for cheap especially since we all witnessed how he performed when the Redskins gave him $100 million.

[Image: John Amis - AP, source Music City Miracles]

Nutt Out At Mississippi

Multiple sources are confirming that Mississippi Rebels head football coach Houston Nutt will not return next season. It is also being reported that athletic director Pete Boone also will not return once the university hires his replacement.

Nutt is in his fourth season as head football coach and after a promising beginning to his tenure that saw the Rebels win nine games in each of his first two seasons, Ole Miss has lost 12 straight Southeastern Conference games. Ole Miss is 2-7 overall and 0-6 in SEC play this year.

There isn't any question that Nutt is a good football coach, but winning is the number one goal. Whenever you have a last place team, there is a chance of a coaching change. That is the way it has been and it is the way it always will be.

[Image: Saturday Down South]

Why Alabama and LSU Could Meet Up Again In The National Championship

After losing a 9-6 defensive battle against LSU Saturday in overtime, Alabama only dropped one spot in the BCS Standings. The now No. 3 team in the country still has a chance at the national title game and frankly, they should.

Oklahoma State moved up to No. 2 in the most recent standings, with Stanford fourth and Boise State fifth.

Oklahoma State faces No. 6 Oklahoma in Week 15 on December 3 that could prove to be the deciding factor in where Alabama finishes the season. Stanford faces Oregon on November 12 and Notre Dame on November 26, so if the Cardinal have a slip-up in one of those games, the door could be open for Alabama to reclaim the No. 2 spot if LSU and the Tide don't lose any games from here on out.

It doesn't appear that there would be a better match-up for a National Championship game than a rematch of what took place this past Saturday between Alabama and LSU.

The NBA Is Losing Popularity Day By Day

Let's face it, the National Basketball Association is not that popular. The fans are not near as dedicated to the NBA as it is to the National Football League or even Major League Baseball. Cancelling games this season is only hurting the league. Fans and onlookers are getting more frustrated day by day as the lockout drags on.

Many fans themselves are facing financial struggles of their own. They work hard every day trying to make ends meet. To see the NBA players and owners not being able to reach an agreement over millions of dollars is just ridiculous to many on the outside looking in. People are getting fed up with the greed in professional sports and this situation is only making matters worse for the fans. For a league that depends on fans, they are climbing a slippery slope by assuming the fans will always be there.

It is not fair that the NBA is robbing what fans they do have of a full 2011-2012 NBA season and it is even more fair to expect fans to continue to support the NBA the way they did prior to the lockout. We all want professional basketball back, but having this lockout drag on the way it is makes a lot of fans including myself become more frustrated with the selfishness of the league each day the lockout continues.

[Image: Locker Smash]

Missouri Officially Joins SEC

After weeks of speculation about the Missouri Tigers leaving the Big 12 to join the Southeastern Conference, it is finally official. The Tigers will be slated to join the SEC East as the 14th member of the SEC.

The move will officially take place in the summer of 2012, just in time for the 2012 football season. It will be interesting to see how the Tigers will fare in the SEC. There is no doubt that the SEC is a deep football conference from top to bottom and it will be a tough task for any team that is new. There is no doubt that the opportunity to play top conference opponents will help recruiting future players. The additions of Texas A&M (to the SEC West) and Missouri only add to the excitement of SEC football.

Why The Orioles Should Sign Prince Fielder

If the Baltimore Orioles signed free-agent Prince Fielder, they would add a piece to their lineup that has been missing for some time. Baltimore has a good nucleus of talent in their organization with the one exception of a legitimate middle of the lineup power hitter. If the Orioles signed Fielder, they would not only be getting a good hitter, but one of the best in the game at a good point in his career. Fielder is 27 years old and signing him now would make him the face of the franchise for years to come - something the Orioles haven't had since Cal Ripken wore the orange and black.

This move alone wouldn't ensure that the Orioles are a playoff contender, but it would certainly help their cause. Some issues the Orioles faced last year were inconsistencies on both offense, defense and pitching. Adding Fielder to the lineup could help the rest of the offense out tremendously, but there is still the defensive and pitching issues. The Orioles have talented young starters in Zach Britton, Jake Arrieta, Brian Matusz, Troy Patton and Chris Tillman and an experienced veteran in Jeremy Guthrie - but there is plenty of maturing to do before they can perform consistently in the starting rotation. With time, they could turn into a great rotation, but it is much to early to tell. It would be beneficial for the Orioles to sign a decent veteran that along with Guthrie could show some leadership and help develop the young hurlers in the organization.If Baltimore signed a quality starter in addition to Fieler, the Orioles could put together a special 2012 campaign and finally give the fans in Baltimore something to get excited about.

[Image: Baseball Musings]

Theo Epstein and Terry Francona Reunion In Chicago?

For Chicago Cubs President of Operations Theo Epstein, former Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona could be the perfect candidate for the vacant Cubs manager position.

The duo made it work in Boston when the Red Sox made the playoffs as a serious contender six times under Francona from 2002-2011. Francona is coming off a season in which he saw the Red Sox finish the season with a 7-20 record in September and miss the playoffs after an otherwise solid season. It was clear that his days in Boston were numbered after that collapse.

So you may be thinking why Francona would be a good fit in Chicago. The reason is quite simple actually. Epstein was brought in to reshape the franchise. He is going to bring in talent from various teams and talent that is in various stages of their careers. Epstein needs a manager that can unite the new talent and turn it into a winner. Francona can be just that. He doesn't have a big ego, he doesn't want the attention, he just wants to put his team in the best position to win. That is just what the Cubs need in their rebuilding effort that is about to begin.

[Images: Korked Bats and The Baseball Haven]

Is Ndamukong Suh Really A Dirty Player?

Since Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh entered the NFL two years ago, he has been labeled as a dirty player. He plays the game with a physical nature, creating havoc on quarterbacks and running backs. Often times he makes offensive lineman look like much inferior humans as he uses his unique combination of strength and agility to shed block attempts. Suh is not just good, but very good at what he does.

Suh has been fined $42,500 in his young NFL career for what has been deemed as "dirty" football plays. Sure some of the hits are rough and a few fines were warranted. However, the perception that Suh is a "dirty" player will now contribute to even more fines due to the nature of his play. Sure, the fines will come, but that is the nature of how Suh plays the game. Sometimes he will cross the line, but it is not done without the intent of helping his team win the game.

Since when does playing hard warrant a tag of being a dirty player? Sure football is a violent sport and the job of a defender is to defend. Hard hits, rough tackles and block shedding are all a part of the job for a defensive tackle. Just because Suh is arguably the best defensive lineman in the NFL does not mean he should be labeled as a dirty player. It just means that he is one of the most feared and being the most feared defensive lineman means that Suh is pretty damn good at what he does.

[Image: Oplions]

C.C. Sabathia and Yankees Agree

There was no way the New York Yankees were going to let their pitching ace slip away. The Yankees and lefty C.C. Sabathia agreed on a five year deal worth $122 million.

There was plenty of speculation that the Texas Rangers were among one of several teams interested in the 31-year-old. However, the Yankees were able to squash any idea of Sabathia moving to another team.

It was no secret that Sabathia wanted to remain a Yankee. It was up to the team to offer Sabathia enough money to keep him in pinstripes. The move makes sense for New York to want to do anything in order to keep Sabathia. He has been nothing short of a stud on the mound for the Yankees and he has been everything they expected him to be since they acquired him in 2009.

[Image: Newsrebound]