http://www.sportsnipe.com Frontpage Sports News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048659/nfl-predictions-san-diego-chargers-vs-denver-broncos-week-11.html NFL Predictions: San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos Week 11 - Chargers are 2-0-3 ATS in their last 5 meetings in Denver. Over is 6-1 in the last 7 meetings. Chargers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 meetings. Favorite is 4-1-1 ATS in their last 6 meetings.The Chargers are red hot right now and Rivers is crushing opponents. If Orton can't go, Tyler Polumbus will be protecting the blind side. And if that is the case, I imagine San Diego will bring Merriman from that side. Bodog.com list the total San Diego Chargers vs Denver Broncos set at 43 points.  Chargers Broncos odds: Chargers Aim To Reclaim AFC West - The San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos finish up their regular season series this weekend as the Chargers visit Investco Field. It should be an interesting contest as both teams are heading in opposite directions. Week 11 NFL Betting Lines & NFL Betting Spread. The Chargers have won four straight games while the Broncos have lost three straight and haven’t won since they defeated the Chargers nearly a month ago. The winner of this contest will take control of the AFC West, which should be exactly what the Chargers do as they stay hot. NFL Predictions  The Chargers in a blowout. With or without Orton, the Chargers won't get swept by the Broncos this season. Especially with the way the Bolts are playing right now. The Broncos have a very difficult schedule comin' up and it starts with this game against the Bolts. NFL Predictions Bet on San Diego Chargers against the NFL Betting Line & Spread at Bodog.com.  Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048658/duke-struggling-to-stay-healthy-at-qb.html Much attention has been paid to Miami quarterback Jacory Harris’ soft cast this week, but Duke could face a scary situation on Saturday at Miami if anything happens to keep starting quarterback Thaddeus Lewis out of the game, even just momentarily. The Blue Devils lost their top backup quarterback, redshirt freshman Sean Renfree, to a torn ACL for the rest of the season, and could be forced to turn to either a walk-on or a true freshman trying to redshirt if Lewis is unable to play. Renfree, the program’s future at the position, tore the ligament in his right knee this past week against Georgia Tech and will need surgery. He played in five games this year and completed 34-of-50 pass attempts (.680) for 330 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions. His best game came at Army, coming off the bench to complete 7-of-8 passes for 106 yards and two touchdowns in Duke's 35-19 come-from-behind victory. Lewis, who battled a case of the Swine Flu during summer camp, has struggled to stay injury-free all season. He’s listed as probable with a leg injury for Saturday. The first person coach David Cutcliffe would turn to off the bench would be Alex King, a walk-on reserve punter who has helped at times as a holder and has prior quarterback experience. King is the short-term option. If Lewis is out for an extended period of time, Duke would have to burn the redshirt of Sean Schroeder, who was rated the No. 29 quarterback in his class by ESPN.com. Schroeder has gotten some significant practice reps in Lewis’ absence. “He’s aware of that, and knows even though it’s the 11th game of the year, he would come in and play,” Cutcliffe said. “There’s just too much on the line and too many other good reasons to play him. We’ve got direct snap stuff you can go in with your running backs, but I don’t know I want to play a whole game doing that if we lose Thad for an extended period of time.” Odds are they’ll lose more than just Lewis if it has to come down to that. Duke is still playing for bowl eligibility and needs to win its final two games. Lewis has spoken in the past about how much it would mean to him to lead the program there in his senior season, so odds are he’ll do everything he can to stay on the field. Hopefully both he and Jacory can manage to do that, so the game is determined by their play, and not by their injuries. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048657/college-football-minnesota-vs-iowa-betting-odds-amp-pick-november-21st-2009.html Minnesota vs. Iowa Free Pick: Minnesota +11 -110 betting odds Visit Touthouse.com for more�college football picks from Ted Sevransky Iowa has fought the good fight this year. The Hawkeyes were expected to be a mid-level Big 10 team. Instead, Kirk Ferentz guided his squad to a 9-0 record to start the season, putting the Hawkeyes in the middle [...] Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048656/marv-albert-vs-50-cent-actually-almost-happened.html This story definitely goes in the "last thing I would ever expect" category.� Rappers feud with each other frequently, and even occasionally get in scuffles or full out wars.� To have a rapper get into it with an old, white basketball announcer is extremely odd.� As odd as the Devils shootout goal the other night? [...] Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048655/eagles-shuffle-linebackers.html For the second consecutive week, the Eagles will go with a different look at linebacker because of a knee injury to weakside starter Akeem Jordan. Coach Andy Reid ruled out Jordan for Sunday night's game at Chicago. Will Witherspoon will again start at weakside LB, and second-year man Joe Mays will start in the middle. Chris Gocong, who started in the middle in last week's loss to San Diego, will move back to his customary spot on the strong side. Rookie Moise Fokou, who started the past two games on the strong side, appears to be the odd man out. Additionally, CB Sheldon Brown is listed as questionable with a hamstring injury he suffered in San Diego. The veteran did limited work Thursday and Friday in practice. Reid said it will be a game-time decision as his secondary already deals with depth issues. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048654/lynch-scored-on-jaguars-last-year.html Marshawn Lynch scored on the Jaguars last season in Jacksonville, something he hopes to do again in Week 11. In his meeting with them last season he also had 67 total yards, and that was sharing the ball with Fred Jackson, which is also something he'll do again this Sunday. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048653/ravens-dont-scare-manning.html Peyton Manning will play at Baltimore in Week 11, matchup that actually bodes well for him. With the Ravens' secondary a mess and their pass rush missing OLB Terrell Suggs, Manning should be in for a solid week. He has also thrown seven touchdowns in his last two games against the Ravens, proving that he has no problem finding the end zone in matchups with Ray Lewis & Co. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048652/moss-to-rebound-vs-friendly-foe.html Is Santana Moss worth a start in Week 11 at Dallas? On the surface it doesn't look good for him as the Cowboys secondary has rebounded vs. the pass and Moss had his worst week since Week 1 last time out. But history suggests that Moss steps it up for the Cowboys -- he has three games with at least 110 yards passing in last four against him with at least five receptions in all four of those games. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048651/olsen-to-light-up-philly.html Greg Olsen has been a regular target of QB Jay Cutler's of late, and that should continue in Week 11 vs. Philadelphia. Olsen met the Eagles last season and had 35 yards and a TD against them. With Cutler eying Olsen in the end zone more often than not these days, don't be surprised to see him score again on Sunday. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048650/start-scheffler-stats-say-so.html TE Tony Scheffler will take on the Chargers in Week 11 at home. The last time he played them he did really well -- in fact, the last three times he played them he did really well. Scheffler has four TDs in last three vs. Chargers with 101 yards and a score against them in Week 6 this season. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048649/wayne-to-rock-ravens.html We know you're starting WR Reggie Wayne in Fantasy play in Week 11 anyway, and you should as he takes on the Ravens. Wayne's done well against them, totaling 10 catches for 160 yards and two TDs in last two against Baltimore. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048648/williams-to-speed-past-saints.html Buccaneers RB Cadillac Williams is probable for Week 11 vs. the Saints after another full practice on Friday. He's expected to play, and he should play fairly well. Williams has faced the Saints at home twice over the last two years and has totaled three rushing touchdowns in those contests. Throw in the Saints' run defense struggling over the last couple of weeks (DT Sedrick Ellis is questionable) and you have the makings of a surprising Fantasy option. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048647/bills-lb-ellison-placed-on-seasonending-injured-reserve.html Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048646/saints-bush-questionable-vs-bucs-after-missing-another-practice.html Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048645/49ers-smith-still-prove-he-was-right-choice-over-rodgers.html Suppose some stranger comes up to you on the street and asks you, the devoted 49ers fan in your throwback Joe Montana jersey, who's better: Aaron Rodgers or Alex Smith? Almost reflexively you answer Rodgers. I mean, really, you don't even think about it for more than a second. Rodgers has the better numbers, he's had more immediate success, he's never been called a bust, and he was picked within the top three rounds in your fantasy draft. Smith, by comparison, has a career 12-21 record, has never finished a season with more touchdown passes than interceptions, and wasn't taken at all in most drafts because he opened the season as San Francisco's backup. In 33 career starts Smith has never thrown for more than 293 yards in any game. In 25 starts Rodgers has exceeded that figure eight times. The two men will forever be linked by the 2005 draft when the 49ers, with the first pick, chose Smith out of the University of Utah, over local boy Rodgers, who went to Cal. Yet while their media-driven rivalry seems on the surface to be as one-sided as that of a hammer and a nail, the debate isn't as cut-and-dried as the numbers suggest. For one thing, the two men have had to deal with entirely different circumstances. Smith was thrown, almost immediately, into his team's starting lineup?an offense completely alien to him?and surrounded by players who were undeniably terrible. Remember, the 49ers didn't have the first overall pick in the 2005 draft by accident. They were a wretched outfit in 2004, with a roster so bereft of talent that they resembled an expansion team. When Mike Nolan and Scot McCloughan took over the team in 2005, they were faced with a reclamation project every bit as daunting as what coach Jim Schwartz and general manager Martin Mayhew face now with the Detroit Lions. Their running back was Kevan Barlow. The top receivers were Cedrick Wilson and Brandon Lloyd. The offensive line was a mess and while there were some names on defense (most notably a fading Bryant Young), their leading tacklers were Derek Smith and Jeff Ulbrich. Not only did Alex Smith have to take his licks while learning then-offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy's version of the West Coast Offense (after masterfully running the spread under Urban Meyer at Utah), but he had to adjust to a whole new offense again the next season when McCarthy got hired as the Packers head coach. And then a new offense in 2007. And 2008. And 2009. The 49ers go through offensive coordinators the way you or I go through underwear, and for similar reasons. Smith also hasn't been helped any by having to deal with coaches who are gleefully and pathologically ignorant of the quarterback position. Nolan not only constricted Smith with his Cheney-level conservative game plans, but nearly ruined his career with his callous negligence, ordering his young quarterback to play with a separated shoulder in 2007. Only now, after two operations, has Smith regained his arm strength. The current 49ers regime of coach Mike Singletary and offensive coordinator Jimmy Raye, meanwhile, only lets Smith do what he does best?pass out of the shotgun?when the team is behind. Anytime the team is winning, their "formula" is to have the quarterback play with two hands tied behind his back and ram the ball pointlessly into nine man fronts to avoid potentially messy turnovers. Smith has started three-and-a-half games this season and had just one stinker, against Vince Young and the plucky Titans. In his other action he played Peyton Manning to a draw at Indy, was less awful than Jay Cutler against the Bears, and accomplished as much as Matt Schaub at Houston, in half the time. Smith hasn't been great by any means, but he's trying to get by while breaking in two green receivers in Michael Crabtree and Josh Morgan, and a third one in Isaac Bruce who needed to retire last January. It is, as they say, "a work in progress." Contrast what Smith walked into with Rodgers' situation. Rodgers had three years to sit on the bench and learn at Green Bay. The offense he got drafted into wasn't all that different than what he ran at Cal under Jim Tedford. He's had stability with his coaching staff, and not just with McCarthy. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has held that post for three years and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has been on the job for four. McCarthy said during his conference call with Bay Area reporters that his experience with Smith shaped his philosophy with young quarterbacks, and that he is a strong proponent of the "sit-and-watch" method. That sounds well and good when you have Brett Favre on your roster. It's not as though the 49ers pushed Steve Young out the door to make way for the Alex Smith era. If the only other quarterbacks on Green Bay's roster were Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, and Cody Pickett, then Rodgers would've been thrown right into the fire too. Also, despite the flashy numbers he's put up, Rodgers hasn't been nearly as successful as the analysts make him out to be. In 2007, his first year at the helm, Rodgers led the Packers to a 6-10 record. This was despite being given virtually the same roster to work with that Favre piloted to a 13-3 mark and an NFC Championship Game appearance the season prior. He repeatedly folded under the pressure and the Packers lost games by 3, 3, 1, 4, 3, 4, and 3 points. This season he's already lost the two biggest games on the schedule?against the Vikings?and in the process has made both McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson look bad in choosing him over Favre. He's also lost to the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Packers, preseason darlings to come out of the NFC, are just 5-4 and on the fringe of playoff contention. While Rodgers has been lauded for his 17-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, he has shown little pocket awareness and taken far more sacks than his beleagured offensive line deserves to be blamed for. Rodgers' defenders point out that taking a sack is a smarter play then throwing a pick, as Favre often did with the Packers. But the smarter play still would be to throw the ball away, or to a hot receiver, or to see the blitz coming and audible into a better play. Indeed, Rodgers has been better than Smith thus far in their nascent careers, but the gap isn't as wide as people think, and Rodgers has been given every possible advantage while Smith has had to overcome obstacle after obstacle. Rodgers couldn't overcome Favre's ghost in the two biggest games of his career, so it wouldn't be surprising at all to see him come up short once more against the quarterback he'll always be compared to. This argument hasn't been settled. Not yet. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048644/iverson-knicks-what-could-have-been.html Allen Iverson, one of the games greatest players and arguably the third best shooting guard in league history, was so close to getting a chance at resurrecting his career and turning the New York Knicks into a lovable team. Fans were ecstatic when they heard Iverson was going to sign a deal over the weekend with the Knicks and people were already talking about how were going to get his jersey the first day it drops. Tickets would have sold out and fans would have for the first time in a long time, got to cheer for a player on their own team. The best thing New York gets is when Kobe, LeBron James, or Dwyane Wade comes to town. The crowds go crazy because New York loves stars. Especially those who can take over a game and make exciting plays. Iverson could have been the star the Knicks have been searching for. He would prove to everyone how is still one of the best players in the league. He would be playing in a system that fits his style of play. Iverson could have put up 25-30 points a night and lead the Knicks. Who knows, maybe he could have even led them to the playoffs as a seventh or eighth seed. I could picture it right now, it would have been just like his days in Philadelphia. �Iverson lacing up a pair of orange and white Answer 13's, getting handshakes from the celebrities sitting court side, and having those 40 point nights and running around the worlds most famous arena, Madison Square Garden. He would have his hand to his ear while the crowd chants his name and the Knicks would be winners again. Iverson's face would be all over the signs and billboards in Times Square. He would be the talk of the city. His jersey would sell like crazy and Iverson would prove that he still has the skills he showed as a Sixer and a Nugget. But the Knicks decided they didn't need a former MVP and four time scoring champion. They didn't want a player who has 24,020 points and is arguably one of the top 25 players all all-time. They thought he would stunt the growth of the young guys on their team. The same young guys that are so good that they are supposed to attract superstars like LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to play in New York in 2010.� The Knicks blew it big time. They could have done so much for Iverson, but Iverson would have done even more for them. They could have signed LeBron or D-Wade in 2010 and the Knicks could contend for a championship next season. The Knicks had nothing to lose on this move but had everything to gain. Unfortunately, they decided to pass. The Knicks do not have a leader. Iverson could have been that leader. Iverson could have been that superstar the excites the city and makes the Knicks the talk of the league.� Now the Knicks can have fun trying to win games with their current roster. They don't have a first round pick next season and they are NOT getting LeBron or D-Wade if their best player is Al Harrington. LeBron and Wade already have a lot of help where they are playing and they aren't going to come to New York saying, "Yes! I get to play with Danilo Gallinari." The Knicks had a golden chance and they blew it. Allen Iverson playing for the New York Knicks could have been one of the best sports stories of the year. But Donnie Walsh has 2010 in mind. Good luck with that buddy. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048643/death-drew-brees-mother-ruled-suicide.html The death of the mother of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has been ruled a suicide. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048642/johnson-to-start-title-drive-up-front-lands-pole-at-homestead.html Jimmie Johnson will go for his fourth straight Cup title from the pole. Johnson turned a lap of 173.919 mph to win the pole at Homestead-Miami ... Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048641/so-if-suzy-kolber-was.html Suzy Kolber: Allegedly, the Monday Night Football sideline reporter was having an affair with a producer on the show. Biggie? No biggie? Anyway, he was supposedly married with four kids. As a reader noted, Kolber had a baby last March. Hmmmm. At the time, her father adamantly refused to say who the baby’s father was. [...] Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048640/realclearpolitics-travesty-in-new-york.html And now its self-proclaimed architect, Khalid Sheik Mohammed, has been given by the Obama administration a civilian trial in New York. Just as the memory ... Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048639/john-mccain-odd-man-out-on-climate-change-bill.html Sens. Lindsey Graham and Joe Lieberman have been working overtime to craft a climate bill that can attract significant GOP support. But they aren’t ... Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048638/diocese-pedophile-priests-should-get-benefits.html A catholic diocese to keep paying retirement benefits to six priests who church officials have confirmed are pedophiles Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048637/sleep-apnea-risk-factor-for-heart-disease-in-kidney-transplant-patients.html Obstructive sleep apnea is common in kidney transplant recipients and is associated with increased risk of high blood pressure, heart disease or stroke. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048636/ravens-de-edwards-to-appeal-fine-for-hit-ap.html Baltimore Ravens defensive end Dwan Edwards plans to appeal the $5,000 fine he received for a hit delivered to Cleveland Browns wide receiver Joshua Cribbs on Monday night. Edwards struck Cribbs with a forearm to the facemask on the final play of Baltimore's 16-0 win. Edwards said Friday he will appeal in an effort "to get some of it back." He said the fine was levied because the hit... Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048635/james-neal-receives-2game-suspension.html The league has announced it. James Neal has been suspended two games for his hit on Columbus forward Derek Dorsett Thursday night. This is bad for the Stars on a couple of levels. 1. Neal is probably their best player...Defending Big D found this 2 hours ago on starsblog.dallasnews.com Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: NHL, James Brown, Columbus Blue Jackets, Mike Richards, David Booth, New Jersey Devils Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048634/return-north-american-soccer-league.html Miami FC Registered Two NASL Trademark Claims on 11.16.2009 According to a search of the United States Patent and Trademark Office records, North American Soccer League, LCC in Delaware filed two trademark claims on November 16th, 2009. They claims were marked c/o Miami FC 501 Brickell Key ...WVHooligan - Soccer Blog found this 3 hours ago on uslnews.com Find more top sports news, videos, and blogs on BallHype: Soccer, Miami FC Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048633/blame-drew-asu-baseball-coach-pat-murphy-resigns-college.html Pat Murphy announced his resignation today, thus freeing up some time to roam the earth, seek out Drew and beat him like a readheaded stepchild, if he were the sort of man to do such a thing. [ASU... Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048632/no-5-villanova-v-18-dayton-in-p-rico.html Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048362/austin-should-be-solid-vs-skins.html There's lots to like about Cowboys WR Miles Austin in Week 11 vs. the Redskins. Not only is he still a top option in the Dallas offense, but he scored against the Redskins at home last season. And, the Redskins secondary allowed two long touchdowns to Brandon Marshall last week -- something Austin should be able to replicate on Sunday. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048361/romo-to-rock-redskins.html Save for the 2007 season finale when he didn't finish the game in an effort to rest up for the playoffs, Tony Romo has been solid against the Redskins. In four meaningful games, Romo has 10 touchdowns and only four interceptions against them with three games over 275 yards passing. Romo faces the Redskins at home in Week 11. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048360/boldin-has-good-history-vs-rams.html In his last three games against the Rams, Cardinals WR Anquan Boldin has collected 15 catches, 203 yards and two TDs. Boldin will face off against the woefully bad Rams secondary in Week 11 and should be able to reel in a bunch of passes with a shot at a touchdown. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048359/rams-always-fave-fitzgeralds.html As you might expect, Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald has a strong history against the Rams, his Week 11 opponent. In his last five games against them, Fitzgerald has totaled 507 yards and five TDs. The Rams' secondary hasn't been good at all this season, ranking 25th vs. the pass. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048358/hester-faces-familiar-foe.html Bears WR Devin Hester will do battle with the Eagles in Week 11, an opponent he scored against last season. But Hester hasn't done much scoring lately -- he's gone without a touchdown in his last three games. However, Hester has caught at least six passes in each of his last five games, a telling sign that QB Jay Cutler looks for him plenty. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048357/hightower-safe-start-week-11.html Cardinals RB Tim Hightower might continue to lose some touches to Beanie Wells, but at least he's going up against an opponent in the Rams in Week 11 that should give way for both of them to put up nice stats. In the case of Hightower, he has 141 rush yards in his only two games vs. the Rams with a touchdown in each. Hightower has also seen at least 15 total touches in his last two games overall, a trend that should continue into his next game. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048356/rb-jackson-to-declaw-jags.html You're probably not inclined to start Fred Jackson in Week 11 at Jacksonville, but here's some recent history that's good food for thought: Jackson played at Jacksonville last season and while sharing the backfield with Marshawn Lynch was able to total 100 yards from scrimmage. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048355/dont-sit-chris-johnson-now.html We know you're starting Titans RB Chris Johnson in Week 11 at the Texans, but we also thought you'd like to be reminded that he had 284 total yards and three TDs vs. Houston in their Week 2 meeting. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048354/minor-league-look-gcl-pirates.html Here is part six in a seven-part series taking an in-depth look at how each of the Pirates' Minor League affiliates fared during the 2009 season. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048352/mlblog-quinlan-drawing-interest.html Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048347/pound-for-whos-really-no1-ultimate-fighter.html What if?  It's an age old question.  What if Kevin Dyson didn't get tackled by the Rams in the Super Bowl?  What if Babe Ruth struck out after calling his shot?  What if that my mom and dad didn't hook up in the back of the van at that Journey concert?  Creepy? Yes. Anyway, one can always ask what if.  Here is a what if to ponder.  What if the UFC decided to have brawl for it all tournament with no weight classes? A luck of the draw tournament to decide who the Ultimate Fighter really is. This is how it was back in the day, 1993 to be exact, when Royce Gracie won the very first tournament.  But just imagine it today, sixteen or twenty of your top fighters. Throw them against each other, no judges decisions, and 25 minutes to get it done (equivalent to five, five minute rounds).   If a fighter could not get it done in the 25 minutes than there would be another five minute round.  All of the current rules would be enforced, minus judges decisions.    Here's how the tournament would work. Take your 16 top fighters from the various weight classes, consisting of all of your division champions plus 4 wild card entries for guys who would be outside of the top rankings but still in the UFC. In today's UFC, clearly a tournament situation like this would not work because a guy like Kenny Florian or BJ would get crushed by a guy like Carwin or Lesnar or sat on by Roy Nelson. But in theory, a smaller fighter with really good technical skills and excellent cardiovascular conditioning, could outlast, and possibly defeat a stronger, bigger opponent.  What follows is a list of the fighters whom I think would make for an interesting tournament. 1. Brock Lesnar: I realize he's laid up right now but he is still a champion. Besides, someone has to play Darth Vader. 2. Anderson Silva: Listed as the P4P king by many people, it's time for him to prove it.  Probably the odds on favorite to win it all. 3. Georges St. Pierre: It would be interesting to see No. 2 versus No.3. A complete MMA fighter with good striking skills, good ground skills, and he can submit anyone.  4. Lyoto Machida: He could possible pull the Royce Gracie and take it all.  Dangerous and elusive. Plus, we recently discovered he has striking power. 5. Rashad Evans: A good wrestler with decent striking skills. 6. Shane Carwin: Always dangerous in the early going. An excellent striker with hands of granite 7. Mauricio Rua: Another good all around Brazilian fighter. Skilled in BJJ and a good striker.  8. Cain Velasquez: A good striker, perhaps a dark horse winner. 9. BJ Penn: The smallest guy in the tournament. He has world class BJJ skills and excellent endurance 10. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira: Nog has made a living in brutal wars and would feel right at home in a situation like this. 11. Frank Mir: One of the best in submissions. He also has decent striking skills. 12. Randy Couture: He maybe 46, but you can never rule him out of a fight. 13. Rich Franklin: Former champ has good striking and submission skills. 14. Dan Henderson*:A very good wrestler and an excellent striker. 15. Vanderlei Silva: Another dangerous striker.  He's also just terrifying. 16. Quinton "Rampage" Jackson*: BA Barracus himself. A dangerous fighter all around. Wild Card Entries 1. Kimbo Slice: Not all that much experience, but this type of setting would be a benefit to him. He's a very dangerous striker. 2. Michael Bisping: A good kick boxer with some striking mixed in. Has good endurance as well. 3. Josh Koshchek: A good wrestler and striker. 4. Tito Ortiz: Puts butts in the seats.  A ground and pound specialist.  Here's a list of only twenty UFC fighters.  It's exciting to just imagine the possibilities. Who would be on your list, and who would you pick to win?  *No longer under UFC contract Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048346/english-premier-league-preview-week-13.html Saturday 20th November   Sunderland vs Arsenal Sunderland face a tough game against Arsenal who struggle to establish themselves as serious title contenders again after a few dubious seasons, and they are certainly doing well at proving that they are fit for the challenge. At only five points adrift, if they win this game they'll be within reach of leapfrogging Chelsea and placing themselves at the top of the table. Sunderland are going to need a miracle.   Aston Villa vs Burnley Whilst Burnley's record against the Villain's is a pretty good one, a lot has changed since the 1930's when they played on a regular basis. Villa need to keep winning to continue with their European hopes and it seems they've got a pretty good chance of doing so.   Chelsea vs Wolverhampton A returning Ashley Cole is great news for Chelsea, who can't afford any slip ups with Arsenal hot on their heals and with their squad being more than slightly injury riddled. Wolves may need this win to drag them out of the relegation battle, but the smart money is on them being out-classed in every way by the superstars of Chelsea.   Hull vs West Ham Hull's top goal scorer Geovanni is banned and their keeper is injured. This does not bode well for the Tigers; most sides would suffer without their first string keeper and main goal scorer, so it is unlikely at best that a rather small Hull squad would be any different. West Ham are, however, coming off the back of a defeat, but it was hardly a crushing blow, so with the Hull line-up limited it's fair to say West Ham have a good chance of getting a result.   Man Utd vs Everton Both sides are riddled with injuries and suspensions although the Man United side looks slightly less worse for wear despite missing Carrick and Berbatov than the Toffees who have a nonexistent first string midfield, who do however look set to return by Wednesday, will not be playing against United, this match will basically come down to whose injuries affect them the least.   Birmingham vs Fulham If Birmingham win or draw this game they will have equalled their best run under McLeish which would be great for the morale of the team. However it looks likely that Fulham will not be raining on their parade; their form this season certainly looks like that would be the case at least. Both teams coming off the back of draws it wouldn't be unlikely to see another draw on Saturday.   Liverpool vs Man City Although Liverpool are missing Torres, again, the return of Gerrard looks good for the Reds from Merseyside, but will it be enough to beat the ever-improving Man City? This is certainly a hard game to pick, but without any real striking power it would seam unlikely for a much needed Liverpool victory to be obtained. Are Benitez's days numbered?   Sunday 21st November   Bolton vs Blackburn Both of these teams are struggling to find form this season and are subsequently in the bottom half of the table. Bolton's recent injuries may, however, be enough to give Blackburn an advantage in what would have otherwise been a very even match.   Stoke vs Portsmouth With Stoke missing their captain Portsmouth may have an opportunity to win those much-needed points to get them out of the relegation zone, but with both teams not in great form, the game could go either way.   Tottenham vs Wigan Tottenham are missing practically half a squad so it would be fair to say Wigan have got a very good chance against the injury ridden or semi-fit Tottenham side. Wigan haven't been on great form, but maybe they can pull something out of the hat this Sunday.   Shaun - livescoredaily.com - live sports Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048345/nfl-survivor-picks-week-11-steelers-patriots-cardinals.html The New Orleans Saints put last week's top three picks into a bit of jeopardy with an uneasy win over the St. Louis Rams, but the Saints, along with the Baltimore Ravens and Minnesota Vikings, gave me a clean sweep in Week 10. The Ravens pick seemed a bit dodgy on Monday night with the nil-nil tie at halftime against the Browns, but they eventually got interested enough in the game to score and shut out Cleveland. It is hard to believe I watched that entire game, but I guess that is what fantasy football does for a person. At least this Monday's game looks a fair bit better-Tennessee Titans at Houston Texans-and has plenty of fantasy implications, but it's one I would stay far away from for survivor pools. Let's get to the three games I would strongly consider for Week 11.   Pittsburgh Steelers over Kansas City Chiefs (stats ) The Steelers must feel like they are in some kind of alternate reality. They got swept by the Cincinnati Bengals? The Bengals are in first place in their division? What the heck is going on here? Don't pinch yourselves, Steelers fans; you aren't dreaming, and the season isn't over yet. Fresh off a second loss to the Bengals, who stands in the Steelers' way from which to rebound and put that last game behind them? It is the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs are starting to show some spark lately. They've won two of their last four games, and nearly won a third, all on the road. Recently acquired Chris Chambers has made an immediate impact, starting both games since arriving in KC and catching six passes for 130 yards and two TDs. Unfortunately the hits keep on coming for the Chiefs, and Chambers will need to be even more active going forward. Top receiver Dwayne Bowe was suspended this week for four games due to performance-enhancing drugs. That puts another dent in their offense, which regardless of some weak defensive competition in recent weeks (Raiders, Jaguars, Redskins) has still only managed to top 20 points three times this year. Against the Steelers' stout defense it is hard to imagine the Chiefs exceeding 20 points. Prior to the Bengals game, the Steelers scored 20 or more six straight games. This should be a big game for Rashard Mendenhall as the Chiefs are giving up over 150 yards rushing per game in recent weeks. The Chiefs defense is limiting their points against in a somewhat reasonable fashion, but again, that seems more a function of who they've been facing. Their last home game was a 37-7 whitewash at the hands of the surging San Diego Chargers. Lock up the Steelers for a win this week.   New England Patriots over New York Jets (stats ) Regardless of what you think about the 4th-and-2 call-right, wrong, WTF?, sweet, injustice, brilliant, karma-the Patriots offense is back. Tom Brady started 2009 as not the same Tom Brady from prior to his knee injury suffered in Week One of the 2008 season, but he looks all the way back now. He's hooking up with Randy Moss and Wes Welker nearly at will (a better running game would help), allowing the team to post 27-plus points for four straight games. Admittedly, those were against less than stellar defenses, including the Colts, who typically are pretty good but had numerous starters from their secondary out last week. Plus, the Jets had the Pats' number back in Week Two, stifling the offense and winning the game, 16-9. As mentioned, Brady was not in his groove then. Plus, Welker sat out that game. Darrelle Revis did an effective job shutting down Moss while the Jets defense pressured and frustrated Brady all game. Can the Jets repeat that performance this time around? I don't think so. The Jets are flat. The Jets have lost five of their last six, the only win a 38-0 blanking of the Raiders. The Jets defense is looking rather average at this point. The Jets are down NT Kris Jenkins and RB Leon Washington since the earlier Pats game, two big losses from their defense and offense, respectively. Sure, they also added Braylon Edwards since then, but rookie QB Mark Sanchez is playing a lot more like a rookie since their long forgotten three-game winning streak to start the season. The Pats defense, again, regardless of "the call,” is playing well and holding teams off the scoreboard-five games under 20 points against, and seven at 21 or fewer. Statistically the Jets are way above average rushing, while the Pats are a little better than average against the run. That matchup is in reality close to even given the Jets racked up a lot of yards on some terrible run defenses, and Shonn Greene does not look nearly as dynamic as Washington. The Pats have the advantage on offense and defense in this one, plus some major motivation from their head coach as a result of the national criticism heaped on Bill Belichick since last Sunday night's loss. It would be a big surprise if the Jets pulled out another upset win over the Pats. This is an ideal time to back the Patriots for the win in your survivor pool.   Arizona Cardinals over St. Louis Rams (stats ) Super Bowl hangover? Madden jinx? Apparently the Cardinals are immune to such things. Of course, it helps playing in the worst division in football, but who are we to knock the recent success of what was once of the saddest franchises in the NFL? Short of an inexplicable five-interception performance by Kurt Warner back in Week Eight against the Carolina Panthers, the Cards have beaten every team in their path since September. Not surprisingly, they've done it primarily with offense. Surprisingly, all of a sudden they appear to have a running game. Chris "Beanie” Wells looks like a player, and perhaps finally head coach Ken Whisenhunt is ready to give Wells more of the rushing load. Wells had 16 carries last week to Tim Hightower's 10, and Wells delivered with 85 yards and two TDs. Of course the passing game continues to churn out the yards as one of the most prolific in the league, led by Warner and receivers Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin, now recovered from a hamstring injury that kept him out of the Chicago game. Before I continue to throw too many accolades in the Cardinals' direction, let's talk Rams. The Rams are showing some life. They played the New Orleans Saints tough at home last week, ultimately losing by five points. Steven Jackson continues to be one of the top running backs in the league and has found the end zone in each of the past two games after getting blanked the first seven. The defense is creating some turnovers, and the defensive line is getting some pressure on opposing quarterbacks. All in all, though, the Rams have a dearth of talent on the roster. Their receivers, a weak group to start the season, lost another starter and replaced him last week with rookie Brandon Gibson, acquired when they sent LB Will Witherspoon to the Eagles. Gibson performed well enough, but we're talking about a rookie receiver the Eagles held on to as their sixth receiver now starting for the Rams. If the Cardinals can slow down Jackson-and their defensive strength is against the run-then the Rams are not going to get much accomplished in this game offensively. The Cardinals offense should be in the ballpark of 28 or more points scored in this game, which should be more than enough to secure the win. Take the Cardinals, and short of another Warner speed bump throwing the ball to the wrong-colored shirts, count on sticking around for another week in your survivor pool.   Mike MacGregor created the Cheatsheet Compiler and Draft Buddy fantasy football and fantasy baseball draft tools, plus he developed various features and sports pools found at FFToday.com and MyOfficePool.ca. Mike owns and operates MyOfficePool.ca . Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048343/devils-giving-kids-chance.html This past July, many Devils fans (or people who watch the Devils) were alarmed when the Devils didn't really make much of an effort to re-sign John Madden or Brian Gionta.  Two long-time guys were let go, and even though it isn't all that uncommon of an occurrence in New Jersey, people were predicting doom and gloom for the Devils.  After all, the only free agents brought in during the summer were Yann Danis, Cory Murphy and Ilka Pikkarainen (during training camp and the season, the Devils did bring in Rob Niedermayer, Andrew Peters,and Dean McAmmond). It has been somewhat clear that the Devils have not been pleased with the overall defensive skills and performance of Cory Murphy, or at least at a minimum, they feel Murphy has some things to work on.  Murphy was previously sent down to the minors upon the return from injury by rookie Mark Fraser (pictured above on right) by the Devils earlier this season, but got a reprieve when both Paul Martin and Johnny Oduya went down with injury.  Despite scoring two goals, the Devils still were not covinced by Murphy's play, and rightfully so in my opinion, that he could be trusted, and that was made apparent to anyone watching closely, as Murphy barely averaged over ten minutes a game.  Even Fraser has been getting steadily over twelve minutes a game as Head Coach Jacques Lemaire becomes more and more trusting of the rookie. The Devils had been hoping that Johnny Oduya would return from an alleged groin injury to replace Murphy in the lineup.  When Oduya's health issues did not clear up, they then tried to bring back Jay Leach from the AHL through re-entry waivers to also replace Murphy. Unfortunately, Leach was claimed by the Montreal Canadiens, leaving the Devils on the hook for half of his $487,500 salary against their salary cap.  The next option was to bring up both Matt Corrente and Tyler Eckford to give the kids a shot at replacing Murphy.  It worked earlier this year when they inserted Mark Fraser into the lineup, so they are probably at least curious as to what both Corrente and Eckford might add to the puzzle.  Eckford played in his first game last night and from all accounts, didn't look that greatly out of place, all be it in limited ice time.  Corrente has yet to crack the lineup, but I'd expect that to happen sooner rather then later. Add to this that the Devils put Nicklas Bergfors into a key forward spot at the beginning of the year and have inserted the likes of Rod Pelley, Tim Sestito, and Matt Halischuk into the lineup on a somewhat regular basis (some by necessity due to injuries to Niedermayer, Jay Pandolfo) and it is becoming quite clear as to why the Devils decided to open up the spots in the regular lineup with the departures of both Gionta and Madden. Then again, this isn't really anything new for the New Jersey Devils.  They are known for being able to have the sum of its parts being greater then the parts themselves.  In past years, the likes of Scott Gomez, Doug Gilmour, Brian Rafalaski, Scott Niedermayer and Bobby Holik all left the team via the free agent route, and the Devils didn't lose much of a beat. That is mostly because it is the idea GM Lou Lamoriello has always preached, that no team is bigger then any of its parts.  Don't also overlook the teaching ability of Head coach Jacques Lemaire, who always puts his players in a position to succeed.  This year has been just another example of the creed that Lamoriello, Lemaire and the Devils have and will continue to live by and continue to succeed.   It's worked for this long, it doesn't look like it's about to change anytime soon. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048342/five-coaches-who-have-what-notre-dame-football-needs.html When Bob Davie took over for Lou Holtz before the 1997 NCAA football season, nobody knew it was effectively the end of Notre Dame's reign amongst the nation's elite college football programs. With Holtz leading the Fighting Irish, success was a given. Notre Dame won fewer than eight games only twice in Holtz's 11 seasons as coach. In those 11 seasons, Holtz led Notre Dame to nine bowl games (six of which are now considered BCS bowl games) and the 1988 National Championship. Since then, the list of Notre Dame coaches has been riddled with rash hires and emphatic burnouts. Davie and Tyrone Willingham combined for two BCS bowl games-both losses-in eight years. And then there is current Head Coach Charlie Weis. Weis was supposed to bring change to South Bend. Instead, his five years have been filled with high expectations and shortcomings. Over the past three seasons, the Fighting Irish has a 16-19 record. Davie, Willingham, and Weis had a combined one bowl victory before coming to Notre Dame. The Fighting Irish need a coach who is well established as a success in college football. Names have been flying in the rumor mills over the past couple of weeks, but here are five coaches Notre Dame needs to take into consideration. 5. Gary Patterson (83-27 Career Record) Surely the dark horse in this scenario, Patterson has seen plenty of success in his nine seasons at TCU. Patterson is a defensive-minded, hard-working coach that would bring a new type of discipline to Notre Dame. His consistency is unrivaled, evidenced by seven winning seasons and six 10-win campaigns in Fort Worth. 4. Les Miles (76-32 Career Record) Miles doesn't have the track record the next three coaches on this list do, but he does have something one man ahead of him doesn't: a National Championship. Throughout his nine years as a head coach, Miles has proven he can handle the big time. He has seen consistent success in one of the toughest conferences in the country, and consistency is something Notre Dame dearly needs. 3. Bob Stoops (109-25 Career Record) Though his Sooners are 6-4 and unranked, the impact of injuries across the board cannot be ignored in Stoops' 11th season at Oklahoma. Stoops returned the proud Sooners back to national prominence following more than a decade out of the national title hunt. At only 49 years old, Stoops has plenty of time to return the most famous college football program in America to the national title picture year in and year out. 2. Mark Richt (85-23 Career Record) If Stoops coached in the SEC, his track record would mirror Richt's. Richt, lacking the BCS bowl bids of Stoops, has been as consistent as anyone in the SEC. Winning games on a week-to-week basis is tough enough down south, but Richt's Georgia teams have won six or more conference games six times in his nine years in Athens. Not only would Richt bring a heightened level of success to South Bend, he would also prepare his players for big games in ways Davies, Willingham, and Weis never could. After all, Richt has been there before. 1. Urban Meyer (93-17 Career Record) Meyer brings success wherever he goes. Under Meyer's watch, Utah became the first non-BCS conference team to earn a BCS bowl bid. He also has two national championships at Florida. Before Weis was hired, Meyer turned down the job at Notre Dame to take the vacancy in Gainesville. He has referred to Notre Dame as his dream job. Despite saying he was never going to leave Florida for Notre Dame, the powers that be in South Bend need to change Meyer's mind. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048341/what-tna-doing-right.html So often we like to bash TNA for not doing what we think they should be. It's easy because we want them to succeed so badly, that when they make a poor decision, we slide right into jumping on them for it.  When TNA started to become WWE-light, it was a horrible step down and left a bad taste in a lot of the fans' mouths. Cries of near-the-end WCW started lighting up message boards left and right. Thankfully, over the past few months or so, it seems like the ship has righted itself.  TNA's last PPV, Turning Point 2009 , was one of the best I've seen them put on in quite some time. I'll be using that show as a reference throughout because it's a great example of so many of the great things TNA is doing. So let's make a change and talk about what TNA is doing right these days. Before I get into it, I want to be completely honest. Last year, I was in Orlando and attended an iMPACT! television taping. It was by and far the worst live wrestling event I've attended. Because of that I haven't been too high on TNA for about a year now. But I wouldn't be talking about them if they hadn't done something to change my mind. Believe me, my mind is changed about TNA heading into 2010. I left that taping glad that I didn't pay any money to get in. It was great to see how a TV taping works with all the pyro and stuff you don't get at house shows. Not to mention it was awesome to see my favorite childhood wrestler, Kevin Nash. Unfortunately, TNA burned the crowd out quickly and executed so many things with misguidance. When I watched the show the following week, it had clearly translated to TV. Horribly convoluted storylines peppered the show, and frankly, I stopped caring about TNA in general. Now, one thing that's become apparent with me is that those problems only seem to extend to the TV tapings. Those crowds are full of people at Universal on vacation, not a bunch of rabid wrestling fans. The PPVs taped in Orlando, like Turning Point 2009 , are full of those wrestling fans. You actually have to pay to attend, so it weeds out those vacationers.  The atmosphere there for a big PPV show really comes across well on TV. The crowd was into it, thus getting the viewer into it. The total opposite of the crowd I was a part of for the iMPACT! taping.  Chants and big pops for every match made it a very enjoyable PPV to watch. This is something the WWE can't do because of the massive crowds they attract. Sure, TNA wants the big crowds, but for now, what they have at the iMPACT! zone works. Moving on from the live atmosphere, let's look inside the ring. Lately TNA has done the best thing possible and moved the focus away from aging veterans at the top. This past PPV, we saw a World Title match with young guys who can go like few can in the ring. The Joe, Daniels, and AJ three-way was a fantastic contest that is a great counter to what the WWE offers in many of their PPV World Title matches. Not only did we see a great main event, but also a great co-main event. Desmond Wolfe showed why he belongs at the top of the card against a huge name like Kurt Angle. Sure he lost, but I don't buy him any less as a serious threat towards Angle. He's got "future champion" written all over him at this point. The match was structured to make neither man look weak. Instead, we got a fantastic back and forth competitive match. This feud between Angle and Wolfe seems to be on solid footing, giving us something to look forward to.  This is very unlike the WWE style, where a newcomer gets a chance against a HHH or John Cena. Typically, in that situation, you'll see a burial that pushes the newcomer down in the ranks and in the eyes of the fans. You can lose and maintain your momentum, but you can also lose and be made to look like you don't even belong inside a wrestling ring. The X Division even had a nice showing on the card. Usually we get multi-man matches or some sort of tag-team bout. Instead, we get a nice singles match for the title. Red and Homicide went out there and put on a great opener. It got the fans ready, and did a fantastic job of showing that TNA puts on competitive matches. If it was your first time watching a TNA PPV, this was a pretty good introduction. Getting away from Turning Point 2009 , I want to talk about something TNA does in general with PPVs. It's a small detail that probably doesn't provoke a thought from most, but really gets me excited. It's the fact that TNA gives their big-time matches a big-time feel. They get special video packages, special introductions, the whole nine yards.  There is nothing like the pre-bout activities in a big-time boxing match or even an MMA bout, and TNA does a great duplication of that. Sure Jeremy Borash is no Michael or Bruce Buffer, but it's something we don't see anywhere else right now. It's a unique thing, however small, that separates TNA from its competition. One thing that really caught my eye during Turning Point were the on-screen graphics they used to set up each match. This is something we've seen from most promotions, but TNA put a nice little twist on it. Each wrestler had their height, weight, and signature move attached. Small details, but it's the small things that, when put together, make something special. Finally, I want to praise TNA on how they set up their feuds. Now I'm not deeply invested in some of what they have going on, but from what I can see, every rivalry is centered around something wrestling-related. This isn't Bossman stealing Al Snow's dog-even though that gave us some great moments.  No, TNA seems to be putting the emphasis on title belts, and seeing who the better man or woman is. That's what I want to see in wrestling. Most times the belts are an afterthought. Sure, they're just props, but that's still what sticks out in the mind of a fan. They want to see who's on top. TNA really hits the nail on the head with this. Of course, all of this might be for naught, as Team Hogan arrives next year. With them comes a lot of questions and uncertainty. If they do take away everything that has made TNA great in late 2009, I guess we'll just have to chaulk it up to bad luck. Until then, though, check out the next iMPACT! Sit back and don't be overcritical. It's just wrestling, after all. Thanks for reading and as always, please drop a comment below. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048340/hornets-buzz-four-games-coach-jeff-bower.html With the surprising win last night against the Phoenix Suns, Jeff Bower evened his coaching record to 2-2 and improved the New Orleans Hornets' overall record to 5-8. When Coach Byron Scott was fired Hornets' fans expected the worst, even more so when we learned that our GM with no head coaching experience would be the one replacing him. It didn't ease our minds when we heard Tim Floyd would come on as the head assistant.   Who Is Jeff Bower? Bower has been GM of the Hornets since 2005 (with a short stint in 2003 as well). He has never been a head coach before, even at the college level. His most recent on-court job was as an assistant at Marist College from 1990-1995. He's been with the Hornets in one capacity or another ever since. As GM, he was responsible for picking Chris Paul in the 2005 NBA draft.   Why Is Jeff Bower the Head Coach? Well first off, Byron just got fired. PAY ATTENTION! Anyway, Bower is the guy who knows these players the best. He's also willing to actually listen to owner George Shinn and play the young guys. Also, he was already on staff with a locked salary, so it seems to be some sort of a cost saving move by the owner/GM.   Should Fans Believe in Him, Or is He Simply an Interim Coach? First off, I don't think he's an interim coach. They never used those terms to describe him, so it seems that he is here until further notice. Secondly, he seems to know what he's doing. So far he's shown that he's much more knowledgeable than Scott about the strengths and weaknesses of the roster. Immediately he shoved Mo-P to the bench and put the young guys in a position to improve and contribute. Collison and Thornton barely saw a minute with Scott as the coach, but now Collison is starting (albeit because CP3 is hurt) and Thornton is coming off the bench as the most explosive scorer they have, averaging 33 points per 48 minutes. The offense, which at times looked pathetic-even with CP3-seems to be back to NBA quality. Byron pretty much ran the pick and roll 95 percent of the time, whereas Bower seems to have more guys just driving straight to the hole. The screens players are setting now are more for getting slashers open. Peja, specifically, is being used much more effectively. Scott used to just set him up for simple catch-and-shoots off a perimeter pick, which is nice, but not the most efficient or effective way to get an open shot for a 6'10 three-point monster. Bower has been sending him through the lane, where the big men are setting screens to knock his defender off him. It seemed to disorient the defense to a degree, and in the most recent game Peja managed to pull 13 rebounds (his most as a Hornet) to go along with his 26 points. You need look no further than the rebounding numbers to see that players had just quit on Byron Scott, too. In their first nine games, the Hornets out-rebounded the opposing team just once. In the last four, they've done it twice. On the defensive end, the difference in hustle is noticeable, too. Rotations look better and matchups seem to be more favorable. Byron had a hard time adjusting his lineup to the other team, whereas Bower seems to flourish. Also, Bower has shown in only four games that he's a superior game manager. When the other team goes on runs, Bower calls a timeout. When a certain lineup isn't working, he changes it without hesitation. Also, while the game is going, you see him actually coaching young players, something Byron never did-unless you count crossing his arms and putting his players in the dog house.  All things considered, Jeff Bower is doing a hell of a job so far. Winning two of four without CP3 is better than anyone expected. If he can keep up the intensity, the Hornets might still have an outside shot at getting out of the first round of the playoffs. Maybe this coaching change is just what New Orleans needed. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048339/adrian-peterson-overrated-chance.html Is Adrian Peterson overrated?  Not a chance.  How people can even think that the two time Pro Bowler (2008 Pro Bowl MVP) is the slightest bit overrated. Any such notion is completely absurd.  After six teams passed on the fragile, injury prone product from Oklahoma, Peterson has purely dominated in his first two full years in the league. In his young career, he has already begun breaking records and also won the offensive Rookie of the Year award in 2007.  Can someone be over hyped or overrated when you lead the league in rushing during your sophomore season with 1,760 yards? That feat is especially impressive when you consider the Vikings quarterback situation, swapping between Tavaris Jackson and Gus Ferotte. When defenses put eight in the box and have no respect for the passing game, does an overrated player break the single game rushing record?  In Adrian's eighth game during his rookie season, against a (4-3) San Diego Chargers team, he broke the single game rushing record (296 yards) by one yard with Brooks Bollinger as his quarterback.  You read that right, Brooks Bollinger. Yes, Adrian has had some fumbling problems, but everyone has their flaws. Soon enough he will overcome the fumblitis.  Some say that he is not the complete back, because he  lacks the ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. That's what practice and OTA's are for.  Now that Brett Favre is in the picture, it is easy to say that Peterson is being undervalued. Not a single football show in America can not go a whole segment without saying No. 4's name, while Peterson has often been neglected. Peterson is still leading the NFC in rushing and touchdowns,but now that the Vikings finally have a quarterback, Peterson is going unnoticed and being ridiculed for not having the most rushing yards in the NFL.  Now that the Vikings are NFC North front runners and perhaps even Super Bowl favorites, good old "All Day" is being overlooked because of some forty year old Viking that is constantly in the lights.  Fantasy owners are upset because he isn't the "beast” he was supposed to be, but now with a competent quarterback, some of the pressure has been taken off of Peterson to carry the whole entire offense.  The bottom line is that Adrian Peterson is one of the hardest working players in the NFL, and with that comes high expectations.  Not to take anything away from Chris Johnson, but the first two seasons of his career have mirrored those of Peterson's.  Like Peterson, Johnson is the focal point of the Titan offense.  Hopefully Johnson can handle the criticism once his team turns around. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048338/detroitcleveland-both-may-be-bad-but-only-one-city-worst.html Quick, try to name two Midwest cities with prideful sports fans, faltering economies, freezing cold winters, horrible football teams, and that absolutely hate each other. Detroit and Cleveland fit that description perfectly. Detroit was once known as Hitsville U.S.A. and has since been called a Third World Metropolis. Cleveland is the home of the Rock N' Roll Hall of Fame, yet often is labeled as the Mistake on the Lake. Cleveland's economy is centered on LeBron James. Detroit's economy is currently being funded by government bailouts. And yes, the Lions and Browns are both 1-8 on the season. Am I the only one who's jacked up for the game this weekend? There are a handful of city rivalries that exist in this country, and Detroit and Cleveland is one of them. The records don't matter; neither does the sport, whether it be Pistons vs. Cavaliers, Indians vs. Tigers, Michigan vs. Ohio State (I know that rivalry takes place out of the respective cities, but the fire is still there), and of course, the Lions and Browns. These two teams even play for a trophy in the preseason. They may both represent the lowest level of professional football, but it is a rivalry. A big one, every time. I grew up in Michigan and live in Metro Detroit, so clearly my natural alliances are with the Motor City. But I spent a year working as a media relations intern with the Cleveland Indians. I lived in that city for a year and absolutely hated it. It's the only city I've ever gotten cited for jaywalking in and received a parking ticket after paying to park my car in a parking garage. Apparently a PT Cruiser with Michigan plates doesn't fit the "compact only” description. It doesn't matter what Cleveland area team is playing or who the opponent is-I hope they lose. I hope they lose badly. It's bitterness at its highest level. These two cities may be laughed at by the rest of the country, but whenever their respective teams face off in athletic competition, it's a chance to point the finger at the opponent and say, "At least we're not that bad.” Even the TV shows Home Improvement and Drew Carey battled in the ratings to one-up each other. Unfortunately, the game at Ford Field will be blacked out Sunday, again. Yet here's the good news; it's cheaper to drive from Detroit to Cleveland and watch the game at a sports bar than it is to park your car in downtown Detroit and buy a ticket to the game. No joke. If your car gets at least 25 miles per gallon, you can drive to Cleveland for an estimated $17.91 each way. Parking is free in downtown Cleveland on Sundays (non-game days only, of course), so throw in a $25 restaurant bill and that puts the total expense at roughly $63. The cheapest ticket available at the Lions box office is $55, plus a cost of $35 to $50 to park. No wonder the Lions can't sell out games. I thought about taking this approach, but in the end decided not to contribute another dime to the Cleveland economy. Besides, there may be some unpaid speeding/parking tickets in the state of Ohio with my name on them. Instead, I'll be driving to my hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., out of blackout range, to take in the game. I'll also be in Ann Arbor Saturday hoping for a miracle to crush the dreams of Ohio State alums everywhere. Since becoming part of a newspaper sports department, a large part of my "inner fan” has been put to rest. I haven't cheered at a sporting event or yelled at the TV in years. But this weekend, against Cleveland and the state university of Ohio, I'll be just like every other cursing, fist-pumping loudmouth that resembles the average sports fan. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048337/air-force-64-at-no-19-byu-82-upset-or-blowout.html I thought this sign (held up by a BYU fan at an Air Force game in a previous year) was hilarious. On paper, this game looks like it will be a tough close game. Air Force has one of the best defenses in the country, and one of the best rushing offense. They may be 7-4, but those four losses have come by a combined 20 points, three were on the road (at Minnesota, at Navy, and at Utah), and the other was to TCU. Air Force is a very good football team this year. They are much better than their 6-4 record would indicate. They've been extremely competitive and have had a good chance to win in every single game they've played this year; they could be 10-0 right now. And BYU certainly looked completely underwhelming last week, at winless New Mexico. BYU was favored by 28; they ended up escaping with a five point win. BYU has not looked very impressive at home. They've won comfortably against Colorado State and Utah State, and they looked downright awful in blowout losses against Florida State and TCU. BYU lost to TCU 38-7. Air Force almost won, before falling 20-17. The experts at Las Vegas Sporting Consultants opened with a line of 7.5 in favor of BYU. But a lot of money has come in for BYU, and the line now stands at BYU (-10). Everything points to a close battle with Air Force that could go either way. But I think BYU will win convincingly. Here's why: Bronco has never lost to Air Force, and none of the games have been particularly close.   BYU vs. Air Force (during the Bronco Mendenhall era) 62-41, BYU 33-14, BYU 31-6, BYU 38-24, BYU BYU won all four games by an average margin of 41-21.   Now, that was in previous years. We are talking about 2009, not 05-08. Last year, Air Force was 8-2 heading into their contest with the Cougars, and they still fell by two touchdowns in Colorado Springs.. That team also had only close losses up to that point, having lost two games by a total of 10 points. BYU has had Air Forces number the last four years. And while this year's Air Force team is different, their record (7-4) is comparable, or worse compared to previous years. Harvey Unga should be able to run it easily against the Air Force defense, and I like Max Hall's chances to be successful as well. As far as BYU's defense is concerned, I think they will do an adequate enough job, and hold Air Force to around 21 points. I think the offense will take care of the rest, and I think BYU wins by two touchdowns or more, 38-21.   Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048336/ampquotliving-hockeyampquot-dream-captures-magic-game.html MONTEREY PARK, CA - Whether you played the game at any level or are just a spectator, if you truck the kids to hockey practice very early in the morning or just lie on the living room couch and watch games on television, just about everyone touched by the game has a hockey dream or two. In Living The Hockey Dream , author Brian Kennedy, Ph.D ., a native of Montreal, an Associate Professor of English at Pasadena City College , and a freelance hockey writer who covers the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks for Inside Hockey , explores the hockey dreams-realized or not-of people involved with the game at all levels and all walks of life. To be sure, this is not a book focusing on National Hockey League superstars and their glory days in the NHL-if that's what you are looking for, prepare to be disappointed. "What I was trying to do was get them to tell similar stories,” Kennedy explained. "Take a guy like [former Kings superstar] Marcel Dionne. It wasn't just 'tell me about your hockey career,' because I can find that out from books, from the Internet, whatever. But tell me about you growing up in the game. What was your corner rink like? What was your neighborhood like? Then, of course, it extends into their career.” "What I was trying to do was get, not just an inside story, but a story that had the theme of the young person and the way the game appeared or had meaning to him or her and then how that extended into the present,” Kennedy elaborated. Like his previous book, Growing Up Hockey: The Life and Times of Everyone Who Ever Loved The Game (see Recommended Reading For the "Lull:” Growing Up Hockey ), this is not your typical hockey book about NHL stars, past and present. In fact, even when dealing with a former NHL player, Kennedy's approach was unique and refreshing. "What I tried to do was, instead of looking at their lives starting from their careers, I went from the opposite way,” said Kennedy. "Start with you as a kid. Tell me who you are and what your dreams were. How were they lived out as a child and in your younger days? What happened later was a product of that.” "The focus is on stuff that maybe most readers wouldn't know and that I certainly didn't know, and, in some cases, stuff that these guys hadn't even thought about in years,” added Kennedy. "Some of them, I would ask them a question about their corner rink, or when they got their first hockey stick. They would look at me strangely because they hadn't thought about that forever because they get the same questions over and over. I was trying to get at some different aspects of their lives in the game.” Of course, what NHL players did in their careers remains significant. Nevertheless, Kennedy was looking deeper into the souls of those who are profiled in the book. "I talk about their numbers and the number of goals guys scored or the Stanley Cups they won,” he said. "But all that can be found on the Internet. But that stuff isn't a narrative. What I was trying to do was create a narrative about what the magic of the game is for these guys.” "Ian Turnbull, who played for the Toronto Maple Leafs and also for the Kings, told me exactly what he was like when he was a boy and the things that happened to him, including one time when he got in trouble,” he added. "When you get to know him now, and he's in his fifties, I guess, you realize that he's the same person and that's the magic. So if people want that glimpse into the personality behind the player or what generates that spark of passion, that's what I was trying to bring out.” Some of the former players profiled in the book are among the all-time greats, including the legendary Bobby Hull, the great Chicago Blackhawks left wing who, along with teammate Stan Mikita, brought the curved stick blade to hockey. To be sure, Hull is one of the few players who revolutionized the game. But when the time came to interview him, Kennedy got a rather severe case of cold feet. "It was funny...his son, Bobby Jr., told me his story and then he told me, 'here's my Dad's cell phone number, but you'll never get ahold of him because he never answers his phone,' said Kennedy. "I had that number for two or three months and never could work up the courage to call him.” "But I finally dialed the number, even though I was terrified to call him,” added Kennedy. "I had done my research and had my questions ready. But with all of these stories, you don't know the direction they're going to take until you start chatting with them where that story is until you start talking to the guy.” Kennedy then described his exchange with the great Bobby Hull. "He answered in his gruff, somewhat raspy voice, 'Hello?' I introduced myself. 'Mr. Hull. This is Brian Kennedy and I'm writing this book...'” At that point, Hull cut Kennedy off. "Oh, OK,” Hull told Kennedy. "Let me tell you what happened when I was a little boy. You just listen.” "He started to tell me the story and I said, 'Oh...that's very interesting,'” said Kennedy. "No, no. Don't interrupt me, just let me tell the story,” Hull said to Kennedy. "You just listen and then after, you can ask any questions you want to.” "He talked for about five or six minutes and gave me some great details about his childhood and he let me ask all the questions I wanted,” Kennedy noted. "I guess we talked for about thirty or forty minutes. The first few minutes was almost surreal because I couldn't believe I had this guy on the phone.” Kennedy was totally in awe of the legend on the other end of the line. "While I was interviewing him, I was seeing that famous picture of him with the curved stick that we all saw when we were kids,” Kennedy beamed. "I was seeing video of him scoring certain goals and I was thinking of everything I've ever read about the slap shot and when he first started launching those missiles.” "So I've got all that going on in my head at the same time, so I'm not fully grasping the fact that I'm having a conversation with the great Bobby Hull.” Another player from days gone by who is profiled in the book is former Kings and Montreal Canadiens superstar goaltender Rogie Vachon. "[Vachon] is the kindest person, the most warm and honest,” said Kennedy. "I talked to him in person at a game and I called him to do the interview, but I felt like I was sitting in his living room. He's just that open.” "He is from way far north in Quebec,” added Kennedy. "The chances of him ever making it to the NHL, based on the remoteness of where he was and the time he was playing his minor hockey, was extremely unlikely, and especially to make the Montreal Canadiens, given the depth of talent they had in goal over the years. So in a way, he set up his own success, and that's what makes it so nice to tell his stories. You just get the feeling that he thinks of his career as a gift, even though it's not-it's something he deserved because he was so talented and courageous as goalie back in those days.” "While talking to him, you get a sense of reverence for the game in the era when he played. Talk about the icon of a goalie of his time. For me, that's Vachon.” Kennedy also notes the black mark on the history of the Hockey Hall of Fame in that Vachon has not been inducted as an honored member. "I asked him about that and people who read the book can see the reaction...again, very gracious,” said Kennedy. "But if there was anyone who deserves to be in the Hockey Hall of Fame who is not-if you look at his numbers, a Vezina Trophy, three Stanley Cups, and the fact is, he wasn't just the second fiddle on that team.” "[Vachon] shared the goaltending duties with Gump Worsley in that Vezina season and they won the Cup that same season, let alone everything he did for the Kings in the mid-Seventies,” added Kennedy. "There is no way we can keep that guy out of the Hockey Hall of Fame.” Kennedy also looked at the lives of some of the current players in the NHL, including Carolina Hurricanes forward Eric Staal. "When you look at a game, you don't read the depth of these guys' pasts,” Kennedy stressed. "I love the history part of the game, including the recent history. Look at Eric Staal. He's one of four brothers and we know a little bit about his parents and they have that commercial on the NHL Network , so we've seen them. But you don't think about who he is really and what he sacrificed as the oldest brother who leaves home early to play the game, and that's an experience that most of these guys have.” "Especially for an American fan who isn't in a city where you have a junior team-I went to high school in Ontario [Canada] and we had the Peterborough Petes in our school, so we knew these guys were hockey players and came from somewhere else,” Kennedy explained. "I think a lot of people don't think about that. For a guy like Eric Staal, that's a dimension of his life that comes out in his story. I think that gives fans more of a glimpse into the human side of it or the depth of these guys as people.” "We think of hockey players like our elementary school teachers. When you go home, they either don't exist anymore or they live in the classroom. After all, you don't see them anymore. What these guys are doing is showing me facets of their lives from before they played in the NHL, and, in the case of the retired guys, afterwards. That's something you don't see when you watch them on the ice and that you don't read in game coverage.” In the past, Kennedy has talked about the love Canadians have for the Stanley Cup, and in covering the Ducks during their 2007 run to the Stanley Cup Championship, Kennedy got to touch that most revered of all sports trophies. "To me, [former Canadiens legend] Maurice Richard is still alive,” said Kennedy. "Howie Morenz, the great Montreal Canadiens player from the Thirties. All those guys are there in that trophy. So when I touched it-and I could feel it-I really could, under my fingertips, feel the surface of it, I still have that exact feeling in my mind. It was like I was part of something huge and eternal, in a way.” "I had seen it before and I had touched it before, but in another context, when the Los Angeles Kings hosted the 2002 NHL All-Star Game,” added Kennedy. "You could get your picture taken with it and everything. But that's out of context. The night I touched it on the ice [when the Ducks won it] was a totally different thing. I felt like all the moments that all the great players had ever touched it were distilled in that moment when I touched it. I know that I was never much of a hockey player and that there's no way I would've won the Stanley Cup by myself. But I think everyone wins it in their own way and that's my way of winning it.” Kennedy's love for the Stanley Cup gave him the idea to profile the "Keeper of the Cup,” Phil Pritchard. "Here's a guy who takes the Stanley Cup with him to his hotel room every night,” said Kennedy. "He could dance around with it. Take it into the shower if he felt like it. What's that like? What would you do?” "I managed to get ahold of him and it turns out that he's the most regular guy on the planet,” added Kennedy. "But he takes his role almost as a sacred obligation. He understands what that trophy means.” Indeed, Kennedy looked way beyond NHL players in writing the book. "It's not just about hockey players,” he emphasized. "It's about other people in and around the game. [USA women's hockey great] Cammi Granato. [Television reporter] Chris Simpson. The paralympic captain, who lost his leg to cancer, even the minor league players. They're all in there for different reasons.” Another chapter went in yet another direction, looking at Kennedy's nephew, who is playing youth hockey. But even though the chapter does not come right out and hit you in the face with it, there is an unmistakable message here. "This generation is probably asking too much of kids,” Kennedy stressed. "I know I never was a great hockey player. But when I look at my nephew Daniel's games, I think 'wow. You don't really have to be that much better to be the best kid out there.' So you think, 'c'mon boy. Why can't you be the one?'” "But what you're really saying is, 'Why couldn't I have done that back then?',” Kennedy added. "So I guess if there's an underlying message it's to parents to say 'Look, let the kid play the way he wants to play. Don't try to make your lack of having fulfilled the dream come true in the child.'” "Daniel, if he makes the NHL, that would be great. I know we'll all be very proud of him. But I don't think he has to do that for hockey to have meaning in his life or to give him something.” After reading and seeing all the news reports about parents pressuring their children to be better in their respective sports, not to mention reports about how that pressure has often led to altercations at games, Kennedy's message is one that should resonate with all parents with children in athletics, not just hockey. One chapter really brought out Kennedy's love for the game. And before anyone thinks something is fishy here, let me state for the record that this reporter was involved in this particular story, as Kennedy is a colleague of mine who has sat next to me in the Staples Center press box the last handful of seasons as we've covered the Kings. Nevertheless, the story ends up really having absolutely nothing to do with me at all. A couple of seasons ago, after former Kings goaltender Jason LaBarbera was injured during a game, Kennedy wondered what would happen if the backup goalie was injured as well. So what did Kennedy do? He asked Kings head coach Terry Murray during the media scrum interview after the game. Murray told him, jokingly, but as deadpanned as he could, that someone from the press corps would probably have to put on the pads. At that moment, knowing that Kennedy had spent some time in goal during his youth hockey days, I pointed to him and said to Murray, 'he's played in goal.'” Murray then said that the duty would have to fall to Kennedy. Of course, I am not telling the story as well as Kennedy does in the book, and I am doing that intentionally. Nevertheless, this chapter might be the one that, not only captures the magic of the game for himself, but also shines a light on how the book captures the magic of the game for all the other people profiled within its pages. "I'm a person who has an imagination,” said Kennedy. "With that incident, you and I both know that I'm not the official Kings press box backup goalie. But in my imagination I am, and in some kind of funny way that the chapter lives out, I actually am.” "Of course, I don't really believe some of these things, but it's fun to play with these ideas and sometimes, what you imagine kinda comes true,” added Kennedy. "If I thought, when I had a ticket to a Kings playoff game-I saw two playoff games in 2002-if I had thought then that I would walk into Staples Center's Team LA store that I would see a book about this team or about hockey that I had written-if I had imagined that, there was no possible way this could've been true. But like Growing Up Hockey , this book is a product of that same energy and imagination.” Kennedy, Brian. Living The Hockey Dream . Edmonton, Alberta, Canada: Folklore Publishing, 2009. ISBN (10-digit): 1-894864-82-4. ISBN (13-digit): 978-1-894864-82-4. Cover photo courtesy Folklore Publishing. This story was originally published on Frozen Royalty , where you can find more in-depth coverage of the Los Angeles Kings and the NHL . Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News http://www.sportsnipe.com/main_sportsnews/1048334/power-rankings-mercy-fox.html Power Rankings are ridiculously redundant. Except when we do them. Then, they kick ass. SITE NEWS: Weekend Picks will run tomorrow. On the weekend. Figure that one out. Stick around for tonight’s musical guest. 1. Megan Fox. Oh, Megan. Just remember that we never cared about your acting ability. Just your bangin’ hot bod. Thanks, @flubby. 2. Drugs. Nobody every pitched a no-hitter on milk. 3. Topless guy getting punched by another, angrier topless guy. I don’t know how this game works, but I’m pretty sure the chubby guy lost. 4. New Mexico women’s soccer player Elizabeth Lambert. Not really into the rough stuff, apparently. Sigh. 5. The Terrifying Stylings Of Al Roker. This is the first time I realized that Al Roker was actually black. Black and round. I can get away with that; I have a lot of round friends. 6. The NFL Arrest and Citation Database. Arrests and citations are our bidness. And BIDNESS. IS. OOODD. 7. Due Process. Even if some jagoff cop arrests you for something you did in a photo on Facebook, go to trial. Don’t let the state walk on you and let them pass off dicking around online as “police work.” 8. Friday Night Chick Fights. It’s the sexier side of MMA. 9. Stefanie Spielman. Rest in peace, homegirl. 10. UGA VII. Screw you. You’re just a dog. Sport Snipe - Sports News - Headline News