Every weekday, the staffers at MFDC gather some of the best links around the intraweb in an effort to make you the most well informed fan in your office. Enjoy!
John Madden to serve as “Advisor of All Things Obvious” to Roger Goddell. Boom! (I believe I’m legally obligated to say that…)- CBS
Hall of Fame coach John Madden will serve as a special adviser to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The league said Thursday that as part of his unpaid position Madden will chair the coaches group in the competition committee. Madden will also participate in meetings of a general managers committee and be part of a weekly call with Goodell or another NFL official to discuss issues from the previous week’s games.
Madden retired from broadcasting in April. He says the new role allows him to stay active in football. Goodell says that when Madden suggested helping out, “it was an offer we couldn’t refuse
NFL games that are blacked out in home team markets this season will be shown on NFL.com in their entirety on a delayed basis, the NFL announced Thursday.
The league’s new NFL Game Rewind package on NFL.com will make all games available on an on-demand, subscription basis throughout the 2009 regular and postseason. However, games blacked out locally for failing to sell out 72 hours in advance will be available on NFL.com at no cost in the affected home markets.
These free “re-broadcasts” locally of blacked-out games will be available at NFL.com beginning at midnight on the day of the game and remain available for 72 hours (except during ESPN Monday Night Football telecasts).
“We understand that the economy is limiting some families and corporations from buying as many game tickets as they had previously,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. “These free re-broadcasts on NFL.com will allow our fans that can’t get to a blacked-out game an opportunity to see the entire game.”
A couple quick things regarding the website. The month of September will be focused on revamping the website in several ways. The occasional column will appear, and I’ll continue to publish “Required Reading”throughout the month.
I will also be devoting a lot of time into an in-depth college basketball blitz that will begin October 1st. The preseason blitz will include Preseason All-Americans, Games to Watch, Storylines to Look for, Coaches on the hot seat, a “31 Conferences in 31 Days” feature that will preview all 347 D1 teams, and finally, a preseason best guess bracket and the season debut of “Bracketology 2010″.
Until then, check back daily for the always entertaining “Required Reading”, and look for more announcements as we get ready to go full steam ahead into the 2010 College Basketball season.
Every weekday, the staffers at MFDC gather some of the best links around the intraweb in an effort to make you the most well informed fan in your office. Enjoy!
Three University of Arkansas basketball players are under investigation after an alleged rape at a campus fraternity house, a prosecutor said Wednesday.
Deputy prosecuting attorney Dustin Roberts told Rogers television station KHOG that charges could be filed as early as Wednesday afternoon. Roberts did not name the players and did not return a call from the Associated Press.
University police Lt. Gary Crane told the AP that a female student filed a complaint claiming she was raped on Aug. 27 at the Phi Gamma Delta house. Crane said the alleged attack happened between 1:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. at the house, which is a block away from Bud Walton Arena where the basketball team plays.
It was “an acquaintance-type situation” that involved alcohol, Crane said. The campus police agency declined to file charges after its own investigation.
“The University of Arkansas Police Department did not feel at the time that there was probable cause to make an arrest, and it was sent to the prosecutor’s office for essentially a warrant review to see if there’s enough evidence that we believe sufficient to issue a warrant,” Roberts told KHOG.
The attorney for Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is rejecting a settlement offer by a former Nevada casino worker who claims the Super Bowl winner sexually assaulted her.
Attorney David Cornwell says the woman’s offer is bizarre.
The woman wants Mr. Roethlisberger to admit to the allegations, apologize and donate $100,000 to the Committee to Aid Abused Women, a Reno nonprofit organization that offers support to domestic violence victims.
Two years too late, Billy Gillispie seeks help – Kentucky.com
Former UK coach Billy Gillispie has fought plenty of battles in the game of basketball, but now his biggest may come off the court.
27 SportsFirst confirmed Tuesday evening that Gillispie checked himself in the John Lucas After Care Program in Houston, Texas. It’s a substance abuse recovery program that has two treatment centers, a phys
cial fitness program and an aftercare program with counselors.
John Lucas is a former NBA coach and player who had a well documented battle with drugs and alcohol, his rehab program is the model the NBA uses to helps its players.
All of this is coming after Billy Gillispie was arrested for DUI during the early morning hours on August 27th in the Anderson County. In the hours to follow Gillispie has his right to drive in Kentucky revoked before being bailed out of jail. Reportedly Gillispie was in town then to work out a settlement in his lawsuit against the UK Athletic Association.
Despite their stormy relationship, the Denver Broncos are now exploring the possibility of giving a contract extension to wide receiver Brandon Marshall, two league sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Wednesday.
The potential new deal would put Marshall’s salary more in line with some of the game’s other highly paid receivers.
Daily Laugh – Ray Allen likes face paint…
Boston Celtic Ray Allen sports a different look in the offseason...
Every weekday, the staffers at MFDC gather some of the best links around the intraweb in an effort to make you the most well informed fan in your office. Enjoy!
Good news for Ole Miss fans: You team doesn’t suck as bad as they seemed to on Sunday. Bad news: they may have swine flu. ESPN
Shannon Singletary, Ole Miss’ senior associate athletic director for sports medicine, says more than a dozen Rebels football players are sick with flu symptoms, including fevers as high as 103 degrees. Tests to confirm the presence of swine flu take two weeks to complete, but officials aren’t taking any chances.
“From what we understand the standard protocol across the country is to treat all the symptoms as if they are swine flu,” Singletary said.
Other sports and the student body in general have been hit hard over the last three weeks. Ole Miss spokeswoman Barbara Lago says 368 students have reported flu-like symptoms to campus health services staff and a system that reports absences to faculty has reported twice as many students missing class over the last two weeks than is usual for a full month during the regular fall flu season.
For some reason, perennial Pro-Bowler Richard Seymour has no desire to play for perennial cellar-dweller Oakland, unless you trust a coach who punches his assistants in the face – Oakland Tribune
Defensive lineman Richard Seymour’s failure to make it to Alameda in time for a Monday morning walk-through and afternoon practice fueled speculation that he has no intention of playing for the Raiders.
The Raiders acquired Seymour in a trade Sunday with the New England Patriots that netted the Patriots a 2011 first-round draft pick. But all bets are off until the situation is resolved.
“We know that (Seymour) wants to be here,” Raiders coach Tom Cable said after Monday’s practice, “but we have really no control over those issues.”
Cable said he spoke with Seymour by phone and that Seymour expressed a desire to play for the Raiders this season.
Cable added that the hang-up is a need for Seymour and the Patriots to work out “issues.”
The No. 13 Sooners welcome more bad news to the team with the announcement that senior tight end Jermaine Gresham would miss the entire 2009 season.
The news comes 24 hours after head coach Bob Stoops announced the loss of Heisman winner junior quarterback Sam Bradford for two to four weeks.
“Jermaine’s arthroscopic surgery went well for him in the long run,” Stoops said. “[Doctors] had to repair and stitch together some of the cartilage and carve parts around it.”
Stoops said the surgery requires five months of rehabilitation, which means there would have been on hope for him to return for the end of OU’s Big 12 schedule.
“For his sake the rest of the knee looks good, and this is something that heals really well,” Stoops said. “It’s just unfortunate that he comes back and he’s not able to continue to participate. So we really feel for him.”
The next Percy Harvin starts career like Percy ended it, injured – The Orlando Sentinel
As expected, wide receiver Andre Debose will not have the chance to replace Percy Harvin this year.
The freshman from Sanford Seminole will undergo season-ending surgery on a damaged hamstring tendon, Coach Urban Meyersaid after Tuesday’s practice.
Doctors must re-attach Debose’s tendon muscle to the bone, Meyer said, requiring Debose to miss a “significant time period.” The coaching staff doesn’t have a timetable on Debose’s surgery date or rehabilitation time.
BYU is good at football again. In other news, parachute pants are back in style, as is the word “bodacious”. – The Daily Universe
As if BYU’s win over Oklahoma wasn’t big enough, the Cougars’ subsequent jump in the rankings has put them at the same level as the country’s elite teams.
BYU leaped eleven spots from No. 20 to No. 9 in Tuesday’s updated AP poll. The Cougars are no strangers to the top 10, having reached as high as No. 8 last season.
The Cougars were also ranked No. 12 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
Along with the top-10 ranking, both the Walter Camp Football Foundation and the Mountain West Conference named quarterback Max Hall as Offensive Player of the Week.
Just when you thought NBA officiating couldn’t get any worse – ESPN
The prospect of replacement referees calling NBA games for the first time since 1995 is looming larger by the day after the latest negotiating session between the current refs and league executives broke down Tuesday.
The NBA’s most recent contract with its 60-plus referees expired Sept. 1 and Tuesday’s bargaining session in New York was called to an abrupt halt by commissioner David Stern, according to one source with knowledge of the talks.
No further talks are scheduled between the sides with only 22 days before the league’s first scheduled exhibition game Oct. 1. The likelihood that replacement refs will be needed for that game — Denver at Utah — has “increased dramatically,” according to the source.
ESPN.com reported Aug. 25 that the league is seeking an across-the-board reduction of 10 percent to a referee budget that costs an estimated $32 million.
Daily Laugh – Ohio State QB Terrell Pyror uses a unique defense of childhood idol Mike Vick, whom he honored on Saturday by writing his name on his eye-black.
That’s right, you heard him. “Not everybody is a perfect person in the world. Everyone kills people, murder people, steals from you, steals from me, whatever.”
Every day, the staffers at MFDC gather some of the best links around the intraweb in an effort to make you the most well informed fan in your office. Enjoy!
PacMan Jones doesn’t meet the high standards of the CFL – Winnepeg Free Press
The Adam Pacman Jones ‘era’ in Winnipeg is over before the NFL bad boy ever pulled on a Blue Bomber jersey or crossed the border into Canada.
The Bombers issued a press release at 7:30 Wednesday night indicating they will no longer be pursuing the services of the talented, but troubled defensive back/kick returner, a former first-round draft pick who was most-recently released by the Dallas Cowboys.
Bomber head coach Mike Kelly just addressed the media at the club’s offices, stating:
“After deliberating and further investigating, we feel at this time it is not in the best interest of our football club to pursue Adam Jones and I wish him all the luck in his future endeavours,” said Kelly.
“This has nothing to do with his ability to get across the border. It was instigated by me and then after having further discussions with (Bomber president and CEO) Lyle (Bauer) I just didn’t feel it was in the best interest of our football club to include Adam Jones.”
The Bombers have spent much of the last few days dealing with the Jones story, ever since director of player personnel John Murphy indicated the team’s interest in Jones to an on-line reporter for Sports Illustrated. But the club kept insisting Jones had not signed even as the story grew. Ultimately, the team backed away partly because of concerns of how he would fit into their locker room.
Marlins superstars are none to pleased with each other – Miami Herald
Florida Marlins All-Star shortstop Hanley Ramirez and second baseman Dan Uggla exchanged heated words Wednesday afternoon in the team’s clubhouse before a game against the Atlanta Braves.
A frustrated and injured Ramirez told reporters he made “some people upset” after leaving Tuesday night’s loss in the fourth inning with a strained left hamstring. Moments later, after reporters met with manager Fredi Gonzalez in the dugout, Uggla openly argued with Ramirez in the clubhouse.
According to 790 The Ticket, which witnessed the squabble with two other reporters, Uggla accused Ramirez of a lack of desire and effort to win. And at one point, Uggla, lacing his remark with an expletive, said: “Yeah, you got your $70 million,” while asking Ramirez why he came out of Tuesday’s game.
“You don’t get the same respect from teammates when you’re not playing,” Ramirez said before the squabble. “I [made] people upset when I [left] the game last night. I try to do the best I can.”
Michigan to use the Forcier? – Michigan Daily sports writer @mikerothstein
Just got out of practice. Forcier took most of snaps with the first team.
Dear Massachusetts, Kurt Shilling would like to be your Senator (maybe)- Boston Globe
Add another name to the growing list of pols and would-be pols eyeing a run for Edward M. Kennedy’s Senate seat: former Red Sox ace Curt Schilling.
“I’m not going to divulge the discussions, but I’ve been contacted by people whose opinion I give credence to and listen to, and I listened,” Schilling said.
Asked whether he would run, Schilling said, “As of today, probably not.”
“I don’t know, going forward,” Schilling said. “That’s a pretty big deal, from a commitment standpoint, not just for me but for my family.”
After the interview, Schilling added to his comments with a statement he posted on his blog.
“I do have some interest in the possibility,” Schilling wrote. “That being said to get to there, from where I am today, many many things would have to align themselves for that to truly happen. I am not going to comment further on the matter since at this point it would be speculation on top of speculation.”
The Broncos are shopping for Brandon Marshall replacements according to – ESPN…
There is no indication that the Jets would surrender Harris, who was fifth on the team in tackles last season despite playing only 11 games due to groin surgery. He led the Jets in tackles the previous season.
Marshall has requested a trade from the Broncos, and new coach Josh McDaniels finally suspended him this week for conduct detrimental to the team.
…but not according to Bronco’s Coach Josh McDaniels – Denver Post
Broncos coach Josh McDaniels squashed rumors today that the team is looking to trade suspended wide receiver Brandon Marshall.
“There is no discussions whatsoever taking place between Denver Broncos and any team in the National Football League regarding Brandon Marshall,” McDaniels said. “We’re looking forward to having Brandon back on the 6th of September and starting our (season-opening) preparation with him.”
Got a spare billion? See what NFL franchises you could buy - Forbes
The National Football League was sacked by the recession during the past year. Tight credit markets, a precipitous decline in the number of people who could afford to buy a team and an unusually high number of franchises looking for investors combined to lower the average revenue multiple used to value teams from 4.7 to 4.4.
Although the average team enterprise value (equity plus debt) remained unchanged from a year ago at $1 billion, eight teams declined in value. The biggest losers: Oakland Raiders (-7%), Detroit Lions (-6%) and Indianapolis Colts (-5%). This marked the first time in 10 years that any NFL team had gone down in value.
But the biggest challenges face owners who bought at the peak. Earlier this year Stephen Ross bought 95% of the Miami Dolphins, the team’s stadium and about 100 acres of surrounding real estate for $1.1 billion. But the Dolphins are having trouble selling tickets and have $400 million in debt. The team could post a net loss this season, and during the past few months Ross has been selling small pieces to local celebrities like Gloria Estefan and Jennifer Lopez to raise the team’s profile and shore up its balance sheet.
Between cocaine hits, Matt Jones works out for Titans – The Tennessean
The Titans will begin looking at options at the receiver position on Thursday, as former Jaguar Matt Jones is scheduled to work out for the team, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Jones, a first round pick by Jacksonville in 2005, caught 65 passes for 761 yards with the Jaguars last season. In four NFL seasons he has 166 catches for 2,153 yards and 15 touchdowns.
Dennis Erickson good at disclipling. Couting? Not so much. Arizona Republic
Erickson suspends ‘5 or 6′ for opener
Arizona State football coach Dennis Erickson on Tuesday announced the suspensions of “five or six” players for Saturday’s opener against Idaho State, and the Sun Devilslikely will be without standout freshman Vontaze Burfict as well.
Erickson refused to get into specifics or identify the players, but he mentioned the suspensions when a reporter asked why starting receiver Kerry Taylor sat out a portion of Tuesday’s practice.
“It’s nothing serious or anything like that,” Erickson said. “They just broke a team rule.”
In other words, “I’m 19 years old and I’m rich. Why the hell would I move to Minneaopolis? – Star Tribune
BARCELONA, Spain – Ricky Rubio preferred to keep playing basketball in Spain because joining the Minnesota Timberwolves was a risky move that would complicate his life.
The 19-year-old point guard was sent from DKV Joventut to Barcelona on Tuesday after the Catalan club paid Rubio’s $5 million buyout.
Rubio, the Timberwolves’ fifth overall pick in this year’s draft, agreed to a six-year deal which includes a buyout clause that will allow him to leave for the NBA after two years.
“Going to Minnesota would have just complicated my life a lot. It was a risk and I didn’t see it so clearly,” Rubio said. “My priority was the NBA and it was impossible for the Minnesota Timberwolves to pay my buyout clause, so I wanted to stay home.”
Every day, the staffers at MFDC gather some of the best links around the intraweb in an effort to make you the most well informed fan in your office. Enjoy!
Pacman Jones puts on warm jacket, prepares to make it snow – The Miami Herald
Adam “Pacman” Jones is close to returning to pro football – north of the border.
Jones’ attorney, Worrick Robinson, said Tuesday he has been in “consistent negotiations” with a CFL team. Robinson told The Associated Press a deal could be completed by the end of the week.
Jon Garland joins Dodgers minutes after his Dbacks beat them – The L.A. Times
The Dodgers made two dramatic trades Monday night to bolster their postseason chances, acquiring slugger Jim Thome from the Chicago White Sox and starting pitcher Jon Garland from the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The acquisitions came just before the 9 p.m. PDT trade deadline, so both players are eligible to be on the Dodgers’ postseason roster if the team makes the playoffs.
As Garland sat in the Diamondbacks’ dugout at Dodger Stadium, the Dodgers announced the deals not long before Arizona beat the Dodgers, 5-3, with two runs in the 10th inning, denying Dodgers starter Randy Wolf his 100th victory.
University of Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez is being sued for defaulting on a real-estate loan to build high-end condominiums in the shadows of Virginia Tech’s Lane Stadium.
One of five guarantors for a proposed 80-condominium gated community called The Legends of Blacksburg, Rodriguez and his partners allegedly owe Nexity Bank $3.9 million, including interest and penalties.
Rodriguez was served a summons and complaint in his football office at 5:27 p.m. on Aug. 24, court papers show. Michigan practiced earlier in the day.
Tom Brady tosses a football, masses cry for joy – The Boston Globe
Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was present for practice once again today.
The Patriots are practicing on the upper fields behind Gillette Stadium and Brady made some light passes during the time in which media members were present.
Formerly dominant Annika Sorrenstam enters the world of motherhood – AnnikaBlog.com
Mike [editor's note: not me] and I are happy to announce that I gave birth to our little girl at 3:30AM this morning. Ava Madelyn McGee is six pounds 10 ounces and 19 inches long. We are all doing well and we truly appreciate the support we have received. We are VERY excited about our new addition and will keep everyone posted in the coming weeks. Thanks!
Sticky Ricky sets expiration date on disapointing career – The Miami Herald
On Tuesday, Williams revealed to The Miami Herald that he signed another one-year contract extension this offseason that will keep him in Miami through the 2010 season, at which point he said he plans to then retire as a Dolphin.
Isiah Thomas will debut college coaching career against UNC – ESPN
Isiah Thomas’ last game as a college player was against North Carolina, when he and the Indiana Hoosiers won the 1981 national championship.
A week of uncertainty now over, his first game as a college coach will be against the Tar Heels as well.
FIU decided Tuesday to play North Carolina as scheduled Nov. 9 in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament, ending several uneasy days where the Golden Panthers were so displeased with the matchup that they considered pulling out of the event entirely. For months, FIU worked under the assumption that it would play Ohio State in the opening round.
Another Michigan football parent defends Rich Rodriguez (GoBlueWolverine premium message boards, link not available)
I am Craig Roh’s dad and had the pleasure of experiencing first-hand the recruiting process and first summer with the UM program. I feel obligated to share with readers concrete evidence of the integrity and compliance of the Rich Rod program and staff. My son chose UM because it is one of the few schools in the country that has great football AND academics. He could have gone to UCLA, Cal, Stanford, USC..all great academic schools and he chose Michigan because it had the best of both.
He also selected UM because of the intensity and straight talk of the coaching staff. The first person he met was Mike Barwis. After spending an hour with Barwis, Craig turned to me and said, “He will make me the best I can be. That’s what I want.” When he met Rich Rod, he was further impressed with his openness and vision. Craig came here BECAUSE of the work ethic that was to be required of him. He WANTS to be pushed to the limits, not coddled and pampered.
He was recruited by Tony Dews. I am here to say that Coach Dews complied with every letter of the rules throughout the entire recruitment process, even the ones that seem senseless. He would not even give me a ride to lunch or pick up a $5 lunch tab because it was against the rules. He informed us of the recruiting rules over and over again. As I watched 35 schools recruit my son, I would put Michigan at the top of the integrity scale when it came to recruiting.
Let’s talk about Craig’s first summer. Again, Coach Dews made it abundantly clear what we had to pay for and what the school was allowed to pay for, what our responsiblities were and what the school’s were. I was tired of hearing about all the rules. It was like dealing with the IRS. There was NO push to report to school early, in fact we were told that if craig wanted to report to summer school early, it was on his dime and totally voluntary. Craig’s summer was very balanced. He VOLUNTARILY asked to watch tape as much as he could. Nobody pushed him to do it or even suggested it. He had more free time than he wanted.
Lastly, I know for a fact that Craig missed workouts in the summer and even missed parts of at least three practices at Fall camp so that he could attend class. He was excused with absolutely no repercussions by the coaching staff.
I am assuming that players who choose to come to UM under Rich Rod are coming here BECAUSE its hard. They want to become the best. They want to be pushed. They want great academics and great football environment. I detest the accusations made by the Freep. They think they are doing these kids a favor by easing up the workload and, in reality, they are undermining the very reason the kids chose UM!
Mike Fahmie
Vincent Coughlin
Andrew Fousek
