Friday Wrap-Up

- "What Would Tim Tebow Do" Night scrapped by Fort Myers Miracle. Coming Soon: Jessica Simpson NFL Speed Dating Event during Super Bowl week. (Rivals)

- Brett Rogers says he is going to "knock Fedor (Emelianenko) out". Then he woke up. (5 oz. of Pain)

- Cubs Yard Sale! Who wants Rich Harden and Aaron Hielman? (ESPN)

- Roy Jones Jr./Jeff Lacy HL. The old RJJ is back...beating on guys that have no business in the ring with him. (YouTube)

-A.I. wants to play in Memphis. Collective NBA universe asks "why"? (Yahoo! Sports)

Must See Games of the Weekend - Aplington-Parkersburg vs. Dike-New Hartford (Friday, 7 P.M. EST - ESPN)
Just over 2 months after their football coach was shot and killed by a former player, Aplington-Parkersburg takes the field for their first game of the season. It's going to be an emotional scene in Iowa tonight and massive props go to ESPN for airing this game in primetime on a Friday.

UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueria (Saturday, 10 P.M. EST - PPV)
It's $44.95 ($54.95 for the HD crowd), but it will definitely be worth it. A fight between former champs and a couple bouts between future title hopefuls. Plus, if you don't want to spend the money it's a great excuse to hit up your local sports bar and see it for free.

Chicago at Denver (Sunday, 8 P.M. EST)
Yes, preseason football. Should be fun to see Denver fans burning Jay Cutler in effigy outside (and possibly inside) the stadium.

Brandon Marshall throws a hissy fit at practice; earns an indefinite suspension

It’s been a fun off-season for Brandon Marshall. First he gets a new head coach in Josh McDaniels. Then he gets a new QB after Jay Cutler’s domestic dispute with the new coach forced the Broncos hand in a trade. Next he more or less demanded to follow Cutler right out Denver. Then came his acquittal on a battery charge in Atlanta and subsequent drop to the scout team. Now comes an all-time childish display at training camp which was all caught on tape by Denver TV station KMGH. Marshall, who is still waiting on his Dick Vermeil brand adult diapers courtesy of Larry Johnson, was leisurely strolling through his progressions, swatting down balls thrown his way and punting a ball down the field in lieu of simply handing it to the ball boy. Stay classy Brandon.

In a surprising move, the Broncos stood up to a player that was trying to hold the team hostage. Definitely the first time we've seen from this regime so far. Coach McDaniels announced at a press conference today that Marshall is suspended "indefinitely", at least until the regular season opener at Cincinnati. Marshall was apparently warned several times about his conduct yesterday but continued to pout in full view of the cameras. Although this could be devastating to the Broncos (and my fantasy team), it was absolutely necessary. The last thing McDaniels needs less than 3 weeks before he coaches his first game at the helm is a diva wideout bringing more media scrutiny towards him. Definitely a big boy move from the youngest coach in the NFL.

Will the Broncos trade Marshall?; more than likely yes. He’s a big time receiver, but is it worth it to have his attitude around a team that going through a massive overhaul? I just hope whatever happens with him happens soon. I really don’t feel like starting “brick hands” Braylon Edwards against the Vikings week 1.

Is Lou Holtz Really as Crazy as Everyone Thinks?

***WARNING!!! OBJECTIVE COLLEGE FOOTBALL POST FROM A NOTRE DAME FAN. GRAIN OF SALT AVAILABLE***

By now we have all seen/read somewhere that Lou Holtz believes that Notre Dame could be playing for the BCS National Title. Coincidentally, everyone who has seen/read this is calling for an immediate psychiatric evaluation for “Dr. Lou”. But is he completely off base with his thinking? He even said himself, Notre Dame won’t be the 2^nd best team in the country by any stretch at the end of the year. However, given their status and their favorable schedule, there is an outside chance that this could happen. Lets look at their schedule.

September 5^th vs. Nevada – 7-5 last season and only 5-3 in the WAC with powerhouses like San Jose State and Idaho. An experienced Irish team should have no problems here.

Setember 12^th at Michigan – Rich-Rod says he will start 3 QB’s in the Wolverine’s first game. What’s the saying; if you have 2 QB’s, you have no QB? What if you have 3; what do you have then? Notre Dame could struggle in the Big House but they should beat the inexperienced Wolverines.

September 19^th vs. Michigan State – The Irish struggle with Sparty, but without halfback Javon Ringer it could be a long day for Michigan State at Notre Dame Stadium.

September 26^th at Purdue – Notre Dame is better than Purdue. Period.

October 3^rd vs. Washington – Will Jake Locker be that dual threat QB to hurt the Irish? No. Irish win big.

October 17^th vs. USC – The big one. USC named true freshman Matt Barkley the starter at QB today, a risky move considering it’s never been done in USC history. Will he be ready to play in the shag carpeting at Notre Dame Stadium? Will he be burned out after playing Ohio State and Cal before heading to South Bend? Will he still be the starter by October 17^th? A lot of questions heading into that game, especially for a Pete Carroll squad. Should be a lot of fun to watch.

October 24^th vs. Boston College – Another team Notre Dame usually struggles with, but they are still a young squad taking on a fairly experienced Irish team. Could be close but it should be a win.

October 31^st vs. Washington State – Next.

November 7^th vs. Navy – The Midshipmen always play tough against the Irish, but they are usually a one trick pony on offense. Probably won’t fly against an improved defense.

November 14^th at Pittsburgh – Dave Wannstedt’s team will struggle to replace the offense that LeSean McCoy provided. The Panthers can play tough defense (see Sun Bowl vs. Oregon State). Could be a trap game, especially on the road.

November 21^st vs. UConn – Another squad trying to replace a big time running back heading into the season. Minus Donald Brown, this is a sub .500 team in a weak conference.

November 28^th at Stanford – Not a very good squad but that hasn’t stopped them from giving Notre Dame trouble in the past. Remember, it was only 3 years ago that Notre Dame needed a last minute drive to beat the Cardinal. That said, if this Irish team is as good as they should be, this should be another win.

Will Notre Dame win all of these games? According to me, no. I’ve got them going 10-2 and playing in a BCS game, but not the National Title game. But is it completely outlandish to believe that they could win all of these games and get a spot in the title game? Again, I say no. Theoretically, 2 of the biggest championship contenders, Texas and Oklahoma, will play an elimination game on October 17^th and Florida is in no way a lock to go undefeated in the SEC, despite a relatively soft schedule. There are several other teams that could crash the BCS party; Virginia Tech, Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Ole Miss (yeah, really). But think about what will go through the BCS committee’s minds if they are looking at an 11-1 Ole Miss team against an 11-1 Irish team for the title game; who is going to bring in more money and draw in more viewers. Sorry Rebels fans, Jevan Snead is good, but he’s not going out draw the University of Football.

So leave Dr. Lou alone, he’s not that crazy in his prediction. Plus, wouldn’t it be great to see the look on Mark May’s face if Notre Dame actually made or *gasp* won the National Title? Priceless.

UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueria - Breakdown with Picks

Main Card Bouts

Randy Couture (-190) vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueria (+150)

A couple of years ago this would have been the marquee “champion vs. champion” match up between Pride FC and UFC heavyweight champs. Now, it’s a fight that has serious implications for the future of both fighters in their careers. With the next shot at the heavyweight title presumably going to the winner, after Shane Carwin vs. Brock Lesner in November, the loser may have to face the possibility that retirement might be the best option. Couture, at 45, has one fight left on his UFC contract, and Nogueria has been through some of the most famous wars in MMA history and has looked battle worn at just 33.

Breakdown: This is a fight that harkens back to the old days of style vs. style; a world class wrestler facing a decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu fighter. In the old days, this fight would have been decided before it even began. Wrestler gets the takedown, BJJ fighter grabs a hold and lands a submission, fight over. However, it’s probably not going to play out like that in this one. Couture has exhibited great submission defense in both MMA and straight grappling matches, taking world champion BJJ grappler Ronaldo Souza to a draw, and Nogueria has serious takedowns and wrestling defense on top of his superior jiu-jitsu. With it unlikely that Couture is going just manhandle Nogueria on the ground or that “Minotauro” is going to effortlessly sub Couture, it seems this fight may be decided on the feet. Nogueria has exceptional boxing skills, despite not showing them in his UFC 92 match-up with Frank Mir, and Couture has shown that he is no slouch on the feet, but is susceptible to being hit with big shots. Should be a great one either way.

Pick: This is a tough one to call with almost everything on either side being negated or equaled by the other. Couture looked great against Brock Lesner until he got dropped late in the 2^nd and Nogueria basically showed up in zombie form against Mir (although he was rumored to be suffering from a staph infection at the time). I’d look for a feeling out process on the feet, Couture clinching against the fence, looks for/hits a takedown, pressures Nogueria on the floor, referee stand-up, lather-rinse-repeat for 15 minutes. Randy Couture by unanimous decision.

Keith Jardine (-140) vs. Thiago Silva (+110)

Breakdown: A match-up of strikers coming off high profile losses, this one has potential for serious fireworks. Despite having a BJJ black belt, Silva loves to brawl on the feet and pretty much the only time we see Jardine on the ground he’s lying there borderline unconscious (save the Forrest Griffin fight). The problem with both of their styles of fighting is that they have shown somewhat suspect chins in their UFC appearances. This could come down to who has the better gameplan coming in to the cage on fight night. The advantage here has to go Jardine, training under the mastermind Greg Jackson behind champion Georges St. Pierre and (former champ) Rashad Evans.

Pick: Jardine is extremely awkward when he fights, but it is also extremely successful. Look for a lot of crazy looking leg kicks from Jardine to frustrate Silva early and lure him to the inside where Jardine can land a big shot. The fight finishes on the deck with ref pulling Jardine off his opponent. Keith Jardine by TKO – Round 2

Chris Leben (-145) vs. Jake Rosholt (+115)

Breakdown: The bad boy from season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter, Leben, steps up to face the former All-American wrestler Rosholt in what seems (to me at least) to be a fairly straight forward fight. Leben possesses some brutal knockout power, decent ground skills, and a serious chin to boot. Rosholt, an import from the WEC, looked absolutely horrific on the feet against Nissen Osterneck, being soundly beaten before scoring a takedown after an awful spinning backfist and ultimately winning by TKO, and fell victim to a guillotine choke one minute into his UFC debut. This tells me that although he may have a great chin, his striking and submission defense is not quite up to his wrestling ability. Leben is too experienced and hits too hard for Rosholt to fight like he did against Osterneck.

Pick: If Rosholt can score a takedown we could have an interesting fight on our hands. I don’t see that happening though. Rosholt is young, he’ll have a decent career once he hones his skills some more. This fight is too big of a step right now though. Chris Leben by TKO – Round 1

Nate Marquardt (-190) vs. Demian Maia (+150)

Breakdown: Don’t let the line on this one fool you; this match is a lot closer than oddsmakers believe. Maia is undefeated for a reason; that reason mostly being that he may have the best jiu-jitsu in the UFC. The line has skewed towards Marquardt because we have yet to see Maia really have to stand up with his opponent while Nate “The Great” has exceptional stand-up skills. Defeated only by the middleweight champ Anderson Silva and by Thales Leites in a fight in which multiple fouls cost him a decision while in the UFC, Marquardt takes this fight knowing that the winner will most likely get a shot at Silva after Dan Henderson gets his second crack at “the Spider”.

Despite training full time with former Pride champ Wanderlei Silva at Wand Fight Team, Maia is at a serious disadvantage on the feet. Whenever he has faced this problem before, Maia has been able to score a takedown or pull guard and take the fight over on the ground. However, Marquardt won’t be so easy to get to ground. On top of great wrestling, he holds a BJJ black belt and shown good submission defense. This could be the deciding factor in the fight; can Nate fight off Maia takedowns/guard pulls and force him to strike with him?

Pick: This fight could go either way. If it hits the floor, Maia is a wizard and definitely has the skills needed to submit his fellow black belt. However, if it stays on the feet, the advantage is definitely for Marquardt. That said, I believe “The Great” is too big and too skilled to fall into Maia’s submission web and has the power to test Maia’s chin. Plus he has Greg Jackson in his corner. I heard he comes up with pretty good gameplans. Nate Marquardt by unanimous decision

Brandon Vera (-190) vs. Krzysztof Soszynski (+150)

Breakdown: Vera was one of the UFC’s hottest prospects just a couple years ago with a great mix of muay thai striking and jiu-jitsu grappling. Since then his career has really gone sideways and he has struggled to put together any wins of consequence. The one time heavyweight is now trying to work his way up the very talent rich light-heavyweight ladder. He takes on IFL and Ultimate Fighter season 8 alum Krzysztof Soszynski in a fight that could determine who is a future contender, and who will most likely be a gatekeeper for the foreseeable future. “The Polish Experiment” has strung together five straight wins (3-0 UFC), most recently knocking out Andre Gusmao in May. His stand up, while effective, has looked stiff but he makes up for by sporting a decent ground game to fall back on if he is on the short end of the striking game.

For Vera, this fight will most likely be decided based on his mental status heading in. He has raised questions about his heart in his performances against Fabricio Werdum and Keith Jardine where he basically conceded defeat when he was rocked. If he is content to simply turtle up and ride out a referee stoppage anytime he gets hurt or pushed in a fight, he’s never going to champion of one division, let alone two as he predicted early in his career. Soszynski on the other hand really has nothing to lose in this fight. A win means he keeps getting increasingly talented competition and a chance to work towards a title shot. A loss and he pretty much stays right where he is right now; smack dab in the middle of the LHW division.

Pick: This really depends on which Brandon Vera shows up. If we see the “old” Vera that was knocking out Justin Eilers and Frank Mir, it could be a relatively easy night for “The Truth”. If we see the fighter who struggled with a mid-level Keith Jardine and a bloated MW in Reese Andy, Krzysztof could steal this one away. That said, look for Vera to return to form and make a stride towards once again reaching that elite level. Brandon Vera by unanimous decision

Undercard Bouts

No Breakdowns here, only picks (sorry, I guess)

Chris Tuchscherer vs. Gabrial Gonzaga - Gonzaga by submission - Round 1

Ed Herman vs. Aaron Simpson - Aaron Simpson by TKO - Round 1

Mike Russow vs. Justin McCully - Mike Russow by unanimous decision

Todd Duffee vs. Tim Hague - Todd Duffee by KO - Round 1

Mark Munoz vs. Nick Cantone - Mark Munoz by unanimous decision

Marcus Aurelio vs. Evan Dunham - Marcus Aurelio by submission - Round 2

Brett Favre Causes a "Schism" In Vikings Locker Room; America's Eyebrows Remain in Normal Position

(You should see the kids. They look like Al Michaels for some reason)


Color me shocked. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported yesterday that there is “little support” for Brett Favre’s in the Vikings locker room. According to unnamed sources with the team, players are torn between whether Favre, Tavaris Jackson or Sage Rosenfels gives the team the best chance to win. If you saw this coming a mile away give yourself a pat on the back. Actually, forget that; don’t congratulate yourself for figuring out that the elephant in the room would cause some problems. Given how last season ended for Favre with the Jets, should it really be surprising that the traveling sideshow that is Brett Favre is not universally received with open arms?

This situation has been a mess since day one and Brad Childress has simply made it worse by making Brett what he has always wanted to be, more important than the team as a whole. It comes as no surprise that the man who told his team that they would have to be in training camp to make the team then personally chauffeured Favre from the airport in his SUV says that he knows nothing of a split within his team. This man either has no clue what is happening with his team’s chemistry, or he doesn’t care. Judging by his willingness to just hand over the reigns of his team to Favre after Rosenfels and Jackson were mislead about having a chance to start, I’m going to say it’s probably the latter of the two. Teams with chemistry problems don’t usually win a lot of games, especially in the postseason. Ask Wade Philips or Steve Mariucci how a team that caters to a massive ego over an entire team works.

The ’09-’10 season is going to be, if nothing else, entertaining. There are more storylines than an early Quentin Tarantino flick in the NFL this season. Here’s hoping they play out as just well.

3 Strikes: Where Colt McCoy Channels His Inner Dirk Diggler

(Taking swings at funny/embarrassing/ridiculous items across the sports world)

Strike #1: ESPN loves it's Little League Baseball...maybe a little too much - Don't get me wrong, I love seeing baseball played in it's purest form by kids playing for love of the game, not money, fame or a chance to sport those fancy dreadlocks (right Jim Rice?). But at a certain point, enough is enough. It's the end of August and almost every division in both MLB is still up in the air, NCAA and NFL football are about to start and Brett Favre is back (that is still news right?). While all of this is going on, we're treated to 4 to 6 hours of little league a day on both ESPN and ESPN2. For one, the setup of the tournament is so confusing the BCS committee can't figure out how it works. And two, if want to watch sloppy baseball for hours on end, I'll move out west and put the Mariners and Padres games on separate TVs. Give me highlights of the games on Sportscenter and come get me when they're playing for the title in Williamsport.

Strike #2: Riding the Medical Mets Ambulance All the Way to the Bottom - If I would have told you before the start of the season that the Mets would be 16 1/2 games out of first place at the end of August, how many people would have demanded a immediate drug test? The injury bugs have swarmed on this team to the point they are calling Joba Chamberlain for tips on making them go away. This season is already a lost cause, but what's scary is this looks like the beginning of the end for this Mets squad. Watching Omar Minaya's willingness to basically give Billy Wagner to the Red Sox and put Carlos Delgado on the trading block, you get the feeling this off-season is going to look very similar to a Marlins post-World Series fire sale. Alot of big contracts and alot of unhappy players should have fans of the "Amazins" very worried for the future.

Strike #3: The "Magic Man" and Boxing's Incredible Disappearing Act - If you missed last Saturday's HBO broadcast of the Juan "Baby Bull" Diaz-Paulie "Magic Man" Malignaggi fight, you're not alone. This travesty of a match hasn't gotten as much play (outside of boxing circles) that it should have. Quick recap: Malignaggi takes the fight on short notice in Diaz's hometown of Houston, calls out the judges selected for the fight for being "Golden Boy's gophers", fights the fight of his career for 12 rounds by keeping Diaz off of him with superior technique en route to a 115-113 win on HBO's Harlod Lederman's (and my) scorecard. Problem is we didn't score the fight and the "Magic Man" called his shot. An extremely close fight was deemed a 115-113, 116-112, 118-110 (!!!!) unanimous decision for Diaz. For the unintiated, a 116-112 score means 8 rounds to 4 for Diaz and the ludicrous 118-110 score is 10 rounds to 2 for Diaz. And promoters and fighters wonder why people are migrating to MMA? This was disgusting and Paulie put the boxing world on blast in his post-fight interview. "Boxing is full of s--t, I used to love this sport" a fired up Malignaggi said while demanding that a rematch be held in New York City so he can get his fair shake. When a fighter can declare BY NAME the judge (or judges) who is going to screw him out of a fight, your sport has a serious problem. Controversy like this is nothing new to boxing, but if it continues, even the hardcores may abandon ship. The true test of boxing's vitality will be the Mayweather-Marquez bout in September, which is held the same night as UFC 103 in Dallas. Comparing the PPV buys for these events could be very telling as the future of boxing's drawing power against developing juggernaut that is MMA.

Foul Ball: Cue the Bad Keyboard Music at Longhorns Practice! - Just as I was deciding whether the Michael Vick dog jersey was a better or worse idea than Colt McCoy's unfortunate porno 'stache, comes news that he will be parting with his Dirk Diggler tribute on Tuesday. First good audible of the season by Heisman candidate, he was starting to get that Spencer Pratt skin-colored facial hair thing going.

Going Down Swinging (Ridiculous Item of the Day): Kansas City Chiefs Head Coach Todd Haley - The first year coach said in the Kansas City Star that no one had made the roster as of right now. OK coach, we're totally buying what you're selling. So that monster deal you signed Matt Cassell to is so he can sit on the bench behind Tyler Thigpen? Makes you wonder though, does that mean that camp is super competitive this year or that everyone on the squad is as immature as Larry Johnson and Dwayne Bowe?

Going Down Looking (Must Watch Game of the Night):Dodgers v. Rockies - The team most believed to be the best team in baseball two months ago has seen it's lead in the NL West dwindle to 2 games over the Rockies, who were 15 games back when they replaced Clint Hurdle with Jim Tracy. Now the Rockies are the hottest team in baseball and could be tied for the the division lead by Friday morning. Colorado is a fun team to watch and this series means alot for both teams, definitely not one to be missed.