Monday, December 31, 2012

No, Northern Illinois has NOT left the Fontainebleau to "avoid distractions"

NIU players avoid South Beach trappings
Published on Trib College Sports | shared via feedly

After spending six days in South Florida in advance of Tuesday night's Orange Bowl against Florida State, Northern Illinois coach Rod Carey says he is proud of the way his players have conducted themselves so far.

“I’m impressed with them You come down to South Beach with a bunch of 18- and 22-year-olds…we were all 18 and 22 at some point…and we can remember what that was like,” Carey said Monday morning. “We haven’t had one single incident as far as bad decision making. I give them all of the credit for that.


Huskies say they’re ready
Published on Northwest Herald | shared via feedly

NIU has had its share of fun this week, staying right on the beach at the Fontainebleau Hotel, but Carey said that since Saturday, the team has been 100 percent business.

“This is a reward, and it should be. We wanted to let them have some fun, and they did, and they were respectful,” he said. “They made good decisions, super proud of them. They snapped back in. They’ve been going to work.”
This shouldn't be a big deal, and it wouldn't be if @TomahawkNation hadn't retweeted this silly rumor:


The Fontainebleau is an upscale Miami Beach Hotel. It's quite poshy and full of opportunities for mischief. It's also the hotel where the Alabama contingent will be staying for the BCS  Championship preparations and game next week.

The Crescendo of College Football

Starting at noon eastern today, there will be at least one college football game every day between now and January 7. The 2012 season comes to an exciting climax with the BCS Championship Game between Alabama and Notre Dame.

Then, it ends until the first weekend in September, 2013.

Here’s the final slate for your viewing reference.

BOWL LOCATION WHEN NETWORK
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Nashville, Tenn. Dec. 31 ESPN
NC State vs. Vanderbilt LP Field Noon  
Hyundai Sun El Paso, Texas Dec. 31 CBS
USC vs. Georgia Tech Sun Bowl 2 p.m.  
AutoZone Liberty Memphis, Tenn. Dec. 31 ESPN
Iowa State vs. Tulsa Liberty Bowl 3:30 p.m.  
Chick-fil-A Atlanta Dec. 31 ESPN
LSU vs. Clemson Georgia Dome 7:30 p.m.  
TaxSlayer.com Gator Jacksonville, Fla. Jan. 1 ESPN2
Mississippi State vs. Northwestern Everbank Field Noon  
Heart of Dallas Dallas Jan. 1 ESPNU
Purdue vs. Oklahoma State Cotton Bowl Noon  
Outback Tampa, Fla. Jan. 1 ESPN
South Carolina vs. Michigan Raymond James Stadium 1 p.m.  
Capital One Orlando, Fla. Jan. 1 ABC
Georgia vs. Nebraska Florida Citrus Bowl 1 p.m.  
Rose Bowl Game presented by Vizio Pasadena, Calif. Jan. 1 ESPN
Wisconsin vs. Stanford Rose Bowl 5 p.m.  
Discover Orange Miami Jan. 1 ESPN
Northern Illinois vs. Florida State Sun Life Stadium 8:30 p.m.  
Allstate Sugar New Orleans Jan. 2 ESPN
Louisville vs. Florida Louisiana Superdome 8:30 p.m.  
Tostitos Fiesta Glendale, Ariz. Jan. 3 ESPN
Oregon vs. Kansas State U. of Phoenix Stadium 8:30 p.m.  
AT&T Cotton Arlington, Texas Jan. 4 FOX
Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma Cowboys Stadium 8 p.m.  
BBVA Compass Birmingham, Ala. Jan. 5 ESPN
Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss Legion Field 1 p.m.  
GoDaddy.com Mobile, Ala. Jan. 6 ESPN
Kent State vs. Arkansas State Ladd-Peebles Stadium 9 p.m.  
Discover BCS National Championship Miami Jan. 7 ESPN
Notre Dame vs. Alabama Sun Life Stadium 8:30 p.m.  

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Morning Six Pack: December 31, 2012

Enjoy 2012’s last six pack college football stories from around the country. We’ll be back in 2013, as cool, crisp and refreshing as ever.

Browns eye Penn State's Bill O'Brien - not Alabama's Nick Saban

The Browns are also expected to pursue Oregon coach Chip Kelly, who's this year's "it" candidate, a source told The Plain Dealer.

Nation’s second-leading rusher leaving Nevada for NFL

Two days after their long-time head coach stepped down, Nevada has lost its most productive offensive cog as well. In a tweet posted a couple of days ago to the Twitter account of Kelli Masters Management, it was announced that running back Stefphon Jefferson has signed with KMMSports.

SEC Bowl Blowout: Vanderbilt Starts Off a Week of Postseason Matchups

Vanderbilt goes for history in the Music City Bowl while LSU looks to take out another set of Tigers in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. On tap for New Year's Day: Georgia-Nebraska, South Carolina-Michigan, and Mississippi State-Northwestern.

TCU laments missed opportunities in Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl

Texas Christian dominated Michigan State's offense in the first half by bottling up Le'Veon Bell. Once the Spartans' bruising running back got going, the Horned Frogs had no way of stopping him.

A&M confirms Damontre Moore is off to NFL

After spending the 2012 season wreaking havoc in SEC backfields, Damontre Moore will officially attempt to do the same at the next level. In a video released by the university, the defensive lineman confirmed that he will leave the Aggies a year early and make himself available for the April NFL draft.

Quotable:

There's always plenty of action down on South Beach around New Year's. This January, there will also be plenty of MACtion: Northern Illinois became the first MAC team to reach a BCS game, crashing the Orange Bowl to take on heavily favored Florida State. But instead of toasting the visitors, everyone from television executives (under their breath) to TV commentators (out loud) has questioned NIU's inclusion in the game.

Consider The Herbstreit Referendum this game's ultimate storyline after ESPN commentator Kirk Herbstreit lambasted the Huskies on ESPN's bowl selection show. Was he stumping for his angry pal, Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops? Or are the Huskies really feeble foils for the Seminoles? If there's one thing Florida State has done consistently this past decade, it's play down to its opponents and deliver unthinkable clunker losses. (This season's loss to NC State being the latest example.) Will quarterback Jordan Lynch and the Huskies deliver enough MACtion to get an equal or opposite reaction from Herbstreit and the other doubters?

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Heartwarming: Rich Wingo headlining BBVA FCA breakfast

Former Alabama, NFL player Rich Wingo to headline BBVA Compass Bowl FCA breakfast
Published on Sports Impact | shared via feedly
Rich Wingo, who was a part of one of the most famous plays in college football history as a linebacker at the University of Alabama, will be the keynote speaker at the fourth annual BBVA Compass Bowl Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) Breakfast presented by Northwestern Mutual of Alabama. 

The FCA Breakfast will be held at the Sheraton Birmingham Ballroom on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2012, from 7:30-9 a.m. CT. Individual tickets are available for $25, while tables seating 10 are available for $250. Tickets can be reserved by phone at 205-298-9400 or by email at adebellis@fca.org. 

Wingo, a native of Elkhart, Ind, played at Alabama from 1974-78 under Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and was part of the famous "Goal Line Stand" in the 1978 Sugar Bowl when the Crimson Tide defeated Penn State to claim college football's national championship.
Grab the original.

I'm tempted to drive to Birmingham for this event. If you've never met Rich Wingo, you've cheated yourself out of meeting one of the classiest, most intriguing people in Alabama football history.

He can talk about that Goal Line Stand play like it happened just yesterday, and if you're any fan whatsoever of Alabama football, you get chills just listening to him talk about playing for Coach Bryant and Alabama. But even if you're not an Alabama fan, you'll get chills listening to him talk about everything other than football.

If you get the chance to go to this event, take it and trust me--you won't be disappointed.

Top Ten Stories at IBCR for 2012

image As we close the books on an interesting 2012 calendar year, it’s time to look back and remember the year’s most popular and widely linked posts here at IBleedCrimsonRed.com. The popularity of some of these was surprising. Others that we thought would be surefire traffic magnets didn’t even crack the Top 20. Not surprising at all was the fact that recruiting, scandal and controversy drew the most attention, but readers gave a nod to feel-good stories, too.

So, without further ado, in order of popularity as determined by GoStats and Google Analytics: Here are the ten stories y’all were most interested in last year.

Meet the BAMS Radio Fax Cam Girl

We expected the Fax Cam feed from BAMSRadio.com would generate page views, and boy did it ever. On National Signing Day 2012, BAMS and this site were flooded with traffic. A few days later, we caught up with the curvy model the whole internet was talking about that day, and her story was the runaway winner.

UGA player posts rant on Facebook, gets blowback from UGA fan

When Georgia’s Isaiah Crowell was dismissed by Mark Richt after a weapons charge, teammate and OLB Cornelius Washington posted a somewhat whiny, self-pitying rant on his Facebook page. He almost immediately received some scathing feedback from “Bobby,” Fans around the country ate it up and made this a top destination for weeks.

Alabama locker room post game celebration (VIDEO)

A jubilant Alabama Crimson Tide locker room erupted in celebration following the team’s win in the 2012 BCS Championship Game. It was captured on video and this post went viral in minutes. It’s definitely worth another look, as Alabama can make BCS and college football history with a repeat next Monday night in Miami.

Prom Date’s Dad praises Trent Richardson

Former Alabama RB Trent Richardson escorted recovering Leukemia patient Courtney Alvis to her senior prom last April, earning praise for such a selfless act of kindness. But when one ESPN blogger claimed that Richardson comes off cocky in interviews, Alvis’ father took issue. LivingCrimson told the dad’s story and this post stayed on the What’s Hot List for what seemed like forever.

Father accuses Auburn football players of racism and harassment

Two Auburn students were reportedly accosted and insulted by members of the football team at a local McDonald’s, resulting in the arrest of the victims. Their father spoke out, using social media and an Atlanta area radio show. This was an IBCR News post. Those usually generate page views because they’re breaking items. But this one went viral and the story eventually made headlines.

Jesse Williams’ ENTIRE family gets Bama ink

Another out-of-the-park post from LivingCrimson told us how Jesse Williams parents and six other family members all got new tatts to commemorate the Monstar’s contribution to Alabama’s BCS Championship team.

Landon Collins’ recruitment takes another strange twist

Perhaps no recruiting battle in the country drew as much attention as that for Geismar, LA’s Landon Collins. Collins committed to Alabama, much to the chagrin of his mother, who visibly and vocally expressed her displeasure over her son’s decision to spurn LSU. What followed was a wacky chain of events and this was one of the most clicked pages of the 2011-2012 recruiting season.

Some Auburn fans are very sensitive when it comes to Cracker Barrel’s shop inventory

Auburn faithful always feel that they get snubbed by media and business alike in a state where they’re outnumbered by a two to one majority. Ah, the Rodney Dangerfield of the SEC was at it again.

Mark Richt has lost control of his players’ mouths

Georgia players provided a little locker room bulletin board material just before the Bulldogs’ date with Alabama in the 2012 SEC Championship Game.  Talking smack before a big game like that never ends well, but boy did this post take over the month of December, only recently dropping off of the What’s Hot list.

Ten reasons why Arkansas should hire Mike Shula

Occasionally, we like to throw in a little snarky satire, which worked like a charm with this post after Arkansas fired Bobby Petrino last April. Arkansas fans have the best sense of humor of anyone in the SEC, and there wasn’t a hog message board that didn’t link and laugh.

Honorable Mention: 

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Chance Warmack Ate Two. Beef, brains and brotherhood

This has to be the lede of the year. George Schroeder of USAToday's feature column on the beefy, brainy and brotherly Alabama Offensive Line.
The signature burger at Mugshots Grill and Bar is three all-beef patties, six strips of bacon, three slices of cheese — your choice, cheddar or American — along with tomatoes, pickles, lettuce and red onions, all layered on four bun slices, everything slathered in mayonnaise and mustard.

The challenge, should you choose to accept, is to devour the entire Mugshot — approximately 2½ pounds, post-cooked weight, and that's not counting the accompanying large order of fries, an onion ring and a fried pickle — in 12 minutes. Clearly, this is not a task for the faint of heartburn, but finish it and the food is free.

Morning Six Pack: December 30, 2012

It’s so cold, even the beer is shivering. Warm up with these six college football stories from around the country.

Tuiasosopo returning to Washington as QBs coach

One of the greatest players, let alone quarterbacks, in the history of the Washington football program is coming home.

Pagano endorses candidate for FIU

Even during his recovery from leukemia, Indianapolis head coach Chuck Pagano still found time to try and help one of his peers.

UF defense faces yet another dual-threat challenge

Florida's dominant defense has done many good things this season. One thing it has done best is disarm explosive quarterbacks.

Texas tight end commits to Tigers

Jason Reese, a tight end from Euless, Texas, pledged a verbal commitment to Missouri on Friday, he told several outlets Saturday.

Crimson Tide may depend on air attack again to win another title

Alabama had to throw to beat LSU for the national title a year ago, and if it worked once, maybe it can work again.

Quotable:

"We've got some good guys on this team, even the ones who didn't play that much this year," Smith said. "We've had All-Americans like Jarvis Jones playing, so there really isn't room for other people to get in. We have guys who will step up.

"That's why they're on scholarship, too, so I think we're going to be all right."

Herrera is tied for fourth on the team with 67 tackles, while Smith is sixth with 55. Swann is ninth with 47 tackles and has two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Rebuilding the defense will be foremost as a spring-practice priority, and those who are returning already are dealing with the "weak link" talk.

"I'm hearing that, and a lot of people have told me that I need to leave and run out with this great class of defensive guys we've got and go to the NFL," Smith said. "The way I look at it is that it's just another opportunity and another way for me to step up. We've got our whole offense coming back, so I think we've got a good chance of doing some good things next year."

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Too many bowls? Blame ESPN

image There is a debate currently raging on talk radio, social media and internet message boards over the number of college football bowl games being played. Some say that the nearly non-stop schedule of 35 games played between December 15, 2012 and January 7, 2013 devalue the significance of postseason play. The other side contends that any college football is better than no college football at all, and the number of opportunities for postseason play is a good thing for the sport and the players who suit up for the games.

Whichever side of this argument you fall on, you have to acknowledge that the reason we have all of these games is because ESPN wanted the inventory and made sure the Worldwide Leader got the rights to most of the games. ESPN owns seven bowls outright—Gildan New Mexico, Beef O’Brady’s, MAACO, Sheraton Hawai’i, Meineke Car Care, Bell Helicopter Armed Forces and BBVA Compass. The parent network ABC and the three primary ESPN channels broadcast all but two—the Hyundai Sun and the AT&T Cotton.

It’s a saturated market, according to one report from the Birmingham News’ Jon Solomon, who explains that the 2011-12 season saw the lowest average TV ratings since the 1998 peak of the BCS era and another report on attendance shows declining average attendance.

These reports can be taken two ways. The first is that a saturated market means fewer people going to and watching each of the lesser bowl games. But the other is that with more bowl games to choose from, more people than ever are watching and going to bowls.

I touched on this back in January. While the average attendance is down, total attendance is historically high. I don’t have ready access to historical TV ratings data, but if there’s any correlation between bowl attendance and TV viewers (I’m betting that there is), there are more people watching bowl games now than ever before. The last two to three years have indeed seen a leveling off and/or a slight decline in attendance and viewership, but the long term trend shows that ESPN was business smart. They sensed an unmet demand for college postseason games. Of the 12 bowl games added to the slate since 2002, ESPN either bought or founded seven of them and now has an iron grip on the TV rights.

During the off-season, a few conference commissioners floated the idea of increasing the number of wins for bowl eligibility from six to seven. The matter never came up for a vote. When the commissioners went back to their conference member schools, they found little support for a move that would certainly have killed off several of the smaller bowls.

College football is the second most popular sport, trailing only the NFL in fan following and TV marketability. While there have been some serious ho-hummers between 6-6 teams in tiny no-name bowls, it's still a valuable inventory and the real powers that be--the presidents and chancellors--understand that.

When you have a valuable inventory that you know people will buy, you don’t remove it from the marketplace. You package it and sell it for the best price you can get for it while giving your players an opportunity to play a team they rarely face, in a venue they may never get to play in again.

The USAToday.com story linked in the January post uses fuzzy math to suggest that the inventory isn’t valuable. Maybe that was intentional. Maybe it was just sloppy journalism. But the fact remains that using average bowl attendance and viewership figures to argue that the total level of interest is the lowest in history is simply wrong.

The argument for or against the current bowl schedule then becomes qualitative rather than quantitative. You can make a strong case that a lot of the teams playing in bowls this season don’t really deserve to be there. You can argue that East Popcorn State against Northeastern State West is bad football. But you can’t argue that people aren’t interested in the college football postseason. If they weren’t, ESPN wouldn’t be showing so many games and those presidents and chancellors would have let a bunch of them go dark.

The four team playoff that arrives for the 2014 season may change the landscape dramatically. Those who want fewer bowl games may get their wish when the market reevaluates the postseason slate. No one yet knows exactly how the playoff will affect games like GoDaddy.com and BBVA Compass Bowls. But if ESPN and the powers that be have their way, the change will be incremental rather than monumental.

Here’s a change that makes sense from a free market perspective: Forbid any bowl game from requiring schools to purchase a set amount of tickets, hotel rooms at ridiculous rates and seats at pricey banquets. Let these games sink or swim on their own and watch what happens. Schools shouldn’t lose money on bowl games that can’t sell their own tickets or generate tourism revenue on their own. If Presidents just say no to ticket, travel and entertainment allotments, the market will take care of the bowls that don’t belong.

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Morning Six Pack: December 29, 2012

One week (just for leap years) and the Mayans were still wrong. So, we raise our glasses to these six college football stories from around the country.

Stay away from that Bourbon

As the Gators found out in the past, the allure of Bourbon Street can be strong, and it can be game-changing when it comes to the Sugar Bowl.

Gurley show stays impressive for UGA

Georgia freshman tailback Todd Gurley has powered and raced his way to 1,260 rushing yards heading into Tuesday's Capital One Bowl against Nebraska.

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's Huesman seeks experienced OC

Sitting behind his desk inside McKenzie Arena on Friday, University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football coach Russ Huesman reeled off a list of attributes he's looking for in an offensive coordinator.

BCS Countdown: Win it for Parseghian

It wasn't quite the original, but it wasn't a bad sequel at all for Notre Dame.

Lone Star State
offers plenty in
recruiting ties

The Minnesota Golden Gophers planned to fly home immediately after Friday night's Meineke Car Care Bowl of Texas at Reliant Stadium, but they'll be back.

Quotable:

Well, I’m just gonna leave this out here.

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Friday, December 28, 2012

USC, Kiffin reportedly targeting Gene Chizik for Trojan DC job

'Big Name' USC Defensive Coordinator Candidate: Gene Chizik 
Published on reignoftroy.com | shared via feedly
Since the BCS era began in 1998, there have only been 18 undefeated teams after their respective bowl game. And in that time, there’s only one coach who has done it three times, and that’s Gene Chizik.

Over parts of four different seasons, Chizik won 34 straight games as a defensive coordinator with Auburn Tigers and Texas Longhorns, including a win over USC in the 2006 Rose Bowl. When he was hired as Iowa State’s head coach for the 2007 season, he was considered to be the best defensive coordinator college football. Fast forward five years and with the exception of a magical run National Championship run in 2010 aided by Cam Newton at Auburn, Chizik’s proved that he’s not cut out to be a successful head coach. But that doesn’t mean he’s lost his ability to be a defensive genius.

Against Oregon in the BCS National Championship Game two years ago, Chizik’s Auburn Tigers held Chip Kelly’s Ducks to 19 points. But more importantly, and rather miraculously, Auburn kept them to just 75 yards rushing, a fraction of what Kenjon Barner dialed up against USC last month.
Read the rest.

Despite the former Auburn head coach's rapid fall from the pinnacle of a BCS Championship to 3-9 and 0-8, Chizik's stock as a defensive coordinator has always been high. While his term at Auburn saw the defense post its worst four-year stretch in modern program history, his defenses on the 2004 Tigers and 2005 Longhorns produced salty, undefeated seasons.

Maybe this is a good hire for Kiffin and a good move for Chizik.

Morning Six Pack: December 28, 2012

Prediction: More people will read and enjoy these six college football stories from around the country than will attend tonight’s Russell Athletic Bowl.

David Cutcliffe: 'You can have a ton of fun playing football pissed off and hard'

It didn't work, but it was still a pretty good halftime speech.

Saban likes practices

With two practices down since returning from Christmas break and two more to go before heading to Miami, Alabama coach Nick Saban said he likes what he has seen so far.

UT's Graham 'rehired' quickly by Jones

While many were assuming one thing, Jay Graham continued to maintain his focus on the present.

AJ McCarron dating Miss Alabama USA, who just happens to be an Auburn grad

Webb tweeted on Dec. 24 a photo of the two of them together. She also tweeted she would be sitting with the McCarrons for the BCS title game.

Louisiana-Monroe faces Ohio in first FBS postseason game

Louisiana-Monroe wants to make a good impression after advancing to the postseason for the first time since moving up to the Football Bowl Subdivision in 1994.

Quotable:

Early this month, Barkley hinted at frustration over Kiffin's play-calling, telling radio and television host Dan Patrick that the Trojans, at times, focused too much on sophomore receiver Marqise Lee and that "we could have done a better job of utilizing other players."

Asked Thursday if he could expand on the comment, Barkley said, "I think what I said was enough. I'm not here to bash anyone. I'm not the play-caller when it comes down to it."

Asked if there was anything he would have liked to have done more of, individually, in the offense this season, he said, "Certain specific things. But, you know, it's between the coaching staff and me."

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NewSBIT

Thursday, December 27, 2012

NIU QB disses Florida State defense. What could go wrong?

Jordan Lynch is feeling confident about NIU's chances against FSU
Published on CollegeFootballTalk | shared via feedly
Lynch was not lacking confidence when he spoke with the Sporting News about Florida State’s top-10 defense.

“They’re fast, they’re physical, but they haven’t seen anything like our offense,” Lynch said. “We plan on wearing them down. In the fourth quarter, we plan to have them on their knees—and then just keep pounding away.” 

Lynch didn’t back off his comments when asked about them later in the day. He wasn’t alone, either. NIU defensive end Sean Progar said FSU would be “surprised” by the Huskies’ team speed and new coach Rod Carey added “What’s he [Lynch] supposed to say? ‘Hey, we’re just hoping we get a first down, a yard or two?‘”
Ruh roh, scraggy.

Chip Kelly will leave for the NFL. Nick Saban will not.

Published on SI.com | shared via feedly
Even before Stanford knocked off Oregon and prevented the Ducks from winning a fourth consecutive conference title, rumors ran wild that Kelly would bolt for the NFL after this season. It makes sense. He almost took the Tampa Bay job last offseason, and the Patriots' successful adaptation of some principles of Kelly's Blur Offense proves a version of his scheme could work at the game's highest level. Last week's Yahoo! report that Oregon couldn't wrangle a summary judgment and will have to face the NCAA's Committee on Infractions only fuels those rumors more. If Kelly must face severe discipline because his program paid a handler with a $25,000 check, then why should he stick around and face the music when he can get paid and let the players who remain at Oregon deal with the consequences?

Meanwhile, every time someone links Saban's name to an NFL job, it is because of one of two reasons: 1) Agent Jimmy Sexton knows how to get raises for his clients. 2) Trolling Alabama fans by suggesting their uber-successful coach will leave them is a surefire way to grab page views and social-media engagement.
No truer words were ever spoken (or written) such as the two paragraphs above. SI's Andy Staples knows the score, as to most Alabama fans. Some are still fretting because, well... some folks are more easily trolled than others and, well... Bama fans are somewhat more fretful than others.

The Era of the Mikes did a lot of damage to the collective psyche of the Bama Nation.

Videos record Christmas Tornado strike in Mobile, Alabama

Various videos show the scary Christmas Day Tornado that struck Mobile, Alabama on December 25, 2012. Thankfully, no one was killed or seriously injured by the storm, but it caused quite a bit of damage in the historic Midtown and Dauphin Way areas of the city.

The first is from the surveillance cameras at a Walgreen's store.



The second video is from the Holiday Inn downtown. The camera is facing south and east and shows the funnel crowd moving through.



The third video is from a similar angle, also from the Battle House Hotel downtown. The woman recording the video, Crystal Curry, can be heard praying for those in the storm’s path.



Tornadoes in Mobile are fairly rare. The one that raked the area on Christmas Day came five days after a similar storm struck an area about two miles west.

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Morning Six Pack: December 27, 2012

College Football, like beer. Even when it’s bad, it’s pretty good. Check out these six college football stories from around the country.

Central Michigan edges Western Kentucky in Little Caesars Bowl

Central Michigan bounced back from a pair of late calls that didn't go their way.

Saunders leaving Florida, maybe heading to Louisville.

De'Ante ‘Pop' Saunders' up-and-down Florida career is now over. The sophomore safety told The Sun on Wednesday that he has been released from the UF football program.

Rodney Garner represents a true son, brother and father of Auburn football

Rodney and Kim Garner’s five daughters between the ages of 8 and 15 years old have never lived anywhere but Athens, Ga. They make a point to visit Auburn twice a year, when Rodney and Kim can show their girls where their parents met and attended college.

Bolstered size, daily improvement the ingredients for Notre Dame defense's turnaround

The Fighting Irish rank fourth in rush defense (92.42 yards allowed per game), 20th in pass defense (194.42 per game), sixth in total defense (286.83 per game) and first in scoring defense (10.33 points per game).

Brandon Hill signed SEC financial aid agreement with Alabama

Hill, who verbally committed to Ole Miss in November and publicly said he was switching back to Alabama late last night, was apparently done with the recruiting process after he signed the paper in early December.

Quotable:

"I took the long road,'' he said. "Academically, I didn't apply myself coming into college out of high school. I wanted football to support my education through a scholarship, so I had to show that I could do the work. I had a 3.0 my first two semesters, so that gave me a lot of confidence coming from high school to Kent State.

"My biggest problem was I never knew how to study for a test. I never studied for a test until I got into college. All I did in high school was homework. College, that's really all it is is (writing) papers and (taking) exams and such, so I had to get better at taking exams.

I'm proud. I knew it was going to be a long road, but I saw the light. I didn't know how long it was going to take to get there.''

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Morning Six Pack: December 26, 2012

There’s still some eggnog left. But, we’re sticking with the cool, clear crisp and refreshing flavor of these six malty college football stories from around the country.

Head injuries growing in SEC

With athletes creating more violent collisions, head injuries in the SEC are a growing concern.

Moore memories: Alabama athletics director has had inside looks at Alabama and Notre Dame

Mal Moore is known for his long association with his alma mater, but he was the running backs coach at Notre Dame from 1983-85, and he treasures those three years.

Syracuse suspends two for bowl game

Syracuse has suspended sophomore tailback Adonis Ameen-Moore and reserve tight end Max Beaulieu for the Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday for violating athletic department rules.

Previewing Wednesday's Little Caesars Pizza Bowl

Game in Detroit features nearby Central Michigan and first-time bowl team Western Kentucky.

Members of 1988 Irish mourn loss of teammate Dean Brown

From the back of the ambulance, Dean Brown sounded normal. The trouble he had breathing that morning was due to either a nasty cold or a respiratory infection, so he would go to the hospital, maybe get some antibiotics and get out of there. He couldn't believe he was even in the ambulance.

Quotable:

“Everybody has a game or two where you have to get lucky,” Forde said. “If you go back through history, very few teams have won a national championship without needing some divine help at some point in time.”

Notre Dame has not played Alabama in 25 years.

“A year ago, Alabama was preparing for the national championship game,” the radio host Paul Finebaum said. “At the same time, Notre Dame was playing Florida State” in the Champs Sports Bowl. “Alabama has been there so many times, and Notre Dame hasn’t been there enough to handle the moment.”

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Dynasty Talk? Too soon...

By beating Notre Dame, Alabama can officially become a dynasty - college football
Published on ESPN Feed: ivan maisel | shared via feedly
Alabama is attempting to do what no program has done in the BCS era: win a third national championship and cross the threshold into a dynasty. It has been 15 years since a program last did so. Tom Osborne, dogged for two decades as the coach who couldn't win the big one, led Nebraska to its third big one in four seasons and retired as the Cornhuskers coach.

And now Nick Saban has brought the Crimson Tide to the precipice of matching Nebraska. No. 2 Alabama, with a defeat of No. 1 Notre Dame in the Discover BCS National Championship on Jan. 7, would become the first team to win a third national title since the BCS began in 1999.

That third crystal football is the key that will unlock the door to the pantheon of college football. We have identified eight dynasties that have ruled the sport in the modern era (beginning in 1936 with the Associated Press poll, the most widely accepted measure of a champion in the pre-BCS era). By happy accident, the dynasties spaced themselves apart, arriving at the rate of one per decade until the onset of the BCS.
Mash here for story and video.

While all Alabama fans relish the possibility of watching the Tide make history, it's a little too soon to be talking about this dynasty stuff, isn't it?

Notre Dame is a traditional powerhouse. For the first time in decades, the team is undefeated and on the verge of winning another national championship. They are disciplined, well coached and have benefited greatly from the luck of the Irish.

Let's see Alabama get past a very capable opponent and then let's start comparing it to the dynastic reigns of college football history.

Cam Newton: Once a classless jerk, still a classless jerk

camkick2

Some things will never change. Even in a convincing win over the Oakland Raiders, Carolina Panthers and former Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton showed that he’s about as classy and mature as he was when he lifted a laptop from a classmate’s dorm room, cheated on exams and skipped out on something like 568,343 traffic tickets.

One of the most disliked players in the SEC is on his way to becoming one of the most disliked players in the NFL. The only difference is that when you’re disliked in the NFL, the shots taken at you are harder to avoid and more likely to hurt like they mean it.

Good luck, pal.

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Morning Six Pack: December 24, 2012

‘twas the night before Christmas and all through the house, folks were drankin’ and checking out these six college football stories from around the country.

Eagles to make ‘heavy push’ for Chip Kelly

Even before a report emerged earlier this week that Oregon will appear before the NCAA’s Committee on Infractions at some point this coming year, Chip Kelly‘s name had been bandied about as a potential option for NFL teams looking for a new head coach this offseason.

Texas falls in recruiting rankings as A&M rises

According to Brown, the only difference in the way the Longhorns recruit today and the way they did for most of the previous decade is a minor alteration in the sales pitch.

Report: Sandusky maintains innocence

Former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky maintains his innocence and tells a Pennsylvania newspaper he is ''trying to learn from ... the struggle and circumstances'' as he focuses on an appeal of his conviction on child sex abuse charges.

QB Joel Stave itching to return for Wisconsin in Rose Bowl

After two months out with a collarbone injury, Joel Stave says he's ready to play QB for Wisconsin in the Rose Bowl against Stanford.

Bronco Mendenhall: 'Our team gave him a standing ovation'

Following a win in the Poinsettia Bowl, Bronco Mendenhall wanted to point out a longtime assistant. Mendenhall announced that tight ends / assistant head coach Lance Reynolds would be retiring and wanted to honor him.

Quotable:

For all that followed, that's what the 1992 national championship did for the Crimson Tide. The NCAA sanctions were not felt in the immediate aftermath of the national championship run. At the time, the championship validated Alabama's place in the pantheon of college football's top echelon.

"It had been a long, dry spell," said Bert Guy, a Tuscaloosa attorney who attended the Sugar Bowl. "We were in danger of an entire generation of Alabama fans going by that hadn't experienced a national championship.

"Memories only last as long as the people do, and if you don't have any people around that experienced it, and if you don't replenish that well, it will run dry. That national championship kept it from running dry."

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

AJ McCarron set for a career night against Notre Dame?

[RSS feed shared via RssTimes]
Notre Dame sophomore Matthias Farley was a scout-team wide receiver last season. 

Bennett Jackson was a wide receiver when he joined the Fighting Irish in 2010.

KeiVarae Russell, a true freshman, played running back in high school and was recruited to play -- you guessed it -- wide receiver.

All three will likely start for the Fighting Irish in the Jan. 7 BCS National Championship game against Alabama.

In the secondary.
Via Andrew Gribble.

Alabama has a well earned reputation for its downhill running attack. Teams have to stack the box and the linebackers have to stay home. That puts pressure on the secondary when the Tide's AJ McCarron fakes the handoff and looks downfield.

What he'll be looking at is a set of talented wide receivers running routes against a relatively thin and inexperienced secondary. While the Irish have gotten very good play out of their makeshift backfield, this doesn't look like the talent McCarron has faced in the weekly grind of the SEC.

McCarron and the Alabama receivers vs Notre Dame's secondary is one of the key matchups of the game two weeks from tomorrow. If the Tide offensive line gives McCarron a little time to check through his rotations and find the open guy, it might be a long night for the Irish.

Morning Six Pack: December 23, 2012

Ho, Ho, Ho. Santa likes ales as much as he likes six college football stories from around the country.

Basketball on grass

last two times Boise State played in the Las Vegas Bowl, there were other places the Broncos wanted to be. Not so on Saturday, when the smallest player on the team came up big in a 28-26 victory over Washington.

Basketball on Grass, part Deux

Whether Terrance Broadway was throwing, running, or throwing on the run, he gave East Carolina fits and justified Louisiana-Lafayette coach Mark Hudspeth's decision to let his sophomore quarterback finish the season as his starter.

Vaz will start for the Beavers in the Alamo Bowl

Junior Cody Vaz will start at quarterback for No. 15 Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl against Texas on Dec. 29.

BCS Countdown: The Streak Busters

For Alabama to win a second consecutive national championship and a third in four years, the Crimson Tide must defeat a team with a history of slashing streaks.

Sugar rush: Breaking down Florida's bowl game

fter going 7-6 and finishing the season out of the top 25 a year ago, the Gators have a chance to become only the sixth team in school history to win 12 games.

Quotable:

Let this staff bring in high-end SEC recruits -- the kind that roamed Neyland Stadium during the first half of Philip Fulmer's 16-year run with the Vols -- and similar results could return.

But that doesn't mean the Big Orange Nation is wrong to worry. In a league exceedingly long on future pros, the Vols look no better than the seventh best option for a top-notch recruit, clearly behind Alabama, Florida, Georgia and LSU, at least marginally less attractive than South Carolina and Texas A&M.

That's not a blueprint for a quick turnaround from four losing seasons in the last five years. That's a recipe that begs, if not demands, patience, something the UT fan base seems in no mood to endure at the moment.

The best news for Volniacs is that Jones and his staff appear to appreciate their angst.

"There is no such thing as a down game," new assistant Tommy Thigpen, a former Auburn aide, told the media last week. "There are no letdowns in this conference. That's what Butch understands. Everywhere he's gone, he's kept the intensity high. He understands that every week you've got to play like it's a national championship."

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

Even the Cleveland media says Saban's staying put

Alabama's Nick Saban staying put, interviewing candidates for his DB opening, not Browns jobs, sources say
Published on The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com | shared via feedly
Alabama coach Nick Saban, who's reportedly on the Browns short list of head coaching candidates, means it when he says he's not leaving Alabama and has not been interviewing assistants to join him in Cleveland, sources said. 
A report on yahoo.com said Saban has already been interviewing candidates for his staff with the Browns, but the sources explained that Saban has been interviewing for his defensive backs coach vacancy at Alabama. 

His secondary coach, Jeremy Pruitt, accepted the defensive coordinator post this week at Florida State. On Tuesday, Saban, who has the Crimson Tide playing for its third national title in four seasons, told reporters in Alabama that he's happy and has no plans to leave. 
And we thought Jason Voorhees would never die.

Morning Six Pack: December 22, 2012

Even bad bowl games are better drinkin’ than no college football. Here are six college football stories from around the country.

UCF's Bortles Dominates in Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl

Blake Bortles is just one of the reasons why Central Florida feels good about its chances of being successful in the new-look Big East.

Notre Dame's TJ Jones once considered Alabama, but allure of playing for father's alma mater trumped all

Jones was set to visit Alabama for its 2009 game against Tennessee. One visit to Notre Dame, though, changed everything.

Alabama football: More room to grow for McCarron

Alabama got a 17-day break between the SEC Championship Game and the start of BCS practice, and maybe few Crimson Tide players needed it more than AJ McCarron.

Baylor RB paints bullseye on his own back

"I’m going to win the Heisman… I feel like there's no back who can do what I do," Baylor's Lache Seastrunk says.

Vols await Bray, Patterson plans

New Tennessee football coach Butch Jones is just another person in the crowd when it comes to three Volunteers juniors' decisions regarding the NFL draft.

Quotable:

Running the table and going 11-0 in the regular season might have been good enough to get Alabama into position to stake a claim for the national championship in any season before 1992, but for the first time there would be a new obstacle: the inaugural Southeastern Conference Championship Game. The SEC had expanded to 12 teams, adding Arkansas and South Carolina, and instituted a postseason game to settle the league title between the winners of the league's Eastern and Western divisions. Alabama won the SEC West to set up a showdown with 12th-ranked Florida - the last team to beat the Crimson Tide, 21 games before.

Truth be told, a berth in the SEC title game wasn't prized by UA players at the time.

"I didn't want to play Florida," Copeland, an All-America defensive end, said in a television documentary on the first SEC title game. "Under normal circumstances, we beat Auburn the last game of the season it's over and we get ready to go play for a national championship. At that time, that's how it should have been.

"We didn't understand this concept of another game for an SEC championship, but in hindsight, looking back on the whole thing, it made it even sweeter being able to play that extra game."

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Friday, December 21, 2012

It's come to this: Ohio State now micromanaging player bank accounts

Ohio State: A school with too many bad checks
Published on USATODAY NCAAF | shared via feedly
OK, pop quiz. Which of the following organizations asks its labor force to open personal checking accounts with the help of office superiors, submit individual financial budgets for workplace review and allow supervisors to monitor private, after-hours spending habits in the name of -- ahem -- “financial literacy?”

(A) The Central Intelligence Agency
(B) The Ohio State University football team

Pencils down. Believe it or not, the correct answer is “B.” (Though “A” might have helped the CIA catch notorious mole Aldrich Ames a bit sooner.) According to a recent report in The Chronicle of Higher Education, Ohio State now “strongly encourages” student athletes to obtain bank accounts with the help of school officials, who in turn set budgets and keep an eye on spending. In fact, football players reportedly aren’t even allowed to suit up unless they agree to let assistant coaches snoop on their personal finances.

 Ok. We understand Ohio State University's gunshyness when it comes to NCAA violations related to players potentially receiving improper benefits from boosters and tattoo shop owners. After all, the league's committee on infractions imposed a set of stiff penalties for the TattooPalooza scandal, which included fines, scholarship reductions, a show cause order on Jim Tressel and a postseason ban that may have cost the Buckeyes a shot at a national title this year.

But look... If players are going on the take from OSU boosters, they're not depositing checks in their bank accounts and leaving a paper trail. They're dealing in cash and other virtually untraceable means of compensation.

So this whole bank account budgeting and spending monitoring thing smacks a little too much like an Orwellian attempt at control. You either bring these kids along to follow the rules and trust them to do so, or you don't.

Ohio State doesn't.

I wonder how many other FBS schools have such programs in place?

Here we go again, y’all…

Only this season, they’re starting early. I guess not having any bowl game to look forward to means moving the stalking schedule up a few months.

image Don’t be surprised if you see Jesse Williams’ car and tag show up on certain message boards and gossip blogs.

They absolutely can’t help themselves.

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Who cares if Johnny Manziel scored pricey courtside seats?

Via Grahan Watson at Dr. Saturday:



There is no story here. There is no controversy to be debated. Johnny Manziel says he bought the ticket(s) himself:

imageFans jumping on this as if it were some huge NCAA case in the making are of the same mindset as that bunch of Auburn fans who jumped all over the T-Town Menswear non-issue in summer 2011. They cobbled together a bunch of pictures posted on Facebook, showing current and former Alabama football players hamming it up with a Tuscaloosa clothier and concluded that those players absolutely must be taking improper benefits.

Much to the chagrin of Teh Fambly and the two gossip sites that ran with the story, nothing ever came of that. As with this Johnny Football non-issue, there’s no there, there.

Even if Manziel’s family wasn’t well off (they are) and even if he couldn’t afford the courtside view (he can), players have access to all sorts of financial assistance that’s well within the bounds of NCAA rules.

They’re free to use that money for damned near anything they want to spend it on. Clothes. Transportation. Swag. Courtside seats. Whatever.

People jumping on this and screaming foul are making themselves look as foolish as those knuckleheads still steaming over suits, Dodge Chargers and fishing trips. Grow up, people.

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Morning Six Pack: December 21, 2012

Tap, tap. Is this thing on? The Mayans were wrong! We’ll drink to that, and these six college football stories from around the country.
Defense helps BYU top San Diego State in Poinsettia Bowl
Linebacker Kyle Van Noy scored on a fumble recovery and an interception to propel BYU. Yeah. I watched.
Alabama football: Mosley to return next season
Consensus first-team All-America linebacker? Check. Voted by the players as the team's most valuable player? Check. Chance to play for a second straight national championship? Check.
Auburn football - Malzahn: Frazier will be 'more comfortable' in offense
Despite a season in which he was underwhelming at best, quarterback Kiehl Frazier got a bid of confidence from his head coach on Thursday.
Ex-Georgia aides have key UT task
Willie Martinez and John Jancek are reversing roles at Tennessee.
Kelly: Ducks 'cooperated fully' with NCAA investigation
Oregon coach Chip Kelly says the Ducks have cooperated fully with the NCAA investigation into the school's use of recruiting services, and he isn't particularly surprised that the process has taken so long.
Quotable:
McElroy spent two seasons on the bench at Alabama, then struggled in several of his first seven games as the starter in 2009. But he came on strong in the last four, including a seven-pass, game-winning drive against Auburn the week before the Florida game.
“That was a huge turning point in my Alabama career,” McElroy said.
But facing Coach Urban Meyer’s Gators was a different test. Their defense would have five players chosen in the first three rounds of the N.F.L. draft, including cornerback Joe Haden, selected No. 7 over all by the Cleveland Browns.
Then there was Tebow, who had scored 30 touchdowns in the previous 12 games and was a Heisman Trophy finalist for a third time. Alabama, ranked third in the country, lost to Florida, 31-20, in the 2008 SEC title game, in which Tebow threw for three touchdowns.
“That was the one hurdle we needed to overcome as a program,” McElwain said. “And Greg played lights out.”
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Thursday, December 20, 2012

TigerRag - Brad Wing suspended for Chick-fil-A Bowl

 
TigerRag - Brad Wing suspended for Chick-fil-A Bowl
Published on www.tigerrag.com | shared via feedly
According to one source in the athletic department, Wing’s suspension is related to a failed drug test. Wing was suspended for LSU’s opener against North Texas, also a result of a failed drug test, the source said.

Fellow Australian Jamie Keehn, who punted three times for an average of 41.0 yards against North Texas, will likely take over the punting duties for the Tigers against Clemson on Dec. 31 in the Georgia Dome.

If the suspension stands, Wing, who averaged 44.8 yards per punt in 2012 after averaging 44.4 yards per punt in 2011, could have played his last game as a Tiger. The redshirt sophomore is eligible for the 2013 NFL Draft and, according to multiple sources in the athletic department, will likely pursue a professional career and enter the draft.
Mash.

Wing is the LSU punter who famously showboated while scoring a touchdown on a fake punt against Florida in 2011, only to have the TD called back because of unsportsmanlike conduct.

Also, if memory serves, he sat out the North Texas game because of a sore leg, not a failed drug test, according to reports at the time. But given this news, who knows?

Morning Six Pack: December 20, 2012

It’s Thursday and you’re thirsty. Never fear, we’re always here with six college football stories from around the country.

Nobody recruits harder for UGA than the AJC, you guys

UGA is looking for a few good men to finish up its 2013 recruiting class. The Bulldogs have 30 commitments, and will likely finish up with 33-35 by national signing day on Feb. 6.

Oregon NCAA case likely heading to hearing

Yahoo Sports reported Wednesday that Oregon is likely headed toward a hearing with the NCAA committee on infractions after it couldn't resolve an investigation of the football coaching staff's use of a scouting service.

BC announces coordinator hirings

Just a little over two weeks after leaving Temple for Boston College, Steve Addazio has made the two most critical hires for his new coaching staff.

Discussions underway for SEC television network

An agreement on the Southeastern Conference's new TV deal may come in the next two months.

SEC contingent for 2013 Senior Bowl increases to 10 players

The SEC doubled its presence at the Senior Bowl in one day. Earlier today, the all-star game confirmed that five more players from the SEC had accepted invitations to play in Mobile on Jan. 26.

Quotable:

"Well, Antonio visited Tennessee and they got him to commit while he was there," Limbaugh said. "So I flew into Tullahoma about 30 minutes before the UT plane was supposed to come back from Knoxville. The dispatcher there was a big Alabama fan, by the way. So we moved the UA plane out of the way where they wouldn't see. Then I went into an office in the airport, hid under a desk and told the dispatcher that when Antonio got off the plane, tell him he had a phone call waiting on him. So I talked to him about 30 minutes, knowing that Fulmer was right outside the door, and I kept repeating to Antonio that his dream had always been Alabama."

Limbaugh proved persuasive.

"It kept going after that," he said, "but that is what it ultimately came down to for Antonio and a lot of them, that dream of playing for Alabama. We flew back in on signing day, which was legal then. We signed Antonio, then drove down to Winchester (Tennessee, about 15 miles away) and signed Jeremy Nunley. I tell that story just to illustrate how much kids would do to come to Alabama."

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Jags' Arrow Basketball Coach "Retiring," Effective Immediately

South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow to retire
Published on Sports Impact | shared via feedly
South Alabama coach Ronnie Arrow will retire effective immediately.
Jeff Price will serve as interim head coach.

The school announced the move at a 3 p.m. press conference.

Arrow was in his 12th season as the Jaguars coach, and his second stint in the role. He began coaching at the Division I level at USA in 1987.
Mash.

Sources tell me that this could portend very bad news for the Jaguars. I don't have enough information to elaborate, but we'll cover this as it develops.

Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson to play in Senior Bowl

Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson to play in Senior Bowl
Published on Sports Impact | shared via feedly
Alabama linebacker Nico Johnson is coming to the Senior Bowl, the all-star game confirmed via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
The former Andalusia High School star is the Crimson Tide's third-leading tackler this season heading into its meeting with Notre Dame in the BCS national championship game on Jan. 7.
 
Johnson is the first Alabama player confirmed for the 2013 game. He is not expected to be the last.
The Tide graduates some senior standouts this year, most of which are of interest to NFL scouts and most of which are likely to get invites to the Senior Bowl.

What a lot of college football fans don't get about the Senior Bowl invitees is that the NFL drives who gets to show their skills to the scouts. 

Heartbreak: Christian Ponder marries Samantha Steele

Samantha Steele, Christian Ponder marry in Hudson
Published on TwinCities.com | shared via feedly



Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder and ESPN reporter Samantha Steele were married late afternoon Monday, Dec. 17, in St. Croix County Court in Hudson, Wis., according to court officials.

Ponder, 24, and Steele, who turned 27 last week, were married by Court Commissioner Stephen Dunlap.

According to county records, Steele listed an Arizona address, while Ponder listed his residence as Excelsior, Minn.
Ponder has never won much of anything. But winning the heart of Samantha Steele has to be as good as hoisting any football hardware, doesn't it?

McElroy wins again, Tebow cries again

Tim Tebow's career as NFL quarterback could be nearing its end
Published on NFL.com | shared via feedly

Now, as the New York Jets bypass Tebow and supplant an insufficient Mark Sanchez with Greg McElroy, Tebow is likely left to revert to a line he has repeatedly recited for the past decade: "I don't know what my future holds, but I know who holds my future." And for those wondering, he isn't talking about Rex Ryan.

...

Let's start with some facts:

A source close to Tebow said the Jets' decision to bypass him is "still too fresh," and will necessitate digestion and contemplation before he makes his next move. Asking for his release or asking for a trade are two potential options that would help him accomplish the very strategy he employed after his freshman year of high school.

It is "highly unlikely," according to another source close to Tebow, that he will sit idle beyond this season in the wake of the team's decision to go with McElroy. Then again, the Jets could keep that from mattering and choose to cut him on their own.
Via NFL Network.

No one will dispute that Tim Tebow is a great man and a great competitor. He is an outstanding role model and a young man that anyone would want to have courting his daughter. His will to compete and never give up his dreams have taken him to levels that ordinary men would never reach. What he is not is an NFL quarterback.

Unfortunately for the Jets, neither is Mark Sanchez. Monday night's loss to the Tennessee Titans ended the Jets' playoff hopes and probably ended Rex Ryan's tenure as the head coach. In a too little, too late move, Ryan will likely start Greg McElroy for the final two games. McElroy, the third stringer drafted in the 7th round from Alabama, is the best QB on that team.

McElroy hasn't been activated since he led the team on a 10-play, 69 yard drive to beat the Rams in week 13.

The only thing left to play for now is to avoid a losing season.

When McElroy and Tebow were in college, they faced each other in the 2009 SEC Championship Game. Alabama won that in a rout, 32-13, and Tebow was famously seen crying on the sidelines as the inevitability of the game's outcome sank in.

Here we are three years later. McElroy isn't winning anything other than the starting QB job in a futile end to a futile season. But there goes role model and great guy Tebow, crying again and looking for a way out.

Morning Six Pack: December 19, 2012

Humpin, Humpin, Humpin. Enjoy these six college football stories from around the country.

Can South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney win the Heisman Trophy? That's his goal in 2013

South Carolina's Jadeveon Clowney,has set his goal of winning the Heisman Trophy in 2013.

Andersen is the perfect fit for Wisconsin

The Badgers reportedly have their replacement for Bielema.

Gary Andersen leaves Utah State to become Wisconsin’s next coach

Gary Andersen was adamant this month that he was staying at Utah State, that the other offers were nice but when he looked into the eyes of his players he knew he needed to be with the Aggies.

Penn St. reform leader won't run again

The Penn State board of trustees chairwoman who led the board's efforts to reform university governance and increase transparency after the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal says she won't run for another term.

ND's Golson steeled for title game by up-and-down season

Alabama defense will test sophomore QB, but he has made it through plenty of challenges already.

Quotable:

'We're really, really pleased and happy to be here,'' the former Miami Dolphins coach said Tuesday after the first bowl practice. ''We've been able to accomplish a lot. But like I've talked about before, this is a work in progress all the time. You've got to stay focused on the process to try to continue to make the next game the most important game, the next season the most important season, developing the team every year.

''We certainly look forward to those challenges. I'm not sure, regardless of what I say, that anybody believes what I say because I say it all the time. This is what we're happy doing. This is what we like to do. But nobody really believes that. So, you know, maybe it doesn't matter. I don't know what I have to say or do, but it's kind of funny to me,'' he said.

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Every fan of Bowl Season

The guys at NOC are back, this time with a video spoofing bowl season. Enjoy a jab at every. single. college football fan.

Except those staying home for the holidays, of course.



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