Month: January 2009 (Page 34 of 61)

      ‘Oh sh*t – that’s Michael Irvin!”

      January 14, 2009 /

      According to the Dallas Morning News, Michael Irvin had a gun pulled on him by a motorist traveling in the car next to him Monday night, but the gunman let the former Cowboy receiver go after realizing who he was.

      Michael IrvinThe Pro Football Hall of Fame member was not injured. He told police he stopped at a red light in the 18200 block of Marsh Lane, near the Bush Turnpike, about 9:30 p.m., when the driver of the vehicle next to him rolled down his window, the police report said.

      Irvin put down his window because he thought someone wanted to talk to him and saw the passenger in the other vehicle raise a gun, the report said. Irvin said in an interview Tuesday night that he feared the men had planned to rob him and changed their minds when they saw who he was.

      “The passenger pulled out a semiautomatic and I knew what time it was,” Irvin said. “But he said ‘Oh, that’s Michael Irvin, with the Dallas Cowboys.’”

      Despite being scared, Irvin said he tried to keep the conversation going.

      “So we started talking about the Cowboys and everything,” he said. “Then they got back on the highway.”

      “I tell you what, I’m glad he was a Cowboy fan,” Irvin said.

      Let me get this straight. A man pulls a gun on Irvin, realizes who he is, decides not to rob/shoot/kill him and Irvin proceeds to talk Cowboy fever with the guy? You would have seen smoke from my tires as soon as the man put the gun down.

      But I guess that’s the difference between Michael Irvin and I; he has the decency to talk a little football after a man tries to rob him at gunpoint. And that’s why I’ll never be a Cowboy…

      General Sports, NFL

      The Braves gave Derek Lowe how much?

      January 14, 2009 /

      After losing long-time veteran John Smoltz to the Red Sox, the Braves decided to fill the hole in their starting rotation with former Dodger pitcher Derek Lowe. They also paid him $60 million.

      Derek Lowe10: I understand the desperate need for a starter and Derek Lowe’s leverage played huge roles in the decision. But don’t you find it interesting that Braves general manager Frank Wren, who didn’t want to take any “risks” with the pitching staff next season, just gave a four-year, $60 million contract to a 35-year-old?

      9: Lowe is solid but not what you’d call spectacular: 68-60 with a 3.91 ERA over the last five years. He has averaged 206 innings in that span. A $15 million a year pitcher? No. But he’ll help. Given the collapse of Pompeii, Wren didn’t have much of a choice. But if Lowe starts to look his age in two years, this contract has the potential of being a Hamptonian albatross.

      Sixty million is a lot of dough for a 35-year old pitcher who doesn’t have dazzling numbers, but the Braves are probably still better off with him at a cheaper rate than A.J. Burnett, who signed a five-year, $82.5 million contract with the Yankees. Lowe is more dependable than Burnett, as well as more consistent.

      But $60 million? I thought baseball GM’s were trying to cut down on ridiculous salaries?

      MLB

      Woody Paige blasts McDaniels’ hire of Nolan

      January 14, 2009 /

      Woody Paige of the Denver Post isn’t too big on Josh McDaniels’ choice of Mike Nolan to fill the Broncos’ vacant defensive coordinator position.

      Mike NolanIt must be downright discouraging and demoralizing for somebody who has served as a defensive coordinator, then head coach, for 14 1/2 seasons — with five different teams — yet reached the playoffs only TWO of those years, won more than 10 games just once, had a losing record in eight seasons (and only four or five victories four times), was fired several times and, in the biggest game all his teams played, saw the defense reduced to ashes (44 points).

      Say hello again to Mike Nolan, your new defensive coordinator.

      He is Josh McDaniels’ first hire.

      The Broncos’ most critical need was an extraordinary defensive coordinator, and they get an offensive coordinator, who brings in, for the Broncos, another ordinary defensive coordinator. The Broncos selected a baby-faced coach, and he selects a second-hand coach.
      It’s inexplicable.

      Nolan was named the 49ers’ head coach in 2005. He won fewer than half his games, and did not make the playoffs, before being fired after seven games (2-5) this season. In San Francisco Nolan’s defenses ranked, in points allowed, Nos. 30, 32, 20 and 23. They permitted 30 points or more 18 times.

      The future of McDaniels and Nolan will depend on the 3-4, tried and trashed by the Broncos temporarily last season, but they have to depend more on exceptional unrestricted free agents and a No. 1 pick on defense who can step in immediately. The Broncos, despite a plethora of linebackers, could use one more who can stop the run (Channing Crowder), and they must find a starting safety (oft-injured Mike Brown) or two, another corner (Nnamdi Asomugha) and two defensive linemen (Julius Peppers, Bertrand Berry).

      And Mike Nolan has to prove why Broncophiles should not be down- wrong discouraged and demoralized.

      It’s hard to argue with Paige because Nolan did absolutely nothing to restore the 49ers’ defense, even though they added key pieces in Patrick Willis, Nate Clements, Michael Lewis and Justin Smith during his tenure there. It’s also a bit premature at this point to trash any coaching hire (after all, look at the ’08 new coaching class of Tony Sparano, Mike Smith and John Harbaugh), but I fail to see how McDaniels/Nolan is better than Mike Shanahan at this point.

      NFL

      Will the Chargers trade L.T.?

      January 14, 2009 /

      After a year in which he was mostly hobbled by nagging injuries and inconsistent play, rumors have started to swirl that the Chargers could trade running back LaDainian Tomlinson this offseason and make Darren Sproles their feature back.

      LaDainian TomlinsonTomlinson says he’s heard the rumors that the Chargers may trade him, allowing them to keep the cheaper Darren Sproles and get some younger players and draft picks to build a stronger future. Tomlinson still has 4 years left on his contract, and says management has not told him anything.

      “As far as I’m concerned, I haven’t had any indications. I’m still under contract and until told otherwise, I’ll prepare to play football here,” he said.

      The Chargers have a lot of questions to answer this off season – questions that right now they’re not ready to address publicly.

      “Anything in terms of where we’re headed and out team, I think those questions would be answered at another time,” head coach Norv Turner said.

      Imagine if the Chargers could have somehow hung on to Michael Turner. He could have paired up with Sproles to form one of the best 1-2 backfield punches in the NFL, if not the best.

      The Chargers have to be careful because while L.T. is coming off a down year and is approaching the dreaded 30-year old mark, there’s no telling what a full offseason of rest could do for him. They wouldn’t want to assume that he’s done and trade him while his stock is low, only to have him rip it up for another team next season. But there’s no question that Tomlinson is now on the back end of his career and that the team has to start thinking about its future. GM A.J. Smith has already stated that Sproles isn’t an every down back so it’ll be interesting to see what the Bolts do this offseason in terms of their backfield.

      NFL

      Giants fans destroy Porsche, SUV in parking lot after loss to Eagles

      January 14, 2009 /

      SPORTSbyBROOKS.com has posted video of Giants fans (including one in particular named Justin) going ape crap on a Porsche in the parking lot of Giants Stadium after the Eagles beat Big Blue on Sunday.

      So many questions here. The game ended around 4:00, but this video appears to be shot late at night. Why were these cars still here? Is it possible that Phil Simms and Justin Tuck here were destroying their own vehicles, as the YouTube poster claims?

      [Update: The cars had previously suffered minor damage from a tailgating fire.]

      You’d think this couldn’t get better, but it does. Check the 0:30 mark, when a flying Double Dragon dropkick goes horribly wrong.

      Not to rain on the fun, but I seriously hope that the people doing the damage owned those cars. Because if they didn’t, may God have broken Justin’s foot into many pieces after he failed to convert the Double Dragon dropkick in the second video.

      NFL, Video

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