Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1004 of 1503)

Willis McGahee blames coaching staff for injury-plagued season

Willis McGahee sounded off in an interview Monday with Sporting News Radio on why he’s had issues with injuries this year. Apparently the Ravens’ coaching staff is to blame.

Willis McGaheeOn why he hasn’t been healthy this year: “I tried to do something different this year. They wanted me to come in lighter and I tried to come in lighter, so I relaxed on the weights because the more weights I lift the heavier I get… so I relaxed on that and just tried to work on conditioning, but it didn’t work out so well this year. So I’m just going go ahead and do what I’ve been doing for the past couple of years and just work out and be Willis McGahee.”

On his diminished production: “Yeah, I tried to be someone else’s running back this year and it didn’t work out.”

On if he felt like he needed to change his game: “Naw, I didn’t want to change it, but when you have a new coach and they’ve got a perception of you, you’ve got to try and change to stay on the good side of them.”

On his thoughts on the future, offseason: “I don’t know what this offseason is going to bring. It’s been a crazy year for me with the talks of me not being there next year but regardless, I’m just going to go out there and play for me… I can’t play for nobody else but me.”

How about playing for your teammates, your fans and your coaches, Willis? Is that too much to ask?

Talk about bad timing. The Ravens are trying to prepare for a road playoff game and this selfish idiot decides to bring a little controversy to the table. Why say anything about the injuries? Why not say, “You know what? The injuries were unfortunate this year but they’re just part of the game. The only thing that matters is winning in Miami.”

Is that so hard?

Alabama suspends best offensive lineman for Sugar Bowl

Alabama head coach Nick Saban suspended offensive tackle Andre Smith for the upcoming Sugar Bowl for violating team rules. Smith is highly regarded as ‘Bama’s best offensive lineman and a future top 10 NFL Draft pick.

“The University of Alabama, the team and the football program are more important than any individual player,” Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said in a released statement today. “Every one on our team depends on each other to be responsible, to make good choices and decisions relative to their actions.”

Saban did not specify Smith’s violation leading up to Friday night’s game against No. 7 Utah.

The junior is expected to be one of the top players selected in the NFL draft if he opts to skip his final season at Alabama. Smith has been noncommittal about his future plans, but Saban offered a hint in his statement that the player wouldn’t be back.

“Andre Smith has done an outstanding job in our program as a person, student and a player, and we will do all we can as an institution to support him in all future endeavors,” Saban said.

An instant starter with the Tide, Smith has allowed only one sack this season and seven during his 38-game career.

He won the Southeastern Conference’s Jacobs Blocking Trophy as a sophomore and was a finalist for the Lombardi Award this season.

One can’t help but wonder how this will affect the Tide’s game plan for Utah. ‘Bama definitely had the edge (and might still have the edge) up front, but maybe the Utes will overload one side and bring added pressure on quarterback John Parker Wilson.

Utah’s defense is quick and can fly to the football. Not having to get around Smith will be a huge advantage for them.

Is Bill Parcells getting the itch to coach again?

According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Bill Parcells might be interested in returning to the sidelines as a head coach in the near future.

One other tidbit I gathered this morning is that a certain former coach of the Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys has the itch to coach again. That’s right, a source has told me Bill Parcells is telling those close to him he would consider a return to the sidelines. I’m guessing it would have to be the right opportunity for a premier franchise (Jets again????). Parcells has an out in his Dolphins contract if Wayne Huizenga sells the team, which apparently is going to happen. So far, reports have Parcells potentially jumping ship to be the GM of another franchise. But I’m hearing he would also like to coach the talent he selects.

This shouldn’t surprise anyone – especially with a couple of franchises ready for a complete overhaul. Parcells loves to take coal and polish it into a diamond, which he did in just one season this year in Miami. With the Browns, Lions and Jets in need of a head coach, its no wonder Parcells may want to coach again. (Although I wouldn’t get too excited if I were a Lion fan, because William Clay Ford Sr. already gave the GM job to Martin Mayhew on Monday and the “Big Tuna” probably wouldn’t return unless he had complete control.)

Vegas odds favor Giants and Titans for Super Bowl

According to Las Vegas oddsmakers, the New York Giants and Tennessee Titans have the best chances of squaring off in Super Bowl XLIII February 1.

Las Vegas sports books favor the New York Giants over the 11 other teams in the NFL playoffs to win the Super Bowl, giving 2-to-1 odds on the NFC’s No. 1 seed to repeat as champions.

The Tennessee Titans are the favorite among AFC teams to win a title at 4-1.

Oddsmaker Mike Seba of Las Vegas Sports Consultants says the Giants have the easiest road to get to the Super Bowl on Feb. 1, while the AFC teams are more evenly matched.

The Giants would have to beat either the Arizona Cardinals or the Atlanta Falcons to reach the NFC championship game. The Cardinals are the biggest longshots for the title at 40-1; in the AFC, the Miami Dolphins have 30-1 odds.

Before the season, the two teams that opened with the longest odds to win the Super Bowl were the Dolphins (250-1) and the Falcons (200-1). Now they’re both in the playoffs.

The two preseason favorites — the New England Patriots (2-1) and Dallas Cowboys (7-1) — failed to reach the playoffs.

It’s kind of crazy that oddsmakers feel that the Eagles (the sixth seed in the NFC) have a better shot of winning in the Super Bowl than the NFC West Champion Arizona Cardinals.

Apparently their victory over the Seahawks on Sunday wasn’t enough to make oddsmakers confident in the Cards.

MMA Fighter Profile: Wanderlei Silva

Wanderlei Silva
Nick name: The Axe Murderer
Height: 5’11
Weight: 205
MMA Record: 32-8-1
UFC Record: 2-3
Fighting Style: Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Born in Curitiba, Brazil, Wanderlei Silva started training at the age of 13 because he wanted to learn how to defend himself. He learned Muay Thai from the famous Chute Boxe Academy in Brazil and eventually earned a black belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu from Carlinhos Gracie.

His professional career started in Vale Tudo (anything goes) competitions in Brazil, where Silva had an impressive 7-1 record. It was then that he started to get noticed by the UFC and he made his debut at UFC 8 ‘Ultimate Brazil’, where he suffered a loss to Vitor Belfort only 44 seconds into round one. The loss was considered his worst showing to date.

After a win and a title loss decision to then champ Tito Ortiz, Silva left to fight in Japan for Pride Fighting Championship. He would go on to dominate Pride and have a 20-fight win streak, earning him a reputation as the killer Brazilian who destroyed many Japanese strikers.

He reined atop the middleweight division until Dan Henderson knocked him out with a huge left hook in Round 3 of a championship bout to take Silva’s belt. This knockout, as well as a brutal head kick KO from Mirko Cro Cop led to more talks about a mega fight with The Iceman Chuck Liddell, which would take place at UFC 79. And even though he eventually lost a decision to Liddell, he viciously knocked out Keith Jardine early in Round One.

The Axe Murderer has now moved to the United States with his wife and kids. He currently trains at Xtreme Coulture, which is Randy Coulture’s training center and home to many fighters, including Forrest Griffin. He’s currently training for his next match at UFC 92 against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and has recently said that he plans to open his own Mixed Martial Arts School in January. The school will offer training camps for fighters as well as classes for the public.

–Written By TSR Contributor John Duke

« Older posts Newer posts »