Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 261 of 1503)

      Pierre Thomas was nearly a Patriot

      November 5, 2010 /
      NEW ORLEANS - AUGUST 21: Pierre Thomas of the New Orleans Saints scores a touchdown against the Houston Texans at the Louisiana Superdome on August 21, 2010 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

      According to Brian Allee-Walsh of NewOrleans.com, the Saints nearly traded running back Pierre Thomas to the Patriots leading up to the October 19 deadline.

      The Saints were reportedly targeting a cornerback but talks fell through after New England asked for a draft pick to be thrown into the deal. Thomas has missed the last five games due to an ankle injury.

      It’s not surprising to hear that the Saints nearly dealt Thomas considering how frustrated coach Sean Payton has been with his running back’s injury issues over the last two years. Thomas was a vital piece down the stretch run last year, but he can never stay healthy. Not having Thomas and Reggie Bush in their backfield has hurt the Saints this season, as Payton’s offense has lost its balance.

      On the injury front, Thomas told the media on Thursday that doctors found something else wrong with his ankle when they re-examined him last week. That said, he was also told he can ditch his crutches during the Saints’ bye in Week 10, which is a positive sign for his status the rest of the year.

      External Sports, NFL

      2010 College Football Week 10 Picks

      November 5, 2010 /
      FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 14: Quarterback Jordan Wynn #3 of the Utah Utes reacts in the second quarter of the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium on November 14, 2009 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

      Well, it finally happened. After several 2-2 and 3-1 weeks, I knew one of these Saturdays would result in either a clean sweep or total disaster.

      Guess which one hit first?

      Michigan State, Missouri, USC and Kansas State all lost handily last week to hand me my first 0-4 Saturday in college football. I haven’t slept in a week, but I’m ready to put it behind me and start fresh. I won’t even talk about a 4-0 weekend. A win would be nice.

      No. 3 TCU @ No. 5 Utah, 3:30PM ET
      I’m well aware of how good TCU is: ninth in rushing offense, No. 1 in total defense, No. 1 in scoring defense, No. 4 in pass efficiency defense. But I don’t know, something doesn’t sit right with me about this year’s TCU team. The Frogs don’t seem as dominant as they’ve been the past three years and I wonder if they’re heading into a buzz saw this Saturday in Utah. I don’t know if the Utes win outright but I think it’ll be close throughout, which is why I’m taking the points. This is a field goal game either way.
      THE PICK: UTAH +4.5

      Hawaii @ No. 4 Boise State, 3:30PM ET
      This is going to be a fun game regardless of the outcome. Boise State is second in the nation in scoring offense, while Hawaii is 11th. While the Broncos defense gets credit for being the stinger of the two units, the Warriors are a respectable 39th in total defense this season. It’s going to be difficult for Hawaii to pick up a win on the smurf turf this Saturday but something tells me they keep this game close. The Warriors are 4-1 against the spread in their last five meetings with the Broncos, so I’ll take the points.
      THE PICK: HAWAII +21

      No. 6 Alabama @ No. 10 LSU, 3:30PM ET
      This is a tough matchup for LSU. The Tigers have the 34th-best rushing offense in the nation but rank a putrid No. 113 through the air. That’s going to be a problem against an Alabama defense that ranks 17th against the run and second in scoring. Baton Rouge is always a tough place to play, but I think the Tide rolls here (no pun intended). ‘Bama is 6-1 against the number in the last seven meetings between these two teams in Louisiana and 3-1-1 ATS in its lat five meetings with LSU. The road team is also 11-2-1 ATS in the last 14 meetings between these two teams, so I’m laying the points with the Tide.
      THE PICK: ALABAMA –6.5

      North Carolina @ No. 24 Florida State, 3:30PM ET
      Given how bad the Tar Heels have looked the past two weeks (they suffered a 33-10 loss to Miami two weeks ago and then narrowly beat the juggernaut that is William & Mary 21-17 last Saturday), I don’t blame people for hoping on the FSU bandwagon for this week. But UNC is 4-1 against the spread in its last five meetings with FSU in Tallahassee, while the underdog is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings between these two teams. The road team is also 4-0 ATS in the last four overall meetings and I like the Tar Heels to show more fight this week than they have the past two Saturdays.
      THE PICK: NORTH CAROLINA +10.5

      Season Record: 13-15

      College Football, External Sports

      NCAA investigating Auburn’s Cameron Newton

      November 5, 2010 /
      AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Cameron Newton of the Auburn Tigers reacts after scoring a touchdown against the LSU Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      Allegations have come up that a former Mississippi State football player named Kenny Rogers allegedly solicited money from school officials in exchange for Auburn quarterback Cameron Newton’s signature on a Letter of Intent.

      ESPN.com has the details:

      “He said it would take some cash to get Cam,” Bond said. “I called our athletic director, Greg Byrne, and he took it from there. That was pretty much it.”

      Sources told ESPN.com the former teammate is Kenny Rogers, who played at Mississippi State from 1982 to ’85. Rogers operates a Chicago-based company called Elite Football Preparation, which holds camps in Chicago, Alabama and Mississippi. A Lexis search for that business lists Kenneth Rogers as the contact and his title as “agent.” A Birmingham News story from 2008 said Elite Football Preparation “matches high school athletes with college programs.”

      Bond said the former teammate told him other schools had already offered $200,000, but since Newton really liked Mississippi State and had a relationship with head coach Dan Mullen dating to when both were at Florida, Mississippi State could get him for $180,000.

      Cecil Newton, who is Cameron’s father, denies the family had any involvement in the situation. In the story, Cecil is quoted as saying, “If Rogers tried to solicit money from Mississippi State, he did it on his own, without our knowledge.”

      Newton has been the most talked-about player in college football this season but this is the first time that it’s for the wrong reasons. For what it’s worth, it doesn’t sound like Newton had anything to do with the solicitation, but no player wants to be investigated by the NCAA. And if he didn’t have anything to do with the situation, it’s sad that his name is being associated with a negative story like this.

      Hopefully everyone (Newton, Mississippi State, Auburn) outside of Rogers is clean here and nothing more will come out of the situation for those who are innocent.

      College Football, External Sports

      T.G.I. Friday’s NFL Weekend Preview

      November 5, 2010 /

      “This series is brought to you by T.G.I. Friday’s, where every Sunday means Food, Fun & Football! Hut, hut, hut!”

      The Scores Report has teamed up with T.G.I Friday’s to promote the action in Week 9 of the NFL. Here’s a look at Sunday’s top games.

      Buccaneers (5-2) @ Falcons (5-2), 1:00PM ET
      If someone would have told me before the season started that the winner of this game would have sole possession of first place in the NFC South, I would have said, “That’s crazy! You mean Tampa hasn’t already taken sole possession of the division?” Look for the Bucs to stick to their ground game with LeGarrette Blount in hopes that he’ll set up the play-action pass for quarterback Josh Freeman. That said, Blount could have trouble finding running room against an Atlanta defense that ranks sixth against the run (95.9 YPG). For whatever reason, Tampa has given the Falcons trouble over the years, so don’t expect a blowout inside the Georgia Dome this Sunday. That said, Matt Ryan has only lost once at home over his career and the Falcons will be fresh coming off their bye.

      Dolphins (4-3) @ Ravens (5-2), 1:00PM ET
      The Ravens are 3-0 at home and the Dolphins are 4-0 on the road so something has to give this Sunday in Baltimore. Miami is only the fifth team in NFL history to go 4-0 on the road and 0-3 at home in its first seven games. If the Fish are to pick up another road victory, they better stay balanced offensively so that Ray Lewis and company can’t zero in on the run. Chad Henne has put together some good performances this year but he needs to be more consistent and find Brandon Marshall inside the red zone. For the Ravens, the Joe Flacco-Anquan Boldin combination has been outstanding this year but more was expected out of Ray Rice. Much more. Rice could have a tough time finding running room against the 11th-best run defense in the league.

      Colts (5-2) @ Eagles (4-3), 4:15PM ET
      While this is also true for most teams, the Colts have looked like a completely different team on the road this season. Both of their losses came on the road and Philadelphia is certainly a tougher place to play than Houston and Jacksonville (the cities in which the Colts have already lost in). While Dallas Clark and Anthony Gonzalez have both been ruled out, Joseph Addai and Austin Collie continue to battle injuries themselves. Peyton Manning has a penchant for making any receiver/tight end look like a Hall of Famer, but the Eagles’ have the weapons in their defensive backfield to keep the Colts in check. Michael Vick will make his first start since suffering a rib injury against the Redskins a month ago and it’ll be interesting to see if he can lead Philly to a win in order to keep pace with the Giants in the NFC East. This is a big game for both teams.

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      External Sports, NFL

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