Category: College Football (Page 242 of 296)

      Jay Mariotti quits Chicago Sun-Times

      August 27, 2008 /

      Columnist and resident I-love-to-hear-myself-talk sports personality Jay Mariotti has abruptly decided to quit the Chicago Sun-Times.

      Mariotti told the Chicago Tribune he decided to quit after covering the Olympics in Beijing because newspapers are in serious trouble, and he did not want to go down with the ship.

      “I’m a competitor and I get the sense this marketplace doesn’t compete,” he said in the Tribune story. “Everyone is hanging on for dear life at both papers.

      “To see what has happened in this business. … I don’t want to go down with it.”

      His comments sparked a pointed response from his former employer.

      Sun-Times Editor Michael Cooke said in an e-mail to CBS 2: “That’s Jay’s opinion. He has plenty of them. But the facts, of course, say something different. I’m going with the facts. Well, it’s turning nasty … and that’s typical of Jay to throw a bomb on the way out of a place that cared for him, nurtured him, paid him well for 17 years.

      “The reason Mariotti showed up the Sun-Times 17 years ago was because the paper had the best sports pages in town. That was true then, and it’s true now.

      “And as in all sports, when the star leaves, some other young star-to-be skates on to the ice. The Sun-Times has a deep bench of talent, and we’ll be using that depth.

      “I am not hearing from grief-stricken fans,” Cooke said.

      Cooke pointed to e-mails that he received from readers, including this one: “I wish to inform you that due to recent developments on the Jay Mariotti front, I will now read your newspaper. In fact, I picked one up on the way to work this morning. Not a half-bad rag, I must say. Bully on you.”

      Mariotti said he plans to pursue opportunities on the Web, and continue his regular appearances as a panelist on ESPN’s “Around the Horn.”

      You have to love this comment by Cooke: “That’s Jay’s opinion. He has plenty of them.” The Sun-Times is going to do just fine without him. People read his stuff because they liked to disagree with him and anyone who watches “Around the Horn” knows that he just likes to stoke the fire.

      I will say this about Mariotti, however – the guy doesn’t back down from players, coaches or GMs. (In his columns at least. Apparently he never goes into the White Sox clubhouse because he fears for his safety.) Sometimes he hits the nail on the head when he’s criticizing (i.e. Bears’ GM Jerry Angelo).

      College Football, General Sports, MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL

      College Football: Toughest Places to Play

      August 27, 2008 /

      FOX Sports.com ranks the top 10 toughest places to play in college football.

      8. Michigan Stadium – University of Michigan
      100,000-plus screaming fans on game day are loud. The fans are passionate enough to make it a tough place to play for a visiting team.

      3. Beaver Stadium – Penn State University
      There is no doubt that the tradition and passion of PSU football gives it a spot near the top of this list. Whether it be JoePa or a whiteout, there’s some serious passion among fans here.

      2. Neyland Stadium – University of Tennessee
      Tennessee has a great program and 100,000-plus fans doesn’t hurt. They seem to always be into the game no matter the score and the design of the stadium can be very intimidating for opposing teams.

      1. Tiger Stadium – Louisiana State University
      The Tigers have some of the craziest fans in all of college football and trying to play in Tiger Stadium at night with 92,000-plus fans around you must be one of the most intimidating things a college athlete can do.

      I’ve been to several games at the Big House in Ann Arbor and while it is cool to look out and see so many fans throughout the stadium, I wouldn’t necessarily say it gets loud. Obviously 100,000-plus fans are going to make some noise, but with the way the bowl was constructed, a lot of the sound just goes up and out. Most football stadiums you feel like you’re on top of the players, but not Michigan Stadium.

      College Football, General Sports

      Week 1 College Football Primer

      August 25, 2008 /

      The line is old, tired and clichéd by I’m going to use it anyway: Football is back!

      This is the opening week of college football with action kicking off Thursday, August 25 and running through Labor Day, Monday, September 1. Below is our Week 1 College Football Primer.

      Top 25 Action:
      No. 20 Illinois at No. 6 Missouri – Saturday, August 30, 8:30pm ET
      Ron Zook and the Illini try to build on their 2007 success with a trip to Missouri to take on the No. 6 Tigers. Quarterback Chase Daniel looks to start his Heisman Trophy campaign off with a bang as he’ll face an Illinois defense that ranked 83rd in the nation against the pass last season. Even though this looks like a mismatch in favor of Missouri, clearly oddsmakers feel that the Illini can keep the game close considering the Tigers opened up as 8.5-point favorites.

      No. 24 Alabama at No. 9 Clemson – Saturday, August 30, 8:00pm ET
      The Tigers are considered the favorites to win the ACC this season, but Tommy Bowden’s crew has found a way to underachieve in the past. Clemson arguably has the best senior quarterback in the country Cullen Harper and the ACC’s best backfield tandem in James Davis and C.J. Spiller. For Alabama, Nick Saban’s team is expected to be improved this year and should give Clemson a game this weekend.

      Keep your eye on:
      Hawaii at No. 5 Florida – Saturday, August 30, 12:30pm ET
      Hawaii lost their all-time leading passer Colt Brennan to the NFL and head coach June Jones to SMU, but the Warriors are still expected to light up the scoreboard. The Gators are clearly the better team, led by 2007 Heisman winner Tim Tebow, but Hawaii is no cupcake opponent. Think there might be some points scored in this game? Oddsmakers have established the over/under total at a whopping 71 points.

      Upset Watch:
      Appalachian State at No. 7 LSU – Saturday, August 30, 5:00pm ET
      The Mountaineers couldn’t do it again could they? LSU is solid in the trenches and should be able to overpower tiny App State, but the same was said last year when the Mountaineers rolled into Ann Arbor and knocked off Michigan. With the explosive Armanti Edwards at quarterback, anything is possible.

      Other noteable games:
      No. 3 USC at Virginia – Saturday, August 30, 3:30pm ET
      Washington at No. 21 Oregon – Saturday, August 30, 10:00pm ET
      No. 18 Tennessee at UCLA – Monday, September 1, 8:00pm ET

      College Football

      Couch Potato Alert: 8/25

      August 25, 2008 /

      With the 2008 Summer Olympics coming to an end, the sports lineup is looking somewhat bleak this week until Thursday, when college football returns!

      – Week 3 of the NFL preseason concludes Monday night in San Diego when the Seahawks come to town. The game can be seen on ESPN at 8:00 PM Eastern. I know it’s just preseason, but at least the starters will play for a while, and it’s going to be the most NFL football we’ll see until September 4th when the Giants and Redskins open up the regular season.

      – “Hard Knocks” with the Dallas Cowboys continues on HBO this Wednesday at 10:00 PM Eastern. It’s the fourth episode of six.

      – It’s crunch time in the MLB. Check out the Dodgers vs Phillies Monday night on ESPN2 at 7:00 PM Eastern. The Dodgers are three games back of the Diamondbacks and need to get things back on track. It won’t be easy against a Phillies team that’s just half a game back of the Mets in the NL East.

      – Although the Red Sox and Yankees aren’t at the top of the AL East for the first time in about a thousand years, it’s still the biggest rivalry in baseball. Watch the two teams clash this Wednesday at 7:00 PM Eastern on ESPN.

      – Thankfully, college football is back! There’ll be a few games airing this Thursday. ESPN will televise NC State @ South Carolina, ESPN2 will air Oregon State @ Stanford. Be sure to check out your local Fox Sports Net channels to see what else might be on.

      College Football, Couch Potato Alert, MLB

      Top 25 Questions for 2008 College Football Season

      August 22, 2008 /

      FOX Sports.com complied 25 questions facing teams heading into the 2008 College Football Season. Below is the top two; click the link above to see all top 25.

      1. Is Ohio State really on target for a third straight shot at a national title?
      Start getting used to the notion of the Buckeyes being favored to return to the BCS Championship game, looking for redemption after losing badly to Florida and LSU in back-to-back tries. Ohio State is absolutely loaded with talent and has a massive scarlet and gray chip on its shoulder. A consensus favorite in the Big Ten, the Bucks will get tested in the league, but gets their best chance to quiet critics with a Sept. 13 trip to USC. Without nitpicking, it’s hard to find a glaring weakness other than the national perception. Now all Ohio State has to do is get back to another title game and close the deal this time.

      2. How will Georgia manage a nasty schedule and a year-long target on its chest?
      As far back as last November, Georgia was being considered a presumptive favorite for the 2009 BCS championship. Back then, the Dawgs were too young and having too much fun to think about expectations. This fall, they’re going to hear about it from fans and the media every single day. While there’s certainly enough talent to come through, the Bulldogs will have to prove they can handle an immense amount of pressure and scrutiny, while navigating a slate that includes trips to South Carolina, Arizona State, LSU and Auburn, visits from Alabama and Tennessee, and one titanic game with Florida in Jacksonville.

      If the Buckeyes beat (I hesitate to use the word “upset” because the programs are 2-3 in the polls) USC, they should be on easy street the rest of the year. The Big Ten is a joke, even though Wisconsin is a solid program. The Badgers are incredibly beat up (especially on the defensive line) for this early in the season and even though they’re OSU’s biggest threat in the conference, the Buckeyes still have the better talent.

      And it’s going to be hard for Georgia to stay atop the polls all season. Not only do they have a brutal schedule, but also the offensive line is largely inexperienced and it might take time for the unit to gel with two ’07 starters switching positions. The Bulldogs are loaded with talent, but they’ve got a minefield ahead of them playing in the SEC.

      College Football

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑