Category: External Sports (Page 400 of 821)

      TCU to join the Big East in 2012

      November 29, 2010 /
      FORT WORTH, TX - OCTOBER 23: Head coach Gary Patterson of the TCU Horned Frogs leads his team on the field against the Air Force Falcons at Amon G. Carter Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images)

      The Mountain West is having itself a rough year. After losing Utah (Pac-12) and BYU (Independent) a couple of months ago, ESPN.com is now reporting that TCU will also leave the MWC to join the Big East in 2012.

      The conference change allows TCU to play in an automatic BCS-qualifying league beginning in the 2012-13 school year. TCU currently plays in the Mountain West Conference, which does not have an automatic bid to the BCS and is going through some changes of its own. BYU and Utah are leaving the conference just as Boise State enters.

      TCU would become the Big East’s ninth football team. The conference has extended an invitation to Villanova to become its 10th football member.

      This is great for TCU and the Big East, but Boise State has to be having a “WTF?” moment. The Broncos joined the Mountain West in part because they thought it would improve their strength of schedule in the eyes of BCS voters. But now that Utah, TCU and BYU are all heading out of town, they probably would have been better served staying in the WAC in terms of SOS competition.

      Maybe Boise should join the Big East, too.

      College Football, External Sports

      How hot is Erik Spoelstra’s seat?

      November 29, 2010 /
      Feb. 20, 2010: Miami coach Erik Spoelstra during an NBA game between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX Dallas defeated Miami 97-91.

      First, we had Saturday’s possibly intentional bump, and now there’s a report that the Heat players are quietly grumbling about their head coach.

      The Miami Heat’s players are frustrated with Erik Spoelstra and some are questioning whether he is the right coach for their team, according to people close to the situation.

      In contrast to the popular view that Spoelstra has been hesitant to jump on superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, sources say the Heat coach has shown no fear in criticizing them.

      Exhibit A was a recent shootaround in which Spoelstra told James that he had to get more serious. The source said Spoelstra called James out in front of the entire team, telling him, “I can’t tell when you’re serious.”

      “He’s jumping on them,” one source said. “If anything, he’s been too tough on them. Everybody knows LeBron is playful and likes to joke around, but Spoelstra told him in front of the whole team that he has to get more serious. The players couldn’t believe it. They feel like Spoelstra’s not letting them be themselves.”

      He’s not letting them be themselves. That’s classic. So if a coach is irritated by the lack of seriousness of one of his players, he’s just supposed to let it go? I suspect that Spoelstra would be a lot more lenient if the Heat were meeting expectations, but when you have this much talent and are hovering one or two games above .500, it’s understandable that the HEAD FREAKING COACH might want a certain level of seriousness from one of his team’s leaders.

      External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Andy Reid gives DeSean Jackson a tongue-lashing for performance vs. Bears

      November 29, 2010 /
      Philadelphia Eagles head coach Andy Reid talks to an assistant during the fourth quarter at Soldier Field in Chicago on November 28, 2010. The Bears won 31-26. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

      Eagles coach Andy Reid wasn’t too happy with the way DeSean Jackson went through pregame drills before Sunday’s contest against the Bears and according to beat writer Geoff Mosher, Reid let the receiver have it in front of the entire team following the game.

      Multiple team sources told The News Journal that Jackson was chewed out by coach Andy Reid in front of the entire team after the game. Jackson, one source said, had irritated Reid by having a loose demeanor before the game and not taking pre-game drills seriously.

      Another source said that Reid wouldn’t have reacted so angrily if the Eagles had won. Reid was more terse than usual with reporters in his post-game press conference.

      It’s also possible that Vick was disappointed by Jackson’s alligator arms on a first-and-10 pass to the left side at the Chicago 10-yard-line midway through the fourth quarter. The Eagles eventually settled for a David Akers field goal that pulled them to 31-19.

      There’s nothing wrong with a head coach or a quarterback getting on a receiver for, what’s preceived to be, a lack of effort. Jackson has had some maturity issues in the past and if Reid felt as though his receiver needed a wake up call, then so be it. The Eagles haven’t won anything yet – nobody should be loafing.

      That said, this shouldn’t affect Jackson’s playing time. The Eagles play the Texans on Thursday and Houston has the worst pass defense in the league. D-Jax will be out there and hopefully this time, he’ll take pre-game drills a little more seriously.

      External Sports, NFL

      Even Peyton Manning can’t win games on his own

      November 29, 2010 /
      INDIANAPOLIS - NOVEMBER 28: Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts looks to throw a pass while pursued by Kevin Burnett of the San Diego Chargers during the NFL game at Lucas Oil Stadium on November 28, 2010 in Indianapolis, Indiana. The Chargers won 36-14. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

      In terms of reading defenses, making adjustments at the line of scrimmage and putting the ball in a spot that only his receiver can make a play, Peyton Manning is the best. But if his performance Sunday night against the Chargers is any indication, then he’s at the point in his career where he needs more help around him.

      Indy deactivated six starters for their Sunday night matchup with the Chargers, who promptly crushed the Colts 36-14. Manning completed 31-of-48 passes for 285 yards and two touchdowns, but he was intercepted four times, two of which were returned for touchdowns by San Diego.

      Among the key players that were out for the Colts were Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai and Austin Collie. And outside of Jacob Tamme, there hasn’t been any backup that has stepped up in the trio’s absence. (Donald Brown has been unimpressive and inconsistency continues to plague Pierre Garcon.)

      Try as he did, Manning was overmatched on Sunday night. Eric Weddle should have been called for pass interference on his interception-turned-touchdown, but take that play out of the equation and Peyton still struggled. He never seemed to get settled because he was taking hits inside the pocket and a lot of his throws sailed on him because he rarely had time to set his feet. Granted, he should have been better. He missed open receivers, he forced passes into coverage and even when he did make a competition, he wasn’t always on target.

      He was bad. But if the Colts were completely healthy I don’t think it’s unreasonable to say that he wouldn’t have played as poorly as he did last night.

      The Colts have now lost three of their last four games but the good news is that they should start to get some players back next week. Addai seems to be getting closer to returning and Collie (concussion) should be medically cleared to play soon as well.

      For Manning’s sake, let’s hope that reinforcements are on the way. The AFC South is still the Colts’ division to lose but the Jaguars hung with the Giants on Sunday in the Meadowlands so they’re not likely to go away soon. Indy has a fight on its hands.

      External Sports, NFL

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