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      Urban Meyer flip flop

      December 27, 2009 /

      So much for faith and family.

      Less than 24 hours after announcing that he was stepping down has the head coach of the Florida Gators, Urban Meyer has now decided that he will not be resigning but instead will begin an indefinite leave of absence. The ESPN gang is speculating that he’ll be back by the beginning of next season, though nobody knows how long this will take.

      What changed his mind? Earlier today his wife stated that Urban Meyer would NOT change his mind.

      So what happened? A news conference will be starting shortly, so we’ll learn more soon. But I suspect the alumni went crazy, and I suspect that recruits were upset as well. The option of taking a leave of absence was always on the table, so he obviously had a change of heart after the reactions started coming through.

      Needless to say, this is a fluid situation. Will Meyer be able to deal with his health issues while he stays involved? The guy is a control freak, and anything less than a clean break would seem to be difficult.

      I guess anything is possible, but this story will be front and center for some time as Meyer, his family and the Florida athletic department work through these issues.

      UPDATE: Urban Meyer is now speaking to the media. It sounds like he just couldn’t go through with his resignation after speaking to his players. He’s a hyper-competitive guy, so this shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone.

      Meyer also said he expects to be on the field as head coach for the 2010 opener. Frankly, he looks and sounds a little like a boxer who doesn’t know when to hang things up.

      College Football

      Boston College gets jobbed by refs in Emerald Bowl

      December 27, 2009 /

      The major media outlets are hyping the fact that a Pac-10 team finally showed up in a bowl game this season after USC downed Boston College 24-13 in the Emerald Bowl on Saturday night. But a little more attention should be paid for how Boston College was bent over by the refs not once, but twice during the game.

      Early in the second quarter, Trojans’ QB Matt Barkley found Damian Williams for a 38-yard completion down the right sidelines to set USC up at the BC 6-yard line. But Williams looked out of bounds during live action and in replay, yet the officials reviewed the play at let it stand. The fact that the officials couldn’t tell that Williams didn’t come in bounds was one thing, but they actually screwed up twice on the play because he made the “catch” with his right foot out of bounds at the 8-yard line, not the six. So not only did they let the “catch” stand, but they also gave USC two extra yards just for the hell of it.

      There was also a, uh, questionable call in the second half during a Boston College punt. The ball had clearly hit a USC player first and even though an Eagle recovered it, the refs challenged that since the Trojan was blocked into the ball that it would remain with USC. Yet, it looked like the USC player was coming forward and accidentally kicked the ball, which would have meant that the recovery was just and that the Eagles would have retained possession.

      Now, there’s no way of knowing if those plays would have affected the outcome of the game. If Williams’ catch was ruled incomplete, USC still could have scored on the next play. If the punt would have resulted in BC getting the ball, they could have thrown a pick six on the next play, so nobody can say with absolute certainty that if the calls went the Eagles’ way instead of the Trojans’ that the outcome would have been different. (Plus, BC couldn’t move the ball offensively, which was a much bigger problem then getting jobbed by the refs.)

      That said, the officials blew both calls and that’s the bottom line. And there’s no excuse to get a play wrong when it’s reviewed; it’s just ridiculous.

      College Football

      Urban Meyer stepping down as Florida head coach

      December 26, 2009 /

      Surprising news out of Florida, as Urban Meyer announced that he will step down as Florida’s head coach after the Orange Bowl.

      Florida coach Urban Meyer, who was admitted to a hospital because of chest pains following the Southeastern Conference championship game, is stepping down because of health concerns.

      Meyer resigned Saturday, calling it quits after five seasons in Gainesville and two national titles. He goes into the bowl game with a 56-10 record at Florida that includes a 32-8 mark in league play and a school-record 22-game winning streak ended early this month against Alabama.

      Meyer, 45, says he consulted with his family, his doctors, school president Bernie Machen and athletic director Jeremy Foley before deciding it is in his best interest to focus on his health and family.

      Meyer has been to the hospital multiple times since suffering chest pains after the SEC title game, a Florida source told ESPN. He has been diagnosed with a heart valve muscle defect, the source said.

      The problem is not life threatening, a Florida source with knowledge of the situation told ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. The same source said Meyer will remain in Gainesville in a non-coaching role to be defined later.

      This is a huge blow to the Florida football program, as Meyer had established himself as one of the best coaches of his generation.

      College Football

      Report: Two things keeping a Bay-Boston reunion from happening

      December 26, 2009 /

      According to the Boston Globe, there are two distinct things that are keeping the Red Sox from bringing free agent outfielder Jason Bay back to Beantown.

      Could Bay return to the Red Sox? It’s not inconceivable, according to a major league source, who said it would take two things to happen. 1. Bay would likely have to accept a backloaded contract, which would help the Sox remain under the $170 million payroll threshold for avoiding the luxury tax; and 2. the Sox would have to extend their budget, after they gave a two-year, $15.5 million deal to Mike Cameron.

      Then, where would they play Cameron? He could be used against lefthanded pitching to spell Jacoby Ellsbury and J.D. Drew, or the Sox could use Ellsbury in an Adrian Gonzalez deal. But with Mike Lowell back in the fold after he failed his physical with the Rangers, the Sox have less wiggle room in their payroll and on their roster.

      Call it a gut feeling, but I don’t think Bay will return to Boston. The BoSox don’t like to budge when it comes to their payroll decisions, which is why Johnny Damon played the last couple years in the Bronx instead of in Baaaston. In the end, another club will step up and pay Bay what he wants and I think he’ll cash in and move on.

      Plus, as the article notes, the Red Sox already have Cameron to play left field so they’ve probably moved on. I think the only reason why the Bay-to-Boston rumors are staying afloat is because no other team has stepped up and signed him yet and it doesn’t sound like he’s even close to striking a deal with another club.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      NHL to discuss banning head shots

      December 26, 2009 /

      Apparently, hockey players aren’t invincible. The NHL’s 30 general manager recently formed a committee that will investigate the the effects players exhibit after receiving repeated hits to the head.

      A new rule may even be in place next season that would prohibit contact with the head – even with a shoulder.

      The general managers will gather against a backdrop of America’s most popular professional league, the NFL, making several new moves to study head injuries and protect players in the wake of new studies and congressional pressure.

      Several NHL players have been sidelined this season by concussions or related symptoms. Chicago captain Jonathan Toews, New York’s Chris Drury, Edmonton’s Sheldon Souray, Steve Staios and Robert Nilsson, and Florida’s David Booth, have been knocked out from blows to the head.

      Some have argued against a head shot ban because of the judgment call that would be placed in referees’ hands. Some call for any head contact being a foul, whether or not it’s determined to be intentional.

      The biggest argument against a total ban is the difference in size of players. If a 6-foot-4 defenseman crashes into a 5-foot-11 forward, his otherwise legal shoulder hit might land at head level.

      Even the most optimistic observers know this would only be a small step in the attempt to limit concussions in a sport that involves violent contact at tremendous speed. Rules and equipment only go so far, and injuries will always be part of the game.

      Contact to the head is unavoidable, but the league needs to handle the situation accordingly. A hockey referee should be able to tell whether a hit is malicious or not. The league can fix the problem by just dolling out harsher suspensions for violators.

      Nevertheless, an in-depth study is long overdue.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NHL

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