Ryan Carter: January 2012

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Video: Obama has a few thoughts on Denard Robinson?s future, too

Most scouts assume Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson's future is at wide receiver. The President of the United States has some other ideas:

"Where's Denard?" Obama asked. "I hear Denard Robinson's in the house. I hear you're coming back, man. That is a good deal for Michigan."

Robinson was indeed present, and Obama had some further words directed toward the QB. "They're trying to draft you for President. He's gotta graduate before he runs for President."

Well, he doesn't have to ?�George Washington and Abraham Lincoln had almost no formal education whatsoever ? but sure, it probably helps. (Denard wouldn't be the first Wolverine All-American to hold the highest office, either, although he would be the first who was elected after surviving a scandal on Twitter.) In the meantime, there's nothing in the Constitution stopping Obama from appointing "Shoelace" his Chief Adviser for Dreadlocks and Casual Footwear. Michigan is a swing state, after all.

And as always, Mr. President, if you're still interested in throwing your weight around on the critical issue of installing a college football playoff, my offer to serve as Playoff Czar still stands.

You can watch the president's entire speech in Ann Arbor here. No word on whether he was interrupted by Mark Dantonio.

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Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/video-obama-few-thoughts-denard-robinson-future-too-150348980.html

Mikael Backlund Nicklas Backstrom Cody Bass Jay Beagle

Court Report: Week 6 Dashboard

Each week, the Dashboard centralizes all the crucial information fantasy managers need to dominate their weekly head-to-head matchups or climb the standings in their rotisserie leagues. The Dashboard covers schedule analysis, status updates, adds, drops, watch list candidates, and deep league targets for managers of all skill levels. Quite simply, it is a comprehensive weekly cheat sheet packed with every bit of information that you could possibly need.

Week 6 Schedule Grid

Click here for a full season schedule grid. Hat tip to kiwishaq on the busersports forums.

Week Six, quality games.
1 game: BOS, MEM, MIA, TOR

Week Six, best schedules.
POR: @UTA, CHA, @SAC, DEN
DET: @MIL, @NYK, @NJN, MIL, NOR
NOR: @MIA, PHO, @SAS, @DET
GSW: SAC, UTA, @SAC

Week Six, worst schedules.
ATL: @TOR, MEM, PHI
CLE: BOS, @ORL, DAL
CHA: @LAL, @POR, @PHO
WAS: CHI, @ORL, @TOR, LAC

Status Updates ? quick hitters from around the league

? D.J. Augustin will likely miss the Bobcats' upcoming four road game trip with right big toe inflammation. More specifically, he has tiny cracks in the sesamoid bones embedded into the tendons in that toe. The injury is debilitating, and has sapped much of his explosiveness and lift. Augustin has been in a walking boot to keep pressure off the toe, and has been receiving treatment -- ice, electric stimulation, an oral anti-inflammatory -- over the last week. He's in less pain, but will have to make it through a full practice before he considers playing.

? Carmelo Anthony (ankle, wrist sprain) is doubtful for Tuesday's game against the Pistons, according to coach Mike D'Antoni.

? MarShon Brooks has a broken little toe in his right foot, and there is currently no timetable for his return. He will see a foot specialist on Monday.

? Baron Davis probably will not make his Knicks debut for another week or two as he works his way back into basketball shape after nine months away from the court.

? Luol Deng (torn wrist ligament) has been shooting and dribbling, but ended up missing Sunday's showdown against the Heat. Coach Tom Thibodeau says he is "very close" to a return.

? Spencer Hawes will miss his eight straight game on Monday with a strained left Achilles.

? Al Jefferson (right ankle tendonitis) is doubtful for Monday's game against the Blazers. He has a walking boot on his right foot and was seen heavily favoring his left leg.

? Jason Kidd will be out at least a week with a strained right calf. He suffered the strain just two minutes into Friday's win against the Jazz; it was initially believed to be an Achilles injury, which would have been far worse.

? Ty Lawson went through pregame warmups on Sunday but was not able to cut on his sprained left ankle. He remains day-to-day.

? Kevin Martin (plantar fasciitis) participated in shootaround Monday morning and is expected to play against the Wolves, according to coach Kevin McHale.

? Jameer Nelson sat out Sunday's game against the Pacers with concussion-like symptoms. He will be unavailable on Monday as well.

? Rajon Rondo is close to a return this week, according to coach Doc Rivers, and is no longer wearing a wrap on his sore right wrist.

Add List ? players currently owned in 40% or less of Yahoo! leagues

? Tiago Splitter, FC, SA (40% owned)
The biggest reason why Splitter didn't play more than he should have last year was his defense, a weakness masked by his exceptional steal rate (4th among centers). Splitter was slow to his rotations as a help defender, and it didn't help that opposing centers averaged a 18.8 player efficiency rating against him either. He's gone a long way to remedy that this season though, making noticeable improvements on that end (doubling his block rate) and seeing a huge spike in minutes as a reward. Splitter lacks any real offensive game outside the immediate basket area so he won't score much, but is a solid finisher and rebounds well for his position. You can be sure coach Gregg Popovich will give Tim Duncan as much rest as he can with this condensed schedule, ensuring Splitter's spot in the Spurs' regular rotation.

? Evan Turner, GF, PHI (39% owned)
His rank over the past two weeks (181) doesn't inspire much confidence, but it's largely a product of a fluky dip in his free-throw percentage (47% on 2.1 attempts; 81% last season) that masks what have otherwise been significant improvements across the board. Turner is still struggling to score from beyond 16 feet, but he's upped his mark from that range to a more respectable 34 percent over his last 10 games after going 8-for-34 (24 percent) in the nine games prior. Turner still leads all shooting guards in rebound rate at 13.3 percent, a mark that tops a number of big men including Chris Bosh, David West, Lamar Odom, Brandon Bass, and Ryan Anderson. Most importantly, he's being more aggressive as a slasher and assertive as a scoring option (9.6 field goal attempts over the past two weeks). Turner has finished an impressive 73 percent of his attempts from nine feet in, and he's starting to draw fouls with some sort of regularity. Perhaps he won't ever reach that level of superstardom that's expected from a former second overall pick, but he's well on his way to becoming a very good and possible All-Star caliber player.

? Rodrigue Beaubois, G, DAL (33% owned)
The issue with Roddy has never been with his talent level. He possesses top-end scoring ability, and still managed to average 19 points per 40 minutes despite a precipitous drop-off in efficiency last season. The problem is that he has yet to move beyond these sporadic moments of brilliance and consistently put it all together over a full season; part of which can be attributed to injuries and a lack of opportunity. Beaubois is finally starting to see regular rotation minutes now, and has stepped into the starting lineup with Jason Kidd sidelined by a calf injury. His per-minute exploits are well-documented (6th amongst qualifiers this season, 13th in 2010), and he's a sure bet to deliver a sizable return on investment given his expanded role.

? James Johnson, F, TOR (39% owned)
If you had to sum up Johnson's style of play in one word, it'd be disruptive. He creates havoc whenever he's out there on the court, whether it's jumping into passing lanes or coming from the weak-side to send a shot back. Johnson has the ability to fill it up, and has also cut his turnover rate every year he's been in the league -- bottoming out at a more respectable 13 percent this season. He's far from a finished product and is still prone to making an occasional mistake (errant turnovers, ill-timed gambles on defense), but he's made major strides in cutting those down this season. Coach Dwane Casey has taken note, inserting him into the starting lineup in place of the ineffectual Rasual Butler, where he's thrived over the past seven games and will remain for the foreseeable future. Consistency may remain a bit of an issue moving forward, but there's sneaky multi-category potential to be had here, especially for those who aren't hard-pressed for a scoring option.

Cut List ? players who should not be rostered in standard formats

? Lamar Odom (75% owned), Michael Beasley (67% owned), Brandon Knight (62% owned), DeJuan Blair (58% owned), Andrew Bogut (55% owned), Carlos Delfino (55% owned), Jared Dudley (53% owned), Jameer Nelson (51% owned)

Watch List ? players currently owned in 40% or less of Yahoo! leagues to monitor closely in standard leagues

? Vince Carter (29% owned), Ed Davis (32% owned), Byron Mullens (29% owned), Chase Budinger (36% owned), Jonas Jerebko (23% owned), Brandon Rush (22% owned), Baron Davis (33% owned), Rudy Fernandez (23% owned), Ersan Ilyasova (16% owned), Chandler Parsons (14% owned), Linas Kleiza (9% owned)

Deep League Specials ? players currently owned in five percent or less of Yahoo! leagues who warrant a roster spot in deep leagues (14 teams+)

? Courtney Lee (5% owned), Mickael Pietrus (5% owned), Goran Dragic (4% owned), Bismack Biyombo (4% owned), Jordan Hill (3% owned), Klay Thompson (3% owned), Ekpe Udoh (2% owned), Jan Vesely (2% owned), Trevor Booker (1% owned)

Follow Justin on Twitter @jphanned

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/court-report-week-6-dashboard-142409090.html

Mike Green Andy Greene

Indiana falls back to earth with third straight loss

Not long after its memorable upset victories against national title contenders Kentucky and Ohio State last month, Indiana began selling a red T-shirt proclaiming in white block letters, "WE'RE BACK."

The past three games have shown that may be premature.

Indiana is certainly nationally relevant again, but the Hoosiers still seem to be a year away from reclaiming the elite status they once held under Bob Knight. They've lost three straight to fall to 3-4 in Big Ten play, dropping a home game last Thursday to Minnesota, getting throttled on Sunday at Ohio State and squandering a double-digit lead Wednesday night at Nebraska.

The loss to previously struggling Nebraska is easily the most galling of those three both because the Huskers were 1-5 in the Big Ten entering Wednesday and because Indiana had them beat. The Hoosiers led by as many as 13 in the second half and by 11 with under seven minutes to play before surrendering all of it in a hail of turnovers, empty possessions and defensive breakdowns.

"That's a tough one to swallow," Indiana freshman Cody Zeller told reporters after the game. "Every game in the Big Ten is tough. I thought we played better, but it wasn't enough, I guess."

The truth is Indiana is probably neither as good as it looked in upsetting the Wildcats and Buckeyes nor as bad as it has looked the past six days. Zeller runs the floor as well as any center in the nation, Will Sheehey is much improved and Jordan Hulls is a deadly accurate a perimeter shooter, but the Hoosiers lack a quality point guard and don't defend on the perimeter well besides Victor Oladipo.

Indiana needs to make sure it takes advantage of a winnable home game against struggling Penn State on Sunday because the schedule stiffens again.

Three of Indiana's next four are on the road after the matchup with the Nittany Lions beginning with a trip to Madison to face Wisconsin. The Hoosiers were miserable on the road in Crean's first three seasons and are 1-2 away from Bloomington this season in Big Ten play with the lone win a six-point squeaker at Penn State.

The odds of Indiana reentering the Big Ten title race are slim, but Tom Crean definitely isn't ready to panic.

"I'd be in there throwing stuff around, angry, screaming if I felt like we didn't care or I felt we couldn't get better," Crean told reporters. "That's not the case at all. They care and we can get better. That's exactly the attitude we're taking toward this."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/indiana-falls-back-earth-third-straight-loss-051326932.html

Eric Staal Jordan Staal Matt Stajan Steven Stamkos

Oops! Someone thought Kyle Stanley was a lock to win at Torrey Pines

Kyle Stanley appeared to be a mortal lock to win the Farmers Insurance Open on Sunday afternoon. Holding a three-shot lead as he stepped onto the 18th tee box, tournament officials assumed it would be OK if they started putting Stanley's name on the trophy and oversized check.

Boy was that a mistake. Stanley, as you probably already know, went on to triple the 18th hole and lose on the second playoff hole to Brandt Snedeker. While Snedeker got the trophy on Sunday, I'm guessing he's probably still wondering where his oversized check went. It happens to be under the 18th hole grandstand ... with Kyle Stanley's name on it.�I'm going to guess tournament officials didn't have a bottle of Wite-Out on hand to fix the mistake.

(via GeoffShackelford)

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/oops-someone-thought-kyle-stanley-lock-win-torrey-155047396.html

John Negrin Jake Newton Jyri Niemi Nikita Nikitin

Lane Kiffin has a plan for USC?s reduced scholarship numbers, but he?s not telling what it is

Originally, back when USC was hit with the most heavy-handed NCAA sanctions in 20 years in 2010, this was supposed to be the year the Trojans really felt the bite: The appeals have been exhausted, the scholarship penalties are in full effect and two years as a nonentity in the Pac-12 and BC races taken a bite out of the formidable brand forged by former coach Pete Carroll. At least, that's how it was supposed to work.

In reality, the Trojans will begin the 2012 season as frontrunners for the conference and national championships and are on the verge of inking another impressive ?�albeit abbreviated ?�recruiting class that will likely go down as the highest-ranked haul in the Pac-12 for the tenth consecutive season, in spite of the paltry numbers. Which brings us to another question: After bringing in a full, 30-man class in 2011, just how are those numbers going to work, exactly?

USC already has eight verbal commitments for 2012, not counting the four early enrollees who are considered part of the 2011 class. Kiffin has said he wants to sign a full class of 15 recruits.

Here's where the math gets tricky. As it stands now, a full 15-man recruiting class would give USC roughly 80 scholarship players. USC, as part of its probation, cannot have more than 75 scholarship players.

How will they get to that number? Kiffin isn't saying.

"We've had a stance here on numbers going back to a year-and-a-half ago when this happened, that we don't discuss really how we're managing the situation here with numbers and stuff for competitive reasons," Kiffin said.

It's not really as mysterious as all that. One reason the numbers are in such (relatively) good shape: If you didn't know any better, you might think the Trojans have been operating under scholarship restrictions for years. From 2008 to 2010, USC signed three consecutive classes consisting of just 18 players apiece (54 players in all), well below the 25-man maximum. Another reason: Attrition since the end of the 2011 season ? including former blue chips Kyle Prater, Dillon Baxter, Patrick Hall, T.J. Bryant, Amir Carlisle and Brice Butler ?�has freed up enough room to max out the number of signees under the sanctions.

In fact, with four early enrollees in the incoming class (who count against last year's scholarship caps) already on campus, a full 15-man haul would give the Trojans one more signee than they had in any of Carroll's final three classes from 2008-10.

Of course, what Kiffin can't say outright is that a roster with "roughly 80" scholarship players will have to find a way to shed a handful of them between now and August to fall in line with the sanctions, which means the exodus from the bottom of the depth chart isn't over by a long shot. (Nick Saban may be available to offer his expert advice on this subject, for a small consulting fee.) But it also means, barring a catastrophic rash of injuries, that we're going to be hearing a lot less about those missing schollies than anyone would have guessed two years ago.

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Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/lane-kiffin-plan-usc-reduced-scholarship-numbers-not-233701682.html

Calvin de Haan Michael Del Zotto Steven Delisle James DeLory

Indiana falls back to earth with third straight loss

The past three games have shown that may be premature.

"That's a tough one to swallow," Indiana freshman Cody Zeller told reporters after the game. "Every game in the Big Ten is tough. I thought we played better, but it wasn't enough, I guess."

Indiana needs to make sure it takes advantage of a winnable home game against struggling Penn State on Sunday because the schedule stiffens again.

The odds of Indiana reentering the Big Ten title race are slim, but Tom Crean definitely isn't ready to panic.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/indiana-falls-back-earth-third-straight-loss-051326932.html

Greg Nemisz Kris Newbury Scott Nichol Rob Niedermayer

Pressing Questions: The Houston Astros

The Houston Astros were such a flaming disappointment in 2011 that the team has actually been relegated, bumped to the American League, effective 2013. We're all anxious to see which low-power, .320-OBP scrapper will emerge as this team's regular DH, but that will have to wait. The Astros must first slog through the 2012 season as lame-duck National Leaguers. This group finished dead-last in the senior circuit in ERA last year (4.51) while scoring the third-fewest runs (615) and ranking next-to-last in total homers (95), so it can be reasonably argued that they don't do anything well.

The questions surrounding this team are many, although mixed league fantasy owners probably wouldn't describe any of them as "pressing." These are more like festering questions...

Mark Melancon was traded to Boston during the off-season. Please tell me that doesn't mean Brandon Lyon will get another chance to close. Please.

We can make no such assurances at this time. Sorry. Lyon is in the mix for the closer's role, coming off a disastrous, injury-shortened season (labrum, biceps). He was a mess over 13.1 innings last year before hitting the DL (11.48 ERA), but recall that he delivered back-to-back respectable campaigns in 2009 and 2010. Lyon will earn $5.5 million this season, the final year of his deal, so he'll likely find himself on the trade block if he can demonstrate that he's regained competency.

In any case, Houston will be auditioning potential closers during Spring Training. This job has not yet been filled. Wilton Lopez is a possibility ? we at least know he'll have a late-inning role ? and 26-year-old David Carpenter is in the discussion, too. Carpenter made 19 appearances in Triple-A last season, allowing just 15 hits, six walks and no runs, striking out 21 batters and recording nine saves. He held his own at the major league level after a late-June callup, striking out 29 batters over 27.2 innings and posting a 2.93 ERA (and a frightening 1.48 WHIP). Another reliever to monitor here is Juan Abreu, a strikeout machine who turns 27 in April. Abreu was acquired from Atlanta in the Michael Bourn trade. He struck out 77 hitters in just 57.2 innings at Triple-A last season, then fanned another 12 in a 6.2-inning late-season cameo with the Astros.

We should also note that Houston used the top pick in the Rule 5 draft on Rhiner Cruz, a flame-throwing 25-year-old with a long history of throwing non-strikes. You like the arm, but command is a serious problem.

Are there any hitters here worth drafting in a standard public league? Anyone at all? El Caballo, maybe?

Carlos Lee led Houston in each of the Triple Crown categories last year, batting .275 with 18 home runs and 94 RBIs, but his numbers were actually substandard for a mixed league first baseman. Last year, the average top-20 1B hit .297 with 26.1 homers and 96.4 RBIs. Lee has outfield eligibility as well, of course, and his numbers will play at that position, or in a utility spot. Still, there's nothing here to get excited about. Lee will be 36 in June, his best seasons clearly behind him.

Just to underscore how remarkably uninteresting Houston's lineup is for fantasy purposes, here's a look at the projected auction values for the team's highest-ranked position player at each starting spot (via Lindy's fantasy preview, where I've been known to contribute):

C Humberto Quintero, $0
1B Carlos Lee, $4
2B Jose Altuve, $1
3B Jimmy Paredes, $3
SS Jed Lowrie, $4
OF Jason Bourgeois, $5
OF JD Martinez, $3
OF Brian Bogusevic, $2

So we're basically saying that this entire batting order is worth just $22 of a $260 auction budget (and when we set those prices, Lowrie was in Boston). For comparison's sake, we priced guys like Michael Young and Eric Hosmer at $22.

The Astros' roster offers a handful of speed specialists ? Paredes, Altuve, Bourgeois, Jordan Schafer ? but little power. Martinez might very well lead this team in homers in 2012 (because someone has to), although he's never hit 20 in any pro season.

OK, so there aren't really any high-impact bats here. How 'bout the starting rotation? Can Bud Norris make another leap?

In his age-26 season, Norris improved his fantasy ratios substantially, lowering his ERA from 4.92 to 3.77 and his WHIP from 1.48 to 1.33. He wasn't quite an asset in those categories last year, but he was less of a liability ? and his xFIP was 3.73, so it's not as if he was unusually lucky. His walk rate dropped significantly while his K-rate remained excellent (8.52 K/9). Norris is definitely on the radar for mixed leaguers, as is the soon-to-be 33-year-old Wandy Rodriguez. We won't have to fret about the transition to the A.L. for another year.

The obvious problem with this pitching staff from a fantasy perspective is that the team is just criminally bad. Houston won only 56 games last season, the lowest total in baseball, and there's no reason to think this group will reach 70 in 2012. There are some good-enough arms in the rotation, but none capable of a Steve Carlton in '72-style performance. Norris won just six times last year, as the Astros scored two runs or less in 10 of his 31 starts.

Surely there are some interesting prospects in Houston's system, right? Who should we care about for dynasty purposes?

This franchise has replenished its farm system via trade in recent years, dealing away Bourn, Roy Oswalt and Hunter Pence for a decent collection of minor leaguers. In fact, the two most intriguing prospects in Houston's organization ? 1B/OF Jonathan Singleton and RHP Jarred Cosart ? arrived in the Pence deal. Singleton is a 20-year-old with on-base skills and significant power potential. He's one of the top 1B prospects in all of baseball, although he's unlikely to assist fantasy owners this season. Both Singleton and the 21-year-old Cosart seem likely to open the season at Double-A. Cosart is a hard-thrower with a respectable breaking ball and developing change, a potential top-of-rotation starter, though hardly a can't-miss prospect.

The dynasty crowd will also want to file away George Springer's name for later use. Springer was the No. 11 overall pick in last year's draft, a toolsy power-speed outfielder from UConn. In 700 career collegiate at-bats, he hit .346 with 46 homers and 76 stolen bases in 88 attempts. But like Singleton and Cosart, he isn't expected to crack the major league lineup anytime soon. There's hope for the future, Houston, but maybe not for the present.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/pressing-questions-houston-astros-012440116.html

Patrick McNeill Adam McQuaid Derek Meech Andrej Meszaros

Monday, January 30, 2012

Pineda and Denis with awesome UFC debuts on UFC on FX 1 undercard

Don't be fooled by records in MMA. It's all about quality of competition.

Pat Schilling learned that tonight in Nashville. The 5-0 fighter got steamrolled by Daniel Pineda. Pineda, a seven-loss fighter, stormed across the cage and walked through Schilling to post a victory in his UFC debut in just 97 seconds.

With 4:09 left in the round, Pineda (16-7, 1-0 UFC) got things rolling with a short left. He grabbed Schilling and scored an easy takedown. Just six seconds later, he mounted the stunned Schilling. Pineda unloaded with some big shots to Schilling's forehead, who turned to give his back with 3:53 left. Eventually Schilling stood up with Pineda on his back. That only made it easier to slap on the rear-naked choke. Referee Mario Yamasaki saved Schilling a few seconds later after it went back down to the ground.

Denis brutalizes Sandoval in 22-second win

Who could pen a better script for a UFC debut, than what Nick Denis produced on the UFC on FX 1 undercard?

The Canadian let his hands go in the opening seconds then backed it up with four vicious standing elbows to drop Joseph Sandoval and post a win in just 22 seconds in the opener of the prelims on FUEL TV.

Denis (11-2, 1-0 UFC) showed good boxing early and landed a big right just 12 seconds in. When he got a hold of Sandoval's head in a thai clinch, the smaller American was in big trouble. Sandoval has made two trips to the Octagon and dropped both fights in a combined 99 seconds.

Camoes won't let debutants go 3-for-3, Brazilian subs Hayden

Tommy Hayden was holding his own for a while, but he was stepping up to another level tonight in Fabricio Camoes.

Camoes withstood an early onslaught from the UFC rookie. Hayden got a little too grapple-happy, had his back taken and had to tap to a nasty rear-naked choke at the 4:03 mark of the first round in fight No. 3 of the night.

Camoes hit the deck three times early in the fight. Two times, he was on his knees and another on his back, but Hayden couldn't settle him. Hayden got on top again with 2:35 left, but Camoes eventually scrambled to score a sweep and take top control.

After a few seconds, he stood up and launched himself back on top landing a hammerfist. Camoes eventually got Hayden's back where he began to work the finishing choke.

With just over a minute left in the round, Hayden was shot. The choke was tight. It appeared he actually tapped twice before referee Josh Rosenthal honored a third tap to end the fight.

Hayden, 25, dropped the first fight of career after an 8-0 start. Camoes (14-6-1) evened his UFC mark at 1-1-1.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/pineda-denis-awesome-ufc-debuts-ufc-fx-1-234421738.html

Karlis Skrastins Tyler Sloan Matt Smaby Ladislav Smid

Ellen Gandy: Open water warfare and paddle-boarding with my dogs

Roast dinners are ill-suited to an Australian summer but a trip to the beach takes the grind out of training
? Introducing the Guardian's Olympic diarists

I don't think I'll ever get used to Christmas in Australia. My family always make a point of having a proper British roast dinner on Christmas Day, even when it's 35C [95F] outside. I was sweating while I was eating, it was that hot. But the flip side of being down here at this time of year is that is I spend a lot of my time down at the beach doing outdoor training, which I love.

In the last couple of years I've got into doing the open water competitions down the coast. It's just a day at the beach combined with a training session, so I get the best of both worlds. And you get pretty good prizes for winning. This year I won one of the biggest races in Victoria ? the Pier to Pub. I got a travel voucher for winning, which I plan to spend when I have a holiday at the end of this year.

Open waters are really horrendous to race in. They are completely different to pool swimming because it's really rough and you get hit in the face quite a lot. The Pier to Pub was girls and guys at the same time and the guys are a lot rougher than the girls, I got a few elbows to my face in that race. It's also hard because you can't really see where you're supposed to be going. You have to just pick a landmark in the distance and sort of aim in that direction, which can be difficult with the strong currents and the splash from other people.

I like them, despite all that, because they're such a change of pace from being at the pool. There is no pressure on me because I don't really do enough of them to have any sort of profile. It's nice to just be an unknown in a race competing for the fun of it. I also think it helps with my fitness, I just see it as a kind of cross training. I see paddle-boarding the same way. I got a board for Christmas. It's great. I can just paddle around on the nice flat water. It improves my core strength, and it's also just really fun. My dogs have got into it as well and they quite happily sit on the front of my board as I take them out to sea.

The Australian State Championships have been going on for a couple of months now, I did the Queensland States in December last year and we just had the Victorian States a few weeks ago. Quite a few high-profile Aussie swimmers were there which made for a good competition.

I got to see Ian Thorpe in the flesh for the first time. I still get really star-struck when I meet legends of the sport like Thorpe. It's quite surreal seeing him swimming when I've only ever watched him on TV, and that was years ago when I was little.

I was really happy with how I raced at the States and I'm feeling really strong in and out of the water. There is quite a lot of rivalry between the Aussies and the British swimmers. I like being over here because I get to race the best that they have in Australia on quite a regular basis, it's really great to be around these swimmers and to be against them at all the meets so when it comes to racing at the majors I'm ready. I know I can match them.

It's a funny feeling that the Olympic trials are so soon. I'm not thinking too much about them, I never think about the trials until I'm in England and I'm about to do them, I find that thinking about them now takes too much emotional energy and nerves. The only time I ever really think about it is when I see an Olympic advert on TV. Though being in Australia there isn't too much advertising for the Olympics. I feel like it's a benefit for me to be out of it and away from all of the pressure. It's been a great sunny summer and I've got a lot done, but now I can't wait to get back to England and race in the Olympic pool at the Olympic trials in March.

Ellen Gandy

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2012/jan/30/ellen-gandy-olympic-diary

Scott Gomez Boyd Gordon Mikhail Grabovski Evgeny Grachev

Video: Torrey Pines magic over the years

One of the best parts about professional golf is each season we get to see a lot of the same courses. Fans become familiar with certain holes; the 7th at Pebble Beach, the 18th at Kapalua and the closing hole at Torrey Pines.

The public golf course near San Diego is one of the jewels of the West Coast swing, and has brought plenty of drama each season. The video above shows all that, with cameos from Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and yes, John Daly. Enjoy.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/video-torrey-pines-magic-over-years-173036457.html

Oscar Moller Dominic Moore Brad Moran Travis Morin

QPR Close To Djibril Cisse Signing

Source: http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2012/1/30/2759126/qpr-transfer-rumours-djibril-cisse

Jim Vandermeer Michael Vernace Ivan Vishnevskiy Lubomir Visnovsky

Off the post and into Shaun Wright-Phillips? face

There's a very popular YouTube video that shows one kid smashing a shot off the post that then hits his friend playing goalkeeper square in the face. Well, back in 2009, when Shaun Wright-Phillips was still with Man City, they recreated that Internet classic at the expense of the diminutive winger's face.

Wright-Phillips was messing around in goal during a training session when one of his teammates took a shot from outside the box that careened off the post and into SWP's unsuspecting noggin. Everyone laughed and then a gentle breeze blew him away.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/off-post-shaun-wright-phillips-face-021339427.html

Greg Mauldin Ben Maxwell

Where have several of the Cameron Crazies gone?

Maybe it really is the theory that college kids these days would rather watch their team play on their laptop screen while multi-tasking and studying than camping out in the freezing cold just to ensure a better seat.

Whatever the real reasons are, the average attendance by students for Duke's men's basketball games ? the famed Cameron Crazies ? is down.

It's not a new problem, necessarily, but it was brought to light yet again in a piece by the Duke Chronicle, which reported that approximately 650 undergrads have attended each home game this year ? 150 fewer than during the 2008-09 season.

In turn, the school ? as it should ? has turned the student absences into a nice opportunity for profit, selling roughly 300 general admission tickets per game in the 1,200-seat Section 17. They've been priced at $65 a pop.

"It has nothing to do with the revenue ? We just want it to be full," Director of Marketing and Relations Mike Forman told the Chronicle. "If there were 1,200 students every game, we would love it."

The story comes roughly a week after 400 tickets were made available to the general public for Duke's blowout of Wake Forest, which was a result of the school's fraternity and sorority rush going on at the same time and the Demon Deacons' lack of appeal as a competitive opponent. With empty seats in Section 17, the story claims that Mike Krzyzewski even motioned across the court during the game, trying to get more noise from what was once, without question, the greatest sixth man in all of college hoops.

Several possible reasons for the drop-off are included in the story ?

? As mentioned, WatchESPN.com making watching the game easier than ever before.

? Duke's lack of a marquee home schedule, both in conference and out of conference. The ACC is significantly down this season, while Duke has played more and more big nonconference games at Madison Square Garden.

? The "myths," including how much work allegedly needs to go into securing a seat, or that every seat is already taken if you show up to a game an hour before tip-off rather than when doors open.

"It does take a lot to go to K-Ville and wait outside, sometimes in the cold and in the rain, and then go into Cameron where you have to stand and jump up and down," co-head line monitor Ellie Garrett said. "Students need to realize that going to Cameron is ? an awesome experience."

Yes, it appears awesome to everyone who's never been there. But that could be another reason: It's just not unique anymore.

Student sections around the country have not only copied certain aspects of the Cameron Crazies' game plan, but they've built on it. Now, sections such as The Show (San Diego State) or The Oakland Zoo (Pitt) can boast having just as much effect on the outcome of a game.

The athletic department's marketing staff will look closer at what's causing the decline in student turnout this offseason.

For now, though, Duke won't be changing a thing.

"Every other school in the country is playing canned music during timeouts, doing cheesy promotions," Forman said. "We try to stay away from that."

Follow Ryan Greene on Twitter: @ryanmgreene

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaab-the-dagger-college-basketball-blog/where-several-cameron-crazies-gone-214319588.html

R.J. Umberger Chris Vande Velde Keven Veilleux Antoine Vermette

Sunday, January 29, 2012

Tiger Woods grabs a share of the lead with bogey-free 6-under 66

The golf world is used to having Tiger Woods in contention going into the weekend, but over the past couple of years, the one thing that seemed to be missing from his game -- besides the usual Sunday fist-pump -- was the ability to stay in the hunt on Saturday.

Even though Woods managed to finally break the winless streak at Sherwood, he still faltered during the third round at Chevron, posting a 1-over 73 that ultimately made things interesting in the final round.�There was also the 3-over 75 at the Australian Open that saw his lead, and tournament chances, crumble on Saturday.

For whatever reason, staying in contention on Saturday has been one of Woods' biggest hurdles. But all that finally changed in Abu Dhabi, as Woods fired a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Saturday to grab a share of the lead with Robert Rock going into the final round.

The lead also marked the first time in more than two years that Woods has held the third-round lead in an official tournament. Despite many questioning Woods' victory in a limited-field Chevron event, it's clear from the way he's played through three rounds that we could be witnessing the start of a very special year for the former No. 1.

How good was his third round round? Put it this way, for only the second time in three rounds, Woods missed only two greens and did not make a bogey. Not only that, but he managed to get around the Abu Dhabi Golf Course with only 30 putts.

His swing and his putter finally seem to be on the same page, but here comes the most interesting part for Woods: Closing the deal on Sunday. Woods has won 48 times in 52 PGA Tour events when holding the 54-hole lead, meaning he's almost a sure thing when he's playing from the front.

But with little experience or success -- he blew a 54-hole lead at the 2010 Chevron World Challenge -- in recent years, you have to wonder how he'll handle Sunday's pressure. We've seen him thrive in these moments before, but that was a different Tiger Woods.

Finding a way to win from the front could go a long way to�silencing�the critics, breaking his winless streak in official events, and getting 2012 off on the right foot. He's 18 holes away from making that a reality.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/tiger-woods-grabs-share-lead-bogey-free-6-175854351.html

Darren Helm Matt Hendricks Adam Henrique T.J. Hensick

Jose Mourinho jeered by home fans for the first time in his career

Reports of disparaging remarks that may or may not have been made by Jose Mourinho in private about Sergio Ramos and Iker Casillas elicited whistles and boos from the Santiago Bernabeu crowd as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 4-1 on Sunday. According to Mourinho, this is the first time he's ever been jeered by his own club's fans. But he's opting to take it as a compliment.

From the Independent:

"There is a first time for everything," he said. "It never happened to me at Porto, or at Inter or at Chelsea. It does not bother me. it happened to Zidane, it happened to Cristiano Ronaldo and it happened to the other Ronaldo. If it happened to them then why not to me. They responded with their football and I will keep working hard." [...]

Mourinho blamed Ramos for Bar�a's first goal on Wednesday and a dispute over marking duties ended with the defender reportedly saying: "Sometimes it's necessary to change. You have never been a player so you wouldn't know."

The Real coach was also accused of attacking the Spain internationals in his team.Mourinho is quoted as saying to Ramos: "Of course, as you Spanish are world champions, your friends in the press protect you ... like the goalkeeper [Iker Casillas]."

The jeers started late in the match when ultras began chanting Mourinho's name and the rest of the crowd responded with negativity, even though he has the club five points clear of Barcelona in the league table and into the knockout rounds of the Champions League. But Mourinho is taking this as a sign that he's among the world's greatest. Because he is Jose Mourinho. And everything is a sign that he is among the world's greatest.

From Reuters:

"If they whistle me at a club where they don't whistle anyone, for example like Chelsea, it would be difficult to accept," he said.

"But at a stadium where they whistle the world's greatest, who am I not to be whistled at? It's no problem."

See? It's totally a compliment to him. Like some kind of loving auditory S&M type thing.

Meanwhile, Casillas publicly questioned the journalist integrity of Marca, the paper that started the story. He also said that anyone who jeers Mourinho is jeering the whole team (1:45 into the video below).

Whether this is a case of actual splits within the dressing room or journalists better suited for writing soap operas, Mourinho, like Arsene Wenger, must now deal with the rabble of the common folk. Of course, a win over Barcelona would quickly shut everyone up.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/jose-mourinho-jeered-home-fans-first-time-career-030436470.html

Brayden McNabb Grant McNeill Patrick McNeill Adam McQuaid

Trey Griffey, son of baseball royalty, picks Arizona for football

Rich Rodriguez picked up what could be his most impressive commitment Monday when wide receiver Trey Griffey, son of baseball great Ken Griffey Jr., made a verbal pledge to Arizona.

"My parents said, 'It's up to you, you got to do what you want to do ... what you feel is right,' " Griffey told the Orlando Sentinel. "I'm going to the University of Arizona. It doesn't get any better than that."

Griffey, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound wide receiver from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Fla., is more than just a famous name. In the past year his stock as a top high school receiver has risen thanks to a stellar senior season that saw him catch 72 passes for 970 yards, breaking records set by Florida State's Kenny Shaw.

The effort earned him a spot in the Under Armour All-American game, a senior showcase that is open to just 92 players around the country.

Even though Griffey is from Florida, his interest was in the Pac-12. Griffey visited Arizona State earlier this month and also had interest from Washington State. Iowa State and Michigan State also were in the running.

While Griffey doesn't have the most stars on Arizona's current commitment list ? offensive lineman Zach Hemmila (Chandler High, Chandler, Ariz.) and defensive end Kyle Kelley (Woodbridge High, Irvine, Calif.) are both four-star recruits ? he might be one of the more valuable pick-ups. Arizona lost all four of its starting receivers to graduation and its top three quarterbacks. The Wildcats will be working with a bit of a clean slate as Rodriguez implements his high-octane spread system and Griffey could have a chance to start right away.

Griffey will make his decision official next Wednesday on national signing day.

- - -
Graham Watson is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow her @Yahoo_Graham

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/rich-rodriguez-picks-first-famous-commitment-182830910.html

Andrew Ference Brett Festerling Jeff Finger Joe Finley

Showdown, Week 2: Simpson, Choi, & Na

So in an attempt to inject a bit more life and interest into tournaments, and because we're all inveterate gamblers who are one bad card from being out on the streets, Jay Busbee, Jonathan Wall and I are playing a golf version of a football suicide pool: We each pick one golfer per tournament and see how they do against each other, straight up. Victory over the other guy gets one point, victory in the tournament gets three points. (Double for the majors.) And when we burn a golfer, he's done for the year. Busbee won the inaugural run at this, so we decided to add a third member to the team. We continue in Hawaii with the Sony Open.

Busbee: I'm taking Webb Simpson, for the simple reason that I'm going to start fast, and Simpson is already rolling while most of the field still hasn't taken down the metaphorical Christmas decorations just yet. It's going to be another low-speed pursuit of a Simpson, gentlemen.

Wall: I'd really like to save K.J. Choi for later in the season, but given his past success at the Sony Open -- he won the event in 2008 -- and his final round 8-under 65 at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, I have to roll with him this week. Don't let me down, K.J.!

Bacon: I always say you must pick someone you like in this so it's easier to cheer, and while I'm not exactly doing that, I will go with Mr. Eagle-Eagle himself, Kevin Na. He played well last week, and has had some success at Waialae, finishing in the top-five twice here.

Last week: In a winners-only event, the winner of our first annual run at Showdown prevailed, with Mr. Busbee taking Nick Watney, who finished ahead of Wall's pick of Gary Woodland and Bacon's pick of David Toms, who played about as well as his football team did on Monday.

Current Score: Wall - 0, Busbee - 1, Bacon - 0

Already Used: Wall - Woodland, Busbee - Watney, Bacon - Toms.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/golf-devil-ball-golf/showdown-week-2-simpson-choi-na-215403047.html

Vincent Lecavalier David Legwand Mark Letestu Trevor Lewis

Oliveira brilliant in finish of Wisely, Swanson scores big KO at UFC on Fox 2

CHICAGO -- Eric Wisely learned a new submission term - the calf slicer. Unfortunately, it was Wisely's calf, knee and thigh that were being shredded by Charles Oliveira.

In his featherweight debut, Oliveira showed off some nifty scrambling and submission skills in finishing the American at the 1:53 mark of the first round. The UFC's Tom Gerbasi said it was the first calf slicer finish in the history of the promotion.

Oliveira (15-2, 3-2 UFC, 1 NC) landed the Submission of the Night bonus good for� $65,000.

"It felt amazing to walk out and hear the energy of the crowd here in Chicago. I was extremely confident and proud going into this fight and I knew that God would be with me," Oliveira said. "I have practiced my submissions endlessly and it was easy to look for that opportunity to finish the fight. I am ready for the next challenge inside the Octagon."

Oliveira looked solid in all aspects, most importantly the bounce in his step. This was the 22-year-old's first fight down at 145 pounds. That first trip down to a new weight class can always be dicey from a stamina standpoint. The Brazilian's length at 5-foot-10 gave Wisely trouble from the start. He just couldn't get inside on Oliveira.

After eating a few good punches and a kick, Wisely (19-7) flopped to his back. From there, Oliveira patiently hovered above looking to land some good shots. He finally grabbed a leg and dropped back to work on a heel hook. It was tight, but Wisely escaped serious damage. He wasn't out of it, so Oliveira tried to reset the position.

Wisely scrambled to get to his hands and knees with his back facing Oliveira. That's when the Brazilian went into improvise-mode, jumped on Wisely's back and dropped back down. But he did so without releasing Wisely's left leg. He cranked backwards and the pressure on Wisely's leg was incredible. He tapped with his right hand a couple of times. The referee missed it. He groaned in agony as he tapped again with the left. The fight was over. Wisely (19-7, 0-1 UFC) lost his promotional debut.

"I've got to work on a few things to improve my overall game. With these Brazilian jiu-jitsu guys, I've got to be a little quicker all around. That might have been enough to have kept me from getting caught and we might be looking at an entirely different outcome," said Wisely.

Swanson posts a beautiful knockout of Roop

Cub Swanson's hands haven't always been kind to him. Tonight, they paid dividends big time.

Swanson scored a huge second-round knockout with a perfectly placed right hand on George Roop's chin. The impact of Swanson's overhand right sent Roop's mouthpiece flying into the cage and he went down in a heap. A surprised Swanson jumped on top to throw 10 more unanswered punches and the fight was stopped at 2:23 of the second.

"That shot just connected and rocked him and put him on his back. I wanted to make sure that I had finished it because it all happened so fast. I'm going to take about two weeks off and see how I feel. I might be looking to get back in here pretty quickly after a win like this," said Swanson.

During the immediate aftermath of the victory, Swanson (16-5, 1-1 UFC) appeared to a get a little emotional. It's been a rough run the last few years for Swanson, who's battled hand issue after hand issue. Because of the injuries, he's only fought two times since Aug. of 2010.

"We had some pretty good action when the match started and I was using my range to gain the advantage. I'm really not sure what happened because it really just happened to fast. He hit me with something that I didn't see coming at all," said Roop (12-9-1, 2-5 UFC).

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/sub-night-locked-oliveira-brilliant-finish-wisely-234618338.html

Samuel Pahlsson Philippe Paradis Francis Pare Gaelan Patterson

Tigers sign Prince Fielder, petition for second utility slot

As you probably have heard by now, Prince Fielder and the Tigers reached an agreement in principle Tuesday. As first reported by Yahoo's Tim Brown, it's a nine-year, $214 million deal.

Lots of things to discuss about this deal, both in the real-life baseball world and in our numbers racket. Load up the bullets:

? Fielder can mash, no one will dispute that. The Tigers could regret this deal later in the decade, but Fielder's production should be safe for a while. He doesn't turn 28 until May. Opposing pitchers will be shaking on the mound, dealing with the one-two punch of Miguel Cabrera and Fielder.

But where is everyone going to play? Cabrera is only 13 months older than Fielder and he probably doesn't want to slide into a DH role yet. Do the Tigers dare use Cabrera at a more challenging defensive position? He was an outfielder and third basemen in the Florida days. (Cabrera only needs 10 appearances or five starts at a new position to pick up the eligibility in the standard Yahoo! game. Given the state of third base in fantasy baseball today, I'd like to see him at the hot corner, at least temporarily.)

Can Fielder or Cabrera handle the challenge of staying focused in a DH role? Cabrera has struggled with that assignment for his career, albeit it comes in a tiny sample of 100 at-bats: .230/.306/.370. And is there an ego hit that comes with being asked to be a batter only before you reach your 30th birthday? Jim Leyland has some intriguing challenges on his hands for 2012.

? If Cabrera and Fielder are both on the field at the same time, I weep for the Detroit pitchers. You specifically worry about Rick Porcello and Doug Fister; they have ground-ball heavy tendencies and need plays made behind them. It's not like the Tigers have Joe Morgan and Ozzie Smith up the middle, either; Jhonny Peralta is the shortstop, with Ryan Raburn and Ramon Santiago two of the second-base options. Dave Dombrowski might have more roster moves to come before spring training opens.

? The Tigers never make the Fielder move had Victor Martinez not gotten hurt. Martinez has a torn left ACL and could miss the entire 2012 season. He still has three years remaining on the four-year, $50 million deal he signed 14 months ago. What do the Tigers do in 2013 and 2014 with this logjam of 1B/DH types? Petition for a second utility spot? I suppose that's a problem for another day.

? Fielder steps into a new league and a new park, of course. Comerica Park has been a neutral field for left-handed batting average over the last three years (hat tip, Bill James Handbook), but it's collapsed left-handed homers by 11 percent over that span. Miller Park was more Fielder-friendly; while it taxed lefty averages by three percent over the last three seasons, homers spiked by 16 percent (full disclosure: both of those stats were in the red for 2011-only).

Given Fielder's age and strength, I don't think the park swap will wreck his roto value. Lineups cycle through more freely in the AL, and there will be good hitters around him in this offense. All in all, he landed in a good spot.

? Scott Boras is amazing. This man could sell snow to the eskimos. With a limited number of teams in play, how does he get this deal for Fielder?

? If you're in an NL-only pool, your first base options keep thinning out. Adrian Gonzalez left the Senior Circuit last year and Albert Pujols and Fielder jetted out this year. Ryan Howard is down for a chunk of 2012, too.

? Bottom line, I like Cabrera a little more today than I did yesterday, albeit he was already a Top 4 guy on anyone's list. Third-base eligibility might be enough to push him to the No. 1 slot in some mixers, if he wasn't in the discussion already. Fielder could be a Detroit albatross down the line, but it's going to be a long honeymoon first. I'll sign off on him as a first-rounder in 2012. But I don't think I can keep Fister and Porcello on my sleeper list, not until Dombrowski tells me how he's going to take a sad defensive song and make it better. (One sleeper I do like: whomever bats No. 2 in this lineup, in front of Cabrera and Fielder. Get healthy soon, Brennan Boesch.)

Now it's your turn to break it all down. What's the Tigers team song for 2012: Detroit Rock City (look at those mashers in the middle of the lineup) or Panic in Detroit (woe is the infield defense)?

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/fantasy-roto-arcade/tigers-sign-prince-fielder-petition-second-utility-slot-230438741.html

Dustin Boyd Brian Boyle Tyler Bozak Derick Brassard

Headlinin?: Illinois trustees stage civil rights stand over Tim Beckman?s contract

Making the morning rounds.

? Nothing personal, coach. Two University of Illinois trustees voted against the appointment of new head coach Tim Beckman Thursday, not out of opposition to Beckman, but to protest the fact that the school has never hired a black head coach in football or men's basketball. "African-Americans predominate these two sports," said trustee Lawrence Oliver, just before the board as a whole voted to approve Beckman's five-year, $9 million contract. "I would hope that as a university we find this shutout unacceptable."

In fact, Illinois interviewed two black candidates to replace Ron Zook, Houston's Kevin Sumlin and Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach Kirby Wilson (an Illinois alum), and reportedly offered the job to Sumlin, who turned the Illini down for Texas A&M. [The News-Gazette]

? I can see this is going to go smoothly, part one. By all appearances, West Virginia is still planning to join the Big 12 this summer, even if it means paying damages to the Big East for leaving before the end of a mandatory 27-month waiting period. Three different lawyers told the Charleston Gazette Thursday that both sides will find a way to compromise on competing lawsuits ? the university is suing in West Virginia to leave the conference without penalty; the Big East is counter-suing in Rhode Island to force the Mountaineers to stay for two more years ?�though one attorney called the case "unprecedented" in terms of competing jurisdictions and uncertain enforcement power. (A status conference on the suits is scheduled for Feb. 9.) At any rate, neither side appears to be working on a backup schedule if West Virginia remains in the Big East, and neither side is saying jack about any of it.

"I'm sworn to secrecy," said WVU athletic director Oliver Luck. "Lawyers, judges ... I'm not going to comment. My silence is all I can offer." [Charleston Gazette]

? I can see this is going to go smoothly, part two. Several Penn State faculty are concerned about the independence of the university's "independent" investigation into the Sandusky child sex scandal, citing plans to submit two preliminary drafts of the final report to a special committee of the PSU Board of Trustees before releasing it to the public. The investigation is being led by former FBI chief Louis Freeh, who will recommend changes as part of the report.

"It was very easy to become suspicious about how fair this investigation is going to be," said one faculty member who attended a meeting with Freeh, speaking to ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on condition of anonymity. "I find it very difficult for a contractor who is essentially hired by the Board of Trustees to do a thorough investigation of the Board of Trustees, especially if they are given the chance to look at a draft report and suggest changes that will be made before the report is released to the public." [ESPN]

? Only 12 more months until it actually counts. Yes, we're still more than a week away from putting a bow on the 2011-12 recruiting season, but Ohio State has already struck the first blow for 2013: Five-star Trotwood, Ohio, cornerback Cameron Burrows verbally committed to the Buckeyes on Thursday, predictably spurning Alabama and LSU for the lure of home and Urban Meyer's unique recruiting pheromones.

Rivals hasn't issued complete rankings for the 2013 class, but Burrows was one of a handful of high school juniors introduced last month as certain five-star prospects when the time comes. [Columbus Dispatch, Rivals]

? The Rap Sheet. Florida defensive tackle Leon Orr is facing misdemeanor marijuana charges after campus police found less than 20 ounces of marijuana in his dorm room last week. According to a report, a Jan. 10 search of Orr's room turned up "a green leafy substance in a baggy," along with a glass pipe and rolling papers. A spokesman said coach Will Muschamp is aware of the incident and has handled the matter internally. [Gainesville Sun]

Quickly? Alabama welcomes eight early enrollees in the 2012 recruiting class, including five-star tailback T.J. Yeldon. ? Michigan State effectively redshirted its entire 2011 recruiting class. ? Running down the early short list to replace Brent Venables at Oklahoma. ? Eric Berry's younger brothers say they've heard "nothing" from Tennessee. ? Yale bans kegs at pre-game tailgates. ... Alabama updates its shrine to Saban. ? And Utahans take their rivalries seriously.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Facebook and Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/ncaaf-dr-saturday/headlinin-illinois-trustees-stage-civil-rights-stand-over-131145500.html

Andrei Loktionov Matthew Lombardi Colin Long Jamie Lundmark

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Try not to vomit as you ride with Paul Menard around Daytona

So, feel like taking a spin around Daytona International Speedway? Here's what it's like if you were taped to the steering wheel, courtesy of Paul Menard's cell phone. Tandem driving isn't the issue here; it's not throwing up as you come out of Turn 4. Enjoy!

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/try-not-vomit-ride-paul-menard-around-daytona-154418282.html

Stefan Schneider Rob Schremp Jordan Schroeder Felix Schutz

Power Rankings: NASCAR infield essentials

Welcome to Power Rankings! Sure, it's the offseason, but that doesn't mean we can't kick around some arbitrary rankings like we were at an infield tailgate. And speaking of infield tailgates, let's give the Power Rankings for the most important items you'll need at your next gathering. Prepare accordingly.

1. Flags. You've got to represent. Doesn't matter if you've got a banner the size of an auto dealer's flag or a soap-scrawled "88" on your windshield; you've got to back your driver. Now, NASCAR drivers' propensity to change teams can throw a wrinkle into this, so here's a handy rule: the more popular the driver, the less time you have to change over your flags. Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans needed to ditch the old "8" merchandise within days. Clint Bowyer fans probably have a good six months of lead time. Casey Mears fans? You guys are looked on with a mixture of indifference and pity. Get to it when you can.

2. Beer. Seriously, you even need to ask? This is like saying "oxygen is necessary." Encompassed in this category are all forms of mixed drinks: Jack Daniels and Coke, Jack Daniels and ice, Jack Daniels and cereal, Jack Daniels and more Jack Daniels. (What, there are other mixers besides Jack Daniels?) Tip: when drivers wander over to your campsite, and they occasionally do, don't offer them a drink. They have to drive, after all.

3. Music. Playing "Sweet Home Alabama" isn't just recommended, it's required. There are plenty of other candidates for the rest of the playlist, though; "Chicken Fried" by the Zac Brown Band has played at literally every race I've been to since its release. "Red Solo Cup" by Toby Keith wants so badly to enter that rotation, but its contrived need for acceptance should keep it on the outside looking in. Anyway, get yourself a good playlist. We'll whip one up here sometime soon.

4. Grilled meats. A necessity. Plus, you need to get yourself a specialty. Ribs, wings, whatever. Do something better than anybody else around you ... and then don't share.

5. Campfire. Or fire barrel. Or fire pit. Or fire of any kind, really. Most of the world's problems have been solved by five dudes standing around a campfire in a NASCAR infield. Problem is, they're usually too drunk to remember the solutions the next morning. Anyway, flame is seductive, especially in the infield. Just be careful who you seduce. That brings up a whole new set of problems.

6. A tricked-up ride. Sure, you could show up in a pickup and throw your tent on the ground, but why not go all the way? Spot-weld an old school bus into a traveling NASCAR freakshow! Invest half a million dollars into an RV nicer than your home! People will be so impressed, and isn't that what's important?

7. Disinfectant. I know this goes against the rules of the infield from the earliest days of NASCAR, but in the last few decades, infield diseases have mutated into these super-strains of virus so lethal that they have to be kept contained within the semi-sterile confines of the infield itself. Be careful, friends, lest you be skeletonized within minutes by sharing a beer.

8. Golf cart. This is a necessity for getting around the vast expanses of the infield, but it's not always logistically possible. Still, if you can get yourself a golf cart, you will never lack for a beer. (Which you should not drink while driving the golf cart, but still.) Never underestimate how badly people need to get to that bathroom a hundred yards away.

9. Satellite receiver. Because the worst place on earth to watch a NASCAR race is actually inside the infield at a NASCAR track, many technologically motivated fans will actually bring a satellite dish into the infield to, yes, watch the race as it circles around them. Postmodern America, baby!

10. Sharpie. Or ballpoint pen. Or chunk of ashy firewood. Or anything that you can use to get autographs. NASCAR drivers are among the best in sports for signing autographs, and you don't want to be caught without a writing implement. Of course, if you can goad one of them into punching you (not always tough to do, particularly after a race) you can just get the fist-mark tattooed.

N/A: Shower facilities, vegetables, recording devices of any sort. Should be self-explanatory in all three cases.

Got more to add? The comments are your playground, friends.

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/power-rankings-nascar-infield-essentials-154320016.html

Jake Muzzin Tyler Myers

Happy Hour: Will neutering the Busch boys dull down NASCAR?

Welcome to the latest Happy Hour mailbag! You know how these work: You write us with your best rant/ joke/one-liner at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com (note new address) or on Twitter at @jaybusbee, we respond to your messages, everyone goes away with a smile on their face. Let's begin with a pressing question:

Won't a NASCAR season where The Busch Brothers are totally PC, only thank their sponsors and the team and behave like choir boys be terrible for NASCAR? Do we really need to see Kurt and Rowdy behaving exactly like Edwards and Johnson?

? Larry from Texas.

This is the flip side of the "Kyle Busch must be stopped / Kurt Busch must be shut up" argument. Let's be honest: most NASCAR drivers, if you hung out with them at a bar, would be more interesting and better conversationalists than any of your friends. But your friends aren't larger-than-life, and that's what NASCAR fans gravitate toward. Your average driver might walk into a room and own it; the larger-than-life ones walk into Daytona and own it.

So here's the question for you: how much are you willing to tolerate from a driver in the name of "personality"? Me, I'm pretty forgiving with on-track incidents and on-radio yammering; I'm not so crazy about, say, driving 128 mph on surface streets. And you?

Next up: more Chase ideas!

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I suggest having a point given for each position for each lap. The leader gets 1 point, second gets 2 and so on down the pack. The winner gets 5 bonus points. ( It might be easier for the "math challenged" to give 43 for first, 42 for 2nd, etc. That is for people who think more is better.)

Logic: Someone who runs in front for the majority of the race and gets taken out near the end by "The Big One" will deserve more points that the driver who runs 25th all day long. There needs to be a premium for front runners. It should be easy to score with today's computer set-ups.

? Dick

That sounds so phenomenally complicated that I'm not sure why NASCAR hasn't done it yet. Think about it: if you give 43 points for first place, and someone goes wire-to-wire, you're talking 21,500 points for one race! That's awesome! Tie a dollar value to each lap and then you'll seriously see some action!

Now, look, I'm just a simple English major and don't know much about math, but wouldn't totaling up the points per lap have the same net effect as the average-finish stat, which we already calculate? By that standard, Edwards owned last season, with an average finish two places better than second-place Kevin Harvick.

Though if NASCAR does come up with a more complicated system, I'm definitely going into the number-crunching side of the industry. Heck with words.

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So Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will run the 6 at the 500. I like the idea, but it got me thinking; would a top-shelf organization like RFR consider running the 6 as a modified start and park to maintain owner points, with a few full races thrown in? Think about it; one or two fuel runs, outlast the other start and parks, and you potentially get a position in the mid or high thirties. That has value, not just for top-35, but for driver development as well.

? Jeff "Sarge" Smith
Statesboro GA

That's not a terrible idea, though it does kind of straddle the fence of elite team/start-and-parkers. Kind of like a high-end steakhouse having a drive-thru window. I'd imagine it's more a matter of resources and preserving the identity of the brand than anything else; better to reroute the money into three good teams than three good ones and one mediocre one. Still, these are changing times in NASCAR, and you might well see big-time teams adapt to these times.

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Video time! One of the best parts of travel is renting cars. One of the worst parts of covering the Daytona 500 is trying to rent a car and getting nothing but a behemoth Mercury Grand Marquis. Yes, I drive to the track in a car not unlike what my grandfather used to drive. But thanks to this video provided by loyal reader Sam Sevr, I can now see many more possibilities for what to do with this rental car (a bit of NSFW language):

I'll be doing burnouts approximately three hours after the checkered flag drops. Meet me at the start-finish line.

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An idea: in the Chase, the lowest finishing driver of the Chasers is eliminated. Think about it: the number one driver, if he finishes lowest, is done. This way we would have an exciting Chase, with No. 1 versus No. 2. And here is a new wrinkle: for the last race, the top two drivers have their points set to zero. it would be a win-or-go-home excitement that people would love. What do you think?

? Mitchell Mauthe

In theory, I love the idea. In practice, it'd be a little harder to implement, simply because of the Vickers Effect: i.e., you never know when someone's going to do something to take out a top Chase competitor. The uncertainty is always a part of racing, yes, but it rarely comes with such a heavy penalty on an entire season. So what this would probably lead to is very tentative racing, rather than very competitive racing.

And yes, I know I gave you guys a homework assignment last week, and several of you came through HUGE, so much so that I'm devoting a separate post to it later this week. But here's another for you: anybody who feels like going through the Chase, race by race, and seeing who would be left standing in an elimination system will get a hearty attaboy/girl and posting right here. Have fun!

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Last year in early Feb. I called Penske racing and talked to a Ms Bonnie. I told her the nas car title in 2011 was Roger Penskes to loose. Numbers NEVER lie. The #12 is bad luck. I would very much like someone to help me write a novel on this. Look at what happened to teams like the 99, 18. And look at RCR. Again its numbers that is the problem. OHHH.. And did I mention Dale Jr ?? Please listen carefully. Dale Jr. Can never win with the #88 and#7. It is against everything his dad ever raced for. Please give me a chance to explain this. One other thing that will shock nas car in 2012... Watch what is to take place with the #48. This will be the top nas car story of 2012. THANKS

? Eddie Hall
Daviston, AL

You know, I'm tempted to write this off as another lunatic letter from a "nas car" fan, but what if Eddie from Alabama is right? What if there is some huge numerological conspiracy in NASCAR that we've all been missing all these years? This could be like a redneck "Da Vinci Code"! It's all been in front of us, all along! [The entire letter is sic'd for illustrative purposes.]

All right, since we're already off the track and deep into the infield, let's close with this one, a reference to me calling myself a dork last week for visiting an art exhibit on New Year's Eve:

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After so many years of looking at the paint jobs on the race cars, I guess I can understand why you might belittle visiting an art exhibit, your sense of aesthetics has probably been fried for a long time. I happen to love racing, but am a professional artist. It might actually be good for NASCAR to start losing its ignorant boozing redneck "culture" but I am not holding my breath on that one. By the way, what I did for New Year's was work on a painting for my new book that will be published in June, and completely enjoyed doing so. But this kind of reader comment will never see the light of day on Happy Hour.

? Lexi Sundell

P.S. Happy New Year anyway.

I love these kinds of comments; daring me to publish something when you're flat-out wrong is a surefire route to publication! But all's good. I dropped a little art-knowledge on Lexi (this is all an act; I'm actually a 65-year-old female college professor) and asked her to send some of her work, and she complied. This one's called "Dancing With The Dew":

Wow. That's classy. My readers have talent! Anybody else got any skills? Music? Moviemaking? Hit us up with your work before the season starts.

On that note, we're out. Thanks to all our writers this week. You want in? Fire up the computer and hit us with whatever's on your mind, NASCAR-wise, at happyhournascar@yahoogroups.com. You can find Yahoo! Sports' NASCAR coverage on Facebook right here, and you can follow me on Twitter at @jaybusbee and on Facebook here.� Make sure to tell us where you're from. We'll make you famous!

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/happy-hour-neutering-busch-boys-dull-down-nascar-175749125.html

Matt Pelech Jeff Penner Dennis Persson Richard Petiot