Ain't No Rest For The Spurs

Apparently you can get fined for resting players... AT ALL!!!!

The Spurs were near the end of a 6 game road trip dating back to last Wednesday and were about to play their 4th game in five days last night in Miami. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich decided to not wear out his stars on an early season road trip and sent Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Danny Green ( I don't know) back to San Antonio so they can rest for a Saturday home game against the Grizzlies. The Heat would win a close game105-100 leaving me to wonder how good the Heat are so early in the season.

David Stern didn't like the fact that Popovich and the Spurs did this instead of playing their stars and losing to the Miami Heat (like a good boy). So Stern has fined them $250,000 for not playing their stars Thursday night in Miami. In a statement made by Stern he said: "The result here is dictated by the totality of the facts in this case. The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early-season game that was the team's only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans."

Or in other words: "IT'S NOT YOUR BREAK YET SO F**K YOU!!!"

While I understand that the NBA is about advertising the players rather than the team, it's still a team sport and players need to rest. If Popovich thinks that resting his guys an extra day to win help win a conference game rather than a non-conference game against the Heat, then he should be able to do that. These are older players for the most part and making sure they are not cumulatively worn out for the postseason is a big concern for a team like the Spurs. Plus, I heard that Popovich has done this before without any punishment so it seems even more peculiar that there is a fine.

David Stern is just mad that the Spurs rested stars during a nationally televised game. If this was just local markets, he wouldn't do a thing. But this was a nationally televised game featuring stars from both Miami and San Antonio and Stern is mad that San Antonio decided to not go with the program.

No Big Ben vs. Ravens

The Steelers woes at QB remain stagnant to put it at best. It seems that Ben Roethlisberger will not be playing Sunday's game in Baltimore due to his injured shoulder. Apparently his arm is throwing balls soft enough so that I can catch them. So Ben sits as the team will likely go with Charlie Batch, their third string starter, to see if he can win the day against the Ravens who beat the Steelers in the first meeting of these two teams 13-10 in Pittsburgh.

This is a dangerous for the Steelers. While their schedule does get easier and the likelihood of Big Ben coming back increases, they still would have zero room for error if they lose this Sunday. They would fall to 6-6 on the year and possibly fall behind the Bengals if Cincy wins their game in San Diego. Pittsburgh's schedule might favor them the rest of the way but who knows what can happen over the last few weeks of the season.

LaMichael James, Your Time is Now

The 49ers did win the game last Sunday but they had a couple notable losses.

Kendall Hunter and Kyle Williams seasons seem to be done. Hunter and Williams were both injured on the same play during Sunday's win in New Orleans as Hunter hurt his ankle and Williams hurt his left knee. Both were put on injured reserve. As for replacements, it means more Special Teams work for Ted Ginn and now possible carries for LaMichael James, rookie out of Oregon.

Ted Ginn has experience and should do fine provided he can recover from a wrist injury and doesn't fumble the ball anymore upon return. LaMichael James on the other hand should be interesting to watch. The speedster hasn't taken a carry this year, just in the preseason. Frank Gore is good but he's only been taking half of the carries for the team as the other half has been split between Hunter and the rest of the squad. With Hunter gone, James will need to step in and be able to fill the void. Hope he's up to the task.

P.S. Either him or Brandon Jacobs. Gore can't do it by himself and hasn't been.

Les Miles Leaving LSU? Yeah Right

News of the day seems to be a rumor that Arkansas was trying to lure Les Miles away from LSU. That's right where the story should've ended.

Seriously. Sure, he gets a decent offer from Arkansas but then just turns around agrees to a 7 year extension with LSU. Why would he leaves LSU, a better footall program that he has down pat, for Arkansas, a mess of a program that is much lower than LSU? I don't blame Arkansas for trying to get Les Miles but Les would've been a bit nuts to choose Arkansas (4-8) over LSU (10-2).

Soccer Coming to NYC Itself?

As the MLS season comes to an end (almost unnoticed), it seems that the league is looking to further expand.

Soccer has been expanding gradually in the US and one of the ways they have been doing this is building Soccer specific stadiums. One of those was Red Bull Arena which was opened in 2010 for the New York Red Bulls. It's located in Harrison, New Jersey just outside of New York City. Now it seems that New York will have an actual team to root for in the city.

News is that there is a spot in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park in Queens that could be the site for a new MLS team. According to MLS Commissioner Don Garber the city is near "the finish line" for this arrangement. They hope to have a place ready for a new team by 2016.

Sounds like a great move for the league considering it's a great location compared to being outside the city. Queens is also the 2nd most populated borough in New York City which might aid attendance. If this happen, the only question that remains is what to call the new club. They better not call themselves the Queens Park Rangers (Joke that had to be said).

Giants Crumble the Cheeseheads, Falcons Beat Bucs and More

The Sunday Night match up yesterday wasn't really a game so much as a beat down. The Packers wanted to win their postseason rematch vs. the Giants but New York wouldn't have any of it. The G-Men started to separate themselves from the Packers late in the 1st quarter and just continued into the 2nd quarter. Two more TDs by the G-Men in that quarter put them up by 21 at the half. One more TD for New York was all that was scored the rest of the game and the Giants put the Packers down 38-10. Eli Manning threw 3 TDs in this game while Aaron Rodgers threw one TD early and also an interception. Both teams are now 7-4.

Meanwhile, the Falcons took their questionable game play to Tampa to face the Buccaneers. This game featured a neck and neck game that went down to the final seconds as the Falcons barely make it out of central Florida with a 24-23 win. Atlanta scored the game winning TD with a Michael Turner 3 yard TD run in the middle of the 4th quarter. A FG miss for both sides afterwards put the end to this game. Falcons are now 10-1 while the Bucs fall to 6-5.

Tampa Bay, however, do not loss any ground in their Wild Card hunt. The Seahawks lose to the Dolphins 24-21 which keeps them at 6-5. So does Minnesota with their 28-10 loss to the Chicago Bears. True, Washington crept a step closer winning their game over Dallas on Thanksgiving but New Orleans 31-21 loss to San Francisco means they don't tie with the Bucs. So Seattle, Tampa, and Minnesota remain tied at 6-5 fighting for that 6th Wild Card spot.

Also, how does San Diego let Ray Rice convert a 4th and 29 on a dump play like that late in the game. The Ravens get the game tying FG as a result and then win it in OT 16-13. Someone fire Norv Turner now. He and Lane Kiffin never deserved their jobs. THAT'S RIGHT, LANE, I'M CALLING YOUR BS YOU CALL HEAD COACHING SKILLS OUT TWO DAYS IN A ROW!!!

P.S. To read my full take on the 49ers win over the Saints, click here. Remember to check out the 49ers section at Prosportsblogging.com for my scoop on the team before and after the game.

Irish Beat USC and Finish Season 12-0

Looks like the Irish are on the way to their first BCS National Title game. Pity they won't win it.

Notre Dame had one final test before guaranteeing their shot at Illegitimate history and that was to beat their rival USC. The Trojans have had a disappointing season and beating Notre Dame would've made up for a little of that. USC, however, and had to send out Max Wittek, a Freshman QB, instead of injured Matt Barkley and had to hire Lane Kiffin instead of a decent head coach. Wittek didn't do well and USC didn't get the lead. Wittek threw two picks as the Irish win it 22-13. Notre Dame's Theo Reddick scored their only TD but it worked as they managed to get 5 FGs along with it.

So Notre Dame finish the season 12-0 and as the #1 team in the country. Meanwhile, their opponent looks too tough as they likely have to play Alabama or Georgia depending on who wins the SEC title game (an actual legit title game). Still enjoy the moment Notre Dame fans. It's a big one and anything can happen in the BCS ti... sorry, I couldn't finish that joke of a sentence.

Thanksgiving Football: Blowouts and an OT

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving day. If not, three football games hopefully took your mind off that fact.

The first one ended up being a close finish. The Texans and the Lions played a back and forth game and then some. Every time that the Lions got in front, the Texans came back. Houston didn't grab the lead until the overtime winning field goal that gave them the win 34-31. Both teams had over 1000 yards of combined offense in this game but it's the Texans that get the win and possibly end the postseason chase for the Lions.

The next game featured the traditional Cowboys and Indians match up but this time with Robert Griffin III. The Redskins came to Dallas to play the Cowboys in their traditional home Thanksgiving game and from the start RG3 owned this game. RG3 threw for 311 passing yards for 4 TDs and one INT. The Redskins went up 28-3 by halftime. The Cowboys didn't go away and tried to come back but they ended up losing to the Redskins 38-31 anyway. Tony Romo threw the ball 62 times in this one for 441 yards and 3 TDs but he also threw 2 INTs. This was also Romo's first loss as Cowboys QB on Thanksgiving.

The last "game" of the day was the Patriots coming into New Jersey and putting the Jets to bed and not with Turkey. A crazy 2nd quarter which involved 3 Tom Brady TD throws and a couple of fumbles returned for TDs gave the Pats 35 points in the quarter alone. The Jets ended up turning the ball over 5 times with 4 of those by fumbles. The Pats destroy the Jets 49-19 and dash any remaining chance for a postseason for NYJ.

I am thankful that yesterday featured a great day of football for us all to enjoy. Hope it wasn't all you did though. Now I got to go. I got leftover Pumpkin Pie for breakfast.

P.S. Can the Jets open their Christmas present early this year?

Roberto Di Matteo Fired by Chelsea (WHY?!?!?!?!)

You know how there are some head coaches who have won a title but then slump for a while and eventually get axed because ownership asks "what have you done for me lately?" That process seems to go a lot faster in Europe.

After being manager of the club for less than a year (about 8 months), Roberto Di Matteo was fired by Chelsea FC because of the club's group stage failures that leave them on the verge of not even making the elimination rounds of the Champions League. Despite the fact that Chelsea is third in the EPL table and they had WON their first ever Champions Cup under Di Matteo, the 42 year old Swiss manager has been shown the door.

Does anybody not named Jose Mourinho last longer than a year in Chelsea? F**k Jerry"s world, this is Roman's universe. HOW THE HELL DO YOU FIRE A MANAGER AFTER THE CHAMPIONS CUP RUN YOU JUST HAD THE PREVIOUS SEASON?!?!?! YOU WOULDN'T  EVEN BE THERE ABOUT TO BE KICKED OUT OF THE UCL IF NOT FOR THAT RUN!!!!

I must admit I am saddened that Di Matteo wasn't given a full year but it seems that a lot of managers of Chelsea were given even shorter times. I understand that you want the best team and they are under performing in the UCL right now but this is just too soon. This move is so fast that it's making "knee jerk reactions" look slow.

I do feel bad for coaches and managers here in North American Sports that get fired before ever really ever having time to do anything but this move is just on a whole other level.

P.S. Here's hoping the next guy is able to unload his personal belongings in the manager's office before getting canned.

Ed Reed Suspended for 1 Game

In the win over the Steelers, Ravens safety Ed Reed has gotten into trouble with the league. Reed was penalized for unnecessary roughness when he had a helmet-to-helmet hit with Emmanuel Sanders of the Steelers. That wasn't the only punishment that he got. As a result of that and a couple of hits to the head he made over the last couple of seasons, Ed Reed has been suspended for one game. It will cost him $423,529 and he will miss the game vs. the Chargers this weekend.

I thought improving things in the name of player safety in the NFL was a good thing but I believe it has gone a bit too far. I started to think this way when Bounty Gate started to drag on and on but this just seems to make me think the oversight on this issue is a joke. Ed Reed did not mean to make this kind of hit on Sanders if you bother to analyze the reply. The intent is just not there. The NFL just wants to make an example out of a high profile player to legitimize the league's authority. I'm not certain that this is the case in Bounty Gate but I'm starting to believe it is.

No matter how much we moan and groan about how unfair this the Ed Reed suspension is, Roger Goodell will not undo the suspension and he will not stop making unjust suspensions or fines. He will just escalate punishments further and make new rules all in the name of safety. That's what all tyrants and dictators do.

P.S. Be sure to follow me on twitter @TheSportsKhanSF

QB Controversy in SF? Team Smith or Team Kaep?

The 49ers this year have been a good team with Alex Smith guiding them to a 6-2-1 record as the starting QB. Week 11, however, had the 49ers looking to Colin Kaepernick to lead them due to the fact that Alex Smith was out due to concussion symptoms still lingering from last week's game vs. the Rams. Not everybody was sure how well Kaep would do in his first start as an NFL QB. After last night, 49er fans are left wondering if they want it to be his last start for them this season.

Colin Kaepernick played amazing last night leading the 49ers to victory 32-7 over the Chicago Bears who have one of the toughest defenses in the country. He made solid throws, good decisions, and extended plays to help get them a victory. Kaepernick went 16/23 for 243 passing yards and 2 TD passes; no interceptions thrown to the turnover creating Bears. He was simply amazing on how he lead the team.

Like any 49er football game, not all credit can go to the QB. There was solid rushing, a great defense that wouldn't leave Jason Campbell of the Bears alone, and a seemingly more solid pass protection that benefited Kaep. Still, after all of this, Kaepernick seemed to be able to lead this group of playoff ready players superbly and makes us Niners fans start to think on whether or not we want this guy in as QB now.

Not only does the pressure and the questions start from the fan base and the local media, it starts coming from the national media. Kaepernick and the 49ers had this huge win on Monday Night Football with a national audience watching and being amazed at what this 25 year old from the University of Nevada can do.

So now the question must be asked that could affect San Francisco's season by simply asking it. Who should be the starting quarterback for the 49ers: Alex Smith or Colin Kaepernick?

There are pluses and minuses to both sides. For Alex Smith, he has been the guy all year long and has managed to turn his career around with the insertion of Jim Harbaugh as head coach. He is no great QB like Tom Brady or Peyton Manning but he has become dependable and consistent enough to be entrusted the starting job. If used effectively, he's a game manager making underneath routes letting the receivers do the work as opposed to trying to create something with risky passes and turning the ball over in the process. At his best, he's not likely going to win a lot of games pulling a team along but he won't lose a lot either.

As for Colin Kaepernick, he seems different. His first start has shown that he can make some of the throws that Alex cannot and possibly throws that QB's like Tom Brady does make according to Vernon Davis. His ability to extend a play better than Smith and his ability to take off and run occasionally also makes him a better player and threat if used properly. However, coupled with his ability is his lack of experience. It was his first start and while he might have a future in the NFL whether it be with the 49ers or not, he might not be able to lead this team as effectively down the stretch as Smith who has been with them all year. He also still has a slower delivery than Smith's and while not on a Tebow or Byron Leftwich level, it can affect how opposing defenses do against him.

I know Alex Smith and his limits and I saw what Kaepernick did last night but I still cannot make up my mind on which QB the 49ers should go with. Due to that, I say play it safe and put Smith back in when you can and try to finish out this year with him at the helm and settle this in the off season.

Now there is a controversy either way just because of the way Kaepernick played. However, it becomes a wildfire with the fuel dumped on by head coach Jim Harbaugh when asked who is the starting QB in San Francisco postgame.

“We’ll see,” Harbaugh replied. “We usually tend to go with the guy who’s got the hot hand and we got two quarterbacks that have got a hot hand…”

P.S. For my full recap of last night's game, click here. Be sure to check out the 49ers section at Prosportsblogging.com for my scoop on the team before and after each game.

Both #1 and #2 Go Down, Irish Now the Top Team?

Just when we thought that the SEC would be out of the National title hunt this year, they are right back in shotgun with Notre Dame in the driver's seat.

This wild weekend among the top 4 teams has taken a very sharp left turn. #1 Kansas State and #2 Oregon needed to win out and they would basically be guaranteed for a National title game. Kansas State went on the road and faced Baylor and could not hold that offense back. A total of 7 TDs scored by Baylor (5 on the ground game) helped them dismantle the top team in the country 52-24.

As for the high powered offense of Oregon, they hit a huge forest with Stanford. The Cardinal came into Eugene and milked the clock for all it's worth holding that Duck offense to 14 points and forcing OT. After the Ducks FG hit the post to miss, Stanford came up and Jordan Williamson hit a 37 yard FG to win the game and upset Oregon 17-14.

As for #3 Notre Dame and #4 Alabama, meet your new National title contenders. The Fighting Irish KO'd Wake Forest 38-0 while the Crimson Tide washed away Western Carolina 49-0. Notre Dame will likely be #1 and Alabama will likely move into the #2 spot. Can these two teams hold out for a illegitimate title game?

Who Else but Miguel and MVPosey

The MVPs were named today in baseball and both by seemingly comfortable margins.

The NL MVP went to Giants Catcher Buster Posey who received 27 of 32 possible first place votes and took in a 422 total points. Ryan Braun came in 2nd with 285 points. This caps off a tremendous season for Buster who batted .336 (NL best) with a OBP of .408 (NL best) and a OPS of .957 (2nd in NL). He also had 24 home runs, 103 RBIs, and another World Series ring. Not bad for a comeback season.

As for the AL MVP, it turned out to be a one sided win as well. Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers won the award receiving 22 of 28 first place votes and getting 362 total points. The closest contender was Mike Trout of the Angels who got 281 points. Miguel, of course, was the first Triple Crown winner in 45 years batting .330 with 44 home runs and 139 RBIs.

The right players seemed to have gotten the award. True, Mike Trout had an MVP quality season and was dragging the Angels along but failing to make the playoffs and going against a guy winning the Triple Crown does hamper the candidacy quite a bit.

Congrats to both Posey and Cabrera for winning the MVP awards. The right guys were picked.

RA Dickey and David Price Win Cy Youngs

I guess there is something else that Justin Verlander didn't get this year.

The award voting in baseball has been a bit predictable in 2012 with Mike Trout and Bryce Harper winning the Rookie of the Year awards. The Cy Young Awards have been a bit more surprising. RA Dickey won the NL Cy Young which isn't that surprising to anyone who's followed RA Dickey this year. It is surprising, possibly, that he's a 38 year old (37 during the season) Knuckleballer who's a late bloomer. Dickey went 20-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 230 K's. He's the 2nd best in Wins and ERA in the NL while first in strikeouts in the NL.

Finally the unique knuckleball get recognition through RA Dickey. Sorry Tim Wakefield, RA Dickey is now King of the Knuckler.

The AL Cy Young was a bit closer and surprising. Everyone thought it would be a lock for Justin Verlander who had a great regular season keeping the Detroit Tigers alive along with the help of Miguel Cabrera. But the award went to David Price of the Rays. Price had apparently beaten Verlander in the ballot box by 4 points marking it as one of the tightest races in the history of the award. Verlander was 17-8 with a 2.64 ERA with 239 K's while David Price was 20-5 with a 2.56 ERA (AL Best) and 205 K's. Price was tied for most wins in the AL with Jared Weaver of the Angels who also was 20-5.

Looking at the numbers, you could see why David Price was given the award over Justin Verlander despite Justin's great year with the Tigers. This is definitely an award that people will be talking about for a while. I know that this isn't the MVP award but Price in a way earned this award by being an MVP kind of pitcher. Despite the horrible hitting of the team, the Rays were kept alive almost to the very end of the regular season because of their pitching staff. It sort of reminds me a bit of the Giants in that respect. They just need the right sparks in lineup to get into the postseason next year.

Anyway, congrats to Dickey and Price on their awards and for being the Aces of 2012.

Big Trade Means Blank Canvas for Marlins and Great Expectations for the Blue Jays

The baseball off-season has been relatively quiet so far but that ended today with a big boom.

The Marlins time as big spenders lasted only one season. When they opened their new stadium, they had high hopes for their franchise to become elite signing new players and Ozzie Guillen to the team. It didn't last long with attendance far from expectations, the team under performing, and Ozzie being infatuated with Fidel Castro.

So what are the Marlins going to do? Reboot their operating system to their last known save and that was when they were cheap. In a trade with the Toronto Blue Jays, the Marlins are getting rid of Jose Reyes, Josh Johnson, Mark Buerhle, John Buck, and Emilio Bonifacio. All of them are going to the Blue Jays in exchange for Yunel Escobar and at least two prospects. According to a source telling ESPN "Just about any (Marlins) player making money is going to Toronto."

One season later it's new look, new stadium, same BS. Seeing that the Marlins finished last in the NL East and the Red Sox unloading all their financial burden on the Dodgers, it's easy to understand the decision the Marlins made getting rid of all these players. The Marlins look like they're not getting the fan attendance they were hoping for and because of that, it was probably best for them to go back to their small ball and farm system ways (you know, where every other team is farming their crop).

As for the Blue Jays, they seem to be taking on over $175 million worth of contracts. Not as much as the Dodgers were taking on in August but enough to turn heads. It might end up being the biggest deal done among the teams in the AL East. Because of this move, the Blue Jays will be expected to go farther this season than any other in recent memory. The pressure is now on them rather than the Marlins.

Nick Foles to Start for Eagles

The Philadelphia Eagles this year have been horrible for the most part just being lucky for the first few weeks and just plain bad following that. Counting the game against the Cowboys yesterday, they have lost 5 games in a row. While Michael Vick hasn't played as well as he should be playing, it's not all his fault or even the main reason why that offense is so terrible. The offensive line can't protect the QB to save their lives, more importantly Vick's life.

Over the season, Vick has taken shot after shot after shot and yesterday his head had enough when he had to leave the game with a concussion. Nick Foles came in and did alright for a rookie QB. He managed to throw a TD but also threw an interception that was returned for a TD. He went 22/32 for 219 yards as the Cowboys ended up blowing them out in the fourth quarter. Final score: 38-23.

The fact is that the Eagles at 3-6 are out of the playoff hunt and have to start thinking about the future. That being said, the one place they are going to look at is of course Quarterback. With Michael Vick out with a concussion as of now, the opportune moment to start rehearsals for the role has presented itself. Nick Foles will get a fair shake at the job as he has been the named the starting QB for Sunday's game vs. the Redskins. He will get time with the first team this week and show us what he's got this weekend.


As for when Andy Reid's job will be up for grabs, I can see rehearsals for that role just around the corner.

P.S. No matter who is the QB for the team, the one place that needs the most attention during the off season is the offensive line. No QB can be successful without some blocking.

D'ANTONI? REALLY?!?!?!

When you thought the next coach was going to be Phil again, some other guy comes out of the nosebleeds to shock the team.

When the Lakers fired Mike Brown for starting off the season 1-4, the thought was that the team would go to Phil Jackson (again) to be the head coach. After several days of rumors (and I'm sure discussions) Phil Jackson will not be coming out of retirement to coach the Lakers. The reason not to hire Phil back wasn't because they didn't want him or beg him to come back, it's because they would kiss his a** long enough (or to the equivalent of kissing his a** by giving in to contract demands of $10-15 million annually and the options to skip certain road trips).

Instead the Lakers decide to go with Bachelor #doesn'tbelieveindefense. Mike D'Antoni will be the next head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Mike and the team agreed to a 4 year deal as head coach with the 4th year being a club option. D'Antoni was the former head coach of the Phoenix Suns which included Steve Nash who is now a Laker. After that, D'Antoni was head coach of the New York Knicks from 2008-2012 until he resigned in March earlier this year due to the teams performance.

New York worked so well with Melo and Amare so there is no reason why D'Antoni shouldn't work out in LA, right?

The thing about Mike D'Antoni is that he is an offensive coach and that's pretty much it. While that formula has shown to work well enough to get to the playoffs and a bit further, it has not won him a championship. Defense is needed to win titles. Plus, we don't know how his system will work with people not named Steve Nash, particularly Dwight Howard who could become a free agent at the end of this season.

It's definitely a risk hiring Mike D'Antoni as head coach but a glamorous looking one if the offense can perform at a high rate. Now I might be wrong about D'Antoni but so far his system hasn't won a title or gotten him to the NBA Finals. It might be put to the test for the last time in LA.

Cowboys Beat Eagles in the Battle of Disapointments and More

As week 10 in the NFL began, two teams stood out among the rest as underachievers, jokes, and all around embarrassments. These two were the Cowboys and the Eagles. Both entered this week at 3-5 and both were looking to keep their seasons alive and avoid media scrutiny.

The game between these two stay close for a bit even when Michael Vick had to leave because of a concussion sustained in the 2nd quarter. Nick Foles came in and was average. The Cowboys, however, started to pull away in the 4th quarter with Dwayne Harris getting a 78 yard punt return for a TD. Then Foles threw an interception that was returned for a 47 yard TD by Brandon Carr. The Eagles did get a TD (missing the extra point) to make it an 8 point game but failed a comeback as Nick Foles was sacked in his own end zone fumbling the ball and being recovered by Jason Hatcher for a Cowboys TD. Cowboys win it 38-23. Cowboys are now 4-5 and the Eagles fall to 3-6 with Andy Reid starting to look for a new job on Craigslist.

As for the other games across the league, the Texans go to Chicago on Sunday night and beat the Bears 13-6. Jay Cutler left the game with a concussion leaving the Bears with no offense. Didn't stop him from throwing 2 INTs before he left, though. Giants get shocked by the Bengals in Cincy 31-13. Giants committed 4 turnovers including 2 INTs by Eli Manning. The Falcons are no longer undefeated as the Saints hold on to beat them 31-27. Can you hear the annoying cork popping by the '72 Dolphins? Last one I'll mention is that the Seahawks beat the Jets 28-7. Jets look awful again while the Seahawks still haven't lost at home this season (5-0 at home).

Week 10 ends tomorrow night with the Chiefs playing the Steelers.

P.S. For my take on the 49ers tie game with the Rams, click here. Be sure to check out the 49ers section at prosportsblogging.com for take on the team before and after the game.

#1 'Bama Falls to Texas A&M

I'm sure that most of the south would've wanted to read "Obama Falls to Mitt" but this will have to do.

College football hasn't been exciting for me this year with a couple exceptions here or there to blog about. Alabama losing at home to Texas A&M 29-24 is one of those rare instances. The Aggies somehow got off to a 20 nothing lead and managed to hold off Alabama in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide had a chance to take the lead late in the game but AJ McCarron was picked off by Deshazor Everetton on a 4th and goal chance at the A&M 2.

What do you know? Texas A&M manage to upset one of the best programs in the country in their first season in the SEC. Truly a huge victory for the Aggies and one that sends ripples through the NCAA. It looks like there will be no SEC team in either of the top 2 spots come the next polling period.

Is Josh Hamilton Leaving the Rangers?

It does look like it.

Josh Hamilton and the Rangers have seemingly been the best fit for both sides. The franchise got to two different World Series appearances with him as one of the dominant players in each one and Hamilton got a second chance in the Bigs and personal stability for battling his inner demons. As of late, it seems that the two sides have drifted apart. The Rangers failed to get to the Division Series round of the postseason and Josh Hamilton seemed to have fallen off the wagon a bit before the season began.

Looking at these instances and the age of Hamilton himself, the question arises on whether or not he will back with the Rangers. All indications right now say that he will not be back. The Rangers have established that their max contract for Josh Hamilton is 3 years which doesn't seem long enough to keep him. Hamilton seemingly wants 7 years. Unless he feels like the Rangers are a special enough team to stay on because of his personal issues, Hamilton will likely not compromise with the Rangers and try to get that 7 year deal elsewhere. There are quite a few teams that will want that power lefty.

I would guess that Hamilton is going to leave the Rangers. It's something that Texas can recover from but it will be a bit tricky and they also have to make sure they settle their other off-season issues.

Lakers Fire Mike Brown After 1-4 Start

... Or the Lakers could panic now and fire their head coach.

That's exactly what they did earlier today when the Lakers fired Mike Brown after one full season, a few miserable games this year as head coach, and one powerful Kobe death stare that leaves Medusa envious. When the team acquired both Steve Nash and Dwight Howard, there was talk that Brown was going to introduce the Princeton Offense to the team as a way to create offense. It didn't seem to work at all. The team started 1-4 which was not adequate to Lakers fans despite the fact that Steve Nash has been injured for most of that stretch. Either way, they fired Mike Brown and are now looking for a head coach... or leaving Phil Jackson a bunch of messages on his machine.

So what about the team as of now. Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff will take over for tonight's game vs. the Warriors. I am no expert on the Lakers but my feeling is that Bickerstaff will be just an interim coach and not a permanent replacement for Mike Brown. I'm not kidding about "calling Phil Jackson" comment. They might just want to go to Phil and beg him to come back. If that doesn't work, start kissing his a**. They have no where else to go right now.

Whatever they do to solve this vacancy, it better be good. Kobe is old and getting older, so is Steve Nash, and the so called "Future of the Lakers" (Dwight Howard) might just leave after one season on the team. How this season goes for the Lakers could determine how the team will look for the foreseeable future.

Eagles Keep Diving with Loss to Saints

The Philadelphia Eagles went into New Orleans this week with a lot of questions around them from whether or not Micahel Vick will be the starting QB to whether or not the outcome of this game will affect Andy Reid's job as head coach of the team. To make the questions go away for the time being, they needed a win.

The Eagles played the Saints in the Superdome who were themselves looking to rebound from a disastrous start to a strange season that had players and coaches of theirs suspended. They needed a win as well to get a chance of making something out of a lost season. Vick helped them get started right away throwing a 99 yard interception returned for a TD by Patrick Robinson. The Saints would get two more TDs before the half.

The Eagles managed to get the 2nd half started right with a 77 yard TD pass to DeSean Jackson after a turnover committed by Drew Brees via a fumble. The Eagles would then score a FG after a Saints fumble on the kickoff return. Brees would get the Saints to strike back late in the 3rd quarter with a 6 yard TD pass to Jimmy Graham. That gave them a 15 point lead that would not change for the rest of the game. The Eagles could not do anything else but fumble the ball in the 4th quarter. Saints win it 28-13 leaving both team 3-5 but heading in different directions.

The Eagles have 477 total yards of offense and get only 13 points. They had 5 red zone trips that resulted in no TDs. Meanwhile, the Saints and their struggling defense manage to get a big win at home as they get ready for the Falcons on Sunday. As for the Eagles, looks like more questions.

Falcons Edge Out Cowboys, Steelers In-n-Out of New York with a Win, Bears Destroy the Titans and More

Sunday had many good games like every week in the NFL with some being close.

One of those close ones was the Sunday Night game between the Cowboys and the Falcons. Both sides were moving and clamoring but neither could really get anything significant until the final quarter. It took until the 4th quarter for either side to score their first TDs of the game. Atlanta broke the 6-6 tie with Michael Turner scoring a TD on a 3 yard run. After a Matt Bryant FG to make it 16-6, the Cowboys then scored their first TD with a TD pass to Kevin Ogletree for 21 yards with 5:21 to go.

The Falcons got the ball back and scored a FG to make it a 6 point game with another FG but not before taking away every second that they could leaving Dallas just 17 seconds to score a TD. The Cowboys were far short of making into the end zone as the game ended on a short pass to Felix Jones for 39 yards, still more than 20 yards short of 6. Falcons win it 19-13. Atlanta remains unbeaten at 8-0 while the Cowboys fall to 3-5.

Another good one was in the Meadowlands featuring the Steelers vs. the Giants. The Steelers flew in that morning and were to leave that night. That didn't seem to deter them from beating the Giants in MetLife 24-20. Eli Manning was far from par in this game going 10/24 for 125 passing yards and an INT. The Giants totaled just 182 yards of offense while the Steelers had 349 yards of offense. The overlooked Steelers are now 5-3 while the Giants are 6-3.

Other games around the league included the Bears destroying the Titans in Tennessee 51-20. While Cutler did his job with 3 TDs, the Bears also got points from the block punt returned for a TD and an interception returned for a TD by Brian Urlacher. Peyton Manning leads the Broncos to another win beating the Bengals 31-23. Manning went 27/35 with 291 passing yards, 3 TDs, and 2 INTs. The Packers improve to 6-3 with a win over the Cardinals 31-17. Despite throwing just under 50% along with an INT, Aaron Rodgers threw 4 TD passes in the game. Last one I'll mention had the Colts winning one for Chuck Pagano against the Dolphins 23-20. Adam Vinatieri made what the proved to be the game winning 43 yard FG with 5:58 left in the game.

The week ends tonight with the Eagles going into New Orleans to face the Saints on Monday Night.

P.S. SPOILER ALERT: I'm back at KSUN for one night only. Tune into KSUNradio.com at 4 PM Today as I reunite with my old radio partner, Van, on Tailgate Talk with Van. That's KSUNradio.com... Pretty Good.

Big Papi and Sox Agree to a Two Year Deal

The face of the Red Sox is coming back to Fenway for a couple more seasons.

David Ortiz and the Red Sox agreed to a two year deal to keep him in Boston a bit longer. It is for for at least $26 million with a few million more in incentives for the near 37 year old slugger. Despite Big Papi playing only 90 games in 2012, Ortiz managed to bat .318 with 23 home runs and 60 RBI's. If he can remain healthy, he is still a valued player for the team.

It was a pity that 2012 was a lost season for him and the Red Sox as a whole. While it still might take some time for the Red Sox to recover, I certainly hope that they can come back to form while David Ortiz is still there.

Lakers Start Season 0-3 with Loss to Clippers

The Lakers are expected to be a title contender this season but so far they haven't looked like one.

The Lakers have lost to the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers so far this season. Game 3 on the schedule had them playing a home game (technically) to their in town (in house) neighbors the Clippers. Kobe Bryant showed up huge in this game scoring 40 points. More was needed, however, from his teammates. The Clippers would still win this game by ten 105-95. Five Clippers were in double digits with points, two of them were off the bench. Lakers now fall to 0-3 this season.

Should the Lakers start to worry about their chances on winning a title? The fans shouldn't but the team might want to pick up a few more practices together. Sure, Steve Nash did not play in this game but even when he was there they still need some work. The Lakers need some time to get there chemistry working. If they are still dropping games like these last three come January, then start to worry.

Until then, take some of Dwight Howard's advice and be patient.

No Game in Brooklyn, No Room for the Steelers, and a Marathon

The topic of the week has certainly been Hurricane Sandy and the devastation that it has brought along the East Coast, especially the New York Tri-State area. While sports is certainly the last thing on anyone's mind who's in the middle of this natural disaster, it has nonetheless been talked about to some degree.

One of the big opening games of the NBA season were to feature the Brooklyn Nets playing their first regular season game at the Barclays Center against the New York Knicks. Mainly because of the flooding to the subways in NYC, the game has been postponed. Certainly a disappointment but understandable.

Then there's a couple other sporting events that seem to be on schedule despite what has happened.

The Steelers-Giants game that is set to happen Sunday at Metlife Stadium is still currently scheduled despite the fact that the Steelers have nowhere to sleep the night before or Sunday night. The hotel they were supposed to stay in Sunday night doesn't have any power. The team is going to fly into Newark Sunday morning, have a pregame meal near a hotel, and then go to the game. Afterwards, the team will fly home by charter.

Then there is the New York City Marathon. It is scheduled for Sunday and it is 26 miles long and goes across all boroughs of New York City of which significant portions do not have power or other necessary services. The Marathon has not been postponed for several reasons which are financial ones mostly.

Should either the football game or the marathon be postponed or canceled? Either event has to be given the following question: is there anyone that is not going to be getting relief or aid of some kind because of this event? To better put it, is there something better that the city, cities, or states can do with resources put in either event that would help relief efforts?

P.S. My view is that the marathon should not be held anyway. Better good can come out of those overseeing the event, yes, but the marathon happening anyway in the middle of this natural disaster leaves a bad taste in the mouth of plenty of Americans and those in need of aid. I certainly hope that there isn't any significant kind of backlash on the streets of New York City because of this, especially towards the runners who are innocent in all of it.