The role of agitator in today’s NHL is one of the more underrated but vital ones on a roster.
The best agitators make their opponents want to tear their head off. Not because they’re super-skilled on the ice, mind you, but because of those “other” attributes.
The smirks, the skirmishes and scrums after the whistle, and yes, the hits. Oh, those hits.
Matt Cooke is among the top handful of agitators in the league. But for as valuable as his “job” is toSource: Kukla's Korner RSS Feed
UPDATE: ND AD Jack Swarbrick told the SOUTH BEND TRIBUNE late Saturday that he hadn’t started a coaching search.
“Any version of anything you hear in the contact with a coach are absolutely false. We haven’t talked to anybody. We haven’t authorized anybody to talk to anybody. It’s simply not true.”
Tony Barnhart of CBS Sports reported earlier Saturday that Bob Stoops would travel to South Bend on Sunday to meet with Swarbrick about the job.
Meanwhile Weis, in Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed
Here’s what we know about Tiger Woods‘ apparent car crash - set against other important events currently taking place in his life.
The crash is reported to have happened at 2:30am ET. The Florida Highway Patrol did not release any info on the incident or Woods’ condition until 2pm ET, 11 1/2 hours later. By that time, Woods had already been released from the hospital in “good” condition.
Woods suffered the accident “pulling out of his driveway“. The airbags in his Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed
I believe where there's smoke there's fire and it appears that Luis Castillo will end up a Chicago Cub. Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported today that the Mets and Cubs are still looking for a third team for the Castillo/Bradley deal. This is the third time a rumor has involved these two teams and players. It was Fox Sports who first heard the rumor that Toronto could be the second team, then the Chicago tribune believed Texas maybe involved and while this latest rumor doesn't specifySource: Mets Fever RSS Feed
Sorry, Jets fans. Bill Belichick is coming off the most highly publicized and overly criticized loss of his career. He would never tell us as much, but that kind of noise makes The Bill angry. And such a scenario usually translates to an inconsiderate thrashing of the next opponent.
Bad timing for the yappy Jets, as they need a win to stay afloat in the rapidly evaporating AFC playoff picture.
Prediction? Hell.
There’s only three other late games — Cards @ Rams,Source: The Big Lead RSS Feed
We’ve been talking a lot about Hideki Matsui over the last few weeks. In the waning days of his most recent Yankee contract, he wowed us all in Game 6 of the World Series and won MVP accolades because of it. Now, the Yankees are faced with a tough choice. Do they let their everyday DH and Japanese superstar walk or do they try to bring him back?
Yesterday, we explored this question when we examined whether we would bring back Johnny Damon or Hideki Matsui if we, as the Yankees seemSource: River Avenue Blues RSS Feed
Tyler Amaya of the Bellingham Slam of the International Basketball League had 44 points in a game the other night, but that’s not the reason I’m posting a frame-by-frame of his performance.
A seated Amaya scored from the lane with an over-the-shoulder, one-handed shot with his back to the basket. For some reason I think of George Gervin when I see that shot.
Video after the jump. (more…)
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After Jim Harbaugh took a slap at Pete Carroll upon his hire at Stanford three years ago, no one should be surprised that the The Card didn’t exactly purport themselves with class during their 55-21 beatdown of USC today at the L.A. Coliseum.
The video of Stanford’s Drew Terrell and Ekom Udofia taunting USC fans today with a mock “Fight On” was preceded by Coach Harbaugh’s very own wound-salter.
(Chris Dufresne of LA TIMES, Jerome Solomon of Houston Chronicle)Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed
Gary Klein of the LOS ANGELES TIMES and Ted Miller of ESPN.com update us today on the condition of Stafon Johnson. Johnson and his doctors held at press conference today before the USC-Stanford game, and the news is encourage, to say the least.
Klein:
Dr. Jason Hamilton said Johnson is making tremendous progress. He no longer requires a breathing or feeding tube and is eating solid foods.
“Anyone looking at him today or heard the story would say it’s miraculous,”Source: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed
USF Coach Jim Leavitt, who has been known for a dodgy equilibrium in the past, shows off what he learned during his apparent visits to Frank Kush’s annual coaching clinic. (Too old school? Then Lou Holtz.)
This is the one time when the freeze frames are actually better than the video, which is after the jump. (more…)
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I was sent some audio from Nick Saban’s weekly radio call-in show with Eli Gold. Not sure if his s-bomb went out on-air but if it did, I’m sure Saban will be able to plead the FCC down to a secondary violation.
(Nick Saban: Wordsmith)
Gold is pictured high-fiving Saban, apparently inspired by the coach’s carefree excrement reference, affirmed with about two dozen ‘a’ights?’
Audio after the jump. (more…)
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I had to take a break from the series last week cause of that annoying paying job that I jeopardize every day spending way too much time here on TCR. So I'm gonna double up the efforts and today we look at some more potential center field candidates. Let's start with Randy Winn.
Year Age Tm G PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB CS BB SO BA OBP SLG OPS OPS+ 1998 24 TBD 109 379 338 51 94 9 9 1 17 26 12 29 69 .278 .337 .367 .704 83 1999 25 TBD 79 324 303 44 81 16 4 2 24 9 9 17 63 .267 .307 .366 Source: The Cub Reporter RSS Feed
Taking an entirely different approach than Mike Silva, Maury Brown has been monitoring Roger Clemens’ folksy words of wisdom via Twitter, and unlike the gentleman from NY Baseball Digest, actually engaged the Rocket (above, right) in something approaching a philosophical debate.
Clemens was asked, “What is the best advice that you ever got?” Here’s the answer:
Well…a down right to the point one came from my mother- “Never get in a pissin’ contest with a skunk”Source: Can't Stop the Bleeding RSS Feed
Last week I recommended Garrett Atkins for a spot on our team, a possible upgrade over Fernando Tatis as the back-up corner infielder who might end up beating out Dan Murphy at 1B. Most of the people I spoke to about the idea either liked it or weren't against but were leery of his cost. That appears to be the same issue the Rockies are running into, apparently Atkins is to expensive going into arbitration at 7M and will probably end up non-tendered. Once a free agent I would still try toSource: Mets Fever RSS Feed
Ever wonder where the city of New York obtains mountains of confetti for what used to be called ticker tape parades to honor sporting champions, astronauts or Chain Gang’s election to the Rock’n'Roll Hall Of Fame? Me neither, but the New York Post’s Chuck Bennett and Salim Algar report Friday’s celebrations for the newly crowned Yankees included sensitive personal information landing on lower Manhattan sidewalks.
“We’re finding pay stubs. We’re finding personalSource: Can't Stop the Bleeding RSS Feed
Part of the reinvention process that Tim Brewster has been helping the Minnesota Golden Gophers undertake - and lord knows they need it - is a return to their glory days of several decades ago. That means no more Metrodome; instead, they’ve got a brand-new open-air joint, TCF Bank Stadium, with state of the art facilities. The problem, however, is that Tim Brewster is in charge of this reinvention, so literally anything is possible.
(Hey, that looks pretty nice.)
Well, that didn’t take long. Hours ago, UCF announced that His Heirness Marcus Jordan would be taking the floor in tonight’s exhibition in his dad’s Air Jordans. According to Darren Rovell at CNBC, adidas has responded… by summarily canceling their $1.9 million sponsorship with the Golden Knights.
(But what of the custom-made Air Jordans? All people get those before their freshman year, right?)
The immediate ramifications - financial and otherwise - are as yetSource: SPORTSbyBROOKS RSS Feed
