2009-11-29 ~ Sport Syndicate

Monday, December 7, 2009

Charlie Weis didn't have much success with Notre Dame's football program before he finally got canned. Now it appears he'd like to take over the Chicago Bears offensive coordinator job and see what he can do with that, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Right now there is a person who is in that job by the name of Ron Turner, but Weis would apparently like the team to know that if somehow the position became open, he would like to be considered. The Bears offense hasn't been great this season despite the trade in the off-season with the Denver Broncos to get quarterback Jay Cutler(notes).

Weis supposedly has six teams that want to talk to him about being offensive coordinator next season.

Weis apparently really wants to be in Chicago so he can be near his family. His son is in high school and his wife runs a nonprofit foundation that helps children and young adults with autism and other special needs called Hannah and Friends in honor of their daughter.

There had been some talk that the Bears might can head coach Lovie Smith this off-season but he has two years and $10 million to go on his deal. The team supposedly doesn't want to play two head coaches simultaneously so the thought is that Smith will stay onboard but folks like Turner, whose contract ends after next year, are goners.

If Turner gets the boot, former St. Louis Rams head coach Mike Martz might be a candidate as well. He hired Smith as his defensive coordinator there.

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Sunday, December 6, 2009

Chicago Blackhawks Hit The Ice Video (2009-10)

Brent Seabrook Contract Next for the Blackhawks

The Big Three -- Patrick Kane, Duncan Keith and Jonathan Toews -- got their raise. It took a lot of smart accounting, but GM Stan Bowman got it figured out. But Bowman already has to think about the next wave of free agent, and atop that list might be Brent Seabrook.

Puck Prospectus writes, "Defensive-minded players normally don't cash in, but since the Hawks use him against top competition and yet scoring at even-strength is kept to 2.00 or below, the 24-year-old former first-round draft choice could be an exception."

It might not be good for the Hawks if he demands too much because they already have money issues. So, although they are looking to sign him next, it may not be possible.

Dustin Byfuglien on Trading Block?

Most Blackhawks fans wouldn't want to see Dustin Byfuglien go, but Puck Prospectus tells us that he should be dealt, especially given the team's cap problems.

"He just doesn't bring a complete enough game to warrant a $3 million annual investment from any team. Deal him if you can," Timo Seppa writes.

If there is a trade, it won't happen until the offseason when they may have to deal core pieces of their team for financial reasons.

Byfuglien is a $3 million cap hit and becomes a restricted free agent in 2011. Other names mentioned from trades include Cam Barker, Patrick Sharp, Cristobal Huet and Brian Campbell.

As the Calgary Sun writes, "Barring a miracle, Hawks GM Stan Bowman, at some point, will have to be throwing in freebies like a TV infomercial huckster."

LeBron James Wants to Play with Derrick Rose

Derrick Rose has let it be known that he would like to play with LeBron James. On Friday James said he would like to play with Rose, too.

"Yeah, especially on an Olympic team," LeBron told the Daily Herald. "He did a great job this past summer holding it down for some of the older guys, giving them some rest."

"He's a great point guard. He's a great player," James continued. "I love watching Derrick play, man, he's unbelievable. All he's going to do is continue to get better -- with every game, with every practice. Hopefully in the 2012 Olympics, he can be a part of that team and have some fun."

Vinny Del Negro to be Fired?

The Chicago Bulls have lost seven of eight games and are now in third place in their division and fading fast. The lackadaisical effort Saturday night, according to the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson, was embarrassing to the point where Johnson asked "should there be pressure on Del Negro?"

Teams not getting back on defense, taking steps backwards when it comes to taking care of the ball and execution are often signs that the coach is losing his team's attention, but Del Negro is battling through a lot of injuries and has been forced to rely on some inexperienced players that aren't ready.

Assistant coach Bernie Bickerstaff may not be ideal for a long-term replacement, but in the interim, he may be as qualified as any assistant in the league, having manned the head coaching spot on several occasions in a numbers of different NBA cities.

Perhaps the smoke clears in a few weeks when Tyrus Thomas returns and some of the trade rumors either come to fruition or die down.

Scott Podsednik to the Royals?

Free-agent outfielder Scott Podsednik apparently is on the Kansas City Royals' radar.

Bob Sutton of the Kansas City Star writes that the Royals' interest is probably tied to whether Podsednik would agree to a contract similar to the $800,000 deal he had with the White Sox in 2009. Earlier indications are that Podsednik wants a more lucrative multi-year deal after he hit .304 last season.

Former Chicago White Sox to the Cubbies?

Priority No. 1 for the Chicago Cubs at the winter meetings is to get Milton Bradley a ticket out of town. Then the Cubs can concentrate on landing a center fielder, and Mike Cameron may have emerged as a top target.

Gordon Wittenmyer of the Sun-Times writes that Cameron is a favorite of manager Lou Piniella and that the Cubs will pursue Cameron once room on the payroll is freed up by a Bradley trade.

Piniella told the Sun-Times that he anticipates a meeting with Cameron's agent, Mike Nicotera, during the winter meetings. The Cubs also have interest in Texas center fielder Marlon Byrd.

ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney wrote earlier this week that Cameron would play anywhere in the outfield if it landed him in a better position to make the postseason. Buster added that the Yankees, Twins and Tigers all may touch base with Cameron at some point this winter.

Notre Dame Football Coach Updated Candidate List

Bob Stoops: "I will not be the next coach at Notre Dame."

Will Muschamp: "I'm going to be at Texas."

Butch Davis: A recent rumor; no history

Skip Holtz: Just added to the mix, a long shot who has good genes on his side

Chip Kelly: Would be tough to pry from Nike's home on the range

Brian Kelly: Mixed reports on whether he is the clubhouse leader; immune to losing in recent years

Gary Patterson: Has agreed to new deal.

Al Golden: Also linked to Virginia and (eventually) to Penn State

Jim Harbaugh: Has a new deal at Stanford and solid recruiting class

Kirk Ferentz: "I like it where I'm at."

Randy Edsall: Renowned program builder endorsed by ESPN's Digger Phelps

Phillip Fulmer: Interest appears to be completely one-sided.

Urban Meyer: "I'm going to be the coach at Florida as long as they'll have me."

Jon Gruden: We're just reading the papers...

Friday, December 4, 2009

The Ultimate Fighters Heavyweights Finale

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The Ultimate Fighters Heavyweights Finale

Notre Dame Fightin Irish Athletes Dominate Latest NCAA Graduation Ratings with 99% Rate!

By virtually any measurement, the University of Notre Dame wins the 2009 national championship for graduating its student-athletes.

Whether measured by the federal government in its Department of Education report or by the NCAA through its Graduation Success Rate (GSR) numbers, graduation rates for Notre Dame student-athletes rank either number one or among the handful of national leaders in all major categories among all major football-playing colleges and universities.

Notre Dame's institutional research found that Irish student-athletes ranked number one in eight of 10 major categories - ranking second in one and third in another. Those are far and away the best results for Notre Dame in the five years the NCAA has published both the GSR and federal numbers. The eight number-one rankings are four more than ever achieved in any other year (the four top rankings came in 2008).

Notre Dame led the nation in the GSR ratings for all student-athletes (at 99), while also ranking first in both the GSR and federal standings for male student-athletes (98 GSR, 88 federal), female student-athletes (100 GSR, 94 federal) and black student-athletes (97 GSR, 85 federal) -- as well as first in the GSR listing for football student-athletes (96).

Both the federal graduation-rate figures and the GSR numbers for Notre Dame student-athletes rated the Irish in five major categories among the 120 football-playing institutions in the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A).

The federally mandated NCAA Graduation-Rates Report, the 19th such survey issued by the association, covers students who enrolled between 1999 and 2002 at all Division I institutions. The federal graduation rates are based on the raw percentage of student-athletes who entered an institution and graduated within six years. Students who leave or transfer, regardless of academic standing, are considered non-graduates. All those receiving athletics aid are included in the statistics. All military academies are exempt from the federal survey because they do not offer grants-in-aid to student-athletes. The GSR was created to more accurately reflect actual graduation rates by including transfer data in the calculation. College and university presidents asked the NCAA to develop a new methodology that takes into account the mobility among students in today's higher education environment. Research indicates that approximately 60 percent of all new bachelor's degree recipients are attending more than one undergraduate institution during their collegiate careers.

In calculations listing all student-athletes in all sports, Notre Dame ranked first among the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) schools in the GSR figures, which were initiated in 2005 by the NCAA. The University's 99 percent GSR for all its student-athletes ranked just ahead of the 98 figure for the U.S. Naval Academy. Using the federal formula, Notre Dame graduated a four-year average of 90 percent of its student-athletes, just behind Stanford at 91 percent.

Notre Dame graduated 94 percent of all women competing in varsity athletics, to rank first among its peer institutions based on the federal calculations (just ahead of Stanford, Northwestern and Rice at 93). Among men, Notre Dame's 88 percent federal rate also was first, tied with Stanford. Notre Dame graduated 85 percent of its black student-athletes, ranking first nationally based on the federal rate, and Irish football players graduated at a 85 percent rate, to rank third.

In the GSR standings, the Irish scored a sweep. In addition to its number-one ranking for all student-athletes, Notre Dame finished tied for first among female student athletes at 100 (the U.S. Naval Academy also finished at 100), first among male student-athletes at 98 percent (ahead of the Naval Academy and Duke at 97), first among football players at 96 percent (tied with Duke), and first among black student-athletes at 97 percent (ahead of the Naval Academy and Vanderbilt at 93).

The NCAA also calculated graduation rates over a 10-year period (student-athletes who entered from 1993-94 through 2002-2003). During those 10 years, Notre Dame had 635 student-athletes who exhausted their eligibility - and 100 percent of them graduated within the allotted six-year period. By comparison, Northwestern had a 100 percent rate, Vanderbilt, Duke and Boston College recorded 99 percent, and Rice had a 98 percent rate.

2009 NCAA Graduation Rates -All data for student-athletes who enrolled between 1999 and 2002 (numbers are percentages)

All Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Stanford, 91
2. Notre Dame, 90
3. (tie) Duke, Northwestern, 88
5. Boston College, 86
6. Penn State, 82
7. (tie) Vanderbilt, Miami (Ohio), 80
9. Rice, 79
10. (tie) Wake Forest, SMU, 77

GSR
1. Notre Dame, 99
2. U.S. Naval Academy, 98
3. (tie) Northwestern, Duke, 97
5. Boston College, 96
6. (tie) Stanford, Vanderbilt, 94
8. (tie) Rice, Wake Forest, 93
10. U.S. Military Academy, 92

Male Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. (tie) Notre Dame, Stanford, 88
3. Duke, 85
4. Northwestern, 84
5. Boston College, 80
6. Vanderbilt, 79
7. Penn State, 76
8. (tie) SMU, Miami (Ohio), 74
10. Rice, 71

GSR
1. Notre Dame, 98
2. (tie) U.S. Naval Academy, Duke, 97
4. Northwestern, 95
5. Boston College, 94
6. (tie) Stanford, Vanderbilt, 92
8. U.S. Military Academy, 91
9. Rice, 90
10. (tie) U.S. Air Force Academy, Wake Forest, 89

Female Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Notre Dame, 94
2. (tie) Northwestern, Rice, Stanford, 93
5. (tie) Duke, Wake Forest, 92
7. (tie) Penn State, Boston College, 91
9. Miami (Ohio), 87
10. (tie) Michigan, Vanderbilt, North Carolina, Tulane, 86

GSR
1. (tie) Notre Dame, U.S. Naval Academy, 100
3. (tie) Northwestern, Duke, Wake Forest, Boston College, 99
7. (tie) Rice, Bowling Green, 98
9. Illinois, 97
10. (tie) Penn State, Stanford, Vanderbilt, SMU, 96

Black Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Notre Dame, 85
2. Vanderbilt, 81
3. Northwestern, 79
4. (tie) Stanford, Duke, Penn State, 78
7. (tie) Wake Forest, Rice, 76
9. Boston College, 74
10. SMU, 73

GSR
1. Notre Dame, 97
2. (tie) U.S. Naval Academy, Vanderbilt, 93
4. (tie) Northwestern, Duke, 92
6. Boston College, 88
7. Wake Forest, 86
8. (tie) Rice, Rutgers, 83
10. (tie) U.S. Air Force Academy, Stanford, Penn State, 82

Football Student-Athletes
Federal Rate
1. Duke, 89
2. Boston College, 86
3. (tie) Notre Dame, Stanford, 85
5. Northwestern, 81
6. Penn State, 80
7. Vanderbilt, 78
8. (tie) Rice, SMU, 73
10. Cincinnati, 71

GSR
1. (tie) Notre Dame, Duke, 96
3. U.S. Naval Academy, 93
4. Northwestern, 92
5. (tie) Boston College, Vanderbilt, 91
7. Stanford, 89
8. U.S. Air Force Academy, 87
9. U.S. Military Academy, 86
10 (tie) Miami (Ohio), Penn State 85

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Thursday, December 3, 2009

Jonathan Toews, Duncan Keith, & Patrick Kane All Agree to Contract Extensions with the Blackhawks!

The Blackhawks have agreed to a five-year contract extension with captain Jonathan Toews, a 13-year contract extension with defenseman Duncan Keith and a five-year contact extension with right wing Patrick Kane.

“We’ve said all along that the plan was to keep our core together for a long time and Jonathan, Duncan and Patrick are a major part of that,” Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman said. “This is a large step toward setting the Blackhawks up for long-term success as an organization.”

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Incredible Fantasy Football Regular Season Finale Week

Borrowing from Peter King, this is what we know heading into our 13th and final week of the Tailgater's Challenge regular season.

The Dukes of Hazzard and the Key West Coral Reefers are both in the playoffs.

Code Brown and Packers Suck are out of the playoffs.

The remaining 8 teams all have a shot at the final 4 playoff spots.

Pete Rozelle would be proud of the parity that we have achieved this season.

At this point, we do not even know which teams will get the first round byes. If the Dukes and Key Westers win, of course, they get the byes, but it is also possible that we will have a 5 way tie for the best record in the league which means I will be having to calculate several strength of schedule and record against common opponent formulas among other NFL tiebreakers.

It is also possible that we could have 6 teams finish at 7-6. Again, time to break out the NFL tiebreakers to see which 4 teams would then advance.

Finally, we could have 5 teams finish at 6-7, in which all 5 of those teams will be fighting for just 2 open spots.

Of course, we could have lots of in betweens as well.

Best way to make the playoffs, win your game and hope for the best. 7-6 may send 2 teams home and 6-7 may include 2 teams in the playoffs. By far, a great job by everyone all year to stay competitive.

I hope to see some guys active on the message boards this final week as every single game has playoff implications.

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Mark Teahen of the Chicago White Sox Wins 2009 Hutch Award

Mark Teahen of the Chicago White Sox has been named the 2009 recipient of the Hutch Award, given annually to the player who "best exemplifies the honor, courage and dedication" of Seattle baseball legend Fred Hutchinson.

The Mariners' Mark Lowe had been one of the 10 finalists for the prestigious award, which will be bestowed at the annual Hutch Award Luncheon on Jan. 27 at Safeco Field. Former major-league pitcher Dave Dravecky, the 1989 Hutch Award Winner, will be the featured speaker.

Teahen, 28, was traded from the Royals to the White Sox earlier this month. He has dual Canadian-American citizenship, with his father being from Ontario. He played on the Canadian team during the World Baseball Classic.

"I am extremely excited to accept the Hutch Award, and I am humbled to be added to the prestigious list of former recipients,'' Teahen said in the press release from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. "I am honored and thankful for all my friends and family who help me accomplish the many successes I've been fortunate enough to achieve.''

Past winners include 11 Hall of Famers, including Mickey Mantle (the first recipient in 1965), Willie McCovey, Willie Stargell, Sandy Koufax and Carl Yastrzemski.

According to the release, Teahen said the award and its connection to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center means more to him because of his mom's successful battle with breast cancer this year.

Teahen is involved with the YMCA Challenger Baseball program for children with physical or mental challenges, and has donated time to the Royals AbilityCAMP for kids with disabilities, among other charitable endeavors.

Other finalists:

Jonny Gomes, Reds
Tim Hudson, Braves
Torii Hunter, Angels
Mike Lowell, Red Sox
Nick Markakis, Orioles
Kevin Millwood, Rangers
Justin Morneau, Twins
Albert Pujols, Cardinals

Top Ten Sammy Sosa Explanations

10. "Ate a plate of old sushi"

9. "Trying to impress Kate Hudson"

8. "Too much Purell"

7. "Who cares -- the world's gonna explode in 2012"

6. "Uh, El Nino?"

5. "Don't ask me, ask the freaky-looking pale guy in the mirror"

4. "I got bitten by a radioactive squirrel"

3. "Vibrating underpants"

2. "It's a side-effect of the performance enhancing drugs I never used during my career"

1. "I still look better than Letterman"