A community sports blog written for sports fans by sports fans. The FanIQ Blog identifies the real sports experts by letting the average fan challenge the opinions and predictions of "experts" from the major sports sites.
Blog Details
Overall rank: 157654 Number of inbound blogs: 39 Number of incoming links: 101 RSS: RSS feed Last update: 2007-10-07 06:26:00 GMT Estimated value: $68,434
Analytics
Incoming clicks since last reset: 0 Outgoing clicks since last reset: 74
Latest Posts
In 2006-2007, Sam Mitchell was Coach of the Year. Now, he's not even a coach anymore, after being fired by the Raptors
Source: tsn.ca
College Basketball Games Nightly Schedule [Nightly Wrap Up]
There's not much on tonight aside from some more NCAA hoops. The ACC/Big Ten Challenge hasn't been much of a challenge so far for the ACC, but tonight the Big 10 can try to do some more damage, as Ohio State and Minnesota won for them yesterday. Key word: try.
College men's basketball: Indiana at Wake Forest (ESPN, 7:15 p.m.); Penn State at Georgia Tech (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.); North Carolina vs. Michigan State at Detroit (ESPN, 9:15 p.m.); Florida State at Northwestern (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.).
Everyone knew Tommy Tuberville's days were numbered after Auburn's awful season. Today that number reached zero
I did a post on how we've already seen some ridiculous college dunks this season. But who's the best dunker, period? [Intentional Foul]
Remember how Lil Romeo got a full ride to USC for basketball? Well, he's averaging 0.7 points per game. Solid recruiting work, USC. [The Sports Culture]
Word of advice to drunken NHL players. Don't grab each others junk in public. [My Safety Is Harvard]
What if the NFL Pro Bowl was only made up of only guys who had disgraced themselves? You'd get...pretty much the normal Pro Bowl roster. [Randball]
Shaq seemed to enjoy that hit by Ryan Clark on Wes Welker. At least his Twitter account says so. [PSAMP]
Ken Griffey Jr. might return to the Mariners DL.
What's your opinion? -- Provoke discussion by providing your take on the article. Be controversial. Source: seattlepi.nwsource.com
Yao Ming Transformer
Occasionally, you come across a toy so awesome, it simply leaves you speechless. This is one such case.
Just in time for Christmas comes the gift that I guarantee you will become 10 times more popular than Tickle Me Elmo and the Cabbage Patch Kids combined. It's the Yao Ming Transformer.
Let's just admire the greatness of this incredible gift.
Just be careful with this thing. Like Yao, it'll break if you breathe on it. By the way, whether my friends like it or not, they're all getting this for Christmas.
And in case you were wondering, yes, it's made in China. But then again, what isn't these days?
Shoot yourself in the leg, and you're suspended for the year. Help your friend hide the gun, and you can play next week
Source: www.sportsline.com
Chris Wright, Gerard Anderson, Jeff Teague Dunks Of The Year
I don't really watch college basketball that much until March Madness. That's primarily because I don't find the athleticism in the college nearly as intriguing as the athleticism in the NBA. By which I mean I don't see nearly as many guys in college getting dunked on. But that's all changing this year. Already we've seen three potential dunks of the year.
First up is my favorite. It's Cal State's Gerard Anderson absolutely destroying some midget on UNC Charlotte.
Next up is Anderson actually getting dunked on by Wake Forest's Jeff Teague.
And last, but certainly not least, we have Chris "Top Flight" Wright of Dayton nearly jumping out of the damn gym while soaring past a guy on Marquette.
While you can all debate how great these dunks are, there is no debating that "Top Flight" Wright is the nickname of the year in college basketball.
[HT: Fanhouse]
OJ's sentencing will be broadcast live on ESPN this Friday. I don't know why, but I'm psyched.
What's your opinion? -- Provoke discussion by providing your take on the article. Be controversial. Source: awfulannouncing.blogspot.com
3-year starter Greg Paulus is now riding the pine, has no NBA future, and might be wishing he took one of those football scholarship offers
Source: ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com
Charlie Weis Will Coach In 2009. A Look At Notre Dame's 2009 Schedule.
Yesterday, word came out that Charlie Weis would return to Notre Dame next year as head coach of the Fightin' Irish. This was despite losing 4 of their final 5 games, including huge losses to Boston College and USC and an embarrassing loss to Syracuse. Weis will enter his 5th season next year and his first recruiting class will be entering their senior year. It will be make or break time for Weis. But what are the long term ramifications of this decision? Will Weis survive next year and if he does, how much time does he buy himself?
Next year Notre Dame will be returning 14 of their 22 starters from this year's team. Among those returning will be 4 of their offensive lineman and quarterback Jimmy Clausen. There will be reason for excitement in South Bend next season. A quick look at the schedule looks like it is rather soft too.
2009 Notre Dame Football Schedule
Sept. 5 NEVADA
Sept. 12 at Michigan
Sept. 19 MICHIGAN STATE
Sept. 26 at Purdue
Oct. 3 WASHINGTON
Oct. 10 Open Date
Oct. 17 USC
Oct. 24 BOSTON COLLEGE
Oct. 31 vs. Washington State (at San Antonio, Texas)
Nov. 7 NAVY
Nov. 14 at Pittsburgh
Nov. 21 CONNECTICUT
Nov. 28 at Stanford
Nevada, Michigan, Purdue, Washington, Washington State, Navy, and Stanford all look like easy wins right now. That's 7 wins right there. That alone though, probably would not save Weis's job. Michigan State, Pittsburgh, UCONN, and Boston College all look like winnable games as well. Its possible that Notre Dame could win 11 games next year and get a BCS bid. That would most definitely save Weis's job. Most likely, Weis will survive 2009 and be coaching in 2010.
So how much time does this buy Weis? Two BCS blowouts early in his career have saved himself from these past two awful years, so one would imagine at least another year or two. Its known that Weis isn't popular around the Notre Dame campus, but winning makes everything okay. The Notre Dame A.D., alumni, and other big wigs will put up with Weis's ginormous ego if he's winning games, which should happen next year.
While its too early to judge Notre Dame's 2010 schedule, it doesn't appear to much more difficult than their 2009 schedule. By that point, Weis's current highly tauted sophomore class will be seniors, so Notre Dame should have another successful season. It appears that Notre Dame's decision to keep Weis may allow the talent he has accumulated to save his job and even eventually buy him some job security.
Weis doesn't appear to be a good enough college coach to actually win the big games though. He may be well on his way to being the next Lloyd Carr or Les Miles who have attained success (and a national title each) due only to the massive amounts of talent they had. However, neither guy is or was able to coach his team to victories over equally or more talented teams. Eventually, schools get annoyed with these guys, but it generally takes years upon years for this to occur. If this scenario plays our for Weis, he may be around for a very long time. He'll probably put up some very good years, but to the delight of Notre Dame haters he probably won't be reeling in any major victories.
Mike Leach met with Washington about their coaching vacancy. Probably because in the Pac 10, 1 loss against a top 5 team doesn't take you out of the BCS bowls
Source: sports.espn.go.com
Tennessee Signs Lane Kiffin For $2 Million, Will Cut Winter Heating Costs By That Same Margin
As someone with a family member in state education, I'm well aware of how big a financial toll a football program can take on a public institution. And when you combine that with the current state of the economy, you've got to wonder how some of these major programs are able to hire guys at these ridiculous salaries - like Lane Kiffin for $2 million per.
The answer? Stop heating your students. Or, at least that's what these headlines from back-to-back days in the Knoxville News Sentinel seem to suggest (courtesy of Deadspin).
You know what they say, the money's got to come from somewhere. Anyway, just to go over this is slightly more detail, from Monday's Knoxville News Sentinel:
Kiffin signed a memorandum of understanding Sunday morning, which included several items that will be included in his finished contract: Kiffin's deal runs through 2014 and averages $2.375 million over the six-year deal. He will earn $2 million this season.
University of Tennessee buildings will be colder this winter and warmer next spring as UT aims to cut its annual energy bill by $2 million. An energy conservation policy released Monday for the main Knoxville campus and adjacent agricultural campus requires indoor temperatures to be set at 68 degrees for heating and 76 degrees for cooling.
All I know is this. Kiffin better make it to a BCS game next season, or there's going to be hell to pay.
It's going to be a cold winter in Knoxville [Deadspin]
Red Sox hang on to their lucky leprechaun. Sign Pedroia to $40.5 million extension.
What's your opinion? -- Provoke discussion by providing your take on the article. Be controversial. Source: sports.espn.go.com
Stephen Colbert's Take On The Plaxico Burress Incident
For all of you out there who may already be sick of the constant Plaxico coverage, I apologize in advance. But sometimes, a story comes along that is just too good to be true. This is one of them, and as a result, this story probably won't go away too soon.
Stephen Colbert has always been a favorite of mine, and his Colbert Report on Comedy Central is definitely must-watch TV. Much like everyone else, he has addressed the ridiculous Plaxico Burress incident involving Plaxico shooting himself in the leg with a Glock that he had tucked into his sweatpants while in a nightclub.
As usual, Stephen's take on it is a bit different from (and better than) everyone else's. Check it out.
And if you live in Atlanta, do be careful around the mountain lions on the subway.
This year's NHL All Star game will look a lot like a Canadiens vs Red Wings game
Source: fanballoting.nhl.com
NFL Defends Ryan Clark Hit On Wes Welker
You may remember this hit above from this weekend's Steelers/Pats game. It's the one where Wes Welker had his brain scrambled by Ryan Clark, even though Welker was pulling up and wasn't anywhere close to the ball. And just to top it all off, Clark also launched himself into Welker, leaving both his feet, which is, you know, sort of dangerous. See, for all those reasons, the refs threw a flag on the play.
Naturally, today the NFL has stepped in to fine Clark for this vicious hit, right?
"A lot of people think it's a foul to leave your feet," ... Pereira said yesterday from New York. "Launching is not a foul. There is nothing in the rulebook that states that at all. It's a misconception people have.
"It is a foul to hit with your helmet against a defenseless receiver. It is a foul to throw a forearm into the neck or head area of your opponent. I don't think either of those things happened. I'm not a fan of those high hits but if you do it with your shoulder you're OK."
Wow, so this hit was totally cool then?
"When you look at it and slow it down it probably was not an illegal hit. You might have to factor in that it was deflected early and does that make it become late. But the actual hit itself is probably OK."
Oh, well that's good to know. Sure the hit that nearly paralyzed Welker was probably late, but the hit itself was OK. Which means everything's cool! Man, the logic behind Pereira's statement there is like saying, yes our bomb accidentally fell on a school, but we went through all the proper pre-drop requirements. Like that somehow makes the end result better.
Vegas has spoken: The Florida Gators are the favorites to win the National Championship
Source: pregame.com
White Sox Trade Javier Vazquez And Boone Logan To The Braves For Prospects, Including Tyler Flowers
The Chicago White Sox unloaded Javier Vazquez, in a deal that should be finalized soon, sending Vazquez and reliever Boone Logan to the Braves for a group of young players that reportedly includes Tyler Flowers, a catcher who is believed to have incredible upside. According to MLB.com's Hot Stove Blog, the Braves were unwilling to send Flowers to the Padres in exchange for former Cy Young winner Jake Peavy, so it's a bit curious that they would do so in a deal where they receive Vazquez, who is an average starter at best.
It looks like Chicago GM Ken Williams has done it again, and he may have fleeced the Braves pretty handily on this one, getting one of the best young catching prospects around for relatively little in return.
Neither Vazquez nor Logan could be considered dominant. Vazquez has shown flashes of potential, including his 2003 season in Montreal, when he struck out 241 and had an ERA of 3.24, and he also went 15-8 in 2007. A move back to the National League will probably benefit him quite a bit. Logan has a career ERA of 5.87, but he strikes out almost twice as many batters as he walks, and is only 24, so he has some potential for improvement.
We'll see how the deal shakes out in the long run, but for now it looks like the White Sox may have once again got a solid young player for relatively cheap, shades of their acquisitions of Carlos Quentin and Alexei Ramirez.
Patriots re-sign Roosevelt Colvin; He's expected to be in the lineup about 10 months too late for SB XLII
Today's FanIQ Blog goodness
Yesterday, word came out that Charlie Weis would return to Notre Dame next year as head coach of the Fightin' Irish. This was despite losing 4 of their final 5 games, including huge losses to Boston College and USC and an embarrassing loss to Syracuse. Weis will enter his 5th season next year and his first recruiting class will be entering their senior year. It will be make or break time for Weis. But what are the long term ramifications of this decision? Will Weis survive next year and if he does, how much time does he buy himself?
The Chicago White Sox unloaded Javier Vazquez, in a deal that should be finalized soon, sending Vazquez and reliever Boone Logan to the Braves for a group of young players that reportedly includes