Rotoworld: Oregon RB LaMichael James and Oklahoma State WR Justin Blackmon among top 10 players who are being overhyped for the 2012 draft.
SportsTalk: Albert Pujols signs with the Angels and Prince Fielder joins the Tigers. Which team is better now?
The Detroit Red Wings equaled an NHL record with their 20th straight win at home, beating the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 Sunday night on the strength of Johan Franzen's tiebreaking goal early in the third period.
PBT: Boston's Rajon Rondo continues to be named in trade talks, which is madness. The Celtics guard creates offense and makes everyone around him better, which was evident in Sunday's win over the Bulls.
Arc's five up, five down: After No. 11 Michigan State's 58-48 upset of No. 3 Ohio State, you'd be a fool to discount the Spartans' national title chances now.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods greeted their Sunday pairing at Pebble Beach with optimism. But the day would end happily only for one.
The United States completed a 5-0 rout of Switzerland in the Davis Cup on Sunday, with 19-year-old Ryan Harrison and John Isner winning closing singles matches.
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Tessa Worley of France fought off gusting winds to win a second consecutive World Cup giant slalom Sunday in the Andorran Pyrenees. Overall leader Lindsey Vonn was more than a second behind and finished eighth.
Robins: It’s the Year of the Dragon on the Lunar calendar, and this Chinese influence could extend to it also being the year of the Pekingese on the green carpet at the 136th Westminster Dog Show on Tuesday.
MISSISSIPPI
Say goodbye to ... David Cutcliffe
Coaching record: 44-29 in 6 seasons
Reason for leaving: Fired
Cutcliffe was the only coach in Ole Miss history to win at least seven games his first five seasons, and he was good enough not to cause quarterback Eli Manning to enroll elsewhere.
But a year after Manning’s departure to the NFL, the Rebels went 4-7. They lost four games by a total of 19 points. It was far from horrible, but not what Ole Miss fans and alumni had become accustomed to. In many respects Cutcliffe became a victim of his own success. This was one of those moves Ole Miss may one day regret.
Hello ... Ed Orgeron
Coaching record: First season as a head coach.
2005 prediction: 3-8
Mississippi clearly believes Orgeron can bring some of that USC magic back East. But it is taking a risk, as Orgeron, 43, has never been a head coach or even a coordinator. Then again, it didn’t have a lot of choice as higher-profile guys like Bobby Petrino, Dennis Erickson and Tyrone Willingham all said no thanks.
Orgeron’s reputation is built on his ability to recruit more than anything else. But he has already raised expectations, saying he wants to "build a top-of-the-line program so we can win national championships.’’ Yes, that was plural.
But it certainly won’t happen this year, as 29 lettermen have departed, highest in the league, and the Rebels are picked to finish near the bottom of the SEC West.
Long-term outlook: Well, recruiting to the pristine campus of USC and Los Angeles is one thing. Recruiting that same caliber athlete to Oxford, Miss. is quite another. Expectations are certainly higher after what Cutcliffe helped build, but whether they’re realistic or not is a whole other issue. But if Orgeron’s stint is measured by whether or not he can put together a national championship contender in the near future, it may be a short one.
Miami coach Al Golden says the worst is behind him, but his headaches figure to continue now that former booster Nevin Shapiro, now in jail, says his involvement with the Hurricanes program will result in stiff penalties.
CFT: Jordan Jefferson makes it clear he wasn't happy with LSU's game plan in the Tigers' BCS Championship Game loss to Alabama.
New coaches |
23 Division I-A schools start the 2005 season with a different sideline boss. Click on a school below to learn more. |
College football |
Zambia has won the African Cup of Nations, beating pre-tournament favorite Ivory Coast 8-7 on penalties in a dramatic final at Stade de l'Amitie.
Wesseling: Each NFL team enters the offseason with a series of pressing needs. Sometimes a team can address them all, sometimes they ignore them all. But if a team's smart, they'll listen to us. These are the most crucial aspects for AFC teams.
The Red Wings have finally started to embrace a record they've been chasing.