Thursday, August 30, 2007

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES


Tennessee QB Erik Ainge, a top prospect for the 2007 draft, has a broken little finger on his throwing hand, but is still expected to play Saturday when the Volunteers open the season at California in the big game of college football’s first weekend.....While Oregon State WR Sammie Stroughter, one of the most productive senior receivers in the country, has been practicing with the team this weekend, head coach Mike Riley is saying publicly that he remains doubtful whether Stroughter will actually play this season. Riley ruled out Stroughter from the Beavers’ season-opener tonight against Utah. Stroughter, who caught 74 passes for almost 1,300 yards in 2006, returned to practice last weekend from an 18-day hiatus to deal with the grief of losing several people close to him in the past year. Stroughter has a redshirt year and could sit out the season and return in 2008. Meanwhile, Arkansas WR Marcus Monk, another top prospect for the 2007 draft, has undergone a second arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Monk was injured in practice on early in August had the first surgery four days later. Monk will almost assuredly miss the Hogs season opener on Saturday and could also be questionable for Arkansas’ game with Alabama at Alabama on Septeber 15th.....Florida LT Phil Trautwein will miss at least Saturday's season opener against Western Kentucky because of a stress fracture in his right foot that could require season-ending surgery. Tennessee quarterback Erik Ainge has a broken pinkie on his throwing hand, but is expected to play Saturday at No. 12 California.... It appears that Mississippi DT Jerrel Powe could miss a third straight year of football as the NCAA has declared that Powe will not be academically eligible this season. Powe was a highly-regarded recruit back in 2005, but was academically ineligible for his first two years of college. Powe has been granted admission to Ole Miss and had been given a window to practice with the team until the NCAA came to its final ruling; in fact, Powe had been working with the Rebels’ 1st unit defense in practice. Mississippi reportedly is considering appealing the ruling while the family is reportedly considering legal action if Powe is indeed not allowed to play this fall.

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES


The Miami Herald reports that speculation on WR Chris Chambers' availability in trade is incorrect. The team does not want to trade him. "Who would we play?" queried a team source when asked about the validity of such a potential deal....The Detroit News reports that unless Lions RB Kevin Jones wows his doctors and training staff with a workout on Thursday, he's going to end up on the Physically Unable to Perform list for the start of the season. That designation forces him out of the first six games of the season and requires activation between Weeks 7 and 10 before being ruled out for the full year. "Right now I don't know where I'm at," Jones said. "My body is telling me to go and get in there and play. But it really isn't my decision. It is up to the doctors and the guys upstairs. The doctors say it is getting better but that it is better to take more time than less time. People can go out there too early and get hurt. They don't want me to go out and re-injure it again."....NFL Network reports that Jaguars WR Reggie Williams is on the trading block heading into the regular season. Williams had a hard time climbing the team's depth chart this preseason and isn't expected to be a major factor in their offense this season.... NFL Network reported that Bucs WR Michael Clayton is on the trading block. Clayton fell out of the competition to start for the club in training camp this summer.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

DNC strips Fla. of delegates -- primary wouldn't count

Home Sales, Factory Orders Up in July

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES


Tennessee TE Brad Cottam will be out for most of his senior season with a left wrist injury. Cottam injured his wrist during a scrimmage this week and has already undergone surgery.....
Oregon State WR Sammie Stroughter, who had been considered a leading prospect for the 2008 draft after he led the Pac-10 last season with 74 receptions and almost 1,300 yards, will reportedly take an indefinite leave of absence with to deal with several personal issues. Stroughter still has a redshirt available so could return next season if he doesn’t return later this fall or enter the upcoming NFL draft. Stroughter reportedly has been dealing with the grief of losing several people close to him, including two family members and a former assistant coach.....
South Carolina QB Blake Mitchell is one of three Gamecocks who will be suspended from the team’s season opener for missing summer school classes....
Starting Southern California RB Chauncey Washington sprained his right shoulder in ascrimmage this week and could miss the Trojans’ season opener. Washington, a fifth-year senior who sat out two years because of academic difficulties, led the Trojans in rushing last year with 744 yards on 157 carries.....
Boston College will reportedly not assess either OT Gosder Cherilus or DeJuan Tribble additional team discipline after the duo were charged charged with assault and battery in connection with a July bar fight. Both Cherilus and Tribble are considered first-day prospects for the 2008 draft. The two players reportedly will plead not guilty at their arraignment October 1.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

President Bush on Fire at VFW; Vietnam Comparison Angers Libs


BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Boy, the president was on fire today at the VFW convention in Kansas City. By the way, for the Hollywood liberals out there, VFW, Veterans of Foreign Wars, are soldiers -- rapists, murderers, barbarians, in your eyes. He has ticked off the Democrats. We're working on the sound bites of the speech even now, ladies and gentlemen. Even after the program has begun, we continue working for you, and, of course, ourselves. But he essentially said, "All right, you want to compare Iraq to Vietnam? Well, then let's compare Iraq to Vietnam," and he went on a tear about the millions of people who lost their lives, innocent people, when we left Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. He quoted the New York Times columnists who were saying the problem with America in the world is America's presence, particularly in Vietnam. It was a Vietnam-era column. He gave a history lesson. It was almost like this show. He went around the world. He described how the defeatists said the imperial Japanese government would never, ever be a democracy, we were silly to think that that could ever happen. He cited all the pessimists, he quoted them, and then he cited history and reality as it is today to show that they were all wrong. Soviet Union, South Korea, North Korea, you name it, he was just on fire.

Of course, it's got 'em all upset out there on the left. The text of the speech was released in advance. He even went after Carl Levin, not by name. He said, (paraphrasing) "Look, the Iraqis are a functioning democracy. It's up to them to decide who their leaders are, not a bunch of politicians in Washington." This is because Levin came back after he toured Iraq and said Maliki's gotta go, the prime minister of Iraq, Nouri al-Maliki, gotta go, and Bush said screw you, bud. By the way, Maliki has said the same thing, which is also terrific. He lashed out at US criticism saying no one has the right to impose timetables on his elected government and his country can find friends elsewhere. Mr. Prime Minister, you don't have any friends in the Democrat Party in this country. You have friends in certain Americans. You have friends in the White House. In the text of the president's speech he links withdrawal from Vietnam to the rise of the murderous Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia and asserts that the American pullout caused pain and suffering for millions. He said, "Whatever your position in that debate, one unmistakable legacy of Vietnam is that the price of America's withdrawal was paid by millions of innocent citizens whose agonies would add to our vocabulary new terms like boat people, reeducation camps, and killing fields."

Well, "Those assertions are already being criticized by Democrats, including the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, and at least one historian, Robert Dallek, a biographer of presidents Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon. Both said Mr. Bush was ignoring fundamental differences between the conflicts. Citing Cambodia in particular, Mr. Dallek said in an interview that the mayhem under the Khmer Rouge 'was a consequence of our having gone into Cambodia and destabilized that country,'" which is exactly what Bush said today, he said what they're going to say, and they are saying it. When I had my meeting with him, he was on fire about this. I had a sense something was up. I just got a sense that the gloves were about to come off here, but I didn't want to speculate on that because it was just a perception. But he took me around the world and gave me a current events lesson as to what's happening in various capitals and countries. He told me he was meeting with some leaders at NATO or European Union people. He had a couple of them come up to him and say essentially here what Dallek is saying: The problem with the world is the US goes too many places, and our interventionism destabilizes all these places that otherwise would be full of peace and tranquility. And Bush told me, "I looked at him right in the eye and I said the American people and the United States government are the solution. We are not the problem." And that's what he was saying today. That was the theme of this speech.


He also said that the Iraqi legislature's passed 60 different pieces of legislation and the creation of a budgeting process that would distribute oil revenue despite the lack of an oil revenue sharing law, which is one of the key benchmarks that Congress had set for the Iraqi parliament to meet. Congress had set the benchmark. They set these benchmarks in a way that would be almost impossible, which gave them the cover to start running around now talking about the political process. But did you see the headline in The Washington Post today? "Democrats Refocus Message on Iraq After Military Gains. Criticism Shifts to Factional Unrest." A coordinated effort here between the Drive-Bys and the Democrats. Listen to this opening line -- and you know this because I have told you this weeks ago before the Congress went on recess. "Democratic leaders in Congress had planned to use August recess to raise the heat on Republicans to break with President Bush on the Iraq war. Instead, Democrats have been forced to recalibrate their own message in the face of recent positive signs on the security front, increasingly focusing their criticisms on what those military gains have not achieved: reconciliation among Iraq's diverse political factions."

Folks, they have to stay invested in defeat right now for the sake of holding Congress. The kook base that they think determined the outcome of the '06 election (it's not the case, but that's what they think) their kook fringe lunatic base is going to force them to continue this position. They're going to try to recalibrate with the help of the Drive-Bys. They're going to try to have it both ways so that they can be supportive and acknowledging of the success everybody admits is occurring on the military side. But it doesn't matter in the end. We should still get out.

"And now the Democrats, along with wavering Republicans, will face an advertising blitz from Bush supporters determined to remain on offense. A new pressure group, Freedom's Watch, will unveil a month-long, $15 million television, radio and grass-roots campaign today designed to shore up support for Bush's policies before the commander of U.S. forces in Iraq, Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, lays out a White House assessment of the war's progress. ... The leading Democratic candidates for the White House have fallen into line with the campaign to praise military progress while excoriating Iraqi leaders for their unwillingness to reach political accommodations," that Democrats in Congress demand that they make. We need benchmarks for the US Congress, folks. They're not doing anything, which is good. It's great when they don't get anything done, but they are little ankle biters. They're out there harassing the president, trying to do all these investigations.

One more reference to the president's speech, because they did release the text early. This was in the Los Angeles Times. "Sen. Joseph R. Biden Jr. (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, criticized Bush's speech, saying the president 'continues to play the American people for fools. The only relevant analogy of Vietnam to Iraq is this: In Iraq, just as we did in Vietnam, we are clinging to a central government that does not and will not enjoy the support of the people.'" The people elected them! "Unless the president acts on that lesson from history and works toward a federal solution in Iraq, there is no prospect that when we leave, we will leave anything stable behind." Then they quote this historian again, Robert Dallek. "It just boggles my mind, the distortions I feel are perpetrated here by the president. We were in Vietnam for 10 years. We dropped more bombs on Vietnam than we did in all of World War II in every theater. We lost 58,700 American lives, the second-greatest loss of lives in a foreign conflict. And we couldn't work our will."

What the Democrats don't like, and what the left doesn't like, is they want the Iraq-Vietnam comparison all to themselves. They want to be able to be in control of the narrative of that comparison, and they want to be able to say, "See, we lost in Vietnam because we had no business being there. We destabilized the region, and we have no business being in Iraq. The president lied to us and people have died because the president lied," blah, blah. So when the president gives a speech and says, "Okay, you want some comparisons? Here's the one that counts." They just erupt and they have conniption fits.


BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: We have some President Bush sound bites ready to go here, and I really want to you hear these. I've asked Cookie to put together a couple of more from where he was quoting all the doomsayers, particularly in the media, during the Vietnam era. He cited a New York Times article or column. He didn't name the reporter. I'm having her dig that up. It was a powerful moment. I want you also to hear some of the things he said about Japan and how, after World War II, people said, "You're crazy! You're not going to make them a democracy. It's not going to happen. The Japanese don't have it in 'em." His point was that the doom-and-gloom crowd is consistent, and they've been consistent throughout history, and they've been consistently wrong, and yet they are still considered the "experts." He kept throwing that word around, with little quote marks in his voice: "Experts." You could tell he clearly disdains the "experts" that are cited by the other side. Here is one of his explanations of what happened after we left Vietnam and why we should not repeat it.

THE PRESIDENT: Many argued that if we pulled out, there would be no consequences for the Vietnamese people. The world would learn just how costly these misimpressions would be. In Cambodia, the Khmer Rouge began a murderous rule in which hundreds of thousands of Cambodians died by starvation and torture and execution. In Vietnam, former allies of the United States and government workers and intellectuals and businessmen were sent off to prison camps, where tens of thousands perished. Three decades later there is a legitimate debate about how we got into the Vietnam War and how we left. There's no debate in my mind that the veterans from Vietnam deserve the high praise of the United States of America. (applause)

RUSH: Right on. Right on. Right on. We cut the applause here in the interests of time, brevity being the soul of wit. Here's bite number two.

THE PRESIDENT: There's another price to our withdrawal from Vietnam, and we can hear it in the words of the enemy we face in today's struggle, those who came to our soil and killed thousands of citizens on September the 11th, 2001. Osama bin Laden declared that the American people had risen against their government's war in Vietnam, and they must do the same today. Bin Laden has declared that the war in Iraq "is for you or us to win. If we win it, it means your disgrace and defeat forever." Iraq is one of the several fronts in this war on terror. But it's the central front. It's a central front for the enemy that attacked us and wants to attack us again, and it's the central front for the United States -- and to withdraw without getting the job done would be devastating. (applause)

RUSH: Democrats are just out there fuming over this. They think they own the comparison to Iraq and Vietnam. By the way, I hasten to add that they've failed to make it. They're out there having to backtrack. They've been outmaneuvered again. This Washington Post story: "Democrats Refocus Message on Iraq After Military Gains," they just opened the door right into their nose again before they had a chance to go in the doorway. So now they're going to "recalibrate." They want this kind of flexibility, and the Drive-Bys give it to them. The Drive-Bys will never make them stick to a position. "Oh, oh, surge is doing well! Dingy Harry and Pelosi, you've gotta come up with something! Recalibrate, here, so you can have it both ways. We'll help you out. We'll keep your base for you, and you can get on board with this thing because reality is reality. You can't sit there and deny that." But they've tried. Everything the Democrats and the Drive-Bys have done the past three and a half, four years, has been to create negative public opinion about the war. It's turning around, and it's gotta be disappointing to them that this has happened and it has failed, their efforts failed, now that they're clearly seen on the side of defeat. We're not going to let 'em. On this program, we're not going to let 'em get back on this side, folks. They may try to "recalibrate," but it ain't gonna work here. Our disgronificator will not let their calibration equipment succeed. It ain't going to happen here.


These people own their position on this program and we are going to continually play you audio of what they said in the past four months, six months especially. Especially if you go back to April, March, when the whole surge idea was first floated, they have been opposing it. They have said it can't win. They said it's already defeated, blah, blah, blah. Just yesterday, the surge just finally hit full force, in terms of manpower. So they're out there trying to recalibrate. One of the things they tried to do was to say that this administration's the equivalent of Nixon and Watergate, with all this corruption and all this executive privilege and all these things going on that nobody knows about, like the immigration bill the Democrats were in charge of. Nobody knew about that, and when we found out about it, it was toast. They tried to say that the Iraq war is just Vietnam, a quagmire, we're going nowhere -- and, why? Because they want us to lose, and they were happy we lost in Vietnam. What they've forgotten is, after they succeeded in pulling off the loss in Vietnam by de-funding it, they nominated a guy like George McGovern who lost in a landslide to the -- at the time, hated and despised -- Richard Nixon. Yet they still go back to that era and look at it as an era of glory for them, and they seem hell-bent on emulating it. So, president comes along, destroys their comparison between Iraq and Vietnam, and puts it in his own words and now they're running around fulminating and they're getting all these historians to speak, too, saying that Bush is out of his mind, doesn't know what he's talking about, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Here's a little bite giving an interesting idea here of how many terrorists we are killing.

THE PRESIDENT: Day after day, hour after hour, they keep the pressure on the enemy that would do our citizens harm. We've overthrown two of the most brutal tyrannies in the world and liberated more than 50 million citizens. (applause) In Iraq, our troops are taking the fight to the extremists and radicals and murderers all throughout the country. Our troops have killed or captured an average of more than 1,500 Al-Qaeda terrorists and other extremists every month since January of this year. (applause)

RUSH: How about that? How about that? You know, ever since Vietnam, we don't get enemy casualty figures. You remember [General William] Westmoreland got sued over that because everybody said he was making them up. The Cronkites of the world were out there saying, "Ah, these battle figures and these enemy casualties, why, we don't necessarily believe this." So for policy reasons, those figures, exact figures are not announced. Now, since he said this... He told me this when we had a little meeting before dinner, and he gave me the monthly stats for July. I'm not going to repeat those. I mean, it's his province to do that, but he's said 1500 average a month captured and killed. He didn't give me the captured and kill total. He gave me the kill total. But that's still his province to talk about. Anyway, quick time-out. We've got a few more of these, followed by a brilliant bite by John Kerry -- who served in Vietnam, by the way -- to put all this in perspective.


BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: Three more bites here to go, two of the president and one of John Kerry. This is the president reassuring the VFW members he's not going to abandon Iraq or the surge.

THE PRESIDENT: Today our troops are carrying out a surge that is helping bring former Sunni insurgents into the fight against extremists and radicals, into the fight against Al-Qaeda, into the fight against the enemy that would do us harm. As they take the initiative from the enemy, they have a question: Will their elected leaders in Washington pull the rug out from under them just as they're gaining momentum and changing the dynamic on the ground in Iraq? Here's my answer: We'll support our troops; we'll support our commanders, and we will give them everything they need to succeed. (applause)

RUSH: Right on, right on, right on, right on, right on, right on, right on. Now, you know, Carl Levin came out yesterday and said (summarized), "Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has gotta step down. The guy's incompetent. They're not meeting the political benchmarks. Yeah, the surge is working, I saw it with my own eyes, but this guy's gotta go," and Bush decided to reply to that in these remarks today.

THE PRESIDENT: Many are frustrated by the pace of progress in Baghdad, and I can understand this. As I noted yesterday, the Iraqi government is distributing oil revenues across its provinces, despite not having an oil revenue law on its books, but the parliament has passed about 60 pieces of legislation. Prime Minister Maliki's a good guy, good man with a difficult job, and I support him -- and it's not up to the politicians in Washington DC to say whether he will remain in his position. That is up to the Iraqi people who now live in a democracy and not a dictatorship! (wild applause)

RUSH: And they came to their feet in Kansas City with that remark! So with all this in perspective, the president laying out the genocidal scope of death in Vietnam and Laos and Cambodia after we left Vietnam. Unfinished business. Back on July 19th of this year, C-SPAN's Washington Journal hosted Senator John Kerry (who served in Vietnam) and he got a caller from Lubbock, Texas, on the Democrat line. The caller said, "I remember the horrible killings after Vietnam and the boat people coming over here, and I'd really hate to go off and leave our allies over in Iraq and I'm concerned about that."

KERRY: Let me just say to the first part of your question with respect to boat people and killing, everybody predicted a massive bloodbath in Vietnam. Uh, there was not a massive bloodbath in Vietnam. There were reeducation camps, and they weren't pretty and, and, and, you know, uh, nobody, you know, likes that kind of outcome. But on the other hand, I've met lot of people today who were in those education camps, who are thriving in the Vietnam of today.

RUSH: Well, let's come out for reeducation camps! I mean, if you're thriving in Vietnam after a reeducation camp, let's try 'em here! That may be what the Democrats can secure their future with is reeducation camps. If your kids, after 12 years of school and then college still don't get how wonderful liberals are, just send them to reeducation camps. Those were communist-run reeducation camps! He never met a communist he didn't want to defend. These people don't criticize communists. Talking about these reeducation camps, "They weren't pretty," he said. "You know, nobody likes that kind of outcome, but, on the other hand, I met a lot of people, they really went well through those things, and thriving well in Vietnam today." Everything is an either/or, BUT... There's an "and" or something. Yeah, nobody wants that, BUT... He just can't come out and say what they did was wrong. You know what this guy was saying when he got back from Vietnam. We don't have to go through that again. There wasn't a massive bloodbath in Vietnam? (sigh) I don't know. It's revisionist history. I think these people try to revise history. In the process of reviving it they end up believing the lies they are using to revise the truth of history.


RUSH: This is Andrew in San Diego. Andrew, greetings sir, you're on the EIB Network.

CALLER: Mr. Limbaugh, it's a pleasure to talk to you. I've been listening to you for about 14 years, which puts me in seventh grade, I think, when I began.

RUSH: A Rush Baby.

CALLER: A Rush Baby, proud one. I just wanted to thank you for inspiring me to teach high school a few years ago and you've also inspired me to join the military.

RUSH: Wow.

CALLER: So my point is, I guess, if there's any.... My mother and I woke up this morning and were reading the newspaper and we saw The Washington Post's article there on the Drudge Report. I said, "You know, mom, if there's any question left about the Democrats' patriotism and their willingness to play politics with my friends and, you know, your son eventually, when I go over to fight, there is no question left. They're willing to do anything and everything to remain in power," and I said, "So if you call them 'unpatriotic,' mom, it's okay." She said, "Well, but they'd get really offended at that," and I said, "Well, the truth is offensive most of the time to most of the people," but it's just absolutely ridiculous to me to watch these people, because I live right outside of DC now. I'm just visiting my family in San Diego. But to watch these people play games with my friends' lives and the lives, and the blood of the American people, I just don't understand it anymore.

RUSH: Yeah you do. You understand it.

CALLER: Eh.

RUSH: You may not want to believe that it's true, because it is so deeply disturbing and offensive. You understand it. You nailed it: They're playing politics with the lives of American troops.

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: They want to be able to "recalibrate their message." They want to be able to shift their message and have the media promote whatever the new calibration of the message suggests, so that they are able to stay on the offensive about this in whatever message they want. They're not being held accountable. The Drive-Bys give 'em a pass on this. People like you notice it. This would not have happened 18, 20 years ago. People like you notice it, so do the guys that you're going to serve with.

CALLER: Yeah.

RUSH: They know all this is happening, and while this may not have demoralized the troops, it certainly has encouraged the enemy.

CALLER: Yes.

RUSH: That is also unconscionable. It's also true that this bickering in Washington has led to some problems -- a Democrat even admitted this -- in the political solution moving forward.

BREAK TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: That's right. There was no massive bloodbath in Vietnam, no massive bloodbath in Cambodia, no massive bloodbath in China, no massive bloodbath in Soviet Union, Cuba, Rwanda, you name it! The tolerance for bloodbaths in the Democratic Party is stunning. Of course, they love the people, folks! They love the people more than we do -- because they tell us all the time, don't they?

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS


RB Larry Johnson and the team had been in contract talks for some times and both sides felt good about a deal getting done soon. Well, on Tuesday, both sides reached an agreement on a six-year deal. Johnson had been working out hard on his own for a long time and joined his teammates for practice. In other team news of note, starting OLT Damion McIntosh (knee) returned to limited practicing last weekend and has a chance to be ready to play by the first week of the regular season.....
In a surprising move, the Eagles have informed starting MLB Jeremiah Trotter that he will be released. Second-year LB Omar Gaither is expected to take over the starting job and had backing him up during training camp and Gaither also saw most of the practice reps in practice on Monday.Gaither played very well for the team last season playing on the weak side....
The Boston Globe reports that Patriots RB Laurence Maroney has been cleared for contact by team doctors. However, that doesn't mean that he's going to play in the team's next preseason game at Carolina. Maroney has been on the mend following offseason shoulder surgery. Coach Bill Belichick wouldn't commit to Maroney's playing status, but the paper thinks we'll see him before the start of the regular season. "I think in general, players need to practice and play to get ready to play," said Belichick. " ... There has to be some middle ground between working and getting the team to be able to execute to a certain level and at the same time you don't want them worn down by the time you get to the season.".....
After Matt Schaub hit TE Owen Daniels for 45 yards on three catches at Arizona, he told the Houston Chronicle that he's going to have an eye for Daniels this season. "I've always liked throwing to my tight ends," Schaub said. "They can be an incredible asset in the middle of the field. It keeps the safeties back and helps open up the running game."....
According to The Sports Xchange, Giants TE Michael Matthews of Georgia Tech (6-4, 270) vowed when signed as an undrafted rookie to make the team. "I'm a good tight end and I'm going to be on this final roster," he said. It is beginning to look as though he will make good on his boast. Matthews has been eye-catching with his blocking skills and, with the loss of Darcy Johnson (knee, IR) he should join fifth-round draft pick Kevin Boss as the two backups to starter Jeremy Shockey.

Monday, August 20, 2007

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES


TCU DE Tommy Blake, one of the most disruptive pass rushers in college football, will reportedly be back on campus later today after taking several days off for what have been described as personal issues. The 6-3, 250-pound tweener led the Mountain West with seven sacks last season.....
Alabama CB Simeon Castille, a decent prospect for the 2008 draft, was reportedly arrested early Sunday on a disorderly conduct charge in an entertainment district near campus. Castille, who led Alabama with five interceptions and three recovered fumbles last fall, was later released on bond. No word so far from the school as to whether he could face additional disciplinary action.....
Texas WR Billy Pittman, a decent second tier type prospect for the 2008 draft, is out indefinitely after injuring his left shoulder. News of Pittman’s injury comes just a few days after fellow senior Limas Sweed suffered a sprained left wrist, leaving his status in question for the Longhorns’ season-opener September 1st against Arkansas State.....
Florida State fullback Joe Surratt, one of the better pure blocking backs in college football, is out indefinitely after fracturing his right fibula. The 250-pounder will undergo surgery Monday. Surratt could be back by midseason, but FSU has not ruled out the possibility of a redshirt.....
Florida State fullback Joe Surratt, one of the better pure blocking backs in college football, is out indefinitely after fracturing his right fibula. The 250-pounder will undergo surgery Monday. Surratt could be back by midseason, but FSU has not ruled out the possibility of a redshirt.....
Oregon DE Victor Filipe has reportedly left the team for personal reasons and will likely transfer. Filipe did not play last year because of an elbow injury.

Iran shells villages in Iraq

Thursday, August 16, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES


The Sports Xchange reports that Bills rookie RB Marshawn Lynch had just two carries (for three yards) in his NFL debut at the Saints, but he's expected to get a lot more work in Friday's preseason home opener against the Falcons....
Seventh-round receiver Syndric Steptoe has been a pleasant surprise for Crennel and the Browns, reports The Sports Xchange. He is only 5-foot-9 but will challenge big safeties for the ball. He caught two passes for 36 yards and returned three punts for 15 yards against the Chiefs....
Browns WR Tim Carter has been sidelined with a thumb injury. He has watched Browns special teamer Joshua Cribbs work in his place with some success....
The Sports Xchange reports that Bills CB Jason Webster is now playing left corner with Terrence McGee shifting to right, the old spot held by the departed Nate Clements. The Bills are curious to find what side each is most comfortable at and to also develop interchangeable parts. Also, SS Donte Whitner is playing on the slot receiver in the club's nickel package. The coaches like his physical style at the point of attack, but continue to experiment.

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES


Miami senior LB Glenn Cook, a late-round/free agent type prospect for the 2008 draft, likely will miss at least the first month of the regular season, and possibly longer, with an injured foot. The 6-0, 220-pound Cook, who started 11 games last season for Miami and had 36 tackles, may ultimately need surgery....
An MRI has reportedly revealed that star Arkansas WR Marcus Monk has only a bone bruise. After Monk limped off the field late yesterday, there had been concerns that he might have torn ligaments, but the MRI showed no structural damage. Monk, a first-day prospect for the 2007 draft, is still questionable for Arkansas' season opener against Troy on September....
The mother of Arkansas junior RB Darren McFadden, potentially one of the very top prospects for the 2008 draft, said last night in that her son has in fact not yet decided to bypass his senior season and enter the upcoming draft. Mini Muhammed was quoted by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette as saying “ I’m not trying to tell anything that hurts my son. I don’t want to be the one that advertises Darren is going to the NFL. ” That was after was quoted by ESPN as saying McFadden had told her that he’d be ‘through’ in December. Muhammed said her son called her after hearing of the report and asked her not to discuss it further. The 6-1, 215-pound McFadden ran for almost 1,700 yards and 14 TDs last fall....
Pittsburgh Derek Kinder, a solid mid-round draft prospect, will miss the season after tearing an ACL in practice yesterday. The 6-0, 205-pound Kinder had 57 catches for 847 receiving yards and six touchdowns last fall....
Back in the spring we put Southern Methodist MLB Reggie Carrington on the list of players to note for the ‘Player to Watch’ series, but when we went to write him up discovered that he had left the team. The 6-1, 240-pound Carrington had been granted an extra year of eligibility after missing the 2004 season with a wrist injury, but after a strong spring opted not to use it....

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Willzo Pulls Trigger


JONZUN FFL 2007 DRAFT ORDER

Streak
Replay
PE
DSuit
Funk
Prop
Cats
Steamers
Scoob
Mex
Fifes
Boozers

Milk Prices Rise to Record Highs

ITS NOT BECAUSE OF ETHANOL!

Sunday talk show tip sheet

Friday, August 10, 2007

NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS


The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Vikings rookie RB Adrian Peterson was told by coaches that he would play in the club's Aug. 10 preseason game vs. St. Louis. Coach Brad Childress had him as a "game-time decision."....
Cincinnati RB Kenny Irons, the Bengals 2nd round pick at the 2007 draft, hurt his left knee in last night’s pre-season loss at Detroit. Irons left the stadium on crutches with his left knee heavily wrapped and will have an MRI exam....

Thursday, August 09, 2007

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES


Duke junior LB Michael Tauiliili, one of the 0-12 Blue Devils very few legitimate future pro prospects, has been suspended indefinitely for violating team policies. Tauiliili led the Blue Devils in tackles in each of his first two seasons when he had 186 total stops including 20 for loss. Meanwhile, Texas has announced that sophomore LB Sergio Kindle, one of the most promising players in the country at the position, will miss the first three games of the 2007 season after being charged with a DUI over the summer.....
Back in the spring we put Southern Methodist MLB Reggie Carrington on the list of players to note for the ‘Player to Watch’ series, but when we went to write him up discovered that he had left the team. The 6-1, 240-pound Carrington had been granted an extra year of eligibility after missing the 2004 season with a wrist injury, but after a strong spring opted not to use it.....
Portland State RB MuAmmir Ali has reportedly decided to pass on a 6th year of eligibility granted him by the NCAA and instead will prepare for the 2008 draft. Ali isn’t all that big at a listed 5-8, 205, however, he’s a former high school track star with the speed to run the 40 in the 4.35 range. Ali played three years at New Mexico State where he rushed for over 600 yards in his career before transferring to Portland State. Last fall, Ali had 600 rushing in 6 games for the including a 139 yard outing against D1A Oregon....
Former Mississippi starting quarterback Brent Schaeffer has been moved to wide receiver, offensive coordinator Dan Werner said Wednesday.
The move clears the way for Seth Adams to take over as the Rebels' starting quarterback. Adams, Schaeffer and Michael Herrick have been competing for the job since the start of preseason practice last week....
Texas freshman defensive tackle Andre Jones has posted bail and been released from jail after his arrest Aug. 3 on a felony robbery charge.Jones is charged with aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. He is accused of participating in a holdup in an Austin apartment where cash, video game equipment and cell phones were stolen.

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS

According to the Miami Herald, Dolphins coach Cam Cameron listed Trent Green and Cleo Lemon as co-starters on the team's first released depth chart of the year Monday. Green and Lemon are the only two players sharing a role on the depth chart's first team. The chart uses a slash between their names, with Green's name listed first.....
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, coach Bobby Petrino revealed Monday that four-time Pro Bowl TE Alge Crumpler will be out at least a week after suffering a setback in his return from offseason arthroscopic knee surgery. Crumpler received an outside medical opinion last Friday and was advised to stop all football-related activity. Crumpler has taken part in only a handful of the team's 15 practices since training camp opened July 26. Of the practices in which he's participated, he did only a limited amount of work. Crumpler, who led the Falcons in receptions (56) for the second straight season, did not take part in mini-camps or other offseason workouts while rehabilitating from surgery.....
According to the Plain Dealer, Browns coach Romeo Crennel listed Charlie Frye first at QB and Derek Anderson second. That doesn't mean that Frye would start the first preseason game against Kansas City on Saturday night. Crennel said he may decide the starter with a coin toss before the game. Crennel said at the beginning of training camp that Frye had "a leg up" on the starting role based on his game experience advantage. Now he won't even say that Frye has a leg up. Frye actually has looked better through the first 10 days of training camp than he did in the offseason....
Terrell Owens' back pain is just spasms and isn't considered serious. An MRI done Monday, after Owens missed the Dallas Cowboys' practice for the second straight day, showed no problems. The Cowboys had the exam done because the 33-year-old receiver still had muscle stiffness a day after being treated by team trainers. Even before the test results came back, coach Wade Phillips didn't sound concerned. "We feel sure that he just has back spasms, but we don't want to take any chances," Phillips said after the first of the team's two practices. "There's no alarm, but we wanted to make sure." Before missing Sunday, Owens had taken part in four straight workouts since being given time off by Phillips to rest his sore legs. Owens went through drills at full speed without any apparent problems during workouts, including two Saturday.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

COLLEGE FOOTBALL NEWS AND NOTES


Michigan has reportedly reinstated WR Adrian Arrington. Arrington had caught 40 passes for 544 yards and eight touchdowns last season, but was suspended for violating one of those proverbial team rules.....
LSU has reportedly re-instated sophomore QB Ryan Perilloux, the former #1 recruit who has had his share of recent off-field troubles. In particular, Perilloux had been listed by federal authorities as a person of interest in a counterfeiting probe and was arrested for trying to illegally enter a riverboat casino using his older brother's ID.....
Alabama junior WR Tyrone Prothro, a once-promising prospect, reportedly will not play again for the Tide because of a serious leg injury. Prothro fractured his left leg in 2005 and has had at least three operations since including one in March.

Sunday talk show tip sheet

NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS


Roy Williams will happily share some catches with rookie Calvin Johnson. He's not going to give up his fans. Johnson was cheered every time he touched the ball at the Detroit Lions' public workout Saturday at Ford Field, but it was Williams who entertained the crowd. "It's great to be out here, having some fun with our fans," Williams said. Early in the 90-minute workout, Williams caught a touchdown pass from Jon Kitna, then sprinted over to the stands to high-five a brand-new bride. "That was a first for me," he said with a grin....
Chargers wide receiver Eric Parker underwent toe surgery on Friday and could miss up to 10 weeks. Parker had a cracked sesamoid bone near his right big toe repaired. The surgery was performed by a foot specialist in Seattle. Parker injured the toe during a minicamp in June. He had yet to practice in training camp. "They just felt the best thing for him was to do the surgery," Chargers coach Norv Turner said. "We'll just hope the procedure went well and we get him back as soon as we can."....
Bears WR Muhsin Muhammad missed a fourth straight practice Saturday for what head coach Lovie Smith called a "leg injury."....

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Soldier Censored at Kos Convention

7 MUSLIMS Arrested in Death of Oakland Newspaper Editor

NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS


The Chiefs, who traveled to Mankato, Minn., Friday afternoon to begin two days of practice with the Vikings, have a nice mix of youth and experience in their secondary matching second-year Ss Bernard Pollard and Jarrad Page with starting CBs Ty Law (13th year) and Patrick Surtain (10th year).

Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham compares his safety tandem favorably with former Chiefs Reggie Tongue and Jerome Woods, who also broke into the starting lineup in their second year and the cornerbacks, if healthy, should be solid.

Law, who led the Chiefs with four interceptions last year, is eager for a productive 2007 after struggling through foot problems for much of the last two years.

"I feel better, I'm stronger and I can do some things with my foot that I haven't been able to do," said Law, who estimated that he is performing at 90 percent efficiency. "It's always in the back of your mind, but I can play more unconscious than I have in the past two years. I'm still getting confidence in my play and my ability to cut because it's something new every day. You're still kind of hesitant because you have to play a certain technique to take pressure off. You sometimes try not to break off of that left foot, but I'm doing things unconsciously now like that interception today. I broke on my bad foot and I was like, wow, it works. Hopefully, Lord willing, I'll be 100 percent come Opening Day."
Law also likes the moves Kansas City made at linebacker, bringing in two veterans, Donnie Edwards and Napoleon Harris to flank Derrick Johnson.

"I think it's great to bring in a guy like Donnie Edwards," said Law. "To be able to get him was big and he's been a great, consistent player for a long time and I'm happy that we don't have to play against him again. You can count on this guy getting four to five worth of turnovers a year. That's big for any defense, so I'm glad we got him. We also got Napoleon Harris who is a proven guy that has a lot of speed to run the ball down and I'm happy about it. Hopefully we can get some of these blitz packages in and Patrick Surtain and I can do some more one-on-one stuff from the corners to be a complete defense."

Friday, August 03, 2007

Survey shows just 3% approve of Congress

Murtha nabs $150M pork


NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS


Terrell Owens returned to practice with the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday afternoon for the only workout of the day. Owens was back on the field in full uniform and taking part in drills. T.O. sat out both workouts Wednesday, a day after coach Wade Phillips had the receiver take it easy to rest a sore hamstring. Phillips said Wednesday that Owens wasn't injured. Owens missed 14 straight workouts in training camp last year because of a hamstring problem, though an MRI showed no major problems.....
Rams WR Torry Holt told the media Thursday that his surgically repaired right knee (torn cartilage) is not perfect for the start of the year. "To be very modest, 70 percent," Holt said. "It's feeling pretty good -- not bad. I'm coming around. I'm cutting and doing the things that I've done in the past, so that's a good sign. I'm just going to keep building on it, keep strengthening, keep icing and picking my spots within this training camp and, most importantly, be ready to roll once we open up against Carolina." Rams coach Scott Linehan added that he won't push Holt much in camp so that he's ready to start the season....
Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson left Thursday's practice with an injury after taking an elbow to his hip while catching a pass in a drill, but he said it wasn't serious. His status is day to day, but he's unlikely to participate in weekend scrimmages against the Chiefs. Backfield mate Chester Taylor is also not expected to suit up against the Chiefs. He has been bothered this week by a bruised forearm. "It's not a big deal at all," said Peterson, who called the injury a minor hip pointer....

Russian sub plants flag under North Pole


Thursday, August 02, 2007

NFL NEWS AND NOTES


Randy Moss missed the New England Patriots morning practice Thursday, one day after the wide receiver apparently injured his left leg during a passing drill. Moss pulled up midway through Wednesday's practice. Medical trainers applied ice to his upper left leg, and he later left the field under his own power. Patriots coach Bill Belichick did not discuss the specifics of Moss' injury and did not know when Moss would return to practice. "Randy's good, day to day," Belichick said after the team's first practice of the day....
Broncos linebacker Warrick Holdman was carted off the field and taken by ambulance to a hospital Thursday after he appeared to injure his head or neck. There was no immediate word on the extent of his injury, although he was moving his arms and legs. Holdman appeared to hit the crown of his helmet on another player's helmet and crumpled to the grass midway through the morning workout. He was rolled over onto his back after a minute, but stayed down for eight minutes. His teammates gathered around him as he was strapped to a headboard and carted off the field to a waiting ambulance.....
The San Antonio Express-News reports that Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is OK with waiting until the end of the 2007 season to renegotiate Tony Romo's contract. Romo is scheduled to be a free agent after this season. "If he's the quarterback I think he is, he's going to get his money," Jones said. "When we've had a quarterback that could compete at a Super Bowl level, we've always paid -- and welcomed the chance to do it. ... We want Tony to be our quarterback for a long time."....

Peter King from Sports Illustrated reports that new Browns RB Jamal Lewis appears to be in great shape coming off of offseason ankle surgery. Lewis is motivated to have a rebound season and wants it to be known that his weight is no longer an issue. "I weigh 239, not 251 or 252, like I used to," Lewis said. "This is the best I've felt in a long time."

A Special Counsel for Spitzer

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

NFL TRAINING CAMP NEWS

Dallas Cowboys receiver Terry Glenn had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday, the same day Terrell Owens got a break from practice to rest his sore hamstring. While an MRI showed no serious damage after Glenn hurt his knee in practice Sunday, the decision was made to have the procedure after he kept having pain. He is expected to be out about two weeks. "There's a little positiveness here because if there's a little something loose there, we can get it out," owner Jerry Jones said. "There was something loose, some little cartilage or something in the joint. They thought they'd get it out now. We don't think it's serious."




Frank Gore, the San Francisco 49ers Pro Bowl running back, broke a bone in his right hand Monday during the first padded practice of training camp and might not play in the preseason. Gore was injured during a non-contact ball-handling drill, and coach Mike Nolan said he would not practice with the team for the remainder of the week. Gore will be re-evaluated next Monday, and Nolan expects him to return to practice then with a cast on his hand. "He'll be ready for the latter part of preseason, but his participating in the preseason, we'll wait and see on that," Nolan said....

The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Vikings RB Chester Taylor was carted off the practice field Tuesday with a right shoulder contusion, according to coach Brad Childress. Taylor was later spotted on an exercise bike wearing padding with no hard cast. He did not comment on the status of his arm....

Packers coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that the knee injury sustained by projected starter Vernand Morency was worse than the team's medical staff originally thought, and that he now expects Morency to be out "a couple" of weeks. The good news: McCarthy said Morency probably won't need arthroscopic surgery. "I don't think so, no," McCarthy said. "(Team doctor) Pat McKenzie just thinks it's a little more serious than he initially thought. Just like I said, it's going to be maybe a couple weeks."