December 2011

Coach Cal Not Forgotten In Memphis

John Calipari and Memphis TigersJohn Calipari has not coached at Memphis since the end of the 2009 season, but apparently not everyone realizes this fact. 

Sunday night, Murray State played at Memphis and during the pregame player introductions, the public address announcer blurted out Coach Cal’s name instead of current Memphis coach Josh Pastner.  Memphis fans, who were crushed when Calipari left for Kentucky two years ago, had one last opportunity to boo and jeer their former coach. 

To make things worse, Murray State upset the nationally ranked Tigers 76-72. 

 

Giants, Eagles & Redskins Shine In Upset Alert Recap

Giants four-point underdog vs CowboysOur weekend underdog picks flourished with a 3-0 record Sunday, including two selections winning straight up. 

The Giants were a four-point underdog at Dallas and came from 12 points down with under six minutes left, outlasting the Cowboys 37-34

Philadelphia was a three-point dog at Miami, but easily topped the Dolphins 26-10.

Monday, the Dolphins fired head coach Tony Sparano

Washington, a nine-point underdog to visiting New England, kept it close, losing to the Patriots 34-27.

Season record: 16-10-1

Cowboys Keep Losing Big Fourth Quarter Leads

Cowboys Keep Losing Big Fourth Quarter LeadsSunday night, the Giants rallied from a 34-22 deficit to beat the Cowboys 37-34. This was the third time this season that the Cowboys lost a game when they had at least a 12 point fourth quarter lead. The other collapses came against the Jets in Week 1 and the Lions in Week 4.

Prior to this season, this occurrence only happened twice in the entire 51 year history of the Dallas Cowboys franchise.

What You May Not Know About The Heisman Trophy

Heisman Trophy HistorySaturday, Robert Griffin III was awarded the 77th Heisman Trophy. The Baylor quarterback became the 76th man ever to receive the highly prestigious honor (Ohio State’s Archie Griffin is a two-time winner).

While gridiron fans are well aware of the exploits of this illustrious club of college football players, many followers of the game may not be as aware of the history and design of the trophy itself.

In 1935, New York’s Downtown Athletic Club instituted an award honoring the country’s top football player. The inaugural award, known as the DAC Trophy, was given to University of Chicago halfback Jay Berwanger.

Charlie Weis To Kansas Is Very Questionable

Kansas hires Charlie WeisThursday afternoon, the University of Kansas announced the hiring of Charlie Weis as the school’s new head football coach. This decision left many observers and fans scratching their heads.

Weis was only 16-21 in his last three years as head coach at Notre Dame, before being dismissed.

Last season, the former Patriots and Chiefs offensive coordinator served as offensive coordinator at Florida. The Gators finished 102nd nationally in total offense. 

Amid ongoing health issues, the Kansas job is Weis’ fourth gig in the last four years.

When told of the Weis hiring, none other than coaching legend Bobby Bowden chimed in with a rather negative take on KU’s choice:

"You got to be kidding me. He’s going to be the head coach?"

Dr. Krop High School Forgets The Hippocratic Oath?

The Hippocratic OathEarlier this year, South Florida’s Dr. Krop High School was hit with a $35,000 fine and a three-year ban from playing in the Florida state basketball playoffs for using an ineligible player. 

Added Greg Cote in the Miami Herald:  "When Dr. Krop breaks the rules, do they call it malpractice?"

Video Of The Worst Kick Return In History

Stephon Shelton kick returnAs the college football world celebrates Robert Griffin III’s acceptance of the Heisman Trophy, we at iFollowSports thought it would be fun to look back at maybe the worst play of the entire college football season.

Last weekend, Northern Iowa scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter to take a 21-14 lead over Wofford (SC) in an FBS playoff game.

On the subsequent kickoff, Wofford returner Stephon Shelton took the kick, but instead of kneeling in the end zone, Shelton walked around until one of the Panthers knocked the ball loose.  While Shelton was arguing with an official, UNI fell on the ball for a touchdown, leading to a 28-21 victory. 

Catch Shelton's act in the video below. 

 

Upset Alerts In Miami, Washington & Dallas

Eli Manning great 2011 seasonPhiladelphia is a three-point underdog at Miami. The Dolphins are a bad home team and it's time for the Eagles to finally wake up in a battle of 4-8 teams. Plus, Michael Vick is expected to return to the starting lineup for the Eagles. 

Washington is a nine-point underdog at home versus New England. Rex Grossman and the Redskins' defense will keep it close. 

The New York Giants are a four-point dog at Dallas. The Giants have been playing well on the road, while the Cowboys are only 4-7-1 against the spread this season.  We expect Eli Manning to continue his outstanding play and lead New York to an upset in the JerryDome.

 

 

Battier Represents A Huge Pick Up For The Heat

Shane Battier elite perimeter defenderBuried in all the news involving baseball signings and the Chris Paul fiasco, the Miami Heat made a huge signing that will really bolster their squad during the upcoming season. 

The club signed Shane Battier to a bargain contract of $9 million for three years. 

Miami was already a strong defensive team and the addition of Battier, an elite perimeter defender and ultimate team player, will further strengthen a Heat team that is the 2-1 favorite in Las Vegas to win this season's NBA title. 

Battier has always put wins ahead of statistics and titles before playing time. The Duke alum is the league's definition of a role player. 

The Heat's bench, which currently includes Mike Miller and Udonis Haslem, is now significantly better with the addition of Battier. 

Heisman Trophy Candidates: The Favorites

Trent Richardson and Andrew Luck Heisman Trophy2.  Andrew Luck, Stanford

Stanford's Andrew Luck finished second in the 2010 Heisman Trophy voting and was the preseason favorite this year. The 6-4, 235 pound junior quarterback threw for 9,083 yards and 80 touchdowns, even rushing for 960 yards during his career for the Cardinal.  In his final two seasons, he had a completion rate of more than seventy percent.

Luck had a brilliant first half in 2011, but fell off during games down the stretch, seriously hurting his Heisman chances.  Even though he undoubtedly will be the first player chosen in April's NFL Draft, his late season slump and lack of healthy wide receivers will relegate him to number two in the Heisman race again.

 

 

User login

Forgot password? Get password