FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Bengals Make Chris Henry a Captainhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/bengals-make-chris-henry-a-captain/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/bengals-make-chris-henry-a-captain/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/bengals-make-chris-henry-a-captain/#commentsFiled under: ,

Hold up! Wait! What!?!?

Well, for one night only, the Cincinnati Bengals made Chris Henry one of their team captains during last night's final preseason game:
Wide receiver Chris Henry, dressed in uniform number 15, was in a group of players at midfield before the game, representing the Bengals as a team captain during the coin toss against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium on Thursday night.

Now, let's play a game of "What Does This Mean?"

-Was it the Bengals way of trying to send a message to Henry that they expect him to be an upstanding citizen and teammate?

-Was it the Bengals way of trying to tell the NFL that these preseason games are a joke?

-Was it Marvin Lewis' way of smacking owner Mike Brown by overly "accepting" Henry back ... even if he doesn't want him?

 

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]]>Chris HenryChrisHenryMarvin LewisMarvinLewisSportz Assassin2008-08-29T12:18:00 00:00Gustav Forces St. John's to Cancel Mexico Triphttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/gustav-forces-st-johns-to-cancel-mexico-trip/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/gustav-forces-st-johns-to-cancel-mexico-trip/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/gustav-forces-st-johns-to-cancel-mexico-trip/#commentsFiled under: ,

Hurricane Gustav has already affected the New Orleans Saints. Now it is changing the St. John's Red Storm's plans to tour Mexico.

St. John's was supposed to take a five day trip to Cancun, Mexico where they'd play a couple of games against international teams. By NCAA rule, they were allowed to have 10 days of practice before the trip. Since the trip in cancelled, they cannot continue those practices.
"We were looking forward to the trip to Cancun, but with the severe weather in the area we decided it best to keep our team and student-athletes out of potential harm's way," St. John's coach Norm Roberts said. "We are disappointed, but it is the right thing to do, and we were able to get a few great days of practice in and get the freshmen on the court for one day as well. We're all really looking forward for the 2008-09 season, and will get a chance to travel internationally before next year begins."

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-29T03:03:00 00:00Quinn Gray Shows Us How Not to Claim a Third-String QB Jobhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/quinn-gray-shows-us-how-not-to-claim-a-third-string-qb-job/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/quinn-gray-shows-us-how-not-to-claim-a-third-string-qb-job/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/29/quinn-gray-shows-us-how-not-to-claim-a-third-string-qb-job/#commentsFiled under: , ,

A couple of days ago, I wrote that Quinn Gray's horrible play against the Bills would probably cost him a job. He was competing with Jared Lorenzen to be the third-string quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts.

Peyton Manning and Jim Sorgi have the top two spots nailed down.

Despite his bad showing on Sunday, Gray got the starting nod last night against the Cincinnati Bengals. He ran five plays in two series ... gaining a total of one yard ... and then fumbled on his own 10 yard line.

That was it ... for a while. Lorenzen then came in for the second and third quarters -- going 9-of-16 for 91 yards and an interception.

Gray finished up the fourth quarter ... completing just 3-of-12 passes for 37 yards. At least he didn't throw a pick in this game!

I don't see how Gray sticks on this team. He has completed just 49% of his passes during preseason (49 is also his QB rating), with six interceptions and just two TDs. Lorenzen wasn't much better, but he had a better completion percentage, QB rating and threw half the picks.

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-29T01:16:00 00:00Michael Phelps To Host Season Premiere of 'Saturday Night Live'http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/michael-phelps-to-host-season-premiere-of-saturday-night-live/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/michael-phelps-to-host-season-premiere-of-saturday-night-live/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/michael-phelps-to-host-season-premiere-of-saturday-night-live/#commentsFiled under:

When you win eight gold medals at one Olympics, you get to do a lot of neat stuff when you get home. SI covers, Corn Flakes boxes, Speedo deals and media demands.

Michael Phelps will do just that, as he will host the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live". The show kicks off its 34th season on September 13th with Lil' Wayne as the musical guest.

Of course, it is always dicey when an athlete hosts SNL. Some do really well (Peyton Manning) while others have come off bland (LeBron James). Some just stunk up the joint (Lance Armstrong).

Others have had iconic appearances. There was Michael Jordan hanging with Stuart Smalley ... Tom Brady in "Sexual Harassment and You" skit ... and Joe Montana as a chronic masturbator. Let's see what the writers can come up with for the great Olympian.

Michael Phelps is a bit of an unknown. Aside from the fact that he's a ridiculous swimmer, we don't too much about his personality. I guess we'll find out in a few weeks.

 

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]]>Joe MontanaJoeMontanaLance ArmstrongLanceArmstrongLeBron JamesLebronJamesMichael JordanMichael PhelpsMichaelJordanMichaelPhelpsPeyton ManningPeytonManningTom BradyTomBradySportz Assassin2008-08-28T02:08:00 00:00Coach K To Stay Involved With USA Basketball ... Just Not As a Coachhttp://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/coach-k-to-stay-involved-with-usa-basketball-just-not-as-a-c/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/coach-k-to-stay-involved-with-usa-basketball-just-not-as-a-c/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/coach-k-to-stay-involved-with-usa-basketball-just-not-as-a-c/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski had an amazing time as the head coach of the USA Men's Basketball team over the past three seasons. The commitment that he and the players made to the team paid off with a gold medal in the Olympics last week.

While it isn't expected that Coach K will stay on as the head coach of the team, he does want to stay involved with the team:
"It's a critical time to use the momentum we've gained over the past three years to make us even stronger in basketball," Krzyzewski said. He said that once the "gold dust" settles there will be movement on this topic.

When asked if he would coach the national team again, Krzyzewski said that it's too early for any decisions. He simply said: "I'll help in some capacity in consulting, in whatever they need to do.

"We won a gold medal, represented our country well, and the question is now where do we go from here and how do we get better?" Krzyzewski said. "How do we make this a much better program and make it fashionable [to play for the USA]. We want people to have an intense desire to play for their country out of high school, college and the NBA. I know the guys who did were ecstatic and a number want to do it again."

That last part is the key. Great, we finally showed the world that if we took the best talent and the time to get them on the same page, we are the best in the world. But was this a one-time deal or will the commitment continue to be there.

 

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]]>mike krzyzewskiMikeKrzyzewskiSportz Assassin2008-08-28T00:47:00 00:00ESPN Releases 2009 'College Basketball Gameday' Schedulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/espn-releases-college-basketball-gameday-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/espn-releases-college-basketball-gameday-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/28/espn-releases-college-basketball-gameday-schedule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

(Hat tip to Awful Announcing)

As the conferences are slowly releasing their schedules, ESPN has released part of theirs. Remember that they now do "College Gameday" on Saturdays for hoops just like they do for the pigskin.

In the basketball version, the crew of Rece Davis, Digger Phelps, Hubert Davis and Jay Bilas travel to a school to hold their show ... with a big game being held that night at that location.

Below is the list of games:

January 17- Chapel Hill, NC (Miami-North Carolina)
January 24- South Bend, IN (UConn-Notre Dame)
January 31- Knoxville, TN. (Florida-Tennessee)
February 7- Spokane, WA (Memphis-Gonzaga)
February 14- Madison, WI (Ohio State-Wisconsin)
February 21- Austin, TX (Oklahoma-Texas)
February 28- Berkeley, CA (UCLA-California)
March 7- Morgantown, WV (Louisville-West Virginia)

As you can see, there are some outstanding games on that schedule and some great campus sites. I'm sure the gang is looking foward to going up to Wisconsin in the middle of February.

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-28T00:18:00 00:00Redskins Taking Punting Competition Down To 'the Nitty Gritty'http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/redskins-taking-punting-competition-down-to-the-nitty-gritty/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/redskins-taking-punting-competition-down-to-the-nitty-gritty/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/redskins-taking-punting-competition-down-to-the-nitty-gritty/#commentsFiled under: ,

In our Redskins training camp battle look-see, I went with the gripping punter competition. Derrick Frost is the inconsistent incumbent. Durant Brooks was drafting in the 6th round of April's draft.

Many feel that Frost has done enough to hold onto his job, but that isn't stopping coach Jim Zorn from taking this down to the wire. Both will punt in Thursday's game against the Jaguars:
"They are going to both punt in the game," head coach Jim Zorn said. "That's how we're going to do it. It's getting down to the nitty-gritty now."

Uh, the "nitty gritty"?

Frost has done a great job with his punts this preseason (even booming a 65-yarder). His punt average is much better than Brooks', but his net yardage isn't. Both have pinned three of their punts inside the 20-yard line.

I think Frost keeps his gig just because of experience. Or, as Gary Fitzgerald of the Redskins official site wonders:
It could even come down to holding on field goal attempts. Frost and Brooks both hold for [FG kicker] Shaun Suisham.

 

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]]>derrick frostDerrickFrostdurant brooksDurantBrooksSportz Assassin2008-08-27T13:04:00 00:00ACC Releases 2008-2009 Schedulehttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/27/acc-releases-2008-2009-schedule/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

The ACC has released the 2008-2009 college basketball schedule. Now we can start getting our markers out and circling some dates.

Here is the first dates for marking: UNC at Duke on February 11th ... Duke at UNC on March 8th.

North Carolina: UNC has a tough schedule ... with Kentucky as their second game of the season, the loaded Maui Invitational ... and a game against Michigan State at Ford Field. Penn, Oral Roberts, Rutgers and Nevada aren't pushovers. There is also a rematch against UNC-Asheville, also known as the "game Tyler Hansbrough dunked on a 7'7 guy"

Duke: Coach K won't have Kobe, LeBron or D-Wade ... but he won't be seeing Spain or Argentina, either. They will play Xavier in East Rutherford right before Christmas and host Georgetown in the middle of January. Duke will also play a true road game (that isn't in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge) when they take on Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Miami: The Canes will play in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. They will get Ohio State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge ... which looks like a great football contest a few years ago. Miami will also visit Kentucky and St. John's.

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-27T01:01:00 00:00Ocho Hurt? Rudi Traded? Chris Henry? Bengals Just Can't Change Their Stripeshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/26/ocho-hurt-rudi-traded-chris-henry-bengals-just-cant-change-t/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/26/ocho-hurt-rudi-traded-chris-henry-bengals-just-cant-change-t/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/26/ocho-hurt-rudi-traded-chris-henry-bengals-just-cant-change-t/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Man, what a month to be a Bengals fan.

I'm not going in order here -- just gonna start anywhere:

Chad Johnson: After a spring and summer of him mouthing off, he gets into camp with an ankle problem. After finally getting that taken care of (and calling out Michael Phelps ... oh, and wanting to change his name to "Ocho Cinco"), he dislocates his shoulder that puts his season in jeopardy.

T.J. Houshmandzadeh: All this while T.J. Hows-ya-mamma is nursing his hamstring. The injury has been highly criticized around Cincinnati as T.J. just milking it so he doesn't have to practice or play in the preseason (judging by what's happening around the league, it isn't a bad move). Housh is in the final year of his deal, which points more fingers at what he's doing.

Chris Henry: With their receivers banged up, the Bengals signed Chris Henry for help. This has really pissed off Bengals fans to the point that ... well, if they haven't given up their tickets by now, they never will. Henry has yet to practice and will be suspended for the first four games on the season.

 

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]]>Antwan odomAntwanOdomCarson PalmerCarsonPalmerChad JohnsonChadJohnsonChris HenryChris PerryChrisHenryChrisPerryKeith RiversKeithRiversKenny IronsKennyIronsMarvin LewisMarvinLewisMatthais askewMatthaisAskewmike brownMikeBrownodell thurmanOdellThurmanRudi JohnsonRudiJohnsont.j. houshmandzadehT.j.HoushmandzadehSportz Assassin2008-08-26T11:58:00 00:00Phil Ford's 2000 Final Four Ring Is On eBayhttp://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/26/phil-fords-2000-final-four-ring-is-on-ebay/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/26/phil-fords-2000-final-four-ring-is-on-ebay/http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2008/08/26/phil-fords-2000-final-four-ring-is-on-ebay/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Here is an interesting item worth bidding on: Phil Ford's ring.

Ford's 2000 Final Four ring is apparently up on eBay. Ford was an assistant coach to Bill Guthridge on the 1999-2000 North Carolina Tar Heels team. Here is the description:

This is Ford's original ring that was given to him by UNC. 100% GUARANTEED. I purchased the ring earlier this year from David Gerald Timepieces in Chapel Hill. Ford had given the ring to a good friend (Bernard) as a gift several years ago. The friend ended up consigning the ring for sale with David Gerald in 2008. I have displayed pictures of the two cards I received from David Gerald Timepieces along with the ring. One reflects the purchase (I have obscured my last name, telephone number, etc. in the picture) and the other is a thank you note from David Gerald himself which references Phil Ford.

There is a nice cubic zirconia in the center of this ring ... which looks like a chewed up piece of bubble gum.

However, if what he is saying is legit, this would be quite a keeper for a diehard UNC fan. Ford is held up to being the greatest player in North Carolina history.

This comes a few months after a 2005 Tar Heels' National Championship ring was sold for $3,600 on eBay (it is believed to have belonged to David Noel).

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-26T01:31:00 00:00Source: Michael Strahan Would Come Out Of Retirement If Giants Ask Nicelyhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/25/source-michael-strahan-would-come-out-of-retirement-if-giants-a/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/25/source-michael-strahan-would-come-out-of-retirement-if-giants-a/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/25/source-michael-strahan-would-come-out-of-retirement-if-giants-a/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Fellow FanHouser Tom Mantzouranis took little time after Osi Umenyiora tore his knee to wonder if the Giants would try to lure Michael Strahan out of retirement.

The Giants have lost their top two defensive ends from last year and could be tempted to ask Strahan if he'd come back.

According to one source, Strahan could be coaxed out of retirement if the price is right:
"If the Giants make a sincere overture, it's a good chance that Strahan would consider coming back," the source said, according to the Daily News. "There are other things he has to take into consideration: the money and his contract with Fox."

Strahan currently holds a position at Fox Sports as an NFL studio analyst.

"But if the Giants really want him, they have a shot," the source said. "It's not out of the question."

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch says that they'd be stupid to not at least gauge Strahan's interest in playing. Strahan, who is in Greece vacationing, told NFL Network that he has heard about Umenyiora's injury but hasn't heard from the Giants.

Oh ... and according to the Daily News, "nicely" means "$8 million".

 

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]]>michael strahanMichaelStrahanosi umenyioraOsiUmenyioraSportz Assassin2008-08-25T11:18:00 00:00After Beijing, I'm Changing Who I'm Rooting For to Win the 2016 Gameshttp://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/25/after-beijing-im-changing-who-im-rooting-for-to-win-the-2016/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/25/after-beijing-im-changing-who-im-rooting-for-to-win-the-2016/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/25/after-beijing-im-changing-who-im-rooting-for-to-win-the-2016/#commentsFiled under:

One year and one month from now, the IOC will get their suits together to sit down and discuss who they want to host their 2016 Olympic Games. London hosts the 2012 Games ... and we don't know squat after that.

The candidates are very esteemed. Chicago, USA ... Tokyo, Japan ... Madrid, Spain ... Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

I think you know who I'm rooting for: Rio.

I know! I'm a bad, bad American. I do want Chicago to win because it is my country! Also, it will be the second time in 20 years that I lived just five hours away from the Games (I live in Cincinnati now; I lived in Charlotte during the 1996 Atlanta games).

That may be why it just isn't right. Chicago deserves it. Beautiful city that is one of the most underrated in this country. It is centralized to this nation with many mid-major cities fairly close nearby. Plus it looked cool in The Dark Knight.

However, I need some diversity in these games ... and that's where Rio comes in.

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-25T00:10:00 00:00Quinn Gray May Have Just Signed His Own Pink Sliphttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/quinn-gray-may-have-just-signed-his-own-pink-slip/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/quinn-gray-may-have-just-signed-his-own-pink-slip/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/quinn-gray-may-have-just-signed-his-own-pink-slip/#commentsFiled under: ,

The new Lucas Oil Field looks awesome (anyone who has seen this thing as you head to downtown Indianapolis knows this). What happened during the building's opening tonight wasn't.

Peyton Manning hasn't played all preseason after "minor" knee surgery and Jim Sorgi was benched due to a gimpy knee. What we had on Sunday night was a battle royale for the Colts third string QB spot ... and it was sad.

Jared Lorenzen did nothing great ... going 7-for-11 with 52 yards. He led the Colts on four drives with three ending in four plays or less. Lorenzen did move the Colts offense one time, but he and Joseph Addai missed an exchange and turned the ball over. He didn't do anything to snatch the job up ... but he didn't do anything to kill it either.

Quinn Gray may have.

Gray threw four interceptions ... including an extremely poor pass deep inside Bills territory. Courtney Roby's spectacular return started the Colts inside Bills territory. Two plays later, Gray overthrew a receiver who jumped and tipped the pass which was intercepted. Gray was on the run, threw off-balanced and made a horrible decision.

 

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]]>Jared LorenzenJaredLorenzenJim SorgiJimSorgiPeyton ManningPeytonManningQuinn GrayQuinnGraySportz Assassin2008-08-24T23:21:00 00:00Whew! Jason Taylor Should Be Up and Dancin' In About Two Weekshttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/whew-jason-taylor-should-be-up-and-dancin-in-about-two-weeks/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/whew-jason-taylor-should-be-up-and-dancin-in-about-two-weeks/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/whew-jason-taylor-should-be-up-and-dancin-in-about-two-weeks/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Redskins fans, players, coaches and especially Jason Taylor breathed a sigh of relief when an MRI confirmed he has just a sprain in his knee. Taylor hurt his knee in a pile when his leg bent like legs aren't supposed to bend.

"It looks like there's no ligament damage," coach Jim Zorn said. "He could be out for 10 days or as much as two weeks. We are just waiting to see what type of a heeler he's going to be."

By the way, that's an AP story via ESPN.com that misspelled "healer".

It isn't known if Taylor will miss the Redskins season opener against the New York Football Giants. Remember that the game is on Thursday, September 4th ... making it on the best-case-scenario side of the prognosis.

I think he'll miss that game, giving him another ten days to get it healthier.

The Giants also lost their big name defensive end yesterday, when Osi Umenyiora blew out his knee against the Jets.

 

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]]>jason taylorJasonTaylorosi umenyioraOsiUmenyioraSportz Assassin2008-08-24T20:12:00 00:00Carson Palmer's Nose Is Brokenhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/carson-palmers-nose-is-broken/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/carson-palmers-nose-is-broken/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/carson-palmers-nose-is-broken/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Bengals QB Carson Palmer is questionable with a broken nose. His nose was broken on a hit that caused blood to gush all over his face and uniform.

On a Saints blitz, safety Kevin Kaesviharn hit Palmer and knocked him to the ground. Palmer stayed in on the next play ... but then left once blood started gushing out of his nose.

He has a small crack in his nose which took doctors ten minutes to put back in place (I know ... it's nasty!).

Palmer is questionable for Thursday night's preseason finale against the Indianapolis Colts. I'd doubt he'd play since ... well ... no one else on that Bengals offense is healthy enough to play either. Why get him killed?

Palmer is expected to be ready for the Bengals season opener against the Baltimore Ravens on September 7th.

 

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]]>carson palmerCarsonPalmerkevin kaesviharnKevinKaesviharnSportz Assassin2008-08-24T20:00:00 00:00Emotional McCutcheon Leads USA Men's Volleyball to Gold Medalhttp://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/emotional-mccutcheon-leads-usa-mens-volleyball-to-gold-medal/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/emotional-mccutcheon-leads-usa-mens-volleyball-to-gold-medal/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/emotional-mccutcheon-leads-usa-mens-volleyball-to-gold-medal/#commentsFiled under: ,

Yes, the Redeem Team won their gold medal ... but is there any American team in Beijing that we wanted to see win more than our men's volleyball team?

Hours after the opening ceremony, Todd Bachman, father-in-law of men's volleyball coach Hugh McCutcheon, was attacked and murderer as he was sightseeing in Beijing. Bachman's wife was seriously injured in the attack. McCutcheon took nearly a week off to tend to his grieving family.

He came back and led his team to a perfect record and a victory over Brazil for the gold medal.

McCutcheon hugged his assistants after the final point. Then he buried his head into his hands and quietly walked off the court. He did not return for a long while, and when he did, he embraced veteran Lloy Ball.

McCutcheon raised his hands in victory at the medal ceremony.

"I'm sure he was overwhelmed by everything, not only what happened on the volleyball court," U.S. libero Richard Lambourne said. "It's just something he poured his heart and soul into for the last four years."

"But certainly with the tragedy that befell his family at the beginning of these games, I'm so happy he was able to be here and experience this with us," he added. "Because he's a huge, if not the biggest, part of our team."

McCutcheon has said that he would pour himself into the team ... but once the Olympics were over, he'd tend to his family. His wife was a former Olympic volleyball player and her father was a coach so volleyball is an important part of their lives.

Our prayers continue to be with the Bachman/McCutcheon families as well as our congratulations for a difficult, yet fulfilling tournament.

 

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]]>Sportz Assassin2008-08-24T04:42:00 00:00Bengals Offense Stinks So Bad That It Makes Carson Palmer's Nose Bleedhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/bengals-offense-stinks-so-bad-that-it-makes-carson-palmers-nose/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/bengals-offense-stinks-so-bad-that-it-makes-carson-palmers-nose/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/bengals-offense-stinks-so-bad-that-it-makes-carson-palmers-nose/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Okay, that isn't an entirely true statement. The Bengals offense did stink ... but it didn't make Carson Palmer's nose bleed. Former Bengal and current New Orleans Saint Kevin Kaesviharn did that.

Kaesviharn blitzed Palmer, knocking him down. A play later, Palmer went to the sideline with blood running from his nose and a nasty cut on his lip.

Why the heck not? After all, Chad Johnson was injured last week ... while Rudi Johnson and T.J. Houshmandzadeh have kept their streak of not playing preseason games. Antonio Chatman and Glen Holt were the starting receivers (the popular Chris Henry was in a t-shirt on the sidelines ... more on that later).

The offense was bad before Carson got hurt ... gaining a pitiful 165 yards all game. Remember, this was one of the NFL's best offenses over the past few years.

Today, they scored zero points. They had the ball for 11 possessions. They punted on the first ten of them. On their final possession, back-back-backup Jordan Palmer threw an interception.

Yep, that kind of night.

 

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]]>Carson PalmerCarsonPalmerkevin kaesviharnKevinKaesviharnSportz Assassin2008-08-24T00:55:00 00:00Panthers Whip Redskins 47-3; Jason Taylor Leaves With Knee Injuryhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/panthers-whip-redskins-47-3-jason-taylor-leaves-with-knee-inju/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/panthers-whip-redskins-47-3-jason-taylor-leaves-with-knee-inju/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/24/panthers-whip-redskins-47-3-jason-taylor-leaves-with-knee-inju/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

Nothing good came from the Redskins trip south to Charlotte to face the Carolina Panthers. Not only did they get spanked 47-3 ... but they saw Jason Taylor leave with a knee injury.

In the second quarter, Taylor had his leg bend awkwardly and he screamed in pain. Coach Jim Zorn said that X-rays showed no serious damage and an MRI is scheduled tomorrow.

The feeling right now is that it is a sprain ... but it could cause Taylor to miss time.

That was just the injury to the insult of the Redskins play on the field. The Panthers outscored Washington 31-0 in that second quarter alone. Carolina scored TDs on five straight possessions at one point and finished with 228 rushing yards. Rookie Jonathan Stewart ran for 100 yards while starter D'Angelo Williams gained 101.

Let's not look at the other side of the ball. Jason Campbell led the Skins offense on eight series. Five ended in three-and-outs ... he threw for just 39 yards ... he was sacked four times ... and he had one of his patented Jason Campbell fumbles. The offensive line looked like garbage and nothing seemed to work.

(I just wanted to note that offensive line coach Joe Bugel worked this game -- just a day after burying his 35-yr old daughter. His daughter, Holly, died after a long battle with bone cancer this week.)

 

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]]>Jason CampbellJason TaylorJasonCampbellJasonTaylorJim ZornJimZornSportz Assassin2008-08-24T00:29:00 00:00Chargers' Shawne Merriman Has Ligament Damage In His Left Kneehttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/chargers-shawne-merriman-has-ligament-damage-in-his-left-knee/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/chargers-shawne-merriman-has-ligament-damage-in-his-left-knee/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/chargers-shawne-merriman-has-ligament-damage-in-his-left-knee/#commentsFiled under: , ,

San Diego Chargers Pro Bowl linebacker Shawne Merriman says he has ligament damage in his left knee and is looking at options on how to fix it. In an e-mail to the North County Times, Merriman says he is waiting doctors recommendations.

"(It's) a loose ligament and (I'm) waiting to get more info on what I need to do," Merriman said via e-mail.

Merriman then told the San Diego Union Tribune that the PCL ligament was actually torn. His options are to just play through the pain, have a quick fix that would keep him out for the beginning of the season, or have reconstructive surgery and miss the entire 2008 season.

He hasn't practiced since playing in the Chargers' first preseason game on August 9.

What is interesting is what Chargers GM A.J. Smith said about Merriman's off-season "commitments" (like wrestling) to the Union Tribune.
"My feeling about any of his off-the-field activities will be between me and Shawne. Shawne has many, many activities off the field, and that's his business, along with his agents, marketing people, publicist and business partners. My only hope is that he remembers his high-level football performance is what drives his off-the-field attraction."

 

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]]>A.J. SmithA.j.SmithShawne MerrimanShawneMerrimanSportz Assassin2008-08-22T12:16:00 00:00IOC Again Says There Is No Proof That Chinese Gymnasts Were Underagehttp://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/ioc-again-says-there-is-no-proof-that-chinese-gymnasts-were-un/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/ioc-again-says-there-is-no-proof-that-chinese-gymnasts-were-un/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/08/22/ioc-again-says-there-is-no-proof-that-chinese-gymnasts-were-un/#commentsFiled under: ,

Despite asking the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate allegations that Chinese gymnasts are underage, the IOC says there in no proof that there was cheating and that the issue will be put to rest:
The IOC asked the International Gymnastics Federation to investigate "what have been a number of questions and apparent discrepancies," spokeswoman Giselle Davies said. The FIG has said repeatedly that a passport is the "accepted proof of a gymnast's eligibility," and that China's gymnasts have presented ones that show they are age eligible. The IOC also checked the girls' passports and deemed them valid before the games began.

Lu said the Chinese gave the FIG documents Thursday evening that included the current and former passport, ID card and family residence permit for double gold medalist He Kexin. Lu said the documents all say she was born in 1992, which makes her eligible to compete. Gymnasts must turn 16 at some point during the Olympic year in order to be eligible.

"We believe the matter will be put to rest and there's no question ... on the eligibility," Davies said. "The information we have received seems satisfactory in terms of the correct documentation -- including birth certificates."

The FIG is preparing their own statement.

 

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