Ryan Wilson Posts

Under the guise of the United We Serve initiative, President Barack Obama teamed up with Drew Brees, Troy Polamalu and DeMarcus Ware to school a bunch of kids in tag football on the White House's South Lawn. All in the name of stressing the importance of fitness for America's youth.

Via the press release: "In support of NFL PLAY 60, all Thanksgiving weekend games will raise awareness of the childhood obesity epidemic and showcase the NFL and its clubs' commitment to help reverse this trend."

Hey, sometimes sedentary, preteen gamers need a little tough love when it comes to actually getting outside long enough to break a sweat. Or maybe I'm overselling it a bit. Slow-motion, NFL Films-inspired video of the 90-second public service announcement after the jump:

The Jaguars have always had trouble convincing people to attend games in person. Blackouts are a Sunday staple in Jacksonville, and owner Wayne Weaver has taken to throwing tarps over sections of the upper deck, MLS style, to make the stadium look less empty.

A group of local business folks calling themselves Touchdown Jacksonville are working to reinvigorate an apathetic fan base. The short-term plan is to pack the house for the Dec. 17 game against the Colts (they're calling it ... "Ultimate TEALgate"!), and running back Maurice Jones-Drew is helping with the recruitment effort. "As a team, we're enjoying the moment, and we want the city to enjoy it with us," Jones-Drew said. "If you guys are having a great time, I promise I'll have a great time. I'm going to dance and sing."

More proof that Brett Favre is everywhere: detainees at a Wisconsin National Guard camp in Iraq are invoking his name solely to get a rise out of the Green Bay Packers-supporting soldiers.

Even in war, Favre is a nuisance. WTMJ reports:

You see innovations like the West Coast Offense or the zone blitz, and you're immediately amazed at the genius. That's what separate guys like Bill Walsh and Dick LeBeau from, say, Mike Tice and Eric Mangini.

And then there are plays that define a philosophy. For the Joe Gibbs Redskins it was the counter trey. For the Bill Belichick Patriots it's (at least for me) the variations of the screen pass. And for the Bethel University Royals it's the fake toss reverse alley-oop at the goal line. Or, as it's officially known in the playbook: Ace Rt Zoom 48 Granny QB.

Ridiculousness after the jump.

Not sure Jeremy Shockey should be the final arbiter of who's fit to play in the NFL and who isn't, but he took to Twitter to explain to all the football simpletons that LeBron James couldn't cut it. Just in case that wasn't obvious from the outset.


The thing is, after James made the comments, and Browns head coach Eric Mangini offered a "come on down," some people figured all that was left to do was sign the contract and get him fitted for a a uniform. Not sure how it got to that point, but thankfully, Shockey, who came out of retirement this season to resume his career (Wait, he was in the league last year? Really?), has set us straight.

I think I'd be less appalled if Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis actually got married. Instead, we're treated to some hardcore Ravens fans celebrating their nuptials by donning the jerseys of their favorite players and forcing the wedding party to do the same.

And no homage to the unexceptional would be complete without the groom busting out the Ray-Ray Dance. (He forgot to rub grass all over himself! Bogus!)

Video madness after the jump.

France advanced to the 2010 World Cup thanks to a no-call on a Thierry Henry hand ball that set up the William Gallas' overtime goal. Not surprisingly, the Irish side was incensed, and Henry bluntly stated after the match that, "I will be honest, it was a hand ball. But I'm not the ref ... I played it. The ref allowed it. That's a question you should ask him", probably didn't help.

Hand balls are a part of soccer and they go uncalled all the time. The difference in Henry's case is that it couldn't have been more obvious if he caught the ball and threw it in the goal.

Upshot: the hand ball no-call has drawn comparisons to Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal against England during the 1986 World Cup.

Both videos after the jump.

Consider this your annual Bellingham Slam update. Forward Tyler Amaya, who played at Gonzaga, Dixie St. and Western Washington before moving on to the bright lights of the International Basketball League, dropped 44 in a recent exhibition game against one of his alma maters (WWU).

Alone, not particularly noteworthy, but how he scored two of his points merit a mention:

It's 1986 up in here. Hulk Hogan is in Australia promoting Hulkamania (Saturday night in Melbourne ... tickets have to be still available) and during a Wednesday press conference things got out of control. (As out of control as one might expect at a press conference touting an event that involves people who fake fight for a living.)

In any event, Ric Flair, also apart of the spectacle, pimp-slapped Hogan as the two ironically "traded insults over women." And then things got, well, predictable. But there was plenty of blood to distract us from the banalities. Video proof after the jump.