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Kentucky Wildcats Earn Their 2,000th Victory

sports — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 19:26:38 +0000

The University of Kentucky men’s basketball team is doing more than climbing national rankings and renting out future NBA lottery pick John Wall. On Monday night they moved up into a strata of college basketball that no other team can currently claim to be apart of — the 2,000 win club.

The Wildcats won their 2,000th game in convincing fashion, absolutely manhandling Drexel, 88-44. The historic win, which brings Kentucky to 12-0 on the season, had started to come in doubt over the last few years. The University of North Carolina, who sits at 1,992 wins, and the University of Kansas, who has 1,980 wins, had begun to close the gap over the past decade.

This year, however, under new head coach John Calipari, the Wildcats have reemerged as a national powerhouse and seemed destined for a long run in the NCAA Tournament. Although Wall is almost guaranteed to leave after the season, Calipari’s strong recruiting should make this revival of one of the country’s most storied basketball programs more than a one year phenomena.

To celebrate their impressive milestone I have gathered up some great deals on Wildcats gear so you can show off your Kentucky pride in style. These three great deals come courtesy of Amazon and FansEdge and are this week’s Deal of the Day.

The University of Kentucky Basketball: The Complete History DVD is the perfect way to celebrate the present while also learning about the past. With a program history that dates back to 1903, there is a plethora of interesting information that even the most die hard Wildcats fan doesn’t know. A thoughtful gift for any college basketball fan, this DVD set is currently on sale for $19.98.

You may not be able to suit up for coach Calipari but you can look like a member of his basketball team with this Kentucky Wildcats Perennial Basketball Hooded Sweatshirt. It comes in sizes small through double-extra large and is currently being sold for only $37.99.

Show of your own John Wall skills while wearing these Kentucky Wildcats Evolution Shorts. These officially licensed mesh fabric shorts also come in sizes small through double-extra large and are currently on sale for only $24.99.

Shop for more affordable Wildcats gear at Smarter.com.

Recap of the Weekend in Sports

sports — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:18:21 +0000

When I woke up on Friday morning I thought that our recent streak of highly entertaining sports weekends would finally come to an end. After all, bowl season for college football has not yet begun, Major League Baseball’s winter meetings have been mostly a bore, and the NBA and NFL were scheduled for plain old regular season action.

To the delight of sports fans everywhere, I was wrong.

The weekend may not have featured any college bowl games or blockbuster trades, but it did have an assortment of interesting stories develop, some of which we may not soon forget.

There is no crying in baseball, but there is in Heisman Trophy speeches: This past weekend college football had its annual Heisman trophy presentation and Alabama’s Mark Ingram brought home the hardware for the first time in Crimson Tide history. Ingram beat out four other finalists — Tim Tebow of Florida, Toby Gerhart of Standford, Colt McCoy of Texas, and Ndamukong Suh of Nebraska — and shed a few tears along the way.

Ingram’s tears were not the only reason for excitement though. The sophomore running back won by only 28 points over Gerhart, which was the closest margin of victory in the history of the award.

Tiger becomes an endangered specie: Tiger Woods dropped a bombshell on the PGA Tour over the weekend, telling the world that he is taking an indefinite leave from golf while he sorts out his family life. In case you have been living under a rock, Woods was recently involved in a one-car accident in the middle of the night and is believed to have cheated on his wife.

Unfortunately for Tiger, family is no longer his only problem. Accenture became the first major sponsor to cut ties with Woods and told the Associated Press that he is “no longer the right representative.” It is admittedly a small dent to his massive wallet, but could it be the first of many with the possibility that at some point in the future half of his assets could land in the pockets of his wife?

One more thing for Terrell Owens to complain about: Brandon Marshall began Sunday’s game against the Indianapolis Colts as No. 2 on the all-time list for receptions in a single NFL game. He finished the game as No. 1 on that prestigious list, surpassing Owens’ 9-year-old record by catching an amazing 21 balls for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Too bad his impressive performance was for not; the Colts improved to 13-0 on the season with a 28-16 victory.

Some NBA fans prove to be idiots: The first round of NBA All-Star voting was announced recently and most of the names you expect to see are leading the way. Kobe Bryant is the top vote getter so far, with superstars Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Dwight Howard not far behind. But guess is who would be Bryant’s backcourt mate if the all-star game were played today?

Tracy McGrady. Yes, Tracy-freaking-McGrady, who has not suited up for a single game this year due to injury. I understand that it’s a game for the fans and whoever they vote in should play, but in this case I have to say the fans are being absolutely ridiculous. There are oodles of players more deserving of the honor and I can only hope that McGrady does the right thing and turns down the opportunity.

Image Source: Getty Images

Monday Morning Recap

sports — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 19:22:35 +0000

It was another busy weekend in the sports world as college football wound down its regular season, the National Football League inched its way closer to the playoffs, and both college basketball and the National Basketball Association chugged away through the early part of their respective seasons.

And while there were good games across all sports over the weekend, by far the most interesting were those college football games that impacted the upcoming bowl season. Perennial favorites fell, games that should have been blowouts went down to the final seconds, and as it will always be as long as there is no playoff system in place, college football fans were left with more questions than answers.

So, without further ado, here are four of the biggest stories in sports that you may have missed over the past weekend.

Another year of B(C)S

There were multiple match ups that had serious bowl implications, chief among them the Southeastern Conference showdown between Florida and Alabama. The Gators, who were the No. 1 seed in most polls for the majority of the season, fell short against the Crimson Tide and left star quarterback Tim Tebow and his fans around the country in tears.

Other games of relevance — No. 3 Texas narrowly escaped Nebraska, 13-12; No. 5 Cincinnati came from behind over Pittsburgh, 45-44; No. 6 Boise State trounced New Mexico State, 42-7; and No. 18 USC continued its fall from grace, losing 21-17 to Arizona.

Charlie Weis is bitter beans

In what was one of the stranger (and unexpected) stories of college football this year, former Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis alleged infidelity on the part of USC head coach Pete Carroll during an interview with Notre Dame sports Web site IrishIllustrated.com.

Weis says the quote was taken out of context and Carroll told the Los Angeles Times that Weis had already “apologized profusely,” but one has to wonder why Weis would say something, even speaking hypothetically, that would portray Carroll so badly. Could someone be bitter over his recent dismissal?

The year of the undefeated

It is very rare for one team to be undefeated this far into the NFL season, which makes the fact that two teams are all the more impressive. On Sunday the Indianapolis Colts had an unremarkable 27-17 victory over the Tennessee Titans and the Saints were forced to go to overtime in their 33-30 win over the Washington Redskins, but both teams managed to leave week 13 with their records unscathed and will have to deal with questions of the perfect season from here on out.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only team to go wire-to-wire without a loss, with the 2007 New England Patriots being the most recent team to approach the historic record.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall

File this one under the letter “n” for not surprising at all to anyone who watches even the smallest amount of professional basketball; Portland Trail Blazers center and former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden broke his left kneecap Saturday night in a game against the Houston Rockets and is out for the season.

As John Hollinger of ESPN made note, it was ironic that it happened on 70′s retro night given the Trail Blazers history of highly touted but often injured big men like Sam Bowie and Bill Walton. General Manager Kevin Pritchard will defend his pick of Oden over Kevin Durant to the death, and apparently every team in the NBA would have done the same, but it is still fun (unless you are a Trail Blazers fan, in which case it is depressing) to imagine what the team would be like if KD were draped in the black, red and white instead of Oden.

Image Source: Palm Beach Post

Goodbye Bobby Bowden

sports — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:11:36 +0000

After what has seemed like years of speculation about when Florida State coach Bobby Bowden would step down from his post, it has finally been announced that this season will be his last. Bowden is set to coach his team through their upcoming bowl game and will then retire as the winningest coach in Atlantic Coast Conference history.

His records are numerous and his impact immeasurable, but here are a few of the highlights:

Winner of 12 ACC Championships
Winner of 2 National Titles
Led the Seminoles to 14 straight seasons of winning at least 10 games and finishing in the top-five of the Associated Press Poll
388 wins in 44 years of coaching, second all-time to Penn State’s Joe Paterno
A perfect season in 1999 (also the first time a team went start to finish as the AP’s No. 1 ranked team)

The last few years of Bowden’s tenure have been less than ideal – the NCAA has investigated the program for possible recruiting and academic violations — but they should not tarnish the legacy that Bowden has created at Florida State.

After all, Bowden is Florida State football.

In a time when college athletics have become a revolving door for what have you done for me lately booster clubs, Bowden has been a consistent presence (for better or worse) for over three decades. The last time someone other than Bowden was the head coach at Florida State Gerald Ford was president of the United States. The fact that he has lasted so long is a testament to not only his talent but both his love for the game and the young men who play it.

Think about how much has changed in the world since Bowden first took over the reigns in 1976. The Berlin Wall came down before Bowden did. The Soviet Union fell apart before Bowden did. Even Saddam Hussein’s rule in Iraq lasted less than Bowden’s in Florida.

Sure, Bowden had his faults. Sure, Bowden had years and teams that didn’t meet expectations. Sure, it would have been nice if he could have won a few more titles.

But if I was an athletic director and you told me I could hire a coach who would give me what Bowden did over the course of 34 years, I’d tell you there was and will always be only one Bobby Bowden.

Then, well, I’d hire the person who said they could do what Bowden did.

Image Source: American Sports Blog

The Top 5 Stories of the Weekend

sports — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 18:38:39 +0000

Thanksgiving weekend is a holiday when many people spend time with their family, eat way too much food, and begin fighting their way through malls to complete their Christmas shopping. This year it was also a time ofmemorable sports events, ranging from the historic to the just plain odd. One of the best things about this past weekend was the variety of action to watch. There was exciting college football and basketball, the usual professional football and basketball, and some great international soccer. One world renownedsuperstarunusual trouble, providing highly flammable fuel to the media and tabloids.

With so much going on in the world of sports on a weekend where you might not have been able to sit down in front of the TV, I have pulled together the five biggest stories that you may have missed.

1) An unexpected Tiger: In what is surely one of the most unexpected series of events to occur over the past year, Tiger Woods was involved in a one-car accident at 2:25 a.m. Friday morning just two days after rumors of him having an affair hit the tabloids. Even more intriguing is the fact that Woods has cancelled meetings with local law enforcement twice, leaving everyone to draw their own conclusions about the incident.

The most telling piece of information of possible foul play — at least in my humble opinion — is that Woods’ wife used a golf club to smash the back window of the vehicle to allegedly help Woods out of the car. If this were any other professional athlete we would all be jumping to much more salacious conclusions, but since it is Woods the media has given him the benefit of the doubt … for now.

2) Winless in New Jersey: If you think that being a professional coach comes with a certain amount of job security, well, think again. Lawrence Franks became the second NBA coach fired this year (the first being Byron Scott in New Orleans) after his New Jersey Nets started the season with the second worst record in league history (0-16). The silver lining of the situation? There isn’t one. The Nets tied a league record with a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last night and have a chance to secure sole possession of the dubious record against Dallas at home on Wednesday.

3) College football showdown: December marks the start of the BCS Bowl Series and with another week of games under our belts we are one step closer to cementing which teams will be paired together in a few short weeks. Top teams Florida and Alabama both won this weekend and are on course to face each other in the Southeastern Conference championship for the right to play in the national championship game. Texas, TCU, Cincinnati and Boise State also remained undefeated and remain in the hunt for the other spot in the national championship game.

4) NFL concussions: If you think your job gives you a headache just try to step into the shoes of an NFL player. On the heels of Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, Arizona’s Kurt Warner and Philadelphia’s Brian Westbrook missing time due to concussions, the NFL and NFL Players Association announced a new rule (to be instituted in the near future) that will not allow a player who leaves a game due to a concussion related injury to re-enter the game.

While fans always want to see their favorite players on the field, this is great news for the NFL because recent studies have shown the long term effects of repeated brain trauma of football players is more troubling than previously thought.

5) NIT domination: People always hate teams that continually crush the competition, so it is no surprise that college basketball fans loathe Duke more than any other school in the country. This weekend Duke gave detractors another reason to despise them, winning their fourth NIT Season Tip-Off Tournament with a 68-59 victory over No. 13 Connecticut on Friday. It was the Blue Devils’ 12th consecutive victory in the tournament and brings their record to 22-2 all time in the tournament.

Image Source: Newsday

NCAA Basketball Gear Deals

sports — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:23:30 +0000

NCAA men’s college basketball kicked off with a 24-hour TV marathon on ESPN this past week and began the countdown to March Madness. March Madness, the event that spawns office pools across the globe, is undeniably one of the most popular sporting events of the year. There is simply something special about watching a group of young men — more like kids, really — banding together and becoming a dominant team. Even more scintillating to watch is a team from a smaller school taking down a traditional powerhouse.

With the beginning of the season now underway it is the ideal time to get your favorite team gear. From team hats to jerseys and warm ups to car flags, there are many different ways to show your pride and support for your favorite team.

Here are three great deals courtesy of Eastbay, GameTime USA, and the College Basketball Store to help get you started with your shopping. They all feature amazing sale items and have cool clothes and accessories from a wide variety of colleges and universities.

This Team Edition Pedigree Hoodie from Eastbay.com is available in many different teams and comes with an embroidered logo on the front. The colored hoodies are 60% cotton/40% polyester and the grey hoodies are made of 70% cotton/30% polyester and come in sizes small through quadruple-extra large. It is currently on sale for $29.99 and is eligible for free shipping on orders of $75 or more.

This Zephyr Duke Blue Devils Charcoal Mystic Fitted Hat from the CollegeBasketballStore.com is currently on sale for $14.99. Sizes range from 6 3/4 to 8 and all orders are eligible for $4.99 three day shipping.

This Georgetown Hoyas 2008-09 Blue Screen Printed Replica Basketball Shorts by Nike Team Sports from GameTimeUSA.com is made from 100% polyester fabric and is officially licensed by the NCAA. It is currently on sale for $29.99 and is available in sizes small through double-extra large.

Shop for more NCAA Basketball gear at Smarter.com.

The Busy Weekend in Sports

sports — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 19:00:43 +0000

For anyone who thought that the sports world would slow down in the excitement department now that the World Series of Major League Baseball is over, well, think again. From upsets in college football to a certain disgruntled basketball player to the World Series of Poker, this past weekend had a lot of compelling action. There were teams that showed why they are considered among the best in their sport and teams that gained firsthand knowledge of what it means when people say it is a long fall from the top. So without further ado, here are the highlights of another great weekend in sports.

College Football: The top three teams in college football — Florida, Alabama and Texas — made it through the weekend unscathed and remain control of their destiny. If they win out, they will be in the BCS National Championship game. The emerging story, though, is the rise of TCU. Another lopsided victory at the expense of San Diego State has them No. 4 in the latest BCS poll and a potential BCS buster come bowl time. They are joined by No. 5 Cincinnati and No. 6 Boise State, who are both 9-0 along with TCU, as teams that could potentially cause controversy when it comes time to crown a national college football champion.

NBA: In what comes as no surprise to anyone outside of the Memphis Grizzlies management team, newly signed Allen Iverson is already disgruntled with his role on the team. He was allowed to return home over the weekend to attend to a personal matter, but many with insight into the NBA are predicting that we may have already seen Iverson in a Grizzlies’ jersey for the last time. ESPN’s Chad Ford summed it up best when he quoted an unnamed NBA general manager: “He’s finished in the NBA. He can go hang out with Stephon Marbury.”

NFL: While it is still much too early to start dreaming about the perfect season, there are still two teams that have an unblemished record. The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts both won on Sunday in games that were much closer than anyone expected and moved to 8-0 for the season. Perhaps the most interesting news of weekend, however, came from former Colts coach Tony Dungy. He said that Michael Vick, whom he has mentored since Vick’s incarceration, could end up quarterbacking for the Buffalo Bills. The Bills reportedly had interest in Vick prior to him signing with the Philadelphia Eagles and are currently struggling with the injured Trent Edwards and underwhelming Ryan Fitzpatrick.

WSOP: If it seems like the WSOP has been on hiatus for eternity, that is because it has. On break since the end of summer, the November Nine resumed action on Friday and played until the wee hours of the morning. The field has been whittled down to the final two players, who will square off for the WSOP Main Event bracelet tonight at 10pm PT. I won’t say who the final two are out of consideration for those waiting to catch action Tuesday night on ESPN, but you can get a full recap here on ESPN’s Poker Blog.

MLS: The Chicago Fire, Los Angeles Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, and Real Salt Lake are Major League Soccer’s final four teams following an intense weekend of play. The Western Conference finals kick off on Friday at the Home Depot Center at 8pm PT and can be seen on ESPN 2. The Eastern Conference finals will take place in Chicago on Saturday at 5pm PT and can be seen on the Fox Soccer Channel.

Image Source: TCU Athletics

Saturday Recap: Great Games and Upsets

sports — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:20:42 +0000

This was a great weekend for college football! The weekend was full of great upsets and match-ups and it’s weekends like these that remind us why we miss football during the off-season. It seems like every week now top 10 teams are just taking turns losing to unranked teams. This weekend four teams in the Top 10 went down creating some chaos in the rankings. The first team to go down was Ole Miss. Ranked #4 for the first time in a while the Rebels couldn’t live up to the hype and pressure. They were shut down by a good South Carolina defense in a sloppy 16-10 loss. This brought talk of why they were even ranked that high in the first place, which was mainly because of other Top 10 teams losing. The next victim to fall was Cal. Cal had a tough game on the road against an inspired Oregon team wearing some interesting throwback. Let’s just say Oregon is living up to it’s reputation for having the craziest jerseys every week. I mean they have a ton of different combinations. Well back too the game where I guess the unies did work cause they absolutely demolished Cal 42-3. This was a complete turn around form the opening season loss and it looks like they are now a team on the rise.

At the same time Cal was getting killed another Top 10 team was also no faring as well. There was a lot of hype surrounding the Miami program after two straight wins over teams in the Top 25. Everyone was saying The U was back. Well they got a rude awakening for Virginia Tech getting smashed 31-7. It is a disappointing loss that they will have to get over quickly cause the have to play Oklahoma next week. After all of this happened during the day the final Top 10 team lost at night. # 5 Penn St. was looking forward to this game since last year when Iowa beat them to end their undefeated season. Well they are going to have to wait another year cause Iowa pulled of the upset again 21-10. Next weekend should be just as good as there are some huge match-ups. Some notable games are Cal vs. USC, Miami vs. Oklahoma, LSU vs. Georgia

Disgruntled Oregon Fan Gets Full Refund from Head Coach After Loss

sports — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:34:08 +0000

Ever been so disappointed in your team’s performance that you felt ripped off and wanted your money back for attending the game? I know I have, but I have never thought to send a letter to the head coach about it. Well a fan from Oregon did so after a disappointing loss to open the season at Boise St., in where the now infamous punch from star running back LeGarrette Blount got him suspended for the season, and received a check in the mail signed by the coach. Tony Seminary, an Oregon Alumnus from the Portland area, made the trip to Boise and was so unhappy that after the game he sent an email to coach Chip Kelly, with an attached invoice for $439 in travel expenses.

According to the website everydayshouldbesaturday.com the email message was this,” The product on the field Thursday night is not something I was at all proud of, and I feel as though I’m entitled to my money back for the trip.” Chip Kelly then responded to the email with “What’s your address?” A couple days later after giving his address Seminary received a check for $439 in the mail signed by Kelly. He was so impressed by this gesture that he returned the check with a thank you note, instead of cashing it. Seminary said he was speechless when he saw the check and had this to say about the coach, “I think of Coach Kelly as a totally different person now. I have a different bond with him now. … Let’s just say he lost every game as an Oregon coach. You would never hear me calling for his head. It just wouldn’t happen. The guy showed an incredible amount of class.” This is a very cool story I just have to wonder how many fans are now going to try this after a loss now? And if they do get a check would they cash it, instead of sending it back?

NCAA School Utility Floor Mats

sports — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:42:11 +0000

What could be more perfect for a tailgate or home party than a rug representing your school. It can bring school color and pride to any party. Whether your using it outside or inside these rugs can take anything. They are a perfect gift for the ultimate fan and right now they are on sale. Coming in two different sizes (5 foot by 8 foot) or (5 foot by 6 foot) to fit anywhere, why not make one yours today!

UCLA Bruins Ulti Indoor / Outdoor Rug (5×8) – $134.99 was $149.99

Michigan Wolverines Ulti Indoor / Outdoor Rug (5×8) -$134.99

Oregon Ducks Ulti Indoor / Outdoor Rug (5×8) – $134.99

Arizona State Sun Devils Tailgater Indoor / Outdoor Rug (5×6) – $112.49 was $124.99

Georgia Bulldogs Tailgater Indoor / Outdoor Rug (5×6) – $112.49

More NCAA floor mats available in both sizes at Smarter.com!