Wagner College Beats #13 Pitt... Where's Wagner College?

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So tonight the 13th ranked Pitt Panthers lost at home to the Wagner Seahawks 59-54, their first ever loss to a Northeast Conference (NEC) team. The NEC, if you weren't aware, contains such powerhouses as Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, Fairleigh Dickinson and Bryant. The Panthers came in 70-0 all-time against NEC opponents, but were stunned by a Seahawks team that just 2 years ago won just 5 games. It was also Wagner's first win over a ranked team in over 30 years and it snapped a 13-game losing streak for the Seahawks against Big East opponents. So where is Wagner anyways? Apparently Staten Island. Learn something new every day.

Photo Credit: wagner.edu

The Panthers fall to 11-2 on the year with both of their losses coming at home. Their other loss came against unranked Long Beach State. Preseason Big East Player of the Year Ashton Gibbs shot just 5 of 16 from the field and turned the ball over 4 times in 37 minutes. Wagner is now 8-3.

Five For Friday

SOCCER

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FIFA released it's latest women's rankings today and the United States remains in the top spot. The U.S. women maintain a narrow lead over Germany while World Cup Champion Japan moves into the Top 3 for the first time ever. Nigeria leads the Confederation of African Football (CAF) at number 27, Brazil drops out of the Top 3 for the first time since 2008, but still leads the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) at number 4, and New Zealand, who the U.S. will play in February, leads the Oceania Football Conference (OFC) at number 24. Here's a look at the Top 20:

NBA

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What a strange week for Chuck Hayes. The former Rockets center had signed a 4 year deal with the Sacramento Kings worth $21.3M only to have it voided when he failed a physical due to the discovery of a  heart irregularity. Hayes then flew to Cleveland for further evaluation from specialists at the Cleveland Clinic and after nearly 11 hours of testing, he was told by doctors Thursday morning that he does NOT in fact have a heart problem and can continue to play without concern. So now Hayes once again has a deal with the Kings, only it's worth $22.4M now instead of the original $21.3M. What's up with that? Inflation? In any case, good for Chuck. He's got himself a clean bill of health, an extra $1.1M, and should be a good fit in Sacramento.

 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

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Anyone else think Boise State deserved better this bowl season? One missed field goal cost them an undefeated season, a conference title, and a BCS Bowl Game. Instead, they got paired up with 6-6 Arizona State in the MAACO Las Vegas Bowl. This game was close until the Sun Devils kicked off. Doug Martin returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown and that would be the closest the game would ever get as Boise State went on to win 56-24. The win was quarterback Kellen Moore's 50th, an NCAA record. Boise State finishes the year 12-1 and it just seems like the system should've been able to find a better matchup for them. No disrespect to Arizona State, but they finish the season losers of 6 of 7 and they were clearly overmatched in this one. Moore finishes his college career with a record of 50-3 including wins over Oregon twice, Virginia Tech, Georgia, and a 3-1 record in bowl games. His three losses were by a total of 5 points.

Here's an update of the bowl results by conference:

MLB

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The Cardinals won't have Albert Pujols next year, but they will have Carlos Beltran. The 34 year old outfielder signed a two year deal with the World Champs worth $26M. Now Beltran is not going to be able to replace Albert Pujols, but it's a lot closer than you might think. Here's how the two stacked up against one another last season:

As you can see, while Pujols has the bigger home run numbers, their overall slugging percentages are pretty close while Beltran actually got on base more frequently. Additionally, the signing of Beltran will allow Lance Berkman to move back to first base which will upgrade the Cardinals defense in the outfield. Even without Pujols, the Cardinal lineup will still be formidable with Beltran, Berkman, Matt Holliday and rising star and World Series MVP David Freese. Beltran may not run like he used to, but he's still a great pickup and he'll have the Cards right in the thick of things in the NL Central once again.

NFL

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Suddenly the Indianapolis Colts can't lose. After 13 straight losses this year, Dan Orlovsky has the Indianapolis Colts on a winning streak. The Colts looked to be on their way to yet another defeat last night against the Texans after Neil Rackers kicked a 31 yard field goal with 1:56 to play putting the Texans up 16-12. But Orlovsky, starting at his own 22, drove the Colts the length of the field capping it off with a 1 yard touchdown pass to Reggie Wayne with 19 seconds to play giving Indy their second win in as many weeks. I've got a lot of respect for what the Colts are doing right now. After starting 0-13 it takes a lot to motivate yourself to step out on the field and continue to play hard, but they've done just that. Ironically it may cost them a shot at the number one overall pick in the draft, but I doubt the players care very much about that. Indy wraps up the season at Jacksonville on New Year's Day.

Kris Humphries Voted Most Disliked Player in the NBA... huh?

So apparently there was a survey conducted by Nielsen and E-Poll Market Research that appeared on Forbes.com asking who the most was the most disliked player in the NBA. The answer, somewhat surprisingly was Kris Humphries, who is best known for being Kim Kardashian's ex-husband. I was a little bit surprised by this one. Granted, I've never seen his show and I probably couldn't pick him or Kim Kardashian out of a lineup, so maybe that's why I just don't get it.

Photo Credit: nba.com

It just seems weird that a guy who's only started 52 games in his 8 year career, and plays for the New Jersey Nets is suddenly the league's most disliked player. Who votes on these things? Honestly, if you mention Humphries and NBA, Kris Humphries isn't even the first name that pops into my head. My default is to former Milwaukee Buck Jay Humphries. Kris Humphries is barely even on my radar.

Photo Credit: millercards.net

So who should be the most disliked player? Here's some better candidates for you.

1) LeBron James - For taking his talents to South Beach.



2) Metta World Peace - Not even a name change can change the fact that he's still the Ron Artest that fought fans in the stands in Detroit. You can throw Stephen Jackson in here too.



3) Andrew Bynum - Big tough guy who was ejected for a brutal flagrant foul while down 30 points in the Western Conference Semis against the smallest guy on the court, JJ Barea.



4) Darko Mlicic - Not his fault, but the Pistons drafted him ahead of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade.

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5) Gilbert Arenas - Not on a team right now, but the guy was involved in an incident with former teammate Javaris Crittenton where the two allegedly pulled guns on one another in the Wizards locker room.

Photo Credit: truthaboutit.net

Here's how the people in the poll ended up voting:

Photo Credit: espn.go.com

Gio Gonzalez Dealt to Washington

In true Billy Beane fashion, the Oakland A's have pulled off another deal sending their prized lefty Gio Gonzalez to the Washington Nationals for four prospects. Let's take a look at what the A's got in return.

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Brad Peacock - The 23 year old right handed pitcher had a breakout season in 2011 starting in AA and finishing up with the Nationals. Before getting called up to the majors, Peacock was 15-3 with a 2.39 ERA striking out 177 hitters in just 146 2/3 innings. Peacock joined the Nationals in September and after debuting in relief, he made a pair of starts in which he totaled 10 2/3 scoreless innings beating both the Mets and Phillies. Peacock was a 41st round draft pick in 2006 and really came out of nowhere last season. Peacock was just 6-11 with a 4.50 ERA in 2010 splitting the year between Advanced A Ball and AA.

Photo Credit: mlb.com

Derek Norris - Norris is your typical Moneyball-type player. A power hitting catcher, Norris hit only .210 but homered 20 times and drew 77 walks in just 104 games at AA in 2011. A 4th round pick in 2007, Norris was named to this year's Arizona Fall League's All-Prospect Team after hitting .276 in 21 games. Just 22 years old, Norris does have a propensity to strike out a lot (117 times in 334 at bats last year), but if he can put the ball in play a little more he has a chance to make an impact at the Major League level. He is currently ranked 10th among all minor league catchers according to mlb.com.

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Tommy Milone - The Nationals Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2010, Milone pitched well again in 2011 earning a spot in the Nationals rotation after he was called up in September. Before his call-up, Milone was 12-6 with a 3.22 ERA in 24 starts for AAA Syracuse. His strength is his ability to throw strikes as he walked just 16 hitters in 148 1/3 innings. He went on to make 5 starts for the Nationals going 1-0 with a 3.81 ERA. The 10th round pick in 2008 had his best game in his 4th start when he tossed 6 shutout innings against the Phillies.

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A.J. Cole - Just 19 years old, 2011 was Cole's first full professional season. He made 20 appearances (18 starts) for Class A Hagerstown and was 4-7 with a 4.04 ERA. He struck out 108 hitter in 89 innings. MLB had him as the number three rated prospect in the Nats system.

Fan Attacks Player in Dutch Cup Game - Player Sent Off for Fighting Back

Talk about a bizarre incident. Yesterday American striker Jozy Altidore's AZ Alkmaar squad traveled to Amsterdam to take on Ajax in the 4th Round of the Dutch Cup. A little over 30 minutes into the match, with Ajax leading 1-0, a fan ran onto the field and tried to attack AZ Alkmaar's goalie Esteban Alvarado (link to video - here). Alvarado deflected the attack and then kicked his assailant several times before security arrived on the scene. However, referee Bas Nijhuis issued a red card to Alvarado for violent conduct causing Alkmaar coach Gertjan Verbeek to pull his time off the field in protest thereby halting the match. The Dutch soccer federation is now debating whether to replay the match, resume the match, or declare Ajax the winner.

Photo Credit: cbc.ca/sports

I honestly can't believe that awarding the match to Ajax is even on the table. If this match was in the 88th or 89th minute, maybe. But in the first half of a 1-0 game? After the home fans attacked the visiting team's goalie? To not at least resume the match would be a travesty in my eyes. It just seems like a really bad precedent to set especially considering red card to Alvarado has already been rescinded. It should be noted though that the federation maintains that Nijhuis was acting in accordance with the rules when he sent Alvarado off. Something doesn't seem right about that.

Per FIFA's rule book Law 12 Fouls and Misconduct "[a player] is also guilty of violent conduct if he uses excessive force or brutality against a team-mate, spectator, match official or any other person. Violent conduct may occur either on the field of play or outside its boundaries, whether the ball is in play or not."

I'm going to be honest with you. I don't see what Alvarado did as being excessive. Sure he kicked him after he got his assailant on the ground, but it's not like he kicked him in the face or stomped on him with his cleats. Both of Alvarado's kicks strike the man in the legs in essence keeping him on the ground. And once security arrived, Alvarado stopped going after him. I think it's flat out the wrong call. If a fan runs onto the field, the first thought needs to be the protection of the players. There's no place in sports for fans running onto the field, certainly not those with violent intentions, and if you punish the players for protecting themselves, you're not doing anything to discourage future incidents. There's a big difference between Ron Artest and Stephen Jackson taking on fans in the stands at The Palace of Auburn Hills, and Alvarado doing what he did on the field. Hopefully the Dutch make the right call here.

Fantasy Football Report - Week 15

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Drydock League Finals here we come. In what was just a bizarre week in the NFL (Packers lose, Colts win, Giants lose to the Redskins, Chargers hammer the Ravens, 49ers beat the Steelers, etc.), we got 203 rushing yards from Reggie Bush, 3 touchdowns from LeSean McCoy, and are headed to the Championship Game for the first time since 2004.

I'm not going to lie, I caught a lot of breaks this past week. Nate Washington, Julio Jones and Santana Moss all found their way into the end zone yet again, and on the other side both Chris Johnson and Wes Welker were pretty quiet. Despite getting 26 points from Tony Romo, my opponent only put up 108.5 allowing us to cruise to a comfortable 30 point win. We're going to need similar good fortune this week as I take on fellow 11-year Drydock League veteran, Cumbo. The regular season champ after finishing 11-2, Cumbo is about an 8 point favorite according to the projected results. We'll see if he can finally get the title that's been eluding him for so many years.

Here's a look at Week 15's Top Performers:

QB - The Minnesota Vikings were no match for Drew Brees and the Saints this weekend. Brees, who is on pace to break Dan Marino's 27 year old record for single season passing yards, completed 32 of 40 passes for 412 yards and 5 touchdowns in just a little over 3 quarters.  Fantasy Points: 40

Photo Credit: shreveporttimes.com

WR -  Calvin Johnson hauled in 9 passes for 214 yards and a pair of touchdowns including the game winner in the final minute as Detroit edged the Raiders 28-27. Fantasy Points: 34

Photo Credit: detnews.com

RB - Taking advantage of his increased playing time following the season ending injury to Fred Jackson, C.J. Spiller tallied 167 yards from scrimmage, caught 9 passes and scored a pair of touchdowns (one rushing, one receiving) in Buffalo's loss to Miami. Fantasy Points: 28

Photo Credit: fantasyknuckleheads.com

TE - With all the talk about Rob Gronkowski, people sometimes forget that there's another really good tight end on the Patriots right now. Aaron Hernandez caught 9 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown in New England's win over Denver. Fantasy Points: 24

Photo Credit: patspulpit.com

K - Ryan Succop kicked 4 field goals as the Chiefs dealt the Packers their first loss of the season. Fantasy Points: 14

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DEF - The Seattle Seahawks defense took advantage of Jay Cutler's absence intercepting 4 passes - 2 of which were returned for touchdowns, tallying 4 sacks and recovering a fumble in their win over the Bears on Sunday. Fantasy Points: 30

Photo Credit: seattlepi.com

IDP - Colts cornerback Jacob Lacey was in on 12 tackles and returned an interception for a touchdown as Indianapolis won for the first time this season. Fantasy Points: 19

Photo Credit: newsobserver.com

YEAR-TO-DATE LEADERS
QB - Aaron Rodgers - Green Bay - 357 points
WR - Wes Welker - New England - 245.5 points
RB - LeSean McCoy - Philadelphia - 252 points
TE - Rob Gronkowski - New England - 235 points
K - David Akers - San Francisco - 161 points
DEF - San Francisco - 160 points
IDP - D'Qwell Jackson - Cleveland - 141.5 points


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A Little Bit of Everything

FROM THE PITCH

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Today was a good day to be a Manchester fan as both Manchester City and Manchester United cruised to comfortable wins in midweek Premier League action. Manchester City got a pair of goals from Argentinian Sergio Agüero as they cruised to a 3-0 win at home over Stoke City. The win guarantees City the top spot in the Premier League on Christmas Day; the first time they've been there on Christmas since 1929. Meanwhile Manchester United kept pace with a big win of their own blasting Clint Dempsey and Fulham 5-0. 38 year old Ryan Giggs had a goal and a pair of assists as 5 different United players scored goals today. Manchester United trails City by 2 points through 17 matches.



In other Premier League action today, Tim Howard only needed to make one save in Everton's 1-0 win over Swansea City. It was just Howard's third clean sheet of the season as Everton improved to 6-8-2 on the year. Fellow American keeper Brad Guzan wasn't quite so fortunate as his Aston Villa squad fell short against Arsenal by a score of 2-1. Guzan was beaten on a Robin Van Persie penalty in the first half and then surrendered the game winner to Yossi Benayoun in the 87th minute.

BOWL GAME UPDATE

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At the top of any list of ridiculous bowl names has to be the Beef O'Brady's Bowl. I mean, at least the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl was played in Idaho. Anyhow, Marshall defeated Florida International 20-10 last night denying FIU what would have been a school record 9th win. Marhsall Freshman quarterback Rakeem Cato threw a pair of touchdown passes to Aaron Dobson, the second of which broke a 10-10 tie in the 4th quarter.

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And then tonight we had the San Diego Country Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl or SDCCUPB for short... If you thought the only reputable football school in Louisiana was LSU, this bowl season would suggest otherwise. Already we saw Louisiana-Lafayette shock San Diego State, and tonight we almost saw Louisiana Tech take out TCU - the team that wrecked Boise State's perfect season. TCU needed to score 14 unanswered 4th quarter points tonight to come away with a 31-24 win. Sophomore quarterback Casey Pachall hit Skye Dawson on a 42 yard touchdown pass with 4:26 to play for the game winner. TCU wraps up the season with 8 straight wins.

Here's a look at the bowl results thus far by conference:

FROM THE HARDCOURT

David Lee scored 30 points and had 13 rebounds in last night's tilt with the Kings, but the Warriors saw their starting point guard Stephen Curry leave the game with a sprained ankle. Curry was going to be reevaluated today to determine how much time if any he will miss. Curry was hampered by an ankle injury last year as well, but still averaged 18.6 points and 5.8 assists in 74 games.

Photo Credit: cbssports.com

Derrick Rose had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists in last night's win over Indiana, but more important for Chicago fans, Rose signed a 5 year extension and has expressed a desire to remain a Bull for the remainder of his NBA career. The 23 year old already has an MVP award to his name and his game has made major strides in each of his first three seasons. This is a huge deal for the Bulls and if they're able to get him a sidekick moving forward, expect to see more great things.

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Still no Mike Miller or Shane Battier on the court in Miami and the Heat blew a 23 point lead against Orlando tonight. LeBron James led all scorers with 27 points and Dwyane Wade chipped in 21 in a losing effort. The Magic's reserves were led by Big Baby Davis and his 18 points. Both teams are set to open their seasons on Christmas Day.

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All Kevin Love does is record double-doubles. Tonight's line, 27 minutes, 22 points, 16 rebounds. Wolves win again.

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Good news, Connecticut fans. There's potential for a front court pairing of former Husky teammates Hasheem Thabeet and Jeff Adrien following Adrien's signing with the Houston Rockets. The duo led the Huskies to 31 wins and a Final Four appearance in 2009, but have combined to average just 4.8 points per game in the NBA.

Photo Credit: mediagallery.usatoday.com