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The Daily Digest for Monday, September 10, 2007 |
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September 10, 2007 |
≡ Interim Report ≡
 Jones: TNA Wrestling tag-team champion! |
= Program Note =
Who goofed?
We expected that TheGoodSportsNetwork.tv would be up and running last week and in fact produced five audiocasts for the network. But you can’t hear them or read the text . . . yet.
However, we are informed that the site will be up and running on Monday, September 24. In the interim, we will continue to get ready for daily audiocasts plus a Saturday morning “weekend preview edition” of The Sports Examiner.
Meanwhile, we’ll be posting a weekday note and sending out the Tip Sheet to keep you informed. Stay tuned.
= Tonight’s Menu =
>> The NFL is on twice tonight as the local baseball teams have a day off.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals will host the Ravens in a game expected to be very close. Cincinnati is 4-1 in its last five against Baltimore, but lost three in a row at the end of last year to miss the playoffs. The Ravens come in as defending division champs and had a quiet 13-3 record, then lost in the playoffs. The Bengals are favored by 2 1/2 points with an over-under of 40, so the sharpies have penciled in a final of 21-19.
In San Francisco, the Arizona Cardinals will take a four-game win streak over the 49ers into tonight’s game. Both teams had losing records last season, but both are trendy picks to come out about .500 this year and potentially score a Wild Card playoff slot. The oddsmakers have the 49ers as a three-point favorite with an over-under of 45, so the final is supposed to be a 24-21 win for the home team.
= L.A. Stories =
>> What’s Bruin: See our daily blog on UCLA sports at LATimes.com!
= Panorama =
>> College Gridiron: Michigan athletic director Billy Martin says he’s fully supportive of football coach Lloyd Carr:
He will make changes. There’s no question in my mind he’ll make changes. He’ll try different things on both sides of the ball. But I think it’s a situation where he’ll start with the fundamentals of the game: better blocking, better tackling.
The folks at Michiganzone.Blogspot.com aren’t quite as excited: they posted a picture of a casket with a rose on top under the headline “Michigan Football 1879-2007 R.I.P.”
One problem with Carr is that he doesn’t project the most likable persona. The latest example came last Saturday when he was asked by ABC sideline reporter Bonnie Bernstein if he had information about the injury to starting quarterback Chad Henne. “I certainly do,” said Carr, who then continued walking away. Nice.
Two stats of note:
(1) The 32-point loss was the worst for Michigan since Ohio State’s 50-14 win in 1968, the last game coached by Bump Elliott. Bo Schembechler began his tenure at Michigan the following season and produced a Big Ten championship.
(2) Since Schembechler died last November 17, the Wolverines are 0-4 and are giving up an average of 38 points per game.
But things are looking up. Notre Dame hasn’t scored an offensive touchdown in ten quarters and the Wolverines opened as a 9 1/2-point favorite.
>> More Colleges: Tom Luicci of the Newark Star-Ledger has posted his own odds on the first coach to be “excused” or retire this season:
Lloyd Carr of Michigan, 4-5;
Greg Robinson of Syracuse, 7-5;
Al Groh of Virginia, 2-1;
Ted Roof of Duke, 5-2;
Mike Stoops of Arizona, 4-1.
Of the once-proud Orangemen, Luicci noted that “Jim Brown could probably lead the Orange in rushing now – at age 71.
>> Wrestlemania: Suspended Tennessee Titans cornerback Pacman Jones has an agreement with the team not to participate in any wrestling moves which would expose him to potential injury.
No problem. Jones refused to participate in a tag-team match with partner Ron “The Truth” Killings on Sunday night, but is still part of the new TNA Wrestling Tag Team Champions!
Killings did all the work in the pay-per-view match against Kurt Angle and Sting in the title match. When Angle’s wife appeared at ringside and slapped Sting, then fell to the ground as if Sting had hit her and then Angle dragged Sting to the ground and Jones covered Sting for the three-count and the victory. The Associated Press referred to the event as a “staged match.”
Nah, really?
>> Eatertainment: Humble Bob Square Pants may have left his family name of Shoudt out of his eating hobby, but that didn’t stop him from “shoudt-ing” down his opponents in the Nashville qualifier in the Krystal Square-Off Hamburger-Eating contest on Sunday.
Humble hammered down 69 of the tiny Krystals in eight minutes of gorging, 30 more than second-place Juris Prudence, who has not yet announced whether he will sue to overturn the results. Third was Kevin Ross, who downed 30 burgers.
~ Rich Perelman
>> Have an opinion? You can send it using the “Comment” button below!
>> Don’t forget to register for our drawing for free sports memorabilia! Just click on the “Register & Win” tab at left; enter today!
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