Football Page 1425 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Outback Bowl Open Thread: Auburn. Northwestern. Go.
The Throbbing Purple of Northwestern face-off against the Auburn Eldricks. What say you, Todd McShay?...

The Urban Meyer 911 Call Is Unbearably Sad
"Urban, Urban, talk to me," says his wife, Shelley, while on the phone with the dispatcher. "He almost sounds like he's kind of trying to cry." [ESPN]...

The Mike Leach Firing: What The Hell Happened?
Mike Leach's treatment of Adam James, in the midst of a sport-wide awakening to the perils of concussions, was unforgivable. But as Spencer Hall suggests, Leach was probably a goner before Craig James even picked up the phone....

Mike Leach Fired
"Terminated with cause effective immediately," according to the school's letter, which was handed to Leach's attorney just before today's hearing on the suspension. [AP]...

Mike Leach Situation Helpfully Summarized By Diss Track
Oh, good. Someone did that. "Singers" "KaiN" & "RyZe" (there aren't enough ironic quotes to adequately express my feelings here) have recorded their Team Leach version of "Cleaning Out My Closet," which makes it pretty clear that Craig James and his son are whiny sissy boys. A lot of it even rhymes!...

Tom Cable Did "Exceptional" Job Coaching Terrible Quarterbacks
The Raiders were this close to having an outstanding season. When I say "this close" imagine me holding a picture of JaMarcus Russell, because it was pretty much all his fault that they didn't. It sure wasn't Tom Cable's doing!...

At A Junction: Mike Leach And The Fading Autonomy Of The Coach
So it appears that even the sharpest, most forward-thinking free radical in college football isn't any more evolved than Bear Bryant in the Texas hills. Mike Leach, for all his smarts, is on the wrong side of a movement now....

Todd Haley Gives Man At Bus Stop A "Stack" Of $20 Bills To Prove He's Not A Tyrannical Nutbag
PFT calls it the Todd Haley "image-bolstering tour", but apparently this story is 100% true. How soon after this will Haley get mugged at the same bus stop now that everyone knows he's carrying wads of cash on him? [KCTV5]...

The Worst Bowl Game In The World (2009 Edition)
Are you busy this afternoon? Probably, because you have a life. However, if you're unemployed or otherwise indigent, get out your scraper because we've reached the very bottom of the college sports barrel. It's time for the EagleBank Bowl!...

Mike Leach Walks The Plank (MORE UPDATES)
Texas Tech has suspended its coach after receiving a "complaint from a player and his parents regarding [Leach's] treatment of the athlete after an injury." He won't coach in the Alamo Bowl. UPDATE: It's Craig James's kid. See below....

The Chiefs Hate Children
The poor Kansas City beat writers are running out of angles; there's only so many ways to write about how a team sucks. But here's a new one: won't somebody please think of the children?!...

Dan Snyder, Genius
The Redskins make more money than any other professional sports franchise. This comes as disappointing news to Washington fans who secretly hoped the team would move and they could start over. [Newsweek]...

This Makes The Entire Raiders' Season Worth It, Right?
Let's face it: week 16 is the most crucial week of the season. This year was no exception, as division champs were crowned, alternate January plans were made, and Sebastian Janikowski nailed a historic kick in a meaningless game....

Your Late Games Open Thread
Hey, Bill Cowher's coming back! It'll be his chin vs. Mike Shanahan's teeth for the most desirable 4-12 team. No good late games today, but you can discuss Curtis Painter's inevitable NFL debut here. [ESPN]...

Urban Renewal: Dissecting The Meyer Bombshell
A day later, we've still got more questions than answers. Let's break them down, while we consider new reports that Urban Meyer isn't calling it quits at all....

Your Early Games Open Thread
Most of you get Baltimore and Pittsburgh, two teams that wish their defensive legacies could actually take the field today. Expect a shootout. Keep us updated on the epic Cleveland/Oakland showdown in the comments. [The506]...

Once Bitten, Twice Lie
Aaron Rodgers says a Seahawks player bit him when they played last year. Darryl Tapp denies it. This is news because we have to manufacture interest in a Green Bay/Seattle game somehow....

Urban Meyer Resigns as Florida Coach, Presumably For More Than One Half
Reports are coming in that the University of Florida has announced that head football coach Urban Meyer is stepping down after the Sugar Bowl. Per the press release:...

I Was There: Even The Losers Get Lucky Sometimes
There are plenty of decade retrospectives happening everywhere right now, but we'd also like you to participate. Tell us about the best game you've seen in person this decade with the tag #iwasthere. Mine: Patriots at Giants, Week 17!...