The image of the New Orleans Saints was deeply tarnished by the “bounty” scandal that recently led to the one-year suspension of head coach Sean Payton. The Saints are in the doldrums, and rightfully so. In a recent report on the nine most damaged brands in America, the New Orleans Saints came in third place. Just when fans thought it couldn’t get any worse, it did. ESPN reports tonight that the Saints general manager may be in hot water as well. Here’s the lede: The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Louisiana was told Friday that New Orleans Saints general manager Mickey Loomis had an electronic device in…
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Jordan Jefferson Granted another Year of Eligibility
I cannot believe this, but apparently the NCAA has granted Jordan Jefferson another year of eligibility due to an unjust suspension early in the 2011 season. So it looks like he’ll be LSU’s quarterback for one more year. Coach Les Miles has praised the decision saying that, “Jefferson’s experience and skill will be a huge asset to the team next year.” LSUSports.net has the story here.
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Kentucky Basketball Fans Duke It out at Dialysis Center
When I moved to Louisville, Kentucky from Dallas, Texas, it didn’t take me long to figure out that I had passed from football land to basketball land. It’s one of the main cultural differences between the north and the south. Once you get north of Nashville, football decreases, and basketball increases.
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A New Book on Jeremy Lin
Ted Kluck has a new e-book out on Jeremy Lin titled, Jeremy Lin: Faith, Joy, and Basketball. Kluck says, “among other things the book is an analysis of Lin’s ascension, a celebration of the gospel, and a love letter (albeit a very short love letter) to the NBA.” Here’s the table of contents: Introduction: An Open Letter to the Reader: What Does All of This Say About Us? Chapter 1: A Cultural Oddity: Lin and Shifting Racial Paradigms (or What Kind of NBA Superstar will Jeremy Lin Be?) Chapter 2: New York Knicks vs. Dallas Mavericks – Sunday, February 19, 2012 Chapter 3: Jeremy Lin in the Context of Tim…
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Peyton Manning Chooses Denver Broncos
ESPN reports that Peyton Manning will be going to the Denver Broncos and that Tim Tebow will be traded. I’m a fan of Peyton Manning, and I’m glad for him and the Broncos. But it’s still a sad story for Colts fans. I was in Indianapolis over the weekend. While driving into town, I passed a billboard with a picture of Peyton Manning on it and a short sentence: “Thanks for the memories.” I got the distinct feeling that the folks in Indy are still grieving their loss. It’s also a sad story for Tim Tebow. Tebow took a Broncos team that was going nowhere, led them to a string…
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A Bittersweet Tribute to Peyton Manning
I think the people of Indianapolis are feeling something of what the people of Dallas experienced when Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry in 1989. Colts fans have watched the Colts organization pull the rug out from under their tried and true champion. As with Landry and in spite of the best arguments in favor of the move, it just seems wrong. Really wrong. Maybe it will be a move that will lead to more championships, but still. It just seems wrong.
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Boyce College Student Wins NY Times Design Contest
Boyce College student Alex Medina has just been featured at NYTimes.com for winning the New York Times Jeremy Lin design competition. The contest sought to find a “graphic treatment that is both tasteful and revolutionary, like Lin himself.” Alex’s winning design is pictured at right. You Lin fans need to click on the picture, visit Alex’s site, and purchase a t-shirt. The Times feature also explains Alex’s recent conversion to the Knicks from the Heat: “I like to say I don’t follow corporations, I follow players.” Alex is Linsane in the membrane, if you know what I mean. Read the rest of the New York Times feature here. Order the…
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Phil Mickelson Hits Tee Shot into Fan’s Shorts
I have never heard of anything like this before. But then again, maybe I just don’t play enough golf. Here’s the report from the Golf Channel’s coverage of the Northern Trust Open. You’ve got to read it to believe it.
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Lin Leads Knicks to 7th Straight Win
The Knicks snagged their 7th straight win tonight with Lin as a starter. I know the last couple of weeks have been all about Jeremy Lin, but you’re missing his contribution if you’re only counting the points he puts up on the board. Lin is leading these guys to play team ball—the kind of ball that led the Mavericks to a championship last year. Tonight’s stats bear this out. Lin only scored 10 points, but he had 13 assists. No player for the Knicks had more than 19 points, yet the team still managed to put 100 points on the board. In a league filled with selfish superstars, this new…
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Lin-sane in the Membrane
It has been my long-standing custom not to pay attention to NBA basketball before the playoffs start. But Jeremy Lin has changed that. I’m tuning in now along with the rest of the country. If you missed tonight’s game, it was another great performance (highlights above). What a remarkable player, what an underdog, and what an inspiration for corny puns. They say that puns are the lowest form of humor, but that hasn’t diminished the corny punning on Lin’s name. In fact, many are finding quite hard to resist. Mark it down. I’m all Lin for the rest of the season. As long as he’s bal-Lin, I won’t be stall-Lin…