Terry Francona flips off camera during game (VIDEO)
Matt Birch via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Cleveland Indians manager Terry Francona wasn’t really interested in being shown on camera during Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, and he made sure to make it known.

In the bottom of the first inning, just before he was forced to pull starter Trevor Bauer from the game, Francona was shown on TV flipping off the camera.


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No, he was not scratching an itch. There are even theories that he made the gesture toward Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who had just made his way out of the dugout to complain to the umpires about Bauer’s hand.


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Francona can do whatever he wants, to be honest. His flawless managing and decision making in key moments is why the Indians are one game away from the World Series.



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Tim Tebow is 0-for-12 in Arizona Fall League
Kevin McGuire via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Remember when New York Mets prospect Tim Tebow hit a home run in his first swing in an instructional league a couple weeks back? It’s been all down hill since. Tebow is 0-for-12 in the Arizona Fall League so far, which



Honestly, I cannot help but root for Tebow to find some success, because it is hard to argue it would not be a fantastic story. Obviously, you don’t want to see this help a division rival (especially the Mets) in any way, but we all pretty much know this Tebow baseball experiment is not likely to go very far. You have to wonder if a poor showing in the AFL will bring an early end to this whole adventure for Tebow.

Tip of the cap to Deadspin.



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Tweet of the Moment
rhinocompass via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here



That’s a really tame celebration, Colorado. If only there was another, legal way to blow off some steam and relax in the state of Colorado.

(Mazel tov to those who can see the post show up Monday night. If not, happy Tuesday, glad we could be here.)



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Rangers Persevere in Wild Third Period Win vs. Sharks
Melissa Andus via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The New York Rangers remain undefeated at home after a wild 7-4 victory against the San Jose Sharks. For a box score, click here.

Well that was fun. Raise your hand if you thought the boys were going to blow it in the third period? I will fully admit my hand is raised high. Last years’ team brainwashed us to expect the worst. But same as opening night, this team didn’t quit. It’s nice to see the “find a way” Rangers again, even if it’s only been a couple of games.

So where to begin? Guess I’ll just start with the same player I started with after game 1 – Chris Kreider. Man is on a mission. If whatever needed to click finally clicked and this is the player we are going to get all year, it is going to be a fun year. I mean, I don’t even have words for this goal:


That’s just insane. And his hug of the referee is much better than running the goalie. Maybe he’ll get a reputation of doing that instead.

That was in the second period so let’s go back a little bit.

I feel confident in saying the Rangers dominated the majority of this game. In fact, they seem to have the Sharks number since a certain game back in October 2012. Wonder why that could be.

But as we saw all too well on Saturday, domination doesn’t always show on the scoreboard so after a very good first 17 minutes of the game which led to a 1-0 lead, the Rangers got into some penalty trouble. The call on Zibanejad was legit. You can even argue that the call on Fast was as well, although you don’t see that called that often especially when the team is on the penalty kill.

So the Rangers are 3-on-5 and Stepan and Nash go on a rush to the offensive zone. I’m not crazy about that in the first place because if they get trapped, the poor defenseman (in this case McDonagh) is basically screwed. But they did and they got a good chance. Then Nash gets tied up behind the net and from what I saw, got tackled. Last I checked that wasn’t legal. The referees decided to let the teams play on leading to an extremely odd-man rush the other way and a tie game with a minute to go in the period. You could argue the Rangers got themselves into that trouble by going for the offensive chance but it was a tough pill to swallow at that point in the game.

The boys got it back early in the second when Rick Nash, who with Buchnevich out was moved up to play with Zibanejad and Kreider, got a greasy one for his first of the season. Six minutes later was the Kreider goal above and the Rangers had a nice two goal lead to close out the scoring for the first forty.

With three and a half to go in the second, Dylan McIlrath showed his presence getting into it with the Sharks Tomas Hertl. Most Rangers fans remember Hertl from that game four years ago. That said, this wasn’t a fair fight and the referees quickly broke it up. I’ll admit I didn’t see what happened but I’m guessing Hertl did something cause McIlrath usually doesn’t fight non-fighters unless he has to.

Now to the third. Seven goals in twenty minutes. The highlight? Jimmy Vesey scoring his first NHL goal (just 21 seconds after Hayes got his first of the season). The kid was flying all game and you could tell he was close to breaking through. The smile on his face was as big as the building from the moment the puck hit the net until they officially announced the goal. You could tell he was soaking it all in and was trying not to smile too much as the roar of the crowd went up during the announcement. If there’s one thing MSG crowds get right is celebrating milestones of their players. Always the loudest cheer of the night.

That made it 5-2 with less than eight minutes to go. The Rangers gave one back a minute later and you could feel the tension start to build. Two minutes later, it was a one goal game. Then DeBoer got greedy and tried to pull Martin Jones. I’m not sure he made it to the bench before Zuccarello buried the empty net goal. Remember that missed call that led to the Sharks first goal? Pretty sure the Rangers got the makeup call right before this goal as Zuccarello definitely should have had a penalty earlier in the shift. The Rangers would add another in the final seconds to preserve the 7-4 victory.

I’m still not sure this team is built to try to outscore teams but they are closer than past teams have been. Either way, looks like we have a fun season ahead of us. The Rangers are next on the ice Wednesday night for a match up with the Detroit Red Wings, who destroyed the Senators 5-1 behind a hat trick from Rangers killer Mike Green in their home opener tonight. Hopefully Green got all his goals for the week out of his system already.



(Photo: Melissa Andus)



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Saints Happy Hour Podcast: Saints prove defense is optional, beat Panthers 41-38
Andrew Juge via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The boys celebrate the 2-3 Saints in Style! They bask in Sad Cam, which is the best Cam. Andrew loves the unstoppable offense, Dave describes the vibe in the Dome for his son’s first Saints game.

Ralph wonders if Saints fans have Stockholm syndrome when it comes to the defense.
The Saints are back to playing Brian Dixon at corner, stock your liquor cabinets as needed.
Do the Saints have a legit kicker?
Why is Sean Payton treating punt returns like an 87 year old man hoarding money under his mattress?
Should Saints pay Nick Fairley?
Plus Twitter questions and predictions for the Kansas City game.
Donate just $1 a month and become a Saints Happy Hour Patron if you love the show or make 1 time donation so the audio quality stays awesome and we have a podcast. Don’t forget to download our Podbean, Stitcher, or Andriod app!



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Cody Kessler has earned starting job
oriosjr13 via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Not much has gone right for the Cleveland Browns this season, but for the first time, in a very long time, the quarterback position isn’t an issue.

Cody Kessler has played well, especially considering the circumstances, and he’s done to keep his job as Cleveland’s signal caller the rest of the season.

On Sunday against the Titans, Kessler rallied the Browns to a furious last minute comeback, scoring twice in less than two minutes, but falling short 28-26. Kessler set a career high with 336 yards passing and two touchdowns.

On the season, both replacing injured QBs and starting, Kessler has fired four touchdown passes while completing 65% of his passes.

A third round pick by the Browns, Kessler has played well so far this season.

With another lost year for the team, now is as good a time as ever to find out if the Browns have their QB of the future in Cody Kessler.

Yes they added Robert Griffin III in the offseason, and Josh McCown plays well when he gets the chance to, but this is long term here.

All those quarterbacks for all those years since 1999, from Couch to Dorsey to Holcomb to Hoyer and everybody else in between, this is about finding out if the Browns finally have their signal caller.

Let’s see what the kid’s got.

He’s earned the starting job not just for now, but for the remainder of this season.





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ALCS 3 Three Recap: No Bauer, No Problem as Tribe Takes 3-0 Series Lead
gpotter16 via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The Cleveland Indians have had an innate ability to deal with adversity this season, and they needed every bit of that on Monday. Trevor Bauer, dealing with a wounded pinky finger on his throwing hand, had to removed from the game two outs into the game due to excessive bleeding. However, the bullpen only allowed two Toronto runs, and the Indians offense, led Mike Napoli, did enough to give the Indians a win and a 3-0 lead in the ALCS. Here is how it all happened:

First Inning:


Carlos Santana demonstrated why he has been so valuable in the leadoff spot, drawing a five-pitch walk against Marcus Stroman. At first, it looked like Santana would get no further than first, after Jason Kipnis hit a ball fairly hard to left-center field that defensive wizard Kevin Pillar had no running down and Francisco Lindor struck out. However – Mike Napoli broke out of his postseason slump by hitting a ball off the wall in right field, just out of the reach of Jose Bautista for a double. Santana scored from first, giving the Tribe a 1-0 lead. Jose Ramirez would strand Napoli at second on a line-out to left field.

Unfortunately, things did not go as well for the Indians in the bottom-half of the inning: after striking out Jose Bautista and getting Edwin Encarnacion to fly-out (and mixing in two walks), Trevor Bauer’s injured pinky began bleeding heavily, and he had to removed from the game: a worst-case scenario for the Indians, who already were frighteningly-thin on starting pitchers. However, Dan Otero replaced Bauer and got Russell Martin to ground out, getting Cleveland out of the inning.

Second Inning:


The Indians were able to make a little bit of noise in the second due to their baserunning: Coco Crisp drew a one out walk and stole second base easily. However, Tyler Naquin popped out and Roberto Perez struck out with Crisp at third after he advanced on wild pitch.

Toronto continued to build momentum to start the bottom half of the second, as Michael Saunders led off with a home run to left field to tie the game at 1-1. However, Otero managed to avoid any further damage, getting Pillar to ground out, and inducing a double-play ball off of Ryan Goins’ bat after allowing a single to Ezequiel Carrera.

Third Inning:


Cleveland went about as quietly as they good in the third inning: Santana popped to short center, and Kipnis and Lindor hit weak ground balls the second base. With that, Stroman had retired 6 of the last 7 hitters he faced.

However, the Tribe bullpen continued to hold serve: Jeff Manship, making his first postseason appearance, took the ball from Otero. He allowed a leadoff single to Bautista, but went on to induce three straight pop-outs to Josh Donaldson, Encarnacion, and Troy Tulowitzki, and the score remained 1-1.

Fourth Inning:


Cleveland managed to seize back some of the game’s momentum as Napoli continued to bust out of his playoff slump with a 411 foot bomb to center field, bringing the score to 2-1 – his eighth career postseason homer. However, Jose Ramirez, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Coco Crisp were then retired in order by Stroman.

The bottom of the fourth inning proved to be much of the same for Cleveland: the bullpen once again did their job, as Manship struck out Martin before giving way to Zach McAllister. Michael Saunders nearly took McAllister deep to the spot he hit his homer off Otero, but fell about ten feet short. Then, McAllister got Pillar to ground out to third, ending the frame with the Tribe lead still intact.

Fifth Inning:


While the Indians were surely desperate to try to add to their lead, Marcus Stroman continued to seem unhittable to anyone not named Napoli, striking out Naquin looking and getting Roberto Perez and Carlos Santana to weakly pop out.

After holding off the Blue Jays for a few innings, a single mistake by Zach McAllister cost the Indians the lead: Carrera smoked a leadoff triple to right field that died after hitting the wall, allowing Carrera the extra stride or two to get to third base. A ground ball to Lindor at short by Ryan Goins tied the game at 2-2. Bryan Shaw then entered the game, and fans got a quick scare as Bautista flew out deep to left field. Josh Donaldson singled to keep the inning alive, but Shaw induced a ground ball off the bat at Encarnacion and end the threat.

Sixth Inning:


Much like throughout the season (and the game Monday), the Indians answered when facing adversity. After Toronto tied the game in the fifth, Jason Kipnis lead off the sixth with a home run to deep right, giving the Indians a 3-2 lead. While Stroman would get Lindor to strikeout, a walk to Mike Napoli would knock Stroman out of the game, giving way to Joe Biagini.

Baserunning was highlighted coming into the series, and it would be baserunning that got Cleveland another run. While at first Napoli read a ball in the dirt, broke for second, and got in safely ahead of Martin’s throw. Jose Ramirez would then single to right-center, allowing Napoli to score and giving the Indians a 4-2 lead.

Bryan Shaw did his job in the bottom half, retiring Toronto in order, striking out Martin and Saunders after getting Tulowitzki to ground out – and presumably setting the stage for Andrew Miller to enter the game in the 7th.

Seventh Inning:


The Indians couldn’t manage to add any insurance runs in the seventh: Tyler Naquin, struck out against Jason Grilli to lead off the inning, as he continued to look overmatched this postseason. Roberto Perez managed to reach on a single, but Carlos Santana popped to left and Kipnis flew to right to the end the top half of the inning.

It would be Allen who entered the game in the seventh, not Miller, and things would get a little tense. Allen got Carrera to fly out to right field, but Pillar would bloop a single to right field, and then steal second base. Justin Smoak came in to pinch hit for Goins, and worked the count full before Allen got him to chase a curveball for strikeout three. Allen faced Bautista, who worked a walk. That brought 2015 MVP Josh Donaldson to the plate, where one swing could have given Toronto the lead. Instead, Donaldson would line to left field, where Coco Crisp would make a diving grab to end the inning and keep Cleveland’s lead at 4-2.

Eighth Inning:


The top of the eighth was promising for the Indians, with Lindor drawing a leadoff walk against Brett Cecil . Unfortunately, it wouldn’t lead to much, as Napoli would strike out and Ramirez popped out. Lindor attempted to steal second base with a 1-1 count on Chisenhall, and was initially called safe, but appeared to come off the bag, and was ruled out on a replay review to end the half inning.

There would be no drama in the bottom half of the eighth: Cody Allen took the hill to start the inning, and make quick work of Encarnacion, who grounded out into the Tribes’s heavy shift. Allen would then strike out Troy Tulowitzki looking on an inside fastball. At that point, Terry Francona gave the ball to Andrew Miller, who not surprisingly struck out Russell Martin on four pitches – his 18th strikeout in eight innings of work this postseason.

Ninth Inning:


The Indians looked like they were primed to add an insurance run (or two) in the top half of the ninth against Roberto Osuna – but were dealt a bit of bad luck. Where as a bounce aided Toronto on Carrera’s triple, a bounce hurt the Indians. After Coco Crisp singled with one out, Naquin drove a wall to right, that bounced over the wall for a ground rule double. Crisp easily would have scored, but instead was held at third with one out. Then, Roberto Perez struck out, and Carlos Santana grounded out to leave Crisp at third.

However: Cleveland wouldn’t need it. Even though Andrew Miller didn’t meet his standard of striking out everyone – Dioner Navarro would lead off the inning with a slap-single to right, he would strike out Kevin Pillar and Melvin Upton Jr. before getting Darwin Barney to ground to second to secure the 3-0 lead in the series.

Player of the Game: Mike Napoli – 2-3, 2B, HR, BB, 2 RBI

Final Score: Cleveland Indians 4 – Toronto Blue Jays 2

On Deck:


The Indians will turn to their ace, Corey Kluber – on short rest – Tuesday to try to secure their trip to the World Series. He will face Aaron Sanchez, arguably Toronto’s best pitcher, at 4:00 pm on TBS.



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Dak Prescott to the bench? Not so fast Jerry Jones
oriosjr13 via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

If history shows us anything in football, it’s that you ride the hot hand at quarterback, regardless of who lost their starting job.

Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady, Alex Smith and Colin Kaepernick, and now in Dallas, they’ve got Dak Prescott and Tony Romo.

Only five games in yes, but the talk has already started- Will Tony Romo regain his starting job once he’s cleared to play? And the bigger question- Should he?

It was the same question fans and pundits argued back in 2001 with Bledsoe and Brady, and again in 2012 with Alex Smith and Kaepernick. In both cases, valid arguments were made for each side, going something like this:



Back in the day, that was the purpose of the backup quarterback, to backup the starter. The only time a starting quarterback lost his job was because of poor play (like Todd Marinovich-remember him?), or because of injury of the season ending kind (Donovan McNabb back in 2006 and being replaced by Jeff Garcia). But other than that, his job was simple.

I’ll give you an example of just how much the NFL has changed thanks to Tom Brady’s heroics in 2001:

In 1995, the defending champion 49ers lost their MVP quarterback Steve Young to an injury, and backup Elvis Grbac stepped in and immediately helped San Francisco pull off a major road win at the newly relocated and 1st place St. Louis Rams franchise. Back-to-back home losses to the Saints and Panthers were followed up by two huge road games- a rematch of the conference championship game at Dallas and then a Monday Night matchup at Miami.

The 49ers pulled off the improbable and won both games, with Grbac suddenly lighting up both teams to the tune of six touchdown passes and no interceptions. The 49ers, who were sitting at 5-4 prior to the Dallas game, suddenly left Florida sitting with a nice 7-4 record thanks to Grbac’s back-to-back heroics on the road.

But it ended right there. The following Sunday, Steve Young was back in the lineup and Grbac back to the bench. That was the old NFL, back before a 6th round pick came out of nowhere and led his team to a Super Bowl victory in 2001.

Now, the feeling is that you ride the hot hand. Where fans were once split in situations like this, the tide has seemed to turn. Very few Cowboy fans seem happy to have Tony Romo coming back and immediately taking over the job that was already his. They want to ride with Dak Prescott as long as possible and see where it goes.

Maybe a Super Bowl appearance like 49er fans experienced when Colin Kaepernick took over a concussed Alex Smith? Or maybe at some point, the magical ride of Dak finally evens out, and the turnovers start happening and a loss here or there is enough to convince fans to go back to Romo, but for the meantime, the debate is going on strong.

In reality, it’s a debate that seems much more relevant than the two currently running for president, but that’s another blog for another time.

For now, the return of Tony Romo, if ever, is a couple of weeks away. As the saying goes, “we’ll cross that bridge when we get there”, but still, it’s a conversation that will eventually consume the airwaves in Texas, it’s just a matter of time.



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Can Colin Kaepernick lead the Niners again off the bench?
oriosjr13 via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The first time Colin Kaepernick came off the bench in his NFL career, he took over for an injured 1st round quarterback, and led the 49ers to the Super Bowl.

Four years later, Kaepernick is once again coming off the bench to replace a 1st round quarterback, but this time, the circumstances have changed.

The 49ers are no longer dominant like they were with Jim Harbaugh back in 2012, no, these 49ers might be one of the worst organizations in all of football right now, and Kaepernick is no longer an unknown player, but instead he’s become one of the most recognizable athletes in all of professional sports today.

Not so much for what he’s done on the field, no, that’s why he’s on the bench in the first place, but rather for his stance (no pun intended) on kneeling during the National Anthem.

That aside, Sunday is an opportunity for Kaepernick to resurrect a once soaring career that saw him quickly become one of the faces of the league. It’s also a chance for all football fans to see if a QB like Kaepernick can succeed in Chip Kelly’s offense, which seems to be built for his skill set.

For starters, Kaepernick inherits an offense that ranks 8th in the league in rushing yards per game (121.4) and a running back in Carlos Hyde who is tied for the most rushing touchdowns on the season with six.

This is Chip’s strength, the running game, and it was a staple of what made the Harbaugh 49ers great (aside from having a killer defense).

In the passing game however, the 49ers are dead last, a far cry for a franchise that was once lead by passers like Brodie, Montana, Young, and Garcia.

This is the mess Kaepernick steps into. It’s a chance to revive a career with a city that still loves him and thinks of him as the face of the franchise. It’s also in a bigger picture, an opportunity to showcase to the rest of the league that he hasn’t declined in skills and can still be the dangerous threat that helped lead the 49ers to two straight conference title games and a Super Bowl in just his first three seasons in the league.

So much is at stake for Colin Kaepernick right now, and it starts Sunday at Buffalo, only this time, the cameras won’t just be on for his anthem protest, but for the rest of the game as he takes the field for the first time this season as the starting QB for the 49ers.



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The Otto’s- September
oriosjr13 via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

For all three of my readers, I apologize for being behind on the Otto’s, and if you have no idea what I’m talking about, click here to get the back story on our very own award.

We’re five games into the season and already in mid-October, and because we’re behind, we’re going to make it up by doing the Otto’s for the month of September for now. If possible, we’ll go back to the weekly blog.

For now, here we go for the month of September. In honor of Tom Brady’s horrendous, uncalled for, unjustified BS suspension, we’re going with a top four only instead of top five for this first write up of the new season.

Honorable mention goes to Sam Bradford, who has played well in Minnesota so far this season. Four games in, they Vikings are undefeated, Bradford hasn’t thrown an interception, and above all, he’s stayed healthy (not making fun of him at all, he’s a good dude, you’ve got to root for someone like Sam).

4- Dak Prescott, Cowboys

Admit it……ok I will then. As soon as Tony Romo stayed down in Seattle, I thought Dallas was done. At best I thought, if/when Romo came back, the Cowboys would be a team that won at least two games- after four games, Dallas is 3-1, and Dak has been solid. He doesn’t throw interceptions, rarely makes mistakes, and has been a proficiency machine, completing almost 70% of his passes. He’s also scored five times in four games (three through the air and twice on the ground). His touchdown stats may not wow people, but the level he’s playing at is.

3- Carson Wentz, Eagles

Even before the season started, many, many, many football fans and pundits had already written off just how bad the Eagles were going to be, thanks in large part to the purge cause by Chip Kelly. Four weeks into the season, the Eagles are in first place, and their rookie QB has looked good. Wentz has fired 7 touchdown passes to just a single INT, while completing 67% of his passes. Philly’s only blemish on the season is a 1-point loss to the Lions last week, in which Wentz threw his first interception on the season.

2- Derek Carr, Raiders

Carr has blossomed into one of the best young QBs in the league, and he’s got the supporting cast on offense to lead the Raiders to the playoffs. In Week 1, he drove Oakland downfield late in the 4th quarter for the game tying touchdown, but instead of tying the game with an extra point kick, the Raiders gambled and Carr delivered on a pass to Michael Crabtree for the game winner. Against the Ravens three weeks later, Carr fired four touchdown passes, including the game winner to Crabtree again, as the Raiders moved to 3-1 on the season. Through four games, Carr has thrown 9 touchdown passes to just a single interception.




1- Matt Ryan, Falcons

In the first four games of the season, Matt Ryan, how can I put this, shredded defenses. Literally, he tore them apart like Brock Lesnar did to John Cena at SummerSlam 2014. That bad. Ryan after four games, is on pace to throw for almost 6,000 yards and 44 touchdowns, and oh yeah, the Falcons are in sole possession of first place. Ryan annihilated the defending NFC Champion Panthers to the tune of 500 yards and four scores and is the leader in the Automatic Otto’s one month into the 2016 season.



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No Hearing for Jake Virtanen’s Dirty Hit on Joakim Nordstrom
Eric J. Burton via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

I was watching this dirty hit by Vancouver Canucks forward, Jake Virtanen on Carolina Hurricanes forward, Joakim Nordstrom, there was no call on the play. Actually, I am wondering why this hit didn’t at least get a hearing. Virtanen slams Nordstrom’s head into the boards.

According to NBC Sports, “Vancouver forward Jake Virtanen isn’t scheduled to have a disciplinary hearing after shoving the head of Carolina’s Joakim Nordstrom into the boards, the NHL has confirmed.”


This is what former NHL official Kerry Fraser had to say about this hit.


I agree with what Mr. Fraser, this should have been a major penalty and a game misconduct. There wasn’t even a penalty called on the play.



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No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller (Oct 16, 2016) - FOXSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


No. 2 Buckeyes claw past No. 8 Wisconsin in OT thriller (Oct 16, 2016)
FOXSports.com
Wisconsin: Coach Paul Chryst dug deep into the playbook to throw off the Buckeyes in the first half, running receiver Jazz Peavy on jet sweeps and passing out of tight formations. The Badgers had manageable third-down situations, for the most part, ...

and more »

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If you think this platform change is difficult for EaglesEyeBlog, it’s even worse for Eagles as they anticipate the Vikings…
jaxsportsmedia via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

This is kind of a test blurg for our many loyal Eagles EYE readers… Yes, we were just kidnapped by Robert Kraft and his New England Sports Network… it has thrown a lot of servers into a tizzy around the world…but eventually we will resurface and dominate.

I’m more concerned about the Eagles and how they respond to a two-game losing streak with Minnesota coming off a Bye and into the Linc.

The Philadelphia Eagles are dealing with some injury concerns coming out of Sunday’s loss to the Washington Redskins. The most significant belongs to defensive tackle Bennie Logan, whom head coach Doug Pederson described as week-to-week with a groin injury. Logan will likely be unavailable for this weekend’s home game against the undefeated Minnesota Vikings. That’s bad news for a defense that yielded 230 rushing yards to Washington and has slipped overall after a strong start.

“I would agree that we got our tail kicked up front in that game,” said HC Doug Pederson. “That’s obvious. It’s a pride thing. It comes down to each man taking ownership in their jobs, in their assignments. As coaches, we have to make sure that players are in the right positions to make plays, and at the end of the day, it’s each man to himself and then collectively coming together to make plays.”

Pederson revealed on Monday that center Jason Kelce is dealing with plantar fasciitis and will sit out Wednesday’s practice. Veteran Stefen Wisniewski will take reps with the first team, though Pederson expects Kelce to play this week.

The offensive line is already at less than full strength thanks to the 10-game Lane Johnson suspension. Despite his struggles against Ryan Kerrigan in his first start, Pederson is going to stick with rookie Halapoulivaati Vaitai at right tackle.

Eeeeek!

Cornerback Ron Brooks (left calf contusion) is day-to-day, as is linebackerMychal Kendricks (rib contusion) and defensive end Marcus Smith (right groin). Pederson expects starting corner Leodis McKelvin (hamstring) to practice Wednesday, along with defensive end Bryan Braman (shoulder), wide receiverJordan Matthews (knee tendonitis) and safety Rodney McLeod (AC shoulder sprain).

So we’re pretty beat up right now— much like this dime-store website.

Most of you are starting to pull up the new site. However, it can take hours for the changeover to take full effect and be processed by every internet provider. If you are getting redirected to the old platform, please be patient. There is nothing that can be done to make the change happen faster. This is just part of changing servers and it will resolve itself.

And yet isn’t that the same promise we once heard from Rich Kotite?

The Eagles, losers of two straight, host the undefeated Minnesota Vikings this weekend. The Vikings are quarterbacked by Sam Bradford, who was dealt from Philadelphia to Minnesota eight days before the season in exchange for a first-round draft pick in 2017 as well as a conditional fourth-rounder in 2018.

Having worked in the Eagles offense all offseason, Bradford knows the playbook inside and out, and will likely be passing some nuggets along to the Vikings coaching staff this week.

Pederson says that’s not an issue.

“One guy has my entire playbook,” Pederson responded. “One guy. And that’s Carson Wentz.”

He then was asked if Bradford’s knowledge would affect how the Eagles put together a game plan.

“We also, back a few years ago, Donovan [McNabb] was in Washington when we played him, and we had a pretty good day. So, listen, I’m not going to change anything. Will we tweak some stuff? Yes.”

Pederson is likely referencing the 59-28 Eagles win over the McNabb-led Redskins on Monday Night Football in 2010, when Michael Vick threw for four touchdowns and ran for two more. Pederson was an assistant for Andy Reid and the Eagles then. McNabb’s first game against his old team however, was a 17-12 Washington win at Lincoln Financial Field.

“You know, we still have to get ready; this is a great football team coming in here, now,” Pederson continued. “They’re undefeated, coming off a Bye. Sam has obviously a good understanding and knowledge of what we do on both sides of the ball. I think where it becomes valuable for a coach when a player knows you, is just knowing personnel. I think just understanding the types of guys that are here. He’s been a teammate for a couple years here and I think that becomes more valuable than the X’s and O’s because, if I know Sam and I know the quarterback position, he’s gotta get ready for this defense and get himself ready to go as well.”

“No,” said Pederson, when asked if he’s surprised how well Bradford has played despite joining Minnesota so close to the start of the season. “Everything I’ve seen, [having] worked with Sam and how well he picked up our offense here and the execution he had throughout training camp, you’re seeing a lot of the same concepts offensively with them that we did here. He’s a sharp kid, he’s a smart kid and he’s a very accurate thrower, so I’m not surprised at the success.





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UFC Brass: GSP Still Under Contract
Jeff Fox via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here





Georges St-Pierre announced earlier today that he was legally out of his UFC contract. At that point no official announcement had come from the UFC. That has changed. Here is their official statement:

“Georges St-Pierre remains under an existing agreement with Zuffa, LLC as his MMA promoter. Zuffa intends to honor its agreement with St-Pierre and reserves its rights under the law to have St-Pierre do the same.”

Your move, Mr. St-Pierre.





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Ohio State football | Buckeyes better for surviving tough test, Meyer says - Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football | Buckeyes better for surviving tough test, Meyer says
Columbus Dispatch
Now that they've survived it, the Ohio State Buckeyes are glad to have endured their close call at Camp Randall Stadium on Saturday. The Buckeyes breezed through their first four games and took a slap on the wrist in a 21-point victory over Indiana ...
Urban Meyer frustrated with 15-yard penalty called against himESPN
Wisconsin close call could bolster Buckeyes for future challengesDayton Daily News
Ohio State football: Good vibes only with the Buckeyes coming off a win at Wisconsin?cleveland.com
Toledo Blade -Philly.com -CBSSports.com
all 1,129 news articles »

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Michigan Keeping Tabs On Rival Buckeyes As 'The Game' Nears - CBS Local
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Michigan Keeping Tabs On Rival Buckeyes As 'The Game' Nears
CBS Local
ANN ARBOR, MI - NOVEMBER 28: Jabrill Peppers #5 of the Michigan Wolverines eludes the tackle of Gareon Conley #8 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in the first half at Michigan Stadium on November 28, 2015 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory ...
Wolverines up to No. 3 as No. 2 Buckeyes lurkArkansas Online
The AP Top 25 Poll | NCAA College FootballNCAA College Football - Associated Press

all 99 news articles »

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RECAP: All Quiet on the Western Front
jessemarshall via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The theme in this game was the Penguins could be the first team since the 19-whatever Red Wings to go 3-0 as defending Cup champs, so you basically knew they were going to lose right out of the gate.

Gotta start this by saying that ol’ Double-J is all class with the anthems. If you don’t get jammed up when Jeff Jimerson belts out the Star Spangled Banner, get real. You probably think Iggy Azalea is good at freestyling.

FIRST PERIOD

Both teams exchanged chances early and some good hockey was played until the parades to the penalty box started.

The Avalanche came out strong for a paltry few minutes, but the Penguins eventually started to get the train rolling. Evgeni Malkin took a high stick to the face that went uncalled. As he went to the locker-room for some dental repair, Mike Sullivan was busy planting the seeds of redemption.

You have to give Sullivan the credit for the makeup call. He got in the officials heads in a classic Sullivan fashion.

The Penguins got their power-play handed to them on a silver platter. Mike Sullivan gripes, Phil Kessel snipes. How’s that for a hot 16? Eat your heart out, Azalea.

The second goal came shortly after as the Penguins continued to pile on the shot attempts. After a quick dump in, all three of the Penguin forwards clogged up the wall and their incessant pressure caused a turnover. Using his renown Dad Strength, Matt Cullen banged him a rebound in front to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

Unfortunately for the Penguins, there’s a reason they say a 2-0 lead is the worst lead in hockey.

The Penalty bug paid a visit to the Penguins as the first period expired. The ghost of Jarome Iginla score from the top left side of the ice (pay attention, this becomes a recurring theme here.)

Shortly after that, Patrick Wiercioch scored from an eerily similar position. MAF was screened for both goals, so it’s whatevs. Let’s not get the goaltender controversy media train running just yet.


SECOND PERIOD

The Penguins annihilated the Avalanche in shot-attempts in the 2nd period by a 21-12 clip. The Av’s only chance came on a disallowed goal for a distinct kicking motion.

The rest of the period was a bunch of shot-attempts with nothing doing for the Penguins.


THIRD PERIOD

You almost thought that the Penguins took the lead in this one when Evgeni Malkin blasted a shot past Pickard, but after video replay, they disallowed the goal because Malkin made contact with Pikard’s glove three seconds before he shot the puck into the net or something like that.

The Penguins had their moment in the sun in the third period when they started dominating possession in the offensive zone. This lead to a power-play opportunity.

Trevor Daley, who was traded for Rob Scuderi if you can believe that, cashed in for the Penguins with an absolute bomb from the point. Just when you thought everything was coming up Milhouse, the Penguins went to the well one time too many.

Reality of the situation is that six penalties is way too many penalties.



Landeskog city on the power-play. Tied game. See you in OT.


OVERTIME

22 seconds long. Landeskog city part 2. See you in game four.

TAKEAWAYS:

• Pens dominated this game overall and didn’t have the puck luck to put the Av’s away
• Can’t even be mad at MAF tonight. Made some big saves. Unfortunately he couldn’t see through screens for half the game.
• Elite performance by Matt Cullen tonight. 17 shot attempts for, six against. That whole line was dominant.
• HBK line got bottled up big time in this one.

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Ohio State football: Live updates from Urban Meyer previewing Buckeyes vs. Penn State - cleveland.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: Live updates from Urban Meyer previewing Buckeyes vs. Penn State
cleveland.com
The Buckeyes will aim for another this week when they travel to Penn State for a prime time kick at Beaver Stadium. Urban Meyer will recap the win at Wisconsin, and preview Saturday's game against the Nittany Lions during his news conference on Monday.

and more »

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LordJeffBuck said:

2. Minnesota 31, Maryland 10: ... One of those interceptions was returned 82 yards for a touchdown by Minnesota DB Antoine Winfield, Jr.

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w00t!!

Trevor Bauer leaves game with bloody finger
Matt Birch via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

Cleveland Indians pitcher Trevor Bauer missed his Game 2 start after cutting his finger while repairing his drone, but the injury has still not healed, it seems.

The extra two days clearly didn’t do the job as MLB fans saw blood dripping from his finger in the first inning of Game 3, which caused him to leave the game.


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And here’s his finger dripping blood.


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The injury couldn’t come at a less opportune time for the Indians, either.


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Bauer probably shouldn’t have tinkered with his drone until after the playoffs. The Indians had all the momentum in this series, and him leaving the game puts a serious strain on their bullpen.



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Video: Coach Jon Cooper Interview 10/17
wbphilp via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

(Feature Photo/Christine Gunn)

Follow me on Twitter @LightningShout and please “like” LightningShout on Facebook. You can email us at [email protected].



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Nittany Lions Den and The Sports Daily join NESN
Kevin McGuire via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

It is my pleasure to announce to you that Nittany Lions Den, as well as the entire The Sports Daily network, is now officially a part of the New England Sports Network (NESN). This process has been going on for a number of months now, and the time has finally arrived to show off the new look of the site.

NESN has primarily been focused on the sports scene in New England but is taking on an interest in branching out. The Sports Daily was eager to be a part of this new direction for NESN and after some hard work behind the scenes, it looks as though we are ready to build something unique and engaging. Being a part of an established sports network like NESN should provide new opportunities for the site and network to grow, and I am very happy be a part of it all here at Nittany Lions Den.

So does that mean you’re finally going to blog more about Penn State?


Absolutely. For much of this season, I have found myself reluctant to do much with the site because I admit there was some uncertainty floating in the air and some changes led to delays in rolling out our new format. But we’re here now and it could not have come at a better time for me with Penn State hosting Ohio State this week. We should be good for the remainder of the season now.

I will say there are some things I had planned for this season that have been scrapped due to this process, but as we get everything in order with the new site and network I will slowly get some of those things back in the rotation (podcast, video and more).

What does this mean for you, the reader?


While many of the changes going on with the site are taking place behind the scenes, I can tell you the goal is to make sure you have the best user experience possible. We have a brand new hosting structure as well as a new and improved blogging interface to work with, but you should see minimal changes other than our new network-wide style design. Some things will be different here, and we are still working through a couple of things as we move on as a network. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any bugs or glitches you may come across. It is not uncommon when changes like these are made.

Previous visitors of Nittany Lions Den will notice some drastic changes. For starters, this is no longer a self-contained website with our own content to use for archival purposes. Instead, we are more of a hub for Penn State content across the network. You can also access content from other sites on the network, regardless of sport. For example, clicking on “MLB” on the front page tab will show you the latest baseball content from across our network. Click on “NCAA” for college sports stories from our collection of sites. To see just Penn State content, click on “Home.”

Get Connected!


Now that we have a new system up and running, now is as good a time as any to remind you how to connect with Nittany Lions Den in other ways. You can follow Nittany Lions Den on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. More will come soon as well as we work to get everything up to speed.

You can also be sure to follow The Sports Daily on Twitter, and give a follow to our new friends at NESN while you are at it.

You can also follow me on Twitter, @KevinOnCFB.

In closing, a lot has happened here at Nittany Lions Den. Thank you to those of you who have stuck by the site during many down times, and welcome to any newcomers to the fun. Your support is why this site exists today, and I hope to make it worth coming back time and time again.

Managing Editor,

Kevin McGuire



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Video: Victor Hedman Interview 10/17
wbphilp via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

(Feature Photo/Christine Gunn)

Follow me on Twitter @LightningShout and please “like” LightningShout on Facebook. You can email us at [email protected].



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Video: Ben Bishop Interview 10/17
wbphilp via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

(Feature Photo/Christine Gunn)

Follow me on Twitter @LightningShout and please “like” LightningShout on Facebook. You can email us at [email protected].



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Patrick Peterson loses QB bet, rocks out in dinosaur costume (VIDEO)
Matt Birch via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

The Cardinals have one of the coolest pregame rituals in the NFL, with their friendly accuracy competition.

We’ve seen players dressed as clowns, monsters and all sorts of things, but Patrick Peterson probably had the best costume so far, which he donned before Monday night’s game against the Jets.

Here’s Peterson in a t-rex costume, for your viewing pleasure.

https://platform.vine.co/static/scripts/embed.js

The Cardinals sure like to have their fun.



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