...CandleSUCK Park...

Football is just a game. Spectators are there to 'watch' the game...not to participate. San Francisco, with its troubled past in an attempt to get back to 'the good old days' showed a side that no one needed to see....no one.

Why? Two men are fighting for their lives after one was savagely beaten in a Candlestick Park bathroom during the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders exhibition game and another was shot several times after the game in a double shooting in the parking lot.  A 24-year-old man, who was wearing an "(Expletive) the Niners" T-shirt, was shot two to four times in the stomach before driving his truck to Gate A and stumbling to security. He was taken to San Francisco General Hospital in critical condition.

Another man in his 20s was shot near Lot V about 20 minutes earlier and had superficial face injuries and was taken to the same hospital. The first shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m., about 15 minutes after the game ended.

Police pulled a man off a party bus before it left the parking lot and are calling him a suspect. He was wearing an Oakland Raiders jersey.  In the fourth quarter, around 7:15 p.m., a 26-year-old San Rafael man was assaulted and knocked unconscious in an upper level men's restroom. He was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries, he said.

News on this crime? "The San Francisco Police Department is investigating a shooting incident following Saturday's NFL game between the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland Raiders outside Candlestick Park. No other information regarding the incident is available from the 49ers at this time."

The 49ers beat the Raiders 17-3 Saturday night...but Niner fans....you suck!

....'bye-bye Chip'

One day after BYU was chastised by people across the country for living up to their honor code and suspending one of their best basketball players for the remainder of the year for having premarital sex with his girlfriend, Oregon football could be in some deep trouble for possible recruiting violations....or will they?

The sleeze-fest that is college football continues churning out gut-wrenching stories about the underbelly of society putting its greed and desire to win in front of morality.  It's Oregon popping its head up this time, reportedly in the midst of recruiting violations stemming from paying a man $25,000 to help steer star running back recruit Lache Seastrunk to the school a year ago.

Oregon has stated that it paid the man, Willie Lyles, for recruiting services. But the amount and Lyles contact with Seastrunk are what have caused the NCAA to investigate.

The Pac-12 has a recent history of violations and controversy. But has it been enough to make it the poster-child conference of non-poster-child behavior?

Oregon did make the NCAA aware that they were paying Lyles to help with recruiting, but the NCAA is examining if Lyles' recruiting was on the up-and-up. Right now, they are still investigating so there is no definitive answer to whether or not any rules were broken.

That said, things certainly don't look good for the Ducks right now, especially coming off the high of appearing in the first BCS National Championship Game. We have to wait and see where this whole thing goes.

One question I have is why Oregon would even bother putting the $25,000 payment on an expenditure report if the school was violating a rule? Is it a case of hiding something in plain sight or is Oregon clean?

If the Ducks are clean, then they should have evidence of what they purchased from Lyles. This doesn’t seem to be a hard concept to grasp: If they paid Lyles for videos, then those videos should be in the schools possession, right? The NCAA still could question Oregon for what it paid so much for Lyles’ services, but at that point all the school would have to say is, “Hey, we got ripped off.”

....money doesn't make you smarter (obviously)

It is really sad....that coming off the most-watched Super Bowl of all time, reality is about to hit football fans hard.

Owners and players must agree to a new collective-bargaining agreement by March 4, or the owners will lock out the players, essentially suspending pro football indefinitely. Behind the NFL's recent success are stark concerns. Here are five of the most important 'sticking points' to be overcome to avoid the league's first labor-related work stoppage since 1987.

#1. Player pay-cut

National Football League revenues come to about $9 billion a year. The league says about 60 percent of that goes to player salaries, and owners say that is too much. They want to shave 18 percent off the pool of money that is used to calculate the overall league salary cap.

The owners argue that, while the league is immensely successful as a whole, many owners have gone deep into debt to finance new stadiums in the past decade – anticipating revenues that never materialized because of the recent recession. Before agreeing to a pay cut, NFL Players Association (NFLPA) executive director DeMaurice Smith is demanding line-by-line audits of teams to prove expenses are, in fact, rising faster than revenue. The NFL has so far refused, saying that it has never offered the figures to the union before.

#2. An 18-game schedule

One potential solution to the revenue-sharing problem is to expand the season from 16 to 18 regular-season games, replacing two preseason exhibitions with the real thing. This would make the overall revenue pot larger, meaning owners could cut players' share of the revenue, yet players would not see a significant dip in pay.

But players chafe at the idea of having to play more without getting a raise. They argue that starters see far more playing time in regular season games, and that the intensity level is also much higher, increasing the risk of injury. Some owners have also privately shared worries about the risks to their primary investment, players.

#3. Rookie wage scale

Another potential way to tackle the revenue-sharing problem is to introduce a rookie wage scale. Having untested players who don't even shave yet making tens of millions of dollars isn't in the best interest of the league.

Under Mr. Smith, the NFLPA has stepped back its opposition on the rookie wage scale, opening the door to pay restraints similar to what the National Basketball Association has, where each pick in the draft order has a preset salary affixed to it.  For this concession, Smith wants rookie contracts to be a maximum of three years – allowing players quicker access to potentially bigger contracts through free agency. The league wants rookie contracts to be a minimum of five years.

#4. Benefits for retired players

With the average NFL player staying in the league only 3-1/2 years according to the NFLPA, and recent news coverage documenting their struggles to recover from injuries, the union will demand a retroactive benefits increase for retired players. During previous contract negotiations, the union favored money in hand versus future benefits.

#5. Personalities and intangibles

The futures of hundreds of unrestricted free agents could be thrown into doubt and hundreds of millions of dollars in salaries could be lost – not to mention public goodwill if the Super Bowl is the last game played in 2011.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has said he'll cut his salary from $10 million to $1 if there's a lockout. But many players don't believe the owners are negotiating in good faith. In 2008, the owners decided to opt out of the current collective-bargaining agreement, leading players to think the owners were girding for a lockout.

Representing 1,900 players, Smith is entering his first collective-bargaining negotiation and is keen to make his mark. He is rallying players to his cause and trying to convince the public that million-dollar athletes need a fairer shake. The big question is whether Smith will blink before a lockout.

How much is enough fellas? Seriously?....Be careful Union. You might be getting-in over your heads.

....now let the "big dogs" eat!

I gave it a day...actually a few days. I haven't thought about it because I knew what the outcome would be from the beginning. I haven't talked about it with my friends, or with the guy down at the local Shell station (he loves the Ducks). I still haven't watched Sports Center simply because I don't want to watch it all unfold again. But I think I'll try and give it a shot right now.

First, the Ducks played an amazing game, and it was one of the hardest fought battles in BCS history. Know what is weak though? Nike has a new advertisement that pays homage to the Oregon Ducks, losers of Monday night’s BCS title game against the Auburn Tigers. The ad reads “Everyone Loses Games. Few Change Them.” What part of the game Oregon changed, however, is up for debate. They took on an SEC team....and lost (even the experts predicted it). You knew Auburn was better.

Oregon is Nike’s pet football program, thanks in large part to the fact that Phil Knight, the company’s co-founder, is an alum (he donated $100 million to Oregon athletics in 2007). In addition to the donation, Knight also makes sure that Nike outfits the team with 384 possible uniform combinations (including those crazy neon socks they wore in the title game).

As for the advertisement, I’m not exactly sure what it’s implying. I think what it’s saying is that Oregon somehow changed “the game” because of their bold sartorial choices. In essence, “Okay, we lost, but we looked great doing it.”

Give me a break! Are you serious?

"Oregon is one of the fastest teams in the nation, and we wanted them to look fast," Todd Van Horn, Nike's top football uniform designer, told the press. Visually, the colorway of the uniforms is meant to bring your eyes to the fastest moving parts of the player's bodies -- the hands, and in particular the shins, which move twice as fast as the thighs do while running. The bright yellow socks, which blended seamlessly into the cleats, drew attention to that fact.

Those color contrasts are functional as well. "We hear constantly from teams and quarterbacks that having a bit more visual acuity and contrast on the field makes things easier," says Van Horn. The white jerseys and grey pants, combined with the green accents, allowed the players to stand out vividly against their Auburn opponents.

You might have also caught sight of those flashy helmets -- the swirling pattern on the outside emphasizes the fact that Nike's padding system on the thighs and shoulders contain carbon fiber plates (layered over breathable foam and a moisture wicking base). Nike worked with a company that usually applies custom graphics to cars to create the special decals applied to the helmet. Combined with the green highlights of the Oregon "O," these created a visual vibration you could probably discern on your TV as an almost moiré pattern effect.

Monday’s national title game had an interesting corporate subplot: the Ducks are outfitted by Nike, while the Auburn Tigers’ uniforms are made by upstart apparel company Under Armour. The BCS title represents the first major sports championship won by Under Armour, and the fact that it was over Nike probably sweetened the pot a bit.

Drawing the focus to the Oregon players may have helped the QB to find his receivers. However, the relative drabness of the Auburn players may have enabled them to sneak in for the two picks they got.

The challenge I saw was in the function over the form. Both teams were slipping and sliding all over the place, however it seemed Oregon more than Auburn. Same issue appeared with TCU in the Rose Bowl with "specially designed" equipment supposedly designed by Nike just for the Rose Bowl.

But please Duck fans...please stop saying 'what if.'

"What if" Darron Thomas (QB) hands the ball to LaMichael and he walks in for a touchdown at the start of the second quarter instead of making a 'bonehead read on the defensive tackle. ..."What if" Cliff Harris' second interception wasn't called incomplete and the Ducks take over. Then Newton doesn't throw a touchdown pass to Kodi Burns on the next play...... "What if" Kenjon Barner doesn't get stopped at the one on fourth down and scores a touchdown? Or "what would have happened" if the Ducks had decided to kick a field goal instead of going for it?

But what really happened was...with just under two minutes left in the fourth the Tigers had a first and ten on their own forty. They would hand the ball off to Michael Dyer and he'd pick up about seven yards after being brought down by Eddie Pleasant.... Dyer got up and looked for a ref to hand the ball to, and then all of the sudden he took off down field. He ended up picking up 37 yards on the play...a whistle had never blown the play dead.

"What if" Dyer had been ruled down on the play? Would Auburn still have picked up enough yards to kick a field goal? Maybe. But we'll never know. But you need to know the 3 main things to contemplate about Oregon's loss to Auburn.

#1) It wasn’t Oregon’s fault. The turf was slippery, the crowd and the broadcast was pro-Auburn, and the head referee spoke in a tone that seemed to say, “We’re gonna put you slimy hippies from the West in your place.” Forget the fact that the Ducks were cheated out of an interception and a wrist does not make a running back down in the 4th quarter of the BCS Championship- this one wasn’t meant to be.

#2) Wait- maybe it was their fault. Oregon quarterback Darron Thomas played resiliently and threw a handful of pinpoint passes, but he made the incorrect read on option plays all night long and he smiled and laughed way too much immediately following the game. Many would also like some questions answered about the play calling. Why pound the middle- the strength of the Auburn defense- all night long? Why go for it on 4th down when the red zone offense had no traction whatsoever? Why stick with a ground-based strategy that your QB was struggling to execute? Hindsight is certainly 2020- which will more than likely also be a year that marks a decade since the Ducks let one slip away.

#3) God likes the SEC. The brass at Auburn is convinced that the man in the sky is a big fan. In post game interviews, both Cam Newton and coach Gene Chizik suggested that God himself (they noted God is male) is entirely preoccupied with making the world know that both they and Auburn University are incredible entities, which the 21-year-old Newton explained to us is how God displays His own greatness.

Indeed, we learned a lot about the Universe on a Monday night in Arizona. Peering into the theories of Newton and Chizik, the entire college football season was a mere game of tiddlywinks by the big man above, a predetermined and intricately orchestrated celebration of the gruff coach and the scandal-laden quarterback, who moments after the game told America that God is personally ‘using me as vessel every single day’. Many now wait with anxious anticipation to see how a vessel of God does on the Wonderlic test.

We also learned...the game is over so move on Duck fans (and let’s be honest…the SEC will likely be back again…and again…and again in the title game for years to come….not the Ducks). The SEC is a conference of proven winners. Let's see if you get by Utah next year.

Oregon, your 15 minutes of fame has ended....now let the "big dogs" from the SEC eat!

...2010 Fantasy Champion

Told you this was going to be the result. Enough said. Winner!

...cue the violins

For many of us, Week 16 represents our Fantasy League's championship game. Both of my teams from two different leagues…are ‘ready to rumble’ in the big game. The end of the line. Where winners are crowned and losers obsess over their lineup errors for the next six months.

Losers!..Losers…I will win, I am confident of it. Mostly because of my superior intellect (and Michael Vick). C’mon Michael! You proved you can kill dogs…now go do it on the field. (I cannot stand the fact that he did that to dogs, but he has paid his debt to society).

But just because it's your last matchup of the season doesn't mean it's time to rest. Chances are you didn't breeze your way to the finals with your feet up and your finger off the mouse (like I did). In fact, being that this is the last game of the season win or lose several players on your roster doesn’t hold the same appeal as before. And unlike the previous weeks, knowing which players you're going up against before your game is important, and it could impact how you maneuver your lineup.

First things first: Set your lineup in advance. That determines who you'll likely start -- and subsequently determines who on your roster is expendable. Do you have two DSTs when you only need one? Been carrying an injured player hoping to get him back in time for this game? Got a dud wasting space on your bench? Anyone who you know you're not starting, and more importantly, don't think will help your opponent, is not worth owning. For instance, if you own Drew Brees and David Garrard, and your title-game rival this week has Michael Vick, then Garrard is a dead spot in your lineup. You don't need him, so drop him. Remember; don't cut anyone your fellow owner would consider picking up and starting himself.

Or just kiss your ass goodbye now…because I have Vick.

What do you do with this newfound space? If it were any week but this week, you'd claim the hottest players off of waivers. But this week it's not a bad idea to steal players your opponent might consider starting. For instance, let's say your Week 16 nemesis limped into the title game with Adrian Peterson on his or her team. Peterson was a surprise inactive in Week 15 and could easily find himself ruled out again on Sunday night. If your opponent doesn't have Toby Gerhart, he'd be a guy to target as well as any other good rushers on waivers. I'd recommend doing the same thing if you're going up against Arian Foster this week (which I am unfortunately) -- he was dinged last week and the Texans aren't playing for anything. Perhaps Derrick Ward will pick up a start against the Broncos in place of Foster. That’s why I grabbed Ward this morning off waivers.

What if your opponent is loaded and doesn't need to make a roster move? In that case it's all about maximizing your roster with good talent and eliminating the waste. You might even speculate on a second option for a starter who you're not 100 percent sure on. Let's say you've been disappointed with Dwayne Bowe's stats lately and while you'll probably start him in Week 16 vs. Tennessee, maybe you want to have another option. In that case you could pick up a receiver and drop that second DST or kicker. There's always room for improvement.

Something that's been bothering me all season: How come everyone on the bus in Atlanta bops their head to the rhythm of the music except Arthur Blank in that commercial? Blank has certainly seen things from the dark side. Just three years ago, the franchise was in shambles. Star quarterback Michael Vick headed off to prison for running a dogfighting ring (did I mention I don't care right now?)... Coach Bobby Petrino abandoned the team for the University of Arkansas after just 13 games.

The Falcons started over — new quarterback, new coach, new general manager — but those who thought it would take years to bounce back were way off the mark.  The Falcons (11-2) have already gotten a third consecutive winning mark out of the way, setting their sights on much loftier goals. (Oh, did I mention I have Michael Turner as well?). It pays to be brilliant.

Just remember, it's go-for-broke week. You worked hard to get to this point, so don't stop fighting now.

Or…hand me the trophy now before you get whipped….see ya in the winner's circle. Cue the violins!

...I want 'Chucky' for Christmas!

The Denver Broncos wanted Josh McDaniels to bring the New England Patriots' winning ways with him to the Rocky Mountains when they hired Bill Belichick's brash, young disciple 22 months ago.

What they got instead was the ash-gray hoodie and their very own videotaping scandal to go with a pile of losses and personnel blunders that cost him his job not even halfway through his four-year contract.

McDaniels, the successor to Mike Shanahan in Denver, began his Broncos coaching career with a bang, going 6-0. But since then, the team has gone just 5-17. The loss to the Chiefs on Sunday was their seventh defeat in eight games, dropping the Broncos' 2010 record to 3-9.

He was fired Monday in the midst of the franchise's worst skid in four decades. Spread the word on facebook, twitter and to all your friends. Woo Hoo!

'Baby Josh' might be best known for his decisions to trade quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall over the past year as well as his surprising decision to select Tim Tebow in the first round of the 2010 draft.

The Broncos traded Cutler and a fifth-round draft pick to Chicago in April of 2009, in exchange for Kyle Orton, first- and third-round picks in 2009 and a 2010 first-rounder. Denver then shipped Marshall to Miami after the 2009 season, following McDaniels' late-season benching of Marshall for disciplinary reasons. And to top it off.... the Broncos unloaded Peyton Hillis just prior to the 2010 draft, sending him and a pair of draft picks to Cleveland for Brady Quinn. What? My Fantasy Team trades better than that!

And...the organization was embarrassed by McDaniels' role in a videotaping scandal that resulted in the firing of a Broncos cameraman and league-imposed fines of $50,000 for both McDaniels and the team. A former team employee was found to have improperly taped a 49ers practice the day before the 49ers beat the Broncos in a game played at London's Wembley Stadium on Oct. 31.

The ex-employee, NFL investigators found, offered to show the tape to McDaniels, who refused to look at it and ordered it destroyed. But McDaniels failed to inform team brass or the league about the matter as required by league rules relating to the integrity of the game, leading to the fines.

Hey! Could there be a second John Elway Era in Denver?

Today, Broncos Chief Operating Officer Joe Ellis publicly stated what has been known for some time — that the franchise’s all-time greatest player has been serving as a consultant for the Broncos. John Elway’s involvement has been predominantly on the business side, but recent developments suggest his role could quickly be expanding within the Broncos organization.

Ellis seems to recognize (and indicates that Bowlen recognizes) that they need to change the model. Ellis graciously admitted that the Broncos may have ensured McDaniels' failure by giving him way too much responsibility. It sounds like they will be changing the model going forward.

First, there was Elway’s address of the players during practice a few weeks ago, a move clearly outside his capacity as “business consultant.” Then, there was a groundswell of media support for Elway’s increased involvement within the franchise, potentially in a pro personnel/front office role.

Denver news reported that Pat Bowlen had dinner with John Elway at the Cherry Creek Elway's restaurant. It seems more and more likely that John Elway will be brought back into the fold.

“One of the things that (Broncos Owner) Pat (Bowlen) asked him to do was come back in the building and get involved with the team,” Ellis said during the team’s press conference Tuesday. “He’s been at practices and in the course of meetings we have on the business side, he’s shared thoughts about the team (and) he’s expressed an interest to some of you in the room.

“I don’t take that lightly and Pat doesn’t take that lightly, that’s for sure,” Ellis continued. “The conversations we’ve had with John clearly indicate one thing. He loves the Broncos, and loves Denver.”

Those conversations, however, are very preliminary. “I don’t know where that’s going to go, if anywhere, I really don’t,” Ellis said. “But, I respect the fact that he’s interested in helping the Broncos. He has a lot of qualities that perhaps could lend themselves to helping the Broncos. But, I don’t know if that’s going to advance at this point or not.”

Will The Duke’s comeback be in a full-time front office role? Is Elway aptly armed for such service? (Yes, I just questioned Elway’s arm). I’m honestly on the fence on this one folks. On-field prowess does not necessarily translate into off-field football acumen, and Elway has no scouting experience. I sense Pat Bowlen is on the fence on this one, too, or Elway would already be signed, sealed and delivered.

We have some time, Mr. Bowlen. Let’s do our due diligence here. Talk to John, and see what he can bring to the table. He’ll bring ticket sales and fan excitement and unquestioned support, for sure — but will he make the Broncos better? And if, Mr. Bowlen, you ultimately decide to bring him in, bring in some checks and balances as well — something I’m sure you wish you had done two years ago with Josh McDaniels.

Then go and get Jon Gruden at any cost! Chucky! John and Jon!

...Minnesota's 'cash for clunkers' program

I have always loved Brett Favre. Today the Vikings quarterback will make his 296th consecutive start against the Washington Redskins, but he’ll do so under the weather...and does anyone care?

Favre told ESPN that he’s been sick most of the week and he might have pneumonia. Favre received a steroid pack, had an injection and missed a portion of team meetings on Saturday because he was resting, according to the report.

Favre has told the media he wants to start the final six games and then retire for good. Thank God!  He is 41 years old, has thrown an NFL-high 17 interceptions, and his 69.8 passer rating is the second-worst in the league.

What a difference a year makes. It was last year at this time when Brad Childress had plenty to be thankful for. Mainly, Brett Favre! Favre completed an amazing 88 percent of his passes in a sold-out Metrodome where the Minnesota Vikings routed Seattle 35-9 and improved their record to 9-1.

The Viking fanatics gave Favre a standing ovation. Seattle head coach Jim Mora gave Favre a chance to quit while he was ahead.

“Would you please retire?” Mora pleaded to Favre.

Of course, Mora’s father is best known more for his infamous 2001 post-game tirade as the head coach of the Indianapolis Colts: “Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win a game.”

Had Brad Childress not been fired as the Vikings coach Monday morning, he could have used the same line at his weekly press conference. Vikings assistant Leslie Frazier should’ve used the line when he was introduced as the Vikings’ eighth head coach Monday afternoon.

Playoffs? Are you kidding me? Frazier just hopes this disheveled group of Vikings can win at least one more game this season.

Last Sunday’s embarrassing 31-3 loss to the Packers put a fork in the 3-7 Vikings. They are as done as that 25-pound turkey Clark Griswold overcooked in National Lampoon’s “Christmas Vacation.”

“Save the neck for me, Clark.”

Obviously, Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre has had better seasons. The future Hall of Famer leads the league with 17 interceptions. His 69.8 passer rating is the lowest of his career since his rookie season. I know I said that already...but "come on man!!"

The Vikings, who lost in overtime in the NFC championship game last season, are 3-7. Favre reportedly was at odds with former coach Brad Childress, who was fired and replaced, on an interim basis, by defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier.

Favre is still capable of big performances. In Week 9, Favre passed for a season-high 446 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions as he led the Vikings to a 27-24 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

He still can sling it…but too much has happened this year Brett…give it up. Do something that no one would expect out of you. Quit. Not at the end of the year…quit now. Go home and mend your relationship with your wife that has been your supporter through thick and thin.

And since you have trouble deciphering the two…this is a “thin” time sir. Mora was right…retire.

...Kentucky cracks Top 10....(the hard way)

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) - Steve Spurrier worried about the hangover against Kentucky. He kept reminding his South Carolina players not to get too high following an upset of defending national champion Alabama last week.

The 10th-ranked Gamecocks seemed as if they'd keep it together before freshman running back Marcus Lattimore went down with an ankle injury.

Then they could only watch as Kentucky's Randall Cobb caught a 24-yard touchdown pass with 1:15 remaining then added the two-point conversion to cap a furious second-half rally and give Wildcats a stunning 31-28 victory, ruining South Carolina's chance to get a leg up in the jumbled SEC East.

"Give Kentucky credit, they kicked our tails," Spurrier said.

Mike Hartline threw for a career-high 349 yards and four touchdowns for the Wildcats (4-3, 1-3 SEC), who had lost 10 straight to the Gamecocks (4-2, 2-2) and never beaten Spurrier in 17 tries.

It appeared Spurrier was ready to make it 18 for 18 when the Gamecocks stuffed Cobb for a 4-yard loss, setting up a 4th-and-7 at the Kentucky 24.

Hartline calmly set his feet and faked a slant to Chris Matthews. The South Carolina defense bit and Cobb found himself wide open at the goal line. He then swept over left tackle for the 2-point conversion to put Kentucky up three.

South Carolina drove to the Kentucky 20 in the final minute but quarterback Stephen Garcia's heave into the end zone was intercepted by Kentucky's Anthony Mosley with 4 seconds remaining. Hartline took a knee to set off a raucous celebration and end two decades of torture at the hands of Spurrier.

"We just can't, as they say, put the nail in the coffin," Spurrier said. "We can't put a team away. We just can't do it. I don't know why. We just can't do it."

Not without Lattimore anyway.

The budding star had 212 yards of total offense and three touchdowns but spent most of the second half on the sideline after rolling his left ankle while getting tackled early in the third quarter.

"I just heard it crack and I thought something really bad had happened, but it's just a sprain," Lattimore said.

It was enough to force him to watch his team implode while he sat on the bench.

Kentucky shut the Gamecocks down over the final 30 minutes, holding them to 103 yards - 49 of which came on the desperate final drive - while slowly chipping away at the lead.

"We challenged our guys at halftime, that we were in a street fight," said Kentucky coach Joker Phillips. "We're in a street fight. I'm in a street fight. I want to see who has my back."

Hartline hit LaRod King for a 5-yard touchdown pass to cap a 95-yard drive and bring Kentucky within 28-17. Then Hartline found Matthews for a 38-yard score to get within 28-23. Matthews finished with 12 receptions for 177 yards and a score.

Given one last chance with 7:31 remaining, Hartline guided Kentucky to the South Carolina 24. Facing fourth down, he pumped the ball once and lofted the ball to a wide open Cobb in the end zone. Cobb bulled over left tackle for the 2-point conversion to put the Wildcats up three.

Garcia, who finished with 382 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, quickly moved the ball to the Kentucky 20 with 11 seconds remaining.

The Gamecocks used a timeout and opted to take a shot at winning in regulation. Garcia threw it up to 6-foot-3 receiver Lamar Scruggs. The ball was tipped and Mosley snagged it out of the air.

"I should have thrown it a little further outside," Garcia said. "I don't know. The guy made a good play."

Hartline took a knee and Kentucky had its first win over a ranked team since beating then-No. 1 LSU in 2007.

"We never lost faith, we never for one second thought we were going to lose that game," Cobb said. "We've had struggles at times but we found a way to win."

The giddy celebration hardly seemed possible after a first half in which the Gamecocks did whatever they wanted behind the precocious Lattimore.

The freshman bounced off Kentucky's would-be tacklers on handoffs or ran past the overmatched defensive ends who had the unfortunate assignment of covering him on pass routes out of the backfield.

Lattimore came into the game with 81 yards receiving all season. He had 133 in the first half, when the Gamecocks victimized Kentucky's overzealous pass rush by sending Lattimore on wheel routes out of the backfield.

Three times Lattimore ran by a Kentucky defender and into the open field, gaining huge chunks of yardage. A 48-yard reception set up his own 10-yard touchdown run, and later added a 47-yard scoring pass in which he sprinted past defensive end Taylor Wyndham then easily sidestepped another Kentucky defender at the 10 before strolling into the end zone.

The score gave the Gamecocks a 28-10 halftime lead, and things could have been worse. South Carolina turned it over three times in the half, and the Wildcats turned two of the miscues into points.

"I thought we'd play better tonight but we didn't," Spurrier said.

Instead it was Kentucky who responded. The Wildcats dropped three straight games after a 3-0 start, including a 37-34 heartbreaker against Auburn last week in which the Tigers kicked the winning field goal on the game's final play.

The loss could have been deflating, yet the Wildcats found a way behind the play of Hartline. The oft-maligned senior has spent three years searching for respect. He may have finally found it on the defining night of his career. Hartline completed 32 of 42 passes and never pressed even after the Wildcats fell behind.

He gripped the ball tightly while being mobbed by fans that stormed the field after Kentucky saved its season.

"I wanted this one so bad," he said. "It was just a big, emotional win for everybody. I wasn't going to give up that ball."

Way to go Cats!!

....Joker...Joker.....Joker!!!

Kentucky heads south to start SEC play with Florida this weekend.

Starting 3-0 for the third time in the last four seasons, the University of Kentucky football team heads south to Gainesville, Fla., to begin Southeastern Conference play against the ninth-ranked Gators in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.

Kentucky is 21-53-2 in 76 conference openers, having won two of its last four lid-lifters with wins against Ole Miss in 2006 and Arkansas in 2007. Florida began SEC play last week at Tennessee, notching a 31-17 victory over the Vols in Knoxville...but they just didn't look like the old Gators.

Last Saturday, Kentucky posted a 47-10 win over Akron to move to 3-0 on the season. The Wildcats put together an all-around performance against the Zips, totaling 544 yards of total offense and holding the Zips to only 172 total yards. The 544 yards of total offense was the most by a UK team since posting 568 yards against Eastern Kentucky University in 2007. UK had balanced offense with 200 rushing and passing yards for a school-record third-consecutive game.

The Wildcats are looking to snap a 23-game losing streak to the Gators. The battle on Saturday against Florida will mark the 21st consecutive time UK has played a ranked UF team. Kentucky is 3-27 all-time against ranked Florida teams.

New Coach Joker Phillips talked a big game over the summer about how he was going to bring the "Mildcats to another level"……he gets his chance with a night game at the Swamp. The one playmaker on Kentucky is Randall Cobb, who will line up at WR and occasionally take direct snaps, being a former QB. Mike Hartline has not distinguished himself at QB in 3 years, and doesn’t worry the Gator defense. Derrick Locke leads the SEC in rushing, but so did Tauren Poole of Tennessee, until he ran into (repeatedly) the Gator defense.

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, or “The Swamp,” is widely recognized as one of, if not the toughest, environments for a visiting team in all of college football. Several facelifts after the stadium’s original construction in 1930 have made Florida Field at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium the state-of-the-art facility you see at today’s game.

Without a bad seat in the house, "The Swamp" ranks as the largest stadium in the state of Florida. The Gators’ average attendance last season of 90,544 ranked ninth in the country. Florida’s home record of 106-13 (.891) since 1990 is the best mark in the country during that time, proving that at "The Swamp," only Gators get out alive!

Except this year....go BLUE! Joker...Joker.....Joker!!!

.....Fantasy what?

Five years ago I read about (and thought about joining) a fantasy football league...thinking at the time how silly it must be to sit and look at numbers and “points” to generate a win in a football game. This is a game built around an alternate state of reality.

Now…everyone seems to have an opinion on fantasy football, and there's no mushy middle to inhabit. You're either with the fantasy players or against them, and the debate is almost entirely dominated by the true believers who worship the game. This scared me a little. What the hell is wrong with people and this must be a "fad" that will not last very long.

So let’s see…in the last five years…..the housing bubble burst, the stock market tanked, and the economy almost slid into a capital-lettered second Great Depression, but fantasy football is bigger and thriving more than ever. That point was soundly driven home to me again when I read that the NFL announced the league was jumping with two feet deeper into the ever-expanding world of fantasy football.

I read that for the first time, NFL.com has launched a new fantasy platform (and don't you know it's all about the platforms these days), featuring "the world's only NFL fantasy game with video and extensive in-game highlights.'' The press release goes on to say that player projections are tied to Madden NFL 11, which seems about right, since that seems to link a fantasy game that really doesn't exist in reality... to a video game that really doesn't exist.... in reality. All by a league that may not play any real games itself next year if it doesn't get its labor situation figured out.

How perfect.

NFL at its March owners meeting heard a pitch from former Chiefs general manager Carl Peterson, who along with current Dolphins owner Stephen Ross is marketing a hand-held video device called Game-Day Vision that would be available to fans in their seats at the stadium, allowing them to keep track of everything that unfolds around the league while they're at the game.

You get the feeling we're headed for all access, all the time, with fantasy football furthering its grip as this sports-crazed nation's favorite pastime while watching its favorite game. In the NFL world, fantasy is the clear-cut king. Even if non-believers like me have our reasons for not liking it, it's not about to go away or decrease in popularity. From the looks of things, to think otherwise is pure fantasy.

Now excuse me...my fantasy draft starts in 13 minutes and 11 seconds.....and I have the second overall pick.

....another Pinocchio story

Ole Miss dropped a bombshell a few weeks ago when Rebel coach Houston Nutt invited former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli to Oxford in hopes of luring him into attending graduate school--and while he's there playing a little football--at Ole Miss.

This is the quarterback who pled guilty to stealing a laptop computer and guitar from a fraternity house at Oregon. He also was caught driving a car with marijuana in the glove box.

Oregon coach Chip Kelly kicked Masoli off the Ducks team, and remember….this was a player who was touted as a Heisman Trophy candidate.

Masoli has earned the reputation as the bad boy of college football much like Lane Kiffin has earned the reputation as the bad boy of college football coaches. But Masoli now tells a very different version of the events that led to his downfall at Oregon. He claims he did not take anything, and in actuality not one witness ever saw him with any of the stolen merchandise. The problem came from the fact that Masoli lied to the police and to Kelly about being at the fraternity house that night, which he was.

Now he writes that it was a ‘misunderstanding.’ It makes for interesting reading. If his version is correct, then Ole Miss would be getting a terrific quarterback just at a time the Rebels need one. If the national perception is right, then Ole Miss could be getting a headache waiting to happen...

My guess? He won’t be able to compete with the real athletes in the SEC Conference. Big diff from running the option against Washington State or UCLA….then it is against Florida, Bama, LSU….and the rest…..we will see soon.

Hey, since he has lied a few times in the past…if it does not go well at Ole Miss…he can just say he was “never there”…right?

Another Pinocchio story…

...is the draft broken?

The draft was once an innovative solution for distributing college talent to pro teams, but that was 75 years ago. The economics of pro football have gradually made it less effective, and as the college game becomes increasingly different from the NFL, players have become even more difficult to scout.

The league gives its worst teams first crack at incoming college talent in the name of parity, but instead of giving bad teams a leg up, it often forces them to draft players they don't really need at prices they can't afford. Many top picks hold out of training camp before they sign, only to end up with enormous contracts that have little to do with their true value to a football team.

What's more, NFL teams have a 50% chance of blowing a first-round pick entirely—the sort of costly gaffe that can set a franchise back for years.

What's surprising is that the NFL, a league with a long history of making sweeping rules changes, hasn't much changed its draft format since the draft was first held in 1936.

As it's laid out now, teams start out with one pick in each of the draft's seven rounds. Each player is paid more or less according to his draft slot, his position and a rookie pool that limits the amounts teams can spend on draft picks. Based on the multiyear guaranteed portion of first-round draft picks' contracts from the past three years—including the $41.7 million that last year's top pick, quarterback Matthew Stafford, got from the Detroit Lions—this year's likely first pick, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford, can expect to make $47 million guaranteed during his first multiyear contract.

In a draft system, there's no way of knowing what a player is actually worth on the open market. In 1998, the Indianapolis Colts used the first pick to draft Peyton Manning, who has gone on to become an excellent NFL quarterback. A year later, the Cleveland Browns used their top pick on Tim Couch, who was considered light years behind Mr. Manning in talent. But Mr. Couch still got a nearly identical salary of $48 million and a signing bonus of about $12 million. Mr. Couch played only 62 games before retiring (in style).

Isn’t it time we said enough to this?

Under a new proposed plan (that I think would work), all 32 teams would be given seven picks. They would have to abide by a spending cap that would go higher to lower—with the worst team (based on its record the previous season) having the most money to spend. When the bidding opened, the most sought-after players would draw multiple bids. Teams could then raise their bid as high as they'd like for a player they coveted.

Theoretically, a team could get any player it wanted—so long as it was prepared to pinch pennies on everyone else. Meanwhile, a team that didn't want to break the bank on any particular player could pick up lots of useful parts by spreading its money around evenly. Teams could also thrive by focusing on the bidding and looking for bargains.

In any case, there's some evidence the draft could be the next fix for a league that fixes everything. One NFL executive said patience is running thin. "There's a huge trail littered with guys who got the big dollars but were a bust," this person said.

Let's see how this draft fairs with the others since 1936....

Tebow to Denver?

"I hate to lose more than I love to win."

Face it!...I am a Denver Bronco fan....I cannot help myself. We just lost number four-in-a-row. "I hate to lose more than I love to win."

I've been having a raging internal debate (with myself) lately about what's more important for a Bronco fan -- the love/passion for winning or the "never say die" mentality of a comeback artist. I've asked some good friends who are true competitors which is more important to them, and the margin is definitely tilted towards the "hate to lose" end of the spectrum. And, for those that know me, I daresay I'd be considered one who hates to lose.

In the world of ‘The Broncos’ and our new coach, I think I've reduced it to this: if you're born with unbelievable talent and grace, you have the luxury of loving to win. Things kind of fall into place, you have a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and winning is expected. Don't misunderstand -- those that love to win work as hard as anyone, and make their luck. But there is a subtle distinction between expecting to win and refusing to lose. I'll get back to that in a second.

If you don't have the talent and grace of those chosen few, you must have a mentality of hating to lose in order to win. You have to overcome soooooo many obstacles, so many naysayers, so much negative and contradictory feedback, so many gatekeepers that keep you from decision-makers that it is only through sleepless nights, torn and crumpled piles of paper, 99 misses for every 100 swings, and screaming in the mirror that you will find the path. It requires undying passion and relentless head-against-the-wall sessions that only those that hate to lose more than anything can make it through.

But in a pinch, I'd rather have those that hate to lose on my side. Watch any movie, any sporting event; read any book on the history of warfare; ask any CEO. Those that hate to lose have a grimace, a grunt, an expression on their face (with sweat flying no doubt) that says it all: "I'm not done yet! This isn't over!" Those that love to win are pleasant to be around; they're gracious, wonderful people. And I've never met anyone who loved to win who didn't work as hard as the other guy (or even harder).

But, when push comes to shove, I've ultimately concluded that those who love to win are not as hungry as those who hate to lose. And hunger, my friends, is what ‘being a Bronco fan’ is all about.

I am a Bronco fan: "I'm not done yet! This isn't over!"

Tough Initiation to 'Six and Zero'

When the Denver Broncos replaced long-serving head coach Mike Shanahan with 33-year-old Josh McDaniels, eyebrows were raised at the choice of a rookie to take charge of an underachieving team and a difficult locker room, honestly I thought Pat Bowlen (owner) just "lost it." I loved Shanahan (when he was winning).

McDaniels had a tough initiation as head coach when a dispute over a potential trade for Jay Cutler became a media soap opera in the off-season and ended with the disaffected quarter-back leaving for Chicago.  McDaniels' intended replacement, former New England back-up quarterback Matt Cassel, eventually joined Kansas City, leaving the coach with the much less-fancied Kyle Orton from Chicago.

McDaniels then had to handle a tricky situation with wide-receiver Brandon Marshall, whom he suspended for two pre-season games after being unhappy with his attitude in training.

The quarterback change, just one part of a major overhaul of the roster, has worked out well so far, with the steady but unspectacular Orton fitting neatly into Denver's offense.  Marshall's return to the team has seen him score four touchdowns in the last three games, including two against the Patriots.

But the biggest change has been the creation of a defense which is currently the second best in the NFL and which has helped produce six wins that open up the real chance of a first play-off place since 2005.

Experienced cornerback Champ Bailey places the credit for the team's turnaround from their 8-8 record last season firmly with McDaniels and the changes he has made.  "I tell you what, just being under Josh McDaniels for a few months now, he's a guy that is going to have you as prepared as you can be for a game and that's something that throughout my 11 years I haven't had a lot of."

"I've had some great coaches including Shanahan, but he's (McDaniels) definitely one of a kind in the way that he approaches the game," he said before Monday's clash.  "With the guys we brought in and the guys that were left here, we got rid of a lot of bad apples and we brought in a lot of good ones and I think that that was the key to really getting this thing turned around," he said.

And last week, the highly symbolic win over Belichick's Patriots saw McDaniels celebrate in a manner unthinkable for his famously dour mentor -- racing to the home fans and punching the air and screaming in delight.  Such outbursts are rare for NFL coaches, but McDaniels, whose father Thom built a reputation as a college coach in Ohio, is hardly bashful about letting his enthusiasm for the game pour out.

But that is EXACTLY what this team needs....

Shanahan who?

Hey! Those socks are cool....

I am still surprised that the Bengals are sitting atop their division with wins over the Steelers and Ravens. That’s crazy talk. If not for that miracle reception in Week 1 by Denver, the Bengals would be the undefeated team everyone was talking about instead of the Broncos.

Speaking of Denver, the Broncos took it to overtime against New England, where Tom Brady has never lost, but the coin toss went in Denver’s favor.

I have to say that the Broncos are legit now that they have beaten two shaky but worthy opponents, the Patriots and the Cowboys. But those throwback uniforms are not legit (especially the socks).

I’m impressed with Josh McDaniels and his Hulk-scream celebration after the game while Bill Belichick looked like a lost puppy in the middle of the field, but I don’t expect this team to go undefeated much longer. They’re scraping by in too many games so far to keep it up. So let me enjoy it for awhile.

A 98-yard drive to tie the game in the fourth quarter (sure, a taunting penalty and a great offensive line helped), and then the drive in overtime to beat the Patriots and one of the all-time franchise quarterbacks, Tom Brady. But Orton was a bit lucky. He almost threw an interception on the play before the winning field goal.

The Broncos are 5-0. The last time they started like that was in 1998, and they won the Super Bowl. So Orton might have a chance to show if he's a franchise quarterback. Right now, you'd still have to say that Orton is to Cutler as Cutler was to Elway. Maybe in February Orton will show otherwise.

But those uniforms! Ah, the 1960s. Back when every color except for white, black, mustard yellow, and maroon hadn't been invented yet. When players' helmets looked like Herbie the Love Bug. When everyone looked like the original Wolverine costume. The great thing about the 1960s is that it is not the 1960s right now.

The Denver defense was fantastic, shutting down – and shutting out – the Patriots high powered offense in the second half. Although they gave up a season high 17 points in the first half, as has been the case all season, they righted the ship at half-time and took control.

The Broncos continued to surprise the skeptical pundits – This is fun!

Thank you Lord!! (That I am not a Raider fan)

Raiders...you really, really suck!

The Oakland Raiders offense has been nearly unwatchable for the first four games. They have not been able to run or pass the ball with any effective consistency. If this offense is causing flashbacks to the 2006 Art Shell-Tom Walsh debacle, that is because this team is on pace to be even more inoffensive than that benchmark of ineptitude.

Through four games, the Raiders have yet to break the 1000 yards mark for total offense, having only gained 834 yards. Their 208.5 yards per game average is good for dead last in the league, trailing the Kansas City Chiefs by 38 yards.

Yards are nice, but it is points that are the true aim of an offense. The Raiders are 30th in points scored, ahead of only the St Louis Rams and the Carolina Panthers. However, the Raiders only have a five point lead over the Panthers, despite having played in one more game.

The passing game has gained a woeful 479 yards, which is dead last in the league. That is 42 yards less than the Minnesota Vikings that have only played three games. In fact, five other teams have only played in five games are ahead of the Raiders in total passing yardage.

What of that running game that was supposed to set the league on fire? The Raiders have the 25th ranked rushing attack in terms of total yards. To give some perspective on that ranking, four of the teams behind them in total rushing yards have played one less game. They are 27th in yards per game on the ground.

Good job Raiders. You have a big, strong, black, not that bright, expensive, overweight, 39% QB rated, big arm, poor work ethic, smart ass for the cornerstone of your franchise....but he can still throw the ball 80 yards in the air...on his knees.

Sad! Please, face the facts. Russell is another Ryan Leaf. Good news though. You can always move back to L.A.

Broncos 4-0 (wow!!)

A daunting schedule released in April that includes eight of the past nine Super Bowl champions, doesn't look so horrible. The Broncos overcame a sluggish first half and rallied to beat the Dallas Cowboys 17-10 Sunday at Invesco Field at Mile High.

The victory kept the Broncos (4-0) in the same unbeaten ranks as the Indianapolis Colts, New York Giants and New Orleans Saints as winners the first four weeks. The Minnesota Vikings (3-0) host Green Bay on Monday night. Two other unbeatens -- Baltimore and the New York Jets -- lost for the first time today.

The Broncos defense again proved as stifling against the NFL's top rushing team as it did in Denver's first three games.

Denver held Dallas to just 74 yards rushing and stopped the Cowboys on a fourth-and-goal from the Denver 2 when Tony Romo's pass was batted down by Champ Bailey.

Denver never led until Kyle Orton connected with a cross-field throw that Brandon Marshall plucked over the reach of Dallas cornerback Terrance Newman. Marshall then cut toward the middle of the field before reversing to the right and avoiding several Cowboys tacklers before scoring on a 49-yard jaunt with 1:46 left.

The Broncos' next four games are Sunday at home against New England, then Oct. 19 at San Diego, Nov. 1 at Baltimore and Nov. 9 against the defending Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers....(ouch!).

But Sunday the Broncos' defense proved they are for real. Especially on Dallas' last drive to try to tie the score. Romo escaped from the Broncos' defensive pressure on fourth and 3 at the Dallas 27 to complete a 53-yard pass to Sam Hurd to the Broncos' 20. Only a Brian Dawkins tackle saved the tying touchdown.

Dallas moved the ball to the 2 (and honestly I thought we would cave). After Romo downed the ball to stop the clock, Denver denied two passes into the end zone by Romo, the last swatted away by Bailey.  The Denver defense responded time after time and kept the score close when the Broncos' offense sputtered in the first half. Denver, which finished with 337 yards, had just 104 yards in the first half. Dallas had 184 yards in the first half, but had only 132 total yards in the second half.

The Broncos defense must have heard Troy Aikman before Dallas' final drive. The former Cowboys quarterback and Pro Football Hall of Famer said, "I don't know if (the Broncos) are a great defense; maybe they are. But I do know that great defenses close people out, and here is their opportunity"

Now, even with a daunting schedule ahead, the Broncos have an opportunity to surprise even more NFL experts if they can continue to stay unbeaten. We are still unbeaten...so please shut the hell up and let me enjoy this for awhile!

Remaining Schedule

5 Sun Oct.11 VS. NEW ENGLAND INVESCO Field at Mile High
6 Mon Oct.19 at San Diego Qualcomm Stadium
7 BYE WEEK
8 Sun Nov. 1 at Baltimore M&T Bank Stadium
9 Mon Nov. 9 VS. PITTSBURGH INVESCO Field at Mile High
10 Sun Nov.15 at Washington FedEx Field
11 Sun Nov.22 VS. SAN DIEGO INVESCO Field at Mile High
12 Thu Nov.26 VS. NEW YORK INVESCO Field at Mile High
13 Sun Dec. 6 at Kansas City Arrowhead Stadium
14 Sun Dec.13 at Indianapolis Lucas Oil Stadium
15 Sun Dec.20 VS. OAKLAND INVESCO Field at Mile High
16 Sun Dec.27 at Philadelphia Lincoln Financial Field
17 Sun Jan. 3 VS. KANSAS CITY INVESCO Field at Mile High

Oregon's "Lame" Duck

EUGENE - At 1 p.m. Friday, six LeGarrette Blount jerseys hung untouched in the Duck Store at Autzen Stadium. Another adorned a mannequin.

An hour later, every No. 9 jersey - including eight youth sizes - were taken down and stored behind the desk, no longer for sale.

Blount's No. 9 jersey - priced at $60 for adult sizes and $42 for youth sizes - had been among the hottest sellers in the past two weeks as a Heisman hopeful. In fact, No. 9 was the only number made available for youth this season. Not for sale anymore....

Why? Well, unless you have been in a coma or locked-up in some ugly bastard’s shed out back…you would know that Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount demonstrated some Golden Gloves skill Thursday night and right now he might have a better shot at a career in boxing than one in the NFL. The Ducks suspended Blount for his senior season, ending on-field opportunities to further raise his once high stock. Now, he potentially has lowered his draft status from second-round talent to undraftable.

Prior transgressions don't help. Blount has been suspended by Oregon before and has had issues with grades and his weight. Plus, it's not as if Blount was considered a can't-miss prospect to begin with. A good senior season for Blount could have elevated his stock. But now he most likely will be limited to pre-draft workouts in order to impress NFL scouts. But those opportunities could be very limited.

Bye-bye! That was the decision announced Friday, 15 hours after the team's star running back melted down on national television, punching an opponent in the face, shoving his own teammates, charging Boise State fans and tarnishing the Ducks carefully cultivated brand by putting it squarely in the center of one of the year's most hotly debated and controversial sports stories.

Replays of Blount throwing punches at Boise State defensive end Byron Hout and teammate Garrett Embry, and his attempt to lay hands on Bronco Stadium fans have been aired countless times on television and viewed hundreds of thousands of times on the Internet since the Ducks' 19-8 loss to Boise State on Thursday night.

Let’s be honest! Good role models are hard to come by these days. Athletes, politicians, grade school teachers and even evangelical preachers are making more and more headlines for their ranks being filled with pimps, thugs, drug-abusers, alcoholic wife-beaters, common criminals and folks of any other socially deviant persuasion you can think of. Is a whole generation bound to be doomed because of this? Was Charles Barkley right when in a 1993 TV commercial he tried to inform America that parents should be the true role models for their children, rather than those in the limelight? Maybe, but at least it makes for interesting reading.

The Heisman Memorial Trophy Award (often known simply as the Heisman Trophy or the Heisman), named after the former college football coach John Heisman, is awarded annually by the Heisman Trophy Trust to the most outstanding player in collegiate football.

Mr. Blount you are not the most outstanding…you are an embarrassment to the game. Face it! Your mouth wrote a check that you could not cash….it was you who started this with how Boise State needed an 'ass-whippin.' You just thought you were good enough to get away with it…..proud of yourself now? Loser. Get it thru your head that it is NOT NORMAL to sucker-punch someone...oh wait! I forget...you had trouble with academics as well.

Sorry, I forgot that Oregon couldn't find a way to keep you involved in learning enough to meet NCAA standards (without cheating). So now, not only can you not play football and make it to the NFL...you are not bright enough to know what you did mister! Saying you are sorry in a press conference does not make it 'all better.' People are getting sick of this shit.

Perhaps more attention should be paid to the character of the players instead of the color of the uniforms Duck fans…(honestly…he couldn’t have been a starter in the SEC with Florida, 'Bama, Arkansas, Ole Miss....real teams).

Oh, and Oregon fans? It wasn't the referee's fault this time! Seems like that is always the excuse with Duck fans...boo hoo.