Loge Level

The Times is reporting that Clint Dempsey will be the next American to move to Fulham.  The move would allow him to join fellow American’s Brian McBride and Carlos Bocanegra.

In the latest installment of the CCC College Basketball Rankings the Mighty Butler Bulldogs make a huge splash after winning the preseason NIT. After being ranked last week they moved up 12 spots this week up to a number 12 ranking. Wichita State another mid major moved up 7 spots this week as well. UCLA took over the top spot after winning the Maui Invitational Tournament. Here are the rest of this weeks rankings.

CCC College Basketball Rankings (11-28-06)

Boston was so impressed with Daisuke Matsuzaka’s gyro ball pitch that they posted $51.1 million dollars just to negotiate with the talented right-hander. Now it appears the Red Sox have unveiled their speciality pitch - the low ball. Reports are that they have offered the pitcher nearly half of the reported $14 million per season he and his agent are seeking. If the two sides cannot come to an agreement by Dec. 14 Matsuzaka will take his gyro ball and go home to Japan where he would become an unrestricted free agent next offseason. It appears as though priority numbero uno for agent Scott Boras is finishing a deal with the BoSox to make another of one of his clients D.L. (whoops I meant J.D.) Drew the highest- paid player on the team. One potential stumbling block appears to be his clients rumored request for a separate clubhouse for his over inflated ego.

In an unexpected yet redlike move Cincinnati once again turned a blind eye to a position they needed to fill, and piled on a position. No, they didn’t sign another outfielder. This time it was a third catcher, former Brewer Chad Moeller. No word yet on whether their plan is to ask veteran Jake Taylor to join the coaching staff during spring training.

West Ham United is delighted to announce that the takeover bid from a consortium led by Icelandic businessman Eggert Magnusson has been successfully completed this morning. (Link)

Yesterday with this message, West Ham announced that they would now be owned by a foreigner, making them the fifth such Premiership team along with Chelsea, Manchester United, Portsmouth, and Aston Villa.  These five teams amount for 1/4^th of the league.  While foreign ownership doesn’t seam to affect the performance of these clubs, this takeover will no doubt effect the debate over whether this ultimately good for the game.

These rankings are through games of Sunday, November 19. Keep in mind these rankings are a bit off due to so few games being played at this point.

Michael Wilbon comes down on the Rutgers side of things. 

Personally, I’m a fan of Cinderella. And Rutgers, if the Scarlet Knights can win in their season finale at West Virginia, could be college football’s George Mason. (Washington Post)

In Soccer the Sun Reports that Freddie Ljungberg’s recent health problems were caused by an allergic reaction to cheese. (The Sun)

The New York Times profiles Bears defensive end Adewale Ogunleye.  (NYTimes Registration Required)

TV

Last nights South Park pokes fun at the predictability of Sports movies.  In the episode Stan has hit rock bottom and the only way back is to coach a pee wee hockey team. 

Emmitt Smith wins dancing with the stars. (Link)

Daniel Engber of Slate explains what could happen if O.J. Simpson admits he did it. (Slate) 

MLB

Popular Mechanics provides an explanation of the gyroball. (Popular Mechanics) 

Soccer

The Guardian asks is Freddy Adu any good? 

Putting stats, maturity and his high wage to one side, the best you can say about Adu is that he’s been a steady, occasionally brilliant, team contributor who has scored a handful of exceptional goals. That’s more than many in his team, or the league, can boast, but hardly the stuff of headlines. (Link)

According to the BBC, heavy band Motorhead is sponsoring a under-10 boys soccer team, providing the boys with “internationally renowned band’s name on their shirts along with the band’s motif - a skull named Snaggletooth.” Here in the New World, we get bent out of shape over Indian Feathers, and these kids get to have a skull on the front of their shirts.

The boys run onto the pitch with Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” playing, in honor of their sponsor. If it was an under-10 girls team, I’m sure the band would prefer using “Jailbait“.

Honestly, I like hearing stories like this where a famous band gives back in some local unique way. But Motorhead shouldn’t rest on their laurels yet. Sponsoring a team is one thing; running a whole football league for your son is another.

Is soccer starting to gain a higher profile in the US? Well the World Cup final drew 17 million views or more than any single game of the World Series. Fans of the EPL can now watch nearly every game through either Fox Soccer Channel or Setanta Sports. In the October 9th issue of Sports Illustrated there were two soccer advertisements and a feature story on Jay DeMerit (CNNSi Story). So it’s clear that soccer is gaining a foothold all that is lacking is a more dynamic domestic league.
(more…)

College Basketball

Indiana blows a 12 point second half lead and falls to Butler.

NFL

The Patriots sign Vinny Testaverde (NFL.com)

MLB

Boston wins the right to negotiate with Matsuzaka for $51 million dollars. (Boston.com)

NBA

In the NBA Wade outscores Anthony but the Heat Fall to the Nuggets 112-105 and Stojakovic scores a career high 42 points to lead the Hornets over the Bobcats.

College Basketball

Bob Knight is back in the news for touching a players face. 

From the AP via Fox Sports: With more than 4 minutes to go in Texas Tech’s 86-74 victory over Gardner-Webb on Monday night, Red Raiders forward Michael Prince was called for a foul. During the ensuing timeout, Knight approached Prince, and as the player lowered his head, the coach made contact with his chin. (Continue)

NFL

Caroline goes to 5-4 by beating Tampa Bay.  Steve Smith grabs 8 reception for 149 yrds and a touchdown.   

College Football

North Carolina hires former Miami and Cleveland Browns Coach Butch Davis.

NBA

In the NBA Orlando, Seattle, and Cleveland all win.

Soccer

Houston wins the MLS championship in a shootout and the MLS makes some interesting rule changes (more on this later).

In the EPL the big three Man United, Chelsea, and Arsenal all win.

College Football

USC jumps Florida in the new BCS standings and moves into third. In relation to the previously posted Rutgers dilemma, Rutgers moved from 13 to 6 in the BCS this week. And looking at the remaining schedule its not outside the realm of possibility that 4 of the 5 teams ahead of them will lose.

Nov 18 Michigan at Ohio State
California at USC

Nov 24 LSU at Arkansas
Nov 25 Notre Dame at USC

Dec 2 Rutgers at West Virginia
Florida vs Arkansas (SEC Title Game)

NFL

In the NFL Brady and Vick both have their second bad game in a row as the Patriots and Falcons loose at home. The Bengals lose at home to the Chargers as Chad Johnson and LT put up some great fantasy numbers. The Colts move on to 9-0 in another close game and in the Sunday night game the Bears beat the Giants 38-20.

In recent weeks sports fans throughout the nation were forced to come down on the issue of whether or not they could accept Louisville in the BCS championship. Columnist, talk show host and fans all came down on two sides of the issue. Either the Big East was not very good and 1 loss team from a power conference was preferable to Louisville or the Big East was underrated and Louisville was a top team worthy of playing in the national title game. Now that Louisville has been upset the dilemma faced by backers of the second theory is do they now admit that they were wrong and Louisville was merely a good team in a weak league or do they promote Rutgers. I have a feeling that most will not promote Rutgers but it will be interesting to see what happens in this week’s poll.

For someone who is coming down on the Rutgers in the BCS side check out this post by Dan Shanoff.

Today’s big news is that U of L is out of the national title game as they fall to Rutgers 28-25.  In case you were wondering Louisville fans are not taking it well.

LeBron stays on the floor for the whole game and the Cavs beat the Bulls.  In Phoenix  the Dallas Mavericks mange to get their first win of the year, as the Suns fall again.

Freddy Adu is remaining a hot topic in England.