After a loooooooong and agonizing six weeks, the WOLFPACK family finally got the news it has been hoping to hear all summer….Rodney Purvis has been cleared by the NCAA to play basketball!! WHOOP WHOOOOOOOP!! Coming off a Sweet 16 berth, the “addition” of Purvis solidifies State’s position as a favorite to win the ACC this year. I have a feeling it is going to be an interesting year on Tobacco Road :-}.
Twitterverse was buzzing about my 49ers last night. Note to all of you who were not fans before hand….we DO NOT do bandwagoners!!
My Panthers handed the Saints there second loss. It is amazing what removing bounties will do to a team.
The NHL is officially in a lockout. The game is ‘on ice’ for the forseeable future.
The Jets ran into A LOT of turbulence in Pittsburgh. Back to life, back to reality.
Rookie QB Russell Wilson picked up his first win on Sunday against the cowboys. *insert huge grin*
The Baltimore Orioles beat the Oakland A’s thus ensuring their first winning season since 1997. The average price for a gallon of gas was $1.22 that year.
Boston Red Sox manager, Bobby Valentine, stuck his foot in his mouth. Again.
Brad Keslowski won the Geico 400 in Chicago. His win puts him in first place in The Chase standings.
Standford proved they do not need ‘Luck’ when they play USC. The Cardinals beat the Trojans for the fourth straight time.
Dwight Howard expressed himself during the ESPN Sunday Conversation and said he does not want anyone to hate him. Hmmm, is that why he took out that ad??
Sam Bradford had a solid performance on Sunday. So did RGIII, who was on the losing end.
My beloved Wolfpack landed one of the top point guards in the nation, Anthony Barber. Welcome to the Pack young fella!
With his win on Saturday night, Ryan Blaney became the youngest person to ever win a NASCAR Truck Series Race. He is 18 years and 8 months old :-}.
Former boxing champs Oscar De La Hoya and Julio Cesar Chavez admitted to drug and alcohol abuse in the latter stages of their careers. Thankfully, both have been sober for years.
Eli Manning passed for 510 yards against the Bucs. Even though it is the Bucs, it is still impressive.
The Chicago White Sox won and the Detroit Tigers lost. Chicago is now two games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central division.
Sergio Martinez defeated Julio Cesar Chavez, Jr. by unanimous decision Saturday night. If only Chavez Jr.’s rally would have begun in the 11th round, we probably would have had a different outcome.
Giants coach Tom Coughlin was not too pleased with what he deemed “a cheap shot” by Greg Schiano’s Tampa Bay Bucs near the end of regulation. I did not think it was possible for Tom Coughlin to get any redder but booooooooooy was I wrong.
Until next time….TOODELLS.
They say there is a first time for everything. Welp, I am experiencing another first….blogger’s block. Ugh. I have a few topics that I want to write about but for some reason I just can not seem to get them going. Instead of trying to force it, I have decided to take another route with this post. So here it is…a plethora of thoughts from Kassie….
1. Ken Griffey, Jr. had the prettiest swing. EVER.
2. As big a sports fan as I am, I have never seen Hoosiers, Bull Durham or Caddyshack. I have seen Blue Chips though.
3. I went to my first North Carolina State football game at the age of 2. I have a reoccurring flashback of me sitting with the family in the upper deck.
4. I was at The Cheesecake Factory in DC about 10 years ago with some friends when all of a sudden a very tall man arose from a table near us. It was Dikembe Mutombo. Before I could even catch myself I yelled out, MUTOMBOOOOOOO! If looks could kill. For that reason alone, he deserves more than two sentences.
5. Earvin “Magic” Johnson does not get the respect he deserves. Dude was a ballerrrrrrr, you hear me?!
6. When I was in middle school, my granddaddy would make me cheese toast for breakfast. I would eat it while watching Scooby Doo then I would turn and watch SportsCenter.
7. Ya’ll know the ‘This is SportsCenter’ commercial with Jay Harris and Larry Fitzgerald, where Larry catches all the stuff that falls in the office? I was with Jay on the day they emailed the script for the commercial to him. I have always thought Larry was a kutie and I told Jay that. About a week later I got a text from a friend that was sent by Jay that said, “Kassaundra, Larry told me to tell you hey.” Yep! That deserved extra sentences.
8. My all time favorite football player is Jerry Rice. Greatest of all time.
9. Quite often during football season, I lose my voice. It is a good thing that I do not have to talk to blog.
10. If you have never been to a Virginia Tech football game, GO!! That ‘Enter Sandman’ intro almost made me tackle someone in the stands.
11. Leave Lance Armstrong alone! He has raised over 500 million for cancer research. That will have a greater impact than anything he has done on a bike.
12. <—–My favorite number so I have got to make this good….44 days until the marathon!!! Have you made your donation :-}??
13. Some of my favorite athlete names…..Milton Bradley, Picabo(pronounced Peekaboo) Street, Tim Biakabutuka, Doug Flutie, Anfernee Hardaway and Alan Kulwicki.
14. I want to go to Soldier Field to see a Chicago Bears home game so I can sing “Bear Down” as loud as I can after the Bears score a touchdown. I love to randomly sing that song, just ask my mama :-}.
15. I keep up with the NBA but I do not like it. Do. Not. Get. Me. Started.
16. Everyone should experience a hockey game. LIVE.
17. I have been trying to learn how to play poker. The only thing I still understand how to flush a toilet.
18. This year’s baseball playoffs are going to be something special. You heard it here first…..Go Rangers!!
19. I am still giggling at the fact that they kept playing “Lean Back” by Fat Joe at the Broncos game Sunday night. Whoever was in charge of the music needs to not be in charge of the music anymore.
20. Until next time….TOODELLS.
Hi all!! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I know I did. High school football on Friday night. College football on Saturday. NFL Football alllllllllll day Sunday. Ready to do it all over again next weekend :-}. Now, onto the what happened this weekend in the sporting world…
My 9ers leaped into Lambeau and came out with a 30-22 win. There are rumors of the cheese melting as a result.
The most asked question going into this NFL season was how is Peyton Manning going to look. I think Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin answered this question best, “He’s Peyton.”
Robert Griffin the 3rd bka RGIII, passed for 320 yards, rushed for 42 yards and threw no interceptions in his debut as he led the tataskinz to a 40-32 win over the Saints. Tataskin Nation had no idea real QB’s still existed.
Serena Williams won her fourth US Open title. She collected a 1.9 million dollar check too.
After not scoring any TD’s in the preseason, the Jets put up 48 on the Bills. That would be very impressive if they were not playing the Bills.
The New York Yankess regained the lead in the AL East with a win over the Orioles. With 22 games left, this division is up for grabs.
My Wolfpack beat UConn 10-7. I know a win is a win but sheesh.
Dr. Shaquille O’Neal is in talks to play in a Mexican Basketball League. Can he speak Spanish as well as he speaks English :-}??
The Eagles almost got their wings clipped by the BROWNS. Yes, you can laugh.
The University of Louisiana-Monroe pulled off the shocking upset of #8 Arkansas winning 34-31 in OT. The Associated Press rewarded Arkansas with a drop kick right out of the top 25.
Twins Mike and Bob Bryan won the US Open Men’s Double championship. They now have 12 Grand Slam championships, most in the open era.
Washington Nationals pulled the plug on Stephen Strasburg for the year. See you next year kid.
Reggie Miller, Don Barksdale, Jamaal Wilkes, Mel Daniels, Coach Don Nelson, Ralph Sampson, Phil Knight, the All-American Redheads, Chet Walker, Katrina McClain, Lidia Alexeera and Hank Nichols were all inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Congrats and two snaps!!
Seahawks rookie QB, Russell Wilson, almost threw a game winning TD in his debut but the pass was dropped in the endzone by Braylon Edwards. New year, same Braylon.
Oscar Pistorius won gold in the Paralympics 400m final. Glad to see him bounce back after the “controversy.”
No update on the potential NHL lockout. Both sides are still frozen in their position.
My assessment of the replacement refs? They need to be replaced.
Clint Bowyer won the race at Richmond. Due to rain, the race literally took all night to finish.
Until next time…TOODELLS
Alright ladies, Sunday is a BIG DAY!!! The first Sunday of the NFL Season. Do you understand what that means? Men everywhere will be missing in action. Some women will be too, liiiiiiike me :-}. I know some of you will be making a serious attempt to sit down and watch a game or two and see what all the hype is about. Get your pens and paper ready. You have notes to take. Oh, college football is on Saturday as well sooooo….
Uno) The offense is typically made up of the quarterback, running back(RB), fullback(FB), five offensive linemen, tight end and two wide receivers(WR). Just so you know the offensive line up can vary at times.
Uno A) The offensive line is responsible for blocking the defensive players from getting to the QB, thus giving the QB enough time to throw the ball. If it is a running play, the offensive linemen are expected to push opposing players backward, sideways, to the ground in an effort to open up holes for the RB to run through.
Uno B) The guy who snaps the ball is the center. He will always be lined up in, yeah you guessed it, the center of the field. The guys on both side of the center are the guards. The guys to the outside of the guards are the tackles. Got it? Great!
Dos) The defense typically consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties Lets just stick with that for now.
Tres) The yellow line that you see on tv indicates how far a team needs to advance the ball in order to get a first down. This line ONLY exists on tv. ONLY.
Cuatro) The line of scrimmage is the imaginary line that stretches the width of the field. Since the line is imaginary, I will make it simple. Wherever the ball is placed before the snap, that is the line of scrimmage.
Cinco) The short lines on the middle of the field that the ball is placed on are the hashtags. They were around long before Twitter. If you do not use Twitter, you will not understand. Carry on.
Seis) Alright, lets talk false starts and offsides. Once an offensive player is in their set position, they can not move. If they do, it is a false start, the team is penalized five yards and the down is repeated. Here is an example. It is 2nd and 5 for Team Uh Huh. #81 for Team Uh Huh crosses the line of scrimmage resulting in a false start. The team now has to go an extra five yards to get a first down. The down remains the same and it is now 2nd and 10 for Team Uh Huh. Got it?! Great!
Seis A) Offsides is when a defensive player is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. This is typically deemed a “free play.” The coach of the non-offending team can decide to accept or decline the penalty. If the non-offending team, gains a significant amount of yardage, the non-offending team will typically decline the penalty. If the non-offending team’s play works against them (results in a dropped pass, interception, fumble), the non-offending team’s coach will typically accept the penalty because this negates anything that happened on the last play. Got it?! Great!
Siete) Many newcomers get offsides and encroachment confused. Encroachment happens when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an offensive player before the ball is snapped. This results in a five yard penalty against the defensive team. Got it?! Great!
Ocho) A safety is worth two points and occurs when an offensive player who has possession of the ball is tackled in the endzone. My guess is the player with the ball feels anything but safe at the time.
Nueve) I had a request from one of my faithful followers to explain pass interference. Yes, the job of the defensive back(DB) is the prevent the WR from catching the ball. However, a DB can not trip, push, pull or body slam a WR in order to prevent them from catching the ball. The DB is suppose to go after the ball and not the WR. If you see a DB push a guy to the ground before the ball has even arrived, expect a yellow flag to come flying out. I like to throw them at home too.
Whew! I think that is enough for today. You should be well equipped for the weekend. Do not be discouraged if you find yourself still struggling to understand. It is going to take some time to fully understand the game. You all are well on your way though. So go grab some wings, pizza, chips, cookies(snacks are essential when watching football), sit back and relax and enjoy what it sure to be a wonderful weekend!! And remember, NO QUESTIONS DURING THE GAME. You have been warned. Twice.
Until next time…TOODELLS.
Congrats and Whoop Whooooooooop to retired Giants defensive end and future Hall of Famer, Michael Strahan, who debuted this morning as the co-host on Live! With Kelly & Michael. During a time period where we hear so much about former professional athletes who struggle being away from the game, it is great to see Michael Strahan thrive. As a memeber of the Fox NFL Sunday team, Strahan’s mixture of knowledge of the game and humor, help to set him apart from colleagues. I am sure he will fit right in on Live seeing as how he said on the show four years ago that he would one day like to replace Regis. You got your wish Michael!! Congrats, again.
Hello all!! I hope you are having a great holiday weekend. Here is a quick rekap of all the big and not so big sports stories…
Pia Sundhage resigned as coach of the US Women’s Soccer team. 2 snaps and a job well done.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will finally get his statue in Star Plaza outside of the Staples Center. Oh Kareem, if only you had not complained.
Jake Skelton was named the starting QB for the Arizona Cardinals. And just like that, Kevin Kolb becomes the highest paid backup QB EVER.
Eureka College QB, Sam Durley, passed for 736 yards in a win against Knox. Seven hundred and thirty six yards.
Alabama laid the smackdown on Michigan in Texas. I guess everything really is bigger there.
Dwight Howard took out an ad in the Orlando Sentinel expressing his loooooove for the city. Mickey and nem were not impressed.
Maurice Jones-Drew ended his holdout WITHOUT signing a new contract. Did I miss something?
After becoming an overnight, inspirational sensation at the London Olympics, Oscar Pistorious finished second in the 200m final at the Paralympics. He then complained the winner had an unfair advantage. *crickets*
My Wolfpack failed to show up against Tennessee. Maybe they were looking ahead to the UConn game.
Denny Hamlin won his second race in a row, claiming the checkered flag in Atlanta. Vroom vroom.
Stepping up to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones, put one over the wall to give his a team an 8-7 win. Chipper’s chip shot keeps the Braves in the lead for the NL Wild Card spot.
The NFL & NFL Referees Association failed to reach a deal and no new meetings are scheduled. I have a good feeling a few replacement refs will appear in the C’Mon Man segment on Monday Night Countdown next week.
Andy Roddick announced he will retire after the US Open. Kool.
New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, “I think Timmy, with all due respect, is better than Joe Montana.” Laughs out loud very loudly.
Labor talks between the NHL and the NHL Players Association have stalled, likely signaling a lockout. New soap opera coming soon, “As The Ice Melteth.”
Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger, won her first LPGA tourney. I wonder if her new slogan is “Tiger, Tiger, he’s the man, if he can not do it, I can!!”
Until next time…TOODELLS.
Kassie Nette's Korner 