ULTY Voting Begins Now

Here is the nomination slideshow for the 2010 ULTY Awards. Visit the ULTY voting page to cast your votes today. You may vote up to 25 times per valid email address. The nominees were all hand-selected by you the fans via the nominations that were up in excess of a month's duration. You've had your say, but now it's the real deal. Decide who gets the ULTYs! Vote now, and make sure youre friends vote too!

PS -- I know the sound doesn't work on this video. It will eventually, I hope. Either way it would just be some filler music. Big whoop.
 

Brandon Spikes Suspended Four Games

As first reported today by the Boston Herald and later confirmed by NESN, Patriots rookie linebacker Brandon Spikes has been suspended by the NFL for four games -- the remainder of New England's regular season -- due to the use of a banned substance. It has been a successful but controversial first season in the league for Spikes, who had an illicit sex tape flood the internet at the beginning of the season.

While some reports are claiming the detected drugs to be steroids, Spikes issued the following statement in response to the breaking story.

"I've been contacted by the NFL and informed that I will be suspended four games for the detection of an illegal substance in a drug test. The substance was a medication that I should have gotten clarification on before taking. It was not a performance-enhancer or an illegal drug. The integrity of the game is very important to me. I understand the league's ruling and apologize to my teammates, the fans and the Patriots organization for this mistake."

Spikes has 61 tackles through his first 12 NFL games, including a monstrous 16-tackle performance in New England's Week 6 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The suspension will definitely take its toll on this defense and the Patriots' hopes of securing the top seed in the AFC. Like they always have, though, Bill Belichick and his coaching staff will look to find a replacement to step up and do his job in the system.
   

You Decide! #2: James Harrison

One of the biggest issues (justifiably so) this NFL season is concussions and helmet to helmet hits. And no one has been in the center of this issue more than Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

The whole hub-ub and cracking down on helmet-to-helmet hits started after James Harriosn nearly took Browns' receiver Mohamed Massaquoi's head off with a helmet-to-helmet hit. Since then, Harrison has been fined three other times for questionable hits (he was fined for the Massaquoi hit as well.)

Team GSP

Now I've only been really following the UFC heavily for about four months now, but the main event at UFC 124 is looking to be one for the ages.

The event is fast approaching (two away as of press-time), and the most hyped fight on the card is Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck, for the Welterweight title. St.Pierre will be fighting in his hometown of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The event is expected to be one of the most viewed of all-time. The two fighters were coaches on the most recent season of "The Ultimate Fighter," in which two GSP fighters made it to the finale. The match is shaping up to be one of the most heated of all time, and the UFC is expecting to make bank on it.

Josh's NFL Pro Bowl Predictions

As of yesterday, the NFL released it's list of the Top 10 Pro Bowl "vote-getters," and I have to say, I'm a little bit disappointed. Of course, we all know the Pro Bowl is all about hype, so guys like Peyton Manning can make the Pro Bowl every year simply because of their name. So here's my list of the Top 10 Guys That If They Don't Make The Pro Bowl This Year I Will Be Very Suprised. And here's some sleeper pro bowl picks too.

10. Brandon Lloyd -One of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL. He's having a tremendous season with Kyle Orton quarterbacking him and I can only wonder how good Lloyd could be if he was catching passes from a guy like Peyton or Tom.
9. Ndamukong Suh -My favorite lineman have always been Mathis and Freeney, perhaps the greatest tag team to ever roam the defensive line. But Suh has stepped up and shown his ability to sack, tackle, and even catch the ball. I think he's one of the best all-around lineman in the NFL which is what makes him one of the most feared and dangerous.
8. Arian Foster -Between this guy and Andre Johnson, Houston has definitely stepped up their game this year. Oh yeah, and he's the only RB averaging over 100 yards per game right now.
7. Reggie Wayne/Wes Welker - These two guys are the two best receivers in the AFC, not just for their stats, but for their ability to find their spot on fantastic football teams and not get pissed off when they're overshadowed.
6. Michael Vick - I personally love this guy as a football player. I wouldn't trust him running a kennel but that's a different story. He's an all-around amazing quarterback with multiple talents.

Why Is This Under Sports News?

The Associated Press - Yum Brands Inc. is targeting Africa and other emerging global markets for expansion for its venerable KFC chain that has become a dominant fast-food player in China but has struggled in the U.S. Louisville-based Yum said Wednesday that it expects to double the number of KFC restaurants in Africa to about 1,200 by 2014. Yum projects that KFC will grow into a nearly $2 billion brand in Africa within four years and will contribute more than $100 million in profit to Yum's international division, which excludes China - which has its own division. 

Why the hell was this in my sports news? What was Google thinking? I guess maybe you could link sports and KFC because when I'm watching sports I often see KFC commercials. Or maybe because I watch sports and I've eaten KFC before. Oh, and why does China get its own division of KFC? Why doesn't America have its own division? For that matter, why isn't there a division in Boston? Anyway, I thought it was interesting that out of all the places KFC could expand itself into, they chose Africa. I still don't get why this came up under Google's sports news.
  

Report: Sox Sign Crawford

Several reliable sources tonight, including ESPN and the Boston Globe, are reporting that the Boston Red Sox have signed Carl Crawford to a 7-year, $142 million contract that officially brings the hype back to the Bean.

DRob's take: I can't express how elated I am at the fact that the Sox are spending money again. Bringing the likes of Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford to Boston is reminiscent of the offseasons that we reeled in guys like Beckett and Manny. These deals, combined with a healthy squad after last year's injury-stricken campaign, have to make the Sox contenders once again in the AL East. I'm genuinely excited about the Red Sox for the first time in a while. Crawford is exactly the type of dynamic star that needed a change of scenery from Tampa. I think he can flourish in Boston. Get ready for a fun ride. Opening day is just 4 months away, give or take.

Joe's take: Theo Epstein, I'm sorry we've ever talked bad about you. Ever. I'm so sorry. YES! YES! YES! Where is April. Get here now. I'm ready for Red Sox Season.
Now let's go get a bullpen and get the ball rollin'! Seriously though. That bullpen really needs some work. Or this team isn't going anywhere.
I'm sorry I'm just really excited. The bullpen can go on the backburner for the next 5 hours. Carl Crawford! (I hope I'm not speaking too soon...)
  

Josh's BCS and Heisman Predictions

So there isn't much written about college football on this blog. And it's virtually impossible to cover the entire BCS thoroughly. So no one tried. But before we start into the bowl games, lets talk a little bit about the Heisman. With past winners like Carson Palmer, Tim Tebow, Matt Leinart, and Sam Bradford, this year's winner could soon be among some of the NFL's premiere young talent. Among the nominees are Stanford QB Andrew Luck, Oregon RB LaMichael James, Boise State QB Kellen Moore, and of course, Auburn standout Cam Newton. So who should come away with the prize this year?

On the Heisman's website, it states that the trophy is given annually to "the most outstanding college football player in the United States. The Heisman is a national symbol of collegiate football experience and competitiveness." With that in mind, Cam Newton definitely caught my eye in his first game of the season. For a man carrying 250 pounds on a 6'6" frame, he's certainly a very mobile quarterback. The way he's carried that Auburn team has really impressed me. Unfortunately, the Heisman stands for more than just stats. It's given to the all-around best player in collegiate football, and that includes the way a player conducts himself and represents his team.

Haynesworth Suspended. Thankfully.

^(another reason to dislike the Haynesworth.)

Technorati.com- (Albert) Haynesworth, the embattled defensive tackle, has been suspended for the final four games of the regular season for conduct detrimental to the team. The result of this after he was inactive for Sunday's game at the New York Giants, and after Haynesworth told general manager Bruce Allen that he did not want to talk to Shanahan on Tuesday. Allen informed Haynesworth of the suspension Tuesday.

Albert Haynesworth is a baby. A dirty player. A Prima donna. And he is finally punished for being that way.

You Know What They Say

Don't assume things. Especially with the Red Sox brass. They may buy a soccer team instead of signing a premiere first basemen to a long term deal.

WHAT THE (expletive).

John Henry, toss a friggen dollar to Theo. The guy will be 37 at the end of 8 years. He'll be playing, and at a good rate. I promise.

He won't pull a Manny and be an ass for 5 of the 8 years. He's a stand up guy, a hell of a ballplayer, and someone who is worth investing in. If you want to wait and see how he performs this summer, good luck competing with the Yanks in free agency (plus Pujols will be on the market, and he's going to make 1 billion dollars, giving Gonzo something to gauge his worth).

Give Me an M!

And add a VP behind said M, because after last night's performance, there is no way at this point Brady isn't the undisputed MVP of the NFL. 7 games, 0 interceptions. Manning, Rivers, and Vick can't say that. Plus, Brady has done it against very talented defensive teams like the Steelers and the Jets. So, as long as Brady doesn't play like Manning has the past 3 weeks in the last few weeks of the season, he is bar none the most dominant player in the NFL this season.

And about last night: most satisfying regular-season victory. Ever. That was pretty much a perfect game offensively and defensively. You couldn't write that game any better. Plus, it was gratifying to see the Michelin man finally having that smug smirk wiped off his face. Santonio Holmes kept celebrating after every one of his five-yard catches (none of which were for TDs), which made me laugh because he failed to realize that his team was down by 21. That was the ultimate "eff you" game right there.

Brady is on his way to MVP, the defense is looking like an all-pro defense, and the Pats are atop the NFL (sorry Atlanta, you play in the NFC.) Life is good for a Pats fan (for now at least.)
  

5 Reasons Why the Pats are the Best

So you're sitting in front of your t.v. watching the Pats dominate the Jets in front of the entire Monday Night Football crowd, and you're probably smiling and asking yourself: what makes the Patriots the best team in the league right now? What makes them arguably the best team of the century? I was originally going to make this a 10 part answer, but here's the answer in five.

5. The veterans of this year's team - Branch. Welker. Wilfork. Warren. Wright. Ninkovich. Sanders. Light. Mankins. Koppen.Vollmer. Connolly. Crumpler. Mayo. Banta-Cain. None of these guys are Brett Favre, but they are certainly veterans on this team. While many times its the rookies and younger players in the spotlight, these are the guys that never fail us as fans. And they make their own fair share of huge plays.

Jets Eat Patriots Feces Live Chat

Broncos Fire Josh McDaniels

Oh, how quickly things change.

Bring yourself back a few years. Josh McDaniels was masterminding the New England Patriots offense to record-breaking statistics and calling the plays for Tom Brady to execute en route to the best single season a quarterback and an offense has ever had in this league. Then he goes to Denver a little while later, and after a 6-0 start including a big win over his former Pats, it seems like McDaniels has found his home.

Then things went sour. The Broncos missed the playoffs last season after their red-hot start, and they have now been eliminated from contention this season with a 3-9 record after a 10-6 loss to Kansas City this week. It all began spiraling down for McDaniels after the alleged videotaping scandal that surfaced a few weeks ago, and with their elimination from the postseason, the Broncos decided it was time to move forward with what may have been the inevitable. What's next for Denver? Will Tim Tebow get time at quarterback under whoever their new coach is? McDaniels recently said he had no intentions of rushing Tebow into the fire simply to accelerate his development. We'll see if the rest of the organization shares those feelings.
 

Like I Said: No Need to Panic

As you may have read in my personal take on the reports that the Gonzalez deal was called off, there were still plenty of possibilities that Boston could still get Adrian Gonzalez despite failing to reach an agreement on a contract extension before the 2 p.m. deadline today. As it so happens, the Red Sox ultimately succeeded without the extension. Gonzo is headed to Boston -- officially.

The Sox will now need to make sure they are able to reach an extension agreement with the slugger before the 2011 season ends. This investment -- giving up three highly touted prospects -- will fall flat on its face if Gonzalez walks to free agency after one year. Regardless, Sox fans can ease their criticism for the moment and appreciate that our owners still have a little willingness to spend top dollar and sacrificing top prospects.
 

No Gonzo?

Reports are flying wild this afternoon on the internet that the Adrian Gonzalez deal between the Boston Red Sox and the San Diego Padres has fallen through and will not be finalized. Jon Heyman reported that the 2 p.m. deadline for Boston to renegotiate an extension with the first baseman passed, and thus the deal won't go through. Gonzalez wanted 8 years, Boston wanted 6 years.

Now for my take. I'm not freaking out yet. I think this deal could very well still go through and it is very possible that panic is spreading like a wildfire for no reason. 2 p.m. was the tentative deadline for Boston to renegotiate an extension with Gonzalez -- not for them to announce anything. That's the first thing. Just because no extension was announced doesn't mean one hasn't been made. More significantly, though, the Padres could care less about the extension being signed between Boston and Gonzalez -- that has nothing to do with the actual specifics of the trade. Rather, it would be a case of Boston dropping the deal to avoid a 1-and-done contract with the slugger. But from a luxury tax standpoint in relation to the salary cap, the Sox would benefit from waiting until after Opening Day to sign Gonzalez to an extension. So keep your eyes peeled today, but I think there's a chance that the panic is unmerited and the deal will still go through without an immediate contract extension. Or maybe that's just me being optimistic.
 

Thanks, Jed

As if no one saw this coming eventually...

The Red Sox reportedly are on the verge of acquiring Adrian Gonzalez from San Diego. In return, the Padres snag a couple of the Sox top prospects, including pitcher Casey Kelly and first basemen Anthony Rizzo.

After some thought, I ultimately do agree with acquiring Gonzalez. Sure, he is entering the final year of his contract. But if the Sox were to wait a year, they would have been without a third basemen this season, as Adrian Beltre more than likely would have wanted a multi-year deal.

Robot Unicorn Attack and Lebron

Do not get addicted. Stay away while you can.

Just kidding. Easily the most distracting and fantastic game of all time to be put onto Facebook, competing with the likes of Jetman, FarmVille, Family Feud, and the MindJolt Games applications.

Lebron's return to Cleveland was heroic. What a genuinely nice guy, who does great things for his community, and is truly humbled by the uproar of applause he intends to receive from his former fans.

What an idiot.