Jeff Fisher Fired Possibly Because of Crossing Owner Bud Adams?

Was Nepotism a Factor in Fisher Decision?

By Paul Kuharsky

After his offensive coordinator, Mike Heimerdinger, was diagnosed with cancer and began treatment during the season, Titans coach Jeff Fisher brought in cheap help.

His oldest child, Brandon, joined Heimerdinger as he moved from the sideline to the coaching box, taking a crash course in play-calling terminology to be ready to help convey calls to quarterback coach Dowell Loggains on the field if needed.

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AP Photo/Paul SpinelliAccording to John Clayton, Jeff Fisher was looking to add his son, Brandon, to the Titans' coaching staff in 2011.

Loggains was sending the calls into Rusty Smith for one game, then to Kerry Collins for the remainder of the season.

After that little apprenticeship for Brandon Fisher, who played football at Montana, his father apparently wanted more.

A source told John Clayton that Jeff Fisher was looking to add Brandon Fisher to his 2011 staff as a quality control coach, and that turned out to be a breaking point for Bud Adams.

I can’t believe Jeff Fisher didn’t know it would be.

Nepotism has long been taboo for Adams, and it’s the primary reason Gregg Williams, who wanted to bring his son Blake along, didn’t rejoin the franchise as defensive coordinator after the 2008 season. Like Adams and ultimately Fisher, I wasn’t big on the idea.

I think it’s generally better to get your son who wants to coach on a friend's staff, not put him on your own. Gregg and Blake Williams landed in New Orleans instead.

From South Florida, as the two Saints assistants prepared to coach in Super Bowl XLIV, I wrote about why things didn't work out a second time with Gregg Williams and Tennessee and about Williams’ subsequent reaction to what I wrote -- here and here.

As for what just unfolded in Nashville...

Did Fisher have a change of heart and decide to challenge Adams when it came to his own son? Or did he know that pushing Brandon as a staff addition would likely blow things up and set him free from what was turning into an ugly, lame-duck situation?

And if Gregg Williams is to be a candidate for Fisher's old job now, would he be willing to leave his son out of the equation?

Oklahoma State Men's Basketball Team's Plane Crash: 10 Years Later

As previously seen on ESPN's Outside the Lines   with Bob Ley
Nate Fleming Daniel Lawson http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=6050806                                                                                                                                                              

Dave Matthews Band Reference on The Office 01.20.11

Ed Helms

RE: New Developments on the Ron Franklin / Jeannine Edwards Ordeal

Report: Franklin suing ESPN after firing

    Courtesy of: NewsCore

Former ESPN play-by-play announcer Ron Franklin filed a wrongful termination lawsuit against the all-sports network, USA Today reported Wednesday.

According to the report, Franklin confirmed he had filed the suit, but declined to give details or specify the amount of damages he is seeking.

Franklin was fired Jan. 4 for making a sexist remark to sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards prior to the Dec. 31 Chick-fil-A Bowl in Atlanta.

Franklin and Edwards had the spat in a pre-game production meeting also attended by ESPN announcers Ed Cunningham and Rod Gilmore.

The group was discussing Gilmore's wife Marie's election as mayor of Alameda, Calif., when Edwards tried to join in but said she was shut down by Franklin.

"Listen to me, sweet baby, let me tell you something... " Franklin reportedly told her.

Edwards then said she told him not to speak to her like that, to which he responded: “OK then, listen to me, ass****.”

Following the incident, ESPN pulled Franklin off the broadcast of the New Year's Day Fiesta Bowl.

In a statement one day before his firing, Franklin said: "I said some things I shouldn't have and am sorry. I deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl."

Franklin, a 68-year-old native of Mississippi, had called college football and basketball games for ESPN since 1987.

Franklin also came under fire in 2005 for referring to sideline reporter Holly Rowe as "sweetheart" during a football game between Purdue and Notre Dame.

Aaron Rodger's Brother on ESPN's "First Take"

Recap: Jordan Rodgers on ESPN's First Take

By Brandon Barca on January 19, 2011 11:29 AM | No Comments | No TrackBacks

Vanderbilt junior quarterback Jordan Rodgers appeared on ESPN2's First Take Wednesday to discuss his ties to this weekend's NFC Championship Game between Chicago and Green Bay.

Rodgers' older brother, Aaron, is the starting QB for the Packers, while Bears QB Jay Cutler was extremely helpful offering advice when he transferred to Vanderbilt last January.

Despite his close relationship with Cutler, Jordan told ESPN host Dana Jacobson there's no dilemma when it comes to who he's cheering for this Sunday. "There's definitely no question that I'll be rooting for the Packers," Jordan said, "but with so many Vanderbilt players playing for the Bears, I root for them every other week besides the week they play the Packers. This week I'm green and gold."

Jordan also talked about how he had the opportunity to pick Cutler's brain after he arrived on campus.

"Jay was really good to me when I got into town. I was able to run questions off him about our school, the offense and the coaches. I also worked out with him a little bit while he was in town during the offseason. He was a big help," Rodgers added.

(Photos courtesy of Chris Weinman and Brian Smokler)



Get my updates on Twitter by following @BarcaBlog

       http://vucommodores.cstv.com/blog/2011/01/recap-jordan-rodgers-on-espns-first-take.html

FOR YOU VANDY FANS, HERE IS A HEART-WRENCHING STORY ON A EMBATTLED VANDY JUNIOR

Vanderbilt Commodores' Andre Walker undecided on senior season

Injury, mom's death weigh on Walker

By Jeff Lockridge • THE TENNESSEAN • January 17, 2011

     Andre Walker could miss his eighth game in the past nine on Wednesday when Ole Miss visits, but Vanderbilt plans to get its starting junior forward back on the court eventually this season once his sprained ankle heals.

 

     As for next season, his status is much more in doubt. Walker has not committed to returning for his senior season, adding that he plans to talk the matter over with his family and Coach Kevin Stallings when this season is complete.

"I'm not sure," said Walker, who considered giving up basketball last offseason as well. "It probably (depends) on how we do this year, maybe our potential for next year … I'm not sure. There are just a lot of things I have to think about after the season."

Stallings said the door is still open to Walker returning next season, but he is aware that might be an unlikely scenario.

Walker is on track to get a bachelor's degree in human and organizational development this spring, having redshirted his second season (2008-09) at Vanderbilt after tearing his right ACL. Returning next year would entail enrolling in graduate school. He interned at a Chicago sports agency last summer.

The 6-foot-7 Chicago-area native said it has been different and difficult trying to enjoy basketball the same way he did before the death of his mom, Jane Walker, in January 2009 after her second lung transplant.

Walker switched his jersey number to 54 from 24 this season because 54 was his mom's age when she passed. That event continues to motivate him, but has also taken something away.

"It's like both," he said. "It's weird not having her around."

Walker started 31 of 32 games last season and has started all eight in which he has played this season. He is averaging 4.1 points, 4.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Without him, Vanderbilt has gone to an eight-man rotation for SEC games.

Walker made the winning basket to beat Marquette, the lone game he's played between a bout with mononucleosis and his ankle injury during a Dec. 31 practice.

"It's been a little frustrating not being able to help my teammates," Walker said.

Reach Jeff Lockridge at 615-259-8023 or jlockridge@tennessean.com.

The 1st "College GameDay" of the Basketball Season is of Course in.......

What a better place to start the beloved 2011 ESPN showcase-show then the good ole' Volunteer State. Too bad it's not in the state's capital but nonetheless, Vanderbilt gets to play in it and they should be favored by quite a bit since Bruce Pearl's absence is hurting the Vols even more then they would be with him. However, Vandy has a BIG game 2nite vs. Georgia who is the best team in the SEC right now, bar none. With the Commodore gods on our side, Vandy should pull this one off and come into Knoxville with a boat-load of confidence while the Vols will come into the game reeling while under their breath telling interim head coach Tony Jones, pull out your white flag before our heart strings are permanently pulled out.

The College GameDay  program will start bright and early Saturday at 9 a.m. and the game will start two hours later at 11 a.m.

Auburn vs. Oregon Most Expensive Ticket in Sports History

         As Talked About on Nashville's 104.5 the Zone's 3 Hour Lunch:
                   By Clay Travis Follow on Twitter: @ClayTravisBGID

Ariz. -- The great ticket search of 2011 began the moment Auburn and Oregon fans landed at Phoenix's airport. Descending the escalator to baggage claim on Friday evening, a bedraggled man in a white t-shirt and baseball cap accosted arriving passengers. "Anyone got any tickets. Tickets for sale? Tickets." No one on the escalator responded and the man worked his way back in the direction of baggage claim, making eye contact with anyone in Auburn or Oregon apparel, continuing his plea for available tickets.

It's come to this in the Valley of the Sun.

There are no tickets to be had anywhere.

As a result, prices for the 2011 BCS title game have entered the stratosphere, the highest prices ever recorded on StubHub.com and other online ticket brokers. CNBC sports business reporter Darren Rovell told FanHouse, "It's the most expensive any ticket has been since they've been for sale online." (It's hard to gauge the ticket prices for events before online listings because the ticket marketplace was not as transparent then).

How expensive are tickets?

            Find out on Clay's sports site: http://ncaafootball.fanhouse.com/2011/01/09/bcs-title-game-ticket-has-become-the-most-expensive-in-us-sports/

Into Thin Air report for Sports in Media.doc

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• Into Thin Air report for Sports in Media.doc

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A Non-Intended John Varvatos Advertisment. Enjoy!

Monkey on My Back - Dave Matthews

  http://www.johnvarvatos.com/the-world-of/tv#/dave-matthews/

Those Trendy, 'LiveStrong'-Wannabee-Bracelets Have Been Determined To Be a Hoax!!

Power Bracelets?

      At the FIBA World Championships this fall, several members of the USA basketball team could be seen sporting a new athletic fad: Power Balance Bracelets. The manufacturer claimed that the $30 bands use a hologram disc to optimize bodily energy flow. Now, Power Balance admits that there is no credible scientific evidence to support their claims. Today, "Outside the Lines" reporter Mark Schwarz examines the phenomenon of Power Bracelets:    

            
~Courtesy of Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images









http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H9C8al3rWDQ&feature=player_embedded

Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wife, "BOO-RAY" B DANGEROUS!

OJ Mayo, Tony Allen Reportedly Fight on Grizzlies Plane

By FanHouse Staff

 

O.J. Mayo and Tony Allen had to be separated by teammates after a contentious card game on the Grizzlies team plane Monday, according to a Yahoo! Sports report.

Mayo (pictured) apparently owed Allen money from the game, and increasingly antagonized Allen over paying the debt. According to the report, Allen walked away to go to the bathroom, but was confronted by Mayo again when he returned. Eventually, the report says, Mayo inched close to Allen, and Allen hit him. Several players stepped in to stop the fight.

"Tony warned [Mayo] to watch his mouth, and [Mayo] wouldn't do it and just kept going off on him," a source told Yahoo! Sports.

The teammates met with coach Lionel Hollins on Monday about the incident, and spoke with each other on Monday and Tuesday, apparently settling the acrimony.

In response to the report, the Grizzlies released a statement admitting to a "brief altercation" between Mayo and Allen, saying the matter is closed.

The game the two were allegedly playing, "Boo-Ray," is the same card game Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were reported to be playing last year, which led to their infamous locker room confrontation. After that incident, some teams starting banning gambling on team flights.

TOM CABLE OUT AS RAIDERS COACH

~Courtesy of The San Francisco Chronicle

« Updated: "Al is... | Main

An 8-8 record, the Raiders' best record since 2002, was not good enough for owner Al Davis, as he informed coach Tom Cable Tuesday night that the team will not pick up the option in his contract...

Cable out, Jackson in

Cable out, Jackson in

127

An 8-8 record, the Raiders' best record since 2002, was not good enough for owner Al Davis, as he informed coach Tom Cable Tuesday night that the team will not pick up the option in his contract.
Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will take over as the new head coach, a source close to Jackson said.
Oakland had until Dec. 17 to decide whether to pick up a two-year option in Cable's contract. Cable, who started with the Raiders as an offensive line coach, finishes up 17-27 as head coach since taking over from Lane Kiffin on an interim basis in 2008.
"The Raiders express gratitude to Tom Cable for his contributions in his four seasons as an assistant and as head coach of the Silver and Black," the team said in a statement.
The Raiders finished 8-8 this season despite being undefeated in the AFC West. It was the first time in NFL history a team has gone undefeated in its division and not made the playoffs

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/raiders/detail?entry_id=80336#ixzz1A8HGF5Lm

Dude's Blog "leak" Of A Possible Dave Incognito Sighting

http://www.antsmarching.org/news/2010/12/29/Is-A-Gossip-Site-Blind-Item-really-about-Dave?

Jeanine Edwards Gets Talked Down to Yet Again.....

Tell me what you think: http://network.yardbarker.com/all_sports/article_external/franklin_to_female_espner_sweetcakes_ahole/3891428

Charlie Weis to Gainesville?

How is this fatass going to survive during the Spring, Summer, and Fall seasons in Gainesville? He probably needs to invest in a self-coolant system similar to a pace-maker so he can survive without too much SWAMP ass occuring.