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Well, the BCS picture became much clearer yesterday, but it’s not all set in stone yet.

The first big game of the day:  The SEC Championship. The rugged, smash mouth style of #1 Alabama vs. the finesse offense of #4 Florida.  And essentially, the winner would advance to the National Championship Game.  The first half was a neck and neck battle, with Florida taking a narrow 17-10 lead into the half.  Alabama tied it up in the 3rd quarter with a two yard Touchdown run from Alabama running back Mark Ingram.  But then — Florida took over, and sealed the victory with 2:50 left in 4th quarter, as Florida QB Tim Tebow connected with his roommate Riley Cooper for a five yard TD pass.  Tebow had 216 yards and 3 TDs on the day, as Florida prevailed over the unbeaten Alabama Crimson Tide.  Florida 31, Alabama 20.

In day’s second featured match-up, it was the Big 12 Championship between the #2 Oklahoma Sooners and the #20 Missouri Tigers.  Many felt it should have been a rematch between #3 Texas and #2 Oklahoma, but because of how the divisions work in the Big 12, this is (unfortunately) the game we get.  And this game was 100% ‘The Oklahoma Show’.  The contest was over by halftime, as Oklahoma led 38-7.   The second half — more destruction.  Oklahoma’s Heisman candidate QB threw for 384 yards and 2 TDs, and their running back, Moisses Madu, ran for 114 yards and three TDs.  This game was a pure massacre.  Oklahoma 62, Missouri 21.

Now, theoretically, Florida should play Oklahoma for the BCS Championship.  However, many still think this doesn’t prove anything.  Both those teams have one loss, and Florida’s loss was against an unranked Ole Miss team.  Plus, even though Alabama lost, it was at the hands of a dominant Florida team.  That loss isn’t half as bad as falling to an unranked team.  And there’s Texas, who beat Oklahoma, as well as USC who only has one loss themselves.  Lets not forget Utah either — THEY’RE UNDEFEATED!  Essentially, this BCS system has created a huge mess yet again.  Can’t we just get a playoff already.

BOXING

Finally, in some boxing news, it was a HUGE fight night in Las Vegas, as pretty boy Oscar De La Hoya took on Manny Pacquiao.  Pacquiao was ranked by experts as one of the world’s best fighters, but De La Hoya… is De La Hoya.  However, it looks like Oscar’s best days might be behind him as Manny Pacquiao was ready and prepared and simply whooped up on De La Hoya.  The fight was called in the 8th round, as the handsome Oscar sat in a corner with bruises all over his face and his eye swollen shut. Pacquiao, on the other hand, proved to the world that he has arrived, and is now a force to be reckoned with.

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It’s gonna be a madhouse day of college football on Saturday with two conference championship games seemingly as big as the actual BCS Championship.  That’s what makes the college football season more special than any other sport’s regular season — as there always seems to be a game on that can make or break a team’s whole season.

First up on CBS, it’s the riveting SEC Championship Games, and boy does this game have BCS Championship implications.  It’s #1 Alabama v. #4 Florida, and the winner will earn a ticket the BIG GAME.  Alabama is a brand new team from years past, thanks to new head coach (and former LSU skipper) Nick Saban.  They have sat atop the rankings for practically the entire season.  However, Florida has been surging as of late behind former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Tim Tebow.  Both teams have HUGE traveling fan bases, and you can guarantee the Georgia Dome in Atlanta will be packed.  This is a can’t miss game.

Then, just flip the channel over to ABC and catch the Big 12 Championship Game between Oklahoma and Missouri. This game also will determine a BCS slot, because if Oklahoma wins… they’re in.  However, if Missouri pulls the upset (very possible), there’s a chance either USC or Texas could slip into the National Championship Game.  Both Oklahoma and Missouri are led by superstar quarterbacks: Chase Daniel for Missouri (a sure-fire NFL player) and Sam Bradford for Oklahoma (having a Heisman-esque season).  While some think Missouri could pull an upset, one must realize that Oklahoma and head coach Bob Stoops are not taking this game lightly.  There’s a possibility this game could be over by halftime, as witnessed two weeks ago when Oklahoma absolutely shredded Texas Tech in the first half, and the second half was more of a formality than anything else.

FOOTBALL

And of course… some O.J. Simpson news.  The 61-year old O.J. was sentenced to 33 years in prison, and must serve for at least 9 years.  He was committed for armed robbery in a hotel room, and many thought the sentencing was payback for his alleged crime in 1995.  However, the judge stated that yesterday’s decision had absolutely nothing to do with the events of ’95.

BASEBALL

One of the all-time greats is calling it quits.  That’s right — Greg Maddux is officially done with baseball.  The 43-year old (which is impressive in its own right) will formally announce his retirement Monday at the baseball winter meetings.  He won a multitude of Cy Young awards when with the Atlanta Braves (his glory years) and was famous for being, well, a nerd.  Many times, Maddux would pitch wearing glasses and some of the biggest, toughest sluggers in baseball would chuckle at the fact that this “nerd” was striking them out with 97mph fastballs.  The game will sorely miss his presence.

NFL

Some Thursday night action, as the San Diego Chargers played host to the Oakland Raiders.  This game was special because it was the first game shown in 3-D (Well… that’s if you were fortunate enough to see it in Mann’s Chinese Theater on Hollywood Blvd where they televised this special event).  For everyone else, it was a just a spectacle of the Chargers destroying the Raiders.  Philip Rivers stayed in perfect form, throwing for 214 yards and three TDs.  The Raiders, however, continue to look as sloppy as ever. Former #1 Draft Pick JaMarcus Russell threw two Interceptions and only 68 yards.  This team is going to have some serious off-season questions.  San Diego 34, Oakland 7.

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It looks like more USC coaching love is spreading around the NCAA.  The University of Washington hired USC offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian to be their new head coach.  Washington used to be an elite team in the late 80s/Early 90s, but since then have been rather average (with the exception of a Rose Bowl appearance in 2001).  Perhaps having one of the great USC offensive minds running the ship will return them to greatness.

Elsewhere in college football, this Saturday is the Big 12 Championship game.  And it’s between the pre-season’s top 2 teams — Oklahoma and Missouri.  Oklahoma may have had the superior season, but Missouri is looking to play spoiler behind their All-American QB, Chase Daniel.  In other words, this game is NOT a given for Oklahoma, as the Big 12 Championship doesn’t always follow the script.  Do not be surprised if Missouri stuns the Sooners (and the nation) on Saturday.

NBA

Some sad news from the NBA.  Rodney Rodgers, former NBA all-around-guy and Best Sixth Man Award Winner, fell off his motorcycle and is paralyzed from the shoulders down.  Rodgers played with a variety of NBA teams, and was both a fierce dunker and clutch 3-point shooter.  He lives in North Carolina, is a frequent outdoorsman, and also a philanthropist — setting up public housing projects for the city.  And even though he had plenty of money (due to a 12 year career in the NBA) he was still working a day job as a heavy machinery operator because he was bored.  His manager said he didn’t even know Rodney had money  — “I hired him because he was friendly”, he said.

NBA

Kobe Bryant returned to his hometown Philadelphia to take on the 76ers.  The Lakers were coming off a last second loss to the Pacers and were hoping to rebound.  Unfortunately for Kobe, they like to boo him (a lot) in Philly.  But this didn’t phase his game one iota, as he put up 32 points in a Lakers win.  The Sixers, on the other hand, were supposed to be able to compete in the East this year with the likes of Boston, Cleveland, and Detroit.  But the whole Elton Brand experiment hasn’t worked out so well for them.  They even lost him to injury in the 3rd quarter.  He will be evaluated on Thursday.  LA Lakers 114, Philadelphia 102.

Elsewhere in the NBA, the Boston Celtics continue their domination.  They are currently 18-2 this year, and seem like they can take anybody anytime.  Behind their young point guard, Rajon Rondo, the Celtics annihilated the Indiana Pacers.  Rondo had his first triple-double of his career (a landmark for any player) and looks to be a legitimate all-star point guard.  He had 16 points, 17 assists, and 13 rebounds.  Great draft pick Boston!  Boston 114, Indiana 96.

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Two small schools have finished with perfect records.  Boise State and Ball State.  Knowing they probably won’t play in a major BCS bowl, the two schools have proposed playing EACH OTHER.  This has gained national attention, as who wouldn’t be excited by two undefeated teams dukeing it out.  The two of them facing off would be much more exciting than their inevitable boring and forgettable bowl game.  However, to make college football even more frustrating, the two teams simply can’t seem to make it happen.  They talked about playing on a neutral site, but both athletic directors have vetoed the idea, and are sticking to playing in traditional bowl games.  Probably either The Motor City Bowl or the GMAC bowl.  Boooorrrrrinnnngg.  Boise and Ball State will probably take on some mediocre team from the ACC or something.  This is a great shame for Boise and Ball State fans, but just as disappointing for sports fans everywhere.

Finally, Notre Dame, who has been putrid ever since the Brady Quinn era, has decided to keep head coach Charlie Weis for at least one more season.  Weis’ first season was terrific, leading the Fighting Irish to a BCS bowl.  But since then… um, not so terrific.  There was a closed door meeting between Weis and the head of Notre Dame athletics about how they could make Notre Dame great again.  Remember — Notre Dame is probably the most famous college football program there is (anyone see the movie Rudy?).  And now, they are horrible and irrelevant.  But — Notre Dame is sticking with the Weiss plan, but be assured, if they stink again next year — Charlie Weiss will be packing his bags.

NFL

The New York Giants have suspended their star wide-receiver, Plaxico Burress, for four games after he was arrested for illegal weapons possession, and um… shooting himself in the leg.  In other words, ‘Plax’ is done for the year, and will most likely not be in a Giants uniform next season.  They just can’t have that kind of negative energy around.  However, Plaxico might have bigger problems, as he could face 3.5 years in prison if he’s convicted.  The question is — why do NFL players carry guns into nightclubs in the first place?

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

There is a big rivalry this weekend in Los Angeles between the UCLA Bruins and the USC Trojans.  This game should be a bloodbath, as USC is far more powerful than the Bruins this year.  However, there is a bit of a controversy on what uniforms the teams will wear.  Since this game is technically a home game for both teams, USC (the visitor in this case) is lobbying to wear their home red jersey as opposed to being forced to wear a visitor’s white.  In the past, both teams wore their home jersey, and gave the field a nice aesthetic with powder blue and crimson running around on the field.  The NCAA has granted USC’s request to wear red, but has fined them with the forfeiture of a timeout.  However, thinking this unfair, UCLA has announced plans to call timeout on the first play in order to even things out.  Now that’s good, old-fashioned pageantry and sportsmanship.

NBA

The Indiana Pacers handed the Los Angeles Lakers their second loss of the season.  The Lakers are so deep and talented; they are projected to potentially finish with fewer than ten losses.  However, the Indiana Pacers rallied in the fourth quarter, and with just one second left on the clock, Pacers forward Troy Murphy tipped a ball that bobbled around the basket, and finally went in.  The Pacers are off to a sluggish 7-10 start, but beating a team as strong as the Lakers can really turn a team’s momentum around.  Indiana 118, LA Lakers 117.

NHL

The Dallas Stars’ ‘star’ player, Sean Avery, has been suspended for making lewd remarks about his ex-girlfriend — ’24”s Elisha Cuthbert (Jack Bauer’s daughter).  She is currently dating Calgary’s Dion Phaneuf, which apparently made Avery jealous, and he said some nasty things about her.  And it seems Avery has a history of saying inappropriate remarks to the media about people around the league. These aren’t funny, playful comments — they’re just mean.  Athletes say these things all the time behind closed doors, while Avery is making a name for himself for speaking directly to the public.  Read his full comments about Cuthbert.

NFL

Monday Night marked a first in sports history:  The Houston Texans made their debut on Monday Night Football.  Never before had they been on the Monday Night stage, and they sure made the most of it.  The 4-7 Texans simply came alive against a struggling Jacksonville Jaguar team.  Speedy rookie running back Steve Slaton put on an incredible show rushing for 130 yards on the ground with two TDs.  But, their defense looked amazing too, led by former #1 pick Mario Williams.  He had three sacks, forced a fumble, and clearly appears to have been the right #1 pick over Reggie Bush and Vince Young (um, there was a lot of controversy at the time). The Texans are practically out of the playoff hunt, but it was certainly a thrill ride for hopeful Houston fans.  Houston 30, Jacksonville 17.

Elsewhere in the NFL, it looks like the Cleveland Browns will be without their… 2nd String QB for the rest of the year.  Derek Anderson was injured in Sunday’s loss to the Colts, and their 1st String QB, Brady Quinn, was lost the week prior.  Now the Browns, who have been eliminated from the playoffs, will go to battle with 3rd String QB Ken Dorsey.  He, for what it’s worth, used to be the star quarterback for the University of Miami when they were good earlier this decade.  So, um, take some solace in that Browns fans.

CYCLING

And in some cycling news, Mr. Invincible Lance Armstrong has formally declared he will race not only The Tour De France in 2009, but also the Giro D’Italia.  This is the first time he has ever competed in both in the same year; an incredible workload for a 37-year-old cancer survivor coming off three years retirement.  However, Armstrong said that he might not be as focused on winning the entire thing this year, but rather playing a key supporting role for his team.

NBA

The New York Knicks have officially banished former star Point Guard Stephon Marbury from anything Knicks related.  They’ve simply had it with this guy, and have been trying to buy out his contract to get him as far away from the organization as possible.  Even Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni feels he can’t contribute any of his skills to the team.  However, they simply can’t get rid of the guy, because they can’t agree on buyout terms.  Eventually they will, but the question remains… is there another team out there for him?

NFL

It was a fitting end to my fantasy football season that Giants’ WR Plaxico Burress, who was a dud all season, “accidentally” shot himself in the leg over the weekend with an illegally possessed weapon. Thankfully for the Giants, they’ve handled his distraction well and went on to win handily against the Washington Redskins. Manning threw for an impressive 305 yards and a touchdown, and Plaxico’s place was filled by the aging yet potent veteran, Amani Toomer.  He had 85 receiving yards, and was the recipient of Manning’s lone TD pass.  Now, the Giants have pretty much positioned themselves for home field advantage in the playoffs.  But, we’ve still got  four more games to go.  (Giants 23, Redskins 7)

Most impressive win of the weekend was the Pittsburgh Steelers going to New England and stopping Patriots’ QB Matt Cassel.  The Steelers defense was instrumental in winning the game by forcing five turnovers. Interestingly, the Steelers’ QB, Ben Roethlisberger, has won 48 games so far in his first five seasons in the NFL. With the season not over yet, Ben could surpass this total and could easily lay claim to the most wins ever by a QB in his first five seasons. (Steelers 33, Patriots 10)

The Baltimore Ravens have been quietly making a playoff push behind their stellar defense.  However, yesterday against the Bengals, their offense was finally on display.  Rookie QB Joe Flacco threw for 280 yards and 2 TDs, while their burgeoning star Wide Receiver Mark Clayton had 164 yards receiving and a touchdown.  However, Clayton also threw for a touchdown PASS.  The Ravens offense is really taking shape, and what perfect time with the playoffs on the horizon.  Baltimore 34, Cincinnati 3.

And on Sunday night, it was a battle for control of the NFC North, as the Bears traveled to play the Vikings.  This game, however, was all Vikings.  Their juggernaut running back Adrian Peterson had 131 yards on the ground and a TD, and the Bears just couldn’t get anything going.  The Vikings ‘D’ looks tremendous, led by Jared Allen, who sacked Bears QB Kyle Orton three times.  The Vikings have been an up and down team this season, but they seem to be jelling at just the right time in the Season.  They look a little like the Pittsburgh Steelers did when they won the Super Bowl, peaking defensively heading into the playoffs.  Minnesota 34, Chicago 14.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

The BCS controversy gives me a headache…in fact, gives everyone a headache.
As of now, Oklahoma is second in the BCS standings, ahead of Texas and Florida and behind unbeaten Alabama. What does this mean?

Next Saturday, if Alabama beats Florida in the Southeastern Conference Championship Game it is basically guaranteed a spot in the BCS national title game on Jan. 8 in Miami.  Oklahoma could earn the other spot by beating Missouri, but if Oklahoma loses, Texas could actually go to the national title game, despite not playing for its conference championship…..headache yet?

In more college football news, one of the top collegiate programs in the country is handing the reigns to a recently former NFL coach.  The Tennessee Volunteers have dubbed former Raiders head coach, Lane Kiffin, as their new skipper.  Kiffin most notably learned the ropes from USC Trojans’ coach Pete Carroll when the Trojans won three National Championships.  And, reportedly, Kiffin will make more money coaching Tennessee than he did as an NFL coach, earning more than 2 million dollars per year.  Now, the question is, can he handle the pressure of a very, VERY demanding Volunteers fan base?  We’ll have to wait until next year to find out.