Cancer Speaks

I would tell you this was an amazing scenario that is tough to believe, but the fact is it is not. Terrell Owens basically is acting like he did in San Francisco, and like he did when he was trying to avoid Baltimore to get to Philadelphia.

Dan Campbell told the story about a family feeling sorry for a cold and hungry snake, and allowing him to get warm by their fire and eat their food, and then they were shocked when the snake bit them. He bit them because he was a snake. Don't invite snakes into your house if you don't want to be bit by a snake.

I said he was cancer the day Philly acquired the dude, and I think that has been properly called. He ruined a team that was Super Bowl caliber, and now the damage has been done. Philadelphia may still salvage the season, but even if they do, they will be required to go on the road on the playoffs and will be a long shot for Detroit. Can it all be blamed on Owens? Not likely. But, all I know is we were talking about the possibility of them naming their record this season, and now they sit at 4-4 at the halfway point.

Just goes to show you that nothing is promised in sports. And despite having a fabulous team, I start to wonder if the Eagles will ever be able to win with this group. And don't blame Owens for this mess. He is just being the snake that he has always been. He didn't trade for himself. They played with grenade in their lockerroom, and now they must pay for it.

Eagles hear T.O., and then tell him he is not forgiven Â…

ESPN's Sal Paolantonio spoke to a top Eagles official, who told Paolantonio that Owens will not be rejoining the team. The official added that even if Owens' suspension is not upheld by an arbitrator, Owens will still not play for the Eagles this season.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Tuesday that the players' union has filed a grievance on behalf of Owens seeking to overturn the suspension. It will be heard Nov. 18 before arbitrator Richard Bloch.

Owens + Rosenhaus = 2 incredibly annoying people Â…

The only time Terrell Owens cracked a smile during a heated 13-minute news conference outside his Moorestown, N.J., home on Tuesday was when one ambitious questioner asked his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, this:

"What have you done for your client besides get him kicked off the Eagles?
It was a terrific question, and one Owens should be asking, because nothing has gone right for him since he fired David Joseph and hired Rosenhaus, the NFL's biggest power broker, eight months ago. Owens did not get that new contract he wanted. He was allowed to flounder in the midst of a crisis while alienating himself from his teammates and the town he owned after a brilliant Super Bowl performance.

And now, Owens is a man without a team or a job, and he just lost at the very least $800,000 and quite possibly a lot, lot more.

Packers considering Owens???...

Speaking of the Packers, things are so bad that they have Liberty U's RB Samkon Gado trying to help Favre ...

"I had no idea what football was, I just knew the ball was shaped funny, and they used their hands and not their feet to handle the ball," said Gado. "I played soccer even the first three or four years I was in the United States, and that's all I cared about. That's my dad's passion."

But by the seventh grade, Gado began playing football. He was a standout at Ben Lippen High School in Columbia. His religious faith ultimately led Gado to Liberty University, the school founded by Jerry Falwell.

There, Gado found himself trailing two other running backs in his same class, and never broke into the starting lineup more than twice. But he did play. As a senior last year, Gado averaged 6.5 yards per carry with 901 rushing yards on 138 carries. He scored 11 times.

He did not consider transferring to another college program where he would be the featured back. His family sacrificed a lot financially just to live in the U.S., with his father Jeremiah taking jobs like cleaning horse stables and his mother, Grace, cleaning houses, which she does to this day. Both have college educations.
"My parents didn't have the money (to transfer)," said Gado. "Also, I had a very good relationship with my head coach (Ken Karcher), so I felt there were so many positives to the school, I really felt I would be doing myself a disservice by transferring just for football."

Mavs trying to get closer to the hoop ...

Don't make Vince Young angry; You won't like him when he is angry ...

Quarterback Vince Young expressed outrage Monday at some quotes delivered by Kansas coach Mark Mangino after the Longhorns' narrow escape against the Jayhawks last season.

It just so happened UT coach Mack Brown dusted off those quotes for his team Sunday. Young said he was unaware of Mangino's comments at the time the Kansas coach made them.

"I always talk to the team about the last time we played an opponent and those quotes were out there," Brown said.

After last year's, come-from-behind, 27-23 victory by the Longhorns, Mangino accused the Big 12 officiating crew of being slanted toward Texas because UT was in the hunt for a BCS bid.

Mangino specifically questioned an offensive pass interference call on KU that helped kill a drive by the Jayhawks just before UT's game-winning drive in the final minute.

"You know what all this is about, don't you?" Mangino said last year. "The BCS. That's right. I'm not going to be pushed around ... because we're not the big spenders, the big BCS team in the league. I'm not going to put up with that.
"Normally, I give credit to our opponents, but I'm not going to do that today because our kids outplayed them and should have won the game."

On Monday, Young said Mangino "disrespected" Texas with his comments. When told Mangino later apologized and was fined, Young said, "What he wanted to say, he said first."

See more of the great Ali G here ...

The crazy story of Uggie Urbina ...

CNNSI's hockey power rankings ...



A very good story on the Red Wings ability to deal with the salary cap ...

To be below the $39 million salary cap, the Red Wings had to buy out the contracts of defenseman Derian Hatcher ($4.94 million), right wing Ray Whitney ($2.66 million) and highly popular checker-tough guy Darren McCarty ($1.71 million).

In addition, team captain Steve Yzerman, 40, once an $8 million player, signed for $1.25 million, and defenseman Chris Chelios, 43, signed for $850,000.

And here is some sports mail:

I can not remember ever seeing this happen before, so I was wondering if Sports Sturm had. Have you ever seen a team win a national championship in basketball, and then the next season not even be ranked in the top 25 to start the season? I dont think Ive ever seen it happen. I know you hate them, but its odd that the Tarheels win a title and are not at least in the top 25. Im guessing its because the entire team decided to leave, but are they suggesting that UNC cant recruit top talent? I dont get it.

Just curious,
Jason in Austin.

Wow, this is a very good one. I am quite intrigued by the answer to this. But, I'll be darned. He's right. North Carolina is not even in the pre-season Top 25. They appear under "others receiving votes" at about 30th. I guess that is what happens when your whole team is in the lottery.

And then this from Bryce:

Bob,

Enjoy reading your blog and listening to the show. I am a Texas fan that would pay money for Fran to stay at A&M. I know you've probably seen some of these amazing stats, but just in case, I wanted to share them with you, from TexAgs:

Fran's Accomplishments:

16-17 overall record

11 losses of 20 or more points

Lost to every Big 12 team, except for KU/KSU, at least once

Lost to every Big 12 team, except for KU/KSU/Baylor, by at least 20 points

Overall Big 12 record: 10-12 with an average loss by 26 points.

Big 12 South record 5-8 with an average loss by 26 points.

Pass defense ranked 115th in the country

Our average loss is 23.35 points per game.

Barrick Nealy passed for 378 yards. In the other 8 games he's averaged 165 yards passing against I-AA competition.

Paul Mosley rushed for a season high 133 yards. He's averaged 57 ypg the rest of the season.

Joel Klatt passed for more yards in one quarter than any QB in Colorado history.

Allan Evridge threw for a career high 357 yards. He's averaged 129 ypg against the rest of the schedule.

First WR to ever catch 4 TD passes against A&M. (Todd Blythe)

Worst loss in A&M history. (77-0)

Worst loss to Tech in A&M history. (56-17)

Worst bowl loss in our history

First loss ever to Iowa State.

First losing season since 1982

First loss to Baylor since 1985

3-11 record on the road

Giggle,

Bryce

Ouch.