New Orleans was ready for some football

Monday night was the right night, and not just for New Orleans. ESPN was a big winner taking in a rating of 11.8 and an audience of 10,850,000 homes, a record for the sports juggernaut.

Glad to see the Saints march over the Falcons, and bring some much needed relief to the Big Easy. I think everyone was a Saints fan last night, even in Atlanta.

MVP sidelined

A sad day for fantasy football geeks, I mean players...no I really mean geeks...who have reigning MVP Shaun Alexander on their roster: the Seahawks' running back is out indefinitely with a foot fracture. Alexander, who led the NFL last year in rushing, will be out this week against Chicago, and will have a bye week to recover before possibly returning for Seattle's Oct. 15 game against St. Louis.

Simms' spleen sacked, Who Dey?, Favre gets 400 and Why Oh No Ryder

How 'bout some cherries to top off a this Sunday...


Simms' spleen sacked
Talk about taking one for the team. Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms had his spleen removed after the Buccaneers' 26-24 loss to the Carolina Panthers.

After taking several big hits during the game, Simms suffered an injury to his spleen and, instead of having post-game interviews, he had post-game surgery. He's in stable condition and expected to make a full recovery, according to a team doctor.


Who Dey?
Bungles no longer (or at least for the time being), the Cincinnati Bengals avenged their playoff loss from last season to Pittsburgh, and beat the Steelers 28-20 at Heinz Field. T.J. Houshmandzadeh, a member of the NFL's All-Name Team, had two clutch touchdown receptions that helped the Bengals escape Pittsburgh with a win.


Favre gets 400
Shout out to Brett Favre for throwing his 400th touchdown pass Sunday, and leading Green Bay to a 31-24 win over the hapless Detroit Lions.


Why Oh No Ryder
The U.S. men lost to Europe in the Ryder Cup...again. That's three losses in a row for the Americans. There's really not much else to say.

Match play madness, U.S. women get waxed in Brazil and College football: Week 3

Match play madness
Yes, that's Air Jordan smoking a stogie in and, if you're wondering who the blondie is, it's none other than Tiger Woods' wife, Elin Woods.

Both were on hand in Straffan, Ireland as the 2006 Ryder Cup got under way. Right now, Europe leads the Americans 5-3.

For those new to the Ryder Cup, it's a great chance to see top U.S. golfers dress alike in coordinated colors, and take on the best Europe has to offer, which even includes Mrs. Doubtfire look-a-like and America-phobe Colin Montgomerie (I miss seeing Monty in the States).

Will keep you posted on what happens later in the weekend when things start to get more exciting. Or boring depending on how well (or poorly as in recent Ryder Cups) the U.S. team fares in the fairways.

U.S. women get waxed in Brazil
The Hot Corner all but predicted a gold medal for the U.S. Women's Basketball Team at this month's World Championships, but Russia had other ideas.

The two-time defending champion United States lost to Russia, 75-68, in the semifinals, and will have to settle for a shot at the bronze when they face host country Brazil on Sunday.

I have to ask: what's going on with U.S. hoops?

College football: Week 3
Will this turn out to be "Weak 3" for Notre Dame as they come off a dismal loss to Michigan or does Charlie have a game plan to upstage Michigan State on the Spartans' home turf? Check out this game-of-the week on ABC's Saturday primetime slot.

Other games of note. Penn State takes rival Ohio State at the Horse Shoe, but I don't expect this to be much of a game. The Bucks should steam roll over Joe Pa. and company. Maybe the Nittany Lions would be better off staying in Happy Valley...

And finally, watch for any unusual referring this week, especially out of the Pacific 10. After the huge officiating controversy involving Pac-10 officials and Oklahoma last week, the zebras will have to be on their game come Saturday.

Sooners head coach Bob Stoops has set up a hotline for football fans to call in with any ref complaints at 1-888-Ih8-REFS.

Waxing in Brazil, Terrible Teal and Oh Maurice: Part II

After a short hiatus to recover from Notre Dame's loss to, dare I say it, Mee-chee-gan, The Hot Corner is back and ready to give the latest in sports with a flavor that will make your taste buds tingle.

Waxing in Brazil
Amidst all of the college football, NFL and MLB, has anyone noticed that the U.S. women's basketball team is kicking some serious butt at the FIBA World Championship in Brazil?

The men couldn't muster a gold in their attempt at a World Championship this summer (they got bronze), but the U.S. women are poised to bring home gold after going 5-0 in pool play.

Why should you care?

Well, U.S. women routinely outperform U.S. men at the international level (see note above). From soccer to hoops to softball (think baseball equivalent for the guys), U.S. women are dominating forces in the world while the men most often fall short of high expectations.

Keep your eye out for more from Brazil.


Terrible Teal
The Monday Night Football game between the defending Super Bowl champions Pittsburgh Steelers and the home team Jacksonville Jaguars was....zzzzzzzz. Sorry, I was starting to fall asleep just talking about the game.

(Two shots of espresso later...)

In what turned out to be the lowest scoring game in MNF history, the teal-clad Jags beat the Steelers by a score of 9-0 (that's three field goals, sports fans), and handed Pittsburgh its first shut out since December 2003.

Hopefully ESPN wasn't shut out of good ratings...


Oh, Maurice: Part II
Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett plea bargained his way to a minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison on robbery and concealed weapons charges.

Clarett, 22, looked fat and hairy (he grew a beard) in his prison garb, a far cry from the running back who was once the darling of Buckeye nation.

A sad ending to an even sadder story. To be continued in 3 1/2 years...

Check out my August 13 posting "Commentary: Oh Maurice" in the August 2006 archives for more on how Clarett was destined for a jump suit.

Muck Fichigan

The Hot Corner is still recovering from Notre Dame's loss to Mee-chee-gan, and will return Monday.

That is, if The Hot Corner can finally get out of bed and face the world. Darn those Wolverines!

Here's hoping Irish eyes will be smiling again next week against that other Michigan team...

Bush's benefits

Reggie Bush wasn't representing the "619" very well when he allegedly received more than $100,000 in financial benefits from a marketing group while still playing at USC, according to a report from Yahoo! Sports.

Can everyone join me in a collective, "Tsk, tsk."

The repercussions for taking the money could be steep - Bush could be stripped of his Heisman trophy and the NCAA could retroactively declare him ineligible.

I'm sorry, but how dumb (and/or greedy) could Reggie Bush have been that he couldn't wait one year before the real cash started to flow in from endorsement deals and a big NFL contract. Perhaps I should recant my earlier, "Tsk, tsk," and just say, "What a moron."

For the full story, check out http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/
news;_ylt=AjG8tKK3iys9Y6zS2r_cJXk5nYcB?slug=ys-bushprobe&prov=yhoo&type=lgns.

(Crazy) Kicker accused of stabbing starter

In what has to be one of the most bizarre off-the-field incidents since the Tanya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan saga, a backup punter from Northern Colorado has been arrested for allegedly stabbing the first-string punter in his kicking leg.

Mitch Cozad, 19, a sophomore walk-on from Wheatland, Wyo., is accused of stabbing Rafael Mendoza, a junior from Thornton Colo.

For more details on the attack, check out http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=2585781. Crazy!

Danica's digs and Dale Jr.'s Disneyland

Who knew the two most interesting stories of the day would both be about motorsports!

Read on...


Danica's digs
IRL driver Danica Patrick stands out in a crowd off the racetrack, and now she'll be easy to spot on the racetrack, too. Patrick unveiled the new, all black car that she'll drive next season for Andretti Green Racing.

The No. 7 Motorola ride officially marks her departure from Rahal Letterman Racing, and puts her in good company with fellow Andretti Green teammates Dan Wheldon and up-and-comer Marco Andretti.

Patrick cruised around the streets of Chicago Tuesday to show off her new wheels. I can't wait to see her show the car off in the winner's circle next year!

Dale Jr.'s Disneyland
NASCAR fans will soon have a place to go on vacation other than Dollywood: the Alabama Motorsports Park: A Dale Earnhardt Jr. Speedway.

Several Earnhardt siblings, led by Dale Jr., announced Tuesday plans for a motorsports and enterntainment park on the Alabama coast.

Just make sure yer RV's ready for the park's opening in the fall of 2009.

Stephon's sneakers

With the anniversary of 9/11 still fresh in my mind, I thought it would be refreshing to talk about an athlete looking to make a positive impact in sports, one pair of sneakers at a time.

New York Knicks guard Stephon Marbury launched a $14.98 pair of basketball kicks that he not only endorses, but plans on wearing this upcoming NBA season.

Marbury teamed up with retailer Steve and Barry's University Sportswear to create the "Starbury One" to renege the idea that a pair of basketball shoes has to cost $200 plus.

So far the Starbury One's are flying off the shelves at Steve and Barry's stores, the only place they are sold, and look to make a splash in a market dominated by the $100 million endorsement deals thrown around by Nike.

As someone who always wanted the latest pair of Jordan's growing up, I think this is one of the neatest things an athlete has done in recent years to make an impact on kids. It's such a small step, but definitely one that's in the right direction.

To find a Steve and Barry's store near you, check out www.steveandbarrys.com.

Always remember

The Hot 5

This weekend was chockfull o' great sports all around, and, in case you missed any of the action, The Hot Corner’s here to count down the hottest five sports moments of the weekend that was.

(By the way, Zibby, love the mohawk!)

No. 1
The top spot on The Hot 5 has to go to Ohio State for showing the entire Lone Star state that football is alive and well up north, and that the Buckeyes truly deserve their No. 1 ranking.

The AP poll came out today and Notre Dame took over the No. 2 ranking after the Fighting Irish routed Penn State 41-17 (Penn State’s two touchdowns were really pitty TD’s). The Longhorns slid all the way to No. 8.

And how about a prediction: Ohio State and Notre Dame will face off in a rematch of last year's Fiesta Bowl the national championship. Lee Corso eat your heart out...

No. 2
In Manning vs. Manning, big brother Peyton and the Colts defeated little bro Eli and the Giants, 26-21.

I was so tired of NBC showing Manning home movies that I didn’t even care who won the game…

No. 3
Maria Sharapova showed that she ain’t “oh, so pretty” after all (check out her U.S. Open Nike ad). Sharapova grunted past Justin Henin-Hardenne to capture her first U.S. Open win and second Grand Slam title.

I’m not an Henin-Hardenne fan after what she pulled against Serena Williams at the French Open a few years back, so props to Sharapova for the win. Further props to Sharapova because rumor has it she’s dating Andy Roddick. You go girl!

Speaking of Andy, he wasn’t so lucky against Roger Federer who won his third Grand Slam title of the year. Can anyone beat that guy?

No. 4
The Detroit Shock took home its second WNBA title in four years thanks to clutch play from veteran Katie Smith. Glad to see former Ohio State Buckeye Smith get her due.

No. 5
Finally, I'm sure something happened this weekend in the MLB, but until the playoff races start, I'll be watching football.

That's it for the now. Keep it tuned to The Hot Corner for more one-stop shopping for all the latest in sports.

If you can't find good sports to watch this weekend, then you shouldn't call yourself a sports fan.

Oh, how I love college football
First up, No. 1 Ohio State invades Austin to take on No. 2 Texas on ABC's Saturday Night Game.

My prediction is the Longhorns take it because their quarterback, Colt McCoy, has arguably the coolest name in all of college football...

....another reason might be that I'm still not over Ohio State's pummeling of my Fighting Irish in the Fiesta Bowl, which brings me to the next best game in college football this weekend (although I'd argue it's the best)....

...almost octogenarian Joe Paterno brings the Nittany Lions to South Bend and goes up against "Touchdown" Charlie Weis and company.

Penn State had a gritty win last week over, ahem, Akron (tough Week 1 competition, eh?) while the Irish narrowly escaped the Peach State with a 14-10 win over Georgia Tech.

Will Touchdown Jesus look gloriously upon Notre Dame Stadium or with Joe Pa show us all that we really should respect our elders?

What other games are on you ask? Just flip between channels and you'll find as much football as your heart desires.


Pro pigskin
Finally, after what has seemed like an eternity of preseason games, the NFL will line up for real this Sunday and play for keeps. Biggest matchup by far has to be Eli and Peyton going Manning vs. Manning. Oh, poor Archie.

And watch out on Monday night as ESPN broadcasts two, count 'em two, Monday Night Football games in its launch of a new brand of MNF. In my eyes, Tony Kornheiser can do no wrong (although his comb over could use some help...).


What else you ask?
How about the finals of the U.S. Open? Sharapova vs. Henin-Hardenne. You want more? All right, here it is. Can Andy Roddick summon the spirit of new coach Jimmy Connors and make it to the men's final? Watch and find out!!!

How about some summer basketball? The WNBA Finals have come down to Game 5 between the Sacramento Monarchs and Detroit Shock (shout out to Ruth Reilly). Check it out Saturday at 4 ET on ESPN2 (a.k.a. the Deuce).

And lest I forget...how about some wild card races heating up in the MLB? Check your local listings for that because, frankly, I'll be watching football this weekend and checking the final score of the aforementioned hoops game.

Got to run. I'm off to wash my lucky Notre Dame t-shirt...I think Joe Pa's gonna bring it tomorrow, so I better add some extra fabric softner.

How red hot Bucks keep cool

Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith has proven that he can stay cool under pressure, and now he can stay even cooler.

The Buckeyes football team will wear a new shirt from Nike replete with tubes that blow 45-degree air into chambers sewn into the form-fitting top, according to The Plain Dealer.

With temperatures expected in the 90's down in Austin (even for a 7 p.m. Texas kickoff), the Buckeyes will reload with blasts of cold air once they hit the sidelines.

Kinda cool if you ask me...

No. 40 forever

A public service announcement to sports fans and Americans alike.

Go out and buy the latest edition of Sports Illustrated to learn who Pat Tillman was and why he should never be forgotten.

No-hit wonder, Andy advances and Jones didn't juice after all

No-hit wonder
Florida Marlins rookie Anibal Sanchez threw a no-hitter last night in a 2-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks, ending the longest drought of no-hitters in the bigs.

It was the Venezuelan’s 13th start as a major league pitcher, and now the once relatively unknown Sanchez has been propelled into the race for Rookie of the Year.


Andy advances
With his impressive win over Lleyton Hewitt last night at the U.S. Open, I’ve got to ask a question: Are we seeing a new Andy Roddick?

Roddick, who has summoned tennis legend Jimmy Connors as his latest coach, took a page from Connors’ book and showed that American men still got it, sending Aussie Lleyton Hewitt home in straight sets (6-3, 7-5, 6-4).

The former U.S. Open champ Roddick caught a lucky break and will not have to face Rafael Nadal in the next round. Two-time French Open champion Nadal was upset by Mikhail Youzhny of Russia, giving Roddick some breathing room as he heads to the semi-finals.

Let’s see if Andy can keep his newfound swagger against the underdog Russian.


Jones didn’t juice after all
A quick note of mention: Five-time Olympic medalist Marion Jones was cleared of doping allegations after a “B” sample came back negative.

But Jones’ cred seems to have taken a hit after her previous connections to BALCO, her ex-husband testing positive for doping and the father of her child, Tim Montgomery, got nailed for doping, too. Did I mention her coach has been implicated, too?

Looks like Jones needs a new entourage.

Commentary: Throw away your daughter's pom poms and put her in a football helmet

This is a call to action to all mothers and fathers out there of young girls: don’t sign them up for cheerleading.

Stay away.

Buy your daughter a baseball mitt; toss around a football; put up a basketball hoop; put a skateboard under her feet; introduce her to tennis; get her to bump, set, spike.

But for the sake of womankind everywhere, do not let her become a cheerleader.

Yesterday I took my dog for a walk up at my town’s local high school, and as I walked by the high school’s old football field, I was abhorred by a scene in front of me.

There were 5th grade boys in shoulder pads and helmets fumbling around during a football practice while mere yards away a group of girls were sitting in a circle with pom poms, learning how to clap their hands in unison.

I stopped dead in my tracks as if I had happened upon an exhibit on human behavior.

The boys were out there running around, catching passes and learning how to tackle; the girls were passively chanting cheers and waving their pom poms.

Hello? Has anyone heard of Title IX? What about Mia Hamm, Serena Williams, Lisa Leslie or Michelle Wie? Dare I mention Billie Jean King and Babe Didrickson Zaharias?

These women took a once bumpy, rocky road and paved a smooth pathway for young girls to follow in their athletic footsteps.

I wanted to walk over to those girls and say, “Ditch those cheers and put on a helmet. Get out there with the boys and learn how to throw the football…like a girl. Damn straight!”

Show those boys that throwing like a girl can be a compliment. That girls can run, jump and throw just as good as the boys…if not better.

So parents. Get your girls active. Start developing their muscles, so that ten years down the line little Susie is less likely to have an ACL injury, and more likely to have oodles of self-esteem and self-confidence.

Girls shouldn’t be on the sidelines cheering on boys. They should be inside the lines playing with the boys or with each other.

Now, I’m not dissing all cheerleaders. I have friends who were standout athletes in high school and then went on to become cheerleaders in college. In my opinion, that’s how it should be done.

Because how can a girl truly be a cheerleader if she doesn’t even know what she’s cheering about. The only way for her to learn that is to get her into the game.

The saving grace on my walk yesterday was that I saw a mom tossing around a football with her two young sons.

I just hope she does the same with her daughter.

NFL ticks prove costly

Interested in donning face paint, slipping on a replica jersey and cheering on your NFL team from the stands? Well, expect to fork over some cash as the average price of an NFL ticket has increased to $62.38, according to Team Marketing Report, which surveys ticket costs each year.

Interestingly enough, the Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers kept their ticket prices the same as last year at an average of $59.19, and are among the league's lowest for tickets prices. Good reason to twirl that Terrible Towel.

Patriots fans lose the most money from their pockets (average ticket costs $90.89) while Bills fans can load up on all the Buffalo wings they want (average ticket costs $41.29.)

To see where your team ranks, check out: http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2575906.

Head butt heard 'round the world

Perhaps Zinedine Zidane's mother didn't teach him "while sticks and stones may break your bones, names will never hurt you."

Turns out a wisecrack about his sister sent Zidane head first into Italy's Marco Materazzi's chest.

Materazzi cleared the air Tuesday and told the Gazzetta dello Sport that a trash-talking exchange took place after the Italian soccer player grabbed onto Zidane's jersey.

Zidane said: "If you want, I'll give you the jersey later."

Materazzi fired back that he'd prefer Zidane's sister.

And the rest goes down in head butt history.

It was a tough way for Zidane to end his career, but you can't fault a guy for sticking up for his sis...I just wonder if French fans feel the same way.

The Hot Corner's sizzling

The Hot Corner is hotter than ever with the first weekend of college football complete, the start of the NFL season days away, Tiger Woods on a tear and Americans at the U.S. Open.


Big guns win against woeful foes
Most big-time college football programs opened their seasons against less than challenging opponents. Ohio State rolled over Northern Illinois (didn’t even know there was a Northern Illinois); Penn State zipped past Akron (yes, they played Akron); and Texas horned in-state doormat North Texas.

Notre Dame had an early season scare when they decided to actually play a decent team in Georgia Tech. The Yellow Jackets almost caught up to the Irish behind wide receiver extraordinaire Calvin Johnson, but Coach Charlie Weis propelled his powerhouse QB Brady Quinn and the Irish offense to a 14-10 victory.

Look for some amazing matchups in Week 2 with top-ranked Ohio State going against the country’s new No. 2 team Texas, and Joe Paterno brings his Nittany Lions to South Bend for a face off against Touchdown Charlie and company.

Oh, at times like these I wish it was sweatshirt weather year round.


Are you ready for some football?
No need to check your local listings for an NFL game near you. Just turn on your tube early Sunday, kick back in your favorite family room spot, make sure snacks are nearby and enjoy a daylong reverie of pro football officially kicking off its season.

News of note: The Steelers begin their season Thursday minus quarterback Ben Roethlisberger who is out this week as he recovers from an emergency appendectomy (can this guy catch a break?). Charlie Batch will take the reins until Big Ben’s return.


Tiger on a tear
If anyone questioned Tiger Woods’ dominance of the PGA in recent years, his recent streak of five straight Tour wins is a big fat “in your face.”

Yesterday Woods matched the lowest final round score of his career (63) in a come-from-behind win over Vijay Singh at the Deutsche Bank Championship.

Let’s hope Woods can take his magic touch overseas later this month and bring the U.S. some better luck in the Ryder Cup. (I’m not holding my breath, though…)


Americans at the U.S. Open
Andre Agassi ended his illustrious playing career at Flushing Meadows leaving tennis fans wondering what the future of American tennis holds.

Andy Roddick, who has been taking cues lately from new coach and tennis great Jimmy Connors, made a good impression yesterday with a win over Benjamin Becker, the German qualifier who ended Agassi’s U.S. Open run.

And today James Blake, the only other American man left in the Grand Slam, will take on No. 12 Tomas Berdych today.

Question is can one of these Americans make it to the final round?