Letting Go

Robbie Caldwell, the head coach for Vanderbilt has been asked to step down.  It was a common feeling that it was in the best interest of the university and the football team that  he be let go.  Caldwell is thankful for the opportunity that was given to him, but he also understands that it was time for a change even though he was only there for a year.  The program has not improved under his directing, but this has been a common problem with coaches in the past as well.  He will coach his final game as head coach of the Commodores against Wake Forest.  The Commodores team has lost 6 straight games and is ranked 115th of 120 teams in FBS.  The team is also averaging a total of 285.1 offensive yards.

Another Remember the Titans Story

It was supposed to be a time to celebrate after their win over Central Florida, but instead the players of Southern Miss were pray for their teammates.  Once, the team returned after their 31-21 victory on the road against Central Florida, a small group went out to a local bar.  Trouble erupted inside and carried out into the streets.  The players were caught off guard and unarmed.  Three players total were injured.  Martex Smith, linebacker was paralyzed from the waist down, Tim Green was shot in the neck and can no longer speak, and Dedrick Jones was also shot.  The players are all determined to overcome such injuries and Martex has his sights on walking again.  The coach and players are talking about the misfortunate events and pulling together.  The team is practicing hard and using those hours at practice time to clear their heads.    The team is scheduled to play Houston on Saturday, so best of luck to and them and it is sure to be a very moving game due it being the first game with the absence of these three players.

He's Gone

So, after a rough start to the season, it is official, Jeff Reed is no longer the kicker for the Steelers.  He has had a rocky start and never got out of the whole that he dug himself.  He has missed extra points that could have made all of the difference this season.  Normally, he will show improvement, but for this season that is not the case unfortunately.  After nine years, battling the winds at Heinz Field, and having a strong showing at the Super Bowls for the Steelers; his luck has run out.  I am not so sure that I completely agree with this decision just based on the fact that we all make mistakes and have our rough times.  If we were turned away each time we did, most people would lead miserable lives.  I just cannot see how to be a few games off of nine years makes complete sense.

Second Thoughts

Terrelle Pryor is committed to football and will return to the Ohio State Buckeyes for his last season to play just that.  Recently, he let his mind wonder and found depressed feelings of his love for basketball.  Of course, he misses it, but at the same time he not willing to give up what he has going in football right now to see that his yearning for basketball is diminished.  Pryor also reasoned that he has no intention of jumping into the NFL draft.  He really wants to see to it that he finishes out his education with the Buckeyes.  He does want to finish strong with not only a degree, but also a better season next year as well. In then end, not only does his education play a huge role in his life, but also he wants to become a legacy at Ohio State, therefore, he is not leaving until his business there is finished.

New Hopes

Teal Bunbury has recently decided to make the U.S. his choice of a team instead of Canada.  He is choosing not to follow in his father's footsteps, who scored 16 goals for Canada's national team, but his father is okay with is decision.  Since Bunbury has lived in the United States in Minnesota for most of the last decade with his mother this gave him the option to either play for the U.S. or Canada.  He evidently chose the U.S and more specifically the Kansas City Wizards.  He was a skilled athlete even in college where he attended Akron and won the Herman Trophy as the college player of the year there.  He reasoned for his choice of the U.S. was because he wanted to play in the World Cup and get to know the strategies of Bob Bradely's coaching.  In the end, Bunbury is not tied to the U.S. by any means until he plays in an official match, either the CONACAF Gold Cup or the World Cup Qualifier.  

Headed to China

The United States is sending 13 athletes to compete in the Cup of China, which is the third event of the 2010 International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.  This series is in its' 16th season and in composed of 6 different events that are scored on a cumulative point-scoring format.  There are about 300 athletes representing 30 countries that take part in this series and each is eligible to compete and score in two of the six events.  The top six finishers with the most points will earn a spot to compete in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Beijing where they will compete for the grand prize of $1.35 million in prize money.  The ladies that are taking part in this series are Mirai Nagasu who is an Olympian, and Amanda Dobbs and Kristine Musademba who are making this their first appearance in the series.  The men are Ross Miner who is appearing in this series for his htird time and Brandon Mroz who finished 7th last season at the Rostelecom Cup.  The pairs teams that are attending are Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig that finished 4th at this event last year and Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin who just finished 4th at the NHK Trophy a few weeks ago.  The ice dancers that are going to represent the U.S. are Madison Hubbell and Keiffer Hubbell who are the 2008 U.S. junior champions and Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello who are making their senior international debut in Beijing.
 

Wrestling on Ice

Another fight yet again errupted on the ice during the hockey game between the Penguins and the Dalllas Stars.  Sidney Crosby found it necessary to stick up for his teammate and off came the gloves and the fists started swinging in Matt Niskanen's direction.  Niskanen thought that the reason for the fight was to encourage the Penguins team to pull it together and get them pumped up to start playing like they mean it; considering Crosby asked him if "he wanted to go".  Also, at this point the Penguins were loosing poorly.  There was no communication between the two for whole game and then all of a sudden it just happened and the gloves hit the ice.  This fight was not the first fight of the night either, but instead it closely followed one between Brenden Morrow and Kris Letang.  The reasoning for the fight between these two is not completely sure, but Morrow was angered about something.  So, in order to make it fair Crosby stuck up for Letang and started his own battle, making it the 4th fight in the game and only the fifth time Crosby has fought during a game.  Hockey is definitely more interesting with fights, but is it completely necessary?  Is hockey turning into it more being about the fights than the game itself?