The Big Lead

Ole Miss Chancellor Prevents School Band From Playing “From Dixie With Love”

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:30:01 +0000

Last week: Let’s stop chanting ‘the South shall rise again’ at the end of ‘From Dixie with Love.’ This week: The band won’t be playing, ‘From Dixie with Love’ when Tennessee visits Oxford Saturday. The school’s new chancellor has decided that the song - which has been played before and after football games for 20 years - won’t be played again anytime soon. The ‘South shall rise again” chants at the end of the song only began in the last five years or so, according to the AP. At the 1:10 mark here you can hear what the lyrics sound like. [Commercial Appeal]

Shane Victorino’s Getting Married This Weekend, and Surprisingly, Jon Gosselin Will Be Present

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:00:16 +0000

Shane Victorino and Jon Gosselin: The Phillies outfielder is getting married this weekend in Hawaii. (Photos of his fiancee, Melissa Smith, can be found here and here.) Victorino had his bachelor party last weekend in Atlantic City. Ryan Howard was there. (Hopefully, he brought his college “friends.”) Name you might recognize from the guest list: Jon Gosselin, a reality TV guy who is going through a midlife crisis at 32. If you have to ask yourself, “who?” then your best bet is to call your wife/girlfriend and ask. She knows. [Philly.com]

Ballin’: Time to Pop Bottles - Kings Win 3rd in a Row

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:30:11 +0000

Denver 90, Chicago 89: Brad Miller hit what he thought was a game-winning 3-pointer on an improbably fling with :00.3 seconds left … but referees waived it off (fast-forward to 1:40 in the video). Watched the replay over and over and it’s nearly impossible to tell if the shot should have counted. It kind of looks as if the ball was still on the tip of his fingers. But hey, at least they went to replay. Earl Smith, in his first game back from a 7-game suspension, missed eight of nine shots. Joakim Noah, one of the league’s most interesting characters, collected 21 rebounds.

Portland 93, Memphis 79: Old high school and Ohio State buddies Greg Oden and Mike Conley went head-to-head and nothing’s changed - Conley’s still struggling to find his way, and Oden’s still foul-prone (after a goose-egg in the 1st half, he scored 14 points in the 2nd half). Grizzlies rookie Hasheem Thabeet played one minute and fractured a bone in his lower jaw. Double-double machine Marc Gasol took half as many shots (9) as OJ Mayo (18), but still scored a team-high 20 points. Go figure.

Houston 103, Dallas 121: JT had 24, Dirk had 23 and the Erica Dampier took 20 rebounds as the Mavericks rallied from a massive early deficit to improve to 5-2. For the stat-heads: Shane Battier was 1-for-8 shooting and had a -24.

Oklahoma City 98, Sacramento 101: The Kings keep winning without leading scorer Kevin Martin, which means they should trade him, obviously. Second year pro Jason Thompson had 21-14 and rookie Tyreke Evans added 20-8-8 as the Kings reached the .500 mark with their third straight win since losing Martin for eight weeks. Kevin Durant missed a three at the buzzer; he finished with 37, including 18-for-18 from the line. The league’s leader in turnovers, Russell Westbrook, only committed one.

Orlando 93, Charlotte 91: Mr. Miyagi worked his magic on Vince Carter’s ankle, and the man who used to be “Half man, half amazing” came off the bench to score 15 points and the Magic locked down on defense in the final quarter to improve to 6-2. Charlotte missed 15 of 17 three-point attempts.

Iowa is Good For College Football?

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:00:18 +0000

Iowa: The University of Iowa is surrounded by endless farmland, the state is mostly devoid of football talent, and the Hawkeyes don’t lure top-tier recruits. That combination prompted the following headline to describe the 9-1 Hawkeyes: Why Iowa Is Good for College Football. Disagree. Was Iowa a compelling storyline for a month? Certainly. But let’s not act as if what Iowa - which has had three Top 10 finishes this decade - has accomplished this season is in the same galaxy as what Cincinnati, Boise State, and TCU have done. Hell, Iowa pounded an SEC team in the Outback Bowl in January. You know what would be “good for college football?” A playoff. [WSJ]

Maria Sharapova and Sasha Vujacic Will Have a Hard Time Denying This Photo

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:43 +0000

Sasha Vujacic of the Lakers, who sidestepped questions last week about whether or not he was dating Maria Sharapova, was photographed holding hands with the tennis player in Los Angeles earlier this week. How has this impacted his game on the court, you ask? With the Lakers beating everyone silly, Vujacic is getting garbage minutes and producing - 11 points in the last two games on 4-of-7 shooting. The good news for the tall (he’s 6-foot-7, she’s 6-2) couple is that their sports relationship is only the 3rd most talked-about in So Cal these days. 1) Divorcing Dodgers. 2) Lamar-Kardashian. [TMZ]

The Roundup: Vernon Davis Running His Mouth Again, Brady Quinn Back in the Saddle

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:00:07 +0000

Eliza Dushku … people, people - live within your means! … your chances of finding a job are as good as getting into Harvard … tennis player Caroline Wozniacki gets the paparazzi treatment on the beach … it’s pick on Howie Kurtz week! … teen with gun vs. polar bear … buck loses battle with lawn ornament … hey readers in Brazil, how was the blackout? … man reaches for dog, gets bit by gator … sick and twisted in Denver … Dirt made me do it! …

Ballsy claim: The 3-5 Dolphins are one top shelf wide receiver from the Super Bowl. (Miami Herald)

Charlie Davies was released from the hospital yesterday. Still can’t believe details from the accident haven’t been released. (Wash Post)

Vernon Davis just made 49ers-Bears on Thursday must-see TV: “I think we can destroy their front. The guys up front, I think we can destroy them. I don’t see anything spectacular about their front line.” (Mercury News)

The Pacquiao vs Cotto predictions are rolling in. (Pro Boxing Fans)

Stadiums. Taxpayer money. Not winning. Bad formula. (WSJ)

Scott Boras is at it again. He’s looking for big money for client Johnny Damon, and compared him to Derek Jeter. (NY Post)

College basketball’s early signing period begins today. Don’t expect much action. (USA Today)

Golden State’s Stephen Jackson will be traded in the next three weeks. (Yahoo)

JR Smith is going back to his roots: He now goes by Earl Smith. (NBA 360)

Is Jim Boeheim a Top 10 coach of all time? Certainly. (College Hoops Journal)

Brady Quinn is once again the starting QB of the Cleveland Browns. (Plain Dealer)

The deer later died.

Tyler Hansbrough. Love that guy now. Thirteen points in his NBA debut.

Sammy Sosa Speaks About Bleached Face: “I’m not a racist, I don’t think I look like Michael Jackson”

TheBigLead — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:55:50 +0000

Sammy Sosa to “Primer Impacto,” a program on Univision: “It’s a cream that I have, that I use to soften [my skin], but has bleached me some. I’m not a racist, I live my life happily … I had been using the cream for a long time and that, combined with the bright TV lights, made my face look whiter than it really is. I don’t think I look like Michael Jackson.” Keep telling yourself that, Sammy. [ESPN]

Joe Montana’s California Palace For Sale: $49 Million

TheBigLead — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:00:16 +0000

Joe Montana, the legendary Hall of Fame QB, is selling his 9,700 square foot “Tuscan villa-style” mansion - which sits on nearly 500 acres in Calistoga, California - for $49 million. It contains an equestrian center with an indoor arena (pictured). The slideshow is impressive, as is the Montana family crest. [WSJ]

Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady, Can You Dig It?

TheBigLead — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:25:35 +0000

One’s funny in commercials; the other makes ladies swoon. Both are top 10 quarterbacks of all-time. Sunday night, the Patriots visit the unbeaten Colts. Ratings should dwarf whatever the Kardashian crap does. It will be only Indy’s third game this season against a team with a winning record (Arizona, Houston). If you’re a stathead looking for a breakdown of their careers, we’ve found the link for you. [Indy Star]

Bill Parcells is Kind to Homeless People

TheBigLead — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:05:29 +0000

Bill Parcells: The ornery VP of football operations for the Miami Dolphins befriended a homeless man in Miami. He won’t talk to the media, which perhaps says something. “Parcells stopped at the corner for his daily paper and handed Schoen an Eagles shirt, ball cap and the following note, which Schoen carries in the pocket of his worn, turquoise fleece jacket: Coach,Tell my newspaper friend that we took a wide receiver in the second round, DeSean Jackson, and to wear the hat and shirt with pride - we are playing the Dolphins in the Super Bowl! AReid With that, Parcells gave Schoen a pair of tickets to Miami’s game last November against the Oakland Raiders.” [Palm Beach Post]