Tag: Sports Illustrated

CFL Team Hires and Fires Dirtbag Ex-Baylor Coach Art Briles in Less Than 24 Hours

SB Nation – “On Monday morning, the CFL’s Hamilton Tiger-Cats announced the hiring of former Houston and Baylor head coach Art Briles, who was fired in May 2016 amid the Bears’ program-wide sexual assault scandal, as an offensive assistant. But Briles won’t join Hamilton after all, according to the league. Its statement on Monday night: “Art Briles will no longer be joining the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as a coach. We came to this decision this evening following a lengthy discussion between the league and the Hamilton organization. We wish Mr. Briles all the best in his future endeavours.”

I gotta say, I was more than a little surprised when I saw that ex-Baylor coach Art Briles had gotten hired by a CFL team as their offensive coordinator. Granted its the CFL, but this guy wouldn’t be able to get a job managing a Denny’s, let alone another football team.

For anyone that forgets all the details of the Art Briles era at Baylor, here are the sparknotes: this guy basically emboldened scumbags up and down the Baylor roster and intimidated college women from coming forward about sexual assault at the hands of his players. Baylor had one arrest after the other, most of which were for violent crimes. There were legitimate gang rape allegations against Briles team. Sports Illustrated had the below breakdown of utter scumbag entitlement Briles promoted while at Baylor.

“The details of what happened at Baylor under Briles are sickening. At least 52 acts of rape committed by 31 different players between 2011 and ’14, including five gang rapes, according to a lawsuit filed earlier this year by a former Baylor student. Multiple instances of Briles and his staff either ignoring or covering up reports of assault and interfering with police investigations. Players not disciplined while victims were encouraged to keep quiet or leave the university. A blind eye toward accepting players with a history of violence toward women.”

So how the fuck anyone would let this guy oversee even the equipment room for a football team is beyond me.

Well, its apparently beyond the Hamilton Tiger-Cats as well who figured 15 months was enough time passed for a Briles hiring to not be controversial. They guessed wrong. The internet had a field day with this once it caught wind of the hiring. Not even 24 hours later the CFL team came out and said just kidding we’re not going to hire Art Briles.

Art Briles’ new coaching job?

 

Jets QB Christian Hackenberg Sent Off the Field for Terrible Practice Performance

SI – On Monday at Jets’ camp, Christian Hackenberg was having trouble just breaking the huddle correctly. During one rep in seven-on-seven drills, as he approached the line of scrimmage, a coach ordered him to re-huddle. When he broke the huddle again—in the wrong fashion for a second time—he was ordered off the field. No one expects the Jets to contend this season, but at some point, they will have to decide whether Hackenberg is the answer at quarterback, a decision that could affect their 2018 draft plans and their franchise for years to come.

First off, what the FUCK does this even mean? He didn’t exit the huddle correctly? I don’t even understand what that entails. Did he not clap after calling the play? Did he try and line up in the slot like the old Wildcat days? Its such a Jets problem to have too. The guy can’t even get out of the HUDDLE to get ready to attempt to play QB. Forget actually playing QB well. Baby steps guys. J-E-T-S. Just Enough To Suck.

Coming to a TD Garden Near You: Boston eCeltics

SI – The Boston Celtics may be the next NBA organization fielding a team for the league’s new 2K eLeague. On a Forbes SportsMoney podcast earlier this month, Celtics Managing Partner, Governor and Chief Executive Officer Wyc Grousbeck spoke with host Mike Ozanian…There will be an eCeltics.”

Can I see myself watching, nevermind paying to watch, an NBA 2K game? Probably not, but hey money talks. And the NBA is seeing some serious dollar signs. So as dumb as it may seem to some, eSports is a cash cow.

Video games like League of Legends have HUGE eSports followings with tons of people tuning in. Not to mention the kids playing for these eSports teams are bringing in legit paychecks. It’s not like these kids are getting paid in Baja Blast and Slim Jims, these guys are earning like $65k base salaries. Sign me the fuck up because I would play Madden 40 hours a week for $65k a year, I would make that sacrifice.

So the NBA is the first professional sports league to put together a legitimate effort to squeeze a little cash outta the nerds.

And it sounds like Wyc is serious as shit about it.

“We will find players, we will compensate these players. We’ll house them in Boston. They’ll be a team. They will train. There’s training for this. And then we’ll go compete against the other NBA teams in 2K…We will stream these matches.”

Wyc sounds more like he’s assembling The Avengers than a squad of guys who play entirely too much NBA2K.

Even Jonas Jerebko is getting in on the action and bought a franchise, the Detroit Renegades, so thats how ya know its a can’t miss idea.

I am still pretty pissed at Wyc for shit canning me in Year 4 of my Celtics rebuild in NBA2K16. We were building something special and you just threw it away. Sad!

Jonny Gomes is (Not) Retiring; Shane Victorino Likely in the Same Boat

Boston Red Sox's Jonny Gomes flexes after hitting a double in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Boston Red Sox’s Jonny Gomes flexes after hitting a double in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Boston, Saturday, April 20, 2013. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Sports Illustrated – Despite reports, veteran outfielder Jonny Gomes is not retiring, according to Rob Bradford of WEEI.com….After Gomes’s 13 seasons in the Major Leagues, SB Nation reported Wednesday that he would retire. He is not currently on a roster.

SB Nation reported yesterday that Jonny Gomes is calling it a career, then Rob Bradford came over the ropes and said not so fast. Either way, this is probably it for Jonny. He may not be filing the paperwork just yet, but it’s hard to see him getting picked up after hitting .213 last season. Needless to say this is a sad day for anyone who was a fan of the 2013 Boston Red Sox. Jonny Gomes, hate him or love him helped reset the culture in the Red Sox clubhouse after the disaster that was Bobby Valentine. Hell, he started the bearded brothers culture that the entire team took on as their identity. He was loud, obnoxious and fun as hell to watch. Not to mention all his gems like the story of fighting a guy in a grocery store.

img-How-President-Obama-reacted-to-Jonny-Gomes-America-jacket

The guy came to play every day and there is nothing in this world that people from Boston appreciate more than a dirtdog who shows up to work every day and busts his balls. And with everything that was going on in Boston in 2013 after the Marathon bombing, that team became cathartic for the city and the team really embraced that role. Gomes especially embraced that and the team fed off of it en route to winning the World Series.

PS – I’d be remiss not to mention my boy Shane Victorino who was every bit the heart and soul of that 2013 Red Sox team as much as Gomes. Victorino is likely in the same boat after being released by the Cubs’ Triple-A team the other day and Sox fans will always love him for what he did in 2013. His career more or less went off the rails due to injuries after that season, but he was another guy who really relished what it means to play in Boston. I’ll never forget the chills I got from the Fenway crowd singing Victorino’s Bob Marley walk up song in unison and of course his grand slam in the ALCS as he’s POUNDING his chest rounding the bases.

Man that team was fun as hell.

Former Madden Legend JaMarcus Russell Says He’ll Play QB in the NFL for Free

jamarcus_russell

ESPN – JaMarcus Russell, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft who hasn’t played since 2009, said he will “play for free” if a team gives him another chance…”I am willing to lead the scout team for free for one year just to get experience in your system,” Russell wrote in a letter to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, according to Sports Illustrated.

On one hand this is legitimately sad for the former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL to be offering to play on a practice squad for free just to get back in the league. On the other hand JaMarcus signed a $68 million deal (poor bastard only actually got $38 mil of it) with the Raiders back in 2007  so he’s not exactly working at the gas station. Fortunately for him a certain team up in New England could potentially use a low-cost (free) QB for a few weeks to start the season. And with Johnny Football in and out of court and all coked up at Coachella, opportunities are abundant for washed up QB’s. It’s called destiny, JaMarcus.

Can Trader Danny Finagle Jimmy Butler Out of Chicago?

via Boston Globe

via Boston Globe

The Bulls and the Mess They’re In – This is pretty much exactly what the Celtics need, a team that for whatever reason is on the brink of blowing it up and willing to move their star centerpiece. Trader Danny, waiting like a snake in the grass for the past 3 years and stockpiling draft picks, is ready to strike. Why the Bulls want to move Jimmy Butler does not concern me, but if Chris Mannix’s report is right and they do indeed want to move on, then fully expect Danny to be first in line. If the C’s can pry Butler out of Chicago then they are in business. Assuming they hold onto Isaiah and team him up with Butler, that is a dynamic 1-2 scoring punch. The Celtics haven’t really had a pure scorer who can take over a game since Pierce was traded. Isaiah has been the best thing since, but still at times can be smothered by bigger defenders. Bring in Butler to take over that role and they would both flourish.

Not to mention, all it takes is one. Get one piece in here and it makes it so much easier to bring in another all-star. Don’t forget as much as Garnett loved Boston and raves about it to this day, he wanted no part of the Celtics until they moved Jeff Green (the No. 5 pick that year) for Ray Allen. Only then did he agree to waive his no-trade and go to the C’s. So my point is, do whatever you can to land a budding superstar and the rest can very easily fall into place, rather than banking on winning the goddamn Draft Lottery again and waiting on an 18 year old to turn into that superstar.