Former Penn State Coach Joe Paterno Dies

As announced by his family this morning, former Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno, died early Sunday morning at Mount Nittany Medical Center in State College after losing his fight with lung cancer. Paterno was 85.

I think I’ll have to agree with ESPN analyst Matt Millen (for the first time). I truly believe that although it was lung cancer which took Paterno’s life…it stands to reason that after the past few months, his death was in part due to a broken heart. The man was a legend for half a century at the University and in college football as a whole. Accumulating more wins than any other college coach in history.

But November, 2011 seems to have been the beginning of the end for Paterno. His lung cancer was disclosed by his family back on November 18, just nine days after he was fired by the Penn State’s board of trustees in the wake of the child sexual-abuse scandal that was revealed following the indictment on November 5 of Sandusky.

It’s safe to say that his all-time wins record will probably never be broken. In today’s game, coaches don’t last 50 years anymore. Yes…there has been a major recent scandal involving the school and it’s coaching staff. But today, I’m going to try to remember the coach that I remember idolizing as a kid growing up…wanting to go to Penn State. Wanting to play football for the great Joe Paterno.

From CBS News:

Paterno’s son Scott announced Nov. 18 that his father was being treated for lung cancer, which was diagnosed in mid-November during a follow-up visit for a bronchial illness.

The storied career of “JoePa” included 409 wins in 46 seasons and two national championships.

But his reputation for success with honor was shattered when a former assistant was charged with molesting 10 boys during a 15-year span, including some in the Penn State athletic complex.

Andrew Luck to Return to Stanford

Great news for Pac 10 and Stanford Cardinal fans! ESPN is reporting that Andrew Luck will return to Palo Alto for his Junior year in 2011.

Can you say Heisman? National Championship? Maybe! I bet the Carolina Panthers are a little upset right now…

From ESPN:

Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, the odds-on favorite to be the No. 1 pick in this spring’s NFL draft, announced Thursday that he will stay in school and play his redshirt junior season. “I am committed to earning my degree in architectural design from Stanford University and am on track to accomplish this at the completion of the spring quarter of 2012,” Luck said in a statement. The school announced that Luck wouldn’t be made available for comment.

The Carolina Panthers own the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft and indicated earlier this week that they would be interested in drafting Luck if he decided to leave school.

ESPN Announcer Fired Over Innapropriate Comments

ESPN has fired announcer Ron Franklin after he allegedly made an insulting comment to a female, sideline colleague.

From CNN:

“Based on what occurred last week, we have ended our relationship” with announcer Ron Franklin, ESPN spokesman Mike Soltys said Tuesday night in an e-mail. He would not elaborate on the decision.

Franklin apologized Monday for the incident, which involved Jeannine Edwards and occurred Friday during a production meeting before the Chick-fil-A Bowl.

“I said some things I shouldn’t have and am sorry,” Franklin said in a statement released by the network. “I deserved to be taken off the Fiesta Bowl.”

Red Sox Snag Carl Crawford

My night just got a little better!

The Boston Globe and other sources, including ESPN, are reporting that the Boston Red Sox have agreed to a 7 year deal with Carl Crawford for $142 million.

One word: Awesome!

From the Boston Globe:

The deal came to fruition late last night according to a Major Source with direct knowledge of the negotiations. The deal will be complete upon Crawford taking a physical, which could come as soon as today.

The deal makes Crawford the highest-paid outfielder in baseball history. His contract language includes partial no-trade protection.

The Angels had been in pursuit of Crawford, the top position player on the free-agent market. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman had dinner with Crawford and agent Brian Peters on Tuesday night. The Texas Rangers also were involved.

 

Cam Newton Cleared to Play

The NCAA has ruled that a violation of Cam Newton’s amateur status has occurred, but the violation will not cause the front runner in the Heisman Trophy race to miss any playing time.

Newton has been cleared by the NCAA to compete, saying it was his father Cecil Newton and former Mississippi State player Kenny Rogers, who violated the rules.

From SI.com:

Cam Newton can play. Auburn’s wins from this season won’t be vacated, and the Tigers can face South Carolina on Saturday in the SEC Championship Game without the specter of Newton’s eligibility hanging overhead. Newton can win the Heisman Trophy. Those are the immediate repercussions of Wednesday’s decision by the NCAA to declare Newton eligible despite the fact that Newton’s father, Cecil, tried to sell his commitment to Mississippi State for a six-figure sum during his recruitment from junior college.

The longer-ranging repercussions are less cut-and-dried.

Arkansas Razorbacks Broadcaster Fired for Wearing Florida Gators Hat

Broadcaster Renee Gork has been fired after she was spotted wearing a Florida Gators hat at a recent news conference with Arkansas Razorbacks football coach Bobby Petrino.

They sure do take their football seriously in the SEC!

From ESPN:

Gork, a Florida graduate, said it was an innocent mistake to have the hat on in the first place and that she sent a letter of apology to Petrino, who remarked during the press conference that he wouldn’t be answering any more questions from her while she was wearing that hat.

“It wasn’t a stunt I was trying to pull, and I wasn’t trying to get any attention. It was just a dumb mistake,” said Gork, who added that her station (KAKS Hog Sports Radio) fired her because it didn’t appear that she would be allowed to cover practice any longer.

Kevin Youkilis Done for Season

Sorry Red Sox fans. It’s being reported that first baseman Kevin Youkilis will undergo season-ending surgery tomorrow to repair a torn muscle in his right thumb.

So, how will this affect the Red Sox run for the playoffs? Can they win the AL East or a Wild Card slot without Youk?

From ESPN:

“They took another MRI right in the [thumb] area that left no doubt surgery was necessary,” general manager Theo Epstein told ESPNBoston.com. “Youk is a big part of our heart and soul. He’s one of our best players and one of the best players in the league. It’s a big impact but it creates an opportunity for other guys to step up and help offensively.

“If there is a silver lining, it is that it’s pretty routine surgery. He’ll be 100 percent and have a normal offseason.”

When asked if the procedure would end any chance of Youkilis playing in the postseason as well, Francona said the team would “have to drag this out to around Thanksgiving” for his star first baseman to be available.

Brett Favre to Retire

Will he or won’t he? It’s been the most famous question since “to be, or not to be?” Now it appears that we have the answer.

According to multiple sources this morning, Brett Favre has told the Minnesota Vikings that he will not play in the 2010 season.

So what do you think? Is this the real deal? Will Brett change his mind next week. I’ll tell you what, with all his flip flopping, he’d make a great politician. I think that’s his next profession once he hangs them up!

From ESPN:

Favre has sent text messages to teammates saying, “This is it,” league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Neither Favre nor the Vikings have confirmed the news but a press release is expected Tuesday, the sources said.

The Associated Press also reported that Favre is saying that he’s not returning this season.

This would be the third retirement for Favre, who also retired after 16 seasons with the Green Bay Packers after the 2007 season and one season with the New York Jets after the 2008 season.

The 40-year-old Favre has been working out at his home in Hattiesburg, Miss., still rehabbing a surgically repaired ankle that was injured in Minnesota’s overtime loss to the New Orleans Saints in the NFC title game. He has yet to inform the team if he will honor the second year of his contract and come back for another run at the Super Bowl.

Erin Andrews Sues in Peephole Case

ESPN reporter Erin Andrews has filed a lawsuit alleging the hotels where a peephole stalker secretly videotaped her were negligent.

From CNN:

The lawsuit also accuses Michael David Barrett, who has pleaded guilty to stalking the ESPN reporter, of invasion of privacy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

The suit, filed Thursday, alleges that Barrett received information from hotels when he called them to see if Andrews had made reservations to stay there.

“Not only did the hotels confirm that Ms. Andrews was intending to register as a guest, but they also released, without Ms. Andrews’ consent, her room number. The hotels then provided Michael David Barrett a hotel room immediately adjacent to hers,” the statement from law firm Greene, Broilett & Wheeler said.

This Is Gonna Be Good…

So I’m taking my son and daughter to their first Major League Baseball game tonight in Oakland.

We’re going to see the A’s vs. the Detroit Tigers. I can’t wait to see the look on their faces. I hope they aren’t too overwhelmed!

My over/under on how many innings we make? I’m going with 4 innings.

Have a great night everyone and look for us on ESPN on Sportscenter! Ha Ha