Tulsa Football

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"It's a great fight for me. I haven't fought a wrestler since Mike Whitehead when I did my first pay-per-view event. I'm real excited to get back in there and test my skills that I've been working out with Rashad all this time. Working on my wrestling, now I get a chance to test myself against a wrestler. He's not a very polished boxer. He doesn't do a lot of things. But what he does do, he does very well. He throws that right hand and it comes very fast and very hard. Of course, I've been looking at that a lot the last couple months. I'll expect he'll try to come up with something different, too. I've been in camp for four to five months straight. I approach this fight as if a championship fight. I'm in the best shape ever. I'm doing things I've never done before in training. For me, it's a championship fight."  - Keith Jardine

Next Saturday feels like do or die for Keith Jardine. After two straight losses inside the Octagon, Jardine (15-6-1) has a reason to be worried. He currently holds a UFC record of 6-5, and would like to add another victory to the win column.

For his upcoming fight against Ryan Bader at UFC 110, Jardine has continued training with fellow TUF alum Rashad Evans in order to beef up his weakness - wrestling. Bader, who is a NCAA Division I wrestler, will be looking to use his strong suit in order to defeat The Dean of Mean. However, Evans is also an NCAA Division I wrestler, and will be looking to give Jardine some tips.

If Jardine to Bader, it might mark the end of Jardine's run in the UFC. Althought UFC President Dana White has shown some favoritism to some TUF members from the early seasons, three straight losses on Jardine's card could send him out of the organization. However, with a solid win, Jardine could be pushed back into the mix at light-heavyweight.

UFC 110 will take place in Sydney, Australia on Feb. 20. Headlining the UFC's first-ever trip Down Under will be a heavyweight clash between Cain Velasquez and Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira. A highly-anticipated middleweight bout between Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping will also take place.

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TUF 9 assistant coach Cyrille Diabate has signed a four-fight deal with the UFC, and has agreed to meet Luiz Cane in a light-heavyweight match up at UFC 114.

The news was first reported by MMAFighting.com, who learned of the news via Diabate's agent, Ken Pavia.

Diabate holds a professional MMA record of 15-6-1, and is currently riding a five-fight winning streak. He will look to improve his record to six straight wins when he takes on Cane on May 29, 2010. The Frenchman's last lost took place in September 2006, where he lost to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua.

Cane will be looking to come back from his UFC 106 loss last November, where he was TKO-ed by Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. After the fight, Cane was initially issued a suspension until May 21 due to the potential of a orbital fracture. However, he was also given a minimum suspension until early January 2010 if he was cleared by a doctor.

UFC 114 will take place in Las Vegas, NV, and be headlined by the highly-anticipated fight between Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson.

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Amir Sadollah and Dong Hyun Kim will likely return to action at UFC 114, where Sadollah will join fellow "Ultimate Fighter" season winners Rashad Evans, Forrest Griffin, Diego Sanchez, and Efrain Escudero on a fight card fast becoming a "who's who" of past TUF alumni. According to MMAJunkie, the May 29 bout between the two welterweights is close to be being finalized.

Sadollah emerged victorious in his appearance on the "Ultimate Fighter" season 7, where he competed as a middleweight and defeated CB Dolloway by way of a first-round armbar in the finale. Since then, Sadollah has dropped to 170 lbs and gone 2-1 as a welterweight, most recently earning a decision win over Brad Blackburn at UFC fight Night 20.

Kim, a fourth Dan black belt in Judo, is undefeated in his professional career, with a record of 12-0-1, with one no contest. After winning his first two UFC matches, Kim's unblemished record seemed to be over when he lost a controversial split-decision to Karo Parisyan at UFC 94, but that fight was later ruled a no-contest after Parisyan tested positive for banned painkillers. Kim last fought at UFC 100, where he earned a decision victory over TJ Grant.

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Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting's titular question about the career of "The American Psycho" Stephan Bonnar heading into his UFC 110 matchup with Kryzsztof Soszynski is a familiar one to me. Heading into his UFC 100 bout with Mark Coleman, I asked the same thing:

Does a loss mark the end of Stephan Bonnar's UFC run?

It didn't following UFC 100, obviously, as we're talking about Bonnar ten events later. Of course, we're also talking about him just four days after the man who handily beat him at UFC 100 was written off by Dana White himself.

Entering his bout at UFC 110, Bonnar is riding a two-fight losing streak, and has dropped four-of-six. For most fighters on the UFC roster, the thought of losing a third straight fight would be added pressure, but Bonnar apparently doesn't have to worry.

After all, this is Stephan Bonnar, one half of the greatest fight in UFC history. As Dana White said in his UFC 94, Stephan Bonnar will always have a home in the UFC. Being the guy who lost to Forrest Griffin on the original Ultimate Fighter Finale has seemingly earned Stephan Bonnar a "Lifetime Exemption" from being released.

If I'm any other fighter in the UFC, that doesn't sit well with me.

Let me say this: I understand where Dana White is coming from here, and I commend the loyalty he is showing to a guy who helped propel the company into the successful place it is now. But it's not show friends, it's show business and that rule has to apply to everyone or else you open yourself up to a lot of criticism and questions.

If Bonnar comes out on the wrong end of this bout at UFC 110, that will be his third consecutive loss. His two most recent wins came in 2007 over veteran Eric Schafer and the since-released Mike Nickels. And it's not like Bonnar is fighting for chump change either; he earned $25,000 for his loss at UFC 100.

Those two factors would spell doom for anyone else, so why not Bonnar? Isn't there a statute of limitations on the TUF 1 Finale? Apparently not, and that could have repercussions in the future.

This "Lifetime Exemption" for Bonnar shows that the UFC likes to take care of their own; TUF 1 cast members like Mike Swick, Josh Koscheck and Diego Sanchez will never be in jeopardy, and we know that to be the case for "The Crippler" Chris Leben.

But the majority of the UFC roster is made up of fighters far from the "one of their own" distinction, meaning their futures are govern by a whole different set of rules and stipulations than the careers of the TUF 1 vets and upper echelon guys.

If Chris Leben had lost to Jay Silva at Fight Night 20, chances are "The Crippler" wouldn't have gotten cut. Of course, Leben won and Silva was shown the door after suffering back-to-back losses. That is a dangerous double standard to maintain.

Yes, the UFC is the biggest stage available right now, but Strikeforce is working towards joining them in the spotlight. For an emerging talent, if the money is close, the clear double standard employed by the UFC in respect to "their own" would make me think twice about signing on the dotted line. Your livelihood is at stake after two consecutive losses, but Stephan Bonnar is still employed because of a fight he lost five years ago?

Somewhere, Mark Coleman must be fuming.

In July, he handily beat Bonnar at UFC 100. Ten days ago, Dana White was speaking in superlatives about the historical contributions of the first heavyweight champion in the company's history. One loss later and the UFC has shown him the door.

Yet the guy he laid a beating on in July is prepping for another fight and will most likely remain employed even if he loses at UFC 110 next weekend.

Life isn't fair and neither is business, but this extends beyond the boundaries of fairness into dangerous territory. The UFC is operating with a serious double standard when it comes to Stephan Bonnar, and if they don't take action, their credibility will drop with every new notch in the loss column of "The American Psycho."

As I do each year at this time, with the Super Bowl set for next Sunday in Miami, I renew my efforts to move the Super Bowl to Saturday.

The Super Bowl has arguably evolved into the pinnacle moment on America’s sports calendar. It has become a sports holiday. But like most great traditions, is there a way to make it even better? Indeed there is.

The NFL should to move the Super Bowl to Saturday.

Yes, purists may argue it would be heretical to hold the Super Bowl on any day but Sunday, but it’s hardly unprecedented to alter a sports tradition.

Consider the Super Bowl was once held in January, and not February as it is today. The World Series and NBA Championship were for decades a daytime events that have since been banished to a time-slot somewhere near Letterman so that 10-year-olds can’t watch their heroes. Major League Baseball added wild card teams, giving its playoffs a dimension that creates broader interest. And the NFL just moved its Pro Bowl to the week before the Super Bowl for the first time since its inception.

It is clear that great sports traditions can clearly be altered if there is value in doing so. And in a survey by the American Mustache Institute of its 2,000-plus members, nearly 80 percent said they would support moving the Super Bowl to Saturday.

There are both economic and social reasons supporting such a move.

• Super Bowl would become grander events, providing more social interaction, which often gets left behind in today’s hurried society.
• Party hosts would buy more food and beverages to accommodate grander events, thus benefiting grocery stores and other merchants.
• More non-sports fans would attend these parties, enjoying greater social interaction with their friends, because they would no longer have to work the next day.
• And without work the next day, hosts could relax a bit more, enjoy the game and good company of their guests, feeling less pressure to clean up that night.
• If more non-football fans are watching, the networks gain more overall viewers, translating into their ability to charge more for advertising.
• Restaurants and bars may have a steady flow of business on Sunday nights, but just imagine the immense traffic and revenues from a truly Super Saturday.
• Finally, we must consider the issue of productivity in the workplace. Employers won’t have to deal with employees strolling in late for work because they stayed up late watching the Super Bowl.

Much like holding a playoff for the NCAA Division I college football national championship or bringing back the TV show “ALF,” moving the Super Bowl to Saturday seems like one of those changes that is such an obvious improvement, that you wonder why it’s never been done before.

Join me in petitioning the National Football League to move the Super Bowl to Saturday HERE.

Carry on.

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(Sorry, Chuck. If you had your own clothing line, maybe Dana would let you replace the Ultimate Fighter logo with your own brand name. But you don't, and now you look like an asshole. Photo courtesy of twitter.com/spike_tv.)

The eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter kicks off on March 31st. Here's some stuff we've learned about it lately...

— According to recent reports by FiveOuncesofPain and Bloody Elbow, the middleweight castmembers selected for the show include KOTC/Bodog vet Kyacey Uscola (18-15), Australian EliteXC vet Kyle Noke (16-4-1; won a unanimous decision over Uscola in September), Victor O'Donnell (8-1; seven wins by submission), Travis Lutter BJJ student Cleburn Walker (8-4), Kris McCray (5-0; all wins by first-round stoppage, three in under a minute), American Top Team product Charles Blanchard (7-2), Warren Thompson (5-0; all wins by stoppage), and Charlie Lynch (6-0; all wins by stoppage). The Boston Herald also reports that Greg Rebello (9-2) and Woody Weatherby (7-3) will be part of the cast.

— Chuck Liddell's assistant coaches will be his longtime trainer John Hackleman, highly regarded boxing coach Howard Davis Jr., jiu-jitsu ace Scott Epstein, and Strikeforce middleweight champ Jake Shields. Tito Ortiz's assistant coaches will be his longtime trainer Saul Soliz, WEC lightweight Rob McCullough, BJJ ringer Cleber Luciano, and, as promised, a public-relations specialist to be named later.

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What Is Going On In College Football?



It's amazing how quickly the college football landscape has changed since the end of the regular season. There will be 21 new coaches in what was formerly DIV 1 football. It started with Bryan Kelly deciding that his undefeated season at Cinncy wasn't important enough to stay and see it through. Then we had the ESPN vs Mike Leach debacle, which turned Texas Tech fans against their own administration. We then watched as University of Kansas Coach Mangino had to part ways because he didn't understand how to treat his players with respect. You think to yourself "this must be it" not so fast. Urban Meyer shocks the world with his out of the blue semi retirement, but it doesn't stop there, Leavitt out at South Florida, abusing a player.Then comes the Whopper, Pete Carrol decides that Troy is burning and wants to find the exit. He sees the light and runs to Seattle for a shot at the NFL. We think USC is going down in flames, recruits are leaving, and we get hit again in the head with a zinger. Lane "the hostess with the mostess" Kiffin bolts for Troy. Well, he didn't bolt because the UT fans wanted to give him a proper send off Southern Style. Low and behold here we are today, waiting to see what will happen next. Who leaves their team next, to head to Rocky Top. The best we can do as football fans is heat up some popcorn and watch the action. I believe this could give Avatar a run for it's money. The sad part is that all the families this ends up affecting. These kids,and sometimes the parents,choose these schools because the coach tells them everything they want to hear. I believe this is a sad state of affairs for college football. It has become about money and not about loyalty or for that matter integrity. Most of these coaches have become all about the money and aren't too concerned how their decisions can affect a young man's life. Especially the same young man he promised the world to. I am saddened to see that college football has slowly become more like the NFL than ever. I miss the loyalty to school and to your players. We see today it's all about the money and the prestige. We lost arguably one of the great ambassadors of college football in Bobby Bowden, due to the greed and need to win now. The guy built Florida State from nothing and made it one of the most consistent winners in this era. I don't know about you but being in the Big Ten right now is a good place to be.Ohio State has about as much stability as you could want, in a coach, and a program. Hopefully the rest of the college world will wake up and put an end to these coaches leaving behind a trail of tears.

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 43 | SUBSCRIBE THROUGH iTUNES

We started out Episode 43 of the weekly JoeSportsFan Show chatting about the Number 43 throughout sports – which includes the great Dennis Eckersley, who still dons one of the finest mustaches throughout the facial hair kingdom.

After the Eck fawning, we spent some time recapping our completely random NFL predictions, which took place way back on Episode 30.  Turns out we were right on a few things.  Hey, look at us.

Truth be told, this episode was all about our weekly round table, which turned into a battle of wits between us St. Louisans and two Chicagoans, namely Kevin Kaduk from Yahoo!’s “Big League Stew” and Sarah Spain from ChicagoNow.com.

During this round table, the following questions were asked of our esteemed guests:

1.) Looking back on the ‘09 NFL regular season…what was one thing that you were either completely surprised by or completely wrong about?

2.) It was announced that Darryl Strawberry will join Donald Trump and the cast of “Celebrity Apprentice”.  What current sports personality would you like to see join the cast someday?

3.) What one thing (e.g., past player, game or attribute) that annoys the piss out of you when thinking about the opposition in the legendary St. Louis/Chicago rivalry?

4.) What is the most stunning sports moment you remember watching either live or on live TV? (Basically, the moment that made you say “holy shit” when it happened).

5.) As a fellow internet geek and New Years Resolution enthusiast, what is one website/blog that you vow to read more in 2010 (i.e., what is one site in 2010 that you would recommend to your friends)?

Give ‘er a listen.  Hell, even recommend a friend.  You know, since it was your New Year’s Resolution to conduct free promotion for a website that focuses way too much time on sports mustaches and shitty baseball cards. Hey, it’s your promise…not mine.

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 43 | SUBSCRIBE THROUGH iTUNES

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DOWNLOAD EPISODE 40 | DOWNLOAD PAST EPISODES

This week, Sebek and Bacott began Episode 40 (XXXX, for those keeping tabs on their Roman Numeral cheat sheet), talking about women in sports.  In a recent SI.com piece by Ian Thomsen, NBA commissioner, David Stern, revealed that it’s “in the range of possibility” that women will play in the NBA within 10 years.

While we think Stern needs his urine checked, we discuss which major sport is most likely to field women in the near future.  We’re so diplomatic.

Coming off one of the finest round tables in our storied history (insert laugh track), we bring in one our all-time favorites throughout the land of interwebs: DJ Gallo.  Gallo is the grand poobah of The Sports Pickle and a frequent contributor to ESPN’s Page 2.  We’re also joined by JoeSportsFan’s own Aaron Perlut, who has been featured on ESPN a variety of times as the Chairman of the American Mustache Institute.

Among the topics encountered during this edition of our digital jamboree:

1.) Monday night was Allen Iverson’s first game back in Philadelphia playing for the 76ers for the (inevitable) end to his career.  If you could have one player come back for last hurrah with your home team, who would you choose?

2.) Last week we discussed our favorite sports reference in a non-sports movie, this week we want to know what is your favorite cameo by an athlete or sports personality in a non-sports movie?

3.) Titans running back Chris Johnson has claimed that if he rushes for 2,000 yards this season, he is going to buy his offensive line all new cars.  If you were an NFL running back and ran for 2,000, what would you buy for each member of your O-Line as a reward?

4.) Tell me the worst display of professional athlete/team support (e.g., license plate, custom paint job, etc.) on an automobile you’ve witnessed.

5.) During an interview with The Sporting News, Ron Artest admitted to hiding Hennessy in his locker and drinking it during half time when he was playing with the Bulls.  Who is one other athlete that you would bet dabbles with liquor during professional sporting events?

DOWNLOAD EPISODE 40 | DOWNLOAD PAST EPISODES

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© JoeSportsFan.com, 2009. | Permalink | Tweet This

("Tito, you ever notice how our chins start at the same height, and yet the top of your head extends three inches above mine? It's kind of unsettling, actually.")

As much as we could all use a long break to recover from the atrocities of TUF 10, this goddamned show will be back before you know it. Spike TV has announced that the eleventh season of The Ultimate Fighter will premiere on March 31st. As you've already heard, the coaches will be Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. Both UFC legends have previously held coaching gigs on TUF (Liddell on the first season, Ortiz on the third), both previously enjoyed long light-heavyweight title runs, and both have earned one victory in their last five attempts. Liddell can barely speak anymore, and every time Ortiz opens his mouth it's like acid in our ears. Keep your expectations low, that's all we're saying.

The show's cast will be made up of 16 middleweights; UFC vets Nick Thompson and Jason Lambert tried out for the show, though their spots in the cast haven't been confirmed. It'll be interesting to see how well the combination of Chuck and Tito draws compared to Kimbo Slice, who helped put 5.2 million asses in sofas on Saturday night. They'll probably need at least one well-known personality in the cast if they want to avoid a massive ratings dropoff. Can Chad Ochocinco cut to 185?