Knucklehead of the Week
Getting physical on the hockey rink is a time-honored part of the game, but gooning it up like the Hanson brothers is not acceptable. Buffalo’s John Scott, a 6-foot-8, 270-pound forward with, shall we say, a reputation, violently elbowed Boston’s Loui Eriksson in the head last week. The ugly play gave Erikkson a concussion and got Scott suspended. Scott’s role on the Sabres is obvious; the winger has scored one goal in 187 games.
Halloween is four days away so it’s time to stock up on Kit Kats. I’m looking forward to the stare-downs with teens who come to my door and say nothing while holding out their pillow cases, expecting them to be filled with chocolate. Mind your manners kids, or some cranky adult might go all Dikembe Mutombo on you.
Billy Donlon is a smart guy. The Wright State basketball coach knows he can't lose by calling out UD for refusing to play the Raiders. WSU supporters love that kind of talk (as do many Flyer fans) and UD's brass hates to discuss the matter. So the more Donlon talks, the more his fan base cheers and the more UD squirms.
Of course UD and WSU should play. But we know there's a better chance of me winning my fantasy football league than UD agreeing to schedule a game that would be the local sports highlight of December. So keep taking your shots, Billy. And if you really want to make UD look foolish, offer to play a 2-for-1 series (two at UD, one at WSU).
The Reds introduced Bryan Price as their new manager and it's obvious his team will have to brush up on its vocabulary. At one point during his initial public soliloquy, which was heavy on words such as "accountability" and "unified," he threw an "ensconced" at the assembled media. Impressive.
It’s obvious Price was hired to provide leadership and get it out of his players, who go through the motions way too often. The culture can change. Just look at how the Red Sox turned it around.
Can Mike Nugent win a third straight game with his leg? The Bengals would prefer to avoid any last-second drama today against the Jets, but leaving it up to kickers is becoming a safe proposition these days.
Nugent, who has 78 career field goals of 40 yards or longer, hit from 54 to beat the Lions last week. For his career, he’s connected on 81 percent of his field-goal tries, better than LeBron James from the free-throw line (75 percent) but not as good as Rick Perales’ connection rate in bar fights.
The Colts-Broncos game last Sunday night set ratings records. A night later we had to endure the Giants and Vikings. That's like going from Mamma DiSalvo's to Burger King.
The Aledo Bearcats shut out Fort Worth Western Hills 91-0 in a Texas high school football mismatch. The aftermath: A Western Hills parent filed a bullying complaint. Maybe he should suggest his team hit the weight room.
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