Manti Te’o's fake girlfriend makes Maxim list
TALENT
Manti Te’o just can’t catch a break.
The fake girlfriend scandal continues to follow the former Notre Dame linebacker everywhere he goes. Last month, a San Diego newspaper published a cartoon poking fun at Te’o, who the Chargers drafted in the second round of the NFL Draft. Now, the latest to get in on the “fun” is Maxim.
On Thursday, the magazine released its annual “Hot 100″ list, and low and behold Te’o's non-existent girlfriend made the cut at No. 69. She is depicted here wearing a black bikini in crystal blue waters.
Marcus Lattimore Draft Journey
Long journey awaits but still rooting for newly San Francisco 49ers running back Marcus Lattimore.
Bob Stoops Calls SEC Dominance Propaganda
Shut Your Face
The Southeastern Conference has long been regarded as the premier league in college football. And for good reason.
The league has won seven straight national championships and just had a whopping 63 players selected in the NFL Draft.
As dominant as it may seem, Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops doesn’t seem too impressed. During a recent caravan stop, Stoops reportedly called the SEC’s dominance “propaganda” and said the gap between it and the rest of the conferences isn’t as wide as people may think.
Stoops referred to the bottom half of conference as evidence.“Well, it depends on what gap you’re talking about,” Stoops said. “What are the bottom six doing? “So they’ve had the best team in college football,” Stoops said. “They haven’t had the whole conference. Because, again, half of ‘em haven’t done much at all. I’m just asking you. You tell me.”In a way, Stoops does have a point, as flawed as it seems. The five SEC schools, Kentucky, Missouri, Arkansas, Auburn, and Tennessee, who failed to go to a bowl game last year were a combined 19-41. Meanwhile, the bottom half of the Big 12, Texas Tech, TCU, West Virginia, Iowa State, and Kansas, combined to go 29-35 overall.“It depends on who you want to listen to,” Stoops told the Tulsa World. “Listen, they’ve had the best team in college football, meaning they’ve won the national championship. That doesn’t mean everything else is always the best. “So you’re listening to a lot of propaganda that gets fed out to you,” he said. “You’re more than smart enough to figure it out. Again, you can look at the top two, three, four, five, six teams, and you can look at the bottom six, seven, eight, whatever they are. How well are they all doing?”
Denard Robinson Gets Photobomb
Former Michigan Wolverine quarterback Denard Robinson was drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars as a wide receiver at 135 overall. However his cousin provided perhaps the best photobomb in NFL Draft history.
San Diego Newspaper Pokes Fun At Manti Te’o
For The Win
A San Diego newspaper wasted no time at all to poke fun at one of the newest Chargers.
On Friday, the Chargers moved up the board in the second round of the draft to select maligned Notre Dame linebacker Manti Te’o, and all the baggage that comes along with him.
The image you see above is U-T San Diego making light of the humiliating fake-girlfriend hoax that appears to be following Te’o from South Bend to the West Coast. It shows Te’o putting his arm around Lennay Kukua, who of course doesn’t exist, as the two stroll down a sandy beach.
The 2013 NFL Draft With Fitzy
Fitzy over at Townie News is back. The NFL Draft was over the weekend and Fitzy was back for his annual pilgrimage, which the best part of that pilgrimage came at the 3:15 mark. Wicked Pissah
Tyrann Mathieu throwing first round draft party
Thought He Wasn't Calling Himself Honey B Anymore
Former LSU Tigers defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, best known as the Honey Badger, is throwing a draft party Thursday night to celebrate a first-round selection which according to a majority of draft experts isn’t likely to happen.
Matheiu tweeted out a link to the party’s invitation flier Wednesday.
UPDATE since posting back 2:43 am don’t bother to show up for Thursday night’s draft party for Mathieu as it has been canceled.
“There will be no party for Tyrann Mathieu!!” the Honey Badger declared via Twitter.
Eric LeGrand Gets Endorsement Deal
Inspiration
Paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand has a new job. The inspirational LeGrand was hired by Subway to appear in television commercials with New York Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck to promote the world’s largest restaurant chain.
The commercials were filmed two weeks ago and will air this fall.LeGrand, who was paralyzed making a tackle in a game against Army in 2010, has had a remarkable year. The New Jersey native was signed to an NFL contract by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his former Scarlet Knights coach, Greg Schiano, shortly after the NFL draft in April. The 21-year-old, who has vowed to walk again, also will receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs this month.
Initially told he would be a quadriplegic and remain on a ventilator, LeGrand is now breathing on his own and can stand upright with the aid of a metal frame
“Eric’s training is intense and his goal of walking again is clearly the most important goal,” Subway chief marketing officer Tony Pace said. “We believe his inspirational story resonates with our fans. All of our athletes who know Eric are already rooting for him. Like us, they love his character, determination and positive outlook.”
LeGrand is the latest athlete hired by Subway, joining Tuck, Michael Phelps, Apolo Ohno, Blake Griffin and Robert Griffin III.
Trent Richardson Wants To Make Jim Brown A Believer
Big Shoes
As the greatest running back in Cleveland Browns history Jim Brown perhaps has an unreasonably high standard for excellence. Just before April’s draft, the Browns legend was bold enough to say Trent Richardson—whom his former team ended up selecting No. 3 overall—had “ordinary” talent for the position.
Given a chance to fire back a bit at the franchise legend Richardson expressed his intentions to primarily use Brown’s comments as a little extra motivation for his rookie season.
“I laugh at the situation,” Richardson said. “You don’t know me from spic to span. But he’s Jim Brown. He’s done a lot here, and I haven’t done anything yet. I have a lot to accomplish and big shoes to fill. When it comes down to it, I have to work and make sure I make him a believer. I haven’t done anything yet.”
Robert Griffin III Is Trademarking RG3
Go Catch Your Dream
Washington Redskins new quarterback and number two overall draft pick Robert Griffin III has decided to protect his name and is taking legal measures to ensure no one improperly benefits from his fame or success.
With the help of an attorney, Griffin created his own company, Thr3escompany, LLC and submitted the paperwork to trademark four of his aliases RGIII, RG3, Robert Griffin III, and Unbelievable Believable.
This is so his name or nickname cannot be printed on “shirts, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, shorts, footwear, hats, caps, athletic uniforms” without his consent.
The phrase, “Unbelievably Believable,” is a reference to his Heisman Trophy acceptance speech, where he said the following:
“This is unbelievably believable. It’s unbelievable because in the moment we’re all amazed when great things happen. But it’s believable because great things don’t happen without hard work.”
Griffin’s people were well aware of what was happening in Washington, re: RGIII merchandise and specials. And Twitter confirms.
“All of my RGIII shirts were pulled by Skreened a few weeks ago. They said someone made a copywrite claim, but wouldn’t say who,” one person wrote.
“Ours got pulled the day he trademarked them his agents sent a nice letter lol,” someone else wrote.
WTF: Washington Redskins Fan
Touchdown
The Washington Redskins appear to have a new team logo. Gone is the Native American logo and replaced is number two overall NFL Draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.
Groupie Offers Herself Up To NFL’s Mr. Irrelevant
The NFL Draft is just a day away and by Sunday the last picked will be selected better known as Mr. Irrelevant and this bag of bones is offering herself up to whoever it maybe.
“Whoever is this year’s Mr. Irrelevant is going to have himself a night … alone … with me,” she seductively declares. “And our time together, I guarantee you, will be anything but irrelevant.”
Andrew Luck Sued By Trading Card Company Over Image
Sued You Before You Could Sue Us
A Texas-based card company has sued No. 1 NFL draft pick Andrew Luck, claiming its First Amendment right to produce trading cards with his image.
Leaf Trading Cards LLC filed the lawsuit April 20 in Dallas County court. The company said it uses images of Luck from the 2008 U.S. Army All-American Bowl, a high school all-star game played in San Antonio to which it has the rights.
Leaf said it brought the suit after the Stanford quarterback’s attorney demanded the company stop selling the cards, as they infringed on Luck’s “publicity rights,” the company said in a statement.
“Leaf Trading Cards is disappointed that it was forced to submit this matter to the judicial system,” Leaf attorney O. Luke Davis III said in a statement released by the company. “We are confident, however, that the court will find that Leaf has the right to produce and sell the Andrew Luck trading cards.”
The company hasn’t indicated if it will seek damages from Luck, but by filing a declaratory judgment, the company may only attempt to assert the right to produce the trading card.
Alfonzo Dennard Arrested For Punching Police Officer
Paycut
Nebraska’s outgoing star cornerback Alfonzo Dennard was arrested of assaulting a police officer, possibly hurting his status in next weekend’s NFL draft.
Dennard, 22, has been projected to be as high as a second-round pick. But Dennard’s arrest could drop him from the third to fourth round, a difference that could cost him about $300,000 in salary over a standard four-year rookie contract.
Dennard is known for his aggressive play. He and South Carolina receiver Alshon Jeffery were ejected from the Capital One Bowl for taking swings at each other.
Lincoln Police Capt. Jason Stille said officers tried to break up a fight between Dennard and a 22-year-old man outside a Lincoln bar shortly after 2 a.m. Saturday. Dennard hit the man before punching an officer who tried to intervene in the head, Stille said.
He was arrested after a brief struggle with four officers, police said. The officer hit in the head did not seek medical treatment.
Dennard was jailed on assault of a police officer, third-degree assault and resisting arrest.
He was the senior leader of Nebraska’s receiving corps last season, earned All-Big Ten honors and won the conference’s inaugural Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year Award.
Jason Pierre Paul Tribute Song: You Down With JPP
I might have missed on my NFL Draft day assessment of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee but nailed it on New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre Paul. The video speaks for itself
You down with JPP?
Matt Barkley Submits NFL Paperwork
Chunking Up The Deuce
Southern Cal junior quarterback Matt Barkley has submitted paperwork to the NFL, the Los Angeles Times is reporting. That will allow him to get a better feel for where he might be taken in the NFL Draft. Barkley has not declared for the draft. That’s something his coach, Lane Kiffin, would prefer he not do. But as his stock climbs, it will be hard to keep Barkley from bolting. He has until mid-January to finalize his decision.
While sharing the Pac-12 spotlight with Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Barkley had an equally successful season. He completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,528 yards 39 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.
Miami Dolphins Fans Put Together Suck For Luck Campaign
Miami Dolphins fans don’t really have a whole lot to look forward to for the rest of the season. Having already lost starting quarterback Chad Henne to shoulder surgery and replaced him with retreads under center it’s given Dolphins fans plenty of time to think. So they invested that time in letting front office know they want to Suck For Luck. Andrew Luck is basically the only hope that franchise has of becoming relevant again in the near future and they want him in next years NFL Draft and the only way that will happen is ending up number one overall.
Suck For Luck
Chris McAlister Says He’s Broke
What Happened
Back on April 16, 2010, we posted the report of then former Baltimore Ravens cornerback Chris McAlister being accused by his wife Marlene McAlister of being kicked out of their place because she wouldn’t go through with an abortion. Now the former NFL player has filed court documents saying that he is broke and unable to pay his $11,000 per month child support bill he owes his now ex-wife Marlene.
In 1999, the Ravens chose McAlister in the first round of the NFL Draft and he later signed a seven-year $55 million contact. However McAlister is now unemployed and been so since 2009 and is living with his parents.
“I live in my parent’s home. My parents provide me with my basic living expenses as I do not have the funds to do so.”
Rashaan Salaam Selling His Heisman Ring
Addicted To Weed
Former Colorado Buffaloes running back and Heisman Trophy winner Rashaan Salaam is giving you the opportunity to own a one of kind item. Salaam has decided to auction off his 1994 Heisman Ring, a ring in which only 75 prestigious college football rings exist.
Salaam’s size 11.5 ring is gold with more than 20 diamonds totaling 1.5 carats and has a missing diamond on the upper left corner of the ring face. It’s estimated to see somewhere between $15,000 and $25,000 but as of yesterday only has a bid of just $1,000.
As a junior, Salaam led the nation in rushing at a 186.8 yards per game and joined previous Heisman Trophy winners Marcus Allen, Mike Rozier and Barry Sanders as the only Division I players to gain more than 2,000 rushing yards in a season.
Salaam capped off an 11-1 season for the Buffaloes by scoring three touchdowns in a 41-24 win over Notre Dame at the 1995 Fiesta Bowl to finish their season number three in the country. The unanimous All-America pick was was selected by the Chicago Bears 21st overall of the 1995 NFL Draft.
Tennis Player Wins SEC Athlete Of The Year
Congratulations
Auburn University quarterback Cam Newton was the runaway winner for the Heisman Trophy after winning both the SEC and BCS championships and was even selected first overall in the NFL Draft. However when it came to the SEC male athlete of the year Newton was trumped by University of Tennessee Volunteers tennis player John-Patrick Smith.
The conference’s athletic directors made Smith, a four-time tennis All-American at Tennessee, their choice for the award. Smith is the first University of Tennessee winner since Peyton Manning in 1998. Alabama gymnast Kayla Hoffman was the SEC female athlete of the year.
Smith finished his season ranked 10th in the country. He was only the second player to be named All-American in singles and doubles every year of his career. Southern Cal’s Rick Leach did it from 1984-1987.
Could this be an obvious message from SEC voters that they know that Auburn cheated their way to success or could it just be a special occiasion where they are recognizing a career long achievement rather than just one year?
Former NFLer Ryan Leaf Under Goes Surgery To Remove Tumors From His Brain
Stand Up 2 Cancer
Former NFL quarterback Ryan Leaf is recovering from surgery to remove a benign tumor from his brain. Leaf had surgery last week and was resting in California after being released from a Santa Monica hospital on Tuesday.
“I am looking forward to resting a bit and being with my family,” Leaf said in a statement. “This was just another bridge for me to cross, and I will continue to live each day to the fullest and give back where I can!”
Leaf hasn’t played in the NFL since 2001. He is considered one of the biggest busts in NFL Draft history after playing in just 21 games for the San Diego Chargers following his selection second overall in 1998. He avoided jail and received 10 years probation in April 2010 after pleading guilty to felony drug charges in Texas. He admitted to being addicted to prescription painkillers at the time.
Cincinnati Bengals Cedric Benson Says Won’t Be Healthy Bringing Carson Palmer Back
SO Hungry Right Now
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said in a conference call with season-ticket holders that he hopes quarterback Carson Palmer changes his mind about retiring and returns to the team. However his starting running back Cedric Benson doesn’t feel the same way and wonders if the Bengals would be better off without him.
With Palmer’s “trade or retire” threat still holding steady Benson was interviewed by Bryan McGovern on his SiriusXM NFL Radio show with co-host Maurice Jones-Drew. “It wouldn’t be healthy for the team to bring him back,” Benson said. To bring him back would be detrimental to the team. If he’s there (and) not happy, he’s not gonna give us his best.”
Palmer has requested a trade, which the team denied. He then said he would retire rather than play for the Bengals next season. The team recently drafted TCU quarterback Andy Dalton in the second round of the NFL Draft.
NFL Teams Tampering With Undrafted Free Agents
On Your Watch
Thanks to the NFL lockout the NFL Draft wasn’t quite the same as in the past especially in the area of undrafted free agents which occurs the moment the draft concludes or so we thought. That’s because there are reports that even though teams are not allowed to have any contact with players who were not drafted it appears six unnamed NFL agents said they had been approached by teams interested in undrafted clients. NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said such inquiries are not permitted under current lockout conditions.
The issue of tampering arose earlier this week when Tim Barnes, an undrafted center from Missouri, told the Columbia Tribune that he’d heard from the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Miami Dolphins following the draft. Three agents said they were contacted by personal cell phones from representatives of NFL teams, while two other agents claim teams called players directly.
“It was almost like a normal year in terms of contact, a little less (phone contact) than normal maybe, only without the signed contracts at the end,” one of the agent was quoted.
Potential penalties for tampering include fines and the loss of future draft picks
Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen Rips NFL Rookies
Mullet Mafia
Minnesota Vikings Jared Allen is fed up with the spending habits of the incoming NFL rookies as he told Doug and Wolf on KTAR in Phoenix.
“Are you kidding me?” he said. “You haven’t played a down in the league yet and thousands and thousands of dollars on these kids arms and I’m like you guys understand you’re getting drafted into a lockout where you don’t know what rules you’re playing under or how much money you possibly might get.”
He also discussed how he was bothered by the rookies hugging NFL Commissioner Roger “Godfather” Goodell on the stage.
“I honestly think it would’ve been cool to see all of the players elect to not show up,” Allen said. “I think that would’ve given a really big sign to the NFL. You want us to appease you guys by coming to this show because that’s what the NFL Draft is on TV, it’s a show for their fans and a show for the league you want us to do that? Then let’s get this deal done, let’s quit locking us out, and let’s get back to work.”
