On this week's edition of The MMA Hour, we were joined by Dan Hardy, who faces Mike Swick in a No. 1 contender's match at UFC 105 on Nov. 14. Hardy talked about getting a shot to fight for the title early in his UFC career, MMA's popularity in the United Kingdom, and his recent criticism of Bernard Hopkins after the boxing legend blasted MMA.
Barack Obama and his family probably didn't meet the longtime neighbor of their new crib at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. William "Doubting" Thomas was in the hospital by the time the Obamas moved in Jan. 20. He died three days later from pulmonary disease. He was just 61.
But Thomas lived by day across the street from the White House -- 1601 Pennsylvania Avenue, or Lafayette Square -- under a makeshift shell of umbrellas and tarps. He decorated his digs with signs that read "Wanted: Wisdom and Honesty," "Ban All Nuclear Weapons or Have a Nice Doomsday," and "Live By the Bomb, Die By the Bomb."
Thomas (his real name was William Thomas Hallenback Jr.) was a protester. And the White House, our government -- ever respectful of our First Amendment right to free speech -- allowed Thomas to protest pretty much uninhibited from the moment he first plopped down in Lafayette Square on June 3, 1981, until he was hospitalized for the last time almost 28 years later.
It was only a matter of time, really. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going nowhere this season. They are 0-7 and have been outscored 203-96 in the process. The drafted Josh Freeman in the first round (17th overall pick) of the draft this past April to be their quarterback of the future. You aren't going anywhere in 2009, so it's time to start playing for the future. Thus, it makes sense to hand him the keys at this point.
ORLANDO -- To many who follow the NBA, it doesn't seem that long ago that Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer led the Detroit Pistons -- the famed Bad Boys -- to their second consecutive NBA title in 1990, cementing their place among the great teams in league history.
Holiday, a rookie guard for the Philadelphia 76ers, isn't just the youngest player in the NBA this season. He also earned the distinction of being the first person born in the 1990's to be on an NBA roster.
She won the year-end No. 1 ranking. It became official Wednesday in Doha, Qatar, at the WTA Championships when Dinara Safina, the current No. 1 Williams was trying to overcome, withdrew from the tournament with a bad back. It guaranteed that Williams would finish the year No. 1 for the first time since 2002.
Former heavyweight champion Larry Holmes told FanHouse that he felt discredited by the documentary, Muhammad and Larry, which aired on ESPN on Tuesday night.
See what Holmes had to say about the hour-long segment, whose main point appears to be that the 1980 fight -- featuring a 30-year-old Holmes' domination of a 38-year-old, past-his-prime Muhammad Ali -- should not have taken place.
FanHouse: What are your comments, positive and negative, about ESPN's Muhammad and Larry documentary?
It doesn't get any better than this. The World Series begins Wednesday night with a dream pitching matchup between former teammates, left-handers and Cy Young Award-winners CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee. Combined they're 5-0 with a 0.96 ERA this postseason.
Of course, it wouldn't be a big surprise if either gave up a few more runs than they have in their previous October starts, not with two of the best lineups in the game staring them down.
The Fall Classic is here, and the MLB FanHouse crew will take you from first pitch to final out of Game 1 (weather permitting). Join us after the jump at 7:45 PM ET for a LIVE chat.
If you've seen one NBA mixtape on YouTube, you've seen them all, right? Most of them are just flashy dunk highlights put to a profanity-laced rap beat. But Chris Kaman is a different kind of cat, both on the court and off, and in hindsight, it shouldn't have been a surprise to see that his YouTube channel doesn't feature any basketball at all.
What does it feature? Try a .50 caliber rifle and municipal-grade fireworks -- all being used in his backyard. No, really -- video evidence is after the jump, as well as his interview with Elie Seckbach in which he discusses his explosion-filled and bullet-riddled summer vacation.
Depending on your perspective, Ryan Newman either had the best seat in the house or the worst during NASCAR's last visit to the mighty and unpredictable Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.
Carl Edwards, Sprint Cup rookie Brad Keselowski and Newman were 100 yards in front of the checkered flag, set to decide the winner amongst themselves, when Keselowski and Edwards collided directly in front of Newman. Edwards' Ford went airborne, bounced off the hood and windshield of Newman's Chevy, then flew into the fencing along the front stretch grandstands in a horrific-looking accident that led the country's sports highlight reels.
If you haven't seen the video, you will. It'll be played over and over and over all weekend as the Sprint Cup Series makes its Chase for the Championship visit to Talladega this week.
DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.
Utah forward Carlos Boozer told FanHouse on Wednesday morning he wants to play for Team USA in Turkey, and his contract situation has no bearing on it.
"I definitely would love to play if I get invited,'' said Boozer, a free agent next summer. "Not at all (will Boozer's contract situation affect his decision to play). If I've got a chance to put USA on my chest again, I'll do it in a heartbeat. The contract stuff will take care of itself.''
Lane Kiffin's off-field comments have twice earned him reprimands from the Southeastern Conference this season. But now he's finally getting mad props -- assuming people still give mad props -- thanks to the rapper Lil Wayne. In Lil's newest track, Banned From TV, the Southern rapper includes this line, "Smoke weed, talk s--- like Lane Kiffin." Now Lane Kiffin has acknowledged the endorsement via Twitter, tweeting today, "looking forward to another great practice today and a huge game Saturday ... also a huge shout-out to Lil Wayne for boosting our street cred!"
Yep, two of the South's top gangsters are already in fine form. As for fans? Well, UT fans, are already talking about, wait for it, the recruiting benefits of Lil Wayne's lyrical endorsement. Wrote a reader, Alan, this morning in an e-mail to me, "Should help with recruiting. Especially in South Florida, Louisiana, Atlanta and Memphis."
But why stop with recruiting help? Now that he's been bound and gagged by the SEC, Lane Kiffin should hop on the gangster train and play this for all it's worth.
Walter Jones has been a staple for the Seattle Seahawks since 1997, but the Seahawks are going to have to play the entire 2009 season without him. Wednesday, during a press conference, it was announced that Jones has been placed on injured reserve, ending his season. Jones hasn't been able to shake the pain in his knee, which stemmed from microfracture surgery in December and then another scope on the same left knee in training camp.
The venerable left tackle has started 180 games on his quarterback's blind side, racking up an impressive resume in the process. The future Hall of Famer has made nine Pro Bowls and been elected as a first-team All-NFL player four times in his illustrious career.
WASHINGTON -- No one covers book signings. There is probably a reason for this. But with the second Bill Simmonsbook tour commencing in Washington on Monday, it seemed like a good enough idea. At the least, fifteen-year-old, Page 2-gobbling me would be quite delighted.
I called a friend of mine to inform him of my ever-bloggable plan. "You mean like Deadspin did for his first tour?" came the reply. Pause. Google search. Well, then.
Despite this inauspicious start, I buckled up and headed out with another buddy. The Sports Guy was waiting.
Every week, NFLFanHousehits the lowlights from Sunday's action, looking at those players who did the most to move their head coaches that much closer to returning to the Bed and Breakfast business.
In light of their recent faux pas, it'd be easy to make JaMarcus Russell or Larry Johnson the Coach Killer of the week. After getting benched in a loss to the Jets, Russell explained that he wasn't Oakland's problem, proving that he's as aware of himself as he is of a blitz. Or how to line up for the first play of the game, despite practicing it all week.
Larry Johnson, well, we know that story by now. Johnson added insult to ineffectiveness in the wake of the Chiefs' 37-7 loss to the Chargers, making life harder on a first-year coach trying to retain any shred of credibility with a terrible roster.
But Russell is not an NFL-capable player, and Johnson is a headcase. They haven't fooled us into believing otherwise. Jake Delhomme, however, had us all believing he was an NFL quarterback. A gambler, sure, but one who came through more often than not. ... D'oh.
During ESPN's broadcast of the Minnesota-Ohio State game on Saturday, the network cross-promoted a NASCAR race by showing a graphic listing the top five drivers. Chris Spielman, Bob Griese's partner, asked where Juan Pablo Montoya was. Griese responded that Montoya was "out having a taco."
Montoya, who is Colombian, has declined comment, saying he has no idea who Griese is, but unfortunately for its announcer, ESPN has not remained silent. Despite twice publicly apologizing Saturday, ESPN has suspended Griese for this week's telecast. In a statement released today, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz says the network has spoken to Griese and "he understands the comment was inappropriate."
In fact, contrary to lazy stereotypical belief, tacos are not a popular cuisine in Colombia. And everyone with a Spanish surname is not, you know, from Mexico. Now Griese will have a weekend outside the broadcast booth to think about the error of his ways. Question for you, would Griese have even gotten in trouble if he'd said that Montoya was "out having an arepa" or "out having a sancocho?"
There's a lot of action around the NHL tonight, and we'll break it all down in our weekly NHL FanHouse chat. There are surprise teams, surprise players, and injuries to discuss. Not only that, but the first major disciplinary decisions of the season have been made by the NHL. As usual, they come with some controversy. Join us at 2 p.m. ET as we break it down with you.
MINNEAPOLIS -- Al Jefferson wasn't even born when the incident happened in 1984. But he's seen the old footage.
"The only thing I knew about Kurt (Rambis) from him playing is the highlight of Kevin McHale knocking him out,'' said the Minnesota forward.
Jonny Flynn wasn't born when Rambis won the last his four titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988. But Flynn has seen the highlights as well.
"I remember he had the high socks, the thick glasses and the short shorts,'' said the Timberwolves point guard. "That was my first impressions about him. I said that when we first talked on the phone, and we got a good laugh about it.''
I'm beginning to think that Redskins owner Dan Snyder might be making things worse between the fans and the team. Throwing millions at over-the-hill players is one thing, but putting unreasonable in-stadium restrictions on the tens of thousands of supporters who battle beltway traffic to endure three hours of what now passes for football ... well, let's just say the persecuted are mobilizing.
In the wake of the team's latest loss -- a 27-17 Monday night matchup with the Eagles that the 'Skins never had a chance of winning -- comes reports that a few fans were ejected from FedEx Field for wielding anti-Snyder signs.
On Nov. 14, Brandon Vera will get another opportunity to prove he is an elite light heavyweight fighter when he faces Randy Couture in the main event at UFC 105.
FanHouse spoke to "The Truth" about what he needs to do to defeat Couture, fighting on the same day as his fellow Filipino fighter, Manny Pacquaio, and his thoughts on his wife, Kerry Vera, facing Couture's ex-wife, Kim Couture, six days later. Check out the video interview below.
Len Bias has now been dead longer than he was alive, and yet his life and death don't feel like an old story in Without Bias, the documentary that will debut on ESPN on Tuesday. Instead, the story of Bias, who died of a cocaine overdose at age 22 less than 48 hours after being drafted by the Boston Celtics, feels like something that is still unfolding.
Zebra Report is FanHouse's analysis of actual NFL rules and how they are to be applied ... because most fans think they could do a better job than the NFL officials, yet definitely could not. Click here for an introduction as to how we do things.
Of all the complaints about officiating, I think the most maddening is how people who hate the Pittsburgh Steelers -- so, a really, really large contingent -- like to label them the "Stealers" and proclaim they always get the calls. This past weekend was a great example, as the Steelers took down the Vikings fair-and-square, but some people just can't seem to grasp the concept.
LOS ANGELES -- An excited, capacity crowd anxiously awaited the final chance to celebrate last season's NBA Championship with its beloved Lakers. The team held a ring ceremony, before unveiling their 15th championship banner, which was hanging behind a black curtain high on the back wall of the Staples Center.
It was an exciting start to the night, but the excitement ended there, as the quality of the opening night opponent (or lack thereof) made it easy on the defending champs and a yawner for those in attendance. The result was a lackluster, comfortable 99-92 win for the Lakers in their first game of the 2009-10 NBA season.
In Advanced Scouting, MLB FanHouse's professional talent evaluator breaks down the playoffs from a scouting perspective.
Unless you are a fan with a rooting interest in this World Series, it's nearly impossible to not appreciate how good of a matchup this World Series is. Both the Phillies and Yankees have dominant aces they can rely on, sluggers that pound the ball with the best of them, and tenacious hitters who seem to make every at-bat an epic battle.
In such an even matchup, it's difficult to find glaring edges for either club, and that is where advanced scouting can come into play. Knowing how to pitch a certain dangerous hitter in order to neutralize him or what to look for against a particular pitcher could be what wins or loses a potentially tight series such as this. So, where are those holes each team can exploit and what will it take for them to come out on top?
CLEVELAND -- He always has a rapper's catchphrase for everything and everyone, primarily himself. And while Shaquille O'Neal really should adopt The Big Hypothermia -- an ode to a bone-chilled, unemployment-scarred town that couldn't be farther from Hollywood if it were on Uranus -- it's typical that he would produce a more creative, applicable nickname.
"I'm the Big Witness Protection Program," he said, playing off the Nike ad extravaganza for LeBron James. "I've come here to protect the King."
Works for me. Given their collective magnitude in pop culture, it's hard to fathom that Shaq, maybe the greatest entertainer ever known to sports, has arrived in middle-market Ohio to join hands with James, who soon will push aside old man Tiger Woods as the most prominent athlete in the land, if not the world. But this is the unusual bond that happens when the Cavaliers feel extreme urgency to win an NBA championship for James, so he doesn't flee next summer for New York -- and the Phoenix Suns only feel urgency to watch their bottom line. Shaq is shipped to Cleveland for a few pierogies, and, suddenly, a beleaguered town that hasn't won a major sports title since 1964 becomes pro basketball's epicenter.
Image is everything. That what's Andre Agassi told us from the start. It has been the headline to his career, his life.
He went from the punk kid, all image and no substance, to the grown man philanthropist, creating, running and also raising funds for a charter school for disadvantaged kids.
He grew up so well, cleaned up so nicely, and won a humanitarian award in September at the U.S. Open. Now he comes back with this:
Agassi writes in his autobiography that he regularly used crystal meth on tour in 1997 when he was 27 years old. He failed the tennis tour's drug test, and then lied his way out of it by saying he had accidentally taken a drink from a glass of his assistant who, he said, used to spike his own drinks with the drug.
Why, Andre? Why did you do it? Why did you feel the need to say it? What happens to your image now?
It seemed a little harsh Monday when Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy told reporters "I think everybody has given up," when asked about the chances of All-American receiver Dez Bryant coming off indefinite suspension.
As it turned out, Gundy was more prophetic than pessimistic.
The NCAA officially ended the junior wide receiver's season Tuesday night, refusing to reinstate his eligibility until Sept. 2010 after Bryant misled investigators his interaction with former NFL star Deion Sanders.
Cut-N-Go is Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekday roundup of the NFL news with fantasy football impact.
The season-ending injury to Jets running back Leon Washington is devastating for a number of reasons.
His change-of-pace running style will be sorely missed as will his 4.6 yards-per-carry average. The kick return team will also struggle to find a replacement. In fact, coach Rex Ryan says it will take many players to fill in for Washington.
NEW YORK -- The Amtrak Series? The I-95 Series? The Turnpike Series?
While all of those geographic handles for the Fall Classic between the Yankees and the Phillies are catchy, the numbers suggest that eventually this series might be known by a different name.
The Home Run Series.
The Yankees and Phillies combined for 468 homers this year, the most in history for any World Series opponents. The Yankees led the majors in homers (244), and the Phillies tied for second (224). It is the first time since 1926 that the teams that led their respective leagues in homers have met in the World Series.
There was a Joe Gibbs sighting at a restaurant near the Washington Redskins complex on Tuesday that fueled more speculation that Gibbs might soon take an official role with the team.
Redskins general manager Vinny Cerrato said that was not happening.
"Joe has a place in the area," Cerrato said. "He remains a friend of the Redskins. But no, he was not here today as part of something where he is coming aboard. Joe is too busy for that. He is not coming back."
Add of the week? Undoubtedly Shonn Greene, but everyone knows that. Who are you banking on if you don't have the No. 1 waiver priority? I've got my heart set on a certain little Kansas City back -- well, I would, but he's already gone in all my leagues.
Join us at 6 PM ET and we'll help you set your waiver claims for Week 8. We'll also help with any potential trades you may have, or any other fantasy football questions on your mind. Remember that you only need to ask your question once, as multiple submissions of the same question just slow everything down.
ORLANDO -- The Orlando Magic will raise their Eastern Conference title banner Wednesday night at Amway Arena, then begin the most anticipated season in franchise history. And Rashard Lewis will be at home watching on television, riding a stationary bicycle.
Just the thought makes him cringe.
"I knew this day was coming but I'm still upset every time I think about it,'' Lewis said Tuesday after a Magic practice. "I was part of winning that banner, and I won't be there to see it go up. But you do the crime, you pay the fine.''
Strikeforce is gearing up for a busy November, but the organization already has plans in place for their year-end show as well. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said on this week's edition of The MMA Hour (which will be featured later this week on MMA FanHouse) that the organization's next big Showtime event will take place on Dec. 19 from the HP Pavilion in San Jose, Calif.
Coker also mentioned that recent Strikeforce signee, "King" Muhammed Lawal, is scheduled to make his debut on the show, but no opponent has been signed just yet.
Glen "Big Baby" Davis won't miss the entire season with his thumb injury, as initially thought possible. But he'll still sit for the six to eight weeks, according to Yahoo!'s Marc Spears, who spoke with Davis on Tuesday after the third-year forward underwent surgery earlier in the day.
While missing two months is certainly better than the entire year, it doesn't mean the Celtics are any more pleased about the injury, which Davis admits occurred when he threw a punch at a long-time friend after an argument escalated over the weekend.
According to a statement from the Chiefs, Johnson has been asked to stay away from team activities while the NFL and Kansas City's front office conduct an investigation into his recent statements. All of this despite an apology from Johnson on Tuesday.
The Houston Astros are poised to announce the hiring of Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills as their new manager Tuesday, according to multiple reports, first from MLB.com, a move that comes two days after the club lost out on Manny Acta to the Indians.
Mills, who came to Boston with manager Terry Francona before the 2004 season and won two World Series with the team, also managed in the minors for 11 seasons and played four seasons with the Montreal Expos from 1980-83.
The Mills hiring continues a mini-exodus from Boston. This past week former Red Sox assistant general manager Jed Hoyer was hired away by the Padres to be that club's general manager, a sign of how well-respected Boston's management team has become in baseball circles.
Look past the undefeated teams at the top of the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, and you'll see a pair of familiar faces staring back at you in the fourth and fifth spots. Mike Tomlin and Bill Belichick have navigated some choppy early season waters and righted two of the AFC's stalwart ships in time to ensure that there won't be any dramatic changing of the guard in that conference this season. In both cases, it's been about getting back to basics.
The Steelers defense quieted its critics with a shutdown performance against the Vikings on Sunday, while the Patriots offense has looked like the 2007 version while ringing up blowout victories on both sides of the Atlantic. They're still looking up at the Colts and Broncos, of course, but if those are the top four when we get to January it should be a pretty spectacular fight for the AFC Championship.
Monday night's Maple Leafs win over Anaheim featured plenty of penalties. In fact, five of Toronto's six goals were scored with the extra attacker.
Besides Anaheim's trademark undisciplined play, there was also a pretty intense fight. During the first period, Toronto's Colton Orr hooked up with Duck George Parros for an impressive heavyweight bout. While the fight was clean, Orr risked suspension by shoving an official during the bout. Video after the jump.
Watching MLS Commissioner Don Garber try to answer questions about the league's competition format on Monday night's Fox Football Fone-in felt like watching an art teacher give painting lessons to the color blind.
To his credit, Garber maintained his composure as hosts Nick Webster and Eric Wynalda and a few inarticulate callers threw out terms like "single table" and "European calendar" without ever explaining what it was they were after. Every year at this time, MLS faces cliched criticism from "hard core" fans who insist "our" league should be just like those in Europe, without ever explaining how or why. The truth, however, is this (and Garber knows it): Playoffs are the fairest and most exciting way to determine a champion, and this year's MLS Cup tournament promises to be one of the most balanced in some time.
Andre Agassi's new book, OPEN is due out in stores on Nov. 9. There's been relatively little fanfare about the book's release. That all changed Tuesday with a (now deleted) tweet from SI's Richard Deitsch, which was preserved by the good folks at The Sporting Blog.
In his tweet, Deitsch intimated that there would be an excerpt from OPEN released in the newest issue of Sports Illustrated and that said excerpt would contain an admission from Agassi that he tried crystal meth:
Former WEC bantamweight champion Miguel Torres will never train the same thanks to another famous fighter sharing his given name, WBO welterweight boxing champion Miguel Cotto.
Torres was a special guest last week at the Fight Factory in Tampa, Fla., the site of Cotto's training camp for his Nov. 14 fight against Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao.
"I'm picking up a lot of details, a lot of little things he does different than what I would in one of my training camps," Torres told FanHouse. "And I got to see how a professional boxer at the top of his game conducts his training camp and how his trainers cater to his needs and make him a better fighter."
Connecticut police have charged a man with the murder of Connecticut football player Jasper Howard. John William Lomax, 21, has been charged with murder and conspiracy to commit assault.
His attorney insists Lomax was attempting to break up the fight. His bond was set at $2 million.
Police charged Hakim Muhammad, 20, with conspiracy to commit assault, and 21-year-old Jamal Todd with pulling the fire alarm, which reportedly began the fight.
None of the three men are listed as students or employees at the university, according to the school's Web site.
Howard, 20, was stabbed just after 12:30AM, Oct. 18, following a school-sanctioned dance on the Connecticut campus. He was airlifted to a Hartford hospital where he died later that morning.
This is a personal blog that aims to share online information about the upcoming fight. This blog is a collaborative effort of individuals who are currently registered members of other online community sites. This does not claim any form of ownership or copyright in the materials found in this blog. Most of the contents featured in this blog come from other sites. The said materials are owned by those sites where these resources are posted.
Larry Johnson
Barack Obama and his family probably didn't meet the longtime neighbor of their new crib at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. William "Doubting" Thomas was in the hospital by the time the Obamas moved in Jan. 20. He died three days later from pulmonary disease. He was just 61.
It was only a matter of time, really. The 
ORLANDO -- To many who follow the NBA, it doesn't seem that long ago that Isiah Thomas and Bill Laimbeer led the 
Former heavyweight champion 
If you've seen one 
Depending on your perspective, 
DENVER -- Chris Bosh said his contract situation could prevent him from playing for Team USA in next year's World Championships. But another big man off the 2008 gold-medal winning Olympic team has no such reservations.
Walter Jones has been a staple for the 
WASHINGTON -- No one covers book signings. There is probably a reason for this. But with the second 
Every week, 
During 
I'm beginning to think that Redskins owner 
On Nov. 14, 
Zebra Report is 
In 
CLEVELAND -- He always has a rapper's catchphrase for everything and everyone, primarily himself. And while 
Image is everything. That what's 
It seemed a little harsh Monday when Oklahoma State coach 
Cut-N-Go is Fantasy Football FanHouse's weekday roundup of the 
NEW YORK -- The Amtrak Series? The I-95 Series? The Turnpike Series? 
There was a Joe Gibbs sighting at a restaurant near the 
Add of the week? Undoubtedly 
ORLANDO -- The 
Strikeforce is gearing up for a busy November, but the organization already has plans in place for their year-end show as well. Strikeforce CEO 
Glen "Big Baby" Davis
Recently, Larry Johnson has made waves -- to put it mildly -- not only with 
The 
Look past the undefeated teams at the top of the Week 8 NFL Power Rankings, and you'll see a pair of familiar faces staring back at you in the fourth and fifth spots. 
Monday night's Maple Leafs win over Anaheim featured plenty of penalties. In fact, five of Toronto's six goals were scored with the extra attacker. 
Watching MLS Commissioner 
Andre Agassi's new book, OPEN is due out in stores on Nov. 9. There's been relatively little fanfare about the book's release. That all changed Tuesday with a (now deleted) tweet from SI's Richard Deitsch, which was 
Former WEC bantamweight champion 
Connecticut police have charged a man with the murder of Connecticut football player 
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