Nelson County Lady Govs win State Championship

This is without a doubt a first for Walker Sports, but it is simply too good to pass up. A huge congratulations are in order for the Nelson County Lady Govs volleyball team as they brought home a state championship to Lovingston Virginia. The championship marked the first in school history for the Lady Govs, and the first for head coach Vicki Crawford after guiding the Governor's for the past 29 seasons.

The Lady Govs clinched the title by knocking off top seeded Mathew Blue Devils in three sets. Both teams entered the contest with identical regular season records (17-1) but thanks to a loss in the distract tournament earlier this season the Blue Devils held a slight edge over the Governor's.

However, the Lady Govs were not intimidated by the Blue Devils. They did reach the state semi-finals last year, and in 2010 they were determined to take the extra step. Many of the girls wore the slogan "Not this time." over their hearts as a reminder they had unfinished business to take care of. After losing the first game to the Blue Devils the Lady Govs rallied to win two consecutive games and bring home the title.

Why is this worthy enough to make the front page of Walker Sports? Because this writer hails from Nelson County Virginia, and thanks to the Lady Govs success on the court I can say I am proud to be from Nelson County.

Congratulations to the team and the coaching staff.

King James wants Spoelstra to bow to him

It is not often we do this, but sometimes a story is simply too good, and an auther needs to be given the credit and exposure they deserve. Adrian Wojnarowski is a well respected and reporter working with Yahoo Sports, and he has done some of the best work covering the NBA that we have seen in the past decade. However, even Wojnarowski out did himself with with recent offering about LeBron James and his systematic destruction of the Miami Heat. Please give this a read and enjoy.

Erik Spoelstra reached out to Mike Brown over the summer and searched for insight into both basketball’s blessing and curse: Coaching the two-time MVP LeBron James(notes).

Over and over, Brown uprooted his offensive system to appease James only to have it never work. Brown praised James’ character publicly when he would’ve preferred to have been truthful about James’ narcissism. James defied Brown in public and private, disregarded his play calls to freelance his offense, and belittled him without consequence within the Cleveland Cavaliers.

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Erik Spoelstra's efforts to hold LeBron James accountable have been met with resistance.

Meticulous in his preparation, Spoelstra spoke with several past coaches, and league sources said a clear and unequivocal picture appeared on how to proceed: End the cycle of enabling with James and hold him accountable.

And surprise, surprise: LeBron James has responded with a test of his own organizational strength, pushing to see how far the Heat will bend to his will. This season, James is hearing a word seldom uttered to him in Cleveland: “No.” And it keeps coming out of the coach’s mouth, keeps getting between the King and what he wants.

Can I stay overnight to party in New Orleans after a preseason game?

Can I play the clown in practice?

Can I get out of playing point guard?

No. No. No.

Wait, what?

No, LeBron.

No.

Even within a month of the season’s sideways 9-8 start, the NBA witnessed a predictable play out of the James-Maverick Carter playbook on Monday morning. They planted a story and exposed themselves again as jokers of the highest order. They care so little about anyone but themselves. Still, no one’s surprised that they’d stoop so low, so fast into this supposed historic 73-victory season and NBA Finals sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers. They want Spoelstra - and Pat Riley - to bend to them, to bow to the King the way everyone has before them.

Nevertheless, here’s what was surprising - even troubling - when the Heat talked on Monday before a victory over the Washington Wizards: In the blink of an eye, Dwyane Wade(notes) signed up with Team LeBron to scapegoat and sell out Spoelstra.

“I’m not going to say he’s ‘my guy,’ but he’s my coach,” Wade said.

Wade’s always been loyal, and that’s why it was so surprising to witness him bail this fast on Spoelstra, whom Wade knows too well. Spoelstra is a good NBA coach. Everyone knows that Wade isn’t a star who plays hard all the time, knows that he takes plays off on defense. They know that Spoelstra did a terrific job coaching 90 victories out of that flawed Miami roster the previous two seasons.

As much as ever, the Heat need Wade to influence James. Only now, it’s clear James is influencing Wade. With Udonis Haslem(notes) out for the regular season, the locker room misses one of its vital voices. Now, Wade is struggling on the floor and James is the devil on his shoulder, whispering that he doesn’t need to be accountable, that there’s an easy fall guy for everyone: Spoelstra.

Those who know Wade well, who care about him, were disappointed Monday. When Spoelstra needed Wade to stand up for him, Wade never shrunk so small. Spoelstra was Wade’s guy, but Wade’s finding it much easier to align himself with James’ coward act than do the right thing. This was something that you’d expect out of Chris Bosh(notes), who’s never been a leader, never a winner, but Wade?

“He knows better than this,” one of Wade’s former assistant coaches said. “I’m not saying he hasn’t changed some, but he knows right from wrong. And this is wrong.”

The fundamental problem for Spoelstra isn’t that James doesn’t respect coaches - he doesn’t respect people. Give LeBron this, though: He’s learned to live one way with the television light on, and another with it off. He treats everyone like a servant, because that’s what the system taught him as a teenage prodigy. To James, the coach isn’t there to mold him into the team dynamic. He’s there to serve him.

Wade was one of the Team USA players who’d watch incredulously as James would throw a bowl of fries back at a renowned chef and bark, “They’re cold!” Or throw his sweaty practice jersey across the court and command a team administrator to go pick it up. Everyone wants James to grow out of it, but he’s never showed much of an inclination for self-examination and improvement. And he’s never surrounded himself with people who’d push him to do so.

What’s more, the timing of this leak was no accident, because James and his business manager had to like the idea of someone else going on trial this week. When the public wanted to talk about James’ return to Cleveland, about the callous way with which he left, about the disjointed start in Miami, they thrust everything onto Spoelstra.

Part of them believed they could deflect Hell Week at home in Ohio, and part of them probably believed they could indeed align the public with them against Spoelstra.

After all, the coach had it coming to him. Of this, LeBron James was sure. Spoelstra had the audacity to do something that Mike Brown never had ownership’s backing to do in Cleveland: To push James, call him out, coach him.

The funniest part had to be how they leaked the idea that Erik Spoelstra was panicking now, behaving like he feared for his job. Truth be told, he’s been behaving in the opposite way. Spoelstra isn’t running from LeBron, but running at him.

Someone’s scared here, but it isn’t the coach.

Derek Anderson Press Conference Meltdown

There must be something in the water down in Arizona. That can be the only explanation for why every time the Arizona Cardinals play on Monday night they A) Meltdown and look horrible against whatever team they are playing B) Someone from the Cardinals organization melts down when they read the podium during the post game interviews.

It was a few years ago on a Monday night that Arizona head coach Dennis Green gave us the memorable "They are who we thought they were." quote that has lived on in every montage of coaching meltdowns.

On Monday night it was Derek Anderson's turn to take the mic and give us a few memorable quotes. Needless to say, this season has not progressed in the fashion the Cardinals or Anderson would have liked. Hell Anderson was sitting at home just a few months ago, and now he is getting his doors blown off by the 49'ers. No wonder the guy is ready to blow off some steam.




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TCU Accepts Bid to Enter Big East

According to several sources, and Walker Sports can confirm TCU has accepted a bid to enter the Big East Conference, effective in the 2012-13 season. The move will allow the Horned Frogs to play in a conference that receives an automatic bid into the BCS, which is a luxury TCU is not currently afforded in the Mountain West Conference.

TCU is currently third in the BCS standings and will most likely qualify to play in their second consecutive BCS game this January. It could be argued that the prestige of playing in a major conference could give TCU the added boost they need to be considered a major football power. One thing is for sure the addition of TCU in the Big East automatically increases the profile of the conference. Currently Connecticut is leading the Big East with a 7-4 record.

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Andre Johnson Fight vs. Cortland Finnegan

Football is a violent sport, there's no doubt about that, and sometimes when you get guys slamming into each other at full speed, their emotions can get the best of them. With that being said, it is not uncommon to see a scuffle break out between players on the field. Typically the fight takes place between a few of the big uglies up front when an offensive and defensive linemen go at it.

However, every now and then you get a good shake up between a few of the skill position players. On Sunday, fans witnessed a fight for the ages when Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans got into it with corner back Cortland Finnegan from the Tennessee Titans. These two guys simply went at it unlike anything I have seen in years.



Usually fights on the football field are limited to some pushing and shoving, maybe someone will get hit in the head. Andre Johnson went full hockey style on Cortland and made sure get Finnegan's helmet off before he went for the ground n pound.

Michael Jordan Responds to LeBron James With New Commercial

LeBron James has plenty of enemies over the past four months thanks to his move from Cleveland to South Beach. He only increased the number of people who hated him when James recorded the "What Should I do?" commercial for Nike. In the commercial LeBron took shots at everyone from his critics, the fans, and Charles Barkley, as he tried to pass the buck and explain why he made the move he did.

One other person LeBron took a shot at in his new commercial was Michael Jordan. The man who LeBron has attempted to model his entire career after (both on and off the court). For those of us who grew up watching and studying Michael Jordan, we all know that at the core of it all Jordan is a fierce competitor. He hates to lose, and he will hold a grudge till the bitter end. If you don't believe me just give a listen to Jordan's Hall of Fame acceptance speech where he took shots at everyone, and that was 10 years after he left to game.

With LeBron's latest commercial he has officially pulled on Superman's cape, and finally Superman is ready to respond. Despite the fact that both men are inked to Nike deals Jordan was able to use his influence to create his own response to LeBron James. What Jordan and the creative team came up with was pure gold, and a commercial that will surely have plenty of people talking in the upcoming days.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's a holiday here in the States. In sports terms, Thanksgiving means lots of football both college and of NFL. And of course we love football here in the United States. That being said, Thanksgiving is also about family, friends and loved ones. So in between servings of turkey and games, take a moment to think and say what you are thankful for.

Here at Walker Sports we are thankful for all the loyal readers, and fans. Four years is a long time to be around on the Internet, and it would not be possible without you.

From Walker Sports to all of you, we say thank you!

Brad Childress Fired as Vikings Head Coach

It has come to our attention that the Minnesota Vikings have come to terms with head coach Brad Childress, and he has been released from his contract. Defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has been promoted and will coach the team for the remainder of the season.

The Vikings were Super Bowl contenders entering the season, and pretty much everything has gone wrong for them this year. Childress, 54, compiled a 39-35 record in five seasons in Minnesota, including 3-7 this season.

Brad Childress and veteran quarterback Brett Favre were seen in a heated argument on the sidelines during yesterday's game, and one can expect that was the final straw for the Vikings.

Several players on the Vikings came forward last week in a Chicago newspaper and admitted they had no faith in Brad Childress as a head coach, but would continue to play for him because they are professionals and that is what they do. Brett Favre has openly critized the coach during his two year tenure in Minnesota. It is widely thought that most players look to Favre as the coach of the team and simply ignored Childress.

More details to come as they come in.

Put the Fun Back in NFL

NFL head man Roger Goodell has been a one man wrecking crew when it comes to levying fines, and taking the celebrations and fun out of the NFL, and there is little doubt he will take another step today to insure no one has any fun anywhere near a football field.

Sunday evening, the lowly Buffalo Bills took on the disappointing Cincinnati Bengals. What ended up taking place in Paul Brown stadium was a very exciting football game that saw the Bills pick up just their second win of the season via a comeback nonetheless. However, the entire comeback may not have been possible if not for the outlandish actions of one Buffalo receiver, and now the league is ready to punish him for sparking the comeback.

Bills receiver Steven Johnson has had a decent year. He's perked up for a few big games this season, but due to poor quarterback play, it has been a difficult year for the wide out. On Sunday the third year receiver decided he was going to have some fun, at the Bengals expense.

Cincinnati's dynamic duo Chad Ocho Cinco and Terrell Owens like to call themselves Batman & Robin. This inspired Bufallo's Steven Johnson to take a page from Batman's most notorious villain, the Joker. Hidden under Johnson's jersey was a shirt with the phrase "Why so serious?" written on it. An homage to the line made famous by the late Heath Ledger in the most recent Batman movie.

After scoring his first TD on the day Johnson lifted his jersey to reveal the message written on his shirt. At the time the Bills were down 10 points. Steven Johnson would go on to score two more touchdowns and finish the day with eight receptions and 137 yards. The Bills won the game, I dare say none of this would have been possible without Johnson sparking the Bills with his simple message scrawled across his chest.

And now how will Steve Johnson be repaid for saving the game? Mr. Goodell is sure to fine Johnson for excessive celebration. A shame. I remember when the game was fun, for the players and for the fans. Steve Johnson sparked his teammates and brought some drama to the field. That is good for football. Please let the players put the fun back in the NFL

Blake Griffen Earns Amare Stoudemire Respect

When Blake Griffen left Oklahoma for the NBA two years ago, he was one of my favorite players to watch. It's not often you see a bigman with the blend of power and athleticism that he posses. Sure D. Howard down is Orlando is doing this thing, but in regards to overall offense he is still lacking. While in many ways Blake Griffen is already a well rounded player, who has shown a great knack for running the court, reading passing lanes and even spotting up for the occasional 15 footer. To match all of that Griffen also has the ability to jump out of the gym.

On Sunday night Blake Griffen and the LA Clippers took on the New York Knicks who are now led by Amare Stoudemire one of the most athletic bigmen in the league. While both men put up monster numbers, Griffen had 44 points, 15 boards and seven assist, Stoudemire had 39 points and 11 boards, it was Griffen who stole the show with another jaw dropping dunk. This time the victem was Knicks rookie Timofey Mozgov.



The dunk was so impressive that Amare took a second to acknowledge Blake Griffen while standing at the free throw line. While it's not uncommon to see players from opposing teams acknowledge each other, it is interesting to see these two in particular. Before the injuries of the past few seasons Amare was a high flying big man who competed in the slam dunk contest and with Steve Nash by his side terrorized opposing teams. Now Blake has exploded onto the scene, and is showing no affects from the knee injury that sidelined him for all of last season.

The brief acknowledgement between the two was almost like the passing of the torch. Now the question is can Blake Griffen impress reigning athletic big man king Dwhight Howard?

Happy 5th Birthday Walker Sports

Happy Birthday Walker Sports

Wow it's hard to believe we have have been at this five years, but some how we made it. Through the ups and downs Walker-Sports has survived and grown stronger than ever thanks to some of our new partnerships and friends.

Today is a joyous day as we have worked hard to get to this point and there is a lot to be proud of. Most of all, we want to thank you the reader for coming back and making it all possible. If it was not for the readers, we would have closed our doors a long time ago.

Thank you for your continued support, and we are looking forward to doing this again next year.

Vince Young Out in Tennessee

Vince Young has barely been the Tennessee Titans starting quarterback for three season's but he has made a life time's worth or headlines thanks to his off the field antics. Thanks to a post game meltdown on Sunday it appears the former rookie of the year, may now be paving his path for an exit from the Titans organization. With no quarterback in waiting, and backup Kerry Collins not getting any younger, the sudden change in direction could have massive affects on the future of the Titans franchise.

Late in Sunday's game against the Washington Redskins, Titans quarterback Vince Young injured his thumb while completing a pass down the field. The injury was enough to take Young out of the game, and replace him with rookie quarterback Rusty Smith. The rookie quarterback came in for Young during the third quarter and led the Titans to overtime where they would eventually fall to the Redskins by a field goal. While Rusty Smith was getting his first reps as an NFL quarterback on the field, Vince Young was doing all he could to get back in game on the sidelines.

After the injury occurred Young went to the locker room for X-Rays and treatment, Upon returning to the sideline, Vince Young had his thumb taped and re-taped in an effort to get it ready so he could return to the game. Despite all of his efforts and pleading with Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher, Young was not allowed to return to the game, and Rusty Smith was handed the reigns to the Tennessee Titans offense.

After the game, a displeased Vince Young paused at the entrance way to the tunnel and threw his shoulder pads and jersey into the stands in frustration. Once in the locker room, Vince Young blew by reporters after getting dressed and exited the stadium. When head coach Jeff Fisher was asked about this, he did little to show his disappointment in his young star.

"He threw half his uniform in the stands. I think clearly that is no way to respond, and so we have some things that we have to sort out with him," Fisher said of Young.

Fisher would go on to announce the Titans will start Rusty Smith next week, and Young has lost his starting job for the foreseeable future. This move is also being driven by the fact that Vince Young may need surgery to repair the damaged flexor tendon in his thumb.

Vince Young finally opened up to the media on Sunday night where he addressed a few of the issues he is now facing. When asked about throwing his jersey into the stands the Titans quarterback responded by saying he was giving his jersey to the daughter of Titans executive Don MacLachlan who is a huge Texas Longhorns fan.

"She's been very supportive of me and I wanted to give it to her as a sign of thanks because she knows what I'm going through," Young said.

As far as tossing his jersey and other items into the stands Young had this to say about the incident.

"I throw my shoes into the stands after every game, my hat into the stands after every game, my wrist bands into the stands after every game," Young said. "If it's a problem, I'll pay for my jersey."

While Vince Young is denying, or putting spin as to why some of his equipment ended up in the stands, and downplaying the post game confrontation he had with head man Jeff Fisher, it is obvious that there is a rift between QB and coach. Fisher went to bat for Vince Young two year's ago and gave him a second chance by letting him earn his starting job back from Kerry Collins last season. Now Young is throwing Fisher under the bus by saying his coach does not support him.

One thing is apparent, Vince Young does not handle adversity well. If things start to work against him, he does not have what it takes to remain strong and fight his way to the finish. Fisher had one of the toughest quarterbacks of all time when he coached the late Steve McNair, many thought Young would be the second coming of McNair when he arrived in town, and that has yet to be the case. Thanks to his most recent blowup, it is apparent that Jeff Fisher no longer has the patience or the time to coddle the now veteran quarterback. Vince Young would be an interesting target to move during the off season, and you can expect the Titans to be willing take on all incoming offers.

Kobe Bryant in Call of Duty Black Ops Commercial

Okay so this commercial surfaced a few weeks ago, and to be honest I didn't think much of it at the time, but of course the hand wringers got a hold of it and all of that changed. Kobe Bryant made a guest appearance in a commercial for the video game Call of Duty Black Ops, and now many are up in arms over the spot citing the games violent material.

During the few seconds Bryant is in the commercial he can be seen firing a massive assault rifle and taking out an armored car. For what it's worth Kobe is also rocking a Nike shirt so maybe they are proponents of violence as well.

For what it's worth, this whole thing is the biggest joke going today. Call of Duty is a long running video game series that is rated MA Mature. This means the game is meant for adults, not the small impressionable children who watch violent television shows and then go crazy. Oh wait, that's not how it works. A video game does not turn a kid into a killing machine. Kobe Bryant appearing in a commercial definitely doesn't add to that.

This entire thing is absurd.

Walker Sports College Football Pick'em Week 12

Another week, and we are making picks once again. The college football season is nearing it's conclusion and that's a shame because it's been a great year for us here at Walker Sports.

North Carolina -3 v. NC State: UNC has put together an impressive year despite the off the field issues and suspensions. For NC State this has been a great year. The boys are primed for their first trip to the ACC Championship if they can get over the final few hurdles.

Winner: NC State wins in a slug fest and picks up the win and covers the three.

Arkansas -3 v. Mississippi St.: The year has not gone as the Razorbacks would have liked it. The same can be said for Ryan Mallet who has watched his draft stock slip due to his lack of performance in big games.

Winner: Expect Arkansas to come up with a big win, and the closest thing to marque win for the Razorbacks on the season.
Florida State -4 vs. Maryland: The Terps are in the midst of a magical season. The Fridge has saved his job (for another year) and things finally seem to be moving in the right direction in College Park. Winner: Florida State wins the game in a close one, while Maryland covers the spread.
Nebraska -3 v. Texas A&M: Nebraska is the class of the Big 12 North, and while A&M is showing some life as of late, they simply do not have enough to stand toe to toe with the Cornhuskers.

Winner: Nebraska comes up with the big win to cover.

Northwestern To Use Only Endzone During Game at Wrigley

The Northwestern Wildcats and Illinois are set to play each other in a Big 10 battle on Saturday. While the two schools are located relatively near each other, school officials decided to spice this rivalry game up by bringing it back to the heart of The Windy City at Wrigley Field. Most readers of this blog know Wrigley as home to the Chicago Cubs, but before Solider Field was built it was also home to the Chicago Bears.

On Saturday football will make its return to Wrigley after a near 40 year absence. Upon it's return we realizing there was a good reason why football is not played at Wrigley. It's not safe. The storied Ivy of Wrigley field and the outfield wall make for incredibly shallow endzones, and tight sidelines. The east end zone is only a few feet away from the right-field wall, and while Wrigley officials installed padding, there still were concerns that players could be injured there. There was enough concern that both team's coaching staffs came together to find away to make things safer for their players.

The final decision became both teams would only attack the West Endzone because it offers more space. Confused on how this will work? Here are some guidelines for you.

All offensive plays will head toward the west end zone, including all extra points and all overtime possessions.

• All kickoffs will be kicked toward the east end zone.

• After every change of possession, the ball will be repositioned for the offense to head toward the west end zone.

• As a result of a coin toss held by the conference office Friday morning, Illinois will occupy the west team bench in the first half and Northwestern will occupy the west team bench in the second half and for all overtime periods.

Sound weird? It should, this game has the possibility to resemble more of a backyard pick up game than an actual NCAA football game.

Walker Sports College Football Poll: Things are Getting Tight

With the college football season working its way to a conclusion, as far as the top 25 polls we have clarity to who's the top team in the country, but the entire poll is floating in a delicate balance. Time to find out who has what.

1) Boise State Broncos:

2) Oregon Ducks:

3) TCU Horned Frogs:

4) Stanford Cardinals:

5) Wisconsin Badgers:

6) LSU Tigers

7) Ohio State Buckeyes:

8) Nebraska Cornhuskers:

9)Oklahoma State Cowboys:

10) Michigan State Spartans:

11) Arkansas Razorbacks:

12) Alabama Crimson Tide

13) Missori Tigers:

14) Virginia Tech Hokies

15) South Carolina Gamecocks

16) Nevada

17) USC Trojans

18) Iowa Hawkeyes

19) Mississippi State Bulldogs

20)North Carolina State

21) Texas A&M

22)Arizona Wildcats:

23) Northwestern

24) Miami Hurricanes

25) Utah Utes:

Daily Erin Andrews: Check Out Michael Phelps New Girlfriend

Michael Phelps made his big splash into the national spotlight back in 2008 with his triumphs in the the pool at the Summer Olympics. Since that time the record breaking Olympian has made his more headlines with his out of the pool actions than he has in the water. Yesterday Michael Phelps made headlines yet again when it became public news who he is now dating. Phelps has been connected with Brittny Gastineau. If that names sounds familiar, it is because she is the daughter of NFL great Mark Gastineau.

Walker Sports College Football Pick'em Week 11

Utah -6 vs. Notre Dame:

Oregon vs. Cal - over

Auburn -8 vs. Georgia

Florida -6.5 vs. South Carolina

Oklahoma State -6 vs. Texas

RFD Lock Pick's of the Week

It is the official RFD weekend, and while most of the members of the RFD are gathering in Charlottesville to watch Virginia take on Maryland, they have not forgotten their duties, of making their lock picks for Walker Sports. This week joining in on the action is none other than RC, making his RFD debut and hoping to make a big impression on his first time out.

Bloomer: Lock, Oklahoma State gets 6 TDs vs. Texas and give me the over 56. RFD Game: RFD's first game day win. Money line, UVA straight up.


RC: Gimme Texas A&M to win and cover, (-3) against Baylor. A&M's new quarterback and a balanced running game have the Aggies playing with new life as they look for their first Big 12 title in over a decade.

For the UVa - Md , gimme the under (50.5). Both teams coming off heartbreaking losses will them to come out and try to play conservatively.

Black Dragon: None of the lines are that appealing this week, but that's not enough to scare me away from laying some cash on a lock pick of the week. This week, it's Utah coming up big in South Bend and covering the 5.5 points against. Utah is simply too good, and after an embarrassing loss at home last week they will be out for blood against a woeful Notre Dame squad that is limping through their first year under Brian Kelly. Don't shy away from the over (54) either.

For the RFD game, despite a disappointing loss last weekend in South Beach the Terps are in the midst of an amazing season. They are also currently in the midst of a three game losing streak to Virginia. Look for all that to change on Saturday when the Terps travel down 29 south and pick up the win and cover the -1.5 points.

Denzel Washington Performs the Haka With All Black Legends

One of the best parts of rugby is the sport's ability to bring many different people together to support a common cause. Earlier this week, Oscar winning actor Denzel Washington met up with a few of the legends from the All Blacks, and some school children. What happened next was most likely a bit confusing for Denzel, and something the kids in attendance will never forget.

I'd like to give a shout out to our boys over at Play Rugby for providing this video.

USA Eagles Pre-Game Meal with The Saracens

For those who do no know, November is an important time of year for the rugby world. During non-World Cup years, teams will use the month of November as a chance to travel abroad and test theis skills against other nations during a period known as the "Autumn Internationals." While this time period is well established abroad with teams from the Southern Hemisphere traveling north, it is a bit of rareity for the USA Eagles to travel abroad for the Fall Tours.

For the first time in four years the Eagles made the trip across the pond to Europe will they will take part in a four game tour that includes two ranking test matches, another rarity for the USA Rugby program. The first stop for the Eagles found them in England, where they will take on the Saracens.

Now part of what makes rugby such a special sport is the comrodery and the sportsmenship between athletes both on and off the field. Since the Saracens are the hosting team, their club took it upon themselves to host the traveling Eagles for a team dinner, and give everyone a chance to relax and enjoy some social time before the take the field against one another. What resulted was some of the American athletes letting their hair down, and having a good time.



In many ways this video shows what is great about rugby. Could you imagine the Cowboys and the Redskins sitting down for a respectable team meal before a game? It's nearly unheard of here in the United States. While the Eagles will have their hands full on the pitch come Tuesday evening, they will always remember the time the spent around the dinner table breaking bread with their brothers in sport, and enjoy what rugby is all about.

Walker Sports College Football Pick'em Week 10

Okay it's November and that means we are down to the good stuff when it comes to college football. I know we are a bit late getting this post up, but there is still time to get those bets to the window. With that being said, we will keep it short and simple. Enjoy this week's Walker Sports Lock Picks of the Week.

Virginia -1.5 v. Duke: UVA has struggled all season under first year coach Mike London. Last week they made a strong home stand and knocked off Miami. That's the type of win the Cavaliers can build on for the future. This weekend down at Duke the Hoos keep the ball rolling and pickup the win.

Winner: UVA wins and covers the 1.5
Oregon -36 v. Washington: The Ducks are on a roll this season, and their high powered offense appears to be unstoppable. One thing is for sure, the depleted Washington Huskies will not stop the Ducks. However, it's not the line I am so interested in, as I am interested in the over, set at 68 points. Oregon averages 56 points a game, and they know they need to win with style points to keep their spot atop the poll.

Winner Oregon wins the game, but the play is taking the over 68 points.

TCU -5 v. Utah: This is a battle of unbeaten teams and could prove to be the best game on the weekend that nobody watches. TCU is scary good and may be the best overall team in the country. Currently they are giving up just 8 points a game. Utah has some offensive firepower and will likely break that streak.
Winner: TCU wins the game and covers the 5. Take the under (51) to pad your bet.

Stanford -8 v. Arizona: The Wildcats have flown largely under the radar this season and in the process they have shot up to a top 10 ranking. The Stanford Cardinals have possibly the No. 1 NFL Draft pick in quarterback Andrew Luck. One thing is for sure both these teams can get at it and score points. That's what's most important when picking this game.

Winner: Stanford edges Arizona in a close one but the play is taking the over at 56 points.

The John Wall Dance Has Arrived in Washington DC

The Washington Wizards had their 2010/11 home opener last night. Typically this would not be much of a deal for a team that dropped their first two games of the season on the road, and is all likelyhood will fail to reach the post season. However, Tuesday night was a memorable evening at the Verizon Center in Washington DC because it marked the home debut of the Washington Wizards No. 1 draft pick John Wall.

The Wizards achieved the unthinkable last spring when the ping pong balls fell their way, and they were awared the first overall pick in the 2010 draft. Washington used the pick to draft super freshman John Wall out of Kentucky. With Wall the Wizards are hoping to turn around what has been a snake bitten franchise.

In his home opener John Wall racked up an impressive stat line 20 points, 12 assist and 9 steals. Stats like those were good enough to make many forget about the 8 turnovers he experienced. Not only is Wall a great basketball player, but he is a pretty good dancer too. He showed off his dance skills during the pre-game and showed the world that he knows how to Dougie.



But Washington Wizard fans should not be surprised by this. John Wall has been showing off his dance moves since he arrived on the scene in Lexington Kentucky last year and played for the Wildcats.

Walker Sports College Football Poll:

We are just past the midway point of the college football season, and we are begging to see the elite teams separate themselves from the pack. Two undefeated teams experienced defeat for the first time on Saturday, and those Baylor Bears are proving to be legit contenders in the Big 12 South.

1) Boise State Broncos: They just keep rolling along. Saturday the Broncos face their last major test against Hawaii.

2) Oregon Ducks: The Ducks put on another blazing performance last weekend when they took on USC. There is no doubt they have the best offense in the country. Now the question is can they jump Boise State for the top spot?

3) TCU Horned Frogs: TCU is strong and they are without a doubt the best team in the Mountain West Conference. They have a showdown with Utah coming up on Saturday, but right now TCU is playing like the most well rounded team in the country.

4) Auburn Tigers: This is by no means a disrespect to the Auburn Tigers they are a great team, and Cam Newton is the best player in the country. However, right there there is a traffic jam ahead of them. However, strength of schedule does help the Tigers and if they can hold court they will likely move their way through the jam.

5) Utah Utes: Saturday will make or break the Utes. If they can knock off TCU, Utah will skyrocket their way up the rankings. A loss knocks them out of contention for good.

6) Alabama Crimson Tide: There is no doubt that Bama is the best one loss team in the country. Having an upcoming game against Auburn just makes the Tides situation even sweeter.

7) Arizona Wildcats: This is a bit of a lofty ranking for the Wildcats. However they have to play Oregon in a few weeks. If they can get over that hurdle then maybe Arizona is legit.

8) Stanford Cardinals: Andrew Luck is the best pro quarterback in the country. It will be difficult for Stanford to factor into Pac 10 race having loss to Oregon already. However, should Oregon hold serve and play for a national title someone needs to step in and fill the Pac 10's spot in the Rose Bowl.

9) Wisconsin Badgers: The Big 10 is turning into the Wild West and the Badgers have just a good a chance as any to come out on top.

10) LSU Tigers: The Tigers are in a similar position as Alabama, but thanks to Les Miles, it's difficult for anyone to honestly believe that LSU has an honest chance to make a title run.

11) Ohio State Buckeyes: The Buckeyes are still very much alive in the Big 10 they just need to win out and let the other teams fall apart around them.

12) Nebraska Cornhuskers: One week after losing a disappointing game, the Cornhuskers bounce back and knock off the undefeated Missouri Tigers. Nebraska is still the class of the Big 12 North.

13) Oklahoma Sooners: Thanks to the emergence of Baylor the Sooners suddenly have a back loaded schedule.

14) Michigan State Spartans: The Spartans got man handled by a better Iowa Hawkeyes team on Saturday. Michigan State was finally forced to leave the state of Michigan and they were exposed.

15) Iowa Hawkeyes: Iowa is a good team. They've suffered some tough losses, but that does not mean they are not the class of the Big 10.

16) Arkansas Razorbacks: The Razorbacks are fading, but they are still a good team. It would take some serious help for them to factor back into the SEC West race, but you cannot rule them out completely.

17) Mississippi State Bulldogs: Better than advertised.

18) South Carolina Gamecocks: The Gators picking up a big win over Georgia on Saturday hurt the Gamecocks more than anything else. It looks like the Old Ball Coach will be left out in the cold once again.

19) Virginia Tech Hokies: The ACC is falling apart and the Hokies are doing just enough to hold serve. Don't be surprised if they find themselves playing in yet another Orange Bowl.

20) Oklahoma State Cowboys: The Cowboys have a nice triple threat offense and a schedule that is set up for their taking.

21)Baylor Bears: Yes, this is for real. Baylor is a real team and they control their own destiny in the Big 12 South.

22) Nevada: They are good, just not great.

23)Florida State Seminoles: Horrible loss on Thursday night. The Seminoles have a long way to go before they can reclaim their past glory.

24) Oregon State Beavers: Can the Beavers finally prove to be the spoiler to the Oregon Ducks?

25) Syracuse Orangemen: Someone from the Big East had

The Minnesota Vikings Cut Randy Moss

Less than 24 hours after suffering a loss to his former team, Randy Moss is cut by the Minnesota Vikings. While the move comes as a surprise to most, there was plenty of evidence that not was was happy in the land of 1,000 Lakes. Moss openly voiced his opinions in after Sunday's loss. He also went on to write a love song about the New England Patriots and how he missed playing for his former team. In the end, it all proved to be too much for Brad Childress, Ziggy Wolfe and the Minnesota Vikings.

“Coach Belichick gave me an opportunity to be a part of something special and that is something I really take to heart. I actually salute Coach Belichick and his team for the success that they have had before me, during me and after me,” Moss said.



This was only a sample of the bizarre behavior Randy Moss showed Sunday when he opened his press conference by proclaiming he would not long answer questions from the press. The troubled receiver went on to state he would conduct his own interviews and would only answer his own questions.

“Well, I am going to go ahead and start this thing off. I am going to go ahead and say this - I said this a couple of weeks ago - but I got fined $25,000 for not talking to you all. Me, personally, I really don’t care, but at the same time, I do answer questions throughout the week, and for the league to fine me $25,000 … I am not going to answer any more questions for the rest of this year,” Moss said.

“If it is going to be an interview, I am going to conduct it. So, I will answer my own questions and ask myself the questions and give you the answers. So from here on out, I am not answering any more questions the rest of this season.”

All of this leaves plenty of unanswered questions. First, where does Moss go from here? Will he rejoin the New England Patriots? What is to become of the Minnesota Vikings? Can Brad Childress reign this team in? Bret Favre has a broken ankle and a lacerated chin. Randy Moss went on record saying the coaching staff failed to listen to his advice about the New England Patriots. Obviously there is a major disconnect between the Vikings coaching staff and the players.