Mike Leach rips his team apart with an epic rant
Leach called his team ‘a JV softball team’ after losing to Boise State over the weekend. And that wasn’t even the best part of his epic rant.
There hasn’t been a more disappointing team in all of college football this year than the Washington State Cougars. A team that was projected by some as a Pac-12 North darkhorse is now 0-2, with losses to FCS foe Eastern Washington and Boise State on Saturday.
The worst part is that it came after a 9-4 campaign a year ago in Pullman, during a season in which Mike Leach’s club appeared to turn the corner. Instead, it looks like the same old Wazzu we’ve all grown to know and feel bad for.
One guy who isn’t feeling bad for the Cougars is Leach himself. He went on a rant for the ages on Monday, calling out his team, their style of play and even the state of athletics in America.
But hey, other than that, everything is good, right coach?
In all seriousness, let’s give Leach credit for this: In a world where everyone is afraid to be honest, he simply refuses to hold back, and refuses to say what is “PC” or correct.
And to his word, he also put his money where his mouth is, making a handful of changes to his depth chart on Tuesday.
Buccaneers bring Kroy Biermann in for a tryout
A day after signing fomer Falcons RB Jacquizz Rodgers. The Bucs are looking at the Biermann.
With defensive end Jacquies Smith being lost for the season due to a torn ACL, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers brought in a familiar face for defensive coordinator Mike Smith for a tryout.
Per Adam Caplan of ESPN.com, the Buccaneers worked out former Atlanta Falcons and Buffalo Bills defensive end Kroy Biermann on Tuesday.
Smith served as Biermann’s head coach in Atlanta for seven of his eight seasons spent with the franchise. Biermann started 114 of a possible 128 games with Atlanta over the last eight years. He missed 14 games in 2013 after suffering a torn Achilles.
Biermann compiled 23.5 sacks and 331 tackles with the Falcons. He spent the offseason with the Buffalo Bills but was released during final cuts.
Jeff Fisher climbs the career coaching losses list
When the Rams lost to the 49ers last night, Jeff Fisher took a dubious place in NFL history.
Fisher is now all alone in third place in NFL history for most coaching losses, with 157. Prior to last night he was tied with Don Shula for third place, with 156.
That Fisher is tied with Shula for losses isn’t a good sign, considering that Shula coached 490 games in his Hall of Fame career, while Fisher has coached just 327 games.
Fisher’s career coaching record now sits at 169-157-1. The only coaches in NFL history with more losses are Tom Landry (250-162-6) and Dan Reeves (190-165-2). Fisher has a chance to pass both of them this season; if the Rams lose nine more games and finish 6-10 or worse, Fisher would have the all-time losses record to himself.
Fisher hasn’t had a winning season as Rams head coach, he’s now in his 5th season on the job. Fisher hasn’t had a winning record since 2008 in Tennessee. Fisher has coached 21 seasons in the league and has had 6 teams finish with winning records.
Rex Ryan had Lap Band removed to show solidarity with brother
Rex Ryan revealed to the New York Post this week that he had previously had his Lap Band removed as a show of solidarity for brother Rob Ryan, who now serves on his Buffalo Bills coaching staff.
“I told him, we’ll figure this out together (without the Lap Band),’’ Ryan said.
The Bills head coach, who had the Lap Band inserted in 2010 after he topped out at nearly 350 pounds — going on to lose over 100 pounds in the next two years — joked about the decision to have the device removed.
“I did it a long time ago, so I’m not going to get into those things,” Rex Ryan quipped about the decision, via ESPN. “But as somebody pointed out, several times, we won more games when I was heavier, so I’ll do anything for the squad.”
Rob Ryan’s experience with the Lap-band did not go nearly as well as Rex’s, to put it mildly. In fact, here’s what he had to say about the serious health issues he suffered after undergoing the procedure a few years ago (via the New York Post):
“I put on 30 pounds in a month. Now I can’t get [the lap band] off,” Rob explained, after having dropped to 260 pounds from 320 pounds during his time in Dallas. “And then my band was so tight, I almost died. … It was so tight, my esophagus was working as my stomach.
“All you can eat is sugar, and I drink the hell out of wine. But that’s all I could really eat and drink, so I was getting enormous again.”
The revelation from Ryan that he had the Lap Band removed “a long time ago” helps explain how he apparently has put on 30 pounds since his brother joined the Bills coaching staff.
All that aside, the fact that Rex would perform such a gesture for Ryan demonstrates the closeness and loyalty the Ryan brothers enjoy, something they’re definitely leaning on after their father’s death this past summer.
Meyer signed family contract before taking Buckeyes job
Before he accepted a job offer to coach the Buckeyes, Urban Meyer’s family made him sign a contract with them first.
Shelley Meyer, said in a feature story published by Bleacher Report. “He was not accepting that he couldn’t control everything. He’s a perfectionist. He wants to win every game. He wants to win every championship. And that’s just not even clear thinking. You can’t. You just can’t.”
Shelley, daughters Nicki and Gigi and son Nate all had their terms, such as: My family will always come first. I will take care of myself and maintain good health. I will not go more than nine hours a day at the office. I will trust God’s plan and not be overanxious. I will eat three meals a day.
Nicki wrote it up on a now-famous page of pink notebook paper, and Urban signed.
Vin Scully won’t call Dodgers playoff games
If the Dodgers win the World Series in Vin Scully’s final year, the voice announcing the championship will not belong to Scully.
Scully said Tuesday he would not call any Dodgers playoff games on radio, meaning his career will end Oct. 2 in San Francisco.
“Otherwise, I’d be saying goodbye like in grand opera, where you say goodbye 12 different times,” Scully told The Times.
Although national broadcasters have exclusive television rights to playoff games, Scully has called the Dodgers’ postseason games on radio in recent years. The team had hoped he would do so again this year, but Scully said two farewells would be enough: Sept. 25, when the Dodgers play the Colorado Rockies in the final regular season home game, and Oct. 2, when the Dodgers finish the regular season at AT&T Park.
Said Scully: “I’m going to say goodbye at Dodger Stadium the last game with Colorado. I will say goodbye in San Francisco. And then that will be it.”
In his 67th and final season as voice of the Dodgers, Scully has called three road games: Opening day in San Diego, and two games in Anaheim. He said he would work all three games of the weekend series in San Francisco.
Vince McMahon undergoes mystery surgery for undisclosed injury
In the most vague release of all time, the WWE announced Monday that chairman Vince McMahon has undergone surgery after suffering an injury recently.
BREAKING: @WWE Chairman @VinceMcMahon sustained an injury while training, requiring surgery
So far, we don’t know what kind of injury it was and what kind of surgery McMahon underwent. All we know is that McMahon suffered some sort of injury and underwent some sort of procedure.
Here’s the ridiculous release for those interested: “WWE Chairman and CEO Vince McMahon sustained an injury while training, requiring surgery, WWE.com has learned. The Chairman will be back in the office at WWE Headquarters on Wednesday, as usual.”
