Gene Chizik bolted from Iowa State to Auburn just a couple years ago, and it was Paul Rhoads who took over the Iowa State program. Rhoads is from Iowa and the fan base seems to really like his coaching style.
Turner Gill was a hot commodity going into last season, but his first year at Kansas didn’t go well at all.
Big 12 Previews – Kansas Jayhawks
Head Coach: Turner Gill
2010 Record: 3-9
Kansas Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win BCS: +1,500 (Part of the Field)
Kansas Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
Based on the amount of talent he had, it would be completely unfair to judge him on those results alone. Gill is likely to get this team turned around, but can they make a significant step forward in 2011? It will likely be difficult with a depth chart full of question marks and inexperienced players.
Kansas won just one Big 12 Conference game in 2010, and that was against Colorado, who is no longer part of the conference. Gill is telling everyone who will listen that the 2011 version of the Jayhawks will be far better. While the fan base does realize that this is a difficult job right now, last season was a complete disaster and they are certainly expecting at least some improvement.
The Jayhawks are in pretty good shape at the running back spot. James Sims had an impressive freshman campaign, and I expect him to be even better this season. Highly recruited tailback Darrian Miller should also get plenty of carries, and I think these two running backs will form a nice tandem in the backfield for the Jayhawks.
The linebackers should be solid as Steven Johnson, the team’s leading tackler returns. In addition to Johnson, the team should also get a nice boost from the return of Huldon Tharp. Tharp missed all of last season with an injury, but he is one of the team’s most talented players and he should help the defense’s team speed quite a bit. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Where should I start here? This is a team that has weakness after weakness all over the place right now.
The quarterback position is completely up in the air. Jordan Webb is the front runner to be the starter, but he has struggled with turnovers and there are three or four guys who have a legitimate chance at starting at the quarterback position this year. Kansas needs to find someone that can manage the game and make good decisions at this spot.
The defensive line was nothing less than terrible in 2010, and I can’t imagine them being much better in 2011. This unit allowed 205 yards per game on the ground last season, and they didn’t pick up their first sack until the seventh game of the season. Amazingly, the Jayhawks had just eight sacks all of last year.
The offensive line allowed 37 sacks last year, which was the most this team has allowed since 1996. Virtually everyone remains from the 2010 offensive line, but this is still likely to be a weak spot for the Jayhawks.
The Jayhawks have a couple of easy non-conference opponents at the beginning of the season, which might allow them to get a couple quick wins. After their first two games of the year, I don’t expect to see this team in the win column much at all this year. While Gill is an eternal optimist, it is hard to imagine a team with so many question marks finding a way to win many games in the Big 12. If they are going to surprise people they need to win at home against Kansas State and on the road against Iowa State. Brighter days are likely on the horizon with a solid coach like Turner Gill, but look for the Jayhawks to have another very long season in 2011.
Kansas Jayhawks 2011 Schedule
09/03/11 vs. McNeese State
09/10/11 vs. Northern Illinois
09/17/11 at Georgia Tech
10/01/11 vs. Texas Tech
10/08/11 at Oklahoma State
10/15/11 vs. Oklahoma
10/22/11 vs. Kansas State
10/29/11 at Texas
11/05/11 at Iowa State
11/12/11 vs. Baylor
11/19/11 at Texas A&M
11/26/11 vs. Missouri
NFL news: LeSean McCoy battles Giants D-line on Twitter
NFLers continue to slog each other via Twitter. 
The latest offender is Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, who called New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora “Overrated n soft 3rd best d-line on his team honestly.”
Umenyiora responded by comparing McCoy to Lady Gaga and a Chihuahua.
In addition to defending Umenyiora’s skills, Giants defensive end Justin Tuck spoke out against the Twitter wars this week.
“I honestly think social media has made people cowards,” Tuck said. “Where I’m from, if you had a problem with somebody you said it to their face and that was it.
I think now people are hiding behind computers and smartphones to get out something they got on their chest.”
Heitmann Out Again
San Francisco 49ers center Eric Heitmann is expected to miss his second consecutive season after undergoing neck surgery.
Terrell Owens owes child support
Terrell Owens reportedly has refused to pay the full $5,000 in monthly child support owed to the mother of his child.
Melanie Paige Smith filed court papers in Atlanta alleging that the star NFL wide receiver owes her partial child support for June 2011. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.
CappersPicks.com InHouse Handicapper!!!! The #5 Capper in the WORLD, and #1 NHL Capper! You asked for them.
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The MLB divisions just keep on scrunching. No current leader has a cushion bigger than 4.5 games.
NBA news: Sides far apart with CBA set to expire;
The NBA is on the verge of its first lockout since 1998-99 Reportedly, the players and owners remain far apart in their negotiations with the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire by the end of today. Free agency won’t commence if a deal isn’t struck. 
The NBA has already cancelled the summer league in Las Vegas for this season.
Nene to opt out
Given all the rumors including his name, it’s no surprise that Nene is opting out of his contract with the Denver Nuggets. The center had one year left on his six-year, $60-million deal. He averaged 14.5 points and 7.6 rebounds last season.
Blazers make qualifying offer to Greg Oden
It appears the Portland Trail Blazers will give Greg Oden one more chance. They will extend a one-year, $8.8-million qualifying offer to the former No. 1 overall pick and oft-injured center.
That will make Oden a restricted free agent, meaning Portland can match any offer Oden receives during free agency.
Mark Cuban contributes to rapist capture reward
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is doing his part to capture whoever is responsible for beating and raping a woman following the Mavs’ NBA championship victory on June 13. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Cuban has contributed $20,000 to the reward for capturing the perpetrators.
Today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.
CappersPicks.com InHouse Handicapper!!!! The #5 Capper in the WORLD, and #1 NHL Capper! You asked for them.
Now you’re getting them. Razor’s plays are PUBLIC. Games are locked and loaded, Good luck today on your picks.
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NHL news: Paul Kariya, Todd Marchant retire
The NHL said goodbye two memorable players yesterday – each of which played a very different role during his playing career. Paul Kariya announced his retirement. 
The 36-year-old simply couldn’t recover from his latest concussion, which sidelined him for all of 2010-11. During his 15-year NHL career, Kariya had 402 goals and 989 points in 989 games.
He won the Lady Byng Trophy as the league’s most gentlemanly player twice.
Todd Marchant also called it quits yesterday. The two-way forward, now 37, scored 186 goals over 18 seasons with the Rangers, Oilers, Blue Jackets and Ducks. He won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
Dwayne Roloson re-signs with Lightning
Goaltender Dwayne Roloson may be 41 years old but has no plans to retire. He re-signed with the Tampa Bay Lightning yesterday for $3 million over one year. He would’ve become an unrestricted free agent tomorrow. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Roloson went 18-12-4 with a 2.56 goals against average and .912 save percentage after Tampa traded for him at midseason last year and was a key contributor to Tampa’s run to the Eastern Conference final.
Today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.
CappersPicks.com InHouse Handicapper!!!! The #5 Capper in the WORLD, and #1 NHL Capper! You asked for them.
Now you’re getting them. Razor’s plays are PUBLIC. Games are locked and loaded, Good luck today on your picks.
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In a revenge fight four years in the making, Dominick Cruz will defend his belt against the only man that has ever defeated him.
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Orioles wrap-up their three-game interleague series this Thursday night at Camden Yards. Game time is set for 7:05 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast nationally on the MLB Network.
MLB Gambling Online – Brewers vs Yankees Preview & Pick
Date: Thursday, June 30, 2011
Venue: Yankee Stadium, Bronx, NY
Broadcast: FSWI, YES
Milwaukee Brewers at New York Yankees Betting Lines from BetOnline.com
Money Line: -200
Over/Under: 8.5
CLICK here for INDEPTH MLB ATS Stats for this matchup —>
Bet now at BETONLINE —>
Talk smack about MLB Baseball Today In Our Forums –>
Milwaukee Brewers (44-36 through June 28)
Randy Wolf (6-4, 3.20)
The Milwaukee Brewers have to be pleased with holding first place in the National League Central. 
However, they have a demon to overcome in the Bronx this week. Miller Park has treated them great; the Brewers are 29-11 at home, best in the majors. But they’re 10 games under .500 on the road.
In their last two road games (through Tuesday), one at Fenway Park and one at Yankee Stadium, they were outscored 24-5.
Randy Wolf will try to curb Milwaukee’s road struggles Thursday afternoon.
The lefty hasn’t lost in seven decisions and has allowed just one homer over his last four starts. Still, he must be sweating. Wolf has always been a homer-prone pitcher and he’s facing the majors’ top power-hitting team on Thursday.
Over two career starts against the Bronx Bombers, Wolf has lasted a combined 10 innings, allowing eight runs and four homers.
New York Yankees (46-31 through June 28)
C.C. Sabathia (10-4, 3.25)
The New York Yankees had won three straight, scoring 26 runs, and seven of nine through Tuesday. Their power bats are cooking as usual. Mark Teixeira’s 24 bombs tie him with Jose Bautista for the major-league lead. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
With Curtis Granderson (21) and Robinson Cano (14) also raking, the Yanks have three of the top 12 home-run hitters in the American League.
Despite their regular sluggers’ prowess, the Yanks should consider calling Andruw Jones off the bench to start on Thursday. The former star has three homers off Wolf over 55 career at-bats.
C.C. Sabathia will go for his major league-leading 11th victory against the Brewers on Thursday.
He isn’t exactly hot of late, allowing four or more runs in three of his last four outings, and he’s winless over two career starts against Milwaukee.
MLB Trends:
Over is 6-2 in MIL last 8 road games.
Over is 9-4-1 in MIL last 14 on grass.
Over is 9-4-1 in MIL last 14 overall.
NYY are 14-4 in their last 18 Thu. games.
NYY are 20-8 in their last 28 overall.
NYY are 20-8 in their last 28 games on grass.
The pick:
C.C. hasn’t been great of late but the wins keep on coming. The key: run support. The Yankees’ offensive output over his last three outings: 12 runs, 10 runs, eight runs. C.C. only has to be average to win when the Yankees are producing runs like they are right now.
And it feels like Wolf and his gopher-ball ways will be thrown to the, er, wolves at Yankee Stadium.
Brewers vs Yankees prediction: Yankees 7, Brewers 3
Here come the defending champs. The San Francisco Giants are still the fourth-lowest scoring team in the majors but they’ve rattled off seven straight victories anyway.
Tommy Tubberville had a bit of an up and down first season in Lubbock, but the Red Raiders finished the season off with a 45-38 win in the TicketCity Bowl.
We’ve seen an explosion of UFC fight cards of late, pretty much one every week, but UFC 132 is the first big one in a while, probably since St-Pierre vs Shields last April.
NFL news: Goodell and Smith meet to discuss CBA
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith met for the first of four CBA negotiating sessions this week that won’t have owners or players present. Optimism is growing as the two heads work out details of a possible new CBA, which could include a rookie wage scale. 
Players and owners may reportedly join the discussions later.
NFL training camps are set to start in three weeks.
The Hall-of-Fame game between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears is scheduled for August 7.
Rosenhaus dismisses T.O. retirement talk
Even though he’s 37 years old and has a torn ACL, Terrell Owens has no plans to retire, according to agent and mouthpiece Drew Rosenhaus, who suggested “all the retirement talk is nonsense.”
Rosenhaus added that the free-agent wide receiver is “many months into recovery and doing fantastic.
No predictions on training camp, but he comes back fast from injuries. I won’t rule him out of anything.
He will be a starting receiver for someone this year.”
[soliloquy id=”82219″]
Today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.
CappersPicks.com InHouse Handicapper!!!! The #5 Capper in the WORLD, and #1 NHL Capper! You asked for them.
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NHL news: Hurricanes re-sign Joni Pitkanen
We continue to see a flurry of activity as July 1 and unrestricted free agency approach in the NHL. The Carolina Hurricanes got the jump by re-signing workhorse defenseman Joni Pitkanen to a three-year, $13.5 million deal.
The minutes-eating machine had 35 points in 72 games for Carolina last season. 
Isles acquire Ehrhoff’s rights
The New York Islanders are gradually becoming relevant again and feel confident enough about their future that they acquired defenseman Christian Ehrhoff’s negotiating rights from the Vancouver Canucks for a fourth-round pick. Ehrhoff, who becomes a UFA on Friday, had 14 goals and 50 points in 79 games last season.
Hall of Fame announces 2011 class
The Hockey Hall of Fame announced its 2011 inductees yesterday and few if anyone protested the selections this time around.
Taking their place among the game’s legends: goaltender Ed Belfour, who is third on the NHL’s all-time wins list; center Doug Gilmour, best known for leading the Toronto Maple Leafs’ resurgence in the early 1990s; Joe Nieuwendyk, a goal-scoring center who won Cups wherever he went; and Mark Howe, defenseman and son of Gordie but an outstanding player in his own right.
Canucks fans are all pissed off as yet again Pavel Bure has been left out!
Police investigating Chara
The Montreal police plan to question Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara about the controversial hit he threw on Max Pacioretty this past March. Chara smashed the Canadiens forward into the steel support beam along the glass; Pacioretty suffered fractured vertebra and a severe concussion. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The police are still trying to determine whether Chara’s act could be considered a criminal offense.
Today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.
CappersPicks.com InHouse Handicapper!!!! The #5 Capper in the WORLD, and #1 NHL Capper! You asked for them.
Now you’re getting them. Razor’s plays are PUBLIC. Games are locked and loaded, Good luck today on your picks.
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MLB news: MLB may seize Dodgers
Is Major League Baseball about to seize control of the Los Angeles Dodgers? Reportedly, the league is considering filing a motion to grab control of the team, which has filed for bankruptcy.
Owner Frank McCourt claims that he filed for bankruptcy because the MLB rejected a massive television deal with Fox. 
League commissioner Bud Selig maintains, however, that he rejected because McCourt had already put the club into financial trouble by siphoning more than $100 million in club revenue for personal use.
Josh Johnson to see Dr. Andrews;
Gulp. Florida Marlins ace Josh Johnson’s recovery from a right shoulder injury just took a turn for the worst. He’s in the midst of a throwing program but is “not feeling 100 per cent” and is off to see Dr. James Andrews. That means major surgery may be in Johnson’s future.
Thumb surgery for Choo
It appears Shin-Soo Choo’s frustrating 2011 season is at a merciful end. The Cleveland Indians outfielder had surgery yesterday to repair a broken left thumb and could be sidelined for two and a half months if not the rest of the season – especially if the Tribe fall out of the playoff race. [dfads params=’groups=10&limit=1&return_javascript=0′]
Today’s sports water cooler talk. Here, you won’t just find the straight news; you’ll find the stuff everyone is talking about – the ice breakers, the Twitter Sports Picks and topics…well, basically all the stuff you discuss at the water cooler.
CappersPicks.com InHouse Handicapper!!!! The #5 Capper in the WORLD, and #1 NHL Capper! You asked for them.
Now you’re getting them. Razor’s plays are PUBLIC. Games are locked and loaded, Good luck today on your picks.
Grab yourself a 3 Day weekend all access pass for $89.95 or 7 Days Pass $169! Guaranteed to C-A-$-H! CLICK HERE BUY NOW!
Comments are welcome below!
Bill Snyder may be 71 years old, but he can definitely still coach. Snyder has put together an impressive 149-80 record in his tenure at Kansas State.
Most impressive about that record is the fact that Kansas State never had any success on the field in the years before Snyder took over the program.
