random ramblings fred riecke gamblersdata
…In what apparently is a financially motivated action, the Denver Broncos have waived quarterback Kyle Orton. The 29-year-old seventh-year veteran from Purdue lost his starting job after going 1-4. He hasn’t played since the first half against San Diego on Oct. 9. His replacement, Tim Tebow, is 4-1. Orton decisively outplayed Tebow in training camp but faltered when the regular season started, throwingseven interceptions. Orton will be subject to waivers. If a team claims him, it will have to pay what remains of his $9 million salary. If he’s not claimed, he’ll become a free agent. Several teams, including contenders Chicago and Houston, could use a veteran QB. Orton was acquired last year in the Jay Cutler trade with the Bears and won his first six starts in Denver before going 6-21 and losing his starting job. With playoff eligible teams needing quarterbacks, the Broncos have found a way to dump Orton and his salary. Of course few expect Tim Tebow to be the starting quarterback next year since neither his coach or John Elway support him. Does this mean it will be Brady Quinn’s job to lose?
…Add Kyle Orton – much to his chagrin. no doubt, Orton was picked up by the non-contender in need of a QB, the Kansas City Chiefs.
…Elway was giving an interview to host Gary Miller on 102.3 FM in Denver and was asked if he was “any closer to feeling if you have your quarterback on this team.” After considering the question Elway gave a one-word answer: “No.”
…We have yet to hear it from him, but I for one would love to hear Bret Favre say that there is no way he will come back to “help” teams in need of an instant quarterback like the Bears or Texans.
…Ohio State is not going to follow Miami’s lead and turn down a bowl bid to sway the NCAA investigators. If the NCAA allows Ohio State to go to a bowl game, the Buckeyes will pack their bags. Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Tuesday that Ohio State would not penalize itself by keeping the football team from making a postseason trip as a way of mitigating potential NCAA sanctions. In an exchange of text messages with The Associated Press, Smith said, “Cannot speculate on what they (the NCAA) may do. No, we do not intend to self impose a post season sanction.”
…Four high school football players facing charges related to an alleged sexual assualt of a teammate appeared in court in Southern California on Friday. The alleged assault took place Oct. 17 after the Castle Park High School football team held a practice session at their school in Chula Vista, south of San Diego, the San Diego Union-Tribune reported. The four youths — who faced a juvenile court and were not named for legal reasons — were alleged to have attacked the other player near the school cafeteria. I don’t really know why I included that other than it is somewhat bizarre.
…TCU kicker Ross Evans is free on bond after he was accused of kicking in the door of a North Texas apartment. Coaches are not the only ones to make stupid moves in sports. Denton police spokesman Ryan Grelle says Evans turned himself in to Denton police Monday morning after he learned that a warrant had been issued for his arrest. He’s charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief. According to a police report, Evans is accused of kicking in the door of a Denton apartment on Nov. 8 while trying to retrieve a cell phone. Grelle said the case will be presented to the Denton County District Attorney’s Office. If convicted, Evans could get up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine.
…Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno clashed repeatedly with the university’s former chief disciplinarian over how harshly to punish players who got into trouble, internal emails suggest, shedding new light on the school’s effort to balance its reputation as a magnet for scholar-athletes with the demands of running a nationally dominant football program. In an Aug. 12, 2005 email to Pennsylvania State University President Graham Spanier and others, Vicky Triponey, the university’s standards and conduct officer, complained that Paterno believed she should have “no interest, [or business] holding our football players accountable to our community standards. The Coach is insistent he knows best how to discipline his players … and their status as a student when they commit violations of our standards should NOT be our concern … and I think he was saying we should treat football players different from other students in this regard.”
…I don’t care what others say, I say running just can’t be that good for you. Last week we reported on two heart attack deaths during a marathon. Now this. Marko Cheseto, a Kenyan runner from the University of Alaska Anchorage who disappeared in a snowstorm earlier this month, had to have his frostbitten feet amputated, the school said Monday. The 28-year-old lost both feet to above the ankle, the school said in a statement. The surgery was performed last Thursday.
…Police say an argument about loud music could be the reason Seattle Mariners outfielder Greg Halman was stabbed to death. Police spokeswoman Patricia Wessels tells The Associated Press that loud music appears to be the reason the victim walked downstairs,” but police are still trying to piece together what happened after that. Police say they are still interviewing the brother of Halman as a suspect in the death of the 24-year-old Dutch baseball player, who was killed in the early hours of Monday morning at an apartment in Rotterdam. Halman hit .230 in 35 games and made starts at all three outfield positions for the Mariners in 2011 before being optioned to Triple-A Tacoma.
…I guess the Packers aren’t perfect after all. Green Bay Packers linebacker Erik Walden was arrested for allegedly assaulting his live-in girlfriend, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette. His girlfriend required medical treatment. Hobart-Lawrence police Chief Randy Bani said the incident occurred Friday at 2:30 a.m., at a Lawrence apartment complex and a woman later called authorities about 6:30 a.m. Bani said Walden’s girlfriend was treated at a local hospital before calling police. He didn’t believe she had visible injuries. The 26-year-old Walden was booked into the Brown County Jail at 8 a.m. “The officer felt that was enough information that was given by the victim that the male was arrested,” Bani said. Walden played in the Packers-Detroit Lions game on Thanksgiving Day and flew home with the team Thursday. The Packers are 11-0 this season. Walden will remain in jail on suspicion of felony domestic violence-substantial battery until at least Monday. He’s due in court that day.
…Things have gotten so ugly in Happy Valley as a result of the Jerry Sandusky scandal that even Sue Paterno is feeling the wrath of angry community members. According to the Associated Press, Sue – a big swimmer who likes to swim laps in the morning – was recently turned away from a campus pool.
…Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh says he wasn’t trying to kick or stomp on Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith during Green Bay’s Thanksgiving Day win on Thursday. Instead, Suh says, he was just trying to stabilize himself upon getting up off the ground. Suh spoke about the incident — that earned him a personal foul and an ejection from the game during the third quarter — following the game, and he tried his best to downplay the situation. “First and foremost, I’m only going to apologize to my teammates, my coaches and my true fans for allowing the refs to have an opportunity to take me out of this game,” Suh said when addressing the media. I’m not buying that for a second.
…Add Suh – Suh, who has been fined three times in his young career for questionable hits and behavior, wouldn’t comment on whether or not he thought he would be further disciplined by commissioner Roger Goodell. I would expect one. In fact, I’m guessing that a suspension may be imposed as past fines don’t seem to have curtailed Suh’s behavior.
……New York Jets guard Matt Slauson played with controversial Detroit Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh in college, but he is no fan of his former teammate. A day after Suh was ejected from the Lions’ loss to Green Bay for another over-the-line incident, Slauson Friday blasted his former University of Nebraska teammate as “out of control” and wondered if Suh needed medical help. “Somebody needs to get him under control, because he’s trying to hurt people,” Slauson told the New York Post. “It’s one thing to be an incredibly physical player and a tenacious player, but it’s another thing to set out to end that guy’s career.”
…The Minnesota Wild were in a tight spot heading into Wednesday’s home game against the Nashville Predators. Starting goaltender Niklas Backstrom was scratched due to personal reasons, and while backup Josh Harding was ready to step in and make the start, emergency call-up Matt Hackett was flying in from Houston, and the team was unsure if he would be on time for the pregame warm ups. So the Wild went to Plan B and signed 51-year-old Paul Deutsch, a print shop owner and occasional beer league goalie, because league rules prohibited them from signing an emergency backup with pro experience. Fortunately or unfortunately as the case may be, Deutsch’s services were not needed.
…Hulk Hogan (real name Terry Bolea) and his wife Linda divorced in 2009 after 26-years of marriage. Their settlement agreement has just made the rounds and the Hulkster should ask for a rematch. Or break his lawyers legs. According to The St. Petersburg Times, Linda Bolea received just over 70% of her and her husband’s investments, 40% ownership in Hulk’s business ventures, a property settlement worth $3 million, and the keys to a Mercedes-Benz, a Cadillac Escalade, a Corvette, a Rolls-Royce and various off-road vehicles from her ex-husband’s vast car collection. On the positive side, Hulk gets to keep all the money he makes from personal appearances and the like, and doesn’t have to pay ex-wife Linda any alimony. Of course, it doesn’t appear she will need any either.
…Things aren’t going very well for the Eagles this season. Same goes for Eagle receiver DeSean Jackson. Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson was fined $10,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct in last week’s win over the New York Giants. Jackson was penalized at the end of a 50-yard pass play when he flicked the ball toward New York’s bench. The reception was nullified by the penalty. Jackson was deactivated for the previous week’s game for missing a team meeting.
…Get ready for some all-time shocking news: baseball super-agent Scott Boras is not a fan of the new draft spending limits in baseball’s recently signed collective bargaining agreement. In theory the new system will lower bonus demands of the top players in the draft, because if they fall deeper into the draft, other organizations will likely have to pass on them due the overall cap hit they would take by signing those top players to the big deals they demand. I won’t lose any sleep over this. Hopefully Boras does.
…The Honolulu Police Department said on Tuesday that they are not opening a criminal investigation of alleged point shaving regarding the University of Hawaii football team because of a lack of information. The school’s president says the office of admissions received an anonymous letter on November 3rd alleging point shaving by members of the football team. The timing of the letter coincides with suspicious movement concerning the point spread for one of Hawaii’s games. Covers.com points out that the point spread for the Hawaii-Utah State game opened with Hawaii favored by 7.5 points, and as much as 9 in one book. Three hours later, the line was down to 3.5 everywhere. The Wynn casino in Las Vegas reportedly opened with the line at 7.5 Sunday night and it dropped to 3.5 Monday morning.
…Add point shaving in Hawaii – So what happened? Hawaii’s quarterback Bryant Moniz played the entire previous game and played the entire Utah State game. As for the actual game, Hawaii blew a 28-7 halftime lead and lost 35-31. Hawaii coach Greg McMackin said he has been asked not to comment about the allegations.
…Carlos Zambrano ended the season on a sour note throwing a juvenile hissy fit and was subsequently suspended by the Cubs. For those who believe in Karma, Carlos may be your poster child. The troubled Chicago Cubs starting pitcher was in Venezuela when a batter nailed him in the face with a line drive. The injury required 18 stitches to the side of his mouth and he has to sit out of games for at least a week until a doctor clears him to resume activity. Cubs fans are hoping this shot to the dome hopefully has knocked some sense into the hair-trigger tempered Zambrano.
…Multiple sources confirmed early last week that Urban Meyer has reiterated his intention to take the Ohio State head football coaching job during recent phone calls to multiple, prominent former Ohio State football players. While Meyer continues to deny it, it might be announced before this even goes to post.
…Meyer add – so on Monday comes word that Ohio State and Meyer have agreed on terms for him to be the next Buckeye football coach.
…I could have lived just fine without the NBA.
