LestersLegends.com

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By Vijay Senthilkumar, sportsguy250
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Interested in how some of the recent signings and trades affect the draft? Well, here you go, if you would like to know how some of the other moves that I have not mentioned affect the draft, let me know!
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Eagles trade for Demeco Ryans
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This was a huge pickup for the Eagles. The Eagles now finally have an above average Linebacker on their roster. However, the Eagles will still need some more upgrades at Linebacker throughout the draft. Previously it seemed that the Eagles were going to draft either Luke Kuechly or Dont’a Hightower, but now they can wait until the second round to draft a Linebacker. With their first round selection, the Eagles will most likely take a DT, such as Fletcher Cox, Dontari Poe, or Michael Brockers.
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49ers sign WR Randy Moss and WR Mario Manningham
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As long as Randy Moss is even 75% this is a steal for the 49ers. These two additions now give Alex Smith a complete set of weapons to throw to. This also gives the 49ers lots of flexibility in the draft. They are now free to select the best player available in the first round. They can either upgrade their already solid defense, or give Alex Smith even more weapons.
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Bears trade for WR Brandon Marshall
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This affects the draft in a major way. Previously, It seemed that the Bears would draft a receiver to help out Jay Cutler. However, now they have Marshall. While this move isn’t enough, it is still enough to make receiver a second or third round priority. It seems now that the Bears will select an elite pass rusher such as Whitney Mercilus of Illinois.
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Bills sign DE Mario Williams
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Buffalo did a wonderful job in upgrading their terrible pass rush in free agency. They signed pro-bowler Mario Williams and also added another good player in Mark Anderson. These moves now allow Buffalo to worry about other needs in the draft. The most pressing need for this team is now Offensive Tackle. The Bills are now expected to take Riley Reiff from Iowa.

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By Phillip Phillips
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9-6, and so ends another BCS National title run. As any great Coach will admit, you grow and learn from your mistakes. It’s the mistakes that happen twice that keep you up at night. I wonder how many Little Debbie Oatmeal cookies and coffee Alabama Coach Nick Saban will devour as he stresses over the 2^nd loss in 28 home games, the 2^nd to an SEC WEST opponent, another potential year without the SEC Crown, another potential year without the BCS Crystal Football all because he simply made the same mistake twice.
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I got you scratching your heads now don’t I. You’re asking yourselves, what game is he talking about? He didn’t just mock the Football Coaching God did he? Did he just say Nick Saban messed up & could he really have just compared the LSU/Alabama game to the Auburn/Alabama game of 2010? Well I am guilty, I did, and yes I am about to make some astonishing revelations about last night’s game that will surprise you. Sorry Bama fans but Saban messed up, and for the record the last coach that went on to lose 3 out 5 in a row to either Florida, UT, or LSU (Mike Shula) got ran out of town. Are you going to keep with tradition? Because Nick for some reason just is not able to win those elusive games against the BIG DOGS! You have set a precedent & here in the south we are known as men of integrity, honor, valor, etc….RIGHT? Goodbye NICK!
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So onto the main topic enter Jordan Jefferson. I made a comment to a Bama booster this week, that is Jefferson got significant playing time this week then the game was over. Naturally he took this has meaning Bama would win. Honestly, I felt the same, I never for once thought Nick would allow the same thing to happen twice. That was however until the midway point of the 2^nd qtr happened. I witnessed a very pivotal play that was reminiscent of the 2010 Iron Bowl and Cam Newton shifting the momentum into our favor. It occurred when Jefferson tucked the ball and sprinted for a 12-16 yard gain across the 35-40 yd line, end result was a FG on this drive but this put life into the LSU team.
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The final expose for the NATION though was on the 2^nd play of the O.T drive for LSU. Being Blitzed on what was to be a speed option left Jefferson quickly pitched the ball to Michael Ford who sprinted towards the endzone, only to stop himself with no one impeding his approach, he would have gone the distance from any spot on the field. Bama showed here that they could not defend the crease to the outside when speed was in play. Throughout the game LSU was able to throw to the short edge & short middle however the pass was a non-factor for them due to Jarret Lee’s ineffectiveness & turnover’s on deep ball.
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Notice I did not mention throwing deep to any point on the field. You have to set that up with the short game against Bama. Also, notice I did not mention running into the middle or through the C-G,G-T Holes, Off-Tackle is pushing the limits. Sweeps & options are the only way to run the ball with the emphasis being speed. Bama is not able to keep up with a speedy back to the edge over the course of 4 qtrs.
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Watch out when Alabama travels to the Plains of Auburn and visits the sight where the Bama fan poisoned TOOMER’S CORNER TREES. Auburn has a lot to play for that Saturday.

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AccuScore, the leading sports forecasting company, renowned for offering the most comprehensive and accurate sports forecasting engine anywhere, has launched the free AccuScore App to bring its proven track record to the mobile devices of all sports fans. AccuScore provides users with everything they need to know before the game.
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AccuScore is so proven effective that it is used by many top sports media companies including ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports, Sporting News and The Wall Street Journal. The AccuScore App brings all of this information to the mobile platform with its new FREE App.
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“It’d be amazing to see into the future. While it’s not quite possible just yet, sports fans can at least use apps like AccuScore to see the latest statistical forecasts for numerous games and the players participating in them,“ says 148apps.com.
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The AccuScore App offers forecasts for NFL, MLB, NCAA, College Football & Basketball, NHL and NBA games. Included in the free app are the forecasted winner, winning percentage for each team, forecasted player statistics, real-time alerts and one free tip per day that projects margin of victory, total points scored in the game and who will win.
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Additionally, the AccuScore App includes the leading sports fan communication network called FanConnect, connecting you with fans of all teams in all sports, via team lounges so you can chat, compare notes and forecasts, share, heckle, and more.
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In-app purchases unlock further details for those who need even more information on their respective games.
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AccuScore is out now for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
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Download the free app at http://tinyurl.com/3ew4o4u and get started seeing into your sports future:
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The AccuScore App was developed in partnership with The APP Company, a leading mobile software developer and maker of numerous hit iPhone, iPad and Android apps (TheAPPCompany.com).

From BestUniversities.com
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The identity of a college football program is shaped by its head coach. We associate the pass-happy Fun ‘n’ Gun offense with Steve Spurrier and the Gators, the swagger of “The U” with Jimmy Johnson, and a hard-nosed rushing attack, particularly the option, with Tom Osborne and his Huskers. The success of Florida State, for example, is attributed to Bobby Bowden, who made the once forgettable program into a national power. Given their impacts, it’s no wonder high profile athletic departments are shelling out five or six million dollars per season for the services of guys such as Nick Saban and Mack Brown. Every athletic director wants to hire the next legendary coach, and if they’re lucky, they’ll find someone who’ll achieve just a fraction of the success of the coaches listed below. Here are 10 who have cemented their places in college football lore.
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1. Bear Bryant: Nick Saban may have a 43-11 record and a national championship in just four seasons at Alabama, but he has a long way to go before he comes close to earning the same kind of admiration and adoration from Tide fans as The Bear. Almost 30 years after Bryant’s death, his presence is felt during every game in Bryant-Denny Stadium, as numerous fans don his patented houndstooth hat to keep his memory alive. During his quarter of a century in Tuscaloosa, he compiled a 232-46-9 record, including 19-6 and 16-7-2 records against hated rivals Auburn and Tennessee, six national championships and 13 SEC championships. He coached notable players such as Joe Namath, Ken Stabler, John Hannah and Ozzie Newsome. Bryant, a football lifer, died just four weeks after his final game as Bama’s head coach, almost confirming his prediction that he’d “probably croak in a week” after retirement.
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2. Knute Rockne: Knute Rockne tragically died at the age of 43 in a plane crash, so his coaching resume isn’t as extensive as, say, Bear Bryant’s, Joe Paterno’s or Bobby Bowden’s. But he certainly made the most of his 13 years leading the Irish, going 105-12-5 and winning five national championships. His success, early use of the forward pass and knack for public relations and marketing — valued skills in modern head coaches — helped shape Notre Dame into the nation’s most beloved football program.
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3. Robert Neyland: General Robert Neyland, a graduate of West Point, served as an officer in the Corps of Engineers during World War I, an aide to Douglas MacArthur, and in the China-Burma-India Theater during World War II, earning the Distinguished Service Medal and the Legion of Merit. The leadership skills he acquired while in the army transferred well onto the gridiron, where he led Tennessee to a 173-31-12 record, six undefeated seasons, four national championships and seven conference championships, five of which were in the SEC. Like modern SEC coaches, Neyland emphasized speed and defense, and his 1939 squad exemplified that, as it went the entire regular season without surrendering a point. Overall, the Vols recorded 17 consecutive shutouts from 1938 to 1940. His teams strictly adhered to his maxim to “Carry the fight to our opponent and keep it there for 60 minutes.”
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4. Bud Wilkinson: On Oklahoma’s Mount Rushmore of head coaches, which includes Bob Stoops, Barry Switzer and Bennie Owen, Bud Wilkinson is the most esteemed and recognizable. He coached 17 seasons for the Sooners, tallying a 145-29-4 record, three national championships, 14 Big Eight championships (previously known as the Big Six and Big Seven), and an 8-2 record in bowl games. Oklahoma’s dominance under Wilkinson was highlighted by three impressive streaks — 13 consecutive Big (Six, Seven and) Eight championships, an astounding 74-game lossless streak in the conference and, of course, a 47-game winning streak that still stands as the longest in college football history. Retiring at the age of 47 to pursue a career in politics, Wilkinson certainly wasn’t a “compiler” of wins, but had he stuck around for another decade or two, one could only imagine what his career record would look like today.
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5. Woody Hayes: Woody Hayes had a temper that makes his one-time student Bobby Knight blush. Say what you want about his character flaws, there’s no doubt the guy knew how to coach and motivate a team of young men. During his career at Dennison, Miami (Ohio) and Ohio State, he amassed a 238-72-10 record, three national championships and 14 conference championships, including 13 in the Big 10. In the same way Robert Neyland represents the modern SEC coaching philosophy, Hayes represents the prominent Big 10 coaching philosophy through the years with his conservative three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. He coached 58 All-Americans, including two-time Heisman Trophy winner Archie Griffin. He was a disciplinarian who preached the value of hard work, attributing much of his success to simply outworking his opponents. His intense focus and surly demeanor can be explained by one quote: “Show me a gracious loser, and I’ll show you a bus boy.” He lived to win.
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   Click here for the rest of the list.

The 2010 Fantasy Football Team Name has ended, with Dezzie Does Dallas taking home top honors (click here to see all the winners). Here are some fantasy football team names you can use if you want to support a college. They can be used for either pro or college fantasy football games. Feel free to add any that you come up with.

The Bantam Punch – Ode to Trinity College (CT) and Muhammad Ali’s Phantom Punch.
Lindsay Lohan’s Battlin’ Beavers – Ode to Blackburn College (IL).
Lindsey Wilson Blue Raiders: She Needed the Money – Ode to Lindsey Wilson College (KY).
Deliver Us Boll Weevils – Ode to University of Arkansas-Monticello.
Gator Done – Self-explanatory.
Larks Like We Made It – Ode to Hesston College (KS).
Whip Out Your Little Johns – Ode to Penn State-Abington. Blame the cold.
Midnight Marauders – Ode to Tribe Called Quest and Central State University (OH).
Sweaty Nads – Ode to Rhode Island School of Design.
Norse Code – Ode to Luther College (IA).
Orange You Glad I Didn’t Say Banana – Ode to Syracuse and the lamest knock-knock joke ever.
Not-For-Prophets – Ode to Oklahoma Baptist College.
Favre and Peterson Have Purple Aces – Ode to University of Evansville (IN).
Slip You The Shockers – Ode to Wichita State.
Webbies Does Dallas – Ode to Webb Institute (NY) and the contest winner.

Mark Ingram was the first power running back to take home the Heisman Trophy since Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne won it in 1998 and 1999 respectively. He ends a string of three consecutive Quarterback winners. In fact, Quarterbacks have won eight of the last nine Heisman Trophies.

Too often it seemed that the QB of the #1 team would take home college’s most prestigious award. Of those eight QBs, only Carson Palmer went on to success in the NFL. Tim Tebow and Sam Bradford haven’t had their opportunity yet, but I’m not one who thinks they’ll have productive pro careers.

When the Heisman was at its best was between 1968-1988. That stretch produced Hall of Famers O.J. Simpson, Tony Dorsett, Earl Campbell, Marcus Allen, and Barry Sanders. It also produced quality RBs Billy Sims, Herschel Walker, Mike Rozier, and Bo Jackson.

I’m not saying that Ingram belongs in the first batch of Backs, but perhaps he can help buck the trend of glorifying the QB and prompt Heisman voters to take the best player and not just the best QB.  After all, he became Alabama’s first Heisman winner so anything is possible.

Derek Jeter now has more hits with the Yankees than anyone in their storied history.  Ichiro set the record with 200 hits in nine consecutive seasons.  Alfonso Soriano (knee) will go under the knife.  Justin Morneau (back) will miss the rest of the year.  Jorge Posada and the Yankees got in a brawl with Jesse Carlson and Toronto.  They got suspended.  Dice K came back and got the Win.  Carl Crawford and Pat Burrell got into it.  Roy Oswalt is done for the year.

Brett Favre was named a Captain of the Vikings.  Shawne Merriman won’t get charged in his alleged domestic assualt incident.  James Davis got in a car accident.  Richard Seymour finally reported to Oakland.  McNabb fractured a rib.  Drew Brees threw six TDs.  Adrian Peterson had 3 TDs.  Denver beat Cincy on a tipped pass.  Jay Cutler threw 4 INTs as the Bears lost.  Brian Urlacher (wrist) is gone for the year.  Anthony Gonzalez (knee) will miss 2-8 weeks.  Tom Brady looked OK until the 4th quarter when he was amazing.  The Bills gave the game away to the Pats.  The Pats throwback jerseys looked so cool.  LT rolled his ankle.  Sproles looked good filling in.  Shawn Andrews is done for the year.  The Eagles signed Jeff Garcia.  The Panthers signed A.J. Feeley.  Jacksonville lost Reggie Hayward for the year.  Someone vandalized Leodis McKelvin’s yard.  What an idiot.  Boo him, but leave his home alone.  The Jets got fined for no reporting Favre on the injury report last year.  The Colts signed Hank Baskett.  Vince Young took Steve McNair’s sons to their school’s Dear Dads Breakfast.  Nice guesture.  On the other end of the spectrum, Dunta Robinson got fined $25K for putting “Pay Me Rick” on his shoes last week. 

James Singelton signed with the Mavs.  Pat Riley and others took a paycut from the Heat.  Richard Jefferson dislocated his thumb.  The tyrant David Stern fined Stephen Jackson $25K for saying he wanted to be traded.  The Suns bought out Sasha Pavlovic’s contract.  He signed with the Wolves.  Tim Thomas needs to get his knee scoped.  Desmond Mason signed with the Kings.  Portland signed Juwan Howard.

Buffalo signed Drew Stafford.  Florida signed Dennis Seidenberg. St. Louis picked up the option on Coach Andy Murray’s contract.  Columbus signed Antooine Vermette.  The Wild signed Petr Sykora.


#3 USC beat #8 Ohio State.  Michigan beat #18 Notre Dame.  Houston beat #5 Oklahoma State.  UCLA’s Kevin Prince will miss a month.  Georgia’s Rod Battle and Pitt’s Andrew Taglianetti will miss the year with ACL injuries.  Georgia also lost Derrick Lott for the year to an ankle injury.  North Carolina lost Center Lowell Dyer and Tight End Zach Pianalto for a month.  #20 Miami beat #14 Georgia Tech.  Ohio State lost OL Jim Cordle for a month.


Memphis’ Angel Garcia tore his ACL.  Tom Izzo got a contract extension.  Oklahoma State gave Travis Ford an extension.  Pitt’s Jermaine Dixon broke his foot.  Myles Brand lost his bout with cancer.

Juan Martin del Potro beat Roger Federer to win the U.S. Open.  Kim Clijsters beat Caroline Wozniacki to win the Women’s Finals.  Venus and Serena won the Doubles Final.  Serena Williams had a meltdown in her last singles match and got fined.

That concludes the Tidbits. As always feel free to add any stories you liked this week in sports or discuss any of the stories I mentioned.  Be sure to check out my Links Page for some great sites.