2011 Paul Bear Bryant Watch List Released for College Coach of the Year
The Paul “Bear” Bryant Awards committee of the American Heart Association selected its Bryant Watch List for the 2011 College Football Coach of the Year. The selection committee consists of current and past event chairmen, Bryant family representatives, Houston sports analysts, and former collegiate players and coaches.
In December, a finalists’ list will be announced and comprised of five to ten coaches. Finalists will attend an awards dinner on Jan. 18, 2011 in Houston, Texas, where the winner will be announced live. The Paul “Bear” Bryant College Coach of the Year is the only college coaching award given after all the bowl games are concluded.
January’s event will also recognize former Florida State Seminoles Football Coach Bobby Bowden, who will receive the Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award. The award recognizes excellence in coaching on and off the field during a career, allowing recipients to take their place in history alongside legends such as Paul “Bear” Bryant. Recent Lifetime Achievement recipients include Vince Dooley, Barry Switzer, Tom Osborne, and Glenn “Bo” Schembechler.
Bryant College Coach of the Year Watch List in alphabetical order by coach:
- Bret Bielema – University of Wisconsin
- Gene Chizik – Auburn University
- Mark Dantonio – Michigan State University
- Kirk Ferentz – University of Iowa
- Jimbo Fisher – Florida State University
- Mike Gundy – Oklahoma State University
- Jim Harbaugh – Stanford University
- Chip Kelly – University of Oregon
- Les Miles – Louisiana State University
- Dan Mullen – Mississippi State University
- Gary Patterson – Texas Christian University
- Bo Pelini – University of Nebraska
- Chris Petersen – Boise State University
- Gary Pinkel – University of Missouri
- Nick Saban – University of Alabama
- Bill Snyder – Kansas State University
- Bob Stoops – University of Oklahoma
- Mike Stoops – University of Arizona
- Jim Tressel – Ohio State University
- Kyle Whittingham – University of Utah
The Bryant Awards honor excellence in coaching while raising funds to fight heart disease and stroke, the nation’s No. 1 and No. 3 killers. Bryant himself suffered a heart attack prior to his death in 1983. Funds raised benefit research, community education and outreach programs of the AHA.
Bing National Tailgating Championship to Decide America’s Top Tailgaters
Regional competitions held throughout the country with national champion crowned Feb. 3 in Dallas/Fort Worth during the biggest week in football.
Brats versus burgers; team jersey versus winter coat; early departure versus post-game party in the parking lot— all are important game-day decisions for football fans and tailgaters this time of year. Today, Bing, the Decision Engine from Microsoft Corp. that provides football fans with everything they need to make these vital game-day choices, is introducing a new competition that will celebrate tailgating and crown the team that makes the best tailgating decisions in four key categories: cooking, sports trivia, parking lot athletics and team spirit.
The Tailgating Institute of America (TIA), led by nationally recognized Commissioner of Tailgating Joe Cahn, will host the competition. Local panels of judges will determine winners in six regional competitions, with the regional winners traveling to compete in Dallas/Fort Worth on Feb. 3 for the championship title. All competitions will take place in major football stadiums on game days in the following cities (all times local): Read more
Who Says Girls Can’t Play Baseball?
University Professor Jennifer Ring awarded Yoseloff-Society for American Baseball Research Grant
With the World Series beginning next week, the country turns its attention to America’s favorite pastime, baseball. Men’s baseball that is. Women do not play baseball, they play softball, but a political science professor at the University of Nevada, Reno has set out to show the plight of the baseball-playing women to the world.
Nevada’s Jennifer Ring, winner of the Yoseloff-Society for American Baseball Research Grant, has written “Stolen Bases: Why American Girls Don’t Play Baseball” and is in the process of writing a follow-up book, tentatively titled “America’s Baseball Underground: Documenting the State of the American Woman’s Game.”
“I have had a lifelong passion for baseball,” Ring said. “I think I must have been born with a ‘baseball gene’ that I passed on to my younger daughter, who plays baseball on the U.S. National Women’s Team, and the U.C. Berkeley Men’s Club Baseball Team. She is a very talented athlete but like many other American girls, has struggled to find baseball teams to play on after Little League.” Read more
UEFA Champions League: Spartak Moskva vs. Chelsea match preview
Chelsea FC return to the Luzhniki Stadion, home of FC Spartak Moskva, to confront the painful memories of a long and dramatic night in May 2008. Then the UEFA Champions League trophy slipped through their fingers as Manchester United FC defeated them 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw after extra time.
• Chelsea begun their latest bid for continental glory in typically imperious fashion, winning 4-1 at debutants MŠK Žilina on Matchday 1 through goals from Michael Essien, Daniel Sturridge and a Nicolas Anelka double.
• Two weeks later they faced Olympique de Marseille, easing to a 2-0 win with John Terry and an Anelka penalty supplying the first-half goals.
• Spartak have also enjoyed a fine start to the campaign with maximum points from two games. They began by winning at Marseille, a late own goal by defender César Azpilicueta giving the Russian side their first win on French soil at the 11th attempt.
• Two weeks later they continued Žilina’s woes with a 3-0 triumph. Two goals from Ari and a late Ibson strike gave the Moscow club a UEFA Champions League group stage win at the Luzhniki Stadion for the first time since a 4-1 defeat of Arsenal FC on 22 November 2000. Read more
UFC 120 results: Bisping beats Akiyama
UFC 120 results can be read here, starting with the fact that Bisping vs. Akayama ended in Bisping’s victory.
The O2 has set the stage for a night of great action, with very interesting fights and results.
Mike Bisping has beaten Yoshihiro Akiyama, by unanimous decision.
Then, Carlos Condit won by KO against Dan Hardy, and Mike Pyle beat John Hathaway (unanimous decision).
The match between Cheik Kongo and Travis Browne ended, very unexpectedly, in a draw.
Claude Patrick beat James Wilks (it was a unanimous decision), and Cyrille Diabate won against Alexander Gustafsson by submission (Rear Naked Choke).
The same happened in favour of Rob Broughton against Vinicius Queiroz, and in favour of Paul Sass against Mark Holst (the latter being a Triangle Choke).
Spencer Fisher beat Curt Warburton (unanimous decision) and last, but not least, Fabio Maldonado beat James McSweeney by TKO.