He’ll join the sports network giant in January as an NBA analyst.

Though New Orleans was off to a meager 3 – 6 start, I don’t believe that Scott deserved to be fired. He was NBA Coach of the Year in 2008. And that was just two years ago. He also coached the New Jersey Nets from 2000-04, leading them to two NBA Finals appearances.

Byron Scott will be joining ESPN in January.

“Byron has excelled in every professional endeavor and we know his success will carry over to his on-air role,” said Norby Williamson, ESPN’s executive vice president for production. ”We welcome him back. His experience and passion for the game will resonate with our fans.”

Scott is an excellent coach, and I think he has the kind of charisma and reputation that speaks to NBA players on a variety of levels. Even Chris Paul was shocked and dismayed when Scott was let go. I think we’ll see him again, coaching another NBA team in the future.

For now, Scott will take his place behind the ESPN desk.

Image: Zuma Press

Post from: EveryJoe

Byron Scott Returns

Ron Hornaday will be working with a few new team members next year

Kevin Harvick Inc has decided that Dave Fuge and Doug George will be part of their Truck Series program for 2010. Dave Fuge will be in charge of making sure the No. 33 Chevrolet of four-time Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday is ready to go before each race, while Doug George will be the new crew chief of the No. 2 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. Rumours have been spreading like wildfire that the No. 2 Chevrolet will feature several Sprint Cup series drivers behind the wheel for 2010, which should make for a few interesting races, when one of them is behind the wheel.

Fuge is from Sumner, Washington, while Doug George is from Atwater, California, and Ernie Cope, crew chief for the No. 33 Nationwide Series program for KHI, hails from Tacoma, Washington. All three of the crew chiefs of KHI will therefore be from the west coast of America, along with Kevin Harvick himself, general manager for KHI, Rick Carelli, and Ron Hornaday himself.

Dave and Doug have proven skills and experience in the Trucking Series which will definitely help the team and bring much needed experience and mental strength to the team. It will be interesting to see if the chemistry between these six west coast boys will work and the team will be even better in 2010, than they have done separately in their careers. In fact, Fuge brings the experience of a two-time Truck Series championship team owner he gained while working with Xpress Motorsports in 2002 and 2003, and the ability to manage drivers like Mike Bliss and Travis Kvapil.

All of these six men have achieved great things on the track and they’ll be looking to do even better together, which will make for an interesting year on the track and should give the other teams and drivers competing in NASCAR’s Trucking Series a little scare. The KHI team and members really only have one way to go and that’s up, so you can expect them to be competitive next year and maybe in the lead at the end of the season.

“Image: Zuma Press”

Post from: EveryJoe

Kevin Harvick Inc Hires New Team Members

First of all, the Rangers aren’t convinced that Lowell is healthy. While the hip that he had surgery on last season doesn’t seem to be an issue, his thumb is another matter. Lowell hurt his thumb near the end of last season and The Boston Globe is saying that the Rangers have reservations about the thumb.

Another issue may involved Bud Selig. Since the Red Sox are reportedly giving the Rangers nearly $10 million to complete the trade, the commissioner needs to okay the deal. While it may just be a formality, there’s no indication that Selig has given his stamp of approval.

If the trade gets reversed, look for the Red Sox to try to trade him elsewhere. Lowell doesn’t fit in their 2010 plans and they are obviously willing to do what it takes to send him to another team.

Will Mike Lowell be running back to Boston? (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Will the Mike Lowell Trade Get Reversed?

Swish.

A four-point game became a seven-point contest and the Thunder were never competitive again. (You can see video of the Mo Williams halfcourt shot at the end of this article.)

Williams finished the game with 22 points, four rebounds and four assists. LeBron James, per usual, led the way for the Cavs. The King scored 44 points, pulled down seven rebounds, dished out six assists and swiped four steals.

The Thunder put up a good fight for most of the game thanks to Kevin Durant’s 29 points and Jeff Green’s 26 points. After Williams’ prayer hit all net, the Thunder only scored two more points the rest of the way.

With the win, the Cavs improved to 17-7. The Thunder dropped to 12-10 with the loss.

Post from: EveryJoe

Video: Mo Williams Halfcourt Shot Sinks OKC

Ernie Els (Image: Zuma Press)

But I wouldn’t worry too much about Els going winless in 2010.  The smooth-swinging pro has too much talent no to grab at least one victory next year, especially with Tiger Woods off the tour indefinitely.

Post from: EveryJoe

Ernie Els Goes Winless for 2009

The Saints had a close game against the Atlanta Falcons. Although the Falcons were without stars Matt Ryan and Michael Turner, they put up a great fight. It took Garrett Hartley field goal with under five minutes remaining to give the Saints a 26-23 victory. As usual, Drew Brees led the way with three touchdowns and 296 passing yards.

The Colts also didn’t have an easy affair. With Denver Broncos wide receiver Brandon Marshall going off for an NFL record 21 catches for 200 yards and two touchdowns, the Colts needed Dallas Clark’s third touchdown reception with 2:25 remaining to seal a 28-16 victory.

Next week, the Saints host the Dallas Cowboys, while the Colts travel to Jacksonville to take on the Jaguars. If both teams can stay undefeated headed to the Super Bowl, this year’s Super Bowl may gone down as the best of all-time.

Can Peyton Manning and the Colts go undefeated? (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Colts and Saints Remain Undefeated

Baskett is a receiver for the Colts, and his son might just be a future footballer too if his weight is any indication. He weighed 9 lbs., 5 oz. at birth. That’s some big baby!

Meanwhile Kendra’s pal Holly Madison told People that she will be doing plenty of shopping for her friend while she’s recovering. Think she’ll buy Kendra one of those Playboy bunny tee shirts? Yeah, maybe not. Tacky.

Image: Bauer-Griffin

Post from: EveryJoe

Kendra Wilkinson Delivers

Few of us would have guessed at the beginning of the season that he’d be the winner. It was called “The Year of the Quarterback,” yet we’ve mainly been let down by the talent that returned for another year of college football. Last year’s Heisman winner, Sam Bradford, had a tragic season marred by injury, so he wasn’t even a contender. Colt McCoy of Texas finished third, and Tim Tebow finished fifth in the voting. I’m not saying that they aren’t great players, but neither of them has blown me away this season.

Mark Ingram and head coach Nick Saban hold the Heisman Trophy together. Image: Newcom

The race for the Heisman this year was a close one, and I think that’s because no player truly stood out on the field. My vote would have went to Ingram as well, so I think he deserves the honor, but looking over the season, it wasn’t filled with superstars. Here’s the breakdown of the voting:

• Mark Ingram, Alabama: 1304 points
• Toby Gerhart, Standford: 1276 points
• Colt McCoy, Texas: 1145 points

Three things are really interesting with this year’s voting:

1. It was the closest race in the history of the Heisman, with Ingram winning by just 28 points.
2. This is Alabama’s very first Heisman, even though the Alabama is third in the BCS with National Championship wins.
3. Ndamukong Suh, a defensive player from Nebraska, finished fourth.

Although the Heisman is an award for the best player overall, defensive players usually aren’t seriously considered as top contenders. They simply don’t have as much room to shine. This year, a number of experts and fans were calling fro Suh to win the Heisman, saying that no offensive player has done enough to stand out and be the winner.

Whether you think that’s true or not, Ingram has been the backbone of the Alabama program, rushing for a Crimson Tide record of 1,542 yards so far this year and scoring 18 touchdowns. Against Florida in the SEC Championship game, he ran all over their top-ranked defense, adding three touchdowns and over 100 yards to his total.

Mark Ingram, in the SEC Championship game, Image: Newscom

Since he’s just a sophomore, people are already starting to ask: could he be a repeat Heisman winner? Could Alabama be a driving force in the SEC again next year, with Ingram leading the way? Time will tell – for now, they have a championship on their minds, and it’s going to be quite a battle against Texas next month.

Post from: EveryJoe

Mark Ingram wins the Heisman

Heading into Week 14 of the 2009 NFL season, Young is questionable due to a knee injury. Although many in the organization believe that he’s iffy to play, Young thinks he will play — and there’s no reason to think he’s lying.

On the season, Young is 107-for-175 for 1251 yards and six passing touchdowns. He also has 175 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. He’s also limited his mistakes as he has only three interceptions and one lost fumble.

If Young isn’t able to go, Kerry Collins would get the start. Collins was very successful last year but fell on his face this season. That said, the Titans will be favored with either Young or Collins at quarterback this weekend. That’s the beauty of playing the lowly St. Louis Rams.

Vince Young says he'll play in Week 14 (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

Is Vince Young Going to Play?

1. Boston Celtics
The Celtics are riding a ten-game winning streak and they are beating teams by about ten points per game on the season. Dominant.

2. Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers lost on Saturday night and Kobe Bryant is dealing with a broken finger. That said, they are still the championship favorites.

3. Orlando Magic
The NBA Finals appearance last year wasn’t a fluke. But the Magic are going through growing pains while living with the expectations.

4. Atlanta Hawks
No one really takes the Atlanta Hawks seriously but they are doing all they can to prove they are elite.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers
Is it me or does this look like LeBron James’ swan song in Cleveland?

6. Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets are inconsistent. However, when they are playing well, Denver can be scary good.

7. Dallas Mavericks
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs are playing very well but are they really championship caliber? I don’t think so.

8. Phoenix Suns
The Suns started the season as one of the best teams in the NBA. Lately, they’ve slumped and I think the slump will continue.

9. Houston Rockets
The Rockets are playing better than anyone could imagine. It’ll be interesting to see if TMac helps or hurts the team.

10. San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs are having a tough time putting it all together. If they don’t turn it around, the team may blow it up.

Doc Rivers has to be happy with what he's seen from his team (Image: Zuma Press)

Post from: EveryJoe

NBA Power Rankings – December Edition