Joe Gibbs retires — again

After an emotional year, Hall of Fame coach Joe Gibbs retired as head coach of the Washington Redskins this morning. Gibbs had limited success in the four years since his return from retirement but this does little to tarnish his reputation as one of the greatest NFL coaches ever. I never really sensed that Gibbs was all that enthused about his return and I understood why he came back in the first place.

It now becomes very interesting to see what happens in Washington. Surely, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams will be an option but perhaps not a big enough name for owner Daniel Snyder.

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Time for hoops 

With the college football season now officially behind us, I can now shift my attention to college basketball. My beloved Hoosiers tip-off tonight against Michigan on ESPN and while John Belein’s Michigan team  is struggling, any road win in the Big Ten is huge. I like IU’s backcourt as much as any in America with Eric Gordon, Jamarcus Ellis, Jordan Crawford and now AJ Ratliff coming back from missing the first part of the year with academic ineligibility issues. The frontcourt features some real bruisers with DJ White, Mike White and 295-pound, former Chipola Junior College star DeAndre Thomas. Go Hoosiers!

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Senior Bowl staffs announced 

The coaching staffs from the 49ers and the Raiders will be coaching the North and South teams in this year’s Senior Bowl.

This year’s game could be a good one with the list of players committing to play including Kentucky quarterback Andre Woodson, Georgia Tech running back Tashard Choice, Alabama wide out DJ Hall and corner Simeon Castille and Oklahoma State wide receiver Adarius Bowman.

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Raging Rocket

I honestly don’t know what to say about Roger Clemens’ press conference yesterday in which he played a taped conversation between himself and former trainer Brian McNamee, a tape that did more to muddy the waters than it did to clarify anything. What struck me about the press conference was Clemens’ crankiness about having to answer semi-pointed questions from reporters. It leaves you to wonder how he’ll respond to flat-out accusatory questions he is sure to receive when he appears before Congress as he said he intends to do. The McNamee/Clemens issue is likely never to resolve itself in any definitive way but the fireworks have been, at the very least, entertaining.

RESTAURANT WARS, PART 2

Can’t say I didn’t see it coming.

Dale’s assessment the Restaurant April team of Casey, Brian, C.J. and Tre was pretty spot on. Last week, having missed the first 15 minutes of the show and turning it on and see the Restaurant April squad, I turned to my girlfriend and said, “That team is loaded.” For all intents and purposes, the food coming out of that kitchen should have been spectacular and it wasn’t. Not once, but twice.

Trying to figure out who to blame for that failure was the major task handed to our judges this week. Should it be C.J., who picked the team and then did a spectacular job of dodging any responsibilty? Or should it be Tre, whose salmon dish made Ted Allen jerk back in his chair as if he were being electrocuted?

Well it was Tre. And having figured that this week, we would see one of the heavy hitters go home, I gotta say, I’m not terribly disappointed. Do I think Tre was one of the best chefs in the competition? I absolutely do but maybe he tried to shoulder too much of the workload given C.J.’s complete and utter failure to lead a team that he selected. There are lots of things that team could have done differently. Instead of having Tre handling three courses in a five course dinner, have Brian make SOMETHING. ANYTHING. I’ll leave Casey alone on her dull knife and dull-er still knife skills. Did she not understand that ‘quickfire’ means things need to happen in an expedited fashion? Evidently not, by the way she was methodically cutting that onion as if she were performing an autopsy.

On the other side, I was really impressed with Sara M. who really stepped up this week and took over the kitchen for the Garage team. Howie continues to prove that he is an absolute moron and Sara probably, and unfortunately, saved him from elimination by telling him to redo his lamb chops, which I believe were still “Baaaaa-ing.” I lambasted Sara for being the competition’s weakest chef remaining but she proved her value this week and stepped up.

I will have to say that my hands-down favorite moment this week was when Sara informed Hung that they were cooking for the eliminated Sara and Joey, Hung’s response was “Who’s Sara and Joey?” And then when being told who they were, he responded, “nice.” Priceless stuff.

Given the previews, I have no idea who is going home next week and given what happened this week, it really could be anyone. I hope it’s Howie, who’s nonstop posturing and know-it-all attitude combined with his subpar performance in the kitchen, is wearing thin on yours truly. This could be the week where the sweaty Floridian is finally sent packing. Fingers crossed.

As always, Bravo’s bloggers have something to say about the second half of Restaurant Wars, including a very strong opinion from season 1 winner Harold Dieterle.

• Tom Colicchio
  
• Anthony Bourdain
• Ted Allen

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No, seriously… 

Chalk this up to things you wish you hadn’t read.

Croatia to build potato theme park.

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Some high school kids in Colorado just got a very good quarterback coach.

Pete Kendall looks to ruin another locker room on the eastern seaboard.

IU to remember Coach Hep at home opener.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach says the Big Ten is at a very important crossroads.  Easiest schedules of ‘07.

Was lashing out at Tiki the best thing Eli could have done for himself in the Giants locker room?

New York Daily News’ Mitch Lawrence calls Stephon Marbury’s defense of Michael Vick, “sick.”

Donovan McNabb seeking answers about Jeremiah Trotter’s release.

Ben Allen to transfer from IU.  This is a little inside baseball but I never thought Allen was tough enough to play in the Big Ten. He was slow, frankly non-athletic at times and didn’t show he could be an effective low-post defender or scorer for that matter. When you’re 6′11,” you really ought to have some sort of an inside game and Ben Allen didn’t. I think the fact that he was from Australia and was recruited to IU shortly after Andrew Bogut became the #1 overall pick made him appealing to the IU fanbase but his game never matched the hype. 

Peyton Manning takes up for this little bro.

Interesting piece in The State (Columbia, S.C.) about how Steve Spurrier and Tommy Bowden set goals for their respective teams.

Golden Bears eying revenge after last year’s blowout at Rocky Top.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart on five moments that will shape the SEC this year.

There is still no word on who will start at QB for Florida State.

The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel thinks recently-named Sooners starter Sam Bradford is on a very short leash.

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Well-rounded news… 

American Gladiators set to make primetime return.

Justice League flick to be motion capture? Barf.

Ok so I’m posting Wednesday’s Line on Thursday morning but hey.. it’s a week from the start of college football season. That is really the best way to diffuse any escalating situation. If you get in a fender bender with someone and the large gentleman you’ve just rear-ended going 80 steps out of his car armed with a hammer, just say, “Week from college football season!” And if that doesn’t work…. run?

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No, seriously… 

The cops in Oakland are mean.

Dog burglars on the loose in Seattle.

Boy ‘assaults’ elderly man with cocktail weiner.

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ESPN tries to make me hate college football with 25-hour pregame show.

Donovan McNabb blogs on the departure of veteran linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

Stephen A. Smith will no longer be writing columns for the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Stephon Marbury proves once and for all that he grew up under powerlines.

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach with five predictions for the Big Ten.

Eli Manning and Tiki Barker are feuding over comments Barber made during the Giants preseason game on Sunday. New York Daily News.

USC’s Patrick Turner is ready for a breakout year at receiver.

TROT FALLOUT 

• Daily News’ Les Bowen
• ‘Shocked Trotter takes his release in stride,’ Ashley Fox
• ‘Trotter’s passage isn’t that shocking,’ Rich Hofman
• ‘Trotter grew into role as top Birds defender,’ Les Bowen

Eric Gordon and the other Hoosier freshmen in Kelvin Sampson’s sick’07 recruiting class have arrived on campus.. begin the countdown to Midnight Madness!

Michael Vick will not find a place to play in Canada.

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson ends holdout, inks new deal.

Browns target unruly fans.

The AJC’s Tony Barnhart wonders if Alabama can shock the college football world this fall. I’m going with no.

Kevin Costner to fight to keep the College World Series in Omaha.

NFL will be fine after Vick, says Tim Cowlishaw.

Oklahoma quarterback race over; Sam Bradford named starter.

Redskins rookie LaRon Landry drawing rave reviews.

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‘Heroes’ mania is too much, too soon, says Boston Globe critic.

Slashfilm’s ten best movie endings.. kind of a curious list.

Christian Bale not approached for Justice League movie.

A Ferris Bueller sequel? Oh no..  Is nothing sacred?

Bottom Line fave Cold War Kids plan headlining tour, do support dates for White Stripes.