Drunk Rhino Sports Blog and Radio Show

Huge rivlary on todays lineup. We will discuss as we start our morning 11am show and continue throughout the day.

Mack Brown and the No. 11 Texas Longhorns are headed into their annual grudge match with No. 3 Oklahoma looking to learn about themselves.

Brown will find out whether his 4-0 club is really as good as
the scoreboard indicated after lopsided road victories over UCLA
and Iowa State, or whether they’re closer to the team that opened
the season with a slow start against Rice and needed a late rally
to beat BYU by a point at home.

Coach Bob Stoops and the Sooners have loftier goals in mind. An
impressive win could send Oklahoma back toward the top of the poll
after being leapfrogged by SEC heavyweights LSU and Alabama.

This will be the 106th meeting between the Red River rivals. It
is the 32nd time both come into the game undefeated. – from kwtx.com

HUGE football focused extended show today. Join us as we play a few interviews that we have in our archive. We know you will enjoy them.

Today during our extended show, we will touch on the top SEC conference. With special in studio guests!

Anybody arguing with LSU as No. 1? Yes, it’s really a pointless argument for the moment, given that LSU and Alabama will eventually play each other, and the winner is almost certainly going to get the nod at least in the media poll. (I still don’t know what the coaches and sports information directors are doing, but it’s not like their votes count are anything. What do you mean, that’s the one the BCS uses in its formula?) So state your case for Alabama if you think they should be No. 1, because there’s very little that I can see right now to keep me from giving the Tigers the spot for the foreseeable future.

A Honey Badger for Heisman? What was at one point just an off-handed thought has become a dull roar — the Heisman voters should consider at least bringing LSU’s Tyrann Mathieu to New York City in December. Mathieu has forced four tumbles, recovered three and returned two for touchdowns. He also has two picks, the latest coming in Saturday’s game against Florida, a team leading 41 tackles, five of those for losses and 1.5 of those sacks. If a defensive player were to get consideration for the award, Mathieu would seem to be the perfect storm. He’s on a team that could play for the championship game — something that should have nothing to do with the award, but does — and has the stats to back it up. The question is, do you think that he stands a chance? And should he?

Is Connor Shaw the answer? A few weeks ago, it looked like an extremely ill-advised move when Steve Spurrier decided to start Connor Shaw over Stephen Garcia in the season opener against East Carolina. Now, we know why he did it. It was just Kentucky, but Shaw looked about as good in the Gamecocks’ 54-3 dismantling of the Wildcats as could be reasonably expected. He was 26-of-39 for 311 yards and four touchdowns. The passer rating for that, if you were wondering, was 167.50, which would be a quality showing in just about anyone’s book. We can’t say this enough to make sure the caveat is emphasized — this was against a team that is on pace to be the consensus worst in the conference and might not win an SEC game all year. But does Shaw under center give you more confidence in South Carolina?

Who isn’t going bowling? A lot of teams are suddently past the halfway point of the season, so it’s time to start thinking about the postseason picture. We’ll start with the easiest question of all, at least the one that looks so at this moment. Of the 12 SEC teams, which of them will not be bowl-eligible when the season is done? There are a few obvious ones (cough cough Kentucky cough cough), but do you see any surprises?

What are you watching Saturday? This is a bleaker slate than you might expect. The only SEC prime time games are Alabama at Ole Miss and Florida at Auburn. The CBS showcase game is LSU at Tennessee. And it’s hard to blame the networks when you look at the alternatives — South Carolina at Mississippi State and Georgia at Vanderbilt are the only other matchups on the schedule. So, is this the week for you to catch up on teams outside the conference?

Today is the last day of the MLB season. Give us a call or share emails on your favorite moments of the season.

We will be live most of the night with a replay afterwards.

Om today’s show we wrapup the baseball regular season. Give us a call and listen in.

We start wrapping up the regular season today and tomorrow. Call us with your postseason picks.

According to the newspaper, Josh Willingham’s agent, Matt Sosnick, approached the A’s with proposals for a multi-year deal last week and he was told that the team is in payroll limbo until their quest for a new stadium is settled.

“We gave the A’s an idea of where we were, and we were told they have interest in bringing Josh back, but before they did anything, they want to see what happens with the stadium,” Sosnick told the Chronicle. “Josh and I both made it clear he’d like to stay, but at this point, I’m pretty sure he’ll test the free-agent market.”

The A’s have been waiting for more than two-and-a-half years for Major League Baseball’s committee to make a recommendation on their stadium situation, but general manager Billy Beane has said in interviews in the past several days that the team believes that a decision will come down soon.

According to the Chronicle, there are no such signals coming out of MLB, but the Giants’ recent shuffle in ownership structure might prompt some movement about the territorial rights issue. The A’s would like to build a stadium in San Jose, which is farther from San Francisco than Oakland, but the Giants hold the territorial rights to the city, the residue of a failed stadium ballot measure there in the early 90s.

“It seems to me like Willingham is the one guy on the team who would be the most difficult to replace, so I’ve got to imagine it’s a pretty serious situation,” Sosnick told the Chronicle. “Guys aren’t beating down doors to hit in Oakland, and we said let’s do something fair, but they really are in wait-and-see-mode.” – from latimes.com

The players union and NFL continue to battle over HGH testing. How do you come out on the issue? this will be our main topic of the day as we recap some of todays games throughout our porgram.

When NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and players union chief DeMaurice Smith stood on the steps of the Pro Football Hall of Fame seven weeks ago to announce ratification of a 10-year labor deal, it appeared to be a historic moment for the nation’s most popular pro sports league.

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith (left) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (right) are leading both sides in ironing out how the league will test for HGH, part of the new labor deal.

By Rob Carr, Getty Images

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith (left) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (right) are leading both sides in ironing out how the league will test for HGH, part of the new labor deal.

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By Rob Carr, Getty Images

NFL Players Association chief DeMaurice Smith (left) and NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell (right) are leading both sides in ironing out how the league will test for HGH, part of the new labor deal.
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Besides resolving financial issues, the deal called for the NFL to become the first major pro league in the USA to implement testing for human growth hormone (HGH), a synthetic, performance-enhancing drug typically taken with steroids.

After years of haggling, it was widely viewed as a groundbreaking step that could deter cheaters, boost the NFL’s image and send a strong anti-doping message to young athletes.

PHOTOS: Best images from NFL Week 3
BLOG: More NFL coverage in The Huddle

Yet three weeks into the NFL’s regular season, there is no HGH testing.

It remains the one unresolved issue lingering from the labor dispute, which shut down the sport during the offseason with a 132-day lockout by team owners. The NFL Players Association (NFLPA) has not approved the league’s proposed testing plan, maintaining that tests developed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) — which flag a positive result when ratios of a hormone naturally produced by the body are abnormal — are not reliable. The union wants more information to support the validity of the tests.
The nuts and bolts of HGH testing

The NFL and its players union agreed to mandate random testing for human growth hormone (HGH) as part of a new labor deal ratified in early August, but have yet to implement testing due to unresolved issues. The union has raised questions about the validity of blood tests that the NFL has approved, and has yet to sign off on other logistics. How the process of testing for HGH could be applied under the NFL’s proposed plan:

1. Each week during the preseason and regular season, three NFL clubs will be identified for blood-testing. Using a computer program, five to 10 players from each of the three teams will be selected for blood serum collection, in addition to urine testing for other substances. Players will be required to submit to testing whenever they are selected — even on game days, before or after the contests — regardless of the number of times they have been previously tested. During the postseason, five to 10 players from each team will be randomly selected each week while the club is active in the playoffs. During the offseason, 10% of each team’s players will be selected for blood testing. Also, any player subject to reasonable cause testing shall be eligible for blood testing at the discretion of the independent administrator of the testing program.

2. Selected players will be notified face-to-face by the blood collection specialist, who will document the time and date of the notification. If players are notified after completing physical activity, they will be provided a 15-minute hydration period before testing.

3. Players must present government- or team-issued identification upon entering the collection site, and will be asked which arm he wants used for the blood draw. Players will also be allowed to choose the specific blood collection kit from a supply of such.

4. A total of 10 ml of blood (less than a tablespoon) will be collected in two tubes, which will be labeled as “A” and “B” samples. Players will verify that the samples are inserted and sealed in an individually numbered BEREG transport kit. A temperature monitor that records the internal temperature during transport to the laboratory will be inserted into packaging designed to keep the samples cold.

5. Samples collected by Drug Free Sport — which has provided specimen collection service for the NFL’s drug program since 2007 and collects blood for Minor League Baseball — will be delivered within 36 hours to one of two domestic laboratories certified by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for HGH testing. The facilities are at UCLA and at the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory in Utah.

6. Testing of the “A” samples are expected to be completed within two weeks of the collection. If an “A” sample tests positive for HGH, the “B” sample will be tested.

7. If the “B” sample confirms the results of a positive test, the player will be notified.

8. Players have a right to appeal a positive test. Appeals are expected to be heard within 10 days by a third-party hearing officer, as agreed by the NFL and NFLPA.

9. If the suspension is upheld, a player testing positive for HGH would be subjected to a mandatory four-game suspension for a first offense, consistent with current steroids policy. Steeper penalties would apply for multiple offenses.
By Jarrett Bell

The NFL had hoped to begin random blood testing, even on game days, at the start of the regular season. Urine tests are used to detect other substances banned by the league, such as anabolic steroids, diuretics and certain stimulants.

“I don’t have any issues with giving blood, but it’s got to be a test above reproach,” said linebacker Scott Fujita, the union representative for the Cleveland Browns. “So far, there hasn’t been a test that’s valid. There are so many issues that make it a slippery slope. This … can’t be rushed.”
HGH Q&A

Q: What is HGH?

A: Human growth hormone (HGH) is a hormone naturally produced by the body. It is synthesized and secreted by cells in the anterior pituitary gland located at the base of the brain. It acts on many aspects of cellular metabolism and is necessary for skeletal growth. The major role of HGH in body growth is to stimulate the liver and other tissues, and it aids in muscle and organ growth. The artificially-developed HGH that is banned as a performance enhancer by the NFL and other sports leagues is injected.

Q: How does HGH affect athletic performance?

A: In addition to being purported to build muscle mass and aid in the healing of muscles and bone, it is believed to also increase stamina. Experts also contend that HGH can help mask detection of other illegal substances.

Q: What are known side effects of HGH abuse?

A: Commonly reported effects include diabetes, worsening of cardiovascular disease, joint and bone pain, hypertension, cardiac deficiency, abnormal growth of organs and accelerated osteoarthritis.

Q: What’s the premise of current HGH tests?

A: The blood tests measure the ratio of HGH in the blood stream, with a high concentration of such resulting in a positive test. There is no urine test currently available, although such tests are being researchedand potentially developed.

Q: Why have there been so few positive tests for HGH?

A: According to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), the low number of positives could be a result of the majority of tests conducted while athletes are in competition. According to WADA, it is suspected that HGH is often taken while athletes are in training and out of their competitive seasons. The first HGH test was implemented for the Athens Olympics in 2004. Experts also contend that the high threshold allowed before considering a test as positive might be another factor.

By Jarrett Bell

Source: World Anti-Doping Agency

Gary Wadler, a long-established anti-doping voice and past chairman of WADA’s prohibited list and methods committee, dismisses the players’ concerns and defends the validity of HGH tests, which were first used at the Athens Olympics in 2004 and are evolving. According to The New York Times, there have been seven positive results involving athletes worldwide in sports that adhere to WADA’s standards. Besides the Olympics — which had zero positive tests in two Summer and two Winter games — minor league baseball tests for HGH.

There is no evidence to pinpoint the level of HGH use in the NFL, but Goodell said at the start of the season that he suspected some players use it. In August, Indianapolis Colts wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez told The Indianapolis Star that he could not estimate a percentage of violators but that he was certain some players use HGH, which is illegal to have in the USA without a prescription.

“Around the league, you see guys on Sunday, and things don’t add up; they don’t look right,” Gonzalez said. “I see guys I saw in college; now they’re in the NFL and they look totally different.”

Atlanta Falcons offensive tackle Tyson Clabo acknowledges the need for HGH testing, if only to protect the league’s integrity.

“If guys start getting busted, then obviously there was a need,” said Clabo, a union rep. “I don’t anticipate there’s going to be this large flux of guys getting caught, because I don’t see it really being a huge problem. But there’s really only one way to find out, and that’s to start testing.”

Major League Baseball, which strengthened drug testing rules as a result of its steroid era, has suspended 27 players for positive tests since imposing steroid testing in 2004. Baseball’s testing for HGH is limited to the minor leagues, which led to Mike Jacobs, a since-released first baseman in the Colorado Rockies system, becoming the first North American athlete to test positive for HGH. Jacobs, suspended for 50 games last month, admitted taking HGH to aid healing from an injury.

Wadler, an internist, suspects that some NFL players are cheating similarly. HGH is purported to stimulate the growth and healing of bones and muscles, increase stamina and help mask steroid use. Side effects can include abnormal growth of organs, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

“What we know is that people dope,” Wadler said. “To think there’s some special characteristic that makes football players different from other athletes is naïve.”

Wadler contends that the delay in HGH testing is a deliberate move by the players. “The pressure is off now,” he said. “They got their sound bite and their headline. The public, glad to get football back, thinks it’s taken care of. So it has lost interest in the issue. That’s what the NFLPA is banking on.”

NFLPA spokesman George Atallah disputed that claim as “shortsighted and misinformed.” – from usatoday.com

Todays show is extra long, we will cover all of the games throughout the day and touch on a little NFL. We will read some of the best emails on the show so send them in,.

Denard Robinson, Michigan, ran for three scores in the first half and finished with 200 yards, helping the No. 22 Wolverines beat San Diego State 28-7.

— Bernard Pierce, Temple, ran for a school-record five TDs and 149 yards in the Owls’ stunning 38-7 rout of Maryland.

— Tevin Washington, Georgia Tech, threw a long touchdown pass and ran for two scores to give the No. 25 Yellow Jackets a 35-28 victory over North Carolina.

— Matt McGloin, Penn State, threw for three TDs as the Nittany Lions welcomed coach Joe Paterno back to the sideline with a 34-6 win over Eastern Michigan.
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— Casey Pachall, TCU, threw two of his three TD passes during a 21-point scoring spree in a 1:18 span just before halftime, helping the No. 20 Horned Frogs beat Portland State 55-13.

— Mohamed Sanu, Rutgers, set a team record with 16 catches for 176 yards and two TDs in a 38-26 victory over Ohio.

— Keith Wenning, Ball State, threw for a career-high 324 yards and tied a career-high with three TD passes, leading the Cardinals past Army 48-21.

— Chris Forcier, Furman, threw seven TD passes to break the school’s single-game record in a 62-21 victory over Presbyterian.

— J.J. McDermott, SMU, threw for three TDs and 357 yards to lead the Mustangs in a 42-0 rout of Memphis.

— Scott Darby, Georgetown, threw for four TDs and rushed for another score to lead the Hoyas to a 52-28 win over Marist.

— Lavante Page, Florida A&M, rushed for five TDs, including two in the fourth quarter, in a 38-33 win over Southern.

— Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State, threw for a school-record 438 yards and two scores to help the No. 7 Cowboys rally for a 30-29 win over No. 8 Texas A&M.

— Keith Price, Washington, threw for 292 yards and three TDs as the Huskies knocked off California 31-23.

— Tajh Boyd, Clemson, threw for 344 yards and three TDs and ran for another as the No. 21 Tigers opened ACC play with a 35-30 victory over No. 11 Florida State.

— Trent Richardson, Alabama, rushed for 120 yards and caught a 61-yard touchdown pass as the No. 3 Crimson Tide overwhelmed No. 14 Arkansas 38-14.

— Nick Toon, Wisconsin, had a career-high 155 yards receiving and two touchdowns, helping the No. 6 Badgers rout South Dakota 59-10.

— Tim Jefferson, Air Force, threw for a career-high three TDs in a 63-24 rout of Tennessee State.

— Kellen Moore, Boise State, tossed four TD passes, a pair to Tyler Shoemaker, in less than 2 ½ quarters to lead the No. 4 Broncos to a 41-21 win over Tulsa in its home opener.

— Rex Burkhead, Nebraska, rushed for two TDs and a career-high 170 yards to help the No. 9 Cornhuskers beat Wyoming 38-14.

— Robert Griffin III, Baylor, threw for 338 yards and five TDS, and ran for another score to lead the No. 17 Bears to a 56-31 victory over Rice. – from bposton.com

My how that MVP race is shaping up. We give our votes on todays late night edition of the show.

Robinson Cano clarified previous comments regarding the balloting for the American League Most Valuable Player Award: he’d vote for himself, but the Yankees’ second baseman will leave that to those who actually do the voting.

Cano expected a minor stir after he mentioned in an appearance at the MLB Fan Cave that he’d put his own name in the MVP mix, but he said on Friday that it’s not really his choice anyway.

“I got asked, ‘If you have to vote for one of you guys, who would you vote for?’ I would vote for myself,” Cano said. “That’s what I said. The numbers are there, but I didn’t say that I had to be or wanted to be.”
play video
Cano hits the streets
00:01:47
Yankees second baseman Robinson Cano visits the Fan Cave, discussing the MVP race and taking to the streets to play stickball with some kids
Tags: kids, Robinson Cano, New York Yankees

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Cano headed into action on Friday batting .305 with 27 home runs and a career-high 116 RBIs in 154 games, leading the Majors with 80 extra-base hits.

Manager Joe Girardi said that Cano’s name definitely deserves to be in the MVP talk.

“I think it’s an MVP-caliber year, what he’s done for us this year — him and [Curtis Granderson],” Girardi said.

“I think he’s had a very good year, and in the absence of Alex [Rodriguez], stepping into the four-hole and just continuing to be productive. He’s a guy that seems to get stronger as the season goes on.”

Cano said that he needs to keep his focus on the playoffs ahead and that he isn’t lobbying for MVP votes right now.

“I would say, whoever you guys pick,” Cano said. “That’s not my choice. It’s like if you ask my mom, ‘Who is the prettiest man in the world?’ She’s going to say me.”

Cano said that he feels his 2011 campaign was an improvement over last year, when he brought home the AL’s Rawlings Gold Glove Award honors for second base. Perhaps more accolades are indeed in his future.

“It feels good — I can’t complain,” Cano said. “It’s not about the way I play; it’s more about where we are right now. We have [six] games before the season’s over, so we can get some guys some rest. We’re in pretty good shape.” – from mlb.com

We continue our MLB postseason talk today. Tune in!

The Red Sox lost to Tampa Bay, 8-5, at Fenway Park on Sunday. They did it in front of one increasingly nervous Nation.

Once again, the alarm is sounding over the hubbub of Yawkey Way, with Boston’s lead in the American League Wild Card standings whittled down to two games with 10 left to play. The two-game cushion is Boston’s slimmest lead for a postseason berth since June 30.

The Red Sox won’t have time to lick their wounds either. While the Rays get an off-day Monday to prepare for a key four-game series at Yankee Stadium beginning on Tuesday, the Red Sox, who remain 4 1/2 games behind the Yankees in the AL East standings, get right back after it Monday in a crucial doubleheader against Baltimore.
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Joyce’s two-run single
00:00:52
9/18/11: Matt Joyce knocks a two-out, two-run single to right, giving the Rays a commanding 8-2 lead over the Red Sox in the seventh inning
Tags: Matt Joyce, Tampa Bay Rays, More From This Game, Holiday Inn: Road to October, hitting

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“I guess I choose to believe, knowing the guys down in the clubhouse like I do, we’ll meet this challenge and it will make us stronger,” manager Terry Francona said. “I guess that’s our best way to go about this. We have managed to play some very inconsistent baseball.”

Meanwhile, the Rays are gearing up for a second straight make-or-break series. They can’t afford to lose games, and they’re staying afloat in some of the roughest waters in baseball: road games against two of the titans in the division.

“I thought we played good baseball,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “We played well. We pitched well. We caught the ball. We ran the bases well. We had good at-bats when we needed them. … I thought we just played really good baseball in a great venue against a very good ballclub in a very meaningful time of the year. I’m very proud of our guys.”

Bruce Bochy can say the same about his defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants, who aren’t quite out of it yet and are playing some of their best ball of 2011.

On Sunday, the Giants made it eight victories in a row, beating the Rockies, 12-5, and doing it in powerful fashion. San Francisco hit six home runs, including four in an eight-run fourth inning, and climbed within four games of the National League Wild Card-leading Braves, who lost to the Mets. The Giants also got within five games of NL West-leading Arizona, with nine games to play.

“We’re doing what we need to do, and that’s win ballgames.” Bochy said. “That’s all we can do. It’s obvious we need a little help, and we’ve gotten it. We got a few games left here, and it’s going to be important that we keep going out there and find a way to get W’s and see what happens there at the end.”

That was the attitude expressed by the Rangers, who won again Sunday, blanking the Mariners, 3-0, in Seattle and lowering their magic number to six while the Angels took care of business in Baltimore. Texas leads the Angels by 4 1/2 in the AL West, although the Angels are now only four back of Boston in the Wild Card standings.

“We’re confident we can do the job, but we’re not done yet,” said Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre, who has been sizzling of late, homering again Sunday for his seventh long ball in his past eight games. “We still have to keep winning.”

While Texas was busy winning, 3-0, on Sunday, so were the AL Central champion Tigers, prevailing in Oakland by the identical score on the strength of starter Justin Verlander’s 24th win. That kept the Tigers’ one-game lead over the Rangers for the second seed in the AL playoffs.

In the National League, there wasn’t a whole lot of shakeup going on outside of the Giants’ barrage in the Mile High City.

The Brewers left Cincinnati with a weekend sweep of the Reds, their 90th win, and their magic number to clinch the NL Central down to four. The Brew Crew also kept its two-game lead over NL West-leading Arizona for the second seed in the NL postseason.

“It’s a great feeling right now,” Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder said after the sweep. “But we still have to close things out.”

The D-backs have the same mind-set and got back on the winning beam in San Diego after a three-game losing streak. Arizona beat the Padres, 5-1, and lowered its magic number for the division title to five.

Elsewhere in the NL, the Braves were left to ponder their immediate future of their dwindling Wild Card lead after reliable setup man Jonny Venters’ sudden loss of the strike zone led to the team’s 7-5 loss to the Mets.

The Cardinals took advantage of it, riding a first-inning home run by Albert Pujols to a 5-0 victory over the NL East champion Phillies and creeping to within 3 1/2 of Atlanta as the intrigue continued along the road to October. – from mlb.com