Most Epic Pre-Race Prayer by Pastor

I'm speechless, mainly because he stole all the thunder. This pastor reminds me of Ricky Bobby when he thanks god for his "smoking hot wife." This stuff can't be made up. Classic.


Pastor Gives Best Pre-Race Prayer Ever - Watch more Sports

Devine Intervention: Noel Devine High School Highlights

While he may be in the UFL now after leaving the Eagles and getting cut, former West Virginia running back Noel Devine was quite the phenom in high school. At 5'8" and 180 pounds, few expected this kid to dominate the way he did. Until now.

JZ Sports Live Interview and Weekly Show

Listen to internet radio with jzsports on Blog Talk Radio

Comedian of the Day: Russell Peters

Always nice to take a break from sports, in favor of comedy. In case you've never seen the Indian sensation, tune in here. With our comedian of the day, Canadian Russell Peters discusses why parents need to beat their kids. Enjoy.

Georgetown, China Wild Brawl

When the Georgetown basketball team traveled to China, they probably didn't expect to be stomped out by a plethora of hungry Chinamen. Watch the casual man on the sideline, wearing khaki shorts, quickly run out and immediately begin tossing kicks. Assistant or hired bodyguard? We'll never know.

Unique NFL Pregame Ritual

The former defensive tackle for the Jacksonville Jaguars, now with the Raiders, has quite the pregame ritual. At 6'7" and 335 pounds, it's remarkable how he gets anyone to slap him, particularly the diminutive 5'10" assistants who seem to be up for the job. Most would pay to see him fight a silverback gorilla.

Flash Mob in Belgium

Belgium just gained our respect. Quite the flash mob at Antwerp Central station. It doesn't get any better than this. Subtly followed by an explosion. Enjoy.

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The NFL's 10 Biggest Upsets of 2011

My projections for the 10 biggest upsets of the 2011 NFL season. Check em out. Let me know if you love em or hate em!

It includes some that might freak you out, but hey, that is the nature of sportswriting!
Enjoy!

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/793470-nfl-schedule-2011-projecting-the-10-biggest-upsets-of-the-2011-season

Free Agent Update

Sorry about the delay folks, lets get down to it. This was one busy weekend in the NFL, several key players signed (and didn't sign). The most important acquisition of course was the Philadelphia Eagles showing up as the dark horse in the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes, and winning him from all of the other suitors. Philly is clearly making a run at the Super Bowl now, and Giants fans are lamenting. Lets have a look at this weekend's notable signings. (And Monday)

- The Atlanta Falcons inked Minnesota Vikings' defensive end Ray Edwards to a deal, FINALLY shoring up their defense as everyone was expecting them to do in the draft. Looks like they knew what they were doing after all. The Falcons are looking very solid on both sides of the ball now. Tony Gonzalez has even tweeted that Julio Jones is the best rookie wideout he's ever played with.

-Antonio Cromartie signed his "You're the Plan B" deal from the New York Jets. It is still a 4-year deal for a cool $32 million. This is good because Cromartie has a whole lot of illegitimate kids to pay child support on. He says he has no hard feelings but has a chip on his shoulder. Oooook Antonio. Still, his signing keeps the Jets' secondary intact, and the Cromartie-Revis tandem remains as dangerous as ever.

-The Arizona Cardinals signed the Baltimore Ravens' salary cap casualty Todd Heap. The 10-year veteran tight end brings some much needed receiving help to the Kevin Kolb arsenal. Heap combined with Jerhemy Urban should not only provide good targets outside of Larry Fitzgerald, but add some significant blocking for running back Beanie Wells.

-The Denver Broncos signed another Baltimore Raven castoff, running back Willis McGahee. Thankfully for Denver, this brings them a solid runner who has plenty left in the tank. His arrival should motivate the lazy and underachieving Knowshon Moreno. A good deal for both McGahee and the Broncos.

-The New York Jets made another acquisition by inking Plaxico Burress, keeping him away from their roommates, the New York Giants. This is actually a fantastic signing for both teams. The Giants did not need Plaxico, and the Jets do. They have a big body for Mark Sanchez opposite Santonio Holmes, who was once Plaxico's teammate in Pittsburgh. Whether he has enough left in the tank to perform remains to be seen. His 1 year deal is worth $3 million.

-Speaking of the Giants and Jets, the New York Giants stole away Jets punter Steve Weatherford. That pretty much means the end of Matt Dodge, thank god. We don't need to go over why that is a good thing.

-The New York Giants also re-signed their most important free agent, running back Ahmad Bradshaw. Thankfully, his market imploded, allowing the Giants to keep their running game from doing the same. He has signed a 4-year deal for a price that was far closer to what the team wanted than what he wanted. Good for fans everywhere.

-The Detroit Lions roared as their defense continues to become one of the most formidable in the NFL. They have signed stud linebacker Stephen Tulloch and his 160 tackles away from the Tennessee Titans. Pure bliss for Lions fans. Detroit is thinking playoffs, and they are thinking it now.

-To compensate for the loss of Stephen Tulloch, the Tennessee Titans have taken Barrett Ruud off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' hands. They keep their defense intact with this move, but have still no doubt experienced a downgrade at middle linebacker.

-The Cincinnati Bengals have signed cornerback Nate Clements, formerly of the San Fransisco 49ers. They needed this signing to compensate for the loss of Johnathan Joseph, though it is a paltry consolation prize. Clements has lost a step, and even in his prime was not even close to Johnathan Joseph.

-The Carolina Panthers found an upgrade for their terrible offense by signing two solid tight ends. New Orleans Saints castoff Jeremy Shockey agreed to a 1 year deal worth up to $4 million. They also traded a 2012 third-round pick to the Chicago Bears for tight end Greg Olsen, meaning they now have a very formidable tight end tandem. This is fantastic for rookie Cam Newton, who now has viable passing targets and additional protection for what is sure to be a roller coaster rookie year.

-The biggest news of all, of course, is the Philadelphia Eagles. They came out of nowhere in the Nnamdi Asomugha sweepstakes to pull him right out from under the Jets, promising him a ring and giving him a 5-year contract worth $60 million. The addition of Nnamdi Asomugha makes the Eagles secondary the most fearsome in the NFL by far, with three ball-hawking pro-bowlers covering enemy receivers. They also made a splash by signing Green Bay Packers DT Cullen Jenkins, making them by far the most well rounded team in the NFL, and surpassing the Packers as this year's super bowl favorites. They have an incredible team put together, and are already being called the Miami Heat of the 2011 NFL season. We'll have to see, but there is no denying that these birds of prey will be flying high in 2011.

Player Buffet: Get em While They're Hot!

The one-week offseason rages on today, as several more prominent players have been signed, traded, and released.
We already talked about the power play by the New England Patriots to bring in both Chad Ochocinco and Fat Albert Haynesworth, but what else has happened around the league today?

-The Reggie Bush era finally ended in New Orleans today, as the Saints traded him away to Miami for undisclosed draft picks and safety Jonathon Amaya. The undersized, overpaid running back finally is taking the pay cut he should have gotten a long time ago, and the Dolphins add a flashy runner to their flashy offense. If they re-sign just one of their current free agent halbacks (Ronnie Brown or Ricky Williams), they'll have a decent running game and an excellent punt returner in Bush. All they would need after that to make the status of mediocre would be a quarterback.

-Steve Breaston is reportedly leaving the Arizona Cardinals for the Kansas City Chiefs. This is great for Kansas City and bad for Arizona, who now have one less target for new acquisition Kevin Kolb to throw to. The Chiefs add a legitimate No. 2 receiver alongside all-pro Larry Fitzgerald, and we can expect to see that already formidable Chief offense ramp it up a notch in 2011.

-The long-awaited Kevin Kolb trade has finally gone down. The Philadelphia Eagles receive cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and a second round draft pick, while the Cardinals get a franchise signal caller...or at least they hope so. They sure paid him like one. (5 years, $63 Million. Not bad for a guy with only 7 starts)

-Vince Young was released by the Tennessee Titans and is now looking for work. Whoo-freakin-who.

-For all you fellow Giants fans out there, Matthias Kiwanuka has been re-signed by the New York Giants. This bodes great for the defense, and bad for the offense. Kiwanuka is a phenomenal defensive asset, but I'm not sure where the cap space is coming from to re-sign Steve Smith, Ahmad Bradshaw, and Kevin Boss. Or any of them for that matter. Uh-oh. Still, it gives New York versatility at end and linebacker and lessens the chance that Osi walking will kill the defense.

-The Giants officially cut Rich Seubert, Shawn Andrews, Shaun O'Hara, and Madison Hedgecock, freeing up extra cap space to sign their top free agents.

-Jets Wildcat QB, kick returner and WR Brad Smith agreed to a deal with the Buffalo Bills today, for 4 years worth $15 million. This is definitely a possible overpayment, especially given that the Bills had almost no need of Brad Smith. Offense is not their problem. He probably gets a little satisfaction going to the Bills, as the Jets have spurned everybody but Santonio Holmes in their pursuit of Nnamdi Asomugha.

-The Saints have reached an agreement with Darren Sproles to replace Reggie Bush. Well done fools...you just replaced one speedy undersized back with another. I guess they saved a little money at least.

-Jason Babin has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Eagles, ending any Cullen Jenkins/Ray Edwards speculation, and shoring up their already formidable pass rush.

-The agreement of the day was between the Houston Texans and Johnathan Joseph. The Texans had the league's worst pass defense in 2010, and were desperately searching for a way to fix that. In signing Joseph, the Texans might have my vote for the signing of the offseason. This is perfect for them in every imaginable way. Joseph is younger than Nnamdi Asomugha by 3 years, he has more interceptions over the last few seasons (14 vs 11), and he comes at maybe two-thirds Nnamdi's price (5 years for $43 million). The Texans made a beautiful play and will be rewarded.

Their defense now features a top-5 cornerback in Joseph, plus Mario Williams, Brian Cushing, Demeco Ryans, and rookies J.J Watt and Brooks Reed. Combine that defensive squad with their explosive offense, and the Texans are suddenly a Wild Card contender at the very least, and maybe even the favorite in the AFC South. Great job by the Houston front office.

Thats all we have for this free agency update at JZSports, stay tuned tomorrow for what is sure to be another crazy day!

Star Spangled Storm

The Patriots are starting to look very dangerous for the 2011 season. The team with the NFL's best overall record in 2010 is only getting better, as today they added what could be formidable offensive and defensive pieces.

Fat loser Albert Haynesworthless is getting his best possible chance at redemption by signing with the New England Patriots. Though Haynesworth is a lazy loudmouth, that kind of behavior does not fly on a squad coached by Bill Belichick. Haynesworth will either shut up and play the game, or he will sit, and all he's costing the Patriots is a couple of surplus draft picks. Most importantly, he gets to play alongside one of the most dangerous nose tackles in the NFL in Vince Wilfork. A chance at redemption has been handed to him on a silver platter.

The Patriots also sent a couple of picks to the Cincinnati Bengals in exchange for wide receiver Chad Ochocinco. Not only does this provide the opinionated and loud Ochocinco with a coach that will set him straight, but it gives Tom Brady his first legitimate No. 1 receiver since Randy Moss was good in 2009.

Watch out for the Patriots this season. They are going to be a tough nut to crack.

Why Giants Fans Shouldn't be Fretting

If you're a Giants fan, and you're worried about what has gone down the past couple of days...don't be. Seriously.
This one should be a fun read for all you Giants fans out there.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/782121-nfl-free-agency-why-new-york-giants-fans-dont-need-to-panic

More Free Agent Frenzy!

Sorry for the barrage, but the updates are coming in that fast.

It has been revealed that the remaining stud free agent wide receiver, Sidney Rice, has agreed to a five-year deal worth $41 million, with $18.5 million guaranteed. This is a crushing blow to the Minnesota Vikings, who were very much hoping to retain Rice's services

Seattle now has an extremely formidable receiving corps in place, headed by Rice. The others in this group are Mike Williams, Brandon Stokeley, Golden Tate and John Carlson. Even with mediocre quarterbacks Charlie Whitehurst and Tavaris Jackson under center, the Seahawks are going to have a nasty air attack in 2011.

Another notable signing has been the departure of Giants defensive tackle Barry Cofield to the rival Washington Redskins, for a deal reportedly worth $36 million over 6 years. Though this was an expected departure, there is no comfort in the fact that a solid defensive player has joined the defense of a division rival. Look for that match up to be an interesting one in 2011.

A smaller free agent deal that has been agreed to today is the Bruce Gradkowski to Cincinnati deal. Joining the long list of quarterbacks who have moved around this week. Gradkowski will play the mentor role in Cincinnati as the Bengals try to develop rookie Andy Dalton.

Lastly, Paul Posluszny of the Buffalo Bills has left his former team to join the hapless Jacksonville Jaguars. Talk about moving from one bad situation to another!

That's all we have for you right now at JZSports, stay tuned as the free agent avalanche continues!

Free Agent Update: DeAngelo Williams

Well folks, it happened. DeAngelo Williams has officially re-signed with the Carolina Panthers, making the shrinking offensive free agent pool even smaller.

The running back has signed a 5-year deal worth $43 million, with $21 million in guaranteed money. Talk about a nice payday!

The next expected moves involve Plaxico Burress likely heading to the Giants or Steelers (Talk about deja vu!) and Kevin Kolb heading to the Arizona Cardinals. A possible Kyle Orton-to-Miami trade is in the works as well.

Stay tuned to JZSports as the Free Agent Frenzy continues!!

Players to be Released Thursday

Here is a Jake Silver Bleacher Report piece on 6 guys in the NFL who will be jobless come Friday. Enjoy.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/780191-nfl-free-agency-2011-albert-haynesworth-and-6-players-who-will-be-cut-this-week

Santonio Holmes to Remain with Jets

Breaking news; Santonio Holmes has agreed to a 5-year deal worth $50 million sources are saying. More importantly, he is getting $24 million guaranteed. This is both good and bad news for the Jets, as they get to keep their top wide receiver, but they are all but guaranteed to lose Braylon Edwards, Brad Smith and Antonio Cromartie.

There is sure to be language in the contract that allows the New York Jets to recoup bonus money if Holmes accrues 1 more strike and gets a year long suspension. Overall, Jet fans should be celebrating today, the offense is that much more dangerous with Holmes on it.

Quarterbacks on the Move

Well, we are in the second day of the NFL off season, and business is proceeding at a breakneck pace.With free agency set to begin Friday and the trade floor already open, teams are making big moves to acquire the players they need.

The Tennessee Titans have reportedly reached a deal with the former Seattle Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who is now an unrestricted free agent. The Titans will bring him in to mentor their first round pick, Washington State quarterback Jake Locker. This is a brilliant move by the Tennessee Titans, as Locker is raw and not ready to step out under center right now. The Titans have decided to "Go the Aaron Rodgers Way" and they won't be sorry. Letting promising young quarterbacks sit for a while behind a skilled veteran is good for business.

Speaking of the Seattle Seahawks, they have agreed to a deal with Minnesota Vikings free agent Tavaris Jackson. Jackson is no premiere starter, but nor is he a slouch, and he is certainly more NFL ready than Charlie Whitehurst. This is a good band-aid move by the Seahawks, who are either looking to slowly develop Whitehurst or go for a strong quarterback in the 2012 draft.

Also involving the Minnesota Vikings (This is just one big circle isn't it?), is the first trade of the year. The Washington Redskins are receiving two future sixth-round draft picks in exchange for veteran Donovan McNabb. Why is a possible hall of famer being exchanged for peanuts? Simply because the Washington Redskins have no bargaining power with him; he is leaving either way. Minnesota is getting a sweet deal here, as they now have the crafty McNabb to teach rookie Christian Ponder. That is a win-win for them, as they have a solid veteran to lead their otherwise playoff-caliber squad, and once McNabb is done, Ponder will be far more prepared than if they threw him to the wolves in week 1.

That's all we have for now on player movement. Next on everyone's list of questions, what will happen with Kevin Kolb, Kyle Orton, Carson Palmer and Vince Young? Stay tuned, JZSports will give you those answers!

THE LOCKOUT IS OVER!

Sorry this is a day late folks, but the news is official: football is back!
The two sides have agreed to a decade-long CBA, meaning we'll all be old before we ever have to deal with this again thankfully.

With that in hand, today starts the most frenzied few weeks of NFL offseason in history. We are compressing a four-month long free agency period into a week, starting camps late, and watching trades happen that should have been on draft day.

-One of the new provisions becomes immediately relevant this week, and that is the new salary cap system. Under the new CBA, each team has a cap of $120 million, but the catch is that they must spend a minimum of 89%, or $107.1 million. That leaves several teams like the Chicago Bears and Seattle Seahawks with over $30 million in unused space, so some guys will be getting big contracts with those clubs. It should be interesting to see how this cap works, after an uncapped year, teams are going to have to change how they do things.

-At long last, there is a rookie wage scale in place. No longer will an unproven draft choice be given an exorbitant amount of cash before he is due. The new deal cuts top rookie contracts by 50%, with top picks receiving 4-year deals with a 5th year team option.These 4-year contracts are eligible for rounds 2-7 as well. Cam Newton, the first pick in this year's draft, is eligible for a 4-year $22.03 million contract. If the Panthers keep him for a fifth year, his salary would be at the average of the top 10 salaries of other quarterbacks, which is far more reasonable.
The best part of the rookie wage scale? No more holdouts. This means idiots in the mold of Jamarcus Russell and Michael Crabtree can no longer sit out for long periods of time, because they lose their first round cap status after August if unsigned.
Even better, if a player goes the Revis route and sits out while under rookie contract, they are prohibited from renegotiating at all. Sweet deal I say.

-Owners have agreed to a 10-12 percent increase in the minimum salary structure. Rookies, for example, would go from $330,000 to $375,000. The increases go to $450,000 for second-year players, $525,000 for third-year players, $600,000 for fourth-year players, $685,000 for players with five-to-seven years of experience, and so on. Players with 10 years or more receive a minimum of $910,000, which is excellent for players in decline that still need money.

-The franchise tag remains unchanged, so don't expect any of the players franchised now or in the future to depart the team that tags them. That little item is here to stay. Logan Mankins, Michael Vick and Vincent Jackson will have to live with being the highest paid players at their positions.

All things considered, I'd say everybody wins with this new deal. Players get the money they wanted, owners get the power they wanted, and rookies are screwed. All is as it should be.
Now,
ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!