I had big plans for the open date. My plan was to cover Ole Miss' date with USC-Aiken on Friday night, wake up early Saturday to do yard work, attend Carson's test for an upgrade to an orange belt in taekwondo later that afternoon and then relax on Sunday.
Mother nature and a nasty stomach bug had other ideas. Halloween got rained out Thursday, pushing my trick-or-treating session with Carson to Friday night. Before he and I returned home, I didn't feel well. By 3 a.m. Saturday, I was contemplating a trip to the emergency room.
I watched college football, episodes of Breaking Bad and catnapped on Saturday. The yard work planned for Saturday waited until Sunday. A weekend I couldn't wait for couldn't end fast enough.
I suspect Ole Miss enjoyed the open date more than I. Further, I suspect the Rebels are ready to get back after it, knowing their postseason destiny will be decided in the next four weeks.
Here are my 10 thoughts from the weekend:
1. Florida State whipped Miami to highlight the weekend that was in college football. I know no one who was surprised. That _ no surprises _ just might be the theme from the weekend. The following is a too much information warning: I got sick Friday night, spent the majority of the night and Saturday morning worshipping the porcelain gods and medicating myself. By noon Saturday, games were on but I was resting my eyelids between plays. With that in mind, here are my thoughts from the weekend that was:
A. Mississippi State is a mistake-prone football team. Dax Prescott does good things, but he throws in enough horrible decisions to undermine all the positives. The Bulldogs' secondary can be picked apart and their offensive line is shaky. Mississippi State is going to be 5-6 when Ole Miss comes to town on Thanksgiving night.
B. South Carolina is going to look back on that inexplicable loss to Tennessee last month and find it difficult to forgive itself.
C. Speaking of the Volunteers, they've tanked. On consecutive weeks, Tennessee got hammered at the line of scrimmage. Butch Jones has his work cut out for him.
D. Florida can get to 6-6, but one can't help but wonder what's going through Jeremy Foley's mind these days. Will Muschamp doesn't appear to be the answer in Gainesville, and with programs such as Missouri on the rise and Florida State a national title contender right up the road, it has to be tempting for Foley to pursue a change now.
E. Georgia is a different team with Todd Gurley in the backfield. Without him, the Bulldogs are simply undermanned.
F. I have no idea why, but I find it very difficult to cheer for Auburn. Gus Malzahn is a little too cocky for my tastes and following Twitter during an Auburn game turns my stomach (I'll leave it at that). Note to media: Your job, specifically, is to be objective. Cheerleading for the sake of making subscribers and Twitter followers happy is remarkably unprofessional. Be forewarned: The build-up to the Iron Bowl in a few weeks is going to be more obnoxious than usual, and I'm finding it difficult not to look forward to the beatdown the Crimson Tide is going to deliver.
G. I watched some Big Ten football again this week. There are average SEC teams that would finish in the top three in that league. Ohio State is good. So is Michigan State. The rest of that league, however, is a glorified dumpster fire. Illinois at Penn State served as the poster child for my argument. If you've got the stomach for it, pull up the replay on the Internet and watch.
H. Oregon needs to wow voters Thursday night at Stanford. Florida State did so Saturday in a rout of Miami. The Ducks get their shot Thursday. Stanford's style of play might make that difficult.
2. As we enter the stretch run, here are my bowl projections. For the sake of these projections, I have South Carolina beating Florida and advancing to the SEC Championship Game by virtue of a Texas A&M win over Missouri. I am also projecting LSU losing to both Alabama and Texas A&M down the stretch.
BCS National Championship Game --- Alabama (13-0)
Allstate Sugar Bowl --- Auburn (10-2)
Capital One Bowl --- South Carolina (10-3)
Outback Bowl --- Missouri (10-2)
AT&T Cotton Bowl --- Texas A&M (10-2)
Chick-Fil-A Bowl --- Ole Miss (8-4)
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl --- LSU (8-4)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl --- Georgia (8-4)
Autozone Liberty Bowl --- Vanderbilt (6-6)
BBVA Compass Bowl --- Florida (6-6)
Advocare V100 Bowl --- At-large (No other SEC team reaches six wins)
3. I watched a good bit of Auburn's blowout of Arkansas Saturday night in Fayetteville. The Hogs head to Oxford on Saturday at 11:21 a.m. as a 17 ½-point underdog. In short, first-year coach Bret Bielema's team looks lost.
"There's so many positive things that are going on right now that don't pop out to people who aren't around this program," Bielema told SBNation.com's Stephen Godfrey, who, by the way, wrote an incredible piece late Saturday/early Sunday about the fascinating rivalry that is budding between Bielema and Auburn's Gus Malzahn. "Right now, it's baby steps. I wish we were sprinting, but we're walking."
If you say so, Bret. What I saw was a team depending on too many young players, lacking an identity, devoid of confidence and unable to stop anyone. In this league, that's a recipe for total disaster. Right now, that description fits Arkansas perfectly.
4. NFL scouting guru Gil Brandt observed Georgia's Aaron Murray on Saturday, watching the Bulldogs hold off Florida for a 23-20 win. Brandt said Murray, who was 16-fo-25 passing for 258 yards with one touchdown and on interceptions, both helped himself and reminded him of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in the process. Brandt wrote in his weekly NFL.com entry that Murray's ability to manage an offense against a defense as powerful as the Gators, all the while without most of his most explosive weapons, should allow him to overcome his 6-foot-1 height in next spring's draft.
5. Ed Orgeron led Southern California to a win over Oregon State Thursday in Corvallis. Orgeron, who took over mid-season for Lane Kiffin, has now won as many conference games (three) as he did as the head coach for three seasons at Ole Miss.
That leads to a couple of obvious observations. One, the SEC is much, much tougher than the Pac-12. Two, Orgeron has grown up as a head coach. Many in the media have had a hard time letting go of the narrative of Orgeron the shirt-tearing ogre with no people skills. At one point, in fairness, that narrative fit. It doesn't seem to anymore. I still don't believe Orgeron is a candidate for the permanent gig at USC, but he probably has made a case for himself for another job somewhere else.
I'll say it again. His failure at Ole Miss wasn't his fault. He never should have been hired. The failure belonged to Pete Boone and Robert Khayat, two men who orchestrated one of the most ill-advised, poorly-executed coaching searches in the history of college athletics.
6. I really wanted to watch the Saints at the Jets on Sunday, but I don't have the NFL Sunday Ticket (I have the MLB Extra Innings package and NBA League Pass; at some point, enough is enough). Therefore, I am occasionally held hostage by the NFL's coverage map. Sunday was one of those days. I got stuck with the Titans at the Rams and the Vikings at the Cowboys. I did yard work during the second set of games and watched the Thunder and the Suns Sunday night (more on that in a bit, as you probably expected). Anyway, here are a handful of thoughts from Sunday in the National Football League.
A. Darren Sproles got knocked out with a concussion (er, an ankle injury) early Sunday. Without him, the Saints' offense isn't the same. Few players are more valuable to their teams than Sproles is to the Saints. Without him, Drew Brees is forced to hold the ball longer. There are no dump-downs. The Saints become mortal.
B. Jets coach Rex Ryan is now 5-0 against brother Rob, who is the Saints' defensive coordinator.
C. The Kansas City Chiefs aren't pretty, but they're 9-0 following a win at Buffalo. The Chiefs just do it with defense, Alex Smith's game management, solid special teams and precious few mistakes. Those games with Denver later this season are going to be fascinating to watch.
D. Tony Romo takes so much heat, but it's silly. The Cowboys' quarterback engineered a critical game-winning drive over Minnesota Sunday, one that prevented what would have been a brutal week of second-guessing in the Metroplex.
E. I get that Dez Bryant just wants to win. I do. But Dez, it's time to corral those emotions on the field a bit.
F. Seattle came back to beat the Buccaneers in overtime, but that's two games in a row the Seahawks have shown signs of vulnerability against subpar teams. If I'm Pete Carroll, I'm happy my team keeps winning but I'm growing a bit concerned.
7. Jonathan Martin's representatives have notified the Dolphins about allegations of player misconduct within the locker room, spurring the team to ask the NFL to launch an independent inquiry late Sunday, the Miami Herald reported.
"We are taking these allegations very seriously and plan to review the matter further," the Dolphins announced. "... As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another."
The announcement came late on a busy Sunday, in which new details of the alleged abuse suffered by Martin came to light, and in which a potential new controversy was just beginning.
According to the Herald, young Dolphins players are under pressure to dig deep into their pockets to pay for veterans' social outings, a phenomenon that has put strain on their finances and locker room chemistry, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
One young defensive player, whose privacy the Miami Herald is protecting, is on his way to going broke because he has been unable to say no to the older players, the source said.
"Everything tastes better when rookies pay for it," veteran defensive end Jared Odrick wrote on Twitter this weekend. "Yes, the bill would make you sick."
Younger players were handed the tab for a $30,000 team dinner, a source told the Miami Herald. The rookie minimum this year is around $400,000.
Will Davis, a rookie cornerback, tweeted Sunday: "The bill was definitely split. ... They would never put that on one man to pay for it all. Haha now that would be crazy..."
These allegations come on the heels of ESPN's report Sunday morning that offensive lineman Richie Incognito pressured Martin, a second-year offensive lineman, into paying $15,000 for an unofficial team vacation to Las Vegas ? a trip Martin didn't even attend.
Earlier in the day, Incognito both pushed back against reports that Martin left the team over bullying, with Incognito taking direct aim at ESPN in a series of tweets Sunday morning.
"Stop slandering my name," Incognito told ESPN's Adam Schefter via Twitter. "You hide behind 'sources' who are not man enough to put their name behind the BS you report."
Schefter stood behind his report Sunday that Incognito was under review by the NFL Players Association for his role in Martin's departure from the team. The team has privately held that Martin abruptly left the club last Monday to deal with emotional issues.
This is not the first time Schefter's reporting has been questioned by Incognito. During training camp, the ESPN correspondent, citing sources, wrote that the Dolphins' offensive lineman decked a bouncer at the Fontainebleau's Club Liv.
However, the Herald reported Sunday, Incognito claims he never threw a punch, and a police report from the incident appeared to back his story. It noted that he, not the bouncer, had abrasions consistent with a fight. The police sent Incognito home with nothing more than a trespassing warning. On Sunday, Incognito went public with his grievances.
"@AdamSchefter This is the second time you have tried to drag my name through the mud with lies," he wrote. "@espn shame on you for attaching my name to false speculation. I won't be holding my breathe [sic] for an apology."
Incognito concluded: "@AdamSchefter Enough is enough. If you or any of the agents you sound off for have a problem with me, you know where to find me #BRINGIT"
Also on ESPN Sunday, former Bears coach Mike Ditka had some strong words for Incognito, saying, "I find it hard to believe. ... I can't comprehend it. When this would happen in my time, you take the bully and you'd kick his butt. You go to Fist City with this guy."
While the Dolphins drew widespread criticism Sunday, some outside the organization pushed back publicly against the idea that the Dolphins are a franchise in disarray.
"This is a runaway train that the media, national and local reporters are taking to a ... crazy level, and there's no reason for any of it," agent David Canter, who represents several Dolphins players, including star defensive tackle Paul Soliai, told the Miami Herald. "The Miami Dolphins are not a dysfunctional organization. They don't have a dysfunctional leadership.
"The players in the locker room don't dislike each other. They fight for each and work for each other. This is one player who had a very, very adverse reaction to a set of circumstances."
8. According to the Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi Physical Plant employees recently received a mass-letter from Physical Plant Director Ashton Pearson after the LSU-Ole Miss football game on Nov. 19. The Mississippian reported it obtained the letter from an anonymous physical plant employee.
Pearson sent the university letter Oct. 22 on university letterhead in regard to an employee's behavior during the football game in which an employee posted comments on his Facebook page in support of LSU.
The letter states that while the university will never tell its employees whom they can or cannot cheer for, there is an expectation to support Ole Miss while on the clock. Pearson states that if employees cannot support Ole Miss, they shall "remain neutral and without comment."
According to the DM, the university employee was on the clock and working on the sidelines at the football game during the time when he posted the comments.
The employee in question should consider himself lucky he works at Ole Miss and not at Alabama. I simply can't imagine the backlash a University of Alabama employee would have received had he posted pro-LSU comments on his Facebook page during a game between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers, whether he was on the clock at the time or not. Had he been on the clock posting pro-LSU comments, I suspect he would have ultimately paid for that transgression with his job.
I'm not advocating that response, mind you, but the Ole Miss employee in question should thank his lucky stars there's a little bit of perspective in Oxford. He wouldn't have been so fortunate elsewhere.
9. As a kid growing up in north central Louisiana, I traveled to Houston fairly frequently. I had an uncle and aunt who lived in Houston for a time and the city was often a destination for church trips.
As a huge sports fan, what I remember most about all of those trips to H-Town was the Astrodome. Then the home of the NFL's Oilers and MLB's Astros, it was deemed as the eighth wonder of the world. I thought it was fantastic, from its silver room that gleamed in the sun to the scoreboard with the cowboy shooting digital bullets. I loved the Oilers, loathed the Astros and adored the Astrodome.
This weekend, items from the Astrodome's old life were put on the auction block. From the rainbow colored seats to the old artificial turf (Astroturf) to the old dugout benches and lockers, everything from the old stadium was put up for sale.
On Nov. 5, Harris County voters will decide if the Astrodome will be demolished. For me, it'll be a sad day when it falls. The last time I was in Houston, my brother drove me by the Astrodome. It now stands in the shadow of the palatial Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans. There is a parking lot where Astroworld used to be.
Time marches on. We all know that, but I felt a wave of good memories driving past the Astrodome that day. I guess I'm getting old.
10. The NBA season began last week, thank God. Less than one week in, it would be ridiculous to draw any conclusions. However, I think there are a few things worth noting.
A. Indiana is 3-0. That's no shock, really, but the Pacers have been mighty impressive in the very early going. Paul George is emerging as a bonafide star. Lance Stephenson, David West and Roy Hibbert are solid, front-line NBA players. Danny Granger can be. The addition of Luis Scola to the Pacers' bench makes a team that took the Heat to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals one proven scorer deeper. I picked Indiana to win the NBA title a week ago. Three games in, I have no regrets regarding my pick at all.
B. It was one game on a Friday night in very early November, but take note of Brooklyn's win over Miami at the Barclays Center. The Nets, behind former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, sent a message _ likely one directed to their new teammates in Brooklyn _ that they won't be intimidated by the two-time defending champs. Garnett and Pierce have plenty of hatred for Lebron James and Co. from those epic duels between the Heat and Celtics the past few years. That hate has made its way to Brooklyn. The Nets might not beat the Heat in May, but it won't be because of fear.
C. Only two Western Conference teams _ Minnesota and Houston _ are 3-0 so far. The Timberwolves have ridden strong play from the trio of Kevin Love, Kevin Martin and Ricky Rubio to wins over Orlando, Oklahoma City and New York. They've done it in impressive fashion and with a balanced roster. Nikola Pekovic and Ronny Turiaf give the Wolves two centers who can bang and score. Jose Barea, Dante Cunningham and Chase Budinger are solid role players. Martin is a proven scorer. Rubio has developed into a top-echelon point guard and Love is a top-10 star. The Wolves are a team worth watching, even in the loaded West. Houston, meanwhile, has cruised to a fast start with wins over Charlotte, Dallas and Utah. The Rockets will be tested Monday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers (2-1), but so far, the James Harden-Dwight Howard combination has proven to be difficult to defend.
D. Oklahoma City got Russell Westbrook back on Sunday, a month before expected and two nights after a loss in Minnesota that was the franchise's worst in three seasons. Westbrook's return paid immediate dividends as the point guard scored 21 points and dished out seven assists in a win over Phoenix. Without Westbrook, the Thunder's offense was stagnant, its bench overmatched. With him, Kevin Durant got open looks, Serge Ibaka was a factor in the pick-and-pop game, and Reggie Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed five assists in more than 27 minutes off the bench. Without Westbrook, the Thunder is an average team at best. With him, Oklahoma City is a team capable of making a very deep run in the NBA playoffs. His early return dramatically changed the complexion of the early portion of the NBA season.
11. I spend five mornings a week on a treadmill, usually running for about an hour. I typically begin each run at 6.7 miles per hour, methodically working my way to 9.6 or so by the end of my session. Every so often, I'll sprint the last couple of minutes, working up to 10.5-11.5 miles per hour. On a day when I'm feeling great, I'll go all the way to 12.0 for the final minute of my run, sweating all over the machine in the process.
On Sunday, New York City Marathon NYC winner Geoffrey Mutai ran the equivalent of 12.3 on the treadmill for two hours and eight minutes. Dear God, how? Seriously, I cannot begin to imagine.
Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo made $630,000 by winning the women's side of the NYC Marathon with a bonus. According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, the average Kenyan makes $1,800 a year. There's perspective.
Mother nature and a nasty stomach bug had other ideas. Halloween got rained out Thursday, pushing my trick-or-treating session with Carson to Friday night. Before he and I returned home, I didn't feel well. By 3 a.m. Saturday, I was contemplating a trip to the emergency room.
I watched college football, episodes of Breaking Bad and catnapped on Saturday. The yard work planned for Saturday waited until Sunday. A weekend I couldn't wait for couldn't end fast enough.
I suspect Ole Miss enjoyed the open date more than I. Further, I suspect the Rebels are ready to get back after it, knowing their postseason destiny will be decided in the next four weeks.
Here are my 10 thoughts from the weekend:
1. Florida State whipped Miami to highlight the weekend that was in college football. I know no one who was surprised. That _ no surprises _ just might be the theme from the weekend. The following is a too much information warning: I got sick Friday night, spent the majority of the night and Saturday morning worshipping the porcelain gods and medicating myself. By noon Saturday, games were on but I was resting my eyelids between plays. With that in mind, here are my thoughts from the weekend that was:
A. Mississippi State is a mistake-prone football team. Dax Prescott does good things, but he throws in enough horrible decisions to undermine all the positives. The Bulldogs' secondary can be picked apart and their offensive line is shaky. Mississippi State is going to be 5-6 when Ole Miss comes to town on Thanksgiving night.
B. South Carolina is going to look back on that inexplicable loss to Tennessee last month and find it difficult to forgive itself.
C. Speaking of the Volunteers, they've tanked. On consecutive weeks, Tennessee got hammered at the line of scrimmage. Butch Jones has his work cut out for him.
D. Florida can get to 6-6, but one can't help but wonder what's going through Jeremy Foley's mind these days. Will Muschamp doesn't appear to be the answer in Gainesville, and with programs such as Missouri on the rise and Florida State a national title contender right up the road, it has to be tempting for Foley to pursue a change now.
E. Georgia is a different team with Todd Gurley in the backfield. Without him, the Bulldogs are simply undermanned.
F. I have no idea why, but I find it very difficult to cheer for Auburn. Gus Malzahn is a little too cocky for my tastes and following Twitter during an Auburn game turns my stomach (I'll leave it at that). Note to media: Your job, specifically, is to be objective. Cheerleading for the sake of making subscribers and Twitter followers happy is remarkably unprofessional. Be forewarned: The build-up to the Iron Bowl in a few weeks is going to be more obnoxious than usual, and I'm finding it difficult not to look forward to the beatdown the Crimson Tide is going to deliver.
G. I watched some Big Ten football again this week. There are average SEC teams that would finish in the top three in that league. Ohio State is good. So is Michigan State. The rest of that league, however, is a glorified dumpster fire. Illinois at Penn State served as the poster child for my argument. If you've got the stomach for it, pull up the replay on the Internet and watch.
H. Oregon needs to wow voters Thursday night at Stanford. Florida State did so Saturday in a rout of Miami. The Ducks get their shot Thursday. Stanford's style of play might make that difficult.
2. As we enter the stretch run, here are my bowl projections. For the sake of these projections, I have South Carolina beating Florida and advancing to the SEC Championship Game by virtue of a Texas A&M win over Missouri. I am also projecting LSU losing to both Alabama and Texas A&M down the stretch.
BCS National Championship Game --- Alabama (13-0)
Allstate Sugar Bowl --- Auburn (10-2)
Capital One Bowl --- South Carolina (10-3)
Outback Bowl --- Missouri (10-2)
AT&T Cotton Bowl --- Texas A&M (10-2)
Chick-Fil-A Bowl --- Ole Miss (8-4)
Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl --- LSU (8-4)
Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl --- Georgia (8-4)
Autozone Liberty Bowl --- Vanderbilt (6-6)
BBVA Compass Bowl --- Florida (6-6)
Advocare V100 Bowl --- At-large (No other SEC team reaches six wins)
3. I watched a good bit of Auburn's blowout of Arkansas Saturday night in Fayetteville. The Hogs head to Oxford on Saturday at 11:21 a.m. as a 17 ½-point underdog. In short, first-year coach Bret Bielema's team looks lost.
"There's so many positive things that are going on right now that don't pop out to people who aren't around this program," Bielema told SBNation.com's Stephen Godfrey, who, by the way, wrote an incredible piece late Saturday/early Sunday about the fascinating rivalry that is budding between Bielema and Auburn's Gus Malzahn. "Right now, it's baby steps. I wish we were sprinting, but we're walking."
If you say so, Bret. What I saw was a team depending on too many young players, lacking an identity, devoid of confidence and unable to stop anyone. In this league, that's a recipe for total disaster. Right now, that description fits Arkansas perfectly.
4. NFL scouting guru Gil Brandt observed Georgia's Aaron Murray on Saturday, watching the Bulldogs hold off Florida for a 23-20 win. Brandt said Murray, who was 16-fo-25 passing for 258 yards with one touchdown and on interceptions, both helped himself and reminded him of New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in the process. Brandt wrote in his weekly NFL.com entry that Murray's ability to manage an offense against a defense as powerful as the Gators, all the while without most of his most explosive weapons, should allow him to overcome his 6-foot-1 height in next spring's draft.
5. Ed Orgeron led Southern California to a win over Oregon State Thursday in Corvallis. Orgeron, who took over mid-season for Lane Kiffin, has now won as many conference games (three) as he did as the head coach for three seasons at Ole Miss.
That leads to a couple of obvious observations. One, the SEC is much, much tougher than the Pac-12. Two, Orgeron has grown up as a head coach. Many in the media have had a hard time letting go of the narrative of Orgeron the shirt-tearing ogre with no people skills. At one point, in fairness, that narrative fit. It doesn't seem to anymore. I still don't believe Orgeron is a candidate for the permanent gig at USC, but he probably has made a case for himself for another job somewhere else.
I'll say it again. His failure at Ole Miss wasn't his fault. He never should have been hired. The failure belonged to Pete Boone and Robert Khayat, two men who orchestrated one of the most ill-advised, poorly-executed coaching searches in the history of college athletics.
6. I really wanted to watch the Saints at the Jets on Sunday, but I don't have the NFL Sunday Ticket (I have the MLB Extra Innings package and NBA League Pass; at some point, enough is enough). Therefore, I am occasionally held hostage by the NFL's coverage map. Sunday was one of those days. I got stuck with the Titans at the Rams and the Vikings at the Cowboys. I did yard work during the second set of games and watched the Thunder and the Suns Sunday night (more on that in a bit, as you probably expected). Anyway, here are a handful of thoughts from Sunday in the National Football League.
A. Darren Sproles got knocked out with a concussion (er, an ankle injury) early Sunday. Without him, the Saints' offense isn't the same. Few players are more valuable to their teams than Sproles is to the Saints. Without him, Drew Brees is forced to hold the ball longer. There are no dump-downs. The Saints become mortal.
B. Jets coach Rex Ryan is now 5-0 against brother Rob, who is the Saints' defensive coordinator.
C. The Kansas City Chiefs aren't pretty, but they're 9-0 following a win at Buffalo. The Chiefs just do it with defense, Alex Smith's game management, solid special teams and precious few mistakes. Those games with Denver later this season are going to be fascinating to watch.
D. Tony Romo takes so much heat, but it's silly. The Cowboys' quarterback engineered a critical game-winning drive over Minnesota Sunday, one that prevented what would have been a brutal week of second-guessing in the Metroplex.
E. I get that Dez Bryant just wants to win. I do. But Dez, it's time to corral those emotions on the field a bit.
F. Seattle came back to beat the Buccaneers in overtime, but that's two games in a row the Seahawks have shown signs of vulnerability against subpar teams. If I'm Pete Carroll, I'm happy my team keeps winning but I'm growing a bit concerned.
7. Jonathan Martin's representatives have notified the Dolphins about allegations of player misconduct within the locker room, spurring the team to ask the NFL to launch an independent inquiry late Sunday, the Miami Herald reported.
"We are taking these allegations very seriously and plan to review the matter further," the Dolphins announced. "... As an organization, we are committed to a culture of team-first accountability and respect for one another."
The announcement came late on a busy Sunday, in which new details of the alleged abuse suffered by Martin came to light, and in which a potential new controversy was just beginning.
According to the Herald, young Dolphins players are under pressure to dig deep into their pockets to pay for veterans' social outings, a phenomenon that has put strain on their finances and locker room chemistry, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
One young defensive player, whose privacy the Miami Herald is protecting, is on his way to going broke because he has been unable to say no to the older players, the source said.
"Everything tastes better when rookies pay for it," veteran defensive end Jared Odrick wrote on Twitter this weekend. "Yes, the bill would make you sick."
Younger players were handed the tab for a $30,000 team dinner, a source told the Miami Herald. The rookie minimum this year is around $400,000.
Will Davis, a rookie cornerback, tweeted Sunday: "The bill was definitely split. ... They would never put that on one man to pay for it all. Haha now that would be crazy..."
These allegations come on the heels of ESPN's report Sunday morning that offensive lineman Richie Incognito pressured Martin, a second-year offensive lineman, into paying $15,000 for an unofficial team vacation to Las Vegas ? a trip Martin didn't even attend.
Earlier in the day, Incognito both pushed back against reports that Martin left the team over bullying, with Incognito taking direct aim at ESPN in a series of tweets Sunday morning.
"Stop slandering my name," Incognito told ESPN's Adam Schefter via Twitter. "You hide behind 'sources' who are not man enough to put their name behind the BS you report."
Schefter stood behind his report Sunday that Incognito was under review by the NFL Players Association for his role in Martin's departure from the team. The team has privately held that Martin abruptly left the club last Monday to deal with emotional issues.
This is not the first time Schefter's reporting has been questioned by Incognito. During training camp, the ESPN correspondent, citing sources, wrote that the Dolphins' offensive lineman decked a bouncer at the Fontainebleau's Club Liv.
However, the Herald reported Sunday, Incognito claims he never threw a punch, and a police report from the incident appeared to back his story. It noted that he, not the bouncer, had abrasions consistent with a fight. The police sent Incognito home with nothing more than a trespassing warning. On Sunday, Incognito went public with his grievances.
"@AdamSchefter This is the second time you have tried to drag my name through the mud with lies," he wrote. "@espn shame on you for attaching my name to false speculation. I won't be holding my breathe [sic] for an apology."
Incognito concluded: "@AdamSchefter Enough is enough. If you or any of the agents you sound off for have a problem with me, you know where to find me #BRINGIT"
Also on ESPN Sunday, former Bears coach Mike Ditka had some strong words for Incognito, saying, "I find it hard to believe. ... I can't comprehend it. When this would happen in my time, you take the bully and you'd kick his butt. You go to Fist City with this guy."
While the Dolphins drew widespread criticism Sunday, some outside the organization pushed back publicly against the idea that the Dolphins are a franchise in disarray.
"This is a runaway train that the media, national and local reporters are taking to a ... crazy level, and there's no reason for any of it," agent David Canter, who represents several Dolphins players, including star defensive tackle Paul Soliai, told the Miami Herald. "The Miami Dolphins are not a dysfunctional organization. They don't have a dysfunctional leadership.
"The players in the locker room don't dislike each other. They fight for each and work for each other. This is one player who had a very, very adverse reaction to a set of circumstances."
8. According to the Daily Mississippian, University of Mississippi Physical Plant employees recently received a mass-letter from Physical Plant Director Ashton Pearson after the LSU-Ole Miss football game on Nov. 19. The Mississippian reported it obtained the letter from an anonymous physical plant employee.
Pearson sent the university letter Oct. 22 on university letterhead in regard to an employee's behavior during the football game in which an employee posted comments on his Facebook page in support of LSU.
The letter states that while the university will never tell its employees whom they can or cannot cheer for, there is an expectation to support Ole Miss while on the clock. Pearson states that if employees cannot support Ole Miss, they shall "remain neutral and without comment."
According to the DM, the university employee was on the clock and working on the sidelines at the football game during the time when he posted the comments.
The employee in question should consider himself lucky he works at Ole Miss and not at Alabama. I simply can't imagine the backlash a University of Alabama employee would have received had he posted pro-LSU comments on his Facebook page during a game between the Crimson Tide and the Tigers, whether he was on the clock at the time or not. Had he been on the clock posting pro-LSU comments, I suspect he would have ultimately paid for that transgression with his job.
I'm not advocating that response, mind you, but the Ole Miss employee in question should thank his lucky stars there's a little bit of perspective in Oxford. He wouldn't have been so fortunate elsewhere.
9. As a kid growing up in north central Louisiana, I traveled to Houston fairly frequently. I had an uncle and aunt who lived in Houston for a time and the city was often a destination for church trips.
As a huge sports fan, what I remember most about all of those trips to H-Town was the Astrodome. Then the home of the NFL's Oilers and MLB's Astros, it was deemed as the eighth wonder of the world. I thought it was fantastic, from its silver room that gleamed in the sun to the scoreboard with the cowboy shooting digital bullets. I loved the Oilers, loathed the Astros and adored the Astrodome.
This weekend, items from the Astrodome's old life were put on the auction block. From the rainbow colored seats to the old artificial turf (Astroturf) to the old dugout benches and lockers, everything from the old stadium was put up for sale.
On Nov. 5, Harris County voters will decide if the Astrodome will be demolished. For me, it'll be a sad day when it falls. The last time I was in Houston, my brother drove me by the Astrodome. It now stands in the shadow of the palatial Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans. There is a parking lot where Astroworld used to be.
Time marches on. We all know that, but I felt a wave of good memories driving past the Astrodome that day. I guess I'm getting old.
10. The NBA season began last week, thank God. Less than one week in, it would be ridiculous to draw any conclusions. However, I think there are a few things worth noting.
A. Indiana is 3-0. That's no shock, really, but the Pacers have been mighty impressive in the very early going. Paul George is emerging as a bonafide star. Lance Stephenson, David West and Roy Hibbert are solid, front-line NBA players. Danny Granger can be. The addition of Luis Scola to the Pacers' bench makes a team that took the Heat to Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals one proven scorer deeper. I picked Indiana to win the NBA title a week ago. Three games in, I have no regrets regarding my pick at all.
B. It was one game on a Friday night in very early November, but take note of Brooklyn's win over Miami at the Barclays Center. The Nets, behind former Celtics Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, sent a message _ likely one directed to their new teammates in Brooklyn _ that they won't be intimidated by the two-time defending champs. Garnett and Pierce have plenty of hatred for Lebron James and Co. from those epic duels between the Heat and Celtics the past few years. That hate has made its way to Brooklyn. The Nets might not beat the Heat in May, but it won't be because of fear.
C. Only two Western Conference teams _ Minnesota and Houston _ are 3-0 so far. The Timberwolves have ridden strong play from the trio of Kevin Love, Kevin Martin and Ricky Rubio to wins over Orlando, Oklahoma City and New York. They've done it in impressive fashion and with a balanced roster. Nikola Pekovic and Ronny Turiaf give the Wolves two centers who can bang and score. Jose Barea, Dante Cunningham and Chase Budinger are solid role players. Martin is a proven scorer. Rubio has developed into a top-echelon point guard and Love is a top-10 star. The Wolves are a team worth watching, even in the loaded West. Houston, meanwhile, has cruised to a fast start with wins over Charlotte, Dallas and Utah. The Rockets will be tested Monday night in Los Angeles against the Clippers (2-1), but so far, the James Harden-Dwight Howard combination has proven to be difficult to defend.
D. Oklahoma City got Russell Westbrook back on Sunday, a month before expected and two nights after a loss in Minnesota that was the franchise's worst in three seasons. Westbrook's return paid immediate dividends as the point guard scored 21 points and dished out seven assists in a win over Phoenix. Without Westbrook, the Thunder's offense was stagnant, its bench overmatched. With him, Kevin Durant got open looks, Serge Ibaka was a factor in the pick-and-pop game, and Reggie Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed five assists in more than 27 minutes off the bench. Without Westbrook, the Thunder is an average team at best. With him, Oklahoma City is a team capable of making a very deep run in the NBA playoffs. His early return dramatically changed the complexion of the early portion of the NBA season.
11. I spend five mornings a week on a treadmill, usually running for about an hour. I typically begin each run at 6.7 miles per hour, methodically working my way to 9.6 or so by the end of my session. Every so often, I'll sprint the last couple of minutes, working up to 10.5-11.5 miles per hour. On a day when I'm feeling great, I'll go all the way to 12.0 for the final minute of my run, sweating all over the machine in the process.
On Sunday, New York City Marathon NYC winner Geoffrey Mutai ran the equivalent of 12.3 on the treadmill for two hours and eight minutes. Dear God, how? Seriously, I cannot begin to imagine.
Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo made $630,000 by winning the women's side of the NYC Marathon with a bonus. According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, the average Kenyan makes $1,800 a year. There's perspective.
