Rapper pleaded guilty in Phoenix to probation violation.
By Paul Cantor

DMX
Photo: Larry Busacca/ Getty Images

DMX is heading back to jail for a year. On Thursday morning (December 16), the rapper (born Earl Simmons) pleaded guilty in a Phoenix courtroom to a felony probation violation. He was arrested on November 18 for not checking in with his probation officer, failing to submit to drug testing and refusing to undergo treatment.

“I did make the effort that I could, and I appreciate any help you can give me,” Simmons told Judge Christine Mulleneaux, according to the Phoenix New Times.

Judge Mulleneaux was not wholly sympathetic to X’s pleas for leniency, saying he tested positive for cocaine five times during his probation. She said he likely had an undiagnosed mental condition that he needs to take care of, and until he does so, he’d continue on his path of substance abuse.

“Your criminal history goes back to 1988,” she said. “It’s going to continue if you don’t take care of your mental health.”

According to The Associated Press, DMX told Phoenix station KSAZ-TV that he had been kicked out of a drug treatment program because he had a drink at a Scottsdale club during a performance.

X had been on probation since July, having served four months of a six-month sentence handed down in March for failing a court-mandated drug test and testing positive for cocaine. Following his release in July, he began serving a 90-day sentence for a reckless driving charge in Los Angeles dating all the way back to 2002. In May of 2009, he was released from 90 days in a Phoenix jail on charges of drug possession, fraud and animal cruelty from 2008.

Related Artists

• DMX

INVENTEC

Filed under: Texans, AFC South

Bob McNair’s not indicating much yet on the future of the Houston Texans‘ coaching staff.

But he did say Thursday he expects change.

McNair, the Houston Texans’ owner, spoke to the team following a practice Thursday afternoon, and said afterward he has yet to focus on the issue of coach Gary Kubiak on the staff.

“We’ll review everything at the end of the year, and will we make some changes?” HoustonTexans.com reported McNair as saying. “I’m sure we will make some — we’ll see some things that need to be improved. But we’re very, very close to having the kind of team I think that we can all be proud of, and we just have to keep working hard and push it over the top. I think we’re close.”

McNair asked Kubiak if he could speak to the team and Kubiak said afterward the message was “positive reinforcement.”

“I think it’s good,” Kubiak said. “Our guys know how much he cares about them.”

The Texans, after a 4-2 start amid playoff expectations, have lost six of the last seven games, including a 34-28 overtime loss to the Baltimore Ravens Sunday. They have rallied from double-digit deficits in four of the losses, with three of them coming in the final seconds or overtime.

McNair said he received “an uncommon outpouring of support” from owners at the NFL Meetings Wednesday and he wanted to “relay it to the team.”

“I was just sort of overwhelmed by the comments that our competitors had to say about our team, because it had never happened before like this,” McNair said. “They were all, frankly, pulling for us after the way we came back. … The level of respect that they have for our team and how close they think we are to really being not just a good team but an outstanding team, it was nice to hear your peer group say that about you. So I just wanted the team to know how close not only we think they are, but how close our competitors think they are, to being an outstanding team.

“I think what it does, it’s sort of an affirmation that we’re on the right track. Clearly, we have to do better, because what we’ve done wasn’t good enough. But (it affirms) that we’re on the right track, and I’ve felt that way all along.”

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Filed under: Officiating

As we sit through the quiet before bowl season in college football, I thought we’d take the opportunity here with the Zebra Report to discuss something that actually ends up giving high school officials across the nation some really funny stories. Yes, fellow Zebras, I’m talking about the fact that most people don’t know many of the rule differences used among the NFL, NCAA and NFHS (that’s the National Federation of State High School Associations).

If you’ve ever been up in the crowd at a high school — or lower-level — football game and screamed something like “he was out of the pocket” or “that ball was uncatchable” or a slew of other things you’ve seen or heard on TV on the weekends, you may want to read up.

You see, rule differences from high school to college to the pros in other sports are usually reserved for field dimensions or timing rules. Everything else is usually very similar, other than interpretation stuff (like traveling in the NBA or the strike zone in MLB). But in football, there are tons of rule differences among the three levels. What you’ll find many times is that high school and the NFL are different, and that college is with one or the other. Still others, all three levels differ.

So consider this a brief, layperson’s guide to making sure you don’t end up the butt of officials’ jokes — because to us there is nothing funnier than when being called an idiot by someone who doesn’t know the rules.

I’ll start with one of my favorite stories.

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After months and months of build-up, UFC 124 finally happened, and all that’s left is a fractured orbital bone. Who rose above the rest? 

No. 1 star — Georges St. Pierre: The thing that’s so impressive about GSP is not his consecutive streak of wins, title defenses or rounds won. It’s that he continues to add to his arsenal. Just as Michael Jordan added a fadeaway jumper later in his career, GSP continues to employ new weapons in the Octagon. After showing off his mastery of wrestling against Thiago Alves and Dan Hardy, GSP debuted a brutal jab to dominate Josh Koscheck. He continually grows as a fighter, and that’s why he’s the one with the gold, shiny belt around his waist.

No. 2 star — Jim Miller: I’ll admit it. When coming up with the top lightweights in this loaded division of the UFC, I didn’t always think of Jim Miller, even though his only losses are to Gray Maynard and champion Frankie Edgar. That stops here. Miller stopped the Charles Oliveira hype train dead on the tracks, earning Miller his sixth win in a row.

No. 3 star — Thiago Alves: The Alves who had trouble cutting weight and looked sluggish against Jon Fitch was a distant memory on Saturday night. He looked energetic for every second of his decision win over John Howard, something Alves attributes to a better diet and smarter life choices. 

Honorable mention — Montreal: The city deserves kudos for continuing to break attendance records, loudly supporting the fighters and getting just as excited about their fourth MMA event as they were for their first.

Who are your three stars from UFC 124?

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The wait is finally over: it’s holiday season, which means it’s time for First Round Capital’s annual video greeting card. From the intro by First Round Managing Partner Josh Kopelman to Path’s flamingos (you’ll see), this video reaches new heights of awesome (and goofiness). I’ve never wanted a muscle suit more. Click through to watch the video. If you have’t seen them yet, make sure to check out First Round’s previous holiday greetings, which included a sing-along inspired by Les Misérables in 2009 and a dancing-themed video that helped brighten up the gloomy days of 2008.

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Band performed at nominations concert before massive hit ‘Hey, Soul Sister’ was largely shut out by Grammys.
By James Montgomery

Train
Photo: MTV News

Even if you are the most casual of music fans, there’s still a pretty good chance you know (and probably even own) Train’s “Hey, Soul Sister,” the most omnipresent (and best-selling) song of 2010. No matter where you turned, it truly seemed like the song was there … except, strangely enough, the Grammys.

Earlier this month, when nominations for the 2011 Grammy Awards were announced, “Hey, Soul Sister” was oddly absent. It failed to score a nod for either Record or Song of the Year — both of which seemed mortal locks, given the single’s general inescapability — and ended up with just one nomination: for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. And that was for a live version of the song.

The fact that Grammy voters snubbed “Soul Sister” was even more shocking considering that Train were invited to perform at the annual Grammy Nominations Concert, a move that usually guarantees a plumb nod or two. And if you were surprised that Train left the telecast (largely) empty-handed, well, you weren’t the only one.

“You know, it was a strange night for us, to be real honest with you,” Train frontman Pat Monahan told MTV News. “Playing the nominations show, being seated in the front to watch all the performances, and then to not be nominated for any of them during that show. I don’t really know what the take is, to be real honest. It kind of felt like a practical joke at the time.

“I mean, a guy even came around, he was like, ‘You guys are going to be really happy tonight,’ ” drummer Scott Underwood added. “And we were like, ‘Oh, really? OK, cool!’ ”

Monahan admitted that part of the reason “Soul Sister” was shut out of the Grammy’s big categories was because of a technicality: The song was released digitally in August 2009 — within the eligibility window for the 2010 awards — but added that the “live” version that picked up a nom probably should’ve sufficed for consideration, given the song’s success this year.

“I’ll just speak for myself. During the ceremony, my feelings were hurt,” Monahan admitted. “I felt like we were being set up for something kinda big and it didn’t go down,” he said. “And I was like, ‘Wow, that was weird,’ because if I hadn’t been here, I’d just be psyched that we’re nominated, instead of disappointed that we weren’t nominated for the big several [awards]. But, you know, it’s cool to be nominated at the same time, so I’m pretty appreciative. It was just that one moment was a little bit hurt feelings.”

And to that end, Monahan said he’s already put the Grammy incident behind him. In fact, he’s even learned a lesson from the whole thing.

“It’s a great reminder that that’s not what we’re here for. Really what we’re here for — and we keep proving it over and over again — is, we’re here because there’s some Train fans out there, and somehow they keep growing instead of shrinking,” he said. “And there’s some music that we’re supposed to provide people to maybe make their lives a little bit better and, you know, that’s really why we’re here. All the rest is just whatever, as the song ‘If It’s Love’ says.”

What do you think of Train’s Grammy experience? Were they wrongly overlooked? Sound off in the comments!

Related Artists

• Train

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Her mother may be a world famous news anchorwoman, but the coveted position isn?t enough for 14-year-old Carrie Couric. The teenager is more impressed by mom Katie?s upcoming cameo on the Fox hit musical comedy, Glee. ?She actually thought I was kind of cool for the first time in two years!? Katie told In Touch at the Hollywood Reporter?s Power 100: Women in Entertainment breakfast in Beverly Hills. The CBS Evenings News hostess, who also has a 19-year-old daughter, Ellie, will reportedly appear in a February Glee episode, donning ?a lot of bangles and a top hat and a cane,? she says.

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Tonight is the last event for World Extreme Cagefighting as after tonight, they will be absorbed by the UFC. They are going out with a bang, with two title fights live on Versus. Ben Henderson will try to defend his lightweight belt against Anthony Pettis, and the winner will challenge the winner of Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard for the UFC lightweight belt.

Meanwhile, the winner of Scott Jorgensen vs. Dominick Cruz will leave Glendale, Ariz. with two belts: the final WEC bantamweight championship as well as the first UFC bantamweight belt.

But before looking forward, we look back to our all-time favorite fights from the WEC. In no particular order:

WEC 48: Jose Aldo vs. Urijah Faber — This fight was huge before the two fighters even stepped in the cage, as it was the WEC’s first foray into pay-per-view. As the two biggest stars in the WEC, big expectations loomed for Faber and Aldo, and they delivered. Aldo put on a five-round beating, while Faber showed that he is one of the toughest fighters in MMA.

WEC 36: Mike Brown vs. Urijah Faber I — It’s important to remember that in November of 2008, Faber seemed invincible. He was the face of the WEC and on a 14-fight win streak. But the power of Mike Brown ended that with a first-round TKO.

WEC 48: Leonard Garcia vs. Chan Sung Jung — Was this fight, shown live on Spike as a lead-in to the PPV, technically proficient? No. Was it fun to watch? Absolutely. Garcia and "The Korean Zombie" didn’t let up for one second of the three-round decision for Garcia.

WEC 43: Benson Henderson vs. Donald Cerrone – In this five-round interim title bout, Cerrone looked on the verge of submitting Henderson several time but Henderson’s superhuman flexibility kept him from tapping, earning him the decision and the belt. Though the result was disputed, Henderson has proven with subsequent wins over Cerrone and Jamie Varner that he’s a deserving champ.

WEC 40: Miguel Torres vs. Takeya Mizugaki — This fight was special for me, as it was the first title-fight I had ever covered, but Torres and Mizugaki made it special for everyone who watched it. Torres’ stamina was impressive as he won a five-round decision, but Mizugaki was just as impressive in his WEC debut, refusing to stop despite the hard shots Torres was delivering.

WEC 41: Jose Aldo vs. Cub Swanson — With one flying double-knee, the legend of Jose Aldo Jr. was born. He took just eight seconds to take out Swanson and earn a shot at the featherweight title.

WEC 37: Miguel Torres vs. Manny Tapia – Front roll axe kick is really all that needs to be said about this fight. Torres TKOed Tapia in the second round of this bout that Torres used to debut several unconventional moves, including a front roll axe kick. 

WEC 38: Donald Cerrone vs. Jamie Varner I — This fight is memorable not just for the fight and its oddball result, but for the feud it set up between Varner and Cerrone that still continues today. The two fought a back and forth battle, but the fight was stopped after Cerrone threw a still-disputed illegal knee. Varner won the decision on the judges’ cards, and a hate was born.

WEC 34: Urijah Faber vs. Jens Pulver I — Just like at WEC 48, Faber, as the face of the WEC, was expected to deliver. The WEC and Versus marketed the bout to the hilt; you couldn’t drive one city block without seeing a poster of Faber and Jens Pulver, the UFC pioneer. They came through, with a non-stop five-round bout.

WEC 31: Paulo Filho vs. Chael Sonnen I — You can pretty much guarantee that some weirdness will happen when Paulo Filho and Chael Sonnen get in a cage. At the end of the second round, Filho had Sonnen in an armbar, and Sonnen yelled out. The referee took that as a verbal submission and stopped the fight. Sonnen said that he hadn’t submitted. The two then fought again at WEC 36, and Sonnen won the bizarre decision that featured Filho refusing to engage, asking Sonnen to "rest" during the match and not making weight.

Now that you’ve read through ours, what were your favorite WEC bouts?

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by Michael David SmithAll the fighters participating on the WEC 53 card will step on the scale for the WEC 53 weigh-in Wednesday, and if you can’t be there in Glendale, Ariz., you can watch the live stream right here at MMAFighting.com.

The card features two title fights: Lightweight champion Ben Henderson and challenger Anthony Pettis will have to make the 155-pound limit, and bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz and challenger Scott Jorgensen will have to make the 135-pound limit.

Following the weigh-in, the UFC’s Forrest Griffin will take part in a question-and-answer session with fans, which will also stream live.

The weigh-in starts at 7 PM ET and the video is below.

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Wiz Khalifa, Travis Porter and Cam’ron and Vado round out our year-end favorites, in Mixtape Daily.
By Jayson Rodriguez

Vado, Rick Ross and Fabolous
Photo: Getty Images/ MTV News

There’s the hip-hop that hits the charts and plays in the clubs and then there’s that raw stuff that bangs beyond the radio — on blogs, on the block and at backyard barbecues. These MCs, the short list picked by the Mixtape Daily extended family, occupy that arena just outside the mainstream with their mixtapes, intended for the underground circuit.

Sure, Rick Ross’ “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast)” earned a slot on MTV News’ Top 10 Songs of 2010 and landed on the Miami rapper’s proper album, but the industrial-strength drums and cast-iron rhymes were served up for the streets first. That the track ultimately broke through and resonated on a larger level demonstrated the power of appealing to your base.

The acts below are the best of that crop and sport the crown for the past 12 months as Mixtape Daily‘s Top Mixtape MCs of 2010:

Cam’ron and Vado
Bordering Block: Harlem, USA
Street Scripture: Boss of All Bosses 2.5
Fire Flames: “No Vado ain’t rich, but damn near,” the upstart spits on “Speakin’ Tongues.” “As long as it’s me and Cam near/ They like Remo and Sam running the Tangiers.”

Fabolous
Bordering Block: Brooklyn
Street Scripture: The Funeral Service: There Is No Competition 2
Fire Flames: “My shorty telling me, ‘Kill the competition, boo,’ ” Loso spits on “The Wake.” “And I be telling her, ‘There is no competition to There Is No Competition 2‘/ It’s good to wake up, look in the mirror and the only competition is you/ And even that n—a ain’t seeing me/ My reflection’ll have a hard time being me.”

Rick Ross
Bordering Block: Carol City, Miami
Street Scripture: The Albert Anastasia EP
Fire Flames: “Self made, you just affiliated,” Ross spits on “B.M.F. (Blowin’ Money Fast).” “I built it ground up, you bought it renovated.”

Travis Porter
Bordering Block: The A, Georgia
Street Scripture: Proud to Be a Problem
Fire Flames: “When the song come on, I ain’t gon’ dance,” Quez raps on “Secondary Girl.” “And we ain’t gon’ buy no wedding ring, shorty, you my offside lady, you my second string.”

Wiz Khalifa
Bordering Block: Pittsburgh
Street Scripture: Kush & Orange Juice
Fire Flames: “Polo socks match my Polo hat,” Wiz kicks on “Mesmerized.” “She leaves once, she ain’t coming back/ That’s a known fact/ Now, Taylor Gang that.”

Did we miss anyone? Share your picks for the best mixtape MCs of 2010 in the comments!

For other artists featured in Mixtape Daily, check out Mixtape Daily Headlines.

Related Videos

• 2010 Mixtape Daily Year End Awards

Related Artists

• Fabolous
• Rick Ross (Hip-Hop)

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Dana White, media members, fellow fighters and fans all used the word humble to describe Jonathan Brookins in recent days. The kid is very talented but refuses to come off as cocky, jerk. After tonight’s "Ultimate Fighter 12 Finale" it’s time to add tough, granite chin and resilient to his bio. Brookins got crushed in the standup game in the opening round but bounced back to run roughshod on Michael Johnson in the next two rounds to take the TUF 12 lightweight title via unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-27 and 29-28, in Las Vegas.

"My game still has a lot to improve on," Brookins told UFC analyst Joe Rogan. "I just want invite everybody to come along for the ride with me because I got a lot of improvements to do. If they’re willing, I love for you guys to watch it."

Beyond that, Brookins only wanted to speak about his opponent. 

"It was no surprise," Brookins said of the early beating he took in the first round. "Even in the house, he was the best athlete, hands down on the whole season. He’s going to have a long career."

Johnson, 24, has great potential but it was his one weakness during the show, a lack of stamina, that did him in.

Brookins made Johnson look like a brilliant striker in the opening round. The Orlando-based fighter uses very little head movement, so Johnson teed off on the stationary target. Just over 90 seconds into the fight, he dropped Brookins with a left hook. He continued to batter Brookins on the feet but he couldn’t take him out. The kid has a ridiculous chin.

"Man, I was stunned. I was like ‘oh man, here comes Michael Johnson.’ Typical Michael Johnson. Just beatin up on people. He’s an incredible competitor. My hat’s off to him," said Brookins. 

Brookins, 25, took UFC featherweight champ Jose Aldo, widely regarded a top 10 pound-for-pound fighter, into the third round during a fight in late 2008. He showed an awesome chin in that one and it was no different tonight.

Johnson exhibited good takedown defense in the opening round, but that changed in the second. Brookins, a ground specialist, was relentless. He scored a takedown early in the second. Johnson couldn’t rise to his feet for over three minutes and when he did, he got lifted in the air and slammed down again. Brookins did a lot of damage during the round by grinding his elbow into Johnson’s face and landing some big shots.

At the start of the third, Johnson’s right eye was swelling and he had bruising around the left. Brookins scored another takedown just 45 seconds into the round. Johnson’s mouth was open. He was taking deep breaths. Brookins didn’t do a ton of damage this time around and Johnson actually got back to his feet with two and half minutes left in the fight. He still had a chance. Unfortunately the exhausted Johnson tried a sloppy shot for a takedown and got thrown by Brookins, who finished the fight with top control.

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Filed under: Miami (OH), Pittsburgh, Big East, Coaching

Mike Haywood, currently the coach at Miami (OH), will be the next football coach at Pittsburgh. Haywood confirmed the move to Graham Watson of FanHouse on Thursday night.

Haywood’s move was first reported by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Haywood was brought to the Pitt campus for a second interview and met with the chancellor and several other high-ranking University officials, the report stated. He is expected to be named the new coach as early as Thursday.

Haywood took over the Miami program in 2009 following a 2-10 campaign for the RedHawks. Haywood went 1-11 in his first season, which was his first as a head coach.

In 2010, however, Haywood led one of the biggest turnarounds in the nation. Miami is 9-4 and won the MAC championship over favored Northern Illinois. The RedHawks are headed to the GoDaddy.com Bowl to square off against Middle Tennessee Jan. 6.

Before taking the Miami job, Haywood was one of the offensive assistants under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame, where he was once a wide receiver.

The 46-year-old will be taking over at Pitt for Dave Wannstedt, who resigned from the position Dec. 7.

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Brock Lesnar kept his promise. He lost his title belt at UFC 121, but kept that beard and moved on to Canada to take down some big game.

Cage Potato nailed the caption for the photo on the right: 

"This thing used to be alive! LMFAO!"

Lesnar’s practice during the summer with fruit, paid off. 

Photos from Sherdog and tip via Cage Potato

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‘I love hearing your opinions on what songs you like most for the next singles,’ incarcerated MC tells fans in message on his website.
By Mawuse Ziegbe

T.I.
Photo: Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images

T.I. may be locked up, but he’s still keeping tabs on his fans.

In a message posted on the ATL MC’s website Wednesday (December 15), Tip thanked followers for the #4 debut of his latest effort, No Mercy, and added that he’s taking fan opinion into account when choosing upcoming singles from the project.

“What up world? First off I’d like to thank everybody again for going out and supporting the ‘Hustle’ yet again with No Mercy last week. I can’t say enough on how much I appreciate the support and all the positive feedback. I read so many tweets, letters, reviews and comments that spoke volumes to how much love was still out there and how much respect still exists for my art and my passion. I put so much of myself into what I do,” he said. “I even read over the negative comments cuz’ that’s the kind of energy I feed off of to adjust, evolve and improve my craft until it manifests into the closest thing to perfection on the next go-round. I love hearing your opinions on what songs you like most for the next singles. We are taking all of them into consideration as we decide right now on which direction to head in.”

Tip also urged followers to stay positive despite his time behind bars and sent out some cheery holiday greetings.

“I know this seems like an unfortunate set of circumstances to endure for a career with so much potential but remember adversity builds character and character takes you places money can’t. I know what’s in store for me in the future so I ain’t trippin’ and neither should you,” he said. “For now all my love and best wishes to you and yours for the holidays. Y’all hold it down out there and I’ll do the same in here. And continue to spread the word about No Mercy & Team T.I.”

The upbeat missive comes around the same time that longtime T.I. crony DJ Drama said the “Get Back Up” spitter might have been disappointed in his first-week sales because he wasn’t physically on the scene.

“Tip is the type of guy that, I’m sure, no matter how high it debuted, he might feel disappointed, because he’s not here, [and he might] feel like he could have done better,” Drama told MTV News. The mixtape king also added that he feels the drama surrounding Mercy may be a turning point in a career plagued by run-ins with the law — a sentiment that T.I. has also echoed.

“If it does whatever numbers it does, with him being here, it might have done double that. I think this [release] is the toughest one for him. I been a part of his career for the last 10 years, and I seen him in and out of legal problems. But I think this one is a little bit different. Hopefully, this one is the most life-changing one for him,” he said. “I listened to the album, and I watched it being made, and it’s some quality work. You know, at the end of the day, it’s about the music. And he still comes with that music.”

What do you think of T.I.’s latest message? Let us know in the comments!

Related Artists

• T.I.

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Strikeforce has struck gold with Paul Daley. The big-mouthed Brit has fists of steel and backs it up with a brash attitude. He let his temper get the best of him at UFC 113 when he sucker punched Josh Koscheck. The UFC fired him on the spot, but he’s rebounded quickly with Strikeforce.

Daley scored of a Knockout of the Year candidate two weeks ago over Scott Smith, and now Strikeforce is looking for the next opponent who can stand and bang with him.

KJ Noons fancies himself as the best boxer at 155 and 170 pounds in MMA. He’s also got a big mouth. This could be a nice promotion for early 2011. One problem, Noons says Daley is a nobody.

"He’s like the black eye of MMA, this guy’s the leftovers of the UFC. I’m surprised Strikeforce even picked him up," Daley told MMAWeekly.com. "He’s trying to make his name so of course he’s going to call somebody out that beat Nick Diaz. That’s how he’s trying to get his name out there."

Noons has his finger on the pulse of what the fans wants. 

"Of course it would be exciting to watch me knockout Paul Daley. Everybody would want to see that, but the thing is nobody wants to see Paul Daley," said Noons.

Huh? That contradictory statement aside, Noons is wise to pass on the fight.

He’s a lightweight and that’s where he should concentrate his efforts. Daley is too big for him. The Diaz bout was a nice novelty fight and a necessary rematch, but Noons needs to stay down and establish dominance at 155.

Noons also thinks Daley is asking for it, if he keeps calling out Diaz.

"If he fights Nick, that’s an easy win for Nick in my book," said Noons. "I think that’s why Nick’s going to take the fight, easy win for Nick Diaz. Paul Daley won’t even make it to the championship rounds with Nick Diaz."

In spite of what Noons thinks, that is a fight that would sell big with MMA fans. The lead-up to the card would be dynamite and Diaz would probably be stubborn and trade the entire time with the one-dimensional Daley.

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Jim Miller’s red beard powered his win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 124. Yukon Cornelius’ red beard powered him through a snowy winter as he helped guide Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer and Hermey the Elf Dentist through the snow. Both found success in the cold and snow and will likely have a very nice holiday because of those winnings. For Miller, it’s $50,000 for a Submission of the Night bonus. Yukon Cornelius is all about the silver and gold. 

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by Terence Moore

Filed under: Sports Business and Media

Satchel Paige was one of the most dominant pitchers in the Negro Leagues, and later starred in the majors.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — I couldn’t find the glove.

Where was the glove?

Before leaving Atlanta, James “Red” Moore (no relation) told me to look for his old first baseman’s glove when I got to the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum. Said Mary Moore of her 94-year-old husband, who is among the fewer than 130 players left from the leagues, “Oh, lordy, Jesus, we promised the glove to them, and we went on and gave it to them. Yeah, and it’s the only thing we really had left from back then.”

So, moments after I walked into the museum, I searched from exhibit to exhibit, but the glove wasn’t there.

The doomsayers are correct, I thought. They swear on a stack of Josh Gibson trading cards that since the death of baseball saint Buck O’Neil four years ago, his obsession inside of Kansas City’s 18th & Vine district was going, going, nearly gone.

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He never wanted to hear about him again. That’s what Georges St. Pierre said before his UFC 124 match against Josh Koscheck. After Koscheck, stood in front of him for 20-plus minutes with a broken orbital bone, St. Pierre admitted he may have to fight him again down the road.

"I’ve said in an interview before the fight, he’s gonna be done and we’re never going to fight each other again," St. Pierre said as he smiled during the UFC 124 postfight press conference.

"He’s very tough and the performance he did tonight, he’s a top welterweight. Maybe I talk too fast. Maybe in a few years, maybe he’s going to come back." 

Don’t scoff. It could happen.

Koscheck (15-5, 13-5 UFC) isn’t going anywhere. His only losses in the UFC have come against St. Pierre (twice), Thiago Alves and two upsets at the hands of Paulo Thiago and Drew Fickett. The 33-year-old will be a mainstay in the UFC’s top five at 170 pounds.

The question comes with St. Pierre and his willingness to eventually leave the division.

GSP said he weighs 190-192 between fights and that’s not big enough to fight 185 pounds. He wants to get to 200 pounds before considering a fight with UFC middleweight champ Anderson Silva. St. Pierre also said if he moves to 185, the switch will be permanent. He has no interest in bouncing between weight divisions.

If he doesn’t move to middleweight or gets destroyed by Silva down the road, one has to wonder what the UFC will do if Koscheck is the No. 1 contender again around say, UFC 159.

Sounds like St. Pierre may not like Koscheck as person, but he knows that he’s a necessary evil.   

"At the end of the night, it’s only a fight," St. Pierre said of all prefight trash talk by Koscheck. "I need Josh Koscheck to do what I do for a living. If Josh Koscheck would not have been there tonight. I would not be able to make money and you guys would not have a good night of entertaining. We need good guy, we need bad guy. It’s nothing personal at the end of the day, it’s a business."

Koscheck may be a dick as Dana White calls him, but he is good for the sport. He also showed amazing heart, fighting with a broken orbital for 20-plus minutes.

What happens if Koscheck doesn’t suffer the gruesome injury in the first round? What if he actually tried to use his wrestling and score some takedowns? Koscheck was the first guy in a long time that St. Pierre had trouble taking down and settling on the ground. If Koscheck rolls through Alves, B.J. Penn, Carlos Condit and Jake Shields, he won’t deserve a third crack at GSP? We’ll see.

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Filed under: Alabama, Florida, SEC, Coaching

Kirby Smart currently serves as the defensive coordinator for Nick Saban at Alabama. Might he be interested in the same position at Florida? Apparently, that’s a decision Smart gets to make, as Tuscaloosa News is reporting he’s been offered the job at Florida.

Florida’s new head coach, Will Muschamp, played football at Georgia with Smart and the two are reportedly friends.

Muschamp was revealed as the successor to Urban Meyer at Florida on Saturday night and is being formally introduced as the school’s new coach Tuesday.

Smart is considered one of the stronger coordinators in the nation, having won the Broyles Award — given to the top assistant in college football — last season during the Crimson Tide’s run to a national championship.

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Filed under: 76ers, Clippers, Heat, Hornets, Knicks, Nuggets, Thunder, The Works, NBA Business

Today in The Works: the fall of the franchise player; debating Donald Sterling; and the starting line-up for the real New Yorkers. But first, why the Knicks shouldn’t pursue Chris Paul.

Inside the Point Guard Fun House

With the Miami Heat riding a nine-game winning streak, Big Three trios are”Hot” once again after a six-week stint in the “Not” column. Yet for all its cachet as a model, the Heat‘s star alliance remains mostly unattainable for all but the luckiest of franchises. It takes a lot of work to a clear enough cap room for three max-level deals, and that’s with no knowledge of which collective bargaining agreements teams will need to comply with next season.

Only one team seems poised to create a superhero team-up: the New York Knicks, who already have an early-season MVP candidate in Amar’e Stoudemire. With free-agent-to-be Carmelo Anthony anxious to play in a major market and Chris Paul potentially leaving the current ownership vacuum in New Orleans, the Knicks have a chance to put together three stars with powers comparable to the Heat trio. It will require assets, but the Knicks’ recent string of wins has made young pieces like Landry Fields and Danilo Gallinari look more attractive than they did in October.

Still, you need assets to pick up two additional stars, and the unfortunate fact of the Knicks’ current hot streak is that the team isn’t that deep. Unless they’re able to steal Melo away from Denver this summer for nothing (either by signing him next summer or dealing Eddy Curry‘s expiring contract before the deadline), picking up both Anthony and Paul will leave the Knicks with a supporting cast even less impressive than the current cast of wannabes in Miami. The Knicks might only have room for one more star in Madison Square Garden, and they could have to choose between two equally wonderful new toys.

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