SB Nation User Blog: SSreporters

Rampage vs. Rashad Evans to Headline UFC 107; UFC 108 Scheduled for January 2nd in Las Vegas

SSreporters — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 20:33:31 -0000

This was totally expected, and now it's been confirmed. UFC 107 will take place in Memphis, TN at the FedEx Forum sometime in mid-December. The main event will feature the long-awaited battle between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans. MMA Frenzy has the story:

Former light heavyweight champions Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Rashad Evans, rivals who are appearing as opposing coaches on upcoming tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter, will headline UFC 107 in December in Jackson’s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee.

Details on the bout were first confirmed by Jackson in a recent YouTube video and the UFC’s Marc Ratner tells MMAjunkie that the pay-per-view event will take place on December 12 or 19 at the 19,000-seat FedEx Forum in Memphis.

Last time we saw Rampage in the octagon he defeated Keith Jardine in UFC 96, with Rashad commentating with Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. We got the trash-talking which gave Joe Rogan a raging....okay let me stop there.

Rashad Evans got his ass brutally kicked and got KTFO'd by Lyoto Machida in UFC 98, relinquishing his light-heavyweight belt to the Brazilian. It was his first loss in his pro-MMA career and it is definitely a KO of the Year candidate. UFC 98 would've been Rashad/Rampage, but the latter suffered torn ligaments in his jaw and could not fight.

Both men are coaches in TUF 10 for the heavyweights, so this fight will take place after TUF 10 Finale on Spike.

Once upon a time Rampage was to face the winner of Evans/Machida, but that isn't the case anymore. Besides, Machida would've beaten Rampage into the padding of the ring.

But wait! There's more! UFC 108 will be in Las Vegas to kick off 2010.

The UFC’s traditional year-end event, UFC 108, is now expected to take place on January 2 in Las Vegas, according to the UFC’s Marc Ratner, who confirmed the likely date on Wednesday with MMAjunkie.

A venue has not yet been set for the pay-per-view event and no bouts are even rumored for the card, which is typically the promotion’s most-stacked of the year.

Instead of an Ultimate 2009 this has to take place in January 2010 or else the weigh-ins would take place on Christmas Day.

So to summarize, the November to December calendar is completely stacked. UFC 105 is going to be on Spike TV on 11/14, UFC 106 the week after on PPV in Vegas, TUF 10 Finale 12/5 live on Spike, and UFC 107: Black on Black Beatdown in December. Lastly, 2010 kicks off with UFC 108 so that our nearly insatiable appetite for MMA gets an instantaneous response.

I'm going with Rampage TKO 2.

I'm so happy right now.

Owen Schmitt Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

SSreporters — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:03:07 -0000

Owen Schmitt Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

Danny O'Neil is reporting that fullback Owen Schmitt was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Black Diamond. He had a blood-alcohol content of .151 and then .161.

Schmitt released a statement of apology afterwards. The arraignment is scheduled for July 8th.

I miss Church Van already.

The Turnaround Season: A Fictional Look Into the 2009 Seattle Seahawks

SSreporters — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 22:40:44 -0000

This is an idea I came up with for my own blog and might as well share some of my work with the FG faithful. It's a satirical and wacky look at the 2009 Seattle Seahawks season and how they will perform. For the most part I try to be funny but in the end most would find this slightly more hilarious than a Dane Cook comedy special.

So without further ado here is week 2, and you can view Seattle's week 1 win against the Rams here. You darn well know Brian Russell was the star.

Last year the Seattle Seahawks suffered one of their worst seasons in franchise history, finishing 4-12 in Mike Holmgren’s final season as head coach. Not a lot went right. Injuries, Holmgren’s inexplicable fullback draws on 3rd and 13, and inept defensive play destroyed all hopes of a storybook finish.

But through the NFL Draft and crucial free agent signings, the comeback trail is on. Rebuilding is for pussies, and there is only one goal in the minds of coaches and players alike this year, and that is to win the Super Bowl.

Will they do it? Or will disappointment reign supreme once more in the Emerald City? Let’s take a look into the fictional season of the 2009 Seattle Seahawks.

Disclaimer: All of these quotes and scenarios are fake. If the above didn’t convince you this is all fictional this is confirmation.

Crabtree Catches Crabs; Out for Sunday’s Game Against ‘Hawks

By Mookie

Midweek Edition of SSR Chronicle (9/16/09)

SAN FRANCISCO - Welcome to the NFL, Michael Crabtree.

The 49ers rookie wide receiver from Texas Tech will be out for Sunday’s home divisional matchup against the Seattle Seahawks. Crabtree took part in a charity cook-out event over at the famous Fisherman’s Wharf along with teammates Shaun Hill and Patrick Willis. Crabtree’s injured his hand when a live dungeness crab pinched him with its meaty claws and would not let go. Despite that incident, Team Human came out the winner as the crab was put in a boiling pot of water and served with a delicious sauce later that night.

"It was a total freak accident. I’m really upset that I can’t play this weekend and help out my team but I should be back next week," Crabtree said.

"WE CANNOT SWIM WITH THEM! CANNOT LIVE WITH THEM! CANNOT PLAY WITH THEM!" Said a visibly upset Mike Singletary, the 49ers head coach.

Seahawks CB Kelly Jennings, while sorry about the unfortunate events, said he was quite relieved he wouldn’t have to deal with the thought of falling down by himself covering him, and that his inevitable falling down while covering Josh Morgan is not nearly as dangerous.

Crabtree caught San Francisco’s lone touchdown in their 35-7 loss to Larry Fitzgerald.

Two Kicker Trick Play Stuns 49ers as Time Expires

By Mookie

SSR Chronicle (9/20/09)

SAN FRANCISCO – For the longest time Seahawks fans have been questioning GM Tim Ruskell on keeping both Olindo Mare and Brandon Coutu on the roster at the kicker position for a 2nd conescutive year. On Sunday, against their division rivals, that question was answered.

An unexpected two-kicker trick play with just seconds remaining sent the Seahawks past the 49ers, 20-16. Many in attendance for the 49ers (0-2) home opener left in shock and in tears.

Down 16-13 and facing a potential game-tying 47 yard field goal with 7 seconds on the clock, the 49ers called timeout in an effort to ice kicker, Olindo Mare. Little did they know that backup kicker Brandon Coutu inconspicuously walked onto the field as an eligible wide receiver.

The out come was inevitable, as placeholder Jon Ryan flicked it to Mare, who fired a bomb to a wide open Coutu, to win it for the Seahawks (2-0).

"Yeah we planned this for two years and we were waiting for the coach and personnel for the play to come to fruition," Coutu said. "I was serving water to my teammates and all of a sudden coach said it was time for ‘Kick or Treat’."

As a reward Coutu kicked the meaningless extra point to cap off the scoring. Certainly a damaging blow to the 49ers, now dead last in the NFC West having lost two divisional games. For the surprising Seahawks, it’s the other way around after their late rally, and are tied for 1st place in the standings.

"It was a really disappointing loss. At halftime I dropped my pants AND underwear to show the ‘Seahawks suck balls’," Singletary said in the post-game press conference. "Instead I got a listless 2nd half with an inexcusable collapse near the end. It hurts my team literally, and figuratively, have the balls to pull it out when it matters."

It was an auspicious start for the home team, playing without star rookie WR Michael Crabtree due to injury, when Frank Gore bursted through Seattle’s defense for a 66 yard run all the way to the Seahawks 3 yard line. Gore would punch it in a few plays later to give them a 7-0 lead. For the first time in the new season the 49ers were ahead and the Seahawks were behind.

The Seahawks replied with a 9 play, 66 yard drive capped off with a 14 yard touchdown pass from Matt Hasselbeck to Nate Burleson on one of Burleson’s rare great route patterns.

Three Joe Nedney field goals had the 49ers up at the break 16-7. It could have been larger considering they had outgained Seattle 113-44 on the ground and routed them in yardage 257-122 overall. But defensive coordinator Gus Bradley’s "Tenacious D" stifled the opposition on three consecutive occasions inside the 15 yard line thanks to the linebacking corp featuring Lofa Tatupu, Aaron Curry, and Leroy Hill.

The 2nd half saw the script reversed. It was the Seahawks’ offense struggling to convert in the red zone and could only muster 2 field goals from Olindo Mare.

The key moment arrived late in the 4th, when Seattle’s Patrick Kerney recovered the mandatory Frank Gore fumble. It was the first turnover of the game and it gave the Seahawks the ball back for one final drive with 1:17 left from their own 26 yard line, Matt Hasselbeck took over, completing 6-8 passes for 44 yards and setting up the winning play.

"It really was a team effort," said Hasselbeck. "My back feels a lot better and I’m honored to have a healthy receiving corp that knows how to catch a football."

It was certainly an emotional victory for head coach Jim Mora and offensive coordinator Greg Knapp, who both were 49er assistant coaches for several years.

"Karma is a total b*tch is it not?! Am I not right?!" Said a joyous Mora.

Perhaps that was a reference to the team’s struggles to stay healthy last year, and San Francisco’s injury problem with Crabtree.

NFC West Standings

1.) Seahawks – 2-0

1.) Cardinals – 2-0

3.) Rams – 1-1

4.) 49ers – 0-2

Seahawks Team Leaders

Pass – Matt Hasselbeck, 21-32, 266 yards, 1 TD

Run – Julius Jones, 17 rushes for 76 yards

Receiving – Deion Branch, 7 catches for 95 yards

Defense – Aaron Curry, 7 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 forced fumble

Player of the Game: Brandon Coutu, who caught the winning touchdown with no time left on a trick play.

Denver Watch: Unfortunately for Seahawks fans, Denver defeated the Cleveland Browns 21-20, clinched on a late Brazy Quinn interception to improve to 1-1. The Seahawks have the Broncos’ 1st round pick in the 2010 draft.

Andy Reid’s WTF Moment of Madness: Towards the end of halftime against the Saints, Andy Reid called his final timeout with his team at midfield up 14-6. The next play was a McNabb kneel down. The Saints won 30-17, dropping Philly to 0-2.

Seahawks Next Opponent: vs. Chicago Bears (1-1), coming off a 20-14 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

It’s good to be 2-0. But will they struggle against their toughest opponent yet? Tune in next time on The Turnaround Season.

Breaking News: Setanta Sports UK Goes Off the Air

SSreporters — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 18:30:06 -0000

Breaking News: Setanta Sports UK Goes Off the Air

Not even an hour or so ago, cash-strapped Setanta Sports has gone off the air. They've gone into administration (AKA they're broke) and have ceased production in the UK.

Currently Setanta US, Ireland, Canada, etc. will stay alive but they too may be on the ropes.

This coming after the Barclays Premier League, Scottish Premier League, and UFC dropped their contract with Setanta.

Does the Current UFC 103 Card Mean it Will Air on Spike?

SSreporters — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 03:46:25 -0000

This is is really early....actually almost 3 months before UFC 103 kicks off in Dallas, TX. With Hermes Franca now confirmed to fight Tyson Griffin we have 3 fights confirmed, all likely to be main card material. There are two other fighters that are also scheduled to be on the card against a TBD opponent that are just getting their UFC careers started. So far the current card looks like this:

Chances are that the Simpson and Steinbeiss fights will be on the preliminary card. Steinbeiss would be making his UFC debut and Simpson would only be in his 2nd UFC fight. Escudero vs. Miller is a battle of lightweight contestants from The Ultimate Fighter, with the former having won it all in TUF 8 finale, and the latter losing in the quarterfinals to Joe Lauzon in TUF 5 but winning against Andy Wang in TUF 5 season finale. Escudero hasn't fought professionally since that night, a unanimous decision victory over Phillip Nover last December. Cole submitted Junie Browning by guillotine choke in UFC Fight Night 18.

Koscheck vs. Trigg........ugh. Frank Trigg fighting puts me to sleep unless Matt Hughes viciously beats him via RNC. It should be noted he hasn't fought in UFC since GSP also won by rear naked choke against him in 2005. Kos was knocked out by Paulo Thiago in UFC 95.

Tyson Griffin has been on several live Spike fight nights and also notably gave Urijah Faber his first loss in his MMA career. Griffin is coming off a victory over Rafael dos Anjos in UFC Fight Night 18.

So to summarize, you have 2 fighters who are just getting their feet wet in UFC (Simpson and Steinbauss), 3 contestants from TUF (Kos, Miller, Escudero), and someone who is lucky to still have a working neck (Trigg).

Unless there is a huge main event that Dana plans to put on that isn't Kos vs. Trigg, there is no possible way that UFC 103 even rates as a possible PPV card. Heck this is at best a good Fight Night event.

Considering over half of the fighters confirmed for UFC 103 have been on Spike TV for the majority of their time either on TUF and/or Fight Night, I could see this being the first ever US-hosted major UFC event on free TV. Spike's last two free major events were broadcast on tape delay overseas.

As I said, it's early, but the way things are shaping up we could be seeing UFC 103 live on Spike TV. If not, then Dana White better make some magic work over the next month or so because this would be the sorriest UFC event ever to go on PPV.

TUF 9 Finale Musings (and Mike Goldberg Sucks)

SSreporters — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 23:27:45 -0000

If you were not entertained by the absolute awesomeness of the Sanchez/Guida fight then you're crazy. I watched every bout sans Diaz/Stevenson as I was doing something else. Definitely worth staying up late for. Here are some disorganized and random thoughts in bullet-point form. Oh yeah, and Mike Goldberg sucks and I have to list my complaints.

Andre Winner losing against Ross Pearson was hilarious. Just the irony of having that last name makes me chuckle. But Winner waits far too long to attack Pearson and basically threw the fight away in round 3 by taking some wicked shots towards the final horn. Winner may have had Pearson against the cage but he failed to land the more effective punches and knees in the clinch.
Chris Lytle is in the wrong era. He'd be a champion during the mid-90s with his throw-and-hope mentality. It's sure as heck fun to watch though. I thought to myself that Kevin Burns would beat up Lytle and end it in round 1. He had him hurt, no question. Instead Burns showed that he had no gas from the 2nd round onwards.
Speaking of Burns, that was a nasty cut opened up.
Mike Goldberg, please tell me you did not say "It appears to be above the left eye". You are a few feet from the ring and you couldn't make a definitive statement? We'll continue with that later though.
James Wilks was probably going to try 15 different submissions on DeMarques Johnson had he not finished him with the guillotine. He dominated from start to finish and got a deserved stoppage. Johnson did not deserve to even see the 2nd round with the way he was whipped on the ground.
You mean to tell me UFC Undisputed could not properly model Herb Dean? I saw him ref last night and in the video game Dean looks like he stopped eating for 2 months.
Clay Guida fights must no longer be 3 rounds. All fights involving Guida must be 5, even 7 rounds long because he's never boring. The fact that Diego Sanchez's head kick didn't knock him out cold coupled with his jumping up and down post-fight tells me he is not human. We must cherish every moment that Guida is in UFC. As pointed in another fanpost, he has the heart of a champion.
Anyone else notice that just about every like Spike TV card has a lot of fights go the distance? Outside of UFC 95 I can't remember a time where Spike didn't have knockouts galore for the main cards.
I'm not going to lie to you, as soon as I saw Mazzagatti reffing the Wilks/Johnson fight I assumed one of these men would not get out of the ring alive.
Overall a great fight card on free TV and I enjoyed every fight I watched.

Mike Goldberg Sucks (but you already knew that)

How does anyone stomach this man's commentary? Last night's atrocity was the final straw for me. I think his microphone...headset...whatever he uses should be ripped away and Joe Rogan should do blow-by-blow. The analyst can be Randy Couture or something but Goldberg has to go. Even more random thoughts and observations on "the voice of the UFC".

The aforementioned Kevin Burns cut. You're being paid to make simple observations and you say Burns "appeared to have it above his left eye"? We're at home watching on TV and we can tell since that was a gigantic cut, and you're guessing when you have the luxury of a monitor and being ringside.
Stupid catch phrases. It's easy to predict what he's going to say. In the early days he treated every word like it's own friggin sentence (PEDRO! RIZZO! IS! VICTORIOUS!), but that's been supplanted with "IT IS ALL OVER!!! FIGHTER X HAS KNOCKED OUT FIGHTER Y!". He has absolutely no vocabulary at all and you can bank on him saying the same thing over and over and over again.
Acting as if he knows the sport more than his partners. If Joe Rogan wasn't stoned out of his mind I think he'd go for the RNC on Goldie. He always is talking about scenarios and saying fighter such and such did a nice job of stopping the takedown. I'm willing to bet you money Goldberg hasn't stepped foot in the ring. Don't pretend you're the expert. Because in reality you know jack about MMA and Rogan carries you with his actual knowledge and experience.
These weird points where he yells at random. There is absolutely no rhythm in his announcing voice at all. At times you'll just see a little bit of inactivity towards the end of the round and explodes with WHAT A GREAT FIRST ROUND WE HAVE HERE!!!!!! I don't even need to add on anything. Let's not forget HERE WE GO!!!! I mean....there are times to get excited but come on who yells for the start of a fight.
Who is the referee? Nothing ticks me off about Goldberg more than when Bruce Buffer tells us who the referee is...........and then Goldie repeats exactly what we just heard. You know what I mean, right?

Buffer: Your referee in charge of this contest is Herb Dean.

Goldie immediately afterwards: Herb Dean our referee.

And to think Goldberg has improved from his early days with Jeff Blatnick.

To echo Mike Fagan's thoughts, as well as UFC fans around the world, Sack Mike Goldberg.

UFC 99 WILL Air on Setanta Sports 1

SSreporters — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 18:16:46 -0000

UFC 99 WILL Air on Setanta Sports 1

Dana White confirmed that UFC 99 will be shown live on Setanta Sports 1, after talks of the Irish-based subscription network going bankrupt. There's another story to that, as apparently Setanta has found an investor to save them from insolvency.

Fight Night Club on Versus Open Thread (UPDATE: Results in Post)

SSreporters — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:43:05 -0000

via www.usindoor.com

via how-to-box.com

Just in case the foul-fest game 4 of the NBA Finals doesn't float your boat, here's your Versus boxing presentation (or something like that).

The commentary sucks. The fight is being shown in letterbox. Current fight between Charles Huerta and Noe Lopez Jr. isn't bad. But...well...as I type this DOWN GOES LOPEZ IN ROUND 3! Let me stop what I was going to type. Lopez goes down again. He gets decked again with a right hand and the fight is stopped.

I think that should fulfill the 75 word quota.

UPDATE: The televised results

Ricky Lopez (4-0, 2 KO) def Rufino Serrano (1-1, 0 KO) - UD 4 in featherweight action

Charles Huerta (11-0, 7 KO) def Noe Perez Jr. (4-1, 3 KO) - TKO 3 in a featherweight bout

Luis Ramos (11-0, 6 KO) def Baudel Cardenas (18-17-2, 6 KO) - TKO 5 in the lightweight division

David Rodela (13-1-2, 6 KO) def Juan Garcia (14-3, 5 KO) - SD 6 in the main event in the featherweight division

The Rodela result was BS. No way should he have gotten anywhere near a victory.

As mentioned earlier, the broadcast was terrible. Mario Solis, Bernard Hopkins, and Doug Fischer made for a nightmare announcing trio. I don't think I'll be watching another Fight Night Club any time soon.

Charlie Frye to the Raiders

SSreporters — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 03:37:59 -0000

Charlie Frye to the Raiders

Hallelujah.

Seahawk Players and Their "Obamicons"

SSreporters — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 02:48:07 -0000

Just playing around with some photos, I decided to go to the Obama Poster website and fire away random posters involving our favorite (and favorite to hate) Seattle Seahawks players. I started with Brian Russell and just couldn't stop. Some are funny, most of them aren't, but that's up to you.

Matt Hasselbeck

via ssreporters.files.wordpress.com

TJ Houshmandzadeh

via ssreporters.files.wordpress.com

Brian Russell

via ssreporters.files.wordpress.com

SB Nation User Blog: SSreporters

Rampage vs. Rashad Evans to Headline UFC 107; UFC 108 Scheduled for January 2nd in Las Vegas

Owen Schmitt Arrested on Suspicion of DUI

The Turnaround Season: A Fictional Look Into the 2009 Seattle Seahawks

Crabtree Catches Crabs; Out for Sunday’s Game Against ‘Hawks

Two Kicker Trick Play Stuns 49ers as Time Expires

NFC West Standings

Breaking News: Setanta Sports UK Goes Off the Air

Does the Current UFC 103 Card Mean it Will Air on Spike?

Josh Koscheck (12-4) vs. Frank Trigg (19-6)

Efrain Escudero (11-0) vs. Cole Miller (15-3)

Hermes Franca (19-7) vs. Tyson Griffin (13-2)

Aaron Simpson (5-0) vs. TBD

Steve Steinbeiss (4-2) vs. TBD

TUF 9 Finale Musings (and Mike Goldberg Sucks)

Mike Goldberg Sucks (but you already knew that)

UFC 99 WILL Air on Setanta Sports 1

Fight Night Club on Versus Open Thread (UPDATE: Results in Post)

UPDATE: The televised results

Charlie Frye to the Raiders

Seahawk Players and Their "Obamicons"

TJ Houshmandzadeh

Brian Russell