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The Houston Cougars have accepted a Texas Bowl invite as the Conference USA representative in the December 28th bowl game.

“We are so pleased to have the Cougars in the Texas Bowl this season and we look forward to hosting them and their fans at Reliant Stadium,” said Texas Bowl director David Brady. “With over 37,000 tickets already sold for the game, this is a great chance for a lot of Houston football fans to see an exciting hometown team. It is also a great chance for Cougar fans and alumni to experience their team in a great bowl game without having to leave Houston.”

The 2007 Texas Bowl will be played on Friday, December 28 at Reliant Stadium and will feature teams from the Big 12 and Conference USA. The game will be televised nationally on NFL Network. DePelchin Children’s Center, Houston’s oldest charitable organization, is the official charitable partner of the Texas Bowl.

The hometown Cougars will face a to-be-named Big XII conference opponent.

Source: Houston accepts Texas Bowl invite

Chan Gailey is relieved of his duties as the Georgia Tech head coach.

Chan Gailey Out At Georgia Tech

November 26, 2007

GAILEY RELIEVED OF DUTIES AS GEORGIA TECH HEAD COACH
Athletic Director Dan Radakovich announces search for new coach to begin immediately

ATLANTA * Georgia Tech head football coach Chan Gailey has been relieved of his duties after six seasons as the leader of the Yellow Jacket football program.

That announcement came today from Athletic Director Dan Radakovich, who announced that a search for a new coach will begin immediately. Veteran defensive coordinator Jon Tenuta will take over as the interim head coach.

Georgia Tech, which wrapped up the regular season last Saturday with a 31-17 home loss to 6th-ranked Georgia, will head to a postseason bowl to be determined with a 7-5 record overall, 4-4 in the ACC.

"I want to sincerely thank Chan for his six years of service to Georgia Tech," Radakovich said. "Chan is one of the most honorable men that I have worked with in intercollegiate athletics. He and (wife) Laurie have given countless hours to this program and have touched the lives of hundreds of student-athletes, fellow coaches and colleagues in only the most positive way."

Gailey led Georgia Tech to a record of 44-32 in six seasons with a minimum of seven wins and a bowl bid each year. Gailey’s overall record of 68-43 in nine seasons as a college head coach includes brief stints at Troy and Samford. Gailey never endured a losing season with the Yellow Jackets and he is the first Tech coach to lead a team to a bowl game in each of his first six seasons.

Gailey, the 11th head coach in Georgia Tech history, won 28 of 48 ACC games in his six seasons with the Yellow Jackets. In 2006, Tech played in the ACC Championship Game, losing to Wake Forest in Jacksonville, Fla. The Yellow Jackets defeated eight nationally-ranked teams in Gailey’s tenure.

Over the past two seasons, Georgia Tech has competed with 79 scholarship players * six fewer than the NCAA maximum.

In Gailey’s first five seasons, 28 Georgia Tech players earned first- or second-team All-ACC honors. That list will grow later today when the 2007 All-ACC teams are announced.

"At the end of the day, my decision was based on whether the football program is moving forward," Radakovich said, "and our fan base, as a whole, is sufficiently excited and energized by its direction."

Gailey has been in the coaching business for 34 years, including 18 in the college ranks and 16 years in professional football. He previously served two years as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. Gailey came to Georgia Tech after serving two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Miami Dolphins under Dave Wannstedt.

Gailey was hired by Georgia Tech on Dec. 29, 2001. Born Jan. 5, 1952 in Gainesville, Ga., Gailey was an all-state quarterback at Americus High School and went on to letter three years (1971-73) at Florida. He graduated from Florida in 1974 with a degree in physical education.

"This is a very proud institution with a deep and rich football tradition," Radakovich said. "Our alumni and fans are extremely supportive. We have asked, and are asking more and more of them, as we reach for excellence as a top tier football program. They expect no less from us."

Radakovich gave no timetable for hiring Gailey’s replacement.

"I will immediately launch a search for the next head football coach at Georgia Tech. The search will be swift * yet, deliberate. With President (Dr. G. Wayne) Clough’s assistance, I will convene a representative committee that will serve to screen our potential candidates."

The assistant coaches will continue to perform their duties and will coach the Yellow Jackets in their December bowl game.

Source: Chan Gailey Out At Georgia Tech

Barring something unforseen, it appears the Bill Doba era is going to continue. The TNT’s Todd Miles reported today that a source close to the program had this to say:

“A source close to the program said while athletic director Jim Sterk and Doba have maintained an amicable relationship, it is “president (Elson S. Floyd) who wants (the coaches) gone … but when he asked about it in the middle of the (season) and found out it would cost $2.8 million, he backed off.”

Not a shock. Might as well say it now, but the WSU Football Blog staff heard the exact same thing about 5 or so weeks ago, in regards to president Floyd. But I guess they decided to keep things as they are. Who knows, though, they can always change their mind if they can figure out the payout structure as something that we’ve speculated on all along in terms of taking several years to pay it off, but I don’t know if that’s going to happen now.

Doba also said that as of Sunday night, he HAD NOT SPOKEN TO STERK OR FLOYD, and was still scheduled to hit the recruiting trail on Monday. If they were going to let him go, wouldn’t they say “Hey Bill, why don’t you delay that trip of yours and swing by the office on Monday for a little chat.”

Meanwhile, Howie Stalwick keeps it up, this time writing a long pro/con story on retaining Doba. Give it a read, it’s worth your while.

Finally, the TNT’s Todd Miles reports that Brandon Gibson has already submitted his name for the NFL draft. Great. I’ve been fearful of this for the entire season, and you can clearly see the NFL talent on that kid. Not so much the TD catch to win the game, but the slant that he took to the house on Saturday, where he split the safeties and just ran away from everyone, now that is a play that NFL scouts will drool over. He’s already speculated as a 3rd-rounder by Rob Rang, and that’s good for Gibson, bad for the Cougs. I wonder what sort of advice Jason Hill would give him right about now?? How about “GET THE HELL OUT OF THERE!!!?!?”

I’m very interested to see how they spin this as a positive move towards the future. We’ll be back after the Doba announcement for reaction/spinning/complaining/whatever. Happy Monday!

Source: Source: Doba Will Return; Gibson to the NFL?

Adrian Sutil

Adrian Sutil further clarified his position with Force India, saying he has a contract to race with the former Spyker team next year and he’s not interested in going elsewhere.

Sutil has been mentioned in a possible move to McLaren to race alongside Lewis Hamilton but said over the weekend that he wasn’t looking to go anywhere else. He added that he hopes his teammate at Force India will be an experienced driver who can bring something to the team other than a cheque book.

"In my personal opinion I think it will be decided between (Christian) Klien and (Vitantonio) Liuzzi. Both did an excellent job recently in testing in Barcelona. Both deserve to be in F1 whereas others who are just having money should not race there."

Klien will get a second chance to show Force India he deserves the opening at next month’s test in Jerez, Spain. The former Honda racer re-iterated he wants to race in 2008 and he’s willing to do whatever it takes to get a full-time ride.

"If Force India chooses to develop a shoot-out I will do whatever I am asked to do. So much in racing is about the equipment you have and the people in the team supporting you, so when you have an equal chance it’s easier to show what you can do.

"One year of testing was enough - I need to race."

Meanwhile, from the hard to believe it could happen file.. Ralf Schumacher has made another attempt to sell himself as a viable option for McLaren’s vacancy.

Schumacher, who was not retained by Toyota, says the McLaren seat is "the most coveted" out there and he would jump at the chance to drive for them. The 32 year old says there’s been no contact with McLaren "so far" but feels he could provide an adequate challenge for Hamilton.

The indication from McLaren is they are not interested in bringing Schumacher aboard. However, the team may be forced to look at him as their last option as more and more of the so-called front runners on their short list continue to fall by the wayside after realizing that it won’t be an equal opportunity situation at Woking.

Source: F1: Silly Season Update - Nov. 26

Germany

BERLIN - Hamburger SV shook off the news last week that coach Huub Stevens will leave the team and beat Hansa Rostock 2-0 Sunday in the Bundesliga.

Rafael van der Vaart scored in the 19th minute and Ivica Olic headed in the second in the 61st as Hamburg moved even with Werder Bremen. Both are just a point behind leader Bayern Munich.

Stevens, given much of the credit for turning Hamburg into a winner, will coach PSV Eindhoven next season to be close to his ailing wife in the Netherlands.

"The mood on the team is still excellent," the Dutch coach said of his resignation’s impact. "Our goal is to win one of the big prizes in the Bundesliga this season, but they don’t hand them out until after the final game."

Van der Vaart finished Hamburg’s first chance, taking a pass from Romeo Castelen and rifling a low shot inside the opposite post. Olic headed in Piotr Trochowski’s cross as Hamburg had an easy time against Rostock, a slot above the relegation zone.

Rostock coach Frank Pagelsdorf was disappointed, hoping for more against a team he coached for four years.

"We were too harmless," he said. "We didn’t have any chances really over the 90 minutes."

Hamburg’s 10 goals allowed this season is second only to Bayern’s eight.

Also Sunday, FC Nuremberg ran Borussia Dortmund’s winless streak to five matches with a 2-0 win.

Captain Tomas Galasek scored in the 10th minute on a long-distance shot, while Angelos Charisteas added the other seconds before the final whistle.

On Saturday, it was: Karlsruhe 2, Hertha Berlin 1; Bayern Munich 2, Wolfsburg 1; Bayer Leverkusen 4, Duisburg 1; Bochum 3, Arminia Bielefeld 0; Hannover 96 2, Schalke 3; Energie Cottbus 0, Werder Bremen 2; and Eintracht Frankfurt 1, Stuttgart 4. 

Source: GER: Hamburger SV blanks Hansa Rostock

Springboks winger J P Pietersen on his way to scoring a try at the Millennium Stadium yesterday

Welcome to the Prince William Cup. The trophy, freshly commissioned and, apparently, inspired by the landscapes of South Africa and Wales, is on a plinth of Welsh oak lined with gold. The gold probably came from South Africa.

Although it is nowhere near as substantial as the William Webb Ellis Cup – HRH didn’t pick up the ball and run with it – the Springboks put on a show worthy of world champions here yesterday. Since beating England in the final in Paris it is a fair bet that they have spent more time in the bar than the gym but, starting with nine of their gold medallists, it didn’t show.

South Africa scored five tries to two in what their admirable captain, John Smit, described as a celebration, not only of his country’s achievement last month but the “mark made on our lives” by Jake White. This was the coach’s last Test in charge of his country and Smith said he was determined to treat the occasion with the respect it deserved.

For Wales it turned out to be a very dubious experience. The inauguration of the Prince William Cup was presumably meant to lend some meaning to what a cynic would describe as a meaningless exercise. Ultimately the aim was to make money and this the Welsh Rugby Union probably failed to do.

It is understood they paid the Springboks £500,000 to play and that sum would have been considerably increased by compensation to the regions who provided the home side’s players. Although there was nothing false about the match – the players invariably deliver – the public was not convinced. There were upwards of 30,000 empty seats.

Wales supporters are obviously waiting for the Six Nations and the arrival of a new coach, Warren Gatland, who has signed a four-year contract. The squad must be reeling. They were just becoming accustomed to the ways of Mike Ruddock when he was replaced by Gareth Jenkins who, of course, was sacked after Wales failed to reach the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Had they done so they would have played South Africa.

The sooner Gatland, a New Zealander who had success with Ireland and Wasps, arrives, the better. Wales were no match for the Boks. From the moment Francois Steyn – a World Cup winner’s medal at 20 and maybe more to come – landed a huge penalty in the third minute, South Africa looked very good indeed. Their first try arrived on 20 minutes when Andre Pretorius slipped a lovely pass to Juan Smith and the flanker had too much pace and power for James Hook and Morgan Stoddart.

After Hook had hooked a penalty attempt from no more than 20 yards, Wales, in the space of three minutes, found themselves 22-0 down. Following half a dozen phases, Smit found himself on the right flank where he delivered a perfect pass to Jaque Fourie, who was in. A few minutes later Pretorius’ inside pass released the wing JP Pietersen, who danced through before sending Fourie in unopposed.

A minute before the interval Stoddart, making his debut, injected some pace into Wales’ attack and his kick and chase produced a rare error from his opposite number, Ruan Pienaar. In the ensuing chaos Colin Charvis capitalised. It was his 22nd try in international rugby, a world record for a forward.

It was about the only consolation for the hosts, who fell further behind at the opening of the second half. The great Bryan Habana took a low pass, shredded the defence and sent in Pietersen on the overlap. It all looked so easy, so pacy, so classy.

Wales, whose line-out and defence were stretched to the limit, got a break when Albert van den Berg, only on the field for a few minutes, received a yellow card for killing the ball. Hook made the most of it, his cross-kick to the right finding Stoddart. The young Scarlets full-back did extremely well to touch down, on his back and under the noses of Steyn and Habana. Perhaps Wales have found a No 15 for the Six Nations.

The referee, Chris White, lectured both captains after a flare-up and this was followed by the spectacle of CJ van der Linde attempting to remove Mike Phillips’ head.

The fifth try from the visitors arrived in the 67th minute when they converted a turnover and the No 8 Ryan Kankowski, the sole new cap, sold a dummy and cantered over as Tom Shanklin faced three attackers.

Nigel Davies, the caretaker Wales coach, had taken his players down the Big Pit, the last remaining coalmine in Wales, “to experience a little of what many of their ancestors went through”. “Working hard and working together is something we want to emulate,” he said. They might have been better off watching a re-run of Zulu. Men of Harlech stop your dreaming, etc.

This was an impressive victory by the Boks, in their 18th Test of the year. This time last year White was close to losing his job. Next week he will talk to Sir Clive Woodward. “I want to talk to someone who has won the World Cup about what I should do next,” he said. He should apply for the England manager’s job – not with the RFU, but the FA.

Wales: M Stoddart (Llanelli Scarlets); M Jones (Scarlets), S Parker (Ospreys), G Henson (Ospreys), T Shanklin (Cardiff Blues); J Hook (Ospreys), D Peel (Scarlets); G Jenkins (Blues, capt), H Bennett (Ospreys), R Thomas (Newport-Gwent Dragons), I Evans (Ospreys), A-W Jones (Ospreys), C Charvis (Dragons), J Thomas (Ospreys), R Sowden-Taylor (Blues). Replacements: L Charteris (Dragons) for I Evans, 53; TR Thomas (Blues) for Bennett, 53; M Phillips (Ospreys) for Peel, 53; A Popham (Scarlets) for Charvis, 61; T James (Blues) for Stoddart, 69; D Jones (Ospreys) for R Thomas, 69; C Sweeney (Dragons) for Hook, 76.

South Africa: R Pienaar (Sharks); JP Pietersen (Sharks), J Fourie (Lions), F Steyn (Sharks), B Habana (Bulls); A Pretorius (Lions), E Januarie (Lions); CJ van der Linde (Cheetahs), J Smit (Clermont Auvergne, capt), J du Plessis (Cheetahs), B Botha (Bulls), J Muller (Sharks), S Burger (Stormers), R Kankowski (Sharks), J Smith (Cheetahs). Replacements: A van den Berg (Sharks) for Botha, 40; W Olivier (Bulls) for Pretorius, 59; H van der Merwe (Lions) for J du Plessis, 64; A Ndungane (Bulls) for Pietersen, 75; B du Plessis (Sharks) for Van der Linde, 75; C Jantjes (Lions) for Januarie, 78; H Lobberts (Bulls) for Kankowski, 78.

Referee: C White (England).

Interesting? Click here to explore further

Source: Wales 12 South Africa 34: Regal display from Springboks earns Prince William Cup

Remarkable Vikings rookie running back Adrian Peterson might be back in action Sunday against the Lions.

Adrian Peterson

Running Back
Minnesota Vikings

Profile

2007 Season Stats Rush Yds TD Rec Yds TD 169 1081 8 15 220 1

Vikings coach Brad Childress said Sunday that if Peterson makes it through a full week of practice he will be in the lineup against the Lions.

“He’s just got to continue to progress and make it through a full week of practice and our game plan,” he said, according to the Star Tribune.

Peterson tore the lateral collateral ligament in his right knee two weeks ago against Green Bay and has missed Minnesota’s past two games.

The Vikings improved to 2-1 without Peterson in the lineup after throttling the Giants 41-17 on Sunday. Chester Taylor, filling in for Peterson, has rushed for 241 total yards in the two games with four rushing touchdowns.

One week after setting the single-game NFL record with 296 yards rushing against San Diego, Peterson was injured when Packers cornerback Al Harris went low to bring him down in the third quarter of a 34-0 loss to Green Bay.

Team doctors were adamant the injury was relatively minor in nature, and Peterson would return at some point this season.

Peterson said he was encouraged by his week of practice before Sunday’s Giants game, which included some rehabilitation work in the pool and limited snaps on the field. The running back tested out his knee while wearing a brace before Sunday’s game but was made inactive for the second straight week.

Peterson said Sunday that he made his case to play Sunday but was rebuffed.

“Once I get a full week of practice under my belt, I’m pretty sure I’ll be ready to play. We’re just going to take it one day at a time. Each day I’ve been improving, so [I’ll] try to keep it up,” Peterson said Sunday, according to the Star Tribune.

When he does return, Peterson will wear a brace to protect his knee, something he is still getting used to.

“It feels like it’s been stiffening me up,” Peterson said last week. “It’s really just getting used to the brace and everything.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

Source: Vikings sensation Peterson might return vs. Lions

FORMER Carlton president George Harris, one of the most significant figures in the Australian Football League club’s history, died Monday aged 84.

Harris held the post from 1964-74 and again from 1978-80, overseeing four premierships.

Current president Dick Pratt paid tribute to Harris’s contribution to the club.

"With the passing of George Harris, a leviathan of the Carlton Football Club has sadly been lost," Pratt said.

"In the pantheon of Carlton’s long and successful history, few men - whether director, player, member or supporter - can truly say that they gave more to Carlton than him.

"Everyone at Carlton extends their deepest sympathies to the Harris family, on the passing of a man whose contributions to this club may never be surpassed."

The Blues had finished 10th in 1964, then the club’s worst season, when Harris came to power at the head of the 12-member Progress Party.

Carlton promptly stunned the then-Victorian Football League (VFL) when they engineered the defection of Ron Barassi from Melbourne, recruiting him as captain-coach.

That defection remains one of the biggest stories in VFL-AFL history.

Barassi led the Blues to the 1968 flag, their first in 21 years, and also coached Carlton to the famous 1970 premiership.

The Blues rallied from 44 points behind at half-time in the 1970 grand final to beat Collingwood by 10 points.

Harris also helped to further enhance the bitter rivalry between Carlton and Collingwood when the Blues beat them by less than a goal in the 1979 grand final.

He infuriated Magpies fans post-match when he declared "What’s better than beating Collingwood by 10 goals? Beating them by five points."

Harris was born in St Kilda in 1922 and survived the horrors of the Changi prison camp during the Second World War.

After the war he became a dentist but pursued business interests when he first vacated the presidency in 1974.

Then-Federal Treasurer Jim Cairns was dismissed from the position in 1975, after misleading parliament over allegations he had authorised Harris to pursue overseas loans for the government.

Harris’s second presidency at Carlton ended with a bitter power struggle at board level in February, 1980.

A stroke left him mute in 1991 and he suffered from health problems for many years.
But he remained a passionate Blues fan and received a standing ovation when he attended a function for Carlton premiership players three years ago.

In February this year, Harris sent a letter to struggling Carlton urging the club to "please get your act together".

"I wish I could help. I can’t, but my heart is still strong and it will always remain true Blue," he said.

Funeral arrangements are yet to be announced, but the service will be held at Carlton’s MC Labour Park home.

Harris’s wife Jean died in 1999.

He is survived by four children - Ken, Andrew, Christine and Robert - eight grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

AAP

Source: Blues ‘leviathan’ Harris dies

England

UEFA Women’s European Championship
Qualifying Round, Group One
6pm, Sunday 25 November 2007
Shrewsbury Town FC

Hope Powell says it will be a merry Christmas for everyone involved in the England Women’s team as they secured three more points towards Euro 2009 qualification.

Having shown great persistance to break down a stubborn Spanish side, Powell was pleased that 2007 came to a victorious conclusion.

Powell admitted: “It was hard work, but then we knew it would be, and the most important thing is the three points.

“I’m glad it’s over, I thought they were a good side and they caused us problems, but fortunately their best chance hit the bar and not the back of the net.

“I don’t think we were at our best, I don’t want to give excuses but fatigue was probably a factor. But give credit to the Spanish, they really came at us and made it very difficult.

“We weren’t all guns blazing, didn’t play our best football, but I can’t fault their endeavour to keep trying to get a goal - and it’s a merry Christmas for all now.”

Powell explained that her players performed better in the second period, but said that she believed they deserved to take the three points.

“In the second half we came out a little stronger, we had to address a few issues and the players responded well. We were more tenacious and vibrant in our play.

“If you look at the game as a whole, on the balance of play I think we were deserved to win.

“It’s been a long, tough year for the girls. It’s difficult for everybody to recharge after the World Cup, with club football as well, but that’s how it is and we have to contend with it.

“Our expectations have certainly increased and so have those of the supporters. We demand more of ourselves and I think we are always striving to achieve more.

“With nine points in the group, another clean sheet, I think everyone will welcome this break and come back next year refreshed and ready to go again.”

Teams:

England: 1 Rachel Brown, 2 Alex Scott, 3 Casey Stoney, 4 Jill Scott, 5 Faye White (c), 6 Anita Asante, 7 Karen Carney, 8 Fara Williams, 9 Eniola Aluko (18 Lianne Sanderson 55), 10 Kelly Smith, 11 Rachel Yankey

Subs Not Used: 12 Mary Phillip, 13 Siobhan Chamberlain, 14 Rachel Unitt, 15 Sue Smith, 16 Lindsay Johnson, 17 Jody Handley

Spain: 1 Ainhoa Tirapu, 2 Marta Torrejon, 4 Melisa Nicolau, 6 Itziar Gurrutxaga (c) (7 Maria Paz Azagra 75), 8 Laura Del Rio, 10 Vanessa Gimber, 11 Sandra Vilanova, 14 Iraia Iturregi (5 Ruth Garcia 70), 15 Noelia Aybar, 17 Gurutze Fernandez (16 Maria Jose Perez 64), 18 Erika Vazquez

Subs Not Used: 3 Marina Torras, 9 Adriana Martin, 12 Maria Paz Vilas, 13 Maria Sanchez

Referee: Claudine Brohet

Attendance: 8,753

Source: Powell satisfied

Brandon Rush sneaked along the baseline behind Arizona’s defense, sprang off both legs and threw down an alley-oop, bringing the crowd to its feet and sending vibrations across the floor.

Rush left no doubt: he’s back.

Rush scored five of his 17 points in overtime, including two dunks on his surgically-repaired knee, helping fourth-ranked Kansas pull out a tough 76-72 victory over Arizona on Sunday night.

Filed under Arizona

Source: No. 4 Kansas 76, Arizona 72