USC Song Girls to Star in 'Hot Girls In Scary Places'

The entertainment industry has brought us great televisions shows in the past - The Honeymooners, M*A*S*H, Cheers, Seinfeld, The Sopranos - and some god-awful television shows in the past - The Michael Richards Show, Full House, the XFL, The Brady Bunch Hour - but never anything quite like this. Circle your calendar for Friday the 13th in March because you're not going to want to miss a television show that is going to be so bad but so worth watching.

The brilliant marketing people at E! Entertainment have decided to take scary television to a whole new level with the show, "Hot Girls In Scary Places." The premise of the show is to take three USC Song Girls and place them in an abandoned hospital that is claimed to be haunted and have them investigate creepy shadows and mysterious noises throughout the night. And if it can't get any scarier, E! will pay the three girls $10,000 if they can complete a series of challenges. Yikes!

“They’re totally scared, and totally believe experiences they’re going through,” says executive producer Gary Auerbach. “They’ll get scared and then be talking about a sorority party coming up. It’s a little bit 'Scooby Doo'-ish.”

The show on March 13th will be a special/backdoor pilot meaning that its either going to be a one and done thing or it will be picked up for several more episodes that will feature new spooky buildings located presumably somewhere in the middle of Hollywood. I figure for as much as the Song Girls have brightened even our darkest days in following college football, the least we can do is watch in hopes that it serves as some kind of way to pay them back.

I'm still unsure exactly who all three of the girls are. We know two of them well, but the blonde is a giant question mark.

One of the girls is definitely Lindsey Grubbs -

Another one is definitely a pool party Song Girl -

I'll be sure to keep up with the breaking news on the blonde as it happens.

Todd McShay Gets Owned By Mel Kiper (Again)

You could say that our love for Todd McShay here has been kind of bittersweet over the years. On one hand, we hate him. On the other hand, we don't know how we could ever get a good laugh on ESPN without him. In the following video, 'Todd the Bod' takes on NFL draft guru Mel Kiper about who should be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft.



I love this argument: McShay says, "you're going to have pay the quarterback more than you are going to have to pay Aaron Curry at #1. You and I both know that."

Saving money by taking a linebacker or offensive lineman instead of quarterback at #1? Really?

The 2008 #1 pick, offensive tackle Jake Long, signed a 5 year, $57.5 million dollar contract with $30 million guaranteed. The 2007 #1 pick, quarterback JaMarcus Russell, signed a 6 year, $68 million dollar contract with $31 million guaranteed. The 2006 #1 pick, defensive end Mario Williams, signed a 6 year, $54 million dollar contract with $26 million guaranteed. The 2005 #1 pick, quarterback Alex Smith, signed a 6 year, $49.5 million dollar contract with $24 million guaranteed.

As Kiper said, "if you think you are saving a lot of money by taking an offensive tackle or someone else over Matthew Stafford at #1, that's a ridiculous argument."

Secondly, the last linebacker to be taken #1 was Aundray Bruce back in 1988 by the Falcons. I'm pretty sure the Lions don't need the next Aundray Bruce to be the face of their struggling franchise.

ESPN's NFL draft coverage was already crowded enough with one analyst. Now, we have Todd McShay who looks like he needs a fake i.d. to buy beer for his frat buddies trying to argue with a guy who started Kiper Enterprises at the age of 21 and has been consulting NFL teams and agents for almost 25 years. The bottom line is that anytime you are arguing a guy who is referencing 'the late, great John Butler' about the NFL draft, you have problems.

Will Jim Leavitt Come Calling On Mike Ekeler Again?

Illinois defensive coordinator Dan Disch has turned down Jim Leavitt's offer to become the new defensive coordinator at South Florida.

It appears, however, Mike Ekeler is already out of the picture. According to the Brett McMurphy at Tampa Bay Online, Ekeler turned down Jim Leavitt before the job was offered to Dan Disch. Leavitt has also interviewed former Cincinatti coach Joe Tressey, who was never offered.

Coaching at Nebraska with the Pelinis certainly would be a dream job for almost any position coach in college football. Emphasize the word position coach. I'm not exactly sure why Ekeler would turn down a coordinator position in the Big East Conference with an old friend that will clearly be more lucrative than his $120,000 salary at Nebraska. (According to the LJS, Wally Burnham, who was the defensive coordinator that just left South Florida for Iowa State, was making $220,000.) This isn't exactly a lateral move for Ekeler. Jim Leavitt, who is 52 years of age (surprising, huh?), will probably be around for as long as he wants at South Florida which means that the head coaching job there is probably not very realistic down the road for Ekeler. Still, it's all about moving up the ladder if you are Ekeler and want to be a head coach someday.

If Ekeler had any second thoughts about turning down the job the first time around, then now is his golden opportunity to seize the moment. Ekeler is a great coach and a great recruiter, and we need him at Nebraska for our own selfish needs. Chances like this don't come around the corner all the time, but I'll be shocked if he changes his mind the second time around.

David Buehler's Got Game

Go figure. Only at USC could they harbor a kicker that could start at a handful of positions on virtually any other collegiate team without the rest of us ever even hearing of him.

Rarely, if ever, does anyone get excited about the kickers at the NFL combine. However, everything changed at the 2009 combine when former USC Trojan David Buehler walked into the building.

The 6'2, 227 pound Buehler played running back, linebacker, and kicker at San Ana Junior College before he landed at USC (according to Larry Brown Sports). At USC, Buehler was a two-year starter as a kicker. Pete Carroll experimented with him at fullback and safety in practices although he never saw time on the field at either position. However, Buehler did manage five career tackles in kick coverage for the Trojans. (David Buehler was the guest blogger at PeteCarroll.com throughout the 2009 combine.)

Back to the ridiculous combine performance...

Buehler bench pressed 225 pounds 25 times in a row. To put that into perspective, that is more than projected first-round offensive tackles Eugene Monroe and Michael Oher, who are both listed at 6'5 and 309 pounds and push people around for a living. In fact, the L.A. Times claims that 25 reps at 225 pounds would have made him the strongest cornerback, second-strongest wide receiver, third-strongest safety, fourth-strongest tight end, sixth-strongest running back and eighth-strongest linebacker at the combine.

Next, Buehler busted out the 40 yard-dash in 4.56 seconds and 4.63 seconds. That's faster than former USC linebackers and teammates Brian Cushing (4.74) and Clay Matthews (4.67). And upon further investigation of the fastest 40 yard-dashes, that would have made him the second-fastest linebacker, the third-fastest tight end, the 10th fastest running back (Marlon Lucky was 4.59), and not far off at all from the fastest cornerbacks and safeties.

As you would guess, Buehler also kicked at the combine. According to CNNSI.com, "David Buehler of USC had the strongest kickoff leg as most of his kicks went 70+ yards deep into the opposite end zone. His problem came during the field goal portion of the session as Buehler missed on all three attempts from 50 yards."

Regardless if he ever plays or not in the NFL, I think we all have to agree that this is pretty impressive --- even for a kicker and even for a USC Trojan.

Mike Ekeler Remains Grounded In Nebraska

South Florida coach Jim Leavitt has decided not to jump on Mike Ekeler as his new defensive coordinator. Although Ekeler interviewed last Saturday and was thought to be a leading candidate, Leavitt will offer the Bulls' opening to Illinois co-defensive coordinator Dan Disch. Disch, who was in his fourth year at Illinois, coached with Ron Zook at Florida and was a longtime high school coach in Jacksonville, FL, where he is considered to be an ace recruiter. Disch will be replacing 67-year-old Wally Burnham, who took the same job at Iowa State to coach with newbie Paul Rhoads. Burnham is considered to be a great catch for Rhoads at Iowa State as he has worked 23 seasons at Florida State, South Carolina, and South Florida and has one National Championship ring with the Seminoles.

This all means that Head Cheerleader/Assistant Coach/Linebackers Coach Mike Ekeler won't be going anywhere for the 2009 season. Okay Ekeler, since you are no longer going anywhere, why don't you head down to the local tattoo parlor and have 'David Oku' temporarily inked to your forehead kind of like you did with Will Compton. It's the least you can do after threatening to leave.

Sayonara Patrick Witt

When Patrick Witt decided to transfer and no longer continue his football career at Nebraska, I think it is fair to say it took everyone by surprise. Why you would decide to transfer one month into the second semester with spring ball one month away is baffling to say the least, especially when you have nowhere to go and are considered by many to be the leading quarterback heading into the spring ball. The hotly contested quarterback is sure to be the most talked about sports topic in Nebraska for the months of March and April. And guess what? It still will be with or without Patrick Witt.

The bottom line is that we aren't going to miss him. In Witt's short-lived time at Nebraska, he appeared in five games last season as a redshirt freshman and went 6-for-8 for 48 yard and rushed four times for 20 yards and a touchdown.

Thanks to his dad, I am guessing Patrick Witt is a prima donna. Patrick's father, Gene Witt, moved him on four separate occasions in three years of high school to cater to his son's football future. Think about that. To move a young kid four times before he was hardly even recruited by any college program is sending the kid the wrong message about his abilities and about what it's like to commit to something and stick with it. Witt didn't exactly have every major Division 1 program knocking his door down in high school. Witt's father also had this to say about his son's decision to transfer, "there's a lot that went on. I wish I could say more, but I really can't." Gene Witt also refused to reveal any details, saying he needed to "protect" his son. I've also heard several rumors that Gene Witt called the Nebraska coaching staff on a consistent basis checking in on things. Guess what? Coaches hate that. Mitch Mustain's mom, meet Gene Witt.

Much like everyone else, I can only speculate as to why Witt transferred without offering any concrete evidence. However, I'll bet you that the arrival of Cody Green on campus had more to do with his transfer than anything else. I'll venture to say that I think Witt could see the writing on the wall and it wasn't promising. To be the most successful quarterback in Shawn Watson's spread offense (or whatever he wants us to call it), you need to have mobility to maximize productivity. Zac Lee and Cody Green both provide more than Witt here. Sure, Witt might be the best passer we have at this time, but you can't teach the speed and athleticism the other two quarterbacks have. More than likely, it was only a matter of time before Witt wasn't the #1 and that wasn't going to be acceptable to him or his father.

With Witt leaving the team, things now open up for a much smoother transition into the next season at quarterback. Now, you have a more than capable Zac Lee heading into spring as the #1 with super frosh Green most likely right behind. Although nobody knows for sure how quickly Cody Green will be able to adapt to the college game, I'm guessing it won't be too deep into spring practice before we start hearing about his quick emergence and athletic ability. It took Terrelle Pryor only one month to become the starting quarterback at Ohio State in the 2008 season and he didn't arrive on campus until August. And with Witt out of the picture, the door is wide open for Green to ease in without having to worry about possibly being buried at #3 on the depth chart to start the season.

I'm guessing that as we move on from here, things will be said and rumors will surface. However, I'm banking that one day we will hear that it was Cody Green who ultimately was the one that ran Witt out of town. Since he is and will always be a former Husker, I am obligated to wish Witt luck wherever he lands on his feet. However, I will have to be proven wrong when I say that his departure isn't going to hurt this team at all moving forward.

The burden of having to worry about playing time for the next three years was obviously more than Witt was ready to deal with. I'd put money on the fact that Patrick Witt and his father wanted some kind of guarantee that he would be the starting quarterback and Watson and Pelini couldn't offer that.

David Oku Is Living In Lincoln, NE

This juicy piece of information that I heard this afternoon on the Big Sports 590 radio program is too good to pass on and seems legit. David Oku, the #1 ranked all-purpose running back in college football according to Rivals.com and who remains uncommitted (thanks to Lane Kiffin), is rumored to be living in Lincoln, NE (from Midwest City, OK) with a girl that he met on a recruiting trip last September - according to a text message that he sent to Rival's Jeremy Crabtree. Apparently, Oku is attending classes at Lincoln East High as we speak.

Wow, wow, and wow! Bizarre to say the least. If you want to read more about who David Oku is, read here and here.

Don't Bet On It

Nebraska appears to be the early favorite in the Big 12 North, at least according to Las Vegas. The website BetUS.com has Nebraska at +4000 on the moneyline. For the gambling illiterate, that means 40/1 odds.

Big 12 teams:
Colorado +10000
Kansas +7000
Kansas State +17500
Missouri +8000
Nebraska +4000
Oklahoma +450
Oklahoma State +6000
Texas +800
Texas A&M +15000
Texas Tech +6000

Apparently, Las Vegas sees us as the 3rd best team in the Big 12 heading into the 2009 season. And if that's the case, expect us to be in the preseason Top 25 20. No pressure Patrick Witt or Zach Lee or Kody Spano or Cody Green.

Colin Cowherd Flatters DXP

Over the few years of our existence, we have had some strange and not-so-strange links. For example, CNNSI on Campus and ESPNU all the way down to the Dirty.com and Right Celebrity have given us a hat tip at one time or another. And although it's great that we are given the opportunity to share our idiotic ramblings and pictures of scantily clad women to others that wouldn't normally stop by, we really don't care enough to make that big of deal about it. However, when Colin Cowherd made DXP his 'Website Of The Day' on his February 20th post, it did make us proud. No wonder we agree with almost everything he says! Totally kidding. Nonetheless, this one will go in the DXP trophy case right next to the Poon-per Bowl Trophy that the USC Song Girls have yet to come pick up.

(click image to enlarge)

The '2009 Sexiest Sportscaster of the Year' Winner

Last weekend, Playboy crowned the '2009 Sexiest Sportscaster of the Year' winner. Although DXP's Top 10 ESPN Reporter "Would You?" Edition and Fox Sports vs. ESPN....Who Ya Got? was a little more elaborate, Playboy did make their contest a little more interesting this time around with their new two-round voting format. It surely made the competition and the readers a little more stiff as opposed to the single-round format of years past. Five contestants reached the 2009 finals and in no particular order, they were:

1. Bonnie Bernstein (Fansite! and Webpage!)


















2. Charissa Thompson


















3. Erin Andrews


















4. Lauren Shehadi













5. Molly Sullivan (MySpace page - not that I'm stalking her or anything)




















And the winner was.... Erin Andrews. Bleh.


















Alright,I guess we should first give congratulations to the lovely Erin even though Molly Sullivan is the clear winner among these five choices. That's now two years in a row Erin has walked away with the most prestigious honor in sports television.

Secondly, I need to address Lauren Shehadi making it to the finals. Shannon Spake, Stacey Dales, Nicole Manske, Lindsay Soto, Mary Strong, Colleen Dominguez, and Lisa Dergan -- all hotter. You would even think that with the struggling newspaper and magazine business, Playboy would at least throw a bone to its own Lisa Dergan, who was Miss July 1998. I'm sure Lauren Shehadi is a nice person and good at what she does, but as far as looks go, she is in Double A when compared to the Major Leaguers just mentioned. She looks way too much like a mom you would pick up at a local PTA meeting as opposed to Playboy centerfold material.

And finally, I'd love to see a certain Ines Sainz (MySpace - not that I'm stalking her to or anything) join the competition next year to make things more interesting. If Playboy does allow Ines to join this elite sportscaster contest next year, I'm sure EA won't be sleeping easy. I've given this soccer beauty some face time before on DXP (here, here, and here), but in case you forgot, meet the woman who will be the '2010 Sexiest Sportscaster of the Year' after Hugh Heffner receives my petition to put her on the ballot.

Lo sentimos Erin, usted no Ines.

How To Jump Out Of A Pool by Jarron Gilbert

The NFL combine isn't scheduled to begin until Friday, but that doesn't mean that projected 2nd/3rd-round draft pick Jarron Gilbert (DE/DL) from San Jose State hasn't already started to make scouts drool with his own take on the vertical jump. If jumping out of a 3-foot pool with a 6'5, 287 pound frame translates into tackling a quarterback, then I think it is safe to say that Gilbert's stock is on the rise.



I wonder if Jarron gets to bring in his own pool for the vertical jump this weekend or if he has to use the one the scouts give him.

Lawrence Phillips, Meet Brock Williams

The second that I started to read the following story a certain former Husker immediately came to mind. Yep, it's Lawrence Phillips and he might have actually been out done here.

A report just surfaced yesterday from the Boston Herald that ex-Patriot Brock Williams, a DB from Notre Dame, swapped his 2002 Super Bowl Ring for $2,000 dollars at a Las Vegas pawn shop.

""He was offered $15,000 to sell it, but he said no. He just borrowed some money and never came back,” said Rick Harrison, owner of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop on the Las Vegas Strip.

Despite “serious offers of $60,000 for it,” Harrison, who took ownership of the ring when Brock Williams failed to claim it after 120 days, has only teased it on eBay for more than $100,000.

“I don’t plan on actually selling it,” Harrison said. “It is worth more just from the people who come in my shop to see it.”

Harrison said the Patriots' historic 20-17 defeat of the St. Louis Rams is “the most desirable Super Bowl ring there is” because it marked the first time it was made from 14-karat white gold and encrusted with an astounding 143 diamonds."

First off, Rick Harrison is full of shit. On February 3rd, he sold the ring on ebay for $100,100.00.
Secondly, Brock Williams turned down $15,000 of cold cash for a $2,000 loan which he forgot about after 120 days? Jackpot, Rick!

If you recall back in 2004, Lawrence Phillips stumbled into a Las Vegas pawn shop and sold a Big 8 Championship ring for $20.

"He said he (Phillips) was stuck in Las Vegas," said Steve Gibson, owner of Steve's Buy & Sell, 625 Las Vegas Blvd. South. "He said, `I need to get out of town.' "

Gibson, who turned around and sold the ring on eBay for $1,700, said he tried to talk Phillips out of selling it. "I thought about not giving him $20, but he would have just walked down the street and sold it."

Phillips told Gibson he tried to hawk the ring "at every pawnshop from Tropicana to downtown," but nobody was interested because it was not gold.

"His name was on the side of the ring, but I didn't believe it was him until I saw his driver's license," Gibson said."

Although many athletes turn around and sell their championship rings, not many stoop so low as to stumble into a few pawn shops on the Las Vegas Strip and hand their rings over for pocket change. To me, this is a virtual dead heat for stupidity. The biggest question I have is why did Phillips have only one Big 8 ring with him? Where were his other two Big 8 rings and two National Championship rings? He should have a been walking out of Steve's Buy & Sell with a few Benjamins instead of only one Jackson.

Anyhow, I was wondering who the guy is that paid over a $100 grand for the Super Bowl ring is. And since we are on the subject, I found this Big 8 ring at TJ's Collectibles (L.P.'s ??) that says it has already sold (but that I can add it to my wish list, if I want!) I also found three college football National Championship rings on the website. A 1999 Florida State National Championship ring, a 1986 Penn State National Championship ring, and a 1975 Oklahoma National Championship all go for exactly $4,750.

Huskerspot.com did an interview with Jesse Kosch last fall. Jesse and his father, Bill, own all 5 of Nebraska's National Championship rings between the two of them. Now, imagine if the Kosch family were to put one of these rings up for sale. I ask you the all-important question...

Huskers at the 2009 NFL Combine

I don't know about you, but I love to watch the NFL combine. I'm fascinated by it. Many of the same athletes that we have been watching for the past few years now suddenly have their future in the balance based solely on their workouts.

It is astonishing to think that several tenths of a second in the 40 yard dash could cost a player millions of dollars. Three-inches in a player's vertical leap could be the difference between being a sixth round pick or not even being drafted at all. You would think that these subtle differences in their scores would have nothing to do with the game of football, but to every NFL coach, scout, and general manager, they do.

Even more, I enjoy envisioning who these players will be playing for on Sundays as the NFL Network's correspondents discuss team needs. Almost a full week of listening to the likes of Rich Eisen and Brian Billick talk college and NFL football in the middle of February certainly is something not to be taken for granted. Therefore, I watch.

Last year, I remember Sports Illustrated's Peter King discussing that the NFL combine isn't relied upon as heavily as it once was in large part because of a former Boston College player Mike Mamula. Mamula was so impressive at the 1995 combine that former Philadelphia Eagles' head coach Ray Rhodes traded away two first-round picks to select him at #7 overall. Ever heard of Mike Mamula before? The myth of Mamula has been widely debated as his career was not nearly as bad as many made it out to be. However, because of the draft mythology involving Mamula, NFL General Managers don't put quite as much emphasis on the numbers at the combine as they used to. Maybe a few rounds can be gained or lost this weekend, but you won't be seeing a virtual unknown rocket up to #7 overall out of nowhere again based on his workout. Nonetheless, this weekend still matters.

300+ former college athletes and six Huskers will be taking part in this weekend's combine in Indianapolis.

Nebraska's 2009 NFL Combine Invitation List (for the complete list of participants, click here.)

GLENN, CODY	NEBRASKA	09	LB12	OLB
LUCKY, MARLON	NEBRASKA	06	RB19	RB
MURTHA, LYDON	NEBRASKA	02	OL39	T
POTTER, ZACH	NEBRASKA	08	DL41	DE
SLAUSON, MATT	NEBRASKA	02	OL47	G
SWIFT, NATE	NEBRASKA	05	WO38	WR

You can watch the combine in its entirety from Thursday, February 19th through Wednesday, February 25th on the NFL Network or on NFL.com. For the complete schedule, click here --> NFL Network Combine Coverage Schedule.

Some times of interest:
Saturday, February 21 @ 10:00 AM (CST) - Workouts: Kickers, Offensive Linemen and Tight Ends
Sunday, February 22 @ 10:00 AM (CST) - Workouts: Quarterbacks, Wide Receivers, Running Backs
Monday, February 23 @ 10:00 AM (CST) - Workouts: Linebackers, Defensive Lineman

Versus Survey

I recently received an email from the fine people at the Versus Channel asking for our help in completing a quick survey:

"My name is Ling and I am contacting you on behalf of Versus, the network that celebrates real competition. Currently, Versus is conducting research on our College Football viewers as we plan our Fall ’09 programming season. As the home of the Pac 10, Big 12, Ivy League and Mountain West conferences, we are seeking insights from college sports fans to better understand how our programming is perceived on our network. Our goal is to continue to enhance our programming of these sports to provide the best College Football viewing experience available on television. This is a rare opportunity to directly influence how this monumental event is viewed and enjoyed on air."

To participate, just click on the link below and let them know how important the Big 12 Conference is to you. I figure that when we have an opportunity to get more Big 12 games aired each weekend, then little surveys like this are a no-brainer. No doubt that it beats the hell out of pay-per-view.

Friday Afternoon Delight: Husker Alumna Jenny Kropp

On days like this, we should be even prouder to call ourselves Huskers.

Jenny Kropp (from Grand Island, NE) was a middle blocker for the undefeated 2000 Nebraska volleyball team and a second-team All-American in 2001. She earned the AVP Rookie of the Year in 2007 and has won two events already in 2009. Jenny also happens to be a complete smokeshow.

I really don't have any explanations as to how I missed this one all of this time, but let's put the past behind us and move forward. I see a bright future between DXP and Jenny.

Will the Real Joba Chamberlain Please Stand Up?

BELMAR, N.J. (AP) - He signed autographs, sweet-talked star-struck women and even scored free food and drinks at bars and restaurants by claiming he was New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain.

But in reality, he was 30-year-old Ryan Ward, a Toms River man who looks a lot like the Yankees star and claims he was just having fun.

Prosecutors weren’t amused and had tried to put him in jail. But under the terms of a plea deal, Ward pleaded guilty Wednesday to reduced charges of disorderly conduct, was fined $2,518 and was placed on two years’ probation.

"I had fun with it, and did a lot of things I probably shouldn’t have done,’’ he said outside the courtroom. " It got out of hand. I wasn’t opening credit cards. This was just having fun with it.’’
Virtually everyone who encounters Ward acknowledges he is the spitting image of Chamberlain, the Yankees pitcher whose high-octane fastball and fist-pumping strikeout celebrations made him an instant sensation when the former Nebraska All-American joined the team in 2007.

"It’s apparent that he could be the twin brother of Joba Chamberlain,’’ said Belmar municipal prosecutor Stephen Schueler. "He bears an uncanny physical likeness to him.’’

"People were just star-struck, thinking I was him,’’ Ward said. "It was easy to become him. It was a switch I could turn on and off, and I did often.

"People like to be in the presence of celebrity,’’ said Ward, who said he was a "pretty good’’ pitcher as a teenager. "I always wore a Yankee hat, and I ran with it.’’

Patrons at bars and restaurants would send over free drinks and food to his table. He signed over 100 autographs, pretending to be Chamberlain.

Women were only too happy to spend time with him, thinking they were going home with a New York Yankee.

"There were many,’’ Ward said.

What first got him in legal trouble was an Aug. 1 encounter at a bagel shop in which Ward asked employees "Do you know who I am?’’ and pointed to a photo of Chamberlain in a newspaper. They gave him free bagels and a bottle of water.“

"He was selling autographs for free beer and money at a bar here on a night Joba Chamberlain was pitching and the game was on TV," said one local bar owner.

Other impersonations followed. Eventually, at least a few watering holes got wise and banned Ward from the premises. Then in October, he was arrested again, this time for yelling and carrying on while sitting on a bench outside a bar while intoxicated.

Two days later, Ward said, he checked himself into an alcohol-treatment facility. He said he recently celebrated 100 days of sobriety.

As part of his probation, Ward must stay out of all the restaurants and bars in Belmar, and complete his alcohol treatment. He currently lives in a halfway house.


First off, if there has ever been an uncanny resemblance, this is it. I honestly don't think I have ever seen an instance when someone looks this identical to a celebrity. Sure, there are Las Vegas impersonators that undergo surgery, hours of make-up, and years of practice to nail down famous people such as Elvis and Madonna, but that takes a lot of work. For Ryan Ward, all that was required from him was to pound down a twelve pack and stumble down to the closest bar or restaurant for free food, free drinks, and all the women you can handle. In fact, Ward claims to have taken home as many as 100 women using his alias. He even goes as far to say, "I got slapped a few times and yelled at, too, but I'd say there were about 20 or 30 of them who had no idea who I really was."

If only Ward could have remained somewhat sober during his crime spree, then just imagine how far he could have taken his God-given talent. Signing autographs for money the night Joba is pitching and then passing out on a park bench? Give me a break. If there is one thing Ryan Ward isn't, it's a smart criminal. Something tells me that after he has had some time reflecting on this whole situation while he is sober and on probation, he will be back for a more lucrative and scandalous crime spree.

The End of the Ahman Green Era?

On Tuesday, the Houston Texans released former Nebraska RB Ahman Green. More than likely, this will end Green's 11-year NFL career as there is not much room in today's game for aging, injury-proned running backs.

With Green's retirement on the horizon, I got to thinking as to where Ahman Green sits among the best Nebraska players to play running back in the NFL. Surprisingly, Roger Craig is the only former Husker to have a career comparable.

Craig, a 4-time Pro Bowler & 1-time first-team All-Pro, finished his 11 year NFL career with 8,189 rushing yards, 4,911 receiving yards, 13,100 total yards, 73 TDs, and three Super Bowl rings. Even as of today, Roger Craig remains the only running back to lead the NFL in receptions for a single season, and the only one ever to record over 100 receiving yards in a Super Bowl. Craig made the semi-finalist list for the Hall of Fame this year but was not elected.

Green (probably) will finish his career with 9,045 rushing yards, 2,865 receiving yards, 11,910 total yards, 73 TDs, and four Pro Bowls. Green's last two seasons in Houston were marred by injury as he rushed for only 554 yards and missed 18 games. His 9,045 career rushing yards puts him at #29 on the NFL all-time rushing list.

Although it will be difficult for either back to be elected to the Hall of Fame, I'd say Roger Craig has the better case. Regardless, if this is it for Ahman Green, then congratulations on a great, great career.

After you hit the mute button, enjoy the Ahman Green highlights below from his days as a Husker. It's sometimes easy to forget how special he really was in college with all of the greats he was fortunate enough to play with.

Nebraska in Early at #19 for the 2009 College Football Season

It's never to early to start talking about the 2009 season. Mark Schlabach from ESPN.com has released his uber-early rankings for next season.

ESPN's 2009 College Football Top 25

#1 Florida Gators
#2 Oklahoma Sooners
#3 Texas Longhorns
#4 Alabama Crimson Tide
#5 Virginia Tech Hokies
#6 USC Trojans
#7 Ohio State Buckeyes
#8 LSU Tigers
#9 Penn State Nittany Lions
#10 Oklahoma State Cowboys
#11 Ole Miss Rebels
#12 Oregon Ducks
#13 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
#14 Georgia Bulldogs
#15 TCU Horned Frogs
#16 Iowa Hawkeyes
#17 Boise State Broncos
#18 California Bears

19. Nebraska Cornhuskers - "In his first season as Nebraska's coach, Bo Pelini went a long way toward restoring the pride in the Cornhuskers' defense. Nebraska will have to worry more about its offense going into the 2009 season after losing quarterback Joe Ganz, tailback Marlon Lucky and receivers Todd Peterson and Nate Swift. Patrick Witt and Zac Lee will battle to replace Ganz, and Roy Helu looked like Nebraska's best running back at times during the 2008 season. Seven starters should be back on defense, including Ndamukong Suh, who returned to school instead of entering the NFL draft. The Big 12 schedule might set up nicely for the Cornhuskers, who will play Texas Tech and Oklahoma at home and won't play Texas during the regular season." - Mark Schlabach

#20 Kansas Jayhawks
#21 Utah Utes
#22 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
#23 Florida State Seminoles
#24 Michigan State Spartans
#25 Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Some initial reactions...

• Nebraska appears to be right on after a strong finish in 2008, especially on the defensive side of the ball. With only two games on the schedule that I can't see us winning, every other game on the 2009 schedule is winnable. @ Va. Tech and Oklahoma @ home are probably going to be games where we would be extremely, extremely fortunate to win. After that, @ Missouri, Texas Tech @ home, @ Baylor, and @ Kansas are probably our next toughest games. In a perfect world, we could win all of those games. Say we win 3 of those 4 games and lose to Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, that puts us at 9-3 on the season and more than likely a Big XII Championship game berth.
  
• Five Big XII teams in the Top 25 is to be expected after last season's success. I think that when the AP and Coaches Polls are released we might see Texas Tech in that Top 25, which would make six. No Missouri**? Ha.
  
• Virginia Tech is really high at #5. They were one of the youngest teams in Division 1 last season and with Tyrod Taylor and Darren Evans returning, they will have a much more experienced and explosive offense (if the passing game improves) to go with a great defense. That September 19 game in Blacksburg will give the Huskers an early indication of either how far away or how close we are to competing with the nation's best.
• Four Big 10 teams in the Top 25 seems a bit much. Iowa had one of the strongest finishes to the 2008 season as anyone, but the loss of Shonn Greene will kill what has been an inept offense since Kirk Ferentz took over. Michigan State loses both Javon Ringer and Qb Brian Hoyer but has an extremely easy schedule made easier by Notre Dame, Michigan, Iowa, and Penn State at home and not having Ohio State on the schedule. You got to love how the Big 10 seems to always omit potential conference championship games from the schedule.
• Rutgers is the only the Big East team in the Top 25 at #25? Talk about kicking the dog while he's down. It blows my mind how a conference can be so dominant in one sport and be so horribly awful in another.
• Charlie Weis and Notre Dame ranking in at #22 will put even more pressure on the 2009 Fighting Irish. All eyes will be on a team loaded with blue chip recruits and 15 returning starters. I know we hear this every year, but Notre Dame's 2009 schedule sets them up for what I think is 9 wins. If not, I think Charlie punches a one-way ticket out of town.

**The Nebraska/Missouri game will be played on Thursday Oct. 8 in Columbia, Mo., with kickoff set for 8 p.m on ESPN.**

The Nebraska Volleyball Smokeshows

Last Saturday, former Husker volleyball players Rachel Schwartz and Jenny Kropp were part of the Hot Winter Nights Beach Volleyball Tour in Omaha. I've been told before that I haven't shown enough of the Nebraska volleyball players. Quite honestly, I never really was that impressed. Let's face it, we haven't exactly had many Amanda Cicchini's running through Lincoln lately. With many thanks to the AVP volleyball tour, my mind has definitely changed. Rachel and Jenny certainly were the stars of this show. And now that I have discovered professional volleyball player Jenny Kropp from Grand Island, NE, let's just say DXP is now covering volleyball.
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