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A few short years ago Greg Oden and Tim Tebow were playing in the NCAA championship games in their respective sports. While the teams shared different fates, there was little doubt both of these young men would make headlines in the professional ranks. Little did we know Oden would be the *ahem* biggest story of the week (NSFW) for reasons entirely unrelated to basketball or that Tim Tebow’s first Super Bowl appearance would be in a commercial about abortion.

Oden is the latest entry on a long (and distinguished) list of male athletes that have exposed themselves for all the internet to see, which shows that sexting isn’t just for high school kids. Unfortunately, his penis snapshot has made more waves than anything he’s done on the court for the Portland Trailblazers in his disappointing career thus far. Tebow, a Heisman trophy winner and 2-time National Champion, has been a vocal Evangelical voice throughout his career but has managed to steer clear of controversy until now. Not only is his already precarious draft stock declining after a poor week of Senior Bowl practice, his Focus on the Family anti-abortion ad is causing quite a controversy that has become the biggest story of the off-week before the Super Bowl.

Joining me to discuss Tebow, Oden, Glee, marriage and a bevy of other subjects is Adam Jacobi of Buster Sports and the outstanding Iowa Hawkeye blog Black Heart, Gold Pants. Click here to listen: Slant & Go with Adam Jacobi

BREAKING NEWS! We have exclusive audio of a conversation Tim Tebow had with his agent Jimmy Sexton.

Tebow Call

SCOREBOARD

Week 9
Blake: 300
Jon: 540

Overall
Blake: 3190 (88-42 overall, 56-74 with points, 6 direct hits)
Jon: 2670 (76-52 overall, 44-84 with points, 5 direct hits)

ATL@CAR:
Blake: Falcons by 10
They both really need this game, and both have issues against the run – the offensive tactic we are most likely to see most often as this match progresses. However, all else being somewhat equal, the Panthers simply have no answer for the Falcons on the passing side of things. Matt Ryan won’t have to be great to be better than Delhomme, and one or two long balls to Roddy White will be the camel that ends the season for Carolina, and John Fox’s career as the Panthers coach.

Jon: Falcons by 4
The Dirty Birds suck on the road and the Panthers are desperate. This will be a close game. But ultimately Atlanta’s passing game will be the difference.

DET@MIN:

Blake: Vikings by 27

Jon: Vikings by 14

TB@MIA:

Blake: Dolphins by 21
Wins don’t come free, man, especially not in Miami. After getting his first win, Josh Freeman will show his rookie-ness in this game. With motor-mouth Joey Porter sitting out due to a coach’s decision, Freeman should get sacked more than he otherwise would have, but at least no one will have to listen to Porter on the field. That alone will make this loss easier to bear.

Jon: Dolphins by 13
Freeman and Tampa Bay aren’t particularly good, but I don’t think the Dolphins can blow anyone out. This will be close but the Dolphins will put some distance between the two teams at the end.

JAX@NYJ:

Blake: Jets by 4

Jon: Jets by 7

CIN@PIT:

Blake: Bengals by 6
The Benglas have never swept the AFC North. They have also never swept both the Ravens and the Steelers in the same season. Well, they have swept the Ravens this year, and this game gives them their best shot in forever at going 6-0 intra-division. Do they have what it takes to beat the defending champs in Steeltown? You can thank Cedric Benson for the affirmative on that.

Steelers by 7
These Steelers aren’t the swept kind. And while flawed, they’re not going to lose this game at home. Especially now that they have a running game with Mendenhall. I love the Bengals renaissance as much as anyone but there are limits to their powers.

NO@STL:

Blake: Saints by 34

Jon: Saints by 24

DEN@WAS:

Blake: Broncos by 17

Jon: Broncos by 3

BUF@TEN:

Blake: Titans by 21

Jon: Titans by 10

KC@OAK:

Blake: Chiefs by 10

Jon: Chiefs by 3

SEA@ARI:

Blake: Cardinals by 14

Jon: Cardinals by 9

DAL@GB:

Blake: Cowboys by 13
If this were December, I would not even hesitate to give this game to the Packers, who really need this one. However, this is November, and Tony Romo is great at giving Cowboys fans hope at this time of year. The Cowboys will stumble, and fall, but not this week, and not against this Packers team that has lost all of the pre-season hype and respect they had going for them.

Jon: Cowboys by 7
I really don’t see how the Packers and their much-maligned offensive line can handle the Dallas pass rush. I really think that team believes in Aaron Rogers and will go to war for him, but they just aren’t good enough.

PHI@SD:

Blake: Chargers by 6

Jon: Eagles by 7

NE@IND:

Blake: Patriots by 4
Most pundits seem to relish this opportunity to discuss how this game will be won by a defense, as opposed to giving props to the two best quarterbacks of this decade. They may be right, if the Patriots can generate enough of a pass rush to throw off Peyton’s precision game. No one has been able to do it yet this season, although some teams have come close. Well, Bill Belichick’s scheming alone makes this Patriots team better than those who came close. The Colts get their first loss.

Jon: Colts by 3
I hate to bet on Peyton Manning, especially with his defense is banged up and the run game severely lacking. The Pats run game isn’t exactly hitting on all cylinders but, in theory, when Brady and Manning cancel each other out, the best defense wins. That means advantage Patriots. The problem for New England is that they don’t cancel each other out. Manning is better right now and wills his team to victory here.

BAL@CLE:

Blake: Ravens by 28

Jon: Ravens by 14

The San Antonio Spurs today announced the launch of the Spurs TV Companion on spurs.com, a first-of-its-kind live game companion designed to enhance the television viewing experience for fans. The new full screen feature provides an in-arena experience with social media integration and video highlight packages that complement every single live telecast.

via SPURS: Spurs Launch First-Of-Its-Kind Companion For Live Game TV Broadcasts.

I feel like virtually every sports website and television network is trying some sort of add-on component to their traditional format. They add Twitter, Facebook, blog or a chat to something and presume they’re cutting edge or adding value for their audience. For the most part, this hasn’t had the kind of success people have been hoping for.

What is interesting about this venture is that the Spurs themselves have created the companion. Team-owned media is becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon, threatening outlets for sports media. Sports teams are notoriously controlling and greedy, so this makes sense for them, but is it the future of content?

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Owning a team in the NBA, a league composed primarily of African-Americans, would probably not be the best business decision for a racist. Either that or it would be the absolute best, considering you essentially “own” the strapping black lads that play for you. Enter the owner of my favorite team Donald Sterling, who has found himself on the wrong side of a record settlement.

Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling agreed to pay $2.73 million this week to settle a federal case alleging he discriminated in the rental of apartments he owns with his wife in Southern California.

The settlement is “the largest monetary payment ever obtained” in this kind of case by the U.S. Justice Department, according to a news release from the organization.

It stems from allegations Sterling’s company targeted and discriminated against blacks, Hispanics and families with children in renting apartments in greater Los Angeles. The settlement must still be approved by a federal judge but should also resolve two additional tenant-filed suits alleging racial discrimination.

via Sterling suit seems to fit NBA just fine – NBA – Yahoo! Sports.

The ugly specifics are laid out in detail in Wetzel’s column, including background into several other lawsuits filed against Sterling. Not only does he appear to be an awful owner, he allegedly is an awful person. I’ve always heard the rumors that he was a miserable old man, but this takes it to another level. As the only Clippers fan East of Las Vegas, this is incredibly depressing. Not only do I feel terrible when the Clippers fail, which is the norm and typically in magnificent fashion, now I’ll feel guilty that Sterling profits even more when they succeed.

The best sentiment comes from the same column that essentially sums up the Donald Sterling reign of terror on Los Angeles:

Apparently, Sterling is so cheap he won’t even spend money to defend his reputation against a racial discrimination charge. If you’re innocent (and rich), you’d think squashing the possible assumption that you’re a despicable racist is a project worth dropping some cash on, but hey, this is Donald Sterling. You also wouldn’t think someone could run the Clippers like he has.

SCOREBOARD

Week 8
Blake: 270
Jon: 160

Overall
Blake: 2850 (79-37 overall, 50-66 with points, 5 direct hits)
Jon: 2130 (68-47 overall, 37-78 with points, 3 direct hits)

WAS@ATL

Blake: FALCONS BY 10

Jon: FALCONS BY 14

ARI@CHI

Blake: CARDS BY 8
The Cards are actually playing well on the road this year, and I think that is taking most people by surprise. It should come as no surprise when Kurt Warner and his receivers get their act together after an awful game last week and beat down hard on a Bears secondary that is but a shell of its former vaunted self.

Jon: Bears by 3
Just when you think you get the Cardinals, they surprise you. That’s why the Bears pull this one out.

BAL@CIN

Blake: BENGALS BY 4
Who really knows which of these teams is for real, if either? Whatever the case, the team that wins here will be a huge step ahead in the race to prove they belong in the playoff hunt. I have to go with the experience of Carson Palmer in this one, but Cincy’s defense needs to uphold their end of the bargain. This one comes down to the final minutes.

Jon: Ravens by 13
Revenge is one of the most motivation factors in the NFL. The Ravens are not pleased with how they lost to Cincy last time, so they’ll dial it up.

HOU@IND

Blake: COLTS BY 3

Jon: Colts by 10

KC@JAX

Blake: CHIEFS BY 6

Jon: Jags by 7

GB@TB

Blake: PACKERS BY 14

Jon: Packers by 10

MIA@NE

Blake: PATS BY 7
New England is favored by ten and a half points at home against the Miami Wildcats, but I can’t see them covering that spread. The last two Pats games have been more like scrimmages and the Dolphins have shown that they won’t lie down, unless they get up by three touchdowns against the Saints. They won’t be up by anything in this game, and that will keep them playing hard, but New England is just too good to lose this one at home.

Jon: Pats by 13
Honestly, this one could go either way. I just feel like the Pats will be tuned up and have a great gameplan.

CAR@NO

Blake: SAINTS BY 21

Jon: Saints by 9

DET@SEA

Blake: SEAHAWKS BY 24

Jon: Lions by 4

SD@NYG

Blake: CHARGERS BY 8

Jon: Giants by 3

TEN@SF

Blake: 49ERS BY 10
My game of the week: A loss for either team here and the season slides too far back to carry into the postseason. Obviously, Tennessee is the more desperate team as far as number of wins goes, but the Niners are on a slide they know only too well from recent years, and they’ll be giving everything to stop the bleeding at home and get back in the race. Besides, they should be the better team in this one, at least defensively. I see a late pick-six by Vince Young as the deciding factor.

Jon: Titans by 7
This feels like a Vince Young renaissance. I think his presence will give the Titans some much needed energy and allow them to earn back some respect. He has something to play for and his teammates will appreciate that. And Alex Smith will be back to being Alex Smith.

DAL@PHI

Blake: EAGLES BY 13
Dallas easily handled a terrible road team last week, but this trip to the Lincoln Center will bring them back to earth. Is it just me, or is the supposed brouhaha between Romo and Williams really a non-issue, considering Williams might as well be on the bench? What a wasted trade that was. Those lost picks are going to hurt the Cowboys for a long time to come.

Jon: Dallas by 3
This just feels like a close game. The ‘Boys can run the ball and keep McNabb and his band of big plays waiting to happen on the sidelines. But ultimately, I the Cowboys D will matchup well against a relatively one-dimensional Eagles team, who will struggle running the ball.

PIT@DEN

Blake: BRONCOS BY 3
Monday night at home against a very good team is something the Broncos must overcome in order to get back on track. No one has a letdown game against the defending champs.

Jon: Steelers by 7
I know everyone had a brief bout of Broncos fever, but Pittsburgh has been getting better every week. They have a RB and the defense is starting to round into Winter shape. Don’t think the Broncos have enough to win this one on Monday night.

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Despite having a fraction of his dad’s basketball talent, the life of entitlement unique to celebrity children has allowed Marcus Jordan to maintain His Airness’ penchant for narcissism. He just cost an entire university their athletic sponsorship.

A fight over the shoes Michael Jordan’s son will wear at the University of Central Florida has cost the school any future sponsorship with adidas.

“The University of Central Florida has chosen not to deliver on their contractual commitment to adidas,” adidas spokeswoman Andrea Corso wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “As a result we have chosen not to continue our relationship with them moving forward.”

via Air Jordans cost UCF future deal with adidas | AP | 11/04/2009.

This news is a few days old, but seems even more ludicrous as time passes. I imagine that Marcus’ daddy will bail his son out and negotiate a deal with Nike, or even outfit the school with his own Jordan Brand. But the fact Marcus never thought once about the other athletes at his university is reprehensible.

I guess the asshole doesn’t fall too far from the tree.

Stealing Happy Hours – thefallclassic: (via marklisanti)  This is the…

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The media bloodletting continues at American media iconoclasts. If you know someone at SI, it would be a good time to give them a ring. Especially if you’re hiring.

Layoffs have begun at Time Inc. Approximately 15 to 20 sales and marketing employees were dismissed from Time Inc.’s news group tonight, largely from Sports Illustrated, according to a Time Inc. executive who asked not to be named as the company had not given authorization to discuss the matter.

Deeper layoffs are expected to be announced tomorrow, when Time Inc. is expected to confirm the elimination of $100 million in costs, mostly from staff cuts.

The executive estimated the total number of layoffs as being between 400 and 500 people. The largest percentage of layoffs are expected to come from the news division, which includes Time, Fortune and Sports Illustrated, this executive said.

via Time Inc. Layoffs Begin at Sports Illustrated – Media Decoder Blog – NYTimes.com.

This doesn’t detail any other cost-cutting measures, but I seriously doubt that writers will be immune. We’ll see if they’ll be raided by Yahoo!, ESPN, FoxSports, or FanHouse or any other sports media powerhouse looking to bolster their lineup.

Here’s some free financial advice, Time Inc. Whatever you’re paying Peter King, it’s too much. If cut his salary in half you could probably afford to hire at Sports Illustrated.

For those not in the know, the Florida-Georgia game held this past weekend is known as The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. Whether the moniker is factual, nobody really knows. It may be true in the Guinness Book of Records sense, or it may be true in the “best burgers in town” sense. Either way, there’s a lot of drinking going on outside. And since it is a college football game, the local authorities apparently don’t take too kindly to underage drinking:

Authorities said they arrested a record 252 people in connection with underage possession of alcohol at the Florida vs. Georgia Football Classic.

The Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco agents along with partners from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the University of North Florida made the arrests between Friday and Saturday. They swept areas surrounding the stadium, The Landing and RV City.

“It’s no secret that the game is often called the ‘world’s largest outdoor cocktail party,’” said DBPR Secretary Charles Drago. “The fact is that these are two college football teams and approximately half of all college students are not old enough to legally consume alcohol.”

The crackdown was part of the state’s drive to stop underage drinking.

via 252 Arrested For Underage Drinking At Football Classic – Orlando News Story – WESH Orlando.

College students drinking? Surely you jest!

Apparently the cooperative task force felt this game was symbolically important in their fight against underage drinking. Perhaps this is true, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but hundreds of thousands of underage college students will drink every Saturday anyway. In fact, only arresting 252 students is an awful arrest record. College football and underage drinking go hand in hand. You can simplify the equation even further in that college and underage drinking are inseparable, football just provides an accepted platform for public consumption.

For whatever reason, I imagine this operation was spearheaded by someone that looked and acted like Buford T Justice.