Report: UConn-Notre Dame Football Series “Dead”

UConn Huskies vs Notre Dame Fighting Irish

According to Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant, the proposed series between the UConn Huskies and Notre Dame Fighting Irish is all but “dead”.

That’s what a little birdie told me today, just a few minutes ago; that it is done.

The Huskies and Irish will meet on the gridiron this season on November 21st in South Bend. But any further games between the two schools don’t look to be happening.

I’m not surprised about this at all. Considering the Huskies will have the Michigan Wolverines coming in 2013 and the Tennessee Volunteers a few years later, they have some leverage to get some bigger schools in there.

Notre Dame had wanted to play the Huskies at either the new Giants Stadium or at Gillette Stadium with the Huskies as the home team. The reasoning behind this is to allow Notre Dame the opportunity to bring more fans in essentially making it an “away” game for the Huskies.

What Happened? Is The UConn-ND Series Dead? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Mmm Cake!

Your helmet can't save you now, Tom - Globe Staff Photo / Jim Davis New England Patriots QB Tom Brady turned 32 yesterday and was greeted by teammates with some birthday cake to the face. I wonder what his wife Gisele Bundchen gave him? As a Pats fan I can not wait for the team to play for real. I believe with the return of Brady after his injury and the addition of veteran running back Fred Taylor to compliment Laurence Maroney and Sammy Morris that the offense will be even more dynamic than in the record setting 2007 season. I will go on the record and say you won’t see an undefeated season and you probably won’t see 50 TD passes but we will see a return of the team’s AFC East dominance and a very good chance of the team’s 4th Super Bowl championship since 2001. I, for one, am ready for some football and can’t wait for Terrell Owens and Buffalo in Week 1. Editor’s Note: Steve sent this to me via text message.

Boston Red Sox News & Notes – 8/4

Jason Varitek (R) of the Boston Red Sox looks at Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Danys Baez after Baez tagged him out in a rundown between third base and home plate during the ninth inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Baltimore, Maryland August 1, 2009. Home plate umpire Jeff Kellogg (behind Varitek) is holding him back. REUTERS/Joe Giza (UNITED STATES SPORT BASEBALL)

While the Boston Red Sox were enjoying their off day in Tampa yesterday, there was a report out of Seattle about Theo Epstein trying to acquire King Felix Hernandez from the Seattle Mariners.

Apparently the Red Sox offered any of five of the following prospects, RHP Clay Buchholz, RHP Daniel Bard, RHP Justin Masterson, LHP Nick Hagadone, RHP Michael Bowden, LHP Felix Doubront, OF Josh Reddick and SS Yamaico Navarro. Seattle shot that down but Theo then called San Diego Padres GM to try and broker a 3-team deal.

In the end it didn’t work out though as the Mariners ultimately decided they didn’t want to part with Hernandez. It’s still possible though that the teams talk again in the offseason.

Big series coming up for the Red Sox against the Rays as we all know the Red Sox have struggled in Tampa. And looming after that is an ever bigger matchup with the Yankees.

It’s going to be a fun but probably stressful week of Red Sox baseball. Would we have it any other way though?

Was there a big pitch for Hernandez? [Boston Globe]

Suddenly the heat is upon the Sox [Boston Globe]

Video: Red Sox fan drinks beer from sneaker [Red Sox Monster]

Bard untouchable for Red Sox [RedSox.com]

Sox thinking big with addition of Martinez [RedSox.com]

Josh Reddick Gives Red Sox Nation a Glimpse of the Team’s Possible Right Fielder of the Future [Wicked Good Sports]

Everything’s in order for suddenly potent Sox [Providence Journal]

Red Sox journal: Blockbuster deal for Felix Hernandez couldn’t get done, according to reports [Providence Journal]

Enough already; release all the names and move on [Providence Journal]

Sunday Slugfest Nuggetpalooza! [Nuggetpalooza]

Major growth in Daniel Bard [Boston Herald]

Jon Lester to start, finish big series [Boston Herald]

For more slices of Boston Red Sox goodness, head over to the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and Providence Journal websites.

And if you must see what the enemy papers are saying you can check out the Tampa Tribune and St. Petersburg Times websites.

UConn Football Picked To Finish 6th In Big East

UConn Huskies footballComing off an 8-5 (3-4 Big East) season in 2008, the UConn Huskies football team has been once again picked to finish 6th in the Big East for the 2009 season.

The poll, picked by the media members who cover the Big East, was announced on Tuesday morning in Newport, RI as part of the Big East Conference football media day festivities.

1. Pittsburgh (8) 161

2. West Virginia (5) 151

3. Cincinnati (8) 144

4. South Florida (3) 130

5. Rutgers 126

6. UConn 74

7. Louisville 51

8. Syracuse 27

Paw Prints – The Daily Roundup – 8/4

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

UConn Football links

What’s Up With Des? [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Colts’ Brown Happy To Be On Time For Training Camp [New London Day]

Connecticut the early leader for Taylor Henry [TurtleSportsReport.com]

Additional UConn-Notre Dame Football Tickets Available [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Montgomery a finalist [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Former UConn Star Finalist For Women’s Foundation Award [Hartford Courant]

Renee Montgomery Named a Finalist for Sportswoman of the Year [UConnHuskies.com]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Mailbag Question, 8/3, Stanley Robinson [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Mailbag Question, 8/3, Gavin Edwards [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Dyson Scores 40, Loses Shirt, Loses Cool [Mike Anthony – Hartford Courant]

Boston Red Sox News & Notes – 8/3

Boston Red Sox's Rocco Baldelli, right, gets a high-five from teammate Casey Kotchman after his home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the ninth inning of a baseball game, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, in Baltimore. The Red Sox won 18-10. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Despite an ugly performance from Clay Buchholz on Sunday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox completed the sweep of the Baltimore Orioles for their 4th straight win.

The win allowed the Red Sox to stay a 1/2 game behind the Yankees in the AL East standings. They also a 2.5 game lead in the wild card standings.

Any time a pitcher is given an early 7-run lead it’s hard to stay focused and do your job. But for a young pitcher like Buchholz, it’s supposed to be part of the maturation process. It clearly wasn’t yesterday.

Instead of attacking hitters and letting his defense do the work, he left some pitches (mainly fastballs) out over the plate and made some mistakes that allowed the Orioles to cut the 7-run deficit to just one at 7-6. Luckily for Buchholz, the Red Sox bounced right back with 7 more runs in the next half inning.

Buchholz came back out for the 5th but allowed a leadoff home run, a walk and a single to end his afternoon without reaching the 5 innings pitched mark to pickup the win. I really have to think that this was a statement being made to Buchholz by skipper Terry Francona saying look kid you don’t deserve the win today. We expect better of you.

With Buchholz, Brad Penny and John Smoltz struggling as of late and Tim Wakefield still bothered by the bad back, the starting pitching has suddenly become a cause for concern. I’m not including Josh Beckett or Jon Lester in that because we know what we’re going to get from them each time out. It’s the other three that are wild cards right now.

As teams start to put players on waivers, is it possible that if a team puts a starting pitcher out there that Theo Epstein will place a claim to try and pick him up?

With Wakefield’s back still hurting, the other three pitchers struggling and Daisuke Matsuzaka’s status up in the air right now, I just don’t see how Theo doesn’t try to acquire another starter. You need to have three pitcherrs you can count in the playoffs and right now we have two.

And speaking of Beckett since I didn’t get a chance to write yesterday morning, is there any other pitcher in the big leagues locked in right now like Beckett is?

A lot was said about the struggles of Victor Martinez in the month of July but it seems that a change of scenery was all that he needed to get going. In two games in a Red Sox uniform, he is 6-for-11 with 5 RBIs. Right now, it’s hard for Tito take his bat out of the lineup. I do suspect though that we won’t see Martinez catching Beckett or Lester going forward this season which means he’ll probably be playing first in those games.

It also looks like Josh Reddick, who’s off to a nice start in his big league career, might stick around a little while longer as J.D. Drew tweaked his groin again in the 1st inning of yesterday’s game.

One more thing that needs to be addressed. Now this is just my opinion but the longer David Ortiz waits to address the media about what he tested positive for, the more guilty he looks. Given that it appears all the players knew they were on the list, Big Papi needs to come out and say what he took and offer his apology or whatever spin he’s going to put on it all.

Links coming up after a 10 second break for station ID on the Boston Red Sox blogging network.

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Paw Prints – The Daily Roundup – 8/3

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

UConn Football links

Monday Morning QB: Wake Up With Zach Frazer [Thoughts From a Fat White Guy]

Back with some thoughts [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

Mail Is In [Desmond Conner – Hartford Courant]

UConn Women’s Basketball links

Faris: “A great experience all around” [Jim Fuller – New Haven Register]

Faris, U.S. team take home gold [New Haven Register]

Faris, U.S. Win Gold [Rich Elliott – Connecticut Post]

UConn Men’s Basketball links

Ater and Darius lead Slamm to victory [UConn Huskies Basketball]

It may be time to forget those Fab dreams [TheUConnBlog.com]