Larry Brown Sports

Ndamukong Suh continues to plead ignorance in response to his reputation as a dirty player. The Lions defensive tackle spoke with ESPN’s Hannah Storm and laughed off the charges that he’s dirty.

“It’s funny to me. I don’t have issues of beating up people in bars. I know it’s not right. It doesn’t make sense to me. I think people try and make their own opinion and I think it’s a storyline,” Suh said of his reputation. “It’s a great storyline. I understood this year that a lot of people see me being a dirty player is a fun storyline to have and that’s what it is to me. It’s kind of comical to me keep saying something that really doesn’t have any substance behind it.”

Well Ndamukong, I used to defend you, but then you moved into the realm of indefensible after stomping Evan Dietrich-Smith during a game. No substance behind it? Just look at the picture above. You’re reputation isn’t changing anytime soon, and that’s the way it should be. You’ve done this to yourself, Suh.

Photo Credit: Andrew Weber-US PRESSWIRE

With the Super Bowl being played at the house that Peyton built, there will be plenty of questions Eli Manning has to answer about his big brother. On Monday he was asked about the ways Peyton bullied him when they were younger, and he shared a great story.

“His most popular move, he would pin me down and take his knuckles and knock on my chest and make me name the 12 schools in the SEC. I didn’t know them all at the time, but I quickly learned them,’’ Eli Manning said with a smile.

“It was a great learning technique. I don’t suggest anyone else try it out, but it definitely made me learn the schools of the SEC. Once I figured those out, he moved on.”

Eli says after he learned the SEC schools, Peyton tested him about the 10 brands of cigarettes — something he never learned. He would call in his mother, father, or brother Cooper to rescue him when that question came up. Wild times at the Manning household, those days were. I imagined they looked at lot like this:

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Considering he’s living off his wife’s name, I’d say that Lamar Kardashian jersey is quite appropriate. Well done random Dallas Mavericks fan. And in case you’re wondering if it’s a fake, it looks like it’s been around for a few weeks.

H/T I am a GM

Mark Herzlich’s story is well known among sports fans. Herzlich was an All-American linebacker as a freshman at Boston College and became the ACC’s Defensive Player of the Year in his junior season. He was forced to miss the entire 2009 season after being diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare form of cancer. Herzlich returned for his senior season in 2010 and was third on the team in tackles. He went undrafted, but the Giants signed him as a free agent. Now he’s with his team in Indianapolis soaking up Super Bowl week, and he sent this awesome tweet Monday afternoon:

Does it get any better than that?

Ottawa fans may have been thrilled to host the NHL All-Star Game last weekend, but that doesn’t mean they were about to embrace all the players in the game. The fans held true to their rivalry with Toronto by placing cutouts of Leafs all-stars Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf in the urinals. The move may not have been original, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t appreciated. The last time we saw it was when LeBron returned to Cleveland.

As long as no people or trees are being killed, I appreciate some healthy fan rivalries.

Pictures via Sens Town
Stick tap to NESN

The helmets above are currently on display at the Illinois campus for football recruits to see when they visit.  According to the Big Ten Network’s Brent Yarina, the school is considering going with one of the new designs for 2012, but they could ultimately decide to stick with what they have.

“While our coaches have been displaying those for recruits, those are just options we’ve been exploring for new helmets,” Sports Information Director Derek Neal said. “No decisions have been made yet on helmet, uniform changes, or if there will even be a change.”

Seems like a waste of time to me if they don’t incorporate one of the new uniforms, but what do I know?  Which one do you think looks the best?  Personally I’m a fan of the middle one.  The two on the outside look similar to the old helmets, only with uglier writing.

H/T to Eye on College Football
Photo via IllinoisLoyalty.com

Dwight Howard can opt out if his contract with the Magic following the season and it’s a near certainty that he will. He’s already provided the Magic a list of teams to whom he’d prefer to be traded. On top of the three-team list that reportedly includes the Nets, Lakers, and Mavericks, Dwight is said to be interested in the Clippers. He didn’t appear to have any interest in joining the Chicago Bulls, but his comments to the Chicago Tribune indicate he’s open to the possibility.

“If I could play with Derrick right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen,” Howard told the Tribune. “It has nothing to do with me not wanting to play with Derrick Rose. I love him. That’s my brother.”

Yahoo! reported last month that Adidas doesn’t want Howard in Chicago because they want to keep their two biggest basketball stars in separate markets (Derrick Rose is their other). Even team VP John Paxson essentially confirmed that story. But Dwight said something else.

“It has nothing to do with Adidas,” Howard said. “In fact, Adidas would love that because me and Derrick have the same guy.”

I’m not really buying it from Dwight. Do you really think he would tell the truth if Adidas were keeping him from Chicago? And even if Dwight sounds open to playing for the Bulls, this wasn’t exactly the most glowing way of saying so. The two most intriguing possibilities to me look like the Clippers and Mavericks (especially if Dallas signs Deron Williams too).

Photo Credit: CSPA via US PRESSWIRE

The Peyton Manning situation in Indianapolis has gotten ugly over the past couple of weeks, and it will probably get worse before it gets better.  Manning is frustrated.  He does not seem to know what his standing is with the Colts. In addition to that, rumor has it he is struggling with his rehab.  When Manning expressed his displeasure with the way Jim Irsay and the Colts have conducted business since the season ended, Irsay responded by saying Manning should be careful about “painting the horseshoe in a negative light.”  Enter NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin, who said what many of us were thinking over the weekend.

“Whatever understanding we have of what Irsay called ‘the horseshoe’ is Peyton Manning,” Irvin said according to The Huddle. “The horseshoe is first? The horseshoe is nothing before Peyton got here. You could’ve taken that horseshoe, and you couldn’t have given it away. It wasn’t lucky, it was killing you. This horseshoe was garbage without Peyton — it was garbage when he got here and garbage when he left here this season.”

Irvin’s right.  This isn’t Randy Moss joining a Super Bowl-winning Patriots team that is giving him an opportunity to rescue his career.  Before the Colts drafted Manning, their last division title was in 1987.  With Manning calling the signals, they won eight division titles in 13 seasons. They went to two Super Bowls and won one of them.

If it is time for the Colts to move on from the Manning era, Irsay and company should watch what they say — not the other way around.  Indianapolis’ 2-14 record this year further proved how valuable Peyton has been to the franchise.  A Brett Favre-style exit is not in the best interest of the Colts franchise, especially if they want their fans to continue supporting them as they begin rebuilding.

Remember the squirrel that appeared at Busch Stadium during Game 3 and Game 4 of the NLDS between the Cardinals and Phillies? Yeah, it pretty much got its own baseball card.

Pictured above is the new 2012 Topps Series 1 baseball card for Cardinals utility man Skip Schumaker. Skip was at the plate in the fifth inning of Game 4 of the NLDS when the squirrel ran across the field, likely costing the Phillies a strike. After going on to win Game 4, Cardinals fans and even manager Tony La Russa began embracing the “Rally Squirrel” as a good luck charm.

The baseball card reportedly only includes Schumaker’s name and cleats and little else about the Cardinals infielder. Topps says that it’s the first time in the company’s history that a player’s card did not include the player’s face.

In case you were worried about Skip being insulted, Beckett says the squirrel card will be available as a short-printed variation, so not all Schumaker cards in the set will feature the squirrel. This should be a fun item for collectors.

Everyone loves a good Super Bowl party. The Super Bowl isn’t just a football game. It’s an excuse to relax, drink beers, and eat an amount of food that would be completely unacceptable on any typical Sunday during the calendar year. In many ways it is an American holiday. Like on New Years Eve, police worry about drinking and driving the night of the Super Bowl. That is why police in Ohio are offering Super Bowl party kits to help prevent drunk driving.

According to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mentor police are giving out party packs that include a football-shaped bowl for guests’ keys, nonalcoholic drink recipes, drink coasters, a $5 Giant Eagle grocery gift card, and a $5 Ace Taxi voucher. What more could you need at a Super Bowl party?

Police are also reminding people that as party hosts they are responsible for how much alcohol people consume.  They are offering these hosting tips in addition to the party kits.

*Don’t force alcoholic drinks on guests or rush to refill their glasses. Have nonalcoholic drinks available.
*Serve high-protein foods, like cheese and meats, which stay in the stomach longer and slow down the absorption of alcohol.
*Avoid mixing alcohol with carbonated beverages, which increase alcohol absorption.
*Stop serving alcohol two hours before ending the party, but continue serving nonalcoholic drinks and food.
*Don’t let drinkers drive. Form car pools. Call cabs.

Seems like common sense, but sometimes people need a reminder. Mentor Police say the kits went pretty quickly last year. If they included a breathalyzer, I’d send away for one. You drink and drive, you lose. Yes, even if your team wins the Super Bowl.