Rex Ryan mocks Bill Belichick with ‘we’re on to San Diego’ (Video)

Rex Ryan took a shot at Bill Belichick during his schedule press conference on Wednesday, and the New York Jets coach sure was proud of himself for it. Earlier in the day, Belichick had given the same “we’re on to Cincinnati” response six times when asked about the New England Patriots’ struggling offense. Here’s how Ryan began his segment after hearing that.

“Obviously on to San Diego…” Rex said while chuckling. “OK, here we go, trying — can we just move on?”

[Related: Rex Ryan trades trash talk with Giants running back]

Had it not been for the smile that almost ripped Ryan’s face in half, most people probably wouldn’t have even understood the joke.

This isn’t the first time Ryan has jokingly alluded to Belichick during his press conference — though one time he wasn’t really making fun of the Pats coach — and it won’t be the last. Personally, I feel the execution could have been much better. Ryan should have waited for a tough question from a reporter and then said, “We’re on to San Diego.” That would have been pretty damn funny.

H/T Albert Breer

Antrel Rolle believes Prince Amukamara improved as player after losing virginity

New York Giants cornerback Prince Amukamara is off to a great start to the 2014 season. With two interceptions in four games, the 25-year-old is finally starting to show why the G-Men took him in the first round of the 2011 NFL draft. His elevated level of play could simply be a result of experience and growth, but teammate Antrel Rolle believes some things that have happened off the field could be the key to Prince’s success.

Rolle told reporters earlier this week that Amukamara has been showing more “swagger” since he lost his virginity.

“There are a lot of things different about Prince. For one, he’s married, so he’s (enjoying some things that he wasn’t experiencing before he’s married),” Rolle said, according to Jordan Raanan of NJ.com. “For a man, that could definitely help him out. For a man … I’m just being honest … it’s helping him out. He walks around with a little more swagger, which is something that we need, which is something that we love.”

Amukamara, a devout Catholic, revealed in an interview last year that he was a virgin who was saving himself for marriage. He also admitted he has never had a sip of alcohol in his life and compared himself to everyone’s favorite Christian football player.

“I think it all ties into one another, as far as him getting married, being able to [have sex],” Rolle added. “He’s just developing more as a man and accepting challenges and being the dominant player that we need him to be that we know he’s capable of.”

[Meet Prince Amukamara’s lovely bride Pillar Davis here]

There’s also a chance Amukamara has become more comfortable with life in the NFL. If you remember, Prince seemed distraught a couple of years ago that his Giants teammates were still pulling hazing stunts like this on him when he was no longer a rookie.

Whatever the case, Amukamara seems to have found his way.

JJ Watt bought his mom a car for her birthday

JJ Watt signed a six-year, $100 million contract extension with the Houston Texans last month. That kind of dough should allow the All-Pro defensive end to buy himself a lot of nice things. It also gives him the means by which to thank his mother.

Watt’s mom had a birthday this week, so he decided to buy her a bran new Range Rover.

“I’ve wanted to be able to do this my whole life,” he wrote on Twitter. “For all you’ve worked & sacrificed, you deserve it. Happy B-Day Mom!”

What, no team logo and custom paint job like the car Morris Claiborne bought for his parents?

If you recall, Watt recently said he is such an average Joe that he had to use Google to learn about what rich people buy after he signed his new deal. Fortunately for his mom, it appears that “expensive stuff for your parents” was one of the search results.

Steve Smith: Ron Rivera hid in his office after cutting me

In case you haven’t realized, Steve Smith has some issues with the way his 13-year Carolina Panthers career came to an end. On Wednesday, Smith responded a recent report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport that indicated the Panthers decided to cut Smith because they were afraid he would be “divisive” in the locker room as they looked to go younger and cheaper at wide receiver.

Smith told WFNZ in Charlotte that reports like the one from Rapoport gave him even more motivation heading into last Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

“To build a case or leak stories that are inaccurate or that I forced something…” Smith said, via WFNZ’s Chris Kroeger. “That’s unfair. I never asked for a release. I wanted to play ball.”

Smith also said that Panthers head coach Ron Rivera never sat down with him before he was released and only texted the 35-year old after the fact to apologize for the way things ended.

“He didn’t come to me man-to-man, he said he’s a player’s coach,” Smith said. “He hid in his office.”

He said that the same was true of Panthers general manager Dave Gettleman. Smith said Gettleman told him he is a “shadow” of the player he used to be and that he was jealous of Cam Newton. When Smith asked him if the Panthers were looking for him to take a pay cut, he says Gettleman told him it was nothing about money but that the team was going to trade him. Smith claims he later found out he had been released by listening to the radio.

“(Gettleman) doesn’t even have the cojones to tell it to my face,” Smith said. “Everybody else says that it wasn’t personal, but if the first thing comes out of your mouth if it wasn’t personal, well guess what, it was personal.

“Now that I play well you’re going to try and say that I’m a distraction … I’ve always been a distraction, but I didn’t beat my wife. Yeah I hit some teammates six or seven years ago but I never beat my wife. I didn’t get arrested for DUIs. I didn’t fall off no motorcycles.”

We’re starting to get a better idea of where all the animosity comes from. Smith went off on the Panthers with a sideline tirade during a game earlier this year and then proceeded to catch two touchdowns against them last weekend. He then made these hilarious comments about his former team while cameras were rolling. Regardless of who is to blame, it’s obvious Smith and the Panthers had a bitter divorce.

Aaron Rodgers says smoking hand gesture was tribute to Jay Cutler

If you have watched the Green Bay Packers in their no-huddle offense at all over the past two seasons, you may have noticed Aaron Rodgers making a smoking gesture with one of his hand signals. It obviously indicates some sort of play call or formation change, but Rodgers wants you to believe he did it on Sunday just for Jay Cutler.

Rodgers is obviously aware of the hilarious ‘Smokin’ Jay Cutler’ meme that hit the internet two years ago and is still going strong. When asked what the smoking signal means during his weekly radio spot on ESPN Wisconsin, Rodgers claimed it was influenced by Cutler.

“That was just a tribute to Jay Cutler, because there’s that ‘Smoking Jay’ web site,” Rodgers said. “So I was just doing a tribute to Jay.”

Cutler and Rodgers are friends, but we know Aaron’s full of crap. Rodgers has been using that hand signal for a while — he just happened to play the Bears last weekend. When pressed further by co-host Jason Wilde, Rodgers tried to say the smoking gesture is just a “dummy” signal.

“It’s a dummy signal,” he said. “That’s the whole thing. You know, like, smoking dope — you’re a dummy if you smoke dope.”

Once again, Rodgers is full of crap. But anything that brings ‘Smokin’ Jay Cutler’ into the spotlight is more than OK with us.

H/T The Big Lead

George Brett has classic reaction to Royals’ comeback win (GIF)

Nothing summed up the Kansas City Royals’ comeback win over the Oakland A’s in extra innings on Tuesday night better than the reaction from George Brett. The game got so tense throughout the comeback that Brett was probably up in his luxury box pooping his pants.

Via @cjzero

Michigan students hold ‘Fire Dave Brandon’ rally, protest on campus (Video)

Michigan students rallied on campus Tuesday to protest the athletic department’s handling of quarterback Shane Morris, who was sent back into the game Saturday despite showing obvious signs of a concussion.

According to MLive.com, the idea for the rally was started on fan site MGoBlog.com Tuesday morning. The idea culminated with a few hundred students convening on campus in the afternoon to protest the football team’s handling of Morris and subsequent statements by coach Brady Hoke and athletic director Dave Brandon on the matter.

[Related: AD Dave Brandon says Morris has probable mild concussion]

The students called for the athletic director’s head, repeating chants of “Fire Dave Brandon.” They then marched to the home of president Mark Schlissel.

Schilissel issued a statement on Tuesday to express his “extreme disappointment” with the program for mishandling Morris and allowing him to play in his condition.

You can see more photos of the march below:

#MichigansPRproblem Students at a rally to protest and seek the removal of University of Michigan A.D. pic.twitter.com/nOb3gAXEka

— Tom McArt (@McArtTB) September 30, 2014

Hundreds of students shout "Fire Brandon" at rally on Univ of Michigan campus. pic.twitter.com/aXOaXBttcn

— Caresse Jackman (@CaresseJ) September 30, 2014

Detroit Free Press reporter David Jesse covered the rally from start to finish. Below is his account of the events:

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