SPORTS
October 16, 2013 | By Gary Klein
USC quarterback Cody Kessler confirmed that he texted former coach Lane Kiffin the day after emotional postgame remarks in praise of interim coach Ed Orgeron were portrayed by some as a slam of Kiffin. "I didn't mean it that way at all," Kessler said Tuesday after practice. After USC's victory over Arizona on Thursday, Kessler said “I couldn't ask for a better head coach right now,” and that players “would go to war” for Orgeron. Kiffin, during an appearance on ESPN's "College GameDay" show Saturday, praised Kessler and said, “by the time I woke up the next day, I had a text from Cody and from his mom and from his dad. … I would expect nothing less from those kids to support the next coach and the next one after that.” Kessler said he told Kiffin that he was thankful for everything Kiffin did for him. He said Kiffin responded by saying he knew that and that he appreciated the text.
SPORTS
October 1, 2013 | By Chuck Schilken
Turns out Roger Goodell is the evil mastermind behind the blackout at the Super Dome that caused a 34-minute delay in Super Bowl XLVII in February. So implies Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs in an interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters as part of its "E:60" magazine series. “I thought he had a hand in it," Suggs said of the NFL commissioner. "Most definitely, he had a hand in it. " The Ravens had pulled to a 28-6 lead over the San Francisco 49ers early in the third quarter when the power outage occurred, causing the unprecedented delay.
SPORTS
September 25, 2013 | By Chuck Schilken
Joe Flacco might have given former Baltimore Ravens teammate Ray Lewis the ultimate insult Wednesday, saying the retired-player-turned-analyst "is one of them" now. When he says "one of them," he's talking about the media. And he doesn't mean it as a compliment. Apparently, Flacco thinks all media members do is sit around and stir up trouble while discussing things they know nothing about. Which is pretty much true, at least in my case. Can't really speak for Lewis, who works for ESPN, or anyone else in the business though.
SPORTS
March 13, 2013 | By Houston Mitchell
Former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis has found a new team to play for next season: ESPN. Lewis said Tuesday that he has been hired by the network to be an analyst for NFL games on ESPN radio and TV. "ESPN is such a big part of how fans watch and experience sports, especially the NFL, so I'm excited to join their team," Lewis said. "I'm ready to bring the same level of passion to this next phase of my life as I brought to the field during my years as a player. I can't wait to work with my new teammates, many of whom I've already known for years.
SPORTS
February 4, 2013 | BILL PLASCHKE
It began with the light of the chorus from Sandy Hook Elementary school, saved children singing "America the Beautiful" in tiny voices that moved the soul. It was then pitched into 34 minutes of a murky darkness, the power out, the air conditioners off, the humid Superdome beginning a slow cook that frazzled the nerves. It ended, finally, in light again, the Super Bowl coming full circle on a dizzying Sunday night with a dramatically blinding finish of wrestling players, screaming coaches and winners doing snow angels in the purple and white confetti.
SPORTS
February 4, 2013 | By Houston Mitchell
Ray Lewis has been celebrated throughout the postseason as one of the greatest linebackers in NFL history. He has also been vilified by some as a person who was involved in an incident during which two men were killed after the 2000 Super Bowl. It is a complex legacy, and one that his former teammate, Shannon Sharpe, asked him about before Sunday's Super Bowl. Sharpe, now an analyst for CBS, asked Lewis what he would say to the families of the two men killed. Lewis pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice after the incident.