LB Coach Willis up on Domestic Abuse Charges

Ugh.

You hate to hear about this sort of thing anywhere, but it hits a bit closer to home when the scandal involves a member of your team.

Long story short, Hartford's linebacker's coach, James Willis, plead guilty to an assault and domestic abuse charge stemming from an incident in his home last December. Willis will be undergoing anger management training and has been sentenced to 30 hours of community service and a deferred 6-month probation. A violation could mean a 1-year prison sentence. Not something you want hanging over your head going into the season.

No T.O. in 2012?

According to several source, including AOL's Sportingnews.com, Terrell Owens has undergone surgery to repair a torn ACL. Several sources are saying that he couldn't be expected to recover before November.

At 37 years old, you have to think that this will be it for T.O., who spent the end of 2010 with a meniscus tear. Owens gets a lot of crap for being a "diva" type of wide receiver, and he deserves a lot of it IMO, but he's a hell of an athlete and it's going to be an occasion should he finally decide to hang 'em up.

Theismann Unhappy with UFL Owners

The Canadian National Post printed an interview with Joe Theismann today, and while the CFL was the main topic, Joe had a little to say about the UFL

(post) Last year you were president of the Florida Tuskers in the UFL. What was that experience like?

(J.T) I worked hard as the head of football operations to fight for the people in the organization. Unfortunately the owners of the UFL have treated people like dirt. You can’t operate a successful business without being courteous and considerate of the people that work for you.

That is... really not good to hear. We know that there have been some problems with bills and so forth, but it's not typical that you hear a comment as direct and unrestrained as this. Sad to say, it makes you wonder what some of the top brass were up to.

Wednesday Grab Bag

I'm sure this picture is already making the rounds on the internet. It's a rough graphical presentation of the Bruins infamous $150k+ bar tab from Foxwood's casino.

"And no ice! I am so sick of ice!"

And you've probably heard by now that the Colonials have a homefield again! Or at least, the framework of a stadium deal is there and it looks like the Rent will once again be the team's field in 2011. Great venue and great news.

Screaming at Football with Dad

Father's day is right around the corner, and I think it's important to note my dad's contribution to my own football knowledge. Mostly, I have come to understand that football means yelling a lot.

Not that there's anything wrong with that. I mean, I think that you shouldn't start shouting if your team is up 58-7 midway through the third, and the opposing team manages to close the gap to 58-10. That's where dad and I disagree.

But football is an aggressive sport and it deserves loud, aggressive fans. And that is where dad has always had it right. I've been a geek longer than a football fan, and as such, my social circle doesn't revolve around sports. This is a shame because it's not fun to get angry at the TV alone. This is why I like watching a game with dad: while I sometimes question his choice of targets, his spirit is and always has been in the right place.

Some of the most fun I've had in my entire life was heckling visiting teams at Rentschler last year, yelling myself hoarse at the Colonial's touchdowns and booing the miscues. It's a vocal game. Thanks, dad, for instilling that in me.

Let me Tell You...

...everything you need to know about sports in Connecticut.

Notice anything strange about this screen capture? Let's get a little closer.

Wait, what? Enhance!

The state's major news provider, the Hartford Courant, has a section on its website for a professional team that has not existed for fourteen years.

Also, Whalers merchandise is among the top sellers on NHL.com.

I mean, c'mon! If Winnipeg can get the Jets back, at least give us a cursory glance here NHL! Looks to me like people here, just maybe, might be thinking about how much they liked that pro hockey franchise they had all those years back?

2011 Schedule Released

We have a schedule!

I'm a little torn over the late start to Hartford's home games. It'd be nice to get into Rentschler early in the season, but I cannot stand summer weather, so the late start is appreciated. Home and away games are staggered such that between weeks 3-10, Hartford will be playing at home every other week. There are three Saturdays on the schedule and one Friday. No times are given.

Lets take a look at the matchups.

Week 1
Saturday, August 13 - Hartford at Virginia

These are two very different teams this year, and we have no way of knowing if a hostile crowd might be a factor in the team's first road trip of 2011. Hartford has never won a game against the Tuskers, but the now Destroyers have lost a lot of talent on the defensive side of the field. This could be the game to turn that streak around.

Week 2
BYE - Hartford

Our biggest challenge. The team came off of their bye weeks looking very flat

Week 3 (HOME)
Saturday, August 27 - Sacramento at Hartford

Yeah, we all know what happened during last year's home opener vs Sacramento. Sactown is returning with a lot of the same offensive personnel, but this fan isn't worried. The last place Colonials gave the Molos fits last year.

Week 4
Sunday, September 4 - Hartford at Las Vegas

Last season's trip to Vegas was a heart breaker, but a close one. Sammy Boyd stadium hasn't been full enough to worry about the game environment and will not be a factor. The Colonials D was picked apart by drowsy-faced rookie QB Drew Willy.

Week 5 (HOME)
Saturday, September 10 - Las Vegas at Hartford

Ooh, back to back against Vegas, eh? This'll be interesting. Chase Clement could not handle the pressure of being a starter last year, and the Colonials capitalized on that with big plays. Whatever worked with Willy did not work with Clement. Home field advantage puts us over the edge I say.


Week 6
BYE - Hartford

Have a good rest, but for the luvva god remember to come back!

Week 7 (HOME)
Friday, September 23 - Omaha at Hartford

Poor play and a streak of bad luck broke Hartford's back in the home game against Omaha last year, but Omaha has lost the veteran presence of Jeff Garcia, who at the time of the Omaha@Hartford game in 2010 wasn't too banged up to perform. Then again, the team dropped Jeff Jagodzinski. Then again, we still have yet to see if Joe Moglia knows what he's doing. My guess is that J.M is going to have a  rough first season, and this will be a Hartford win.

Week 8
Saturday, October 1 - Hartford at Sacramento

Hey, Sacramento, remember your last home game against the Colonials? You blew it. Really though, it was a close game that could have gone either way, and I think it'll go that way again.

Week 9 (HOME)
Saturday, October 8 - Virginia at Hartford

Hartford has an easier time against the former Tuskers at home last year, but who knows what 2011 will bring? Too close to call.

Week 10
Saturday, October 15 - Hartford at Omaha

We will beat you at home, and it will be glorious. No more ridiculous 4th quarter comebacks.

Predictions
3 wins
2 losses
3 I dunno's

Tryout Pics

I'm on the right.

Who arm-wrestled Asaph Schwapp this Friday and won? Uh... not me. Funny thing, my first reaction to seeing players in street clohtes at the Black Bear Saloon this weekend was "man, they look a lot smaller." Then I asked Asaph for a pic of the two of us arm-wrestling and realized that even though the pads add bulk, this man was large enough to break my arm in half. Hilariously enough, I think we weigh about the same. I need to get in shape.

But I'm here to talk about the tryouts in Middletown this past Saturday. In fact, not so much to talk as to post pictures, so here we go.

If you wanted a rough idea of how many players were at this thing, just take a look at the field. The place was littered with backpacks, rucksacks, bags, etc.

 Right: A couple of potential players resting and/or stretching before the 40-yard dash.

Below: Only a few lucky participants would be picked Saturday (three, rumor has it), but some wouldn't even get the chance to finish competing. This poor kid walked off the field with his left leg taped from crotch to toe. At the very least, he did walk off.

Further Below: The 40-yard dash took up nearly half the time allotted for the tryout. Which is impressive given that many of the attendees were coming in under the 5.0 mark. Gives you an idea of how many were competing that day. IIRC the final turnout was 231.

Not a competitor; this guy stole Jerry Glanville's wallet and ran like hell.

These two were a little too young to compete, so they just stayed on the sidelines and cheered for their dad.

Running backs and their agility drills.

Linemen gettin' angry.

Goin' deep! (and breaking tables)

Are you ready for some football (related activities)!?

I'll be heading on down to Hartford tomorrow for the Black Bear get-together and the tryouts on Saturday. Should be a good time.

It's 53 degrees out right now, and there's a scent of wood fires and vegetation wafting in through our windows. It's like an autumn night out there. Perfect weather for football.

Hockey Teams Moving North for the Summer

Looks like the NHL's Atlanta Thrashers have had enough of Georgia and are moving to Canada for the 2011-12 season. The team will be ditching their Atlanta moniker and going with something new. Apparently the Jets are leading in the polls, due to the team of the same name that played there until 1996.

Could a Hartford relocation be far behind? I wouldn't get my hopes up, but it's not unfeasible. Hockey has never been a staple of the south and, personally, I think two NHL teams in Florida is at least one too many. Sounds like the Winnipeg probablyJets will be playing in a venue even smaller than the XL Center.

Come on NHL. No excuses. With the threat of an NFL lockout I'm ready to sell myself to the Bruins if I have to, but I'd rather root for Hartford's home team.