Tag: Record

Referee Shawn Hochuli assigned to work Week 2 Saints-Raiders game

The NFL assigned referee Shawn Hochuli to its Week 2 Monday Night Football game between the New Orleans Saints and the Las Vegas Raiders.

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One of the NFL’s fresher-faced referees will be on hand when the New Orleans Saints kick off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers next week. The league assigned Shawn Hochuli and his crew to its next Monday Night Football game, where all spotlights will be trained on Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Hochuli, the son of longtime referee and long-winded speaker Ed Hochuli (who retired in 2018), was promoted to the post after working as a side judge and back judge from 2014 to 2017. In Week 1, Hochuli’s crew threw a dozen penalty flags with six each on the Seattle Seahawks (drawing 46 penalty yards) and the Atlanta Falcons (72 yards) in a 38-25 Seahawks win on the road.

He has worked three Saints games in his career, but two of those matchups were 2015 games when he was a back judge. Hochuli did take the stage as a referee in last year’s Monday Night Football game with the Indianapolis Colts at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which the Saints won handily 34-7. The Saints and Colts drew similar penalty numbers in that matchup, with the Saints netting six flags for 52 yards while the Colts received seven fouls for 49 yards.

So far, Hochuli and his crew have done a great job calling games evenly. We’ll see if they keep it up under the spotlight on Sept. 21.

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Wearing their Sunday best: Saints announce first uniform combo of 2020

The New Orleans Saints will wear black home jerseys and matching black pants in their Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Make sure to follow the dress code, even if you’re watching from home: the New Orleans Saints announced that they will be wearing black home jerseys with matching black pants in their Sunday kickoff against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, going with their most-common uniform combination from the 2019 season.

The Saints went 5-2 in the black-on-black look a year ago, so they’ll be hoping to recapture some of that same success in their season opener. Superstitious fans put a lot of faith in these sort of things, so here is how the win-loss record shook out for each combo in 2019:

  1. “Color Rush” alternates: 3-0 (1.000)
  2. White jerseys, white pants: 5-1 (.833)
  3. Black jerseys, black pants: 5-2 (.714)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 0-1 (.000)

And for the curious: here are the total win-loss records for each uniform combination worn back to 2006 (except for the funky gold jerseys worn during a 2002 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, which Cameron Jordan wants to try out):

  1. White jerseys, white pants: 5-1 (.833)
  2. “Color Rush” alternates: 6-2 (.750)
  3. “Black and Gold” throwbacks: 2-1 (.667)
  4. Black jerseys, gold pants: 23-13 (.639)
  5. White jerseys, black pants: 38-25 (.603)
  6. Black jerseys, black pants: 41-27 (.603)
  7. White jerseys, gold pants: 31-24 (.564)

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History suggests Chiefs will defeat Texans in season opener

History favors the Kansas City Chiefs winning in Week 1.

The Kansas City Chiefs are one of the toughest opponents in the NFL to face on opening weekend.

It’s not just because they’re reigning Super Bowl champions or have a human cheat code at quarterback in Patrick Mahomes either. This team has history on their side when it comes to winning in Week 1 of the NFL season.

Chiefs HC Andy Reid has a 13-8 career record in season openers during his 21 years as a head coach in the NFL. That record includes five-straight wins as head coach of the Chiefs in season openers, dating back to 2015 when the Kansas City beat Houston 27-20 in Week 1.

According to Arizona Cardinals digital content correspondent Mike Jurecki, those five consecutive wins by the Chiefs are the longest active streak of wins on opening weekend in the NFL.

It gets better too. During the last two wins in 2018 and 2019, with Mahomes at quarterback for Kansas City, the Chiefs defeated their opponents by double-digit margins.

Flipping things around to the Chiefs’ Week 1 opponent, the Texans don’t have a great record lately on opening weekend. They haven’t won a season opener in the last three years, dating back to when Deshaun Watson first became the starter for the team.

Jurecki also noted that reigning Super Bowl champions have a crazy record on opening weekend. During their title seasons, Super Bowl champs have won 44-of-54 possible games dating back to Super Bowl I. That’s over an 80 percent win rate for the defending champions.

Houston will obviously be out to get some revenge after Kansas City knocked them out of last year’s playoffs. In addition to playing a great football team in the Chiefs, they’ll have to contend with history not being on their side.

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Bleacher Report predicts potential upset over Alabama

Bleacher Report highlighted some games in the 2020 college football season that could be put on upset watch. One of those games is Alabama’s

In almost every game Alabama plays, the Crimson Tide are usually considered the favorite. Nick Saban’s team being considered the underdog is a rare sight. Though, they have lost a handful of games in recent years, an Alabama loss is national-headline worthy.

Seeing that Alabama opens the 2020 college football season as the No. 3 ranked team in the country, they are currently the highest ranked team in the SEC, meaning they won’t be playing anyone above them – for now, at least.

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted some potential upsets to keep an eye on throughout the 2020 college football season, and Alabama’s Week 6 matchup against Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi makes the list.

Miller mentions the two losses Alabama had against the rebels in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. However, Alabama has beaten Ole Miss over the past three seasons by a total of 146 points.

The program decided to follow a trend plenty of other teams from across the country have committed to and hired a former assistant coach to Alabama’s Nick Saban. Lane Kiffin, former Alabama offensive coordinator, will make his Ole Miss coaching debut in 2020 and has the opportunity to take down Goliath, also known as his future employer: the Alabama Crimson Tide.

While Lane Kiffin can only do so much from the sidelines, Miller has faith in those that’ll be taking the field.

“Quarterback John Rhys Plumlee rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season and accounted for three touchdowns in last year’s loss to Alabama,” writes Miller. “Aside from LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase and Alabama’s tandem of DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle, Elijah Moore is arguably the SEC’s most noteworthy returning wide receiver. And Jerrion Ealy is a breakout star waiting to happen after compiling 894 yards from scrimmage as a true freshman.

To have any hope, though, Ole Miss needs to figure out how to slow down the Alabama offense for a change. The Crimson Tide have averaged 58.8 points during its four-game winning streak against the Rebels. Plumlee and Co. are capable of scoring a bit, but putting up anywhere near that against this Alabama defense will be virtually impossible.”

Angler lands record Yellowstone cutthroat trout

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game has approved the recent catch of a 30.5-inch Yellowstone cutthroat trout as a state record.

The recent catch of a 30.5-inch Yellowstone cutthroat trout has been approved by the Idaho Department of Fish and Game as a state record.

Sam Hix, visiting from Bellaire, Texas, caught the behemoth on Aug. 7 while fly-fishing on the Snake River with Idaho Falls guide Josh Heileson.

The pair released the fish after taking measurements and photographs. The record is in the catch-and-release category, replacing a 28.5-inch Yellowstone cutthroat trout caught by Nate Ivy in 2016.

Yellowstone cutthroat trout are native to the Yellowstone River, Snake River, and Falls River drainages.

Inside Yellowstone National Park, they’re an important source of food for  mammals such as bears, otters, and mink. Large birds such as ospreys also prey on the fish.

RELATED: Osprey nabs giant bass, and of course anglers are jealous

In Idaho they’re found in the eastern portion of the state and native to the Snake River from Shoshone Falls upstream to the headwaters.

Yellowstone cutthroat trout are one of four subspecies of trout found in Idaho.

–Image showing Sam Hix (right) with his record cutthroat trout is courtesy of the Idaho Department of Fish and Game 

Nigel Bradham eager to join the Saints, “a place where it’s known for winning”

Former Philadelphia Eagles and Buffalo Bills linebacker Nigel Bradham wanted to join the New Orleans Saints because of their winning culture

Nigel Bradham has played a lot of football. He’s entering his ninth season as a pro, having spent four full years with the Buffalo Bills and another four seasons on the Philadelphia Eagles. But he says the New Orleans Saints offer him something neither of those teams were able to.

“It’s definitely a different type of environment, a different culture. Because the last two organizations I went to weren’t really winning organizations,” Bradham said in his introductory media conference call. “So when you come to a place where it’s known for winning and known for being in the postseason, you see a different type of culture they have and the expectations that they have naturally and what they expect out of you as a player.”

That’s a bold claim to make, sure, but the Saints have backed it up. They’ve won their division three years in a row, whereas the Eagles and Bills combined for two division titles in the eight years he played with them (the Eagles won the NFC East twice, in 2017 and 2019). But Bradham did help the Eagles win Super Bowl LII just a few years ago, lending some skepticism to his thinking here. Maybe he meant that the Saints are further along now than his previous teams were when he joined them.

Bradham has also been on the receiving end of the Saints’ winning culture before. His Bills lost to the Saints 35-17 back in 2013, and his Eagles were trounced twice in 2018 (losing 48-7 in the regular season, and falling 20-14 in the playoffs). He’s probably happier to be dishing out that kind of punishment rather than getting thumped with it.

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WATCH: Teddy Bridgewater lights up Panthers training camp practice

Teddy Bridgewater endeared himself to the New Orleans Saints as a backup to Drew Brees, but he’s starred at Carolina Panthers training camp.

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Some New Orleans Saints fans may hate-watch this well-produced clip from Carolina Panthers practice, but many more are sure to be happy to see it: Teddy Bridgewater imprinted himself that well on the community. And he’s quickly endeared himself to Panthers faithful as the new face of the franchise under first-year head coach Matt Rhule, between his skill in practice and widely-respected strength of character in the locker room.

But the accuracy with which Bridgewater spins a football is what grabs your attention in this video. The Panthers highlighted one of Bridgewater’s throws from a recent training camp practice session, striking wide receiver Robby Anderson in the back of the end zone for a toe-tapping touchdown. Sure, it’s as impressive as any pass Bridgewater completed in black and gold, but it’s sort of painful to see him thriving for an NFC South rival.

And from the sound of it, Bridgewater isn’t planning to go one-and-done in his new starting gig. He’s eager to prove his five game winning streak with the Saints last season wasn’t a fluke.

“Look at the roster,” Bridgewater said, beaming in his introductory media conference call. “There are a ton of playmakers, a lot guys who bring a ton of energy to the field, a ton of excitement.”

Bridgewater pointed out that his new offensive coordinator, Joe Brady, handled his on-boarding process when the Saints traded for him back in 2018. Then an assistant coach, Brady got Bridgewater up to speed and worked with him after practice each day. Pairing up with him again was a logical decision, even if it meant both men had to go turncoat.

He’s also excited about his supporting cast, saying, “I’ve heard stories of how hard Christian McCaffrey works. I’ve heard how much of a dog D.J. Moore is, Curtis Samuel. I can go down the list. To add Robby (Anderson) to the equation, it’s great to be in the seat that I’m in. I used to always talk about being a kid in a candy store. That’s what it feels like when you have those guys that have been productive in this league.”

But Brady isn’t the only familiar face in Carolina. Bridgewater will be working with former teammates Tommylee Lewis and Keith Kirkwood (once he returns from surgery on a broken clavicle), and facing off against Eli Apple in practice. They’re all part of a group of nine different Saints players and coaches now part of the Panthers organization.

The Panthers have lost six of their last seven games against the Saints, including the playoffs, with the lone victory logged versus Bridgewater and the undermanned Saints in a meaningless Week 17 game. Things seem to have a funny way of working out in the NFC South, because now he’ll be looking to reverse that trend, from the opposing sideline.

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LSU Tigers sports

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Angler’s tiny catch breaks 27-year-old record

A Missouri angler had to convince friends that his recent catch of a longear sunfish broke a 27-year-old state record, simply because the fish was so small.

A Missouri angler had to convince friends that his recent catch of a longear sunfish broke a 27-year-old state record – simply because the fish was so small.

But at 4 ounces the sunfish caught by Robert Audrain III earlier this month shattered the previous record, set in 1993, by a full ounce.

“It’s funny because most of my friends thought it was a joke,” Audrain told the Missouri Department of Conservation, which announced the record last Thursday via social media. “Because of the fish’s size, they really didn’t think that it was a record.”

Audrain caught the sunfish via throwline, or handline, July 3 from a dock on his father-in-law’s private pond in Franklin County. He had been fishing with his 12-year-old son.

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Because it was not caught with a rod and reel it falls into Missouri’s “alternative method” category. The rod and reel record is an 11-ounce longear sunfish caught from a private pond in 2007.

For the sake of comparison, the all-tackle world record is a 1-pound, 12-ounce longear sunfish caught in New Mexico’s Elephant Butte Lake in 1985.

Audrain, whose hands dwarfed his sunfish as he posed for a photo, plans to put his prized catch on prominent display at home:

“My buddy’s father is a taxidermist, and I think I’m going to have him mount it,” he said.

–Image courtesy of the Missouri Department of Conservation

All-Time Gators Men’s Basketball Bio: Richard Glasper (1976-78)

Richard Glasper was a great guard on a very mediocre Florida squad in the mid-to-late 70s known for his elite vertical leap and quick hands.

Richard Glasper (1976-78) – Guard

Richard Glasper was a great guard on a very mediocre Florida squad in the mid-to-late 70s known for his elite vertical leap and quick hands.

Perhaps one of the greatest JUCO transfers in program history, he played in Gainesville for two seasons averaging double digits in points both years while setting a still-standing school career record for steals per game (1.83). He earned All-SEC honors in 1978 when he led the team in both steals and assists and his career average of 4.26 assists a game still stands as second-best in school history.

During the 1976-77 season, Glasper averaged 11.9 points per game making 53.5 percent of his shots, along with 2.1 rebounds; the following year, he averaged 13 points on 48.5 percent shooting from the field, along with 3.1 rebounds.

Despite Glasper’s innate athletic ability, his 6-foot frame limited his prospects in the professional ranks and he went undrafted after leaving school, never playing in the NBA.

With time to kill, angler smashes 62-year-old lake trout record

A Maine angler “with a couple of hours to kill” caught a lake trout that’s likely to shatter a state record that has stood for 62 years.

A Maine angler “with a couple of hours to kill” last Thursday caught a lake trout that’s likely to shatter the 62-year-old state record.

The lake trout caught by Erik Poland at Lower Richardson Lake weighed 39.2 pounds. The state record is a 31.5-pound lake trout caught by Hollis Grindle at Beech Hill Pond in 1958.

Poland told For The Win Outdoors that he has provided catch details and a document signed by the Maine Warden Service to The Maine Sportsman, which maintains fishing records, and expects his record to be approved soon.

“I don’t see any obstacles in that process,” he said.

Poland, 34, of Andover, told the Bangor Daily News that he went fishing mainly to pass time. “I had a couple of hours to kill [so] I thought I’d fish for salmon for awhile, go for a swim, then head home.”

RELATED: Enormous largemouth bass a dream catch for 13-year-old

When he failed to locate salmon on his sonar device, Poland dropped a DB Smelt lure 94 feet to the bottom, where he saw markings that indicated the presence of lake trout.

His first strike was by what is now the pending state-record fish, which he fought for more than an hour before realizing his net was too small.

“I walked it up to the back of the boat, looked at my 18- to 20-inch net and quickly kicked that to the side,” he told the Bangor Daily News. “It was half the size it needed to be. So I just grabbed [the fish] by the gill plate and hauled it up over the stern of the boat.”

Poland used lead-core line and a two-inch lure tied to a fluorocarbon leader with a breaking strength of only eight pounds, making the catch even more remarkable. “I can’t even dare to guess how many times it ran line out on me, and then I’d reel it back in,” he said.

He described the catch as bittersweet because going for a record meant killing the fish.

“There was a fleeting moment where I really wanted to put it back,” he said. “But ultimately, I would have been the biggest liar in the world if I had. Then it really would have just been a fish tale.”

Lake trout are found throughout most of Canada, into Alaska, and in parts of the U.S., where they were introduced. In the southern regions the fish tend to remain in cooler water at extreme depths.

The International Game Fish Assn. list as the all-tackle world record a 72-pound lake trout caught in Great Bear Lake in Canada’s Northern Territories in 1995.

–Images courtesy of Erik Poland