ATLANTA – Former Atlanta Falcon QB Michael Vick plans to change his plea next week on state dog-fighting charges in Virginia.

Vick initially pleaded not guilty to the charges but according to sources, will change his plea in a deal that would include a suspended sentence and one additional year of probation. 

Vick is currently serving a 23-month sentence in the Leavenworth, Kansas federal prison.

According to Surry County administrator, Sally Neblett, a court date and hearing for the state charges is scheduled for Oct. 30.

Vick’s attorneys made a motion to present the plea and it will be done via video camera from the Kansas facility.

The strategy by Vick and his legal team is to plea out on these state charges then hope to get an early release from the current 23-month sentence in return.

Vick’s former team, the NFL Falcons, is currently 4-2 and making giant strides with their rookie sensation and No. 3 overall draft pick, quarterback Matt Ryan.

Prior to his arrest and conviction, Vick was the highest paid player in the NFL after signing a contract said to be worth the neighborhood of $100 million.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

The St. Louis Rams 34-14 blowout of the heavily-favored Dallas Cowboys will be one of the most talked about games around the NFL water cooler this week.  The ‘Boys ‘D’ got run over all game long and the team got bitch-slapped all the way back to Dallas. 

Back-up QB  Brad Johnson threw three passes to the wrong colored jerseys while the Rams offense controlled the ball with Steven Jackson rushing for 160 yards and 3 TDs.

After a strong start, The ‘Boys (4-3) have lost 3 out of 4 and find themselves two games behind the division-leading N.Y. Giants (5-1).

Newly-acquired WR Roy Williams did not catch a pass and DB Roy Williams is out the rest of the season with a broken arm; things are going downhill fast for the ‘Boys.

Dallas has played awful for the past month, so it’s difficult to pin this slaughter on the injury to Romo . . . the team just didn’t show up.

Wade Phillips summed up why these ‘Boys are the recipient of the Sports Climax’s Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week, “This is the worse game we’ve played since I’ve been here; all around we didn’t play well in many areas at all and there’s no real excuses for it.”

Copyright ©2008 Sports Climax

It’s no wonder the NFL continues to book the biggest names in music year after year for their halftime Super Bowl show. The competition for millions of the game’s halftime viewers is heating up.The competition comes in the form of the annual Lingerie Bowl that has aired global-wide to millions of viewers on pay per view television during every Super Bowl halftime since 2004.

The Lingerie Bowl is a football game played between teams of hot-looking, athletic models scampering around the field in tight panties and bras, and it is gaining popularity fast.

Half-naked babes bouncing down the field scantily clad in sexy lingerie, gang-tackling each other to the turf . . . does it get any better than this!

This event brings new meaning to the ‘tight end’ position and I would suggest the announcers avoid phrases like “She penetrated the gap.” when calling the game.

Lingerie Bowl VI will be competing with this year’s 2009 Super Bowl halftime show that will feature Bruce Springsteen. Corporate giants have jumped on board over the past few years with Miller Brewing Company, Dodge and Universal Pictures sponsoring the game and every major media network has covered it as well.

The game has become so popular, the ten-team Lingerie Football League is being formed and is scheduled to begin play in September 2009.

Teams will play in Atlanta, L.A, San Diego, Miami, Tampa, Chicago, Phoenix, Dallas and New England.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

DETROIT – The Detroit Lions are in one of the most unique situations ever seen in the NFL at this point of a season. Only four games into the season, they are desperate to make some moves but their hands are tied.

Owner William Ford, with the coaxing of his son, Junior, made a long overdue move after week three when he fired wannabe NFL exec, Matt Millen. Millen has packed up and is gone but like week-old fish, his stench remains.

That stench comes in the form of Coach Rod Marinelli and the athletes Millen has compiled over his historic record run of failure and there lies the unfixable problem.

After the 34-7 slaughter by their rival Chicago Bears at Ford Field on Sunday, Lions fans were reminded that nothing has or will change until yet another total overhaul is done.

Marinelli needs to go, there is absolutely no doubt about that, but no one on the Lions coaching staff is qualified or capable of stepping in for the remainder of the season. Do you feel that rope getting tighter on your hands, Mr. Ford?

Mike Martz, who’s San Francisco 49ers took it to the Lions in week three of the season, had head coaching and Super Bowl experience with the St. Louis Rams and could have moved up. But he, like many of the past Millen-hires have been fired and have moved on to greener pastures. Whether another NFL team, the broadcast booth or even the moon, most anywhere offers greener pastures than this Lions organization.

Marinelli and the Lions are stuck in a stressful situation that may last until the New Year. This is the NFL and the playbooks are complicated. (if you doubt that, take a look at Sunday’s lowlight of Roy Williams slanting in and Kitna throwing to the sideline.) Bringing in an entire new coaching staff simply cannot be done. When coaches get fired midseason, a current coaching staff member steps in.

Joe Barry, defensive coordinator and benefiter of Detroit’s nepotism program, has managed and created the worst defense in the NFL over the past two seasons. He’s not doing his job so obviously he cannot step up into his father-in-law’s position. (see our NFL section for “Lions Nepotism Article”)

Besides Millen, Barry may be the biggest cause of this year’s implosion. If he had half of a conscience, he would refuse his paycheck and step down.

Offensive coordinator, Joe Colletto is in the same boat as Barry, looks lost and incompetent and his squad has contributed greatly to the Lions 0-4 record, so who can this organization turn to? Line coach, Joe Cullen, the coach who was busted for driving through a Wendy’s naked?

The remainder of this season is not going to be any sort of roller-coaster ride for Lions fans, it’s going to be a steady nose-dive; all downhill from here, coasters have a few quick jaunts uphill.

There’s a great chance the Lions and their fans are stuck with Marinelli, but there’s always hope for a No. 1 overall pick and the good news is, this time it will not be Millen making it.

In the meantime, Lions fans should try their best to survive Millen’s leftover stench and this horrible coaching staff. Then they can begin next season with a new coaching staff, dozens of new players, a new GM and chant, “Maybe this is the year.”

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

Pitt at Jax – In a rematch of last year’s AFC wild-card game that the Jags won 31-29 in Pittsburgh, the Steelers will try to repay the favor and take it to the Jags in sunny Florida.That will be quite a challenge with a depleted running game and questionable ‘O’ line. Running backs Willie Parker is out with a knee and first-round draft pick Rashard Mendenhall is out for the season. The Jaguars sacked Big Ben six times and picked him off three in that 31-29 game. Things to watch for: Big Ben running for his life. The Jag cheerleaders who are some of the hottest in the league.

Oakland Bye Week – Since Raiders owner Al Davis fired Coach Lane Kiffin, the two are locked into a soap-opera style dispute over the remainder of Kiffen’s $3.5 million salary.

Davis referred to Kiffin as a “flat-out liar” and accused him of “disgracing the organization.” Kiffin responded by saying he was “hurt and saddened” by what he heard from Davis, saying he was “kind of embarrassed for Davis, to be honest with you.”

Davis is also accused of denying Kiffin the opportunity to say good-bye and hold a final meeting with his players. Things to watch for: Kiffin getting the money he’s owed and Davis continuing to make himself look like a senile old bastard.

Chicago at Detroit – Chicago Bears defensive tackle Tommie Harris is suspended for today’s Norris Division match-up against the 0-3 Detroit Lions at Ford Field in Detroit. Harris was docked by the team for showing up late for rehab and a meeting earlier in the week. Harris, who sat out practice this week due to an injury wasn’t expected to play anyways.

Chicago players, Tillman, Vasher and Booker also did not practice most of the week due to injuries and it is unclear which of these players will be on the field against the cowardly Lions.

As Lions fans continue their raucous celebration of GM Matt Millen’s ouster to the tune of ‘Ding dong, the witch is dead’, could this be the upset of the week?

With Millen gone, Joe Barry, defensive coordinator and son-in-law of Coach Ron Marinelli, may begin to get more attention from lynch-mobbing Lions fans if his defense gives up another quick 21 points at the start of the game. Thing to watch for: Freshly painted “Fire Barry” Signs in the stands and ‘Fire Millen” T-shirts specials outside the stadium for 70% off.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

DENVER – Don’t expect Travis Henry to play in the NFL for a very long time and probably never. The former Denver Broncos running back who is notorious for fathering nine children from nine different mothers appeared back in court this week.

But this time it wasn’t to discuss child support.

Henry was popped for allegedly participating in a drug deal Tuesday that was set up by the DEA. The DEA orchestrated the deal after Henry and an accomplice were identified as the dealers in a September cocaine deal that allegedly involved three kilos of coke and six pounds of pot.

Henry is now in prison drag after being jailed and accused of a laundry list of charges including conspiring to distribute cocaine. He has a hearing scheduled for Monday.

Henry was playing with a $22.5 million five-year contract with the Broncos until Denver Coach Mike Shanahan released him on June 2 saying the running back was “lacking commitment.”

It’s hard to choose but is this pathetically sad or just plain remarkably stupid?

After several other failed attempts, Henry has accomplished the feat this time, throwing a dream professional career out the window.

Henry who has 1488 carries for 6,086 yards and 38 TD’s over 7 years in the NFL, played one season for the Broncos, carrying the ball 167 times for 691 yards. After testing positive for drugs in Denver, he was suspended for one season but won an appeal against the NFL and was reinstated.

Shanahan publicly supported Henry back then and swore his RB was innocent and a victim.

Shanahan also praised NFL referee, Ed Hochuli after Hochuli blew an obvious call late in a game earlier this year, and handed Shanahan’s Broncos a victory against the Chargers. During that post-game press conference, Shanahan said, “That was the best crew we’ve had in 20 crews. They did a heck-of-a-job.”

When asked about Henry’s bust, this time Shanahan wisely refused to comment.

The charges against Henry carry a maximum sentence of life in prison and a $4 million fine.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

ST. LOUIS – Some NFL owners are making a very strong statement this year . . . win now or pack your bags. The first victim of the axe, which was five years overdue, was Detroit Lions GM Matt Millen.

During Week Three, Mike Martz and the San Fran 49ers threw a can a’ whoop-ass on Millen’s Lions. A few days later, with a little coaxing from his son, Bill Jr., Owner William Ford gave the dysfunctional Millen his walking papers.

For years, Millen put bad teams, followed by worse teams onto the field, drafting an assembly line of wide receivers and first-round flops.

Yesterday, the St. Louis Rams followed suit and fired their third-year coach, Scott Linehan. The Rams are the only team that may be worse than the Lions this year and after starting 0-4, Linehan got the axe.

Oakland Raiders Coach, Lane Kiffin is another coach that is sitting on a white-hot burner right now. Kiffin’s Raiders lost to the Chargers Sunday to drop to 1-3 putting his job in more jeopardy than last week. One of the hottest rumors around the league, prior to this loss, was that Kiffen was getting the boot from Owner Al Davis.

Payrolls and overhead have gotten out of hand and owners have such huge investments in their organizations, they expect a return. With a short 16 game season, a slow start out the gate can put these owner’s “investments” in an improbable position for finding success.

With Kiffin hanging on by a thread and other coaches like Marvin Lewis, Rod Marinelli and Romeno Crennell struggling to put a team on the field that even remotely resembles an NFL squad, expect a few more coaches to be ducking the axe early in this NFL season.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

After this past week, you have to be convinced that professional sports in America are operating with a shortage of brain cells after Dallas Maverick, Josh Howard, made his way back into the national media, going out in public without his common sense.

While attending a charity football game earlier this summer, Howard decided to snag an additional 15 minutes of fame and delivered his controversial comment to a nearby video camera. “The Stars Spangled Banner is going on right now; I don’t even celebrate that shit, I’m black.”

First of all, it is Howard’s right to not celebrate Francis Scott Key’s tune if he chooses, this is America, but he should not imply that every other African-American in this country does not.

Howard’s comments are worthy of the onslaught of negative publicity that is swallowing him up right now. This isn’t the first time the NBA star has made the headlines.

He’s admitted smoking dope and after these comments surfaced, he definitely inhales. Only a severe shortage of brain cells could cause someone of his stature to use such idiotic judgment.

Since we’re on the topic of poor decision-making, Matt Millen must have been envious of the attention given to Howard over the past few days. He crawled out of his hole and came out from hiding to meet with the Detroit media to talk about his 0-2 Detroit Lions.

Millen who looks emotionally drained and homeless half the time, for good reason, has become an expert of being incognito to the media. This week he faced the music and answered a few football related questions.

As reported in The Detroit Free Press, when asked about his 0-2 Lions and their record-setting string of losses under his management, he responded, “What we are doing is the right thing to do . . . stay the course.”

This incompetent exec, who should be arrested every time he cashes his check, confirmed he is happy with “the course” his 0-2 Lions are on. If a team is 0-2 and stays on that course, as the Lions are very capable of doing, they will then end up at 0-16. Is that “the right thing to do.”

Sounds like Millen is also inhaling . . . outdoing Howard in bong hits at a 3-1 ratio.

When people Millen and Howard display their inability to think, we end up forgetting about dumb-ass comments like the one made by Mike Shanahan after NFL referee Ed Hochuli made one of the shittiest calls of his career and handed a victory to the Broncos that clearly should have been won by the San Diego Chargers.

Shanahan, somehow wearing a straight face, addressed the media after that game and had the audacity to say, “That’s the best crew we’ve had in the last 20 crews. They did a heck of a job.”

You are full of bullshit, Mike. And so is Matt Millen. Josh Howard on the other hand was just plain stupid to make that ‘home video’.

Be sure to vote on our home page for one of these three morons. We will crown one of them with the “Dumb-Ass-Quote-of-the-Week”.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax

After being fired by the Detroit Lions at the end of last season, offensive whiz-kid Mike Martz, now with the San Francisco 49ers, repaid the favor, took the Lions to school 31-13 and bitch-slapped GM Matt Millen right out of a job, sending the record-setting exec straight to the unemployment line just three weeks into the 2008 NFL season.  

Making the best of the opportunity, Martz showed Millen why he should not have been the scapegoat, the Scooter Libby for the Lions after their 1-7 season-ending nose-dive last year that put them out of the playoffs.

While setting personal records of futility, Millen has become an expert at firing coaches and pointing the finger in every direction but his own.

Martz must have been salivating at this opportunity to embarrass his former team the Lions who dropped their league-worst record to 0-3.

The game was a cakewalk for quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan, RB Frank Gore and the rest of the offense. The offensive line dominated Millen’s Lions and J.T. was not sacked in 23 pass attempts, something that is very rare in a Martz offense.

The biggest challenge for Martz was hiding the shit-eating grin on his face every time his Niners high-stepped into the Lions end zone.

Millen said in an earlier interview last week that his Lions are “Doing the right thing” and need to “Stay the course”.

The Lions did the right thing the day they gave Millen his long overdue pink slip and send the incompetent GM packing and we are doing the right thing by giving you, Mr. Millen, our hands-down Bitch-Slap-of-the-Week.

Copyright ©2008 Sports Climax

Detroit vs. Mike Martz – The Lions make a trip to the west coast to play the San Francisco 49ers and face offensive guru, Mike Martz, who was fired by the Lions last season. Seems like every week somebody has a career day against the Lions who again boast one of the worst defenses in the NFL.

Expect Martz to unleash a smorgasbord of big plays and unmercifully run up the score against Lions defensive coordinator, Joe Barry’s group. This week, JT O’Sullivan may suddenly look like a seasoned NFL quarterback. The biggest challenge for Martz will be removing the shit-eating grin on his face every time his offense scores another TD. Thing to watch for: Mike Martz hiding the smirk on his face with his clipboard throughout this blowout and struggling not to gloat during his post-game press conference.

Dallas at Green Bay – These two teams, who both started 10-1, were expected to meet in the NFC Championship game last year, until they ran into the overachieving Giants.

In the nationally televised SNF game, the Farve-less Packers have an opportunity to show the world they are for real and what better way to do that than to beat Tony Romo’s Cowboys. Should be an entertaining game featuring two young QB’s who love standing back and heaving bombs. Things to watch for: A record number of those stupid-ass looking cheese headgears in the sold-out crowd.

NFL Referees – After Ed Hochuli’s controversial game-stealing call against the San Deigo Chargers last week, eyes will be on the NFL’s whistle-blowers like never before. The media pounded that one into the dirt, exposure the league prefers to avoid. Expect more zebra huddles throughout the games this week on any plays even remotely questionable. Things to watch for: Head-scrathing, ass-pickin’, dumbfounded looks . . . the usual things that occur in zebra huddles.

Cincinnati at NY Giants – The champion NY Giants and their 2-0 record seem to be on cruise-control through the first few weeks of the season. It’s almost do-or-die time for the Bengals who cannot afford a 0-3 start. The Bengals have struggled offensively, scoring a mere 17 points over the first two games.

Buffalo’s punter, Brian Moorman has more TD passes than Carson Palmer, who has averaged two TD passes a game throughout his career and not yet connected for one this season. Things to watch for: A lot of high-fives and chest-banging from the NY Giants ‘D’ while they feast on Palmer and the Bengals struggling offense. Palmer trying to surpass punter Moorman on the stats sheet.

Copyright © 2008 – Sports Climax