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Kirk Herbstreit feels the pressure to leave Ohio…

Kirk HerbstreitOne of College Footballs most beloved stars and prominent fixture on ESPN’s College Gameday has given in to fan pressure.

As reported on his Twitter account: @K_Herbstreit, Herbie blames his decision to move his family to Nashville, TN on “relentless fans”

For more on this story: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/blog/dr_saturday/post/-8216-Relentless-8217-Buckeye-fans-have-drive?urn=ncaaf-wp39

First Round of Superbowl Commercials Revealed

What do you remember most about the Super Bowl? Was it the party? The game itself? The commercials?

Super Bowl commercials are more than just money makers; their classic traditions that can be just as exciting as the games themselves. This year, two companies have already revealed some of the commercials in the lineup.

Recently, both PepsiCo and Doritios have disclosed the names of 10 finalists in the Crash the Super Bowl Challenge. These 10 finalists will soon go on to compete for one of the coveted 6 spots, 3 for Pepsi and 3 for Doritos, in the Super Bowl XLV broadcast on February 5 on FOX. You can learn more and vote for the winning spots on http://www.crashthesuperbowl.com/

“As we re-launch Pepsi MAX, we are thrilled to be returning to the Super Bowl as part of the Crash the Super Bowl contest for the first time ever,” said Angelique Krembs, the vice president of PepsiCo Cola marketing. “We’re excited by the creativity of the ads submitted by our Pepsi MAX fans. And as we enter this next phase of the contest we’re eager to see which ads America will pick to run during the Super Bowl broadcast.”

So kids, get out there and vote. You’ll get to choose the ads that make the broadcast and that says a lot since last year’s round of ads wasn’t exactly the greatest.

What’s your favorite Super Bowl ad of all time? We’d love to hear it!

The Bowl Season Guide

ohio-stateBowl season has begun and if you want to catch it all, here’s your quick and easy guide to the next week or so:

The Allstate Sugar Bowl: This game between Ohio State (11-1, 7-1 Big Ten) and Arkansas (10-2, 6-2 SEC) will kick off today at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, broadcast from New Orleans. Watch for what is sure to be a major game for the Big Ten schools, as they’ve all had a rough season.

The GoDaddy.com Bowl: Middle Tennessee (6-6, 5-3 Sun Belt) will take on Miami (OH)(9-4, 7-1 MAC) in Mobile, Alabama on January 6 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. Be sure to watch.

The AT&T Cotton Bowl: Arlington, Texas will never be the same as LSU (10-2, 6-2 SEC) and Texas A&M (9-3, 6-2 Big 12) take on each other on January 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The BBVA Compass Bowl: On January 8 at 12:00 p.m. ET on ESPN, watch Pittsburgh (7-5, 5-2 Big East) take on Kentucky (6-6, 2-6 SEC) in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl: Sunny San Francisco will be home to a lot of action as Nevada (12-1, 7-1 WAC) will take on BC (7-5, 4-4 ACC) on January 9 at 9:00 p.m. ET on ESPN. Watch to catch the excitement.

The Tostitos BCS National Championship Game: Glendale, Arizona will be the home to the matchup between Oregon (12-0, 9-0 Pac-10) and Auburn (13-0, 8-0 SEC) on January 10 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.

What games are you most excited to see? Which teams are your picks?

The Metrodome Collapse

The video says it all. View it here on CBS News.

In December, the home of the Minnesota Vikings, the Metrodome, had its roof collapse under the weight of incredibly heavy snowfall. About 15 seconds into the video footage, which went viral, shows the intensity and the power of Mother Nature as it overcomes one of the most famous sports venues in the nation. Seriously incredible.

Now the Vikings and a variety of Minnesota minor league baseball teams are scrambling to find new lodgings as it’s now estimated that the Metrodome won’t be ready for anything until at least March. More than 300 college and high school games that were scheduled to be played at the Metrodome will need new venues, including 16 home games for the University of Minnesota’s team.

But besides that, the Minnesota Twins are also feeling the hurt. Although the team moved out of the Metrodome before it collapsed, they’re now trying to find a new location for the annual TwinsFest event, which draws more than 30,000 fans each January. Unfortunately, the Twins’ new home, Target Field, doesn’t have enough indoor space to even support the usual setup, so the choice is either to find a new location or scale back. Last year, TwinsFest raised more than $300,000 for charity, so most are hoping that they find a new venue.

Bundle up, Minnesota sports teams. An inflatable roof and a foot and a half of snow in a 24-hour span simply don’t mix.

Fanfare Recipe Corner: Turkey and Hot Pepper Sandwich

The holidays usually mean plenty of leftovers and after the festivities have died down and you’re ready to kick back with the guys and enjoy a game, we’ve got the perfect sandwich recipe for you to try. You’ll free up some space in the fridge and still get a great meal. What’s not to love?
Barbecue Chicken
Ingredients
1 pound of leftover turkey (or chicken)
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/3 cups olive oil
3 teaspoons rosemary
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
1/2 cup mayo
3 ounces hot salami, thinly sliced
6 ounces fontina cheese, or another cheese you like
4 long sandwich rolls
Roasted red peppers (optional)

Place the turkey, lemon juice, olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Toss.  Then, split the sandwich rolls, spread the mayo, pile on the turkey, add the cheese and red peppers, and serve. Absolutley delicious and ready in 15 minutes or less - just in time for you to sit down and watch the game.

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The Ultimate Sports Decor Gift Guide: Football Fans

NFL Grill Covers Make the Perfect Gift

The holiday season is here and you know what that means: gift giving time!

If you’ve got a football fan (or two, or five) on your list and you want to be prepared, let UltimateSportsDecor.com help with our gift guide. We’ll make it easy for you to find the perfect present for any armchair quarterback.

Here are five of our top picks for gifts for football fans. Enjoy:

  1. NFL Tank Wraps - Protect your grill tank and show off some pride for your favorite team with this ideal gift for football fans. Great as a stocking stuffed or for Secret Santa exchanges!
  2. NFL Forest Faces - Football fans love to entertain and to spruce up that outdoor patio, why not include an NFL Forest Face from our selection? Just choose your favorite team and put on a tree. Simple, but totally unique.
  3. NFL Grill Covers - As we said before, football fans love to entertain so when the grill comes out for a tailgate, be sure that it’s protected with something that shows team pride. An NFL grill cover is great for any football fan.
  4. Tickets to the Game - Nothing will delight a football fan more than the chance to get out there and see the team perform. Buy tickets as a gift that’s sure to be remembered.
  5. Sports Apparel - Hoodies, tees, hats, gloves, coats, jerseys…there are tons of options out there for someone who wants to wear team gear. Get a football fan a new piece of merch or make up a gift basket with some apparel. It’s sure to be appreciated!

What other ideas do you have for a football fan? Share them with us!

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A History of Thanksgiving Football, Part II

Pumpkin pie - but not as sweet as a Thanksgiving Day football victory.

Pumpkin pie - but not as sweet as a Thanksgiving Day football victory.

So you know how the tradition got started, but what about that first game? How did it turn out?

Well, first off, let’s take a look at what the stadium could seat. At that time, the University of Detroit Stadium could hold about 26,000 people or so. Within just two weeks, the entire stadium was sold out in advance, making this Thanksgiving Day match up an even more exciting event. Not to mention, some histories report that another 25,000 people would have attended the game if there had been seats left.

The Lions entered the game with the Bears with a 10-1 record. But with 11 straight wins, Chicago had an even better record. Either way, it was going to be an exciting contest.

As for the result of the game, the Bears beat the Lions by just a bit with a 19-16 score. After the holiday struggle, the Bears went on to win the NFL Western Division crown just three days later at a score of 10-7. Guess all that turkey didn’t weight them down!

Since that time, the NFL has led the way with Thanksgiving Day football. For decades afterward, families around the country would cap off their pumpkin pie with a game of pigskin, either in the backyard or on the television. For us, Thanksgiving and football just go together.

Have a very Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at UltimateSportsDecor.com!

A History of Thanksgiving Football, Part I

Turkey and Football. They just go together.

Turkey and Football. They just go together.

Thanksgiving Day football is a timeless tradition - but how did it get started? It seems like it’s been around forever.

Well, at UltimateSportsDecor.com, we’re all about uncovering the best of sports and when it comes to Thanksgiving Day football, finding out the history was no exception. Here’s how this timeless tradition got started:

Back in the early 1930’s, Detroit was home to an amazing baseball team: The Tigers. The Tigers owned the sports pages of Detroit newspapers and there was only one man who decided to change that: George A. Richards.

G.A. Richards was a local radio executive who just purchased the Portsmouth Spartans and had moved the team to Detroit, thus forming the Detroit Lions. At the time, the Lions were a pretty solid team with their record, not to mention, a star player in Earl “Dutch” Clark, one of the best backs to play the game. According to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Lions in 1934 had not allowed a touchdown until their eighth game, so they brought forth a lot of strength as a team - for any match up.

So, back to the first Thanksgiving game. Well, Richards decided that he wanted to draw the fans to the team (and attention away from the Tigers) by hosting a match up that would get noticed. He chose a Thanksgiving Day contest, which was risky at the time. On Thanksgiving Day, 1934, the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears, who were the World Champions at the time, would go head to head in an exciting game that went down in the history books and sparked a tradition that would go on for decades.

Fanfare Recipe Corner: Pigskin Potato Skins

Looking for a football party staple? Then you’ve gotta try out this ridiculously good recipe for potato skins. It has all of the essential football food groups: bacon, cheese, potato, and more bacon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
6 medium baking potatoes
Olive oil
Canola oil
Salt and pepper
6 strips of bacon
3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
Thinly sliced green onions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Scrub the potatoes clean and rub with olive oil. Bake for about an hour, or until the potatoes are cooked through. While the potatoes are cooking, cook the bacon strips until crispy. Drain, cool, and crumble the bacon then set aside. Once the potatoes are finished, remove from oven and let cool. Cut in half horizontally and use a spoon to scoop out the insides. Save the interior potato for loaded mashed potatoes or another recipe. Then, turn up the oven to 450 degrees and brush the canola oil all over the potato skins. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast on a roasting pan for 10 minutes. Flip and cook for another 10. Remove from oven and let cool. Then, add cheddar cheese, crumbled bacon, sour cream, and green onions. Serve.

Oh, How the Mighty Have Fallen

young football players waiting on sidelineHey kids, we’ve got a bit of an epidemic on our hands. It seems like every week, there’s a new sports-related scandal. Someone is dating a Kardashian. Another just sent some naughty photos via text message. And hey, why not throw in some illegal performance enhancing drug use or public drunkenness for good measure? Unlike some of the athletes of long ago, today’s superstars seem to have quite the reputation off the field and let’s just say that it’s not the kind of thing that we want our younger athletes looking up to.

Just take for instance Brett Favre. This superhero football player with tons of records under his belt decided to show Jets Gameday host Jenn Sterger what was…um…under his belt. Earlier this month, the NFL began investigating Favre for allegedly sexting and leaving inappropriate voice messages on the reporter’s phone, resulting in SNL parodies, trimmed endorsements for Wrangler, and a hefty NFL investigation. A lot hangs in the balance for the only quarterback in NFL history to throw over 500 touchdowns, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.

Oh Pat McAfee, why did you have to become an example of what not to do while drunk? About a week ago, this Indianapolis Colts punter decided that it would be a good idea to take a pre-dawn swim in a city canal before being arrested for public intoxication . Suspension, and countless jabs of humiliation, followed. Again, another fine example of football players gone wild.

Don’t worry - we didn’t forget about Rick Rypien either. Granted, he’s not a football player, but this Vancouver Canuck went wild on a fan during an October 19th game with the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. After pushing a linesman and heading down the tunnel, he reached into the stands and grabbed a fan by the chest, attempting to pull him into the tunnel before being restrained by the coach and teammates. Suspension and pending legal action later, Rypien couldn’t be even more embarrassed.

Then there’s Tiger Woods. His scandal is like the gold standard for sports star stupidity. Mistresses number 1 through 12 (or 13, 14, 15…) would gladly share their story of how this golf legend tarnished his once pristine image. Back in December 2009, Tiger’s libido got the best of him as more than a dozen women came forward as mistresses in a scandal that lasted for months, ending in sex rehab, lost endorsements, and divorce. In short, it was a train wreck and people are still buzzing about it and it’s October 2010.

October just wasn’t a good month for professional athletes, but the bigger point is that there’s an epidemic of incidents. Maybe we should send our players back to finishing school before their next season starts. Or maybe they need to sit down with Dr. Phil and work out some of their issues. Whatever it takes. We just want to see a return to integrity in the game.

What are your thoughts on all of the scandals?