Eagles prepare for the return of QB Michael Vick

updated 5:53 p.m. ET Dec. 5, 2011

PHILADELPHIA - The Eagles are finally getting their quarterback back.

Perhaps too little, too late.

Michael Vick, the NFC's starting Pro Bowl quarterback a year ago, returned to practice Monday after missing three games with two broken ribs, and will play this weekend as last-place Philadelphia (4-8) meets the Miami Dolphins (4-8).

"I'll definitely be out there," Vick said. "I feel like I've got to be accountable for my team. I want to be there. You know, I just want to get back to doing what I love to do, and that's playing the game of football. There's nothing in this world like the game. I put my heart and soul into it, man, and I just wish I could have been out there the last three weeks, but it just hasn't panned out that way."

The Eagles were 1-2 without Vick, as former Titans Pro Bowl quarterback Vince Young tossed eight interceptions and just four touchdowns.

Vick suffered two broken ribs in the Eagles' 21-17 loss Nov. 13 to the Cardinals at home. The Eagles are 3-6 in Vick's nine starts this year, and he has 11 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions.

"He's back on top of things," center Jason Kelce said. "And mentally, he was all there today, which you would think with a guy missing a few weeks, that he would be kind of slow to come back, but he was on top of it.

"So, it was good to have him back."

The Eagles need to win their last four games to avoid their first losing season since 2005 and only their second in 13 years under coach Andy Reid.

"I just think we put ourselves in bad situations sometimes, including myself," Vick said. "I was a big part of it. ... Obviously, I wish I could have done more this year like I did last year, but that's just not the case."

The Eagles face the Dolphins on Sunday in Miami in a battle of teams with identical records, yet they're headed in opposite directions. The Eagles have lost four of their last five, and the Dolphins have won four of their last five.

Since Nov. 6, Miami has defeated Kansas City, Washington, Buffalo and Oakland, and lost to Dallas, 20-19, on a late field goal on Thanksgiving, after leading in the final minute.

The Eagles remain mathematically alive to reach the playoffs, although it is an extreme longshot.

"We've got to keep our heads up high, we've got to keep playing hard," Vick said, "keep trusting and believing in one another, keep believing in our coaches and the philosophies that are being taught here, and make the most out of this."

The Eagles are 3-3 on the road this season.

"We've still got an opportunity after everything that we've been through," Vick added. "We've still got a chance and we're going to play it out."

Vick, who didn't practice at all the past three weeks, said he worked out with no restrictions Monday and had no discomfort when he threw the football.

"I won't say (I'm) 100 percent, but we've still got a week to go," Vick said. "I get better each and every day. Still working hard in the treatment room to try to get better, but I went out and had a great practice and I feel good."

Vick has lost eight of his last 11 starts since winning eight of his first 10 after replacing Kevin Kolb as Philadelphia's starting quarterback early last year.

But he's still the Eagles' best chance to salvage something out of what looks like a lost season.

"It means a whole bunch to us," receiver Jason Avant said. "That's our starting quarterback and everyone knows it. We're definitely comfortable with the other guys in there. I think that it's going to be just exciting to play with him again and just having him back is going to be exciting for the guys.

"It's going to be a guy who knows the system in and out and we're excited about it."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

More news

Packers are closing in on 16-0

PFT's 10-pack: Many believed if the Packers beat the Giants, they would be guaranteed a perfect regular season. Looking at their four remaining foes, that looks likely.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45559842/ns/sports-nfl/

the descendants the descendants joe paterno lung cancer joe paterno lung cancer john tucker must die uk basketball iowa state

Southern Miss ruins No. 7 Houston's BCS hopes

HOUSTON (AP) ? Austin Davis threw four touchdown passes and No. 24 Southern Mississippi ruined Houston's perfect season and Bowl Championship Series hopes with a 49-28 victory over the seventh-ranked Cougars on Saturday.

It was star quarterback Case Keenum's last home game for Houston for sure, and could've also been the finale for coach Kevin Sumlin, who has been mentioned as a top candidate for virtually every higher-profile job opening.

Houston (12-1) was poised to impress a national-television audience and representatives from the Orange and Sugar Bowl, who attended Saturday's game. Keenum could've also made one last case for an invitation to next week's Heisman Trophy ceremony.

Instead, the Golden Eagles (11-2) turned it into their big day, shackling Houston's high-powered offense and striking with several big plays of their own to win their first league title.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-03-T25-CUSA%20Championship/id-5bc99498a0e94a0283322f4a3f8056e0

georgia tech big east expansion big east expansion google buzz trace cyrus hilary duff pregnant hilary duff pregnant

PFT: To save his job, Reid must fire Castillo

AP

Nearly a third of all NFL head-coaching jobs could become vacant after the 2011 season.? In addition to the Jaguars, teams that could (emphasis ?could?) make a change presently include, in no particular order other than the order in which I scan through the league?s eight divisions, the Dolphins, Colts, Chiefs, Chargers, Giants, Eagles, Vikings, Buccaneers, and Rams.

So who will replace these coaches?? Beyond Bill Cowher, Jon Gruden, and Jeff Fisher, there aren?t many (any) obvious candidates.

Let?s consider the three categories from which head coaches typically emerge:? former NFL head coaches, current NFL assistant coaches, and college head coaches.

Former NFL head coaches:? In the hopes of not omitting anyone (a sentiment that applies to all three categories), the list of former NFL coaches who could return ? and who currently are coaching ? includes Cowher (whose ?plan? to not coach in 2012 could change dramatically if the Giants job opens up), Jon Gruden, Fisher, Tony Dungy (who consistently has said he?s not coming back), Brian Billick, Jim Fassel, Dennis Green, Marty Schottenheimer, Eric Mangini, Jim Mora, Steve Mariucci, Brad Childress, Jack Del Rio, and Herm Edwards.

Of those, Cowher, Jon Gruden, and Fisher seem to constitute the ?A? list.? Billick wants back in, but he recently said he thinks Jacksonville will look to go younger and cheaper, which means he won?t be cheap.? (Or young.)? Edwards could be a surprise choice in Miami, if Carl Peterson takes over the football operations.? Mangini also has been linked to the Dolphins, although reports that he has been consulting with owner Stephen Ross are erroneous.

There?s another group of former NFL head coaches to consider ? those who aren?t yet former NFL head coaches.? Though it?s unusual for a newly-fired coach to get an NFL job right away, John Fox did it last year when jumping from Carolina to Denver.? The fact that Fox has instantly made the Broncos into a contender could make other former head coaches instantly attractive.? That list could (emphasis ?could?) include Tony Sparano, Jim Caldwell, Todd Haley, Norv Turner, Tom Coughlin, Andy Reid, Leslie Frazier, Raheem Morris, and Steve Spagnuolo.

Of those, Reid would be the most likely to land somewhere else right away, if he?s fired in Philly (or if he decides it?s time to walk away).? Also, a return by Coughlin to Jacksonville could be intriguing.? Spagnuolo also could get consideration elsewhere in 2012 as a head coach, although if Reid stays in Philly it makes sense for Reid to lure the team?s former linebackers coach back to town to run the defense.

Current NFL assistant coaches:? For starters, plenty of former NFL head coaches currently are working for other NFL teams.? The list includes Ravens offensive coordinator Cam Cameron, Browns defensive coordinator Dick Jauron, Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, Texans defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, Chiefs quarterbacks coach Jim Zorn, Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan, Vikings linebackers coach Mike Singletary, Dolphins defensive coordinator Mike Nolan, Bears offensive line coach Mike Tice, Chiefs defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers, Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz, Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, Falcons offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, and Redskins defensive coordinator Jim Haslett.

Of that group, Phillips and Haslett are the most intriguing.? Phillips has been a head coach three prior times, but his immediate transformation of a historically bad Texans defense merits consideration for a fourth opportunity, as linebacker Connor Barwin told NBC SportsTalk on Friday.? In Washington, the performance of Haslett?s stout defense has been overshadowed by a continuously struggling offense.

McDaniels already has been linked to the Chiefs, but that will be a difficult sell, given McDaniels? performance in Denver and, more recently, St. Louis.

The universe of assistant NFL coaches who have never worked as NFL head coaches yields a smaller range of relatively obvious choices.? Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, the fraternal twin of Jets coach Rex Ryan, badly wants to make the next step.? Unlike Rex, who successfully kept a sock in it until he became a head coach, Rob arguably is talking a bit too much for a guy who isn?t a head coach.? (Rob also needs to visit the barber.)

Beyond Rob Ryan, there aren?t many/any hot names, which typically come from the staffs of the hottest teams.? In Green Bay, there?s a perception that Mike McCarthy is primarily responsible for the success of the franchise, which undermines the contributions of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements.? On defense, assistant head coach/inside linebackers coach Winston Moss could get some consideration, as could outside linebackers coach Kevin Greene (who also would benefit from a trip to the salon).

The 9-2 49ers also should generate some candidates, starting (and perhaps ending) with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio.? With head coach Jim Harbaugh getting nearly all of the credit for the team?s performance, Fangio is really the only name that currently stands out.

Ravens defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano may not get much buzz given that it?s his first year on the job, but that assignment has become a launching pad for head coaches.? If the Ravens play deep into the postseason, Pagano could get consideration.

Another first-year coordinator seems to be the perfect fit for the one vacancy that already exists.? In a Wednesday visit to PFT Live, Mike Dempsey of 1010XL suggested Bengals offensive coordinator Jay Gruden as the next coach of the Jaguars.? It makes sense, on every level.? Gruden fits Brian Billick?s ?young and cheap? demographic, but Gruden also brings name recognition of his older and more expensive brother.? The name carries the most weight in northern Florida, where Jon won a Super Bowl and where Jay was a mainstay in the Arena League.? Then there?s the fact that Jay Gruden has gotten the most out of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who was drafted one round behind Blaine Gabbert.

(As a reader has pointed out in the comments, Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer could end up being considered for one of the various vacancies.? Ditto for Giants defensive coordinator Perry Fewell, who served as the interim coach in Buffalo and who has gotten some consideration for prior vacancies.)

College head coaches:? The instant success of Jim Harbaugh after stints with Stanford and the University of San Diego (not to be confused with, as I have in the past, San Diego State University) could reverse the perception that college coaches can?t get it done in the NFL.? It shouldn?t.? Harbaugh is the exception to the rule that the most important skills possessed by college head coaches ? recruiting ? are largely wasted at the NFL level.

Iowa?s Kirk Ferentz periodically is mentioned as a candidate to coach at the NFL level, and he?ll again be linked to Kansas City if Haley is fired.? Beyond Ferentz, the list currently is short to nonexistent.

UPDATE 10:00 a.m. ET:? I deliberately omitted former Packers coach Mike Sherman from the list of former NFL head coaches who could return, since he hasn?t coached in the NFL since 2005 and he has generated little or no buzz since being fired by the Packers.? But Jason La Canfora of NFL Network reports that the Jaguars contacted Sherman even before firing Jack Del Rio.? If true, it means that Brian Billick?s ?younger and cheaper? description of the Jags? job requirements perhaps should be reduced to simply ?cheaper.?

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/04/to-save-his-job-reid-will-have-to-fire-castillo/related/

lionel richie cma awards cma awards christmas tree tax cmas cmas world series of poker

Video: Herman Cain halts presidential campaign (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/169534891?client_source=feed&format=rss

ibogaine michigan football michigan football weather houston weather houston small business saturday small business saturday

Kanye earns 7 Grammy nods, beating out Adele

Adele scored six Grammy nominations on Wednesday, including for record, song and album of the year, but the owner of the 2011's best-selling album with "21" wasn't the night's top nominee ? and that wasn't the evening's only surprise.

Kanye West came away with a leading seven nominations, including a bid for song of the year for his all-star song "All of the Lights." However, the album from which it came ? "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," heralded by many critics as the best album of 2010 ? was not in the best album category, and all of his other nominations were relegated to the rap fields.

Other notable omissions in the top categories included country phenomenon Taylor Swift and veteran crooner Tony Bennett.

Bruno Mars and the Foo Fighters tied Adele with six nominations each, including in the album of the year category. Lil Wayne had five nods and critical-darling folky act Bon Iver scored four nominations, with two in the prestigious record and song of the year categories. But dubstep star Skrillex may have been the night's biggest surprise, getting five nominations, including a bid for best new artist.

"It feels incredible. Me and these guys, we locked ourselves in the studio not too far from here and worked on this album, especially 'Grenade,'" Mars said after the nominations were announced. "That's the song we worked the hardest on. That's like our trophy right there. Of all the songs we've been fortunate enough to be a part of this year, we were most proud of that one."

Story: List of Grammy nominations in top categories

The nominations were announced after the Recording Academy's fourth annual live concert special, which aired on CBS from the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles. The hour-long event featured key nominees like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj and the Band Perry.

Even though Adele didn't get the lion's share of nominations, she got them where it counted: Her "21," the mournful post-breakup album that produced smash hits like the torch ballad "Someone Like You" ? was nominated for album of the year. The searing groove "Rolling in the Deep," which spent seven weeks at No. 1 this past summer, got nominations for both record and song of the year. Only Mars got nominations in all three categories as well.

Other nominees in the record of the year category included Bon Iver's ballad "Holocene"; Mars' ballad "Grenade"; Mumford & Sons' "The Cave"; and Katy Perry's inspirational anthem "Firework." For song of the year, which honors the writers of the tune, contenders included "The Cave," "Grenade" and "Holocene."

The best album category was as noteworthy for who was excluded as it was for who was nominated. Lady Gaga garnered her third straight nod in the category for "Born This Way," while veteran rockers the Foo Fighters were nominated for "Wasting Light," along with Mars' debut album, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans," and Rihanna's steamy dance album "Loud."

Shut out were perceived favorites like 85-year-old Bennett, who became the oldest person to score a No. 1 debut when his "Duets II" album was released earlier this year, and the megawatt collaboration of Jay-Z and West with the heavily hyped "Watch The Throne."

1. More Entertainment stories
   1. Can anyone top Connery as best Bond?

      We asked our readers on Facebook to share their thoughts about the six actors who've played super-spy 007 over the years. ...

   2. Two of top baby names are from 'Twilight'
   3. Jackson kids seemed bored on 'X Factor'
   4. Teen bride Stodden is living the ?princess? life
   5. Kim abused Kris? Dr. Drew thinks so

The biggest snub may have been to Swift, who won in the category in 2010 and was considered by some critics to be a favorite for "Speak Now," which has sold 3.7 million copies. She did get three nominations, however, including for best country album.

(Another blonde diva, Beyonce, merited just two nominations in lesser categories).

Unlike the past two years, which saw Swift and fellow country act Lady Antebellum soar in the general categories, the only country act that got a mainstream nomination was the country sibling act The Band Perry. Best known for their poignant ballad "If I Die Young," they got a nomination for best new artist. Their competition also includes Bon Iver, Jay-Z rap prot?g? J. Cole, Skrillex and rapper-singer Nicki Minaj, who scored four nominations in total.

The 54th Grammys will be held Feb. 12 in Los Angeles. The ceremony will mark the first since the academy shaved its categories from 109 to 78 this year, amid some protest. Some of the more niched categories, like best Zydeco or Cajun music album, were eliminated.

In addition, men and women now compete together in vocal categories for pop, R&B and country, instead of having separate categories for each sex. This year, the category is best pop solo performance and Bruno Mars is the only man nominated for "Grenade." His competition includes Adele for "Someone Like You," Lady Gaga for "You and I," Pink for "(Expletive) Perfect" and Perry for "Firework."

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45492241/ns/today-entertainment/

bernie fine bernie fine matt leinart j.r. martinez cyber monday 2011 cyber monday 2011 turkey pot pie

Egyptians await poll results, Islamists see gains (Reuters)

CAIRO (Reuters) ? Egyptians will hear results of their first free election in six decades on Thursday, with the Muslim Brotherhood expecting to pick up two-fifths of the vote for an assembly that might limit the power of the generals.

The Brotherhood, Egypt's oldest and best-organized Islamist group, hopes its new Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) will secure a solid platform in parliament, saying it hopes to form a coalition government once polls are over in January.

The ruling military council, under increasing pressure to make way for civilian rule, has said it will retain powers to choose or dismiss a cabinet. But the FJP leader said on Tuesday the majority in parliament should form the government.

The last government resigned during protests against army rule last month in which 42 people were killed, mainly around Cairo's Tahrir Square, the centre of the revolt that overthrew President Hosni Mubarak.

Kamal al-Ganzouri, asked by the army to form a "national salvation government," aims to complete the task in the next day or two, but acknowledged on Wednesday that five presidential candidates had turned down invitations to join his cabinet.

Protesters who returned to Tahrir last month, angered by the military's apparent reluctance to cede power, say the generals should step aside now, instead of appointing a man of the past like Ganzouri, 78, who was a premier for Mubarak in the 1990s.

"We want the military council to leave," said Heidi Essam, a 21-year-old law student. "We're not leaving Tahrir even if we have to stay for months until we get a transitional government."

Officials plan to announce on Thursday the outcome of contests for individual seats in the first stage of an election staggered over six weeks, but not those of the two-thirds of seats allocated to party lists which will be made public in January.

ELECTION CONTRASTS

In contrast to the intimidation and gross electoral abuses that were rife during Mubarak's 30-year rule, voting on Monday and Tuesday unfolded peacefully with only minor violations.

Yasser Abdel Moneim, 47, an English teacher who voted for the Brotherhood's FJP, said the difference was striking. "Before there was thuggery and people were passive. People used to ask, 'why should I go vote? It's rigged anyway'," he said.

The FJP faces new competition from ultra-conservative Salafi Islamists in al-Nour Party and others, as well as from the liberal Egyptian Bloc alliance and a host of smaller parties.

"The clear winner thus far is the Egyptian people, who have spoken decisively about their desire to complete their transition to democracy," said Sergio Bitar, co-leader of the Washington-based National Democratic Institute delegation monitoring the poll.

Western powers are coming to accept that the advent of democracy in the Arab world may bring Islamists to power, with moderate Islamist parties already topping recent polls in Morocco and Tunisia. But they also worry that Islamist rule in Egypt might threaten Cairo's 1979 peace treaty with Israel.

Some Egyptians fear the Muslim Brotherhood might try to impose Islamic curbs on a tourism-dependent country whose 80 million people include a 10 percent Coptic Christian minority.

Ali Khafagi, the leader of the FJP's youth committee, dismissed such concerns, saying the Brotherhood's goal was to end corruption and start reform and economic development.

Only a "mad group" would try to ban alcohol or force women to wear headscarves," 28-year-old Ali Khafagi told Reuters.

Any new government will have to grapple with an economic crisis that has already forced the Egyptian pound to its lowest level in nearly seven years after tourism and foreign investment collapsed in the turmoil since Mubarak's fall on February 11.

"The effects of a ballooning deficit are not felt on the street straight away," said a financial analyst, who asked not to be named, adding that austerity measures were inevitable.

"These are seldom received positively by the public as they involve tax increases, spending cuts or both."

(Additional reporting by Marwa Awad, Yasmine Saleh, Shaimaa Fayed, Maha El Dayan, Tom Perry and Tom Pfeiffer; Writing by Alistair Lyon; Editing by Peter Millership)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111130/wl_nm/us_egypt_election

heart attack grill gaddafi dead steve wynn lytro camera lytro camera st. louis cardinals gaddafi bodyguards

Etsy Gift Finder Scans Your Facebook Friends' Interest for Unique Holiday Gifts [Holidays]

Etsy is a great site for finding unique things you can't find anywhere else, and if you're having trouble thinking outside of the box for this year's holiday gifts, Etsy's new Facebook tool can find gifts based on your friends' interests.

The tool is pretty simple: Just head to Etsy's Gift Finder page, click the Connect to Facebook button, and it'll scan your friends' interest for gift ideas. Whether it's a clock made out of an old Bruce Springsteen Record, a necklace based off a popular book series, or a pint glass with the Aperture Science logo from Portal, you can find some pretty neat stuff you wouldn't have otherwise thought of (and you can sort by cost too, which is great). Amazon also has a similar tool, but it isn't quite as unique or interesting as Etsy's, in our opinion. Hit the link to check out Etsy's gift finder.

Etsy Gift Finder | via HackCollege

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/czL4n0GpuhM/etsy-gift-finder-scans-your-facebook-friends-interest-for-unique-holiday-gifts

edmund fitzgerald vincent brown vincent brown willow smith tom bradley tom bradley penn state riot