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Time for some links, including the end of the regular season collapse for ASU that will probably cost Erickson his job, and speculation on who will start on Sunday with Kolb getting closer to full health after his foot injury.
It also sounds like the NBA lockout is about to end as well.
Arizona Cardinals News:Defense Not Complete Yet
Notebook: Kolb questionable; Skelton hopes to redeem self
Signs point to John Skelton, not Kevin Kolb, starting for Arizona Cardinals on Sunday
There's still a slim chance Kevin Kolb could return as the Cardinals' starting quarterback Sunday, but judging from John Skelton's comments Friday, it seems much more likely Skelton will make his fourth consecutive start instead.
Goldson, Doucet fined for scuffle - ArizonaSports.com
San Francisco safety Dashon Goldson was fined $25,000 by the NFL on Friday for punching Arizona receiver Early Doucet in last Sunday's game. Doucet was fined $10,000 for unnecessary roughness when he struck Goldson in the helmet area. Goldson then threw his punches.
Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams - scouting report, prediction
Kent Somers takes a look at Sunday's game in St. Louis and offers his prediction. Can Arizona get back to winning ways?
Thoughts on Kevin Kolb's potential return - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The Arizona Cardinals have listed quarterback Kevin Kolb as questionable for the team's game at St. Louis in Week 12. Kolb has missed the last three games while recovering from toe and foot injuries. If Kolb does play, I'll be watching to see whether he can improve his rapport with receiver Andre Roberts in particular. The chart shows Kolb's stats lagging on throws to Roberts, the Cardinals' starter opposite Larry Fitzgerald. His NFL passer rating is best when throwing to tight end Jeff King. Backup quarterback John Skelton's rating when targeting Roberts (64.6) is about the same as when he targets other receivers (63.8).
Word From the Birds Blog - Friday before the Rams
Ken Whisenhunt acknowledged Friday that, when Kevin Kolb got hurt originally, as bad as it looked, "you knew at that time there would be a time period to come back." And there has been. Kolb did some work this week, but Whiz said Friday his next test would be the plane flight to St. Louis. "Getting the rust off was what was important this week," Whisenhunt said. "Seeing if he could play from the standpoint of practicing one day and see how it reacted the next day." What does this all mean? I suppose we could see Kolb Sunday. He is questionable after all. But Whiz also emphasized how important feet are to a quarterback – you can’t have him be a sitting duck back there – and given that he was limited all week after not practicing at all the previous three weeks, signs again seem to point to a John Skelton start.
Final Word: NFC West - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Uncomfortable fan dynamics. Franchise relocation can create strained relationships between teams and their former players, to say nothing of fans caught in the middle. We've seen Rams great Jack Youngblood complain about the organization's efforts to embrace players from its time in Los Angeles. This week, the Cardinals return to St. Louis, the city they left following the 1987 season. They are seeking their seventh consecutive victory at the Edward Jones Dome, which would represent the longest road winning streak against a single opponent in franchise history. The Cardinals are also planning alumni events for a long list of St. Louis-era players, including Mel Gray, Jackie Smith, Roger Wehrli and Larry Wilson.
Why Goldson's fine exceeded Doucet's fine - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The disparate fines levied against San Francisco's Dashon Goldson and Arizona's Early Doucet for their actions in Week 11 raised obvious questions about fairness. Why would the league fine Goldson $25,000 and Doucet only $10,000 when Doucet started their fight? The answer lies in how those players' actions were classified.
Cardinals Serve Dinner at Phoenix Rescue Mission
Just before Thanksgiving, Arizona Cardinals players and staff served a holiday dinner to people in need at the Phoenix Rescue Mission.
Cards Daily - Determined to Work Hard
The Cardinals players and coaches continue to work hard despite their 3-7 record.
Arizona Sports News:
ASU football completes collapse, loses fourth consecutive game to end regular season
Friday night didn't mark the end of Arizona State's season. It just felt like it. On senior night, playing in a home stadium that was about one-third empty, the Sun Devils completed their regular-season collapse, losing for the fourth consecutive time in a 47-38 setback to California. The loss dropped the Sun Devils to 6-6 overall and 4-5 in the Pac-12, a jaw-dropping skid that almost certainly will end Dennis Erickson's five-year run as coach. With six wins, the Sun Devils will play in a bowl for the first time since 2007, but this season began with greater expectation, leading to deeper disappointment.
Canucks' 3-goal burst leads to rout of Coyotes
How bad was this one? Coach Dave Tippett pointed to one positive, then said, "After that, you could just take the rest of it and scrap it." Raffi Torres called it a "real poor effort," berating himself for a turnover that led to a goal. There was a lot of blame to pass around in the Coyotes' 5-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Friday night in front of 14,569 at Jobing.com Arena.
ASU basketball rebounds with win over Wake Forest
Keala King had 25 points and Trent Lockett added 20 as Arizona State beat Wake Forest 84-56 in a consolation round game at the Old Spice Classic on Friday night.
ASU football eliminated from Pac-12 championship contention
Colorado defeated Utah 17-14 on Friday, ending Arizona State's chances of representing the Pac-12 South Division in the inaugural conference championship game. Instead, UCLA will represent the South.
ASU likely to replace Dennis Erickson
The air inside Sun Devil Stadium had the stench of a program past its expiration date. If any doubt remained about Dennis Erickson's future, it was answered Friday night. More than a third of the seats were empty, the product of a late start, a holiday weekend and a team playing with only a mediocre bowl game at stake. Erickson and Arizona State Vice President of Athletics Lisa Love will meet soon, possibly Saturday, and all signs point to the coach being told his services are no longer needed. Black Friday indeed.
ASU likely to replace Dennis Erickson
The air inside Sun Devil Stadium had the stench of a program past its expiration date. If any doubt remained about Dennis Erickson's future, it was answered Friday night. More than a third of the seats were empty, the product of a late start, a holiday weekend and a team playing with only a mediocre bowl game at stake. Erickson and Arizona State Vice President of Athletics Lisa Love will meet soon, possibly Saturday, and all signs point to the coach being told his services are no longer needed. Black Friday indeed.
NBA owners, players reach tentative agreement to end lockout
NBA owners and players reached a tentative agreement early Saturday to end the 149-day lockout and hope to begin the delayed season on Christmas Day. Neither side provided many specifics but said the only words players and fans wanted to hear. "We want to play basketball," Commissioner David Stern said.
NFL News:
2011 49ers Week 12: Five observations - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Five things I noticed while watching the San Francisco 49ers' game against the Baltimore Ravens on Thursday night:
Silver linings: 49ers at Ravens - NFC West Blog - ESPN
The facts: The San Francisco 49ers fell to 9-2 with a 16-6 road defeat to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 12.
Add Okung, Willis to list of fined players - NFC West Blog - ESPN
A few notes on NFL fines from NFC West games in Week 12:
Lions Put Jahvid Best On Injured Reserve - SBNation.com
The Detroit Lions have decided to place Jahvid Best on injured reserve, according to the Lions website. Best hasn't played since suffering a concussion in Week 6 and there was speculation that his season could be over because it's his second concussion since training camp.
Michael Vick Injury: Eagles QB Is Out For Week 12 Against Patriots, According To Report - SBNation.com
Philadelphia Eagles QB Michael Vick will miss his second consecutive game this Sunday after suffering broken ribs in a loss to the Arizona Cardinals, according to Comcast Philly. According to their team source, Vince Young will make his second straight start at quarterback for the Eagles.
Green Bay Packers LB Erik Walden Arrested For Alleged Domestic Violence - SBNation.com
Green Bay Packers linebacker Erik Walden was arrested after an alleged domestic violence incident early on Friday morning.
Ndamukong Suh Apologizes For Stomp That Resulted In Ejection - SBNation.com
In a nationally televised Thanksgiving Day matchup between the Packers and Lions, Detroit defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was caught stomping the arm of a downed opponent. The stomp earned Suh an ejection and the ire of the public, with many calling him a dirty player. The situation was made even worse by a statement in which Suh proclaimed he accidentally stepped on Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith.
Ndamukong Suh "out of control," college teammate says | ProFootballTalk
Criticism of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is coming from all corners, including a college teammate of Suh’s who says it’s time for a suspension. Jets guard Matt Slauson, who played with Suh at Nebraska, told Bart Hubbuch of the New York Post that the NFL should suspend Suh because fines haven’t curtailed his on-field misbehavior and, Slauson says, "he’s out of control."
Bradford, Lloyd and Rams' passing game - NFC West Blog - ESPN
Brandon Lloyd has added badly needed production to the St. Louis Rams' offense. Much of his potential remains untapped. That was one conclusion upon learning that Sam Bradford has averaged only 5.6 yards per attempt with a 40-percent completion rate when targeting Lloyd this season. Lloyd has made a few spectacular catches. He leads the team in touchdown receptions with three. But as the chart shows, Bradford has been more efficient targeting other players.