Connect with us

Published

on

LOS ANGELES — Goodbye, Jimmy Kimmel. Welcome, Rob Gronkowski, to the world of bowl games.

The LA Bowl announced Saturday that Gronkowski has signed a multiyear agreement to partner with the college football postseason game. The LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk will take place at SoFi Stadium on Dec. 16 and match teams from the Mountain West and Pac-12 conferences.

“Jimmy was a fantastic host and brought a lot of elements to the game. But it’s my turn now, and I’m going to turn it up, that’s for sure,” Gronkowski said.

Gronkowski said having this bowl game named after him is in some ways a full-circle moment. His Arizona squad defeated BYU 31-21 in the 2008 Las Vegas Bowl, which hosted the Mountain West vs. Pac-12 matchup before it was relocated to Los Angeles in 2021.

Rob’s brother Chris Gronkowski caught a 24-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter to give the Wildcats their first bowl victory and winning season in 10 years.

It also ended up being Rob Gronkowski’s final collegiate game. He sat out the 2009 season because of back surgery before being drafted in the second round by the New England Patriots in 2010. He won four Super Bowl titles during an 11-year career — three with New England and one with Tampa Bay.

Kimmel, who hosted the first two editions of the LA Bowl, had a vomiting camel — “Jimmy Camel” — as a mascot and an official sandwich as ways to keep the fans entertained.

Gronkowski didn’t mention anything about a mascot, but he did say he was coming up with a special performance either at halftime or during the game along the lines of when he performed on “The Masked Singer” in 2020.

The winning team, along with the offensive and defensive MVPs, will continue to receive their own championship belts.

The game will feature the top selection from the Mountain West and the Pac-12’s No. 5 pick after the College Football Playoff and New Year’s Six matchups are set. The Mountain West has won the past two games, including Fresno State‘s 29-6 victory over Washington State last year.

With 10 schools leaving the Pac-12 at the end of the season, the future lineup for the LA Bowl will be determined next year.

Gronkowski said his dream would be if Arizona could become bowl-eligible and be the Pac-12’s pick. The Wildcats (4-2) would need two more wins to be postseason-eligible for the first time since 2017.

“The whole goal is hopefully to land the University of Arizona. And if we can’t, there’s a lot of good teams in the Pac-12 that would be a great matchup no matter who it is,” Gronkowski said. “It’s very disappointing that the Pac-12 is splitting up. You see the business side in the NFL, and now you’re seeing the business side of college football as well.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Michigan star TE Loveland ruled out vs. Trojans

Published

on

By

Michigan star TE Loveland ruled out vs. Trojans

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan star tight end Colston Loveland has been ruled out of Saturday’s game against No. 11 USC with an undisclosed injury.

Loveland suffered an apparent shoulder injury in last weekend’s win over Arkansas State. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore hasn’t specified the nature of the injury.

A preseason All-American, Loveland leads the Wolverines with 19 catches for 187 yards; no other Michigan pass catcher has more than nine receptions.

The No. 18 Wolverines also changed starting quarterbacks this week, moving from Davis Warren to Alex Orji. Warren had thrown six interceptions in three games, including three last weekend. He threw two picks in a 31-12 loss to Texas on Sept. 7.

Orji has only seven career passing attempts but has rushed for 58 yards in a relief role this season.

Moore said this week that he wants to see Orji “take the reins” of the Michigan offense with his opportunity.

“Excited for him,” Moore said. “I know he’s chomping at the bit.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Sources: Nats demote All-Star after all-nighter

Published

on

By

Sources: Nats demote All-Star after all-nighter

The Washington Nationals demoted All-Star shortstop CJ Abrams to the minor leagues after he stayed out all night at a Chicago-area casino, leaving only hours before a Friday day game against the Chicago Cubs, sources told ESPN’s Jesse Rogers.

The 23-year-old Abrams led off for the Nationals and went 0 for 3 with a walk and strikeout in Friday’s game, which started at 1 p.m. CT. He was informed of the demotion Friday night, sources said. He will be sent to West Palm Beach, home of the Nationals’ minor league complex.

Because Abrams has been with Washington for the entirety of the season, the demotion will not affect his service time. Players earn a full year of service with 172 days on the major league roster, and Abrams already has exceeded that threshold.

Abrams could, however, file a grievance through the Major League Baseball Players Association to fight for lost pay if he believes the demotion unjust. He would lose around $30,000 of his $752,000 salary for missing the season’s final week. Abrams will be arbitration-eligible this winter, entering the system for the first of four times as a Super 2.

Acquired as one of the centerpieces of the Juan Soto trade two years ago, Abrams parlayed a breakout first-half into an All-Star selection, hitting .268/.343/.489 with 15 home runs and 15 stolen bases over the Nationals’ first 89 games. He struggled significantly in the second half, slashing .203/.260/.326, and Abrams’ defense has been a weakness throughout the season.

Still, the Nationals did not intend to send him to the minor leagues until they learned of his time spent at the casino, which was first reported Friday by CHGO.

“I just want it to be known it wasn’t performance-based,” Nationals manager Dave Martinez told reporters Saturday. “It’s an internal issue. I’m not going to give specifics.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Clemson DE Woods (leg) sidelined vs. NC State

Published

on

By

Clemson DE Woods (leg) sidelined vs. NC State

CLEMSON, S.C. — Clemson defensive end Peter Woods will not play for the 21st-ranked Tigers against NC State on Saturday because of a leg injury.

The team announced Woods’ status about 90 minutes before kickoff. Woods, 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, got hurt two weeks ago on a chop block below the knee in a 66-20 victory over App State. Woods came back in briefly after getting checked then missed the second half.

The Tigers were off last weekend.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has said Woods’ playing status was day-to-day. Swinney said Woods had not missed a practice. But Woods came out to the field for warmups in sneakers and sweatpants while other defensive linemen went through drills.

Woods leads the Tigers with 2½ tackles for loss.

Third-year sophomore Jahiem Lawson is listed as Woods’ backup on the depth chart.

NC State will be without starting quarterback Grayson McCall, who was hurt last week in a win over Louisiana Tech. Freshman CJ Bailey started for the Wolfpack.

Continue Reading

Trending