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Monte Kiffin headed to Tennessee?

Ed. note: This post comes courtesy of Eric Snider and The Daily Loaf.

If ever there was a game that underscores the importance of turnovers, it was the Bucs’ win over the Saints. The Saints offense outgained the Bucs 332-254. Saints QB Drew Brees looked imposing most of the game, going 25-47 for 296 yards and two touchdowns. But Brees three three interceptions, all of them at crucial points in the second half (including one that set up the winning Bucs field goal, and another that ended the Saints’ comeback chance).

By contrast, Bucs QB Jeff Garcia was a fairly pedestrian 9 for 23 for 119 yards and one touchdown. He did not, however, throw an interception. (Garcia helped his cause immensely by rushing seven times for 42 yards, including a couple of key runs.) The Bucs only turnover was an early fumble by WR Michael Clayton, who was stripped in the first quarter. The Saints couldn’t turn it into points, though, giving the ball back after a 4th down play.

Ronde Barber continued his redemption effort with another good game, including a tipped ball that led to a key interception by Cato June. Barber was called for holding on Jeremy Shockey, which nullified a Bucs interception. The play looked to me, and I’m assuming pretty much everyone who calls themselves a Bucs fan, that Barber merely held his ground and Shockey ran into him.

A top candidate for Bucs game MVP was Saints RB Reggie Bush. He dropped several passes and, on punt returns, did his Dexter Jackson act by running backwards and sideways (and losing a ton of yardage).

Bucs returner Clifton Smith had another really good day running straight ahead, and — yeah! — he didn’t fumble.

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P. Hilton sued for shutting the flip up. Isn’t that a sign of the apocalypse? All of that?

P. Diddy should be sued for not shutting the flip up.

Aw, we heart you, comeback Britz: You can take the country out of the girl, but…

Elvis and Priscilla Barbie dolls. They’re right about the plastic Priscilla thing, just waaaaay early. (Now where’s our matching Graceland Barbie Dreamhouse?)

Uncle Joey finally talks about that song. You oughta know what we’re talking about.

The Chupacabra does exist, and this proves it. Really?

Bigfoot, too, though alive? Not so much.

Another broken record for Phelps, another broken ratings record for NBC.

“John Edwards in a onesie.” Gadzooks.

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Comedian Dane Cook gives a blow-by-blow commentary on the poster for his new movie. Here’s the thing. He’s funny. Kind of.

The latest Olympic scandal: Lip synching kiddies!

This just in[visible]: Super awesome cloak coming soon.

Ben Stiller responds to Tropic Thunder controversy. Yeah, we’re still seeing it, too.

Forbes ranks the top-earning celeb chefs: Rachael Ray prevails, our beloved Bourdain barely placed with a paltry $1.5 million.

In other gourmet news, Tommy Boy Cruise lands his latest role. Speaking of Senor Crazypants™…

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Happy Saturday, all. A couple of entertainment options and what not for your weekend…

Mitch Clark Band CD Release Party
Cork’s Cigar Bar, 425 Old Main St. (12th St. W.), Bradenton, 744-2589
Sat., Aug. 2, 9 p.m.-1 a.m.

Clark drops his live disc, a mix of originals and covers engineered/produced by resident Sarasota music guru Bud Snyder (Allman Brothers, Gov’t Mule).

Kayaking with the American Littoral Society, Southeast Region
Little Sarasota Bay to Palmer Point Beach, 966-7308
Sun., Aug. 3, 8:30-11:30 a.m.

All equipment and a short training session will be provided for this ALS-presented trip, with John Sarkozy. Cost is $20 for ALS members, $25 nonmembers. Call for deets.

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The reviews are in: Yo Mummy’s so stupid…

The lawsuit’s in: Yo Mini-Me’s so sensitive…

Speaking of which, throw us a frickin’ bone: The Love Guru sucked, but do we really have to go back to this?

Well, he already kinda sorta not so much looks like a Ramone…

This is a bit excessive, especially since Basic Instinct 2 didn’t exactly roll in the dough.

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With Bennigans gone, here’s a real bombshell.

“My genes made me not do it, wah wah wah!” Another excuse to not get off your lazy ass.

Forthwith, ergo, and such as. Defamer sentences George Lucas.

Where have all the trainwrecks gone? Don’t you fret, paparazzi skeezeballs, there’s always Winehouse (though, with airline prices these days…)

Is nothing sacred? Dunkin’ Donuts goes healthy.

We repeat: Is nothing sacred?

Fatness starts young. And with Pop Tarts. So, we’ll just market them to adults. Genius!

Starbucks going under Down Under. (We’d say “g’day, mate,” but… ooooh.)

We really don’t know what to make of this, save one word: Goot! Goot! Goot!

Today in Biting the Hand. Biting. The Hand.

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You know the economy’s in dire straits when the porn biz is a hurtin’.

Catfight! Catfight!

This just in: More time suckage to be had — TiVo to stream YouTube videos.

Defamer’s headline department scores another audible laugh.

A couple of weeks ago, my Morning After column bitched to this effect. Thank you, Gawker.

If you’ll excuse us, we couldn’t finish reading this before getting through our ice cold PBR.

Clueless, Mean Girls and Pretty In Pink to get the videogame treatment. Sha! As if!

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Last week I laid some groundwork for this year’s World Series of Poker Main Event, how Harrah’s planned to halt play once they got down to the final table of nine people until November in order to jack up mainstream media interest and let ESPN’s not-so-live TV coverage catch up. Let the media frenzy begin.

The WSOP Main Event started July 3, with 6,844 people ponying up the $10,000 to participate, resulting in a prize pool of $64,333,600. Anyone who managed to beat out more than ten percent of the field managed to take home some dough, starting at $21,230 at 666th place. At 3:30 a.m. this morning, Michigan pro Dean Hamrick was in the uncomfortable position of being knocked out at 10th place, resulting in a booby prize of almost $600k.

The final nine received a payout of $900k — the minimum they will be winning once play resumes — and a 117 day vacation that they’ll likely spend negotiating endorsement deals, studying opponents and training, training, training. $900k is a lot, but 1st place will take home over $9 million, along with an easy, almost-guaranteed lifetime income as a sponsored pro. There are a few amateurs, a few pros, a mix of ages, and five different countries represented among the surviving few. All men, though, as the final female player was eliminated in 17th place.

Locally, our own former CL columnist (and current traitor) Jaden Hair got a little windfall from the WSOP. Her husband Scott (that’s him looking stern in the pic) — a good online poker player — managed to ride a short stack into the money for a cool $27k, finishing 466th when his pocket aces got two-outed by pocket queens. Bad beat, Scott. And Jaden, out of respect for you, I refrained from making a joke about “riding the short stack”.

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If you did not watch the U.S. Open golf tournament over the weekend, you missed the best sports theater on television since the Giants stepped on the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

The setting: La Jolla, California, Torrey Pines Golf Course.

The major players:

1. Tiger Woods - the greatest golfer ever to step into the tee box. Winner of 13 major tournaments and 13-0 in major tournaments when leading going into the final round. Normally mere mortals would have no chance, but this U.S. Open was tiger’s first tournament in a few months and first since have knee surgery in May.

2. Rocco Mediate - Ranked #156 in the world, but playing cool and somehow, above the pressure. Mediate had never won a major and has only won five times on the PGA Tour, most recently six years ago.

3. Lee Westwood - once a top-five player, he’d plummeted into the mid 200s before taking his Dad as swing coach. He’d since regained form and was aiming to be the first Englishman to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin in 1970.

Noticeably absent from the list is hometown favorite Phil Mickelson. Still looking for his first U.S. Open win, Mickelson played Woods to a draw during their first day pairing, but to quote Rick Reilly (here’s Reilly on the matchup before the Open), played like a diseased yak on Friday and Saturday, fading from contention. He even had a Tin Cup-like 9 on one hole where he was forced to make the same chip three times. It was painful to watch.

As other players faded from leaderboard on Sunday, it came down to the fated trio. All held at least a share of the lead for part of the day, but it came down to the final hole. Mediate was in the clubhouse at one under par; Woods and Westwood were coming up 18, each needing a birdie to tie and an eagle to win. Both sprayed drives and second shots to less than ideal places, Tiger even tossing his club in disgust after his second shot.

But, he is the best for a reason. Tiger knocked his third shot about 12 feet from the pin. Westwood missed a 20-footer and was out.

Tiger calmly rattled in putt forcing an 18-hole playoff Monday.

Can Tiger’s knee withstand another 18 holes? Will Rocco’s magic pixie dust wear off? Tune in Monday at noon to find out.

I would love to think that Rocco can be Jack Fleck to Tiger’s Ben Hogan, but gimpy knee or not, it’s going to take some sort of miracle.

Either way, it’s going be some of the most compelling sports of the year.

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In honor of the U.S. Open teeing off today in California, here are a few of the best golf video clips ever, from Caddyshack of course.

And it’s really important to have this one from Tin Cup, perhaps the only other decent golf movie ever made.

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