The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (4/22/10) Edition

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions.  We're being brought to you today by Black Widow Dark Ale, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

Like I commented yesterday, I wish this whole conference re-alignment/shake-up thing would just go ahead and happen so we can get on with our lives.  Email your tips, suggestions and requests or Tweet me.  See you after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Coach Bill Stewart Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com
as taken from the video below

Day 9 Photo Gallery - WVIllustrated.com

Men's Basketball: Dr. Leland Byrd (Video) - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU Women's Basketball Team Gathers To Remember Season - WOWK-TV

Tennis to Compete at BIG EAST Championships - MSNsportsNET.Com

Woodburn Circle, West Virginia University - Gigapan
not sports related but cool pic/effect

News of Note:

Back In Pads - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Uneventful day of practice for WVU - Times West Virginian

Sights And Sounds: Ten Days Of Work - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video

Mountaineer Report: Youth Stepping Up - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video

Smith still doubtful for Gold-Blue - Charleston Gazette

WVU quarterbacks focus on mechanics - Charleston Daily Mail

Video: Devine on his decision to return - ESPN

Video Interviews - WVIllustrated.com
Coaches T-1000, Beatty, Johnson & Galloway, plus Joey Madsen

WVU developing depth on offensive line - Inter-Mountain

No Rest for the Wicked - WVIllustrated.com

WVU coaches in town - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

WVU's Jarrett Brown doesn't mind waiting in NFL Draft - Charleston Daily Mail

NFL Draft Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com

From NKU to the Final Four - The Northerner

Recruiting:

Cottrill excited about return to Beckley - Register-Herald

Gators to sign high school junior, pending NCAA OK - Florida Today's Gators Blog
This could change everything...

Washington Area Also the Nation's Point Guard Capital - NCAABB FanHouse

Around the League (and Beyond):

Marinatto: Time to think outside the box - ESPN
Ya think?  Really?  Gee, what gave you that idea?

Cincinnati Bearcats football coach Butch Jones stands out - Cincinnati Enquirer

Question is not if, but when Syracuse University's Arthur Jones will go in NFL draft - Post Standard

What is Rick Pitino supposed to do? - Card Chronicle

Report: Reggie Bush settles lawsuit, avoids deposition - ESPN Los Angeles

MWC making strides toward automatic BCS bid - WVIllustrated.com (AP)

What's On Tap: Big Ten Expansion

If conference expansions come true, college athletics will never be the same - CBSSports.com
Part I

Lucrative Big Ten Network could be driving force for expansion - CBSSports.com
Part II

Big Ten expansion could set off ripple effect - SI.com

If Big Ten Opts To Go Big, It Might Not Go Alone- NCAAFB FanHouse

Big East prepared for fight if Big Ten targets its schools for expansion - Star Ledger

Nothing to do but sweat out Big Ten expansion - Charleston Gazette

Conference shuffling all but certain - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Market Size Matters - BGN
Interesting breakdown

The Ro*Tel Big-Ten-O'Meter - April 21 - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Expansion could be a mess for USF - Tampa Tribune

Big 10 Expansion and USF - Five-Team Scenario - Voodoo Five

Brian Kelly doesn't want Notre Dame to join Big Ten - Dan Patrick.com

Notre Dame not in any expansion mix - The Boston Globe

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Geek Dreamgirls Gallery of the Week:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown has been one of my favorite actresses to watch for quite some time now.  You'll soon be able to see her again in the upcoming Iron Man 2 film.  Here's Scarlett Johansson.  (three pages worth of gallery and another video that's worth your time)

Black Widow Dark Ale image via farm4.static.flickr.com