A suspension of Texas Tech coach Mike Leach should be the last straw for a coach and a university who have been butting heads since the conclusion of the greatest season in Texas Tech football history.
According to sources, Leach locked a player in an equipment room and then an electrical closet after WR Adam James complained about playing time and after having suffered a concussion. Details are sketchy at this time, but what can't be denied is that Texas Tech seems hellbent on getting rid of the eccentric Pirate loving coach.
I find it hard to believe that Leach would be so stupid to do exactly what everyone seems to say has happened. Head injuries are not sprained ankles. They are not cramps, or strained pcl's. They are serious threats to the future and well being of players. Coaches are not coming out of the woodwork to support Leach. He's refused to make any public announcement except through his attorney. All signs at this point appear to be pointing toward Leach's pending firing.
Let's assume Tech finds out that James's story was overblown, and they want Leach back. Why would he come back? This is the same school that tried as hard as possible to run Leach out of Lubbock last year following his stunning 11-1 regular season finish.
If I'm Leach, I'd just walk away at this point. Tell your side of the story, and resign, citing unrepairable damage done by the Texas Tech administration. There's not a major college program in the country that wouldn't want Leach as an offensive coordinator for 2010. (Florida may be looking at this point, considering their OC is taking over as the interim head coach). He'd be back at a major college program by 2011, without the gillutine that hangs over his head in Lubbock.
Still, my guess is he'll stay to fight it out, and Tech will have him fired by February. Based on his history of treatment of players in 2009, locking a player in isolation wouldn't surprise me in the least (remember - he calls his players out to the media when he loses, and he suspended his team captain earlier this year)
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Urban Meyer
First of all - pundits marking this as the greatest coach of the 2000s are a bit overdramatic. Winning at Florida with Jesus is a pretty simple task.
Looking at this retirement/leave of absence, let's get a prediction out. I think Meyer is a legitimate sore loser. ESPN and CNNSI and FOXSPORTS call it his uber-c0mpetitiveness. I call it being such a sore loser that a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game makes him feel like he came up short. (As a side note - 2 national titles in a 4 year span make you ANYTHING but a loser). He had chest pains after the game. 3 weeks later he "retires", only to return and say he wants a leave of absence. You know why he wants a leave of absence? So he doesn't have to be the head man at Florida next year when he loses the cornerstone of his spread offense (Tebow) in favor of a pro-style offense (which Meyer has little experience running) and the majority of his dominant defense. Once the Gators lose 4 games with Meyer away, he'll come back to a resounding 2011 campaign and soak up the adulation of fans, commentators, and Gator Nation as the greatest coach in Florida state football history (move aside Bobby Bowden).
Sick? You bet he's sick.
Looking at this retirement/leave of absence, let's get a prediction out. I think Meyer is a legitimate sore loser. ESPN and CNNSI and FOXSPORTS call it his uber-c0mpetitiveness. I call it being such a sore loser that a loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship game makes him feel like he came up short. (As a side note - 2 national titles in a 4 year span make you ANYTHING but a loser). He had chest pains after the game. 3 weeks later he "retires", only to return and say he wants a leave of absence. You know why he wants a leave of absence? So he doesn't have to be the head man at Florida next year when he loses the cornerstone of his spread offense (Tebow) in favor of a pro-style offense (which Meyer has little experience running) and the majority of his dominant defense. Once the Gators lose 4 games with Meyer away, he'll come back to a resounding 2011 campaign and soak up the adulation of fans, commentators, and Gator Nation as the greatest coach in Florida state football history (move aside Bobby Bowden).
Sick? You bet he's sick.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Just Noticed
Have you noticed Texas is 26-1 with Major Applewhite on the coaching staff? Their only loss came at the hands of Texas Tech on the Crabtree miracle.
The final debate on Major vs. Simms should be over. Applewhite is a winner - and makes those around him winners as well.
The final debate on Major vs. Simms should be over. Applewhite is a winner - and makes those around him winners as well.
All Decade D
DB - Aaron Ross: the 2006 Thorpe Award winner. Helped anchor the defensive backfield against USC in the 2005 title game, and led the team to victory over OU in 2006 with 3 forced turnovers. Led team with 6 picks and 3 forced fumbles.
DB - Michael Huff: the 2005 Thorpe Award winner. Lockdown corner and roving safety for the Horns in 2005 championship season. Teams avoided throwing his way, leaving his statistics somewhat short.
DB - Natahn Vasher: As much for his lock down coverage as his ability to break plays for Texas. Vasher is also tied for the career INT mark at Texas with 17. All American selection for his punt returning in 2001.
DB - Quinton Jammer. The essential lock down man in Texas DB history. No one threw his way. 7 picks his senior year, earning All American and All Big 12 in 2000 and 2001. It was tough between him and Earl Thomas, but hte body of work for Jammer was significantly better thus far.
LB - Derrick Johnson. The greatest LB in Texas football history. 3 time first team All Big 12. Two time first team All American (consensus All American both times). Butkus and Nagurski Award winner is 2004. Holds record for more forced fumbles in a season in NCAA history with 11 (9 his senior year alone). 69 tackles for loss in his career.
LB - Rashad Babino: A 3 year starter and significant contributor his Freshman season. Any player good enough to play all 3 years at Texas deserves to be on the list. Tallied 235 tackles over his career.
LB - Aaron Harris: 2005 First team All American. If you lead the charge to stop Lendale White on 4th and 2 with the title on the line, then you make the All Decade Team.
DE - Brian Orakp: His monster 2008 season gets him here. All American, Lomardi, Outland Trophy. He is the Suh of Texas in 2008. Had Orakpo played in the Texas Tech game in 2008, we may be talking about back to back National Championship appearances for the Longhorns. Missed 2 games and still led team with 10.5 sacks and tackles for loss.
DE - Cory Redding: First team All American in 2001 and 2002. Was Orakpo before there was an Orakpo. Chris Simms inability to beat OU cost Redding some of the prestige that Orakpo received in 2008. Nobody could block him 1 on 1.
DT - Casey Hampton. Ate up the middle of the line like no one before him or since him. 2000 First Team Consensus All American.
DT - Rod Wright. First Team All American in 2005 (consensus). Was there with Aaron Harris to stop White in the USC game, opening the door for VY's magic.
DB - Michael Huff: the 2005 Thorpe Award winner. Lockdown corner and roving safety for the Horns in 2005 championship season. Teams avoided throwing his way, leaving his statistics somewhat short.
DB - Natahn Vasher: As much for his lock down coverage as his ability to break plays for Texas. Vasher is also tied for the career INT mark at Texas with 17. All American selection for his punt returning in 2001.
DB - Quinton Jammer. The essential lock down man in Texas DB history. No one threw his way. 7 picks his senior year, earning All American and All Big 12 in 2000 and 2001. It was tough between him and Earl Thomas, but hte body of work for Jammer was significantly better thus far.
LB - Derrick Johnson. The greatest LB in Texas football history. 3 time first team All Big 12. Two time first team All American (consensus All American both times). Butkus and Nagurski Award winner is 2004. Holds record for more forced fumbles in a season in NCAA history with 11 (9 his senior year alone). 69 tackles for loss in his career.
LB - Rashad Babino: A 3 year starter and significant contributor his Freshman season. Any player good enough to play all 3 years at Texas deserves to be on the list. Tallied 235 tackles over his career.
LB - Aaron Harris: 2005 First team All American. If you lead the charge to stop Lendale White on 4th and 2 with the title on the line, then you make the All Decade Team.
DE - Brian Orakp: His monster 2008 season gets him here. All American, Lomardi, Outland Trophy. He is the Suh of Texas in 2008. Had Orakpo played in the Texas Tech game in 2008, we may be talking about back to back National Championship appearances for the Longhorns. Missed 2 games and still led team with 10.5 sacks and tackles for loss.
DE - Cory Redding: First team All American in 2001 and 2002. Was Orakpo before there was an Orakpo. Chris Simms inability to beat OU cost Redding some of the prestige that Orakpo received in 2008. Nobody could block him 1 on 1.
DT - Casey Hampton. Ate up the middle of the line like no one before him or since him. 2000 First Team Consensus All American.
DT - Rod Wright. First Team All American in 2005 (consensus). Was there with Aaron Harris to stop White in the USC game, opening the door for VY's magic.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Texas All Decade Team - Football Offense
Everyone else seems to be doing it, so I think I should go ahead and make some of these all time teams with a slant towards our Longhorns:
OFFENSE:
G Derrick Dockery - Consensus All American in 2002.
G Kasey Studdard - All Big 12 selection in 2005 and 2006. Anchored the weakside interior of 2005 National Champions
T Justin Blalock - All American 2005, Consensus All American 2006. Protected Vince Young's blind side in Championship year, and protected freshman Colt McCoy in McCoy's inaugural campaign.
T Jonathan Scott - Consensus All American in 2005.
C Dallas Griffin - Draddy Trohpy Winner in 2007 for work off the field as well as on the field.
WR Roy Williams - Holds most major receiving records for Texas, and earned them during times with the most overrated QB was at the helm (Chris Simms) and before Vince Young figured out the best way to play his game.
WR Jordan Shipley - What records Williams doesn't have, Shipley holds or will hold soon. His ability to change games with his kick and punt returns puts him on the list.
WR Quan Cosby - Tough call between Cosby, Limas Sweed, and BJ Johnson, but it was Cosby's effect on the 2008 game as a possession receiver that puts him over the edge, as well as being part of the 2005 Championship team.
TE JerMike Finley - No better talent at TE, with all due respect to David Thomas. Finley was a game changer, and could stretch defenses like no other. Thomas earned respect as VY's check down, but Finley could pop for a big game at any time.
RB Cedric Benson - The most decorated UT back this side of Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell, Benson was the bedrock of the offense for 4 years. He'd be the leading rusher in school history if not for a couple of Heisman winners ahead of him.
QB Colt McCoy - All time winningest QB in NCAA history. Most every school passing and total yard record. 2 time Walter Camp Player of the Year. Heisman runner up (2 finalist appearances). Maxwell Winner. 2 Time All American. 2 Time Sporting News National Player of the Year. Davey O'Brien winner. All that's missing at this point is a National Championship - and there is still a chance for this.
OFFENSE:
G Derrick Dockery - Consensus All American in 2002.
G Kasey Studdard - All Big 12 selection in 2005 and 2006. Anchored the weakside interior of 2005 National Champions
T Justin Blalock - All American 2005, Consensus All American 2006. Protected Vince Young's blind side in Championship year, and protected freshman Colt McCoy in McCoy's inaugural campaign.
T Jonathan Scott - Consensus All American in 2005.
C Dallas Griffin - Draddy Trohpy Winner in 2007 for work off the field as well as on the field.
WR Roy Williams - Holds most major receiving records for Texas, and earned them during times with the most overrated QB was at the helm (Chris Simms) and before Vince Young figured out the best way to play his game.
WR Jordan Shipley - What records Williams doesn't have, Shipley holds or will hold soon. His ability to change games with his kick and punt returns puts him on the list.
WR Quan Cosby - Tough call between Cosby, Limas Sweed, and BJ Johnson, but it was Cosby's effect on the 2008 game as a possession receiver that puts him over the edge, as well as being part of the 2005 Championship team.
TE JerMike Finley - No better talent at TE, with all due respect to David Thomas. Finley was a game changer, and could stretch defenses like no other. Thomas earned respect as VY's check down, but Finley could pop for a big game at any time.
RB Cedric Benson - The most decorated UT back this side of Ricky Williams and Earl Campbell, Benson was the bedrock of the offense for 4 years. He'd be the leading rusher in school history if not for a couple of Heisman winners ahead of him.
QB Colt McCoy - All time winningest QB in NCAA history. Most every school passing and total yard record. 2 time Walter Camp Player of the Year. Heisman runner up (2 finalist appearances). Maxwell Winner. 2 Time All American. 2 Time Sporting News National Player of the Year. Davey O'Brien winner. All that's missing at this point is a National Championship - and there is still a chance for this.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
What Notre Dame got me
A friend of mine just pointed out that an advertisement for Notre Dame is now appearing on my blog, thanks to google's adsense. Just perfect - spend 4 years bashing a place, and find them on your blog, advertising.
Simms to Tennessee?
Word has it that Matt Simms, son of former NY Giants QB Phil Simms and brother to the most hated QB in Texas history, Chris Simms, has signed a letter of intent to play at Tennessee next year. Congrats Lane Kiffin. If this kid ever touches teh field, you've set your program back 4-5 years. The success that Texas has enjoyed under Vince Young and Colt McCoy (4 BCS bowls, 10 win season, 2 National Title appearances) should have been achieved under Mack Brown during the early part of this decade. The difference? QB play and leadership. With a chance at a title game against Colorado in 2001, Simms blew it. Every time he suited up against OU, Simms blew it. Bascially, without Chris Simms, UT wouldn't be saddled with the moniker "Unable to win the Big One without Vince Young." We'd be speaking about Texas the way people talk about OU, Ohio State, and USC - as annual national championship contenders and repeat conference champions of the 2000s.
So good job "the other" UT. All that money for best assistant coaches in the world won't help you if another demon seed of Phil Simms sees the field in Knoxville. Maybe Kiffin should call Mack Brown before confirming this letter...
So good job "the other" UT. All that money for best assistant coaches in the world won't help you if another demon seed of Phil Simms sees the field in Knoxville. Maybe Kiffin should call Mack Brown before confirming this letter...
Friday, December 11, 2009
Brian Kelly Reactions
Brian Kelly is absolutely the right hire for Notre Dame. Unlike his predecessor's, Kelly has built his reputation as a program builder, piling up championships at his previous stops almost as fast as Weiss piled on the pounds (had to get one more Jabba joke in there for ol's Charlie).
At Grand Valley State, Kelly won national championships. He's come to Cincinatti of all places and turned a doormat into the premier team in the Big East, overtaking previous powers West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Think about this - the Bearkats are one of 2 teams in Division 1 who uses their home field as their practice facility, and yet Kelly was able to pull the recruits and coaches necessary to win conference championships. In fact, Kelly was 1 second away from being in the national championship game this year against Alabama.
He's in the mold of Mack Brown, Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops. He's not as good as these guys, yet, but he treats his programs and his duties like a corporate CEO, and his ability to handle the media is above and beyond anything Charlie Weiss brought to the table. Kelly should be able to woo recruits and import a system which will bring Notre Dame back to BCS relevancy within 2 years.
His offense has been one of the most potent in the country over the past few years, and if he can find a defensive coordinator and some talent to go with it, you can expect Fighting Irish fans to come out of the woodwork as Notre Dame marches onto glory again. This is a homerun hit by the AD of Notre Dame, whether Stoops, Meyer, or any other big name was available or not.
At Grand Valley State, Kelly won national championships. He's come to Cincinatti of all places and turned a doormat into the premier team in the Big East, overtaking previous powers West Virginia and Pittsburgh. Think about this - the Bearkats are one of 2 teams in Division 1 who uses their home field as their practice facility, and yet Kelly was able to pull the recruits and coaches necessary to win conference championships. In fact, Kelly was 1 second away from being in the national championship game this year against Alabama.
He's in the mold of Mack Brown, Pete Carroll, Urban Meyer, Bob Stoops. He's not as good as these guys, yet, but he treats his programs and his duties like a corporate CEO, and his ability to handle the media is above and beyond anything Charlie Weiss brought to the table. Kelly should be able to woo recruits and import a system which will bring Notre Dame back to BCS relevancy within 2 years.
His offense has been one of the most potent in the country over the past few years, and if he can find a defensive coordinator and some talent to go with it, you can expect Fighting Irish fans to come out of the woodwork as Notre Dame marches onto glory again. This is a homerun hit by the AD of Notre Dame, whether Stoops, Meyer, or any other big name was available or not.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Mack Brown's raise
Dear Sports World,
Stop ragging on Mack Brown's salary increase to $5 million. A) He's quadrupled the amount of money football generates in his time here from 21 million in 1997 to 87 million this past year. B) The state pays absolutely NONE of his salary. C) He has created a college football powerhouse in Austin, and the number 1 revenue generating program in the HISTORY of college football. Raises should be about money generated. It's called the free market.
As for those who say there are more qualified coaches out there, I'd like to remind you that no one has a better winning percentage as a head coach since Mack took over at Texas. He's appeared in 2 national championships in the last 5 years. 2 Conference championships in the last five years. 9 straight 10 win seasons. In games decided by 3 points or less, Mack is 21-4. In games decided by a TD or less, he's 28-17. His team is undefeated in BCS bowls, and have won 5 straight bowl games. He's contributed over 30 players to the NFL in his tenure. He has two Heisman runner-ups, both of whom had legitimate arguments to be the winners. 5th year seniors at OU have no idea what's it like to beat Texas on a regular basis, and even after losing 5 in a row to the Sooners, Mack has improved his record against OU to 6-6. He dominates the other schools in Texas, having lost to to Tech twice and TAMU 3 times. I'd be willing to bet there are , or about 114 schools across the country who would love to have a coach like that (there are a few who do - Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, USC, OU)
I've heard the argument (mostly from Aggies) that Mack has no personality, that he's smarmy and comes off as insincere and a politician. Legit criticisms? Or sounds of jealously from those wanting what others have. This is one of the greatest coaches in the country. If he stays on this path and finishes out his contract in 2016, you're looking at arguably one of the best of all time at Texas, right there with DKR. To say he has no personality or tries to cater to the media too much is nitpicking for a guy whose major job it is to operate a power football school. What woudl you prefer - someone like Bill Belichek?
Mack says the right things, acts the right way, guides his players the right way, recruits the kids that fit his system, and has finally decided to hire the best assistant coaches to handle the day to day running of his team. He's the CEO of a multi-million dollar machine. You think the public face of major corporations is any better or worse than Mack? You think he shouldn't campaign for his kids whenever possible? What is he supposed to do? Say that OU should jump Texas in the polls last year on ABC? Argue that California should go to the Rose Bowl instead of his team in 2004? He is the coach at TEXAS, and is beholden to his players and his university - anyone who thinks different lives with their head in the sand.
What he's done for Texas is immeasurable, and the 5 million given to him annually is a simple business decision made by the school regents to keep a great coach, university ambassador, and school representative around the 40 acres as long as he wants to be there. Here's hoping it's 2016 and beyond.
Stop ragging on Mack Brown's salary increase to $5 million. A) He's quadrupled the amount of money football generates in his time here from 21 million in 1997 to 87 million this past year. B) The state pays absolutely NONE of his salary. C) He has created a college football powerhouse in Austin, and the number 1 revenue generating program in the HISTORY of college football. Raises should be about money generated. It's called the free market.
As for those who say there are more qualified coaches out there, I'd like to remind you that no one has a better winning percentage as a head coach since Mack took over at Texas. He's appeared in 2 national championships in the last 5 years. 2 Conference championships in the last five years. 9 straight 10 win seasons. In games decided by 3 points or less, Mack is 21-4. In games decided by a TD or less, he's 28-17. His team is undefeated in BCS bowls, and have won 5 straight bowl games. He's contributed over 30 players to the NFL in his tenure. He has two Heisman runner-ups, both of whom had legitimate arguments to be the winners. 5th year seniors at OU have no idea what's it like to beat Texas on a regular basis, and even after losing 5 in a row to the Sooners, Mack has improved his record against OU to 6-6. He dominates the other schools in Texas, having lost to to Tech twice and TAMU 3 times. I'd be willing to bet there are , or about 114 schools across the country who would love to have a coach like that (there are a few who do - Florida, Alabama, Ohio State, USC, OU)
I've heard the argument (mostly from Aggies) that Mack has no personality, that he's smarmy and comes off as insincere and a politician. Legit criticisms? Or sounds of jealously from those wanting what others have. This is one of the greatest coaches in the country. If he stays on this path and finishes out his contract in 2016, you're looking at arguably one of the best of all time at Texas, right there with DKR. To say he has no personality or tries to cater to the media too much is nitpicking for a guy whose major job it is to operate a power football school. What woudl you prefer - someone like Bill Belichek?
Mack says the right things, acts the right way, guides his players the right way, recruits the kids that fit his system, and has finally decided to hire the best assistant coaches to handle the day to day running of his team. He's the CEO of a multi-million dollar machine. You think the public face of major corporations is any better or worse than Mack? You think he shouldn't campaign for his kids whenever possible? What is he supposed to do? Say that OU should jump Texas in the polls last year on ABC? Argue that California should go to the Rose Bowl instead of his team in 2004? He is the coach at TEXAS, and is beholden to his players and his university - anyone who thinks different lives with their head in the sand.
What he's done for Texas is immeasurable, and the 5 million given to him annually is a simple business decision made by the school regents to keep a great coach, university ambassador, and school representative around the 40 acres as long as he wants to be there. Here's hoping it's 2016 and beyond.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Terrible News
Congrats to Texas for surviving Nebraska. Thanks to Alabama for dethroning Tebow. Congrats to Cinci for escaping Pitt (which by the way, why is Cinci more deserving of being in BCS Championship over Texas? They beat UCONN and Pitt by a combined 2 points. And since when did we all forget about the Auburn game for Alabama, which they almost lost. Or what about that snaffu at home against Tennessee, where the game came down to -gasp!- a last second field goal??!!!? If Alabama deserves the title shot based on the entirity of their season, so do the Honrs)
The terrible news? My favorite sports commentator, Ron Franklin, will be leaving ESPN next summer when his contract expires. Even worse? Not only did he get the shaft in games during football this year, but he also got pulled off ESPN hoops and Big Monday. What a crock. And he's being replaced by Brent Muss-terder. Vomit.
The terrible news? My favorite sports commentator, Ron Franklin, will be leaving ESPN next summer when his contract expires. Even worse? Not only did he get the shaft in games during football this year, but he also got pulled off ESPN hoops and Big Monday. What a crock. And he's being replaced by Brent Muss-terder. Vomit.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Too Bad
What could be better than OU being subpar this year? How about them losing Bob Stoops to Notre Dame? While Stoops says the idea is ridiculous, the idea may not be that far fetched. What more can Stoops accomplish at Oklahoma? He's got bloggers and fans berating his inability to win big games over the past few years, he's lost 4 of 5 versus rival Texas, and his team may be headed for the Sun Bowl of all places this year.
As a fan of Texas, I'm torn. Part of me wants him gone so the inevitable drop in Norman will ensure Texas superiority over the next few years. Personally, the idea that OU would have fans talking about removing Stoops is as ludicrous as it was for Texas fans to call for Mack Brown's head before the 2005 season. Stoops has his Sooners in National Championship contention in most years (in fact, aside from 2005 and this year, OU has been considered a Champion contender late in every season since 2000). Why would you want someone else? Speaking as a UT fan, I'd be pretty happy with 6 Big 12 Titles (and the corresponding BCS berths) and a winning record over Texas.
Further - Stoops is the one guy I really really hate in college football. Sure, I rag on Charlie Weiss - but I don't hate the guy. He's so inept, you kind of feel a bit of sympathy for the round mound of failure in South Bend. And I like watching Notre Dame fail. And therein lies the rub. I don't know if I want my Longhorns to lose their arch-nemesis to Notre Dame. Beating OU is a great feeling because of how much I hate Stoops. If he goes to Notre Dame, we'd have to watch not only the decline of OU under whatever new coach they brought in (you think Bob's coach Mike at Arizona wouldn't be angling for that job if Bob left?), but we'd also be exposed to the rebuilding of the most annoying program in college football - Notre Dame.
Here's hoping it never happens - unless Texas and Notre Dame can make a 10 year agreement to play each year in Dallas at JerryWorld as part of the process....
As a fan of Texas, I'm torn. Part of me wants him gone so the inevitable drop in Norman will ensure Texas superiority over the next few years. Personally, the idea that OU would have fans talking about removing Stoops is as ludicrous as it was for Texas fans to call for Mack Brown's head before the 2005 season. Stoops has his Sooners in National Championship contention in most years (in fact, aside from 2005 and this year, OU has been considered a Champion contender late in every season since 2000). Why would you want someone else? Speaking as a UT fan, I'd be pretty happy with 6 Big 12 Titles (and the corresponding BCS berths) and a winning record over Texas.
Further - Stoops is the one guy I really really hate in college football. Sure, I rag on Charlie Weiss - but I don't hate the guy. He's so inept, you kind of feel a bit of sympathy for the round mound of failure in South Bend. And I like watching Notre Dame fail. And therein lies the rub. I don't know if I want my Longhorns to lose their arch-nemesis to Notre Dame. Beating OU is a great feeling because of how much I hate Stoops. If he goes to Notre Dame, we'd have to watch not only the decline of OU under whatever new coach they brought in (you think Bob's coach Mike at Arizona wouldn't be angling for that job if Bob left?), but we'd also be exposed to the rebuilding of the most annoying program in college football - Notre Dame.
Here's hoping it never happens - unless Texas and Notre Dame can make a 10 year agreement to play each year in Dallas at JerryWorld as part of the process....
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
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Trouble for the Texas basketball team
A high ranking this year for the UT basketball team may set the Horns up for some early returns to earth. Sure, they have the nations #1 recruit in the freshman class with Avery Bradley, and the #8 recruit in Jordan Hamilton as well as 4 of 5 starters returning. In theory everything looks great for a team most agree is the deepest in the country. So what are they missing? The same thing they missed last year - a perimeter game.
Unless the freshman coming into this year's team can light it up from 3 point range, the Longhorns will have many of the same troubles that plagued them during last years sub-par (for Austin standards) performance. Texas loses its best 3 point shooter in AJ Abrams from last year, he of the 39% 3 point shooting performance. The next highest rater deep ball threat returning to this year's squad? Try Damion James (32.6%). When your starting power forward is your best returning 3 point shooter, you might leave something to be desired on the wing.
Last year teams were able to neutralize the Texas offense because the Horns were unable to stretch the D with the long ball. Historically, Rick Barnes has allowed his offense to run through the point guard or a quick perimeter player (and why wouldn't he - with DJ Augustin, Kevin Durant and TJ Ford among his recent players), the idea being to force the defense to collapse on the player penetration and free up shooters on the wings or find the big man down low. Last year, the big man down low, Dexter Pittman, did his part. It was the curious performance of the Texas 3 point shooters that let the Horns falter down the stretch. Once defenses also figured out that the man running the Texas offense couldn't shoot either (be it Justin Mason or Dogus Balbay), teams were content to back off the Longhorn shooters and let them fire away. The strategy worked to perfection, especially when teams locked down Abrams.
This year, expect more of the same until Texas can prove it either 1) recruited some players with long range touch or 2) brought in Reggie Miller to run shooting clinics all summer for our returning players. Of the UT players returning this year, each of the following hoisted at least one 3-pointer in the 2008-2009 campaign: Damion James, Varez Ward, Justin Mason, Dogus Balbay, Gary Johnson, and Clint Chapman. Their combined 3 point shooting percentage: 24.8%.
If this can't improve for the 09-10 campaign, teams will once again match up the Horns in a zone, daring them to shoot, and taking away the deep and powerful Texas frontline.
My guess? The backcourt and wing players from last year's team will lose playing time to the hyped freshman as the young guns find their deep ball range, leaving the post an easier place for James, Pittman, and Johnson to roam. While I might miss Dogus Balbay's ferocity, or Justin Mason's lock down D, or Varez Ward's ability to get to the rim, it will be nice to see a few jumpers fall this winter. The fact is, the veterans have proven over the course of their careers that their games are not predicated on the long ball - if Texas hopes to compete for a Final Four birth, Barnes will need to turn the ball over to the freshman and let it fly.
Unless the freshman coming into this year's team can light it up from 3 point range, the Longhorns will have many of the same troubles that plagued them during last years sub-par (for Austin standards) performance. Texas loses its best 3 point shooter in AJ Abrams from last year, he of the 39% 3 point shooting performance. The next highest rater deep ball threat returning to this year's squad? Try Damion James (32.6%). When your starting power forward is your best returning 3 point shooter, you might leave something to be desired on the wing.
Last year teams were able to neutralize the Texas offense because the Horns were unable to stretch the D with the long ball. Historically, Rick Barnes has allowed his offense to run through the point guard or a quick perimeter player (and why wouldn't he - with DJ Augustin, Kevin Durant and TJ Ford among his recent players), the idea being to force the defense to collapse on the player penetration and free up shooters on the wings or find the big man down low. Last year, the big man down low, Dexter Pittman, did his part. It was the curious performance of the Texas 3 point shooters that let the Horns falter down the stretch. Once defenses also figured out that the man running the Texas offense couldn't shoot either (be it Justin Mason or Dogus Balbay), teams were content to back off the Longhorn shooters and let them fire away. The strategy worked to perfection, especially when teams locked down Abrams.
This year, expect more of the same until Texas can prove it either 1) recruited some players with long range touch or 2) brought in Reggie Miller to run shooting clinics all summer for our returning players. Of the UT players returning this year, each of the following hoisted at least one 3-pointer in the 2008-2009 campaign: Damion James, Varez Ward, Justin Mason, Dogus Balbay, Gary Johnson, and Clint Chapman. Their combined 3 point shooting percentage: 24.8%.
If this can't improve for the 09-10 campaign, teams will once again match up the Horns in a zone, daring them to shoot, and taking away the deep and powerful Texas frontline.
My guess? The backcourt and wing players from last year's team will lose playing time to the hyped freshman as the young guns find their deep ball range, leaving the post an easier place for James, Pittman, and Johnson to roam. While I might miss Dogus Balbay's ferocity, or Justin Mason's lock down D, or Varez Ward's ability to get to the rim, it will be nice to see a few jumpers fall this winter. The fact is, the veterans have proven over the course of their careers that their games are not predicated on the long ball - if Texas hopes to compete for a Final Four birth, Barnes will need to turn the ball over to the freshman and let it fly.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Time for a new coach Rudy
It's over. You knew it was coming eventually, but now it's finally here. There cannot be any reasonable way Notre Dame head football coach Charlie Weiss makes it through the this offseason with his job intact. Two home losses to Navy to his credit, Weiss has proved himself to be incapable of fielding a relevant team on the collegiate level. These last 3 - 4 years have been miserable in South Bend, especially by their (unrealistic) standards. After arriving and using Ty Willingham's recruits to make back to back BCS bowl berths, Weiss has struggled mightily developing his own players into consistent contenders. Perhaps its the fact that Notre Dame has its own set of rules that don't hinder other powerhouse programs (i.e. - at Notre Dame, academic standards are not lowered for athletes. Also, redshirting players is a practice for those other schools, not the Irish) has hurt Weiss's ability to win. I think he just sucks. His teams don't play with any passion or discipline, both traits that can stem from your head coach. His best moment as Notre Dame's head coach? A game he lost (the infamous Bush Push USC game in 2005. And that was 4 years ago!)
His replacement? If Urban Meyer is still interested, do it. If not - Cincinatti's Brian Kelly or Houston's Kevin Sumlin both look intriguing.
His replacement? If Urban Meyer is still interested, do it. If not - Cincinatti's Brian Kelly or Houston's Kevin Sumlin both look intriguing.
Friday, November 6, 2009
YAWN
There are a couple of "big" games this weekend for college football which could affect the outcome of conference championships. In the SEC, Alabama hosts LSU, while Ohio State travels to Happy Valley to take on Penn State. The bad news? I have tons of yard work to get completed this weekend. The good news? I won't miss anything in these two games.
The SEC has long owned the reputation of being the home of the best athletes in the country, with faster players on offense and harder hitters than any conference across the nation. However, this is a down year for the conference. You've got 3 teams (LSU, Alabama, and Florida) with the the same number of combined victories against Top 25 teams (2) as Texas, and one less than Iowa. The fact is, the conference isn't as good as folks have assumed they were over the past 3 years. Alabama's near implosion against Tennessee a few weeks back vindicates this. Florida struggled with Arkansas. And this Saturday? Good grief - I guess we'll have to watch the game or the highlights and hear another long story about physical and hard hitting the Tigers and Tide defenses are, instead of legitimate criticism about how pathetic their offenses are. Even with the benefit of the doubt - should a top 3 team (Alabama) only score 12 points at home against Tennessee, a team coming off its worse season in years and under the direction of a new coach? While CBS wants us to acknowledge the Alabama / LSU battle as a clash of the Titans, I'll simply take it for what it is - a couple of inept offenses making some good defenses look great.
The game pitting Ohio State and Penn State scares me. To death. As in a snooze-fest so intense that viewers could announced clinically dead by any reasonable medical professional. If you thought last year's 10-6 Penn State win was yawner, wait until Saturday's doozy. I heard ESPN spouting about two top 6 defenses playing each other. You want to watch a great defense like the kind they play in the Big 10? Go to Lowe's and get a lawn weed/pest defender and spread it around your lawn. Then grab a beer, sit on your porch, and watch your grass be "defended" while it grows. Trust me, I've tried to watch Big 10 football, and this will be more exciting. Seriously - if you best team is Iowa, are you really expecting me to tune in to your other teams????
The SEC has long owned the reputation of being the home of the best athletes in the country, with faster players on offense and harder hitters than any conference across the nation. However, this is a down year for the conference. You've got 3 teams (LSU, Alabama, and Florida) with the the same number of combined victories against Top 25 teams (2) as Texas, and one less than Iowa. The fact is, the conference isn't as good as folks have assumed they were over the past 3 years. Alabama's near implosion against Tennessee a few weeks back vindicates this. Florida struggled with Arkansas. And this Saturday? Good grief - I guess we'll have to watch the game or the highlights and hear another long story about physical and hard hitting the Tigers and Tide defenses are, instead of legitimate criticism about how pathetic their offenses are. Even with the benefit of the doubt - should a top 3 team (Alabama) only score 12 points at home against Tennessee, a team coming off its worse season in years and under the direction of a new coach? While CBS wants us to acknowledge the Alabama / LSU battle as a clash of the Titans, I'll simply take it for what it is - a couple of inept offenses making some good defenses look great.
The game pitting Ohio State and Penn State scares me. To death. As in a snooze-fest so intense that viewers could announced clinically dead by any reasonable medical professional. If you thought last year's 10-6 Penn State win was yawner, wait until Saturday's doozy. I heard ESPN spouting about two top 6 defenses playing each other. You want to watch a great defense like the kind they play in the Big 10? Go to Lowe's and get a lawn weed/pest defender and spread it around your lawn. Then grab a beer, sit on your porch, and watch your grass be "defended" while it grows. Trust me, I've tried to watch Big 10 football, and this will be more exciting. Seriously - if you best team is Iowa, are you really expecting me to tune in to your other teams????
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Brandon Spikes - a Pillar of the Florida Community
So, with the attention "weighing heavily" on his mind, Florida star linebacker Brandon Spikes requested, and was granted, a full game suspension for his recent eye gouging of a Georgia running back during the Gators 41-17 trouncing of the Bulldogs last Saturday. Congrats, Brandon. Props for doing what your coach and your conference failed to do - hold a student athlete responsible for his deplorable actions.
Coach Urban Meyer suspended Spikes for the first half of the Gators laugher this Saturday against Vanderbilt. The SEC, in all their wisdom, agreed that Meyer's light punishment fit the crime. For those who haven't seen it, the eye gouge can be seen here.
Now, many pundits have argued that the only reason this behavior has come to light is because of the numerous cameras that CBS uses in broadcasting its weekly SEC game of the week. Most regional coverage wouldn't have had 7 different cameras on a single play - the networks simply can't afford to distribute that much equipment. However, because of the huge deal recently re-upped by the SEC and CBS, the folks at CBS treat each big SEC game as if it were an NFL broadcast, deploying many times the normal number of broadcast equipment vs. say a regional ABC or ESPN game. As such, the Gators LB got caught. And, they contend, this kind of stuff happens all the time, and the punishment was only handed down because of the extra coverage - the theory being Spikes shouldn't be treated any different than any other player who behaves this way in the "pile".
Rubbish. You want the extra coverage and the benefits that come with it (revenue, coverage, recruiting) then you take the drawbacks. Florida and the SEC embarrassed themselves with the original punishment.
Furthermore, I doubt the request from Spikes came from him. There is little doubt in my mind that the Florida coaching staff recommended Spikes request the extra punishment in order to save face both for the player as well as the school.
I find it hard to believe that Spikes, who continues to show his true character through actions, would be the driving force behind this publicity stint. Remember, this is the same player who complained after the BCS Championship that the Oklahoma Sooners were dirty players, and spend the game mistreating his precious Gators.
Google Brandon Spikes and see what kind of person we're really talking about and then tell me this apology was his idea, and has any sense of genuiness to it.
Coach Urban Meyer suspended Spikes for the first half of the Gators laugher this Saturday against Vanderbilt. The SEC, in all their wisdom, agreed that Meyer's light punishment fit the crime. For those who haven't seen it, the eye gouge can be seen here.
Now, many pundits have argued that the only reason this behavior has come to light is because of the numerous cameras that CBS uses in broadcasting its weekly SEC game of the week. Most regional coverage wouldn't have had 7 different cameras on a single play - the networks simply can't afford to distribute that much equipment. However, because of the huge deal recently re-upped by the SEC and CBS, the folks at CBS treat each big SEC game as if it were an NFL broadcast, deploying many times the normal number of broadcast equipment vs. say a regional ABC or ESPN game. As such, the Gators LB got caught. And, they contend, this kind of stuff happens all the time, and the punishment was only handed down because of the extra coverage - the theory being Spikes shouldn't be treated any different than any other player who behaves this way in the "pile".
Rubbish. You want the extra coverage and the benefits that come with it (revenue, coverage, recruiting) then you take the drawbacks. Florida and the SEC embarrassed themselves with the original punishment.
Furthermore, I doubt the request from Spikes came from him. There is little doubt in my mind that the Florida coaching staff recommended Spikes request the extra punishment in order to save face both for the player as well as the school.
I find it hard to believe that Spikes, who continues to show his true character through actions, would be the driving force behind this publicity stint. Remember, this is the same player who complained after the BCS Championship that the Oklahoma Sooners were dirty players, and spend the game mistreating his precious Gators.
Google Brandon Spikes and see what kind of person we're really talking about and then tell me this apology was his idea, and has any sense of genuiness to it.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The biggest difference between a defense recognized as great and a defense lamented as being soft? Forcing turnovers. Last year, in the high octane Big 12, Texas's D gave up a 13.6 points per game. Big 12 offenses averaged 32.7 ppg as teams routinely piled up points in the 40s and 50s. This season, the Texas defense is once again giving up just 13.8 points per game through 8 games. However, ESPN, CNNSI, and FOXsports are all clamoring to call the UT D one of the best in the country, whereas last year's group was criticized for subpar play.
The difference? The 2008 team forced 10 turnovers ALL season, one of the worse rates for Texas football's history. In 2009, Texas's D leads the country with 26 through 8 games. 3 of those turnovers have resulted in TDs for the D on INT's returned for touchdowns. I argued last year that Texas was an underrated defense, but the Longhorns inability to make the big plays on the defensive end made the point fall on deaf ears. Not so this year.
A note - the '08 squad had 10 turnovers all year? Against the Horns two biggest opponents thus far in 2009, Texas has...you guessed it - 10 turnovers (5 each for OU and Oklahoma State)
If they continue to dominate this side of the ball and force mistakes by offenses, there isn't a team out there (Alabama and Florida included, especially with those two offenses) who can beat the Horns.
The difference? The 2008 team forced 10 turnovers ALL season, one of the worse rates for Texas football's history. In 2009, Texas's D leads the country with 26 through 8 games. 3 of those turnovers have resulted in TDs for the D on INT's returned for touchdowns. I argued last year that Texas was an underrated defense, but the Longhorns inability to make the big plays on the defensive end made the point fall on deaf ears. Not so this year.
A note - the '08 squad had 10 turnovers all year? Against the Horns two biggest opponents thus far in 2009, Texas has...you guessed it - 10 turnovers (5 each for OU and Oklahoma State)
If they continue to dominate this side of the ball and force mistakes by offenses, there isn't a team out there (Alabama and Florida included, especially with those two offenses) who can beat the Horns.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Brad Lidge
I keep hearing about how surprising the fact that Phillies closer Brad Lidge blew game 4 of the World Series is. Not that surprising for us Astros fan. What was more stunning to LIdge's old team's fans was his amazing run in 2008 (48 saves in 48 chances), not the fact that he's struggled mightily in 2009. The Yanks should close the series tonight, save Cliff Lee bringing another stunning pitching performance. Honestly? I'm more interested in the Monday Night Football game.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Texas Basketball
The Horns are the #3 in the first AP poll for Hoops this year. Not surprisingly, knowing the scheduling tendencies of Rick Barnes, the Horns are facing some pretty tough competition this year.
They get #1 Kansas in conference play.
They host #2 Michigan State in the non-conference December game of the year.
They meet defending National Champion #6 North Carolina in Arlington.
Pretty sweet schedule. I guess the pundits won't be bashing the strength of schedule for Barnes' team like they do Mack Brown's football squad.
They get #1 Kansas in conference play.
They host #2 Michigan State in the non-conference December game of the year.
They meet defending National Champion #6 North Carolina in Arlington.
Pretty sweet schedule. I guess the pundits won't be bashing the strength of schedule for Barnes' team like they do Mack Brown's football squad.
Va Tech should let UNC score here. Two minutes to go, and UNC just got a first down at the Va Tech 9 yard line. Not sure what Beamer is thinking here - the UNC kicker is lining up for a chip shot. Put the ball back into your offense's hands and try to push the ball up the field. Odds are - this kick goes through, and Va Tech, everyone's preseason ACC favorite falls further into obscurity.
Kick is good. Do you think Va Tech will be ranked still? Is #13 a true indication of this team? They just lost at home to UNC (who just got their first conference win of the season). They lost to Alabama. They lost to Georgia Tech. And their big win over Nebraska? How does that look - the same Nebraska team that has lost back to back home games, including Iowa State last weekend. With 8 turnovers!!! OVERRATED Hokies (obviously)
I guess this means the ACC will be sending another 3 loss team to the Orange Bowl once it's all said and done.
Kick is good. Do you think Va Tech will be ranked still? Is #13 a true indication of this team? They just lost at home to UNC (who just got their first conference win of the season). They lost to Alabama. They lost to Georgia Tech. And their big win over Nebraska? How does that look - the same Nebraska team that has lost back to back home games, including Iowa State last weekend. With 8 turnovers!!! OVERRATED Hokies (obviously)
I guess this means the ACC will be sending another 3 loss team to the Orange Bowl once it's all said and done.
NBA Book
I want to read Tom Delaney's book. It would be a good read. I promise, I won't buy into the conspiracy theories, I just think it would be interesting. If the NBA would come out and say the book was a work of fiction, it would still be interesting.
By the way, the book addresses the NBA's direction to its officials to keep certain games close (2003 LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings, 2005 NBA Finals Mavericks vs. Heat, 2000 Portland vs. LA Lakers) in order to get improved ratings and keep marquee teams in the finals to increase ratings.
Currently, the NBA has put pressure on publishers nationwide to avoid getting the book printed. Still, there are excerpts available online for those interested. It's an interesting story, whether you believe the refs are cheaters are not...click here for info
By the way, the book addresses the NBA's direction to its officials to keep certain games close (2003 LA Lakers vs. Sacramento Kings, 2005 NBA Finals Mavericks vs. Heat, 2000 Portland vs. LA Lakers) in order to get improved ratings and keep marquee teams in the finals to increase ratings.
Currently, the NBA has put pressure on publishers nationwide to avoid getting the book printed. Still, there are excerpts available online for those interested. It's an interesting story, whether you believe the refs are cheaters are not...click here for info
UNC beating Va Tech?
Two things: 1) Carolina blue and the colors of Va Tech (is that poop brown and bright orange?) on the same screen should be illegal - especially in 1080i HD.
2) Does Va Tech struggling with UNC at home mean that Alabama is still a great team? Remember, everyone loved the Crimson Tide after the beatdown of the Hokies to start the year. Current score - Va Tech 17 UNC 14.
And why not, a comment on the referees? 3) That ACC ref, the black guy, is pretty intense. "After FURther review, the RUling on the field....STAnds"
2) Does Va Tech struggling with UNC at home mean that Alabama is still a great team? Remember, everyone loved the Crimson Tide after the beatdown of the Hokies to start the year. Current score - Va Tech 17 UNC 14.
And why not, a comment on the referees? 3) That ACC ref, the black guy, is pretty intense. "After FURther review, the RUling on the field....STAnds"
World Series Reaction
I' m sorry, but even through the midst of one of the greatest pitching performances in the recent history of the World Series, I couldn't help but find myself switching to reruns of "The Office" last nig during during Game 1 between the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies. As a self-proclaimed sports nut, it shouldn't even be a question that I would marvel at the unreal performance of Phillies starter Cliff Lee (6 hits, double digit Ks, a near shutout) on the game's biggest stage, but I can't lie - baseball is just plain boring.
The ratings for this year's World Series will be saved by the fact that the MLB's most marketable team is playing for the game's grandest prize. But the reality is baseball has become an old man's game. Fans of the facebook-twitter-smartphone-internet-blog-myspace-ipod age are not interested in a game that appears to move slower than a Jeff Fisher starting QB coaching decision. We want quick action (football), life threatening activity (NASCAR), or superior athletic ability (basketball). Baseball is a game designed to be seen in person with your dad while you keep score on a sultry August night before school starts back up. It's not for late October, wedged between the start of the NBA season and the in the heart of the NFL and college football seasons.
The game takes too long. There are far too many deadtimes (side note - a really fun drinking game is to take a sip whenever a ball player adjusts his crotch. You'll be smashed before the 3rd inning). Pitchers are on "pitch counts" which means we get teams pulling marquee pitchers in favor of hundred of no-namers to close out games in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. Batters are no longer juiced up, so homers are fewer and farther between. Commentators spend time scanning the crowd for views of the local beauties, while fans at the game are more interested in doing the wave or bouncing a beach ball than watching a game trudge its way through the 5th inning. Fans wait 3-4 hours for about 25 seconds worth of relevant action, including runs being scored or a high pressure strikeout. In short - the game is just plain slow and boring.
Don't get me wrong, baseball has its time and place. The issue is whether or not that place is NOW, in late October. Baseball should consider shortening their seemingly endless regular season. Owners don't want to lose this revenue? Then play double headers throughout the season. Teams in the early years of MLB did this rather frequently.
The sport's day as the national pastime has faded in favor of football. The argument can be made basketball, with the revival of the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers, has overtake baseball as well. Television ratings don't lie. In order to adjust correctly, baseball people have to figure out that the MLB playoffs and World Series need to end in late September (not early November) when fans are still living on the high of the summer days and not fully engaged in the high pace excitement of the NBA, NFL, and college football.
Without the Yankees in the Fall Classic every year, you may find that more and more casual finds like myself are more interested in the antics of Michael Scott than the brilliance of Cliff Lee.
The ratings for this year's World Series will be saved by the fact that the MLB's most marketable team is playing for the game's grandest prize. But the reality is baseball has become an old man's game. Fans of the facebook-twitter-smartphone-internet-blog-myspace-ipod age are not interested in a game that appears to move slower than a Jeff Fisher starting QB coaching decision. We want quick action (football), life threatening activity (NASCAR), or superior athletic ability (basketball). Baseball is a game designed to be seen in person with your dad while you keep score on a sultry August night before school starts back up. It's not for late October, wedged between the start of the NBA season and the in the heart of the NFL and college football seasons.
The game takes too long. There are far too many deadtimes (side note - a really fun drinking game is to take a sip whenever a ball player adjusts his crotch. You'll be smashed before the 3rd inning). Pitchers are on "pitch counts" which means we get teams pulling marquee pitchers in favor of hundred of no-namers to close out games in the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th innings. Batters are no longer juiced up, so homers are fewer and farther between. Commentators spend time scanning the crowd for views of the local beauties, while fans at the game are more interested in doing the wave or bouncing a beach ball than watching a game trudge its way through the 5th inning. Fans wait 3-4 hours for about 25 seconds worth of relevant action, including runs being scored or a high pressure strikeout. In short - the game is just plain slow and boring.
Don't get me wrong, baseball has its time and place. The issue is whether or not that place is NOW, in late October. Baseball should consider shortening their seemingly endless regular season. Owners don't want to lose this revenue? Then play double headers throughout the season. Teams in the early years of MLB did this rather frequently.
The sport's day as the national pastime has faded in favor of football. The argument can be made basketball, with the revival of the Boston Celtics and L.A. Lakers, has overtake baseball as well. Television ratings don't lie. In order to adjust correctly, baseball people have to figure out that the MLB playoffs and World Series need to end in late September (not early November) when fans are still living on the high of the summer days and not fully engaged in the high pace excitement of the NBA, NFL, and college football.
Without the Yankees in the Fall Classic every year, you may find that more and more casual finds like myself are more interested in the antics of Michael Scott than the brilliance of Cliff Lee.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Tim Tebow
Quite a weekend of college football. I've spent the last few days listening to how the media can't seem to find a complete team out there to latch onto. Alabama's win over Tennessee wasn't all that impressive, and there are still questions about the Texas offense. Iowa needed a last second slant pattern to beat Michigan State this weekend. Even the mighty USC allowed an overmatched Oregon State team to hang within 6 points in their home win over the Beavers. And then there is Florida. And finally, it seems the media has penetrated the previously impervious coat of Godliness that surrounded Florida QB Tim Tebow for the last 3 1/2 years.
Following his very un-Heisman like performance at Mississippi State (he threw 2 INTs that were returned for TD's, one in the Bulldogs red zone), the Football Jesus refused to address the media and take his share of the blame for the uninspiring Gators win.
What? No speech about playing harder than we've ever seen? No promise that he'll play harder than anyone in the country? No "God Bless" to close his comments and send the 13 year old girls swooning? Is this the same player who apologized after last year's loss to Ole Miss and then had his post game press conference speech forever attached to the walls of the Swamp? (Seriously - take a look: vomit).
What a punk. What a crybaby. Man up, my dear friend. If I have to listen to the media spend the better part of 4 years talking about your toughness, your greatness, and mention you as one of the greatest to ever play to the college game, then you can bet I expect a senior to be man enough to face the fire after a unexplainable lackluster performance. Maybe Tebow can't come to grips with the fact that without his speedy weapons from previous seasons (Percy Harvin, where are you??!??!??), his bull headed rushing style just looks, well, pedestrian. And God knows (can I say that? I mean, it is His son who's quarterbacking this Florida team) Tebow can't cut the mustard with his passing.
Maybe the media and SEC blowhards can come to grips with the idea that - gasp!- Tebow isn't the player they thought he was. Running for 13 yards on 2nd and 15 against Alabama in the 2008 SEC Championship game in the 4th quarter shouldn't entitle anyone to legend status, must less a guy whose bought into his hype so much that he can't stand the thought of facing the media for tough questions following a pitiful performance against an inferior team.
My guess - Florida loses before heading to the SEC Championship. And they'll lose there too. And the legend of Tebow can finally go quietly into that great night, where Football Jesus can return to saving the lepers of the world with his daddy.
Following his very un-Heisman like performance at Mississippi State (he threw 2 INTs that were returned for TD's, one in the Bulldogs red zone), the Football Jesus refused to address the media and take his share of the blame for the uninspiring Gators win.
What? No speech about playing harder than we've ever seen? No promise that he'll play harder than anyone in the country? No "God Bless" to close his comments and send the 13 year old girls swooning? Is this the same player who apologized after last year's loss to Ole Miss and then had his post game press conference speech forever attached to the walls of the Swamp? (Seriously - take a look: vomit).
What a punk. What a crybaby. Man up, my dear friend. If I have to listen to the media spend the better part of 4 years talking about your toughness, your greatness, and mention you as one of the greatest to ever play to the college game, then you can bet I expect a senior to be man enough to face the fire after a unexplainable lackluster performance. Maybe Tebow can't come to grips with the fact that without his speedy weapons from previous seasons (Percy Harvin, where are you??!??!??), his bull headed rushing style just looks, well, pedestrian. And God knows (can I say that? I mean, it is His son who's quarterbacking this Florida team) Tebow can't cut the mustard with his passing.
Maybe the media and SEC blowhards can come to grips with the idea that - gasp!- Tebow isn't the player they thought he was. Running for 13 yards on 2nd and 15 against Alabama in the 2008 SEC Championship game in the 4th quarter shouldn't entitle anyone to legend status, must less a guy whose bought into his hype so much that he can't stand the thought of facing the media for tough questions following a pitiful performance against an inferior team.
My guess - Florida loses before heading to the SEC Championship. And they'll lose there too. And the legend of Tebow can finally go quietly into that great night, where Football Jesus can return to saving the lepers of the world with his daddy.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Good Grief OU
Found this link through the Austin American Statesman.
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2009/10/how_oklahoma_intends_to_play_b.html
Pretty interesting that we had to listen to OU fans and the national media spend the better part of a year dogging Mack Brown and Texas for "lobbying" for votes during the final weeks of 2008 in order to try and get the Longhorns into the Big 12 Championship game. Even funnier that the OU Athletic Department press release brags about losing on the road or at neutral fields. If I remember right, didn't Texas lose on the road last year to Texas Tech? And beat the Sooners on a neutral field? And still get jobbed in the rankings? Kinda funny how the Sooners feel the need to try and "lobby" their way into holding onto at top 25 ranking at the current moment...
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2009/10/how_oklahoma_intends_to_play_b.html
Pretty interesting that we had to listen to OU fans and the national media spend the better part of a year dogging Mack Brown and Texas for "lobbying" for votes during the final weeks of 2008 in order to try and get the Longhorns into the Big 12 Championship game. Even funnier that the OU Athletic Department press release brags about losing on the road or at neutral fields. If I remember right, didn't Texas lose on the road last year to Texas Tech? And beat the Sooners on a neutral field? And still get jobbed in the rankings? Kinda funny how the Sooners feel the need to try and "lobby" their way into holding onto at top 25 ranking at the current moment...
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Blake Gideon
He missed 6 tackles on his own against OU on Saturday. 6. Whatever academic advisor allowed Christian Scott to become ineligible needs to have his or her job title removed...
Monday, October 19, 2009
Updated Top 5
Interesting weekend with some "powerhouses" getting knocked off. The updated top 5:
1. Alabama - looked more steady in their home win over a ranked team than SEC counterpart Florida did in the their home win over an unranked team.
2. Florida - I can hear it now: Tebow is suffering the after-affects of his concussion and will continue to do so until annointed by God to beat Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
3. Texas - A win over OU is a win over OU, even without Bradford and a terrible game by the Texas offense. The D looks tougher than it has since the last time national title was decided in the Rose Bowl (2005). Earl Thomas is making a strong case for defensive back of the year, and should enter defensive player of the year talk if his playmaking continues at this rate.
4. Iowa - Still undefeated from a real conference. The Ohio State loss to Purdue will hurt Iowa perception wise. Of course, if Vanderbilt had beaten LSU in the SEC, the win would be a indication of how tough it is to play in the SEC week in and week out. Purdue beats Ohio State, and it's an indication that a high ranked team in a supposed subpar conference is overrated. The SEC bias is pretty daunting. I doubt they'll be hear much longer, but for now teams should be rewarded for not losing.
5. TCU - A BCS buster is needed, and this is an unbeaten team with some quality wins on the radar and more top 25 challenges coming up. Instead of Boise State, who played my old high school last week, props should be given to TCU and their always sturdy D. Assuming they win out, a trip to the Fiesta Bowl should loom for the Horned Frogs.
5b. Cinncinatti - No one wants to see the Bearkats in a BCS bowl any less than I do, but Chip Kelly is doing a heck of a job up there. If they win out, and you have 2 one loss SEC teams, a one loss Texas or USC, you can expect debates will begin anew regarding the BCS and whether a Big East Champ should play for the National Title. Can you imagine - a team from a major BCS conference denied a right for the title because of strength of their conference? Maybe then we'd get that playoff everyone seems to want so bad.
1. Alabama - looked more steady in their home win over a ranked team than SEC counterpart Florida did in the their home win over an unranked team.
2. Florida - I can hear it now: Tebow is suffering the after-affects of his concussion and will continue to do so until annointed by God to beat Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
3. Texas - A win over OU is a win over OU, even without Bradford and a terrible game by the Texas offense. The D looks tougher than it has since the last time national title was decided in the Rose Bowl (2005). Earl Thomas is making a strong case for defensive back of the year, and should enter defensive player of the year talk if his playmaking continues at this rate.
4. Iowa - Still undefeated from a real conference. The Ohio State loss to Purdue will hurt Iowa perception wise. Of course, if Vanderbilt had beaten LSU in the SEC, the win would be a indication of how tough it is to play in the SEC week in and week out. Purdue beats Ohio State, and it's an indication that a high ranked team in a supposed subpar conference is overrated. The SEC bias is pretty daunting. I doubt they'll be hear much longer, but for now teams should be rewarded for not losing.
5. TCU - A BCS buster is needed, and this is an unbeaten team with some quality wins on the radar and more top 25 challenges coming up. Instead of Boise State, who played my old high school last week, props should be given to TCU and their always sturdy D. Assuming they win out, a trip to the Fiesta Bowl should loom for the Horned Frogs.
5b. Cinncinatti - No one wants to see the Bearkats in a BCS bowl any less than I do, but Chip Kelly is doing a heck of a job up there. If they win out, and you have 2 one loss SEC teams, a one loss Texas or USC, you can expect debates will begin anew regarding the BCS and whether a Big East Champ should play for the National Title. Can you imagine - a team from a major BCS conference denied a right for the title because of strength of their conference? Maybe then we'd get that playoff everyone seems to want so bad.
BCS
The BCS standings came out last night, and to no surprise the top 3, in order were Florida, Alabama, and Texas. Each team controls its fate - win and they're in the National Championship. The Gators and Tide appear headed for a collision in Atlanta for the SEC Championship in December, while the Horns face two challenges over the rest of October before their schedule gives them a breather. We all know how the BCS means little to nothing at this point, and each of these teams has glaring flaws that could cause a slip up on the road to Pasadena.
For Florida, the problem is the reliance on Tim Tebow to run the offense. Along with Texas's Colt McCoy, Tebow has failed to live up to preseason Heisman hype and provide a dominant statistical performance on the field. His game winning drive on Saturday against Arkansas may impress the voters, but the fact that the Gators offense is sputtering under his and coach Urban Meyer's direction in 2009 is a surprise. It looks like the speed and misdirection provided by Percy Harvin in 2008 may have been more of a factor in determining Florida's success than the "brilliant" play by Jesus (ooops - I mean Tebow). Unless the running game from UF can get more consistency, Florida's sub-par passing attack will falter when the Gators need it most. Tebow has minimal effectiveness as a true passing QB, and this deficiency will become more glaring as the season progresses.
For the Alabama Crimson Tide, the misstep could come just in the difficulty of schedule remaining. For Nick Saban, getting through the SEC west unscathed will take tremendous focus from a staff that usually slips up sometime during the season. The passing attach leaves something to be desired as well, but all their QB has to do is keep defenses honest while Mark Engram (the new Heisman favorite) pounds out 150-200 yards a game. If they can get Julio Jones back healthy for legit deep ball threats, Alabama should have the inside track on Florida. The question is can they make it to Atlanta without a loss?
Texas seems to have the easiest approach. Simply win out and one of the two teams ahead of the Horns is bound to lose. The trip-up could come at Missouri this week or at Oklahoma State Halloween night. Texas's offense has been synonymous with inconsistency in 2009, while the defense continues to shine (the exact opposite of the 2008 season, where the offense led the way to a 12-1 season). The biggest problem? Play-calling. The Horns and media have talked constantly about getting a running game going, but refuse to utilize their best offensive weapon with his feet in Colt McCoy to open the game up. In what seems to be an effort to avoid getting McCoy banged, Texas has gone to what appears to be a zone read offense with no actual read - McCoy just hands the ball from the shotgun. Play action passes from this formation have looked half-hearted at best. Teams realize their has been no threat from McCoy to run (save for the 2nd half against OU this year, McCoy has rarely taken off down the field in 2009) and are thus able to key in on the stable of UT running backs. In addition, offensive coordinator Greg Davis has apparently refused to get McCoy out of the pocket and on the run to make plays down field, a skill set that the seniors accuracy makes him well suited for. Until the offense gets McCoy moving, he will continue to struggle with turnovers - he sometimes looks lost and out of sync. Expect Missouri and especially OK State to capitalize on this until Mack Brown and the gang change it up.
All this said - those 3 teams have clearly distinguished themselves up to this point by remaining unbeaten. At this point, it looks like we're going to get Alabama vs. Texas for the Championship. I don't see Florida beating Alabama in the SEC title game until their running game gets moving. Despite their troubles, Texas just beat the best team on the schedule in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, and should have just enough talent to get by OK State on the 31st. From their it should be clear sailing to Pasadena.
For Florida, the problem is the reliance on Tim Tebow to run the offense. Along with Texas's Colt McCoy, Tebow has failed to live up to preseason Heisman hype and provide a dominant statistical performance on the field. His game winning drive on Saturday against Arkansas may impress the voters, but the fact that the Gators offense is sputtering under his and coach Urban Meyer's direction in 2009 is a surprise. It looks like the speed and misdirection provided by Percy Harvin in 2008 may have been more of a factor in determining Florida's success than the "brilliant" play by Jesus (ooops - I mean Tebow). Unless the running game from UF can get more consistency, Florida's sub-par passing attack will falter when the Gators need it most. Tebow has minimal effectiveness as a true passing QB, and this deficiency will become more glaring as the season progresses.
For the Alabama Crimson Tide, the misstep could come just in the difficulty of schedule remaining. For Nick Saban, getting through the SEC west unscathed will take tremendous focus from a staff that usually slips up sometime during the season. The passing attach leaves something to be desired as well, but all their QB has to do is keep defenses honest while Mark Engram (the new Heisman favorite) pounds out 150-200 yards a game. If they can get Julio Jones back healthy for legit deep ball threats, Alabama should have the inside track on Florida. The question is can they make it to Atlanta without a loss?
Texas seems to have the easiest approach. Simply win out and one of the two teams ahead of the Horns is bound to lose. The trip-up could come at Missouri this week or at Oklahoma State Halloween night. Texas's offense has been synonymous with inconsistency in 2009, while the defense continues to shine (the exact opposite of the 2008 season, where the offense led the way to a 12-1 season). The biggest problem? Play-calling. The Horns and media have talked constantly about getting a running game going, but refuse to utilize their best offensive weapon with his feet in Colt McCoy to open the game up. In what seems to be an effort to avoid getting McCoy banged, Texas has gone to what appears to be a zone read offense with no actual read - McCoy just hands the ball from the shotgun. Play action passes from this formation have looked half-hearted at best. Teams realize their has been no threat from McCoy to run (save for the 2nd half against OU this year, McCoy has rarely taken off down the field in 2009) and are thus able to key in on the stable of UT running backs. In addition, offensive coordinator Greg Davis has apparently refused to get McCoy out of the pocket and on the run to make plays down field, a skill set that the seniors accuracy makes him well suited for. Until the offense gets McCoy moving, he will continue to struggle with turnovers - he sometimes looks lost and out of sync. Expect Missouri and especially OK State to capitalize on this until Mack Brown and the gang change it up.
All this said - those 3 teams have clearly distinguished themselves up to this point by remaining unbeaten. At this point, it looks like we're going to get Alabama vs. Texas for the Championship. I don't see Florida beating Alabama in the SEC title game until their running game gets moving. Despite their troubles, Texas just beat the best team on the schedule in the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, and should have just enough talent to get by OK State on the 31st. From their it should be clear sailing to Pasadena.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
TEXAS WINS 16-13
DESPITE THE LACK OF GOOD PLAY BY THE HORNS (AGAIN) THEY PULLED IT OUT. NEXT GAME COULD BE A CHALLENGE. BUT LET'S ENJOY 4 OUTTA 5 AGAINST THE SOONERS.
ALSO - THE PASS INTERFERENCE IS A SIGNE OF PPOR COACHING BY OU. THE PENDALUM HAS FINALLY SWUNG UT'S WAY. GREAT GAME UT D. TERRIBEL GAME UT O. THIS GAME BALL GOES TO THE TEXAS D, SPECIFICALLY AARON WILLIAMS AND EARL THOMAS. I LOVE WILL MUSCHAMP.
ALSO - THE PASS INTERFERENCE IS A SIGNE OF PPOR COACHING BY OU. THE PENDALUM HAS FINALLY SWUNG UT'S WAY. GREAT GAME UT D. TERRIBEL GAME UT O. THIS GAME BALL GOES TO THE TEXAS D, SPECIFICALLY AARON WILLIAMS AND EARL THOMAS. I LOVE WILL MUSCHAMP.
WOW
WE HAD THE BALL ON THE OU 12 ITH 3RD AND 2. SHOTGUN. PASS MCOYY INT TO OU. WOW. CALL A FREAKING RUN!!!!!
16-13
TEXAS UP. JUST PUNTED. CAN'T GET THE RUNNING GAME GOING AND WE HAVE 1001 PENATLIES THIS GME. OU JUST TOOK OVER WITH 831 TO GO ON THEIR OWN 6. DEFESE NEEDED. CANT TUPE GOOD.
PS - IF THIS GAME WAS ON CBS AND FEATURED SEC TEAMS IT WULD BE A "DEFENSIVE STRUGGLE" SINCE ITS THE BIG 12, THEY ARE ATLKING ABOUT HTE LACK OF OFFENSE ON THE PART OF OU AND UT. FUNNY. STUPID SEC
PS - IF THIS GAME WAS ON CBS AND FEATURED SEC TEAMS IT WULD BE A "DEFENSIVE STRUGGLE" SINCE ITS THE BIG 12, THEY ARE ATLKING ABOUT HTE LACK OF OFFENSE ON THE PART OF OU AND UT. FUNNY. STUPID SEC
4th q
HORNS DRIVING. OU SCORED BECAUSE TE HORNS DONT WRAP UP ON D. 40 YD TD ON A MISSED TXAS TACKLE. 13-13. GOING TO THE 4TH CCODY JOHNSON IS RUNNIGN WELL FOR TEXAS ON THIS DRIVE. AT THE OUT 41 GOING INTO 4TH.
texas 13-6
We finally figured it ot. got rid of the tide end set and went 5 wide. drove down the field, exposed the middel, and scored on a screen to marquis goodwin. texas up. hey greg davis - figure this out in th first quarter. 13 straight points texas
6-6
hunter lawrence 40 plus yard field goal. the ut drive stalled. and so did my consumption of jack. stupid jack. i am switching to burnt oragne beer. and OU sucks beer (and yes, this is real beer)
where is taylor swify when you need her?
where is taylor swify when you need her?
texas 3 OU 6
mccoy fumbled on the ou 4 going into the endzone to end the half. tx is drivingstart of 3rd. ou d looks good, or tx is really not that outstanding. mccoy, again = SIMMMS today.
Texas 0 OU 6
we've hurt bradford. we just hurt Trent Williams. Demarco murray is limping. And they are still winning. we can't get anyone open on the pass, and the run is going nowhere. Still, OU can't score in the redzone. Horns should wake up in the 2nd half, btu for now McCoy looks like (gulp) Chris Simms circa 2002.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Whatever happened to good commentators?
Watching some classic UT football today, I began to wonder whatever happened to good play by play commentators. UT vs Washington in 2001 featured Mike Tirico on play by play with Kurt Herbstreet and Lee Corso on color. Greatness.
Dear Musberger,
Take note - Tirico is the best there is.
Dear Musberger,
Take note - Tirico is the best there is.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
High School Football
Just flipping through the channels (thank you God for DirecTv) and found a Duncanville vs. Cedar Hill high school football game. Thought I heard Craig Way calling the game, and realized I was right - he's in Dallas for the Texas OU game. Just giving a heads up for all the UT fans out there, if you wanted a preview for "Say goodnight to this one!"
Cinci vs. South Florida
936PM
South Florida has cut the lead to 7 against Cinci. The commentators are already talking about either of these teams finishing undefeated and playing for the BCS Championship. Vomit.
Also - the white pants on USF are much better than their normal golds. For Cinci - like Texas Tech, I'd recommend you NOT wear video game looking costumes if you want to be taken seriously. Seriously - are those "bearkat" claws on their pants????
944PM
Jessie Palmer's favorite phrase is "pound the ball". Not pound the football, just pound the ball. Creepy. Just like his hair's inability to move...
947PM
I want Jerome Murphy on my football team. Great tackle on the screen, and awesome one on one deep coverage. He's number 10 for South Florida - very nice.
951PM
Awesome. Every time a player doesn't catch a ball on offense, we get a flag. New offense for all you coordinators. Throw a 20 yard jump ball on every play - your receiver will get the call and you get 15 yards.
South Florida has cut the lead to 7 against Cinci. The commentators are already talking about either of these teams finishing undefeated and playing for the BCS Championship. Vomit.
Also - the white pants on USF are much better than their normal golds. For Cinci - like Texas Tech, I'd recommend you NOT wear video game looking costumes if you want to be taken seriously. Seriously - are those "bearkat" claws on their pants????
944PM
Jessie Palmer's favorite phrase is "pound the ball". Not pound the football, just pound the ball. Creepy. Just like his hair's inability to move...
947PM
I want Jerome Murphy on my football team. Great tackle on the screen, and awesome one on one deep coverage. He's number 10 for South Florida - very nice.
951PM
Awesome. Every time a player doesn't catch a ball on offense, we get a flag. New offense for all you coordinators. Throw a 20 yard jump ball on every play - your receiver will get the call and you get 15 yards.
A take on Rush
I love it. Rush Limbaugh lures in the media like a big ol' redfish and they bite hook, line, and sinker. It's the fall ratings season, and you can bet his nationally syndicated show got a huge hit from this week's incessant coverage of his reported attempt to buy a minority share of the St. Louis Rams.
Seriously, I doubt there was ever any real intent on becoming a football owner. Limbaugh makes too much money instigating near riots as it is. What was funny was the "main" stream media's reaction to his reported involvement. They flipped. Like he expected.
One guy from CNN went so far as to declare, "It's not fair to the black players in the league who don't want to play for a racist." He went on to whine about how players in the NFL are drafted, and, unlike other jobs, cannot select who they work for. In essence, he said, if the Rams drafted a black kid who thought Rush was a racist and who didn't feel like he should play for Limbaugh, the kid was just stuck. The CNN commentator made it sound just horrible to have to play for the NFL.
Aside from the obvious (i.e. how bad can it be to play in the NFL regardless of the circumstances? Oh wait, I forgot we were talking about the Rams), I'd like to point out to news cronies such as CNN that this concept is just not true. Players are not REQUIRED to play for the team that drafts them. They have every right to refuse to sign a contract and return to the amateur draft the next season. They are only obligated to sign with the team that drafts them that year until the team determines it will give up the rights to that player. For example, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech this season. He wanted more money, so he refused to sign with the team. All indications pointed to him actually sticking to his guns and re-entering the 2010 draft, until the 49ers anted up and paid the man.
The point is, the argument that players have to play for Limbaugh regardless of their personal opinion of the man is ridiculous. If he wanted to buy the team, he should have that right. Just like if the NFL owners wanted to deny him the right to purchase the team, they have that right. And just like his minority partners denied him the right to remain in the purchasing group once they realized he was in it for the attention.
Lovely how these things work themselves out.
Seriously, I doubt there was ever any real intent on becoming a football owner. Limbaugh makes too much money instigating near riots as it is. What was funny was the "main" stream media's reaction to his reported involvement. They flipped. Like he expected.
One guy from CNN went so far as to declare, "It's not fair to the black players in the league who don't want to play for a racist." He went on to whine about how players in the NFL are drafted, and, unlike other jobs, cannot select who they work for. In essence, he said, if the Rams drafted a black kid who thought Rush was a racist and who didn't feel like he should play for Limbaugh, the kid was just stuck. The CNN commentator made it sound just horrible to have to play for the NFL.
Aside from the obvious (i.e. how bad can it be to play in the NFL regardless of the circumstances? Oh wait, I forgot we were talking about the Rams), I'd like to point out to news cronies such as CNN that this concept is just not true. Players are not REQUIRED to play for the team that drafts them. They have every right to refuse to sign a contract and return to the amateur draft the next season. They are only obligated to sign with the team that drafts them that year until the team determines it will give up the rights to that player. For example, the San Francisco 49ers drafted Michael Crabtree from Texas Tech this season. He wanted more money, so he refused to sign with the team. All indications pointed to him actually sticking to his guns and re-entering the 2010 draft, until the 49ers anted up and paid the man.
The point is, the argument that players have to play for Limbaugh regardless of their personal opinion of the man is ridiculous. If he wanted to buy the team, he should have that right. Just like if the NFL owners wanted to deny him the right to purchase the team, they have that right. And just like his minority partners denied him the right to remain in the purchasing group once they realized he was in it for the attention.
Lovely how these things work themselves out.
Updates from TX OU
Heading to Dallas for Texas vs. OU this weekend. These 11am kickoffs are killer, mostly because I am not really a Bloody Mary drinker. So I guess burnt orange beer canned Bud Light with breakfast tacos it is. I plan to update continuously throughout the game - the closer it gets, the more sober I am. The bigger the blowout, the funnier the typing may be...stay tuned.
Mid Season Report
MID SEASON Report
Time to review the start of the 2009 college football season. Unlike the polls, I decided to wait until we’ve had a chance to review the results before analyzing which teams and players are leading the way through the first 7 weeks of the season. Mind you, next week we may have a slightly different view based on the large number of season changing games coming up this weekend.
First up, my Top 5 (cause honestly, who cares about the rest…)
1. Alabama – played the tougher schedule based on their win over Virginia Tech to open the season. They look the most complete at this point, but their inability to move the ball down the field on the deep pass will be their undoing against better defenses. The win at Ole Miss last weekend may be a bit overrated, considering how fast everyone’s preseason darling in Oxford has fallen.
2. Florida – I’m not sold on Tim Tebow (more on that later) but at this point, they are still undefeated, have won the biggest test on the road of any team this year, and still have those 11 returning starters on defense from the National Champions from 2008. Honestly, who doesn’t want a Florida vs Alabama SEC Championship game?
3. Texas – The questions will be answered this month with games against OU,
Missouri, and Oklahoma State. If the Horns find a running game to match their improved defense, and figure out why Colt McCoy keeps turning the ball over, they should find themselves matched up nicely to play Nebraska in the Big 12 title game with a BCS Championship birth on the line.
4. Iowa - I hate the Big 10, we all know this. However, this is an undefeated team from a legitimate conference with wins over teams from other big conferences. Granted they tried to lose to some FCS (formerly I-AA) schools a few times, but until they lose, they belong here. Assume the 3 teams above them all lose and Iowa finishes undefeated. They deserve the spot in the title game.
5. Virginia Tech – The best one loss team out there. Why? Because their loss came to the #1 team. Other than that, don’t expect much from the Hokies. Going forward, I anticipate a loss somewhere. Their win over Miami looks pretty good for now.
There are some obvious omissions here. First of all – where is USC and Ohio State? Where they belong, out of the top 10. USC beat Ohio State in Columbus (by the way, whatever happened to Ohio State not losing at home after dark?) then went to Washington and laid an egg. Conclusion? Both of these teams just aren’t that good. If their names were Notre Dame or Iowa, they’d be lagging outside the top 25.
Second – where is Cincinnatti? There has been heavy talk about the Bearkats running the table, winning the Big East, and getting a National Championship shot. Two thoughts here: 1) Based on how the BCS works, if Cinci runs the table and everyone else loses once, they absolutely HAVE to be in the title game. The Big East is still a BCS conference, and if voters refuse to acknowledge their unblemished season with a birth, the BCS would surely fall. 2) If Cinci runs the table and makes it into the BCS title game, it would be the worst thing to happen to college football since the great Auburn hosing of 2003. Cinci plays in the Big East. The weakest conference out there! The Mountain West boasts better teams than the Big East. You can rest assured BCS Conference commissioners are cheering for a loss from every team in the Big East as the season moves along (as are the head honchos at ESPN and ABC who will carry the BCS games this year).
Time to review the start of the 2009 college football season. Unlike the polls, I decided to wait until we’ve had a chance to review the results before analyzing which teams and players are leading the way through the first 7 weeks of the season. Mind you, next week we may have a slightly different view based on the large number of season changing games coming up this weekend.
First up, my Top 5 (cause honestly, who cares about the rest…)
1. Alabama – played the tougher schedule based on their win over Virginia Tech to open the season. They look the most complete at this point, but their inability to move the ball down the field on the deep pass will be their undoing against better defenses. The win at Ole Miss last weekend may be a bit overrated, considering how fast everyone’s preseason darling in Oxford has fallen.
2. Florida – I’m not sold on Tim Tebow (more on that later) but at this point, they are still undefeated, have won the biggest test on the road of any team this year, and still have those 11 returning starters on defense from the National Champions from 2008. Honestly, who doesn’t want a Florida vs Alabama SEC Championship game?
3. Texas – The questions will be answered this month with games against OU,
Missouri, and Oklahoma State. If the Horns find a running game to match their improved defense, and figure out why Colt McCoy keeps turning the ball over, they should find themselves matched up nicely to play Nebraska in the Big 12 title game with a BCS Championship birth on the line.
4. Iowa - I hate the Big 10, we all know this. However, this is an undefeated team from a legitimate conference with wins over teams from other big conferences. Granted they tried to lose to some FCS (formerly I-AA) schools a few times, but until they lose, they belong here. Assume the 3 teams above them all lose and Iowa finishes undefeated. They deserve the spot in the title game.
5. Virginia Tech – The best one loss team out there. Why? Because their loss came to the #1 team. Other than that, don’t expect much from the Hokies. Going forward, I anticipate a loss somewhere. Their win over Miami looks pretty good for now.
There are some obvious omissions here. First of all – where is USC and Ohio State? Where they belong, out of the top 10. USC beat Ohio State in Columbus (by the way, whatever happened to Ohio State not losing at home after dark?) then went to Washington and laid an egg. Conclusion? Both of these teams just aren’t that good. If their names were Notre Dame or Iowa, they’d be lagging outside the top 25.
Second – where is Cincinnatti? There has been heavy talk about the Bearkats running the table, winning the Big East, and getting a National Championship shot. Two thoughts here: 1) Based on how the BCS works, if Cinci runs the table and everyone else loses once, they absolutely HAVE to be in the title game. The Big East is still a BCS conference, and if voters refuse to acknowledge their unblemished season with a birth, the BCS would surely fall. 2) If Cinci runs the table and makes it into the BCS title game, it would be the worst thing to happen to college football since the great Auburn hosing of 2003. Cinci plays in the Big East. The weakest conference out there! The Mountain West boasts better teams than the Big East. You can rest assured BCS Conference commissioners are cheering for a loss from every team in the Big East as the season moves along (as are the head honchos at ESPN and ABC who will carry the BCS games this year).
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Players on the move...
Turn on ESPN and all you'll hear as we finish up the summer dog days is rumors about players in transition. Whose going where? What team will sign a felon? My recommendations and predictions for what makes the most sense...
Roy Halloday
Toronto needs to dump the salary of the game's best pitcher. The problem is, the Blue Jays are asking for too much. Let's put it this way - if they keep Halloday through his contract next year, they'll lose him and receive nothing but 2 conditional draft picks. At least trading now gives them options for some breakout stars, or at minimum folks who can help them in the future. My best bet would be Roy ends up in Boston. The Red Sox have balked at giving up on prospect Clay Bucholz, but the upside of Clay can't compare to the dominance established over the career of Halloday, and Sox GM Theo Epstein will recognize this before Friday's deadline.
Michael Vick
Roy Halloday
Toronto needs to dump the salary of the game's best pitcher. The problem is, the Blue Jays are asking for too much. Let's put it this way - if they keep Halloday through his contract next year, they'll lose him and receive nothing but 2 conditional draft picks. At least trading now gives them options for some breakout stars, or at minimum folks who can help them in the future. My best bet would be Roy ends up in Boston. The Red Sox have balked at giving up on prospect Clay Bucholz, but the upside of Clay can't compare to the dominance established over the career of Halloday, and Sox GM Theo Epstein will recognize this before Friday's deadline.
Michael Vick
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Rose Bowl bows to pressue
Not sure if this will mean anything, considering how inept the Pac-10 and Big 10 have been as of late, but the Rose Bowl has announced that beginning in 2010, any time the Rose Bowl loses one of their two automatic qualifiers (remember, the Rose Bowl has contracts to get Pac 10 and Big 10 Champions to play - assuming the Pac 10 or Big 10 Champ is not in the BCS National Championship Game), a team from a non-automatic BCS conference (ACC, Big 12, Big 10, SEC, Pac 10, Big East) will automatically get into the Rose Bowl.
For example - if USC goes undefeated next year, they will obviously not play in the Rose Bowl Game on New Years Day. Say TCU finishes undefeated and becomes the BCS buster of 2009. TCU gets the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl to play whoever the Big 10 champion will be.
In that specific matchup - I like TCU.
For example - if USC goes undefeated next year, they will obviously not play in the Rose Bowl Game on New Years Day. Say TCU finishes undefeated and becomes the BCS buster of 2009. TCU gets the automatic bid to the Rose Bowl to play whoever the Big 10 champion will be.
In that specific matchup - I like TCU.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Injustice For All
I usually don't re-read posts. But I was pretty upset to notice that last year during the college football season I failed to portray the final battles between Texas, OU, and Texas Tech. It's clear where my loyalties lie, however, so no need to rehash (stupid Sooners).
However, as Big 12 Media Day approaches this coming Monday, the preseason all Big 12 selections have been released. Noticeably missing? Texas WR Jordan Shipley. I'm not sure if you recall (as clearly the media doesn't) but this is an All American honoree from last year's team coming back. I don't agree with the call for Bradford as QB, but I can hardly argue - right or wrong the dude won the Heisman last year. But slighting Shipley seems silly to me.
On a side note - how funny was it that Steve Spurrier didn't pick Florida's Tim Tebow as the best QB in the SEC in the preseason selections. I was only disappointed that The Old Ball Coach didn't stick to his guns and instead blamed his Sports Information Director for making the pick for him. Personally, I think Tebow is an above average QB at best, surrounded by the best talent in the country at Florida. Put him at Mississippi, and he'd be no better than, say, Jevan Snead.
Speaking of Sports Information Directors, ESPN's Pat Forde brought up a good point - if Spurrier isn't checking to see who his SID is voting for in the preseason All Conference selections, whose to say other coaches are paying attention to their SID's choices for the Coaches Top 25 (33% of the BCS formula) during the season? I've long been a supporter of the BCS, but having coaches vote seems silly. Personal alignments, firings, recruiting wars - all of these and other factors can play into a coaches decision to select one team over another. In an age where 1 or 2 votes can matter in determining BCS National Championship participants (ask Texas), it seems strange to allow these conflicts to interfere with the process. Of course, the AP and Harris voters are no better - the state of Oklahoma had 95% of their AP voters vote OU ahead of Texas last year, while Texas had 97% of it's AP representatives vote for the Longhorns. The Harris pollers? A voter for the poll answered a question during the Sooner / Longhorn debate last year by saying that it didn't matter who he put 2 or 3, because Penn State was still undefeated, right? Um, the Lions had lost to Iowa weeks earlier...
The point is - fix the system, don't throw it out. Get us a smaller sampling of voters. Eliminate coaches votes or make them public so as those voting are held accountable. Find a selection committee (like they use for the NCAA basketball and baseball tournaments) to pick 2 logical choices. With this system, someone will ALWAYS get screwed (unless you get Texas vs. USC 2005). Still, this is better than it was BBCS (before the BCS) and still allows us to remain passionate and glued to our televisions throughout the year. Every game matters. Keep it that way.
However, as Big 12 Media Day approaches this coming Monday, the preseason all Big 12 selections have been released. Noticeably missing? Texas WR Jordan Shipley. I'm not sure if you recall (as clearly the media doesn't) but this is an All American honoree from last year's team coming back. I don't agree with the call for Bradford as QB, but I can hardly argue - right or wrong the dude won the Heisman last year. But slighting Shipley seems silly to me.
On a side note - how funny was it that Steve Spurrier didn't pick Florida's Tim Tebow as the best QB in the SEC in the preseason selections. I was only disappointed that The Old Ball Coach didn't stick to his guns and instead blamed his Sports Information Director for making the pick for him. Personally, I think Tebow is an above average QB at best, surrounded by the best talent in the country at Florida. Put him at Mississippi, and he'd be no better than, say, Jevan Snead.
Speaking of Sports Information Directors, ESPN's Pat Forde brought up a good point - if Spurrier isn't checking to see who his SID is voting for in the preseason All Conference selections, whose to say other coaches are paying attention to their SID's choices for the Coaches Top 25 (33% of the BCS formula) during the season? I've long been a supporter of the BCS, but having coaches vote seems silly. Personal alignments, firings, recruiting wars - all of these and other factors can play into a coaches decision to select one team over another. In an age where 1 or 2 votes can matter in determining BCS National Championship participants (ask Texas), it seems strange to allow these conflicts to interfere with the process. Of course, the AP and Harris voters are no better - the state of Oklahoma had 95% of their AP voters vote OU ahead of Texas last year, while Texas had 97% of it's AP representatives vote for the Longhorns. The Harris pollers? A voter for the poll answered a question during the Sooner / Longhorn debate last year by saying that it didn't matter who he put 2 or 3, because Penn State was still undefeated, right? Um, the Lions had lost to Iowa weeks earlier...
The point is - fix the system, don't throw it out. Get us a smaller sampling of voters. Eliminate coaches votes or make them public so as those voting are held accountable. Find a selection committee (like they use for the NCAA basketball and baseball tournaments) to pick 2 logical choices. With this system, someone will ALWAYS get screwed (unless you get Texas vs. USC 2005). Still, this is better than it was BBCS (before the BCS) and still allows us to remain passionate and glued to our televisions throughout the year. Every game matters. Keep it that way.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Worst Dallas cop ever?
Dallas Police Office Robert Powell announced today he is resigning his current position with DPD following his now well documented encounter with Houston Texans RB Ryan Moats and his wife at a Plano hospital during Moats's mother-in-law's final living moments. Unless you live under a rock, you know the story of Powell's inexcusable actions, where following the Moats' running of red light, Powell refused to allow Ryan into the hospital to be at his mother-in-law's bed during her dying moments.
There are real issues yet to be addressed here, primarily the mistake made in Powell's resignation. Surely, Powell made a huge mistake, and acted in a way not befitting police officers and public servants. Following the incident, Americans and media have laid an outpouring of scorn for this 25 year old officer and his actions. Most called for Dallas Police to fire the 3 year veteran of the force. Even the Dallas police chief, himself a man of little integrity and questionable decision making, acknowledged the actions of Powell made him sick. Remember, the decision making of the Dallas Chief has been in question ever since he outlawed the chasing of fugitives in the Dallas area. Yes, you read that right, our police Chief thinks chasing felon fugitives by police officers is a tactic out of date with community policing. He insists criminals will be found during routine policing, hoping to catch criminals with outstanding warrants in trivial matters such as jaywalking, speeding, or, say running a red light.
But what most people miss here is the learning opportunity this situation created. And no, I am not talking about the learning opportunity for other police officers to understand how to deal with unusual situations like the one Powell and Moats were in. Powell has done nothing but show remorse for his actions since the incident. He has apologized publicly and to the Moats for his disturbing behavior. He has not shied away from the media, nor has he attempted to put the blame for his mistake on someone or something besides himself.
Many people sympathetic to Powell and police officers have claimed the situation escalated based on the training and experiences that many officers encounter - Powell never once excused his actions in the public eye by claiming officer training limited his options. He could have easily argued that a black male driving an upscale SUV in the Dallas area late at night would raise any officer's warning flag. He could have argued that he had no idea about the situation regarding the family death, and that training demands officers assume the worse in order to protect themselves as well as the public. He could have argued that Moats was in fact uncooperative during early questioning, thus raising his alertness level more so. He made none of these excuses, instead he simply stated his actions were wrong, his behavior was wrong, and expressed his regret.
Should DPD have suspended him, docked him pay, made it difficult for him to continue his current rise on the force? Absolutely? Should the public outcry be reason enough to remove a young officer who clearly made a huge mistake from working in one of the most difficult jobs available? Doubtful. The opportunity here existed for a young man to show real character. As they say, character is defined by how one responds when mistakes are made. Mistakes present opportunity to make a person a better man. Powell will miss this chance. He's made a mistake. He's apologized for his mistake. The question now: has his resignation prevented him and the city of Dallas from learning from his mistake?
And will Ryan Moats learn from HIS mistake? There is enormous pressure on a family when a relative is dying. Perhaps next time, the Moats will think twice before running a red light - saving those 60 seconds between red and green ended up costing Moats 16 minutes. Of course, no one wants to talk about his lack of judgment, because then we wouldn't have the opportunity to blast our public servants.
Here's hoping someone gives Officer Powell and his family a chance at the redemption he has shown he deserves.
There are real issues yet to be addressed here, primarily the mistake made in Powell's resignation. Surely, Powell made a huge mistake, and acted in a way not befitting police officers and public servants. Following the incident, Americans and media have laid an outpouring of scorn for this 25 year old officer and his actions. Most called for Dallas Police to fire the 3 year veteran of the force. Even the Dallas police chief, himself a man of little integrity and questionable decision making, acknowledged the actions of Powell made him sick. Remember, the decision making of the Dallas Chief has been in question ever since he outlawed the chasing of fugitives in the Dallas area. Yes, you read that right, our police Chief thinks chasing felon fugitives by police officers is a tactic out of date with community policing. He insists criminals will be found during routine policing, hoping to catch criminals with outstanding warrants in trivial matters such as jaywalking, speeding, or, say running a red light.
But what most people miss here is the learning opportunity this situation created. And no, I am not talking about the learning opportunity for other police officers to understand how to deal with unusual situations like the one Powell and Moats were in. Powell has done nothing but show remorse for his actions since the incident. He has apologized publicly and to the Moats for his disturbing behavior. He has not shied away from the media, nor has he attempted to put the blame for his mistake on someone or something besides himself.
Many people sympathetic to Powell and police officers have claimed the situation escalated based on the training and experiences that many officers encounter - Powell never once excused his actions in the public eye by claiming officer training limited his options. He could have easily argued that a black male driving an upscale SUV in the Dallas area late at night would raise any officer's warning flag. He could have argued that he had no idea about the situation regarding the family death, and that training demands officers assume the worse in order to protect themselves as well as the public. He could have argued that Moats was in fact uncooperative during early questioning, thus raising his alertness level more so. He made none of these excuses, instead he simply stated his actions were wrong, his behavior was wrong, and expressed his regret.
Should DPD have suspended him, docked him pay, made it difficult for him to continue his current rise on the force? Absolutely? Should the public outcry be reason enough to remove a young officer who clearly made a huge mistake from working in one of the most difficult jobs available? Doubtful. The opportunity here existed for a young man to show real character. As they say, character is defined by how one responds when mistakes are made. Mistakes present opportunity to make a person a better man. Powell will miss this chance. He's made a mistake. He's apologized for his mistake. The question now: has his resignation prevented him and the city of Dallas from learning from his mistake?
And will Ryan Moats learn from HIS mistake? There is enormous pressure on a family when a relative is dying. Perhaps next time, the Moats will think twice before running a red light - saving those 60 seconds between red and green ended up costing Moats 16 minutes. Of course, no one wants to talk about his lack of judgment, because then we wouldn't have the opportunity to blast our public servants.
Here's hoping someone gives Officer Powell and his family a chance at the redemption he has shown he deserves.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tiger. Oh my.
I spent last night in a great battle with my index finger in helping me work to change my tevelision channels. I ran some stupid event called a MudRun and was completely sapped of energy. Knowing full well that a great Sunday of sports awaited me, I finally made it home in time to catch the end of OU getting blasted by UNC, to see Jimmie Johnson grow a set and move someone out of the way to win a NASCAR race, and most importantly to be reminded of the greatness that is Tiger Woods.
Admittedly, I wasn't able to catch NBC's entire final round coverage of the Bay Hill Invitational. In fact, I tuned in prior to Tiger and Sean O'Hare's second shots on 18. As soon as I saw the leaderboard with Tiger tied with O'Hare on top, I knew I'd see history shortly. In fact, if my DVR hadn't been replaced, I simply could have watched last year's final hole at Bay Hill all over again. Same scenario, same outcome. Tiger approaches a final putt with the chance to win it, and he sinks a knee buckler. Unbelievable.
With his 5 stroke come from behind victory yesterday, Tiger reclaims (did he really lose it, knee injury be dammed?) his rightful place as the favorite heading into next weekend's Masters. I'm interested to see how his rivals (I know, I know, what rivals) react to the fact that Tiger is back.
I've also noticed that the world has been hit hardest by the recession in the last few months since Tiger's absence. Does he return signify a jump in the US economy? Not if today's 300 point Dow slide has anything to say about it...
Admittedly, I wasn't able to catch NBC's entire final round coverage of the Bay Hill Invitational. In fact, I tuned in prior to Tiger and Sean O'Hare's second shots on 18. As soon as I saw the leaderboard with Tiger tied with O'Hare on top, I knew I'd see history shortly. In fact, if my DVR hadn't been replaced, I simply could have watched last year's final hole at Bay Hill all over again. Same scenario, same outcome. Tiger approaches a final putt with the chance to win it, and he sinks a knee buckler. Unbelievable.
With his 5 stroke come from behind victory yesterday, Tiger reclaims (did he really lose it, knee injury be dammed?) his rightful place as the favorite heading into next weekend's Masters. I'm interested to see how his rivals (I know, I know, what rivals) react to the fact that Tiger is back.
I've also noticed that the world has been hit hardest by the recession in the last few months since Tiger's absence. Does he return signify a jump in the US economy? Not if today's 300 point Dow slide has anything to say about it...
Saturday, March 21, 2009
A bit of College Football in March
Joe Schad of ESPN lure just put his top 10 onto SportsCenter. As of now, I've not seen his top 5, but #6 made me sit up. Ohio State. Really? Who have they beat in the last 3 years to warrant a high ranking? Gimme a break - who is Jim Tressel banging to get his team constantly recognized as a top 10 team?
Friday, March 20, 2009
Shows what I know - re: earlier post
Drag your page down - you can see my post regarding BORE-ing NCAA tourney. Well CBS just gift wrapped us a great 30 minute span with Sienna vs. Ohio State and Wisonsin vs. Florida State both going OT and coming down to the final 5 seconds. What a great two games! And to boot, the final two games of days one and two to save my faith in the greatness that is the NCAA tourney! Awesome. Awesome.
And PS - Dear Ohio State - maybe you should guard that really short guy from Sienna...2 threes in 2 separate overtimes to win the game? - Dear Florida State - close the deal, you were up 13. Finish. Finish.
By the way, my bracket is 25-7. Upset picks I got right: Arizona and Cleveland State. Games I missed: Wisconsin, LSU, Marquette, BYU, Dayton, Sienna, Maryland.
15 of my 16 remain for the Sweet 16 (only missing Florida State. Stupid Seminoles)
And PS - Dear Ohio State - maybe you should guard that really short guy from Sienna...2 threes in 2 separate overtimes to win the game? - Dear Florida State - close the deal, you were up 13. Finish. Finish.
By the way, my bracket is 25-7. Upset picks I got right: Arizona and Cleveland State. Games I missed: Wisconsin, LSU, Marquette, BYU, Dayton, Sienna, Maryland.
15 of my 16 remain for the Sweet 16 (only missing Florida State. Stupid Seminoles)
How can Texas beat Duke>?
For Texas to stand a chance against Duke, the Horns will need the inside out game to be performing at optimal levels with AJ Abrams and Dexter Pittman. Abrams will need to hit every open shot he gets, because you can bet Coach K will ensure the Dukies won't give him too many. Pittman, whose become a beast inside over the last few weeks, will need to be patient against what will likely be some sort of zone defense from the Blue Devils. Pittman, while showing signs of dominance, is still a subpar passer out of the post, and looks flustered and panicked when double teamed down low. He'll need to figure out how to step through the double teams and collapsing D to find the open shooters.
Two key factors that you might not think about - can Dogus Balbay and Varez Ward handle the pressure Duke will apply all game long? If the two headed point guard combo can protect the ball and get Texas into their offense, the Horns might have a chance. If they turn the ball over and get the Devils running, look out. The other factor - can someone from Texas stretch the D with outside shooting? Thursday night it was Damion James hitting a couple of threes to stretch Minnesota across the court, opening the lane for Ward drives and Pittman posts. Preferably, I'd like to see Connor Atchley show his form from last year with some three point bangers. In all liklihood, Duke will put lanky Kyle Singler on Damion James. James should take his off the dribble and attack the basket, letting Connor take the open outside shots while the Dukies work to close out.
If all of those things go well, Texas should win. Of course, I certainly don't expect all of those things to go well. Texas has been too inconsistant this season - but so has Duke.
Prediction (a Duke win) Duke 88 Texas 72
Prediction (a Texas win) Texas 79 Duke 74
My guess - Texas.
Two key factors that you might not think about - can Dogus Balbay and Varez Ward handle the pressure Duke will apply all game long? If the two headed point guard combo can protect the ball and get Texas into their offense, the Horns might have a chance. If they turn the ball over and get the Devils running, look out. The other factor - can someone from Texas stretch the D with outside shooting? Thursday night it was Damion James hitting a couple of threes to stretch Minnesota across the court, opening the lane for Ward drives and Pittman posts. Preferably, I'd like to see Connor Atchley show his form from last year with some three point bangers. In all liklihood, Duke will put lanky Kyle Singler on Damion James. James should take his off the dribble and attack the basket, letting Connor take the open outside shots while the Dukies work to close out.
If all of those things go well, Texas should win. Of course, I certainly don't expect all of those things to go well. Texas has been too inconsistant this season - but so has Duke.
Prediction (a Duke win) Duke 88 Texas 72
Prediction (a Texas win) Texas 79 Duke 74
My guess - Texas.
BORE-ing Tournament
What a lame first two days of the NCAA tourney this has been. The "upsets" have been lower seeded beating higher ranked foes, sure, but where are the stunners? Certainly #12 Arizona beating #5 Utah classified based on the seedings, but the reality is Utah shouldn't go home TOO surprised. Arizona is clearly a quality opponent.
Western Kentucky's win over Illinois should come as little surprise, because you're talking about a team full of NCAA tourney experience. Michigan as a #10 can hardly be considered a shocker to a Clemson team that entered the tourney stumbling over their own feet, losing 5 of their last 9 games. Maryland, another #10 seed who knocked off 7 seeded California, weathered the ACC this season to build up the strength to take out a team from the pathetic Pac 10.
The closest thing thus far to a stunner would be Dayton knocking off West Virginia, if only because WVU came from the vaunted Big East. As we start the 2nd half of Friday's last games, here's hoping Cleveland State can hold on against Wake Forest to give us our Cindarella story of 2009. If not, we may have to hang our hopes on a deep run by a lower seed on the Arizona Wildcats. Considering this is a team playing in its 26th consecutive NCAA tournament, I'd hardly expect a plethora of Cinarella bandwagoners to jump on board the Wildcat Wagon.
Beyond upsets, we've yet to see the buzzer beater. We had a few chances in Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee (a wildly entertaining game that was a final shot away from being an instant classic) and Clemson vs. Michigan, but both games ended on shots that were barely a prayer, with no real drama as to the outcome of the shot. The game of the first two days thus far has been VCU's heartbreaking loss to UCLA, where after making an amazing comeback in the waning moments, the Rams all everything Erik Maynor (he of knocking Duke outta the first round in 2007) came up just short on a last second jumper that would have sent the Bruins home to LA.
Instead, we'll have to hope for some kind of stunner in the next few days...Does Texas knocking off Duke tomorrow night count?
Western Kentucky's win over Illinois should come as little surprise, because you're talking about a team full of NCAA tourney experience. Michigan as a #10 can hardly be considered a shocker to a Clemson team that entered the tourney stumbling over their own feet, losing 5 of their last 9 games. Maryland, another #10 seed who knocked off 7 seeded California, weathered the ACC this season to build up the strength to take out a team from the pathetic Pac 10.
The closest thing thus far to a stunner would be Dayton knocking off West Virginia, if only because WVU came from the vaunted Big East. As we start the 2nd half of Friday's last games, here's hoping Cleveland State can hold on against Wake Forest to give us our Cindarella story of 2009. If not, we may have to hang our hopes on a deep run by a lower seed on the Arizona Wildcats. Considering this is a team playing in its 26th consecutive NCAA tournament, I'd hardly expect a plethora of Cinarella bandwagoners to jump on board the Wildcat Wagon.
Beyond upsets, we've yet to see the buzzer beater. We had a few chances in Oklahoma State vs. Tennessee (a wildly entertaining game that was a final shot away from being an instant classic) and Clemson vs. Michigan, but both games ended on shots that were barely a prayer, with no real drama as to the outcome of the shot. The game of the first two days thus far has been VCU's heartbreaking loss to UCLA, where after making an amazing comeback in the waning moments, the Rams all everything Erik Maynor (he of knocking Duke outta the first round in 2007) came up just short on a last second jumper that would have sent the Bruins home to LA.
Instead, we'll have to hope for some kind of stunner in the next few days...Does Texas knocking off Duke tomorrow night count?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
A bit about Race and Sports
Liberal media bias permeates the fabric of our sports world. This fact is something we’ve come to accept. What I refuse to accept is the idea that the general population’s election of Barack Obama has given the national media free reign to bash university and college administrators in their sports coaches hiring processes.
The argument national media makes has been consistent for the last few years, especially in regards to NCAA Division I football. Basically, the argument goes that college and university Presidents are all racist, and refuse to hire African American coaches to run their big time football programs. This past year alone, Turner Gill became the new Martyr of Black Coaches when white coaches “leapfrogged” him for some high profile jobs (notably Auburn, Washington, Tennessee). Especially infuriating to the press was Auburn’s choice to bring Gene Chizik in as head coach after 2 miserable years at Iowa State. Whether Auburn will be vindicated for bringing Chizik home or not will take a few years to play out, but I’m hear to announce, “Enough of the bitching!”
Simply put, the media takes the issue of race to the opposite extreme in perpetuating racism in this country, and sports has finally joined in the fray. For too long, people have worked hard to avoid “offending” minorities by being political correct and “sensitive” to the plight of the black man. Affirmative action became commonplace around 15 years ago in many states as well as on University campuses nationwide. You rarely find someone willing to venture out on a limb to criticize blacks for fear of being called a racist. Rush Limbaugh was fired from ESPN for making the statement that Donovan McNabb received unfair credit for the success of the Philadelphia Eagles because he was black (Limbaugh explained the credit belonged to the defense). Whether the statement held truth or opened dialog, ESPN feared the backlash such a “controversial” statement might bring, and forced Limbaugh’s resignation. The University of Texas is threatening to end varsity sports because a state law requires that a student who finishes in the top 10% of his senior class can attend any state school he chooses. This law is adamantly supported by the likes of the NAACP and other minority interest groups because it allows, in theory, minorities access into a top public institution. In reality, the school acknowledges that over 85% of all incoming freshman are admitted based on this law – leaving well deserving, well rounded individuals heading to Lubbock, College Station, Dallas, and well, not Austin. The President warns this could include football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, and other athletes in the near future.
Let’s look at the college football landscape specifically. Turner Gill may have had a successful season at Buffalo (7-5) last year. Certainly the turnaround Gill led should be admired. But does that qualify him to be a big time college football coach? Not sure. The real question – should race play a role at all? The media would have you believe they say, “No.” But what they are really saying is, “No, so long as you hire more black coaches.”
You see, anytime you use race as a factor in determining a hire, you are being inherently racist. By giving the benefit of doubt to a black head coach candidate, you automatically assume he is more qualified for the job than a white counterpart. Is it the job of Athletic Directors to push social justice? Not really – it’s their job to build successful football programs. This means hire the person they feel would be most successful in their current open position, REGARDLESS of race. When I say regardless of race, I mean regardless of whether the candidates are white or black. ESPN talking heads arguing that the NCAA needs to do something to get more black coaches hired is simply instituting a racist tinge on every major program hire.
Look at the flip side argument. Would you call me a racist if I said that 75% of all college scholarships for basketball should go to white players? I mean, the population in this country is 75% Anglo, so it makes sense this number would equate on the basketball court for scholarship offers, right? No – this is ridiculous. Universities and coaches work their hardest to get the best players for their programs, regardless of race. Why can’t administrators do the same without media crying foul? If you accept that black athletes make better basketball players than whites, then you can’t cry foul when people claim white coaches coach better than blacks. You’ve set a double standard whereby it’s OK to be racist against whites on the field of play, but certainly not OK to be racist against blacks off it.
I’m not saying it’s OK to select coaches based on the fact that white coaches are better suited for success than blacks. That’s stupid. Ask Mike Tomlin and the Steelers if they think a black man can be a successful head football coach. I’m saying, stop bitching about University selections of coaches because schools refuse to buy into your media bias toward social justice. Hiring a black coach instead of a white coach simply because a coach is black is as racist as refusing to hire a black coach at all.
The argument national media makes has been consistent for the last few years, especially in regards to NCAA Division I football. Basically, the argument goes that college and university Presidents are all racist, and refuse to hire African American coaches to run their big time football programs. This past year alone, Turner Gill became the new Martyr of Black Coaches when white coaches “leapfrogged” him for some high profile jobs (notably Auburn, Washington, Tennessee). Especially infuriating to the press was Auburn’s choice to bring Gene Chizik in as head coach after 2 miserable years at Iowa State. Whether Auburn will be vindicated for bringing Chizik home or not will take a few years to play out, but I’m hear to announce, “Enough of the bitching!”
Simply put, the media takes the issue of race to the opposite extreme in perpetuating racism in this country, and sports has finally joined in the fray. For too long, people have worked hard to avoid “offending” minorities by being political correct and “sensitive” to the plight of the black man. Affirmative action became commonplace around 15 years ago in many states as well as on University campuses nationwide. You rarely find someone willing to venture out on a limb to criticize blacks for fear of being called a racist. Rush Limbaugh was fired from ESPN for making the statement that Donovan McNabb received unfair credit for the success of the Philadelphia Eagles because he was black (Limbaugh explained the credit belonged to the defense). Whether the statement held truth or opened dialog, ESPN feared the backlash such a “controversial” statement might bring, and forced Limbaugh’s resignation. The University of Texas is threatening to end varsity sports because a state law requires that a student who finishes in the top 10% of his senior class can attend any state school he chooses. This law is adamantly supported by the likes of the NAACP and other minority interest groups because it allows, in theory, minorities access into a top public institution. In reality, the school acknowledges that over 85% of all incoming freshman are admitted based on this law – leaving well deserving, well rounded individuals heading to Lubbock, College Station, Dallas, and well, not Austin. The President warns this could include football, basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball, soccer, and other athletes in the near future.
Let’s look at the college football landscape specifically. Turner Gill may have had a successful season at Buffalo (7-5) last year. Certainly the turnaround Gill led should be admired. But does that qualify him to be a big time college football coach? Not sure. The real question – should race play a role at all? The media would have you believe they say, “No.” But what they are really saying is, “No, so long as you hire more black coaches.”
You see, anytime you use race as a factor in determining a hire, you are being inherently racist. By giving the benefit of doubt to a black head coach candidate, you automatically assume he is more qualified for the job than a white counterpart. Is it the job of Athletic Directors to push social justice? Not really – it’s their job to build successful football programs. This means hire the person they feel would be most successful in their current open position, REGARDLESS of race. When I say regardless of race, I mean regardless of whether the candidates are white or black. ESPN talking heads arguing that the NCAA needs to do something to get more black coaches hired is simply instituting a racist tinge on every major program hire.
Look at the flip side argument. Would you call me a racist if I said that 75% of all college scholarships for basketball should go to white players? I mean, the population in this country is 75% Anglo, so it makes sense this number would equate on the basketball court for scholarship offers, right? No – this is ridiculous. Universities and coaches work their hardest to get the best players for their programs, regardless of race. Why can’t administrators do the same without media crying foul? If you accept that black athletes make better basketball players than whites, then you can’t cry foul when people claim white coaches coach better than blacks. You’ve set a double standard whereby it’s OK to be racist against whites on the field of play, but certainly not OK to be racist against blacks off it.
I’m not saying it’s OK to select coaches based on the fact that white coaches are better suited for success than blacks. That’s stupid. Ask Mike Tomlin and the Steelers if they think a black man can be a successful head football coach. I’m saying, stop bitching about University selections of coaches because schools refuse to buy into your media bias toward social justice. Hiring a black coach instead of a white coach simply because a coach is black is as racist as refusing to hire a black coach at all.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Bye Bye T.O. - what now for Dallas? And where does he go?
What now for Dallas?
Will Jerry go out and get another receiver to go with Roy Williams, or does he plan to ride the momentum carried by Sam Herd and Miles Austin from last year. What momentum? Well, both ended the season strong. Austin showed flashes of the deep, speed threat Dallas has longed for. Herd showed a willingness to be a reliable over the middle possession receiver. What about Patrick Creighton? Cut him. He's T.O.'s lapdog, and someone convinced him his game is better than it is. News flash Patrick - your 40 receptions are year are compliments of Jason Witten and the recently cut T.O. - not your stunning talent. I propose we let the young kids do what they can to crack the rotation. And give Williams the chance he's yet to get since coming out of Texas - be the #1 receiver for a team with legitimate talent around him.
What about Owens?
My best guess is he will wind up in New Orleans or Washington. Washington owner Dan Snyder has proven he has no problem bringing in questionable character guys who can produce (or not, in some cases). The Redskins need a big play threat - whether Owens at 35 fits the bill or not remains to be seen. A better fit would be New Orleans: a team with a strong QB and coach with plenty of weapons already in place, where T.O. can be a final piece for an already potent offensive attach. Brees and Company pass more than any team in the league, so Owen's penchant for getting pissed that he's not getting the ball may be averted. My guess? He'll end up in Oakland with Al Davis. Good riddance.
Will Jerry go out and get another receiver to go with Roy Williams, or does he plan to ride the momentum carried by Sam Herd and Miles Austin from last year. What momentum? Well, both ended the season strong. Austin showed flashes of the deep, speed threat Dallas has longed for. Herd showed a willingness to be a reliable over the middle possession receiver. What about Patrick Creighton? Cut him. He's T.O.'s lapdog, and someone convinced him his game is better than it is. News flash Patrick - your 40 receptions are year are compliments of Jason Witten and the recently cut T.O. - not your stunning talent. I propose we let the young kids do what they can to crack the rotation. And give Williams the chance he's yet to get since coming out of Texas - be the #1 receiver for a team with legitimate talent around him.
What about Owens?
My best guess is he will wind up in New Orleans or Washington. Washington owner Dan Snyder has proven he has no problem bringing in questionable character guys who can produce (or not, in some cases). The Redskins need a big play threat - whether Owens at 35 fits the bill or not remains to be seen. A better fit would be New Orleans: a team with a strong QB and coach with plenty of weapons already in place, where T.O. can be a final piece for an already potent offensive attach. Brees and Company pass more than any team in the league, so Owen's penchant for getting pissed that he's not getting the ball may be averted. My guess? He'll end up in Oakland with Al Davis. Good riddance.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
The Key to Texas Basketball
Watching the UT vs Texas Tech basketball game brings a thought to my simple mind. The key to the success of the Longhorns this year lies in the hands of a Turkish point guard, my new favorite player Dogus Balbay. Since being inserted into the starting lineup 4 games ago, Dogus has led Texas in assists while leading the Horns to a 3-1 record. In the Horns likely Tournament sealing win over Oklahoma last Saturday, Balbay came close to recording just the 2nd triple double in UT history. His ability to drive the lane and finish at the rim or dish out to the Texas shooters helps mask a glaring weakness opponents had exposed against Texas all season - Texas's lack of a ball handling play maker.
Rick Barnes' career in Austin has been highlighted by good to stellar point guard play (TJ Ford, Daniel Gibson, DJ Augustin), but this season has exposed Barnes' inability to actually coach a workable offense. Ever since his arrival in Austin, Barnes has allowed his PGs to run a pick and roll offense, designed to allow uniquely talented players to get to the rim, dish off to cutting wing players, or kick out to spot up shooters. Motion offense describes Colt McCoy's Longhorns football team more than than UT's hoops squad.
Ignoring the one year Kevin Durant spent at the 40 acres, Barnes has been unable or unwilling to alter his offensive philosophy. For the most part of this year, this hurt Texas, as neither AJ Abrams nor Justin Mason seemed to be willing or able to get into the paint off the dribble. Dogus Balbay has brought this part of the Texas offense to life: in addition to Balbay's improved play, Abrams (the Big 12's career leader in 3 pointers made) has seen his points per game increase, as has winger Damion James (a player who has become a wing oriented player this season). If Texas is to succeed and advance in either the Big 12 or NCAA tournament, their hopes fall upon the shoulders of Turkish bred Dogus Balbay. So far, so good.
Rick Barnes' career in Austin has been highlighted by good to stellar point guard play (TJ Ford, Daniel Gibson, DJ Augustin), but this season has exposed Barnes' inability to actually coach a workable offense. Ever since his arrival in Austin, Barnes has allowed his PGs to run a pick and roll offense, designed to allow uniquely talented players to get to the rim, dish off to cutting wing players, or kick out to spot up shooters. Motion offense describes Colt McCoy's Longhorns football team more than than UT's hoops squad.
Ignoring the one year Kevin Durant spent at the 40 acres, Barnes has been unable or unwilling to alter his offensive philosophy. For the most part of this year, this hurt Texas, as neither AJ Abrams nor Justin Mason seemed to be willing or able to get into the paint off the dribble. Dogus Balbay has brought this part of the Texas offense to life: in addition to Balbay's improved play, Abrams (the Big 12's career leader in 3 pointers made) has seen his points per game increase, as has winger Damion James (a player who has become a wing oriented player this season). If Texas is to succeed and advance in either the Big 12 or NCAA tournament, their hopes fall upon the shoulders of Turkish bred Dogus Balbay. So far, so good.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Harrison
Thank you to the Indianapolis Colts - the Cowboys now have the right to cut T.O. Bring in Marvin Harrison to compliment Roy Williams, and you've got a great combo for Dallas QB Tony Romo. Harrison, while not the stud he was a few years ago, can still get open over the middle. Remember, this is a guy who caught 60 balls last year coming off a major surgery in 2007. You could see he wasn't up his same old breakaway self, but what Romo needs is a reliable 2nd option as a check down or over the middle receiver. Tight end Jason Witten cannot be the only player willing to go over the middle for Romo's outlet. Harrison can fill that void better than any of the Cowboys current receivers, and certainly better than anything Jerry Jones and CO. could get in the 2009 draft. With Williams the homerun hitter and Harrison the reliable possession receiver, the Cowboys might regain some of their offensive firepower that failed them down the stretch. And at little cost to the future of the team (in essence, Harrison will become a free agent as early as tomorrow, and thus those with money are in the running), the Cowboys could shoulder the various risks involved in signing a 36 year old wide receiver. Certainly, Harrison would allow Jones to feel more comfortable in dumping T.O.
Grow a sack Jerry. Get this done.
Grow a sack Jerry. Get this done.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Where ya been?
5 months? Has it been that long? I wish I had a great excuse for failing to log on and post some ideas about the world of sports over the last few months, but truth be told, there exists no such thing. Of course, if you count laziness as an acceptable excuse, then sign me up for being excused!
So let’s look at the plethora of relevant things that have occurred since October 17, 2008.
Florida wins the BCS Championship
Despite vigorous and legitimate complaints from
Arizona validates the college BCS system and Steelers win the Super Bowl
Less than a month after the controversy of this season’s BCS mess, the Arizona Cardinals helped provide reason to keep the messed up college system in place. The Cardinals finished the regular season at 9-7 and by winning a weak division slipped into the NFL’s postseason (by contrast, the New England Patriots missed the playoffs after finishing the year 11-5 in the toughest division). Following 3 upsets, the Cardinals made it to Super Bowl 42, where they lost a narrow decision to Big Ben and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Had this happened in college football with proposed 8 team playoffs, the ACC champion Virginia Tech Hokies could have played for the national championship with a 9-4 record. While my Longhorns got screwed this year, and Georgia last year, and Auburn in 2004, the system we have currently in place in college football at least presents a championship game between top teams from the regular season. This system contributes to the excitement and debate of the 15 weeks of regular season college football.
A Rod takes Roids
How was this for the “Well, DUH!” story of the year. I hoped A-Roid was going to break Barry Bonds record for all time homeruns as a clean hitter to give some credibility to the sport, but no luck. I can’t say this surprised me though. Personally, at this point, it seems clear that just about everyone in the late 90s and early 2000s was taking some kind of performance enhancer. As such, the records should stand. Who’s the say Roger Clemens’s steroids for pithching didn’t make his matchup with juiced up Bonds and A-Fraud on par with the spirit of a level playing field?
The Cowboys miss the playoffs
The NFL’s biggest disappointment?
Brad Lidge breaks Astros fans hearts in World Series
Was it me or did the Tampa Bay Rays vs. Philadelphia Phillies look like an intrasquad scrimmage from the 2005 Houston Astros spring training? How many of those random scrub utility white guys did
Nate Robinson dunks on Superman
Normally I’m no fan of the dunk contest. Dwight Howard rekindled my flame for the showcase at last year’s event, and this season’s showdown between Howard (Superman) and the midget they call Nate Robinson (he of the Kryptonite at this years event) lived up to all the hype. While I think letting the fans vote determined the outcome (Robinson is a Knick – no doubt New Yorkers, of which there are millions, outnumbered any number of votes coming in for the Howard from his
Lerbon vs.
Is the debate about the best player in the NBA? Nope – according to my wife, it’s about the strangest name in sports. Fair enough. But don’t forget Dwyane Wade. Seems to me the “y” is misplaced in Mr. Wade’s official name…
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