Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all!
I am in a bit of a hiatus but I can tell you the Sports Blog will be back strong in 2012. For now, I am dropping in with my predictions for the 2011-12 College Bowl Season. For the record, I think there are WAYYYY too many bowl games and that means WAYYY too many 6-6 teams or 6-7 in UCLA's case...no way they should be in a bowl with you had teams like a Western Kentucky who went 7-5. Anywho, more about the bowl system on another day...here are my predictions for this season's bowl games. Just so you know...I cut out all the corporate names attached to bowls wherever I could. I know corporate prostitution is common in sports...but I don't have to like it.
New Mexico
Wyoming over Temple..honestly I don't care but I have family from Wyoming so for my Aunt Esther Maude and cousins Chip and David..there ya go!
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Utah State over Ohio...Utah State is one of the better teams you haven't seen...if they are smart, they will go with all blue on the Smurf turf.
New Orleans
San Diego State over Louisiana-Lafayette...the Aztecs over the Ragin' Cajun's.....SDSU gets it on the cooler nickname.
Beef 'O' Brady's
Florida International over Marshall...I was leaning toward the Herd here but gotta go with the Golden Panthers...FIU had no bowl appearances before last year's Little Caesars Bowl and now they will have two bowls and two wins.
Poinsettia
TCU BIG over Louisiana Tech...TCU heads into the Big 12 with a frog-stomp over the Bulldogs.
Las Vegas
Boise State BIG over Arizona State..a missed FG against Nevada..again...keeps Boise out of the BCS..again. Kellen Moore heads to the NFL with a huge game over Sparky.
(if you are doing one of those bowl game contests where you rate your confidence in which bowl is more of a sure thing..use the previous two games as HIGHLY confident!)
Hawaii
Southern Miss over Nevada...high scoring game. Expect both teams in the high 30's or into the 40's. Brett Favre's alma mater crushed Houston's BCS dreams..now look for them to shut down the WolfPack's pistol.
Independence
Missouri over North Carolina...Missouri bids farewell to the Big 12 with a win over the Heels. The Tigers head to the SEC where they will be lucky to qualify for a bowl the next few years. How's that workin' for ya, Mizzou?
Little Caesars
Western Michigan over Purdue...MAC over Big 10? Absolutely. Alex Carder will be a name you hear in next April's NFL draft. The Broncos bring the Crazy Bread back to Kalamazoo.
Belk
Louisville over NC State...no, I don't know what the hell Belk is either.
Military Bowl
Toledo over Air Force...oddly enough, it's the Rockets air attack that will prevail over the AFA's ground game.
Holiday
Texas over California. Low scoring...look for the Horns young defense to dominate.
Champs Sports
Florida State over Notre Dame...remember a game between these two teams meant a lot more?
Alamo
Baylor over Washington...Alamo Bowl goes back to their original Pac 12-Big 12 matchup..the first of which featured Baylor's last bowl appearance until last season...RG3 dominates in what is probably his last game.
Armed Forces
BYU over Tulsa...at SMU's stadium while Amon Carter goes through a renovation. BTW, Tulsa...Golden Hurricane? Couldn't you at least make it plural?
Pinstripe
Iowa State over Rutgers even though this is a de facto home game for the Scarlet Knights.
Music City
Mississippi State over Wake Forest....great basketball game...football game, not so much.
Insight
Oklahoma over Iowa...OU in the Insight? Wow. Stoops will use this for motivation and OU will crush the Hawks.
Texas
Texas A&M over Northwestern...another high scoring affair, the Ags will be a little better in another de facto home game but watch out for Dan Persa of NU...he will give Reveille's boys fits.
Sun
Utah over Georgia Tech...usually its games like this that GT gives people fits with their triple option..however, Utah has seen it pretty much every year by playing Air Force. Glad to see the Sun Bowl still alive and kicking.
Liberty
Cincinnati over Vanderbilt...another bowl "home game" this time for Vandy..doesn't matter though, Bearcats win behind the QB with the coolest game in college football..Munchie Legaux..look it up.
Kraft Fight Hunger
Illinois over UCLA...bowl game fans will still be fighting hunger...the hunger for a good game after this...yuk.
Peach
Auburn over Virginia...big step down for the defending champs but a win none the less.
TicketCity
Houston over Penn State...the Cougars should be preparing for a BCS game if not for an embarrassing loss in the C-USA title game...look for Case Keenum to go nuts against a mentally worn down Nittany Lions team.
Outback
Michigan State over Georgia...Sparty will have had a long time to nurse the wound of their Big 10 title game loss. MSU gets their first bowl game win since 2001
Capital One
South Carolina over Nebraska...The Blackshirts are good but the Ol' Ball Coach and his Gamecocks have a pretty good defense his own self and Taylor Martinez tends to wilt in big games...take the Cocks. (Only in college football can you say that and get away with
it!)
Gator
Ohio State over Florida...Urban Meyer's old team against his soon to be team. The football gods smiled on this one. Remember the name Braxton Miller...he will be good today and better when Meyer gets ahold of him.
Rose
Oregon over Wisconsin...second straight trip to Pasadena for the Badgers...second straight loss and this one won't be pretty. Montee Ball will break Barry Sanders TD record and then the joyfulness will be over. The Ducks speed is nothing like Wisky
has seen. Also, who knows what funky uniform Oregon will come out in.
Fiesta
Oklahoma State over Stanford...whomever runs the scoreboard will be a busy person. It could end up that the first team to 50 wins the game. Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon play their last games for OSU and go out with a bang. Andrew Luck begins
to look at real estate in the Indianapolis area.
Sugar
Michigan over Virginia Tech...the Maize and Blue discovered something new this year...defense. That and a healthy Dennard Robinson (he's like a less talented RG3) mean that Michigan's return to the BCS is a success. They will expose Va Tech as
the fraud they are.
Orange
Clemson over West Virginia...speaking of frauds..I give you the Big East. Tajh Boyd and Clemson were a great story this season and they cap it off with Clemson's first BCS win.
Cotton
Arkansas over Kansas State..Arkansas hung tough in the best division in the country's toughest conference. K-State has been great under Bill Snyder and QB Collin Klein and will give the Hogs a fight but in the end, too much Pig.
BBVA Compass Bowl
SMU over Pittsburgh..in a rematch of the 1983 Cotton Bowl..sadly for the Panthers, Dan Marino isn't at quarterback and they just lost their coach to Arizona State after only one year. SMU, after no bowls in 25 years, will win their second in a row.
GoDaddy.com
Northern Illinois over Arkansas State...honestly, unless Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels are there naked..does anyone really care?
BCS National Championship Game
LSU over Alabama....Honey Badger don't care 'bout no rematch with Bama! Les Miles gets his second national championship. My question is this...the Mad Hatter likes to eat a little grass from the field before the game...does he do that with fake
grass like there is in the Superdome?
Friday, December 16, 2011
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Hero Worship
"To a New Yorker like you...a hero is some kind of weird sandwich"
A great line from a great movie
But what is a Hero?
Webster's defines a hero as everything from the aforementioned sandwich to "the principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem" to "A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person."
Not one place is an athlete mentioned.
My first hero was my cousin Jeff. He was older which automatically made him cool. He had model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, KISS albums on the record player..(for those of you under 30...google that term) and seemed to always be wearing Cowboys gear. When you're 7...what more do you need? He lived with my other hero at the time my Uncle David. He always seemed to be driving a new and different car..one of the perks of working for a car dealer. (By the way my favorite? a huge blue Ford Galaxie 500 probably sucked on gas mileage but I am pretty sure we could have driven through a nuclear strike in that thing!)
Like most kids growing up, I considered athletes heroes. For me, the hero triumvirate was George Gervin, Nolan Ryan and Roger Staubach. Every time I stepped on a field or court I tried to be like them. I wanted to finger roll like Ice, throw a 100mph dart like the Express and scramble around for an eternity avoiding tacklers before finally heaving a Hail Mary TD like Roger the Dodger.
Did I consider them heroes? yes.
Were they in reality? no.
Bear in mind also that I grew up in a time where athletes cared more about team success than individual honors. Such is not the case these days. Most of today's athletes know that there is no "I" in team..but there is in "mine". Players who are unselfish are the exception when they used to be the rule.
Today, with the advent and explosion of social media, we have more access than ever before. Facebook and Twitter have allowed us to follow these people 24/7 and not always to good results. Hey, you want the good, you have to take the bad. For all the wishes we have put forth to have just a taste of their fame, it comes at a price. We think we can criticize their every move, then we get pissy when they snap back.
The dynamic of pro athletes changed in the 90's. As ESPN grew in the global entity it now is, athletes figured out that the more they stood out, the more they could get on SportsCenter. The more outlandish their behavior, the more airtime. Kids saw this and, as those before, began to mimic their "heroes". Oddly enough, one of the biggest stars of the 90's and one known for the occasional temper-tantrum made it a point to try and straighten things out.
1993. the Chuckster. Nike helped him get his message out..
"I am not a role model"
Love that ad.
Ever since the beginning of time, we have always put athletes up on a pedestal. I am sure Greek kids ran around claiming that they were the latest Olympian who dazzled fans with athletic prowess. This really picked up in the 20th century. Joe Louis to Babe Ruth, Bill Russell to Terry Bradshaw, Dale Earnhardt to Wayne Gretzky. We all did, especially as kids. Emulation, to a point is fine...hero worship should not bestowed upon someone just because he can hit a ball, drive a car or hit the open jumper.
I can hear you heading to your keyboards ready to bang out "not my favorite player!" and some of you may be right. Guys like Tim Duncan, Jeff Gordon and Matt Stafford and many others donate time and money to many worthy causes and love doing it. Some of today's pros genuinely care about others and want to help. Some don't. Some also like to do one thing and say another. Shaquille O'Neal has helped many kids in the Los Angeles area but his disdain for the city of San Antonio led him to organize an autograph signing in the suburb of Live Oak then, after charging people (including kids) decided not to show up. Drew Brees is another hypocrite. He talks about helping people and encouraging folks to give to his foundation, then accuses retired players who are suffering ill effects from the game of "just looking for handouts". Really Drew? I don't wish injury on players due to football karma but you're almost worth the risk.
So am I saying its wrong for little Johnny to want to be the next DeMarcus Ware? Of course not. However, parents have to step in. Let them know that while its OK to model some players actions on the field, some actions should not be emulated. In other words "Johnny..if you want to run and throw like Tim Tebow, that is fine..but if you taunt an injured opponent like Tim Tebow, i'll knock you on your ass." And no, that is not child abuse..it's discipline. Yes I said that and no, I don't have kids! Oh the horror! Hey I don't have to be a parent to know that your little darling is Satan incarnate and that you and your kids should be banned from Walmart. (that was for you Wendy) Did I get pissed at my mom for dropping the hammer on me? Hell yes! Did I think it was unfair? Absolutely. Was I right? No. A lot of parents are worried "oh if I am too strict my kids will hate me" At the time, it will feel like that to them for a bit, however, they will get over it and be better off for it. So will you. My mom at times had to be the bad guy. All parents will have to be from time to time..somehow though, your little princess' fragile psyche will remain intact.
You want athletes to be heroes? How about Welles Crother? The Boston College lacrosse player who on 9/11 helped people out of the South Tower...then went back in to help more people.
He only stopped when the building came down.
Or, on that same day, the four former athletes on United Flight 93 who tried to overtake the terrorists and in doing so, saved the Capitol and prevented even more carnage.
You want heroes for your kids? Sit them down Sunday and have them watch the 9/11 remembrance coverage. Tell them about the New York City firefighters who stayed their posts and kept going back into the World Trade Center. Ironically those who we would call heroes because of their actions, did said actions not out of heroism but sense of duty. They had families too. Their kids have heroes..sadly now they are merely angels on their shoulders.
You want heroes for your kids? How about teachers? You know teachers...those folks who you rely on to get your kids ready for the future when you don't want to bother? I remember when all a teacher had to be was a solid educator. Now they have to be educators, diplomats, babysitters and referees all rolled up. Yet they get paid like fast food workers. Teachers are supposed work in concert with parents in turning out a child who will be an enhancement to society, not a hindrance.
Finally...you want heroes for your kids?
Look in the mirror.
Parents have the opportunity to be the best of heroes. Who has more influence over your child than you? Especially in the early years, you are with your kid every day. Talk to them. Tell them why its wrong that his favorite football player gave the nice "self-employed model" money to have "special time" in a hotel room. Too many times, young ball players get into trouble in college or when they sign that first pro contract and they don't understand why. It's because too many Little League parents from Hell decided that junior was a meal ticket. They cared more about what the kid could do than the kid himself. If you have a child who is blessed to have athletic ability..encourage it, nurture it but temper it and do not exploit it. Make sure that they understand playing sports is a privilege and not a right. Make them still take the trash out, enforce the curfew you set, homework not done? Well, until its done they are going nowhere.
It's OK at 7 to idolize your favorite ballplayer...hell, its even OK at 17. Its OK to rock your favorite teams jersey. It's OK to get together with your friends and have some food, roll off stats and talk a little trash. It's OK to play fantasy football and debate your buddies on who was better. But in the end of the day, we need to watch how we throw around the word "hero". We need to remember that it's OK to be ecstatic in victory and downtrodden in defeat but in the grand scheme of things...
It's just a game, and those whom we would anoint heroes, are merely players.
Peace.
A great line from a great movie
But what is a Hero?
Webster's defines a hero as everything from the aforementioned sandwich to "the principal character in a play or movie or novel or poem" to "A man of distinguished valor or enterprise in danger, or fortitude in suffering; a prominent or central personage in any remarkable action or event; hence, a great or illustrious person."
Not one place is an athlete mentioned.
My first hero was my cousin Jeff. He was older which automatically made him cool. He had model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, KISS albums on the record player..(for those of you under 30...google that term) and seemed to always be wearing Cowboys gear. When you're 7...what more do you need? He lived with my other hero at the time my Uncle David. He always seemed to be driving a new and different car..one of the perks of working for a car dealer. (By the way my favorite? a huge blue Ford Galaxie 500 probably sucked on gas mileage but I am pretty sure we could have driven through a nuclear strike in that thing!)
Like most kids growing up, I considered athletes heroes. For me, the hero triumvirate was George Gervin, Nolan Ryan and Roger Staubach. Every time I stepped on a field or court I tried to be like them. I wanted to finger roll like Ice, throw a 100mph dart like the Express and scramble around for an eternity avoiding tacklers before finally heaving a Hail Mary TD like Roger the Dodger.
Did I consider them heroes? yes.
Were they in reality? no.
Bear in mind also that I grew up in a time where athletes cared more about team success than individual honors. Such is not the case these days. Most of today's athletes know that there is no "I" in team..but there is in "mine". Players who are unselfish are the exception when they used to be the rule.
Today, with the advent and explosion of social media, we have more access than ever before. Facebook and Twitter have allowed us to follow these people 24/7 and not always to good results. Hey, you want the good, you have to take the bad. For all the wishes we have put forth to have just a taste of their fame, it comes at a price. We think we can criticize their every move, then we get pissy when they snap back.
The dynamic of pro athletes changed in the 90's. As ESPN grew in the global entity it now is, athletes figured out that the more they stood out, the more they could get on SportsCenter. The more outlandish their behavior, the more airtime. Kids saw this and, as those before, began to mimic their "heroes". Oddly enough, one of the biggest stars of the 90's and one known for the occasional temper-tantrum made it a point to try and straighten things out.
1993. the Chuckster. Nike helped him get his message out..
"I am not a role model"
Love that ad.
Ever since the beginning of time, we have always put athletes up on a pedestal. I am sure Greek kids ran around claiming that they were the latest Olympian who dazzled fans with athletic prowess. This really picked up in the 20th century. Joe Louis to Babe Ruth, Bill Russell to Terry Bradshaw, Dale Earnhardt to Wayne Gretzky. We all did, especially as kids. Emulation, to a point is fine...hero worship should not bestowed upon someone just because he can hit a ball, drive a car or hit the open jumper.
I can hear you heading to your keyboards ready to bang out "not my favorite player!" and some of you may be right. Guys like Tim Duncan, Jeff Gordon and Matt Stafford and many others donate time and money to many worthy causes and love doing it. Some of today's pros genuinely care about others and want to help. Some don't. Some also like to do one thing and say another. Shaquille O'Neal has helped many kids in the Los Angeles area but his disdain for the city of San Antonio led him to organize an autograph signing in the suburb of Live Oak then, after charging people (including kids) decided not to show up. Drew Brees is another hypocrite. He talks about helping people and encouraging folks to give to his foundation, then accuses retired players who are suffering ill effects from the game of "just looking for handouts". Really Drew? I don't wish injury on players due to football karma but you're almost worth the risk.
So am I saying its wrong for little Johnny to want to be the next DeMarcus Ware? Of course not. However, parents have to step in. Let them know that while its OK to model some players actions on the field, some actions should not be emulated. In other words "Johnny..if you want to run and throw like Tim Tebow, that is fine..but if you taunt an injured opponent like Tim Tebow, i'll knock you on your ass." And no, that is not child abuse..it's discipline. Yes I said that and no, I don't have kids! Oh the horror! Hey I don't have to be a parent to know that your little darling is Satan incarnate and that you and your kids should be banned from Walmart. (that was for you Wendy) Did I get pissed at my mom for dropping the hammer on me? Hell yes! Did I think it was unfair? Absolutely. Was I right? No. A lot of parents are worried "oh if I am too strict my kids will hate me" At the time, it will feel like that to them for a bit, however, they will get over it and be better off for it. So will you. My mom at times had to be the bad guy. All parents will have to be from time to time..somehow though, your little princess' fragile psyche will remain intact.
You want athletes to be heroes? How about Welles Crother? The Boston College lacrosse player who on 9/11 helped people out of the South Tower...then went back in to help more people.
He only stopped when the building came down.
Or, on that same day, the four former athletes on United Flight 93 who tried to overtake the terrorists and in doing so, saved the Capitol and prevented even more carnage.
You want heroes for your kids? Sit them down Sunday and have them watch the 9/11 remembrance coverage. Tell them about the New York City firefighters who stayed their posts and kept going back into the World Trade Center. Ironically those who we would call heroes because of their actions, did said actions not out of heroism but sense of duty. They had families too. Their kids have heroes..sadly now they are merely angels on their shoulders.
You want heroes for your kids? How about teachers? You know teachers...those folks who you rely on to get your kids ready for the future when you don't want to bother? I remember when all a teacher had to be was a solid educator. Now they have to be educators, diplomats, babysitters and referees all rolled up. Yet they get paid like fast food workers. Teachers are supposed work in concert with parents in turning out a child who will be an enhancement to society, not a hindrance.
Finally...you want heroes for your kids?
Look in the mirror.
Parents have the opportunity to be the best of heroes. Who has more influence over your child than you? Especially in the early years, you are with your kid every day. Talk to them. Tell them why its wrong that his favorite football player gave the nice "self-employed model" money to have "special time" in a hotel room. Too many times, young ball players get into trouble in college or when they sign that first pro contract and they don't understand why. It's because too many Little League parents from Hell decided that junior was a meal ticket. They cared more about what the kid could do than the kid himself. If you have a child who is blessed to have athletic ability..encourage it, nurture it but temper it and do not exploit it. Make sure that they understand playing sports is a privilege and not a right. Make them still take the trash out, enforce the curfew you set, homework not done? Well, until its done they are going nowhere.
It's OK at 7 to idolize your favorite ballplayer...hell, its even OK at 17. Its OK to rock your favorite teams jersey. It's OK to get together with your friends and have some food, roll off stats and talk a little trash. It's OK to play fantasy football and debate your buddies on who was better. But in the end of the day, we need to watch how we throw around the word "hero". We need to remember that it's OK to be ecstatic in victory and downtrodden in defeat but in the grand scheme of things...
It's just a game, and those whom we would anoint heroes, are merely players.
Peace.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
My conference lineups.
Here is a clearer look at what my conferences would look like:
ACC
North South
Boston College Duke
Cincinnati Louisville
Maryland Miami
Rutgers North Carolina
Virginia NC State
Virginia Tech South Florida
Syracuse Wake Forest
UConn West Virginia
Big 10
West East
Iowa Illinois
Iowa State Indiana
Michigan Northwestern
Michigan State Notre Dame
Minnesota Ohio State
Missouri Penn State
Nebraska Pitt
Wisconsin Purdue
Pac-16
West East
Cal Arizona
Oregon Arizona State
Oregon State BYU
Stanford Colorado
UCLA Oklahoma
USC Oklahoma State
Washington Texas
Washington St. Utah
SEC
East West
Alabama Clemson
Arkansas Florida
Auburn Florida State
LSU Georgia
Mississippi Georgia Tech
Miss. State Kentucky
Texas A&M South Carolina
Vanderbilt Tennessee
ACC
North South
Boston College Duke
Cincinnati Louisville
Maryland Miami
Rutgers North Carolina
Virginia NC State
Virginia Tech South Florida
Syracuse Wake Forest
UConn West Virginia
Big 10
West East
Iowa Illinois
Iowa State Indiana
Michigan Northwestern
Michigan State Notre Dame
Minnesota Ohio State
Missouri Penn State
Nebraska Pitt
Wisconsin Purdue
Pac-16
West East
Cal Arizona
Oregon Arizona State
Oregon State BYU
Stanford Colorado
UCLA Oklahoma
USC Oklahoma State
Washington Texas
Washington St. Utah
SEC
East West
Alabama Clemson
Arkansas Florida
Auburn Florida State
LSU Georgia
Mississippi Georgia Tech
Miss. State Kentucky
Texas A&M South Carolina
Vanderbilt Tennessee
The times...they are a-changin....
It's August and that means one thing...well two things if your in Texas...brutal-ass heat and football.
College football is right around the corner and it's going to look a little different. The round of college football conference re-alignment that happened two years ago takes effect this season. Here's what is different:
The Pac-10 added Colorado and Utah to form the Pac-12.
The Big 10, which had 11 teams, added Nebraska to have 12 and the Big 12, losing Ralphie and Herbie drops to 10 teams.
Pac 10 had 10, adds 2, now has 12. 12 teams, Pac-12...nice.
Big 10 had 11, adds 1, now has 12...still called Big 10
Big 12 had 12, lost 2, now has 10...still called Big 12
Higher education?
Personally I think the Big 12, should go back to being called the Southwest Conference. Then again, the Big 12 is about to go bye-bye so no big deal.
I live in Big 10 country and I love the people here but some of them just don't quite get it. For decades, if you were a fan of a Big 10 team, your goal was to see your team in the Rose Bowl. That's great but times have changed. This is no longer Bo and Woody's Big 10. So I am going to give you an assist...there is this other game, perhaps you've heard of it, called the National Championship. This game is...and I will type this slowly..
M-O-R-E I-M-P-O-R-T-A-N-T
than the Rose Bowl. A trip to Pasadena is nice but its, at best, a consolation prize. I respect the tradition of the Big 10 and love the huge role tradition in all of College Football but campers, come join us in the 21st Century. If the National Championship is not the ultimate goal for your team..then you're doing it wrong. Go follow a T-Ball league where the only thing that is important is kids having fun and little Johnny not peeing himself when the ball comes to him.
The latest round of talks centers around a rumor that was circulating two years ago when all this movement was going on. Your Fightin' Texas Aggies are reported to be headed to the Southeastern Conference. They thought they were going last time but they ended up staying in the Big 12.
Loyalty, right? Tradition, right? They wouldn't go anywhere without Texas, right?
Wrong....wrong....and...wrong.
What was it? Money. Pure and simple.
The A&M-Texas rivalry is one of the best ones in the country but big time College Football has become such a business that as nice as the whole "both schools want to stay together to keep the rivalry" thing is, the fact is that both schools are after the coin. Hence the Longhorn Network. Aggie fans are bent but, and they won't admit this, if A&M could have a viable network and ESPN threw the money at it that they gave Bevo-TV..they would do it. And you know it. And if you don't..you're fooling yourselves. A&M in the SEC could make it happen. Hell, Oklahoma is in the middle of looking at one right now.
Ok so right now...the Ags are reportedly going to the SEC along with Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech. Missouri had been mentioned but it looks more like the Yellow Jackets. This set up would strengthen current rivalries between FSU and Florida, Clemson and South Carolina and Georgia-Georgia Tech. It would also re-kindle the A&M-LSU rivalry which kind of died when the Big 12 formed.
What does this mean to the rest of the college football landscape? It means all hell is going to break loose. The SEC has long been the best league in the nation and they just added the #5 and #9 teams currently ranked in the first Coaches Poll of 2011.
With the SEC adding four teams, the Pac-12 reacts quickly and grabs Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The fourth team could be interesting. It will probably be Texas Tech or Baylor. The Bears tried to sue their way in two years ago when the Pac-10 came knocking but not asking for Baylor. Then there is the urban legend that when the Big 12 was being formed, Ann Richards, Governor of Texas at the time and a Baylor alum, worked some legislative shenanigans to keep the folks in Waco at the big folks table. What I would do...ignore them both. I would go for BYU. I would love to see TCU instead but with adding UT, the Pac-16 would get the Dallas-Fort Worth TV market which is still dominated by the Horns despite the presence of TCU and SMU. BYU has its own network as well and while currently independent, they will realize that the title hopes that are slim going solo right now, would be dead in the superconference era.
Seeing the seismic shift happening to the south and west of them...the Big 10+2 is gripping. However not as much as the good fathers at Notre Dame. For decades, they have been flirting and teasing the Big 10 like that cute girl in high school who knows she can smile and you will hang on her every word. You don't care that you have no chance of her going out with you..you live on the hope. Well, that all ends now because ND finally gives in. Unlike when the first BCS agreements came out, Notre Dame's name is not what it once was and again, its all about cash. Touchdown Jesus' friends at NBC would love a crack at an expanded Big 10 that includes the Irish. Plus ND feels what BYU did about being an Indie in the new world order. So ND makes it the Big 10+3. Missouri and Pitt, who both were mentioned a few years ago when the Big 10 added Nebraska, come on board. Finally, Iowa State is added. No real reason really except geography, a built in rivalry for Iowa and hope for Indiana that they might win one more game. The feeling is mutual in Ames.
The name of the new league? The Big 10 of course. Oy. At least come up with some better divisional setups. This "Legends and Leaders" crap with Wisconsin in the same division with Penn State and Ohio State is riduculous.
Finally with the world as they know it crashing down all around them, the Atlantic Coast Conference does what it did last time it wanted new teams..it raids the Big East (also known as the ACC's slumpbuster). The ACC, now down to nine with the defections of FSU, Georgia Tech and Clemson, finishes the job it started in 2003 and merges with the Big East. Well, merge is a strong word...more like swallows up. With that, you have four 16-team superconferences.
What of the leftovers you say? I suspect they will wander about for a bit, much like survivors after a nuclear bomb attack. Then they will band together and try to rebuild.
The Mountain West and WAC merge. They both have 8 teams each and were going to be swapping out schools and bringing on new ones anyway so keep it as it. That means TCU doesn't go through with the proposed move to the Big East in 2012 (another geographic brainstorm) since the Big East is disappearing, although not completely. There will still be a Big East Conference but it will go back to being a basketball-only conference. UTSA and Texas State were scheduled to join the WAC in 2012 also but that will also not happen. Unless they want an 18-team conference which is possible but not probable. The Bobcats and Roadrunners stay in 1-AA but that is not a bad thing, in fact I think it will be good for both.
That leaves Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech. Where do they go? They go to that conference that loves to pick up unloved and unwanted teams along with the occasional stray animal. Conference USA! Also known as the "Conference of Misfit Toys" C-USA's 12 team memebership grows to 16 with the addition of these Big 12 refugees.
These two conference will beg and of course sue (with Baylor leading the way) to get in the coalition but to no avail. The MAC and Sun Belt want in on it but no one will return their calls.
Where do we go from here? Easy....the four superconferences form a coalition and tell the NCAA a collective "go to hell" and create an 8 team playoff with the top two teams from each conferences going. What about the bowls you say? Oh we might lose a few but a culling of the bowl herd would not be a bad idea and the ones who do stay will do whatever the new coalition says otherwise, you will have heaping bowls o'leftovers.
Are these guarantees? No. It could totally end up way different than anything posted here but, my alignments make sense. Of course, when does the NCAA make sense?
One thing I can guarantee...its going to be chaos and when its all over, the landscape of college football will look very, very different.
Enjoy the ride.
Peace.
Here's what they would look like:
ACC
Boston College Duke
Cincinnati Louisville
Maryland Miami
Rutgers North Carolina
Virginia NC State
Virginia Tech South Florida
Syracuse Wake Forest
UConn West Virginia
Big 10
Iowa Illinois
Iowa State Indiana
Michigan Northwestern
Michigan State Notre Dame
Minnesota Ohio State
Missouri Penn State
Nebraska Pitt
Wisconsin Purdue
Pac-16
Cal Arizona
Oregon Arizona State
Oregon State BYU
Stanford Colorado
UCLA Oklahoma
USC Oklahoma State
Washington Texas
Washington St. Utah
SEC
Alabama Clemson
Arkansas Florida
Auburn Florida State
LSU Georgia
Mississippi Georgia Tech
Miss. State Kentucky
Texas A&M South Carolina
Vanderbilt Tennessee
College football is right around the corner and it's going to look a little different. The round of college football conference re-alignment that happened two years ago takes effect this season. Here's what is different:
The Pac-10 added Colorado and Utah to form the Pac-12.
The Big 10, which had 11 teams, added Nebraska to have 12 and the Big 12, losing Ralphie and Herbie drops to 10 teams.
Pac 10 had 10, adds 2, now has 12. 12 teams, Pac-12...nice.
Big 10 had 11, adds 1, now has 12...still called Big 10
Big 12 had 12, lost 2, now has 10...still called Big 12
Higher education?
Personally I think the Big 12, should go back to being called the Southwest Conference. Then again, the Big 12 is about to go bye-bye so no big deal.
I live in Big 10 country and I love the people here but some of them just don't quite get it. For decades, if you were a fan of a Big 10 team, your goal was to see your team in the Rose Bowl. That's great but times have changed. This is no longer Bo and Woody's Big 10. So I am going to give you an assist...there is this other game, perhaps you've heard of it, called the National Championship. This game is...and I will type this slowly..
M-O-R-E I-M-P-O-R-T-A-N-T
than the Rose Bowl. A trip to Pasadena is nice but its, at best, a consolation prize. I respect the tradition of the Big 10 and love the huge role tradition in all of College Football but campers, come join us in the 21st Century. If the National Championship is not the ultimate goal for your team..then you're doing it wrong. Go follow a T-Ball league where the only thing that is important is kids having fun and little Johnny not peeing himself when the ball comes to him.
The latest round of talks centers around a rumor that was circulating two years ago when all this movement was going on. Your Fightin' Texas Aggies are reported to be headed to the Southeastern Conference. They thought they were going last time but they ended up staying in the Big 12.
Loyalty, right? Tradition, right? They wouldn't go anywhere without Texas, right?
Wrong....wrong....and...wrong.
What was it? Money. Pure and simple.
The A&M-Texas rivalry is one of the best ones in the country but big time College Football has become such a business that as nice as the whole "both schools want to stay together to keep the rivalry" thing is, the fact is that both schools are after the coin. Hence the Longhorn Network. Aggie fans are bent but, and they won't admit this, if A&M could have a viable network and ESPN threw the money at it that they gave Bevo-TV..they would do it. And you know it. And if you don't..you're fooling yourselves. A&M in the SEC could make it happen. Hell, Oklahoma is in the middle of looking at one right now.
Ok so right now...the Ags are reportedly going to the SEC along with Florida State, Clemson and Georgia Tech. Missouri had been mentioned but it looks more like the Yellow Jackets. This set up would strengthen current rivalries between FSU and Florida, Clemson and South Carolina and Georgia-Georgia Tech. It would also re-kindle the A&M-LSU rivalry which kind of died when the Big 12 formed.
What does this mean to the rest of the college football landscape? It means all hell is going to break loose. The SEC has long been the best league in the nation and they just added the #5 and #9 teams currently ranked in the first Coaches Poll of 2011.
With the SEC adding four teams, the Pac-12 reacts quickly and grabs Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. The fourth team could be interesting. It will probably be Texas Tech or Baylor. The Bears tried to sue their way in two years ago when the Pac-10 came knocking but not asking for Baylor. Then there is the urban legend that when the Big 12 was being formed, Ann Richards, Governor of Texas at the time and a Baylor alum, worked some legislative shenanigans to keep the folks in Waco at the big folks table. What I would do...ignore them both. I would go for BYU. I would love to see TCU instead but with adding UT, the Pac-16 would get the Dallas-Fort Worth TV market which is still dominated by the Horns despite the presence of TCU and SMU. BYU has its own network as well and while currently independent, they will realize that the title hopes that are slim going solo right now, would be dead in the superconference era.
Seeing the seismic shift happening to the south and west of them...the Big 10+2 is gripping. However not as much as the good fathers at Notre Dame. For decades, they have been flirting and teasing the Big 10 like that cute girl in high school who knows she can smile and you will hang on her every word. You don't care that you have no chance of her going out with you..you live on the hope. Well, that all ends now because ND finally gives in. Unlike when the first BCS agreements came out, Notre Dame's name is not what it once was and again, its all about cash. Touchdown Jesus' friends at NBC would love a crack at an expanded Big 10 that includes the Irish. Plus ND feels what BYU did about being an Indie in the new world order. So ND makes it the Big 10+3. Missouri and Pitt, who both were mentioned a few years ago when the Big 10 added Nebraska, come on board. Finally, Iowa State is added. No real reason really except geography, a built in rivalry for Iowa and hope for Indiana that they might win one more game. The feeling is mutual in Ames.
The name of the new league? The Big 10 of course. Oy. At least come up with some better divisional setups. This "Legends and Leaders" crap with Wisconsin in the same division with Penn State and Ohio State is riduculous.
Finally with the world as they know it crashing down all around them, the Atlantic Coast Conference does what it did last time it wanted new teams..it raids the Big East (also known as the ACC's slumpbuster). The ACC, now down to nine with the defections of FSU, Georgia Tech and Clemson, finishes the job it started in 2003 and merges with the Big East. Well, merge is a strong word...more like swallows up. With that, you have four 16-team superconferences.
What of the leftovers you say? I suspect they will wander about for a bit, much like survivors after a nuclear bomb attack. Then they will band together and try to rebuild.
The Mountain West and WAC merge. They both have 8 teams each and were going to be swapping out schools and bringing on new ones anyway so keep it as it. That means TCU doesn't go through with the proposed move to the Big East in 2012 (another geographic brainstorm) since the Big East is disappearing, although not completely. There will still be a Big East Conference but it will go back to being a basketball-only conference. UTSA and Texas State were scheduled to join the WAC in 2012 also but that will also not happen. Unless they want an 18-team conference which is possible but not probable. The Bobcats and Roadrunners stay in 1-AA but that is not a bad thing, in fact I think it will be good for both.
That leaves Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and Texas Tech. Where do they go? They go to that conference that loves to pick up unloved and unwanted teams along with the occasional stray animal. Conference USA! Also known as the "Conference of Misfit Toys" C-USA's 12 team memebership grows to 16 with the addition of these Big 12 refugees.
These two conference will beg and of course sue (with Baylor leading the way) to get in the coalition but to no avail. The MAC and Sun Belt want in on it but no one will return their calls.
Where do we go from here? Easy....the four superconferences form a coalition and tell the NCAA a collective "go to hell" and create an 8 team playoff with the top two teams from each conferences going. What about the bowls you say? Oh we might lose a few but a culling of the bowl herd would not be a bad idea and the ones who do stay will do whatever the new coalition says otherwise, you will have heaping bowls o'leftovers.
Are these guarantees? No. It could totally end up way different than anything posted here but, my alignments make sense. Of course, when does the NCAA make sense?
One thing I can guarantee...its going to be chaos and when its all over, the landscape of college football will look very, very different.
Enjoy the ride.
Peace.
Here's what they would look like:
ACC
Boston College Duke
Cincinnati Louisville
Maryland Miami
Rutgers North Carolina
Virginia NC State
Virginia Tech South Florida
Syracuse Wake Forest
UConn West Virginia
Big 10
Iowa Illinois
Iowa State Indiana
Michigan Northwestern
Michigan State Notre Dame
Minnesota Ohio State
Missouri Penn State
Nebraska Pitt
Wisconsin Purdue
Pac-16
Cal Arizona
Oregon Arizona State
Oregon State BYU
Stanford Colorado
UCLA Oklahoma
USC Oklahoma State
Washington Texas
Washington St. Utah
SEC
Alabama Clemson
Arkansas Florida
Auburn Florida State
LSU Georgia
Mississippi Georgia Tech
Miss. State Kentucky
Texas A&M South Carolina
Vanderbilt Tennessee
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
NBA Finals recap podcast
A funny thing happened on the way to King James' coronation!
Karma's a biznatch!
Karma's a biznatch!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
College Football plan 1
One of my plans to re-align Division 1-A college football in order to set up a playoff. 8 conferences with 16 teams in each. Conference champ from each goes then the next 8 teams with best record regardless of conference. The MAC and Sun Belt conference are dropped to 1-AA as are Army and Navy. Traditional rivalries can be preserved with out of conference scheduling (UT-A&M)Usually I am not one for naming conferences and divisions after people but..just for fun. :)
Bobby Bowden Conference
Duncan Division (yes..Tim Duncan...I know he's a basketball guy but he's Tim F-ing Duncan)
Duke
East Carolina
Maryland
North Carolina
NC State
Wake
Jimmy Johnson Division
Clemson
Florida
Florida State
Miami
South Carolina
South Florida
Bear Bryant Conference
Vince Dooley Division
Alabama
Alabama-Birmingham
Auburn
Central Florida
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Johnny Majors Division
Memphis
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Southern Mississippi
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
LaVell Edwards Conference
Frank Kush Division
Arizona
Arizona State
New Mexico
NM State
Texas Tech
UTEP
Urban Meyer Division
BYU
Nevada
UNLV
Utah
Utah State
Wyoming
Tom Osborne Conference
Frank Broyles Division
Arkansas
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Fisher DeBerry
Air Force
Boise
Colorado
Colorado State
Idaho
Nebraska
Joe Paterno Conference
Frank Beamer Division
Marshall
Penn State
Rutgers
Virginia
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Woody Hayes Division
Boston College
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Ohio State
Pitt
Syracuse
John Robinson Conference
Don James Division
California
Oregon
Oregon State
Stanford
Washington
Washington State
John McKay Division
Fresno State
Hawaii
San Diego State
San Jose State
UCLA
USC
Knute Rockne Conference
Schembechler Division
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Notre Dame
Wisconsin
Heppner-Walk Division
Kentucky
Illinois
Indiana
Louisville
Northwestern
Purdue
Darrell Royal Conference
R.C. Slocum Division
Houston
LSU
Louisiana Tech
Rice
Texas A&M
Tulane
Bud Wilkinson Division
Baylor
Oklahoma
OK State
SMU
Texas
TCU
Bobby Bowden Conference
Duncan Division (yes..Tim Duncan...I know he's a basketball guy but he's Tim F-ing Duncan)
Duke
East Carolina
Maryland
North Carolina
NC State
Wake
Jimmy Johnson Division
Clemson
Florida
Florida State
Miami
South Carolina
South Florida
Bear Bryant Conference
Vince Dooley Division
Alabama
Alabama-Birmingham
Auburn
Central Florida
Georgia
Georgia Tech
Johnny Majors Division
Memphis
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Southern Mississippi
Tennessee
Vanderbilt
LaVell Edwards Conference
Frank Kush Division
Arizona
Arizona State
New Mexico
NM State
Texas Tech
UTEP
Urban Meyer Division
BYU
Nevada
UNLV
Utah
Utah State
Wyoming
Tom Osborne Conference
Frank Broyles Division
Arkansas
Iowa
Iowa State
Kansas
Kansas State
Missouri
Fisher DeBerry
Air Force
Boise
Colorado
Colorado State
Idaho
Nebraska
Joe Paterno Conference
Frank Beamer Division
Marshall
Penn State
Rutgers
Virginia
Virginia Tech
West Virginia
Woody Hayes Division
Boston College
Cincinnati
Connecticut
Ohio State
Pitt
Syracuse
John Robinson Conference
Don James Division
California
Oregon
Oregon State
Stanford
Washington
Washington State
John McKay Division
Fresno State
Hawaii
San Diego State
San Jose State
UCLA
USC
Knute Rockne Conference
Schembechler Division
Iowa
Michigan
Michigan State
Minnesota
Notre Dame
Wisconsin
Heppner-Walk Division
Kentucky
Illinois
Indiana
Louisville
Northwestern
Purdue
Darrell Royal Conference
R.C. Slocum Division
Houston
LSU
Louisiana Tech
Rice
Texas A&M
Tulane
Bud Wilkinson Division
Baylor
Oklahoma
OK State
SMU
Texas
TCU
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Big Goodbye and not the next......
After 19 season in the NBA, Shaquille O'Neal has decided to retire. With 4 rings on his fingers, the Big (insert nickname here..he's given himself quite a few) Shaq hangs up his immense size 22 sneaks and heads off into the sunset with his next stop being the Hall of Fame. It was about time too. Remember when he came out of LSU all those years ago? He was both a freak and force of nature. It kills me to say this but....
I am going to miss the big lug.
Yeah I know he once called the Spurs a WNBA team but that was just Shaq being Shaq. He was calling the attention to himself and therefore deflecting it from his teammates. He was a leader and to a man, almost every teammate he has had have been nothing but reverent in their tones regarding the big fella. Some big men see their size as a burden (Kareem...im looking at you) or curse (Dwayne Schintzius spitting on people comes to mind) Not Shaq. He embraced it. He reveled in it. He wore it like a 4X trenchcoat.
We all heard the amusing story about how his eventual college coach Dale Brown saw him on an Army base in Germany and asked a then 13-year old Shaq "what unit are you in, son?" When Shaq replied he was just a teen...Coach Brown had his scholarship waiting for him.
At Cole High School in San Antonio, watching him play was watching a man among boys. There was talk at the time along the lines of "yeah...but its against 3A talent".
Yeah....no.
Shaq would have dominated at any level. He proved this when he went from that 3A school to the Bayou State.
San Antonio embraced him as their own even though he only spent a few years there, there was even a suggestion in the Express-News that the Spurs should trade David Robinson, who was still getting used to the NBA, to Orlando in order to bring Shaq home. You think the LeBron hate was bad? Imagine a million pissed off South Texans if Shaq would have jumped to the Lakers from SA? Two words for you....Riot Squad.
When Shaq did leave the Magic Kingdom for Tinseltown, the move seemed like a great fit but it also had a downside. Shaq loved to fill his offseasons with all kinds of things...rap albums, movies, commercials...everything but working on his game. That is the one thing, in my opinion, that kept him from possibly being the best ever. The physical talent was unmistakeable but the focus on the game was not there like it was for a Russell, Jordan or even his former teammate Kobe. Jordan too enjoyed endorsements and fame outside of basketball but it never got in the way of his preparation for the game. Aside from his first few years...he rarely had any kind of offseason workout regimen. Well, unless you count crushing Krispy Kremes. Right now..my all time big men list goes like this:
1. Bill Russell
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Shaq
If he had given two shits for most of his career...he would be #1 easily.
The Big Aristotle was not without his other faults. The whole WNBA thing...calling Sacramento the "Queens", making up a lie about David Robinson snubbing him for an autograph when Shaq was a high school senior. (By the way...everyone loves to ignore this but early in Shaq's career...DRob used to abuse him) He also snubbed a group of kids in Live Oak who had paid money for an autograph session. We also aren't even going to get into it about "The Sarge", Shaq's stepdad Phil Harrison. The guy who used to call the newspapers complaining that his boy wasn't getting enough ink. None of those are excusable but to be fair, Shaq has also always been very active in the community. Being Shaq-a-Claus for needy kids, providing Thanksgiving and Easter dinners, being involved in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the like.
It was time for the Big Shamrock to hang it up because he was looking more like a Center for the Pats than a Center for the Celts.
He was a big kid playing a kids game...nothing wrong with that. Enjoy retirement big man..you've earned it.
The next....no, I don't think so...
We are in the midst of the 2011 NBA Finals, the Miami Hype Machine is up 1-0 on the Mavs in the series and game 2 is being played as this is being written. Miami is favored to win the series and have put me in the unclean position of rooting for Dallas. I think has to mainly do with LeBron. I respect the guys talent, just not the way he goes about things. Giving yourself your own nickname works for Shaq when its in fun and you win titles. Glossing yourself "the Chosen One" in high school makes you look like a sphincter, not a savior.
With the Heat close to winning the title, there have been quite a few conversations comparing Michael Jordan to LeBron James. Make no mistake about it...LeBron is a better physical specimen. He is bigger, stronger and faster than MJ. LeBron is a better athlete...MJ was a better basketball player.
Follow me closely on this one, campers...
There will never...ever..be another Michael Jordan.
Period. End of sentence. New paragraph.
Why? Simple. It's the one thing that can't be measured.
The desire to do anything to win. MJ had that...Russell had that...Barkley had that (too bad he kept running into MJ) Duncan and Kobe have it. Michael Jordan would have stabbed someone if he had to if that person stood between him and a title. MJ went for your throat...LeBron wants to be loved. He wants to be the next Global Icon...MJ did it without trying. LeBron isn't the best closer in the NBA...he isn't even the best closer on his team. In the last 2 minutes of the game, I want D-Wade to have the ball if I am Heat fan. I would take Kobe, DWade, Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce and Manu Ginobili to take my last shot before LeMiss.
We have had many "next Jordans" Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, Kobe...hell, Harold Miner was nicknamed "Baby Jordan" not happening.
MJ was a singularly unique talent which will never be duplicated....and why does it have to be?
There is nothing wrong with not having a Next anyone. Why not concentrate on being the first LeBron instead of the next MJ? LeBron is not the next Jordan and to be fair to LeBron..I don't think there will be a next LeBron..or Kobe for that matter.
We are always in a hurry to replace our retiring heroes when we forget that those qualities that made them our heroes cannot be duplicated. I know it won't stop anytime soon but we really should not be so quick and desperate to anoint someone a successor to a departed legend. Let them write their own chapter and have history decide.
Speaking of history...I am out
Until next time boys and girls...
Peace.
I am going to miss the big lug.
Yeah I know he once called the Spurs a WNBA team but that was just Shaq being Shaq. He was calling the attention to himself and therefore deflecting it from his teammates. He was a leader and to a man, almost every teammate he has had have been nothing but reverent in their tones regarding the big fella. Some big men see their size as a burden (Kareem...im looking at you) or curse (Dwayne Schintzius spitting on people comes to mind) Not Shaq. He embraced it. He reveled in it. He wore it like a 4X trenchcoat.
We all heard the amusing story about how his eventual college coach Dale Brown saw him on an Army base in Germany and asked a then 13-year old Shaq "what unit are you in, son?" When Shaq replied he was just a teen...Coach Brown had his scholarship waiting for him.
At Cole High School in San Antonio, watching him play was watching a man among boys. There was talk at the time along the lines of "yeah...but its against 3A talent".
Yeah....no.
Shaq would have dominated at any level. He proved this when he went from that 3A school to the Bayou State.
San Antonio embraced him as their own even though he only spent a few years there, there was even a suggestion in the Express-News that the Spurs should trade David Robinson, who was still getting used to the NBA, to Orlando in order to bring Shaq home. You think the LeBron hate was bad? Imagine a million pissed off South Texans if Shaq would have jumped to the Lakers from SA? Two words for you....Riot Squad.
When Shaq did leave the Magic Kingdom for Tinseltown, the move seemed like a great fit but it also had a downside. Shaq loved to fill his offseasons with all kinds of things...rap albums, movies, commercials...everything but working on his game. That is the one thing, in my opinion, that kept him from possibly being the best ever. The physical talent was unmistakeable but the focus on the game was not there like it was for a Russell, Jordan or even his former teammate Kobe. Jordan too enjoyed endorsements and fame outside of basketball but it never got in the way of his preparation for the game. Aside from his first few years...he rarely had any kind of offseason workout regimen. Well, unless you count crushing Krispy Kremes. Right now..my all time big men list goes like this:
1. Bill Russell
2. Wilt Chamberlain
3. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4. Shaq
If he had given two shits for most of his career...he would be #1 easily.
The Big Aristotle was not without his other faults. The whole WNBA thing...calling Sacramento the "Queens", making up a lie about David Robinson snubbing him for an autograph when Shaq was a high school senior. (By the way...everyone loves to ignore this but early in Shaq's career...DRob used to abuse him) He also snubbed a group of kids in Live Oak who had paid money for an autograph session. We also aren't even going to get into it about "The Sarge", Shaq's stepdad Phil Harrison. The guy who used to call the newspapers complaining that his boy wasn't getting enough ink. None of those are excusable but to be fair, Shaq has also always been very active in the community. Being Shaq-a-Claus for needy kids, providing Thanksgiving and Easter dinners, being involved in Big Brothers/Big Sisters and the like.
It was time for the Big Shamrock to hang it up because he was looking more like a Center for the Pats than a Center for the Celts.
He was a big kid playing a kids game...nothing wrong with that. Enjoy retirement big man..you've earned it.
The next....no, I don't think so...
We are in the midst of the 2011 NBA Finals, the Miami Hype Machine is up 1-0 on the Mavs in the series and game 2 is being played as this is being written. Miami is favored to win the series and have put me in the unclean position of rooting for Dallas. I think has to mainly do with LeBron. I respect the guys talent, just not the way he goes about things. Giving yourself your own nickname works for Shaq when its in fun and you win titles. Glossing yourself "the Chosen One" in high school makes you look like a sphincter, not a savior.
With the Heat close to winning the title, there have been quite a few conversations comparing Michael Jordan to LeBron James. Make no mistake about it...LeBron is a better physical specimen. He is bigger, stronger and faster than MJ. LeBron is a better athlete...MJ was a better basketball player.
Follow me closely on this one, campers...
There will never...ever..be another Michael Jordan.
Period. End of sentence. New paragraph.
Why? Simple. It's the one thing that can't be measured.
The desire to do anything to win. MJ had that...Russell had that...Barkley had that (too bad he kept running into MJ) Duncan and Kobe have it. Michael Jordan would have stabbed someone if he had to if that person stood between him and a title. MJ went for your throat...LeBron wants to be loved. He wants to be the next Global Icon...MJ did it without trying. LeBron isn't the best closer in the NBA...he isn't even the best closer on his team. In the last 2 minutes of the game, I want D-Wade to have the ball if I am Heat fan. I would take Kobe, DWade, Derrick Rose, Paul Pierce and Manu Ginobili to take my last shot before LeMiss.
We have had many "next Jordans" Grant Hill, Jerry Stackhouse, Vince Carter, Kobe...hell, Harold Miner was nicknamed "Baby Jordan" not happening.
MJ was a singularly unique talent which will never be duplicated....and why does it have to be?
There is nothing wrong with not having a Next anyone. Why not concentrate on being the first LeBron instead of the next MJ? LeBron is not the next Jordan and to be fair to LeBron..I don't think there will be a next LeBron..or Kobe for that matter.
We are always in a hurry to replace our retiring heroes when we forget that those qualities that made them our heroes cannot be duplicated. I know it won't stop anytime soon but we really should not be so quick and desperate to anoint someone a successor to a departed legend. Let them write their own chapter and have history decide.
Speaking of history...I am out
Until next time boys and girls...
Peace.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Monday, March 7, 2011
I wish I had an answer....
Many a day and night, I spent on the hallowed courts of Misty Oaks Park. So many great battles. Made shots, missed shots, trash talk, sweat, blood and maybe the occasional elbow. Like most people who have picked up a basketball, I dreamed. How many times did I try to re-create the Iceman's finger roll, Magic's no look pass or Kareem's sky hook? And like all kids...who didn't dream of hitting the last shot? The shot to win the game. Jordan's jumper in 82 to win the National Championship, Sean Elliott's Memorial Day Miracle. The fellas and I back in the day had quite a few phrases we liked to throw around. One of them was "never leave the court on a missed shot". Seems maybe a little hokey now but when you are young and headstrong, it just sounds really cool. (I often wonder who came up with it. It was probably Salmans, he can be clever at times) Basically, we wanted to make sure that we left it all out on the court. To make sure we gave 100% every time. Recent events have given me another reason. What if it's your last shot?
Ever.
No doubt most of you have heard of the tragedy that befell a small town last Thursday. Wes Leonard, a 16 year old basketball player for Fennville High School in Fennville, Michigan lived out every player's fantasy. He hit that shot.
The scene was right out of Hollywood and right off of the playground. With less than 30 seconds to go in overtime, his team tied at 55, Wes drove to the basket and scored the winning layup. His fellow Blackhawks mobbed him as they celebrated the win which also secured a 20-0 regular season.
Every little kids dream....shortly turned into every parent's worst nightmare.
Minutes into the celebration, Wes collapsed on to the floor. Two hours later, he was gone. A family, a team and a community went from a soaring high to the ultimate low.
Wes himself seemed like he came out of Hollywood. 6-2, 215 pounds and described by Fennville Superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer as "the quintessential all-American kid."
"Beyond his outstanding athletic abilities, Wes was a better person," Weeldreyer said. "His fellow students liked and respected him. Their grief speaks volumes about the high regard in which Wes was held."
He was the quarterback who threw for seven touchdowns in one game, he also at times played receiver and defensive end, a three year starter at those various positions. He played baseball too. Big ol' conceited jock right? Wrong. Chad VanHuis, who once umpired Leonard's middle-school baseball games, (the same ones where opposing coaches asking to see his birth certificate earning him the nickname "Big Man Wes")told ESPN "He was very courteous. He was the nicest kid. You'd think with his star potential, because he's so gifted, he'd be cocky, but he never really was that way,"
I have watched, played or coached some form of sport for almost 40 years. Many of those years coaching young men like Wes and I have to ask....
Why?
Why was this young man taken from us so soon? Now that I think about it...I can accept no answer. There is no good reason why Wes Leonard is gone. I mentioned in my last entry Brandon Gordon who was also taken from us so young after a fight with cancer. That was tragic and no less painful. I can't figure out what is worse...knowing your time is short and not being able to do anything about it or having your life cut short so abruptly with no warning. All I know is that losing these young men is such a horrible waste. You think our world couldn't use men like that in the future? The universe is truly a cold, unfeeling mistress and I have to admit, my faith is quite shaken.
All Wes Leonard did was be a kid. Well loved, someone who seemed enjoy every day and how does fate repay him? Blowing the whistle and declaring "game over".
Fennville has voted to play on and tonight they face Lawrence High School in the first round of the state playoffs. This story has taken on a national feel as dozens of media people have come to West Michigan to cover the game. The game has been moved to Hope College's DeVos Auditorium to accommodate the expected crowd of what should be approaching 3500. Kudos by the way, to Lawrence High School. They have been the ultimate good sports. Having to be the team who plays the team that the whole country will be rooting for is not going to be easy. This was supposed to be a home game for them. They first volunteered to donate all the proceeds to the charity of Wes' parents choice, then when they realized their gym couldn't handle the impending crowd, Hope College stepped in and donated the use of their building. The two teams will also be sharing a pre-game meal...something unheard of in today's sports world. Bo Kimble, who lost his best friend Hank Gathers 21 years to the day after Wes died, will be speaking to the teams as will Michigan State Basketball coach Tom Izzo.
I have played and coached in dozens of games and won a bunch of them. I have coached outstanding young men to victories and trophies. I was a small part of that group that dominated Texas DeMolay conclave from 02-06 in a way that had never been seen before or has been since.
I would give it all back for Wes Leonard to be leading his team tonight.
Kids like that deserve to be given a long full life to see what they can do with it. My heart goes out to that community and to his parents. I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through. I was never blessed with kids of my own but you don't have to be a parent to realize that the ultimate tragedy for a parent is having to bury a child. Which leads me back to my question...
Why?
I don't have an answer and no one else does either. God already has Pistol Pete and John Wooden...did he need Wes too? Oh and before anyone drops the obligatory "he's in a better place" don't. He was 16 for heavens sake. His place is with his family and friends and playing ball. He needs to be patrolling the fields and courts of Fennville...the sun on his face, dirt on his shoes and a twinkle in his eye.
I don't know what will happen with the Fennville Blackhawks this post-season. Will they rally around the memory of a fallen teammates and have the ultimate storybook ending? Just as possible is the burden being too much for young men and they are too emotionally spent to go on. It's not fair to ask so much of those so young. Personally, I hope for the former. I hope they go on a magical run that ends in the Breslin Center holding the trophy up so high that Wes can read the engraving.
God, fate and the universe owe the people of Fennville that much. You took one of their own way too early than was necessary. You have devastated a community and ripped apart a family. In your arrogance and selfishness, you robbed the world of a bright young man who may have made the world a better place. A championship is the least of what you can do.
I never met Wes Leonard and I mourn the wasteful loss of one so young but as someone who loves the games people play, I envy him this much. If you are a basketball player, is there a better way to leave this world? If you have to be cruelly taken from your family....you went out knowing your teammates will live to play another day. Wes gave his team one final assist. No one ever gave their all more than he and for that sir...I salute you.
One last thing....the official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy...also known as an enlarged heart. Big Man Wes had a big heart. From what those who spent time around him have told us...that was no surprise.
Go Blackhawks.
Peace.
Ever.
No doubt most of you have heard of the tragedy that befell a small town last Thursday. Wes Leonard, a 16 year old basketball player for Fennville High School in Fennville, Michigan lived out every player's fantasy. He hit that shot.
The scene was right out of Hollywood and right off of the playground. With less than 30 seconds to go in overtime, his team tied at 55, Wes drove to the basket and scored the winning layup. His fellow Blackhawks mobbed him as they celebrated the win which also secured a 20-0 regular season.
Every little kids dream....shortly turned into every parent's worst nightmare.
Minutes into the celebration, Wes collapsed on to the floor. Two hours later, he was gone. A family, a team and a community went from a soaring high to the ultimate low.
Wes himself seemed like he came out of Hollywood. 6-2, 215 pounds and described by Fennville Superintendent Dirk Weeldreyer as "the quintessential all-American kid."
"Beyond his outstanding athletic abilities, Wes was a better person," Weeldreyer said. "His fellow students liked and respected him. Their grief speaks volumes about the high regard in which Wes was held."
He was the quarterback who threw for seven touchdowns in one game, he also at times played receiver and defensive end, a three year starter at those various positions. He played baseball too. Big ol' conceited jock right? Wrong. Chad VanHuis, who once umpired Leonard's middle-school baseball games, (the same ones where opposing coaches asking to see his birth certificate earning him the nickname "Big Man Wes")told ESPN "He was very courteous. He was the nicest kid. You'd think with his star potential, because he's so gifted, he'd be cocky, but he never really was that way,"
I have watched, played or coached some form of sport for almost 40 years. Many of those years coaching young men like Wes and I have to ask....
Why?
Why was this young man taken from us so soon? Now that I think about it...I can accept no answer. There is no good reason why Wes Leonard is gone. I mentioned in my last entry Brandon Gordon who was also taken from us so young after a fight with cancer. That was tragic and no less painful. I can't figure out what is worse...knowing your time is short and not being able to do anything about it or having your life cut short so abruptly with no warning. All I know is that losing these young men is such a horrible waste. You think our world couldn't use men like that in the future? The universe is truly a cold, unfeeling mistress and I have to admit, my faith is quite shaken.
All Wes Leonard did was be a kid. Well loved, someone who seemed enjoy every day and how does fate repay him? Blowing the whistle and declaring "game over".
Fennville has voted to play on and tonight they face Lawrence High School in the first round of the state playoffs. This story has taken on a national feel as dozens of media people have come to West Michigan to cover the game. The game has been moved to Hope College's DeVos Auditorium to accommodate the expected crowd of what should be approaching 3500. Kudos by the way, to Lawrence High School. They have been the ultimate good sports. Having to be the team who plays the team that the whole country will be rooting for is not going to be easy. This was supposed to be a home game for them. They first volunteered to donate all the proceeds to the charity of Wes' parents choice, then when they realized their gym couldn't handle the impending crowd, Hope College stepped in and donated the use of their building. The two teams will also be sharing a pre-game meal...something unheard of in today's sports world. Bo Kimble, who lost his best friend Hank Gathers 21 years to the day after Wes died, will be speaking to the teams as will Michigan State Basketball coach Tom Izzo.
I have played and coached in dozens of games and won a bunch of them. I have coached outstanding young men to victories and trophies. I was a small part of that group that dominated Texas DeMolay conclave from 02-06 in a way that had never been seen before or has been since.
I would give it all back for Wes Leonard to be leading his team tonight.
Kids like that deserve to be given a long full life to see what they can do with it. My heart goes out to that community and to his parents. I cannot begin to imagine what they are going through. I was never blessed with kids of my own but you don't have to be a parent to realize that the ultimate tragedy for a parent is having to bury a child. Which leads me back to my question...
Why?
I don't have an answer and no one else does either. God already has Pistol Pete and John Wooden...did he need Wes too? Oh and before anyone drops the obligatory "he's in a better place" don't. He was 16 for heavens sake. His place is with his family and friends and playing ball. He needs to be patrolling the fields and courts of Fennville...the sun on his face, dirt on his shoes and a twinkle in his eye.
I don't know what will happen with the Fennville Blackhawks this post-season. Will they rally around the memory of a fallen teammates and have the ultimate storybook ending? Just as possible is the burden being too much for young men and they are too emotionally spent to go on. It's not fair to ask so much of those so young. Personally, I hope for the former. I hope they go on a magical run that ends in the Breslin Center holding the trophy up so high that Wes can read the engraving.
God, fate and the universe owe the people of Fennville that much. You took one of their own way too early than was necessary. You have devastated a community and ripped apart a family. In your arrogance and selfishness, you robbed the world of a bright young man who may have made the world a better place. A championship is the least of what you can do.
I never met Wes Leonard and I mourn the wasteful loss of one so young but as someone who loves the games people play, I envy him this much. If you are a basketball player, is there a better way to leave this world? If you have to be cruelly taken from your family....you went out knowing your teammates will live to play another day. Wes gave his team one final assist. No one ever gave their all more than he and for that sir...I salute you.
One last thing....the official cause of death was dilated cardiomyopathy...also known as an enlarged heart. Big Man Wes had a big heart. From what those who spent time around him have told us...that was no surprise.
Go Blackhawks.
Peace.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Labor strife and bring on the Madness!!
Iron City Beer 17
Brats and Cheese 14....in overtime.
Well, I screwed that one up.
Since we last chatted, they played Super Bowl 45 in Dallas, or officially, North Texas. The rest of the country learned that yes, it can snow in Texas and it usually does at the worst possible times. Jerry Jones must have been pulling his hair out of his oft-surgically enhanced skull. As I have learned up here in the Great White North, use salt Jerry, not sand. Works much better. I must give the Pack credit. They outplayed Pittsburgh in every phase of the game and we ended up with a great contest and Green Bay ended up with it's 13th title.
The confetti had not even stopped falling in Jerryworld when talk turned to the labor dispute between the NFL players union and the NFL and its team owners. Basically, the players like the deal the way it is, and the owners want more. They are crying poverty but are unwilling to show anyone their books to prove this. The Owners want an 18-game schedule and rookie salary cap, the players want neither.
I will fix this.
No 18 game schedule, add the rookie salary cap. Make the split 58-41 in favor of the players (they currently get 59.5) and give the remaining 1% to the retired players. Also, show us the books or you forfeit. Problem solved. In the real world, it won't be that smooth or logical but don't worry, their might be a lockout for a bit but it will not ruin the season. Neither side is stupid enough to risk the golden goose.
We go through this periodically with the games we love. I have no problem with players getting paid but don't cry poverty if you have to "settle" for $5 million as opposed to $8 million. Owners, don't bitch about players salaries because you pay them willingly. Players just don't find money trees, someone has to sign the checks. Let's all have a moment of reality here. Players and owners make a buttload of money off of a game. Forgive me for being pollyanna-ish for a moment but what if we paid scientists, doctors and teachers what we pay our pro athletes? We would be #1 in the world in, well damn near everything. Playing pro sports is not a right, it's a privilege. What would Shaq be without basketball? Broke as hell. Speaking of Shaq...the NBA is headed for a collision with their own labor dispute and unlike the NFL, that could drag out for months and we may lose a season over it.
Times like these make me appreciate and long for the days on the playgrounds, sandlots and parks of my youth. More and more pro athletes are motivated by money and fame. We were motivated by bragging rights. We played in sun, cold and even the occasional hurricane. Sometimes, it was 7a at Central Park Mall against strangers and radio people....other times it was 1a at Emerald Valley which may or may not have been followed by breaking into a neighborhood swimming pool. Places like Misty Oaks, Stone Ridge or Dallas's West End served as venues. We played in the shadows of skyscrapers getting sunburned or behind a bank in Bowie watching the locals getting burned by a kid in Air Jordans and dress slacks. Every player in pro sports had those moments. I truly believe that if they remembered them more, we would have less problems. Ok, enough nostalgia for now.
With the NFL season done, its time to turn to basketball. In the pro game, my San Antonio Spurs are still the holders of the best record in the league currently sitting at 50-11. However, there might be a black cloud on the horizon and its not a Silver and Black one. Tony Parker was injured in the February 27 win over Memphis. He injured his left calf and is expected to be out 2-4 weeks. Since the injury, the Spurs are 1-1, losing in Memphis by 16 then winning in Cleveland by 10. The trouble could come down the road as San Antonio faces the Heat twice along with the Lakers then the red hot Dallas Mavericks in Big D, all in the next seven games. This is the first real adversity the Spurs have faced in an otherwise magical season. How they deal with said adversity will go a long way in proving whether or not Duncan, Ginobili and company have one more title in them. The fun begins Friday night as the traveling circus and freak show that is the Miami Heat visit the Alamo City.
The date on the calendar reads March and that means one thing...
Let the Madness begin.
Conference play wraps up this week and the conference tournaments will be starting soon. Who is the favorite going into the Big Dance?
What time is it, right now?
It has been a number of teams so far this season. Duke and Michigan State started the year 1 and 2. The Dookies have done their part, holding the top ranking for the first 10 weeks of the season. Sparty? Well, the folks in East Lansing are gripping hardcore after what they have gone through. A team many selected to reach a third straight Final Four has a current record of 17-12, lost to in-state rival ( and previous doormat) Michigan at home in the Breslin Center for the first time since 1997 and the first time anywhere in six years. MSU is scrambling to even make the NCAA tourney and if they fail, they will break a streak of 13 straight appearances.
Duke lost the top spot to Ohio State in week 11. The Buckeyes stayed there until a loss to Wisconsin dropped them out four weeks later. Kansas then took over and was #1 for about 8 hours before getting ambushed in Manhattan that night. (Little Apple, not Big Apple) Duke ascended back up until a loss to Florida State put Brutus' boys back at #1. In addition to these teams Pitt, UConn, Texas and Syracuse have all made cases for being the best in the land at one time or another. Out West, Mountain West brethren San Diego State and BYU have been in the conversation with lengthy win streaks. This past Saturday, BYU defeated the Aztecs for a second time this season and there was talk of the Cougars first ever #1 tournament seed and even as a dark horse candidate to win it all. They have a player in Jimmer Fredette whom many think, myself included, is the player of the year. Jimmer reminds me of video I have seen on the great Pete Maravich. Take away the Pistol's floppy socks and add a few pounds of muscle and you have Jimmer. Yesterday however, BYU was dealt a blow when it was announced that Sophomore Brandon Davies has been suspended indefinitely due to a violation of BYU's Honor Code. The school has said that no criminal act took place and left it at that. The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Davies violated the code by having sex with his girlfriend. Premarital sex is one of the things that is a no-no for BYU students.
And no, I am not sure either how they would enforce that rule without a confession.
OK, I have never been a fan of BYU. Any school that doesn't allow their students to drink iced tea is 10 kinds of wrong to a Texan. Personally, if the kid wants to have sex with his girlfriend, that's his business. However, he did sign a pledge and went into his time in Provo knowing what he could and couldn't do. I applaud BYU for having the huevos for sticking to its rules even if I don't agree with that rule. Although....does anyone else find it ironic that the faith that this institution is based on was once a big fan of polygamy and with some members, still is?
With no clear cut dominant team in college hoops, we should be in for an outstanding tournament. It will be bad for our brackets but a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Get those brackets warmed up because the madness is upon us.
Before I go...a couple of shout outs...
Billy Newton...welcome to Club 40. You have some dark clouds of your own coming...we're going to get you through.
Joey Pants....thanks man.
And finally...to what I was talking about early in reference to children and the games they play. There was a local young man who passed away in February of 2009 named Brandon Gordon. As someone who as mentored and coached young folks, nothing makes my heart ache more than when one is taken from us so early. When I read his story, what amazed me is not how he died but how he lived. It's odd but more often than not, kids deal with illnesses like this better than adults. As we get older, we develop cynicism, fear and prejudices but the kids are still young enough that they don't have those built in yet. I read the story and while I was sad that Brandon had to endure cancer before he passed, I was more sad because the world was robbed of what he could have been.
All Brandon wanted to do was play hockey, and we have millionaires fighting over billions. Maybe we should make both sides read Brandon's story. Maybe then, they will gain proper perspective and stop making asses of themselves.
You can read Brandon's story here.
Peace.
Brats and Cheese 14....in overtime.
Well, I screwed that one up.
Since we last chatted, they played Super Bowl 45 in Dallas, or officially, North Texas. The rest of the country learned that yes, it can snow in Texas and it usually does at the worst possible times. Jerry Jones must have been pulling his hair out of his oft-surgically enhanced skull. As I have learned up here in the Great White North, use salt Jerry, not sand. Works much better. I must give the Pack credit. They outplayed Pittsburgh in every phase of the game and we ended up with a great contest and Green Bay ended up with it's 13th title.
The confetti had not even stopped falling in Jerryworld when talk turned to the labor dispute between the NFL players union and the NFL and its team owners. Basically, the players like the deal the way it is, and the owners want more. They are crying poverty but are unwilling to show anyone their books to prove this. The Owners want an 18-game schedule and rookie salary cap, the players want neither.
I will fix this.
No 18 game schedule, add the rookie salary cap. Make the split 58-41 in favor of the players (they currently get 59.5) and give the remaining 1% to the retired players. Also, show us the books or you forfeit. Problem solved. In the real world, it won't be that smooth or logical but don't worry, their might be a lockout for a bit but it will not ruin the season. Neither side is stupid enough to risk the golden goose.
We go through this periodically with the games we love. I have no problem with players getting paid but don't cry poverty if you have to "settle" for $5 million as opposed to $8 million. Owners, don't bitch about players salaries because you pay them willingly. Players just don't find money trees, someone has to sign the checks. Let's all have a moment of reality here. Players and owners make a buttload of money off of a game. Forgive me for being pollyanna-ish for a moment but what if we paid scientists, doctors and teachers what we pay our pro athletes? We would be #1 in the world in, well damn near everything. Playing pro sports is not a right, it's a privilege. What would Shaq be without basketball? Broke as hell. Speaking of Shaq...the NBA is headed for a collision with their own labor dispute and unlike the NFL, that could drag out for months and we may lose a season over it.
Times like these make me appreciate and long for the days on the playgrounds, sandlots and parks of my youth. More and more pro athletes are motivated by money and fame. We were motivated by bragging rights. We played in sun, cold and even the occasional hurricane. Sometimes, it was 7a at Central Park Mall against strangers and radio people....other times it was 1a at Emerald Valley which may or may not have been followed by breaking into a neighborhood swimming pool. Places like Misty Oaks, Stone Ridge or Dallas's West End served as venues. We played in the shadows of skyscrapers getting sunburned or behind a bank in Bowie watching the locals getting burned by a kid in Air Jordans and dress slacks. Every player in pro sports had those moments. I truly believe that if they remembered them more, we would have less problems. Ok, enough nostalgia for now.
With the NFL season done, its time to turn to basketball. In the pro game, my San Antonio Spurs are still the holders of the best record in the league currently sitting at 50-11. However, there might be a black cloud on the horizon and its not a Silver and Black one. Tony Parker was injured in the February 27 win over Memphis. He injured his left calf and is expected to be out 2-4 weeks. Since the injury, the Spurs are 1-1, losing in Memphis by 16 then winning in Cleveland by 10. The trouble could come down the road as San Antonio faces the Heat twice along with the Lakers then the red hot Dallas Mavericks in Big D, all in the next seven games. This is the first real adversity the Spurs have faced in an otherwise magical season. How they deal with said adversity will go a long way in proving whether or not Duncan, Ginobili and company have one more title in them. The fun begins Friday night as the traveling circus and freak show that is the Miami Heat visit the Alamo City.
The date on the calendar reads March and that means one thing...
Let the Madness begin.
Conference play wraps up this week and the conference tournaments will be starting soon. Who is the favorite going into the Big Dance?
What time is it, right now?
It has been a number of teams so far this season. Duke and Michigan State started the year 1 and 2. The Dookies have done their part, holding the top ranking for the first 10 weeks of the season. Sparty? Well, the folks in East Lansing are gripping hardcore after what they have gone through. A team many selected to reach a third straight Final Four has a current record of 17-12, lost to in-state rival ( and previous doormat) Michigan at home in the Breslin Center for the first time since 1997 and the first time anywhere in six years. MSU is scrambling to even make the NCAA tourney and if they fail, they will break a streak of 13 straight appearances.
Duke lost the top spot to Ohio State in week 11. The Buckeyes stayed there until a loss to Wisconsin dropped them out four weeks later. Kansas then took over and was #1 for about 8 hours before getting ambushed in Manhattan that night. (Little Apple, not Big Apple) Duke ascended back up until a loss to Florida State put Brutus' boys back at #1. In addition to these teams Pitt, UConn, Texas and Syracuse have all made cases for being the best in the land at one time or another. Out West, Mountain West brethren San Diego State and BYU have been in the conversation with lengthy win streaks. This past Saturday, BYU defeated the Aztecs for a second time this season and there was talk of the Cougars first ever #1 tournament seed and even as a dark horse candidate to win it all. They have a player in Jimmer Fredette whom many think, myself included, is the player of the year. Jimmer reminds me of video I have seen on the great Pete Maravich. Take away the Pistol's floppy socks and add a few pounds of muscle and you have Jimmer. Yesterday however, BYU was dealt a blow when it was announced that Sophomore Brandon Davies has been suspended indefinitely due to a violation of BYU's Honor Code. The school has said that no criminal act took place and left it at that. The Salt Lake Tribune is reporting that Davies violated the code by having sex with his girlfriend. Premarital sex is one of the things that is a no-no for BYU students.
And no, I am not sure either how they would enforce that rule without a confession.
OK, I have never been a fan of BYU. Any school that doesn't allow their students to drink iced tea is 10 kinds of wrong to a Texan. Personally, if the kid wants to have sex with his girlfriend, that's his business. However, he did sign a pledge and went into his time in Provo knowing what he could and couldn't do. I applaud BYU for having the huevos for sticking to its rules even if I don't agree with that rule. Although....does anyone else find it ironic that the faith that this institution is based on was once a big fan of polygamy and with some members, still is?
With no clear cut dominant team in college hoops, we should be in for an outstanding tournament. It will be bad for our brackets but a hell of a lot of fun to watch. Get those brackets warmed up because the madness is upon us.
Before I go...a couple of shout outs...
Billy Newton...welcome to Club 40. You have some dark clouds of your own coming...we're going to get you through.
Joey Pants....thanks man.
And finally...to what I was talking about early in reference to children and the games they play. There was a local young man who passed away in February of 2009 named Brandon Gordon. As someone who as mentored and coached young folks, nothing makes my heart ache more than when one is taken from us so early. When I read his story, what amazed me is not how he died but how he lived. It's odd but more often than not, kids deal with illnesses like this better than adults. As we get older, we develop cynicism, fear and prejudices but the kids are still young enough that they don't have those built in yet. I read the story and while I was sad that Brandon had to endure cancer before he passed, I was more sad because the world was robbed of what he could have been.
All Brandon wanted to do was play hockey, and we have millionaires fighting over billions. Maybe we should make both sides read Brandon's story. Maybe then, they will gain proper perspective and stop making asses of themselves.
You can read Brandon's story here.
Peace.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Snow Day, Super Bowl and taking care of one's own.
Today I got to hear some of the sweetest words one can hear in the Midwest.
Snow Day.
It was only the second time in my life I got a snow day. The first was back in January of 1985. Those of you in or from San Antonio know exactly what I am talking about. That weekend 26 years ago where the city shut down and we kids had a blast. 13 inches of snow over those two days. I remember walking out of my house like I was stepping out of a spaceship onto the surface of some distant planet. You walk out into the snow and jump into it...then you remember that its frozen water! Up here in mid-Michigan, snow is a way of life. Its pretty at first, it makes the holidays specials but by February, you're done with it. The snow melts, gets dirty and slushy and makes everything wet for weeks...Pure Michigan. Even though folks up here are better suited for it, occasionally it comes in fast and heavy enough to shut things down and last night and today was one of those times. Things will go back to normal tomorrow but a snow day was fun and relaxing.
Celebrated my birthday this week (thank you all again for all the well wishes) and if the birthday has happened, that means one of the biggest days of the year is not far behind. That unofficial national holiday known as Super Bowl Sunday. Hard to believe that tickets to the first game back in 1967 were $6, $10 and $12. That game was also the only one to be covered by two networks and was the only game not to sell out. The best ticket this year? $600. Yeah...good luck finding that price!
This year's game features two of the oldest and most successful franchises in the NFL. Green Bay, one of the leagues original teams, has won the most championships with 12 dating back to its first one in 1929 (yes kids, there was football before the Super Bowl)the Packers have been to four previous Super Bowls, winning three. (Here's a way to fool your friends...the Super Bowl name didn't come into being until SB III so technically, the Pack has been to three Super Bowls (31, 32 and 45) and 2 "AFL-NFL Championship Games" what we now call SB's 1 and 2) Pittsburgh came into the league in 1933 but didn't enjoy any title success until Super Bowl IX in 1974 and has six wins in seven Super Bowls. The Steelers run is even more impressive to me since it has been 6 championships in 36 years. Somewhere, Pam Murphy is very proud of me.
This game has the makings of a classic. You have the #1 and #2 rank defenses, two pro bowl quarterbacks, two guys with crazy hair, the superlatives go on and on. Both teams have had to overcome major adversity to arrive at this point. Pittsburgh had to deal with another round of Ben Roethlisberger's bad judgement this time ending up with Big Ben sitting for four games while Green Bay has had to deal with a deluge of injuries. The Pack has put 16 players this season on Injured Reserve not to mention several other players missing various amounts of games. Aaron Rodgers even missed a game and a half with a concussion and to the team's credit, they have had players step up and help Green Bay win. In fact, they are the hottest team in the league right now winning their last 5 games including three playoff wins, all away from the Frozen Tundra.
So who's gonna win? Well, here is a guarantee...there will be a lot of yellow confetti on the field when its over. Ok, ok so both teams wear yellow....my prediction is...coming later.
The other big story this week in the NFL is the labor situation. The current Collective Barganing Agreement between the league and the players union is set to expire in March and both sides are posturing for a fight. One of the biggest items in dispute is the idea to get rid of two preseason games and replace them with two regular season games and therefore going to an 18 game schedule. The league wants it, the players don't. There are safety concerns in the game as it is right now, an 18 game schedule would heighten those concerns. Player response to the idea has been vocal and loud. This week, a story in GQ Magazine came to light that spoke with several NFL players about safety concerns. Steelers receiver Hines Ward, never one to shy away from an opinion had this to say:
They're so hypocritical sometimes. They came out with these new helmets that are supposed to stop concussions. If they care so much about our safety, why don't they mandate that we wear the new ones? If they're so worried about what concussions will do to us after our careers, then guarantee our insurance for life. And if you're going to fine me for a hit, let the money go to veteran guys to help with their medical issues. To say the league really cares? They don't give a f**k about concussions. And now they want to add on two extra games? Are you kidding? Come on, let's be real. Now that these new guidelines are in place, you'll see more and more guys lying to doctors to stay on the field. Contracts aren't guaranteed. If a guy's contract is coming up and he gets his bell rung—and if he has a concussion, he'll have to leave the game and maybe miss another one—trust me, he ain't tellin' nobody. Look at [49ers running back] Brian Westbrook. He was an elite player who had concussion issues, and he struggled to find work after the Eagles cut him. Guys saw that. I'm telling you, if you're a guy on the bubble or playing for your next contract, you're going out there and jeopardizing your life to get that payday.
Amen.
I love the NFL. It's the one sport that, to paraphrase my boy Arch, even though my team may not be in the playoffs, I still enjoy watching. I was born and raised on football and I know it can be violent. The NFL knows it too and they make money off of it. They fine players for hits and try to legislate the violence out of the sport...then turn around and take those same hits, put them on a DVD and charge 9.95 for it. That is hypocricy at its finest. You can't tell a guy he's wrong, but then say its ok for you to use his action to profit.
One of the other issues on the table is the league's treatment of its former players. It is deplorable. The older these former players get, the more that the wear and tear of an NFL career adds to health problems. Some former players qualify for an NFL pension but it is usually less than $1,000 a month and as we all know, health care costs continue to go up. The league just does not care. For them it's out of sight, out of mind. They figure that the old guys will eventually die so we can just wait them out. These men gave their all for the game they loved and did so in a time where medical technology and player salaries were not at the level that we see today. What is even sadder is some of the current players feelings about the men who came before them, the ones who laid the foundation of the game the young guys enjoy today. Drew Brees said that the older players “They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They’ve had a couple divorces. And that’s why they don’t have money. And they’re coming to us to basically say, ‘Please make up for my bad judgment.’”
Wow. Talk about bad judgement...making that statement was a great example.
Those "deadbeats" help build the league that currently employs you and you drop a load of crap like that? Hard to believe you are a Texan. Try and remember what you said when you are asking for money for your foundation.
A recent study on NFL players who have and currently abuse pain medication, 75 percent of them stated that the pain is unbearable. They also stated that their daily activities were affected by the pain, and that they could not perform their daily activities in the proper manner because of it. 70 percent of them stated that the pain they felt was moderate.
I'm sure they making it all up, Drew.
I hope that the players union and the league can come together on this one. The former players need help and the league and union should be the ones to do so. How many more horror stories like Mike Webster do we have to endure before these men are helped out.
You can help too. Check out these websites to see how you can.
Dignity After Football
Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund
For what its worth, I do not think that the current labor strife will affect the 2011 season. There will probably be a lockout in March but I really feel a deal will be in place by training camp. I really don't take sides in these labor disputes because its basically millionaires fighting with billionaires. I am with the players on the 18 game season, I don't feel its neccessary. In fact I would still decrease the number of preseason games and expand the current rosters while maintaining the 16 game season. One thing that the players union does need to do is present a united front and so far, there have been cracks in the armor of solidarity. You have players sniping at the union and each other about the labor agreement on twitter recently. You also had a bunch of players questioning Jay Cutler's toughness after coming out of the NFC Championship game with a knee injury. Finally you had the head of the Union, DeMaurice Smith comparing the negotiations with the league as "being at war". That remark almost makes me want to side with the owners.
Haven't we evolved past the point where every disagreement is a "war"? I am pretty sure that sitting in a nice warm hotel meeting room with catered food and a nice, soft bed to go to after a day of squabbling over money is nothing like war. Go ask the men and women in the deserts of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan, you know the ones away from their families and having bullets fly at them? I am pretty sure their idea of war is a little different. Smith's statement was disgusting, inappropriate and an insult to those Americans in an actual war zone. Luckily, they are too busy to notice at the moment.
That's what's on my mind for now. Super Sunday is approaching so enjoy the game and of course, the commercials. See ya-oh wait...you wanted a prediction. Ok here goes...the team who has the most points by the end of the 4th quarter will end up taking it.
Oh..not good enough? :)
Alright then....
the color of confetti that will be flying along with the yellow will be black.
Iron City Beer 17
Brats and Cheese 14....in overtime.
Peace
Snow Day.
It was only the second time in my life I got a snow day. The first was back in January of 1985. Those of you in or from San Antonio know exactly what I am talking about. That weekend 26 years ago where the city shut down and we kids had a blast. 13 inches of snow over those two days. I remember walking out of my house like I was stepping out of a spaceship onto the surface of some distant planet. You walk out into the snow and jump into it...then you remember that its frozen water! Up here in mid-Michigan, snow is a way of life. Its pretty at first, it makes the holidays specials but by February, you're done with it. The snow melts, gets dirty and slushy and makes everything wet for weeks...Pure Michigan. Even though folks up here are better suited for it, occasionally it comes in fast and heavy enough to shut things down and last night and today was one of those times. Things will go back to normal tomorrow but a snow day was fun and relaxing.
Celebrated my birthday this week (thank you all again for all the well wishes) and if the birthday has happened, that means one of the biggest days of the year is not far behind. That unofficial national holiday known as Super Bowl Sunday. Hard to believe that tickets to the first game back in 1967 were $6, $10 and $12. That game was also the only one to be covered by two networks and was the only game not to sell out. The best ticket this year? $600. Yeah...good luck finding that price!
This year's game features two of the oldest and most successful franchises in the NFL. Green Bay, one of the leagues original teams, has won the most championships with 12 dating back to its first one in 1929 (yes kids, there was football before the Super Bowl)the Packers have been to four previous Super Bowls, winning three. (Here's a way to fool your friends...the Super Bowl name didn't come into being until SB III so technically, the Pack has been to three Super Bowls (31, 32 and 45) and 2 "AFL-NFL Championship Games" what we now call SB's 1 and 2) Pittsburgh came into the league in 1933 but didn't enjoy any title success until Super Bowl IX in 1974 and has six wins in seven Super Bowls. The Steelers run is even more impressive to me since it has been 6 championships in 36 years. Somewhere, Pam Murphy is very proud of me.
This game has the makings of a classic. You have the #1 and #2 rank defenses, two pro bowl quarterbacks, two guys with crazy hair, the superlatives go on and on. Both teams have had to overcome major adversity to arrive at this point. Pittsburgh had to deal with another round of Ben Roethlisberger's bad judgement this time ending up with Big Ben sitting for four games while Green Bay has had to deal with a deluge of injuries. The Pack has put 16 players this season on Injured Reserve not to mention several other players missing various amounts of games. Aaron Rodgers even missed a game and a half with a concussion and to the team's credit, they have had players step up and help Green Bay win. In fact, they are the hottest team in the league right now winning their last 5 games including three playoff wins, all away from the Frozen Tundra.
So who's gonna win? Well, here is a guarantee...there will be a lot of yellow confetti on the field when its over. Ok, ok so both teams wear yellow....my prediction is...coming later.
The other big story this week in the NFL is the labor situation. The current Collective Barganing Agreement between the league and the players union is set to expire in March and both sides are posturing for a fight. One of the biggest items in dispute is the idea to get rid of two preseason games and replace them with two regular season games and therefore going to an 18 game schedule. The league wants it, the players don't. There are safety concerns in the game as it is right now, an 18 game schedule would heighten those concerns. Player response to the idea has been vocal and loud. This week, a story in GQ Magazine came to light that spoke with several NFL players about safety concerns. Steelers receiver Hines Ward, never one to shy away from an opinion had this to say:
They're so hypocritical sometimes. They came out with these new helmets that are supposed to stop concussions. If they care so much about our safety, why don't they mandate that we wear the new ones? If they're so worried about what concussions will do to us after our careers, then guarantee our insurance for life. And if you're going to fine me for a hit, let the money go to veteran guys to help with their medical issues. To say the league really cares? They don't give a f**k about concussions. And now they want to add on two extra games? Are you kidding? Come on, let's be real. Now that these new guidelines are in place, you'll see more and more guys lying to doctors to stay on the field. Contracts aren't guaranteed. If a guy's contract is coming up and he gets his bell rung—and if he has a concussion, he'll have to leave the game and maybe miss another one—trust me, he ain't tellin' nobody. Look at [49ers running back] Brian Westbrook. He was an elite player who had concussion issues, and he struggled to find work after the Eagles cut him. Guys saw that. I'm telling you, if you're a guy on the bubble or playing for your next contract, you're going out there and jeopardizing your life to get that payday.
Amen.
I love the NFL. It's the one sport that, to paraphrase my boy Arch, even though my team may not be in the playoffs, I still enjoy watching. I was born and raised on football and I know it can be violent. The NFL knows it too and they make money off of it. They fine players for hits and try to legislate the violence out of the sport...then turn around and take those same hits, put them on a DVD and charge 9.95 for it. That is hypocricy at its finest. You can't tell a guy he's wrong, but then say its ok for you to use his action to profit.
One of the other issues on the table is the league's treatment of its former players. It is deplorable. The older these former players get, the more that the wear and tear of an NFL career adds to health problems. Some former players qualify for an NFL pension but it is usually less than $1,000 a month and as we all know, health care costs continue to go up. The league just does not care. For them it's out of sight, out of mind. They figure that the old guys will eventually die so we can just wait them out. These men gave their all for the game they loved and did so in a time where medical technology and player salaries were not at the level that we see today. What is even sadder is some of the current players feelings about the men who came before them, the ones who laid the foundation of the game the young guys enjoy today. Drew Brees said that the older players “They took their pensions early because they never went out and got a job. They’ve had a couple divorces. And that’s why they don’t have money. And they’re coming to us to basically say, ‘Please make up for my bad judgment.’”
Wow. Talk about bad judgement...making that statement was a great example.
Those "deadbeats" help build the league that currently employs you and you drop a load of crap like that? Hard to believe you are a Texan. Try and remember what you said when you are asking for money for your foundation.
A recent study on NFL players who have and currently abuse pain medication, 75 percent of them stated that the pain is unbearable. They also stated that their daily activities were affected by the pain, and that they could not perform their daily activities in the proper manner because of it. 70 percent of them stated that the pain they felt was moderate.
I'm sure they making it all up, Drew.
I hope that the players union and the league can come together on this one. The former players need help and the league and union should be the ones to do so. How many more horror stories like Mike Webster do we have to endure before these men are helped out.
You can help too. Check out these websites to see how you can.
Dignity After Football
Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund
For what its worth, I do not think that the current labor strife will affect the 2011 season. There will probably be a lockout in March but I really feel a deal will be in place by training camp. I really don't take sides in these labor disputes because its basically millionaires fighting with billionaires. I am with the players on the 18 game season, I don't feel its neccessary. In fact I would still decrease the number of preseason games and expand the current rosters while maintaining the 16 game season. One thing that the players union does need to do is present a united front and so far, there have been cracks in the armor of solidarity. You have players sniping at the union and each other about the labor agreement on twitter recently. You also had a bunch of players questioning Jay Cutler's toughness after coming out of the NFC Championship game with a knee injury. Finally you had the head of the Union, DeMaurice Smith comparing the negotiations with the league as "being at war". That remark almost makes me want to side with the owners.
Haven't we evolved past the point where every disagreement is a "war"? I am pretty sure that sitting in a nice warm hotel meeting room with catered food and a nice, soft bed to go to after a day of squabbling over money is nothing like war. Go ask the men and women in the deserts of Iraq or the mountains of Afghanistan, you know the ones away from their families and having bullets fly at them? I am pretty sure their idea of war is a little different. Smith's statement was disgusting, inappropriate and an insult to those Americans in an actual war zone. Luckily, they are too busy to notice at the moment.
That's what's on my mind for now. Super Sunday is approaching so enjoy the game and of course, the commercials. See ya-oh wait...you wanted a prediction. Ok here goes...the team who has the most points by the end of the 4th quarter will end up taking it.
Oh..not good enough? :)
Alright then....
the color of confetti that will be flying along with the yellow will be black.
Iron City Beer 17
Brats and Cheese 14....in overtime.
Peace
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Odds and Ends.
"Oh the weather outside is frightful...."
Frightful? No. Butt cold? Yes! So what does one do when the mercury does the nestea plunge? Stay inside and put pen to paper...or in this case, fingers to keyboard.
So what's happening? College football is done. Good game between the Tigers and Ducks. The SEC got it's 5th in a row (again I say...No Colt McCoy) Cam Newton can enjoy his Heisman and the National Championship!...well, until they take both away in about 5 years. Allegedly. I gotta give Gene Chizik and Auburn credit though....they played a good game and were not blinded by those really bright and funky socks.
Someone should tell Phil Knight and his boys at Nike to lay off the bong water during their brainstorming sessions. I admire the creativity but the purist in me is not digging the uniforms. My nephew, Frodo the Orange, told me..."you're not happy unless all teams have boring block numbers and no names on the back"...he said it like it was a bad thing.
Speaking of college.....apparently the University of Texas signed a contract with tha ESPN to form a Longhorn TV network
All Burnt Orange, all the time..its BEVO-TV!!
30 years, 200 million..well that should keep Bevo in food for awhile. Hey, if the four letter network is willing to pony up that kind of cash, I don't blame the Orangeblood hierarcy for taking it. Still, I am not crazy about a school having its own network. I also didn't like it when Notre Dame did its deal with NBC. (Sorry, Jeff) It, at least to me, kind of goes against the whole team concept. It's great that the lesser known sports will get some publicity but the kids in those sports at Baylor, Tech and A&M deserve the same shot. Ok, well maybe not A&M. The other side is that I am mostly about football anyway so I guess it won't affect me. Oh well, nature of the beast. Plus...its one more thing Horn haters can get pissed over, which works too.
Those of you in Lansing, no doubt have heard of the Mad Dog DeMarco morning radio show. Mad Dog is our local sports talk morning host and I contribute to the show with the occasional phone call. Dog lets me vent my conventional wisdom and drop a nugget o' knowledge or two. I have had the priveilge of meeting him and his producer Josh Lattime in person. Great guys and fun to be around. Dog, unlike many in his business, is genuinely gracious off the air, and he throws a wicked christmas party. He has dubbed me "Gunslinger"...being Texan and all. A nickname I like.
I mention his show because a recent topic was the NFL's Rooney Rule. This rule, named for Pittsburgh Steelers president and current Ambassador to Irelnd, Dan Rooney. The rule was established in 2003 and requires NFL teams to interview African American candidates for head coaching and senior football operations opportunities. A columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Drew Sharp, wrote a piece recently saying that while the rule served its purpose, it has outlived its usefulness. Sharp, an African-American, says in the article "The true measure of fairness is when diverse talent becomes an unconsciously accepted standard. This country's most influential sports entertainment entity has reached that touchstone."
I would agree.
Don't get me wrong. Racism is this country's most insisdious problem. We just celebrated a man who gave his life in the service of ending this form of hate. While I do not believe things are as bad as they once were, it would be foolish to say that racism no longer exists. The NFL was bad at perpetuating the "Good Ol' Boy network". The Rooney Rule opened the door for team owners and general managers to look beyond the usual suspects for job openings.
Minority candidates for head coaching and GM jobs were the exception, they are now part of the process. To me, that is what the rule was designed to do and it has been accomplished. If the rule is retired, pro football will not degenerate into some bubbas beer bash. Does color still play a part in hiring your team's next head coach? Absolutely. However, that color is not black or white...it's green. Owners cannot afford to even think about skin color. The NFL has evolved to a level where qualified assistants, regardless of color, will get a shot at a head coaching gig. Something else Drew Sharp mentioned, if the Steelers and/or Bears win this weekend, it will be the fifth Super Bowl in a row with a team who has a black head coach or GM. I can guarantee you that in the multi-billion dollar business that is the NFL, if a team finds a coach that will help them win they will snatch him no matter what he looks like.
I wasn't totally crazy about the rule to start with. I believe any person that has the qualifications for a job should be considered for that job but I don't like when a man is interviewed because he has to be and not because he is actually being considered for the job. The Rooney Rule was designed to not treat people differently because of race...by going through the sham of an interview when you have no intention of hiring that person..isn't that doing the same thing?
While I think the NFL has evolved past the need for this rule....college football has not. Of 120 Division 1-A schools, there are 13 minority head coaches. Unlike the NFL where all teams answer to one league, each college has to answer to its own administration. Boosters get involved, favors are no doubt traded, etc. I am not saying that schools have to hire minority candidates. Schools have the right to hire who they wish but I do believe that all qualified candidates should have the opportunity to make their case as to why they should be hired.
Now...on to the games on the field. The NFL playoffs are in the Conference Championship round. Pittsburgh hosts the New York Jets in the AFC while Green Bay travels to Chicago in the NFC. The Jets ran their mouths big time last week about their opponent, the New England Patriots, and I thought Tom Brady, Bill Belichek and the boys were going to blow NY out of the sky but I give it to Rex the Wonder Coach and his team...they went into Foxboro and punched the Pats in the mouth. However, I do believe the flight ends this week in the Steel city. I think Pittsburgh beats NY and I think Cheesehead nation sees their team knock off their longtime rival. These two have played each other for the last 89 years but oddly enough, they have only played once previously in the post season. December 14, 1941 saw a 33-14 Bears win..although i'm sure minds at the time were on other events.
It is winter and that squeaking you hear is the sound of basketball in the air. At the halfway point in the NBA season, the team with the best record is not the defending champion Lakers, the traveling sideshow that is LeBron and the Heat, nor the Magic, Celtics or (thank God) Mavericks. Yup...you guessed it..say it with me...
the San Antonio Spurs. After 41 games, San Antonio was 35-6, the best start in franchise history. Yep, while the media and the rest of the world has been salivating over stories of Kobe and Lamar, Carmelo being traded or not and the Miami Soundbyte machine, the Spurs have retooled and compiled the best record so far.
"Wait...the Spurs?!?! But..but..they're too old..and,and..boring...and..and..."
and the best team in the league, kids.
****UPDATE*****San Antonio is now 36-6 as of tonight's win over Toronto. Good win, eh?
How is SA doing it? Offense.
Whoa.
The team that hung its hat on defense for over a decade is sacrificing a touch of that Popovichian defense for added offense and it has worked brilliantly. Something else that has added to the Spurs success is the infusion of young talent. Guess who is not the oldest team in the NBA anymore? Young guns like DeJuan Blair, Gary Neal and the ever-improving George Hill have refreshed the Big 3 to a point where Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are playing at all-star levels. The other major component is Tim Duncan. However TD's impact has been different. His stats are down all across the board. Points, rebounds, blocks..all career lows...as is what is proving to be the most important stat.
Minutes played.
For his career, Duncan has averaged 36 minutes per game. This season, 29. Is he slipping, no. He is still Tim freaking Duncan and can go off when he has to but the great thing is that he doesn't have to. Duncan is doing at the end of his career what David Robinson did at the end of his. He is taking a lesser role in order to let the younger players star. Worked out pretty good for Dave and the way things are going...it could for Tim as well. Don't be fooled though, come playoff time Duncan will be there. Rested and ready. Woe be to he who dismisses this when the lights are brightest and the stakes are highest.
Campers, that is it for now, got a Super Bowl coming up, that should be fun...more later but right now this is all on my mind...well that and an approaching birthday. How old will I be? Hmm....Terence Newman, Tom Seaver and Phil Zevenbergen.
You figure it out.
Peace.
Frightful? No. Butt cold? Yes! So what does one do when the mercury does the nestea plunge? Stay inside and put pen to paper...or in this case, fingers to keyboard.
So what's happening? College football is done. Good game between the Tigers and Ducks. The SEC got it's 5th in a row (again I say...No Colt McCoy) Cam Newton can enjoy his Heisman and the National Championship!...well, until they take both away in about 5 years. Allegedly. I gotta give Gene Chizik and Auburn credit though....they played a good game and were not blinded by those really bright and funky socks.
Someone should tell Phil Knight and his boys at Nike to lay off the bong water during their brainstorming sessions. I admire the creativity but the purist in me is not digging the uniforms. My nephew, Frodo the Orange, told me..."you're not happy unless all teams have boring block numbers and no names on the back"...he said it like it was a bad thing.
Speaking of college.....apparently the University of Texas signed a contract with tha ESPN to form a Longhorn TV network
All Burnt Orange, all the time..its BEVO-TV!!
30 years, 200 million..well that should keep Bevo in food for awhile. Hey, if the four letter network is willing to pony up that kind of cash, I don't blame the Orangeblood hierarcy for taking it. Still, I am not crazy about a school having its own network. I also didn't like it when Notre Dame did its deal with NBC. (Sorry, Jeff) It, at least to me, kind of goes against the whole team concept. It's great that the lesser known sports will get some publicity but the kids in those sports at Baylor, Tech and A&M deserve the same shot. Ok, well maybe not A&M. The other side is that I am mostly about football anyway so I guess it won't affect me. Oh well, nature of the beast. Plus...its one more thing Horn haters can get pissed over, which works too.
Those of you in Lansing, no doubt have heard of the Mad Dog DeMarco morning radio show. Mad Dog is our local sports talk morning host and I contribute to the show with the occasional phone call. Dog lets me vent my conventional wisdom and drop a nugget o' knowledge or two. I have had the priveilge of meeting him and his producer Josh Lattime in person. Great guys and fun to be around. Dog, unlike many in his business, is genuinely gracious off the air, and he throws a wicked christmas party. He has dubbed me "Gunslinger"...being Texan and all. A nickname I like.
I mention his show because a recent topic was the NFL's Rooney Rule. This rule, named for Pittsburgh Steelers president and current Ambassador to Irelnd, Dan Rooney. The rule was established in 2003 and requires NFL teams to interview African American candidates for head coaching and senior football operations opportunities. A columnist for the Detroit Free Press, Drew Sharp, wrote a piece recently saying that while the rule served its purpose, it has outlived its usefulness. Sharp, an African-American, says in the article "The true measure of fairness is when diverse talent becomes an unconsciously accepted standard. This country's most influential sports entertainment entity has reached that touchstone."
I would agree.
Don't get me wrong. Racism is this country's most insisdious problem. We just celebrated a man who gave his life in the service of ending this form of hate. While I do not believe things are as bad as they once were, it would be foolish to say that racism no longer exists. The NFL was bad at perpetuating the "Good Ol' Boy network". The Rooney Rule opened the door for team owners and general managers to look beyond the usual suspects for job openings.
Minority candidates for head coaching and GM jobs were the exception, they are now part of the process. To me, that is what the rule was designed to do and it has been accomplished. If the rule is retired, pro football will not degenerate into some bubbas beer bash. Does color still play a part in hiring your team's next head coach? Absolutely. However, that color is not black or white...it's green. Owners cannot afford to even think about skin color. The NFL has evolved to a level where qualified assistants, regardless of color, will get a shot at a head coaching gig. Something else Drew Sharp mentioned, if the Steelers and/or Bears win this weekend, it will be the fifth Super Bowl in a row with a team who has a black head coach or GM. I can guarantee you that in the multi-billion dollar business that is the NFL, if a team finds a coach that will help them win they will snatch him no matter what he looks like.
I wasn't totally crazy about the rule to start with. I believe any person that has the qualifications for a job should be considered for that job but I don't like when a man is interviewed because he has to be and not because he is actually being considered for the job. The Rooney Rule was designed to not treat people differently because of race...by going through the sham of an interview when you have no intention of hiring that person..isn't that doing the same thing?
While I think the NFL has evolved past the need for this rule....college football has not. Of 120 Division 1-A schools, there are 13 minority head coaches. Unlike the NFL where all teams answer to one league, each college has to answer to its own administration. Boosters get involved, favors are no doubt traded, etc. I am not saying that schools have to hire minority candidates. Schools have the right to hire who they wish but I do believe that all qualified candidates should have the opportunity to make their case as to why they should be hired.
Now...on to the games on the field. The NFL playoffs are in the Conference Championship round. Pittsburgh hosts the New York Jets in the AFC while Green Bay travels to Chicago in the NFC. The Jets ran their mouths big time last week about their opponent, the New England Patriots, and I thought Tom Brady, Bill Belichek and the boys were going to blow NY out of the sky but I give it to Rex the Wonder Coach and his team...they went into Foxboro and punched the Pats in the mouth. However, I do believe the flight ends this week in the Steel city. I think Pittsburgh beats NY and I think Cheesehead nation sees their team knock off their longtime rival. These two have played each other for the last 89 years but oddly enough, they have only played once previously in the post season. December 14, 1941 saw a 33-14 Bears win..although i'm sure minds at the time were on other events.
It is winter and that squeaking you hear is the sound of basketball in the air. At the halfway point in the NBA season, the team with the best record is not the defending champion Lakers, the traveling sideshow that is LeBron and the Heat, nor the Magic, Celtics or (thank God) Mavericks. Yup...you guessed it..say it with me...
the San Antonio Spurs. After 41 games, San Antonio was 35-6, the best start in franchise history. Yep, while the media and the rest of the world has been salivating over stories of Kobe and Lamar, Carmelo being traded or not and the Miami Soundbyte machine, the Spurs have retooled and compiled the best record so far.
"Wait...the Spurs?!?! But..but..they're too old..and,and..boring...and..and..."
and the best team in the league, kids.
****UPDATE*****San Antonio is now 36-6 as of tonight's win over Toronto. Good win, eh?
How is SA doing it? Offense.
Whoa.
The team that hung its hat on defense for over a decade is sacrificing a touch of that Popovichian defense for added offense and it has worked brilliantly. Something else that has added to the Spurs success is the infusion of young talent. Guess who is not the oldest team in the NBA anymore? Young guns like DeJuan Blair, Gary Neal and the ever-improving George Hill have refreshed the Big 3 to a point where Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are playing at all-star levels. The other major component is Tim Duncan. However TD's impact has been different. His stats are down all across the board. Points, rebounds, blocks..all career lows...as is what is proving to be the most important stat.
Minutes played.
For his career, Duncan has averaged 36 minutes per game. This season, 29. Is he slipping, no. He is still Tim freaking Duncan and can go off when he has to but the great thing is that he doesn't have to. Duncan is doing at the end of his career what David Robinson did at the end of his. He is taking a lesser role in order to let the younger players star. Worked out pretty good for Dave and the way things are going...it could for Tim as well. Don't be fooled though, come playoff time Duncan will be there. Rested and ready. Woe be to he who dismisses this when the lights are brightest and the stakes are highest.
Campers, that is it for now, got a Super Bowl coming up, that should be fun...more later but right now this is all on my mind...well that and an approaching birthday. How old will I be? Hmm....Terence Newman, Tom Seaver and Phil Zevenbergen.
You figure it out.
Peace.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
My plan to fix College Football
Merry New Year!!
"That's "happy." In this country we say "Happy New Year." Trading Places...gotta love the classics.
Lot of things have happened since we last talked. The Spurs have soared, the Cowboys...not so much..though some fresh blood had them finishing strong. We also had the 2010-11 College Football season...well, we are still in it technically. That is what happens when you have 35 freaking bowl games. Yes..35. There are only 120 teams in Division I...yes DIVISION I...don't give me that FBS or FCS crap...lipstick, pig...you understand. 120 teams and 70 get to go the postseason as long as you have 6 wins...unless you are poor Temple..8-4 and they stay home but 13 6-6 teams went including such football factories as Middle Tennessee, FIU and UTEP. Bill Cosby is probably still choking on his pudding pop. Mediocrity, thy name is the NCAA.
The argument we hear every year about this time is for or against a Division I football playoff. Uncle Mikey is in favor of such a plan and if he were in charge it would happen...hmm....what would that be like? (cue wavy picture and dream sequence music)
I am now in charge of College Football. Automatic wins for Texas over the Aggies and Sooners every year!! OK...not really. Hey..this year they needed all the help they could get! However I would wield an iron hand. Some of you are not going to like it but what fun would it be if we all got along.
First thing I am doing is moving the headquarters...Indiana...really? The new headquarters will be 13131 San Pedro Drive, San Antonio Texas.
Down to business. You have those folks out there who are against a playoff. Let me tell you something campers, every excuse you have, I can counter with why it's weak and I will prove it to you now. The three biggest anti-playoff excuses are as follows:
The schools will lose money.
The players will have too much time away from class.
We will lose the tradition of the bowls.
Crap, crap and...hmm...oh yeah, crap!
"The Schools will lose money"
Are you kidding? The TV network execs would sell their children for the right to a D-1 playoff. The most recent March Madness package garnered the NCAA right at 1 Billion dollars...say it with me kiddos....One Bill-ion Dollars. ESPN/ABC, CBS and Fox would double that easily.
"The players will have too much time away from class"
Right, because the BCS conferences care so much about academics. The majority of the post-season is played during semester break. Besides, how would that differ than the regular season? Also...the other Divisions seem to be able to make it work, including D-3 which has no athletic scholarships. Yes, real students playing football and getting an education..who knew?
"We will lose the tradition of the bowls."
Ah yes....the tradition of such classic as the Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl.
You incorporate the bowl system in to the playoff..with some tweaking.
Also, don't hand me this junk about "the current season makes every week a playoff game" Hmmm...somehow, Michigan State v. Northern Colorado or Alabama v.Georgia State doesn't scream postseason drama. But enough of me shooting holes in the opposition....let's get to the plan.
Currently there are 120 D-1 schools...that number will increase to 123 in the next 2 years. That is the number we are sticking with. No expansion for awhile. In fact I would even consider contracting a few schools down to 1-AA (Eastern Michigan and most of the Sun Belt...I'm looking at you) but for now, we will keep it with 123.
Next...you independents...pick a conference or go to 1-AA. BYU plans to go Indie in 2012...nope, back to the Mountain West. Army and Navy...because of your tradition..I will not demote you...have fun in the Big East. Speaking of which...TCU...you are going to the Big 12...I want geographic normalcy. Also, Big 12...find a 12th (TCU is your 11th) or I am re-naming you the Southwest Conference. In fact...I will do that...trade Oklahoma State to Conference USA...add TCU, SMU and Houston..done.
This leaves me with Notre Dame. Big East or Big 10, your choice. That shadow you see is the Shillelagh of Damocles over your Golden Dome if you piss me off. You jackwagons have had this "our poop don't stink" attitude for way too long. Rockne's dead and the Gipper ain't walkin through that door anytime soon. You think SMU's Death Penalty was bad...step one buckled shoe out of line and find out. Your soul belongs to Touchdown Jesus but your ass belongs to me.
Speaking of the Big 10....change the name or become the third division of the MAC. Mathematical normalcy will be achieved as well. Oh and "Legends and Leaders"? More like Dumb and Dumber...East and West...or, North and South...it ain't hard boys.
Back to the playoff system. It is really easy. There are currently 11 conferences. Each conference champion gets an automatic bid and there will be 5 at large bids for a 16 team bracket. Seeding will be as it is for March Madness. You play the first rounds before and opposite the NFL playoff games and the championship game is played in the time between the NFL Conference championship games and Super Bowl. It might take a few viewers away from the Pro Bowl but who would notice?
One other minor annoying bleat by the anti-playoff folks is "our kids will be playing too many games" Yeah...no. You have some schools playing 13 or 14 games anyway. I would eliminate conference championship games which would take one game away. Our little darlings can handle the extra time, they're young...they can take it.
Here is where you incorporate the bowls. You have 15 games in the playoff. You use your upper tier bowls for those playoff sites. You lessen the bowl payouts, which saves money, and the schools will still make money as they advance. Here is how I would break it down:
First Round sites:
Aloha (formerly Hawaii), Bluebonnet (formerly Texas)Holiday, Independence, Liberty, Peach (formerly Chik-fil-A), Sun Bowl, Tangerine (formerly Champs)
Quarterfinals:
Alamo, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator
Semi-finals:
Orange, Sugar
Final:
Rose
The title game was easy...the granddaddy deserves it. Perhaps you were wondering what was up with all the "formerly"'s. Corporate whoring...er, uh, I mean, sponsorship is a necessary evil but there needs to be restraint. No bowl will be known by just the sponsor name. It can be in the name but the bowl name must be there. For example...Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl=good....Chik-fil-A Bowl=bad. I also went back to some of the original names (Aloha, Bluebonnet, Tangerine). For the non-playoff bowls, you have to include a flower, fruit, city or state name. I will let the Humanitarian Bowl slide only because I dig the Smurf Turf. Bring back some of the classics, like the Cherry Bowl, Raisin Bowl or Salad Bowl!!! Or one of the all-time greats...the Bacardi Bowl. Imagine the stuff in that goodie bag!
With 15 bowl games and 16 teams taken for the playoff...that leaves 20 bowls, 40 teams. If we keep the current NCAA eligibility rules where you have to be 6-6 to qualify and we remove the 16 teams who qualified for the playoff....that would still leave us with 52 teams. I would raise the requirement to 7-5 and only go to 6-6 if there were not enough 7-5 teams to fill out the spots. If we did that....we would have 39 teams eligible and would only need to bring one 6-6 team up. That way you don't reward mediocrity and the quality of games would improve. You still keep the bowls intact and you reward those teams who have a good season. The bowls are important. If you are 7-5 or 8-4 and haven't been in a while, its good for your school, your players, your alumni and your fans. Everyone gets a week at the bowl site to enjoy the swag, impress your recruits and bask in the national spotlight, if only briefly.
It is really sad that D-1 college football is the only level of any sport who's champion is not decided on the field. This is not rocket science. We are taught from day one that if we win our games, we get to compete for a championship. How many years do we have 1 or 2 or more teams get screwed out of that chance. This year it was TCU, last year it was TCU and Boise. You pick a year, you can find a team who got hosed. The current BCS system expires in 2014. I hope that in the real world, the NCAA can find a way to work this out. However, when you have dimwitted and greedy conference commissioners possessing all the power, I won't hold my breath.
That is my plan to fix college football...and it's just crazy enough to work.
Merry New Year.
"That's "happy." In this country we say "Happy New Year." Trading Places...gotta love the classics.
Lot of things have happened since we last talked. The Spurs have soared, the Cowboys...not so much..though some fresh blood had them finishing strong. We also had the 2010-11 College Football season...well, we are still in it technically. That is what happens when you have 35 freaking bowl games. Yes..35. There are only 120 teams in Division I...yes DIVISION I...don't give me that FBS or FCS crap...lipstick, pig...you understand. 120 teams and 70 get to go the postseason as long as you have 6 wins...unless you are poor Temple..8-4 and they stay home but 13 6-6 teams went including such football factories as Middle Tennessee, FIU and UTEP. Bill Cosby is probably still choking on his pudding pop. Mediocrity, thy name is the NCAA.
The argument we hear every year about this time is for or against a Division I football playoff. Uncle Mikey is in favor of such a plan and if he were in charge it would happen...hmm....what would that be like? (cue wavy picture and dream sequence music)
I am now in charge of College Football. Automatic wins for Texas over the Aggies and Sooners every year!! OK...not really. Hey..this year they needed all the help they could get! However I would wield an iron hand. Some of you are not going to like it but what fun would it be if we all got along.
First thing I am doing is moving the headquarters...Indiana...really? The new headquarters will be 13131 San Pedro Drive, San Antonio Texas.
Down to business. You have those folks out there who are against a playoff. Let me tell you something campers, every excuse you have, I can counter with why it's weak and I will prove it to you now. The three biggest anti-playoff excuses are as follows:
The schools will lose money.
The players will have too much time away from class.
We will lose the tradition of the bowls.
Crap, crap and...hmm...oh yeah, crap!
"The Schools will lose money"
Are you kidding? The TV network execs would sell their children for the right to a D-1 playoff. The most recent March Madness package garnered the NCAA right at 1 Billion dollars...say it with me kiddos....One Bill-ion Dollars. ESPN/ABC, CBS and Fox would double that easily.
"The players will have too much time away from class"
Right, because the BCS conferences care so much about academics. The majority of the post-season is played during semester break. Besides, how would that differ than the regular season? Also...the other Divisions seem to be able to make it work, including D-3 which has no athletic scholarships. Yes, real students playing football and getting an education..who knew?
"We will lose the tradition of the bowls."
Ah yes....the tradition of such classic as the Beef O'Brady's St. Petersburg Bowl.
You incorporate the bowl system in to the playoff..with some tweaking.
Also, don't hand me this junk about "the current season makes every week a playoff game" Hmmm...somehow, Michigan State v. Northern Colorado or Alabama v.Georgia State doesn't scream postseason drama. But enough of me shooting holes in the opposition....let's get to the plan.
Currently there are 120 D-1 schools...that number will increase to 123 in the next 2 years. That is the number we are sticking with. No expansion for awhile. In fact I would even consider contracting a few schools down to 1-AA (Eastern Michigan and most of the Sun Belt...I'm looking at you) but for now, we will keep it with 123.
Next...you independents...pick a conference or go to 1-AA. BYU plans to go Indie in 2012...nope, back to the Mountain West. Army and Navy...because of your tradition..I will not demote you...have fun in the Big East. Speaking of which...TCU...you are going to the Big 12...I want geographic normalcy. Also, Big 12...find a 12th (TCU is your 11th) or I am re-naming you the Southwest Conference. In fact...I will do that...trade Oklahoma State to Conference USA...add TCU, SMU and Houston..done.
This leaves me with Notre Dame. Big East or Big 10, your choice. That shadow you see is the Shillelagh of Damocles over your Golden Dome if you piss me off. You jackwagons have had this "our poop don't stink" attitude for way too long. Rockne's dead and the Gipper ain't walkin through that door anytime soon. You think SMU's Death Penalty was bad...step one buckled shoe out of line and find out. Your soul belongs to Touchdown Jesus but your ass belongs to me.
Speaking of the Big 10....change the name or become the third division of the MAC. Mathematical normalcy will be achieved as well. Oh and "Legends and Leaders"? More like Dumb and Dumber...East and West...or, North and South...it ain't hard boys.
Back to the playoff system. It is really easy. There are currently 11 conferences. Each conference champion gets an automatic bid and there will be 5 at large bids for a 16 team bracket. Seeding will be as it is for March Madness. You play the first rounds before and opposite the NFL playoff games and the championship game is played in the time between the NFL Conference championship games and Super Bowl. It might take a few viewers away from the Pro Bowl but who would notice?
One other minor annoying bleat by the anti-playoff folks is "our kids will be playing too many games" Yeah...no. You have some schools playing 13 or 14 games anyway. I would eliminate conference championship games which would take one game away. Our little darlings can handle the extra time, they're young...they can take it.
Here is where you incorporate the bowls. You have 15 games in the playoff. You use your upper tier bowls for those playoff sites. You lessen the bowl payouts, which saves money, and the schools will still make money as they advance. Here is how I would break it down:
First Round sites:
Aloha (formerly Hawaii), Bluebonnet (formerly Texas)Holiday, Independence, Liberty, Peach (formerly Chik-fil-A), Sun Bowl, Tangerine (formerly Champs)
Quarterfinals:
Alamo, Cotton, Fiesta, Gator
Semi-finals:
Orange, Sugar
Final:
Rose
The title game was easy...the granddaddy deserves it. Perhaps you were wondering what was up with all the "formerly"'s. Corporate whoring...er, uh, I mean, sponsorship is a necessary evil but there needs to be restraint. No bowl will be known by just the sponsor name. It can be in the name but the bowl name must be there. For example...Chik-fil-A Peach Bowl=good....Chik-fil-A Bowl=bad. I also went back to some of the original names (Aloha, Bluebonnet, Tangerine). For the non-playoff bowls, you have to include a flower, fruit, city or state name. I will let the Humanitarian Bowl slide only because I dig the Smurf Turf. Bring back some of the classics, like the Cherry Bowl, Raisin Bowl or Salad Bowl!!! Or one of the all-time greats...the Bacardi Bowl. Imagine the stuff in that goodie bag!
With 15 bowl games and 16 teams taken for the playoff...that leaves 20 bowls, 40 teams. If we keep the current NCAA eligibility rules where you have to be 6-6 to qualify and we remove the 16 teams who qualified for the playoff....that would still leave us with 52 teams. I would raise the requirement to 7-5 and only go to 6-6 if there were not enough 7-5 teams to fill out the spots. If we did that....we would have 39 teams eligible and would only need to bring one 6-6 team up. That way you don't reward mediocrity and the quality of games would improve. You still keep the bowls intact and you reward those teams who have a good season. The bowls are important. If you are 7-5 or 8-4 and haven't been in a while, its good for your school, your players, your alumni and your fans. Everyone gets a week at the bowl site to enjoy the swag, impress your recruits and bask in the national spotlight, if only briefly.
It is really sad that D-1 college football is the only level of any sport who's champion is not decided on the field. This is not rocket science. We are taught from day one that if we win our games, we get to compete for a championship. How many years do we have 1 or 2 or more teams get screwed out of that chance. This year it was TCU, last year it was TCU and Boise. You pick a year, you can find a team who got hosed. The current BCS system expires in 2014. I hope that in the real world, the NCAA can find a way to work this out. However, when you have dimwitted and greedy conference commissioners possessing all the power, I won't hold my breath.
That is my plan to fix college football...and it's just crazy enough to work.
Merry New Year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
