Who Lurks?

Strongest Cheerleader?

2012-01-30T17:35:00.001-08:00

Add another accolade to the SEC.

Strongest Cheerleader.

The football team probably needs her more than the cheer-leading squad ...

BCS/SEC National Championship Game Looking A Lot Like Soccer

2012-01-09T20:02:00.001-08:00

The BCS and SEC values defense-first, low-scoring affairs. Sounds a lot like soccer.

I hope for Alabama's sake it doesn't come down to penalty kicks.

Welcoming Bill O'Brien

2012-01-09T09:19:00.000-08:00

Bill O'Brien is the head football coach at Penn State.

And, as a Penn State alumnus, I think it was a good choice. He was the best coach available that wanted the job.

Here are some reasons why I believe this is true ...

1. If the scandal had not occurred, then Tom Bradley would have likely been the head football coach (full time) heading into the 2012 Regular Season. Joe Paterno is dealing with serious health issues, and I believe he would have walked away after the 2011-2012 season. The Penn State staff would have remained intact, but Paterno was/is done. And that staff would have deserved the job, because at the time of the scandal they were the top Big 10 team (by record) - and I honestly believe they would have played Michigan State for the Big 10 title, and finished the season with only 2 or 3 losses if you include the bowl game. [Note: Penn State was 8-1 before the scandal, with the lone loss being to Alabama in a non-conference home game. Granted, all of their big games were at the end of the season.] However, that being said ...

2. Bill O'Brien is a better hire than Tom Bradley. I'm a firm believer in bringing in new energy, hiring "outside" of the family, and rolling the dice with someone who brings a different perspective. Bill O'Brien is that person for Penn State. He'll retain enough of Paterno's staff to keep the recruiting train moving, but he'll bring some much-needed modernization of the offense to the team. I also think Bill O'Brien has a much better "presence" than Tom Bradley. He is a big, confident, and well-spoken person. And, even with the questions over and over about the scandal, he has always talked about moving forward.

3. If the allegations against Sandusky are true (and I believe they are), then he and his family need to get a grip on reality and Sandusky needs to "fall on his sword." Let the victims and their families get on with the healing process, don't make them testify, etc. [If Sandusky is innocent, then he obviously needs to fight the allegations with all of his resources, but again I don't believe he is innocent.]

4. Joe Paterno is probably 2-3 years away from death (given that he is 85 and dealing with cancer). I wish him a long and healthy retirement. He needs to spend some time with the grandkids and perhaps travel - once he beats cancer. In 10-15 years his legacy will not be stained with Sandusky, because after Paterno dies, then he will generate more sympathy, etc. But he needs to realize he will not generate that sympathy while he is still alive. [Note: This could obviously change if it comes out that he knew more about the incidents than he let on to the police, grand jury, and media.]

5. Former Penn State players (particularly LaVar Arrington) need to shut up. Bill O'Brien is the best coach Penn State could hire. I'm not particularly interested in Arrington (and former players) because they represent such a small part of Penn State. Penn State is one of the largest schools in the USA, and according to some sources has the largest alumni association, etc. etc. Which leads me to my next point ...

6. Penn State will be fine. Is this a hurdle to jump over? Yes. Were the right people fired? *Yes. (More on that in a minute.) Will the alumni support the university and team? Yes. Former players may get more TV time on ESPN, but there are plenty of CEOs and Board Members who write the big checks - and those people all understand that Paterno (and most of his staff) had to go.

7. Do I believe Paterno should have been fired? I am still contemplating this issue. At first, I thought he should be allowed to resign at the end of the season (and I thought he was going to anyway). But once he was fired, then I realized that perhaps it was the best move (considering what he knew from the Grand Jury Testimony, etc.).

However, Jim Boeheim is still the coach at Syracuse (and he even called the potential victims of that scandal liars, etc.) - and I don't see anyone asking for his resignation? So perhaps Joe Paterno being fired that quickly (before all the facts are out - which will take years - if ever) was a mistake, but it wasn't a big mistake. Here's why:

i) Penn State was getting killed by the press. Firing all of the individuals allowed the organization to save some face.
ii) Penn State's football team was in contention for the Big 10 title, but was not a 'lock' to win it, and Penn State (the university) needed to show that football wasn't #1 when it came to these crucial administrative issues.
iii) In basic statistical theory, there are two types of error. One (the type everyone understands) is incorrectly keeping a bad apple. The second (the false-positive) is incorrectly tossing a good apple. Penn State's Board of Trustees opted to live with the second kind of error, knowing they could not be called to task for making the first kind of error (by the media, alumni, fans, etc.). Thus, Penn State may have incorrectly fired Paterno (and perhaps we will never know), but no one can say they didn't act!

8. So where does this leave Penn State's football team? I say, Penn State will be an above-average Big 10 team. I'm thinking in a 10-year cycle, the expectations of Penn State football should be:

one or more Big 10 titles
three or more Big 10 title game appearances
two or more 10 win seasons, four or more 9 win seasons [counting bowl game]
no more than one season of 6-6 or worse

9. McQuery is (and was) in a horrible situation. He was a graduate assistant (which if that makes him a student - it means that he had special laws pertaining to him) and the whistle-blower of this entire situation for that one victim (read the grand jury report for issues related to the other victims). I don't know how I would have reacted if I were in that situation, and I pray I never have to find out.

10. McQuery and Paterno will lose in the eyes of the media and public, but they legally met their obligations. They told their boss (or boss's boss) - who is also in charge of Penn State's police. Penn State (like most universities) has its own police force; thus, (in legal terms) they did tell the police. It may not have been an "official" report, but I don't see how they can be held legally responsible for any of this mess. (They may be responsible of some moral issues, but that is another matter.)

11. I do believe this is a cover-up issue that goes beyond Penn State. I wouldn't be surprised if (when it is all said and done) this goes a lot higher up the political food-chain than what we've seen so far. How Sandusky wasn't charged back in the 90's (read the grand jury report) when he admitted on a tapped telephone to a mother that he showered with her teenage son --- is beyond my comprehension. Even if he is tried (in a trial) and acquitted, there is no way he is working with Second Mile, Penn State, or getting near a kid if he is even charged with a crime in that situation. Someone(s) dropped the ball 15-20 years ago ... and unfortunately it has impacted many more victims.

12. Where I work and live - I may be the only Penn State alumnus that people encounter on a routine basis. And a lot of them have asked me what I think about the situation ... and my one word answer is "disgusted."

13. Ending on a positive note and getting back to Bill O'Brien ... I think he was the best coach available, and I think he'll do well. If he is 10-20% as good as the previous Brown University graduate head coach, then Penn State (university) and Penn State (football) will be just fine!

Tebow Power!

2011-12-28T11:40:00.000-08:00

(Note: this is my Who Lurks Fantasy Football Championship Post. Expect lots of gloating)

The Best team won. Or at least the team that was the best for most of the season, even if The Turd Ferguson's did have a freefall at the end of the regular season. Thank you injuries. And why did the Turd's win: Tebow. Because All he does is win.

Seriously though, The Turd Ferguson's were the class of WLFF until around week 10, when the Monster Fred Jackson went on IR. Couple that with RunDMC (Auction bargain @ $28, $1 more than Peyton Hillis, $14 less than Jamaal Charles, $13 less than Rashard Mendenhall?) not playing since getting hurt in week 7, and the fact that I bought Peyton Manning the day before the 2nd surgery was announced, I was actually very fortunate to win this thing. I loved Darren Sproles coming into this season, I knew he'd be the next Reggie Bush in that Saints offense. With lots of money left at the end of the auction, I overspent on AJ Green also, that paid off in spades, becoming a great value. The Dallas WRs were also very nice for me when they were healthy. Tebow ended up coming off the waiver wire once Orton was given the boot, and although the jury is still definitely out on him being a competent NFL quarterback, he's been a very productive, not spectacular, but productive fantasy QB. And all he does is win.

As for the loser, Morbo had a pretty solid year. One of the highest scorers all year, he fought through some terrible luck in the early season, being on the losing side of some of the highest scoring matchups, he fought his way into playoff position and made it to the championship game. His downfall was Tony Romo, he should've heeded the advice of my buddy Damon, who won my keeper league: "Romo was a last second scratch because I didn’t want to have Tony Romo be responsible for winning anything." Alas, CM was stuck with no other options on his team, and well, we all see where that got him. First Loser. Congrats. Also, Good work Brody in taking third, it really feels like we played about 7 times this year.

Until next season friends, signing off....

AMAZING TNT NBA video

2011-12-26T13:36:00.001-08:00

Taking over DC!

2011-12-21T11:27:00.002-08:00

Winter 2011 Baseball Thoughts

2011-12-21T11:27:00.001-08:00

I’m currently on a plane back to Virginia for 5 days. There is no internet, and I just realized that my work laptop doesn’t have ANY games on it. Seriously. No games? Time to blog. But I’m going to blog from memory of the transactions from baseball’s offseason… some of the exact details in this might be wrong, and for that, I apologize in advance.

First, this will be known as the offseason that Albert Pujols left St. Louis. For all the other quasi monumental activity, it all comes in 2nd to Pujols. I, like most people, am pretty shocked that he ended up leaving St. Louis. But I don’t blame him. The Cardinals didn’t really make an effort to retain the guy. Sure you could say they made him a 200 million dollar offer, great..but they wanted him back the same way the Mets wanted Jose Reyes back. They wanted him back on the cheap. There isn’t any other way to put it…to me? That’s stunning that an organization like the Cardinals could treat an icon like Pujols that way. Pujols wanted icon-type money. He is the best player in baseball… and yes, his numbers have been sliding in recent seasons. That being said, looking at the numbers he posted this season (basically one hit away from another .300/100/100/30 season) and one could argue he still is the MVP. He changes the way a lineup is constructed. Add in the fact he’s a gold glove first baseman? Come on now. Take care of the guy. The Angels make out like bandits….
I’m never going to assume that anyone is clean anymore, but if Pujols stays clean (for all we know) then the Angels will benefit from his ridiculous run of hall of fame numbers , most notably, his chase of Barry Bonds. The Angels might sell 20 million dollars worth of merchandise during that particular run. Never mind the jerseys, hot dogs, bobble heads and anything else they sell because of Pujols. I’d venture a guess that the auxiliary money generated by the Pujols signing will come close to 100 million over the next 10 years. This includes the increase in tv ratings, sponsorships, suite sales, ticket sales, merchandise, parking, and everything else. Oh..and we haven’t mentioned how much better the team is and how the Angels are officially one of those teams players like Lance Berkman will join on the cheap to team up with a Pujols to make a world series run. All that being said, it is borderline moronic that St. Louis balked at his asking price. Sure, I don’t want to be paying Pujols 25 mil when he’s 40-42 years old… but if I manage my team correctly, that won’t be an issue.

Ryan Braun testing positive
This is beyond sad for baseball. He’s one of the good guys that I think everyone can and was rooting for. He’s fun to watch play baseball. And was content to sign and stay in Milwaukee. Apparently the circumstances surrounding his positive test are unique… but isn’t that what everyone says? Everyone says, oh I THOUGHT I could take this because it said it was just like Dr. Pepper (or whatever they say). Fact is, this is a bummer for baseball. Should something be done about the MVP award? I think so. Listen, I’m not the biggest Matt Kemp fan in the world, but one could make a fairly easy argument that he should have won to begin with. He played a premium defensive position in an extreme pitchers park and still put up silly numbers. The Dodgers, if I recall, were barely above .500. But they played respectable ball all year… basically because of two guys. Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. The rest of that team, with the exception of Andre Either, kind of sucks. It doesn’t help that I think I currently have more net worth than anyone who “owns” the Dodgers… which is still yet to be determined. I wouldn’t have a problem taking the award away from Braun and giving it to Kemp. That seems like the fair thing to do… or at least putting a GIANT asterisk next to Braun’s name in the MVP record books.

The Miami Marlins
What the hell? So they changed their uniforms, moved into a new ballpark, signed a big time manager and paired him with a trio of marquee free agents… and after all that, I’m still not buying them. Why? Two words. Jeffery Loria. We’ve seen this before…remember when they signed Carlos Delgato? Remember how they always dump their young guns for younger guns? This is the same team that has taken baseball’s revenue share money and ran by having a lower payroll than what baseball allocates to each team. NOW they want to compete? NOW they want to pay players and be a major player? Sorry, but I don’t buy that this is for real. Look at what they did… they bought valued commodities that they could easily flip without reservation. This is actually a brilliant fantasy baseball move… maybe not the best idea in real life baseball. What is stopping them from flipping Jose Reyes in 2 years when the team is still drawing 20k people to the game? You don’t think a team like Seattle or the Angels or the Cubs or some other desperate franchise gives up a couple of their best young prospects for a locked in Reyes ? What about Heath Bell? How many times have we seen a good closer fetch a couple decent prospects at the trade deadline? Shit. Mike Adams who SET UP Heath Bell got the Padres a couple fantastic prospects this year… and he wasn’t even closing. And we all know starting pitching is always in demand. I’m just saying… read between the lines. I don’t think the Marlins win a world series with these guys, but I do think they sell them off, get cheap again, and repeat the cycle.

This is the same thing the Oakland A’s have been trying to do. Problem is, the guys they sign are on the significant downside to their careers. Nobody wants them and if they do, they aren’t giving up a single B level prospect much less a young kid with value. Is it any coincidence that the Marlins’ farm system has finally thinned out? Sure, they’ll sell some tickets (probably) and some merchandise (maybe) and make a few dollars initially, but give this 18 months. There was a reason they weren’t giving out no-trade clauses. What do you think the Yankees or Red Sox would give for Pujols in two years? Just saying, read between the lines.

WhoLurks Football Year 3, Playoff Semis

2011-12-14T12:39:00.000-08:00

The first round of the playoffs didn’t produce any close matchups and was as about as exciting as watching a women’s college basketball game so we’ll move on to what’s ahead in the semis. Three lower seeded teams moved on to the semis but in this league who really is a favorite?

#1 LA Terps vs. #5 Alex Morgan Hottie
The Terps had a huge day from MJD last week and will need more of the same from MJD against the Falcons on Thursday night. Interestingly, the Terps have the ATL Def. and MJD but I see Gabbert throwing a couple picks and MJD scoring a couple TDs so everyone is happy in fantasy land. Best Mode going up. Looking at a couple favorable matchups for the Terps, I like Eli vs. the Redskins in a big way and I think Steve Smith will score more points than the Yahoo experts think against Houston.

Alex Morgan Hottie was trailing the Sluts going into the Dallas/ New York Sunday night game and the defenses forgot to show up so the Sluts went down. The Hotties have to be happy that CJ2K gets to run all over the Colts this weekend and I expect Hakeem Nicks to have a good day vs. the Redskins. Demaryius Thomas is my sleeper this week and has become the Tebow’s favorite receiver. I would think he’ll have a few big catches against the worst defense in the league.

Both teams are riding 6 game winning streaks. This can also be called the Sports Authority California Bowl as both of owners are marketing managers in California. Winner takes all.
I’m taking Alex Morgan Hottie in this one and Tony Romo won’t f- it up this week.

#6 One Man Gang vs. #7 Turd Fergusons

One Man Gang is also what you could call Rob Gronkowski and if people weren’t getting Tebowed all over the place, you got “Gronked” would be the most popular phrase this season. Interesting matchup for Gronk this week against the Denver D and I’ll be there in person to see who the hell is going to cover that guy. Although Yankees Suck had two fantasy studs, Rodgers and McCoy, they didn’t get enough production from Davone Bess and Mendenhall to advance. Adrian Peterson returning to the lineup this week should be a nice boost for One Man Gang but Toby Gearhart filled in nicely last week.

The Turds scored the least amount of points by a winning team last week and found a way to piece together enough points. Zapp Brannigan sat Julio Jones and Carson Palmer instead going with Alex Smith and Vincent Brown…28 point difference between those two…ouch. The Turds have favorable matchups this week: Tebow vs. New England’s terrible D, Darren Sproles inside vs. Minnesota and finally AJ green against the beat up St. Louis secondary.

Gallagher and his squad are the last remaining hope for the state of Colorado in Who Lurks year tres. Gallagher is also all in on the Tebow bandwagon. This lately hasn’t worked out well for him but all he does in win. Brody vs. Gallagher is the rubber match this season. Gallagher having won week 6 and Brody in week 13. I’ll un-biasedly stay on the Tebow train in hopes of seeing a Broncos fan in the championship.

Big East Movement

2011-12-08T16:55:00.001-08:00

Wow, lots to talk about…

Let’s start with the disaster known as the Big East.

Really everyone? Why can’t we just let the Big East die?

Boise State, San Diego State, UCF, Houston and SMU are joining the Big “East”.

Boise State and San Diego State are football only members. And really… I want to know… why Boise State and San Diego State? Why? What the hell are you thinking? We’re two years away from the BCS being up and being potentially blown up. Really, we’re less than 2 years. The Mountain West is the next best thing when Big East football dies. Why leave?! Why???????? I’m not even a Mountain West or Boise State fan… but I can tell you if I’m the Mountain West, I’m furious.

Boise comes on board for 2 minutes and dips out to save basically your rival conference? What. The. Fuck?

The best part? Boise State and San Diego state are football only members, which means they need to find another conference for the rest of their sports because the Mountain West, rightfully, told them to go eff themselves.

So now San Diego State is most likely going to HOPE to join the Big West. The BIG WEST?!? Once again. What. The. Fuck? If I’m Steve Fisher, I’m pissed. Sure, San Diego State should own the Big West is basically every sport, but that’s like beating up on a bunch retards. That gets reallllly old after oh, 20 minutes. Sure, the Big West does baseball. Congrats. You get one sport done well. San Diego State would actually be better off trying to join the WCC. At least the WCC does mens hoops, baseball, volleyball, soccers all pretty damn well. If you’re winning the WCC in those sports, you’re probably a top 10-15 team in the country.

Boise State? That’s another story. Boise State will go back to the WAC… which will be funny. And if I’m the WAC, I wouldn’t accept them but the WAC is so incredibly desperate for any legit D1 program… so maybe they are made for each other. But once again, wouldn’t you be better off in the Mountain West? Boise State does know that in order to win the big east, they might need to actually beat a ranked team in the middle of the season. Right? Did you know that since Boise State went Bowl Championship Subdivision, they have 2 wins against a ranked opponent they had less than 3 weeks to prepare for? Not saying that Louisville or Cincy is a strong opponent, but Boise hasn’t exactly been challenged by having to play back to back ranked opponents… umm, ever.

One more thing I keep reading…that Boise State wanted a travel partner for being out west. Umm… no. Football doesn’t have travel partners. ALL other sports have travel partners. Boise state isn’t going to kick it in New Jersey becaue they played Rutgers and UCONN on back to back weeks. That doesn’t happen.

Fact is, if Boise State could finish off a game and had a decent kicker, they would be playing LSU in January. Handle your busines… don’t join a new conference. This is like the kid that takes his ball and runs home, or in this case… to the Big East. Sad for everyone… and this doesn’t make any sense… why save the Big East? Why? I’ve yet to see any answers.

Blake Griffin on Grantland

2011-12-08T15:47:00.001-08:00

Exhibit A of why Blake Griffin will be a super-duper star. Because he's hilarious too.

Virginia Tech vs. UVA

2011-12-06T20:22:00.000-08:00

Ole Miss, Illinois & Texas A&M Coaching Jobs

2011-12-01T23:11:00.000-08:00

Round 3 of the college football coaching WhoLurks vacancy filler game. Yea, I couldn’t come up with a more creative name for this exercise that I enjoy oh so much.

Today we’ll tackle…Ole Miss, Illinois and the latest entry…Texas A&M.

So far we’re 1 for 1 as Washington State hired Mike Leach. Stunningly, they stepped up, big time too with a legit salary.

Leading off, Ole Miss.
This is a program that nobody can be envious of their situation. Playing in the SEC, much less the SEC west isn’t that much fun. The person that takes this job is competing with Auburn, Alabama and LSU. You very well could be looking at the last 3 NATIONAL champions, much less SEC champions. So yea, good luck with that. Oh, nevermind that Arkansas was just 3rd in the BCS and has a legit coach in Bobby Petrino and Miss State seems to have gotten their shit together with Dan Mullen. Once again, Good. Luck. With. That.

So yea, where do you go with this if you’re the Ole Miss athletic director? I think you have to find a guy to excite your fanbase… a guy with SEC experience AND success. I don’t think Ole Miss will break the bank but I do think there is an expectation that to hire a quality candidate…but also a guy you believe in. Auburn will be the first program to tell you that you need to stick by your hire, but Ole Miss needs to get this right, at least start to make progress. And this hurts but I would make a very serious run at Vanderbilt’s James Franklin. What he did at Vandy is amazing this year… anybody that can win there can win at a program like Ole Miss.

So yea, James Franklin. It’ll cost you 2.5 mil a year. But totally worth it. He can recruit and if anyone can keep up with the Auburn, Alabama, LSU and Arkansas’s of the SEC West… it’s him.

Illinois:
Frankly, I’m stunned the Ron Zook era lasted as long as it did. Zook’s record at Illinois? 34 and 50. In 7 years he had exactly 2 winning seasons. One of those seasons ended rather umm, bad by getting blown out/embarrassed in the 2008 Rose Bowl. So the expectation level isn’t exactly high. The immediate name that comes to mind is Butch Jones from Cincy. The Illinois AD hired him before, and I would say Illinois is a better job than Cincy. Right? Not THAT much better, but a solid job in the Big 10 is better than a good job in the Big East (or what is left of it). I’m not 100 percent sure that he would leave Cincy. It would need to be an incredible payday as Cincy is an easier path to a potential BCS berth/National title, etc. You’ll hear people talk about the top coordinators, guys like Paul Chryst from Wisconsin, Brent Venables from Oklahoma, and Todd Monken from Oklahoma State. All would be solid hires, but I feel like Illinois needs to get someone a little more stable, someone who’s been a head guy. This is different than the Penn State job. I really don’t think an established coach takes the Penn State job.

Who do I hire? Dave Christensen from Wyoming is my hire. Lots of experience in area from his time at Missouri. He’s winning at WYOMING. He’s a head coach who clearly can handle his business. He’s an offensive background guy (something I think is important for Illinois, as that would help sell tickets and energize a fanbase). Dave Christensen will get a better job sooner than later, I don’t think you want to be the program that passes on him.

The Texas A&M job is facsinating. They’re joining the SEC. They can NOT screw this up. At all. I think there is someone PERFECT for the job. Someone with SEC ties. Someone that is young, successful, strong enough to deal with competing against Texas AND the SEC west for recruits. I think Texas A&M doesn’t even give him a real chance, because they’re so high and mighty on themselves and wanting a “big name” or a “brand name” head coach. Well…how did that work out with Mike Sherman? A highly ranked team this year and it falls apart as the season progresses. Typical Mike Sherman.

You know who they need to hire? Charlie Strong. I’ve been really high on Charlie Strong for years… I think he’s a great coach, a winner… a guy that you can go to war with. Texas A&M is in for a challenge….Charlie Strong is the man for this job. Louisville is playing their best football towards the end of the season. Yes, the Big East isn’t the Big 12… but Texas A&M is dropping HOME games. Congrats you beat Baylor… but umm, Missouri at home? Texas A&M has one of the biggest home field advantages in college football. It is inexcusable to lose in College Station. I don’t think that happens under Charlie Strong’s potential watch.

Wholurks Football Year 3, Week 12

2011-11-30T13:45:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and it was a great one this year. Especially, watching this idiot in person take down the Bolts on Sunday. http://tinyurl.com/brq6rvg . Broncos haven’t played defense like this since the Al Wilson days. Of course most Charger fans on the way out were kind of excited that after that loss, no way Norv comes back and hopefully AJ Smith.

Week 12 only had a couple close matchups but ended up during this league’s playoff race into a crap shoot.

Sluts!! 138.83 def. Yankees Suck 102.12
The sluts wrapped this one up with Jimmy Graham on Monday night and 24 combined points from D and K positions is always nice. If you are like me and invested in the Packer O, you will be cheering for the 49ers to push the Pack for home field. Otherwise, I see Mike McCarthy having no problem shutting it down after halftime of every game from here on out. Yankees suck needed more from Mendenhall on Sunday night but the Chiefs D was on fire. James Jones is the best receiver on this team and that is not a good thing going into Week 14.

Alex Morgan Hottie 111.23 def One Man Gang 98.3
Despite the lack of production from two fantasy studs Wallace and A. Johnson the Hotties had solid production from everyone and welcome back Chris Johnson. One Man Gang had 4 players score 5 points or less this week and will have a rough time making the playoffs if that happens again.

Heat Seeking Nipple 130.5 def. My Vick Hurts 126.03
Drew Brees and the Saints O carry Heat Seeking Nipple to victory this week and more importantly pick up that 7th win and stays out of the 6-6 cluster f’. Had the My Vick Hurts not played the Giants and picked up practically any other D they win this matchup. My Vick Hurts really has a solid team on paper and their record is kind of surprising.

Dicks Sporting Goods 135.43 def. Goodell’s Minions 82.63
In several leagues I’m in there is a team with the Brady and Welker and every one of those teams has clinched a playoff spot or is in contention. No different here with Dicks, they got 60 combined point from those two and was clearly enough with the rest of the renegades on this team. The Minions get a nice surprise from Vince Young but 7 players under double digits isn’t going to get it done.

Who Dat Nation 137.17 def. Zapp Brannigan 98.33
Who Dat was carried by Victor Cruz (who??) and Dustin Keller played with a competent Mark Sanchez this week. With the win, Who Dat stays in the playoff hunt and Zapp Brannigan has a balanced enough roster that they should be a threat in the playoffs even with the loss.

LA Terps 108.47 def. The Turd Fergusons 91.87
Can Tim Tebow please be classified as a Flex player in fantasy now? He had 22 carries this week! In the lowest scoring matchup of the week, the Terps got a great game from Marshawn “beast mode” Lynch and MJD. Both of these teams will most likely make the playoffs but shouldn’t scare anyone. Oh wait the Terps have clinched and 8 teams have scored more total points this season. Morales has to be angry with this and as a result is somewhere working on his fantasy basketball league.

UCLA, Memphis & Kansas Coaching Jobs!

2011-11-29T10:48:00.001-08:00

Time for round 2 of the college football coaches merry go round. I’m excited, I’m sure you are.

Today’s entries? UCLA, Memphis and Kansas

First, Memphis. I know, a lot of people reading this blog are thinking, umm Memphis? Yes, this is why…because I fully believe this is a job that someone has to look 2 years down the road. Do you really believe that Memphis will be in Conference USA in 2 years? If they are, I expect a major adjustment in the way the BCS does their business. I expect the Big East to make a major run at Memphis… mostly for their basketball program, but that turns this job into a fairly attractive position in the college football landscape. Memphis SHOULD be able to compete, especially in an even more watered down Big East. This is similar to when Virginia Tech joined the ACC and was currently in the Big East… they hired Seth Greenburg, then Seth hit the jackpot by leaving the cellar of the Big East and getting into the ACC… and thus buying himself additional time to compete and grow the program. So who do they target? I’d assume a mid-tier coordinator… or even as high as Todd Monken, the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State. Another name that I imagine is in play…because he never dies is Houston Nutt. The guy at least has some experience in the area. Outside the box idea, what about Ed Orgeron, currently at USC, formerly failed at Ole Miss. Another outside retread idea, and trust me, this isn’t a great idea… but I hear Al Groh is available.

All that being said, I’d hire Mark Mangino, the former Kansas coach. Memphis isn’t going to lure the best quality candidate to the program. Mangino has his share of issues (on so many different levels), but after a couple years away from the game, it is time someone gives him a look.

Kansas is a bit of a different situation. I’m a little surprised they pulled the trigger on Turner Gill. (I also think Gill would be a more than solid hire for Memphis, just FYI). I really think they pulled the trigger because of the ridiculous success Kansas State is having under an 80 year old man. Really, the little apple needs to find a solution for when Bill Snyder really does retire. But back to Kansas….this is an athletic department that continues to give Bill Self a ridiculous amount of money to coach a program that pretty much runs itself. So every bet is off the table. Guys like Ron Zook, Houston Nutt, and Mike Stoops could all get a look. So could a rack of Big 12 coordinators… take your pick… the Oklahoma coordinators, Texas’ defensive coordinator, Oklahoma State offensive guy… who the hell knows.

If I’m Kansas, I would pony up some money and go get Larry Fedora from Southern Miss. Fedora has experience in the conference and clearly can build a program at Southern Miss. He would be a great hire based not only on what he’s done the last few years, but also his conference (Oklahoma State, Baylor) knowledge.

And finally… UCLA.
What a mess. The crazy part is I fully expect that UCLA Football will have some kind of cheating alligations and NCAA infractions violations against them any minute now. This is Rick Neweasel we’re talking about. Ask any Washington or Colorado fan. See what they think of the guy… and those teams at least won while he was there. UCLA can’t say the same. The hot rumor is that UCLA will chase Chris Peterson. I’m just a tad bit skeptical on this for a couple of reasons. 1. Boise State currently has a better chance to get to a title game than UCLA. And those chances only improve if the BCS changes their system so non-aq schools can get in even easier, which is rumored to be the case. And 2. This would require UCLA, a school that has historically paid NOBODY, to pony up and pay Chris Peterson. Seriously, it’s going to take 3 mil a year to pull the guy from the friendly confines of Boise, Idaho. Money isn’t everything, but Peterson knows he has a job forever in Boise… why leave that? 7 years, 3 mil a year. If you can’t seriously go down that path, then move on, and quickly because there are a lot of other solid programs looking for a coach.

So who else? Today’s news of Jack Del Rio is interesting. Yes, he hasn’t spent any time coaching in college football, but he could be wildly successful in returning to LA coaching the other side of town. You’ll hear the same names as Arizona State (Sumlin, June Jones, Mike Leach) as well as some folks with UCLA ties (Ken Norton Jr, DeWayne Walker) and some wild cards. I really like the thought of turning to Mike Bellotti, the former Oregon coach.

My first choice? I’d call Jack Del Rio… that’s the kind of splashy hire that UCLA needs to make. My 2nd? Bellotti as I feel he can actually win games and has strong ties with the area and conference.

Arizona State, Wazzu & Penn State Coaching Hires

2011-11-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

Now for a look at the open jobs in college football…the potential candidates…and who I think the school SHOULD hire. Now… who I think the school should hire is a combination of money available, booster support, type of candidate (current coordinator, former/current head coach) and roots to the region.

Arizona State: They owe Dennis Erickson 750k next year. Which is pretty much nothing. ASU is finally coming out of the red because of the massive tv rights agreement that the Pac 12 just signed. (note that I’m amazed that Gene Smith gets a huge pass for all the giant things he has screwed up… ASU’s budget for 10 YEARS… the Ohio State football scandal) ASU won’t go back to the Boise State well again with Chris Peterson… they also are probably looking for a solution in the 1.5 to 1.8 million per year range. Rich Rod would have been a great fit here too, but their brothers to the south jumped all over him. June Jones makes some sense here… Larry Fedora is probably the better coach though. Houston’s Kevin Sumlin would be a home run of a hire. You could look to keep it in the family with bringing back an ASU assistant… but this is a program that needs a name. they NEED to sell tickets. Hiring a current (and successful) head coach would be big for them. Dennis Erickson was a nice hire, so Lisa Love (athletic director) can make it happen. Fact is, she has to as this is her 2nd time around for hiring a football coach. Most athletic directors don’t get to hire a 3rd coach in the same major sport and live to tell how it ends up.

My hire: Kevin Sumlin. Like I said, it would be the home run hire that the program needs.

Penn State: Oh, where to start with this one? Seriously… where do you start? Do we even know who is making this hire? Once that gets officially ironed out, you have to figure out who wants to take the job. Nobody wants to follow Joe Pa, much less deal with the scandal… you’re not going to get an established head coach to come here. I thought Al Golden would be the perfect fit… clearly he’s not going anywhere for a while. Which is not great news for the ACC because he’s a legit coach at a program that once (if) everything gets cleared up, will do just fine. I don’t think they’ll hire anyone with anything Penn State on their resume. Not sure that’s a good thing either as this FEELS like a hire that should be done with the Penn State family in mind, but I don’t blame them for going the other way either. I think they need to look for a guy with some big 10 roots, some knowledge of the area and a younger than average guy who isn’t afraid to come in and make a name for himself. Keep an eye out for a guy like Mike London from UVA too… I could see this being very appealing to him.
That being said, my hire would be Paul Chryst from Wisconsin. Younger than average… great coordinator that has a lot of respect in the conference. I don’t think he could turn down an opportunity like being the head coach of Penn State.

Washington State:What? You think Paul Wulff is going to be coaching there next week? Please… Yes, I know we’re not going in any particular order with these… just roll with it.
First off, nobody wants to be in Pullman on purpose. I’ve been there… too many times to want to remember. It is not an awesome place to be. Might be a great place to go to school because you are barely in the united states. Seriously… cell phones barely work there. It is brutal. I said it last time, I’ll say it again… just go hire Mike Price again. But you can’t do that… did you know that in 14 years at Washington State Mike Price was only 5 games above .500? Yea, not exactly an award winning performance. Sure he had some great memories, and for the good people of Pullman, that helps them sleep at night. But he’s not the answer. If Washington State wants to pay someone more than 600k per year (really, that’s where they are currently at), then they could land someone decent. But if they want to continue to be the worst program in the Pac 12, well… then call up Drew Bledsoe and see if he’ll come hang out for a while. At least the fans will have something to talk about. It doesn’t help that Boise State is winning and they have almost as terrible facilities. See, it isn’t so much that the head coach makes 600k… it that your assistants, the people that truly run the program, aren’t getting paid squat. THAT is really the problem.

I keep reading that Mike Leach is in play here. That would be the best thing to ever happen to that program. That being said… I doubt he works for 600k… double that and you have a chance at landing the mad scientist. Then you could have something…. At some point you have to try… and that’s who I’d roll with. Hire Mike Leach. Turn him loose (not too loose though) and see what you have. At the very least you should get to a bowl game more than twice a decade or so… right? If not, at least Mike Leach talks a big game and people notice him. There are worse things than putting your program in the news… unless you’re touching little boys. (just saying)

Ohio State & Arizona Hirings

2011-11-28T16:25:00.000-08:00

It’s the most..wonderful…time…of the year. Coaches are getting fired, which means I’m more interested than ever. Let’s review where the college football coaching landscape stands.

Ohio State & Urban Meyer
Just announced today…pretty much the biggest potential name out there goes to the biggest possible program. I feel like I’ve lost a ton of respect for Urban. I feel like this is a dirty move…why leave Florida? Really. Why? If you wanted to go to Notre Dame or Ohio State, why not just leave straight up instead of “retiring” for a year? Great for Ohio State…but I wish him no success. I’m not even a Florida fan. I understand leaving for a job at Notre Dame or Ohio State. It is easier to get to the national title game at either of those places than it is at Florida (or any school in the SEC). Good for him, but he sold his soul to do in making this move.

Arizona & Rich Rod
This is the perfect hire for Arizona. I’ve read all this crap on how he isn’t a good fit or he wasn’t any good… umm, I’m going to have to disagree. I really think he would have won 10 games at Michigan this year. I also think Arizona isn’t really a destination football school right now. Rich Rod can recruit his “kind” of athlete to come run his system and win… a lot. He’s not going to be competing for the same recruits at USC or a pro-style offense or defense will. This is how you win football games when you’re stuck in the middle… like Arizona currently is. Yes, the Michigan Rich Rod era did not go well. He also wasn’t exactly given a support system to help him.

I’m going to tackle the open jobs in another post…as there are some fascinating jobs currently open in college football.

Best Homeless Sign Ever

2011-11-27T21:59:00.000-08:00

San Diego homeless people are the best. Sent from a buddy of mine this past weekend...

Wholurks Football Year 3, Week 11

2011-11-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

Berg won the high score this week. Which means we're in for a jacked up recap. Enjoy.

Alex Morgan Hottie 102.87 v. The Turd Furgesons 112.73

Nate Washington scored a lot of points, which means he caught the ball for a lot of yards and touchdowns. I am sure TF was happy with Hester putting up the goose egg, but it didn’t matter because, as we know, when Morales is not doing this write up, he didn’t win. Tony Romo took top honors for AMH, but sub-par/average games from the supporting cast were not enough to win. But AMH performance lately fills me with hope. Plus some other emotions which are weird and deeply confusing.

Heat Seaking Nipple 95.43 v. One Man Gang 125.30

Grankoski proves my theory that the bigger sexual deviant you are, the better you are at sports. So hang out with porn-stars and get good at sports. HSN had to be stoked with Cutler, but disappointed that his counterpart in Matt Stafford put up almost 40 fucking points. Also now, my John Clayton impression on the Cutler injury. “Jay Cutler has a broken thumb, and will have surgery on it. This means that because he has a broken thumb he won’t play for the Bears. He will play for the Bears when he doesn’t have a broken thumb anymore. But for the Bears it means Jay Cutler won’t play, so they will have to use someone who isn’t Jay Cutler to play quaterback, unless Jay Cutler plays quaterback.” ESPN, thank you for continuing to dumb down your coverage.

Yankees Suck 98.77 v. Goodell’s Minions 94.93

This was the closest matchup of the week, separated by a mere 4 points. Each team had big fat zeros from one of their players, while McGahee decided the ground was a good place for the ball to be instead of his arms, resulting in negative points for the late Phil Roggles. Hassleback going down for GM wasn’t good either, and the points that could have won the matchup for GM were lost there. Who will fill his place? Well, we know nothing about them, their language, their history or what they look like. But we can assume this. They stand for everything we don't stand for. Also they told me you guys look like dorks. YS can really attribute the victory to Aaron Rodgers being Aaron Rodgers, and Johnny Knox. Nothing outstanding from anyone else on the team.

My Vick Hurts 87.10 v. LA Terps 114.20

7 players for MVH did not live up to their projections. Hard to win when everyone decides to play below their standard. But Percy Harvin decided to take some Tylenol before the game and ended up with 18 points to lead MVH. LAT really had solid performances from half the team. The RB MJD, got some good points in an inspired performance by the Jags, which fell short. He didn’t get much from the tight end, but messing around with tight ends can’t end good, just ask anyone at Penn State. (too soon?)

Tebows ‘s Sluts 100.73 v. Who Dat Nation 118.70

SLLLLUUUTTTTT!!!!!!! Is what I would write if TS won, they didn’t so I will actually discuss this matchup. 6 players in double digit form for WDN, and the rest is history. TS couldn’t keep pace, Cam Newton attack good, Roddy White is good, Turner okay, and everyone else just sucked it up. Both of these teams lining up a game below .500 need to win big to try and win some money in the post-season.

Zapp Brannigan 126.57 v. Dicks Sporting Goods 118.00

The Zapp Brannigan finally got the high score of the week, using Brannigan’s Law. Brannigan’s law is like Brannigan’s love, hard and fast. Though I must give a big thank you to Tom Brady. Thank you for not throwing passes to Wes Welker. A single Brady/Welker TD would have ruined me, and DSG would be writing this now. I used a strategy of playing everyone on my team who did not have a bye, or was injured. In the game of chess you can never let your adversary see your pieces, so I hid Arian Foster on the bench, and bang, I win. Jim Harbaugh defense, who the fuck is Jerome Simpson, and my second favorite Scarlett Knight came up bigger than I could have wanted, overcoming a goose egg from South Beach. It was nice to see Vincent Jackson catching passes, and DSG has to be happy Phil Rivers is occasionally finding him instead of the opposing team.

Division Leaders:
D1 – The Turd Fergusons
D2 – Zapp Brannigan

Most Points For:
One Man Gang (1349.24)

Most Points Against:
Alex Morgan Hottie (1386.31)

Two weeks left before playoffs. Don’t fuck up.

Wholurks Football Year 3, Week 10

2011-11-15T22:11:00.001-08:00

Another week, another 10 bucks for the commish. 10 weeks in the books and I’ve been involved in 6 times in the highest score of the week. 3 against and 3 for my team. This is why I only have 4 wins to show for it… 3 of those 4 is when I outscored everyone. Yet again, this is why I hate fantasy football. Come play baseball people, come to the dark side of fantasy sports.

I don’t have anything funny to say in to lead us into the recap, mostly because I used my material last week. Think about that.

Alex Morgan Hottie (178.40) vs. Goodell’s Minions (78.77)
Alex Morgan put up the 2nd highest score of the season, only behind Brody’s 179.70 performance in week 2. Just a tremendous overall performance, led by… the Chicago Bears defense? Lesson as usual…don’t kick to Devin Hester. Also chipping in with over 20 points each were Tony Romo, Jordy Nelson, DeMarco Murray, and umm Chris Johnson? Entirely too soon to proclaim that CJ is back from the dead. But I will say I had tremendous timing in dealing Frank Gore. Trutch did get 24ish points from Ed Dickson, but nobody else really showed up. This is what happens when you lose by 100 points. All that being said and I’m still out of the playoff picture.

One Man Gang (130.87) vs. Zapp Branigan (119.93)
Gallagher pointed out that him and Berg were proving that quarterback wasn’t the most important position in this league. Now that he said that, both of them lost this week. Good work Gallagher. Brody got a stunning 30 points from Larry Fitz (and equally as stunning road win for the Cardinals) as well as 27 points from Rob Gronk. Can’t say I’m too thrilled with the Gronk because he cost me a victory in another league. Brody also received over 20 points from his free agent pick up Laurent Robinson. Those of you that had Laurent Robinson netting 20 points this week, well, you are smarter than I am. Berg didn’t have a bad week, but Arian Foster can only do so much. And once again, Berg’s starting quarterback in Matt Cassel is out for the season. Thanks for coming to the show. Berg could have pulled off the victory by going with Jacoby Jones instead of Julio Jones, but that would have required the book of records from Back to the Future.

LA Terps (129.23) vs. Yankees Suck (116.43)
Also fun when Michael Bush goes for 33 points on Thursday night. That will get your week off to a nice start, and that’s exactly what Noah had going for him. Bush’s 33 negated the, once again, ridiculous performance by Aaron Rodgers. Joe didn’t have enough fire power with LeSean McCoy not going off this week and not getting enough from the rest of the team. Noah had MJD and the real football terrible but fantasy football relevant Phillip Rivers lead the way as he was able to continue his winning ways. The self proclaimed hottest team in the league is now sitting in 4th place while Joe sits in 6th. I will say this… both of these teams can be anyone any given week assuming they stay healthy. After watching 3 quasi important fantasy starters go down last weekend (Cassel, Schaub, Moreno) anything is possible, just not NBA basketball.

Who Dat Nation (101.17) vs. Turd Furgusons (92.80)
Just when you thought he was out… Hummel goes and takes down the #1 team in the league. 3 weeks left and nobody has clinched a playoff spot and nobody is eliminated….yet. Gallagher’s team was led by Tim Tebow. Yes, apparently completeing 2 passes not only gets the Broncos a victory, but also the highest scoring spot on Gallaghers team. Note that Gallagher did not win, just saying. Who Dat was led by the now useless Matt Schaub. This is what happens when you trust a UVA quarterback. They are bound to let you down and/or not win big games, like when they play their rival from down the road. Just saying…go Hokies. Otherwise, not much to report in this matchup. Each team had 4 guys score in double digits. Not exactly a model of greatness. Hummel is at least not in terrible shape now having to rely on Joe Flacco as his starting quarterback. This is why you want a quality backup…

Tebow’s Sluts (100.37) vs. Heat Seeking Nipple (100.33)
Closest. Matchup. Ever. Curtis texted me tonight asking exactly how .04 of a point happens. I’m assuming it is because of yardage. Nothing else in the league has TENTHS of a point in the league. The sluts got the win because Jermichael Finley did just enough on Monday night to get the victory. Tebow’s Sluts ended up getting solid days from Jimmy Graham…and actually just Jimmy Graham. Cam Newton was around too. Nobody shit the bed, which really made the difference. Curtis had another great week from Drew Brees but his 2nd leading scorer was the kicker. Good news is both of these teams are currently in the playoffs, then again, the sluts are hanging on by a very thin thread. I’m sure I could make a funnier joke out of that, but I actually might have to kill the puppy tonight.

Dick’s Sporting Goods (88.87) vs. My Vick Hurts (58.53)
In the battle of who sucks less, Brent wins by a nose. Brent has Tom Brady, Neal does not. That pretty much sums this one up. Brent got nothing out of DeSean Jackson because Mr. Jackson can’t show up to meetings on purpose. Neal got 14 points from Big Ben… and that was his only double digit scorer this weekend. I actually outscorerd both of these teams…. Combined. Neither of these teams have terrible teams, but holy crap, both of them had everyone shit the bed this weekend. Congrats on having Tom Brady, that’s all that can be said about this one.

Ball So Hard University

2011-11-10T11:19:00.001-08:00

Wholurks Football Year 3, Week 9

2011-11-09T16:57:00.000-08:00

Apparently all it takes for me to get a win in the league is to actually outscore EVERYONE. 2 of my 3 wins this year have come in this fashion, and the other one must have been a fluke. Fear the Turtle… or something, right Noah?

Speaking of Noah, he sent me this gem:

“If an older woman who likes young men is considered a cougar… Is an older man who likes young boys now considered a Nittany Lion?”

Onward with the recap!
Alex Morgan Hottie (152.20) vs. Zapp Brannigan (138.83)
Now Berg knows how I feel. He scored the 2nd most points in the league this week and lost. I know that feeling entirely too well. This is why, again, I hate fantasy football. That said, everyone on team Alex Morgan is a Hottie scored in double digits… at least those that played but nobody scored more than 22.50. Quite the balanced attack after the quasi mega trade. Berg had a great showing from Julio Jones and the usual performance from Arian Foster. But 138.83 wasn’t good enough to get the W this week.

The Turd Fegusons (136.53) vs. Tebow’s Sluts (111.07)
In the battle of Colorado hoes, Gallagher comes out victorious. Yet another balanced attack, led by umm Andy Dalton? Apparently you can’t sleep on Andy Dalton. Who knew? Did I mention that Cincy got a 1st AND a 2nd round pick for Carson Palmer? The Raiders would be the equivalent of that dumbass fantasy owner that gets railroaded every year but somehow believes he’s doing the right thing… and his checks don’t bounce. I love that fantasy owner, we will call him Mark Kramer. Anyways, the sluts didn’t bring much to the table this week. Somehow he compiled 111 points and mostly because nobody shit the bed. You have to ask yourself…how did everyone miss on Darren Sproles? He might be wholurks fantasy football MVP at this point in the season. He’s been that amazing. It must be nice to be Gallagher too… highest scoring team in the league AND the fewest points scored against him. Sign me up.

LA Terps (133.43) vs. Dick’s Sporting Goods (130.00)
In the closest battle of the week, Noah continues his roll as the self-proclaimed hottest team in the league. Meanwhile, Brent played with the karma gods in the name department and ended up Desean Jackson shit the bed for him. Brent couldn’t capitalize on Vincent Jackson’s huge day to pair with his typical Brady to Welker combo. That trio scored over 78 points… meanwhile Noah’s Terps’ squad is rallying behind the Run DMC injury with Michael Bush and Marshawn Lynch? Those guys were once good in college… the Terps continue to roll with Eli Manning and getting rewarded. That is until Eli Manning goes Eli Manning in the fantasy football playoffs like he always does and shits the bed. Just wait… this will happen. It always happens. This is why fantasy football owners hate Eli Manning. You can’t trust his ass.

My Vick Hurts (130.40) vs. Who Dat Nation (98.47)
The battle of the two worst teams (based on record) in the league showed that My Vick Hurts can put the whodats away. My Vick, fresh of the other of that semi-monster trade, also got a nice victory this week. Who Dat got very little production from anyone with Jason Witten leading the way at 15.10 points. Neal got a balanced attack with his worst performer netting 7.60 points. Big Ben has been good to Neal the last few weeks, even with the departed Mike Wallace playing for Alex Morgan Hottie’s team. Both of these teams will need to get some wins to sneak into the playoffs. Only 2 wins away from that 8th spot though!

Yankees Suck (114.13) vs. One Man Gang (81.17)
Brody, what happened? Last week Brody was the high scorer… this week? Not so much. If you take the QB’s out of this matchup, the rest of it looks pretty bleak. Yankees Suck got over 35 points from Aaron Rodgers. Two guys in this matchup scored NEGATIVE points, two more had zero. Yes, it was that kind of a week for each of them. Joe has to be happy to get out of there with a win after seeing so many teams score in the 130s. Even though Brody is sitting at 4-5, he is firmly in the 6th spot based on his point total. That being said… 6th place is 4-5 and 12th is 3-6. Still anyone’s game.

Heat Seeking Nipple (112.60) vs. Goodell’s Minions (89.90)
Curtis is this week’s winner of… who can squeak by with a win? Meanwhile, Phil continued to be crushed by a plethora of inactive players. Somehow he got 30 points from Willis McGahee. Yea, really. Read that again. When was the last time McGahee was relevant? I think it involved making it rain in Miami to be honest. Curtis has to enjoy owning Drew Brees, right? One less thing for him to worry about. BTW, good luck with the Philly defense, I got tired of waiting for them to actually, ya know… play defense. They didn’t get a sack of Jay Cutler. That’s almost as stunning as Willis freggin McGahee landing Phil 30 points. That pretty much sums this matchup up… Jay Cutler didn’t get sacked, McGahee got 30 points. The world is ending shortly.

Tampa Bay Ray Groundskeeping

2011-11-09T15:40:00.000-08:00

This guy makes it rain value... not real cash, but value.

Who Lurks FFB Year 3, Week 8 Recap

2011-11-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back! Second week this season at the top of the scoring list and it feels good. Plus let's be honest, as a Redskins fan I deserve something positive. It was kind of a weird week around the NFL. The Ravens all of the sudden look mediocre, the Rams came out of nowhere to really take it to the Saints, the Chiefs have come back from the dead and now really look like the best team in that AFC West division again. Oh, and Denver fans are all Tebowing, praying that Indy, Miami, St. Louis, and Arizona can win a few games so that the Broncos can get into the Suck-for-Luck race. They may be SOL though (see what I did there?), cause the Colts are just plain awful. Even if Manning is able to come back they should just blow that whole thing up. Let's get to it…

One Man Gang 159.20 (4-4) - LA Terps 93.20 (4-4)

Nice when your studs come to play, right? 58.8 points total from Stafford and AP led the way for me, though I shouldn't overlook the 29 I got from the Detroit defense which really pushed me over the scoring edge. Good support from Fitzgerald, Gronkowski, and Manningham, while Mathews sealed the deal for me on Monday night despite going out in Q4 with a groin. Hate that. Noah couldn't keep up, and leaving Eli on his bench as his highest scoring player for the week didn't help, but also wouldn't have made a difference. A few good days but not much support elsewhere. We're both at 4-4 with 4 other teams, but the points scored difference is significant. I've got tiebreakers, he doesn't. Gotta win some games.

Heat Seeking Nipple 155.77 (5-3) - Alex Morgan Hottie 111.57 (2-6)

Usually when someone decides to carry 3 defenses on their team I'll make fun of them in principle, but obviously picking up the D going against Washington was a wise move, to the tune of 10 sacks and 26 fantasy points for Buffalo. VERY balanced attack for Curtis, with 8 of his 10 starters in double digits supporting the week's top scorer, Steven Jackson and his 35.1 point haul. Chris' day was decent, not quite as good as it could have been if he'd made better roster calls, but none of those changes would have made a difference in the end. This is the second time he's gone against the #2 scoring day in the league, and he's also gone against the top score twice. Most points against in the league, to which I say…waa.

Zapp Brannigan 127.10 (6-2) - Tebow's Sluts 89.67 (4-4)

Welcome to the Ray Rice show! 3 TDs and 31.4 points for the Ravens wrecking ball, supported by 21.5 for Megatron and 18.9 for Foster. A goose-egg for Heap and a lame performance by Torain didn't phase Chris' squad, as he rode his studs to a 3rd win in a row and a 2 game lead in Division 2. Despite the stud-filled lineup of Freeman, Greene, Turner, Jennings, White, and Finley…oh wait…those were Nate's players on bye this week. Right, about that. Guys like Doug Baldwin and Michael Jenkins couldn't quite pick up the slack, Nate got decent points from Cam, Antonio Brown, and no one else. At least he knows he basically doesn't have to worry about byes for the rest of the year?

Yankees Suck 123.90 (4-4) - Dicks Sporting Goods 72.40 (4-4)

If I told you that the Eagles were going to score 34 on the Cowboys, and that between McCoy and DJax there would be 39.6 fantasy points scored, you'd probably figure the Eagles had a decent passing day and DJax might have actually broken out. Nope. 35 for McCoy, and for Yankees Suck, which buried Brent as he watched DJax pull in only 4.6 points. Really Brent was in desperation mode at that point anyway, having gotten 0s from Woodhead and Gresham, and only 6.9 from Welker earlier in the day. It was that kind of day for him, with Burleson also disappointing big time. 5.2 points on a day where your team scores 45 and your QB throws a lot, is not good. On Joe's side, McCoy's big day was supported primarily by the Cincy D (18), and Dalton (15.7). He got decent production from the rest of the roster though, which put him well over the century mark and back into the win column. These two are in the 4-4 clump, but Joe has won four of his last five and scored less than 112 only once. Brent has lost 4 of his last 5 and this is now three of the last four weeks under 100 points.

The Turd Fergusons 116.43 (6-2) - My Vick Hurts 93.67 (2-6)

Can anyone remember a player ever being so productive fantasy-wise yet looking so god-awful when he's actually playing football? Tim Tebow is the #11 fantasy QB over the last four weeks despite having had his bye during that stretch, and despite having been a complete joke at the quarterback position. Still, Gallagher's team will take the 15.83 points Tebow gave him this week and run with it, keeping him atop the league. He got 7 players in double-digits and despite one of his lower scoring weeks of the season, was able to get back to his winning ways. Neal on the other hand is struggling, and doesn't have to look much further than his RBs to figure out why. 6.4 total from DeAngelo Williams and Brandon Jacobs, and Roy Helu is his only bench RB. Decent production otherwise, and big days from Roethlisberger and Boldin, but going sub-100 isn't going to cut it most weeks in this league...

Goodell's Minions 98.40 (4-4) - Who Dat Nation 94.40 (3-5)

…Except of course when going under 100 is just good enough. This was by far the closest and most entertaining matchup to follow. Who Dat took a 66.4 - 62 lead into Sunday Night Football with Witten and Henery going for him against Vick. Well, Vick pounded them to the tune of 26.4 points while Eric's duo only combined for 14.8. Still, he had Floyd going Monday night, needing 17.3 points to win. That's a really good game for Floyd but not out of the question. He came close, getting 13.2 and having numerous opportunities, but Rivers couldn't hold it together, literally or figuratively, and the WDN fell short. Outside of Vick, Truch's biggest day came from Maurice Morris who gave him 13. Both teams played injured Browns RBs (though to be fair, Hardesty was hurt in this game), and both teams had Saints WRs that underperformed. The difference is that Truch benched Meachem, while Eric played both Henderson and Colston, who combined for 7.8. Playing Crabtree and his 13.9 over either of them would have flipped this result. Both teams sit in the bottom half (8th and 10th), due to record and points scored, and will have some work to do to make playoff runs.

Delonte West KFC Rap

2011-10-26T11:17:00.001-07:00

Epic.

Bowling Green Stroh Center Epic Video

2011-10-21T12:59:00.001-07:00

Side Affects by Mal Hall

2011-10-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Great stuff from my buddy Mal. Incredibly true.

Harbaugh & Schwartz Reaction

2011-10-18T15:14:00.001-07:00

WhoLurks Fantasy Year 3, Week 6 Recap

2011-10-18T14:39:00.000-07:00

Two weeks of recapping in a row … quite unexpected, but I'll take it.

Barring any "stat changes" … here is a recap of Week 6 …

Yankees Suck (139.73) over Who Dat Nation (84.83)
YS got bank (20+) from Aaron Rodgers, LeSean McCoy, Mendenhall, and the Jets D. Whereas, WDN didn't update his roster so he started an injured Blount and a Beanie Wells (Bye). He had one 20+ performance (Colston), and three 10+ point performances (Schaub, Crabtree, and Forte). WDN's bench wouldn't have helped - and YS left more points on his bench anyways. YS is 3-3 and Who Dat Nation drops to 2-4 moving to week 7.

Alex Morgan Hottie (137.87) over My Vick Hurts (92.07)
In the battle of 1-4 teams; AMH took the victory. Leading the charge for AMH was Romo & Gore (both 20+) with 10+ from six other spots. In fact, AMH only had two spots below 10 (one at 8.8 and another at 7). Very consistent day for AMH across the board. MVH had the opposite - no 20+ players - and only four above 10+. MVH did leave 29.6 points on the bench - but it wouldn't have mattered. AMH moves on to 2-4 one spot ahead of the last place MVH 1-5 in the Division 1 standings.

LA Terps (100.53) over Heat Seeking Nipple (76.57)
LA Terps didn't do too well, but still managed to pull out the W with 10+ performances from Manning, Holmes, Jones-Drew, Best, and Benson. Meanwhile, HSN is reeling with 4 players with less than 2 points (D. Moore, P. Thomas, V. Davis, and D. Bess). No real bench support for HSN either. Both teams are 3-3, with HSN holding a slight tie-breaker edge in Div. 1.

Dick Sporting Goods (116.13) over Tebow's Sluts (105.20)
Both teams entered 3-2, but DSG pulled away with a huge day from Ahmad Bradshaw (32 points); and the combination of Tom Brady and Wes Welker made the difference - since DSG had no other players in double-digits, but he still managed to score 116+ points. Meanwhile, TS got a solid day from Michael Turner (27.20 points), Newton, and Graham. But not enough from the other spots to overcome DSG. DSG is now 4-2 atop Div. 2 (tiebreaker over ZB), and TS is tied for 3rd in Div. 2.

Zapp Brannigan (104.23) over Goodell's Minions (67.60)
ZB still managed to overcome his projected score - even though Jason Campbell (1.93) was his QB. ZB got 10+ points from 5 players, and solid performances from 3 others to makeup for Campbell's collarbone. Meanwhile, GM couldn't capitalize on the injury with only 1 player (Vick) in double-digits. Horrible day for GM. Anyways, ZB is tied for first in Div. 2, and GM is sliding to a tie for third in Div. 2.

The Turd Fergusons (131.80) over One Man Gang (83.67)
TTF had consistent days from all of his spots, getting 10+ from all but two positions (9.8+ for all but 1). Very well-rounded effort, with Freddy Jackson leading the charge again. OMG got a good effort from Stafford (23.47), but only three additional players in double-digits; and too many low efforts (Owen Daniels, Kicker). Perhaps OMG will be better once his Mathews and Fitzgerald come back from the Bye week. TTF is still the #1 team in the league at 5-1, and OMG is slipping to the land of 3-3, but that is still good for a tie for second in the Div. 1 (and he owns the tie-breaker).

The standings are still pretty tight, especially with an 8-team playoff. With a 12-team league, a .500 record (especially with tie-breaker help) should get you in to the playoffs.

Wheel of....?

2011-10-17T14:33:00.001-07:00

WhoLurks Fantasy Year 3, Week 5 Recap

2011-10-11T06:13:00.000-07:00

As Marcy said ... "to the victor belong the spoils" ... and with the first week of Byes the points were down for Week 5.

And with that, I bring you (in order of least margin of victory) ...

Tebow's Sluts (126.67) over My Vick Hurts (125.80)
My Vick Hurts posted that he is hoping for a stat correction. But there wasn't much he could do about this one. Both teams played their best players and Tebow squeaked out a victory. Vick had big days from Big Ben, Mike Wallace, DeAngelo Williams, and Mason Crosby. However, Tebow has Newton, Jennings, White, Turner, Greene, and Graham all come through with double-digit points. This drops Vick to 1-4 and the bottom of Division 1 while Tebow moves to 3-2 and is tied (by record) for the top of Division 2.

Turd Fergusons (106.43) over Goodell's Minions (100.20)
Both teams entered the week 3-1. Turd overcame a 0.63 day from Orton to win. Freddy Jackson carried Turd to the top - along with AJ Green, Darren Sproles, and Akers. He even left Green-Ellis on his bench (27.40 Points) for good measure. Turd is still clinging to Peyton Manning. But Sammy Bradford is his typical starter. Meanwhile, Goodell got a solid day from Vick, Branch, McGahee, and the Cincinnati Curtain. But, 2 points combined from his two RB slots (LT and James Casey) did him in. Not much he could do about it considering byes and injuries. Both teams are looking up going forward - with Turd leading Div. 1 and Goodell tied for the lead in Div. 2. (Note: The #1 team in the league has Peyton Manning. Did I mention how much I hate Peyton Manning?)

Heat Seeking Nipple (110.17) over Zapp Brannigan (96.73)
These two teams were relying heavily on MNF. On Sunday, HSN had Brees, Davis, and JaniCOWski come through with big days. However, Jahvid Best was a Beast on MNF and that sent HSN to his 3-2 record. Meanwhile, ZB had solid days from Campbell, MegaTron, and the 49ers D - but not enough to overcome Lloyd, Heap, J. Jones^2, and Bryant. Perhaps all of those players thought it was their Bye week? Bench: ZP could have started Cassel instead of Campbell, but HSN could have done some smaller changes to overcome the difference. In any case, both teams are a respectable 3-2 headed into Week 6.

One Man Gang (114.40) over Dicks Sporting Goods (96.20)
In what was an underwhelming week for both teams, OMG used Stafford's MNF outing to pull ahead of DSG. AP was magical coming in with 30+ points, and double-digit points by Stafford, Mathews, Daniels, and Rackers lead DSG to the victory. OMG was hoping Tom Brady would get him a few more points (Brady only supplied 19.40), and he had solid days from DeSean Jackson, Ahmad Bradshaw, Wes Welker, and Gostkowski. But negative points from the Tampa Bay defense didn't help. Both teams left points on the bench - probably wouldn't have made a difference. As with the previous matchup, both teams are a respectable 3-2 headed into Week 6.

LA Terps (129.53) over Who Dat Nation (111.47)
LA Terps got 7 players in double-digits, with Bowe and Rivers leading the way. Meanwhile, Who Dat got big days (25+ points) from Matt "Pretty Boy" Schaub and Victor "One Hand" Cruz, but little help from his TE, Kicker, and Defense. Who Dat couldn't have done much with his bench, but LA Terps had Eli Manning and Marshawn Lynch in the oven. Both of these teams will need to pick it up in the coming weeks as they are sitting at 2-3 heading into Week 6.

And finally ...

Yankees Suck (137.80) over Alex Morgan Hottie (88.43)
In the battle of 1-3 teams - YS took the victory. YS didn't get anything from his waiver-wire defense (KC), but did get double-digits from Nick Novak, J. Graham, and McCoy; and Hines Ward, Garcon, and Rodgers all went for 20+. Meanwhile, AMH's core WR, TE, RB1, RB2 did well (all going for 10+), but little production from Kolb and the rest of his team led to the lowest score of the week. But YS caught AMH at a good time - as AMH had only 1 bench player (Philly Defense) that wasn't on a Bye Week. He is obviously looking forward to Tony Romo and his other studs coming back fresh in Week 6. Both teams will need to go on a winning streak as they are both tied for last (by record) in their respective divisions.

Arizona Football Candidates

2011-10-10T22:24:00.000-07:00

Mike Stoops is out at Arizona.

And the first college football coaching domino has fallen. You know I love this stuff… and I can’t say that Stoops didn’t have it coming but I will give him this. He inherited a program that was beyond terrible. And he left it a mess, but not a terrible mess.
He has shown you can actually win some high profile games in Tucson and win again. I just don’t think he was the right guy to be a head coach. He always seemed pissed off, and sometimes you just have to relax. So who replaces him? This is my favorite part… let’s run down some of the candidates I think make sense.

Mike Leach, Former Texas Tech head coach
I am mildly surprised the guy hasn’t found a job yet. Now, he’s a little weird (understatement) but if you are Arizona, you probably not able to be picky, unless you’re shelling out the major cash. If they’re going to continue to pay around that 1.4 mil range, you’re going to get either a former head coach that failed, an older guy that isn’t a long term solution, or a very good coordinator at another program. I don’t even think 1.4 would get you a top coordinator as those guys get the pick of the litter if they want to move on. So I like the mad scientist… he’s a good head coach that got totally screwed over. He’d be a great fit for a program like Arizona.

Rich Rod, Former Michigan/West VA head coach
Seriously… this is who I would hire. If Rich Rod wasn’t made to coach in the Pac 12/10/14 then I don’t know who is. The guy can coach, he probably should have never gone to Michigan. I can’t hate on what he did there, but turning Michigan from 3 yards and a cloud of dust to wildcat/spread offense just does not happen overnight. He runs an entertaining system, one that would sell tickets and probably get his team in bowl games in time. If an athletic director is patient, it could easily pay off. For the record, I would hire him.

Chuck Cecil, Tennessee Titans Defensive Coordinator
If you want the homer pick, it is Cecil. The guy was a star at Arizona and has done well in the NFL. Yes, he has never been a head coach, but you have to start somewhere. I feel like a Defensive coordinator in the NFL could figure it out. As an alumni, you have to at least place a call to the guy, right?

Paul Chryst, Offensive Coordinator Wisconsin
At some point you have to give Chryst is love. He’s not the best offensive coordinator, but Wisconsin always handles their business and he seems to keep producing no matter who comes or goes. I personally doubt he leaves Madison. That is a great college town and it is a lot more fun to win if you’re comfortable. With Ohio State a mess, the conference is more up-for-grabs than ever before. Michigan probably isn’t as good as their record says, and you can’t help but feel that Bo Pelini’s act wears his team down.

Jack Del Rio, Head Coach Jacksonville
He should be available any day now. He’s always mentioned as a possible USC head coach… would he want to hang out in Tucson for a few years? Could be a big win for Arizona if they play their cards right…just a thought.

Oh, apparently they are talking about Chris Peterson (Boise State) and Dan Mullen (Miss St). Neither is going to happen, you are Arizona, not exactly a glamour program at the moment.

Awareness Test

2011-10-06T21:47:00.001-07:00

This is mostly for Berg, yet still is entertaining for all.

WhoLurks Football Year 3, Week 4

2011-10-05T11:42:00.001-07:00

Ho, ho… stunning turn of events this week. My team, which was previously win-LESS in the league (doesn’t help that people keep having the highest week of EVERYONE against me, I literally feel like the Phoenix Suns) was the highest scoring team. Best of all, I took down the previously #1 team in the league and my former boss. I’ll let this clip tell the story to everyone:

Heading into the 1st bye weeks should make some more decisions come into play… and lower scores.

Alex Morgan Hottie (154) vs. Dicks Sporting Goods (137)
The good news for Brent is that he’s now the leader in the clubhouse for the Biggest Loser prize at 137.43. So umm, congrats? Team Alex Morgan, Hottie was led by outstanding performances by Hakeem Nicks and Tony Romo. Romo might be coming under fire, but win or lose, as long as he keeps putting up 28 points a week, I’m good with this. Nicks finally showed up and with a super late touchdown brought to you by the pitiful Arizona pass defense, I was able to capture the victory. Brent gave another solid run with his Tom Brady to Wes Welker combination. He also had solid showings from the rest of his receiver studs but not enough to counter what my man Frank Gore did against Philly. Brent would have beat almost everyone else this week, I still don’t feel bad.

Zapp Brannigan (143) vs. The Turd Fergusons (118)
This clip sums up how the Turd Fergusons feels.

Yes, really, Megatron was ridiculous again this week. At this point you might as well pencil in 80 yards and a couple touchdowns and go from there. Zapp continues to win with a corpse as his quarterback, something that he might want to address at some point. Turd left points on his bench with having Miles Austin in his lineup, but nothing that would have prevented Zapp from the W. Turd apparently is also holding out hope that Peyton Manning comes back at some point this year… so he’s got that going for him, which is nice? Arian Foster also finally showed up showing why Zapp spent a shitton of money on the guy in the auction.

Who Dat Nation (138) vs. One Man Gang (127)
Riding huge weeks from Matt Forte and Beanie Wells, Who Dat defeated the even point distributed One Man Gang. Brody has to feel good about his team as everyone performed relatively well, Hummel just had the big points. Matt Forte outscored 6 of his Who Dat teammates, not normally a good sign, but it worked out well this weekend. Brody is apparently having another baby, so this is a good time to take advantage of his many distractions. Just saying……..

Yankees Suck (132) vs. Heat Seeking Nipple (112)
Congrats to Aaron Rodgers for the highest week 4 fantasy output of 55.10 points. Yes, that is correct. 55.10 points. Why the Packers were airing the ball out in the 4th quarter when they were up 3 touchdowns, seems awesome to me, but probably not Curtis as that was clearly the difference maker this week. Curtis has nice weeks from Drew Breeeeeees and Eric Decker (nice pickup). But really, the difference was Aaron Rodgers, getting Joe his first win of the year… and now everyone has a W and everyone has a loss. BTW, I was too scared to youtube “heat seeking nipple” on my computer, so you’ll have to forgive me.

Goodell’s Minions (131) vs. My Vick Hurts (85)
Ironically My Vick Hurts was done in by Mike Vick this week. Actually they were done in by themselves because they put up the lowest point total of the week and generally sucked. Let’s sum up My Vick Hurts’ week: Tony Gonzalez was the only double digit point scorer at 15 points. Thanks for coming Neal. A reminder, I’m gonna need your check. Goodell’s Minions is correct, his team loves getting hurt. First Vick, now Andre Johnson. Fact is, Goodell’s peeps almost won by just Vick and his special teams. Now, it helps having Baltimore score 4 touchdowns…on defense, but still. Not a banner week for My Vick Hurts, but another win for Matt/Phil, and another star goes down for a couple of weeks.

Tebow’s Sluts (122) vs. LA Terps (119)
In the most entertaining matchup of the week, the sluts beat out the pride of Maryland. And really it all came down to Josh Freeman on Monday Night Football. Freeman put up 25.77 points, enough to get Tebow the win, and another disappointing loss for my man Noah. Has to also hurt that if Noah knew Frank Gore was going to blow up he would have started Bush or even his main man Eli Manning and would have gotten the win. This is what happens when you own Eli Manning on your fantasy football team. God hates you. Speaking of… Tebow can’t be thrilled that Mike Shanahan, the devil of fantasy football looks to be going with another running back, again. Thanks for coming to the party Tim Hightower. The sluts did get a great day from Jimmy Graham and even Michael Turner. Not sure how many more good days Turner has left, take this while you can.

And for this…I thank you.

News & Notes, Oct. 5

2011-10-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

The Dolphins are trying out QBs…again.

Ya know, at some point they’re going to realize they really should try to deal with this whole not having a QB thing. The best part of this story is that
former Jacksonville QB David Garrard declined to try out. Clearly he has more important things to do, like attempting to retire and continue to be irrelevant for the immediate future, thus limiting his options….unless he considers the UFL a viable option.

Brett Favre needs to just stop
Why much Favre continue to be a bitch? He needs to just calm down, even the Dolphins who are hosting a tryout for basically anyone to play QB aren’t calling your ass. I get the feeling he’s going to be the next Joe Namath with his dumbass comments in about 20 years, or 20 minutes…either one works. He’s done a tremendous job of ruining his “legacy” in Green Bay. Honestly, I’m thrilled this is ending this way. I always hated the guy, mostly because I’m a Bears fan, but I never liked the way he handled himself and that was BEFORE the last few years.

Mizzu Not Done
Just when you thought things were all good, Missouri’s brass decides…maybe we should still look at other options. And honestly, can you blame them? Sure, things seemed to have calm down for time being, but that doesn’t mean things will be good for the future. Shit, that doesn’t mean that 3 weeks from now someone else changes their mind. If Missouri has an invite to join the SEC, they would be stupid to turn that down. The Big 12 can’t compete with the stability of the SEC. Shit, the big 12 can’t compete with the current stability of Big West, much less a premier conference.

Too Much Moneyball

2011-10-04T15:17:00.001-07:00

Brody's Future

2011-10-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

Raining in Sac Town

2011-10-04T12:27:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when it rains in Sacramento. Clearly a big news day...

WhoLurks Football Year 3, Week 3

2011-09-27T10:01:00.000-07:00

First off, I want to thank everyone who got me to this point of being able to write the recap for having the highest point total of the week in the Who Lurks football league. I want to thank my Mom, my Dad, my wife, my Auction League Draft mentor, Chris Morales and for all of you for not out-bidding me for Tom Brady and Wes Welker.

Now, onto the recap:

Dick's Sporting Goods - 163...Goodell's Minions - 109
My team, Dick's Sporting Goods was able to outlast Goodell's Minions by the score of 163-109. I got lucky since Vick had a bad game, but the fact that one of my favorite players of all time, L.T. single-handily kept Goodell in the game had me scared. Oregon's Ed Dickson also had me a tad bit scared, but luckily for me, Vick and Britt both got hurt, therefore I was able to coast to the victory. Didn't hurt that San Mateo's Tom Brady to Wes Welker had like 5,000,433,000 points between the two of them and Bradshaw and Addai...two of who I thought were my weak link RB's, all had a good game. Oh, and the fact that Brady kept throwing to everyone BUT Deion Branch only helped my cause.

One Man Gang - 161....Alex Morgan Hottie - 96
One Man Gang made Alex Morgan Hottie look more like Martina Navratilova or Lindsey Davenport this week. When Ryan Matthews and Arizona's Rob Gronkowski combine for over 54 points and Matthew Stafford, who surprisingly hasn't gotten hurt yet turns into this season's Aaron Rodgers, it's not a shock that the Commish went down for the third straight week. The positive news is that Mr. Morales is in the lead for the "Suck for Luck" sweepstakes to get the #1 pick in the draft next year. And of course we all know that the best QB's and players come from the Pac-16, the soon to be best conference in college football. In terms of Chris's team...you know it was a bad week when your leading scorer was Daniel Thomas. Who the hell is that?! Oh, and his kicker, Ryan Lindell scored more than Romo, Harvin, Gore and Chris Johnson...that is never a good thing.

Heat Seeking Nipple - 133....My Vick Hurts - 115
The New Orleans Heat Seeking Nipple Saints pulled out a close victory over My Vick Hurts, 133-115. Nipple rode the Saints to the win with Brees, Lance Moore and Pierre Thomas combining to score a ton of points. All he was missing was Deuce McAllister, Joe Horn and Bobby Hebert in his lineup! It also helped Nipple that Sea Bass got 13 points and Cal's own Javhid Best got him double digit scoring. My Vick Hurts kept it close with "Do you want to know why they call me Big Ben?" and Mike Wallace having a great game, but with Gates not playing and giving Vick a goose egg at the tight end spot, and his best RB DeAngelo Williams running in a monsoon, it was tough to come back and win.

Tebow's Sluts - 152...Yankees Suck - 112
In a highly entertaining contest, Tebow's Sluts got double digit scoring from everyone but Michael Turner. This team is as deep as one of Tebow's sluts, literally. It worked out perfectly that Tebow had Jennings and Jermichael Finley going while his opponent had the best QB in the league going in Cal's Aaron Rodgers. It also helped that the biggest cheater ever, Cam Newton had a turnover free game. LsSean Mccoy's strong game couldn't offset poor showings by Rashard Mendenhall (is his bad season karma for his 9/11 comments?) and Hines Ward (is he having a bad season because of the Dancing with the Stars jinx?). While I do agree that the Yankees Suck, this week, it was Tebow getting sucked by pulling away for the big win.

Zapp Branigan - 116....Who Dat Nation - 100
I had to double take this one real quick as a winning team had Chad Henne on it. But when you have Megatron on your team, you are capable of winning any week. This was the battle of the owners who didn't do research on their lineups as Arian Foster and Beanie Wells both sat out their respective games and gave each team a goose egg. Ray Rice and Julio Jones had good games for Zapp, as did Arizona State's Todd Heap. Oh, and Martin Brodeur, Scot Stevens, Claude Lemeiux, Scott Niedermayer and Zach Parise also had big games for Zapp. Who Dat got a huge game from Matt Stump the Schaub, and solid games from Matt Forte and Oregon's LaGarrette Blount, but couldn't overcome the ZERO from Beanie Wells and the bad games from Crabtree and LSU's Devery Henderson. Quick question, does LSU ever produce any NFL Superstars?! And JaMarcus Russell doesn’t count.

The Turd Fergusons - 126....LA Terps - 69
In the blowout of the week, the Fergusons dropped a huge turd on the LA Terps. What can the Terps do when Run DMC and Fred Jackson combine for 57 points and fricken Greg Olson gets you 17! Even Oregon State's Chad Ochocinco got on the board this week! LA Terps' 69 points was hands down, the worst point total of the week. Santonio Holmes (2 points), Zach Miller (1 point), Steve Smith (2 points), and Josh Brown (1 point) added to Terps' woes. Only UCLA's Maurice Jones Drew's 18 points kept this from being over before it started. Hopefully Phillip Rivers will come back strong for the Terps next week. After looking at all of these teams, the Turds is hands down the favorite to win it all...he is stacked and Bradford hasn't even gotten going yet. Watch out for Turd this season!

Whoot Whoot

2011-09-26T20:20:00.001-07:00

Because Noah reminded me of these classics, I figure I should post. That and I know Berg enjoys...

They Took my Hamburger!

2011-09-26T11:00:00.001-07:00

CMs Top 10 worst programs

2011-09-24T18:38:00.001-07:00

I realized in watching both Virginia Tech vs. Marshall and LSU vs. West Virginia that I should make a post about programs that I dislike the most. I could probably use the word “hate” but I can’t say that I hate all these programs.

So here we go… the top 10 programs, regardless of sport that I really don’t like/hate.

Honorable Mentions:
Cal State Fullerton Baseball- Many bad experiences and situations over a 3 year period.
Oregon Football: Their thousands of bandwagon fans in the greater Sacramento area drive me crazy. The best part is I don’t hear them quacking now that LSU handed them a solid opening weekend ass kicking.

All women’s basketball programs: Seriously. If you’ve ever worked with a women’s basketball coach you will quickly find out they are a giant pain in the ass. They fully believe they should be playing in front of sold out crowds and that people should be attending their games on a Sunday afternoon instead of watching the NFL or doing ANYTHING else in November/December. Then, come conference season, they don’t understand why the fans aren’t showing up for their “big time showdown” with fill in the blank rival women’s basketball program. I’ve never worked with a women’s basketball program or coach that I enjoyed. This is one of the best parts of no longer working in college athletics.

Notre Dame Softball: Seems odd. I know. What the hell did Notre Dame softball do to you? Well, they were actually the first time that I ran an event and someone shat in my cereal. It was a Big East Conference softball championship tournament… and they and their fans made life very difficult for two days. They won, good for them, but because of that Notre Dame fans in general can go to hell. Plus, there was a midget down in San Diego that loved him some Notre Dame because he’s catholic or something. I kind of hate that guy too.

Ohio State Football: This is really more about their fans than their football program. Have you ever had a conversation with someone that is an Ohio State football fan? No lie, within 15 seconds you actually want to punch them in the face.

UVA Football: They would be higher on this list if they were ever competitive. I appreciate all the terrible years that Al Groh provided and thus enabled Virginia Tech to become the no-doubt-about-it best football program in the state. The last 10 years have been awesome for Hokie fans… and for that, I thank you. But UVA, you still suck and you still make this list, just not as high as you would if you were better….mostly because you don’t irritate me as much as these other programs.

Duke Basketball: They even suck at rape. From their head coach to the thousands of bandwagon fans, I think the brand of athlete they recruit is very much punk-bitch status. I have little respect for the type of basketball they play and once again, their fans don’t help.

Fresno State Baseball: The ironic thing is my girlfriend is from Fresno and I have a partnership with their athletic program. That being said, I hate them. Right or wrong, they have a swagger about their program that I just don’t get… and this was BEFORE they won a national title. I can only imagine the kind of arrogant bullshit that their baseball players are carrying now. They were beyond disrespectful at the couple of tournaments we held, their fans had a sense of entitlement, and their coaches didn’t give a shit. It’s really all bad.

Boise State Football: Seriously, I’m so fucking tired of hearing about them. Please go play someone more than twice a year. Actually if you could go play 2 or 3 good teams in a row….that would go a long way to earning some of my respect. Sorry but Tulsa or Toledo or Idaho aren’t screaming quality wins. Yet, if you look at their schedule, these are the wins the program has to have. And every single year they lose one of these games… and if they don’t, the bitch about how they should be playing for a national title. Really? Really Boise State? You do realize that if you were in the Pac12 or the SEC you would have at least 2 losses? Right? No? Ok, awesome. listen, I appreciate that they are a good program, but until they seriously beef up their non conference schedule to balance out their creampuff conference slate, I don’t want to hear it.

West Virginia Football: There is a reason that Virginia Tech doesn’t play them anymore… because they play dirty both as a football program and as an administration. I question anymore that has respect for their athletic programs. They are that kid that bitches until they get their way, only they aren’t getting their way. I hope they get stuck in Big East hell and nobody picks them up.

Auburn Football: Auburn, Alabama is beyond a terrible place. Am I happy that they won a national title? Sure….because everyone in the SEC wants the SEC to continue to collect those crystal footballs. But, beyond that… I hate them. Once again, I question anyone who defends them or went there.

And finally:
Gonzaga Basketball: I hate everything this program stands for. Their coaches staff is full of just terrible people that are beyond short sighted and have a flawed morality. The people working for the program really do think they are an elite level program….except they haven’t advanced to an elite 8 since 1999, and that was when they were still a cute story. The program seriously thinks it is above and beyond everyone in the conference. That the Pac12 and other major conferences should be considering them. They actually think their shit doesn’t stink. They have yet to produce a coach that has left the program and done even reasonably well. And really, you are in Spokane, Washington. Unless you are looking to score some meth, nobody wants to be there.

Joe's Conference Shuffle

2011-09-23T07:49:00.000-07:00

So I'm the one who suggested this idea to CM, so I figured I might have my say.

But first, for those of you thinking of a Fall wedding.

Now onto the conferences ... and to the hell with rivalries.

The Rowdy/Preppy Civilians and Service Conference (12 Teams):
[VMI and The Citadel are Basketball Partners]
Virginia Tech
Vanderbilt
UVA
Army
Navy
Air Force
WVU
Pitt
Penn State
Maryland
Rutgers
Syracuse

The Carolina, Church, and Texas Conference:
The Carolina Division (8 Teams):
Duke
Wake Forest
UNC
NC State
ECU
Appalachian State
South Carolina
Clemson

The Church and State Division (8 Teams):
Notre Dame
Boston College
BYU
TCU
Baylor
Texas
Texas A&M
Texas Tech

The Dirty South (16 Teams):
Redneck Division:
Georgia
LSU
Tennessee
Alabama
Auburn
Mississippi
Mississippi State
Arkansas

Thug Division:
Georgia Tech
Florida
Florida State
Miami
USF
UCF
FAMU
FIU

Mid-West Conference (20 Teams):
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Northwestern
Louisville
Kentucky
Missouri
Iowa
Iowa State
Minnesota
Purdue
Indiana
Wisconsin
Nebraska
Oklahoma
Oklahoma State
Colorado
Kansas
Kansas State
Montana

West Conference (14 Teams):
USC
Stanford
Washington
Cal
UCLA
Washington State
Oregon
Oregon State
Arizona
Arizona State
Utah
Hawaii
Boise State
Fresno State

CNN's N Word

2011-09-22T16:45:00.001-07:00

Great work CNN!

Conference Shuffle- WWE Style

2011-09-21T21:40:00.000-07:00

After Joe’s idea of creating our own conferences, it got me thinking… let’s have some fun with this.

So here is my list of conferences, themed after wrestlers from the WWF/E.

We’ll start east and slowly move west…

The Undertaker conference: This conference will always be underrated but will have some history every time they step on the field. Not necessarily good history though.
Kane Division:Rutgers, UCONN, Syracuse, Boston College, Buffalo,
Paul Bearer Division:Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Temple, Toledo, Ohio U

Macho Man Conference: Traditionally known as the Big10, the Macho Man conference thinks very highly of themselves, when really, their best years were a couple decades ago. Remember when Michigan was relevant? Yea, about the same time as Macho Man… may he rest in peace, like the Big10.
YMCA Division: Michigan, Michigan State, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa
Elizabeth Division: Ohio State, Northwestern, Penn State, Purdue, Illinois, Indiana

Sergeant Slaughter Conference:

Because it is about damn time we put this conference together.
Army, Navy, Air Force, Notre Dame, BYU, Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, Marshall, Florida State, West Virginia

Yes, I know. That is a semi random group of schools… but I swear this makes some sense to me.

The Rock Conference: This conference is a rock star, excuse the pun. They’re always on tv, you know all their moves, the players and everytime they’re on… you watch. Ladies and Gents… the SEC, well kind of.
The Peoples Champion Division: Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky, Clemson, Georgia, Tennessee
You Smell That Division: LSU, Alabama, Auburn, Ole Miss, Miss State, Arkansas

Rick Flair Conference:
The conference that’s flashy, sizzle, but at the end of the day, you kind of hate them. They are too cool for school, and inevitably, will let you down. Nobody is a real fan, they just root for them because sometimes it just works out that way.
The WOO Division: Duke, Virginia, North Carolina State, Wake Forest, Georgia Tech
Figure 4 Division: Vandy, North Carolina, Maryland, Memphis, Louisville

The Razor Ramon Conference: Seriously, this was too easy.

The Chicas Division: Miami (FL), UCF, South Florida, Florida International, Florida Atlantic
The dirty division: Southern Miss, Tulane, UAB, Louisiana-Lafayette, LA Tech

Hulk Hogan Conference: Came on strong… and just got to be a mess towards the end.
The Big Show Division: Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, UTEP, TCU, Texas A&M
Hulkimania Division: Oklahoma, Okie State, Missouri, Kansas, K-State

TNA Wrestling Conference: because you have to ask…who’s in that conference again?
Dixie Division: Houston, Tulsa, Rice, SMU, East Carolina, Memphis
Yankee Division: Central Michigan, Akron, Western Michigan, Kent State, Miami, OH, Northern Illinois

Yokozuno Conference: Short lived and not really memorable.
Earthquake Division: Western Kentucky, Troy, North Texas, Middle Tennessee, Louisiana-Monroe
Mr. Fuji Division: Ball State, Toledo, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Arkansas State

Bret Hart Conference: The Hitman was a star, but always played 2nd fiddle to someone. In the beginning it was Hulk Hogan and Macho Man, the Ultimate Warrior, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin… you get the point. The Hitman was always solid, but always came up short. http://youtu.be/u74i7IkMcSw
Owen Hart Division: Boise State, Colorado State, New Mexico, New Mexico State, Wyoming, Utah State, Idaho
Mirrored Sunglasses Division: San Diego State, Fresno State, UNLV, San Jose State, Nevada, Hawaii

Note that the Owen Hart division is full of bad luck.

And finally.
The Shawn Michaels Conference: Shawn Michaels…sex symbol of the wrestling world, the guy that everyone had an opinion about him. Nobody that watched wrestling says… ehh… he’s doesn’t’ bother me. Hell no, people either loved him or hated him. Welcome to the Pac 12.

Heartbreak Kid Division: Cal, Stanford, USC, UCLA, Arizona, Arizona State

Boy Toy Division: Washington, Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, Colorado, Utah

Conference Expansion: Big 12/10/9?

2011-09-21T10:11:00.001-07:00

The title sums this one up. Has a conference ever been more of a certified disaster than the current state of the Big 12?
Last year you lose Nebraska and Colorado. No matter what Gallagher says, losing Nebraska really hurts. Huge fan base, lots of money, typically good at football and a lot of other sports not named basketball… I’m sure both Colorado and Nebraska are happy with their decisions. The Big 10 and Pac 12 are significant upgrades from even the best possible days of the Big12.

But now what? Texas A&M is out. Missouri has a deal with the SEC…which isn’t clear if that is a backup plan or THE plan just yet. The Pac 12 just came out and said… ehh, we’ll pass on having the Oklahoma and Texas duo’s join the conference. Oklahoma wants a new conference commish (which is about time someone came out and said this). The future of the conference, shit… the current state of the conference is hanging on by a thread.

But how about the Pac12 holding their ground? Love that move… really do. I said it before, but this is more than just football. The Pac12 already will have enough money and fatty tv deal that they don’t NEED Oklahoma and Texas, especially if Texas has to come with their Longhorn Network package. I still think Texas should say eff it and go independent… because they can. I think the Pac12 knows it shouldn’t go to 16… that 16 is just a ticking timebomb. Keeping 16 schools happy, together, and financially stable is challenging. A challenging that I’m sure Larry Scott looks at and says, oh I COULD do it…but do we really WANT to do it?

So now what? Well… the Texas/OU pod will shop their conference affiliation to others… probably the ACC and see if they can get them to bite. I imagine they will run out of options pretty soon and be stuck at square one…and have this mess linger. I do understand Oklahoma/The rest of the conference’s beef with the Longhorn Network. If you say you can’t show high school games yet you show high school highlights on the channel, how, exactly is this not a ridiculous recruiting advantage? I imagine Texas will either need to make significant adjustments to their attitude (highly unlikely) and programming (possible) for the relationship to continue with the Big 12.

But the better question becomes, now what? No matter what Texas A&M is leaving. Missouri might be (really they SHOULD be) following them right to the SEC. Leaving the Big 12 with potentially 8 programs. Adding BYU would be a huge coup, but I doubt BYU is that interested now that they are doing their football independent thing. I think the Big 12 has to look at potentially Houston, Tulsa, TCU and SMU. Shit, didn’t we try something like this before called the Southwest Conference? Where is Arkansas when you need them? Shit you could throw in UTEP and just make it a state of Texas affair if you wanted to.

But this much is for sure… the big 12 needs to hug this one out. Quickly… then again, I’m kind of enjoying watching Texas suck it up at football and Mack Brown falling back to the reality of he’s MACK BROWN.

WhoLurks Football Year 3, Week 2

2011-09-20T19:25:00.000-07:00

It's week 2, the Pats are still scoring a ton of points and the Chiefs are pretty much screwed. The Lions are going to drop about 40 on everyone and the Redskins bandwagon is going in full force! Oh yeah, and it just WASN'T Curtis' week…

One Man Gang 179.70 (1-1) - Heat Seeking Nipple 94.90 (1-1)

I'm not gonna lie, I didn't see this kind of score coming but I'll definitely take it. Double digits from all players but one and five players over 20 resulted in the third highest score in league history. On the other side Curtis got some nice games from Brees and Best, but really not much else aaand Jamaal Charles went out for the year. Needless to say he's not going to be returning $42 value.

The Turd Fergusons 163.23 (2-0) - Alex Morgan Hottie 94.00 (0-2)

Not to be out-done, the Turds not only crushed their opponent but they're now one of three undefeateds left in the league. Second highest score of the week from Miles Austin led the way while McFadden and AJ Green each dropped 20+ as well. Our fearless commissioner however, did not have his best week. If this was a "start all your QBs" league then he'd have been money in the bank, but otherwise he only had three other double digit players and one was on his bench. Got a hole to dig out of now CM.

Who Dat Nation 154.47 (1-1) - Tebow's Sluts 125.10 (0-2)

Really nice, balanced attack from Who Dat with great second weeks out of Blount and Beanie that have to be making him breath a little easier about his RB situation. Forte did his thing, which is a much better thing than most of us thought it would be, and Eric can feel good about playing his optimal lineup for the week. Nate? Maybe we can start believing in Cam now? Not much else Nate could have done to score more, but 400+ passing yards seems to be becoming Cam's thing which probably has a place in the lineup somewhere. Nate has the distinction of being the only team to have over 300 scored on him so far, so he's hoping for a bit better luck in the coming weeks or he's going to end up buried.

Dick's Sporting Goods 126.80 (2-0) - Zapp Brannigan 85.07 (1-1)

Instead of balance, Brent got more of a studs and scrubs result but it worked out since Berg decided to drop the low score of the week. 72.7 points from Brady and VJax is a really nice way to start the weekend, and the rest of the lineup more than picked up the additional 13 points needed to knock out Berg's underperforming bunch. 18.1 from Rice was his top score, but one of only 4 to go into double digits while Lloyd dropped a goose egg and Foster went limping off pretty early. Stark contrast to week 1, Berg will try to get off the mat next week with some pretty good match ups for his top players.

Goodell's Minions 125.17 (2-0) - Yankees Suck 119.07 (0-2)

Tightest matchup of the week saw Truch get just enough from from Vick before having his head bounced around off his own lineman to hold off Joe's late charge from Shady McCoy. Big days from Britt and Hillis led the way and Truch finds himself at the top of the league at least for a week. Joe's hangin' out at the bottom of the league despite a couple of big weeks from McCoy as well as Rodgers. Rest of his roster needs to pick up the slack.

My Vick In A Box 110.13 (1-1) - LA Terps 101.60 (1-1)

Lowest scoring matchup of the week, but at least it was close and entertaining "for the neutral observer" with a decent comeback on MNF. 26.2 from Jacobs and the Giants D allowed Neal to jump Noah, who got to watch this happening while seeing Maclin's league leading 37.7 points sitting on his bench every time he looked at his team. Ouch. That MAY have made a difference. As it is he gave Neal the opportunity to pick up a win, which he'll surely take considering he has the second least total points in the league so far.

Matchup to watch next week? #1 Goodell's Minions v #3 Dick's Sporting Goods. Or maybe #10 Yankees Suck v #11 Tebow's Sluts.

Conference Reallignment Game

2011-09-20T12:17:00.000-07:00

Had an email from reader/blogger Joe W with an idea:

With all the conference realignment, and all that jazz ... I think it is time we get some new conference names (real, imaginary, for fun, or being serious).

Chris - perhaps you could let all the "guest" bloggers post their idea(s) and the schools that would be involved.

For example,

Redneck Conference:

Preppy Conference:

So let's see what you all think... reallign your conferences!

Expansion Thoughts: Sleeping Giant

2011-09-20T08:59:00.000-07:00

The next part of my conference realignment breakdown deals with the sleeping giant in this whole shuffle.

No, not Texas. Not Notre Dame. Not the SEC. It is time we talk about the Mountain West.

I’m going to speculate that we are closer to a college sports landscape where either/or/both the Big East and Big 12 are gone or cease to be relevant. This day is coming closer than we think, possibly dialed in by the end of THIS week.

This is where the Mountain West is fully aware of their opportunity. Yes, they have screwed things up (like their TV network, hosting a conference tournament in Denver and nobody came) but they have been ahead of the game at times. I think this is paying off right now. News came out that TCU could reconsider leaving the MW and joining the Big East basically… well basically because who the hell knows what the Big East is going to look like. More importantly, the whole damn point of leaving the Mountain West and joining the Big East was to be in a conference that has that automatic football bid. Well, what if they are actually leaving the conference that is about to swoop in and snatch that automatic bid? They have to seriously be considering this…right?

I actually was emailing with a former boss/coworker about this exact potential scenario on Sunday night. That this could potentially happen… and it would be fascinating. Not because the Mountain West would gain another strong football power, retain significant media coverage in Dallas/Texas, and have a compelling reason to be the conference with the automatic bid… but because has a school ever backed out of joining a conference when they are in current lame-duck status with their current conference? I tend to follow sports and can’t recall this type of thing ever happening…

But think about the Mountain West. Let’s say THEY got to 12 teams… had a conference championship in Vegas (which is what the Pac12/16 should do btw) and it was Boise State/TCU/San Diego State/Baylor/Fresno State type matchup, people would watch. And if that was the case, and you had the top two teams in the conference playing for a title… and chances are they would probably both be ranked… wouldn’t this be provide significant momentum for a conference in search of an identity?

Here is the thing… have you seen the new Mountain West conference logo? Can you tell me, beyond Boise State and San Diego state, the other schools in the Mountain West conference? No. But if Baylor and TCU join/not leave and you have a 12 team conference that is easily the 2nd biggest/best conference west of the Mississippi River, I bet you some tv network would love to have this as part of their portfolio, right?

You could even split the teams into the following divisions:
Mountain: TCU, Baylor, Air Force, Colorado State, Wyoming, New Mexico
West: San Diego State, Hawaii, Boise State, Fresno State, Nevada, UNLV

As a conference you would have the following tv markets covered too: Boise, San Diego, entire state of Hawaii (for what that’s worth), Fresno, Las Vegas, Dallas, Denver, Fresno valley, and the state of New Mexico. Yes, you’re not going to get 20 million a year per school for the rights to these games…but would half of that be out of reach? I don’t think so… and I’m guessing 10 mil a year would be HUGE money for these programs.

I’ll take it a step further… let’s say the Mountain West really wanted to fuck around and go to 14 schools…with the solid conference alignment that made a ton of sense, they would be very attractive for someone like Houston, Rice, Tulsa or UTEP to join. Right?

Now… if I’m the Mountain West. I stick to 12. Nothing else. Learn from what happened with the WAC and how, exactly the Mountain West came about. But be aware… sleeping giant.

Conference Expansion: Pitt, Cuse & the ACC

2011-09-19T12:18:00.000-07:00

I’d like to give a shoutout to Pitt and Syracuse for their timing to leave the Big East and join the ACC. They provided an additional post for me to talk about this conference shuffle.

My initial thoughts: hmm, not sure that’s the best idea.

After more thought: This has a TBD feel to it.

Then I realized…the ACC is a much bigger deal than the Big East will ever be. In a previous post, I suggested that the ACC could look to a couple Florida schools (UCF and South Florida) if they chose to expand. Fact is, I didn’t give the ACC enough credit for their ability to pluck storied and big time programs like Pitt or Syracuse from their domains. Now, the ACC could still dip into those two Florida schools and really round out their conference. They truly would be the ATLANTIC coast conference.

It also made me think… oh my… the Big East has to be shitting themselves now. You just lost two charter members and programs that really define your conference… AGAIN. Really, they are a second class conference as they again will be left to pick up the pieces and hope to attract a school like Iowa State, Missouri or the Kansas combo. Chances are, however… is that the Big East makes a run at Memphis or a program like SMU and UCF. The one saving grace for the Big East? Find a way to make Notre Dame a full time member as you’re already letting them participate in everything else.

While everyone is looking to make themselves the biggest and badest football conference, the ACC has absolutely locked up the basketball king conference title. Pitt and ‘Cuse join Duke, UNC, Maryland, etc as the biggest deal in college basketball. I have to ask… are conferences like the Pac 12 and SEC getting big time tv deals because of how good they are at football OR because they are in media markets OR because they have the right number of member institutions? I have to imagine it is a combination of all 3… which in that case, doesn’t that mean the ACC should be in for a tremendous payday? Instead of their big media season being just football and running from September through the beginning of December, now they are a conference that has compelling tv from September to early March. THAT is a huge statement, one that I’m sure the conference office is currently putting together for their next media rights contract. Everybody in the conference is about to get paid. The Pac12 set the bar… and I am guessing the ACC finds a way to surpass that number, especially if they add UCONN and Rutgers or a Florida program to the mix.

I think everyone has to wonder, what’s next? What does UCONN do? Are they pissed that Syracuse is gone or happy? These two programs have had a long standing rivalry in a number of sports, but more than anything… I feel like they’ve come to a sense of respect, like brothers. Does the ACC find a way to pluck UCONN?

I also tend to think of this from the “How does this impact Virginia Tech?” standpoint. Well…Seth Greenburg better be hopeful to land yet another contract extention, because his life is about to get more difficult, especially if UCONN joins the party. Tech football doesn’t get any favors as ACC football gets even more watered down. That’s less than ideal, meaning VT will need to continue to schedule tougher than average non conference football games. It’s actually mildly disappointing how bad the football has gotten in the ACC. The conference NEEDS Clemson and any school in North Carolina to not completely suck ass. If Pitt or Syracuse could make a comeback to relevancy, that too would be helpful.

Finally… you know what the best part of this is? Remember a few years ago how West Virginia was bitching up a storm and sued the ACC? Well… you think they are kicking their own asses now? Not that West Virginia makes sense for the ACC at this point, but umm… you could make a case for them to join. Part of me feels sorry for them, because they are absolutely going to be screwed… (this is like 2 percent of me) the other 98 percent can’t be more thrilled with how this went down.

Expansion Thoughts: Texa$

2011-09-16T09:45:00.000-07:00

We talkin’ ‘bout Texas.

I’m not sure there is going to be an order to these thoughts, but I’m sure there will be a point.

So the very first question I have to ask myself is, why the hell did the SEC accept Texas A&M and not go after Texas? The SEC has that huge deal with ESPN, Texas and ESPN have their deal with the LongHorn network. Texas is the biggest deal in the state, even bigger than some of the professional franchises. Texas does football and pretty much every sport relatively well. They have a huge following, what I would call is an “SEC-type” following.

So why isn’t Texas joining the SEC?

Couple thoughts:
1. Does Texas really want to join a conference like the SEC when they are currently King Kong of the Big 12?
2. Does Texas actually need to join a conference?

If any school in the country could go full independent, it has to be Texas. They have their own TV network, they are smack in the middle of the country, they are good at most everything, their fans are passionate and will travel. They made over 90 million in just football revenue last year and well over 100 mil (I can’t find it but I believe the number was closer to 120 mil) in total revenues. They are the #1 revenue producing athletic program in the country. And once again, this BEFORE the new revenue stream of the LongHorn Network.

So if you are Texas, why join a conference? You could have more home games, completely dictate your schedule, who you play, when you play them, create made for tv events, appease your fans, and keep traditional rivalries if you want. Instead of 6 home games, they could have 8. Still play Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry… you can’t tell me that programs wouldn’t play Texas. Notre Dame has done just fine and they are terrible. Texas could continue to play some of their Big 12/Southwestern Conference foes (Oklahoma, Okie State, Texas Tech, Rice/SMU, A&M, etc). That group easily takes up half their schedule. Throw in a west coast opponent for the national exposure (USC, Cal, UCLA, etc)…maybe throw in Notre Dame and BYU because the independants should try to play each other… and you have a pretty solid, conference-like schedule. It wouldn’t be Navy, Army, Air Force, BC that Notre Dame has… ya know, because those programs are just powerhouse football programs, but I think the voters, fans, administration, and media would all approve. Plus, worst case scenario, Texas can pay a program a couple million to come to Austin. You can’t tell me that Missouri or Baylor wouldn’t come to Austin 3 out of 4 years if they’re collecting a fatty guarantee to do so.

Beyond football, I think they could be independent in everything else. Hoops, baseball, soccer… doesn’t matter. Is it more work, absolutely. But if any athletic department can handle the burdon of additional scheduling and travel, it is Texas. They have a ton of schools just in the state of Texas. SMU, A&M, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, UTEP, Houston, Rice, UTSA, Texas State, North Texas, UT-Arlington… and I’m sure I’m forgetting 3 or 4. That’s 12 programs JUST IN TEXAS. Nevermind the surrounding states with Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Kansas, Colorado… all easy trips. So it’s beyond possible, and with a huge budget, it should actually be pretty easy. You could go the Miami baseball route and just play 50 home games… because you CAN.

So Texas… go independent. Just like they say, you’re bigger. You can do it. Plus, it would be a fascinating end to this saga and a tremendous case study.

Expansion Thoughts: SEC

2011-09-15T23:04:00.000-07:00

Will the SEC expand to 14, 16? 20? Will the Pac 12 become the Pac/Big 16? How is this going to work?

Basically… time to tackle some of the rumors swirling around and what, if anything, would make sense. We’ll get to this in a few different posts.

Who joins Texas A&M in the SEC?
Well, quite honestly, I’m not sure the SEC needed to admit Texas A&M. Apparently Mike Slive is boys with the Aggie folks and that is how this deal got done. And yes, I understand if you are Texas A&M and you want out of Texas’ shadow, but really? Was this the BEST idea? Looking beyond football, which they currently have no chance, and into the other sports, sure… it makes some sense. Texas A&M bring the Houston market to the TV table, they bring a tradition rich university, and a fanbase that is SEC-lite. So sure, they make some sense, but the SEC didn’t get better when it comes to football. It’s not like SEC football programs couldn’t recruit the state of Texas before A&M came on board… I just don’t buy that Texas A&M is the best idea, but that’s another point.

Let’s assume that the SEC is interested in going to a 14 or 16. I don’t agree this is the direction to take, but we’ll take this assumption.

So Florida State came out and said they are happy in the ACC, which I believe, because well… in the world of football, it’s much easier for Florida State to rise to the top in the ACC rather than the SEC. It’s not fun to play Florida, Bama, LSU, Auburn every year. It’s a LOT more fun to play Wake Forest, Duke and the football program formerly known as Miami. So count Florida State out, just not worth it.

Clemson makes sense, always has…probably always will. But if you are Clemson, do you REALLY want to go to the SEC? They are in the same situation as Florida State. If the money isn’t A LOT more and for a long time, aren’t you content with rolling with the ACC? I would be.

The thing that people are forgetting about the ACC is that there are 12 athletic programs, not 14 or 16. So yea, sure, the money RIGHT NOW might be awesome in the SEC, but as of this moment, that TV deal isn’t getting any bigger and there are now a couple more mouths to feed. Incrementally speaking, would it be that much more? I doubt it.

We can lump Virginia Tech into this same discussion. Sure, Tech actually makes a lot of sense for the SEC, but it’s just not worth it. The Burg is smack in the middle of the current ACC footprint and after all the bullshit you went through to get in, I doubt they are going to turn their back now. Then again, crazier things have happened. From an alumni sake, I think this would be a terrible move.

So looking outside the ACC world, who sticks out?

My immediate first thought is that Missouri needs to find a way to be involved in this joining the SEC discussion. It doesn’t make a ton of sense for the SEC to admit them, but if I’m Mizzu, I worry a lot about getting left behind. Geographically speaking, this makes a lot of sense. Football wise, sure… I will buy that they can be competitive, but not a championship contender. They too also do other sports well, so that has to be helpful.

My next thought is West Virginia. I could see West Virginia jumping ship from the Big East if the SEC comes knocking… it would be kind of hilarious because West Virginia is one of the programs that got their panties in a bunch when Miami, BC and Virginia Tech left the Big East for the ACC… I feel things could come full circle. Morgantown doesn’t bring a large TV market (one could argue some of Pittsburgh).

What about Memphis? Would it be an incredible leap going from Conference USA to the SEC? Absolutely. BUT Memphis is in SEC territory, has football upside, and has been winning conference USA championships in other sports. Not the most elite athletic program, but a lot of nice pieces to like by brining Memphis into the mix.

Speaking of Conference USA, doesn’t Central Florida make some sense? They are a HUGE school that has been building athletic facilities to compete with the best of the best. I see Central Florida landing somewhere, might not be the SEC, but could easily be part of an ACC expansion.

Also look at South Florida. They’ve put themselves on the map with some recent football success Could easily be part of a package deal with UCF and the ACC. Makes a ton of sense… decent football programs in Orlando and Tampa. Could really make a ton of sense for the ACC.

The school that everyone loves is Texas. We’re going to cover Texas in another post, but with Texas A&M already joining the SEC, don’t look for this to happen. The SEC probably choose wrong with which Texas program to bring on board, but then again, this is the advantage the Aggies have in being the first to go from Texas.

I’ve read about NC State… I don’t buy that either.
SMU? This isn’t 1985.
Kansas and Kansas State? Makes no sense. Then again, TCU is joining the Big East… ya know, because that natural Georgetown vs. TCU rivalry made a ton of sense.

So if the SEC goes to 14 teams I would say they go to Texas A&M and Missouri.

16 teams? I’d look at the above 2 plus West Virginia and Memphis.

Not the best for football programs, but it would at least make some geographic sense.

Wholurks Football Year 3, Week 1

2011-09-14T20:50:00.000-07:00

Welcome back to football Wholurks owners. After an eventful off-season of contemplating whether we should have padded two-a-day practices anymore, America’s game is back. I’m glad we got that out of the way though.

As for the first week of Wholurks, we have already had some preseason fireworks and tempers have flared. More on that later tonight on Sports Center.

Let’s get down to the scores…

LA Terps 128.77 One Man Gang 83.23

The turtles were carried to the promise land on the shoulders of Steve Smith who topped 175 yards receiving and 2 TD. That’s good for 35 points and a win in fantasy terms. Unfortunately the lone man suffered from a less than optimal output from all of his players across the board never reaching the end zone in all cases. One Man Gang may be looking to Matthew Stafford to jump start his team in week 2.

The Sports Authority 112.40 Heat Seeking Nipple 123.47

A story of the benched defenses with high point totals. The Nipple had an impressive week with Drew Brees racking up some big points in the shootout with Green Bay. He may be considering starting Urlacher and company after a dominating performance against Atlanta. The Sports Authority still has to be happy with a good outing from Jordy Nelson and Kevin Kolb. Not even the (so called) greatest receiver in the league could bail Morales out of a jam. Maybe he would have if he didn’t get hurt? Maybe. The fat foot put the Nipple over top in the end (including a 63 yarder!). Sorry you wasted the draft pick Nate Kaeding Morales. Season ending?!

The Turd Fergusons 123.73 My Vick In a Box 98.53

Without fielding a defense (show off), the Turds prevail in a late Monday Night surge from McFadden (it still doesn’t feel right Jon) and a little help from Mr. Neckbeard. Mike Tolbert also rumbled stumbled and tumbled himself to an impressive outing. His defense would have still given him a 4 points but I guess he felt it wasn’t worth the risk. Big Ben struggled badly for Vick in Box after in an embarrassing performance from turnover prone Steelers. With solid points from his QB, Vick in Box could be dangerous down the stretch with his solid group of WR’s.

Zapp Brannigan 157.37 Tebow’s Sluts 98.03

Holy Chad Henne?! Just when we thought that Zapp was begging for a QB, Henne shows up in a big way. To complement Henne’s 41, Calvin Johnson, Brandon Marshall, and Ray Rice light it up in week 1. Even a start from Cam Newton in an impressive 37 point season opener wouldn’t have come close to pushing the hoebags over the top. However, he did have a good outing from his WR and running back crew. Maybe the little punk in San Diego isn’t so bad after making the trade that severely weakened his line up. We’ll see if Henne continues to show up.

Dicks Sporting Goods 150.93 Yankees Suck 126.50

The Yankee haters have to be disappointed with a loss after impressive performances from Aaron Rodgers, Lesean McCoy and the Rex’s boys. It’s hard to overcome Tom Brady and Wes Welker putting up 77 points on their own. How did we let Dick have those two on his team? I doubt that this will be a unique instance. Dicks also had a good day from Desean Jackson and Plaxico Burress. No other combination of bench players could have helped the haters, but he remains a threat for the remainder of the season.

Goodell’s Minions 163.13 Who Dat Nation 108.33

Goodell’s Minions went to work scoring double digits at every position except for two. Kenny Britt, Goodell’s favorite, scores 28 and the Baltimore defense put up over 20 in a big performance against the Steelers. Sadly for Who Dat Nation Matt Schaub didn’t have to do much in a blowout for the Texans but he still had good outings from Forte, Witten, and Wells. Last year’s champ will look to rebound against the Sluts next week.

Good luck the rest of the season fellas!

You mad bro?

2011-09-12T16:46:00.001-07:00

Yes, the Michigan vs. Notre Dame game was great. BUT...it's been a long time since that game was played for anything that matters.

The BCS and the Spelling Bee

2011-09-09T10:16:00.001-07:00

Great video

What If Everything Worked Like BCS: The Spelling Bee from sanjeev tandle on Vimeo.

Dave Hart, Really Tennessee?

2011-09-06T11:25:00.001-07:00

This probably isn’t news to most of you… but today Tennessee announced they would be hiring Dave Hart as their new athletic director.

Now, to most of you, you really don’t give a damn, but let me tell you. This bothers the crap out of me.

Tennessee made a run at a variety of current, successful athletic directors before what I’m going to call “settling” for Dave Hart. Here’s the thing… Dave is a good guy, but really Tennessee? This is the best you can do?

Let me explain why I’m bothered… they are paying Dave 575k for 6 years plus a 3% escalator PLUS 150k in media fees per year PLUS a 50k retention bonus each year.

So yes, if you are keeping track at home, Dave Hart is making 775k to be the athletic director this year. Yes, really. Now, I’ve been out of the game for a few years when it comes to these contracts but I do believe this is an insane amount of money for a guy that didn’t exactly leave on good graces at Florida State. In fact, he was run out of town by the president partly because of the whole “What do we do with Bobby Bowden question” and partly because “We have a giant academic scandal with the our athletic program” issue. So umm… how exactly are either of these things a great solution for Tennessee athletics, which if you haven’t been paying attention has its own issues regarding both athletic and academic scandals at the moment.

So once again, HOW, EXACTLY, IS HIRING DAVE HART A GOOD IDEA? Seriously, how the hell is this even a reasonable idea? There are so many qualified, young, hustler potential athletic directors… you dip into the well and basically hire Norv Turner for the 8th time. Really? You couldn’t hire an up-and-comer? Look around at the other SEC programs and snag a top assistant, or see what one of the CUSA or MAC schools are doing and grab their guy.

This just drives me crazy… so I felt the need to post. I’m not a Tennessee fan or anything, but I really don’t think Dave Hart is the answer. By all accounts people like him, which is great, except Tennessee, in my opinion, needs an innovative, solution-based leader to take the next step. Dave Hart was that guy… 15 years ago, today? Not so much.

We're moving!

2011-08-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

I’m moving!

Yes, finally. After 3 and change years in this apartment, I am finally moving. The lady and myself are renting a house…pretty sweet house too. This is an open invitation for anyone to come visit. The house has 4 bedrooms and NO STAIRS. After taking 4 flights of stairs up and down from my apartment this whole time, it should be no surprise we found a 1 level, 2300 square foot house. We’re pretty thrilled… cougar mamba is so happy she’s been jumping in and out of boxes the last 2 weeks.

So excuse the lack of posts the next couple weeks… between work and moving, I’m slammed. But come visit Sacramento. Seriously… you don’t have shit to do. Swing by.

Miami...Post 1

2011-08-16T19:52:00.001-07:00

Quick...How many D bags are in this picture?

Your 2011 Chicago Cubs

2011-08-16T14:15:00.000-07:00

Carlos Zambrano.

Hearing his name makes me upset. He is what is wrong with the Cubs. A selfish, overpaid, no-trade clause’d, overweight, lazy, quitter of an athlete. This is why the Cubs can’t win.
Because apparently Carlos Zambrano was given the keys to the pitching staff, was told he’s going to be the leader and failed miserably.

You can’t force leadership…and that is exactly what happens in Chicago. There isn’t a Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Jimmy Rollins, or even a Michael Young on this team. It really drives me crazy. But I’ve said it before, the Cubs need to blow everything up and reload.

But you know why they can’t do that? Because for some reason the organization announced the General Manager Jim Hendry will be returning to the organization. Why? Honestly I have no idea. It must be because he’s drafted and developed all those all stars…. Or maybe all those brilliant free agency signings… or maybe it was not hiring a Cubs legend to be skipper… or maybe it was all those championships/world series appearances and winning seasons. Oh wait… none of the above has come remotely close to coming true. This isn’t just about the Soriano signing… it’s just as much about giving John Grabow 4.8 million or failing to provide a system to develop ANY minor leaguer. It’s just as much about not hiring Sandberg and watching him walk away from the organization as it is the lack of ANY lefthanded starter in the rotation.

The Cubs are at best a 88 win team and at worst a 76 win team. The organization has money, so why are we giving the keys to a classic franchise to a moron? Why are we forcing an immature, issue-filled, mildly crazy starting pitcher to be a leader? How is the organization setting themselves up for success? Fact is, they aren’t.

Finally… I’m officially envious of Pirate fans. That is when things are bad. When I look at Pittsburgh and say, damn…I wish I was a fan of those guys.

San Francisco Giants & Dumb Fans

2011-08-08T22:16:00.001-07:00

Over the last ohh 9ish months I have come to really dislike San Francisco Giants fans. And it made me start to think…when your team wins, does the fanbase become dumber? Are they so enchanted with what the team just accomplished that they actually become less educated fans? I’ll explain some of what I’ve noticed at the jump.

I went to a game last year around this time actually… the Giants were doing well, I think if they weren’t in first place, they were damn close. And I swear…the ballpark was ¾ full. Yes, it was a day game, but I’m going to the game on Wednesday… vs the Pittsburgh Pirates…on a Wednesday…and the game is sold out.
So yea, that’s great…but I am convinced that the people who bought tickets are doing so because it is now the cool thing to do. California always wants to be cool. Northern California especially wants to think they are so “hella” awesome that it kind of makes me want to throw up. I swear to baby jesus, I wish I could physically hurt people in this region because of how “hella” cool they think they are. It is like going to high school with 9 million douchbags in your backyard. *Yet another reason why Sacramento absolutely blows, people think they are awesome, when actually they are broke, boring, and have a tremendously inflated self worth.*

Recently I was reading some of Nick’s new blog and saw he has a buddy named Scott that is a big giants fan. This guy is convinced that the Giants are getting rid of Barry Zito next year by eating 90 percent of his contract, that the correct thing in baseball front office land is to pay a player for what they did the previous year, and that giving up a stud pitching prospect for Carlos Beltran (who still hasn’t hit a home run in his career in San Francisco) was brilliant. I brought up the brilliant decisions of the organization to pay Aubrey Huff 10 mil, Cody Ross 6.3 mil (and I quote “because of what he did in October”), Aaron Rowand 13.6 mil, Miguel Tejada 6.5 mil, Mark DeRosa 6 mil and Freddy “I was an all star TWICE in Pittsburgh” Sanchez for 6 mil. I’m not even going to bring up Barry Zito and that situation as he is apparently dead to everyone.
I would love to say not to worry because the Giants don’t have a lot of holes and have positions locked up for the future…but they don’t. They have a 118 million dollar payroll this year. Yes, they are making more money…but not THAT much more money. Keep in mind they still are paying off the stadium and have a ton of debt. They aren’t exactly printing money. They also have 72 million committed to next year and that doesn’t include Tim Lincecum, A shortstop or left fielder with a pulse (and one could argue that Andres Torres and Nate Schierholtz aren’t exactly screaming answers in center and left respectively, and left hander out of the bullpen.

So I don’t get it. What the hell Giants fans? I know other fans that are seriously just as retarded. They think scoring 2 runs a game and praying that the starting pitcher is basically perfect is a fun brand of baseball. And now they have traded another cheap, potentially effective piece in Zack Wheeler to try to win now. The farm system is pretty much 2 decent outfielders now and unless Brandon Belt actually works out (which I am hopeful as I like him), they will have to overpay some position player…again.

But somehow, someway, Giants fans think this is great. If the NL west wasn’t brutally bad, and it is…don’t try to tell me that Arizona team is remotely close to a playoff team…the Giants would be a .500 ballclub.

And they just got shutout by the Pirates. I didn’t know Charlie Morton was the 2nd coming of Roy Halladay. I’m seriously listening to this broadcast and the announcers (who are terrible, the A’s announcers actually do a much better job of calling a game) are telling us how incredibly awesome Charlie Morton is. Buy stock now.

Really Darius Miles?

2011-08-04T11:55:00.001-07:00

Did you really bring a gun to the AIRPORT?

Really?

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Al29gjbFRIkq3avSAz61Uh45nYcB?slug=ap-milesarrested

As someone that flies relatively often, this makes my brain hurt. I once was behind a guy at the Sacramento airport who insisted he should be able to bring his nunchucks on the plane. "I'm not going to fly without my nunchucks." Yes, really. TSA looked him like really? Then someone isn't going to fly.

Do people not fly? Has Darius Miles been flying private jets with a loaded gun for years? Did someone in his crew (I'm assuming he still has a crew) think this was a great idea? I actually would love answers...too bad we'll never get them.

Did athletes learn nothing from Plaxico? Is Plaxico Burress going to have to choke a bitch?

MLB Trade Deadline Winners & Losers

2011-07-31T17:48:00.000-07:00

Nick asked me about winners and losers of the MLB trade deadline...aka, one of my favorite times of the year. Drafts, trade deadlines, free agency day 1... oh, these are the special times in my life.

Winners:
Atlanta Braves: They held tight. Didn’t overpay for a rental like Beltran and ended up with the best fit for their team in Michael Bourn. Bourn provides an added dimension, great defense, and all at a premium position on the diamond.

Phillies: Yes, Hunter Pence is not a star. BUT, he’s consistent and solid… and an awesome fit in Philly. They needed a solid, right handed hitting outfielder. They gave up two big upside guys, but nothing is a given as I’ve noticed not a lot of “great” philly prospects have worked out over the last few years.

Toronto: Only because of Colby Rasmus. St. Louis is going to regret this. Rasmus is has star potential…from the centerfield position. It’s not like Tony La Russa is the easiest manager to get along with. Players, for the most part, don’t like him. Young players especially hate him. Good luck with Corey Patterson and Edwin Jackson. There is probably a reason that Edwin Jackson has been traded 7 times.

Texas Rangers: Improving their weakest part of their team (bullpen) with two of the best middle relievers in the game.

Colorado Rockies: Does it hurt losing Ubaldo? Sure. But you know what hurts more? Winning 83 games a year and never crossing the hump. They needed to take a step back to move forward. They needed more pitching, especially young, power arms. Their farm system is about to produce another couple arms. But I worry about Ubaldo. He seems like he’s not entirely healthy. Why wouldn’t the Rockies let anyone give him a physical? This seems like something doesn’t add up.

Losers:
Los Angeles Dodgers: Basically gave away Furcal, couldn’t deal Kuroda, did nothing to improve the future of a team that can no longer just buy players. The future looks terrible in LA.

Oakland A’s: They probably should have sold anything… again. What use is it to continue to suck? At least get something for the future. I hate to break it to you guys, but that future doesn’t include Matsui, Willingham, Coco Crisp, etc.

New York Yankees: if any team in baseball needed to find a starting pitcher, it was the Yankees. Rolling into the postseason with Bartolo Colon and Freddie Garcia as your #2 and 3 guys can’t make you sleep well at night.

Tampa Bay: Another team that is at a crossroads. You know what being the 3rd best team in your division gets you, no matter how great of a team that is? Yea, you watch everyone play baseball in October. Why hold onto Damon, Farnsworth, BJ Upton, etc? Go make a deal with Cincy for one of their true corner bats.

Houston Astros: Holy crap. Quick, name 3 guys still on the Houston roster not named Wandy. I understand cashing out. But damn, at least get something for sure when it comes to prospects. Houston had the worst farm system in all of baseball…because they don’t spend any money on the draft. Maybe….just maybe…instead of giving fat man Carlos Lee 19 million dollars, you could spend more than 3 mil on the draft like every other team… and control those players for 6 years (and beyond if you wanted). But I’m sure trading your two biggest stars (quasi stars in the rest of baseball) feels good right now, right? Yea, didn’t think so.

Chicago Cubs: They didn't do shit. I'm begining to really hate this franchise. Can Pat Gillick run the baseball operations now? Give us some hope... please. At this point I would gladly welcome a Soriano for Zito trade. Straight up... maybe we should stop giving full no trade clauses out like they are going out of style. That would be a start.

North Carolina Mess

2011-07-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Let’s blog a little bit.

I think I’m going to change the format of the blog. Smaller posts, more often. I think I feel overwhelmed to make a tremendous post, so I haven’t posted. Fact is, I should just post because I have a lot of opinions in this world of sports that I live in… and you probably care about them. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading. Right? Exactly. Sluts.

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-ncarolina-davisfired
What the hell is going on at North Carolina?

Frankly, I am shocked that Butch Davis failed. Really. I am. Butch Davis was the guy who turned Miami around and into a relatively clean program. I really don’t think it was his fault that the North Carolina program shit the bed. I’ve said it before, but North Carolina has some of the best resources of any college athletic program in the country/world. UNC, Texas, Florida, Oregon… some of the best facilities, resources, money, etc. There is no excuse in the world that Carolina shouldn’t be winning a lot. At the very least, they should be making one of the 37 bowl games every year.

But really Carolina? Really? You wait until July 27th to fire Butch Davis? What the hell? Clearly the good people at North Carolina do not value a stable athletic program, because…there really wasn’t a reason to wait this long. Fact is, if they knew they wanted to fire Davis, why wait till now? Why not do it last season? I feel like there has to be something else going on for this to all suddenly go down.

Then the AD resigns… well, umm, ok? So great, the next athletic director gets to walk into a mess, but OH… they get to hire their own coach. Great! Because that’s a saving grace from this whole fiasco. Either way, as a Virginia Tech alumni, I appreciate that North Carolina and UVA has been so terrible at running their football programs for this long. There is no way that VT has the sustained success that it has over the last 10 years without the complete ineptitude that is UVA and North Carolina. On behalf of Hokie Nation… I thank you.

Dirk cracks the top 20? Doubtful

2011-06-20T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hummel sent this link today. It’s an interesting and fun experiment. Basically… 12 guys draft ANY basketball player ever and put together their teams.

Why do I bring this up? Because after Dallas saved the world and beat Miami in the finals, EVERYONE was screaming how Dirk Nowitzki is absolutely a top 20 player in the history of the NBA. Nobody even blinked when the talking heads proclaimed this.

Well, umm, I’m gonna have to disagree. Let’s break this down.
The absolute, without a doubt, guys that are better than Dirk. You can’t even make an argument. You can hate them as people, but they are/were better basketball players that had a lot more going for them.

This really isn’t in any order but we’ll number it off for the sake of my post.
1. Michael Jordan
2. Magic Johnson
3. Larry Bird
4. Kareem
5. Wilt
6. Bill Russell
7. Shaq
8. The Big O
9. Tim Duncan
10. Kobe

Let’s take a quick break right here.

Tim Duncan, aka, the best power forward of all time. Don’t argue with me, you will lose.

Kobe… I don’t like the guy, but he’s the 2nd best 2 guard ever behind Jordan. That’s saying something.

Ok… back to the list:
11. John Stockton
12. Karl Malone- I don’t care, Malone proved a lot in his career. If it wasn’t for Jordan he would have two rings.
13. Hakeem
14. Jerry West
15. Elgin Baylor
16. Moses Malone
17. Dr. J

Ok, so I feel these 17 are without-a-doubt better then Dirk. You can’t even really make an argument with the exception of Malone and ONE championship.
Now for a quick list of guys I can make an easier than average argument that Dirk is behind.
18. Isiah Thomas
19. Scottie Pippen
20. Kevin Garnett
21. Charles Barkley

Now for a list and brief argument I can make for another group of guys to be above Dirk.

22. David Robinson- More traditional of a big man… scoring machine, and carried a Spurs franchise in the 90s before Duncan showed up.
23. Bill Walton- WHEN HEALTHY, Walton was a top 10… even not fully healthy… he’s still top 40. I’ll split the difference.
24. Bob Pettit- First dominate big man in the NBA.
25. Jason Kidd- People are not going to realize how truly great Jason Kidd is. He’s playing at a relatively high level even at this stage of his career. He’s been a triple double machine, and he’s living proof that anybody can become a decent to great shooter with enough practice.
26. John Havlicek- Because when you are an 8 time champion and the all time scoring leader of the freggin Celtics…an argument can and will be made.

Ok NOW you can throw Dirk in here. Is he the best European to play in the NBA? Absolutely. But I strongly disagree that he’s a top 20 all time guy. Not only that, even if he played at a relatively high level the next 2 years… I still think he’s behind almost everyone on the above list.

Thoughts?

MLB Realignment Thoughts

2011-06-19T16:46:00.001-07:00

So I’ve been writing a little bit for Nick’s new blog. It’s actually a lot easier for me as he provides the topic and I run from there. As long as the topic isn’t womens rowing or something random, I normally will have a relatively educated opinion and be able to put my thoughts to paper.

His latest topic/question was:

MLB realignment. Talk of 2-15 team leagues, a shuffle that could put one NL team to AL and possibly change playoffs. Whats your thought? Worth it? Can it work? How will it work?

My response:
It would be nice if both leagues were at 15 teams. Only MLB has unbalanced leagues. The last team to change leagues was Milwaukee in 1998, the same year the Devil Rays and Diamondbacks joined baseball. Why Milwaukee had to switch leagues, I don’t know actually know. But yes, the leagues should be even. Everything from playoff opportunities, all star game selections (since each team has to be represented for some reason), and revenue sharing is impacted by the uneven set up.

I also would prefer to see the American League stay with the DH. This has been brought up a few times…and I think it would be a mistake. It’s part of baseball and allows people to continue or sometimes… have a career.

I don’t like the one division league set up but I do like the idea of an expanded playoffs. Three of the best teams in baseball are in one division. Is it really fair to potentially leave the Rays, Red Sox or Yankees out of the playoffs but have the Seattle Mariners or whoever survives the AL West in? Doesn’t make sense if you ask me.

All that being said, I would prefer to not blow up all the divisional alignments and rivalries. I’ve seen a proposal that would have all the California teams in one division… sounds great but isn’t this was interleague baseball was created for? You want the Giants vs. A’s? You get that during interleague play…what’s wrong with that? I would prefer to see the divisions stay reasonably the same, but add an NL team to the American league. Houston has been rumored. That could make sense… throw Houston in the AL West. Boom even leagues.

Then I would create two divisions in the AL and NL.
AL East: New York, Boston, Tampa, Toronto, Baltimore, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago
AL West: Houston, Texas, Oakland, LA, Minnesota, Kansas City, Seattle

NL East: New York, Washington, Atlanta, Florida, Philly, Pittsburgh, Cincinnati
NL West: Chicago, St. Louis, Milwaukee, San Fran, LA, San Diego, Colorado, Arizona

I can’t split up Chicago and St. Louis… I just can’t. So they both go in the west.
Then I would have the winner of each division get a 1st round bye.

The next 4 teams regardless of division affiliation in each league make the playoffs but in a best of 3 series and this happens immediately following the end of the regular season. No days off.

The rest of the playoffs happens as it currently is set up. If someone wants to bitch about the 3 game series, well… go win the division. Be happy you’re in the playoffs… and really… doesn’t baseball come down to a series of 3 games throughout the season (for the most part)?

You are welcome baseball.

Deshawn Stevenson Everybody

2011-06-14T14:30:00.000-07:00

Top 25 College Football Jobs

2011-06-03T12:47:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I did my list of the top 25 college basketball coaching jobs. With Ohio State being mentioned as a no-brainer top coaching job in college football, I decided it’s time to tackle the top 25 college football jobs.

Now…we are considering everything. But we’re also assuming that all jobs would be available tomorrow.

BIG CM Note: Andy Staples from SI.com came out with his own top 20 list today. I didn't see it before, just funny. How that happens. Check it out.

Tier 1: You’re the best…around…1. Texas- Oh, I hate them. But they are the biggest and best program in today’s college football world. What do you want? Recruits, money, facilities, fans, support, big city, national recognition, their own tv contract? Yea, everything is apparently bigger in Texas.
2. Notre Dame- I had them 1st on this list for a while. They come with everything that Texas has… except they have yearly ridiculous expectations. Texas has huge expectations too, but nobody has expectations like Notre Dame.
3. Florida- Just like Texas, everything you could want. They even make something like 10 million for the tv rights to REPLAY the football games. Not the live coverage. The replay coverage. Oh that’s special.
4. Oklahoma- History and tradition. Oklahoma does football. The NFL loves Oklahoma. Bob Stoops has made what, 4 national title games in the last 12 years…and people are still confused if he’s the answer in Oklahoma.
5. Alabama- Everything that I just said about Oklahoma… repeat for Bama.

Tier 2: Flawed Amazing jobs6. Nebraska- I’m not so sure that Nebraska is 1996 Nebraska anymore. The best Midwestern athletes no longer dream of going to school to run the option at Nebraska. They dream of hotties in Florida, Texas, California, Arizona… you get the point. Still a great job, amazing fan base, money, and with the Big 10 conference affiliation, resources and tradition rampant.
7. USC- They are Hollywood and recruits love that shit. They win Heisman trophies (even if they kind of have to give them back). They are a pro-style college football. That being said, who knows if they’re about to vacate a national championship or two…
8. Ohio State- Because well… we’re not sure what to make of them. The NCAA is going to punish them. They don’t like it when they are lied to.
9. Michigan- Yes, they have underachieved the last few years… but they are still Michigan. Yes, the LSU coach didn’t take the Michigan job. I’m sorry, I don’t buy that LSU is better than Michigan. Les Miles is mildly retarded… and LSU gave him a few extra million reasons to stay in Baton Rouge. Michigan football speaks for itself.

Tier 3: The South is Rising10. Florida State- For a decade, seriously… a decade, Florida State was THE program in college football. Yes, they slipped a bit, but Jimbo Fisher is proving he might know what he’s doing… kids grew up wanting to go to Florida State, that counts for a lot.
11. Miami- Because what list would be complete without Florida State and Miami next to each other? Miami comes in behind because Larry Coker ran them into the ground, and they lost a ton of their bandwagon fans. They are still “the U”… and I still maintain that college football is much better off when Miami is doing well.
12. LSU- Nick Saban turned the program from underachieving to living to it’s potential. They now have the resources and system in place to compete for national titles. The only bad part of LSU? The fans. Oh, they are amazing, but they are brutal. Lose a couple games? The world is ending and a change needs to be made.
13. Auburn- They just won a national title… you’ve heard of them. They’re in pretty good shape, still a tick behind LSU. LSU doesn’t have another school in the state of Louisiana they compete with. Auburn has a school named Alabama. Yes, there are enough athletes to go around, but the competition never ends.
14. Georgia- Georgia is an amazing job. Athens is an amazing college town. Georgia also has some incredibly hot women (same with all the South Rising programs).

Tier 4: Tradition Rich15. Penn State- Would you want to be the coach that follows Joe Pa? State college is a great place to go to school, it really is… but competing with some of the above elite programs for the better athletes is challenging.
16. Virginia Tech- Frank Beamer has done an amazing job in Blacksburg. Think about where this program is on this list. The VT athletic department at least understands that Frank isn’t going to be around forever. They’ve pumped money back into the facilities including the stadium, practice fields, and academic resources. Once again, it’s going to be tough to follow Grandpa Frank.
17. Texas A&M- Another service academy type place. This too is an amazing place to go to a football game. The 12th man is a special sight. These 3 schools are all extremely similar.

Tier 5: Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes. These schools seem to be changing out coaches entirely too often. 18. Arkansas- This is a great job. Problem is, there are 3 schools in the same division on this list already. That’s the only problem. LSU, Bama, Auburn. HUGE problems. Otherwise, amazing. You go 3-0 against them during the year and you might be playing for a national title. No coincidence that 3 of the last 4 national champions are from the SEC West.
19. Tennessee- They should be higher on this list. It’s been a long time since Peyton Manning err… Tee Martin won a national title there. Tennessee is another amazing program that has money to burn. 110,000 people per game? Yea, money and power, but lately they’ve been missing the respect. It doesn’t take long for a program in the SEC to hit the skids and get stuck in a rut.
20. UCLA- Another Hollywood program. This is really the first disappointing program on the list. There really is no excuse for them to struggle like they’ve done the last couple decades. They play in the damn rose bowl too. How could you not get an 18 year old stud quarterback to want to go play there? Have you seen the UCLA co-eds? They’re in the business of winning national titles, maybe they should start to act like it when it comes to football.
21. Oregon- Sure, you could move Oregon up this list a little bit… but not past #18. They’re the hot thing right now… but keep in mind they’ve had their issues and haven’t exactly killed it for that long. They also have Phil Knight and his money. That’s a good and bad thing, because if Phil Knight doesn’t like you as a person/football coach/anything… then you are out of a job.

Tier 6: Stable, but always open to looking elsewhere22. Wisconsin- A friend of mine put it correct. They seem more concerned with partying and drinking than they do winning. Yes, Madison is an awesome place. But it really does make me wonder if they care about winning a real championship.
23. Boise State- I know Chris Peterson is always in the news as the next coach to take fill in the blank job. But it doesn’t matter who coaches Boise State. They seem to just keep the train rolling along. I can’t put them higher on this list when their stadium still only holds 35,000 people. Yes, Boise is a nice little city, but it’s time to reinvest in that program. Chris Peterson probably won’t be there forever…
24. Clemson
25. South Carolina
These are basically the same program. Clemson gets the nod because they get to play in the ACC instead of the brutal SEC. Both have money, both have recruits and don’t compete with anything else in the immediate vicinity for fan support. Neither of them struggle to sell tickets and both programs produce NFL caliber players year after year.

Tier 7: Just missed the cutTCU- A new stadium will help. Competing against Texas, Oklahoma, LSU, Arkansas, Texas A&M (shall I go on?) doesn’t help. They seem to have a system type of athlete. Which is great… but I feel this is much more a Gary Paterson creation than a TCU creation. They still struggle to sell out their home games and as Brody says… you have to wonder if that Rutgers vs. TCU natural rivalry is going to sell tickets in Dallas.

Washington- I wanted to put Washington on this list. I really did. They are just finally getting over the weasel…something UCLA will probably deal with in the near future.

Colorado- Another program that could and should be better. Also dealing with the ramifications of the weasel and Dan Hawkins eras. Neither is something that a Colorado fans speaks about with much excitement…except that they are gone.

Arizona State- Because I think Arizona State really is underachieving… badly. Another program that there really isn’t a reason in the world that they shouldn’t be competing with the best of the best for recruits in the country.

Oklahoma /Oregon/Michigan State (s)- All of these programs are in the same boat. They are at best, the 2nd best program in their state… and they are far behind the big dog. They play with a chip on their shoulder…but at the end of the day, what is the best they can do? I think it’s just scratching the top 5… they aren’t really national title contenders, they’re just nice schools that their coaches will always listen to other offers. It sucks being #2…but it sucks knowing that you’re always #2…because that’s what everyone thinks of you then and for the future.

The Ohio State?, ha

2011-06-01T23:03:00.000-07:00

I almost feel bad for Jim Tressel. He’s been through some shit over the last few years. I mean… everything from Maurice Clarret to the latest scandal that led to his resignation.

I'm also pissed that my sweater vest look could be confused with him...but that's another story.

I actually thought he was going to make it through this. Gene Smith had his support. He won a national title. He won a whole lot more than he lost. Seriously. I thought he was going to be fine.

I was wrong. Apparently there was a whole lot of things going on at Ohio State that the NCAA really didn’t like. It was getting more and more impossible to look the other way… especially after it came out that Tressel lied to the NCAA during their investigation. Even if Tressel was able to keep his job… the NCAA was going to punish him and the program. In fact… the NCAA will still probably punish the Buckeyes.

So what happens now? Well… Jim Tressel sits out and lays low for a little while. At the end of the day, someone will give him a job. Really…someone will. You can’t tell me that a school like Indiana in 3 years when they are looking for yet another coach or Iowa State or Pitt or any number of relatively disappointing football programs… that they couldn’t use a proven winner. We have not seen the last of Jim Tressel. What he might need to do is go down to the FCS level and prove that he can still coach…

And what happens to Ohio State? Well… they won’t shit themselves. This reminds me that I should make a list of the top 25 college football jobs too… but no doubt that Ohio State is a top 5 job in college football. They have the fans, resources, MONEY, facilities, athletes, tradition… etc. Everything you can want… Ohio State has. People will leave good jobs for the Ohio State job… assuming the NCAA doesn’t completely strip them down.

I’ve read a ton about Urban Meyer and how this is set up for him. I highly doubt Ohio State can really justify hiring Urban Meyer…it’s not like Meyer ran the cleanest program in the world in Florida… I think you HAVE to hire someone that’s clean cut. Someone that has never had an issue, that the fans will believe in and buy off on.

My top 3 coaches that I call?
1. Gary Patterson- TCU. Makes perfect sense… Patterson has run a clean program, an excellent program at TCU, and not gotten the credit. His offense is fun to watch, he’s a great COACH… and if he can recruit to TCU, give him the toys at Ohio State. Scary. Would be a great hire… old enough that he wouldn’t be the end all coach…but would be shocking if he didn’t have success.
2. Mike Stoops- Arizona. Another guy who is young enough, clean enough, hard working and not noticed enough… he wouldn’t be a home run hire, but he would be a solid double… and knows how to build a program if Ohio State gets crushed by the NCAA.
3. Dan Mullen- Mississippi State. Oh, Mullen will have his pick of where he wants to go. If he wanted the Florida job… it was his. But he stayed at Miss State. Weird, right? Mullen is the hot name right now… he works hard, he’s a brilliant offensive mind and football coach. Someone that Miss State knows they are fortunate to have. Florida was lucky to have him on the Urban Meyer staff (and really Florida hasn’t been the same without him)
Darkhorse candidates?
How about these two guys:
Robert Foster- Virginia Tech. If Virginia Tech has a big year, which I actually expect them too…I think this could be the kind of hire that Ohio State makes. A big time defensive coordinator that knows how to win. Enter Bud Foster… just a thought, a thought that makes me hurt.

Steve Sarkisian, Washington. I really like Sarkisian. He’s a future stud in the coaching world… he’s turning Washington around, I really believe it…and he was given NOTHING. He’s won at big time programs… but at the same time… that particular big time program has their own issues. So, who knows….but I could see this.

So there ya go… my thoughts on Ohio State both the present and the future. Honestly, I’ll quote Rocky 4:

If he dies, he dies.

That’s the way I feel about Ohio State.

Part 2: 30 songs for 30 days

2011-05-27T16:20:00.001-07:00

I’m busy procrastinating at work… so let’s hammer out the 2nd part of the 30 songs for 30 days.

#16: A song that I used to love, but now I hate

I don’t really hate anything that I used to love…there are songs that have been played out. Like this one from a couple years ago…

#17: A song that I hear often on the radio
Well…I couldn’t tell you a single FM radio station here in Sacramento. Shout out to XM radio…
Chris Brown- “Look at me now”

#18: A song that I wish I heard on the radio
Purple Ribbon ft. Big Boi- “Kryptonite”

#19: A song from my favorite album
Kanye West- “Good Morning”

#20: A song that I listen to when I’m angry
I used to listen to this song all the time when I was an RA in college…because I wanted to hurt the people running residence halls.
Westside Connection: “Lights Out”

#21: A song I listen to when I’m happy
Kayne West, Lil Wayne, Drake, Big Sean- “All of the Lights Remix”
Not sure Kayne is actually involved in the remix…

#22: A song I listen to when I’m sad
Another remix…
Kayne West, Rick Ross, Luda, Lil Wayne- “Put On remix”

#23: A song that I want to play at my wedding
Absolute no brainer…
69 Boyz- Tootsie Roll

#24: A song that I want played at my funeral
Ha, this should sum it up…

#25: A song that makes me laugh
T-Pain- I’m on a boat. This also works for I know all the words, should be played at my wedding, I wish they played on the radio… oh yes.

#26: A song that I can play on an instrument
I can’t play any instruments. Seriously, I got nothing. I’m impressed by anyone who can play anything though.

#27: A song I wish I could play
Because I wish I could play the guitar…
Dave Matthews Band- Two Step

#28: A song that makes me feel guilty
Jay-Z: “Dirt off your shoulder”
Those of you know why… but this once played at a game during dead air in San Diego. Still gets me every time.

#29: A song from my childhood
First CD I ever owned right here…

#30: My favorite song at this time last year
Travie McCoy- Billionaire

There ya go… hope you enjoyed the list.

30 Songs for 30 Days

2011-05-27T00:27:00.000-07:00

Once again, I’m running low on creative juices. Fact is… I be sleepy. Work is awesome and amazing and feels incredibly rewarding to help people out with money, discounts, gear, etc. But, I be sleepy. And this weekend is Kristen’s birthday, so I’ve been planning stuff and trying to balance my non work life.

So anyways, Nick (I steal a ton of the shit he writes about, Nick… hope you don’t mind) had this post about 30 songs for 30 days. http://floatingmidsection.blogspot.com/2011/05/30-day-song-challenge.html
He hammered it all out at once. I’m going to do it in a couple posts.
It’s late…the cougar mamba is looking at me saying “Dad, time to snuggle.” So, part 1 of 30 songs.

#1: My favorite song:
Salt-N-Pepa- “Push It”

That was a no-brainer… those of you that have EVER met me are fully aware that for the last 10 or so years my ringtone has been Push It. I love this song. Classic music video too. Ironically, this song might be older than most of my blog readers. Remember, that dance isn’t for everybody, only the sexy people.

#2: My least favorite song:
Pretty much anything by the Black eyed peas. I want to hurt them. If I had to pick one of their pop bullshit, I would go with this thing.

However, I’m going with this anti-jam.

But seriously…Black eyed Peas is terrible, any respect I had for them was lost at this year’s super bowl.

#3: A song that makes me happy
Clearly I can’t use Push It again… but I absolutely would.
I’ll go with Talking Heads- “This Must Be the Place”

#4: A Song that Makes Me Sad:
Boys 2 Men- “End of the Road”….great song though…

#5: A Song that Reminds me of Someone:
Eric Prydz- “Call on Me”

It’s been Reza’s ringtone for a couple years now… he worked in minor league baseball. Anybody ever associated with baseball enjoys this song… great entrance song for your middle relievers. Shout out to Luke from USD baseball.

#6: A song that reminds me of somewhere:
Easy. A little place called Death Valley. Where it never rains on Saturday nights. A former place I called home, and a place I still consider a home.

#7: A song that reminds me of a certain event:
Another layup. I should say certain events…because this happens only a few times a year, and every single time it’s magical. If you have never seen it live, you wouldn’t understand. The video (s) are awesome and do a hell of a job to illustrate my point…
Metallica- “Enter Sandman”
This isn’t Enter Sandman….but it kind of is too…

#8: A song that I know all the words to:
Had to pick a rap song, could have gone a number of directions, but this is most appropriate. RIP Nate Dogg.
Warren G- “Regulate”

#9: A song that I can dance to:
Define Dance is the better question… but I’ll say this…because I too am white and anybody can bounce with this and wave one arm around.
LSU Band- “Neck”

#10: A song that makes me fall asleep:
Dave Matthews Band w/ Bela Fleck – “#41” (live). It helps that this song is also like 20 minutes long.
This is just part one…

#11: A song from my favorite band:
I’m going with “band” as in the traditional term, not rapper. But I’ll include something from Lil Wayne too.
The Bravery- “Slow Poison”. Love this song.

Lil Wayne- “Bill Gates”

#12: A song from a band I hate
Tough because I don’t recall any bands I really hate… except for Black Eyed Peas… and we already went over that.

#13: A song that is a guilty pleasure
Prince- Call My Name. Prince in general is a guilty pleasure though. Brilliant man.

#14: A song nobody would expect me to love
I openly do not listen to country music. At all. Ever. Seriously. Even Kristen gave up a long time ago with this. I don’t get it. However, there are a two county songs I enjoy.
Mel McDaniel- “Louisiana Saturday Night” and Garth Brooks “Callin Baton Rouge”

#15: A song that describes me now
I feel like this is fitting…
David Bowie- The Man Who Sold the World

We’ll continue with Part 2 another day, maybe tomorrow, but no promises.

The NBA… where collapse happens.

2011-05-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

What else can someone say about the conference finals? Props to Miami and Dallas for taking advantage of the youth of a couple teams and to come out on top.

Fact is, we witnessed a few terrific and epic choke jobs in the last 10 days. Oklahoma City I think had 3 all by themselves… the Bulls had a couple. If either of those teams would have handled their business and close out a game, we might be looking at a couple different teams in the finals.

I also need to point out that Dirk looks seriously unstoppable. I’d guess that the answer to potentially stopping Dirk is a man named LeBron. That has to be the ultimate test for the big German. Maybe Oklahoma City just didn’t really have an answer for the guy. I mean, did anybody really think that Nick Collison was going to stop the guy? I’m mildly surprised that Ibaka couldn’t slow him down. That really goes to show you how much an NBA vet really knows how to play. From a pure athletic standpoint, Dirk should not have been able to out-offense Ibaka… but, because Ibaka is relatively new to the game of basketball and the league, he looked lost. Exhibit A of why it’s nice to have veterans.

I will say that if any franchise deserves success, it has to be the Dallas Mavericks. Mark Cuban spends a small fortune to keep them competitive. Do you remember how truly bad Dallas was before Cuban showed up? We’re talking one of the disasters in sports… amazing what a billionaire does for a franchise and what happens when you reinvest in your community, arena, players, and franchise in general.

And how about the epic collapse of the Chicago Bulls? Game 1 was a statistical anomaly. Clearly the franchise needs to go find a second guard. Derrick Rose can’t save the world every game. The good news is that finding a solid guard who can shoot shouldn’t be too hard. You have the reigning MVP running point, you have one of the most marketable cities in the country, potential endorsements, and the team doesn’t have a terrible contract. I assume they will address this as it’s really their only pressing need. Amazing that they won 60 plus games with me/nate playing the 2.

And really, how can anybody root for the Heat? I know Neal is an actual Heat fan. There are VERY few actual Heat fans. Last year, aka, Pre-LeBron, they were playing in front of 4-5,000 people. I’m not making this up. It was come dressed as seats night all the time in Miami. Nobody cared. They couldn’t GIVE tickets away… to see a top 5 player in the NBA play every night. How many other franchises would kill for that problem? What would Indiana give to have D-Wade going out there? That place would be sold out, same with Minny, Sacramento, and maybe even Charlotte. Ok, probably not Charlotte. But at least people would notice and tune in. Miami? That D-Wade guy was old news.

Anyways, Miami winning another title would be very wrong for the NBA and sports in general. What ever happened to being your own man? Now it’s, if you can’t beat them, join them. Garbage.

Oh, I guess if I have to make a prediction for the finals, I’m going with Miami. If only because I’ve been wrong a lot with my predictions, and hopefully I find a way to jinx them.

Poll Recap: Destinations

2011-05-25T21:42:00.000-07:00

The latest poll has come to a close. And we’re talking about, in my opinion, the two best destination places in America.

Las Vegas and New Orleans. Just saying these places makes people smile. Really, it does…just say Las Vegas loud enough tomorrow at work. Watch how people react. Talk about the dirty south. I love the dirty. It’s no secret on the blog. I would pick New Orleans every time. Shit, I pick New Orleans over anywhere…with a smile.

Anyways, only 9 votes this time. Probably has something to do with the fact I haven’t had much time to make other posts on this bad boy lately…

5 votes for New Orleans. 4 votes for Las Vegas. You really can’t go wrong either way.

So the latest poll…

What are you most worried about with the NFL lockout?
My Fantasy Football Teams
My Favorite Football Team

Good times, can’t wait for the responses.

Shout Outs

2011-05-25T21:31:00.000-07:00

It’s actually long overdue for some shoutouts…. Let’s holler at some people associated with the blog.

Happy late Birthday to Neal… also, and more importantly…Neal now manages my retirement. Neal works with Edward Jones. He realized about 20 minutes into working in sports that 1. you don’t get paid, and 2. it’s really not ALL that great. Anyways, Neal took care of the dirty work in closing all my weird accounts from places I’ve been and putting up with these other companies…and now all my ish is in one place. So if you are looking for someone to handle your retirement, let me know… happy to refer you to my boy Neal.

Nate the Slut graduated from Long Beach State today with his Masters. Congrats to him for taking that step and getting it done. That’s officially one more degree than I have. Clearly he’s officially capable of running his own franchise now. Right?

Also, side note. So I put in for the Assistant AD for Marketing job at Boise State. I was written a personal email by their department manager letting me know I wasn’t qualified for the position. I find that hilarious, but anyways, not that I’m bitter or anything….but if Boise State wasn’t on the shit list before, they have joined the top 10.

Shoutout to Nick Houser. He created a new blog with some buddies here in Sacramento. Decent stuff… some of the guys I beg to differ on knowing what they are talking about…but some of it is interesting. At the very least Nick has done a solid job with his writing ability and could potentially land something in the dying field of writing. (The Sacramento Bee laid off ANOTHER 40 something jobs this week… I think they are down to 20 people actually employed there) Check out the new blog here: http://ballsandseeds.blogspot.com/

I think that’s all for now!

What's my name?

2011-05-23T16:54:00.001-07:00

Did you see SNL last weekend?

I haven't watched all just yet... but this is already a classic. Justin Timberlake needs to just be on every 3rd show...

Macho Man Saved the World

2011-05-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

Who saved the world?

Ohhhhhhhhhh yeaaaaaaaaaaaa! RIP Macho Man.

USF vs. UCONN Baseball Dance Off

2011-05-18T13:39:00.000-07:00

Never saw this, but well worth your 6 minutes. As Gallagher said...baseball players are idiots. But entertaining idiots.

Radford Baseball Jousting

2011-05-16T13:36:00.000-07:00

Sent to me from Gallagher. Oh Radford... this is what happens in the New River Valley during baseball season.

NBA Conference Final Predictions

2011-05-15T23:35:00.000-07:00

Let’s recap the last 10 days or so of NBA basketball…

Wow, so clearly I was wrong about the Lakers. Holy crap, they just got worked by the Mavs. Read that again, THEY GOT WORKED BY THE MAVS.

Not that the Mavs aren’t a really good team, but wow.
I think that sums it up. Damn.

NOW…that being said, nobody should be sad that the Lakers lost this series. Shit, nobody should ever bad sad about the Lakers losing. Bitter moment: You know what I kept thinking while watching that disaster? About a former girlfriend’s mother and brother who were giant Lakers fans. They were your typical Lakers fans. She thought the Lakers walked on water and he was your d-bag that probably was cheering M-V-P everytime Kobe stepped to the line. Ahh, good times. It really was thrilling.

I will say this. Depending on how the pending NBA lockout comes and goes (and there will be a lockout), will depend on how good or bad the Lakers’ situation is. They already have 92 million dollars committed to next year. 92 million, to basically, the same team. They aren’t exactly flush with great pieces to trade. Yea, there is Andrew Bynum. And how did his season end?

Yes, exactly. Stay classy…so good luck getting anything decent in return for him. And really, where do you want to go with this team? Dwight Howard? You think Orlando is going to deal him to you for Bynum and the 28th pick in the draft? Shit no. Anyways, good times in Laker-land.

Onto the Mavs, wow, they handled their business. Me and everyone else doubted their toughness. I’m fascinated to see what happens in the conference finals.

Really impressive basketball in the Thunder vs. Memphis series. Just high quality. I don’t know if Memphis makes that run with Rudy Gay playing the majority of the SF minutes… I know it’s weird to say that as Gay is potentially the best player on Memphis…but work with me. Gay loves to shoot and hold onto the ball, isn’t exactly a defensive leader, and well… loves himself. He’s a nice player, but not a max-contract type player that he’s getting paid. Shane Battier, I believe, made the team MUCH more well rounded. Don’t look for Memphis to repeat their success if they let Battier walk (and they probably will because they already paid everyone else and are struggling financially).

The Heat out-athleted Boston. Simple as that. Chicago is growing up before our eyes. Really happy about that too…as I predicted both the Heat and Bulls to get here… and I said it before, but I thought if Chicago could make the conference finals, they’ll make it to the NBA finals. All they needed was the confidence that they belong and could close out a series. Check, and check.

So onto the predictions:

Dallas vs. OKC:Facinating series. Really excited to watch some of these games too. I’m actually going to go with OKC on this. Couple of interesting matchups for both teams here…
Who stops Westbrook? Jason Kidd sure as hell isn’t going to…
The big men should be a wash…
Dallas should be able to neutralize Durant with Shawn Marion’s on-ball defense.
Who from OKC guards Dirk? I’d guess this sounds like a good role for Ibaka. Right? Put one of the best athletes in the league on a guy who is super creative in finding a way to score.

At the end of the day… I think OKC wins this and Mark Cuban’s head explodes. OKC in 6, winning it at home, and the city of Seattle continues to be devastated. I think Westbrook just abuses Dallas.

Chicago vs. Miami:Yes, Chicago shot the ball extremely well today, I doubt that happens again in this series. I don’t even think they need to shoot that well to win this thing. I think Chicago just plays too well as a unit to lose. The bench is significantly better than Miami. The coaching is better. The defense is better. They move the ball and can get a bucket down low when they need to. It’s not like Miami has that great of shooting (if you recall), so yes, Chicago can’t really shoot that great, but Miami isn’t going to kill them from 3 point land either.

At the end of the day, Chicago will prove why having a real point guard and big men are valued in the NBA. Miami is built the exact opposite. It is inevitable that if the Heat keep the core of LBJ/Wade/Bosh that they will pick up veterans on the cheap that want to win a title. Vets will come to Miami. Who wouldn’t want to play with those guys, live in Miami, and compete for a title? Right? I just don’t think it happens this year. I HOPE it doesn’t happen this year. I feel like they cheated the system (even though it was perfectly legal and everything)… but it would be nice to see another team that came together more organically defeat them.

A Chicago vs. Oklahoma City finals would be incredible. All 4 of the teams left in the playoffs play basketball at a very high level. This is the best time of year in basketball. Shame they are going to piss it away come July 1st.

New Header

2011-05-15T22:53:00.001-07:00

I'd like to come up with a new header to throw into the mix. This will requrie Fulton's help (of course) but I'm looking for suggestions.

You can see the current images, but what would you suggest? I need 4-5 total images if I come up with an entire new header. Thankfully, because I work for a company that has money/revenue coming in, the laptop they provided has the entire Adobe creative suite. So putting the header together shouldn't be that hard.

Thoughts and ideas are most appreciated. If you had an exact image, feel free to send the link or image. That would be swell.

Poll Recap: NFL Lockout

2011-05-13T20:11:00.000-07:00

Stunning. 19 votes the week the blog relaunches? Damn, good work people.
The question:
Will the NFL miss any regular season games?

15 votes for no
4 votes for yes

And I’ll agree with that. I will be SHOCKED if they miss a single game. They are fighting about who gets what share of the money. Let’s be clear… everyone is making money. It’s a matter of how much each side gets of the pie. This is a good problem to have. One that shouldn’t have gotten this far and shouldn’t continue.

So next question…
You can vacation either to New Orleans or Las Vegas. Where do you go?

2011 Top 10 Athletes

2011-05-13T20:02:00.000-07:00

So last August I busted out my 2010 Top 10 favorite athletes. And really, because I follow other blogs and see what they are writing about… it gives me some motivation to redo this bad boy. So here we go… an updated version.

Lets start with who didn’t make the updated list from last year.

Uriah Faber- Because I just am not going to buy the UFC fights. Now that there isn’t a WEC anymore, I just lost interest. Plus I’m not at the arena anymore, so seeing the fights live and free, won’t happen.

Brockness Monster aka “Jon Brockman”- Oh, I still love the guy as a person, but he isn’t getting the PT with the Bucks and was more fun when I got to see him work those boards on a nightly basis.

Brian Matusz- He’s been hurt this year and I don’t follow the O’s. He hasn’t been a force, and I’m beginning to realize he’ll be a nice #3 starter, not a frontline guy. Nothing wrong with that, but I just don’t follow him like I once did.

Drew Brees- Nothing wrong with the guy, but I’m not thrilled with him leading the whole player movement issues with the NFL. Of all people, the guy making 15 mil is representing the players? Not the best idea. The whole decertification thing didn’t thrill me either. I get it… I really do… but the NFL lockout is mildly retarded and irritates me.

So let’s get to the top 10:

10: Tyreke Evans- He barely makes the list. I enjoy his basketball game. He really became a pain in the ass this year to work with. It’s not him, it’s the people around him. Reminds me of LeBron when he first game into the league… then LBJ grew a brain and fired his boys that were ruining his career. I love his game, but he’s on the guy on the Sacramento Kings that I would build around.

9. Ray Rice- I still love his style. He’s a banger and a grinder who can break loose any given play. Plus he’s a bigtime contributor to my fantasy football keeper team.

8. Blake Griffin- Best thing that’s happened in the NBA since? Steve Nash getting to Phoenix/7 seconds or less? Best thing that’s happened to the Clippers… ever? I hear he’s also an awesome person…which goes a long way in my book. Something amazing happens every game with him, he’s now maybe the #1 ticket draw in the NBA.

7. Phil Mickelson- Even more so now, seeing as he has a chance to be the #1 player in the world. The guy is closing his window for being in his prime… and there’s nothing wrong with that. But he’s shown how to handle playing golf, but with class. Tiger withdraws from events when he’s not playing well, Mickelson grinds it out, doesn’t cheat on his wife, and raises money for cancer by the bucket full.

6. Albert Pujols- He is really on this list for good mojo that he signs with the Cubs. He’s a true professional that is fully aware of his situation and his potential all-timer status in St. Louis. All of that leads me to believe he wouldn’t actually go to the Cubs…but he makes the list. Come on no whammy!

5. Bryce Harper- So the prodigy is finally a pro. All he’s doing is hitting over 400 and slugging over 1.000 in his first 3 weeks. No big deal. Look for him to be a mainstay on this list for years to come.

4. Chris Anderson- As Gallagher points out, he mailed it in a little bit after his contract… but no matter what, never forget that the birdman is about to fly.

3. DeMarcus Cousins- THIS is the guy I build my team around if I’m the Kings. Yea, he’s emotional, yea, he might have weight issues, yea, he might be a tick nutty… but he has skills you can’t teach. He also has an understanding of the game of basketball that you can’t teach. He ALSO gives back to the community…just because. He gets it. This is the guy you keep around. He’s going to be a star, and he can put together full, comprehendible sentences.

2. Kevin Durant- The quiet super-duper-star. The guy has a special skill set and in a league and summer of LeBron and his madness, Durant is a reminder of how to just get it done. I think he’ll be in Oklahoma City for a long time, even after this contract. It’s a franchise and city that fits his personality.

1. Brian Wilson- Because he’s hilarious and always gets the job done. I hear he’s not the most well liked LSU-Alum and has his issues in the Giants clubhouse, but I couldn’t think of anyone else to be #1 this year.

Honorable mention:
Joey Votto- I swear he’s going to make the list soon.
David Price- Same with him
Derek Rose- Amazing what a guy my size can do.

American League Predictions

2011-05-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

We already covered my predictions for the National League. Now let’s get to the American League. Keep in mind, these were my thoughts BEFORE the season started.

In the AL East:
Boston – I thought they would score runs, but more importantly…I thought their pitching was going to be ridiculous. I read all preseason that Josh Beckett looked great. They have the prospects to go make a move at the deadline. I actually thought Gonzalez would struggle out of the gate, not Crawford. Either way, I still think they win 98ish games, and homefield advantage.
NY Yankees- Yes, I think I’m their 5th starter, but this is the Yankees we are talking about. I like A-Rod for a nice bounce-back season, and I thought CC would be huge in a contract year (basically) and the old guys have one more season left in their bodies.
Tampa Bay- Oh, they have the talent. There is no question they have talent, but my big worry was they had SO much turnover. Their ENTIRE bullpen is new. Carl Crawford is gone, Carlos Pena is gone, Matt Garza is gone. Just a LOT of pieces are changed…and baseball can be a fickle team sport. They might make a run towards the end of the year, but I think they struggle out of the gate.
Toronto- They are the best 4th place team in baseball.
Baltimore- They are the best 5th place team in baseball. Seriously…both of these teams are just in the wrong division. I thought Baltimore would play hard, but I think it’ll wear off…just like every Buck Showalter team does. Inevitably, his message wears off/down and teams are what they are. Fact is, Balitmore has a lot of holes, and sure they can hustle, but they need more answers than question marks.

AL Central:
Chi White Sox- This was the biggest up-for-grabs division in baseball. Nobody is really THAT great of a team…which makes baseball awesome. The white sox… I felt they have the offensive pieces to put up runs, and good enough pitching to piece it together. Yea, I picked a division winner that could potentially “piece” together pitching. Ladies and Gents… the AL Central.
Minnesota- I really should pick the Twins. They always find a way to win this division. I don’t buy into Joe Mauer. I just don’t. Brody was high on Justin Morneau… I’m not. He’s been dealing with concussion issues for what, 8 months now? NOT a good sign. Scott Baker is their 5th starter after being the opening day guy last year? This team doesn’t make me feel warm a fuzzy.
Detroit- I actually like this team the most. They at least know who they are. They have a potential MVP in Cabrera, got a nice piece behind him in V-Mart and have nice complement hitters up and down the lineup. They have frontline pitching and a potentially solid bullpen after signing Benoit. Now that I think about it… I should have picked them to win the division.
Cleveland- Quick, name 3 starters for Cleveland. I’ll wait. I think my point has been made… these guys are young, and if they get ANYTHING from Grady Sizemore, that has to be considered a win. Travis Hafner should probably be traded just to get out of the rest of his contract.
Kansas City- In 2 years I will most likely pick them to win the division. Easily the best farm system in baseball. SUPER high end prospects, pitching, power hitters, everything a system wants. The kind of prospects that produce championships…and they’ll spend money to get complement pieces. I get giddy thinking about what they could have in 2 years.

AL West:
Oakland- I fully believe they win this division. They should have a better offense than last year. I like the Willingham trade and Matsui signing. Their pitching should be great/solid with Cahill, Anderson and Gonzalez leading the way. I actually think Gio Gonzalez is a darkhorse Cy Young candidate.
Texas- Big worries in the rotation. Cliff Lee meant a LOT to this rotation, just from the standpoint that everyone slides down a peg on the pole and feels more comfortable. They don’t have a legit ace. A guy that can go out every 5th day and absolutely get you a win. I also worried a ton about Josh Hamilton and his body. And what happens? He already breaks down…yea, it was a dumb play, but this is why you can’t give Hamilton a long term deal… you just can’t trust him.
LA Angels- Vernon Wells was their big offseason move. This from a franchise that has made some pretty great decisions over the last 10 years. Vernon Wells. Think about that. The pen has questions, the team is starting to get old and slow… they are starting to remind me of how the Cubs are built. That is not good.
Seattle- They still can’t score runs. I love me some Pineda. But they have more holes than any team in the AL. The entire left sign of the infield, bullpen, starting pitchers that will get you 200 innings, left field, catcher… lots of holes.

Awards time:
Boston vs. Chicago- Boston in 4
Oakland vs. NY Yankees- Oakland in 5
Boston vs. Oakland in the ALCS: Boston in 6
So the world series… Boston and Philly- I have Philly in 6 over the Red Sox. Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels. Thanks for coming. Good luck beating them 4 times.

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez. I think he’s in for a big bounce back year… plus it’s an odd numbered year. This is what A-Rod does… right? I’m thinking 32 homers, 110 rbi, .305 average, 10 steals… and leads the Yankees to the playoffs.

AL Rookie of theYear: Michael Pineda. Speaks volumes that the Mariners couldn’t throw him back to AAA to start the season, they need him in their rotation. I’m thinking… 14 wins, 3.8 ERA, and 190 strikeouts in 190 innings… because they’ll cap him.

AL Cy Young: CC Sabathia- Contract year. Well, the guy has an option to opt-out… so he’s going to cash in. He’ll win 20 games again and be in contention.

Top 25 College Basketball Jobs

2011-05-09T15:37:00.000-07:00

Gary Williams Retired. Great for him, he did an amazing job with that Maryland program for the past couple decades. Most people I know that have worked with him say he’s a decent man too. That, in my book, goes a long way.

More importantly… so the Maryland coaching job is open. And it brought up a debate as to where that job ranks in the college basketball world. I saw one publication write it was a top 10-15 job in college hoops. It made me think… and so here are what I would say… are the top 25 coaching jobs in college basketball.

Tier 1: The Jobs People Leave Good Jobs For1. Kansas. Yes, I know, shocking, but I really believe this is the best job in college basketball. You have all the assets you ever wanted, you have the history, the tv deal, the NBA star-power, championships, and everything is in place to succeed. It also does not hurt to potentially follow Bill Self, because yes, he won a championship…but just like Mack Brown… it might have been a collection of dumb luck.
2. Duke- Nobody wants to follow coach K. Seriously… NOBODY. But Duke is Duke, and they do print their own money at times. They do, however, suck at rape.
3. North Carolina- I could easily throw Carolina into the top spot discussion… easily. The exact same thing you can say about Kansas, you can say about UNC. Except they have Roy Williams… who appears to be a competent head coach.
4. UCLA- You have heard of these guys too. John Wooden, Championships, Final 4 appearances, Pauley Pavilion (even if it is a dump), those cheerleaders… damn.
5. Kentucky- Fans (serious fans), money, championships, history…just wow. The expectation is incredibly high though…and you will pay if you fail.

Tier 2: GREAT jobs, jobs that if they come calling, you listen unless you’re at one of those top 5 programs.
6. Indiana- Seriously… Indiana should be in the top 5. But they are fuckin up. This is an excellent job. There really isn’t an excuse to not win here. Indiana does basketball, and there is never a reason that top in-state talent leaves.
7. Arizona- I was shocked that Sean Miller even took 2 seconds to entertain the idea of leaving Arizona. This is a monster out west. Arizona owns the recruiting circuit… they too have the NBA pedigree, the coaching, the final 4s, the fans, and facilities to win for a long, long time.
8. Michigan State- Tom Izzo has turned this into an amazing job. They have been top 10 good for a long time, and aren’t going anywhere.

Tier 3: The Big East, these schools are all so mashed up together, it would be hard to pick one over the other.
9. UCONN- While it will be hard to follow Jim Calhoun, that day is coming sooner than later. This will be an extremely attractive job.
10. Syracuse- Where else can you get 40,000 fans to regularly come out to a big time conference game on a Saturday… in basketball? Good luck with that.
11. Georgetown- I actually don’t buy Georgetown as THAT great of a job, but coaches want to go here. Smack in the middle of DC, tradition rich, and money rich. Big time program… I get it, but I don’t at the same time. Maybe because, for the most part, I don’t like DC.
12. Louisville- Another program with money and history, and a ton of fan support. I mean, what else is there to do in Louisville?

Tier 4: Programs that have money
13: Ohio State- No excuse in the world to not be competitive at Ohio State…in any sport. With a budget over 100 million bucks… they are counting on you to win…or go home. No excuses.
14: Texas- See #13. Exact same thing.
15: Florida- This is what happens when you hire the right coach, win a couple national titles (in both football and hoops) and have a giant tv contract to boot. You set yourself up for a long future of success.
16. Notre Dame- A little difference from the other 3 in this tier… but same thing applies…except with a bit more history. I think this is a great job. Private school, nations of fans…and jesus is on your side….

Tier 5: The Really good jobs that you are happy with, could be huge, but wouldn’t mind the next level.
17. St. Johns- Even before Steve Lavin showed up this was a great job. St. Johns… smack in the middle of New York city. A mecca of basketball… if you can’t get ONE top 20 recruit to come here every year, you are fuckin up. And really, it’s not that hard.
18. Gonzaga- Over the last 15 years Gonzaga has become an iconic figure for mid major programs. This is as major of a mid major as you can get. Every game is sold out. This is the Boise State of college hoops.
19. Pitt- Brand new building, nothing else in the area in terms of hoops to compete with. Ben Howland and Jamie Dixon have made this a great job.
20. Maryland- This feels about right for Maryland. You’re never going to get to a top 2 job in your own conference, but this is a nice sweet spot. You can win here, you can have long term success, the program is clean, and has a sparkling building to play in.
21. Arkansas- Believe it or not… this is a program that is and can be really great. They LOVE basketball here. Seriously… it matters a lot to them. They have history, they have fans…they just need to put together a winner.

Tier 6: Not sure this is a great job, or great coaches:

22. Purdue- I think the title of the Tier says it all. I wonder if they have had success because Indiana has f-ed up? They have been a solid program for decades… just never that GREAT program.
23. Wisconsin- Same thing with Bo Ryan. He wins games. People don’t come to Madison and win. Period.
24. Michigan- Most big 10 jobs are solid jobs. Michigan SHOULD be a better job than this. Taking down those final 4 banners did not help. Understatement.
25. BYU- See #16, except replace Jesus with whatever BYU does. Different kind of Jesus I guess…
26: Washington- Because I apparently can't count... Washington is the big winner of sliding into the top 26... Gallagher's reasoning: Because the Pac 10/12 is easier to win than the Big East. Fact.

Just missed the cut:Florida State- Because a half empty arena when you are ranked in the top 25 is not a good job.
Butler- Because if Brad Stephens leaves, you are screwed. They haven’t sustained success like Gonzaga has in terms of length.
Illinois- Should be higher… but they have been f-ing up. This can be a good job, but has enigma written all over it. Red headed step child to Indiana.
Villanova- Probably could be on this list too…
Memphis- Just can't slide them in either
Xavier/Cincy- Both of these are nice programs, neither is that GREAT of a job...

So You Want to Work In Sports?

2011-05-06T08:19:00.001-07:00

This pretty much sums up trying to work in sports.

BJ, I Ain't Mad at Cha

2011-05-04T22:47:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, one of the most shocking things happened. Former USD star and one of the best PEOPLE I’ve worked with was arrested/accused of point shaving. I’m not really sure what the exact charges are, and honestly…I don’t give a damn.

So the million dollar question that has constantly been asked…does this change my opinion of BJ?

Absolutely not. Is it less than idea that he shaved points? Sure, yea… it’s a black mark. Black mark might be an understatement.

But here is the thing… I’ve never seen an athlete that actually tried all the time, BJ was that guy. Heart of a champion.

What really should come into question is… exactly how much does BJ hate Bill Grier? I’ve thought long and hard, and there are two reasons a guy like BJ would shave points.

1. He absolutely hates his coach.
2. He needed the money

And both of these might be the case. He did have a child, and I’m SURE that the money he got for shaving points was well worth his time. Put yourself in his shoes, and really be honest.

You are 22 years old. You have a 2 year old child. You are in San Diego, a black man at a school of white people. Wait.. a poor black man at a school of very rich white people…that’s more like it. The coach that recruited you was fired. You might get a chance to play overseas, but nothing fancy…best case…the NBDL making a cool 32k a year.

So that being said, someone offers you 10k to throw a game. (10k is a completely and potentially fictional amount, I have no knowledge of the actual amount) 10 THOUSAND DOLLARS. What do you do?

So yea, I don’t blame him. Now…back to the coach part.
How bad was their relationship? Well… that’s still up for discussion. I had heard numerous times that BJ and Grier did not get along. They merely coexisted. Bill Grier is the same guy told people on many occasions that Jeromy Pargo was the best point guard in the WCC. Bill was more enamored with Gyno Pomare than BJ. Why? Who the hell knows. Bill wasn’t exactly umm, full throttle with signing off on BJ’s medical redshirt when he tore his achilles tendon. I’m told it took some convincing to let BJ stick around another year…and ultimately, he approved and went forward to the NCAA.

So yea, not exactly the model player/coach relationship. Not exactly the model situation. But this makes you wonder… how many other similar situations are out there? There are what? 340+ division 1 basketball programs? That’s a LOT of monitoring and babysitting of 18-22 year olds and really… just hoping they make the right decisions.

Finally, I am SHOCKED that nobody has been fired over this. SHOCKED. I don’t know what will happen, but this is the very definition of lack of institutional control. It’s sad, but very true. Programs have been crushed by the NCAA for less. Coaches and administrators have been fired for less. All I know, if you want to act like a big boy, you have to play like a big boy.

To BJ, I understand. The guy is a good dude. He’s a competitor and hopefully doesn’t get too much time in jail and gets the opportunity to be a good father to his child. People make bad decisions, it happens. I just hope he learned and is able to do something positive in the future about it.

As Tupac said... I ain't mad at cha, I got nothin but love for you, Do your thang boy.

National League Predictions

2011-05-02T23:43:00.000-07:00

Wait, what is this? We are going to talk about sports? What the hell is going on around here?

Even though we are a few weeks into baseball season… I made my preseason picks for Brody and his tracker before the season starts. Let’s tackle the National League predictions, complete with individual awards.

In the NL East:
Philly- Because I think that even with all their injuries, they have the pitching and the depth to win this division….again. They have the best 1-2-3 starters in baseball and if Ryan Howard gets hot, that lineup is freaky. If they get anything out of Chase Utley, which is anyones guess, they should represent the NL in the world series.

Atlanta- They have so many nice pieces, I just struggle to see the high quality top end pitching…at least for this year. While they have some prospects down in the farm that should end up being special, the current crop of pitchers doesn’t rely on strikeouts. I also wonder how that young bullpen holds up, as well as the development of guys like Freddie Freeman and Hayward. Giving those two guys 1200 at bats could be great, or scary. If they are close, they have the prospects to make a trade for an impact position player…like a centerfielder.

Florida- I love their pitching staff, but think they will struggle with (once again) so many young guys in the field. I wonder if they truly upgraded their defense. I think next year…they could be really good. That’s assuming they actually spend money and their young guys develop as they should. Josh Johnson is the best pitcher that nobody ever really talks about in baseball. Locking him up was huge.

Washington- They want to crack the .500 level, but I don’t see it. Oh, they have some nice pieces… but they need to spend in the draft beyond the #1 pick. Their pitching outlook is bleak. They overpaid for Werth, but I don’t have a problem with that. You pair Werth, Zimmerman, and Bryce Harper and in 2 years you are dangerous. I would strongly look to deal some vets at the deadline (LaRoche, Marquis, Pudge) and ask for nothing but B+ level prospects in return. Someone will overpay for these classic trade deadline pieces.

NY Mets- The east coast equivalent of the Dodgers. This entire organization is a mess… but there is at least hope for the future with Sandy Alderson running the show. Dumping both Luis Castillo and Perez was needed. These were giant mistakes to begin with. I would highly consider trading Jose Reyes if a team gives you anything worth a damn in return. Maybe the Red Sox get retarded and offer a Jed Lowrie plus two prospects for him? I would take that and run. Their farm system is crap…but this is what happens when you literally spend nothing for years. This franchise is years away from being relevant, no matter how good David Wright is.

NL Central:
Cincy- Because they have been built correctly. They have pitching that is getting better. They have Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and Brandon Phillips…all of which are young and potential all stars. They have a solid bullpen (that Cordero 12 deal actually looks not terrible this year. This is his last year too). They have prospects waiting in the wings and really, they are the best bet of all these NL Central teams that have holes in their clubs.

Milwaukee- Oh, they have pitching….when healthy. Marcum, Wolf, Grienke….and Gallardo. A very, very nice starting 4. Prince Fielder is playing for a contract (one that the Brew-Crew certainly won’t offer him)…Ryan Braun is still young and a stud, Corey Hart worries me, but there are worse options out there. Does Ricky Weeks stay healthy? They have pushed all their chips in, because non of there remaining prospects crack any top 150 list. They won’t have much room to make a deal.

St. Louis- Adam Wainwright going down crushes their postseason dreams. Albert Pujols worried me before the season began, and to a lesser extent… still does. Go beyond Pujols, Matt Holiday, and umm…ok, just those two and what the hell else is there? Oh, I like Colby Rasmus, but that’s all that is left. They are thin everywhere and it’s time that they blow some of this team up and make a run for next year.

Chicago- Because they are the Cubs. I hate the way this team is constructed. I think most any Cubs fan would agree with that statement. We better be making a Pujols run next year. Starlin Castro is interesting…the pitching staff is nice, but very right handed and they are what they are. Not a ton of upside on this roster by any means… I’m just ready for a lot of these names to move on. Fukodome, Ramirez, Soriano, Dempster…they just do nothing for me. You understand.

Pittsburgh- Honestly, I would rather have the Pirates roster than the Cubs. At least they have upside and some answers. I love Jose Tabata this year. I love Andrew McCutchen. Neil Walker… Alvarez… these are guys that you are good to go with for the next 4-5 years. Not a bad start, 4 position players on the cheap. They will still struggle to win games. Not sure who the hell is pitching for them. Plus the dumbass known as Clint Hurdle is somehow a manager again. Honestly Pittsburgh, just give me a chance. I could manage this team to 72 wins just like he could… and it would cost you fractions.

Houston- This is another team that just needs a restart. I’m high on Bud Norris. I think Hunter Pence has a nice year (think garbage time stats)… and then umm, ummmm yea, that’s all folks. Also, this is yet another team that doesn’t spend shit in the draft. They have nothing worth a damn in the farm system that is going to help, or that they would/should consider calling up. Somehow Carlos Lee is still making 19 million dollars a year. He’s the last of the terrible contracts that Houston needs to sell. Even if you eat half the money owed to him, at least you could throw someone potentially productive in left field… or someone who can move faster than I can. I fully believe I can outrun Carlos Lee at this point. Never a good sign.

NL West:
Colorado- This is the best team in the NL west. I don’t care how great the Giants’ pitching is… the Rockies are significantly more well rounded. They can cover ground and play defense, they have both innings eaters and top end pitching, they have a decent pen, and we know they can put some runs on the board. They also have pieces in their farm system if they need help. I love this team. I think they win 95 games.
San Fran- Yup, we know… defending world series champions. Need I remind everyone they got into the playoffs on the last day of the season last year. Remember that? They struggled to beat out… the PADRES. And what did they do this offseason? They overspent for Aubrey Huff… they are throwing Pat Burrell in left field for some reason, and brought in Miguel Tejada to stand where the shortstop stands on the field. Yes, Buster Posey… legit, but the pieces around him are old, overpaid, and will struggle to score any runs. Brian Wilson could rack up 50 saves this year.
LA Dodgers- Thankfully major league baseball was tired of watching this franchise get run into the ground. But honestly, they might be too late. They need to somehow lock in both Kemp and Either to long term deals… somehow…find a way. They need to lock in Clayton Kershaw now. They have some great, amazing pieces… all of them are basically on 1 year deals. The mismanagement of this franchise over the last 2 years has been amazing. They should be a case study on how to screw up a good thing. When Matt Kemp is a Yankee, Andre Either is a Cub, and Clayton Kershaw is pitching in Detroit (all in the next 2 years)…maybe they will learn.
San Diego- I’m not sleeping on them… but they won’t surprise anybody this season. Nobody in that lineup scares me. Shit, nobody in that lineup scares Jon Garland…which is more important. Trading Heath Bell would be the best idea at this point. The Red Sox and Phillies would be tremendous trade partners. They need to trade for bats. Fact is, nobody with an offensive game is going to sign in San Diego.
Arizona-this is not a bad team. They really need to get their pitching fixed and developed. Daniel Hudson has a tremendous finish to last season, but I am not buying that same production this year. Arizona is a tough place to pitch. Their starters are going to get beat up…. Which will put a heavy burden on the bullpen on those short outings. They’ll score runs, but they’ll give up even more.

Post season predictions:
Phillies vs. Rockies- Phillies in 4
Atlanta vs. Cincy- Atlanta in 5

NLCS: Phillies vs. Braves- Phillies in 6
Full season awards:
NL Rookie of the year: Craig Kimbrel, Atlanta. He is going to get the save opportunities. He’s going to rack up 35-40 saves. He has nasty stuff, and will be a key piece to that bullpen. Plus, it is easy to vote for a closer… especially this year, when I think they closer situation will be a disaster for many teams.

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Fran. I think he rights the ship… people forget that he’s won this award twice. Yes, the sexy pick is Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. I think if Lincecum doesn’t win… I could easily see Clayton Kershaw making the leap this year.

NL MVP: Troy Tulo, Colorado. He plays a super premium position. He is going to hit 30+ homers. He will play for a winner. He is a gold glove shortstop. People like him. People root for him. Cargo might put up the numbers, but Tulo makes that team go. This could be an epic year for the NL MVP… Fielder and Pujols in a contract year, Votto putting up video game numbers, and Tulo and Cargo killing it in the rockies. Should be fun.

Happy Birthday Cougar Mamba!

2011-04-30T18:14:00.001-07:00

It's the cm's 4th birthday (yesterday). This was her and her hat. She has slept all day today, apparently all the excitement crushed her.

NBA Playoffs Round Dos

2011-04-30T17:56:00.000-07:00

The NBA playoffs… it’s fantastic.

Seriously, it’s fan-freggin-tastic people. The 1st round was a nice appetizer. It gave us some solid moments, and overall…it didn’t suck, and just made us more hungry for the rest.

Quick recap of the 1st round:
Nobody should be that surprised that Orlando was bounced by Atlanta. That’s a jump-shooting team that couldn’t buy a bucket for a week. When you are built like that, you are doomed…unless you en fuego.

The Heat had an easy match up with Philly. While Philly was playing solid basketball towards the end of the season, the Heat were just too athletic and never really struggled to get a bucket. That’s something I don’t think can be understated. The Heat should never, ever get run or go on a cold streak. You can’t tell me that LeBron and Wade can’t get to the rack and/or get to the line any time they want. Right? More on this later.

Stunned how much Chicago struggled with Indy. I actually can’t even tell you why. I can tell you…that I think if Chicago gets past Atlanta, they play in the finals.

No surprise how Boston swept the Knicks. Fact is, the Knicks might sell tickets, but they sure as hell won’t ever win a playoff series the way that team is constructed.

In the west…
I think I am openly rooting against the Lakers. Oh, it has nothing to do with the Lakers. But I want someone else to win, and Laker fans are terrible. As a whole, these might be the worst fans in sports. They make me want to hurt them, badly.

I was happy to see the Hornets win a couple games, I didn’t think they really had a chance, but overall…was happy to see the Hornets win 2 games, I think everyone was.

The Thunder, to my surprise, whipped the Nuggets. I thought the Nuggets and Thunder were the two teams NOBODY wanted to see, and of course they end up playing each other. The Thunder are dangerous.

I told people before the Spurs vs. Grizzlies series that the Griz matched up well with them…and boom, thanks for coming San Antonio. Their official window just slammed shut.

Dallas is another team I feel like is destined to fail in the next few weeks. They are built outside in… on another note, it is sad to watch Brandon Roy. I feel his pain, literally…feel his pain.

On to the 2nd round and some previews and predictions…
Lakers vs. Dallas
I see the Lakers’ big men taking over in this series. Do you really think that Dallas is going to shut down LA for 4 games? LA matches up great with Dallas. Jason Kidd isn’t going to abuse Derek Fisher, the big men should pound Dallas, who guard Kobe? This might be a very uninteresting series.

OKC vs. Memphis
I will be shocked if the Western Conference Finals isn’t LA vs. OKC. And I really, really hope that’s the case. I actually really like what Memphis has going for it. I like their front court, I like the Shane Battier move… I like that their guards don’t seem to play out of control and do too much. They know what they are. This could be big for them… but I see the Thunder being too much. Durant is amazing, Westbrook is playing at an extremely high level, the frontcourt isn’t going to hurt them. OKC in 5 games.

In the east…and the most interesting matchup in the 2nd round.
Miami vs. Boston
This will make for great tv and tremendous ratings. This should be a fascinating series. Someone might actually punch Kevin Garnett. Who guards Ray Allen? How are these teams going to match up defensively? Will Jeff Green get more time to guard LeBron? Is Chris Bosh going to cry? Will Rondo just go off? Something silly like 15 assists and 5 steals per game? He should probably guard Wade. Seriously…that would make a ton of sense. I have no idea how the teams will match up. But I think the veteran-ness of Boston, not just on the court but coaching, fans, front office, everything will come into play, and ultimately, win the series for them.

Chicago vs. Atlanta
I said before the playoffs began that if Chicago gets past the 2nd round… they get to the finals. I think it is that simple. All that Chicago is missing is the experience. And once this team gets 10 games in… they’ll be fine. What does Atlanta do well? They are solid inside and, umm? Yea, that’s how bad Orlando played. Does Marvin Williams or Josh Smith really scare you? Chicago matches up great with them. Who from the Hawks is going to guard Derek Rose? Jamal Crawford? Ha. Joe Johnson? Derek Rose is going to show everyone exactly why he is the MVP. And with that, I think most of these games will be close, but Chicago wins in 5.

Texas Rangers Married Interview

2011-04-30T16:58:00.001-07:00

How can I not respect this guy?

I understand buddy.

To Soda or Not to Soda

2011-04-29T00:03:00.000-07:00

Over the last 3, maybe 4 weeks I have been on a quest. Give up soda. This is apparently a good idea for your body…one that I think I need to get on board with.

I love soda. A lot. I used to buy 2 liter bottles and finish them in 3 days. Then, without fail, if we ate out for dinner/lunch/4th meal… I would have a soda there too. Now… I typically would order a diet soda…so at least I have that going for me. But still… it was time. I kept hearing all these healthier than average people tell me how terrible soda is for me. Oh, I understand, but soda is delicious.

So, in a quest to give up the junk…literally…I have started drinking water. Lots of water. But in an effort to continue my craving for some sweet, I have gone with this assortment:

Propel zero- grape and black cherry flavor
This is delicious. I hope this is good for me… it is apparently water…it has zero calories and zero fat… so in theory… this should be good for me. Right? Either way, this stuff is delicious…and is meeting my need for something sweet.

Carbonated water- Assortment of flavors
These are the waters that you see at Target and WalMart for ehh 68 cents…ish. Once again, not sure these are good for me…but they are flavored…like cherry, peach, etc. Pretty decent, not the best, but it gets me through the day.

Crystal Light- Cherry, Iced Tea, Lemonade
I am pretty sure these aren’t terrible for me. Yes, there is sugar, but these are also good…and something I’ve been drinking for years.

Plain ole water
Not delicious…but I’ve been playing a lot of basketball and spending a lot of time at the gym. So this regular old water is pretty good, and I know it’s good for me.

All in all, I have had a soda twice in 4 weeks. I feel like this is significant progress. I don’t keep soda in the apartment anymore… do I miss it? Sure. But these flavored waters and other beverages seem to be doing the trick.

Anybody have any thoughts on giving up soda? Have you tried this? Is it like giving up crack? Not that I know what giving up crack is like…but I would guess it is similar.

George Karl and the New Nuggets

2011-04-28T14:13:00.001-07:00

CM asked me to write about George Karl's job he's done this year for the return of Who Lurks? The Nuggets season came to an end last night, its probably a good time to recap, So, here we go:

First of all, playoff wins: Nuggets 1, Knicks 0. Suck it Melo.

George Karl really deserves major accolades for keeping this team together and getting them as far as they did. The season flamed out against the Thunder last night, but I'll discuss that later. Before the Melo trade, the Nuggets were 32-25, respectable and in contention. Being above .500 with the malaise of the Melodrama was a success in its own right. The pre-trade Nuggets were uninspired and just plain awful to watch, a dark cloud was hanging over that group. Remember, this roster is full of psychos and notoriously difficult people to deal with. Melo, JR Smith, Kenyon Martin, and the Bird are all headcases. They added Al Harrington in the off season, not exactly always a happy camper. The entire city of Denver was tired of this, there was no life in the Pepsi Center. Everyone was also scared to death that Colorado's basketball hero, Chauncey Billups would be gone in an impending trade. The Fact that the Melodrama didn't drag this team 12 games under .500 is an amazing feat in itself.

Then the trade happened. The cloud was lifted. We accepted the fact that Chauncey ended up having to go to. The Knicks sent basically their entire rotation minus Amare to Denver, and there was new life. George Karl had a group now that brought energy, and actually played defense. They ran. They Passed. They played like a team. They continued to score at almost the same rate as before (107.6 ppg before, 107.2 ppg after). Except now they played defense (105.2 PPG before, 97.1 after). They went 18-7 after the trade. Everyone expected this team to fall apart, maybe fall out of the playoffs. Instead they improved their seeding, and posted another 50 win season. The Pepsi Center was alive again, and they actually sold out more games in the 25 games after the trade than before the trade. They were a buzzsaw, the team nobody wanted to play that basically had two 5 man units to throw at you. Remember, this team is still fill of knuckleheads, but now that Melo was gone everyone thrived. Roles were filled easily. JR Smith actually looked like he cared, a true feat. An amazing regular season put together by the man who battled throat cancer only 12 months ago.

Unfortunately they ran into the only other team who was playing better than them down the stretch, OKC. And George Karl's limitations as head coach were also greatly exposed. George has won a LOT of games, he has never been successful in the playoffs. Game one changed on a blown call late, they never recovered in that game, and forgot to show up in game 2. Couldn't hold serve with game 3 at home, but avoided the sweep in game 4. Since game 5 is freshest in my mind, I'll delve into a few more details there. The Nugs came out hot, as the Thunder were tight and looked a little worried. Jumped to a 9 point lead. But, they forgot to close out the first quarter (a George Karl coached team staple) and OKC was back in it. Jump to late in the game, JR Smith looks like he might be getting hot, enough to bury OKC for this game. A hot Jr is a dangerous JR. But then he subbed him out for Raymond Felton. The sub itself was questionable, and Felton managed to play like crap down the stretch and turned it over multiple times. Despite all that, The Nuggets managed to have a 9 point lead with 3+ minutes left. Meaning, you just need to get stops and you win. Except, the Nuggets had Ty Lawson, Ray Felton, and Aaron Afflalo on the floor at the same time, leaving Afflalo to guard Durant. Afflalo hadn't guarded Durant the entire two games he had played. I love Aaron Afflalo, think he'll be a core guy for this Nuggets team going forward, but he has no chance against the 6'10 Durant. Durant scores 5 straight points, and OKC is back in it. Somehow, OKC was up 3 with just 10 seconds to go, thanks to missed dunks and soft play and turnovers. And Furious George's kryptonite reared its ugly head again. He had to draw up an out of bounds play. If you don't remember, in the '09 Western Conference Finals, the Lakers beat the Nuggets twice basically because they couldn't get the ball in bounds. George drew up a play that got Aaron Afflalo trapped in the corner at the end of the OKC game last night. Freaking fantasic. Ask Nate, we've offered our services on drawing up plays for the past two years, no one listened.

Now that I've ended my rant about the OKC series, lets have a conclusion. George Karl, incredible job getting this team through the regular season, dealing with all the inmates at that asylum. Deserves the Coach of the Year award, its a regular season award. Yet he's come up way short in the playoffs again. This is a recurring problem. I don't have the answer for it. Hopefully Furious George does.

Cable is Great

2011-04-28T11:36:00.000-07:00

So while I was unemployed, I got to take full advantage of my ridiculous cable package. Those of you that know me….know that I LOVE my cable package. I’ve never really used the package to its fullest extent but this was pretty awesome. So while I was finishing the internet, putting in for jobs, eating, snuggling, etc… the tv was rolling.

Here are some of the shows I started watching… and some of the classics.

The Price is Right- CBS
By far and away my favorite daytime tv show. Drew Carey has actually gotten SO much better at hosting the show. Not only that… but I’ve gotten to the point where I’m pretty freggin good at the show. Oh, some of the games are total crapshoots… but some are pretty easy to win…if you understand the game. Anyways, I hope that one day I get to go on. This comes on at 10am Monday thru Friday. And I watch…everyday.

Family Feud- FOX
This is the latest Family Feud….hosted by Steve Harvey. He does a solid job. He’s entertaining…and I think because he’s black, doesn’t really offend anyone. I feel like the questions and surveys are becoming ridiculous…and very challenging. I watch this from time to time.

How I met your mother – CBS
Kristen got me into this show… and we watch reruns and tape the new episodes. Good programming… not GREAT, but a solid B everytime. And I’m fine with that.

Mr. Sunshine- ABC
This is a show that actually highlights some of what my life has been for years. The show is about a guy running an arena, and the shit that goes wrong and the general crazy-ness that is well…running an arena.

Pawn Stars- lifetime
Great show… showcases a pawn shop in Las Vegas. Takes more of a historical and “look at all the cool shit that comes in here” approach to the show. Likeable people running the shop is helpful too. Not something I seek out, but a show that I enjoy.

Hardcore Pawn- TruTV
Now THIS is a show I tape and seek out. Just watch this show… you will understand why in one episode. Oh, there is some sense of actually knowing what they are buying, but it’s a pawn shop… in Detroit… in the 8 mile area. Done and done.

Extreme Couponing- TLC
Another show that Kristen had heard about… and we’ve seen a couple times. Once you see it a couple times it kind of becomes the same show. Interesting, but not something I tune in on a regular basis. But still…enjoyable.

Storage Wars- A&E
I’ve recently gotten into this show too… showcases 4 guys that buy storage lockers that have been put up for auction. Then the crap or treasures they find in them… pretty great show. 2nd favorite new show behind Hardcore Pawn.

HGTV- The entire channel
It doesn’t matter if it is “For Rent”, “Income Property”, “Househunters”… etc… all of which are solid shows that don’t take much investment to watch. They are on all the time, and almost all day. Good way to kill time and learn something too. In fact, I took apart the vacuum and put it back together today…and then it worked.

Conan- TBS
We watch this most nights too. If we are too late for Conan, we’ll typically watch Leno, or something recorded. But Conan is by far the most entertaining of the late night talk shows.

Sopranos- A&E
Ok, I’ve already seen the entire series… twice. But this is on during the day on A&E… and I’m fine with watching them, again. It was one of the top 3 shows ever. EVER.

During the last 3 months season 4 of Californication came and went (and it was awesome, again)… and a great show on showtime called “Shameless” started and ended. Shameless is fantastic. Highly recommend renting/buying/Netflix-ing the season. They are hour long episodes, but they are funny and a drama at the same time. I would imagine this show will be around for at least 4-5 seasons. Great stuff.

So my top 5 shows now on tv are:
1. Californication- still the best, Hank Moody… gem of a man.
2. Dexter- Season 5 was strong, they could easily pump out another 3 seasons and not have it get old. Just incredible writing.
3. Entourage- Gotten back up the list, but still behind the top 2 in a big way.
4. Family Guy- did you know how freggin talented Seth MacFarlane is??? I saw him on Conan… singing. Check this video. Stunning. Raised him a few ticks because of that…

5. Shameless- Seriously, it’s that good. I looked forward to it on Sunday nights.

Bonus: Tosh.0….if you are easily offended… or actually offended at all, this is not a show for you. Those of you that can put up with it… laugh for a solid half an hour.

Welcome Back!

2011-04-27T23:02:00.000-07:00

So there are a million ways I could start this post. But I guess I just have to say thanks.

I’m back in the game. Best of all, I am relatively free to write about pretty much anything now. Want to talk about the NBA? No problem. What a mess the Kings are? Done. Continue to talk about the lack of soccer being a legit contender for a big time sport in America? Sure thing. Fantasy baseball? Basketball? Nascar? Why the hell not? Sluts? You betcha.

For those of you that aren’t friends with me on facebook or have no idea what the hell I am talking about. I have landed a new job with a major sporting goods equipment/apparel store and will be working through their corporate offices in Colorado. I get to stay in the greater Sacramento area and manage their sponsorships, community development activities and marketing. I can’t tell you how excited I am to begin this new position.

So welcome back. I missed you guys. Let’s start with a little more of a life update.

The Cougar Mamba. She is still awesome. Still lurks. Still a snuggle explosion. She was rather confused on why the hell I was home THIS much. It got to the point with her that she would sleep in my bed during the afternoon, that was her place to hang out, alone.

I am also playing the best basketball of my life. Probably all downhill from here to be honest…the knees are not in the best of condition. I haven’t been lifting and weight training as much as I should…but my shot and basketball condition has been excellent. Really, basketball was my escape. Nobody at the gym gives a damn who has a job and I ran with that. I’ve been in sports for almost 10 years now (shocking, I know…but I started at tech in December of 2001), I felt like a failure, now…I feel like a winner. Me and Charlie Sheen…winning.

I have a new girlfriend. She’s amazing. Her family is amazing. They really kept me the most afloat over the last 3 months. So that’s going well…understatement. Something I know I don’t have to worry about.

What else? I’m in 3 fantasy baseball leagues… came in 3rd place in the basketball league. I won a couple football leagues, and actually made the playoffs in all 4 leagues I was in. I still maintain that I don’t enjoy fantasy football.

One more thing…over the last couple years, I was running out of stuff to talk about. Well, I shouldn’t say that… I was feeling like writing had all these rules associated with it. I couldn’t talk about the NBA, anything in Sacramento, or the Kings, or college basketball and prospects associated with it. So really…what the hell do I write about for 3 months of the year? I LOVE basketball. I can’t write about it? Come on now… so this feels like a tremendous weight has been lifted. I had to shut down the blog for a bit. I was putting on for jobs with other teams…teams I might have written about, and really…I didn’t want issues to come up.

So let’s do this. Again. Like Mase said… welcome back. I know you like that….

Why Eeyore is in a bad mood

2010-12-13T10:48:00.000-08:00

Metrodome Snow Video

2010-12-12T12:33:00.000-08:00

Couple amazing videos...yea, the Metrodome isn't playing host to football soon.

Boxing Love

2010-12-10T23:05:00.001-08:00

Why Boxing is better than MMA, exhibit A.

BCS Projections Week 5

2010-12-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

by: Mike Brody

The month of November is behind us, and with it goes the last full slate of regular season games in college football. Not that we have a shortage of great games this weekend of course. Three conference championships, a rivalry game, and a mess of Big East matchups will lead up to the final BCS standings being announced this Sunday. As a result this will be the final BCS projections post of 2010. It's been real.

Conference Outlook

ACC
Virginia Tech has had the Coastal division locked up for a few weeks, but they did play for pride and history this past Saturday. With their win over Virginia, they clinched the first undefeated regular season in ACC play since Florida St ran the table in 2000. Their opponent in this year's ACC Championship Game? Florida St of course. The Seminoles clinched the Atlantic by virtue of NC State's loss to Maryland Saturday night. NC State held the tiebreaker, but they couldn't bring it into play. Saturday night will be a rematch of the inaugural ACCCG from 2005, which Florida St won 27-22.

Big XII
Boomer Sooner? Oklahoma was on the outside looking in for most of the season while Oklahoma St sat in the drivers seat. Funny what happens when teams have to actually play each other though. OU went into OSU's house and took them down, setting up a three-way tie between the Oklahomas and Texas A&M. The tiebreaker went to Oklahoma, earning them yet another trip to the Big XII title game. Nebraska awaits, having bounced back from their loss to A&M with a drubbing of Colorado.

Big East
With natural rival TCU now set to join the Big East in 2012, this will be one of the last opportunities for a bunch of mediocre teams to fight it out for the automatic birth. As it stands right now UCONN controls the fate of the division. If they beat South Florida they'll win the conference. If they lose? Well then things could get sticky. If WVU beats Rutgers then they're the next team in line. They'd win a head to head tiebreaker with PITT, the only other 2-loss team in conference. If UCONN and WVU lose but PITT wins, PITT gets in. Now here's the real fun. If UCONN, WVU, and PITT all lose then there's a 5-way tie for the title. BCS Standings would determine the champion but none of the five would be ranked in the BCS Standings. There would essentially be a mini-league standings set up between the 5 teams, which would look like this:

UCONN 3-1
WVU 2-2
PITT 2-2
'CUSE 2-2
USF 1-3

SO, in this scenario it seems that UCONN would win the title. What a giant mess of mediocrity…

Big Ten
Wisconsin, Ohio St, and Michigan St all won. They all finished 7-1 in conference and 11-1 overall. They all moved up in the BCS standings. They didn't however, swap spots in any way and they're unlikely to do so in the final BCS standings. Currently they're ranked:

5. Wisconsin 0.8185
6. Ohio St 0.7632
8. Michigan St 0.6980

0.0553 is a lot to have to make up in the BCS scoring system when you don't play a game, so Wisconsin can be confident that they've won the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl.

Pac-10
Oregon clinched the Pac-10 title by beating Arizona on Saturday night, and they'll all but assure themselves a spot in the National Championship game by beating Oregon St this coming weekend. Stanford was eliminated from conference title contention, but they moved up to #4 in the BCS standings. If they hold that spot then they'll become an automatic qualifier for a BCS game. A team from a BCS conference that doesn't win their conference title but finishes #3 or #4 in the final standings, will become an automatic qualifier. There wasn't much doubt that Stanford would be selected for a BCS bowl, but now they know they won't be left out.

SEC
The SEC championship game has been set for a few weeks, but Auburn's comeback win over Alabama was one of the biggest wins in school history if not the biggest. They're now a win over South Carolina away from a trip to the National Championship game, and with Cam Newton's eligibility settled they have to feel great about their chances. LSU's loss to Arkansas has seriously damaged their chances at a BCS bowl bid, with Arkansas jumping them in the standings. If the Sugar Bowl is going to fill the loss of Auburn with another SEC team, Arkansas now seems the more likely candidate.

Other
I'm not gonna lie, I'm severely disappointed in Boise St for losing against Nevada. I wasn't necessarily rooting for them, but I expected them to finish the job and put real pressure on the system. I guess it wasn't meant to be, and TCU said "thank you very much". The Horned Frogs polished off their undefeated season and will root hard against Oregon and Auburn this weekend. They definitely won't be disappointed with a Rose Bowl birth though, which is what they'll get should the top two teams take care of business.

Eligible Teams Predictions

Automatic Bids

ACC - Virginia Tech
Big XII - Nebraska
Big East - Connecticut
Big Ten - Wisconsin
Pac-10 - Oregon
Pac-10 - Stanford
SEC - Auburn
MWC - TCU

At-Large Eligible

Arkansas
Boise St
LSU
Michigan St
Missouri
Ohio St
Oklahoma
Oklahoma St

BCS Bowl Predictions

National Championship - #1 vs #2
Auburn vs Oregon

Orange Bowl - ACC vs At-Large
Virginia Tech vs Stanford

Fiesta Bowl - Big XII vs At-Large
Nebraska vs Connecticut

Sugar Bowl - SEC vs At-Large
Arkansas vs Ohio St

Rose Bowl - Big Ten vs Pac-10
Wisconsin vs TCU

With a fair amount of upheaval this past weekend a number of teams in the predictions have changed, but in my mind the way the match-ups will fall logically has stayed the same. I still think the Sugar Bowl will go for a straight SEC replacement for Auburn, but now that replacement seems to be Arkansas. I don't think the Sugar will pass on Ohio St, and I don't think the Orange will pass up Stanford for any Big East team.

I'd actually like to make this a point of emphasis. I DO NOT think the Orange Bowl would prefer a VT vs WVU "rivalry" matchup to Virginia Tech vs the #4 team in the country, Stanford. Sorry. I'm not buying it. If UCONN loses and WVU takes the Big East I think they'll get shipped out to Arizona just like UCONN would. It would be one thing if WVU was a 10 win team, only had 1 conference loss, and was top 15 in the BCS. This is not the case though. They've been inconsistent and forgettable, they won't travel particularly well and there's a reason VT and WVU stopped scheduling each other. Nobody really likes this rivalry and the schools don't like each other. That doesn't necessarily make for good television, just contentious attitudes and a logistical nightmare New Years Eve with drunk VT and WVU fans in close proximity.

Thanks for following the last four weeks, I enjoy writing these and getting to know the ins and outs of the conferences that I don't necessarily follow closely on a regular basis. Here's your weekend viewing schedule:

(All times EST)

Saturday, December 4

12:00PM - Rutgers vs West Virginia (ABC)
12:00PM - Pittsburgh vs Cincinnati (ESPN)
3:30PM - Oregon vs Oregon St (ABC)
4:00PM - SECCG - Auburn vs South Carolina (CBS)
7:45PM - ACCCG - Florida St vs Virginia Tech (ESPN)
8:00PM - BigXIICG - Oklahoma vs Nebraska (ABC)
8:00PM - Connecticut vs South Florida (ESPN2)

BCS Projections Week 4

2010-11-22T20:10:00.000-08:00

by Mike Brody

It's two days before Thanksgiving, and we have the last full slate of college football games on the other side. This coming weekend is guaranteed to determine the ACC and Big XII championship game participants. The Big East, Big Ten, and Pac-10 could all be settled as well. Not too many surprises this past weekend, and while the pretenders are finally falling to the side, the contenders could still shake out any number of ways.

Conference Outlook

ACC
Virginia Tech clinched the ACC Coastal division by going down to Miami and taking care of the Canes. Who the Hokies play in the ACC championship game however, will be determined this coming weekend by the NC State @ Maryland game. If State wins, they'll earn a rematch with VT from earlier in the season for the conference title. If Maryland wins, it will send Florida St to the championship in a rematch of the inaugural ACCCG. Maryland was eliminated from contention by losing to Florida St at home.

Eliminated: Miami, Maryland, North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia, Boston College, Wake Forest, Duke

Big XII
The one upset in the top 15 was Nebraska going to hard charging Texas A&M and leaving with a loss. A&M is a good team, but Nebraska could have wrapped up the North division with a win. A home win vs Colorado this weekend will give the Huskers the division, but Missouri at least has a chance. The win by A&M also made the South a bit more interesting, but in reality Bedlam is going to decide who goes to the Big XII championship from the division. Should Ok St beat Oklahoma, they'll win the division outright. If Oklahoma wins and A&M loses at Texas, Oklahoma will finish tied with OK St and win the head to head tiebreaker. If Oklahoma wins AND A&M wins, there will be a 3-way tie. Here are the three-way tiebreaking procedures in the Big XII.

1. Records of the 3 teams against each other (all would be 1-1)
2. Records of the 3 teams in the division (all would be 4-1)
3. Records of the 3 teams vs the next highest placed team in the division (all three beat Baylor)
4. Records of the 3 teams vs common conference opps (all would be 3-0)
5. Highest ranked team in the BCS poll following the completion of the Big XII regular season, unless two of the tied teams are ranked within 1 spot of each other. Then, head-to-head between those two would determine the representative.

SO, should A&M beat Texas and Oklahoma beat Oklahoma St, but Ok St maintains a 2 position lead in the BCS standings over Oklahoma then the Cowboys would go to the conference title game. Currently OK St is #9 and OU is #13. If OU gets within a spot of OK St or passes them with a win, then the Sooners head to the title game.

Short answer: the winner of Bedlam almost certainly will win the Big XII South.

Eliminated: Kansas St, Iowa St, Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, Colorado

Big East
Still a mess. Pittsburgh only has 1 conference loss, and a game lead on UCONN and West Virginia. However, they lost to UCONN two weeks ago and they play WVU at home this coming weekend so a loss would really hurt. UCONN has beaten WVU already so they're big Mountaineer fans right now. Syracuse, Cincinnati, and South Florida are barely hanging on due to 3-way tiebreaker possibilities. Cincinnati probably has the best chance of those three, with UCONN and PITT on their schedule to finish the season.

Eliminated: Louisville, Rutgers

Big Ten
It comes down to 3. #7 Wisconsin, #8 Ohio St, and #10 Michigan St are all playing excellent football, and they're all 6-1 / 10-1. Michigan St has beaten Wisconsin and Wisconsin has beaten Ohio St, but Ohio St and Michigan St don't play each other this season so head-to-head matchups won't come into play should all three finish tied. A 3-way tie would result in the BCS standings determining the conference champion. Ohio St isn't close enough to Wisconsin when you break down the numbers to hope to pass Wisconsin, so they'll need Wisconsin to lose. Michigan St needs Ohio St to lose to bring their win over Wisconsin into play. Wisconsin would be fine with everyone winning, or Michigan St losing.

Eliminated: Iowa, Penn St, Northwestern, Michigan, Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota

Pac-10
No change from last week with Oregon on a bye this past weekend. An Oregon win this coming weekend vs Arizona will lock up the Pac-10 title for them, eliminating Stanford. An Arizona win would keep Stanford alive for one more week assuming they beat Oregon St, not to mention knock Oregon out of the national championship game. Oregon won the head to head with Stanford, so Stanford's chances of winning the conference are slim.

Eliminated: Arizona, Oregon St, California, Arizona St, Washington, UCLA, Washington St
Ineligible: USC

SEC
South Carolina and Auburn punched their tickets to the SEC championship game two weeks ago, but Auburn still has a lot to play for. They'll travel to Alabama this coming weekend and a loss will wreck their chances at a national championship appearance. A win will keep the undefeated season alive.

Eliminated: Florida, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Vandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi St, Arkansas, Ole Miss

Other
TCU had a bye this past week and they'll finish their regular season this weekend at 1-10 New Mexico. They're currently #3 in the BCS but only by 0.013 over Boise St who plays #19 Nevada (10-1) on Saturday night. A win will clinch them the WAC conference, and will probably allow them to leap over TCU in the BCS.

Eligible Teams Predictions

Automatic Bids

ACC - Virginia Tech
Big XII - Oklahoma St
Big East - Pittsburgh
Big Ten - Wisconsin
Pac-10 - Oregon
SEC - Auburn
WAC - Boise St

At-Large Eligible

Alabama
Arkansas
LSU
Michigan St
Ohio St
Stanford
TCU

BCS Bowl Predictions

National Championship Game - #1 vs #2
Oregon vs Auburn

Orange Bowl - ACC vs At-Large
Virginia Tech vs Stanford

Fiesta Bowl - Big XII vs At-Large
Oklahoma St vs Pittsburgh

Sugar Bowl - SEC vs At-Large
LSU vs Ohio St

Rose Bowl - Big Ten vs Pac-10
Wisconsin vs Boise St

I'm going to stick to my predictions from last week until I see something significant that changes my mind. I definitely didn't see that last weekend, but a number of games have the potential to cause a lot of matchup rearrangement.

There's not a lot more insight I can provide here, now it just comes down to the teams at the top taking care of their business. Here's a little viewing schedule for the games that will impact the BCS:

(All Times EST)

Thursday, Nov 25
8:00PM - Texas A&M @ Texas (ESPN)

Friday, Nov 26
12:00PM - West Virginia @ Pittsburgh (ABC)
2:30PM - Auburn @ Alabama (CBS)
3:30PM - Colorado @ Nebraska (ABC)
7:00PM - Arizona @ Oregon (ESPN)
10:15PM - Boise St @ Nevada (ESPN)

Saturday, Nov 27
12:00PM - Michigan St @ Penn St (ABC)
12:00PM - Michigan @ Ohio St (ABC)
12:00PM - Cincinnati @ Connecticut (ESPN Gameplan)
12:30PM - Missouri @ Kansas (FSN Regional)
3:30PM - Northwestern @ Wisconsin (None)
4:00PM - TCU @ New Mexico (Versus)
7:30PM - Oregon St @ Stanford (Versus)
8:00PM - Oklahoma @ Oklahoma St (ABC)

Like Bernie Dance

2010-11-16T21:21:00.000-08:00

God bless the south.

BCS Projections Week 3

2010-11-15T14:42:00.000-08:00

by Mike Brody

The third week of November was a big elimination week as far as BCS contention is concerned. Over 1/3 of the teams still alive for conference titles were knocked out, while two division titles and a non-BCS conference were clinched. Shout out to the only USC eligible for a BCS birth. The cocks are headed to their first SEC title game after winning in Florida for the first time in 300 years.

Teams that were eliminated from conference title contention this past weekend are in bold.

Conference Outlook

ACC
Virginia Tech is now a win away from wrapping up the Coastal division and heading back to the ACC championship game. VT goes to Miami this weekend in what should be a tough game, but even if they lose they only have to beat UVA at home the weekend after Thanksgiving to clinch the division anyway. Florida St is also a win away from the ACCCG, but that win has to come at Maryland this coming weekend and they need some help. If Florida St wins but NC State wins out, NC State will win the tiebreaker over FSU. Should Maryland beat the Noles and NC State beat North Carolina, then Florida St would be eliminated from contention. Maryland and NC State play each other on 11/27 and the winner would go to the championship game.

Eliminated: North Carolina, Georgia Tech, Clemson, Virginia, Boston College, Wake Forest, Duke

Big XII
Nebraska is a win away from clinching the North, and they have a tough matchup this weekend going to Texas A&M, who are also still in contention. Similar to VT in the ACC though, a win for Nebraska the following weekend will do the trick and a home game vs Colorado with a trip to the Big XII title game on the line doesn't seem like a game they'll lose. In the South, Oklahoma St is in control but nothing is guaranteed. Texas A&M and Oklahoma are only a game back each, and OK St has to go to OU to finish the regular season. Baylor completed their collapse this weekend, losing to OU and being officially eliminated from contention for the South title.

Eliminated: Kansas St, Iowa St, Kansas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas, Colorado

Big East
How can a whole conference play games against each other in mid-November yet nothing actually happens? Ok so Louisville dropped a bit in the standings while Rutgers and Cincinnati are now on the verge of elimination. Pittsburgh losing to Connecticut kept the whole conference pretty compressed though. No one has been eliminated yet, no one is any closer to clinching. The Fiesta Bowl must be cringing.

Eliminated: None

Big Ten
The Big Ten is still a very tight race with 3 teams tied at the top (plus all 3 are in the BCS top 12) and 7 teams still alive mathematically. Penn St's already thin chances took a huge blow with their loss to Ohio St, and Iowa failed to keep pace by losing to Northwestern. Michigan kept itself alive by beating Purdue, and with games against Wisconsin and Ohio St to finish the season they will play a major part in determining the conference champion even if it's not them. A win this weekend by any of the top 3 teams will eliminate Penn St, Northwestern, and Michigan, while Iowa will have to beat Ohio St at home to stay alive.

Eliminated: Illinois, Purdue, Indiana, Minnesota

Pac-10
Even on probation, USC is having their impact on the Pac-10 race. USC officially eliminated Arizona from contention so the conference will now come down to Oregon or Stanford. Oregon won the head to head matchup, so a win for the Ducks or a loss by Stanford will give Oregon at least a Rose Bowl birth. At this point anything less than a shot at the national championship would be a disappointment though.

Eliminated: Arizona, Oregon St, California, Arizona St, Washington, UCLA, Washington St
Ineligible: USC

SEC
Just like that, the conference title game is set. South Carolina vs Auburn. USC clinched their spot by winning the play-in game in The Swamp vs Florida. The Fighting Steve Spurriers got the job done and I'd imagine not many people thought they would. Congrats to them. In the West Auburn shrugged off the Cam Newton distractions and held off a Georgia team that played them pretty tough. The best LSU can do now is tie, and Auburn won the head to head matchup so they've locked up a trip to the title game. A win likely sends them to the national championship, but a BCS bid is still likely should they get upset by South Carolina.

Eliminated: Florida, LSU, Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Vandy, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi St, Arkansas, Ole Miss

Other
TCU won again and clinched the Mountain West Conference title, but SD St played them really close and now TCU's win last week against Utah is looking much less impressive. Utah got smoked by Notre Dame, while Boise St handled Idaho easily. The Broncos are back to looking like the more impressive non-BCS school and might have the inside track to an automatic bid.

Eligible Teams Predictions

Automatic Bids

ACC - Virginia Tech
Bix XII - Oklahoma St
Big East - Pittsburgh
Big Ten - Wisconsin
Pac-10 - Oregon
SEC - Auburn
WAC - Boise St

At-Large Eligible

Alabama
LSU
Michigan St
Nebraska
Ohio St
Stanford
TCU

BCS Bowl Predictions

National Championship Game - #1 vs #2
Oregon vs Auburn

Orange Bowl - ACC vs At-Large
Virginia Tech vs Stanford

Fiesta Bowl - Big XII vs At-Large
Oklahoma St vs Pittsburgh

Sugar Bowl - SEC vs At-Large
LSU vs Ohio St

Rose Bowl - Big Ten vs Pac-10
Wisconsin vs Boise St

San Diego St REALLY hurt TCU by playing them close this past weekend. That combined with Utah's complete flop against the Irish put real doubts in a lot of people's minds about the legitimacy of TCU's undefeated record. Combine that with the fact that TCU only has one game left against a 1-9 New Mexico team and there's a real possibility that TCU will be completely forgotten by the time the BCS selection rolls around.

Boise St in the mean time plays a game every week between now and the end of the regular season, including one on conference championship Saturday. They go to #18 Nevada on 11/26 and winning that game will help them in the computer polls. They already passed TCU in the Harris and USA Today polls this week and they now look primed to lock up an automatic BCS bid. Assuming neither Oregon or Auburn slips, that would send Boise St to the Rose Bowl.

I'm changing direction here this week regarding non-BCS schools getting in. I am one of the people who lost faith in TCU this weekend. Stanford has been VERY good all season long and they can finish the season strong with wins at Cal and vs Oregon St. An 11-1 record in the Pac-10 with that 1 loss being to the #1 team in the country would be pretty impressive, and very difficult to pass up completely at selection time. I still like Ohio St in the Sugar Bowl for the marquee matchup with LSU, but I no longer think Stanford gets snubbed. The Fiesta Bowl would be a natural fit since the Rose Bowl isn't available, but the Big East champ will be avoided like the plague and this year the Fiesta has the short straw.

How Boise St. Could Get Monumentally Shafted

2010-11-09T10:04:00.000-08:00

by Mike Scotto

So you might think I am writing this stumping for BSU merits for playing in the BCS National Championship Game. Wrong. While I believe that the Broncos can play with any team in America, I am not naive enough to think that they would be in the Big One over an undefeated team from the Pac-10 or the SEC. Should they be there over TCU? Maybe. (Probably) But I’m not going to compare them side-by-side or make the 1 millionth internet post (just this month) on how badly college football needs a playoff. This is explaining how Boise State, the #4 team in all the land, could end up playing their bowl game right at home on their famous smurf turf.

The uDrove Humanitarian Bowl, hosted by Bronco Stadium every December, is scheduled to pit the winner of the Western Athletic Conference versus the #3 team from the Mid-American Conference. Boise State has already played in the Humanitarian Bowl on four other occasions. And if things don’t break their way, they could very well be making it five, or heading to a similarly less-prestigious bowl game as an alternative. How, you ask, could the #4 team and a (now) nationally recognized program miss out on the lucrative payouts afforded to teams getting into a BCS Bowl? Surprisingly, it’s not that hard to understand once you break it down.

I won’t rehash all of the automatic berths and who goes where. Brody has already covered that in his first BCS Projections post. So, between the National Championship game and the conference tie-ins, 7 of the 10 spots are (essentially) predetermined, with an 8th afforded to the champion of the Big Least….I mean Big East. Brody also covered to the newly-in-effect Rose Bowl Clause which says that if the Rose Bowl loses either the Pac 10 or Big Ten champ to the Big One, they will take the highest-ranked non-AQ school (provided it’s in the top 12 of the BCS). Well, folks, that team as of today is TCU. There is no other automatic qualification afforded to non-AQ teams beyond that. So even though BSU is just one spot behind, it doesn’t mean squat.

This is the order in which the bowls will select their at-large teams (as of today’s BCS Standings, assuming an Oregon vs. Auburn National Championship Game):

1.) Rose (for losing Oregon, clause would call for TCU to get this bid)
2.) Sugar (for losing Auburn)
3.) Sugar
4.) Orange
5.) Fiesta

So Oregon, Auburn, and TCU would get the auto-bids into the NCG and Rose Bowl, respectively. As of today, the remaining auto-bids would go to Virginia Tech (ACC – Orange), Nebraska (Big 12 – Fiesta), Wisconsin (Big Ten – Rose) and Pittsburgh (Big East – At-Large).

That means two set matchups:
NCG – Oregon vs. Auburn
Rose – TCU vs. Wisconsin

So the Sugar, Orange, and Fiesta will be choosing their at-large teams in order to produce the best matchup in terms of TV audience and ticket sales, with one of the three HAVING to take Pittsburgh. So that leaves two at-large berths that are bound to be more attractive than inviting Pittsburgh. Among the teams that would be considered, in addition to Boise St., are LSU, Ohio St., Iowa, Michigan St., and Stanford. Having first dibs, you have a virtual lock that the Sugar Bowl would grab local giant LSU to play in New Orleans as Auburn’s replacement. Then they get to pick LSU’s opponent as well. As Brody picked, doesn’t a matchup with a powerhouse program like Ohio St. make more sense (and money) than inviting Boise to come across the country? (To the Big CM – Yes, BSU has travelled extremely well to the Fiesta Bowl, but to the bayou? Who knows. I’d like to think they would. But maybe it’s not something the Sugar Bowl organizers want to find out for themselves if the Buckeyes are an alternative.)

So that means the Orange Bowl is next up, picking an opponent for Virginia Tech. As Joe W. mentioned in his comment on Brody’s latest projections post, it’s unlikely they will opt for a rematch of Boise’s 33-30 victory over Tech on Labor Day. They could, and then allow for the BCS competition committee to rearrange the bowl matchups to avoid this, but why do that and risk getting Pittsburgh moved to the Orange when they can guarantee the Panthers are Arizona-bound by picking from a line-up that includes Iowa, Stanford, Alabama, and Michigan State. So, assuming they avoid a rematch with BSU, a choice of any of the others would mean that the Fiesta Bowl would have to award its at-large berth to Pittsburgh. The Fiesta would probably love to be able to invite Boise St. again, but this year, they’re in the unfortunate position of getting last pick.

That means that 5 bowls and 10 spots are filled, and Boise State is left on the outside, looking in. Say what you will about their merits for playing in the National Championship Game, but can we really say that they don’t belong in one of the 5 best bowl games in the country? It’s not as if this is the way it breaks down, but are there really 10 teams more deserving of one of these spots than the Broncos? No. But the bowls are for-profit entities, and they want to choose the best matchups for themselves and are not under any obligation to put the best football matchups on the field. And with basically every other bowl game being contractually obligated by conference for their invites, it’s very likely that Boise St. ends up staying home for the bowl season.

Will it happen? Hopefully not. There is a lot of football left to be played between now and the final BCS Standings. Could it happen? Absolutely.