Already A Disappointing Season

It's only two games into the NBA season and the Detroit Pistons are already disappointing me. After blowing a nine point lead to New Jersey with a minute and change left, then losing a tough game to Oklahoma City. Both losses confirmed to myself and many that it's going to be a long year in the Motor City.

I'm more disappointed in the loss to New Jersey than I am to Oklahoma City. The Nets were bottom feeders last season and seem to be headed to the lottery this year. At least the Thunder was a playoff team last year and are considered a fast rising up and comer. I can take that loss a bit easier. In the New Jersey game they lost a late lead and didn't play their lottery pick, Greg Monroe. And why in the hell is Ben Gordon only getting five shots. FIVE! You paid this guy 11 mill or whatever you paid him to jack up five shots. He needs more looks. He doesn't need to be a gunner, but he needs more than five shots to be effective. That is what I'm most disappointed about. I know the team is trying to give fans some hope by winning games, but when you're rebuilding or whatever they want to call it down at the Palace, you also have to develop young players. Coach John Kuester said it was a bad matchup.Please. And Dwight Howard will be a better one. He was the number seven pick in the draft and you have to see what you have in the kid. If you don't develop him now, you know what happens. He finally shows flashes in the final year of his rookie contract and you hope to resign him, then he bolts town. Shades of Allan Houston. I know Piston fans remember that one real well. I'll give them credit against OKC. They did play hard, they looked for Gordon more, and they showed some urgency. But where was the defense on the final play when Jeff Green beat Jason Maxiell for an easy layup. It seemed there was no resistance.

It's gonna be a long winter in Detroit and there's no reason to make it an outright disaster. Play the youngster and tighten up the rotation. No disrespect to Maxiell, but he might not even play on some NBA rosters. If Ben Wallace and Greg Monroe were on a different team, Wallce would be Monroe's backup. Don't try to fool the fans into thinking there's a winning product on the floor. If everything breaks right and they keep their health they might be able to parlay it into an eighth seed. Of course I said the same thing last year and they had a robust 27 wins. Also, trade Prince and Hamilton, they don't need to be around for this and I fear if they are it could become an ugly situation. They deserve better than to be around for "rebuilding".   

West, Wafer Throw Blows

Boston Celtics reserve guards Von Wafer and Delonte West reportedly came to blows during a shootaround Friday. West is already serving a 10 game suspension. Wafer is trying to stick around Boston. If what is reported is true this doesn't help either's cause.

Alex Kennedy at HoopsWorld:

During a three-on-three game with Avery Bradley(notes), Luke Harangody(notes), Semih Erden(notes) and assistant coach Tyronn Lue(notes), West began fouling [Von] Wafer each time the reserve guard touched the ball. West was increasingly physical to the point that Wafer exited to the locker room midway through the game. As he walked away, West barked obscenities and taunted Wafer.

After Wafer had showered and sat down at his locker, West approached from behind and threw a punch. Wafer didn't see the punch coming but quickly got off of the ground and connected on two punches of his own. He then wrestled West to the ground before being separated by the team's veterans.

Kennedy went on to say that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce didn't find any pleasure in this situation and that Danny Ainge was considering waiving West.

West believes Wafer was behind this comment which led to the scrum.

Danny Ainge was not pleased with the story altogether. In the big scheme of things, they are bit players on the Celtics and they shouldn't let something like this potentially derail their season. From what the report says it seems like Wafer got the best of the exchange.

It Could Be A Big Offseason In Detroit

If the Detroit Tigers want to give their fans hope for next season they'll need to pony up some big dollars to bring the likes of Adam Dunn, Carl Crawford, or Victor Martinez to town. According to a report on ESPN.com that could be their line of thinking.

As far as we know, the Tigers were not one of the Michigan companies that received some form of government bailout. But at least one report says the Tigers may still have some money to spend.


Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe says the Tigers are very interested in free agents Victor Martinez and/or Carl Crawford, which could put them on a collision course with the Boston Red Sox.

Abraham says the Tigers have their eye on Martinez after light hitting Alex Avila did their catching last season. As for the outfield, the Tigers see a Crawford-Austin Jackson combination giving them premier defense.

Tigers owner Mike Ilitch is 81 years old and not short on cash, so there is no reason for Detroit fans not to think big.

If the Tigers fall short of their pursuit for V-Mart or Crawford, Tom Gage of the Detroit News says that free agent Jim Thome would be a solid fit.

Personally I would like to see them add a pitcher that can eat up some innings and win about 12-14 games.

Random Thoughts

Why is Owen Wilson narrarating the start of World Series games?

Taking Out The Guy In A Wheelchair

I can't believe I missed this one.



He could've at least helped the guy up.

Check This Out

Washington Wizards' Kevin Seraphin missed a dunk during practice, but made up for it on the bounce.

What A Shot!

Michael Del Zotto, of the New York Rangers, shot a puck that ricocheted into the camera and destroyed the lens. You would think there would be more protection for the cameraman.

What I Saw In College Football

The BCS underwent another shakeup as Oklahoma ws popped by Missouri, 36-27. The mistakes and inconsistencies that have plagued the Sooners all season finally caught up with them. If you read any earlier postings you would realize that I was never sold on the Sooners and predicted they would be knocked off sometime this season.  Meanwhile, Missouri exorcised some demons of its own (Colorado's fifth down, Shevin "Big Foot" Wiggins) and beat a number one team. Easily the biggest win in school history. Next up is a roadie against Nebraska. If they win that one they will represent the Big 12 North in the conference title game. Maybe a rematch against Oklahoma.

Cam Newton showed why he should be regarded as the Heisman front runner. He ran over LSU and the Tiger defense had a big assist in the win. Word of warning to Auburn. Don't get caught looking ahead to the season ending showdown with Alabama.

Oregon fast breaked their way to another win. A 60-13 beatdown over UCLA. Right now you can roll out the 1978 Steelers and it wouldn't matter. USC might give them a test since the game is in Los Angeles, but the way the Trojan defense has played this year I don't see it.

The Big East should give up their BCS berth. The best the league has to offer, West Virginia dropped a 19-14 decision to Syracuse. AT HOME. Do you really think anyone in this laughable conference deserves to go to a BCS game? Me neither. I know strange things have happened, but whoever comes out of here will be embarrased in their BCS game.

The Texas Longhorns should be ashamed of themselves. There's no way they should be losing games to Iowa State. That shouldn't happen in any year, anywhere. Not even on the playstation. The only time Iowa State should win this game is if Texas was hit with the death penalty. That further proves me right when I said they were frauds earlier this year.

Speaking of frauds, welcome to reality Oklahoma State. Nebraska hung 51 on them and showed that the Cowboys cannot play defense. However the offense can score with anyone. Sounds a lot like Michigan.

Pardon the language here, but Michigan State coach Mark Dantonio has some big ass nuts. First the fake field goal against Notre Dame in overtime. Then he pulls a a fake punt to spark a comeback win over Northwestern. Should they win this week's game against Iowa,they have a an outside shot at the national title game and a clear path to the Rose Bowl. SPARTY ON!

Congratulations to Baylor for being bowl eligible an dentering the rankings for the first time since 1993, which is an eternity in college football. They have an exciting quarterback in Robert Griffin III and a rising coach in Art Briles. The game against Texas will be one to keep an eye on.

Props to my alma mater Navy for running through, over, and around Notre Dame. I can't stand the Fighting Irish which made it even sweeter to see the Middies rolling through them. Eventually Brian Kelly will get things right in South Bend and they'll run up another long winning streak over my beloved Midshipmen.

Don't Be Alarmed

The Miami Heat and their supertrio probably played the worst game they'll probably play this year. The Heat dropped an 88-80 decision to the Boston Celtics last night. Save for LeBron James, the Heat didn't play that well. They showed flashes and LeBron showed that he might be the go to guy out of the three. Due to a hamstring injury and his divorce/custody case Dwayne Wade looked a little rusty to me. Chris Bosh looked like Chris Bosh having a lousy night in Toronto. Also as usual Boton played their trademark tough defense. They won't look this way every game. Nor will they look like the 72 win Bulls team every game. But there's no way they put together another nine point quarter this year.

Quick NASCAR Thoughts

If NASCAR keeps getting drivers like Danica Patrick and the Cope twins (Angela and Amber), also Derrike's niece's, I might start watching.

The Blame Game

New York Yankees pitching coach,well former pitching coach Dave Eiland was given the ax. General manager Brian Cashman didn't give any reason except that it was private. What,did Eiland screw his wife or something? He insists that it had nothing to do with the performance in the ALCS against the Texas Rangers. Sure B, and an alcoholic doesn't go to the store for liquor. Any pitcher they trotted out was bombed and if it weren't for some moments of ineptitude they would've had an embarassing sweep on their hands. Cashman was the one who signed A.J. Burnett or Javier Vasquez, but someone has to take the blame right?   

Steve Nash Throws Up The White Flag

Phoenix Suns point man Steve Nash seems to be setting up his fans for a letdown this year. Before the season even begins he's picking the Suns not to make the playoffs. Come on Steve, your supposed to be optimistic. Even Rodney Stuckey and Michael Beasley say things like "on paper we're the best". And you come out with this statement: "To be honest, if I was outside this picture and a betting man, I would probably pick us to be outside of the playoffs considering all the changes and the new guys."

"Maybe we need to take a step back, regroup, be a little bit more patient, build a really good team and see how good we can be later in the year instead of jumping out of the gate and be like, 'Oh, we've got to finish top two or three in the West and give ourselves a chance to win the West and go to the Finals.' That stuff can come if we really improve, but we can't put that type of pressure on ourselves right away because we are a new team."

He's basically telling the fans, even though we made the Western Conference finals last year, we lost one key guy (Amare Stoudemire), we have some new guys and some young ones. We might not be that good, so please support us. It could be a cry for help or a backhanded way to force a trade. Nash isn't getting any younger and I suppose he would like to compete for a title. But don't sell your team short before the season begins.

For Rondo It's About Dollars And Sense

Rajon Rondo is doing what a lot of NBA players didn't seem to do during the last lockout. He's saving his money. After Big Daddy Stern said he wants to cut player salaries by a third, Rondo is doing the smart thing by preparing as if there will be a lockout next season. Even though he makes 9 mill this year, it can go fast when you're not getting paid. Undoubtedly a smart move that some other players might want to take heed to.

Then there won't be anymore comments like this.

  

It's The Giants vs.Rangers. But Will Anyone Watch?

I'm glad to see some new blood in the World Series this year. It'll be the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers in the Fall Classic. Even though I thought the Phillies and Yankees would've made it and I did want the Phillies to win it all, I'm not opposed to seeing a first timer and a franchise going after their first world championship since they relocated. The only thing is, will anyone watch?

Baseball  purists and the casual fan probably won't like this matchup. You know what they'll say. No name recognition, they don't know much about the teams, they play outside the glamour markets (Boston, Philadelphia, New York, Los Angeles) so they don't really care. That's what happens when you shove Red Sox vs. Yankees down our throat every year.

That's why the NFL has better viewership. You know you'll have your perennial contenders, but some team will rise up to surprise from year to year. I don't mind parity in sports. I think it makes it better, it keeps the product as a whole from getting stale. I don't like seeing the same teams year after year, even though the networks (ESPN, Fox,etc.) would love to have the same teams every year to improve their ratings. I'm all form just watching a good ballgame. That's how I came up and that's how I like it. I hate seeing teams like the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates on hard times. They were actually good when I was growing up, even though it's hard to believe now.

I"m glad it's the Giants vs. Rangers. It's refreshing to see two teams that are normally second or even not thought of this time of year. Hopefully baseball can get a clue and do something about the large disparity about some of the teams that just flat out suck right now and the one's that continue to stay on top. I don't think it's about what market you play in. If you find committed ownership and the right scouts and management it can be done. I never considered Boston a big market. San Diego has a larger population but is considered small market. I never got that and probably never will.   

Hopefully this will be an entertaining World Series. It probably won't work for the casual fan. They will turn their attention to the NBA season.

Suspension Until Further Notice

Even after having a protective order dismissed, Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford suspended forward Matt Pilgrim. Ford gave no reason for the suspension or no timetable. Now this sounds like something out of the real world. Ford said it has nothing to do with the protective order that was issued against Pilgrim over the summer that was dismissed. Makes me wonder.    

That Answers My Question About His Whereabouts

Carter in his glory days 

Every once in a while when me and some friends are talking, the question of what happened to Quincy Carter gets asked. Not that we're genuinely concerned about him. It's that he was once the starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys and then fell off the map.

Well, the questions about his whereabouts have been answered. He has been arrested on a battery charge recently. Gwinnett County Police say a woman who identified herself as Carter's girlfriend told officers Oct. 6 that the 33-year-old Decatur native was drunk when he choked and hit her because she wanted to end their relationship. Officers said 35-year-old Egan Jacobs had bumps and bruises. Carter was stopped nine days later for driving with an expired tag and a suspended license. He was arrested on the outstanding warrant for battery. Police said he was freed from jail the same day. 

Not what anyone had in mind when he was dumped by Dallas. He wasn't the second coming of Dan Fouts. Hell, he wasn't Vince Evans. But you would think he had some more NFL years in him, even though he had one drug suspension under his belt. He was cut by the Abilene Ruff Riders of the Indoor Football League in 2009 after being charged with drunken driving. He obviously has problems that need to be worked out.

After his drunk driving arrest

Memphis Goes A Different Route

The Memphis Tigers have a new way to recruit their hometown stars. They made a promotional video starring honetown legend Penny Hardaway. The point of it was making a difference by staying home and taking the program to another level. The video was a recruiting pitch to top 2011 prospect Adonis Thomas from Melrose High in Memphis. If Thomas ends up a Tiger I suspect more teams will use the hometown star made good angle for recruiting.


  http://www.runningpony.com/clientarea/uofmpenny/

I Guess The Rent Was Too Damn High

Word on the street is the reason why Kenny Demens hasn't been playing is because he and ex-Wolverine Boubacar Cissoko failed to pay rent for almost a year to an Ann Arbor apartment complex. I guess that answers the question as to why Demens wasn't getting much field time, even though he is a clear upgrade over the tackling machine formerly known as Obi Ezeh.

I guess the rent is too damn high. 

Colts Have Another Idiot Kicker

I guess Peyton Manning has another "liquored up, drunk, idiot kicker" to be critical of. Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee decided to spend his bye week getting drunk and taking a swim in a nearby canal. He's the fourth Colts player to be arrested on an alcoholic related charge this year. Who do they think they are? The Bengals?

Police arrested McAfee about 5 a.m. in the Broad Ripple neighborhood, known for its nightlife. Officers say the 23-year-old, second-year player from West Virginia had a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 percent, nearly twice the legal limit for driving in Indiana. Police were called after a woman at a red light said a man with no shirt approached her car and tried to get in. Like any smart person, she ran the red light and called 911. I can't say I don't blame her.

When officers arrived and approached McAfee and asked did he go swimming in the canal. McAfee replied "I'm not sure". Shows he needs to lay off the liquor if he can't remember anything.  They then asked him how he got wet and he said it was raining. Nice story if it were actually raining. There wasn't a hint of rain in the forecast. He then told officers his shirt was in the water.

Officers proceeded to ask how much he had to drink. McAfee's answer. "A lot because I am drunk". Hey, at least he was honest about it. Sometimes I don't know how much that helps out when dealing with the police.

   McAfee told police that he was waiting for a friend to get him, but also that he planned to take a taxi home, the report said. He asked if he could walk home, but officers arrested him. They say he smelled of alcohol, his eyes were watery and bloodshot and his speech slurred. Officers said they had to help McAfee stand up after giving him a breath alcohol test.


I know, Colts brass will wait for the facts to come out. In the meantime they need to monitor this guy during the bye. Or go hang with him for a swingin' time. He's a regular party animal.










 

Break Up The Eagles

I don't say too much about Southeastern Michigan's "other" football team, Eastern Michigan. It's the simple fact that if you're losing for two years there's not much to say besides you suck. Well they finally got a win under their belts in the Ron English era. A 41-38 overtime win over Ball State ending an 18 game losing streak. Congratulations, it was a long time coming. But a Ball State blogger took the loss pretty hard.




     
Alan of Ball State fan blog Over the Pylon :





After each and every loss since this blog was started back in 2008 we’ve implored people to stay positive. We’ve begged people to not give up. We’ve assured folks that better days were coming. Today, all that positivity, all that fear calming, all that hope and optimism for this program in the near future appears for naught. I’m not sure what rock bottom is, but I fear that the Ball State football program is venturing dangerously close to it ...



The box score and recap for this particular contest is equal parts confusing and humiliating. EMU outplayed the Cardinals in nearly every facet, from time of possession to total yards ... To have a winless team mired in a significant losing streak rack up a 490-243 yard advantage is absolutely ridiculous ...



I never thought I would be saying this again after 2008 and the magical undefeated season we witnessed, but there is nothing positive to take away from this game and nothing that I can point to as a life vest in this abysmal era of failure and disappointment.
 
 

Michigan/Michigan State Thoughts

Michigan State is undoubtedly the top dog in the state right now. I know it rubs the Michigan faithful the wrong way, but its the truth.

The Spartans have reached new heights this season. Starting 7-0 for the first tine since 1966. Coming in with a number seven ranking in the first BCS poll and beating the Wolverines for three straight years. Right now they are everything Michigan used to be. Owning a win over Wisconsin, who in turn knocked off Ohio State, the Spartans are in control of the Big Ten race right now. Take one game at a time and everything should work itself out. Just don't look past Northwestern, to get to Iowa.

For all of the offensive excitement, the Wolverines have regressed badly on defense. It's hard to start freshman and inexperienced sophomores, but you'd expect some kind of improvement. It seems like for everything they seem to do right on the defensive side of the ball, they follow it up with a penalty or some kind of mental mistake that puts a player out of position to make a play. I do think some of it is scheme because i just don't think the 3-3-5 is going to get it done in the Big Ten. Some of it is talent. Not that they don't have it. It just keeps leaving or it's not developing. Rich Rod is talking about moving five star defensive tackle William Campbell to guard. Rodriguez even made a Bobby Williams-esque statement about how Vince Lombardi couldn't fix the problems on defense. The Wolverines need to improve or see a once promising start turn to dust for the second year in a row. They'll outscore you, but when they need to make a play defensively, let's just say the jury is still out on that one.     

What I Saw In College Football

Many are spelling doom for Boise State since they are ranked number three in the first BCS poll, behind Oklahoma and Oregon. There's still a lot of football to be played and I'm still not sold on Oklahoma, although it looks like they may be hitting their stride. This is the second game where they put it all together. They still have Missouri and a dangerous Oklahoma State team on the horizon.

Cam Newton and Auburn- The Tigers put on a show last Saturday against Arkansas. In a game that virtually featured no defense, Cam Newton cemented himself as the Heisman frontrunner. At least in my eyes he is.

The Tigers have another big one against Les Miles and LSU. If Aubie pulls this one out they look to have a clear, undefeated path to the Alabama game.

The Alabama Hangover-After knocking off previous number 1 ranked Alabama, South Carolina fell to Kentucky. That was a dangerous game for the Gamecocks. It was on the road, Kentucky really isn't that bad, and they also possess one of the most versatile weapons in college football in Randall Cobb. That was a trap game if I ever saw one. If the Wildcats could ever put together two halves they might be undefeated. It seems they only show up for the second half of games.    

Jeff Tedford might need to start worrying about his job security. The number of decisive, blowout losses has to start getting to you at some point.

Turner Gill might be wondering what he's gotten himself into at Kansas. It seems the Jayhawks are being humiliated every time I see their score on the ticker. Save for the win over Georgia Tech, not much has went right for the Jayhawks.

Georgia seems to have hit its stride since getting A.J. Green back. It also helps to have two SEC softies to get back on track. Meanwhile Florida has had offensive struggles all year. It really hit the fan in a 10-7 loss to Mississippi State. When was the last time you heard of a Florida offense cranking out a robust seven points? 

Whoa Now!- Before we hand Nebraska the Big 12 title (I was guilty too), Texas might've laid out the blueprint to knockout the Huskers. This is a game tape that Missouri and perhaps Oklahoma might want to study.    

Down Goes The Buckeyes- Ohio State took a hard fall Saturday night against Wisconsin. Jim Tressel might want to take a cue from Gene Chizik and turn Terrelle loose. Cam Newton is everything Terrelle Pryor should be.

Eric LeGrand- The Rutgers defensive tackle was paralyzed making a tackle on a kickoff return. Let's hope for the best for this young man. You are in many prayers and in the hearts and minds of your teammates. Don't let this keep you down. 

Jeffrey Maier Part 2

Good thing this didn't cost the Rangers the game. They need to go ahead and bury the Yankees. Avoid an epic collapse like game 1 and all eyes will be on Texas in October and November.

The Bucky?

I bet there was alot of this going on after last week's win over Ohio State.

Junior Seau Goes Off The Deep End....Literally

Junior Seau drove his car off a cliff after being released from jail on a domestic violence charge. I'll spare the details since I'm pretty sure lots of you have probably heard it by now. I just have three questions though. I thought he was married already. Why are you with a 25 year old to begin with? And why drive off a cliff?

If I was 41 and could still pull 25 year old tail I don't think I would be driving off any cliffs.

Where Do The Saints Find These Guys?

I know every year in the NFL Draft there are guys that slip through the cracks, had an inoppurtune injury, transfer to a smaller school, or just maybe didn't fit the coaches' scheme. Some make it, some don't. Which brings me to this. How do the New Orleans Saints find these guys and why do they excel?

First it was Marques Colston. Then Lance Moore. Jermon Bushrod. Now here comes Tiffin University's finest Chris Ivory. I guess he started his college career at Washington State, then transferred to Tiffin. You would think he would become an afterthought to NFL scouts. Now I'm not trying to put him or any other small school stars down. It's just that my Detroit Lions can never find these kind of guys. I don't know what it is, but they wind up in New Orleans and some kind of magic happens. Maybe it's the voodoo down there.

I wish him a long career and hope he's not a flash in the pan. It just shows what good scouting and hard work will do.

Lamar Odom Critical Of Technical Rule

Count Lamar Odom as one of the countless NBA players that are displeased with the new technical foul rule. After he was whistled for a shooting foul on Sacramento's Carl Landry in the second quarter, Odom kept his offending arm up in the air for several seconds to indicate he believed his defense was legal and within the rule of verticality, and an official promptly issued him a technical foul. Although Odom was silent, he kept his arm up for more than three seconds. The result? A technical foul.

After the game Odom added this.   "You have to zip it," Odom said. "If they call you for a tech, it's $2,000. That's a lot of money in America or anywhere. I don't want to give away $2,000 for going, 'Damn, I thought I had the ball!' or showing emotion. I want to keep my money, point blank."

He also said the rule was hypocritical.

"It's kind of crazy because that's what people love to see. You watch the commercials and the NBA has dunking, [players making] faces and 'Where Amazing Happens,'" Odom said. "Now it's like 'Where Normal Happens.' ... There's nothing amazing about not showing emotion."


I don't necessarily like the way players always complain after every whistle, but it is part of the game. I'm sure this idea looked good when they thought it up, but now you're taking the emotion out of the game. Let's see how far this rule goes before its reversed.









 

Purdue's Title Hopes Take a Hit

Purdue was thought to be a contender for the Final Four and possibly the national championship. That was before Robbie Hummel tore the ACL in the right knee in practice. The same one he tore with eight games left in last season against Minnesota. Although Hummel will be eligible to redshirt, this is another snake bitten moment for him. The Boliers will be good, but not Final Four good without him.

Yesterday's Stars Did A Lot Worse

I just finished reading an article on Foxsports.com talking about today's athletes and their misgivings and how they didn't hold a candle to Mickey Mantle (Today's bad boys couldn't touch Mantle). After giving it some thought, I say the same thing.

Yesterday's stars or heroes didn't have to worry about cell phones,computers,paparazzi, TMZ or anything that today's professional or even amateur athletes worry about. I've read about or heard stories about "The Mick", Babe Ruth, or any Oakland Raider from the 70s or 80s, how they lived hard, partied hard, and played hard. Thing is, hardly a soul ever knew about their wrongdoings. You think this Brett Favre mess is something. Roger Goodell would have to bring in replacements for some of those wild Raiders characters. Sexting? That was child's play to them. As much as Ruth and Mantle were revered, they were hard partying womanizers and heavy drinkers. They also were buddies with anyone covering the team, so whatever they did disappeared and didn't come out until they were long retired or dead. Today it's harder to get away with anything with all the technology, internet, and cell phones. In reality, they have nothing on the stars of yesteryear.

Not that I condone any of their behavior, but there are lots of "heroes" that got away with a lot worse than anything that Brett, Tiger, or Ben Roethlisberger could ever do. I don't really care to know what anyone does with their time away from their sport. They are human, they just decide to play by a different set of rules from the average man. I know, a lot of us say that if we did that we'd lose our job. We don't live in  their world and they don't live in ours, so please stop using that one. I kind of liked it when I didn't have to hear about what Reggie Jackson or Walter Payton did in their spare time.  

It's Official

It has been officially announced that Michigan will play Alabama to kick off the 2012 college football season. The game has been talked about for sometime but no one had really confirmed it. It's going to happen on September 1, 2012. I like the idea, but considering the opposite ways the programs have been headed I would hope Michigan is ready to play in this prime time matchup of two of the traditional titans in college football history.

The Canes Need to Show More Fight Than Their Fans

The Miami Hurricanes had a lame performance Saturday but their fans made up for their lack of a fighting spirit during the game.


 


If their players showed more heart and fire like this, their fans wouldn't be subject to ridicule by opposing fans.

A Major Downer

This is why you don't try to tackle anyone after they've reached the end zone. They need a rule to prevent mishaps like this happening again.

What I Saw In College Football

Soon the BCS standings will come out and all the shouting and controversy can begin. Its wide open now since South Carolina knocked off big, bad, Bama. It appeared that the Tide had flaws in their game, but had enough poise and moxie to cover them. Now they'll need to win out and hope for help. Lots of help. It's not out of the realm of possibility. Stranger things have happened.

Les Miles lives dangerously and survives- You talk about a cat with nine lives. Everytime it looks like he's exhausted his chances, he does something screwy and gets away with it. For a week Miles was ripped for another time management debacle against Tennessee only to get a HUGE repreive when Tennessee had 13 men on the field. This time he pulls a fake field goal and received the most fortuitous bounce in the college football season so far. Add to that it was very close to being a forward pass. Miles coaches like a man on fire. He doesn't win in a conventional way, but he somehow gets it done. He has the Tigers in the mix right now.

The bandwagon crashes- That loud noise you heard was the driver and last person jumping from the Michigan bandwagon. I hate to say i told you so, but I told you so. Denard Robinson is a great talent. He just can't win the game alone. The defense is atrocious. They couldn't tackle the local high school team. And of course, everyone is calling for Rich Rodriguez's head right now. Just see it for what it is. Michigan State played the role of the bully and won for the third straight year. Look at Rodriguez's teams at West Virginia. If teams ( South Florida and Pittsburgh) don't back down from them it throws their whole game out of whack. The Wolverines need to learn to fight back. They have a tough one against Iowa Saturday, so this game could be an indicator of how the rest of the season goes.

The Pac-10- This could easily be the best confernece or the worse. It depends on how you look at it. Any of four teams could win the conference(Arizona, Oregon, Stanford ,Oregon State). Each of them could lose a game they shouldn't, as evidenced by Stanford's escape over USC. They play terrific offense and no defense. It's almost like a Playstation game every Saturday.

Michigan State- They had a plan against Denard Robinson and Michigan and stuck to it. That game should provide a blueprint on how to play Michigan. Don Treadwell has done a good job filling in for Mark Dantonio on the sidelines. Treadwell will be a hot name in coaching circles this offseason. Let's hope he doesn't step in a hopeless situation. The Chris L. Rucker off field problem took the luster off a fantastic week for the Spartans. The Spartans can take control of the Big Ten race if they can keep the momentum rolling in the next few weeks.

Utah will have something to say in the BCS race- The Utes are quietly putting together an impressive resume. They are one of the unbeaten 13 right now. They also have a showdown against TCU that should decide the Mountain West. As far as the "mid-majors" go, Boise State might want to be more concerned about Utah than anyone.

Hey Florida, how about being outta  the national championship race this early.

Halladay No Hits Reds

Excuse me for saying that Roy Halladay has ended the Cincinnati Reds 2010 season. True, it's far from over, but in all my years that I've watched baseball and sports in general there has been a moment in the postseason that has rendered plenty of teams dead in the water.

Consider Roy Halladay's no-hitter against the Reds one of them. Halladay tossed the second postseason no-hitter in MLB history. I think this will sink the Reds and send them on their way. I'm not a Reds hater, but ask Nick Anderson how he torpedoed th Orlando Magic in the 1995 NBA Finals. Or ask the Oakland A's how Kirk Gibson flamed their chances in the 1988 World Series. The list can go on. Halladay acheived a great feat in his first postseason start, ever. And he probably ended the Reds' season in the process. 

I could be wrong though.        

What I Saw In College Football

Before I go any further, I must say that if Michigan had even a middle of the road defense, they'd be Oregon and we would be talking about them as national title contenders. Also if my aunt had a package she'd be my uncle. They defense or lack of one will cost them real soon.

Miami should be rolling over the ACC. Like I stated previously, if Jacory Harris can cut down on the bad throws they could run the table in the conference. Florida State should give the canes a run for their money, but they tend to have bad games they shouldn't.

The Tim Brewster death watch is on. Boy, Glen Mason sure looks good right about now. They lost a tough one to Northwestern which gave them their, I don't know I lost track of how many straight games they lost at home. Speaking of Northwestern, they will put a scare into some of the teams in the Big Ten this year.

The Tide rolled over Florida and they are the clear favorite in the SEC. They do have some big road games coming up and the season ending showdown versus Auburn. It'll be a tough go for them but Nick Saban will have them up to the task. Keep an eye on Cam Newton and the Tigers.

USC is a fraud just like I thought they were and probation will take its toll, more sooner than later. Oregon ran past Stanford and also Boise State in the polls. It's going to be an interesting rest of the season to see a number of teams jockey for votes and put up style points.

Colin Kaepernick, Colin Kaepernick, Colin Kaepernick
     

Happy Anniversary Baby!

I just want to say Happy Anniversary to my lovely wife. Its a couple of days late, but it wasn't because I forgot LOL. 

You Can Go Home Again

My thoughts on the Randy Moss trade may not be in lockstep with others. Oh well, so be it. I think it could be a good trade for Minnesota. True, they did give up a third rounder, which to me is almost like the player to be named later. It could burn them or the player could be a bum. Before I go any further, remember the great Brett Favre lobbied for him when he was still in Green Bay.

Moss will give someone that Favre can trust going deep to. And you know Brett will force it to him, even if he's triple covered. Even though Moss is older, he's still an athletic freak. He's still one of the top five receivers in the league. This could make Favre's last hurrah (allegedly) one to remember.

On the flip side, the Patriots offense might actually suffer without Moss. Let's see what Wes Welker can do underneath, now that all the coverages will be focused on him. Who's going to fill in for him? I think they hope Brandon Tate and Julian Edelman can help fill that role. I just don't really see a go to guy. But then again, Tom Brady has made it work before with less than receivers. Hey, they also can bring Troy brown out of retirement. The running game isn't solid, so i can see some of the top defenses teeing off on Brady.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see how everything turns out. The Patriot way actually might work out and Favre to Moss might be explosive enough to get Minnesota to the Super Bowl. This could be the best and last chance for both.  

NFC's First Quarter Breakdown

A first quarter breakdown of the NFC.

NFC East- It looks like this division is up for grabs. Dallas seemed to be the favorite entering the season and on paper they should. As in years past, they haven't lived up to the hype. They did look good in their win over Houston and maybe they can build off of that. Philadelphia looked good with Michael Vick at the helm. When he went out against the Redskins everything seemed to go downhill. He might be out with a rib injury for two weeks. Now let's see if Kevin Kolb can hold the fort in Philly. The New York Giants reverted to old school play Sunday night in their victory over Chicago. If the defense can play with that same kind of fire and intensity they could surprise and win the division. Washington looks like an 8-8 team right now. With Mike Shanahan's coaching adn Donovan McNabb's leadership they could sneak into the playoffs. The Skins are a team to keep an eye on.


NFC South- Carolina is in bad shape and head coach John Fox may be on his way out. They changed quarterbacks (Matt Moore to Jimmy Clausen) and they haven't looked very good on both sides of the ball. They almost were able to sneak out a win over the Saints so all may not be lost. Stranger things have happened. With Steve Smith out for possibly the rest of the season, that will be a hinderance to Clausen's development. They also hit an off the field snag when receiver Dwayne Jarrett was nailed for a dwi. The Saints have been more lucky than good this year. Sometimes its good to be lucky though. The offense hasn't been explosive as in seasons past and the defense hasn't been producing takeaways like last season. They also will need to shore up their kicking game if Garrett Hartley can't produce on hitting chump kicks. Atlanta is looking like they have the potential to unseat the Saints as kings of the South. Matt Ryan is clutch and they have been playing well on both sides of the ball. They do have a win over the Saints on the road and the game in Atlanta could be for the division. I think Tampa Bay needs a few more seasons before they're back to being a playoff contender. They do look like they're headed in the right direction and Josh Freeman looks like he could be the man at quarterback for years to come. Question is, does Raheem Morris stick around long enough to see it through.

NFC West- Easily the weakest division in the NFC. San Francisco has faltered and the defense or offense hasn't looked very good. Alex Smith has never developed there and its safe to say there might be a quarterback change sometime soon. In fairness to Smith he's had to play under different offensive coordinators since he's been there. But it's just not working for him. St. Louis has been an early season surprise. Rookie quarterback Sam Bradford is looking like he could lead the Rams to the playoffs- this year.

The defense has played tough and Bradford hasn't looked like a rookie under center. Arizona seems lost without Kurt Warner and I'm surprised the Warner out of retirement rumors haven't started. Against the Chargers they played poorly in all facets of the game. They've been dysfunctional and its clear Derek Anderson isn't the answer at quarterback. It looks like it might've been a mistake to let Matt Leinart go. They'll be drafting a quarterback of the future in April. The Seattle Seahawks are a darkhorse in the NFC West if there is one. Pete Carroll does have his team playing hard and they did swing a trade for running back Marshawn Lynch. This is a division that is also up for grabs. 8-8 might be all it takes to win it.

NFC North- This division is Green Bay's to lose. If the Packers can play with their heads straight they could runaway with it. They did give one away to Chicago in a game in which they committed 18 penalties. They also let the Lions hang close to the end. Minnesota should be the Packers' competition, but they've looked uninspired and sluggish. It's been Adrian Peterson and not much else. I think Chicago's 3-1 start has been a mirage. They stole a win against the Lions and were handed another by the Packers. If Jay Cutler takes maore beatings like he did Sunday night, he won't last the season. The Lions have had some tough breaks, but that's just a fact of the NFL. They were robbed against the Bears and Matthew Stafford going down made it double tough for this team. Shaun Hill has been a solid stand in for Stafford. If they can cut down on the unnecessary penalties and the secondary can step their game up, they might can steal a few games. They are actually headed in the right direction.     

AFC's First Quarter Breakdown

My divisional breakdown from the AFC's first quarter(first four games)

AFC East- Right now this looks like a race between the Jets and Patriots. The Jets seem to have the upper hand right now since they have beaten the Patriots already. They still have to face them on the road and Mark Sanchez must keep up his stellar play. You know Brady and Moss and co. will be there in the end. Depending on how everything shakes out in the AFC second place might not be good enough to get into the playoffs. Miami will be pesky, but a distant third. Until they get more offensive firepower, like they had in the 80's the Dolphins will be stuck behind the Jets and Patriots. The Buffalo Bills haven't been the same since Kelly and company left town. They look like they'll have a top 10 pick in the draft. It could be top 5 the way they're going.


AFC North- Until proven otherwise this division belongs to the Ravens and Steelers. The Ravens have the ups on Pittsburgh right now due to their win at Pittsburgh Sunday. With Big Ben coming back to lead the Steelers offense, things will get more interesting. They Steelers have held down the fort going 3-1 while Roethlisberger was suspended. For all the characters the Bengals bring in, I don't look for them to overtake Pittsburgh or Baltimore. You just don't know which team is going to show up. If they ever can get all cylinders clicking consistently, this could be a very dangerous team. i just don't know if that will ever happen. The Browns are the Browns. They did get their first win over an aimless Bengals team. They hang tough, but don't have enough. Mike Holmgren has a major job on his hands.

AFC West- Kansas City is off to a 3-0 start. We just don't know if it will hold up as the season goes along. The defense has played well and the running game has been strong. Let's see if Matt Cassel can lead the offense to greater heights as time goes on. San Diego is off to their typical start. Up and down. They still are the class of this division, but Kansas City has a win over the Chargers in hand. In their win over the Cardinals Sunday, everything seemed to go right for San Diego. That's the team you expect to see run roughshod over the rest of the division. The jury still is out on Denver. I just see their defense crumbling against the AFC's best offenses. Oakland hangs tough in games but just can't seem to finish or get over the hump.


 
AFC South- Is everyone finally catching up to the Colts? They have two division losses to Jacksonville and Houston. In the past those two teams have given Indy fits, so it's no surprise. Houston has looked good, save for that loss against Dallas and running back Arian Foster has been a pleasant surprise. Tennessee seems to have defense and Chris Johnson, but not much else. If David Garrard can stay consistent, Jacksonville could surprise. I expect Indy to take control by the second half of the season. You can't Peyton Manning down for long. They do need the defense to step up though.

Another Strange Sports Injury

We Know He Didn't Get Hurt By Tripping Over The Chair Or Extension Cord

It's kind of comical when you hear about an athlete having a non sports related injury. The latest in hte long line of weird injuries is recent Chicago Bulls signee Carlos Boozer. Boozer recently broke his right hand answering his door. Now he'll have a two month stay on the injured list to start the season. Here's how Boozer explained how it all went down.

 "It happened last night, probably 5:30-6 o'clock at night, got it looked at right away. I find out for sure today when I saw the hand specialist. I'm going to get it done as soon as possible, so Tuesday morning I'm going in early to get the surgery taken care of so I can start my rehab process.




"It was just dark. My doorbell had rang and I tripped over a bag, tried to brace myself and it popped. I jumped back up, opened the door and my hand was still a little bit numb.



"It was a gym bag. It was a big bag I had first thing over here at the hotel for training camp. I went back to my place, hadn't unpacked the bag yet, came around the corner, running to get the door and fell over it. I'm 265, 5 percent body fat. I'm heavy, man. I guess I had to brace myself and my weight just collapsed the bone right there."

If that indeed is true, Carlos should know better than to leave a big bag where it could provide a potential danger. All kids and commofolk know this and so should you. Especially if your injury prone like he is.

Start The Firing And Speculation

Now that the MLB regular season is over its time to start the offseason speculation and get the firing squads ready.

The New York Mets, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates wasted no time in giving their managers their walking papers. The Mets went for the double and also fired GM Omar Minaya. That rumor had been in the hopper for quite awhile. The Mets have been a bunch of overpaid underachievers for the last three seasons. Not much has gone right since losing Game 7 in the 2006 NLCS. That isn't what the top brass in Queens were looking for when they acquired the likes of Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Johan Santana and Francisco Rodriguez. Now the stories will start flying about who replaces Jerry Manuel and Minaya. I hear former Mets manager Bobby Valentine is on the list as well as former Mets second baseman Wally Backman.

The Brewers decided not to pick up the option on Ken Macha for the 2011 season. This came after two losing seasons after they made the playoffs in 2008. I guess this was bound to happen since they did fire Ned Yost with 12 games left in the 2008 season. There also were rumblings that he wasn't connecting with his players which is the reason why he was canned in Oakland. I guess Dale Sveum and Willie Randolph are on the list as of now.

Which brings me to the Pittsburgh Pirates. They fired John Russell after he compiled an astounding 299 losses in three seasons. The Pirates have been on this slippery slope for a while. Trading away young proven players for minor league prospects. Amazingly GM Neal Huntington was retained, since he's made some poor trades and questionable moves himself.  His saving grace is that this pattern had been going on long before he or Russell got into town.  Russell’s stoic demeanor, reluctance to argue most calls and peculiar strategy—such as letting a pitcher bat with runners in scoring position while the Pirates trailed by five runs—made him unpopular among fans. Russell’s first team in 2008 was competitive until midseason, when the franchise—eager to stockpile a talent-bereft farm system—began dealing away or cutting productive players such as Jason Bay, Xavier Nady, Freddy Sanchez Jack Wilson Nate McLouth Adam LaRoche, Matt Capps, John Grabow, Tom Gorzelanny, Ian Snell, Sean Burnett and Nyjer Morgan. Also traded was 2010 major league home run leader Jose Bautista during a two-year roster purge. Russell was a surprise hire by the Pirates, especially after he was fired from being the third base coach by previous management. He was hired by Huntington and team prez Frank Coonelly because he had a reputation of being a patient, adept developer of young talent. I guess the Pirates were wrong about that. This franchise is a big mess and shows no signs of getting better anytime soon. They have identified no candidates (surprise) and I can't think of anyone that would take that job without a lifetime contract since they'll essentially be starting from rubble.

Kobe Says He'd Beat LeBron 1 on 1

Drop the 3-point shootout and slam dunk contest immediately and replace with a 1-on-1 competition. Smartest idea I have read in years. Absolutley right, who would not want to see that? Take 8 top NBA stars (pick 'em any way you want as long as Kobe, LeBrpn and Carmelo are in) and play a 1-on-1 tourney with $2 mil to the winner and that would be MUST SEE TV. That would be something every basketball fan would tune in to.

Philly Fans Will Go With Anyone

If your from Philly don't take offense. I'm not cracking on you guys or anything. It's just when it comes to fandom, you guys are hooligans. Check out the fight in the video from last weeks game against the Jags.


 


Your team was layin the smack down on J'ville. You didn't have to go all the way with it though.