I am currently watching the Wisconsin - Miami game, which basically demonstrates why Miami is the kind of team that never deserves to win anything because they're such babies.
But during halftime, I got to catch up a bit on the most recent events in the always fascinating life of Mike Leach.
First, let's explain a bit about Mike Leach, and what a confirmed nutcase he is.
Here's my favorite clip from this season of Mike, where he tells the media that the team's problem is his players' fat little girlfriends.
But last year, ESPN did a series of pieces on Leach, because he was in the midst of leading Texas Tech's Red Raiders to an 11-2 finish, the best in school history, I believe. Anyway, apparently in Texas he's like a folk hero. He does the weather, he gives dating advice on a local talk show.
In a word, he's hilarious.
But apparently he's not big on the proper care of his players when they suffer concussions.
Allegedly, Leach got pissed when Adam James, who just happens to be ESPN analyst Craig James's son (geez, I wonder who the "sources close to the family" are), suffered a concussion. He allegedly put the kid in a dark, empty room for three hours because he couldn't practice.
Personally, I think this is symptomatic of a greater issue, which is the football community's disinterest in treating concussions properly.
Now Leach is suspended for the game and he's trying in the courts to get an injunction that will allow him to coach. Probably the best part of this is that if he's still employed by the university on Thursday, they owe him a $800,000 bonus.
But I can't be 100 percent against a man who collects pirate paraphernalia. It's just not realistic that I wouldn't love a person like Mike Leach. So I hope he wins his court filing, if only to watch how ESPN handles it.
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Oh my GOD!
I can't believe I haven't made fun of Urban Meyer yet. I am so foolish and forgetful!
Here you go.
Of all the funny things I've heard about Urban Meyer's decision to step down as head coach of the Florida Gators, my favorite has to be my friend Patrick, who said "Maybe Meyer's wife found him in bed with Tebow." I also enjoyed this former coworker of mine's assessment: "I can't wait to wake up tomorrow to find out Urban Meyer's signed a 10-year extension with Florida."
When Meyer decided that the day after Christmas in the middle of three bowl games less than a week before his team played in a BCS bowl was a good time to announce he was stepping down at the end of the season, he pretty much pissed me off because I had to divide my attention between my football team's seeming inability to tackle in the open field and this clown.
Now, having wasted brain space considering the many things that must be wrong with him to make such a weird, noncompetitive decision, I find out that he is not quitting after all. What is wrong with this person?
Maybe before you announce to the national media that you're quitting, you make a firm decision. I think that's wise. Not that the national media has ever allowed me to make announcements.
But I really don't understand what's going on in that pinhead of his (seriously, it's tiny -- take a look).
First, by nature college football coaches at real programs spend their lives under pressure. I get that he's under pressure, although I should point out he's got the top quarterback apparently ever (Superman wears Tebow pajamas, as you'll recall) and a team that's been steadily kicking ass every year. So his stress is slightly less than, say, a coach with much less talent, booster money, etc.
Second, by nature college football coaches at real programs have to be incredibly, insanely competitive to survive in that world. And if you're not you wouldn't have gotten to the Florida head-coaching job. So I guess it's just confusing to me that you decide in the middle of bowl season that the stress and the chest pains that come with making millions of dollars and outcoaching nearly everyon in America is too much for you. Where do you go from here?
Apparently, you just go to the islands for a few months to recharge, let your offensive coordinator do the hard work, then come back and take over the reins when you feel like it. Which if I were that OC I'd be pissed...but anyway.
I'd also like to draw your attention to this nugget.
We all know I take a special joy in the latest Southern Cal NCAA violation that they then inexplicably get away with.
This one is slightly more fun, though, because I really like that the guy who was dumb enough to set up the star back with a 2006 Land Rover (oh I mean his girlfriend, who is a single mother who pays $500 a month on the car because that's a reasonable amount for a 20-year-old girl to spend on a car every month when her family can't qualify for a loan) also happens to be out of his mind. Either he thinks that we're dumb, or he's dumb. But either way I think the highlight of the story is his company "USC Marketing" he says stands for United States China Marketing. If that's true, which it is not, it is then the worst name for a marketing company ever and no one would ever want to market their products in either of those countries through that company.
And I'm spent....
Here you go.
Of all the funny things I've heard about Urban Meyer's decision to step down as head coach of the Florida Gators, my favorite has to be my friend Patrick, who said "Maybe Meyer's wife found him in bed with Tebow." I also enjoyed this former coworker of mine's assessment: "I can't wait to wake up tomorrow to find out Urban Meyer's signed a 10-year extension with Florida."
When Meyer decided that the day after Christmas in the middle of three bowl games less than a week before his team played in a BCS bowl was a good time to announce he was stepping down at the end of the season, he pretty much pissed me off because I had to divide my attention between my football team's seeming inability to tackle in the open field and this clown.
Now, having wasted brain space considering the many things that must be wrong with him to make such a weird, noncompetitive decision, I find out that he is not quitting after all. What is wrong with this person?
Maybe before you announce to the national media that you're quitting, you make a firm decision. I think that's wise. Not that the national media has ever allowed me to make announcements.
But I really don't understand what's going on in that pinhead of his (seriously, it's tiny -- take a look).
First, by nature college football coaches at real programs spend their lives under pressure. I get that he's under pressure, although I should point out he's got the top quarterback apparently ever (Superman wears Tebow pajamas, as you'll recall) and a team that's been steadily kicking ass every year. So his stress is slightly less than, say, a coach with much less talent, booster money, etc.
Second, by nature college football coaches at real programs have to be incredibly, insanely competitive to survive in that world. And if you're not you wouldn't have gotten to the Florida head-coaching job. So I guess it's just confusing to me that you decide in the middle of bowl season that the stress and the chest pains that come with making millions of dollars and outcoaching nearly everyon in America is too much for you. Where do you go from here?
Apparently, you just go to the islands for a few months to recharge, let your offensive coordinator do the hard work, then come back and take over the reins when you feel like it. Which if I were that OC I'd be pissed...but anyway.
I'd also like to draw your attention to this nugget.
We all know I take a special joy in the latest Southern Cal NCAA violation that they then inexplicably get away with.
This one is slightly more fun, though, because I really like that the guy who was dumb enough to set up the star back with a 2006 Land Rover (oh I mean his girlfriend, who is a single mother who pays $500 a month on the car because that's a reasonable amount for a 20-year-old girl to spend on a car every month when her family can't qualify for a loan) also happens to be out of his mind. Either he thinks that we're dumb, or he's dumb. But either way I think the highlight of the story is his company "USC Marketing" he says stands for United States China Marketing. If that's true, which it is not, it is then the worst name for a marketing company ever and no one would ever want to market their products in either of those countries through that company.
And I'm spent....
Bowl Fever
I have been remiss in my duties.
I apologize.
Blame it on the sour feeling I have from last night, when my football team decided that gaining 9 yards per carry by running it straight up the gut against Southern Cal was a bad idea and abandoned it in favor of our 25-year-old freshman QB's inability to throw accurately despite his 7 years in the minor league baseball world as a pitcher.
Which, based on his football acumen, I'm going to go ahead and say was a smart decision that he never made it to the bigs.
Whew. I'm done.
Glad to see Clemson pull out the big win today...I'm sorry they can't play that way when it matters.
I don't have much to offer on the bowls I've seen thus far. I feel that this week will be remarkably solid. How's that?
And to all you out there who doubted BC's ability to lose the EMERALD NUT BOWL, I say to you: never doubt the Eagles.
I apologize.
Blame it on the sour feeling I have from last night, when my football team decided that gaining 9 yards per carry by running it straight up the gut against Southern Cal was a bad idea and abandoned it in favor of our 25-year-old freshman QB's inability to throw accurately despite his 7 years in the minor league baseball world as a pitcher.
Which, based on his football acumen, I'm going to go ahead and say was a smart decision that he never made it to the bigs.
Whew. I'm done.
Glad to see Clemson pull out the big win today...I'm sorry they can't play that way when it matters.
I don't have much to offer on the bowls I've seen thus far. I feel that this week will be remarkably solid. How's that?
And to all you out there who doubted BC's ability to lose the EMERALD NUT BOWL, I say to you: never doubt the Eagles.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Oh Beavs...
Oh Beavers.
I mean, it's not like I picked you to win in my bowl pool with the sports boys. I took the chance that this would offend the cutest boy in the whole sports department, and we'll just have to see where I stand after I take the freaking lead in the bowl pool after this.
But still. You played with Oregon. And USC. And various other teams all season long.
And you just lost to a team led by a man named Bronco.
I have to tell you. It's disappointing.
On the other hand, it's nice to see that someone (BYU) decided to actually watch some of the footage of your team so that they could see you weren't exactly the most difficult team to break down. I mean, all you really had to do was cut off the screen pass, force Canfield to run and double up on Quizz. So. You did your jobs.
Also BYU's defense? Freaking incredible. Every play they were beyond close to getting a defensive hold or a defensive interference, but they didn't come because they were well-placed on the field. I mean, very impressive.
And you beat the ever-living-shit out of OSU.
But because I refuse to actively root for Mormons, I should point this out. Your quarterback is so pretty...
I mean, it's not like I picked you to win in my bowl pool with the sports boys. I took the chance that this would offend the cutest boy in the whole sports department, and we'll just have to see where I stand after I take the freaking lead in the bowl pool after this.
But still. You played with Oregon. And USC. And various other teams all season long.
And you just lost to a team led by a man named Bronco.
I have to tell you. It's disappointing.
On the other hand, it's nice to see that someone (BYU) decided to actually watch some of the footage of your team so that they could see you weren't exactly the most difficult team to break down. I mean, all you really had to do was cut off the screen pass, force Canfield to run and double up on Quizz. So. You did your jobs.
Also BYU's defense? Freaking incredible. Every play they were beyond close to getting a defensive hold or a defensive interference, but they didn't come because they were well-placed on the field. I mean, very impressive.
And you beat the ever-living-shit out of OSU.
But because I refuse to actively root for Mormons, I should point this out. Your quarterback is so pretty...
Sunday, December 20, 2009
It's the happ-happiest season of all!
Friends, it's bowl game time!
I come at this period of days with a mixture of both great joy and great sadness. Because I know that after a week in January, my time will have to be spent on college basketball. And after that? The dark period...
But for now, let's take some joy in the festivities.
So far, I have been underwhelmed both by my ability to pick bowl game winners, but also by the bowls themselves.
Well, I did enjoy the Wyoming - Fresno State game. I mean, two overtimes and a Wyoming team wins!
I will definitely enjoy watching the Oregon State - BYU game on Tuesday. I am thrilled that a team called the Beavers are going head to head against the Mormons. Should be spectacular.
Finally, here's something that will make some people smile: where there's smoke, I believe, there must be fire.
I come at this period of days with a mixture of both great joy and great sadness. Because I know that after a week in January, my time will have to be spent on college basketball. And after that? The dark period...
But for now, let's take some joy in the festivities.
So far, I have been underwhelmed both by my ability to pick bowl game winners, but also by the bowls themselves.
Well, I did enjoy the Wyoming - Fresno State game. I mean, two overtimes and a Wyoming team wins!
I will definitely enjoy watching the Oregon State - BYU game on Tuesday. I am thrilled that a team called the Beavers are going head to head against the Mormons. Should be spectacular.
Finally, here's something that will make some people smile: where there's smoke, I believe, there must be fire.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
NO HELMETS
NO HELMETS
Meet Dion Lewis, the running back from Pitt who got left off a list of Heisman trophy finalists so that Tim Tebow could have his final moment shining in the sun.
He's pretty cute.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Holy nightmare matchups, Batman!
We've got some bowl matchups to discuss. But first I want you to see my favorite part of the Florida - Alabama game.
A lot of people have said I'm a bad person for wishing ill on Tim Tebow.
I am not. I am a bad person for lots of other reasons, but I stand by my opinion that Tim Tebow has been over-fellated this year. A friend said to me that it was fun when he was a freshman phenom but now it's just tiring. I don't like any team that would put a plaque on the stadium walls of a "speech" he gave while he was still enrolled in the school (albeit probably taking 3 credits or something). And so I rooted for Alabama, and look at me now.
Yes, I may have had to root for a team coached by Nick Saban, who I am pretty sure has had hair plugs (that head of hair is just incredible). But at the end of the day, I stand by my decision.
That said, the title game isn't probably going to be very good. Texas - Alabama? Hard to get excited about.
So let's talk about some bowl matchups I am excited about.
First, I fully support the TCU - Boise State matchup, and here's why: because they're playing each other, I don't have to care about either of them. Whichever wins will be a top 5 team and it will be great, but it's once impossible to judge whether they deserve to be there because they're playing the other non-real conference team. So if Boise State wins? whatever. And if TCU wins? Huh.
It's basically like whoever wins that game is the better of the two teams that no one can really tell if they're good or not.
I already shared my disinterest in the title game.
The entire list is below. I shamelessly ripped off of ESPN's Web site.
A few thoughts:
1) Best name of a bowl this year: R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl or Papajohns.com Bowl? Or Jesus, the Brut Sun Bowl or the Advo Care V100 Independence Bowl? I don't even know what that last one means. It's very troubling to me that the sponsors keep getting weirder and weirder on these bowls.
Do Emerald Nuts believe that I am more likely to buy their product because they sponsor the bowl my team is going to get destroyed in? And if so, then why did they drop the "nuts" part of the bowl, which really was the best part.
Does Meineke think the "Car Care" part of the bowl name is necessary? Are there a lot of other services that Meineke offers that I might get it confused with? Like they want to be clear, this is the Meineke Car Care Bowl, not the Meineke Mani-Pedi Bowl or the Meineke SAT Prep Bowl.
2) I think the Brut Sun Bowl is going to be fun -- Stanford vs. Oklahoma. An interesting matchup and a chance for people to see whether the Pac-10 is really good. Also a good game for those of us who don't miss being part of the Big East? The Sugar Bowl. I seriously can't imagine how much fun Florida is going to have dismantling everything that Cincinnati has prided itself on. It will be just the dressing down that Brian Kelly needs before he heads to Notre Dame, where he'll probably enjoy many dressings down in the 2010 season.
3) Did anyone know that Temple still had a football team? I could have sworn they left Div I-A a few years ago.
4) Does it bother anyone else that my team has to play the day after Christmas but the mighty Troy and Central Michigan teams get a January bowl? I mean, yes, it's the GMAC bowl (I honestly don't even know what that stands for and will not be bothering to look it up), but still. I thought the whole point was to put the most important bowls at the end. And that? Is not important.
Anyway, that's all I've got in me tonight.
A lot of people have said I'm a bad person for wishing ill on Tim Tebow.
I am not. I am a bad person for lots of other reasons, but I stand by my opinion that Tim Tebow has been over-fellated this year. A friend said to me that it was fun when he was a freshman phenom but now it's just tiring. I don't like any team that would put a plaque on the stadium walls of a "speech" he gave while he was still enrolled in the school (albeit probably taking 3 credits or something). And so I rooted for Alabama, and look at me now.
Yes, I may have had to root for a team coached by Nick Saban, who I am pretty sure has had hair plugs (that head of hair is just incredible). But at the end of the day, I stand by my decision.
That said, the title game isn't probably going to be very good. Texas - Alabama? Hard to get excited about.
So let's talk about some bowl matchups I am excited about.
First, I fully support the TCU - Boise State matchup, and here's why: because they're playing each other, I don't have to care about either of them. Whichever wins will be a top 5 team and it will be great, but it's once impossible to judge whether they deserve to be there because they're playing the other non-real conference team. So if Boise State wins? whatever. And if TCU wins? Huh.
It's basically like whoever wins that game is the better of the two teams that no one can really tell if they're good or not.
I already shared my disinterest in the title game.
The entire list is below. I shamelessly ripped off of ESPN's Web site.
A few thoughts:
1) Best name of a bowl this year: R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl or Papajohns.com Bowl? Or Jesus, the Brut Sun Bowl or the Advo Care V100 Independence Bowl? I don't even know what that last one means. It's very troubling to me that the sponsors keep getting weirder and weirder on these bowls.
Do Emerald Nuts believe that I am more likely to buy their product because they sponsor the bowl my team is going to get destroyed in? And if so, then why did they drop the "nuts" part of the bowl, which really was the best part.
Does Meineke think the "Car Care" part of the bowl name is necessary? Are there a lot of other services that Meineke offers that I might get it confused with? Like they want to be clear, this is the Meineke Car Care Bowl, not the Meineke Mani-Pedi Bowl or the Meineke SAT Prep Bowl.
2) I think the Brut Sun Bowl is going to be fun -- Stanford vs. Oklahoma. An interesting matchup and a chance for people to see whether the Pac-10 is really good. Also a good game for those of us who don't miss being part of the Big East? The Sugar Bowl. I seriously can't imagine how much fun Florida is going to have dismantling everything that Cincinnati has prided itself on. It will be just the dressing down that Brian Kelly needs before he heads to Notre Dame, where he'll probably enjoy many dressings down in the 2010 season.
3) Did anyone know that Temple still had a football team? I could have sworn they left Div I-A a few years ago.
4) Does it bother anyone else that my team has to play the day after Christmas but the mighty Troy and Central Michigan teams get a January bowl? I mean, yes, it's the GMAC bowl (I honestly don't even know what that stands for and will not be bothering to look it up), but still. I thought the whole point was to put the most important bowls at the end. And that? Is not important.
Anyway, that's all I've got in me tonight.
2009-10 College Football Bowl Schedule
| New Mexico Fresno State vs. Wyoming | Albuquerque, N.M. University Stadium | Dec. 19 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| St. Petersburg UCF vs. Rutgers | St. Petersburg, Fla. Tropicana Field | Dec. 19 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| R+L Carriers New Orleans Southern Miss vs. Middle Tennessee | New Orleans Louisiana Superdome | Dec. 20 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| MAACO Las Vegas Oregon State vs. BYU | Las Vegas Sam Boyd Stadium | Dec. 22 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| S.D. County Credit Union Poinsettia Utah vs. Cal | San Diego Qualcomm Stadium | Dec. 23 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Sheraton Hawaii Nevada vs. SMU | Honolulu Aloha Stadium | Dec. 24 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Little Caesars Marshall vs. Ohio | Detroit Ford Field | Dec. 26 1 p.m. | ESPN |
| Meineke Car Care Pitt vs. North Carolina | Charlotte, N.C. Bank of America Stadium | Dec. 26 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Emerald Boston College vs. USC | San Francisco AT&T Park | Dec. 26 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Gaylord Hotels Music City Kentucky vs. Clemson | Nashville, Tenn. LP Field | Dec. 27 8:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| AdvoCare V100 Independence Texas A&M vs. Georgia | Shreveport, La. Independence Stadium | Dec. 28 5 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| EagleBank Army or UCLA vs. Temple | Washington, D.C. RFK Stadium | Dec. 29 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Champs Sports Miami vs. Wisconsin | Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl | Dec. 29 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Roady's Humanitarian Bowling Green vs. Idaho | Boise, Idaho Bronco Stadium | Dec. 30 4:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pacific Life Holiday Arizona vs. Nebraska | San Diego Qualcomm Stadium | Dec. 30 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Houston vs. Air Force | Fort Worth, Texas Amon G. Carter Stadium | Dec. 31 Noon | ESPN |
| Brut Sun Oklahoma vs. Stanford | El Paso, Texas Sun Bowl | Dec. 31 2 p.m. | CBS |
| Texas Navy vs. Missouri | Houston Reliant Stadium | Dec. 31 3:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Insight Minnesota vs. Iowa State | Tempe, Ariz. Sun Devil Stadium | Dec. 31 6 p.m. | NFL Network |
| Chick-fil-A Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee | Atlanta Georgia Dome | Dec. 31 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Outback Northwestern vs. Auburn | Tampa, Fla. Raymond James Stadium | Jan. 1 11 a.m. | ESPN |
| Capital One Penn State vs. LSU | Orlando, Fla. Florida Citrus Bowl | Jan. 1 1 p.m. | ABC |
| Konica Minolta Gator West Virginia vs. Florida State | Jacksonville, Fla. Municipal Stadium | Jan. 1 1 p.m. | CBS |
| Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi Ohio State vs. Oregon | Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl | Jan. 1 4:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Allstate Sugar Florida vs. Cincinnati | New Orleans Louisiana Superdome | Jan. 1 8:30 p.m. | FOX |
| International South Florida vs. Northern Illinois | Toronto, Canada Rogers Centre | Jan. 2 Noon | ESPN2 |
| Papajohns.com South Carolina vs. UConn | Birmingham, Ala. Legion Field | Jan. 2 2 p.m. | ESPN |
| AT&T Cotton Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss | Arlington, Texas Cowboys Stadium | Jan. 2 2 p.m. | FOX |
| AutoZone Liberty Arkansas vs. East Carolina | Memphis, Tenn. Liberty Bowl | Jan. 2 5:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Valero Alamo Michigan State vs. Texas Tech | San Antonio Alamodome | Jan. 2 9 p.m. | ESPN |
| Tostitos Fiesta Boise State vs. TCU | Glendale, Ariz. U. of Phoenix Stadium | Jan. 4 8 p.m. | FOX |
| FedEx Orange Iowa vs. Georgia Tech | Miami Land Shark Stadium | Jan. 5 8 p.m. | FOX |
| GMAC Central Michigan vs. Troy | Mobile, Ala. Ladd-Peebles Stadium | Jan. 6 7 p.m. | ESPN |
| Citi BCS National Championship Game Texas vs. Alabama | Pasadena, Calif. Rose Bowl | Jan. 7 8 p.m. | ABC |
Thursday, December 3, 2009
NO HELMETS
Poor little Sean Canfield.
Adorable, sweet Sean Canfield failed again.
Let's look at him, shall we?
My goodness. That's enough to make you a Beaver Believer all year round.
Adorable, sweet Sean Canfield failed again.
Let's look at him, shall we?
My goodness. That's enough to make you a Beaver Believer all year round.
A thought on LaGarrette Blount
I am not going to hold off on this, even though I'm pretty sure tomorrow I might feel less serious about this.
As anyone with ESPN knows, tonight Oregon squeaked out a win over Oregon State 37-33, and it was a nice win for the Ducks that will send them to the Rose Bowl. I will root for them in the Rose Bowl, and I am not exactly heartbroken about the Beavers. I mean, I really don't care much either way, but it would have been fun to see the upset.
Here's what I'm troubled by, and I'm honestly curious what your thoughts are.
LaGarrette Blount. Let me remind you of a few things about this young man....
I'm guessing that refreshed your memory. Anyway, he is the young man who threw a punch at the start of the season on national television. He is the young man who Chip Kelly suspended for the season and then magically unsuspended for the season and said would play once he climbed various rungs on an imaginary ladder.
He has been eligible to play for a few weeks now. He hasn't played.
Until the Civil War. Until the Ducks are down 9 points in the third quarter against the Beavers and their shot at the Rose Bowl is on the line.
And maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion, but I just think that's tacky. I'm not saying that the Beavers shouldn't have stepped up and shut him down when they needed to, or that the Ducks wouldn't have won without him (I think they would, and could have). I just get a bad taste in my mouth about it. Not sure why. It just felt a little bit like Chip Kelly saying, 'We're in a tight spot. Here's a guy who they have very little film on, who hasn't been a part of our offense all season but who has practiced with us. Let's throw him in at an opportune time.'
I am not even saying that as a coach I wouldn't have done the exact same thing.
I'm just saying I thought it was tacky.
That said, I also thought both their defenses looked like shit. And that the Beavers let it slip away and made a bad call to go for it on 4th and 15 with 6 minutes remaining. Again, I'm not sure how I would have done things differently, I just don't agree with the call.
And on that note, here's something else I find tacky:
That is thanks to my friend Mike. And that, complete with three separate (and to my mind unnecessary) fonts on one T-shirt, is why I rooted for the Beavers.
As anyone with ESPN knows, tonight Oregon squeaked out a win over Oregon State 37-33, and it was a nice win for the Ducks that will send them to the Rose Bowl. I will root for them in the Rose Bowl, and I am not exactly heartbroken about the Beavers. I mean, I really don't care much either way, but it would have been fun to see the upset.
Here's what I'm troubled by, and I'm honestly curious what your thoughts are.
LaGarrette Blount. Let me remind you of a few things about this young man....
I'm guessing that refreshed your memory. Anyway, he is the young man who threw a punch at the start of the season on national television. He is the young man who Chip Kelly suspended for the season and then magically unsuspended for the season and said would play once he climbed various rungs on an imaginary ladder.
He has been eligible to play for a few weeks now. He hasn't played.
Until the Civil War. Until the Ducks are down 9 points in the third quarter against the Beavers and their shot at the Rose Bowl is on the line.
And maybe I'm blowing this out of proportion, but I just think that's tacky. I'm not saying that the Beavers shouldn't have stepped up and shut him down when they needed to, or that the Ducks wouldn't have won without him (I think they would, and could have). I just get a bad taste in my mouth about it. Not sure why. It just felt a little bit like Chip Kelly saying, 'We're in a tight spot. Here's a guy who they have very little film on, who hasn't been a part of our offense all season but who has practiced with us. Let's throw him in at an opportune time.'
I am not even saying that as a coach I wouldn't have done the exact same thing.
I'm just saying I thought it was tacky.
That said, I also thought both their defenses looked like shit. And that the Beavers let it slip away and made a bad call to go for it on 4th and 15 with 6 minutes remaining. Again, I'm not sure how I would have done things differently, I just don't agree with the call.
And on that note, here's something else I find tacky:
That is thanks to my friend Mike. And that, complete with three separate (and to my mind unnecessary) fonts on one T-shirt, is why I rooted for the Beavers.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Being part of Beaver Nation
This is going to divide the very few followers of this blog, but I'm going to make this statement up front.
Tomorrow, I root for the Beavers. Which means I root against the Ducks.
Which frankly should impress you all because that means I am actually, for once, rooting for a team based in Oregon. That said, I have no real choice. They're playing each other.
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the Civil War, which is more brutal than usual because the winner heads to the Rose Bowl to get beaten by Ohio State:
I think Oregon will probably win. I think it will be close. And I think that once again, at the close of the season, Oregon Ducks fans (if their team comes out of the Civil War on top) will be insufferable yet again. And so I choose to root for the Beavers, because one thing I enjoy about them is that they're always just kind of surprised and happy to be involved. That's what sucking really hard for a long time will do for a program: it teaches humility.
Several other reasons that I've chosen to root for OSU: survival. There are way more Beaver fans in Bend than Ducks. And the Beaver, I believe, is a more fierce mascot than the Duck.
Also, this, which offends me to my core: I Love My Ducks
Seriously. That may have pushed me over the edge.
Anyway, I hope if nothing else it's a close, well-played game. I also hope it gets a little chippy. And I particularly hope that LaGarrette gets a little playing time. Just for the fun of it. So his stat line won't say -5 yards for the entire season.
***
In other news, Charlie Weis got fired the other day. I was surprised it didn't happen on Sunday (although that's the Lord's Day, so I shouldn't be too shocked).
Notre Dame has a challenge on its hands, because it must find someone who wants the job, but who can also do the job. It's a bit harder than pulling a bunch of clowns out of junior college like they do at Boise State (and, ahem, Oregon). Unlike most schools in the country, most of these boys are actually expected to go to class and graduate. Oh and win games, which has been much more of a challenge than the graduation rate in the past few years. And by few I mean like 18.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if the Irish go to a bowl game. I would like them to just so I get another chance to see Jimmy Clausen throw to Michael Floyd for 400 yards. Because I'm pretty sure that depending on who they pick to take over as coach, Clausen is going to bust out of there a year early.
Maybe Duke's got another point guard it will be willing to give up to the Irish? Scheyer? You interested? Because your predecessor's been very successful at Syracuse (4-8, with 14 interceptions and 13 touchdowns).
Oh, and Bobby Bowden retired, which I'm pretty sure every Florida State fan is secretly thankful for even if they won't admit it. I should point out the man appears to be completely off his rocker. I don't think he's known the names of his players for years now. He probably thought he'd already retired.
Now if they could just get rid of Joe Paterno at Penn State.
Tomorrow, I root for the Beavers. Which means I root against the Ducks.
Which frankly should impress you all because that means I am actually, for once, rooting for a team based in Oregon. That said, I have no real choice. They're playing each other.
Anyway, here are my thoughts on the Civil War, which is more brutal than usual because the winner heads to the Rose Bowl to get beaten by Ohio State:
I think Oregon will probably win. I think it will be close. And I think that once again, at the close of the season, Oregon Ducks fans (if their team comes out of the Civil War on top) will be insufferable yet again. And so I choose to root for the Beavers, because one thing I enjoy about them is that they're always just kind of surprised and happy to be involved. That's what sucking really hard for a long time will do for a program: it teaches humility.
Several other reasons that I've chosen to root for OSU: survival. There are way more Beaver fans in Bend than Ducks. And the Beaver, I believe, is a more fierce mascot than the Duck.
Also, this, which offends me to my core: I Love My Ducks
Seriously. That may have pushed me over the edge.
Anyway, I hope if nothing else it's a close, well-played game. I also hope it gets a little chippy. And I particularly hope that LaGarrette gets a little playing time. Just for the fun of it. So his stat line won't say -5 yards for the entire season.
***
In other news, Charlie Weis got fired the other day. I was surprised it didn't happen on Sunday (although that's the Lord's Day, so I shouldn't be too shocked).
Notre Dame has a challenge on its hands, because it must find someone who wants the job, but who can also do the job. It's a bit harder than pulling a bunch of clowns out of junior college like they do at Boise State (and, ahem, Oregon). Unlike most schools in the country, most of these boys are actually expected to go to class and graduate. Oh and win games, which has been much more of a challenge than the graduation rate in the past few years. And by few I mean like 18.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if the Irish go to a bowl game. I would like them to just so I get another chance to see Jimmy Clausen throw to Michael Floyd for 400 yards. Because I'm pretty sure that depending on who they pick to take over as coach, Clausen is going to bust out of there a year early.
Maybe Duke's got another point guard it will be willing to give up to the Irish? Scheyer? You interested? Because your predecessor's been very successful at Syracuse (4-8, with 14 interceptions and 13 touchdowns).
Oh, and Bobby Bowden retired, which I'm pretty sure every Florida State fan is secretly thankful for even if they won't admit it. I should point out the man appears to be completely off his rocker. I don't think he's known the names of his players for years now. He probably thought he'd already retired.
Now if they could just get rid of Joe Paterno at Penn State.
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