ESPN released their preseason basketball top 25. When is the last time the previous year's national champion wasn't even ranked? It's logical considering how many players they lost, but ouch! Though, I'm sure Dickie V has Duke #1 and UNC #2 BABY!
A snippet of Chris Farley's old El Nino skit from SNL. "Yo soy El Nino! For those of you who don't "habla Espanol", El Nino is Spanish for.. The Nino!" While we're at it..here's the the Chippendale's sketch with The Swayze.
It takes a little while to load but it's worth checking out Gatorswearjeanshorts.net (sound). Apparently it's Georgia/Florida week and people are getting riled up in Atlanta. As an equal opportunity hater, I would like to remind everyone of last year when the UGA football team posed for the gayest photo in history.
Eastern Conference:
ATLANTIC: New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Toronto
CENTRAL: Indiana, Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Chicago (best division in East)
SOUTHEAST: Miami, Washington, Orlando, Atlanta, Charlotte (worst in East)
Western Conference:
NORTHWEST: Denver, Minnesota, Seattle, Portland, Utah
PACIFIC: LA Clippers, Sacramento, Phoenix, LA Lakers, Golden State
SOUTHWEST: San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Memphis, New Orleans (best division in West)
Some thoughts:
- Stacey Augmon apparently is still in the league and playing for Orlando. The Plastic Man, Grant Hill, and Laettner are the only guys left from that 1991 Duke/UNLV game still left in the league. Which makes me feel old from now, but when all of the Fab Five have officially retired, I'll know it's time to settle down and have some kids.
- between Miami and San Antonio stockpiling every good player in the NBA and so many undeveloped HS kids, there are some weak rosters that feature only one or two decent players. The two worst rosters that I noticed using ESPN's current depth charts were Toronto, Charlotte and Utah. Toronto has only one young talent in Bosh and everyone else is pretty much a throwaway. If Jalen hasn't proved he can lead a team by now he's not going to. The Bobcats has Okafor and pretty much nothing around him. I get the feeling that Wallace will always be raw, Brevin is only good for bad teams, and I don't have much faith in Kareem or Brezec. Utah has one true talent in Kirilenko, and then Boozer who may only have the appearance of a career because of Lebron. I could be wrong about Deron Williams, but if he proves me wrong I doubt it will be this year.
Toronto: Mike James, Mo Pete, Jalen Rose, Chris Bosh, Loren Woods
Charlotte: Brevin Knight, Kareem Rush, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor, Primoz Brezec
Utah: Deron Williams, Gordon Giricek, Andrei Kirilenko, Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur
- Phil Jackson has a chance to prove his coaching merit this year, because this has to be the least talented team he's coached.
In a Montgomery Advertiser article Tommy Tuberville unleashes about a years worth of frustration at the BCS system and most importantly ESPN. There are a few great lines in here:
"The national media, led by ESPN, wants to see Vince Young vs. Matt Leinart in the championship game. It's going to be those two teams unless Texas or USC get upset....Last year, they wanted to see the two Heisman Trophy quarterbacks, Jason White and Leinart. After six or seven games, we were out of it."
"ESPN has gotten so much power lately, it's kinda scary," Tuberville said. "And most of their analysts are coaches who haven't won any games. That's why they're there. I think you know who I'm talking about."
Actually I don't know. It could be Holtz or Corso, could you please elaborate for us coach....
"And Lou Holtz gets on there and talks about what a team has to do win that game, and the guy couldn't beat anybody in our conference. These guys will come talk to you and look you straight in the eye and tell you something, then they'll get on the air and say something else....ESPN, I'll tell you, I don't have much to do with them anymore."
I can't disagree with anything that Tuberville said. I've had many of the same thoughts, and I couldn't believe how shameless the ESPN guys were in accepting the USC/OU title game last year, immediately after the SEC Champ. game. However, there is something pretty dumb about this. If Tuberville realizes that "ESPN has gotten too much power lately" wouldn't it be a good idea to do everything you can to endear yourself to them. Hell, I'd be taking Corso and Herbstreit on regular golf outings if I was a coach. If you know it's a media game and doesn't all get settled on the field, then why not try and take advantage of that. Gunslingers brought up the point yesterday that recruits could be affected by what is said on Gameday. If you're thinking about going to Florida and Kirk mentions on Gameday that they're having a great recruiting class, wouldn't that make you feel a lot better about you decision.
And so, even though I admire Tommy for calling out ESPN for who they are, it's not in the best interests of Auburn football. Get in line, pull the Pete Carroll act, and start using that expense account to wine and dine some on air personalities.
- apparently I'm growing up surely but slowly. I've learned to handle losses a little bit better than I used to and look for the silver lining. Also, I feel better about this loss, because I know what type of team Auburn has now. I can accept that it's a rebuilding year, believe that we are in pretty good shape for the near futurn, and try to focus on the good aspects of following your team no matter what.
- I say that but I blacked out Saturday night. So it's baby steps to say the least.
- What a weird day in the SEC. The manner in which LSU, bama, and UGA got victories was just silly.
- Moving sucks. There's no other way to put it. I just moved in to a nicer apartment, I'm paying $175 less a month, and the process of moving makes you question it the whole time. Not to mention, I for some reason decided to try and hook up my entertainment system between the end of the bama game and the start of the Auburn game, which lead to much frustration and panic during the first 15-20 minutes of the Auburn game. Which happens to be the only regular season game I'll be watching on tv.
- If you haven't watched it much, The Office, is outstanding this year. Last year they remade episodes/scripts that appeared on the British version of the Office. This season they are coming up with original plot lines and tailoring it to the American characters and audience. The difference is noticed and appreciated.
Last Week: 3-2
Season: 20-13-2
OKLAHOMA -13.5 Baylor: I would say that Adrian Peterson is iffy at best. Baylor has played some teams pretty tough this year but they are by no means an offensive powerhouse. If OU can score 21 they should cover. I also feel like Bob Stoops has got to start instilling some confidence and a winning attitude back into this team. Beating the crap out of somebody is the best way to accomplish that.
COLORADO -15.5 Kansas: Like Baylor, the Jayhawks have played some good teams close this year. That being said, they've only managed 6 points in their last two games. The Buffaloes two losses were both road games at Miami and Texas. It won't be easy but I like Colorado covering at home.
Oregon -10.5 ARIZONA: Inexplicable line of the week. From espn.com "Oregon has won the last six meetings with Arizona, including the last four by an average margin of 26 points." Excluding USC, Oregon is winning their conference games by average of about 21 points including a 31-17 win at Arizona St. ESPN doesn't mention any major injuries, so I see no reason to believe that the Ducks could have that big of a letdown game.
UAB -2.5 Southern Miss: Pretty evenly matched teams. Home team wins.
Tennessee @ bama under 38 points: Tennessee's offense hasn't been nothing short of boring for all but one half this season. I'm of the opinion that Brodie played just about perfect against Florida. But much like Hagans against FSU last week, that may be the pinnacle of his career. The offense definitely didn't look great against Arkansas and Ole Miss was able to stack the box since Prothro wasn't able to stretch the field. Maybe I'm reading too much into last weeks game, but I think bama's offense is going to struggle. I have no clue who will win this game. But I just don't see anyone putting up more than 24 points.
LSU fans smell just like corn dogs.
Yes, it is often said, but so, so true.
LSU fans do smell like corn dogs.
I would never tell them that to their face though. This is something better said at internet distances. Even now, I am afraid.
I am afraid that they'll know I said it. I'll walk past an LSU fan someday, and he'll see that look in my eye that gives it away. That look that says, "gee, what is that smell? Is it corn dogs?" The next thing you know, I'll have flat tires on my car.
If you only learn one thing from me today, remember not to tell LSU fans how they smell - you know, like corn dogs.
LSU fans seem, somehow, sensitive to that whole corn dog issue.
I think this may be why a lot of fans get beaten up by LSU fans. If you attend a game in Baton Rouge, try to avoid telling them that they smell like corn dogs. Say something else instead. Like, "Wow, LSU sure does have a great team this year. This is going to be a great SEC game."
It's hard. I know. It's like when you're having sex and you try to think about baseball. That corn dog smell is just so overwhelming. It makes it hard for you to think about football or baseball or whatever else. Your brain wanders into corn dog topics like: "Gee, I wonder if I took a bite of your finger, if you would taste just like a corn dog?"; or "Is this a real person or is it a giant corn dog trying to make me think it is a real person?" or "What did that giant corn dog just say?" or "Excuse me, Mister, why is it that you smell just exactly like corn dogs smell?" or, of course, after a silencer: "Madam, did you just let the corn dogs out?"
Heck, after what I've heard about LSU fans, I think it may be better not to smell them at all. Okay, not all of them. Some of them are nice. Sure. Smell the nice ones. That's okay.
You know what else is a bad thing to do? Holding your nose around them. They are real sensitive to that, too. Try holding your breath. But don't be obvious about it. Somehow they know you're trying not to breathe in the corn dog smell. And that offends them. They'll likely punch you for that if they catch on to what you're doing.
If you do breathe it in long enough, though, it'll permeate your whole body, and then you'll smell like a corn dog just like they do. But don't say, "Dang, now I smell like a corn dog." They take offense to that. And they will throw things. But not corn dogs. Hard stuff. Stuff that leaves bruises and makes you bleed. Then you may have to get stitches or something. Just don't say it. If you do start smelling like a corn dog, just shut up about it. Okay?
I think kids are acutely aware of corn dog smells too. Counsel your kids on how to behave around LSU fans. If LSU fans are driving around town, do not let your kids stick their heads out of your car window and sniff the air. No. Keep your windows rolled up. An odd change in their expression - indicating they smell corn dogs - might get a wrench or pipe or some other object tossed at your windshield. So, that's dangerous. Let your kids stick their heads out of the car windows as you drive - on some other weekend.
I know you are just as puzzled as I am about some of this corn dog stuff. What puzzles me most is that I've never actually seen any of these LSU fans with a corn dog in their hand. Okay, maybe there's no mystery there - maybe they already ate the corn dogs. Who knows? Maybe there's a corn dog factory in Baton Rouge and they all work there. Maybe, there's a corn dog lotion that they wear, or a French perfume. Maybe their city council puts corn dog juice in the water supply - kind of like fluoride. The politics there are probably weird. The big political issue during the city election is whether they should add more ketchup or more mustard to the water. Don't comment on it though. It's not politically correct over there. It's like a malnutrition issue or something. It's like the corn dogs are probably added to the water to prevent starvation or something.
I know when you go to Baton Rouge, you're thinking: "Ahhhh. Here I am in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I'll bet the people here smell just like boiled crawfish or shrimp etoufe' or some fancy Cajun food." But just stop thinking that. That's just a myth. They smell just like corn dogs.
In fact, please listen to my advice. Leave them alone about the corn dog odor. And don't try masking the odor with something stronger. They'll curse at you. They'll say something like: "WTF, how dare you smoke a cigar in my home." or "WTF!! Are you too good for the smell of corn dogs?" and they'll cuss out your kids too: "WTF!!! Little Mister fancy pants over here acts like he doesn't want to smell like corn dogs."
Cajuns are not like us. Don't you see that, yet? They are really sensitive about being sniffed and about their corn dog aroma. They know they smell like corn dogs and it is no laughing matter to them at all. I know. I know. We sniff the bammers and the UGA dawgs and the Ole messes, and we keep a straight face with each of them, but don't press your luck with the Cajun tiger fans. Don't refer to Death Valley as corn dog valley either. I mean that's just wrong. Even if you've been drinking, they'll beat you up and curse out your kids.
Along these lines, be extra careful when you laugh in their direction - even if you're laughing about something else. Like baseball or football, or sex or whatever. If you can't control yourself and you must laugh though, do not snort. The snorting makes them think that you smell their corn dog body odor from a distance or that you're choking on it or something. They'll likely burn your van for that. We lost a campus building over just one snort.
So, just remember. You can love one another without sniffing each other. You can enjoy the clash of a couple of good football teams. You can enjoy the thrill of the rivalry. But after the game, please heed my words. Please just move along. No sniffing the opposing fans this Saturday. Okay? Get your corn dog jollies at home.
Enough with this corn dog talk. Let's play ball...
ORIGINALLY POSTED BY DeeepBlue ON THE AUTIGERS.COM MESSAGE BOARDS ON 1/2/03 BEFORE IT BECAME IN POOR TASTE TO MAKE FUN OF LOUISIANA. IF YOU FEEL THAT THIS POST IS IN POOR TASTE I APOLOGIZE.
Saturday is going to go a long way towards deciding who will win the SEC West. There are two scenarios that would pretty much decide the race. Unfortunately for bama, they play UT and then still have to play LSU and at Auburn, so they can't really solidify anything this week. However, I'd assume they'll be pulling for an LSU win (guessing that it's easier to beat LSU @ home as opposed Auburn on the road).
If Auburn wins and bama loses, it puts Auburn in a very favorable position. Ole Miss at home and Kentucky on the road are automatic wins. Auburn could lose it's road game at UGA and only have to beat bama at home to secure the west.
If LSU wins and bama loses, they pull themselves back into the race. The three teams would have one loss apiece, with LSU having the head to head win over Auburn, and controlling their own destiny with a game at Tuscaloosa still to play.
If UT loses look for the wheels to come off. The firing of Randy Sanders, an end of the UT recruiting glory, and a drop down the SEC East totem pole. Not to mention another 15-20 arrests in the following 12 months.
Supposedly their are other games being played this weekend but I can't imagine myself caring. You know, unless Texas Tech magically becomes a real team all of a sudden.
About ten years ahead of the game, the SEC realized it was a good idea to expand to 12 teams and split the conference up into two divisions back in 1991. For background check out the history of the SEC and the old Southern Conference's charter members. An offer was extended to FSU but they decided to join the ACC. We grabbed South Carolina who was a member of the ACC from 1953-71 then competed in football as an independant (Metro Conference for other sports). South Carolina makes sense because they were a pretty good football and basketball school, and Columbia is just a short drive from UGA, UT and others.
However Arkansas, a member of the SWC is anything but a short drive from other SEC schools. For example it's about 560 miles and a 9 hour drive from Birmingham (the SEC home office). Their basketball program was good and the football team had some past success, but it's really freaking far away. The closest school to Arky is Ole Miss and it's 400 miles away. Meanwhile Ok. St. is about 180 miles and OU is about 250.
So since the football team is an also ran at the moment, and the basketball program is dead since they didn't realize what they had with Nolan Richardson, let's kick em out. They are a much better fit for the Big 12 and would surely bring in more money than Baylor.
Now the real question is who would the SEC bring in to replace them? The first choice would be Georgia Tech but I doubt Tech would leave the ACC at this point. Though I think it would help them immensely. Southern Miss and Tulane make sense from a geographic standpoint but are too small. At a different point in time we may have been able to get either Miami or FSU but not anymore.
So basically you're left with Louisville and Memphis. I'd take either one to be honest with you. I'm not sure that either one is upgrade over Arkansas though. But it brings in more natural rivals. UT and Ole Miss have played Memphis on semi-regular basis over the last 15 years. And Louisville and UK seem to have the same sort of out of conference rivalry that UGA and GT have. In a pinch though I'm going with Memphis. I think if they joined the SEC they'd be able to keep a lot more of the recruits that currently slip away to bama, Ole Miss, UT etc. But I wouldn't be mad about Louisville.
But it's never going to happen, so in the meantime I'll be happy to keep adding Arkansas' track national championships to the SEC total and hoping they keep Houston Nutt employed.
This may be the greatest satirical post in history. Make sure you click on the link in the first sentence to fully understand.
I was glad to see that Michael Wilbon was the voice of reason on PTI yesterday. He seems to be the only one in the media showing patience before ranking the USC/Notre Dame game in the greatest ever pantheon. There are things that make a game great other than what happens during that sixty minutes. Do you think the 1992 Duke and Kentucky game would be held in such high regard if Duke didn't go on to win the national title? I'm not saying it wasn't a great game, and that it wasn't possibly the greatest regular season game ever, I just think that it can't be decided until at least the end of season. Other than the media loving USC and ND I don't see how it's that much better of a game than any of those FSU/Miami games we've be treated to over the last 10 years. Also, I think Bruce Feldman pretty much summed up my thoughts on USC this season:
"I'm not predicting an upset, but after watching the USC-ND game, I must say I no longer would use the word "shocked" to describe my feelings if the Trojans were to get upset in the regular season."
The offense might be the best one from this USC run, but the defense is horrid. That's what made USC different from recent PAC 10 teams. They could play defense as well as anyone in the nation. USC strolled into Jordan Hare in 2003 and shutdown Auburn 23-0, and schooled Michigan 28-14 in the Rose. Now they're more like those Rams offenses from a few years back.
Straight Bangin' has this post about Alan Houston's retirement. Which for him symbolizes the end of the Knicks as he grew up knowing them. I've seen the good and bad side of this. When the Hawks traded Nique it was the end of the Hawks of my early youth that were competitive and fun to watch. Then last year's trading of Jason Terry and Alan Houston were the end of the Hawks that almost killed any ounce of basketball enthusiasm in Atlanta. So I guess I'll experience the same thing again if Josh Smith and Marvin Williams get broken up in the 2010 off season after they've won their second title.
I've been a long time proponent of John Edwards being elected president, but his ability to beat Raymond Felton in HORSE pretty much seals the deal for me. I by no means want to turn this into a political blog, but I heard an interesting theory the other day. Some dude on O'Reilly (I accidentally switched to 680) stated that if Hillary was the Democratic nominee, that Condoleezza Rice was possibly the only Republican that could beat her. The reason being that she would be able to take a large portion of the black vote, the conservative male vote, and eliminate conservative women switching sides to vote a woman into office. I don't know how legitimate this is but it's an interesting thought. How would America react if the 2 presidential nominees were women?
Thanks to the College Football Resource for adding me to their list of SEC football blogs. Also I've posted some pictures from the Fayetteville trip on the Hank Jamaica site.
Apparently I missed a lot of good football over the weekend. Which seems to happen a lot if you tailgate for a large portion of games and haven't stepped it up enough and gotten a dish for the occasion. None the less I have a few thoughts.
- We listened to bama/Ole Miss game on Sirius Satellite Radio. This is great for a few reasons. You can listen to it anywhere with no static. Most games SEC games are broadcast with an option of listening to either team's announcers. Thus we were spared Eli Gold and had the good fortune of listening to the Ole Miss announcers. Oddly enough, they didn't seem to be as outraged as we were about the Rebs missing two short field goals.
- Apparently John Parker Wilson is trying to break David "Deuce" Palmer's record for number of DUI's while playing for the tide.
- Well I was smart enough to know that there would be some upsets. FSU and Penn St. were the victims. Although bama, USC, BC, and UCLA tried their hardest. Lesson to be learned? It's hard to play on the road.
- Drinking before games is apparently an art I have not quite perfected. In addition to missing all of the games on TV, I have only a very faint recollection of the Auburn/Arkansas game. Which kinda makes the 24 total hours of driving seem worthless. However I did enjoy getting to see Fayetteville for the first time. A unique and fun stadium and a great little downtown area. I'll never drive again, but if I have the chance I would definitely fly for the game in the future.
- To call him Urban Cryer almost seems to easy. But when people try try to justify his feminine actions, you're left with no choice. Says AD Foley: "“You guys (the media) have no idea of the relationship he has with these guys because you aren’t in the locker room." Which would kind of make sense. Except for the fact that he's coached these guys for about 6 months. He may have many faults but you didn't see Phat Phil cry after players he's coached for five years lose to Florida or Georgia. And I guarantee you the Ole Ball Coach would never cry after a loss. It's kinda like those idiots on the Real World who have a total breakdown when they have to move out of the house.
- Learning from a text message that Jason Collier died on Saturday was nothing short of surreal. I really feel awful for his wife and daughter.
This post by a former walk on about the 1993 FSU/Notre Dame is one of those great behind the scenes look into college football.
At first glance it may look like there are only three big time matchups this weekend: USC/Notre Dame, UF/LSU, Ohio St/Mich St. It seems to me when everyone thinks it's going to be a boring weekend, Upset Saturday happens. I'm gonna bet at least two top 20 teams get upset this week and their are a whole bunch of candidates:
Colorado @ Texas, FSU @ Virginia, Georgia @ Vandy, bama @ Ole Miss, Penn St @ Michigan, Kansas St @ Texas Tech, UCLA @ Washington St, BC @ Wake
I just don't see the favorites going 8-8 out of those games. my guess would be that KSU, Wake, Michigan and Virginia have the best chances. Thanks to SI, I could easily see Croyle get hurt and the Wild Boyz pulling out a "signature win" for Crazy Ed, but short of an injury that ain't happening. Anyways, in a bit of an upset, I've decided to pick four road winners this week. Which probably means I'll go 1-4.
Last Week: 2-3
Season: 17-11-2
Auburn -7.5 ARKANSAS: This seems like an easy pick. The line is low b/c the Razorbacks played bama tough a few weeks ago, it's a trap game with Auburn going to LSU next week, it's Auburn's first road game of the year, and Auburn's glaring weakness right now appears to be the ability to stop a power running attack. But I see Auburn avoiding turnovers and abusing Robert Johnson.
Oklahoma -6 KANSAS: I know the Sooners are having a down year, I have no clue about Adrian Petererson's availability, but I'm going to go with talent on this one. Since KSU held the Jayhawks to 3 last week, I don't think it'd be a stretch for the Sooners to pitch a shutout this week. Somehow someway Oklahoma will get at least 3 FGs and cover the spread.
Ucla -5 WASHINTON ST: I'm on the Bruins bandwagon until they show me a reason to think otherwise.
IOWA -14.5 Indiana: Yeah it was fun when the Hoosiers and Commodores were winning games and we got a history lesson every week. But they both have to play real teams now and the fun is over. Drew Tate is back and the Hawkeyes will roll at home.
Michigan St +6.5 OHIO ST: Anytime an offense like the Spartans gets an extra 6.5 points against a coach who thinks FGs are the key to championships, I like my odds. Michigan St. is one of many great offenses around the nation this year.
Michigan St. is one of the many great offenses around the nation this year. Unfortunately, none of them are in the SEC right now. This weekend may go a ways in proving who's the best in the SEC. Auburn and Georgia need to show they can blow out an opponent on the road. bama needs to show their is life after Prothro. LSU needs to convince Jimbo Fisher that there's no point of having great backs if you don't use them and Urban Meyer gets his third chance to display his offense against a real defense.
Since I will be heading to lovely Fayetteville, Arkansas for the Auburn game this weekend, any suggestions on bars, restaurants, or outhouses to stop by would be appreciated. This will be the 10th SEC campus I cross off my list and I hope to make it a good one. So seriously if you have any suggestions on where to tailgate or know if there is an open container law let me know.
Also there has been a lot of talk lately of the current top 25 polls resembling the days of yore. If you want to see for yourself this site has every finishing AP and Coaches poll pretty much ever. I went ahead and linked to 1970-1974 because it has some weird discrepancies between the two polls.
Thanks to EDSBS and Sexy Results for the pub. If you want some more Atlanta sports perspective (and doesn't everyone?) you can check out The Drizzle, which is a reference to Aqua Teen Hungerforce.
Thanks to Deadspin Sports I have witnessed the newest addition to embarrassing photos of sports stars to make it on to the internet. Sure Dirk Nowitski and Steve Nash looked silly, Kyle Orton didn't make it any harder for Bears fans to question him, and at least Larry Eustachy was trying to get a little tail.
But Reggie Love has outdone them all. Apparently he got drunk outside the friendly confines of the Duke campus, and believe or not, your rival fans are more vicious in their frat houses than they are at the Dean Dome. The first page linked to is just an explanation. From there you can follow a link to Reggie being written on in marker and then what appears to be the lead up of getting teabagged. Maybe Coack K will talk about this in his next American Express commercial. I've declined to make the easy joke about Christian Laettner and all of this. Feel free to make your own.
Yesterday was just an awful awful day to be an Atlanta sports fan. As though the sports gods were trying to see how much damage they could place on my nervous stomach, the Braves and Falcons game both started at 1pm. So I'm treated to Hudson coming out on fire and Laroche jacking a grand slam. Starting to feel pretty good about the game. Meanwhile the Falcons give up two touchdowns to the Pats in the first quarter and the Falcons are doing everything possible to make Schaub look bad. However in the second quarter the running game gets going and Schaub starts evoking memories of Frank Reich.
Couple uneventful innings, both teams score on sac flies. We get into Houston's bull pen in the sixth and things are starting to look good. At halftime I take a short break to refresh myself and calm down. But overall I'm feeling pretty good. There's no way Atlanta should be moving the ball this well with their backup qb. And we start making plans for tickets for game 5.
Patriots score on a bomb to Ben Watson just as I realize half time is over, then the slowest base running I've ever seen leads to Laroche being thrown out by a mile at the plate. As David put it "Laroche looked like Sid Bream except without the heart". Could of used that run but I feel okay. Then Bethell Johnson decides that his 2nd catch of the year should be a 55 yard touchdown. Stomach is starting to rumble. I medicate the problem with cheap beer.
Schaub again channels Reich and leads an improbably comeback to say the least. All of sudden Brian Finneran looks like Randy Moss, which is highlighted by a fade route for a 2 pt. conversion. McCann homers and I give high fives to everyone in the apartment.
The Intern is getting killed for his "Jorge Sosa pitches a Game 3 gem tomorrow night" jinx, and we start making him pull for the Astros and Pats.
Then the bottom falls out. The Pats drive the length of the field like they are playing their drunk friend in Playstation. Vinatieri makes the most inevitable field goal in history. Hudson gets into some trouble. I'm thinking, I'd rather not have Farnsworth pitch two innings tonight and be out for game 5, but I don't trust anyone else. Grand Slam. Severely worried, but we have another at bat and a one run lead.
Then that stupid pin ball machine that they call a park, comes into play. Ausmus hits it barely above the right angle yellow line in center for a homer. Maybe the most ridiculous homer I've ever witnessed. With our pen, extra innings don't seem promising. I sit stand and lay down over the next couple of gut wrenching hours before the Braves are forced to bring in Joey Devine. You would think after the Astros went to the Rocket, we'd consider putting in Smoltz. But whatever. So another homer. The whole day, season, year is shot. And I still blame it all on Game 1. I know it's obvious, but if we win that game, it's a completely different series. I sill haven't had the reasoning behind not pitching Smoltz in Game 1 or why on earth Cox felt that Jordan was going to contribute something when he's been a disappointment all year.
This loss hurt because it's the most I've cared about a Braves team since 1991. A lot of these guys were my age or younger and fun as hell to watch.
In the offseason, if I'm the Braves, I get rid of Estrada, LaRoche, and Jordan. Move Chipper to first, Betemit to third, resign Furcal no matter how much it costs, move Sosa back to the pen, Davies as a starter, and platoon Johnson and Langerhans in left.
Just woke up and started watching Gameday. Though it's cheap and not very filling, Busch Light gives your stomach a pleasasnt reminder of what you had to drink the night before. It's come to my attention that the Texas/OU game will not be showed on the Atlanta ABC affiliate. They've decided to go with the explosive matchup of Virginia and Boston College. I'm no contemplating going to the Lodge to watch the game. Which has two things going for it: 1. It's in walking distance and cheap 2. It's the official viewing area for Florida fans. And if I'm going to be in a bar at 12:30, I might as well be staring at girls in tube tops. Finally, to make things interesting I decided to make a little deposit with my boys at Sportsbook.com.
- the dude who played Napolean Dynamite, Jon Heder, is hosting Saturday Night Live tonight.
Blessed Off Weekend. The one weekend where I can actually sit in my recliner all day, set up a couple of tv's, and watch about 8 games. There's not really a full slate of great games, but I can't remember the last time I got to watch the Red River Rivalry or the Georgia vs. Tennessee game. Throw in a couple of Braves games, the Falcons taking on the defending champs, and it's going to be banner weekend. I"m pretty sure I'm parking my car when I get home from work today and not moving it again until Monday morning.
Last week: 4-1
Season: 15-8-2 (65%)
FLORIDA ST. -21.5 Wake Forest: Wake screwed me last week by managing to beat Clemson in Raleigh. I don't think they'll find Doak Campbell quite as pleasant. The Seminoles have too much to lose, to allow this to be a close game. After being absent for several years they are back in the National Championship picture. Seriously check out their remaining schedule. There isn't a game on there that they should lose, though 4 road games is always daunting. The probable showdown with VT in the ACC Championship game looks exciting.
KANSAS STATE -6 Kansas: From what I can tell both of these teams suck. The Wildcats got by without playing anyone until the Sooners steamrolled them in Norman last week. The most impressive thing Kansas has done yet is only lose by 13 at Texas Tech last week. Rivalry game, where I see the home team winning by at least a touchdown.
COLORADO -3 Texas A & M: Wow, I had no clue how badly the Aggies were playing this season. After the loss to Clemson they followed that up by killing SMU, then only beating Texas St. by 13 and having to go to overtime to beat Baylor at home. The only blemish for the Buffaloes is losing at Miami.
Ohio St. -3.5 Penn St. I guess it's good that Columbo has the Nittany Lions off to a 5-0 start. And they were impressive against Minnesota last week. But the Buckeyes are in a whole different league as far as talent goes. As long as they can put 13 on the board they should be alright with that defense. This has got to be the biggest game in Happy Valley in a long time.
Georgia at Tennessee under 40.5: In UGA's two conference games they are averaging 20 pts. per game. And we're talking about Miss St. and South Carolina. Tennessee isn't fairing that much better at 21.3 pts plus you can throw in that 17 against UAB. Clausen's banged up, they refuse to give the ball to Riggs, Georgia can't throw or score touchdowns in the red zone, and both teams have pretty stout defenses. Everything about this says under. But you never know, Ainge could get in the game and start underhanding passes from the endzone.
If it seems like I'm oversimplifying the games and their results...it's because I am. There is no way I can breakdown every position matchup, and keep up with every injury. So this is the best I can do. Go with gut feelings and trends. Do most people realize that a major problem with the Vols this year is that they're down to their 3rd string center. Probably not. But that's a huge reason for their lack of offensive production. Speaking of, here's a great article on the downfall of the Sooners.
As for the Braves game last night. Awesome. I believe that McCann and Langerhans made their case clear as starters for the rest of the series. I can't find the numbers anywhere but apparently LaRoche is awful against lefties, so I can understand Julio playing. I can't wait for my boy Jorge Sosa to take the mound on Saturday. If we can take game 3, it pretty much forces them to pitch Pettitte instead of Backe, and then the Braves have the choice to pitch Hudson on Sunday (3 days rest) or Monday. Personally I'd prefer Hudson on a full rest against Clemens on Monday. You still have a shot with Thompson/Ramirez pitching game 4. From what I've heard there's a chance that Bobby would start Thompson then bring Ramirez in to pitch around the 4th or 5th. If we lose game 3, I don't see how you can't go with Hudson.
It's an amazing feat to win 14 straight division titles. I don't think anyone's knocking that. But wouldn't it be great if the Braves could have Bobby Cox to coach the regular season and then bring in a different coach for the playoffs every year. The same qualities that seem to make Cox such a great regular season coach seem to haunt him in the playoffs. He's calm and loyal which seems to hold the clubhouse together and put rookies at ease. Platooning certain players may even help the team stay fresh. But he keeps making dreadful choice after dreadful choice in the playoffs every year. Usually it his insistance to use a four man rotation in the Divisional series. But it seems he's going to buck that trend as long as Smoltz is ok. But last night alone he made several questionable calls.
#1. The lineup. Right off the bat Cox goes with his platoon philosophy and puts Brian Jordan in over Langerhans because left pitcher Pettitte. Which would make sense if they've been doing this all year. However Ryan's been facing lefty pitching (and quite well) all year b/c he's been platooning with fellow lefty Kelly Johnson. There is a reason no one was rushing back BJ from the DL. Also Langerhans is better than Jordan in the field. Though Jordan made a great pitch a pivotal point in this game was the 4th inning. Following Andruw's bomb, Franco draws a walk, and Francoeur lays down a great bunt, to get runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. What happens? Jordan grounds into a double play, gets Pettitte out of trouble, and kills all momentum. I can forgive him for playing Estrada, but when you throw it in with a lineup that also includes Jordan and Franco you're really limiting yourself power and speed wise.
#2. Bullpen management. Foster gets the strikeout on Lance Berkman. Count your blessings and pull Foster. With the bases loaded Foster walks Ensberg to give up a run. PULL FOSTER! Foster then throws a wild pitch to give up a run, and they decide to intentionally walk Lane to load the bases. Then Foster gives up a single to Palmeiro, and finally is pulled. If you take away those three runs, Lidge at least has to pitch in the 9th when we make a run. Giving the likelihood that Clemens only goes six innings tonight, that would have been a huge accomplishment even in a loss.
There is no reason to let anyone besides Farnsworth in this pen, try to pitch out of a jam they've created. If they give up a walk or a couple of hits, just go ahead and pull them.
Since Rocket's a righty and Smoltz is pitching, we should have LaRoche, Langerhans, and McCann. Here's hoping the young guys and Smoltz make it a game to remember.
Since I don't have anything of note to say here's a cool break dancing video. Make sure you watch it long enough to see the guy in the orange shirt.
