Coming into conference championship week I am feeling a little salty. The better part of me wants Nebraska to upset the Texas Longhorns so a "non-BCS" team like TCU can have a shot at the title but here is the problem; if, in fact, Nebraska does upset Texas I am afraid the BCS will find a way to screw TCU out of an opportunity to play in the title game. For the fear of possible reprehensible actions done by myself if this becomes fact is the reason I will secretly be rooting for Texas to win because we all know that if Texas wins they will most likely play the winner of the SEC for the National Title.
I hear a lot of retarded jargon from SEC faithful about how the SEC is unbeatable and has the best football in the country. Since this is so true, lets just hand the National Championship Trophy to the winner of the SEC. Most people seem to think that it won't matter who the SEC winner plays in the National Title game because no contending team can compete with either possible SEC team and if Texas can't beat either team than you know TCU has absolutely no shot to win. In any case, this will have to be sorted out and rumbles for a playoff are becoming more and more significant. Unfortunately, Nebraska couldn't get the job done and now we will never know.
I can honestly say that I do hope the BCS pollsters get a wild hair up their asses and vote TCU or Cincinnati above Texas because that is what I want to see, however, if that did indeed happen, even I would have to admit that Texas got screwed. Regretfully, I will have to sit in front of the television and watch two teams (Texas & Alabama) I do not even remotely care about. This year will be the first season wher eI am actually more excited about the other BCS bowl games rather than the National Championship.
The Heisman race is as boring as ever. Colt McCoy played like a bag of garbage against Nebraska. He made stupid decisions and showed some flaws in his abilities under duress. Everyone is talking about him winning the award because of his entire career's resume but unfortunately the winner isn't determined by his entire collegiate career but rather the current years performance. Last week against Auburn, Mark Ingram played like shit and followed up with a game ending injury. In my eyes, that cost him the award because Toby Gerhart has more credentials than him at this point. If had at least had an average game versus Auburn than I could not argue with him winning the award. Gerhart has played exceptionally well in all of Stanford's games and the only difference between him and Ingram is that Ingram is playing on a team that is undefeated. Having said that, Alabama's victory over Auburn was without Ingram's help and Gerhart had awesome performances in all of Stanford's 4 losses. My vote (if I had one) goes to Gerhart. Sadly, I think Gerhart's efforts will be forgotten and Ingram will win the award based on the fact that his team is better and nothing else.
Now to my favorite topic; Notre Dame. Athletic Director Jeff Swarbrick finally gave Charlie Wies the left hook needed to put him out of his misery. As much as I like rooting against the Irish and everyone who knows me knows that I hate Notre Dame with an unparalleled passion, I am actually hoping that Jimmy Clausen & Co. decide to stay in college for an extra year for a couple reasons. (1) So the new coach has a solid group of senior leadership to lean on. This will have a long lasting effect on younger players and recruiting talent buying into the direction of the program. For a new coach to walk into a program with as much senior leadership as Notre Dame will have is unheard of. If Clausen & Co. return and I was a coach, I would be salivating at the opportunity to turn that program around. (2) I have watched ALL of Notre Dame's games this year because I love watching them fail. Unfortunately, watching them fail as much as I have has seemed to make me a little empathetic towards the players like Clausen and Golden Tate. These kids were supposed to change the face of Notre Dame forever. They have endured an endless spotlight of subjugation and persecution from heartless Irish haters like myself and after all they have endured in the name of the golden dome, their immediate future is in question. How shitty is that? It is safe to say that I am actually hoping that the boys in South Bend actually catch a break... but only a small one.
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
A quick summary of things undone
It is post-thanksgiving and I have settled nicely with my family in our new location. Even though I have not been documenting regular season events in writing since my last entry, I have been keeping detailed notes in my mind. I spent the last few weeks of the season enjoying triumphs and tragedies. Here they are in no particular order.
TRIUMPHS:
Terrelle Pryor: I was scared that the coveted recruit was beginning to spiral downward in what seemed like an identity crisis. Luckily, he realized that he cannot be something he is not. Sure, he has nice touch on the ball, great throwing strength and a decent, but still expanding ability to read defenses but lets face it, Coach Tressel & Co. did not recruit Pryor because they thought he was the next Carson Palmer. They saw a Vince Young prototype only with a bit more brains. What makes Pryor dynamic is that he can indeed throw but he can also outrun an entire defense. He is able to run option plays, QB draws, QB rollouts and still sit back in the pocket and make a good read. After losses to USC and Purdue coupled with the criticism Coach Tressel and the offense were getting regarding their killer instinct, I believe the young Pryor woke up. This is a new era of football. Tim Tebow is winning relentlessly just from his ability to lead and inspire. Pryor has endless ability but this is not a masquerade, every week is a gut check and playing for the Buckeyes does not allow a grace period for learning curves. Be yourself Terrelle, you are at the forefront of the new era of college quarterbacking.
Notre Dame: It may seem like I spend a large majority of my time hating Notre Dame but the message I really want to send is this; I don't hate Notre Dame because they win, I don't hate Notre Dame because they lose, I don't hate Notre Dame because of the money they make, I hate Notre Dame because of the automatic pass they are given year after year. I hate Notre Dame because of their half-witted, half-retarded fans who lack the ability to see each season through logical perspectives. Given the reasons that I hate Notre Dame, it does make my weekend much better when the Fightin' Irish lose because it validates my argument. The day that Notre Dame is judged according to how they play is the day I will move on to another injustice. I doubt it will ever happen but at least you have my word. It doesn't take an expert to look at Jimmy Clausen and see his natural abilities. He is a wonderful QB and a joy to watch. However, lets call it like we have seen it all season. Notre Dame is not exceeding expectations. Hell, they aren't even meeting expectations. Simply put; they are lowering their own standard. When Notre Dame officials and staff realize and accept what they really are, which is a sub-par football program, they will then, and only then, possess the ability to build up and recapture the glory days. Until then, the carousel of genius coaches, high profile recruits who never pan out, meaningless bowl games and endless letdowns will continue without relent. But yeah! One more thing... Play Like A Champion Today!
The Heisman Trophy: What a crappy year to be the Heisman Trophy winner. We are one week away from conference championship play and there still is not even a deserved candidate much less a front runner. Being that my opinion really doesn't have any effect on what will actually happen, I want to see Tim Tebow win it. Here is why: College football is very fragile right now. We live in a world where stardom is relished and often abused and misused. We consistently see players like Maurice Clarett and Nu'keese Richardson shit unique opportunities down their leg. With a plethora of struggling football programs, coaching staffs are making exceptions by looking past a players character issues and recruiting ability and speed first. We can begin to change this simply by awarding Tebow the Heisman Trophy for the second time thus thwarting him into College Football lore as an immortal. Also, by doing this, I believe that College Football will put a lasting image on a sport whose philosophy regarding success is hanging in the balance. Tim Tebow is undeniably a champion on the gridiron, but his endeavors off the field of play is what makes him one of a kind. When the time comes for me to coach football in a respectable program, Tim Tebow will be the outline of whom I will recruit to represent my program. Character first...always.
I am now missing games and will post more at a later date.
TRIUMPHS:
Terrelle Pryor: I was scared that the coveted recruit was beginning to spiral downward in what seemed like an identity crisis. Luckily, he realized that he cannot be something he is not. Sure, he has nice touch on the ball, great throwing strength and a decent, but still expanding ability to read defenses but lets face it, Coach Tressel & Co. did not recruit Pryor because they thought he was the next Carson Palmer. They saw a Vince Young prototype only with a bit more brains. What makes Pryor dynamic is that he can indeed throw but he can also outrun an entire defense. He is able to run option plays, QB draws, QB rollouts and still sit back in the pocket and make a good read. After losses to USC and Purdue coupled with the criticism Coach Tressel and the offense were getting regarding their killer instinct, I believe the young Pryor woke up. This is a new era of football. Tim Tebow is winning relentlessly just from his ability to lead and inspire. Pryor has endless ability but this is not a masquerade, every week is a gut check and playing for the Buckeyes does not allow a grace period for learning curves. Be yourself Terrelle, you are at the forefront of the new era of college quarterbacking.
Notre Dame: It may seem like I spend a large majority of my time hating Notre Dame but the message I really want to send is this; I don't hate Notre Dame because they win, I don't hate Notre Dame because they lose, I don't hate Notre Dame because of the money they make, I hate Notre Dame because of the automatic pass they are given year after year. I hate Notre Dame because of their half-witted, half-retarded fans who lack the ability to see each season through logical perspectives. Given the reasons that I hate Notre Dame, it does make my weekend much better when the Fightin' Irish lose because it validates my argument. The day that Notre Dame is judged according to how they play is the day I will move on to another injustice. I doubt it will ever happen but at least you have my word. It doesn't take an expert to look at Jimmy Clausen and see his natural abilities. He is a wonderful QB and a joy to watch. However, lets call it like we have seen it all season. Notre Dame is not exceeding expectations. Hell, they aren't even meeting expectations. Simply put; they are lowering their own standard. When Notre Dame officials and staff realize and accept what they really are, which is a sub-par football program, they will then, and only then, possess the ability to build up and recapture the glory days. Until then, the carousel of genius coaches, high profile recruits who never pan out, meaningless bowl games and endless letdowns will continue without relent. But yeah! One more thing... Play Like A Champion Today!
The Heisman Trophy: What a crappy year to be the Heisman Trophy winner. We are one week away from conference championship play and there still is not even a deserved candidate much less a front runner. Being that my opinion really doesn't have any effect on what will actually happen, I want to see Tim Tebow win it. Here is why: College football is very fragile right now. We live in a world where stardom is relished and often abused and misused. We consistently see players like Maurice Clarett and Nu'keese Richardson shit unique opportunities down their leg. With a plethora of struggling football programs, coaching staffs are making exceptions by looking past a players character issues and recruiting ability and speed first. We can begin to change this simply by awarding Tebow the Heisman Trophy for the second time thus thwarting him into College Football lore as an immortal. Also, by doing this, I believe that College Football will put a lasting image on a sport whose philosophy regarding success is hanging in the balance. Tim Tebow is undeniably a champion on the gridiron, but his endeavors off the field of play is what makes him one of a kind. When the time comes for me to coach football in a respectable program, Tim Tebow will be the outline of whom I will recruit to represent my program. Character first...always.
I am now missing games and will post more at a later date.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Notre DAMN! I thought we had 'em! (...and the rest of week 7)
Okay, what a crazy day for college football. I witnessed more turnovers in this single weekend than I will see for the rest of the season. There were some very lackluster outings accompanied with a couple of surprises…
You know what?
I’ll just get to the point.
Usually I use a lot of stats in my posts to back up what I say, but unfortunately I won’t have the time or the resources to provide them for this week’s post. Why? Because I am finally leaving South Korea. That’s right folks…I am headed back to the good ole U.S. of A. Get this; the ‘always thoughtful US Army’ decided against showing me any sort of empathy and booked my travel plans from Seoul to San Francisco over the course of the next 3 days. (sigh)… (sigh again) This means that I will be spending my free time suspended between cheap airport seats and the nearest coffee table… body figure resembling that of a hammock… and I will also have every piece of electrical gear I own plugged into any and all available electrical outlets nearby. As my portable home entertainment system soaks up enough electricity to support several Tokyo power grids, I will be knocked completely unconscious from the enormous dose of sleeping pills I take in order to make the layover go by faster. These pills combined with the generic Bangkok Corona’s I drank at the last layover will surely guarantee me comatose. If all goes according to plan, I will wake up with a huge puddle of drool next to me, my shirt drenched in saliva, my speech slurring a lot that guy from the movie THE GOONIES… oh yeah!... Sloth, and not only will all my electronics be fully charged but I will wake up just in time to make my next flight. Sounds like fun right? I dare you to try it.
Anyways,
With a diverse set of layovers in my future I will visually witness as many different countries as some of the ancient explorers. That’s right, Marco Polo ain’t got shit on me.
The worst part of traveling across the world is the money. Over my 3 day adventure I will surely need to hydrate or possibly attempt to stomach some exotic local food like… fried cat nips. In order to do this I will need to exchange American dollars for the local currency. With a diverse array of locales on my stopping list, I should own a fair amount of monies from many of the world’s different currencies. In any case, I am totally looking forward to the unnerving 20 hours of flight time (sigh)… (sigh again). My trip aside, let’s talks some football. In no particular order;
(1) I want to express my remorse for Sam Bradford. I know the dude is a competitor but he just injured the same shoulder a second time. He wants to win, especially with Colt McCoy being his friend and playing well in Austin. My advice to Sam (like he cares what I think) is to sit out and nurse the shoulder. The Sooners are out of any kind of BCS hopes at this point and a possible senior year or your NFL career is what you should be focusing on. By continuing to compete, you are putting your future career at risk and for what? You are out of the Heisman Trophy race and your team will be lucky to play in a middle tier bowl game. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Everyone knows that you are a stud and a difference maker. We also know that the game against Texas would have been different had you not gotten hurt. Don’t jeopardize your future for glory that you have already accomplished.
(2) I got into a heated argument over the internet with a huge Notre Dame fan.
He was repeatedly stuffing my email box with subjects like “CLAUSEN4HEISMAN.COM” and all of that predictable overrated Irish bullshit. I decided to oblige my confrontational side and call him out. Unfortunately, I was an idiot and didn’t save our typed conversation before he subsequently deleted it upon my victorious closing argument. It must have angered him to no end and since I wasn’t near him to physically assault, he decided the next best thing to do would be to delete me and our conversation with each other. Quite comical actually but I can understand. I wouldn’t my friends to read me getting grammatically pummeled over the internet, especially if I was a self proclaimed Notre Dame fan and owner of a fan page.
To summarize his discontent; I mocked her holy sons’ annual epic failure versus USC. He countered back with the typical, “Jimmy Clausen played great against USC and they have a great defense. Now he is a legit candidate for the Heisman”.
I connected with a haymaker I was waiting to unload.
“Yeah, Jimmy did play great BUT, he got outplayed by a less experienced, true freshman quarterback who led his team into YOUR HOUSE in SOUTHBEND and ran away with your team’s confidence and left your fans silenced. Even as the seconds ticked closer to what everyone hoped would be another ‘Clausen come back’, I knew Notre Dame wasn’t going to win the game. Why? Because they have no idea what it takes to win big games. You want proof? Since the start of the 2007 season, Notre Dame is 14-17. Weis is 1-15 against teams that finished the season with a winning record. And he’s 1-9 against teams that finished the season ranked. If Notre Dame were in the Big Ten, it would be … Minnesota? (Dienhart, Rivals.com) In other words; Notre Dame destroys mid major teams but they can’t beat a reputable contender to save their fucking lives. Don’t blame me or any other Notre Dame hater for these results; it is your own fault. The University of Notre Dame refuses to play in a conference because of the money it makes being independent, as a result you feel compelled to play 2 or 3 tough games a year in order to make your wins against UConn and Rice look better. The only problem is that you never win those tough games. I, too, am a diehard fan of an undisclosed team. I would pull for them to beat anyone, even an entire team of Mike Ditka’s (imagine that). However, even I know when my favorite team is overrated. Notre Dame fans seem to lack the ability to see their football team logically and realistically.”
HAHA! I didn’t even get a “Fuck You” as a reply, I just got deleted. That is ultimate victory and is probably the literary equivalent to making your opponent tap out. Needless to say I am indeed enthused. I love driving my point home but it is always an added bonus AND privilege when I get to bring a deranged Notre Dame fan back down to earth.
(3) What’s up with all the upsets? Ohio St. looked like complete garbage. How a team has a quarterback the caliber of Terrelle Pyror and fails to put up numbers offensively amazes me. I know a coach like Lane Kiffin would kill to have a quarterback like Pryor playing for the Vols. They may have wrecked Florida’s dreams earlier in the season. Naturally, I am a defensive enthusiast and since that is all the Buckeyes have right now, I will remain optimistic about next year and the experience the players are getting right now. Yes, I am a Buckeyes fan. Georgia Tech beats Virginia Tech? Watching the Hokies over the last couple of weeks I swore that they were serious contenders for the remainder of the season. Tyrod Taylor seemed more confident and comfortable and they always have an advantage with “Beamer Ball”. These two top 10 upsets coupled with how horrible to rest of the top 10 looked is evidence of 1 of 2 things. Either (A) there is much more parody in college football due to more kids playing in high school and there being an abundance of recruits and / or coaches are much better at game planning and scheming and can make average recruits into great players. Or (B), the idea of having to go undefeated in a major conference in order to win a National Championship is obsolete. Either way I can only see this downward spiral resulting in a playoff system sometime in the future.
(4) Following all of this Jimmy Clausen for Heisman bullshit, I realized that there wasn’t any frontrunner as of recent. Well folks, I found out who is getting my vote for Heisman. If he keeps his pace up, he will probably be a unanimous choice given the lack of dominance from the usual cast of characters thus far. As much as I dislike the Crimson Tide of Alabama, their running back Mark Ingram is unbelievable. With a lack of decent quarterback play, he put the Tide on his back and carried them to victory versus South Carolina. He rushed for 246 yards on 24 carries. Hey Einstein, that’s a 10 yard per carry average. As of now, he is who I am watching.
(5) This will probably be the most important thing I say in this entire blog so
brace yourself… Mark May is a douche bag… or an El Doucherino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. I have no particular reason neither, I just plain, flat out think he is an idiot and I hate listening to him. I just love ESPN’s College Football Live too much to mute the television or change the channel.
So amidst Notre Dame’s annual epic failure, Ohio State’s continuous letdowns, Beamer ball bust and Mark Ingram heroics, I don’t have much else to talk about. TO be honest, I am more focused on home. I have been sweating and freezing and sweating and freezing in this God Forsaken land they call South Korea. In a weird, twisted, demented, delusional kind of way, I am looking forward to my Columbus like rediscovery of the worlds circular… err… ness.
-Russ
You know what?
I’ll just get to the point.
Usually I use a lot of stats in my posts to back up what I say, but unfortunately I won’t have the time or the resources to provide them for this week’s post. Why? Because I am finally leaving South Korea. That’s right folks…I am headed back to the good ole U.S. of A. Get this; the ‘always thoughtful US Army’ decided against showing me any sort of empathy and booked my travel plans from Seoul to San Francisco over the course of the next 3 days. (sigh)… (sigh again) This means that I will be spending my free time suspended between cheap airport seats and the nearest coffee table… body figure resembling that of a hammock… and I will also have every piece of electrical gear I own plugged into any and all available electrical outlets nearby. As my portable home entertainment system soaks up enough electricity to support several Tokyo power grids, I will be knocked completely unconscious from the enormous dose of sleeping pills I take in order to make the layover go by faster. These pills combined with the generic Bangkok Corona’s I drank at the last layover will surely guarantee me comatose. If all goes according to plan, I will wake up with a huge puddle of drool next to me, my shirt drenched in saliva, my speech slurring a lot that guy from the movie THE GOONIES… oh yeah!... Sloth, and not only will all my electronics be fully charged but I will wake up just in time to make my next flight. Sounds like fun right? I dare you to try it.
Anyways,
With a diverse set of layovers in my future I will visually witness as many different countries as some of the ancient explorers. That’s right, Marco Polo ain’t got shit on me.
The worst part of traveling across the world is the money. Over my 3 day adventure I will surely need to hydrate or possibly attempt to stomach some exotic local food like… fried cat nips. In order to do this I will need to exchange American dollars for the local currency. With a diverse array of locales on my stopping list, I should own a fair amount of monies from many of the world’s different currencies. In any case, I am totally looking forward to the unnerving 20 hours of flight time (sigh)… (sigh again). My trip aside, let’s talks some football. In no particular order;
(1) I want to express my remorse for Sam Bradford. I know the dude is a competitor but he just injured the same shoulder a second time. He wants to win, especially with Colt McCoy being his friend and playing well in Austin. My advice to Sam (like he cares what I think) is to sit out and nurse the shoulder. The Sooners are out of any kind of BCS hopes at this point and a possible senior year or your NFL career is what you should be focusing on. By continuing to compete, you are putting your future career at risk and for what? You are out of the Heisman Trophy race and your team will be lucky to play in a middle tier bowl game. You have nothing to prove to anyone. Everyone knows that you are a stud and a difference maker. We also know that the game against Texas would have been different had you not gotten hurt. Don’t jeopardize your future for glory that you have already accomplished.
(2) I got into a heated argument over the internet with a huge Notre Dame fan.
He was repeatedly stuffing my email box with subjects like “CLAUSEN4HEISMAN.COM” and all of that predictable overrated Irish bullshit. I decided to oblige my confrontational side and call him out. Unfortunately, I was an idiot and didn’t save our typed conversation before he subsequently deleted it upon my victorious closing argument. It must have angered him to no end and since I wasn’t near him to physically assault, he decided the next best thing to do would be to delete me and our conversation with each other. Quite comical actually but I can understand. I wouldn’t my friends to read me getting grammatically pummeled over the internet, especially if I was a self proclaimed Notre Dame fan and owner of a fan page.
To summarize his discontent; I mocked her holy sons’ annual epic failure versus USC. He countered back with the typical, “Jimmy Clausen played great against USC and they have a great defense. Now he is a legit candidate for the Heisman”.
I connected with a haymaker I was waiting to unload.
“Yeah, Jimmy did play great BUT, he got outplayed by a less experienced, true freshman quarterback who led his team into YOUR HOUSE in SOUTHBEND and ran away with your team’s confidence and left your fans silenced. Even as the seconds ticked closer to what everyone hoped would be another ‘Clausen come back’, I knew Notre Dame wasn’t going to win the game. Why? Because they have no idea what it takes to win big games. You want proof? Since the start of the 2007 season, Notre Dame is 14-17. Weis is 1-15 against teams that finished the season with a winning record. And he’s 1-9 against teams that finished the season ranked. If Notre Dame were in the Big Ten, it would be … Minnesota? (Dienhart, Rivals.com) In other words; Notre Dame destroys mid major teams but they can’t beat a reputable contender to save their fucking lives. Don’t blame me or any other Notre Dame hater for these results; it is your own fault. The University of Notre Dame refuses to play in a conference because of the money it makes being independent, as a result you feel compelled to play 2 or 3 tough games a year in order to make your wins against UConn and Rice look better. The only problem is that you never win those tough games. I, too, am a diehard fan of an undisclosed team. I would pull for them to beat anyone, even an entire team of Mike Ditka’s (imagine that). However, even I know when my favorite team is overrated. Notre Dame fans seem to lack the ability to see their football team logically and realistically.”
HAHA! I didn’t even get a “Fuck You” as a reply, I just got deleted. That is ultimate victory and is probably the literary equivalent to making your opponent tap out. Needless to say I am indeed enthused. I love driving my point home but it is always an added bonus AND privilege when I get to bring a deranged Notre Dame fan back down to earth.
(3) What’s up with all the upsets? Ohio St. looked like complete garbage. How a team has a quarterback the caliber of Terrelle Pyror and fails to put up numbers offensively amazes me. I know a coach like Lane Kiffin would kill to have a quarterback like Pryor playing for the Vols. They may have wrecked Florida’s dreams earlier in the season. Naturally, I am a defensive enthusiast and since that is all the Buckeyes have right now, I will remain optimistic about next year and the experience the players are getting right now. Yes, I am a Buckeyes fan. Georgia Tech beats Virginia Tech? Watching the Hokies over the last couple of weeks I swore that they were serious contenders for the remainder of the season. Tyrod Taylor seemed more confident and comfortable and they always have an advantage with “Beamer Ball”. These two top 10 upsets coupled with how horrible to rest of the top 10 looked is evidence of 1 of 2 things. Either (A) there is much more parody in college football due to more kids playing in high school and there being an abundance of recruits and / or coaches are much better at game planning and scheming and can make average recruits into great players. Or (B), the idea of having to go undefeated in a major conference in order to win a National Championship is obsolete. Either way I can only see this downward spiral resulting in a playoff system sometime in the future.
(4) Following all of this Jimmy Clausen for Heisman bullshit, I realized that there wasn’t any frontrunner as of recent. Well folks, I found out who is getting my vote for Heisman. If he keeps his pace up, he will probably be a unanimous choice given the lack of dominance from the usual cast of characters thus far. As much as I dislike the Crimson Tide of Alabama, their running back Mark Ingram is unbelievable. With a lack of decent quarterback play, he put the Tide on his back and carried them to victory versus South Carolina. He rushed for 246 yards on 24 carries. Hey Einstein, that’s a 10 yard per carry average. As of now, he is who I am watching.
(5) This will probably be the most important thing I say in this entire blog so
brace yourself… Mark May is a douche bag… or an El Doucherino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. I have no particular reason neither, I just plain, flat out think he is an idiot and I hate listening to him. I just love ESPN’s College Football Live too much to mute the television or change the channel.
So amidst Notre Dame’s annual epic failure, Ohio State’s continuous letdowns, Beamer ball bust and Mark Ingram heroics, I don’t have much else to talk about. TO be honest, I am more focused on home. I have been sweating and freezing and sweating and freezing in this God Forsaken land they call South Korea. In a weird, twisted, demented, delusional kind of way, I am looking forward to my Columbus like rediscovery of the worlds circular… err… ness.
-Russ
Saturday, October 10, 2009
The Tenn I See
Complacency
As a young kid I remember watching the Vols under Phil Fulmer and for many of those years they were very good. Tennessee seemed like one of those teams that constantly got great recruits and was going to staying on top for a very long time. They won a National Championship in 1998 – 99 season and had a Championship caliber team in 1997 with Peyton Manning at the helm. What Tennessee fans found out is that complacency begins to build with many coaches that have been coaching at the same location for a long period of time. The fight to stay on top only gets harder every year. There are many examples of coaches with long tenures who went from greatness to below average. The Bobby Bowden teams of late are a great example. Bowden had one of the most dominant teams in recent memory during the late 90’s and early 2000’s and after an inauspicious start to the 2009 season, may find himself forced into retirement. Bowden coached the Seminoles to the BCS National Championship game for three consecutive years from 1999 – 2001, winning in 2000. From 1992 – 2000, Bowden won consecutive conference championships winning again in 2002 – 2003 and lastly in 2005. From 1992 to 2005 Bowden had an overall record of 126 – 24. He even had 2 Heisman trophy winners; Charlie Ward (1993) and Chris Weinke (2000). However, the last 3 seasons (2006, 07, 08) Bowden has finished 22 – 18. He is sliding into mediocrity and his program is quickly becoming a non-factor in the BCS. University officials have called for Bowden’s retirement for the last several years but Bowden has yet to step down. He turns 80 years old following the 2009 season and from an analytical fans perspective, the Seminoles seem ready to take the program in a different direction and should immediately seek stability in order to keep the hot bed of recruits interested in school that is known for sending high profile athletes into the NFL. Bowden is a perfect example of complacency.
Other coaches who have fallen victim to complacency are Larry Coker (Miami), John Cooper (Ohio State) and Lloyd Carr (Michigan). These coaches, like Bowden and Paterno, brought their programs to national prominence and spent a couple of seasons poached on top of the rankings. However, soon enough they slowly began to slide back to mediocrity only to find that their job security wasn’t so secure.
The Tennessee you don’t see
It seems that many football fans weren’t very impressed with Tennessee Head Coach Lane Kiffin when he was first hired, as well as the months following his hire. Kiffin immediately called out the #1 Florida Gators by guaranteeing a victory over them the upcoming season. He also made false accusations regarding the recruitment of an eventual Tennessee prospect saying that Florida violated NCAA regulations by contacting the prospect during his visit to Tennessee. In the end, Kiffin was wrong about the rule and as a result did look a bit foolish. Through these trials I witnessed many SEC fans scoffing at Kiffin harshly and hating Tennessee even more than they did already. I can quote one my friends as saying he was hoping for a lightning storm in Auburn, Alabama the night Tennessee played Auburn and that he hoped Kiffin would get literally toasted by a fluke strike of lightning. I laughed.
As a bystander, I saw Kiffin’s plan coming to fruition immediately. When it comes to college football fanhood, people often forget that with immense hatred comes immense adoration. Kiffin isn’t much older than I am and I’m sure he remembers those days when Tennessee had such an intimidating effect on opponents, they often achieved victories by simply running out of the tunnels onto the field. What lay behind those victories and that national championship was an attitude, a belief, a set of standards which can all be summed up in one word; swagger. As a newly appointed Head Coach, Kiffin likely knew that restoring that pride, swagger and attitude was the first priority. He had to make Tennessee a special place again. As a result of his brashness he pulled in a top 10 recruiting class and signed the number 1 recruit in the nation; Bryce Brown from Wichita, Kansas and managed to reinstate Tennessee amongst the most hated of rivals amidst the SEC. You see, when playing in a conference like the SEC where nearly every team is consistently great and most teams have relentless, die hard followings; it is very easy to become irrelevant very quickly. By immediately pissing off hordes of SEC fans and coaches, Kiffin was able to market the Tennessee name on a massive scale very fast and for free. While most people even furthered their hatred for Lane Kiffin and his newly painted Tennessee Volunteers, I sat back, relaxed and admired his pure stroke of genius.
Inaugural Season
Just like any other big name school, Tennessee started off their season with a cupcake school which whom they utterly destroyed. Western Kentucky was their name and the result is unimportant. What is important is how Coach Kiffin coached the Volunteers through the rest of the season. In their second game, the Vols played UCLA. Both teams were unranked but UCLA was getting quite a bit of respect amidst the Pac-10. I watched the game on television and was very impressed by the Tennessee defense. They were flying around, hitting people and playing with their hair on fire. I thought the Vols looked tough and even though they lost to UCLA 15 – 19, I thought the team was good enough o compete in the SEC and was definitely a team Kiffin could build a dynasty on. The players did not lose that game versus UCLA, I thought there was a bad coaching decision to go for it on the goal line. Tennessee had the victory in the palm of their hands. Having been down 4 points with time running out, kicking a field goal was not an option; Tennessee had to go for it. After trying to run it in all 3 prior downs, Kiffin attempted once more to run it in on 4th and Goal. UCLA stopped them and subsequently took the rest of the time off the clock. A disappointing loss; yes but I felt the effort was promising.
The week following, Tennessee had to travel to the Swamp to play #1 Florida. This was a much hyped game due to Kiffin’s remarks upon his hiring. Just as I suspected, the Vols would play Florida very tough. Even though they lost 23 – 13, they managed to hold Tim Tebow, a.k.a. modern day Superman to 115 yards passing, 60 yards rushing with one fumble and one interception. I was, once again impressed with Tennessee’s confidence and resolve. They battled it out with Florida until the end and deserved the victory. In Kiffin’s defense, it is hard to win when your Quarterback (J. Crompton) throws 2 interceptions in a close game where both time and turnovers are of the utmost importance. Crompton was recruited by the tired Phil Fulmer and it is now clear that he cannot get the job done. Tennessee’s defense is one of the best units I have seen in a long time in the SEC. Every powerhouse team they play, they manage to keep their team in a position to win.
I was completely sold on how useless Crompton is during Tennessee’s 22 – 26 loss to Auburn. Once again, the Volunteer defense held an offense that averaged 45 points per game to half of their production and Crompton managed to fizzle out. Never, in my 10+ years watching and playing this game have I seen such a misleading performance than the one Crompton turned in that night. From a statistical standpoint he was terrific; throwing for 260 yards and 2 touchdowns. What was more revealing to me was that he completed less than 50% of his passes and most importantly; he NEVER had control of his team. It is the example of his inhibition that makes the quarterback such a coveted position on the football field. The QB is the field general, he has to possess the ability to grab an entire team and motivate them in ANY way possible. Whether it be with his voice or with his play, he has to be able to put a team on his back on get the job done. Thus far, Crompton has failed miserable in the leadership department. I see no passion when he plays and as a result, the entire offense feeds off of his lack of interest. It is quarterbacks like Crompton that make the football societies revel over players like Tim Tebow. When you watch Tebow play, he has the ability to take over an entire game and you can watch in complete awe. Then after the game you are disappointed at his numbers because they look a little above average. This is what Crompton lacks; playmaking ability and moxey.
Suspenseful Ending
The problem is that boosters, fans and analysts expect immediate results even when Kiffin is attempting to win with players that have become accustomed to a different system and style. It should be taken into account that while under Phil Fulmer, the top recruiting classes were not producing top talent on the field. Whether it be a long string of bad luck or insufficient coaching, the top ranked recruiting classes were not carrying over to the field. The current Volunteers depth chart is littered with prospects from the #4 ranked recruiting class from 2005 (7 starters), the #23 ranked class from 2006 (6 starters) and the #3 ranked class from 2007 (6 Starters). It is also pretty entertaining to know that with all of these high ranked recruiting classes littering their roster, arguably the 2nd or 3rd best player on the entire team was a walk on in Nick Reveiz. So, if Lane Kiffin walked into a good situation like the one Tyrone Willingham left for Charlie Weis and maybe the added bonus of playing in a less competitive conference, the current media frenzy may be singing a different tune about Tennessee. It is nice to know that a good amount of recruits from Kiffin’s initial 2009 class are contributing to the team. Bryce Brown is averaging 5 yards a carry. Behind Brown, David Oku works his way onto the field at running back as well. Nu’keese Richardson is a starting wide out and the kick returner. Marsalis Teague and Zach Rogers are also listed behind Richardson on the depth chart and see some playing time. On the defensive side of the ball, Linebacker Greg King contributes and defensive backs Janzen Jackson and Mike Edwards see playing time as well. This is a good sign for the future of Tennessee football. These freshman combined with Tennessee’s currently #6 ranked recruiting class for 2010 (that is subject to change) will have huge effect on Kiffins legacy as a Volunteer. I have to say that I am indeed optimistic for Coach Kiffin.
And just in case you were wondering, yes, I am now a fan of the Volunteers. The video and picture below is a big reason why.
-Russ
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Fantaseismic
For the fourth week in a row, my fantasy football team has managed to fail me. I have the 2nd most scored points in the league but yet I cannot manage to win a game. At what point this is going to give I am not sure and really couldn't care less any longer.
For years, my friends and I would play fantasy football but it was just for fun. We were usually in the middle of our own football season so the fantasy league took a backseat. All in all, we were just a bunch of football nerds who loved to interact with the game as much as possible. One of those friends always said that Fantasy football ruined the actual game. He said that he only played because we all played together and he didn’t want to catch shit from us for not playing. I never saw how fantasy leagues ruined the actual game until now.
The fantasy game is changing how I look at football even though I played the game through adolescence and college. I find myself caring about players getting stats that are constantly overrated. I am a fan of the little things; the things you don't see on the television but indeed are going on. Things like game plans, blitz packages, audible’s, check downs, toughness, halftime adjustments, play reads, leadership, intimidating coaching, mind games and watching how players respond under pressure. Simply put; I enjoy the things that fantasy leagues do not give points for… football savvy.
I have found that Fantasy Football makes a particular person a statistical genius when regarding the specific players on their team but knowing about a players stats doesn't mean anything if you barely understand how the game is played. It is my opinion that knowing a lot of stats is like knowing a lot of words from a dictionary. If the person has no idea how to use the words in context, than that wealth of knowledge is superfluously useless. A person could quote you the exact amount of yardage that Phillip Rivers has thrown for thus far, but that in no way means that they understand the nuances of the game. Fantasy football allows the average fan to sound smarter than he or she really is. The loyal, intelligent fan; like myself, are already surrounded by an abundance of half witted fans who’s experience with the game of football dates back to their bench warming days in high school. Fantasy football leagues are empowering these idiots almost as fast as the NRA is. A computer geek who knows nothing about football could draft a fantasy team and at least win a couple games when all is said and done.
I am now a firm believer that fantasy leagues are making fans of the game one dimensional as well as putting emphasis on basic, retarded stats that mean nothing. For example, so far in 2009, Willis McGahee leads the league in touchdowns; however, the other running back, Ray Rice, does all the work. Hines Ward blocks harder than any other receiver in the league and he doesn't get any fantasy points for that. Fantasy leagues are quickly turning football into a book that is judged by its cover.
I love the game of football when it is pure and passionate. It is a game that is fueled by raw emotion and should be enjoyed with the raw, emotional support of fans. It shouldn't be watched with a notebook and pen while logging down all your fantasy teams stats for the day.
The adjustments I have made this week on my fantasy team will be my last until the season is over and this season will be the last time I play. The one material possession I will not put in jeopardy is the way I play(ed), watch, discuss and coach football. I will not stress over players padding their stats for my own benefit. Football is a team game and through its gauntlet, it builds competent men. I will not promote the idea of individuality and selfishness in football. I guess it took Fantasy Football for me to realize that the game just means more to me than it does to most people.
Sorry to disappoint. These should put a smile on your face.
-Russ
For years, my friends and I would play fantasy football but it was just for fun. We were usually in the middle of our own football season so the fantasy league took a backseat. All in all, we were just a bunch of football nerds who loved to interact with the game as much as possible. One of those friends always said that Fantasy football ruined the actual game. He said that he only played because we all played together and he didn’t want to catch shit from us for not playing. I never saw how fantasy leagues ruined the actual game until now.
The fantasy game is changing how I look at football even though I played the game through adolescence and college. I find myself caring about players getting stats that are constantly overrated. I am a fan of the little things; the things you don't see on the television but indeed are going on. Things like game plans, blitz packages, audible’s, check downs, toughness, halftime adjustments, play reads, leadership, intimidating coaching, mind games and watching how players respond under pressure. Simply put; I enjoy the things that fantasy leagues do not give points for… football savvy.
I have found that Fantasy Football makes a particular person a statistical genius when regarding the specific players on their team but knowing about a players stats doesn't mean anything if you barely understand how the game is played. It is my opinion that knowing a lot of stats is like knowing a lot of words from a dictionary. If the person has no idea how to use the words in context, than that wealth of knowledge is superfluously useless. A person could quote you the exact amount of yardage that Phillip Rivers has thrown for thus far, but that in no way means that they understand the nuances of the game. Fantasy football allows the average fan to sound smarter than he or she really is. The loyal, intelligent fan; like myself, are already surrounded by an abundance of half witted fans who’s experience with the game of football dates back to their bench warming days in high school. Fantasy football leagues are empowering these idiots almost as fast as the NRA is. A computer geek who knows nothing about football could draft a fantasy team and at least win a couple games when all is said and done.
I am now a firm believer that fantasy leagues are making fans of the game one dimensional as well as putting emphasis on basic, retarded stats that mean nothing. For example, so far in 2009, Willis McGahee leads the league in touchdowns; however, the other running back, Ray Rice, does all the work. Hines Ward blocks harder than any other receiver in the league and he doesn't get any fantasy points for that. Fantasy leagues are quickly turning football into a book that is judged by its cover.
I love the game of football when it is pure and passionate. It is a game that is fueled by raw emotion and should be enjoyed with the raw, emotional support of fans. It shouldn't be watched with a notebook and pen while logging down all your fantasy teams stats for the day.
The adjustments I have made this week on my fantasy team will be my last until the season is over and this season will be the last time I play. The one material possession I will not put in jeopardy is the way I play(ed), watch, discuss and coach football. I will not stress over players padding their stats for my own benefit. Football is a team game and through its gauntlet, it builds competent men. I will not promote the idea of individuality and selfishness in football. I guess it took Fantasy Football for me to realize that the game just means more to me than it does to most people.
Sorry to disappoint. These should put a smile on your face.
-Russ
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Notre Lame
Week 4; Notre Dame (2-1)(Lost to Michigan) vs. Purdue (1-2) (Losses to Oregon and Northern Illinois)
Although I was flipping through the channels to watch other games I most definitely paid attention to the Notre Dame/Purdue contest. It is one of the few games with unranked opponents that managed to keep much of my attention for most of the afternoon. As I watched the Fighting Irish battle the Purdue Boilermakers I emboldened myself in my own opinion of how overrated Notre Dame is every year. I did predict a Notre Dame victory but I didn't predict how good of a game Purdue would make it. Relishing in the possibility of a Notre Dame loss, I quickly began to root for Purdue and although I was let down; the suspense of nearly witnessing Notre Dame fail was enough for me to compliment the Purdue Boilermakers on an outstanding effort. Even though I will ALWAYS despise Notre Dame, the scenarios of recent years involving the Fighting Irish is the prime reasoning behind this deep, passionate hatred. Lets look at this years current scenario.
1. Notre Dame lost to Michigan on the last drive of the game. Now everyone has already looked passed that loss and forgot that Notre Dame was ranked before the game and Michigan was unranked. Currently, we are hearing analysts talk about how tough the Michigan team is that beat Notre Dame 2 weeks ago(comedic relief). Michigan is so tough that they barely beat the Indiana Hoosiers last weekend (and don't forget that "tough" Michigan team lost to D-1AA power Appalachian State last year). Indiana has been at the door mat of the Big Ten Conference going 24-46 since 2003. So once again, Notre Dame is getting credit for a game they lost to an unranked opponent. How is this years Michigan team even considered tough at all? So far they have wins over Eastern and Western Michigan, Indiana and Notre Dame. Even if they are tougher than I give them credit for, they surely aren't tougher or smarter than "Offensive Genius" Charlie Wies and his endless roster of Blue Chip high school recruits!
2. After getting credit for losing to Michigan, Notre Dame will get an ENORMOUS amount of credit for barely beating Purdue. People will bow to Jimmy Clausen and talk about the Heisman. They will say that Notre Dame should be ranked again even though they repeatedly let inferior teams compete with them. It is safe to say that Purdue will be lucky to finish in the top 5 of the Big Ten conference this year but Notre Dame supporters will still throw around rankings like they just beat USC (which won't happen later in the year).
All along I have said that Notre Dame is overrated year in and year out. They get credit for creating their own schedule which features a rare combination of cupcakes and powerhouses. They continuously go to meaningless second and third rate bowl games because the minimum 6 win requirement comes compliments of Navy, Air Force, Duke, UConn, Pitt, Washington State and other bottom tier teams. That is why I am all smiles whenever I get to watch their dreams become an afterthought.
I still think it is funny that everyone jumped on the Charlie Weis bandwagon when Notre Dame announced his hiring. What everyone forgot about was the great coach that got fired before his plan could fully develop. I said from the beginning that firing Tyrone Willingham was a mistake and so far, the only winning seasons that Weis had at Notre Dame were 2005 (9-2) and 2006 (10-2). These two seasons' rosters were still packed full of the top recruiting classes that Coach Willingham brought in. Not to mention they were also All-American QB Brady Quinn's junior and senior years. The very next year (2007) Weis took the heralded Irish to a whopping 3-9 record. Coveted freshman QB Jimmy Clausen got a rough welcome to College Football after showing up in a limousine and Weis struggled with his own recruiting classes now in full swing. In 2008, Weis and QB Clausen took the Irish to a 6-6 record which landed them in the all-important Hawaii Bowl where they beat Hawaii. I don't count that Hawaii bowl game as a win because it was the HAWAII BOWL and at 6-6, they should have finished the season on the couch watching other, more deserving teams play.
Without question, Notre Dame is considered to be a national power in college football and I am going to prove that to be false right now. I will compare the last 10 season records of legit national powers to that of Notre Dames.
TEXAS LONGHORNS
Years 1998 - 2008
W/L 115 - 26
2005 National Champions
1 Heisman Trophy Winner
2 Heisman Runners Up
1998 (9 - 3) #18 Ricky Williams won Heisman Trophy
1999 (9 - 5) #21
2000 (9 - 3) #14
2001 (11 - 2) #6
2002 (11 - 2) #6
2003 (10 - 3) #8
2004 (11 - 1) #6
2005 (13 - 0) #1 National Champions; Vince Young is Heisman Trophy Runner Up
2006 (10 - 3) #13
2007 (10 - 3) #12
2008 (12 - 1) #3 Colt McCoy is Heisman Trophy Runner Up
OKLAHOMA SOONERS
Years 1998 - 2008
W/L 124 - 30
2000 National Champions
2003 National Runners Up
2004 National Runners Up
2008 National Runners Up
2 Heisman Trophy Winners
2 Heisman Runners Up
1998 (5 - 6) #63
1999 (7 - 5) #35
2000 (13 - 0) #1 National Champions; Josh Heupel is Heisman Trophy Runner Up
2001 (11 - 2) #4
2002 (12 - 2) #3
2003 (12 - 2) #3 National Runners Up; Jason White won Heisman Trophy
2004 (12 - 1) #2 National Runners Up; Adrian Peterson is Heisman Trophy Runner Up
2005 (8 - 4) #23
2006 (11 - 3) #15
2007 (11 - 3) #8
2008 (12 - 2) #5 National Runners Up; Sam Bradford wins Heisman Trophy
OHIO STATE BUCKEYES
Years 1998 - 2008
W/L 108 - 30
2002 National Champions
2006 National Runners Up
2007 National Runners Up
1 Heisman Trophy Winner
1998 (11 - 1) #2
1999 (6 - 6) #44
2000 (8 - 4) #25
2001 (7 - 5) #38
2002 (14 - 0) #1 National Champions
2003 (11 - 2) #7
2004 (8 - 4) #23
2005 (10 - 2) #4
2006 (12 - 1) #3 National Runners Up; Troy Smith wins Heisman Trophy
2007 (11 - 2) #5 National Runners Up
2008 (10 - 3) #11
SOUTHERN CAL TROJANS
Years 1998 - 2008
W/L 106 - 33
2003 National Champions (Shared w/ LSU)
2004 National Champions
2005 National Runners up
3 Heisman Trophy Winners
1998 (8 - 5) #34
1999 (6 - 6) #48
2000 (5 - 7) #69
2001 (6 - 6) #56
2002 (11 - 2) #7 Carson Palmer wins Heisman Trophy
2003 (11 - 1) #1 National Champions
2004 (13 - 0) #1 National Champions; Matt Leinart wins Heisman Trophy
2005 (12 - 1) #2 National Runners Up; Reggie Bush wins Heisman Trophy
2006 (11 - 2) #5
2007 (11 - 2) #2
2008 (12 - 1) #2
MIAMI HURRICANES
Years 1998 - 2008
W/L 111 - 36
2001 National Champions
2002 National Runners Up
1998 (9 - 3) #24
1999 (9 - 4) #13
2000 (11 - 1) #3
2001 (12 - 0) #1 National Champions
2002 (12 - 1) #2 National Runners Up
2003 (11 - 2) #5
2004 (9 - 3) #11
2005 (9 - 3) #14
2006 (7 - 6) #47
2007 (5 - 7) #78
2008 (7 - 6) #60
NOTRE DAME FIGHTIN' IRISH
Years 1998 - 2008
W/L 78 - 56
0 National Championships
0 National Runners Up
0 Heisman Trophy Winners
1998 (9 - 3) #21
1999 (5 - 7) #64
2000 (9 - 3) #22
2001 (5 - 6) #62
2002 (10 - 3) #19
2003 (5 - 7) #67
2004 (6 - 6) #54
2005 (9 - 3) #18
2006 (10 - 3) #19
2007 (3 - 9) #98
2008 (7 - 6) #58
As you can see, I don't have to do the talking because the numbers speak for themselves. I despise Notre Dame because there are so many teams out there that deserve so much more attention than they do. Boise State is a great example of a team that has an unbelievable body of work over a span of 10 years. A way better body of work the Notre Dame has. If you don't believe me then look at their numbers.
BOISE STATE BRONCOS
Years 1998 - 2008
Total W/L 114 - 25
1998 (6 - 5) #69
1999 (10 - 3) #32
2000 (10 - 2) #18
2001 (8 - 4) #29
2002 (12 -1) #15
2003 (13 - 1) #16
2004 (11 - 1) #12
2005 (9 - 4) #21
2006 (13 - 0) #5
2007 (10 - 3) #13
2008 (12 - 1) #11
I don't want to hear any crap about how Boise State plays in a lower level conference. The point is this; Boise State dominates their conference year after year and, if anything have been underrated on the national scene. They compete with the big name programs when it comes to recruiting and still end up atop of the rankings every year. Notre Dame has some very distinct advantages over Boise State.
1. They get WAY better recruits
2. They can schedule whomever they want
3. They get more national exposure
...and Boise State still has more to show for the last 10 years.
In any case, I hope to do a lot of smiling in the future. Especially if my fellow Notre Dame haters keep making videos like this one.
-Russ Hale
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