Ive got two of these and Peyton's got only one!!! Nyah-Nyah!!!

Greetings from the Hoodwood, the locals are already suffering from football withdrawal.

Its an anniversary…Musings from  the Hoodwood, celebrates a year at Yougabsports.com!!!

Well last night was the capstone of another great season for the NFL. A thrilling Super Bowl and the New York Football Giants are kings for the pro football world for the 2^nd time in four years. Clown on Eli Manning all you want, but the youngest of the Manning boys is fast cementing his place as one of the better quarterbacks of our generation. My boy Jonesie dogs him relentlessly and I still say he looks like he couldn’t get past the doorman at most nightclubs. You have to give him dap, twice now outdueling the redoubtable Tom Brady for a Super title. Now the wonks are starting to rail on Brady and Belichick having not won a Super Bowl since the spygate incident and many like my homie Jinx are getting louder with the phrase If you cant beat ‘em cheat ‘em. I think its an unfair tag, and unlike the Buffalo Bills and Minnesota Vikings the Pats have Super Bowl rings to show to counter the four losses that they have.

To be sure the Pats had their chances and you know that tough drop by Wes Welker in the 4th will haunt Pats fans for awhile, but real talk here. The Giants played the same formula that they have in winning 4 Super Bowl, a grind it out offense that limits the opposing offense and a punch you in the mouth defense. The G-Men didnt pound Brady like they did four years ago but they hit him enough to make him uncomfortable. Give credit where its due the G-Men are the Champs

First Spec of the Season

Yeah, yeah I know it’s a little late getting started but here we are a little over a month out from selection Sunday, the day where the 68 NCAA dance tickets are officially issued. So the time has come for the now legendary Tournament Speculation Update. Or Spec Sheets, I break down by conference who I think will qualify for the NCAA tournament. Of the 50 schools Power, Major, & Mid-Major conferences that qualified last year I correctly picked 50 of them. Since its still early I break the teams into two categories. Teams listed as solid are on a good course to make the tournament those with Work to Do are teams that need to get some resume building wins or simply bust out an extended win streak. Keep in mind that this list is speculation for now, the predictions on who gets in won’t be till March. Lets get started

Atlantic Coast 
(Conference Class-Power) 
Solid: Duke, North Carolina, Florida State 
Work to do: North Carolina State, Miami, Virginia 
Skinny on the ACC: Duke got caught looking ahead to their showdown with UNC and their vaunted home winning streak went by the boards with a stunning loss to Miami. The Canes will need a few more wins like that to solidify their status. The Noles and Heels are cruising along. The Wolfpack and Cavs aren’t doing anything to hurt themselves but hitting 20 wins before Valentines Day would look real good on the resume 
Key Game: Duke at North Carolina Wendesday 9p (ESPN) If I have to explain why, move on from reading this blog now.

Projected Bids: 5 

Atlantic Ten 
Conference Class-Mid Major 
Solid: Temple, Saint Louis
Work to do: Xavier UMass, Lasalle 
The A-10 Spec is: Temple is the only team on this list with any real street cred, a win agains Duke as their shiny bauble on their resume. The Billikens are a tough squad to figure but have some credible wins over ACC and Big 12 teams to boast on. Xavier is in all kinds of trouble 7-8 since their brawl with crosstown rival Cincy the Muskies are in real bubble danger and a loss to Memphis did them no favors. UMass and LaSalle lack marquee wins since beating X carries less weight than in years past

Key Games: Saint Bonaventure at UMass Wednesday 7:30 The Bonnies want to get into tourney talk a road win at a tough venue is a good way to get noticed

Projected Bids: 2 

Big East 
Conference Class-Power 
Solid: Syracuse, Georgetown, Marquette, Louisville, Notre Dame, Cincinnati

Work to do: South Florida, UConn, West Virginia 
Big East Skinny: It’s the same ole same old here. Dominant team at the top in the ‘Cuse and then a morass of good but not great teams beating each others brains out like crabs in a barrel. Lunardi of ESPN has 9 teams coming out of here, but truth be told after Cincy Im not sold past six and my beloved Bearcats are tottering. The Blazers, Huskies and Mountaineers all have some shaky patches  

Key Game: Georgetown at Syracuse Wendesday 7p The Cuse is on top and will stay there win or lose, but the Hoyas could really make a big splash with a win in the Carrier Dome

Projected bids: 7 

Big Ten 
Conference Class-Power 
Solid: Michigan State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State, Indiana 
Work to do: Illinois, Minnesota, Purdue
The word on the Big Ten is: Ohio State leads the pack after a tense win at Madison and Michigan State hot on their heels after beating Michigan. Weep not for the Badgers and Wolverines as they are very much in the picture. Indiana has looked shaky at times but that win over #1 Kentucky will get them massive mileage. Is it me or does Illinois have permanent residence on the bubble, whining about respect but playing down to their competition will get them no love here. Losing four of five aside from an brutal to win watch slugfest over Michigan State doesn’t help. The Boilers and Gophers lack a signature win and

Key Game: Wisconsin at Minnesota Thursday 7p (BTN) The Gophers as mentioned before lack a signature win, beating their despised eastern neighbor would do very well to that end

Projected Bids: 6 

Big 12 
Conference Class-Power 
Solid: Kansas, Baylor, Missouri 
Work to do: Iowa State, Kansas State 
Skinny from the heartland: The Tigers, Jayhawks, and Bears are pretty much safe as long as they don’t drop too many. Iowa State is the one to watch, they have big wins over Kansas and have a leg up on the Wildcats whom they’ve already beaten.  
Key Game: Kansas at Baylor Wednesday 7p (ESPN2) The Bears got housed in Allen Fieldhouse last month and are itching for payback but the Jayhawks, stung by a shootout loss at Mizzou needs a bounceback. 
Projected Bids: 5 

Conference USA 
Conference Class-Major 
Solid: None 
Work to do: Tulsa, Southern Miss, Memphis 
Oh Say Can You C-USA Spec: Southern Miss is the leader here and with 20 wins are the team to beat, Memphis, as is their wont, hangs around the top though they lack a real resume booster, especially with the win over Xavier not carrying as much weight and losing at the aforementioned Golden Eagles last Wednesday. 
Key Game: Southern Miss at UAB Wednesday 8p The Eagles had better take care going into Bartow is never a fun assignment, the Blazers are always tough at their quirky loud venue.

Projected Bids: 1 


Horizon 
Conference Class-Mid Major 
Solid: Cleveland State 
Work to do: Valpo, Wright State,
Spec on The Horizon: Always a favorite of mine, the Horizon is a fun league to watch. Unfortunelately Butler is a long shot at best to be around much longer than a token win or two in the Horizon tourney this year. Cleveland State is the bully on the block this year and though Valpo is contending it’s the Vikings title to lose. 
Key Game: Valpo at Cleveland State Thursday 7p Valpo knocked off the Vikings earlier last month and stands a half game out of first in the Horizon a win in Cleveland gives them a crucial tiebreaker

Projected Bids: 1 

IVY 
Conference Class-Small 
Solid: Harvard 
Work To Do: Princeton 
Spec on the Ivy Vine: Harvard is ranked getting close to bulletproof. If the Yalies or Quakers cant slow them down soon the auto bid might be locked up without much more of a fight 
Key Game: Harvard at Penn Friday 7p Expect the historic Palestra to be at its rockin’ rowdy best with the ranked Crimson in town.

Projected Bids: 1 


Missouri Valley 
Conference Class-Mid Major 
Solid: Creighton 
Work to do: Wichita State,
Missouri Valley Skinny: Another of my favorite conferences has a ranked team at the head of its class though the BlueJays took a stunning pratfall at UNI and though they are still ranked have a hard charging Shocker team even with them in the standings now. I still think both teams are tourney worthy.

Key Game: Northern Iowa at Wichita State Wednesday 8p The Panthers fresh off their upset of Creighton are the Shockers problem now.

Projected Bids: 2 


Mountain West 
Conference Class-Major 
Solid: San Diego State, UNLV 
Work to do: None 
Spec from the Mountains: Without a certain Mormon squad casting a shadow the MWC is a two team struggle.  
Key Game: San Diego State at UNLV Saturday 4p A super huge matchup, winner gets inside track on MWC top seed 
Projected Bids: 2 


Pacific 12 
Conference Class-Power 
Solid: Washington, Cal, Colorado, Oregon, Arizona
Work to do: Stanford, UCLA, Oregon State 
Spec from the left coast: This is a messy situation as usual. Though unlike years past there are at least a a couple teams that are good enough to make the tourney without a host of snickers from the peanut gallery…maybe.The Huskies are grinding out ugly but effective wins. As soon as you get sold on the Bears they take a stupid loss, witness losing 2 of three winnable home games. Colorado is new to the Pac12 mess but they fit right in with puzzling play and a tendency to play bad on the road. Arizona? Well…they are in the mix for now…but stay tuned. The working teams in the Cardinal, Bruins and Beavers need to string some wins together to stay on this list

 Key Games: Washington at Oregon  11p (FOX Sports) Thursday The Huskies head into the woods to take on a Ducks squad needing a signature win. 
Projected Bids: 5



Southeastern 
Conference Class-Power 
Solid: Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Florida, Mississippi State 
Work to do: Arkansas, Alabama Ole Miss, 
Spec is Down South: The Wildcats looked almost bored in thumping South Carolina and are pretty safe right now. Beyond Florida, the SEC looks pretty humdrum though the Commodores and Bulldogs haven’t done anything to not be included on the Solid list but Vandy had better right itself fast.

Key Game: Florida at Kentucky Tuesday 7p (ESPN) The Gators are maybe one of the few SEC teams that could stop the rampaging Wildcats…maybe. 
Projected Bids: 4


Western Athletic 
Conference Class- Major 
Solid: Nevada
Work to do:  New Mexico State,
Spec on the WAC: Nevada took its first loss since since Thanksgiving but is still in pretty good shape, though the Aggies are still very much in the hunt 
Key Game: Nevada at Hawai’i Friday 1a (ESPNU) The Wolfpack head to the Big Island with a big target on their backs.

Projected Bids: 2 

West Coast 
Conference Class- Mid Major 
Solid: St. Marys 
Work to do: Gonzaga, BYU 
West Coast Spec: The Gaels are the bully this year and have been playing like it. The Bulldogs and Cougars are jostling for a 2^nd spot here. 
Key Game: St. Mary’s at Gonzaga Thursday 11p (ESPN2) The Gaels are heading into an extremely hostile venue in the Kennel

Projected Bids: 2 

There are others in the mix to be sure. Teams from the always dangerous Colonial and Big South always are in the mix and can send multiple teams. Of course the champions from the following conferences get an automatic bid: Amer. East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big West, MAC, MAAC, MEAC, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot, Southern, Southland, Sun Belt, Summit, and SWAC 

Since this is still early spec, nothing here is solid and we haven't even brought up the possibility of upsets. But those never happen, right? 

Next Spec on Friday!

Phat Dap Head Slap

Phat Dap

To Knicks Guard Jeremy Lin, who had enough to overcome being Asian-American playing basketball but also coming out of Harvard (Harvard???) he scored a career high 28 points to lead the Knicks to a win Monday night as he filled in for Amare Stoudamire who had to leave the team due to the death of his older brother (condolences to the Stoudamire family) Dap to Lin for perserving and becoming a possible new option for the Knicks offense off the bench.

Head Slap

Never a favorite of mine, Steelers LB James Harrison leading those that were chortling about the Pats loss in the Super Bowl. Saying "I told you, Cheaters never win."  Ummm im sorry, Mr. Harrison were you there...oh thats right your team got Tebowed and were out the first round. Do the sporting world a favor and keep your yap shut unless you are winning Super Bowls you have no place to shot call

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

What's up everyone? Did you enjoy the Super Bowl? I'm sure our resident Massholes weren't too happy with the end result, but honestly I can't complain. It was a good football game and the better team won. At least the game went down to the wire and wasn't a blowout. So, at least there's that. (And yes, I know that doesn't make the Patriots fans feel better, but oh well -- it is what it is.)

Once again the halftime show sucked balls. Madonna isn't Super Bowl worthy anymore, and I don't know why the NFL thought she would be quality entertainment. This isn't 1987. The NFL needs to get over themselves and start putting good music in the halftime show instead of all these washed up hacks. The "wardrobe malfunction" was almost 10 years ago...it's time to get over it NFL.

The commercials were again a major let down. The only commercials that got a laugh from me were the Pepsi commercial with Flava Flav and The Voice commercial with Betty White. I chuckled at the Bud Light commercial with the dog named We Go that fetched beer every time someone said "Here We Go", and I yawned at pretty much every other commercial. It's gotten to the point where it's not even worth watching the commercials anymore, because they get worse and worse as the years go by. Whatever happened to making commercials that were actually funny? Is it just me, or are these commercials just stupid wastes of time? I don't think it's just me...and I think that something needs to change, and change quickly, before we're stuck with no entertainment value in the Super Bowl at all.

Now that the Super Bowl is over it's time to turn our focus to baseball. (Or, if you're like me, keep your focus on baseball. I've been focused on baseball for two weeks now.) We're less than a month away from the start of spring training, and I can't wait to sit down and watch a baseball game again...it's been way too long. 

Over the next few weeks my plan is to focus on each division and make some predictions that will be totally wrong by the end of the year. I'll probably start with a "who got better and who got worse" post to examine the free agent signings over the past few weeks, and speculate on where any remaining free agents might end up once the season starts. 

While I'm on the subject of baseball I'll briefly cover my feelings on the whole Josh Hamilton situation. I know Beeze covered this the other day (at least I think he did), so I'm not going to go in-depth on it, but I will say that a) I feel somewhat bad for Hamilton who is still battling his demons (and will probably battle them for the rest of his life), and b) I wish the media would leave him alone. His relapse is none of our business. It's a private family matter, and honestly I don't understand the point in making it a story. He had a few drinks. It's not like he went on a three day coke binge and killed five hookers in a gas station on the outskirts of Yuma. Come on people...let the man live his personal life, and let him try to fight his battles without sticking your nose where it doesn't belong.

Alright, with that I'm going to go and get some sleep, because I feel like shit and I'm tired. If you have any thoughts you'd like to share, feel free to add them in the comments section.

Until next Monday...

Well signing day came and went and the same faces were welcoming the top recruits to the top programs.  This year's greatest turnaround was at a school where there were recruiting was on the downslope,  free-falling as no time in the recent past.

​BUT!!   Urban Meyer's health improved!   He got the Ohio State job and has been flipping recruits like a grill person flipping burgers at a fast food restaurant.  Lord only knows what he offered.    

​Rumors have  been flying that hostesses have done more than fluffed their pillows,  if you know what I mean?   That said,  I really don't begrudge Missouri fans for keeping Dorial Green-Beckham in state.   Afterall,  he was a last weekend kind of thing and the most recent visit can create that lasting impression.  

​What I find most interesting is the complaints coming by the Michigan State and Wisconsin head coaches.    Bleacher Report implied that the Big Ten has a gentlemen's agreement,  not to poach verbal-signees.   The response by Urban Meyer is basically like,  boo-hoo!  Prove it!    Myer has effectively brought the SEC kind of recruiting to another conference.

Now,  the same type of complaint is coming from the Pac-10 about Kiffin and USC.  The same USC that has had violations and probation already.   Maybe that is why the current Boise State coach is satisfied with the conference he is in.   With his recruiting classes,  he is doing quite well, considering the talent level there is no where close to that the SEC.   He will keep winning.

​I guess, ultimately, he either selects the right job at maybe Georgia or Auburn for better money,  with a proven product product or just stays put.  At Arkansas,  they picked up a 3-4-star recruit that Alabama didn't sign.    He was committed since last September and even had the hat ready to go,  but the problem was a better player signed with Sabin and the DE didn't even get a call telling him there was a change of plan.  Good for the Hogs maybe but not so much for Dairus Philbin.

 When Beckham did sign with Missouri,  Petrino was unhappy but he is still recruiting well,  when you consider his success the last two years. (21-5).    He did well at Louisville too.  And by the way, the Falcons and their players can go jump off a cliff,   because those guys got rich with football and so should Petrino.   And who is being true anymore?

​And with that in mind,  the Razorbacks picked up some more receivers who will be game-changers.   He won't recruit players who don't like to work.   Now he has a few players that will go to the NFL and star,  like WR Joe Adams and Jarius Wright,  who had 282 yards receiving in one game.   And they will be ten deep at WR and about 5 deep at RB.   Their tight end will be a high round draft pick and he will be replaced effectively.

​This thing with poaching can cripple a soft-state.  But a great coach can bring the best out in your players and make those marginal stars,  great.  Greg Childs comes to mind.   

​The gist of all this though,  is the dirty tactics  being used to take players away from other teams and realistically Wisconsin had done well considering their recruiting class rankings have been traditionally low.  Good for them.   It will take CFB to take this seriously and even the playing field a bit.   One thing is for sure,  a lot of those top players never get the chance to show off their skills,   become some teams are stockpiling players to the detriment of small schools.

I find it a bit ironic that, when comparing quarterbacks Tom Brady and Eli Manning, Brady is revered as a lock for the Hall of Fame once that his illustrious career has ended, yet it is being insinuated that Manning will not be joining him unless he wins a second ring in the Super Bowl on Sunday.  You see Brady has won three rings already and Eli only one, as if that has anything to do with how great a quarterback is.  Football sportswriters tend to ignore that the Super Bowl has only been around since 1967, and that there are a slew of great quarterbacks who retired long before there ever was a Super Bowl.  It is also ironic that, if the Giants do win tomorrow, Manning will have won both of his rings by besting Brady and thereby making Brady 0-2 when facing Eli Manning. 

Speaking of 1967 and the Super Bowl, it means that tomorrow’s game will be the 46^th one ever and that I have the dubious distinction of having witnessed each and every one of them.  I do not know if this makes me a true football fan or if it just means that I am really getting old.  For the record, my favorite game ever was Super Bowl III, where Joe Namath and his AFL New York Jets upset the heavily favored NFL Baltimore Colts, thereby leading to the merger of the two leagues.  It was an event of distinction especially to me because I lived in Houston at the time and was a fan of the then almost ignored American Football League, the league that was the little step-sister until after Super Bowl III.  As an aside, we AFL fans knew that the Jets were going to win that game because we knew how good the AFL teams had become, and we realized that Namath was confident that his team was going to win.

While we are discussing Joe Namath, look at his statistics and you will wonder how the former University of Alabama quarterback ever made it into the NFL Hall of Fame.  That one Super Bowl victory changed the face of professional football so much that Namath had to be admitted no matter how weak his career statistics actually were.  His victory in Super Bowl III was the real milestone in the development of today’s NFL.

Monday morning will be sad but also ultimately glad because, while it marks the end of the football season, it also will usher in the beginning of baseball and spring training (which starts the end of February).  As an aside, I can remember every World Series since 1959, so baseball has been in my life even longer than football.  Have a great time watching Super Bowl XLVI, and may your favorite team prevail and earn their rings.

On the seventh day, God rested...

And on the eighth day...

He created the Super Bowl...

You see...

There was absolutely no life prior to the Super Bowl...

At least...

That’s what the NFL would like you believe...

The Patriots and Giants meet Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI...

Apparently...

There were no prior championships prior to the Super Bowl...

This is all we have, isn’t it???

Oh yeah...

There was football before the Super Bowl...

But no championships, right???

Just the regular season, right???

Then they just stopped playing, right???

Until next year, right???

Nothing mattered back then, did it???

Did they even keep stats back then, did they???

I heard they had some pretty swell players...

But they really don’t count, do they???

It was just a rehearsal, right???

After all...

Even if they did have championship games back then...

Since they weren’t SUPER BOWL titles...

They don’t count in the overall total...

At least that is what the NFL would like you to believe...

And what the media would like you to believe...

I never hear them talk about the good ole days...

The only things that are count are...

Super Bowl titles...

And Super Bowl appearances...

So and so has the most Super Bowl titles...

Such and such has the most Super Bowl appearances...

Detroit has never been to a Super Bowl...

And I guess that means they have zero titles, right???

Those games in ‘35, ‘52, ‘53, and ‘57...

They were just post season scrimmages, right???

Practice games, right???

We talkin’ ‘bout practice...

Not a game...

Not a game...

Not a game...

We talkin’ ‘bout practice...

Okay...

‘Nuffa dat...

And in one of those practices...

Way back before Pearl Harbor...

In ‘40...

The Chicago Bears bombed the Washington Redskins, 73-0...

But that didn’t count...

‘Cus it wasn’t in the Super Bowl...

And they were just messin’ around, weren’t they???

They even had a scrimmage go into overtime...

That was back in ‘57...

I think it was some actor named Don Ameche...

He scored the “so-called” winning touchdown...

And they stopped playing just like that...

But it didn’t matter, did it???

Because the game wasn’t named the Super Bowl...

Nobody cares about that stuff back then any more...

‘Cus sacking the quarterback was legal back then...

Now you can only pull the flag attached to his belt...

So just like the old AAFC and AFL...

Those games are pigments of our imaginations...

Yes, I said pigments...

As in pigskin...

But I guess if you count those scrimmages...

Or practice games...

The Packers have...

Thirteen championships...

But nobody really counts that high, do they???

And da Bears have nine...

But the first eight were insignifcant...

I guess we can’t give credit where credit is due...

Cus’ they weren’t in “The Big Game”...

That’s right...

I don’t think I can legally say...

S-p-r B-wl...

Cus I didn’t pay the NFL to say it...

I guess I don’t count either...

dvt

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The big game is finally here , you know the one the Professional Football Championship Game. The game that billions tune into. Anyway, it’s time to talk about a little. I was going done my checklist trying to figure out who will win this game. Allow me to share that checklist with all of you.

Coaching

This is a wash, No advantage eitherway. Two Parcell’s disciples both have a ton of expierence. Both are very smart in their own way. Both have ben there.  It’s a push.

Defense

The Giants front four are quick athletic big and fast. The question is how well can the Patriots line protect Brady? If the Patriots line controls the pressure on Brady , he will strive . If he is forced o thow to early he will make mistakes. The Giants eceivers will burn the Patriots DB’s. I’m looking fo Eli to go deep a few times perhaps early and often. The Patiots have to control the run as well

The advantage Giants

Quarterbacks

Two out of the best four are sitting home probably 1 and 2 are home in Rodgers and Brees. So we get 3 and 4. Brady is 3 and Eli has had a career year. He is hot but I’ll give a very slight advantage to Brady but not enough to make a difference.

It’s a push

Receivers

This is different. The Giants have deep threats The Patriots have tightends. The Giants can burn them long. The patriots will take anything the Giants give them. Nicks and Cruz over a hurt Gronkowski and herenades. Welker maybe the key for the Patriots with a lot of stuff in the flat and over the middle . essentially Welker and Branch do the same thing but Welker is more reliable.

Advantage Giants

Offense

The Patriots have weapons, The Giants have more. I think young athletic receivers kind of trump Big Tight Ends. I think both lines are good but the Patriots have been to gather longer so they get the advantage. Brady is Brady and I’ll take him every time but that’s me. I can’t take away anything from Manning he has been awesome! Again it’s tough. The Giants have advantage at Running back as well Bradshaw and Jacobsl vs Green Ellis , Ridley, and Faulk. Green Ellis is good with the ball but isn’t explosive.

Advantage Giants

So on paper it’s the Giants but The Patriots will win this game and here is way. The patriots let up a lot yards on defense. They suck in plain language on stopping anything on 3^rd down. They also have some kids that will make big plays when needed. Rob Nikovitch if he is in his zone the kid makes huge plays.

Look for Patrick Chung to step up as well. Nobody os talking about how good the Patriots D-Line is and they will pressure Manning as much as the Giants will pressure Brady. No body is talking about the Giants D-Backs not exactly a stellar unit . They make a mistake and Brady will take full advantage.

The Patriots will find something to grab onto and win this game by 10. I think it will be close but I think the Patriots will just execute better and make a few big plays. They have been consist all year at times dreadful but they finished 13-3 .

The Giants struggled to get into the playoffs. Sure they beat two better teams on the road. But they were as lucky as the Patriots to win last week. This week is different throw out anything from the past because it means nothing. It comes down to who plays for 60 minutes with the least mistakes. That will be the Patriots.

Enjoy The Game Gang.

Yeah. That was Hines Ward.

Still, more often than not they are severely under whelming. See most of the Rocky movies and the X-Men movies past the first. You can even see it in comics. I bet Frag will agree that while the issues like Spiderman or Batman are great, some of the smaller titles are so much cooler. If you've read the Watchmen or V for Vendetta, you might agree. 

That, of course brings us to this Sunday's game. Now, there are some pretty good sports re-matches. I loved watching the 49er-Cowboy battles during the 90's, but was always bummed by the Cowboys-Bills Super Bowls. The Super Bowls of 1993-94 were less than sporting, as normally is true. 

Super Bowl XLII back in 2008 was a good game. I was pulling for the Giants, just because I get tired of seeing the same team win. It was a slow game and low scoring. Even lower scoring than Super Bowl XL, which a lot of people complained about. Of course it was capped off by one of the best Super Bowl plays in recent memory. 

Still, I can't help but see this as something of a let down. I have some recent precedent, of course. The college national championship was a rematch. While the first Alabama-LSU game didn't live up to the game of the century hype, I liked it. I like good, old defensive battles. A few of you liked it too. The actual national championship was so long after that game that LSU just looked rusty. It was all Bama and never entertaining. Is this what we're looking at Sunday? I hope not. The playoffs have been great this year. There were upsets galore and a lot of close shaves. Ideally, I want this to follow suit and go to the wire, but I fear this might just be the next super letdown.

Also, I can't help but note some folks saying that a loss by New England is a black mark on Brady and Belichek. That just seems stupid. Look, I know they have an unusually bad record against the Giants. That stat has been thrown around like pies in a Three Stooges short this week. You're talking about a coach that many hail as a defensive guru. A second string QB who took advantage of his one big shot and went on to win three Super Bowls. I find it hard to see how losing to one team twice would tarnish that kind of legend.

Big news for Jeff's AL team: Ron Washington got a two year extension. The Rangers have Washington locked up til 2014.

So, just when you thought we had enough sports, the History Channel is bringing out a (relatively) new one...

Really makes you miss Heath Ledger. Well, it's not quite this awesome. The History Channel will air Full Metal Jousting. Guys will dress up in Iron Man like suits and joust. Just like at the Ren Fest, but without guys like this....

Well, that's it for me this week. Thanks as always for stopping by. As far as the game, I think I'm going to root for the Pats this time. I just hope it'll be a good one. Take care and see you at the discussion. Don't forget about the Puppy Bowl with this years pep rally pigs. (Yeah, it might seem corny, but it'll be better than Madonna.) I'll leave you with your word of the week, but with a special twist. 

Aww quit yer bellyachin' Dwight you will go somewhere and get paid!

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where some of the locals do know why they call it the Super Bowl…

The preview of the Super Bowl is here plus the first bare bones Spec Sheet. But first I have to start this weeks musings with real musings.

Your humble scribe spent the weekend in Columbus, where the lovely Lady Bandit lives and was mildly amused by the so-called protest from the Columbus Blue Jackets fans who seem to be rather fed up with the direction or lack of their team. As a Red Wing fan, I entertained myself by wearing the colors proudly on Saturday and relished the dirty looks I got from the jealous fans. I heard a fan say that the Jackets were the laughingstock of the league. I would dare surmise that the Jackets are one of the most ignored teams in the league. Most of the hardcore fans don’t think much of the potential of this team or franchise. Having been in the NHL since the 2000 season, the Jackets have made the playoffs all of one time and got a quick gate from the Red Wings in four games. The Jackets and their expansion cousins, the Minnesota Wild came into the NHL in 2000 but the Wild have been way more successful and have made deeper playoff runs. I have heard more than a few rumors that the owners of the Jackets are looking to other venues Kansas City and Houston have new state of the art arenas with big better scoreboards and more revenue. But with the new casinos going up the west metro, the runoff could make them stay. The Lady Bandit was very succinct in her assessment. “Folks in Columbus have no tolerance for losers.” The hiring of Urb Meyer at THE Ohio State University to shore up a fallen program backs that theory up.

How to be loyal to a team that you aren’t close to

I grew up in Cincinnati and for a time, I was a Bengals fan. I lived and died with the stripes. Keep in mind, that this was the days of Forrest Gregg and Sam Wyche coaching. Kenny Anderson & Boomer Esiason at quarterback, Pete Johnson, James Brooks and Ickey Woods running the ball; And Issac Curtis, Eddie Brown Tim McGee and Cris Collinsworth making catches. I soured on the Bengals not long after the 1991 season. It was the first season of the dark ages for the Bengals. They went 3-13 and were just horrible. My favorite player (James Brooks) got released and Sam Wyche was unceremoniously dumped. The Bengals then started on their path of stupid draft picks, picking wunderkind David Klingler. Nevermind that they still had a very serviceable quarterback in Esiason and hiring David Shula as coach. Klingler was pressed into service and was simply put not ready for the pro game. But then again, neither was David Shula. For reasons that only Mike Brown knows, Shula was allowed to coach 4 ½ seasons before being fired in 1996. I gave up on the Bengals not long after the Shula era began. I began to search for a new team to root for. My homeboy Guido was a Bills fan and talked about going to Buffalo to catch a game and in 1993 we did. This was the Jim Kelly-Thurman Thomas-Bruce Smith era. The Bills were everything the Bengals weren’t and I enjoyed the trip, though the Bills lost the game I had a great time and a had a new team to root for. Ironically the last of my four trips to Buffalo the Bills stomped the Bengals not too long after they had fired Dave Shula.

I had a small problem not too long after I moved from Cincinnati to Minnesota in 1997, the Bills were now much further away than an 8 eight hour drive that me and Guido made and add to boot the Bills got stomped on opening day of 1997 by the Vikings. I had to sit glumly in a suburban Twin Cities sports bar and listen to Vikings fans go bonkers as Robert Smith ran hog wild on the Bills. I tried to resist the people telling me that I needed to back the local team, but the Vikings looked like a team that was always in contention. I decided to change my allegiance and follow the Vikings, it didn’t hurt that Bills were slowly coming apart and that they had acquired a player I wasn’t too fond of. I would be damned if I was going to be a Flutie fanatic. So after four years and two painful NFC title game losses. I moved back to the Hoodwood in 2000, but did I switch to the home team??? Are you kidding? The Bengals were still adrift in loser land. I kept my Vikings gear on and watched the Bengals flounder and my loyalties deepened. Even though, I got to see the Vikings live on the rare occasion that they got close enough. Detroit and Chicago are makeable 5 hour roadies but both are quite hostile to the opposition. I went to see my first Bengals game since 1998 and as usual I was rooting for the visitor the problem, was the home Bengals were much improved and laid a 37-8 woodshed whooping on my beloved Vikings, Carson Palmer found Chad Johnson on a go route 2 plays into the game and I spent the better part of 3 hours listening to the taunts of a giddy crowd. But the question still begs itself, how do you live in one area and your favorite team is not only in another state, area and time zone but the other conference? The answer, you learn to find watering holes that have Sunday ticket. Now I got lucky for the most part the last three years. The Vikings and their chapter in the Favre saga made them prime TV so they were on often. This year with the home stnading Bengals rarely on TV when they were home, I got to see plenty of Vikings games. The problem was now, they suck. A 3-13 season was tough to take. But unlike other season and teams I followed when I was younger, I will stick with my teams. Its funny, other than the minor league hockey team I root for no pro teams in the area. I long turned away from the Reds, going only because I love baseball. My loyalty is with the Twins. I have no favorite pro basketball team having long since grown disillusioned with the Timberwolves and if you think Ive ever been a Wild fan in hockey you’re sadly mistaken. Im a Red Wings fan which as previously mentioned, is a fun way to irritate the locals when the Lady Bandit and I are out on the town in Columbus.

Requiem for a fallen Bearcat

The flags are at half-staff for a fallen Bearcat. Greg Cook passed away late last week of pneumonia at the age of 65 was simply put a Bearcat football legend. His passing helped the Bearcats lead the nation in total offense in 1968 and his 554 yards passing against Ohio U was a national record at the time remains a Bearcat single game record. Cook was the Bengals top draft choice in the 1969 AFL/NFL draft and was so talented and prepared that he earned the starting job in training camp and was the Bengals opening day starter. The Bengals steamed out to a 3-0 start in 1969, equaling their win total of their inaugural season. But Cook was sacked in 2^nd quarter in their game against the Chiefs, he left the game after throwing one more pass and then sat out all or parts of the next four games before returning against the then unbeaten Raiders. Cook played well and the Bengals beat the Raiders 31-17, this was no mean feat. The John Madden coached Raiders went  12-1-1 in 1969 and wouldn’t lose again until they lost the penultimate AFL title game to the Chiefs. Cook, however would not play again in that or any season. He had what was later diagnosed with a torn rotator cuff, which in effect ended his career; this was before Tommy John surgery. Drew Brees had a similar injury but with modern surgery was able to recover and has had a pretty decent run since.  Cook returned in 1970 but didn’t play and was on the Bengals roster till 1973 but never played again. The Bengals drafted Kenny Anderson in 1971 and he was the franchise QB for the next 14 years. Cook never threw another pass as a pro again. Many old time Bengals fans lament at what could have been with the strong armed Cook piloting the Bengals in the 1970s. Likened to the arm strength of Terry Bradshaw and the offensive mind of a Joe Montana, Cook might have been one of the best that never was.

College Champeenship

Two weeks ago I whittled a 16 team field down to two. Alabama and Oregon. I loaded the teams into the NCAA simulator on the PS3 and came up with this final...

Alabama 41 Oregon 23

Bama’s offense while not spectacular, wore down the Ducks with a methodical meat and potatoes offense. Almost Big Ten like. Keeping Oregons high speed offense on the sidelines for much the game. The Crimson Tide pounded the ball relentlessly and forced the Ducks into three turnovers into which was cashed into 17 points. The game really wasnt that close it was 34-10 at the start of the 4th. The Ducks had four straight series in which they went 3 and out and barely used a minute on the clock cause their quarterback kept missing passes or was getting climbed by the relentless Tide pass rush. The Tide was never headed as they jumped out to a 14-0 1st quarter lead and rolled the "National Championship" in an almost boring game.

Okay, you're saying So what Bandit, I got the same national champ as the real world. But the fact remains that a tournament would be a smashing way to end a season and would be a great opening act to the Super Bowl. .

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

Dap to Novak Djokovic who outlasted Rafael Nadal in a greuling five set Aussie Open Final. Five hours and fifty six minutes.  5:56! I could drive to Chicago from Cincy in that amount of time and be in the hotel in that time. Djokovic fought off a game rally by Rafa to win the longest final in the Open era. A match that will grow in legend like the Born-McEnroe Wimbeldon epic in 1980 or the Nadal-Feder marathon in that same historic venue in 2008. Nadal seems to like these long match and Djokovic does too, that win comes a day after he outslugged Andy Murray in a five set semifinal epic. Djokovic is the best in the game right now and won two thrillers to prove it.

Head Slap

Head Slap to the Orlando Magic who in the span of three days got housed by the Boston Celtics in Boston 87-56 last Monday. The Magic then played the Celtics the following Thursday and raced out to 58-37 halftime lead and lost that one too and it wasnt even close. The Magic scored all of 25 points in the fucking second half! The Celtics blew past the Magic and won by 8 91-83. The Magic look like a team that has just faded away after a fast start and are getting worn down by the where Dwight going chatter (More on that in a bit). Ive never been a fan of Stan Van Gundy, his whining over the top hysterics have always annoyed me and just the fact that hes the older brother of Jeff Van Gundy (someone I like as an analyst but never as a coach) is just that much more are reason. A small slap goes to Dwight Howard who continues to spin the rumor mill of teams he’s“ interested“ in. Now its the Bulls, I think Howard is a good player but he’s getting like some of these other players that want to team up with a bunch of others to win a title. Not good enough to do it on his own, so he will whore himself out to the highest bidder or the team that he thinks may be the closest to a title.

Super Bowl Preview and Spec Sheets...delayed.

You want the dope on who the Bandit thinks leaves Indy with the Super Bowl Trophy? Im still writing it...Check back on the NFL page on Friday for the Super Bowl preview that will be chock full of info stats and history.

The dribbling sound you hear in the distance is the spec sheet coming as February starts so will the return of the now legendary almost mythical spec sheet. Started in 2005 as a way of speculating to coworkers who would make the NCAA tournament that year, the Spec sheet grew to must read status after posting on a once well read blog. It comes back to Yougabsports and the Hoodwood starting Friday and will be part of the Musings every week until Selection Sunday.

Until Next Post Fellow Sports Fans!

What's up everyone?

Well, it's Super Bowl week, and all the attention will be on the re-match between the Patriots and Giants as they meet for the 2nd time in the big game (and we all know what happened the first time). Well, everyone can get all excited and cream their pants for this one all they want, but personally I'm probably going to fall asleep mid way through the third quarter.

I'm going to be honest, I don't really give a shit about the Super Bowl this year. The only reason I'm even going to watch is to see what kind of train wreck Madonna turns the halftime show into, and what crazy commercials make it to the big time. To me, the game between the Patriots and Giants is going to be a snooze-fest, mainly because I couldn't care less about either team. I know there are a lot of Patriots fans here at the Gab, but guys I can't say that I'm one of them. If things were to go my way, neither team would win on Sunday. But, I know that's not going to happen, and unless something magical happens in the first half this could very well be the first time I don't watch the Super Bowl in its entirety. 

One thing I'm looking forward to this week is the announcement of the 2012 NFL Hall of Fame Class. Hopefully the NFL HOF Committee gets their shit together this year and elects Cris Carter into the Hall. He sure as hell deserves it, and it's a crying shame that he's not already in there. I swear if he doesn't make it this year I will be tempted to kick a puppy in the balls. I don't know what the HOF Committee's problem is with Carter, but whatever it is they need to get over it and put the man in the Hall where he should have been all along. But, we know they probably won't do it because for whatever reason he's pissed someone off in the committee, and they take their grudges way too seriously and keep guys out who should be in because they didn't kiss enough ass. It's a bunch of bullshit if you ask me, and I fear that Carter will never get the honor he deserves because of the committee's petty thin-skinned bullshit.

While we're talking about hall of famers, I heard Peter King report earlier that Peyton Manning may decide to hang up the cleats because his neck isn't healing the way he hoped it would. As much as I hate the goober, I really hate it that his career could be over and that he will have to go out this way. It sucks for Manning, but I'm sure he'll have a coaching job lined up somewhere before he's done with his retirement speech. If he does retire, I just hope he doesn't pull a Brett Favre and try to keep coming back year after year to latch on to a career that's over, and I hope he doesn't ruin the legacy that he's built for himself like Brett has done over the last few years. And, I hope he doesn't start texting pictures of his junk, because we really don't need any more NFL players doing that shit.

Moving right along, I'm glad that baseball season is only 3 weeks away as pitchers and catchers will report to Spring Training. I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait for baseball season to start. The offseason has already been interesting with all the free agent signings, and none have been more interesting to me than seeing the Tigers nab Prince Fielder out of nowhere. Seriously...who knew that the Tigers were even in the running for Fielder? That one completely blew me away. I think the Tigers will be serious competitors for the World Series this year with Fielder in the lineup. Hell, if nothing else they'll hit a lot of home runs. If any team in the AL is going to win it, I wouldn't mind seeing Detroit win the championship, as long as Magglio doesn't get a ring. (Yes, I'm still bitter.)

One depressing thing that happened over the past few days was the extension of Bud Selig's contract, making him the commissioner of MLB for 2 more years. (I think it was 2 years, but I'm not 100% sure and don't feel like looking it up.) Just when I thought it was finally time to get a commissioner who had some sense and wasn't a complete moron, the owners decide they want to keep Selig around for a few more years. It's a fucking travesty if you ask me, and unfortunately I don't get any say in the matter, because if it were up to me his ass would have been kicked out of office years ago. On the other hand, he's already fucked up the game so much since he took over, I don't really think he can do too much more damage...so at least it shouldn't get much worse.

Well, that's all I've got this week. If you have anything you'd like to add, feel free to add it in the comments section.

Oh, and before I get out of here, my Super Bowl prediction: Giants 24, Patriots 21. Madonna will fuck up at least one song at half time, and there will only be 3 commercials that are worth seeing again.

Until next Monday...

SNFU are in my opinion, one of the greatest punk bands of the last 30 years.  Not just against other Canadian punk bands, but I will say globally.  Fuck Nickelback. 

That, my friends, is Hod Stuart.  Hod Stuart played for the Montreal Wanderers; Stuart drowned shortly after the Wanderers won the Stanley Cup in 1907.  As a result, the Montreal Wanderers played a benefit game on January 2, 1908 against an All Star Team of players from the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association.  The benefits from the game ($2000) went to Hod Stuart’s family.

After being hit by Eddie Shore, Ace Bailey flipped over and hit his head on the ice.  The aftermath was so bleak that a priest that was on site administered last rites to Ace Bailey.  Luckily, Bailey lived for another 60 years, but never played hockey again.  In February of 1934, the Toronto Maple Leafs played a team of all stars from the NHL.  Interesting little bit of trivia; it was during this game, that the leafs “retired” Baileys #7, which was the first number to be retired in the history of the NHL.  Once again, the benefits from the game went to Ace Bailey and his family. 

In a game against the Chicago Black Hawks on January 28, 1937, Howie Morenz was checked into the boards.  Morenz’ leg shattered in 5 different locations above the ankle.  Morenz later died of a heart attack on March 8^th of the same year.  On November 3^rd, 1937, another all star game was held in benefit of Morenz.  This game was between the Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Maroons, and they played a team made up of all star players from the rest of the league.  Once again, the proceeds went to Morenz’ family.

Babe Siebert drowned in Lake Huron on August 25^th, 1939.  The Montreal Canadiens and the Montreal Maroons held a benefit game to assist Siebert’s family.  The Canadiens played a team of NHL all stars, with, once again, all proceeds ($15,000) going to Siebert’s family.

What in the fucking name of all that is holy is that shit?  Are you fucking kidding me?  This is why I do not watch the all star game.  As a kid, I thought it was the greatest thing; all of my favorite players in one spot.  What wasn’t to like?  As I grew up and curiosity started to get the better of me, I began doing my research and looked up the history of the all star game.  I am being completely honest when I am telling you this; I cannot recall the last time I made a point of sitting down and watching the all star festivities.  Now, the all star game appears to be a money grab by the league.  Do the players get incentives to play in the game?  It is becoming so watered down, that players are electing not to participate in the process.  Last year, players were getting suspended for not attending.  This year, we have players simply saying they aren’t going, only to see pictures of them on South Beach working on their tan.

Really?  The NHL couldn’t find time to arrange for a benefit game for these three players that we lost last year?  I find that considerably hard to believe.  I would have tuned in, hell, I would have even made the effort to attend if this years all star game was held in honor of Belak, Rypien, Boogaard and the Lokomotiv.  But no, Bettman just continues as everything is just fine and push the commercialization of a once respected event.  Fuck, at least donate some of the proceeds for CTE research.  But really, do I expect the NHL to do something that noble?  Fuck no…they didn’t even pay the NHL Alumni for participating in the Alumni game and the Winter Classic.

Yup.  Those numbers tell it all.  Do the players get paid for participating?  How much revenue does the NHL all star game generate?  I assume it is safe to suggest that it is in the millions, looking at television rights, ticket and concession sales, and merchandising.  The NHL all star travel pillow…the perfect item for those long flights or long commutes.

This is the time of year, where I say “FUCK THE ALL STAR GAME!  FUCK IT IN ITS MONEY GRABBING ASS!!”

Yup…someone went there.  After the statement regarding Tim Thomas’ choice to not attend the White House, this is what a Canadian “sports journalist” (and I use that term lightly) had to say about it.  I am well aware that I am Canadian, and do not have the background or knowledge on the United States as others do, but I will gladly put my knowledge of the United States of America against anyone’s knowledge of Canada.  US History was an elective in our high school system that I attended.  I cannot believe the furor and alienation that his decision has caused, in both Canada and the USA.  Personally, I support Thomas’ decision.  After all, wasn’t North America settled to get away from oppressive rule?  From what I understand, people on both sides of the border are entitled to making decisions free of penalty.  What Thomas did was simply exercise his First Amendment right, and I have no problems with that.  Remember, I am a Frostback and can only attempt to look at this empathetically.  I am 100% positive that our opinions will vary on whether or not Thomas made the right decision, but I am sure that we will all agree on one thing; Dave Hodge is a fucking douchebag.  TSN needs to do what Hockey Night In Canada did after Hodge put on this performance…

Fuck Dave Hodge; he’s a fucking douchebag.  Good thing I didn’t put that in the title…we don’t need another parent named “Dave Hodge” asking management to take this down when his kid googled his name.

Thanks for stopping by, and hopefully you can appreciate my severe dislike of the all star game and what it currently stands for.

Hotchnuts

I don’t want to know who is or isn’t  playing in the NFL Pro-Bowl this week, or the over/under on how many times Eli Manning will be sacked in the Super Bowl, or whether Tom Brady is abstaining from sex with Gisele until after the big game, so I am venturing away from writing about sports in this week’s blog.  The above song was written by the great Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac and appeared on their monumental album “Rumors”, which was released to the music world in 1977 to immediate critical and popular success.  It is currently the eighth bestselling album of all-time.  If you have an interest, Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” is #1 and The Eagles “Greatest Hits” #2,  although the rankings may change now that the television show “Glee” ran a episode with “Rumors” hits last week and the 35 year old album immediately vaulted back up into the Top 10 in Billboard’s popular music sales charts.  This just shows that today’s youth will still respond to great music if they are exposed to it.  Bully to the producers of “Glee” and bully to the great band Fleetwood Mac for their staying power.

While I am on the subject of old school music and Fleetwood Mac, there was a great discussion on this site last week about whom the best rock guitarists are.  I wish to nominate Lindsay Buckingham to the short list of uber-talented guitarists.  Listen to his guitar riffs on “Don’t Stop” (written by Christie McVie of Fleetwood Mac and also on the “Rumors” album) and you will most probably agree.  By the way, the band playing on stage with Fleetwood Mac in this video is the USC Trojan Marching Band, so this is one of a very short list of rock songs featuring college Marching Bands.

Here is another, more modern rock song featuring a marching band, this time it’s Notre Dame.  Yes I know that they are not wearing their school colors, so you will have to take my word for it, it is them.  This video was filmed in one take in South Bend, and on an Irish practice football field.  Just remember, you can’t keep letting it get you down!

While we are on the subject of the best rock guitarists, here are a couple more old school guys that I submit for your consideration, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton.  They are playing together onstage in concert and showcasing their talents.

I will exit this week with another Fleetwood Mac hit off the “Rumors” album, “Dreams” written by the multi-talented and beautiful Stevie Nicks.  If you do not have the album, buy it.  You will love it and, in purchasing it, you will own one of the greatest rock and roll albums of all-time.   

Ever since I was a kid...

There were certain coaches I liked...

And certain coaches I didn’t like...

My first major dislike was...

At the risk of being yelled at...

By one of my former fellow blogettes...

Woody Hayes...

Never liked the guy...

Crotchety old man...

Terrific coach...

But he came across as the eternal grump...

You see...

I grew up in the Midwest...

Got my fill of him there...

Then moved to the West Coast...

And got my fill of him during Rose Bowl week...

Back then...

The Big Ten had a dumb no repeat rule...

You could only “Rose Bowl” it every other year...

Thank goodness for that...

So...

Woody would come traipsing to our neck of the woods...

Pretty much every other year...

And as the story goes...

I had a girlfriend from Ohio who loved the Buckeyes...

Darlyne...

She was obnoxious...

We argued all the time...

On New Year’s Day 1971...

We went to her aunt’s house...

Ohio State was playing Stanford that year...

The Stanford “Indians” back then...

Jim Plunkett was the Stanford quarterback...

She told me everybody there would be rooting for OSU...

I told her...

"Everybody except me..."

However...

Out of respect to the family...

I told her I would keep quiet...

Unless of course she opened her yap...

And I was pretty sure she’d do just that...

Well...

The first three quarters went well for the Buckeyes...

A 17-13 lead...

Then she started to get a bit cocky...

She always called me Douglas...

But it wasn’t just "Doug-las"...

It was that obnoxiously whiny accent of hers...

“Dawwwwg-laaaaasssss...”

So...

She decided to blow my cover...

“Dawwwwg-laaaaasssss...”

She bellowed...

“He’s rooooooting for Stannnnfurrrrrrd...”

“Yes, I am,” I exclaimed... And I told you I would keep quiet...”

“Unless you let the cat out of the bag... Which is what you just did...”

And ironically...

Right about then...

The momentum changed...

Stanford took the lead in the fourth quarter...

And never relinquished it...

And while the comeback was underway...

Someone asked about those thingies on the OSU helmets...

I quickly responded...

“Brownie Buttons...”

“When somebody makes a good play...”

“He gets a Brownie Button on the helmet...”

And much to her dismay...

The team with the Brownie Buttons succumbed...

And I couldn’t be happier...

Needless to say...

Dar-leeeeeeeen wasn’t thrilled with my boasting...

And our thing didn’t last much longer than that...

Back to Woody...

I cheered emphatically when he got canned....

Cue the video...

Good riddance to crabby old Woody...

You see...

If you don’t like somebody...

It’s pretty easy to rejoice when they mess up...

But when you DO like somebody...

And they slip up...

You have more empathy...

What Woody did was a sin of “CO”mission...

The 1978 Gator Bowl...

Punching Clemson’s Charlie Bauman...

After his interception clinched the win for the Tigers...

And...

Within a day or two...

Woody was gone...

Yipppeeee...

Yet...

In that same era...

I had my eye on another coach...

There was something pretty cool about him...

I don’t know if it was the glasses...

I don’t know if it was the schnozzzz...

What a beak he had...

And...

Even though I’d never been to Pennsylvania...

I really liked the guy...

He never seemed to shame himself or his team...

As the years went by...

I felt he wore out his welcome...

He needed to step aside...

And let somebody else do the coaching...

That was my only complaint about Joe Pa...

And amazingly...

He still had a measure of success in his later years...

I liked him...

And those PSU uniforms were perfect for a coach like that...

Not flashy...

But they looked good...

Real good...

Then came the scandal...

Joe Pa didn’t commit a sin of “CO”mission...

It was a sin of “O”mission...

He could have done more...

He SHOULD have done more...

But he DIDN’T do more...

And he was gone...

And rightfully so...

The buck stopped with Joe Pa...

Then came the hate and anger...

And as he left us this past weekend...

I saw cheering from many...

But I wasn’t happy...

I was sad...

Sad it ended the way it did...

Joe Pa deserved better than that...

But he didn’t do enough...

And he paid for it...

He may deserve the blame...

But I can’t turn on him...

And here’s why...

When you like a person...

I mean...

When you REALLY like a person...

And that person falls into disfavor...

It’s pretty difficult to switch gears...

There’s something deep inside of me...

Something that wants to give him the benefit of the doubt...

Especially because I remember the times...

When I second guessed myself...

And realized I could have done more...

I’ve been in Joe’s shoes...

As a teacher in California...

I am a mandated reporter...

I am required to report abuse...

Not to my superior...

But to Child Protective Services...

And I have made that call a time or two...

We are only required to call...

Not to investigate...

But after that call was made...

There’s something deep inside that said...

“I hope everything’s okay...”

I wanted to do more...

And I have asked the student if things were better...

Not to pry...

Only out of concern...

I have no idea what went on in Joe Pa’s mind...

But I am pretty sure...

Just like a call on a running play that went awry...

He wishes he would have done things differently..

At least in my mind...

I’d like to hope so...

Joe was better than that...

dvt

http://sivers.org/images/sound-like-someone.gif

http://blog.cleveland.com/osu_impact/2009/02/woodyhayes.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wEVJyf0ft3I

http://i.usatoday.net/Wires2Web/20120123/1352771414_Obit_Joe_Paterno_Footballx-large.jpg

Thursday, before the Superbowl has arrived, oh darn it. There is still another Thursday before the Superbowl. I must say all the local news channels are all over the non stories of the Superbowl. The hype isn’t a week old yet and it’s already gotten to me.

I was at the Ravens-Patriots game Sunday, we all know what happened but it was emotional rollercoaster from a Patriot fans point of view but a win is a win. I had my 12 year old at the game and he asked me if Steven Tyler was a man or women. I said I think he is a man.

 I’m at the game and I get a text from the Mrs that just says “Hi” so I text back “Hey”. I call the house to ask her if she needs anything on the way home and my other 12 year old answers the phone. I ask him where’s mom . He doesn’t answer and keeps talking . Finally, the Mrs. comes on and she says ruts in the ice suck. I say I know ( racked up my ankle pretty bad in a Hockey Game several years back), She says I got to see the whole game from the ER. WHAT, she broke her wrist playing hockey out on the lake(we live on it) with the kids. It was funny she just brought my 9 year old home from Hockey Practice , He just left his stuff on to skate on the lake with my wife his brother and some neighbors.(maybe mom should have borrowed the equipment)

Apparently she got her skate caught in a rut. Small break she’s fine. She is cracking people up when she says she did it playing Hockey. She says she loves the reaction stuff like “You did what” or “You were playing what” .This was the first day all year the ice was solid enough to skate on. Another warming trend no lake hockey for the next few weeks. It figures last week broken pipes this week broken people.

Speaking about Hockey, old Timmy Thomas made some news this week refusing to go to the White House here in the Liberal hand out state of Massachusetts it was taken as insult to the President. Thomas said that it was both parties and he doesn’t like what either side of the aisle is doing. Personally, I’m not a big fan of Obama ‘s politics. But I do respect him as President and if I’m invited to the White House, I view it as honor and understand that the President of the Unitied States has the toughest job in the world. You go you suck up your political views for the 10 or 15 minutes and you become gracious and respectful for those 10 or 15 minutes and then you move on. 

Thomas was in his rights and all that not o go and I respect his decision, He is an adult and one of two American citizens on the Bruins. Of course people in these parts didn’t say a word when Theo Epstein didn’t go when George Bush was in office, But he exercised his right as well. Same thing you go and respect the President and you move on.

Has Prince Fielder been up graded to King because he has the riches of a King. When did the Tigers become the Yankees and The Red Sox? Anyway, Fielder got himself a payday 9 years and 214 million, That there is a lot of schrods. You think Prince will be around in 9 years? Well just like Cecil he will be playing for the Tigers.

He ain't eating Schrod, but with that kind of dough, he can eat anything he wants.

It’s funny to watch and hear all the commentary on the Superbowl how the Giants are hot and peaking at the right time. They are definetly, hot but is this a reaction to what we have scene lately or is it the whole body of work. We also saw how the Patriots struggled and squeaking out a win on a Ravens mistake. As did the Giants on a Niners mistake as well.

 Let’s face it folks one game isn’t based on another who ever is ready to play on Super Sunday wins the game it’s that simple. If Brady has a great day the Patriots win. If The Giants defense has a great day or Eli does the Giants win. If the Patriots defense tights up and stops Eli the Patriots win. Sometimes if all the above happens and something strange like a stripped ball or miss field goal the other guys may win. If Coughlin or Belichick find some quirk  or some little thing that will surprise the other that maybe the difference. There are no tomorrows so everyone will be bringing it and whoever brings it more wins.

And with that the Detroit Tigers showed that I thought like an idiot last week. Rather than going for a cheap replacement or bringing up young talent (though Jeff did show that while we have good young arms, we are lacking bats on the farm), the Tigers signed Prince Fielder. We didn't just sign Fielder. We sign him for 9 years. We also paid him $214 million. 

Yeah. Dave Dombruski and Mike Ilitch found a spare $214 million laying about. It must be nice. We ranked 10th in MLB in terms of team salary before Fielder. Adding Fielder would roughly bring us over Chicago (AL) to fifth on the list. 

I won't wine too much. I loved watching Prince's dad growing up. Of course, Prince won't have the benefit of old Tigers Stadium like his dad did, but he should still hit a good number and protect our boys. 

Elsewhere, San Fran decided to pay Tim Lincecum. Lincecum signed a two year deal worth around $40.5 mil. He is still eligable for free agency in the off season.

In other MLB news. Jeff's guys in Texas signed YuDarvish, the latest import from Japan, to a six year contract. In light of recent Japanese pitching products, I'd be somewhat nervous here. The Twins picked up former Tiger's flamethrower Joel Zumaya. Jorge Posada decided to call it quits and I saw he finished 9th on the Yankees all time HR list. Crazy thought. At least IHM will be able to watch the All-Star game without bitching about Posada whoring his kids to the camera.

In the NFL, no one had a worse weekend than Kyle Williams of the 49ers. Ted Ginn, Jr was out, so Williams had to step in as the return man. From what I saw, it didn't look like he got much practice. That last fumble showed Williams looking strange holding that ball. Clearly it was tough to watch, like this:

My apologies to Beeze and my dad.

Honestly, though, people need to lighten up on the kid, especially San Francisco fans. Now I don't know if this year's wines were more fermented or had more alcohol content than years past, but those fuckers were violent this year. They have decided to end the year on a bad note by issuing death threats to Williams. There's not much to say to that aside from stay classy, San Francisco.

I also hate to tell people on ESPN anything about sports, but the end of the 49ers game definitely sucked more than Cundiff missing that field goal. Two fumbles on special teams sucks worse in my opinion. Not sure why people are calling for Cundiff to be cut either. He was hitting over 75%. Out of the guys remaining: Tynes hit 79%, Gostkowski was at 84%. Pro-Football Reference has Cundiff ranked 9th. 

Honestly, if one person should be sticking up for Cundiff it should be Lee Evens. If Evens woulda held on, Cundiff woulda been off the hook. Plus, Cundiffs miss pissed enough people off that they forgot about him. 

Finally, there's talk of the Colts getting rid of Peyton Manning. They may do it soon, as he'll be given $28 mil in about a month and a week. Sure, they have a chance to start over with Luck, but I have never been a fan of just throwing a guy in there. Sure you have great recent examples (Cam Newton for one), but there are just as many failures. 

Speaking of failures, many of us have asked: where were the rest of the Colts? We never knew Peyton played on the defense too. Sure, the defense was always a weak spot, but I never thought they were that bad. I don't know how you can make Peyton the goat here, but I guess loyalty left sports when free agency swooped in.

So, that's it for me this week. I've gotta say that as odd as I'd find it to see the AFC hold the Lombardi, I prefer to see the Pats win it. I'm kinda assed out by the re-match angle. Bust em up, Belichek. Thanks for reading as always. I'm off to teach some English at East Detroit High (which is not actually in Detroit). Take care and...enjoy that Pro Bowl. Or college basketball.

eye brocoli, noun

You bet your bottom dollar that these are not the last trophies that they want to be holding... Pats owner Robert Kraft holds the AFC Trophy while Giants owner John Mara and QB Eli Manning examine the NFC trophy...Nice Baubles to be sure but its the solid silver football named after Lombardi that each of them want to be holding in Indy in two weeks time.

Greetings from the Hoodwood, where the locals are still debating if the flags should be lowered for JoePa...

And Then There were two.

Indy isn’t too far from the hoodwood, I can leave my house and be in front of Lucas Oil Stadium in about 100 minutes. The dream of every NFL player is to get to this point. Some like Tom Brady have been there often. Some like his underused teammate Chad Ochocinco may play a whole career as a star in one city and never get close, yet play sparingly in another city and have a shot at something that so few players get. There are two teams left, and they are headed to the biggest game of the year. The Super Bowl

The Pats went to the wire dealing with a bruising Ravens squad and escaped with a 23-20 decision to go to their 7^th Super Bowl and 5^th in the Brady-Belichick era. The Patriots salad days have been because of a 6^th rounder and a coach on his second go-round, the other parts have been interchangeable from the running game to receivers to defense to even the stadium. But the QB and coach have been the constants in one of the best teams in the NFL over the past decade. Also, can we please please please start giving Ravens QB Joe Flacco some much needed dap? Flacco did nothing but get um flak from the so-called experts who continue to knock him and his playing ability. He outplayed Tom Brady Sunday, yes he did. Flacco threw for better than 300 yards, and were it not for Lee Evans showing why the Bills gave him the gate, Billy Cundiff would not start being metaphor for gaffled kicks and Flacco would be a celebrated hero as one of the few that took Brady down in the playoffs. The Pats much maligned defense did just enough to get the win. Vince Willfork (where has this guy been all season?) played like a possessed man, making tackles belting Flacco and cause enough havoc to get the Pats the win.  Watching the end of the game, I honestly thought that the Ravens would go for the knockout late and the win and the Anquan Boldin seemed to keep making catch after clutch catch. But the Pats head to Indy after dodging a kill shot by the Ravens.

The G-Men are like that lop eared mutt, messy ungainly and rough around the edges. My man Jonesie openly despises Eli Manning. He used words like overrated, whiny ass and punk bitch in describing the laconic Giants signal caller. The younger Manning seems to rub most fans outside of Gotham the wrong way. Not glamourous like his older brother, Eli looks like a mutt and a goober. The problem with the assessment is that he wins and takes and ungodly amount of punishment doing so. Ive rarely seen a QB stand in the pocket,  get hit like he does yet seem to get the ball where he is supposed to get it to. In the the NFC title game against the Niners Manning just seemed to get the job done. I know, he has the pedigree of Brady but doesn’t look the part. He has the grit of a Flacco but doesn’t have an up from nowhere story. He’s a top draft pick like Alex Smith  but thru the orchestrations of his daddy, never had to really face tough adversity. New York’s notoriously fickle and harsh fans notwithstanding. So Manning has taken more shit for who he isn’t than any quarterback, but dig this. If he comes out on top he will be only one of 9 quarterbacks to have led his team to multiple Super Bowl wins and separate himself a great deal from his more celebrated brother. In any case, the Giants had to battle not only a game Niners squad but a hostile environment in crowd and weather.  A game for grinders, the first half was marked by sluggish play interrupted by a burst of lightning. Vernon Davis got loose on a sideliner and raced 73 yards for a score in the 1^st and again dented the end zone with a 28 yard score in the 3^rd, this sandwiched around a Manning touchdown pass to McKenna “Bear” Pascoe (Pascoe’s first TD) and a field goal. The score 14-10 going into the 4^th was a portent of my own prediction of a tight taut game. But you knew something was bound to turn it. Kyle Williams made the mistake of getting to close to a punt in the 4^th and it brushed his knee enough for the Giants to pounce and cash in. Manning to Manningham gave the G-Men the lead in the 2^nd half. The Niners tied it late and with no late scoring the game went to OT. The whole possibility of a controversial OT ending died when both teams traded punts.  The Giants 2^nd punt of the OT was the turning point when Kyle Williams fielded this punt and had the ball punched out of his grasp. The G-Men used their oft-maligned running game to pound the ball close and for the second time in 4 years Lawrence Tynes sent a hostile crowd home sad with a field goal. This one much shorter at 31 yards and we now have the first Super Bowl rematch since the Cowboys and Steelers in Super Bowl 30. Of course I’ll preview it but not now…The preview comes next week with the college finale and the first Spec Sheet.

Joe Paterno 1926-2012

Joe Paterno passed away Sunday at the age of 85. Paterno will forever be linked with the one school he coached Penn State. His 409 coaching wins and 46 coaching seasons are D-1 records that will never be broken.  I can name on one finger anyone that I know that worked at one company as long as Joe Paterno was the head coach of Penn State. My Grampy worked for Ford for 47 years and if you want to get real technical Paterno started at Penn State as an assistant in 1950, 2 years before my Grampy started at Ford and coached 12 years past my Grampy’s retirement.  The numbers just boggle the mind.  The countless young men that donned the simple blue and white unis of Penn State and came out of Happy Valley will speak reverently of Paterno and by and large he was a good man, a man of character and a man of principle. But it will be the sad coda of which his career at Penn State ended, under cloud of scandal, ignorance and coverup that may be the legacy that many may remember him.

Myself, I was never a big Penn State fan. They were too boring for me. I thought that  their fans were too snooty and were a public school version of another school I despised Notre Dame. Joe Paterno was the coach with the pop-bottle glasses that never sounded like he was very happy with his team. I especially grew to loath Paterno after the Nittany Lions hung an 81-0 decision on my school in 1991. Paterno said with shrugged shoulders that he wasn’t trying to run up the score that he was just giving his 3^rd and 4^th stringers an opportunity to play. But Paterno seemed like he was settling an old score for a 14-3 upset the Bearcats hung on them in 1983. I was really not a fan.

As I got older I grew to respect Paterno because he fought the good fight, he was a man who stuck doggedly to his dogma and principles. He just seemed like someone that was really one that pushed education and made the business of  a student athlete focused more on the student. The story of injured DB Adam Taliaferro near fatal injury and how Paterno stuck by his side and made sure that he continued to get the education that his scholarship afforded even after it was clear that he would not be able to play anymore is something that warms the heart and illustrates why so many of his players were so fiercely loyal. The problem with lionizing a man is that a man has foibles. Paterno became such an institution, became so ingrained, was so much of the culture that he became insular and insulated and the sickening allegations that were brought on by the Sandusky matter painted him as someone who was playing by the old boy network.  Had this happened in 1999 and Paterno was out front of this, slammed Sandusky and repudiated any and all actions by the man, it would have burnished his image further as the coach who was the dean of fair play and morality. If shit like this happened in Happy Valley JoePa would be on the front lines leading the charge to get rid of it and the perpetrators. But instead he passed it along, did nothing and hoped it would go away and when that boomerang came back. As shit like this tends to do, Paterno looked more like someone who was out of touch had no clue and was trying to do more covering and hiding than leading the fight.  Paterno was a great coach and for the most part a great man. But the way his coaching career ended was sad if not tragic and when he was dismissed it was hard not to be fatalistic and think that he would not live long enough to see another coach lead what he always thought of as his team out of the tunnel onto the field at Beaver Stadium. Im wondering how long it will be before Penn State names the venue after Paterno and tries to blot away the final stain on an otherwise stellar coaching legacy and career.

Phat Dap/Head Slap

Phat Dap

The only good thing about the Pro Bowl being the week before the Super Bowl instead of after is that it gives some players a shot at going to Hawai’i that would not have before. With Eli Manning and Tom Brady headed to Indy, hot rookies Cam Newton of the Panthers and Andy Dalton of the Bengals got the call to fill their place. Dalton and Newton were first alternates and since Brady and Manning who were initially named to their respective conference squads have other pressing matters on the 29^th, the deserving rookies head to Honolulu. Geno Atkins and Jermaine Gresham of the Bengals also get to fill in the Pro Bowl slots for Vince Willfork and Rob Gronkowski . I still think that the Pro Bowl should be after the Super Bowl but you know that players would be asking out anyway.  Give some players that want to go a shot.

Head Slap

The Head Slap goes to the dumbass that sent the twitter post threatening 49ers Kyle Williams for his miscues in the NFC Championship game. Williams was hit by a punt and fumbled another both leading directly to points and in the case of the 2^nd miscue the winning field goal for the Giants. Williams who is the son of White Sox GM Kenny made tough mistakes but to single him out and worse still to threaten his life over a game is inane and stupid. It’s a game…that’s all…get a life   Another head slap goes to Bruins goalie Tim Thomas who decided to skip the Bruins visit to the White House and meeting with President Obama.Thomas, who apparently has political ideological differences with the President, made a statement that he had no intentions of meeting the president and was pointedly skipping the trip. Obama nevertheless spoke glowingly about Thomas’ performance during the Bruins run to the 2011 Cup.

I know this week was a bit short, but next weeks edition will be chock full of Super Bowl info, the College finale and the first Spec Sheet along with anything else I can think of. Until next post fellow Sports Fans!

Well, it looks like the Patriots and Giants are headed for a rematch of Super Bowl XLII after each of them outlasted their opponents and enjoyed the benefits of ill-timed fuck-ups by a kicker and a punt returner when the game was on the line.

First, the Patriots took down the Ravens after Billy Cundiff pulled a shankopottamus and forgot how to kick a 31 yard field goal. It's really a shame to the other 52 players on that team who worked their asses off to get to the Super Bowl to have their season destroyed by the kicker. But, kickers are a part of the game, and for every shank that blows it for one team, another kicker makes a kick to win it for another team...so in the end, it evens out.

Still sucks for the Ravens though.

In the NFC the Giants and 49ers played on hell of a football game, and it was so exciting that it even gave us an overtime period to enjoy more of the madness. But, unfortunately for the 49ers, the chips ended up falling the Giants' way after their punt returner (I don't remember his name and I'm too lazy to look it up) decided to muff two punts that cost his team 10 points...3 of which ended up being the game winning field goal in overtime by Lawrence Tynes. (Interesting fact: Tynes is 2-2 in OT FG's in the NFC Championship Game on the road. He made the previous one in 2007 at Lambeau field that put the Giants in the Super Bowl against...you guessed it -- the Patriots.)

But anyway, back to the punt returner. Since I'm too lazy to look up his name, let's call him Goat. I feel really bad for Goat. He isn't the 49ers' normal punt returner, yet he was asked to return kicks in the biggest game of the season, and unfortunately for him he wasn't able to do the job. Goat just picked a bad day to have a bad game. Goat blew the biggest punt return of his career simply because he tried to carry the football like it was a loaf of bread. Goat will probably be run out of town for his transgression, because that's the nature of the beast.

I feel bad for the other 52 players on the 49ers who were fucked out of their shot at the Super Bowl because Goat doesn't know how to field a punt.

So, now we have a rematch of Giants/Patriots. I'm sure that we'll hear recap after recap of the first meeting between these two teams, even though neither team is really the same. I mean, come on...the Patriots don't even film their opponents anymore...they're totally different now. (ba dum tish).

I'm sure we'll have plenty to say about the Super Bowl over the next week, so I'm going to hold off on any predictions. I'm not going to talk about the Pro Bowl though, other than to say that I won't be watching it. Wake me up when it's a real football game again, and I might pay attention. Until then...the Pro Bowl is dead to me.

Speaking of things that are dead...how about ol' Joe Pa kicking the bucket this weekend? I know a lot of people won't like hearing this, but I'm glad the fucker is gone. Karma's a bitch, and it looks like she's starting her pay back a little earlier than expected. Now if we can just get that report that Sandusky has kicked the bucket, and then hopefully those innocent victims will finally have a little closure so they can try to rebuild their lives.

I'm sure we'll see non-stop ESPN specials on Joe Pa's life and his legacy, and we'll see a bunch of people crying and giving all this "he was the greatest ever and we'll miss him so much" bull shit, but you won't hear any of that crybaby shit from me. I just can't show any remorse for someone who harbored a child molester...it goes against the very fabric of my being. So, as far as I'm concerned, the fucker got what he deserved.

Well, that's all I really have right now so I'm going to call it a night. Congrats to the Patriots and the Giants, and my sincere condolences to Felber and B.O.B. -- I'm sorry that your teams had to go out the way they did.

Alright, that's it for me...I'm out. Be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section.

Until next Monday...

As I sit here typing this out for the second time this morning, I wonder why I even have Microsoft Word on my computer.  Oh yeah...that's why...in case things go for a shit, I'll have another copy of all my work that won't just magically disappear.  But I say fuck it.  I'll just keep publishing and editing...publishing and editing...

My oldest son, Holten is in a hockey tournament this weekend, so it has been fairly busy for us.  I enjoy this league, and there are the odd parents around that take it waaaaaaay to seriously.  Personally, I'm happy that Holt is getting exercise.  By no means is Holt in rep league hockey (yup...they have that here for 8 year olds...), and his league only keeps score in tournaments.  There is one parent that is consistently yelling instructions to his son in french.  Instructions such as "patin (skate) Max, patin."  Not one to be outshone, I proceeded to yell instructions to my son in french.  "Trombe (fall) Holten, trombe" and "mange la rondelle (eat the puck) Holten, mange la rondelle."  Some parents just need to learn how to relax and enjoy.  

I know I made this point last week, but please, hear me out again because there was another identical incident this week.

Yes, the comparison of the Marchand/Salo hit with the Raymond/Marchand hit.  Last week, Foligino did the same thing against Phaneuf.

The difference between all 3 hits?  The amount of pissing and moaning done by the Vancouver Canucks.  After relentless pissing and moaning to the media, making statements such as "he will get his" kind of forced the NHL to take action.  The NHL should have called Vancouver's bluff and basically said, "okay...get him."  Does Vancouver even have anyone on their roster that can fight their way through the Campbells, Lucics and Thorntons and graduate to the top tier of McQuaid and Chara?  No.  The best that the Canucks could do is make a phone call to their affiliate in Chicago and bring up Matt Clackson.

Yup.  I agree.  Not too impressive.  Still, he could kick the living fuck out of me, but if he is the toughest that the whining and sobbing Canucks can do, they are done for.  Do you honestly think any team other than the Canucks would allow their star player to be treated like this?

Nope.  The Canucks are plain and simple, douchebags.  Meanwhile, the Algonquin Assassin is growing increasingly embarrassed of being affiliated with the Canucks.  And what made Gino react this way?  An errant high stick by Glenn Anderson on Pavel Bure the game before.

Fuck...Odjick is the only player to ever play for the Canucks that I can respect.  Well, maybe Stan Smyl as well.  But fuck you Kay Whitmore!

If we have learned anything this season, it is that prior offences or punishments are irrelevant when it comes to the long arm of the Shanaban.  Does that mean that Zetterberg will be facing a possible suspension or fine for earning his first major in 643 games?  But fuck...you gotta love homer announcers.  I know some of you are thinking right now, "but Hotch, you are a Boston fan."  I am well aware that Jack Edwards is up there for the most biased homer announcers, along with Joe Bowen of the leafs.  Yup...the same Joe Bowen that predicted a Calder Trophy for Luke Schenn and a Hart Trophy for Phil Kessel.  This Detroit announcer tandem deserves some recognition.  You really have to enjoy how they change their story as the replays air.

Will it garner a look from the league?  Of course; the league reviews every major penalty.  Will it garner a suspension or a fine?  Who knows for sure.  One thing is for sure, if Columbus is looking for a suspension, they should start pissing and moaning into the nearest microphone, Alain Vigneault style. 

Well, the KHL had their all star game, and oh, were there hijinks!  It must be a Russian thing to use props to turn everything into a circus like atmosphere.  

Ahhh...the old puck on a string trick.  And of course, there was the hardest slapshot competition.  Alexander Ryazantsev set a record for the hardest shot at 183.67 KPH (110.34 MPH.)  Yup.  That is pretty fucking hard.  Could the starting distance for the shots make a difference (hash marks as opposed to the top of the circle)?  I'm no physicist by any means...

But a simple working knowledge of potential and kinetic energy leads me to think that the further an object travels, the speed will gradually decrease.  Unless the KHL has magically developed the worlds first perpetual energy based puck.  I hardly doubt it.

It is a fucking shame that an event that was started as a benefit for injured players has developed a circus like commercial atmosphere over the years.

There were a few good fights to choose from this week, so I am going to leave the final decision up to everyone here.  

First; Shelley vs Boulton

Second choice; Thornton vs Rupp

And the third choice; Guillaume Coudé vs David Chicoine.  This one takes some time to get started, but it is worth the wait.

Thanks for stopping by and have yourself a great week.

Hotch

 By Sunday evening we will know who the two Super Bowl teams will be, and the media will have two full weeks to comment ad nauseum on the upcoming game.  I am not sure that the victorious teams will be happy that they will be playing in Indianapolis.  The one good thing about this game is that this will most probably be the first and last time that this game is ever played in Indiana.  What NFL moron (Roger Goodell) signed off on this one?  Note to the NFL:  All the Super Bowl games should be played in warm weather cities.  I am sure that no NFL fan wants to cough up an average of $8000 a ticket to travel to Indianapolis in February to freeze their ass off for two or three days before attending the game.

The Super Bowl could be in a much worse place than Indianapolis.  At least they will play this year’s game in a domed stadium.  In 2014 some NFL idiot (Roger Goodell) decided that the Super Bowl will be played in New York/New Jersey where there is no dome.  For all you purists out there who want to argue about how the game should be played in the elements, go ahead and rant.  I’ll be sitting at home watching the game on a high definition television wondering why anyone (unless they are fans of one of the Super Bowl teams) would cough up so much money just to attend the game in person.  My guess is that you will be at home watching too.

If they are going to start playing the Super Bowl games anywhere, then why not just award it each year to the team with the best record?  It could be like a World Series type of thing where the team’s city reaps the benefits.  Why does Indianapolis deserve it this year?   Was it just because they build a new stadium (and New York/New Jersey in 2014 also)?  Hell the Colts abandoned Baltimore in the middle of the night when they skipped right out of town in 1983.  Then they gave their fans (who filled their new stadium all year) a 2-14 record this season.  Okay Robert Irsay is not with us anymore, but the memory of him sure is.  I guess the NFL (Roger Goodell) has a bad memory.

Good luck to the fans of San Francisco, New York, Baltimore, and New England.  Your teams are just one game away from the Super Bowl with the chance of being the 2012 NFL Champions!  My sentimental favorite has got to be the Baltimore Ravens. With apologies to the New England Patriots, it would be poetic justice if the team that replaced Baltimore's beloved Colts goes to a Super Bowl in the Colts new city.  No matter who the teams are to be,  the Super Bowl is America’s #1 sports spectacle and, like I mentioned earlier, chances are good that we will all be watching the game from home not not in Indianapolis.  I know that I will be.

Being fifty-seven isn’t THAT old...

But it IS older than I used to be..

I remember sports as a kid...

We played some kind of game nearly every day...

I don’t think I ever turned down an opportunity...

Lots of energy back then...

It was one of the biggest parts of my life...

Wiffle ball with my pals..

Basketball at the next door neighbors...

Football in the street...

“Go out to the fire hydrant and do a button hook...”

Boy, was I a great split end or what...

Little League...

I was the catcher...

The called me The Mouth...

I wouldn’t shut up behind the plate...

Eighth grade junior high football...

The smallest kid on the team...

Eighty-five pounds dripping wet...

And we went to a few sporting events...

Here and there...

High school football...

Major League Baseball and the NFL...

Rarely an NBA game...

And into my late teens...

I learned to love hockey...

Of course...

Sports on TV wasn’t what it is now...

Then into my twenties I got married...

Played in some softball leagues...

Bowling, too...

And when it came to sports on the tube...

I had to watch every game...

It drove the Mrs. crazy...

Then came the kids...

As they grew, they played sports...

And I slowly retired...

Lots of great memories watching them play...

Always looked for opportunities to take them to a game...

And we did...

Many of their friends got to go for the first time ever...

That really made it cool...

We would go to games as the budget would allow...

Weeknights...

Weekends...

Evenings...

Afternoons...

Then the kids started to fly the coop...

And I invited my adult friends...

Weeknights...

Weekends...

Evenings...

Afternoons...

Clippers season tickets...

Angel and Kings big game packages...

​Dodger games occasionally...

Not every night...

Not even every week...

But just enough to keep me going...

But as the years went by...

I found myself watching less sports on television...

The internet arrived...

It kept me busy...

I would catch a big game...

Or the end of a game...

Or just bits and pieces...

My interest waned...

I had other priorities...

Volunteering at church kept me busy...

Other stuff, too...

And now here I am at age fifty-seven...

There has to be a real good reason to attend a weeknight game...

I’m a lot more selective now...

I’m like Donna Summer...

“I work hard for the money...”

And I’m not as willing to part with it...

We did get SDSU football season tix this year and last...

But I think...

If I don’t get them next year...

“I will survive...”

(Donna Summer comes in handy when you need her...)

So...

I’ve had my days in the sun...

At the ball park...

And in the arena...

And now I watch most of it on the tube...

Unless of course...

I have a good friend likefellow blogger Ark_Razor...

Who offered Kings tickets to us Thursday night...

On the glass...

Well...

Directly behind the glass...

The glass between me and the game...

You get the picture...

Thanks, Ark...

But here’s what I’ve been contemplating....

As I get older...

Sports has become less important to me...

I still need my fix from time to time....

But the times get further apart...

And I’m okay with that...

I guess writing blogs is filling a void that sports can’t fill...

I’d rather sit here and entertain you...

Than watch a game for two plus hours...

I still have to keep in touch with sports...

So I know what to write about...

But the glue that used to attach me to the TV is falling apart...

AND I’M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT, THANK YOU....

dvt

http://www.gourmetsteaks.com/wp-content/uploads/steak-sauce-heinz-57.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxbZWL5W0Tg&feature=fvst

No this wasn't failed Mo project

Hello Peeps it’s another Thursday.

It’s been a helluva a week busy. Two frozen pipes yeah both burst one in my twins room near there baseboard heater. The other above my little guys room, it took part of his ceiling. The nitwit who originally did the plumbing in the house ran the pipes through the attic instead of the walls anytime it gets below 10 degrees I guarantee a pipe will freeze.

I spent Sunday Night with a styling tool( a blow dryer) trying to unfreeze the pipes to no avail. I had Joe(the good plumber come in and take care of the burst pipes. My plumbers name really is Joe and he is a great guy not too expensive. The general contractor hired the original guy who was as big of ass as the general contractor. I took yesterday off trying to dry out the ceiling wallboard and insulation to no avail. That’s my tale of woe this week.

I did go to the Pats –Denver game. I got a call Saturday speaking of failed Mo projects from the man himself. We tried to hook up at the game and for the second time in as many games. We were in different parking lots to start. Then we tried for halftime and that almost worked but I got his text as to what section he was in too late. he was actually sitting maybe ten sections from me, Mo my friend I'm sorry but hopefully next time.

  The Patriots looked good and the Broncos didn’t. Tebow had the deer in the head light look. Seriously, your down by five touchdowns and your playing keep away. Let Tebow heave the ball you have nothing to lose. If he can’t than let Brady Quinn go down fighting. The Broncos very much rolled over in this game. I have been involved and have seen enough football to see when a team has given up. The Broncos did Saturday as did my Patriots in the previous two playoffs. Art some point in game like that you hit the point of no return. The Broncos hit that point before the half.

zIt looks like we have the potential of two really good games this week. The Patriots-Ravens an explosive offense against a very good defense. The Patriots had an easy game last week, The Ravens fought hard to win. This is going to be interesting as it gets.  Joe Flaaco isn’t the greatest quarterback but he can throw deep exposing the Patriots corners and if nothing else maybe picking up a DPI or two. Meanwhile they have Ray Rice and if he gets into the secondary he is going to rack up yards. The Patriots defense let’s up yards but they also make plays. They need to step it up and not let the Ravens pick them up with extended drives.

The Ravens need to stop the Patriots tight ends. If they concentrate on the tight ends. That should leave some breathing room for Wes Welker and Deion Branch. Brady will need protection and time. If he doesn’t get it well as we have seen that is the key to beating the Patriots. I think it will be tight but I think the Patriots pull it out 31-24. I also think in the back of Belchicks head , the Ravens embrassed them two years ago and these are two different teams. But I guarantee the coach won’t be embrassed again.

Meanwhile on the other coast The Niners and the Giants should have a battle royal. There is just so many good stories in this game. The Giants beating the Packers. The Niners taking care of the Saints. Come on admit it we all that it would be the Saints and the Packers. The Niners have got there quietly and next to the Texans who also could have been playing New England with a healthy QB instead of a rookie.  Niners have taken care of business with solid defense. Meanwhile, Eli Manning has been fantastic this season and the Giants have some how barely made it in largely due to the ineptitude of the Dallas Cowboys. The Giants are balanced. I like the Niners because they are at home but I won’t be surprised if the Giants or the Ravens for that matter pull it out.

Hey congratulations to Jeff Fisher what a pay day he got with the Rams. He is one my favorite coaches good for him

. According to rob Lowe Peyton manning is retiring but that is news to both Archie and Peyton’s agent. This almost saddens me if it’s true. The guy was a blast to watch and it was also fun to watch him and Brady slug it out. Manning to Marvin (6 shooter )Harrison or to Reggie Wayne was awesome.

That’s all I have for this week in Talking Sports