Sunday, September 30, 2007

Ravens @ Browns

Now watching Ravens @ Browns...

Ah another beautiful day another Sunday watching the NFL. There's nothing quite like Sunday afternoons in the Fall watching football. I'm going to be blogging the Ravens game today since the Skins are on a bye. I'm looking forward to watching the Raven's D today. I hope Ray Lewis has a couple huge hits.

1st Quarter
[11:01] 25 yard reception by Winslow Jr. He's playing with a separated shoulder?? Wow. Nice play. Got him on my fantasy team.
[9:46] TOUCHDOWN. Anderson to Joe Jurevicius. Browns offense looked really impressive on the opening drive.
[5:46] TOUCHDOWN. Anderson to Braylon Edwards 78-yards. WOW. How did he get that wide open??? What a start for the Browns. Browns 14, Ravens 0.
[1:43] Missed 46 yard field goal by Matt Stover. Uncharacteristic for him.
[0:12] Interception Ed Reed. Great return.


2nd Quarter
[12:48] I think you have to go for it here. Down by 14 on the 5 yard line. But Billick has decided to go for the field goal. Field goal is good. Baltimore 3, Cleveland 14.
[12:00] 28 yard gain by Jamal Lewis rumbling down the field. He sort of reminds me of Jerome "The Bus" Bettis the way that he runs. Its like the stutter step running style where it takes him a few steps to gain momentum but once he does watch out.
[9:17] 41 yard Field goal Browns. Cleveland 17, Baltimore 3.
[9:10] FUMBLE. Turnover Ravens on the kickoff return. Wow. Nothing is going well for the Ravens right now. Ah Figurs, rookie mistake.
[7:43] 42 yard attempt NO GOOD. Wide left. That wasn't even close. Oh man...offsides on the defense. I didn't see the penalty. On the replay it didn't look like offsides to me. In any case now its 1st and 10 on the 20 yard line. Ravens bailed the Browns out on that one.
[6:45] Nice reception by Winslow. I'll say it again. How the heck is this guy playing with a separated shoulder???
[5:50] Wright gains 12 yards on a run up the middle. What's the deal with the Raven's D today?? I was just thinking...what is the history of the Browns as a team name? What exactly is a Brown? There's a 60 Minutes special on Vince Young tonight. Yeah I don't think that's going to be worth watching.
[4:55] TOUCHDOWN. Jamal Lewis. Did he really get in? Let's look at the replay. Nope. It doesn't look like it broke the plane. I don't think that should be a touchdown. CHALLENGE IT. Well too late now. The extra point is up and good. Billick was too late on the challenge flag. They're saying he's late on throwing the flag. Oh man. The coaches upstairs in the box should have notified Billick earlier. That clearly was not a touchdown. Too bad. The challenge flag was thrown after the snap. Browns 24. Ravens 3.
I certainly did not expect this score today thus far. Interesting stat: that was Baltimore's first rushing touchdown given up since last November. Impressive. And that shouldn't even have been counted a touchdown. Cleveland has scored 14 points on two Baltimore turnovers.
[4:00] Damn. What a great run by McGahee. Two stiff arms and missed tackles. Turns nothing into a 28-yard run.

Here's Wikipedia's explanation for the Browns team name:
The Cleveland Browns were founded in 1945 as a charter member of the All-America Football Conference, under businessman Arthur B "Mickey" McBride. Not long after gaining the franchise, McBride named Ohio State Buckeyes coach Paul Brown as vice president, general manager and head coach.

A fan contest was conducted to determine the name of the team, with the most popular choice being "Panthers." However, Brown objected to the name after finding out it had been used by a semipro team in the city—one that had a reputation as a chronic loser. This prompted a second contest to choose a name befitting a champion.[1] The Browns say this contest yielded the nickname "Brown Bombers"—after reigning heavyweight champion Joe Louis—and was shortened to "Browns" for the convenience of headline writers. However, to this day, rumors persist that the team was named after Paul Brown himself.

[2:55] I agree with Gannon. McNair does not look comfortable back there in the pocket. He's throwing off balance a lot. Both running games have been playing well this afternoon.
[1:08] Wow Billick looks pissed off. He'd better get on his team at halftime.
[1:04] Incomplete pass into the end one from McNair. Might have had a chance if the pass was better thrown. McNair is 9 of 15 thus far for 95 yards and 1 INT.
[1:01] Another errant pass by McNair.
[0:56] A third straight attempt into the end zone. Deflected pass. Ravens are going to have to settle for another field goal
[0:52] Field goal good. Baltimore 6, Cleveland 24.
[0:00] What a surprising first half. I wouldn't want to be in the Ravens locker room at halftime. I'm sure Billick will have plenty to say. And only three quotes by the announce team today. I wonder if they're checking this blog and knowing that I'm going to call them out for saying stupid stuff.

3rd Quarter
[12:46] Screen pass to McGahee. 30 yard gain. Nice run by Willis.
[9:36] Wow how did Holly miss that interception? Was thrown right to him. Again that's why hes not a wide receiver. No hands.
[8:54] 41 yard field goal attempt by Stover. Waaay off. Wide right. Second missed field goal today. Absolutely nothing is going right for the Ravens.
[6:40] Dawan Landry on the Ravens is LaRon Landry's brother on the Redskins. Didn't know that.
[6:20] Winslow awesome catch and run 49 yard gain. Please don't bring it back. Yesss. The penalty is against the Ravens. Career long reception fro Winslow.
[4:18] 20 yard field goal attempt is good by Dawson. Cleveland 27, Baltimore 6.
[1:25] Great scramble by McNair to make a completion. Gain of 16.
[0:15] Encroachment. Finally they call the penalty. I've noticed the D-line has been getting a jump on the ball over the past couple plays.
[0:10] 4th and 3. The Ravens are going for it. Good call. You need this. Oh incomplete pass Wilcox dropped it. Turnover on downs.

4th Quarter
[10:16] Going looooong. Incomplete pass. Another miss by McNair.
[7:14] TOUCHDOWN. McNair to Sypniewski. Ravens 13, Browns 27.
[4:37] Plenty of time in the picket for McNair. Where was that pass to? No one even remotely close to that.
[3:18] Damn. McNair is taking some shots. Ravens need to help shore up the right side of that line. The Browns are bringing the house up front. Wow McNair has 51 attempts today so far.
[2:39] Turnover on downs. Disappointing showing by the Ravens today.
[0:00] Final score Browns 27, Ravens 13.


Kevin Harlan

  • "This is Todd Heap making the reception. And he is taken down in a heap." (He said this twice)
  • "This has been one of the surprising scores today in the NFL. I'm sure Cleveland fan Drew Carey would appreciate it."
  • "A good pick and poke for 19 yards."

Rich Gannon
  • "The key for Derek Anderson is to not hold the football against this defense."
  • "If you're not 100 percent healthy then its very very difficult to play the position very effectively."
  • "The Ravens need something positive to happen to them on this drive."
  • "Taking care of the ball today has been paramount."

Ravens vs Browns

12:50 mmmmm potato chips.....waiting for Ravens game to come on, so im watching band of brothers....cant wait for the pseudo sequel to come out. so today is an interesting match up between the ravens and browns. lot of ex-ravens personnel is over with the browns, phil savage, gary baxter, jamal lewis, and derek anderson for sure. will be interesting to see if derek anderson/jamal lewis can offer any sort of insight into what the ravens do on offense, cuz well generally speaking it aint much. anderson didnt spend a lot of time with the ravens but he was definitely a nice prospect that they were gonna try and stash on the practice squad until the browns stole him. he had a big game against the bengals two weeks ago, and as long as he stays on his feet,he prolly has the ability to have a big day on the ravens.

on the other side, the ravens are playing the two-headed qb game. i think it is for the best. more worrying to me, is the lack of pass rush/pass defense. well that and billick's playcalling, but ive gotten over that worry after many years of therapy. almost makes me wish for matt cavanaugh, but then i saw the game he called last night...

1:02 With us today are Kevin Harlan and Rich Gannon? Good return up to the 45 yd line for the Browns....Greisen missed a tackle...he did a lot for the giants last year. Jamal runs the ball on first down...for no gain. haha i hope the browns are used to that, if not, they will very soon.

1:07 Lewis tackles Lewis....but the Ravens cheated. Damn. they already dont look quite the same. what happened to the ravens defense of old? Kellen Winslow takes it to the 6. WE SOULJAS.

1:10 Jurivicious catches a TD. So i guess this would be the ideal way for the browns to start on the ravens...i really hope the Ravens are not actually this bad.

1:15 Ogden not starting, McNair is. no real surprises there.

1:17 So i spent 40 mill and a draft pick to pick up a RB in the offseason...im just gonna have him block for at least the first 3 plays...that cool with you?

1:21 McNair picked. He has been doing this a lot lately....just inexplicable picks. I just dont know why the ball was thrown in that direction. Maybe playing under Billick makes your dumber?

1:24 One play, TD for Braylon Edwards. McCalister who was limping last series, attempts to jump the route, and gets burned. I kind of want to kill myself. The ravens are pretty well known for not being able to come back. Other than that time when anthony wright threw 4 TDs in the second half. but even then, they had some help from the officials.

1:29 Oh, McGahee gets to run the ball on first down and oh a first down. Amazing, what a good running back can do when he actually touches the ball. 3 runs, 27 yds, two first downs. Compucoach takes all the credit, one series too late. Also i am drinkin Kell's Irish style lager today. Delicious. Oh delay of game on ravens? thats coaching....though Rich Gannon is blaming McNair.



1:34 McNair pump fakes to his left, and then throws a lil right of the left. yeah, that actually moves the LB towards your man Steve.

1:37 Stover, the only remaining Brown with the Ravens, misses horribly. I just want to briefly say, that i have Jones-Drew, Bush, and Brees on many of my fantasy teams. I am a combined 1-8 through three weeks. I cant wait for the NBA to start.

1:39 Ed Reed PICKS A PASS, then does typical ed reed thing and runs around like a chicken with his head cut off. Just be glad he didnt attempt a lateral.

1:45 3rd and goal, pass to mason.....at the two. Yea, i mean why bother running the ball? or throwing into the end zone. i mean a 19 yd field goal is so much easier than a 24 yd field goal.

1:51 Jamal Lewis, a long run, the defense just doesnt look right. Must miss Trevor Pryce more than i thought. 16 yd run for jason wright? maybe we miss AD as well.

1:55 Field goal for Browns. this oughta be AWESOME.

1:57 Former Ravens TE Darnell Dinkins knocks the ball loose from yamon figurs. its time to flip channels. Bills and Jets 0-0....god what a horrible division. Oakland up 7-0 on Miami...i like Oakland, if only they could figure out that QB thing (Al Davis, i will trade you kyle boller and McNair for Russell). Rich Gannon calls out Kellen Winslow for being a horrible blocker. HILARIOUS. Then he drops a pass. SOULJAS DONT DROP THE BALL.

2:01 Dawson misses a FG, but its cool, the ravens cheated and gave them a first down.

2:04 A HUMONGOUS hole in the middle of the defense. Ray lewis was eatin up by fraley. old ray would never have been eaten up.

2:08 Jamal attempts to leap and holds the ball out. doesnt actually cross the line, but the officials are like hey, fuggit why not give the poor sap a TD. Oh and as always Billick was a bit slow with making a decision. bunch of old ladies having tea up there. Mr Biscotti, I would like to submit my resume, ya know if any position happens to open up.

2:11 Figurs managed to not fumble the kickoff. Amazing. Also the fact that Kevin Harlan is telling us what defensive package/subs are made, is extraordinarily helpful. I bet he scores high with Dr. Z.

2:13 McGahee stiff arms TWO GUYS and then reverses his field and gets 25 yds. GREAT JOB. wait, we are sill losing by three touchdowns? damn.

2:15 OMG cleveland was in a DIME WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? ravens call timeout.

2:21 Wasted 30 seconds on first and ten from the 11 in order to call a time out because well so billick can yell at the officials. 3-4 years ago, speaking with a good friend of mine, we spoke about why we liked billick, it was because we thought however poorly the team was playing, we were in the right hands, billick knew what he was doing, he inspired confidence in us. i would like to recant those statements.



2:27 Kelly Gregg attempts to steal the ball and score...that would've been really really cool. Also I love that Pedro Cerrano is leading the New A-team in "The Unit"

2:35 Is it cruel that CBS makes Dan Marino does the highlights for Brett Favre breaking his record?

2:46 Ravens moving the ball pretty well....you think Billick might've said something to em during the half? At least they have gotten over this obsession with giving Leron McClain the ball more than well zero.

2:49 McNair bounces the ball off Holley's chest. Also a flag for pass interference is waved off because well, it looked like McNair was throwing to him. Wide right Stover. I took off my Ed Reed jersey.

2:56 Winslow with a big reception. Gerome Sapp, not very good, at least in coverage. he may be good at things like walking while talking or something.

3:01 Cleveland "settles" for a FG...Ravens would be praying for a field goal opportunity. Getting blown out in the NFL has a lot to do with how well your Head Coach, playcaller, whatever, can read the momentum within the game. Billick has lost his touch. Now that he doesnt have to prove that he is better than Fassel, he has become lazy and well not very good. For whatever reason, im sure he would blame it on execution over playcalling, but three passes in a row after you just got scored on, on the road? yeah, you can't panic, control the pulse of the game.

3:10 4th and three....Wilcox drops it. Might as well bring in Boller now and let McNair rest up for next week.

3:18 Cleveland's first punt of the afternoon at 13:45 in the fourth quarter. They better bring in Boller instead of McNair. Otherwise McNair will end up out for the season.

3:20 Its McNair. I am very worried. Btw Ravens Defense? No Sacks.

3:28 SYPNIEWSKI WITH THE TD. well....damn. I mean this should have happened in the first quarter. Cuz we know the Browns are bad. Well normally bad, they happen to be better than the Ravens today.

3:40 Ravens come out in a no-huddle...oh really now??? We'll see how this rolls.

3:42 ...its been ok...but d'qwell jackson? all i remember about him was when he intercepted a ball against UNC and ran over the running back on the return. oh wait 4th and 3 now.....FIRST DOWN.

3:47 fourth and 21....McNair is being pressured...ya know the opposite to Derek Anderson. oh, and dropped by mark clayton...wouldnt have been a first down anyways.

3:50 Oh Baltimore is challenging the ruling on the field...IDIOT. this is hubris. Looking forward, the defense hasnt been playing extraordinarily well all season. They really appear to miss Trevor Pryce in the pass rush, AD covering from the LB spot, and on the offensive side of the ball, PLAYCALLING has been absolutely atrocious. To reiterate what Mike Preston of the Baltimore Sun has written, Billick has ABSOLUTELY NO FEEL for the game.

Saturday, September 29, 2007

UVA vs Pitts

6:55 Again today, i decided against going to the game, mostly because it has appeared to work in favor of UVA winning....now that i typed that, well i know UVA is going to lose. It is a beautiful day today in Charlottesville, VA. Temperatures will drop to the high 50's by the end of the night, clear skies, full moon disappearing. In other words, PERFECT weather for football. since the GROH MUST GO beta bridge painting, GROH has gone 3-0, but still not looking particularly good throughout an entire game. So today, against a mediocre pittsburgh team, the goal oughta be to find some consistency all the way through.

7:00 Announcing from David A. Harrison III Field, at Scott Stadium, in the Carl Smith Center are Dave Armstrong and Mike Gottfried? Oh, apparently he used to coach at Pittsburgh....thats a pretty heavy duty resume. On the plus side, we get to see another match up of Ex-NFL head coaches...its the WANNSTACHE vs GROH.

7:04 So when Coach Wannstedt speaks, I am reminded of Dustin Hoffman in Rainman. Definitely.




7:06 Nothing reeks of desperation like opening the game with an onside kick. Unsurprisingly it backfires on Coach Dave. Peerman runs for a first down his first touch. Maybe i didnt curse them...

7:09 I LOVE the fake that fools the cameraman. TOUCHDOWN to TE CLONE #1. He does not throw up the roc. He must be a fiddy fan.

7:11 "if it worked, it would have been a brilliant coaching move" if my aunt had a dick, she'd be my uncle. OOOOO, freshman QB starting for Pitt....i honestly am not sure if its legal for pitt to try so hard to win.

7:15 3 and out for pitt. um, wow. i didnt know it was legal to have a team this much worse than UVA.

7:19 TOUCHDOWN for TE CLONE #2. Same lame touchdown celebration as TE CLONE #1. well i guess they are clones...stupid clones.

7:23 um, for the moment Pitt fumbled the kickoff and UVA recovered???? Um, i wouldnt think that Pitt was this bad? ITS OFFICIAL, the official is confused about which direction is Pitt, also UVA has the ball. Hey Wannstedt meet you at the bar at halftime?

7:27 "UVA is going to the fair, havin a good time, Pitt is going to the dentist..." Oh so now it makes sense why Gottfried is broadcasting games on ESPNU. The FB catches a TD? Jackson? whatever.

7:31 THE KICKER STANDS UP ROBINSON ON THE RETURN. hehe, plus cheating on Pitt, negating a good return.

7:36 IMPORTANT NEWS: Pitt's offense is coached by....Matt Cavanaugh. Explains a lot (especially if you are a ravens fan). OMG VIC HALL IS GOING TO damn. almost score on a punt return.

7:40 UVA's average starting field position: the 34....Oh the PITT 34.

7:43 horrible cheating call on Pitt. but, i'll take it. TOUCHDOWN PEERMAN. He points to God. Or maybe some dead person he knows that is in heaven. or possibly was attempting to point out a UFO. ESPN being ESPN disregards the real stories, and focuses on hyping the stars in the game.

7:46 Surprising News: Matt Cavanaugh won a national championship as QB for Pitt.
Unsurprising News: Was backup QB for multiple Super Bowl winning teams.

7:49 Two consecutive cheating penalties on Pitt. Yea thats poor coaching, makes me feel good about Groh, which is well surprising.

7:58 What? oh im debating sleeping or watching the second half.

8:04 Sewell attempts a pass to TE CLONE #3, but he was covered by two people. maybe they got confused and thought he was TE CLONE #1. Then Mike Groh calls for two incomplete passes and a run? on 3rd and goal at the 7? Thanks for reminding me why I think i can coach this team, MIKE. FG UVA. blah.

8:07 www.getlistenup.com yeah seriously. apparently anyways.

8:09 they are interviewing cavman during live game action. lemme remind you that Cavman does not speak. i just pulled a beard hair though, it was 2 inches long.

8:12 UVA fumbles the punt. Pitt recovers, now that's the UVA I know.

8:15 TD PITTSBURGH. if pittsburgh scores but UVA fans are the only ones watching, does it actually happen?

8:25 Among my favorite signs ever are "Steve Black Toss My Salad", "Catholics vs Criminoles", and "I Wanna go for a Wannstache Ride"

8:30 Gonna watch florida-auburn instead. UVA is playing well against an opponent that appears to know how to do nothing except play horrible. Typical Al Groh win, beating a horrible team at home. next week is on the road.

Friday, September 28, 2007

OJ's Eleven

Absolutely brilliant:

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Giants @ Redskins

Now watching the Giants @ Redskins on FOX...

(Note to readers: I'm only going to have the chance to blog the first half this week. Sorry.)

We have Joe Buck and Troy Aikman today. I'm not expecting too many quotes from this team...they're not that bad. Throwback jerseys this afternoon for the Skins celebrating the 75th anniversary of the team. Helmet was designed by Vince Lombardi. Redskins lead the NFC running the football. Interesting stat. I'll be interested to see how the Redskins right side of the O-line holds up today after all the injuries.

1st Quarter

[12:51]
Nice pickup by Clinton Portis on the screen pass. Giants allowed a total of 80 points over the past two games. Nice. Man the G-Men D is awful. Just saw a guy in the crowd with a flannel burgundy and gold shirt and a Redskins throwback helmet on. The Giants gave up an opening drive touchdown over the past two weeks.

[10:53] Mitchell should have intercepted that. Again that's why hes not a wide receiver.

[10:48] FIELD GOAL attempt Redskins. NO GOOD. WIDE LEFT.

[10:40] Manning to Shockey for 27 yards. I hope Shockey has a big game today. Got him on one of my fantasy teams.

Seems like its really loud in FedEx. I've noticed that the sound during FOX games is a lot better than on CBS. I don't know maybe its just me.

[7:19] FIELD GOAL GOOD. Giants 3, Skins 0.

[5:19] FUMBLE. Great play by Andre Carter. Reverse tomahawk move. Let's see if the Skins can capitalize.

[4:57] TOUCHDOWN. Clinton Portis. Nice big whole running to the left. Skins 7, Giants 3.

[4:49] Rueben Droughns is returning the kick? I remember a few years back when he was with the Broncos and I picked him up off of waivers midway through the season. Great move. Just another one of the "system-backs" manufactured by Denver.

[0:17] Outstanding block by Portis to allow Campbell to scramble for a big gain. End of 1st quarter.


2nd Quarter

[10:00] GOING LONG. Complete from Campbell to Santana Mass. Excellent play I must say. 49-yard completion into double coverage. I like that element to Campbell's game...the deep ball. Redskins definitely did not have that with Brunell.

[7:55] TOUCHDOWN. Campbell to Cooley. He was wide open. Two touchdowns allowed by the Giants D already. Let me guess, a Redskins fan wrote Chris Cooley's Wikipedia entry. Absolutely ridiculous:

Glue of the Redskins' Offense

Cooley has long been regarded as the "glue" that holds the Gibbsian offensive scheme together. Drafted early as the prototype H-Back by Redskin's Head Coach Joe Gibbs in 2004, Cooley has remade the H-Back position in his image for the second coming of Coach Gibbs.

The H-Back is an obscure little known position in the NFL. It is a hybrid position combining the skills of a fullback, tight end, receiver, and offensive lineman in one position. Most likely Gibbs recognized Cooley's unique skill set by his dominance in wrestling in college. Cooley has adapted to the position like a fish to water.

Cooley, by his adept blocking, great hands, and incredible elusiveness in the open field was instrumental in revitalized the career of quarterback Mark Brunell, making it to the playoffs in the 2005 campaign. [citation needed]
[4:11] Sean Taylor is hurt. Could be another big injury for the Skins.

[1:51] Sinorice Moss plays for the Giants. Santana's little brother. I didn't know that.

[1:35] INTERCEPTION. Eli Manning. Tipped and then picked off. Man the Giants are struggling.

[0:00] 47 yard field goal GOOD. Suisham. Skins 17, Giants 3.

End of First Half

Joe Buck

  • "The Cowboys will be playing tonight, and the Redskins, well they're playing right now."

Troy Aikman

  • "Yeah in a hostile environment the best thing an opposing team can do is to maintain possession of the ball."
  • "A perfect pass beats pretty decent coverage."

Saturday, September 22, 2007

UVA vs Georgia Tech

11:52 AM Decided that i didnt want to watch us lose in person, so i am going to watch this on ESPNU. satellite tv is GRRRRRRRRRREAT. When i turned on ESPNU, OMG HENNE FIRES TO THE ENDZONE MANNINGHAM MICHIGAN WINS!!!!!! oh how the times have changed. also i hate the michigan fight song.

12:00 PM Its the afternoon, its socially acceptable for me to start drinking now. YAY! My predictions for this game, Tashard Choice will run all over the UVA defense, GT will win by a lot, i will switch over the TV to Man City and Fulham at halftime. Chris Long is a game-changing-type player and great practice player? WHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAT?? Clay Matvick and Larry Coker are doing the game, Larry Coker? really you think that he was interesting enough to be a color commentator? I hate ESPN. but i dont have time to talk about that right now.

12:05 PM Chan Gailey vs Al Groh. Good NFL Coordinator vs One Year Wonder NFL Coaches. its going to truly be a contest of who plays not to lose better.

12:08 PM D. Thomas for GT scores on a bomb. WOW, i mean at least commit the penalty to save the touchdown? so 1:59 in, UVA is down 7.

12:12 PM Cedric Peerman RUNS ALL OVER THE FT DEFENSE? i was not expecting that...then a 20 yd pass play to TE clone?!?!?!? This doesnt look like UVA football.

12:15 PM ANOTHER FIRST DOWN TO TE CLONE #2!!! then TD CEDRIC PEERMAN. maybe we are in for a 51-45 shootout or something. HAHA. right.

12:21 PM Tashard Choice with a nice dance for 12 yds. lookin all sexy and professional. oh wait...GT cheated. this would be funny if GT lost because they were even more horribly coached then UVA. wait what? they took away the cheating penalty. how do you announce a penalty and then not give a penalty?

12:23 PM Choice runs all over the UVA defense, but its because GT cheated. yeah thats against the honor code. WOOOOOOOOO HONOR CODE!!!!!!!!

12:26 PM Noel Devine is RIDICULOUS. Why can't UVA get RBs like that? Really good article about him here.
Youtube videos here:


12:34 PM The UVA line is creating holes for Peerman that i could run through. TE CLONE #1 makes a good play. oh thats right, we dont have WRs. wonder if GT knows that?

12:38 PM Sewell runs to the outside and TD!!!!!!!! Throws up the roc to the student section. apparantly there is a girl there in her sports bra....***COUGH***ATTN WHORE***COUGH.... ahh the good ole song....now thats a celebration, its like new years every single time they score a touchdown. 14 plays, 94 yds, and 6:46 off the clock....DAMN.

12:42 PM Coker talks about bubbles, using the same exact terminology as the guys from the OU vs Tulsa game....CHEATER. Long with the deflection and Fitzgerald RUMBLES INTO THE ENDZONE. He throws up the roc as well. didnt hova retire? is kanye still throwin up the roc?

12:50 PM End of the first quarter...quite possibly the best quarter that UVA has played all season....actually easily the best quarter UVA has played all season.

12:57 PM Instant replay...good time to take a bathroom break. Good coverage by Parker...if he caught the ball, there was no safety over the top though....hey Al, um fix that.

1:00 PM Two instant replays....good time to take a dump. FUMBLE goes to GT. crap. (haha)

1:03 PM Three instant replays....good time to puke and rally. GO WAHOOOOOS. Oh it was an accident, good thing you wasted our time anyways.

1:05 PM Crap, TD GT. Dwyer. Groh is going to need to make some adjustments against this unbalanced line.

1:09 PM Lalich in...

1:13 PM Lalich got hit HARD. not this hard, but hard


1:17 PM 2nd chop block called on GT. Ive seen at least 2 others already. both on chris long....thats cheap.

1:20 PM Almost picked again....UVA's DB actually look good. im looking through Eastbay catalog.....and GIL ZERO's.

1:37 PM Yea um, nothing exciting happening....debating which Gil Zero's i want.

1:49 PM Al takes two timeouts in order to "ICE" the kicker. yeah, it didnt work.

2:16 PM A little bit of an option look toss for peerman. nice little twist in the offense. maybe groh watched some tape of some of the better offenses in the nation...then sewell has a horrible pitch on the option and fumble recovered by GT.

2:20 PM Big play by chris long knocking down the pass. GT has to settle for a field goal. AMAZINGLY i havent turned off this game. AMAZING.

2:34 PM Sewell with the fake draw handoff and ran for positive yardage.....amazing what a lil creativity can do for the offense.

2:46 PM GT takes the lead for the first time since 7-0 on a field goal. GOD. UVA cant come back from a 2 point deficit.

3:15 PM Sewell looks really good on a drive that ends in a TD. TD pass is actually to a WR. AMAZING. never thought that would happen.

3:45 PM GT shoots themselves in the foot multiple times during their attempt to put together a 2 minute drive.....holding, dropped passes, holding, offensive pass interference.

3:59 PM GAME OVER UVA ESCAPES with a win. maybe i will never go to games and just blog for luck....well now that i said it, it wont work.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Rejoice Red Sox Nation!


If you don't already know, I don't like the Red Sox. Hence I could not let this great story go to waste without posting it. Is it wrong to hate, well my mother always said hate is a strong word, but is it wrong to dislike a sports team because of the fans? I think I've developed the ability to sense these people. They give off this sense of....hmmm I don't know how to quite put it...Let's just say that I hope it's more than 86 years before the Red Sox win anything of significance again. The Curse? How about the fact that your team was never good enough all those years to win? Deal with it. Build a winner. And as Shelley Duncan so aptly put it: THE RED SOX SUCK. Enjoy the photo. Gotta love the sheer and utter disappointment on that kid's face. It's all in good fun. Hey at least it wasn't as bad as this.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Monday Night Football

Now watching Skins @ Eagles on MNF...

[3:45, 1st quarter] I agree with Jaws' analysis about the big playbook. The players need to study it. Stop complaining that its big. Yeah you're athletically gifted but you need to be able to use your head too. "Study your craft." Good quote.
[0:10, 1st quarter] No Tony, Elisabeth Hasselbeck is not worth a turn of the dial. Talk about the game please.

[14:09, 2nd quarter] BAM!!! What a hit by Sean Taylor. Gotta love that. On another note: Andy Reid -- Your sons are criminals. Do something about that. Thanks.
[12:51, 2nd quarter] Great second effort run by Brian Westbrook. I still think you're overrated.
[9:54, 2nd qurater] INTERCEPTION. Jason Campbell. Sweet hit by Clinton Portis though.
[2:40, 2nd quarter] Interesting statistics. Redskins are the oldest team in the NFL. Dan Snyder you are a genius. Tony is right in a sense. It's not like you're building a fantasy football team for one season to win it all. I think they also said that the Redskins have the fewest number of draft picks recently too. Great segment going through all of the Redskins QBs over Snyder's tenure.
[0:40, 2nd quarter] Wow, great scramble run by Campbell. I'd like to see Brunell do that.
[0:20, 2nd quarter] Delay of game, false starts. Nice work Skins.
[0:09, 2nd quarter] TOUCHDOWN. Nice pass by Campbell to Cooley.

I just noticed that Tony hasn't said anything the entire second quarter...because he wasn't in the booth! It was a nice change. I still say Kornheiser should stick to PTI. Looking forward to it at halftime.

[Halftime show] Lame quick version of PTI.

[12:45, 3rd quarter] CHARLES BARKLEY IS IN THE HOUSE. Wow. Charles is remarkably coherent tonight. I like it. "It's not right and it's not wrong. That's just the way it is." Isn't that a song? That's just the way it is. Some things will never change?
[9:43, 3rd quarter] FUMBLE. CHALLENGE IT. He was down.

CHARLES: "I just bought my mom a house for a dollar. In Alabama. I'm retired from golf."

[12:02, 4th quarter] TOUCHDOWN. Clinton Portis. Great touchdown celebration by the way.
[5:37, 4th quarter] Oh man Santana Moss overthrown by Jason Campbell. The guy was wide open. I've noticed Campbell's passes seem to be high a lot.
[3:09, 4th quarter] Long ball. Almost intercepted. Gotta catch that. Thats why he's a safety. My brother always said that safety's are guys who couldn't make wide receiver.

Did you see Sean Taylor's hair??? Awesome. Wow. The Redskins win 20-12. I'm surprised. I'm also surprised by the lack of quality quotes by the commentators tonight. Seems like everyone in the booth had their act together. Big win for the Skins. Disappointing performance by the Eagles. Donovan - you're killing my fantasy team, come on man.

Tony Kornheiser:
  • "Its the Gutenberg bible of playbooks."
  • "The Packers are 2-0, the 49ers are 2-0, O.J. is back in the news, its like we're back in the mid-90s."
  • "The Redskins could have a good season."

Ron Jaworski:

  • "I call this type of game a snot-knocker."
  • "Brian Westbrook is the center of the Eagles offense. You can bet that the Redskins will be focusing on Brian Westbrook."

Saturday, September 15, 2007

UVA vs UNC

11:57 Watching both UVA vs UNC and start with stuttgart vs cottbus and move over to chelsea vs blackburn. Just want to say that i was lectured about the war that will end all wars between muslims vs everyone else. The guy is a war vet, and pretty much scared the crap out of me.

12:01 Daughtry music video sports montage. woooo corporate synergy. WOOOOO south's oldest rivalry. Chris Long is called a neanderthal....as a compliment....sort of i guess.

12:09 Butch Davis is coach of UNC? Anyways, UNC should be good at football, its a great school, beautiful campus, good fan base.....wait sounds familiar.

12:14 Peerman runs for a first down....i like him. good blocking will help with that. Sewell looks ok, nothing great, nothing horrible. Just want some consistency man. This Lalich vs Sewell duel reminds me of Spinner vs Schaub, except Spinner cheated and left school. So maybe this time Lalich will end up in front of UJC for underage drinking or something.

12:18 WOOOOOOO Delay of game....yeah coaching. WOOOOOO GROUND caused the fumble. Peerman with a good run. Showin some moves...but then sewell gets his ass kicked on the option

12:22 Tight end in motion.....OMG THEY RAN BEHIND HIM AND THE FULLBACK TOUCHDOWN!!!!

12:27 Chris Long is now an animal. Fitzgerald gets the sack though. Then Chris Long gets the sack...apparently cant block him in a pillowfight.

12:29 David Bentley has beautiful soccer hair....not nearly as beautiful as Carvalho, but ya know its pretty goddamn good.

12:33 Procedure penalty on UVA.....yeah thats coaching too. First pass longer than 10 yards is to A TIGHT END?!??! whatever, he missed anyways.

12:46 FUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMBBBBBBLLLEEEEEEEEE UVA with the recovery. UVA actually looks like they want to win this game.

12:51 Blocking up front looks VERY good. That is coaching as well.

12:52 Illegal formation...thats cheating and coaching.

12:58 I just dozed off for the past 5 minutes....i dunno how i do this.

1:05 Sideline warning? wtf? i dont think ive ever heard of that before. Also have Andrew Pearman with Lalich in the backfield.....DA FUTURE OF THE FRANCHISE?!?!?!?

1:21 All of a sudden, UNC's offense looks really good. Not surprisingly it is due to quick passes that neutralize the pass rush and on corners that dont really bump and run.

1:25 Interception goes through UVA's hands, and then next play, TD UNC. Lets see some halftime adjustments AL.

1:41 I would totally do tiki.

2:01 BLA BLAH BLAH. Steve Martin (not the funny one) has a nice voice. Are there not white people who do play by play?

2:03 I forgot Gus Johnson and Greg Gumbel. HOLY CRAP SHEVCHENKO KICKED SOMEONE IN THE HEAD. they are carrying him off the field.....hope he is ok.

2:07 Sewell is sacked on two consecutive plays. Blocking scheme? no just a player getting beat. oh and delay of game....thats coaching al. so far i see ZERO adjustments.

2:12 HAHA the ref was trying to not get hit and missed the field goal call.

2:19 Amazingly, Wisconsin is only up 28-21 on Citadel. And UNC is throwing the ball all over UVA....for a touchdown. UVA is about to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Also the UNC cheerleader, not nearly as attractive as most Carolina girls i have met.

2:25 For some reason, UVA cant protect the QB all of a sudden.....halftime adjustments by UNC i guess....i mean why would you change things up?

2:31 Final score: 21-18 UNC-UVA. its gonna suck.

2:35 CHRIS LONG WITH THE PICK. chris long is my nomination for GOD.

2;40 Cheating on the offense. LAME.

2:42 Cheated again, 15 yards backwards in the redzone. GREAT COACHING JOB. Also there is a guy on the blue team in the soccer match with the name Sisi....i bet he dives a lot. OMG THE HALVOLINE COMMERCIAL RETURNS.

2:52 UNC fumble, UVA recovers. it appears that UNC wants to win this game about as much as UVA does. in other news, the team that scores more points, will win the game.

3:00 I just went poo. It was a 8.5 out of 10 on the stinky scale. I think UVA's play is affecting my digestion. My roommate is talking to his computer game.

3:06 Dropped another interception. Also megathron is outside of the space station.

3:07 Chris Long makes the tackle 15 yards down field. He is unbelievable.

3:09 Three consecutive passes for first down. What is this the prevent defense? CRAP down at the 2. Why cant UVA have no name wide receivers this good? or is this more of an offensive scheme thing?

3:12 SHIT. wide-open in the back of the end-zone. Amazingly this play looks much better than when the ravens attempted to run it in Cincy. AND THE DEFENSE SAID NO!! (that sounds just as lame in real life as on the computer)

3:19 Almost horrible play by monroe. Thankfully they already had the first down.

3:21 End of game. Close, won on a replayed field goal, got lucky that UNC had a couple big turnovers in the second half when they were driving. Chris Long looked very good. Peerman also ran the ball extraordinarily well in the first half, the O-line didnt assert itself nearly as well in the second half. In the second half the O-line needs to be beating up on tired defense and both Peerman and Pearman should be running all over them. But I'll take it. We'll see how the "Groh Must Go" contingent feels about this on Monday.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

It's Wednesday

I refuse to acknowledge the events of September 10, 2007. At least the events that happened within the confines of Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio.

This has been up on Beta Bridge for a full week now:



Typical UVA students and their infighting. There is absolutely no way that Craig Littlepage will even consider firing Groh MIDSEASON for his team's horrible performance on the field. If something were to happen off the field, then its anybody's guess. That said, this would seem to be a salient point. Is it within the rights of the athletics department to remove anyone that is publicly criticizing a player or coach?

My answer would be absolutely not. I think that fans should be allowed to voice their opinions, whatever they may be, as long as they would be acceptable in any public forum (no profanities, etc). BUT, I believe that as part of being a responsible fan, you play with the hand that you were dealt. Even, if you HATE someone on your own team, you wish for them to succeed, because well, that means they are contributing to the TEAM succeeding.

So I believe that arrogance on the student's part is the true culprit. While not unique to UVA sports fans, but, in particular when I go to home basketball games, many fans believe themselves to be more intelligent then the coaches. UVA students in particular are fed from their first summer orientation that they are special for attending the "University". While its not necessarily a bad thing to boost the self-esteem of pimply freshmen, it does lead to an attitude of self-entitlement and belief that well I got into UVA, I am smart, I watch football, I could coach this team. I mean that play when Sewell threw an interception its obvious that he should have checked down. This attitude is a slippery slope that leads to never-ending dissatisfaction with the team. If you always think that you can do a better job, then how will you ever be happy with the team's performance?

In the end, you have the right to say whatever you want about the team (as long as its true), but sometimes you have to wonder about what it is that you are truly trying to accomplish? Do you honestly believe that a coaching change is in order? or do you just think you are smarter then the coach?

Sunday, September 9, 2007

NFL Sunday

Now watching Sunday NFL Countdown on ESPN...

Mike Ditka: "I think it's Brett Favre's time."
Keyshawn Johnson: "You mean time to go?"
Tom Jones: "It's a proving ground for Romy Tomo."

What is with this 10-year-old-kid talking about wide receivers? This is stupid. Is it me or is Rachel Nichols missing one of her top two front teeth??? Shawne Merriman looks like a dangerous, dangerous man. Straight up intimidating. I think he and Ray Lewis strike the most fear in NFL offenses. I know I'd be running for my life if I saw them.


Now watching Dolphins @ Redskins on CBS...

Interesting...Ronnie Brown and Jason Campbell were college roommates. Didn't know that. I'm looking for Trent Green to have a decently good game today. Former Redskins always play well against the Redskins. I wonder how many carries Clinton Portis will get today.

[10:30, 1st quarter] INTERCEPTION. There you go Jason Campbell. Now hopefully the announcers will stop talking about how loud the crowd is there.

End of the first quarter. 0-0. What an exciting game...Jon Jansen has a dislocated right ankle. Ouch.

[0:00, 2nd quarter] TOUCHDOWN. Trent Green throws a touchdown right at the end of the first half. Awesome. Quiet the crowd even more. End of first half, Dolphins 7, Skins 3.

[Halftime Show] Who's harder to understand? Shannon Sharpe or Scottie Pippen??

[14:48, 4th quarter] INTERCEPTION, Jason Campbell. 2nd today. Tidbit: Miami defense had 8 INTs all last season and so far have 2 today. Nice.

[0:21, 4th quarter] Fred Smoot misses a sure-fire interception that could have ended the game. Nice.

[0:00, 4th quarter] HAIL MARY. DEFLECTED TO RANDLE-EL TACKLED AT THE 2!!! Wow what a play. Why didn't he run to his left? We're going to overtime. Redskins win the toss and elect to receive.

[9:27, OT] Suisham is brought on for a 39-yard field goal. Skins take the last timeout. Why are they kicking it now instead of trying to further advance the ball? FIELD GOAL IS GOOD. Redskins win in overtime 16-13.


Dan Dierdorf:
  • "Said Portis: I don't think the game has changed since last year. I'm pretty sure it's still football."
  • "Maybe he [Santana Moss] should have put it in an extra gear and gotten an extra hand."
  • "Miami is starting to throw the ball down field instead of just dink and dunk."
  • "When I talked to Joe Gibbs about Mike Sellers all he had to say was: He's a man."
  • "I think Trent Green made a conscious decision on that one and said I'll just eat the football."
  • "There's an old adage for QB's that when your drive ends in a kick its not necessarily a bad thing."
  • "Cam Cameron said he calls the game by feel, so if he felt like they could get a touchdown in this situation then I think they would have gone for it."
  • "We'll see, but Randy Moss can still run."
  • "I think the NFL is doing a good job of minimizing the incidents by separating guys before they can take a swing."
  • "Illegal contact is illegal contact."
  • "If you don't like to watch Zach Thomas play linebacker, then you don't like to watch football."
  • "For a big guy Chatman is a big man."
  • "Rogers is getting some feel good love from the sidelines."
  • "You certainly don't want to make your offensive team a defensive one."
  • "Al Saunders knows that you don't have to win the game on one play."
  • "If I'm Capers then I'm concerned with the total lack of defense."
  • "Boy is it tough to rush the passer when you're tired."

Greg Gumbel:
  • "Coming up the Sprint Halftime Report, strangely enough, at halftime."
  • "He [Roger Federer] is pretty good."
  • "Well speaking of feeling here is Jay Feely on the field to kick the field goal. What a good feeling."
  • "If you are wondering if Campbell can throw far he has a sturdy right arm."

List of dumb commercials seen this afternoon:
  • The Reebok-NFL one with the women, NY Giants and Jet fans.
  • Sprint / Peyton Manning commercial where he opens the doors in the hallway.
  • That MNF commercial with Reggie Bush and Chad Johnson is dumb. The first one was decent but now they're just overdoing it.
  • Mike Ditka / John Elway and Circuit City.
  • NFL Shop commercial with the kids on the runway and Deion Sanders in the audience. Where the hell did Deion come from???

Saturday, September 8, 2007

UVA vs Duke

12:06 UVA runs onto the field...i am hungry, i can smell the chicken nuggets.

12:10 I just noticed that me and al groh have been at uva for the same length of time.

12:14 Slowest developing punt return ever, but we ended up on the 3....we better score.

12:15 We lost yardage

12:16 FIRST TOUCHDOWN OF THE YEAR WOOOOOO! Not surprisingly it was to one of the tight end clones

12:19 I turned off the sound so that i can watch russia macedonia instead. im pretty sure i won't really miss much from mike hogewood and color commentary cloneman.

12:22 RUSSIA ALMOST SCORES, what a horrible striker. i mean the ball across the goal was perfect, just the striker didnt know to run to it.

12:24 Nice run up the middle by peerman, then he fumbles...thankfully UVA recovers or i prolly would have had an aneurysm.

12:27 Sewell looks to the sideline...man in motion...yeah he is confused....timeout, UVA.

12:30 TOUCHDOWN PEERMAN!!!! It feels so good to play duke....at home.

12:32 Havoline has quite possibly the greatest ad campaign ever.

12:33 RED CARD FOR THE RUSSIAN GOALIE, and the SUB GOALIE MAKES THE SAVE ON THE PENALTY KICK OMG OM GOM GOMGOMG.

12:38 Duke gets a 1st down on fourth and short....many moral victories dont add up to real ones.

12:40 At this point i want to mention that my roommate's brother was sporting his V sabre all-over print pants. the brother-in-law was wearing pastel yellow pants. somehow, UVA got the ball back while i was eating some chicken nuggets. tyson chicken nuggets = delicious saltyness.

12:43 2 points for duke...yea um long snapping...

12:45 BEAUTIFUL GOAL by the Aarshyvin

12:58 UVA is running at will. not surprisingly i guess.

1:02 Option look by Sewell, i like it...would like it better in the spread offense...hint hint.

1:09 We cheated, had to settle for a field goal attempt, and then duke blocks it and runs it back 50 yards. im glad i decided not to go today. on the plus side, i am wearing my maryland is for haters shirt.



1:15 my roommate walks out without a shirt......i think he was going to the shirtless guy convention

1:19 Lalich in.....looks good rolling out throwing to the tight end...the creativity in this offense is on par with the network execs in charge of fox reality tv.

1:28 Lalich staying in.....interesting...is groh going to attempt to attach his legacy to the wonderkid?

1:58 yea nothing really important to report....i am reading up on the russian oligarchs....its hot outside though...i think we shall grill tonight

2:05 FUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMBBBBBBBBBBBBLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEEEE. duke cheerleader was kinda hot actually. matt doherty may just have higher standards in women for me.

2:12 duke is moving the ball...this is another in a series of moral victories that lead to nowhere.

2:14 moral victory for UVA. PICK and yeah, um i dunno about whoever is duke's qb. but then they get caught cheating again.

2:19 second bad snap...hi coaching. in the mini-game of field position, UVA is losing by a lot. also on the other tv now is san marino vs czech republic....would be bigger upset then app. st. vs michigan.

2:21 the scariest phrase ever: Touchdown Duke. and to pour salt in the wound, duke with the 2 pt conversion.

2:25 GUESS WHAT!?!?!? We fumbled and didnt recover. GROH MUST GO GROH MUST GO! (thats me pretending to be in the stands)

2:36 Payne Train runs through 4 people....i like him. him and lalich in the backfield....this will be great 2-3 years from now.

2:41 Thankfully UVa moves the ball...and cant punch it into the endzone.....there we go...pass to WHAAAAAAAAAA?? the tight end.

2:50 I sigh.....roommate says oh so duke is about to score again? (40 yards on two passes)

2:54 Sigh of relief....they missed a field goal.

3:02 switched other tv to france-italy....i hope gattuso tries to bite somebody...also peerman breaking tackles....nice

3:07 nail in the coffin...chris long with the sack. he made an L with his arm. copped it from LJ....knicks LJ not KC LJ. most notable for the four point play. so i am going to watch italy-france....my picks for watching tonight...um LSU-VT.

Friday, September 7, 2007

John Madden is a Commentary Genius

We all know this to be true. Ace Hardware and BOOM Tough Actin Tinactin know this. That's why they use him as their spokesman. Frank Caliendo idolizes John Madden so much that he wants to be John Madden.



Last night's opening game (Colts vs. Saints) to the 2007-2008 NFL season was no different. John Madden was in fine form as usual:
  • "Great block by Marques Colston. You know Al, wide receivers today have to know how to block."
  • "The Saints have been frustrating Dwight Freeney all night." (The very next play Freeney knocks Brees down and causes an illegal touch penalty)
  • "Remember that old saying when the cat's away the mice play?"
  • "Everybody probably would have gone for it, but maybe not this team tonight."
  • "Manning will get three plays from Tom Moore. He hasn't called it yet." (The team hadn't gotten to the line of scrimmage yet).
  • "Rule number one, don't use your finger as a shoe horn."
  • "When you don't have it going passing and get nothing from your two top runners, then that's a bad thing."
  • "The Colts feel better about these two guys because they are bigger and stronger than the two guys they lost."
  • "We're gonna plop a guy on the old horse trailer after this one aren't we?"
  • "He wanted to come back, and he left a little meat on that bone."
  • "This Colt defense played so well tonight that they really frustrated the Saints."
  • "I don't know, I'm at a waffle."
  • "Tonight was not a good night for Drew Brees." (After the Colts win 41-10 and Drew Brees nearly sets a NFL record for QB futility in yards gained per catch).

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Gotta Support the Team




General Rules for Being a Sports Fan:


1. Can only be a fan of one team per sport (can't root for your mother's favorite team *cough*randall*cough*)

2. If the basis for being a fan is rooted in "they were good when I became interested in sport" only valid if since that point, team has had at least 4 losing seasons with two of them being consecutive. Until then, fandom is considered to be on trial.

3. Collective "we" can only be used if from the area, went to the school, or actually are on the team.

4. Changes in fandom can only be allowed in cases of geographic re-location (though still really weak).

5. Rooting for a particular player on any team is allowable as long as it doesnt turn into hoping that they win (exceptions = bourque-type situation)

6. If you like a team, there must be a team you hate equally (NEWTON'S LAW OF BEING A FAN)

7. Must know owner, head coach, name of homefield, most of starting lineup


8. Parroting analysis from ESPN.com or any other national sports media about your team is strictly not allowed unless properly cited. In fact, when a national personality speaks ill of your team, it is strongly encouraged to throw it back in his face in the form of a sign on national tv.

9. There is someone you either hate or are very disappointed in on your team.
Example 1: I hate Kyle Boller
Example 2: Most yankee fans hate A-rod

EL HIBACHI

GILBERT ARENAS: THE CARTOON

I couldn't have put it any better myself so check out the link.

Soundoff!

What are your thoughts on players sitting out during the pre-season? If you're injured you obviously sit out. What if you're a star player or a proven veteran? Do you think these guys should be allowed to say how much they play...if at all? What about guys who aren't competing for a spot on the team because they already have one secured?

Leinart / Young, Magic / Bird?

I was listening to PTI yesterday and Kornheiser and LeBetard brought up the subject of Matt Leinart and Vince Young developing a rivalry like Magic Johnson and Larry Bird did. I think this is a pretty ridiculous idea. You can't have a rivalry between two QBs. The guys probably won't even play each other that many times over their careers. You can compare statistics and championships. It is sort of like in baseball when they say it is Pitcher A vs. Pitcher B. Is it really though? Or is it Pitcher A vs. Pitcher B's teammates and Pitcher B vs. Pitcher A's teammates?

Chip On His Shoulder

Long time Atlanta Braves 3B Chipper Jones is mad at the umpires. Again. If my memory serves me correctly this isn't the first time that Jones has complained about bad umpiring. The man does (or did have before the game) have a 0.328 batting average that was sixth in the majors. I guess he does somewhat have a point in being able to know "what a strike looks like". Of course we all know that umping is subjective and people make mistakes. I just wonder how much the MLB is going to fine Jones for his comments.

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

The Big Finish

Stealing the PTI title once.

AP Poll is out. Yeah its not you. Michigan isn't there. Notre Dame lost too. I'm happy.

Byron Leftwich might be signed by the Baltimore Ravens. Where else would he be a good fit? How about Atlanta? Detroit? By the way does anyone think Kitna is fantasy sleeper pick this year?

Jeremiah Trotter signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs. Interesting move by the Bucs.

Big Baby signed with the Celtics. The guy is 289 lbs. I think he should be playing football. How much does Shaq weigh? I've got to give it to him though. Watching him at LSU he seemed like a pretty agile guy. He's destined for bench time anyways.

Carlos Zambrano apologizes for his outburst against Cubs fans. Winless since July 29. That's a pretty long time for someone with a $91.5 million contract.

And finally....

Tiki Barber is going ballistic. Wow where is all this pent up aggression coming from? Is his book basically a tirade?

NFC Primer

NFC

West
  • San Francisco 49ers - Looks like a good, young team. I'll be interested in seeing if Frank Gore really is the real deal and last year wasn't a fluke. Veron aka "Click-Clack" Davis could have a breakout year this season. By the way, that Under Armour stuff is good. Buy some stock if you have extra cash laying around. The future looks bright for the company in my view. I'm hoping the Niners finish over 0.500 this year. Bring back the glory years.
  • Arizona Cardinals - I'm just hoping for another Denni Green outburst like last year. If you need to be reminded it was something along the lines of (paraphrased): "They are who we thought they were! And we let them off the hook!" The offense looks really promising...just like it did last year. I hope Edge has a better than average year.
  • St. Louis Rams - What happened to the "Greatest Show on Turf"? This team is getting older by the minute. Will Stephen Jackson perform to the levels that fantasy owners hope? I'd say probably. He's really got a unique blend of size and speed.
  • Seattle Seahawks - I'm pretty sure I drafted Shaun Alexander with the 8th pick in one of my fantasy leagues. I definitely hope he'll perform better than what people are predicting for him this year. LOFA TATUPU. What about him? Nothing. I just wanted to get his name out here on this post.


East
  • Dallas Cowboys - New coach in town. I think Charles Barkley commented that Tony Romo had better focus his attention on the upcoming season and not judging Miss America pagents or his girlfriend. I think T.O. this year needs to focus on YAC. I feel like he had a decent season last year TD and catch - wise but rarely cracked the 100+ yards receiving per game.
  • New York Giants - Eli, Eli, Eli. Didn't you have the chance to go play for the San Diego Chargers? Do you think Eli ever feels like Peyton took all the talent from his parents? I'd like to see Brandon Jacobs run over more than a few people this year.
  • Philadelphia Eagles - McNabb is back and according to Tony Kornheiser he's "shaven" and not bald. He seemed pretty upbeat during a PTI interview a few weeks ago. Remember back a season or two ago...I think it was a Monday night game versus the Cowboys right before halftime when he held the ball for a good 30-60 seconds, dodged defenders left and right then completed a 60 yeard pass? I think Brian Westbrook is overrated.
  • Washington Redskins - The team I love to hate. Mosty because of the fans. Redskins fans are some of the most optimistic fans I know. "We look good this year". "This is our year". Please. Oh remember Gus Frerotte? Is he still in the league? I'm just remembering the time when he gave himself a concussion hitting his head against a cement wall. This is a 0.500 team at best.


North
  • Chicago Bears - Did Devin Hester really get a 100 speed rating in this year's Madden? I heard that a while back but haven't gotten any confirmation. I've read that the team is/might be moving him to the WR spot. We'll see if Rex Grossman can get him the ball. Is it true that Brian Urlacher was forced to take parenting classes? This should be a requirement for more than a few other people out there.
  • Detroit Lions - I think the Lions should replace every position on offense with a WR. Yeah that's right. Just like flag football. Just have the entire offense except the QB be a wide receiver.
  • Green Bay Packers - Another season, another year for QB Brett Favre. I always wondered about the pronunciation of his last name. FAVRE. But you say it like FARV. John Madden once said that if he could start his team with any player living or dead his first pick would be Brett. I don't know which is greater: Dick Vitale's love for Duke basketball or John Madden's love for Favre. Have you seen Frank Caliendo's John Madden impression? Not too shabby.
  • Minnesota Vikings - I'm intrested in seeing Tavaris Jackson play. He and Peterson could be a nice one-two punch. Other than that this team is pretty average. Not much more to say.


South
  • Atlanta Falcons - Let's see if I can go the entire way here without mentioning Michael Vick. Ooops. Too late. The Falcons will be awful this year. Do the Falcons play at Cleveland at all this year? Yeah, the DOG POUND.
  • Carolina Panthers - I don't really know what to say about the Panthers. They will probably be a little better than 0.500. Steve Smith is fast.
  • New Orleans Saints - I predict that Colston will have an average year this year. No more surpises. Reggie Bush should be allowed to touch the ball as much as possible this year. Might be looking at the Conference champion here.
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers - New team for Jeff Garcia. Prediction: different results than last year with the Eagles. Not an earth-shattering prediciton. Bring back GRADKOWSKI. I'd like to see Cadillac improve his performance this year.

Zambrano Booed, Federer Advances

Chicago Cubs pitcher Carlos Zambrano is mad that fans booed him. Interesting. I'm not sure what else he expected. When you're not playing well people won't hesitate to tell you. Said Zambrano:

"I don't accept that the fans were booing at me," a seething Zambrano said afterward. "I can't understand that. You know, I thought these were the greatest fans in baseball. But they showed me today that they just care about them, and that's not fair, because when you're struggling, you want to feel the support of the fans.
Roger Federer advanced to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. He'll be facing Andy Roddick in the next round. I fully expect Federer to get past Roddick without any problems. Should be a good match to watch.

Monday, September 3, 2007

In Review


Decided on a different title this time. Here we go -

Andy Roddick made it to the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. Good for him. Who is his coach now? Roddick is good but he could be facing Federer next. Good luck kid.

There's baseball in Canada??? The 3-A Phillies affiliate lost to the Syracuse Chiefs to a capacity crowd? Wow. People must be bored. I'm sure Ottawans will be just fine.

Reche Caldwell was cut from the N.E. Pats. Not too surprising. I'm sure he'll find somewhere else to play. In other team news, Randy Moss had this to say:

"I will not be satisfied until I'm out there with the boys," he said. "That's what I do. I don't cut checks. I don't shine shoes. I don't tape ankles. I play football. That's what I came here to do."
For some reason I thought he shined shoes before.

Team USA Grades. I've said it before and I'll say it again. This team will win the gold next year.

ICHIRO. Did you know that his favorite TV show is LOST? He homered off of the Rocket today to get his 200th hit. 200 hits in 7 or more seasons. That's some good company.

And finally NFL veteran Simeon Rice signed with the Denver Broncos. Hey at least he speaks the truth:

Rice's departure from Tampa Bay was a controversial one. Team officials allowed him to report to camp, then announced he had failed his physical exam. Rice insisted the divorce from the Bucs, where he was scheduled to have a base salary of $7.25 million in 2007 and a salary cap charge of more than $10 million, was financially motivated.

The release came, Rice said, after he rejected a proposed salary reduction of $2.5 million.

"Everybody knows it was a money thing," Rice said.

While You're Waiting for the NFL Season to Start...



Enjoy the photos.

GROH MUST GO!!!

Beta bridge today:



Facts:

According to college sports report Groh ranks 16th in salary among college football coaches.

The last time Virginia was ranked was in the 2005 season

The highest ranking was 10 in 2004

Since Groh's arrival at Virginia, 13 Cavaliers have been selected in the NFL Draft, while 19 others have signed pro contracts as free agents.

3-1 in bowl games

ACC coach of the year in 2002

Overall 37-26 record, combined 9-20 on the road since 2002.

Opinion:

It is very unlikely that Groh will be replaced midseason. Even after a horrible game at Wyoming. If you look at the splits, the team consistently performs poorly on the road. The roster does not change when the team goes on the road. It is a matter of being prepared, and that aspect of winning is on the coaches. If he doesnt win 6 games this year he will be fired.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

HIBACHI







We will now be collecting pictures with the word HIBACHI.

GILBERT ARENAS

What can I say. The man is entertaining. Agent Zero, Zero to Hero, Gilly, Gillyweed, Gilbertology, Gil, "Quality Shots", HIBACHI. A quote from the hibachi entry in Wikipedia:

Gilbert Arenas makes "hibachi" a neologism

During the 2006-2007 National Basketball Association season, Washington Wizards point guard Gilbert Arenas began to shout the word as he took field goal attempts in games, explaining, "You know, a hibachi grill gets real hot. That's what my shot's like, so I've been calling it that: 'Welcome to the hibachi'."[1] He has also stated that while he is scoring on opponents, he is "cooking chicken and shrimp" in reference to his "Hibachi grill," and that if his opponent wanted to double team him, he would "cook filet mignon" as well. "The Hibachi" has quickly become Arenas' nickname.

There was even a banner made for him "Arenas 'hibachied' Kobe", a play on words as "Kobe" could mean either Kobe Bryant or the famous Japanese Kobe beef. This was referring to the game when Arenas outscored Kobe Bryant 60 to 45.

The term "Hibachi" is now catching on to describe players who are "hot".

Can you believe it? GILBERT ARENAS made it into the hibachi entry in Wikipedia. That's awesome. I wonder if he put that in there himself.

And YES. That picture is a signed jersey by none other than AGENT ZERO himself. That's right. Be jealous.

Another Mix




Remember Michael Westbrook? Apparently he's in MMA now. According to the article he is experiencing some success. Nice job. Other guys haven't had it so easy. Johnnie Morton got his lights turned out in 38 SECONDS.

Serena Williams advanced in the U.S. Open to reach the quarter finals. I believe a few years ago she was dating Lavar Arrington. I just remember thinking, man, if those two had a kid, that kid would be a super-athlete.

Redskin's TE Chris Cooley got a contract extension. My prediction: he gets hurt this season and can't play. What can I say? All of you Redskins fans out there know it. I just like making fun of you.

What happened to Byron Leftwich? Injuries, injuries, injuries. I don't think he'll have a problem finding a backup job somewhere. The guy was decently good when he was healthy. And former Virginia running back Alvin Pearman was shipped to the Seattle Seahawks. Does anyone know what happened to Billy McMullen?

Lonny Baxter is going to prison. No other comment on this. At least he wasn't trying to get through an airport with a whizz-in-ator. Who was that again? I think some former RB on the Vikings.

Oh and I'm posting a picture about my love for NASCAR.

Michigan Sucks

No Division I-AA team had beaten a team ranked in the Associated Press poll from 1989-2006, and it's unlikely that it had ever happened before. The Division I subdivisions were created in 1978.
I guess Virginia shouldn't feel too bad. Appalachian State beat Michigan yesterday in Michigan. Great job guys.

Michigan's three stars on offense and its coach came back this season, putting the NFL and retirement on hold, with high hopes.

Big Ten title. National championship.

Looks like it might be time for Plan B.


Saturday, September 1, 2007

A Mix

It pains me to see anyone related to the Red Sox experience any type of success but I've got to say, this kid Buchholz deserves some credit. A no-hitter is a mighty impressive feat. I just hope that nothing else good happens for the team for the next 86 or so years. Man. What a month for the Orioles. First losing 30-3 to the Rangers then going hitless against a rookie. A rookie from the Red Sox mind you.

Team USA has earned a spot in next year's Olympic games. I really like this team so much so that I am predicting a gold medal finish. The squad finally has some role players which was missing from the previous few teams. All I know is that Ed is pissed that AGENT ZERO was left off the team...

UVA vs Wyoming Diary

2:05 Wyoming has quite possibly the ugliest uniforms ever.

2:10 Why am I watching the Vs. network? Though they do have the rugby world cup. Otherwise they just get the leftovers in the sports world.

2:18 Wyoming's Jonah Field at War Memorial Stadium is the highest Div I football stadium in America. Doesn't come close to having as many names as the David A. Harrison III field at Scott Stadium in the Carl Smith Center.

2:30 Apparantly 9 of the 12 Wyoming coaches live on the same street. Awesome. Wife-swap anyone?

3:02 Sorry, I am flipping back and forth between this game and Michigan and App. State. I just found out that I get the Big 10 Network. I can't wait to watch Indiana vs Northwestern!!!!

3:15 I want to bet that at the end of the game Wyoming will have 80% of the possessio n (is that proper grammar?)

3:34 Jameel Sewell finally looks like a real quarterback on the final drive of the half

3:50 MICHIGAN LOSES. UVA lost to App. State in basketball last year. Cause those are about the same level of loss. Thom Brennaman compares this loss to when Harvard lost in 1906 and ND lost in 1921. Googling "biggest upsets in college football" gets me Harvard losing to Centre College in 1921. I am very confused.

3:56 Jameel Sewell throws an interception. It was 15 feet over the head of the intended reciever. According to the color guy: "Turnovers are BAD"

4:01 This hurry-up offense is winding the UVA defense, picking apart zones and all in all making me feel a bit nauseous.

4:04 WHAT A HIT! FUMBLE! wait, not really, Al is upset, but he might just be acting like it for the boosters. Also, I really don't want to hear about how much Sween has grown up and matured by getting married and not looking like a deer in headlights. I mean honestly are you really trying to tell me between the ages of 18 and 20 the young man grew up? I mean this is UNPRECEDENTED. Also is it just me or does it seem that people are getting married younger and younger...

4:07 If you aren't very attractive, nor are you very informative, are you really a sideline reporter?

4:08 FUMBLE!!!!!!!!! Surprisingly a guy who has not taken a snap all day, fumbles the ball first time he takes a snap.

4:14 I can't figure out what is on Wyoming's helmet. It looks like a rooster.

4:17 13-3 BARN BURNER. I should state that last year, Wyoming lost by missing an extra point in OT. The final score? 13-12.

4:23 At the start of the fourth quarter: 3 first downs for UVA.

4:33 I decided to look for Wyoming cheerleaders. On a scale from 1-10. They are 3.5. Perfectly average white girls. C'mon where is the ethnic diversity Wyoming? Oh and Virginia has the ball on the 4, their 4. I am in the process of researching other games on tv.

4:40 Santi is no Heath Miller. Sewell is no Schaub, he isnt even Spinner. God I am depressed.

4:42 49 yard run Devin Moore. The game is iced. Am now flipping between this and Western Mich vs WVU.

4:48 Its official Wyoming put in their second string QB.

4:53 Not to be outdone, UVA does the same and they just cracked 100 total yards of offense, WOOHOO!

4:57 Watching WVU, I am jealous of their spread offense. Its pretty, even when they mess up it looks like they have chance.

Final Analysis

Offense: F-

Single digit first downs. No touchdowns, no rhythm, no real sense of direction. I am not calling for Mike Groh's head, but I'd like to take a look at it. It appears the lack of veteran WRs is really going to hinder the offense.

Defense: C+

Offense couldnt stay on the field, so of course defense was going to get tired, especially at the high altitude. One interception, 3 sacks, allowed around 500 yds of total offense = LAME.

Special Teams: B

Didn't screw up. GOOD JOB.