12/29/08

Repeat GLI Champs

It just looks right. The Michigan Wolverines sign hanging from the GLI Tournament banner at the Joe. Michigan dominated this year after escaping last season with the trophy, beating up on Michigan State (again!) 5-1. MGoBlue.com has all the details.

Michigan is ranked #11 in the nation in hockey, #24 in basketball, and, oh, wait- never mind about the other sport.

12/28/08

It's official

As if there was any doubt, the Lions went up to Lambeau and completed the first 0-16 season in NFL history.

But you know what the difference between 8-8 9-7 11-5 and 0-16 is?

Better draft picks.

That's it.

And lots of them this year thanks to the trade of Roy Williams to Dallas. The most important off-season in Detroit Lions history, has begun.

I would like to give some credit where credit is due. The refs today in the 4 games I watched were very good. They got the calls right on the field for the most part, and if not, the replays were called correctly. The Lions lost today because they were by far not the better team. Which was the same for the other games I watched. I have a tendency to ream on these guys constantly, so I like to point out when they do things right, as well. Good job guys.

The Bet

My brother was telling us about a friend who laid down $200 on a 10,000-1 bet that the Detroit Lions will go 0-16. When the Lions lose today at Lambeau, that $200 will turn into $2 million.

But, he was offered $1 million to settle it prior to the game. So the question is, would you take the $1 million, or let it ride to the game today? I would let it ride, because the Lions have exactly 0% chance to win. So it's less a bet, more an investment with a guaranteed return. They argued the opposite. They said that $1 million is enough to live off of for the rest of their lives, if invested properly.

Any thoughts?

12/27/08

Michigan ranked!


For the first time in almost three years, Michigan basketball is ranked in the top 25 in the AP poll. They sit at 24, after starting the year beating two #4 teams, and hanging with a #3 team on their floor. Beilein has the Blue hitting 3-pointers, and playing a stout 1-3-1 defense, causing confusion for the opposition offense. They need to get better on the boards if they want to make a run in the tough Big Ten, and of they can, they could make a healthy run out of the first weekend in The Tournament.

Yup- I said The Tournament.

12/22/08

HISTORY!


One year ago, the New England Patriots were gearing up for what was to be a Super Bowl preview at Giants Stadium. The Patriots were hoping for a nice chunk of history, and pulled out a come-from-behind victory to seal up the first ever 16-0 season in NFL history.

When the NFL went to the salary-cap, the league in my mind started going downhill. I didn't hate the teams I once hated, I didn't really love the teams I once loved with the same passion, because every team was basically the same team, with few exceptions. It made every game basically a coin flip, and whichever team got the bounces and/or the calls, would win. When the Vikings went 15-1 in 1998, I remember thinking that this was as high a win total as anybody can get in the salary cap era. That team was not just one of the many average teams, but was a great team loaded with talent, and if they couldn't get to 16-0, nobody ever would. I even ran some statistical analysis on the records of every team in the league in 2004, I think. I found that there was no difference between putting 32 teams of exactly equal value on the field and where the records would end up, and the actual final records of the 32 teams (it was actually a lot more in depth than this, I am over-simplifying for the sake of time). People seem to think that if that was true, they would all be 8-8. Well, not really. There is luck, and that would skew the records of some higher than others, with 13-3 being the best realistic record of any team.

Then there was the 2007 New England Patriots. They weren't just beating teams, they were beating them soundly. It wasn't luck that was pushing them toward history, but a collection of talent and coaching that would put them far and away the best team in the league. I started re-thinking my opinion of the league as just a collection of 32 average teams, and started believing that the league was actually a group of great, good, bad, and terrible teams again. I still hate the salary cap and I still think it's communist in nature. If teams can't afford to compete with the higher echelon in the league, maybe they don't deserve to have a team.

Now, any thoughts of a 32 average team league has been absolutely shattered. Just one year later, we have our beloved Lions, the first 0-15 team in NFL history. For 51 years, this team has been mired in mediocrity, and those were the good years. Since their last NFL Championship in 1957, they have had exactly 17 winning seasons, and one playoff victory. Only one. There was little doubt, that as professional football teams go, at least in my lifetime, this one has been the worst run. But this year, they join the 2003 Detroit Tigers as record setting losers.
Will they go 0-16? Of course. They haven't won a game in Wisconsin since my sophomore year of high school. That was a while back. They have no quarterback, no offensive line, no defensive line, no linebackers, no DB's, a terrible coach, and their best player is a damn kicker. They have zero chance to win next Sunday, even with a short week for the Packers.

Marinelli has shown the same talent for being a head coach as Marty Morninwheg. Good coordinators who know their positions, but when it comes to being a head coach, they have no grasp of how to run a football team. When was the last time the Lions went into a 2-minute warning with three timeouts? How many yards have been called back because of illegal procedure calls? I can think of one touchdown from yesterday.

This off-season has the chance to be the best in Detroit Lions history. With the trade to Dallas of extremely talented but perpetually confused Roy Williams, the Lions have a host of high draft picks. The gut reaction will be to go out and get a QB. They can't until they shore up the O-Line. Not even Tom Brady could lead this offense to anything as it stands. They need O-line help first. Then, they need need D-line help, for the exact same reason. They can't get pressure on any other QB without blitzing, and this is the worst running D-line I have ever seen. They get blown off the ball at the start, in the middle, and at the end of every single game. My advice, for whatever it's worth, is to parlay those high picks into more picks in the 2nd-4th rounds. Make your hay now on the role players, get a solid base, and then go get your superstars. The Lions already have the receiver who is quickly becoming one of the best in the league, leave him there. Then, take the damn roof off the building. Make this a place where when opposing teams see @Detroit, they think "oh shit, not there," instead of thinking of it as a week off. Whoever gets installed as team president, go out and mingle with the fans before games. Talk to them, associate with them. Get them excited to be a Detroit Lions fan, and stoke that enthusiasm. This is the best fan base in all of sports. If it wasn't, Ford Field would be empty each and every week.

When the Red Wings win Stanley Cups, they get a million people downtown. When the Lions finally break through, there will be 20 million people downtown.

One more thing- Who is this guy?


Photos from detnews.com.

12/19/08

Anything you can do, I can do better

Not to be outdone by the "referees" in the NFL, the NHL referees decided to close their eyes and decide games themselves based on nothing they actually saw on the ice.

First, in Tampa, the Avs and Bolts went to a shootout. Tampa Bay shot first and missed their first two shots. Milan Hejduk was the second shooter for Colorado, and made a move to goalie Mike Smith's (WTF! This is hockey! This better be pronounced mi-shay smu-the-lay) right. Just before making the move, Smith reached out to poke check Hejduk, but he was still too far away. As Milan made his move, Smith followed, swinging his stick over as well, putting it in an awkward position. He reached up with his blocker to make the save, and dropped his stick in the process. Somehow, the refs gathered that he was throwing his stick, and awarded the goal to Hejduk. They awarded a game-winning goal to a guy who didn't score, and for a play that the referees could not have seen.

Then in overtime in Dallas, Manny Malhotra drove the net on Marty Turco, who made the save. The puck then caromed off Malhotra's skate and in. Again, somehow the refs saw a distinct kicking motion, and disallowed the goal. Disallowing a game-winning goal on a play they could not have seen. Dallas went on to win in a shootout. Even the reply refs blew this one.

At least the Wings game was never in doubt, much thanks to Evgeni Nabakov not being able to see the puck apparently. Wings win 6-0, and hopefully gain some confidence and momentum going forward on the defensive end. After the first 10 minutes completely in the Wings end, Franzen sent a normally inicuous shot toward the net that Nabakov reacted to much too late. That got the Wings going, and it was all Detroit from there on. The Sharks looked like they played an overtime game the night before. They just kinda looked sluggish. Good for the Wings to stick it to them while they were down.

I'll post the Youtube when it goes up, but Western Michigan alumni Joe Corvo got an OT winner that was unbelievable for Carolina as well against Florida. He held the puck on defense for about 6 and a half minutes, and had a wide open net to score in. Awesome.

Meanwhile in Pittsburgh, the Penguins keep showing why there is no less likeable team in sports. Hockey Jesus Sydney Crosby continues to whine and cry his way getting the benefit of damn near every call, actually takes a roughing penalty out of frustration, and Brooks Orpik. Brooks Orpik got run into by an Atlanta Thrasher from behind, after that Thrasher was knocked down by Orpik's defense partner, and he turns and starts throwing haymakers with his glove on. That's douche-tastic in and of itself, but in doing so, he left his assignment, and Atlants scored on the play. Nice work Brooks, keep up the good work. Just another douche on a completely douchey team, led by their constantly whining coach with his horrible French accent.

12/18/08

Sharks - Red Wings

The Sharks have the best record in hockey. By far. They are doing everything right. New coach Todd McClellan has them playing smart hockey, not just the Ron Wilson "go out and try to outscore the opposotion" hockey. They are the best offense in the league, and the third best defense.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings are cruising along at a nice clip if you look at only their record. But they have struggled mightily this year at the aspect that has been their forte. They rank 23rd in defense, with a penalty kill under 20%. That is bad for any team, but for this one, it is horrible. Since Scotty Bowman arrived in 1993, the emphasis has always been on the defensive end. With the second ranked offense, right behind the Sharks, they have been able to win a lot of close games so far. But falling behind 2-0 in the first, and losing three goal leads in the third adds up quickly, and they will start losing a lot of these games at some point.

Tonight's game will be a nice test for them, to see if they can bounce back from a bad, bad 3-2 loss at home to Colorado. San Jose played an OT game last night in Hell Columbus, so the Wings should jump on them early. It's very early in the season, and there is plenty of time to fix what's ailing them. Hopefully it starts tonight.

12/7/08

67 years ago

Thanks to DP for the reminder. . .

NCAA Football Playoff

Those who know me, know that I have NEVER advocated a playoff system for NCAA Football. I hate the BCS, as it professes to be a panacea for what fans perceived to be a failed Bowl system. I would rather have the old bowl system than the BCS, and also a playoff system than the BCS. The BCS has failed, year in and year out, and the rule makers try to change the rules to overcome a problem from that year, only to have another problem creep up the following year. Personally, I believe the entire season is a playoff, and the old bowl system created the best thing in sports: the argument. I love talking to Nebraska fans about how the speed of the Michigan linebackers would have dismantled Scott Frost and the option, not to mention "the kick" against Missouri that kept their season alive and the Tom Osbourne sympathy votes to create a split championship.

This year is different. As every year is different. I think there are five teams with a legitimate claim to face off against Florida for the National Championship.

Oklahoma: Will get the shot, won the toughest conference this season.
Texas: Some would say were robbed of the opportunity to play for the Big 12 Championship.
Alabama: Already had their shot at Florida, but having your only loss against the best team in the country is a good argument.
Penn State: Were one bad week from being undefeated in an improved Big Ten season. Florida had one bad week too, remember?
USC: Another dominant team with one bad week in their results.

With all this in mind, there is a way to keep the best of both worlds. I am not the first to come up with this idea, but this is how I'd like to see it:

Take the 11 conference champs.
Then take 5 at-large teams.

Done.


Now, the rankings are from my ranking system (see below), but there will always be the arguments for who should have and should not have made it in. Just like the Basketball tourney. But the first round is played at the higher-ranked team's home field, then you move out to the bowl venues. Second round the week before New Years, national semis New Years Day, and the National Championship on January 8.

This solves my problem with dumping the Bowl system altogether, solves the problem of including everyone who "deserves" a shot, and even gives the smaller conferences a chance at the title, which is what everybody wants right?




Ratings through games of December 12
Team W-L Rating Conf
1 Florida 12-1 97.4 SEC
2 Texas 11-1 96.5 B12
3 Oklahoma 12-1 96.4 B12
4 Southern Cal 11-1 96.1 P10
5 Alabama 12-1 95.1 SEC
6 Penn State 11-1 94.9 B10
7 Ohio State 10-2 93.6 B10
8 Boise St 12-0 92.6 WAC
9 Utah 12-0 91.6 MW
10 TCU 10-2 91.1 MW
11 Texas Tech 11-1 89.8 B12
12 Iowa 8-4 86.5 B10
13 Ball St 12-1 84.4 MAC
14 Missouri 9-4 83.7 B12
15 Oklahoma St 9-3 83.4 B12
16 Cincinnati 11-2 82.8 BigE
17 Pittsburgh 9-3 82.6 BigE
18 Mississippi 8-4 81.7 SEC
19 Oregon 9-3 81.5 P10
20 California 8-4 80.8 P10
21 Georgia 9-3 80.0 SEC
22 Florida St 8-4 79.4 ACC
23 Michigan St 9-3 78.8 B10
24 Brigham Young 10-2 77.3 MW
25 Oregon St 8-4 77.0 P10

It's Great, To Be, A Michigan Wolverine



First a quick update: I predicted a 30-24 win for Florida. Final score, 31-20 Florida. Very close, but I ended up on the wrong side of the line. Fail. I thought Florida was the best team in the nation, and Alabama found that out.

Meanwhile, up in Hell East Lansing, Travis Turnbull put the finishing touches on a weekend home-and- home sweep of Sparty, netting a hat-trick in a 5-3 comeback win at Munn. Caporusso put the finishing touches on by scoring the game winner with 1:36 to go in the game. This is one night after a 6-1 drubbing in front of the Yost faithful. Michigan is ranked #14 right now, not where they want to be by any stretch, but MSU is unranked, far from the Sparty hockey teams of the last few years. Miami is the class of the CCHA, but Red has the boys working their way up to greet them. They are off until the GLI fires up Dec. 27. Speaking of working their way up the ranks...



Pure awsomeness. Michigan beats the #4 team in the country for the second time this season. First it was then #4 UCLA, now Dook. Too bad this one doesn't count for the Big Ten-ACC Challenge, it would have tied it up. Beilein has these guys playing well, both offensively and defensively. DeShawn Sims scored 28, and Michigan outrebounded Duke 35-34, something that was missing and probably cost them the Maryland game the other night. I'm not going to go into the details of this game beyond that, I just want to mention one thing. College basketball fans "storm the floor" waaaaaaay too much. The fans will run onto the court for anything any more. But I think for a team that hasn't been to a Tourney in 10 years, has been the fourth or fifth best team in the STATE for many of those years, to beat the #4 team in the country, to beat DOOK, at home, well, I think this one was OK.



As the local Kalamazoo sports guy Andy Pepper said, "After the football season these guys endured, I'm surprised they didn't take the hoops home with them."

12/6/08

Fail

Because a) Western couldn't beat Ball State in the season finale, b) Buffalo(!) could in the MAC Championship game, and c) Western couldn't beat a dead horse in Mount Pleasant, Western will be home for the holidays, despite winning 9 games. Because Buffalo beat previously undefeated Ball State at Ford Field, they will be taking the spot previously taken by the Broncos most probably against UConn in Toronto in the International Bowl.

Good work Ball State. Nice job Broncos.

UPDATE: Uh, Western is going to the Texas Bowl against Rice. Not sure how I missed that. It must be finals time.

Tigers Hot Stove

The latest rumors have Dumb-rowski chasing Kerry Wood from Cubs fame to backstop the bull pen. Just what they need -- another guy to fill up the M*A*S*H unit back there.

Pittsburgh is looking at Matt Joyce and Jeff Larish in return for Jack Wilson. Wilson is no better then Renteria at the plate, but can wield a mean glove in the 6 hole. The Tigers don't need offense, they need defense and pitching, so I don't hate this move. They are also reportedly looking at Adam Everett from the 'Stros. A little better at the plate, but loses a little as a shortstop. Renteria has a reputation as a solid defensive shortstop, but the Tigers didn't see it last year. He was an error machine. Everett wouldn't be bad, depending on how much scrilla DD is going to throw at him.

More to come from Las Vegas.

The Weekly Game of the Century


Just thought I'd take time out from studying to preview this week's Game of the Century. Despite the SEC sort of dropping back to the field as far as conference strength goes, they are still the top conference in the nation, and the top two team in th conference square off today.

The polls have them 1 and 2, so they make the Game of the Century for this week. The line is 9 1/2 for Florida. 9 1/2 is a lot of points, for a matchup on a neutral field between two teams that match up against each other very well. Alabama's front seven will try try and confuse and get to Te-God much like Michigan did almost a year ago. Florida has a lot of speed on the outside, but will Te-Jesus have the time to get the ball out to them? On the other side of the ball, will Florida be able to stop Coffee enough as Alabama shoves him down their throat play after play after play, only then going outside to Jones for a big play?

The keys to watch for:

Alabama needs Te-bitch to look like this during the game.


Watch Florida to run the bubble screen and a lot of quick slants to offset the blitz packages Saban throws at them. Urban wants them running, not thinking.

Prediction:
I hate predictions. They aren't worth the pixels they are written on. That said, Alabama slows down the offense pretty well today, but the Gator defense picks them up with a JP Wilson mistake. Florida 30, Alabama 24.

11/26/08

Piss poor

National TV + WMU Football = choke job.


Each and every time. The Broncos went down to Muncie and got their butts handed to them, as if it was ever in doubt. Starting with the 1999 MAC Championship Game, where Western had a 24-7 lead over Marshall, and lost 34-30. The next year, more of the same, losing to Marshall 19-14. They have been on the national stage a couple times since then, including a walloping by Central in Mt. Pleasant two years ago.

Oh well, at least Michigan is good, right? Right?

11/23/08

Lions Stay On Pace for 0-16


Drew Stanton awaits his next chance to get in the game

17-0 lead in first quarter, 21-17 deficit by the end of the first half. The absolutely pathetic referees in this game didn't cost the Lions, but they sure as hell didn't help. Maybe it would have been different with a roughing the passer call as Garcia got off another shitty pass while getting hit. Maybe it would have been different if the Tampa DB's weren't allowed to manhandle CJohnson as often as and wherever they wanted. Maybe it would have been different if Tampa was actually forced to get a play off before the play clock went out.

But then again, maybe not.

Who cares any more. This league is a fucking joke. Congratulations Roger Goodell, you took the golden egg, broke it, and it is almost ready for breakfast.

F the NFL

How are these guys paid as referees? A win in the NFL is meaningless any more as no game, and I mean that, no game that I have seen this year has been anything closely resembling a "fair" game. I am not calling this a conspiracy (although one could make a pretty damning collection of NYJets games that show that Fa-rve gets the benefit if every dispute) but just that these idiots are too old, slow, and senile to call a game correctly. Give me a bunch of guys out there from practice squads who know how the game is played, send them through ref school, and get them out there.

Case in point: Drew Stanton (WTF!) drops back, is under pressure, gets a pass off at the same time he is being hit. The idiot calls both intentional grounding and roughing the passer. What? He hadn't thrown the ball yet, and he was trying to get the ball downfield to someone, BUT HE WAS GETTING HIT.

I hate this league.

11/21/08

Michigan Stuns Top Ten Team


Oh, if only to have written this Saturday afternoon, not Friday morning. As it is, the Michigan basketball team rallied from 8 down at half to advance to the finals of the 2K Sports Classic by beating #4 UCLA.

I watched as long as I could, but fell asleep in the second half after Michigan made their run to take the lead. As I drifted away, I thought that was better, to go to sleep then and then read about the UCLA run in the morning. I woke up to see a message board post that they were still up 3 with two to go, and then checked the final score this morning. They looked stout on defense, with Beilein running a 1-3-1 defense against the Bruins, forcing 17 turnovers. Michigan countered by taking care of the ball, with only 9 turnovers. When was the last time a Michigan team played a full game with only 9 turnovers? They get #8 Dook and Coach K's nose tonight at Madison Square Garden for the final.

Meanwhile in northwest Canada, the Red Wings looked dominant for the first 15 minutes of the first period, and then cruised to a 4-3 win over Edmonton. The Wings were outshot 15-12 in the first, but were up 3-0. Osgood looked good when he needed to throughout, and the Wings just keep rolling along. They did this without Holmstrom, who was a late scratch with back spasms. Enter Tomas Kopecky. He filled in admirably, sticking his rear end in front of the net on power plays, scoring one and having a significant hand in another.

CORRECTION: Michigan was only down 6 at half, 29-23, not 29-21. I was tired.

11/20/08

Tigers reportedly Interested in Hoffman


Ugh. The dismantling of the Tigers continues. According to the Freep, Dombrowski is reportedly interested in signing all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman. In his defense, he is only interested in signing him for one year, because DD believes the farm will produce a closer for the 2010 season.

Putting aside my absolute disdain for the "closer" position for a second, the last thing the Tigers need is a guy in the bullpen who is almost as old as Chris Chelios, who has never won a single thing in his career, who has blown more big-time saves over the last 7 years, in the bull pen. Please, DD, disregard Hoffman, and dump some overpriced offense you have handy, and get some young arms. Get some young, starter arms, and move some of the failed starters into the pen.

DD is quickly eating into his free pass for taking the worst team in baseball to the World Series.

11/18/08

It's Ohio State week. What?


Never in my lifetime has an Ohio State week snuck up so silently. The boys over at Michigan Against the World have some solid thoughts on the program two years ago versus now.

But from an outsiders viewpoint, and I mean outsider in that I never went to Michigan, I never played for Michigan, and never met Bo or any other coach for that matter, Michigan- Ohio State week is just as meaningful. I remember the tears when I found out two years ago, on the eve of the biggest game in the history of the greatest rivalry in sports. I remember thinking that there was no way that Michigan was going to lose, not that year, not that way. I remember growing up when I started hunting, and my brother would make fun of me when I told him it was the Ohio State game today, and I wouldn't be going out. This was it. It was Ohio State. At that time it was an annual beatdown, but the other way from where it is now, and especially this Saturday. I wouldnt have missed it for anything. Watching Tim Biakabatuka roll up 300 yards, watching Desmond Howard do the Heisman in the endzone.

This year is different. This year, must be different for the OSU fans as well. There is very little build up to this game, there is very little banter going back and forth, there is very little in the way of the old worn out jokes you always hear this time of year, that are so old and so bad, yet you laugh like it was the first time you'd ever heard it.

How do you get an OSU grad off the porch?
Pay for the pizza.

What does an OSU grad call a UM grad?
Boss.

This year is the first year since I became of drinking age that I have no plans for the game. I will have it on in the background, as I finalize my secured transactions homework or work on my business organizations outline. Finals are coming up, you know. But it won't have the same feeling that it should.

There is only one question left. Will McSweatervest go for 2 to make it an even 50?

11/17/08

Bo



It was two years ago today. Michigan was gearing up for the biggest game in Michigan-Ohio State history, and the man simply known as "Bo" left us for better heights.

Those who stay will be Champions. This still holds true for the current and all succeeding groups.

11/16/08

Lions Stay On Pace for 0-16



This team is terrible. Only six to go. With the first overall pick that won't be tainted by some expansion team swooping in and taking it like last time (FU, Houston), and with Roy Williams doing his best Herschel Walker impression, the Lions are set to make a decade long run starting in 2010. Which just happens to be when we graduate from law school. That year is gonna be our year!

Then Pittsburgh becomes the first team ever to win 11-10. DP can have his 16-0 season, the Steelers won a game with a wierd score! WOO HOO!

11/8/08

BRONCOS!

Western rolled into Detroit and beat Illinois at Ford Field 23-17 today. This is the second straight year they beat a Big Ten team. They beat Iowa at Kinnick last year, and beat another BCS school the year before by beating Virginia at Virginia.

Too bad they can't win in Mt. Pleasant.

Ever.

11/7/08

Opening for The Answer

Allen Iverson makes his Piston debut tonight. Through the first half, he is 3/3 from the floor, and 6/6 from the stripe for 13 points. He is dishing like he's dishing and taking like he's been with this team for years. Not a bad start, eh?

No way

You gotta be kidding me.

11/6/08

Allrighty then...

With the election over, let's get to some good news, eh?

The Red Wings finished their west coast swing at 3-1-1 after beating Vancouver Sunday night 3-2. They get five full days off before hosting the Brodeur-less New Jersey Saturday night. Mickey will be giggling when they play Billy Joel at the Joe around 9ish.

The Pistons get "The Answer" they were looking for in a trade with Denver. Chauncey and Dice go to Denver, AI comes to Detroit. I think it's a good move, although I have watched zero basketball so far this season. I'll dive into this more after finals when I get to see how he plays with the Stones.

10/26/08

!!!BREAKING NEWS!!!

The Lions are not good.


That is all.

10/25/08

Wings Beat Hawks in Shootout

I just checked the score, because I detest the shootout enough that I never watch it. The final was 6-5, and despite the high score, both goalies played well. There was just a ton of scoring chances, something Mike Babcock won't like a whole lot. Pavel Datsyuk scored a goal that will end up on youtube by tomorrow, and I'll update it here when it does. These guys are just awesome to watch.

Penn State beats OSU at the 'Shoe

And the disappointment in Brent Musberger's failing voice is palpable. Every sentence he said during this game had the phrase, "the young Terrel Pryor." "The young Terrel Pryor" was 6 of 10 on third down, not OSU. "The young Terrel Pryor" was starting a drive at the 31 yard line, not OSU.



Kirk Herbstriet wasn't exactly ecstatic either. JoePa gets his first win at the 'Shoe since 1978. He and Penn State are killing all kinds of streaks this year. Maybe they can end the Ohio State Big Ten streak of losing in the NC game. They'll get there at 12-0 with a Texas and/or Alabama loss.

Paul Bunyan Goes to East Lansing

Two wins, six losses. We knew this season was gonna be tough, but this is not good. Now, Big Blue is one loss away from ending the nation's longest bowl and non-losing season streaks. It's OK, because we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, but now that it's upon us, it stings a bit.

The offense was explosive at points, but dreadful for the most part. Threet ran the ball well at times, and not in others. Threet threw the ball well at times, and not in others. The O-line was awful, and even if Threet could throw, he never had the time to do anything anyway. The reason DickRod is yelling at Threet in this picture is a bad read by Threet on a blitz, he looked right, and only right, and should have been picked off.

Now, Sparty earned this one. There was no "extra second," or a bad pass interference no-call, or blatant holding on the game winning play. The refs were awful, but they were awful on both sides, and definitely didn't cost Michigan the game.

The worst part about this? We're gonna be hearing about it from Sparty fan for the better part of a decade. "Remember when Taylor guaranteed victory? Huh huh.. how'd that work out?"

Try winning more than one game in the second half of the season once, Sparty, then start talking.

Can I make one more point? Those of you who know me, know that I hate almost all national announcers. There are very few that can pull off a neutral call of the game, and most are certified idiots. Chris Spielman was the color man for this one, and I LOVE listening to him. I always learn something new about the game when he calls it. And Sean McDonough knows enough to stay the hell out of his way, and just call the play-by-play. On the other side of the coin, Gary "I've always known SEC football is the best" Danielson was calling the Georgia-LSU game. As LSU was lining up for an onside kick at the end of the game, Gary actually tried to make a point about having to change the rules because now, teams are having their kickers try to bounce the ball up in the air, and they send players in to take out the receiving team, and they might get hurt. Yeah Gary- this is on-thinkable[sic]. This has only been going on for, I don't know, a century? Teams have ALWAYS kicked the ball for that big hop. And the prefix "un-" rhymes with bun, not Don.

Got Hockey?

For the second time since the league expanded to 30 teams, all 30 of them are in action today.

Detroit is at Chicago tonight, and they are unveiling the jerseys they will wear on New Years Day at Wrigley field.

College Football, 15 NHL games, and a World Series game all in one day? I would say awesome, but the World Series holds absolutely no interest for me. And this is coming from a guy who can watch a spring training game on TV from start to finish.

10/24/08

HOSSA!

Finally, Hossa is off the schneid. After scoring #300 in OT the other night against the Rangers, Hossa nets two more tonight, including a highlight reel goal in the first.



Oh, and Zetterberg scored twice too.

5-3 Wings beat Thrashers.

Meanwhile, the vast right-wing conspiracy continues in St. Louis. According to NHL.com, Blues goalie Manny Legacy had to leave after the first period due to an injury after tripping over the carpet laid out for Sarah Palin to drop the ceremonial first puck.

What if sports were the economy?

With apologies to EJ, I promise this will be my only semi-political post...

Courtesy Chicago Tribune, October 28, 2009.
After 101 years of waiting, the Cubs finally have their World Series trophy!



After finishing in a tie with all other 29 teams for first place at 0-0-162, the Cubs can finally celebrate a World's Championship!

"I just can't tell you how good it feels to finally have a championship and to bring here to the North Side of Chicago," said manager Lou Pinella. "We really didn't play all that well, or even that hard, but we didn't need to because the President told us he would give us all a chance to win!"

What Lou was referring to is the Fairness in Athletics Doctrine, or FAD. Earlier this year, President Obama pushed through legislation that forbade any official scorer from declaring any winners or losers in any athletic event. All 30 teams finished with the same record, and in the future, the trophy will be passed from team to team. Chicago gets it in 2009. Detroit and Cincinnati are vying for the trophy next year, with the congressional hearings scheduled to start early February. But the good money is on Cincinnati, because the Lions are scheduled to lift the Lombardi trophy around that time.

"It is finally time, uh, that all fans of every team, uh, not just those of the teams most talented, or hardest working, should get to have their day to raise the trophy," said President Obama. "We pushed this through because the failed policies of the Bush administration are hurting the middle class because when they go to the bar sporting their colors, they get ridiculed and leave the bar, and this hurts the economy."

It was scenes like these that prompted the president to approach senate majority leader Harry Reid to begin talks about eliminating the bad feelings that come from a person's team suffering defeat. "We saw the joy in people's eyes when the Patriots were beaten two years ago in the Super Bowl, and we wanted that all the time," said Reid. "It's not enough to strive to be excellent. Those of us in Washington need to make it reality for everyone!"

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh calls this a travesty, citing his Pittsburgh Steelers (9-0 currently, 0-0-9 officially) chances at winning this year. "The disparity between the haves and the have nots has been widening ever since Bush stole the election in 2000," said Reid, "and Washington was broken. We needed to step in and make sure everybody gets a fair shake. The Lions have won exactly one playoff game in 52 years, and those fans deserve to see their team win it."

As an offshoot of the doctrine, Michigan resident and Detroit Red Wing fan Dan Blakeslee's lawsuit against the Red Wings has gone all the way to the Supreme Court. "It isn't fair that GM Ken Holland should keep me off of the Red Wings. Just because I'm slow, can't shoot, and have no endurance to even skate up and down the ice one time shouldn't mean that I get left off the team." Blakeslee won his lawsuit, but the judgment was stayed while the Red Wings appeal. Originally, the judgment forced all NHL players to wear weights around their legs and arms, thus making an even playing field, or ice in this case, for everyone who wants to play. The Sixth Circuit upheld the ruling, citing FAD specifically. When asked how Blakeslee is preparing for the games to come, he said, "why prepare? If I get slower, they have to, too. So I am playing video games in the meantime." The NHL is preparing a "hockey skills czar," to oversee the lowest skilled player to play, and bring down the rest of the league to their level. MLB, the NFL, and the NBA are preparing for the onslaught as well, creating positions for similar duties.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are scheduled to skate with the Stanley Cup next June, despite not being an American team and thus, exempt from FAD. The Utah Jazz are slated to take the NBA's top prize, as well.

MSU-UM weekend

The boys over at Michigan Against the World are having fun with the game this weekend...

Check it out.

10/22/08

More Blakeslee Boys on the way

So it turns out the twins, both of them, are boys.

WOO HOO!!!

10/20/08

Fail.

David Ortiz: F
Jason Veritek: F
JD Drew: Check swing D
Jason Bay: C
Dustin Pedroia: A

Pedroia was the only one it looked like wanted to play more baseball. Ortiz was terrible, Veritek looked like Pudge, and JD Drew check-swung his way to critical strikouts. This team looked good for three innings in game 5, a couple in game 6, and exactly zero in Game 7.

Enjoy the time off gents. You've earned it. This may be the first World Series I don't watch since I can remember. Philly? Who cares? Tampa Bay? Move to a baseball stadium and maybe I'll watch.

Extra Fail to MLB for starting the Series THREE DAYS after the end of the ALCS. Can you imagine if this thing ended in five?

10/19/08

Game 7

I've said it before, I'll say it again. There is absolutely nothing in sports like a Game 7. The NFL playoffs like to push the idea that every game is Game 7. Bullshit. It's Game 1 of one. You don't have the back stories. You don't have the team that has been on the ropes, all of the sudden on equal footing.

Picture from MLB.com.


The only thing that would make this one better would be a halfway decent venue. The Trop, in a word, blows. It is sterile, the "grass" looks dead (hint to Tampa: grass is green, not lime), and it is INSIDE. Just for this reason, the Rays deserve to lose. I don't want to watch more baseball next week in this horseshit park.

Go Sawx!

10/18/08

It's been a while.

7 weeks of being laid-off, massive quantities of homework, and I'm back. Still unemployed, but back.

Maybe.

Since UM beat Wisky, let's see what else has happened.

- The NHL has begun. The Maple Leafs got to see a banner raised for the first time since we landed on the Moon. Unfortunately for them, it was in Detroit. But then they beat the Wings, yada yada yada.

- The Lions are 0-5. Who knew? But they traded Roy Williams to Dallas for a 1, a 3, and a 6th round pick. Roy Williams = Herschel Walker.

- UM hasn't won since that comeback. Including at home against Toledo. Ugh.

- The BoSox scored 8 runs in the 7th, 8th, and 9th innings to come back and beat Tampa Bay in a must-win Game 5 in the ALCS. Boston goes on to win this series, and Carlos Pena relives that 9th inning DP over and over and over and over...

9/28/08

Fire Dick Rod for president!

What a comeback. 21 yards of offense in the first half, 27 points in the second. The defense kept Big Blue in the game through 30, and held them close enough for the offense to find its way for over 270 yards of offense in the second half. Let's not get ahead of ourselves- Michigan will still struggle to make it to a bowl game this year, and they will look bad at times. Lots of times. But they can look to this game when they're down 14 against Michigan State or Northwestern, and actually believe that they can come back.

We got a glimpse of what this offense can do. Just imagine when Dick Rod has some athletes.




9/26/08

Last Night

Huge games last night: Minnesota beat the Chi Sux to take over first in the Central Division.

And, in case you havent heard, there was an upset in the Pac-10. Here are the headlines, courtesy of EDSBS:

Jacquizz, where’s your protection?

Trojans Can’t Pull It Out

Hungry Beavers Suffocate Trojans

Trojans Can’t Get It Up For Big Night With Beavers

Sanchez Dirtied By Beaver Attack

Trojans Can’t Come From Behind, Fall Short

22 Trojans, No Protection

USC to Sleep in Wet Spot

Faced With Angry Beavers, Trojans Flaccid

Trojans Penetrate into Soft Waiting Flesh of Beavers, Fall Asleep Inside

Beavers Poke Surreptitious Hole In Trojans, Snatch Victory

Ejaculate Football Sodomy Metaphor Cockslap Lagos Hookerface

Something’s Fishy In Corvallis

Mark Sanchez is a Vag

We’re sure you can take it from there, unlike USC’s receivers. Sleep tight!

9/24/08

Last Place


Dead last. This team was the favorite to win the division at the beginning of the season, and they have been swept at home by the Royals (sound familiar?), outscored 21-6, and overtaken for fourth place.

This is the biggest mail-it-in job since April 14th of every year. Poor managment to start the year, and poor management the rest of the year. The prospects for next year are horrible. They are hemorrhaging salary, and need to dump as much as $25M. Because Dave Dombrowski took a top 5 offense, and sacrificed pitching to get more, we are left with the 1993 Tigers.

Way to go Dombrowski. Thus beginneth the next stage of Tiger crap-iocrity.

From the department of no shit.

This just in: Jake Long is good.

It's Over! Part II


Jay Glazer at Fox Sports is reporting that Millen is out as GM of the Detroit Lions.

Why is this not big news? Because it's about 115 games too late (31-84 record under Millen's tenure).

Now if we could only get the Ford's to sell the team...

9/23/08

It's over!


While New York prepares to have a Yankee - less playoff season, the rest of baseball rejoices.

The only question left is, will ESPN cover the MLB playoffs without them?

They missed the playoffs because...


...the Sawx punched their ticket tonight. Now they need to catch the Rays, who finish the season- oh crap forget it. They get the Tigers to finish the season. Boston will be the wild card and head to Los Angeles/Anaheim.

Fall from Grace

The rise in stock Matt Cassell has been grossly overstated. Or it has for one week anyway. The best team over the last two years falls to 22nd, with their rivals from Indianapolis even behind them at 25th. But this weeks rankings do NOT have the Lions in 32nd, so how much can we really put into them at this point?

How in the world have my two least favorite teams ever been #1 last week and this week? F the Giants, and F the Cowboys.


Ratings through games of Monday, Sept 22
Team Rating Last Week
1 Dallas 93.0 5
2 Denver 92.8 2
3 Buffalo 92.1 7
4 Tennessee 87.5 8
5 Arizona 86.0 4
6 Philadelphia 85.6 12
7 NY_Giants 85.3 1
8 Washington 79.3 14
9 Tampa_Bay 75.4 13
10 Green_Bay 71.7 11
11 Baltimore 65.8 16
12 San_Francisco 64.8 17
13 Pittsburgh 64.8 10
14 Carolina 60.7 3
15 San_Diego 59.0 19
16 Atlanta 55.0 20
17 New_Orleans 54.4 15
18 Chicago 51.9 9
19 Minnesota 44.0 24
20 Jacksonville 43.2 23
21 Miami 41.0 28
22 New_England 37.3 6
23 Seattle 37.0 26
24 Oakland 36.7 21
25 Indianapolis 27.8 22
26 NY_Jets 25.0 18
27 Cincinnati 10.4 31
28 Houston 6.8 25
29 Detroit 5.8 27
30 Cleveland 4.2 29
31 Kansas_City 3.1 30
32 St_Louis 2.4 32

9/22/08

Ugh

Football Outsiders is reporting that Bill Ford Jr would fire Millen if he had the authority.

YIPPEE!

That and $13.86 will get ou a cup of coffee at Starbucks.

They're saying Boo-urns...

Congrats to the 2008 US Ryder Cup Champion team, led by 35 year old rookie Boo Weekley.

It was a great tournament, start to finish, with the outcome in doubt until Furyk halved 16 with Miguel Angel Cabrera to win 3 and 2, giving the US the 14 1/2 points they needed to win. But the star was Boo Weekley with his Happy Gilmore type antics walking down the fairway charging up the crowd both while partnered with J.B. "Don't call me John" Holmes, and in the singles match on Sunday.

Good job guys! Way to get it back!

Roll Tide

This is the first week that the ratings are completely from this season only. A couple surprises- Alabama #1, Air Force at 8, Ball State at 10, and the old ball coach with South Carolina hanging around the top 25 despite a 2-2 record.

Big games this week:

26 Minnesota at 23 Ohio State: OSU has looked bad their last two games, can they turn it around at home against the upstart Gophers? Will TPryor get the start again? I think Boeckman has seen his last snap as a Buck. OSU 30, UM 13

32 Va Tech at 9 Nebraska: Va Tech has turned around a bad start against ECU, while Nebraska has seemingly turned around their Calahan hangover, beating up on mediocre talent, but beating them soundly. A Nebraska win will solidify that start, while a VT win could jumpstart them into the ACC schedule. VT 27, Nebraska 10

4 Wisconsin at 79 Michigan: It's Michigan. Go Blue. Watching the NHL Network, they are showing the '93 Adams division finals with Montreal-Buffalo. Guy Carbonneau in an interview had a Michigan hat on. That's enough for me to pick Big Blue. Michigan 348, Wisconsin -17.

12 Michigan State at 40 Indiana: This is the game where MSU usually lays their green and white egg. Will Dantonio have them ready? Yup. MSU 30, Indiana 3

1 Alabama at 7 Georgia: Georgia is the only team in history to start #1, go 3-0, and drop in the polls every week. Alabama rode their neutral site win over Clemson in week 1 through their next three games winning convincingly in each, although the Tulane game was closer than expected (20-6). Georgia is coming off a game where they laid the smack down in Tempe against a fired up ASU team. This is the "Game of the Century" for this week. Georgia can probably survive a loss here and still make the SEC championship game, but Alabama cannot. Georgia has the two undefeated East teams Florida and Vanderbilt at home, but Alabama has to go to LSU. Prediction: Georgia 24, Alabama 17.



Ratings through games of Sunday, July 27
Team W-L Rating Conf
1 Alabama 4-0 82.8 SEC
2 Utah 4-0 80.6 MW
3 Wake Forest 3-0 79.7 ACC
4 Wisconsin 3-0 78.9 B10
5 Vanderbilt 4-0 77.5 SEC
6 Florida 3-0 74.7 SEC
7 Georgia 4-0 74.7 SEC
8 Air Force 3-1 73.6 MW
9 Nebraska 3-0 73.1 B12
10 Ball St 4-0 70.9 MAC
11 Auburn 3-1 70.8 SEC
12 Michigan St 3-1 70.6 B10
13 Southern Cal 2-0 70.1 P10
14 California 2-1 67.7 P10
15 Georgia Tech 3-1 67.0 ACC
16 Missouri 4-0 66.2 B12
17 Boston College 2-1 66.1 ACC
18 Oregon 3-1 65.5 P10
19 Connecticut 4-0 64.5 BigE
20 Boise St 3-0 64.2 WAC
21 Kentucky 3-0 62.9 SEC
22 Texas 3-0 62.9 B12
23 Ohio State 3-1 62.8 B10
24 South Carolina 2-2 62.3 SEC
25 Iowa 3-1 62.1 B10

Baseball Ratings

The Cubs take back 1st, and take the NL Central. And they party like they won it all. So does Tampa Bay, just for getting into the playoffs. I love baseball, but these celebrations after every time you win anything have got to stop. Take a note from hockey- when the conference is won, and you are on your way to the Cup Finals, you take a picture with the Campbell Bowl or the Prince of Wales Trophy, and get your ass back in the locker room to prepare.



Ratings through games of Sunday, September 21
Team Rating Last Week
1 Chi_Cubs 96.4 2
2 Boston 93.8 1
3 Tampa_Bay 91.5 3
4 LA_Angels 89.6 5
5 Philadelphia 86.2 6
6 Toronto 80.9 4
7 Chi_White_Sox 80.6 12
8 NY_Mets 78.9 11
9 Milwaukee 73.3 7
10 Minnesota 73.2 13
11 NY_Yankees 72.7 8
12 St_Louis 62.4 10
13 LA_Dodgers 62.4 16
14 Cleveland 55.1 19
15 Houston 54.2 9
16 Florida 53.3 14
17 Arizona 50.5 24
18 Oakland 35.8 20
19 Detroit 34.0 23
20 Texas 32.2 18
21 Atlanta 29.1 22
22 Cincinnati 25.3 17
23 Baltimore 23.7 15
24 Colorado 19.4 26
25 Kansas_City 15.9 25
26 San_Francisco 14.8 27
27 Pittsburgh 9.3 21
28 San_Diego 7.2 30
29 Seattle 3.6 28
30 Washington 3.1 29

9/20/08

The only thing worse than this Tennessee-Florida football game...

...is Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson. Hey! Gary! When a word has the prefix "un," it rhymes with bun or fun, not Ron. Better yet, just STFU.


UPDATE: Nope. I found something worse. Watching football on ESPN/ABC. Between the two of them, I saw no less than 5 promotions including Brett Far-ve or Yankee Stadium. One is getting torn down because it's old and ugly, and the other is Yankee Stadium. I hate them both. QUIT SHOVING THEM DOWN MY THROAT- I JUST WANNA WATCH SOME FOOTBALL.