Da Realist:
alabama at auburn - despite the fact that auburn lost to lsu, i still think they are the best team in the SEC. watch out, auburn is gonna be nasty next year. as far as this game is concerned, i just think alabama is gonna have a hard time getting their defense off the field. auburn is more balanced than LSU and should be better at running the football. that tiger offensive line is a beast and they'll find a way to wear down the tide. alabama needs turnovers to keep them in the game. AUBURN
ohio state at michigan - how would you like to be michigan right now? you've lost 3 of the last 4 to "that team down south" AND you're underdogs in your own stadium! think that wouldn't fire you up? last year the wolverines got dismantled by troy smith and the buckeyes 37-21. revenge will be on the minds of the wolves but i'm not sure that will be enough. chad henne will be under mucho pressure all game long so michigan will need a healthy and effective mike hart to take some of the pressure off. on theother side, ohio state has the potential to be explosive offensively, but sometimes jim tressel plays it too close to the (sweater) vest. playing too conservatively can provide a hole for michigan to go through just like texas did. but the guess here is ohio state will win because they are the more complete team, they have more weapons on offense and their defense is better. OHIO STATE
south carolina at clemson - steve spurrier deserves some kind of award forwhat he's done to the gamecocks. they are traditional also-rans that are still legitimately in the SEC title race. but let's be real, the gamecocks have been winning based on smoke and mirrors. they were outgained last week in a home win against florida and also on the road against tennessee. one of these days they will have to play an opponent that isn't spooked by the ole ball coach. this is the week. clemson OWNS this series, winning 9 of 10. they won't be spooked by the crowd because they've won 4 of the last 5 in columbus, and charlie whitehurst is aiming to go 4-0 against the gamecocks in his final game in the rivalry. if chanci stuckey has the kind of game he had against the noles, this won't even be close. CLEMSON
penn state at michigan state - michigan state is in the middle of another year-end collapse. they have lost 2 straight and 5 of 6 games. yet, they will give penn state their best game on senior day. beware of teams fighting for a bowl berth. the spartans are one win away from going on an all-expenses paid vacation and they are going to fight for it. one thing to keep in mind is that PSU's best games have come at home. the spartan offense is explosive, but penn state's defense is like a rock. and offensively, the lions may have more speed than the spartans have seen all year. there is no stopping this nittany lion train this year, they will go BCS-bowling. all the criticism they've endured over the past few seasons will motivate this team to go on the road and beat the spartans. penn state will win the Big-10 and send joe pa to either the fiesta or the orange bowl and allow him to send a big FUCK YOU! to all the people who doubted him and suggested he should retire. PENN STATE
oklahoma at texas tech - look, there are 2 teams in the big 12 - OU andTEXAS. the other teams are filler. i know texas tech is 8-2 and they have an explosive offense, but they turn the ball over too much, have nodefense and no way to get adrian peterson and the sooners offense off the field. rhett bomar is cutting down his mistakes and AD is finally healthy again. OU will control the line of scrimmage and eventually wear down the red raiders. OKLAHOMA
Waldini:
BAMA@AUB - Has any team flown under the radar more than Auburn this year?They, like Miami, struggled at the beginning of the year losing ugly to GaTech and LSU. The win in Georgia was impressive to me b/c I didnt think Auburn was that good. Alabama, on the other hand, lost its offensive mojo eons ago when Prothro was lost for the year. I think the offense purposely tries to lose games now (j/k). Bama's kung fu was broken last week when LSU won in OT in Tuscaloosa. Expect Auburn to finish the job this week. TIGERS
OHIO ST@MICH - The Bucks have averaged over 40 pts a game in their past 5 games. That's amazing considering earlier this year they scored 40 points total in their first 3 games. Michigan has rebounded from a horrible start and have been posting Ws in the column. It's weird, no matter how good Ohio St or how much better on paper they are than Michigan for a given season, they find a way to stumble and lose. I dont think the Bucks stumble this time. BUCKEYES
SC@CLEM - And so begins Spurrier's back to back weekends of playing the Bowden boys. He's definitely the SEC coach of the year for getting that mediocre team to win this year. I dont even know who's on that team. Clemson is prbly one of the more frustrating teams to watch. They win games they shouldnt (FSU) and lose games they shouldnt (Wake). My guess is Tommy B gives his boys the annual "My job is on the line" pre-game speech and Clemson pulls it out. Oh how I would love to be at home for the annual Bojangles Bowl :-). TIGERS
PSU@MSU - Easy call. Penn State. NITTANY LIONS
OKLA@TT - I dont know why I should care about this gEame but I will flip a coin and see what it says. Tails Sooners win, Heads Red Raiders win. Coin is flipped and....it's....HEADS!! Everyone here is TT, the winner of the 50% probability game :-). RED RAIDERS
Gangsta D:
No expert analysis today, just picks. I gotta headache:)
AUBURN
OSU
SOUTH CACK
P STATE
T TECH
Read more!
Friday, November 18, 2005
Thursday, November 10, 2005
More?????
Gangsta D:
Damn you really have given up on FSU.
Bowden @ Bowden - I don't buy your theory that teams that have secured a playoff slot will coast. One because if they were to lose a game they will lose that slot and possibly a chance at the tournament. But that theory kind of does hold true in this instance. FSU could have 3-4 losses going to the championship game. Their defense is still good, but Rix-I mean Weatherford is killing them at times. I remember 4 years ago when people said that Rix was erratic and inconsistent but he was just a freshman and he would grow out of it. Sound familiar? No way Bobby loses this game. He couldn't stomach a 4 or 5 loss season. They figure out a way to keep Weatherford from beating them and eek out a W.
Trojans @ Kodiaks - Colin Cowherd had Beano Cook on his show this week and Colin asked if Texas was the only team that could beat the Trojans. Beano said, "Yeah them and the Colts." Hyperbole for sure, but no way Cal beats USC. They're just destroying people like NCAA Football set on "Freshman"level. 'SC by 20.
Gators @ South 'Cak - Urban Meyer CANNOT lose this game. He can't. It would be disastrous. That being said, Spurrier will probably have about 5 formations never before seen by human eyes. He will go for it on 4th and 5 from HIS 20 yard line. He will fake punts, throw double reverse passes, and cause all kinds of chaos. I think the Cocks believe in themselves and I'm still not sold on the spread option. Cocks by 1.
Tigers @ Tide - Alabama CAN'T score. Just. Can't. Score. They've scored what 3 offensive TDs in the past 3 games. Their defense is solid, but without Prothro they can't do anything. It's amazing how much one person can affect the entire offense. Mike Shula should get 40 lashes every week for leaving Prothro in against Florida. This week it comes back to bite him. LSU underacheives yes, but remember Les Miles beat OU two years in a row. This is for the SEC West. I think they'll be ready to play. Bengals by 8.
War Eagle @ UGA - Shockley's not 100%. The 'Dog D-line still has injuries. They still don't have a #1 WR. McFadden ran all over them but the Hogs still lost. Auburn's a better team, but UGA is better with Shockley. He'll still be mobile enough to make a few plays. Plus the SEC East is on the line and they're at home. UGA by 9. Read more!
Damn you really have given up on FSU.
Bowden @ Bowden - I don't buy your theory that teams that have secured a playoff slot will coast. One because if they were to lose a game they will lose that slot and possibly a chance at the tournament. But that theory kind of does hold true in this instance. FSU could have 3-4 losses going to the championship game. Their defense is still good, but Rix-I mean Weatherford is killing them at times. I remember 4 years ago when people said that Rix was erratic and inconsistent but he was just a freshman and he would grow out of it. Sound familiar? No way Bobby loses this game. He couldn't stomach a 4 or 5 loss season. They figure out a way to keep Weatherford from beating them and eek out a W.
Trojans @ Kodiaks - Colin Cowherd had Beano Cook on his show this week and Colin asked if Texas was the only team that could beat the Trojans. Beano said, "Yeah them and the Colts." Hyperbole for sure, but no way Cal beats USC. They're just destroying people like NCAA Football set on "Freshman"level. 'SC by 20.
Gators @ South 'Cak - Urban Meyer CANNOT lose this game. He can't. It would be disastrous. That being said, Spurrier will probably have about 5 formations never before seen by human eyes. He will go for it on 4th and 5 from HIS 20 yard line. He will fake punts, throw double reverse passes, and cause all kinds of chaos. I think the Cocks believe in themselves and I'm still not sold on the spread option. Cocks by 1.
Tigers @ Tide - Alabama CAN'T score. Just. Can't. Score. They've scored what 3 offensive TDs in the past 3 games. Their defense is solid, but without Prothro they can't do anything. It's amazing how much one person can affect the entire offense. Mike Shula should get 40 lashes every week for leaving Prothro in against Florida. This week it comes back to bite him. LSU underacheives yes, but remember Les Miles beat OU two years in a row. This is for the SEC West. I think they'll be ready to play. Bengals by 8.
War Eagle @ UGA - Shockley's not 100%. The 'Dog D-line still has injuries. They still don't have a #1 WR. McFadden ran all over them but the Hogs still lost. Auburn's a better team, but UGA is better with Shockley. He'll still be mobile enough to make a few plays. Plus the SEC East is on the line and they're at home. UGA by 9. Read more!
You Got A Couple Too?
Waldini:
Man, you just full of upsets this week. And what no love for the Big 10 this week? Northwestern at Ohio St is a big game :-)
FSU@Clemson - I think Bobby used his one conspiracy theory card last week when he let NC State beat him. This one is hard to call b/c for whatever reason, no matter how crappy they play prior, Clemson ALWAYS get up for the FSU game. I'm picking FSU not b/c I think they are much better, it's justb/c I dont think Bobby lets his boys drop 2 in a row. 'NOLES
USC@CAL - You dont think Leinart, Bush, White, and Co know this is the only game they have lost in 3 yrs! While I think the combo of Ayoob and Lynch is pretty good, I dont see USC dropping this one. I think they are literally foaming at the mouth and ready to unleash an good ole case of ass whupp into Cal. Neither team's defense is great and I dont see Cal holding USC below 31 points (which I said is the only way a team will beat USC).TROJANS
UF@South Cack - Ex coach vs old team. I want to know how in da hell did SC get Florida and Tenn at home this year??? Regardless, I dont think Florida pulls up lame like Tenn did a few weeks back and lose a game they should win. Ever since Alabama beat them like they stole something, Florida quietly has been getting it done. Urban at least had the intelligience to scrap some of the spread option for a more traditional offense. And thatmakes Leak D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S.GATORS
LSU@BAMA - Realist, I agree with you. LSU has more talent than any team inthe SEC. Yet did you check out the final score against lowly Appalachian Stat home last week?? Completely unacceptable. Alabma has been exceptionally lucky the past couple of weeks, mainly due to their great defense. I think this one's a low scoring affair (no better than mid-teens) but I dont expect Alabama's luck to continue. TIGERS
AUB@UGA - I read somewhere that Auburn has the the most productive offense in the SEC. Considering the offenses in the SEC have been unwatchable on occassion, that's not saying a lot. I think just having Shockley back motivates Ga to win. Plus they know if they lose this game, it gives Florida a shot at repping the SEC East in the SEC championship. U think Mark Richt is having that. As Stone Cold usa ta say, "Can I get a HELLNO!!" BULLDOGS Read more!
Man, you just full of upsets this week. And what no love for the Big 10 this week? Northwestern at Ohio St is a big game :-)
FSU@Clemson - I think Bobby used his one conspiracy theory card last week when he let NC State beat him. This one is hard to call b/c for whatever reason, no matter how crappy they play prior, Clemson ALWAYS get up for the FSU game. I'm picking FSU not b/c I think they are much better, it's justb/c I dont think Bobby lets his boys drop 2 in a row. 'NOLES
USC@CAL - You dont think Leinart, Bush, White, and Co know this is the only game they have lost in 3 yrs! While I think the combo of Ayoob and Lynch is pretty good, I dont see USC dropping this one. I think they are literally foaming at the mouth and ready to unleash an good ole case of ass whupp into Cal. Neither team's defense is great and I dont see Cal holding USC below 31 points (which I said is the only way a team will beat USC).TROJANS
UF@South Cack - Ex coach vs old team. I want to know how in da hell did SC get Florida and Tenn at home this year??? Regardless, I dont think Florida pulls up lame like Tenn did a few weeks back and lose a game they should win. Ever since Alabama beat them like they stole something, Florida quietly has been getting it done. Urban at least had the intelligience to scrap some of the spread option for a more traditional offense. And thatmakes Leak D-A-N-G-E-R-O-U-S.GATORS
LSU@BAMA - Realist, I agree with you. LSU has more talent than any team inthe SEC. Yet did you check out the final score against lowly Appalachian Stat home last week?? Completely unacceptable. Alabma has been exceptionally lucky the past couple of weeks, mainly due to their great defense. I think this one's a low scoring affair (no better than mid-teens) but I dont expect Alabama's luck to continue. TIGERS
AUB@UGA - I read somewhere that Auburn has the the most productive offense in the SEC. Considering the offenses in the SEC have been unwatchable on occassion, that's not saying a lot. I think just having Shockley back motivates Ga to win. Plus they know if they lose this game, it gives Florida a shot at repping the SEC East in the SEC championship. U think Mark Richt is having that. As Stone Cold usa ta say, "Can I get a HELLNO!!" BULLDOGS Read more!
Presictions Anyone?
Da Realist:
FSU AT CLEMSON - clemson is fighting for a bowl berth, needing just one win in their last 2 games to secure it. tommy bowden is fighting for his job...AGAIN. fsu on the other hand isn't really playing for anything because they've already secured their spot in the ACC championship game. sure, bobby's boys don't want to lose 2 straight with florida and possibly miami coming up, but realistically they don't care if they play just one more great game all season as long as it's in the ACC Championship game. take notice playoff supporters. the rest of fsu's season will be a good outlook for teams that know they've secured a spot in a playoff, if we had one. fsu is a hurt and injured team that will be more inclined to rest than to push the pedal to the metal for a meaningless game. leon washington will sit out another game and his "replacement" lorenzo booker just came off an astounding 15 yards on 12 carries last week against nc state. add into that mix the fact that clemson's coach is bobby's oldest son who desperately needs a win. add a pinch of the fact that fsu can't (or won't) run the ball to set up the play action and 2 parts overrated defense and you have a recipe for a loss. CLEMSON
USC AT CALIFORNIA - the trojan's last loss was to california at berkley two years ago. cal is not afraid of usc after beating them 2 years ago and coming close last year. on the other hand, the trojan's will be extra motivated to beat a surprisingly mediocre team convincingly so they don't have to keep hearing about them. usc big. USC
FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAROLINA - on paper, florida has every edge. even with all the injuries, the gators should win this game. but i have a feeling they are about to walk into a buzzsaw in columbia. i've seen enough of steve spurrier to believe he will have a few things cooked up just for the gators. does he have the players to pull it off? more importantly, do his players BELIEVE they can pull it off? the win against tennessee was huge for them because they now believe they can play with the big boys. they'll be tough at home, but florida just has too many good atheletes and too much to play for (SEC East is stillwithin their grasp) to lose this game. FLORIDA
LSU AT ALABAMA - everybody seems to agree that lsu has THE MOST TALENT IN THE SEC. they have the better athletes and the better playmakers. but they don't always play to their potential. if they did, they would be #2 team in the country. sometimes i think lsu has more talent than les miles knows what to do with. remember he came from oklahoma state, clearly the state's #2 team. now he's at the dominant school in talent-rich louisiana and it certainly looks like an adjustment on his part. so, at least for this year, let's forget about potential. if you look at the performance on the field, it's been sort of up and down. they beat arizona state on the road on the last play (up), then lost to a tennessee at home after being up 21 (down), then beat a struggling florida team at home even after coughing up the ball 5 times(ehhh) then beat auburn at home after auburn missed 5 or 6 field goals (ehhh). they've won as much for the other teams blunders as their own play. alabama on the other hand has a few "lucky" games themselves, most notably a tennessee fumble recovery that stopped the vols from winning the game. but all week alabama has heard about their eventual demise. now that virginia tech was exposed everyone thinks the bcs iss afe from controversy, forgetting the fact that no one has beaten the tide yet. they've heard how one-loss miami and penn state should be ranked ahead of them. how there's no way they will win without prothro. this will provide all the motivation they need to beat lsu at home this week. stout defense and just enough offense will help them get the win. ALABAMA
AUBURN AT GEORGIA - if georgia had trouble stopping mcfadden from arkansas, they will have an even harder time with kenny irons. he may just be the best back in the SEc. who knows how healthy shockley really is? is he healthy enough to dance around the pocket or possibly pick up some yards? will richt hold back offensively? georgia has a lot to play for, but so does auburn. they missed an opportunity for a big road win against lsu, they won't miss this one. auburn wins and sets up a juicy iron bowl next week for the SEC West crown. AUBURN Read more!
FSU AT CLEMSON - clemson is fighting for a bowl berth, needing just one win in their last 2 games to secure it. tommy bowden is fighting for his job...AGAIN. fsu on the other hand isn't really playing for anything because they've already secured their spot in the ACC championship game. sure, bobby's boys don't want to lose 2 straight with florida and possibly miami coming up, but realistically they don't care if they play just one more great game all season as long as it's in the ACC Championship game. take notice playoff supporters. the rest of fsu's season will be a good outlook for teams that know they've secured a spot in a playoff, if we had one. fsu is a hurt and injured team that will be more inclined to rest than to push the pedal to the metal for a meaningless game. leon washington will sit out another game and his "replacement" lorenzo booker just came off an astounding 15 yards on 12 carries last week against nc state. add into that mix the fact that clemson's coach is bobby's oldest son who desperately needs a win. add a pinch of the fact that fsu can't (or won't) run the ball to set up the play action and 2 parts overrated defense and you have a recipe for a loss. CLEMSON
USC AT CALIFORNIA - the trojan's last loss was to california at berkley two years ago. cal is not afraid of usc after beating them 2 years ago and coming close last year. on the other hand, the trojan's will be extra motivated to beat a surprisingly mediocre team convincingly so they don't have to keep hearing about them. usc big. USC
FLORIDA AT SOUTH CAROLINA - on paper, florida has every edge. even with all the injuries, the gators should win this game. but i have a feeling they are about to walk into a buzzsaw in columbia. i've seen enough of steve spurrier to believe he will have a few things cooked up just for the gators. does he have the players to pull it off? more importantly, do his players BELIEVE they can pull it off? the win against tennessee was huge for them because they now believe they can play with the big boys. they'll be tough at home, but florida just has too many good atheletes and too much to play for (SEC East is stillwithin their grasp) to lose this game. FLORIDA
LSU AT ALABAMA - everybody seems to agree that lsu has THE MOST TALENT IN THE SEC. they have the better athletes and the better playmakers. but they don't always play to their potential. if they did, they would be #2 team in the country. sometimes i think lsu has more talent than les miles knows what to do with. remember he came from oklahoma state, clearly the state's #2 team. now he's at the dominant school in talent-rich louisiana and it certainly looks like an adjustment on his part. so, at least for this year, let's forget about potential. if you look at the performance on the field, it's been sort of up and down. they beat arizona state on the road on the last play (up), then lost to a tennessee at home after being up 21 (down), then beat a struggling florida team at home even after coughing up the ball 5 times(ehhh) then beat auburn at home after auburn missed 5 or 6 field goals (ehhh). they've won as much for the other teams blunders as their own play. alabama on the other hand has a few "lucky" games themselves, most notably a tennessee fumble recovery that stopped the vols from winning the game. but all week alabama has heard about their eventual demise. now that virginia tech was exposed everyone thinks the bcs iss afe from controversy, forgetting the fact that no one has beaten the tide yet. they've heard how one-loss miami and penn state should be ranked ahead of them. how there's no way they will win without prothro. this will provide all the motivation they need to beat lsu at home this week. stout defense and just enough offense will help them get the win. ALABAMA
AUBURN AT GEORGIA - if georgia had trouble stopping mcfadden from arkansas, they will have an even harder time with kenny irons. he may just be the best back in the SEc. who knows how healthy shockley really is? is he healthy enough to dance around the pocket or possibly pick up some yards? will richt hold back offensively? georgia has a lot to play for, but so does auburn. they missed an opportunity for a big road win against lsu, they won't miss this one. auburn wins and sets up a juicy iron bowl next week for the SEC West crown. AUBURN Read more!
Wednesday, November 09, 2005
OD'd on T.O.
Waldini:
Realist, I saw the press conference last night and I got a kick out of Drew making his comments, then basically answering every question with "Next Question."
Da Realist:
it was funny because TO tried to come off as apologetic and contrite then drew stepped up. everything TO did to win style points, drew stepped all over it.
"TO tried to apologize, but obviously that wasn't good enough".
"He's a good person, a competitor, that is being treated unfairly".
"I know players who have been suspended for drugs andviolence and they don't get treated as unfairly as TO"
"I LOVE TO. He's a wonderful human being and for some people to suggest that I haven't supported him is LUDICROUS!!! He's a good man."
"He wants to play ASAP. He wants to be on the field against the cowboys. I'm going to do everything in my power to make that happen.
"drew, why didn't TO make a similar apology a couple of days ago? "Next Question"
"drew, has TO apologized to Donovan personally? "NextQuestion"
drew, has TO had any contact with the Eagles management regarding his suspension? "I don't talkabout personal conversations between TO and managment"
drew, is it true TO had a physical altercation with another player and did this force the team to suspend him? "Next Question"
Waldini:
Either you cut/pasted the dialogue from an internet site or you have one of the best memories ever :-). Pretty accurate account
Da Realist:
nah, i remembered everything. had the espn radio stream on my computer yesterday and i was laughing my head off! that's why i asked if y'all were listening because i knew you would think it was as funny as i did. if i were the eagles i wouldn't suspend him. i wouldlet him rot on the bench like the redskins are doing to lavar arrington.
why didn't you play TO today? "Next Question"
Waldini:
Did you see PTI yesterday, specifically DanLeBatard's 5 good mins piece? He was defending TO but saying that Drew has been bad for TO and has been giving him bad advice. I've heard or read different sportswriters that have said the only way the Eagles should take TO back is if McNabb publicly forgives and give the OK to allow TO back with the team.
On the flip side, I think it's safe to say that TO-McNabb has surpassed Kobe-Shaq as the Rockiest relationship of the new millenium :-). Others onthe list include Barry Bonds-Jeff Kent, Keyshawn Johnson-Jon Gruden, RayAllen-Glenn Robinson.
Gangsta D:
TO's not coming back. The Eagles are willing to pay him for every game he'll miss, they just want him gone. Even if they don't win their next two, which I don't think they will, TO's gonna be chillin on the couch. The question is, who is gonna make a run for him and what kind of deal are they gonna offer.
Da Realist:
they'll be takers, but certainly no long term contracts. he'll be a mercenary for hire unless he can convince some team he's changed his ways. Read more!
Realist, I saw the press conference last night and I got a kick out of Drew making his comments, then basically answering every question with "Next Question."
Da Realist:
it was funny because TO tried to come off as apologetic and contrite then drew stepped up. everything TO did to win style points, drew stepped all over it.
"TO tried to apologize, but obviously that wasn't good enough".
"He's a good person, a competitor, that is being treated unfairly".
"I know players who have been suspended for drugs andviolence and they don't get treated as unfairly as TO"
"I LOVE TO. He's a wonderful human being and for some people to suggest that I haven't supported him is LUDICROUS!!! He's a good man."
"He wants to play ASAP. He wants to be on the field against the cowboys. I'm going to do everything in my power to make that happen.
"drew, why didn't TO make a similar apology a couple of days ago? "Next Question"
"drew, has TO apologized to Donovan personally? "NextQuestion"
drew, has TO had any contact with the Eagles management regarding his suspension? "I don't talkabout personal conversations between TO and managment"
drew, is it true TO had a physical altercation with another player and did this force the team to suspend him? "Next Question"
Waldini:
Either you cut/pasted the dialogue from an internet site or you have one of the best memories ever :-). Pretty accurate account
Da Realist:
nah, i remembered everything. had the espn radio stream on my computer yesterday and i was laughing my head off! that's why i asked if y'all were listening because i knew you would think it was as funny as i did. if i were the eagles i wouldn't suspend him. i wouldlet him rot on the bench like the redskins are doing to lavar arrington.
why didn't you play TO today? "Next Question"
Waldini:
Did you see PTI yesterday, specifically DanLeBatard's 5 good mins piece? He was defending TO but saying that Drew has been bad for TO and has been giving him bad advice. I've heard or read different sportswriters that have said the only way the Eagles should take TO back is if McNabb publicly forgives and give the OK to allow TO back with the team.
On the flip side, I think it's safe to say that TO-McNabb has surpassed Kobe-Shaq as the Rockiest relationship of the new millenium :-). Others onthe list include Barry Bonds-Jeff Kent, Keyshawn Johnson-Jon Gruden, RayAllen-Glenn Robinson.
Gangsta D:
TO's not coming back. The Eagles are willing to pay him for every game he'll miss, they just want him gone. Even if they don't win their next two, which I don't think they will, TO's gonna be chillin on the couch. The question is, who is gonna make a run for him and what kind of deal are they gonna offer.
Da Realist:
they'll be takers, but certainly no long term contracts. he'll be a mercenary for hire unless he can convince some team he's changed his ways. Read more!
Tuesday, November 08, 2005
Realist Succombs To The Darkside
Da Realist:
i'm done with florida state. done. i'm throwing 15 years down the drain. i don't believe in the program anymore. i'm making a transition...
i made the first step last night. wifey and i talked about this for hours and finally came to a conclusion...the right conclusion. i then called a cousin of ours to verbally state our intention, which after much initial doubt, he finally agreed with. but this won't be finalized until i do one thing...
Gangsta, i humbly ask you to accept me as a cane fan. this isn't very easy to do, but there is only one team that i have followed as much as the seminoles. love and hate are 2 different emotions but both bring the same amount of intensity. i know the canes about as well as i know the noles. i am sick and tired of bubba's boys and it's time for me to go to the dark side of the force, never to return. what sayeth thou?
Gangsta D:
Seriously people. The man has fallen on his sword. Howcan I deny him? The Hurricane nation welcomes you. Read more!
i'm done with florida state. done. i'm throwing 15 years down the drain. i don't believe in the program anymore. i'm making a transition...
i made the first step last night. wifey and i talked about this for hours and finally came to a conclusion...the right conclusion. i then called a cousin of ours to verbally state our intention, which after much initial doubt, he finally agreed with. but this won't be finalized until i do one thing...
Gangsta, i humbly ask you to accept me as a cane fan. this isn't very easy to do, but there is only one team that i have followed as much as the seminoles. love and hate are 2 different emotions but both bring the same amount of intensity. i know the canes about as well as i know the noles. i am sick and tired of bubba's boys and it's time for me to go to the dark side of the force, never to return. what sayeth thou?
Gangsta D:
Seriously people. The man has fallen on his sword. Howcan I deny him? The Hurricane nation welcomes you. Read more!
Monday, November 07, 2005
Da Realist Plays Witness To A Massacre
here is my account of my trip down to blacksburg...or should i say NoBlacks-burg, VA.
first of all, blacksburg is about 4 1/2 hours away from us. it's nestled in the appalachian mountain range in southwestern virginia. there really is one way in and one way out. there are only 2 large hotels in blacksburg and they are owned by virginia tech. this means that for big games the only people that are able to stay in blacksburg are big wig alumni. the rest of us have to stay in roanoke, a coal-mining town about 45 miles away!
so we arrive in roanoke around 10:30 saturday morning. our rooms weren't ready so we went to eat breakfastat the Roanoker Restaurant. this restaurant had rave reviews for it's food so we decided to try it. we walked in and it felt like we walked into a 1950's era tv show where, apparently on tv, blacks didn't exist. we walked in and we could just feel everything stop. no forks clanging the plates, no conversation, no nothing. everybody wanted to sneak a peak at the black people. they were friendly enough...to each other. everybody knew each other, even talking across tables to hold conversations. our waitress was...not exactly rude, but certainly wasn't that friendly. the food was as bland as cardboard, only burnt. we got out of there as fast as we could.
we get to the hotel and it's STILL not ready. front desk girl tells me on the hush-hush there is a LARGE group that won't check out until 4:30 that day. she says "don't tell anyone, but the HOKIES are staying here. shhhhh." i just want a room to take a nap. so we go to the car and wait a little longer...
we finally get our room about 1pm and start to settle in. about 1:30 we go to the lobby to find some water and we see several of the players in the gameroom shooting pool and chillin' while the texas/baylor gameis on the screen. i point out marcus to Da Wife and start to walk away, prompting this exchange...
Da Wife: shouldn't they be, you know, excited or something? they don't look like they are about to play in TBOY (the biggest game of the year)
me: yeah, well, i know if i was on the team this close to game time i would be bouncing off the walls. but maybe that's why they're successful. they are not getting too worked up so they can concentrate on their assignments and pay closer attention to detail.
needless to say, this exchange was brought back to my attention about 9 hours later.
we get up and make the long trek down to blackburg at4. we arrive at 4:45 (a full 3 hours before game time). it takes us an HOUR to find parking in this little hillbilly town. we finally park at some rundown autoshop and literally had to walk about 5-6 miles to get to the stadium. we stop to eat something at a place called buffalo wild wings. they supposedly have the best wings in the area. i wasn't that impressed. where's hooters when you need them? we sat down and ate while watching tennessee give up 40+points to notre dame.
we finally convinced them to put on the fsu game. hokie fans found out i was a nole fan and they start riding me hard. "they suck!" and "i hope they lose!" followed by "we're gonna kick your ass!". i said to Da Wife, "these idiots don't realize they should WANT US TO WIN!" i tried to explain the bcs ramifications to their chances if fsu lost and i got a bunch of blank stares. (do they even WATCH???) anyway, we now know it didn't matter.
we get to the stadium and had GREAT seats. rightabove the 40 yard line about 40 rows up. hokie fans going crazy. we might have seen 4, maybe 5 other blacks at the game. it's no stretch to say we felt isolated even though we were going for the home team. in fact, we felt more comfortable in charlottesville wearing our fsu gear than here.
i should have known i was in trouble when i walked around and saw a lot of people wearing shirts that read, "miami sucks and UVA swallows". i told Da Wife, "you know, it's just a game. do they really want little kids seeing those shirts?". we were there for about 3 hours and no one said a word to us the wholetime. oh wait, someone did say something...
when miami scored on a fumble in the end zone to mak eit 27-0, fans started leaving. there was this one drunk fat white girl yelling at everybody, apparently upset that the fans were "giving up". she yelled all kinds of obscenitites. i told Da Wife, "is she crazy? they are down almost 4 touchdowns going into the 4th quarter. is she WATCHING THE GAME? they are done." but being mindful of fsu's comeback from 4 touchdowns to the florida gators 11 years ago, i said "if theydon't score a touchdown on this posssion, we're leaving." the next play, marcus throws an interception and we get up to leave. the drunk, fat white girl said, "FUCK YOU!!!". that was the only time someone said something to us the whole time we were at the game.
the 5-6 mile trek back to the car was the most painful. not because of the game...i already acceptedthat. but it was 11pm and we were tired. remember when i said there was one way into blacksburg and oneway out and everybody stayed someplace other than blacksburg? well this is a recipe for disaster. the road was incredibly backed up. it took us 3 hours to drive 45 miles.
i've been to 2 championship games, 1 SEC championship game, florida state, clemson, maryland, virginia and now virginia tech and this was by far the worst experience i've had going to a game. it will take a lot for me to go back to blacksburg. the noles play there in '07, but unless it's a big time game with national championship aspirations i won't be going.
as far as the game is concerned, congratulations d. the canes showed the kind of heart i wish my noles would display every once in a while. i don't like them but i respect the hell out of them. after that display go ahead and do your thing. i can't go for them if they play the noles in the acc championship game, but if they make it to national championship i'll pull for them. don't be surprised, i once pulled for the hated detroit pistons in 1990. my philosophy is, it's better to lose to the bully you know than to the one you don't.
Read more!
first of all, blacksburg is about 4 1/2 hours away from us. it's nestled in the appalachian mountain range in southwestern virginia. there really is one way in and one way out. there are only 2 large hotels in blacksburg and they are owned by virginia tech. this means that for big games the only people that are able to stay in blacksburg are big wig alumni. the rest of us have to stay in roanoke, a coal-mining town about 45 miles away!
so we arrive in roanoke around 10:30 saturday morning. our rooms weren't ready so we went to eat breakfastat the Roanoker Restaurant. this restaurant had rave reviews for it's food so we decided to try it. we walked in and it felt like we walked into a 1950's era tv show where, apparently on tv, blacks didn't exist. we walked in and we could just feel everything stop. no forks clanging the plates, no conversation, no nothing. everybody wanted to sneak a peak at the black people. they were friendly enough...to each other. everybody knew each other, even talking across tables to hold conversations. our waitress was...not exactly rude, but certainly wasn't that friendly. the food was as bland as cardboard, only burnt. we got out of there as fast as we could.
we get to the hotel and it's STILL not ready. front desk girl tells me on the hush-hush there is a LARGE group that won't check out until 4:30 that day. she says "don't tell anyone, but the HOKIES are staying here. shhhhh." i just want a room to take a nap. so we go to the car and wait a little longer...
we finally get our room about 1pm and start to settle in. about 1:30 we go to the lobby to find some water and we see several of the players in the gameroom shooting pool and chillin' while the texas/baylor gameis on the screen. i point out marcus to Da Wife and start to walk away, prompting this exchange...
Da Wife: shouldn't they be, you know, excited or something? they don't look like they are about to play in TBOY (the biggest game of the year)
me: yeah, well, i know if i was on the team this close to game time i would be bouncing off the walls. but maybe that's why they're successful. they are not getting too worked up so they can concentrate on their assignments and pay closer attention to detail.
needless to say, this exchange was brought back to my attention about 9 hours later.
we get up and make the long trek down to blackburg at4. we arrive at 4:45 (a full 3 hours before game time). it takes us an HOUR to find parking in this little hillbilly town. we finally park at some rundown autoshop and literally had to walk about 5-6 miles to get to the stadium. we stop to eat something at a place called buffalo wild wings. they supposedly have the best wings in the area. i wasn't that impressed. where's hooters when you need them? we sat down and ate while watching tennessee give up 40+points to notre dame.
we finally convinced them to put on the fsu game. hokie fans found out i was a nole fan and they start riding me hard. "they suck!" and "i hope they lose!" followed by "we're gonna kick your ass!". i said to Da Wife, "these idiots don't realize they should WANT US TO WIN!" i tried to explain the bcs ramifications to their chances if fsu lost and i got a bunch of blank stares. (do they even WATCH???) anyway, we now know it didn't matter.
we get to the stadium and had GREAT seats. rightabove the 40 yard line about 40 rows up. hokie fans going crazy. we might have seen 4, maybe 5 other blacks at the game. it's no stretch to say we felt isolated even though we were going for the home team. in fact, we felt more comfortable in charlottesville wearing our fsu gear than here.
i should have known i was in trouble when i walked around and saw a lot of people wearing shirts that read, "miami sucks and UVA swallows". i told Da Wife, "you know, it's just a game. do they really want little kids seeing those shirts?". we were there for about 3 hours and no one said a word to us the wholetime. oh wait, someone did say something...
when miami scored on a fumble in the end zone to mak eit 27-0, fans started leaving. there was this one drunk fat white girl yelling at everybody, apparently upset that the fans were "giving up". she yelled all kinds of obscenitites. i told Da Wife, "is she crazy? they are down almost 4 touchdowns going into the 4th quarter. is she WATCHING THE GAME? they are done." but being mindful of fsu's comeback from 4 touchdowns to the florida gators 11 years ago, i said "if theydon't score a touchdown on this posssion, we're leaving." the next play, marcus throws an interception and we get up to leave. the drunk, fat white girl said, "FUCK YOU!!!". that was the only time someone said something to us the whole time we were at the game.
the 5-6 mile trek back to the car was the most painful. not because of the game...i already acceptedthat. but it was 11pm and we were tired. remember when i said there was one way into blacksburg and oneway out and everybody stayed someplace other than blacksburg? well this is a recipe for disaster. the road was incredibly backed up. it took us 3 hours to drive 45 miles.
i've been to 2 championship games, 1 SEC championship game, florida state, clemson, maryland, virginia and now virginia tech and this was by far the worst experience i've had going to a game. it will take a lot for me to go back to blacksburg. the noles play there in '07, but unless it's a big time game with national championship aspirations i won't be going.
as far as the game is concerned, congratulations d. the canes showed the kind of heart i wish my noles would display every once in a while. i don't like them but i respect the hell out of them. after that display go ahead and do your thing. i can't go for them if they play the noles in the acc championship game, but if they make it to national championship i'll pull for them. don't be surprised, i once pulled for the hated detroit pistons in 1990. my philosophy is, it's better to lose to the bully you know than to the one you don't.
Read more!
Sunday, November 06, 2005
Canes Up! Ho(kie)s Down!
Damn, the most satisfying win since the national title game. I'd like to send a big up yours to all the people that thought Tech would walk all over The U. For shame my little piggies. You shoulda known better.
Read more!
Thursday, November 03, 2005
The 'U vs The Techies
Da Realist:
we're all tied again. hopefully staying up past 1am will cause you two to make a couple of mistakes so i can finally pull away. and now the picks...
tennessee at notre dame - normally i would be wary of picking against a team like tennessee. they are a wounded animal right now having lost 3 straight games. think they want to lose 4 straight? me neither. they may go to a bowl, but it won't be a bowl anyone cares or even knows about. going to the WALDINI BOWL won't impress recruits, but beating the fighting irish under the gaze of touchdown jesus would. make no mistake about it, this IS their bowl game. but there are 4 good reasons why i don't think they'll get it done.
1) if notre dame wins out, they will be guaranteed an invite to a BCS bowl. BCS bowl = $14 mil, non-BCS bowl = $4 mil, all of which they keep. for those of you not counting, that's 10 million reasons to play your a$$ off.
2) notre dame is coming off a bye week. this is the only team i know that has TWO bye weeks in the same season! nevertheless, that gives the irish an additional week to prepare for UT.
3) gerald riggs is still out.
4) too much turmoil in knoxville. the OC resigns,but still has play-calling duties...with fulmer. (?)when has phil fulmer been perceived as an offensive genius? my guess is that was just a line to get people off his back. randy will still be the main signal caller, just not officially. too much indecision, too much pressure. NOTRE DAME.
wisconsin at penn state - wisconsin is a true smash-mouth club that relies mostly on winning the line of scrimmage and running the ball. but they are going to happy valley where 105K will be rocking the very foundation in anticipation of 10-1 season, Big 10 championship and a BCS bid. too much to overcome.PENN STATE
california at oregon - california has a big game next week against USC. normally this would be screamingLET DOWN ALERT!! but i'm still waiting on the bears to put it together. this will be a good test before trying to topple a dynasty next week. at 7-1, oregon is on track to finish with 10 wins - it's only loss to you-know-who. california will have to go to a place, autzen stadium, that knocked the trojans back for a half before they recovered. does california have the grit to go there and beat a good ducks team? they certainly have the talent. i'll go with...CALIFORNIA.
nc state at florida state - the noles win this game, they are guaranteed to go to jacksonville for the acc championship. if not, they'll be forced to win a game against the underrated clemson tigers at death valley. if they are smart, they will handle business this weekend. but here are couple of factors working against them.1) the noles are a hurt team. injuries are prevalent throughout the defense and we're still trying to overcome the loss of our best corner, cromartie. 2) although they struggle offensively, nc state has a really good defense. they should have beaten v-tech earlier in the season, and they would have if not for turnovers. they actually outgained the hokies that game. this game makes me nervous because the noles are such a jekyll and hyde team. but i'm picking them mostly out of loyalty than anything else. FSU
miami at virginia tech - THE GAME. this has the potential to be every bit as good as USC at NOTRE DAME and TEXAS at OHIO STATE. these are two evenly matched, highly motivated teams with something to prove. miami wants national respect, and so do the hokies in a different way. but this is not the same miami team we are used to seeing. these are NICEGUYS! no one spouting off at the mouth, no braggadocio dances, no recruiting violations and mostly NO INTIMIDATION. where are the real canes??? this team lost to a noles team they should have beaten, struggled early with north carolina and has never really looked like they are firing on all cylinders. sinorice moss is hurt and so is eric winston. tyrone moss does not have that game breaking speed that put the fear of GOD in opponents like willis mcgahee and clinton portis did. there really is no ed reed or jon vilma on this team (at least not yet). vtech is solid all the way through. their defense is just as good as miami's and they can move the ball offensively. i don't think vick will have a heisman night, but i do think he'll be effective enough. i think this will be a defensive battle until v-tech breaks away late, similar to the boston collegegame. VIRGINIA TECH
Gangsta D:
UT @ ND - Don't care. Irish.
'Sconcin @ PSU - Don't care. Badgers
Cal @ Ducks - Don't care. Cal
Pack @ 'Noles - Don't care. FSU
The 'U @ Hokies - Don't care. Hoki--don't make me laugh.
No way I'm going against the boys no matter what. Here is how we can beatthem.
Offense - They're defense may be just as fast as ours. So we HAVE to run the ball straight at 'em. The run has to be established from the get go. The O-line has to come ready to play. If they shut down our running game, it's game over. But, if we can run effectively that opens everything up. They haven't seen speed on the boundary like ours all year. If we run effectively that will set up the play action. We can go down field or down the middle to Olson. Olson has to have a Shockey-Winslow type performance. They will be looking to stop the run and take away the deep threat. He's got to come up major. Kyle CANNOT make dumb mistakes. If it's not there on his second read, the ball's got to be gone. Their defense is too good. He's got to take shots down the field, but he can't just throw the ball up for grabs. he's got the big arm and he's accurate from short to medium range. He's got to play a very heady game.
Defense - We can't out quick ourselves. That means rushing too far up the field, over running plays, and missing tackles. We've got to play bump and run. I've seen too many Tech WRs WIDE open this year. We have the speed in the secondary to recover. With that said, the LBs have to play zone and keep everything in front of them. If they play man, Vick and Imoh will kill us. They've got to disrupt the middle and keep Vick from breaking long runs up the field. He's beaten every defense to the corner so far this year, and he can beat us but not for TDs. The most important unit is theD-line. They have to pressure Vick, but do it up the middle forcing him to the sidelines where hopefully our LBs will be waiting. They've got to clog his passing lanes and harass him. They probably won't sack him and that shouldn't be primary focus. They have to get him out of his comfort zone. If he can sit in the pocket and throw all day, it's a wrap.
So obviously, I'm picking the boys. This will be a tremendous victory if we can get it done. I know we can do it, it's just a matter of execution.
Waldini:
Tenn@ND - For the first time in the Commission weekly pick off history, I am picking against the boys. You named all the reasons Realist and knowing the Ainge is the starter doesn't exactly evoke shades of Shuler, Manning,Martin, or C Clausen. We all know anything can happen but reality says Irish keep marching. Dayum you Tenn (sniff) you broke my heart. IRISH
Wis@PSU - Picking the Nittany Lions b/c they play 10 times better at home than they do on the road. Although dont sleep on Calhoun, he's a beast.NITTANY LIONS
CAL@ORE - I was about to go against the grain and pick Oregon but realized Kelly Clemens is out for the year. Autzen is one of the noisest stadiumsand Bellioti is a good coach but losing Clemens is a lot to overcome. BEARS
NCState@FSU - Mentee vs Mentor, ex-offensive coach vs new offensivecoach....too bad the Noles are better than NC this year. NOLES
MIA@VT - Aw the game that will spark a flurry of emails btw the Realist andGangsta on Monday, Nov 7 :-). Both of you present thought-provoking, eye-opening, valid arguments about why both teams will win. Unfortunately neither means anything to me in picking the winner, lol. Gimme Va Tech b/c that defense is a monsta.
FYI, the Waldini Bowl doesnt accept 5 loss teams. We accept only undefeated and one loss teams from the SIAC :-) Read more!
we're all tied again. hopefully staying up past 1am will cause you two to make a couple of mistakes so i can finally pull away. and now the picks...
tennessee at notre dame - normally i would be wary of picking against a team like tennessee. they are a wounded animal right now having lost 3 straight games. think they want to lose 4 straight? me neither. they may go to a bowl, but it won't be a bowl anyone cares or even knows about. going to the WALDINI BOWL won't impress recruits, but beating the fighting irish under the gaze of touchdown jesus would. make no mistake about it, this IS their bowl game. but there are 4 good reasons why i don't think they'll get it done.
1) if notre dame wins out, they will be guaranteed an invite to a BCS bowl. BCS bowl = $14 mil, non-BCS bowl = $4 mil, all of which they keep. for those of you not counting, that's 10 million reasons to play your a$$ off.
2) notre dame is coming off a bye week. this is the only team i know that has TWO bye weeks in the same season! nevertheless, that gives the irish an additional week to prepare for UT.
3) gerald riggs is still out.
4) too much turmoil in knoxville. the OC resigns,but still has play-calling duties...with fulmer. (?)when has phil fulmer been perceived as an offensive genius? my guess is that was just a line to get people off his back. randy will still be the main signal caller, just not officially. too much indecision, too much pressure. NOTRE DAME.
wisconsin at penn state - wisconsin is a true smash-mouth club that relies mostly on winning the line of scrimmage and running the ball. but they are going to happy valley where 105K will be rocking the very foundation in anticipation of 10-1 season, Big 10 championship and a BCS bid. too much to overcome.PENN STATE
california at oregon - california has a big game next week against USC. normally this would be screamingLET DOWN ALERT!! but i'm still waiting on the bears to put it together. this will be a good test before trying to topple a dynasty next week. at 7-1, oregon is on track to finish with 10 wins - it's only loss to you-know-who. california will have to go to a place, autzen stadium, that knocked the trojans back for a half before they recovered. does california have the grit to go there and beat a good ducks team? they certainly have the talent. i'll go with...CALIFORNIA.
nc state at florida state - the noles win this game, they are guaranteed to go to jacksonville for the acc championship. if not, they'll be forced to win a game against the underrated clemson tigers at death valley. if they are smart, they will handle business this weekend. but here are couple of factors working against them.1) the noles are a hurt team. injuries are prevalent throughout the defense and we're still trying to overcome the loss of our best corner, cromartie. 2) although they struggle offensively, nc state has a really good defense. they should have beaten v-tech earlier in the season, and they would have if not for turnovers. they actually outgained the hokies that game. this game makes me nervous because the noles are such a jekyll and hyde team. but i'm picking them mostly out of loyalty than anything else. FSU
miami at virginia tech - THE GAME. this has the potential to be every bit as good as USC at NOTRE DAME and TEXAS at OHIO STATE. these are two evenly matched, highly motivated teams with something to prove. miami wants national respect, and so do the hokies in a different way. but this is not the same miami team we are used to seeing. these are NICEGUYS! no one spouting off at the mouth, no braggadocio dances, no recruiting violations and mostly NO INTIMIDATION. where are the real canes??? this team lost to a noles team they should have beaten, struggled early with north carolina and has never really looked like they are firing on all cylinders. sinorice moss is hurt and so is eric winston. tyrone moss does not have that game breaking speed that put the fear of GOD in opponents like willis mcgahee and clinton portis did. there really is no ed reed or jon vilma on this team (at least not yet). vtech is solid all the way through. their defense is just as good as miami's and they can move the ball offensively. i don't think vick will have a heisman night, but i do think he'll be effective enough. i think this will be a defensive battle until v-tech breaks away late, similar to the boston collegegame. VIRGINIA TECH
Gangsta D:
UT @ ND - Don't care. Irish.
'Sconcin @ PSU - Don't care. Badgers
Cal @ Ducks - Don't care. Cal
Pack @ 'Noles - Don't care. FSU
The 'U @ Hokies - Don't care. Hoki--don't make me laugh.
No way I'm going against the boys no matter what. Here is how we can beatthem.
Offense - They're defense may be just as fast as ours. So we HAVE to run the ball straight at 'em. The run has to be established from the get go. The O-line has to come ready to play. If they shut down our running game, it's game over. But, if we can run effectively that opens everything up. They haven't seen speed on the boundary like ours all year. If we run effectively that will set up the play action. We can go down field or down the middle to Olson. Olson has to have a Shockey-Winslow type performance. They will be looking to stop the run and take away the deep threat. He's got to come up major. Kyle CANNOT make dumb mistakes. If it's not there on his second read, the ball's got to be gone. Their defense is too good. He's got to take shots down the field, but he can't just throw the ball up for grabs. he's got the big arm and he's accurate from short to medium range. He's got to play a very heady game.
Defense - We can't out quick ourselves. That means rushing too far up the field, over running plays, and missing tackles. We've got to play bump and run. I've seen too many Tech WRs WIDE open this year. We have the speed in the secondary to recover. With that said, the LBs have to play zone and keep everything in front of them. If they play man, Vick and Imoh will kill us. They've got to disrupt the middle and keep Vick from breaking long runs up the field. He's beaten every defense to the corner so far this year, and he can beat us but not for TDs. The most important unit is theD-line. They have to pressure Vick, but do it up the middle forcing him to the sidelines where hopefully our LBs will be waiting. They've got to clog his passing lanes and harass him. They probably won't sack him and that shouldn't be primary focus. They have to get him out of his comfort zone. If he can sit in the pocket and throw all day, it's a wrap.
So obviously, I'm picking the boys. This will be a tremendous victory if we can get it done. I know we can do it, it's just a matter of execution.
Waldini:
Tenn@ND - For the first time in the Commission weekly pick off history, I am picking against the boys. You named all the reasons Realist and knowing the Ainge is the starter doesn't exactly evoke shades of Shuler, Manning,Martin, or C Clausen. We all know anything can happen but reality says Irish keep marching. Dayum you Tenn (sniff) you broke my heart. IRISH
Wis@PSU - Picking the Nittany Lions b/c they play 10 times better at home than they do on the road. Although dont sleep on Calhoun, he's a beast.NITTANY LIONS
CAL@ORE - I was about to go against the grain and pick Oregon but realized Kelly Clemens is out for the year. Autzen is one of the noisest stadiumsand Bellioti is a good coach but losing Clemens is a lot to overcome. BEARS
NCState@FSU - Mentee vs Mentor, ex-offensive coach vs new offensivecoach....too bad the Noles are better than NC this year. NOLES
MIA@VT - Aw the game that will spark a flurry of emails btw the Realist andGangsta on Monday, Nov 7 :-). Both of you present thought-provoking, eye-opening, valid arguments about why both teams will win. Unfortunately neither means anything to me in picking the winner, lol. Gimme Va Tech b/c that defense is a monsta.
FYI, the Waldini Bowl doesnt accept 5 loss teams. We accept only undefeated and one loss teams from the SIAC :-) Read more!
It's the NBA Bi-itches!
Waldini:
- Raise your hand if you think Toine will put 20 plus points, 10 plus boards every night
- Realist was your team really down by 25 to the Bobcats at home? And was that Chris Duhon leading the charge back with a triple double?
- Why did Denver give all that moolah to Earl Watson if they are not going to play him? And he turned down LA's offer for what reason?!?!
- Is it too early for folks to jump on the Bucks bandwagon? Bogut is averaging a double double, Redd is avg 35 a game, TJ is averaging a double double....and this is with Magloire giving them pretty much nothing right now.
- If you're a sixers fan, would you worried that Webber and Iverson are avg 60 pts combined and you are still getting blown out?
What thoughts do you guys have on the league
Gangsta D:
-Toine hit his 1st three 3's. Not gonna happen every night, trust me.
-Sacramento is done. I'm trying to figure out how they keep the forks from falling out of their backs when they run up the court.
-Detroit looks nasty. Don't know about their bench, but the starters are pretty crucial.
-I think it's too early to hop on the Bucks bandwagon, but if Redd keeps shooting out of his mind they could be this year's Phoenix. I forgot how good Ford was coming out of Texas.
- Last year's Phoenix is a middle pack team. You can't lose THREE starters and expect to play at the same level. People still have them in the upper echelon, but i don't see it.
Da Realist:
not much. i haven't seen one game yet. admittedly it's a little hard to care right now because the nba in november sucks. but for the sake of "being in the conversation" everyday, i'll start watching some games.
did see sportscenter this morning. i thought it was very nice of kobe to point out the only reason he missed the game winner in regulation was because he"couldn't see". it was only obvious, because we all know the only way kobe misses a big shot is because he couldn't see or his pants were pulled down or something in that manner. just a little hate to wake you guys up. ;-) (c'MON,you guys need me. without me this would not be THELAKE SHOW, but THE LAKE SLURP SHOW)
Waldini:
Hate you give and hate you shall receive :-)
Guess you didn't watch the entire highlight b/c Kobe "graciously" allowed Phil to call the game winning play for Kwame in OT. But being the great man that he is, Kobe was like "cool", allowed Kwame to try and win the game. Then when Kwame missed, Kobe did what he needed to do. He rebounded the ball, pulled up, hit a jumper and iced the game with .6 on the clock. A great day for a great guy :-)
Now what'chu gotta say HAMMER! Read more!
- Raise your hand if you think Toine will put 20 plus points, 10 plus boards every night
- Realist was your team really down by 25 to the Bobcats at home? And was that Chris Duhon leading the charge back with a triple double?
- Why did Denver give all that moolah to Earl Watson if they are not going to play him? And he turned down LA's offer for what reason?!?!
- Is it too early for folks to jump on the Bucks bandwagon? Bogut is averaging a double double, Redd is avg 35 a game, TJ is averaging a double double....and this is with Magloire giving them pretty much nothing right now.
- If you're a sixers fan, would you worried that Webber and Iverson are avg 60 pts combined and you are still getting blown out?
What thoughts do you guys have on the league
Gangsta D:
-Toine hit his 1st three 3's. Not gonna happen every night, trust me.
-Sacramento is done. I'm trying to figure out how they keep the forks from falling out of their backs when they run up the court.
-Detroit looks nasty. Don't know about their bench, but the starters are pretty crucial.
-I think it's too early to hop on the Bucks bandwagon, but if Redd keeps shooting out of his mind they could be this year's Phoenix. I forgot how good Ford was coming out of Texas.
- Last year's Phoenix is a middle pack team. You can't lose THREE starters and expect to play at the same level. People still have them in the upper echelon, but i don't see it.
Da Realist:
not much. i haven't seen one game yet. admittedly it's a little hard to care right now because the nba in november sucks. but for the sake of "being in the conversation" everyday, i'll start watching some games.
did see sportscenter this morning. i thought it was very nice of kobe to point out the only reason he missed the game winner in regulation was because he"couldn't see". it was only obvious, because we all know the only way kobe misses a big shot is because he couldn't see or his pants were pulled down or something in that manner. just a little hate to wake you guys up. ;-) (c'MON,you guys need me. without me this would not be THELAKE SHOW, but THE LAKE SLURP SHOW)
Waldini:
Hate you give and hate you shall receive :-)
Guess you didn't watch the entire highlight b/c Kobe "graciously" allowed Phil to call the game winning play for Kwame in OT. But being the great man that he is, Kobe was like "cool", allowed Kwame to try and win the game. Then when Kwame missed, Kobe did what he needed to do. He rebounded the ball, pulled up, hit a jumper and iced the game with .6 on the clock. A great day for a great guy :-)
Now what'chu gotta say HAMMER! Read more!
Monday, October 31, 2005
Observations & Eulogies
Gangsta D:
I see some Seminole fan called my phone on saturday. I didn't check my messages but I can only suspect he was calling to rub in the fact we were down 16-7. I think said Seminole fan should've been focusing on his own squad as they almost got beat by a 3rd tier team at home. Just a small bit of advice. Take it as you will.
Before the UNC game: We can beat Va Tech.
At halftime: We're gonna get killed by Va Tech.
After the UNC game: I have no idea.
We won't be able to run like that on the Hokies, soKyle is gonna have to make some plays. He's capable but he can't make dumb throws like he did on saturday. The defense played well but the D-line worries me. Not because they can't get after the QB, but because they rush so hard up the field. You have to contain Vick and clog his passing lanes, that means being disciplined. Don't know if we'll be able to do that, but we'll see.
I don't know who, but a bunch of people on UT's staff have got to get fired this year. Sorry Waldini. You CAN'T lose to South Cack. I mean you just can't lose that game. They went from BCS bowl, to mid-level bowl, to no bowl? Just an absolute disaster, plus they got the Irish next week in SouthBend. 3-5? Not the best babe...
The more I look at Vince Young, the more I'm convinced he's gonna be a greatWR in the NFL. Sorry but that release is killing me. I may be wrong, butwe'll see.
Waldini:
Vince Young is the truth. That cat put his team on his back and single handley destroyed OSU. I agree the release is horrible but when you throw for over 200 and run for 200 with ease, you earn my respect. I mean he was doing Playstation stuff out there. I realize that the Cowboys are not a good gauge and I want to see how he handles a good defense.
D, I spoke with Realist on Sat before halftime and I said "If the Canes lose, I know Gangsta is not going to want to hear your mouth.". Fortunately the real Miami showed up and buried UNC with their defense in the 3rd. That being said, your boys can't do that this wknd against Va Tech or it's ova. What's up with the new unis too. Didnt even recognize them :-).
My Vols...what can I say, they suck. You're absolutely right, they had no business losing to a South Cack team that is 3rd tier and playing without their best player. But as a great wise man has said time and time again,WINNERS WIN, LOSERS LOSE. UT is a loser. Print it, write it, whatever, the team has no heart. Btw the dropped passes, fumbles in the red zone, constant QB changing, all signs point to the coaching staff. Some of those guys might as well start clearing out their desks now. And yes they will be 3-5 after they lose to ND this wknd.
On the other hand, did you catch UCLA coming back from 17 down in the 4th to win in OT. That team has some heart. Do I think they will beat USC? Probably not. Do I think they can give them a good game? Most defnitely. Ilike Maurice Drew
Da Realist:
you ain't checked your message in 2 days??? yeah, right. but just in case you hadn't, i actually called to offer some encouragement to the boys. i DID NOT want them to lose last saturday. i paid too much money for these tickets next week for it to be a nothing game.
the noles are done. i don't want to talk aboutthem.
(sigh) i wish texas played somebody that could test them. they are just so much better physically than anyone they play. i suppose ohio state was a good win, but no one else. vince young is not that accurate, but when the WR is open by 5 yards... and no one makes them pay for turnovers. at least a couple per game.
i didn't see ucla because i was watching okie state collapse AGAIN to texas. i guess there's a reason they are winless in the big 12. Read more!
I see some Seminole fan called my phone on saturday. I didn't check my messages but I can only suspect he was calling to rub in the fact we were down 16-7. I think said Seminole fan should've been focusing on his own squad as they almost got beat by a 3rd tier team at home. Just a small bit of advice. Take it as you will.
Before the UNC game: We can beat Va Tech.
At halftime: We're gonna get killed by Va Tech.
After the UNC game: I have no idea.
We won't be able to run like that on the Hokies, soKyle is gonna have to make some plays. He's capable but he can't make dumb throws like he did on saturday. The defense played well but the D-line worries me. Not because they can't get after the QB, but because they rush so hard up the field. You have to contain Vick and clog his passing lanes, that means being disciplined. Don't know if we'll be able to do that, but we'll see.
I don't know who, but a bunch of people on UT's staff have got to get fired this year. Sorry Waldini. You CAN'T lose to South Cack. I mean you just can't lose that game. They went from BCS bowl, to mid-level bowl, to no bowl? Just an absolute disaster, plus they got the Irish next week in SouthBend. 3-5? Not the best babe...
The more I look at Vince Young, the more I'm convinced he's gonna be a greatWR in the NFL. Sorry but that release is killing me. I may be wrong, butwe'll see.
Waldini:
Vince Young is the truth. That cat put his team on his back and single handley destroyed OSU. I agree the release is horrible but when you throw for over 200 and run for 200 with ease, you earn my respect. I mean he was doing Playstation stuff out there. I realize that the Cowboys are not a good gauge and I want to see how he handles a good defense.
D, I spoke with Realist on Sat before halftime and I said "If the Canes lose, I know Gangsta is not going to want to hear your mouth.". Fortunately the real Miami showed up and buried UNC with their defense in the 3rd. That being said, your boys can't do that this wknd against Va Tech or it's ova. What's up with the new unis too. Didnt even recognize them :-).
My Vols...what can I say, they suck. You're absolutely right, they had no business losing to a South Cack team that is 3rd tier and playing without their best player. But as a great wise man has said time and time again,WINNERS WIN, LOSERS LOSE. UT is a loser. Print it, write it, whatever, the team has no heart. Btw the dropped passes, fumbles in the red zone, constant QB changing, all signs point to the coaching staff. Some of those guys might as well start clearing out their desks now. And yes they will be 3-5 after they lose to ND this wknd.
On the other hand, did you catch UCLA coming back from 17 down in the 4th to win in OT. That team has some heart. Do I think they will beat USC? Probably not. Do I think they can give them a good game? Most defnitely. Ilike Maurice Drew
Da Realist:
you ain't checked your message in 2 days??? yeah, right. but just in case you hadn't, i actually called to offer some encouragement to the boys. i DID NOT want them to lose last saturday. i paid too much money for these tickets next week for it to be a nothing game.
the noles are done. i don't want to talk aboutthem.
(sigh) i wish texas played somebody that could test them. they are just so much better physically than anyone they play. i suppose ohio state was a good win, but no one else. vince young is not that accurate, but when the WR is open by 5 yards... and no one makes them pay for turnovers. at least a couple per game.
i didn't see ucla because i was watching okie state collapse AGAIN to texas. i guess there's a reason they are winless in the big 12. Read more!
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
Bulldogging
Da Realist:
gangsta, what's the level of panic down there in south georgia about the dawgs? are you going to the game in jacksonville?
Gangsta D:
Maybe if I had an extra $250:)
Well, as you know Gator fans like to talk so they'r ealready yapping, but no one fears Florida anymore. Even with the punter playing QB, I don't think Florida can win. The main thing that'll hurt the Dogs is the injuries on theD-line. If they can get pressure on Leak and use all three RBs effectively, they should win.
Da Realist:
yeah, but are you concerned about the way they let mcfadden run hog wild on saturday?
Gangsta D:
Sure but the Gators haven't really run that effectively all year. Plus, this is Urban Meyer's 4th "big game" of the year and he's 1-2 so far. But this is the biggest one yet. If the offense sputters will he adapt and change his play calling? But then again, when it comes to Georgia-Florida, it really doesn't matter. Georgia should've won thelast 4, easily. Who knows what's gonna happen...
Da Realist:
i just haven't been impressed at all with what's going on at florida this year. i can't believe how much his"system" has made chris leak an average quarterback. AND they're not winning! urban meyer has had 2 weeks to prepare. will he stick with his system or will he find a way to dismiss his ego for the game. because i guarantee you, with or without shockley, georgia is coming for leak's a$$ every single down. florida has a pretty good defense too. i think it's gonna come down to whether or not the gators can force some turnovers out of your new qb.
Waldini:
If Georgia continues to blitz Leak like they have done all other SEC QBs,they could turn this into a defensive score (likeAla-Tenn last wknd). If that's the case, they should prevail and do what they havent' done sincethe 80s....(drum roll please)
Beat Tenn and Florida in the same season. Now that should put Mark Richt inthe Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Da Realist:
hadn't done that since the 80's?
Waldini:
I know from 92 until now they have not and I will assume that in 90 or 91 they didnt either so yessir the 80s
Gangsta D:
'87 or '88.
Waldini:
you should understand now why Georgia will feel vindicated if they win Sat. That was the running joke btw Florida & Tenn for a long time. Yea they may beat one of us this year but they aint beatin both of us. And in some years, Georgia really should have laid the smackdown on both squads (HelloQuincy Carter)
Gangsta D:
You can't put it all on "Q." I remember that UGA defense that had Champ, Richard Seymour, & Marcus Stroud letting Jamal Lewis run all over them. But Q did do his part:) Read more!
gangsta, what's the level of panic down there in south georgia about the dawgs? are you going to the game in jacksonville?
Gangsta D:
Maybe if I had an extra $250:)
Well, as you know Gator fans like to talk so they'r ealready yapping, but no one fears Florida anymore. Even with the punter playing QB, I don't think Florida can win. The main thing that'll hurt the Dogs is the injuries on theD-line. If they can get pressure on Leak and use all three RBs effectively, they should win.
Da Realist:
yeah, but are you concerned about the way they let mcfadden run hog wild on saturday?
Gangsta D:
Sure but the Gators haven't really run that effectively all year. Plus, this is Urban Meyer's 4th "big game" of the year and he's 1-2 so far. But this is the biggest one yet. If the offense sputters will he adapt and change his play calling? But then again, when it comes to Georgia-Florida, it really doesn't matter. Georgia should've won thelast 4, easily. Who knows what's gonna happen...
Da Realist:
i just haven't been impressed at all with what's going on at florida this year. i can't believe how much his"system" has made chris leak an average quarterback. AND they're not winning! urban meyer has had 2 weeks to prepare. will he stick with his system or will he find a way to dismiss his ego for the game. because i guarantee you, with or without shockley, georgia is coming for leak's a$$ every single down. florida has a pretty good defense too. i think it's gonna come down to whether or not the gators can force some turnovers out of your new qb.
Waldini:
If Georgia continues to blitz Leak like they have done all other SEC QBs,they could turn this into a defensive score (likeAla-Tenn last wknd). If that's the case, they should prevail and do what they havent' done sincethe 80s....(drum roll please)
Beat Tenn and Florida in the same season. Now that should put Mark Richt inthe Georgia Sports Hall of Fame
Da Realist:
hadn't done that since the 80's?
Waldini:
I know from 92 until now they have not and I will assume that in 90 or 91 they didnt either so yessir the 80s
Gangsta D:
'87 or '88.
Waldini:
you should understand now why Georgia will feel vindicated if they win Sat. That was the running joke btw Florida & Tenn for a long time. Yea they may beat one of us this year but they aint beatin both of us. And in some years, Georgia really should have laid the smackdown on both squads (HelloQuincy Carter)
Gangsta D:
You can't put it all on "Q." I remember that UGA defense that had Champ, Richard Seymour, & Marcus Stroud letting Jamal Lewis run all over them. But Q did do his part:) Read more!
UT Suffering
Waldini:
Gerald Riggs is out for the reason due to injuries to his lower leg and ankle. Man, I added Nate Dogg to this email cuz I know he is feelin the same pain right now too :-)
Da Realist:
well, it ain't like he's missing out on a magical season. i'm sure georgia or alabama fans are feeling a little bit worse because their season had potential. smokey already lost 3 games...it's such a waste because your defense is one of the best in the country. i'd love to see usc play against that defense.
Nate Dogg:
I didn't see the game - although I have it on tape - but I hear Foster did well in replacing Riggs after he went down. I hope this is a blessing in disguise for next year. Just think, if you play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game...beat Bama and Florida this year (which is within reason), they are still in the running for the East. I think Florida is going to give UGA their first lost this week, which is unfortunate b/c I was pulling for UGA to win the conference. I think UT needs a fresh start at Offensive Coordinator next year...just athought.
Waldini:
See Realist, what I told you before the season, it's the offensive coordinator. Things have not been right since David Cutcliffe left to go coach Ole Miss. Randy Chavis runs the same predictable offense every game.
1 and 10 - traditional pro form set, halfback read up the middle
2 and 8 - I formation, halfback slam to the left
3 and 9 (after losing a yd or 2) - shotgun formation with 4 receivers, 1back, WR cross down the middle...may audible for a HB draw
And you know what? It never works :-(..... Read more!
Gerald Riggs is out for the reason due to injuries to his lower leg and ankle. Man, I added Nate Dogg to this email cuz I know he is feelin the same pain right now too :-)
Da Realist:
well, it ain't like he's missing out on a magical season. i'm sure georgia or alabama fans are feeling a little bit worse because their season had potential. smokey already lost 3 games...it's such a waste because your defense is one of the best in the country. i'd love to see usc play against that defense.
Nate Dogg:
I didn't see the game - although I have it on tape - but I hear Foster did well in replacing Riggs after he went down. I hope this is a blessing in disguise for next year. Just think, if you play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game...beat Bama and Florida this year (which is within reason), they are still in the running for the East. I think Florida is going to give UGA their first lost this week, which is unfortunate b/c I was pulling for UGA to win the conference. I think UT needs a fresh start at Offensive Coordinator next year...just athought.
Waldini:
See Realist, what I told you before the season, it's the offensive coordinator. Things have not been right since David Cutcliffe left to go coach Ole Miss. Randy Chavis runs the same predictable offense every game.
1 and 10 - traditional pro form set, halfback read up the middle
2 and 8 - I formation, halfback slam to the left
3 and 9 (after losing a yd or 2) - shotgun formation with 4 receivers, 1back, WR cross down the middle...may audible for a HB draw
And you know what? It never works :-(..... Read more!
Da Realist is Da Purist
Da Realist:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/john_walters/10/24/campus.blitz/1.html
Gangsta D:
Nope not buying it. I still want a playoff. If not having a playoff is so good, then why isn't that the norm in other sports. EVERY single team athletic endeavor has a playoff to crown their champion...except I-A football. Why don't the top two teams in the NFL after the regular season just play in the Super Bowl. It's the same logic. If Indy beats NewEngland and Pittsburg in the regular season, those two teams are eliminated from contention. That would ratchet up intensity, knowing that EVERY single game is important. How come no one is clamoring for that? Don't try to sell me on tradition, cause if you look at the playoff format now and 20 years ago, there's been a few changes. I'm not the kind to be all torn up about it, but there should be a playoff.
Da Realist:
nope. no playoff. there is a reason i'm up all day watching college football, but sleep through most of the day on sunday. i'm not saying it's fair. it's not. but nothing is fair. a playoff is not fair. maybe it's a little more fair than the current system, but it's a LOT more boring. new england patriots at 3-3? don't care. they still can win the superbowl in january. they could lose up to 6-7 games and still have a chance to win it all. please. i'm not willing to give up alot of excitement for a system that may just be a little more fair.
Gangsta D:
Here take this! If Wilbon says it, it must be right... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9809500/
Da Realist:
wilbon barely watches college football. plus wilbon grew up in chicago (pro town) and works in dc (protown). he wants college ball to be just like proball. he's one of our less-enlightened ones. :-) Read more!
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/john_walters/10/24/campus.blitz/1.html
Gangsta D:
Nope not buying it. I still want a playoff. If not having a playoff is so good, then why isn't that the norm in other sports. EVERY single team athletic endeavor has a playoff to crown their champion...except I-A football. Why don't the top two teams in the NFL after the regular season just play in the Super Bowl. It's the same logic. If Indy beats NewEngland and Pittsburg in the regular season, those two teams are eliminated from contention. That would ratchet up intensity, knowing that EVERY single game is important. How come no one is clamoring for that? Don't try to sell me on tradition, cause if you look at the playoff format now and 20 years ago, there's been a few changes. I'm not the kind to be all torn up about it, but there should be a playoff.
Da Realist:
nope. no playoff. there is a reason i'm up all day watching college football, but sleep through most of the day on sunday. i'm not saying it's fair. it's not. but nothing is fair. a playoff is not fair. maybe it's a little more fair than the current system, but it's a LOT more boring. new england patriots at 3-3? don't care. they still can win the superbowl in january. they could lose up to 6-7 games and still have a chance to win it all. please. i'm not willing to give up alot of excitement for a system that may just be a little more fair.
Gangsta D:
Here take this! If Wilbon says it, it must be right... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9809500/
Da Realist:
wilbon barely watches college football. plus wilbon grew up in chicago (pro town) and works in dc (protown). he wants college ball to be just like proball. he's one of our less-enlightened ones. :-) Read more!
Monday, October 24, 2005
Ventre Is A Punk!
Da Realist:
your boy is back.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9798220/
Gangsta D:
I read the headline and immediately knew he wrote the column. Is he mad that Jeanne Buss won't give him any? I can't come up with an explanation of why he has such a hard on for the Lakers...
Waldini:
Let the hate begin....everybody's favorite Laker hater is back and he's not pulling any punches :-)
The only teams in the West that I see as a lock for the playoffs are Spurs, Mavs, Rockets, Suns, and Kings. The latter are iffy b/c losing Amare is big and Abdur-Rahim has never been a difference maker.
Contrary to what everyone believes or does not want to remember, Shaq asked to be traded, he was not forced out.
Da Realist:
he asked to be traded, but only after kobe made it clear he "might" not re-up if shaq was there. once shaq saw the lakers were willing to do anything to keep kobe, he decided to bail.
Waldini:
Find the article, audio or media feed when you hear Kobe say "I may not re-sign because Shaq is not here". Not the word certain parties, No he asked to be traded after Kupchak said everyone on the team is tradeable except Kobe.
Da Realist:
no, he never actually said, "i may not resign if shaq is still here". just like jordan never actually said, "i'm not playing on the same olympic dream team as isiah thomas". same result, though. kobe was smart enough NOT to say it because of people like me who would love to dig up that kind of dirt 20 years from now. be we ALL (except for waldini) understood what was meant when kobe said (during the season after yet another blow up with shaq and phil) that he would be exploring all his options that summer. Read more!
your boy is back.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9798220/
Gangsta D:
I read the headline and immediately knew he wrote the column. Is he mad that Jeanne Buss won't give him any? I can't come up with an explanation of why he has such a hard on for the Lakers...
Waldini:
Let the hate begin....everybody's favorite Laker hater is back and he's not pulling any punches :-)
The only teams in the West that I see as a lock for the playoffs are Spurs, Mavs, Rockets, Suns, and Kings. The latter are iffy b/c losing Amare is big and Abdur-Rahim has never been a difference maker.
Contrary to what everyone believes or does not want to remember, Shaq asked to be traded, he was not forced out.
Da Realist:
he asked to be traded, but only after kobe made it clear he "might" not re-up if shaq was there. once shaq saw the lakers were willing to do anything to keep kobe, he decided to bail.
Waldini:
Find the article, audio or media feed when you hear Kobe say "I may not re-sign because Shaq is not here". Not the word certain parties, No he asked to be traded after Kupchak said everyone on the team is tradeable except Kobe.
Da Realist:
no, he never actually said, "i may not resign if shaq is still here". just like jordan never actually said, "i'm not playing on the same olympic dream team as isiah thomas". same result, though. kobe was smart enough NOT to say it because of people like me who would love to dig up that kind of dirt 20 years from now. be we ALL (except for waldini) understood what was meant when kobe said (during the season after yet another blow up with shaq and phil) that he would be exploring all his options that summer. Read more!
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Prognostications Aplenty
Da Realist:
Time to separate the pros from the cons
The platinum from the bronze
That butter soft sh*t from that leather on the Fonz
An S-1 diamond from an I-class don
A Cham' Dom' sipper from a Rosay ni@@a<, huh?! --Jay-Z
virginia tech at maryland - maryland got dusted last year in blacksburg and would love nothing more than to beat the number 3 team in their backyard. the place should be rocking. but i don't think maryland has enough firepower against that rock-solid tech d.VIRGINIA TECH
tennessee at alabama - whew! alabama wants this game. they want this game real bad. the only problem is they ALWAYS want this game and it hasn't stopped them from losing 9 of 10. the vols are coming off a bye week and will be as prepared for this game as they can be. but i think bama is due. ALABAMA
michigan at iowa - i know iowa has a 23 game winning streak at home. i know iowa usually loses a couple and then finishes the season strong. but michigan still has a shot at the big 10 title and i think this is the week they put it together and finally win 2 straight. MICHIGAN
auburn at lsu - on paper, lsu is probably the most talented team in the country. speed everywhere. this will be a night game at baton rouge so you know they will be ready. but auburn's qb brandon cox is starting to come into his own. this is close, but...AUBURN
texas tech at texas - oh boy, wouldn't i love a longhorn loss here. but it won't happen. texas tech doesn't run the ball, which means they can't chew up the clock, which means they won't be able to get the longhorn offense off the field. conversely, texas can do just that to the red raiders. TEXAS
Waldini:
Ok, I am here this time so I can elaborate on my picks :-)
VT@Maryland - The Hokies D-fence is a monsta and I expect them to be able to slow down the Terps offense. I'm not on the bandwagon about Marcus being betta than Mike but I will say Marcus has gotten better with each game. The offense is producing pts when they need to.
HOKIES
VOLS@TIDE - You already know my answer to this :-). All jokes aside, K-Dawg called me this morning and asked me about who would I pick in this game to help him with college pick'em. 2 weeks ago, I would have said 'Bama in a slam dunk after the beat down they gave Florida and how pitiful Tenn looked against Ga. But Bama looked ordinary against Ole Miss and if it wasnt for the defense, it would have been over. Losing Prothro was a bigger blow than most think. However, Tenn's offense is prbly the worst in the SEC (or close to it). But the defense is legit. VOLS
MICH@IOWA - Both teams are overrated and were exposed by mediocre teams early in the season. Michigan "escaped" with a W over Penn St and Iowa quietly has been handling its' bidness. Is Michael Hart 100%? Kirk Ferentz is a decent coach and usually can turn his team around after negative situations so I think the Hawkeyes squeak one out. HAWKEYES
AUB@LSU - Did you guys know that Auburn is ranked :-)? I want to know who have they beaten a quality team. LSU isn't living up to their expectations either as even though they are extremely talented, I question their heart. But they get another major hurdle at home so I take LSU. TIGERS
TT@UT - Why are we even discussing this? I know TT has the top ranked offense in the Big 12 but it's the Big 12. Conference overall is garbag eand except for Texas, none of those other teams are ready for prime time. Sad to pick them again but Texas wins. LONGHORNS
Gangsta D:
Get ya weight up not ya hate up
Jigga man is diesel when i lift the 8 up
Ya'll ain't ready to work out with the boy
ya flow is brain on drugs
mines is rap on steroids
I lift every voice when i sing
my ability makes yours look like an exercise in futility
Va Tech will win again, but who cares. If they beat the 'U, they'll gain myrespect. Until then, no haps because I'm on "Hokie Swoon Watch."
Alabama almost lost to Ole Miss last week. It was a road game, yes. But Ole Miss isn't just garbage, they're the gunk at the bottom of the garbage bag. It took Brodie Croyle's moxie to get them in position to kick the FG. Without Prothro they have a decent but not explosive offense. On the otherhand, I don't know that UT even has a decent offense. They do have a good defense though. I don't think the players on either time care about theFulmer saga, so that won't be a factor. At Alabama, I'm gonna go with the Tide in a close one. 12-7
I don't trust Michigan. They basically had the Penn State game in hand and almost threw it away. They aren't a team that can win two big games in a row. Iowa is doing what they usually do which is lose early, sneak in under the radar and end up with 10 wins. They're right on schedule. Drew Tate will have a field day as the 'Eyes win by 2 TDs.
Don't know anything about Auburn this year, but LSU has serious scrub out tendencies. They should've beaten Florida by 20, but they kept coughing theball up. Jemarcus Russell shows flashes but no consistency. That being said, LSU is probably the more talented team and their at home. Tigers by10.
My upset special is Texas Tech over Texas. Insane pick you say? More than likely. The Raiders don't play defense you say? Absolutely right. But doesn't this feel like one of those crazy games where nothing goes the way it's supposed to. Maybe i just won't trust Mack Brown until they go undefeated. Read more!
Time to separate the pros from the cons
The platinum from the bronze
That butter soft sh*t from that leather on the Fonz
An S-1 diamond from an I-class don
A Cham' Dom' sipper from a Rosay ni@@a<, huh?! --Jay-Z
virginia tech at maryland - maryland got dusted last year in blacksburg and would love nothing more than to beat the number 3 team in their backyard. the place should be rocking. but i don't think maryland has enough firepower against that rock-solid tech d.VIRGINIA TECH
tennessee at alabama - whew! alabama wants this game. they want this game real bad. the only problem is they ALWAYS want this game and it hasn't stopped them from losing 9 of 10. the vols are coming off a bye week and will be as prepared for this game as they can be. but i think bama is due. ALABAMA
michigan at iowa - i know iowa has a 23 game winning streak at home. i know iowa usually loses a couple and then finishes the season strong. but michigan still has a shot at the big 10 title and i think this is the week they put it together and finally win 2 straight. MICHIGAN
auburn at lsu - on paper, lsu is probably the most talented team in the country. speed everywhere. this will be a night game at baton rouge so you know they will be ready. but auburn's qb brandon cox is starting to come into his own. this is close, but...AUBURN
texas tech at texas - oh boy, wouldn't i love a longhorn loss here. but it won't happen. texas tech doesn't run the ball, which means they can't chew up the clock, which means they won't be able to get the longhorn offense off the field. conversely, texas can do just that to the red raiders. TEXAS
Waldini:
Ok, I am here this time so I can elaborate on my picks :-)
VT@Maryland - The Hokies D-fence is a monsta and I expect them to be able to slow down the Terps offense. I'm not on the bandwagon about Marcus being betta than Mike but I will say Marcus has gotten better with each game. The offense is producing pts when they need to.
HOKIES
VOLS@TIDE - You already know my answer to this :-). All jokes aside, K-Dawg called me this morning and asked me about who would I pick in this game to help him with college pick'em. 2 weeks ago, I would have said 'Bama in a slam dunk after the beat down they gave Florida and how pitiful Tenn looked against Ga. But Bama looked ordinary against Ole Miss and if it wasnt for the defense, it would have been over. Losing Prothro was a bigger blow than most think. However, Tenn's offense is prbly the worst in the SEC (or close to it). But the defense is legit. VOLS
MICH@IOWA - Both teams are overrated and were exposed by mediocre teams early in the season. Michigan "escaped" with a W over Penn St and Iowa quietly has been handling its' bidness. Is Michael Hart 100%? Kirk Ferentz is a decent coach and usually can turn his team around after negative situations so I think the Hawkeyes squeak one out. HAWKEYES
AUB@LSU - Did you guys know that Auburn is ranked :-)? I want to know who have they beaten a quality team. LSU isn't living up to their expectations either as even though they are extremely talented, I question their heart. But they get another major hurdle at home so I take LSU. TIGERS
TT@UT - Why are we even discussing this? I know TT has the top ranked offense in the Big 12 but it's the Big 12. Conference overall is garbag eand except for Texas, none of those other teams are ready for prime time. Sad to pick them again but Texas wins. LONGHORNS
Gangsta D:
Get ya weight up not ya hate up
Jigga man is diesel when i lift the 8 up
Ya'll ain't ready to work out with the boy
ya flow is brain on drugs
mines is rap on steroids
I lift every voice when i sing
my ability makes yours look like an exercise in futility
Va Tech will win again, but who cares. If they beat the 'U, they'll gain myrespect. Until then, no haps because I'm on "Hokie Swoon Watch."
Alabama almost lost to Ole Miss last week. It was a road game, yes. But Ole Miss isn't just garbage, they're the gunk at the bottom of the garbage bag. It took Brodie Croyle's moxie to get them in position to kick the FG. Without Prothro they have a decent but not explosive offense. On the otherhand, I don't know that UT even has a decent offense. They do have a good defense though. I don't think the players on either time care about theFulmer saga, so that won't be a factor. At Alabama, I'm gonna go with the Tide in a close one. 12-7
I don't trust Michigan. They basically had the Penn State game in hand and almost threw it away. They aren't a team that can win two big games in a row. Iowa is doing what they usually do which is lose early, sneak in under the radar and end up with 10 wins. They're right on schedule. Drew Tate will have a field day as the 'Eyes win by 2 TDs.
Don't know anything about Auburn this year, but LSU has serious scrub out tendencies. They should've beaten Florida by 20, but they kept coughing theball up. Jemarcus Russell shows flashes but no consistency. That being said, LSU is probably the more talented team and their at home. Tigers by10.
My upset special is Texas Tech over Texas. Insane pick you say? More than likely. The Raiders don't play defense you say? Absolutely right. But doesn't this feel like one of those crazy games where nothing goes the way it's supposed to. Maybe i just won't trust Mack Brown until they go undefeated. Read more!
Saturday, October 15, 2005
Predictions...or Who Doesn't Know What They're Talking About This Week
Da Realist:
this is the hardest week to predict so far this year. huge games all day long. i recognize that i could easily go winless this week. usc vs notre dame - i want notre dame to win. i really do. i want this to be a fantastic game where we see an overwhelming favorite lose to a big
underdog. i've been itching all week to find a reason to pick the irish. i just can't. as much as i've
heard and read from several people i usually respect that notre dame can win this game, i have to go by what i've seen. notre dame is vastly improved. they are much better. but you can't coach speed. usc has break-away speed and nd doesn't. usc is used to big games, nd isn't. i think the hype for this matchup is about 2 years early. wait until nd can get the type of players that can compete with usc and then we'll see. until then i'll just be hoping for an upset, not
predicting one... USC
colorado at texas - i would be surprised if texas loses this game at home. there may be some letdown, but texas knows it must win out to get back to the rose bowl. they have their eyes on the prize right now and i don't think they'll let it go. colorado talked big noise going down to coral gables and lost 23-3. this texas team is better. TEXAS
penn state at michigan - penn state has a pretty good defense. the question is will their offense cough up some turnovers that michigan can capitalize on. they haven't won a significant road game all year. doesn't mean they can't, just that they haven't. also, which michigan team will we see? the one that lost to notre dame at home or the one that beat michigan state on the road? they already have 3 losses. what else are they fighting for? penn state sees a chance for an
undefeated season. i don't think penn state will run the table, but i don't think michigan will be the one to stop them. PENN STATE
florida at lsu - this game has lsu all over it. lsu will not lose a second straight game at death valley. florida is in the middle of what could be a long season. lsu has even more speed than tennessee. the tigers will use that speed to knock around chris leak. LSU
wisconsin at minnesota - both of these 5-1 teams are still looking to win the big ten. whoever loses this game, however, can fuggetaboutit. wisconsin just lost to northwestern while allowing 51 points! i know they'll come back stronger than last week, but still... minnesota just came off a huge win at michigan last week and is feeling confident. MINNESOTA
michigan state at ohio state - oh boy, another tough one. michigan state is a good team. and they did beat notre dame on the road. but their defense is S-U-S-P-E-C-T. on the other hand, osu has a stout defense, but their offense is too conservative. strength vs strength. what type of game will this be. can msu go into the ol' horseshoe and beat a determined buckeye team still smarting from last week's loss? or will msu jump out to an early lead that osu can't recover from? this is a true pick'em game for me, but i'll go with the home team. OHIO STATE
BONUS PREDICTION
florida state at virginia - ahhhh, the first time i am predicting a game the seminoles are playing in. what makes me nervous is that, beside having the youngest team of the top ten, we have only played one road game. and bobby's boys are known for coughing up a middle-of-the-season game against a fired up team on the road the last couple of years. can they go out and beat a team deadset on avoiding 3 straight losses? virginia knows it's done for the year (2 losses
already and they end the season with ga tech, va tech and miami), but a win against fsu will make their season. this makes me nervous, but i like this fsu team. they seem to be maturing every game. this game will be a test, but i think my boys will eventually pass it. FSU
Gangsta D:
USC will beat the Irish. Notre Dame hasn't seen the kind of speed 'SC will drop on them. For whatever reason, people are not only giving them a chance to beat the Trojans, some are even picking them. WTF?!? Top five passing game against bottom ten passing defense. USC defense isn't as good as last year, but Notre Dame's offense is nowhere near 'SC. The Trojans drop
at least 40 and beat "The Fighting Weis's" by 3 TDs.
Trap game! Don't be surprised if this game is close going into the 4th Qtr. Texas just exorcised a stable full of demons and they see nothing but a clear path to Pasadena. However, achieving success and dealing with prosperity require two different mind states. Texas wins, but they
sleepwalk through it.
Not sold on the Nittany Lions. They're still inexperienced and make too many turnovers. But Michigan is underachieving yet again. Nevertheless, I can't beleive that this Penn State team is good enough to beat OSU and Michigan in back to back weeks, even if neither of those teams are stellar. I think the Big House will be too much for the young lions and Michigan eeks out a close one.
Rush your ends up the field and tell them to stick their hands up if they can't get to the QB. That seems to be the way to stiffle Chris Leak. Last time they faced a real good SEC team, they got destroyed. How will Leak respond in Death Valley? Will Meyer continue to try to run the spread
option even though Leak couldn't possibly be more ill-suited? I'm not sold on Florida and I think the Tigers will be hella pissed after letting the Vols come back on them. LSU by 10.
I have no clue. Neither team is really any good. But average teams that have big wins the week before always worry me. The Gophers beat Michigan, now what? Do they scrub out or play well? I have a feeling they scrub out. The Baaadgers by 3.
I'm not picking OSU again. I told you guys they were overrated. And no this has nothing to do with the Nat'l title they didn't win. They don't know how to use their weapons. The Spartans have enough offense to get it done. The 'Shoe will be rocking and the Buckeye defense will play
well, but their offense will let them down.
You think I'm gonna give love to the 'Noles. Cry in your beer after the game. Cavs by one! Read more!
this is the hardest week to predict so far this year. huge games all day long. i recognize that i could easily go winless this week. usc vs notre dame - i want notre dame to win. i really do. i want this to be a fantastic game where we see an overwhelming favorite lose to a big
underdog. i've been itching all week to find a reason to pick the irish. i just can't. as much as i've
heard and read from several people i usually respect that notre dame can win this game, i have to go by what i've seen. notre dame is vastly improved. they are much better. but you can't coach speed. usc has break-away speed and nd doesn't. usc is used to big games, nd isn't. i think the hype for this matchup is about 2 years early. wait until nd can get the type of players that can compete with usc and then we'll see. until then i'll just be hoping for an upset, not
predicting one... USC
colorado at texas - i would be surprised if texas loses this game at home. there may be some letdown, but texas knows it must win out to get back to the rose bowl. they have their eyes on the prize right now and i don't think they'll let it go. colorado talked big noise going down to coral gables and lost 23-3. this texas team is better. TEXAS
penn state at michigan - penn state has a pretty good defense. the question is will their offense cough up some turnovers that michigan can capitalize on. they haven't won a significant road game all year. doesn't mean they can't, just that they haven't. also, which michigan team will we see? the one that lost to notre dame at home or the one that beat michigan state on the road? they already have 3 losses. what else are they fighting for? penn state sees a chance for an
undefeated season. i don't think penn state will run the table, but i don't think michigan will be the one to stop them. PENN STATE
florida at lsu - this game has lsu all over it. lsu will not lose a second straight game at death valley. florida is in the middle of what could be a long season. lsu has even more speed than tennessee. the tigers will use that speed to knock around chris leak. LSU
wisconsin at minnesota - both of these 5-1 teams are still looking to win the big ten. whoever loses this game, however, can fuggetaboutit. wisconsin just lost to northwestern while allowing 51 points! i know they'll come back stronger than last week, but still... minnesota just came off a huge win at michigan last week and is feeling confident. MINNESOTA
michigan state at ohio state - oh boy, another tough one. michigan state is a good team. and they did beat notre dame on the road. but their defense is S-U-S-P-E-C-T. on the other hand, osu has a stout defense, but their offense is too conservative. strength vs strength. what type of game will this be. can msu go into the ol' horseshoe and beat a determined buckeye team still smarting from last week's loss? or will msu jump out to an early lead that osu can't recover from? this is a true pick'em game for me, but i'll go with the home team. OHIO STATE
BONUS PREDICTION
florida state at virginia - ahhhh, the first time i am predicting a game the seminoles are playing in. what makes me nervous is that, beside having the youngest team of the top ten, we have only played one road game. and bobby's boys are known for coughing up a middle-of-the-season game against a fired up team on the road the last couple of years. can they go out and beat a team deadset on avoiding 3 straight losses? virginia knows it's done for the year (2 losses
already and they end the season with ga tech, va tech and miami), but a win against fsu will make their season. this makes me nervous, but i like this fsu team. they seem to be maturing every game. this game will be a test, but i think my boys will eventually pass it. FSU
Gangsta D:
USC will beat the Irish. Notre Dame hasn't seen the kind of speed 'SC will drop on them. For whatever reason, people are not only giving them a chance to beat the Trojans, some are even picking them. WTF?!? Top five passing game against bottom ten passing defense. USC defense isn't as good as last year, but Notre Dame's offense is nowhere near 'SC. The Trojans drop
at least 40 and beat "The Fighting Weis's" by 3 TDs.
Trap game! Don't be surprised if this game is close going into the 4th Qtr. Texas just exorcised a stable full of demons and they see nothing but a clear path to Pasadena. However, achieving success and dealing with prosperity require two different mind states. Texas wins, but they
sleepwalk through it.
Not sold on the Nittany Lions. They're still inexperienced and make too many turnovers. But Michigan is underachieving yet again. Nevertheless, I can't beleive that this Penn State team is good enough to beat OSU and Michigan in back to back weeks, even if neither of those teams are stellar. I think the Big House will be too much for the young lions and Michigan eeks out a close one.
Rush your ends up the field and tell them to stick their hands up if they can't get to the QB. That seems to be the way to stiffle Chris Leak. Last time they faced a real good SEC team, they got destroyed. How will Leak respond in Death Valley? Will Meyer continue to try to run the spread
option even though Leak couldn't possibly be more ill-suited? I'm not sold on Florida and I think the Tigers will be hella pissed after letting the Vols come back on them. LSU by 10.
I have no clue. Neither team is really any good. But average teams that have big wins the week before always worry me. The Gophers beat Michigan, now what? Do they scrub out or play well? I have a feeling they scrub out. The Baaadgers by 3.
I'm not picking OSU again. I told you guys they were overrated. And no this has nothing to do with the Nat'l title they didn't win. They don't know how to use their weapons. The Spartans have enough offense to get it done. The 'Shoe will be rocking and the Buckeye defense will play
well, but their offense will let them down.
You think I'm gonna give love to the 'Noles. Cry in your beer after the game. Cavs by one! Read more!
Tuesday, October 11, 2005
Translators Needed
Da Realist:
if somebody don't strangle lou holtz, I WILL! does the college coaches corner REALLY need 4 guys analyzing games? kick lou off the set.
Gangsta D:
You have a serious hard on for the old guy. Give him some slack. He's bad but he's nowhere near as bad as Tim Hardaway was on ESPN a couple years back.
Waldini:
Good point. Timmy was a great trash talker (remember that Nike commercial) but he SUCKED as an TV analyst. Holtz is pretty bad though. Did you see the exchange btw him and Mark May when discussing why Penn St football was back? Lou made no sense
Da Realist:
first of all, no one can understand him. how in the hell he was as good a coach as he was still boggles me.
secondly, he loves EVERY coach and EVERY team! every coach is the greatest coach he's ever seen and every team is the best team in america.
lastly, he will make his (long-winded) points and then if someone dares to disagree with him, he will yell over the other guy, completely interrupting until he's had the last say. reminds me of my mom.
there can be too much of a good thing. espn needs to learn this. we don't need lou holtz or anyone else on the college coaches show. jim donnan and trevor mattich are good enough. we don't need nick lachay, desmond howard or rocket ishmail on the college gameday show. chris fowler, lee corso and kirk herbstreit are good enough. leave well enough alone. Read more!
if somebody don't strangle lou holtz, I WILL! does the college coaches corner REALLY need 4 guys analyzing games? kick lou off the set.
Gangsta D:
You have a serious hard on for the old guy. Give him some slack. He's bad but he's nowhere near as bad as Tim Hardaway was on ESPN a couple years back.
Waldini:
Good point. Timmy was a great trash talker (remember that Nike commercial) but he SUCKED as an TV analyst. Holtz is pretty bad though. Did you see the exchange btw him and Mark May when discussing why Penn St football was back? Lou made no sense
Da Realist:
first of all, no one can understand him. how in the hell he was as good a coach as he was still boggles me.
secondly, he loves EVERY coach and EVERY team! every coach is the greatest coach he's ever seen and every team is the best team in america.
lastly, he will make his (long-winded) points and then if someone dares to disagree with him, he will yell over the other guy, completely interrupting until he's had the last say. reminds me of my mom.
there can be too much of a good thing. espn needs to learn this. we don't need lou holtz or anyone else on the college coaches show. jim donnan and trevor mattich are good enough. we don't need nick lachay, desmond howard or rocket ishmail on the college gameday show. chris fowler, lee corso and kirk herbstreit are good enough. leave well enough alone. Read more!
Friday, October 07, 2005
Predictions Baby
Da Realist:
ohio state at penn state - ohio state is used to playing big games, penn state is not. ohio state has had 2 weeks to prepare for this. OHIO STATE
georgia at tennessee - this is the hardest game for me to pick. these teams are so similar. but tennessee has had to play 2 high profile games and georgia hasn't. that and the home field advantage just may give the vols the edge. oh, and i still don't trust shockley. TENNESSEE
cal at ucla - cal hasn't played anybody yet while ucla at least beat OU on their field a little while ago. i'll go with...UCLA
minnesota at michigan - minnesota hasn't beaten michigan since 1986. HELLO! that's worse than OU over texas. michigan is in their heads. AND the game is at the big house. also, with mike hart back, their running game should take pressure off of the passing attack. MICHIGAN
texas tech at nebraska - i don't believe in bill callahan. TEXAS TECH
oklahoma vs texas - ahhh, here's the upset special ofthe week. i'm willing to go out on the line here for four reasons...1) you CAN move the ball on this texas defense. 2) texas will cough up the ball at least twice 3) ou always adds a few wrinkles for the texas game that takes texas a while to figure out 4) ALL the pressure is on texas this year, but both teams have something to play for. unbelievably, OU can still win the big 12 (and bcs bid). this game is OU's season. they can let it all hang out. texas is so focused on the rose bowl that they might try too hard to blow OU out. texas may win, but i'll believe it when i see it. OKLAHOMA
Gangsta D:
OSU vs Penn St. - I don't trust the Buckeyes, no matter how good they looked beating Iowa. They're playing at Penn St. Penn St. actually has an explosive offense this year. So I'm picking Penn St. right? Wrong. The Lions' playmakers are freshmen and their QB is turnover prone. OSU's defense will be too strong for them to overcome.
UGA vs UT - The teams are pretty much even. Neither QB has distinguished himself, yet, as being SEC title worthy. Both running games are good and both defenses are good. So that being said, home field advantage usually breaks the tie right? Wrong. It took Mark Richt 3 years to lose on the road and he hasn't lost at UT yet. Remember that David Greene was an unknown quantity until his 35 second comeback 4 years ago. Some how Richt gets it done.
Cal vs UCLA - Have no idea. Haven't seen either team play. I like UCLA so I'm picking them right...psyche! Recent history shows that UCLA looks good one weekend then sucks the next. Until they prove consistency, I think Tedford gets it done. And yes, the coach really does make a difference.
Minn vs Meechigan - Michael Hart is a beast and the "Logans" play well when he runs well. The Gophers were exposed last weekend. At the Big House, I can't see Maroney running over the wolverines.
TT vs UN - Texas Tech will score...a lot...very quickly. The west coast offense hasn't exactly blown the doors off of the 'Huskers opponents. No way Nebraska keeps up with the onslaught that the Red Raiders will bring.
OU vs UT - Three years ago when FSU had the 'U down by 13 in the 4th qtr, I thought we were done for. But two quick scores later we were up by 1. OK, here we go again with the 'Noles driving for a winning FG. They get down to the whatever yard line and I'm thinking to myself, "No way they miss aFOURTH field goal at the end of the game." Of course we know what happened. So now I'm thinking to myself, "No way Texas loses to OU this year. Noway." I'm going with the percentages and picking UT. This game has nothingto do with talent or execution, it's just who wants it more. And I can'tbelieve Texas will lose this game. If they do, Mack Brown will forever be a loser. I don't care how many 9-win seasons he has.
Waldini:
Ohio St vs Penn St - Ohio St because their defense is legit and they wont blow a lead like Northwestern did. Penn State hasnt played anybody yet so I dont think they are ready to challenge the elite. OHIO STATE
Georgia vs Tenn - I told you, I rarely pick against the boys and this is not one of those rarities. You guys have accurately described both teams, solid defenses, question marks at QB. I think this game will come down to field position and desire to win. Tenn should be motivated since they havent beaten Georgia in Neyland stadium since '99. TENN
Cal vs UCLA - I have seen both play. Cal's running game and defense is the truth. UCLA is decent but they struggled against a Washington team (at home no less) that was drilled by ND two weeks ago. The QB situation will determine the outcome for Cal but I think they win this game. CAL
Minnesota vs Michigan - Maroney is a beast and future NFLer. Too bad the rest of his team is suspect. Michigan isn't exactly itself but I think theyare motivated to win after the emotional victory in East Lansing last week. If the Wolverines do lose, look for firelloydcarr.com to spring up on Sunday morning. MICHIGAN
Texas Tech vs Nebraska - How did this game make it into the selection criteria? Not even worth the typing but a flip of the coins says Texas Tech wins (HEADS) TEXAS TECH
Oklahoma vs Texas - Texas wins this game. PERIOD. TEXAS....Side note - if Mack Brown loses this game , he enters the pantheon of coaches who will always be bridesmaids and never the bride (see Marty Schottenheimer, FlipSaunders, Van Gundy Brothers, Rick Adelman, Tony Dungy, etc) Read more!
ohio state at penn state - ohio state is used to playing big games, penn state is not. ohio state has had 2 weeks to prepare for this. OHIO STATE
georgia at tennessee - this is the hardest game for me to pick. these teams are so similar. but tennessee has had to play 2 high profile games and georgia hasn't. that and the home field advantage just may give the vols the edge. oh, and i still don't trust shockley. TENNESSEE
cal at ucla - cal hasn't played anybody yet while ucla at least beat OU on their field a little while ago. i'll go with...UCLA
minnesota at michigan - minnesota hasn't beaten michigan since 1986. HELLO! that's worse than OU over texas. michigan is in their heads. AND the game is at the big house. also, with mike hart back, their running game should take pressure off of the passing attack. MICHIGAN
texas tech at nebraska - i don't believe in bill callahan. TEXAS TECH
oklahoma vs texas - ahhh, here's the upset special ofthe week. i'm willing to go out on the line here for four reasons...1) you CAN move the ball on this texas defense. 2) texas will cough up the ball at least twice 3) ou always adds a few wrinkles for the texas game that takes texas a while to figure out 4) ALL the pressure is on texas this year, but both teams have something to play for. unbelievably, OU can still win the big 12 (and bcs bid). this game is OU's season. they can let it all hang out. texas is so focused on the rose bowl that they might try too hard to blow OU out. texas may win, but i'll believe it when i see it. OKLAHOMA
Gangsta D:
OSU vs Penn St. - I don't trust the Buckeyes, no matter how good they looked beating Iowa. They're playing at Penn St. Penn St. actually has an explosive offense this year. So I'm picking Penn St. right? Wrong. The Lions' playmakers are freshmen and their QB is turnover prone. OSU's defense will be too strong for them to overcome.
UGA vs UT - The teams are pretty much even. Neither QB has distinguished himself, yet, as being SEC title worthy. Both running games are good and both defenses are good. So that being said, home field advantage usually breaks the tie right? Wrong. It took Mark Richt 3 years to lose on the road and he hasn't lost at UT yet. Remember that David Greene was an unknown quantity until his 35 second comeback 4 years ago. Some how Richt gets it done.
Cal vs UCLA - Have no idea. Haven't seen either team play. I like UCLA so I'm picking them right...psyche! Recent history shows that UCLA looks good one weekend then sucks the next. Until they prove consistency, I think Tedford gets it done. And yes, the coach really does make a difference.
Minn vs Meechigan - Michael Hart is a beast and the "Logans" play well when he runs well. The Gophers were exposed last weekend. At the Big House, I can't see Maroney running over the wolverines.
TT vs UN - Texas Tech will score...a lot...very quickly. The west coast offense hasn't exactly blown the doors off of the 'Huskers opponents. No way Nebraska keeps up with the onslaught that the Red Raiders will bring.
OU vs UT - Three years ago when FSU had the 'U down by 13 in the 4th qtr, I thought we were done for. But two quick scores later we were up by 1. OK, here we go again with the 'Noles driving for a winning FG. They get down to the whatever yard line and I'm thinking to myself, "No way they miss aFOURTH field goal at the end of the game." Of course we know what happened. So now I'm thinking to myself, "No way Texas loses to OU this year. Noway." I'm going with the percentages and picking UT. This game has nothingto do with talent or execution, it's just who wants it more. And I can'tbelieve Texas will lose this game. If they do, Mack Brown will forever be a loser. I don't care how many 9-win seasons he has.
Waldini:
Ohio St vs Penn St - Ohio St because their defense is legit and they wont blow a lead like Northwestern did. Penn State hasnt played anybody yet so I dont think they are ready to challenge the elite. OHIO STATE
Georgia vs Tenn - I told you, I rarely pick against the boys and this is not one of those rarities. You guys have accurately described both teams, solid defenses, question marks at QB. I think this game will come down to field position and desire to win. Tenn should be motivated since they havent beaten Georgia in Neyland stadium since '99. TENN
Cal vs UCLA - I have seen both play. Cal's running game and defense is the truth. UCLA is decent but they struggled against a Washington team (at home no less) that was drilled by ND two weeks ago. The QB situation will determine the outcome for Cal but I think they win this game. CAL
Minnesota vs Michigan - Maroney is a beast and future NFLer. Too bad the rest of his team is suspect. Michigan isn't exactly itself but I think theyare motivated to win after the emotional victory in East Lansing last week. If the Wolverines do lose, look for firelloydcarr.com to spring up on Sunday morning. MICHIGAN
Texas Tech vs Nebraska - How did this game make it into the selection criteria? Not even worth the typing but a flip of the coins says Texas Tech wins (HEADS) TEXAS TECH
Oklahoma vs Texas - Texas wins this game. PERIOD. TEXAS....Side note - if Mack Brown loses this game , he enters the pantheon of coaches who will always be bridesmaids and never the bride (see Marty Schottenheimer, FlipSaunders, Van Gundy Brothers, Rick Adelman, Tony Dungy, etc) Read more!
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
FSU vs USC? Are You Smoking PCP!?!
Da Realist:
ok, ok. it finally got to me. i'm getting excited about fsu this year (a little bit). i finally laid some coin to get 2 tickets to see them when they play virginia in charlottesville. i know what you're gonna say. the noles aren't goodenough to win it all. to that i mostly agree. they still aren't very good on offense and they have a green quarterback and i still don't trust JEFFBOWDEN. but, this IS college football...where it's not guaranteed the best team will win. if so, how do you explain ohio state beating miami in the fiesta bowl a couple of years ago? 9 times out of 10, miami wins that game. what about this year? is florida really better than tennesseee? don't think so, but they won anyway.
i'm letting my guard down a little bit. we have some games coming up that we should win. then all we'll have to do is find a way to beat va tech or miami in the championship game and voila! it's a one game playoff in the rose bowl (maybe). anything can happenin any one game...right? RIGHT???
Gangsta D:
I'm just gonna sit back and watch the carnage. You'll hear no further comment from me. I'll just say this, I remember the euphoria after FSU beatVirginia last year. I also remember how long that lasted. But, anything can happen...
Da Realist:
(bubble bursting...) well, at the very least this team is building confidence for the next couple of years when they'll have more experience.
Waldini:
Glad to see you lighten up a bit on your boys man:-). They are winning and you need to celebrate that..... As for that game, you are right anything can happen. Based on what we haveseen so far this year, no game is a given
Michigan State over Notre Dame in South BendMichigan, unranked, over Michigan State, highly ranked in East Lansing TCU, unranked, over Oklahoma, top 5, in OklahomaTennessee, struggling on O, over LSU, top 5, inDeath Valley, on ESPN, at nightime
When do FSU-Va play anyway? I know this weekthe big games areTenn-Ga, Oklahoma-Texas, Ohio St-Penn St, Arizona St-Oregon, Cal-UCLA
Da Realist:
please. pac-10 games are never "big" unless usc is one of the participants. Da Wife and i call them the"pac-10 pansies". but i recognize i'm highly biased toward southern football. all that pass-happy, no defense stuff doesn't interest me.
fsu plays virginia on oct. 15 at 7:45. two big games that day...usc at notre dame at 3:30 and florida at lsu TBA. i will get to see the notre dame game and still be able to catch fsu play. i'll just watch the lsu game the next day.
Gangsta D:
For pure entertainment value, Pac-10 has it. Every now and then I don'tmind a 41-37 score... Read more!
ok, ok. it finally got to me. i'm getting excited about fsu this year (a little bit). i finally laid some coin to get 2 tickets to see them when they play virginia in charlottesville. i know what you're gonna say. the noles aren't goodenough to win it all. to that i mostly agree. they still aren't very good on offense and they have a green quarterback and i still don't trust JEFFBOWDEN. but, this IS college football...where it's not guaranteed the best team will win. if so, how do you explain ohio state beating miami in the fiesta bowl a couple of years ago? 9 times out of 10, miami wins that game. what about this year? is florida really better than tennesseee? don't think so, but they won anyway.
i'm letting my guard down a little bit. we have some games coming up that we should win. then all we'll have to do is find a way to beat va tech or miami in the championship game and voila! it's a one game playoff in the rose bowl (maybe). anything can happenin any one game...right? RIGHT???
Gangsta D:
I'm just gonna sit back and watch the carnage. You'll hear no further comment from me. I'll just say this, I remember the euphoria after FSU beatVirginia last year. I also remember how long that lasted. But, anything can happen...
Da Realist:
(bubble bursting...) well, at the very least this team is building confidence for the next couple of years when they'll have more experience.
Waldini:
Glad to see you lighten up a bit on your boys man:-). They are winning and you need to celebrate that..... As for that game, you are right anything can happen. Based on what we haveseen so far this year, no game is a given
Michigan State over Notre Dame in South BendMichigan, unranked, over Michigan State, highly ranked in East Lansing TCU, unranked, over Oklahoma, top 5, in OklahomaTennessee, struggling on O, over LSU, top 5, inDeath Valley, on ESPN, at nightime
When do FSU-Va play anyway? I know this weekthe big games areTenn-Ga, Oklahoma-Texas, Ohio St-Penn St, Arizona St-Oregon, Cal-UCLA
Da Realist:
please. pac-10 games are never "big" unless usc is one of the participants. Da Wife and i call them the"pac-10 pansies". but i recognize i'm highly biased toward southern football. all that pass-happy, no defense stuff doesn't interest me.
fsu plays virginia on oct. 15 at 7:45. two big games that day...usc at notre dame at 3:30 and florida at lsu TBA. i will get to see the notre dame game and still be able to catch fsu play. i'll just watch the lsu game the next day.
Gangsta D:
For pure entertainment value, Pac-10 has it. Every now and then I don'tmind a 41-37 score... Read more!
Pound For Pound
Da Realist:
is roy jones jr done or what?
Gangsta D:
Do you even have to ask? Well he's definitely done fighting Antonio Tarver. Maybe he can move up to heavyweight again and fight Mike.
Waldini:
it was pretty sad to see that fight. he looked scared to engage. antonio outpointed him all night but by the 11th round, he was tired. he was so tired he lost his balance and almost fell out of the ring. all roy had to do was come up with a nice flurry and he might have knocked him out. but roy looked like he was scared to take any risks. Read more!
is roy jones jr done or what?
Gangsta D:
Do you even have to ask? Well he's definitely done fighting Antonio Tarver. Maybe he can move up to heavyweight again and fight Mike.
Waldini:
it was pretty sad to see that fight. he looked scared to engage. antonio outpointed him all night but by the 11th round, he was tired. he was so tired he lost his balance and almost fell out of the ring. all roy had to do was come up with a nice flurry and he might have knocked him out. but roy looked like he was scared to take any risks. Read more!
Expert Analysis?
Waldini:
I guess Realist is the big winner this week since he called ND over Purdue. Honestly I didnt think the Boilermakers were that bad but good lawd. Other random thoughts
- Florida got exposed badly. Alabama was scoring off simple plays b/c Florida couldnt either catch or tackle anyone
- USC is a 2nd half team but I think if someone holds that offense to 28 pts for a game, you can beat 'em. THe question though is what team on their schedule can do that. I dont see anyone stiflin them but u never know
- When do Va tech and Miami play again :-?
- Forget Georgia, I'm worried about playin Alabama....they r 4 real
- Florida St quietly continues to put the smackdown on their opponents. Are you smilin yet?
Da Realist:
- how about a cautious smile? florida was exposed saturday. they will have problems now that the blueprint to beating them is in. (put tremendous pressure on chris leak and watch their offense fall apart) this sets up nicely for tenn to win the east, except...tenn still needs to play georgia, alabama and notre dame. they are not going to win all three of those games. one of those teams will realize that clausen doesn't have much of an arm -- they will stack the box and dare him to beat them deep.
- va tech and miami play nov. 5 and I AM GOING!!! should be a great game.
- call me crazy, but i give notre dame at least as much chance to beat usc as arizona state. nd has 2 whole weeks to plan for usc. this game has "upset" writtenall over it. we'll see...
Gangsta D:
USC - Reminds me of the '02 Canes. Not as dominant against the good opponents as they were the year before, but just too much talent to be beaten. But, they can be beaten. I still think only Cal or UCLA can beat them. ND will play them tough, but their defense is still suspect. Matt Leinert didn't throw a TD pass and they still score 38? Bad things man...
Tejas - A big win at OSU is impressive, but this week will be the tell-tale sign. Can they get over the mental hump of beating a down Oklahoma team?
Va Tech - Marcus Vick is more accurate than I thought. The defense andspecial teams are good as always. They haven't played a real good team yet, but that will occur in a month. If they win the ACC, they set themselves up nicely for a Rose Bowl spot. I hate them, but they are playing well
FSU - The defense is pretty special. Weatherford is showing signs. My co-worker thinks they have a chance to play 'SC for the nat'l title. I'll let Mr. Hunt comment on that one.
UGA - Pretty good defense. Shockley so far has played pretty well, if inconsistent. Their 3 headed monster at running back is pretty good. But this week will be the big test. If they can beat UT in Tenn, they are setup for a nice run cause Florida isn't ready.
OSU - Good defense. But they still don't know how to use their speed, andI'm not sold on the QB yet. Nevertheless they're pretty much set up for aBig Ten title, unless somebody creeps up on them.
Alabama - More team speed than I thought. But God punishes the unjust:) Don't know if Prothro breaking his leg in half was punishment for going for a TD in the 4th quarter when you're up by 30, but hey...Like I said achieving success and maintaining prosperity are two different things.
UT - The players love Ricky Clausen. The running game and defense are very good. But UT still has a hellified schedule left in front of them, and I don't know that Ricky is an SEC title kind of QB.
The 'U - The defense is fast. The secondary looks like it did 2 years ago. I'm concerned with the D-line cause we're not getting enough pressure on the QB, but they run to the ball and punish the runner. The offense is another thing. We just aren't in sync. We don't get into a rhythm until the 4th qtr, and that's not good enough. If our offense doesn't get better, we won't beat Va Tech. We have the talent to do it, but we gotta put it together.
Cal - Have no idea. Haven't seen 'em. But they probably have a stud QB and RB. They get 'SC at home this year. They are the last team to beat them and should've beat them last year. Was it Rodgers or the scheme? We'll find out in a couple weeks.
Waldini:
Good job Gangsta, that was a pretty dead on assessment of every team. If I learned anything this wknd, it was college football is ALWAYS unpredictable.
Michigan State losing to a supposedly down Michigan team at home? ND laying an unexpected smackdown on Purdue in Purdue?? Alabama holding Florida without a TD for the first time in over 10 years?? It's why they play the game..... Read more!
I guess Realist is the big winner this week since he called ND over Purdue. Honestly I didnt think the Boilermakers were that bad but good lawd. Other random thoughts
- Florida got exposed badly. Alabama was scoring off simple plays b/c Florida couldnt either catch or tackle anyone
- USC is a 2nd half team but I think if someone holds that offense to 28 pts for a game, you can beat 'em. THe question though is what team on their schedule can do that. I dont see anyone stiflin them but u never know
- When do Va tech and Miami play again :-?
- Forget Georgia, I'm worried about playin Alabama....they r 4 real
- Florida St quietly continues to put the smackdown on their opponents. Are you smilin yet?
Da Realist:
- how about a cautious smile? florida was exposed saturday. they will have problems now that the blueprint to beating them is in. (put tremendous pressure on chris leak and watch their offense fall apart) this sets up nicely for tenn to win the east, except...tenn still needs to play georgia, alabama and notre dame. they are not going to win all three of those games. one of those teams will realize that clausen doesn't have much of an arm -- they will stack the box and dare him to beat them deep.
- va tech and miami play nov. 5 and I AM GOING!!! should be a great game.
- call me crazy, but i give notre dame at least as much chance to beat usc as arizona state. nd has 2 whole weeks to plan for usc. this game has "upset" writtenall over it. we'll see...
Gangsta D:
USC - Reminds me of the '02 Canes. Not as dominant against the good opponents as they were the year before, but just too much talent to be beaten. But, they can be beaten. I still think only Cal or UCLA can beat them. ND will play them tough, but their defense is still suspect. Matt Leinert didn't throw a TD pass and they still score 38? Bad things man...
Tejas - A big win at OSU is impressive, but this week will be the tell-tale sign. Can they get over the mental hump of beating a down Oklahoma team?
Va Tech - Marcus Vick is more accurate than I thought. The defense andspecial teams are good as always. They haven't played a real good team yet, but that will occur in a month. If they win the ACC, they set themselves up nicely for a Rose Bowl spot. I hate them, but they are playing well
FSU - The defense is pretty special. Weatherford is showing signs. My co-worker thinks they have a chance to play 'SC for the nat'l title. I'll let Mr. Hunt comment on that one.
UGA - Pretty good defense. Shockley so far has played pretty well, if inconsistent. Their 3 headed monster at running back is pretty good. But this week will be the big test. If they can beat UT in Tenn, they are setup for a nice run cause Florida isn't ready.
OSU - Good defense. But they still don't know how to use their speed, andI'm not sold on the QB yet. Nevertheless they're pretty much set up for aBig Ten title, unless somebody creeps up on them.
Alabama - More team speed than I thought. But God punishes the unjust:) Don't know if Prothro breaking his leg in half was punishment for going for a TD in the 4th quarter when you're up by 30, but hey...Like I said achieving success and maintaining prosperity are two different things.
UT - The players love Ricky Clausen. The running game and defense are very good. But UT still has a hellified schedule left in front of them, and I don't know that Ricky is an SEC title kind of QB.
The 'U - The defense is fast. The secondary looks like it did 2 years ago. I'm concerned with the D-line cause we're not getting enough pressure on the QB, but they run to the ball and punish the runner. The offense is another thing. We just aren't in sync. We don't get into a rhythm until the 4th qtr, and that's not good enough. If our offense doesn't get better, we won't beat Va Tech. We have the talent to do it, but we gotta put it together.
Cal - Have no idea. Haven't seen 'em. But they probably have a stud QB and RB. They get 'SC at home this year. They are the last team to beat them and should've beat them last year. Was it Rodgers or the scheme? We'll find out in a couple weeks.
Waldini:
Good job Gangsta, that was a pretty dead on assessment of every team. If I learned anything this wknd, it was college football is ALWAYS unpredictable.
Michigan State losing to a supposedly down Michigan team at home? ND laying an unexpected smackdown on Purdue in Purdue?? Alabama holding Florida without a TD for the first time in over 10 years?? It's why they play the game..... Read more!
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