I Need a New Hobby

By the time the A&M-Florida game began on Saturday afternoon, I had worked myself into a total frenzy of anxiety and, I admit it, hope.  Why, oh why, did I listen to the "experts"  (thanks for that, Drumski) or friends (Brenblas)?  Oh, well.

As for the game, I was impressed by Manziel and the players on offense.  I was surprised that the defense hung in, but fear for the future on that front.  I was disappointed, however, that our coaches weren't able to respond to the adjustments that Florida made on defense in the second half.  As Oxey noted, once Florida realized that we never threw up the middle, it shut down the sidelines and we were done. I sure wish we had not had to cancel the opener.

I still predict 6-6.  And when we play Bama, I am going to relive the 1968 Cotton Bowl in my head.

Experts?

A&M is getting some love from the press!

http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/features/writers/expert/picks

Is Anybody Out There Redux?

I know, I know. I completely dropped the blog-ball last football season, not to mention all other seasons. But, it is that time again....BOOLEY TIME.... and maybe this season I can sustain the energy through the Super Bowl. I need help, though, so please, contributors, I beg you....CONTRIBUTE! (And remember, if you get an email notification of a post, don't respond to the email because only I will see it. Intstead. log on and post your comment so all of our many (3) followers can see it). Ok. The countdown has begun.
(reposted because I accidentally deleted).

Mighty, Mighty Aggies Play Today

 As I wait for the Texas-UCLA game, I am watching Clemson and Auburn battle it out.  I have seen only a bit of the second half, but right now Clemson is taking it to Auburn.  Clemson has an impressive true freshman receiver named Sammy Watkins.  Watch out for him.  Uh oh.  Clemson fumbled.

OU plays Fla St tonight, which ought to be fun.  Dallas sports guy, Randy Galloway, recommends betting the house on OU. 

Arizona - Stanford might be good later tonight as well.  But the game of the day is Your Heroes v. Idaho.  I am anxious to see if the Aggie defense plays better than it did against SMU.  Prediction:  mashed Idaho's.  (Of course, I can't watch because it isn't on t.v.)

As for Texas, I have to admit that I am looking forward to seeing the young QB's, McCoy and Ash, as well as Jaxson Shipley (don't you hate it when parents trick up the spelling of their children's names?  Good grief.)  It will be interesting to see if next season, McCoy emerges bulked up as his brother did a few years ago.  Little Shipley plays so much like his big bro...and he is FEARLESS.  I hope he doesn't get hurt playing with such abandon.

And for all you Red Radars, Tech meets the mighty New Mexico.  Er....

Choose One

Did anyone else do a triple-take last night when Maryland took the field?  What the....?

And So It Begins

I alone of the Lawrence offspring suffer from BBL Syndrome:  the inability to watch from start to finish any game (or event) involving a team (or lone competitor) which I wholeheartedly support.  The symptoms appear during every manner of competition:  the Olympics, the World Cup, the U.S. Open (both golf and tennis), baseball, basketball, and football...especially football, especially Aggie football.  So it is that I watched the A&M-SMU game this morning, having monitored the game last night and retiring to my bed knowing the Aggies had won.  Knowing the outcome in no way diminishes the excitement but completely alleviates the ANXIETY. 

First half:  offense was decent.  Good line play, effective running by the backs, cool play from Tannehill.  Lots of short passes...outside bubble screens were successful, in large part due to excellent blocking from the wide receivers.  Need work on special teams, though.  Two blocked  p.a.t.'s. Yikes. The defensive play was a bit schitzophrenic...several sacks but several blown coverages and open running lanes on blitzes.  Interestingly, though the score was 33-14 at half, the stats were very even at half-time.

Second half:  I felt like both the offense and the defense lost a little focus at the end of the 3rd and start of the 4th.  There were several penalties and a couple of bobbles, both of which went our way.  This was a first game, though so I am not terribly concerned.  The defense tightened up and though SMU did move the ball a couple of times, it didn't score again.

Cyrus Gray ran great and when Christine Michael got his chance, mostly in the second half, he looked really good as well.  Tannehill threw to at least 5 receivers...Fuller had 6-8 catches, all relatively short completions.  Apparently, he is nursing a hamstring and the coaches didn't want to risk injury sending him on any long patterns.  Swope looked really good, both on screens and across the middle.  He is tough, has great hands, and will go for the tough catch.  Also, he seems to have excellent body control and manages to get decent yardage after the catch.

All in all, I feel really good about the offense and think that with more play, the defense will become more consistent.  Hard to replace Von Miller, after all.

Apropos of nothing, I thought that Joel Klatt, former Colorado QB, did a really good job as color commentator.  The other guy, not so much.  (And, Bob Davie and Brent Musberger are still rotten.)

All in all, a very satisfactory opening day.  Now, beat the hell out of Idaho!  Gig em, Aggies!

Finally. College Football Begins.

HAHAHAHAHA!  Houston beat California pretty boy Bruins.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention that COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS BEGUN.  Thank you, sweet baby Jesus.

A few random thoughts:

Beware the Bear.  Baylor beat TCU in a gutbusting, swashbuckling, sidewinder of a game.  No defense, but what an impressive offense.  Speaking of Baylor's defense, the coordinator is Phil Bennett.  An A&M grad, he has been at TCU, OU, LSU, A&M, SMU as head coach, and many others.  Still has a little work to do at Baylor.  The scheme is permanent nickel:  5 DB's at all times.  Interesting.  On offense, Robert Griffin looked really, really good but I wanted to slap the color commentator each time he called Griffin "RG3".  That was getting on my last good nerve.  Also, TCU has new uni's...sort of cool stencil effect on the numbers, but the "6" looks like a "G". 

No surprises with the Ohio State, Alabama, and Michigan wins.  Some new coaches:  Ohio State, Michigan, Stanford, West Virginia, Maryland, Florida. 

Watched most of College Gameday on ESPN.  That is a good show, except for that merkin-wearing Lee Corso.  It is past time for that guy to hang it up.  He is the talking version of scrabble.  Oy.

Tonight Oregon meets LSU and Boise State plays Georgia.  Last year, I thought LSU was more lucky than good...undiscplined with no heart.  Then I watched them vivisect the Aggies in Cotton Bowl.  So now I am not so sure.  I think LSU should beat Oregon...I will always pick SEC over Pac 10 (and not because A&M is going there) but I do so here with reservations.  Likewise, I don't feel super-confident in picking Boise State over Georgia, especially with the game being played in Atlanta.  I just don't trust Georgia, even though the coach is very good-looking.  So, Boise State it is.

Tomorrow, the Aggies play the Mustangs.  Aggies should win and I pick them to win.  Texas plays Rice.  Ho hum.

Bloomberg: A&M sys it is leaving Big 12

Texas A&M Says It Will Seek to Move From Big 12 Conference in June 2012 - Bloomberg

Texas A&M University said it will seek to move from the Big 12 Conference, without identifying the league where it might wind up in 2012.

link to Bloomberg
 

Preseason NCAA Coaches Poll

NCAA College Football Coaches Poll

 go to the link above and check out #9

Oh and  #24

Mavericks Win!

Maverick Deshawn Stevenson displaying his disdain for Lebron James.

Holla!

Just a little reminder to start stretching out, get your copy of Texas Football, and start calendaring the games of your favorite teams....it is only a few short months until COLLEGE FOOTBALL SEASON.  Yay!  And while we wait, how bout them Mavs?

i am waiting for Kabul to freeze over

Was it my imagination or did the Aggies and the Cowboys win on the same weekend?

They Did What They Duz

Saturday night, I attended the Texas Rangers first ever World Series appearance at their home field.  Often, events that you greatly anticipate don't live up to your hopes and expectations so you end up being a bit disappointed at the end of the day.  So, was this what I hoped it would be?  ABSOLUTELY.  It was a gorgeous day, the fans were SO excited, the stadium was in great shape (and I just like this ballpark anyway) and I was with my aunt and uncle, 2 of the most ardent Ranger fans that I know.  The game was the best one so far, not only because we won (thank goodness) but because it was close, exciting and completely nerve-wracking.  (I prefer my teams to score early and often, to get a large lead as quickly as possible, and put it away).  I can't believe that I now have seen my team in a World Series game.  Just never thought that would happen.  Now, if I could see the Aggies play for the national championship..........

Jerry Jones is Gnashing His Teeth About Now

Who'd a thunk that in the year that Arlington hosts the Super Bowl, it would also be hosting the World Series?  And that it would be the Rangers and not the Cowboys who are the talk of the town? 

I have to admit that I was a lapsed Rangers fan until .... NOW!   Forget the years of ineptitude in playing, pitching, coaching, and ownership.  These Rangers are GOOD and so fun to watch.  And don't they seem to be having a great time?  I just love Elvis, Ian, Michael, Nelson, Vlad, Josh, Benjie...and Cliff and Colby and....Ron and J.D. and Nolan and...just WOW! 

Since I know almost nothing about the Giants and the Phillies, I have no thoughts on who I would prefer us to play in the WORLD SERIES (Let me just say that again:  the WORLD SERIES).  Thoughts?

Go Rangers!

I am nervous.

Finally some good news

The Rangers have won a playoff series for the first time ever. Ever. They were the only franchise to have never won a series. Cliff Lee won 2 games in the 5 game series. He struck out 23 batters, walked none( that is none) and allowed 1 run in each game.
Now the stinking Yankees.

Wade should have b***h slapped that right corner on tv in front of God and everybody

I watched a good bit of the game when I wasn't so mad I turned it off and went to  read economics papers because it was more fun. That jenkins or jennings or jinx  kid is dead as a d-back from now on. Every ref in the league now knows he grabs on to everyone he gets near. I feel sorry for his girlfriend. They need to tape his hands together like a flipper. I haven't seen anyone beaten like that since Walter Mondale. I hope this kid disappears from the scene as fast. Jeez. i always rather liked wade Phillips but he is gone. Cowgirl fans better start a letter campaign to Cowher. He would get them back in jockstraps instead of petticoats. They would all be afraid he might bite them. Kudos to Romo though.  The guy is fun to watch.

Sports Flopalalooza

Well, so much for the greatest sports weekend ever.  Aggies lost, Rangers lost (twice), Cowboys lost.  The only good news is that Bama lost, though I wish it could have been to someone other than Coach Jackass Spurrier.  SC looked good, though.  I have seen them play a few times but until yesterday, I wasn't that impressed.  But could they please get a new mascot?

Speaking of mascots, the other day Oxey and I were talking about best and worst mascots.  We decided that a good mascot has to have some connection to the school, or city/state in which the school is located, but not be ridiculous (Horned Frogs, anyone?).  Some good mascots:  Texas Longhorns,  Oklahoma Sooners, Nebraska Cornhuskers, Purdue Boilermakers,  Florida Gators.  The mascot shouldn't be a generic animal:  no bears, lions, panthers, wildcats.  And sorry, but beavers, ducks, trojans, gamecocks, terps are just silly.  And some just make no sense:  Green Wave, Crimson Tide, Cardinal, Blue Devils...what up? 

And finally, I think I am going to watch all LSU games from now on. Or maybe I will just watch the last 2 minutes.  Les Miles has to be the luckiest coach in the universe.  If you didn't see the end of the game against Florida, look it up on the internet.  And if you didn't see the end the game against Tennessee the week before, find that one as well.  Just unbelievable.

White Hat, Black Hat

The sports wonks in Dallas have been talking and writing about the Titans' defense this week.  The feeling seems to be that this defense is, at best, very physical, at worst a bunch of cheaters.  These guys lead the league in roughing-the-passer penalties and are tied for the most defensive penalties.  Of course, they also lead the league in sacks.  No surprise, I suppose, since Jeff Fisher is a Buddy Ryan protege.  In a column in today's Dallas Morning News,  Gerry Fraley urges the Cowboys to turn the other cheek, noting that in the Titans' 2 losses, their opponents did not retaliate.  On the other hand, in Titan wins, the opponents lost their
respective cools and had double-digit penalties by game's end.  According the Fraley, this is exactly what the Titans want.

I heard the great Drew Pearson interviewed on this topic by Randy Galloway on Friday and found his comments really fascinating.  Pearson said that if someone gave him a cheap shot, he made a point of getting the guy back at some point in the game.  When asked how he did it, Pearson said that he would wait for an opportunity to (legally, he said) clock the guy under the chin or upside of the head with an elbow or forearm.  Usually, he said, this would be on a running play, or sometimes in a pile.  He then said he thought it would be useful for the young receivers to talk to the veterans, like Pearson, to learn how to do this because the receivers coach, having never played, wouldn't know.

While I completely understand Pearson's point of view, I think that in the end, you have to behave as though nothing the other guy does bothers you.  Take a hit?  Just get up and trot back to the huddle.  Keep playing...DO NOT BACK OFF.  The absolute worst thing you can do is let the other guy know he is getting to you and if you retaliate, he knows.  If you change your game, he knows.  If you short-arm the ball, whine to the ref, change your route, run out of bounds to avoid a hit...he knows.  Don't be  p*****s.  Execute.  Win.  Winning is the best revenge.

Sports Extravapalooza

Round here, people are saying that this is the greatest sports weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth history.  Last night, we had high school football, as usual, but we also had the Stars season opener, which they won.  Today, we have no less than 3 college football games:  Baylor plays Tx Tech at the Cotton Bowl, during the State Fair;  A&M takes on Arkansas at the Death Star; and TCU plays Wyoming in Ft. Worth.  This afternoon, the Rangers go for the sweep in game 3 in their playoff series with Tampa Bay.   For soccer fans, FC Dallas starts its playoff series with Colorado tonight in Frisco and tomorrow the Cowboys wrap-up the weekend with a game here against the Titans.  Wow, sports overload.

nice halftime adjustments

didn,t see any of and I am not consoled by if it was exciting

Texas A&M Aggies 35 - Oklahoma State Cowboys 38  - Add to iGoogle
	Sep 30 1 2 3 4 T Texas A&M 14 7 0 14 35 Oklahoma State 0 7 21 10 38

But at least we must have looked better than the hairdressing team that suited up for UT last week.

A&M wary of TV games

Of our televised games we've lost 10 of the most recent 11. Thursday night games carried nationally have been especially adverse. If before mid -season, they've been uniformly humiliating. Recall U.of Miami, Virginia Tech, Utah. Games where Laird just taps out, "Beer me" and hits the send button - somewhere early in the third quarter after early but ample evidence that things are going to deteriorate rather than improve from the awful trend of the opening half. Some would be cautious so as not to be again disappointed. Nope. We are going to get this must win by outscoring these guys even though Jerrod will be running for his life much of the night. For once , the opponents will have a couple of critical fumbles - and Von Miller plays great every time we look as if we're going to give in. 34-31. dwc

Cowgirls Win!

What in the wide world of sports got into Roy Williams today?  I am not sure that I ever seen him play so well.  And who else caught a pass today?  Austen, Witten, Hurd, Bryant, Bennett...anyone else?  Aside from Keith Brooking, who may have redeemed himself with that 3rd down sack, the Cowboys played really well in all 3 areas of the game.  Wow.  Nice.

You Say: STINKO I Say: MALO!!!

Could the Horns have played any worse?  That was painful to watch.  UCLA had 267 yards rushing, 27 passing.  Oh...my...goodness.   After last week against the Red Radars, I thought the Horns' defense was impenetrable.  Boy was I ever wrong...couldn't have been wronger.   And speaking of the Horns, Oxey and I were talking about their offense (this was early in the game before it got REALLY bad) and he commented that UT doesn't really have an offensive scheme...and hasn't had one for years.  Then, one of the commentators for the Hog-Bama game (more on that later) remarked that in a conversation with Nick Sabin, Sabin remarked that on offense, you just have to let the players do what they do well...you really don't scheme it...but on defense, you MUST have a scheme.  Interesting.

Anyhoo, I was excited about how the Hogs started the game but Mallett CHOKED but good.  One interception in the endzone, one terribly thrown ball that resulted in points for Bama and a final, pitiful, drive-ending ball that he appeared to TRY to throw out of bounds.  After watching the Hogs in two games, I am not that high on Mallett.  No doubt he has talent but, I don't know, he just doesn't seem that great to me.

As I write this, OU and Cincinnati are in the fourth quarter of their game, OU up by 2 points.  Landry Jones looks pretty good but the Bearcats are hanging in.  GO BEARCATS!

Boise State and Oregon State have just started and I think it is 10-7, BS.  The one thing to keep in mind about this game:  the blue field is VOMITORIOUS.  Actually, in everything but points, BS is killin.

Apropos of nothing, I love Verne Lundquist.

Week Four

Just how much do I hate UCLA?  Well, perhaps not as much as I hate USC since my man, Troy Aikman, went to UCLA back in the day, but still they are just another bunch of California pretty boys coached by one of the cheatingest coaches ever, the detestable Rick Neuheisel.  Yuck, yuck, yuck (not to be confused with Curly Stooge's "nyuck nyuck nyuck".)   Hope the HORNS moidelize them.

Hogs v. Tide:  this is hard.  I think Bama will win, so that is not the problem for me.  My Hog hatred goes way back to the old Southwest Conference days but my Bama hatred is greater...Bear Bryant...do NOT get me started.  Also, the Aggies play the Hogs next week so if they could beat Bama they might not get up for the Ags.  On the other hand, they might feel unbeatable.  If they lose to Bama, they will be MAD and anxious to cremate the Aggies like they did last year.  On the other hand, if they lose to Bama, they might just be demoralized enough to not show up for the Ags.  I just don't know.  I guess I hope the Hogs win but I don't expect them to.  And as Oxey reminded me, the Hog coach is a nominee for the lifetime Corso Wears a Merkin award for biggest  <insert crass slang word for female genitalia>  !!!!ALERT ALERT ALERT!!!!  OXEY JUST REMINDED ME THAT THE AGS DON'T PLAY THE HOGS NEXT WEEK--THEY PLAY OSU.  SO, YOU KNOW THAT STUFF I SAID ABOUT THE AGS, THE HOGS, AND BAMA? WELL, NEVERMIND.

The What Were They Thinking Award:  the parents of Jacquizz Rogers.  Oy.

Even though TCU beat SMU last night, if was far from the overpowering performance that everyone expected.  In an unexpected lucid moment, Lee Corso opined that TCU was trying too hard for style points, knowing that it has to win BIG to move up in the polls.

Does Lou Holtz have a speech impediment?

Does anyone besides me think the OU-Cincinnati game might be interesting?

I predict that Denard Robinson of Michigan will get seriously injured before the season is over.  He got dinged again this week.  Also, the Mich defense needs to learn to TACKLE.

Week Three: Better Late Than Never (I Hope)

It has taken me a full week to get over the Aggies' frightening performance against FIU.  5 turnovers.... But, they didn't quit and in the fourth quarter scored MANY points to take the lead and at the very end, managed to keep FIU out of the endzone long enough to log a win.   This week off and then...pigs, I mean, hogs.  I don't know whether to hope the hogs beat or lose to Bama this week...

Blithering Idiot Award:  Lee Corso.  Honestly, I didn't understand a word he said last week (I refuse to consider that I may be the Blithering Idiot)

TCU looked tremendous against Baylor, a team that I thought had improved.  Unimpressed with Baylor's highly touted QB  but his poor play may have been the result of TCU's defense.

Speaking of defense, the Horns looked tough.  That game was weird, though.  It started out just crazy...both teams  seemed a bit wild-eyed.  It made me anxious just watching and I didn't have a dog in the hunt.  Gilbert looks promising to me thought the offense was erratic.  They need to find a consistent back.  As for the Red Radars, not good.  Potts was just bad...maybe he hurt his hand or maybe the D gave him nowhere to go, but it was NOT pretty.  Of course, that doesn't mean that they won't hammer my poor Ags.

Really, really had hoped that Air Force would pull off the upset against OU but it just didn't quite happen.  OU only won by 3, though.  Props to the cadets.  I love a good passing game but I have to say that a well-run option game is a thing of beauty.  Poetic justice that it was run against OU.

Va Tech managed to win, but did it have to be over Ruffin McNeill's ECU?

Tea Sip comes from the word "Insipid"

Dear Brothers and Sisters of College Ball ie Football,

U T stands for arrogance
A & M stands for gung ho
Texas Tech stands for "what about me?"

All of us have known since 2nd grade that Texas ruled the recruiting game in the state of the same name and that OU stole as many goodin's as they could and after that the rest lined up. Well watching UT's defence undress Tech's offensive ( they were truly offensive) it dawned on ol' Dorko here that Jim Jeffcoat's offspring, being only 19 years old and 290 lbs. strong and swift....and in only his 3rd game as true freshman starter, that maybe us others might want to form behind and to the right of those flippin' Tea Sips. It's disgustin' to think that the beat goes on, but By Gosh it does. Before the sips dismantled Tech in a sloppily played game by both teams, I thought that OU would demolish the Bevo bunch. Now I'm lookin' forward to the Big D Game as I think the Texas D. line may be the best they've brIught to a stadium in the Brown Era. OU has had a bunch of goodin's but this may be the best D line we've seen in a long while.
If any of us are gonna beat 'em this year, we better hope for injuries for those rascals as they're loaded with talent.....pure and simple. Dorko the Humbled

Cowboys-Redskins

1st qtr:  Yikes.  2nd qtr:  What the...?  3rd qtr:  Jeez.  4th qtr:  WHAT!  sigh.

Week Two Awards, Part One

The What Were They Thinking Award:  the parents of Foswhitt Whittaker

The Blind Leading the Blind Award for Radio Broadcasting:  Dave South, the worst play-by-play announcer in the history of ever

The Corso Wears A Merkin Award:  Va Tech*.  Jesus!

*Va Tech is a team that is always touted as having a tough defense, spectacular special teams, genius coach, and potential for greatness but this team just continues to disappoint.  Now, I don't really care if Va Tech wins or loses but I do keep up with them and I am glad I am not an alum.  I have spent a lifetime suffering along with the Aggies but I would rather my team be bad than disappointing.  If you try hard, work hard, play with heart and discipline and lose because you just  aren't as good, I will support you forever.  But don't underachieve...or quit...or not care.  Along these lines, someone remind me to name the winner of the Phil Fulmer Underachiever Award at the end of the season.

First Week: Awards and Random Thoughts

Awards:  I have decided to award...well...awards each week, assuming I remember to do so.  I will accept nominations, which must be received before I award the award.  Clear as mud?  Anyway, here are the Booleyean Awards for week one:

Master Non-Sequitarian:  Bob Davie

The Dan Jenkins Award for Rip-Snortin' Gut-Bustin' Side-Windiness (and that is wind as in a watch, not wind as in blowing air (( although wind as in blowing air might be more appropriate))):  Brent Musburger

Bloviating Gasbag of the Week:  Craig James (Speaking of whom, he made his inglorious return calling the Navy-Maryland game on Sunday morning.  Yikes.  How are the mighty fallen.

Corso Wears a Merkin Award: the entire LSU team 

AND NOW FOR SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS:

I am officially sick of tatoos.

Whaddup with the rash of heinous uniforms?  Boise State, Va Tech, TCU?  Yikes.  Patent leather shoes, c'mon.  Texas, Alabama, Penn State...those are REAL uniforms.

Watched Auburn-Miss St last night and was impressed with Auburn's QB.  6'6", 250...he will be fun to watch this season.  Also, Auburn had a defensive end who had an AWESOME game.  Will be interesting to see if this game was an anomoly.  Miss St looked decent, too.

In checking the Aggie stats after the week, I was disappointed to NOT see Von Miller's name in the sack department.  Turns out he got hurt (ankle) and didn't play much.  Not sure he'll play this week against La Tech.  I think he wants to play but the coaches want to save him.  This shouldn't be a game where his presence is essential, so might be smart to let him rest for a week.  We shall see.

Watching West Va-Marshall right now.  Ummmm.

Looking forward to tomorrow...many fun match-ups. 

Curse of the Heisman

Heisman winners, Troy Smith (2006) and Matt Leinart (whenever) both were cut by their respective NFL teams.  Leinart has been picked up (by the Texans, I believe) but no such luck for Smith yet.

It is BOOLEY Time!

I just lurve college football...and the 2010 season has begun.  Over the weekend I watched a bunch of games and saw bits and pieces of others.  Here are my impressions:

Texas v. Rice---ho hum.  I was not impressed with Texas QB, Gilbert, but I expect he will improve. 

Tx Tech v. SMU---Tech is a better team by far but once the Red Radars got ahead, they mailed it in and almost managed to lose.  Even with 4 turnovers, SMU hung in there.  Props to the Mustangs.

LSU v. NC State---I think LSU has now become the most gutless, underachieving, lame-ass team since the Kansas State teams of a few years ago.  NC State was playing without 13 players, including its entire secondary (I believe) and still almost won that game.  Les Miles needs to do something to get those idiots' attention.

Florida v. Miami of Ohio---I only saw a little but the Florida offense looked B-A-D!  The defense was another story, however.

Eastern Carolina v. Tulsa---why, you may ask, did I watch this game?  Because the new coach is Ruffin McNeill, former d-coordinator at Texas Tech.  And am I glad I watched this.  No defense whatsoever but tons of lead changes, back and forth, excitement...you name it.  Last play of the game:  with 5 seconds left at the Tulsa 30 (or so) yardline, the EC qb throws into the end-zone to a 6'8" freshman receiver who caught it amidst a crowd to win the game.  It was awesome.  YAY Ruffin!

TCU v. Oregon State---this was a little more exciting than I wanted it to be.  TCU's defense was a little porous and Dalton threw a couple of ints.  Still, a win is a win.

Didn't see Fla State but the game marked the start of the no-Bobby-Bowden era.  Exit, Bloviating Gasbag.

Also didn't see OU v. Utah State (?) but was delighted that OU had trouble.  Only thing better would have been a loss.

And, because it wasn't televised, I didn't see the Aggies play but I followed on game tracker (how cool is that, by the way?)  Johnson was 23 for 35, 2 TDs, no ints, 1 running TD.  Final score was 48-7, Aggies.  They beat a team they should have beaten but YAY anyway.  GIG EM AGGIES.

SOME BIG GAMES NEXT WEEK:

OU v. Fla St  (could they both lose, please?)
Ala v. Penn St
Ohio St v. Miami (not of Ohio)
Michigan v. Notre Dame (pretty much hate em both)

British Open Week

I am pulling for Watson or Tiger, but mostly I am pulling for wind. Actual wind since some would suggest i have more wind than I need already.

While Watching the World Cup Finals

Seems like the Netherlands is playing much more physically today than before in the tournament.  Unfortunately, many of their "challenges" look like total cheap shots.  Can there be any excuse for that kick to the chest?  I wish, however, that the Spanish wouldn't all drop to the ground as though they've ruptured their spinal cords.  Just get up and keep playing.  "Shake if off" doesn't seem to be in the soccer vocabulary.  It does seem as though the Netherlands' strategy is throwing Spain off-stride a bit, though.  Second half ought to be fun.

US WINS!

This morning at work I was mostly listening to but somethimes watching the US play Algeria.  What an exciting game. (I am watching it now, at home, having DVR'd it.  Are DVRs great or what?)  Next up, Ghana.  I haven't seen Ghana play but I recorded the game with Germany, so I will watch it later.  As for the US team, I think that what they lack in skill  they make up for in effort.  They just don't stop, from I can tell.  Not the best team, though, so I am not super optimistic.  Even if they get by Ghana, it is an uphill road.

I have seen a number of other games and have really enjoyed watching the South American teams, but for the RIDICULOUS phoney-baloney injuries and dives.  I  really wish FIFA would do something about this.  Of course, it would have to start with the pros, I think, since all of these guys are professionals.  Kick a few fakers out and that would put an end to it. But taking dives and faking injury isn't anything new in soccer...

Big 12 Lite

Here is the Oklahoma take on the whole Big 12-Pac 10 brouhaha.  My sources (sbaskind) tell me that Texas Tech is majorly PISSED, having wanted to (1) go to the Pac-10 and (2) shed itself of the Aggies (whom the Red Radars loathe with a purple passion).

Here and here are stories from The Dallas Morning News with another view. 

And here a few Aggies spout off.  To them I say:  GROW THE F*** UP!

Here is the truth:  IT IS ALL ABOUT THE BENJAMINS.

Aaarrrgghhh!

Here is a link to an article in The Texas Lawyer regarding Mike Leach's lawsuit against Tech and others.

World Cup Forecast

JP Morgan used modelling processes to evaluate this year's World Cup. so for those you planning to wager go here to SCRIBD to get a copy.

She Started It

Let this dude go.  http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b3FKv

Let's Sic Uncle Bill On Him

ANOTHER TIDBIT FROM  THE BLEACHER REPORT:

Ladarius Brown of Waxahachie, Texas could play either safety or wide receiver at the next level.
His breakaway speed and soft hands netted him a 26.1 yards per catch average as a junior.
The Sooners, Aggies, Cowboys and Florida Gators all want to make him their primary deep threat. A&M and Okie State have extended offers.
Brown has visited College Station a few times, digging the resurgent vibe of the young, athletic players at A&M.
Brown is also receiving interest from Alabama, Texas Tech, Houston and TCU. Florida expected him to visit for the recent spring game—no word on whether that materialized.
That he might favor an up-and-coming program over a firmly entrenched one tells me the Aggies, Cowboys and Red Raiders have a legitimate chance of topping the big boys on this one. I like the Aggies to keep their 2010 recruiting momentum alive with another promising athlete.

Master's Week

I love the Master's tournament. Somehow it seems to bring out drama. I also hope Tiger wins it by 20 strokes. I also hope instead of a"going to Disneyland" , he says he is going to a strip club. i am so sick of these holier than thou reporters talking about his infidelities. Elin deserves all the apologies Woods can muster , but everyone else can take a flying leap.

image from About.Com

NCAA Tiltle Game

Does anyone remember seeing a better NCAA Championship game? I was rooting for Duke because my idiot brother in law (that doesn't narrow it down), the younger of my idiot brothers in law went to Duke. But it was hard not to root for Butler. This was the best tournament in years.

Can I get an Amen!

Thanks to The Bleacher Report for this niblet:


Christian Lemay (6-foot-3, 195 pounds) of Matthews, N.C., made some adjustments to his top 10, switching out three schools from his original list. According to his father, Lemay dropped Oklahoma, Mississippi State and Florida State and replaced them with Auburn, Texas A&M and Notre Dame. The rest of his favorites are Clemson, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia Tech, Miami and North Carolina.

Lemay has been to Clemson and Georgia for junior days. His father said they will get to Clemson, Georgia and Auburn for spring games, and they want to visit Texas A&M before they cut their list to five in July. Lemay also will name a leader in July. He will take his five official visits this fall before making a decision.

Apparently, this guy is one of the most highly recruited QBs in the country.

From Austin, This Just In

Cousin John reports: I can't figure out how to blog, so would you pass on this story out of Austin tonight :


Coach Rick Barnes , moving quickly to stop any rumors to the contrary, confirmed he " has no interest whatsoever in the coaching job at Texas. "
Also out of Austin, the NCAA today granted a same sex marriage license to the winningest quarterback in UT history, Colt McCoy, and his significant other, guitar playing ,lifelong Bible brother, Jordan Shipley, provided Shipley comes back for his 7th year at UT .

Back To School

Kudos to Mr. Warren. He doesn't need the degree. He is setting an example for his kids. Of course, you would think he could have picked a better school?

http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nfl/news/story?id=4999283

Get Out of My Way

Turned on the Colts Jets game last weekend just as the Colts took a kickoff in the late 2 QTR losing 17 to 3. Now I didn't see the early part of the game where the Jets had obviously played well.
What I did see was Peyton looking like he wanted to bite the head off a lineman. I commented on it because he is usually so composed looking. Manning then took the Colts down the field like he was playing a team from a French art school.  I remember thinking very clearly "you can put a fork in the Jets."
Peyton Manning's play from that point was as good as I have ever seen. He threw perfect passes again and again. The Jets d-backs played really well but they had no chance against an unmatched display of accuracy. Kudos to Peyton-best I have ever seen.

Da-root-er

The Ags have hired Tim DeRuyter as the new D-coordinator and assistant head coach. Read the link above for more. He patterns his defense after Dick Lebeau's attacking D's. Air Force was #1 agianst the pass this year. Let's hope he is the real deal.

Score One for Leach

For now, Mike Leach's lawsuit is going forward.  Maybe the depos of Craig James and his little girl, Adam, will make their way onto the internet.

Colts Great Ain't

You gotta read this article about former Colts receiver, Marvin Harrison.  I always loved this guy...his work ethic, his skill.  Of course, greatness on the field doesn't translate into greatness off the field, but this guy wasn't a loud-mouthed gasbag like so many others.  Jeepers.  Still waters, I guess.

Silk Purse or Sow's Ear?

It is hard for me to be objective about Texas A&M, I admit.  But isn't even a mediocre Big 12 team a step-up from any one of the military academies?  Don't get me wrong:  I very much admire the academies and their students, and appreciate beyond words their service but as far as college sports go, they really aren't big time (and yes, I remember Roger Staubach and David Robinson and Napolean McCallum).  So why wouldn't the defensive coordinator at Air Force  jump on this job?

Cowgirls?

Just because you gave up, doesn't mean the other team is obligated to do so! I'm sorry, but Brookings wins the crybaby of the year award. Suck it up and look forward to next season. Oh yeah, Laird, click on the link above.

Olio

Norm Chow isn't going back to USC.

Von Miller, studliest of all Aggies, has announced that he is returning next year.  YAY! 

Apparently, someone has a bone to pick with Lane Kiffin.  Harsh.

Paunch

Tim Brown, former Notre Dame (boo hiss) and Oakland Raider wide receiver, was a guest on Randy Galloway's sports talk show today.  He commented that Wade Phillips' defense is vulmerable in the middle; that when the Raiders played Denver, back when Wade coached at Denver, the Raiders were able to exploit that defense; that it is a defense that cannot adjust; and that the Phillips defense forces safeties into coverage, which "is always a bad thing".  I was alarmed.  But then I got to thinking:  this defense isn't new and if no one has "exploited" it yet, then likely no one will.

By the way, does anyone remember the Cotton Bowl game between the Aggies and the Domers when Brown, that year's Heisman winner, pitched a hissy fit when a walk-on 12th man snatched Brown's towel from his britches during a kick-off return?  I was there and it was hilarious!  Didn't like Brown much after that but he turned out to be a good player.  Check out his stats.  The guy had 75 catches 10 years in a row.  According to Brown, he played with 21 different quarterbacks.  Oy.

I Lurve College Football

Well, well, well.  USC has hired Lane Kiffin as head coach.  Kiffin left USC only a year ago to become head coach at Tennessee, which went 7-6 this year.  I bet the Vols are NOT happy right now.  So Tennessee is looking for a new coach.  How about Cincinnati...has it hired a new coach yet?  And more news from Lubbock:  new head coach, Tommy Tuberville, has hired an offensive coordinator and is interviewing for the defensive coordinator position.   New OC, Neal Brown, comes from Troy and potential DC, James Willis, from Alabama.  Sounds like the real deal.  Maybe all is not lost at Tech.

The Return (hopefully) of the Wrecking Crew

Mike Sherman is busy trying to find a replacement for Joe Kines, defensive coordinator.  My sources (Cousin John) tell me that the Air Force guy is the leading candidate.

College Football Fruit Basket Turnover

Can you believe that Pete Carroll is leaving USC to return to the pros?  And to Seattle, no less?  Wouldn't it be fun if USC had the nads to hire Mike Leach?  I would love to see those first class USC atheletes in the pirate offense.  And, as Oxey has asked, why in the wide world of sports would Tommy Tuberville take the Tech job?  He must really miss coaching.  Oxey and I discussed whether Tuberville, a defensive guy, will keep Riley, the Tech receivers coach who called the plays in the Alamo Bowl, and the Leach offense.  And I still am waiting to see who Sherman hires as defensive coordinator for A&M.

How Bout Them Cowboys ???

BCA Championship forecast

Longhorns 34 Bama 21
McCoy  400 yds total offense
Ingraham  2 fumbles

Hook'em

ps. Mac Brown should wear a houndstooth Stetson to the game.
pps. picture is for sbaskind

Who cares . . . . part 3?

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Omaha, Neb. — Texas earned a trip to Tampa and volleyball's final four Saturday night with a 21-25, 25-18, 25-16, 25-17 victory over Nebraska in the NCAA regional volleyball final.

The Longhorns overcame Nebraska's home court advantage on the same Qwest Center Omaha court where they lost a year ago to eventual national runner-up Stanford in the national semifinals. This year that tournament will be in Tampa, Fla., and the No. 2-ranked Longhorns will face Minnesota one of Thursday's national semis.

Who cares about Cowboy's football any way, part 2?

Senior Destinee Hooker logged a match-high 23 kills on .465 hitting, and junior Juliann Faucette chipped in 11 kills on .417 hitting to pace No. 2 Texas (27-1) to a 3-0 victory (25-18, 25-18, 25-21) over Texas A&M Friday afternoon in the round of 16 at the 2009 NCAA Volleyball Championships. Texas advances to the NCAA Regional finals for a fourth consecutive season and is set to meet 10th-seeded Nebraska on Saturday at 8 p.m. Central.

Who cares about Cowboy's football any way?

Texas A&M Aggies move on in NCAA volleyball

12:45 AM CST on Monday, December 7, 2009

The Aggies advanced to the round of 16 in the NCAA women's volleyball tournament with an 18-25, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23, 15-10 upset of No. 15 LSU on Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La. A&M (20-10) will face No. 2 Texas (26-1) in the regional semifinals Friday in Omaha, Neb.

I know what John McKay meant

Substitute Cowboys for Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Following yet another Tampa Bay Buccanneer loss in their early seasons, he was asked what he thought of his team's execution. He replied "I'm in favor of it."

Bowl Matchups

Okay, Texas Vs Bama. Watch out horns.
TCU vs Boise St. again. Let them each play a Big Conference team. Both these teams are disappointed.
The Ag vs Georgia in the Independence Bowl. Freakin Georgia. What? Georgia is 4th(tied for) in the SEC. The Aggies are 8th in the Big 12. Why can't we play some little podunk school that we can compete with. This is unfair to me. My Cowboys suck and we draw Georgia. However, this is a much better bowl than we deserve. Two huge state schools playing in a neutral state near both fan bases.
Tech Vs Michigan St. in the Alamo bowl. Pretty good match up.

Stinkin' Cowboys

Who here thinks this group of punks can beat New Orleans, San Diego, Philly, Washington or any combination thereof?  Oxey thinks the coach should take a tip from the Giants and pull some starters, starting with Romo.  Is there a way to pull the coach?

By the Hairs on Their Chinny Chin Chins

UT-13, Nebraska-12

To quote Shirley Temple:  "Oh my goodness!"  Where to begin?  The non-timeout?  McCoy's cavalier throwaway with just seconds left on the clock?  The absolutely dismal play of the UT receivers?  No, let's talk about the AWESOME Husker defense and their lineman, Suh.  That defense just wreaked havoc on the Horns' offense and McCoy.  As a Horns fan (at least for this game), I found it difficult to watch.  I was waiting for UT to adjust, for McCoy to beat the rush and hit Shipley in stride for a td, for Newton to bust loose...never happened.  Then there was that weird finish.  Oy.

Contrast the Bama-Tebow game, which was really exciting, with the UT-Nebraska mess.  Double oy.  I hope that in the next few weeks the UT coordinators come up with a plan, because Texas will have its hands full with Bama.

And, McCoy lost the Heisman with that performance.  Too bad, because I still think he deserves it.  No doubt, he didn't look good in the game, but he had no help, no time and nowhere to go.  Two of the interceptions weren't his fault, in my view.  But that last sequence of plays was awful.  And absent  an errant kick, a penalty, and the visual accuity of the replay officials, the Horns would have gone out with a whimper.

While Waiting for the Horns and Huskers

Early in the season, Drumski suggested that Ron Zook should be fired from Ill-inois.  If that happens, who are some likely replacements?  As I recall, Zook went to Illinois after being fired from Florida.  In keeping with that scenario, here are 3 possibilities:  Bobby Bowden, Charlie Weiss, and Mark Mangino.

Oxey asks whether either Sabin or Meyer would go to Notre Dame if either wins the national championship at his present school.  I say "no", but he suggests that there is some appeal to making the move.  I will let him explain.

Oxey also observed that either Bama or the Tebows would have moidelized Cincinnatti or Pitt, who played a very exciting game earlier today.  Players are just in different leagues.

And I am obsessed with finding a defensive coordinator to replace Joe Kines, who is reported to be leaving A&M.  I wonder if the d-coordnator from TCU would consider a move.

Does Tebow seem a little subdued today?

This just in:  Arizona just beat the Condoms.  YAY!

Heisman Talk

Alabama and the Tebows are playing right now and Bama is on top.  QB McELroy and running back Ingram are playing well.  For the last week or so, I have been confident that Colt McCoy will win the Heisman, deservedly so, but color announcer, Gary Danielson, just said something disturbing:  he said that he has a feeling that Heisman voters would like to see someone other than a quarterback win this year.  WHAT?  That is the most craptastic reason for not voting for someone that I have ever heard.  I may succumb to the east cost conspiracy theory if McCoy doesn't win.

Rivalry Weekend

The Texas-A&M and Alabama-Auburn games exemplify why Thanksgiving weekend is the best weekend the in College Football season, better even than bowl week.  The Aggies shouldn't have had a chance but they played a great game; same for Auburn.  Tonight there is Fla State-Tebow, which I predict will NOT be like those other 2 games.  I think the Tebows will roll.  But before that, there is Okie St-OU (my pick: Okie St); Va Tech-Va (my pick: Va Tech); Georgia Tech-Georgia (my pick:  Tech); and many more.  Also, TCU takes on hapless New Mexico and though not a rivalry game, it is critical for TCU.  However, I don't think there is anything that TCU can do to get to the championship game.  Oxey suggests that if Texas loses to Nebraska next week, then TCU leaps Texas and goes to the championship game against the SEC winner.  Oxey also notes that both the offense and defense of TCU are in the top 5 in the country, unlike the Tebows, the Tide, and the Horns.  Interesting. 

Heisman:  criminal if McCoy doesn't win it.

This Is What College Football Is About

University of Texas --49, Texas A&M University--39.

Goshdarnit, that was a gut-bustin, rip-snortin, sidewinder of a game. Most points scored ever in this matchup. A kickoff return and a missed field goal popped the Aggies' balloon and sure, I wish the Aggies had won, but even so it was a great game.  I am so, so proud of those guys.  But let's give Texas its due.  The Horns generally and McCoy in particular rose up and showed why Texas is No. 3 in the country.  They made only one error (lost a punt) and didn't lose their cool.  Congrats to sbaskind and all Horns fans.  Take care of the Huskers and you'll be playing for the National Championship.

As for the Ags, they should be confident going into whatever bowl game they draw.  Also, playing well on ESPN on Thanksgiving against the No. 3 team should help recruiting (wishful thinking, much?).  Final word:  Jerrod Johnson played lights out last night.  I hope someone out there saw how good this guy is.

For game stats, which are stunning, go here.

Shotgun

Some sports tidbits:

Hakeem Olajuwon's daughter, Abi, is playing basketball at OU.  I would like to see her play.

Texas A&M won the National Guard FLW College Fishing Texas Regional Championship.  Who knew.

On Friday, Highland Park (11-1) meets Waxahachie (12-0) in the regionals.  Go Scots!

Enjoyed watching the Horns yesterday.  It was senior day for UT, last game in Austin and it was really fun to watch McCoy.  He just seemed relaxed, having some real fun.  And here I make a bold prediction:  MCCOY WINS THE HEISMAN.

Today's Dallas Morning News has an article on NFL coaches who possibly are on the chopping block:  Jim Zorn-Washington; Tom Cable-Oakland; Eric Mangini-Cleveland; Wade Phillips-your heroes; and Lovie Smith-Chicago.

Pet Peeve of the Day

A week or so ago, I was talking to a couple about their kids, one of whom is a six-year old girl.  They were telling me that she was playing soccer, which piqued my interest, of course.  They said she liked to go to practice but didn't like gameday.  Their solution?  Don't make her go to the games.  Really?  Let her join a team, practice with the team and then NOT SHOW UP FOR THE GAMES.  Wow.  This sure is teaching her some good lessons.  I honestly had to bite my tongue so that I wouldn't blurt out that I thought they were IDIOTS.  (WARNING:  This is the part where I talk about "...when I was a kid...")  My brothers played organized sports as kids and before each season of whatever sport began, my dad would ask if they were sure they wanted to play, because if they joined the team, they had to go to practice, they had to go to games, even if they rode the pine (none of this "everyone gets to play" b.s.).  No weekends off, no skipping games for other activities.  And after the questions, my brothers would decide.  Simple.  Do parents do that anymore?  Yes, I realize that this kid is only six but still.

VICTORY

Aggies 38
Bears 3

The Dallas Dipthongs

The Dallas Mavericks are starting an as-yet-unnamed Development League team, which will play in Frisco, and guess what?  Nancy Lieberman has been named head coach.  I, of course, think this is AWESOME.  If any woman can succeed coaching men, it is Lieberman.  Dell Harris is the general manager and Spud Webb, one of my favorites, is the head of basketball operations (whatever that means). Lieberman makes it clear in the linked article that the only thing that matters here is that the team win.  

I think we should have a naming contest:  how about the Frisco WASPs?  The Mudders?  Or the Taters, in homage to Spud (and Nancy)?   If we want to be p.c., we could call them the Rainbows or maybe we could coin our own word and be the Frisco Diversities?  Or for you pessimists, the Frisco No How No Ways.  (Say that fast...sounds GOOD.  Reminds me of the Hicawee Tribe on F-Troop).  Suggestions welcome. 

The Aggies and the French

I am going out on a limb and picking the Aggies to defeat the Bears this week. The Aggies will thereby become bowl eligible (at 6-5) and distinguish themselves from the French Infantry (notwithstanding bbl jr.'s sentiment to the contrary), even though after the OU game the Aggies' field general noted the similarity: "We weren't very good," A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "We shot ourselves in the foot numerous times." However, I am hoping that the following week on Thanksgiving, the Aggies will re-live Waterloo with Coach Sherman playing the part of Napoleon (or even Gen. Ney) and Mack Brown as the Duke of Wellington. My great fear, however, is that the roles will be reversed - and the dream-season for the Horns will die on the grass of Kyle Field. It remains to be seen which will be the men sans-culottes. Liberté, égalité, fraternité!

embarrased

I did not see the game. I just now ( 11:30pm) saw the score.  Somebody should resign and some of them apparently should be players.  C'mon Coach, tell me how they never quit. Why can't offensive coaches hire some one to run an actual defense. That one game wipes out all the good some of their other games did for potential recruits.
how do you sell a kid on playing at A&M now? " we were one of the highest scoring teams in the nation son, except against Oklahoma when we rolled over and peed ourselves like the  french infantry.

A celebration of soccer . . .

To accommodate Oxey's request, I am now promoting women's soccer -- but, as you can see, within the rules.

Poke the Iggles, Please

Dallas plays Philly tonight. Grrr. Westbrook is out, which is good for us since we can't ever seem to stop him. Tony Dungee commented that our pass rush is the key for us because McNabb has been going long alot, and needs time to do it. So, time for Ware to earn those big bucks. Go Cowboys.

Spiked

On opening day of the season, an Oregon player punched an opposing player and was suspended for the year by his coach.  Last week, Brandon Spikes of the Tebows tried to gouge out the eye of the opposing running back and was suspended for one half of one game by Tebow coach Urban Meyer.  I think this is shameful:  shameful behavior on the part of Spikes and shameful behavior on the part of the Coach.

And In Other News

Another undefeated team fell today.  Iowa lost to Northwestern.  Iowa's qb, Stanzi, went out in the first half (I think) and a red-shirt freshman finished the game for the Hawkeyes.  The Tebows play Vandy tonight and should win.  Boise won on Thursday, Bama is playing LSU right now, and TCU plays later today.  So much for the undefeateds.  Oh, did I fail to mention that the UNDEFEATED TEXAS LONGHORNS crushed UCF earlier today?  McCoy to Shipley...a thing of beauty.

In deference to Drumski, I should mention that the Ill-ini won again today, though they lost Juice Williams to an injury. 

And to Meeshigan haters everywhere, Big Blue lost another one.

Evil Triumphs

Colorado: 35...Your Heroes: 34

Bored with run of the mill pre-kindergarten competition?

Hey Brady, when I get there I am taking you down!

Further Sports Reporting

41-14

I L L - I N I

I almost wish that the Illini would have lost, so I could move on with Ron Zook and his non-coaching coaching style. Anway, at least I can give the Michigan fan at work a bunch of crap.

More Sports Reporting: Aggies Win

The Aggies Win! The Aggies Win!

The Aggies beat Iowa State 35-10.

Opinion: If the Aggies keep getting better and beat UT this year, I am holding lsquared personally responsible.

Sports Reporting

I resent Oxey's attack on my blog posts.

I am a sport reporter -- which is self-evident by my blog postings.

Oxey just can not deal with another Aggie defeat by the Horns.

Good Triumphs Over Evil . . .

Tonight (10/28/09) the Lady Longhorns (currently ranked No. 1) smashed the Girl Aggies in Volleyball, 3 - 0! All is well.

Sky-Walker

Are we supposed to feel sorry for this guy? I understand that he was "generous" for friends and family alike, but there are no excuses for pissing away that much money. If anyone would care to fund a study of this by giving me 110 million, I would be happy to oblige........

I rest my case . . .

Above is a picture of Phillips with his new "girlfriend." Is this what you would have expected when you heard that a 50 year-old guy (who was an ESPN TV MLB-commentator and former Mets front office guy) had an affair with a 22 year-old ESPN employee while married to his wife and mother of his 4 sons? After seeing this (and to quote the can't-be-wrong so-called lsquared) perhaps an "unseen force" did indeed get "ahold of his penis."

When A Girl's Gotta Rant, A Girl's Gotta Rant

The sordid antics of ESPN baseball analyst, Steve Phillips, flooded the sports radio airwaves in Dallas  last week and  spawned a heated debate among several of my male business partners and me.  At lunch today, one of my partners mentioned that Phillips had been fired.  While one of my partners kept his mouth shut (wisely), the other two launched into a discussion of why any man would risk his job, his marriage, and his reputation for a girl who is so...plain.  They explained that when you hear that a 50-year old married man is having an affair with a 22 year old, you quite naturally expect the girl to be a hottie, which this girl isn't (in their view).  Finally, feeling the need to say something scathing and brilliant, I said with authority "MEN!"

Here is what a friend of Phillips said:

“Steve Phillips is not a sleazebag. He’s a good guy who just fell off the wagon… Whatever he did wrong, it wasn’t under his control or he wouldn’t be checking himself in for help. He knows he needs help and wants a life with his family — that is paramount to him above everything else.”


It wasn't under his control?  Oh, I get it, some unseen force got ahold of his penis and he was a helpless victim.  Poor, poor man.  There seems to be an epidemic of this going around, doesn't there?  So now this dumbass has checked himself into a facility to get help dealing with his issues (like terminal stupidity and serial adultery) (yes, he has done this before).  Here is an idea for you, Mr. Phillips:  GROW UP AND QUIT BEING A SELFISH BASTARD.

If You Can't Watch It, Read About It

In the last month or so, I have read 2 really good sports books.  One is The Blind Side by Michael Lewis, whose other works include Moneyball and Liar's Poker.  The overarching story here is how the position of left tackle became a premiere position in the NFL and, as a consequence, in college ball.  But the real story, and the story the keeps you reading, is about a young boy from Memphis who is rescued from abject poverty and unspeakable neglect to become a highly sought recruit and a first round NFL pick at the position of...you guessed it...left tackle.  The young boy is Michael Oher and he this year is starting as a rookie with the Baltimore Ravens.  This book touches on too many subjects to detail here (public education, college recruiting, the NCAA, poverty among them) and includes fascinating bits of NFL history.  Well worth the read.  And by the way, it has been made into a movie starring Sandra Bullock, coming out in November, I think.

The second book is The Match by Mark Frost.  This book recounts a 1956 golf match between amateurs Ken Venturi and Harvie Ward and professionals Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson.  The writing is exquisite, which makes this book worth reading even if you have no interest in golf.  But if you like golf even a little bit, you must read this book.  Compelling storytelling and insightful mini-biographies of the main players lift it above the ordinary nonfiction yawn.  On top of all that, Frost gets into golf course design and the high-level's golf move from amateur to pro.  Really fascinating.   As for me, I most enjoyed the Hogan and Nelson stories.  Two admirable men and two incredible golfers.  My dad would have loved this book.

Sam I Am

As predicted, and once again proving the greatness of me, Sam Bradford has announced that he will be having surgery and then coming out for the NFL draft.  I know nothing about the success rate of shoulder surgery.  Will he be what he was before the injury?  Will he get picked in the first round?  Will anyone pick him to immediately start or will someone with a seasoned QB (New England?) take and groom him for the future?  And, do you think Stoops even wanted him back?

Ware a Cowboy til 2015

The Cowboys will have Demarcus Ware until 2015, having today extended his contract.  Looks like he's getting a ton of dough, 40 million of which is gay-rone-teed (as Justin Wilson used to say).  I believe that is the biggest guarantee that Jerry "Its My Actual Hair" Jones has given.

Fruit Basket Turnover

Texas Tech whupped K State, K State whupped Texas A&M, and then...surprise, surprise...Texas A&M whupped Texas Tech.  This reminds of last year's Texas-OU-Tech dilemma, only with K State, Tech, and A&M, the national title isn't on the line (drat it).  Actually, I care about none of that.  I simply am filled with the most wonderful feeling of glee.  The Aggies haven't beaten Tech in some time and after being thoroughly thrashed by Arkansas and embarassed by K State, the Aggies came back and managed to win.  The Aggies, bless em, can score if not facing a good defense, it seems.  So now we face Iowa State (who surprisingly beat Nebraska this week), Baylor, Colorado, OU, and Texas.  Yikes.  Best case: wins over Iowa State, Baylor and Colorado;  absolute destruction by OU and Texas.  Worst case:  absolute destruction.  Whatever happens, I am proud of them for not quitting, for continuing to fight.  Gig em.

Aggies Rule!

One less orifice.

Starkle, Starkle, Little Twink.

Was Billy Gillespie fired for being drunken loser, a surly lech with no interpersonal skills, or a bad coach? Or maybe all 3? In any event, his attorney reports that after receiving a disappointingly low settlement offer, Gillespie reluctantly sued The University of Kentucky. Apparently, U of K realized the error of its ways and this week settled with Gillespie for 3.25 million. That should be enough to keep the coach in peppermint schnapps for the foreseeable future.

The Return of the B.G.

Here is what I realized: I have more to say when I don't watch the games than when I do watch. And here's why: when I watch, I feel that I must impart pithy and insightful analysis, of which I have none. However, if I don't watch, my comments don't have to be limited by knowledge. In other words, I can be a complete Bloviating Gasbag (but in a good way). So, here are my observations regarding today's games, which I haven't watched (or won't later):

Texas-OU: wtf? I love Colt McCoy, and last year he earned my everlasting respect, but this year he just hasn't had it. Dude, get with the program. And despite having espoused the venal "if you can't beat 'em, hurt 'em" philosophy in the past, I really don't wish any player harm. So, I sincerely regret Bradford getting hurt again. Prediction: shoulder surgery and out for the year, with the concomitant drop in the NFL draft.

USC-Notre Dame: Is it possible for both teams to lose? Detest them both: arrogant, California pretty boys vs. pretentious, holier-than-thou Golden Domers. Yuck.

Arkansas-Tebows: before I read the betting line in the paper this morning, I thought that the Hogs might give the Tebows a battle. Possibly my opinion is colored by the thrashing the Hogs gave my Aggies, but the line is HUGE in favor of the Tebows. Still and all, GO HOGS.

Iowa-Wisconsin: I like Iowa (aka Idiots Out Walking Around), don't ask me why. I like the coach, too. As for Wisconsin, too boring to even have thoughts about. I pick Iowa (and I haven't seen the score).

Alabama-South Carolina: Alabama will kill South Carolina, not only because the Bama defense is scary, but Spurrier is an arrogant ass and I never pick him to win. Another example of my keen analysis.

Illinois-Indiana: the inept verses the incompetent. Yawn.

And, saving the best for last:

Texas A&M-Kansas State: Two not-so-great teams with similar records. Game is at K-State, so that gives them an edge. Aggies QB Jerrod Johnson is 3rd in the nation with 356 yards per game and defensive end Von Miller leads the country in sacks (9) and is 6th in tackles for a loss (11), so the Ags have a few positives. Also, having been suckled on Aggie Koolaid, I see improvement in the young players (6 starting freshmen) though perhaps not enough in the o-line, which is dismal. But, still, I say that the Aggies will............WIN!

Cowboys Win (barely)!

NASCAR is looking pretty good to me about now.

Was this the work of lsquared?

Oh Dear!


They really did nuke-the-moon.


Who could be behind this?


Lsquared?

Withdrawn Predictions for Aggies

I withdraw all prior predictions and bow down to the greatness of the predictions of lsquared.

I see now that it is hard to be an Aggie fan.

PS Oxey, it was nice to see you.

The Aggie game I saw was great.

I was channel surfing and came across the Aggie Arkansas game on espn. Very unexpected since i never get much big12 up here unless it is Longhorns or Sooners. I saw the defense get a stop, a fair catch by our punt team, and a couple of unimpressively blocked running plays where the Aggie back actually still gained some yardage. Then lo and behold the Aggie QB scrambles left spots a kid way dwn field and hits him perfectly with an awkward but almost effortless pass for a touchdown.
Bang the score is 10 -0.
I changed the channel and never looked back. A great football day!