Super Bowl, SEC, Opel - February 4, 2009

Biggest Winner
The Super Bowl. I really didn’t want this to happen. I guess that it doesn’t bother me all that much, but it is annoying that Pittsburgh gets the victory again. However, that pass and catch to OSU’s own Santonio Holmes was fantastic. When Roethlisberger let it go I thought it was sailing way out of the endzone, it just seemed too high and Holmes just snatched it. I stand by my pre-Super Bowl evaluation of Roethlisberger, but he was much more efficient on that day than he normally is (he doesn’t regularly put up a 70% completion rate). He did everything that he’s good at in that game. The scrambling thing helps him tremendously because that allows his players to get open and he’s accurate enough to get the ball to them on 3rd down and that’s really frustrating. He’s a really good QB now, had a near perfect day in the Super Bowl and it just pisses me off. I’d still, stubbornly, leave him curbside though on Mondays along with my grass clippings.

Fitzgerald is a phenomenal. I love watching him play. Related to that, I’m looking forward to the day when we can choose which camera angles we want to watch during games, a la Madden. I, like you, and probably everyone who was watching the game who had a passable knowledge of the teams, was wondering why Fitzgerald wasn’t getting the ball. We can make assumptions during the game, e.g. “He must be double-covered,” but we don’t know. I’d love to be able to see the overhead shots or what they call the “coaches’ tape” to see just what in the hell was going on. Even if he was double covered I would have forced it to him. The guy makes plays all of the time. That catch and run he had was amazing, as you said. When he caught it I stood up and started high stepping in place like Deion Sanders. I want to see Andre Johnson from Houston play some next year so I can truly compare the two players because lots of people say that he’s just as good as Fitzgerald. I’m dubious, but I’m also willing to be convinced. I just don’t see how anyone is as good as him and there is no chance that anyone is actually better than he is.

Hey, how about my “bonus prediction” that one of Pitt’s TDs would be a return? While I didn’t anticipate seeing a 242 lb James Harrison steamrolling down the sidelines for 100 yards, I did think that Pitt would definitely score on defense or special teams. I actually thought that an interception would be returned. I agree totally with your assessment, Mowrer, that guys sort of gave up on the play before it was over. I thought that the dudes that were in the back simply thought that there was no way he was going to make it 100 yards without someone stopping him. I’ve only watched it live and then when they were showing the replays during the official’s review, but I noticed that Fitzgerald, who ended up catching him, actually slowed down quite a bit when he was toward the back of the crowd, but then sped up (a lot) to run his big ass down just a step too late. What a remarkable play though, it really is a game of inches and there were several plays like that (well, not exactly like that) in the game.

Another thing about this game that I found compelling was that my friend Joel and I said, at least three times during the game, that it was over, Pittsburgh had it wrapped up. But then they kept letting Arizona back into the game and Arizona made huge plays. I can’t believe they came back to take the lead and nearly won the damn thing if not for some abysmal play in the Arizona secondary leading to the Holmes TD. That play where Francisco (no. 47) slipped and allowed Holmes to sprint down to the 6 was a killer, there is no way that should happen at that time in the game. Great game though and it’s pretty cool that we’ve had two very, very good Super Bowls back-to-back.

Biggest Loser
Michael Phelps. I don’t care that he smokes pot. In fact, I couldn’t care less. It’s a non-story for me, but if he loses millions in endorsement deals because he got caught blazin’, in a semi-public place, at a frat house in South Carolina, then dude, you are just stupid. He can burn at home and no one would know. He could burn after the London Olympics, in public, in Heathrow and it wouldn’t matter because no one will care about him anymore. I’m sure this will blow over, but it’s just one more thing to have to deal with and he’s not exactly going to continue to have huge earning potential because he has no other talent than swimming, which is exactly one more talent than I have, which, last I looked, is nothing. Michael, stay away from the bong water and stick to the water in the pool, you’ll be better off.

Bonus Losers
Steve Sarkisian and Nick Holt for their stupid “secondary violations.” Dudes, KNOCK IT OFF.

The SEC Continues to Deliver
As we’ve discussed in this space before, it is a long-held belief (at least four months or so) that the SEC’s dominance in football is directly correlated to the patented awesomeness of the players’ names. Rest assured that the SEC’s dominance will continue because one recruit sought after by two SEC West powers (Alabama and LSU) is a linebacker from West Monroe, Louisiana named Barkevious Mingo. It’s nice to see that two teams in the SEC are taking their legacy seriously. I only hope and pray for the SEC that his Barkevious isn’t stronger than his Bitevious.

My '79 Buick Opel
When I was a junior in college I worked at a sporting goods store that is now defunct (Olympic Sports). One night after work I agreed to drive my friend, Mike, home. He was getting his car worked on or something. Anyway, he lived in Puyallup so I dropped him off and when I was on my way home, my car died. I was able to pull over next to a phone booth (I can’t believe how dated this story got… no, I didn’t have a cell phone, this was 1995) and called my roommates to come and get me. As I sat in the car waiting, I realized that I better gather up anything “important” to me in the car just in case someone broke into it. I had speakers mounted in wood boxes behind the back seat of the car. This car was worth maybe $250, but yet I had speakers mounted in the back—of course the speakers were crappy, so I guess it all made sense.

I climbed into the backseat to remove the speakers, but they were nailed in really well. I was leaning with my chest and stomach against the seat with the back of my head pressed against the rear windshield while grabbing one speaker box pulling up as hard as possible when… BAP. Everything went dark. I woke up on my back, cradling the speaker box in my arms. I had knocked myself out. My teeth and forehead were aching. When I pulled the box out, I had smacked my forehead with the corner of the box and my teeth smacked together, knocking me out. I have no idea how long I’d been out (probably not long) but I had a huge, Looney-Toons-like bump on my forehead. When my roommates showed up I got out of the car and pointed to my forehead. They thought I’d been mugged. I told them what happened and they laughed for a very long time at me.

The next day, we were walking home from class and my car was parked in our driveway. There was no note and no explanation. My roommate, Brian, looked at me and called the car “Christine.” Evidently, Mike, the guy I drove home the night before, saw my car parked along the side of the road and towed it to my house, but didn’t bother telling me until I saw him at work the next week. The car never worked again (pouring out liquor…).

Griffey, Kiffin, UW Hoops - Friday, February 27, 2009

Biggest Winner
Ken Griffey Jr. Baseball is my least favorite sport of the big three as I’ve described before, but I do have a soft spot for M’s baseball. I will always follow it and sometimes I’ll even follow it earnestly. I’m not all moist though about this Griffey signing. I loved the guy when he played here and thought he was fantastic. I was very bummed when he left and then really bummed when he kept getting injured during his years in Cincy because he was on pace to break records and stuff. As it is, he’s 5th all time in the HR list and has a shot, albeit a distant one, at 3,000 hits. Remarkable considering he’s missed so much time due to injury. I was pretty against him coming back here, but then when he’s only going to get paid 2M or 4M max, it’s not that big of a deal. They’ve tossed over double that amount to pieces of crap like Weaver, so I changed my stance and am solidly in the it’ll-be-cool-to-see-Griffey-back-in-Seattle camp. He’s a winner because he actually wants to be here, and that can’t be understated.

Biggest Loser
Lane Kiffin, University of Tennessee Football Coach. Is he trying to get fired before he coaches a game? The secondary violations are stupid and meaningless in my opinion. But I just think that the bombastic nature and the way he’s going about things is bound to kill him at some point. He’s being way too much of a braggart especially this early in his career. He hasn’t done a thing to be able to act this way and I’d argue that a coach should never act the way that he’s acting because being a braggart is not a redeeming quality. It’s what insecure dudes do and I guess Lane is insecure. He does have a hot wife though, so good for him on that count. He just better watch his ass because Florida, Georgia, LSU, Alabama, and Auburn are going to steal his lunch money and chase him all the way home if he doesn’t back up what he’s saying.

My Thoughts on UW Hoops
I’m amazed at the goings-on at Bank of America Arena at Hec Edmonson Pavilion. I never thought that Justin Dentmon had this in him. He’s playing so well. I’ve been pissing on him for years and he’s just delivering this now. He looks so fast and is shooting unbelievably well. I don’t know where this has come from but I guess he just grew into his game and became confident over the summer and Isiah Thomas is probably helping out a great deal. If a player has any ability at all and then has confidence, then he’s going to be good. That’s just the way it is. A player with better ability but with shaky confidence will never be good. Anyway, I’m just glad he’s playing well. The team would be completely lost without him.

I’m impressed by Thomas and Overton on a consistent basis. I’m intermittently impressed by Gant, Bryan-Amaning, and Holiday all three of those guys do some really good things, but they also are apt to do some really stupid things. They turn the ball over on dumbass passes especially when they try to feed the post. Whatever, they’re young and they’ll get better. Bryan-Amaning has developed a nasty habit where he misses easy putbacks or 2 ft shots. He needs to knock those down and he probably will next year. He probably should start dunking in traffic also, he is 6'9 afterall. I still don’t know what to think of Pondexter and I suspect I’ll never know, unless he flips some sort of Dentmon-like switch in the offseason. He could be very good, but he’s just not yet. I do love Brockman's effort and heart and his rebounding ability. But I feel for the guy because it’s painfully obvious that he is such a limited player. I’m not just talking about his NBA potential, which is extraordinarily limited, but he gets very exposed, offensively, when he plays against guys that are simply taller than he is. He is a brute on the boards though and plays decent defense, but he should never, ever be counted on to score many buckets. It’s just not his game; luckily they have guys that can do that. He is so good in the open court if he’s got an open lane to the basket. He can rise and flush the ball easily and with authority, but he cannot do it from a standstill and certainly cannot explode in traffic to give himself an easy look at the basket. He may very well lead the league in getting his shot blocked. I think that the team is better off if he just gets defensive rebounds and starts the break and occasionally gets offensive rebounds and kicks it out. I be happy with him taking 5-8 shots a game and that’s it. His value is not on the offensive end. He seems to be realizing that more and more as the season goes on but I’m still a little dubious. He’s going to struggle offensively against USC, ASU, and UofA because Taj Gibson, Jeff Pendergraft, and Jordan Hill will lock him down. He just needs to go get the ball and get it to the playmakers and he and the team will be better for it.

I do believe that they can win games in the tournament, but it just depends on the matchups. I want them to face teams that are guard oriented because I think UW’s guards are superior. If they face a disciplined, plodding team with talent, I think that they might get into trouble i.e. Wisconsin or some other team that plays like Oregon State but is actually good.

Travis Henry
Someone mentioned to me that Travis Henry has multiple children. This was a story that came about about 2 years ago, I think. The fact that Travis Henry has multiple kids isn’t that remarkable. What makes it remarkable is that all of his kids (nine) have different mothers. All nine. If I played fantasy football I would have named my team “Nine By Nine” in his honor. This would be much better if he actually wore the number nine, but I still think that the joke is good nevertheless.

BCS Title Game, Tebow - Friday, January 9, 2009

BCS Title Game

So that was a very good game last night, not quite to the level of Texas USC in ’05, but good nevertheless. I really had no idea who would win the game before it started. When it did get going, I thought that Oklahoma looked clearly better than Florida, then they couldn’t punch it at the goal line. Incidentally, I would have made the same call that Stoops did there; going for it was a good move. It was early in the game and it didn’t really seem like it was going to be the defensive struggle that it turned out to be. Also the other goal line stand that Florida had was a fluky deal. Bradford put that ball exactly where it needed to be and the receiver mishandled it leading to a crazy interception. It could have easily been 21-7 Oklahoma and the game changes significantly at that point. But it didn’t and Florida made great plays and won the game. Their defense tightened significantly and put tons of pressure on Bradford and did not let Brown get going after he had a torrid start. Pretty impressive effort by Florida, they certainly earned that win.

Insect Quickness
Percy Harvin is a damn electric player and has a chance to be a gamebreaker in the NFL. I see no difference between him and Reggie Bush except that he’s probably a little faster and he’s probably more of a natural receiver. Anyway, he’s very talented. It’s too bad that we never got to see that guy Jeff Demps get free in the open field because if what the announcers say is true (that he ran a 10.02 100 meters), then I would have loved to have seen him streak by everyone. That’s a patently absurd time; it’s literally world class speed.

NFL Tebow
I was driving up to Duvall the night of the Heisman ceremony for a friend’s Christmas party and I was listening to the lead up to the event on the radio. They (Mel Kiper and some other guy) were interviewing each of the Heisman candidates and when Tebow came on, they talked about the possibility of switching positions in the NFL. Kiper asked Tebow how good his hands were (Tebow answered that he catches the snap pretty good out of the shotgun… ha ha ha). The point was, Kiper seemed to think that Tebow would be a good H-Back/Tight End type (he compares him to Frank Wycheck, if you remember him). Tebow was good natured about it but wasn’t really interested in talking about it. While they were talking, I was thinking, “Man, why so many questions? The dude has been a good QB for a couple years, let him show scouts etc what he can do and I’m sure he’ll be fine.” I didn’t see much of Florida this year (or last, really) to have an opinion on Tebow, but I did watch this entire game with the purpose of seeing if he really is a good QB, or a QB that projects to be a good QB at the NFL level. After seeing him play last night, in what was hailed as a classic Tebow type game (minus the interceptions, which we’ll get to) I’ve come to the conclusion that there is no way he is an NFL QB. He’s a great QB for the scheme that Florida runs, he seems to be a great rah-rah leader, he seems to be an inspirational leader who leads by his play and drive on the field, he seems to be a non-prick leader who everyone seems to love, he clearly has mobility and strength, he has great determination and a sense for the moment… all of those are great qualities, but I don’t think that he has enough qualities, right now, to be a successful QB in the NFL. Here are the issues:

• Every single snap he took in the game was from the shotgun, every one. While people will same the same about Bradford, it wouldn’t be true. Bradford was under center about 45-50% of the time last night and threw from under center (and in I-formation) just as often as he handed the ball off. I realize that some teams run a lot of shotgun stuff in the NFL, but none of them, not one, run their QBs like Tebow runs. They only do that when they run that Wildcat formation stuff. My point is, he has way more to learn (or unlearn) as an NFL QB, moreso than guys like Chase Daniel and Graham Harrell who also run offenses almost exclusively out of the shotgun, but who throw it 95% of the time.
• He has a very slow, very deliberate release. It was exacerbated in this game because on the other sideline sits Sam Bradford who has a very quick, compact release. Anyway, the problem with Tebow’s release is that it alerts defenders that he’s going to throw and where he’s going to throw. Because of this, he’ll have gigantic interceptions numbers in the NFL, even if he only threw two all year in the SEC (but we’ll get to that in a minute too)
• He has well below average arm strength and must put his whole body into throws.
  I thought this was one of the weirder things about his game. He is such a strong guy and is physically huge, but his arm is weak. It was exposed for sure in that one pass that was picked off early in the game. Tebow tried to throw from the middle of the field (while he was in the pocket) to the sideline. The ball took forever to get there, it was poorly read (Oklahoma was in a zone and he didn’t see the DB), and the guy jumped the route and picked it off easily. It was the only throw of that type in the entire game that he attempted and it completely exposed just how weak his arm is. In Florida’s offense, there is no need for him to complete those types of throws. In the NFL, those types of throws are made repeatedly. He could learn to read the play better, but I don’t think that he’ll be able to throw it with enough velocity to be successful… oddly, it looked almost identical to the throw that Tarvaris Jackson made against Philly that Asante Samuel took to the house. So I suppose the argument could be made that if Tarvaris Jackson is in the NFL as a QB, so should Tebow… that doesn’t help Tebow’s cause… also, while he threw for 28 tds and 2 ints on the year, if all of the games looked like the Oklahoma game (in terms of the types of plays that they ran) I’m not surprised at those numbers. His passes are all “safe” passes and I doubt that any of them traveled any further than 25 yards in the air.
• Well over half of Tebow’s completed throws come from designed sprint outs
  This goes to point no. 3. He rarely tried to throw from the pocket (except for that weird 1940s football card jump pass for a TD from the 5). Sprint outs are done occasionally in the NFL, but they are not a significant part of any NFL game plan because it essentially eliminates half of the field for the offense and also because NFL linebackers and linemen are ridiculously fast. All of them. So the play will get run down.
• He locks on to receivers. This is a problem that can he can be coached out of and not a problem that is exclusive to Tebow. All QBs do this to some extent. Even in the NFL.
  NFL personnel types need to compare a guy to another guy in order to project his future in the league. So, as a QB, who is Tebow? Is he Donovan McNabb? He’s probably the same size as McNabb, and possesses the same type of running ability that McNabb used to possess, but his arm is significantly weaker than McNabb’s. Of the starting (and some backups) QBs in the league, there is not one player who Tebow remotely resembles. I suppose maybe Alex Smith from SF because he ran the same offense, but he’s not nearly as tough as Tebow, but Smith has a far better arm (and Smith’s arm is not strong). Tebow is a big guy with toughness, heart, running ability, and leadership qualities, but he has a weak arm and a quirky delivery that will lead to turnovers. He will not be a successful starting QB in the NFL, it won’t happen.

I think that he certainly is an NFL-caliber athlete, but just not a QB. Kiper, and all of the other scout-type NFL draft people (and apparently NFL personnel) are right to pick him apart. Ego is the only thing getting in Tebow’s way at this point. He should be able to see that he does not have the attributes, physically, to be an NFL QB. If he realizes that he won’t be a QB and commits himself to be a TE, then he’ll be in good shape and probably be drafted higher than if he demands that he be a QB. I think he’s 6’3 240, which is a pretty good sized TE prospect. I bet he runs the 40 in the 4.7s and benches 225 like 28-30 times. I’m sure he can block and I know that he can fight for yards and I’m sure he’s got good hands. He could be a pro-bowl type of TE if he dedicated himself to it. He will never be a quality NFL QB. So there you go. I know that it would be hard for him to switch from being a de facto leader of a team as the QB, but others have had to set that aside (Hines Ward, Antwan Randel-El, John Lynch etc).

To wrap it up, I know that I’m not the first to say these things about him, but I never really sat down and watched a game with it in mind. And my mind is made up.

Myron Rolle, Conference Championships - Friday, January 16, 2009

Biggest Winner
Myron Rolle, FSU Safety, Rhodes Scholar. He’s turning down millions to play football so that he can go study as a Rhodes Scholar and wants to become a neurosurgeon. Pretty damn unbelievable. However, I can’t remember where I heard it but some guy said that every NFL team would want to sign this guy because he’d be a great person in the community etc. I agree that he would be a good role model and community person. However, I don’t agree that every NFL team will be pining to draft him whenever he makes himself eligible for the draft. NFL personnel types have made it abundantly clear that they like players who are smart, but not too smart. If a player has too much intelligence, then they may start questioning the logic of a coaching staff and that causes dissention, which causes a team to lose. Also, NFL types are jealous types. They want their players to love football and football only, at least outwardly. When a player like Rolle, who at this point in his career, is already expressing that his life is about more than just football, and makes an overt statement to that effect—like I don’t know, say choosing to study at Oxford instead of going to the NFL for instance—then they’ll be skeptical of him and won’t pick him. I’m sure someone will pick him up whenever he’s ready and he’ll probably be a good player, but to think that he’ll be universally loved by the NFL universe is a mistake. But he’s a big winner in my book and he made a pretty cool choice.

Biggest Loser
Probably Jake Delhomme for putting on an amazing display of incompetence, and perhaps incontinence, by turning the ball over six times in a home playoff game. I thought he was dreadful a few years ago against Seattle in the playoffs (but that was because they bottled up Steve Smith and were down to their third-string RB), but I really thought that Carolina would take this game. He was terrible and is the sole reason why they lost. It was like they were filming one of those Southwest Airlines “want to get away” commercials during the game. He seems like a good guy, but that performance was infected, open-sore bad.

Playoff Predictions
Philly at Arizona
I’m not sure where to go with this game. Here’s what we know:

1. Arizona is playing great on both sides of the ball during these playoffs.
2. Larry Fitzgerald looks like the best WR in the game right now. He can do anything and does everything well. He’s big, fast, has great hands, he’s physical, and he makes plays. He’s the perfect WR. I would change nothing about him.
3. Kurt Warner has not turned the ball over. I thought that Atlanta was going to give him problems because they were putting pressure on him, but they weren’t sacking him. I thought that he’d get rattled and fumble. Never happened. Didn’t happen against Carolina either. If he keeps getting the ball out early, their offense will be unstoppable.
4. Edgerrin James is running well. He’s a good running back and wasn’t getting a lot of love during the season, but he’s so versatile and runs hard. If they continue to run the ball even if they aren’t getting a lot out of it, they’ll be better for it.
5. Their defense is playing very tough. Of course, when Jake Delhomme gives them the ball it makes them look better, which is why I’m skeptical about picking them. Their D was made to look fantastic after what Jake gave them last week.
6. They have a good kicker with a big leg.
7. They are at home and will be playing in a dome because I’m sure they’ll close the roof, just as they did in the Atlanta game.
8. Anquan Boldin is hurt and as of right now, I don’t know if he’s going to play, if he does, he’ll still be hurt, but will take a lot of pressure off of Fitzgerald.
9. Donovan McNabb is playing great. He’s moving around in the pocket and making very accurate throws on the run and doing so at clutch times. I’m surprised by this.
10. Bryan Westbrook has almost been bottled up in both games that they’ve played, but he’s broken out a couple different times to make up it. But he’s hurt, and I really don’t know if he can give them what they need.
11. Philly’s defense is very good and can apply a lot of pressure on teams and has done so the past couple of weeks, but they’ve also played an F-level QB in Tarvaris Jackson and a QB who looked like he decided to throw with his left hand just to keep things interesting in Eli Manning. Warner will be playing in warm confines and is much better than both of those QBs I just mentioned, at least he’s playing better.
12. While Philly’s D is good, they haven’t seen the talent at WR that they’ll see this week (even if Boldin doesn’t play, Breaston is good).
13. Andy Reid looks like he’s wearing five layers of down, puffy coats when he’s really only wearing a windbreaker.
14. Ken Wisenhunt looks like Ed Harris.
15. Asante Samuel and Bryan Dawkins are playing great in the secondary.

All that said, I still don’t feel great either way. I can see a case for either team winning, but I really think that Arizona is going to pull it out, but I would not be surprised to see Philly take it. Which means that I’m interested in watching the game, so that’s good.

Prediction: Arizona 27 Philly 13

Baltimore at Pittsburgh
As I said before, these two teams (and Tennessee) are pretty much the same team. They have great defenses with big DTs, athletic and hard-hitting LBs, and playmaking DBs. I really like their teams, a lot. I’d love to root for a defense that beats the hell out of people and can get off of the field on third down. Because their defenses are so good, they run very conservative offenses, as I’ve said before, but I’ve also said that Pittsburgh takes way more chances with Roethlisberger than Baltimore does with Flacco. I do not think that Baltimore will be able to run the ball, at all. They’ll probably end up with like 45 rushing yards total for the game. I can also see Flacco with a line like 11-27, 1 TD, 2 INT. I think that they get the TD late and I don’t think it’ll matter. I think that Pittsburgh will be able to run a little since Willy Parker seems to be back from whatever ailed him earlier and Roethlisberger is mobile enough and strong enough to evade too many sacks and make some plays. He completed a lot of passes for first downs last week and it seemed to kill San Diego. I think this game gets out of hand and Pittsburgh, a team that I absolutely loathe because of Super Bowl XL, takes the game easily.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 23 Baltimore 7

So we’ll have a Pittsburgh Arizona Super Bowl and Pittsburgh will be favored by 8 points at least if that happens. I really don’t want them to win again.

Barack Obama - Thursday, January 22, 2009

I listened to a podcast this week featuring Bill Simmons and Chuck Klosterman. They were discussing a variety of topics; one of the topics was Barack Obama and Klosterman said that he likes him and all that but also said that people are so excited about him that they would proclaim his genius regardless of what he decided to do. He said that he could make it his administration’s priority to lower the price for aluminum siding and people would go crazy and say things like, “That’s why we elected him president!” I thought that was mildly funny. Simmons analogized that it was like a sports team that had just come off of a bad season, but that had just signed a big free agent. The big free agent would have a brief honeymoon period and then everyone would settle down and then look objectively if he was doing a good job or not. I kind of went along with that, but I found myself interrupting their conversation (in my head) and interjecting my own points and I think I have a much better one that they didn’t get to. I think that a more apt analogy would be something more close to home.

My analogy is a franchise that has been terrible for several years who then goes out and hires a big name coach who then has the twin set of expectations coming into office: (1) there is nowhere to go but up, because the last several years have been terrible and (2) there are tons of expectations because this guy has been successful and he’s expected to replicate that success here. So, when I say I’m bringing it close to home, I’m thinking that Barack Obama is to the United States as Mike Holmgren was to the Seattle Seahawks. Let’s just hope that when Obama leaves office, he doesn’t do so with the equivalent of a 4-12 season. The Seahawks were horrible under Tom Flores and vexingly inconsistent and underachieving under Dennis Erickson. Change was needed. The Seahawks needed to make a splash and needed to aim for the moon. They did when they nabbed Mike Holmgren after two Super Bowl appearances (with one victory). He was a super-duper star. He rose to prominence by learning under Bill Walsh’s system (paralleling Obama’s time at Harvard); he was wildly successful in Green Bay (paralleling Obama’s time in the Illinois State Senate and the U.S. Senate); and he became coach of a moribund franchise with all of the power to turn things around, and the resources to do so by coaching Seattle and having Paul Allen as an owner (paralleling Obama getting elected president and having all of the resources of U.S. history and innovation etc).

So there.

Biggest Winner
Barack Obama. All hail the President. Regardless of your political leanings, you have to admit that when the world cheers for a dude, loudly and continuously, then that dude has got to be a big winner, around the world and here in your email inbox.

Biggest Loser
Mark McGuire. I just saw that his brother ratted him out for using steroids. My first reaction to that was, “no duh,” and my second reaction was, “if I had a brother, and he did something like that to me, I’d put him between my steroidal-enhanced bicep and forearm and squeeze him into incontinence.” We all know that McGuire was on ‘roids, but still, I think that it would suck to be called out on it by your brother, even if he is estranged. It’s pretty weak sauce to cash in on your brother just to sell some books. Cheating in baseball sucks and I wish the steroid stuff would just go away, but disreputable dudes “exposing” the story doesn’t really help much either.

UW Hoops
I go to sleep early these days so I wasn’t able to stay up and watch the entire USC game, but I saw probably ¾ of it. Anyway, I mostly like what I see. I’ve said this before, but don’t like Brockman trying to do anything except rebound and get points off of rebounds. I cringe when I see him get the ball on the wing and try to do something with it. He really has no chance to turn that into a positive play. Actually they should never give him the ball there, so that’s the guards’ fault. He will either turn the ball over or he’ll be called for a charge because he doesn’t have any handles, at all. I suppose it’s possible that someone could foul him, but that’s the least likely of all things. If he does get the ball there, he needs to either pass it immediately or take a jumper. We know that he can’t shoot, so that means he needs to pass the ball. He really should have No. 86 on his back and running down the sidelines with shoulder pads on. Did he even play high school football? It’s pathetic if he didn’t, being as big as he is. That said, he’s not big enough to really do any damage offensively, or defensively for that matter. He has very short arms and is really only 6’7 max. He gets completely exposed when a bigger guy is on him like Taj Gibson (6’9 with really long arms) was last night. I’m sure NBA scouts don’t like him. I’d be pretty amazed if he actually got drafted, but if Mark Madsen and Brian Scalabrine are in the NBA, then he’s got a chance, I guess.

I like the athleticism of the rest of the team though. MBA is a very active player and Holiday and Gant are tough lengthy dudes who are trouble, defensively, for teams. Their complete and utter lack of size at the guard spots scare me a little though. Dentmon is the biggest guy they have that gets minutes. When your dudes are 5’11 (Dentmon), 5’11 (Overton), and 5’8 (Thomas) that’s a problem is they are playing big guards (like last night). They’re quick though, and when they hit their shots they are a tough team. But that dude from USC, Marcus Johnson (No. 0) was completely crushing them. Also, that dude DeMar DeRozen is an amazing talent. They said he’s 6’7, but he looks more like 6’5 or so, but anyway, he’s a smooth player with a very good looking jumper and silly athleticism. He’s going to be very good.

I’m looking forward to the UCLA game tomorrow, that should be pretty good. Hopefully they can get another W and keep tacking on wins, I’d really like to see them back in the tournament, it’s way more fun to watch then they’re involved.

Super Bowl Thoughts - Thursday, January 29, 2009

Super Bowl Thoughts
I’m going with the Cards in this game. I obviously want them to win because Pitt can eat it, but I also think that the Cards are good and are actually playing well. Warner has a history of holding on to the ball too long, taking sacks, and fumbling the ball, but he just hasn't done it for awhile (as an aside Roethlisberger has the same maladies…). He faced an extremely tough D in Philly and was able to handle them easily. Brian Dawkins is every bit the safety that Troy Polomalu is and Asante Samuel is better than any corner Pitt has. Pitt clearly has superior LBs and have gotten to the QB like crazy this year so I'm a little concerned about that, but the Cards have good, big TEs (6’7 Leonard Pope is one) that can help with blocks and I think that they are going to slow them up, if not stonewall them altogether.

Much has been said this week about how unbelievably poor Roethlisberger played in the Super Bowl against Seattle. It’s true. He was terrible. Of course, he was a second-year player and is much better now, but I still don’t like his game. I liken him to yard waste. People throw out yard waste because it’s waste, but it does have a purpose. It can be composted and all of that crap. But yard waste isn’t something that you want to keep around for that very reason, it decomposes and turns nasty if it stays around too long. That’s Roethlisberger. He is so gross for the majority of the game and then comes up with very useful plays on third downs and late in the game with his ability to shed tacklers and move around and make passes. So he’s not garbage, which has no use and you want to get rid of it as quickly as possible (e.g. Charlie Frye), but he is waste. I hate him. I might be picking against Pitt simply because I hate him and their team and I don’t want any part of me pulling for them. But I do believe that there are lots of things pointing to a Cards victory.

Anyway, Pitt’s D is fantastic, but the Card’s offense is equally fantastic. I also think that the Card’s D is much better than Pitt’s offense, so I’m leaning toward the Cards, with my heart and my head.

Prediction: Arizona 31 Pitt 24

Bonus prediction: one of Pitt’s TDs will be on a return of some sort (special teams or defensive).

Caveat prediction: I can absolutely see the game unfolding as such, much to my chagrin:

• Cards win the toss, elect to receive

1st Quarter

• Cards march down the field, Warner overthrows Boldin, Ike Taylor picks it off at the 20
• Pitt goes to about midfield and punts
• Breaston muffs the punt, Pitt recovers on the 10
• Pitt scores on a 3rd and goal from the 15 (because they can’t run and Roethlisberger gets sacked) on a gross Roethlisberger toss to Heath Miller, 7-0 Pitt
• Cards take the ensuing kickoff to the 40, move the ball to the 38 and punt
• Pitt doesn’t do anything offensively and punts

2nd Quarter

• Cards move the ball but don’t score and punt again
• Pitt moves the ball to the 45 but stalls and punts
• Cards get the ball back, move it and fumble, Pitt recovers on the Cards’ 30
• Pitt scores a TD on a 15 yard Willie Parker run, 14-0 Pitt
• Cards move the ball and kick a field goal to end the half, 14-3 Pitt

Halftime (of a GROSS game thus far)
3rd Quarter

• Pitt take the opening kickoff and marches down the field to score a FG, 17-3 Pitt
• Cards move the ball and Warner throws another pick
• Pitt takes the ball down and scores on a 45 yard Willie Parker run, 24-3 Pitt
• Cards get the ball and finally punch it in on a Fitzgerald catch and run, 24-10 Pitt

4th Quarter

• Pitt goes on an 8:00 drive of runs and incomplete passes except for 3rd and 12, 15, and 8 passes by Roethlisberger and finally scores TD (pass to Limas Sweed), 31-10 Pitt
• Cards go on a long drive, go for it on 4th down and don’t get it
• Pitt takes the ball and does nothing exciting but chews up clock.
• Cards get the ball back and do nothing.

Final 31-10 Pitt, MVP Willie Parker

Now that I wrote that I just got sick to my stomach. This game could absolutely unfold this way and it wouldn’t surprise me at all, I just don’t want it to.

Gonzaga and Saint Mary’s
Big game tonight. Unfortunately I’ll probably only get to watch the first half because I’m geriatric and go to bed at like 9:30. I’ve seen Gonzaga play a few times and I’ve been less than impressed with their effort. Losing to Portland State at home is inexcusable. I don’t know who they think they are, but they’re not good enough to just roll the ball out and dominate, especially with a guy like Austin Daye playing like his heart pumps apple juice. He’s a weakling. I think that he should stop wearing t-shirts underneath his jersey so that he’s forced to lift some weights to avoid the embarrassment of being a 20 year old man with the arms of a 13-year old girl.

UW and the Arizonas
I read Art Thiel’s piece on Isaiah Thomas yesterday and he said that several people have said that Thomas reminds people of Damon Stoudamire. I think that is a great comparison. They do play very similarly and are pretty much the same size. They are both crazy explosive scorers and both are left handed, which is interesting. If Thomas goes on to have the same type of career that Stoudamire does, then I’ll be really happy, as Thomas will be too, since Stoudamire was a first round draft pick (no. 7) and Rookie of the Year.

I like this team a lot. They are a much better team and a way more athletic team than they’ve had the last few years. They are getting to the line a ton of times; against USC and UCLA they got to the line 40 and 43 times respectively. That’s a ton of free throws especially when compared to how many times their opponents got to the line, USC 17 and UCLA 15. That’s ridiculous; they got to the line over 50 times more in two games. All while taking only six less field goals against USC and 12 less against UCLA.

The numbers are telling us that they’re being aggressive and taking the ball to the hole, something they have shied away from in recent years, instead settling for the jumper. Good things happen when they do this. Also, the numbers tell us that they are getting a lot of second chances because they’re getting so many rebounds. It’s exciting to see a team play aggressively and with talent. They’re a fun team to watch, even if they are frustrating at times with their really stupid turnovers etc.

The team doesn’t really have any spot-up shooters though and that will probably hurt them down the line, but I’d much rather have guys that can take it to the rim and shoot occasionally, than have a team full of Ryan Appleby’s who can do nothing well but shoot.

I have hope that they will take care of business in Arizona. ASU is good and UofA, despite their record, is a good team having beaten Kansas and Gonzaga this year and they’ve got two losses that are completely attributable to brain farts at the end of a game when a kid fouled intentionally because he thought they were losing, but were tied. Bad times. I could see UW winning both games and I can see them losing both. We’ll see.

Fiesta Bowl - Tuesday, January 6, 2009

A few thoughts about last night’s Fiesta Bowl…

It was boring, really boring, for most of the game. I DVR’d it and ended up fast-forwarding through a lot of the second and part of the third quarters.

TP
Terrelle Pryor is not a very good QB at all right now. I say this realizing a few things:

• He’s a true freshman.
• The only game I’ve really seen him play is this one and Texas is a team that could have been playing for the national title… not exactly a lightweight outfit.
• He’s asked to run a lot. Running a lot messes up throwing mechanics.

He has the chance to be a good QB, but right now I see a guy who:

• has terrible throwing mechanics (fixable)
• has a very weak arm (maybe fixable)
• is grossly inaccurate –how many times did he short hop a ball to his intended receivers? Especially the attempted two-point conversion when they were down 15-17 (fixable)
• is way, way, way more comfortable running that he is passing

I think that if he fixes his throwing mechanics almost everything about him will be better. He is completely off balance when he throws, which is why he doesn’t get much on the ball (hence the short hops) and why he’s so inaccurate. I have no idea if he’s a coachable guy or not, but he looks like a really cocky kid who may or may not listen to people who know what they’re talking about. I’m just going by what I saw on the field, his body language etc. I could be way off on him though. He's been compared to Vince Young and I think that is an apt comparison. Their running style is nearly identical. I am convinced that Pryor will be much more accurate once they fix a few things with his game (VY was a very accurate college passer in his junior year, a little over 65%). The QB run/pass spread offense (like Texas and Florida run) and the pass offense (like Oklahoma and Texas Tech run) make it very easy on the QB to complete a high % of their passes since they can see everything from the shotgun, so there is no excuse for Pryor to have a low % in the coming years unless he just sucks at throwing the ball in college, which is possible. Anyway, he can be good, but if I had to choose between him and someone like Skyline High School’s Jake Heaps, I might take Heaps. But that might be because I really detest the spread because it’s so simple, basic, and predictable, but then there are tons of programs that use it and win with it, so what do I know? I’m just a guy typing who doesn’t even get paid for his opinions.

The Announcing
The play-by-play guy for the game, Matt Vasgergean (who has done a lot of bad NFL games for Fox… which is to say he did a lot of Seahawks games this year) is terrible.

He’s one of those guys who thinks he is too cool to do the game, but that’s not why I thought he was so bad. Toward the end of the game he started saying stuff that just didn’t make sense and failed to point out a few things, such as:

• When OSU was lining up to go for two when they were up four, he tried to explain that Tressel wanted to go up six so that Texas would have to score a TD and kick the extra point to win.
• OK… first, that makes no sense to me because the extra point is a damn foregone conclusion in most cases and if they give up the TD, they still tie and go into OT. I think it was a weird decision to go for two. There was 2:06 left in the game and if they kicked the extra point, they’d be up by five (22-17). If Texas marched down the field and scored a TD, then OSU would be down by two (24-22, assuming Texas kicked the extra point). If there was any time remaining on the clock, OSU could win the game by kicking a field goal (25-24, as opposed to just tying it if they didn’t convert the two points). Even if they got the two point conversion (23-17) they’d still be down by one if Texas scored (24-23) and would still just need a field goal to win (26-24). I thought it was a very strange decision at the time and I still think so today. I think that the play-by-play guy should have at least questioned it at the time. It just didn’t make any sense to me. He must have been confused or something, his producer really should have gotten in his ear.
• When Tressel challenged the spot of the ball on that 4th down that gave Texas life, Vasgergean didn’t understand why they were so upset at the time. The ref who came in to spot the ball initially put the Texas guy clearly short of the first down, so OSU was going crazy (happy) on the sidelines because it looked like the game would be over. Then some other ref came in and spotted the ball clearly over the first down line and THAT’S when OSU went crazy (angry). I think Tressel challenged it because he may have thought that since one guy spotted it so short that it would show on the replay… it did not and the refs made a good call, but Vasgergean missed the whole sequence and I think that it’s the play-by-play guy’s job to explain what’s happening. He didn’t.
• The BCS. He continually mentioned the BCS and how this game would impact other BCS bowl teams. I had no idea what he was talking about. The Fiesta Bowl had about as much importance as the Poinsettia Bowl, which is to say it had no importance at all. I guess he could have meant that it would make a difference to OSU to win a BCS Bowl game since they’d lost the last two, but even that is a stretch. They were blown the hell out against Florida and LSU, but this game against Texas turned out to be a pick ‘em. It could have gone either way and there were no moments where OSU was “exposed” by being slow or whatever. The two teams looked even to me and the score showed that. What was particularly weird though was his insistence that the University of Utah was very interested in the outcome of the game. Really? I thought that Utah played in the Sugar Bowl, which was just another meaningless bowl game. I think he was trying to suggest that the outcome of the Fiesta Bowl would somehow have an impact on the national title. The national title game is being played on Thursday… it wasn’t played last night and it wasn’t played last weekend. If OSU beat Texas, then so what? So Utah would finish ranked 3rd? Under no circumstances would Utah be declared a national champion, it’s just not going to happen. I thought it was a weird comment and the color commentator just let him ramble.

The Plus-One Argument
After the Rose Bowl, everyone was up in arms about USC being left out of the national title picture. Fine. I think it’s brutal too, but a “plus one” would not solve the problem because the assumption is that USC would play the winner of the Florida/Oklahoma game. Well, what about Utah? They handled Alabama and finished 13-0. So all of the sudden USC is more entitled to the game than Utah (who beat the team that beat USC?). Everything short of a playoff is ridiculous and I can’t believe Todd Blackledge is such a proponent of the Bowl system and this plus one idiocy. Who gives a rat’s ASS about the bowls? Clearly not TV viewers given the numbers. I just have no idea what’s driving this and it makes me mad. The numbers would be staggering if Texas/OSU actually meant something, instead, it doesn’t and it will continue to be largely irrelevant until something is done about it.

Wildcard Round - Monday, January 5, 2009

Just a quick one here because I just watched playoff football this weekend and I have some fresh thoughts that I jotted down.

NFL Playoffs
I wish I was a betting man because I think that I would have made some money over the weekend. I went 3-1 in the wild card round (picking winners and against the spread I might add). Of course, if I would have put money on the games, I would have lost it all. It’s best that I just prognosticate with no real stakes… you know, sort of like in real life.

I was pretty confident in my picks, but I thought that if I was going to miss one it would be Atlanta and Arizona, not Indy and San Diego. Darren Sproles is awesome. He was incredible at Kansas State as I remember him putting close to 300 yards on Missouri. The dude is so fast and strong for his size and he carried that team on Saturday. Kim watched the game with me and fell in love with the diminutive dude, much the way she fell for Allen Iverson back in 2001 when Philly played L.A. in the finals. She has a soft spot for the little guys, I guess. Anyway, she really didn’t like Reggie Wayne because he showboated (Usain Bolted) when he slowed down after catching that weird TD when all of San Diego’s D was looking at the sidelines when Indy snapped the ball. When that happened, she began pulling for San Diego. She also said that football is much more enjoyable to watch when I don’t have a rooting interest because when I do, I’m not much fun to be around because she can feel the stress (so I guess it is a good thing that I don’t bet on games). Maybe I should just stop caring. That way I could watch more games, because I’m sure that’s exactly what happens when a baby joins the family.

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the games this weekend:

Baltimore at Tennessee
Baltimore looked dominant, defensively, against Miami on Sunday. Everyone knows that their D is tough, but I think that the conventional thinking was that since Miami had not really turned the ball over all season that they would be able to stay in the game because Baltimore’s offense is not dynamic. Then Ed Reed intercepts two passes (and should have had three) and runs one of them back for a TD. Baltimore had two other interceptions and another fumble recovery and pretty much destroyed Miami for most of the day. Despite the fact that they had so many turnovers, I really don’t like Baltimore’s hesitancy to do anything other than call safe pass plays and running plays on offense. I realize that it had led them to many victories, but it also keeps opponents in games. Baltimore had a number of three-and-outs and also settled for FGs. It seemed like Miami was getting absolutely killed in the game and they were only down 10 or so. I fully understand why they do what they do, but I also think it’s going to cost them against a team that can score and/or is equally tough defensively… which is why I’m picking Tennessee in this game.

Tennessee is as tough as Baltimore defensively and I think that they’ve got just a little more explosion/diversity in their offense. Kerry Collins isn’t asked to do a ton in Tennessee’s offense, but he gets quite a bit more latitude than does Joe Flacco, which is understandable, since Flacco’s a rookie. Because of that, I think that Tennessee will make a few more plays and win the game.

Prediction: Tennessee 17 Baltimore 10

Arizona at Carolina
My gut tells me that Carolina is going to massacre Arizona, but my head tells me that probably won’t happen. Even though Arizona looked fantastic against Atlanta (and they really did) I just think that they won’t be able to replicate that in Charlotte. They, like Seattle, have such a huge problem playing on the East Coast. It’s stupid, makes no sense, but alas, it’s true. That’s not the only reason I think Carolina will win this game though. I just think that Carolina’s D will put a lot of pressure on Kurt Warner and force him to either fumble or throw a couple of INTs and they’ll be playing catch-up against a team that can run the hell out of the ball. I think Warner will have a crazy stat line like 25-42 345 yards 2 TD, 3 INT, 4 sacks, 1 fumble lost. They played remarkably well on Saturday, but I just don’t think that they’ll be able to run that ball at all against Carolina and that Carolina will be able to run the ball and hit big plays with Steve Smith. They’ll control the clock and force Warner to throw way too much and that will be that.

Prediction: Carolina 30 Arizona 24

Philly at New York
I don’t know what to make of Philly. I think that they got extremely lucky to play a very weak Minnesota team. I will say this though, I was very, very close on the actual score in this game (I said it would be 24-13). However, I’m more impressed with my Adrian Peterson prediction. I said that he’d have something like 25 carries and 87 yards. He actually ended up with 20 carries for 83 yards. Not to continually toot my own horn here, but that’s not bad! I guess I’m just surprised, is all, but I shouldn’t be because Philly’s D is tough to deal with and Tavarious Jackson is a terrible, terrible, terrible QB, so there is no way that Philly was scared of him. That interception he threw to Asante Samuel was embarrassing. There is no way that a QB of a playoff team should ever make that kind of pass. He sucks.

So, about this game; I’m not sure how to look at it. New York is a bit hobbled by bullet wounds and other injuries. I really do like their team, and I trust them a lot more than I trust Philly. I think that NY’s WRs don’t match up really well against Philly’s secondary, but I do think that NY can run on them with their three (well, mostly 2 recently) backs. If Brandon Jacobs is OK, I think that NY wins this game, if he’s not OK, then I think Philly will take it. I also think that Eli Manning can make some plays and that he’ll get good protection to do so.

Prediction: New York 27 Philly 24

San Diego at Pittsburgh
So Pittsburgh, Baltimore, and Tennessee look like the same exact team to me. All three have amazing defenses and all three run pretty much the same kind of extremely conservative, run-oriented offenses… in other words, Big 10 football at the NFL level. Isn’t it ironic that spread offenses and speedy defenses wins (big) at the college level, but doesn’t work at the highest level? I guess that’s because every single dude in the NFL is fast (at positions where speed is necessary) so the spread just won’t work consistently and beat-your-ass defense is at a premium. The spread offense almost led a team to a championship last year with New England, but when they ran up against a defense that was tidal-wave like, it folded. If you look at the teams in this year’s playoffs, there are two teams that don’t fit the mold: Arizona and San Diego. While both teams have decent to good defenses, they aren’t on the same plane as the other teams that remain. Also, do you know who else doesn’t fit that mold? SEATTLE, that’s who. Man, I really hope they do something about that in the off season. It really isn’t very fun to root for a team whose defense can’t get off of the field on third down.

So, back to this game. Pittsburgh looks like a team that can make some things happen. Like Baltimore and Tennessee, they have great defenses, but unlike those two teams, I think that Roethlisberger is given a little more freedom, which is funny to say, because their offense is very Ronald Regan, but maybe more McCain than say Baltimore’s George W. Bush.

Pittsburgh will neutralize Sproles, Tomlinson won’t play much and Rivers will get his ass handed to him.

Prediction: Pittsburgh 28 San Diego 15

Whatever happens, I do think it will be a very good weekend for football.

Steve Sarkisian and NFL Playoffs - Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Sarkisian
A friend of mine grew up with former NFL TE Cam Cleeland who played at UW and who used to come back to UW in the offseason or off weeks to work out at the weight room. I guess several alums who were in the NFL used to do this relatively frequently. When Willingham took over he put the kibosh on that. I don’t know why that surprised me because it seems like something Ty would do. I guess he didn’t like the idea of anyone who is not directly involved with the team to be anywhere near his team. Yeah, because it’s a great idea to show your current players that once you’re no longer part of the team you’ll be banished. Also, why would you want your players to talk to successful people? What good can come of that? I’m so glad they fired him and I am truly happy that they have a guy like Sarkisian taking the reigns.

I like him for several reasons:

• I liked him as a player even if he played for BYU, he’s the same age as me (which makes me an absolute failure, by the way) and I remember him playing really well for them.
  He’s called plays for a number of years now, has run an offense, has recruited, and has produced several successful players
• I like his offensive system, I think the pro-style will be great for recruiting (because players, mostly QBs, will want to play for a guy who can prepare them for the NFL)
  He’ll also be great for Locker because, as I’ve said before, I don’t think that Locker would have progressed one bit as an NFL prospect if he remained in the running/spread “offense” that UW “ran.”
• I think he has a great personality and I like his openness about everything
• I know that I wanted a defensive guy, but I’ll take an up-and-coming coach who is energetic and who has great qualifications over a seasoned/retreat head coach or defensive coordinator
• He is not Mike Leach. I did NOT want Mike Leach here. I think that his offense is really fun to watch, but people at UW would hate that style. They are programmed to think that it is still 1990-91 and those teams were tough and ran the ball extremely well… that’s what people equate with success and only a coach that brings that will truly be accepted by the blue hairs and those unsophisticated UW fans.
• I think that he’ll re-integrate the alums and fan base and those factions are dying for it because they’ve been shut out under Ty’s regime.

NFL Playoffs
Even though Seattle will be sitting out this postseason, I am still very interested in the games this weekend. I love the NFL playoffs because it’s the only single elimination tournament of all the major pro sports. The finality is riveting, I think. Here are my thoughts on the games:

Atlanta at Arizona
Atlanta is an amazing story. That team was terrible last year. I thought that Michael Turner was good in San Diego, but when a dude goes from second string to starter it’s a crapshoot and I just figured that he wouldn’t do well in Atlanta because the team sucks so bad. So he went out and ran for 1,699 yards and 17 TDs, so I guess I was right. I didn’t think that Matt Ryan would do anything special and clearly he hasn’t since he lead his team to the playoffs and will get legitimate MVP votes.

Arizona is unimpressive to me, with the notable exceptions of Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin. Those two dudes are absurdly talented WRs. They’re huge and they catch everything. I’m not sure what’s wrong with Matt Leinart. If he can’t be successful throwing to quite possibly two of the top 10 WRs in the league, then he’s horrible. Kurt Warner is still decent (and far better than Leinart) and it’s possible that their passing does enough to overcome any other deficiencies that they might have. Here’s my guess. I want Atlanta to win, so that means Arizona will and I’ll be upset about it, even though I couldn’t care less about Atlanta and am ambivalent at best regarding my feelings for Arizona.

Prediction: Arizona 38 Atlanta 24

Philly at Minnesota
I really don’t care about this game or either of these teams. Neither one will advance beyond this game. I do think that Adrian Peterson is awesome though and it’s cool to see him do well. He runs like he’s in a video game and has a break tackle rating of 99, which he probably does (I don’t have Madden). I do think that Philly has a very good defense and I’m guessing that they will hold Peterson to something like 25 carries and 87 yards, which means that Philly will win, despite the rampant inconsistency of their offense.

Prediction: Philly 24 Minnesota 13

Indy at San Diego
Peyton Manning is incredible. I have been a Peyton fan since his days at Tennessee. I’ve been a Volunteer fan since ’89. Those were the Carl Pickens, Dale Carter, and Heath Schuler halcyon days. I lived in Okinawa from ’84-’89 so I don’t have any attachment to the Huskies during that time. When I got here, one of the first games that I saw was a Tennessee game and I’d never seen their unis, endzone, offense, or cheerleaders and I was smitten. So I obviously paid attention to them during the Peyton Manning years (I believe Todd Helton was a QB w/Peyton and laid a vicious block on someone in a game that I saw) and was bummed that Danny Wuerfell peed all over Tennessee for all of Peyton’s years and really bummed that Charles Woodson beat Peyton out for the Heisman… what an atrocity.

Anyway, I thought that Peyton would never get a chance to win big and was convinced that it wouldn’t happen in the NFL… until he led them to the Super Bowl over the Bears. This is a long way of saying that I think that he’s going to light up San Diego. Phillip Rivers is a good QB even if he throws like his elbow is sewed to his ribcage, but I don’t think they’ll beat Indy.

Prediction: Indy 35 San Diego 27

Baltimore at Miami
Miami is another unbelievable story. They were perilously close to 0-16 last year and looked every bit as bad as their record. I must admit, I was pulling for them to do well mostly because I think that karmically, it seemed that Chad Pennington needed to do well at the expense of the NY Jets because they bounced him in favor of Favre. It couldn’t have worked out better.

As for Baltimore, I think that they are pretty damn good. Their offense is a lot better than what it used to be and their defense is just as strong as it always has been. I kind of like their chances to go relatively deep in the playoffs.

Prediction: Baltimore 23 Miami 13

Random College Football Games and Other - Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Kansas v. Missouri
If you saw this game, you saw Todd Reesing get absolutely murdered on a hit in the third or fourth quarter. It looked identical to the hit Trent Green took early last year that resulted in a severe concussion and actually looked like he was killed on the play. Reesing scrambled to his left and stayed up too long and started to slide when a Missouri linebacker came in and just blasted him. Reesing was hit in the face and the back of his head ricocheted off of the ground. It was gruesome. But dude got up and proceeded to throw the game winning touchdown later in the game. Reesing is 5’10 and around 170 or so. He has some serious brussel sprouts. It was a fantastic game that featured tons of lead changes (including three in the last four minutes). Also, I remain impressed with Jeremy Maclin and insist that he will be a super-duper star in the NFL. Chase Daniel may have a career in the NFL as well so long as he plays on the right team. I don’t think he’s taken a snap from under center his entire career, so he’ll have that hurdle to overcome, but if he played for New England in 2007, he’d be fine, I think that Brady was in the shotgun for like 85% of his plays that year.

Oklahoma v. Oklahoma State
Both of these teams are very, very, very good. OK State could have easily won this game, but OU simply has too much on offense. That sounds like a preposterous comment given that OU won the game by 20 (61-41) but as I watched the game, the outcome was in doubt for a large part of it. By the way, Jermaine Gresham (OU’s TE) is phenomenal. Their running backs (DeMarco Murray and Chris Brown) are unstoppable. One of their WRs, Juaquin Iglesias is very talented, and of course, Sam Bradford is a nearly flawless QB. I’m in awe of his accuracy. He puts the ball exactly where it needs to be and has more than enough arm strength. I’d love for Seattle to draft him. I still love Hasselbeck, but Seattle needs to have a real backup QB to take over the reigns when Hasselbeck can’t go anymore. Bradford is simply awesome. I know that he has nearly all day to throw, but when he does throw, he never seems to make a mistake. Ever. I also should say something about Zach Robinson, OK State’s QB. That guy is pretty damn good himself and he’s got some crazy wheels as evidenced by 30-something yard TD run he had on 4th and 1.

Georgia Tech v. Georgia
I actually didn’t see most of this game, but I did tune in to watch Knowshon Moreno turn two screen passes into ridiculous, video-game like runs. He’s very shifty and fast, which I suppose is what a team would want in a running back.

I am definitely looking forward to watching the SEC title game this weekend. I think that Florida is on some kind of crazy roll, but then, so is Alabama. Should be interesting. I think Florida takes it 34-27. I’m also interested in seeing what kind of numbers Missouri can put up against Oklahoma. Those dudes can score and score a lot and Oklahoma’s D is not that good. I haven’t seen the line, but I’d have to guess that Oklahoma is a two-touchdown favorite to win the game. I’m going with a final of 55-45. I will NOT watch the UW game. I flatly refuse.

The NFL
I watched zero minutes of NFL football this weekend, including Thanksgiving. Kim and I had Thanksgiving at our place and I didn’t get a chance to watch any of the Hawks game, which is just as well, evidently. I can’t get over how terrible they are. They’re 2-10. Cortez Kennedy was playing for this team the last time they went 2-14. I suppose it’s possible they duplicate that “effort” but it’s so weird. I did not see this coming. I think that I predicted that San Diego and Dallas would meet in the Super Bowl with San Diego winning. Um, that’s wrong.

I think these were my predictions, but I’d have to go back to look:

NFC East: Dallas (still alive)
NFC North: Green Bay (dying)
NFC South: New Orleans (dead)
NFC West: Seattle (dead and buried)
Wildcards: New York (best team in the NFL), Carolina (alive)

AFC East: New England (alive, surprisingly)
AFC North: Pittsburgh (alive)
AFC South: Jacksonville (dead)
AFC West: San Diego (dead)
Wildcards: Indianapolis (alive and thriving), Tennessee (very much alive)

I guess that’s not bad, but three teams that I thought would go deep into the playoffs: Seattle, Jacksonville, and San Diego have turned out to be colossal disappointments.