If things continue the way they have this season, it sure would be nice to see that on the front page of the Trib in September. Of course it would be the subheading under the gigantic print that states CUBS HEADED TO SERIES. Yes I'm getting ahead of myself, and yes I am the same guy who wrote of the dreaded lump appearing in Cubfans throats when it looked like the season wasn't headed in the right direction. I still am a Cub fan and have been for awhile which means that I won't let myself get too excited about a World Series until the Cubs are actually in the series.
Last time I got pre-emtively excited about the series, and I swear to all things holy this happened, I looked at my college roommate and close friend Bones and said something along the lines of, "2 innings left, we're up three and Prior's on the mound. It looks like the Cubs are going to the series for the first time since we dropped the bomb on Japan". Of course I was then hit with false sense of security when one out came quickly on a pop fly and the dreaded 5 outs away came. And as you all know that's when the world imploded in Chicago.
But back to my point. The struggling Cubs look to have rebounded exactly when they needed to. Coming into a series against the Brewers, even worse on the road, with 1st place basically up for grabs I was a little worried about what was ahead for the Cubs. Now I know there is still a while to go (53 games) this is exactly what I needed. A 4 game sweep on the road at Wrigley Field North. A Co-worker of mine (who is married to a Cubfan) thought the games
the last 2 nights were in Chicago due to the high volume of Cubbie blue in the crowd and the fact that the crowd seemed to be louder for the Cubs. The reason so many Cubfans are in attendance is the short drive between the two parks, the Cubs loyal fan base, and the fact that it's much easier to get tickets to a Cubs game at Miller Park than a Cubs game a Wrigley. This is undoubtedly a good thing.
The Cubs came into the series against the Brewers with a 2-4 record, all 6 games at Wrigley Field. Today's 11-4 thrashing puts the Cubs at 6-4 against the Brewers all season, 14-10 over the last 2 years and more importantly, 8-2 at Wrigley North. The Cubs and Brewers will face off 6 more times this season, over the last 12 games when, most likely, the Central Race will still be on the line. It's nice to see that the Cubs road woes don't apply to Milwaukee with a 6 game swing hanging in the balance in the closing weeks. Many are saying that this series exhibited a Playoff Atmosphere, and you can't blame them.
Things that have worried the Cubs and Cub Fans heading into this series with the Brewers were:
I for one am excited about the remainder of the season. Again, as a Cub fan I'm not running out and buying my NLDS, NLCS, or World Series tickets just yet, I've seen too many years of heartbreak. But also as a Cub fan, I've got to say I can't remember the last time the Cubs played this well all season and were defending the division lead, not chasing a division leader/Wild Card. The Cubs were floundering since the All Star Break but have, apparently, managed to right the ship a little bit. The bats are making some noise, Dempster is finally winning on the road, and Harden is finally getting some run support. Winners of their last 5, and 7 of the last 9 the Cubs are looking down at the rest of the Central Division heading into August for the first time in a long time. Also a big screw you to Brewer manager Ned Yost and former and once again "Piece of Crap" Eric "Fluke Season" Gagne for intentionally throwing behind Edmonds in the 9th inning of today's game. Down 9-1 in the Top of the 9th Gagne (behind 3-0 in the count) very obviously threw a pitch a foot and a half behind the Cub CF who was 2 for 3 with 2 HRs and 5 RBIs up to that point. Gagne was immediately ejected and his line reads 1 ER in 0.0 innings and raises his ERA (only slightly) to 6.59 on the season. 2 batters later Edmonds crossed the plate for his 4th run of the game, the Cubs 10th.
This is something that scares Cub Fans, especially since Dan Uggla blew the All Star game for the National League.
I will also take this chance to toot my own horn. To the Brewers fans who got angry after my NL Central Preview when I said "If Gagne performs like he did most of 2007 in Boston, especially with the newfound Mitchell accusations, it could be one of the biggest busts in franchise history." Well it would appear I was right. And, while completely un-related, I would like to point out to Aaron who said, "Aaron Harang isn't Cy Young caliber? Are you kidding? You can't claim to be an NL Central "expert" and make claims like that..." Well Aaron (I wonder if it was Aaron Harang trying to boost his own self esteem). Harang is 3-11 with a 4.76 ERA and is on the DL. So since I had the Cubs Brewers 1/2 and said Harang wasn't in Cy Young contention, I will retain my status as an NL Cental Expert.
More after the jump...
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Cubs Sweep Brewers in 4
Manny being Manny: Los Angeles Edition
Well just as we all thought the trade rumors were dead and the Marlins weren’t going to be able to start another quest at buying a World Series, Manny gets traded. Ramirez will join my former Tribe veteran Casey Blake in LA. The Red Sox moved him in a three team trade involving the Dodgers and the Priates.
Dodgers Get.
Manny Ramierz: .299 20 HR 68 RBI .389 OBP .529 SLG
Red Sox Get:
Jason Bay LF: .282 22 HR 64 RBI .375 OBP .519 SLG
Pirates Get:
Andy LaRoche 3B: .203 2 HR 6 RBI .319 OBP .322 SLG
Bryan Morris (Minor League)
Craig Hansen RP: 5.58 ERA 7 HLD 25 SO 1.7 WHIP 2 SV
Brandon Moss RF: .295 2 HR 11 RBI .337 OBP .462 SLG
Just like with the Griffey and Sox situation Torre is going to have to make some moves in order to work him into the outfield. Right now the Dodgers have Juan Pierre in left, Andre Ethier in center, and Matt Kemp in right. One thing is for sure though, American League teams are probably thrilled to have him out of that explosive lineup. If you are in Tampa get excited.
4Real Out…..
More after the jump...
At The Wire
Manny to the Dodgers and as with the previous Florida-Boston-Pittsburgh deal, The Pirates ship Jason Bay to Boston. In return Pittsburgh will get Brandon Moss, Craig Hansen (Boston), Andy LaRoche, and Bryan Morris (LA).
Manny might be a headache but giving up Manny and a couple youngsters at 52 centes on the dollar, this isn't as good as Theo's Nomar trade in 2004. Press conference in 25 minutes.
More after the jump...
Brett Favre, You're Making Me Play Devil's Advocate With Myself
More after the jump...
Reds Send Griffey to Chicago
With the trade deadline winding down and all eyes focused on “Manny being Manny” once again the quiet Hall of Famer, Ken Griffey Jr., has flown under the radar. The Reds have traded Griffey to the White Sox for Pitcher Nick Masset and Infielder Danny Richar. Reports say that the Sox will be paying for his $4 million dollar buyout and will split the cost of the rest of his salary for the remainder of the season.
Stats:
Sox Get:
Ken Griffey Jr.: .245 15 HR 53 RBI .355 OBP .432 SLG in 102 Games
Reds Get:
Nick Masset: 4.63 ERA 1 SV 1 HLD 32 SO 1.70 WHIP in 32 Games
Danny Richar: .230 6 HR 15 RBI .289 OBP .406 SLG in 56 Games
There is no doubt that it is getting close to the end of Griffey’s career and that his desire to compete for a World Series played a major role in his decision to head to Chicago. Right now reports say that he will be playing Center Field after years of being in Right. There is no one that can tell Ozzie Guiellen what to do, and we will just have to wait and see. It will be interesting to see how that first lineup card is filled out, and what Griffey can do in Chicago. Here is the report from ESPN:
4Real Out...
More after the jump...
CC Sabathia is a Class Act
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Well this week he dropped nearly 13 Grand on a full page article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer thanking the city and its fans. I guess Tribe fans can only hope that when CC is back on the market in November that perhaps he can find his way back to Cleveland. It's rare that a guy drops any kind of thank you like this to fans in his old city.
More after the jump...
Top 10: The Things We Love About Wrigley
as Weeghman Park was in 1914. Things have been fixed, seats have been replaced, the bleachers are concrete instead of wood, but the bottom line is that the same field that has been used by the Cubs since 1916 is still where they play on summer afternoons. There's no slide, no gigantic video screen (to tell the "fans" when to cheer and what to cheer), no gimmicks to bring in fans, the Cubs are the draw and the entertainment. Wrigley Field is a museum to the game what it used to be like to head out to the ballpark instead of these over the top retractable roof monstrosities that are everywhere. And because there's no room for it anywhere else, the fact that Wrigley is constructed where it is, on the Shores of old Lake Michigan, the winds are ridiculous and they make the games interesting. When the wind is blowing out a pop up to left field is out, and when the wind is blowing in a ball destined for Sheffield or Waveland won't even make it to the Warning Track. It's a beautiful thing.
The Scoreboard is still manually operated. In what is probably the best job in the world, there are people in the scoreboard who change the scores, pitchers, teams, etc on the board during the games. Necessary, absolutely not, but that's the reason that it's so amazing. Wrigley has done everything in its power to exist today the way it has for decades. Not to mention, as opposed to other ballparks that have the NL or AL scoreboard off in the upper deck corners (I'm looking at you Bank One Ballpark) this scoreboard is in DEAD CENTERFIELD instead of the video screen gimmicks. 
time (even before the Internet!) so too does Wrigley choose to keep fans, and Chicago's passerbys informed on the baseball world. There are flags atop the scoreboard, one for each team in three separate rows. These represent the divisions and the place in the division. And as you can see in the beautiful picture at the left the Cubs flag flies highest when the Cubs are in 1st. But there are other flags that fly at Wrigley besides the team by team/division by division flags. After a Win a White flag with a Navy W flies high above Wrigley Field and after a loss the inverse (Blue with White L) flag flies high,
albeit not as proudly for all in Wrigleyville to see. But there are other flags that fly in the Southwest winds. There are pinstriped 10, 14, 23, and 26 flags representing four of the greatest Cubs of all time (Santo, Banks, Sandberg, and Williams). Also atop the Crown of The Friendly Confines there are a few other flags, the Hack 191 (Hack Wilson's 1930 RBI Record), 20 KW (Woody's 20 K game), 66 Sammy (Sosa's 1998 HR Total), Hawk 8 (MVP Andre Dawson), JR42 (Jackie Robinson), FJ31 (Fergie Jenkins), and Maddux 300 (300th Win) among others as well as their World Series Championships (2) and NL East, NL, and NL Central pennants are up there as well. 
Prefer a Pennant Chase to a Sausage Race". You can always tell when the sign is made for Wrigley by the distinctive Ivy lining either the bottom or sides of the ad. But it's not just the commercial Miller Lite ads that I love of the outfield signs. It's the distinctive Red Budweiser roof across Waveland, the Harry Caray commemorative sign on the Rooftop of Murphy's Bleachers, The Eamus Catuli (Go Cubs) and AC count up (Division/League/World Series) signs on other rooftops. All great to see when looking out on Wrigley's famed outfield and Rooftops. The fans out there love their Cubs, and who can blame them. Speaking of the Rooftops.... 
I figure since I spent so much time talking about the signs that appear in the outfield and on the rooftops, I might as well just put the rooftops as my next favorite thing about Wrigley, even if it's not technically in Wrigley. It's a beautiful thing for so many reasons, the uniqueness of it, the truly midwestern, neighborly, neighborhood feel of the rooftop fans having cookouts and watching the game that just encompasses what it is that Wrigleyville is. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 15 different rooftops to view the game from. Some are simply a grill and some bleachers and (a surprise to many) some are really high class with nice bars on the inside, basically the best sports bar in the world. Also, because of the rooftops, a piece of baseball history happened in July of 1995 when Reds pitcher Tom Browning snuck out of Wrigley and across the street to enjoy a game from the bleachers - in full uniform. TV Cameras caught him and he was thus fined. He has said that it was one of if not The Best experiences during his career - he won a game in the World Series, won the World Series, and threw 1 (nearly 2) Perfect Games.
nickname for the members of*ahem* society, who grace the bleachers at Wrigley. If you ever attend a game in the bleachers, get there early. Seating is general admission and people wait for lengthy amounts of time, to get prime real estate in the concrete seats. But be forewarned, a high amount of alcohol has passed through their blood streams so not too late in the game (often before the first pitch) R-Rated curses and chants start flying
. And not just at the opposing players on the field but in cases of friendly rivalry the chants are often aimed at the other Bleacher Bums. Hearing the Left Field Bums lash out against the Right Field Bums is common. The Bums are so famed that shirts can be purchased in and around Wrigley stating your alliance. The Text on the back of the shirt of course reads "Shut up and Drink your Beer". The most ironic part of this is the fact that on most summer days, it is much more common to see the Bums not wearing their Bleachers shirts, well actually they aren't usually wearing any shirts.
midwesterners know how to drink, they have to drink to survive 3-4 months per year. We all know beer goes best with baseball. So the Bleacher Bums stand and drink all day (in the sun) then get into the park and continue to drink. Well right around the 6th inning those same Bleacher Bums have had enough cold suds to lose their balance. Thank God for the Baskets at Wrigley. It is probably one of the most unique things at Wrigley. To my knowledge it will not be found anywhere else. Not only does it save the lives of drunk Bleacher Bums but the basket counts as a home run. Though I don't have the official stats in front of me I feel like I have praised that basket (for Cub HRs) much More often than cursed it (for opponent HRs). I would go out on a limb and say that the basket is responsible for a higher percentage of Cub HRs than opponents.3. The Ivy:
ick) walls to "soften" the blow of diving, running outfielders. Well as you might guess it doesn't soften anything, it's one of the reasons teams hate to play at Wrigley. But it is a fun sight to see along the outfield walls. Not just that but it presents an interesting Home Field Advantage. If a ball goes into the Ivy and the Outfielder raises both arms in an "I surrender, I can't find the ball" it is ruled a ground rule double. All Cubs outfielders know this. If the outfielder though decides to search through the vines to find the ball, it is no longer a Ground Rule Double. And the baserunner is free to run as fast as he can around as many bases as he can. I have seen many singles stretched into triples based on an opposing outfielder searching through the Ivy like he knows the Grail is there. (Thank you Bill Veeck).2. Wrigleyville:
with Wrigley Field. And of course there is (almost) nothing but bars lining Addison and Clark Streets, and also Sheffield and Waveland. The arguably most famous and popular bar in Wrigleyville is probably The Cubby Bear right across from Wrigley on the corner of Clark and Addison. The way it works in Wrigley on game day is the fans show up and begin their trek past each bar until they find one they can fit into. Everyone walks into The Cubby Bear, looks around the gigantic place, and gets to walking down Clark. Whether it's down to Goose Island, Bernie's, Casey Moran's or the seemingly thousands of other bars and restaurants. These are all packed hours before the game and hours after the game. Win or Lose everyone is having fun in Wrigleyville.
e had one thing in common, they have played at Wrigley Field. There is more than just Cub History alive in the Brick and Ivy, have you heard of the following MLB Historic Events:- Hall of Famer Babe Ruth's "Called Shot"
- Hall of Famer Gabby Hartnett's "Homer in the Gloamin"
- 1917's Hippo Vaughn vs. Toney both throwing No-hitters through 9 full innings
- Hall of Famer Mr. Cub Ernie Banks' 500th HR
- Pete Rose's 4,191st hit (to tie with Ty Cobb)
- Kerry Wood's 20 K game (2nd ever to throw 20 Ks, and 1st not aligned to Steroids) Randy Johnson did it 3 years later but the game went extra innings so it is not an official record.
- Sammy Sosa's 60th HRs in 3 out of 4 seasons (98, 99, 01)
- Hall of Famer Lou Gherig's 1st Grand Slam, as a 17 year old for New York City Commerce High School
- The Highest scoring game in MLB history Cubs 26, Phils 23
- 3 All Star Games
- Hall of Famer Stan Musial's 3,000th hit
- 1976's 4 HR game for Hall of Famer Mike Schmidt
- The 2nd Highest Scoring Game in MLB history Phils 23, Cubs 22
- Greg Maddux's 3000th Strikeout
- Tom Glavine's 300th win
- 7 No-Hitters
And not just known for Baseball Wrigley was also the host venue for
- The Bears 1933 victory over the Giants in the first NFL East vs. West Championship game (23-21)
- 1937 NFL Championship Game (Bears over Skins 28-21)
- 1949 NFL Championship Game (Bears over Giants 37-9)
- 1943 NFL Championship Game (Bears over Skins 41-21)
- 1963 NFL Championship Game (Bears over Giants 14-10)
- Hall of Famer Gale Sayers' Record 6 Touchdown Game against the 49ers in 1965
organist playing "Take me out to the Ballgame" during the 7th inning made famous by the late Harry Caray (originally at Comiskey and later at Wrigley) a practice which has continued by a number of "guest conductors" over the last 10 years since Harry's passing. Most famously Dutchie Caray to start the 1998 season (the first without Harry), as well as his grandson and former WGN commentator Chip Caray, as well as Hall of Famer broadcasters Vin Scully and Bob Uecker and many other famous Chicagoans and other national Celebs, as well as some of the more infamous like Mike Ditka (at triple speed), Jeff Gordon "Wrigley Stadium", Ozzy Osbourne's incoherence, and many others. More after the jump...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
College Football's Top RBs: By Conference
There has been some major discussion not only through this site but also between myself and Randle “el” about who the marquee running backs are in the upcoming college football season. Off the top of my head I claimed that there were three names that will get attention and one that definitely should be: Chris “Beanie Wells of The Ohio State University, Knowshon Moreno of Georgia, Noel Devine of West Virginia, and LeSean McCoy of Pitt. Looking at last year the big names you may have been familiar with moved on for a chance to play on Sunday leaving a number of underclassmen to fill some big shoes. Let’s quickly run down the players leaving from the top 10 rushing leaders of the 2007 season and where they will be playing in the fall.
1. Kevin Smith out of Central Florida: 450 Car 2567 YDS: RD 3 Pick 64 : Detroit Lions
2. Matt Forte out of Tulane: 361 Car 2127 YDS: RD 2 Pick 44 Chicago Bears
3. Ray Rice out of Rutgers: 380 Car for 2012 YDS : RD 2 Pick 55 Baltimore Ravens
4. Darren McFadden out of Arkansas: 325 Car 1830 YDS: RD 1 Pick 4 Oakland Raiders
5. Jonathan Stewart out of Oregon: 280 Car 1722 YDS: RD 1 Pick 13 Carolina Panthers
6. Rashard Mendenhall out of Illinois: 262 Car 1681 YDS: RD 1 Pick 23 Pittsburgh Steelers
8. Jamaal Charles out of Texas: 258 Car 1619 YDS: RD 3 Pick 73: Kansas City Chiefs
10. Anthony Alridge out of Houston: 259 Car 1597 YDS: Signed as a Free Agent with Denver Broncos
With eight of the Top 10 rushing leaders from 2007 leaving college football behind it brings us to a very interesting debate about who is left to lead their teams from the backfield. Here is a breakdown of the best running backs by conference.
Pac-10:
1. USC: The Trojans have a plethora of backs to pick from, but it appears as though the main two to be teaming up in the backfield will be Joe McKnight and Stafon Johnson.
McKnight: 94 Car 540 YDS 3 TD
Johnson: 98 Car 673 YDS 5 TD
2. Keegan Herring: ASU 154 Car 815 YDS 5 TD
3. Kahlil Bell: UCLA: 142 Car 795 YDS 5 TF
Big Ten:
1. Chris “Beanie” Wells: The Ohio State University: One of the two returning backs from the top 10 leading rushers in 2007, and my pick for the back with the best chance at a Hesiman: 274 Car 1609 YDS 15 TD
2. P.J. Hill: Wisconsin: 233 Car 1212 YDS 14 TDS
3. Javon Ringer: Michigan St: 245 Car 1447 YDS 6 TDS
Big East:
1. LeSean McCoy: Pittsburgh: 276 Car 1328 YDS 14 TDS. McCoy put these numbers up as a freshman, I believe he is the third best back in the country and will most likely win the Big East Rushing Title while helping make Pitt a contender.
2. Noel Devine: West Virginia: 73 Car 627 YDS 6 TDS: We will have to wait and see if Devine lives up to the hype and can handle the pressure of being the top back. He has big shoes to fill, but as Slaton found out White does most of the running racking up about 300 more yards then his back in 07’.
3. The Big East appears to be a two horse race, but here is the four way tie for third:
a. UConn’s tandem of Andre Dixon and Donald Brown
b. USF’s Mike Ford
c. Cincinnati’s Butler Benson
ACC
Atlantic:
1. James Davis: Clemson: The Tigers should have a generous preseason Top 25 Ranking, all though I think it might be a little too high. Davis will have to pick up a good portion of the workload in 08’ (C.J. Spiller will help that cause as well) to keep them in the hunt. 07’: 214 Car 1064 YDS 10 TD
2. Josh Adams: Wake Forest: 219 Car 953 YDS 11TD
Coastal: To be honest this was the hardest Conference/Division to pick some stand outs thus far in this article, but here are two guys that need to make an impact. VTech needs to rebound, while Miami had a great recruiting class and are looking to rebuild. These guys will play integral roles in both situations. Also, I have a gut feeling about what Butch Davis has been doing at UNC but can’t seem to find any information about RB Johnny White. If there are any Tar Heels fans reading out there, please drop me a line and give me some information about what is going down in Chapel Hill.1. Branden Ore: Virginia Tech: 267 Car 992 YDS 9 TD Note: It has come to my attention that Ore is not longer a member of the Vtech squad. No official word as to why, but it appears to be the ever so common "Violation of Team Rules". Good Work team, keep the feedback coming.
2. Javarris James: Miami FL: 159 Car 582 YDS 4 TD
SEC
East:
1. Knowshon Moreno: Georgia: One of the three backs that in my opinion are frontrunners for the Heisman. As a freshman Moreno carried the ball 248 times for 1334 YDS and 14 TD. Georgia should undoubtedly land in the top 3 in preseason polls and Moreno will have to be a huge part of their success during the season.
2. Arian Foster: Tennessee: 245 Car 1193 YDS 12 TD
West:
1. Anthony Dixon: Mississippi St: 287 Car 1066 YDS 14 TD
2. Ben Tate: Auburn: 202 Car 903 YDS 8 TD
3. Terry Grant: Alabama: 180 Car 891 YDS 8 TD
Big 12
North:
1. Marlon Lucky: Nebraska: 206 Car 1019 YDS 9 TD
2. Jake Sharp: Kansas: 147 Car 821 YDS 7 TD
3. Jimmy Jackson: Missouri: 67 Car 331 YDS 7 TD
South:
1. Jorvorskie Lane: Texas A&M: In 2007 the kid known as JTrain Lane sat as the Aggie’s HB who had 169 Car for 780 YDS and 16 TDS. Mike Sherman has taken over as head coach and has moved Lane to FB which could change his effectiveness, granted most would think for the better. Lane had to lose 20 pounds to become HB in 07’ as he dropped to 268 lbs. He is still listed at 6 ft 280 lbs.
2. DeMarco Murray: Oklahoma: 127 Car 764 YDS 13 TD
3. Kendall Hunter: Oklahoma St: 107 Car 696 YDS 4 TD
MAC : The MAC is Jarvis’ for the taking, the other back besides Wells from 07’s Top 10 leaders to be returning. There aren’t a lot of notable backs in this league, but here are a few that stand out.
West:
1. Justin Anderson: N Illinois: 274 Car 1245 YDS 8 TD
2. Brandon West: W Michigan: 183 Car 848 YDS 4 TD
East:
1. Eugene Jarvis: Kent St: 279 Car 1609 YDS 15 TD
2. James Starks: Buffalo : 251 Car 1103 YDS 12 TD
WAC:
1. Ian Johnson: Boise State: 207 Car 1041 YDS 16 TD
2. Luke Lippincott : Nevada: 267 Car 1420 YDS 15 TD
3. Ryan Matthews: Fresno St: 145 Car 866 YDS 14 TD
4. Deonte Jackson: Idaho: 240 Car 1175 YDS 7 TD
The majority of these picks are open for debate, and I hope that if I included someone that has left or named a player from your team that is the number 2 or just disagree in general let me know. I am sure there are more than a handful of mistakes throughout the article….
4Real Out….
More after the jump...
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Numbers Rebuttle
Chris Domschke or should I say Randall Floyd, with your El Camino SS's and lines like grab a 6'er .. all Dom needs now is to look a little more like Ben Affleck, find a paddle and scare some young boys..... oh wait that already happened once, Domschkes Douchebags anyone?
Since the beardown " dips below the heteroline" I'm about to make it plummet and put it woman's spin on Dom's number game.
1. Rankings :
So you've got your 1-10 and your Sir-Mix-A lot measurements- interesting but Dom I can't say that I know any guys that even know where those measurements belong let alone what girl has them. Your 1-10 scale is best- keep it simple, you start throwing in hips, waist and bust measurements and you are going to have a lot of confused drunk men at bars.
2. Women's Sizes:
Men go by the measurements of their body- women's sizes like 2,4,6,8,10,12 are those measurements wrapped up in a nice little number to make us feel less fat. So we are clear though, women do have pants that come in measurements- but you have to be willing to be brutally honest with yourself. It's a known fact that stores make their size 4 and 6's bigger so women will feel skinnier and shop more at that store. So heres the chart breakdown ( and if you're giong shopping in Europe, lose ten pounds and good luck):
0-2 Skinny
4-6 Thin (ish)
8-10 Average
12 +.... maybe see a Bally's Trainer
3. Booze:
Women love numbers and booze too for two very different reasons:
our own:
100 calories in a shot of vodka
150 calories in a shot of Jack
150 calories in a shot of Captain
0 calories in club soda or water
So if you don't eat all day, you can have eleven Vodka Soda's be wasted and not gain weight.
for men: We like to have numbers when you start drinking, if you are grabbing a 6'er then it's going to be a great night, an 18 your playing flip cup, a 30 and it's beer pong- double any of those and all bets are off. If your drinking 40's your not taking us out to dinner because you've obviously lost all your money gambling on these numbers that you love. If you're drinking expensive scotch then you are living a double life.
4. Sports:
Since Dom can't remember where he lived in the dorms 5 years ago- but can rattle off numerous stats let me help him out- Graham- Greenlee. Thats the beauty about women and sports, we love them too but the rest of our brain can function as well.
Heres what I know about numbers and sports, if the numbers are too low and your favorite team loses it's going to be a quiet night, if the numbers are high and your favorite team wins then it's going to be a booze filled rager.
We will have to wash your favorite jersey at least 2 times to get the potato skins, moz sticks, beer, Jack D and 2 am pizza stains off of it and we'll have to have at least 3 bottles of water and 1 greasy meal waiting for you in the morning. And when that's over, you'll have 1 expensive meal to pay for.
Ah numbers, they're a beautiful thing.
More after the jump...
Monday, July 28, 2008
Men Love Numbers
Men love numbers. I'm not really trying to be overly repetitive but I want to make sure my point gets across. Men love numbers. They overlook other things based on numbers. Don't believe me?
More after the jump...
Your Favorite Sports As Drinking Games PT1
Beer Hockey is one of the most competitive and skill oriented drinking games that I have ever encountered.
What You Need:
Table: Preferably Round
Quarters (You only need one, but you will probably will lose a few during the game)
1 empty and 1 fresh bottle or can per player
How You Play:
Everyone stands around the table with a can sitting in front of them with both hands below the plane of the table. Everyone takes a turn spinning the quarter on the table (shooting round). While it is spinning the person who spun calls out the name of any other player besides themselves. Once the name is called that person must attempt to score by hitting the quarter at the other players cans. A lot of people play where you have to flick the quarter, but we here at the Bear Down allow full hand slap shots (That is also why we prefer using cans. With bottles there is more audible evidence for close goals, but with cans you get the satisfaction and bragging rights from dents). If your name was not called you must play defense by bringing one hand in front of your can. The defensive regulations say that you must only extend your index and pinky fingers keeping your middle and ring fingers back as if making the rock on or NWO Wolfpack gesture. From there you cannot lift you hand from the table, you may slide it to position in front of the moving quarter and that is all, you also cannot widen or bring your extended fingers together. A goal is scored if your can is hit. A hit can results in the player that scored spinning the quarter again (the drinking round), this time as long as it is spinning (all players can help keep it going) the player who allowed the goal must be drinking.
Other Rules:
Rusty Palms:
Occurs when 1. A player breaks the defensive regulations or 2. when a player does not have his hand below the plane of the table or brings them up before a name is called. Penalty: Depending on the severity you may give out a set number of drinks, call that they remove their hand and shoot on open net, or risk shooting at another goal and making both drink if you score.
Rebounds:
A rebound occurs when a player has taken their shot and the quarter is still spinning/moving. At this point the quarter becomes fair game for all other players. This can occur after a save or goal, even if you have been scored on you may be able to get revenge in the same shooting round.
Spinning:
A) During the Shooting Round you have three attempts to successfully get a good spin off. After the third attempt you must drink and forfeit your turn.
B) During the drinking round: After goal drinking has a couple of different options in terms of the way you want to play. Option 1: The player keeps drinking until the quarter stops even if that means finishing a beer only to open another. Option 2: Shoot at your own risk. That is to say that if you score a goal on an opponent who has very little beer left they can finish during the drinking round only to slam it on the table before the quarter stops spinning. In this case the most common rule is that the person who scored is now subject to a drinking round.
C) Stopping the Quarter: While the quarter is spinning we used to follow the rule that said if anyone was able to successfully stop the quarter the player in the drinking round must either finish the beer that they have (we had a full beer max during some marathon games) or shotgun a beer. This can be dangerous especially when the skill level increases by basically eliminating the need for a drinking round and the heavy drinking both of which take the fun out of the game.
Cans on the table:
If a player’s can is on the table, it is in play. If they are getting another beer, left to use the bathroom, or distracted while making a sad attempt of picking up a girl who is not impressed with their new found athletic ability, then their can is in play. If you do not want to leave your goal unguarded than you must remove it from the table.
4Real Out….
More after the jump...
Solomon Hill Commits
2009 4 star Small Forward Solomon Hill from Fairfax High school in Los Angeles has just committed to the U of A. This is a huge addition to recruiting class as he is the 3rd best Small Forward in the class of 2009 according to Rivals.com. With Mike Moser and Greg Smith all ready committed the front court seems to be getting some much needed help. Hill is the type of player U of A fans have been wishing for the last few years. He is a hard working kid with no attitude problems or behavior issues. He is lauded for his passing skills as much as anything and has been categorized as a Point Forward by many scouting services across the country. He is a heady player reminiscent of Luke Walton but with much more athletic ability. Congrats to the new staff and Papa Lute for reloading at such a frenetic pace. Fingers crossed the Abdul Gaddy recommitting is next....More after the jump...
Friday, July 25, 2008
Cristiano, why is your skin maroon?
Great football player, yes- Skin care proponet- probably not. Yes, my knowledge is minimal about soccer but as with Mr. Jennings I felt that I must give Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santo Aveiro some knowledge on how not to end up like the next David Posh Spice.
1. You have surgery on your right ankle and only a couple weeks later are in LA ( you know Beckham lives there) and out at nightclubs. This is not good- while I read that you denied L.C. from the Hills ( which you should have) and I give you golf claps for that- all you're going to find there are gold diggers and diseases.
2. Skin care: you are severely handsome there is no questioning it, but Cristiano you're going to end up looking like a walking Louis Vuitton- you're maroon, I know your Portugese and you tan well and it's great- but now it's crossing the line, you need some sunscreen asap.
3. Please don't end up like David Beckham, your parallels are many- but I think you are better than him, very much better. It seems as though you'll end up in Spain and that is good for you but don't choke like Beckham did and then sign an obnoxiously high salary to move to LA and wear Herbalife on your chest. Stay Euro thats why you're better than Beckham.
4. If you start to become Beckham you are going to loose your male fanbase, which has kind of already started, remember 2006 when you annoyed the English so much ( and you played on Man U) that they started an emailing campaign against you for the Best Young Player Award- you didn't get nomiated due to your behavior and it went to Lukas Podolski. Lets be honest if you come to LA women don't really watch soccer- see # 1.
5. You have too much talent to end up in Armani underwear on a billboard in Times Sqaure (a blatant Posh move)- so just keep playing, stay out of the media, you'll pull chicks without having 1,000 papparazi lights flashing off at you- and please seriously get some sunscreen.
More after the jump...
Antoine Cason's the Man
Any of you avid BearDown fans out there may know how we feel about Antoine Cason. We absolutely love the guy. He made our All-Arizona Team. Back in April before the draft we told you about Cason's Stock improving. We were one of the first to write when we heard about him winning the Thorpe Award. And back in November we gave him a Helmet Sticker, our only one of the season. So needless to say we were torn about him not yet signing. Personally I think rookeis are the ones who need to be in camp ASAP and Cason is a rookie. But at the same time, AC is our boy, and we wanted him to get paid. So when Mr. Matt sent me the Text at midnight last night, I wasn't upset about being woken up, I was excited 
that AC had signed that contract. He got in there at the last minute but he will be there. His 5 year $12 mill contract is a good thing for him and for his alma matter. Congrats to you Antoine.For those of you who don't know much about AC he was (as per my knowledge) the only college athlete with his own charitable foundation. Cason Cares. The Pac-10 wasn't behind Mr. Cason trying to make money for cancer research but he didn't care. The NCAA bylaws state that players cannot raise money (for fear it will be used for personal gain) but he went out, on his own, and raised money. Eventually last fall he was given the greenlight to begin Cason Cares by the NCAA. He raised $7000 dollars in the first 2 months of the wristband sales. Cason has been dominant on and off the field in Tucson and is ready to make a name for himself at the next level.
Good luck Antoine. We'll miss you in Tucson.
More after the jump...
Like Dom I'll Hold My Breath
So I started working this week so I've been MIA and am now back- I've found that blogging and working go pretty well together. First, I'd like to start with swallowing my pride and telling Mr. Matt Randle that he was correct, Greg Norman bit it in the final round- which I really thought with all his life changes he could pull it off- I still love you and that hat though Greg, so until next time you did well. On to more pressing matters....
I sent Dom's daughter a cubs outfit a few weeks ago and this morning I got a message and picture of her in it (it was awesome), which on my way to work then got me thinking about the next generation of Cubs fan, I think it's pretty evident Dom's kid will be one- but this lump in the throat gets passed down from generation to generation and without a World Series win, it's not going away. Everyone can argue that they get nervous for their team but for Cubs fans it's different, it's not explainable- it's a complete emotion.
I re-read Dom's article about the lump in the throat and although he put in a picture of Anti-Christ Steve Bartman ( whose still banned from Wrigley) and talked about the Cubs being the hunters or hunted ( which just reminded me of a safari)- I have to say I agree with Dom.
My throat lump is very very small- but today the Cubs are playing the Marlins and they are in the bottom of the 4th and tied... here we go again.
Like Dom, I say ask me in August- Wrigley is either going to feel amazing or like seeing your ex-boyfriend at a bar with a girl that's hotter than you, we've got a couple weeks to see.
I hope for the all generations of Cubs fans, especially Dom's daughter- the Cubs make something happen, we've spent a lot of time, energy, money, tears, throat lumps, burning hats, train rides, beer, heartbreaks, bags sessions, fighting with other teams fans ( the majority* of Cardinals fans are the stupidest people alive, and no it's not because they like the Cardinals) afternoon's and loyalty being a Cub's fan and while I wouldn't change it for anything, a World Series would be a nice thank you.
* As a disclaimer I'd just like to put in writing that I know two Cardinals fans that are smart and amazing, but they're the only two ( Alyse and Jordan).
More after the jump...
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Teixeira to the Diamondbacks?
There are a number of rumors flying around the league about the possibility of the Braves dealing Mark Teixeira to anyone who is willing to take on his 12.5 million dollar a year contract. The most recent news coming hot off the wire is from Ken Rosenthal over at FoxSports.com who reports that the Diamondbacks have supposedly looked into acquiring the first basemen. It hadn’t crossed my mind that the Dbacksa would consider going after him, but now that I think about it he would fit in well in Phoenix. This year Teixeira is batting .277 with 19 HRs and 73 RBIs, which could provide some added run support for Arizona. First is a position they need help with as they have recently gone out and acquired first basemen Tony Clark by sending pitcher Evan Scribner out to San Diego. Tony Clark has posted a .222 average with 2 HRs and 14 RBIS this year which is not even close to impressive. The other option at first for the DBacks is Chad Tracy who is batting .302 with 5 HRs and 25 RBIs, not exactly what you’re looking for in a position where you usually find a power hitter. According to Rosenthal’s report the acquisition would be unlikely since the Diamondbacks would have to absorb nearly $5 million, a price that I think is worth paying considering their payroll of just over 66 million (23rd highested in the majors). If I’m Arizona I go out there and make a serious attempt to pick up the star first basemen, they could really use the help.
4Real Out….
More after the jump...
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Who voted for this?
A Beijinger whose restaurant was demolished in the city's Olympic makeover and who was jailed for trying to organize a protest, Ye Guozhu, was taken from the Chaobai Prison on Tuesday to an unknown location, four days before he was due to be released, the monitoring group Chinese Human Rights Defenders said Wednesday. Police in Ye's old neighborhood said they were not aware of the case.I mean maybe I take my rights as an American citizen for granted, and am naive to the ways of the world, but even for third-world countries that seems pretty fucked up. So, Beijing officials are working to create designated areas for people to protest the government smashing their homes and businesses to entertain the foreign crowds. But again....
It was not clear how easy access would be to enter the zones. Liu and Beijing police would not say if special permission would be needed.So, you need permission to come protest. At what point would these "officials" just get fed up and deny the special permission. Last time I checked protests were to fight the man, and as long as civilized, no entrance requirements were set. I honestly don't blame the Chinese people, or the Beijingese, for being upset. And the fact that their probably going to be pigeon-holing people who security thinks are terrorists ( apparently there's a large muslim population in western China) it looks like the terrorists have a prime recruiting ground for followers. But wait one more second...
Hundreds were evacuated Wednesday from the massive building that will house broadcasting facilities for the Beijing Olympics, fearing there was a gas leak after people smelled a strong odor. But authorities later said it was a false alarm and the smell probably came from building materials or chemicals.Seriously? A couple more of these and the Olympic committee will only have themselves to blame for any shenanigans that occur during these trying times. Or maybe due to shoddy workmanship in order to kick off these festivities, they'll end up terrorizing themselves.
John Barton, the director of sport for the Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union, said he was in his office at the International Broadcast Center when people began running down the halls and telling occupants to clear out. He said no alarm sounded.
"The gas was swirling down the corridor and the emergency drill, if there is one, wasn't followed," Barton said. "Ladies were running up and down the corridors saying 'Get out of the building,'" he added. "I stepped out of my office and I thought it was some kind of joke — no sirens, no speakers, nothing."
*quotes from ESPN.com
More after the jump...
Arizona Football Season Preview
the last 9 months (can you believe it’s been that long) over 81.2% of the information covered on this site is football or football related. What do we love more than football. Well, nothing actually, but we do love College football specifically. Sure the NFL is fun and great but Saturdays are far better than Sundays and you all know that. So what’s better than just college football? Answer Arizona Football, at least here at The BearDown. And if you didn’t notice that just look at the web address and the sea of red hanging on the goal posts atop this page.
As you may have read Monday here and earlier today here we love our Kitty Kats. We amp up every Saturday and my (4 year old) “In Stoops We Trust” shirt still gets into the rotation in the fall. Mr. Matt hit you with a game by game breakdown of the upcoming UA season, which by his account will have Arizona Football in a Bowl Game. Now I too am guaranteeing Bowl Game. Whether or not it’s the Rose Bowl as Mr. Matt thinks, we’ll have to see. God I hope he’s right, but Rose Bowl or not this should be a great year in Tucson for Stoops Troops. The question remains, will this be the first surge of Stoops growing regime, or will this be Stoops’ Last Stand?
Pac with a Defensive Score of 86 and Offensive score of 85 and overall score of 84. I’m not sure how their overall drops to 84 since the piece missing is Special Teams, and we have amazing Special Teams coming into the ’08 season. Ok, that’s not really a valid point to argue since it’s fictional but it’s out there and now you all know. 
New Mexico. These aren’t 3 Guarantees but they aren’t the toughest games on the Arizona docket. At the very least coming out of this 2-1 will almost certainly lock up a Bowl bid for Arizona. Why? Well September tends to be the Cats weakest slate in recent memory. Coming out of that 2-1 instead of 1-2 (as they have 3 out of 4 years under Stoops) could be the one game difference that sends them bowling. But that’s not just it, add that with a 10-6 record (62.5%) over the last 4 games of the season over the last 4 years under Stoops leads to confidence closing the season and a good shot at 3 more wins. The Cats seem to get better, especially deeper into conference play. That in addition to the
fact that 2 of their 3 toughest contests of the season (Oregon and ASU) fall in that category and a 3-1 record against Washington State, Oregon, Oregon State, and Arizona State seems very possible and very nice. In the Territorial Cup during Stoops tenure the Cats are a deceiving 1-3. The one win being in Stoops’ first (3-8) season in Tucson. 2 of the other 3 games were decided by 3 points. ASU came back to win the 2005 game with Arizona Freshman Phenom Willie Tuitama on the bench.
UCLA and 24-20 over #8 one-loss Cal). Well, in 2008 sandwiched between Cal in Tucson and the last 4 game push beginning in Pullman versus Wazzu, Arizona plays host to USC on Homecoming. Every year teams come in here and think that Arizona is beatable. I guarantee USC will be thinking the same thing. Arizona is 3-1 on homecoming since Stoops took over. Much like the Arizona Freshman, homecoming brings out the best in the Kitty Kats. The dorms are a little cleaner, the behavior a little better, and the outcome a pleasant surprise. Instead of showing off for their parents the Kitty Kats tend to show off for the many departed Cats fans who bleed red and blue and have struggled through the last, well decade. If they can’t manage against USC then the Territorial Cup looks to be the next chance for their back half upset. At the end of the year, while 11-1 and 10-2 are possible, I think that 9-3 is VERY likely, and the saving grace for the 5th year of Stoops in Tucson. The first of many bowl games to come. 
able to overcome. When games are slipping away young teams tend to focus on the fact that it’s slipping away instead of stepping up and stopping it, fixing it. In ’07 all of the seniority was on the defensive side of the ball, the offense only had one senior, departed Tackle Peter Graniello. 
despite the talent at the tackles. That will change this year which leads me to my next point. The Running Game. 
open the holes for him. And this year they will. If Grigsby can’t do it, Senior Xavier Smith will have to step up his occasional carries into the bulk load. A Running Game is key. 
in almost anything Willie throws in his general direction. TnT, the 7-10 split, have been playing together for 4 years now. They read each other on the field. Another year like last year’s (83 rec) for Thomas won’t only put him atop the Arizona record books above Bobby Wade, he will surpass Arizona State Receiver Derrick Hagan’s record of 258 receptions. 
ding 18.8 YPC had one analyst saying simply that DBs couldn’t tackle him. If Robbie G can have more games like Washington State (4 catches, 115 yds, 2 TDs) he won’t be 3rd option for too much longer. And definitely won’t be under any radars. The most important number for the Arizona offense is 10. 10 returning offensive starters used to the Spread Offense. Bottom line, Arizona made tremendous steps to become Air ‘Zona last year, and with a year under their belt in the new scheme look out for the 2008 passing attack, and memo to Pac-10 HQ, get your erasers out because there’s gonna be some changes in those record books. 
Fontenot and Lionel Dotson, and 4 other departing starters. What’s the good news? While those players were great, Arizona was able to outscore opponents with an underperforming Defense. While on the offensive side of the ball, youth can’t compare to experience. The opposite, occasionally, holds true for defense. Especially in the fast Pac-10 having natural talent in the game able to overcome boneheaded mistakes will be key. UA returns 3 defensive starters. And luckily 2 of those are in the Defensive backfield. FS Nasty Nate Ness had a very good 2007 (5 INTs in 6 games) and SS Cam Nelson will bring his 60 tackles (4th on team in ’07) and looks to solidify the Secondary while Devin Ross has natural ability to play bigger than his size (5’11”) and Marquis Hundley got some quality minutes last year. Of course high on the list of competition at CB is Incoming much loved recruit Robert Golden. 
vy will be starting at the outside linebackers, but Vuna Tuihalamaka impressed the hell out of me in Spring Ball and should be ready at a moments notice. One of the biggest acquisitions, it appears is Arizona DT Earl Mitchell. If that name sounds familiar he was protecting Tuitama last year along with a handful of receptions and a TD as the FB. Coaches looked at his speed and his 265 lb frame and decided that Interior lineman was a much better fit for him. From what I’ve seen and heard in the offseason, this might be the most important move they made all summer. Fresh faces and youthful exuberance might be exactly what this defense needs. No one is firmly set in their positions so don’t be surprised to see players fighting that much harder on Saturdays to keep their positions. 
The special teams were great last year. Kicker Jason Bondzio made tremendous strides in Tucson so we could forget the name of Nick Folk. The Senior and Pac-10 Honorable Mention PK went 21-24 on kicks less than 50 yards and 21 out of 25 total. Sophomore Keenyn Crier, who we all hope doesn’t see the field too often, will help keep the ball on the right side of the field. The second team all Pac-10 kicker averaged near 40 yards net and is definitely poised to play on Sundays. Besides that there isn’t much to say. The kickoff coverage team only allowed 1 TD 71 Kickoffs. Of course the kickoff specialist team didn’t get a whole lot 
of opportunity for tackles since only 47 of the 71 kickoffs netted a return. And while the 9.5 yards per punt return aren’t the best (#73 nationally last year) the 0 TDs allowed is very good and only having to punt 20 times isn’t too bad. With Cason gone Mike Thomas will be stepping up as return man in a unit that had 2 punt returns last year. No shot to Antoine but I would be surprised if Thomas can’t get a little more return yardage he’s a lot more elusive and similar in stature and speed to Chicago’s Devin Hester. In another silent aspect of the game, Arizona came in 4th in the conference in least yards penalized. Arizona will have the tools and opportunities to Save the job of Mike Stoops. Whether it be
through a 7-5 record, 11-1, or most likely 9-3 Arizona will be playing in late December. Expect this year’s Territorial Cup game (December 6, Tucson) to be the biggest game of the season for one if not both of these bitter rivals. If both teams are coming into this game with a shot at the Rose Bowl, which is possible, expect more than (school record)59,920 in Attendance, Standing Room Only. And with a little luck and a lot of hard work, when that game is over, as in years past, a sea of red will flood the field at Arizona Stadium. But the difference in 2008 is that my beloved Kitty Kats will be making plans for Pasadena on January 2nd, and I will be absent from work. More after the jump...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Eff it Dude...Let's go Bowling: Arizona Preview Part Deux
Craig Stevens (3 TDs) and RB Justin Forsett (15 TDs). Those 4 guys were 4 of the 5 Top Receivers on the team and 3 of the Top 5 rushers. I can guarantee this offense will struggle without all 4 of those contributors. The top Skill players have left the program and the incumbant QB, Senior Nate Longshore, is penciled in as the teams QB!. This means that there will be room for more Cal speedsters to step up, names to be made, reputations to be established, but 2008 will not be the year for the Cal Bears. While this won't be a walkaway game for Arizona, at home this will be a good way for the Cats to start off the second half.
years the clearly dominant USC teams haven't had a lot of first half success against the Cats (2007: 10-10 at half, 2006: 3-0 at half, 2005: 14-7 at half) but they have managed to pull out wins in all 3 games. With the vastly improved, high powered Arizona Offense will USC be able to run away with the game in the second half as they have done in the past? Onto the other factor. Arizona has done 2 things with consistancy over the 4 year Stoops term in office. Win big games, Pull of a Huge second half upset, and win on Homecoming. The first year it was beating ASU at home to cap off a 3-8 season. Last year it was the Thursday night game of the week against #2 Oregon on November 15. The two years in between, that upset happened on homecoming. (52-14 over #7 undefeated UCLA and 24-20 over #8 one-loss Cal). In fact Arizona is 3-0 against California teams on Homecoming over the last 4 years. With that said, beating USC doesn't seem to promising. There's a very good chance USC will be #1 in the country coming into this game. The matchup to watch this game will be Arizona Offense against he SC Defense. Unfortunately, barring injury, Arizona isn't going to come out on top against the Trojans. 
ibson becomes less threatening. As Arizona showed last year it takes a little time to get used to the spread offense, so new Coach Wulff's spread should be more comfortable for the Cougs. But they still don't have the top tier talent to run the spread effectively enough. Also the fact that in Stoops four years the Cats seem to get a step quicker, a touch meaner, and just that much better over the last quarter of the season means this should be a good game for the Cats. As long as they aren't too rusty from the week off and they aren't to focused on the next week in Autzen you can put this one in the Win column for the Cats. The Cougar defense was weak enough as it was last season and they lost key run stuffing DT Ropati Pitoitua. This should be a great game for Tui to work out any kinks in the offense as he picks apart the Cougar defense with a surgeon's precision.
Oregon offense should be pretty potent, the QB battle between Justin Roper and Nate Costa will have been decided by now. This will be the game where Arizona's offense is at its best. Why? The Oregon front 7, well other than End Nick Reed, is non existant. Arizona's running game will be on and Tui will have plenty of time to pick apart the Oregon defense. Specifically with quick shot passes on short slants. Linebackers will not be able to contain Arizona receivers and TE Rob Gronkowski will have a "Player of the Week" type game. Oregon's rushing offense will be resting on the shoulders of a JC transfer who, though he impressed in spring workouts, A) is not Jonathon Stewart, and 2) did it against the Oregon front 7. Without a valid running game, the Oregon offense will sputter. Arizona should have this game in hand by the end of the 3rd quarter. 
ated rival Arizona State next game in the Territorial Cup. This sparks some concern, especially for a team that isn't too comforatble and used to success. The saving grace might be the coming bye week. Rather than facing ASU in 7 days, it will be 2 weeks. That should make for Arizona being able to foucs on the game at hand. Oregon State surprised Arizona last year with a 31-16 beating no one really expected. Rest assured Oregon State is not the same team as they were in 2007, and 2007 wasn't a banner year (9-4) for the Beavers to begin with. The Beavers have a QB controversy, a new kicker guaranteed to miss 1 30+ yd FG this game, and a completely revamped front 7. The only chance Oregon State has at getting out of Tucson with a Win rests entirely on their secondary. Their Secondary could be one of the best or even the best in the conference, but too many other question marks on both sides of the ball leave Oregon State just short against the Cats. 
be 10-1 and looking at a Rose Bowl birth (as long as USC is still in the National Championship picture). Arizona State should be 9-2 or 8-3 coming into Arizona Stadium and looking to play the spoiler. Arizona will be coming off of a bye and ASU will coming off of a game against UCLA. Bottom line, this could be the biggest and best Territorial Cup game ever. This will be the matchup of Rudy Carpenter and Willie Tuitama that was much-ballyhooed in 2005. The home team is 3-1 since Stoops took over in Tucson. Arizona State is going to be in this game wire to wire with Arizona. PK Thomas Weber will score 14 (4 FG, 2XP) points for ASU and the offense will put up 2 scores. Unfortunately for ASU their offense will not be as high powered as their Desert counterparts. The Cats will get out of this one with 4 TDs and a couple of FGs controlling the tempo and the scoring for the game. The Cats will score late to put the game out of reach and win in Tucson in December.
. This is the season that The Cats have been on the edge of for 4 years. The signs of brilliance have been there every season, but the Senior leadership was never there. The team was resting on youth which doesn't bode well in big or close games. This year there will be an improved offense with a year of the spread under their belt. This same team will be led by a group of Seniors who have seen the promise and will do everything in their power to achieve that. Last years team had some senior leadership (Cason, Larsen, Fontenot) but they couldn't make up for younger mental mistakes and offensive letdowns. 2008 has potential for Arizona and if this team can continue to protect the ball and score points Arizona will be in a bowl game and the Rose Bowl is in their grasp.More after the jump...
Monday, July 21, 2008
I need socks cause we're going BOWL-ing
Of all the writers here at TheBearDown I am the eternal optimist. I believe that this is the year my team is going to do great things at the beginning of every season. However, I want you the loyal reader to know that I am putting my LOVE for the Wildcats away for this article, I will not be a homer, this will be un-biased and fact based.....Yea Right...Bear DownHere is Part 1 of my game by game break down...
Aug. 30 Idaho - Seriously, I almost don't feel the need to tell you what will happen
here. This won't even be close. The only redeeming quality the Idaho football team has is that their name is the Vandals, and that's cool in a James Dean rebel kind of way. These guys stink, they are the worst team in the WAC by far and really have very few bright spots. They can however look towards improving, because they couldn't be any worse, Idaho finished 118th in the nation (only FIU was worse) in passing efficiency. The Vandal quarterbacks combined to complete just 45 percent of their throws with 14 touchdown passes and 23 interceptions. Nate Ness, Devin Ross and maybe even a little Robert Golden should feast on this.Arizona 56, Idaho 12
Sep. 6 Toledo - This is another game that shouldn't need much explanation. The one thing that I like about this game is that we should see the offensive fireworks on display. Last year Toledo didn't play much defense, they gave up 34 points or more in 10 of their 12 games, and had the MAC's worst run defense. They were especially bad on third downs allowing teams to convert 44.5 percent of their chances. This game should go a long way towards Willy winning PAC-10 Offensive POY honors.
Arizona 49, Toledo 28
Sep. 13 at New Mexico - Despite the fact that most of you know little about this team, New Mexico is a decent ball club that won a bowl game last year. The most intriguing part of this game is that it will pit strength against strenth. New Mexico's secondary should be among the best in the country. Corner back's DeAndre Wright and Glover Quinn are special, and safeties Ian Clark, Blake Ligon and Clint McPeek are all solid veterans. The pass defense was 20th in the nation last year and now it should be even better. Few will be able to consistently throw on this group. The upside here is that New Mexico's team will be young this year losing 15 starters and 22 key Letterman. Last years game featured a receiving core that picked apart our defense, After losing the tremendous receiving tandem of Travis Brown and Marcus Smith, the Lobos need several new receivers to step up and shine and the 3rd game of the season seems a little early for them to be in sync.
Arizona 35, New Mexico 21
Sep. 20 at UCLA - This game may stand as a litmus test of sorts for us. UCLA is supposed to
make a dramatic turn around now that they have the wonder duo, super rock star, coaching tandem of Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow steering their ship. I have to laugh to myself a bit when I hear the pundits hooting and hollering that UCLA will be the surprise of the PAC-10 this year. They are weak in all the wrong areas for this league and it's gonna show. The weak link of the UCLA defense, the secondary is flush with question marks and uncertainty with depth the biggest concern. Now that three starters must be replaced and the newcomers are questionable, it could be a very long season for the Bruin pass defense. I believe Willy, Money Mike and RobG will torch this weak unit and make their offense keep pace if it wants to stay in the game. On Offense UCLA's biggest concern is the O-Line, the strength of the unit will be at the Tackle position with Micah Kia and Sean Sheller who have good athletic ability if nothing else. The guards have limited or no experience, the center used to be a guard and the reserves will offer little support in the short-term. There are no sure things on this unit, bad news in a conference flush with quality defensive linemen. While our front 7 is not great it is at least serviceable and should make UCLA struggle most of the day. Among all of those questions one of the most glaring is the fact that the QBs are up in the air. Cowan took over as QB1 before his injury (out all season) so last year's on again off again oft-injured starter Olson is the QB1 again for the time being and JuCo transfer Kevin Craft is rumored to be ready to step in. Seeing as how last year's starter for the UCLA bowl game (McLeod Bethel-Thompson) is now leading the Sacramento State Hornets I gotta think, is Olson really the best bet in Pasadena?Arizona 42, UCLA 28
Oct. 4 Washington - The next stop on the Tyronne Willingham farewell tour....Seriously
though, I think that U-Dub has the potential to be a very good team..next year..The question is will Coach Willingham be around to see it? Jake Locker was last years PAC-10 Freshman of the Year and was 14 yards shy of becoming the leagues first QB to rush for 1000 yds. That statistic is a bit deceiving however as he spent a lot of his time running because of lackluster pass protection. The bright spot of the O-line, and maybe the whole team last season, was All Pac-10 C Juan Garcia, who was injured in spring ball and will miss a significant portion of this years season. The key for the Cats defensively in this game will be the Linebackers keeping Locker home and not allowing him to extend drives with his legs. On Defense the Huskies are looking at bunch of new starters on a defense that finished last in the Pac-10 and 104th nationally in pass defense. The biggest need area is along the defensive line that loses three starters from last years abysmal team and is now left with several undersized guys to try and provide a pass rush and stop the run. I have a feeling the Mr. Grigsby will run all over this team behind our veteran O-Line and Willy will torch this subpar secondary all day.Arizona 38, Washington 17
Oct. 11 at Stanford - Let me start by saying that last years loss to Stanford has cost me several nights sleep thinking about what could have been...It is crazy to me that these nerds beat us and Cal and USC but only won one other game. This years Stanford team will be just as unpredictable as last years. On Offense they have serious O-Line issues, two starters are gone from a unit that paved the way for the nation's 102nd-ranked running game and was 116th in sacks allowed to add to the mess Allen Smith, the Cardinal's best tackle, fractured his kneecap working out in February and could miss the entire season but in true bi-polar fashion last years starting LG Alex Fletcher, a member of the All-Pac-10 Second Team, put off the NFL to return for his senior season. He had now moved to Center, where he started his career, to lead this much maligned unit. There is no certainty that incumbent QB Tavita Pritchard, the hero of the USC game, will be the starter this year. He played horrible in all of the last 7 games last year and must face Justin Forcier, a former Michigan QB, for the starting job in camp. Again it is a case of the Wilcats weaknesses being overshadowed by the opponents. Our Defense will not be over matched by this team in any phase of the game. The real challenge in this game will be scoring points. Stanford has an exceptional Defense that last year finished 11th in the nation in sacks and fifth in tackles for loss. They are returning every key starter and are two deep at almost every position. The only area of doubt is the depth of the D-line. We would have to have developed a very punishing running game for this to be an issue though. In the end I think we win a close one on the strength of Jason Bondzio and Keenyen Criers legs.
Arizona 17, Stanford 13
That's right folks, I believe that the Loco Gatos will be 6-0 heading into the second half
of the season. People will be fighting for tickets, sports writers will be singing our praises and our team will start appearing on lists that start with 1 and end with 25. Most importantly we will start to catch the strangest odor in the air, one that Tucson hasn't had reason to smell in ten long years...RosesTune in tomorrow for the exciting conclusion....
More after the jump...
Uh Oh - The Lump Has Shown Up
half. They came back on the young Brewers, beginning with their series in Chicago when June rolled into July. The lump wasn't there then. But when the Cubs dropped 4 of their last 6, against Cincy and Florida, and re-entered a race they had all but won a week earlier. Being swept by the dead Marlins in September got many Cub fans starting to worry going into the Postseason. Then it grew when our Rookie Phenom Reliever Carlos Marmol gave up 3 runs in 3 innings and blew Game 1 in Arizona. The same game where our 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 hitters combined for 1 hit and 8 Ks. Then when resurgent starter Lilly gave up 6 runs in 3.1 innings and chucked his glove in game two. We all kind of knew things weren't going to turn around. And then they didn't. 
Flash back to the Fall of 2003 when once again the Cubs were sneaking their way into the postseason. That whole season they rode on the crafted by God arms of Wood and Prior. They charged into the postseason with a couple of 14 game winners and an 18 game winner, oh and Carlos Zambrano was their 4th starter. Pitching was crucial and they had it. Without a lot of offensive help Dusty rode Prior and Wood's arms into the ground, literally, but the Cubs looked like they were there. This could be the year, their year. They beat the East winning Braves in 5 great games. Wood won two games and dro
ve in the 2 go ahead runs in game one and Prior won Game 3. They looked like they were headed to the World Series. They just had to get past the pesky Marlins. After dropping game one (in 11) they took the next 3 (2 on the road) and were beating the Fish in every aspect of the game. Then, well you know the story, 5 outs from the World Series, Foul ball, etc.Here's the thing. The lump came late in those seasons because leading up to it they were in a battle, they were the ones hunting, not those being hunted. Well the lump has come already this season for me. It's very, very small, and can still be corrected and hopefully erased in the near future. But the lump is there. It started miniscule back in June when the Cubs went on their fun little 6-10 streak against the
and got excited about the 2nd half (which I still am). But this weekend the lump came back with a fury. They went 1-2 against the Astros. Their bats were dead quiet scoring 2 runs in 2 games on 2 solo shots (Edmonds and Zambrano) and not much else than that in the first 2 games. They had a flurry of hits yesterday but not enough to clear up my qualms. They scored 9 runs yesterday but 5 were in the 9th against struggling relievers. Hopefully it's a sign that they just needed a couple warm up games after the break, since 8 of their players were traveling to and from New York last week and playing in the marathon game. 
OPS dropped from .305/.416/.837 in April and .293/.388/.792 in May to .152/.204/.443 in July and has been moved the the 7th spot in the lineup. Growing. Woody the ex-Ace from 1998 to 2003 has remade his legacy as a dependable clsoer in the recent year. Why the move from Ace to closer? Because Dusty Baker rode his arm into the ground (as mentioned earlier) in 2003 and Kid K spent the last 5 years on and off the DL. But he came back strong this year, and now is looking at his first trip to the DL this season. Growing. Alfonso Soriano is coming back from his second DL stint and a broken wrist can impact an entire season, ask Derrick Lee and his 2007 stats. Growing. The fact that the Brewers have CC and are making a push. Growing. More after the jump...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Greg's Back
Greg Norman is one stroke off the lead of the British Open, granted it's the first day, but still when was the last time you heard Greg Norman's name?
However, I'm so glad to see Greg Norman back.I remember when I was little I would watch and play golf with my dad and Greg Norman was the man- with the multicolored shark and the inkling that perhaps you were looking at the crocodile hunters twin brother-you couldn't help but like the guy.
While it is exciting to see people like Rocco Mediate, who apparently isn't buying his own Starbucks ever again, go toe to toe with Tiger, then turn around and lead the British Open, Greg Norman is old school and simple- a nice change.
Norman noted earlier this week that he had to keep his expectations low because he hadn't been playing a lot of golf, but I'd love to see him win again- I mean anyone that can pull off that hat deserves a golf clap.
More after the jump...
Pierce Triggers NFL Tape Reviews for Gang Signs
Here at the Bear Down we have talked a couple of times about the state of the NFL and how there is an ever increasing number of players who are getting in trouble off the field. Well the NFL is now wondering if it has a lot to do with your background, or more specifically in this case, gang affiliation. Dom and I have had conversations about why there shouldn’t be a team in Las Vegas and about the added temptations that come with placing an 18 year old millionaire in a city that can so easily break you. With recent shootings and deaths around the league the problem has become an epidemic. Well now it looks like the NFL will be looking into the background aspect of these problems by hiring experts to review game tapes in search of gang signs or gestures. This is nearly a direct result of Paul Pierce’s $25,000 fine after an April game against the Hawks. The fine came from what the NBA deemed as a “menacing gesture”.
Watch it here:
With the rise of these problems the NFL has decided that they need to look further into these kinds of incidents within their own league. Apparently as part of the packet given to all rookies the NFL has been including anti-gang information and policies. When speaking on the notion of gang signs being displayed by fans Mike Pereia the NFL’s VP of Officiating said
We were always suspicious that might be happening…But the Paul Pierce thing is what brought it to light. When he was fined … that’s when we said we need to take a look at it and see if we need to be aware of it. (From Yahoo)
From the players point of view Marcellus Wiley told the LA Times
A lot of guys when they get into the league, they aren't actually throwing up gang signs as if they're still active gang members, or were ever gang members but it's just like Reggie Bush wearing [the area code] 619 under his eyes. It's just kind of to symbolize where you came from.
The irony is often the athlete flashing the sign was allowed an opportunity to make it as far as we could without being approached by that lifestyle, that violence, all the stuff that went on in the neighborhood.
We were given an access pass to get beyond those things. And then we get to the NFL and we want to be tough. We want to get to the NFL or NBA and we want to be hard, get tattoos everywhere, throw up gang signs. . . . And those guys know that. You don't live that lifestyle and graduate out of it.
Where I'm from you're not the one that wants to throw up a gang sign if you're in that neighborhood. Now, in front of millions of people on TV in the middle of the 50-yard line, who's going to attack you? Who's going to do something to you?
But you do that on Slauson and Crenshaw and see what happens.
This could be the case for most players and reason enough for the NFL to review tapes, especially after the Darrent Williams incident in which he was killed in a drive by shooting. A shooting that occurred after a nightclub incident in Denver with known gang members. It is another tragic athlete and rags to riches story, but at some point these players need to take note. They need to put their pride aside, realize what they do and who they are and stay away from these sorts of situations. Easier said then done, but maybe a few fines will save a couple these guys from getting in off field trouble.
4Real Out….
More after the jump...
From the Archives: Fans Like You
No creative juices flowing today, and just a teeny bit tired. So I'm throwing one at you from the Archives of The BearDown. Originally posted Thursday, November 15, 2007. Enjoy.
Sorry, work was slow and I decided (after some reading) a rant was in order.
To you Jacob Levine, English Major (my guess is you are a 5th year senior) shame on you and your whole family (of course there is the slight chance you still live with your parents).
Quoted in today's Arizona Daily Wildcat:
Jacob Levine, a senior majoring in English and creative writing, had his Thursday night poetry class cancelled due to parking issues."I'm upset because the priorities of the administration are on the football game, and I didn't go to college to be a football fan," Levine said. "I came to be a student."
Mancheck 1
First off, last time I checked missing class was a good thing. It was one of the best things in my undergrad. And to continue on this, Poetry Class? Really, I feel like I know you based solely on your statement. I will preface this by saying I do not know Mr(s). Levine, I have never met him, and my statements/assumptions are based solely on his statement. You most likely live with your parents, are in your 5th year of college, and are definately going to grad school because you don't know what you want to do when you grow up but you used to get B+'s in High School English. Of course the funny thing is the amount of money you spend getting this higher education in English and creative writing will most likely leave you sitting in the cubicle next to me (or someone like me) face it once you get into the real world, your college major or grad school hardly matters. Trust me, I know.
Mancheck 2
Priorities? The schools priorities lie in the bettering of student life and programs. Guess where money comes in to the school from. (O M G he ended a sentence with a preposition) You guessed right (non) sports fan, from the sports teams, especially say on a huge Thursday night Pac 10 game vs. the #2 team in the country, perhaps. I don't recall Ralph Waldo Emerson or Walt Whitman doing much for this or any other university for that matter. And you didn't come to college to be a student. You are an english major. Go grab your frisbee and play some ultimate. Being a student is not just grades and bad union food it's the traditions, the bars, the sports, homecoming, march madness, painting your face and/or body, not haikus and couplets.
Mancheck 3
Sports > Poetry
It is at this point I should apologize to Mr. Levine, since I have never met him and he (hopefully) was misquoted and I am wrong....I strongly doubt it though. But this was not aimed directly at him but rather everything he and people like him stand for, unfortunately for him, he gave them a name and an identity to attack. This is what's wrong with U of A football, the quantity of people like Jacob Levine. In Florida you can't get a ticket on gameday at the box office. In Tucson you can get one after kickoff from the box office (60% of the time). This lackadaisical approach to sports by some of the students is the problem. If you didn't want to come to college to be a football fan then why did you come to a Pac-10 school, there are plenty of schools out there who don't even have a football team, and all the dirty poetry reading people just like you are out there too. Stop taking up space on the mall playing Frisbee and hackysack, cut your dreads and leave my school. Only true fans need apply.
Dom graduated in 4 years from the University of Arizona with a B.A. in History Education. You can read him daily/bi-daily on TheBearDown and his book Untitled will be hitting the stores as soon as it is written, published, and printed.
More after the jump...
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Dear Mr. Selig,
More after the jump...
10 Reasons why Europe is wrong for Jennings
After having just traveled around Europe for the last month- I feel I might have some knowledge that Brandon Jennings might need. Here are ten reasons that going Euro might not have been the best idea.
1. The Exchange Rate: Ok so you’ll be getting a salary instead of a stipend, seems like a better deal but let me remind you that the Pound to the dollar is 2-1 and the Euro is 1.5 to 1. So when you come “home” for the 2009 draft you’ll have lost money, that Euro salary isn’t looking so sweet now.
2. The Language Barrier: French people don’t care at all to help a poor foreigner understand their language in fact they send you in the wrong direction just to get a good laugh- and in Italy, most are yelling too much to even point you in the right direction, you’re going to get lost. At least in Tucson the official language is Spanglish and there is the common ground of the Viva Burrito menu which everyone seems to understand.
3. Women: I don’t think European women are impressed with athletes at all, unless you play football (American Soccer) so while you could have been a God at the U of A regardless of how you look in person, in Europe you better learn to step your game up.
4. Cars: European cars are tiny, and most have hatchbacks, the last time I saw a professional athlete driving a hatchback was well… never. There aren’t any cars made for people over 6’ in Europe.
5. Work: You’re going straight from High School to the real world with more barriers than most ( see above), college is a time to learn the slim balance between being completely lazy and getting work done and understanding the shortcuts that get you from one point to another. Instead you’re going to have a real job and real responsibilities-alas you could have been in Tucson with a coaching staff that walked you to your 8 am English class ( i.e., Mr. Hassan Adams).
6. Housing: European housing is unique it’s small and old. The only mansions are reserved for royalty and sorry Brandon but you are no King James just yet.
7. Smoking: All Europeans smoke, especially the women. While you may find in Tucson your conformer smokers that are still at 18-23 trying to fit in with the crowd you can still get clean air- in Europe hope is lost- I watched a woman in her 60’s smoke while next to her own oxygen tank - it’s hazy over there Brandon.
8. Fans: See Women. In Europe the most awesome fans stick with football- Euro league fans are somewhat suspect, and the fact that they will most likely know your just trying to get your step up to the NBA well they might now like you too much. However, had you chosen the road of higher education, you could have been U of A’s new hero, the one to get us past the second round of the NCAA tournament.
9. Weather: You have two options here A: cold and rainy or B: hot and humid. Say what you may about Tucson, but it only rains for two weeks a year and while it’s hot it’s never humid- it’s a dry heat and plenty of pools with parties to cool you down.
10. Food: Be prepared for pasta, baguettes and crepes- there will be no deliveries, dipping or open until 5 am places to grub. You could have been in Tucson where there are no less than 500 Mexican drives thru open 24 hours, and at least 15 will deliver until 3 am on your speed dial.
More after the jump...
Random Thoughts on the Derby, The Break
2001 - Sammy Sosa, Jason Giambi, Barry Bonds, and Troy Glaus.
2004 - Rafael Palmeiro, Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa, and winner Miguel Tejada.
Four other times there were 3 alleged users:
1992 - Gary Sheffield, Barry Bonds, and winner Mark McGwire.
1993 - Barry Bonds, David Justice, and winner Juan Gonzalez.
2002 - Sammy Sosa, Barry Bonds, and winner Jason Giambi.
In total there were 14 players associated with roids and the Derby.
Enough of that, on another train of thought, the jerseys. I understand it's entirely marketing strategy, but am I the only one who finds it ridiculous they make jerseys for these guys to wear for the Derby and other festivities (are there any other festivities?) but they don't wear them in the game. Don't get me wrong I love the fact that they wear their usual game uniforms for the game and wish this was the common practice still in the other league All-Star games. I just think if they're going through the effort to make these jerseys either wear them in the game or don't wear them at all.
Josh Hamilton, TEX (2000)
Evan Longoria, TB (2007)
Joe Mauer, MIN (2003)
Justin Morneau, MIN (2002, 2004)
Dioner Navarro, TB (2004)
Francisco Rodriguez, LAA (2002)
Ervin Santana, LAA (2003)
Grady Sizemore, CLE (2003)
Kevin Youkalis, BOS (2003)
National League:
Lance Berkman, HOU (1999)
Ryan Braun, MIL (2006)
Aaron Cook, COL (2002)
Adrian Gonzalez, SD (2001)
Corey Hart, MIL (2002)
Ryan Ludwick, STL (2001)
Russell Martin, LAD (2005)
Aramis Ramirez, CHC (1999)
Hanley Ramirez, FLA (2005)
Ben Sheets, MIL (2000)
Alfonso Soriano, CHC (1999)
Geovany Soto, CHC (2007)
Chase Utley, PHI (2001)
Edinson Volquez, CIN (2005)
David Wright, NYM (2004)
I don't typically care about All-Star Games, and I was very vocal when The Commish changed the All Star Game format to grant Home Field Advantage to the winning conference. Well this year I care. The Cubs are nearly unstoppable at home, and below average on the road. If this is the year the Cubs "break the curse" and take the pennant we're going to need a victory in tonight's game. That's why I love the fact that there are 6 Cubs (of the 8 selected to the game) available to play in tonight's game. If winning means Home Field, and Home Field could (ultimately) help the Cubs, then I'm glad that the Cubs will be the ones out there deciding it instead of relying on some kid from Florida or LA who's just happy to be there.
More after the jump...
A car stolen, a Cubs World Series
As some of your might remember 4-Real wrote an article a few months ago about the Wrigley Field naming rights and Steve Zell. In this article I threw out there that if the Cubs won the World Series I would take my car down to Wrigleyville and leave it there to possibly get; flipped, rioted around or set on fire in hopes of getting a new car.
Well the apocalypse just hit because last night I walked out of my condo and realized that I couldn’t find my car. Now as anyone from Chicago will tell you obtaining a parking sticker is like questing for the Holy Grail and I thought after all the trouble of getting it back to Chicago from Tucson and finally getting a parking sticker my car would have a sweet little home- I was wrong. The Solara was gone and after checking with the city to see if it had been towed the truth sunk in, my car was stolen. I flashed to a conversation I had a few weeks earlier with a friend of my dad’s who had his new Lincoln stolen, he told me that when they found it all that remained was a pack of Newports and Old English 40’s- no good.
Yet somehow I couldn’t help thinking there had to be a silver lining to this grey cloud. I threw it out there five months ago- a Cubs World Series win means a new car for Garnes. Well I’m in need of a new car now and even though it’s backwards than I originally thought the Cubs are 37-12 at home the best start since 1916, leading the NL central, Kerry Wood is actually doing something productive and it seems they are going to need a bigger plane to take all their players to the All- Star game
I feel it, if the Cubs actually pull it off this year it will be the 100th year since their last World Series win and an end to the longest drought in major league sports history. If the Cubs make it happen then the stealing of the Solara will not be in vein- let’s hope I was on the right track five months ago and made the right bet- I’ll miss my car but if it takes the Cubs to the World Series, I’ll be ok.
More after the jump...
Monday, July 14, 2008
Destroying a franchise; A how to
10. Hire Brian McNamee to be the teams strength and conditioning coach. He did wonders for Andy Petitt and Roger Clemens all ready. 
9. Hire Isaiah Thomas as the General Manager. He couldn't mess this up that badly, could he?
8. Give Jose Canseco a chance to run the promotions for each game. This guy could squeeze a nickel out of the most mediocre talent levels.
7. Have Latrell Sprewell handle the community relations department. I have heard he is a very hands on kind of guy. 
6. Allow Kobe to handle all hotel accommodation's. The hotel staffs rave about his generosity.
More after the jump...
Friday, July 11, 2008
Favre's Return: Thank you from Bears fans
I have been trying not to write anything about this whole Brett Farve debacle the past few weeks. I wrote more than a few articles about All-Time All-Everything Greatest
More after the jump...
Lute Olson Speaks Out Against One Year Rule
As you can see from the previous two posts the issue of playing in college for a year or going pro (which now means heading to Europe) has become a hot button topic around the sports world with everyone chiming in. Dom was been very clear that he believes everyone should play their one year while Jeff over at JV Sports holds down the idea that you should just head over to Europe. Obviously every stance is different and is based on a number of individual variables, but here at the Bear Down the Jennings situation hit home considering he was an Arizona Recruit. That being said, Arizona’s own Lute Olson has taken a very bold and public stance on the situation. Oslon recently has made some comments to the LA Times that back up the idea that high school players should stay in the college for long than a year. Sports Columnist Bill Plaschke also from the LA Times chimes in with similar sentiments:
Olson who has been surround by a level of controversy down here in Tucson over the last couple years has come out and made a number of bold statements regarding his stance on the one year rule, and those players who are now using it as a mandatory pit stop on the way to a Pro career. Olson claims that these kinds of situations are a ‘farce’ and is not happy with it, which says a lot coming from a hall of fame coach at one of the top tier basketball programs in the country. Here are some of his comments made to the LA Times:
"It's a situation now that if someone's a 'one-and-done,' we're not going to pursue them anymore, no way,"
"Jerryd [Bayless, who left after one year at Arizona and was a lottery pick in this year’s draft] said all along he wanted to stay here two years, but then you get the agents working on the kids and parents all year. You might have the kid in your controlled environment for some time, but when [outsiders are] on the parents, you have no idea what's going on."
Speaking of the inception of the one year rule after the 2005 season.
"We said at the time it'd be a disaster, that agents would be swarming all over -- not only over these kids, but their parents -- telling them the kid needed to score a ton of points in the one year and get out, I'm not saying that's the case in every situation, but you've already seen the danger. What we predicted is happening. This is agent-driven, and it's a horrible rule."
What does this mean for Arizona’s program and Lute’s already rocky relationship with Arizona fans and Alumni? I see his point, and no one wants to spend a lot of time recruiting and trying to build a team that will disband after one year, but you have to think that this will hurt recruiting top athletes. Arizona so often referred to as Point Guard U has seen a number of players leave early for the draft since 2000: Bayless, (1 YR), Marcus Williams (2 YRS), Andre Iguodala (2 YRS), Richard Jefferson (3 YRS), Gilbert Arena (2 YRS), Michael Wright (3 YRS). You can add other less notable names like Chris Rogers to this list, and subtract Wright and RJ since 3 years is the norm. All things considering there are some big names leaving Lute’s program. If we were to look at college basketball as a whole the numbers would be astonishing. Of course, the goal for the majority of top tier prospects is a career in the NBA, and if Lute is not willing to help accomplish that goal we could see a lot of players looking elsewhere to find someone who will. This rule will expire after the 2010-2011 season, (un)fortunately that is also the time when Lute’s contract expires. With support already waning on the Face of Arizona basketball, will this rule inevitably effect the future of Lute’s career?
4Real Out…
More after the jump...
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Point/Counterpoint: Brandon Jennings Debate
As I mentioned earlier I have been having an intellectual discussion with Jeff at JVSports. He is of the opinion that Brandon Jennings is making the right decision by setting a questionable precedent and heading to Europe rather than college. His original viewpoint makes many statements about how this is good for him. I, on the other hand, respectfully disagree. That's a whole lotta links, I know. So here is a copy of our e-mail correspondence.
First off I would like to say that I like this idea, and credit Jeff with it entirely, he contact me. Instead of going back and forth on comment boards like immature idiots, we decided to actually have an intellectual debate about the pro's and cons of this serious issue. In the interest of Full Disclosure, I am an Arizona Alum, I am upset that Jennings is leaving, but I have also been against High Schoolers in the NBA for a long time, and actually believe the "one and done" rule should become a 2 year minimum or at the very least an age based rule. So I will be responding to Jeff's questions (In Red).
-How much money from Arizona boosters is Jennings passing up by going to Europe? Is there a chance he will actually make less money?
Boosters? What do you mean by boosters? Players don't receive paychecks from boosters. Allegedly. Either way, since it's not on the books, we'll assume he isn't going to be getting those checks. He will however be getting money for food, rent, and stipends that are very fair for players to survive. An old friend of mine used to work for the Arizona Basketball team and thus I spent more than a little bit of time with the 2004 and 2005 Arizona Basketball teams. They weren't panhandling on the side of the roads. He would receive substantially more money in Europe than via stipends, absolutely. It's a stop-gap solution. The money he receives there, which will be substantially less than that he has the potential to make in the NBA, will be a lot more than the average college player getting his meal money but what impact will it have on his draft stock? If he shows against a higher level of talent to not be as outstanding as he looked going into Arizona he might not be a Top 5 pick. Especially with teams starting to sour on European players. That Top five or Ten money he would have gotten in '09 could very well be 15-25 money, substantially less. So in the long run yes, less money is definitely a possibility.
-Why do you think Jennings game would be better off in the NCAA than Europe?
In the NCAA he will be developing along with other developing players, playing against other developing players. His game would improve tenfold during the season and he would get a lot of minutes. In Europe if he isn't dominating early he won't see as many minutes. In Europe it's a job and if you don't perform you don't see the floor. There isn't as much grooming and developing of players there. Especially since he will literally be a boy among men who are bigger and stronger than him.
-Are you concerned that Jennings would be too close to negative influences from his hometown in Compton? (Think Allen Iverson's entourage)
That's a possibility, I suppose, but there's also the fact that AI doesn't get into a whole lot of off the court troubles. Jennings doesn't have the track record of off the court troubles. The implication that, because he's a young black kid from Compton means that, uh oh, he's going to be a problem, is laughable since his track record shows nothing of that nature. He has stated publicly, that he was only planning on attending The University of Arizona, for only one year. That means that he is geared towards playing in the NBA and the smart kid that he is (despite his SAT scores/scares) he wasn't going to put that in jeopardy, at least not until he was drafted and hanging out in Vegas.
-Now that he has opted for Europe, do you think that some cable network will pick up coverage of his games? Won't this lead to us seeing random College players that we used to like all the time? Won't that be awesome?
Brandon Jennings' High School games weren't on TV, I don't foresee any kind of serious increase in Euro TV. The possibility that a game or two might be shown is obviously there. After all there are a thousand channels, but there have been more High Profile players in other leagues that don't get the TV attention. Ricky Williams in the CFL, countless potential draft picks in Euro leagues, Scottie Pippen, Dennis Rodman, and other former All-Stars have returned to organize basketball for a game or two to play in Europe. I haven't ever seen any of those games on TV. Americans don't watch much of the Olympic basketball, Americans arent' interested in Euro ball. Jennings doesn't have the draw that LeBron did. People won't watch a game just for Jennings. Will it be more popular in Europe, potentially but Jennings is not LeBron.
-What is the long term effect of this move on basketball players and fans in America? Will we start caring about Euro ball the way we do about college? Will we stop caring about college b-ball?
The Euro leagues have been a pipeline of NBA players for years, I don't know the first thing about the Euro leagues other than players who get drafted and flop, in both senses of the word (don't perform well, land on their backs more than…well I'll keep it tasteful). Euro basketball has never been a source of entertainment for Americans because the individual talent there is subpar to that of the NBA. It has been a successful league, on its own accord for years, and until Stern continues his attempts at Global Domination (NBA European division) it will. But keep in mind when the NBA expands we're exporting NBA players to Europe and bringing our game there, further diluting the European game in American eyes. I'll get to the effect of players later.
-What is the Worst Case Scenario For Jennings' Career now that he has decided to go to Europe? (Note: lets not count early career ending injury) What was the worst case scenario if he had gone to Arizona?
Worst case scenario in Europe, he shows that he isn't ready for the professional game and slips down many spots in the draft and might wind up sticking in Europe another year or two going undrafted. Think about all the High School players who went pro prior to 2005. Very, very few (including Kobe) did much of anything their first couple years, they still needed to develop to be competitive on the professional level. Jennings will go there and might show that he isn't ready. But instead of doing it for an NBA team he'll be doing it for an Italian team and he will slip in the draft. Worst Case Scenario if he had gone to college is that he doesn't perform there and goes undrafted. The thing is it's far more likely that underperforming in Europe is much higher possibility than underperforming in the NCAA. He would be among peers in the NCAA and show off his talents, plus he would be learning from Lute Olson who has a very nice track record of Point Guards having success in the NBA. The majority of the successful European influenced players are bigger players. The exceptions being Parker and Manu. Plus if he fails at Arizona in his Freshman year he would be able to recoup and play well in a Sophomore and Junior possibly Senior season to improve his draft stock. If he goes to Europe and flops he will disappear off of many radars.
-Best Case Scenarios (Europe, NCAA)?
Best case scenario he succeeds, wins MVPs and Championships and will be a top NBA draft pick. The same holds true for success on the collegiate level. I just think that faith in the European game is starting to disappear on the American front and Success in American Collegiate basketball will escalate Jennings higher than if he had the same level of success in Europe. My basic complaint with this is on a grander scale. Jennings will, most likely, succeed in Europe and be a Top 5 pick next year. The same, most likely, would have held true had he come to Arizona.
The above was our original correspondence. Below you can find his answers to my issues with it.
Jeff, my complaint is the effect on future players who don't want to play college ball.Look at the history of players who went from High School to the pros. Seriously, Wikipedia or Google the 2001-2005 NBA Drafts, I mean really take a look at '04 and '05.
1975, Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby were drafted, then no one else was for another 20 years.Then it came to KG in 1995, Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal in 1996, and T-Mac and Stephen Jackson in 1997. For the most part none of these guys got PT. They were drafted because their potential was so high, they all sat the bench for large chunks of their first 2 or 3 years to develop. Over the next 9 years, until the practice was stopped, more and more players were being drafted out of High School.The names went from KG and Kobe to Ndubi Ebi, James Lang, Ousmane Cisse, Leon Smith, and so on. Yeah there were Amare's and LeBron's in there, but the majority would have been much better suited playing even just one year in the NCAA to develop. I realize this isn't a question but a statement.
So on to the questions. This time his responses will be in red.
-What impact will Jennings going to Europe to receive a paycheck have on the future of the incoming players and the college game?
In a lot of ways this may help to unify basketball to a more formal, understandable "minor-league" system. Consider this, right now there are:
International leagues, which have historically been very difficult for NBA scouts because of differences in coaching, style of play and rules.
The NBA D-League, which should be the easiest to scout but gets all the players that no one wants.
The NCAA, which excludes many players and has a much different style of play, but ultimately produces the most successful NBA players (although, coaching style effects NCAA hoops so much that intelligent people stage debates like "who is the best player in the country Adam Morrison or J.J. Redick?")
There is also a muddled mix of camps, AAU teams and high school resumes.In short it is really confusing to be an NBA hopeful or scout because there are so many leagues that are so different.
Which leads me into my response for your next question…
I understand what you are saying but just because an American player is going over there, and perhaps many more in the future doesn't change the way the game is played there, it will still be just as hard to scout. Also, the bulk of the players in the D-League are already on rosters so scouting doesn't matter these are drafted and undrafted players alike who are playing for a couple years to earn a roster spot. NBDL is already their minor league. Take a look at Jennings' cousin former Wildcat Marcus Williams he has had his shots in San Antonio, who he signed by. Plus they're getting compensated comparably to those in Europe. I don't disagree that the NCAA is hard to scout, players play against only a small amount of future NBA-ers. The fact of the matter is this is going to make things MORE confusing, it won't unify anything.
-What impact do you think it will have on the NBA? If Jennings succeeds in Europe and the pros, will it have the same snowball effect of KG to Ebi?
The bad news is that if this catches on, the competitiveness of college basketball will suffer.If Brandon Jennings goes across the pond and dominates, then comes back to the US and dominates in the NBA, every top recruit will want to do this.And rightfully so, they would increase their fan base (Europeans), increase their world view (living in Europe), increase their marketability (see 'fan base') and elevate their game (learning new tricks internationally) The good news is that this would be good for high school players, the NBA and the Euro league. Players would stop having to risk injury and pretend to be a college student for one year for no money whatsoever. The NBA would get a larger audience in Europe. The Euro league would get an influx of star talent. Everybody wins. (except college hoops fans) Eventually, international players and American players would rub off on one another and bridge the gap between the two styles of play. The downside (which you touched upon in your responses) is that if a player goes to Europe and fizzles out he is left without a career or a degree--which could get a bit dicey. In College, theoretically, a star prospect that burns out could just get his degree and go on to be an engineer or a doctor or any number of other decent occupations. Perhaps going to Europe should only be done by athletes who have the grades and resources to go to college with or without basketball, as a back up plan.
Valid arguments, especially regarding marketability. I guess the bottom line is you are looking at it from the players point of view and I'm looking at the big picture. If he turns out to be a success what keeps future guys from doing the same thing. Instead of the lone KGs and Kobes of the world we're going to see a lot more of the Dorrell Wrights and Amir Johnsons. Even the straight to the pro guys who have succeeded needed a couple years to pan out. Look at Bynum, everyone says if he would have been there in the Finals LA would have won. This was his third season, in the off-season Kobe was complaining about Bynum specifically not being productive. It's just going to further slow down their development they would get in college.
-How does Jennings coming in effect the European game? The European game is definitely more team based, everyone will be looking for Jennings to make noise, how will his teammates react?
Luckily for Jennings he is a point guard. In order for him to be successful by anyone's standards he needs to learn how to get his teammates involved. If this was a SG or SF the transition might be tougher. For instance, Carmelo Anthony would have had a lot of adjusting to do even though he's a beast. Plus Carmelo might have a hard time translating idioms like "stop snitchin'" into Italian.Best case scenario: BJ learns how to distribute and he becomes an athletic version of CP3.Worst case scenario: BJ can't ditch a me-first philosophy and gets benched in favor of a more team oriented PG. [note: he would still probably be a late first round pick in the 2009 draft if he didn't get many minutes in Europe]
But the question was how it would affect his teammates. They aren't going to be big fans of some young American kid stealing the show. Remember Americans aren't the most liked by other countries. The American stereotype shows them in a Egotistical light. What happens when Brandon makes that a reality?
-Jennings has a history of selfish moments. He wants a points record so he shoots constantly, he wants an assist record so he passes the ball every time down the court, making errant passes. How will this play when he goes to the Euro leagues?
Umm…../scratching head I assume some coach with a Romanian accent will BUUHHH-RAAKKKEE him of this in his first week of practice?No but in all seriousness this is an obstacle he would need to overcome wherever he plays. The Euro Leagues are as good of a place as any to learn how to pass and play unselfish…
That's precisely my point. He sees the bench and doesn't see the floor, doesn't get the minutes, and doesn't get the teaching he would get in college ball with a more understanding coach.
-He is already being courted by many teams, does he become a HUGE celebrity over there? How does that affect him?
He will garner quasi-celebrity status over there. He won't be followed by the paparazzi or anything but he will be a topic for European sports fans to debate about in pubs. In other words: if you were Europe, you would know who he was but your girlfriend probably wouldn't.I think that kind of attention would be very similar to what he would have had at Arizona.
What about when Jennings then comes to the NBA in a year. How will he feel about carrying luggage for 82 games when he used to be THE big deal in Portugal.-
Coupled with the above, he will be of legal drinking age making vices much more readily available. What happens when this fun loving youngster hangs out at the bars? Isn't that worse than visiting Compton or drinking at a Frat party in Tucson?
Absolutely not. I've never been to Arizona but I know that in the part of the USA I'm from any 16 year old with an IQ over 50 can figure out how to get alcohol pretty easily. If anything, being in a bar protects him from absolute idiocy since bars (at least in theory) will cut you off once you get too drunk.Also, I'd much rather be drunk on grapa in a bar in Rome than getting drunk in Compton or waking up after a long night at a frat party at any college. Both of those scenarios sound way more dangerous to me.
You're right and wrong, it's easy but it's still easier if you're of age. And as far as the dangers of Frat parties and the being cut off thing. I worked at a bar that catered to the UA basketball team a few years ago. My boss said to me the second RJ and Luke walked in that whatever they said goes. Jason Terry then proceeded to buy 500 shots for the bar. They aren't getting kicked out anywhere. Hell Coach KO was in another bar I worked at and he was beyond smashed. He also was not asked to leave.
Side Note (from Jeff): I didn't mean the other "Compton-Entourage question" to be a racial thing. I would have the same point if it were a white guy coming from a poor neighborhood. Once people coming from the bottom blow up there are always old "friends" and hangers-on that will try to bring them down. You could be from Compton or Appalachia and have that problem.
The bottom line is the precedent. The Cats were in the running for Larry Drew but they went with Jennings. Do future players use Letters of Intent as leverage when trying to get a fat deal in Lithuania. This will futher dilute the NBA in the long run, and it really isn't good for any of the parties involved. The short term paycheck for Jennings is not worthe the long term reprecussions for himself, Arizona, the NCAA, the NBA, Europe, or the kid who signs with an agent only to waste away in Poland instead of getting the proper tutelage needed in college under a great coach.To see Jeff's side of things Venture over to JVsports. Feel free to comment and make sure to vote in our poll on the top right of the page.
More after the jump...
Brandon Jennings Debate - Heads Up
I have been speaking with Jeff over at JV sports since we have taken opposing sides to the Brandon Jennings decision. Stay Tuned, sometime today there will be a point and counterpoint regarding this influential decision. Let us know what you think about the phenom heading to Europe.
More after the jump...
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Au Revoir Brandon
If you don't get the Au Revoir, how about Vaarwel in Dutch or Auf Wiedersehen in German. No matter what European language you put it in Top Ranked Point Guard prospect Brandon Jennings has said it to UA and will be heading to Europe to test the waters in this unfounded move straight from High School to the Euro game.
More after the jump...
AFL: Conference Championship Match Ups
The Arena Football Conference Championship games are set and both are shaping up to have some great story lines.
First off, in the National Conference the #1 Philadelphia Soul (14-3) will play host to the # 4 Cleveland Gladiators (11-7) on July 12th (ESPN 1pm ET).
The Gladiators who I have been sporadically reporting about over the season since they have just made the move to my beloved sports town, are an unlikely squad to be sitting one win away from the Arena Bowl. This is mostly due to the fact that last year they posted a relocating 2-14 effort. As I had said earlier, the key to the Gladiators postseason success was going to be an offense that continues to click as well as implementing a running game that is of second priority in the AFL. Coach of the Year Mike Wilpolt has done a tremendous job thus far in constantly changing up his offensive looks, and creating mismatches on every drive. In the second round of playoff action Philyaw proved once again that he should be recognized as one of the top QB’s in the league throwing what proved to be a game winning TD with a little over a minute to go against the Force for the 73-70 victory. See those highlights here:
It is hard to get a closer game than a three point margin, but the Philadelphia Soul were able to do it in round 2 versus New York. The soul came into the playoffs as a majority favorite to head to the Arena Bowl, but have stumbled showing their weakness against the Dragons.
Looks like a St Louis Ram’s situation only 1 yard closer.
Remember 17 Total Teams:
The Gladiators Post #3 Rushing Offensive going against the The Soul’s 15th Ranked Rush Defense.
The Soul and Gladiators are #1 and #2 in Pass Offense respectively. On the the pass defense Philadelphia sits at #5 and Cleveland at #15. These teams met twice in the regular season with the Soul taking both 67-55 and 62-61.
In the American Conference we will see defending Arena Bowl Champion #2 San Jose Sabrecats (12-5) host the #6 Grand Rapids Rampage (8-10) July 12th (ESPN 3:30 pm ET). The Rampage are without a doubt the story of the playoffs year, and are moving into a conference championship after knocking off top seed Chicago. We have to give much respect to Tucson Native and former teammate to Matt Randle “el”, QB James MacPherson. Against the Chicago Rush MacPherson did everything a QB could possibly do on his own to solidify a W. When all was said and done he completed 33 of 39 attempts for 326 yards and 6 touchdowns. Check out this highlight of him gunning a TD while laying down:
We here are the Bear Down now Support our GrandRapids/Tucson Boy, and thus will not be recapping San Jose’s efforts. Watch the highlights:
Team Comparison:
Passing Offensive: Rampage #6, SabreCats #7
Passing Defense: Rampage #10, SabreCats #3
Rushing Offense: Rampage #2, SabreCats #16
Grand Rapids and San Jose met only one time in the regular season during week 1 where the SabreCats came out on top 66-58.
What To Hope For: Grand Rapids vs. Cleveland in the Arena Bowl
4 Real Out….
More after the jump...
Maxwell Watch List Announced: Two Wildcats Make The Cut
The 2008 Maxwell Award watch list has been announced and two of Arizona’s very own have made it to the field of 75. Seniors Willie Tuitama and Mike Thomas have both been given preseason recognition for the Junior campaigns. 07’ Saw Tuitama lead the Pac-10 in TDs with 28 and threw for 3,683 yards with a completion rate of 62.4% and a passer rating of 134.5. Thomas was the number one target with 83 receptions for 1083 yards and a Pac-10 best 11 TD receptions.
Here is the official list in Alphabetical Order:
* My Heisman Hopefull Picks are Bolded
Beckum, Travis, University of Wisconsin, TE, SR
Benn, Arrelious, University of Illinois, WR, SOPH
Boeckman, Todd, Ohio State University, QB, SR
Bradford, Sam, University of Oklahoma, QB, SOPH
Britt, Kenny, Rutgers University, WR, JR
Byrd,, Demetrius, LSU, WR, SR
Cantwell, Hunter, University of Louisville, QB, SR
Carpenter, Rudy, Arizona State University, QB, SR
Carr, Greg, Florida State University, WR, SR
Claussen, Jimmy, Notre Dame, QB , SOPH
Coffman, Chase, University of Missouri, TE, SR
Crabtree, Michael, Texas Tech, WR, SOPH
Crompton, Jonathan, University of Tennessee, QB, JR
Daniel, Chase, University of Missouri, QB, SR
Davis, James, Clemson University, RB, SR
Davis, Nate, Ball State, QB, JR
Devine, Noel, West Virginia University, RB, SOPH
Dillard, Jarett, Rice , WR, SR
Fletcher, Damion, University of Southern Mississippi, RB, JR
Foster, Adrian, University of Tennessee, RB, SR
Gibson, Brandon, Washington State University, WR, SR
Goodson, Mike, Texas A&M, RB, JR
Gresham, Jermaine, University of Oklahoma, TE, JR
Grothe, Matt, University of South Florida, QB, JR
Hall, Max, BYU, QB, JR
Harper, Cullen, Clemson University, QB, SR
Harrell, Graham, Texas Tech, QB, SR
Harvin, Percy, University of Florida, WR, JR
Herring, Keegan, Arizona State University, RB, SR
Heyward-Bey, Darrius, University of Maryland, WR, JR
Hill, P.J., University of Wisconsin, RB, JR
Holbrook, Chase, New Mexico State, QB, SR
Iglesias, Juaquin, University of Oklahoma, WR, SR
James, Javarris, University of Miami, RB, JR
Jarvis, Eugene, Kent State University, RB, JR
Johnson, Ian, Boise State University, RB, SR
Johnson, Stafon, University of Southern California, RB, JR
Kelly, Aaron, Clemson University, WR, SR
Kinder, Derek, University of Pittsburgh, WR, SR
Lane, Jorvorskie, Texas A&M, RB, SR
LeFevour, Dan, Central Michigan, QB, JR
Locker, Jake, University of Washington, QB, SOPH
Lucky, Marlon, University of Nebraska, RB, SR
Maclin, Jeremy, University of Missouri, WR, SOPH
McCoy, Colt, University of Texas, QB, JR
McCoy, LeSean, University of Pittsburgh, RB, SOPH
McKinley, Kenny, University of South Carolina, WR, SR
McKnight, Joe, University of Southern California, RB, SOPH
Moody, Emmanuel, University of Florida, RB, SOPH
Moreno, Knowshon, University of Georgia, RB, SOPH
Murray, DeMarco, University of Oklahoma, RB, SOPH
Painter, Curtis, Purdue University, QB, SR
Reesing, Todd, University of Kansas, QB, JR
Ringer, Javon, Michigan State University, RB, SR
Robinson, Zac, Oklahoma State University, QB, JR
Robiskie, Brian, Ohio State University, WR, SR
Sanchez, Mark, University of Southern California, QB, JR
Smith, Antone, Florida State University, RB, SR
Spiller, C.J. , Clemson University, RB, JR
Stafford, Matthew, University of Georgia, QB, JR
Stroughter, Sammie, Oregon State University, WR, SR
Sutton, Tyrell, Northwestern, RB, SR
Tate, Ben, Auburn University, RB, JR
Tebow, Tim, University of Florida, QB, JR
Thomas, Mike, University of Arizona, WR, SR
Tuitama, Willie, University of Arizona, QB, SR
Turner, Patrick, University of Southern California, WR, SR
Underwood, Tiquan, Rutgers University, WR, SR
Weatherford, Drew, Florida State University, QB, SR
Wells, Chris (Beanie), Ohio State University, RB, JR
White, Pat, West Virginia University, QB, SR
Williams, Jaison, University of Oregon, WR, SR
Williams, Keiland, LSU, RB, JR
Williams,Derrick, Penn State University, WR, SR
Wilson, John Parker, University of Alabama, QB, SR
4Real Out...
More after the jump...
Slap Shot = Tampa Rays?
As many of you may be aware, I love Sports Movies. One of my All Time Favorites is 1977's Slap Shot. I don't think I need to re-tell the plot to you. If you have seen it you know plenty about the movie and if you haven't then go get your husband and have him explain it to you or you won't understand most of these references. It is one of the greatest cinematic masterpieces of All-Time. And yes I do feel like James Lipton right now.
As many of you ALSO might be aware I enjoy finding comparisons between sports movies and sports further blending the confusion or should I say delusions I have between reality and "make believe". I've done it on more than a few occasions most recently in comparing Nuke LaLoosh 
(fictional character) to John Bale (idiot pitcher). So it should come as no surprise that I have found a comparison to one of my favorite sports movies of all time, yet again.
In the movie Slap Shot they are a floundering franchise. Threat of a move to Florida and they start to play well. They do this by fighting every other player, playing as dirty as possible and bringing in the thug Hanson Brothers. Again, if you haven't seen this movie don't you want to now? Hear Paul Newman berate Hanrahan about Suzanne his wife. Watch 
the Hanson's start a fight during the National Anthem.
Anyhow it got me thinking, this sounds oddly familiar. The aging minor league player/unsuccessful manager (Joe Maddon) firing up his young team. I'm pretty sure Upton, Longoria, and Navarro still bring their toys on Road Trips too.
Haven't there been an interesting amount of altercations thus far. They fought the Yankees during preseason, much like the Charleston Chiefs fought the Patriots during pregame warm-ups. They fought the Red Sox after a handful of dirty plays. And most recently They fought each other in a game against Texas. I can only imagine James Shields, after intentionally hitting Crisp before the brawl, going back to Maddon seeking approval and asking to be called "Killer".
I mean, was I the only one who saw the following picture during Spring Training?
More after the jump...
Gonzalez Does it All
Chiefs Pro Bowl Tight End Tony Gonzalez isn't happy with his 9 Pro Bowls.
multiple Tight End NFL Records.
The aforementioned All-Pro Gonzalez jumped up and gave Mr. Hunter a great big NFL hug. The piece of meat popped out to the enjoyment of all watching, but not doing anything. More after the jump...
Monday, July 7, 2008
Sabathia: New Team New Name
So my beloved Tribe has dealt away Sabathia to Chicago’s own second city after rejecting an extension with Cleveland worth $72 million over 4 years. To those of us Cleveland fans you either feel betrayed, or by this point are so used to similar situations that you are just sad to seem him go. To those of you feeling the latter you might want to hold on a second. It looks like we may have gotten the better end of the deal. Members of the media relations team for the Brewers have asked the press to no longer write his name as initials. Sabathia wants the periods dropped and his name to be written simply as CC. It begs the question of is he being more press friendly by saving a few keystrokes or is he starting to turn Milton Bradley Crazy. If that is his first request of his new team then maybe we got the better end of this deal.
Different Kind of Crazy But Crazy None The Less
4Real Out….
More after the jump...
2008 College Football Preseason Top 25 ver. 2.0
*This has been updated! Click the "Top 25" Link to see the most recent Top 25 Posts*
Ok we're looking at T Minus 53 days until my beloved Kitty Kats kick off against Idaho at Arizona Stadium, 51 days until the official kickoff to the College Football season. The best 4 and a half months of the year. The fact that we continue to cover and discuss College Football through February and begin preseason coverage starting in June, breaking that down to 9 months of coverage here on The BearDown, you better believe we're counting down the days until late August. I can smell Corso's Aqua Velva already. I can't wait for Herbstreit's dead accurate crazy upset predictions. So as promised last week in my Conference by Conference breakdown I would deliver my Re-Vamped Top 25 list this week.
If you would like to, you may refer to my Original Top 25, published in January. This 2008 College Football preseason rankings of the Top 25 will be updated again a few more times going into the season, and Every Monday during the season. The first number is their BearDown rank (According to me), the number in the parenthesis is their old rank (in January). There is also a mention of schedule hurdles they need to overcome and a list of All-Americans on their roster, according to The Beardown All-Americans
1. (2) Oklahoma Sooners
Moving up a spot in my book Oklahoma sits atop this board. I'm putting a lot of faith in a True Sophomore if I'm one of the Norman faithful. Sam Bradford was great last season. He rarely, very rarely showed any signs of being a True Freshman taking his first snaps. Especially with the pressure of being a True Freshman starter for Oklahoma. Oklahoma quarterbacks are not typically known as passing leaders but Bradford put up monster numbers last year (3,121 yards, 36 TDs). The loss of receiver Malcolm Kelly (49 Rec. 821 yds, 9 TDs) won't be easy for the Sooners, but they may be able to recover. But team leader, Juaquin Iglesias, in yards and receptions will be Bradford's target once again and Redshirt Freshman Tyler Stradford hopes to deliver as Kelly's replacement. Quentin Chaney made a showing the Fiesta Bowl so perhaps he will be able to make a name for himself in his Senior Year. Outstanding TE Jermaine Greshman will also be an offensive threat. The Sooner Offensive Line is strong, as usual, and there are 5 Sooners on the Bednarik Award Watch List. The Award given to the outstanding defensive player. Bob's Troops are typically pretty damn strong defensively. The only real thing standing between OK and the BCS Championship is Oklahoma's recent Bowl Record (4-5 under Stoops, 1-4 in the last 5).
Schedule Hurdles: September 6 Home vs. Cincinnati could be a hiccup and then of course the Texas game in early October (Dallas). They will also get Texas Tech and Kansas at home this year.
BearDown All-Americans: OT Phil Loadholt, OG Duke Robinson, DB Nic Harris, QB Sam Bradford, TE Jermaine Gresham, DE Auston English.
2. (3) USC Trojans
Also moving up a spot in the recent Top 25 breakdown are the Men of Troy. Mark Sanchez looks to have the nod of Coach Carroll heading into the season, but competent and capable Mitch Mustain will be right there. Now as we all know 10 Trojans were drafted a couple months ago. 2 of which were starting Offensive Linemen and USC lost 2 other Offensive Linemen who went undrafted. In retrospect, the Offensive Line injuries they suffered last year were a blessing in disguise because the guys stepping in this year have game experience which is the only kind that matters on the line. There are some big cleats to fill there but as we have seen over the last decade USC has talent to spare. Early miscommunications on the line might lead to a few extra sacks and a rough start to the season for their RB core, but hopefully, for their sake, they can get all of those issues out of the way in the Virgina game and the next two weeks of practice before the Ohio State game. Joe McKnight is a freak and will be able to produce in the SC backfield and there are many other Running Backs ready for competition. The USC RB situation is never in doubt. If one of them can't handle it, one of the other 29 5-Star recruits will be able to step in. Really trying to do a position by position breakdown for USC is pointless because they are always a top recruiter. Guys go there knowing their going to sit on the bench for two years to explode and win Awards in their Junior or Senior year. TE Fred Davis is gone, but there are two young talents battling for the job who would start anywhere else. They lost 5 starters on their defense and might be better off this year, which is hard to say.
Schedule Hurdles: Day 1 - January is basically a Schedule Hurdle. SC in my mind is playing one of, if not, the toughest schedule of anyone. They start @ Virginia, then Home for Ohio State followed by the next 7 games of Conference play present some challenges including Saturday October 25 in Tucson. Homecoming for Arizona. If you are unaware of my stance on playing the Kitty Kats at homecoming read this, (I was subsequently right of course) as well as look at the picture on the right side of the screen UA 52 UCLA 14 from a couple years ago, yet another homecoming upset. It's what we do, we dismantle top teams in October and then rush the field. Sorry, got off track there. USC will play one of the toughest schedules, and holding out against these top teams, and NOT losing the Stanford should put USC in the Top 2 going into the BCS Championship Game.
BearDown All-Americans: DT Fili Moala, DB Taylor Mays, RB Joe McKnight, LB Brian Cushing, LB Rey Maualuga, DB Kevin Ellison.
3. (1) Georgia Bulldogs
My Opening Number 1 team is down 2 spots, Georgia is Free Fallin'. Reason number 1 for their slippage, off-field issues. I still think they are the top team I still think everything I said before is dead on, "Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno are top 10 Heisman Candidates in my book and look to cause some serious damage to opposing teams. And their Defense? They held a Hawaii team that averaged 46.16 PPG to only 10 pts, 7 of which coming late in the 4th quarter by a (keep a look out for this kid next year) Tyler Graunke TD pass. If they can stay healthy and avoid some of the offensive stalls (S. Carolina game last year Stafford was 19/44 passing) they are looking at the title game." It's all still true. Flat out they are the best team in the country STILL going into the 2008 season, the problem is, half of their team might be in jail or on probation. Plus constant media attention and questions might mess with these 18-21 year old minds and get them off track. If they stay on track, stay out of jail, and (as mentioned above) avoid any offensive stalls in production, they will be in the Title Game. They've got the talent.
Schedule Hurdles: September 20 at Arizona State will be the first major test, both should be unbeaten when they meet in Tempe. Then of course the late season SEC match-ups at LSU and Auburn, Home against Tennessee and the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville vs. Florida. We'll see pretty early on just how good this team is and if they'll have enough to win it all.
BearDown All-Americans: RB Knowshon Moreno, LB Dannell Ellerbee.
4. (5) Ohio State Buckeyes
The Buckeyes have been to the last two BCS Championship games and has walked away with a pair of beat downs. Ohio State's success has been predicated on a strong defense. It hurt to lose Vernon Gholston to the draft but keeping Laurinaitis is like the prize at the bottom of the cereal. The '06 Nagurski Trophy winner and '07 Butkus Award winner is a monster, or should I say, and Animal. Sorry, I can't help it. If you don't get the joke, google it. The defense will continue to be strong and Ohio State is quickly becoming Linebacker U. On the other side of the ball Boeckman and Beanie are on the Bronze Stiff Arm watch list, and there are a couple of nice receiving targets for Boeckman in WRs Robiskie and Hartline. They lost to Florida and were focused on making it back to the BCS Championship when they weren't supposed to. They had the drive to get there again but couldn't get past LSU. If losing once was enough to push them back again, then losing twice might be enough to get them over the 2 year hump.
Schedule Hurdles: OSU will not only be playing USC but it will be at the Memorial Coliseum on September 13. They will follow that up with a trip back to the Horseshoe to play the Trojans again, but this time the Trojans of Troy who had a moderately successful 2007 8-4 run, with a Bowl loss to FAU. As for Big Eleven play they'll sidestep Wisconisin but they will go on the road to Champaign to try and avenge the loss to the Illini last year. They will also be at home against Penn State and Michigan.
BearDown All-Americans: LB James Laurinaitis, DB Malcolm Jenkins, RB Chris “Beanie” Wells, WR Brian Robiskie, LB Marcus Freeman, DB Rashad Johnson.
5. (4) Florida Gators
When he's not circumcising kids in foreign countries Double D-Bow is throwing and running Touchdowns. All season long the question will be there, constantly. Can he...Will he? Is it possible to win back to back BSA's. He already was the first Sophomore to take one home so breaking long standing traditions isn't out of the realm of possibility for this guy. Really the only problem facing the problem is if Timmy Boy goes down with an injury. Having a dual threat like that is great, until they get injured and you lose your leading passer and rusher. WR Percy Harvin is ready to turn some heads and he'll be in contention for the pose award. Former Trojan RB Emmanuel Moody will be stepping in there to help out the leading Florida Rushing tandem of the aforementioned QB and WR. They return most of their starting defense, most of which (9) were first year starters. They will be solid. The World's Largest Cocktail Party in J-Ville will most likely determine one of the National Champion participants.
Schedule Hurdles: The test for their Defense will come in week one vs. Hawaii, just because they lost Jones and Brennan, don't count out Hawaii, Tucson Bred Graunke put up 10 TDs as a back-up last season. They get LSU and S. Carolina at home but travel to Tennessee and of course the World's Largest Cocktail party in J-Ville vs. GA, as mentioned before, will be the true test of their season.
BearDown All-Americans: LB Brandon Spikes, PR Brandon James, QB Tim Tebow, WR Percy Harvin.
6. (6) Missouri Tigers
The first of 3 teams that didn't move an inch, despite all movement surrounding them. The Double D attack of Daniel and Derrick Washington will have to make this a strong offensive team heading into '08. They'll have to make up for the loss of Offensive threat Tony Temple. Mizzou has Maclin, and I don't want to see Tigerfan holding that sign up on ESPN next season. That's straight BD Copyright. Jeremy Maclin is a stud and will make a big splash this season. Daniel Washington, and Maclin will be a force to be reckoned with. Their defense aint too shabby and they will have their work cut out for them as they're going to have to hold back the Sooners and Texas Tech's Offensive outbursts. They were in the running until the Big XII Championship last year and haven't lost a whole lot other than Temple and TE Martin Rucker. TE Chase Coffman should be at the very least an adequate replacement for Rucker. He should put up some solid numbers and could very possibly eclipse Mr. Rucker.
Schedule Hurdles: Ready to make a run from day one Mizzou plays host to Illinois in most likely the most competitive week one match-up we'll see in '08. Their Big XII schedule is pretty weak, other than a road trip to Texas and the neutral site Border Showdown with Kansas, which could allow for another trip to the Big XII Championship and a BCS bid, which they narrowly missed out on last year.
BearDown All-Americans: QB Chase Daniel, WR Jeremy Maclin, DB William Moore, TE Chase Coffman.
7. (10) Clemson Tigers
The best the ACC has to offer, by far is Clemson. And before I get into this I, still holding a grudge against the Moron Clemson fan from the last post, would like to point out, once again Clemson is in my Top Ten, in fact they have moved up to Number 7. So please don't comment on the bottom that,
"Anonymous said... This is awful. you dont even have clemson in the top 25 when they are returning 15 starters and have the number 2 recruiting class in the nation. Not to mention having a tandem of FOUR top 10 RB recruits. In addition Cullen Harper will have his name in the heisman running this year. Check your facts next time."
Way to capitalize the word FOUR but not clemson or heisman. Anyhow please read before commenting, especially when I had them in the Top Ten and the reasons you mentioned were the exact same reasons I had them in the Top Ten. As I said before Tommy Bowden has improved the Tigers over the past couple years and they have an outside shot at the BCS Championship. If only they played in a major conference. Regardless expect to see them in the Top Ten all season and depending on things fall above them, they could be in contention. Most of their Offensive weapons will be back, but most of their offensive line will not. That looks to be a serious spot for concern. It looks like most of the defensive starters will be back for '08 as well. And Top Recruit 5 Star DeQuan Bowers should make an immediate impact on the Defensive Line, plus he's a December Graduate which means he will have Spring Ball to learn a lot of the Defense. It's still early for some recruits but this is definitely one of the top recruiting classes in the country. 2008 will be a good year for Clemson, 2009 might be THE year for the Tigers. But I'll check my facts next time, and yes I'm running this into the ground. I have mentioned this idiot who can't read in multiple posts, and will continue to do so until I get an apology for him reading Number One, NOT seeing Clemson and berating me for "skipping" Clemson in my Top 25.
Schedule Hurdles: There aren't many hurdles to overcome but S. Carolina at the end of November has potential as a good late season match-up, but the Tigers look to be the cream of the ACC crop. They'll have to go against Virginia, Florida State, and Wake which won't be easy victories but Clemson should be able to walkaway with the W in all of those.
BearDown All-American: DE Ricky Sapp.
8. (9) West Virginia Mountaineers
Depending on how much media attention is placed on the lack of Rich Rodriguez in Morgantown will be something we need to see develop. They beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl right after the loss of Rodriguez so it looks like Bill Stewart will be able to keep the players in line despite media attention. They look to rebound and have another BCS potential year with the return of White and Noel Devine. The only 3 reasons they aren't a little bit higher is that they were successful last year under RichRod's Spread offense, they lost Steve Slaton, and they lost leading receiver Darius Raynaud. We also still have to see what Stewart will do with the reigns and if the Spread will remain. The Big East won't be as competitive as it was last year and the Mountaineers should be at the top come December.
Schedule Hurdles: Auburn in week one will be a daunting task, in fact THE Task and the difference between starting the season in the Top 15 and ending the season in the Top 15. A win almost ensures a bowl game since the rest of the schedule is rather soft and the only other hiccups are the rest of the Big East which, as I mentioned, WV looks to be distancing itself from the pack.
BearDown All-Americans: RB Noel Devine, OG Greg Isdaner, OL Ryan Stanchek.
9. (11) Auburn Tigers
The third best Tiger Team on this list, but not the last, moves up a couple spots in Version 2.0. The 8-4 record should definitely improve this year, especially with the promising OT victory over Clemson last season. The number one question Tigerfans are looking at right now is whether Kodi (with a K) Burns can step in for QB Brandon Cox this year. Burns is more mobile and doesn't have the history of poor decisions that Cox had (13 INTs). But he is relatively unproven and young. The rest of their offensive weapons (Tate, Lester, Smith, and Billings) will be back to make things easier on Burns. The other major change in the Tiger program was the pilfering of their coaching staff, both coordinators have left Auburn, but Auburn brought in Troy's Tony Franklin to install the Spread which should be beneficial to Burns and the quick attack of Auburn's offense.
Schedule Hurdles: Week One starts the uphill battle on the Road in Morgantown and the rest of September doesn't look much easier though they are playing host to LSU and Tennessee. Wins in those games could mean that the November 15 game, again at home, versus Georgia could be one of the best games of 2008. The Tigers have one of the toughest schedules but Jordan Hare Stadium will be rocking with all of the solid home games. If home field advantage holds true, Auburn's got a shot.
BearDown All-Americans: DT Sen’Derrick Marks, P Ryan Shoemaker.
10. (13) Texas Tech Red Raiders
I'll be the first to admit, I don't know what the hell to expect from TTech. At 10 I think their too high and too low. Are they really the 2nd best in the Big XII South? Is Texas Tech really better than Texas? It seems so wrong to me, but their offense is just too good to rank outside of the Top Ten. It's gaudy and it makes the Turn of the Century Rams "Greatest Show on Turf" look like they were running the Wishbone. When you're putting up 31 points a game and it's your LOWEST production get outta here. They put up 40 points in 75% of their games. Graham Harrell's back and Michael Crabtree is, well look him up. All 5 Starting Linemen return (only allowed 16 sacks), RB Shannon Woods is back. They have a defense too, 8 of 11 starters will be back. No Offense to their D, I'm a Defense fan, but no one in Lubbock knows any of their names so I don't bother either. It's not even that they're subpar in any way, they're good, but as long as they can limit the opposition to under 30 points it should be a Win.
Schedule Hurdles: Late season Big XII contests look to be in the way going to Kansas in October, hosting Texas the following week, and heading to Oklahoma on the 15th of November.
BearDown All-Americans: WR: Michael Crabtree. (Harrell is on the BSA Watch List, but he didn't make the All-American list due to only 4 spots available.)
11. (8) Texas Longhorns
They slipped a little bit. Not because of anything they have or haven't done over the last 6 months, it's just that second thoughts on WVU, Aub, and TTech made them move up a bit. I still think that Colt McCoy is a born and bred Texas Quarterback. He's had moments of greatness, but this year needs to be his coming out party. Colt's turnovers, 18 INT in 2007 and 4 Fumbles in the Holiday Bowl (1 lost, 1 converted into a TX TD) are becoming a problem in Austin that needs to be resolved for success. Bottom Line, that's the reason they're number 11 and not higher. I'm a Mack Brown guy, part of me wants Texas to flop this season and see him on his way out the door, Arizona would jump on him in a second if Stoops can't get his troops in line this year. This season for Texas is on McCoy's shoulders 100%, it's that simple this team will live and die with their QB even more than they did when Vince Young beat USC for the Championship. The schedule hurdles they face this year are going to be huge in an even more competitive Big XII than other recent years. (4 in the Top 11).
Schedule Hurdles: Oct.11 Texas meets Oklahoma in Dallas for the Red River Shootout. A win there catapults this team into the driver's seat in the Big XII but tough road tests against Texas Tech and Kansas could end BCS chances in November.
BearDown All-Americans: Zero, but the Teams' success, as mentioned above, will lie with Colt. A Heisman candidate worthy season will catapult him to All-American Status.
12. (14) Kansas Jayhawks
A Surprise to many last year, apparently Kansas has a football team in addition to a basketball team. Many of us were unaware. Under Head Coach Mark Mangino the Jayhawks had Huge Success last season and look to continue the streak of Big XII annoyance to the traditional powers. They finished the season with 1 loss and took Coach Mangino from a 25-35 career record at KU to 37-36. It appears, to me at least, that Kansas will fall out of National Championship Contention due to Oklahoma, Missouri, and the Texas schools looking so powerful, but Kansas won't go away and could definitely avenge their loss to Mizzou last season (which took them out of National Championship Contention) and be playing for the Crystal Football. What's the downside to Kansas? One of the weakest schedules in the history of sport. It made Duke Basketball's nonconference schedule look like Arizona's. Then of course when they beat VTech in the Orange Bowl, many people were shocked and realized, maybe they really were for real. Reesing (33 TD 7 INT) is returning and has garnered some national attention, they also return 9 of 11 defensive starters.
Schedule Hurdles: Chances are they are heading into conference play with a nice record and a number next to their name. Their non-conference doesn't get much harder than last season but they will be playing at South Florida in Mid-September. They also drew the tough road through the Big XII this year having to visit Oklahoma and end the season with back to back home games against Texas and Mizzou after last season's easier Big XII schedule.
BearDown All-American: QB Todd Reesing.
13. (7) LSU Tigers
The biggest fall of the Top 25 thus far, LSU. Why? Gone on Offense: Flynn, Doucet, Hester, and now Perriloux. Gone on Defense: Highsmith, Dorsey, and Steltz. Gone in the Booth: Bo Pelini LSU is LSU and is the only multiple BCS Champion of the last 10 years. LSU is good and the SEC is so muddled but Georgia, Florida, and Auburn will shine above the others in the SEC, but the media bias surrounding the SEC should put LSU in the Top 25 for the first part of the season. There are too many holes to fill for LSU to have a decent shot at the Title game, and most likely they won't venture inside of the Top Ten too often.
Schedule Hurdles: The Tigers face Troy in week 2 but it shouldn't be too difficult. The month of October could be a lot to overcome for these guys though going on the road to Florida and South Carolina and then seeing Georgia in Baton Rouge. If they make it through that 3 game stretch without a loss, they could definitely be looking at a top BCS game and the SEC championship, chances are they aren't going to make it through the SEC without at least 2 losses.
BearDown All-Americans: WR Demetrius Byrd, DE Tyson Jackson.
14. (12) Wisconsin Badgers
No fault of their own, Wisconsin has slipped 2 spots. Why? Because Kansas and Texas Tech made a believer out of me, and the Big Eleven isn't going to get the same media cred of the Big XII and SEC. P.J. Hill will shoulder the load for the Badgers and he's shown in the past that if he can stay healthy, he can do that. They've got a TE, Beckum, with back to back 900+ yd seasons. and transfer QB Allan Evridge could make an immediate impact. They, like Texas Tech, are going to rely on outscoring other teams, especially once Big Eleven play rolls around. Their offense isn't a powerful though which is why they will drop a couple games where they're outscored. Allowing, on average, 21+ PPG is not common of a Top 25 team.
Schedule Hurdles: An early match-up with Fresno State is crying out for Fresno to have their first big win of the season and Wisconsin needs to hold up to have a successful 2008. Playing Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, and Illinois in a 5 week span doesn't bode well for a team new to the pressure of Top 25, but luckily the only traveling they'll do is to subpar Michigan during that stretch.
BearDown All-Americans: TE Travis Beckum, PR David Gilreath, RB P.J. Hill.
15. (18) BYU Cougars
Moving up 3 spots BYU making the first appearance of a mid-major. The pride of the Mountain West Conference BYU has been hovering the last couple years. They've been overlooked by many but they're starting to get their name out there. After back to back double digit win seasons and bowl berths they are ready to get some recognition from the opening whistle, not week 9. The defense took a minor hit but remarkably the offense will remain almost perfectly in tact. Losing near verbal commit ILB Uona Kaveinga to USC hurt a little bit because he would have made an immediate impact. Soft conference could lead BYU to a BCS game this season, trying to pick up where Hawai'i left off last year.
Schedule Hurdles: Sticking with their history of scheduling Pac-10 teams they will be heading to Washington but more importantly will be hosting UCLA. The only tough conference game they're going to see will be at Air Force in the second to final week of the season.
BearDown All-Americans: OG Ray Feinga, OL Dallas Reynolds.
16. (16) ASU Sun Devils
Despite the movement everywhere else (except #6) ASU stays right where they were. Everyone knew you couldn't write them off entering into the Erickson era, but no one was expecting BCS talk in Tempe in October. It was one of their best starts of the last decade. Unfortunately, they probably won't be as successful. They should still be a very successful team in 08. Sure the Scum Devils should be the #2 team in the Pac-10 but they're losing RB Ryan Torain and Incoming RB Ryan Bass won't likely make an immediate impact in Tempe. We saw a lot of ASU's weaknesses come out in their Holiday Bowl loss to Texas, beaten in almost every facet of the game. Rudy Carpenter has grown over the last 4 years, but it has been too slow of progress from what was expected out of him in '04. This is his year to make a statement if he wants to play on Sundays.
Schedule Hurdles: The Devils will start out slowly but surely with a soft schedule, but their 4th game against Georgia could be one of the top games of the year. That starts a 5 game stretch where the Devils will have to be playing their best, going on the road to Cal and SC, playing host to Oregon then heading up to Corvallis. If they go 3-2 during that 5 game span, they look to be going to a nice Bowl Game, but won't be in any BCS conversations. Going 5-0 is not very likely.
BearDown All-American: PK: Thomas Webber.
17. (15) Virginia Tech Hokies
Emotions ran high last season in Blacksburg, but the season wasn't what was expected and the crushing loss to Kansas in the Orange Bowl didn't help. They've got Dual quarterbacks, led by starter Glennon. And it's not a QB Controversy. It's a carousel and it's a good thing for the Hokies right now. If you disagree, go ask Tebow and Leak after the '07 BCS game. RB Brendan Ore will shoulder the load of the rushing game, unless back-up QB Taylor sparks the running game with scrambles. Unfortunately their 4 top receivers are gone. As I said before, that's 2000 yards and 15 TDs (or 1 Michael Crabtree) that they have to replace. 6 of their 11 Defensive starters have gone away too. Luckily they play in the ACC and it's a good year to rebuild in the ACC.
Schedule Hurdles: Road games to Nebraska and Florida State and a home game against Virginia look to be the only possible struggles the Hokies face and those all seem attainable. They should be comfortable, close at times, until meeting Clemson in the ACC Championship.
BearDown All-Americans: Zero, they lost too much talent, but it's possible that Tyrod Taylor makes some noise going into the '09 season in much the same way Double D-Bow did in Florida.
18. (21) Tennessee Volunteers
Another big jumper in today's reset the Vols jump up 3 spots. Tennessee's season can be summed up in three words. Crompton, Foster, and points. They are the offensive hope of the Volunteers '08 success. Some offseason problems were around last season and the early offseason but those have gone into the distant memory of the Tennessee faithful. Tennessee needs, absolutely NEEDS to tighten up the Defense even more so than Wisconsin. Tennessee's woes were on the defensive side of the ball last season giving up 23 PPG. Bottom line, Tennessee could be a surprise to many this season or could be out of the Top 25 by week 6, possibly earlier. They hit a rough spot in the SEC schedule and need to escape as unscathed as possible to vie for a top tier bowl game. BCS is pretty much out of the picture in Knoxville.
Schedule Hurdles: Mid season stack up of Florida, at Auburn, and at Georgia, then a lesser test against S. Carolina a couple weeks later. No one wants to run through three of the Top Ten in a 3 week span.
BearDown All-American: OL Anthony Parker.
19. (17) Oregon Ducks
I know what you are thinking. They barely finished in the Top 25 last season, No Dixon, No Stewart, and Sophomore Quarterback with 2 games under his belt. How can they be in the Top 20. How did they possibly move UP in the rankings from last season. Well I took all of that into account and that's why they're 19 instead of 17 this go around, but guess what, they're still a Top 20 team. Especially when that Sophomore QB with 2 games of experience is Justin Roper, who set a record for TD passes (4) against South Florida in the Sun Bowl, threw 30/55, 324 yards, 6 TDs, 1 INT and QB Ratings of 118.78 and 151.07. Eugene is excited about this guy for sure. Jeremiah Johnson will be back after missing 7 games last season. The Defense will be lead by Patrick Chung but will need to work well together in the interior.
Schedule Hurdles: Games at Purdue and home against Boise State highlight the non-conference schedule.
BearDown All-Americans: OL Max Unger, LB Jerome Boyd, DB Patrick Chung.
20. (19) Penn State Nittany Lions
They slipped one spot, and I'm not sure where they will be come August. They've had some off-field issues, more than their share. The Ghost of JoePa is in his last contract year. There will be an obscene amount of media questions and other issues interfering week in and out for these guys. They've been passed by by Wisconsin, but they're not out of anything yet. They face the Buckeyes and Badgers and wins in both of those games will skyrocket them up the charts. Morelli, his leadership, and 2600 yards are gone but luckily for Penn State so too is his 2:1 TD to INT ratio. They have kept a good portion of the rest of the team in place though and their defense is strong.
Schedule Hurdles: Non-Conference should be a cake walk with only visiting Oregon State being worthy of a little worry, but the JoePas should get by them. With Home games against Illinois and Michigan and Road games against Wisconsin and Ohio State being the true tests the Big Eleven could be a mess this year and they may all beat up on each other.
BearDown All-Americans: KR A.J. Wallace, LB Sean Lee.
21. (20) Illinois Fighting Illini
Illinois (pronounced Ill-i-noy not Ill-i-noise, alright?) surprised everyone last year, including Ron Zook and company. Juice is back and he's pretty dangerous. Eddie McGee is too. Mendenhall is not. That one will definitely hurt the Men from Champaign, they relied on Mendenhall especially when Juice's inconsistency takes over. If Juice can work on the interceptions and get more accurate with his passing, they will be poised to make more noise in the Big Eleven for a second straight year. Zook is, and has always been, a great recruiter. He and Williams will be the leaders (one on the other off the field). They will be leading a lot of young, raw, talent out to the field. If they can finish in the Top 25 consider it a good year for the Illini since it's potentially a rebuilding year. This has all the makings of the one year away team if Juice returns for his Senior year.
Schedule Hurdles: Labor Day weekend and "The Arch Rivalry" game with Mizzou will be a big challenge and set the tone for 2009. After that it's clear sailing until they play the rest of the Big Eleven.
BearDown All-American: DB Vontae Davis.
22. (UR) Wake Forest Demon Deacons
The first of 2 newcomers to my Top 25 list. I don't have a whole lot of reasons for this one. I just think they could be one of those potential spoiler teams. They've been above average the last 2 years and are looking for a 3rd straight winning season. Again, the ACC is pretty weak and so too is their schedule. They have some very talented players on this year's roster, guys who could be in the Top 25 in almost every position. They are going to be one of those quiet teams. No one will be jumping onto the scene in Heisman talks, but they're going to compile at least 8 but more likely 10 regular season wins. Weak Schedule in their favor big time in '08.
Schedule Hurdles: Hosting Mississippi in week one won't be the easiest game of the season, but shouldn't be too tough. They go to Florida State and Miami but I think Wake has the edge against both of them. The true test is Clemson, and the Tigers are coming to Winston-Salem.
BearDown All-Americans: None, sorry Deacon fans.
23. (25) Fresno State Bulldogs
Lookout WAC. Traditional WAC powers (of the last few years) Boise State and Hawai'i are going to slip down and Fresno State will be the new "Leader of the WAC". Tim Brandstater will have the stage to show those on the west coast his talents, and RB Ryan Matthews looks to build on a outstanding Freshman season. 16 starters return from the 9-4 team.
Schedule Hurdles: The Bulldogs hopes at a Top 25 season are going to be on the line in week 2 with a visiting Wisconsin. UCLA a couple weeks later won't be the easiest of games, but from there on out they're in conference play and should hold up against most other WAC teams. Even if they drop one or possibly both of the above games, dozing through the WAC could leave them ending near where they started the season, bottom of the Top 25.
BearDown All-American: KR A.J. Jefferson.
24. (24) South Carolina Gamecocks
The last of the 3 teams that didn't move in the last 6 months the Gamecocks sit tight in the rear of the Top 25. (Please don't make the obvious gay joke out of the last sentence, I beg you). They went 6-6 last season, but finished 0-5 in the competitive SEC, and pretty much gave up at the end of the season. I don't see Spurrier letting that happen again this season. They WILL upset one of the Top 25 teams in October or November. Potentially at the end of the season when they face Florida and Clemson back to back. More than likely though expect a tough game, at home, versus the Volunteers. Spurrier is a top recruiter and some of these kids are going to take the field this year. Much like Illinois this could a team that's a year away who just need a little experience.
Schedule Hurdles: One of the toughest schedules we'll see full of names like Georgia, LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Clemson gives lots of opportunites for The Upset, possibly more than 1.
BearDown All-Americans: DE Eric Norwood, DB Captain Munnerlyn.
25. (UR) Pittsburgh Panthers
Narrowly missing out in my last Top 25 list, they were the number 1 alternate. Well this time around they're here. Namely on the abilities Lesean McCoy. Kid is an going to make a name for himself outside of the Pittsburgh general area. He will be mentioned in the same sentence as the Heisman at one point, probably around Week 5 and potentially he could be at the New York Athletic Club striking the pose. Losing Maurice Williams really hurts the Panthers so we'll have to see what develops. A soft schedule and soft Big East will allow for Pitt to move onto some radars come bowl season.
Schedule Hurdles: At South Florida and At Notre Dame could be hiccups that bring Pitt down before the big Showdown against West Virginia that just might determine the Big East Champ at the end of November.
BearDown All-Americans: RB LeSean McCoy, LB Scott McKillop.
Fell out of Top 25: Michigan and Virginia
Keep an eye on: South Florida, Arizona, Cal, Louisville, Notre Dame, and Bama.
More after the jump...
What do Jerry Springer and the Boston Red Sox have in common?
I don't usually venture into the world of MLB around here, it doesn't interest me as much until October, but the All Star Game gives me reason every year. My normal irritation is with way these teams are picked...Popularity Contests...Especially with home field advantage for the World Series being decided by the winner. I always wondered why MLB would grant control of such an important thing to the least informed group of people, The Average Fan. I shudder when I think that if my Diamondbacks make the World Series they will have their fate partially decided by the same masses that keep Maury and Jerry Springer on the air.
Yet this morning as I checked the sports pages I noticed a very strange thing on the American
League roster...The inclusion of Jason Varitek as the 3rd catcher. Here is a guy that has struggled to make contact all year...He is at or near the bottom of every offensive statistical category, not just for catchers but for all everyday players.
Once again the fans.....wait a minute...THE PLAYERS VOTED VARITEK IN....ahhhhhhh....can this be true? It is sadly true. Let me just say to all of you that will argue his leadership and past successes earned him this slot people, shut up. In 5 minutes I found 3 players in the AL far more deserving, two of whom have at least as much experience as Varitek. The stats do the most talking so maybe I should be the one to shut up for a moment...
Here is Varitek:
Jason Varitek BOS .218 BA 7 HR 27 RBI .358 SLG 73 Games
Here are the two other AL All Star Catchers:
Joe Mauer MIN .325 BA 4 HR 37 RBI .454 SLG 78 Games
Dioner Navarro TB .318 4 HR 33 RBI .435 63 Games
Two well known snubs:
A.J. Pierzynski CHW .296 BA 7 HR 33RBI .442 SLG 73 Games
Ivan Rodriguez DET .290 BA 3 HR 28 RBI .405 SLG 70 Games
And one not so well known, but clearly
deserving over Varitek, snub:
Gerald Laird TEX .306 BA 4 HR 25 RBI .437 SLG 51 Games
It has been rumored that Pierzynski was snubbed by his peers because they just don't like him. I can't wrap my head around Pudge being denied based on any of the previous arguments though. I hate these All-Star games for their pointless nature, self serving attitude and ridiculous rituals, but at least the NFL gets it and leaves the game to the end of the season in a remote tropical location so that it only gets the attention it deserves.
More after the jump...
Thursday, July 3, 2008
New International Precedents
With the recent news of Chris Kaman aligning himself with the German National Team, The BearDown started thinking...What? In case you don't feel like following the link I'll sum it up. The 7 foot Clipper Center who's Great Grandparents were German has received German citizenship and will be playing with the German team this summer in Beijing. This leads me to wonder, what type of precedent does this set. Will we see other NBA-ers playing for adopted nations. I mean, I understand and am on board with the NBA becoming the International Basketball Association. Stern already said he wants to add a Euro division. Though the European game is a little soft, the addition of quality players is a plus. But receiving citizenship to play in the Olympics?
More after the jump...
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Ask and Ye Shall Receive
Because a few of you asked for it here, a shot of Misty May from behind. Don't say we at The BearDown never do anything for you.
More after the jump...
Good week for the Basket Cats
WOW....The stars seem to be aligned right now so that all things that BEAR DOWN are blessed.
First Agent 0, Hibachi, Gilbert the Great...Gets his huge pay day, over $100 million despite the knee issues.
I believe he can now kick in for some facility projects to match Richard Jefferson's practice facility.
Speaking of RJ, he gets moved to an up and coming
Surprisingly Marcus Williams received an offer from the Clippers.
No matter how you feel about this guy it's great for recruiting when we have a lot of players in the league and it's nice to see guys get a second shot.
Next up Hassan Adams is reportedly getting signed by the Rapt
ors...I am happy to hear this..he was a fan favorite and again it's nice to see him get a second shot, he never stood a chance behind Vince Carter and RJ.
Jerry'd Bayless became the latest Cat to be drafted in the 1st round...and then traded...He is now a Trailblazer and teams up
with fellow Wildcat alum Channing Frye.
In more nice guy good news Jawaan McClellan was given a guaranteed roster spot on the 76ers
summer league team...My gut tells me Iggy might just be behind this, He and Jawaan are good buddies and blend well on the court while really enjoying each others presence.
In a somewhat surprising up date...Mustafa "Sleepy" Shakur finally proved his doubters wrong and guided a team to the pinnacle...The Polish League Title. Go 'Staf Go!
In recruiting news as previously reported on TheBearDown the Cats have received verbal commitments from Greg Smith and Mike Moser. These two commitments are huge, not just because of the players we are getting but because of what may follow and what this signals. Moser is best friends with Abdul Gaddy, the previously committed and now de-committed 5 star point guard from
A potential 2009 class with a Gaddy(PG) Bradley(SG) back court and a Hill(SF) Moser(PF) Smith(C) front court is scary as hell....Maybe our own version of the Fab 5. Realistically Withey, Horne and Wise will still be starting in 2009 and maybe Lavender as well. What this class does is give us depth and sustainability long term, something we have been sorely lacking for a while.
Lastly let's talk Brandon Jennings...I am at a loss for words on this one. He has seemingly backed himself into a corner by shouting from the mountain (via his high priced celebrity lawyer) about the inequities of the system. I hope he realizes that
I think it's clear that the Silver Fox is still a force to be reckoned with...Let this serve notice to all the doubters
More after the jump...
Conference by Conference BreakDowns
So many of you may have seen my Top 25 Predictions I published back in January, and yes I agree it was way ahead of the game, and just may have been the first 2008 Top 25 out there. Rest assured with injuries, additions, and subtractions since February, that WILL BE updated in the near future. But in getting my ducks in line for my new Top 25 (should be issued within the next 2 weeks) I decided to first rank each conference Top to Bottom.
I should mention that since the NCAA only recognizes the "BCS" conferences I guess I should too, because as we have seen the mid-majors don't matter much come bowl season. Sorry BYU and Fresno State, but rest assured you will still be on my Top 25, So here goes:
ACC - Atlantic
Clemson
Wake Forest
Boston College
Florida State University
Maryland
North Carolina State
ACC - Coastal
Virgina Tech
Miami
Virgina
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
Duke
Big XII - North
Missouri
Kansas
Nebraska
Colorado
Kansas State
Iowa St
Big XII - South
Oklahoma
Texas Tech
Texas
Oklahoma State
Texas A&M
Baylor
Big East
West Virgina
Pittsburgh
University of South Florida
Louisville
Rutgers
University of Connecticut
Cincinnati
Syracuse
Big Eleven
Ohio State
Wisconsin
Penn State
Illinois
Michigan
Iowa
Purdue
Michigan State
Indiana
Minnesota
Northwestern
Pac 10
University of Southern California
Arizona State
Oregon
Arizona
California
Oregon State
University of California - Los Angeles
Stanford
Washington State
Washington
SEC - East
Georgia
Florida
Tennessee
South Carolina
Kentucky
Vanderbilt
SEC - West
Auburn
Louisiana State
Alabama
Mississippi State
Mississippi
Arkansas
Feel free to comment and let me know how you feel, UNLESS you're the idiot anonymous commenter from my Top 25 list that was angry Clemson wasn't in my Top 25. Despite the fact that they were Number 10 and will be higher in my next Top 25.
More after the jump...
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Chicks of the Olympiad
4Real got me amped thinking about the upcoming olympiad and I thought, "What better way to prepare for the Olympics than to list the 20 Hottest American Participants in the games." Go USA. So here they are, in no particuluar order. The 20 Hottest Olympic Chicks appearing in Beijing. I'm sure I missed people since the teams aren't complete yet. Also there are former olympians who I wish I could list but at print time, it didn't appear they would be on the team bus in China.
Logan Tom - Volleyball
Kaitlin Sandeno - Swimming
Mary Sauer -Track and Field
Brittany Dircks - Trampoline
Jenn Stuczynski - Pole Vault
Mikele Barber - Track and Field
Jenny Adams - Track and Field
Natalie Coughlin - Swimming
Hope Solo - Soccer
Heather Mitts - Soccer
Erika Figge - Water Polo
Alicia Sacramone - Gymnastics
Kelci Bryant - Diving
Sue Bird - Basketball
Now you know who to root for in the Summer Olympiad, enjoy.
More after the jump...
Newest Arizona Commit
Sources close to the situation have informed us that Arizona has signed yet another top recruit for the 2009 class. 4 Star 6-7/6-8 Oregon Small Forward Mike Moser has committed to Coach Lute Olson further bolstering the 2009 Arizona recruiting class. As recently as 1 month ago he was linked, by many, to the University of Kentucky but his close friendships with Arizona linked Guards Abdul Gaddy and Avery Bradley have led Moser to the Southwest. Gaddy and Bradley are 5 star recruits who have been linked to Arizona at times seem to be leaning in the general direction of McKale Center. With a proposed 2009 recruiting class consisting of Gaddy, Bradley, Moser, and last week's big man commit Greg Smith 2009 looks to be a top Recruiting class for the Desert Dwelling Cats Basketball team. Moser has jumped onto recruiting boards across the country, seemingly out of nowhere, in the last 2 months.
Once again 2009 Cats basketball team with commits Smith and Moser playing the 3 and 4 and, Moser close friend and Arizona decommit, Abdul Gaddy along with top backcourt mate Avery Bradley leading the Arizona basketball team in a few years. All the Cats would need would be a strong body in the paint and they would be a lock down starting line up of 4 and 5 star Freshman. It looks as if Coach O knows what he is up to down in Tucson.
More after the jump...
Playoffs
With the College World Series ending in an exciting fashion, the draft last week recapping an interesting March, the AFL Playoffs underway, and college football season around the corner it's time for me to continue my longstanding rant College Football needs to do away with the BCS and get on board the playoff train.
It is fact, people get so excited about the brackets in College Basketball they skip work. We've all seen it, they work on the cough coming into work on Monday, then on Tuesday they bring the Vitamin C and a box of Kleenex, by 2:15p on Wednesday their sipping tea at their desk and people don't think they're gonna make it to 5:00 then or course first thing Thursday morning they call in to work. "*Cough* I don't think I'm going to make *Cough* it in today or tomorrow *Cough*". People also get more excited about the College Football season than they do about the College Basketball season. So wouldn't it make sense, using the A + B = C logic, that if people like College Basketball playoff system enoguh to use precious sick days at work, plus statistically they like College Football more than College Basketball, than, logically, a College Football Bracket system would be absolutely Effing amazing.
I've been saying, for a long time now, that the BCS system needs to go. Ohio State had no business in that game last year. However Georgia and USC did belong in that game. The fact that the BCS, so high and mighty, thinks that their ridiculous computer algorithm can give us the two best teams is preposterous. It gives us some mathematical printout. Also, the fact that it does give us the "Two Best Teams" is even more absurd. The game should be decided on the field/court/diamond not in Windows Vista. For further proof, let's look at the following:
The BCS has been in place for 10 years. Let's look at the last 10 years of Basketball and Baseball playoff brackets and what has happened:
NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament a.k.a. March Madness Final Four:
99 - (1) Duke (1) Mich. St. (4) Ohio St. (1) UConn - (1) UConn over (1) Duke
00 - (5) Florida (8) UNC (1) Mich. St. (8) Wisc - (1) Mich St. over (5) Florida
01 - (1) Duke (3) Maryland (1) Mich. St. (2) AZ - (1) Duke over (2) AZ
02 - (1) Maryland (1) Kansas (5) Indiana (2) Oklahoma - (1) Maryland over (5) Indiana
03 - (2) Kansas (3) Marquette (1) Texas (3) Syracuse - (3) Cuse over (2) Kansas
04 - (2) OK St. (3) G. Tech (1) Duke (2) UConn - (2) UConn over (3) G. Tech
05 - (5) Mich St. (1) Illinois (4) Louisville (1) UNC - (1) UNC over (1) Illinois
06 - (4) LSU (2) UCLA (3) Florida (11) George Mason - (3) Florida over (2) UCLA
07 - (1) Ohio St. (2) Georgetown (2) UCLA (1) Florida - (1) Florida over (1) Ohio St.
08 - (1) Memphis (1) UNC (1) Kansas (1) UCLA - (1) Kansas over (1) Memphis
Yes 7 of the last 10 years a #1 seed has gone on to win it all, but there are 4 #1 seeds in the tournament. Only 4 times did a #1 face a #1 in the championship, and only once EVER have all 4 #1 seeds made the Final Four. Also over this same 10 year span in the Elite Eight there were 4 #6 seeds, 4 #7 seeds, 1 #8 seed, 3 #10 seeds, 1 #11 seed, and 1 #12 seed. Again 7 of the winners have been #1 seeds, but how many of those #1 seeds were the 4th best #1 seed or the 3rd best, because those teams wouldn't be in the BCS Championship game.
The NCAA tournament gets high ratings, office pools, increased excitement because you never know what's going to happen and who will win and how. Computer rankings don't take into account teams that hit a rough stretch, missed a key player, had a bad call go against them, or any number of things that can change a team's outcome. They don't take into account teams that win when they need to win.
Like the Basketball Tournament the College Baseball championship is decided on the field of play rather than on that HP laptop. So Let's look at the last 10 years of College Baseball Championships:
99 - 7 of 8 ranked teams made it out of the 64 team tourney and into the College World Series, Final Four seeds were 1,2,4,6 and the Championship was #1 vs #2 and #1 Miami won. Normal right?
00 - 4 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 2,6,8,UR, (8) vs (2), Winner (2) LSU
01 - 7 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 1,2,4,UR, (4) vs (2), Winner (2) Miami
02 - 5 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 2,5,6,8, (5) vs (6), Winner (5) Texas
03 - 5 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 5,6,7,UR, (5) vs (6), Winner (5) Rice
04 - 4 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 1,2,UR,UR, (1) vs (UR), Winner (UR) Cal St. Fullerton
05 - 5 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 4,7,UR,UR, (7) vs (UR), Winner (UR) Texas
06 - 5 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 2,5,UR,UR, (UR) vs (UR), Winner (UR) Oregon St.
07 - 3 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 2,3,UR,UR, (3) vs (UR), Winner (UR) Oregon St.
08 - 6 of 8 advanced to the CWS, Final Four seeds = 2,8,UR,UR, (8) vs (UR), Winner (UR) Fresno St.
5 times an UNRANKED (out of the top 8) team won the Championship, ONE time the 1 seed won it all. Only 3 times in the last 10 years did the 1,2, and 3 teams even MAKE IT to the College World Series and only 3 times did 1 and 2 make it to the Final Four. Also only 2 times were all Final four teams ranked going into the CWS. This past year Fresno State won after barely being making the tournament. Had this been the NCAA basketball tournament Fresno State would have been a 7 seed, in the NIT Bracket. They wanted it more than anyone else. And forget saying it was a fluke, they had to win a lot of games to party at Historic Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, somewhere in middle America. They went 5-2 in the World Series and 10-4 overall to take the title home.
Imagine if the NCAA decided to try a playoff system in College Football. I'm not asking for a 64, 32 or even 16 team playoff (though my NCAA mock playoff bracket is 16 teams) but an 8 or even simply a Final Four system would make the National Championship for College Football a real champion. I'm ranting again, read my previous rant if you want to see how I broke it down and how it doesn't eliminate Bowl Games.
More after the jump...
AFL Playoffs: Round 1 Recap
The Wild Card Round of the Arena Football Playoffs are in the books, and there was some great action all weekend.
Friday June 27th:
#3 Dallas Desperados (12-4) vs. #6 New York Dragons (8-8)
This turned out to be the biggest upset of the opening round as the Dragons took down the Desperados 77-63 . Leading the way for the Dragons was Garcia who went 28-39 with 330 yards and 9 touchdowns. Next up for the Dragons is top seeded Philadelphia. ( July 5th7pm ET on ESPN).
Saturday June 28th:
#5 Colorado Crush (6-10) vs. #4 Utah Blaze (6-10)
The crush sneaked passed the Blaze in their opening match defeating the Blaze 49-45. Top Performers:
Crush: Dutton: 30-47 for 268 yards and 6 TDS
Williams: 13 Receptions for 123 Yards and 3 TDs
Blaze:
From The Ohio State University: Joe Germaine: 23-36 for 252 yards and 6 TDS
Next up for the Crush is Grand Rapids on Sunday July 6th at 3pm ET and you can catch that one on ESPN as well.
Sunday June 29th:
#5 Orlando Predators (9-7) vs. #4 Cleveland Gladiators (9-7)
The Gladiators make it out of wild card play in the first ever season in Cleveland with a 69-66 victory over Orlando. Offesnsive player of the game goes to Gladiators QB Raymond Philyaw for throwing 8 TD’s in the game. On the defensive side the game ball goes to Brandon Hefflin who not only had 2 INTS but recovered a fumble with only 2 minutes left to play to help seal Cleveland’s victory.
Next Up for Cleveland is # Georgia Force which can be seen Monday July 7th at 8pm ET on ESPN2.
#6 Grand Rapids Rampage (6-10) vs. #3 Arizona Rattlers (8-8)
Arizona might have lived up to their word by coming through on their playoff guarantee, but unfortunately it didn’t last long as they fell to the Rampage 48-41. James MacPherson was 27 of 40 for 285 yards and five touchdowns for the Rampage leading them into a matchup with #1 Seed Chicago Rush next. You can catch that game July 6th 3pm ET on ESPN.
4Real Out...
More after the jump...
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