October 22, 2009

Afternoon Thoughts


It’s been a while since I sat down at the old PC and just let if fly. It's pretty obvious that the hate doesn’t really hit me the way it used to, but every once in a while…angry thoughts still float in my head, only to spill out through my fingers. Regardless here goes:

* This is going to be the year….I can feel it. You mark my words…Boise State, TCU…SOME crappy team somewhere is going to somehow sneak into the BCS title picture and jack it up for everybody. Boise is going to sneak into #2 and be the worst BCS team in the history of football…which is saying a lot considering how awful Hawaii was a few years ago. And no… a playoff is not really the answer and will never happen anyway, so save that argument as well. I’m sick of Boise…get rid of them, that hideous orange and that stupid blue turf.
But why not you ask? Why not let somebody new in to "mix things up" you say? Because beating Oregon at home in week #1...only to steamroll the second worst conference in America is not my idea of a great team. Should they get the chance to compete at that level? Sure. I certainly don't believe in creating a BCS Super-Class where only 6 conferences can have access to the title. But if Boise or TCU or BYU are going to crash the party...they better REALLY be crushing teams left and right. Their right to exist is fine, but they have to step up and show me MORE THAN THE OTHER TEAMS, that they belong there. Besides, College Gameday is at BYU this Saturday...what more do they want?

* Why is everybody badmouthing Iowa? OK, fine…they nearly loss to a FCS team and yes…they’re about as exciting Tom Osborne leading your step aerobics class…but they’ve won AT Penn State and AT Wisconsin. For all the teams with zero losses, this to me is about as impressive as anyone…including a horribly overrated Florida team, who needed two of the worst calls in the history of the sport to beat a mediocre Arkansas team last week.

* In terms of the Big 12 this week…looks to me like another week where just about anything can happen. Since we’re at the (near) midway point of the season, a couple of observations:

Biggest surprise so far? To me, it’s gotta be Iowa State. We all knew that Oklahoma would have some struggles with a new offensive line, and yes..the loss of Sam Bradford really hurt, but to me…no team has shocked me more than Iowa State. Sure, they haven’t really beaten anyone of substance and yes…they may get ambushed in front of 86,000 combine owners this weekend in Lincoln. However, when you look at where they came from, it’s pretty easy to see the improvement involved. They still have a ways to go, but the Clones are definitely heading in the right direction…at least so far.

Biggest Disappointment? Depends on who you ask. By my count, just about every team in the conference could qualify for this designation ½ way through the year. Texas is undefeated, but has looked shaky at times. Oklahoma has three losses. Nebraska was colon-pounded at home by 3TD’s to a team that has struggled to win road games over the years. Mizzou lost a 12-0 lead while prepping animals for Noah’s ark. Kansas lost a VERY winnable game in Boulder, and finally realized they need more than just Todd Reesing to win a game. Oklahoma State and Tech have both lost to a Houston team that is certainly good…but certainly not great either. So my winner? To me it’s a tie between Colt McCoy and Roy Helu. McCoy has been inconsistent, ranking 39th in the nation in passing efficiency and Helu…despite a couple of decent games..has failed to be the guy who was to put Nebraska’s offense on his back . Maybe not the two worst players in the league, but definitely two I felt could have been a bigger factor this season.

Revised predicted final standings..and no, not the power poll:

North:
1 – Kansas (Get NU at home, but is defense fixable?)
2 – Missouri (Everything rides on Gabbert’s ankle)
3 – Nebraska (1 loss = chaos, what will 3 or 4 losses bring?)
4 – Colorado (Hansen to give the Buffs a huge late boost)
5 – Iowa State (Defense has to step it up)
6 – Kansas State (Desperately needs consistency and a signature win)

South:
1 – Oklahoma State (Not sure why, just have a feeling)
2 – Texas (Seems due for a letdown)
3 – Oklahoma (They’re not a 3-3 team, but is it too late?)
4 – Texas Tech (Still has to get by OSU and Oklahoma)
5 – Baylor (they’re going to bite somebody..but who?)
6 – Texas A&M (@Tech, @Colorado, @OU and Texas. Doh)

* Finally….everybody is bashing this Henne guy…aka “Balloon Boy’s dad”. OK sure, it is easy to write him off as some sort of egotistical crack pot who is exploiting his family for the benefit of his own desires. However, you call him an A-hole…I call him brilliant. Why? Observe…

Dude knew he was going to get caught, there is no dobut in my mind. Dude also knew that eventually, the authorities would figure out what was going on, and he would be brought up on charges etc. But despite all that, all this clown wanted to do was be on TV. Bingo. You think he cares he looks like a gigantic douchebag? You think he cares he’s reviled from coast to coast? Hell no he doesn’t care, because he knows that Nancy Grace, TMZ and E! will have his name splashed across the TV for months, maybe even years. All he had to do was get his name out there, and it certainly worked. Being on a shitty reality TV show didn’t work. Making ridiculous YouTube videos didn’t work. What’s left to try? Child endangerment and lying all of America of course.

Personally, the guy really is a slimeball and deserves to be locked away and eaten by rabid wolves…but look at what he was trying to do; look what he was trying to accomplish....He did EXACTLY what he set out to do. Just as these kids who are hell bent on making their mark on society by shooting up a school or mall…this clown simply used the media against itself…giving them what they…and apparently society as a whole…craves: Attention.

Props to you Balloon Boy dad. Lots of people don’t understand your madness. But I get it.

4 comments:

  1. Wow, I finally agree with you on something. Balloon Boy Dad is laughing on the inside. We didn't know him b/c of Wife Swap or his Youtube mess. Now the entire country knows him.. Well played.
    Speaking of freaks, why not make Missouri #1 since your standings mean nothing. Rain or shine Missouri will lose again this week and most likely the week after. Pinkel will once again lose his team in time for Iowa St and Kansas to prove how weak this team is.

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  2. Well that goes without saying. Texas is about 100,000x better than Nebraska and would probably win if the turf turned into grape jello and giant orange wedges fell from the sky.

    Not exactly a shocker when the #3 team in the country beats one that is unranked and lost to a horrible Husker team.

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  3. AJ:

    All I know is that after today it sucks to be a Tiger fan, a Husker fan, a Jayhawk fan, and even a Buffalo fan.

    WTF am I saying, it must even suck being a Cyclone fan too. They won in spite of themselves. Even being a Wildcat fan would scare the crap out of me as well.

    What the hell is going on in the B12 North this season? I say, "send them all" to the next lower football division for a season. Yes, I think relegation for a season is the answer.

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  4. You have to admit though AJ. The husker loss is looking worse and worse. Iowa State at home? chuckle

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