Diary of a Hater

The Next Chapter

2009-10-28T12:55:00.006-05:00

Man I love to write.

When I was a kid, I would write stories about nothing in particular so nobody in particular would read them. For 3 weeks when I was 10 years old I wrote a 20+ page “story” about a boy and his robot friend. (No, not A.W.E.S.O.M. – O but God I loved that episode) When I got to high school, I would get in trouble for turning in papers that were too long and too wordy. Then e-mail came along, and I bantered back and forth with friends about just about everything. Eventually I started to write about things that made me angry all the time, and lots of people started to read. It was pretty cool to have my work featured on ESPN.com, CNNSI.com, and Maple Street press. It was great interacting with readers and bloggers, taking part in “round tables” and the like. But in the end…life went on and that fire I had just kind of burned out.

This past summer, I started this current blog to at least give me a writing outlet, so that I could address issues as they came up and feed that craving that somewhere still burned inside me. But after several months…even trying to put down thoughts to screen once a week has become a burden of sorts.

So when you still want to write, yet don’t like your vehicle in which to express those writings, what do you do? Start a pet blog? Twitter away the day? (Don’t worry..I like Twitter because it’s quick and doesn’t require much thought. That’s certainly not going anywhere soon.) What do you do if you are stuck with the same old problem you tried to get away from the first time?

I’m in my late 30’s, and my path in life is pretty well chosen. Most of us from Generation X feel the same way I’m sure, as we approach 40 and try to figure out what we want to do with the back half of our lives. Perhaps you are like me? All throughout my childhood and beyond, I was timid in approaching things that I wanted to do…but didn’t have the guts to do. Later in life, the same feelings persist of restlessness and fear of failure still simmer. The way I see it…you can either try and stuff those feelings inside, or you can turn them into action, and do something about them. Even if you fail, at least you can look back upon yourself later and said, “at least I tried it.”

What I’m going to be doing is going to take away from my spare time normally spent writing blogs, watching games or yapping on message boards. It’s going to take concentration and effort and most likely will consume my spare time like nothing else I’ve ever tried before. But I say this again…if you don’t try, how can you live with yourself later on, knowing you MAY or MAY NOT have been able to do it?

Starting very soon, I’m going to shift my focus into doing something I’ve always wanted to do..but never had the guts to pursue; and that something is writing a book.

I can’t really divulge much more than that, other than I have thoroughly enjoyed my time bantering back and forth with people who both agree with me, and those who absolutely loathe me. For a long time, that jousting, that verbal sparring with friends and foes alike got me through the sporting calendar and kept me in tune with myself. But getting angry and writing long diatribes simply doesn’t light my fire anymore.

You see…to me, challenging yourself is the most noble of endeavors. All the time, we read sob stories of people who started business or personal ventures that failed. They are often pitied or even mocked. (Hell, even I mocked Aaron Taylor and other former Huskers as they failed in their attempt to open a restaurant in Omaha a few years back.) But in the end…I was very very wrong about that. (I still wouldn’t have been caught dead there, but still) People who take risks are the ones who should be envied..not pitied. People who push themselves to do better are the ones who take the hardest falls, but reap the greatest rewards. As the old cliché goes: “You can’t steal second base, if your feet are standing on first.”

I have no idea if a book that I author will ever be read by anyone other than me. I have no idea if somebody..somewhere will look at it and think, “This is pretty good…I think I’ll keep reading.” I have no idea how any of that would go. But what I do know is..I simply can’t go any further without at least finding out.

This blog is not closing, but the concept of it certainly is. I may go weeks, maybe even months without commenting on your favorite team or the teams you hate. I may throw out a random power poll or I may, at some point, feel the fire again and rant and rave on somebody or something for old times sake. For those of you thinking, “This idiot is just finding a new way to waste is time”, that’s fine. For those of you who think to yourself, “Oh sure…stop now when your team sucks”…please remember this: Your team just lost to Iowa State…at home…and all I could muster was a one word reply. THAT right there, should speak more than any speech I can come up with.

The readers of my work are often one of two people: Either somebody who agrees with me and eggs me on for more…or someone who hates my guts and simply reads my work to fuel their own rage. (Or to go on super long rants on the radio…but I’m not going to touch that one today). To all of you, I say thanks again. I appreciate the kind words and the not so kinds words. But at the end of the day…I hope you all understand that.

I’m going to challenge myself, because I think I have the skill and the patience. I don’t want to sit around wondering why I didn’t do something, when the opportunity is certainly there. I want to look back and be proud that success or failure, I was able to attempt something most people wouldn’t have the ability to even dream of.

Stay tuned for more, and thanks again for your kind and not so kind words.

AJ

Irrelevant

2009-10-24T16:18:00.001-05:00

Afternoon Thoughts

2009-10-22T13:40:00.005-05:00

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.

The More Things Change....

2009-10-20T12:58:00.004-05:00

Super busy week with so much going on, yet so little motivation to write. Some have written to me this and asked if I had any comments on Nebraska's newest implosion and subsequent quarterback "controversy". My answer to that is no. There is nothing going on now that I didn't already know this year, last year or the year before. Just as Joe Ganz, Corey McKeon and countless others before them...Husker fans have turned on their own in record time. In this case, it took just 60 minutes for Zac Lee to turn from hero to being-replaced -by-a-freshman-with-horrible-mechanics. Haven't we seen this before? Does this sound familiar?

Even with my own team on the cusp of an 0-3 league start, don't think for a minute that the Husker hating movement is any closer to rising from the ashes. Just as years before have shown us...even the occasional noise is almost always followed by the inevitable "splat".

Been there...said that. No need to go into it again.

* LOTS of crazy stuff going on in the power poll...so here's a bit of an extended view as I see it. REMEMBER, as with any "power poll" you see online, the results are based on who IS THE BEST TEAM RIGHT NOW as I see it. "Best team" is obviously a relative term, but in my opinion...with all factors being the same and taking each teams' resume at face value...How do I see things sorting out? This might be the most convoluted power poll in history, so work with me here.

NORTH

1) Kansas (5-1, 1-1) vs. Oklahoma

The way I see it, there are two ways you can look at Kansas: You can look at them as a 5-1 former BCS team with an outstanding offense and a great QB, who had one bad game on the road. OR....you can see them as a complete sham with three good offensive players and not much else, who have beaten absolutely nobody..including struggles with Iowa State and Southern Miss. That being said, it appears to me the Squaks are about to make their long-awaited meteoric decent into oblivion now that their schedule gets tough. OU is wounded, but Landry Jones may for 900 yards against that horrible defense. Good luck Redleggers

2) Missouri (4-2, 0-2) vs. Texas

Mizzou hangs in with a 2 game losing streak, having lost in the later minutes of a monsoon, and then went toe to toe with a gimpy Quarterback against a very good Okie State team. I'm not ABOUT to say the Tigers are going to upset Texas, and they very well get smeared all over the turf Saturday night. But an easy argument could be made that with a couple breaks...Mizzou could easily be the best team top to bottom in the division and sit at 5-1 or perhaps 6-0. How will they react if Texas plants a boot in their ass? Guess we may see.

3) Iowa State (4-3, 1-2) at Nebraska

Do you people realize how close Iowa State is to being 6-1? A blocked field goal against KSU and a late defensive collapse against Kansas are all that separates Iowa State from being the feel-good story of the year. The clones are rushing at a clip of 214 yards per game and average over 400 on offense. ISU was surprisingly balanced against a bad Baylor team last week, but you have to admit there is progress being made. Now, can they waltz into Lincoln and steal a win? Probably not...but would it shock me if this game is 7-6 going into the 4th quarter? Nope.

4) Colorado (2-4, 1-1) at Kansas State

OK, Tyler Hansen playing quarterback instantly improves the Buffs ten fold. And yes, they did hang with Texas for quite a while in the most hostile environment in the conference. But even before that...a whitewashing of Wyoming and just a 4 point deficit late in the 4th against West Virginia...on the road on a Thursday...tells me there is more progress here than people are giving Dan Hawkins credit for. Actually, if you look at it, Colorado may just be in the North driver's seat with Mizzou and Nebraska still to play at home, and a trip to Stillwater really the only game left where they will be big underdogs. A win over a KSU team that put up 60+ points is a must this weekend in what I think might be the best game you don't watch this Saturday.

5) Nebraska (4-2, 1-1) vs. Iowa State

So let me get this straight..Nebraska has played 12 quarters against non-Sun Belt teams and scored touchdown in just two of them? 57th in the nation in total offense? Sudden quarterback controversy? Bo Pelini snapping at local media? The Huskers are a powder keg waiting to go off yet again...just in time for the most important stretch of games of the year. The hicks could easily polish off ISU with a good defensive performance and things may return to normal....OR...they may play a close game with the Clones and the questions and finger pointing moves up a notch or two or fifty. HUGE couple of weeks for Bo Pelini, who better figure out how to score touchdowns quick. What will happen first? Bo Pelini throws a cup of water at a reporter? Or the Huskers score a rushing touchdown?

6) Kansas State (4-3, 2-1) vs. Colorado

KSU is the ultimate Jekyll and Hyde team to me...losing by 40 points one week and winning by 40 points the next week. However, in looking a little closer, how many of those 62 points put up last Saturday were off turnovers? How do you score that many points when you 69th in the nation in total offense? I must admit, I've only seen KSU one time, and that was against UCLA...however, the wild inconsistencies seem to me a bigger problem than meets the eye. Who knows if Bill Snyder's QB by committee system will work...but a win over an upstart Colorado would be gigantic in terms of moving in the right direction. My jury is still out on the Cats at this point.

SOUTH

1) Texas (6-0, 3-0) at Missouri

Who else are you going to put here? The Horns were relatively unimpressive in the Cotton Bowl last weekend, but in a rivalry game like that, you really can't put much stock in anything other than the W. Colt McCoy is getting grilled in the media this week in terms of "figuring out what's wrong"...which tells me he's about to go OFF on Mizzou's improved but still far from great defense. Lack of a true running game will hurt UT in the end, but in the short term, holding teams to 14 points a game...including 34 in the past 3 weeks is a pretty good accomplishment. The Halloween match up in Stillwater looms large this week.

2) Oklahoma State (5-1, 2-0) at Baylor

Despite missing two of their best players, the Pokes continue to rack up points. Even though they cruised to the finish against Mizzou, they were still out gained by 40+ yards and barely racked up 350 yards of offense. (3 turnovers and a couple of big Mizzou drops helped) That might not cut it when Texas comes to town, but at least they get a nice scrimmage in Waco to get ready.

3) Oklahoma (3-3, 1-1) at Kansas

Everybody writes off Oklahoma, yet their three losses this season have been by 1, 1 and 3 points. Uhhhh, that's still pretty good. On paper, the Saturday match up with KU looks fairly even, but if Landry Jones has even a HINT of a good game, KU is going to be in for a world of hurt. I imagine the locals will be hopped up enough to give OU fits...but seriously...how intimidating can 50,000 Zima drinkers be...waving their arms back and fourth like they're at a Miley Cyrus concert? Sooners will have their backups in by the end of the 3rd.

4) Texas Tech (5-2, 2-1) vs. Texas A&M

Holy shit did they crush Nebraska. Actually, most of the game was fairly competitive, but just as I said last week..they did what they had to do early and got Nebraska out of their ball control scheme. That Sheffield kid looked like the real deal, as the blackshirts fluttered around like clowns at a circus. (Hey Niles Paul..feel free to FALL ON THE BALL.) Not sure what all of it means...but it tells me Texas Tech is exactly who they always are...a good, solid but not great team who can lay an egg at any time, or throttle the crap out of a team at any time. As for this week...if A&M gave up 60+ points to KSU.....what will happen when they face...

5) Texas A&M (3-3, 0-2) at Texas Tech

I'm going to give the Ags a bit of a pass against K-State. It was cold..they turned the ball over five times, and let's face it..they really weren't going to win the division anyway. Now their 94th ranked defense gets to take on a Texas Tech team that put 31 points up on Nebraska in Lincoln with relative ease. Good luck boys.

6) Baylor (3-3, 0-2) vs. Oklahoma State

Nick Florence was finally yanked after 2 awful games, and replaced by 10th year Blake Szymanski. Did you know that SEVEN different Baylor players have thrown passes this year? I realize their offense is in disarray after Robert Griffin went down, but good lord Art Briles, dial it down a little bit. Baylor gets to finish the ride down the toilet bowl this season with games against Okie State, Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech. As for Saturday...Okie State is one of the nation's best running teams...Baylor is 100th in rushing defense and giving up nearly 200 ypg. Hmmmmmmm

Throwing Mud

2009-10-13T12:43:00.007-05:00

I've been doing this for quite a while.

During the 5 or 6 or whatever years it's been since I started recording my thoughts about college football online, I thought things were pretty well black and white around here. I've predicted things and hit them square on the head...I've predicted things that missed wildly. I've written things that anger millions and I've written things that lots of other people think, yet nobody really has the strength to say. But even after all that, throughout all those years...you'd think some of you would get to know me back.

Apparently, that's not the case.

Take this past Thursday, where nearly three years of pent up Husker frustration were unleashed on me and my writings in the form of hateful e-mails...snotty comments, rambling IM's and delusional radio host diatribes. If you're a Husker fan, and you're one of those people I just described...you probably won't believe me here...but I completely understand. You should run your mouth. Trust me on this, I expect it. Talking shit is a fine art that is only perfected by the few...and as you can probably see in the comments field, it appears that not one single reader of this blog is good at it. (Seriously, some of you should read through your comments before you hit 'send'. I'm embarrassed for you and I don't even like you)

For you see...talking shit about sports isn't about being opportunistic. It's not about yelling "scoreboard" after disappearing for 2 years. It's not like something out of an Eminem video...where one guy stands in front of a crowd, firing off 'yo momma' rhymes as the bass shakes the windows of the room. It's not trying to find the catchiest angle or uncovering that one stat that makes your point. It's not about calling people names. It's not about throwing out F-bombs and showing people how Internet badass you really are.

No, talking shit is about one thing and one thing only: Pissing the other guy off.

It might shock some of you to hear this...but I've hated Nebraska far longer than the 5 years I've run this or any other blog. And during that time...believe it or not...the Huskers actually managed to win a game or two during that time; Or in my case...pretty much all of their games all of the time. This is the #1 idiotic misnomer I hear nearly every single day...hell, I've heard it 3 times in the past 24 hours throughout the Internet universe, "When the Huskers get good, you'll slink back into your hole and disappear."

Oh quite the contrary.

When the Huskers "get good" is when Husker fans decide to open his mouth and say something stupid. It's when they suddenly show up from a 3 year hiatus trying to find that perfect insult to send me. It's when they suddenly decide to address a local blogger every segment of a radio show, when in years past he was completely ignored. It's when ridiculous claims come to light (Suh for Heisman? Seriously?) and when relatively smart people say completely idiotic and asinine things. (The Heisman trophy? Seriously?)

Am I upset my favorite team lost* on Thursday to a team that I feel is a complete sham? Sure it does. But when looking at things at face value, what do I see? This is where some of you this week completely lost track of truth and reality. For those of you who's scarlet and cream colored panties are still tightly wound into a bunch, I did not say the rain caused Missouri to lose* the football game. What I said was that the conditions changed the game so much that it's impossible to take anything away from it rather than the final score. That goes for both teams, including Nebraska...whom I'm sure has a bit more offensive firepower than 260 yards on "shitty" Mizzou's defense. If you think the weather had no impact on the game at all...one way or another...you are a dipshit. End of story. That doesn't change the final score, and I "accept scoreboard" just fine. It just doesn't prove anything more to me. (And don't get me started on "accepting the better team won", because I'm still waiting for that acceptance from last year that never ever came from any of you)

But I digress....I'm not here to defend my stance, because quite frankly..I could really give a damn what you think about it. I don't care if you saw it as a blowout Husker victory...nor do I care if you think the weather impacted the game or not. For you see, I don't really care that much about breaking down games...nor do I really care about Nebraska football in general that much anymore. If that fire still burned white hot...I'd still have the old blog up and you'd see me plastered to every Husker message board from here to Scottsbluff looking for a verbal fight to start with every DeKalb using hayseed I could find. Instead, I simply write down what I'm thinking..maybe tweet a few things..and suddenly I'm back to being public enemy #1.

Good.

When I arrived in Nebraska, the Huskers were on the verge of becoming one of the most dominant dynasties in the history of the game. When I was in my 20's, I put up with fans rampaging their arrogance into the ground with their 60 wins in 5 years...while my own team won 1/3rd that many in two decades. No, hating Nebraska and the gomers who root for them did not start for me in 2007. It started long ago and began as defending my own shitty team against buddies who constantly....ruthlessly and vigorously challenged me to talk trash and defend my crappy team against one of college football's biggest juggernauts. Do you know how hard it is to talk trash when you haven't beaten the other team in 24 years? Do you know ho hard it is to talk trash when Kirk Farmer is your quarterback? But I did it, and I did it well.

So with that...you think some fluke monsoon-aided loss* during a rebuilding year is going to send me over the edge? Well no offense...but you're giving yourself WAY WAY too much credit for something (I say again) that really didn't show me anything.

You see...my team doesn't win 4 games a year anymore. Guys like Kent Skornia and Darius Outlaw no longer line up under center, just as guys named Frazier, Crouch and Green no longer line up for the Huskers. Despite what your faded t-shirt says...those days are long since gone...and as many of you witnessed, I've already fought those dragons...and did so til the last one was killed on October 4th, 2008. Everything else since then...and everything else in the immediate future is simply a milepost in a post-apocalyptic world where your bullshit and my sense of doom really don't mean much of anything anymore. Hard to believe, but that 35 point ass-kicking last season really was the end of the line. When I said that was it..that really was it.

But if I'm the self-indulgent idiot many of you claim me to be...if I'm "not even worth the time to read"...then why are you here? Why do I get so much attention? Why did I get 2.2 million hits on my previous blog? Do I advertise on local radio? Do I start threads on random Husker and big 12 message boards touting my own abilities and whimsical savvy prose? Why am I not just another crappy blog written by some nutjob, just like the thousands of others that litter the cybersports landscape? Damned if I know. But I do know one simple thing: I know my audience and I know their weakness. I know what angers them and I know what makes them tick.

Congratulations Husker fan...apparently you beat* me this time. For one night, your team proved me wrong, and thanks to some divine intervention, you've had your day once again. But what about tomorrow? What about next week? What about the remainder of the season? I've said this before, and it remains true even more so today....my quest to expose Husker nation as fraudulent hypocrites ended a year ago, because there was nothing left to prove. Gone are the claims of classy elegance, and here are the days of passing around photos of crying players. (Which by the way will NEVER be as funny as crying kids you copyright stealing bastards.) Despite the end of that journey, the games continue...as will the ridiculous arrogance and false legend that is "classy" Nebraska football fans. In the end, all I know is that those Husker fans I railed against in the mid 1990's wouldn't be running out celebrating a late-game waterlogged victory* over a "lesser" opponent they're supposedly superior to. In fact...they wouldn't be running to me at all. They wouldn't even know who I am.

Until that day comes around again...you are exactly what I said you were...and nothing more. Because it's already been proven.

POWER POLL

NORTH

1) Kansas (5-0, 1-0) at Colorado
KU continues to score points at will, but continues to give up big plays in bunches. Todd Reesing is starting to get some Heisman hype, but KU's toughest test so far has been a 3-3 Southern Miss team...one they barely beat at home. Everything starts to go downhill with a very interesting trip to Boulder this week.

T2) Nebraska (4-1, 1-0) vs. Texas Tech
I thought about leaving Nebraska at 3rd this week, but didn't want to be charged with murder when 25,000 heads exploded. NU moves up to their highest spot ever on my poll, although I refuse to put them ahead of Mizzou based on what we've already discussed this week. Scoreboard is fine, but everything else must be earned. Beat Tech this week, you can have it all to yourself.

T2) Missouri (4-1, 0-1) at Oklahoma State
As stated before...I really can't take anything from that game given the conditions and variables involved. But at the same time, they still lost*, so where do I put them? Save your hate mail in the meantime. Gabbert and company head into a moonshine soaked Stillwater at night, so the odds of moving up after a big win are slim. Young teams generally don't bounce back after being shell shocked like that...so it will be interesting to see how fast..if at all...things go downhill.

4) Colorado (1-4, 0-1) vs. Kansas
Darrell Scott certainly looked pretty good early on against Texas, but the Buffs still rank near the bottom of FBS in rushing. Dan Hawkins finally pulled the trigger on Cody, so it will be interesting to see if some sort of spark is created. Watching the team that hung with Texas...I have a hard time they're going to go winless in the Big 12 for long. Plus, they're good for one big upset a year. Hmmmmm

5) Iowa State (3-3, 0-2) vs. Baylor
Gotta feel bad for the Clones. After a painful blocked extra point leading to a loss against KSU, you gotta admire Paul Rhoads' team for battling their asses off against an obviously bored and unprepared KU team. The clones currently rank 14th in rushing offense, but are averaging less than 200 yards through the air. If the Clones have ANY hope of becoming bowl eligible, a win over Baylor is a must right here.

6) Kansas State (3-3, 1-1) vs. Texas A&M
I realize winning in Lubbock is difficult, but Jesus people...38-0 at the half? Against their backup QB? I'm not ready to declare the Bill Snyder project dead before it really begins, but the Cats are going to have to figure out how to score if they hold any hope of climbing out of the North shitter anytime soon.

SOUTH

1) Texas (5-0, 1-0) vs. Oklahoma @Dallas
Either Texas is going to be one of those championship teams who tip toe through their schedule and look mediocre at times, but still get things done....or they're about due to fall on their face. Everybody and their pet squirrel are going with Texas this week, and at 47ppg, there's good reason. But they've seemed way too disinterested at time for me to believe they can just show up in Dallas and beat OU. I'm not a gambler, but if I was...I'd be seriously considering throwing money down on the Sooners.

2) Oklahoma (3-2, 1-0) vs. Texas @Dallas
I'm not sure if Baylor is really that much better, or if Oklahoma is that mediocre. Sure, OU is 3-2, but they've lost both games by a combined 2 points...and both were lost without last year's Heisman winner. OU comes into Dallas far more battle tested and you know Bob Stoops is already using his disrespect card on a daily basis in practice.

3) Oklahoma State (4-1, 1-0) vs. Missouri
The Pokes are banged up...Dez Bryant's status is completely up in the air...but they still are scoring points in large numbers. Granted, their stats aren't as eye popping as last year, and they've obviously lost a bit of their swagger after laying an egg against Houston...but there's too much talent here to simply disregard. Missouri isn't exactly a top flight offense these days...but they certainly have enough firepower to shake up an already shaky pass defense that ranks 89th in the country. Should be a good game...for a while.

4) Texas Tech (4-2, 1-0) at Nebraska
Tech had all sorts of trouble getting the ball away from Roy Helu last year in Lubbock...granted when they did get the ball, they scored at will. Against teams with a pulse, NU has choked away a game and needed 7 inches of water coupled with a gimpy QB to make their move. One thing the Hicks do have is confidence, and they're playing way above their heads right now. Gonna be a tough task for the Raiders to pull this out.

5) Texas A&M (3-2, 0-1) at Kansas State
Jerrod Johnson continues to put up big numbers...even now that the Aggies are now playing actual D1 caliber opponents. They weren't quite ready for prime time against a far superior Arkansas team...but played OSU far tougher than expected. This will be A&M's first true road test, in weather far from Texas-like. Huge game for Mike Sherman's team IMO.

6) Baylor (3-2, 0-1) at Iowa State
Poor Baylor. Down to a 3rd string freshman QB, they took Oklahoma's best punch, but in the end got knocked out. BU's previous experience at Wake Forest and against UConn should help them out, against what appears to be a quickly improving Iowa State squad. Neither team is all that good..but they appear to be matched up as evenly as any other matchup of the weekend.

Photo Credit - Associated Press

Congratulations*

2009-10-10T16:10:00.006-05:00

Before the masses accuse me of "hiding", let the record show that not only did I prop your team up for winning, but I documented the whole thing via Twitter. If you're not educated enough to read...well, that's your problem. I've got a few things going on this weekend, and even in victory..usually take my time breaking down my trip. Anyhow, figured I'd better break the game down before people lose their minds. Ready?

First and foremost, props to Nebraska for the win. Zac Lee made a great throw to Niles Paul in the clutch (either great or lucky..considering when it left his hand it looked like it was going to be 30 yards over his head). The wind really caught it and seemingly placed it where it needed to be. Lucky or skill or otherwise, that was a tough throw, and he should be commended. Also, props to Screech, who is one hell of a punter. I bash on the kid for not kissing a girl etc...but he is a very very good kicker. I think he'll have a long career performing at the level he is currently at. Major props also to Suh for not only a key interception/swat but for not spitting on anyone..although with the amount of rain, it was extremely tough to tell I'm sure.

Anyhow, aside from that...if you're a Husker fan waiting for my "crow sandwich" you'll be dissapointed to get absolutely nothing more from me. I'm not sure if you followed the Twitter updates, but that game was not played in rain. No, regular rain causes things to be slick...rain makes things uncomfortable. That game Thursday was played under not just buckets...but 55 gallon drums of water falling from the sky in ungodly amounts for hours upon hours. Never in my 35+ years ...not on vacation...not in the jungles of Mexico...ANYWHERE have I seen rain fall THAT hard for THAT long. To top it off, the power outage killed any semblance of energy from that stadium. No pre-game intro. No "First down...MIZ....". Nothing.

Yes, both teams play in the rain and both teams have to adjust. But do you think Roy Helu runs for more than 2 yards a carry (up until the last minute of the game) on just a regular wet field? Think a guy 6th in the nation in passing efficiency throws for a few more yards when he's not standing under a fire hose for 3.5 hours? Don't misunderstand...the rain is not the excuse...the excuse is that this rain was a game changer.

Before the game in our section of the stands..while exchanging insults with a portly fella from Grand Island, (and while his buddy who was smoking pot and taking swigs of an Everclear bottle)...we all agreed on one simple thing: It is an absolute shame that a game of that importance is to be decided in those conditions. Rather than breakdown passing and running stats...save your strength and flip a coin to see who has the better defense? Even as Mizzou held a 12-0 lead going into the 4th, I dreaded the fact that even if they were to hang on and win for the 5th time in 7 tries, I'd have to listen to the (correct) assertion that this game was not a true determination of who is the better team..if even for one night. That's not sour grapes...that's not a cop out. That is a fact. It is a shame it was decided that way on such a grand stage.

So when people leave me comments saying, "What do you have to say for your high powered offense now?" I reply by saying you're a complete idiot and God himself could not catch 10 passes thrown directly in the gut in the middle of all that. I will not throw up my arms in despair, just as a Husker fan should not be the least bit swayed about anything else either. I was there. I was in the middle of that for 16 solid hours. Trust me on this. I know what I'm talking about.

Those were once-in-a-lifetime conditions, deciding a game that was completely and totally up for grabs. Nebraska did everything they could to give themselves chances to win...despite the fact that every single intangible worked in their own favor in terms of environment and the fact that no team on earth is more ill prepared for a windless Hurricane than Missouri. Kudos to them. They deserve to celebrate as much as they so desire.

But to answer the questions...no, the Husker hating movement will not suddenly rise from the ashes in wake of an incredible victory fueled by one of the greatest teams in the Nation. This was not some amazing comeback of wills as I've heard it described, nor was it some sort of outstanding display of heart. It was two groups of kids, trying to play a game in weather that was beyond anything you can wrap your corn-mashed liquor soaked brains around. I don't expect Husker fans to crow any softer...especially after beating their "non rival"...but at the same time, I certainly wouldn't put a whole lot of stock in anything you saw either.

Speaking of which...do Husker fans celebrate like that when they beat teams that AREN'T their rival? Granted, I'm glad they hate Mizzou fans, and I like to say I had a part to do with that...but I've NEVER seen Nebraska fans act like that, beating* a team they don't consider themselves at war with. Funny...you sure could have fooled me.

So anyway...props to them regardless. They scored more points. They held onto the ball. They threw their arms up in the air and came up with the ball stuck to their gut better than the other team. For that...congratulations. I hope revenge served wet and cold was everything you ever dreamed.

But if you think I'm going to bow to your good fortune..if you think I'm going to bestow upon you the precious Order you've so valliantly restored, you are indeed dumber than I thought. I will do no such thing. I will do nothing more than acknowledge the win and declare that for one night...when God put everything in play for them...the Huskers took advantage of what they were given.

Luckily, a group of somebodies told me last season that head-to-head games mean absolutely nothing as long as you believe you're a better team later on in the year. I really appreciate that too. I'd almost be a little bit down in the dumps if that wasn't the case.

More on this Monday or Tuesday.

PS - And by the way. If you host an afternoon radio sports talk show in Omaha, and you spent the better part of 3 years ignoring me because I'm "Just a blogger"...and now in the past 3 days chronicle my every single word and move on air and off...you are a lying hypocritical jackass with zero spine and zero journalistic integrity. If you're going to act above the fray...then act above the fray. Don't dive into the pool as soon as the conditions are right for you. That's pretty weak, even for a couple of clowns who make their living agreeing off the idiotic ramblings of others.

If you cared that much..you would have gone toe to toe with me years ago when you had the chance.

Photo Credit - KC Star

What, you expected some long speech?

2009-10-07T16:21:00.002-05:00

No.

I'm not going to do it.

I'm not going to throw out some 5000 word diatribe on the evils of Nebraska..taking the fight to them or anything else of that nature. When I said the pungent Husker aura was nuked on October 6th 2007, this is exactly what I meant. Sure, I want my favorite team to win...but even before kickoff, the world's most self-congratulating fan base has long since been revealed as a fraud. (No, Mizzou's not your rival...of course not.)

Although I have a pretty good idea, No one knows how the game will turn out. Perhaps Nebraska could catch some breaks and even win? (Better get some turnovers) Perhaps Zac Lee really isn't the second coming of Jamal Lord? But beyond that, my job is already long since done. Husker fans have spent the better part of an entire off-season and then some, railing on Missouri fans...describing to anyone who will put up with their whining about the evils of those who simply "don't deserve it".

Zzzzzzzzzzz

I don't get worked up that much anymore, because they're just another team, followed by just another bunch of fans. Until they restore their precious order, they will get what they deserve from me...which is pretty much nothing. For you see...I've been there and done that. Perhaps things will change? Perhaps things will stay the same? Perhaps the Husker Hating movement will rise from the ashes? Perhaps the Keebler Elves will fly out of my ass and start singing showtunes?

Doesn't matter. They are exactly who I knew they were..and after a fight long since won, so do you.

Snorkel on. Game on.

PS - DON'T FORGET to follow our adventures into the storm (literally) via my twitter alter ego at www.twitter.com/huskerh8er. The fun starts at around 1am Central time Thursday morning.

Sitting Down With the Enemy

2009-10-05T08:26:00.005-05:00

As hate week continues to slowly drudge on, I thought I would try something different. As many of you know, I spend most of my days and online time, firing back at idiots and morons as they bombard my ears, cell phone and e-mail box with propaganda that would make Joseph Goebbels roll his eyes. However, instead of bashing the defenseless and ignorant, I thought I’d try the opposite approach this season. But where the hell do you find rational Husker fan right in the middle of the asylum? This is often as easy living in Nebraska as it is trying to find a PETA member at a Glen Beck book signing.

Since I couldn’t find anybody remotely close to fitting that description, I went to the next best thing. For my own sanity, I had to find out just why in the hell Husker fans would be so confident this week, after really accomplishing nothing but a spectacular choke job this season. I wanted to see if I could figure out the reasoning as to just why a fan base isn’t “scared at all” of playing in Columbia this Thursday, even though their team has been outscored by nearly 23 points per game over the past 3 trips. I wanted to see just how in the hell a fan base could be so delusional, so completely removed from reality they they’ve completely removed themselves from reality, less than two seasons removed from a spectacular nuclear destruction.

I need to warn you now. What you are about to read is scary and disturbing. The words on your screen were not doctored by me in any way, and the content is solely the pot-fueled dementia of those who spoke it. If men who can actually put thoughts together and write with thought and proper grammar can say things like this…just imagine what the average toothless yokel sounds like who I deal with every day.

Seriously, a big thanks to Mike and the guys over at Corn Nation for taking the time to answer my questions. Remember kids....these are these sane ones.

========================================================

Q – I’ve heard from a lot of Husker fans that this game “means more to Missouri” than it does to Nebraska. Given Missouri’s recent success over the past couple years…in blowout fashion, do you feel this truly the case? Just how big of a game is this to Nebraska?

JLew: I don't feel that this game means more to Missouri than it does to Nebraska. I think last year with Missouri trying to end the losing streak it meant more to them than NU, but this year with MU, NU, and KU trying to win the North this game means the same to both teams. This is MU's chance to show that they are for real though. Illinios really has not looked too impressive, and the games against Bowling Green and Nevada were closer than I think you'd want. Nebraska has an idea of where it's at based on how it played against VaTech. Some things to work on, but they did some very good things against a pretty good team in a very hostile environment.

Husker Mike: I don't know about that; I think it means about equal to both teams. If Mizzou wins, that shows that 2007 and 2008 weren't just the result of a freakish coincidence between recruiting luck by Gary Pinkel and Nebraska sucked courtesy of Bill Callahan. If Nebraska wins, it's the next step on the road to relevance.

Q – Most Missouri fans have only seen Zach Robinson uhhh...Lee, one time on TV against Va Tech, and he was extremely erratic. Granted it was a great Hokies defense, but why should Mizzou fans be concerned?

JLew: You'd better not underestimate him. Strongest arm that NU has had, or probably will have for quite some time. He got rattled in Blacksburg, but we can hope he has learned from that experience. I think he'll be better in Columbia, Blacksburg is a much tougher environment, first road start, very tough defense to go against. He brings in a 65% completion rate, has managed to not make the big mistake, his 2 INTs against the Hokies didn't cost NU the game, the last one was an end of the game one.

Husker Mike: Did you see how Jacory Harris did against that Hokie defense? Let's be honest, Zac Lee didn't play well in Blacksburg, but it was his first road start. If you think that the Tiger defense is just as good as Virginia Tech's, then I wouldn't be the least bit worried about Zac Lee. (Mostly because you've got MUCH bigger problems than that.)

Q – That being said, do you feel Cody Green should be a more active part of the offense? Or is he just not ready yet?

CornBlight: He’s not ready. He could perhaps run some zone read, limited plays, but he’s not capable of running the full offense and won’t be this year.

JLew: No. He'll be allowed to play more as he learns the offense. It's Lee's team. NU does not need a QB controversy, nor should it have one.

Husker Mike: Absolutely not. Green has looked dynamite at times in garbage time against lower level competition. But he's also mishandled snaps and misread plays. When he's ready, he might see some action, but for now, he's still learning, and the risk of putting him in is much higher than the reward.

Q – Doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Mizzou is going to try and put 53 (or more) guys in the box to try and shut down Roy Helu. Despite the focus, is Helu still the key to a Husker victory?

CornBlight: He may not be THE key, but he’s a big key. Helu has been beautiful to watch this season. He’s been elusive, explosive and more than Husker fans could expect. If Missouri can stop the running game, things certainly get much more interesting.

JLew: The key? I don't think so. The Nebraska offense has been very balanced in it's attack. I think that if MU takes away the running game, then it's up to the WRs and Lee to make plays. Ark St and Louisiana Lafayetee both tried to load up the box, so it's not like this is a new problem.

Husker Mike: Good luck with that. The Sun Belt teams tried that, and Zac Lee hurt them badly in the passing game. Granted, Mizzou's defense should be better than those defenses. If anything, you might consider trying to shut down the passing game and hope that Helu can't carry the load the whole game.

Q – A lot of Husker fans have completely written off Mizzou’s home field advantage, mostly due to the Huskers’ performance at a hostile Lane Stadium in Blacksburg. Do you feel the venom and noise of the crowd will have any impact on the outcome, considering it’s an 8:15 start?

CornBlight: The Huskers have struggled with false start and procedure penalties since the start of the season. They should have those issues cleaned up, especially after the noise level at Virginia Tech. I don’t expect that crowd noise will be an issue, but that’s a little simple, isn’t it?

JLew: How much of the crowd will be passed out from moonshine, and how many will be out hunting raccoon or opossums? NU knows what it's like to play in front of a hostile crowd, against a ranked team, on national TV. Will the home crowd help? Probably, but it's not like NU's worried about the crowd in this game. If NU can start fast, or if Missouri continues to start slow, I'm wondering how long the crowd will even stay in the game. These are the same fans that couldn't be bothered to show up for the B12 title game last year, which was in Kansas City. Not a real devote following, and it will not compare to what NU has seen already.

Husker Mike: Hate to break it to you, but Faurot Field doesn't show up on anybody's list of tough places to play. Yeah, Tiger fans will be yelling and screaming their hearts out, but with the track and berms adding extra space between the stands and the field, it won't be louder than Blacksburg.

Q – One matchup getting very little attention is Missouri’s receivers against a young and banged up Husker defensive backfield. Carl Pelini will obviously want to rattle and rush Blaine Gabbert…leaving DB’s potentially on an island. How concerned should Carl be of Gabbert’s arm and the big play threat of Danario Alexander and Jerrod Perry?

CornBlight: Husker defensive backs are playing very well, one blown play at Virginia Tech withstanding. I don’t think leaving our cornerbacks in man-to-man is that big a concern, because it will allow more pressure on Gabbert – see the next answer.

JLew: Banged up? We lost Thenarse who wasn't going to play much anyway. The bye week comes at a good time, so unless someone is hurt more than I expect the secondary will be fine. I would also look for Nu to try and generate pressure using only it's front 4. NU should be able to control what little running game Missouri will try, and if they can get to Gabbert with only the front 4, it will be a long day for him.

Husker Mike: From what I've heard, Larry Asante should be fine, so I'm not sure which starter is "banged up". But yes, Danario Alexander scares me the most of any Tiger. He's a big play receiver who's finally healthy.

Q – Last year in Lincoln, despite Mike Eckler’s “Secret plan”…Mizzou’s offensive line completely dominated the line of scrimmage. This year, all of the hype surrounds Suh, Allen and the NU front four. Considering that Mizzou has “struggled” with the running game in ’09 so far, is it safe for Carl Pelini to leave the front four intact, and play nickel or even dime against Gabbert? Or do they release linebackers and blitz?

CornBlight: Look for Nebraska to shut down Missouri’s run game and force them to throw, and then look for blitzes from the corners to put pressure on Gabbert if the front four isn’t getting there. I’d guess Nebraska will play nickel for most of the game.

JLew: I have no idea. Probably going to a nickle? Wait, what's with the "struggled"? They have struggled, they are 58th in the country with 3.8 yards per attempt. Nevada was blowing the line up at the point of attack.

Husker Mike: That "secret plan" might have been good in theory, but the Huskers weren't ready to execute it...and it showed. That game proved to Bo Pelini that Nebraska's problems weren't schematic, but rather simple fundamentals and they needed to take baby steps to become better. Now, this team is much more confident and Pelini can mix and match it up a little more.

Q – If Mizzou wins this game, Nebraska will have lost 5 of their last 7 to the Tigers and will have gone a full decade without winning in Columbia. Do you ever see a point where Husker fans will actually acknowledge that Missouri is a true modern rival?

CornBlight: No. It’ll simply become like the relationship we have with Colorado. We’ll deny everything. Part of it is because we’re stubborn, and part because it’s fun denying another fan base recognition of their team’s success against us.

JLew: Why does every team want to be NU's rival? CU does, KSU wanted to for a while, I'm sure KU is jumping up and down to get noticed. So no, not until Nebraska gets back to where it wants to be, and MU continues to get better. If MU and NU become the Texas and OU of the North then I could see it happening. But 5 of 7? Come on that's nothing.

Husker Mike: Well, Colorado thought they were pretty good for most of the 90's, and still never earned "rival" status from Husker fans. Kansas State was solid for about 10 years from the mid 90's until 2003, and never got it either. True rivalries take decades to build. For now, you'll have to settle for "competitive intense matchup".

Q – How long will Husker fans give Bo Pelini if he keeps failing to beat top tier teams? Granted, he’s not getting blown out at home by 30 points like his predecessor and even Bill Callahan beat a ranked team in a bowl game, but sooner or later, people are going to want better results. Where is that line drawn? And at what point would the Turner Gill bandwagon leave the station?

CornBlight: It’s a little early to be thinking about that, but I guess I can speculate. I don’t see Pelini ever putting the program into a position where he has losing seasons. Given that he has Tom Osborne’s blessing, Osborne will have to permanently retire before Pelini is removed. I’d guess you’re looking at least five years down the road.

JLew: How long? You do realize that this is his second year right? He's still playing with another coaches players, and I think he's still learning how to be a head football coach. The team has shown improvement, and that's what the fans want right now. He's also backed by TO, and the media loves him, even though he spends most of the time growling at them. He's good for the foreseeable future. Turner Gill should have moved programs last year, I think he's stuck at Buffalo for a while now.

Husker Mike: We survived four years of Bill Callahan, and it only took one season for Bo Pelini to exceed any of Callahan's seasons. Eventually, we'll get there, but Nebraska can't get into the revolving door of coaches.

Q – Mizzou fans have heard the warnings that Nebraska is “back” for going on 5 seasons now. Why is this year any different than the hype we’ve heard in the past? Why should we be afraid?

CornBlight: I hate the “back” stuff, I truly do. We’ll be “back” when it’s no longer a question or emphasis of discussion. Missouri fans should be worried because the defense looks more like a Blackshirt defense with each game. They’re good enough to compete with any offense in the Big 12 so they’ll keep us in every game.

JLew: You shouldn't. People should stop saying Nebraska is back. Corn Nation has been saying this all year. This should be a good game against 2 ranked teams why can't be leave it at that?

Husker Mike: You didn't hear that from any of us. "Back" to Nebraska means that Nebraska is playing at an Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, or USC level. Nebraska ain't there now, and even if Nebraska wins on Thursday, Nebraska won't be there. Like CB says...Nebraska will be "back" when people stop asking the question because it's no longer a question.

Q – Do you think Husker fans realize how much most Mizzou fans hate them? Or does that come with the territory of being a “traditional” program?

CornBlight: It comes with the nature of being a traditional powerhouse that’s trying to find itself again. I hear the same thing from other teams throughout the Big 12, especially those left over from the Big Eight. Sorry.

JLew: You hate us? I didn't notice. I live in Manhattan, KS. You know what happens when I wear my Nebraska gear? People tell me how much they hate Nebraska. Same thing happens at KU, I've watched ISU fans burn NU fans in Ames. I know enough not to go to Bolder for a game. I don't venture down south has much, but I assume that they hate us for various things as well. You think you're unique with your hate? Hell there's a I hate Nebraska club. They meet Thurs. nights at the Y. They have shirts. Join the club.

Husker Mike: That's fine. We don't hate you unless you act like a$$clowns. We get it, though, and we know the reason why. You know it too, deep down. And we know why you won't admit it either.

Wait Week Continues

2009-10-01T13:21:00.006-05:00

Man, this is way tougher than I thought it would be.

I remember hate weeks of old, where I sat back and traded barbs with Husker fans on an almost hourly basis. I’d slam them on being a sham, they’d ask me how many titles my team has won…it was always great fun. But for some reason..this year is different. This year just feels….different. All week, I’ve tried to put my finger on it..and I think I’ve figured it out.

Just as I predicted last year, taunting Husker fans just isn’t fun anymore. Not that I don’t expect at LEAST a somewhat competitive game (you would think)…the whole Husker mystique has been smashed to pieces so hard, that there is no possible way of putting it back together again. Even if the Hicks were able to put a 20 point thrashing down on Mizzou, are they in control of the north? (No, KU still in the drivers seat there). What would their record in Columbia be this decade? (A losing one.) The point is, the Husker hating movement was less about the games, and more about de-railing a myth. Even if…and this is a BIG BIG stretch here..even IF the Satan's lean against Tom Osborne’s soul runs out, and the Huskers DO return to glory…will it be the same?

Would the same intimidation factor be involved? Would opposing teams cower at just how the hell they are going to stop option plays going for 9 yards a rush? Are opposing teams going to try and break some decade (or longer) losing streak that has riddled their press conferences with questions like, “How big would it be to FINALLY win in Lincoln?”. Is the world suddenly going to start spinning backward, and shift directly back to 1994? Absolutely not.

What is so sad, is watching people try and wish for all these things to happen, even though there is absolutely no hope. No matter how hard I yell, I just can't keep them from walking toward that cliff. Yes, the mystique died a long and painful death earlier this decade, and there is no possible way to bring it back. Even if the decayed bones of Bob Devaney rose from the earth wearing a red felt ballcap carrying a clipboard, people will NEVER fear Nebraska the same way again.

Don't get me wrong; I understand why being the hunted isn’t nearly as much fun as doing the hunting. I mean, people this week have sent me e-mails, claiming the Huskers dominance over their 3 overmatched opponents this year, yet when you explain to them that they were 3 Sun Belt teams and all of them combined had only one win (over KSU for God’s sake)…does that phase them? When the same people brag about such an EPIC performance in the snake pit that is southwest Virginia against Tech, you would think they would flinch when you remind them that not only did they choke in a way no college football team has matched so far this year…but they failed to score a touchdown while doing so. When they brag about their rushing offense, and you explain to them that they are currently NINTH in the CONFERENCE in rushing (again..against Sun Belt teams)…does it stop their yapping? Of course not.

It will never stop.

I stopped blogging about the Nebraska Cornhuskers, because there is nothing left to talk about…EVERYTHING has been done. In the last five years, EVERY Big 12 team but Baylor has beaten Nebraska. Coincidence? Does anybody dedicate a blog to hating Louisiana Tech? How about San Jose State? Of course not..but then again, San Jose State and La Tech have at least beaten a top 20 team since the early days of Bush’s first term.

Hate week will always be around, because the people that populate Nebraska will never learn. Because of this, we will ALWAYS go round and round with the same old song and dance, talking about the same bowl games and the same “history”…only with one year of history tacked on each time. It’s a lot like watching a really good movie 3 or 4 times…then after a while, you kind of lose interest. Sure it’s a good movie…maybe even a GREAT movie....but when you've seen it so many times, there really is no reason to watch it again.

“Keller will tear your boys up”
“Joe Ganz has a rocket arm”
“Marlon Lucky will kill your D line”

And so it goes.

Anyhow..a couple of other news and notes:

* Hoping to have a Q and A session with some of the guys at Corn Nation. Now, I’ve done some “interviews” with Husker blogs before..and as I’ve stated many times…they’re all pretty good guys; But let’s just say I don’t think we see eye to eye on the upcoming game next week. (Or pretty much anything for that matter.) Hopefully I’ll get those back and up shortly.

* Don’t forget to follow the Husker Hater Twitter page (www.twitter.com/huskerh8er) if you’re into such things. From there, you’ll get live updates and photos from our trip to Columbia next week as well as celebrity guests and maybe more (If I feel like it). I don’t have the energy or material to write a Husker hating blog these days, but 160 characters is just about all the attention the hicks deserve these days...so that's what they get.

* Finally..just a reminder…I absolutely love my comments page…it’s one of the best parts of running a team-hatred themed blog..or in this case..just …a hate in general blog I guess. But anyway, I understand that angry e-mails and threats etc are going to come in…and that’s fine. If you get all bent of shape over words I say..then that’s really your problem. I’m pretty content knowing I know where the line is between running smack about football…and being a first class prick. But no matter what, I will never publish comments with N bombs, anti-semetic remarks and the like. They used to come in every once in a great while on the old blog, but it’s been pretty frequent here this week for some reason. I know you’re classy and all, but knock it off. Nobody else is gonna see it.

Hate week rolls on...slowly

It's On

2009-09-28T14:37:00.005-05:00

One of the great things about college football is also the reason it sometimes sucks. As is not the case with the outside world, college football does not rely on head-to-head matchups playoffs or concrete action. Unlike baseball, it’s nearly impossible, with any precision, to completely judge a team based on their accomplishments...especially through a portion of a season. Until every team plays the same opponents within a year, you’re never going to get a static answer. For you see, the powers that be love the arguments..they love the discussion…they love the money that all that attention brings in. This is what makes the sport great..because of the territorial biases …opinions are all we have to judge the good and the bad.

What SUCKS about that is the very fact that it’s IMPOSSIBLE to tell who is truly the best, and who is truly the worst. This goes against the very nature of competitive sports in the first place. So you’re stuck with a catch 22…either settle it on the field to decide WHO is the best…or sit back and argue about it til the next season starts.

In the midst of all that crap and discussion, are some steps we can take to figure out who is better than whom. As this lighter-toned hate week begins, the question on everybody’s mind is…what exactly is going to happen when two of the North favorites meet up on a cool Missouri night this coming October 8th.

On one side you have Nebraska fans, with their smarmy ego-driven babble….telling anybody who will listen just how good their unproven younger players are. You could take all 100+ Husker players on any given week….replace them with 100 high school freshman as you send them off to play Texas, and Husker fans would unite as one to remind you just how good coaching can overcome any physical deficiency. On the other side, you have Missouri fans….bitter and evil to the core, dealing with the side effects of success after literally 30 years swirling the toilet rim of college football. Mix the two together in a HUGE game…under the lights….at the tail end of 13 hours of tailgating and you get a volatile situation….both online, on this blog and in within the fan bases in general. Lose the game, and your team is two games down with a matchup with Kansas still to come. Win the game, and you’re 2 games up on the other team, with winnable games against Colorado, Iowa State, KSU and Baylor still to come. It’s the biggest north division football game since Armageddon at Arrowhead in November of 2007.

Over the next 11 days on this blog, I will celebrate the insanity…the hostility and the pure hatred between these two fan bases...without any rhyme or reason from anybody who exactly is the better team. Despite that, until we decide it on the field, I will give you the various reasons to celebrate such white-hot disdain, while giving you the countless reasons why Nebraska stands more the chance of Larry the Cable guy winning an Oscar than they do winning this game. I shall do it using parody…I shall use it using opinion. I shall do it in a box, I shall do it with Megan Fox. I will explain to you just how a Sun Belt Championship is meaningless in today’s Big 12…and how moral victories only count when either expectations are low, or delusional thinking is extremely high.

Those of you Husker fans visiting me this week who came here to bring up box scores from the 1993 Orange Bowl or two week old Nevada Wolfpack practice reports….save your breath. I am more confident now than I have ever been. You are just as fraudulent today as you were back then. There is a reason the old blog does not exist; It disappeared because regardless of your confidence level, you’ve continued to become an afterthought in the overall big picture...despite everyone else telling you the contrary. Sure, during this week (+) where we celebrate raw hatred we will discuss pros and cons of the actual matchup…but we’ll also go back and look at just what got you to this point in the first place.

Yes Husker fans…I hope you get all that coming to you in the coming weeks. I hope your dog named after Bob Devaney is playfully and unknowingly headed toward an oncoming truck right now. I hope genital warts are rapidly forming on your nether-regions as you type your e-mail to Tom Osborne, telling him what a great job he's doing. If you have been lucky enough to form a relationship with a girl, I hope she is on her back with someone else, thinking about a bruised cervix while you’re daydreaming about Roy Helu celebrating that big touchdown in the middle of a sea of gold t-shirts and noise. I hope your sister is getting filled out like an application and used in ways that would make Sasha Gray blush. I hope your eyeballs are eaten by fire ants. I hope your skin is eaten by a mutated flesh-eating virus found in an isolated section of your yellow foam corncob hat.

Rot in hell you arrogant, toothless, straw-hat wearing, Ricky Skaggs listening, John Deere driving, Adrian Fiala worshiping, gum chomping, balloon releasing, tunnel walk obsessing, delusional illiterate fuckheads.

I hereby declare Hate Week® officially open.

Power Poll:

NORTH

1) Kansas (4-0) vs. Iowa State October 11th –
After successfully disgracing their own university by sweeping their internal matters under the rug, the Redleggers hung on for a nice win against a fairly decent Southern Miss team. Granted, it was at home and KU’s defensive weaknesses were exposed, they have now reached the point where Reesing, Briscoe and company can give a ½ assed effort and still pull out a win. Bye week this week before winnable cakewalks vs. Iowa State and at Boulder. Then the fun begins.

2) Missouri (4-0) vs. Nebraska October 8th -
For the 3rd time in 4 weeks, Mizzou is forced to defend a “poor” performance after a win. Correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t many people predict Mizzou would be 2-2 or WORSE right now? “OH, but Illinois and Nevada suck”. Perhaps, but wins away from home against D1 competition should NEVER be apologized for. You survive and advance…and work on your shortcomings the following week. Don’t believe me? Ask Iowa how good they thought they were after a 1 point miracle win over 1AA Northern Iowa. Did you see them thumping Penn State? I didn't.

3) Iowa State (3-1) vs. Kansas State in KC –
The Clones are quietly winning the games they should, and racking up some decent rushing yards to boot. Granted, I don’t think anybody is looking at ISU to make a trip to Dallas in December, but quiet ass whippings over teams they should beat is a great first step. Now they get to see how much they’ve improved against a KSU team, who obviously has their own troubles these days. 4-1 going into Lawrence would at least provide some much needed confidence.

4) Nebraska (3-1) at Missouri October 8th –
SUN BELT CHAMPIONS!!! Nebraska withstood the largest back-patting celebration the world has ever seen to easily dust off a ULL team that ranks 90th or worse in 6 different categories. Granted, the sight of 85,000 losers in 1960’s garb would distract me as well, but what else would you expect for a team that barley gained 280 yards at home against Kansas State in their biggest home game ever? Conference affiliation switches notwithstanding, Nebraska brings an army of confidence and toothless yokels to Columbia for a hate week extravaganza that is always worth the wait.

5) Kansas State (2-2) at Iowa State in K.C. -
KSU polished off their FCS cupcake by pouring on 21 unanswered points in the 3rd quarter to blowout a relatively close game at the half. Considering two of their opponents have been FCS team s(and the other the powerful previously mentioned UL-Lafayette), the Cats have built up quite the defensive blueprint as they head into Farmegeddon against ISU at Arrowhead this Saturday. This battle for the North basement strangely could be one of the more exiting games of the weekend. (Which is kinda sad)

6) Colorado (1-2) at West Virginia - The Buffs parlayed a much-needed bye week into a suicidal trip to the moonshine soaked Astroturf of Morgantown on Saturday. I’m not the world’s biggest expert on West Virginia these days, and I have about as much respect for the Big East as I do porn starts who won’t do anal scenes. However, Colorado is just a strange enough team to make things interesting. Ummm…probably not. Take cover. Time for Hawk to shine up the resume.

SOUTH

1) Texas (4-0) vs. Colorado October 10th -
Nice of Texas to finally make that big-time statement against such a NCAA powerhouse as UTEP. I’m not sure what the Miners or their staff did to Mack Brown, but that looked like one seriously pissed off team in Austin. After the bye, Colorado serves as an appetizer prior to the Red River Ball of Hype on October 17th.

2) Oklahoma (2-1) at Miami Fla –
If I’m guilty of anything, it’s buying the Miami Hype. A win over a schizophrenic FSU team, parlayed with a Thursday night win over Georgia Tech, should have set off some flags at the fact that Miami was somehow number NINE in the COUNTRY. Meanwhile, they’re averaging under 380 yards per game and are still extremely young. I’m not sure what the hell happened to OU back in Dallas, but I really don’t see this being close..with or without Sam Bradford.

3) Texas Tech (2-2) vs. New Mexico –
I give the Raiders credit, they’ve battled a couple of tough teams..despite falling short. Taylor Potts looked a bit more mortal, but you still can’t be happy if you’re Mike Leach when Case Keenum throws for 435 yards in the air. It would be pretty understandable if you see a letdown here from Tech, but again, it’s New Mexico. (who has given up 37 or more points in 3 of their first 4 games)

4) Oklahoma State (3-1) at Texas A&M October 10th – Pokes get a week off after waxing Grambling and Bruce Jenner this past weekend. (I assume he still plays for them, although I think I just showed my age). What appeared to be a very winnable game at A&M next weekend now doesn’t quite look so appealing.

5) Texas A&M (3-0) vs. Arkansas at Dallas –
Time to see where Mike Sherman and company are at against a good-but-not-great Arkansas team. Get by the Hogs, and suddenly there is a huge matchup brewing with a beatable Oklahoma State the following week in College Station. I’m not a Texas A&M expert by any means..but this Arkansas game as a measuring stick is gigantic in terms of where Mike Sherman is, and how the team feels about themselves. Get blown out and it’s back to fighting off the wolves.

6) Baylor (2-1) vs. Kent State –
Gotta feel bad for the Bears with Robert Griffin out the rest of the season. Baylor wasn’t a team that was going to rattle off 8 or 9 wins anyway, but it would have been nice to see them stick around and make a bowl. Now, it’s back to the drawing board, and trying to get younger players some time as they try to keep afloat. We’ll see how good Art Briles is as a coach starting this week against the Flashes.

HATE WEEK(S) 2009 IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!!!

2009-09-26T00:15:00.001-05:00

Bring your weak-ass yappin Husker bitches

Prelude to a Hate Week - Riding the Storm Out

2009-09-23T13:14:00.004-05:00

For kicks, I spent my lunch hour going back and reading some of my favorite rants and responses from the old blog and the 2007 season. Holy hell, that was a good time. Anyhow, that age has come and gone, and what remains is the same territorial chest pounding that has gone on since the mid 1800’s in these parts. I almost forgot what it was like to write with passion…with a purpose…with anger. I kind of feel like a band that had those really good albums early on, but then developed and morphed into something else...something more personal, but less popular. Sure, I’m still the same guy with the same music…but things just don’t impact me the same way as they once did. The music can still flow...it just sounds different than it used to.

That’s still not to say we can’t have a good time on this blog. Sure, I’m not pulling in 5,000 hits a day simply bashing on ONE team into oblivion, while mocking their every move….but hey, at least I can have a clean conscious mind while I write about what I want. Perhaps that furvor and hate will come back. (Trust me, it’s still in there somewhere.) Perhaps former powers WILL rise up again and rule the landscape. (riiiggghhhtt) But unfortunately, that great album will never be made again. Still, that doesn’t mean we can’t try and match the intensity and anger. With hate week coming up in less than 5 days…I vow that I do whatever I can to bring back that spark…if only for a week and a half.

Starting next week...it make be difficult and tiresome, but I feel I owe it to some of you to re-live the days gone by. Oh sure, REO Speedwagon and Loverboy still play county fairs in far off BFE locations…but deep down, the music is the same, those old songs still kick ass and the feelings can come back with just a few notes. We’ll see how it goes.

Hate week is always a special time for me, as I hope it is for some of you as well. During that time, we’ll celebrate the differences between us, and the fact that it is really really annoying. Sure, we’ll slip back into a mode we promised we’d never return to..and to some degree, it won’t be the same. But make no mistake…Hate is the great equalizer. Hate can keep you warm at night. Hate can carry you though dark periods. I look forward to heading down that road once again..if only for 12 days.

*Speaking of hate…you know what pisses me off? Why do people act SO shocked when “upsets” happen…when in reality, things are already pretty clear to see. Take Baylor for example this past Saturday. I heard all sorts of “experts” this week express their "shock" and surprise over UConn’s relatively easy thumping over Baylor on Saturday. But why? UConn is battle tested, and has certainly played in snake pits more dangerous than Waco. And in the clutch, just how many times has Robert Griffin led a comeback and made plays when he had to? I mean, I can see PICKING Baylor to win and missing…but acting “Shocked?”

This goes back to a point I made last year about how ESPN and the over-abundance of information is KILLING College football. Just as it’s cool to click a button 3 times to get the boxscore of the 1956 Cotton Bowl…it’s equally maddening listening to some no-talent ass hack babble on..and being considered a “source”, just because a microphone or camera is stuck in their face.

Look, people are ALWAYS going to have their biases…and people from different regions of the country are going to focus on their particular local areas first. Do I expect Mark May to be completely up to date on New Mexico State every Saturday? Answer? HELL YES I DO because Mark May and others like him are PAID to follow college football. IT’S ALL THEY DO DURING THE SEASON. Hell, I barely glance at box scores, and even I could have told you that UConn was going to win that game. I can name one player on their team, and I could have told you BYU was going to give Oklahoma fits. I could have told you that Texas Tech was going to run with Texas in Austin. (OK, scratch that one.)

The point is…if you want to make sense out of the college game…stop listening to the “pros” and simply open your freaking eyes. Just because it’s somebody’s job to know about this stuff, doesn’t mean they’re motivated enough to do so. Do you hear me Mike’L Severe?

* Kansas football player rumbling with Kansas basketball players on campus? Are you serious? What is this, Wakarusa side story? Which side was the jets? And at what point do these idiots realize they’re on the same team? I’m sure there’s enough testosterone flowing through today’s 18-22 year old, that they don’t need an old 37 year old foggy like me to tell them to knock it off. But holy shit people…rumbling with your own school’s players...ON campus? Hell, at least that kid from Oregon cracked an opposing player. I can kind of get that. (Although it will be great fun to see Lew Perkin’s squirm under the pressure.) What an absolute train wreck. Stupid Beakers.

* Doesn’t the Big 10 season end in like 3 weeks? Has anybody made them play a championship game yet? Or are they still on their high and mighty Rose Bowl trip? God I hate the big 10.

Power Poll Time

NORTH

1) Kansas (3-0) vs. Southern Mississippi:
Unless AD Lew Perkins’ nuclear spin job falls short, it’s safe to say the Beakers may be a bit distracted this week. Southern Miss traditionally isn’t a bad team, but don’t let their 3-0 record fool you. They’ve squeaked by Central Florida and a horrible Virginia team at home, while crushing a pitiful Alcorn State team. If THIS is your toughest non-conference foe, you’ve got issues. The fat man rumbles on into league play.

2) Missouri (3-0) at. Nevada
Mizzou did what they had to do against a Furman team that had held tight with BCS schools before. Now Blaine Gabbert and company face a reeling Nevada team which is already starting to deal with fan boycotts and coaching changes. If the Tigers can get up early, it will be lights out. But if the pack hangs tough…it could be a scary night for Mizzou. Don’t see it happening though.

3) Iowa State (2-1) vs. Army
How can I demote a team after winning their first road game in 900 years? OK, Kent State isn’t USC, but the MAC has been nasty enough to warrant a raised eyebrow or two. I’ve heard Husker fan bitch about Iowa’s “tough game” being Iowa vs. Nebraska’s tough game “Va Tech”. Iowa would kill Va Tech straight up right now. Yeah, I said it. Tyrod Taylor is horrible.

4) Nebraska (2-1) vs. Louisiana Lafayette

The sting of pissing away a sure win against a wretched Virginia Tech team will wear off the second the Hick fans gather to celebrate having no life at all every fall since 1962. No way do you move up with quarterback play as pathetic at that…I don’t care how many Roy Helu runs you have. Zero touchdowns though…hmmm..miss Quintin Castille yet? Only the Hicks can get this excited over making boring uniforms even more boring. (Wait til you see these)

5) Colorado (1-2) at West Virginia:
Props to the Buffs for stepping up in a big way against Wyoming. Now go play a West Virginia team in one of the most hostile environments in the country on a Thursday night when the locals are out of their minds on moonshine and chicory. This isn’t your older Brothers’ WVU team…but a tough task to say the least. Good luck my brothers.

6) Kansas State (1-2) vs. Tennessee Tech
FINALLY, a game Bill Snyder can live with. Tenn Tech scored 7 points against Eastern Kentucky last week. If ever there was a week to let your guard down..this would be it. A giant matchup with Iowa State in Kansas City looms 7 days later.

SOUTH

1) Texas (3-0) vs. UTEP
The Longhorn Murderer’s Row of non-conference opponents continues against one of the worst teams in Division 1. UT looked alarmingly sleepy against a scrappy Tech team on Saturday night. Surely Colt McCoy and company are better than they looked right? You would think.

2) Oklahoma (2-1) vs. Idle
The Sooners get the week off to get healthy and prepare for everybody’s new media darling..the Miami Hurricanes. Something tells me Bob Stoops and company are going to be pretty pissed off by the time they hit south beach. Maybe I’ll change my mind..but too many people are discounting OU. They’ve gotten their shitty game out of the way while others have not.

3) Oklahoma State (2-1) vs. Grambling
The Pokes looked mediocre on defense last week, now having given up 59 points in their last two games. After holding Georgia down tight for the second half, the OSU secondary is getting torched to the tune of 108th in the country against the pass. Grambling offers a nice warm up to a huge matchup in Aggieville on October 10th.

4) Texas Tech (2-1) at Houston
Still really impressed by the Raiders and their showing in Austin. I don’t think people realize how difficult it is to play well there..especially considering a lot of those kids played against each other in high school. Having never been a Graham Harrell fan, I was extremely impressed by Taylor Potts. Sure he looks like a 40 year old Nascar driver, but dude can hang in the pocket like a champ. Houston will offer more proof if he’s the real deal or not.

5) Texas A&M (2-0) vs. UAB
Rising….slowly from the preverbial ashes, A&M climbs out of the bottom spot with a win Utah State. OK, Utah State and New Mexico are no big deal…and yeah, they nearly pissed away the game last weekend. But Jerrod Johnson is putting up ridiculous numbers, even after two games. The game at JerryWorld in Dallas will be the Aggie’s measuring stick. UAB gave up 33 points to SMU. Case closed as A&M moves quietly to 3-0.

6) Baylor (1-1) vs. Northwestern State
I’m sorry Baylor…I wanted to believe you..and I still think you can make a bowl. But losing to UConn was a HUGE setback in confidence if anything. Robert Griffin was completely bottled up and rendered powerless by a pesky Husky defense that is pretty damn good. Either way, the Bears still have good shots against lower level teams like A&M and Nebraska…but definitely not ready for prime time..which is a shame. I was rooting for them to prove me wrong.

Hate Week Cometh

Not So Instant Analysis - Week 3

2009-09-20T10:06:00.006-05:00

News and notes from a great Saturday on the couch:

- First and foremost, Texas Tech proved me dead wrong. Taylor Potts looked better than any of his predecessors and Tech showed a killer instinct I haven’t seen since the 2008 Gator Bowl. Mike Leach still has some work to do, shoring up his players’ effort on a weekly basis, but going into that hostile of an environment, and going toe to toe with what I feel is the #1 team in the country…requires some major props from me.

- Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Okie State all crushed teams they should have. Ho hum.

- I told you long ago that Baylor was improved, but not NEARLY ready to take that next step. UConn is no pushover, and they’re certainly battle tested enough to go into a calm meadow like Waco and beat a one dimensional Baylor team. Robert Griffin threw for 119yds and ran for only 20, as UConn’s plan of attack on defense worked perfectly. The Bears will get a few surprise wins along the way, but they are certainly not at a point where you can put them at 8 wins or so like some idiot prognosticators had them. They simply had to come from too deep of a hole to be this good this fast.

- Saw most of the KSU team, and they seem pretty much like I thought. They’ve got some pretty good athletes on defense and that Thomas kid impressed me somewhat at running back. But if old man Snyder is going to run Carson Coffman 20 times a game, they’re going to have issues. They may not be as bad as previous years, and Snyder seems to be doing what he can with what he’s been dealt; But until they get some better skill guys, they’re going to continue to struggle putting teams away. Either way, props to them for playing UCLA on the road. With the new old sheriff in town, look for that to be the last big-time road game for the Cats in quite some time.

- All afternoon, I was thinking Texas A&M might prove me wrong, and they did a decent job of that. (Who has the #1 ranked offense in America right now? Look it up). Apparently the yokels who attacked me this summer about Jerrod Johnson knew what they were talking about. 21-41 for 322 and 4TD’s is pretty impressive, if even against Utah State. Seems like the Ags are going to have to shore up the defense a bit before they can get back to where they need to be. 520 yards given up to Utah State at home is pretty much unacceptable no matter who you are.

- Happy for my Colorado friends, as Dan Hawkins holds off the wolves for at least a week. Wyoming is no juggernaut, but shutting out anybody these days is pretty impressive. Lots of work to do with a tough West Virginia team on the road in 2 weeks (Who looked pretty good against Auburn on the road). Better make that one count though, because Texas in Austin looms the following week.

- DESPITE the scoffs by some Kool Aid addicts, big props to Iowa State for their first road win in 80 years. MAC teams have been knocking people off left and right (Did you catch Northern Illinois yesterday?), and ISU ran all night on them. (Alexander Robinson 143 yards helped.) The Clones still have a ways to go, but a road win over anybody is a good place to start.

- Which leads us to my favorite game of the day. First of all, I have always said I will give props where props are due. Roy Helu is a very nice back. He’s shifty, he runs hard and he has the ability to make people miss. He is definitely one of the better weapons in the North. Pierre Allen and Nadlahdafkiog Suh are gigantic, and can move enough to fall on top of runners and clog lanes. (If throwing your arms up was a skill, Suh would be getting all sorts of hype. Oh wait….)

But despite that..let’s look at some other things shall we?

All year long, we’ve heard about how great Va Tech was…what a great measuring stick it would be. ESPN’s infatuation with Tyrod Taylor caused many of you to fall into the trap of thinking these were the Michael Vick days of old. Uhhh…no. The Hokies might be the worst offensive football team I’ve ever seen in my life. Without Darren Evans, that team is not one-dimensional, they’re none definitional. Taylor’s passing skill rival those of a powder puff league, and the play calling ability of Frank Beamer’s staff rivals that of the French Army National Guard on Maneuvers.

Va Tech ranks 107th in the nation in rushing defense and a stellar 106th in passing. They've had 3 whole sacks all season and gave up 117 yards to some guy from Marshall.

Zach Lee might be the least impressive Nebraska I’ve seen since Gerry Gdowski. (Which includes Jamal Lord, which is really scary). He hands the ball off as nicely as anybody, and can move up in the pocket, but his accuracy is horrible and decision making skills are brutal. The Huskers have ZERO options at wide receiver, unless you count Niles Paul, who seems to be more interested in looking good for the cameras after a long punt return than he is running routes.

I could go on and on about the predictable Bo Pelini temper tantrums (throwing a headset into a kid’s chest? Nice), or the never-before-seen 1st and goal into a punt strategy that was as dumbfounding as it was funny.

Nebraska has made a habit of losing games they used to win. This is not a moral victory. This is not some sort of “building experience”. It’s a pattern. This is what bad and overrated teams do when they find themselves in tough spots. This is what I was talking about when I claimed the Huskers would never be the same again, if for this very reason. Nebraska will not win the north, and there will be more “moral victories” to come. But sooner or later, people are going to figure out how to key on Roy Helu, and all this “Return to glory” bullshit will end.

Pity clap for you Nebraska fans.

You gave a great effort out there. Maybe next time.

No Respect At All

2009-09-18T10:08:00.008-05:00

“I told my psychiatrist that everyone hates me. He said I was being ridiculous… everyone hasn't met me yet.” - Rodney Dangerfield

Respect.

I’ve followed sports my whole life…been around the block or two, and one of the things I’ll never understand is the use of this tired, worn out, completely insignificant word. Don’t get me wrong, I understand the “respect your opponent” philosophy. This is basic sports psychology stuff that basically says, “If you don’t strap it on and play hard, the guy on the other side is going to kick your ass.” Over time, we’ve obviously seen cases of small teams/programs rising up and winning..because the team on the other bench failed to “respect” them.

However, as most words in the English language, time has warped the true sense of what the word actually means.

I bring this up, because like you, I’ve been monitoring national and local radio/websites/columnists etc over the past few weeks, and the one phrase I keep hearing is over and over from everyone is, “Respect.” Bob Stoops is the master of this, playing this card at any and all opportunity, in order to better motivate his team. That leads to the question…does a team with that much talent REALLY need extra motivation? (Especially if it’s made up?)

In terms of young athletes (and don’t kid yourself..the very guys you follow and worship have barely shed the “kid” label..many of which can’t even buy a legal drink), playing the “they don’t respect you” card is needed sometimes to motivate. I get that. Hell, when somebody on the other team says, "You suck"...you're probably going to have a little bit of motivation within you to try and make a point and prove them wrong. That part is common sense and very easy to understand.

What I don’t get…and have NEVER gotten, is a sentence such as this...one that I've heard probably a dozen times in the past week alone : “_________ has such great fans/players/coaches etc. You’ve gotta really respect their program.” Or better yet, “You’ve gotta really respect the job Mack Brown has done at Texas.” Or perhaps, "Your fans suck because they don't respect true national powers".

This cavalcade of ignorance goes back to the fundamental reason why people love college football in the first place: The whole thing is so tribal and territorial, that people lose site of the big picture. People want to be in a gang and align themselves with people of the same stature, that they lose sight of the fact that 120 college (in D1) play college football and all 120 of them have fans who think they should be respected. You wanna piss someone off, tell them an off-color joke about their mother. You wanna send someone over the edge? Tell them their college football coach has sex with farm animals.

I stated this last year in the pre-season magazine head-to-head I wrote with HuskerMike of Husker blogging fame: You don’t get a big trophy for being “great fans”. You don’t get a $10,000 scholarship check from Chevy because you love your team more than some auto-mechanic in Pullman, Washington. Just because you wear your bright orange or red or whatever jacket around SEVEN days a week compared to your rival/neighbor’s SIX times a week...that does not mean you should be the target of any sort of envy or jealousy. And it DEFINITELY doesn’t make you smarter about football, sports or anything else for that matter.

All it means is, following your team plays a bigger part of your life than somebody else. Well whoopee doo..isn’t that difficult to pull off?

I’m not going to lie to you…my favorite football team has horrible fans. I’ve called them out here and I’ve called them out elsewhere. Hell I myself am one of the "worst fans" I know. But just as I’d bash my little brother, I’ll also take their side in an argument almost everyday of the week, because we share the same common goal: To see our team win.

The word “respect” is a made up analogy of our own self-conscious nature. We feel other people should “respect” us, because we so happen to cheer for a better or even different team than somebody else. Well, you don’t need a license to cheer for a team, and you don’t need to register with the government to buy a bright red sweatshirt.

Maybe you don't believe this...but I really don’t give a rats ass if other fans like me. I don’t care if they “have a great time” at my team’s stadium, nor do I wish any of them luck in their future endeavors (I don't). I don’t care how many people have the same shirt as I do… I don’t care if my thoughts or behavior makes you feel mad, angry or indifferent. I don’t care if you can name your starting left tackle from the 1964 Orange Bowl. I don’t care if your car has a 40 foot flag attached to the trunk for game days. I don’t care how many websites you troll, or how much information you read. Fans are fans are fans, no matter where you go.

But make no mistake: I don’t have to recognize a damn thing when I’m evaluating a game, a player or fans. Apparently I'm evil and bitter and a "hater" because I understand that no matter who you root for....if you act like a douchebag…you’re a douchebag.

“Respect” has nothing to do with it.

(Photo Credit: NewsOK.com and MLive)

Off and Running

2009-09-15T13:27:00.007-05:00

I actually got an e-mail from a friend the other day that said, “Hey, when are you going to start back up your Husker blog now that Nebraska is good again.”

Now, I’m as surprised as you by the question and will answer as I’m guessing you would. “Uhhhh, did I miss something?” Somewhere over the past few weeks, Nebraska’s solid (home) wins over Arkansas (State) and Florida (Atlantic) has vaulted the hicks into the top of the Big 12 North pecking order.

OK fine, if you want to bag on Missouri for “almost” losing (I love this term), then so be it. But doesn’t Kansas somehow still hold sthe upper hand and ...granted, KU has beaten a Division 2 also ran and a borderline bottom 10 CUSA team…but still. Hard to knock them for the talent they have. This is the problem I have with breaking teams down so early in the season. (Or even before the season for that matter.) You can tell who is FOR THE MOST part going to be good, and who is going to suck…but the individual matchups and intangibles play a far bigger role than most people realize.

Over the big picture, the three-team North race is at least starting to take shape the way we all thought. But would ANYBODY be really SHOCKED if ISU, KSU or Colorado upset one of the “big three?” Are Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska really at a place where they can show up and win in their own division?

A few notes before this week’s power poll…which unlike Omaha World Herald’s Lee Barfknecht, was not done in the a giant haze of thick bong residue:

* Gotta feel bad for my brothers over in Boulder. I stated this before, and I still can’t wrap my brain around why the Dan Hawkins experiment seems to have failed. Actually, I can: It all starts at QB. As everybody knows, CU is always going to have a bit of an identity crisis, simply due to their geography. (Few geographic rivals, 2nd fiddle to the Broncos locally). But in the long term, whomever is the coach there HAS to go out and find a big time QB..there more than anywhere if anything to build excitement. Now, I’m not about to pile on ‘Hawk’ because he played his kid at quarterback. I don't have a problem with that. However, I’m going to pile on him because he had no other OPTION but to play his son at QB.

I feel Colorado truly is a sleeping giant and with the right mixture, can be what they once were…a National Title contender. But with all of the intangibles, they’re going to have to take special care of whomever comes in and takes that program over. Is Hawkins done? Probably…but take it from Missouri fans…sometimes your mess is so big, that it takes more than just 3.5 years to fix it. Give Dan Hawkins a standout QB and some better luck with injuries..and you might see things turn around quick. Then again, he probably won’t have that opportunity. (At least after somebody comes up with 3 million bucks to buy out his contract.)

* Hey Okie State fans…not so fun being saddled with monumental expectations is it? I told you their buildup to the 2008 season felt like last year’s Missouri squad. Yet somehow, I doubt that the Tigers would have allowed that big of an egg to be laid on their home turf. (At least until later in the season.) Either way, it just goes to show you how much the human element plays in games these kids play.

Look, if you’re 20 years old, and you’re playing a game…and EVERYBODY has been telling you all year how great you are…chances are, you’re going to NOT give 100% on every play on ever Saturday. The mental game is so key…especially in a physical game such as football where effort is EVERYTHING. Manny Ramirez can half-ass playing ball every so often, because he has a talent that simply can be recalled by memory. Football players..especially young football players don’t have that luxury in a sport where physical stature is just as important as skill.

Look, Oklahoma State is a very good team, and I certainly wouldn’t be shocked to see them punk any of their divisional opponents during the season. But in case you somehow forgot just what part intangibles play into the mix…look no further. And yes, it is a head coach’s job to make sure that teams are focused as much as possible to avoid such issues. That is why I’ve never been a big Mike Gundy fan, and somehow dobut his ability to handle the pressure of gigantic expectations.

* Perhaps one of my KSU friends could fill me in on why the Wildcats were playing in Laffayette, LA on Saturday? I understand that 2-1 home deals work…but isn’t that usually reserved for teams that are just on the cusp of BCS conference worthy? Don’t get me wrong, Missouri is making the same mistake (Nevada) and KU would have, had it been against anybody other than UTEP. But the point is, it’s simply and unnecessary risk in my opinion. Take the buyout, swallow your pride and schedule some NAIA schools like the days of old. Look, I’m happy the Cats are taking on UCLA..that should be a fun game to watch. But as I’ve stated MANY times…until the system changes, teams should load up on as many cupcakes as possible. In this case, that cupcake is better served at home, rather than some greasy diner in BFE Louisianna.

Power Poll Time:

NORTH:

1) Kansas (2-0) vs. Duke:
Despite playing one of the worst schedules in organized football, it’s hard to deny the fact that the Redleggers have dominated their junior-high level competition and still hold more firepower than anybody in the division. They get a TINGE of credit for playing UTEP on the road, but in a ½ full stadium taking on one of the worst teams in a bad conference (USA), it’s hard to get too excited. Reesing has been steady, Jake Sharp has ran the ball OK and Dezmon Briscoe has been lights out as usual. But we still know ABSOLUTELY nothing about this team, other than the fact that their athletic department can successfully fly them to an opposing campus and get them to the game on time and back home again. Bravo Lew Perkins. Bravo.

2) Missouri (2-0) vs. Furman:
A lot of venom spit out at the Tigers this week as they blast pundits who “proclaimed their greatness” in week one. Not really the way I see it: I see a VERY young team with a LOT of talent that is going to be inconsistent throughout the year. Struggling with Bowling Green is unfortunate, but expected when you realize how much success the MAC is having, and that the Perverts are 11-8 vs. BCS competition this decade. That’s some pretty scary stuff, especially when you’re down 14 points late in the 3rd quarter. Mizzou’s success in the long term will hinge on whether or not they can minimize mistakes, and whether those storms when things start going bad...which they will again at some point.

3) Iowa State (1-1) at Kent State:
What’s that? Insane you say? Perhaps, but in watching the Clones on Saturday, mistakes cost them countless points and oh yes…they’ve played the toughest team yet of anybody so far in the North. (Sad but probably true) Austen Arnaud looked horrible in the pocket…but remember, Iowa was a preseason trendy pick to win the Big 10. In a rivalry game such as this..all bets are off. I don’t expect ISU in any type of bowl game or what have you…but I still give them credit for hanging with a pre-season top 20 team for 3 quarters. (Something nobody else in the North has done as of yet.)

4) Nebraska (2-0) at. Virginia Tech:
What? Husker fans want CREDIT for bowling over a couple of Sun Belt teams? A big victory at home over the defending Motor City Bowl champs? Seriously? I’m sure many of my red-clad readers will burst into flames while hearing this…but playing pathetic competition at home has never been your problem. (Even when things were REALLY bad). No, the problem is when you face anyone REMOTELY good…which is what NU is in store for this week. Nebraska hasn’t beaten a team in the top 20 since October 27th 2001…and even then, they needed a fluke trick HB pass to do so. (Last top 20 win before that? Try December 30th, 2000 vs. #18 Northwestern) Time to put up or shut up for Bo Pelini and his team. Lose this week, and that streak may never be broken.

5) Colorado (0-2) vs. Wyoming:
Buff fans, don’t you worry..I’ve got your back. Oh sure, last week’s trip to Toledo was a debacle and yes..you can’t stop anyone…but it’s not like there isn’t talent in the cupboards. Perhaps that opening loss to CSU shook them up, or perhaps they completely underestimated Toledo (they’re pretty good actually)…regardless of what it was, I still see the Buffs pulling off a shocker somewhere along the way. If the team that pushed Nebraska to the brink last November shows up anytime soon…perhaps the mood will change slightly in the foothills. This week’s game vs. Wyoming looms large with West Virginia, Texas and Kansas coming up. (yikes)

6) Kansas State (1-1) at UCLA:
At least the Cats are running the ball well…sorta. Issues at quarterback and putrid special teams play has punched Bill Snyder’s team in the gut as they now set out to get waxed by a pretty good UCLA team. Don’t get me wrong, I think most KSU fans know they probably aren’t going to be in Dallas the first week of December to play for the title…but the key here is improvement. Luckily, there’s not a whole lot more to do from here. Gotta give props to Bill Snyder for putting his legacy on the line to try and pull something out of the toilet just one more time.

SOUTH

1) Texas (2-0) vs. Texas Tech:
As the Horns were struggling against Wyoming in the 1st half last week..I kept thinking to myself, “My god those guys look big and fast.” Well, they are. This week, Texas Tech bends over for a Lone-Star sized colon throttling that will no doubt be long, painful and unrelenting. I saw Longhorn fans closeup at the Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City last year..and they were still pretty pissed off. Mike Leach’s team has been living on the same prayer for a while now, and last season showed the night-and-day difference his squad has playing on the road. This one is over by the 5:00 mark of the 1st quarter.

2) Oklahoma (1-1) vs. Tulsa:
Gotta feel bad for Idaho State last weekend. “Oh, you’re scheduled to play Oklahoma in Norman and oh yeah..they lost to a fucking Mountain West team last weekend in the closing seconds. Good luck.” Landry Jones will continue to throw 5 yard dunks to the likes of DeMarco Murray and Ryan Broyles…and there really isn’t anything Tulsa can do about it. Despite everyone else throwing dirt on OU’s grave, the Sooner defense did stop a pretty prolific BYU attack all the way to the end. Look for a repeat of last week as Tulsa grabs their ankles and assumes the position.

3) Oklahoma State (1-1) vs. Rice:
As I mentioned before, it’s kind of hard to get down on OSU, because the talent is there. The problem is, you’ve got guys who have never been expected to do all that much, suddenly staring down a top 10 ranking, gobs of expectations and a Sports Illustrated cover. Seems to me that in cases like this…talent will prevail, and the Pokes should focus enough to sleepwalk through an ass kicking of the second best team from the city of Houston; A team that has allowed 99 points in two games. Good luck with that Owls.

4) Baylor (1-0) vs. UConn:
After a week off, let’s see how Baylor does with growing expectations, and a tough UConn team that is actually well coached and battle-tested. Robert Griffin is an amazing talent and will get his yards…but eventually, somebody is going to throw down the Brad Smith defense (8 men in the box..maybe 9) and force the sophomore QB to actually throw downfield. UConn is scrappy, yet undersized…but should provide enough resistance to force Baylor to make plays. Anytime Baylor is “forced to make plays”…look out. I say UConn straight up in this one.

5) Texas Tech (2-0) at Texas:
Sure, Tech can score points and has run up a couple of miles in passing yards already this season. But Rice and North Dakota aren’t exactly a measuring stick for where your program is. Texas is big, fast and really really pissed off at Tech for ruining their shot at a National Title last year on a last-second fluke play. Watching Taylor Potts running for his life in front of 100,000 pissed off Ranchers in Austin is going to be the saddest media event since the last 10 minutes of The Green Mile. If I was Mike Leach, I’d almost sacrifice Steven Sheffield and save Potts the embarrassment and physical pain. I’m not kidding.

6) Texas A&M (1-0) vs. Utah State
Was A&M’s big win over New Mexico a fluke? Does Mike Sherman actually know what he’s doing? Is Jerrod Johnson the real deal? Well..we’ll never know, because the Ags don’t play shit for a schedule unitl early next month. Only after a throwdown with Arkansas will we see just how far A&M has to go. Until then…pile up the points and hope like hell nobody notices until a mediocre SEC teams takes the field aginst you. We’ll talk to you on October 3rd.

Photo Thanks - Kansas City Star, ESPN, Wichita Eagle

9/11/09

2009-09-11T08:01:00.000-05:00

One Flag - One Team

Notes from Around the League

2009-09-10T15:47:00.006-05:00

Boy, time sure flies when you get old and you don’t really care all that much anymore. With the slew of games spread out over the past week, it’s hard to tell when one week ends, and the next week begins. But, even after 60 minutes of football, we at least have some semblance of insight into how the rest of the season will play out. Since it’s already Thursday, I’ll wait on the Power Poll, but for the most part, here’s how I see it. Here’s what I know so far:

* Missouri
OK, maybe Rivals.com may have had it right on Gabbert. Maybe the Hick nation was right to cream their overalls every time a new highlight video hit Youtube back in 2007. But, thanks to the ghost of Bill Callahan, NU’s loss is Mizzou’s gain. The Tiger receiving corps looked pretty strong, and the defense looked athletic and fast. How will they handle adversity? That is the real key…but for the most part, Gary Pinkel and company gave a gigantic middle finger to all those who figured it was the early 90’s all over again. Now it's time to see how they do as the favorite in front of 70,000 home fans.

* Kansas
Seriously, is Northern Colorado even 1AA? I figured they were still division two or even slipped into JUCO levels. KU has playmakers on offense yadda yadda yadda. Let’s see how you do against linemen that don’t weigh 220lbs. Stupid redlegged beakers.

* Kansas State
Rough days ahead I think for my good friends in Manhattan. Bill Snyder has pulled magic out of his ass before, and he’ll have to do it in equally difficult circumstances now as well. As long as Missouri and Kansas are good..and Nebraska suffers from self-delusionalism…the pickings will be slim for Bill Snyder, or whomever replaces him. Could they pluck Brent Venables out of Norman after a while? Will it even matter at that point? Don’t know…hard to speculate since they did get Bob Huggins once. Then again, Bob Huggins might have a better shot at connecting with today’s kids than Snyder does. Too early to see if his hands-on ways will resonate with the players, but it’s not looking good. But on the bright side, you’re 1-0!!!

* Texas A&M
Apparently I owe the Aggie fans an apology. After blasting them during the summer previews, A&M did what a good team should do…wallop a hapless, bottom-dwelling opponent from a decent league. Jerrod Johnson went apeshit with better numbers than Blaine Gabbert or Colt McCoy, but let’s not get crazy here…New Mexico went 4-8 last season, although they did beat the Aggies by 6. Perhaps Mike Sherman does have a clue as to what he’s doing? Probably not, but again...1-0 is all that matters.

* Baylor
When you play poorly, and still beat a decent-but-not-really-good Wake Forest team on the road, you’ve got things headed in the right direction. (Especially if you haven’t been to a bowl in 14 years.) BU still had 10 penalties and had to hang on for a win. But if you’ve got 1/100th the crappy history Baylor does, you’ll take what you can get. I’m still not sold on them being a bowl team, but they’re off to a good start.

* Texas Tech
In a normal year, is it just me, or would Tech have rolled up 800 yards of passing and beat North Dakota by 90? Granted, the game was never really in doubt, and Taylor Potts still had over 400 yards passing…but 38 points probably isn’t a good sign for the future..especially if you only ran the ball 19 times for 40 yards. I think Tech is at a place where they’ll never be terrible, but if their system guys aren’t up to par, they’re going to get passed by Baylor. They’re already looking up at OSU and there isn’t much further to drop.

* Colorado
Oh man. I was talking to my good friend Husker Mike about this, and I still don’t understand why Dan Hawkins never really got things to click. Sure, it’s still early, and the Buffs were taking on a team who looks forward all year to beating their ass…but still. No fire…no rhythm…no energy. Nothing. However, I’m not completely sold on a 7 or 8 loss season for CU as others seem to be (ahemHuskerbloggeresahem), but the LAST thing Colorado needs is a confidence problem early on in the season. Friday’s game at Toledo is absolutely gigantic in terms of forging an identity and keeping the heat off of Dan Hawkins. They lose that game...let the rebuilding begin.

* Iowa State
With Iowa looking like crap, the clones suddenly find themselves in a position where 5-0 isn’t really that far off of a possibility. Austen Arnaud was able to move the ball a bit against an undersized but scrappy NDSU team. If something wacky happens against Iowa this week (and let’s face it…Iowa didn’t look like world beaters), ISU is looking at Kent, Army and KSU in their next 3 games. As bad as ISU is, it would be a great momentum boost going into their red-hot buzzsaw induced bloodbath in Lawrence on October 10th.

* Oklahoma
I tried to tell you guys last year, but nobody listened to me. Sam Bradford is a good but not great QB. Sam Bradford with last year’s offensive line however is a GREAT quarterback. I fully expect OU to be back in mid-season form by later on in the year..but until that offense looks better than it did on Saturday, the Sooners are going to be staring squre into the face of a conference that really hates their guts. Miami is the first legit shot, and don’t think South Beach won’t be rocking..especially if Miami has some success with their killer schedule between now and then. The lulls in talent don’t come often for Bob Stoops…but OU is extremely close to slipping into the pack if something doesn’t change.

* Texas
Not much you can take out of a 39 point bludgeoning of ULM…especially when it’s 38-10 at the half. Don’t buy the hype regarding ULM’s ability to put 20 points on the board. 10 of those were scored while UT’s starters were sitting on the sidelines. Thing that blows me away is the attendance: 101,096 people to watch a stomping of a Louisiana directional school? Yeesh…good luck to anybody who has to walk into that nightmare anytime this season.

* Oklahoma State
I didn’t get to watch much of OSU’s win over Georgia, but it’s pretty apparent that the Pokes will go as far as Dez Bryant takes them. Zac Robinson had a crappy day in terms of numbers, but was at least able to hang in against a nasty Georgia defense that although I feel is overrated…is probably better than anybody in the Big 12 not named Oklahoma. Saturday’s matchup with Houston will be a good indicator if OSU really is for real, or if Georgia’s defense was just that tough. Regardless, feels an awful lot like the 2008 Mizzou team if you ask me. Beware folks…those expectations are hard to hold on to.

* Nebraska
It’s extremely odd to watch a Husker team blow out a Sun Belt powerhouse by 46 points, and still not be “satisfied”. OK, I realize they used to win National Titles (at least I think I can remember back that far), but have things REALLY improved enough to where you can be critical over a 7+ TD win over ANYBODY? I mean, it wasn’t that long ago Ball State came within a ball to the face of beating the Huskers at home. Perhaps it was the 380 yards given up that has folks a bit nervous? Perhaps it was Florida Atlantic’s key penalties? Perhaps who cares because it was because it was Florida fucking Atlantic? Nobody will know ANYTHING about this NU team until 9 minutes into the Virginia Tech game, when the Husker offensive machine is melting like a bomb-pop on a radiator in front of a rabid Blacksburg crowd. By then…we’ll know exactly what I’ve been telling the rest of you for so long…same old, same old.

Hate weeks starts 2 weeks from Sunday.

Prepare yourself.

(Photo Credit: AP, Los Angeles Times)

Instant Analysis

2009-09-05T21:45:00.002-05:00

Real quick, shooting from the hip:

- Great win by Mizzou. Very impressive not just on offense..I knew they had weapons there (nobody else did apparently, but the speed on defense was extremely impressive. Gabbert still makes mistakes under pressure, but dude obviously has the build and arm of an NFL player. Very bright future for him. Illinois is terrible..or at the very least, very easy to quit when things go bad.

- Oklahoma...Hmmmm...where are the haters calling me an idiot now? Didn't somebody who runs a website that looks like this call that upset? Anyone recall that? Anyone?

- Oklahoma State, very impressive as well. Looked like they were way too hyped up, but settled down in the end. Georgia is part of an overrated and overhyped SEC middle-ground that is good..but not great. Either way, great win by OSU.

- Texas, congrats on your South division title. As soon as Bradford went down, it was pretty much over.

- HUGE HUGE props to Baylor. Wake Forest sucks, but Baylor beating a BCS school on the road is big news, no matter when it happens.

- Kansas, beat a non NAIA team and I'll comment more.

- Nebraska: It was nice to completley and totally ignore a Husker game for the first time in a long time. Don't care how they won, or even if they won. I know what they are, and I know what is going to happen to them. Props to them for not pissing their game away I guess.

- KSU....hang in there guys, it's gonna be rough.

Week 1 Power Poll

2009-09-04T12:15:00.002-05:00

My God…there is already a Big 12 game in the books and I forgot the Power Poll.

Show’s where my mind is these days:

North:

1) Kansas 0-0 vs. Northern Colorado
Nice to see Mark Mangino learned from playing one decent team on the road in 2008. Instead, the Redleggers eat their cupcake as an appetizer against a team that used to get beat by Nebraska-Omaha on a regular basis. The Big Sky will never be confused with the SEC, so what’s really the point? Another reason the schedules should move back to 11 games.

2) Missouri 0-0 vs. Illinois in St. Louis
Lot of people asking me why I’m “abandoning ship” on Mizzou right out of the gate. I’m not “abandoning” anything Illinois is a pretty salty team, who has the ability to hang with anybody. (And lose to anybody). For some reason, they’re head cases against Mizzou over the years, and will definitely be looking to this game as the year they finally get over. Mizzou will go as far as Blaine Gabbert takes them…which is a complete mystery to me. Either way….in terms of overall firepower and the fact that Gabbert is playing his first game in 2 years in his hometown…I think Illinois has the edge.

3) Colorado 0-0 vs. Colorado State
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Colorado has been getting a nice little bit of pub here or there. Granted, not from the delusional yay-hoos who usually have it out for the Buffs…but in general, the media is starting to lean toward Colorado’s favor. I certainly don’t think Hawk’s “10 win” comment is legit, but the more I look at CU, the more I like em. The rams finished the year last season with 3 straight wins and return quite a few starters. In the end, I think CU’s running game proves too much.

4) Nebraska 0-0 vs. Florida Atlantic
I’ve already broken this down and no, I’m not going to do it again. Nebraska’s quest for the 2009 Sun Belt title starts off with a bang. Who is going to be the breakout star for Nebraska early in the season? Nobody. They suck…I already told you this.

5) Kansas State 0-0 vs. UMass (yes, UMass)
Good to see Bill Snyder is back in charge, playing in an opening game that matches his legacy. UMass lost their coach to Maryland and may have their focus squarely on next week’s big tangle with mighty Albany. The REALLY sad thing is…I think KSU might even struggle a bit out of the gate. The Carson Coffman era begins with huge shoes to fill. (OK, not really…but still tough to break in a new QB..no matter who you are)

6) Iowa State 1-0 beat ND State Thursday

HUGE win for Iowa State last night. Come to think of it…if the game’s not on TV…WHY is Iowa State playing on a Thursday night? At this rate, I’ll bet the Clones would play at 3am on a Tuesday as long as they won…but regardless, beating South Dakota State by 17 at home isn’t exactly a great sign that you’re going to be playing Texas in Dallas come December. Either way..good for them.

SOUTH

1) Oklahoma 0-0 vs. BYU in Dallas
I’ve told you this for a while…BYU should give OU fits in Dallas. Granted, the Sooners are still loaded, and yeah, even though they lost an all-world Tight End, they still have more weapons than pretty much anybody. But in the end BYU is no slouch, and is out to prove a point. Mountain West teams have proven pretty dangerous over the years. If I had a HUGE upset to pick this week, it would be BYU….but not sure I’d bet the house on it…OU is that tough. Should be a fun game to watch, if anything to see what kind of crap Bob Stoops comes up with. (My money is on something from the Book of Mormon that he feels is derogatory to his players)

2) Texas 0-0 vs. ULM
Didn’t Texas used to play pretty tough competition week in and week out? I mean, when I think of horrible non-conference schedules, KU and K-State naturally come to mind over the years…but Texas is slowly slipping into that category. Naturally though, all UT has to do is beat OU and OSU and they can waltz into the BCS, but it will be interesting to see how McCoy handles the pressures of even more expectations. Oh the game this week? Yeah, they’re going to freaking destroy these guys.

3) Oklahoma State 0-0 vs. Georgia
I’m not a believer in Georgia. I don’t care what their record on the road is…I don’t care if they have two linemen playing now who were hurt last season…I’ve never been a big believer in mid-level SEC teams. (And last night’s God Awful 7-3 snooze-fest between S. Carolina and NC State didn’t help things.) Personally, although Georgia has experience and good talent, they simply do not face weapons across the board like they’ll see Saturday. OK, fine…Tebow…Florida whatever. But in the end, I really don’t even see this as being close. The Okie State bandwagon should be rolling out of control if that plays out.

4) Texas Tech 0-0 vs. North Dakota
Two teams with two of the most beautiful campuses in America square off in a coma-inducing snooze-fest that is sure to thrill only the most dead of the die hards. I do think it’s funny that people downplay Mizzou reloading while losing talent…yet Texas Tech loses a ton, and people just assume the system is in place. Whatever. Tech can use this scrimmage and next week’s pillow fight against Rice to gear up for a trip to Austin, where they will be sodomized and abused in new and exciting ways.

5) Baylor 0-0 at Wake Forest
Kinda sucks only like 15 people in the whole country get to watch this game. Wake Forest has ZERO home field advantage (based on their brutal turnout and effort against Nebraska a few years ago.) Robert Griffin is indeed nasty, and should give a mediocre ACC team fits. However, I’m not sure he has the supporting cast just yet to pull one out away from Waco. If they do, look out…the hype will grow and the Baylor bandwagon will be out of the chute quickly.

6) Texas A&M 0-0 vs. New Mexico
We’ve talked about A&M a bit here this off-season. Thanks to the multitude of A&M hate mail, I am willing to wait it out and see if Mike Sherman is as big of a moron as I think he is. The Ags have shuffled around some talent at skill positions, but still have ZERO excuse even toying with a team like New Mexico. If they struggle, look out because a decent Utah State teams comes calling next week who is probably just as good.

And then God said...let there be football.

Congrats on surviving the off season and enjoy the games.

Answering the Haters - The 2009 Nebraska Schedule

2009-09-03T12:41:00.008-05:00

Happy Football everyone.

As you have probably noticed, things are pretty quiet around here…even with the onset of the college football season. After threw my championship belt over my shoulder last January, I really haven’t been all that fired up to write. I mean, I’ve THOUGHT about subjects to write about….but in the end…if it’s just half-ass words on the screen…what’s the point? You guys know what fires me up…and quire frankly…I’m not really fired up anymore now that my main nemesis is long and dead.

Oh sure, I’ll be rooting like hell for and against certain teams this fall…but it just seems that the whole thing is anticlimactic. It seems like with the passion gone….do I really want to take the time to express my thoughts? Maybe I’m just jaded because the site itself doesn’t appear that sharp without the web development? I’ve been told it’s coming…but like any other project..it’s one of those things you just have to get motivated to do.

So, since I’m sure people are looking for some fire and brimstone speech…I’m pretty much taking requests. One of those requests I've gotten recently thanks to these guys is to re-live one of the old-standard columns of years gone by…the Nebraska schedule prediction. Now several times…before and after the death of the anti-Husker hating movement…I’ve explained to you what is going to happen with pretty good accuracy. However, thanks to some Kool-Aid chugging Husker bloggers, my insight and manhood have been called out. So since I don’t really care anymore…I’m more than willing to put my money where my mouth is.

With the exception of hate week…(which lets face it…will probably never will be the same anyway)…I’ll go back in time, and throw my Husker hating hat back on. With deep philosophical insight, I will not tell you exactly how the 2009 Huskers will fare. Buckle on your chin straps…some of you aren’t going to like this:

Week 1 – Vs. Florida Atlantic.
Howard Schnellenberger brings his team into Lincoln to avenge some sort of ancient score with 1984. Leave it to Husker fans to took 25 freaking years into the past to find a story line. Nevertheless, you could have Howard Hessman or Howard the Duck coaching Florida Atlantic…it really won’t matter. OK, so they won the Flint Michigan Dairy Queen Bowl last year over Mount Pleasant High School (MI). Whoopie do. Husker fans ALL WEAR RED. Do you know how intimidating that is? Even the worst of Husker seasons usually starts with a thrashing of some piss pour low-level D1 team. FAU has some decent talent on offense, but their defense is horrible. Could be close…but not in the end.

My official prediction: Nebraska 49 Florida Atlantic 21

Week 2 – vs. Arkansas State
Arkansas State shocked the world by beating a lowly Texas A&M team in a place FAR more hostile than Lincoln in 2008. The Indians scored 83 points in a game, as well as came within 3 points of beating a decent Southern Miss team as well. ASU returns a starting QB and two decent running backs in Reggie Arnold and Derek Lawson. However, it still appears to be a mismatch considering that if Nebraska does have a strength..(you would think) it would be stopping the run. This should be MUCH closer than the FAU game….and what on earth are the Hicks going to do without some wacky 25 year old storyline to wax poetic about?

My official prediction: Nebraska 31 Arkansas State 20

Week 3 - at. Virginia Tech
I’ve actually read some predictions this week from Husker fans that Tech shouldn’t be that tough of a matchup for Nebraska thanks to 1) Tyrod Taylor “not being that good. And 2) Darren Evans is out for the year with an ACL tear. The Hokies instead will rely on Kenny Lewis and Josh Oglesby. Regardless, I’m not sure if some folks around here notice this…but Virginia Tech is pretty good in Blacksburg. (3 losses at home in 4 years). I’m also not sure what will shine brighter by the end of the game…Bo Pelini’s red forehead (after he bitches like a 3 year old about some correct call that he didn’t even see) or the neon yellow puddle underneath Zac Lee…who had the same amount of attempts last season as Marlon Lucky in 2008. (And only one more than kicker Jake Wesch). Expect ABC to have their fingers on the button to switch over to USC vs. Washington by halftime.

My official prediction: Virginia Tech 41 Nebraska 10

Week 4 - vs Louisiana Lafayette
The only exciting thing regarding this game is two specific things: How fast the Hicks can recover from a prison-style pounding the week before…and at what point does Omaha World Herald columnist Tom Shatel write a 7000 word column regarding the “cool name” Rajun Cajuns. K-State struggled with ULL last season in Manhattan, and nearly beat Illinois in Champaign…so you would think they wouldn’t have jitters. Even then, this team STILL lost to Troy 48-3. Not gonna happen, even against Nebraska.

My official prediction: Nebraska 31 UL-Lafayette 13

Week 6 – at Missouri
Hate week. The two most exciting words in the Husker hating calendar. For some reason, every single Husker fan I’ve talked to and read about….EVERY ONE…is predicting a Husker win. However, not ONE person can tell me any remotely close to reasonable reason why this is even possible. New QB, new receivers, 1 even remotely decent running back (to go along with one extremely overrated running back who has never played a snap) and a defense that gave up 52 points in 2.5 quarters IN Lincoln last year. Did I miss something? Apparently I did. Obviously this would be a bit different if the game were in Lincoln, due to the fact that Missouri is breaking in a new QB as well…but you CAN NOT tell me that a brand new QB…with 2 more career attempts than I have..is going to walk into the swirling gold cauldron of hate on national TV and beat Mizzou. It’s not going to happen. It won’t happen. Stop acting like idiots.

My official prediction: Missouri 48 Nebraska 7

Week 7 vs. Texas Tech
Here’s another game where Husker fans have chalked up a win. Nevermind, Texas Tech has simply re-loaded year in and year out for a decade…nevermind the fact they sleepwalked through an OT game in Lubbock last year…nevermind the fact that they are breaking in a new QB and a new WR….uhhh…so is Nebraska. Botton line…Tech has more big game experience and oh yeah…way better players to melt away in some faux “big time” atmosphere in the rotting gray carcass of a stadium found in Lincoln. It may be close (because that’s how Tech rolls often times)…but no way are they falling for this trick again.

My official prediction: Texas Tech 55 Nebraska 21

Week 8 – vs. Iowa State
Iowa State might be one of the worst football teams in Division one this season..and that is saying a lot. This is now 3 times in 19 posts that I’ve broken down ISU in any sort of terms on this blog. Not gonna happen. Nebraska may even roll.

My official prediction: Nebraska 38 Iowa State 10

Week 9 - at Baylor
It’s too bad the Husker blog is dead, because NOTHING would be greater than mocking NU fans after a loss to mighty Baylor. Regardless, that’s pretty much what they’re looking at, as Robert Griffin lines up the Big Red like a Albert Pujols staring down a 30mph fastball from Nancy Osborne. This will be the biggest victory for any Baylor team in some time, and don’t think for a second the green and gold won’t be smelling the blood in the water by the time the season gets to this point. Mizzou nearly fell in Waco last year…this year’s Husker team is not even close to that caliber. (Obviously.)

My official prediction: Baylor 41 Nebraska 24

Week 10 - vs. Oklahoma
Oh good Lord..do we have to go another 7 days, waxing nostalgic about how great the OU-NU rivalry was? The airwaves will be filled to the brim with old Lyle Bremser calls and grainy footage of America’s favorite hot dog pitchman Johnny Rogers, shifting left and right against OU sometime shortly before the stone age set in. Tom Osborne I’m sure will go out of his way to “honor” the legacy of the rivalry, yet somehow putting the focus on himself at every turn…look for something along the lines of a large bronze bust, or perhaps a gigantic mural honoring his greatness. Either way, the festivities will be grand and the nostalgia will run deep…right before OU beats the living fuck out of the Huskers.

My official prediction: Oklahoma 47 Nebraska 3

Week 11 - at Kansas
Here’s another “gimmie” on the Husker schedule according to their fans. Nevermind KU returns the most scoring weapons in the division and nevermind the fact that the game is being held in Lawrence, which is the equivalent of holding a game within the walls of a state penitentiary. Urine bombs and saved for special games against Mizzou…but look for the hostility to melt Zac Lee in the blink of an eye. The ghosts of 70 point beatdowns will linger long, as Todd Reesing destroys the blackskirts on his way toward the Big 12 North title game 3 weeks later at Arrowhead.

My official prediction: Kansas 45 Nebraska 24

Week 12 - vs Kansas State
Senior day is always special in Lincoln, as the fans come out in droves to celebrate the accomplishments of athletic department tutors and illegal boosters everywhere. Gone are the big name seniors for Nebraska to honor..so look for the Ndamukong Suh hour, complete with singing, dancing and good times had by all. The Hicks finish off the special night by waxing a bad KSU team to the hoots and hollars of a fan base, who by all accounts will be looking for something to hold onto after not winning a game in 3 weeks.

My official prediction: Nebraska 38 Kansas State 27

Week 13 – at Colorado
Ahhh nothing is more enjoyable on Thanksgiving afternoon than teams battling for a low level bowl spot in Shreveport. Colorado came within a nerd toenail of pulling off the upset last season. The Buffs lost 18 players (yes…18) to injuries last season, and Nebraska lost not only one of their best passers in school history, but their #1 running back and both wide receivers. The game is in Boulder, where the Huskers are showered with love, affection and respect year in and year out. Given the track record of Husker fans…look for the Bo Pelini love affair to be in full fledged retreat, heading into a rough and rocky off-season.

My official prediction a la 1989: Colorado 27 Nebraska 21

5-7 Overall
2-6 in the Big 12

Enjoy your weekend.

Afternoon Delight

2009-08-27T13:02:00.006-05:00

For the love of God, kick the ball off already.

Random thoughts...trying to make the clock tick faster:

* Since Nebraska football is a complete and total non-factor, the new idea cup has pretty much dried up. Oh sure, if I wanted to, I could bash the Nebraska media’s instant love affair of freshman running back practice sensation Rex “Superman” Berkhead. I could add some further comments on the sudden, yet mysterious departure of former Heisman hopeful, now completely-worthless-by-Husker-fan-standards Quentin Castille. I could comment on how Tom Osborne is spending his days…fighting off the evils of red colored Bud light cans rather than things that matter. I could even comment on the extremely sad case of Thunder Collins…who took Husker thug life to a brand new…seemingly unprecedented level.

But in the end, does any of that really matter? I mean….I’ve spent literally YEARS telling you the buffoonery that goes on in Linocln. Oh sure, there are new stories and anecdotes from time to time…sometimes like this week in rapid fire success. But in the end, it’s simply sad essay on life…where hope is unrealistically raised…then…is smashed, leaving those former believers to ask, “why didn’t I see that coming.” They didn’t see it coming, because they refused to believe the truth. The truth is…only 1 team wins the National Championship. Only ONE team in the Big 12 will win in Arlington in December. And in the end, how you deal with defeat is a far greater challenge than how you handle yourself in victory.

That’s the trouble with Husker fans all along.

So I guess I’ll just sit back and wait for fans around here to answer reality’s call. They seem to have them on speed dial as of late.

* If you’re so desperate for football that you’re going to watch Northwest Mo State and Abeline Christian on CBS College Sports network tonight…you have issues. Look, I enjoy football as much as the next guy…but for the love of God people…have a little patience.

* Little League World Series: Still completely and totally unwatchable. If I wanted to watch pint-sized prima donnas fumble the ball and give up 900 foot home runs every other pitch…I’d turn on the Royals.

* Speaking of the Royals… I’ve had a lot of fun this summer with the Kansas City Royals. Not because I’m a lifelong fan and they’ve crashed and burned worse than any other Royals team in the last 20 years. (That’s hard to do). But now, thanks to the internet, I have a bevy of blogs and columns to read…many of which are written by writers who are trying to come to grips with again…reality. Now, it’s pretty sad to watch the Royals these days…and perhaps I’m numb to the pain. But reading Rany on the Royals and Joe Posnanski every day has allowed me to at least enjoy the suckage….at least more than normal seasons.

* Why doesn’t Kansas City have a hockey team yet? What the hell is taking so long?

* The season is 9 days away, which means it’s about time for Bob Stooops’ annual “Let’s take a nothing story and spin it as motivation” speech. You know it’s coming..you can set your watch by it.

* Is it just me…or is the world just a better place when Michigan, Notre Dame and Nebraska all suck? I’m not sure what it is…but the world somehow just feels right these days.

* Finally, if you’re a Missouri fan (and a lot of you I know are)…I would be doing you a disservice if I did not mention the ever growing problem of tailgating at Faurot Field on gamedays.

Now as many of you know, the 9th annual Tailgate of hate © is coming up fast, and as I’ve mentioned, yours truly will be delivering timely updates from the scene throughout the day. (Or until my drunk ass can no longer punch those little keys on my phone keyboard.) As a married guy, this is my one weekend a year, where I hang out with my friends and really let loose, all in the name of football, BBQ and oh yes…hatred. (In 2007 we had an actual stage with a guitar and live music, chronicling the passing Husker fans who just so happened to wander too close to our grills that day.) However, it’s becoming more and more clear that Missouri as an athletic department is simply having trouble handling success.

Look, I know success means sacrifice. Just as I know I can buy Chiefs tickets in the lower bowl for ½ face value today (where they were impossible to get 5 years ago) …I also know that the better Missouri does…the tougher things are in terms of cost and availability. This means tailgating spots as well…because for those of you who don’t know this….the atmosphere at Faurot on a BIG GAME Saturday, is extremely unique and something not to be missed. (Especially if you’ve been cursed since birth of rooting for God’s least favorite team)

But why am I penalized for the crimes of others? Why doesn’t the university recognize that tailgating…in a responsible manner…is part of what makes college football great. (A huge part if you’re in your 30’s such as myself.) Thanks to the internet, fans of a team are no longer local or from a city of two over. People come into town from all over, because the net has made it so much more easy to follow their favorite team. So why are these people held accountable for doing nothing more but being a casual fan?

I realize I could donate the the university , and that’s a valid point. Scholarship funds fuel the programs, and those who give the most should be given the most rights. But WHERE is anybody looking out for the casual fan? Nowhere, because the casual fan (and this goes for casual fans of every other school as well), doesn’t have a face. We are relegated to blogs and message board postings and on rare occasions…a phone call. Yet for some reason…we buy tickets and merchandise with the same US currency that students and donors use. The universities don’t care about casual fans because they don’t have to deal with casual fans on a regular basis.

Me personally, I went to two different small colleges, neither of which are associated to my favorite Division one team. (Which is also where I grew up and where I was born). I have two kids, a mortgage and all sorts of bills and such that I have to worry about. (It’s called being an adult) Because of that, it’s not exactly easy for me to drop $1000 so I can park one game a year and oh yeah, the gymnastics team gets a new bag of rosin to practice with.

Seriously, I don’t expect much. I don’t expect to be showered with perks and bonuses, because I didn’t earn them. However, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for the university to throw the rest of us a bone and give us a place to park and tailgate responsibly…even if it’s on the outer edge of the parking parameter. But don’t blow me off because I don’t shower the university with money. Rooting for a team like Missouri is hazardous enough…it shouldn’t be worse because the powers that be have determined you don’t count.

I’m off my soapbox for at least another year.

Kings of the Hill

2009-08-21T13:08:00.007-05:00

Sorry if it’s been a bit slow with the new blog, but let’s face it: There is absolutely NOTHING going on but the last second shit talking between fan bases that goes on every late August…all of which are undefeated right now. No matter where you go, no matter what message board you visit or radio talk show you listen to…EVERYBODY is 100% right this time of year, and there is absolutely nothing people can do about it…for at least 2 weeks that is.

So that got me thinking….when does the results of the past year no longer come into play when talking shit about football? Does it matter at all if you were good last year? How does your outlook THIS YEAR play into it? And if you haul your 40 year old dust covered trophies around to road games, does this give you some sort of unlimited bragging rights for life-card?

Unfortunately, like BCS, Fruit Loops cereal and the popularity of the Jonas Brothers…there is simply no logical way to solve these questions.

So what does that leave us? Well at the moment, at least in my neck of the woods it means a big giant trash-talking free-for-all where logic and rational thought are completely thrown out the window. But shouldn’t there be some sort of set of standards and rules that dictate who you have the power to pop off to and who has earned unconditional bragging rights? Now granted, once the season starts…everything is out the window. I understand that and that’s a perfectly logical statement. But in the months BEFORE that opening kickoff…who in the FUCK gave you the right to run your mouth to an opposing fan who’s team is coming off beating your team senseless less than one season ago?

This has really been bugging me, so I came up with a few rules that may help you and your friends dictate who has off-season bragging rights.

1) Head to head from the previous year always counts first. The ONLY exception to this is if the team that beat yours goes on to win the National Championship. This is a relatively rare exception that doesn’t come up very often…but does have it’s place high on this list. Regardless…games are settled on the field, and not in the standings portion of the paper. If one team beats the other’s ass…they hold bragging rights til kickoff the following year.

2) Any stats, streaks or items from MORE than 5 years ago are instantly null and void while talking smack. If NOBODY on your team was around 7 seasons ago for that one big upset win….what the hell does it have to do with now? I can see exceptions if even a small segment of current players were involved in the game. However, if anybody beyond 5th year seniors were involved, it cannot be brought up for discussion. Period. (The rare exception to that is some astronomical streak of biblical proportions like Navy playing Notre Dame. They're going to end at some point, but they are worth mentioning at times.)

3) Overall series records and statistics dating back to 1896 are completely meaningless. If the game was played with 46 players on the field at once…it probably shouldn’t count.

4) Phil Steele’s website projections are not an acceptable resource of citing facts. FACTS are acceptable ….even if they are spun around with an industrial sized washing machine. Phil Steele, Rivals and others…even if they spend 900hrs per week studying college football are STILL PROJECTIONS. They are oftentimes…MANY times just as wrong as you and I are about this stuff. (Ok, as wrong as you.)

5) Finally….everybody understands that there are traditional powers in college football. USC, Oklahoma and Texas are all going to get recruits and wins because they have more resources to throw at it. I’m fine with that…and I can completely accept that. However, sometimes the Tampa Bay Rays and Arizona Cardinals make it to the championship game in the same year. Sometimes Utah goes 13 and 0. Sometimes, Boise runs a trick play and shocks the world. In other words, this is not the NFL of the 1970s and 80’s, where 4 or 5 different teams won the Super Bowl over and over. Today, West Virginia, Cincinnati and Utah…if even for a year or two..have every bit the shot to make it to the BCS than Texas or Oklahoma do. Doesn’t mean they’ll make it…just means that teams like that are in the mix and not going away.

* OK, so we’ve kind of set some groundrules down; now that that is out of the way, let’s get down to the here and now.

I’ve often said that what makes football great is not the games..but the anticipation. Nowhere else in sports..other than MAYBE the 3 or 4 days between NCAA tourney games is the buildup JUST right as it is in college football. (Super Bowl week is WAY too long). The same goes for the off-season. We have plenty of time to break down teams, look at schedules etc….but when it gets down to the end, like it does now…who is really right? Who has earned the right to talk shit on everybody else?

Thanks to yours truly, I’m going to now tell you….team by team…who has the right to talk shit on who and why…until the season kicks off two weeks from tomorrow. Note close wins or losses between teams of equal caliber are pretty much a wash, as are completely bizzare upsets from 3 years ago. You'll get the jest of it as you read along.

Baylor and Iowa State:
You have the right to talk shit on absolutely nobody. Not to say Baylor can’t shock the world and pile up a few wins this season. (They did beat A&M last year) Iowa State had that nice little run earlier in the decade…but over the past five years? Ummmm…yeah this is pretty much automatic. Sit back and take it bitches.
Can talk shit to: Nobody

Texas A&M:
The Ags get their fair share of flack over their performance last year (Arkansas State?)…but they have beaten Texas 2 of the last 3 seasons. Oh sure the Horns asslapped them by 40 last year, but putting it to your rival like that deserves more than a year’s worth of bragging rights. (barely) The Ags beat Colorado and Iowa State last year during a crappy season…but even those games were closer than they should have...and thus remove themselves from consideration. Sorry Ag fans...have at me.
Can talk shit to: Texas (and that's really stretching…)

Kansas State:
The Cats have obviously hit the skids in recent years. This is especially hard after having so much success in the early 2000’s and late 90’s. (Which makes talking shit these days extra tough ). Northern division foes have pretty much owned them in recent years, with Colorado battling out with the Cats for the middle of the conference. Against rivals however, Kansas State is an abysmal 2-10 over the last four years against Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska…and 0-9 in the past 3 years. Not good for the old psyche. (Nor was the 2007 loss to Iowa State)
Can talk shit to: 1AA teams and Texas A&M

Oklahoma State:
As good as the Pokes have been in recent years, you’d be surprised to notice that they really haven’t strung together a good solid string of beatdowns to any one opponenent not named Baylor. They’ve obviously had their troubles with Texas and Oklahoma…and although they had nice wins over A&M and Missouri last year…that was the first time they had beaten either one of those teams since 2004. Throw in the unbalanced North schedule…and the Cowboys…as good as they are…really aren’t in a good position to talk shit to anybody..at least not yet.
Can talk shit to: Baylor, Missouri, Iowa State and pretty much nobody else

Colorado:
The Buffs have more North titles this decade than the next two schools combined. However, due to the rules we stated above…that doesn’t really mean much these days now does it? The Buff’s only good conference win last year was KSU (by 1), and the Cats spanked Colorado in 2007. I’m not super familiar with the Colorado State rivalry, other than you guys drink a lot of beer there. However, beating them twice in a row is worth something.
Can talk shit to: Colorado State and Iowa State

Texas Tech:
Mike Leach’s team has put together a real nice string of seasons…highlighted by a win over #4 Texas at home and #16 Okie State during a nice stretch in early November last year. In terms of Northern teams…the Raiders have owned Kansas teams, going 4-0 vs. KSU and KU in the past 4 meetings. Texas Tech has always looked like an emerging power, and the table was set last year…but reality in the form of Oklahoma stopped that real quick.
Can talk shit to: Baylor, ISU, Kansas, Kansas State, Texas A&M and Texas

Kansas:
Ahhh my friends the red-legged cartoon bird terrorists. The Beakers have blasted K-State over the past few years, and last year’s big last-second win over Mizzou gives them instant bragging rights over their two biggest rivals. However, they still somehow managed to lose every other good team they played. (Minus Nebraska). KU may not have bragging rights over the southern powers or even crappy Nebraska…but they own the two big ones that count.
Can talk shit to: Missouri, Kansas State, Colorado, Iowa State and the Sun Belt Conference.

Missouri:
Sure to be controversial, everybody loves to pile on Mizzou these days. KU fans remind them of Reesing’s 4th and 7 and Nebraska fans like to invoke memories of games from 30 years ago for some reason. The Tigers have gone 9-1 against the North over the past couple of years…which minus the face-to-face loss with KU last season, gives them instant bragging rights over the rest of the division. For some reason, Mizzou also has Texas Tech’s number as well.
Can talk shit to: The entire Big 12 north, Kansas (because they still suck) and Texas Tech.

Nebraska:
Where to I begin to explain this one. OK Husker fans..you beat a bowl team in Kansas last year…so I guess you get limited credit there. The win over Colorado was indeed exhilarating for you I’m sure…but the Buffs lost 7 freaking games last year. (If you need a 57yd FG against a losing team at home..you forfeit bragging rights). They have owned KSU over the past couple of seasons, which is something I haven’t said in quite a while. The whole “We’re a major power” crock of horseshit that spews from their mouths however, instantly ruins any credibility they have. If you have to tell all your friends how cool you are…odds are you’re a douche bag.
Can talk shit to: Iowa State and KSU

Oklahoma and Texas:
I know these two teams hate each other, and there’s no question they are the class of the league. Oklahoma is a bit more decorated in recent years with more conference titles, but the Longhorns did win in Dallas last season. (As they are quick to whine to everyone who will listen.) I’m completely convinced that if they switched uniforms at halftime, most neutral fans wouldn’t have a clue which team is which. OU and UT are the evil empire of the conference, and will continue to rule over all til disaster strikes.
Can talk shit to: Everybody minus OU against any bowl opponent and Texas against Tech

Hate Week Lives - 2009 Update

2009-08-18T16:41:00.003-05:00

Fear not folks.

Yes, for those of you who have asked...Hate week will be back, even without the full on Husker blog theme. And, as an added bonus, I'm excited to announce that for the first time in probably 4 years...I'll be reporting live from the scene as it's happening. (So if you're in from harvest and are sitting down to your younguns afternoon vittles, you can find out what I'm up to at the game and the Tailgate of Hate IX) This was definitely a fan favorite back in the early days of the old blog, but unfortunately, Blogger makes it harder than hell to send voice messages. Because of that (and the fact I don't really care that much), we're going to try it via the magic of Twitter and/or mobile updates to this site.

Regardless, ...the old blog is long dead, but the spirit lives on from October 3rd through October 8th 2009. (Yes, because Nebraska sucks and is completely irrelevant these days, Hate Week is only 5 days long instead of the usual 7. Thanks a lot Husker fans.)

Look for updates as we get closer.

Thanks for your support to the movement formerly known as Husker hating.

Rock on

2009-08-14T13:28:00.004-05:00

I never said I was going to be PUNCTUAL with the new blog. Geez…just hold your horses, and I’ll get to stuff. Although it’s nice not to have the burdon of hatred toward a single group of people anymore (They amuse me more than infuriate me these days), it’s still tough to find something to write about in which I feel passionate about. That will come when the season starts, but to be frank…I’m tired of previews. Just kick off the damn ball already.

Some news and notes:

* The sports talk subject du jour is the Michael Vick signing with Philadelphia. Now, I understand it’s the NFL pre-season, and that sort of subject is going to saturate the media. I also understand that the Vick story goes across sports lines, and finds itself as one of those rare events that captures the attention of those who wouldn’t know a football from a tennis ball. However, a couple of things really jump out at me when people are discussing this story:

First, is it just me, or was Michael Vick really not that good even in his prime? Don’t get me wrong, the NFL is always in need of quarterbacks…any quarterback who can even remotely make plays. But dude only led the Falcons to one or two even remotely decent seasons, and even then had to be rescued by his defense time and time again. The guy was a fantastic college quarterback and led a quirky, yet semi-effective offense in the NFL. Is the hype really that justified? Hell, he may not even be 2nd string if he was still in Atlanta…why should I go apeshit for him landing a backup job in Philly?

But the second reason really grades me the wrong way….can people stop with the “This is America..he just made a mistake” crap? OK, dude did his time in prison, and if he has the right to work. Yes, more power to him. But DO NOT forget that this guy hung dogs from trees, hooked them up to jumper cables, and even drown some in his pool with his bare hands. This was not a momentary lapse of judgement, or simply “hanging out with the wrong crowd”. This is a bad guy. Period. There are lots of bad guys in the NFL, many of which have done some pretty horrible things. But the outpouring of love and admiration he is receiving today is unnecessary, and borderline sickening.

I’m not going to go picket a stadium anytime the Eagles come to town, but I certainly won’t be wishing him luck and a speedy recovery from the thug life. Try not to kill anybody or anything Michael…and hopefully I’ll forget you even play in the league.

* Speaking of people who get more respect than they deserve, I got into it with a buddy regarding Tiger Woods. Now do not get me wrong, I completely understand just how good of a golfer he is. He’s upstanding, he does charity work and oh yeah…he’s won 14 majors before he’s even remotely close to a mid-life crisis. Because of this, the guy should…and does…get all the attention he deserves.

But the thing that bothers me is the free ride he gets while basically acting like a spoiled jackass when things are going bad for him. Now, I’m not a hypocrite, and I’d be lying if I didn’t let a club fly a time or two after a sliced a 4 iron into the tall rough. But CONSTANTLY bitching and moaning about EVERYTHING from camera clicks, to reporters to clubs to whatever…is really starting to get on my nerves.

Tiger Woods has built up an image and an aura so large, that every single thing he does is magnified; hell he got almost as much coverage for not making the cut than Tom Watson did nearly pulling the USA-USSR type upset at the British Open last month. I get that…I understand that he brings lots of people to golf who really could care less otherwise. But stop giving the guy free passes in terms of the things that would get other golfers bashed to death in the media and public opinon polls. Dude needs to being a pansy about every little thing, and man up to become the face of golf, something that his talent alone has mandated he become.

* If you’ve been following my writings for a while, you’ll probably remember that my one true passion (asides from hating random college football teams) is music. Now, everybody loves music, and I’m sure my upbringing around it is not really different from anybody elses. But like everyone else, the thing I love about music the most is how an album…a song…or hell, even a note can take you instantly back in time.

In the early/mid-90’s, I was trying to find my way in life and found myself truly out on my own for the first time. I didn’t have the hardships that others have suffered with, but still suffered from a desolate vision of self-doubt and a real inability to see clearly through the perils of life. In other words…I had no idea what I wanted to do with myself.

One day in 1993, on the advice from my little brother, I decided to pop in a scratchy CD of some band from California that I had never heard of. As he often did (and still does), he told me to just shut up and listen, and I’d be blown away; not by the lyrics and not the pulse or rythem…but the sheer power of the chords ripping across the guitar. The album was 1039 by some punk band from Berkley named Green Day. The first song I played on my drive to school was track 11…a screeching and blistering anthem to adolescent angst….a song called Paper Lanterns. Every single lyric matched exactly to a T how I felt on that particular day...and pretty much that particular summer.

One of the great joys in life is that instant moment where things just kind of click in your mind. With the play of one CD, I had instantly found something that I could turn both when I was down on myself, or simply clowning around in a great mood. I listened to that CD until it literally started to fall apart. A few weeks later, I caught a concert version of the song, and I was completely hooked. I didn’t care about the image…I wasn’t on some mission to become a punk rock soldier. I didn’t cover myself in tats, start wearing black and began to visually create my own identity….I just instantly matched that music, to that time in my life where I desperately needed something to hold onto.

Last night at the Qwest Center, thanks to some wheeling and dealing by some mutual friends, I literally stood face to face and shook hands with the guys who created the sounds and the energy that wrote the soundtrack of my life.

Last night, it didn’t matter how I was going to get that big report done for work. It didn’t matter that I was standing amongst teenagers who wouldn’t know Longview from Pippy Longstocking. It didn’t matter that I was standing amongst middle aged people who not only knew every word of every song..but had brought along their teenage kids into the mosh pit to share the experience with them. No, what mattered was that I was celebrating the music that has taught me a very important lesson throughout my life. Never ever buy into a label placed by somebody else.

We too often get tied to labels…whether it’s from your friends…your relatives or your coworkers. Maybe you’re mocked because you're a token Republican? Maybe your fellow Husker fans make fun of you because you’re way too into scrapbooking? Maybe you love college football more than breathing? Maybe your buddies mock you because they found that N*Sync song on your iPod? Perhaps you’re the guy your friends always make fun of because you like to get naked when you drink...and not just when there are girls around. No, whatever you’re into….it really shouldn’t matter to anybody but you.

I’ve been with people who live their life caring what other people think. Hell, 99% of the blog posts I’ve ever written is based on other people telling me what I should think. But to be honest with you…I’m proud those words never bothered me. I’m proud of the fact that I went to a Green Day concert at age 37, and had possibly the most fun I’ve ever had. I’m proud of the fact that I can relate to a certain type of music with teenage kids and co workers who are nearly 15 years older than me. I’m proud of the fact that I’ve grown older, but hung onto the vitality of youth that people sometimes forget is there. I’m proud of the fact that labels don’t stick to me. I’m proud that I’ve lived a great life this far in.

In the end, you are who you know you are, and it really doesn’t matter what the hell anybody else thinks. And to me…I have the power of music to thank for that.

The 2009 Big 12 South Preview Column

2009-08-06T12:13:00.006-05:00

This will be the first year I’ve predicted the south in it's entirety. However, with the quality of the schools, and the way certain fan bases have already jumped my case for getting things wrong…this has some good potential I think. Either way…you can hold me accountable later if need be. Remember, no wagering, these are for entertainment purposes only.

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Baylor – 1.5 Gazillion to 1 winning the south. 4 projected wins. (2-6)
(NW State, Kent State, Nebraska and Iowa State)
* We’ve talked about Baylor a bit this off-season, and the same thing applies in this case. Robert Griffin is an amazing talent, but his team still lacks any sort of depth. The schedule is a land mine of tough games, specifically Wake and UConn early in the year…both of whom have the ability to smack the Bears around and deflate what little ego they’ve built up over the past year or so. As I mentioned before, they may surprise a few people, and could go Brad Smith and pull a shocker over that time. (OSU at home perhaps?) However, as is usually the case…a downtrodden school has to drop a few notches before they can climb any higher. Look for BU to get knocked back to reality quickly…and end all this foolish “dark horse” bullshit floating around the conference. I hope I’m wrong..but not gonna happen.

Texas A&M – 5,000 to 1 winning the south. 5 projected wins (2-6)
(New Mexico, Utah State, UAB, Iowa State and Baylor)
* I need to tread lightly here, as I’ve found out recently that the A&M fans are a bit testy these days. They did a fairly good job of convincing me that Mike Sherman may in fact have some inkling of a long term plan, but in the end..you’re still facing a tough climb against four really good programs within the division. An early season bad-but-not-horrible slate of non-conference games, leads up to the showdown with Arkansas on October 3rd, which could decide what direction the Ags go. ISU and Baylor are certainly not going to win in College Station, but in order to make it to a bowl, A&M is going to have to knock off either Colorado or KSU on the road. Not impossible…but not likely, especially in Boulder in November.

Texas Tech - 20 to 1 winning the south. 8 projected wins (5-3)
(North Dakota, Rice, New Mexico, KSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Kansas and Baylor.)
* It took a while, but people over the years have learned not to brush Tech aside when it comes to re-loading after a successful season. Averaging a ridiculous 48 ppg last year, the Raiders are without Crabtree and Harrell…which is a costly blow right there. However, Tech still returns some serious deep threats and as usually, simply reloads under center. I think a loss to Houston is in the cards for some reason…as I see wins over the usually suspects of sub-par teams. (KSU, Nebraska, Baylor etc). However, as with A&M, Tech is going to have to pull off a pretty big upset at home (like last year over UT) in order to pull into the race for the division lead. It’s not impossible but….ok, they’re not beating UT and OU. It is impossible. Good team as always though.

Oklahoma State - 5-1 winning the south. 10 projected wins (6-2)
(Georgia, Houston, Rice, Grambling, A&M, Missouri, Baylor, ISU, Texas Tech, and Colorado)
* If the pokes can get by Georgia in week one (and trust me…I’m not at ALL a fan of mid-level crappy offenses from the SEC)…look for a serious downhill run leading up to the Halloween game at home with Texas. (Which should be one hell of a site if both teams are undefeated.) Minus UT and OU, the schedule is ridiculously easy after the opener with Georgia…which lets face it…isn’t going to be much of a game. But in the end...if Okie State doesn’t pull ahead of either OU or UT (or both), they may never do it. Dez Bryant is a freak, and Zac Robinson isn’t superstar material, but still put up 3,000 yards and 25 TD’s last season. Man, if I was a Cowboy fan, I’d be pretty nervous right now. Trust me when I say that it’s tough to live up to the hype when you have everything seemingly laid out in front of you.

Texas – 2-1 winning the south. 11 projected wins (7-1)
(ULM, Wyoming, Texas Tech, UTEP, Colorado, Missouri, Oklahoma State, UCF, Baylor, Kansas and A&M)
How come when mediocre teams “schedule down” they get mocked, but when a superpower does it like Texas, they simply “can’t get teams to play them?” Texas’s schedule may be the easiest in the conference, with about as lowly of a D1 non-con schedule as you can get. (At least they didn’t go FCS, which is props to them.) Colt McCoy will get his share of run, as will every other player that UT puts out on the field. Orakpo was a monster on the defensive line, but I’m sure 10 5 star linemen are ready to take his place. Obviously, the season hinges on OU in Dallas. However, only road games as Okie State and MAYBE Missouri stand as any possible chances for an upset. (I’d say good for Mizzou playing UT after the Red River game, but Mack Brown is like 185-0 when playing the week after OU).

Oklahoma – 3-2 winning the south. 11 projected wins (8-0)
(Idaho state, Tulsa, Miami, Baylor, Texas, Kansas, KSU, Nebraska, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and OSU)
Yeah, that’s right…I’m calling the BYU upset. Oh sure, last time I did this, Nebraska beat Troy by 90 points…but this time, I gotta say it looks like a trap. (Especially considering Cincinnati gave OU a game at home last year with ½ the talent of BYU.) Oh sure, I’ll probably look bad in the process…but for some reason, I just can’t give OU the nod to go undefeated. The UT game is obviously gigantic, and upset possibilities lurk against Tech and to some degree Miami. However, if Big game Bob gets by his one hiccup game early, and the Sooners beat Texas in Dallas, I have to think somebody..somewhere is going to get them. (And no…not in Lincoln.) Let’s see how Heisman like Sam Bradford is with a brand new offensive line that isn’t built like M1 tanks. Regardless, until somebody knocks them off, OU is the team to beat in the conference, without exception.

So there you go. In order:

1. Oklahoma 11-1 (8-0)
2. Texas 11-1 (7-1)
3. Oklahoma State 10-2 (6-2)
4. Texas Tech 8-4 (4-4)
5. Texas A&M 5-7 (2-6)
6. Baylor 4-8 (2-6)

Big 12 Championship game @Arlington:
Oklahoma 52
Kansas 14

Offensive League MVP – Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State)
Defensive League MVP – Sean Weatherspoon (Missouri)
Coach of the year MVP – Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State
(And no nerds..spare me the “And he’s 40” lame line that’s used 9000 time a day. It’s dumb. Stop it

Dark Horse – Colorado

Revenge of the Sodd - The Big 12 North Preview

2009-08-03T12:34:00.004-05:00

So here we are…the post many of you have been waiting for....time to put my money where my keyboard is. Over the years, I’ve gotten quite a lot of feedback about my blog…some good…some bad. But NOTHING stirs up the emotion, tears and bad blood like the Big 12 North official prediction column. It’s pretty much the basis of what I do…considering I spend most of the rest of the season telling you how wrong you were and how right I was. But regardless, this should be the most interesting season in YEARS for the North. The one thing I will say is...as outrageous as you may think these are...I ALWAYS return to them at the end of the year. (Unlike many of you who brush your ridiculous "Marlon Lucky for Heisman" claims under the rug come November...ironically just as you're making a brand new Roy Halu for Heisman t-shirt.)

I’ll get to you folks in the south later on this week…but in the meantime, let’s get the bloodshed and crying out of the way early.

Here we go.

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Iowa State – 1,000,000,000,000 to 1 winning the North. 2 projected wins. (0-8)
(North Dakota State, Army)

* We’ve already covered the clones in our ill-fated look around the conference. (Which ended up being an ill-fated look at conference doormats.) The Clones have a fairly brutal schedule with only three true Big 12 home games. (Baylor, OSU and Colorado). I think it's safe to say that most sane people don’t really see ISU pulling any upsets there (The Buffs usually lay and egg every year on the road, and Baylor hasn’t proven they can win…pretty much anywhere.) , however there are no true scenarios where I could see the Clones making any noise at all. Oh well, at least the September 3rd opener against former DII powerhouse North Dakota State should give ISU fans their first chance to celebrate a win since September 6th of LAST year....or, could be the most embarassing loss of a generation, for a team that has had plenty of them. Yeesh

Kansas State – 700 to 1 winning the North. 5 projected wins. (2-6)
(UMass, ULL, Tenn Tech, ISU and Texas A&M)

* I’ve thought about it a little bit, and I think I like what KSU and their wacky athletic department is trying to do. If they use logical thought, and allow Bill Snyder to groom the next long-term coach at KSU, I think they’ll be OK. (since he really has produce a ton of good ones) Many people around the league tend to forget, but Snyder’s last season was a disaster (in his terms), and that was with way more talented players than he has right now. I definitely think the Cats will be better in the mid-term…and maybe even in the long term. But for this season, I don’t see how players used to Ron Prince’s laid back style are going to adapt well to Snyder’s iron fist. They’ll be good for an upset perhaps, but nothing you can count on. Love the Cat fans though..always have.

Nebraska – 500 to 1 winning the North. 5 projected wins. (2-6)
(FAU, Arkansas State, ULL, Iowa State, Kansas State)

Congratulations Husker fans! This is the highest I’ve predicted your team to finish since 2006….which is saying something. (Or says how bad ISU and KSU are right now, I'm not sure.) I can see how some national pundits can look at Nebraska as being shoe-ins for the Dallas in December…because quite frankly they're lazy and they don’t know any better. But the lack of ANY returning skill players (replacing guys who weren’t that good anyway) and a schedule WAY WAY WAY tougher than anybody wants to admit…and you’ve got a recipe for disaster. Why? Because this season will all be about how Bo Pelini handles the pressure…which if you’ve seen any of their games…isn’t that well. (Personal fouls anyone?) We saw how fast Hick nation turned on Bill Callahan (wanting him fired 7 weeks after giving him an extension)…but how will things taste when there is nobody left to fire? How will the greatest fans in college football react when close games like last year’s CU debacle in Lincoln doesn’t go their way? I already know the answer. You should too. Look for the Turner Gill bandwagon rolling out of control by Thanksgiving.

Colorado - 25 to 1 winning the North. 7 projected wins (4-4)
(Colorado State, Toledo, Wyoming, Kansas State, A&M, Iowa State and Nebraska)

* I’ve been on the CU bandwagon for a while now..and it seems like almost always, they let me down. One minute you’re watching them smack Oklahoma..the next minute they’re losing to some crappy team they have no business even toying with. The Buffs schedule sets up EXTREMELY nice with big conference home games with all three North favorites. (NU, KU and MU). The key for CU’s success is injuries, or as is the case..staying away from them. You saw last season how the team rebounded late when guys started to get healthy. (playing OSU tough and coming within a Nerd-booted miracle field goal at Lincoln.) Cody Hawkins has another year under his belt, and Darrell Scott has a chance…while now healthy…to prove he’s the monster back most people think he can be. The key for CU is to take care of business at home and let the rest of the chips fall where they may. Anything short of a bowl this season would be extremely disappointing IMO.

Missouri – 5 to 1 winning the North. 8 projected wins (5-3)
(Bowling Green, Furman, Nevada, Nebraska, Colorado, Baylor, KSU and ISU)

* Many of you know my position on the 2009 Tigers, but I’ll fill in those of you who do not. I can certainly see why the Phil "Dartboard" Steele and the National media would predict a deep drop off for Mizzou. Yes, they lost 3 of their best players and yes…they are starting the year with an inexperienced QB. But what people DO NOT realize, is that a lot of those players…hell MOST of those players starting for Mizzou this year have had multitudes of playing time for whatever reason. On top of that, they still return 3 All-Big 12 selections from 2008, including Sean Weatherspoon, who was playing as well as anybody in the NATION at linebacker at the end of last year. (Single-handedly keeping Mizzou in games when their defense needed stops). This season will only go as far as Blaine Gabbert takes them…but we heard those exact same words about a young Chase Daniel back in 2006. Sure the Tigers fell short in the North that year, but they still won 8 games and finished 2nd in the conference. These are not the Mizzou teams of the early 90’s the Tigers are "falling back" to…these are more like the good to very good teams of the mid 2000’s. (And didn't we hear all about "drop-offs after Brad Smith left?) A 6-6 type year would not shock me, but there’s no reason..with the seemingly invisable firepower that is back, that Missouri can not challenge for the North for a 3rd straight year.

Kansas – 2-1 winning the North. 9 projected wins (5-3)
(N. Colorado, UTEP, Duke (seriously?), Southern Miss, Iowa State, Colorado, KSU, Nebraska and Missouri)

*My God did it hurt to type that. I’ve been telling readers that KU is a sham and a fraud for several years now...and for the most part, that’s been pretty much true. (Not including a 4th and 8 bomb with 20 seconds left to beat Mizzou in a snow shower last season at Arrowhead) However, on paper…NO team in the North returns as many offensive weapons as Kansas. (And sorry Husker fans…offense in this league wins championships….not defenses fueled by fat overrated linemen as you've been told.) Briscoe and Meier are the best 1-2 punch in the league. Todd Reesing…as freaky strange and as squirrely as he is…has 68 TD passes and over 8000 yards of total offense in his two years at KU. Throw on top the experience of bowl games and you have a team that should be tough to beat. The Red Legs true Achilles Heel will be of course their schedule, which as we all know includes OU, Texas and Tech…three pretty sure fire loses. That makes their remaining 5 league games all must-wins. Personally, I see another showdown at Arrowhead for the North title, and in this particular case…evil looks pretty tough to pick against in that scenario. (Not a good matchup for Mizzou) The whole thing could unravel and disintegrate before our eyes…because let’s face it..they’re KU; However, veteran leadership is tough to come by, especially at skill positions. We shall see.

So there you go in order:

1. Kansas 9-3 (5-3)
2. Missouri 8-4 (5-3)
3. Colorado 7-5 (4-4)
4. Nebraska 5-7 (2-6)
5. Kansas State 5-7 (2-6)
6. Iowa State 2-10 (0-8)

And there you have it. South and overall conference picks coming up later this week.

Can't wait to see what some of you come up with this year. Will it be more tears? Or more anger? Crying or Rambling rebuttal? Let's find out and let the pissing and moaning begin.

3rd Annual Mythbusters Column

2009-08-01T20:34:00.006-05:00

Yeah, I knew nothing would stoke the fires of activity like a good 'ol fashioned anti-Husker rant. And yeah...that pretty much went the way I expected it to go. Lots of chuckles from fans around the league...and lots of pouting, pissing and moaning from the world's greatest college football followers in red. Yes, it felt good to get that off my chest, but in the end...those assclowns don't deserve the attention any more now than they did at the end of last year when I declared Husker football dead.

But sure..for old times sake and to keep me sharp, we'll go back and visit our old stomping grounds. Husker fans will continue to wet themselves in a fit of rage and anger (usually calling me names that would make a 5th grader roll his eyes)...and I'll continue to be right about them; again and again. Rest assured, that won't be the norm...unless of course Nebraska or their fans do something so outrageously stupid, it absolutely requires comment.

Anyhow, August somehow snuck up on us, and it's time to get back to some serious pre-season anticipation with the now annual official prediction posts...which almost always cause more people's head to explode than anything else I do all year. (And yeah, that's saying a lot considering the amount of whining and crying that hits my comment page the rest of the year.)

Anyhow, before we do that...let's look forward to the '09 season, and do a little thing I like to call...Mythbusters from around the college football world.

MYTH - Florida's Tim Tebow will lead the Gators as the first back-to-back champions since a steroid-fueled band of Hicks pulled it off in 1994 and 1995. (Even though we all know Penn State would have rolled them in '94)
FACT - I'm not sure I'm the only one who caught this..but wasn't Florida's loss at HOME to a mediocre Mississippi team last year one of the "worst" losses among the leading contending teams? Don't get me wrong, they were as good as anybody last year...but with the SEC down (and don't kid yourselves...it was)...just how good REALLY were they? VERY few people can pull off what Tebow is trying to accomplish (Heisman winner coming back), but if anybody can, it's the greatest college football quarterback of the last 25 years. (Yeah, I said it and I can prove it). That being said, I don't think the Gators are physical enough to pull it off back to back.

MYTH - This will FINALLY be the year that Ohio State busts loose and brings the Big 10 their first National Title since 2002.
FACT - Ohio State will not get past USC, and will once again be victimized by the fact that they play in a shitty conference with boring players, boring personalities and simply above average talent. With road games at Penn State and Michigan (Who will be better, trust me) to end the season, I really don't see Jim Tressel's team being anything more than they've always been: A good team with a big name in a shitty conference.

MYTH - Nick Saban will continue to lead Alabama back as a National powerhouse
FACT - Alabama's clash with Virginia Tech on September 5th will go a long way in telling us what to expect from the Tide. Other than a road game at suddenly good Mississippi at mid season, the rest of their schedule is amazingly light with home tilts against Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU. Unless Auburn gets real good real quick and trips Bama up at home....Look for the SEC title game against probably Florida to be for a BCS title birth. (Don't kid yourself...any SEC team with 1 loss or less is in the title game because ESPN says so.) I don't feel confident about much this season, but if the Tide get past Va Tech in week one...there isn't much stopping them the rest of the year.

MYTH - Lane Kiffin will have Tennessee back in the hunt for the SEC title in 2009.
FACT - Lane Kiffin will most likely be in prison before the Vols are back in the hunt for the SEC title due to recruiting violations so blatantly unethical, only God himself could keep him out of the electric chair. Has there been an easier team on earth to root against than Tennessee lately? Jeez, what a worm.

MYTH - Some shitty Big East team with a squeaky clean record will become the darling of ESPN and cause every east-coast pundit for the better part of three months ask, "Why doesn't the Big East get more respect nationally?".
FACT - Because they don't deserve it. I'm sick of the West Virginias and Pittsburgh's of the world jacking around the entire country by pretending to be WAY better than they really are. The Mountain West is 2x the conference the Big East is...and has been for a while. They're just screwed by geography for being further away from Bristol, CT.

MYTH - BYU will shock the world and pull off the first big upset of the year when they face Oklahoma in Norman in week #1.
FACT - Call me crazy..everybody does...but I think BYU has one hell of a shot of pulling this off. Not sure why really, but the Cougars remind me a lot of most Big 12 teams, and have played some pretty tough teams in their own right. (I think they'd fit right in with most Big 12 teams) Not sure I'd bet my house on it...but do not be shocked if Bob Stoops gets that stupid ass look on his face late in this one...just as he usually does during games in early January.

MYTH - Ndamukong Suh will be a finalist for the Heisman trophy.
FACT - I actually heard this today. I just wanted to see how stupid it looked printed out on the screen.

MYTH - Baylor will be the surprise team of the Big 12
FACT - We've covered this already, and as talented as Robert Griffin is, the Bears still lost quite a bit of firepower. They'll definitely win some games, and they'll definitely be better than A&M; but if you're looking for a come-from-nowhere kind of story..look north: Colorado will shock some people. You heard it here first. (Again)

MYTH - Missouri will fall back to their shitty ways after losing the best 289 players they ever had from last season. (And both coordinators)
FACT - Before Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin and Chase Coffman came to Mizzou, the Tigers will still piling up 7-8 win seasons on a somewhat consistant basis. Yet despite a roster that is young (but deep), they are somehow supposed to hop BACK into the time machine to the early 90's and be in the 4-5 win range? Really? I don't see Kirk Farmer type talent anywhere close to this team, and even though Mizzou won't be nearly as potent in the offensive firepower department, there is still WAY more firepower on the roster than the ones that finished 7-5, 8-4 consistently during the Brad Smith years. (More on them later).

MYTH - Bo Pelini will lead the Husker back to dominance by winning the North Title for the first time in 3 seasons.
FACT - Bo Pelini is a hot-headed idiot who looks and acts like a dim-witted gym teacher from Scranton. Lose the stupid sweatshirt Bo, you look like an fucking moron.

MYTH - Iowa State can't get any worse than last season's horrific finish.
FACT - They can get plenty worse, and will get the hell stomped out of them pretty much every week.

MYTH - Oklahoma vs. Texas will be the game of the year.
FACT - I'm not about to take away from the Red-River rivalry...it's certainly intense and has huge national implications. However, keep an eye on Oregon hosting USC on Halloween night. Oregon has some tough, but winnable games earlier in the season with games against Boise and Utah. Get by those, and it's smooth sailing til the Trojans come to town. If Eugene is hosting a couple of top 10 teams late in October...you can bet they'll put up one hell of a fight against Pete Carrol's team, in a game that most likely could decide a Rose Bowl birth. Love those new Duck uniforms too.

MYTH - Phil Steele is a legend in terms of judging talent and a master of prognostication
FACT - Phil Steele is gigantic douchebag, who wouldn't know his ass from a garbage can. Go to hell Phil, you worthless jackass.

And yes..what Mythbuster's post would be complete without another Kari picture? OK...how bout 2?

PS - Highly anticipated Big 12 Official Prediction column is next.

Back to Basics, Back to Hate

2009-07-29T13:54:00.007-05:00

Leave it to the old standby's to interupt a perfectly boring off-season preview. No, I won’t try and lie to you and pretend that I didn’t know this was going to happen. Although the surroundings are a bit different, and my passion to write barely has a pulse…I knew I would have to address the following situation that has begun to boil. Either way, you and I both know I can’t keep this up for an entire year and beyond. I couldn’t do it with my old blog, and I certainly can’t do it now. However, the reason I did keep open the option to continue writing was because I knew things would come along to piss me off...on in this case, violently roll my eyes into my skull.

So with that being said…let’s go back a few years to a simpler time.

Let’s go back to the years where a fanatical and delusional fan base was completely out of control, spewing out inaccurate facts and opinions at alarming rates. Let’s go back and remember just how ridiculous most of their claims were, and just how stupid their arguments sounded to those outside their walls. They tried to tell you how great their receivers were. They tried to convince us all that their NFL caliber coach had all the answers. They tried to annoint a backup Pac-10 flunky the second coming of Jesus Christ. They force fed themselves and others a multitude of lies regarding recruits, history and their general place in life...the game and of course...the sporting universe.

But........ then they were destroyed and pretty much went away.

However, thanks to a huge New Year’s Day win over a 6 loss ACC team that shook the very foundation of the sports world…(immediately following a last second win over a sub .500 Colorado team at home)…the cockroaches have colonized once again, and are scurrying among our feet. The idiotic claims are trickling back. The predictions of impending redemption are once again roaring across cyberspace and drifting across the airwaves. Their coach once again has all the answers. Everything is back where it should be…Order is finally about to be restored.
Yes, welcome back Husker fans, if only for a little while.

It’s been a long time since I’ve directly addressed you buck-toothed, moonshine swilling, Brooks and Dunn listening backward ass Mahindra driving yokels. But just when the rest of the world has had enough of your annoying blathering…I have come back to the scene of your crimes against humanity. Even though the surroundings are the same…your attitudes are strikingly identical to every other year you’ve proclaimed your impending return to glory….somehow everything is different.

Instead of feeling I have to continue to wage a one-man 20+ year crusade against your relentless and tireless honoring of yourselves…I now feel the same way one would feel when a gnat is flying too close to your forehead for a little more than a second at a summer picnic. Sure, things were different when you pulled into town with five 300lb linemen, a savvy coach…fleet footed QB’s and a variety of woman-punching thugs with talent at your disposal….but today, the attitude is the same…but the firepower is far different.

We’ll get into all the reasons why you aren’t “back” later….why order isn’t “restored” or whatever stupid-ass snappy slogan you’ve decided to slap on a t-shirt this week. All of that is in the works, and just as in previous years…it’s extremely easy to prove. However, today the annoyance is not for who you think you are…but who you most definately are not. No, today is a day to chuckle aloud, lean up out of one’s chair, and bring down a quick flyswatter of reality onto your delusional, yellow-foam coated skulls. You’ll probably think these words are familiar because they are. I’ve been telling you clowns this for years…yet here you come again with more of the same old, same old.

Ready?

People don’t hate you because they fear you. That emotion left sometime around the time Chris Brown was running for his 9th touchdown in the first quarter of a late November game in 2001. No, people hate you for the same reason they have always hated you : Because you’re annoying, arrogant and pompous assholes. Always have been. (Except you used to have a good team to root for)

I’ve given you the reasons why you are so despised by fans who know you for years, both in cyberspace and to those around me. I’ve explained to you that national “powers” don’t lose 26 games in 5 seasons. I’ve explained to you why nobody with two pasty white wide receivers should be claiming to be one of "the league's best corps". I’ve told you time and time and time again why we’re laughing not with you, but at you. And yet for some strange reason, you keep coming back for more? Why? I realize football is all you have, and it’s going to take more than a hate-filled blog and 8 years of mediocre football to convince you that the mid 1990’s are long gone.

Perhaps NINE years of crappy football will convince you otherwise? Perhaps yet ANOTHER season of unrealistic expectations followed by complete and utter failure will convince you that you might want to find another hobby? (UNO hockey anyone?). Perhaps you brushed off everything I’ve been trying to tell you as luck? Whatever the reason, I will continue to roll my eyes and give you a light pity clap as you reach upward for somebody to pull you out of the gigantic pool of shit you will most definately slip into later on this fall. It’s predictable. It’s easy to see and above all else…it’s been done before. (Several years in a row now in fact.)

But yet even all that isn’t enough to derail the ego-train driven by the Nebraska media and their self-congratulatory fans. Any other fan base would see a brand new QB and tough schedule as something to be concerned about….not you. Any other fan base would probably realize that beating absolutely nobody and celebrating a win over a mediocre ACC team like the closing credits of Soul Train was a bad idea going into an off-season….not you. Any other fan base would realize that 1971, 1995 or any other memorable football year that found you with fond memories and a full head of hair is long gone.....and all the Johnny Roger pre-game speeches can’t make them come back….but not you.

No, once again, you’ve proven that delusional arrogance needs only memories and self-indulgence to fuel itself. NO OTHER fan base on earth would pound their chest prior to a season where their best offensive weapons are a second string running back and mediocre tight end. NO OTHER fan base would have the fucking balls to declare themselves BACK after losing to their biggest conference rival by 6TD’s at home. NO OTHER fan base on the planet would parlay a horrible performance against a bad Colorado team, and turn it into momentum for the coming year. I’m not shocked by it. Other Big 12 fans aren’t shocked by it. I’m guessing even God himself…who made you into this driveling mess after you sold your soul to the devil in 1997 isn’t too shocked about it.

We now stand at just over 30 days until another football season kicks off, and you idiots are no wiser than you’ve ever been. (WIDER probably, but definitely not wiser.) This year as in past years...you’ve ignored the warnings of others, just as you’ve completely brushed off any common sense that would creep into the mind of a normal fan. So as we stand at the home stretch of the off season, let me once again acknowledge and honor my good friends from Nebraska, who will stop at absolutely NOTHING to make sure you understand just how powerful, knowledgeable and yeah…humble they are. The broomsticks are in hand…the plastic windmills are being setup all along the Midwest as a tidal wave of emotion stands to meet a concrete pillar of reality.

I will once again be here to witness the carnage, just as I have been the past several years. I will laugh as the excuses pile up; I will chuckle to myself when you try and find some sort of way to save your sinking ship with rubber bands and a roll of aluminum foil. However, what I will not do is feel sorry for you, nor give you advice as you fight among yourselves, as you desperately try to put Humpty Pelini back together again. You’ll continue to spin in circles, and I will continue to be right…just as I always have.

But that doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a backhand across your face now and then, if for no other reason but to remind you that the rest of us are well aware of the endless miles of bullshit you’ve tried to sell us before. No, none of us are buying that shit again (OK, maybe Phil Steele and a bunch of Big 12 writers are). Perhaps Florida Atlantic fans would like to hear all about your glorious past, your brilliant players and your superior fans? The rest of us had a good laugh and closed that chapter long ago….it’s still humorous, but not nearly as funny as the first time.

Still Here

2009-07-27T13:33:00.002-05:00

Went out of town and figured I could update the blog while I was out...but didn't find the time. (Boo hoo, I know.)

Anyway, it's July..there's nothing going on anyway. Something good should come out of media days...so give it some time, and I'll get something out soon. I never claimed this thing would start out like a house of fire.

Rapid Fire Previews

2009-07-19T10:46:00.007-05:00

OK, fine.

I tried it…I didn’t really like it, so I’m not doing it.

As we've done in previous years...previewing the North from time to time, with an inner-sprinkling of hate was always fun. Yes we touched on your proverbial crappy teams (ISU and Kansas)…your proverbial should-be-better-but-for-some-reason-aren’t teams like KSU and Colorado. And then you had the 11 month long pissing match between Missouri and Nebraska fans. Now, as I’ve stated for quite a while on the old blog…I often times have to stop myself in mid-plan, because I realize during the journey that I’m getting away from what I really want to do. Know what am I trying to say?

Analysis and breakdowns are easy when everybody has their familiar role. However, try and break down the entire conference in a concise and semi-professional way? Uhhhh not gonna work. Hey, I gave it a good try last week.

So instead, here’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to preview the remaining nine teams in the conference in sort of a speed-dating type rapid fire. After that, we’ll be done with the formal “previews” and get to what you people come here to read….me ranting and raving about things that piss me off, or things that are just plain stupid here in the middle of America’s least understood and least respected football conference.

So fine..let’s get this over with. And remember, the official prediction threads…the one that cause all the panty bunching and hissy fits will be coming up at the end of the month. Hey, we can speed things up and change course…but it’s still only July…and as I’m sure you’ve already figured out…there’s absolutely nothing new to preview until Media Day in Dallas in a week or two.

TEXAS TECH – Tricked out step-brother of OU and UT. Mike Leach, always the freak always seems to find ways to remain in contention…but still remains to wear a bridesmaid dress. One minute, they’re beating Texas on a last second thriller....the next minute they’re struggling with a horrible Nebraska team at home. This year? Who the hell knows. They’ll be good. They won’t be great. They’ll beat a team they shouldn’t and lose to a team they should beat. Same old Tech...why change this year?

KANSAS STATE – God I love the KSU fans. Always proud, my poor friends from Manhattan don’t have the age-old “history” card to fall back on when people rip on their team’s current state of affairs. Instead, the Cat fans simply take it on the chin and scribble down the names for later retribution. Bill Snyder’s return is either absolutely brilliant, or possibly the dumbest move in the history of the game. Turning back around a program like KSU is going to be tougher than most schools, simply for their geography, and the fact that Missouri and Kansas are up recently. I have no real idea what to expect form this team.

OKLAHOMA STATE – I caught a lot of flack last year with my statement that Okie State last year really didn’t impress me. Oh sure, they beat Missouri on the road, and fought Texas and OU to the death. But there was just something about them that I simply couldn’t put my finger on…something just not right. Their game with Georgia will tell us a lot about them…although I have to admit…I’m still not sold just yet. Good team for sure…9 win team perhaps. But not great just yet in my eyes.

COLORADO – My proxy brothers in arms head into another season with the usual question marks and unknowns. Somewhere I read that 17 starters missed games with injuries for CU last year. Yes, I’ve predicted their return to glory for several years now, and I’m still not sure they’re quite ready. But after getting assrammed by Missouri and squeaking by lowly Iowa State, they actually put together a couple of pretty nice games in late November. Their schedule is again pretty tough with a trip to West Virginia and pesky Toledo…but something tells me CU will be hanging around at the end. We shall see.

KANSAS – OK Beakers...you redlegged civilian women and children pillaging freaks: With all the banter between Missouri and Nebraska lately, people still overlook the decent amount of returning firepower KU brings to the table. They get Nebraska at home...Mizzou on a neutral field and their toughest non-con test is mighty Texas (El Paso). (OU, @Texas and @Tech don’t’ sound fun though.) So other than that… why aren’t people taking KU more seriously? Because they weren’t that good to begin with, that’s why. Todd Reesing is a scrapper and hands down the best returning QB in the North. (Hell, he’s the only one isn’t he pretty much?) But if a football team sucks in the woods and nobody hears from them…are they still good? KU will be a non-factor by late October due to their tough Southern schedule and gigantic holes on the defensive side of the ball…just as the fluke that was 2007 floats further and further away in the rear-view mirror.

OKLAHOMA – I view the Sooners pretty much the same way I view the New England Patriots. Solid and successful…a gold Standard organization that is as dirty as the Mississippi and as crooked as a Baobab root. The Sooners are the quintessential villains of the Big 12, somehow yanking the title away from Texas who…let’s just face it…give us much harder coaches/players to hate than Bob Stoops and the team from Norman. OU will be good. OU will always be good. And as always, I hope they fall on their face, and suffer a Boise-type embarrassment week after week after week. Did I mention they were really good?

MISSOURI – Some “experts” have Missouri competing for a North title with a few returning cogs of a good-yet-not-super season in 2008. Other “experts” have them finishing 5th in the conference, and even that is contingent on Mizzou beating Iowa State to stay out of the cellar. Everything for the Tigers is going to hinge on the play of former Husker wonder boy Blaine Gabbert…especially in week’s 1 and 4..where the Tigers take on a decent Illinois team in St. Louis, and a scary Nevada team in Reno. (Which great Columbia Tribune beat writer Dave Matter noted last week….barely got “squeaked out” by the Tigers in a 52 point loss last season.) I could see Mizzou winning 10 games. I could see Mizzou winning 6 games. Somewhere in between..the truth lies. Regardless, no team can afford injuries less than MU. Time will tell.

TEXAS – I think it would kinda suck to be a Texas fan. Oh sure, you have the greatest facilities on earth..the most fertile recruiting grounds anywhere and more money than God….but even with all that…OU and Bob Stoops seem to always stay a step ahead. It will be interesting to see how UT bounces “back” from their apparently “snub” in the Big 12 title game last year…where they pissed and moaned about the right to smack and uninspired Mizzou team in the Championship game and therefore leapfrog into the BCS title game. Colt McCoy shows some pretty good guts and moxy late in the season last year, and it will be interesting if he handles himself with the same sort of toughness. It will be interesting to see if their joke of a non-conference schedule catches up with them in the end. (And I must admit..it would be kinda funny after the crybaby antics last year.)

NEBRASKA – To my old friends in red....just because you don't have a specific corner of cyberspace dedicated to your extreme suckage, doesn't mean you don't deserve the verbal lashing that you subconsciously crave. Truth be told, I'm not surprised by this summer's version of Husker fans...because quite frankly, they're exactly the same version of Husker fans over the past 10 years or so. Extreme confidence in unproven players, an over-abundance self-satisfaction in supporting a coach that has done nothing ...and good old-fashioned myopia have clouded your soybean crusted minds into something that...quite frankly...never shocks me.

Somehow...in some strange way...not having an experience quarterback is only a problem for other teams. Somehow, if that quarterback is indeed as good as you just KNOW he is (Juco coaches told you so)...his receivers will suddenly not be the bench warming underachievers they've been over the previous three years. SOMEHOW, a mediocre running back who ran up gaudy yards against crap teams and Oklahoma's fourth string defense is going to show the rest of the big 12 that "I-Back University" isn't going anywhere. SOMEHOW, a fat and overrated personal foul machine is going to be the greatest defensive lineman the world has ever know....all because a couple of passes hit him in the chest.

Yes, same old modern day Husker fans...with your wild visions of Johnny Rogers, Christian Peter and Eric Crouch...all while the soundtrack of Kent Pavelka's voice still booms through your brains. Yes, you're partying like it's 1995....again. And yes, you will soon celebrate the fruits of mediocrity (if that)...again.

Road games at KU, Colorado, Va Tech and Missouri? No problem. Oklahoma and Tech at home? Pfffft they suck. All of this is playing out like a sad and twisted reality show, and you bumpkins are once again the unknowing stars. (While the audience at home laughs at your predictions of conference titles, BCS bids and repetitive claims that you are once again....BACK. "No, this time we mean it!")

We will get more into this I'm sure...but if you're a regular reader of the old blog...you already know what I'm going to tell; just as you already know how this is going to end. So yeah, I'll make sure to remind everyone else, as we continue to laugh at you...not with you. Then in late September when the Sun Belt conference title is in hand and the rest of the season goes to shit..you can once again...look to me to see why it all went wrong...yet again.

Ho hum.

Mythbusters coming this week.

Pressing buttons

2009-07-15T10:32:00.006-05:00

OK, I've officially (re)-arrived....as I've now pissed off an entirely new fan base. (Congrats to me!)

I officially apologize for misunderstanding the A&M offense in terms of their QB situation. I was under the impression that Tannehill was being forced into the QB position because of Johnson's trouble's in 08. So, since most of ya'all haven't read my previous stuff before (almost all directed at the Northern teams)...let me fill you in on a few things:

1) If you want in-depth analysis..go to ESPN.com or Rivals. They obviously do a much better job than me. However, if you want straight-up truth and overall perception...I'm your guy. The fact of the matter is...no WAY should you have the resources that you do, and finish up 4-8. That is absolutely unacceptable, and probably a very good reason why you guys are all pissed off at me this morning. Oh, and I've had a pretty good track record of being right over the past couple of years. Just ask the Corn people.

2) If I'm wrong...I'll tell you I'm wrong.

3) If you feel I'm way off..go ahead and tell me. However, I do ask that if you take the time to reply with "hey idiot" or "hey shitforbrains" etc etc...you take the time to explain WHY you think I'm wrong. I'm all about free-speech here, and will call myself out when needed. However, I will also make sure to use your own words against you...so be careful.

4) The reason I expanded this blog to the entire conference was that I wanted to understand the fan dynamics that make things tick. I want to know what makes you hate other teams...I want to know why you feel last year was a fluke and how this year will be different. If Tannehill is better than Johnson, why was he moved out to WR? And if it was to get his talents onto the field...how did that work out for you? Obviously not very good...so what's the next step?

Either way...appreciate the feedback. Welcome and fire away.

I can take it.

Sherman's March Past Mediocrity and Into the Sea

2009-07-14T12:48:00.003-05:00

I still can’t believe Texas A&M hired Mike Sherman a few years ago....I mean that move literally boggles my mind, even to this day. Pardon me if I'm wrong, but A&M has EVERYTHING in place to stay a national power: Huge boosters, huge fan support, a monster home field advantage…and oh yeah…they sit right in the middle of some of the most fertile recruiting grounds on earth. So how come they keep moving backwards? What’s their deal? HOW DO YOU LOSE TO ARKANSAS STATE AT HOME?!?!

After doing a little research about A&M over the past couple of days…I’m really not sure I know the answer.

TEXAS A&M (4-8 in 2008)

If one of your biggest wins is over Iowa State (A close one at that)…you’ve got problems. The funny thing is, the Aggies have such a strong reputation for being a difficult place to play, that people actually fail to realize just how Godawful they really are these days. How’s this for size? 114th in rushing offense…114th in rushing defense…108th in pass efficency defense, 114th in total defense…114th in scoring defense…104th in turnover margain. They did only rank 95th in pass defense, so I guess they had somewhat of a strength there. Come to think of it..how did these guys win any games? Arkansas State? One of the best home field advantages in football? Really?

POSITVES FOR 2009
I have read a lot of preview items around the conference, and I’m sorry…I just don’t buy that A&M is somehow lacking the athletes to compete with other teams in the Big 12. Granted, you are in the South, but that still makes it unacceptable in ANY case to have lesser speed and power than the University of Kansas. Sherman has gotten a lot of love from the recruiting geeks over the past couple of years…but as Bill Callahan proved, you don’t have to be a genius to destroy perfectly good overrated players. There are some key guys coming back this season, but the only question now is whether or not rock bottom has been hit. The fact that I’ve rambled on for several sentences and STILL can’t find a single positive here, should speak volumes. Did I mention A&M has a great band?

NEGATIVES FOR 2009
Besides the fact that a HORRIBLY overmatched NFL flunkie is their coach, A&M is still trying to find the right QB mix for the 2009 season. One of the guys seriously being considered is Ryan Tannehill….who oh yeah…isn’t even a quarterback. If one of your best QB’s is not a QB….that’s an issue.

THINGS YOU CAN COUNT ON IN 2009
As long as Sherman is running the show, look for A&M to continue to be a conference afterthought. With Texas and OU still light years ahead and OSU and Baylor (BAYLOR for God’s sake) improving quickly…the bottom of the shitter is pretty much reserved for a team that gave up 40 or more points 8 times in 2008. Perhaps they’ll “bounce back” as Nebraska did last year…but just as the Huskers feasted on Northern bottom dwellers to install a false sense of satisfaction, A&M has no such luxury. I would say also that a tough game with Texas as home is something to count on…but looking at the rosters of the two teams…uhhhh…no. Probably not.

HISTORY TEACHES US….
..that there are bad coaches and bad talent..but it takes a true special debacle to combine bad talent and bad coaching. Maybe it was the good-ol-boy network that allowed Sherman to take the job in 2007 without anybody else even getting an interview? Perhaps he has nude pictures of George Bush? Whatever it is, it’s safe to say that this train wreck will not stop rolling until the head buffoon in charge is ejected. Whether that happens this year or next year or never is up to the boosters, who will tell AD Bill byrne when it’s appropriate to fire Sherman and give him untold millions to go take a vacation somewhere. It’s just a matter of time. My money is on Mid-October if you are taking bets on such action.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
Well, at least up-and-coming Miami is off the schedule. Back is New Mexico, which gave the Aggies a rare road win over a team from everybody’s 2008 darling conference. Jerry Jones’ monument to decadence will hosts Arkansas’ blowout win over the Aggies on 10/3, as the Aggies shortly after move into Big 12 play. The North slate is as easy as it gets with KSU, Colorado and Iowa State on the schedule. Good thing, because the last three weeks include OU, an improved Baylor team (that thumped A&M last year) and then the formerly-good-game-now-regular-bludgeoning-sideshow game the Friday after Thanksgiving with Texas. In order for the Aggies to shock the world and God forbid make a bowl game, the OSU, Arkansas and Colorado games are a must. Ummm yeah..I'm not counting on it either.

TEXAS A&M BY THE NUMBERS:

120 – The amount of points A&M gave up in 2008 combined to Baylor, K-State and Iowa State.

1.8 million – Amount in legal U.S. currency wasted by A&M in 2009 to emoply Mike Sherman

99 – Teams in NCAA FBS that had more sacks per game than Texas A&M..most of which did not have a deafening home crowd of 88,000 per game to cheer them on.

212.42 – Number of total offense yards per game QB Jerrod Johnson had in 2008…good for 11th in the Big 12.

A Team So Bad, I Can't Even Think of a Catchy Title

2009-07-09T13:11:00.004-05:00

In the four plus years that I’ve written a college football blog, I’ve maybe spent a grand total of 5 minutes studying Iowa State football. In fact, I think the only time I really sat down and watched a Cyclone game was the OU game last year. (Or was it two years ago? Who can keep them all straight?) Anyway, the point is the Clones are bad…by far the worst team in the conference. So since their standing is pathetic..and since they don’t appear to be getting any better anytime soon…let’s get through this quick.

IOWA STATE (2-10 in 2009)

It’s one thing for Baylor to suck, mired in the daunting quicksand that is the talent packed Big 12 south; however, it’s quite another to suck and be consistently stomped by the likes of the powder-puffs of the Big 12 north. ISU was not just bad last year, they were horrifically bad. Oh sure, they had a couple of close losses, like the inexplicably close 2 point loss to KU and the OT loss at national power UNLV. But still, the Clones were decimated by bad coaching, bad offense and absolutely putrid defense as defined by their Cosgrovian ability to give up 30 or more points 7 times in Big 12 play alone.

POSITIVES for 2009
Seriously, could they be any worse? The Clones return Austen Arnaud under center, but with a new head coach and a new offensive system…how good are you really looking at being? Leonard Johnson turned out to be a really nice bright spot in 2008, ending up in the top 20 in the nation in kick returns. But then again…when you’re giving up 35.8ppg, you’re going to get a lot of practice returning kicks. The only other positive…a schedule that is tough…but missing OU and Texas.

NEGATIVES for 2009
Seriously…do I have to go through all of these here?

THINGS YOU CAN COUNT ON IN 2009
I really can’t say anything bad about ISU fans over the years (who really can), but in fact…it’s really hard to find them nowadays. We know they exist…I’ve seen them at women’s basketball games and wrestling matches on CSTV…but still, I don’t blame them for staying away. Regardless, the Clones can usually be counted on for two things every year: Playing Iowa tough, and getting rolled by everybody else. (Hell, even North Dakota State in week one isn’t a gimmie..they may even be underdogs.) Regardless, look for more growing pains, and more automatic losses coming from Ames this season. (Shocking…hard-hitting analysis there huh? I told you I just wanted to get through this.)

HISTORY TEACHES US….
Sometimes, a team can be discounted as so bad…their rebuilding tends to sneak up on you quickly. With that being said, would anybody be shocked if ISU rose up and won a couple games they shouldn’t early in the year? OK, scratch that..of course they would be shocked. But regardless, even with their recent streak of futility, the Clones have GOT to be due for some sort of positivity….right? Ummmm, Maybe not. Then again, when you pick up Rice’s offensive coordinator in the offensive coordinator…how could you not have issues.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
If you’re going to break in a new coaching staff, at least you can do so without having waste your time being bludgeoned by Oklahoma or Texas. (Unless they meet in Arlington in December right? Heh). Regardless, instead of looking at the schedule as a whole, one needs to focus on games the Clones could actually win. As stated before, bad ISU teams have beaten good Iowa teams before. Kansas State is vulnerable on a neutral field, and Colorado is always good for laying an egg on the road from time to time. The other three non-conference games….NoDak State, @Kent State and Army…are not exactly a waltz in the park. Then again, if you can’t beat Army at home…you’ve got real problems.

IOWA STATE BY THE NUMBERS:
117 – Iowa State’s passing defense ranking out of 119 teams in 2008.

19 – Number of ISU losses over the last 2 seasons. (Most in the Big 12)

1354 – Number of days since ISU won a conference road game (10/25/05 A&M)

0.00001 – Average ratings point of an ISU football telecast

Up Next: Gig Em

The 2009 Preview Begins - Baylor Bears

2009-07-07T12:48:00.004-05:00

Man it’s good to be alive. Everything is green…it hasn’t gotten too hot yet, and the typical white hot pre-season delusionalism is in full swing. I’m not sure where you live, but in my neck of the woods, people are so confident of their team’s success in 2009, they’ve completely ignored such minute details as the fact that they are starting a dude that not only looks like Brian from High School Musical…but has a grand total of 2 career passes more than the girly little teenager who plays Brian in High School Musical.

What this signals is not just the complete and total disconnect from reality that we've discussed for years, but that we’ve reached the part of the off-season where the sidewalk literally ends. Yes, football is less than 60 days away…and yes…everybody excited for the best four month span of the year to start. But just as any other year…there reaches a point where simply nothing more can be said.

Because this is the blue-ribbon fark-free college football news source you can trust…we completely understand your plight. We understand you are looking for more than the same old “so and so will win so many games." We understand you can only take so many features on Colt McCoy or Bo Pelini’s phantom defense. No, we here at the Diary want to give you something you just won’t find anywhere else.

Where better to start than a preview of the Baylor Bears.

BAYLOR (4-8 in 2009)

I know what you’re saying….”Hey AJ, nobody gives a shit about Baylor.” This is probably true…including a vast majority of students actually residing in Waco, Texas. However…in case you didn’t notice, the Bears have a few quality players and a new found tenacity that hasn’t been there since…well ever. Oh sure, they finished 4-8 in 2008 and face one of the toughest schedules in the nation; but that doesn't stop them from taking the Big 12 media's crown as over-hyped pre-season media darlings.

POSTIVES for 2009
Robert Griffin might be the best dual threat quarterback in the Big 12 since the days of Senaca Wallace, Vince Young and Brad Smith. As a highly touted freshman, the guy only threw for 2,000 yards and rushed for 800 more; all the while having an offensive line in front of him hat wore green jersies and the words “Baylor” across the front. Although not exactly a snake pit on game day, Baylor produces some of the nicest fall Saturday weather anywhere in the Big 12. BONUS!!!

NEGATIVES for 2009
As good as Griffin is, he very little to throw to. Thomas White is gone…and sure Kendall Wright caught 50 passes last season. However, as Missouri and Iowa State found out during their dual threat QB years…a fleet footed QB may be dangerous and may even win a few games here or there..but without somebody to throw to…they can be contained very easily. Other negatives include the lack of a decent pass rush returning, a home field advantage that features the noise and electricity of an NAACP conference in Maine...as well as the fact that…well…they’re still Baylor.

THINGS YOU CAN COUNT ON IN 2009
I think we can all agree that it is very likely that on a random Saturday, Baylor will raise a few eyebrows and beat somebody they shouldn’t. Whether that’s Wake Forest in week one…Oklahoma State in Waco on October 24th. Or maybe even the impossible upset of pre-season #4 Texas in mid November. (Wouldn’t that be something.) However, we also know that the Bears will easily fall victim to their surroundings…wilting under the intensity of living at the bottom of college football’s best division. Expect swift and brutal beatings to destroy any and all confidence of a "sleeper" program looking to live up to the ridiculous expectations bestowed upon them by bored sportswriters and bloggers everywhere.

HISTORY TEACHES US….
The hill that Art Briles’ team faces is unlike any other in college football. Nowhere in division 1A does such a crappy program take on such gigantic challenges. However, with that being said, Baylor fans (if they had any) would take comfort that at the very least, their destiny lies with small battles rather than the larger war. There is no way in hell Baylor will compete for the South, nor will they likely ever in any of our lifetimes. However, with Robert Griffin driving the bus…that small chance remains of pulling the upset and sending some other team’s season into the tank. Whether it’s OSU, Nebraska or even Texas…a loss to Baylor would be as big of a PR hit as there is. Do I think it will happen? We’ll see…but the Bears have been close before, with far less talent. We shall see.

SCHEDULE HIGHLIGHTS
Congratulations…you’re a Division 1 head football coach. Now go play 5 pre-season ranked teams and sprinkle in two good-but-not-great teams from the east in your non-conference season. Hell, even Kent State on October 3rd is no gimmie. Does any team deserve a brutal stretch final 6 games as the Bears? First a game against a top-flight Oklahoma State team, followed by a predictable and restful home win against Nebraska. Then four straight at Missouri, vs. Texas, at Texas A&M and vs. Texas Tech? Yikes.

BAYLOR BY THE NUMBERS:
13 – The number of years it’s been since Baylor had a winning record

92 – Baylor's passing offense ranking in 2008…leading many to wonder just how the hell the Bears are supposed to "raise eyebrows" all over the league as many predict.

244 – Yards per game Robert Griffin averaged in 2008.

3,904 – The number of yards Robert Griffin needs to become BU’s all time leading passer; which is sad.

Coming up next….The Clones

High on the Hog, and Hoggin While High

2009-07-02T13:10:00.007-05:00

Ahhhhh…it’s good to be back.

Thanks to all for the welcome back’s and the semi-kind words. I appreciate the feedback not only because I’m an attention whore, but I think in today’s modern world…it’s harder and harder to find news and commentary that don’t completely suck. (This is especially true with the mainstream media and traditional outlets.) It’s therapeutic for me to bitch about stuff, and I appreciate that a good number of you guys enjoy it.

With that being said, it’s also nice to see my former advisories already going to the uber-predictable “we knew you’d be back” line of bullshit. Truth be told, I never said I was retiring. I said the BLOG was retiring. I just find it funny that all of you assclowns that always said, “Why do you bother obsessing about us blah blah blah”? Now have nothing. You’re Baylor…and in an ironic twist of fate..will most likely get pounded by Baylor this coming fall. And yes...I know it kills you that nobody gives a shit about you…not even me. So either move on or pop in another episode of Lord of the Rings and go find somebody else to obsess over. Your aura is done and don’t come bitching to me until you actually do something more impressive than beat a 6 loss ACC team late in a 3rd tier bowl game.

Anyhow, I’m not going to lie to you people…in my de facto hiatus from blogging, I pretty much put college football and college sports in general on the back burner. I’m not sure about you, but I’m of the school of thought that it’s often good to get away for a while…recharge the batteries..and then jump back into the game at full throttle. So in doing so in this particular case, I threw open the mountains of 2009 previews that are out there, and came to a blinding realization: This is the part where I pick some mid-level team to come out of the pack, and challenge Oklahoma or Texas for conference supremacy. This is the part, where I lean on stats and figures to tell you why somebody is going to be the next ’07 Kansas Jayhawks, and ride a completely shitty schedule to fame and glory. (More on them in a bit.)

But in the end..the whole thing is a sham. Oklahoma and Texas rule this conference like Jorge Rafael Videla on a 5 day coke binge. They have the power, the resources and the money..and everybody else is along for the ride, fighting for third place.

I know I know..this is not shocking and I’m CERTAINLY not the first person to notice this chilling fact. However, as a card carrying fan of the Big 12 North…I must say…I’m GLAD Texas and Oklahoma rule with an iron fist. I’m glad Bob Stoops can smirk all night after running up another touchdown on Cincinnati…I’m GLAD that Mack Brown can waltz into some trailer park in Midland and pull out some 5 star recruit…hours after he landed the previous 5 star recruit from a trailer in a different town across the pasture. The point is…sports are great because happiness is not necessarily found at the end of a victory parade, or in the midst of confetti falling out of the sky after a big bowl win.

No, happiness in a spectator sport such as this is watching the mighty and powerful go down to the hands of the downtrodden.

The same argument plays out every year in the NFL. Every once in a while, you get some national pundit who longs for the old days, where the 49ers or Cowboys or whomever run up another 42 point Super Bowl win to the delight of their legions of bandwagon fans nationwide. And yes, although this turns off the other 95% of the viewing public, it sets up one of life’s grandest conquests…..taking Goliath down and spitting on his lifeless corpse once his pulse has ceased.

OK sure…usually Goliath just gets up again, and the following season is stomping people by 6-7 TD’s while picking up another bucket full of prized recruits during the halftime festivities. But for that one magical night..watching the strong lose to the weak is worth the high price of admission…especially if you root for a team that is historically downtrodden. Don’t believe me? Ask Iowa State fan how he felt watching Marv Siler go Dan Marino on the Huksers on a random Saturday in November back in 1992…and compare that to how Oklahoma fans felt after winning the 2008 Big 12 title. Do you really hink that Euphoria is much different? Ask Colorado fan how happy they were after beating Oklahoma late in 2007…and compare that to Texas beating Arizona State in the 2007 Holiday Bowl to cap off another great 10 win season? Who was more satisfied after those particular games?

The point is..we all know who is strong and who is weak in the Big 12 pecking order. (Well…ahem…most of us do. Some simply turn to drugs and red-coated denial) However, that’s not always the big picture when it comes to who really “wins” and who really “loses”.

I’ll get along to breaking down the teams as I see fit shortly..and most of you will have a spastic hissy fit in reply to them. However, keep in mind that victory is in the eye of the beholder..and not necessarily of you…your fans or Phil Steele.

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Somebody asked me the other day if I was all set to write up another annual July 4th rant. The quick reply is “no”…but I will recap my own personal views on the tragic holliday gone terribly wrong…for those of you whom may not have caught it before:

Like many (or every) other holidays…the 4th of July has turned from something meaningful into something horrible. This is usually caused by the lowest members of society, taking a particular day of reflection and turning it into their own private audition for mythbusters. Again, I don’t mind celebrating the birth of our great nation in whatever way the founding fathers have seen fit to bestow upon us. But if you spend 5 grand on bottle rockets…you’re a pathetic loser. (Unless you’re 12..in which case props to you for having 5 grand to blow on fireworks.) I’ll continue more into this after the weekend, when the normal band of teenage gurilla fighers attempt to burn down own neighborhood with every incendiary device they can think of.

Stay tuned.

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As many of you may be wondering…I’d love to throw my two cents in regarding the recently departed King of Pop. Sure stars die and stars move on…but very rarely does a star leave that much impact on both our positive and negative psyches . Such was the case in the complicated figure that was Michael Jackson. On one hand..dude was a complete freak who quite obviously…checked out of the Hotel Sane a long long time ago. Granted when your childhood is as screwed up as his…you can pretty much count on this..but still; The guy was as weird and as strange as anyone on the planet.

HOWEVER….as KC Star columnist Joe Posnanski blogged earlier this week…even Generation X’ers such as myself who never truly liked any Michael Jackson song…have to admire the impact the man made on pop culture and popular music. I mean, try to explain to anyone under the age of 32 just how big the guy was back in the day…and you’ll find yourself at a loss for words. The guy was on commercials…on MTV…at the grocery store…everywhere. And even if his songs were somewhat lame and oftentimes hokey…his hooks and flash were just the ticket for a generation that grew up with bright lights and cable television.

I for one am rather indifferent, other than the tragedy that 3 kids lost a father (maybe?) all too soon at age 50. However, when somebody sells 750 million records in a career…you at the very least…must applaud their abilities.

(And that is my first and last Michael Jackson comment ever on this blog.)

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And finally…speaking of people who are misunderstood…we come to the sad tale of KU quarterback Todd Reesing.

As many of my readers are adamant antagonists of all thing Jayhawk, I will not go into the details regarding the qualifications and downfalls of the quarterback of the University of Kansas. Obviously…even from the enmy’s viewpoint…Reesing has guts…mad skills and can single handedly win a game..or at the very least…keep KU reasonably comfortable while battling a 3 win Sun Belt team.

However, this next comment is not meant to attack his on-the field skills…as I am well aware that he is far and away the best returning signal caller in the North Division. What I’m about to say is not even a judgement on his character both as an athlete or as a simple college student out having fun. However with that being said…I will say this one time only:

Dude…..

You’re one of the best quarterbacks in the best league in the country…you’re being mentioned as a Heisman dark horse. Your team is counting on you to lead them to one last gleaming shot at glory. (Unless you count a not-deserved trip to the worst BCS bowl game there is…matched up against an offensively retarded ACC team opposite Dancing with the Stars…but I digress. )

But seriously…if you’re going to go out partying and have somebody snap some photos of you….at the VERY LEAST make sure the chick you are with weighs less than you do.

I mean come on…we’ve all done things we’re not really proud of…and I’m sure in the face of your miniature (heh) celebrity, you have to be pretty much nice to everybody…and put on a happy face whenever asked. But good lord man…you’ve GOT to be able to do better than that. I mean…I’m not against drinking..and God knows when I was a college athlete I…more than a couple of times…may or may not have broken team curfew rules and snuck out for a drink or two or fifty. But Good lord…have a little bit of self-dignity. Sign an autograph…take a quick little snapshot and move on to sorority row. You’re a senior and a high profile one at that…you don’t have to make the same mistakes that many of us have. Don’t ruin this opportunity by dropping below even a KU guy’s level. You will for sure remember this after this season when you’re no longer going to be Todd the Heisman candidate…but rather Todd the Grad Assistant or Todd the guy in the Lowe's paint department with the really cool hair.

I’m saying this not as a blogger or as an enemy fan…but as a fellow man: Have some respect for yourself son. That is brutal.

Have a great holiday weekend...but not too great. Let this picture be your warning.

Off the Ground

2009-06-30T08:43:00.002-05:00

Welcome.

OK, let’s cut through the crap right off the bat.

A lot of you probably not only know me, but have called me every name in the book at some point or another. I’ll admit that the thought of starting from scratch under a new ghost name crossed my mind a lot over the last few months. But let’s face it…you clowns would just figure out who I am anyway, and quite frankly, I don’t feel like changing my writing style to try and throw you off my trail. Blogging itself is pretty dumb, so there’s no use in me trying to be somebody I’m not.

So with that being said, welcome to my new corner of the internet. As some of you may know, I shut down my last blog, because the team it was dedicated to simply ceased to matter. Oh sure, a few things have happened from time to time over the summer…but let’s be honest here: I don’t care much, and unless you are wearing a yellow piece of foam shaped like an ear of corn on your head…you probably don’t either. So with that being said, let’s move on to other things.

With the new blog, I wanted to expand the conversation to a wider audience, while still keeping the same charm and hatred that dripped off the walls of the old blog. I apologize for the cryptic look. As you know, this little venture is constantly changing and evolving, and quite frankly…I’m never satisfied with it. Besides, so many of you bitched about not having anything to read…I figured I’d better get it up and running before it’s time to run my annual Bowl spectacular.

For those of you who have never read my material before, let me give you the standard welcome.

I’m not here to be your friend. I’m not here to break down how Iowa State’s starting left guard is doing a great job in pass protection. I’m not going to pull punches, nor will I personally attack student athletes. (Unless they do something really stupid). I’m not going to cheerlead for my favorite team, nor am I going to fark together pictures and expect you to laugh hysterically at the funny way I made dollar bills appear to fall out of Bob Stoops’ ears. If you want that crap, go visit those other blogs who specialize in saying nothing at all.

What I will do is blast whomever deserves it, and praise whomever has earned it. Too often in blogs such as these, so much focus is made of the play ON the field, that people completely miss the reckless insanity that takes place off the field. Whether it’s the media, the fans or other blogs…I will make it my job to call people out for who they are and what they have said. When the actual season is over, you can be sure that I will keep my eye on other things that you should be aware of, especially the foolish ramblings of recruiting nerds, columnists and national pundits. Mix in a little bit of pop culture and just plain hissy fits about things that piss me off…and you get the continuation of a project that started in 2005 and ended with the destruction of a once mighty football program.

Oh, and one last thing: I invite any and all comments, although I only ask that I be able to moderate them first. Leave it to one of you freaks to cross the line, and yes..it happens. I approve 99% of the comments that come my way, because THAT is the true way to define the mentality of a fan. If you say something stupid, not only will I comment on it…but the rest of the world will see it as well. (So be careful.)

So that’s it. The new era has begun, and slowly but surely…this place will resemble a website that actually looks like a respectable outlet for everything from creative thought to whiney tantrums. I love to write, and as you…I love to follow the greatest spectator sport on earth. I think you’ll find that the more you hate me and my words, the more you will be pulled into my trap…which is fine. They’re just words about a game, played by people who are barely adults.

Coming up next, the season preview and the inevitable pissing match that normally follows.

Again, welcome and please feel free to drop a comment.

AJ