Sunday on the Couch!

I did not spend Sunday on the Couch.  I spent Sunday at Carrie Underwood’s concert at the DCC.  If you listen to the show and read SOTC, you know my love for Carrie.  I sat in the 2^nd row, and she is just as gorgeous as you would think.

     

She did a great job entertaining the fans, was owning the stage, and she certainly has the voice of an angel.  One problem- she kept saying that she doesn’t have a date for the CMA’s and acted like she can’t find one.  Come on Carrie.  We ain’t buying it.  We’re not that stupid.  Don’t tease like that.

 

College Football Thoughts:

- Memphis Tigers- I like the Wild Tiger!  The Tigers did everything I thought that they should against Southern Miss.  They got creative, mixed it up, and threw the kitchen sink at the Golden Eagles.  Keep it up Tommy.  It felt like the old days.  I know the Tigers are in a difficult situation with the quarterback injuries, but they can still win by making it difficult for opposing teams to prepare.  The Tigers have enough playmakers to play well offensively.  They just need to get the ball in the playmakers hands.  Saturday they did that.  Don’t let up.  Conservative won’t win any games for the Tigers with their lack of a QB.  Keep being creative and the Tigers will go bowling and Tommy will be around a little longer. 

 

- Notre Dame- Charlie Weis has more wins against the Pac 10 than Tyrone Willingham has since Chuck took over the Fighting Irish.  Amazing!  I guess that’ll rightfully cost you a job considering Tyrone’s team is in the Pac 10!

 

- Penn State- I guess Penn State is the real deal.  I was hoping they would lose to The Ohio State University, because a perfect scenario was playing out.  The Georgia-Florida game (Arguably the Game of the Year) would have potentially been a play in game for the National Title.  The winner would play an undefeated Alabama in the SEC Title Game, and the winner of that game would go to the title game against Texas.  I don’t envision Texas losing, but it might be the only way the SEC gets into the BCS Title Game.  Alabama seems to be the only team that could pass the Nittany Lions, although that will be difficult.  If an undefeated team from the SEC is left out of the BCS Title Game again, we might have a plus-one sooner than later.  Based on schedule, a one loss SEC team should probably be in ahead of Penn State, but that’ll never happen.

 

- Georgia Bulldogs- Knowshon Moreno is the leader in the clubhouse for Heisman highlight/ ESPY highlight of the year after his 68 yard scamper on Saturday.  Moreno has three straight 100 yard games.

 

- Texas Longhorns- In his last three games, Colt McCoy has thrown for 1005 yards and 5 touchdowns.  He’s rushed for 3 more touchdowns, while turning the ball over just once.  Pretty amazing for the Heisman front runner.  Texas is 16-2 in their last 18 versus ranked opponents.

 

- Auburn Tigers- The Tigers have lost three straight for the first time since 1999.  In those games, Auburn is averaging just 220 yards per game. 

 

- Alabama Crimson Tide- Nick Saban won’t ever lose to Phillip Fulmer again, although he might never have to coach against him again.  He’s 4-1 against the Vols.  The Tide have trailed for just 1:15 this year (to Ole Miss).  They’ve outscored their opponents 101-6 in the 1^st half. 

 

- Tennessee Volunteers- Quit trying to convince me that Nick Stephens is doing a good job.  This offense is putrid and it starts with the quarterback.  They’ve been below 300 yards of total offense in the last six games.  Arian Foster (preseason first team SEC) has 131 rushing yards in five SEC games for an average of 26.2 yards per game.  WOW!  In the last four years, the Vols are a horrible 6-14 against ranked opponents, and they are worse against top ten teams, going 1-9 this decade. 

 

- Florida Gators- I guess they have found their running game.  In the last three, the Gators are averaging 252 yards on the ground.  The defense has continued to shut people down in the first half, allowing just two touchdowns all season.

 

NFL Thoughts:

- San Francisco 49ers- I’m not sure Mike Singletary’s tirade at Vernon Davis and the media was a great idea.  It’s pretty easy to lose your team when they’re playing as bad of football as anyone in the National Football League.  Singletary’s credentials as a future head coach include losing to one of the worst teams in the league at home, and sending a player to the shower.  Not a good start.

 

- Kansas City Chiefs- Brodie Croyle (Alabama) has probably played his last game for the Kansas City Chiefs.  As a starter for KC, he has more injuries (4) than wins (0).  Croyle is an imperfect 0-8. 

 

- New England Patriots- Still the best team in the AFC East.  Don’t let the Bills or Favre fool you.  Those two teams might be closer to the Dolphins than the Pats.

 

- Cleveland Browns- If they keep playing the way they are now, which is competitive, they might actually save Romeo Crennel’s job.  The Browns have won three of four and there are only seven teams currently with a better record in the AFC.

 

Other Thoughts:

- The World Series- Thank goodness the Fall Classic didn’t end with a rain out.  That would have been the biggest disaster in baseball since the Pete Rose debacle.  Change the rule today!  Someone (Bud Selig) should have told the umpires and the managers that the Series wasn’t going to end with a rainout.  That last inning should have never been played.  I give the umpires credit for making sure the Rays had a shot.  They didn’t want to make that call either.  Maybe Selig could have let them in on his secret. 

 

- Memphis Grizzlies- Maybe I’m being a wishful thinker, but I think the Grizzlies should win 25-30 games.  I’m predicting 25, but if things go right, they could get close to 30.  I’m surprised to hear the experts picking anywhere from 16-21.  16?  Wow.  If the opener in Houston is any indication, Darrel Arthur will be starting soon.  Arthur and Marc Gasol were very impressive in their debuts.  I like the youth, the athleticism, and the physical play.  What I don’t like is 0-12 from downtown.  Someone will have to step up and be their three point shooter.  It could be Rudy or OJ (0-7 at Houston), although the opener wasn’t encouraging. 

 

The Fish Scales:

- The only college football ranking system that actually puts all teams on an even playing field and rewards accomplishment.  This is the 11th year of the Fish Scales which will culminate with Fish Bowl XI at the end of the season. The Fish Scales will rank the teams based on accomplishment, will seed the teams 1-16, and will play a simulated playoff on XBOX 360.  It’s not necessarily the “best” 25 teams in the country, but the 25 teams that have had the best season.  The top 16 are rewarded with a playoff.  Following are the top three teams for the SEC, CUSA, and NFL Scales:

SEC- 1. Alabama  2. Georgia  3. Florida

CUSA- 1. Tulsa  2. Houston  3. East Carolina

Fish Scales Top 25- 1. Texas  2. Penn State  3. Alabama

NFL- 1. Titans  2. Giants  3. Redskins

 

To receive the SEC, CUSA, NFL, and top 25 Fish Scales, send an email to fishscales@sports56whbq.com.  You’ll be added to the mailing list and receive the Scales each week.

  

There’s plenty happening in the next few months in Tunica.  For a complete list of events and attractions in Tunica, Mississippi, click on the link below.  Get easy access to the casino’s, golf courses, and all other entertainment.

http://www.tunicamiss.com/ 

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s coming up in Tunica:

November 7	Anita Baker	Horseshoe	800-303-7463
November 8	Tracy Lawrence	Fitz	800-766-5825
November 8	Phil Vassar	Gold Strike	888-245-7829
November 22	Clint Black	Sam’s Town	800-456-0711
November 22	fights at the Fitz	Fitz	800-766-5825
November 26	Ingram Hill	Sam’s Town	800-456-0711
December 13	Frank Caliendo	Sam’s Town	800-456-0711

Although the scrambles are over for the year, keep up with Tunica National events all fall and winter long at www.tunicanational.com.  Plus, the weather is perfect to set up a tee time.  For more information, call 866-TEE-OFF1 or go online at www.tunicanational.com.

 

Talk to y’all this week.

Will and Peter Have a Conversation About the Upcoming Grizzlies Season

Peter: The NBA begins tonight!  It’s FAN-tastic!  Read to achieve!  I love this game!  And so on…anyway, while the league itself gets underway tonight, we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to experience the majesty of the 2008-09 Memphis Grizzlies.

Will: Majesty is not quite the word I was thinking of.

P: Tragedy?

W: Something like that.  But at least this team has light at the end of an extremely long tunnel.

P: That is true, and we need to keep that in mind as we watch them suck this year.  And make no mistake about it, they will not be very good at all this year.  I’m struggling to come up with more than two teams that are worse than the Grizzlies.

W: I can only think of one – the Thunder.

P: Aren’t they in the WNBA?

W: No, but Robert Swift looks like he could become the first crossover player in (W)NBA history.

P: I am actually scared right now.  To get that horrifying image out of my mind, I’m going to pose a question to you.  What do we expect the Grizzlies to do well this season?

W: Not much, but they should be able to run.  With Conley, Gay, and Mayo, their fast break should be strong.

P: I don’t think they can score any other way with any consistency.  Judging by the preseason, the halfcourt game is not going to be kind to them at all.  No one can really shoot that well.

W: They have no inside game to speak of, no one to draw a double-team, and no offense off the bench.

P: If they start with Darko at the 4, Hakim Warrick can bring you some offense off the bench.  But I wouldn’t be surprised to see either Warrick or Darrell Arthur move into the starting lineup before too long.

W: I have a hard time believing that Darko/Gasol at the 4/5 is going to work, although to start a fast break, you need someone to get a rebound and throw an outlet pass, and I guess having two 7-footers is a good way to do that.

P: Speaking of which, I have to say I’ve been impressed with Marc Gasol’s ability to pass in the halfcourt game.  He reminds me of Pau in that regard.  He can rebound, he’s reasonably tough, he’s hard-working, he can score a little bit – but his foot speed is glacial.  Empires have been created and destroyed in the time it takes him to move laterally.

W: I do like his toughness; he is much more physical than Pau ever was. It does seem as though Darko has lost some weight and is more mobile than he was last year.  If he’s going to play at the 4, he needs to look more like the guy who came into the league in 2003 rather than the guy the Grizzlies signed in 2007.

P: Darko seems like a good guy, but I just think he’s a bit of a lost cause at this point.  Ultimately, he could be a solid backup 5, but his crushing lack of confidence and inconsistency means he cannot be counted on in any significant way.

W: I think having Marko Jaric on the team will help him, but I would have to agree that it’s hard to count on him at this point.

P: What do you expect from O. J. Mayo?

W: I expect that some nights he’ll drop 30 points, and other nights he’ll struggle from the field.  I don’t expect great shot selection and I think it’s going to be hard on him that he’s going to be counted on as the second scorer for the team.

P: He’s a volume shooter.  He will put up a lot of jump shots because it’s easy for him to get them.  He has got to – and I cannot emphasize this enough – get to the foul line.  He has to try to penetrate far, far more than he has shown in the preseason.  He needs to be Peter North out there.

W: How long is Iavaroni’s leash?  How long will it take for him to get fired if the team starts struggling?

P: IF they start struggling?  Don’t you mean when?

W: Yes.  And who will take over if he is fired – Kevin O’Neill or Johnny Davis?

P: I think his leash is longer than you seem to think.  There’s no doubt the team will struggle mightily this season.  They’ve got a starting lineup consisting of a 20 year old, a 19 year old, a 22 year old, a 23 year old, and a 23 year old.  That’s a recipe for mistakes and struggles.  Heisley allowed him to stay, and has implemented the three-year plan for success.  Firing Iavaroni after this season (or during) would be counterproductive unless the team just quits on him.

W: I expect if the team has a terrible record through 10-15 games, he will be gone.

P: Define terrible record.

W: 2-8 through 10.  If they are that bad, he’s out.

P: Look at their early schedule…6 of the first 8 on the road, 4 out West, 2 games each against San Antonio and Utah before November is over.  They are going to have an awful record through the first 20 games at least. By my estimation, you are basically predicting Iavaroni to be out by 2009.

W: That is correct.  I expect O’Neill to be the coach by 2009.

P: CONTROVERSY!

W: Because Heisley loves Kevin O’Neill, this much we know.

P: Just a couple more things to go over…how good do you expect Mike Conley to be this year and beyond?

W: (sighs) Sometimes he reminds me of Tony Parker, but sometimes I think he’s way too short to be as good as Tony Parker is. He’ll be a solid point guard, but people who think he’ll be a star are kidding themselves.

P: I like the fact that he’s added 8 pounds of muscle; his slight build was a concern to me.  I still don’t think he’s going to be a star, but he will be a solid contributor.  12 pts, 6 assts, 1.5 stls, something like that.

W: OK, last thing, how many wins do you think they’ll end up with?

P: I think they have a decent chance to be historically bad.  They will not win 20 games.  I’m thinking something like 15 or so…they’ve got no real rebounding, no real shooting.  It’s going to be tough.

W: I think they’ll end up with about the same as last year – 22, 23, something like that.  They will be in contention for that coveted number one pick.

Grizzlies need some love

I realize these are Millionaire athletes who play for a Billionaire owner, but they are “Our” team. The Grizzlies have become part of the Memphis and Mid-South fabric, having played here for the entire decade after their birth in Vancouver. The problem is that there is so much hate. NBA haters, Downtown Memphis haters, spoiled athlete haters etc. Is it impossible for people to embrace this team?

The Grizzlies are doing all they can to make the game fan friendly. They are lowering ticket prices and getting their players out in to the community. They have given tens of thousands of dollars to charity and the needy. They are everywhere you look. But where are the fans?

I am getting tired of the excuses. I understand the economy is bad, but the team is having problems giving away tickets. I understand downtown may be a 45 minute drive for you to come to the game. Well, try going to a game in L.A., Chicago or New York. You don’t know how good you have it.

This is no longer about the product. I am not naive to understand that winning will cure some of the attendance ills, but this goes beyond performance. There are people who believe they can’t support the Tigers and the Grizzlies at the same time. In fact they often pit them against one another. And I’m not just talking about economic support. There are many people that won’t even cheer for this team or watch them on Television.

This is our one shot at the big time. If we can’t support one “Big Four” Professional Sports franchise, we will never get another sniff at the NFL. Now I’m not saying we will get another chance, but you can bet your life that if this fails, Memphis becomes a Pro Sports black hole.

In a Metro area of 1.2 million people, you would think you could get about ten thousand season tickets sold, and a nightly attendance of 15-16 thousand. This season the Grizzlies will be lucky to average 8 grand a game.

It’s the freaking’ NBA. It’s Lebron and Kobe, it’s the Lakers and Celtics. I don’t care if you don’t all root for the Grizzlies, just come out to see the stars.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again….if the support is not there, this team will say adios to the city once Owner Michael Heisley sells it. Forget the stiff penalty, this team will go to a place where their welcomed and supported. And bottom line, will become economically viable.

Sunday on the Couch!

College Football Thoughts:

 

- Memphis Tigers- Who’s the next Tigers quarterback?  Does Mo Avery have any eligibility left?  I believe the Tigers need to go with the Wild Tiger offense.  Everyone agrees that the Tigers receivers are their best asset offensively.  Currently, they have no one to get them the ball.  Put a wide receiver in the backfield with Curtis Steele, and Charlie Jones (when he returns), and just get creative.  Tommy West can’t use the injury excuse to save him.  He needs to overcome the injuries and get this team to a bowl.  Southern Miss (2-5 / 0-3) is a very winnable game as is SMU (1-7 / 0-5).  As a matter of fact, UCF (2-4 / 1-1) and Tulane (2-4 / 1-2) are also winnable.  Three wins in four games- very difficult task, but with a lot of creativity, it’s possible.  Come on Tigers!  We enjoyed watching the gamblin’ Tigers just a few years ago.  Make the game exciting!  Give yourselves a chance!  The “quarterbacks” now aren’t going to lead you to a bowl (49 yards of offense in 2^nd half vs. ECU / 5 yards in 3^rd quarter).  Get as creative as possible Coach West.  Do not get Tyler Bass ready for next year.  He’s not ready this year, and you might not be around to see him play in the future!  Little Rock radio stations are speculating that Gus Malzahn (Tulsa O.C.) will be roaming the Tigers sidelines next year.

 

- Georgia Bulldogs- The play calling confuses me sometimes.  They try to hold onto leads too early in games, and they allow the opposition to stay in the game, despite dominating statistically.  They need to run their offense with some confidence.

 

- Ohio State Buckeyes- Are they poised to fool us again?  A win this weekend goes a long way to the Buckeyes getting to the Rose Bowl.  Is it possible that they could take on USC?  I’ve repeated my thoughts since the first meeting.  Start Terrell Pryor!  If Todd Boeckman led the Buckeyes to victory for every game the remainder of the season, everyone would look at The Ohio State University as a fraud.  They can’t beat the big boys.  They don’t have the speed.  They lose every big non-conference game they play.  Good points.  However, with Pryor at the helm, aren’t they better?  Aren’t they different?  Aren’t they more dynamic?  Plus, add Beanie Wells (DNP vs. USC) to the mix, and the Buckeyes are a much better team than they were in early September.  Right?  I’d like to believe it, but I don’t even know if there’s a saying that finishes this line- “Fool me once, shame on you.  Fool me twice, shame on me.  Fool me a third time,…….”

 

- USC Trojans- The win (69-0 vs. Washington State) doesn’t really impress me.  Why do the Trojans continue to get more credit from the voters?  Their conference sucks, their LOSS sucks, and name another BCS Conference where the top team would be favored by 43.5 points over the bottom team.  Mississippi State could light up a scoreboard with the Cougars!  Auburn would even put 30 on them.  Bottom Line- the best team in the country wouldn’t lose to Oregon State!

 

- Ole Miss Rebels- It’s getting really hard to continue to back this kid with the fumbles that continue to occur!  Houston Nutt- tell Dexter to carry a football to class.  Ole Miss has 18 turnovers on the season.

 

- Penn State Nittany Lions- So far, they’ve proven that they are the real deal.  This week will clinch it if the Nittany Lions can win.

 

- Texas Longhorns- Last two games, 57-67, 614 yards, 3 passing TD’s, 2 rushing TD’s.  He’s undoubtedly the leader for the Heisman.

 

- SEC- In the preseason, I predicted that the SEC would have at least nineteen different starting quarterbacks this season.  Saturday accounted for numbers 18 and 19.  Here’s the breakdown: South Carolina (Beecher, Smelley, Garcia), Vandy (Nickson, Adams), Auburn (Burns, Todd), LSU (Hatch, Lee), Miss State (Carroll, Lee), Tennessee (Crompton, Stephens), Alabama (Wilson), Arkansas (Dick), Florida (Tebow), Georgia (Stafford), Ole Miss (Snead), Kentucky (Hartline).  Auburn could get the total up to 20 if Barrett Trotter was to get a future start.

 

NFL Thoughts:

 

- Dallas Cowboys- Wade Phillips won’t be fired yet, but his seat is warming up.  Jerry feels responsible for making the call on Brad Johnson getting the start.  He’ll let Phillips off the hook for now.

 

- Dallas Cowboys- People need to pipe down regarding the Chargers baby blues.  They’re nice and all, but when the Cowboys trot out with the navy, there’s no better uniform in football.  Because they wear them so rarely, it’s truly a treat to see them on a Sunday.  Thank you St. Louis Rams.  It’s the reason I am a Cowboys fan and was a huge fan growing up.  The St. Louis Cardinals always made the Cowboys wear the navy and the Cardinals always lost.  It was easy to root for the Cowboys- Bill Bidwill didn’t own them!

 

- Arizona Cardinals- Behind the Cowboys, arguably have the second best helmet in football.

 

- Cleveland Browns- Kellen Winslow just needs to shut up his warrior ass!

 

- New York Jets- It’s official.  Brett Favre is an absolute baby.  Grow up Brett.  By the way, it was news again last week- Brett’s not sure he’ll be back next year.  JUST GO AWAY!

 

- San Francisco 49ers- Mike Nolan became the 3^rd head coach to be fired midseason.  There’s a chance that up to 13 coaches will be gone by week one next season.  Make an argument for keeping the coaches at these spots- Detroit, Minnesota, San Diego, Houston, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Kansas City, San Francisco, St. Louis, Oakland, Denver, Dallas, and Philadelphia.  That’s not even including Mike Holmgren who’s stepping aside after this season.  Make that 14 coaches, or almost half of the league.

 

Other Thoughts:

 

- Memphis Tigers- Memphis Madness has turned into one of my favorite events of the year.  Friday night’s raising of the banner was a great moment.  Last year’s video tribute was certainly a chilling scene for any Tigers fan.  Derrick Rose was amazing!  Do you think Doneal Mack ran out into the frenzy of FedExForum and asked, “What was I thinking wanting to leave?”  It’s a great touch by John Calipari to let the freshmen get introduced first.  I’d guess that it’s pretty exciting for a young kid to be welcomed like that. 

 

- Memphis Tigers- Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State football) is looking a lot like Coach Calipari these days.  He’s winning like him too.

 

If you google images of Coach Calipari, you find some great action shots of the coach.  Here are my favorites from the first page of the search.

    

 

Random Thoughts:

 

- Frank TV- Do you know anyone who watches the show?  Is it really funny?

- The Majestic Grille- Best Bloody Mary in town!

 

The Fish Scales:

 

- The only college football ranking system that actually puts all teams on an even playing field and rewards accomplishment.  This is the 11th year of the Fish Scales which will culminate with Fish Bowl XI at the end of the season. The Fish Scales will rank the teams based on accomplishment, will seed the teams 1-16 and will play a simulated playoff on XBOX 360.  It’s not necessarily the “best” 25 teams in the country, but the 25 teams that have had the best season.  The top 16 are rewarded with a playoff.  Following are the top three teams for the SEC, CUSA, and NFL Scales:

SEC- 1. Alabama  2. Georgia  3. Florida

CUSA- 1. Tulsa  2. Houston  3. UTEP

NFL- 1. Titans  2. Giants  3. Bills

 

To receive the SEC, CUSA, NFL, and top 25 Fish Scales, send an email to fishscales@sports56whbq.com.  You’ll be added to the mailing list and receive the Scales each week.

The Top 25 Fish Scales are released during the Sports Bar every Wednesday afternoon at 4:45pm

There’s plenty happening in the next few months in Tunica.  For a complete list of events and attractions in Tunica, Mississippi, click on the link below.  Get easy access to the casino’s, golf courses, and all other entertainment.

http://www.tunicamiss.com/ 

Here’s a sneak peak of what’s coming up in Tunica:

October 16 - 28	World Poker Open	Gold Strike	888-245-7829
October 24 - 25	Big Fun	Bally’s	800-382-2559
October 25	The Four Tops	Gold Strike	888-245-7829
October 27	Branson Brothers from the God and Country Theater in Branson (Celebrate Life) 800-346-7706	Harrah’s	901-525-1515
October 28 - 29	Uniquely Elvis Preliminaries(Celebrate Life) 800-346-7706	Harrah’s	901-525-1515
October 31 - November 1	Ricky Lynn Gregg	Bally’s	800-382-2559
November 7	Anita Baker	Horseshoe	800-303-7463
November 8	Tracy Lawrence	Fitz	800-766-5825
November 8	Phil Vassar	Gold Strike	888-245-7829
November 22	Clint Black	Sam’s Town	800-456-0711
November 22	fights at the Fitz	Fitz	800-766-5825
November 26	Ingram Hill	Sam’s Town	800-456-0711
December 13	Frank Caliendo	Sam’s Town	800-456-0711

Although the scrambles are over for the year, keep up with Tunica National events all fall and winter long at www.tunicanational.com.  Plus, the weather is perfect to set up a tee time.  For more information, call 866-TEE-OFF1 or go online at www.tunicanational.com.  I’ll be out at the National through the rest of the month each Thursday from 3-6pm for the SportsBar.

Talk to y’all this week.

This umpire HATES Stephen Garcia.

Watch this play from last Saturday’s USC/LSU game and explain to me how in the hell this happens.

The umpire wasn’t protecting himself, he wasn’t avoiding the action, if anything, he lunged towards Garcia and shivered him to the turf.  I’d love to hear an explanation for this.  Anyone?

The Beloved Tigers

Oh what a night! (Frankie Valli and the 4 Seasons)….boy I’m dating myself.
Memphis Madness at FedExForum was an absolute slam dunk. The place was rocking, the joint was nearly full, and this was only the first night of the College Basketball Season.
They honored last year’s 38-2 Tigers. You know, the guys who reached the National Title Game before falling short against Kansas in overtime. New Jersey Nets rookie Chris Douglas-Roberts was there. He was treated like a God. I’m serious, the dude nearly walked on water.
The banner ceremony was first class. The players, even the new guys, climbed the stairs and hoisted the banner to the rafters. It was a sight to behold as the streamers came flying onto the appreciative crowd from high above. The video tribute was sensational. The messages from Joey Dorsey and Derrick Rose were first class. And that was only half the program.
Following the walk down memory lane came the present and future of this program. New players, new coaches, new managers, even new hairstyles from Willie Kemp and Pierre Niles. Coach John Calipari was given a well deserved ovation and the fans came out of their seats for newcomers like Tyreke Evans and the veterans like Antonio Anderson and Robert Dozier.
The guys then hit the hardwood for a scrimmage that more resembled an NBA All-Star Game(No Defense), but what do you expect with two a days beginning Saturday?
Penny Hardaway was there. So was Andre Turner. Andre Allen showed up in the Tigers lockerroom after the night’s festivities, and there was Rodney Newsome leading a team of youngsters in a scrimmage game early in the program.
I don’t know what the 2008-09 season will bring us, but we are certainly off to a great start.

Weekly Ramblings

Thoughts I’ve had while wondering if every team in baseball will win a World Series before the Cubs ever win one.

Let me first point out that I’ve officially changed the title to “Weekly Ramblings” since I don’t ever really know what day I’m going to get them done. So, from now on, I’ll be known as MWR(Mr. Weekly Ramblings).

The Tampa Bay Rays have been unbelievable this post season. I keep waiting for all those young players to tighten up and let the pressure get to them, but it just hasn’t happened. The Rays offense has simply punished Red Sox pitching in the ALCS.

Speaking of the Rays, I think we are watching the emergence of the next great 5-tool player in B.J. Upton. Upton reminds me a lot of a young Eric Davis, who was one of the most talented players I’ve ever seen before injuries ruined his career. Upton is going to have a great career.

I have to give it up for the Texas Longhorns. They proved they are much better than I, and most others, gave them credit for. Not many gave them much of a chance to beat Oklahoma and the Longhorns did just that. Colt McCoy and the rest of the offense were terrific and they have proven that they are definitely a contender for the national title. The problem for Texas is their schedule that has Missouri, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech over the next three weeks. That’s three teams with a total of one loss over the next three weeks, AFTER beating the number one team in the country. To put it another way, there are 10 undefeated teams left in Division 1A, Texas plays a fifth of them in the next three weeks. One stat to remember for this week’s game against Missouri, Mack Brown is 10-0 in games immediately after the Oklahoma game. That doesn’t bode well for Mizzou.

With Texas taking over the #1 spot in the AP poll, they become the seventh different team to be #1 since the start of last season. In the previous five years, there were a total of six teams in the #1 spot. Thanks to Dennis Dodd of cbs sportsline for that one.

I like the Cowboys trade for Roy Williams. Some people think they gave up too much, but I don’t necessarily think so. They didn’t get off cheap by any means, but they didn’t pay a ridiculous price either. With Williams opposite Terrell Owens, it fills what I think was the only hole they had when healthy. It also lets Patrick Crayton move back to the slot where he has been most effective in his career.

Only in the NHL do you see coaches fired just four games into the season.

The latest episode of “America’s Toughest Jobs” had the contestants working as loggers. After watching that, I think it is indeed the toughest job in America. MWR wouldn’t last three hours as a logger.

“Boston Legal” has the best writers of any television show in a while.

Is anyone else as tired as I am of the commercial guy with the giant red umbrella?

That’s all for now. MWR is out!

Blind Sided

One of the only good things that have come out of my having surgery a couple of weeks ago is that I have had ample time to read. I like to read, but I don’t really do it as much as I should (mainly a product of my having read all of the books in my apartment, so there’s nothing new to read). So I was excited about reading The Blind Side for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that I know most of the principal characters in the story of Michael Oher.

By now, everyone knows the story of Michael Oher…A physical freak of nature with seemingly no personal history, no schooling, and no parental influence picked up by an affluent white family (the Tuohys) and treated to a real education and put in a loving family for the first time in his life. The boy figures out how to learn and now is a starting left tackle in the best conference in football, and likely will be a first round pick (if not top 5) in next year’s NFL Draft. It really is a terrific story, and a great read (and it also makes you think about whether Joe Montana is really the greatest QB of all time, or just a product of Bill Walsh’s offensive system).

One of the main things about the story that strikes you while reading it is the generosity of the Tuohys. These aren’t Ole Miss boosters who just picked up Michael as a way to funnel him to their favorite school; in fact, if you read the book, you know that the Tuohys were far more charmed by then-LSU coach Nick Saban than they were with anyone else. These are people who cared enough to give a lost young man an opportunity, which he took advantage of through hard work and constant discipline.

How many other kids in the inner-city could take advantage of an opportunity if only they were given it? How many kids in this city are in similar situations? Single-parent household, a mother who doesn’t care or is addicted to drugs, an education system that shuffles the child along because, well, that’s what they do, giving the child no reason at all to work or even attend school? What if all they need is an opportunity? And why is our society so reluctant to try and provide an opportunity to those who need it? The Tuohys are an extremely rare exception–too often in our country, those who are blessed are too reluctant to try and share with those who aren’t.

My grandfather once said, “Greed is going to ruin this country.” I pray that it doesn’t…or hasn’t. I daresay that if more people, like the Tuohys, were willing to help those without an opportunity try and find one, greed wouldn’t be a problem.

Introduction to the Edmiston Hierarchy

I find the whole argument about whether or not Texas deserves to be the number one team in the nation to be incredibly boring. Almost every poll-based argument is pointless. I suppose these things typically serve as fodder for sports radio types like me, but I just don’t care at this point who is number one. It’s not important, really, since both Texas and Alabama have brutal schedules to deal with from here on out. Texas has Missouri this weekend followed by Oklahoma State the week after, both at home. They still have to go to Texas Tech and Kansas, then play the Big 12 Championship game (assuming they get there). Alabama has to play LSU, Tennessee, and Auburn (I know UT and Auburn suck, but rivalry games are always tricky), then the SEC Championship Game. The odds that both teams end up undefeated are extremely long. So it’s pointless to worry about rankings now.

And as a bit of an aside, I’ll say it again – the college football coaches poll is the biggest waste of time in sports. There is no reason whatsoever to allow coaches to have a hand, however small, in determining bowl positions and BCS rankings through favoritism and ignorance. Coaches generally pay attention to two teams throughout the season: their team, and that week’s opponent. That’s it. They may be vaguely aware of events throughout college football, but they will not watch Ball State or New Mexico State any more than they would watch Hannah Montana (sorry, Fish). I would much rather entrust ratings to people like journalists and analysts whose job it is to watch and compare teams, since they do in fact actually WATCH the games.

So it comes down to the same issues it always does…how and if you reward undefeated teams in non-BCS conferences, how you deal with undefeated teams in weak BCS conferences, and how you deal with strong one-loss teams who have played brutal schedules. The raison d’etre of the BCS. The part that drives people like me crazy. To me, if you have watched the games, there can be no doubt that a one-loss Big 12 or SEC team should get consideration over an undefeated Big 10 team (sorry, Penn State) in a hypothetical BCS title game situation. The SEC and the Big 12 are head, shoulders, chests, waists, legs, and feet above every other conference in the country. Teams that emerge from those conferences beaten only once have earned their stripes more than a team like Penn State who would have had to beat only Wisconsin and Ohio State. And we’ve certainly seen over the last two years what happens to a Big 10 team against the cream of the SEC crop. There’s no reason to think it wouldn’t happen again. USC is immensely talented, but the Pac 10 is just terrible…and losing to Oregon State is a huge black mark on your resume.

Long story short…here’s a quick rundown of the Edmiston Hierarchy (EH) that should be used to determine which teams should play for the national title this season (the hierarchy would change from season to season based on conference strength):

1. Undefeated SEC or Big 12 champion
2. One-loss SEC or Big 12 champion (assuming the loss is in conference)
3. One-loss SEC or Big 12 non-champion (assuming loss is in conf. championship game)
4. USC (only because of their talent and because they play well in big games)
5. Undefeated Big 10 (or any other BCS conference) team
6. Two-loss SEC or Big 12 team
7. Undefeated non-BCS team
8. One-loss Big 10 (or other BCS conference team)
9. Everyone else
10. Tennessee until Fulmer is gone

If you use the EH system, you’ll get a quality championship game with deserving participants. Guaranteed!

Tigers’ Special teams not so Special

The Memphis Tigers should have beaten Louisville Friday night, but they didn’t. Why?…..SPECIAL TEAMS.
There are many times when you look back and examine why a team lost a game and you end up overanalyzing it. There are still other times when the answer to the aforementioned question is plain and simple. This was one of those games.

In front of an announced crowd of 40,000 and change, and a National television audience, the Tigers went toe to toe with their old rivals from Louisville. Old, because the Cardinals now play in the Big East and the two former Conference foes hadn’t played since 2004. Despite all that, there was something special about Friday night…and everyone knew it!
Tigers Coach Tommy West had his team ready, willing and able. They scored first, they rallied from a 14 point defecit at halftime, and they took it to the finish line only to lose in the end.

The Tigers rolled up 481 total yards against the Nation’s 9th rated defense. They pulled out trick plays that stunned their opponents, and delighted the fans. The Tigers much maligned “D” continued on it’s road to recovery by limiting the Cardinals to 299 yards and just 133 through the air. But all the good meant diddly squat because the Special Teams collapsed like a cheap folding chair.

Let’s remember that special teams make up one third of the game of football. Unfortunately for the Tigers, majority did not rule. Winning two of the three facets of the game was not enough.
After grabbing a 14-7 lead, the Tigers gave up a 95 yard kickoff return to Trent Guy who tied things up at 14. The Tigers had him bottled up, before Guy broke out, reversed his field, and went the distance.
Trailing 21-14, The Tigers tried a 47 yard field goal on the last play of the first half and low and behold the glass slipper fell off the foot of kicker Vinny Zaccario, as the Cardinals not only blocked the 3 point attempt, but they turned it into seven as Brandon Heath returned it 60 yards for the score. (That’s a 10 point swing).
Even with all that, the Tigers rallied in the second half to tie things up, only to fall in the end 35-28.

After the game West seemed excited about the future of his team, but was seething from the performance of his special teams.(an area of the game he formerly coached). Now the goal will be to put it all together, because in this case, Meatloaf was wrong……two out of three is bad.