It's Friday

The Ballad of G.I. Joe from Olivia Wilde

This video was in the Wednesday links, but it is simply too awesome and I have watched it over and over and it's late on Friday so there.

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2009 Miami Hurricanes Preview: A Test Of Wills

It is officially time to begin college football discussions and while we plan on reaching across the country in our coverage we will begin by looking at my own team. Our previews and predictions will branch out into other teams and conferences that we feel will make an impact on the season as a whole. Last year our predictions were not too bold at all and in some cases we were even right but with the state of college football you cannot make an exact science of predictions because the method of championship selection in college football is anything but a science and nowhere near exact. Continue reading for my look at the 2009 Miami Hurricanes.

One Must Be Objective

I believe that any fan needs to look at the situation of his team in a realistic focus if he/she is to be considered a knowledgeable fan. If you are one of these fans or strive to be then you have had much experience with fans who blindly think their team is the best at all times without any doubt. You can visit most any message board for examples of irrational fans or listen to our local radio station. At the same time it does not mean that you cannot attempt through careful wording and evidence to support your case make an argument that may seem on the bias side of caution. That is somewhat of what I will attempt in this preview. I am a realistic person (some would even go as far as to call me pessimistic) so I have no delusions about the Canes running out onto the field in Pasadena in January.

Most of all I just want the team to succeed the right way. There is a contingent of fans of the U out there that have no regard for sportsmanship or class and only focus on the "glory days" of the program for the arrogance and lawlessness that was college football in the 80s and early 90s. Miami has paid the price for that recklessness and then some. While Miami's hands were clean from that era they certainly were not the only program participating in this type of behavior and it is a trend that any program that begins to attain national prominence has these scandals and allegations arise although some do not pay a penalty for it (I'm looking at you Pete Carroll). For most people it is easy to simply label Miami as thugs, it is easier for them to regurgitate what they hear from other fans, sports radio, or the mainstream media. I have given up on trying to discuss this matter with anyone because it is like trying to convince the Catholic Church in the 1600s that the Earth does in fact revolve around the sun. This is our reputation and nothing will change it and in some ways the team deserves it but not to the extent to which they are vilified as a rogue program. One thing to be positive about is that recently Miami has been showing good behavior off the field and were above the NCAA mandated APR of 925 last year showing they are doing their work in the classroom and graduating players. Alright, enough pontificating let's look forward to this season.

The Gauntlet

Before we get into the players, new coaches, the newly named Landshark Stadium or Bernie Kosar filing for bankruptcy, Miami's season will be made or destroyed in the first four games. It may very well be the toughest stretch in the opening quadrant of the season in the country. The Canes begin the season on Labor Day against their rivals Florida State at Doak Campbell. This game was the first contest of the season from 2004-2006 and then they decided it was better to move it later in the season the last few years. For reasons unknown it has moved back to the first game of the season which I hate. I know neither of these programs are what they once were when it comes to national football prominence but it is asinine to have one of the best rivalries in college football played in the first game. However, for both teams the stakes are high for coming out on top. While the scores and play were substandard for these two when the game opened the season, we realize now that was probably because the teams were not as good as they used to be. FSU won in Miami last year in a rain-soaked, wild affair 41-39. The Seminoles have won 3 of the last 4 in the series after UM had a run of 6 straight from 2000-2004. I think there is no doubt that this game will set the tone for Miami's season. Maybe we could see another wide right (or left).



There is no breathing time after the opener as Miami hosts Georgia Tech ten days later. Last year a young and spry Hurricanes team entered Bobby Dodd Stadium with the Coastal Division title within reach if they won the rest of their games. The optimism did not last long as they were disemboweled by the Yellow Jacket spread option and running back Jonathan Dwyer. Tech rushed for 462 yards in the game. Yes, that is not a mistype, that is how much they ran for. This game will be a sure test how much the defense has matured since last year and hopefully they can come up with a better gameplan for the still-evolving offense of Paul Johnson. Randy Shannon had the right idea about stopping the triple option, the only problem was his scheme was based on the defensive personnel he had back in the late 90s and early this decade. Jonathan Vilma, Ed Reed, Vince Wilfork, etc. were not on the field that night. Hopes are high in Atlanta as it is being rumored that Johnson is tweaking the offense and hoping to make it more of a passing threat this year. But the strength will still be the ground game. Like all four of these games, the Canes will be a decided underdog.

Well a Thursday night game with Georgia Tech was not enough for you huh? Then pack your bags and head to Blacksburg for a game in a very tough environment to win. Virginia Tech does not lose often at home and even with the unfortunate loss of running back Darren Evans to a knee injury, the Hokies are still heavy favorites to win. Last year I wrote a post about the recent history between the two teams as they both trekked from the Big East to the ACC and previewed the Thursday night game in Miami. I ended by saying "if forced to choose a winner I would give the edge to Miami very slightly because I think the defense has made strides and will limit Evans on the ground." I guess every squirrel finds a nut now and then because the Canes did limit Evans and won 16-14 in not the most aesthetically beautiful games of the year. Miami has not won in Blacksburg since 2005 and I expect the Hokies to win, but I would be happy to be surprised. Virginia Tech has high hopes for this season being ranked in the top 10 and having an opening match-up with Alabama which has huge implications not only for them, but for the ACC. Even with Evans out, the Hokies are confident and an outside contender for a BCS title.

So after facing their rivals to open the year, the team that gutted and embarrassed them on national television a year ago, and going into one of the most hostile stadiums in college football to play the favorite to win the ACC, all the Canes have to do is face Oklahoma. The Sooners are ranked 3rd in the preseason coaches' poll and return to the very stadium where they lost the BCS championship to Florida in January. There is no way I can spin this positively for Miami; they are likely to fall in this contest unless they can find a way to force pressure on Bradford playing behind a (slightly) inexperienced offensive line. Miami will have to play a near perfect game to pull this off. Hopefully the humidity will get to the Sooners but the last time these teams squared off in 2007 Oklahoma won 51-13.

So what can we expect out of these four games? It is very plausible that UM will be sitting at 0-4 and out of any title race and scrapping for a bowl game with their tales firmly between their legs. I think any realistic Miami fan would look at 2-2 with only one ACC loss as a successful venture through the gauntlet. Talk of 3-1 and 4-0 starts are really a dream and the 4-0 scenario is akin to the Lions winning the Super Bowl this year. If they do the impossible and win all 4 of these games they will no doubt be ranked in the top ten and be a BCS contender when the first rankings come out. My blood pressure is certainly going to be above normal the month of September this year.

The rest of the schedule is not exactly a stroll through the park either. After the gauntlet the Canes have a breather against Florida A&M and then play at Central Florida. Then they play Clemson and at Wake Forest, two tough conference opponents before hosting Virginia who is supposed to be down this year. They then face North Carolina and former coach Butch Davis in Chapel Hill against a Tar Heel team that has had Miami's number recently. The last two games are hosting Duke and then traveling to Tampa to play South Florida in a wild card game. Predictions about a final record swirl but I think most Canes fans would be miserable at 6-6, annoyed at another 7-5 campaign, happy with 8-4, and ecstatic with anything better.

The Quarterback Controversy Is Over

Last year Miami went with a two quarterback system which is usually a recipe for disaster but when you have a redshirt freshman and a true freshman as your only options, Randy Shannon decided it was for the best. Robert Marve was the starter all year for Miami until he missed classes and the rumors of transferring began to arise and Jacory Harris started the Emerald Bowl. After the season it got a little testy and dare I say a tad ugly in the press as Marve's father accused Miami of hamstringing Robert's options of choosing another school. The other side was that apparently Marve's father had been soliciting other schools for his son's services while the season was going on. Shannon and Miami eventually relaxed on the policy and allowed Marve to transfer to a more wide range of schools. He chose Purdue and will be eligible to play next year. He will not be practicing until October though because of a torn ACL. That leaves Jacory Harris as the unquestioned starter at the prime position. The Hurricanes run a pro-style offense and just as in the pros, the quarterback position is the key. Harris completed 60.8% of his passes for 1195 yards and threw for 12 TDs and 7 INTs. Marve was below Harris in every passing category except attempts and interceptions as he had 13 of them. Harris also led Miami on some key comebacks against Virginia and Duke (yes Miami had to comeback against Duke). However, Harris struggled to lead the Canes to victory against Cal in the Emerald Bowl down the stretch with poor clock management and a key fumble that reminded everyone he is still young and still learning.
While Harris is now a true sophomore and did manage to put on a little weight in the offseason, he is still maturing and it will be interesting to see what he brings to the table this year with the full reigns as starter and the guidance of new offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. Harris may look like a thin version of Vince Young but hopefully he has a better head on his shoulders and he is truly a pass-first QB. Harris only rushed for 101 yards last season and it is more of a last resort for him. Whipple comes from the NFL after working with Ben Roethlisberger and Donovan McNabb who both concentrate on passing and only use their legs to elude and buy time and take off if necessary. I expect that kind of play from Harris and hopefully he can put this team on his somewhat slight shoulders.

Bad Things Could Happen To Good People

This goes without saying but Randy Shannon is a good guy, hell he is a great human being. But the thought that keeps entering my mind when I say that to myself is, "so was Larry Coker". When Miami jettisoned Coker it was nothing against the great man that he was, but in the end, you have to rule the program and produce on the field. Shannon is drawing closer to that boiling point with Hurricane fans. There are those that feel he should be gone already but I am willing to see how this season and especially next season play out. But Shannon apparently was offered a contract extension by the school and turned it down. The story goes that he is banking on success this year and showing enough improvement to earn a quality contract. Shannon is essentially putting his money on the line with his team. It is a sign of confidence in his players and coaches, but if the year goes south, it is likely Shannon will be out before ever inking a new contract. For some Canes fans to wait eagerly for Miami to fall this year so Shannon can be replaced is ridiculous. Randy is a man who made it out of poverty to become a national champion as a player, assistant, and defensive coordinator. He has run the program well and seen players almost completely stay out of trouble with the law and do the job in the classroom. He is the type of man you want to be leading your football team but at the same time, you want to win. If the season goes poorly and all the Canes can manage is another 7-5 campaign, the cries for Shannon's job might be too loud to ignore.


The Wingmen

Randy Shannon has a lot riding on this year for himself, so he brought in two new coordinators to take the team in the direction he wants. John Lovett is the new defensive coordinator coming from North Carolina where he was the special teams coordinator and defensive assistant under former Randy Shannon boss Butch Davis. This is the 3rd defensive coordinator in 3 seasons for the Canes and hopefully Shannon has found the right fit. Shannon, a former defensive coordinator and winner of the Broyles Award, has high expectations for the defensive performance and is looking for Lovett to provide it. Before North Carolina Lovett was an assistant at Clemson and Auburn where (inexplicably) former head coach Tommy Tuberville, a former Miami assistant himself, sees Lovett flourishing at UM.

I was excited by the hiring of offensive coordinator Mark Whipple which is a nice way of saying I was happy to see former O coordinator Patrick Nix hit the road. Whipple's experience is impressive and as I mentioned he has NFL experience working with upper echelon quarterbacks. He has also shown the players that he is not fooling around. He has created a culture of competition for the players where no spots are guaranteed. A nice quote from Whipple about the competition at wide receiver and whether there will be a set rotation, "We'll rotate when they drop the ball."

Ultrasonic Youth

A year ago Miami was fielding one of the youngest teams in the nation and at times, it showed. They had the flashes of brilliance that comes with youth; thrilling plays, big hits, and great displays of athleticism. Of course they also had the frustrating qualities of youth in stupid penalties, blown assignments, inconsistency and inexperience. While Miami still remains a team full of young talent their freshmen of last year have had a chance to grow up a little and have actual in-game experience and they do have senior leadership, particularly on both lines. The entire Canes O-line will be upperclassmen with senior tackle Jason Fox leading the way. Where last year you could not find good experience and depth at most positions, Miami has the talent and now possibly the maturity to succeed.
On offense Shannon has made it clear that he wants to run a pro-style offense which makes sense because if you want to prepare players for the next level, it helps to have run a similar offense they run in the pros. Patrick Nix made it clear on his way out that he had wanted to open things up and spread the offense out, and Shannon was not in-line with that. Enter mark Whipple and Shannon will have the style of offense that he wants. There are murmurs around Coral Gables that Jacory Harris and the other players are picking up the offense well, but of course they said that last year. The running back position has been a strong point for Miami since the late 90s with Edgerrin James. The two-headed attack of Graig (don't call him Craig like Phil Fullmer did- sorry Tennessee!) Cooper and Javaris James (did you know he is Edge's cousin? Also FYI Jerome Bettis is from Detroit.) returns and hopefully Baby J can stay healthy this year. Last year he was hindered by an ankle injury and was limited to 286 yards but had a 4.2 yards per carry average. This led to the Canes hangin' with Mr. Cooper (I'll show myself out thank you) a majority of the season and the electric tailback did not disappoint. Cooper finished with 841 yards, 4 TD and 4.9 YPC. The Canes also add freshman Lamar Miller to the mix, who has been turning heads in practice. The ground game will be a huge factor in taking pressure off Jacory Harris and as I mentioned hopefully the beefy (average weight 313.8 lbs), experienced line will aid in that.

The wide receiver position has become suddenly abundant with possibilities. As per the Whipple quote, the competition will be open but twin sophomores Aldarius Johnson and Laron Byrd are the returning leaders in receiving yards and receiving TDs respectively. Much is expected from junior Leonard Hankerson this season as well. Hankerson has been working out with former Dolphins receiver Mark Duper over the summer. Hankerson has had the key problem in his career thus far that plauged Miami receivers last year, drops. Canes receivers dropped more passes last year than Michael J. Fox drops quarters at snack machine (too soon?) Travis Benjamin will be in the mix as well and hopefully return to his role as kick returner. Benjamin had some electric plays last year but after a muffed punt in the Virginia game and a late-season injury he was seldom heard from. Travis has some Hester-like qualities to him and hopefully he displays them this year.

Fans may notice a new familiar face at the Tight End spot this year. While senior Derrick Epps while get a lot of work (4th on the team in receptions last year) Jimmy Graham has come over from the basketball team to use his last year of eligibility a la Greg Paulus (minus the teabag). If this goes well this could lead to Graham ending up in a similar position as Antonio Gates of the Chargers. Gates did not play football at all at Kent State but was taken by the Chargers and quickly became a force in the NFL. If Graham shows the hands and blocking ability to go along with his size and athleticism, some team may take a flyer on him next April. But back to the present time, so far Graham has been "impressive" on the field, including scoring in practice.

On the defensive side of the ball, the boys up front are literally and figuratively going to be the anchor of the defense. The unquestioned heart of the line is 6-year senior Eric Moncur. The 6-2, 250 lb. defensive end has endured much in his time at Miami. In 2006 friend and teammate Brian Pata was murdered, his mother passed away from cancer last year at age 42, and he went down with a sports hernia injury that kept him out for a majority of last season. Thankfully the NCAA granted him another year of eligibility and he plans to make the most of it. Defensive tackle Marcus Fortson shined last year as a freshman as did end Adewale Ojomo so big things are expected from them this year especially in games like Georgia Tech. Sean Spence came in as good as advertised last year and even though he is only 212 pounds, he can hit. Spence looks to be the next great middle linebacker at Miami, following the likes of Beason, Vilma, Morgan, Ray Lewis, etc. Colin McCarthy has played well at linebacker when he has been on the field but injuries have been a problem.

The defensive backfield has some senior influence to it as CB Chavez Grant and Safety Randy Phillips return. Reshirt Freshman Vaughn Telemaque is looking to make a big splash after going down to injury last year and following in the great line of recent Miami Safeties. The addition of highly-touted recruit Ray Ray Armstrong also gives a glance of a bright future. I mentioned him because I like saying "Ray Ray". It may look like a misprint, but that is definitely Sam Shields' name listed on the defensive depth chart. Shields came into Miami with great expectations at wide receiver but after three years of lackluster performances and dropped passes, Sam is getting a new lease on his career by trying out Cornerback. I hope Shields does well though at times he has tested my patience as a Hurricane fan like last year in the FSU game when he inexplicably ran onto the field causing a "too many men" penalty moving UM off the goal line costing them possibly a TD and the win. Shields does have one positive feather in his cap thus far this season; he clocked the fastest 40 time on the team at 4.20.

Keys to Success

What does it all mean Basil? There are multiple signs that would lead one to optimism for the upcoming season, although last year started the same way. Perhaps the extra year of maturity for all the young players and in my opinion the improvements on the coaching staff will give them the extra edge to make it a major bowl game this year or possibly win the conference. But those first four games present a tough challenge. The following items are what need to happen for the Canes to have a successful season:

Control the Ball: Miami cannot afford to go 3 and out as much as they did last year. It is asking too much of your defense to make stop after stop if they are always on the field.

Score Special Team and Defensive touchdowns: This was a staple of the successful Miami teams of 5-10 years ago. Lately it has been absent. Only one punt return taken in last year but hopefully with John Lovett's special team experience the Canes can get back to using their athleticism to put points on the board outside of the offense. This will also mean forcing turnovers on defense which need to be increased as well.

Punt the F*&%^^% ball: This is a reference to a yelling incident I had during the Georgia Tech game last year. I went over to watch the game at our friend Xtra Medium's house. I explained that I was going to remain calm during the game and not blurt out any profanities or negative language. This of course went down hill as the Jackets obliterated UM and on a certain punt Matt Bosher seemed to be taking his sweet time getting the punt off and had it partially deflected. The entire frustration of the night came forth as I uttered the phrase that headlines this paragraph. XM has not let me live it down but despite my yelling at Bosher he has entered the Lou Groza Award conversation and made some good long distance field goals last year as a freshman. The Canes will need every FG they can get this year from the man with green shoes.

Do not shut it down early: No matter what the record is after the first four games, Miami has 8 more left. Even if it is 0-4 Miami has to finish the season strong. last year UM lost its last 3 games and ended what could have been a high-flying season on a very sour note. I know Shannon is preaching to them that this is a long race and the gauntlet is only the first third of it, but we need to see it on the field.

Playmakers: More than just a tribute to former Cane Michael Irvin, this term is in reference to the need for big time plays to be made. These guys have the talent and athleticism, we need to convert that into points. Long drives are great but sometimes a quick strike can finish off the other team or put you right back in a game.

In the End

I can spin it anyway I want but the direction, attitude, and focus of this team all depends on those first four games. Mel Kiper has listed Miami as one of his sleeper teams for this year. I can honestly tell you that does absolutely nothing to my confidence about the season. Others believe that the Canes will struggle and finish in the bottom half of the Coastal Division. You never know until they take the field but I am hoping win or lose we see the brand of Miami football that has made the U what it is today. My final prediction is 8-4 and Gator Bowl appearance. If that happens I will be more than happy enough to light up a victory cigar with Sebastian.

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Wednesday Links

The video below has been around the internets a few days now but it pretty much encapsulates every reason why I hate the Miami Dolphins and shows their most redeeming quality: their cheerleaders. I dare not make a Gloria Estefan joke though, she is on the board of trustees at the U afterall. I cannot wait for T-Pain to come out with a series of auto tune nursey rhymes to help put kids to bed. All the kids love the robot voice!


(via KSK)

Wednesday is trivia day, well who am I kidding everyday is trivia day with me so can you name what players have the most NBA Championships? [Sporcle]

Yeah I think Big Ben is going to win this case easily but it still doesn't excuse his taste in ladies. [Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]

The Tigers' Magglio situation has become a dicey numbers game. [Rumors and Rants]

No, I am not happy about this, even as a Miami fan I hate seeing college athletes go down with injuries. [College Game Balls]

Spike TV is offering a chance to see the best of what Pride Fighting had to offer. [HHR]

That sound you just heard was the "Steel Trap" closing on Rick Pitino. [Lousiville Courier-Journal]

I am not going to watch the G.I. Joe movie until it comes out on FX in ten months, but this video about what the characters do on their downtime is fantastic and probably better than the film. [Major League Jerk]

Looks like Michael Vick is taking the low-profile approach to his comeback. Tony Dungy must be proud. [Larry Brown Sports]

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BJ Penn Is A Rower

Saturday night Catfish, some friends, and myself headed to our local tavern to take in UFC 101. This bar is a dive in every sense of the word and that is why I love it. Foreign mangement, palm trees painted on the walls (not very well mind you), horrible lighting, and a pool table in place much too small for one. The one redeeming quality is that it does boast wall to wall television which makes it ideal for catching college pro football and in this case, the fight. I got their early to stake out a good spot because while most of the time the bar is empty, at certain points of time which includes UFC fights it becomes as packed as a World War I submarine. It may have something to do with the bar not charging a cover but on other nights it does see its share of a high volume of patrons. On Wednesday and Thursday night they have a "live DJ" and I can only emphasize my quotations so much. Playing music while this place already has a juke box is beyond me but I guess they fell when he touches something on his "turntable" and the sound modulates for a beat or two, it is worth having the mixmaster their pumping music at insane volume into a bar that has the square footage of a barber shop. But this was Saturday, a fight night and where Catfish and I had sat in the same location two weeks ago to a bar not full enough to start a 5 on 5 fullcourt game (including bar staff) it was packed.

Another feature of our local tavern that we find so endearing is the dollar beers. While I mentioned that the bar has a certain panache any place can make up for its shortcomings by offering good drink specials. In our tavern you can get a bottle of beer for $1. It may not be your favorite cheap, cold domestic but for a bottle of watered-down American brew I can throw down the Bud Lights. If you are feeling uppity any other bottle of domestic is just $2 everyday they have $3 shot specials. The particular shot depends on the day. While we frequent this place probably more than any other bar around our neck of the woods, we do venture to other bars. After having access to dollar beers for so long you will actually refuse to make contact with another waitress/bartender when their response to you inquiry about the specials is something to the tune of "well we have Bud Select for $2.50!"

With the buckets coming fast and furious and the place getting crowded and people taking possesion of the few chairs in the place, I felt relief I came early to secure a table in front of the big projection screen. Of course Catfish being my wingman he arrived before anyone else. We did our rundown of the sports stories the last day or so and tried to get in as much conversation before the female element would be added to the mix (I am not begrudging that fact I am just saying we couldn't continue to talk Ortiz and college football when the girls came, in the interest of manners). The projection screen was rolled down and it took awhile for the screen to come one. Catfish remarked that this was probably due to the lamp being on its last leg and sure enough when the manager did all but pull up a step stool and bang the projector with a wrench to get it working the screen came one with a warning in red letters below the picture: Replace Lamp. "That warning has been on there the last two fights," Catfish said. It was working though and thanks to the tavern being dimly lit you could hardly tell the screen was of such poor quality.

One by one, well actually two by two our friends started to arrive. K-man came with an entourage; his new wife, his sister and his brother-in-law. His wife was the biggest sport I have ever seen on Super Bowl Sunday. She is from Youngstown,Ohio which is pretty close to Pittsburgh and since Big Ben is from Ohio she wore a pink Roethlisberger jersey to Xtra Medium's house for the game. She sat there quietly as XM, Catfish, and I and I think even K-man said every foul-mouthed negative word against the city we could think of and called Big Ben every name in the book. It only got worse as the game progressed, we got more inebriated and the Cardinals took the lead late. After the final drive and the catch by Holmes she did not let out one inkling of a cheer. I do not know if this was out of politeness or a fear of a verbal assault which was likely had she decided to taunt. He and K-man left quietly but I know before she walked out the door she would have loved to turn around and give a big FU to us malcontents. K-man's brother-in-law is a high energy guy. You know that you meet someone at a wedding and you figure, hey they are cutting loose for a weekend away from life same as you and boy is it fun to get a little out-of-character crazy for awhile. Apparently this man is like that all the time, which is a good thing until he decided to place a friendly kiss on my cheek, sadly the only such contact I would experience that night.

XM and his girlfriend showed up and while he has a gargantuan HD television, their is no denying we were all interested in the deal offered by the tavern. In these economic times, saving the $45 and change for a no cover, dollar beer evening is a wise choice. My friend The Concierge was in town as well as his wife, both Syracuse alums. He wrote a piece for us last fall about the firing of Greg Robinson. Finally Catfish's lady of interest arrived with her friend and it was 10 people, one table, 3 chairs, and multiple buckets of beer.

I stood next to said "friend" and tried to explain the mechanics of MMA, as this was her first time seeing a fight. Now I am only what you would describe as a "casual" MMA fan so I was probably not the best person to explain the situation. Add the consumption of alcohol to mix and my attempt at dissecting what was going on in the cage was probably akin to that of a stoned glassblower trying to explain adjusted-rate mortgages. Our discussion wandered to other sports instead in which she was very knowledgeable. In order to protect anonymity I will merely say she is working for a school in the same BCS conference as the one she attended and admitted, it feels a bit like being behind enemy lines. I could understand this since being a Miami grad I would not fully root for another ACC school and could never work for FSU or Florida (or course ask me that when I'm living out of my car and surviving on saltines and my answer might be different).

We watched as Hendricks got a knockout and assist from the referee in 30 seconds, Silva did the fade-away strike to end Griffin, and BJ Penn choked out Kenny Florian. While waiting for the festivities to start Catfish and I got a good look at the fight promos multiple times. There was of course Kenny Florian's inciteful first round prediction which ushered the "he actually said that sh*t!" response from Penn. While profiling BJ's training we noticed something that many people probably already knew but a casual fan such as myself was unaware of; he is being trained by Marv Marinovich. That name seem familiar? He is the infamous father of QB bust Todd Marinovich. A lot of blame was placed on Marv when Todd's career took a nosedive into drug addiction after he was selected 24th overall by the Raiders in 1991 (they certainly never make mistakes right!). From his time as an infant, Marv monitored every facet of Todd's life which included a high volume of training, analysis, and a strict diet. The famous line from Todd as he entered pro football was how he had "never had a cheeseburger". Despite the spiral the younger Marinovich had, Penn has placed his trust in Marv, and so far it looks to have worked but no word on whether Penn has eaten any burgers.

One thing I noticed while Penn's training montage was running on the screen was a sight that actually gave me a little pang of joy. In a fast-paced cut of Penn doing different exercises was a 2 second clip of him on an erg! You may be wondering what exactly an erg is. It is short for ergometer which would be known better as a rowing machine. I decided to try to investigate further and sure enough on Penn's YouTube channel there is this training video which he goes over some of the equipment he is using and at the 1:50 mark he points to the rowing machine. The video overall is very simple with an awkward introduction featuring the Marinovich squad at the beginning.



Being a former college rower I was excited to see Penn using the erg to train. If you have never sat down on one of these machines, then you can consider yourself fortunate or like you're missing out. In college I viewed this thing as a torture device which usually succeeded in breaking down your mental faculties but at the same time there may be no better machine for getting a workout. The brutality of this machine, as in many implements of torture is in its simplicity. It is a moving seat on a slide and you strap your feet in and push off the footboards while holding a bar connected to a chain. The chain runs into a well which contains a wheel that you move by your rowing motion. There is a monitor that can indicate how many calories you are burning, how many Watts you are generating, or tell you how far or fast you are going and in what amount of time. I was fortunate enough to row in Florida so I did not receive as much erg punishment as rowers from the northern states who must head indoors when the extreme cold hits. I did get plenty of time with the machine though, trust me. The factor about the erg that makes it so effective is that there is no way around the results. It is honest, sometimes so in a hurtful way and when you finish you pulled what you pulled. It is perhaps more a mental trial than physical one and to be forthright I am not sure if I came out on top by the end of my time as a rower. I was a horrid erger, I cannot lie the machine probably overcame me more than I got off it thinking I had got the best of it. This was tough for me because I was not blessed with the physical gifts to be a great rower. I am an satisfactory athlete but nowhere near where the best rowers on our team were let alone world class rowers. Not to be too negative though I did improve steadily on the machine all my four years and although I do not have access to an erg presently, I look forward to hopping on one again to renew the challenge. The most popular brand of the erg is Concept2 and their web site is great not only for information and purchase of an erg but also for training on it. They do not just give you the machine and wish you luck, there are workouts, challenges, and even indoor races to delve into. I truly think there are few if any machines that offer a better complete workout than the erg. As for BJ Penn, I am sure he is happy with the results.

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The Steel Trap Of The Internet Age

I would much prefer to begin the week here at ASD talking about the great action from UFC 101 over the weekend particularly Anderson Silva treating Forrest Griffin like a kid brother or the races heating up in baseball (except in the AL East). However, since the story was broken by Deadspin about Rangers outfielder and apparent poster boy for born-again redemption Josh Hamilton falling out of sobriety in January, something that has been in my mind since starting the blog and has grown ever since needs to be said. Forgive the meandering of thoughts and length but I am writing this without notes and off the top of my head so the end result may be different than intended but the point will hopefully remain clear and you will take time to read this and reflect on it in your own mind.

Let me begin by saying this is not a personal attack on Hamilton. If anything I am supportive of his situation. Like many in the sports world I watched with admiration and hope when seeing Hamilton's story of coming back from the depths of depression and drug addiction to make the majors. It was hard not to pull for the guy after hearing from his loved ones, himself, and his wife. If people who follow sports had not heard the Hamilton story in full years ago, they certainly became familiar after last year's home run derby. Everyone knew his story, used it as inspiration, and even used it to make some profit (hey this is America after all). It was a story everyone could get behind; the religiously devout pointed to Hamilton's faith as the cornerstone to his successful turnaround, his "Special Assignment coach" with the Rangers Johnny Narron was the guiding light as Josh traversed the mire of temptation on the road in MLB, Josh's wife has stood by him no matter what, and overall we love the underdog/redemption story in this country do we not (unless it involves killing a lot of dogs)?

The bad taste left in my mouth from this story is not that Hamilton made a mistake at a bar in Tempe, it is how things have changed and what makes my feel even more ill is that I cannot completely take the moral high ground and argue it is all for the worse. If anything, Hamilton should be commended for not denying that he made a mistake and immediately releasing a statement and later holding a press conference addressing the situation. This issue is not really about Josh, who has something inherently dangerous within him in the form of addiction and being a now famous athlete is constantly surrounded by pitfalls. The issue is us, and how do we handle what we are, what we've become and reconcile where we have been.

Hamilton's exposed night of debauchery was at first brushed off by the mainstream media, but after the photos were confirmed, they picked up the story. TWWL at first refused to give Deadspin credit for the photos (I don't know if they have now) but other media outlets have. Once again sports blogs take the heat for reporting on true events and Deadspin has definitely heard from detractors. The same issue arose when the Erin Andrews story came about. While Catfish and I both believe Deadspin was irresponsible about posting the website the video originated from and then giving wafer-thin apologies afterward, the same question came into AJ Daulerio's head that would have come into any of ours about these issues: this is the reality of professional sports in the 21st century and if I do not post this somebody will won't they?

While the main goal of the huge sites like Deadspin are to generate hits the question becomes much easier to answer and crusty old sportswriters who write for internet sites but ironically criticize it constantly felt it was there obligation to waddle onto the soapbox and rail against the grammatically-challenged and inherently "evil" blogs which are leading society into a pit of moral degradation and corruption. I find the old nay-saying writers more objectionable because of their two-faced nature. The new age of sports coverage has either bolstered the careers of these talking heads or wiped them off the news presses and moved them online, yet they still cannot accept the truth.

Excuse the digression, back to the task at hand. I do not believe the internet has given birth to this desire within sports fans to know every detail about an athlete's infidelities, drunken escapades, and legal issues. The desire was always there, we just never had a medium like the internet (thanks Al Gore!) that could give us the instant information and seedy details. Let's take a look at Mickey Mantle, one of the most, if not the most, beloved athletes of his time. For the baby boomers, Mantle was a world-class hero, a god among men and rightfully so. Here he was, the leader of the Yankees, a man who played the game with a boy's passion and could belt one over the wall at anytime. However, Mickey struggled early on from alcohol addiction and many believe it contributed to health problems he suffered in his career. Many of the fans knew this or had heard rumors during his playing days or in the years following his retirement. However, Mantle is still to this day seen as a role-model and hero to thousands if not millions of people.

In Mantle's time the media access was quite different. The press could be as unrelenting as they are today but there were no twitter updates, internet blogs, or camera phones. In fact, most of the writers traveled with the team and became friendly with the ballplayers if not good friends. Maybe it was these limitations that allowed Mickey to rise in stardom while his demons surrounded him and the public cheered on. Years later in an amazing Sports Illustrated story which you can read here thanks to greatness that is the SI Vault, Mantle's alcoholism was brought to the center of attention. In the movie 61* which chronicled the home run chase of 1961 of Roger Maris and Mantle, Mickey's off the field problems were addressed in sometimes strong detail. The film also gives a good idea of the pressure the press put on Maris which were no different from today's standards but again with different technology.

This begs the question and issue that runs through my mind: Would Mantle have been able to achieve the greatness and inspiration to others he had in his era if he played the game today? The simple answer seems to be no. These issues used to be kept confidential or swept under the rug but now they are a matter of public record. People like to say that sports are "more than just a game" and the coverage lately has certainly held true to that statement. Besides the baseball races into August and football starting up, we are inundated by stories about athletes shooting themselves in their leg, getting sued by hotel employees for sexual assault, and a myriad of other issues which have nothing to do with the "game".

One thing that no rational person can deny is that we cannot go back to the way things were. For better or worse, sports is big business which has led to the media coverage being big business. We will have to live without heroes as we knew them. I do not think there will ever be another Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, or even Michael Jordan now that we are privy to the lives of athletes as we are now. The popularity will continue to be there, but the mythic quality of their feats will become common knowledge, even if that knowledge is based on a murky vision of the person and rumors of their escapades. Now that David Ortiz has been lumped into a positive test, people will never look at his historic 2004 post-season performance the same. Albert Pujols is loosely seen as the one shining beacon of hope for not using PEDs but there will never be absolute trust. MJ was king while he played but since he has been become merely a brand of himself and it is not above the internet to post a picture of him enjoying himself in Cabo. LeBron would be most people's choice but the microscope is simply magnified too high; look no further than the ridiculous clamor that arose from him getting "dunked on".

Now we are now facing the closing of a gap of humanization of our athletes while the profits they generate for themselves and others continue to widen. I admire most athletes we have in our sports, but I doubt I can ever trust one again to be something above what we all are as people. Perhaps this is the best case scenario for us all because it is the truth or maybe the realm of sports was better off in the days when athletes were a symbol of the virtues we aspired to. It is certainly a problem that will persist in my head as we move forward through this century of sports.

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The SEC: Your Tax Dollars at Work

The Big Lead has detailed the SEC's "extremely restrictive new media policies" that states the Conference owns everything and even forbids fans from taking photos in the stadiums. To boot, fans are not supposed to share accounts or descriptions of the events. The first rule of the SEC, we don't talk about the SEC.

Is the SEC going to be policing sports bars looking for guys relaying tales of watching Tebow's wobbly jump pass? Will they attempt to drop the hammer on sports radio stations that discuss the game the following Monday? Could criticizing Tebow's game play land lowly bloggers like ourselves in the conference's new Gulag labor camps? The restrictions carry over to practices and press conferences, which would greatly restrict local stations ability to replay Les Miles' "Have a Good Day" presser or The Speech by Tebow. We could all probably do without seeing Tebow's speech once a week throughtout this season, but these policies exclude ESPN and CBS, so there will still plenty of time to memorize the most eloquent speech of the last 40 years.

All jokes aside, these restrictions on local coverage and fan activities should be struck down. With the exception of Vanderbilt, all of the SEC institutions are public. Tax payers have for years shelled out money to build these programs into the powerhouse conference that recently signed the largest TV contract ever for college athletics. These same taxpayers pony up to get into the games and have done so long before ESPN was even founded. The conference has grown because of the rabid following of their local constituents and these new policies serve only as a big F U to the people whose devotion built the SEC into the best in the land.

As public universities, the rules are (or should be) different. Not only are the schools beholden to the boosters, but also to the state. While the SEC scrapes and claws for every cent they can get, the universities gladly accept tax dollars annually for improvements to sports facilities in a time when many states are dealing with budget shortfalls. Allowing the local media outlets to use game footage does not impede the SEC's ability to make money, but this new policy could prove devastating to local sports media outlets, entities that are already struggling in a more streamlined global media marketplace. As Gordon Gecko famously said, "Greed is good," but at the heart of the SEC is eleven universities that are publicly funded and local lawmakers should be demanding that media outlets in their states be exempt from this policy. The schools and the conference owe it to the people that have funded this league from the beginning.

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It's Friday

Catfish is a hell of a wingman, that is all.

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RIP John Hughes

If you are from anywhere close to my generation then the passing of John Hughes was a sad event. While his movies may not go down on the AFI golden list, he gave us stories that were entertaining, memorable, and that we could relate to.

If there was one person in my youth that could compete with my idolization of Zack Morris, it was Ferris Bueller.



One of the scenes I think of first when I think of John Hughes. "Automobiiiile?"



You just cannot beat cheesy 80s music montages.

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Thursday Links

Who needs cash for clunkers? Larry Bird has the cure for all your automotive needs! (via YBNBY)

Busy week in the real world for the crew so the posting will be limited this week. A couple stories from around block.

Wow Grandma, just wow. [YouTube]

My praise for the Panthers was premature(I swear it's never happened before), run stopper Maake Kemoeatu out for the season. [Carolina Growl]

Everytime a pitcher's arm falls off, Dusty Baker gets a toothpick. [Rumors and Rants]

A baseball card quiz. [Mental Floss]

New Cowboys stadium working feverishly to become more overpriced and bloated than Yankees stadium, but Jerry Jones promises, you will not pay over $60 for a large pizza. [Sportress of Blogitude]

The big boys seem to be on to the Moneyball schemes of small market teams. [SI]

And you thought I wasn't aware of the SBTB photo shoot reunion going on. [Examiner]

Betting on video games? Hide the controller from Catfish. [Deuce of Davenport]

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Where In The World Are Carolina's Running Backs?

August is here and along with it NFL training camps are in full swing. The Carolina Panthers have made their annual trek down to Spartanburg, SC to prepare for the season in lovely sweltering summer in the south conditions. Following a disappointing end to their 12-4 season last year by getting blown out by the Cardinals in the playoffs, the Panthers are determined for redemption this year. One of the highlights from the past season was the backfield duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. After squabbling with Tennessee's Lendale White (who has lost 30 pounds by giving up tequila) and Chris Johnson over the nickname "Smash and Dash", the Panthers' combo came up with a new moniker for this season. Harking back to the glory days of Carmen Sandiego on PBS they have chosen "Double Trouble". Well it was actually coined by wide receiver Muhsin Muhhammad but it certainly reminds me of eating fruit rollups on the couch and watching Rockapella do their thing. Williams and Stewart combined for 2351 yards and 28 touchdowns last year. They are expected to haul the majority of the offensive load, especially with Stewart fully healthy going into this season.



The two have created a website that will feature exclusive videos, a blog, pictures and more of them out and about since they truly are best friends off the field. There are also Double Trouble shirts to buy with proceeds going to St. Jude. There is also a hilarious intro which addresses the controversy last year with Lendale and the Titans. The fee to join the website and get full access is the combination of their jersey numbers, $34.28 which for me is a little steep but for diehards it is probably worth it. With Jake Delhomme determined to make up for last year and the entire offensive line returning, despite losing depth on defense, the Panthers may only go as far as Double Trouble takes them.

Double Trouble 34-28
Panthers Players are 'Double Trouble' [WSOC]

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