A preview of the NLCS via Deadspin.
Monday, October 6
Economic Crisis Explained
I know we try to steer away from politics on the ASD, but this is not even political it's just a damn funny explanation of the economic mess our country has gotten itself into. Personally, I find the Colbert Report funnier than the other shows of its kind on TV. Anyway, here is the clip.
The State of the FBS
Now that we have reached October, we can eliminate certain teams from the BCS discussion (we think) and look forward to the games where the conferences could be decided. Some teams that appeared dead have new life, some who had opportunities have fallen flat, and some teams are shocking the country and the polls at the moment. This weekend will be a big turning point for the direction in which this season will head going into the second half. After the break we go conference by conference including the at-large possibilites and break down who's cresting, who's crestfallen, and who has a chance to crack the BCS.
ACC
The Virginia Tech Hokies have shaken off their loss to East Carolina and taken control of the Coastal division yet again. It seems familiar territory for Va Tech by getting over a tough non-conference loss and then getting tough wins in conference. The other two teams that seem to be the challengers in the Coastal division, North Carolina and Georgia Tech, both lost games to the Hokies that they probably should have won. Thus, Virginia Tech has the edge over both of those teams if it came down to a tiebreaker. That being said, Georgia Tech and North Carolina have garnered tough conference wins and blown out non-conference BCS opponents at home, Mississippi State and UCONN respectively. Duke got a reality check from Georgia Tech Saturday, but the Blue Devils are still an unknown for the year and could make some noise.
In the Atlantic division, Wake Forest holds the top spot despite losing what sliver of hope they had for the BCS title by losing to Navy. A four team log-jam exists behind the Deacs as Clemson faltered to Maryland but then the Terps inexplicably got hammered by Virginia on Saturday. Florida State may have found their stride after beating Miami and Boston College edged NC State but no one would count those teams as legitimate contenders at this point. This still should be a race between Wake and Clemson and that's why...
ACC Game to Watch this week: Clemson at Wake Forest, Thursday 7:30
Big East
South Florida opened their conference play with a complete pooch-screw against the Stache and Pitt. Shady McCoy ran all over the Bulls defense in the Thursday night victory. The loss knocked the Bulls and the Big East out of title contention, but there is still a BCS bowl bid up for grabs. Believe it or not Pitt stands atop the conference at 2-0, with UCONN and West Virginia right behind. Things could get incredibly hazy as the season goes on. Who knows if Pitt can keep this up, West Virginia has been less than stellar and Pat White wasn't even able to finish agasint Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are shades of their former selves and there is no way of knowing if South Florida will rebound or collapse like they did after the dissapointing loss they had last year. No guesses here on how this will play out, we will just have to wait and see.
Big East Game to Watch this week: Cincinnati at Rutgers, Saturday 12:00
Big Ten
There are many people that wanted to label the Buckeyes dead in the water after getting their backsides punted in the LA Coliseum a month ago, but Ohio State is back in the hunt after returning to the friendly confines of Big Ten conference play. The Buckeyes beat the Badgers in Camp Randall ending Wisconsin's home winning streak, BCS title hopes, and most likely their conference title chances all in one fell swoop. Michigan State also stands at 2-0 in the conference but not having faced the top teams as of yet and same can be said of Northwestern who is 1-0. This appears to be a two-team race between Ohio State and Penn State. The Nittany Lions have looked strong on offense and after holding Purdue to 6 points on Saturday, the defense may be coming along as well. The meeting in 3 weeks in Columbus, where Penn State has not had success recently could very well decide the conference and also seal the fate of Ohio State for the title game or give them an incredible boost forward.
It is fortunate for Ohio State that Penn State has jumped so high in the polls which allows a big boost by the computer polls if Ohio State wins. The problem is going to be getting the vote from the pollsters, specifically the AP. Many feel that Ohio State has had their chances in past including their match-up with USC, but OSU is a different team now. Terrelle Pryor is the full-time QB and they have Beanie Wells back, if the others in front of them fall and they win out, Ohio State may get yet another chance. On the Penn State side of things, they have impressed enough to be in position in the polls at number 6 and have given themselves a chance to slip into the title game. I don't think Wisconsin has its band back this week.
Big Ten Game to Watch this week: Penn State at Wisconsin, 8:00
Big XII
Xtra Medium likes to point out how I always use the Roman Numerals when referring to the Big XII but I'm so used to it I can't stop now. It seems nothing can stop Oklahoma at the moment. Bradford gets all the press, but the Sooners are very strong up front. Texas and Missouri have also proven they can pound inferior competition, but Texas Tech, Kansas, and Oklahoma State are going to put up a fight in the conference. The conference has 3 teams in the top 5, which will undoubtedly change after this weekend but still, any of these teams has more than a legitimate shot at making the BCS title game. Mizzou looks more polished than they did last year, and luckily they don't have the Sooners on the regular season schedule and if they do face them in the conference championship, it will be at Arrowhead in Kansas City.
Not many people are mentioning Texas except to say that not many people are mentioning them; they have to be the quietest 5th ranked team I can remember. Oklahoma State comes to visit Missouri this weekend in what should be a fantastic air-it-out-laser-light-show match-up, but the big game will be in Dallas. If you in anyway hold college football dear, you will be watching the Red River Rivarly.
Big XII game to Watch this week: Texas at Oklahoma, Saturday 12:00
Pac Ten
Was there any doubt that Pete Carroll was going to light up the scoreboard against Oregon Saturday night? The Trojans took out there frustration against the Ducks, and it appears as if they will not overlook any conference opponents again this season. But looks can always be deceiving. The real challenge would seem to come from Cal, which has nipped USC in the past, but would still be outgunned against the Trojans. The Pac Ten has fallen off in terms of conference reputation this year due to some bad performances out of conference.
For this year, it is Trojan-watch to see if USC can run the table the rest of the way. The polls are kind to USC, placing them in position to scoot up if the teams in front of them fall. The media seems to be as willing to give USC the benefit of the doubt as they are to hammer down non-BCS teams or the Buckeyes. Every week from here on out, the Trojans are the game to watch; this week it's ASU's turn to try to pull the shocker.
Pac Ten Game to Watch this week: Arizona St. at USC, Saturday 3:30
SEC
If you had Vandy and Alabama at the top of the two divisions of the SEC 3 games into conference play, you are a liar...and a jerk. The Commodores have two games left, at Georgia and Florida at home, where they would be the decided underdog, if they win one or both of thsoe games, yikes. The SEC has been thrown on its head and if Kentucky could have been a little sharper against Alabama, mass hysteria could have broken out. The Tide proved they are vunurable just like everyone in the conference on Saturday, but they hold their destiny in their hands. The Tide face off against LSU in Baton Rouge November 8th as it looks as though these two will decide the west now that Auburn has slipped behind.
The East is where the proverbial "stuff" can hit the fan. Georgia will have two weeks to ponder the thumping Bama gave them, but vindication can be theirs if they run the gauntlet which includes, LSU, Vandy, and Florida. It starts for the Bulldogs this Saturday against the Vols. In a game that usually is a rivalry, this should be a statement game for Georgia. Florida is in the same boat, every game is a must win, which still could make the match-up with Georgia the deciding game in the east, unless Vandy continues its improbable run. If Vanderbilt falters, no one will blame them, it is just amazing that they are one game from bowl eligibility. Business picks up this week in the SEC with the game to watch in the Swamp.
SEC Game to Watch this week: LSU at Florida, Saturday 8:00
At-Larges
Notre Dame fans may be upset at not getting ranked this week, but they will have their claim if they can win at North Carolina on Saturday. After Carolina, the schedule has some "winnable" games for the Irish, but we really don't know who this team is. The bottom line is that Notre Dame's BCS chances rest on winning out, yes that includes their game at USC to end the regular season. In other words, be happy getting back to a bowl game Irish fans.
In the Mountain West, Utah and BYU have done what they need to put the BCS at-large bid in reach. They both look impressive, have multiple wins over BCS-conference opponents, and so far are undefeated. The huge match-up November 22 between the two leaves one hoping they are still undefeated at that point which would set-up the biggest clash in the state of Utah since the Mormons arrived and took on the natives. The one large road block for both teams is TCU, who although humiliated in Norman by Oklahoma, have a stout team.
Boise State appears to be on the outside looking in for a BCS at-large birth but the Broncos can only control what they do on the blue field and so far it is win. The one big win they are holding onto at Oregon depends on how the ducks make it through the rest of the season. The biggest game left for the Broncos is the last one against Fresno St., who stumbled against Hawai'i in its first conference game. The Bulldogs are tough but Boise gets the game at home, where they have been lights out in WAC games.
At-Large Bid Game to Watch this week: Notre Dame at North Carolina, Saturday 3:30
NFL Week 5: The Numbers
One number from each game that stuck out above all others.
Bears v. Lions - 121.4 - Kyle Orton's passer rating. Two of the three times Orton has posted a passer rating over 100 have come against the Lions (Green Bay was the other). The game was also the first time Orton has completed more than 2/3 of his passes (70.6%) and his first 300 yard passing game (334). GM Matt Millen may be gone, but there is still plenty of work to be done in Detroit.
Falcons v. Packers - 14 - Potential point swing caused by Green bay penalties. Green Bay finished with nine penalties for 97 yards, but three were particularly costly. On the first drive of the game, Matt Ryan fumbled the ball on 3rd down at the Packer one yard-line. The Falcons recovered on the four, but instead of kicking a field goal, the play was nullified by an encroachment penalty, placing the Falcons back on the one (Atlanta wouldn't score the TD until choosing to go for it on 4th down, but it is the opinion of this writer that they would've kicked the FG had they been on the four on 4th down). After closing the gap to 10-7, the Packers again bailed out the Falcons. Facing a three and out, a pass interference call on 3rd down extended the Atlanta drive that culminated in their 2nd touchdown. On the next drive, Mason Crosby made a 43 yard field goal, but a holding call forced a 53-yard attempt, which Crosby then missed.
Chargers v. Dolphins - 4 - Average plays per drive for San Diego, excluding their fourteen play, 61 yard field goal drive to start the game. Miami dominated the time of possession by over thirteen minutes, with seven of the Chargers ten drives lasting two minutes or less. The Dolphins had seven that lasted 2:58 or longer, and five that went for at least 4:15. The Chargers also only converted one 3rd down after the initial drive.
Seahawks v. Giants - 6 - Consecutive scoring drives for New York to start the game, including every first half drive and their first of the second half. If the Giants got one point per score they still would've beaten Seattle 8-6.
Redskins v. Eagles - 26 - Difference in rushing attempts in favor of the Redskins (44 to 18). Despite trailing for two and half quarters, Washington stuck with the ground game pounding out a 145 yard advantage on the ground (203 to 58) resulting in a nearly ten minute advantage in time of possession. The effectiveness on the ground combined with QB Jason Campbell's efficiency allowed the Skins to drain the last 7:15 on the clock on the fourth quarter.
Chiefs v. Panthers - 2 - Times Kansas City got into Carolina territory, never getting into the red zone. Also, the number of offensive linemen the Panthers were missing, while still not giving up a sack. Two Rushing TD's for RB DeAngelo Williams after having zero through four games. Lastly, two was the number of home wins for Carolina last season, a number they passed by winning their third of the season at home on Sunday.
Titans v. Ravens - 15 (yards) - In a match-up between two of the NFL's best defenses, it was defensive penalties that played a role in four of the five scoring drives in the game. All told, there were 21 penalties for 169 yards with defensive penalties accounting for nearly 2/3 of the total. Baltimore was flagged for four personal fouls and Tennessee picked up three. Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs accounted for three penalties (31 total yards) including a critical roughing the passer called that kick started the Titans game-winning drive.
Colts v. Texans - 2:10 - The time for Indy to score 21 points, thanks to Texans QB Sage Rosenfels fumbling twice. Houston outplayed the Colts in virtually every area, including Rosenfels matching Peyton Manning in passing yards (235). This was the kind of loss that will have people walking into work still in a stupor, greeting each other by silently shaking their heads, at least until the annoying Cowboy fan shows up.
Buccaneers v. Broncos - 14 - More passing attempts than rushing for the Buccaneers. A week after Chiefs RB Larry Johnson racked up nearly 200 yards against the Broncos defense, Coach Jon Gruden decided to do things his way. Despite averaging 6.3 yards per carry during the game and having a quarterback with a sore shoulder, the Buccaneers routinely went back to the pass. The result was six points through three and a half quarters and a loss.
Bengals v. Cowboys - 4 - Drives for the Bengals started in Dallas territory, all of which resulted in points, but only one touchdown. Four was also the number of turnovers in the game, each which resulted in a significant momentum swing. Carson Palmer threw an INT on the first play from scrimmage that led to a quick Dallas TD. Up 17-3 QB Tony Romo was on his way to converting a third down when he fumbled setting up another Cincinnati FG. The Bengals closed the gap to 17-16 following another Romo turnover, this time an interception. On the following kickoff, the Bengals pulled off an onside kick, but three plays later RB Chris Perry put the ball on the ground. Two plays after that, a dagger TD pass for Dallas.
Bills v. Cardinals - 3 - Plays for Buffalo QB before getting knocked out with a concussion. 3 straight TD drives to start the game for the Cardinals (The Bills had given up fewer points to 3 of their first four opponents). The Bills started to find their stride in the second quarter, when they had their own streak of 3 scoring drives (2 TDs, 1 FG). Arizona responded with another 3 drive scoring streak in the second half. Buffalo also lost three fumbles on offense.
Patriots v. 49ers - 1 - 3rd down conversion for the 49ers (out of 9). As a result, San Fran had only 1 drive of more than 5 plays and New England controlled the game, having possession for 40 minutes.
Steelers v. Jaguars - 51 - More penalty yards against the Jaguars than they had rushing yards. I'm not sure the correlation, but I can't imagine this stat having a good one. The Jacksonville running backs were again ineffective behind their depleted offensive line, amounting for only 26 yards on 15 attempts or 1.7333 yards per carry. Pittsburgh had exactly 129 rushing and penalty yards.
Sunday, October 5
6 Words: The Bobcats
Over at TWolvesblog they came up with the idea of describing each player in exactly six words. I became fascinated with the idea, and blatantly ripping their post I have come up with my own for the Bobcats. Hat Tip to BDL. Starting at the top...
Michael Jordan - Out of Office. Please leave message.
Larry Brown - Last coaching job. Legacy to Repair.
Starting Lineup
Raymond Felton - Not Deron or Paul, still good.
Jason Richardson - Nationally underrated, team's first All-Star?
Gerald Wallace - Plays hard. Gets Hurt. Misses twenty.
PF - Need one for fives! Anyone? Please?
Emeka Okafor - Fourteen and ten equals 72 million?
Bench
Nazr Mohammed - Second six foot ten inch center.
DJ Augustin - Quick distributor, development may prove critical.
Matt Carroll - Shoot. Shoot. Shoot. Shoot some more. (Think Duke of Earl)
Jared Dudley - Makes the play the team needs.
Sean May - Microfracture surgery. Can he come Back?
Adam Morrison - His knee and defense must respond.
Alexis Ajinca - Tall and French like Frederic Weis (Cheap shot, but any excuse to link that video I'm going to take).
Friday, October 3
Week 5 NFL Mr. Green Locks
A less than stellar week on my picks last week has left me determined to go perfect this week. I finished 6-7, very dissapointing. I'm calling my shot I'm not going to miss one pick, lead pipe in the lounge lock it. It's like the scene in White Men Can't Jump where Billy is asking Gloria to play one more game and says he will guarentee victory. Of course since there is no recourse if I miss a pick, don't hold me too strongly to being right. Let's go to the picks.
Last week: 6-7
Season: 36-24
TEN at BAL: Titans- A reprisal of the hard-nosed, entertaining play-rivalry these two have had in the last 10 years. Should be just as hard hitting as the Pittsburgh/Baltimore Monday night game. I think the Titans just have more to offer on offense than the Ravens.
KC at CAR: Panthers- Classic trap game for the Panthers, but the way the offense was clicking last week, it seems they finally have a balanced attack again. Steve Smith is like the Juggernaut(bitch), let him get a head of steam and will be unstoppable. However, Smitty did ot make his helmet in the 4th grade. The Chiefs did prove last week they actually can win though, and it is on the Panthers D to stop LJ early.
SD at MIA: Chargers- The Dolphins have had a week to rest and no doubt they will again bring out the single wing/wingle flipper/wild dolphin/Flipper on meth formation that had so much success against the Patriots. If the Chargers defense is smart(cough) they will be ready for it. I expect the Dolphins to be in this game until the very end, but San Diego should be able to outscore them in the end.
WAS at PHI: Redskins- You're asking a lot of a team to go back-to-back weeks on the road against teams of the caliber of Dallas and Philly, but I doubted the 'Skins last week and they showed me something. If their secondary plays like it did against Dallas and factoring in that the Eagles have no Jason Witten, I think the Redskins come away with a win and the Eagles become the best 2-3 team in history.
IND at HOU: Colts- Houston is staring 0-4 in the face, but it could be worse if not for the hurricane they could be staring 0-5 in the face. The Colts are always played tough by the Texans and Houston actually did play well last week against the Jags, but Peyton will find a way, and the week of rest is exactly what they needed.
SEA at NYG: Giants- If they haven't already, some Giants fans will be stroking their facial hair and thinking, "if we can just get by Dallas and Washington twice, we will go unbeaten!" Of course, this rationale is ridiculous, but then again I know a few Giant fans. Even without Plaxico, the running game is going to overpwoer a Seattle team that has really fallen below expectations. Mike Holmgren could rally the troops for a late season surge, but they traded for Keary Colbert...I'll give you a moment to let that sink in as to where their team stands.
ATL at GB: Packers- If you're going to have Aaron Rodgers miss a game, this would be a choice one. It's time for the Green bay running game to make some plays, this should not all be on the Packers' QB, especially with that defense. If the Falcons win this game, it is going to be hysteria in Wisconsin Sunday night, the cows might give sour milk.
CHI at DET: Bears- Are you ready for post-Matt Millen football? I know the Lions are! But getting rid of the guy that caused a lot of your problems doesn't get rid of your problems. A heavy dose of Matt Forte with a splash of neckbeard should secure this one for Chicago.
TB at DEN: Bucs- Griese returns to another stadium that spurned his services, and I forsee a duplication of when he went to Chicago. Except the Bucs will wisely run the ball more. Denver has been awful on defense and there is no reason Earnest Graham won't duplicate what Larry Johnson did last week.
BUF at ARI: Bills- I don't think the Cardinals can play mistake proof football consistently. This is their chance to bounce back and prove me wrong and do it against a good football team.
NE at SF: Patriots- I don't know how artistic it will be, but I believe the Pats will survive this game. Belichick has no doubt been riding the defense hard for their performance against the Dolphins and I think he knows how to make adjustments and where to make them. The 49ers are playing better than last year and I expect them to be in the game late. Finally, the epic J.T. O'Sullivan/Matt Cassel QB match-up.
CIN at DAL: Cowboys- Cowyboys team that knows they can game plan better than they did last week, Chad Johnson shooting off his mouth about his 0-4 Bengals team, yeah this one won't be close.
PIT at JAC: Jaguars- The battle of attrition is going to leave the Steelers hobbling by Week 14. Signing Davenport is a nice move, but the Jags D are no cupcakes. The Steelers got a gift from the Ravens on Monday night, don't expect the same thing from the Jags on a short week.
MIN at NO: Saints- With the way Brees and the Saints offense is paying, I don't expect the Vikings defense to be able to bail out the Vikings lack of TD scoring in this one. The Saints have now found Lance Moore, another former FCS receiver that can make plays also Deuce is returning and the more weapons the Saints have, the more effective Bush becomes.
Bye: NYJ,OAK,STL,CLE
It's Clue fun-fact time again. This week we look at Martin Mull, who played Colonel Mustard. Mull was a bit rotund in the movie although in his later roles he would slim down. His true passion is art and he even wrote a book called "Painting, Drawing, and the World". Have a great weekend everyone, if there is any communicae over the weekend, it will be from the sharp eye and razor wit of Catfish.
Point-Counterpoint: The Latest Installment of Terrell Owens
Following the Dallas Cowboys' 26-24 loss last Sunday to the Washington Redskins, Wide Receiver Terrell Owens displayed his apparent discontent at the direction of the offense in terms of getting him the ball. Catfish and I discussed this issue and found we have diverging views. While I contend that this is just another selfish act by a player notorious for this kind of behavior, Catfish says T.O. is actually putting team first and protecting his quarterback and his team following a tough loss. Once again we sqaure off our opposing views in Point-Counterpoint.
Cleet
Point: Business as usual for Owens
I have 25 million reasons to make this argument. Should anybody really be surprised that only a week after Terrell put on the good teammate show following the win in Green Bay he would turn 180 after the Cowboys lost? Owens said he had no problem with how much he was involved as long as Dallas was winning, but now after a 2 point loss to a solid team he is crying about getting the ball. The person who should be throwing a fit if anyone is Marion Barber. Barber only carried the balls 8 times in the game, only 7 more than Owens. Terrell was thrown to on a third of Dallas' offensive plays, ending with 7 catches for 71 yards and a TD. Romo put the ball up 47 times, way too much for the Cowboys. This is what got them into trouble last year when they lost, they lose their balance and begin dropping Romo back over and over again. Jason Campbell, the winning QB, only threw the ball 31 times as the Redskins controlled the ball and kept their defense fresh.
Owens' demand for more balls thrown his way is just another reaction after a loss by a man who has the physical prowess of superman, but the mental faculties of a 9 year-old. Haven't we seen this act before? The 49ers, T.O. isolates himself from Mariucchi and Jeff Garcia and takes off to Philly. The Eagles have success even with T.O. blasting his offensive coordinators on the sidelines and drawing all the attention to himself, but after losing the Super Bowl, Owens throws Donavan McNabb under the bus after McNabb was the backbone of the NFC Champion team. Granted, Owens and Romo have a better relationship(for now) than Owens had with Garcia or McNabb, but how long will it last? If the Cowboys stumble more this season, T.O. could again become the focus of all the media in Dallas; Ed Werder will again take up residence in Valley Ranch and Pedro Gomez might even be flown in. I think Terrell has found he can push on Wade Phillips, Tony Romo, and Jason Garrett, but if he continues to whine after every loss, he might get the boss involved, and I think Jimmy Johnson will tell you that when you get into it with Jerry Jones, Jerry has no qualms about establishing his dominance by getting rid of you.
It is not completely that Owens is just so selfish he values his catch total more than winning a game, it's that he truly believes he is the most important person on the field at any given time. His actions would never be tolerated were not for his talent and that is a big part of the problem. No matter how ridiculous T.O. has acted, there has been a team that has paid for his services. Remember this Cowboy fans?
At that point you probably blustered that T.O. would never be welcome in Big D. What a horrible teammate right? Who would want a guy that cares more about his own glory than the team he is paying for? But yet, when he became available and the Cowboys signed him, it was popcorn time in Dallas. That is the problem, teams and fans keep enabling this sort of behavior from Owens, so why would he ever think it was not ok? He and his entourage have made money doing it so why be surprised when he talks and acts like this when things do not go his way.
Catfish may argue that Owens is finally in a good situation and has turned the corner and wants to be a team player and help his quarterback. But I see the same sad play unfolding; like T.O. once said, "if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck...".
Catfish
Counterpoint: I am the Target
Exhibit B: In 2006, TO was fined $35,000 for spitting in the face of then Falcons cornerback DeAngelo Hall. Wait, Catfish, did you forget what side of the argument you're on? Nay nay, my friends. The only reason he was fined was because he admitted it. The officials had not seen it and it had not been caught on tape, like previous spitting incidents. TO was forthright about the situation even though it risked a fine and a suspension.
Exhibit C: Also in 2006, TO vented following a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, unleashing a tirade and asking why the Cowboys even signed him. Despite the outburst occurring behind closed doors (gotta love rats), again TO acknowledged it.
But Catfish, what about that disingenuous apology to the Eagles and Donovan McNabb?
Exhibit D: In his autobiography Owens admitted that he was strongly urged to make the statement, but that it was nto sincere.
So members of the jury, I ask you: Why should we not believe TO when he says he didn't demand a meeting with his QB about his role in the offense, as the Four Letter reported? Why should we not accept his explanation that he was frustrated by the loss and venting? Why should we believe that he's trying to tear down his QB, when he never said "he" or "Tony Romo?" The lazy sports media thirst for every TO soundbyte and perceived outburst. On ESPN his game film was being broken down and he was being criticized by Keyshawn Johnson. The same Keyshawn Johnson that TO was brought in to replace in Dallas. Is it a leap in logic at all to see that Keyshawn may have an axe to grind? No, it isn't. TO is not perfect, but he states his opinions clearly and owns up to his mistakes, so why would he suddenly start vaguely ripping Tony Romo if that was his objective? Quite simply, because it was not his motivation. TO has put himself between the media and his team once again, but this time it was to shield a young quarterback from controversy. Terrell Owens is on the field to be a target, and he protected his quarterback and his team by once again making himself the target. Jurors I beg of you, do not fall for the trap that ESPN and others have set for you. See past it, to the truth. TO wants to be a Cowboy and he wants to win with Tony Romo as his quarterback. I beg of you, don't be asses, TO enjoys catching Romo TD passes.
The defense rests.
Thursday, October 2
Links: Name that Number
We love quizzes and this is a fun one from Mental Floss (via TBL)
For Sale: Mementos from a painful March Madness for both Cleet and myself.
Blogger trying out for the D-League. We may need to start a blogging injury report, after all I was day-to-day following the Panthers loss to Minnesota.
OH SNAP! I was getting the itch after discovering this guilty pleasure, but now it's officially on. The Wii is getting a new version of Punch-Out! Looks like more wasted nights at XM's.
A new shoe for Elton Brand. No word on whether or not Coach K took credit for these.
Alma Mater Conference Fantasia Week 4: Bye-ing Time
We have reached the first week of byes in our fantasy football experiment of experiments. It hurts some conferences to have the bye week enter the equation, particularly those that are short on the roster to begin with. Let's take a look at how week 4 shaped up.
SEC 164
Big Ten 177
The SEC had its win-streak snapped by a big effort from a few Big Ten stars. Jason Campbell(Auburn) and Earnest Graham(Florida) were the high scorers with 17 for the SEC. Tennessee alums had a good week, much better than the school did on the field with Jason Witten and Robert Meachem each scoring 15, and Albert Haynesworth and Gibril Wilson adding 9 and 11 on defense respectively. First time scorers in the SEC line-up were Matt Jone(Arkansas) and Deuce(Ole Miss) but it was not enough to overtake the Big Ten.
Drew Brees(Purdue) lead the Big Ten at QB with 26 points. Muhsin Muhammed(Mich St) had a 20 point effort for the Panthers and Steve Breaston(Michigan) beat out his fellow Wolverine Braylon Edwards to earn a spot with 12 points. The high score of the week goes to Larry Johnson(Penn State) who went off for 30 points this week helping KC get their first win. Lamar Woodley(Michigan) also gets a nod for scoring the highest on defense with 19.5. The Big Ten is now 3-1 in our league.
ACC 179
Big XII 78
The ACC remained unblemished thanks great performances and of course, a lot of help from the U. Matt Schaub(Virginia) outscored Phillip Rivers(NC State) who had been atop the ACC QB position for the first three weeks. Schaub had 26 in the Texans loss, but Laverneus Coles(Florida St) had 28 to lead all the ACC. The crew from the U (Miami for the lay people) included Frank Gore with 14, Edgerrin James with 19, Santanna Moss with 14, Devin Hester with 9, Greg Olsen with 9, and Ray Lewis with 7 on defense. If you throw in Portis' score, the U could beat the Big XII single-handedly.
Just not a good year for Big XII alums in the NFL as a conference. Adrian Peterson(Oklahoma) had 21 and Correll Buckhalter(Nebraska) had 15, but the only other player in double figures was safety Michael Lewis(Colorado).
FCS 113
MWACBELTIND 117
The FCS edged again, they just can't catch a break. Tony Romo(E. Illinois) had 23 which is jsut fine with Terrell Owens(Chattanooga) who had 14. Another Cowboy, Miles Austin(Monmouth) had 10 and kicker Rob Bironas(Georgia Southern) had 12 for the Titans. FCS had a scorer at each position which our blended conference team did not but they still pulled out the victory
For our MWACBELTIND team Jake Delhomme(LA-Lafayette) had 19 points and his Panthers teammate Steve Smith(Utah) had 15. LT(TCU) got back into form with 23 and Arnaz Battle(Notre Dame) resurfaced for 12. The other double digit scorers were Josh Scobee(La Tech) with 12 and Kevin Payne(LA-Monroe) with 11.
Pac Ten 121
MAC 122.5
The MAC stuns previously unbeaten Pac Ten with a few players with spectacular performances. Greg Jennings(W. Mich) and Lance Moore(Toledo) both had 22 at the WR position. Kevin Walter(E. Michigan) also had a big day at WR with 19. Antonio Gates(Kent St) had 11, kicker Shaun Suisham had 15 and James Harrison(Kent St) just loves the MNF games, he had 15.5. The MAC showed what you need to beat the big boys, just a lot of big performances from the alums you do have and that's what they got.
The Pac Ten contrastly, got average performances from many different players. Trent Edwards(Stanford) got 12 at the QB position. Oregon State had a great week not only by beating USC but its alums faired pretty well in the NFL; Ocho Cinco had 10, Steven Jackson had 24 and Housh had 5. It was a flat effort all around though as they did not mass enough to beat the MAC.
Conf USA 115
Big East 101
Conference USA pulled to .500 against the struggling Big East. Brett Favre(Southern Miss) had the highest score in the league with 34 thanks to his 6 TD passes. Chris Johnson(E. Carolina) had a big day with 19 while Donnie Avery(Houston) had 12. Matt Forte(Tulane) has been a pleasant surprise for the Bears and Conference USA, he had 10. Even Isaac Bruce(Memphis) had a solid day with 10.
The Big East had a bunch of no shows this week which cost them. McNabb(Cuse) had 13 but the high scorer was Steve Slaton(W. Virginia) who had 17 and is establishing himself down in Houston. Michael Bush(Louisville) is also emerging in Oakland with his back-to-back strong performances, this week he had 12. Trent Cole(Cincinnati) had 13 on defense, Keith Bullock(Cuse) had 6 and Eric Reevis(Pitt) had 15 (and a suspension) so defense is obviously not the problem with the Big East, they just need more offense.
Here are the standings after four weeks:
ACC 4-0
Big Ten 3-1
Pac Ten 3-1
MWACBELTIND 3-1
Conf USA 2-2
SEC 2-2
Big East 1-3
Mac 1-3
FCS 0-4
Big XII 0-4
Week 5 Match-ups:
SEC vs MAC
ACC vs Big Ten
FCS vs. Big XII
Conf USA vs. Pac Ten
Big East vs. MWACBELTIND
Wednesday, October 1
Roger Maris: You Don't Know [Blank]!
Today is the 47th anniversary of Roger Maris's 61st home run (I know, we were wondering why it wasn't being played up elsewhere too). So for the 2nd installment of our weekly trivia bonanza, we take a look back at the man, the game, and the record. Click for the full article to see all of the answers, as well as a scoring system. Feel free to post your score, and Cleet will send you wonderful prizes from the ever-growing ASD prize closet. 15 total answers, graded on a hanging curve, as always.
Roger Maris was born on September 10, 1934 in Hibbing, Minnesota, but he is more often associated with [The state], where he grew up and where his museum resides. During his first three years in the majors, Maris played for two other teams, the [No Cheating] and the A's of [I gave you A's]. He was traded to the Yankees before the 1960 season.On the final day of the 1961 season the Yankees defeated the [There were 10 teams, guess!], 1-0. The lone run came in the [1-9] inning, the record breaking home run for Roger Maris. His shot down the right field line came off starting pitcher [No help here]. As the chase progressed, commissioner [No F'n Help] ruled that the record would appear with an asterisk unless it was broken by the [Uno Car?]th game, which had been the length of the season in 1927 when Babe Ruth had hit his 60 home runs. Maris also became the first player to win [Don't look at me] in his first his two seasons with a team. He became the third Yankee to accomplish the feat, joining [Too easy] and [No Cheating] and it was not duplicated until 1993 and 1994 when [Not Chris Sabo] did it. Despite all of this, Maris is not in the Hall of Fame, and of the twelve men who have hit more than 55 home runs in a season the four that are in the Hall of Fame are Babe Ruth, [No peeky], [No Cheating] and [No Cheating ]. Answers and scoring after the break.
Answers Below
1. North Dakota
2. Cleveland Indians
3. Kansas City
4. Boston Red Sox
5. 4th
6. Tracy Stallard
7. Ford Frick
8. 154
9. Back-to-Back AL MVPs
10/11. Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra
12. Frank Thomas
13/14/15. Jimmie Foxx, Hank Greenberg, and Hack Wilson
Scoring System:
0: Hit more than 61 home runs in one season
1-4: Hank Steinbrenner
5-6: Reuben Rivera (stop stealing answers or were you just being indecisive!)
7-8: Chuck Knoblauch (you knew one, but threw the answer away)
9-10: Paul O'Neill (knew 7-8, but lucked into a couple)
11-12: Derek Jeter (could've gotten all 16, but didn't want to show up teammates)
13-14: Alex Rodriguez (no questions about the post-season helped)
15: Joe DiMaggio
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