As Indy Car counts down the days until Randy Bernard announces the new engine/chassis suppliers for next season and beyond, I took the opportunity to vent my frustrations with the series in a letter to Robin Miller's mailbag at SpeedTV.com.
To preface this, I love open wheel racing. At least I used to. Before Tony George instigated the split with CART. Before it became a spec series that, well, pretty much sucks. But I still hold out hope for the future... Here's the Q&A...
Q: My birthday this year fell on Indy 500 weekend. My wife wanted to surprise me. She got her hands on some tickets, had plane flights booked, and a place to stay found. And then she asked me if I wanted my birthday present to be a trip to the Indy 500.
And I told her thanks, but I'll pass.
And we went to Seaworld.
And I didn't regret it.
And it made me sad.
So, that being said, I just read Marshall Pruett's column on what he wants 2012 Indycar to be, and a lot of it jibes with what I and, I hope, most fans, want too. Let me preface this by saying, I'm not an engineer. I don't know an inline engine from an online chat. But I think I hear what Pruett is saying. Translating Pruett-speak into English, mostly what we what is want we don't have now. I don't want ugly-ass spec cars, driven solely by Euros, playing follow the leader flat out around a cookie cutter oval.
What do I want? I want Indy to bring sexy back.
I want sexy cars, not the ugly pig on wheels we have now. I want cars that make you turn your head, drop your jaw, and say 'DAMN'...even when they're sitting still. And I don't want just one. I want the vehicular equivalent of blondes, brunettes, and redheads. And they all better look good, too. I want sexy engines. I want turbo whine, and whoosh, and something that I will never expect to see 'Powered by Briggs and Stratton' on the side. I want sexy horsepower. Not 500. Not 600. Enough so that 'LOTS' will be an excellent description. I want drivers with balls...or the female equivalent. Because no fear is sexy. I want drivers to have to make the tradeoff between lifting and winning....or possibly crashing. I want Milka as a grid girl with a bikini on her body, a bag on her head, and her right foot nowhere near a gas pedal. Ever again. I want 'hanging it out on the edge' to be heard on qualifying runs. I want, just once more in my lifetime, to hear the phrase 'it's a neeeeewwww traaaaaccccckkk recccccorrrrrd' to be heard at the Speedway. And I want Tom Carnegie to say it. I want REAL push to pass. I want Chad Boat and JR Hildebrand in the Indy 500, not the Daytona 500. I want Indy to be filled with the 21st century AJ, and Big and Little Al, and Lone Star JR, and Rick Mears. Nothing against Brazilians and Euros. They're fine people; in this case, though, less is more. I want drivers to get rides based on talent, not checkbook balance. I don't want 'my crew got me good track position' to EVER be heard on victory lane. And I want the Indy 500 to be the biggest, fastest, sexiest race on the planet. Again. And if it takes $20 million and moving the race to Saturday or Monday, do it. And I want Randy Bernard to say, 'NASCAR? Here's the cash, here's the schedule. No more excuses. Grow a set and come race, or go back to your little taxi cabs, and forever know that when push came to shove, you didn't have the stones.'
What do I want? I want to forget the last 15 years ever happened. I want my Indy back. And I want it sexy.
Steve Kornya, Orlando, FL
RM: Belated birthday wishes Steve and thanks for the well written rant.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Sunday, December 6, 2009
BCS Humor.
I wish I could take credit for coming up with this bit of genius, but, alas, I can't. I won't, however, refrain from posting it here. To give it context, it came out last season, shortly after the Big 12 conference used the BCS rankings to break a 3-way tie for the Big 12 South championship, and give Oklahoma a spot in the conference title game despite the fact that the Sooners had lost to Texas (a team they were tied with).
BCS Declares Germany Winner of World War II
by Contributor
US Ranked 4th
After determining the Big-12 championship game participants, the BCS computers were put to work on other major contests and today the BCS declared Germany to be the winner of World War II.
"Germany put together an incredible number of victories beginning with the annexation of Austria and the Sudetenland and continuing on into conference play with defeats of Poland, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. Their only losses came against the US and Russia; however considering their entire body of work--including an incredibly tough Strength of Schedule--our computers deemed them worthy of the #1 ranking."
Questioned about the #4 ranking of the United States the BCS commissioner stated "The US only had two major victories--Japan and Germany. The computer models, unlike humans, aren't influenced by head-to-head contests--they consider each contest to be only a single, equally-weighted event."
German Chancellor Adolf Hitler said "Yes, we lost to the US; but we defeated #2 ranked France in only 6 weeks." Herr Hitler has been criticized for seeking dramatic victories to earn 'style points' to enhance Germany's rankings. Hitler protested "Our contest with Poland was in doubt until the final day and the conditions in Norway were incredibly challenging and demanded the application of additional forces."
The French ranking has also come under scrutiny. The BCS commented " France had a single loss against Germany and following a preseason #1 ranking they only fell to #2."
Japan was ranked #3 with victories including Manchuria, Borneo and the Philippines.
Thoughts on the Heisman
I think it's clear by now that, right or wrong, the likely invitees to NYC for the presentation will be Tim Tebow, Colt McCoy, Mark Ingram and Toby Gerhart. And if the voters take team accomplishments, career accomplishments, and what they may or may not do on Sunday next season out of the equation, there is only one player who can be named the 'Most Outstanding Player in College Football'. Stanford running back Toby Gerhart.
I'll say it again. If the voters actually vote for the 'Most Outstanding Player in College Football' it should go to Toby Gerhart.
McCoy and Tebow are there because they play on the #3 and #1 teams in the polls.That's it. Has McCoy put up big numbers? Yes, he has. Has he done it against a weak schedule in what this year is essentially a 1-team league? Damn straight. Face it, against the few quality opponents he's played, he's been largely mediocre. Let's face it, the Horns won the Big-12 championship Saturday IN SPITE of McCoy, not because of him.
Tebow has put up the worst numbers of his three years as the UF starter. And when it came down to it, in the biggest game of the year for the Gators, he laid a big one. (Oh, and by the way, this 'Tim Tebow is the best QB in college football history thing'? Two words. Matt Leinart. 37-2 as a starter. SC played for 3 National titles the three years he started. 35 straight wins as QB. 10,000 yards passing. But I digress) .If anyone else put up these numbers and DIDN'T play on a team that was (as of yesterday) 12-0 and had won 2 National Titles in the last 3 years, they'd get an 'oh well, nice season', followed by hearty laughter if anyone suggested a trip to New York.
Face it, McCoy and Tebow are getting Heisman pub not because they are the 2 best quarterbacks in CFB, but because their teams are (or in Tebow's case, were) unbeaten. If pressed, I think anyone could name several QBs who fit the 'more outstanding tag' than either of these two. Kellen Moore. Case Keenum. Max Hall. Jimmy Clausen..and even Tony Pike if he hadn't gotten hurt. Hell, Andy Dalton at TCU had better numbers than Tebow and his team IS undefeated. But he'll likely be in Fort Worth this weekend eating a burger, fries, and slushy at the Sonic, while Timmy is getting feted in the Big Apple.
If one of the QB's wins it this year you can go ahead and add them to the distingiuished list of Eric Crouch, Charles Woodson, and Geno Torretta as years (among many) when the Heisman Voters bought into the hype, and ignored the reality.
To the running backs now. Has Mark Ingram had a fine season? Yes he has. But the most outstanding player in college football? Hell, he's not even the best running back. Or the 2nd (That'd be Dion Lewis). Or the 3rd (That'd be LaMichael James). Or probably the 4th (I'd say 'Quizz Rodgers. But I'm biased.) It's easy to make the case that there are multiple backs who have had better seasons, and are better backs than Ingram. While they may not win the debate, you can easily make the case that James, Rodgers, Lewis, (and Ryan Matthews for that matter) had seasons that were equally as good. And if you bring the 'value to team' argument into the case, were just as valuable as Ingram to their team.
So that leaves Gerhart. And all the arguments go out the window. Rushing yards? Leads the nation with 1736. TD's? 26 rushing, leads the nation. Performance in big games? 178 and 3 against SC. 223 and 3 against Oregon. 136 and 4 in the Big Game against Cal. Team performance? Toby Gerhart picked a team picked to finish 7th in the conference, put them on his back, and 1700 yards and 26 TD's later the Cardinal are in their first bowl game in 8 years
And if that isn't the 'Most Outstanding Player in College Football', I don't know what the hell is.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
More Thoughts on Notre Dame
This is getting a little away from the Charlie Weis on the hot seat post...so I'll reiterate my position on that again for those of you who might have missed it. Burn his ass. Get him gone, the sooner the better.
On to other thoughts...
Let me preface this by saying I DON'T LIKE THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH. I don't like Fat Charlie. I don't like Jimmy Clausen. Going back, I didn't like Brady Quinn. Or Rick Mirer. Or the Bus. I couldn't stand Michael Stonebreaker, or the Rocket. I didn't care for Joe Theisman. And I never liked Paul Hornung. And Lou Holtz? Hate is not strong enough a word.
But I will argue this. Like them or hate them, Notre Dame is the most popular team in college football, both pro and con. No team, not Florida, not Texas, not USC, not Bama, inspires the feelings Notre Dame does. You ask people in, for example, OKC what they think of Texas, and you might get an 'I hate the Horns. Pokes Rule.' response. Ask them what they think about Penn State, and you probably will get some equivalent of 'I really don't give a rats ass'. Ask someone in State College what they think of Texas and you'll likely get, again, the who gives a rats ass response, followed by a 'JoePa RULES!'. But in both places, you ask someone, what they think of Notre Dame, and you'll get a definite response, either positive or negative. And the same is likely true all across the country.
People will have many reasons why they hate Notre Dame, from their allegedly weak schedule, to their special treatment by the BCS, from their independent status to the Saturday afternoon telecast on N(otredame)BC. Do they have their own television contract? Yes. Why? Because people watch. And NBC makes money off them. They can pull ratings nationwide like no other school can week in week out. Sure, Texas can pull ratings for the Red River Shootout. But no one outside of Texas wants to see them play Baylor. As for their schedule, they played 10 games this season against BCS opponents. Few teams do that. Bama doesn't. Florida doesn't. Texas doesn't. SC did this year. Neither did Oklahoma or OK State did. They also played Nevada who have gone to bowls four years in a row. And Navy. Who they will play because the Mids scheduling games against the Irish during the War kept the school from going under. It's tradition.
As for the difficulty of their schedule, Jeff Sagarin rates them having the 20th toughest schedule in the country, tougher than every team in the top 12 of the BCS other than Georgia Tech and Oregon. They've also NEVER scheduled a 1-AA or D-2 opponent. Ever. It's them, SC, and UCLA. That's it.
And yes, they are given special consideration for BCS bowl bids. Because the bowls are about selling tickets. And Notre Dame puts asses in the seats, pure and simple. In the stadium or in front of the TV, Notre Dame puts asses down to watch better than anyone. You want an example? 60,000 people came to see Notre Dame vs. Washington State. In a regular season game. IN SAN ANTONIO.
Finally, yes, the Irish are an independent. But why should Notre Dame WANT to join a conference? What's in it for the Irish? If they win 9 games and finish in the top 8 of the BCS they go to a game automatically. They go to a conference, they lose that exception. Of course the Big East and the Big 10 would want them. So would any conference in their right mind. They'd bring media, fans, tv ratings, sponsors, and MONEY. So if they get all this on their own, why bother joining a conference and having to share?
So why should we care if the Irish are good? Because it's tough to hate a team thats mediocre. Ask Gator fans if the games against Free Shoes U have lost some of their lustre now that the 'Noles stink. Ask a Duck fan (like me) if the Civil War means more now that Moo U. doesn't suck. (Hell yeah, it does). Even if you hate the team, its tough to hate a team that loses 7 games a year. And one more reason...Notre Dame is about tradition. It's about the Golden Dome. And Touchdown Jesus. And the Rock. And 'Win One for the Gipper'. It's about the Green Jerseys against USC, and Montana in the Ice in the Cotton Bowl. It's about 7 heisman winners, and 11 national championships. It's about the fight song, and it's about 'Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore their names are Death, Destruction, Pestilence, and Famine. But those are aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden.' Notre Dame is everyone's rival. Seeing them on your schedule is special because of the tradition and the history. Beating them should be too. And I want Notre Dame to be as good as they can be. If only so that kicking the crap out of them will mean something again.
And they should fire Charlie. Because they'll suck until they do.
On to other thoughts...
Let me preface this by saying I DON'T LIKE THE NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH. I don't like Fat Charlie. I don't like Jimmy Clausen. Going back, I didn't like Brady Quinn. Or Rick Mirer. Or the Bus. I couldn't stand Michael Stonebreaker, or the Rocket. I didn't care for Joe Theisman. And I never liked Paul Hornung. And Lou Holtz? Hate is not strong enough a word.
But I will argue this. Like them or hate them, Notre Dame is the most popular team in college football, both pro and con. No team, not Florida, not Texas, not USC, not Bama, inspires the feelings Notre Dame does. You ask people in, for example, OKC what they think of Texas, and you might get an 'I hate the Horns. Pokes Rule.' response. Ask them what they think about Penn State, and you probably will get some equivalent of 'I really don't give a rats ass'. Ask someone in State College what they think of Texas and you'll likely get, again, the who gives a rats ass response, followed by a 'JoePa RULES!'. But in both places, you ask someone, what they think of Notre Dame, and you'll get a definite response, either positive or negative. And the same is likely true all across the country.
People will have many reasons why they hate Notre Dame, from their allegedly weak schedule, to their special treatment by the BCS, from their independent status to the Saturday afternoon telecast on N(otredame)BC. Do they have their own television contract? Yes. Why? Because people watch. And NBC makes money off them. They can pull ratings nationwide like no other school can week in week out. Sure, Texas can pull ratings for the Red River Shootout. But no one outside of Texas wants to see them play Baylor. As for their schedule, they played 10 games this season against BCS opponents. Few teams do that. Bama doesn't. Florida doesn't. Texas doesn't. SC did this year. Neither did Oklahoma or OK State did. They also played Nevada who have gone to bowls four years in a row. And Navy. Who they will play because the Mids scheduling games against the Irish during the War kept the school from going under. It's tradition.
As for the difficulty of their schedule, Jeff Sagarin rates them having the 20th toughest schedule in the country, tougher than every team in the top 12 of the BCS other than Georgia Tech and Oregon. They've also NEVER scheduled a 1-AA or D-2 opponent. Ever. It's them, SC, and UCLA. That's it.
And yes, they are given special consideration for BCS bowl bids. Because the bowls are about selling tickets. And Notre Dame puts asses in the seats, pure and simple. In the stadium or in front of the TV, Notre Dame puts asses down to watch better than anyone. You want an example? 60,000 people came to see Notre Dame vs. Washington State. In a regular season game. IN SAN ANTONIO.
Finally, yes, the Irish are an independent. But why should Notre Dame WANT to join a conference? What's in it for the Irish? If they win 9 games and finish in the top 8 of the BCS they go to a game automatically. They go to a conference, they lose that exception. Of course the Big East and the Big 10 would want them. So would any conference in their right mind. They'd bring media, fans, tv ratings, sponsors, and MONEY. So if they get all this on their own, why bother joining a conference and having to share?
So why should we care if the Irish are good? Because it's tough to hate a team thats mediocre. Ask Gator fans if the games against Free Shoes U have lost some of their lustre now that the 'Noles stink. Ask a Duck fan (like me) if the Civil War means more now that Moo U. doesn't suck. (Hell yeah, it does). Even if you hate the team, its tough to hate a team that loses 7 games a year. And one more reason...Notre Dame is about tradition. It's about the Golden Dome. And Touchdown Jesus. And the Rock. And 'Win One for the Gipper'. It's about the Green Jerseys against USC, and Montana in the Ice in the Cotton Bowl. It's about 7 heisman winners, and 11 national championships. It's about the fight song, and it's about 'Outlined against a blue-gray October sky, the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore their names are Death, Destruction, Pestilence, and Famine. But those are aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Crowley, Miller and Layden.' Notre Dame is everyone's rival. Seeing them on your schedule is special because of the tradition and the history. Beating them should be too. And I want Notre Dame to be as good as they can be. If only so that kicking the crap out of them will mean something again.
And they should fire Charlie. Because they'll suck until they do.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Charlie Weis on the Hot Seat?
I'm not an Irish fan by a longshot. But college football is better when Notre Dame is better. And Charlie isn't making the Irish better.
Charlie Weis has been given everything that Ty Willingham wasn't given at Notre Dame. He wanted a lighter schedule...and he's got a lighter schedule. He wanted academic standards lessened for incoming recruits, and he got it. And he's failed miserably. He's never beaten USC. EVER. (Hell, John Cooper even beat Michigan a couple times). He has (I think I'm getting this right) never beaten a team that finished the season with fewer than 4 losses. He's lost to Navy. TWICE. He lost to Syracuse.
Just as it takes a very special coach to be able to make the transition from successful college coach to successful pro coach, it takes just as special a coach to make the transition the other way. Pete Carroll is the exception, not the rule. And I think Fat Charlie is falling more into the Bill Callahan mode than anything resembling a success.
The hue and cry when Ty Willingham was let go was that Notre Dame had ALWAYS given their coaches five years. Gerry Faust got five years. Bob Davie got 5 years. They didn't win. They were fired .Charlie's had his 5. He's 35-25. And right now, they stink. And there is one common denominator in their Stinkitude. And that's Charlie. He can't blame Ty for leaving the cupboard bare (although it was Ty's players that got him to his 2 BCS games). His players. His coaches. His record. His failures.
There is one thing that is keeping Charlie at ND right now, and it isn't the money. It's Notre Dame not wanting a repeat of the fiasco that went on when they hired Weis. They won't put themselves in the position (again) of getting shined by their number 1 guy (Urban Meyer). Or their #2 guy (Mike Bellotti). If there's a search going on, it's going on now; they'll have the new coach signed, sealed, and delivered before they pull the trigger on Weis. Charlie's done. We know it. He knows it. ND is just waiting until they've gone to Home Depot to get the New Head Shovel before they start throwing dirt on his coffin.
Charlie Weis has been given everything that Ty Willingham wasn't given at Notre Dame. He wanted a lighter schedule...and he's got a lighter schedule. He wanted academic standards lessened for incoming recruits, and he got it. And he's failed miserably. He's never beaten USC. EVER. (Hell, John Cooper even beat Michigan a couple times). He has (I think I'm getting this right) never beaten a team that finished the season with fewer than 4 losses. He's lost to Navy. TWICE. He lost to Syracuse.
Just as it takes a very special coach to be able to make the transition from successful college coach to successful pro coach, it takes just as special a coach to make the transition the other way. Pete Carroll is the exception, not the rule. And I think Fat Charlie is falling more into the Bill Callahan mode than anything resembling a success.
The hue and cry when Ty Willingham was let go was that Notre Dame had ALWAYS given their coaches five years. Gerry Faust got five years. Bob Davie got 5 years. They didn't win. They were fired .Charlie's had his 5. He's 35-25. And right now, they stink. And there is one common denominator in their Stinkitude. And that's Charlie. He can't blame Ty for leaving the cupboard bare (although it was Ty's players that got him to his 2 BCS games). His players. His coaches. His record. His failures.
There is one thing that is keeping Charlie at ND right now, and it isn't the money. It's Notre Dame not wanting a repeat of the fiasco that went on when they hired Weis. They won't put themselves in the position (again) of getting shined by their number 1 guy (Urban Meyer). Or their #2 guy (Mike Bellotti). If there's a search going on, it's going on now; they'll have the new coach signed, sealed, and delivered before they pull the trigger on Weis. Charlie's done. We know it. He knows it. ND is just waiting until they've gone to Home Depot to get the New Head Shovel before they start throwing dirt on his coffin.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thinking on a Tuesday Morning
It's tough being a college football fan in an NFL town. That being said, this past weekend was still great.
A few random thoughts.
It was the worst of times, it was the best of times for the Oregon Ducks. A season that had all the (forgive the pun) ducks in a row for greatness essentially ended on the Smurf Turf in Boise. They had it all; Jeremiah Masoli returning at QB, LeGarrette Blount in the backfield, USC, Cal, and Moo U. (Oregon State for you non-duck fans out there) at Autzen. It was all going to be sooo perfect.
Thud.
By the way, that urban legend about ducks mistaking the Smurf Turf in Boise for a lake and crashing into it? Yeah. I think no first downs until the third quarter pretty much proved that one isn't a myth at all.
Then, to top it all off, LeGarrette 'We Owe this team an a** whoopin'' Blount, gets taunted by some BSU twit, sucker punches him...and then attempts to fight the fans, his teammates, the cops, the North Idaho Potato Growers CoOp, and anything he can get his hands on.
And then it gets better. Seriously. How many times have you seen something like this happen? Player breaks team rules. Coach says 'We will discipline him internally'. Player misses home game against Dumptruck Community College. Player sees the error of his ways....miraculously coming back before the Big Game.
Except this time it didn't happen. LeGarrette Blount is done playing football at Oregon. Chip Kelly (and Bellotti) suspended him for the season. It didn't matter that the Ducks really don't have a backup running back. Or that LB was REALLY good. They drew the line in the sand. They said 'This is not acceptable behavior at Oregon. This behavior will not be tolerated. You will no longer have the privilege of wearing the Green and Yellow. And White...and Pewter...and Black.'
Thank you Chip. Thank you Coach Bellotti. Thank you for putting principle ahead of wins. Thank you for realizing that being a college football player does not abrogate you from following the rules of common society.
Now please don't change your minds and let him come back.
Is there any 18 year old you'd rather be than Matt Barkley? Movie star looks, a rocket arm, and the most prestigious starting job in college football. Quarterback. USC Trojans.
Anybody but me think it's ironic (and absurd) to hear the words 'loyalty' and 'trust' come out of the mouth of Rich Rodriguez?
Miami beat Florida State last night. Hey, at least you can't blame this one on Gerry Thomas or Dan Mowrey.
They paint the Notre Dame helmets with gold paint before every game. Lou Holtz was the head coach for the Irish. Anyone else think someone locked Lou in the paint room one too many times?
Highlights of the SEC non-conference schedule. Missouri State. Charleston Southern. Eastern and Western Kentucky. Southern Louisiana PLUS Lousiana Lafayette, Monroe, and Tech. Tennesee Tech. UTC. Florida Atlantic and International. Troy, lots of times. Furman. If I were an SEC season ticket holder and I saw this crap? REFUND! Props though to UGA for going to Ok. State this year and ASU last year. And LSU for playing UDub. And Auburn for going up to Morgantown (Git Them Couches Ready Boys! Flame ON!). Now, if only we could get Florida to leave the state for a non-conference game for the first time in two decades....
Steve Kornya's Rule #1 of College Football Scheduling. If you're going to consider scheduling Dumptruck Community College for your season opener, you need to beat them. Got that ACC? D-1 teams shouldn't lose to 1-AA teams. Ever. If you don't know you can win, don't put them on the schedule. And if you do lose? Well, my guess is, after that stellar performance against William & Mary, UVA coach Al Groh will be selling Kenmores by Christmas. By the way, James Madison has started looking awfully good in College Park this weekend.
Speaking of 'We Owe this team an a** whoopin', I'm reading the Baltimore Sun this weekend (albeit a couple of days late), and I come across this gem from Nolan Carroll, a fifth year Maryland cornerback. 'We feel this (season opening game against Cal) is a statement game for the whole nation to prove who we are.' What?? Couple of prefaces to this one. Cal came into the game as the #12 team in the country, predicted to challenge USC for the Pac-10 title. Maryland came in unranked, predicted to finish last in their division of the ACC. Cal returns 17 starters from a team that went 9-3; Maryland brings back 10 from an 8-5.
So this is a 'statement game for the whole nation'?
It was. Here's your statement. 52-13. Maryland football stinks. Thanks Nolan. 'The Nation' thanks you for clarifying that point.
Finally...
This past friday, 5 women (the 'Women in Black') were threatened with arrest if they didn't cease their protest in Baltimore's inner harbor. They weren't being violent. They weren't being disruptive. They were carrying signs saying 'Peace is Patriotic', as they have done most every Friday since 2003. Baltimore police officers told them they were 'breaking the law' and if they didn't leave they would be arrested. The commander of the Central Police District, Maj. Dennis Smith, has said the officers will be 'retrained'.
Here's all the training the officer needs. 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.' It's called the first amendment to the United States Constitution. It's called the Bill of Rights. If the Baltimore PD needs to be 'retrained' to understand this, maybe that retraining should involve the phrase 'Blue light special. Catfood. Aisle three.'
A few random thoughts.
It was the worst of times, it was the best of times for the Oregon Ducks. A season that had all the (forgive the pun) ducks in a row for greatness essentially ended on the Smurf Turf in Boise. They had it all; Jeremiah Masoli returning at QB, LeGarrette Blount in the backfield, USC, Cal, and Moo U. (Oregon State for you non-duck fans out there) at Autzen. It was all going to be sooo perfect.
Thud.
By the way, that urban legend about ducks mistaking the Smurf Turf in Boise for a lake and crashing into it? Yeah. I think no first downs until the third quarter pretty much proved that one isn't a myth at all.
Then, to top it all off, LeGarrette 'We Owe this team an a** whoopin'' Blount, gets taunted by some BSU twit, sucker punches him...and then attempts to fight the fans, his teammates, the cops, the North Idaho Potato Growers CoOp, and anything he can get his hands on.
And then it gets better. Seriously. How many times have you seen something like this happen? Player breaks team rules. Coach says 'We will discipline him internally'. Player misses home game against Dumptruck Community College. Player sees the error of his ways....miraculously coming back before the Big Game.
Except this time it didn't happen. LeGarrette Blount is done playing football at Oregon. Chip Kelly (and Bellotti) suspended him for the season. It didn't matter that the Ducks really don't have a backup running back. Or that LB was REALLY good. They drew the line in the sand. They said 'This is not acceptable behavior at Oregon. This behavior will not be tolerated. You will no longer have the privilege of wearing the Green and Yellow. And White...and Pewter...and Black.'
Thank you Chip. Thank you Coach Bellotti. Thank you for putting principle ahead of wins. Thank you for realizing that being a college football player does not abrogate you from following the rules of common society.
Now please don't change your minds and let him come back.
Is there any 18 year old you'd rather be than Matt Barkley? Movie star looks, a rocket arm, and the most prestigious starting job in college football. Quarterback. USC Trojans.
Anybody but me think it's ironic (and absurd) to hear the words 'loyalty' and 'trust' come out of the mouth of Rich Rodriguez?
Miami beat Florida State last night. Hey, at least you can't blame this one on Gerry Thomas or Dan Mowrey.
They paint the Notre Dame helmets with gold paint before every game. Lou Holtz was the head coach for the Irish. Anyone else think someone locked Lou in the paint room one too many times?
Highlights of the SEC non-conference schedule. Missouri State. Charleston Southern. Eastern and Western Kentucky. Southern Louisiana PLUS Lousiana Lafayette, Monroe, and Tech. Tennesee Tech. UTC. Florida Atlantic and International. Troy, lots of times. Furman. If I were an SEC season ticket holder and I saw this crap? REFUND! Props though to UGA for going to Ok. State this year and ASU last year. And LSU for playing UDub. And Auburn for going up to Morgantown (Git Them Couches Ready Boys! Flame ON!). Now, if only we could get Florida to leave the state for a non-conference game for the first time in two decades....
Steve Kornya's Rule #1 of College Football Scheduling. If you're going to consider scheduling Dumptruck Community College for your season opener, you need to beat them. Got that ACC? D-1 teams shouldn't lose to 1-AA teams. Ever. If you don't know you can win, don't put them on the schedule. And if you do lose? Well, my guess is, after that stellar performance against William & Mary, UVA coach Al Groh will be selling Kenmores by Christmas. By the way, James Madison has started looking awfully good in College Park this weekend.
Speaking of 'We Owe this team an a** whoopin', I'm reading the Baltimore Sun this weekend (albeit a couple of days late), and I come across this gem from Nolan Carroll, a fifth year Maryland cornerback. 'We feel this (season opening game against Cal) is a statement game for the whole nation to prove who we are.' What?? Couple of prefaces to this one. Cal came into the game as the #12 team in the country, predicted to challenge USC for the Pac-10 title. Maryland came in unranked, predicted to finish last in their division of the ACC. Cal returns 17 starters from a team that went 9-3; Maryland brings back 10 from an 8-5.
So this is a 'statement game for the whole nation'?
It was. Here's your statement. 52-13. Maryland football stinks. Thanks Nolan. 'The Nation' thanks you for clarifying that point.
Finally...
This past friday, 5 women (the 'Women in Black') were threatened with arrest if they didn't cease their protest in Baltimore's inner harbor. They weren't being violent. They weren't being disruptive. They were carrying signs saying 'Peace is Patriotic', as they have done most every Friday since 2003. Baltimore police officers told them they were 'breaking the law' and if they didn't leave they would be arrested. The commander of the Central Police District, Maj. Dennis Smith, has said the officers will be 'retrained'.
Here's all the training the officer needs. 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.' It's called the first amendment to the United States Constitution. It's called the Bill of Rights. If the Baltimore PD needs to be 'retrained' to understand this, maybe that retraining should involve the phrase 'Blue light special. Catfood. Aisle three.'
Sunday, June 28, 2009
A few thoughts on breakfast.
Jimmy's of Fells Point.
There are joints, dives, dumps, and then there's this place. I could get past the rude service, crowds, dirty surroundings and the inexplicably long lines of people waiting to get in if the wait were worth it. It isn't. I've actually been back several times...I go, don't like it, then read raves of people who love it, and think that maybe I just don't get it. I've finally figured it out; it's not that I don't get it, it's that I ain't buying it. At least they don't bring the coffee pot around that often...what they're pouring isn't worth drinking anyways. And since it's cheap, you won't feel like you've been all that ripped off. Basically this is the Emperor's New Clothes of breakfast places...except no one has stood on the tables to tell the place the Emperor is buck naked. Yet.
Jimmy's of Fells Point.
There are joints, dives, dumps, and then there's this place. I could get past the rude service, crowds, dirty surroundings and the inexplicably long lines of people waiting to get in if the wait were worth it. It isn't. I've actually been back several times...I go, don't like it, then read raves of people who love it, and think that maybe I just don't get it. I've finally figured it out; it's not that I don't get it, it's that I ain't buying it. At least they don't bring the coffee pot around that often...what they're pouring isn't worth drinking anyways. And since it's cheap, you won't feel like you've been all that ripped off. Basically this is the Emperor's New Clothes of breakfast places...except no one has stood on the tables to tell the place the Emperor is buck naked. Yet.
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