Lucky for CU, the fight'n Andrew Luck's from Stanford got bored with tossing CU around and turned off the gas before they cracked 50. I CLAIM VICTORY!
Today in the bag, I'll look back on the game, such as it was, from Saturday, continue to fellate the Luck mythos, and take a look around football nation.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, October 10, 2011
Friday, October 7, 2011
Friday Beer Post: 2011 Gameday Beer-o-the-week - Stanford Edition
Each week throughout the football season I'm going to suggest a good beer for the ubiquitous pre-game tailgate. Let's be honest, with tailgates it's not always top quality that you're looking for. To steal a phrase from the heinous beer terrorists at Budweiser, you want "drinkability." (or what a real beer connoisseur calls "a session beer") So, be warned, these may not be "the best" beers around. But, in the words of Dave Chappelle as Samuel L. Jackson "IT'LL GET YOU DRUNK!"
With the pleasure and pain of the Great American Beer Festival behind me (THANKS AGAIN RICO!), I'm back to normal service. One beer, selected mostly for my ability to pseudo-logically tie it to the week's opponent, for you to enjoy at your tailgate.
As I mentioned yesterday, while Stanford doesn't officially have a mascot, they are indelibly tied to the image of the drunken tree dancing around on the sideline. The only beer I can think of directly involving a conifer actually uses real spruce tips as a flavoring ingredient. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm naming Alaskan Brewing's Winter Ale as my tailgate beer-o-the-week.
Alaskan Brewing does many things really well. Their smoked porter is a thing of beauty, and their amber is a damn fine session beer; great beers from a great brewery. Not to be outdone, their Winter Ale has quickly become a winter-time favorite for me.
An English Olde Ale, brewed to be a "winter warmer," the brew is expectantly big and malty. The addition of the spruce tips adds a sweet and woody character to the taste, giving it a unique feel, and helping it stand out from other winter offerings from the brewing world. Luckily, it just started going on sale this month and I expect Liquor Mart/Superior Liquor will have it in stock on Saturday afternoon.
So grab a 6-pack or two; you're gonna need it 'cause this one's gonna get out of hand early.
Happy Friday! Go Buffs, Beat (or at least compete with) Stanford!
With the pleasure and pain of the Great American Beer Festival behind me (THANKS AGAIN RICO!), I'm back to normal service. One beer, selected mostly for my ability to pseudo-logically tie it to the week's opponent, for you to enjoy at your tailgate.
As I mentioned yesterday, while Stanford doesn't officially have a mascot, they are indelibly tied to the image of the drunken tree dancing around on the sideline. The only beer I can think of directly involving a conifer actually uses real spruce tips as a flavoring ingredient. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm naming Alaskan Brewing's Winter Ale as my tailgate beer-o-the-week.
Alaskan Brewing does many things really well. Their smoked porter is a thing of beauty, and their amber is a damn fine session beer; great beers from a great brewery. Not to be outdone, their Winter Ale has quickly become a winter-time favorite for me.
An English Olde Ale, brewed to be a "winter warmer," the brew is expectantly big and malty. The addition of the spruce tips adds a sweet and woody character to the taste, giving it a unique feel, and helping it stand out from other winter offerings from the brewing world. Luckily, it just started going on sale this month and I expect Liquor Mart/Superior Liquor will have it in stock on Saturday afternoon.
So grab a 6-pack or two; you're gonna need it 'cause this one's gonna get out of hand early.
Happy Friday! Go Buffs, Beat (or at least compete with) Stanford!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Quick Post: Guy on a Buffalo Pt 3
He's back! GoaB is back just in time for Saturday! Check it out:
It's funny how, just like the real-life Buffs, the episode ends with GoaB hurting. We'll just have to wait and see how this all turns out...
BTW, my favorite comment from Youtube: "If the guy on a buffalo dies, then so does my reason for living." Indeed.
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Previous episodes:
Part 1
Part 2
It's funny how, just like the real-life Buffs, the episode ends with GoaB hurting. We'll just have to wait and see how this all turns out...
BTW, my favorite comment from Youtube: "If the guy on a buffalo dies, then so does my reason for living." Indeed.
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Previous episodes:
Part 1
Part 2
Stanford Preview: Watch out for that.....
The Stanford Cardinal (singular, not plural) derive their current nickname not from this one tree located nearby, nor it's cartoon-ish manifestation that dances and gets into trouble, but rather from the color Cardinal Red. That shit is lame; I'm much more comfortable associating the Stanford Cardinal with the drunken tree.
My inability to hate the drunken tree reminds me: I'm having a difficult time drumming up scorn for our new Pac-12 brethren. I'm sure when USC rolls into town I'll be back to my hate spewing days of old, but, for now at least, my vitriol reservoir has run dry. Can we at least sneak K-State back on the schedule so I have someone to rail against?
--
 | ||
| Unless you're a Cal fan, how can you stay mad at a mascot that goofy looking? |
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Lessons learned from George of the Jungle be damned, CU is headed straight for that tree. Kickoff is set for 5:30, and you can watch the horror unfold on Versus... if you have the stomach for it, that is.
Click below for my preview...
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
There's going to be an NBA season.... right?
Last week, I flippantly threw out the possibility that the NBA may not have a 2011-12 season. Now, what was only last week a "gallows analysis" look at what would happen in the NBA lost its damn mind and canceled at least part of another season, may be very probable.
The preseason is now gone, and, should a deal remain elusive through Monday, the regular season will start to get trimmed as well. Sure, few really care about lost preseason games, but we're starting to talk real, honest-to-goodness regular season dates. This would hurt everyone: owners, players, team employees, advertisers, broadcasters, the guy selling a parking spot for 20 bucks... frickin' everyone. This is no way for a league to operate, important labor dispute or no.
I had been conditioned, from being force-fed Billy Simmons' Stern-as-Godfather meme, that NBA Commish David Stern, in the parlance of the times, "don't give a fuck." However, it's been Stern who has been moving towards a deal, bringing the owners close to what the players recently asked for. It was the players who spiked the deal, holding out for more than what they recently asked for, and then had union executive director Billy Hunter up there saying that they it could be months before they talk again. MONTHS!
“Our guys have indicated a willingness to lose games,” said Hunter. Maybe it's just posturing, or maybe the players really don't give a fuck. They probably should. The owners have moved up from paying out 47% of basketball related income to a 50-50 split (with a chunk lobbed off the top). It took over a year to get the owners to budge on that number and it's less than NFL owners got out of football's labor negotiations.
While the players used to get 57% of BRI, lord knows they were never going to get anything close to that number again. That number was insane, and was a root cause of much of "the Association's" financial woes. I think the players need to take a closer look at what the NBA owners are offering. Moving the owners up from 47% isn't the time to cut off negotiations; it's a number to work with.
The owners have already given ground on a hard cap, salary roll-backs, and an opt-out clause, so all they're haggling over now is the final slice of the pie. I'm usually a steadfastly pro-Union kind of guy, but it's time for the players to play ball and get this thing settled before we're all stuck watching Arena League Football in the dead of winter.
The preseason is now gone, and, should a deal remain elusive through Monday, the regular season will start to get trimmed as well. Sure, few really care about lost preseason games, but we're starting to talk real, honest-to-goodness regular season dates. This would hurt everyone: owners, players, team employees, advertisers, broadcasters, the guy selling a parking spot for 20 bucks... frickin' everyone. This is no way for a league to operate, important labor dispute or no.
I had been conditioned, from being force-fed Billy Simmons' Stern-as-Godfather meme, that NBA Commish David Stern, in the parlance of the times, "don't give a fuck." However, it's been Stern who has been moving towards a deal, bringing the owners close to what the players recently asked for. It was the players who spiked the deal, holding out for more than what they recently asked for, and then had union executive director Billy Hunter up there saying that they it could be months before they talk again. MONTHS!
 |
| This hasn't been the implacable Stern that I was expecting. Rather it's the players who are playing roadblock. From: ESPN |
While the players used to get 57% of BRI, lord knows they were never going to get anything close to that number again. That number was insane, and was a root cause of much of "the Association's" financial woes. I think the players need to take a closer look at what the NBA owners are offering. Moving the owners up from 47% isn't the time to cut off negotiations; it's a number to work with.
The owners have already given ground on a hard cap, salary roll-backs, and an opt-out clause, so all they're haggling over now is the final slice of the pie. I'm usually a steadfastly pro-Union kind of guy, but it's time for the players to play ball and get this thing settled before we're all stuck watching Arena League Football in the dead of winter.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Coach Boyle is killing it on the recruiting trail
What was already an impressive showing on the recruiting trail for CU basketball only got better as the Buffs grabbed the commitments of two more players for the 2012 class.
Sunday night, word began to leak out that Detroit swing-man Chris Jenkins had announced his attention to don the black-and-gold. Jenkins, who stands at a wiry 6-7, 190lbs, is known as a great outside shooter, and will probably be a long-term project for CU with a strong upside. While his shooting skills may be needed off the bench, his wiry frame will keep from from gobbling up too many minutes early.
Still, I like the pickup. Our typical recruiting grounds had been the Front Range and California, so a kid from Detroit expands the recruiting base nicely. Additionally, his height and athleticism compliment Coach Boyle's style, and lend to a high level of versatility when it comes time to play with the roster. If his shooting is as advertised, that height can make him a deadly addition to the roster. While he may not get many minutes right away, I can see Chis as being very valuable as an upperclassman. Additionally, I love the fact that Chris plans on studying Chemistry with an eye towards attending medical school.
Not 24 hours after Jenkins was listed as a Buff, the 2012 class was still getting stronger. Word leaked out last evening that highly touted Southern California small forward Xavier Johnson had accepted an invitation to become a Buff. Coach Boyle and staff had an in-home visit with him last evening, and, apparently, he liked what he heard. The 6-6 Johnson is a consensus 4-star recruit and is considered a top-100 player nationally.
A lefty, Johnson seems to be the real deal, a kid who has the athleticism, speed, and nose for the hoop that translates into a fantastic player. He's got a nice soft touch on an improving jumper that should allow Johnson to form a great 1-2 punch with fellow top-100 prospect Josh Scott. He's also known to have a great work ethic, and has shown the goods against elite talent, as can be seen here:
All told, CU now has 4 commitments, 2 of whom are top-100 players. With the early signing period just over a month away (November 9th), CU is mere days away from officially sending shock waves through the basketball world. Yet, recruiting isn't over. The Buffs are also rumored to be in the mix for yet another top-100 talent: Bakersfield's Tyrone Wallace.
It's not every year that CU lands a consensus top-100 player, let alone two (or possibly three). In fact, prior to the 2012 recruiting class, CU had yet to land one (although players like Chauncey Billups and David Harrison would've been at that level, had recruiting services been around back then.). These are heady days for CU basketball, and the future is as bright as I have ever dreamed it could be. I'm just happy to be along for the ride.
In summation, Tad Boyle is awesome.
--
ESPN's bottom line on Johnson - "Smooth wing that can score on the break and in the half court by getting to the rim and taking advantage of his size or showing off his nice middle game. Johnson finds a way to use his strengths to be productive. He must be more effective on the offensive glass. Due to his work ethic and physical attributes look for Johnson to climb the recruiting charts during the up and coming spring (2011) evaluation period."
On Jenkins - "He's been improving nicely over the past few years and should continue to do so. He needs to get stronger but he has terrific length for the small forward position. We've tabbed him as a mid-major prospect with room to grow."
Sunday night, word began to leak out that Detroit swing-man Chris Jenkins had announced his attention to don the black-and-gold. Jenkins, who stands at a wiry 6-7, 190lbs, is known as a great outside shooter, and will probably be a long-term project for CU with a strong upside. While his shooting skills may be needed off the bench, his wiry frame will keep from from gobbling up too many minutes early.
Still, I like the pickup. Our typical recruiting grounds had been the Front Range and California, so a kid from Detroit expands the recruiting base nicely. Additionally, his height and athleticism compliment Coach Boyle's style, and lend to a high level of versatility when it comes time to play with the roster. If his shooting is as advertised, that height can make him a deadly addition to the roster. While he may not get many minutes right away, I can see Chis as being very valuable as an upperclassman. Additionally, I love the fact that Chris plans on studying Chemistry with an eye towards attending medical school.
Not 24 hours after Jenkins was listed as a Buff, the 2012 class was still getting stronger. Word leaked out last evening that highly touted Southern California small forward Xavier Johnson had accepted an invitation to become a Buff. Coach Boyle and staff had an in-home visit with him last evening, and, apparently, he liked what he heard. The 6-6 Johnson is a consensus 4-star recruit and is considered a top-100 player nationally.
A lefty, Johnson seems to be the real deal, a kid who has the athleticism, speed, and nose for the hoop that translates into a fantastic player. He's got a nice soft touch on an improving jumper that should allow Johnson to form a great 1-2 punch with fellow top-100 prospect Josh Scott. He's also known to have a great work ethic, and has shown the goods against elite talent, as can be seen here:
All told, CU now has 4 commitments, 2 of whom are top-100 players. With the early signing period just over a month away (November 9th), CU is mere days away from officially sending shock waves through the basketball world. Yet, recruiting isn't over. The Buffs are also rumored to be in the mix for yet another top-100 talent: Bakersfield's Tyrone Wallace.
It's not every year that CU lands a consensus top-100 player, let alone two (or possibly three). In fact, prior to the 2012 recruiting class, CU had yet to land one (although players like Chauncey Billups and David Harrison would've been at that level, had recruiting services been around back then.). These are heady days for CU basketball, and the future is as bright as I have ever dreamed it could be. I'm just happy to be along for the ride.
In summation, Tad Boyle is awesome.
--
ESPN's bottom line on Johnson - "Smooth wing that can score on the break and in the half court by getting to the rim and taking advantage of his size or showing off his nice middle game. Johnson finds a way to use his strengths to be productive. He must be more effective on the offensive glass. Due to his work ethic and physical attributes look for Johnson to climb the recruiting charts during the up and coming spring (2011) evaluation period."
On Jenkins - "He's been improving nicely over the past few years and should continue to do so. He needs to get stronger but he has terrific length for the small forward position. We've tabbed him as a mid-major prospect with room to grow."
Monday, October 3, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: Tired of losing
I can't help but agree with Coach Embree when he says he's tired of losing. It sucks, there's doubt about it, and Buff Nation may be seeing a lot of it for quite awhile to come. But, I just can't stay in defeat mode until the team gets it shit together (if ever). I take my cues from Monty Python:
Now, if only someone could let me know what that bright side is, I'd be in business.
Click below for the bag...
Some things in life are bad,
They can really make you mad.
Other things just make you swear and curse.
When you're chewing on life's gristle,
Don't grumble, give a whistle,
And this'll help things turn out for the best, and...
Now, if only someone could let me know what that bright side is, I'd be in business.
Click below for the bag...
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