Monday Grab Bag: 2013's first game week - UPDATED

Happy Game Week everyone!  Break out the whiskey, it's high time for some football!

No, seriously, break out the whiskey, because it's still 73 days until the start of basketball season, and we're going to need a lot of help to get through the season.   Luckily, I still have some left over from my patented "Shane Harris-Tunks is playing - Emergency Kit," so I'm ready to go.  Do your worst, Buffs football...

Today in the bag, I'm talking continued delay on naming a starting QB, a strong start for the women's soccer team, and My Sox suddenly turning into an unbeatable juggernaut.

Click below for the bag...



MacIntyre still mum on starting QB

I'm not entirely sure what Mike MacIntyre is playing at.  He continues to keep quiet on who his starting quarterback is, despite being less than a week from the opening game against CSU.

Sure, I get the point.  Keep the other team guessing while your game prep proceeds unabated.  It's great in theory.  Hell, CSU coach Jim McElwain is such a fan of the tactic that he recently took the ludicrous step of saying he'd play four QBs in the RMS (LOL, whatevs).

The problem is, this strategy has backfired in the recent past for the Buffs, with confidence shaken for would be offensive leaders before the season even kicks off.  Plus, I'm pretty sure that McElwain won't buy the indecision.  Connor Wood remains the odds-on favorite to win the job, and I struggle to come up with any reasonable scenario where he isn't the starter next Sunday.  Wood is the only QB in Boulder with any experience at the D1 level, performed the best in the spring, and - albeit anecdotally - has looked the best in camp.  Unless McElwain is completely out to lunch, that's exactly who he'll be suspecting to start, and any advantage gained by throwing him a curve ball would be short-lived, with a high probability of back-firing.

Is there really any doubt that Wood will be the starter this Sunday?  From: the BDC.

I don't know why CU coaches continue to play this cat-and-mouse game with the Rams.  It's just not worth our time.  Name a starter, let them take the necessary reps, and move on.  There's really nothing to be gained by flirting with indecision, real or feigned.

(UPDATE: 8/26/13 - 8:33) Not 10 minutes after I posted, the team announced Wood as the starter. Feel free to draw conclusions about my level of influence.


A perfect start to the soccer season - 

The CU women had never failed to bring home the Colorado Cup until yesterday, but I don't think we'll hear many complaints.

The ladies notched back-to-back shutout victories over Northern Colorado and Colorado College to kick-start the athletics season in fine fashion.  Unfortunately, despite the perfect start to the year, the Cup, which is a season-opening competition between CU, Denver, Colorado College, and Northern Colorado, will be handed over to the Denver Pioneers through a goals-scored tie-breaker.  They're welcome to it; as head coach Danny Sanchez said, "I'll take the win every day of the week."

If it's any solace, the Buffs still have an opportunity for revenge against the Pioneers, as the two will face off in Boulder on Sept 15th.  The real trick, however, will be carrying early momentum into Pac-12 play, where CU is 3-16-3 over the last two seasons.  A flawless start to the campaign, at least, sets a good tone.

The freshman Hooks has been a scoring machine for the undefeated Buffs.  From: the BDC

Freshman forward Brie Hooks has been the story so far, notching three of the team's four goals.  The Maple Valley, WA product is off to the most productive start for a freshman in school history, scoring on all three shots of her young career.  It'll be interesting to see, as the competition toughens, whether Hooks can keep her scoring touch.

The next game for the women's soccer team is this Friday against Air Force.  Kickoff is scheduled for 5pm from Prentup Field.


My Sox can't take a hint - 

Suddenly, against all previous evidence to the contrary, my beloved Chicago White Sox have become a winning team again.  Since trading Alex Rios on August 9th, My Sox have somehow managed to reel off 11 wins in 15 games, including eight of their last nine.  They're playing like a completely different team.

What's this?  Joy?  In Mudville?

Only a month ago they were neck-and-neck with the Houston Astros (their opponent in the 2005 World Series) for 'worst-in-baseball' status.  Now, they've won so much that they're a full 11 games clear of Houston and the basement, even climbing above a .400 winning percentage for the year.  The successful fortnight has even allowed the Miami Marlins to pass them for 2nd-to-last, and the hated Chicago Cubs are nipping at their heels for 3rd.

Fucking idiots.

What happened guys?  I thought we all understood the script.  The whole point of trading high-ticket items like Jake Peavy and Alex Rios was to dump salary, accumulate prospects, and tank for a good draft pick. With millions in the war chest for next year, the rebuilding project could be quick and painless, with a spectacular young prospect thrown in for good measure.  Now, with each passing win, the cherry on top of this season of fail keeps slipping farther away.

But I've got a plan to get My Sox back on the losing foot.  Since announcing on June 17th that I was becoming a Rockies fan for the summer, the poor Rox have gone 21-37.  In that light, the only logical conclusion is that I am a powerful jinx, capable of wrecking any hopes at a success.  Accordingly, I am back to being a Sox fan, openly rooting for their success in the hopes that they can get back to playing sub-.400 baseball, and the hunt for the #1 pick in the 2014 MLB draft.  The Rockies are free to win again, and I'm sorry for ever bring my taint of losing to Rockies Nation.


Happy Monday!