Another Monday, another excellent freshman profile from Ryan Thorburn. This week, he's talking with Sterling, CO's own Xavier Talton. Combined with an article from last week where Thorburn talked to Josh Scott, you get the feeling that the trio of Colorado freshmen have a passion for hoops in the state, and want to make sure the CU program stays in the national conversation for years to come. Exciting stuff, make sure you check it out.
Today in the bag, I'm touching on one other basketball note, the Euro Final, the Dwight Howard soap opera, and another win for Tiger.
Click below for the bag...
Showing posts with label schadenfreude. Show all posts
Showing posts with label schadenfreude. Show all posts
Monday, July 2, 2012
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...
Friday, September 30, 2011
Quick Post: On Wisconsin
Alright Wisconsin. I don't like you, and you don't like me, but, for this one time, we're in this together. You beat Nebraska, and we're good.
I can't stand to live in a world where Husker fans are happy, so I need you, Wisconsin, to crush their spirits in NU's first ever Big 10 game. You've got the whole of Buff Nation on your side. I just want to tell you good luck, we're all counting on you.
Oh, and Fuck the Huskers. Old habits die hard.
 |
| That stupid Pop Tart of a mascot better do a lot of pushups Saturday. |
Oh, and Fuck the Huskers. Old habits die hard.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: 4 Weeks
The clock continues to tick down to the September 3rd game vs. Hawaii. Less than 4 weeks to go...
Today in the bag I'll talk about practice, recap some golfing and baseball news, and remind everyone that the basketball schedule is locked and that season ticket renewals are on their way.
Click below for the bag...
Today in the bag I'll talk about practice, recap some golfing and baseball news, and remind everyone that the basketball schedule is locked and that season ticket renewals are on their way.
Click below for the bag...
Monday, June 13, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: It's all about the NBA Finals
This is an all NBA Finals edition of the Grab Bag. Baseball will have its time, as all other professional sports drop off the radar, but for now it's time to recap the NBA Finals.
Click below for the bag...
Click below for the bag...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Post-Memorial Day Grab Bag: I can see clearly now, the rain is gone
I spent the past 5 days holed up in my cave of a room, trying to recover as quickly as possible from eye surgery. I had grown tired of my glasses, and decided that now, as an adult, I should take control of that shit. Luckily, everything seems to be progressing fine, although a little haziness persists, and I'm seeing 20/15. For the record, the first thing I did with my new eyes was run upstairs to check out the Flatirons in new razor-sharp RumblinVision; it was awesome.
Today in the bag, I'll be turning my newly improved sight towards the growing ugliness in Columbus, the disaster that was the Bulls final 4 games with the Heat, and baseball standings.
Click below for the bag.
Today in the bag, I'll be turning my newly improved sight towards the growing ugliness in Columbus, the disaster that was the Bulls final 4 games with the Heat, and baseball standings.
Click below for the bag.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Monday Grab Bag: OSU wrap and look ahead
A full Coors Events Center is my favorite type of Coors Events Center. It was awesome to see and feel a sold-out crowd cheering on the boys Saturday morning. With its 3-0 start he team has taken its first steps towards a spectacular year, but there are still 13 conference games to go. Today in the bag I'll dissect the OSU game and look ahead to an integral and difficult 2-game road trip.
Click below for the fun...
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| It's another win to celebrate for Cory and the boys, but there are still 13 games to go. From: the Post |
Click below for the fun...
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Husker Preview
"Hate, son, hate; the great motivator" -- The Great White Hype
How do you sum up the rivalry that defined your CU experience? I don't know if I can, but I'll give it the ole college try. In this preview, for what very well could be the final time CU and Nebraska meet on the football field of battle, I'll try to sum up the rivalry, what it means to me, what it means to the CU fan base, and what I think the final meeting will entail. I may not do it justice, but I promise you that this preview will be entirely biased. I mean it; this post will be entirely 100% objectivity free. If you want objective analysis, head over to the Denver Post, where they whore out their paper to sell a few extra copies to the hick transplants.
I'm headed East Friday morning at 1AM. For the last CU-Nebraska game you better believe I'll be there. It's the end of an era. It may have been filled with too few CU victories, but it was a great era none-the-less and I'll miss it. In the final game's honor I present this preview dedicated to hate.
Jump below for the hate-y goodness.
How do you sum up the rivalry that defined your CU experience? I don't know if I can, but I'll give it the ole college try. In this preview, for what very well could be the final time CU and Nebraska meet on the football field of battle, I'll try to sum up the rivalry, what it means to me, what it means to the CU fan base, and what I think the final meeting will entail. I may not do it justice, but I promise you that this preview will be entirely biased. I mean it; this post will be entirely 100% objectivity free. If you want objective analysis, head over to the Denver Post, where they whore out their paper to sell a few extra copies to the hick transplants.
("It's alright. I just kicked the ever loving shit out of you, and essentially ruined your program for the better part of a decade, but at least you get the opportunity to embarrass yourself on national TV in a month.")
Jump below for the hate-y goodness.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Oklahoma Preview
Yesterday, on 87.7, Joel Klatt reminded me what Cody Hawkins means to the game-plan: namely 50+ passes per game. That running game, which had brought the team it's only victories on the season, is now gone, forgotten because one play in the CU offense (the zone-read) can't be run by the current QB.
Playing just barely over half the game last week, Cody ended up throwing 43(!) times. Good gracious lord that's a lot of attempts. While I think we have the receivers to handle that many attempts, CU certainly doesn't have the QB or offensive scheme to handle that load. What's more is that drives are surely going to be shortened, leading to an already depleted defense being stranded out of the field for longer periods. Just look at last week: in the second half, with Cody slinging the ball all over the yard, CU scored points, but left the 'D' out to dry; the 10 minute Time of Possession advantage that had been built in the 1st half was flipped on it's head, and the game ended with a TOP tie. You want to know why the defense looked so gassed in the 4th quarter? It's because Cody threw the ball 34 times in the second half, and Tech was give an extra 10 minutes of possession.
(Lot's of Cody is never a good thing. From: the BDC)
CU cannot rely on it's passing game if it hopes to win (or really even compete) this weekend. The legs of Rodney Stewart got the Buffs 3 wins this year, I don't see any reason why they should be forgotten because of a change in QB. So the zone-read plays and pistol formations won't work with Cody in the game; just simplify the play-calling, and rely on more traditional runs. In the '07 game, with Cody at the helm, the Buffs ran more than they passed, kept the ball, and pounced when OU stumbled. That's what CU should rely on this weekend; give the OU offense too much time with the ball, and you'll never get up off your feet.
--
OU Schadenfreude
I've said on a few occasions that I almost hate Oklahoma more than I hate Nebraska. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to Lincoln, NE I want the terrorists to win, but I've never had a good experience with Oklahoma fans. In '02, an OU fan kicked my tuba case as I was packing up after the Big XII championship, and would've busted my horn if I hadn't been quick on my feet. In '03, after nearly watching CU take down #1 OU in Folsom, a Sooner fan verbally assaulted me as I marched out of the stadium. In the '04 Big XII title game Sooner fans pelted the stadium with oranges as time expired, and I took one off the back of my head. All of that is after Sooner victories, mind you. In my experience these are not nice people; others may have different experiences, but that's where I'm coming from. That's why this picture from the '07 CU game makes me happy:
That shot, from version 2.0 of the "Dan Hawkins signature home win over a team we shouldn't beat," is all the good that has come out of the OU series for me. The rest is insults, physical pain, and emotional letdowns. I say good riddance to OU; I hope we never play them again, and I hope the State of Oklahoma is fraught with infertility, obesity, and economic hardships for the next 100 years.
--
It's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only ... song we know!
I want to forget that this game is on the schedule. At least with the trip to Lincoln there's rivalry pride on the line. With this weekend's trip to Norman, OK there's only an ass-whuppin on the line.
Offensively, not only are the Sooners facing a depleted CU defense, but they bring one of the more impressive offenses in the conference to the field. Lead by starting QB Landry Jones (who coulda, shoulda been a Buff), the OU offense racks up over 450 yards and 35.7 points per game. They are explosive and dynamic, relying on a pro-style offense to get shit done. To date, they have passed for double their rush yards, but that doesn't mean their ground game is insignificant. RB Demarco Murray has set the all-time Sooner record for TD's, and kicks in just over 100 yards per game on the ground. He's just another in a long line (Griffin, Peterson, et al) of OU running backs who will give the CU defense fits. WR Ryan Broyles will be all over the field as well, and is by far the favorite target of the QB Jones. This is a well coached unit, and will be tough to defend in Norman.
(You can't forget Murray; he's the one putting points up on the board, afterall.)
Defensively, things get slightly better for CU. There are weak points that could be attacked. Their overall defensive numbers are slightly skewed by the game versus Air Force and their damn triple-option. While the Sooner D is only giving up 239 yards per game in the air, take the run-happy AF and inconsistent ISU offenses out and they're giving up 282 yards through the air per game. If you can pass the ball, just a little bit, they can be broken for some scores. The OU 'D' is lead by JR LB Travis Lewis, SR DE Jeremy Beal, and SR DB Quinton Carter.
As always, this is a well coached team. Bob Stoops isn't one of the most highly regarded coaches in the country for nothing; he gets good players to OU, and then gets the best out of them. They're everything you would expect in a Sooner team: talented, fast, dangerous. They may not be the best team in the country (*cough* Oregon *cough*) but they are more than good enough to take the Buffs back behind the wood shed.
Prediction Time
Kyle Ringo came out and said something stupid about having a "feeling" about this game, and went on to pick the Buffs to win. Some people are even jumping on the "we might just compete with them" bandwagon because of the '07 win, and the '06 "it wasn't so bad" loss. This is nonsense; we're getting rolled this weekend.
Yes, OU's 'D' may be susceptible to a persistent passing game, and CU does figure to throw the ball a lot, but Cody is not the QB to break them down. The weakness in the defensive backfield is a fool's gambit for CU, and, should we go chasing after it, we're in for a long afternoon. Cody may have a win over them under his belt, but that doesn't mean that he won the game. It was the CU defense who got the ball back in '07 enough times to give CU the game. With Perkins, Major, and every Nickel-back out, the current defense is tired, under-talented and playing out of position. Jimmy and Jalil won't be enough to keep the Sooner attack at bay, and if we spend all afternoon passing, they'll be left out on the field to dry.
In OU's non-conference tilts, 3 teams (Utah State, Air Force, and Cincinnati) gave them scares because they could move the ball and keep up with the OU offense. Do you really think CU's offense can keep up? I expect the OU offense to crack 40 (or more). Given that Hawk can't seem to even get 30 out of his offense on most days, CU doesn't even have a chance.
Add in the road-woes, and I expect the Buffs to get crushed. Get your board-games ready, 'cause, by half-time, you'll need them.
OU 47 - CU 13 (HEY, WE SCORED!)
GO BUFFS!
Playing just barely over half the game last week, Cody ended up throwing 43(!) times. Good gracious lord that's a lot of attempts. While I think we have the receivers to handle that many attempts, CU certainly doesn't have the QB or offensive scheme to handle that load. What's more is that drives are surely going to be shortened, leading to an already depleted defense being stranded out of the field for longer periods. Just look at last week: in the second half, with Cody slinging the ball all over the yard, CU scored points, but left the 'D' out to dry; the 10 minute Time of Possession advantage that had been built in the 1st half was flipped on it's head, and the game ended with a TOP tie. You want to know why the defense looked so gassed in the 4th quarter? It's because Cody threw the ball 34 times in the second half, and Tech was give an extra 10 minutes of possession.
(Lot's of Cody is never a good thing. From: the BDC)
CU cannot rely on it's passing game if it hopes to win (or really even compete) this weekend. The legs of Rodney Stewart got the Buffs 3 wins this year, I don't see any reason why they should be forgotten because of a change in QB. So the zone-read plays and pistol formations won't work with Cody in the game; just simplify the play-calling, and rely on more traditional runs. In the '07 game, with Cody at the helm, the Buffs ran more than they passed, kept the ball, and pounced when OU stumbled. That's what CU should rely on this weekend; give the OU offense too much time with the ball, and you'll never get up off your feet.
--
OU Schadenfreude
I've said on a few occasions that I almost hate Oklahoma more than I hate Nebraska. Don't get me wrong, when it comes to Lincoln, NE I want the terrorists to win, but I've never had a good experience with Oklahoma fans. In '02, an OU fan kicked my tuba case as I was packing up after the Big XII championship, and would've busted my horn if I hadn't been quick on my feet. In '03, after nearly watching CU take down #1 OU in Folsom, a Sooner fan verbally assaulted me as I marched out of the stadium. In the '04 Big XII title game Sooner fans pelted the stadium with oranges as time expired, and I took one off the back of my head. All of that is after Sooner victories, mind you. In my experience these are not nice people; others may have different experiences, but that's where I'm coming from. That's why this picture from the '07 CU game makes me happy:
That shot, from version 2.0 of the "Dan Hawkins signature home win over a team we shouldn't beat," is all the good that has come out of the OU series for me. The rest is insults, physical pain, and emotional letdowns. I say good riddance to OU; I hope we never play them again, and I hope the State of Oklahoma is fraught with infertility, obesity, and economic hardships for the next 100 years.
--
It's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only, it's the only ... song we know!
I want to forget that this game is on the schedule. At least with the trip to Lincoln there's rivalry pride on the line. With this weekend's trip to Norman, OK there's only an ass-whuppin on the line.
Offensively, not only are the Sooners facing a depleted CU defense, but they bring one of the more impressive offenses in the conference to the field. Lead by starting QB Landry Jones (who coulda, shoulda been a Buff), the OU offense racks up over 450 yards and 35.7 points per game. They are explosive and dynamic, relying on a pro-style offense to get shit done. To date, they have passed for double their rush yards, but that doesn't mean their ground game is insignificant. RB Demarco Murray has set the all-time Sooner record for TD's, and kicks in just over 100 yards per game on the ground. He's just another in a long line (Griffin, Peterson, et al) of OU running backs who will give the CU defense fits. WR Ryan Broyles will be all over the field as well, and is by far the favorite target of the QB Jones. This is a well coached unit, and will be tough to defend in Norman.
(You can't forget Murray; he's the one putting points up on the board, afterall.)
Defensively, things get slightly better for CU. There are weak points that could be attacked. Their overall defensive numbers are slightly skewed by the game versus Air Force and their damn triple-option. While the Sooner D is only giving up 239 yards per game in the air, take the run-happy AF and inconsistent ISU offenses out and they're giving up 282 yards through the air per game. If you can pass the ball, just a little bit, they can be broken for some scores. The OU 'D' is lead by JR LB Travis Lewis, SR DE Jeremy Beal, and SR DB Quinton Carter.
As always, this is a well coached team. Bob Stoops isn't one of the most highly regarded coaches in the country for nothing; he gets good players to OU, and then gets the best out of them. They're everything you would expect in a Sooner team: talented, fast, dangerous. They may not be the best team in the country (*cough* Oregon *cough*) but they are more than good enough to take the Buffs back behind the wood shed.
Prediction Time
Kyle Ringo came out and said something stupid about having a "feeling" about this game, and went on to pick the Buffs to win. Some people are even jumping on the "we might just compete with them" bandwagon because of the '07 win, and the '06 "it wasn't so bad" loss. This is nonsense; we're getting rolled this weekend.
Yes, OU's 'D' may be susceptible to a persistent passing game, and CU does figure to throw the ball a lot, but Cody is not the QB to break them down. The weakness in the defensive backfield is a fool's gambit for CU, and, should we go chasing after it, we're in for a long afternoon. Cody may have a win over them under his belt, but that doesn't mean that he won the game. It was the CU defense who got the ball back in '07 enough times to give CU the game. With Perkins, Major, and every Nickel-back out, the current defense is tired, under-talented and playing out of position. Jimmy and Jalil won't be enough to keep the Sooner attack at bay, and if we spend all afternoon passing, they'll be left out on the field to dry.
In OU's non-conference tilts, 3 teams (Utah State, Air Force, and Cincinnati) gave them scares because they could move the ball and keep up with the OU offense. Do you really think CU's offense can keep up? I expect the OU offense to crack 40 (or more). Given that Hawk can't seem to even get 30 out of his offense on most days, CU doesn't even have a chance.
Add in the road-woes, and I expect the Buffs to get crushed. Get your board-games ready, 'cause, by half-time, you'll need them.
OU 47 - CU 13 (HEY, WE SCORED!)
GO BUFFS!
Monday, October 11, 2010
Monday Grab Bag: What else is there to say?
If Air Force had been playing anyone other than CSU, I get the feeling that the State of Colorado would've gone 0-fer this weekend. It was a rough weekend all around; Superior Liquor was even out of Arrogant Bastard (Rico, you gotta talk to your supply people). Sigh... Onto the bag...
Buffs shut out again in Columbia, MO: Going into the game I knew CU would lose, but I thought we'd score, possibly even compete. Instead the team once again shit, ever so dolefully, down it's leg. In two true road games this year CU has been outscored 78-7, and the annual series with the Tigers ends with CU having been outscored 203-40 over the last 5 games. It's fucking disgusting and disheartening to be shutout yet again by Mizzou, but did it really surprise you? When the first Tiger punt landed at the 2 yard line I knew the Buffs were in for it. Honestly, 2 minutes into the game, I already knew what was going to happen; while the defense had stood strong, the special teams had fucked up twice and the offense already had that "just got prison raped" look on their face.
(Another CU road game, another picture that speaks to the state of CU football. From: TRR)
Defense doesn't deserve this: What's weird about CU having a 78-7 road game deficit this year is that the defense isn't anywhere near that bad. The entire CU defense (yes, even Mahnke) played well enough Saturday night to win. Missouri never looked comfortable on offense, and had to keep scheming to get around the looks Ron Collins was throwing at them (Even throwing a fake punt at the anemic special teams to keep a drive alive). The defense has been solid yet has been routinely screwed over by the offense. Ringo came up with 5 touchdowns scored against CU on the road this year which weren't really the defenses fault. That's 35 points that you can take off of the defensive roll. Subtract that idiotic safety that Tyler took Saturday night and the defense has really only given up 41 points in two games. Any Big XII offense should be able to score 20-ish points in a game, even on the road.
Hell, late in the second quarter the defense gave their offensive teammates the ball on the Tiger 13 yard line only to have the O lose 9 yards and the special teams have their field goal attempt blocked. That series was indicative of both the defensive efforts to keep the Buffs in the game, and the offensive and special teams futility in support.
Penalties, Turnovers, and Special Teams Disasters: The same trio of bad football calling cards was evident Saturday: The offense committed 8 penalties, threw a pick, gave up a moronic safety and gave it up on downs 3 times. The special teams gave up a big return to start the game, had a punt blocked, allowed punts inside the 5 yd line twice, missed one field goal, had another blocked, and gave up a crushing first down on a fake punt. About the only bright-side for either unit was Toney Clemmons emerging with a few nice returns, and Speedy proving yet again that he can function as a lone back. What was particularly discouraging was that after the impressive lack of offensive penalties in the Georgia game, the offense regressed. Not only were there 8 penalties for 66 yards, but one lead directly to a safety, 2 killed a potential game saving drive to start the 2nd half, and 3 more in the 4th quarter conspired to help keep CU off the board in garbage time. They were big penalties, drive killing penalties, which directly contributed not only to the loss, but the shutout as well.
Goodman is a whole other issue. We all know that Goodman can't cut it as a kicker on a BCS school. He's under .500 for his career and has only one make in four attempts this year. Even though Castor has his first attempt blocked, I was excited to see Goodman miss the field. It was about damn time that his ass found the bench; the team needed to cut their losses with his scholarship 2 years ago. Apparently, Hawk hadn't learned anything as he insisted after the game that Goodman would be back. Does Goodman have compromising pictures of Hawk? Why else would he get this many chances? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. By this point in his career Aric Goodman is a known quantity; this isn't a streak of bad luck or a mechanical flaw, this is who he is. To keep sending him out there and expecting a change is proof positive that Hawk has lost his mind.
(Here's a picture of some puppies to help get you through this depressing bag)
WHY THE HIGH-HOLY FUCK DID CODY SEE THE FIELD?!!: I have no rational thoughts on this situation. My id takes over my thought processes and I begin to twitch violently. Regardless of the situation, Cody's entrance into a game is an embodiment of everythig that is wrong with the Dan Hawkins regime. For the mental health of all involved, his ass needs to stay on the sideline.
(More puppies...)
Hawk here for rest of the season and possibly even more: I got a text Saturday night asking for a list of possible replacements for Hawk. While it's premature to think about this (we don't know how prime coaching candidates will finish their seasons), I did include a short list in a comment thread a while back and I think that it still applies today. In the end, I do not believe that Hawk will be fired any time soon regardless of how the team fares over the next few weeks; it would just be too disruptive to fire him mid season. The week before Nebraska is still about the earliest we could see a change. My primary concern is that the team stumbles to 7-5 with a win in Kansas, and the administration forces Bohn to keep him to keep costs down. Hawk needs to go; the Mizzou loss Saturday night is indicative of the direction of the program much more than the Georgia win.
DirecTV decides to show me worst games possible: One of my weekly joys is watching the RedZone channel that is included with my Sunday Ticket package. While the NFL isn't necessarily my favorite cup 'o tea, the RZ channel is a blast to watch. Unfortunately this Sunday they decided to spend the majority of the morning slate of games focused on the Tampa Bay/Cincinnati and Jacksonville/Buffalo games. While they were the closest contests at the moment, they were terrible football games to watch involving teams I care nothing about. While other games were blowouts, they at least had fantasy implications. Whoever was running the RZ channel should've recognized that no one wants to watch Tampa, the 'Nati, J-ville, or Buffalo play.
Twins swept; there is a God: In schadenfreude news: the Twins got swept by the Yankees over the weekend. This is typical of the Twins M.O.; they are a team that plays hard no matter what time of the year it is, so they have nothing left to give once October rolls around. While that attitude may be endearing to fans, and win them an extra 5 games during the season, come playoff time, talented teams who generally coast for most of the season (Yankees, etc.) will take their lunch money. Some people cheer on their division rivals once their favorite team is eliminated, but that's just not me. The hatred I carry for Twins baseball just cannot be stymied once October rolls around, division affiliation be damned. I want to see them lose, regardless of the situation. I will never understand people who go from cheering against a team one moment, to cheering for a team the next.
Happy Monday!
Buffs shut out again in Columbia, MO: Going into the game I knew CU would lose, but I thought we'd score, possibly even compete. Instead the team once again shit, ever so dolefully, down it's leg. In two true road games this year CU has been outscored 78-7, and the annual series with the Tigers ends with CU having been outscored 203-40 over the last 5 games. It's fucking disgusting and disheartening to be shutout yet again by Mizzou, but did it really surprise you? When the first Tiger punt landed at the 2 yard line I knew the Buffs were in for it. Honestly, 2 minutes into the game, I already knew what was going to happen; while the defense had stood strong, the special teams had fucked up twice and the offense already had that "just got prison raped" look on their face.
(Another CU road game, another picture that speaks to the state of CU football. From: TRR)
Defense doesn't deserve this: What's weird about CU having a 78-7 road game deficit this year is that the defense isn't anywhere near that bad. The entire CU defense (yes, even Mahnke) played well enough Saturday night to win. Missouri never looked comfortable on offense, and had to keep scheming to get around the looks Ron Collins was throwing at them (Even throwing a fake punt at the anemic special teams to keep a drive alive). The defense has been solid yet has been routinely screwed over by the offense. Ringo came up with 5 touchdowns scored against CU on the road this year which weren't really the defenses fault. That's 35 points that you can take off of the defensive roll. Subtract that idiotic safety that Tyler took Saturday night and the defense has really only given up 41 points in two games. Any Big XII offense should be able to score 20-ish points in a game, even on the road.
Hell, late in the second quarter the defense gave their offensive teammates the ball on the Tiger 13 yard line only to have the O lose 9 yards and the special teams have their field goal attempt blocked. That series was indicative of both the defensive efforts to keep the Buffs in the game, and the offensive and special teams futility in support.
Penalties, Turnovers, and Special Teams Disasters: The same trio of bad football calling cards was evident Saturday: The offense committed 8 penalties, threw a pick, gave up a moronic safety and gave it up on downs 3 times. The special teams gave up a big return to start the game, had a punt blocked, allowed punts inside the 5 yd line twice, missed one field goal, had another blocked, and gave up a crushing first down on a fake punt. About the only bright-side for either unit was Toney Clemmons emerging with a few nice returns, and Speedy proving yet again that he can function as a lone back. What was particularly discouraging was that after the impressive lack of offensive penalties in the Georgia game, the offense regressed. Not only were there 8 penalties for 66 yards, but one lead directly to a safety, 2 killed a potential game saving drive to start the 2nd half, and 3 more in the 4th quarter conspired to help keep CU off the board in garbage time. They were big penalties, drive killing penalties, which directly contributed not only to the loss, but the shutout as well.
Goodman is a whole other issue. We all know that Goodman can't cut it as a kicker on a BCS school. He's under .500 for his career and has only one make in four attempts this year. Even though Castor has his first attempt blocked, I was excited to see Goodman miss the field. It was about damn time that his ass found the bench; the team needed to cut their losses with his scholarship 2 years ago. Apparently, Hawk hadn't learned anything as he insisted after the game that Goodman would be back. Does Goodman have compromising pictures of Hawk? Why else would he get this many chances? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over while expecting different results. By this point in his career Aric Goodman is a known quantity; this isn't a streak of bad luck or a mechanical flaw, this is who he is. To keep sending him out there and expecting a change is proof positive that Hawk has lost his mind.
(Here's a picture of some puppies to help get you through this depressing bag)
WHY THE HIGH-HOLY FUCK DID CODY SEE THE FIELD?!!: I have no rational thoughts on this situation. My id takes over my thought processes and I begin to twitch violently. Regardless of the situation, Cody's entrance into a game is an embodiment of everythig that is wrong with the Dan Hawkins regime. For the mental health of all involved, his ass needs to stay on the sideline.
(More puppies...)
Hawk here for rest of the season and possibly even more: I got a text Saturday night asking for a list of possible replacements for Hawk. While it's premature to think about this (we don't know how prime coaching candidates will finish their seasons), I did include a short list in a comment thread a while back and I think that it still applies today. In the end, I do not believe that Hawk will be fired any time soon regardless of how the team fares over the next few weeks; it would just be too disruptive to fire him mid season. The week before Nebraska is still about the earliest we could see a change. My primary concern is that the team stumbles to 7-5 with a win in Kansas, and the administration forces Bohn to keep him to keep costs down. Hawk needs to go; the Mizzou loss Saturday night is indicative of the direction of the program much more than the Georgia win.
DirecTV decides to show me worst games possible: One of my weekly joys is watching the RedZone channel that is included with my Sunday Ticket package. While the NFL isn't necessarily my favorite cup 'o tea, the RZ channel is a blast to watch. Unfortunately this Sunday they decided to spend the majority of the morning slate of games focused on the Tampa Bay/Cincinnati and Jacksonville/Buffalo games. While they were the closest contests at the moment, they were terrible football games to watch involving teams I care nothing about. While other games were blowouts, they at least had fantasy implications. Whoever was running the RZ channel should've recognized that no one wants to watch Tampa, the 'Nati, J-ville, or Buffalo play.
Twins swept; there is a God: In schadenfreude news: the Twins got swept by the Yankees over the weekend. This is typical of the Twins M.O.; they are a team that plays hard no matter what time of the year it is, so they have nothing left to give once October rolls around. While that attitude may be endearing to fans, and win them an extra 5 games during the season, come playoff time, talented teams who generally coast for most of the season (Yankees, etc.) will take their lunch money. Some people cheer on their division rivals once their favorite team is eliminated, but that's just not me. The hatred I carry for Twins baseball just cannot be stymied once October rolls around, division affiliation be damned. I want to see them lose, regardless of the situation. I will never understand people who go from cheering against a team one moment, to cheering for a team the next.
Happy Monday!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Yay, Joe Nathan is injured! (Updated)
(UPDATE: 3/10/10) This morning, SportCenter recapped the Joe Nathan Story. In their highlight package, the first 4 clips were of Nathan beating the White Sox. Yep, real happy he's injured.
Something may be seriously wrong with me.
I shall not tell a lie, when I first read the news this morning that All-Star Twins closer, and long time Sox nemesis, Joe Nathan could possibly be out for the season with an elbow ligament tear, I quietly cheered.
(Do you know what nemesis means...)
Now, Joe Nathan is an enormously gifted athlete. Anchoring the Twins bullpen, he has been chosen to All-Star teams, and led his team to the playoffs. He has consistently been one of the best closers in baseball. I freely admit that if he were a White Sox, I would probably have a jersey with his name and number on it (See: Pierzynski, A.J. Coincidentally, the Twins traded A.J. to the Giants to get Nathan). Were he a member of any other team than the damn Twins, I'd be perfectly fine with him, probably even perusing him for fantasy baseball purposes. Going further, I'm sure he's even a nice guy in "real life," probably spearheading many philanthropic efforts across the Upper Midwest.
But the fact remains, he is a Twin. Every time the Twins have won a close game over my beloved Sox during the past 6 years, Nathan has been the smiling face of South Side defeat. It's the nature of the beast. It's why everyone hates K-Rod. The closers antics on the mound are the last things you see as "your" team loses. By the very nature, the position breeds resentment.
I'm not proud of it. I'm really not. I try to justify my schadenfreude with explanations like "his contract's guaranteed, and, with modern sports medicine, he'll make a complete recovery," but that only covers up for the fact that this morning I cheered another man's pain. It's a funny thing, being a sports fan. A sad, depressing, funny thing.
Something may be seriously wrong with me.
I shall not tell a lie, when I first read the news this morning that All-Star Twins closer, and long time Sox nemesis, Joe Nathan could possibly be out for the season with an elbow ligament tear, I quietly cheered.
(Do you know what nemesis means...)
Now, Joe Nathan is an enormously gifted athlete. Anchoring the Twins bullpen, he has been chosen to All-Star teams, and led his team to the playoffs. He has consistently been one of the best closers in baseball. I freely admit that if he were a White Sox, I would probably have a jersey with his name and number on it (See: Pierzynski, A.J. Coincidentally, the Twins traded A.J. to the Giants to get Nathan). Were he a member of any other team than the damn Twins, I'd be perfectly fine with him, probably even perusing him for fantasy baseball purposes. Going further, I'm sure he's even a nice guy in "real life," probably spearheading many philanthropic efforts across the Upper Midwest.
But the fact remains, he is a Twin. Every time the Twins have won a close game over my beloved Sox during the past 6 years, Nathan has been the smiling face of South Side defeat. It's the nature of the beast. It's why everyone hates K-Rod. The closers antics on the mound are the last things you see as "your" team loses. By the very nature, the position breeds resentment.
I'm not proud of it. I'm really not. I try to justify my schadenfreude with explanations like "his contract's guaranteed, and, with modern sports medicine, he'll make a complete recovery," but that only covers up for the fact that this morning I cheered another man's pain. It's a funny thing, being a sports fan. A sad, depressing, funny thing.
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