Well, apparently they wanted one of those headlines. But nonetheless, signing one of the league's notoriously bad baseball players to head up your most important infield position doesn't really wax charming.
No, seriously. He's really one of the worst players in the league. Check out some of these stats that were compiled by the St. Louis Post Dispatch's Bernie Miklasz:
****
Izturis has never been much of a hitter; from 2001 through 2007 he was among the worst in the majors.
Maybe the worst, if you buy into OPS (onbase + slugging) as a measure. Izturis literally had the worst OBP + SLG in the majors from 2001-2007 with an anemic .629.
We could forgive his lack of power if Izturis made himself useful by drawing walks and getting on base to set up innings. But Izturis doesn’t even do that. His career OBP is a hideously bad .295.
From 2001-2007, only four hitters had a worse OBP: Neifi Perez (.285), Tony Batista (.287), Pedro Feliz (.288) and Deivi Cruz (.293).
The Izturis walk rate is terrible: one for every 21.09 plate appearance.
Basically, the man is an out machine.
In terms of slugging percentage, only Brad Ausmus (.321) and Abraham Nunez (.324) displayed less pop than Izturis (.334) from 2001-2007.
In the Bill James stat, Runs Created/27, Iztirus was third-worst in MLB from 2001-2007, with a rate of 3.13. That means if Izturis took every at-bat for your team in a game, your team would score 3.13 runs. (By contrast, having nine Albert Pujols in your lineup would have produced 9 runs per game from 2001-2007).
Izturis has some speed but he’s been caught stealing 37 times in 99 career attempts, and hasn’t had more than 8 steals in a season since 2004.
****
Cardinal fans: Cesar Izturis is not the answer to any of our problems. In fact, the 'Birds are actually coughing up 2.85 million to add another problem. The idea of signing a guy that doesn't hit and hasn't been able to field since 2004 just makes absolutely no sense.
You have to wonder if the signing had anything to do with taking some attention off the Cardinals other headline this week: the embarrassing video that's just been released of Tony LaRussa's roadside sobriety test.
I'm being serious, the Izturis signing is so bad you have to wonder if they Cardinals were desperately trying to move the media's focus in a different direction. And it worked. Most Cardinal fans are wondering if this is the stupidest acquisition in Cardinal Nation since Homer Peel was brought to St. Louis in a deal with the Phillies for Pete Alexander and Harry McCurdy way back in 1929. The following season, Peel hit .164 and his career on-base percentage was .294 - that's only one tenth lower than Izturis'. That's not batting average, that's on-base percentage. That's downright awful.
This is one of only a few things the Cardinals could have done this offseason that will actually make our division rivals happy. Lou Piniella actually walked in to Jim Hendry's office this week, looked him right in the eye and said, "can you believe they did that? Ha, I'll be damned. That's something else. You want a drink, Jimmy Boy? Just one. Just a little whiskey to celebrate?"
With Junior Spivey at least there was hope. Only a slimmer, but there was hope that he wouldn't be the worst player to ever wear the birds on the bat. With Izturis, there's no hope. That's 2.85 million...down the drain.
As far as the old ballcoach is concerned, that video is downright embarrassing. It puts to rest the idea that LaRussa was just barely over the legal limit and it makes all of those coaches who were with him that night look like irresponsible and immature stone-cold liars.
Number one: who lets their friend drive when they're in that kind of condition?
And I'm not even sure what number two is. Number one is lambasting. It's like your best friend punching you in the face for absolutely no reason. People could have died. I guess number two would be the fact that LaRussa is completely embarrassed right now and the guys with him are going to get off the hook. We've already forgotten about them, this one's on Tony. In the words of Lee Corso, "not so fast, my friends."
This is me calling those guys out, whoever they were. Part of this blame lies squarely on their shoulders. It wasn't like LaRussa, or anyone he was hanging out with, couldn't afford a taxi.
There's a clear cut message here. Don't drink and drive. Park your truck in a secure, safe location at the beginning of the night and sleep in the back of it. It works people. Maybe not as well in St. Louis as it does in small-town Durango, but it works. The idea is to be smart, one way or another.
There's a t-shirt I've seen with a no-smoking sign on it and under the sign it reads: "there are cooler ways to die." Killing yourself in a drinking and driving incident is not one of them. In fact, it doesn't even rank in the top ten of coolest ways to die.
So all and all, this is an embarrassing week for the Cardinal organization. The Izturis thing is terrible, but it doesn't compare to the punch in the gut LaRussa got when he woke up this morning and saw that his roadside test was all over the national media.
You have to wonder if that's even legal?
Is there a big football game tomorrow?
Friday, November 30, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
MU and the OU boys
I've got a few rare moments during the week so I figure I'll take a shot at wrapping my head around this weekend's game.
KU seems so long ago, doesn't it? There's a whole new set of problems on the Tiger plate and nobody seems to be picking them to finish the meal. And I'll be honest, OU scares the aged crap out of me. Much scarier than Kansas. Much scarier.
MU has to score early and often, the three series downtime that happened in the opening minutes against KU won't work against a Bob Stoops team. The Tigers have to be relentless, smart, and effective. If we give OU the same field position that we constantly gave Kansas, the Sooners will be laughing all the way to the bank. Six after six after six. And they won't miss their PAT's or field goals.
The biggest difference between KU and OU may not be the skill level on the field. But, more likely, is the fact that OU is no stranger to the big game. Stoops knows what to say in the locker room. Stoops knows what play to call when he needs an offensive boost. The Sooners will be bigger, better, and smarter than KU. No doubt about it.
All that said, and my fears and nerves aside, I'm taking the Tigers by 4. And I guarantee those final few minutes the Tigers wil have the ball and something will go wrong in the play-calling scheme and we'll be outraged. The Sooners will take position and be driving straight to Mizzou's death. However, the Big D comes up likes bats out of hell and the only thing the "experts" will be able to say is, "well...it SHOULD be USC and Ohio State.
KU seems so long ago, doesn't it? There's a whole new set of problems on the Tiger plate and nobody seems to be picking them to finish the meal. And I'll be honest, OU scares the aged crap out of me. Much scarier than Kansas. Much scarier.
MU has to score early and often, the three series downtime that happened in the opening minutes against KU won't work against a Bob Stoops team. The Tigers have to be relentless, smart, and effective. If we give OU the same field position that we constantly gave Kansas, the Sooners will be laughing all the way to the bank. Six after six after six. And they won't miss their PAT's or field goals.
The biggest difference between KU and OU may not be the skill level on the field. But, more likely, is the fact that OU is no stranger to the big game. Stoops knows what to say in the locker room. Stoops knows what play to call when he needs an offensive boost. The Sooners will be bigger, better, and smarter than KU. No doubt about it.
All that said, and my fears and nerves aside, I'm taking the Tigers by 4. And I guarantee those final few minutes the Tigers wil have the ball and something will go wrong in the play-calling scheme and we'll be outraged. The Sooners will take position and be driving straight to Mizzou's death. However, the Big D comes up likes bats out of hell and the only thing the "experts" will be able to say is, "well...it SHOULD be USC and Ohio State.
Saturday, November 24, 2007
The Bed Bugs Bite
Was I the only one who couldn't sleep last night? Was I the only one who crawled out of bed this morning at 6:30 a.m. on a day off and starting walking around the house kicking the floor, waiting for the time to pass? ESPN Radio 930 AM has been loud all day long in my place, I even went to Home Depot and bought an extension cord that could span from my house to the barn so I could listen to college football jabber all day long while working on a canoe. I had to do something, the house cats were starting to look at me weird as I wore lines in my kitchen floor pacing back and forth.
I haven't eaten.
I haven't slept.
I haven't talked to anybody.
*A few pregame notes to consider. West Virginia looked pretty much untouchable against Connecticut today. With that romp, WV made a serious statement about the quality of their football team. They scare me. No doubt. And I think if they take care of business next weekend, then they're a shoe-in for the national title game. And I don't see them having any problems next weekend.
*A few of my suspicions were confirmed from yesterday. During the nine hour span of College Gameday on ESPN radio, the national title contenders list was almost dead on with what I mentioned yesterday. The experts are even giving LSU a little love still.
Cousin Paul pointed out to me that LSU had two losses, not just the one that I had mentioned in yesterday's blog. Both of those losses coming from unranked teams. Considering that...I'd say they've blown their chance.
It seems most of these "experts" think USC is playing the best ball in the nation right now, followed by Georgia and West Virginia. And I'm not sure who it was but two of these football talkers came on ESPN radio this afternoon and gave their "real top five."
Guess what? Neither one of them had Missouri or Kansas in their top five. Are you kidding?
Hey. Look. The truth is this, maybe USC is playing the best ball in the country right now. But they didn't take care of business when they had to. Ohio State didn't take care of business when they had to. LSU didn't take care of business when they had to.
Missouri and Kansas have. So has Georgia and West Virginia. So excuse me...but I've got a memo to all those "experts" who can't seem to stop sniffing Pete Carroll's ass: take your west coast wine party back to California, buy a surfboard, wear your shorts slightly below your hipbone, and start calling all your friends "bro."
Missouri. Kansas. Border War. Next.
IN GAME STUFF:
*First quarter: Looks as though both teams are a little nervous. MU is the first to settle down. Two scoring opportunities to KU's none in the first quarter has got to provide a little excitement.
*Good to see Daniel settle down and start using other recievers outside of Maclin. He might be the most versatile on the squad, but Kansas has him zeroed in. We have so many other threats, USE THEM!
*Will Franklin can't make that mistake as a senior. Keep your head on your shoulders.
*Maclin's injury could seriously change the dynamics of this game. Let's hope it's nothing major. He had a legit chance at breaking both the opening kickoff and a punt in the first quarter. The kid is the real deal.
*I had heard that Ole Mangino was big. But I simply had no IDEA that he was that big.
Second Quarter Stuff:
*HUGE PICK. From the All-American. Let's hear those West Coast cheese and cracker eaters talk a little bit more about MU's defense. It may still be early, but so far we're completely shutting down this "incredible" KU scoring machine.
*Tony Temple is looking healthy. Averaging about ten a carry right now. That's good to see.
*It's nice to have tight ends that catch the ball, then immediately start looking for a blue jersey to just plow over.
*KU's cheerleaders don't compare to the Golden Girls. The Jayhawk cheer squad just looks out-of-place, unfit, without a clue, and a little frumpy (which means..."not appealing").
*WOW. Chase Daniel is special. And he just made Kansas' defense look like a special needs squad. How in the heck do you allow him to run backwards 30 yards, then come forward - all on third and goal from the 11 - and find an open reciever five minutes later? By the way, Alexander is the early front runner for the Horse Trailer Player of the Game.
*I can't hate on Pinkel right now because we're beating the #2 team in the nation by 14. BUT...what is up with these short high kickoffs? Why are we letting Kansas play with a short field every possession? Any answers? One twenty yard pass and KU is in field goal range? That doesn't make sense to me.
*Field goal off the yellow, BABY! Kansas is certainly struggling on MU's end of the field. A pick at the duece and a missed field goal has got that that KU offense feeling like that undersized kid you played coaches pitch baseball with when you were 8 years old. You know, the kid that forgot his cleats, then, surprisingly... actually hit the ball on their first at-bat, but forgot to drop the bat on their way to first. You know...that kid.
*Despite the 14 point lead and KU's failure to convert big plays thus far, I'm still as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
*Hey. If you're going to go for it on fourth and one. And you're going to throw the football. Then you HAVE to throw it beyond the first down marker. Not in front of it. That was a bad decision by Daniel, and not a great play call by Pinkel. TEMP22 has been running all over that defense, give him the rock.
*How about this MU red zone DEFENSE. CLAP CLAP. DEFENSE. CLAP CLAP. DEFENSE! BABY.
*You're on your own for the second half. I'm off to a more a cozy spot for frame #2. Go Tigers. Howl at that full moon BABY!
I haven't eaten.
I haven't slept.
I haven't talked to anybody.
*A few pregame notes to consider. West Virginia looked pretty much untouchable against Connecticut today. With that romp, WV made a serious statement about the quality of their football team. They scare me. No doubt. And I think if they take care of business next weekend, then they're a shoe-in for the national title game. And I don't see them having any problems next weekend.
*A few of my suspicions were confirmed from yesterday. During the nine hour span of College Gameday on ESPN radio, the national title contenders list was almost dead on with what I mentioned yesterday. The experts are even giving LSU a little love still.
Cousin Paul pointed out to me that LSU had two losses, not just the one that I had mentioned in yesterday's blog. Both of those losses coming from unranked teams. Considering that...I'd say they've blown their chance.
It seems most of these "experts" think USC is playing the best ball in the nation right now, followed by Georgia and West Virginia. And I'm not sure who it was but two of these football talkers came on ESPN radio this afternoon and gave their "real top five."
Guess what? Neither one of them had Missouri or Kansas in their top five. Are you kidding?
Hey. Look. The truth is this, maybe USC is playing the best ball in the country right now. But they didn't take care of business when they had to. Ohio State didn't take care of business when they had to. LSU didn't take care of business when they had to.
Missouri and Kansas have. So has Georgia and West Virginia. So excuse me...but I've got a memo to all those "experts" who can't seem to stop sniffing Pete Carroll's ass: take your west coast wine party back to California, buy a surfboard, wear your shorts slightly below your hipbone, and start calling all your friends "bro."
Missouri. Kansas. Border War. Next.
IN GAME STUFF:
*First quarter: Looks as though both teams are a little nervous. MU is the first to settle down. Two scoring opportunities to KU's none in the first quarter has got to provide a little excitement.
*Good to see Daniel settle down and start using other recievers outside of Maclin. He might be the most versatile on the squad, but Kansas has him zeroed in. We have so many other threats, USE THEM!
*Will Franklin can't make that mistake as a senior. Keep your head on your shoulders.
*Maclin's injury could seriously change the dynamics of this game. Let's hope it's nothing major. He had a legit chance at breaking both the opening kickoff and a punt in the first quarter. The kid is the real deal.
*I had heard that Ole Mangino was big. But I simply had no IDEA that he was that big.
Second Quarter Stuff:
*HUGE PICK. From the All-American. Let's hear those West Coast cheese and cracker eaters talk a little bit more about MU's defense. It may still be early, but so far we're completely shutting down this "incredible" KU scoring machine.
*Tony Temple is looking healthy. Averaging about ten a carry right now. That's good to see.
*It's nice to have tight ends that catch the ball, then immediately start looking for a blue jersey to just plow over.
*KU's cheerleaders don't compare to the Golden Girls. The Jayhawk cheer squad just looks out-of-place, unfit, without a clue, and a little frumpy (which means..."not appealing").
*WOW. Chase Daniel is special. And he just made Kansas' defense look like a special needs squad. How in the heck do you allow him to run backwards 30 yards, then come forward - all on third and goal from the 11 - and find an open reciever five minutes later? By the way, Alexander is the early front runner for the Horse Trailer Player of the Game.
*I can't hate on Pinkel right now because we're beating the #2 team in the nation by 14. BUT...what is up with these short high kickoffs? Why are we letting Kansas play with a short field every possession? Any answers? One twenty yard pass and KU is in field goal range? That doesn't make sense to me.
*Field goal off the yellow, BABY! Kansas is certainly struggling on MU's end of the field. A pick at the duece and a missed field goal has got that that KU offense feeling like that undersized kid you played coaches pitch baseball with when you were 8 years old. You know, the kid that forgot his cleats, then, surprisingly... actually hit the ball on their first at-bat, but forgot to drop the bat on their way to first. You know...that kid.
*Despite the 14 point lead and KU's failure to convert big plays thus far, I'm still as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs.
*Hey. If you're going to go for it on fourth and one. And you're going to throw the football. Then you HAVE to throw it beyond the first down marker. Not in front of it. That was a bad decision by Daniel, and not a great play call by Pinkel. TEMP22 has been running all over that defense, give him the rock.
*How about this MU red zone DEFENSE. CLAP CLAP. DEFENSE. CLAP CLAP. DEFENSE! BABY.
*You're on your own for the second half. I'm off to a more a cozy spot for frame #2. Go Tigers. Howl at that full moon BABY!
Friday, November 23, 2007
MU, KU hold own destiny
Missouri and Nebraska. Maybe.
Missouri and Oklahoma. Maybe.
Missouri and Texas...Um...Maybe.
BUT Missouri and Kansas as the College Gameday Showdown. Unheard of.
You could have won serious amounts of mula had you bet in the preseason that MU and KU would be a big enough game to merit this amount of national attention. How beautiful is it to tune into ESPN radio and hear them talk about Midwest schools like this? It's all over the Internet, the tv, and the radio.
There is no doubt this is the biggest game, in any sport, between these two schools ever. And that could have probably been debated up until 5 o'clock this afternoon when Darren McFadden went off for 205 yards rushing and four total touchdowns to boost unranked Arkansas over current #1 LSU in three OT's.
There's been only one other time in my life when I was whoopin Pig Suey, and that was only because I was at a Razorback game. But you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm calling the hogs tonight.
Also adding to the measure of the game's intensity is the fact that USC knocked off #6 Arizona State. The Sundevils were a one-loss team until this afternoon and still had a slimmer of hope at a National Title shot. Those hopes have now vanished and the usual national-title contender that is USC is also slim-hoped with two losses.
Texas A&M knocked off #13 Texas on Friday as well, assuring a spot for Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.
The table is set for both the Jayhawks and the Tigers. Each team needs to take care of business in order to have a shot at the National Title. The winner of tomorrow's game will have to beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship, anything short of a victory will most likely condemn both KU and MU, considering their midwest status won't sit well in the Top 25 polls.
I would assume that if the Tigers can "upset" Kansas tomorrow, then KU's national title hopes will immediately vanish considering their lackluster schedule. I would think that KU would have to win out in order to play for the title.
I'm also assuming the same goes for MU. Two losses probably won't get you in the title game. However, EVERYTHING changes if Connecticut can top #3 West Virginia. Ohio State's season is over, and they've finished with one loss. That means the Buckeyes will be sitting on their couches the next two weeks praying for all three of MU, KU, and West Virginia to lose. If MU beats Kansas tomorrow and West Virginia is upset, then you can expect Ohio State to be playing the winner of the Big 12 Championship game for the ring. Despite it's two losses, Oklahoma may still have a chance as well.
LSU probably isn't out of this either, despite the headlines. Although losing this late in the season never sits well in the polls. Hawaii is in a tough one right now with Boise State, but if they could pull it off then they'd still be undefeated and they'd also would have to merit attention.
The way I see it, teams to watch are Georgia, LSU, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Hawaii, and Ohio State. It's too crazy still to predict, plus you never know what the computers are going to spit out. All that said, I would think Missouri sits among the top of the 1-loss teams because they're loss came against #5 ranked Oklahoma and happened early in the season. But if they finish with two losses, don't hold out much hope. We have to win.
It's always crazy this time of year in college football. It's nice to be in the mix, isn't it?
I'm sticking with my previous prediction. Black and gold by 17.
Missouri and Oklahoma. Maybe.
Missouri and Texas...Um...Maybe.
BUT Missouri and Kansas as the College Gameday Showdown. Unheard of.
You could have won serious amounts of mula had you bet in the preseason that MU and KU would be a big enough game to merit this amount of national attention. How beautiful is it to tune into ESPN radio and hear them talk about Midwest schools like this? It's all over the Internet, the tv, and the radio.
There is no doubt this is the biggest game, in any sport, between these two schools ever. And that could have probably been debated up until 5 o'clock this afternoon when Darren McFadden went off for 205 yards rushing and four total touchdowns to boost unranked Arkansas over current #1 LSU in three OT's.
There's been only one other time in my life when I was whoopin Pig Suey, and that was only because I was at a Razorback game. But you can bet your bottom dollar that I'm calling the hogs tonight.
Also adding to the measure of the game's intensity is the fact that USC knocked off #6 Arizona State. The Sundevils were a one-loss team until this afternoon and still had a slimmer of hope at a National Title shot. Those hopes have now vanished and the usual national-title contender that is USC is also slim-hoped with two losses.
Texas A&M knocked off #13 Texas on Friday as well, assuring a spot for Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship game.
The table is set for both the Jayhawks and the Tigers. Each team needs to take care of business in order to have a shot at the National Title. The winner of tomorrow's game will have to beat Oklahoma in the Big 12 championship, anything short of a victory will most likely condemn both KU and MU, considering their midwest status won't sit well in the Top 25 polls.
I would assume that if the Tigers can "upset" Kansas tomorrow, then KU's national title hopes will immediately vanish considering their lackluster schedule. I would think that KU would have to win out in order to play for the title.
I'm also assuming the same goes for MU. Two losses probably won't get you in the title game. However, EVERYTHING changes if Connecticut can top #3 West Virginia. Ohio State's season is over, and they've finished with one loss. That means the Buckeyes will be sitting on their couches the next two weeks praying for all three of MU, KU, and West Virginia to lose. If MU beats Kansas tomorrow and West Virginia is upset, then you can expect Ohio State to be playing the winner of the Big 12 Championship game for the ring. Despite it's two losses, Oklahoma may still have a chance as well.
LSU probably isn't out of this either, despite the headlines. Although losing this late in the season never sits well in the polls. Hawaii is in a tough one right now with Boise State, but if they could pull it off then they'd still be undefeated and they'd also would have to merit attention.
The way I see it, teams to watch are Georgia, LSU, West Virginia, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Hawaii, and Ohio State. It's too crazy still to predict, plus you never know what the computers are going to spit out. All that said, I would think Missouri sits among the top of the 1-loss teams because they're loss came against #5 ranked Oklahoma and happened early in the season. But if they finish with two losses, don't hold out much hope. We have to win.
It's always crazy this time of year in college football. It's nice to be in the mix, isn't it?
I'm sticking with my previous prediction. Black and gold by 17.
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Bet your pants: this will be a dandy.
Get your bagged ice by Friday and make sure the cooler is well stocked in plenty of time. By Border War gametime next Saturday, Rhodes101 will be out of everything you need.
If you haven't called your pastor and told him you'll be missing out on the Saturday 5 o'clock service, "I'll see you Sunday." If you haven't got your pantry well stocked with the always delicious Triscuit crackers, whatever you have left of your Esicar sausage supply, and two blocks of Colby Jack. If you haven't looked your significant other in the eye and said, "Honey, I need this. You have to let me." If you haven't done all of that...you're simply crazy.
Crazier than Pauly Shore at a house party on a Saturday night. Crazier than Britney Spears in a bind. You'd be even crazier than the actual fact of the matter: The University of Missouri and the University of Kansas each have football teams in the BCS's Top Five. And they'll decide their national title hopes in a town near you.
Can you imagine what it will be like on those campus's this week? I'm assuming the anxiety on the MU campus will rival the week preceding the MU-KU hoop fest the season the Tigers were ranked #2. There was a petition, signed by 23,000+ students, sent to President Bush requesting a troop withdrawal from Iraq and a new focus on bombing the **** out of Kansas.
I'm assuming things will be the same. And the campus in Lawrence will be no more innocent in their exotic hateful attitude towards MU.
It's not far-fetched to say that this is the most exciting weekend in sports history for these two campus'.
Make sure all you're TV cables are well connected, you're not going to want to miss this.
****
It's hard to take this KU football team seriously. I mean, football at Kansas? I know Missouri isn't the biggest football school either, but people have always known that MU had a football team. Before this season, you heard so little about the Rock Chalks. We used to laugh at them in college. Now they're supposedly better than us? And we're #5 in the nation. Soon to be #4 when the new rankings come out and Oregon drops.
That's pretty nuts. I haven't seen them play this year and I'd love to hear what you think about them if you have. Maybe they are the real deal.
I don't think it's all alumni-bias but I certainly get the tinkling sensation that the Tigers will run the Jayhawks right out of Kansas City. For some reason I think this one is a no-doubter. Maybe it's all those jokes on KU I've been used to. I don't know. But I'm taking the Tigers by 17 or more.
***
One other side note. I know it's already been talking about a lot on this website, but I wanted to congratulate the Notre Dame Bulldogs on their state run last weekend. I was lucky enough to be in town for it and they were a privilege to watch.
I can honestly say, not as an ND alum, but simply as a fan of sports that their team was one of the most fun teams I have ever seen. Everybody that asks me about it, I tell them all the same thing: "I've never seen a team with such great composure." You can talk all you want about talent level and a great senior class, but this team won because of composure.
Any athlete has played in games of major magnitude and we all know how easy it is to get frustrated, angry, and therefor be distracted from playing your best game. In the two games I saw, I didn't see one single player ANYTIME OR ANYWHERE ever show a negative emotion. They couldn't be broken. They played so confidently in each other that there was never any doubt in their minds that they were going to be State Champions.
While the other two teams were consistently kicking the ball away after whistles, pushing and shoving and taking cheap shots, and running their mouths to the refs, Notre Dame never got distracted and never stopped playing soccer.
So my congratulations to that team. They were well deserving of that ring. And most importantly, they won the right way. One of the most inspiring team sports performances I've ever seen. Way to go, Dogs.
If you haven't called your pastor and told him you'll be missing out on the Saturday 5 o'clock service, "I'll see you Sunday." If you haven't got your pantry well stocked with the always delicious Triscuit crackers, whatever you have left of your Esicar sausage supply, and two blocks of Colby Jack. If you haven't looked your significant other in the eye and said, "Honey, I need this. You have to let me." If you haven't done all of that...you're simply crazy.
Crazier than Pauly Shore at a house party on a Saturday night. Crazier than Britney Spears in a bind. You'd be even crazier than the actual fact of the matter: The University of Missouri and the University of Kansas each have football teams in the BCS's Top Five. And they'll decide their national title hopes in a town near you.
Can you imagine what it will be like on those campus's this week? I'm assuming the anxiety on the MU campus will rival the week preceding the MU-KU hoop fest the season the Tigers were ranked #2. There was a petition, signed by 23,000+ students, sent to President Bush requesting a troop withdrawal from Iraq and a new focus on bombing the **** out of Kansas.
I'm assuming things will be the same. And the campus in Lawrence will be no more innocent in their exotic hateful attitude towards MU.
It's not far-fetched to say that this is the most exciting weekend in sports history for these two campus'.
Make sure all you're TV cables are well connected, you're not going to want to miss this.
****
It's hard to take this KU football team seriously. I mean, football at Kansas? I know Missouri isn't the biggest football school either, but people have always known that MU had a football team. Before this season, you heard so little about the Rock Chalks. We used to laugh at them in college. Now they're supposedly better than us? And we're #5 in the nation. Soon to be #4 when the new rankings come out and Oregon drops.
That's pretty nuts. I haven't seen them play this year and I'd love to hear what you think about them if you have. Maybe they are the real deal.
I don't think it's all alumni-bias but I certainly get the tinkling sensation that the Tigers will run the Jayhawks right out of Kansas City. For some reason I think this one is a no-doubter. Maybe it's all those jokes on KU I've been used to. I don't know. But I'm taking the Tigers by 17 or more.
***
One other side note. I know it's already been talking about a lot on this website, but I wanted to congratulate the Notre Dame Bulldogs on their state run last weekend. I was lucky enough to be in town for it and they were a privilege to watch.
I can honestly say, not as an ND alum, but simply as a fan of sports that their team was one of the most fun teams I have ever seen. Everybody that asks me about it, I tell them all the same thing: "I've never seen a team with such great composure." You can talk all you want about talent level and a great senior class, but this team won because of composure.
Any athlete has played in games of major magnitude and we all know how easy it is to get frustrated, angry, and therefor be distracted from playing your best game. In the two games I saw, I didn't see one single player ANYTIME OR ANYWHERE ever show a negative emotion. They couldn't be broken. They played so confidently in each other that there was never any doubt in their minds that they were going to be State Champions.
While the other two teams were consistently kicking the ball away after whistles, pushing and shoving and taking cheap shots, and running their mouths to the refs, Notre Dame never got distracted and never stopped playing soccer.
So my congratulations to that team. They were well deserving of that ring. And most importantly, they won the right way. One of the most inspiring team sports performances I've ever seen. Way to go, Dogs.
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Get off his case
Ok. The next time someone asks me how I feel about former Cardinal great Luther Hackman getting knocked up for taking performance enhancers, I'm going to say the exact same thing the second time as I'm going to this time. Let him juice that bad-ass body until his testicles are the size of a worn-out eraser on a 1973 Bic pencil. The truth: the juice isn't going to help. He's old, he's washed up, and he was never really that good in the first place.
So chalk up a place for him in your card-playing, late-night Cardinal conversation talks of the future because that's exactly what Hackman is to us...HISTORY.
You can also get off Gary Pinkel's case while you're at it. I simply cannot believe that I've sat here for two months now, throughout the entirety of the college football season, and let you so easily bad-mouth Pinkel.
Not only have you ripped his play calling worse than A-Rod's contract rips off baseball teams, but you've been absolutely relentless in playing potty-mouth with his coaching style.
I can track numerous claims back to all of you..."the shotgun will never work," "why does Temple always start eight yards behind the line of scrimmage?"
You even made a reference and sent along a picture of Pinkel next to an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt.
Well, now it's my turn. And I only have one question: who's laughing now you lousy bandwagon Mizzou football fans who only claim to love Pinkel when he's got his team number 6 in the nation?
Huh, who's laughing now?
See ya at Faurot.
So chalk up a place for him in your card-playing, late-night Cardinal conversation talks of the future because that's exactly what Hackman is to us...HISTORY.
You can also get off Gary Pinkel's case while you're at it. I simply cannot believe that I've sat here for two months now, throughout the entirety of the college football season, and let you so easily bad-mouth Pinkel.
Not only have you ripped his play calling worse than A-Rod's contract rips off baseball teams, but you've been absolutely relentless in playing potty-mouth with his coaching style.
I can track numerous claims back to all of you..."the shotgun will never work," "why does Temple always start eight yards behind the line of scrimmage?"
You even made a reference and sent along a picture of Pinkel next to an "I'm with Stupid" t-shirt.
Well, now it's my turn. And I only have one question: who's laughing now you lousy bandwagon Mizzou football fans who only claim to love Pinkel when he's got his team number 6 in the nation?
Huh, who's laughing now?
See ya at Faurot.
Friday, November 02, 2007
I'm Being Outrageous
At one time I was the guru of blogging on this website. I was number one. My blogs per month were waxing the competition. I brought you "Two Minutes of Fun," "The Grind," and the famous but quickly dying "Questions and Answers with Timo."
Now I'm getting my ass handed to me on a platter.
Mark makes me look foolish with the video.
JBar is killing it with the football updates.
And Jamie Hall is being Tom Brady on a website: just making it happen.
I'm the lost kid with no frame of reference who wanders into the movie theater and ask what's going on. Soon you'll be telling me to shut up.
I'm stumped right now. I've got no guys to interview. Jason's handling the football scene. All I care about is hockey and every time I talk about that, my blogspace gets less and less popular.
So I'm going out on the limb here. I'm playing Hasselbeck at the end of regulation. I'm making bold predictions.
ON THE LOCAL SCENE:
*Your worst nightmare is coming true. You know as well as I do that AROD would look terrible in Cardinal red. He just would. But you also know as well I do that it's happening.
AROD wants to play with the other best player in the game. And David Eckstein, in all likelihood, could be gone. So he'd be back to his old homestead at short. He'd fit like a glove in that lineup. And there's new management looking to make a strong first impression on Cardinal faithful. And Tony doesn't really want to rebuild. And you're starting to believe, aren't you?
You won't be laughing when he yanks 81 long balls and rakes 197 rbi next year in red.
*The Rams will no doubt go winless. I hate to say it, but I don't see much hope. As per the usual, Bulger is banged up. The O-Line is non-existent, thereby voiding both the passing game and the rushing game. And the defense isn't really scaring anybody. The second best running back in the league doesn't even look good right now.
It's just that...it seems so emotionless, doesn't it? Does anyone get the feeling that the Rams just don't feel like playing football this year? They're simply not enthused. They're nothing special on turf. They're nowhere close to a playoff football team. And Scott Linehan, after only a season and a half, is out the door. The formula isn't right at The Ed right now, and it's a hapless season.
*My Tigers play My Buffs tomorrow in Boulder. It's a fire fight and when the smoke clears the his six shooter is already back in Daniel's holster. Pig being out is important, but it doesn't make THAT big of a difference. Tigers by 27.
ON THE NATIONAL SCENE:
*Patriots over Colts. That's easy. Golden Boy Tom Brady to Reborn-football player Randy Moss twice in the fourth. And the blood will stay on the sword through the playoffs as well.
As the Rams go winless, New England goes undefeated. Brady gets even more girlfriends. And comes back even better next year.
*Johan Santana is getting dished. He'll be in Blue next season. Can't decipher whether it's L.A. blue or New York blue. Mets not Yankees. At least the Mets realize they need pitching to win. I'm starting to wonder if the BOSS is completely oblivious to that.
"Darnit. It's just that....you know...geez...I just really didn't wanna lose."
I'm out. Back in the SEMO next week. Faurot Field for a Tiger Trouncing on Saturday. See ya there.
Now I'm getting my ass handed to me on a platter.
Mark makes me look foolish with the video.
JBar is killing it with the football updates.
And Jamie Hall is being Tom Brady on a website: just making it happen.
I'm the lost kid with no frame of reference who wanders into the movie theater and ask what's going on. Soon you'll be telling me to shut up.
I'm stumped right now. I've got no guys to interview. Jason's handling the football scene. All I care about is hockey and every time I talk about that, my blogspace gets less and less popular.
So I'm going out on the limb here. I'm playing Hasselbeck at the end of regulation. I'm making bold predictions.
ON THE LOCAL SCENE:
*Your worst nightmare is coming true. You know as well as I do that AROD would look terrible in Cardinal red. He just would. But you also know as well I do that it's happening.
AROD wants to play with the other best player in the game. And David Eckstein, in all likelihood, could be gone. So he'd be back to his old homestead at short. He'd fit like a glove in that lineup. And there's new management looking to make a strong first impression on Cardinal faithful. And Tony doesn't really want to rebuild. And you're starting to believe, aren't you?
You won't be laughing when he yanks 81 long balls and rakes 197 rbi next year in red.
*The Rams will no doubt go winless. I hate to say it, but I don't see much hope. As per the usual, Bulger is banged up. The O-Line is non-existent, thereby voiding both the passing game and the rushing game. And the defense isn't really scaring anybody. The second best running back in the league doesn't even look good right now.
It's just that...it seems so emotionless, doesn't it? Does anyone get the feeling that the Rams just don't feel like playing football this year? They're simply not enthused. They're nothing special on turf. They're nowhere close to a playoff football team. And Scott Linehan, after only a season and a half, is out the door. The formula isn't right at The Ed right now, and it's a hapless season.
*My Tigers play My Buffs tomorrow in Boulder. It's a fire fight and when the smoke clears the his six shooter is already back in Daniel's holster. Pig being out is important, but it doesn't make THAT big of a difference. Tigers by 27.
ON THE NATIONAL SCENE:
*Patriots over Colts. That's easy. Golden Boy Tom Brady to Reborn-football player Randy Moss twice in the fourth. And the blood will stay on the sword through the playoffs as well.
As the Rams go winless, New England goes undefeated. Brady gets even more girlfriends. And comes back even better next year.
*Johan Santana is getting dished. He'll be in Blue next season. Can't decipher whether it's L.A. blue or New York blue. Mets not Yankees. At least the Mets realize they need pitching to win. I'm starting to wonder if the BOSS is completely oblivious to that.
"Darnit. It's just that....you know...geez...I just really didn't wanna lose."
I'm out. Back in the SEMO next week. Faurot Field for a Tiger Trouncing on Saturday. See ya there.
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