All day yesterday on the radio sports talk hosts were criticizing Atlanta fans for their lackluster support of the Falcons against the Saints on Sunday. Despite selling the game out, the crowd didn't seem that into the action and many of the seats were empty. They argued that this team has earned support and I can agree with that. But you can hardly blame Falcons fans. We're Will Hunting.
What does that mean? Well, in the classic 1997 film, Matt Damon plays the enigmatic boy genius. A brilliant prodigy with a troubled past and troubled present he has trouble letting anyone new into his life because he was abused by people who were supposed to take care of him during childhood. It leads to a classic exchange between Will and his therapist Sean (Robin Williams) about the physical abuse he used to suffer at the hands of his foster dad:
Will: He used to just put a belt, a stick, and a wrench on the kitchen table and say, "Choose."
Sean: Well, I gotta go with the belt there.
Will: I used to go with the wrench.
Sean: Why?
Will: Cause fuck him, that' why.
I can't help but equate the Falcons past with Will's. My first indoctrination into Falcon fandom was in 1991. That year the Falcons got the 6th seed in the NFC playoffs and upset division rival New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs. The Falcons were overmatched in the second round by Washington, but it was still exciting to be a Falcons fan. How did they follow it up? Back-to-back 6-10 seasons that got Jerry Glanville fired.
My grandparents were season ticket holders for 30 years. When the Georgia Dome opened they had the best seats in the entire place in the first row of the club level on the 50 yard line. I used to beg my dad to take me and he pretty much always obliged. We went to every home game but one during the 1995 season and the last game, Christmas eve, the Falcons needed to beat the defending Super Bowl champ 49ers to make the playoffs. They did so in improbable fashion. Again the Falcons were outclassed by a playoff opponent, this time the Packers, but good times were coming for the Falcons...Or not. The Falcons finished a dreadful 3-13 in 1996 and June Jones got the ax as a result. That ushered in the Dan Reeves era and the team finished strong in '97 winning five of their last six games setting them up for one of the most improbable runs in league history.
1998 was a year that will never be forgotten in Falcon lore. They started with two wins before losing to long time nemesis San Francisco. A few more wins got them to 5-1, but people were still a tad skeptical after getting waxed by the Jets 28-3 to move to 5-2. A couple of weeks later Atlanta traveled to New England and put a whooping on the Pats. People were starting to believe. They followed it up by beating the 49ers at home and the bandwagon was at full speed. You know the rest. Miracle in Minnesota. Eugene Robinson tries to pay for nookie. Falcons blown out by the Broncos in the big game.
Despite the aging of key players, there was still plenty of optimism in 1999. The team returned a lot of players and had just inked star running back Jamal Anderson to a big contract. Anderson destroyed his knee in game one of the 99 season. The Falcons season was destroyed with him. The Falcons finished 5-11 and went 4-12 the following season, but help was set to arrive in 2001.
I'll never forget where I was the day the before the 2001 NFL draft. I came home from school and logged on to espn.com to find out the Falcons had traded for the number one pick and the right to draft Michael Vick. People were ecstatic. He sat most of 2001, but we got some rare glimpses into his brilliance. He was handed the keys to the franchise in 2002 and led the team to a 9-6-1 record and a playoff birth. His legend grew when he led the Falcons to a playoff win at historic Lambeau Field. A few days later the jumbotron at the Hawks game spotted him sitting courtside and the fans gave him a standing ovation. Our future was bright.
Our future was bright until Adalius Thomas broke Vick's leg and our hopes and dreams in a preseason game and sent the 2003 down the drain. Still, Vick came back and played well at the end of the season and that translated into an NFC title game appearance in 2004. The Falcons lost, but we were still optimistic. We'd never seen anything close to this kind of stability. 2005 and 2006 played out in the same fashion, and neither were good. Both years the Falcons started hot and finished poorly missing the playoffs and leaving many to question the mettle of this team and the ability of its Franchise quarterback. The lackluster finishes cost Jim Mora his job and we were cautiously optimistic that new coach Bobby Petrino could mold Vick into the quarterback the franchise needed him to be. Petrino never got that chance.
Again, you know what happened. Drug bust on a Vick owned property. Dogfighting equipment found. Vick denies allegations. Federal charges come down. Former friend flips. Vick admits guilt. Falcons organization crushed. Rock Bottom came for the Falcons on December 12, 2007 when Bobby Petrino tucked his tail between his leg, left his players dear john letters and hightailed it for Arkansas like the coward and scumbucket he is. We'd seen our darkest day.
Mind you, that's only 17 years of Falcons history. Folks who have been around longer have suffered through more (Don't even get my old man started on the 1980 playoff game against Dallas). So why should we believe it's any different now? I would say without any doubt in my mind everything this franchise has done personnel wise has been a home run since Petrino quit. Thomas Dimitroff has brought in good players and Mike Smith and his staff have prepared them to play well every week. Still, in the mind of Falcons fans every where we're about 50 percent sure Matt Ryan will become a pro bowl quarterback and 50 percent sure he'll be caught galavanting with underage transexual prostitutes, because honestly at this point what could shock people more than federal dog fighting charges.
Sure, we're a slow fan base to energize, but you can't blame Atlanta fans for being hesitant to get on board. We don't jump into our professional sports pool with both feet, we have to dip our toe first, then a leg then both legs and then the whole body. We've been burned too badly in the past to jump in feet first. Like Will Hunting, the Atlanta fans have a ton of potential, but it's going to take more convincing before we let ourselves go and open up.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
Pinch me and make sure I'm awake
It's almost unfathomable at this point. The Atlanta Falcons are for real. The Atlanta Hawks seem to be too. What the heck happened? Is this really happening? It seems too good to be true. In the city where professional sports apathy runs rampant due in large part to the long term ineptitude of management, it's hard to believe both teams are headed in positive directions.
Having lost four straight games to the Saints, the Falcons waxed Drew Brees and Co. at the Dome yesterday. The Falcons offense continues to impress which isn't entirely surprising since the Saints defense is a mess. Still, week after week the Falcons offense looks better and better. At this point the shock of Matt Ryan is starting to wear off and we're starting to realize that this guy, a rookie, is just a damn good player. If you figure that this is the floor of what he can do in this league the future is brighter than anyone could have imagined.
The season has been a revelation in so many more ways. The offensive line has been mostly outstanding, Michael Turner has been worth every penny, Roddy White continues to emerge as one of the NFC's best wide outs leading the conference in receiving yards (until tonight when Larry Fitzgerald passes him again) and Michael Jenkins, the much maligned enigma, has been money the last few weeks developing into a legit number two option. The defense continues to get better. Everyone knows John Abraham, but the linebacking corps has been good and the defensive backfield is improving week to week. How the heck did the Falcons get Dominique Foxworth? Why did the league's 28th rated pass defense in Denver let this guy go?
Suddenly, the playoffs aren't such a pipe dream. The Falcons are part of an NFC log jam with a bunch of other teams and both division rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina have to come to the Georgia Dome where the Falcons have trailed for all of 11 seconds this season. If the Falcons can win these next two home games with Denver and Carolina that puts them at 8-3 going into a tough two game road stretch against San Diego and New Orleans. Even if they lost those, if the Falcons run the table at home that gives them no fewer than 10 wins and as this team has shown, anything is believable on the road at this point.
Meanwhile, across the street they're going to have to contemplate changing the name of the building from the Highlight Factory to the Win Factory. The Hawks are the lone unbeaten in the Eastern Conference as they moved to 5-0 with a sloppy win over Oklahoma City last night. The Hawks starting five is a known commodity, but there was a ton of doubt about the Hawks bench after Josh Childress bolted for the riches of Olympiakos. New Hawks GM Rick Sund didn't panic, he went out and signed Mo Evans and Ronald "Flip" Murray and both have been crucial, especially Flip. Flip is averaging 12.4 points per game and put the Hawks on his back and led the comeback last night. Furthermore, the Hawks have gotten good minutes out of Zaza Pachulia the first week of the season and Solomon Jones this week providing some much needed front court depth.
The Hawks are getting it done on both ends of the floor holding opponents to an Eastern Conference best 85.8 points per game while ranking 7th in the league in 3pt percentage on offense. Both stats are telling for a team that struggled in its commitment to defense and struggled shooting the three pointer in the past. The fact that they've improved in both areas is huge and even without Josh Smith for who knows how long with an ankle injury, this team should be able to persevere and look like they will be a formidable opponent for the long haul.
It's been a wonderful ride for the past few weeks and months with the teams in Atlanta. We can only hope the good times continue. If anything the future looks bright. Heck, even the Thrashers have won four straight. Things might finally be going their way....nah.
Having lost four straight games to the Saints, the Falcons waxed Drew Brees and Co. at the Dome yesterday. The Falcons offense continues to impress which isn't entirely surprising since the Saints defense is a mess. Still, week after week the Falcons offense looks better and better. At this point the shock of Matt Ryan is starting to wear off and we're starting to realize that this guy, a rookie, is just a damn good player. If you figure that this is the floor of what he can do in this league the future is brighter than anyone could have imagined.
The season has been a revelation in so many more ways. The offensive line has been mostly outstanding, Michael Turner has been worth every penny, Roddy White continues to emerge as one of the NFC's best wide outs leading the conference in receiving yards (until tonight when Larry Fitzgerald passes him again) and Michael Jenkins, the much maligned enigma, has been money the last few weeks developing into a legit number two option. The defense continues to get better. Everyone knows John Abraham, but the linebacking corps has been good and the defensive backfield is improving week to week. How the heck did the Falcons get Dominique Foxworth? Why did the league's 28th rated pass defense in Denver let this guy go?
Suddenly, the playoffs aren't such a pipe dream. The Falcons are part of an NFC log jam with a bunch of other teams and both division rivals Tampa Bay and Carolina have to come to the Georgia Dome where the Falcons have trailed for all of 11 seconds this season. If the Falcons can win these next two home games with Denver and Carolina that puts them at 8-3 going into a tough two game road stretch against San Diego and New Orleans. Even if they lost those, if the Falcons run the table at home that gives them no fewer than 10 wins and as this team has shown, anything is believable on the road at this point.
Meanwhile, across the street they're going to have to contemplate changing the name of the building from the Highlight Factory to the Win Factory. The Hawks are the lone unbeaten in the Eastern Conference as they moved to 5-0 with a sloppy win over Oklahoma City last night. The Hawks starting five is a known commodity, but there was a ton of doubt about the Hawks bench after Josh Childress bolted for the riches of Olympiakos. New Hawks GM Rick Sund didn't panic, he went out and signed Mo Evans and Ronald "Flip" Murray and both have been crucial, especially Flip. Flip is averaging 12.4 points per game and put the Hawks on his back and led the comeback last night. Furthermore, the Hawks have gotten good minutes out of Zaza Pachulia the first week of the season and Solomon Jones this week providing some much needed front court depth.
The Hawks are getting it done on both ends of the floor holding opponents to an Eastern Conference best 85.8 points per game while ranking 7th in the league in 3pt percentage on offense. Both stats are telling for a team that struggled in its commitment to defense and struggled shooting the three pointer in the past. The fact that they've improved in both areas is huge and even without Josh Smith for who knows how long with an ankle injury, this team should be able to persevere and look like they will be a formidable opponent for the long haul.
It's been a wonderful ride for the past few weeks and months with the teams in Atlanta. We can only hope the good times continue. If anything the future looks bright. Heck, even the Thrashers have won four straight. Things might finally be going their way....nah.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A 8 team playoff in college football? No thanks.
What I'm about to say might shock you.
I think a playoff would be bad for college football.
There, I said it. Now let me explain. I must preface it by saying if our only options were a playoff or the BCS, I'd take a playoff any day of the week. Fortunately we live in a free world and the only time we're pigeonholed into making an either/or decision in this world is when we're electing the next leader of the free world. So yay America.
With that out of the way, a playoff system would be bad for College Football. The frustration with the current system is never ending. The powers that be can tweak the system year after year, but new challenges arise that question the effectiveness of the selection method almost every college football season. The only time the BCS works is when there are clearly two teams that are better than the rest of the field like in 2005 when Texas and USC were head and shoulders better than anyone else. In any other situation the BCS is destined to fail. It's clear something needs to be done, but my friends, a playoff is a bad option.
My reasoning is simple: College Football is the greatest sport in the world because every regular season game matters. Every week your national championship hopes are on the line. If we had an eight team playoff this year, Texas' loss to Texas Tech wouldn't be nearly as heartbreaking because it's likely if Texas runs the table they would be one of the 8 teams selected for a playoff. Without it, I'm trying to erase the last 90 seconds of last weekend's classic from my memory because Texas now needs a fair amount of help to get a chance to play for a national title.
A playoff devalues the regular season. The more teams you add to the playoff, the more that fact is true. The more that fact is true, the more College Football becomes College Basketball, a sport with an exciting post season, but a regular season that doesn't mean anything. The NCAA tournament is one of my favorite months of the year. The College Football regular season are my four favorite months of the year. Why would you want to take away the best element of a sport in favor of a playoff system that would still be problematic.
Why would a playoff be problematic? Because there is no perfect way to implement it. There are two schools of thought on a playoff. Use a system like BCS rankings to rank the top eight teams in America and those eight teams make the playoff. That would seem to be the most fair policy. But fairness isn't important to the conference commissioners, money is important. Have you watched ACC or Big East football the past few years? It's pretty likely we could go a stretch of years where no ACC or Big East team finishes in the top 8 and those teams get shut out of the playoff payday. So why not just agree to split the money between the conferences regardless of who is in the playoff? Because what incentive is there for the SEC or Big 12 to share money with the other conferences when they could have as many as three or four teams in the playoff in any given season? So you'd have to put a limit on how many teams from a conference can make the playoff, similar to the current format of the BCS where only two teams from a conference can make a BCS Bowl, and you run the risk of one of the eight best teams in America not getting a shot to play for the title.
The other playoff scenario involves the conference champions of the six BCS conferences and two at larges, but again that's going to shut out some pretty good teams. Right now, do you honestly believe North Carolina or Georgia Tech or West Virginia could beat any of the top four teams in the Big 12? Could any of those teams beat Georgia or LSU, who aren't nationally elite teams but still solid? I'm not sure they could. Right now, Oklahoma would be left out of the playoffs in this scenario and that team would probably hang 60 on the ACC or Big East champ.
So an eight team playoff system creates a new set of problem and runs the risk of eliminating the best quality of college football so we need to come up with a better solution. A plus one system or possibly a four team tournament would be the best option for College Football right now. It's the best sport on Earth, let's keep it that way.
I think a playoff would be bad for college football.
There, I said it. Now let me explain. I must preface it by saying if our only options were a playoff or the BCS, I'd take a playoff any day of the week. Fortunately we live in a free world and the only time we're pigeonholed into making an either/or decision in this world is when we're electing the next leader of the free world. So yay America.
With that out of the way, a playoff system would be bad for College Football. The frustration with the current system is never ending. The powers that be can tweak the system year after year, but new challenges arise that question the effectiveness of the selection method almost every college football season. The only time the BCS works is when there are clearly two teams that are better than the rest of the field like in 2005 when Texas and USC were head and shoulders better than anyone else. In any other situation the BCS is destined to fail. It's clear something needs to be done, but my friends, a playoff is a bad option.
My reasoning is simple: College Football is the greatest sport in the world because every regular season game matters. Every week your national championship hopes are on the line. If we had an eight team playoff this year, Texas' loss to Texas Tech wouldn't be nearly as heartbreaking because it's likely if Texas runs the table they would be one of the 8 teams selected for a playoff. Without it, I'm trying to erase the last 90 seconds of last weekend's classic from my memory because Texas now needs a fair amount of help to get a chance to play for a national title.
A playoff devalues the regular season. The more teams you add to the playoff, the more that fact is true. The more that fact is true, the more College Football becomes College Basketball, a sport with an exciting post season, but a regular season that doesn't mean anything. The NCAA tournament is one of my favorite months of the year. The College Football regular season are my four favorite months of the year. Why would you want to take away the best element of a sport in favor of a playoff system that would still be problematic.
Why would a playoff be problematic? Because there is no perfect way to implement it. There are two schools of thought on a playoff. Use a system like BCS rankings to rank the top eight teams in America and those eight teams make the playoff. That would seem to be the most fair policy. But fairness isn't important to the conference commissioners, money is important. Have you watched ACC or Big East football the past few years? It's pretty likely we could go a stretch of years where no ACC or Big East team finishes in the top 8 and those teams get shut out of the playoff payday. So why not just agree to split the money between the conferences regardless of who is in the playoff? Because what incentive is there for the SEC or Big 12 to share money with the other conferences when they could have as many as three or four teams in the playoff in any given season? So you'd have to put a limit on how many teams from a conference can make the playoff, similar to the current format of the BCS where only two teams from a conference can make a BCS Bowl, and you run the risk of one of the eight best teams in America not getting a shot to play for the title.
The other playoff scenario involves the conference champions of the six BCS conferences and two at larges, but again that's going to shut out some pretty good teams. Right now, do you honestly believe North Carolina or Georgia Tech or West Virginia could beat any of the top four teams in the Big 12? Could any of those teams beat Georgia or LSU, who aren't nationally elite teams but still solid? I'm not sure they could. Right now, Oklahoma would be left out of the playoffs in this scenario and that team would probably hang 60 on the ACC or Big East champ.
So an eight team playoff system creates a new set of problem and runs the risk of eliminating the best quality of college football so we need to come up with a better solution. A plus one system or possibly a four team tournament would be the best option for College Football right now. It's the best sport on Earth, let's keep it that way.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Rocky Top now a Slippery Slope
The ax finally dropped on the longest tenured SEC head coach as Phil Fulmer stepped down as the Vols head coach at the end of the season. This might have been shocking news prior to the 2008 season as Fulmer signed a lengthy extension this past offseason, but reality set in for the Vols head man after embarrassing performances against UCLA, Florida, Georgia, Alabama and South Carolina. You can always judge an SEC fan base's contentment with its head coach based on the level of delusion they operate at. The fans at Tennessee's biggest rival schools (Georgia, Florida and Alabama) are all operating at off the chart levels of delusion for good reason. Tennessee fans just seemed to lose their spark this year. One year removed from an SEC title game appearance they ducked out just after halftime against Florida at home this year and in general Vols fans weren't among the cockiest and proudest in the SEC.
Letting your fans dictate the direction of your program is always dangerous and the restlessness with Fulmer seemed a little unfair. Here's a guy won a national title in 1997, won 9 games on average every season, won more games than any Tennessee coach except the guy whose name is on their stadium and like I mentioned earlier was in the SEC title game last year. It's not like he was free from criticism either. It's true the program had seemed to lose its luster in the post-Peyton era. It seemed like the program was barely above average without David Cutcliffe mentoring the Quarterbacks and calling the offensive plays. Folks are down in Knoxville, but they must be wary of this: there is no guarantee they are going to get better.
One name being bandied about is Butch Davis, the man who rebuilt the Miami dynasty and is currently building an outstanding team at North Carolina. On the college level he is probably one of the five best coaches in America. If you can land Davis, you've won if you're Tennessee. Outside of that, who can you guarantee will be better than what Fulmer was? I'm a huge Mike Leach fan, but there are definite concerns as to how he'll fit in as an SEC coach. I think his system can work, but he's not exactly the fiery guy that Saban and Meyer are. He's kooky. And how well will kooky play in the SEC? If he wins, it'll play better than not. How long would it take to make that offense efficient anyway? Could he turn Nick Stephens or Jonathan Crompton into the next Kingsbury, Symons, Hodges or Harrell in a season? Would Tennessee fans remain patient if they struggled through a season or two similar to the one they are currently suffering through to bear the fruits of Leach's system?
The other hot name in the world of coaching is Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Muschamp will undoubtedly bring the fire and intensity to the Tennessee job that a Saban or Meyer would and he knows the SEC as a former UGA Linebacker and Defensive Coordinator at LSU and Auburn. The assistant-turned-head-coach route has paid off in spades in some cases (Mark Richt and Bob Stoops come to mind) and in other cases not so much (How'd Ed Orgeron work out for Mississippi?). Coach Boom, as he's affectionately known for a tirade caught on ESPN and circulated around on youtube, should make a good head coach, but there is no way of knowing for certain.
There are plenty of other guys who you hear about, Chris Petersen at Boise State and Todd Graham at Tulsa are two names, but making the jump from a smaller school to a bigger program isn't necessarily a recipe for success either. Tennessee has an opportunity to create a buzz that has faded in recent years from Knoxville, however there is still a very real possibility that one day they'll long for the stability of Ol' Phil up on Rocky Top.
Letting your fans dictate the direction of your program is always dangerous and the restlessness with Fulmer seemed a little unfair. Here's a guy won a national title in 1997, won 9 games on average every season, won more games than any Tennessee coach except the guy whose name is on their stadium and like I mentioned earlier was in the SEC title game last year. It's not like he was free from criticism either. It's true the program had seemed to lose its luster in the post-Peyton era. It seemed like the program was barely above average without David Cutcliffe mentoring the Quarterbacks and calling the offensive plays. Folks are down in Knoxville, but they must be wary of this: there is no guarantee they are going to get better.
One name being bandied about is Butch Davis, the man who rebuilt the Miami dynasty and is currently building an outstanding team at North Carolina. On the college level he is probably one of the five best coaches in America. If you can land Davis, you've won if you're Tennessee. Outside of that, who can you guarantee will be better than what Fulmer was? I'm a huge Mike Leach fan, but there are definite concerns as to how he'll fit in as an SEC coach. I think his system can work, but he's not exactly the fiery guy that Saban and Meyer are. He's kooky. And how well will kooky play in the SEC? If he wins, it'll play better than not. How long would it take to make that offense efficient anyway? Could he turn Nick Stephens or Jonathan Crompton into the next Kingsbury, Symons, Hodges or Harrell in a season? Would Tennessee fans remain patient if they struggled through a season or two similar to the one they are currently suffering through to bear the fruits of Leach's system?
The other hot name in the world of coaching is Texas defensive coordinator Will Muschamp. Muschamp will undoubtedly bring the fire and intensity to the Tennessee job that a Saban or Meyer would and he knows the SEC as a former UGA Linebacker and Defensive Coordinator at LSU and Auburn. The assistant-turned-head-coach route has paid off in spades in some cases (Mark Richt and Bob Stoops come to mind) and in other cases not so much (How'd Ed Orgeron work out for Mississippi?). Coach Boom, as he's affectionately known for a tirade caught on ESPN and circulated around on youtube, should make a good head coach, but there is no way of knowing for certain.
There are plenty of other guys who you hear about, Chris Petersen at Boise State and Todd Graham at Tulsa are two names, but making the jump from a smaller school to a bigger program isn't necessarily a recipe for success either. Tennessee has an opportunity to create a buzz that has faded in recent years from Knoxville, however there is still a very real possibility that one day they'll long for the stability of Ol' Phil up on Rocky Top.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Picking up the pieces: Perspective on Texas/Texas Tech
It's been almost two full days and the reality has set in completely: The undefeated dream is over. Sure there is a lot to play for and there is plenty of reason for optimism for Longhorn fans, but one thing nearly 48 hours rings true.
This one hurt.
It still hurts, but you know what? It happens. That's life. When you boil it down sometimes you just have to shake your head and say, damn it just wasn't our night.
First and foremost, make no mistakes about it took a total team effort to lose that game Saturday night. Plenty of people want to place the blame on Blake Gideon for the dropped INT or Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown for being burned on the final touchdown, however it starts at the top and works its way down. First and foremost, Mack Brown and the coaching staff did not do an adequate job of getting this ready to play from the get go. The offensive line was atrocious, the wide receivers developed a case of the dropsies for the first time all season including critical drops by the normally sure handed Jordan Shipley, the defensive line got pushed around and the team was all kinds of out of sorts in the first half.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a blow out. The Longhorns didn't quit. This team doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. The defense persevered and played a good second half until the final 90 seconds. The offense fought through mistakes, more bad blocking and a pick six, to finally find momentum on offense and the Longhorns fought back. They took the lead with a minute and a half to go. Then it happened. Tech made the charge. They made the plays. They scored the touchdown. We were left with national title dreams slowly going down the drain (or so we thought).
There's plenty of blame to go around. Maybe the clock management on Texas' last touchdown drive wasn't great. Maybe Blake Gideon made a Buckner-esque drop, maybe Texas should have called a time out to settle down the defense, maybe Earl Thomas should have had his head in the game more on the final play. Or maybe we can accept the reality: all those things are strong possibilities, but at the end of the day this was the perfect storm for Tech.
Think about it. Texas was vastly outplayed most of the game, Texas played without it's co-best wide receiver for most of the game, they lost their best defensive player for most of the second half, their second best defensive player was playing hurt through the fourth quarter, the heart and soul of the offense was a glorified tackling dummy and played like a damn warrior fighting through it and leading the team to what could have been a victory. It just didn't happen. With one second left, Tech took the lead. How many times has it been Texas who snapped victory from the jaws of defeat? shall we list them?
What about last year when Texas trailed Oklahoma State by 21 in the fourth quarter and trailed Nebraska in the fourth quarter before Jamaal Charles became Superman and led furious comebacks? what about 2006 when Nebraska just had to run out the clock, but Texas forced the turnover and Ryan Bailey became a campus legend? The drive in the horseshoe at night? The final drive and Mangum kick against Michigan? The Chance Mock miracle at home against Tech? And who can ever forget that fateful night in January 2006 when Vince Young led the comeback in the greatest game in college football history?
A football is an oblong object, it bounces funny some times, on Saturday it just so happened to be one of those times when the ball bounced the wrong way for Texas.
So why am I positive? Why am I (no longer) in full shut down mode? There are a few reasons. First and foremost, unlike losses in past years, this wasn't coming from a mile a way as an indictment of things this team had done wrong all year. This was the perfect storm for Tech. This wasn't the long time coming, can see it coming from a mile away loss that plagued past Texas teams. This was just one of those things where you shake your head and say, "damn, we let an opportunity get away with us, let's keep our heads up our goals are still within reach."
Secondly, this thing is far from over. This was the end of the murderer's row stretch of games for Texas. This was just the beginning for Tech. If they lose to OU or Oklahoma State and that team runs the table, you'd end up with a three way tie scenario that would likely send Texas to a Big 12 title game. If Tech loses twice, Texas controls its own destiny. If Texas wins out and wins a Big 12 title there is a very realistic possibility they'd play for a national title. They're number four in the current BCS, the only team they have to worry about coming from behind to jump them is Florida. If any combination of Tech, Alabama or Penn State run the table then you just have to pat them on the back and say good job, lets go to the Fiesta, Sugar or Rose Bowl and take care of business.
Finally, I believe in this team. I believe this is going to hurt for a long time. I believe this is going to make them better. I think they have the make up of a championship team with great coaches and one hell of a leader. Colt McCoy is a Warrior. I know war cliches are taboo, but he was beaten, battered and destroyed Saturday night but he picked himself up and led this team admirably. This is a team through and through and even if they don't make it to Miami we should all be proud of how they performed this season. Look, losing isn't easy, but Texas was trying to beat four straight top 12 teams, a feat that had been accomplished just once in the sport's history, and they did as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. Tip your cap to this team, they've been outstanding, and greatness is still a very real possibility for the 2008 Texas Longhorns.
This one hurt.
It still hurts, but you know what? It happens. That's life. When you boil it down sometimes you just have to shake your head and say, damn it just wasn't our night.
First and foremost, make no mistakes about it took a total team effort to lose that game Saturday night. Plenty of people want to place the blame on Blake Gideon for the dropped INT or Earl Thomas and Curtis Brown for being burned on the final touchdown, however it starts at the top and works its way down. First and foremost, Mack Brown and the coaching staff did not do an adequate job of getting this ready to play from the get go. The offensive line was atrocious, the wide receivers developed a case of the dropsies for the first time all season including critical drops by the normally sure handed Jordan Shipley, the defensive line got pushed around and the team was all kinds of out of sorts in the first half.
But a funny thing happened on the way to a blow out. The Longhorns didn't quit. This team doesn't know the meaning of the word quit. The defense persevered and played a good second half until the final 90 seconds. The offense fought through mistakes, more bad blocking and a pick six, to finally find momentum on offense and the Longhorns fought back. They took the lead with a minute and a half to go. Then it happened. Tech made the charge. They made the plays. They scored the touchdown. We were left with national title dreams slowly going down the drain (or so we thought).
There's plenty of blame to go around. Maybe the clock management on Texas' last touchdown drive wasn't great. Maybe Blake Gideon made a Buckner-esque drop, maybe Texas should have called a time out to settle down the defense, maybe Earl Thomas should have had his head in the game more on the final play. Or maybe we can accept the reality: all those things are strong possibilities, but at the end of the day this was the perfect storm for Tech.
Think about it. Texas was vastly outplayed most of the game, Texas played without it's co-best wide receiver for most of the game, they lost their best defensive player for most of the second half, their second best defensive player was playing hurt through the fourth quarter, the heart and soul of the offense was a glorified tackling dummy and played like a damn warrior fighting through it and leading the team to what could have been a victory. It just didn't happen. With one second left, Tech took the lead. How many times has it been Texas who snapped victory from the jaws of defeat? shall we list them?
What about last year when Texas trailed Oklahoma State by 21 in the fourth quarter and trailed Nebraska in the fourth quarter before Jamaal Charles became Superman and led furious comebacks? what about 2006 when Nebraska just had to run out the clock, but Texas forced the turnover and Ryan Bailey became a campus legend? The drive in the horseshoe at night? The final drive and Mangum kick against Michigan? The Chance Mock miracle at home against Tech? And who can ever forget that fateful night in January 2006 when Vince Young led the comeback in the greatest game in college football history?
A football is an oblong object, it bounces funny some times, on Saturday it just so happened to be one of those times when the ball bounced the wrong way for Texas.
So why am I positive? Why am I (no longer) in full shut down mode? There are a few reasons. First and foremost, unlike losses in past years, this wasn't coming from a mile a way as an indictment of things this team had done wrong all year. This was the perfect storm for Tech. This wasn't the long time coming, can see it coming from a mile away loss that plagued past Texas teams. This was just one of those things where you shake your head and say, "damn, we let an opportunity get away with us, let's keep our heads up our goals are still within reach."
Secondly, this thing is far from over. This was the end of the murderer's row stretch of games for Texas. This was just the beginning for Tech. If they lose to OU or Oklahoma State and that team runs the table, you'd end up with a three way tie scenario that would likely send Texas to a Big 12 title game. If Tech loses twice, Texas controls its own destiny. If Texas wins out and wins a Big 12 title there is a very realistic possibility they'd play for a national title. They're number four in the current BCS, the only team they have to worry about coming from behind to jump them is Florida. If any combination of Tech, Alabama or Penn State run the table then you just have to pat them on the back and say good job, lets go to the Fiesta, Sugar or Rose Bowl and take care of business.
Finally, I believe in this team. I believe this is going to hurt for a long time. I believe this is going to make them better. I think they have the make up of a championship team with great coaches and one hell of a leader. Colt McCoy is a Warrior. I know war cliches are taboo, but he was beaten, battered and destroyed Saturday night but he picked himself up and led this team admirably. This is a team through and through and even if they don't make it to Miami we should all be proud of how they performed this season. Look, losing isn't easy, but Texas was trying to beat four straight top 12 teams, a feat that had been accomplished just once in the sport's history, and they did as well as anyone could have reasonably expected. Tip your cap to this team, they've been outstanding, and greatness is still a very real possibility for the 2008 Texas Longhorns.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Big XII Schools as Might Ducks Characters
For those of you who know me know I'm a message board geek. One of the great minds that posts on one of my boards, Drew Fox, does a weekly preview for the Texas game and in his preview he came up with a brilliant comparison. He compared Texas Tech to Charlie Conway from the Mighty Ducks movie and I got to thinking, which Mighty Ducks characters represent all of the Big 12 football teams. So lets get right to it.
Oklahoma Sooners - The Hawks
Just like their likeness in the Ducks movies, the Sooners are a longtime powerhouse program in the sport of college football and they are just flat out winners. They have an incredibly unlikeable head coach (Bob Stoops/Jack Reilly) and aren't above doing bad things to be successful (Big Red Imports/Taking Banks out in the championship game)
Texas Longhorns - Adam Banks
Like legendary Texas head coach Darryl Royal from Oklahoma, Banks came to the Ducks from their arch rival, the Hawks. Banks isn't really liked by anyone, but part of that is probably due to the fact that is more talented than anybody else really. Like Texas he has issues. For Banks it's the injury issue which represents Texas' seeming inability to win big games for a long time.
Texas Tech - Charlie Conway
From Drew Fox's Blog: http://longhornmafia.blogspot.com/2008/10/texas-football-texas-tech-game.html
Who is Charlie Conway? Well he started out as an awkward Minnesota youth that played pee wee hockey to pass the time. The Gordon Bombay "taught him to fly" and Conway scored the unlikely game-winning goal as his Ducks defeated the evil Hawks for the Minnesota state title. Later, he allowed a pick-up player to claim his roster spot when the Ducks (implausibly) represented the USA at the Junior Goodwill Games, presumably because Conway's leadership meant more than his middling talent level.
Then as the Ducks moved into high school - and jumped the proverbial shark - Conway, the awkward, marginal role player, suddenly becomes the star of the team. Out of nowhere. It just didn't make sense.
Tech has always been that marginal, middling program. Sure, they may score a big goal against an evil Texas or OU, but they're not the conference's star. Yet here we are nine weeks into the season and the Red Raiders are hosting College Gameday and a national prime time game between top ten teams. Texas needs to put them back in their place this weekend.
Texas A&M - Dave Karp
Remember the fat kid from the first movie that everyone made fun and then was never really relevant? Yep, very Aggie like.
Oklahoma State - Guy Germaine
Guy is the member of the team who is usually solid, but unremarkable but has the REALLY hot girlfriend and it makes no sense as to why she digs him. Well, the Cowboys pretty much fit that to a T with another T, T. Boone Pickens, playing the hot girlfriend who digs Oklahoma State for no real reason (I know he's an alum).
Baylor Bears - Lester Averman
Lovable loser who you can't quite figure out why he's even on the team. Couldn't describe Baylor more.
Nebraska - Gunner Stahl
So Gunner was a COMPLETE badass in the D2. The dude was just a flat out machine, just like Huskers were for years and years. What you might not know, is that Gunner Stahl appears in D3. Well sort of, it's actor Scott Whyte who plays Gunner in D2 re-appears in D3 as an anonymous Varsity team member named Scott. That's Nebraska for you. Once a Super Badass program, now anonymous.
Kansas State - Fulton Reed
Awkward at times and came out of nowhere. He's not particularly skilled overall, but with his shot power he is able to make things happen from time to time (KSU beating OU in the 2003 Big 12 title game)
Missouri - Julie "The Cat" Gaffney
Plays second fiddle for a long time, but has one brilliant moment to shine. (stopping gunner's Penalty shot in D2 = the entire 2007 season)
Colorado - Wolf Stannson
The dentist was a talented player, but he was banned from the NHL for being a goon. That pretty much sums up Colorado and their fans. They've had plenty of outstanding football teams over time, but also have had plenty of shady characters.
Iowa State - Tammy Duncan
She was only on the team in the first movie because her brother wanted to be on the team and they had to play together. Iowa State is only part of the Big 12 because they were part of the Big 8. Both Tammy and the Cyclones are relatively useless.
Kansas - Goldberg the Goalie
Too Easy.
Oklahoma Sooners - The Hawks
Just like their likeness in the Ducks movies, the Sooners are a longtime powerhouse program in the sport of college football and they are just flat out winners. They have an incredibly unlikeable head coach (Bob Stoops/Jack Reilly) and aren't above doing bad things to be successful (Big Red Imports/Taking Banks out in the championship game)
Texas Longhorns - Adam Banks
Like legendary Texas head coach Darryl Royal from Oklahoma, Banks came to the Ducks from their arch rival, the Hawks. Banks isn't really liked by anyone, but part of that is probably due to the fact that is more talented than anybody else really. Like Texas he has issues. For Banks it's the injury issue which represents Texas' seeming inability to win big games for a long time.
Texas Tech - Charlie Conway
From Drew Fox's Blog: http://longhornmafia.blogspot.com/2008/10/texas-football-texas-tech-game.html
Who is Charlie Conway? Well he started out as an awkward Minnesota youth that played pee wee hockey to pass the time. The Gordon Bombay "taught him to fly" and Conway scored the unlikely game-winning goal as his Ducks defeated the evil Hawks for the Minnesota state title. Later, he allowed a pick-up player to claim his roster spot when the Ducks (implausibly) represented the USA at the Junior Goodwill Games, presumably because Conway's leadership meant more than his middling talent level.
Then as the Ducks moved into high school - and jumped the proverbial shark - Conway, the awkward, marginal role player, suddenly becomes the star of the team. Out of nowhere. It just didn't make sense.
Tech has always been that marginal, middling program. Sure, they may score a big goal against an evil Texas or OU, but they're not the conference's star. Yet here we are nine weeks into the season and the Red Raiders are hosting College Gameday and a national prime time game between top ten teams. Texas needs to put them back in their place this weekend.
Texas A&M - Dave Karp
Remember the fat kid from the first movie that everyone made fun and then was never really relevant? Yep, very Aggie like.
Oklahoma State - Guy Germaine
Guy is the member of the team who is usually solid, but unremarkable but has the REALLY hot girlfriend and it makes no sense as to why she digs him. Well, the Cowboys pretty much fit that to a T with another T, T. Boone Pickens, playing the hot girlfriend who digs Oklahoma State for no real reason (I know he's an alum).
Baylor Bears - Lester Averman
Lovable loser who you can't quite figure out why he's even on the team. Couldn't describe Baylor more.
Nebraska - Gunner Stahl
So Gunner was a COMPLETE badass in the D2. The dude was just a flat out machine, just like Huskers were for years and years. What you might not know, is that Gunner Stahl appears in D3. Well sort of, it's actor Scott Whyte who plays Gunner in D2 re-appears in D3 as an anonymous Varsity team member named Scott. That's Nebraska for you. Once a Super Badass program, now anonymous.
Kansas State - Fulton Reed
Awkward at times and came out of nowhere. He's not particularly skilled overall, but with his shot power he is able to make things happen from time to time (KSU beating OU in the 2003 Big 12 title game)
Missouri - Julie "The Cat" Gaffney
Plays second fiddle for a long time, but has one brilliant moment to shine. (stopping gunner's Penalty shot in D2 = the entire 2007 season)
Colorado - Wolf Stannson
The dentist was a talented player, but he was banned from the NHL for being a goon. That pretty much sums up Colorado and their fans. They've had plenty of outstanding football teams over time, but also have had plenty of shady characters.
Iowa State - Tammy Duncan
She was only on the team in the first movie because her brother wanted to be on the team and they had to play together. Iowa State is only part of the Big 12 because they were part of the Big 8. Both Tammy and the Cyclones are relatively useless.
Kansas - Goldberg the Goalie
Too Easy.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The Top 5 Storylines in Southeastern Football
Yeah, I know the blog has been dead, but I'm reviving it with top 5 lists periodically up until the start of the college football season. Today I look at the biggest storylines around the South as we get geared up for the 2008 season.
5. Will the ACC ever get better?
When the ACC added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College it was supposed to make a decent conference much better. Va Tech and BC both have helped at times, but the Canes have been by and large a disappointment since joining the league. I thought the ACC hit rock bottom when Wake Forest and Georgia Tech stunk up Jacksonville in the ACC title game two years ago, but can we say that by and large the conference is any better now? Clemson could be elite (more on them later) but other than Virginia Tech, who even coach Frank Beamer admits is re-tooling, can you count on anyone in the ACC to make waves? Matt Ryan is gone from BC, Virginia was a surprise last year, but a tumultuous offseason has left them scrambling to fill key spots, Florida State seems to chronically underachieve, Miami is restocking a cupboard of talent that is surprisingly bare, Georgia Tech is re-filling it's roster with players capable of running Paul Johnson's offense and nobody else really stands out. UNC could make a run at a conference championship game appearance this year the ACC is that wide open.
4. How will the Murderer's row of coaching affect the SEC standings?
Les Miles became the 5th SEC coach with a national title, Saban brought in maybe the best recruiting class in the nation, Richt and Meyer are supposed to compete for a national title, Tuberville continues to fly under the radar, Spurrier has a potentially sick defense, Nutt inherits a talented roster at Ole Miss, slimeball Petrino gets indoctrinated into the SEC. You could legitimately argue the SEC has 12 of the 40 best head coaches in America.
3. Is it Clemson's year?
Every year it seems as if Clemson is on the verge of finally winning the elusive ACC championship before crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. There is a lot to love about this Clemson team. The best running back tandem in the nation, one of the five best receivers in college football possibly, a school record breaking QB and a fast, aggressive defense returning eight starters. The offensive line is a huge question mark and if anything that could spell doom for the Tigers. They kick off the season in Atlanta against Alabama and if they can get by that stout test they should roll into a Thursday night game with Wake Forest on October 9th undefeated. That game, a roadie at Florida State and a rivalry game with South Carolina are the toughest tests on the schedule so all things considered it's pretty favorable. The big question is can the Tigers not trip over their own feet for a change. Last year it was a home game against Boston College. In 2006 it was a home loss to Maryland. What peril awaits the Tigers this year? There should be none. They should roll to an ACC title and an outside shot at a national title game birth, but this is Clemson, hold your breath.
2. Georgia vs. the World
Ok, it's not quite the world, but it is the nation's toughest schedule. Yes, they have a physical specimen of a quarterback, a spark plug of a running back a solid corp of elder receivers (and a freshman Mark Richt has compared to Randy Moss) a solid, but depleted offensive line and a defense as deep as any in college football. That said, at South Carolina, at Arizona State, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky, at Auburn finish with Georgia Tech. Are you kidding me? Vandy and Kentucky are by far the weak links there, but both games are landmine games after brutal stretches. There are maybe three or four teams in the last decade that could stand a chance to run the table against that slate. This Georgia team isn't one of them.
1. Does Superman have an encore?
2007 was the year of Tebow. The Florida phenom went from Rock Star to Gator God becoming the first Sophomore to win a Heisman trophy. Heisman returnees have had an interesting place in college football in recent years. Both Jason White and Matt Leinart returned to school after winning Heisman trophies. Both had years comparable to their Heisman seasons statistically as seniors. Both were invited back to the Heisman ceremony. Both weren't even close to winning a second Heisman. There is little benefit for a Heisman winner in coming back. Instead of celebrating their greatness we try to break them down. We get bored with them. That explains why Leinart lost out to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush in 2005 and that's why I have a sneaking suspicion, for a variety of reason, Tebow could very well lose out to a Gator teammate. First of all, don't expect Tebow to shoulder as much of the load as he did in 2007. Urban Meyer wants to keep him fresher for a stretch run. The Gators, unlike last season, have a variety of running backs to help take the pressure of Tebow. Furthermore, if we get bored with Tebow we'll start looking for reasons why the Gators were so successful on offense that don't have to do with Tebow and one name will emerge: Percy Harvin. A 13-0 or 12-1 season for the Gators and a Gator will hoist the Heisman Trophy again in 2008 and it won't be Tim Tebow, it'll be Percy Harvin.
5. Will the ACC ever get better?
When the ACC added Miami, Virginia Tech and Boston College it was supposed to make a decent conference much better. Va Tech and BC both have helped at times, but the Canes have been by and large a disappointment since joining the league. I thought the ACC hit rock bottom when Wake Forest and Georgia Tech stunk up Jacksonville in the ACC title game two years ago, but can we say that by and large the conference is any better now? Clemson could be elite (more on them later) but other than Virginia Tech, who even coach Frank Beamer admits is re-tooling, can you count on anyone in the ACC to make waves? Matt Ryan is gone from BC, Virginia was a surprise last year, but a tumultuous offseason has left them scrambling to fill key spots, Florida State seems to chronically underachieve, Miami is restocking a cupboard of talent that is surprisingly bare, Georgia Tech is re-filling it's roster with players capable of running Paul Johnson's offense and nobody else really stands out. UNC could make a run at a conference championship game appearance this year the ACC is that wide open.
4. How will the Murderer's row of coaching affect the SEC standings?
Les Miles became the 5th SEC coach with a national title, Saban brought in maybe the best recruiting class in the nation, Richt and Meyer are supposed to compete for a national title, Tuberville continues to fly under the radar, Spurrier has a potentially sick defense, Nutt inherits a talented roster at Ole Miss, slimeball Petrino gets indoctrinated into the SEC. You could legitimately argue the SEC has 12 of the 40 best head coaches in America.
3. Is it Clemson's year?
Every year it seems as if Clemson is on the verge of finally winning the elusive ACC championship before crashing and burning in spectacular fashion. There is a lot to love about this Clemson team. The best running back tandem in the nation, one of the five best receivers in college football possibly, a school record breaking QB and a fast, aggressive defense returning eight starters. The offensive line is a huge question mark and if anything that could spell doom for the Tigers. They kick off the season in Atlanta against Alabama and if they can get by that stout test they should roll into a Thursday night game with Wake Forest on October 9th undefeated. That game, a roadie at Florida State and a rivalry game with South Carolina are the toughest tests on the schedule so all things considered it's pretty favorable. The big question is can the Tigers not trip over their own feet for a change. Last year it was a home game against Boston College. In 2006 it was a home loss to Maryland. What peril awaits the Tigers this year? There should be none. They should roll to an ACC title and an outside shot at a national title game birth, but this is Clemson, hold your breath.
2. Georgia vs. the World
Ok, it's not quite the world, but it is the nation's toughest schedule. Yes, they have a physical specimen of a quarterback, a spark plug of a running back a solid corp of elder receivers (and a freshman Mark Richt has compared to Randy Moss) a solid, but depleted offensive line and a defense as deep as any in college football. That said, at South Carolina, at Arizona State, Alabama, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, at LSU, Florida in Jacksonville, at Kentucky, at Auburn finish with Georgia Tech. Are you kidding me? Vandy and Kentucky are by far the weak links there, but both games are landmine games after brutal stretches. There are maybe three or four teams in the last decade that could stand a chance to run the table against that slate. This Georgia team isn't one of them.
1. Does Superman have an encore?
2007 was the year of Tebow. The Florida phenom went from Rock Star to Gator God becoming the first Sophomore to win a Heisman trophy. Heisman returnees have had an interesting place in college football in recent years. Both Jason White and Matt Leinart returned to school after winning Heisman trophies. Both had years comparable to their Heisman seasons statistically as seniors. Both were invited back to the Heisman ceremony. Both weren't even close to winning a second Heisman. There is little benefit for a Heisman winner in coming back. Instead of celebrating their greatness we try to break them down. We get bored with them. That explains why Leinart lost out to fellow Trojan Reggie Bush in 2005 and that's why I have a sneaking suspicion, for a variety of reason, Tebow could very well lose out to a Gator teammate. First of all, don't expect Tebow to shoulder as much of the load as he did in 2007. Urban Meyer wants to keep him fresher for a stretch run. The Gators, unlike last season, have a variety of running backs to help take the pressure of Tebow. Furthermore, if we get bored with Tebow we'll start looking for reasons why the Gators were so successful on offense that don't have to do with Tebow and one name will emerge: Percy Harvin. A 13-0 or 12-1 season for the Gators and a Gator will hoist the Heisman Trophy again in 2008 and it won't be Tim Tebow, it'll be Percy Harvin.
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