tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12508437227111107572024-03-13T08:42:12.534-06:00DDTDeportes de Taos
by SAM•U•LSAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-39608831758195196592018-10-31T10:05:00.004-06:002023-01-07T21:41:39.691-07:00<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The
Flicker of Friday Night Lights in Taos</span></b><br />
<i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: red;">Sam
Richardson</span></span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: red;"><br /></span>
<br />
The glow of friday night lights in Taos illuminate a
different sort of festival. There is recorded popular
music, dancing girls, an audience, and there is an event
on a grassy surface in front of a grandstand where a group
of high school boys compete for control of an oblate
spheroid and attempt to advance it to one end or another
of a playing surface.<br />
<br />
Last Friday night, it was the Taos Tigers against the
Pojoque Fighting Elks, who were in this case the Pojoque
Faltering Elks (correct pronunciation of the latter is
Pah-wah-kee). A win for Taos kept them in a tie for second
place in district 4A 2/5, with a shot at the playoffs. PJ
had nothing to gain, except to see if maybe they could
remain competitive for four quarters. The Elks were a
group of elfin young men, slow afoot, who had won only two
games while losing six. Taos was 7-1. The Taos squad was
smallish, too, but had an advantage over their
opponent—foot speed.<br />
<br />
Taos took the opening kick all the way to the PJ two yard
line, then scored on the next play. But, after receiving
the ensuing kick, PJ countered with a long pass on first
down that took the ball to the Taos 13. Three plays later,
the Elks were at the Taos two, first and goal.
Unfortunately, in the next series they were denied the end
zone and after that never made a first town or crossed
midfield.</span><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
<br />
Throughout the opening quarter, Taos pounded the PJ
defense as the Tiger offensive line gave their running
backs wide gaps through which to fetch the rock. Five TDs
and a safety later, the score was Taos 37, PJ 0, and it
was only the end of the first quarter. The Tigers put up
13 more in the second quarter, and the game was mercifully
called after a half. Final: Taos 50, PJ 0.<br />
<br />
Taos High has no band. During time outs and occasionally
during game action, the PA announcer played recorded music
on the PA. Charlie Daniels, Sam the Sham and the Pharoahs,
Chuck Berry and others entertained the crowd, those that
were listening. As grade schoolers played under the
bleachers and around the concession stand and
middle-school-aged boys played Dixie cup football in the
end zone, the crowd, distracted by private conversations,
didn’t seem to notice that the home team was playing well
and reacted only mildly as the Tigers scoring orgy went
unchecked. And they weren’t bothered by the fact that the
PA announcer was doing voice over play-by-play with Sam
the Sham singing “Wooly Bully” in the background. <br />
<br />
The THS pep squad numbered about 40 girls, more than the
number of boys on the football team. The girls kept up a
steady stream of spirit yells, few of which the crowd
participated in, but the girls didn’t seem to mind. With
their backs to the field during most of the action, they
were playing to themselves and having fun laughing and
talking between yells.<br />
<br />
On the visitors side, about a dozen fans who made the trip
to support the Elks sat bundled up in blankets, groaned
and rolled their eyes as the massacre unfolded. They were
probably relieved that the contest was called at midpoint
so they could get on the road home and leave the
embarrassment behind.<br />
<br />
I left after only one quarter. And I was distracted,
myself, by my cell phone and Chap Ap as I followed the
Westlake Chaparrals 70-14 thrashing of the Hays Rebels,
even though it was sometimes unclear what was going on
down there because the Chap play-by-play announcer seldom
gave the score or amount of time left in each quarter.<br />
<br />
Next week, Taos travels to Bernalillo. A Tiger win there
and depending on what happens with St. Pius and Grants
could result in several combinations of ties for first and
second place in the district.<br />
<br />
Before their loss to St. Pius, week before last, Taos was
actually ranked number one in state in Division 4A. But
it’s a small state and there aren’t that many teams, so
it’s possible that the once-number-one ranked Tigers might
not even make the playoffs. Then again, they might. But
they’ll always have those 50 points of glory they scored
against the Pojoque Faltering Elks on that Friday in late
October. And that win combined with the earlier wins—59-18
over St. Michaels, 47-0 over Los Alamos, 63-27 over Aztec,
49-0 over Santa Fe, 45-16 over Capitol, and 56-0 over
Española—will give them something to reminisce about at
future homecomings.<br />
<br />
For me last Friday night the price of a ticket was $3
bucks; two hot dogs and Coke were $7 dollars. Net outlay,
$10. Reasonable enough expense for watching one quarter of
football under the flickering lights of an autumn Friday
night in Taos.</span></div>SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-6521328065436331722018-09-05T21:53:00.004-06:002018-09-05T21:53:43.738-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>If Pablo Picasso had designed some Big 12 mascots they might look something like these.</b></span></div>
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<br />SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-3168471134554407012018-09-05T21:47:00.001-06:002018-09-05T21:47:34.535-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fIvSbmeVFoc/W5CjS0new6I/AAAAAAAAElg/alwdB60-KjEcdrJqP72OZeBsub1Z-n2IgCLcBGAs/s1600/Pyramid%2B2018%2B1%2Bcolor72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="864" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fIvSbmeVFoc/W5CjS0new6I/AAAAAAAAElg/alwdB60-KjEcdrJqP72OZeBsub1Z-n2IgCLcBGAs/s1600/Pyramid%2B2018%2B1%2Bcolor72.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-71400368371776778022017-10-08T16:16:00.000-06:002018-05-07T09:33:46.054-06:00<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>DDT is currently taking a break. No new posts for 2018 ... yet. But there will always be fodder for the scribe and cartoonist in the world of sport. Stay tuned.</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-37973943827386738842016-11-30T22:35:00.001-07:002018-02-24T12:40:40.783-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Every thing below this post is from 2016 and before.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Herman, next Messiah up,
arrives in Austin<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>New coach to work for scale<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tom Herman newly anointed
Christ of the <b>UT/State Capitol </b>tackle football team will work for about the
same money that other headmen of power five conference teams earn. Herman will
earn a reported $5mil per anum, a figure that could be considered scale in this
day and age of fast guns, big bucks, and midnight purges in college football.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">He now joins an elite club
where the highest paid member, <b>Jim Harbaugh of Michigan</b>, is awarded $9mil per year;
<b>Nick Saban, Alabama</b>, is paid $6.9mil per year; <b>Urban Meyer, Ohio State</b> $6mil;
<b>Bob Stoops, OU</b> $ 5.5mil; J<b>imbo Fisher, Florida State </b>$5.2 mil; <b>Kevin Sumlin,
Texas A&M</b> $5mil; <b>Gus Malzahn, Auburn</b> $4.7mil; <b>Hugh Freeze, Mississippi
</b>$4.7; and <b>Kirk Ferentz, Iowa</b> $4.5.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Strong ‘Horns, shorn
‘Horns<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Charlie Strong</b>, must have seen his life pass before him in a road game against <b>Kansas</b> two weeks ago. Then what few shreds of hope that were left flew away in Austin Thanksgiving weekend against <b>TCU</b>. He was making $5.2mil per year. So with three
years on the job, Charlie can take his salary plus a $10million dollar buy-out (a
total of just over $25 mil) and walk away.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">UT powers ran out of
patience after the <b>Kansas</b> and <b>TCU</b> losses, in neither one of which did the
‘Horns seem present. The argument for Strong was that he was only three years
into the job, his first class of recruits will be seniors next year, and he
should have been given one more year to make it work.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Wazoo, CU and USF mentors
received clemency<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mike Leach of Wazoo</b> had
losing records his first three years on the job, as did <b>Mike MacIntyre of
Colorado </b>and<b> Willie Taggart of South Florida</b>. All won this year, the fourth
year for each, and all will get bowl games. MacIntyre and CU are playing for
the PAC12 conference championship.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Chris Peterson</b>, in only his
third year at <b>Washington</b>, has the Huskies in the PAC12 conference playoff and
contending for the Final Four. That’s what the elite fathers demand—instant
success or it’s off with their heads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">UT fathers proved to have a
low threshold of discontent and Strong was given the gate after only three
seasons. He joins <b>Fred Akers, David McWilliams, John Mackovic </b>and<b> Mack Brown
</b>who suffered similar fates in the current era of UT tackle football and tackle
politics.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The new Messiah<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now comes <b>Tom Herman</b> who
will be richly rewarded for his efforts, but who undoubtedly knows that he’s
getting into bed with one of the most demanding and meddling
group of administrators and fat cats in the country. Someday he, too, will take
the money and run.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2017 pre-bubble
watch<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Kevin Sumlin,
Texas A&M</b>, c’mon down! Dismal late-season finishes in the post-Johnny
Football era for the Farmers has the wolf eyeing Sumlin as next season’s first
course if the Cadets don’t challenge <b>Alabama</b> and <b>LSU</b> in the SEC West. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ags open with a
challenging road game at <b>UCLA</b> in 2017, then host play-for-pay pigeons <b>Nichols
State </b>and<b> UL-Lafayette</b>. There is also a late-season non-con game with <b>New
Mexico</b>, which may be a little more challenging than some of the FCS cup cakes
most SEC squads schedule for late-season scrimmages. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the past two
years, A&M has lost 4 of 7 and 5 of 7 in the last half of those seasons.
They have not beaten LSU in the Sumlin era and only beat Alabama once in that time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Word is that Ag alums lust for glory and are growing impatient.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>So what’s the
point in conference championship games?<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Five Power
Conferences will convene playoff games this weekend; however, there is no guarantee
that the winners will be invited to college football’s big dance, the Final
Four. The BCS “committee” still insists on rating teams according to their own
criteria.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So why have these conference playoffs? The answer to this dilemma is easy: At least an eight-team
playoff. That way the Power Five conference champs—whomever they may be no
matter what their record—plus three other squads, presumably contenders like
<b>Ohio State </b>and<b> Michigan</b>, the latter two of which the media has been infatuated
with all these months but who are examples of media queens who somehow weren’t
good enough to make it to their own final conference round. They could be included
plus at least one mid-major, which this year would be undefeated <b>Western
Michigan.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>DDT sez: Expand
the playoff bracket to eight or drop the conference championship games. </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cinderella lives<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of the
biggest surprises of the year, in addition to the rebirth of <b>Colorado</b> as a
legitimate contender, is the record turned in by <b>Eastern Michigan</b>. The Eagles
have had losing seasons in 19 or the past 20 years, with one of the lowest home
attendance figures in DivOne College football. But this season under coach
<b>Chris Creighton</b>, EMU posted a 7-5 record and is going bowling. The Eagles will
meet <b>Old Dominion </b>in the <b>Bahamas Bowl</b>. Creighton was 1-11 and 2-10 in his first
two years at EMU but this year turned it around in what has become expected of
DivOne college football coaches.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial"; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The envelope, please</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
As the coaching carousel gears up for another round of intrigue, <b>DDT</b> offers humble and sometimes deadly accurate insight as to who some of the best candidates are at <span style="color: blue;"><b>Baylor, Houston </b>and<b> Oregon.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b><span style="color: blue;">Baylor:</span> Mike Singletary</b>. The former BU All-American and disciple of Grant Teaff would connect the Bears to what glory they enjoyed in the past. He has coached at six NFL teams and knows the drill.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b>Wrong: BU hired Matt Ruhle from Temple.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b><span style="color: blue;">Houston:</span> Major Applewhite</b>. The Major has bounced around from Texas to Syracuse to Rice to Alabama to Texas to Houston. Time to see if he’s head coaching material. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b>Right: The Major will get his shot. </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b>Les Miles</b> has also been mentioned for the job and might be a good fit.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red; font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b>The Hat has disappeared and evidently won't be coaching next year.</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<br /><b><span style="color: blue;">
Oregon</span></b> is in for a long rebuilding process. They haven't played D in years and are infatuated with high-speed running offenses, which ultimately lose out to teams who play D. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Best choices for the Ducks:<b> Fleck, Harsin, Mullen.</b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>P.J. Fleck</b>, <b>Western Michigan,</b> the wonder boy, who has cultivated a high media profile and was, at one time, the youngest head coach at a DivOne football team. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Nope: Fleck was staying at WMU or so we thought, but the knives of midnight came out at Minnesota, and Fleck is taking that job.</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>
Brian Harsin, Boise State</b>. Following in the footsteps of Chris Peterson, Harsin has maintained credibility in Idaho and will someday get a Power Five job. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Nope again: Harsin will continue to labor on the blue turf.</span></b> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /><b>
Dan Mullen, Mississippi State</b>. Mullen has done as well as can be expected in Starksville but knows he will never challenge Alabama and LSU in the SEC West. Time to get out of town ahead of the posse in the rapidly declining post Dak Prescott era at Mississippi State.</span><br />
</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Another nope: Mullen will remain in Starksville but will enter the 2017 campaign on the bubble. </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Update:<span style="color: red;"> Oregon hired Willie Taggart away from South Florida.</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>And interestlingly enough, USF replaced him with Charlie Strong, who DDT sez will do well there.</b></span></span></span><br />
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<!--EndFragment--></span>SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-41647536723606316522016-11-21T13:49:00.006-07:002016-11-23T19:23:33.452-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Checking in on the Big 12</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Big 12 notes:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dec. 3,</span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">OU</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and</span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> Okie State</b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> will end their quest for Big
12 grail, when they meet in the game called “Bedlam.” Winner claims the league
title and waits to see if enough other Top Ten teams lose, which could open a
back door to the Final Four for the Big 12 champ. Unlikely, but doable.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In conference play last weekend, <b>OU</b> abused <b>West Virginia,</b>
<b>Texas</b> committed the unpardonable sin of losing to <b>Kansas</b> (the lowest ranked
Power 5 team in the country), and <b>Texas Tech</b>, once known as a scoring machine, gave up 66 to <b>Iowa</b> <b>State,</b> while scoring only 10 in a 66-10 blowout loss. Those
Red Raiders just don’t play D (they’ve never played D). And now Coach Kingsbury’s
job description is being read to him. “Win, son. You must win,” said the fortuneteller.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Baylor</b> also had a bad week, but given the year they've had it wasn't exactly breaking news, so we left them out of the graphic.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Texas</b> still treads lightly on the bubble after an
embarrassing possibly job-ending loss to KU for Charlie Strong. A win over <b>TCU</b>
this weekend could salvage coach’s career in Austin, a loss pretty much ends
it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The <b>Texas</b> players have rallied around coach, even threatening
to boycott the final regular season game against <b>TCU</b> if Strong is sacked this
week. “Boycott not happening,” said coach in his Monday morning press
conference. “We just need to go out and win this game.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>It is DDT’s position that Coach Strong should be given one
more year so that his first recruiting class, who will be seniors next
year, can show their metal. “This
team is going to win ten games next year, no matter who’s coaching them in 2017,” said
coach. DDT concurs. Let some other team have Tom Herman.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Five Big 12 squads are now bowl eligible: <b>OU, Okie State,
West Virginia, KState </b>and<b> Baylor. </b>Winner of the <b>Texas/TCU </b>game in Austin
Thanksgiving will have six wins and become eligible.</span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Updating DDT’s Bubble Watch</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Good:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Clay Helton, USC:</b> Turned the program around, and in spite of
three early-season losses the Trojans have won seven in a row and are feared in
the PAC12.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech:</b> A respectable 7-4 and a chance
to beat state rival Georgia will probably save coach.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Bob Davie, New Mexico:</b> Early season losses to two of the
worst squads in the land (New Mexico State and Rutgers) didn’t look good, but
the Lobos won five in a row. The loss to Colorado State last weekend doesn’t
look good, but if the UNM beats Wyoming in the season ender and make a bowl
game, things will look up and Davie may survive.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The Bad, the Ugly and the Ambiguous: </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Brian Kelley, Notre Dame:</b> Anything short of the national
championship is viewed with skepticism by the disciples of Touchdown Jesus.
However, in spite of another disapointing season, the high priests of the
campus have indicted that Kelley has their support and may survive just one
more year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Gus Malzahn, Auburn, appears to have survived.</b> Six wins in a
row and a close loss to Georgia could have locked it down for Malzahn. A win
against Alabama in the Iron Bowl would guarantee continuity. A blow-out loss to
the Tide might summon the Turk to coach’s doorstep again. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern:</b> Another mediocre record at
5-6, which may become 6-6 and lock up a bowl game if the ‘Cats beat Illinois in
the final regular season contest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Darrel Hazell, Purdue:</b> A record of 6-30 in four years and
2-10 last year didn’t add up. Coach got the sack a few weeks ago.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>David Bailiff, Rice:</b> The Owls aren’t winning and rarely win.
A 3-8 record this year with a probable loss to Stanford in the final game of the
year doesn’t look good for Baillif. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State: </b>Sacked, replacement already
hired.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Rich Rodriguez, Arizona:</b> No announcement, yet, but it’s hard
to see RichRod making the cut. A record of 2-8 with seven losses in a row is
indefensible.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Ed Orgeron, LSU:</b> Still on the bubble. The loss to a crippled
Florida team didn’t help, but coach didn’t inherit much of an offense, so it’s
hard to tell what he can do.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Add to the list:</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Cliff Kingsbury, Texas Tech:</b> A 2-6 conference record in the
Big 12, and 4-7 overall and, whoa! what’s this? a 66-10 blow-out loss to Iowa
State last weekend. The times they may be a-changin’ in Lubbock.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Sean Kugler, UTEP:</b> Last in Conference USA at 1-6 in
conference play and 3-8 overall for a total record of 17-31 in five years in El
Paso. The former NFL offensive line coach reached his level of incompetence*
with his hire as Premier Jefe at UTEP. Home attendance is down, fan support
eroding. <i><span style="color: red;">*The Peter Principle.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mark Whipple, UMass:</b> Another basketball school that, in the
case of football, is wondering aimlessly in the wilderness of major college
play as an Independent. The Minute Men are 2-9 on the year with their only wins
against Florida International and DivOneAA Wagner. Whipple is now 8-27 at his
current employment, but he may be safe only because who’d want that job? But <span style="color: #111010;">four years in DivOne
for the school and four losing seasons. Current team record: 10-49. Time to
reconsider their role in DivOne. Might be time to go back to FCS.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Penn State and Minnesota in the Big Ten Conference
Championship game?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After all the hype about <b>Ohio State </b>and<b> Michigan</b>, neither
may wind up in the Big Ten Conference Championship game. It could happen. In
the East Division of the conference, if <b>Ohio State</b> beats <b>Michigan</b> this weekend,
and <b>Penn State</b> beats <b>Michigan State</b>, it creates a tie between the Buckeyes and
the Nittany Lions, and the Nits would advance based their win over the Bucks.
If <b>Michigan</b> beats <b>Ohio State </b>and<b> Penn State </b>beats<b> Michigan State,</b> the
Wolverines go based on their win over the Nittany Lions. If <b>Penn State</b> loses
their game, the winner of <b>Ohio State Michigan </b>advances<b>.</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the West Division Division, if <b>Nebraska</b> beats <b>Iowa</b>, and
<b>Wisconsin</b> beats <b>Minnesota</b>, the Badgers get in because they beat the Children of
the Corn. But, if <b>Minnesota</b> beats <b>Wisconsin</b> and <b>Nebraska</b> loses to <b>Iowa</b> it
creates a three way tie between the ‘Huskers, Badgers, and Gophers. Then <b>Minnesota</b>
would get in, because the other two have played in the conference championship
game recently. A <b>Nebraska</b> win and a <b>Wisconsin</b> loss puts NU in. And so it goes.</span></div>
SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-47640734777128101122016-11-16T23:01:00.001-07:002016-11-18T10:33:32.149-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hillary will be the next president,</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>and the Final Four in college football</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>will be undefeated</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What good are the polls? Almost a virtual zero. Just as the
pollsters convinced Americans that Hillary Clinton would be the next President
of the United States, college football experts—again!—overrated several power
five conference teams. Last week, eight of the Top 25 squads in the AP poll
went down, including three of the top four. Of the top four, three—Clemson,
Michigan, and Washington—all were beaten by unranked teams.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the bookies in Vegas mopped up. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The BCS Final Four ratings (aka Flavor of the Week) at this
point in the season are premature and mean nothing. They’re just another poll
to add to the polls to give commentators something to comment on—and on and
on—until a final decision is made at the end of the season. Major conference
champs and possible a wild card will tee it up for the big prize at year’s end.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">About the only solid bet this season seems to be Alabama.
The Tide may face a challenge from Auburn in the Iron Bowl, but it’s unlikely.
And the Eastern Division of the SEC doesn’t appear to have a squad that will be
competitive in the conference final. A beat-up Florida team is the likely
winner, but Tennessee has a chance if they can win out, and if Florida loses
one more conference game, but Tennessee has already lost to ‘Bama—bad. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Alabama is the best bet as national champ.</b></span></div>
SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-68780041390359599532016-11-08T15:17:00.002-07:002016-11-08T23:55:37.948-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">Assessing the situation </b></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">three-quarters of the way through </b></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">the season.</b></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>School colors banned from college football</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With the growing trend toward black uniforms, what’s the
point in having school colors? Baylor, Arkansas and Mississippi State, just to
name a few, all wore black last weekend. Many others suited up likewise in the
past. So what happened to traditional uni’s? Traditional what? What’s tradition
anymore in the shifting currents of the college game?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Death penalty for Baylor?</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>DDT sez no ! </b>Suspension, if only for two years, is too severe.
Look what happened to SMU. Certainly the Ponies deserved punishment of some
kind for their miscreancy all those years ago, but the death penalty
essentially ended them as a contender in the BCS. They have never bounced back,
and may not.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now comes the saga of Baylor. Charges of sexual misbehavior
have surfaced. Former players have gone to jail. Along with these charges come
charges of a cover-up or that school officials just ignored what was going on.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Baylor does not
deserve the death penalty. And, add to the charges against the football program,
Ken Starr, erstwhile president of the university, said that there were 38 other
cases of sexual misconduct on the Baylor campus during the time period in
question that were not related to the football program or its players.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If Baylor had that many on-campus transgressions, we might
assume that they weren’t the only school that had these problems. Given the
world we live in, no school small or large could be thought to be innocent of similar problems. Baylor’s, unfortunately, involved the football program—as part
of the campus at large—and football deserves some kind of disciplinary action. The malignancy of this ongoing scandal has already
been evidenced on the field. Players with this hanging over them, players who
had nothing to do with this recent tainted history, deserve some closure so
they can regain their enthusiasm and get on with the games, and so that school can tell future recruits
what the atmosphere on campus is going to be like.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Closure: The Big 12 and the NCAA need to end this situation.</span></div>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-19482173795062623702016-11-02T21:09:00.002-06:002016-11-05T22:55:13.579-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "arial";"><span style="font-size: 24.0px;"><b>But will they be there at the end of the regular season? Says an old quote: "All glory is fleeting, money has wings, and only conference championships and big marquee wins late in the schedule are everlasting."<br />
<br />
Other contenders: <span style="color: red;">Washington</span> remains unbeaten and could win out. If others stumble in the steeple chase, the Huskies have a shot. <span style="color: red;">Louisville</span> still has an outside chance if Clemson falters in the ACC. <span style="color: red;">Ohio State</span> must beat Michigan and win the Big Ten playoff to get in. And <span style="color: red;">Nebraska</span> has but one loss. If they beat Ohio State this weekend, win out, then win the Big Ten playoff, they’ll be in the hunt.<br />
<br />
Many scenarios out there, much football left to play.<br />
</b></span></span></span>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Big 12</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Big 12 voted not to add new members, which voids the
possibility of two divisions, a conference playoff between the division
winners, and a better chance that the playoff winner will make the BCS Final
Four.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bad idea? DDT says no! A better idea would be if all the
other conferences dropped their conference playoffs and let the regular season
determine the conference winner. The BCS should then expand the Final Four to eight
teams, include the power five conferences winners, and three other likely
suspects, which could include any noteworthy mid-major contendahs.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Big 12 has discussed having their own version of a
playoff by pitting the first and second place finishers in the regular season
standings against each other, which means that, since everybody plays everybody
in the conference, the winners will be playing each other for the second time.
That sometimes happens in other conferences but is really not a good arrangement.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Under review</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Texas prevailed over Baylor in a prolonged slugfest last
weekend that featured record offensive stats and probably a record number of play
reviews. The contest drug on for hours with all the stoppages. As the number of
reviews increases in game after game, DDT expects it won’t be long before the
coin toss will be subject to “further review.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>BTW, Texas won the game.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Big 10 to start playing on Friday nights, next year</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There was a time when football was played in the fall,
basketball was played in the winter, and baseball was played in the spring and summer.
As of the first week in November the NFL, NBA, and MLB were all playing at the
same time. Add to that the NHL is in session, too.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A number of years ago, college football claimed Thursdays
for TV games and, unfortunately, moved in on Fridays, too. Then the NFL invaded
Thursdays, hurting college football’s viewership. Now to add to the turf wars,
the Big 10 has announced they will stage some burly pairings on Fridays.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>It’s DDT’s opinion that the Friday night lights should
belong to the high schools. College football can have Thursdays and all of
Saturdays, but should not play on Fridays. And the NFL should stick to Sundays
and Mondays.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Tom Herman Sweepstakes ...</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">... has taken a downward turn with Houston’s two losses. But,
Herman remains an interesting commodity, and depending on what UH does during
the remainder of this season, his stock may go back up. Texas, LSU and USC are
still rumored to be interested.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The Les Miles Sweepstakes</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Five schools are rumored to be possible landing sites for
Les Miles, erstwhile Commander in Chief at LSU:<b> Purdue, Mississippi State,
Oklahoma State, Houston and Kentucky.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DDT sez, <b>Purdue</b> and <b>Mississippi State</b> are graveyards for
descending coaches. Ask Fred Akers who went from Texas to Purdue in the late ‘80s
and ran aground after four years. None have had resounding success there since
then. Only one, Joe Tiller had a winning record, and he was fired.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since Darrell Royal coached at <b>Mississippi State</b> in the mid ‘50s,
seven of nine coaches have had losing records with the Bulldogs. Jackie Sherrill, who sought
resurrection there after losing his job at Texas A&M, had a break even
record (75-75), and the only coach with a winning record since Royal, Dan Mullen, is there,
now. A change in coaching at <b>Mississippi State</b> would be a mistake, not only for
the school, but for Miles as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Oklahoma State </b>is rumored to be unhappy with Mike Gundy, but
he is winning and it’s unlikely that Miles, who was Gundy’s predecessor, would
return to Stillwater.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Houston</b> might be interesting for Miles, assuming Tom
Herman moves on, but UH doesn’t have the budget the venerable "Hat" was used to at LSU.
However, Cougar High might be an interesting turn around for Miles. Bobby Petrino, who was banished from Arkansas a few years ago, did a short exile at Western
Kentucky before returning to Louisville. That strategy might work for Miles at UH, who could take the head job for a year or
two, then land a power five job when something opens up.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Kentucky</b> hasn’t had a coach post a winning overall record
since Blanton Collier, who replaced Bear Bryant, was there in the late ‘50s.
UK, a basketball school, has been another blind alley for football coaches over the
decades, but—BUT—Miles might be the guy who could turn things around in
Lexington.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>DDT sez: <span style="color: red;">Kentucky</span> best choice for Miles.</b></span></div>
SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-68087424943815187782016-10-11T14:54:00.000-06:002016-10-12T10:40:54.371-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b>DDT’s Bubble Watch
</b></span>
</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: large;"> <br />
<b><i>“If you don’t own the club or die on the job you’re going to get fired.” —Casey Stengel to the manager of a baseball team that was struggling. Moral: Don’t worry about it, do the best you can, and when the Turk says report to AD’s office and bring your attorney, take the money and run.<br />
</i></b> <br />
<b><span style="color: red;">The Big Three:</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Brian Kelley, Notre Dame:</b> The head football coach at Notre Dame is perpetually on the bubble. Anything short of the national championship is viewed with skepticism by the diciples of Touchdown Jesus. And it will probably take one of Jesus’ miracles for ND to ever win another national title, or, in the meantime, for Kelley to keep his job.<br />
<br /><b>
Gus Malzahn, Auburn:</b> Another coach who kneels before the altar of Our Lady of What Have You Done for Me Lately, and who, like his predecessors, can only be saved by winning the big one. Gene Chizik won the Big One for Auburn, then got the sack two years later. Tommy Tuberville, won there, then jumped to Texas Tech after meddling alums and ADs went behind his back to flirt with other coaches who they thought could do better. Before that, Terry Bowden got enough of Auburn’s drama queens and quit in the middle of the season. Malzahn’s days are numbered and he knows it. He beat Les Miles a couple of weeks ago in the Unemployment Bowl. The next day Miles got canned. It’s just a matter of time for Malzahn.<br />
<br /><b>
Charlie Strong, Texas:</b> Texas officials have always suffered from cranial rectal inversion, an affliction that sent Darrel Royal into early retirement, that foolishly ran off Fred Akers, who had a winning percentage and beat Bear Bryant in the Cotton Bowl, that replaced him with the young Messiah David McWilliams, who promptly led the program into mediocrity, then hired John Mackovic who was totally unsuited for the culture at Texas, whatever that is. Evidently it’s an “is you is or is you ain’t” culture in Austin, and for most UT coaches it’s mostly “ain’t.” <br />
<br />
Then Mack Brown came on board, won a national championship, and but for the injury to Colt McCoy early in the national title tilt with Alabama should have won another. But Mack was eventually found unworthy by one of Texas’ worst hires, AD Steve Patterson, who was eventually fired for gross delusional arrogance in the face of reality. <br />
<br />
Now comes Charlie Strong, who in his third year hasn’t won the national championship and won’t win it this year, so it’s “off with his head,” and let’s lure another adventurer to Austin who is willing to risk his emotional health to try and satisfy the patricians who rule the UT program. At least the new general, even though he, like an ancient gladiator, will die for the emperor’s and the proletariat’s entertainment, will be paid well.<br />
<br />
Strong deserves at least one more year after this one so that his first recruiting class will be seniors and be able to show their metal. He has had two top ten recruiting classes in the past two years and has some talent. It’s just a matter of those players having a chance to mature and deliver.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: red;">Other Bubble riders:</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Paul Johnson, Georgia Tech:</b> A respectable 62-44 in nine years, and big win over Mississippi State in the 2014 Orange Bowl. But 3-9 last year and off to a bad start this season doesn’t look good for PJ. Meanwhile others have come to power in the ACC. GT must keep up or else.<br />
<br /><b>
Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern:</b> Eleven years on the job, and NW has been a perpetual bridesmaid. But in the Big Ten with Ohio State, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and now with the resurrection of Michigan, who can become the bride? NW patriarchs must decide if they’ll settle for a “just average” record or spend some money and assault the summit. So far, it has been a charge at Cemetery Ridge.<br />
<br /><b>
Darrel Hazell, Purdue:</b> A record of 6-30 in four years and 2-10 last year doesn’t add up. Another dead-end coaching job. Boilers are overmatched in the Big Ten and should consider joining a mid-major.<br /><b>
<br />
David Bailiff, Rice:</b> The Owls aren’t winning, rarely win, and Rice fathers know that. Thus, it doesn’t really matter who’s coaching there. Might as well stick with the guy, because the next guy will lose, too. Academic standards are too high at Rice, which makes the recruitment of athletes who want to play in prime time on TV for an NFL farm team like Alabama difficult. Further evidence that the Owls should drop back to the FCS (aka DivOneAA). But Bailiff’s 53-60 record going into this season, and his 0-5 start may end it for him.<br /><b>
<br />
Bob Davie, New Mexico:</b> Five years at UNM with only 18 wins against 23 losses going into this season. One bowl game, but it wasn’t enough to bring out the fans. Average attendance is way below the 34K seat capacity of the Lobos home field. Add to that, Albuquerque is a tough place to recruit to. The campus looks like a scene from a lowly neighborhood in LA. Another dead-end job with little chance of prosperity.<br />
<br /><b>
Tim DeRuyter, Fresno State:</b> Unfortunately, DeRuyter’s predecessors proved that you can win at Fresno, thus by comparison his 3-9 record last year, 29-23 overall mark in five years, with an 0-3 bowl record against minor opponents won’t keep him employed there.<br />
<br /><b>
Rich Rodriguez, Arizona:</b> Five years in Tucson and RichRod has failed to reach the summit. Made the Fiesta Bowl two years ago (and lost) but the program has taken a dip in the past two years. Record of 7-6 last season and off to a bad start this year. He had some success at West Virginia but failed at Michigan and now is proving that he leapt into the deep end of the pool when he left coal-mining country. Say “goodnight,” Rich.<br />
<br /><b>
Clay Helton, USC:</b> An assistant who inherited Steve Sarkisian’s train wreck and hasn’t quite gotten the train back on the track and may have risen to a level above his abilities.<br />
<br /><b>
Ed Orgeron, LSU:</b> Interim after the firing of Les Miles. Orgeron is campaigning hard to keep the job, but he’ll have to beat Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas A&M to have a chance. Then again, if Tom Herrman of UH, the golden boy everybody wants right now, is offered the job it will be his, and Orgeron will suffer the same fate that befell him at USC. “Thanks for filling in, Dude, but it’s time to say ‘sayonara.’”</span><br />
</span>
<!--EndFragment-->SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-54618266336708312782016-09-25T15:28:00.000-06:002016-09-25T15:46:44.741-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">The unemployment bowl</span></b><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: red;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Saturday’s game between LSU and Auburn pitted two coaches
against each other who were on the bubble. Said the commentators: both badly
needed a win; the loser might lose his job. They were right.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Auburn won the game but by only a nose. Final score: 18-13 favor of Auburn.
LSU scored on the last play of the game, but officials ruled that time had run
out, and LSU’s score was voided.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: large;">Now word comes that LSU fathers have fired Les Miles. Firing
a coach at mid-season, which is happening more and more often lately, basically
guts any hope for a successful season. Critics say the Tigers had become
one-dimensional, that they’d hung their hopes on the running game of Leonard
Fournette and a second string QB who at least can throw the ball with some accuracely.
The Tigers defense is actually in the Top 25 and compares to Alabama’s but from
here on out they’ll just be scrimmaging. D coordinator Ed Orgeron who was fired
at Mississippi several years ago, and who failed to nab the USC job following
an interim stint as head man after the firing of Lane Kiffin was named interim
at LSU.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>“Hold that Tiger," comes the recurring anthem at Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. Now the Tigers are
on hold.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-54209584467069408442016-09-07T15:54:00.001-06:002016-09-08T12:25:49.612-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CmZiV61j5zc/V9CMg_UkU4I/AAAAAAAADu8/ULXH3k9gTKU7r-J-UGbPMK-PHRVCqcI9ACLcB/s1600/The%2BHee%2BHaw%2BBros.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CmZiV61j5zc/V9CMg_UkU4I/AAAAAAAADu8/ULXH3k9gTKU7r-J-UGbPMK-PHRVCqcI9ACLcB/s1600/The%2BHee%2BHaw%2BBros.jpg" /></a></div>
<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>The HEE HAW Brothers are back—Peyton and Eli Manning. </b>They’re airing yet another series of corn pone TV spots, selling everything from the NFL Sunday Ticket to pizza. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Peyton obviously cannot stand being out of the limelight, so after retiring from the game of football here he comes again, blundering into your living room with more pure corn on your flickering tube—further evidence of the most shameless ego this side of Donald Trump.<br />
<br />
How many millions did Manning make playing football and doing bad commercials over the years? Many. According to the Denver Business Journal, and the First and Orange website, Manning made $12 million on commercials alone in 2015. Money Nation estimates the erstwhile QB's net worth at $191 million. So why another series of TV spots? It wouldn't appear that he needs the money.<br />
<br />
Ego. </span>
<!--EndFragment-->SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-11971021229642936922016-08-24T14:25:00.001-06:002016-09-21T09:15:19.437-06:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DDT’s preseason pyramid of power is pretty much the usual
suspects going into the 2016 campaign. <b>The mighty Tuskers from Tuscaloosa </b>are
everybody’s pick at number one and a strong contendah for the Final Four. <b>The
Tigers from the Carolinas </b>are a close second, with <b>the Sooners from Boomer’s
Paradise</b>, represented in the modern era by a horse, are close at number three.
<b>Osceola the Seminole from the Sunshine State </b>registers at number four. <b>Bucky the
symbol of the Buckeye State </b>is at five, with <b>the Tigers from Baton Rouge </b>at
number six. <b>The Cardinal, </b>that is the color Cardinal (singular, not plural as
in cardinals the birds), of Palo Alto, whose surrogate is a tree, is at seven.
DDT’s Cinderella pick in the preseason is <b>the Cougars from the Bayou City </b>at
number eight. <b>The Leprechauns of South Bend </b>are nine, and <b>Smoky the houn’ dog
from the Volunteer State </b>is at ten.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">DDT’s Bottom Feeder Five. Numbers 124-128 in DivOne.</span></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"># 128: The Mean Green of North Texas. </span></b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once known as the
Eagles and occasionally mean, the Green has had losing seasons in ten of the
past eleven years. Time to reconsider their role in DivOne (FBS). Might be time
to drop back to DivOneAA (FCS)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#127: The UMass Minutemen. </b>Four years in DivOne. Four losing
seasons. Record: 8-40. Time to reconsider their role in DivOne. Might be time
to go back to FCS.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#126: ULM Warhawks:</b> Formerly the Northeast Lousiana Indians,
their nickname succumbed to political correctness. On the field they plummeted
to 2-11 last year, and they haven’t been bowling in three years. With games on
the road this year with Oklahoma and Auburn, it could be another long season.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#125: The Charlotte 49ers. </b>Three years in DivOne. Three
losing seasons. Time to reconsider their role in DivOne and why they wanted to
try to run with the bigs. Big mistake.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>#124: Eastern Michigan Eagles:</b> Losing seasons in 19 of the
past 20 years, with one of the lowest average home attendance figures in
DivOne. Time to reconsider their role in DivOne. Time to consider dropping back to FCS or even DivTwo. Maybe time to join non-scholarship DivThree or
maybe even drop football altogether.</span></div>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-72095125623694983522016-07-26T10:41:00.002-06:002016-09-07T17:17:24.399-06:00<blockquote>
<blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial";"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">DDT's take on Big 12 Expansion</span>
</b><br /><span style="font-size: large;">
Candidates to join the Big 12, if and when the conference expands to enable a playoff are, according to the latest reports: UH, BYU, Memphis, UCF, Cincinnati, USF, Tulane, UConn, Boise State, San Diego State, and Colorado State.</span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">First choice: Houston.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Let’s get the Cougars back in the conference. They’ve downsized some since the days of the Astrodome, but they’re a Texas school and the old rivalries are there. The Cougars will have to spend some money and upgrade if they want to be competitive, but it’s doable, and, as to a venue, there’s Reliant Stadium. They can fill it up when they play Texas and OU. </span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Second choice: BYU.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> They have a stadium and football credibility, and they’ve applied before. Timing wasn’t right, before, but the times they are a-changin’. However, they want to enter as “football only.” That really wouldn’t make them a full member, and they don’t play other sports on Sunday.</span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Third choice: Memphis.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Big stadium (the Liberty Bowl) and considerable hoops credentials. </span><br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Four and five: Either one of UCF or USF.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Central Florida is probably the best choice. New stadium, Disneyworld, all that. South Florida has a pro stadium to play in, but both UCF and USF must compete with Florida, Florida State and Miami in recruiting. Maybe the Big 12 would give them an edge. </span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">Sixth choice: Cincinnati.</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Decent program, football and basketball, decent stadium for football, and good entrée to the Midwest for Big 12 squads to recruit in competition with them. Recruiting-wise, the Big 12 could give the Big 10 a run if Cincinnati got in.</span><br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Other candidates: </b><span style="font-size: large;">Tulane, UConn, Boise State, San Diego State, Colorado State. </span></span><b style="font-family: verdana, helvetica, arial; font-size: x-large;">Tulane</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , "helvetica" , "arial"; font-size: large;"> has the stadium (the New Orleans Dome) but not enough budget, and little tradition. The Greenies should probably drop back to DivOneAA (FCS) and play in a smaller stadium.</span></blockquote>
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">UConn?</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Not really. Too far east, and bringing them in makes about as much sense as TCU joining the Big East a few years ago, and women’s hoops programs in the Big 12 would not like to play the national champion UConn Huskies women year-in, year-out. </span><br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">San Diego State:</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Too far west, and they play in big ol’ cavernous QualComm Stadium, an NFL relic. It would be half empty when they play the likes of Iowa State, or when they play Kansas. In the case of KU totally empty.</span><br />
<br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;">Boise State:</b><span style="font-size: large;"> Impressive football resume, but their hoops program would suffer in the Big 12. And they must get rid of that ridiculous blue turf. </span><br />
<b style="font-size: x-large;"><br />
Colorado State:</b><span style="font-size: large;"> They’re a mid-major. Period. They’d get slaughtered in the Big 12. Look at Colorado. With a lot more resources than Colorado State, they couldn’t keep up. Stands to reason that CState would quickly disappear in the Big 12</span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;">DDT</b></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: red;">Note: A recent story that circulated in the press said that Big 12 fathers were also considering </span>Air Force, Rice, SMU, and Temple. O<span style="color: red;">f the schools DDT lists here Boise State, San Diego State, and Memphis were not on their list.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">DDT sez: Of the four others the Big 12 is considering, none would measure up. </span>Air Force <span style="color: red;">is hobbled by military restrictions and will never be a Top Ten team; </span>Rice and SMU <span style="color: red;">wouldn't be able to keep up, and SMU's stadium is too small. </span>Temple<span style="color: red;">—Temple from Philadelphia?—is too far east with no connection to southwestern and midwestern programs. It was enough of a stretch admitting </span>West Virginia<span style="color: red;"> to the Big 12, but Temple won't work. Neither will </span>UConn<span style="color: red;">, which has shown up on several lists.</span></span></b></span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-4098596608758430492015-10-26T14:10:00.000-06:002016-10-15T18:57:11.610-06:00Week Eight<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From DDT's upcoming book of sport drawings.</span></div>
SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-64508077406091645202015-10-05T15:38:00.000-06:002015-10-06T18:27:11.954-06:00Week Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>The changing faces of nicknames and mascots in college sports</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">DDTs picks in the Top 25 and Big 12 last weekend:</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">#1 Ohio State at undefeated Indiana. Bucks win big.<br />
<b> Bucks won, but not big. IU is not that bad.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">#3 Olay Miss at #24 Florida. Land sharks in a close one.<br /><b>Wrong. Wasn't even close. Gators rose up and smote the </b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b>Land Sharks.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">#6 Notre Dame at #12 Clemson. Big road test for the Irish, but the home team prevails. <br /><b>Right.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">#13 ‘Bama @ #8 UGA. Bulldogs finally take control of the SEC East and maybe the whole SEC. <br /><b>Wrong. Big time wrong. 'Bama is still the real deal. UGA overrated ... again.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">#21 Mississippi State @ #14 Texas A&M. Farmers on a roll, 106,000 fans at Kyle help get ‘er done.<br /><b>Right.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">#23 West Virginia @ #15 OU. Landrush Soonerama in the first part outdoes Hillbilly Mountaineer cousin in the second part. Sooners win at home.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b>Right. Sooners will challenge TCU and Baylor, especially TCU that has trouble on defense.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><b>Also:</b></span></div>
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Texas @ TCU. “Hail Mary full of grace, bless us now ... “<br /><b>Geez. But we picked it. 'Horns were outmanned. Totally. UT is 122nd in pass defense, 90th in overall D in DivOne. It doesn’t get easier. OU in the Red River War this weekend. Word from Austin is that Longhorn supporters are still behind Coach Charlie Strong and his staff.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">Baylor/Texas Tech. First test for the Bears. The over/under was 90 yesterday.<br /><b>Right, and if you picked the over, you won the bet.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">KState @ OkState. KState the pick.<br /><b>Wrong.</b></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">KU @ Iowa State. Ho hummer of the week. Home team.<br /><b>Right.</b>
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Seven right, three wrong.</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></b></b>
<b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>Big 12 attendance with building capacity in parenthesis:</i></span></b></b></div>
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<b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Baylor/Tech at Hooterville in the 'Plex: 56K (80K)</span></b></b></div>
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<b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></b></div>
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<b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">KState @ Oklahoma State: 57K (60)</span></b></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Texas @ TCU 48K (45K)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">KU @ Iowa State: 55K (61K)</span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">West Virginia @ OU: 84K (82)</span></b></div>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-31859614552101281522015-09-21T18:18:00.000-06:002015-09-24T11:46:03.317-06:00Week Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-64426759754924822882015-08-31T09:56:00.001-06:002015-10-01T08:54:37.214-06:00Preseason<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--StartFragment--><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1nFQlibY2gE/VeOb_F3b_QI/AAAAAAAADDs/iIjQ6B0v5gE/s1600/UT%253ATAMU%2Bprogram.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">DDT’s preseason Top 10, the Pyramid of Power, includes two squads from the best conference in the country, the Big 12. Everybody plays everybody, one true champion. The SEC West places three teams in the premier group, with Arkansas our Cinderella candidate. The Big Ten has two teams in the mix, and the Pac12 and the ACC each have one.</span> </b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Program from Texas/Texas A&M game, <br />
Nov. 29, 1934</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><br /></b></span></span><i>
Missing from preseason love are </i><b><i>UT/State Capitol <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">and</span> the Texas </i></b></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><b><i>State Boys and Girls Home for Farmers and Mechanics</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><i>, two old rivals who no longer play each other and who, last year, didn’t live up to expectations for BCS Power Five contestants. But, contrary to the Beatles tune </i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><i>“Can’t by me love,” both have opened the satchel of endowment and hope that money will buy the kind of love that only big wins will bring.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">“Are you kidding?”</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></b>UAB is returning to the football field in 2017. DDT sez, “Are you kidding?” In the 18 years since UAB went DivOne, they only had three winning seasons and lost the only bowl game in their history to Hawaii in the Hawaii Bowl (2004). Since then, they’ve had no winning seasons before wisely deciding to drop football after last year. Now they’ll take two years off and start all over again.<br />
<br />
In a state where “Roll Tide” and “War Eagle” have been emblazoned in stone and placed on plaques outside courthouses along with the Ten Commandments, UAB is delusional if they dream of success. DDT suggested that UAB might as well change their mascot from Blazers to Rebs and start waving those Confederate flags again to which came the reply, “Are you kidding?”<br />
<br />
But DDT already said that. Another football program in the state of Alabama? “Are you kidding?”<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Bubble coaches:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span>Big 10: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Fired Aug. 28, Tim Beckman, Illinois:</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"> First casualty, and the season hasn’t even started. The bubble is getting thinner. Beckman was just 12-25 at Illinois since joining the Fightin’ Illini four years ago. Mistreatment of players is the reason cited for Beckman’s dismissal. </span><br />
<br />
According to CBS Sportsline, “<span style="color: #111111;">The biggest reason for this is because athletic director Mike Thomas is in hot water himself. He's the one who hired Tim Beckman, and Illinois' football program isn't the only athletic program at the school dealing with problems right now. There's a very good chance that Thomas could find himself out of a job in the coming weeks or months, so the person who hires the next Illinois football coach might not be an Illinois employee yet.”<br />
<br />
“O” coordinator Bill Cubit will take over as interim. Real Estate agents in Champaign, c’mon down. A lot of assistant coaches will be putting homes on the market.<br />
<br />
Too bad because b</span>oth Ohio State and Wisconsin are on the Illini the schedule and both games are in Champaign. A win in just one of those could have insured Beckman and his staff’s future.<br />
<span style="color: #111111;"><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Also in the Big 10:</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: #111111;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></b></span><b>Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern:</b> Back-to-back to back-to-back mediocre seasons. And what was all that about a player’s union? Just what we needed—locker rooms full of sea lawyers.<br />
<br /><b>
Kirk Ferentz, Iowa:</b> Slightly above average at 34-30 in the past five years, but the Hawks haven’t really challenged Ohio State, Michigan State or Wisconsin as Kings on the Mountain in the Big Ten in a while. It has been three years since they beat Michigan State and five years since they reached a major bowl. Fortunately they don’t play Ohio State or Wisconsin in the regular season. Like Mack Brown and R.C. Slocum, nice guys who won big once upon a time and may have continued to win had alumni been patient, Ferentz may soon hear the expression “What have you done for me lately.”<br />
<br /><b>
Kevin Wilson, Indiana:</b> Only 14-34 with the Hoosiers. Should we remind readers that IU is a hoops school? Or was. The hoops program is on the decline, too. Bring back Bob Knight, that’ll stir things.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">PAC12:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span>Mike Leach, Wazoo:</b> The Pirate has not produced a winning season since taking over three years ago (12-25). It’s a tough conference and elevating the pod 100 times-or-so a game is not enough.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Big 12:</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b>Paul Rhoades, Iowa State:</b> Five straight losing seasons, even though bowl games in two of those (even with 6-7 records) kept hope alive. That and wins over in-state rival Iowa in three of those years helped. <br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">ACC:</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b>Dave Doeren, NC State:</b> Big promise coming off winning seasons at Northern Illinois, but little production, so far. The ACC, which might have taken a back seat to the MAC when Doeren came over, has now joined the big dogs. This is no longer your Gramma’s ACC.<br />
<br /><b>
Mike London, Virginia:</b> Only one bowl game and a record of 23-38 in six years in a league where Florida State has raised the bar. ACC squads can’t hide behind basketball anymore. Word to London is: Get there, baby. Major bowl, big payout or “Sayonara.”<br />
<br /><b>
Al Golden, Miami:</b> He shoulda taken the Penn State job when it opened after JoePa's passing. Northeast guy, coached across the state from Nittanyville at Temple, coat and tie on the sideline. Polished. But no! he decided to stick it out at Bad Boy U. Now with a record barely above .500 in four years, two bowl losses, and with declining attendance at home games, Golden takes a seat on the bubble.<br />
<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">
And last but not least</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span>Brian Kelley, Notre Dame:</b> Like the abiding sun, the Grim Reaper is always on the horizon for the head coach at Notre Dame. ND hasn’t had a coach with an overall losing record since Joe Kuharich went 17-23 (1959-1962). All since then have won more games than they lost, but with the exceptions of Parsegian, Devine and Holz, who won national championships, all were found lacking. <br />
<br />
Kelley made the championship game on 2012 but would have been better off staying home that weekend because ‘Bama abused the Irish. Badly. Since then, ND has had to settle for the Music City and Pinstripe bowls after 9-4 and 8-5 seasons. Kelley needs to have a big year; otherwise, he’ll join Weis, Willingham and Davie as post-Holz era coaches who had winning records but were banished for not bringing home the Grail.<br />
<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">
Big 12 in just a few words</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></b><b>TCU</b> and <b>Baylor</b> are kings of the Big 12. A disappointing non-con schedule will hurt BU in the Final Four discussion, if they’re still around then. But TCU’s extra-conference slate is not much better with only Minnesota on the schedule as a credible opponent. Fortunately, the Frogs and Bears play on the final week of the regular season, which, assuming both are still in the national hunt (maybe even undefeated), should give the conference a boost with the playoff committee if the winner can impress. <br />
<br /><b>
OU</b> remains steady as a solid runner up. <br />
<br /><b>
KState</b>, as long as Bill Snyder is there, will always be a threat. Who else but St. Bill could recruit to Prairie Dog U. at Manhattan and keep the Wildcats in the hunt? <br />
<br /><b>
West Virginia</b> must get their feet on the ground coming off four losses in their last five games last year, including a bowl loss to TAMU. But with a lot of lettermen back, they could be a spoiler. Back-to-back road games against Baylor and TCU in mid season will probably determine their fate. <br />
<br /><b>
Texas</b> is on the rise but has much to prove and, with a season opener against Notre Dame, does not have the luxury of time for development. The future begins Sept. 5 in South Bend for the ‘Horns. <br />
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Okie State</b> is in flux. After a five-game losing streak last year, order was restored with a win over OU and a bowl victory, but the Cowboys must continue on the upward path to insure Mike Gundy’s future. <br />
<br /><b>
Texas Tech</b> could be fading fast as the promise of Kliff Kingsbury is in question. This season may be KK’s last in Lubbock if the Raiders don’t slash and burn. <br />
<br /><b>
KU</b> and <b>Iowa State</b> will never be much of a threat to anybody but each other.</span></span><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbk4xaE4rMo/VeOfWTnyd8I/AAAAAAAADD4/iYys-dsyIhE/s1600/TCU%2Bcopy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="95" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pbk4xaE4rMo/VeOfWTnyd8I/AAAAAAAADD4/iYys-dsyIhE/s200/TCU%2Bcopy.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
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The two top picks are obvious, but with Heisman candidate Trevon </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">Boykin in the cockpit at Ft. Worth, DDT sez the <b>Frogs are the fav. </b></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Of cockroaches and the like</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b></b>Said Darrell Royal: “It’s not what cockroaches carry of and eat, it’s what they fall into and mess up.” DDT’s upset minded ‘roaches who could spoil it for the favs are <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>West Virginia</b></span> and <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b>Texas</b></span>. If WVA has anything at all, they won’t lose two in a row on the road against BU and TCU. And watch Texas in weeks three, four and five against OkieState, TCU and OU in that order. After ND on the road in week one, then those three in September and early October, the ‘Horns, should they be tempered of steel, will show it. Otherwise, they may be proven to be tempered of soft-boiled eggs, which is how they finished last year with embarrassing losses to TCU and Arkansas.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ylNha3KpEPY/VeNud7MkbXI/AAAAAAAADDA/8jBJ1OovkFI/s1600/Academies%2Bmontage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="105" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ylNha3KpEPY/VeNud7MkbXI/AAAAAAAADDA/8jBJ1OovkFI/s400/Academies%2Bmontage.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Academies</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span>Navy:</b> The Middies joined the American Athletic Conference this year, which may be manageable because they don’t have to play Cincinnati and UCF, the two powers in the loop. But they still have to play Notre Dame on the road in non-con play. Traditional rivalries with Army and Air Force remain set. Middies should win both of those, maintain possession of the Commander in Chief’s Trophy, and go bowling again.<br />
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Army: </b>The Knights wisely scheduled a couple of FCS creampuffs and three BCS mid-majors, which might insure a few more wins, but they also have to play Rutgers and Penn State from the Big Ten, the latter on the road. A 6-6 record would be considered a good season for the Cadets but that would have to include a win over Navy, who they haven’t beaten in 13 years. A 1-13 season would be considered good, if the “one” was a win over Navy.<br />
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Air Force:</b> Feast or famine in Colorado Springs. The Falcons were 2-10 in 2013 but turned it around in 2014 and went 10-3 with a bowl win. Graduation hit hard and the Blue Boys are picked no better than 5th in the Mountain West Mountain Division. Back-to-back road games with Michigan State and Navy in weeks three and four will be demanding.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">“If a man is a quitter, I’d rather find out in practice than in a game. I ask for all a player has so I’ll know later what I can expect.” </span></i></b></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">-Bear Bryant</span></span></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></span></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">First comment this season from a reader: </span></span></span></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></b></span><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What?? No comments of whether Art Briles knew or didn't? Will Ken Starr invoke the same unrestrained investigatory style as Chancellor of Baylor University (aka Jerusalem on the Brazos) as he did in pursuing the Clinton's or will he simply pray Art Briles indiscretions away?</span></span></span></span></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></span></b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br />The irony, of course, if Briles had simply stepped up and said something like, "Look, I knew the young man was troubled but felt like he deserved a second chance. I felt like giving him an opportunity at a location closer to his home - and the focus our institution could offer might enable him to overcome personal challenges and excel as an individual as well as an athlete." But no, instead Briles chooses the path of the weasel (or possibly Sgt. Schultz of "Hogan's Heros" - 'I know nothing, NOTHING!" Or is it as some theorize, Art Briles is bulletproof with Baylor at the top of the Big 12?</span></span></span></span></span></b></span></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">DDT</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">: </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Indeed, prayer is the answer. But, as you suggest, "top of the Big 12," not to mention Top 10 in the country. Forgiveness should come easy, unless, of course, the Bears start losing. Then it all comes to bear (pardon the pun).</span></span></span></span></b></div>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-16415973307728947152015-04-03T11:38:00.003-06:002015-10-01T08:46:58.114-06:00Of Hoops and the Like<!--StartFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">One and done, take the money and run</span></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Rick Pitino, head basketball coach at Louisville, recently addressed the issue of college basketball players heading off to the NBA after only one year in college, a trend we call “one and done.” Let them go directly to the NBA was Pitino’s thesis. They’re never really student/athletes. They enroll in enough courses to make it through the playoffs their first year, then declare for the NBA draft. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
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"I had six young men commit to me out of high school that didn't go to college, that went to the pros," said Pitino. "I'm very much for that because they didn't want college. They wanted to go to the NBA. And if they go to the [NBA Development League], that's fine with them. But the six-, seven-month education (in college), online classes second semester. I don't know what that does for a young person."<br /><br />
Kentucky has become the classic example of one and done. They’ve won big in the past few years, including the national championship three years ago and may win it again this year. Most of the players on their winning teams have declared for the draft after only one year in college. Of the eight who have played on a regular basis this season for the UK, four are freshman, three are sophomores, one is a junior. All will be gone to the NBA next year.<br /><br />
UK’s head coach John Calipari is proof that winning is not in how well you coach or how you develop players, it’s in how well you recruit. Each year there are just a few dozen high school prospects who could jump to the NBA. The college teams that enroll them—the Kentucky’s, Carolinas, Dukes, and UConns—will win big, even though it will be with a different group almost every year.<br /><br />
Kentucky has essentially become a farm team for the NBA, and many other schools qualify for the NBA’s farm program, including Texas, which sent three marquee players, among them Kevin Durant, to the big leagues in recent years and now has sent their coach to Tennessee. <br /><br />
To read all the hype on Rick Barnes, recently departed head coach of the Texas Longhorn basketball team, it sounds like an introduction to a college coaches Hall of Fame: </span>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Four-time Big 12 Conference Coach of the Year. In his 17 years at UT, he led the Longhorns to 16 NCAA Tournament appearances (streak of 14 consecutive from 1999-2012), including five trips to the NCAA Sweet 16, three to the Elite Eight and one to the Final Four (2003) ... and so forth.</span>
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But conference titles mean little, 20-win seasons mean little—even winning the conference tournament doesn’t mean much—and one trip to the Final Four wasn’t enough. What matters in the power conferences is going to the Final Four on a regular basis and, ultimately, winning a National Championship. <br /><br />
PT (prime time on TV) is where the money is and PT is the Big Dance and the Final Four. The standard has been set by this year’s Final Four coaches: Mike Krzyzewski, Duke—eight Sweet Sixteens, four Final Fours, four National Championships; Tom Izzo, Michigan State—12 Sweet Sixteens, six Final Fours, one National Championship; John Calipari, Kentucky—11 Sweet Sixteens, five Final Fours, one National Championship; Bo Ryan, Wisconsin—four Sweet Sixteens, two Final Fours.<br /><br />
Small schools can make as much as a million dollars just for making the first round of The Dance but without expectations from their athletic directors and alums that they make the Final Four. Just getting a little paycheck is enough for some. But for the big programs, PT and the big bucks is the goal. <br /><br />
With that comes a trade-off for fans who watch “The Dance” on tube—the commercials, the nagging, annoying, repeated commercials that interrupt and chop up the games. Mute buttons across America are worn out and bathroom breaks and trips to the kitchen for more beer and snacks are up. In between, we watch highlights of the contests, somehow stitched together with all the time-outs and commercials to make a game.<br /><br />
It’s an annual Passion Play, starring the usual suspects with the usual hype: “Buy a new BMW, insure the hell out of it ... close-up of Mike Kryzewski head in hands ... take out another mortgage ... close up of Tom Izzo expressing angst ... here’s another way to bake pizza with special pricing for participating stores ... close-up of John Calipari waving his arms ... and here’s another promo for the next program coming up.” You’d think we’re a nation of wealthy people, who can afford expensive new cars and homes, yet watch bad TV and eat junk food all the time. <br /><br />
Rick Barnes can afford a new BMW with all the insurance options, and a big home. He has made millions coaching college basketball. Now he has a new job. Seventeen years at Texas and done. Fired. Not enough PT. Now he can try again at Tennessee.<br /><br />
And as we close in on the 2015 Final Four, most of the country, driving old cars and trucks and making rent and mortgage payments sit and watch the annual pageant of one and done—a parade featuring another kind of one-percenter.<br /><br />
DDT is dealing with some major PTASD (post traumatic advertising stress disorder): everything on TV chopped to shreds by commercial interruptions, internet websites blocked and interrupted by pop-ups, subscription cards in magazines, banner ads over the masthead on the front pages of shrinking newspapers, and sticky note slap-ons below the fold on the front page. Where’s the content, where’s the programming, where’s the news?<br /><br />
It’s there, hiding in plain sight. The advertising IS the content, programming, and news. The medium is TV, the message is commerce through advertising through college basketball. As an old ad hack sales manager DDT used to work with in TV once said, “It’s not creative unless it sells.”<br /><br />
When this year’s dance is ended, we won’t suffer for Krzyzewski or Calipari if they don’t win another national title. They can take the money and run. They’re creative and successful because they sell. Read: they know how recruit the class of one-and-done.</span>
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SR</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">
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P.S. DDT will root for Wisconsin and Michigan State. Of the Badgers’ six contributors, three are seniors and one is a junior. No freshmen start. Of the Spartans’ five starters, three are seniors, two are juniors. No freshmen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>Comment from a reader:</i></span></span></b></span><br />
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</i></span><!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><i>True, quite a racket. At least Kentucky got theirs. </i></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>The men’s college game is lacking at this point. Other than about 10 schools that pack in the fans, attendance is down. They need to go to a 24-second shot clock or at least 30. No offense, no shooters and the game is boring. Fans like the outside shot or the three-pointer. More players take the ball to the hole than in the past, which causes more fouls and slows the game down also.</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Comment from a reader: </span></span></b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">It is all money these days. Baseball is going to die a slow death due to being boring as hell. Horse racing has already faded. I haven't heard anything about ponies in a long time. Three races a year draw a few people. Tennis is sort of fun at times, dink, dink donk. Golf to me is more intersting now that they have managed to cover it better but it still has a lack of lustre. The announcers are boring. I have not watched a college basketball game in three years not a whole one. A few minutes here and there. I do watch the Spurs when I remember to watch them, which isn't often. I kinda like them and I would guess I could be considered a fan. Football has lost what it had, too. I go to high school games in person but only rarely watch a game on TV. I watch Texas to see them get whipped. I watch TCU out of a perverse idea that they are unloved. If there was a channel that had North Dakota State I would watch. Now they have high school games on TV. </span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">What has happened? They have little league on TV. They have Pop Warner on TV. When I was a kid you went to the park and chose up sides. Usually the two best players were the leaders and there could be as many as 20 kids per team, depending on how many showed up to play. We played touch football and sometimes tackle. We played agame called work-up, too (baseball). Thirty outfielders at some games. It was designed to be fun and disoragnized and we had our own set of rules. I recall enjoying those games. The huddle. Billy go long and Tom go over the middle. Then in HS I went out for baseball and actually made the team as a pitcher. A fifth string pitcher. We had two ace Mexicn boys and we won district and went to Abilene to play in the state tournament but they wouldn't let the Mexicans stay in the hotel, or eat in the resturante, so we had hotdogs and slept on the bus. An old yellow dog. We won and went to some other racist town and slept in the park and ate sandwiches made by the mothers. Then we lost and went home to El Paso. The next year Bowie (EP) won sate and they had to sleep under Memorial stadium in Austin becasue Bowie was all hispanic.</span></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">DDT: Too much TV. Who watches Little League on the tube? Better to be outdoors playing the games, not watching from the couch.</span></span></b></i><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-87196555057914203352014-12-12T13:29:00.000-07:002014-12-12T16:44:25.233-07:00<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Bowl season</span></b></span></span><br />
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Other than the big boy money games, the best bowl is the Hawaii Bowl. If I was a mid-major or mediocre major-major and didn’t have such a great season, I’d be lobbying for that one. It’s a great trip, a week-long working vacation, and a great recruiting tool for them that needs it.<br />
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This year’s Hawaii Bowl match-up is Fresno State and Rice. Fresno was 6—7, got blown out by three majors early in the year, lost the UNLV and Wyoming later, then got trounced by Boise in the MWest playoff. Rice was 7-5, lost six in a row at one point and dropped their last regular season game 76-31 to LaTech. Their only win against a bowl team was against UTEP (7-5).<br />
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Mediocre mid-majors in paradise. C’mon down!<br />
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Then there’s North Carolina and Rutgers in the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit. Boy! that’ll draw ‘em in, but the bowl committee guarantees a paycheck; otherwise, why would you want to go to Detroit and play in front of a half-empty stadium in the middle of winter?<br />
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And the tour guide will say: <i>“Welcome Carolina Tarheels and Rutgers Scarlet Knights. On our hospitality tour, today, we’re going to show you some abandoned assembly plants where Ford used to make cars, the burned-out downtown area, and, if time permits, we’ll drive west an hour to Ann Arbor and let you pick up some souvenirs at the University of Michigan book store.”<br />
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‘Horns and Hogs will be a good one at the Texas Bowl. It ain’t Darrell and Frank, but it’ll sell. Iowa and Tennessee in the Taxslayer Bowl (Jacksonville) will be a party. Iowa fans travel and spend money, which is why they always get a bowl. Tennessee is nearby. KState and UCLA in the Alamo Bowl will be a good boogie. The River Walk lights up no matter who’s playing. DDT recommends going to the lobby of any major downtown Santone hotel, crashing the hospitality parties of either team, hanging out, talking a little football.<br />
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Walk in, find somebody—anybody—stick out your hand, act like you belong. “Hi, how you been? Good to see you again. Which way is the bar and the buffet?”<br />
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DDT has been known to do that. And as you walk out, you might overhear somebody say, “Who were those guys?<br />
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“Don’t know. I thought they were your friends.”<br />
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-84472748589566996152014-11-19T10:53:00.000-07:002014-11-19T21:41:07.850-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><b><span style="color: red;"><i>The Texas Longhorn, that great Anti Christ that scared so many of the faint-hearted</i></span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><br />The records of refugees from the Big 12 vs. Texas, teams that feared the Longhorn:</b></span></span><br />
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<b>Nebraska:</b> 1-9 in their last nine meetings with Texas. The one win was in the 1973 Cotton Bowl. Corn Fairies fled to the Big 10 in 2011. Between 1996, when the Big 12 was formed, and 2011, NU never beat Texas.</span></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mL2v2HjGI7E/VGzTITZkPMI/AAAAAAAAC_A/3FI8fxyCCIA/s1600/Corn%2BFairy%2Bwith%2Bbackground%2Bsmaller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mL2v2HjGI7E/VGzTITZkPMI/AAAAAAAAC_A/3FI8fxyCCIA/s1600/Corn%2BFairy%2Bwith%2Bbackground%2Bsmaller.jpg" height="200" width="145" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gtVQ2hP0SZI/VGzTPijGGWI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/WZBwp5nGjtw/s1600/Old%2BSarge%2B72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i>Fairies of the Corn have found the going tough in the Big Ten.<br />
</i></b></span><br />
<b>Colorado:</b> 4-6 in the last ten meetings with Texas, including six losses in a row in the last six meetings. The Ralphies boogied to the PAC 12 in 2011. They have not had a winning season nor played in a bowl game since.<br />
<br />
<b>Texas A&M:</b> 3-7 in the last ten meetings with Texas. The Farmers fled to the SEC in 2012, where they've had two winning seasons and have won two bowl games. A season opening win against South Carolina was encouraging this season, but Mississippi State, Mississippi and Alabama have restored order to the SEC West. The question still remains—can the Maroon play defense? </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></b></span></span>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gtVQ2hP0SZI/VGzTPijGGWI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/WZBwp5nGjtw/s1600/Old%2BSarge%2B72.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gtVQ2hP0SZI/VGzTPijGGWI/AAAAAAAAC_Q/WZBwp5nGjtw/s1600/Old%2BSarge%2B72.jpg" height="160" width="200" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b></b></span></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><b><i>Deeefense ... someday.</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Arkansas: </span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Since joining the SEC in 1992, the Porkers are 144-121 for a winning percentage of only 54%. They have never played for the SEC championship, and the Hogs were 3-7 against the Texas in their last ten meetings</span></span></i></b></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px; font-weight: normal;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>Asterisk: </i></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i>Some teams who haven’t feared the Longhorn this year would include BYU, UCLA, Baylor, OU and KState.</i></span></span></div>
</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><br /></i></span>
<b>Coaching carousel<br />
</b>First casualty was Charlie Weis at KU. Most recent, Will Muschamp at Florida. Next up, Brady Hoke at Michigan, and, probably, Bob Davie at New Mexico.<br />
<br />
Weis had to go. No improvement at Lawrence in two years. But KU is a basketball school, remember?<br />
<br />
It’s a fast-gun biz: Turner Gill at KU, two years, not enough wins—fired. Gill could have been what Kevin Sumlin has been at TAMU and Charlie Strong is apparently becoming in Austin, but KU’s admin had no patience. John Embry at Colorado, two years, not enough wins—see ya. Ellis Johnson at Southern Miss, one year, no wins—gone. Now Muschamp bites the bullet, and who will replace him? <br />
<br />
DDT predicts that Mississippi State will sweeten Dan Mullen’s contract to keep him in Starksville. Bob Stoops and Charlie Strong, former Florida assistants, have said they’re not interested. RichRod’s name has come up, but DDT predicts that AZ will find a way to keep him in Tucson. The Rod has always been good press, but, like Mike Leach at Wazoo, frequently for the wrong reasons.<br />
<br />
Will Steve Spurrier go back to The Swamp in a return of a prodigal or resurrection of the ol’ Ball Coach as Messiah to the Gator Nation? Unlikely.<br />
<br />
How about Mack Brown. Muschamp was Brown’s “coach in waiting” at Texas but, as DDT correctly postulated, Muschamp was never destined to be head coach in Austin. So, in an ironic twist of fate, Brown takes the Florida job on a short-term contract, grooms a coordinator, Florida moves on, wins again ... someday.</span></span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpZkdE0ps8E/VGzTMHwHK6I/AAAAAAAAC_I/44EqjN4p03k/s1600/MackBrown%2BGator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RpZkdE0ps8E/VGzTMHwHK6I/AAAAAAAAC_I/44EqjN4p03k/s1600/MackBrown%2BGator.jpg" height="200" width="175" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: red;"><b><i>Mack to Gainesville?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
</i></b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<b>Pastry Month<br />
</b>The SEC, more than any other conference, indulges in shameless bullying of DivTwo puff pastry, most of it during the last month of the season: Alabama/Western Carolina; Auburn/Samford; Olay Miss/Presbyterian; Georgia/Charleston Southern; Mississippi State/UT-Martin; Florida/Eastern Kentucky.<br />
<br />
Justice must be done, make it fair. Spot the DivTwo squads three TDs, don’t let the SEC powers play their first team—make them play their scrubs, even their redshirts, without counting a year of eligibility against the redshirts—and don’t count the win in the final playoff considerations. If by some miracle the SEC teams lose, count that.<br />
<br />
<b>Those preseason polls<br />
</b>AP’s preseason Top 10 was: Florida State, Alabama, Oregon, OU, Ohio St., Auburn, UCLA, Michigan St., South Carolina, Baylor.<br />
<br />
One through three remain, this week and in exactly that order: 1) Florida State, 2) 'Bama, 3)Oregon. <br />
<br />
Worst preseason Top 25 picks: North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, Texas A&M. UNC is a basketball school, remember? Notre Dame started strong, as they always do, and are now fading fast, as they always do. Texas has been shaky but has won three in a row. True test will be Thanksgiving night against TCU. Texas A&M, post-Manziel, is just another terrier in the pack of SEC West big dogs.<br />
<br />
<b>Best Conference: The Big 12<br />
</b>Everybody plays everybody, one true champion, no meaningless playoff, no running up scores on jellyfish late in the season. <br />
<br />
<b>The Little MAC<br />
</b>Attendance at Tuesday’s Umass/Akron contest (Nov.18) was 5,571. A crowd of 15,118 attended the Northern Illinois/Ohio game. Both games were aired by ESPN. Last week average attendance at the four MAC games that ESPN aired on Tuesday and Wednesday nights was 11,899. <br />
<br />
High school games get bigger crowds and better ratings on their radio broadcasts. And the mid-majors complain when they’re not included in the playoff discussion. <br />
<br />
One of DDTs platform items has been—for years—that the entire MAC, Sunbelt, many of the teams in the Mountain West, Conference USA and the American Athletic conferences, as well as the service academies, should drop back to DivTwo. They'd be on a more level playing field. Then if they want to play the bigs occasionally for a payday, let them. They’ll have a better chance than pee wees like Western Carolina of winning a game, now and again.<br />
<br />
And what are schools like Texas State, UTSA, Georgia State, Old Dominion and Appalachain State thinking about by joining DivOne? They’ll disappear.<br />
<br />
But if all of the above insist on staying in DivOne, there should be a Tier Two playoff so that the better mids in a given year would have a chance to shine. This year Colorado State, Marshall, Boise State and Northern Illinois are getting some love from the ratings but have no chance at playoff gold. Give them their own playoff.<br />
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-84333705365592330382014-01-08T14:35:00.001-07:002014-02-20T11:16:28.415-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nfw7hyPpgS4/Us25OZ1tciI/AAAAAAAAC6g/f3GkxVIVnQ4/s1600/seminole.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nfw7hyPpgS4/Us25OZ1tciI/AAAAAAAAC6g/f3GkxVIVnQ4/s1600/seminole.gif" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Florida State logo</b></span></td></tr>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">College football closes the sale</span> </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">‘Noles nail Tigers in season finale</span><br />
</b>The NCAA’s rule banning costumed mascots, especially those of Native </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">Americans*, was exempted for Osceola, Florida State’s mounted Seminole warrior, as he led the team into the Rose Bowl for the national championship game against Auburn.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">The painted horseman planted his spear near the 50 year line, the team stormed the field, and the ‘Noles, led by freshman Heisman Trophy winner Jameis Winston, laid claim to the title of “Destiny’s Team,” taking it from the Auburn Tigers, who had won three games with last-second miracle plays this season. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">
<br />
The Tigers were a good squad in 2013, though—the best team Florida State played all year—but it was the Seminoles from the weak ACC who won the title, ending the SEC’s streak of national titles at seven.<br />
<br />
And thus ended the misbegotten era of the computer-driven BCS playoff system.<br />
<br />
Next year, four teams will be in the playoff mix, even though eight would be better, 16 even better. The lower divisions have brackets that start with as many as sixteen teams. <br />
<br />
It’s doable: cut the regular season schedule back to realistic ten or eleven games; cut the two weeks off that some teams take (one is enough); cut the late-season creampuff games that some teams have started scheduling (e.g. Alabama/Chattanooga, Nov. 23); cut the meaningless conference playoff games. Then the playoffs could begin in late November or early December.<br />
<br />
In a 16-team format, the playoff teams could be the AP or USA Today Top 16, with #1 playing #16, and #2 playing #15 in the first round and so forth—the same way teams in the NCAA basketball first round regionals are paired.<br />
<br />
Probably the only conference playoff game worth watching, the SEC game, would be eliminated, but, at season’s end in 2013, five SEC teams were in the top 16 and could have been playoff bound.<br />
<br />
Teams not in the playoffs would still go to bowl games, teams eliminated from the playoffs would still go to bowl games. The bowls would suffer from this arrangement, no doubt, but there are too many bowl games, most of which are just venues for tourism and have nothing to do with standings, ratings or determining a national championship.<br />
<br />
At least next year, those final three playoff games with one against four, and two against three, with the winners to play for all the marbles, will add interest to the season finale.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">New Sheriff in Austin</span> </span></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uE8WPg2cqu4/Us28H3OtD6I/AAAAAAAAC68/cucPp4DkbMc/s1600/Strong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uE8WPg2cqu4/Us28H3OtD6I/AAAAAAAAC68/cucPp4DkbMc/s1600/Strong.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Charlie Strong, head football coach, Texas</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">DDT advises Strong to take the money and run</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span><br />
</b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span>Darrell Royal and Mack Brown will always be the iconic figures of Texas football. Both have achieved sainthood, even though both their tenures ended on a bittersweet note. It was scripted that way.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<br />
For football coaches, big time college football has become more and more like a Greek tragedy: a play in which the protagonist, usually a man of importance and outstanding personal qualities, falls to disaster through the combination of a personal failing or circumstances which he cannot control. Add to that, the big salaries and the unrealistic demands of alumni and fans, and the drama has intensified.<br />
<br />
Charlie Strong, the new head coach at Texas, will not be there for many years. He is a hired gun, a new sheriff. His mission: recruit speed, develop a defense, win now, win the national championship. Anything less than that and in less than a couple years won’t be tolerated.<br />
<br />
Strong is a capable coach. He’ll be able to recruit, he’ll improve the defense (it won’t take much to do that in Austin), and he’ll win. If he wins big and early, he’ll be smart to jump to another university or the pros. Hello SEC, PAC 12, Big 10, NFL. He has a future, but Austin will only be a stepping-stone to it.<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Not everybody onboard</span> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b></b>Strong’s hiring has drawn fire from disgruntled boosters who envisioned a more deliberate process.<br />
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According to ESPN, “Longtime booster Red McCombs is not a fan of Texas decision to hire coach Charlie Strong away from Louisville, calling it a kick in the face.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br />
“’I think the whole thing is a bit sideways,’ McCombs said of the selection process during an interview with ESPN 1250 San Antonio. ‘I don't have any doubt that Charlie is a fine coach. I think he would make a great position coach, maybe a coordinator. But I don't believe [he belongs at] what should be one of the three most powerful university programs in the world right now at UT-Austin. I don't think it adds up.’”<br />
<br />
Combs had lobbied for Texas to hire former NFL coach and ESPN analyst Jon Gruden and said, “I don't know what the big rush was. I was kind of pleased that [Texas athletic director Steve] Patterson already said that he'd like to get it done in the middle of January. That seemed logical to me. I'm a team player, but I think they went about it wrong and made the selection wrong."<br />
<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Big bidness</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">Texas named its McCombs School of Business after the benefactor, and he has a statue inside Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. McCombs has donated more than $100 million to UT and is a close friend to Mack Brown.<br />
<br /><b>
DDT’s advice to Strong:</b> “Have fun. It’s not reality. It’s big-time college football, a big-budget movie scripted like a Greek tragedy, and your character gets killed in the end, anyway—you know that—so enjoy it, and take the money and run, man. Take the money.”</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GFJPtwpXLKQ/Us25IP2DiTI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/kmBHkDyBlWY/s1600/manziel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GFJPtwpXLKQ/Us25IP2DiTI/AAAAAAAAC6Q/kmBHkDyBlWY/s1600/manziel.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>J. Football</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Manziel goes for the gold</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">Johnny Manziel, aka Johnny Football, the copyrighted quarterback for the Texas State Boys and Girls Home for Farmers and Mechanics these past two years, has, to no one’s surprise, announced his candidacy for the NFL draft.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br />
J. Football is probably the most over-hyped player in the history of the game, and all the miracles of special effects and high-tech digital technology were brought to bear again—proving the point—during his recent bowl game against Duke.<br />
<br />
DDT watched the game from a beer joint in Terlingua, where a large screen TV provided patrons with a silent view of the contest. Watching without the benefit of sound gives the game another perspective. What we saw was two teams playing football. On-screen graphics gave the score and time remaining in the game, and cutaway after cutaway, little videoettes, showed Manziel’s formal portrait with action shots of him and captioning to the effect that he was “Johnny Football.” We saw these videos at least a half dozen times.<br />
<br />
There were none of other players, just Mr. TD. If you didn’t know what game you were watching, you might have gotten the impression that it was some kind of reality show about one player, with a supporting cast of characters.<br />
<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">
Much ado about another player from Kerrville</span></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">Several years ago, DDT was a sports announcer and broadcast Kerrville Tivy’s football games on local radio. One year, Tivy, which by coincidence is Johnny Manziel’s high school alma mater, had an outstanding running back by the name of John Shaw. He consistently ripped off big gainers on big play after big play.<br />
<br />
At one point, DDT was prompted to say, “It’s the John Shaw Show.” And it was said more than once. This did not sit well with parents of the other players, several of whom expressed their displeasure to our broadcast crew.<br />
<br />
We continued to call the games the way we saw them—parents be damned—as Shaw led the Tivy Antlers to many victories.<br />
<br />
After seeing the Aggie’s game with Duke in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl and the way the network showcased J. Football, DDT was reminded that sometimes fans and players and parents of other players get tired of seeing one guy get so much publicity and that J. Football’s departure from College Station might be welcomed by some.<br />
<br />
However, DDT was hoping he’d come back and, assuming that Kevin Sumlin can put together a defense, something he has never done at either Houston or TAMU, we would get to see if the Ags could stay in the Top 10, displace the powers in the SEC, and make a run at National Gold.<br />
<br />
Not to be. Sayonara Mr. Touchdown. But if the Farmers learn to play D, they may be good in 2014, anyway. We'll find out Aug. 28, when they open the new season at South Carolina.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Say it ain’t so Brent, er-uh Kirk, that is Brent</span></span></b></span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xd6VprEpJC0/Us29PkGVMWI/AAAAAAAAC7I/HNlUSnePiJg/s1600/Musberger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xd6VprEpJC0/Us29PkGVMWI/AAAAAAAAC7I/HNlUSnePiJg/s1600/Musberger.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Left to right, Kirk Herbstreit and Kirk Herbstreit</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">At the opening of ESPN’s broadcast of the national championship game, Brent Musberger said, ... “Hello, I’m Kirk Herbstreit, along with Brent Musberger ... and ... ”<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<br />
The gentleman has a grand sense of humor. Imagine having the juevos to put a national viewing audience on with a switcheroo like that. Kirk was amused, not to mention surprised, as he turned smiling at Brent even though he didn’t respond to the joke. But, he might not have been sure if Kirk, er-uh Brent, was kidding around or was going off his rocker.<br />
<br />
This little gag prompted many e-mails to DDT. “Did you hear what I heard, or am I losing it?” wrote a reader. <br />
<br />
DDT: No, you’re not losing it, you heard it right.<br />
<br />
Now the question becomes, is Brent, er-uh Kirk, that is Brent—whomever—losing it or was he just having us on?<br />
<br />
Musberger has long been considered by many as sort of the Walmart greeter of sports announcers. But millions shop at Walmart and millions have heard Brent call the games over the years. Like Walmart, it looks like he’ll be around for a while, even though his producers may have to put his opening, complete with his name, on teleprompter.<br />
<br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">* Many Native American groups do not agree that the use of Indian names honors their culture, traditions and fighting spirit. Under pressure from the NCAA, North Dakota dropped the mascot Fighting Sioux,* and others like Stanford and Miami of Ohio are no longer The Indians. <br /><br />
But others like Florida State remain the Seminoles. Central Michigan is still the Chippewas, and Utah remains the Utes. In the case of Florida State, much financial assistance is given to students from the Seminole tribe.<br />
<br />
At a recent Taos Pow Wow, DDT took the opportunity to interview several Native Americans who were wearing logo hats and shirts of the Atlanta Braves and Cleveland Indians. None were offended by the use of those nicknames. Obviously. They were wearing them.<br />
<br />
According to a Sports Illustrated article, 83% of American Indian respondents to an SI poll said that professional teams (Indians, Braves, Redskins) should NOT stop using Indian nicknames, mascots, or symbols.<br />
<br />
Others challenge those findings, and the controversay continues.<br />
<br />
But, like or not, the national champions in college football are the Florida State Seminoles.</span> </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><i>* North Dakota currently has NO mascot for their athletic teams and state law prohibits them from naming a new one until 2015.</i></span></span><br />
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-91598195951924484782013-12-16T20:45:00.000-07:002014-03-03T12:07:44.263-07:00<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Say g’day Mack</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></span></b>Texas handled the Mack Brown situation poorly and can now join Auburn, Pitt, Michigan and all the rest whose Machievellian antics and backroom intrigues have created awkward situations for departing coaches and for college football programs. <br />
<br />
Sixteen years, a winning record, a national championship and runner-up for another counted for little as Brown ran the gauntlet of the 2013 season. At least he was allowed to resign, and, according to reports, could have stayed. But if he was going to stay, that should have been announced at least by mid-season so the program could get on with planning for the future. In the meantime, all the speculation about his job tenure was damaging. Texas will now lose at least a year in recruiting.<br />
<br />
<b>Nick Saban</b> at Alabama and <b>Art Briles </b>at Baylor can thank Brown for their new multi-year, multi-gazillion dollar contracts because when it became apparent that there might be a coaching vacancy in Austin that gave their schools incentive to up the ante to keep them.<br />
<br />
Saban would have been a shameless hire. Like the New York Yankees who have tried to buy pennants by throwing millions at players, Texas could afford to pay Saban whatever it took. But there’s no way Saban was a “Texas guy.” Briles would have been a better candidate, but Baylor moved quickly to secure his position, and, rarely, if ever, have coaches switched schools within the Big 12 or the old Southwest Conference. <br />
<br />
It’s hard to see Texas finding anybody who has any connection to Texas or even the state. The name of <b>Jim Harbaugh</b> has come up. But what would a guy from Michigan who turned down his alma mater a couple years ago be doing in Texas? His successor at Stanford, <b>David Shaw</b>, would be a good candidate, but that match, Texas/Shaw, somehow doesn’t pass the smell test. <b>Chip Kelley’s</b> name came up. Erstwhile coach at Oregon, now with the Philadelphia Eagles. Joke. Who then?<br />
<br />
<b>Les Miles</b>, LSU: He has the track record but has no reason to move. It would be a matter of money. <b>Jimbo Fisher</b>, Florida State: Why would he move? Money. <b>Hugh Freeze</b>, Ole Miss: Young, up and coming, has done as well as could be expected given the resources at hand, which are not many at Ole Miss. And they say he recruits well. <b>Todd Graham</b>, Arizona State: one year as head coach at Rice, three at Tulsa, one at Pitt, then on to AzState his current stopover. He typifies the state of the fast-gun game—take the money and run, keep moving. <b>Larry Fedora</b>, North Carolina: He was an assistant at Oklahoma State and knows the territory. <b>James Franklin</b>, Vanderbilt: First black coach at Texas? Possibility.<br />
<br />
The only other alternative would be some assistant who the powers have been watching. Young, unknown, chance to create his own legacy from the ground up, doesn’t have to come in with the burden of “win right this minute” that the others would bring. Win right this minute will eventually happen, but an unknown might be given a small grace period.<br />
<br />
As the financial arms race in college athletics spirals out of control, colleges and universities continue to send the wrong message. They are not about education. They are about money: win big, win now, get the big bowl payout and the TV money, outspend your competition—win!<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">The Carousel:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span>Arkansas State</b>: Moved to Boise State, Bryan Harsin. No replacement named yet. <br />
<b>Army</b>: Fired, Rich Ellerson. No replacement named yet. <br />
<b>Boise State</b>: Moved to Washington, Chris Petersen. Replaced by Bryan Harsin.<br />
<b>Bowling Green</b>: Moved to Wake Forest, Dave Clawson. No replacement named yet. <br />
<b>Connecticut: </b>Fired, Paul Pasqualoni. Replaced by Bob Diaco, D coordinator at Notre Dame.<br />
<b>Eastern Michigan:</b> Fired, Ron English. Replaced by Craig Creighton.<br />
<b>Florida Atlantic:</b> Fired, Carl Pelini. Replaced by Charlie Partridge.<br />
<b>Miami (Ohio):</b> Fired, Don Treadwell. Replaced by Chuck Martin.<br />
<b>Texas</b>: Resigned, Mack Brown. No replacement named yet. <br />
<b>USC</b>: Fired, Lane Kiffin. Replaced by Steve Sarkisian of Washington.<br />
<b>Wake Forest</b>: Retired, Jim Grobe. Replaced by Dave Clawson.<br />
<b>Washington</b>: Moved to USC, Steve Sarkisian. Replaced by Chris Petersen.<br />
<b>Wyoming</b>: Fired, Dave Christensen. Replaced by Craig Bohl.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Updating DDT’s bubble alerts:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></b><b>Bo Pelini, NU:</b> “If they want to fire me, let them,” said Pelini. DDT sez: It hasn’t happened yet, but it will. Pelini’s continued emotional incontinence may eventually take its toll with the Children of the Corn.<br />
<br />
<b>Kirk Ferentz, Iowa:</b> Wins over Michigan and Nebraska in the last two weeks of the season have saved coach.<br />
<br />
<b>Dave Christensen, Wyoming: </b>Fired.<br />
<br />
<b>Jim Grobe, Wake Forest:</b> Resigned.<br />
<br />
<b>Paul Rhoads, Iowie State:</b> Dumping assistants. May survive one more year.<br />
<br />
<b>Bobby Hauck, UNLV:</b> A decent year by UNLV standards (7-5), and a big win over San Diego State in the home finale.<br />
<br />
<b>Will Muschamp, Florida: </b>Admin appears to be behind him. He scape-goated his O coordinator and dumped him to buy another year.<br />
<br />
<b>Brady Hoke, Michigan:</b> Lost four of the last five. Disciples of the Maize and Blue are displeased. Next season will be a week-to-week proposition for Hoke who was Michigan’s second choice after Jim Harbaugh said “no” a few years ago.<br />
<br />
<b>Frank Solich, Ohio:</b> Third place in the MAC East, lost three of the last four, 7-5 on the year. Solich appears to be out of gas, but a big win in a bowl game (vs. East Carolina in the Beef O’Brady Bowl) would put everything in a different light. <br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Ten in Texas, one in New Mexico:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"></span></b>1) <b>Baylor. </b>The Bears owned the 2013 tackle football season in Texas and may for years to come. They did what is necessary to compete in today’s world of collegiate athletics—went out and raised money, much of which of was donated following the religious fervor following RGIII’s Heisman coronation.<br />
The Bears move into a new multi-million stadium next year, Art Briles was given a 10-year contract, Bryce Petty is coming back and their first four games in 2014 are SMU, Northwestern State (of Louisiana), Buffalo and Iowa State. By October when they meet Texas, the Bears should be undefeated and ranked high in the Top Ten.<br />
<br />
2) <b>Texas</b>. Second best program in the state. The ‘Horns beat OU. Nothing much else need be said. <br />
<br />
3) <b>Texas State Boys and Girls home for Farmers and Mechanics.</b> Third best program in the state. The Ags proved to be just barely above average this year and J.Football proved solvable. DDT hopes Mr. Touchdown comes back next year and the Farmers put a defense on the field so we can see if they really belong in the SEC.<br />
<br />
4) <b>Texas Christian/Stockyards.</b> It wasn’t a year to “Fear the Frog,” but Gary Patterson has won more than ten games in seven of the last ten years. If the “Froggies” (an old Kern Tips expression) would just wear some decent uni’s and get away from the bling jammy look that has plagued so many teams they might get more respect.<br />
<br />
5) <b>Texas Tech.</b> Won their first seven, lost their last five. No quality wins in that first seven, maybe one quality loss (OU) in that last five. And they meet AzState in the Holiday Bowl. Make it six losses in a row.<br />
<br />
6) <b>Rice.</b> Winners of the Conference USA West Division (10-3), playing in the Liberty Bowl against Mississippi State. TAMU showed them the dif between the majors and the mid-majors early in the season, but the Owls have improved.<br />
<br />
7) <b>UH</b>. Fourth in the American Athletic Conference, no quality wins. Lucky to get a bowl, the Compass-something-or-another against Vandy.<br />
<br />
8) <b>SMU</b>. Like Pony teams of old, they had a passing attack for a while (Garrett Gilbert) and could move the football between the 20s but did little where it counted in the red zone. In 2014, two of their losses will come early in the season when they meet Baylor and Texas A&M in weeks one through three. <br />
<br />
9) <b>The U’s: UTSA, UTEP.</b> The Roadrunners of UTSA did surprisingly well: 7-5 in only their second season in DivOne. They didn’t beat anybody important and didn’t get a bowl bid but did do better than UTEP (2-10), who found the earth flat and fell off the edge in coach Sean Kugler’s first season. <br />
<br />
<b>New Mexico, 3-9</b>. DDT has only taken note because UNM is within 100 miles DDT HQ, which means nothing. Nor does UNM football. UNM is a basketball school, and their home court, “The Pit,” is rated one of the top venues in college hoops. Maybe they should play their football games in there. Otherwise, they are an example of a program that should downsize to the FCS in football.<br />
<br />• It’s a crap shoot. So many good one-loss teams in the hunt, losses that turned on one or two plays. Some good two-loss teams, too. A play here, a play there, and you’re a God or a goat.<br />
<br />
Auburn wins two games on last-play miracles this year and Gus Malzahn—in his first year—is declared Messiah and given a big contract. But Gene Chizik won a national championship in his second year at Auburn, then was fired two years later. <br />
<br />
Maybe college administrators should only ask one question when interviewing coaches: Are you lucky?<br />
<br />
<b>And now the award for the one-time Heisman hopeful who wasn’t nominated but did make headlines last week for being ticketed by South Carolina State Police for going 110 mph in a 70 mph zone. And the winner is, Jadevon Clowney, DT, University of South Carolina Gamecocks.</b></span></span><br />
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b>This just in:<br />
</b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><br />
</b></span><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: 24.0px;">Are they hiring a new CEO for Disney World or a football coach?<br />
</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">From ESPN: “Texas athletic director Steve Patterson has appointed an eight-member advisory committee and retained an executive recruiting firm to aid in his search for the Longhorns' next football coach.<br /><br />
Included in the group tasked with finding Mack Brown's successor are two members of the UT System Board of Regents, Steve Hicks and Robert Stillwell, as well as former Regent Robert Rowling. They're joined on the committee by UT professor Michael Clement, U.S. federal judge Ricardo Hinojosa, former Exxon Mobil vice president Charles Matthews, Capital Royalty chairman Charles Tate and Pamela Willeford, former U.S. ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein and former chair of the Texas Higher Education Coordinator Board.”</span>
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</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Two regents, a former regent, a UT prof, a federal judge, a former oil exec, a CEO and a former U.S. Ambassador to Switzerland. Not a coach, a former athetic director, or anybody directly connected with football on the committee.<br /><br />
So back to the original question: Are they hiring a CEO for Disney World or a football coach? The former, definitely. It’s not college football anymore, anyway. It’s a big-budget movie. Academy Award to the script writer who came up with this search committee.</span>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-71666333958352882352013-11-21T21:31:00.000-07:002013-11-22T08:34:23.949-07:00<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;">Baylor Number One</span></span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #6aa84f;"></span></span></b>Week 13 of the season, and the number one and two teams in the land, <b>Alabama</b> and <b>Florida State</b>, are proving their manhood by taking on the likes of Division II Chattanooga, in Alabama’s case, and Idaho in Florida State’s case. We read a lot in the news about bullying in schools, these days. Is this what they're talking about?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">Number 3 <b>Ohio</b> <b>State</b> is playing Big 10 bottom feeder Indiana, while Number 8 <b>Clemson</b> has a scrimmage with DivTwo The Citadel, and number 12 <b>South Carolina</b> has DivTwo Coastal Carolina. Ohio State has to play Indiana because it's a conference game. But Clemson/Citadel and SC/Coastal Carolina? More bullying.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">
<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">
DDT sez, playing cream puffs late in the season should count against powers who aspire to national glory, and—and!—if Baylor wins convincingly against Oklahoma State (game at Stillwater), DDT would jump the Bears to Number 1 ahead ‘Bama, Florida State and Ohio State, based on strength of schedule.</span></b><br />
<br />
Only three matches this weekend will have impact on the national steeplechase: <b>Number 4 Baylor vs. number 11 Oklahoma State; number 9 Texas A&M vs. number 18 LSU; and number 14 UCLA vs. number 19 Arizona State. Winner of BU/OkState game has the inside track to win the Big 12 title, and the UCLA/AzSt winner will probably take the PAC12 South Division.</b><br />
<br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">
Upset alert!</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>DDT sez <b>Michigan State</b> with only one loss (17-13 to Notre Dame) and with the number one D in the country should be rated higher than number 13, but Sparty should be on guard against <b>Northwestern</b> this weekend. NW has lost six in a row, but two were in OT and two were by only three points. The Wildcats are not that bad and are good enough, especially since they’re playing at home this week, to break the losing streak. Right now, the road to the Rose Bowl for the Spartans runs through Evanston.<br />
<br />
Other potential upsets by squads who’ve had their ups and downs but, who, on a given day can beat anybody: <b>Arizona</b> in Tucson could surprise <b>Oregon</b>; <b>Olay Miss</b> in Jackson could prove a rude host to <b>Mizzou</b>; <b>Minnesota</b> in Minneapolis might disrupt <b>Wisconsin’s</b> Rose Bowl hopes; and <b>KState</b> in Manhattan could dump <b>OU</b>.<br />
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It’s college football. This time of year most teams, regardless of their records, are like a two-headed rattler run over by an 18-wheeler: You never know which way they’re going to strike and when.</b>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1250843722711110757.post-30624353273294195902013-11-13T10:17:00.000-07:002013-11-13T12:25:19.952-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Lockbaum, Webb lead in DDT's Heisman voting</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: navy;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"></span></b></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: navy;"><b>The candidates: </b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: navy;"><b></b></span><span style="color: red;"><b>Jameis Winston</b></span>, Freshman, Florida State. Disqualified. DDT does not recognize freshmen as Heisman candidates.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Johnny “Johnny Football” Manziel</b></span>, Sophomore, Texas State Boys and Girls Home for Farmers and Mechanics. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;">Disqualified.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"> He won it last year. Once is enough.</span><br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Marcus</b> <b>Mariotti</b></span>, Sophomore, Oregon. Disqualified. Great players make great plays in great games, but he folded in the big game with Stanford a couple weeks ago.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PndxRT2DYnQ/UoOu2NHE1MI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/CaeNaL0XDos/s1600/Winston,+Manziel,+Mariotta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PndxRT2DYnQ/UoOu2NHE1MI/AAAAAAAAC4Q/CaeNaL0XDos/s640/Winston,+Manziel,+Mariotta.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">L-R, Winston, Manziel, Mariotta</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: red;"><b>Bryce</b> <b>Petty</b></span>, Junior, Baylor. He’s having a good year, but he’s a junior. Next year.<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>A.J. McCarron</b></span>, Senior, Alabama. Probably the best candidate. He leads the number one team in the nation and led them to a national championship last year. If winning is what it’s all about, he’s almost elected. But, whoa, what’s this with all the ‘toos? Why does a good lookin’ white kid fester up his torso with a bunch of tribal graffiti?<br />
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<span style="color: red;"><b>Katherine Webb</b></span>, Miss Alabama, A.J. McCarron’s girlfriend. She cleans up pretty good and has no ‘toos. DDT is considering her ahead of McCarron for the trophy.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ4UOMEqjkU/UoOu6BRuxrI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/rFUcGn2Ycsw/s1600/Bryce,+McCarron,+Webb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XQ4UOMEqjkU/UoOu6BRuxrI/AAAAAAAAC4Y/rFUcGn2Ycsw/s640/Bryce,+McCarron,+Webb.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">L-R, Petty, McCarron, Webb</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">
<span style="color: red;"><b>Gordie</b> <b>Lockbaum</b></span>, graduate, Holy Cross, class of ‘87. DDT declared Lockbaum winner of the Heisman for something like nine out of the last ten years because he’s the last true all-round candidate who has been nominated for the award: He played O, he played D, he did the kicking, he returned kicks. Most of the other “winners,” who DDT disqualified, were either the products of big publicity machines or racked up a lot of spectacular offensive stats in late-season, high-profile games—which was just media puppy love in the glow of the wine.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CPF2b5TX4OQ/UoOwNH7jpXI/AAAAAAAAC4s/0thEccuwzE8/s1600/Lockbaumright.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="268" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CPF2b5TX4OQ/UoOwNH7jpXI/AAAAAAAAC4s/0thEccuwzE8/s400/Lockbaumright.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Lockbaum</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Lockbaum leads DDT’s Heisman voting at this point, followed by Katherine Webb, who is a close second. Distance thirds are McCarron and Petty.</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>The Jammies</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;">DDT’s equivalent of the Oscars and Emmys and all that. Our Jammies go to teams who wear the worst looking uni’s every week. Oregon has dominated the award for the past couple years, but Maryland has made a run this year, and, last week, Texas Tech racked up some votes, not only by wearing some really cluttered jammies but also by calling attention to themselves by getting their butts handed to them in a sack by KState on national TV.</span></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZFbMJkHdN8/UoOwh7qKgQI/AAAAAAAAC44/CkPKa5w97IQ/s1600/Maryland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-BZFbMJkHdN8/UoOwh7qKgQI/AAAAAAAAC44/CkPKa5w97IQ/s640/Maryland.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Maryland continues to experiment with remnants of their state flag.</span></td></tr>
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: small;"></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding-bottom: 6px; padding-left: 6px; padding-right: 6px; padding-top: 6px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cCAc9do_S1w/UoOwh_w9TTI/AAAAAAAAC40/JEnIdAOZrWA/s1600/Tech+vs.+KState.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="329" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cCAc9do_S1w/UoOwh_w9TTI/AAAAAAAAC40/JEnIdAOZrWA/s640/Tech+vs.+KState.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; padding-top: 4px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tech's helmets were used for practice by an automobile spray painting class.</span></span></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>The Academies</b></span></span></span></span><br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--AO9kuS9qrY/UoOxzO6TKMI/AAAAAAAAC5I/Xr4egKnNsWA/s1600/Academy+logos+three+up.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="116" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--AO9kuS9qrY/UoOxzO6TKMI/AAAAAAAAC5I/Xr4egKnNsWA/s400/Academy+logos+three+up.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"></span></b></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><span style="color: red;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>Navy</b></span>, 5-4, beat Hawaii 42-28. This week, at home against South Alabama.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Army</b></span>, 3-7, lost to Western Kain’tuck 21-17. This week, at Hawaii.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Air Force</b></span>, 2-8, lost a track meet to New Mexico 45-37. This week, at home against UNLV</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><br /></span></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">"These are work clothes." —Darrell Royal</span></i></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;"><br /></span></i></b></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial; font-size: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: blue;">
<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: Verdana, Helvetica, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 18.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">And this just in: </span></b>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Add to our bubble alert: </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Will Muschamp</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">, Florida; </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Brady Hoke</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">, Michigan and </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Frank Solich</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">, Ohio.<br /><br />
Bad years all around. Muschamp is 22-13 in three years at The Swamp, but is 4-5 this year with four losses in a row, including last week—at home!—against Vandy and has no quality wins this season. Hoke is 25-10 in three years at the Big House but is 6-3 this year with two quality losses in a row and is next to last in the Legends division of the Big Ten.<br /><br />
Two of the biggest most highly funded programs in the country won't tolerate mediocrity.<br /><br />
Ohio doesn't expect much. Solich is 65-48 in Athens, is 2-3 in bowls, but his Wildcats seem to have gone to the house. Blowout losses in the past two weeks.<br /><br />
Reference: Early bubble alert (see my post of 10/28)</span>
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SAM•U•Lhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15740123258803497566noreply@blogger.com3