I am a Redskins fan. I remember watching them win the Superbowl in '92 and have always been a fan, sometimes not as dedicated in my early teens when I didn't realize anger, disappointment, and angst, were necessary to being a good fan. Despite trying to hide my fandom behind various winners in my younger days, I still felt all those negative feelings of a franchise struggling. I also went to a school whose mascot was also the Saints. So I have always felt the New Orleans Saints as a kindred spirit; I even had my parents get me a hat when they were there for a teachers conference last spring. Couple that with the Katrina thing and I think most of America will be rooting for the Saints on the 7th too.
Here are random thoughts I'm not really going to tie together at all:
I hope the Saints take the same "hit him and take a few penalties" approach on Chicken-dancer daddy's boy Manning.
I hope the Saints learn from last week: blitzing and press coverage doesn't work very well. They were shred by the Vikings and the Jets were shred by the Colts.
I don't care that Archie Manning played for the Saints. Sure Peyton and "Unstoppable" Eli have to be grateful the Saints employed their dad as a professional QB affording them the opportunity they have today, but Archie would have played for another team. Also, blood runs deep. There is no way Archie is rooting for anyone but his son. If he shows up in a halfsies jersey like he's Brady Quinn's sister he should be denied entrance and banned from all sporting events. This is the Super Bowl, the line is drawn, pick a side.
This has the potential to be a very high scoring game if the Saints o-line keeps Brees upright. That defense is not stopping Manning and his 4 receivers.
Lucky for the Saints the Colts don't rush the ball well (because they don't need to). And Addai is not 100% (he starts for his pass blocking abilities thought). This favors the Saints because they aren't stellar at stopping the run. However, I'm guessing Indy will use the run more than usual.
Bold Prediction (note sarcasm): the Saint's ability to force turnovers may play a part in this. Manning quietly threw 16 INTs this year (his highest total since 2002).
The Colts defense may be "under-sized" but they don't play like it. What they lack in size they make up for in blinding quickness. They don't blitz, they don't press, they play straight up more often than not. They adjust well; why do you think the Jets didn't score after halftime?
This might be the best "chess-match" Super Bowl ever. What team adjusts better than Coach Manning and his head-set carrier, Jim Caldwell? Is there a more bizzaro coaching combo than Sean Peyton and Gregg Williams; they are mad scientists when it comes to schemes. The Saints have so many different looks its like each game is a new team.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Boycott Leno
Two blog posts in a week? Yeah work is that boring.
It's been an ongoing saga for 2 weeks now, but Leno (and NBC) v Conan is finally over. As predicted the scumbag Jay Leno won out, kicking NBC's most underrated (by them, not by anyone who uses the internet) talent.
Why did NBC do what they did? There has been such a massive public backlash on every internet site, from Twitter, to Facebook, to even the inspiration for this blog the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, podcasting with the San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Goodman (one of the best two TV critics in the nation) about how Conan got the raw deal and how terrible Leno is. The real key is that the demographics Leno is strong in don't use the internet. They are people who don't like the little things to change. They liked the fat chin, flat humor, and all about ME interviews of Leno because its what had happened for 17 years. They didn't like this active, smart, witty, gangly red quaffed host. He was too much for them. And in their defense I think Conan was a little over-awed with his new gig and held back a little. But in his defense when he took over Late Night he had a painfully slow start.
Now, believe it or not Conan is better off. He will get a new show, and the millions of people will flock to it simply because he comes out of this mess looking better than ever. He cut loose his last weeks and reminded us why we love him. He took the classy road by generously thanking NBC for the chance to host, but he didn't want to destroy the legacy of the show by moving it's time slot; he put the show before him. Hopefully Fox will sign him to an 11 o'clock gig where he will return the favor to Leno by snagging all the best guests for the earlier time slot.
What do NBC and Leno get out of this. Well, they look horrible. NBC execs pretty much claimed 2 failures in this. They look loyal, but to a guy who is ruthless, selfish, and egotistical. This is not the first time Leno has stabbed someone in the back, ask David Letterman. How do you think he go the Tonight Show? Also, in 1979 when comedians went on strike against the Comedy Store in L.A. many believe Leno was feeding info to the management, like the little weasel he is. NBC had set it up from Jump Street for Conan to fail, and everyone knew it. They sandbagged him by giving Leno the prime time show, where he would get the best guests first. But they knew a prime time talkshow would never work because the serial dramas in the 10 o'clock hour are some of the best loved shows (CSI x3, The Mentalist, NCIS, and its where Law and Order and ER used to run). Leno could have done the classy thing and respectfully declined the show and kept doing his weekly Las Vegas stand up for big bucks. He could have become the Wayne Newton of comedy. But no, his need to be in the spotlight and have everyone looking at him prevented that.
So I say we show NBC that one of the reasons Leno failed at 10 was because he just isn't funny. We show NBC that we love Conan and they cut him loose way too early. DON'T EVER WATCH THE TONIGHT SHOW AGAIN. Kill the franchise out of respect for Team CoCo!
It's been an ongoing saga for 2 weeks now, but Leno (and NBC) v Conan is finally over. As predicted the scumbag Jay Leno won out, kicking NBC's most underrated (by them, not by anyone who uses the internet) talent.
Why did NBC do what they did? There has been such a massive public backlash on every internet site, from Twitter, to Facebook, to even the inspiration for this blog the Sports Guy, Bill Simmons, podcasting with the San Francisco Chronicle's Tim Goodman (one of the best two TV critics in the nation) about how Conan got the raw deal and how terrible Leno is. The real key is that the demographics Leno is strong in don't use the internet. They are people who don't like the little things to change. They liked the fat chin, flat humor, and all about ME interviews of Leno because its what had happened for 17 years. They didn't like this active, smart, witty, gangly red quaffed host. He was too much for them. And in their defense I think Conan was a little over-awed with his new gig and held back a little. But in his defense when he took over Late Night he had a painfully slow start.
Now, believe it or not Conan is better off. He will get a new show, and the millions of people will flock to it simply because he comes out of this mess looking better than ever. He cut loose his last weeks and reminded us why we love him. He took the classy road by generously thanking NBC for the chance to host, but he didn't want to destroy the legacy of the show by moving it's time slot; he put the show before him. Hopefully Fox will sign him to an 11 o'clock gig where he will return the favor to Leno by snagging all the best guests for the earlier time slot.
What do NBC and Leno get out of this. Well, they look horrible. NBC execs pretty much claimed 2 failures in this. They look loyal, but to a guy who is ruthless, selfish, and egotistical. This is not the first time Leno has stabbed someone in the back, ask David Letterman. How do you think he go the Tonight Show? Also, in 1979 when comedians went on strike against the Comedy Store in L.A. many believe Leno was feeding info to the management, like the little weasel he is. NBC had set it up from Jump Street for Conan to fail, and everyone knew it. They sandbagged him by giving Leno the prime time show, where he would get the best guests first. But they knew a prime time talkshow would never work because the serial dramas in the 10 o'clock hour are some of the best loved shows (CSI x3, The Mentalist, NCIS, and its where Law and Order and ER used to run). Leno could have done the classy thing and respectfully declined the show and kept doing his weekly Las Vegas stand up for big bucks. He could have become the Wayne Newton of comedy. But no, his need to be in the spotlight and have everyone looking at him prevented that.
So I say we show NBC that one of the reasons Leno failed at 10 was because he just isn't funny. We show NBC that we love Conan and they cut him loose way too early. DON'T EVER WATCH THE TONIGHT SHOW AGAIN. Kill the franchise out of respect for Team CoCo!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
What's Wrong With College Sports
Every day I find myself disliking major college sports more and more. Major football and basketball programs have become cesspools of corruption and broken promises. It starts with the funding of the whole damned thing.
Boosters are everything to these two cash cow sports; the donations of the boosters are what keep these programs on budget, allowing for the profit by the school. These people only care about wins and final rankings. They could care less about the actual players. If a player isn't playing well but acing all of his classes, take him out; if a player plays excellent but can barely read, no big deal. Colleges are not the minor leagues, they are academic institutions where learning is the top priority, not a football score.
The thing that really disgusts me is the coaches. Coaches like Mark Mangio, formerly of Kansas, or Jim Leavitt, formerly of University of South Florida, whose heads are so big (literally in Mangio's case) and egos so inflated they think they can abuse players and get away with it. Jim Leavitt is actually suing USF because they fired him; what an ass. I can't stand coaches like Pete Carroll, Lane Kiffin, or John Calipari who laugh at the rules and regulations of the NCAA then leave right before the shit hits the fan. Well, in Kiffin's case he jumped from one sinking ship to the next. Coaches like Nick Saban, Rich Rodriguez, and Bobby Petrino, they get to make all these promises to recruits, getting them to commit to their programs, then leave as soon as the money's good somewhere else. Disgusting.
The type of coach I hate the most are the Mack Brown types (Calipari is in this boat too, along with the Saban class, so I think he's the ultimate scumbag coach). These coaches are ultimately failures in my eyes. They sacrifice their players' futures for W's. This is proof enough for me that Texas had no business in the championship game. The number one mission of every college and university is to educate. Many major college sports programs fall woefully short in this aspect. The coaches lure the players there with promises of preparation for the next level. This is wholly unrealistic for a vast majority of scholarship athletes; like the NCAA commercial says: "we will be going pro in something else." Another incentive is the lack of academic commitment at schools. Places like Florida State, Texas, Georgia, they all have massive academic support systems for their athletes. They have special classes for athletes, special majors for athletes, special tutors (read test takers) for athletes. All in all these institutions are failing their students by allowing this to pass. The athletes are in no way prepared for getting a job after sports. What is someone going to do with a major in recreation and leisure? Is that seriously a major? Are some of the courses 345 Platform Wars: N64 vs PS1, 395: Seminar on the History of the Master Chief, 400: Advanced Pick-Up Basketball? It is despicable that the NCAA allows this to continue.
The real victims in all of this, as you no doubtedly guessed, are the players. They make millions for the universities and receive almost nothing in return. Sure there are some who only could get to college because of basketball and once there pick a real major, study hard, and earn every penny of the scholarship they're granted. Yes there are some how major in video game studies but go on to make millions in the pros. But so many are being misled and in the end see nothing of the hard work they put into practices, games, and off-season workouts. What's even more perturbing is the nature of their scholarships. If a new coach comes in and doesn't like you, sorry you can't go to school here anymore. If you get hurt and can no longer play, the bill will be sent your parents. If you decide that your athletic commitment is seriously jeopardizing your academics (because that is the priority in going to college, the classroom), better take out a loan to pay for it. Essentially these "student-athletes" are brought in as unpaid workers. There has to be some solution to right these wrongs. Guarantee scholarships, set up trusts for each athlete that they can only get if they graduate, instead of joke majors have more vocational majors for those who cannot handle an academic discipline.
All in all the major college sports situation in this country has completely failed. It glorifies ego-maniacal coaches who laugh in the face of not only their employers, but the governing body. Schools make millions of off the players. And the players themselves are the victims of all this. They put in the blood, sweat, and tears, the long hours in the weight room, the wind sprints, the summer practices. What do they get in reward? For the most part they are completely unprepared for life after sports. All too often the system fails them.
Boosters are everything to these two cash cow sports; the donations of the boosters are what keep these programs on budget, allowing for the profit by the school. These people only care about wins and final rankings. They could care less about the actual players. If a player isn't playing well but acing all of his classes, take him out; if a player plays excellent but can barely read, no big deal. Colleges are not the minor leagues, they are academic institutions where learning is the top priority, not a football score.
The thing that really disgusts me is the coaches. Coaches like Mark Mangio, formerly of Kansas, or Jim Leavitt, formerly of University of South Florida, whose heads are so big (literally in Mangio's case) and egos so inflated they think they can abuse players and get away with it. Jim Leavitt is actually suing USF because they fired him; what an ass. I can't stand coaches like Pete Carroll, Lane Kiffin, or John Calipari who laugh at the rules and regulations of the NCAA then leave right before the shit hits the fan. Well, in Kiffin's case he jumped from one sinking ship to the next. Coaches like Nick Saban, Rich Rodriguez, and Bobby Petrino, they get to make all these promises to recruits, getting them to commit to their programs, then leave as soon as the money's good somewhere else. Disgusting.
The type of coach I hate the most are the Mack Brown types (Calipari is in this boat too, along with the Saban class, so I think he's the ultimate scumbag coach). These coaches are ultimately failures in my eyes. They sacrifice their players' futures for W's. This is proof enough for me that Texas had no business in the championship game. The number one mission of every college and university is to educate. Many major college sports programs fall woefully short in this aspect. The coaches lure the players there with promises of preparation for the next level. This is wholly unrealistic for a vast majority of scholarship athletes; like the NCAA commercial says: "we will be going pro in something else." Another incentive is the lack of academic commitment at schools. Places like Florida State, Texas, Georgia, they all have massive academic support systems for their athletes. They have special classes for athletes, special majors for athletes, special tutors (read test takers) for athletes. All in all these institutions are failing their students by allowing this to pass. The athletes are in no way prepared for getting a job after sports. What is someone going to do with a major in recreation and leisure? Is that seriously a major? Are some of the courses 345 Platform Wars: N64 vs PS1, 395: Seminar on the History of the Master Chief, 400: Advanced Pick-Up Basketball? It is despicable that the NCAA allows this to continue.
The real victims in all of this, as you no doubtedly guessed, are the players. They make millions for the universities and receive almost nothing in return. Sure there are some who only could get to college because of basketball and once there pick a real major, study hard, and earn every penny of the scholarship they're granted. Yes there are some how major in video game studies but go on to make millions in the pros. But so many are being misled and in the end see nothing of the hard work they put into practices, games, and off-season workouts. What's even more perturbing is the nature of their scholarships. If a new coach comes in and doesn't like you, sorry you can't go to school here anymore. If you get hurt and can no longer play, the bill will be sent your parents. If you decide that your athletic commitment is seriously jeopardizing your academics (because that is the priority in going to college, the classroom), better take out a loan to pay for it. Essentially these "student-athletes" are brought in as unpaid workers. There has to be some solution to right these wrongs. Guarantee scholarships, set up trusts for each athlete that they can only get if they graduate, instead of joke majors have more vocational majors for those who cannot handle an academic discipline.
All in all the major college sports situation in this country has completely failed. It glorifies ego-maniacal coaches who laugh in the face of not only their employers, but the governing body. Schools make millions of off the players. And the players themselves are the victims of all this. They put in the blood, sweat, and tears, the long hours in the weight room, the wind sprints, the summer practices. What do they get in reward? For the most part they are completely unprepared for life after sports. All too often the system fails them.
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