Friday, September 04, 2009

Michigan players are soft!!!

Michigan players crying about practice???...either they are cousins of Allen Iverson or the reason Michigan finished 3-9 last year...I found this written by Bob Marshall on fordyletter.com ...here is how Bo handled crybabies...God Bless Bo!!!

One day, one of the assistant coaches came in to Bo Schembechler’s office and mentioned that there was some complaining on the team. It was being said that Michigan practiced too long and hit too hard during those practices. The players also said that that was why the season was starting so poorly. Bo asked the Assistant who was making those comments. The Assistant said that many players were guilty, but that it was also coming from the team captain. Bo said, “Get him in here.”

Bo was not one to wait when problems occurred. Now the Captain, Andy Cannavino, was a big strong kid. He came into the office and Bo recounted what the Assistant had said. Andy admitted that he had indeed said those things.

At that point Bo said, “The University of Michigan has had a long and illustrious history. Since I have been here we have always had tough practices because football is a tough game. I would like you to tell the Captains of teams gone by that you think our practices are too long and that we hit too hard. I would like you to complain to them. Do you know what they would say to you?

They would tell you that you are a bad team captain, Andy Cannavino, and they would be right. On the field, you represent me. You are the coach on the field and you are letting me, your teammates and the whole program down.” At that point, with a tear flowing down his cheek, Andy Cannavino said, “I understand, Coach. There won’t be any more problems.”

And there weren’t. The team straightened themselves up. There was no more grumbling or complaining. The team finished the season by winning all of the rest of their games and playing, and winning, in the Rose Bowl – not something that the University of Michigan did all of the time. Andy Cannavino was acknowledged as the greatest team captain in Michigan’s history.

Enjoying Labor Day

Enjoy the long weekend...enjoy the football games...and enjoy the photo of this chick with a huge rack...

Speaking of racks, here is a question to my readers - what should I cook on Monday, racks of ribs or the traditional hamburgers????...leave your comments!!!!...

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Oklahoma State may be the most potent offense in college football

Thoughts on this year's college football season...

Sleeper Team - Oklahoma State
Ole Miss seems to be everyone's sexy sleeper pick...my choice is Oklahoma State...I understand they have a horrible defense - giving up 28 points and 406 yards/game last season...but if this defense can lower that to even 24 points/game, the Cowboys can be a great surprise...

Okie State has a great offense with Zac Robinson at QB, Kendall Hunter (photo, right) at RB, and Dez Bryant at WR...on the o-line, offensive tackle Russell Okung is one of the best...the schedule also breaks in their favor...they get both Georgia and Texas at home and even though they have to play at Oklahoma, it is not until the last game of the year...

Bowl Call
Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma State vs. Southern Cal
Sugar Bowl - Alabama vs. Notre Dame
Orange Bowl - Cincinnati vs. Wake Forest
Rose Bowl - Penn State vs. Oregon
BCS Title Game - Texas vs. Florida

Wednesday, September 02, 2009

Jeremiah Masoli: the best unknown QB

With the college football season just a day away, here are my thoughts on individual players...tomorrow will be a preview of teams...

Remember me?
Here are some players to remember during the year...these fellas are under-rated or just flat out unknown...
Offense
Jeremiah Masoli, quarterback, Oregon - 5'11", 215 (photo)
Colin Kaepernick, quarterback, Nevada - 6'6", 215
Russell Wilson, quarterback, N.C. State - 5'11", 210
Rusty Smith, quarterback, Florida Atlantic - 6'5", 220
James Starks, running back, Buffalo - 6'2", 215
Mardy Gilyard, wide receiver, Cincinnati - 6'1", 190
Kyle Jefferson, wide receiver, Wisconsin - 6'5", 180
Anthony Davis, tackle, Rutgers, 6'6", 325
Brandon Carter, guard, Texas Tech, 6'7", 350

Defense

Ndamukong Suh, defensive tackle, Nebraska - 6'4", 305 (photo)
Vince Oghobaase, defensive tackle, Duke - 6'6", 300
Jerry Hughes, defensive end, TCU - 6'3", 257
Brandon Graham, hybrid, Michigan - 6'2", 270
Joe Pawelek, linebacker, Baylor - 6'2", 240
Trevard Lindley, cornerback, Kentucky - 6'0", 170
Barry Church, strong safety, Toledo - 6'2", 220
Deunta Williams, free safety, North Carolina - 6'2", 205

Top 10 players I like
Here is a list of the 10 college players who I like...
1. Taylor Mays, safety, USC - this kids reminds me of Ronnie Lott...he is the total package with speed and power...
2. Colt McCoy, quarterback, Texas - McCoy does not have speed, but he is agile and smart enough to know when to step-up in the pocket or just take off running...he also has a nice touch on the ball...
3. Daryll Clark, quarterback, Penn State - I gotta go with a hometown boy who turned his back on Ohio State...Clark is from Youngstown, Ohio...
4. Jeremiah Masoli, quarterback, Oregon - this guy is a tank!!!!...he is built like a bowling ball who has no feat to drop his shoulder and take on a defender...he is also a decent passer who makes plays...
5. Brandon Minor, running back, Michigan - if he stays healthy, Minor will be one of the top backs in the country...he is such a hard nosed runner who will not quit...
6. Armanti Edwards, quarterback, Appalachian State - he is the best at I-AA...as a freshman he led Appy State to the title then started his sophomore year with a win at Michigan...this kid has "it"...
7. Tim Tebow, quarterback. Florida - everyone seems to hate Tebow because he is a winner...but you have to love this kid for his leadership and toughness...he is a rare one...
8. Javier Arenas, cornerback, Alabama - the kid is good on defense and special teams...
9.Ndamukong Suh, nose tackle, Nebraska - this guy is a run stopper who can also get in the backfield...
10. John Clay, running back, Wisconsin - this guy is a bulldozer...if he is in shape, Bielema should run this dude 25 times a game and just wear out defenses...

Tuesday, September 01, 2009

Former New York Giant Dave Meggett's son, Davin Meggett, is one of Maryland's top running backs

Saturday, September 5 - 10:00 p.m.
Maryland @ Cal
Berkeley, California
2008 record - Maryland (8-5) Cal (9-4)

These two teams met last season in College Park...heading into the game the Terps were 1-1 by barely beating Delaware 14-7 and losing to Middle Tennessee...so, Maryland played a little trick on the 23rd ranked Golden Bears by switching the game time to noon which seemed like a 9:00 a.m. start for Cal...this threw the Golden Bears off as they fell behind 28-6 after three quarters...despite a comeback, Cal lost 35-27...the Terps held Cal to 38 total yards rushing on 23 carries...

Key Players
Maryland - running back Da'Rei Scott rushed for 1.133 yards and 8 TDs last season...he is joined by Davin Meggett to make a good one-two punch...on defense linebacker Alex Wujciak was one of the top tacklers in the ACC last season...kick returner Torrey Smith is also someone to keep on eye on...

Cal - everything on the Cal offense centers around running back Jahvid Best - one of the best running backs in the country...the 5'10", 195 lb junior missed spring ball with surgery to his arm...the Golden Bears have a stud CB in senior Syd'Quan Thompson...Cal also has one of the best punters in sophomore Bryan Anger...over the last three years, the Golden Bears won their home opener against the likes of Minnesota (2006), Tennessee (2007), and Michigan State (2008)...

Jeff Barker of the Baltimore Sun writes about the newest threat in the Terp backfield - Davin Meggett (photo)... "Davin Meggett has virtually pulled even with Da'Rel Scott, who rushed for more than 1,000 yards last season, in the race to be Maryland's starting tailback, offensive coordinator James Franklin said Thursday night after the team's final preseason scrimmage." ...
  • Jeff Barker
  • Hail to the Redskins!

    I was looking through youtube when I came across this 1:42 clip on the 1982 NFC title game between Dallas and Washington...I still remember this game...sit back and enjoy football from the 80s...there were no hanging monitors or plastic grass...this was old school football baby!!!...

    Monday, August 31, 2009

    Notre Dame vs. Nevada - will this be the breakout year for Jimmy Clausen and the Irish?

    Nevada Wolf Pack at Notre Dame Fighting Irish
    Saturday, September 5 - 3:30 p.m.
    South Bend, Indiana
    2008 records - Nevada (7-6) Notre Dame (7-6)

    Under the scope
    The Wolf Pack are coached by Chris Ault who is in his 25th year at Nevada...the Pack are 1-12 visiting BCS teams losing by an average score of 43-17...last season they played at Missouri and were whacked 69-17...last season Nevada average 278 yards on the ground but only had 182 against Mizzou...Nevada has a stout running defense, allowing only 89 yards on the ground in 08, but they are abyssmal defending the pass giving up 312 yards per game...

    This is supposed to be the breakout year for highly touted QB Jimmy Clausen...Clausen torched Hawaii in the bowl game which made for a positive off-season...his main weapon is wideout Golden Tate, who is one of the elite players in the country...the Irish are loaded with a stable full of running backs led by Armando Allen...how far Notre Dame goes this season depends on the defense which is led by safety Kyle McCarthy...look for true freshman linebacker Manti Te'O, who was the top high school defensive player in the country last season, to see a lot of action...

    Key Players
    Nevada
    - the Pack return two 1,000 yard rushers in Vai Taua (photo) who led the WAC in rushing with 1,521 yards and 15 TDs...the other 1,000 yard rushere is QB Colin Kaepernick who racked up 1,130 yards and 17 rushing TDs...Kaepernick threw for 22 TDs with only 7 picks...

    Notre Dame - Jimmy Clausen threw for 3,127 yards and 25 TDs last season...however, he had 17 INTs...Golden Tate caught 58 balls for 1,080 yards and 10 TDs...

    Dan Hinxman of the Reno Gazette Journal writes about the positive feeling going on in Reno... "There's a charge in the air, and it's not because the Nevada basketball team is going to the NCAA Tournament. That could certainly happen -- the program has done so four times in the past six seasons and has gone on to postseason play seven straight seasons -- but it's three months until the basketball season even begins." ...
  • Dan Hinxman


  • Brian Hamilton of the Chicago Tribune gives some tidbits about the Irish on his blog - Around the Bend...
  • Brian Hamilton
  • Jim Harbaugh gets a toilet built closer to his office

    Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle had this report on August 27th...

    Jim Harbaugh wanted a restroom/shower to adjoin his office, and generous Stanford donor John Arrillaga came through recently, building the Cardinal's marquee coach a new loo for between $50,000 and $70,000.

    The story broke in the San Jose Mercury News. I don't know where the reporter got his info. I was going to suggest it was leaked to him, but I want to stay away from potty humor.

    The new restroom is a real time-saver.

    "It cuts down on drag," Harbaugh said.

    Football coaches are fanatical time-hoarders. Cal's Jeff Tedford sleeps on an air mattress. I've seen it leaning against his office wall, and I'm not sure if Tedford even moves it to the floor when it's time to nap.

    In the old days, every time nature called, Harbaugh had to hike the distance of two first downs to the nearest restroom. He grew weary of an even longer trek downstairs to the shower, on days when he wasn't showered in Gatorade.

    I can relate, because I have been to summer camp. The time I could have saved with my own private restroom at camp would have allowed me to polish my cabin's campfire skit, and I might be on Broadway now instead of writing about a football coach's bathroom.

    There will be critics who point out that Harbaugh's new lavatory sends a message of insensitivity, even though it was built with private-donor money. The country is in financial crisis, and Stanford is not exempt. Cardinal athletic programs are being cut to the bone. Jobs in the athletic department are going bye-bye.

    There are probably people at Stanford - students, professors, administrators, other coaches - who winced when they heard about Harbaugh's haven.

    No wincing here. As a sports guy, I understand the value of a winning football program, and the need of coaches to avoid wasting time. If Harbaugh leads the Cardinal to a bowl game, he'll have the last laugh, which would really echo in his tile bathroom.

    It's simple. Football rules the realm, and every king deserves a throne room. (Note to copy desk: Don't even think about inserting a line here about "royal flush.")