Wednesday's thrilling conclusion to the baseball regular season was pure heart break for members of the Red Sox Nation, of which my family and I belong.
But I am relatively new to the fan club, having only started cheering for Boston once Nome Garciaparra joined them at the end of the 1996 season. My wife and in-laws, however, have suffered their whole lives as Massachusetts natives. The 1986 ball-gets-past-Buckner World Series is merely a highlight for me. But every time it is replayed, it is lemon juice on a paper cut for my wife and in-laws.
The chronicle of pain associated with Red Sox fans is well documented, but the 2004 and 2007 World Series titles erased memories of misery. Those titles breathed happiness (and some would say conceit) into long-suffering fans.
Wednesday's loss (actually, the last month of futility) was a brutal reminder to Red Sox fans what life was like before Theo Epstein arrived as general manager after the 2002 season.
If we were to push Reese to join the Red Sox Nation, some would argue that is grounds for Protective Services to investigate child abuse. I mean, it does mean we are exposing her to a lifetime of heartbreak.
The alternative is for her to be a San Diego Padre fan. The biggest thrill for Padre fans is seeing former players find success with other teams (Ozzie Smith, Benito Santiago, Roberto Alomar, Fred McGriff, Joe Carter, etc.).
Padre fans know the season is basically over by June. Red Sox fans wait until September.
Padre fans are happy to finish above .500. Red Sox fans aren't happy unless they are in the World Series.
Padre fans are fine with five playoff berths in 43 years of existence. Red Sox fans are disappointed with six World Series crowns (seven if you count the 1903 Boston Americans title).
I had a professor in college who said the happiest person on the Olympic medal stand is the bronze medal winner. The gold medalist was always confident in victory, and possibly wished for an even better performance. The silver medalist is disappointed he/she did not get the gold, sometimes missing out on the top spot by fractions of a second. But the bronze winner is elated to have won anything at all!
In this analogy, Red Sox fans are perpetually the silver medalist - always looking at what they don't have, upset at the success of others. Padre fans, however, are bronze medalists - elated with any type of victory, no matter how small.
While Fenway Park is amazing, and seeing Red Sox fans everywhere is comforting, I would rather Reese appreciate any and all success then grumble about what she does have and pine away at what could have been.
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Impressing strangers
Yeah, I know. It's been awhile since I've written a post about Reese, life, religion, something NOT football. I get a little excited when football season starts.
Reese is growing up quickly, it seems. Every day is another eye-opening achievement. Yesterday she said, "I love you" more clearly than she has ever said it before. She repeated it this morning to Amy as she went to work and again to Grandpa over the phone. There was no need to try to decipher what she said. It was clearly, "I love you."
She is able to jump, getting both feet off of the ground. And she sometimes lands on both feet when she comes down. Sometimes. She really enjoys jumping up, stretching her legs out in front of her while in the air, then landing on her rear and thighs and legs. She thinks it's fantastic. I must confess that I think it's pretty awesome as well.
Reese loves to climb. The other day Amy found her halfway up the back door, holding herself up by the door handles. She pushed her high chair to the kitchen island, climbed into the high chair, stood on the high chair and grabbed a pen from the middle of the kitchen island. obviously reprimanded her for putting herself in such a dangerous situation, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. It was some nice engineering for a toddler.
I am getting a little worried Reese is becoming addicted to my iPhone. I truly think she may be on it more than I am. OK, well that's not true, but she does play with it often. She knows how to unlock the phone to turn it on. She knows how to scroll to different pages. She knows where the games are she can play. She knows how to open the games and knows how to play the games. I wonder if some social scientist somewhere has given a chimpanzee an iPad filled with ape-friendly games and study how quickly the animal understands how to use the tablet. Am I saying Reese is smarter than a chimp? I'm saying she's smarter than most humans!
But Reese is still as cute as ever. I am convinced she is the highlight of other people's days (she is obviously the highlight of my day!). Last weekend, Amy, Reese and I went out to diner in Portland. After dinner we walked about five or six blocks to grab dessert. It was the last nice night Portland was likely to see until possibly Easter, so there were quite a few patrons eating outside while our little family strolled the sidewalk. You could see dates stop their conversation, look at us, smile and then nod to each other. When we walked back after dessert, most of the same people were still outside soaking up as much Vitamin D while it was available for free. Again, they would stop and look and smile. One lady stopped us to repeatedly tell us how cute she thought Reese was. While it got a little creepy, she was sincere. I could envision her the next day on the phone with a friend of family member saying, "Yeah, John and I went out to dinner last night. The food was good and it was great weather, but you should have seen this little girl walking past us! Oh, you would just die! She was the cutest thing I have EVER seen! Oh my goodness, she was just soo adorable!" It's nice to know Reese is making good first impressions on strangers.
Reese is growing up quickly, it seems. Every day is another eye-opening achievement. Yesterday she said, "I love you" more clearly than she has ever said it before. She repeated it this morning to Amy as she went to work and again to Grandpa over the phone. There was no need to try to decipher what she said. It was clearly, "I love you."
She is able to jump, getting both feet off of the ground. And she sometimes lands on both feet when she comes down. Sometimes. She really enjoys jumping up, stretching her legs out in front of her while in the air, then landing on her rear and thighs and legs. She thinks it's fantastic. I must confess that I think it's pretty awesome as well.
Reese loves to climb. The other day Amy found her halfway up the back door, holding herself up by the door handles. She pushed her high chair to the kitchen island, climbed into the high chair, stood on the high chair and grabbed a pen from the middle of the kitchen island. obviously reprimanded her for putting herself in such a dangerous situation, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't impressed. It was some nice engineering for a toddler.
I am getting a little worried Reese is becoming addicted to my iPhone. I truly think she may be on it more than I am. OK, well that's not true, but she does play with it often. She knows how to unlock the phone to turn it on. She knows how to scroll to different pages. She knows where the games are she can play. She knows how to open the games and knows how to play the games. I wonder if some social scientist somewhere has given a chimpanzee an iPad filled with ape-friendly games and study how quickly the animal understands how to use the tablet. Am I saying Reese is smarter than a chimp? I'm saying she's smarter than most humans!
But Reese is still as cute as ever. I am convinced she is the highlight of other people's days (she is obviously the highlight of my day!). Last weekend, Amy, Reese and I went out to diner in Portland. After dinner we walked about five or six blocks to grab dessert. It was the last nice night Portland was likely to see until possibly Easter, so there were quite a few patrons eating outside while our little family strolled the sidewalk. You could see dates stop their conversation, look at us, smile and then nod to each other. When we walked back after dessert, most of the same people were still outside soaking up as much Vitamin D while it was available for free. Again, they would stop and look and smile. One lady stopped us to repeatedly tell us how cute she thought Reese was. While it got a little creepy, she was sincere. I could envision her the next day on the phone with a friend of family member saying, "Yeah, John and I went out to dinner last night. The food was good and it was great weather, but you should have seen this little girl walking past us! Oh, you would just die! She was the cutest thing I have EVER seen! Oh my goodness, she was just soo adorable!" It's nice to know Reese is making good first impressions on strangers.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Predictable results, new game
Last Week: 3-0
Season: 6-3
PREDICTION: LSU -3.5 over Miss. St. RESULT: LSU 19 Miss St 6
This was a close game, but a 10-point fourth quarter by the Tigers put the game away.
PREDICTION: E. Mich + 28.5 against Mich. RESULT: E. Mich 3 Mich 31
Thankfully the Wolverines final drive stalled and Michigan kicked a field goal, or else this would have been a loss. Also, thank goodness for those half-points!
PREDICTION: Chargers/Patriots over 53 RESULT: SD 21 NE 35
San Diego had three consecutive first-half-drives into the 30-yard-line, but came away with zero points. It looked like New England would be able to just sit on the ball and force the under. But Philip Rivers and the Bolts got their act together in the second half (14 fourth-quarter-points) to push the point total to 56.
Since I am a little late in making predictions, that means no college games on the docket for me. Oh well. I'm OK with nothing but NFL, are you? Plus, I will introduce a new game at the end of this entry that everyone can participate in. Should be fun.
CAROLINA -3.5 over Jacksonville
Cam Newton has been the surprise of the season so far. He has more passing yards (854) than Philip Rivers (713) and Drew Brees (689). Only Tom Brady (940) has more passing yards than the rookie from Auburn. But Newton and the Panthers have zero wins to show for all of those yards. So why will Carolina finally win a game? Because the Jaguars are on the road and Blaine Gabbert is making his first NFL start. While Gabbert could have a Newton-esque performance in his first full game (Newton threw for 422 yards with 2 TDs in Week 1 against Arizona, a game the Panthers had a chance to win that game in the final seconds), the Panthers have better supporting cast surrounding Newton than Gabbert has around him.
NEW ENGLAND -10.5 at Buffalo
The Patriots have a chance to go 3-0. Yawn. The Bills have a chance to go 3-0. Whaaa....!?!?!? But before Chris Berman does his "Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills," realize the Patriots are for real. Or, as my niece would say, for real for reals. The Bills? They beat an abysmal Kansas City squad and squeaked out a last second victory over an average Oakland team. The Patriots are the Patriots. Buffalo and Ryan "They Call Me Fitz" Fitzpatrick are a great feel-good story, but Tom Terrific is leading a team that honestly has a chance to go 16-0. Again.
CINCINNATI pick 'em over San Francisco
Cam Newton is the headlining surprise rookie of 2011, but Cincinnati's Andy Dalton has more passing yards and TDs (413, 3) than the 49ers Alex Smith (303, 2). San Francisco played hard against Dallas, but 13 unanswered points by the Cowboys sealed the deal. It's not as if the Bengals were brilliant in their loss against Denver last week, but I think you go with the team who fell short of a comeback as opposed to the team who allowed a comeback. Especially if the come-from-behind team is playing at home.
And Now For Something Completely Different
My dream job, as long as I can remember was to be a sports broadcaster (actually, I think the first job I wanted as a kid was to be a zoologist, but then I realized I had to take a LOT of science classes and decided against it). Growing up in the Los Angeles television market meant I had the privilege of listening to and watching some of the best of all time (Chick Hearn with the Lakers; Vin Scully with the Dodgers; Bob Miller with the Kings). I also read LA Times legend Jim Murray, so there is no surprise I went into sports journalism.
As a sports fan in general, and someone who wanted to be a sportscaster, I watch and listen to what the announcers say. There are some I really enjoy (Charles Davis and Gus Johnson pop to mind right away), but a lot of the time I cringe with the cliches and the obvious observations.
For the two nationally televised NFL games (Sunday and Monday nights), I will post a list of phrases and cliches to listen for; some are always on the docket, others are game-to-game decisions. You can do whatever you would like when you hear/see the cliches/phrases, but I suggest a drink of whatever beverage you are enjoying (the New England Patriots public relations department would insist I am talking about drinking water).
STEELERS AT COLTS
Drink for any mention of:
*Steel Curtain
*former Pittsburgh players of the 1970s
*Bill Cowher
*Johnny Unitis
*Andrew Luck
*"Big Ben"
*video of Roethlesberger's stiff arm against Terrell Suggs
REDSKINS AT COWBOYS
*any mention of Rex Grossman as a Super Bowl starting quarterback
*comparing Tony Romo to Bret Favre
*Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady
*Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig
*Announcers are in awe of Dallas stadium, specifically the JumboTron
BOTH GAMES
*every time an announcer says a team/player is the best at something, or one of the best at something ( i.e. "Nobody throws a prettier swing pass to the running back than Romo.")
*saying "National Football League" instead of NFL
*"This is a must-win game."
*"They really need to score on this drive."
*Announcer says the wrong player/wrong number but you know the correct player/number
*Total flub on telestrator (i.e. circles the left defensive end, when it was the outside linebacker stunting inside to make the tackle)
*A key to the game that is the key to game for every team that has every played football from Pop Warner to the Pros (establish the running game, contain the star player on the other team, put up points)
Please drink responsibly, do not drink and drive, and please tip your servers.
Season: 6-3
PREDICTION: LSU -3.5 over Miss. St. RESULT: LSU 19 Miss St 6
This was a close game, but a 10-point fourth quarter by the Tigers put the game away.
PREDICTION: E. Mich + 28.5 against Mich. RESULT: E. Mich 3 Mich 31
Thankfully the Wolverines final drive stalled and Michigan kicked a field goal, or else this would have been a loss. Also, thank goodness for those half-points!
PREDICTION: Chargers/Patriots over 53 RESULT: SD 21 NE 35
San Diego had three consecutive first-half-drives into the 30-yard-line, but came away with zero points. It looked like New England would be able to just sit on the ball and force the under. But Philip Rivers and the Bolts got their act together in the second half (14 fourth-quarter-points) to push the point total to 56.
Since I am a little late in making predictions, that means no college games on the docket for me. Oh well. I'm OK with nothing but NFL, are you? Plus, I will introduce a new game at the end of this entry that everyone can participate in. Should be fun.
CAROLINA -3.5 over Jacksonville
Cam Newton has been the surprise of the season so far. He has more passing yards (854) than Philip Rivers (713) and Drew Brees (689). Only Tom Brady (940) has more passing yards than the rookie from Auburn. But Newton and the Panthers have zero wins to show for all of those yards. So why will Carolina finally win a game? Because the Jaguars are on the road and Blaine Gabbert is making his first NFL start. While Gabbert could have a Newton-esque performance in his first full game (Newton threw for 422 yards with 2 TDs in Week 1 against Arizona, a game the Panthers had a chance to win that game in the final seconds), the Panthers have better supporting cast surrounding Newton than Gabbert has around him.
NEW ENGLAND -10.5 at Buffalo
The Patriots have a chance to go 3-0. Yawn. The Bills have a chance to go 3-0. Whaaa....!?!?!? But before Chris Berman does his "Nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills," realize the Patriots are for real. Or, as my niece would say, for real for reals. The Bills? They beat an abysmal Kansas City squad and squeaked out a last second victory over an average Oakland team. The Patriots are the Patriots. Buffalo and Ryan "They Call Me Fitz" Fitzpatrick are a great feel-good story, but Tom Terrific is leading a team that honestly has a chance to go 16-0. Again.
CINCINNATI pick 'em over San Francisco
Cam Newton is the headlining surprise rookie of 2011, but Cincinnati's Andy Dalton has more passing yards and TDs (413, 3) than the 49ers Alex Smith (303, 2). San Francisco played hard against Dallas, but 13 unanswered points by the Cowboys sealed the deal. It's not as if the Bengals were brilliant in their loss against Denver last week, but I think you go with the team who fell short of a comeback as opposed to the team who allowed a comeback. Especially if the come-from-behind team is playing at home.
And Now For Something Completely Different
My dream job, as long as I can remember was to be a sports broadcaster (actually, I think the first job I wanted as a kid was to be a zoologist, but then I realized I had to take a LOT of science classes and decided against it). Growing up in the Los Angeles television market meant I had the privilege of listening to and watching some of the best of all time (Chick Hearn with the Lakers; Vin Scully with the Dodgers; Bob Miller with the Kings). I also read LA Times legend Jim Murray, so there is no surprise I went into sports journalism.
As a sports fan in general, and someone who wanted to be a sportscaster, I watch and listen to what the announcers say. There are some I really enjoy (Charles Davis and Gus Johnson pop to mind right away), but a lot of the time I cringe with the cliches and the obvious observations.
For the two nationally televised NFL games (Sunday and Monday nights), I will post a list of phrases and cliches to listen for; some are always on the docket, others are game-to-game decisions. You can do whatever you would like when you hear/see the cliches/phrases, but I suggest a drink of whatever beverage you are enjoying (the New England Patriots public relations department would insist I am talking about drinking water).
STEELERS AT COLTS
Drink for any mention of:
*Steel Curtain
*former Pittsburgh players of the 1970s
*Bill Cowher
*Johnny Unitis
*Andrew Luck
*"Big Ben"
*video of Roethlesberger's stiff arm against Terrell Suggs
REDSKINS AT COWBOYS
*any mention of Rex Grossman as a Super Bowl starting quarterback
*comparing Tony Romo to Bret Favre
*Drew Bledsoe and Tom Brady
*Wally Pipp and Lou Gehrig
*Announcers are in awe of Dallas stadium, specifically the JumboTron
BOTH GAMES
*every time an announcer says a team/player is the best at something, or one of the best at something ( i.e. "Nobody throws a prettier swing pass to the running back than Romo.")
*saying "National Football League" instead of NFL
*"This is a must-win game."
*"They really need to score on this drive."
*Announcer says the wrong player/wrong number but you know the correct player/number
*Total flub on telestrator (i.e. circles the left defensive end, when it was the outside linebacker stunting inside to make the tackle)
*A key to the game that is the key to game for every team that has every played football from Pop Warner to the Pros (establish the running game, contain the star player on the other team, put up points)
Please drink responsibly, do not drink and drive, and please tip your servers.
Friday, September 16, 2011
Punk Rock dad
There are a lot of fears a father feels: am I a positive influence; do I let my daughter watch too much TV; does my daughter eat enough vegetables?
But I have been feeling a little guilty about something recently.
Reese likes listening to punk rock music.
When we get in the car and I pop in a CD, chances are it's NoFX, Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys or some other kickass group I like to shout along with and/or car dance to. And I can peek in the rear view mirror and see Reese is enjoying it as well.
Punk rock music has made a big impression on me, but it didn't really enter my music rotation until high school and then really took over in college. Punk rock has an overriding message of: Question authority, do it yourself!
While that is a perfectly reasonable and expected attitude for teenagers and/or young adults standing on their own two feet for the first time (figuratively), it is problematic for a toddler learning to stand on their own two feet (literally).
I want Reese to be an individual and believe in herself and question authority, but not now. Not when I am her authority. She should wait at least until preschool. Don't rebel when you still need someone to change your diapers. It could get messy (figuratively AND literally).
There is nothing inherently bad or wrong with Reese bopping around to beats and guitar riffs by Social Distortion or Bouncing Souls or the Vandals, but she may be a little too young to subscribe to the ideas in the lyrics. Do I really want Reese to point at someone in the grocery store and ask, "Daddy, does he have an Ape Drape?" Um...yeah, I guess I'd be OK with that one, but there other questions I probably would not want.
Reese does pick up and understand everything Amy and I say (if it isn't everything, it sure is the majority of what we say). But can she hear and understand what Fat Mike or Mike Ness or Tim Armstrong belt out? Sometimes I need to look up the lyrics to understand them.
It won't be too long until Reese looks at Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls and Bad Religion like I look at Elvis, the Rolling Stones and the Who - bands who once considered controversial but I now view as tame.
But no matter what type of music Reese listens to (or shows she watches or friends she hangs out with), she needs to know and understand that I am her parent, an authority she is not allowed to defy.
At least until she's old enough to change her own diapers.
But I have been feeling a little guilty about something recently.
Reese likes listening to punk rock music.
When we get in the car and I pop in a CD, chances are it's NoFX, Pennywise, Dropkick Murphys or some other kickass group I like to shout along with and/or car dance to. And I can peek in the rear view mirror and see Reese is enjoying it as well.
Punk rock music has made a big impression on me, but it didn't really enter my music rotation until high school and then really took over in college. Punk rock has an overriding message of: Question authority, do it yourself!
While that is a perfectly reasonable and expected attitude for teenagers and/or young adults standing on their own two feet for the first time (figuratively), it is problematic for a toddler learning to stand on their own two feet (literally).
I want Reese to be an individual and believe in herself and question authority, but not now. Not when I am her authority. She should wait at least until preschool. Don't rebel when you still need someone to change your diapers. It could get messy (figuratively AND literally).
There is nothing inherently bad or wrong with Reese bopping around to beats and guitar riffs by Social Distortion or Bouncing Souls or the Vandals, but she may be a little too young to subscribe to the ideas in the lyrics. Do I really want Reese to point at someone in the grocery store and ask, "Daddy, does he have an Ape Drape?" Um...yeah, I guess I'd be OK with that one, but there other questions I probably would not want.
Reese does pick up and understand everything Amy and I say (if it isn't everything, it sure is the majority of what we say). But can she hear and understand what Fat Mike or Mike Ness or Tim Armstrong belt out? Sometimes I need to look up the lyrics to understand them.
It won't be too long until Reese looks at Rancid, Voodoo Glow Skulls and Bad Religion like I look at Elvis, the Rolling Stones and the Who - bands who once considered controversial but I now view as tame.
But no matter what type of music Reese listens to (or shows she watches or friends she hangs out with), she needs to know and understand that I am her parent, an authority she is not allowed to defy.
At least until she's old enough to change her own diapers.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Quick betting update
I will be brief in my summation of my NFL predictions: it's a good thing I'm not a betting man.
That was both brutal and humiliating.
Buffalo destroyed Kansas City, and while Jamaal Charles had an OK day (in one of my Fantasy Football leagues he had 14 points and 12.5 in the other) he scored about half of what the best FF RB netted (San Diego's Mike Tolbert, 35 and 31).
Atlanta made it look like the 1985 Bears were on the field for Chicago. My most disliked athlete of all time actually matched the Falcons' Matt Ryan throw for throw and yard for yard, which was more unbelievable to me than the actual scoreboard. I guess there was a reason Chicago made it to the NFC Championship game last season, huh?
My only correct prediction was the Cardinals beating the Panthers, but even that had a good chance of falling short as Cam Newton showed he does, in fact, have plenty of steak to go with that sizzle.
As for this week's games...
LSU by 3.5 over Miss St
I think the Tigers are national title contenders and will dominate this game.
Eastern Michigan plus 28.5 against Michigan
That Notre Dame contest was pretty exciting, but I don't have faith in the Wolverines to blow anyone out by 4 TDs.
Chargers and Patriots score more than 53 points combined
Philip Rivers and Tom Brady will put on an aerial show to rival Fleet Week in San Francisco. This should be a fun game to watch!
That was both brutal and humiliating.
Buffalo destroyed Kansas City, and while Jamaal Charles had an OK day (in one of my Fantasy Football leagues he had 14 points and 12.5 in the other) he scored about half of what the best FF RB netted (San Diego's Mike Tolbert, 35 and 31).
Atlanta made it look like the 1985 Bears were on the field for Chicago. My most disliked athlete of all time actually matched the Falcons' Matt Ryan throw for throw and yard for yard, which was more unbelievable to me than the actual scoreboard. I guess there was a reason Chicago made it to the NFC Championship game last season, huh?
My only correct prediction was the Cardinals beating the Panthers, but even that had a good chance of falling short as Cam Newton showed he does, in fact, have plenty of steak to go with that sizzle.
As for this week's games...
LSU by 3.5 over Miss St
I think the Tigers are national title contenders and will dominate this game.
Eastern Michigan plus 28.5 against Michigan
That Notre Dame contest was pretty exciting, but I don't have faith in the Wolverines to blow anyone out by 4 TDs.
Chargers and Patriots score more than 53 points combined
Philip Rivers and Tom Brady will put on an aerial show to rival Fleet Week in San Francisco. This should be a fun game to watch!
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
NCAA weekend: 2-1; NFL weekend preview
The first week of college football is behind us and I am left with an indelible impression so far: Oregon has disrupted the college landscape.
This has nothing to do with the no-huddle, spread formation utilized by head coach Chip Kelly (especially considering the Ducks were using the spread before Kelly took over the reigns from Mike Bellotti, and also considering the spread formation has been around for decades.) The University of Oregon has changed college football with its uniforms (read this article by Michael Kruse for a good background). The Ducks have shown that any public relations regarding your uniforms is good public relations for your football program.
As recently as 1990, if you mentioned the powerful U of O sports program, most people would assume you were talking about track and field or cross country. Oregon is not rich in football history, so the folks in Eugene need any sort of buzz possible to lure potential recruits. In the same vein, the University of Maryland is known as a basketball school, but Twitter, Facebook and every other social media outlet was overflowing Monday night with references to the Terrapin uniforms. Never mind the Terps were in the middle of one of the better games of the opening weekend. Those uniforms, based on the Maryland state flag, looked like a Jackson Pollock reject. But, as Oregon has shown, any talk about the football program is good.
The bigger sartorial head-scratcher was the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs have one of the more storied football traditions in the nation, but they ditched their beautifully understated uniforms (check out Herschel Walker in the "gray britches") for Nike Pro Combat ugliness (seriously ugly). At least Maryland won its game. The Bulldogs lost to equally-ugly uniformed Boise State, which brings me to last week's predictions:
PREDICTION: Boise State/Georgia over 51 FINAL: 56 points
I was a little worried when the Broncos scored in the fourth quarter to make it 35-14 (49 points) because if the Bulldogs failed to score, Boise State could just sit on the ball and run out the clock. Thankfully there was still 11 minutes left in the game, but Georgia scored right away to give me the over.
PREDICTION: Houston minus 3 over UCLA FINAL: HOU 38 UCLA 34
It looked like this one was in the bag as the Cougars was up 31-14 at the half. UCLA's 2-quarterback system was reduced to a 1-quarterback system as Kevin Prince left the game in the second quarter with a concussion. "Backup" QB Richard Brehaut almost had the storybook comeback, but UCLA kicker Kip Smith missed a field goal attempt and had a late point after attempt blocked. If either one of those kicks goes through the uprights, I loose this prediction. As it is, however, he missed them and I win.
PREDICTION: North Texas plus 13 1/2 against Florida International FINAL: FIU 41 UNT 16
The Mean Green were bullied by the Golden Panthers from get-go. I need a Coke and a smile after this loss.
By going 2-1, I expect a free lunch at Ruby's in Santa Monica from a Mr. Taylor Whitley.
THIS WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
There is no more difficult game to predict in football than Game 2 of a season. Was Week 1 an aberration or the real deal? It is so hard to know what is real and what is not from Week 1, that I will go ahead and skip NCAA altogether and just jump into NFL Week 1 games. You can call it a gutless move if you would like, but I prefer to call it smart.
Kansas City minus 7 against Buffalo
The Bills allowed a few inches shy of 170 yards per game on the ground last season, last in the NFL. The Chiefs ran a few inches shy of 165 yards per game, best in the NFL. It does not matter if Matt Cassel is on the sidelines eating ribs while resting his ribs, the Chiefs will run over Buffalo. As a side prediction, I think Jamaal Charles will have the best Fantasy Football running back numbers in Week 1. In addition, I prediction the sun will rise in the East and set in the West.
Atlanta plus 1 against Chicago
This is a game of contrasts: The Falcons potent offense (25.9 points per game, 5th best in NFL) against the stout Bear defense (17.9 pts/game, 4th best in NFL); the horrendous Chicago offense (289 yards/game, 30th in NFL) against the mediocre Atlanta defense (332.4 yards allowed/game, 16th in NFL). It is no secret my most disliked athlete in all of the sporting universe is Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler. Add in that Chicago has possibly the worst offensive line the NFL and I think the Falcons actually run away with this game.
Arizona minus 3 against Carolina
While the Cardinals are not a Super Bowl contender, they did improve their team with the addition of quarterback Kevin Kolb, tight end Todd Heap (who I think will be the second-best tight end in the NFC West behind San Francisco's Vernon Davis) and running back Chester Taylor. I also think defensive back Patrick Peterson will be the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. On the flip side, I don't think Carolina has done anything to improve itself, Cam Newton is more sizzle than steak, and new head coach Ron Rivera will soon wish he was back as the Chargers' defensive coordinator.
This has nothing to do with the no-huddle, spread formation utilized by head coach Chip Kelly (especially considering the Ducks were using the spread before Kelly took over the reigns from Mike Bellotti, and also considering the spread formation has been around for decades.) The University of Oregon has changed college football with its uniforms (read this article by Michael Kruse for a good background). The Ducks have shown that any public relations regarding your uniforms is good public relations for your football program.
As recently as 1990, if you mentioned the powerful U of O sports program, most people would assume you were talking about track and field or cross country. Oregon is not rich in football history, so the folks in Eugene need any sort of buzz possible to lure potential recruits. In the same vein, the University of Maryland is known as a basketball school, but Twitter, Facebook and every other social media outlet was overflowing Monday night with references to the Terrapin uniforms. Never mind the Terps were in the middle of one of the better games of the opening weekend. Those uniforms, based on the Maryland state flag, looked like a Jackson Pollock reject. But, as Oregon has shown, any talk about the football program is good.
The bigger sartorial head-scratcher was the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs have one of the more storied football traditions in the nation, but they ditched their beautifully understated uniforms (check out Herschel Walker in the "gray britches") for Nike Pro Combat ugliness (seriously ugly). At least Maryland won its game. The Bulldogs lost to equally-ugly uniformed Boise State, which brings me to last week's predictions:
PREDICTION: Boise State/Georgia over 51 FINAL: 56 points
I was a little worried when the Broncos scored in the fourth quarter to make it 35-14 (49 points) because if the Bulldogs failed to score, Boise State could just sit on the ball and run out the clock. Thankfully there was still 11 minutes left in the game, but Georgia scored right away to give me the over.
PREDICTION: Houston minus 3 over UCLA FINAL: HOU 38 UCLA 34
It looked like this one was in the bag as the Cougars was up 31-14 at the half. UCLA's 2-quarterback system was reduced to a 1-quarterback system as Kevin Prince left the game in the second quarter with a concussion. "Backup" QB Richard Brehaut almost had the storybook comeback, but UCLA kicker Kip Smith missed a field goal attempt and had a late point after attempt blocked. If either one of those kicks goes through the uprights, I loose this prediction. As it is, however, he missed them and I win.
PREDICTION: North Texas plus 13 1/2 against Florida International FINAL: FIU 41 UNT 16
The Mean Green were bullied by the Golden Panthers from get-go. I need a Coke and a smile after this loss.
By going 2-1, I expect a free lunch at Ruby's in Santa Monica from a Mr. Taylor Whitley.
THIS WEEK'S PREDICTIONS
There is no more difficult game to predict in football than Game 2 of a season. Was Week 1 an aberration or the real deal? It is so hard to know what is real and what is not from Week 1, that I will go ahead and skip NCAA altogether and just jump into NFL Week 1 games. You can call it a gutless move if you would like, but I prefer to call it smart.
Kansas City minus 7 against Buffalo
The Bills allowed a few inches shy of 170 yards per game on the ground last season, last in the NFL. The Chiefs ran a few inches shy of 165 yards per game, best in the NFL. It does not matter if Matt Cassel is on the sidelines eating ribs while resting his ribs, the Chiefs will run over Buffalo. As a side prediction, I think Jamaal Charles will have the best Fantasy Football running back numbers in Week 1. In addition, I prediction the sun will rise in the East and set in the West.
Atlanta plus 1 against Chicago
This is a game of contrasts: The Falcons potent offense (25.9 points per game, 5th best in NFL) against the stout Bear defense (17.9 pts/game, 4th best in NFL); the horrendous Chicago offense (289 yards/game, 30th in NFL) against the mediocre Atlanta defense (332.4 yards allowed/game, 16th in NFL). It is no secret my most disliked athlete in all of the sporting universe is Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler. Add in that Chicago has possibly the worst offensive line the NFL and I think the Falcons actually run away with this game.
Arizona minus 3 against Carolina
While the Cardinals are not a Super Bowl contender, they did improve their team with the addition of quarterback Kevin Kolb, tight end Todd Heap (who I think will be the second-best tight end in the NFC West behind San Francisco's Vernon Davis) and running back Chester Taylor. I also think defensive back Patrick Peterson will be the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. On the flip side, I don't think Carolina has done anything to improve itself, Cam Newton is more sizzle than steak, and new head coach Ron Rivera will soon wish he was back as the Chargers' defensive coordinator.
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