Thursday, January 17, 2013

View From Bennett Ave

Well it has been 24 hours of this Manti Te'o saga and I really should have something to say about it.  But I do not beyond hating that every off season has to suck beyond words and I am tired of all the negativity swirling around college football.  I have no idea what happened in this case and am willing to hear the kid out.  He remains a uniquely gifted young man and deserving of support if he is a somewhat innocent victim here.  If not he has a lot of explaining to do.

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Chip Kelly Trades Ducks for Eagles

Is this a Carroll-esque get out of Dodge before the sanctions get announced?  Possibly.  Chip Kelly is gone to the NFL where he will be either a huge success or stunning failure.  I really do not see middle ground with him.  There are some offensive weapons for him to enjoy and if he can line up a good staff he should do okay.  The NFC East is certainly in enough flux for him to get some early success. He has always felt that his system could beat anyone, anywhere and that confidence will be put to the test.  Doubters have always felt that his system of out speeding opponents would not work in the NFL where every team has top-level speed but remember that some very good defenses were confused by what the Redskins offense did this year.  There is room for well-thought out offensive planning.
And who knows how Oregon will make out.  The NCAA is still lingering and that is a concern.  But NIKE is not going anywhere.  And hiring from within keeps the train rolling for now.  But Kelly set such a high bar in Eugene that 9-3 will be considered poor.  With much of the Pac 12 improving we will see if that level of excellence can be maintained.

Sunday, January 13, 2013

View From Bennett Ave

One of my great pleasures from the past college football season was being able to attend four college football games with my family.  While none of the games had any bearing on any conference or national title race--not even close--they all supplied an afternoon of fun and some exciting football (yes media, college football is fun even if the teams involved will not sniff a BCS bowl game).
First up, Virginia's rout of Richmond on Labor Day weekend.  With school approaching--daughter Pilar was about to begin second grade--we took off for a mini vacation to Virginia.  While the trip included plenty of activities that Pili counts among her favorites, from Busch Gardens to Monticello to the ponies at Chincoteague, the day spent at UVA's beautiful campus was up there with the rest.  The Cavs looked good that day, but it was not a sign of things to come for the Wahoo.  That game proved to be the only clinker of the four we attended.
Next up, two weeks later, was a trip to the alma mater.  Fordham is not only where I went to college, but where I met my beautiful wife Ginny and where I began my sports writing career as a staff member and later editor of The Ram.  Ginny and I had an early pre-date at a Fordham football game (due to inclement weather we were the only two of an expected group of friends to go to a game in 1985 and began dating soon after) and so the stadium has a little extra meaning for the two of us.  And on this date, 9/15/12, the Rams were battling Cornell, a school that has educated generations of Ginny's family and so there was a little extra juice for us Ram fans.  But Big Red did not take into account the passion of seven-year-old Pilar Guido, who cheered on the Rams to a 34-27 victory.  Fordham delighted the homecoming crowd with 28 second half points as the combination of QB Ryan Higgins and RB Carlton Koonce was too much for the visitors.  Brother-in-law Larry Somma, Cornell '88, cowardly did not answer his phone after the game.
Pili was excited now and with FU playing the following week up the road from our Washington Heights apartment, at Columbia's home field on the northern tip of Manhattan, we made a last-second decision to head to the game.  I am somewhat embarassed to say that without proper time to plan a tailgate, I mixed some vodka with a couple of my daughter's juice boxes.  That cocktail got my wife and I through a ho hum first half.  Fordham won a tough game, and with it the Liberty Cup, as Koonce rambled for 250y and 2 TDs.  The Rams were now 3-1 and--if only it counted for something--2-0 versus the Ivies.
Game four involved a trip north to West Point, as the struggling Cadets hosted the struggling Boston College Eagles.  It was a crisp fall day and the wonderful campus and an exciting second half made up for our missing most of the first one.  We were joined by friends Moira and Benjamin and the five of us had a great time.  Army rallied for an exciting 34-31 victory with QB Trent Steelman rushing for a 29y TD right up the BC gut with less than a minute remaining.  The kids, Pilar and Ben, enjoyed the action on the field when not taking pictures of the mules, marvelling at the push-up doing Cadets, covering their ears when the cannons blasted or taking food runs.  That the game was exciting, if not particularly well-played, was a bonus.
I attended other games without my wife and daughter but had my most fun with them.  It was good to share with them the sport that takes up so much of my life.  And Pilar really enjoyed Notre Dame's stunning run to the BCS title game, cheering on her favorite player Manti Te'o.  The other day she mentioned going to 12 games next season so I had better begin planning.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

All Hail the King

You have to give a lot of credit to Alabama.  They stayed focused on the mission at hand and routed Notre Dame to win a second straight BCS title and third in four years.  Kudos to them as they looked fantastic.  It is a shame that they have not had an opponent worthy of them for the three championship games with Texas losing star QB Colt McCoy early in 2009 game, LSU not having an offense worthy of a title game and Notre Dame being not ready, yet, for prime time.  Regardless of that fact they are a worthy champion and one of the finest teams of any era.  It is odd to realize that for these past two seasons they could have easily been shut out of the championship game but were saved by other teams being upset late in the season.  We could have easily been watching KSU-ND last night and LSU-Okie State last year.
As for Notre Dame, they'll be okay.  Actually the outcome reinforced what that program is trying to do in building an SEC--really an Alabama--type squad built around depth, speed and toughness.  The Irish may have been tough but they surrendered way too much in the other two compartments last night.  Add in that Bama was motivated (being no. 2 to ND's 1, it being Notre Dame etc.) and we had a rout.
What's scary is that there are very few roadblocks on the 2013 Alabama schedule.  Right out of the gate they meet Virginia Tech in Atlanta.  Game two, two weeks later, is in College Station.  If the Tide start 2-0 they are in great shape.  The following games: at home versus Colorado State, Mississippi and Georgia State, at Kentucky, home versus Arkansas, Tennessee and LSU, at Miss State, home against Chattanooga and then at Auburn.  It is hard to find too many potential upsets from that bunch.

Monday, January 7, 2013

Tonight's Pick

Notre Dame 24 Alabama 20

ESPN is Awful

I find it difficult to watch this station.  Awful coverage and their experts are just members of the Nick Saban fan club.  What is the point?

Sunday, January 6, 2013

One More Day

Finally.  Let's play.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

Today's Pick

I have a lot to say about yesterday's game but let me wait until I post my pick of Kansas State with the points for tonight's Fiesta Bowl.  I did not post my winner last night in time--and I swear that I got it right!--and do not want to miss it again.  Meanwhile I am watching the 1973 Sugar Bowl.  So leave me alone.

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Today's Picks

Wow, Les Miles is a bonehead.  Sorry but I am trying to be diplomatic.  What else can you say?
Meanwhile the world did not end despite Georgia Tech and Clemson winning bowl games on the same day.  Unbelievable.  The USC program is tanking and I am sorry SEC lovers but any time an upper echelon SEC team loses to the third best ACC team you have had a bad night.
My picking has been so awful this year that I will not burden you any longer.  I guess Nebraska would be my best bet today so load up on Georgia.  For those who want to pick against me I will go with Okie State, Miss State, Michigan, Wisconsin and FSU in the other games.
Enjoy the day.  The brilliant minds running sports television and college football have deluded the January 1st sports holiday but there is still college football to watch.
Happy New Year!