Chavis is Out

He's staying out at LSU. He might be beyond our reach, but if we keep waiting, it could mean Richt is waiting it out for Kirby Smart. Pipe dream? Maybe not...

Best of 00's...Books

Let's get literary up in here.

1. The Hank Thompson Trilogy: Caught Stealing, Six Bad Things, A Dangerous Man; Charlie Huston 
2. The Joe Pitt Casebooks: Already Dead, No Dominion, Half the Blood of Brooklyn, Every Last Drop, My Dead Body; Charlie Huston
3. The Lost, Jack Ketchum
4. The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, Michael Chabon
5. The Road, Cormac McCarthy
6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire/Order of the Phoenix/Half-Blood Prince/Deathly Hallows,  J.K. Rowling
7. This Is Where I Leave You, Jonathan Tropper
8. The Ruins, Scott Smith
9. The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen
10. The Historian, Elizabeth Kostova

Posted via web from moviegoer's posterous

My Top-10 Wins of the Decade

After seeing Aroo's and the Moviegoer's post the past few days, I got to thinking about a personal, yet relevant and relatable, way to do a "Best of the Aughts" list. After seeing the Senator's post this morning, I figured I'd just rip that idea off and run with it. So, without further ado - and with apologies once again to the Moviegoer - here are my top-10 favorite Georgia victories of the past decade.

Florida, 2004 - We hadn't won since '97 - even though we'd come darn close - and had lost 12 of 13. Ron Zook was on his way out and we almost blew a 21-0 lead by allowing the Gators to claw back into the contest, but it still felt good to finally get a win against a hated rival.

Hawaii, 2007 Sugar Bowl - This was a scary game for me personally. There was an aspect of redemption in this game, as I felt the Dawgs needed to win - and win big - to wash away the funk from the '05 Sugar Bowl loss to WVU. There was still an element of fear early, as Brennan and Hawai'i had been impressive all year long and were playing a style of football we traditionally struggle against. But, Marcus Howard and the D stayed on Colt all night long and UGA cruised to a 41-10 blowout.

LSU, 2005 SEC Championship - This game made me feel like Georgia truly belonged in the elite of the SEC. Sure we'd had a great '02 run, but getting back there is as important to getting there the first time if you're talking about program building. LSU had trounced us in the 2003 SECCG, but we had already avenged that with a blowout between the hedges in '04. So, this was a clean slate game against an 11-1, third ranked Tiger squad. I was terrified early that they would blast us, but we took momentum late in the first and never gave it up en route to 34-14 bruising and a second SEC championship.

Clemson, 2003 - There was a lot of pressure on Georgia after the sweet success of 2002, and this Clemson road game was the first contest of '03. Could we keep it up? Well, a 30-0 owning of the Tigers said yes. We did have some mediocre performances later in the year and lost twice to eventual national champ LSU, but somehow, that big win at Clemson made it OK. It felt like we were a premiere program again.

Florida, 2007 - This one's pretty self explanatory. A lot of it has to do with the same emotions as that '04 victory above. But, throw in the end zone dance, sacking Tebow 6 times and dropping 42 points on the Mighty Gators...now that's a victory!


Auburn, 2006 - Here's the Tigers' first appearance, but definitely no their last. 2005 had broken down into quite the disappointing season for us heading to the Plains. We were 6-4, had lost to Vandy and UK, and were facing a national title contender Auburn team. I remember I had just flown in from Texas and was watching the game with some friends in ATL; we weren't expecting much. But, the defense forced 4 turnovers ans Stafford led the way offensively passing - and rushing - as the Dawgs rolled the no. 5 Tigers, 37-15. It was the win we needed and it springboarded us to a win over Tech and a Chick-Fil-A Bowl victory.

Auburn, 2007 - For me, this game was all about swagger. It was tight until the third quarter, with Auburn leading 20-17. But the new jerseys, stadium black-out, and loosening up on the sideline just turned the whole thing around, as the D and Knowshon took over and led the way to a 45-20 rout. It was a big win we needed on the heels of that win over Florida and paved the way for the Sugar Bowl win against Hawai'i.


Tennessee, 2001 - Hobnail Boot! This game did a lot to ingratiate Richt and frosh QB David Greene to Bulldawg nation. It looked doomed late, with UT scoring on a 90+ yard screen pass to go up 24-20 with less than a minute to go. But a good return and two good plays set up P-44 Haynes over the middle and we stole a 26-24 win in Knoxville.

Georgia Tech, 2002 - This is my second favorite UGA win of all time, I think. It wasn't close, it wasn't pretty, and Tech wasn't that good, but damn it felt good to drop 51 points and 550 yards on the bees, all while holding them to one touchdown. We could do no wrong that day and Tech got nothing going, as the D knocked Suggs and Bilbo around all day and forced 5 turnovers. It was a sweet day in Sanford Stadium.


Auburn, 2002 - This was the game that brought us back. We had one loss, but - of course - it was to Florida and was threatening to keep us out of our first ever SECCG. We had to beat Auburn to lock up a trip to ATL and it looked like we were going to come up short, as the Tigers led 14-3 at the half. But Sean Jones - an often overlooked player - had 2 INT's and a crucial fumble recovery for a TD to get Georgia close late in the 4th. Down 21-17, Greene led the Dawgs down the field before failing to convert twice and then losing yards on third down to set up 4th and 15. With one last chance to win, Greene hit Michael Johnson in the corner of the endzone, and...well, MY GOD! A TOUCHDOWN!...Everyone at our apartment jumped in the air at the same time, drinks spilt, and I thought the floor would crumble beneath us, but we didn't care - we were going to ATL for the SECCG, where we won our first title in 20 years.

Every Dawg Has Its Day!

Keep them coming...

Top 10 biggest news stories (in America)
10 Election recount in 2000
9 Michael Phelps 8 gold medals in 2008 Olympics.
8 Flights 1549 & 587
7 Virginia Tech shootings
6 Gas pandemonium!
5 Obamanation
4 Swine Flu
3 War in Iraq/Afghanistan & Capture, trial, death of Saddam Hussein
2 Hurricane Katrina
1 September 11, 2001

Top 10 new phenomenon
10 Destination Weddings
9 Anything vintage or Old School
8 Video gaming moves into the 21st century (online, downloads, interactive)
7 Youtube, Myspace, Facebook, Blogging etc.
6 GPS Navigation & Satellite Radio
5 Going Green
4 Flat Panel TV's
3 Napster (downloading music & movies)
2 iEverything
1 American Idol, Survivor (and all other Reality TV)

Top 10 people who left us too early (no OD's or self inflicted deaths allowed)
10 John Ritter
9 Aaliyah
8 Natasha Richardson
7 Barry White
6 George Harrison
5 Farrah Fawcett
4 Patrick Swayze
3 Christopher Reeve
2 Pat Tillman
1 Anyone who died on 9/11

And just for good measures and too see how far we have come....

Top 10 things to happen in my life
10 Being in Knoxville for the hobnail boot game
9 Met Johnny, Hunter, Jimmy, Will and all others in the Athens crew
8 Celebrated my 21st birthday in Athens
7 2003 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans (Johnny's time to shine)
6 Dropped that wretched V card
5 2006 New Orleans trip with friends right when Jenny and I first started dating
4 My dad finding happiness and getting remarried
3 Purchased my first home
2 Graduated from the University of Georgia
1 2008 New Orleans trip where I got engaged to Jenny Milam

As a side note, take a minute and ponder this last one to see really how far you have come since the turn of the century. God speed to you all and a happy and prosperous 2010 is on the way, I can feel it.

Holiday Bowl Beatdown: A Season Early

I thought very highly of the Huskers early this season - turned out I was a season too early. They lost a close one to VA Tech and were 4 points away from an 11-1 record (and 1 second away from a Big-XII title). Now, I can't really explain what happened exactly against Texas Tech, other than to say sometimes that kind of shit happens in the wacky-ass Big-XII. But, more importantly, I can't really explain what happened tonight; it was not supposed to be such a beatdown. Arizona was - is - a good team and Mike Stoops has that program headed in the right direction, but Nebraska just laid the smack down en route to a 33-0 Holiday blowout. There is no doubt that Ndomukong Suh and the Blackshirts were the catalyst, but once they were down a couple scores, Arizona just looked like they gave up. Speaking of Suh, he'll be moving on next year - probably as a number one pick - leaving a huge hole on the NU D-line. But, Jared Crick is good enough to step in, and Suh actually thinks Crick's better. There's no doubt that Pelini has the Blackshirts back on track and with just a little tweaking, I think we're looking at a serious Big-XII contender next season. And with that, we'll see more prestige returned to a conference that, quite frankly, has seemed overrated the past few seasons. It just didn't seem like the "Big-XII" with a down Nebraska, no matter how much OU and Texas did.

Non-conference-wise, Nebraska trades a trip to Blacksburg for a trip to Seattle and a quickly-improving Huskies squad that will still have Jake Locker at QB. In league play, the Huskers should be favored in all their division games, they get to skip Oklahoma and get a strategic bye-week before their showdown with Texas. A potential stumbling block? That uppity Idaho squad we saw earlier today...

You want lists. I've got lists.

Here's the first of my Best of...the Decade lists. I'll post the rest over the next couple of days. Read, discuss, and enjoy!

Best of...Music

1. Andrew W.K., I Get Wet
2. The Darkness, Permission to Land 
3. The Streets, Original Pirate Material
4. Coheed and Cambria, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3
5. LCD Soundsystem, LCD Soundsystem
6. U2, All That You Can’t Leave Behind
7. The Drive-By Truckers, Decoration Day 
8. ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead, Source Tags & Codes
9. System of a Down, Toxicity
10. The Killers, Hot Fuss

Obviously, these albums are personal choices. I'm sure I'm still missing some great ones. I thought about doing a songs list. However, I'm an album guy, and with a few exceptions, most of the songs would have come from the ten albums listed above.

Tomorrow's list: Books!

Posted via web from moviegoer's posterous

VANDAL-ized!

Cheers to the Idaho Vandals for their Humanitarian Bowl win tonight. Going for two, and the win, was gutsy, but also the right decision. You don't want to spend OT defending Barnes on a short field. So that's Idaho and Wyoming who've pulled out exciting wins this bowl season and Temple cam darn near close, too. CFB is getting more and more about coaching, as parity and a plethora of 3-star recruits even the playing field for the has-been and never-was programs out there.
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UPDATE: It had to be weird for Vandal fans to celebrate on the field, though. I mean, that'd be like me celebrating a win over Ohio State at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

Maybe it's Chavis?

John Chavis isn't saying much in the way of the DC job at UGA, but then again, with the Capital One Bowl coming up, why would he? We're offering $600,000 a year, which is significantly more than what he makes now, but would he leave LSU to side step over to Georgia? Probably so, especially if the Tigers don't match the offer. Do we really want him? Honestly, I never gave him much thought, but he's more than capable and god knows he knows the league after his tenure in Knoxville and his stint in Baton Rouge. He might not be a young, sexy hire, but he's as qualified as they come and it would be a solid decision by Richt. If this on the heels of the Bud Foster talk tells us anything, though, it's that Richt is not looking for a young up-and-comer to develop the Dawgs, but instead, he wants a steady, established old-hand to step in and immediately create an atmosphere of defensive success. And, I can't say I fault that logic at all.

The Videogamer on...2009.

The Videogamer’s Top Games of the Year

 

1. Batman: Arkham Asylum. Rocksteady’s first entry into the Dark Knight’s universe was spectacular. It looked great and played greater. This near-perfect game is like The Dark Knight of the comic book videogame world.
2. Fallout 3 DLC. What better game to play in 2009 than my newly crowned Game of 2008 (sorry, MGS 4), and Bethesda made that a reality by releasing some stellar DLC  for Fallout 3. Broken Steel was easily the best; it took the 20 level cap off the game and rewrote the ending a bit more openly. The most atmospheric entry, Point Lookout, is next. The Pitt and Operation Anchorage follow a more distant 3 and 4, while the final episode, Mothership Zeta, is also the least satisfying. Still, none of them are bad. I recommend anyone that hasn’t played the game pick up the Game of the Year Edition, containing the full game and all 5 DLC add-ons, now!
3. Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. Uncharted 2 finished third almost by default; 2009 was not a great year for games, not when compared to last year and the slate of games expected in 2010 (Bioshock 2, Mass Effect 2, God of War III). It’s truly a superb game. Naughty Dog really outdid themselves. I’m a big fan of Nolan North’s voice work as well; he’s like a disembodied Nathan Fillion. Still, it has all the staying power of the matinee serials it idolizes. The further I get from playing treasure hunter Nathan Drake’s second adventure, the less I remember about it.
4. Assassin’s Creed II. My most recent conquest, ACII rights the wrongs of its predecessor (repetitive missions, extra-twitchy guards, boring open world travel) and adds a huge, healthy dose of history. The setting, Renaissance Italy, is also a far cry from the typical sci-fi, combat zones to which gamers are usually transported. The settings are fantastic, but some of the early in-game movies are not the prettiest.
5. God of War Collection. Be it 2005, 2007, or 2008, nobody beats Kratos. The vengeful Spartan’s PS2 adventures look great when experienced on the hi-def PS3, and both games boast trophies. What a great way to whet appetites for what might be the game of 2010, God of War III.

 

Honorable mentions:  Resident Evil 5, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time, MadWorld, Killzone 2, New Super Mario Bros. Wii

 

Downloadable Games

1. Shadow Complex. Awesome Metroid-vania excitement on the Xbox Live Arcade.
2. Flower
3. Shatter

 

I have played Halo 3: ODST and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, all of which could conceivable make the list if their single player experience were longer or I cared one bit about multiplayer, which I don’t, so they didn’t make the list. I would have liked to play Borderlands before finalizing the list, but you can’t have everything.

Posted via web from moviegoer's posterous

Well, I Guess There's That...

Georgia has won at least 8 games going back 13 seasons. No other FBS program has done that. It's impressive when you really think about it: UGA's worst season in 13 years was 8-wins. We might have never won the big one, but nether have most team out there in that span and it affirms that we have the program foundation to build on. I'd love to see a new DC and a maturing QB corp help us turn the corner towards a title, but, for right now, at the end of a somewhat disappointing season, I'll take comfort in our inconsistent consistency. Or, is it our consistent inconsistency?

Avast ye coaching, matey!

Well, the Pirate-King is out in Lubbock. Nobody should really be surprised by this. You can claim "innocent until proven guilty" all you want, but the fact of the matter is, no one EVER denied the accusations. Leach and his lawyer just tried to justify and explain them away. Not exactly the actions of an innocent man, huh? I tell you what, I'd throw out the whole damn staff - they're all culpable in this. Leach said he would never "never intentionally harm or endanger a player," but we obviously can't by that. Apparently in his world, putting a concussed kid in a shed* is not harmful. WTF? Funny side note: The University delivered the termination message as the two sides entered the Lubbock courthouse for a cease and desist order on Leach's suspension. Well, I guess he won that one...
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* It can be argued it was not a "shed," as much as a luxury garage suite. Well, it looks exactly like the building my family parked our tractor in growing up. know what we called it? A mother-fuckin' shed!
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UPDATE: There are a lot of folks rallying around Leach right now - but I'm worried about the reasons why. I've seen things like "spoiled brat"," snot-nosed kid", "helicopter parent" and wanting them "put in their place". Look, I don't like any of those things more than anyone else, but shed confinement is not appropriate, period. To think otherwise seems immature or ill-informed or, honestly, both. I'm not saying you have to agree with me, but at least acknowledge that what Leach did was wrong. He admits to using the shed as confinement space but says it wasn't punishment or intended to be harmful, punitive, or embarrassing for James. But, then the assistant coach comes out and says that James was dogging it. So? If a player slacks off, use team punishments, extra assignments, or even cut his ass. Those are all legal measures. Do not, as the Moviegoer put it, go all "VC Andrews" on the kid. Maybe Tech was just looking for a reason to get out of a poisonous relationship with an iconoclast coach, but Leach didn't help his case by resorting to border-line illegal measures to prove a point.
UPDATE 1-a: Case in Point.
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UPDATE 2: Also, this is not just "tough coaching." Football is a tough sport and it requires a certain mental and emotional toughness, as well as physical. But there's a difference between the yelling, down-dressings, stadium stairs, up-downs, etc. and what Leach did. Nobody batted an eye when Mangino got tossed for inappropriate comments, but we're all rallying around Leach like he's a goddamned saint. I just don't get it.
UPDATE 2-a: And it's always fun to pile on Coach Fran if we can!
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UPDATE 3: Holy Shit this is Hilarious.

More decade ending countdowns.

Why not? We can't do this for another 10 years, so I have put together a few lists of my own. Feel free to add your own lists or corrections needed to mine. These are opinion based AS ALWAYS.

Top Athlete (based on accomplishments)
10 Ichiro Suzuki
9 Derek Jeter/Alex Rodriguez
8 Albert Pujols
7 Kobe Bryant
6 Peyton Manning/Tom Brady
5 Roger Federer
4 LaDanian Tomlinson
3 Michael Phelps
2 Lance Armstrong
1 Tiger Woods

Top Song (pure opinion on what I listened to over and over)
10 Sex on Fire- Kings of Leon
9 Crazy- Gnarles Barkley
8 Pardon Me- Incubus
7 Broken- Seether w/ Amy Lee
6 Miss Jackson- Outkast
5 Bring me to life- Evanescence
4 Control- Puddle of Mudd
3 Seven Nation Army- White Stripes
2 Lose Yourself- Eminem
1 Hemmorrhage- Fuel

Top Comic book movie (based on frequency of most times viewed)
10 Sin City
9 Spiderman (series included)
8 Watchmen
7 the Punisher
6 V for Vendetta
5 300
4 Transformers (maybe not techinically a comic book, BUT...)
3 Iron Man
2 Xmen (the whole series)
1 The Dark Knight (and add in Begins too)

I'll think of some more and try to post tomorrow. If not, Happy New Year!

Bowl Picks - Round 3

Happy 2010! Here's some quick and dirty picks:

There will be more detail updated later tonight or tomorrow, but for now, this will have to suffice. I will say some of these match-ups are very hard to call and you never know what can happen between now and game time (injuries, player suspensions, coach resignations, coach suspensions - you know, the usual), but right now, all things considered, this is how I see things going.


NYD and 1/2

Outback Bowl: Auburn 31, Northwestern 23

Capital One Bowl: LSU 27, Penn State 20

Gator Bowl: FSU 29, WVU 26

Rose Bowl: Oregon 34, Ohio State 21

Sugar Bowl: Florida 41, Cincy 24

International Bowl: South Florida 28, No. Illinois 13

Cotton Bowl: Ole Miss 28, Oklahoma State 27

Papajohns.com Bowl: South Carolina 24, UConn 16

Liberty Bowl: Arkansas 34, ECU 17

Alamo Bowl: Michigan State 26, Texas Tech 24

The Rest:

Fiesta Bowl: TCU 33, Boise State 20

Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech 30, Iowa 20

GMAC Bowl: Troy 31, Central Michigan30

The Best - The BCS Title Game:

Alabama 27, Texas 17

Mike Leach is Suspended for Bowl

Are we really surprised bu this? Actually, yes. I guess we are. This is WAAAAY more important than a coach taking a a leave of absence. Cfb is getting more basketball-like by the moment!

In His Gut, Meyer Feels He'll Be Back in '10

When asked about returning in the fall, Meyer responded that in his gut he felt he'd be back by then. From what could be gleaned from the press conference, I have a feeling Urban won't be gone for long at all. And, when you think baout it - Urban Meyer taking scaling back a few hours a week probably put him on par with most other coaches across the nation, schedule-wise.

Bowl Picks - Round 2

Well, so far I'm a paltry 2-4 in my bowl picks for the week, with Mormons burning me twice in that stretch. Now we move into the heart of bowl season and I'm looking over the upcoming games and, I have to be honest here, I honestly have no idea in a lot of these matchups. But, I'll do the best I can; here goes:

Early Week

• Independence Bowl: Texas A&M vs. Georgia - This game means more to the Aggies than it does the Dawgs and the Georgia D will be down 3 coaches while facing the nation's 5th best offense. All that could make for a long, '05 Sugar Bowl-esque, loss. But, AJ Green will be back and the running game found their legs over the back half of the reg. season, meaning UGA could do enough offensively to stay ahead of the Cadet Corps. In the end, I'm going to be a pessimist (and, due to my already poor record, I'm going against my instinct): A&M 37, UGA 35

• Eagle Bank Bowl: UCLA vs. Temple - Al Golden has done a heck of a job in Philly, but I don't know if it'll be enough to match up with the Bruins. UCLA 27, Temple 14

• Champs Sports Bowl: Miami vs. Wisconsin - This looks to play out like a Big10-SEC matchup as far as speed is concerned. I like Wisky's lumbering, power running, but I don't know how it matches up with Miami's team speed. If Harris is on, the Canes will roll, but the Badger front could get to him enough to throw off the passing game, forcing the U to rely on other athletes. In the end, though, I'm taking Miami 31, Wisconsin 20.

• Humanitarian Bowl: Bowling Green vs. Idaho - I don't know...and I almost don't even care. I'd like to take the Vandals, but the Falcons passing game is sick, mainly due to phenom WR Freddie Barnes. This is kinda like a home game to Idaho (even though it's on an in-state rival's field), but that doesn't improve the D backfield: BGSU 30, Idaho 23.

• Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. Nebraska - I'm banking on Suh disrupting the Wildcat pass attack and slow the game down enough for the Husker offense to slip by. Nebraska 17, Arizona 16.

NYE

• Armed Forces Bowl: Houston vs. Air Force - Well, Air Force has the ability to beat Houston - especially if the UCF/ECU Houston shows up - and TCU has the ability to beat anyone. Now, can they and will they are two different things. Houston beat two Big-XII South teams this season and has the nation's top passing attack, which could overwhelm the Falcons if they fall behind early. It's a great odd-coupling with the Force countering with a traditional flexbone, but both sides have questions on D, so we could see some fun fireworks in Ft. Worth: Houston 34, Air Force 27.

• Sun Bowl: Oklahoma vs. Stanford - Gerhart is great. In fact, he was my Heisman pick. But, the Sooners could finally be healthy and on track, especially when you look at that season ending blasting in the Bedlam Series. Oklahoma 24, Stanford 21.

• Texas Bowl: Navy vs. Missouri - Here's anothe rflexbone team matching up with a super spread. I'd like to take the Middies, but there's too much speed coming down from Columbia. Here's hoping the Tigers bust out the Beast Mode Unis again: Mizz 33, Navy 22.

• Insight Bowl: Minnesota vs. Iowa State - Who knows; I flipped a coin. ISU 27, Minnesota 20.

• Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee - Finally, the Bristol Bowl. The Hokies are the ACC team that most closely resembles an SEC team, and they'll need to play like one to contain a resurgent Vols squad in the GA Dome. Tech lost by 10 to 'Bama, but that doesn't mean much now considering that same team just blasted Florida by 3 TD's. The Hokies will be able to contain much of what UT throws at them, so the key to this game will be what Tech accomplishes against Monte Kiffin's defense. My guess? Not much when the run's gone and it's all on Tyrod: UT 28, VA Tech 17.

The NYD, 1/2 and BCS picks will be up later this week.

Urban Update - Just a Leave of Absence

Urban Meyer has changed his intent from the original "stepping down" to a more down-graded, yet somehow more confusing, "leave of absence." So what does thta mean? Meyer will still coach the Sugar Bowl like originally decided, but then OC Steve Addazzio will assume head coaching duties until Meyer can return. So, it's not an Urben-less SEC we're looking at next season, after all, and all the "who will go to Gainesville" chatter fade away. Apparently it was at a short team meeting/practice this morning that he changed his mind. What it sounds like is that Meyer will step aside for a bit, let Addazzio sign in the recruits and shape up for Spring, finish th paperwork and stock the board and then return in time to focus the team during summer heading into Fall. Well, I guess if anyone deserves the break, it's him.
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UPDATE: When asked about returning in the fall, Meyer responded that in his gut he felt he'd be back by then. From what could be gleaned from the press conference, I have a feeling Urban won't be gone for long at all. And, when you think baout it - Urban Meyer taking scaling back a few hours a week probably put him on par with most other coaches across the nation, schedule-wise.

Urban Meyer Steps Down

Urban Meyer has stepped down as head coach at the University of Florida. He cites health reasons and that's really all we know right now. He says he will remain involved with the Gator program, and his children are reported to have responded joyfully to the news, saying "we have our dad back." So, it's most likely a serious illness with either Meyer - maybe due to his heart valve defect - a family member, or he might just want to step back and have more time for other things. I guess we'll find out more details in the next few days. Either way, for right now, Meyer's last game will be the Sugar Bowl on NYD.
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UPDATE: Who will fill Meyer's shoes in Florida? Strong finally got his head coaching job, apparently two years late, yet two months too early. Without Strong, an in-staff hire seems highly unlikely. So, where do the Gators go?

How about Starkville? They could steal Dan Mullen back, which would help vastly on offense. Either way, the D will be questionable, so the old-OC seems like a good choice. But, would he leave Mississippi State? Yes. Who wouldn't make that trade?

And, it has to be said (but should not be seriously considered), there's always Steve Spurrier. There, I said it. Let's move on.

Kyle Whittingham replaced Meyer at Utah in 2005. Could he do it again on a bigger stage? Why not? He's got the mind for it and the cupboard's never bare in Gainesville.

Then there's the big catch folks have been talking about lately: Jon Gruden. He's been mentioned with a ton of job openings across the NFL and college ranks, but, when asked about the FSU job, he denied interest. Could the in-state rival Gators be tempting enough?

BTW, when I goggled the phrase: "Who will Florida hire as coach" the Google add-on, Wiki-search, link thingy defaulted to Gene Chizik's page...so look out, Auburn!
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UPDATE 2: Or, what about the veteran, Tommy Tuberville? And I'm only half-kidding...well, 3/4 kidding.
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UPDATE 3: To quote Penn: "And then there's this asshole!"

This one's a stretch to me. Meyer's spread is one thing, but PJ' s system would be a HUGE changeover for a team that won't down time in owning its division. And, while I'll admit Johnson's a good coach with a good offense, the ACC is NOT the SEC. He beat Georgia once and also a down Vandy and MSU - but could he compete week in and week out with the entire conference?

The Moviegoer on...Sherlock Holmes

  
Download now or listen on posterous

Memo.m4a (3419 KB)

Sent from my iPhone

Posted via email from moviegoer's posterous

Pony Express'd

I missed most of the Hawai'i Bowl, so I have to ask...what the fuck happened? Oh well, Merry Christmas, or, in honor of June Jones triumphant return to the islands: "Mele Kalikimaka, Bitches!" I did catch the end of the fourth, but it was already a James Ellroy-caliber murder scene by then; Noah Kaepernick was already halved, disemboweled, drained of blood and Kyle Pardon was in mid-face carve down in the ditch when I stumbled up...

Title Game Smack Talk

Texas fans have broken out a new t-shirt to gear up for the BCS title game. According to them, Bear Bryant's just an Aggie. Well, that's fine and all, but I have a sneaking suspicion that after January 7th, you'll know exactly who Nick Saban is.


Of course, 'Bama started the whole thing with this 13 Championships thing. And we complain "mythical" national titles now...?

Mountain West: 3-0

With Utah's victory over Cal tonight, the MWC moves to a perfect 3-0 bowl record for '09. Two of those wins are over PAC-10 teams and both games were out of doubt by midway of the 4th. Also, the win extends Utah's bowl victory streak to nine straight, including last year's romp over 'Bama. The BCS really needs to give this league the respect it deserves after next season's re-evaluation of AQ's.

What else is on the slate? Well, Air Force has the ability to beat Houston - especially if the UCF/ECU Houston shows up - and TCU has the ability to beat anyone. Now, can they and will they are two different things. Houston beat two Big-XII South teams this season and has the nation's top passing attack, which could overwhelm the Falcons if they fall behind early. It's a great odd-coupling with the Force countering with a traditional flexbone, but both sides have questions on D, so we could see some fun fireworks in Ft. Worth.

The Horned Frogs have the toughest opponent of all the MWC teams in Boise State, which is odd since the Broncos aren't from an AQ-C either. Hughes and the D are strong enough to play with Boise's line and running game, but Kellen Moore is a good QB who could make pass defense a problem for the Frogs. I have a feeling we can throw last year's Poinsettia Bowl out the window, as the '09 rematch promises to be a classic.

The picks for the rest of bowl season will be up Sunday (Jesus, I'm getting reamed on picks right now), including the BCS match-ups. And, it's midnight, so Merry Christmas Eve! I'll be doing the family thing tomorrow night, so I'll probably miss the Hawaii Bowl, which is unfortunate since it'll be the best time for me to see Kaepernick play. Oh well, Happy Holidays...I guess.

Brigham Beatdown

Well, who expected that? I guess I should have - you know what they say about Mormons and beavers...

I really didn't think the Beavers would allow themselves to still be suffering from a Civil War hangover, but losing out on the Rose Bowl seemed to have State deflated before they even touched the turf in Vegas. They scored the opening TD, sure, but it felt somewhat perfunctory given their speed. However, the Cougs came to win and made the appropriate adjustments, reeling off 37 unanswered points en route to a 44-20 blowout. Oregon State's vaunted rushing attack was contained for a mere 91 yards and the Rodgers brothers were unheard of for most of the night. Little brother Quizz had his first career fumble returned for an early BYU score that seemed to turn the entire game. Add in a Chicago-style wind that howled all night, ruining the Beavs' kicking (including two sub-10 yard punts!) and giving BYU great field position, and it was a recipe for a Mt. West win. In the end, BYU seemed to want it more and the Beavers bowl streak had to end sometime. I'm not sure if this really serves as validation for BYU or their conference; we all know the Mountain West is a good conference and BYU consistently wins 10 games a year. Tonight certainly tells us a great deal about where Oregon State thought they should be, though...and it's not in Las Vegas.

Let's see if Cal rights the PAC-10 ship against MWC Utah tomorrow night. I must admit, though, that after tonight, I'm rethinking my pick on the Poinsettia Bowl...

By the way...

I think Middle Tennessee State had the stealthiest 10-win season ever. I didn't really notice the Blue Raiders for most of the regular season and once I did, I never felt compelled to discuss them. Now they've got double-digit wins and Dwight Dasher will be back next year. Unfortunately, they'll still be playing Sun Belt ball and that means that the best they can do is the New Orleans Bowl.

This Week's Bowl Picks

Well tonight's our first ranked match-up in an '09 bowl game and I figured it was the best time to start picking these football festivities. I'll pick through the week, so up to and including the Music City Bowl on Sunday. Then, Monday, I'll throw out my next set o' Holiday Picks. So, without further ado, bowl picks, part one:

Tonight

• The Las Vegas Bowl: Oregon State vs. BYU - This should be a fun game to watch, depending on how into their grooves these two teams can get. If the Beavs get Rodgers' run game going and the Cougs get Hall comfortable, there could be a lot of fireworks in Sin City. The Beavers' team speed will be the fastest BYU's seen all season, but Vegas is pretty much a home game for the Cougars. Look to see what adjustments the teams can make in playing opposite their strengths, i.e. OSU passing or BYU running. In the end, I'm calling Oregon State 35, BYU 29.

Wednesday

• The Poinsettia Bowl: Utah vs. California - The Golden Bears were able to beat Stanford without Best, but then fell short against upstart U-Dub. Utah was hoping to build on last season's undefeated momentum, but hit their low in a blowout loss to TCU and an overtime loss to BYU. Vereen has been a solid band-aid for the missing Jahvid Best and I'm not sure the Utes will have enough in the tank to pull off the win. Take the Bears, Cal 31, Utah 24.

Thursday

• The Hawaii Bowl: Nevada vs. SMU - This could be an exciting one! SMU will be slingin' it June Jones style while Nevada has the nation's best run game. The Mustangs are in their first game since their death penalty in 85, but will find it hard to contain the Pack's Kaepernick-led Pistol-Spread attack. Look for yards and points in bundles, with WolfPack pulling it away in the 4th, Nevada 44, SMU 31.

Saturday

• Little Ceasar's Bowl: Ohio vs. Marshall - It's a sectional match-up and relatively close to home for each team. The winner could make in-roads to low caliber recruits in coal country and continue their improvement with a win-to-build-on for '10. Now, I'm not going to pretend to know much about these teams, but the major story lines (at least for me) are that Marshall's breaking in a new head coach and Ohio has been a surprise, edging Temple for the MAC East. The Herd have a power back in Darius Marshall (fitting name, huh?), but I'll take the Bobcat's pass game. Ohio 30, Marshall 27.

• Meineke Bowl: Pitt vs. UNC - I know this looks like a boring game to most of you, but there's something about it that intrigues me. Never look past a Butch Davis defense with a month to prepare...especially one stacked against the questionable coaching of the 'Stache. Hopefully we'll see Dion Lewis early and often, helping the Panthers control the clock and set the pace. How the Heels' top-10 defense responds could be the turn in the game. Pitt 24, UNC 21.

• Emerald Bowl: USC vs. Boston College - I'm leaning towards the Trojans, BIG TIME. But, the Eagles always play tough in a Bowl Game, so calling right away for a blowout seems foolish. Plus, I might still be looking at USC with my pre-'09 goggles and just not seeing hoe truly mediocre this team is. BC's defense is their strength, so it will come down to what the Trojans can do against it. Playing in CA helps Carroll's squad, and the Trojans have a stingy D of their own. Call it a hunch: USC 28, BC 10.
  

Sunday

• Music City Bowl: Clemson vs. Kentucky - One name: CJ Spiller. He's a human highlight reel that should shred the 'Cats' second-to-last (in conf.) rated defense for 200 yards and at least 3 TD's. Plus, he'll do it in the return game and maybe even throw one or two in his final shot to build up his stock before the draft. Kentucky won't go without a fight, most of the fight coming form Cobb and Locke on the ground. It should be fun to watch, at least in the first half, but I see the Spiller and the Tigers pulling away. Clemson 31, Kentucky 20.

Hope you enjoyed the picks for Bowl Week One, check back Sunday for round 2. And, if you don't hear from me before then, Happy Holidays from FTS!

Bowl Season's Off to a Great Start

The New Mexico Bowl was a smashing start to Bowl Season, as the Wyoming Cowboys came form behind to edge out Fresno State in double OT, 35-28. After a tight first half, the Bulldogs looked like they were pulling away with a 28-17 lead in the 4th. But, the Cowboys weren't quite finished. Wyoming's true-frosh QB led the Pokes on 2 scoring drives, the first for a TD and 2-pt conversion and the second to set up a last second FG. The last drive was kept alive by a fake punt, 2 other 4th down conversions, and a long 3rd down completion in the teeth of Fresno's blitzing D. In overtime, both teams blew their first OT possesions before Wyoming scored on their 2nd possession and held Fresno State on downs.

It was a pleasant surprise form a game that not many people were interested in watching and an excellent way to kick-off bowl season. The Rutgers St. Pete's Bowl win over UCF was less interesting, but still a solid game to help ring-in this season's endgame. Tonight's New Orleans Bowl is setting up to be a dud-worthy dullard, matching up SoMiss and Mid.TN, but after that New Mexico Bowl last night, who knows?

The Moviegoer on...The Road

Download now or listen on posterous

Memo.m4a (3169 KB)

As great as the book was, could The Road be adapted into a movie of equal, or superior, quality? Hear what the Moviegoer says.

The Moviegoer on...Avatar

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Could James Cameron's return after a decade-plus absence be the best movie of the decade? Hear what the Moviegoer has to see about Cameron's latest epic.

Why the Wii Sucks

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Here's the first of what I hope is a new feature of From the Sidelines. In under two minutes (joaj34 wanted me to call them 2 Minute Drills), I'm going to take apart or put together a topic of my choosing. Some mini-pods will be by the Videogamer and others by the Moviegoer. Enjoy!

And another thing

One more thing from my favorite player of all time, not just the decade:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b-TxkrEWAg


Who does a better play action fake? No one, that's who....and if you think someone else does, you can go straight to hell.

All Decade Team (Weezy edition)

It seems like I have been missing a ton of blog action while on vacation, so here we go:

Offense:

QB- Tim Tebow (Who has more heart? He praises HIM more than anyone on the list.)

RB-Adrian Peterson (A genetic and athletic freak)

RB-Darren McFadden (Unbelievable skills)

T-Joe Thomas (Premier LT is worth more than gold)

T-Jake Long (Baby Flattop is a worker)

C-Greg Eslinger (Super smart player)

G-Duke Robinson (As physically imposing as they come)

G-Logan Mankins (Go other Dawgs)

TE-Kellen Winslow (He IS a Mfing soldier after all)

WR-Calvin Johnson (Megatron is the best nickname ever)

WR-Larry Fitzgerald (Clutch on top of the stats)

ATH-Reggie Bush (Even I was scared for the defense EVERYTIME he touched the rock)

K-Billy Bennett (A soft spot? Maybe, but he was lights out and the all-time scoring leader)

Defense:

DE-David Pollack (3xAA and his motor never ever stopped)

DE-Terrell Suggs (24 sacks in 1 yr., Really!?)

DT- Tommie Harris (Great player)

DT-Ndamukong Suh (Eats double teams like tic tacs)

LB-Patrick Willis (One that I loved to watch, always had double digit tackles)

LB-Rocky Calmus (Made game changing plays)

LB-Paul Posluszny (One of Linebacker U's best)

CB-Terence Newman (Great cover corner with hands)

CB-Derrick Strait (He was so awesome on EA's NCAA)

S-Ed Reed (No one returns an INT like this guy)

S-Eric Berry (This man is the definition of "football player")

P-Daniel Sepulveda (3x AA, 2x Ray Guy and a Bad-ass last name)

Head Coach: Urban Meyer (His success is almost unreal)



To my surprise, I enjoyed picking the D more than the O. There are so many great talents to choose from. I could make up multiple random awards to get some of my favorites on the list, for example:

Most children eaten: Thomas Davis, UGA (I don't think that I've ever enjoyed watching someone hit more than TD, he was ferocious)

Best Return man/Cornerback: Devin Hester, The U (So great at both but I couldn't leave Reggie Bush out)

Best game: USC @ ND in 05- I remember watching every bit of that game and thinking that it was the best game that I had ever seen.

I could go on and on but we will leave it here for now. Future musings to come.

By the way, what is this I hear about Tiger Woods doing something wrong?

A New Dynasty begins?

After winning thier first World Series title since 2000, the Yankees are getting younger with the addition of Curtis Granderson, aka the second coming of Bernie Williams. Look out as the Tex-Grandy-CC-AJ-Cano show will take some pointers and some help from the core four on their way out. The best teams of the 2010's will be the pinstripes, just like it was in the 2000's.

Side note, AROD is fuly healthy going into 2010 too. ROOOOOO!

McShay's Mock Draft 12/17

Thought you guys might find this interesting...

Everybody's doin' it...PAC-10 expansion?

Now the Pac-10 is gettin' in on the 12-team, championship action! More on this later. Good thing Aroo and I have been tackling this conference expansion/re-alignment issue all day.

All-American Team

The All-America team was revealed today, and - no surprise here - it's packed with 'Bama players. Overall, it's a very solid list; no one was obviously snubbed that deserved inclusion. That said, I'd probably change a few things myself - but nothing too major. On offense, I'd still take Tebow if I was building a real team, but McCoy probably gets the nod for this. Defensively, I'd put Brandon Graham at DE over Derrick Morgan, but Morgan's still a good call. Mardy Gilyard would be tough to leave off, if not at WR, at least at returner/athlete and Brandon Spikes was dominant enough for consideration, as well. Other than that, the AP's list is spot on.

New Head Coach in Lewiston!

I'm pretty sure this is the first mention of hockey on this blog, but here goes:


The Lewiston Maineiacs just hired a new head coach over the weekend, Jean Francois Houle, from Clarkson University. Lewiston plays in the QMJHL (or "The Q) and the Maineiacs are currently in last place in the Telus Central Division. Hopefully, the new hire will get the team to the top! Good luck Maineiacs, and good luck JF! I'll have to make sure to keep up...

Why do I suddenly have so much interest in hockey, especially a junior league in Canada? Because the new coach happens to be my brother-in-law.

New Blog - LTDx

Just wanted to give a shout-out to, and throw a little support behind, LTDx and his revamped blog. Check it out. Fist up: The Tiger Woods drama...Tiger is certainly NOT livin' it!

ESPN 30 for 30: The U

Ok, to start I didn't know much about ESPN's 30 for 30 as I hadn't seen any of them to date. I should have known better. Leave it to the ESPN talent, who put together the entire fantastic SportsCentury collection, to put together a dynamic series of documentaries on the 30 biggest stories of their first thirty years. I did not know that reknowned directors would be making these films, nor would they be so well put together. For that I say kudos to you ESPN for a job well done.

(Side note: Now I cannot wait to see the rest of these stories as I have spent all day researching the ones I have already missed. Dammit. Just wait for my post after "The House that George Built." Also, I saw an article how it was proposed to do a film on Andre the Giant. Why the hell not? Lastly, how great is the ESPN 50 for 50 show about this whole Tiger Woods debacle gonna be? Twenty years from now we might be up to like 2,500 mistresses and the prenup may be all but gone. I'm just saying.)

As some of you may know, I was born and raised a Miami Hurricane fan during the 1980's. Like the Dolphins, I can say I was a fan only because it was where I was born, not family allegiance (Yankees). The U was what I knew because my grandparents had attended and it was where I had aspired during my youth to be both athletically and academically (law). Only later in life, when I began to understand economics ($30,000/year in tuition) and athletics (can't go to the #1 baseball school as a 5'10'' pitcher with an 87 MPH fastball) did I lose sight of that dream.

My family lived very close to the Gables and while many of the signs are in Spanish, there was no mistaking Sebastian or the green and orange U everywhere. As we moved from Florida when I was almost five years old, my cognitive memory does not include going to ANY games in the Orange Bowl, yet I feel as if it were some sort of black hole, both literally and figuratively, where visiting teams got swallowed hole. As a matter of fact, my earliest memory of college football was the loss to Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl.

The U was an amazing chronicle of a dynasty for the ages. A new style of football which was pass first, run second. In a time where there was no BCS rankings and padding of schedules to make sure it was as weak as possible, Miami played Notre Dame, FSU, & Florida annually and often times included powerhouses like Oklahoma and BYU as well. Even more amazingly, the Hurricanes did everything without the financial backing of a conference, or in the beginning many boosters.

Things I learned from the program:

1) Howard Schnellenberger was a god in Miami. How dare a white guy in the mid 1970's, from a program that was nearly shutdown, declare South Florida "his" recruiting area? He entered the crime ridden ghetto of Liberty City and scooped up the majority of the rich football talent, gave them a top notch education and guaranteed that they would win. Then, he backed it all up!

2) Jimmy Johnson really was black. And an amazing coach. Again, cognitively as a kid I remember watching the games and rooting, but my memories of actual coaching by Johnson stems only from his days with the 'Boys. He didn't give a fuck. And more importantly, he lost only 11 games in his tenure, with 5 of them in the first season!

3) Miami played six #1 teams during the decade and beat them all.

4) I didn't know that Miami really didn't fumble the ball at the end of the 1984 Sugar Bowl. That's twice now that poor officiating cost them a title (See 2003).

5) It's amazing to me how the Big 8 winner always came to the Orange Bowl. Why did that stop? And why did Miami play Penn State in the Fiesta Bowl? Shouldn't they have been in the Rose Bowl?

6) I almost forgot how much I hated Notre Dame and FSU as a kid. Seriously, why did mid 1980's teams feel the need to put out a rap video? And that story about the Boz was awesome.

7) Quick question: How many of the 4 QB's who have won national titles for Miami can you name? Kosar, Walsh, Erickson, and Dorsey (not Vinny or Geno, the two heisman winners)

I like the entire section dedicated to 2 Live Crew. It wasn' until I was much much older that I began to appreciate Luke Skyywalker's music (pun intended). But as a serious note, it was interesting to see just how deeply he was involved with the program and with each of the players. And I never knew the whole back story on the fatigues. That was fantastically ghetto. I'd never want to see UGA do it, but it was still fantastic.

Last sidenote, I think there was a fantastic lead-in about the culture of the school and the city during the mid to late 1970's. Corben did a fantastic job setting up the storyline. My only critique was the end was very abrupt and didn't detail the fall of the dynasty away from Ericson and ultimately into Butch's hands.

Sorry, done with rambling. I do think that going forward we should maybe switch off blogging about the shows, it would be a great insight in the slow season of sports that we are heading into.

RE: Big 10 plans expansion...again

I say let ISU join the Big 10 (um 11) (um 12?) (um shit) and let TCU or Houston step up in the Big 12 (yes the real one) And while were at it two out of Utah, BYU, and Boise group should join the Pac 10 (12? please) Ths would leave the only BCS conference to not have a conference championship game to be the BIG EAST. And just for S&G we could have some real fun and add ND (basketball ties), App St & Nova (look what Boise has done), and Navy?

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DiaBLOGue from joaj34:

I like Aroo's plans, mostly. ISU doesn't bring in a new market, though, and i think that's what the Big Ten is after. However, the Cyclones would be a natural fit. Plus, I like the mega expansion approach. The Moviegoer and I discussed this at length one night at Chili's and drew it all up on napkin. However, the Mt West has improved since then and I think Utah would be a great fit along with Boise St. As afr as the Big East, why bring up the little kids? Just fill it with what we already have available in the area. So, yes to ND and Navy. Then add Army for the tradition and Temple (rapidly improving) for the win.

And, what would the new, expanded Big Ten call itself? My vote: The Old Northwest Conference. It's historical, traditional, and opens itself up to be divided into two divisions: Land and Lakes.

Ingram wins the 2009 Heisman Trophy

UPDATE: I just realized I never, anywhere in my post, actually congratulated Mark Ingram. Apologies, sir. While Ingram was not my pick, he's still as deserving as anyone. He was a bruising, pace-setting back, running out of a traditional offense in the age of the spread, and faced 6 of the top-20 defenses in the nation. His acceptance speech was reverent and emotional, and he carried himself at the ceremony the same way he's carried himself on the field all year: with class. So, once again, congratulations to Mark Ingram.
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It was the closest race in Heisman history, but the drama faded and the race still ended predictably with Mark Ingram taking home the hardware. I'm not trying to take anything away from Ingram, he's a beast with unquestionable talent and by all we've seen a class act, but I think the voters need to rethink their criteria. The Tide are undefeated and in the BCS Title game and that meant more to Ingram's candidacy than almost anything his legs did this season. Could a guy on a west coast 8-4 (like Gerhart at Stanford) team have had as miserable of a season finale as Ingram did against Auburn and still be in the running? Probably not. As a matter of fact, a player from a 4-loss team hasn't won in over 40 years. Plus, what would a non-skill player have to do to win this thing? Woodson won it, sure, but he played both ways. Yes, Orlando Pace was finalist, but he came in 4th had no 1st place votes, despite being considered the best OL ever. So what kind of chance did Suh really have with the voters? I'd have to say absolutely zero with those two strikes against him. I will say this, though, at least 'Bama finally has a Heisman now and we can move on - even if the trophy should have gone to a mountain of a man in Lincoln or a non-stop motor and portrait of consistency in Palo Alto . Ingram finished a hair ahead of Gerhart, with McCoy, Suh, and Tebow finishing out the top-5.

My final ballot (which -shocker-carries no actual weight in the Heisman totals) was posted last week. I had Gerhart, Suh, Spiller, Ingram and Tebow.

Big Ten Expansion Rumors (again)

There have been some recent rumors circulating that the Big Ten has finally seen the light and wants to begin researching possibilities to add a 12th team. It would be a vast improvement over the current set-up, where the Big10 is done playing for weeks before the rest of the season warps up and would add another big time, marquee championship game to showdown Saturday the first weekend in December. Well, it's about time. Obviously, the best candidate for expansion is Notre Dame, but the Spoiled Irish refuse to belong to a football conference...and joining the B10 would screw up their Big East allegiances in other sports. I covered this topic over the summer, so I won't explore too deep into it again here. I will say though, that if ND is absolutely out as a possibility, then the Big Ten's best bet is to raid a neighboring AQ-conference, either the Big East or Big-XII.

Awards Season

The major awards (except the Heisman, duh) will be given out tonight; you can catch them at 7pm on ESPN. But, before the "pros" make their picks, I'd like to get my two cents out there for the whole world to see.

UPDATE: Well, it was a pretty predictable night, I guess, as only a couple awards went another way.

Bednarik - Ndomakung Suh. He's already won the '09 Nagurski and may as well win the Bednarik, too.

Biletnikoff - Jordan Shipley. If Tate wins, it's not a steal, as he's been very good. However, Jordan Shipley has seemed more consistent the whole season, hauling in over 100 catches. He might not have the TD's, but he's got the hands and the moves down field.
Winner: Golden Tate. Fair enough; he did break records at an historic program.

Outland - Ndomakung Suh. While on the defensive side, he's still the best interior lineman and deserves the clean sweep. Okung's good, but there were more deserving guys out there. And, I'm not to ashamed to admit: I never saw Iupati play; we don't get a lot of Idaho games here in GA.

O'Brien - Colt McCoy. Of the 3 finalists, I would give it to the guy who owns the wins record. Not that I'm thrilled calling for a kid who almost threw his team's whole season away because he didn't know the out-of-bounds pass rule.

Butkus - Rolando McClain. Hardhits, quick pursuit, and leadership have defined McClain's season. He's a natural captain behind the line, and often calls more (and better) adjustments and audibles than opposing QB's.

Thorpe - Eric Berry. He got robbed last year, so let's hope the judges make the right decision this go round. No one owns a defensive backfield like Eric Berry - especially laying down linebacker hits and sacks in Monte's new defensive system.

Walker - Toby Gerhart. Let's face it: he won't win the Heisman. He should, but he won't. Let's not Mark Ingram rob him twice - c'mon guys, give it to Toby!

Guy - Drew Butler. Am I a Georgia fan? Yes. But this is not homerism. Drew Butler leads to nation in ypp (48.5) and pinned opponents inside the 20 a remarkable 17 times.

Groza - Leigh (isn't that a girl's name?) Tiffin. I wish I could call for the UGA sweep in the kick game and pick Walsh, but Tiffin's been more clutch. Now, after a Fabris-free season in '10, let's see what happens...
Winner - Kai Forbath. Great numbers, but who was keeping an eye on UCLA?

Coach of the Year: Al Golden, Temple. 9-3 and a bowl game...at Temple? That takes coaching, son. Mad props to Kelly and Saban, but in all fairness, he had a stocked cupboard.
Winner - Brian Kelly. He probably deserved it more last year with his cobbled together, 5th QB on the depth chart, finding a halfback approach to 10 wins. I mean, c'mon, Golden's at Temple, for fuck's sake!

I'll update with actual winner and my take once the awards are all given out.

UPDATE 2: I guess it's also worth noting that McCoy took home the Maxwell Award, as well. Congrats, Colt.

Kelly to Irish? Ed. Note: Yes, apparently.

It's starting to look official.

Accoridng to all above reports, Kelly will meet with the BearCats on Friday to say goodbye before beginning his journey to revamp a struggling Irish program. Great - that ought to add some real spice to the sugar Bowl...
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UPDATE - It's apparently OFFICIAL now. At least according to the worldwide leader...

The Moviegoer's All-Decade Team

OFFENSE

QB: Tim Tebow (UF)

RB: Reggie Bush (USC) and Darren McFadden (Ark)

OL: Marcus McNeil (AU), Jake Long (Mich), Robert Gallery (Iowa), and Sam Baker (USC)

C: Brett Romberg (Miami)—because I had to choose somebody

TE: Kellen Winslow (Miami)

WR: Calvin Johnson (GT) and Larry Fitzgerald (Pitt)--one of the tougher positions

ATH: Ronnie Brown (AU), C.J. Spiller (Clemson)

K: Billy Bennett (UGA)

DEFENSE (was a lot harder to select than offense. So much talent from which to choose...)

DL: Terrell Suggs (Arizona), David Pollack (UGA), Glenn Dorsey (LSU), and Ndomakung Suh (Nebraska)

LB – E.J. Henderson (Maryland), A.J. Hawk (OSU), James Laurinaitis (OSU)

DB: Fred Smoot (Miss St), Deangelo Hall (VA Tech), Ed Reed (Miami), and Eric Berry (Tenn)

P: The Colquitts (Tenn)

RET: Javier Arenas (Bama)

Coach: Pete Carroll

The Urbania Legends

I thought it was kinda catchy. Was the team name I used for my created school on NCAA 2010. Well here is what I've got. Might need to make an update or two later but I would be more then happy to go to battle with these boys. Even in the streets as off the field discretions dont get you benched here in Urbania. PS, a couple of these answers might surprise you.

QB Matt Leinart (25-1 as starter, one title, a heisman, and on short end of the greatest game of the decade)

RB Larry Johnson (seriously? 2087 yards and an 8.0 YPG average in 2002)

RB DeAngelo Williams (Memphis or not, you don't finish in the top two in rushing back to back seasons anywhere)

RB Cadillac/Ronnie (any two headed monster that both get picked in the first five picks after going undefeated in the SEC with an overrated QB is super tuff)

T Bryant McKinnie (I could put the entire 2001-2 Miami Hurricane line on here. Dorsey never got touched.

T D'Brickashaw Ferguson (Unreal talent who was hidden a bit at Virginia until he started destroying people his junior year)

G Steve Hitchinson (a BIG reason why Michigan used to control the Big 10)

G Max Jean Gilles (Joaj is a thief, but this guy was a HUGE reason UGA had so much success when he was there and so many problems when he was hurt)

C Nick Mangold (Literally the only other top notch center I could think of was Jeff Faine so Mangold gets the nod for playing on a winning team)

TE Jeremy Shockey (Big mouth or not, he was the size of a lineman and moved liked a fullback with hands of a #1 receiver. Shockey brought attitude and backed it up.)

WR Charles Rogers (made some of the more unbelieveable catches that I have ever seen and made Jeff Smoker look like Peyton Manning)

WR Michael Crabtree (ditto above with Rogers, and he helped put TexTech in the national spotlight)

ATH Reggie Bush (not really a RB or WR, but he did EVERYTHING!)

K Billy Bennett (James stole my thunder. My boy! Had the NCAA record for points scored in a season, AND played a mean guitar)

DE Julius Peppers (Made the ACC look like his bitch, brought UNC into national attention; highly underrated and should have drawn Heisman candidacy)

DE David Pollack (All heart, finished the drill, and had the nastiest pick ever against the Cocks)

DT Glenn Dorsey (was possibly the best player in country and got no respect for the Heisman)

DT Henderson/Haynesworth (Couldn't pick just one, these two monsters made Tennessee's D line unmoveable)

LB Ernie Sims (Not many people in this world scare me through the TV screen)

LB Dan Morgan (Continued the tradition of terrific MLB from the U)

LB Laurianitis/Hawk (I swear they are the second coming of the Legion of Doom)

CB Pacman Jones (Cornerbacks arent this good. Had a money name and attitude and brought his game to both sides of the ball. Plus, he loves making it rain, dog!)

CB DeAngelo Hall (A true shutdown corner that made visiting Blacksburg difficult)

S Sean Taylor/Ed Reed (Again couldnt pick just one, they were both out of this world unreal)

S Adam Archuleta (I have never seen a kid enter college white and 155 lbs and turn into a 1st round draft pick. Plus I have NEVER seen anything as crazy as his game day weight lifting ritual.)

P Damon Duval (He was so good that is seemed like he was there for like 9 years)

KR Santana Moss/ Devin Hester (Gotta be someone from dat U)

COACH Urban Meyer (If this indeed only over a 10 year period, this guy started the decade as a receivers coach, went to Bowling Green and won, took a step up at Utah where he went undefeated and broke into the BCS, then stole a win and a big job in the Swamp. Since then he has gone 54-10 and won two national chamonships)

Honorable Mention
QB- David Greene & Colt McCoy (not enough said about breaking the QB win record)
Michael Vick (he brought an aspect to the game that no defense could stop)
RB- Maurice Clarett (we will never know)
WR- Andre Johnson
DT- Suh and Seymour
LB- Boss Bailey (just because of those blocked kicks)
CB- Phillip Buchanan

joaj34's All-Aughts Squad

Here's my ballot for the best players of the 00's. This was a very hard list to compile, and in the end, I tried to find who was the most dominant in their college career, and, when an extra push was needed, who most exemplified the sport. So, while a player I passed up might have been more athletically talented, the one I chose might have character, leadership, or other intangibles working in their favor. I've also cheated and thrown in some extra positions, athletes, wildcards and honorable mentions. Enjoy...and before you comment on how mortified you are that Orlando Pace or Charlie Ward didn't make the list, please remember that this is a 00's list!

Offense:

QB: Tim Tebow, Fla - Chosen over Vince Young.

RB's: Darren McFadden (Ark) and Adrian Peterson (Okl)
Reggie Bush just missed the cut.

FB (BOOM!): Brian Leonard, Rut. - So versatile (HB, h-B, FB, TE, etc.) I had to include him.

T's: Jamaal Brown (Okl.) and Jake Long (Mich.)

G's: Shawn Andrews (Ark.) and Max Jean-Gilles (UGA)

C: Greg Eslinger (Minn.) - Close call over Ryan Kalil

TE: Heath Miller, UVa - Winslow's a touch too douchey.

WR's: Braylon Edwards (Mich.) and Dwayne Jarret (USC)
Lots of great talent here I know I passed up. Read the explanation up top.

ATH: Tedd Ginn, Jr., OSU

Wildcard: Jeremy Maclin, Mizz - Great for the slot or as a returner/athlete.

K: Mike Nugent, OSU...Sorry, Billy.




Defense:

DE's: Erasmus James (Wisky) and Terrell Suggs (ASU)
There's lots of talent to chose from in this spot, but these two made the final cut.

Motor/Heart: David Pollack, UGA - Couldn't pass him up. A coach could always find a spot for a player like this.

DT's: Glenn Dorsey (LSU) and Ndomakung Suh (Neb) - With apologies to Mt. Cody.

LB - Rocky Calmus, Okl
LB - Patrick Willis, Miss
LB - James Laurinaitis, OSU
And, in case you need to run a 3-4: AJ Hawk, OSU

CB's: Lito Sheppard (Fla) and Malcolm Jenkins (OSU)
If you need a nickel: Terence Newman, KSU. Sorry, Carlos.

S's: Ed Reed (Mia) and Eric Berry (Tenn)

P: Daniel Sepulveda, Bay - I was VERY tempted to take Drew Butler.

RET: Santana Moss, Mia

Longsnapper: Ryan Pontbriand, Rice - Why not? Gotta give the ignored some love...

Coach: Nick Saban - VERY close call over Pete Carroll.

Things that stand out to me right away: There's A LOT of Ohio State talent on this list. Also, there's not nearly as much SEC talent as I thought would come from 4 (maybe 5?) National Titles. So far, the only unanimous picks are Tebow, McFadden, Dorsey and Willis. Three of those are SEC players and both LTDx and I are SEC fans...coincidence? I honestly think not; these are some of the most dominant players to EVER play at their positions. Well, I hope we see a few more entries into the ALL-DECADE BONANZA by next week...I've really enjoyed it so far.

LTDx's All--Decade Team

LTDx sent me his All-Decade team earlier today. As such, he gets the distinction of being the first entry into FTS' All-Decade Bonanza. It's a solid list, albeit a bit more NFL-influenced than others. Great way to use the double-ups/honorable mentions to squeeze in extra talent - I planned on doing that myself. Plus, it Goes Dawgs pretty hard towards the end! My only question: Why 2 centers?

Offense:

QB : Tim Tebow

RB : LaDanian Tomlinson

RB : Darren McFadden

T : D’Brickashaw Ferguson

T: Joe Thomas

G: Ben Grubbs

G: Justin Blalock

C: Nick Mangold / Jeff Faine

TE: Kellen Winslow, Jr.

WR: Roy Williams / Larry Fitzgerald

WR: Calvin Johnson

ATH: Percy Harvin / Ted Ginn

K: Billy Bennett

Defense:

DE: David Pollack

DE: Julius Peppers

DT: Glen Dorsey

DT: Dewayne Robertson

LB: Patrick Willis

LB: John Vilma

LB: Odell Thurman / Thomas Davis

CB: Quentin Jammer

CB: Chris Gamble

S: Roy Williams

S: Sean Taylor

P: Andy Lee

Honorable Mention:

QB: David Greene

RB: Adrian Peterson

WR: Charles Rogers

DE/DT : Richard Seymour

Great List, LTDx. This is exactly what I was looking for. C'mon everybody...where's Aroo? Weezy?* The Moviegoer and JINX? Our long lost friend, KTL...? Do Work, sons! My entry should be up tonight/tomorrow.
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*I guess Weezy gets a pass for a few days. You know, with the honeymooning and all.

All-Decade Team

Coming soon: My FTS all decade team. If you'll notice out to the right side, there's eight people who can contribute on this site. I'd like to encourage them to get some input on this list and post an all-decade team of their own next week. Mine should be up sometime by Friday and will follow classic "All-Whatever-the-fuck-Team" model:

QB
2 RB
2 T
2 G
C
TE
2 WR
ATH
K

2 DE
2 DT
3 LB
2 CB
2 S
P

Feel free to throw in a wildcard or two if you want outside of ATH, such as a key returner, solid backup, etc. The players can have played for any FBS team from 2000 to now.

Also, now that i've typed the word "wildcard," I'm reminded of a quote from one of the best shows on TV:

Bowl Primer: Early Edition

The 5 Match-Ups I'm most excited about: I have a (not-so) secret crush on the PAC-10 this year, and it shows on my list of games I want to see. I do not think they'll clean up in the post-season, I just want to watch the fireworks!

• 1. The Rose Bowl: Ohio State vs. Oregon - I love this Oregon team. They're quick, strong, lightening fast and VERY different from that week one clod we all saw play Boise State. The Bucks aren't too bad themselves, but suffer from poor perception. They're tough and defensive which translates to most unschooled fans as "boring." But, to folks in the know, they create a very interesting match-up. Can the Buckeyes' buttoned-down style set the pace of the game, or will Pryor be playing from behind? My biggest fear, though, is that the Ducks' speed closely mirrors that of an SEC team and that could (and has) spell trouble for OSU. It'll come down to what the Bucks can do against Oregon's defense.

• 2. Chick-Fil-A Bowl: Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech - Finally, the Bristol Bowl. The Hokies are the ACC team that most closely resembles an SEC team, and they'll need to play like one to contain a resurgent Vols squad in the GA Dome. Tech lost by 10 to 'Bama, but that doesn't mean much now considering that same team just blasted Florida by 3 TD's. The Hokies will be able to contain much of what UT throws at them, so the key to this game will be what Tech accomplishes against Monte Kiffin's defense. Look back to the Nebraska-VA Tech game for a blueprint of what this game could be like.

• 3. Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs. Nebraska - This should be called the Schizophrenia Bowl, because it depends on which personality shows up for each team and what particular advice the voices in their heads give them. Seriously, this could range from a 13-10 slug fest to a New Year's shootout. And, that's the exciting part: seeing what unfolds. A key match-up to watch will be Suh against the Wildcat O-line and how Foles handles the pressure. He's a tough kid that could live through the beating and make just enough plays to turn the game...

• 4. Meineke Bowl: Pitt vs. UNC - I know this looks like a boring game to most of you, but there's something about it that intrigues me. Never look past a Butch Davis defense with a month to prepare...especially one stacked against the questionable coaching of the 'Stache. Hopefully we'll see Dion Lewis early and often, helping the Panthers control the clock and set the pace. How the Heels' top-10 defense responds could be the turn in the game.

• 5. Sun Bowl: Stanford vs. Oklahoma - GERHART! The Cardinal will be without their freshman QB Luck for the Bowl, but I think we all know who the centerpiece of the Stanford offense is. Defensively, the Sooners have been rock solid, finishing the regular season in the top-10. They should match-up well in containing the schemes that Gerhart runs out of. What we need to keep an eye on is what TG does when it breaks down. Will he be shut down, or attack with the abandon that drove him against Notre Dame? If he does not respond well, the Sooners could pull away in the second half, as Stanford's D is a bit lacking.
  

What I'm not excited about: Some match-ups, even ones featuring big programs, just don't appeal to me. I'm not saying I won't watch; I LOVE bowl season, of course I'm watching. It's just that these match-ups are all lacking...i don't know...something. And, while I'm an avid SEC fan, teams form that league show up in force on this list, so maybe I'm just tired of seeing them.

• 1. Sugar Bowl: Florida vs. Cincinnati - Sets up a lot like last year's Sugar Bowl. On paper, it should be a blowout. Emotionally, it could be a blowout the other way. Either way, there's no key match-up to watch, except maybe the Gators' DB's on Gilyard. But, in reality, if the DL's doing its job, Pike won't have time to throw. Toss in the fact that Kelly could be gone to South Bend by then and this has STINKER written all over it.

• 2. Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Ole Miss - The disappointment bowl. SOmetimes the Cotton Bowl is classic and sometimes it's a dud. Hello, dud. What were dark horse title candidates are relegated to a match-up to see who was more over-hyped coming into '09. The Pokes improved D could be stiff resistance to McCluster and vice versa for the Rebels against Robinson and Co.

• 3. Papajohns.com Bowl: SoCar vs. UConn - Why is this on Jan. 2nd? At least they had decency to play at 2pm and not prime time. Ugh. Who knows what will happen here?

• 4. St. Pete Bowl: UCF vs. Rutgers - Something about the Knights is always boring to me. The most interesting part of this match-up won't even be seen on the field - imagine what a loss in FL to a FL team would do to Schiano's recruiting. Oh yeah, and it's at 8 O'fucking-clock...nice.

• 5. Little Caesar's (Toilet) Bowl: Marshal vs. Ohio - Look at the Bobcats, those little over-achieving bastards. And, I guess that's it...Merry Christmas, mofos! This game is the socks and underwear your grandmother gave you when you were ten.