Hello again everybody...
Welcome back from your holiday weekend. I hope everyone had a festive and enjoyable Thanksgiving. Mine was pretty damned good. I got through 6 different Bond films (4 Connery, 1 Moore and 1 Brosnan). And then it turned out that Spike TV was doing it's own marathon on Friday, so I got through 2 more that day!
Between that and gorging myself (in a civilized manner, of course) on whatever food I chose, it was a winner of a weekend, no doubt.
Oh, and one other note, I got to introduce my cousin Maggie to the wonderful game of hockey on Friday. Through my considerable influence (insert heavy dose of sarcasm here), I was able to get her in to see her first Minnesota Wild game as they prevailed over the dastardly Colorado Avalanche. Well, actually the Avs aren't as “dastardly” as they used to be, and the Wild technically have more goons on their club now than Colorado, but I've digressed... The point is, the Wild won a well-played contest, 5-3, defeating a division rival. I'm not sure if Maggie will turn into a full-on puck-head now, but she seemed to have a good time, and it's always a bonus to get to do something fun for a family member.
So that about sums up my weekend. Well, there was some college football in there too, but I'll save that for Wednesday. (I wish I could save it for a year from Wednesday, but I'll take my whipping like a man.) Did I mention the Wild beat the Avs twice over the weekend? At least I've got that going for me.
Someone who didn't have such a good weekend? One Eldrick “Tiger” Woods. Details are still sketchy, but part of that is because he's not talking. And his silence is what's got me talking today...
Let's get to the rant then, shall we?
”A celebrity is a person who works hard all his life to become well known, then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized.”
- Fred Allen (1894 - 1956), American comedian
Sometimes the right quote just falls into your lap, and leads directly to what you want to talk about.
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger. (sigh)
I assume by now, most of you are familiar with the basics of Tiger's motor-vehicle mishap from the wee hours of Friday morning. If not, take a gander at this Washington Post article and you can catch up on the details.
Of course, that article just lays out the basics. There was a crash, his wife Elin used a golf club purportedly to free him from the wrecked car, Woods sustained facial injuries, and nobody's talking.
What you won't see in that article is the rampant speculation now taking place in various media over what led up to the Friday morning incident.
Last week, the National Enquirer published a story revealing an alleged romantic connection between Woods and New York Club Hostess Rachel Uchitel.
So it's only natural that some would speculate that there might be a connection between said revelation and Woods leaving his home in a hurry at 2:55am on the morning after Thanksgiving. Especially with so many unanswered questions.
How did Tiger receive his injuries if the accident was so minor that the airbags in his Cadillac didn't deploy? Why did Elin need a golf club to smash in windows to get him out of the car? There wasn't an extra remote for the locks? And why was her first reaction to hearing a commotion to grab a golf club? Supposedly she didn't have to go back into the house for it.
If you believe speculation and rumor, there was an argument about the alleged affair, Tiger tried to leave, Elin grabbed a golf club and displayed her displeasure on Tiger's Caddy. Tiger was trying to get away, and in the dark of night backed up too far and hit a fire hydrant. Then, when trying to avoid her a second time, ran into a tree.
There is no direct evidence, but people can connect dots. And when the principals involved aren't talking, then there's nothing else but to connect the dots on our own.
And this is where I believe that A) Tiger's making a mistake. And B) I'm in the wrong line of work.
For some reason, athletes and celebrities keep getting this wrong. And it's my contention that they should hire me on a consulting retainer to be their “voice of reason” when they get themselves into a mess.
Look, I don't know if Tiger had an affair with this woman or not. I don't know if what happened Friday morning had anything to do with that allegation. But there's certainly enough smoke around those particular areas to guess that there might be a flame or two of truth.
But instead of getting out in front of the story, controlling it and being as honest as is legally-sensible, Tiger's going the other way and clamming up.
So far he's canceled three separate appointments with the local gendarmes. And yesterday, he released this vague statement on his website:
”As you all know, I had a single-car accident earlier this week, and sustained some injuries. I have some cuts, bruising and right now I'm pretty sore.
This situation is my fault, and it's obviously embarrassing to my family and me. I'm human and I'm not perfect. I will certainly make sure this doesn't happen again.
This is a private matter and I want to keep it that way. Although I understand there is curiosity, the many false, unfounded and malicious rumors that are currently circulating about my family and me are irresponsible.
The only person responsible for the accident is me. My wife, Elin, acted courageously when she saw I was hurt and in trouble. She was the first person to help me. Any other assertion is absolutely false.
This incident has been stressful and very difficult for Elin, our family and me. I appreciate all the concern and well wishes that we have received. But, I would also ask for some understanding that my family and I deserve some privacy no matter how intrusive some people can be.”
Well I'm glad we got that all cleared up!
What?! Come on Tiger! “My family and I deserve some privacy”?! Really? That's how you're going to handle this?
I'm sorry, but that doesn't fly. When you ask us to watch your tournaments, buy products you sponsor, and help all the poor little children by donating to your foundation, you don't get to drop “my family and I deserve some privacy” when something like this happens.
I'm not saying people have a right to every last intimate detail of Tiger's life. But when there's drama like this, he's got to give more of an explanation than, “my family and I deserve some privacy”.
And what are we to make of the “I'm human and I'm not perfect” paragraph? Is he talking about the car crash? Or is he talking about the purported mistress?
Here's the problem. When he leaves it open to interpretation like that, it's going to be interpreted. And not necessarily in the manner he'd like.
This is where public figures get it wrong all the time. After making their living by craving the spotlight and public attention, they think that when they screw up, they can hide behind vague statements, obfuscate as long as possible and it will all eventually go away.
But it never does. Once people start asking questions about situations like this, they rarely stop until some form of an answer is found.
What Tiger doesn't seem to grasp is that he's far better off having that “answer” come from him, rather than from Ms. Uchitel or one of her friends who saw the pair together, or anyone else.
We've seen it time and time again. In our society, if you stand up in front of cameras and microphones and admit what you did, admit that it was wrong, tell people you're sorry and that you're going to work as hard as you can to repair the damage you've wrought, the public will forgive you.
Have you seen David Letterman's numbers since he admitted having affairs with women on his staff? They haven't dropped an iota. Granted, he was benefited by being the victim of an alleged extortion attempt. But that doesn't change the problematic nature of his actions.
Or let's go back to sports. Andy Pettite gets named in the Mitchell Report as someone who used steroids. He holds a press conference and says yes, he used them. Here's why he used them. He's sorry that he let his fans and teammates down. He doesn't want kids to follow his example. Et cetera, et cetera. And the whole thing blew over in a week.
Where as Roger Clemens gets named in the same report, denies absolutely that he ever used them and there followed months and months of further hints and allegations which have tarnished his reputation far further than the initial allegations ever would have.
And of course, there's the ultimate example. A President of the United States went from, “I did not have sex with that woman” to “Indeed I did have a relationship with Miss Lewinsky that was not appropriate” and "I must put it right, and I am prepared to do whatever it takes to do so". And in so doing has been forgiven to the point of becoming a revered elder amongst Democratic Party circles, and enough of a world figure to be sent off to North Korea to free jailed journalists.
Do you see the pattern here?
I know Tigers got a phalanx of attorneys, publicists and agents, all trying to get in his ear, all sure that they alone know the best way to handle this situation.
Enter: Dan Cook, Tiger's hired “voice of common sense”.
Get out in front of this thing, Tiger.
Go talk to the Orlando police. Tell them what happened. Tell them you'll make restitution for any damage to the city's fire hydrant and your neighbor's tree. Tell them you don't want there to be any charges for any domestic issue that might have occurred between you and your wife.
Then hold a press conference and be honest about whatever relationship there may have been between you and Ms. Uchitel. If it was sexual in nature, say so. Admit that you made a mistake. Admit that you screwed up. Tell people you feel awful for what you've done to your family. Tell your fans that you let them down. Tell them that there's no one to blame but yourself. And that while you can't ever change what you've done, you'll learn from it, grow from it, and do your absolute best to never repeat those same mistakes.
You don't have to reveal the exact details of what happened Friday morning. You've already embarrassed your wife, there's no need to tell tales of a woman crazed with anger and embarrassment wielding a 9-iron in your general direction. Tell the press that you'd like to get everything out there, but because the authorities are involved, your counsel has advised you not to get into specific details of that incident.
If you own up to whatever you're alleged to have done outside the bonds of your marriage, nobody's going to care about specifics of the Friday morning scene anyway.
But the longer you delay, the longer you try to hide whatever happened, the more you drop lines like “my family and I deserve some privacy”, the longer this cloud is going to hang over you and your family. It'll impact your image, your earning power and your reputation with your fans. And not in a positive way.
Get out in front of this thing, Tiger. Or it'll be in front of you every time you tee it up.
That's just my two cents anyway.
Thoughts? Comments? Your feelings? Attach a comment below, or you can always drop me an email at dcook93@yahoo.com.
That's going to do it for today. I'm back on Wednesday with the usual college football tomfoolery.
Until then, thanks for reading!
30 November, 2009
25 November, 2009
2009 College Football Picks: Week 12 Post Mortem & Week 13 Picks
Hello again everybody...
Thanksgiving break is here!!! Well, it is for me at least. I'm off from work today through Saturday, and couldn't be more happy about it. No, my schedule hasn't reverted back to my preferred form yet, but all indications remain that it will prior to the next batch of Holidays. We'll see.
Either way, tomorrow is a day to stop and give thanks for the things we DO have, not the things we don't.
In that spirit, I'd like to take a moment to tell you all how thankful I am to have you all as regular readers. I've said it before, but writing this blog is something I do mostly for the joy of the creative process. That any of you enjoy reading it enough to come back on even a semi-regular basis is truly icing on that cake, and a blessing for me. So thank you all and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
As for Friday? Yeah, I've pretty much decided to take the day off from the blog. I know that not having your usual DFTU to tide you through your weekend will be something of a burden. But I have no doubts that you'll be able to soldier through!
Today's a day for college football though. It's time to wade through the weekend that was, and preview the picks for the weekend to come!
Let's get to it!
”Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”
- Will Durant (1885-1981), American writer, historian, and philosopher.
This quote jumped out at me because I'd just been thinking something similar the other day. It strikes me from time to time, that the older (and supposedly smarter) I get, the more I realize just how little I know about what's going on in the world around me.
And that's why I've decided to build my own underwater lair, just like Karl Stromberg in “The Spy Who Loved Me”. Only I'm not going to try and rebuild the human race. I'm just gonna hang out and watch movies!
I'm kidding of course... mostly. Oh, and did I mention that this year's Thanksgiving Movie Marathon is going to be composed of Bond films? Yes, I know you're shocked. Try to control yourself.
Move on to the college football already? You're right. Here we go...
«Read More...»
2009 College Football Picks: Week 12 Post Mortem
I had a pretty good feeling about this past week's picks headed into the games. Let's see if that translated into picking success!
First, the game I passed on...
Wisconsin -7 at Northwestern: Final Score - Northwestern 33, Wisconsin 31
Yeah. Not so much “back on the bandwagon”. I didn't get to see this game, as I was en route to Eau Claire to watch my friends Scott and Erica get married (congrats to those crazy kids!), but I did listen to a little bit of it on the radio as I drove.
First of all, is there a way we can get Matt Lepay to call every game everywhere?! Good lord, that guy's good. I could listen to him read the phone book and not get bored.
As for the game itself? Wisconsin's had a history of struggling at Evanston, and that's exactly why I passed on this game. I knew something like this would be possible. I don't know what it is about that goofy Wildcat offense that Bucky can't handle. But they struggle with it every year. Being in Madison usually helps them get over the top. Being in Evanston usually doesn't. And this year was no different. Dammit. Oh well, on to Hawaii!
So last week it turned out that I should've picked the games I passed on, and passed on the games I picked. Does that mean that I did better in my picks this week?!
First...
Iowa -10 vs. Minnesota: Final Score - Iowa 12, Minnesota 0
Well my 35-10 prediction didn't work out. But Iowa scored just enough to cover against perhaps the most anemic college football offense I've ever seen.
Minnesota's now gone 8 full quarters without an offensive touchdown. And four of those were against a FCS (the group formerly known as Division I-AA) team!
Gopher fans can whine about losing Eric Decker all they like. If one wide receiver is the difference between you scoring points and not scoring points, then your offense is in a world of hurt.
What Dan Learned: There's still rumblings that Decker could return for Minnesota's bowl game, so I can't say “bet the house against Minny”. But I'm awfully tempted to. As for the Hawkeyes, suddenly the hot rumor is they're going to get bumped out of a BCS bid by Penn State. Really? Didn't Iowa beat the Lions in Happy Valley for chrissakes?! Does anyone really need further indictment of the BCS system? I didn't think so...
1-0 and feeling my oats! (Ever wonder where that phrase came from? Me too, only I'm mildly fearful of learning the answer.)
Next...
Ohio State -12 at Michigan: Final Score - Ohio State 21, Michigan 10
One measly, freaking point away from a push. Seriously... the Buckeyes couldn't mix in a field goal somewhere in there to get me a cover?! Come on!
I caught a little bit of this game before I left town, and as the Hammer predicted, the Wolverines were certainly fired up being at home in a huge rivalry game.
Unfortunately, “fired up” can only take you so far. Michigan was better on defense than they had been in previous weeks, but they were clearly over-matched in terms of talent. And the lack of a cover here was more flukey than anything else.
What Dan Learned: It looks like an Oregon/Ohio State Rose Bowl. Which actually could be a pretty good game. I'd expect the Buckeyes to be close to a touchdown underdog in that game, but if Terrelle Pryor can limit his mistakes, the Buckeyes might actually win a major bowl game for once.
As for the Wolverines? They're still a mess. On the surface, their 5-7 record bests last year's 3-9. So one could be tempted to say they'd improved. The problem is they went 2-6 in the Big Ten last year, and this year they went 1-7. Hardly an improvement. I'm not one to call for a coach's head after only two years, so I hope those rumblings remain just rumblings. But next year is going to be huge for Rich Rodriguez. If Michigan doesn't become bowl eligible at least - and they probably have to do more than that - he could be looking for work sooner than later.
1-1 and praying for something other than another 1-2 week!
Thirdly...
TCU -31.5 at Wyoming: Final Score - TCU 45, Wyoming 10
Yes! The “bet TCU until they fail to cover” bit is officially on!
Didn't see a second of this game, but here's my imaginary recap: TCU scored, then scored again, then scored again, then got a little tired and surrendered a field goal, then made a mistake and gave up a touchdown, then went into the locker room at half time and got yelled at for giving up any points at all, then came out and dropped 21 on the Cowboys in the third quarter to seal the win and the cover.
Sound about right to you? I thought so.
What Dan Learned: I just wish I'd thought of this bit sooner. It might have turned a few 1-2 weeks into 2-1 weeks at least. The bad news is, TCU has only one regular season game left. The good news is it's against 1-10 New Mexico. I haven't looked at the line yet as I'm writing this, but I'm guessing it's got to be 35+ points. And yes, I'll be taking TCU and giving whatever points they ask.
2-1 and with only the Flier Pick remaining, guaranteed a winning week! Yes!!!
Finally...
Stanford -7 vs. California: Final Score - Cal 34, Stanford 28
*- This game was this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week
Serves me right for picking against Michele Tafoya's Golden Bears. Fortunately, she didn't catch that column. I know this because I would've caught holy hell in the studio if she had.
I didn't see a second of this game, so I can't break it down for you. I will say that I had the right theory about Stanford having a “let-down” game. I just had it a week too early. Instead of letting down against the Trojans, they let down against a very average Bear team. Should I have seen that coming? Probably.
What Dan Learned: I think I have a new maxim for next year's preview column - I'm staying the eff away from Stanford. Every time I picked them this year, they lost. Every time I picked against them, they won. Freaking smart kids!
So thanks again to the Flier Pick I finish the week 2-1. That makes me 19-21 and just two more 2-1 weeks away from a .500 finish. Fortunately, there are three more weeks of regular season/conference championship games to pick. Though, the slate does start to dwindle now that most Big Ten teams are done.
Naturally, I won't let this deter me. So without further ado, I give you...
2009 College Football Picks: Week 13
First a game I looked at, but ultimately passed on...
Pittsburgh -1 at West Virginia: I like Pitt to win this game, and when the spread's only one point, then you just pick who you think will win. West Virginia's amassed a decent record this year though, and I think they'll give the Panthers a game. But were it not for Cincinnati being undefeated, Pitt would be getting a lot more publicity over their 1-loss record. I think they're a darned good football team, and I expect them to win this game. I just had four other picks I liked more!
And here they are...
First...
North Carolina -6 at North Carolina State (11am, ESPN): The Tar Heels are 8-3 (4-3 in the ACC). The Wolfpack are 4-7 (1-6 in the ACC).
Lot's of rivalry games this week. This one amongst them. The game itself is purely for pride as the Wolfpack have no shot at a bowl, and the Tar Heels can't get themselves into the ACC Championship Game, even with a win.
But North Carolina can improve their bowl position. And they've been on one heck of a roll lately. They've won four games in a row, including two doozies in the last couple of weeks, beating Miami at home and Boston College on the road. North Carolina is the ACC team no middling-record team wants to face in a bowl game, I assure you.
The Wolfpack have lost six of their last seven, with the only win coming versus a dreadful Maryland club. They can score some points if you're not careful, but not enough to win this game.
I like North Carolina by 10 at least in this game, so I'm happy to have to only give 6.
Next..
TCU -44.5 vs. New Mexico (12pm, on something called The Mountain): The Horned Frogs are 11-0 (7-0 in the Mountain West). The Lobos are 1-10 (1-6 in the Mountain West).
I guessed earlier that the line would be 35+ for this game. Well, it turned out to be very much "+". 44.5 is a ton of points to give, and I was almost tempted to make this my Flier Pick because of it. But that flies in the face of the “pick TCU til they fail to cover” bit, so I can't do it.
The Lobos are coming off their lone win of the year last week against a dreadful Colorado State squad.
TCU beat Colorado State 44-6 earlier in the season. If they can match that effort and add one more touchdown, I cover.
It makes me nervous to do it, but I'll give the 44.5 and stick with the bit!
Thirdly...
Virginia Tech -16 at Virginia (2:30pm, ESPN): The Hokies are 8-3 (5-2 in the ACC). The Cavaliers are 3-8 (2-5 in the ACC).
*- This game is this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week.
It's nice when there's that kind of symmetry in records, don't you think?
If this game were in Blacksburg, I'd be even more confident that the Hokies would walk. But even in Charlottesville, I don't see the Cavs putting up much of a fight.
Virginia's dropped five games in a row, and only one of them could be called “close”. At this point, they're playing out the string and wondering who their next head coach will be once Al Groh gets the heave-ho.
The Hokies have won three straight, the last two in very impressive fashion. Like North Carolina, a win for Tech still won't get them into the ACC Championship. But I doubt they'll need that motivation to dominate their in-state rival.
If Tech gets a couple of scores early, Virginia folds and the rout will be on. I'll give the 16 and hope it plays out that way.
Finally...
Georgia Tech -7.5 vs. Georgia (7pm, ESPN Gameplan): The Yellowjackets are 10-1 (7-1 in the ACC). The Bulldogs are 6-5 (4-4 in the SEC).
If Georgia needed this game to get to a bowl, I'd give them a better chance. Georgia Tech has already locked up their spot in the ACC Championship game, so there's certainly a chance for a let-down here.
Except it's a rivalry game. And Tech hasn't lost since September. And I think Paul Johnson is way too good a coach to let his kids look past this game towards Clemson and a shot at a BCS berth.
Throw in the facts that Tech's at home, and Georgia's been a disappointment all year, and I don't think 7.5 is too much to give.
The Yellowjackets have their triple-option rolling. They haven't scored less than 30 since the middle of October. I like them to roll here by a couple of touchdowns easily.
So there you have them. Four picks to get you through your holiday weekend. As always, feel free to bet heavily against me. You'll probably come out ahead!
That's going to wrap things up for today. Again, I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
I'll be back on Monday with more of the usual Sports Take wonderment.
Until then, thanks for reading!
Thanksgiving break is here!!! Well, it is for me at least. I'm off from work today through Saturday, and couldn't be more happy about it. No, my schedule hasn't reverted back to my preferred form yet, but all indications remain that it will prior to the next batch of Holidays. We'll see.
Either way, tomorrow is a day to stop and give thanks for the things we DO have, not the things we don't.
In that spirit, I'd like to take a moment to tell you all how thankful I am to have you all as regular readers. I've said it before, but writing this blog is something I do mostly for the joy of the creative process. That any of you enjoy reading it enough to come back on even a semi-regular basis is truly icing on that cake, and a blessing for me. So thank you all and have a happy and safe Thanksgiving!
As for Friday? Yeah, I've pretty much decided to take the day off from the blog. I know that not having your usual DFTU to tide you through your weekend will be something of a burden. But I have no doubts that you'll be able to soldier through!
Today's a day for college football though. It's time to wade through the weekend that was, and preview the picks for the weekend to come!
Let's get to it!
”Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance.”
- Will Durant (1885-1981), American writer, historian, and philosopher.
This quote jumped out at me because I'd just been thinking something similar the other day. It strikes me from time to time, that the older (and supposedly smarter) I get, the more I realize just how little I know about what's going on in the world around me.
And that's why I've decided to build my own underwater lair, just like Karl Stromberg in “The Spy Who Loved Me”. Only I'm not going to try and rebuild the human race. I'm just gonna hang out and watch movies!
I'm kidding of course... mostly. Oh, and did I mention that this year's Thanksgiving Movie Marathon is going to be composed of Bond films? Yes, I know you're shocked. Try to control yourself.
Move on to the college football already? You're right. Here we go...
«Read More...»
2009 College Football Picks: Week 12 Post Mortem
I had a pretty good feeling about this past week's picks headed into the games. Let's see if that translated into picking success!
First, the game I passed on...
Wisconsin -7 at Northwestern: Final Score - Northwestern 33, Wisconsin 31
Yeah. Not so much “back on the bandwagon”. I didn't get to see this game, as I was en route to Eau Claire to watch my friends Scott and Erica get married (congrats to those crazy kids!), but I did listen to a little bit of it on the radio as I drove.
First of all, is there a way we can get Matt Lepay to call every game everywhere?! Good lord, that guy's good. I could listen to him read the phone book and not get bored.
As for the game itself? Wisconsin's had a history of struggling at Evanston, and that's exactly why I passed on this game. I knew something like this would be possible. I don't know what it is about that goofy Wildcat offense that Bucky can't handle. But they struggle with it every year. Being in Madison usually helps them get over the top. Being in Evanston usually doesn't. And this year was no different. Dammit. Oh well, on to Hawaii!
So last week it turned out that I should've picked the games I passed on, and passed on the games I picked. Does that mean that I did better in my picks this week?!
First...
Iowa -10 vs. Minnesota: Final Score - Iowa 12, Minnesota 0
Well my 35-10 prediction didn't work out. But Iowa scored just enough to cover against perhaps the most anemic college football offense I've ever seen.
Minnesota's now gone 8 full quarters without an offensive touchdown. And four of those were against a FCS (the group formerly known as Division I-AA) team!
Gopher fans can whine about losing Eric Decker all they like. If one wide receiver is the difference between you scoring points and not scoring points, then your offense is in a world of hurt.
What Dan Learned: There's still rumblings that Decker could return for Minnesota's bowl game, so I can't say “bet the house against Minny”. But I'm awfully tempted to. As for the Hawkeyes, suddenly the hot rumor is they're going to get bumped out of a BCS bid by Penn State. Really? Didn't Iowa beat the Lions in Happy Valley for chrissakes?! Does anyone really need further indictment of the BCS system? I didn't think so...
1-0 and feeling my oats! (Ever wonder where that phrase came from? Me too, only I'm mildly fearful of learning the answer.)
Next...
Ohio State -12 at Michigan: Final Score - Ohio State 21, Michigan 10
One measly, freaking point away from a push. Seriously... the Buckeyes couldn't mix in a field goal somewhere in there to get me a cover?! Come on!
I caught a little bit of this game before I left town, and as the Hammer predicted, the Wolverines were certainly fired up being at home in a huge rivalry game.
Unfortunately, “fired up” can only take you so far. Michigan was better on defense than they had been in previous weeks, but they were clearly over-matched in terms of talent. And the lack of a cover here was more flukey than anything else.
What Dan Learned: It looks like an Oregon/Ohio State Rose Bowl. Which actually could be a pretty good game. I'd expect the Buckeyes to be close to a touchdown underdog in that game, but if Terrelle Pryor can limit his mistakes, the Buckeyes might actually win a major bowl game for once.
As for the Wolverines? They're still a mess. On the surface, their 5-7 record bests last year's 3-9. So one could be tempted to say they'd improved. The problem is they went 2-6 in the Big Ten last year, and this year they went 1-7. Hardly an improvement. I'm not one to call for a coach's head after only two years, so I hope those rumblings remain just rumblings. But next year is going to be huge for Rich Rodriguez. If Michigan doesn't become bowl eligible at least - and they probably have to do more than that - he could be looking for work sooner than later.
1-1 and praying for something other than another 1-2 week!
Thirdly...
TCU -31.5 at Wyoming: Final Score - TCU 45, Wyoming 10
Yes! The “bet TCU until they fail to cover” bit is officially on!
Didn't see a second of this game, but here's my imaginary recap: TCU scored, then scored again, then scored again, then got a little tired and surrendered a field goal, then made a mistake and gave up a touchdown, then went into the locker room at half time and got yelled at for giving up any points at all, then came out and dropped 21 on the Cowboys in the third quarter to seal the win and the cover.
Sound about right to you? I thought so.
What Dan Learned: I just wish I'd thought of this bit sooner. It might have turned a few 1-2 weeks into 2-1 weeks at least. The bad news is, TCU has only one regular season game left. The good news is it's against 1-10 New Mexico. I haven't looked at the line yet as I'm writing this, but I'm guessing it's got to be 35+ points. And yes, I'll be taking TCU and giving whatever points they ask.
2-1 and with only the Flier Pick remaining, guaranteed a winning week! Yes!!!
Finally...
Stanford -7 vs. California: Final Score - Cal 34, Stanford 28
*- This game was this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week
Serves me right for picking against Michele Tafoya's Golden Bears. Fortunately, she didn't catch that column. I know this because I would've caught holy hell in the studio if she had.
I didn't see a second of this game, so I can't break it down for you. I will say that I had the right theory about Stanford having a “let-down” game. I just had it a week too early. Instead of letting down against the Trojans, they let down against a very average Bear team. Should I have seen that coming? Probably.
What Dan Learned: I think I have a new maxim for next year's preview column - I'm staying the eff away from Stanford. Every time I picked them this year, they lost. Every time I picked against them, they won. Freaking smart kids!
So thanks again to the Flier Pick I finish the week 2-1. That makes me 19-21 and just two more 2-1 weeks away from a .500 finish. Fortunately, there are three more weeks of regular season/conference championship games to pick. Though, the slate does start to dwindle now that most Big Ten teams are done.
Naturally, I won't let this deter me. So without further ado, I give you...
2009 College Football Picks: Week 13
First a game I looked at, but ultimately passed on...
Pittsburgh -1 at West Virginia: I like Pitt to win this game, and when the spread's only one point, then you just pick who you think will win. West Virginia's amassed a decent record this year though, and I think they'll give the Panthers a game. But were it not for Cincinnati being undefeated, Pitt would be getting a lot more publicity over their 1-loss record. I think they're a darned good football team, and I expect them to win this game. I just had four other picks I liked more!
And here they are...
First...
North Carolina -6 at North Carolina State (11am, ESPN): The Tar Heels are 8-3 (4-3 in the ACC). The Wolfpack are 4-7 (1-6 in the ACC).
Lot's of rivalry games this week. This one amongst them. The game itself is purely for pride as the Wolfpack have no shot at a bowl, and the Tar Heels can't get themselves into the ACC Championship Game, even with a win.
But North Carolina can improve their bowl position. And they've been on one heck of a roll lately. They've won four games in a row, including two doozies in the last couple of weeks, beating Miami at home and Boston College on the road. North Carolina is the ACC team no middling-record team wants to face in a bowl game, I assure you.
The Wolfpack have lost six of their last seven, with the only win coming versus a dreadful Maryland club. They can score some points if you're not careful, but not enough to win this game.
I like North Carolina by 10 at least in this game, so I'm happy to have to only give 6.
Next..
TCU -44.5 vs. New Mexico (12pm, on something called The Mountain): The Horned Frogs are 11-0 (7-0 in the Mountain West). The Lobos are 1-10 (1-6 in the Mountain West).
I guessed earlier that the line would be 35+ for this game. Well, it turned out to be very much "+". 44.5 is a ton of points to give, and I was almost tempted to make this my Flier Pick because of it. But that flies in the face of the “pick TCU til they fail to cover” bit, so I can't do it.
The Lobos are coming off their lone win of the year last week against a dreadful Colorado State squad.
TCU beat Colorado State 44-6 earlier in the season. If they can match that effort and add one more touchdown, I cover.
It makes me nervous to do it, but I'll give the 44.5 and stick with the bit!
Thirdly...
Virginia Tech -16 at Virginia (2:30pm, ESPN): The Hokies are 8-3 (5-2 in the ACC). The Cavaliers are 3-8 (2-5 in the ACC).
*- This game is this week's Sports Take Flier Pick of the Week.
It's nice when there's that kind of symmetry in records, don't you think?
If this game were in Blacksburg, I'd be even more confident that the Hokies would walk. But even in Charlottesville, I don't see the Cavs putting up much of a fight.
Virginia's dropped five games in a row, and only one of them could be called “close”. At this point, they're playing out the string and wondering who their next head coach will be once Al Groh gets the heave-ho.
The Hokies have won three straight, the last two in very impressive fashion. Like North Carolina, a win for Tech still won't get them into the ACC Championship. But I doubt they'll need that motivation to dominate their in-state rival.
If Tech gets a couple of scores early, Virginia folds and the rout will be on. I'll give the 16 and hope it plays out that way.
Finally...
Georgia Tech -7.5 vs. Georgia (7pm, ESPN Gameplan): The Yellowjackets are 10-1 (7-1 in the ACC). The Bulldogs are 6-5 (4-4 in the SEC).
If Georgia needed this game to get to a bowl, I'd give them a better chance. Georgia Tech has already locked up their spot in the ACC Championship game, so there's certainly a chance for a let-down here.
Except it's a rivalry game. And Tech hasn't lost since September. And I think Paul Johnson is way too good a coach to let his kids look past this game towards Clemson and a shot at a BCS berth.
Throw in the facts that Tech's at home, and Georgia's been a disappointment all year, and I don't think 7.5 is too much to give.
The Yellowjackets have their triple-option rolling. They haven't scored less than 30 since the middle of October. I like them to roll here by a couple of touchdowns easily.
So there you have them. Four picks to get you through your holiday weekend. As always, feel free to bet heavily against me. You'll probably come out ahead!
That's going to wrap things up for today. Again, I wish you all a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
I'll be back on Monday with more of the usual Sports Take wonderment.
Until then, thanks for reading!
23 November, 2009
2009 Baseball Awards Recap
Hello again everybody...
Back to the grind again! Only it's not much of a grind this week, is it? Yes, Thanksgiving week is upon us, and for me, like many of you, it's a short one. Mine's a bit skewed this year (Wednesday to Saturday, rather than Thursday to Sunday), but even my goofy schedule looks like it's going to be corrected in the near future. So what's not to be thankful for?!
I still haven't decided what I'm going to do column-wise this week. Right now I'm leaning towards taking Friday off. I know, I know, going without your weekly dosage of DFTU would be painful, but I'm sure you'll have enough to distract you from missing it too badly.
And who knows? The spirit may move me and I might crank one out anyway. But I wouldn't count on it.
Today though, I've got plenty for you. The AL MVP was just announced, which leaves the NL MVP as the only award not yet handed out. Since we all know who that's going to be (*cough* Pujols *cough*), I'll take time to remind you who I'd have voted for, who won, and what it all means.
Let's talk hardware!
”A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.”
- Robert Benchley (1885 - 1949), American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor.
This quote isn't really related to anything in the column, I just laughed when I read it. So I thought I'd pass it along.
«Read More...»
2009 Baseball Rewards in Review
Over the past week the Baseball Writers Association of America has been handing out its annual awards. I gave you my predictions in this column.
Today I compare my (fake) ballot to the actual results and break down the differences and similarities for you.
Sounds fun? I thought so...
AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, Relief Pitcher, Oakland A's
Dan's Vote: Rick Porcello, Starting Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
Rookie of the Year was the category I had the least confidence in going into the awards and it turned out that I whiffed on both. That's understandable given that these awards go to guys who, by definition, don't have much of an established track record. But missing is still missing.
Bailey went 6-3 with a 1.29 ERA and 26 saves. Solid numbers for any player and being a rookie only makes them more impressive.
I'd try to come up with a legit excuse as to why Bailey wasn't even a Honorable Mention in my column, but the truth is I just flat whiffed on him. My pick Rick Porcello finished third in the voting behind Bailer and another player I should've been smart enough to mention, Texas SS Elvis Andrus. Sorry Elvis, my bad.
NL Rookie of the Year: Chris Coghlan, Outfielder, Florida Marlins
Dan's Vote: J.A. Happ, Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
I was at least closer on this one than I was on the AL. I at least had Coghlan on my ballot, though he was the second honorable mention. My pick, Happ, finished second in the balloting only 10 points behind Coghlan.
The Marlins rookie hit .321 with 9 home runs and 47 RBI. Moreover, he led the NL in hits in the second half of the season. Add those together, and you get yourself a trophy.
I can't argue too loudly with this pick, though I really did think that Happ deserved the award. When a rookie nails down the 3rd starter role on a defending champion squad early in the season and perform solidly throughout the season, that's impressive.
Unfortunately, only one player can win the award. So Coghlan's the guy.
So did I get any of these right? Yes, but you'll have have to wait for one more award...
AL Manager of the Year: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles Angels
Dan's Vote: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
I'm declaring that I get a half-point on this one. While I voted for Gardenhire - who finished second in the balloting - I told you that Scioscia was going to win it.
I have a ton of respect for Scioscia in general. And certainly the job he did pulling a team together after the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart this year was deserving of consideration.
But as I argued initially, I thought Gardenhire had more hurdles to clear given the injuries he had to contend with, a complete lack of reliable starting pitching for much of the year, and I think you could argue that most people (not me) didn't expect the Twins to do what they did. The Angels? They were supposed to win.
This was Gardenhire's third second-place finish. And of the three, this is the one I'm least upset by. The previous two times, he got screwed over in favor of guys who went on to get fired within two years of winning the award. That won't be the case this time. So it's hard for me to work up a lot of ire.
But Gardy deserves to win one, and soon.
NL Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies
Dan's Vote: Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies
This one was a no-brainer. I said it in my original column, but when you take over a team that's 10-games under .500, and guide them to a finishing record of 22 games over .500, you win Manager of the Year. Hands down. No argument. Done.
Tracy finished with 29 of the 32 first place votes. That's about as dominant as you can get.
Tony LaRussa of the Cardinals and Joe Torre of the Dodgers finished second and third respectively. Were those my two honorable mentions in that exact order? You know they were!
Back-patting, fin.
AL Cy Young: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
Dan's Vote: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
I was more happy to be right about this one than any other award. And not just because it's nice to see a guy on a crappy team overcome said crappiness and win a major award.
Greinke just about lost his career a few years back due to a severe bout of depression and social anxiety disorder. I admire anybody who can overcome those things and admit their problems publicly.
It's been a tough road for Zack, so it's nice to see an underdog win a big award like this.
Felix Hernandez of the Mariners finished second with Justin Verlander of the Tigers finishing a distant third.
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Dan's Vote: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
I said in my initial column that this was a close call for me between Carpenter and Lincecum, and the voting bore that out. Lincecum finished only 6 points ahead of Carpenter. By comparison, Hernandez finished 54 points behind Greinke in the AL.
In an odd quirk of the voting, it was the Cardinals' Adam Wainright who actually got the most first place votes (12 to Lincecum's 11 - Carpenter got 9).
There was some drama surrounding one voter leaving Carpenter off their ballot and another dissing Wainright. I can't really get too worked up over either one. It was a tough race in the NL and Lincecum's as deserving as anyone.
AL MVP: Joe Mauer, Catcher, Minnesota Twins
Dan's Vote: Joe Mauer
This award was just announced today. Not much of a surprise. Once the Twins clinched their playoff spot, the MVP was Mauer's.
His numbers (.365, 28, 96) pretty much speak for themselves. But if you do that without getting your club into the post-season, you can't be guaranteed the recognition that you might deserve.
The final tally shows Mauer getting 27 of a possible 28 first place votes. Strangely, though he finished 4th in the balloting, the other first place vote went to Detroit's Miguel Cabrerra. Huh. I couldn't have called that.
The Yankees' Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter finished second and third in the balloting respectively.
Now if the Twins would just get him signed to an extension, it would be a truly happy off-season for all involved!
NL MVP: Coming tomorrow...
Dan's Vote: Albert Pujols, Infielder, St. Louis Cardinals
So why didn't I wait until Wednesday to do this column? Because I already have a column for Wednesday and every baseball fan on the planet knows who's going to win the NL MVP.
Pujols had yet another outstanding year full of eye-popping numbers - .327, 47 home runs, 135 RBI. Clearly he's deserving of the award.
I can see Prince Fielder getting a first-place vote or two, but I expect Pujols to win by a longshot.
Think that's all for baseball in 2009? Remember, we've got Winter Meetings heading our way in a couple of weeks. There's sure to be a big free agent signing or trade or two involved in those. Stay tuned!
That's going to do it for today. I'll be back on Wednesday with more college football nonsense. Until then, thanks for reading!
Back to the grind again! Only it's not much of a grind this week, is it? Yes, Thanksgiving week is upon us, and for me, like many of you, it's a short one. Mine's a bit skewed this year (Wednesday to Saturday, rather than Thursday to Sunday), but even my goofy schedule looks like it's going to be corrected in the near future. So what's not to be thankful for?!
I still haven't decided what I'm going to do column-wise this week. Right now I'm leaning towards taking Friday off. I know, I know, going without your weekly dosage of DFTU would be painful, but I'm sure you'll have enough to distract you from missing it too badly.
And who knows? The spirit may move me and I might crank one out anyway. But I wouldn't count on it.
Today though, I've got plenty for you. The AL MVP was just announced, which leaves the NL MVP as the only award not yet handed out. Since we all know who that's going to be (*cough* Pujols *cough*), I'll take time to remind you who I'd have voted for, who won, and what it all means.
Let's talk hardware!
”A boy can learn a lot from a dog: obedience, loyalty, and the importance of turning around three times before lying down.”
- Robert Benchley (1885 - 1949), American humorist best known for his work as a newspaper columnist and film actor.
This quote isn't really related to anything in the column, I just laughed when I read it. So I thought I'd pass it along.
«Read More...»
2009 Baseball Rewards in Review
Over the past week the Baseball Writers Association of America has been handing out its annual awards. I gave you my predictions in this column.
Today I compare my (fake) ballot to the actual results and break down the differences and similarities for you.
Sounds fun? I thought so...
AL Rookie of the Year: Andrew Bailey, Relief Pitcher, Oakland A's
Dan's Vote: Rick Porcello, Starting Pitcher, Detroit Tigers
Rookie of the Year was the category I had the least confidence in going into the awards and it turned out that I whiffed on both. That's understandable given that these awards go to guys who, by definition, don't have much of an established track record. But missing is still missing.
Bailey went 6-3 with a 1.29 ERA and 26 saves. Solid numbers for any player and being a rookie only makes them more impressive.
I'd try to come up with a legit excuse as to why Bailey wasn't even a Honorable Mention in my column, but the truth is I just flat whiffed on him. My pick Rick Porcello finished third in the voting behind Bailer and another player I should've been smart enough to mention, Texas SS Elvis Andrus. Sorry Elvis, my bad.
NL Rookie of the Year: Chris Coghlan, Outfielder, Florida Marlins
Dan's Vote: J.A. Happ, Starting Pitcher, Philadelphia Phillies
I was at least closer on this one than I was on the AL. I at least had Coghlan on my ballot, though he was the second honorable mention. My pick, Happ, finished second in the balloting only 10 points behind Coghlan.
The Marlins rookie hit .321 with 9 home runs and 47 RBI. Moreover, he led the NL in hits in the second half of the season. Add those together, and you get yourself a trophy.
I can't argue too loudly with this pick, though I really did think that Happ deserved the award. When a rookie nails down the 3rd starter role on a defending champion squad early in the season and perform solidly throughout the season, that's impressive.
Unfortunately, only one player can win the award. So Coghlan's the guy.
So did I get any of these right? Yes, but you'll have have to wait for one more award...
AL Manager of the Year: Mike Scioscia, Los Angeles Angels
Dan's Vote: Ron Gardenhire, Minnesota Twins
I'm declaring that I get a half-point on this one. While I voted for Gardenhire - who finished second in the balloting - I told you that Scioscia was going to win it.
I have a ton of respect for Scioscia in general. And certainly the job he did pulling a team together after the tragic loss of Nick Adenhart this year was deserving of consideration.
But as I argued initially, I thought Gardenhire had more hurdles to clear given the injuries he had to contend with, a complete lack of reliable starting pitching for much of the year, and I think you could argue that most people (not me) didn't expect the Twins to do what they did. The Angels? They were supposed to win.
This was Gardenhire's third second-place finish. And of the three, this is the one I'm least upset by. The previous two times, he got screwed over in favor of guys who went on to get fired within two years of winning the award. That won't be the case this time. So it's hard for me to work up a lot of ire.
But Gardy deserves to win one, and soon.
NL Manager of the Year: Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies
Dan's Vote: Jim Tracy, Colorado Rockies
This one was a no-brainer. I said it in my original column, but when you take over a team that's 10-games under .500, and guide them to a finishing record of 22 games over .500, you win Manager of the Year. Hands down. No argument. Done.
Tracy finished with 29 of the 32 first place votes. That's about as dominant as you can get.
Tony LaRussa of the Cardinals and Joe Torre of the Dodgers finished second and third respectively. Were those my two honorable mentions in that exact order? You know they were!
Back-patting, fin.
AL Cy Young: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
Dan's Vote: Zack Greinke, Kansas City Royals
I was more happy to be right about this one than any other award. And not just because it's nice to see a guy on a crappy team overcome said crappiness and win a major award.
Greinke just about lost his career a few years back due to a severe bout of depression and social anxiety disorder. I admire anybody who can overcome those things and admit their problems publicly.
It's been a tough road for Zack, so it's nice to see an underdog win a big award like this.
Felix Hernandez of the Mariners finished second with Justin Verlander of the Tigers finishing a distant third.
NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, San Francisco Giants
Dan's Vote: Chris Carpenter, St. Louis Cardinals
I said in my initial column that this was a close call for me between Carpenter and Lincecum, and the voting bore that out. Lincecum finished only 6 points ahead of Carpenter. By comparison, Hernandez finished 54 points behind Greinke in the AL.
In an odd quirk of the voting, it was the Cardinals' Adam Wainright who actually got the most first place votes (12 to Lincecum's 11 - Carpenter got 9).
There was some drama surrounding one voter leaving Carpenter off their ballot and another dissing Wainright. I can't really get too worked up over either one. It was a tough race in the NL and Lincecum's as deserving as anyone.
AL MVP: Joe Mauer, Catcher, Minnesota Twins
Dan's Vote: Joe Mauer
This award was just announced today. Not much of a surprise. Once the Twins clinched their playoff spot, the MVP was Mauer's.
His numbers (.365, 28, 96) pretty much speak for themselves. But if you do that without getting your club into the post-season, you can't be guaranteed the recognition that you might deserve.
The final tally shows Mauer getting 27 of a possible 28 first place votes. Strangely, though he finished 4th in the balloting, the other first place vote went to Detroit's Miguel Cabrerra. Huh. I couldn't have called that.
The Yankees' Mark Teixeira and Derek Jeter finished second and third in the balloting respectively.
Now if the Twins would just get him signed to an extension, it would be a truly happy off-season for all involved!
NL MVP: Coming tomorrow...
Dan's Vote: Albert Pujols, Infielder, St. Louis Cardinals
So why didn't I wait until Wednesday to do this column? Because I already have a column for Wednesday and every baseball fan on the planet knows who's going to win the NL MVP.
Pujols had yet another outstanding year full of eye-popping numbers - .327, 47 home runs, 135 RBI. Clearly he's deserving of the award.
I can see Prince Fielder getting a first-place vote or two, but I expect Pujols to win by a longshot.
Think that's all for baseball in 2009? Remember, we've got Winter Meetings heading our way in a couple of weeks. There's sure to be a big free agent signing or trade or two involved in those. Stay tuned!
That's going to do it for today. I'll be back on Wednesday with more college football nonsense. Until then, thanks for reading!
20 November, 2009
11-20-09 DFTU
Hello again everybody...
We've made it through another week. Something to be proud of I'd say. Can you believe Thanksgiving's next week already? What in the world happened to November? I guess it felt so much like October here in Minnesota, that I blinked and missed it.
No worries. I haven't missed what's been happening to my favorite teams over the last week And after all, that's what my Friday column is all about, right?!
Let's get on with it... there's a weekend upon us!
”All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.”
- Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902), iconoclastic Victorian author who published a variety of works
This one struck me, not because I've gone beyond my means, but because I did decide to splurge on a little piece of technology the other day. Yes, I do love my gadgets, but until now I hadn't really gone all out on a phone. But Wednesday, I upgraded to the Droid from Verizon. Not just because of my Star Wars geekiness (though don't think that didn't play some role). But because I wanted a smart phone and relatively speaking, this one's a freaking genius!
My cousin Lisa will be desperately disappointed that I didn't get an iPhone. But ultimately I decided I wanted to stay with Verizon instead of switching to AT&T. And that meant going with the Droid. So I'll give this a run for a couple of years and see if the fine folks at Apple decide to widen their service provider list a bit come 2011.
But you didn't come here to read about a phone...
«Read More...»
That's right. It's Friday. And that means it's time... once again... for everybody's favorite segment:
Dan's Favorite Teams Update
Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten which puts them in a 3-way tie for second place in the conference.
Sure, second place sounds good, but the conference title has already been clinched by the the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even if OSU were to be upset by Michigan this weekend, they hold head-to-head tie-breakers with each of the three teams in second. Rather anti-climactic, don't you think?
As far as Wisconsin's concerned, they could still qualify second for Big Ten bowl consideration if they win and Iowa and Penn State both lose. But Iowa's at home versus Minnesota, and as I indicated on Wednesday, that one's all but in the Hawkeyes' pocket. Penn State is on the road at Michigan State. That's more of a contest, but still one the Lions should win.
So if everything goes to form, Wisconsin's looking at an invite to either the Outback Bowl or the Champs Sports Bowl. There's an outside shot at the Capital One Bowl, but like I said, they'd need a lot of help there. They played in the Champs Sports Bowl last year, so the Outback Bowl would be a more likely destination (Bowls don't generally like to invite teams two years in a row... it usually decreases attendance).
Any way you slice it, so long as the Badgers do their job and beat Northwestern, they'll be heading to Florida come January.
As for beating Northwestern, that's easier said than done. Especially in Evanston. The Wildcats are 4-2 at home this year. And coach Pat Fitzgerald has put to rest any notion of referring to them as the “Mildcats”.
Their offense can be slowed - they haven't scored more than 30 points since September - but still has a history of giving the Badger defense fits. Wisconsin has done a better job this year defending against offenses that pride themselves on speed and athleticism, but it's still not their strong suit.
What I worry more about is Wisconsin turning the ball over against Northwestern's opportunistic defense. Wisconsin's done a much better job of protecting the ball over the last couple of weeks, but I still don't trust them entirely.
Still, I've got to give credit where it's due, and credit for last week's 45-24 win over Michigan goes to Big Ten Player of the Week: Badger QB Scott Tolzien. Tolzien completed 16 of his 24 pass attempts for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Don't read too far into those numbers. Wisconsin's offense was still predicated on their 229 yards rushing. But Tolzien certainly stepped up his play against a beleaguered Michigan defense.
I expected them to beat Michigan. I just didn't expect them to be quite so dominant doing it. It gives me hope for the last three games of the year (@Northwestern, @Hawaii, and the bowl game). But I count on nothing.
This week's game against the Wildcats kicks off at 2:30pm central time. You can catch it on the Big Ten Network.
Minnesota Wild: The Wild are 7-12-2, which gives them 16 points and places them last in both the Northwest Division and the Western Conference.
I went to the game Wednesday night and witnessed a 3-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.
*sigh*
I don't know how many different ways I can say, “this season's going to be a struggle”. But that's just the reality of what Wild fans are facing.
For some reason this team just isn't executing what coach Todd Richards and GM Chuck Fletcher are trying to do. I wish I could tell you why, but it's a mystery to just about everybody.
It's not entirely a lack of skill, though there's no question that they'll have to bring in more talent to make this system run at an optimum level. What's most disappointing is the lapses in effort.
Coach Richards said it best Wednesday night in his post-game presser. It's not that Phoenix is a more talented team, they just worked harder and gave better effort.
When you're a struggling hockey team, you have to focus on the things you can control. In sports, that often boils down to attitude and effort. Right now I don't know that anybody's sure about the players' attitude. And as for their effort? Clearly that's sporadic at best.
I don't know what to tell you Wild fans. Something's got to give. Either the boys are going to start giving a more consistent effort, or there are going to be some wholesale changes come trade deadline time.
I don't want to get too bogged down in the latter line of thinking just yet. But it's certainly a potential reality that has to be considered.
The Wild try to get back on track tonight as they host the New York Islanders. Then it's a 4-day break before the Colorado Avalanche come to town next Wednesday.
That's going to wrap things up for this week. Hope your weekend's an restful and entertaining one.
I'll be back on Monday - most likely with a recap of the end of the year Major League Baseball awards. Until then, thanks for reading!
We've made it through another week. Something to be proud of I'd say. Can you believe Thanksgiving's next week already? What in the world happened to November? I guess it felt so much like October here in Minnesota, that I blinked and missed it.
No worries. I haven't missed what's been happening to my favorite teams over the last week And after all, that's what my Friday column is all about, right?!
Let's get on with it... there's a weekend upon us!
”All progress is based upon a universal innate desire on the part of every organism to live beyond its income.”
- Samuel Butler (1835 - 1902), iconoclastic Victorian author who published a variety of works
This one struck me, not because I've gone beyond my means, but because I did decide to splurge on a little piece of technology the other day. Yes, I do love my gadgets, but until now I hadn't really gone all out on a phone. But Wednesday, I upgraded to the Droid from Verizon. Not just because of my Star Wars geekiness (though don't think that didn't play some role). But because I wanted a smart phone and relatively speaking, this one's a freaking genius!
My cousin Lisa will be desperately disappointed that I didn't get an iPhone. But ultimately I decided I wanted to stay with Verizon instead of switching to AT&T. And that meant going with the Droid. So I'll give this a run for a couple of years and see if the fine folks at Apple decide to widen their service provider list a bit come 2011.
But you didn't come here to read about a phone...
«Read More...»
That's right. It's Friday. And that means it's time... once again... for everybody's favorite segment:
Dan's Favorite Teams Update
Wisconsin Badgers: The Badgers are 8-2 overall and 5-2 in the Big Ten which puts them in a 3-way tie for second place in the conference.
Sure, second place sounds good, but the conference title has already been clinched by the the Ohio State Buckeyes. Even if OSU were to be upset by Michigan this weekend, they hold head-to-head tie-breakers with each of the three teams in second. Rather anti-climactic, don't you think?
As far as Wisconsin's concerned, they could still qualify second for Big Ten bowl consideration if they win and Iowa and Penn State both lose. But Iowa's at home versus Minnesota, and as I indicated on Wednesday, that one's all but in the Hawkeyes' pocket. Penn State is on the road at Michigan State. That's more of a contest, but still one the Lions should win.
So if everything goes to form, Wisconsin's looking at an invite to either the Outback Bowl or the Champs Sports Bowl. There's an outside shot at the Capital One Bowl, but like I said, they'd need a lot of help there. They played in the Champs Sports Bowl last year, so the Outback Bowl would be a more likely destination (Bowls don't generally like to invite teams two years in a row... it usually decreases attendance).
Any way you slice it, so long as the Badgers do their job and beat Northwestern, they'll be heading to Florida come January.
As for beating Northwestern, that's easier said than done. Especially in Evanston. The Wildcats are 4-2 at home this year. And coach Pat Fitzgerald has put to rest any notion of referring to them as the “Mildcats”.
Their offense can be slowed - they haven't scored more than 30 points since September - but still has a history of giving the Badger defense fits. Wisconsin has done a better job this year defending against offenses that pride themselves on speed and athleticism, but it's still not their strong suit.
What I worry more about is Wisconsin turning the ball over against Northwestern's opportunistic defense. Wisconsin's done a much better job of protecting the ball over the last couple of weeks, but I still don't trust them entirely.
Still, I've got to give credit where it's due, and credit for last week's 45-24 win over Michigan goes to Big Ten Player of the Week: Badger QB Scott Tolzien. Tolzien completed 16 of his 24 pass attempts for 240 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Don't read too far into those numbers. Wisconsin's offense was still predicated on their 229 yards rushing. But Tolzien certainly stepped up his play against a beleaguered Michigan defense.
I expected them to beat Michigan. I just didn't expect them to be quite so dominant doing it. It gives me hope for the last three games of the year (@Northwestern, @Hawaii, and the bowl game). But I count on nothing.
This week's game against the Wildcats kicks off at 2:30pm central time. You can catch it on the Big Ten Network.
Minnesota Wild: The Wild are 7-12-2, which gives them 16 points and places them last in both the Northwest Division and the Western Conference.
I went to the game Wednesday night and witnessed a 3-2 loss to the Phoenix Coyotes.
*sigh*
I don't know how many different ways I can say, “this season's going to be a struggle”. But that's just the reality of what Wild fans are facing.
For some reason this team just isn't executing what coach Todd Richards and GM Chuck Fletcher are trying to do. I wish I could tell you why, but it's a mystery to just about everybody.
It's not entirely a lack of skill, though there's no question that they'll have to bring in more talent to make this system run at an optimum level. What's most disappointing is the lapses in effort.
Coach Richards said it best Wednesday night in his post-game presser. It's not that Phoenix is a more talented team, they just worked harder and gave better effort.
When you're a struggling hockey team, you have to focus on the things you can control. In sports, that often boils down to attitude and effort. Right now I don't know that anybody's sure about the players' attitude. And as for their effort? Clearly that's sporadic at best.
I don't know what to tell you Wild fans. Something's got to give. Either the boys are going to start giving a more consistent effort, or there are going to be some wholesale changes come trade deadline time.
I don't want to get too bogged down in the latter line of thinking just yet. But it's certainly a potential reality that has to be considered.
The Wild try to get back on track tonight as they host the New York Islanders. Then it's a 4-day break before the Colorado Avalanche come to town next Wednesday.
That's going to wrap things up for this week. Hope your weekend's an restful and entertaining one.
I'll be back on Monday - most likely with a recap of the end of the year Major League Baseball awards. Until then, thanks for reading!
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