Sunday, January 23, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
This is DOWNRIGHT Disrespectful
I just logged in to ESPN.com and one of the headlines was about a Poker Player starting a Poker League in Las Vegas.
Thank God it was lower on the list of the side panel headlines, but the fact that it is there is PATHETIC.
Card Playing is not a sport. It shouldn't even be written about, let alone put on the front page of ESPN ahead of lots of other sports.
When has WPS gotten a front page headline...but Poker has.
Poker.
Thank God it was lower on the list of the side panel headlines, but the fact that it is there is PATHETIC.
Card Playing is not a sport. It shouldn't even be written about, let alone put on the front page of ESPN ahead of lots of other sports.
When has WPS gotten a front page headline...but Poker has.
Poker.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Picks
I know I am a little late...and a few people may not believe me...
I think the Ravens will win...that has nothing to do with halftime score.
I like Packers, Bears, and Patriots too.
I think the Ravens will win...that has nothing to do with halftime score.
I like Packers, Bears, and Patriots too.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Finished a great book
I just finished a great book entitled "War as they knew it."
I tore through this book. I think I started reading it in between Christmas and New Years and finished it today. It was 325 pages and thats a lot of reading for me in a short amount of time.
Anyway the book was about the culture on college campus's at Ohio State and Michigan in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It was mostly about two legendary college football coaches, Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes and the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry. It was an awesome read.
What I loved best about Woody Hayes was his passion for teaching, academics, football and US History. Hayes loved Patton, which I liked. It was also refreshing to read that Hayes got on his players to graduate and to attend law school. I don't think any other college football coaches do that now. Hayes would also put in 14-16 hour work days. That makes me feel lazy and also gives me a tremendous amount of respect for the man because he gave so much. He gave everything. Hayes also treated himself like a faculty member, not a football coach. He refused to be paid more than the governor and didn't want pay raises even when he deserved them, especially if other faculty members didn't get them. Hayes would teach classes at Ohio State on Military History and would meet with faculty members to discuss politics and history. Hayes would walk three miles to work when he decided something needed to be done about reliance on foreign oil. When given the chance to resign at the end of his career he preferred to be fired because he didn't want to be called a quitter, and remarkably, despite how demanding he was he never fired an assistant coach. In his 28 years he never fired an assistant. What seemed most interesting about the man was that for as much as he loved football he would rarely talk about it when you thought he would. He would hold 7am staff meetings to talk about current events, history and politics. He'd never mention football on some recruiting trips and instead talk about Ohio State as the school and about History. Hayes was such a legend that he would be eulogized by his good friend and former President, Richard Nixon. As a matter of fact Hayes didn't want Nixon to resign. He felt Nixon was giving in.
Both Hayes and Schembechler were disciplined coaches. Schembechler wouldn't tolerate lateness. Both coaches were also run oriented, which I like. I wish there was more running in the NFL. It's unbelievable to me how often running backs don't get 100 yards and how often quarterbacks throw for 300 or more yards.
You got a sense from reading that Schembechler and Hayes played by the NCAA rules and were great coaches and great leaders on and off the field. You got the sense that college football would be better with them.
The book also talked about Don Canham, the athletic director at Michigan who understood marketing and merchandising. He was a revolutionary figure in college athletics because he was the first to sell everything imaginable with his school's colors on it. He also understood the importance of selling the game day experience so that fans would want to come to games regardless of his teams record.
I tore through this book. I think I started reading it in between Christmas and New Years and finished it today. It was 325 pages and thats a lot of reading for me in a short amount of time.
Anyway the book was about the culture on college campus's at Ohio State and Michigan in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It was mostly about two legendary college football coaches, Bo Schembechler and Woody Hayes and the Michigan and Ohio State rivalry. It was an awesome read.
What I loved best about Woody Hayes was his passion for teaching, academics, football and US History. Hayes loved Patton, which I liked. It was also refreshing to read that Hayes got on his players to graduate and to attend law school. I don't think any other college football coaches do that now. Hayes would also put in 14-16 hour work days. That makes me feel lazy and also gives me a tremendous amount of respect for the man because he gave so much. He gave everything. Hayes also treated himself like a faculty member, not a football coach. He refused to be paid more than the governor and didn't want pay raises even when he deserved them, especially if other faculty members didn't get them. Hayes would teach classes at Ohio State on Military History and would meet with faculty members to discuss politics and history. Hayes would walk three miles to work when he decided something needed to be done about reliance on foreign oil. When given the chance to resign at the end of his career he preferred to be fired because he didn't want to be called a quitter, and remarkably, despite how demanding he was he never fired an assistant coach. In his 28 years he never fired an assistant. What seemed most interesting about the man was that for as much as he loved football he would rarely talk about it when you thought he would. He would hold 7am staff meetings to talk about current events, history and politics. He'd never mention football on some recruiting trips and instead talk about Ohio State as the school and about History. Hayes was such a legend that he would be eulogized by his good friend and former President, Richard Nixon. As a matter of fact Hayes didn't want Nixon to resign. He felt Nixon was giving in.
Both Hayes and Schembechler were disciplined coaches. Schembechler wouldn't tolerate lateness. Both coaches were also run oriented, which I like. I wish there was more running in the NFL. It's unbelievable to me how often running backs don't get 100 yards and how often quarterbacks throw for 300 or more yards.
You got a sense from reading that Schembechler and Hayes played by the NCAA rules and were great coaches and great leaders on and off the field. You got the sense that college football would be better with them.
The book also talked about Don Canham, the athletic director at Michigan who understood marketing and merchandising. He was a revolutionary figure in college athletics because he was the first to sell everything imaginable with his school's colors on it. He also understood the importance of selling the game day experience so that fans would want to come to games regardless of his teams record.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Picks
I think that the Jets and Saints win today. I think the Eagles and Ravens also win.
I think the Patriots will win again and do so over the Eagles in the end.
I think the Patriots will win again and do so over the Eagles in the end.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Umm we can delete that previous post
Shocked that Coach Edsall would leave for Maryland, not shocked he went somewhere, but shocked it was Maryland.
I don't understand it and I am now VERY WORRIED about the football program. The bright future or yesterday was just hit by an earthquake, tsunami and volcano eruption.
I don't understand it and I am now VERY WORRIED about the football program. The bright future or yesterday was just hit by an earthquake, tsunami and volcano eruption.
Proud of football team
What UCONN Football did today made me proud. No they didn't win...and yes I hate losing, but the process matters a lot too.
UCONN made the most of what they have and brought the program to another level...We played in a BCS game...and we scored in a BCS game against a very good Oklahoma team. We kept the game interesting in the 4th quarter. That is an accomplishment. UCONN has never played on this stage before and never played a team with the talent of Oklahoma...not even remotely close...and that's no disrespect to West Virginia who is closest to Oklahoma...very close talent wise to Oklahoma, but not quite there.
We also have a formula for winning without top athletes coming out of high school, which is so impressive. We don't get the four and five star recruits. We consistently get out recruited. But we out coach and out work everyone and that's to be respected. Those recruits will come in time too and they will get us to another level.
We have a good offensive line, a good running game, a good defense and great special teams. That wins games and keeps you in games. What gets us to the next level are the top athletes at the offensive skill positions. That's what Oklahoma had that UCONN didn't. That's all Oklahoma had over UCONN. UCONN will get those recruits sooner than later...and will win a BCS game in the next decade. UCONN will get to Penn State level sooner rather than later.
With Syracuse getting back to them old selves, with the addition of TCU and with UCONN, Cincinnati and USF getting to become much more relevant nationally the BIG EAST is quickly gaining on the ACC and in all likelihood will surpass the ACC in football relevance with in five years.
UCONN will grow faster than the other new football schools (Rutgers, USF, Cinci and UCONN) because of the success the University enjoys in basketball that keeps athletics always in the limelight.
The future is SO BRIGHT for UCONN Football. It is truly so bright. When the recruits come the COUNTRY will need to watch out.
No UCONN didn't win, but I'm so optimistic that we will soon.
UCONN made the most of what they have and brought the program to another level...We played in a BCS game...and we scored in a BCS game against a very good Oklahoma team. We kept the game interesting in the 4th quarter. That is an accomplishment. UCONN has never played on this stage before and never played a team with the talent of Oklahoma...not even remotely close...and that's no disrespect to West Virginia who is closest to Oklahoma...very close talent wise to Oklahoma, but not quite there.
We also have a formula for winning without top athletes coming out of high school, which is so impressive. We don't get the four and five star recruits. We consistently get out recruited. But we out coach and out work everyone and that's to be respected. Those recruits will come in time too and they will get us to another level.
We have a good offensive line, a good running game, a good defense and great special teams. That wins games and keeps you in games. What gets us to the next level are the top athletes at the offensive skill positions. That's what Oklahoma had that UCONN didn't. That's all Oklahoma had over UCONN. UCONN will get those recruits sooner than later...and will win a BCS game in the next decade. UCONN will get to Penn State level sooner rather than later.
With Syracuse getting back to them old selves, with the addition of TCU and with UCONN, Cincinnati and USF getting to become much more relevant nationally the BIG EAST is quickly gaining on the ACC and in all likelihood will surpass the ACC in football relevance with in five years.
UCONN will grow faster than the other new football schools (Rutgers, USF, Cinci and UCONN) because of the success the University enjoys in basketball that keeps athletics always in the limelight.
The future is SO BRIGHT for UCONN Football. It is truly so bright. When the recruits come the COUNTRY will need to watch out.
No UCONN didn't win, but I'm so optimistic that we will soon.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
No Second Guessing
Coach Edsall made the right call. You have to play to win and I think he should have gone for it on 4th down early in the game. It's a way to try and spark the team. The reward would have outweighed the risk by a lot.
First Half Analysis:
I think the goal for UCONN is to play better than expected. We are so young to football at this level...My first goal was to not get shut out. Next goal was to score a touchdown and then to get to double digits.
Now I'd like to see us score an offensive touchdown.
Then I would like the game to be close in the 4th quarter with a chance to win.
Winning is my last goal.
Win would be nice and it's what I want, but at the same time UCONN has never played against a team like Oklahoma. Never has UCONN gone up against a tradition and athletes like this. We need to take baby steps and by scoring and staying in the game we are gaining respect and proving we belong.
First Half MVP...Co MVP's Zach Frazer and Dwayne Gratz
Frazer has played well, much better than expected. This is the best I've seen the passing game in a while.
GO UCONN keep up the good work and lets go get them in the second half. Let's shock the world and do it for JAZZ!!!!
First Half Analysis:
I think the goal for UCONN is to play better than expected. We are so young to football at this level...My first goal was to not get shut out. Next goal was to score a touchdown and then to get to double digits.
Now I'd like to see us score an offensive touchdown.
Then I would like the game to be close in the 4th quarter with a chance to win.
Winning is my last goal.
Win would be nice and it's what I want, but at the same time UCONN has never played against a team like Oklahoma. Never has UCONN gone up against a tradition and athletes like this. We need to take baby steps and by scoring and staying in the game we are gaining respect and proving we belong.
First Half MVP...Co MVP's Zach Frazer and Dwayne Gratz
Frazer has played well, much better than expected. This is the best I've seen the passing game in a while.
GO UCONN keep up the good work and lets go get them in the second half. Let's shock the world and do it for JAZZ!!!!
Resolutions for everyone
Nothing to do with sports, just getting philosophical and making people think. I will write about sports soon...
Dinner table discussions around the holidays made me think of these resolutions for everyone:
Stop picking on engineers. Engineers are so easy to make fun of..but they need to be respected and looked up to by young people, more than we look up to celebrities and entertainers. We need young people to go into math and science because our society needs to start PRODUCING things of our own. We need to manufacture things. A society can't function if all it can produce are crooked wall street businesspeople, therapists and celebrities. Engineers and Nerds are cool, because without them we would never produce any new technology. Every engineer that turns into a sports management major makes the world a more trivial place...that coming from a sports management major.
People need to realize they are lazy and that you have to work for what you want.
People aren't entitled to anything other than the right to life..which is different than good health because good health is determined in many, not all ways, but many ways by how you live. If you want something you have to go get it or earn it. People are also entitled to do what they want within whatever laws govern them.
We need to stop living in the theoretical and start living in the practical.
People should have a resolution to stop worrying so much about the outcome and start worrying about the process. Cheating to get rich is not honorable.
Dinner table discussions around the holidays made me think of these resolutions for everyone:
Stop picking on engineers. Engineers are so easy to make fun of..but they need to be respected and looked up to by young people, more than we look up to celebrities and entertainers. We need young people to go into math and science because our society needs to start PRODUCING things of our own. We need to manufacture things. A society can't function if all it can produce are crooked wall street businesspeople, therapists and celebrities. Engineers and Nerds are cool, because without them we would never produce any new technology. Every engineer that turns into a sports management major makes the world a more trivial place...that coming from a sports management major.
People need to realize they are lazy and that you have to work for what you want.
People aren't entitled to anything other than the right to life..which is different than good health because good health is determined in many, not all ways, but many ways by how you live. If you want something you have to go get it or earn it. People are also entitled to do what they want within whatever laws govern them.
We need to stop living in the theoretical and start living in the practical.
People should have a resolution to stop worrying so much about the outcome and start worrying about the process. Cheating to get rich is not honorable.
30-28
Should UConn win in football tonight I would guess it would be along the lines of a 30-28 win.
They would have one or two rushing touchdowns...and one or two returns for a touchdown and field goals to get them to 30.
They would have one or two rushing touchdowns...and one or two returns for a touchdown and field goals to get them to 30.
Canada Soccer Update
Stephanie Labbe played for Canada as part of a recent tournament that they won in Brazil. All in all Canada Soccer has won three international tournaments this year.
I miss Stephanie Labbe!!! I wish I could watch her more often!
I miss Stephanie Labbe!!! I wish I could watch her more often!
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