I did not watch too much of the Saints/Falcons match up as I had some other obligations. Thankfully I did not get to see Drew Brees throw five interceptions in their loss to the Falcons. I did however get to watch Drew tossing interception after interception against the 49ers Sunday last.
I think that is 8 (or is it 9?) interceptions in two games.
So much for the Saints come back this season.
Friday, November 30, 2012
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Week 14 2012 College Football Predictions
The 2012 regular season is winding down but there is still a lot of football left to be played. Quite a few conference championship games are the order of the day for most leagues.......
1. KSU vs Texas: The Longhorns have not really been able to settle on a QB for most of the season. This has been part of the problem likely. Well, that and a suspect defense.......It is reported that McCoy is to be the starter this week when they call on the Wildcats in the "Little Apple." The Wildcats should get it together this week and take care of business. The Longhorns are very marginally a top 20 team at this point.
2. Louisville vs Rutgers: One of these teams will be in a BCS bowl. Hard to imagine but there you have it. Both are good teams for the Big East but would likely have trouble earning the top spot in the MAC, WAC or Mountain West. Which is the better team? Hard to say. I will go with Louisville on this one. Bridgewater is a good college QB and Charlie Strong is probably being looked at for HC at some higher profile (and better paying) schools. There are certainly jobs available for a good coach.
3. Northern Illinois vs Kent State: A toss up when these two very good MAC teams meet to decide the championship. I will go with Northern Illinois in a close, but perhaps high scoring, affair.
4. Nicholls vs Oregon State: This game was postponed due to an early season storm on the Gulf Coast. OSU will win this game hands down. I assume that this game would have been cancelled had OSU was playing in the PAC 12 Championship game or if Nicholls had made the IAA (FCS) play offs. Neither happened so the game is to be played.
5. UCF vs Tulsa: This one is a replay of the game that occurred a couple weeks back. Tulsa won that one but UCF will be ready this time around. Tulsa has had some rather bad outings of late although the game with UCF was not one of them. I will go with the team from Central Florida to win this one.
6. Middle TN vs Arkansas State: This one will determine who is the champion of the Sun Belt. Arkansas State is the better team probably and may be a legitimate top 25 program. I will go with the Indians err Red Wolves in a close one.
7. Nebraska vs Wisconsin: Wisconsin backs into the Big Ten (with twelve teams, fourteen soon) Championship game due to criminality at PSU and "irregularities" at OSU. Wisconsin is 7-5 this season and that is a bit hard to understand. Could be the coaching staff. The Badgers should be a top 10 team. Nebraska is a step above average. They would be middle of the pack in the SEC, Big Twelve (with ten teams), and perhaps PAC12. I will go with the Badgers to "upset" the Huskers here. Going out on a limb a bit...
8. FSU vs Georgia Tech: This is the ACC Championship Game? This is just not a very good football league. FSU will win.
9. Alabama vs Georgia: The winner of this game will face Notre Dame in the big game at the end. Whether Notre Dame (or perhaps Georgia) belongs there is open to discussion. Georgia has had one horrible outing while Alabama lost to a very very good Aggie team. Win or lose Coach Mark's job is safe for another year likely. This will be close and I will go with Alabama here.
10. Stanford vs UCLA: A replay of last week? It will end the same. Go with the Cardinal.
Last week I went a less than stellar 4-6. The first losing week of the season. For the year thus far I am a rather respectable 89-43. We will see how things look after this weeks' action.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
1. KSU vs Texas: The Longhorns have not really been able to settle on a QB for most of the season. This has been part of the problem likely. Well, that and a suspect defense.......It is reported that McCoy is to be the starter this week when they call on the Wildcats in the "Little Apple." The Wildcats should get it together this week and take care of business. The Longhorns are very marginally a top 20 team at this point.
2. Louisville vs Rutgers: One of these teams will be in a BCS bowl. Hard to imagine but there you have it. Both are good teams for the Big East but would likely have trouble earning the top spot in the MAC, WAC or Mountain West. Which is the better team? Hard to say. I will go with Louisville on this one. Bridgewater is a good college QB and Charlie Strong is probably being looked at for HC at some higher profile (and better paying) schools. There are certainly jobs available for a good coach.
3. Northern Illinois vs Kent State: A toss up when these two very good MAC teams meet to decide the championship. I will go with Northern Illinois in a close, but perhaps high scoring, affair.
4. Nicholls vs Oregon State: This game was postponed due to an early season storm on the Gulf Coast. OSU will win this game hands down. I assume that this game would have been cancelled had OSU was playing in the PAC 12 Championship game or if Nicholls had made the IAA (FCS) play offs. Neither happened so the game is to be played.
5. UCF vs Tulsa: This one is a replay of the game that occurred a couple weeks back. Tulsa won that one but UCF will be ready this time around. Tulsa has had some rather bad outings of late although the game with UCF was not one of them. I will go with the team from Central Florida to win this one.
6. Middle TN vs Arkansas State: This one will determine who is the champion of the Sun Belt. Arkansas State is the better team probably and may be a legitimate top 25 program. I will go with the Indians err Red Wolves in a close one.
7. Nebraska vs Wisconsin: Wisconsin backs into the Big Ten (with twelve teams, fourteen soon) Championship game due to criminality at PSU and "irregularities" at OSU. Wisconsin is 7-5 this season and that is a bit hard to understand. Could be the coaching staff. The Badgers should be a top 10 team. Nebraska is a step above average. They would be middle of the pack in the SEC, Big Twelve (with ten teams), and perhaps PAC12. I will go with the Badgers to "upset" the Huskers here. Going out on a limb a bit...
8. FSU vs Georgia Tech: This is the ACC Championship Game? This is just not a very good football league. FSU will win.
9. Alabama vs Georgia: The winner of this game will face Notre Dame in the big game at the end. Whether Notre Dame (or perhaps Georgia) belongs there is open to discussion. Georgia has had one horrible outing while Alabama lost to a very very good Aggie team. Win or lose Coach Mark's job is safe for another year likely. This will be close and I will go with Alabama here.
10. Stanford vs UCLA: A replay of last week? It will end the same. Go with the Cardinal.
Last week I went a less than stellar 4-6. The first losing week of the season. For the year thus far I am a rather respectable 89-43. We will see how things look after this weeks' action.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
2013 College Football Season Rule 5
As a fan of college football I would be shirking my duty if I did not include some Rule 5 for the 2013 season. Actually this is a repost of the 2013 football season but I won't tell if you won't.
Monday, November 26, 2012
Bartender Cabbie College Football Rankings 11/26/2012
There were no major upsets last week in the world of Division I college football but there were some changes. It appears at this time that Notre Dame and the winner of the SEC Championship game will square off to play for the honor of being the BCS "National Champion."
Rankings
1. Georgia: Until proven otherwise....
2. Alabama: Of course. Interchangeable with Georgia most likely.
3. Texas A&M: Playing the best ball perhaps at this time.
4. Oregon: Redemption to some extent with a rather convincing victory over in state rival.
5. Kansas State: Did not have to play but moves up due to FSU loss and LSU poor performance.
6. Notre Dame: Moves up a bit with a victory over USC. Undefeated but perhaps not even close to being the best team in the land. BCS honks would disagree with me here I'm sure.
7. Oklahoma: Had troubles with a very dangerous Oklahoma State squad. With the talent that is always in Norman, I am beginning to believe that Stoops might not be the man for the job. Hard to see who would be a better replacement though.
8. LSU: Had a bit of difficulty when they called on the Hogs. Lucky to escape in this pretty heated rivalry game.
9. Stanford: Took care of business. Should be undefeated at this point.
10. South Carolina: Beat their rival in a fairly close one.
11. Florida: Just not quite there yet despite the high BCS ranking. Inconsistent to say the least.
12. Florida State: Should be in the top 5 or 6 but just not quite ready it seems.
13. Clemson: Very good for the ACC.
14. Nebraska: Good for the Big Ten perhaps. Not on the level of Ohio State. Not even close.
15. Oregon State: The "other" Oregon team is pretty good. On a good day would be able to surprise anyone.
16. Oklahoma State: Better than most think. Does not really drop after taking the Sooners down to the wire. Like the "other" team from Oregon, the "other" team from Oklahoma would be capable of some major surprises on a very good day.
17. Northern Illinois: The top 4 or 5 teams in the MAC are dangerous opponents for anyone. The Huskies are perhaps the best of the bunch. The issue will be decided in a short few in the MAC Championship Game.
18. UCLA: Can be good. Can be average.
19. Texas: Ditto. Still a QB controversy. Some say this will be Mack's last season. We will see.
20. Kent State: May be the best team in the MAC. We will find out shortly.
21. Michigan: Did play OSU a good game. Perhaps ranked a bit low. Perhaps should not even be here
22. Utah State: Very good under the radar team.
23. Boise State: Will finish up this week. A rebuilding season up that way.
24. San Diego State: Coming on strong after a weak start.
25. San Jose State: Who would have thought?
On the bubble in no particular order
1. Fresno State: Could possibly move in depending on how things play out in the bowl season
2. USC: What the heck happened here?
3. Tulsa: Well, probably not.
4. UCF: Ditto
5. Northwestern: Could move up. Needs some help.
6. Arkansas State: Unlikely but there is still a chance. Meets with MTSU next week in a tough one.
With a victory against the Blue Raiders, a bowl win, and some help from teams above, there is still a chance to find their way into the final rankings.
7. Middle TN State: Same as above. Must beat ASU, win a bowl, and have some help.
8. Texas Tech: Probably not.
9. Baylor: Playing very good ball right now but it will not be enough to crack the top 25.
10 TCU: Ditto.
11. Rutgers: Actually has a chance to play in a BCS bowl. A bit hard to believe.
12. Louisville: Ditto
13. Ole Miss: Not this year. Give it a season or two and the Rebs may be a team to contend with.
14. Mississippi State: Well coached but Starkville is a very very hard place to win.
Teams under NCAA sanction are not eligible for the Bartender Cabbie Rankings.
Rankings
1. Georgia: Until proven otherwise....
2. Alabama: Of course. Interchangeable with Georgia most likely.
3. Texas A&M: Playing the best ball perhaps at this time.
4. Oregon: Redemption to some extent with a rather convincing victory over in state rival.
5. Kansas State: Did not have to play but moves up due to FSU loss and LSU poor performance.
6. Notre Dame: Moves up a bit with a victory over USC. Undefeated but perhaps not even close to being the best team in the land. BCS honks would disagree with me here I'm sure.
7. Oklahoma: Had troubles with a very dangerous Oklahoma State squad. With the talent that is always in Norman, I am beginning to believe that Stoops might not be the man for the job. Hard to see who would be a better replacement though.
8. LSU: Had a bit of difficulty when they called on the Hogs. Lucky to escape in this pretty heated rivalry game.
9. Stanford: Took care of business. Should be undefeated at this point.
10. South Carolina: Beat their rival in a fairly close one.
11. Florida: Just not quite there yet despite the high BCS ranking. Inconsistent to say the least.
12. Florida State: Should be in the top 5 or 6 but just not quite ready it seems.
13. Clemson: Very good for the ACC.
14. Nebraska: Good for the Big Ten perhaps. Not on the level of Ohio State. Not even close.
15. Oregon State: The "other" Oregon team is pretty good. On a good day would be able to surprise anyone.
16. Oklahoma State: Better than most think. Does not really drop after taking the Sooners down to the wire. Like the "other" team from Oregon, the "other" team from Oklahoma would be capable of some major surprises on a very good day.
17. Northern Illinois: The top 4 or 5 teams in the MAC are dangerous opponents for anyone. The Huskies are perhaps the best of the bunch. The issue will be decided in a short few in the MAC Championship Game.
18. UCLA: Can be good. Can be average.
19. Texas: Ditto. Still a QB controversy. Some say this will be Mack's last season. We will see.
20. Kent State: May be the best team in the MAC. We will find out shortly.
21. Michigan: Did play OSU a good game. Perhaps ranked a bit low. Perhaps should not even be here
22. Utah State: Very good under the radar team.
23. Boise State: Will finish up this week. A rebuilding season up that way.
24. San Diego State: Coming on strong after a weak start.
25. San Jose State: Who would have thought?
On the bubble in no particular order
1. Fresno State: Could possibly move in depending on how things play out in the bowl season
2. USC: What the heck happened here?
3. Tulsa: Well, probably not.
4. UCF: Ditto
5. Northwestern: Could move up. Needs some help.
6. Arkansas State: Unlikely but there is still a chance. Meets with MTSU next week in a tough one.
With a victory against the Blue Raiders, a bowl win, and some help from teams above, there is still a chance to find their way into the final rankings.
7. Middle TN State: Same as above. Must beat ASU, win a bowl, and have some help.
8. Texas Tech: Probably not.
9. Baylor: Playing very good ball right now but it will not be enough to crack the top 25.
10 TCU: Ditto.
11. Rutgers: Actually has a chance to play in a BCS bowl. A bit hard to believe.
12. Louisville: Ditto
13. Ole Miss: Not this year. Give it a season or two and the Rebs may be a team to contend with.
14. Mississippi State: Well coached but Starkville is a very very hard place to win.
Teams under NCAA sanction are not eligible for the Bartender Cabbie Rankings.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
BCS Nonsense Again and Again.......
Well, rightly or wrongly, one half of the BCS "National Championship" game is set. Notre Dame took care of business against a very very disappointing USC team in Los Angeles. The other two contenders; Bama and Georgia, both won rather easily and will square off in the SEC Championship game next week. The winner will likely be beating the Irish in the "big game at the end." Ohio State is left out of the mix entirely due to NCAA sanctions, but if they were eligible they would be meeting with the Irish, if they would win the championship game (ineligible), despite the fact that more than half of the Big Ten (with twelve teams) is about on the same level as second tier MAC squads.
About the only thing we do know is that the BCS system does not work. There are always to many teams on the outside looking in and we never really know for sure who the best team in the land is. Never! Just this year Oregon and KSU will not have a shot at the title. Both teams have only one loss and granted KSU lost to a team with a losing record while Oregon lost to a very good Stanford squad, but still.........There is no clear consensus. There can not be without a real playoff system like all other sports, including lower division college football, has.
One often hears about how a playoff will get in the way of "final exams" etc. etc. Ridiculous notion and who cares anyway? Are we to believe that the average college football fan gives a hoot about such? Of course not. Don't try to fool us with that some false care about the "student athlete." I don't hear all that nonsense going on about schools from the lower divisions. I certainly don't hear that about college basketball. Oh. but the D1 football season is longer than lower division football. Yes it is. That would be easy to remedy. Get rid of one "sure win" non conference game. I believe that all SEC schools played one team from IAA (FCS) this year. Is that really necessary? Of course it is fun when one of those schools sneaks up and bites a major conference team (as Towson came close to doing to LSU this year), but still......
The real problem in determining a true national champion is that a playoff will damage the "integrity of the bowl system." Yes it will. Destroy it likely. That is somewhat of a shame for a college football purists' point of view, but progress has to be made.
It is better than wondering who the real Division One Champion is year in and year out.
Yes the BCS system is a scam and no amount of tweaking will really remedy the situation. It is way past time for it to go.
About the only thing we do know is that the BCS system does not work. There are always to many teams on the outside looking in and we never really know for sure who the best team in the land is. Never! Just this year Oregon and KSU will not have a shot at the title. Both teams have only one loss and granted KSU lost to a team with a losing record while Oregon lost to a very good Stanford squad, but still.........There is no clear consensus. There can not be without a real playoff system like all other sports, including lower division college football, has.
One often hears about how a playoff will get in the way of "final exams" etc. etc. Ridiculous notion and who cares anyway? Are we to believe that the average college football fan gives a hoot about such? Of course not. Don't try to fool us with that some false care about the "student athlete." I don't hear all that nonsense going on about schools from the lower divisions. I certainly don't hear that about college basketball. Oh. but the D1 football season is longer than lower division football. Yes it is. That would be easy to remedy. Get rid of one "sure win" non conference game. I believe that all SEC schools played one team from IAA (FCS) this year. Is that really necessary? Of course it is fun when one of those schools sneaks up and bites a major conference team (as Towson came close to doing to LSU this year), but still......
The real problem in determining a true national champion is that a playoff will damage the "integrity of the bowl system." Yes it will. Destroy it likely. That is somewhat of a shame for a college football purists' point of view, but progress has to be made.
It is better than wondering who the real Division One Champion is year in and year out.
Yes the BCS system is a scam and no amount of tweaking will really remedy the situation. It is way past time for it to go.
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Interested to See.....
I have not heard much honking the last couple of days about Wal Mart or Target workers not showing up for work this evening. It seems a bit silly to open the stores at Midnight (or whatever) but still........In today's political climate perhaps workers feel somehow empowered. Obama, a vocal (but perhaps not real) champion of labor, has been reelected and organized labor is banging their drums and blowing their horns a good bit the last few days.
If I was an Evil Empire or Target employee (and thank goodness I'm not), I would show up to work. I would continue to look for better employment sure but would keep what I have. I have learned this lesson the hard way a time or two myself.
If I was an Evil Empire or Target employee (and thank goodness I'm not), I would show up to work. I would continue to look for better employment sure but would keep what I have. I have learned this lesson the hard way a time or two myself.
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Bartender Cabbie College Football Ranking 11/20/2012
The BCS has become a shambles this season with no clear cut team(s) deserving of the right to play in the big game at the end. At least at this point.
The BCRS (Bartender Cabbie Ranking System) top 25 as of 11/20/2012
1. Georgia: Has had one bad outing against a very good team. Will be challenged for top spot.
2. Alabama: Right there.
3. Texas A&M: Playing perhaps the best football of anyone right now.
4. Florida State: Playing pretty good ball. They will need to be up for the rivalry game with Florida this week. Might be ranked a bit high. Or not.
5. LSU: Had a bit of a scare against a better than expected Ole Miss squad last Saturday.. Has gotten the offense together it seems and might be the best two loss squad in the country right now.
6. Oregon: Very fast but were exposed by a good Stanford squad. Might win 2 of 3 against the Cardinal. Or not.
7. Stanford: Should really be undefeated at this point.
8. KSU: Fall a long way after that debacle in Waco. Has a bye week and will move up with a victory over the Longhorns in two weeks.
9. Notre Dame: They are number one in the BCS? Really? Has anyone really watched them this year? They have had one very good outing but they do continue to win. Would likely lose 2 of 3 to both Oklahoma and Stanford. Good HC, but the man is a mercenary in the same vien as Todd Graham.
10. Oklahoma: Had some trouble with West Virginia last week. Good team that underachieves. It may be on Stoops. He might not be the man.
11. Clemson: Good team that has not been playing top notch competition.
12. South Carolina: Still a dangerous team even without Lattimore.
13. Oregon State: Will have a chance to surprise the Ducks and may well do so.
14. Florida: Might move into the top 10 with a victory over Florida State. They have been exposed in the second half of the regular season.
15. Nebraska: Keeps winning.
16. Oklahoma State: Might be playing the best ball in the Big XII at this time.
17. Texas: A disappointing year. Can salvage some dignity in the next two weeks but it is not enough for the Longhorn faithful.
18. UCLA: Nice win last week. Very nice win. May be ranked a bit low here. Mora Jr. is doing a good job.
19. Louisville: OK
20. Northern Illinois: A very good MAC team and pretty darn good overall.
21. Utah State: Under the radar but a pretty darn good football team none the less.
22. USC: Do you know what has happened here? I think you do.
23. Michigan: OK. Hoke might have wished he had stayed in sunny San Diego. Michigan has become a hard place to compete for the "national championship" in the past number of years. Not sure why.
24. Boise State: Rebuilding year but still dangerous for anyone to face.
25. SDSU: Started off slow but has come on strong in the last few weeks. A pretty good football team. If Boise State deserves a top 25 ranking then probably the Aztecs do also. They are interchangeable perhaps with SJSU, Louisiana Tech and perhaps Rutgers, Kent State, Wisconsin, or some other teams on the bubble.
On the bubble (in no particular order):
1. San Jose State: Either the second or third best team in the WAC and a dangerous opponent. Ask the folks at Stanford.
2. Louisiana Tech: The bloom is off the rose a bit but the Bulldogs are still a very good offensive team. No defense to speak of has kept them from perhaps being a "BCS Buster." I don't guess we need a BCS Buster this season. The BCS is "busting" itself.
3. Arkansas State: Could move into the final end of year ranking by running the table and winning a bowl game.
4. Mississippi State: Perhaps could play their way back in by winning final regular season game and/or bowl game. A beat down of the Razorbacks proves very very little.
5. Arizona: Good team so they keep telling us. Ranked in the BCS
6. Washington: Ditto
7. Kent State: May be the best in the MAC.
9. Rutgers: Still not really convinced. Are you? Could find their way in.
10. Wisconsin: Perhaps still an outside shot. They should have been a better team than they have shown us this season. Something wrong in Madison.
11. Tulsa: The best of CUSA. Need to run the table and win their bowl game to find themselves in. Their last outing was a good one but the two prior were not. Some inconsistency here to overcome yet.
12. Northwestern: OK.
Teams under sanction not eligible for consideration in the Bartender Cabbie Ranking System.
The BCRS (Bartender Cabbie Ranking System) top 25 as of 11/20/2012
1. Georgia: Has had one bad outing against a very good team. Will be challenged for top spot.
2. Alabama: Right there.
3. Texas A&M: Playing perhaps the best football of anyone right now.
4. Florida State: Playing pretty good ball. They will need to be up for the rivalry game with Florida this week. Might be ranked a bit high. Or not.
5. LSU: Had a bit of a scare against a better than expected Ole Miss squad last Saturday.. Has gotten the offense together it seems and might be the best two loss squad in the country right now.
6. Oregon: Very fast but were exposed by a good Stanford squad. Might win 2 of 3 against the Cardinal. Or not.
7. Stanford: Should really be undefeated at this point.
8. KSU: Fall a long way after that debacle in Waco. Has a bye week and will move up with a victory over the Longhorns in two weeks.
9. Notre Dame: They are number one in the BCS? Really? Has anyone really watched them this year? They have had one very good outing but they do continue to win. Would likely lose 2 of 3 to both Oklahoma and Stanford. Good HC, but the man is a mercenary in the same vien as Todd Graham.
10. Oklahoma: Had some trouble with West Virginia last week. Good team that underachieves. It may be on Stoops. He might not be the man.
11. Clemson: Good team that has not been playing top notch competition.
12. South Carolina: Still a dangerous team even without Lattimore.
13. Oregon State: Will have a chance to surprise the Ducks and may well do so.
14. Florida: Might move into the top 10 with a victory over Florida State. They have been exposed in the second half of the regular season.
15. Nebraska: Keeps winning.
16. Oklahoma State: Might be playing the best ball in the Big XII at this time.
17. Texas: A disappointing year. Can salvage some dignity in the next two weeks but it is not enough for the Longhorn faithful.
18. UCLA: Nice win last week. Very nice win. May be ranked a bit low here. Mora Jr. is doing a good job.
19. Louisville: OK
20. Northern Illinois: A very good MAC team and pretty darn good overall.
21. Utah State: Under the radar but a pretty darn good football team none the less.
22. USC: Do you know what has happened here? I think you do.
23. Michigan: OK. Hoke might have wished he had stayed in sunny San Diego. Michigan has become a hard place to compete for the "national championship" in the past number of years. Not sure why.
24. Boise State: Rebuilding year but still dangerous for anyone to face.
25. SDSU: Started off slow but has come on strong in the last few weeks. A pretty good football team. If Boise State deserves a top 25 ranking then probably the Aztecs do also. They are interchangeable perhaps with SJSU, Louisiana Tech and perhaps Rutgers, Kent State, Wisconsin, or some other teams on the bubble.
On the bubble (in no particular order):
1. San Jose State: Either the second or third best team in the WAC and a dangerous opponent. Ask the folks at Stanford.
2. Louisiana Tech: The bloom is off the rose a bit but the Bulldogs are still a very good offensive team. No defense to speak of has kept them from perhaps being a "BCS Buster." I don't guess we need a BCS Buster this season. The BCS is "busting" itself.
3. Arkansas State: Could move into the final end of year ranking by running the table and winning a bowl game.
4. Mississippi State: Perhaps could play their way back in by winning final regular season game and/or bowl game. A beat down of the Razorbacks proves very very little.
5. Arizona: Good team so they keep telling us. Ranked in the BCS
6. Washington: Ditto
7. Kent State: May be the best in the MAC.
9. Rutgers: Still not really convinced. Are you? Could find their way in.
10. Wisconsin: Perhaps still an outside shot. They should have been a better team than they have shown us this season. Something wrong in Madison.
11. Tulsa: The best of CUSA. Need to run the table and win their bowl game to find themselves in. Their last outing was a good one but the two prior were not. Some inconsistency here to overcome yet.
12. Northwestern: OK.
Teams under sanction not eligible for consideration in the Bartender Cabbie Ranking System.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Week 13 College Football Predictions 2012
After the big shake up in the BCS last week there is probably room for a little more controversy. Let us hope so. Oh well. A few predictions for week 13.....
1. Toledo vs Akron: Toledo is out of the race for the MAC Championship but still may snag a bowl. They need to solidify their position by finishing strong here. Should be little problem. Go with the Rockets.
2. TCU vs Texas: This one used to be the big Thanksgiving Texas/Texas Agriculture game but with the Aggies going over to show some SEC folks how it is done, the big game is now relegated to this. It could be a good game. Both teams are probably fairly even and both have had somewhat disappointing seasons. I will go with the Longhorns here. Could be close.
3. Michigan vs Ohio State: The big game of the year in the Big Ten. So they keep telling us. Ohio State has run the table so far but are really playing for nothing but pride. Michigan is Michigan. Well coached but just not quite ready for prime time. I am going out on a limb here and predicting a Wolverine upset.
4. Florida vs FSU: FSU is the better team. Still they have not really faced top caliber competition for the most part. Florida has and have come up short a few times. This is a big rivalry game and I will go with the Seminoles for the win.
5. Utah State vs Idaho: A no brainer. The Aggies for the win. They could be a legitimate top 25 team. Idaho is in shambles. I have heard rumors of them moving down to IAA (FCS), but do not know if they are accurate at this point. Go with Utah State.
6. Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma: Both are good. Right now the Cowboys are probably playing marginally better football, but are not the all around better team. This will be a toss up and I will go with the rather fast OSU team to upset the big boys in the state. Go with OSU.
7. SDSU vs Wyoming: The Aztecs might be bumping top 25 status and Wyoming is pretty dismal. I am going with the Aztecs here. Could get ugly.
8. Notre Dame vs USC: The Irish are inexplicably number one in the BCS. USC is coming apart at the seams. With the starting Trojan QB reported to be out for the game it will be interesting to see if the Trojans can take apart the Irish defense. Interesting indeed. I am going with USC to upset the Irish none the less. Going way out on a limb here I realize. Way out.
9. Louisiana Tech vs SJSU: Both good teams. La. Tech has been living on borrowed time and good luck for a good deal of the season and it caught up with them last weekend. SJSU is perhaps near as good as the Utah State team that beat the Bulldogs last week. It will be an interesting game and is a toss up. If Louisiana Tech can play for 4 quarters they will win. If not? I go with the Bulldogs.
10. LSU vs Arkansas: LSU almost let one get away from them last week but the Rebels are a better team than given credit for. Arkansas is just not a good team at this point. Go with LSU for the win. It may be closer than expected. This has become a pretty heated rivalry and you know what they say about rivalry games.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
1. Toledo vs Akron: Toledo is out of the race for the MAC Championship but still may snag a bowl. They need to solidify their position by finishing strong here. Should be little problem. Go with the Rockets.
2. TCU vs Texas: This one used to be the big Thanksgiving Texas/Texas Agriculture game but with the Aggies going over to show some SEC folks how it is done, the big game is now relegated to this. It could be a good game. Both teams are probably fairly even and both have had somewhat disappointing seasons. I will go with the Longhorns here. Could be close.
3. Michigan vs Ohio State: The big game of the year in the Big Ten. So they keep telling us. Ohio State has run the table so far but are really playing for nothing but pride. Michigan is Michigan. Well coached but just not quite ready for prime time. I am going out on a limb here and predicting a Wolverine upset.
4. Florida vs FSU: FSU is the better team. Still they have not really faced top caliber competition for the most part. Florida has and have come up short a few times. This is a big rivalry game and I will go with the Seminoles for the win.
5. Utah State vs Idaho: A no brainer. The Aggies for the win. They could be a legitimate top 25 team. Idaho is in shambles. I have heard rumors of them moving down to IAA (FCS), but do not know if they are accurate at this point. Go with Utah State.
6. Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma: Both are good. Right now the Cowboys are probably playing marginally better football, but are not the all around better team. This will be a toss up and I will go with the rather fast OSU team to upset the big boys in the state. Go with OSU.
7. SDSU vs Wyoming: The Aztecs might be bumping top 25 status and Wyoming is pretty dismal. I am going with the Aztecs here. Could get ugly.
8. Notre Dame vs USC: The Irish are inexplicably number one in the BCS. USC is coming apart at the seams. With the starting Trojan QB reported to be out for the game it will be interesting to see if the Trojans can take apart the Irish defense. Interesting indeed. I am going with USC to upset the Irish none the less. Going way out on a limb here I realize. Way out.
9. Louisiana Tech vs SJSU: Both good teams. La. Tech has been living on borrowed time and good luck for a good deal of the season and it caught up with them last weekend. SJSU is perhaps near as good as the Utah State team that beat the Bulldogs last week. It will be an interesting game and is a toss up. If Louisiana Tech can play for 4 quarters they will win. If not? I go with the Bulldogs.
10. LSU vs Arkansas: LSU almost let one get away from them last week but the Rebels are a better team than given credit for. Arkansas is just not a good team at this point. Go with LSU for the win. It may be closer than expected. This has become a pretty heated rivalry and you know what they say about rivalry games.
Have a good week and enjoy the games.
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Any Volunteers for the Volunteers?
Tennessee has fired coach Derek Dooley. No shock really. Dooley inherited a problem caused in a very short time by one Lane Kiffin and has not been able to move the program forward. You know Kiffin? He is the same guy that is leading one of the most talented teams in the nation (USC) to mediocrity.
I suppose it was inevitable. Dooley did a commendable job at Louisiana Tech before being hired but just has not been able to get it together in Knoxville. For those who don't know, Tennessee is one of those schools where the fans believe they should be a contender for the mythical college football "national championship" year in and year out. They are not alone there (see Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Virginia Tech, Texas Agriculture, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, PSU, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, and strangely enough, Notre Dame, UCLA and BYU).
Nope the Volunteer faithful don't take any losing lightly but one thing that can not be tolerated is losing to in state rival Vanderbilt. Lose one of those and a HC is likely on the hot seat no matter how the rest of the season is going.
Dooley's firing is just the first (well Akey at Idaho) of quite a few major college coaches that will find themselves out before all is said and done.
I suppose it was inevitable. Dooley did a commendable job at Louisiana Tech before being hired but just has not been able to get it together in Knoxville. For those who don't know, Tennessee is one of those schools where the fans believe they should be a contender for the mythical college football "national championship" year in and year out. They are not alone there (see Alabama, LSU, Auburn, Florida, FSU, Virginia Tech, Texas Agriculture, Nebraska, Ohio State, Michigan, PSU, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, USC, and strangely enough, Notre Dame, UCLA and BYU).
Nope the Volunteer faithful don't take any losing lightly but one thing that can not be tolerated is losing to in state rival Vanderbilt. Lose one of those and a HC is likely on the hot seat no matter how the rest of the season is going.
Dooley's firing is just the first (well Akey at Idaho) of quite a few major college coaches that will find themselves out before all is said and done.
Post Week 12 College Football Recap 2012. BCS in Shambles
Yesterday the BCS system came crashing down. This is the year that there is no clear cut team that deserves, hands down, to be in the big game at the end. Three losses in two weeks have hurt the chances of some of the best teams and someone who is of national championship calibre will not have a chance to play for all the marbles. Real playoffs are not forthcoming anytime soon though......
It was predictable that Oregon would not run the table. Sooner or later their average defense was to be exposed. Last night the Cardinal did just that.
KSU just flat did not show up against Baylor. I did not notice RGIII behind center for the Bears last night. Did you? That would have been at least an excuse of sorts. Or not.
Notre Dame won again but probably shouldn't be considered for a spot in the BCS Championship game at this point. As I have said before, there are numerous two loss and perhaps a couple of three loss teams in D1 that are hands down better. But should they run the table they will be there. Mark it. If Ohio State was eligible it might come down to a OSU/Notre Dame game.
If there ever was a need for a real playoff in D1 football, this season is an example of why.
A good many SEC teams scheduled IAA (FCS) opponents. I was hoping someone would step up and beat one of these SEC types. It can and does happen at times. Not yesterday. Scheduling down like that fuels the "the SEC isn't the best" fire. In reality though, most schools in all conferences schedule down. Easy way to pad the w/l record. That is why many of us love it when a lower division team surprises a big time program.
I am having a little trouble wondering just what happened to USC. The talent on that squad is as good as any. Then I remembered who the head coach is. Kiffin is destructive. Anyone who hires him gets what they get.
Louisiana Tech was down and came storming back on a very good Utah State team. They ended up losing in OT. If they just play the game as it designed to be played they would not have to rely on these last ditch scoring frenzies. Not sure what is up with that. The loss will knock the Bulldogs out of the BCS rankings but the Aggie win might not be enough to propel them into same.
It looks like Northern Illinois and Kent State will compete in the MAC Championship game. Should be a good one.
Clemson and FSU keep winning against dubious competition. I am interested to see how they hold up against their SEC rivals Saturday next. FSU is probably a better team than the Gators at this point and Clemson may well hold their own (and then some) when facing Spurrier's squad. Both the Tigers and Gamecocks have a better than average offense.
It looks again like the Sun Belt is ASU's to lose. They meet Middle Tn next week which should decide the issue.
This week I was 7-3 with a total thus far of 85-36. On to the next...
It was predictable that Oregon would not run the table. Sooner or later their average defense was to be exposed. Last night the Cardinal did just that.
KSU just flat did not show up against Baylor. I did not notice RGIII behind center for the Bears last night. Did you? That would have been at least an excuse of sorts. Or not.
Notre Dame won again but probably shouldn't be considered for a spot in the BCS Championship game at this point. As I have said before, there are numerous two loss and perhaps a couple of three loss teams in D1 that are hands down better. But should they run the table they will be there. Mark it. If Ohio State was eligible it might come down to a OSU/Notre Dame game.
If there ever was a need for a real playoff in D1 football, this season is an example of why.
A good many SEC teams scheduled IAA (FCS) opponents. I was hoping someone would step up and beat one of these SEC types. It can and does happen at times. Not yesterday. Scheduling down like that fuels the "the SEC isn't the best" fire. In reality though, most schools in all conferences schedule down. Easy way to pad the w/l record. That is why many of us love it when a lower division team surprises a big time program.
I am having a little trouble wondering just what happened to USC. The talent on that squad is as good as any. Then I remembered who the head coach is. Kiffin is destructive. Anyone who hires him gets what they get.
Louisiana Tech was down and came storming back on a very good Utah State team. They ended up losing in OT. If they just play the game as it designed to be played they would not have to rely on these last ditch scoring frenzies. Not sure what is up with that. The loss will knock the Bulldogs out of the BCS rankings but the Aggie win might not be enough to propel them into same.
It looks like Northern Illinois and Kent State will compete in the MAC Championship game. Should be a good one.
Clemson and FSU keep winning against dubious competition. I am interested to see how they hold up against their SEC rivals Saturday next. FSU is probably a better team than the Gators at this point and Clemson may well hold their own (and then some) when facing Spurrier's squad. Both the Tigers and Gamecocks have a better than average offense.
It looks again like the Sun Belt is ASU's to lose. They meet Middle Tn next week which should decide the issue.
This week I was 7-3 with a total thus far of 85-36. On to the next...
Saturday, November 17, 2012
If It Was Just That Simple...
The Hostess thing has taken over from the Papa Johns thing which supplanted the Chick-Fil-A thing. Always something with these leftists it seems. Always Something.
Of course the CEO of the pizza giant (PJ) noted that he would have to cut employees hours to avoid govt mandated health care recently. The blogosphere on the left went ballistic as was easy to predict. I noted that some were braying that PJ's could add .17 cents to the cost of each (horrible) pie to easily cover the cost of their employee health insurance. It this be the case, I would certainly be on board. An extra nickel added to some crapburger or .17 cents for a pizza is not going to break anyone. Most would not even notice. (The costs of real things of substance may skyrocket beyond reach though). Of course I am assuming that the leftists are accurate here with their math. Silly, I know. Most are not capable of running a snow cone stand it 'pears to me. Can you imagine putting a Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee, a Maxine Waters, a Dick Durbin, or a leftist "writer" Robert Crawford in charge of anything in the business world?
Personally I am not against universal health care. In some ways I might possibility out liberal a lot of liberals among us on the subject. At least on a non practical emotional level. I am also not a child however and understand the incompetence of government at all levels. I've seen it. Hell I have been a govt employee. I have also had my experiences at a VA (and may yet again) and am pretty sure I don't want to see things go that route.
Have you ever seen the little jars at convenience type stores that are placed there with typewritten notes begging you to put spare change in to help cover the cost of someone's horrible accident or illness? That saddens and sickens me. Have you ever attended a "BBQ benefit" for someone to raise money so a person can have a liver transplant? (as if the paltry sums raised at such would even come close to the cost). That is not right.
Yes something needs to be done for those in dire straights. I don't know what. I do know that I am not willing to give up what I currently have. I also know that no one should wait (while the clock may be ticking on their life) for the best that medical science has to offer them. Something wrong there. Something immoral.
It is kind of a dilemma? I won't go screaming about the evils of "Obamacare" here but I also won't go with the govt messing screwing up things even worse. They do very little well. Even our war fighting capability, something our government actually does pretty good, can be improved on.
A bit scattered here I know. This one is tough. Unlike most things it is not an easy black and white issue. At least not for me.
Of course the CEO of the pizza giant (PJ) noted that he would have to cut employees hours to avoid govt mandated health care recently. The blogosphere on the left went ballistic as was easy to predict. I noted that some were braying that PJ's could add .17 cents to the cost of each (horrible) pie to easily cover the cost of their employee health insurance. It this be the case, I would certainly be on board. An extra nickel added to some crapburger or .17 cents for a pizza is not going to break anyone. Most would not even notice. (The costs of real things of substance may skyrocket beyond reach though). Of course I am assuming that the leftists are accurate here with their math. Silly, I know. Most are not capable of running a snow cone stand it 'pears to me. Can you imagine putting a Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee, a Maxine Waters, a Dick Durbin, or a leftist "writer" Robert Crawford in charge of anything in the business world?
Personally I am not against universal health care. In some ways I might possibility out liberal a lot of liberals among us on the subject. At least on a non practical emotional level. I am also not a child however and understand the incompetence of government at all levels. I've seen it. Hell I have been a govt employee. I have also had my experiences at a VA (and may yet again) and am pretty sure I don't want to see things go that route.
Have you ever seen the little jars at convenience type stores that are placed there with typewritten notes begging you to put spare change in to help cover the cost of someone's horrible accident or illness? That saddens and sickens me. Have you ever attended a "BBQ benefit" for someone to raise money so a person can have a liver transplant? (as if the paltry sums raised at such would even come close to the cost). That is not right.
Yes something needs to be done for those in dire straights. I don't know what. I do know that I am not willing to give up what I currently have. I also know that no one should wait (while the clock may be ticking on their life) for the best that medical science has to offer them. Something wrong there. Something immoral.
It is kind of a dilemma? I won't go screaming about the evils of "Obamacare" here but I also won't go with the govt messing screwing up things even worse. They do very little well. Even our war fighting capability, something our government actually does pretty good, can be improved on.
A bit scattered here I know. This one is tough. Unlike most things it is not an easy black and white issue. At least not for me.
When Was the Last Time You Had A Hostess?
When was the last time you had a Hostess? It was before I got married I can tell you that. Oh. The snack cakes. Well that has been a long time ago also.
It seems that the plants that make Hostess products are closed and closing. There is a lot of wailing in certain quarters about it. A lot of union bashing to be sure and rightfully so it seems.
I have said before that I am neither pro nor anti union. It depends on the industry and circumstance. In this particular case I can see that a union, whose members fail to understand basic business, did their part to cost a lot of people their livelihood. There are certain times when you have to give a little to keep a lot.
It is doubtful that Hostess was put over the cliff by the baker's union demands. Kind of a silly notion when you think about it, but it can also be noted that their demands were the straw that broke the camel's back. This sure appears to be the case.
I saw a "news" report showing some Hostess union types standing around in front of a plant in Chicago that had already closed up shop. I didn't have much sympathy. Chicago is a problem and America would, in many ways, be a better place shed of it. Hard to say something like that for someone who loves our country as I do but............
Interestingly enough I read another report that quoted a "laid off" union worker as saying something to the effect of "unemployment is just about as good as working for Hostess." Something like that anyway. Generally if someone just up and quits a job they are not going to get unemployment "benefits." It seems that these union hands did just that. The company told them the consequences of their actions.....Members of the baker's affiliation did not get laid off or get fired. They just quit their jobs (and screwed a lot of other people in the process). It is not just other Hostess employees that lost their jobs but the reprecussions of this will be felt by direct and indirect contractors up and down the line.
No unemployment benefits for members of this particular labor organization. None. That is my thoughts anyway. The Golden Arches is hiring (although I would wager that Ronald would shy away from people who are so self destructive and damaging).
It seems that sometimes you just can't fix stupid.
It seems that the plants that make Hostess products are closed and closing. There is a lot of wailing in certain quarters about it. A lot of union bashing to be sure and rightfully so it seems.
I have said before that I am neither pro nor anti union. It depends on the industry and circumstance. In this particular case I can see that a union, whose members fail to understand basic business, did their part to cost a lot of people their livelihood. There are certain times when you have to give a little to keep a lot.
It is doubtful that Hostess was put over the cliff by the baker's union demands. Kind of a silly notion when you think about it, but it can also be noted that their demands were the straw that broke the camel's back. This sure appears to be the case.
I saw a "news" report showing some Hostess union types standing around in front of a plant in Chicago that had already closed up shop. I didn't have much sympathy. Chicago is a problem and America would, in many ways, be a better place shed of it. Hard to say something like that for someone who loves our country as I do but............
Interestingly enough I read another report that quoted a "laid off" union worker as saying something to the effect of "unemployment is just about as good as working for Hostess." Something like that anyway. Generally if someone just up and quits a job they are not going to get unemployment "benefits." It seems that these union hands did just that. The company told them the consequences of their actions.....Members of the baker's affiliation did not get laid off or get fired. They just quit their jobs (and screwed a lot of other people in the process). It is not just other Hostess employees that lost their jobs but the reprecussions of this will be felt by direct and indirect contractors up and down the line.
No unemployment benefits for members of this particular labor organization. None. That is my thoughts anyway. The Golden Arches is hiring (although I would wager that Ronald would shy away from people who are so self destructive and damaging).
It seems that sometimes you just can't fix stupid.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
What to Do?
The Benghazi thing is spinning out of control. Out of control of the administration that is. Or is it? Who knows at this point? Somehow or other the episode that left four Americans dead has now devolved into General Petraeus (USA Ret) and other ranking general officers being caught with their pants down (so to speak). What we do know (or strongly suspect) is that there is some sort of cover up in progress. Perhaps blackmail is involved? Could be. What we also know is that some film maker is not to blame for the incident. But just for the sake of argument, let us just pretend for a moment that the Mohammedans did kill our people over some fourth rate film.......
What if the Mohammedans did go on a rampage over this film? Of course that is not the case, but it would be easy to try to deceive the American public by blaming the episode on this film. Going nuts over real and perceived insults to the Prophet tends to be par for the course on the "Arab Street." Again it would be rather easy to point the finger at some film, apologize to the Mohammedans, and jail the "film maker (take from that what you will). But again, we are pretending here that this movie did set off this chain of events. What would a president do in such a case.
A president, any president regardless of party, would act like a leader. They would explain that the film, while perhaps odious, is something that any American with freedom of expression is, well, free to make. He would explain that it matters little or none at all that it offends some folk or even if it stirs them toward violent acts. A president would then let it be known that such acts of spontaneous violence which led to the deaths of American employees would not be tolerated and would be dealt with forthwith. An American president, in the interest of humanity (and only if s inclined, could advise the people of the fair city that they have 24 hours to get "out of Dodge" as it were. Then there would be massive and devastating air and missile strikes until much of the city is in ruins.
Harsh? You bet.
The only way to get the point across? That too.
Something fishy going on with this whole thing to be sure. The truth needs to come out and those responsible (in both our govt and the untermensch in Libya) need to be held accountable for their actions.
But of course that will never happen.
What if the Mohammedans did go on a rampage over this film? Of course that is not the case, but it would be easy to try to deceive the American public by blaming the episode on this film. Going nuts over real and perceived insults to the Prophet tends to be par for the course on the "Arab Street." Again it would be rather easy to point the finger at some film, apologize to the Mohammedans, and jail the "film maker (take from that what you will). But again, we are pretending here that this movie did set off this chain of events. What would a president do in such a case.
A president, any president regardless of party, would act like a leader. They would explain that the film, while perhaps odious, is something that any American with freedom of expression is, well, free to make. He would explain that it matters little or none at all that it offends some folk or even if it stirs them toward violent acts. A president would then let it be known that such acts of spontaneous violence which led to the deaths of American employees would not be tolerated and would be dealt with forthwith. An American president, in the interest of humanity (and only if s inclined, could advise the people of the fair city that they have 24 hours to get "out of Dodge" as it were. Then there would be massive and devastating air and missile strikes until much of the city is in ruins.
Harsh? You bet.
The only way to get the point across? That too.
Something fishy going on with this whole thing to be sure. The truth needs to come out and those responsible (in both our govt and the untermensch in Libya) need to be held accountable for their actions.
But of course that will never happen.
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
No One is Going to Secede. You Know That Don't You? I Think You Do
Well folks in Texas (and elsewhere) are banging their drums and blowing their horns about secession. Happens periodically in the Republic. Usually just a few whackos are really serious with the majority just blowing smoke and making noise. This time around though there is real dissatisfaction and angst about the state of the country.
Obama won and no mistake. As usual the Republican Party chose another weakling for a candidate. Not quite the nut that they put up last time I don't think, but a weak candidate none the less. About the only thing that can be said for Romney perhaps is that he is not South Side Slim. Just the election of one man may not really be the root of the problem though. He is just the embodiement and catalyst.
In large swaths of this country voters chose Romney. Huge areas. Even in so called "blue states" there was a lot of red. In Illinois Romney would have won likely if Cook County (Chicago) was not in the state. I am sure a lot of Illinois residents would like to secede from Chicago. (Oh note to Driftglass driftglass.blogspot.com who fears the "Confederacy" with a strange paranoia; Marse Robert is knocking at your door and Old Jeff is lounging by the pool. Cook County is surrounded ya friggin dillweed ya. Oh Sorry).
California also showed a great deal red in a lot of areas of the state. Like the rest of the nation,most areas of the Golden State that tend to be a drain on society went with Obama. Of course Sonoma, Marin, and Napa counties (and a lot of other wealthy and productive areas) went with Slim but that was to be expected.........Just the way things are.
I will get into the breakdown of voting trends another time after more study of election maps. These county by county voting "maps" are very interersting and instructive.
The problems as I see it is that Obama won in fairly narrow areas. The New England States as usual went left. Florida this time was a toss up and the majority (but certainly not all counties) of the Pacific Coast went left. Most, but not all, of the rust belt also. There were a couple of isolated states out west that chose to vote leftward. New Mexico (for obvious reasons) and Colorado. That being said, most of the productive areas of the nation chose to go with Romney (as imperfect as he is).
There is a lot of discord. It is almost as if the country has become, as they say, "balkanized." The fundamental change that has been brayed about for the last few years is a bitter pill to swallow for probably the majority of Americans. I am not just talking of Obamacare; in fact I am not talking about that at all. I am however talking about shift toward something unspeakable in American life.
The unraveling of something that has taken over 200 years to build is the "something that is unspeakable" that I am braying about. Not perfect mind you this America but not something that needs any fundamental change initiated by those who seem to know or care nothing of the American way, (and may in fact be perhaps disdainful of same), and supported by the misguided among us along with, of course, the lowest common denominator.
Will it this fundamental shift be tolerated long term? I somehow doubt it. I won't be surprised if we will see a great deal of resistance, and downright disobedience to anything that comes out of the District.
Not surprised at all.
Obama won and no mistake. As usual the Republican Party chose another weakling for a candidate. Not quite the nut that they put up last time I don't think, but a weak candidate none the less. About the only thing that can be said for Romney perhaps is that he is not South Side Slim. Just the election of one man may not really be the root of the problem though. He is just the embodiement and catalyst.
In large swaths of this country voters chose Romney. Huge areas. Even in so called "blue states" there was a lot of red. In Illinois Romney would have won likely if Cook County (Chicago) was not in the state. I am sure a lot of Illinois residents would like to secede from Chicago. (Oh note to Driftglass driftglass.blogspot.com who fears the "Confederacy" with a strange paranoia; Marse Robert is knocking at your door and Old Jeff is lounging by the pool. Cook County is surrounded ya friggin dillweed ya. Oh Sorry).
California also showed a great deal red in a lot of areas of the state. Like the rest of the nation,most areas of the Golden State that tend to be a drain on society went with Obama. Of course Sonoma, Marin, and Napa counties (and a lot of other wealthy and productive areas) went with Slim but that was to be expected.........Just the way things are.
I will get into the breakdown of voting trends another time after more study of election maps. These county by county voting "maps" are very interersting and instructive.
The problems as I see it is that Obama won in fairly narrow areas. The New England States as usual went left. Florida this time was a toss up and the majority (but certainly not all counties) of the Pacific Coast went left. Most, but not all, of the rust belt also. There were a couple of isolated states out west that chose to vote leftward. New Mexico (for obvious reasons) and Colorado. That being said, most of the productive areas of the nation chose to go with Romney (as imperfect as he is).
There is a lot of discord. It is almost as if the country has become, as they say, "balkanized." The fundamental change that has been brayed about for the last few years is a bitter pill to swallow for probably the majority of Americans. I am not just talking of Obamacare; in fact I am not talking about that at all. I am however talking about shift toward something unspeakable in American life.
The unraveling of something that has taken over 200 years to build is the "something that is unspeakable" that I am braying about. Not perfect mind you this America but not something that needs any fundamental change initiated by those who seem to know or care nothing of the American way, (and may in fact be perhaps disdainful of same), and supported by the misguided among us along with, of course, the lowest common denominator.
Will it this fundamental shift be tolerated long term? I somehow doubt it. I won't be surprised if we will see a great deal of resistance, and downright disobedience to anything that comes out of the District.
Not surprised at all.
Big Twelve Expansion Is A Must
In order for a major college football conference to be considered, well, a major college football conference they need to have at least twelve teams and a championship game at the end of the regular season. Most "majors" and "mid major" conferences have such a system in place. It is imperative for the 10 team Big Twelve to expand and do so immediately. How? Which teams? When?
A few thoughts on the matter.........
One obvious choice to add to the Big Twelve would be the University of Houston. The school will be adding a larger stadium and facility starting at the end of this season. Tiny and antiquated Robertson Stadium is scheduled for destruction when the football schedule has concluded.
The Cougars only get major local support when they have a winning program. Fair weather fans to be sure. Also the fact that Texas and Texas Agriculture are the dominant programs in the region (and entire state) adds to the problem of Houston attracting fans. Still the Cougar program can, at times, field a very competitive team that could challenge for a conference championship.
Rice might possibly be another addition. Except on very rare occasions, the small school will have trouble competing. The advantage is that Rice Stadium can have the capacity to hold 70,000 fans. Right now only part of the stadium is utilized but being included in a major conference again would certainly bring in the money. Of course the stadium is pretty old and dilapidated but it still is serviceable.
UTEP? Perhaps. They do play in a rather large venue and it would certainly help their recruiting to be part of a major conference.
Louisiana Tech: Good albeit small facilities and of course they are second (third?) fiddle in the state of Louisiana. That really should not be an issue though. Iowa State plays second fiddle in Iowa and they survive. Louisiana Tech would be able to recruit players with more talent and may be able to steal some blue chippers here and there who would normally consider nothing less than a SEC school. Additionally they could schedule some games in Shreveport which would guarantee a sold out venue.
Tulane: Another private school that would certainly be interested. Like Rice, the academic standards are rather stringent, but they do play in the Super Dome. A big venue. It would not take much to get Texans and other diehards to travel to watch their team play and party in New Orleans before and after the likely victory. It would be a win/win for the school and the conference.
Since geography does not appear to be much of an issue anymore the conference and Florida State should consider getting together. FSU is a football school in a basketball conference. Pure and simple. FSU basketball is an afterthought at best in Seminole country. In the Big Twelve they would be able to compete right away in football and have an off chance of competing in round ball. Kansas is the only school in the Big Twelve where basketball is priority although Texas does tend to be consistent in that sport. FSU of course would rather be in the SEC but that is not going to happen. Ever. The dominant Gator lobby will not allow it.
Miami is another football (and baseball) team in a basketball conference. True they have been down for years and their attendance, even when they are good, leaves a bit to be desired. The flip side is that they are considered a national program regardless of their inconsistent play and attendance issues. They might be a good addition.
BYU could be looked at also. They have a loyal fan base and would be able to compete at times. There is no advantage to BYU trying to go it alone like the Irish. They don't have that kind of national support. They will need to affiliate at some point. Why not a major conference?
Boise State? Why not. Rabid fan base and a team that enjoys national exposure. The problem for the Big Twelve though is that the powers that be would be likely afraid that Boise State would be too good from the get go and upset the balance. Maybe Boise State is not a good fit after all.
Anyone else? Right now I can't really think of any. New Mexico maybe.
The Big Twelve needs to expand back to twelve teams. Fourteen? Just as good.
A few thoughts on the matter.........
One obvious choice to add to the Big Twelve would be the University of Houston. The school will be adding a larger stadium and facility starting at the end of this season. Tiny and antiquated Robertson Stadium is scheduled for destruction when the football schedule has concluded.
The Cougars only get major local support when they have a winning program. Fair weather fans to be sure. Also the fact that Texas and Texas Agriculture are the dominant programs in the region (and entire state) adds to the problem of Houston attracting fans. Still the Cougar program can, at times, field a very competitive team that could challenge for a conference championship.
Rice might possibly be another addition. Except on very rare occasions, the small school will have trouble competing. The advantage is that Rice Stadium can have the capacity to hold 70,000 fans. Right now only part of the stadium is utilized but being included in a major conference again would certainly bring in the money. Of course the stadium is pretty old and dilapidated but it still is serviceable.
UTEP? Perhaps. They do play in a rather large venue and it would certainly help their recruiting to be part of a major conference.
Louisiana Tech: Good albeit small facilities and of course they are second (third?) fiddle in the state of Louisiana. That really should not be an issue though. Iowa State plays second fiddle in Iowa and they survive. Louisiana Tech would be able to recruit players with more talent and may be able to steal some blue chippers here and there who would normally consider nothing less than a SEC school. Additionally they could schedule some games in Shreveport which would guarantee a sold out venue.
Tulane: Another private school that would certainly be interested. Like Rice, the academic standards are rather stringent, but they do play in the Super Dome. A big venue. It would not take much to get Texans and other diehards to travel to watch their team play and party in New Orleans before and after the likely victory. It would be a win/win for the school and the conference.
Since geography does not appear to be much of an issue anymore the conference and Florida State should consider getting together. FSU is a football school in a basketball conference. Pure and simple. FSU basketball is an afterthought at best in Seminole country. In the Big Twelve they would be able to compete right away in football and have an off chance of competing in round ball. Kansas is the only school in the Big Twelve where basketball is priority although Texas does tend to be consistent in that sport. FSU of course would rather be in the SEC but that is not going to happen. Ever. The dominant Gator lobby will not allow it.
Miami is another football (and baseball) team in a basketball conference. True they have been down for years and their attendance, even when they are good, leaves a bit to be desired. The flip side is that they are considered a national program regardless of their inconsistent play and attendance issues. They might be a good addition.
BYU could be looked at also. They have a loyal fan base and would be able to compete at times. There is no advantage to BYU trying to go it alone like the Irish. They don't have that kind of national support. They will need to affiliate at some point. Why not a major conference?
Boise State? Why not. Rabid fan base and a team that enjoys national exposure. The problem for the Big Twelve though is that the powers that be would be likely afraid that Boise State would be too good from the get go and upset the balance. Maybe Boise State is not a good fit after all.
Anyone else? Right now I can't really think of any. New Mexico maybe.
The Big Twelve needs to expand back to twelve teams. Fourteen? Just as good.
Sunday, November 11, 2012
The Bartender Cabbie Top 25 11/11/2012 (BCRS)
The BCRS has a few changes for the week. Obviously.
1. Kansas State: Good steady play from the offense and a defense that can stop anyone.
2. Georgia: A team to watch. Improves every week and will be awfully hard to beat
3. Alabama: Number three? Ahead of the Aggies? Yes. I am going with the rule of 2 out of 3 here. The Tide would likely be able to win a three game series. Or not.
4. Texas A&M: Playing as good of football as anyone right now. They are the real deal
5. Oregon: Fast offense and may well be the best team in the land. Light schedule with one exception thus far keeps them from the top 4.
6. LSU: The best two loss team in the land? Perhaps. Finally seem to be getting the offense together.
7. FSU: Survived a scare with an upset minded VA. Tech team Thursday last. May be ranked just a bit high here. Or not.
8. Oklahoma: Good football team that should have only one loss under their belt. Would likely take 2 of 3 from Notre Dame.
9. Notre Dame: Pretty good team that has had one exceptional outing this year. Struggles with inferior competition. Should have two (or more) in the loss column but the do keep finding ways to win games.
10. South Carolina: Hanging around without Lattimore. A pretty good, but streaky, football team.
11. Clemson: Keeps winning. Very light schedule.
12. Stanford: Beats a much better than expected Oregon State squad and swaps places with them.
13. Oregon State: Goes from 12 to 13. Swaps places with Stanford.
14. Florida: This team is trending way downward right about now. A victory in the last second over an upper middle of the pack Sun Belt team does not show them in a good light. For that matter nor did their performance against Mizzou two weeks back. The Gators seem to have lost the rather meager offense that they had at the start of the season.
15. Nebraska: Keeps winning.
16. USC: Dangerous and out to prove they deserve better than their BCS ranking.
17. UCLA: Can be better than most give them credit for. A bit too inconsistent to move much beyond the bottom half of the top 25.
18. Louisiana Tech: Has let inferior competition hang around lately. Will need to step it up in the next couple of weeks. Tough WAC games on tap with Utah State and SJSU.
19. Texas: Improving as the season wears on. Still a very disappointing year for the Longhorn fans.
20. Louisville: Good for the Big East. Did not show up Saturday.
21. Oklahoma State: Improving every week. Right now might be playing the second best ball in the Big Twelve. Has opportunity to move up and may well do so. Also has opportunity to play themselves right out of the top 25. Next meeting with the Red Raiders and the the Sooners.
22. Northern Illinois: Chance to win the MAC. Good chance.
23. Texas Tech: Dangerous but inconsistent.
24. Michigan: More or less trades places with Northwestern
25. Boise State: Moves back into the top 25.
Teams that are on the bubble and may find their way into the Bartender Cabbie Ranking System. There is no particular order here.
1. Wisconsin: Perhaps should be included in the place of Michigan. The loss to Michigan State two weeks back keeps them just out. Still they are playing decent ball now. What happened to them this season is a mystery. They should be a top 10 program.
2. Toledo: Still in contention in the MAC.
3. San Diego State: Seems to get better every week. Perhaps should be ranked in the Bronco's spot.
4. Fresno State: Slightly possible
5. Mississippi State: Suffered third SEC loss. Still a long shot. A very long shot. Might get back on track against the rather dismal Hogs.
6. Arkansas State: Probably not. They may be playing the best ball in the Sun Belt now though. A very long shot to move into the top 25, but they are the best team in the state of Arkansas and probably the second best team the Oregon Ducks have played thus far.
7. Kent State: May well win the MAC
8. Utah State: Could unseat Louisiana Tech for the WAC title.
9. San Jose State: Better than given credit for. Ask the folks at Stanford.
10. Tulsa: Possibly the best in CUSA. Next outing is a tough one.
11. UCF: Same as above. Meets with Tulsa shortly.
12. Rutgers: Still has a shot. They are ranked in the major polls but I would place them just out of the top 25.
13. Cincinnati: Perhaps. Probably not.
14. Northwestern: Been in and out. Perhaps could find their way back in.
15. Michigan State: Has had some good wins and some ridiculous losses in this up and down season. A very very long shot. Would have to run the table.
16. Washington: Ranked in the BCS. Very inconsistent.
Note: Programs that are under sanction for cheating or other unsavory action on the part of administrators, coaching staff, or players are not considered as eligible for the Bartender Cabbie Rankings System.
Comments/questions welcome. Get rude and stupid if you are so inclined. I will do same.
1. Kansas State: Good steady play from the offense and a defense that can stop anyone.
2. Georgia: A team to watch. Improves every week and will be awfully hard to beat
3. Alabama: Number three? Ahead of the Aggies? Yes. I am going with the rule of 2 out of 3 here. The Tide would likely be able to win a three game series. Or not.
4. Texas A&M: Playing as good of football as anyone right now. They are the real deal
5. Oregon: Fast offense and may well be the best team in the land. Light schedule with one exception thus far keeps them from the top 4.
6. LSU: The best two loss team in the land? Perhaps. Finally seem to be getting the offense together.
7. FSU: Survived a scare with an upset minded VA. Tech team Thursday last. May be ranked just a bit high here. Or not.
8. Oklahoma: Good football team that should have only one loss under their belt. Would likely take 2 of 3 from Notre Dame.
9. Notre Dame: Pretty good team that has had one exceptional outing this year. Struggles with inferior competition. Should have two (or more) in the loss column but the do keep finding ways to win games.
10. South Carolina: Hanging around without Lattimore. A pretty good, but streaky, football team.
11. Clemson: Keeps winning. Very light schedule.
12. Stanford: Beats a much better than expected Oregon State squad and swaps places with them.
13. Oregon State: Goes from 12 to 13. Swaps places with Stanford.
14. Florida: This team is trending way downward right about now. A victory in the last second over an upper middle of the pack Sun Belt team does not show them in a good light. For that matter nor did their performance against Mizzou two weeks back. The Gators seem to have lost the rather meager offense that they had at the start of the season.
15. Nebraska: Keeps winning.
16. USC: Dangerous and out to prove they deserve better than their BCS ranking.
17. UCLA: Can be better than most give them credit for. A bit too inconsistent to move much beyond the bottom half of the top 25.
18. Louisiana Tech: Has let inferior competition hang around lately. Will need to step it up in the next couple of weeks. Tough WAC games on tap with Utah State and SJSU.
19. Texas: Improving as the season wears on. Still a very disappointing year for the Longhorn fans.
20. Louisville: Good for the Big East. Did not show up Saturday.
21. Oklahoma State: Improving every week. Right now might be playing the second best ball in the Big Twelve. Has opportunity to move up and may well do so. Also has opportunity to play themselves right out of the top 25. Next meeting with the Red Raiders and the the Sooners.
22. Northern Illinois: Chance to win the MAC. Good chance.
23. Texas Tech: Dangerous but inconsistent.
24. Michigan: More or less trades places with Northwestern
25. Boise State: Moves back into the top 25.
Teams that are on the bubble and may find their way into the Bartender Cabbie Ranking System. There is no particular order here.
1. Wisconsin: Perhaps should be included in the place of Michigan. The loss to Michigan State two weeks back keeps them just out. Still they are playing decent ball now. What happened to them this season is a mystery. They should be a top 10 program.
2. Toledo: Still in contention in the MAC.
3. San Diego State: Seems to get better every week. Perhaps should be ranked in the Bronco's spot.
4. Fresno State: Slightly possible
5. Mississippi State: Suffered third SEC loss. Still a long shot. A very long shot. Might get back on track against the rather dismal Hogs.
6. Arkansas State: Probably not. They may be playing the best ball in the Sun Belt now though. A very long shot to move into the top 25, but they are the best team in the state of Arkansas and probably the second best team the Oregon Ducks have played thus far.
7. Kent State: May well win the MAC
8. Utah State: Could unseat Louisiana Tech for the WAC title.
9. San Jose State: Better than given credit for. Ask the folks at Stanford.
10. Tulsa: Possibly the best in CUSA. Next outing is a tough one.
11. UCF: Same as above. Meets with Tulsa shortly.
12. Rutgers: Still has a shot. They are ranked in the major polls but I would place them just out of the top 25.
13. Cincinnati: Perhaps. Probably not.
14. Northwestern: Been in and out. Perhaps could find their way back in.
15. Michigan State: Has had some good wins and some ridiculous losses in this up and down season. A very very long shot. Would have to run the table.
16. Washington: Ranked in the BCS. Very inconsistent.
Note: Programs that are under sanction for cheating or other unsavory action on the part of administrators, coaching staff, or players are not considered as eligible for the Bartender Cabbie Rankings System.
Comments/questions welcome. Get rude and stupid if you are so inclined. I will do same.
Post Week 11 College Football Recap 2012 Season
The big news yesterday was the Aggie victory over the Tide. It was somewhat of a surprise but not really earth shattering. Right now the Aggies are playing as good of football as anyone in the country. This should upset the BCS somewhat and for those who are SEC haters; no one loss will not preclude Bama (or Georgia) from playing in the big game at the end. Just won't.
Florida? What can be said about the Gators? The last three weeks they have fallen off the pace. They were finally exposed by Georgia, but we really learned who they are the last two weeks. A tough win with a below par Missouri team and barely, just barely, escaping an upper middle of the pack Sun Belt team? As a Ragin Cajun fan I am proud the boys went to Gator land and embarrassed them. Wish they had held on. I think they would have pulled off this upset had Mark Hudspeth not gone with some rather bone headed calls late. Sounds a bit like a better known college football coach in Louisiana. Doesn't it? I wonder if they compare notes during the week.
Defend this house? Florida needed all they had to do so.
There are a lot of BCS teams that are a bit leery of scheduling Sun Belt schools. They often have the capability of making a team look foolish at their own pad.
The MAC is up for grabs now. It seems like Northern Illinois is in the driver seat. Kent State perhaps? What I said about the Sun Belt holds true also for the MAC. BCS conference teams should look out when choosing to pad their stats with a win over a MAC school. Might not work out. Ask Penn State this season.
Somehow or other the Big East is a BCS conference. Why? Who knows? Louisville, a good team for that conference, was beaten rather handily by a below par Syracuse squad. I am not sure that the Big East is much better than CUSA at this point. Marginally perhaps. The conference certainly is not as good as the MAC this season.
I am not on board with Notre Dame being a top 4 team. Top 10? Most likely. Yes they have had two good wins but for the most part have played no one and had trouble winning at that. It doesn't matter though. The powers that be want the Irish in the mix. Just look how high they are ranked, year in and year out, in the pre season polls before reality grudgingly requires voters to drop them. They are a good team this year yes, but there are teams with 3 losses at this point who may be better. Certainly there are numerous two loss team that would clean their clock on a regular basis. I would include the Sooners and probably Stanford in that mix. The Irish do keep winning though.......Next up? Wake Forest. A team that is probably even more inept than their last two opponents. If that is possible.
I figured that Stanford and Oregon State were pretty evenly matched. One of them may have what it takes to "upset" the Ducks. We will see.
Speaking of the Ducks they, as expected, beat a rather woeful Golden Bear squad. I will get on board with this being a top four team if and when they run the table. At this point they have played one good team (USC) and the defense was exposed. Also to this point the second best team (well maybe third) they have played is from the Sun Belt conference. I have said before that the Ducks remind me of Texas Tech teams under Leach and various Houston Cougar teams going back to the late 80's. Good teams that always fall just short. I have watched them numerous times this year and stand by that. We will see.
I am looking forward to the next couple weeks of WAC ball. Am I the only one? Louisiana Tech has been letting schools hang that they should put away early. Their competition level steps up directly.
Will Boise State get back into the BCS standings this evening? Will San Diego State make the grade? We will see. I am pretty certain that Michigan will find a spot. Wisconsin? We'll know more later tonight. I do know that Toledo and Mississippi State will drop out. That is a given.
The ACC? There are only two good teams in the entire mix. FSU should really try to get into a good football league. No one is interested in basketball at Florida State and fans live and die by their football team. If they were in another league (Big Twelve perhaps), they would likely be able to get a few more quality recruits to take a look.
I guess that is about enough for one sitting. Oh, I wen 6-4 last week and 78-33 for the season thus far.
What fun this game is!
Florida? What can be said about the Gators? The last three weeks they have fallen off the pace. They were finally exposed by Georgia, but we really learned who they are the last two weeks. A tough win with a below par Missouri team and barely, just barely, escaping an upper middle of the pack Sun Belt team? As a Ragin Cajun fan I am proud the boys went to Gator land and embarrassed them. Wish they had held on. I think they would have pulled off this upset had Mark Hudspeth not gone with some rather bone headed calls late. Sounds a bit like a better known college football coach in Louisiana. Doesn't it? I wonder if they compare notes during the week.
Defend this house? Florida needed all they had to do so.
There are a lot of BCS teams that are a bit leery of scheduling Sun Belt schools. They often have the capability of making a team look foolish at their own pad.
The MAC is up for grabs now. It seems like Northern Illinois is in the driver seat. Kent State perhaps? What I said about the Sun Belt holds true also for the MAC. BCS conference teams should look out when choosing to pad their stats with a win over a MAC school. Might not work out. Ask Penn State this season.
Somehow or other the Big East is a BCS conference. Why? Who knows? Louisville, a good team for that conference, was beaten rather handily by a below par Syracuse squad. I am not sure that the Big East is much better than CUSA at this point. Marginally perhaps. The conference certainly is not as good as the MAC this season.
I am not on board with Notre Dame being a top 4 team. Top 10? Most likely. Yes they have had two good wins but for the most part have played no one and had trouble winning at that. It doesn't matter though. The powers that be want the Irish in the mix. Just look how high they are ranked, year in and year out, in the pre season polls before reality grudgingly requires voters to drop them. They are a good team this year yes, but there are teams with 3 losses at this point who may be better. Certainly there are numerous two loss team that would clean their clock on a regular basis. I would include the Sooners and probably Stanford in that mix. The Irish do keep winning though.......Next up? Wake Forest. A team that is probably even more inept than their last two opponents. If that is possible.
I figured that Stanford and Oregon State were pretty evenly matched. One of them may have what it takes to "upset" the Ducks. We will see.
Speaking of the Ducks they, as expected, beat a rather woeful Golden Bear squad. I will get on board with this being a top four team if and when they run the table. At this point they have played one good team (USC) and the defense was exposed. Also to this point the second best team (well maybe third) they have played is from the Sun Belt conference. I have said before that the Ducks remind me of Texas Tech teams under Leach and various Houston Cougar teams going back to the late 80's. Good teams that always fall just short. I have watched them numerous times this year and stand by that. We will see.
I am looking forward to the next couple weeks of WAC ball. Am I the only one? Louisiana Tech has been letting schools hang that they should put away early. Their competition level steps up directly.
Will Boise State get back into the BCS standings this evening? Will San Diego State make the grade? We will see. I am pretty certain that Michigan will find a spot. Wisconsin? We'll know more later tonight. I do know that Toledo and Mississippi State will drop out. That is a given.
The ACC? There are only two good teams in the entire mix. FSU should really try to get into a good football league. No one is interested in basketball at Florida State and fans live and die by their football team. If they were in another league (Big Twelve perhaps), they would likely be able to get a few more quality recruits to take a look.
I guess that is about enough for one sitting. Oh, I wen 6-4 last week and 78-33 for the season thus far.
What fun this game is!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Chris Matthews Is a Fool
Well it seems that the raving lunatic that is Chris Matthews has said that he "was so glad we had that storm last week." He was quick to clarify that he meant in terms of the political good that the damage did to help his guy win. Be that as it may, if I had lost a loved one in the storm then I would be more than happy to conduct an interview with Chris.
Nuff Said!
Nuff Said!
Beware the Consequences
There has already been a whole lot of screaming about how voting for the Libertarian Party "stole" votes from Romney. I agree that to be the case, but also agree that one has the right to vote their conscience. There could be an unwanted price for doing so................That must be understood
This election cycle votes cast for the Libertarian or Green Party (or whoever else) made no difference whatsoever. This time. Should that matter to a voter? Depends.
If one has die hard beliefs, then they can vote for the candidate that most closely mirrors their beliefs. However, in a close election, voting for a third party candidate could easily backfire. For instance I considered voting for T.J. O'Hara as I knew that Obama had no chance of winning in Texas. It would not have mattered. In a "battle ground" state where a vote like that just might possibly matter and to keep an Obama from winning I would vote for the person most likely to defeat him. Voting as your conscience dictates can sometimes put one in a position similar to dealing with the BCS system in college football. The BCS system forces football fans to root for teams that they would normally never root for to achieve a desired outcome.
For instance, I do not think that Oregon belongs in the BCS championship game. I could be wrong there, lot of football left to be played, but right now they have just not had a tough enough schedule and their defense has been exposed. That being said, I felt myself forced to root for USC; a team I despise. I don't despise Oregon but was rooting for them to lose.
Same with the Oklahoma/Notre Dame match up. Never in my life would I think I would find myself rooting for the Sooners. Never. Notre Dame either for that matter, but to me it is important (as such things go) for Notre Dame to be kept out of the BCS championship game. Why? Other than the fact that I have never liked Notre Dame is the fact that they are just not a good enough team. Therefore I had to root for the Sooners.
What does college football and the BCS have to do with politics? Well sometimes you may have to vote against what you really want to keep what you really do not want from happening.
But that is your choice. Do as you will.
This election cycle votes cast for the Libertarian or Green Party (or whoever else) made no difference whatsoever. This time. Should that matter to a voter? Depends.
If one has die hard beliefs, then they can vote for the candidate that most closely mirrors their beliefs. However, in a close election, voting for a third party candidate could easily backfire. For instance I considered voting for T.J. O'Hara as I knew that Obama had no chance of winning in Texas. It would not have mattered. In a "battle ground" state where a vote like that just might possibly matter and to keep an Obama from winning I would vote for the person most likely to defeat him. Voting as your conscience dictates can sometimes put one in a position similar to dealing with the BCS system in college football. The BCS system forces football fans to root for teams that they would normally never root for to achieve a desired outcome.
For instance, I do not think that Oregon belongs in the BCS championship game. I could be wrong there, lot of football left to be played, but right now they have just not had a tough enough schedule and their defense has been exposed. That being said, I felt myself forced to root for USC; a team I despise. I don't despise Oregon but was rooting for them to lose.
Same with the Oklahoma/Notre Dame match up. Never in my life would I think I would find myself rooting for the Sooners. Never. Notre Dame either for that matter, but to me it is important (as such things go) for Notre Dame to be kept out of the BCS championship game. Why? Other than the fact that I have never liked Notre Dame is the fact that they are just not a good enough team. Therefore I had to root for the Sooners.
What does college football and the BCS have to do with politics? Well sometimes you may have to vote against what you really want to keep what you really do not want from happening.
But that is your choice. Do as you will.
Another Issue Decided
Last night on the frozen tundra of the Glass Bowl, Toledo fell to a pretty good Ball State team. The loss will certainly knock the Rockets out of the BCS rankings. More importantly, the loss drops them behind Northern Illinois in the MAC West. I watched a good deal of this game but there were some other distractions to be sure. There is some darn good football being played in this often overlooked little conference.
A few weeks back I ranked the various conferences and I placed the Mid American near the bottom of the pile. I have had to rethink that position numerous times this season. Right now I am thinking that the MAC is probably, top to bottom, the best of the non BCS leagues and is certainly better than one (perhaps two or three) conferences that make up the BCS.
I am not certain, in fact rather doubt, that the MAC has the best "non BCS" team in the country, but top to bottom is another matter.
If, and only if, I was asked to rate the "mid major" conferences right now it would look a little something like this....
1. Mid American: Has at least four teams that are capable of beating a lot of top 25 schools on a rather consistent basis.
2. WAC: The WAC? Yes. This year they have three teams that are capable of winning big. Louisiana Tech is well known, but Utah State and, believe it or not, San Jose State are very good teams. SJSU surprised a Stanford team early this year and came very close to winning. Tech came roaring back on Texas Agriculture and made it a very close game. Tough opponents that now have a good deal of respect for WAC football I would wager.
3. Mountain West: Has both Boise State and a resurgent San Diego State as current members. Fresno is no slouch either.
4. Sun Belt: This season they have had some nice victories over "BCS" schools. They have three or four teams that could be dangerous for a whole slew of BCS teams.
5. Conference USA: Right now this conference is dismal. There are only two teams that could be considered pretty good right now; Tulsa and UCF.
Oh, as far as the MAC goes. Another important one tonight with Ohio and BGSU squaring off. Right now the Bobcats can not afford another MAC loss and needs to be on guard against a rather capable Bowling Green squad.
What did you think I was going to talk about? Oh. That. A bit later perhaps.
A few weeks back I ranked the various conferences and I placed the Mid American near the bottom of the pile. I have had to rethink that position numerous times this season. Right now I am thinking that the MAC is probably, top to bottom, the best of the non BCS leagues and is certainly better than one (perhaps two or three) conferences that make up the BCS.
I am not certain, in fact rather doubt, that the MAC has the best "non BCS" team in the country, but top to bottom is another matter.
If, and only if, I was asked to rate the "mid major" conferences right now it would look a little something like this....
1. Mid American: Has at least four teams that are capable of beating a lot of top 25 schools on a rather consistent basis.
2. WAC: The WAC? Yes. This year they have three teams that are capable of winning big. Louisiana Tech is well known, but Utah State and, believe it or not, San Jose State are very good teams. SJSU surprised a Stanford team early this year and came very close to winning. Tech came roaring back on Texas Agriculture and made it a very close game. Tough opponents that now have a good deal of respect for WAC football I would wager.
3. Mountain West: Has both Boise State and a resurgent San Diego State as current members. Fresno is no slouch either.
4. Sun Belt: This season they have had some nice victories over "BCS" schools. They have three or four teams that could be dangerous for a whole slew of BCS teams.
5. Conference USA: Right now this conference is dismal. There are only two teams that could be considered pretty good right now; Tulsa and UCF.
Oh, as far as the MAC goes. Another important one tonight with Ohio and BGSU squaring off. Right now the Bobcats can not afford another MAC loss and needs to be on guard against a rather capable Bowling Green squad.
What did you think I was going to talk about? Oh. That. A bit later perhaps.
Monday, November 5, 2012
Tuesday Crap Coming and I Am Going To Blabber About It
Right now I have done 666 posts and I feel the need to do another. 666? I don't like that vato. I don't like that! Superstitious I guess. I don't like the number 13 either. I guess I should not be to worried about such things. I would love to own a Hell Pizza franchise. That would get the folk with the fish on their bumpers all stirred up around these parts. You know, the same people that tell us all that Halloween is a holiday spawned in the nether regions. That reminds me. Shortly after I got out of the service and began work in the real world, my sales manager, one Mr. Campbell, told me to watch out for the guys with the fish on their phone book ads. They might buttfuck you. His words; not mine. I have not forgotten his lesson and I have seen, more than once, the accuracy of his teachings. Oh. Have I gone too far here? Crossed some sort of line perhaps?
Tomorrow is election day. I should have voted earlier but just did not get around to it. I suppose I will vote for Romney. As if it really matters. He will win Texas hands down. I do admit however that a guy named T.J O'Hara (I almost said T.J. Yates) has caught my eye as a possible write in. Probably just go with the "Mittens." I can assure you that there have already been a lot of early write in votes for Ron Paul down this way. Just the way it is. I like Paul even though he is a bit of a loon.........Certainly would not trust him to be President.
I suppose that you can guess that I won't be voting for South Side Slim. I know this is stupid but I think the mans' name sounds like something one of our Mohammedan enemies could be named. Silly I know. Or perhaps not...................Maybe it has been some kind of cosmic joke. Hope it's over. I mean, Good Lord, his name rhymes with Osama. What? You have never thought that?
In addition to voting, I am thinking that tomorrow I will have to dispose of a cat. He was born with birth defects and we have had him for quite a number of years. I knew he would not live real long and frankly he has lived longer than I would have imagined. I like the dude. A real pretty tabby with the softest coat I have ever felt. He appears to be on his last legs and if he is still alive tomorrow AM I will take him to the vet. The outcome will be the same I'm sure. I would imagine that this is his last day with us.......Don't get me wrong. I am not one of those people who tend to get very booohoooey over animals. The rest of my crew however.........
Am I one of those "preppers?" Not really, but I do see the need to have an ample supply of water, canned goods, MRE type emergency meals, Coleman type stoves and fuel. One never knows what is just around the corner. Having dealt with Hurricanes and numerous tropical storms I can tell you that having some basic supplies makes your life a great deal easier. I don't have the MRE's I admit but I do see the advantage of stockin some. Did I forget arms and ammunition? You may have forgotten them but rest assured I haven't. Not by a long shot......I do a lot of traveling to the big city and I am certainly not thinking that there will be an uprising of our most "vunnable" (as Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee would say), over a disputed election, natural disaster, or unfavorable court verdict, but, one never really knows what will touch of such things.
Does one?
As Floyd Gondoli said to a resistant Jack Horner about the advent of the "video age" in adult cinema; "Why not be prepared?" If you find yourself without a means of defense when you need one, well, you are pretty much out of luck.
By Damn!
Tomorrow is election day. I should have voted earlier but just did not get around to it. I suppose I will vote for Romney. As if it really matters. He will win Texas hands down. I do admit however that a guy named T.J O'Hara (I almost said T.J. Yates) has caught my eye as a possible write in. Probably just go with the "Mittens." I can assure you that there have already been a lot of early write in votes for Ron Paul down this way. Just the way it is. I like Paul even though he is a bit of a loon.........Certainly would not trust him to be President.
I suppose that you can guess that I won't be voting for South Side Slim. I know this is stupid but I think the mans' name sounds like something one of our Mohammedan enemies could be named. Silly I know. Or perhaps not...................Maybe it has been some kind of cosmic joke. Hope it's over. I mean, Good Lord, his name rhymes with Osama. What? You have never thought that?
In addition to voting, I am thinking that tomorrow I will have to dispose of a cat. He was born with birth defects and we have had him for quite a number of years. I knew he would not live real long and frankly he has lived longer than I would have imagined. I like the dude. A real pretty tabby with the softest coat I have ever felt. He appears to be on his last legs and if he is still alive tomorrow AM I will take him to the vet. The outcome will be the same I'm sure. I would imagine that this is his last day with us.......Don't get me wrong. I am not one of those people who tend to get very booohoooey over animals. The rest of my crew however.........
Am I one of those "preppers?" Not really, but I do see the need to have an ample supply of water, canned goods, MRE type emergency meals, Coleman type stoves and fuel. One never knows what is just around the corner. Having dealt with Hurricanes and numerous tropical storms I can tell you that having some basic supplies makes your life a great deal easier. I don't have the MRE's I admit but I do see the advantage of stockin some. Did I forget arms and ammunition? You may have forgotten them but rest assured I haven't. Not by a long shot......I do a lot of traveling to the big city and I am certainly not thinking that there will be an uprising of our most "vunnable" (as Dumbass Sheila Jackson Lee would say), over a disputed election, natural disaster, or unfavorable court verdict, but, one never really knows what will touch of such things.
Does one?
As Floyd Gondoli said to a resistant Jack Horner about the advent of the "video age" in adult cinema; "Why not be prepared?" If you find yourself without a means of defense when you need one, well, you are pretty much out of luck.
By Damn!
Bartender Cabbie College Football Ranking System 11/5/2012
A few things are changed from last week. Alabama continues to hold the top spot. Here is the BCRS for 11/5/2012. Teams under sanction are not included.
1. Alabama: Someone can beat them on a bad day for the Tide. Could it be the Aggies?
2. KSU: Had some issues with a pretty good OSU team but came out on top.
3. Georgia: Continues to win. Maybe the second best team in the SEC right now. They may falter but right now they are a team to contend with.
4. Texas A&M: Right now playing as good of football as anyone out there. It would be interesting to see the Aggies play LSU and Florida right now. We will learn a good deal more about the team from College Station when they go on their next business trip.
5. Oregon: Defense exposed as not quite ready for prime time. They remind me of various Leach led Texas Tech teams or numerous Houston Cougar teams going back to the 80's. Good offense against average competition but a defense that can not stop good teams. .
6. LSU: Offense finally looked good in the loss to Alabama. Strange coaching decisions cost the Tigers the game. Imagine that.
7. Florida State: They keep winning. A one loss ACC team won't play in the "big game at the end" even if that team happens to be the Seminoles. Perhaps ranked a bit high. Their schedule is very very weak.
8. Oklahoma: Bounced back after their strange lapse against the Irish. Giving them the benefit of the doubt here for sure. I am not convinced that Bob is a real good coach. With the talent they have in Norman they should be competing for a "national title" year in and year out.
9. Notre Dame: Good defense keeps them in games. Yes I know they beat the Sooners handily, but would lose 2 out of 3. The Irish just keep skating by against very average teams. The wins over the Sooners and perhaps the Cardinal were anomalies.
10. Florida: They seem to be having trouble getting an offense together the last couple of weeks. Great defense can win games, but not all of them. The struggle with Missouri shows there are definite chinks in the armor. They would likely lose to both the Aggies and LSU at this point in the season. Perhaps they need some practice. They will get that when the Cajuns come calling. Wouldn't it be fun though..........?
11. Clemson: Keeps winning. A weak schedule keeps them from cracking the top 10 at this point.
12. Oregon State: Doing something right. Not many folks are talking about them right about now. Perhaps they should be.
13. Stanford: As above. The Beavers and the Cardinal square off this Saturday in what should be a good game.
14. South Carolina: Without Lattimore this is a bottom half of the top 25 team.
15. Louisville: A good team for the Big East. Would have trouble in a power conference but still a quality ball club.
16. USC: Could have and perhaps should have beaten the Ducks. They let the game get away from them in the opening minutes of play. The Trojans exposed the Ducks' defense as perhaps below par.
17. Louisiana Tech: Could play with some top 10 teams on a good day. The Bulldogs have dangerous games ahead against under valued opponents San Jose State and Utah State. Winning both of those games in not a given.
18. UCLA: A beat down of an Arizona team that edged USC. The Bruins jump a good bit in the Bartender Cabbie Rankings. Perhaps jump a bit too much. Time will tell.
19. Nebraska: May be ranked a bit high here.
20. Texas: May be ranked a bit high. Did have a good outing against a pretty good Texas Tech team but could have easily lost against Kansas two weeks back.
21. Toledo: A good MAC team and perhaps just a good team period. Will have a tough one against Ball State Tuesday night.
22. Texas Tech: This team is on the downward slope right now. They are a good team and could make some more noise before all is said and done.
23. Northern Illinois: Another quality MAC team that has a shot at the MAC title.
24. Mississippi State: The remainder of the schedule is pretty tough. It will be hard to stay in the top 25 at this point. They need to man up. They do have some talent in Starkville and are a well coached team. They are just a bit over matched to compete with the upper echelon of the SEC.
25. Northwestern: An up and down squad that can play some football. Here and there as the case may be.
Teams on the bubble in no particular order:
1. Wisconsin: Could move up with a good finish. Having a strangely average season.
2. Kent State: A good MAC team that has a shot at a strong finish.
3. Ohio: A well led team with a stellar man behind center. Needs some help in the MAC race.
4. Boise State: A rebuilding year for the Broncos. They could find their way back in if they run the table.
5. San Diego State: Continues to improve and had a stellar victory over Boise State Saturday last.
6. Utah State: A good team that is under the radar. Will need to run the table the rest of the way.
7. San Jose State: Another good team for the WAC. Making the top 25 is a long shot.
8. West Virginia: How the mighty have fallen. It is possible but doubtful that this team will find their way back in.
9. UCF: A good CUSA team that is playing some pretty good ball
10. Tulsa: Ditto. They may have blown their chances against the Hogs last week. They probably should have won that one. Will need to run the table.
12. TCU: Perhaps. Will need to run the table probably.
13. Arizona: Doubtful after the beat down they suffered last week but then again, they did pull one out of the hat with USC a couple weeks back. Time will tell.
14. Ole Miss: Doubtful but still within the realm of possibility. They are well coached and might have a chance of competing in the next couple of years.
15. ULM: Very doubtful. Would have to run the table the rest of the way and win a bowl game. That probably wouldn't be enough.
16. Arkansas State: Ditto. Probably the best team in the state of Arkansas though.
17. Iowa State: A very very long shot to find their way back in.
18. Rutgers: Could make it back in with a strong strong finish. Would need to run the table.
19. Cincinnati: Ditto
20. Oklahoma State: A better team than most people think. Could work themselves back into the standings. Very possible.
21 Michigan: Perhaps
22. Michigan State: Ditto
23: Fresno State: Unlikely
24. Washington: A hard team to figure. Would have to run the table.
25. Navy: Having a decent year. Cracking the top 25 is highly unlikely.
Comments and questions welcome. Get rude if you want to.
1. Alabama: Someone can beat them on a bad day for the Tide. Could it be the Aggies?
2. KSU: Had some issues with a pretty good OSU team but came out on top.
3. Georgia: Continues to win. Maybe the second best team in the SEC right now. They may falter but right now they are a team to contend with.
4. Texas A&M: Right now playing as good of football as anyone out there. It would be interesting to see the Aggies play LSU and Florida right now. We will learn a good deal more about the team from College Station when they go on their next business trip.
5. Oregon: Defense exposed as not quite ready for prime time. They remind me of various Leach led Texas Tech teams or numerous Houston Cougar teams going back to the 80's. Good offense against average competition but a defense that can not stop good teams. .
6. LSU: Offense finally looked good in the loss to Alabama. Strange coaching decisions cost the Tigers the game. Imagine that.
7. Florida State: They keep winning. A one loss ACC team won't play in the "big game at the end" even if that team happens to be the Seminoles. Perhaps ranked a bit high. Their schedule is very very weak.
8. Oklahoma: Bounced back after their strange lapse against the Irish. Giving them the benefit of the doubt here for sure. I am not convinced that Bob is a real good coach. With the talent they have in Norman they should be competing for a "national title" year in and year out.
9. Notre Dame: Good defense keeps them in games. Yes I know they beat the Sooners handily, but would lose 2 out of 3. The Irish just keep skating by against very average teams. The wins over the Sooners and perhaps the Cardinal were anomalies.
10. Florida: They seem to be having trouble getting an offense together the last couple of weeks. Great defense can win games, but not all of them. The struggle with Missouri shows there are definite chinks in the armor. They would likely lose to both the Aggies and LSU at this point in the season. Perhaps they need some practice. They will get that when the Cajuns come calling. Wouldn't it be fun though..........?
11. Clemson: Keeps winning. A weak schedule keeps them from cracking the top 10 at this point.
12. Oregon State: Doing something right. Not many folks are talking about them right about now. Perhaps they should be.
13. Stanford: As above. The Beavers and the Cardinal square off this Saturday in what should be a good game.
14. South Carolina: Without Lattimore this is a bottom half of the top 25 team.
15. Louisville: A good team for the Big East. Would have trouble in a power conference but still a quality ball club.
16. USC: Could have and perhaps should have beaten the Ducks. They let the game get away from them in the opening minutes of play. The Trojans exposed the Ducks' defense as perhaps below par.
17. Louisiana Tech: Could play with some top 10 teams on a good day. The Bulldogs have dangerous games ahead against under valued opponents San Jose State and Utah State. Winning both of those games in not a given.
18. UCLA: A beat down of an Arizona team that edged USC. The Bruins jump a good bit in the Bartender Cabbie Rankings. Perhaps jump a bit too much. Time will tell.
19. Nebraska: May be ranked a bit high here.
20. Texas: May be ranked a bit high. Did have a good outing against a pretty good Texas Tech team but could have easily lost against Kansas two weeks back.
21. Toledo: A good MAC team and perhaps just a good team period. Will have a tough one against Ball State Tuesday night.
22. Texas Tech: This team is on the downward slope right now. They are a good team and could make some more noise before all is said and done.
23. Northern Illinois: Another quality MAC team that has a shot at the MAC title.
24. Mississippi State: The remainder of the schedule is pretty tough. It will be hard to stay in the top 25 at this point. They need to man up. They do have some talent in Starkville and are a well coached team. They are just a bit over matched to compete with the upper echelon of the SEC.
25. Northwestern: An up and down squad that can play some football. Here and there as the case may be.
Teams on the bubble in no particular order:
1. Wisconsin: Could move up with a good finish. Having a strangely average season.
2. Kent State: A good MAC team that has a shot at a strong finish.
3. Ohio: A well led team with a stellar man behind center. Needs some help in the MAC race.
4. Boise State: A rebuilding year for the Broncos. They could find their way back in if they run the table.
5. San Diego State: Continues to improve and had a stellar victory over Boise State Saturday last.
6. Utah State: A good team that is under the radar. Will need to run the table the rest of the way.
7. San Jose State: Another good team for the WAC. Making the top 25 is a long shot.
8. West Virginia: How the mighty have fallen. It is possible but doubtful that this team will find their way back in.
9. UCF: A good CUSA team that is playing some pretty good ball
10. Tulsa: Ditto. They may have blown their chances against the Hogs last week. They probably should have won that one. Will need to run the table.
12. TCU: Perhaps. Will need to run the table probably.
13. Arizona: Doubtful after the beat down they suffered last week but then again, they did pull one out of the hat with USC a couple weeks back. Time will tell.
14. Ole Miss: Doubtful but still within the realm of possibility. They are well coached and might have a chance of competing in the next couple of years.
15. ULM: Very doubtful. Would have to run the table the rest of the way and win a bowl game. That probably wouldn't be enough.
16. Arkansas State: Ditto. Probably the best team in the state of Arkansas though.
17. Iowa State: A very very long shot to find their way back in.
18. Rutgers: Could make it back in with a strong strong finish. Would need to run the table.
19. Cincinnati: Ditto
20. Oklahoma State: A better team than most people think. Could work themselves back into the standings. Very possible.
21 Michigan: Perhaps
22. Michigan State: Ditto
23: Fresno State: Unlikely
24. Washington: A hard team to figure. Would have to run the table.
25. Navy: Having a decent year. Cracking the top 25 is highly unlikely.
Comments and questions welcome. Get rude if you want to.
Saturday, November 3, 2012
MSNBC and Fox
If you really want to irritate those on both the far ends of the political spectrum all you have to do is point out that Fox and MSNBC are similar creatures. They both are partisan and neither is what I would call "fair and balanced." There are some very important differences. I said both "news" networks have similarities but they are not the same.
It is obvious that Fox commentary and news stories are spun to to appeal to a rightward leaning audience. It is subtle, but it is there. Fox has more appeal to the "silent majority" in this country I would imagine. Still there is that "spin" that may disqualify them from being a real news gathering organization.
MSNBC is a different entity altogether. There is very little real news reported. Instead viewers are subjected to really nothing more than leftist propaganda. There is really no attempt to disguise it. Maddow may be an exception perhaps. Not that she is not on the far far left, but she does attempt to provide her "conservative" guests a fair playing field. I have made my share of derogatory comments about Maddow, but to be fair, she is probably the only potential real journalist among the entire "cast" of the comedy that is MSNBC. She certainly is smart enough to be capable of real journalism but likely can not keep her opinions out of the mix. As for the others......
MSNBC being more akin to Pravda is really only one issue here. If we are to take the males on the show (with the possible exceptions of Schultz and Sharpton), there is a distinct feminization. I am not saying that some may be gay, I wouldn't know or care. What I am saying is there is a distinct lack of manliness among the males. Perhaps I am not conveying this properly but I know what I am seeing. And so do you. When you listen to and watch a Toure (yes a one word "name"), Chris Hayes, Chris Mathews, and Martin Bashir do you think to yourself that these guys just seem a bit, shall we say, sissified?
I think you do.
That male pussilamity may be ok in some circles but it just don't fly 'roun these here parts.
It is obvious that Fox commentary and news stories are spun to to appeal to a rightward leaning audience. It is subtle, but it is there. Fox has more appeal to the "silent majority" in this country I would imagine. Still there is that "spin" that may disqualify them from being a real news gathering organization.
MSNBC is a different entity altogether. There is very little real news reported. Instead viewers are subjected to really nothing more than leftist propaganda. There is really no attempt to disguise it. Maddow may be an exception perhaps. Not that she is not on the far far left, but she does attempt to provide her "conservative" guests a fair playing field. I have made my share of derogatory comments about Maddow, but to be fair, she is probably the only potential real journalist among the entire "cast" of the comedy that is MSNBC. She certainly is smart enough to be capable of real journalism but likely can not keep her opinions out of the mix. As for the others......
MSNBC being more akin to Pravda is really only one issue here. If we are to take the males on the show (with the possible exceptions of Schultz and Sharpton), there is a distinct feminization. I am not saying that some may be gay, I wouldn't know or care. What I am saying is there is a distinct lack of manliness among the males. Perhaps I am not conveying this properly but I know what I am seeing. And so do you. When you listen to and watch a Toure (yes a one word "name"), Chris Hayes, Chris Mathews, and Martin Bashir do you think to yourself that these guys just seem a bit, shall we say, sissified?
I think you do.
That male pussilamity may be ok in some circles but it just don't fly 'roun these here parts.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)