ESPN Sucks

Today's update will be short:

52 Reasons Why ESPN/ABC/DISNEY SUCKS

I used to love ESPN and SportsCenter but more and more I've grown to really dislike it...especially their bias towards games they cover and there unwillingness to cover games they don't. When they started, they covered all sports...now they just cover those that make them money...and, when news is slow, they make their own news...see #19. I still watch a lot of ESPN, but more and more I wish there were an alternative.

Oh My Aching Head...

I hate the weather...it's 20 degrees, it's 50 degrees, it's 70 degress, it's 30 degrees...it's killing me. I don't know if it's a cold, flu, sinus issue...I have no idea...but I do know I'm not feeling well. Sore throat, headache, congestion and coughing. What a foursome that is! I took some Tylenol Cold with Acetaminophen and that, at least, has helped the sore throat a bit. Not as irritating as it was pre-medication.

Anyway, I guess I'm debating on whether trying to make an attempt to go to the Sugar Bowl this year or not. There are positives...there are negatives. So, here is a quick pro/con list of going to the Sugar Bowl (assuming WVU is there).

Pros:

• Atlanta should be warmer than West Virginia
• Spending New Year's in Atlanta could be a lot of fun
• I believe West Virginia can actually beat LSU
• A lot of WVU fans attending the bowl makes the entire Big East look better
• Get out of town

Cons:

• $$$
• Have to take a day off work (Jan. 3rd)
• Travel to/from Atlanta
• WVU sucks in bowl games

So, there are just a few reasons to go/not to go. I think it may come down to the $$$ at the end of it all...holidays are before us and I hate spending money on a stupid football game. But, on the other hand, I've been known to blow money on worse things.

I started Christmas shopping last night...online. I anticipate that 75% of all my Christmas shopping will be done online. I just hope that I can keep the credit cards at a reasonable level...it's easy to charge things...harder to pay those charge bills. I am probably 15% done with my shopping.

That's all I can think of at the moment...have a good one.

Why Sports Saturday was Good...and Bad

Well, the good news is that South Florida lost which assures West Virginia their first BCS berth. And don't buy into these headlines that say USF "handed" or "gave" WVU the Big East title. WVU earned the title...they use that phrase to try to diminish the Mountaineer accomplishment. But, anyway, I'll talk more on that later this week I'm sure. But, USF losing was also bad for the Big East and bad for WVU. The loss makes the Dec. 3rd matchup between WVU and USF a non-event as far as college football is concerned. Win or lose, it doesn't make a whole lot of difference to the bowl landscape. WVU will be in the Sugar Bowl most likely...and USF will probably be in the Car Bowl. No television is likely for the Dec. 3rd game...and I doubt you'll see many highlights.

Had USF won, it sets up a de facto Big East title game...which would have at least drawn some attention...and probably made its way onto TV somewhere. It would have been something to talk about anyway...but, along the same lines, that could backfire and USF could have ended up in the BCS which would be a huge embarrassment for the Big East. The reason the sports media kept talking up USF chances of winning the Big East was to embarrass the Big East. Nevermind the fact that a 7-4 Florida State could still win the ACC. And nevermind that a 7-4 Colorado could win the Big 12. What would happen then? No one wants to talk bad about those conferences so I doubt you'll hear anything about those possible scenarios...

I hate Notre Dame but I'm glad they came back to beat Stanford. As much as I would have loved to see them lose, it would have hurt the Big East. ND would have fallen to the Gator Bowl, which pushes Louisville to the Insight, Rutgers to the Car Care and leaves USF at home. I just hope Oregon...or Penn State, or Ohio State...or whoever they play just crushes them. I still don't think Notre Dame is all that great...besides the close loss to USC, they haven't done much except beat a mediocre Michigan team...only beat 3 teams with winning records. Both Ohio State and Oregon deserve the BCS bowl more than Notre Dame. Of course, WVU has only beaten two teams so far with winning records but we've only lost once...so there.

I really enjoyed watching Florida State lose their third game in a row and fourth game this season. And what makes it better is they won their division in the ACC and will play for the ACC title against Virginia Tech. I am hoping so much they beat Virginia Tech and go to the BCS for the ACC. That would just make my year so much brighter.

Georgia really struggled with Georgia Tech today. LSU struggled with Arkansas yesterday. These two teams will meet up for the SEC title and will most likely be our opponent in the Sugar Bowl. I hate to say it but I believe we can match up against either one of them...but, if I had a choice, I'd rather take on LSU.

Up last: Mountaineer basketball. 3 losses in a row...2-3 now on the season. This is what I was afraid of. They have zero inside presence...we can hit some 3's but we need to be able to get some easy shots once in a while. The inside cuts against Texas were great...I didn't see that against LSU. Luckily, we hit an easy stretch coming up...Beilein better find a way to score some layups or something...relying solely on the three point shot isn't going to make it. The losses should drop us out of the top-25...maybe that will remove some of the pressure.

Recruiting jabs...

This stuff is just too good not to comment on...apparently Dave Wannstedt pushed the buttons of Rich Rodriguez...earlier this week, our favorite Pitt coach had this to say:

“West Virginia comes up here and recruits Pennsylvania,” he said. “We know that – they’ve always have. In my opinion, we don’t have competition here. We don’t have much – Penn State, and every once in a while Notre Dame or somebody. But there shouldn’t be and there won’t be much other competition. The best players are going to come to Pitt.”

Now, if you can't follow that, let me translate: If given the choice between West Virginia and Pitt, players come to Pitt. Why would anyone want to go to West Virginia?

And, in case that didn't make it clear enough, a newspaper in Pittsburgh was sure to make mention that none of the West Virginia players from Western Pa. were offerred a scholarship from Pitt. Translation: West Virginia players aren't good enough to play for Pitt.

That, of course, was fodder for West Virginia. But, Rod was classy and didn't say much about it leading up to the game...not in public anyway. I'm sure there was plenty of discussion about those comments in the lockerroom though. Following the game, and the 45-13 whipdown, here's what Coach Rod had to say about recruiting against Pitt...and these are great:

“This may help us in recruiting a little bit,” Rodriguez offered. “We have a hard time supposedly recruiting in certain areas of Pennsylvania. It will give some of our coaches some extra motivation.” “Our guys from up there who weren’t recruited at all by Pitt were excited to play,” he said. “For us when you go to bowls and have success it makes it more difficult recruiting in some respects because you’re practicing for bowls and all that,” said the coach. “I hope that recruits understand that, hey, we want to spend as much time as we can with you but we’ve got to get ready for a bowl game where other teams don’t have to worry about that.”

Absolutely awesome. Translation: While you're sitting at home trying to recruit the "best players" at Pitt, we'll be playing in a probably BCS bowl. And, that group of players that weren't "good" enough to play at Pitt, well, they just whipped your butts.

Don't think that Wannstedt erred with his remarks about Pitt getting the best players...this goes way back to when Pittsburgh referred to West Virginia's football teams as "Western Pennsylvania trash". But the only trash I saw at Mountaineer Field last night wore god-awful "gold" helmets. And that trash won't be taken out again before the next football season rolls around.

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

Wow...could they have found a more chilling night for the WVU/Pitt game? Has Ed Pastilong ever heard of a dome? Geesh, it was cold out there...but, the -7 wind chill couldn't stop WVU from running all over the Panthers for 60 minutes. It was amazing...the Mountaineers lined up and said "stop us" and the Panthers fell over themselves trying to. It was impressive...I would have never believe you could for 451 yards against a team knowing you're going to run the ball. Anyway, a quick recap of the game:

I think I wore about 4 layers of clothing...including gloves, hat, scarf...etc. But it was still cold...luckily, the family behind us brought an extra blanket and that helped for the legs. Besides my toes freezing off, I stayed pretty comfortable. Every once in a while the wind would whip around there causing a little discomfort but, other than that, it was horrendous. But, I think it might be the coldest game I can remember...or it's very very close.

The fans were excellent...for 17-degree/-7 degree wind chill weather, I'm amazed that 53,000 showed up. That might be a little high but there were at least 50,000 there. And, they tried to make noise...it's hard to get real animated when you're freezing. You can tell it's cold when everything the band plays is much slower than you're used to. I think the crowd did cause a couple timeouts from Palko that he wouldn't have called otherwise. West Virginia fans are some of the best in football and last night proved it...

Pitt wanted to come out and get into a slugging fest...literally. There were a lot of extra shoves and talking following plays in an attempt to get the Mountaineer players to bite and lose composure. For the most part, they didn't...and that shows good coaching. Line up...do your job...trash talk later. Good deal. And, speaking of trash talk, the "Eat Shitake Mushrooms Pitt" chant really needs to go...I understand the sentiment but it's pretty crude and is too juvenile for WVU fans. It shows a real lack of class...leave that to the Pitt fans to cuss and carryon...let's be adults and show that WVU can win and be classy and be a bigtime program. I don't think those type of cheers are going on at the Texas' and USC's of college football.

And, some things to watch -- Pat White is fast and can run. Throwing is still up in the air...he missed some easy ones and that makes me worry. We might be able to run like this against USF...I'm not sure. But, I still think we need the passing threat and I still don't see it. Also, the passing defense is weak. The prevent defense got burned once but we gave up a lot of 3rd down and 5+. Short passes were available for Palko all game long...a good team would exploit that more.

So, passing offense and defense are kinda weak...not a big surprise...but, something that needs to be addressed. In all the reports of this game, expect to hear the disclaimer that the Mountaineers have guaranteed themselves a tie for the Big East title but still must beat USF to get a BCS bowl. Don't expect a lot of good publicity...the media is going to knock the Big East for USF still being in the title run and won't even talk about WVU. That's my guess anyway...

But, next week will end that discussion. Until then all that matters is this: WVU 45 - Pitt 13

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone...not going to be a grandiose update today but I might do one tonight or tomorrow following the Backyard Brawl. In the meantime, hope you have a wonderful day and evening and don't forget to be thankful for all the great things that have occurred over the past year.

Leaving Early

The fine folks here at work have come to the conclusion that today has been an absolute waste of a day and agreed that everyone should be able to leave at 3:30 p.m., so I'm in the process of shutting down here. I'm going to run to Wal-Mart to purchase some additional attire so I don't freeze to death at the Mountaineer game tomorrow...

So, that's my additional update for the day as promised...

Thanksgiving Eve

Thanksgiving Eve doesn't sound right...but, that's what it is. Anyway, today is "Reason to Come to Work Day" here...and today's reason is: Backyard Brawl. So, if you want to wear jeans and a sweatshirt or something to work, you can. But, there's a catch...you have to pay $3.00 to the United Way Fund. So, the question is: Do you want to be blackmailed into paying $3.00 to a charity you may or may not support or do you want to have to dress like you would on a normal day? I wrestled with my decision all morning...the United Way is not my favorite charity and I hate being put in a position that I have to pay to wear jeans or something...but, on the other hand, I like to dress casual. So, when all was said and done, I caved and paid the money. I feel so cheap.

Worst case for the Mountaineers in Kansas City was realized last night...coming back 0-2. So, they are now 2-2 on the season...2-0 vs. cupcakes...0-2 vs. real competition. The LSU game Saturday will tell a lot about where this team will end up.

CNN put a big X over Dick Cheney's face during a recent speech. They say it was a computer glitch. I don't believe them...and neither should anyone else. CNN = Ted Turner = Liberal Windbag.

The economy has improved immensely over the summer and gas prices are dropping. Domestically, holiday sales are high and it looks like things are heading in the right direction. Won't see that on the news but that's reality. Katrina didn't destroy the US like everyone said it was going to.

That's about it for this morning...I may update again today since I know it's going to be a long, boring day here at the office...later.

The Agony of the Sports Fan

Oh, the pain I felt last night as West Virginia allowed Texas to win the basketball game. I tried to turn away...I knew it was going to happen but I couldn't stop myself. I believed for a moment that the upset was going to occur...I believed the WVU was going to be the #2 team in the nation. I dreamed it possible and my dreams were crushed.

Firstly, going into the game against Texas I wanted one simple thing: be respectable. I was afraid I'd see a 100-47 blowout or some ridiculous thing like that. Texas is extremely good...and the jury is still out on West Virginia. But as WVU led most of the game, my hopes rose. A respectable game was no longer enough...I could see victory in the final minutes and that was the only thing acceptable. And it would have come to pass had Pittsnogle only been able to make some free throws. Two opportunities...two misses. Everyone knew what was going to happen after the second missed opportunity...there were no doubts. It was written the WVU would bow...and they did. Regardless of whether Gansey was fouled or not, WVU blew their chances at certain victory when Kevin couldn't hit a single free throw. 84+% from the foul line last year...0% for the Texas game.

Still, a great game in front of a national audience. One solitary point from another classic game...reminiscent of the Wake game last year. A clearly overmatched WVU coming up big...and I felt good about this: We didn't just hit the 3's to stay in the game...I saw a lot of good offensive sets that led to easy baskets. That's what I like to see. We were still outrebounded by a disgusting number but we more than made up for that with the forced turnovers.

I'm disappointed in the game but my I feel better seeing that we could compete with Texas. Expectations are a horrible thing and the expectations for the basketball squad this year are high. If we can compete with the #2 team in the nation like we did, we can have a successful year in basketball.

Speaking of agony, I'm eagerly awaiting the Pitt game. Can West Virginia fulfill the promise of last year this year? We were thisclose to a BCS bowl last year when we lost the final two games of the year to Pitt & Boston College. Similar circumstances this year...win out and you're in a BCS bowl. The WVU stock is rising...there's talk of not necessarily being the last team picked. But, like I've said before, be prepared for all the South Florida as Big East champ talk...it's ESPN's only hope of keeping WVU out of the BCS and it's become increasingly more obvious that ESPN, led by Corso & Mark May, hate Mountaineer football and the Big East.

So, what's happening...

Can you believe Tommy Maddox? I really feel sorry for the guy...I mean, the interception off of Hines Ward's foot was definitely not his fault but he still played pretty abysmal. Leading the Steelers to a loss against the pathetic Ravens isn't something that will endear you to Steeler fans. They trashed his house after the last loss...I just hope he has a house this week.

How about Penn State winning the Big 10? What a great gift to JoPa who turns 146 years old soon. And people thought he couldn't coach anymore. I'm not sure who I have to beg to in the football gods but I would love a Penn State/West Virginia matchup in the BCS. I don't see it happening but, man, would that be awesome or what? Let's start a petition or something...

Why is Wal-Mart selling a $10,000.00 ring? Doesn't that kinda go against their whole low cost philosophy?

I went and saw the Rockettes on Saturday and I'm not that ashamed to say it. They were really good...I was surprised. But, I doubt I ever do it again...

How about them Colts? I really am starting to believe they could go undefeated this year.

Be prepared to hear a lot of hype about USF over the next couple weeks until we come to town...the analysts are just licking their chops in the hope that the Big East sends a 3-loss team to the BCS so they can really make fun of us. Nevermind that there's a good chance the ACC could send a 4-loss team in Florida State. There's a clear message around ESPN to be sure to tear down the Big East at every opportunity. They're even starting to knock on the basketball side a bit by saying it's too crowded...it was only a matter of time...

That's about it...I'm going to do some work today so I don't have to come in over the long holiday.

Ah, a Friday at Last

This has been a long week of work...next week will be much better considering a 4-day weekend...about time. I mean, I worked 5 days this week...that's insane. They are making us put pictures of ourselves on our internal Intranet so that we can better recognize each other...to the right is the picture that is being used for me. Best one on there by far...

This is "rivalry weekend" in football but I'm having a hard time getting too excited about it. I'm anxious to see if Penn State can win the Big Ten. The Ohio State/Michigan game is a yawner this year...no enthusiasm for that. There's just no games that really get me excited about watching football...

So, I thought maybe it was basketball time. I tried to watch some college basketball but I heard Dick Vitale's voice and that ruined any chance of watching basketball. He has to be the most annoying man in the world.

Well, there really isn't much more I guess...it's getting cold out which is bad. I'm ready for turkey and I'm ready for the WVU/Pitt game.

Hmmmm...Let's See...

Well, things are progressively getting more interesting at work...it starts about two weeks ago...you may enjoy this story or you may not...but I'm telling it anyway:

So, about two weeks ago we have a department meeting to find out what everyone is working on and what we need to accomplish to finish out the year. Everyone kinda gives an update on projects they've been handling...etc. We get to my office neighbor, who I'll refer to as Habib (not real name) and he says "Nothing really". Nothing? He's been working on nothing. I mean, give me a break. Make something up...why would you say "nothing"? I mean, at least pull out a "Oh, I've been working on these TPS reports...they require cover letters now, ya know?".

So, with the "nothing" answer, we (my boss & I) decided to get a dry erase board to put at the end of the hall with outstanding projects that anyone could work on...like, fix a printer, move a computer, do some work...that kind of stuff. Well, when I left for Cincy on Wednesday, there were 17 tasks on the board. When I came back on Monday, there were...take a guess...17 tasks on the board. That's some efficiency there...

So, anyway, the guy works in another office a couple times a week...and I noticed that Habib had a laptop on his desk. So, I'm trying to gather up all our floater laptops and stuff so I was trying to figure out what this laptop was on his desk that was connected to an analog phone line. I booted it up and it was a floater but I decided to check out the Internet history...and, to my surprise, found Fantasy Footbal. Now, this is the same guy that we had to block Fantasy Football for the firm because he spend so much time on it. I ran a report on the analog line and he's been spending 3-5 hours a day hooked up to this line. So, I wasn't real pleased about that...

I'm not sure what we're going to do with this guy...my boss clearly isn't pleased with his work. He was telling me yesterday about a wireless router security fiasco that Habib caused. Apparently he doesn't know what a MAC Address is. He's alienated everyone in the department at some point. His office is immaculately clean...which, I know, isn't a reason to complain but if you saw what a mess mine is, you would complain too. I tWhen I see what work he does, I don't feel so bad about writing this blog thing...

Anyway, I felt I needed to vent that frustration out today before I go to work on my next project...I'm going to go add some things to the board as if it will do any good. It's only a matter of time before my head explodes...who wants to watch? Oh, and everyone else who works here isn't nearly that bad...just wanted to throw that in.

Weekend Wrapup

Well, not a lot really to talk about...went to the Mountaineer basketball game on Sunday against the powerhouse of Wofford. The Mountaineers were very cold in the first half which really scared me. Then they came out strong in the second half to pull away. I'm not sure that what I was watching was the 14th best team in the nation. Hopefully they will show some significant improvement before they have to face Texas next week...otherwise, a 0-2 finish in Kansas City is a distinct possiblity and would send WVU reeling out of the Top-25.

Steelers were able to beat Cleveland despite a Tommy Maddox siting. Hines Ward set the all-time reception record as a Steeler. That's pretty cool. T.O. won't be playing on Monday Night Football tonight...how cool is that? Nick Saban and the boys weren't able to beat the Patriots which was kind of disappointing.

Looks like we won't get a chance to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl...LSU is a much tougher opponent for the Mountaineers if we get stuck playing them. I enjoyed watching South Carolina beat Florida despite my dislike for Spurrier. I'm sick of hearing how South Florida controls it's own destiny for the BCS...that's not true; WVU does.

I'm still shocked by the lack of Cincinnati fans at the Mountaineer game Wednesday. It was really disappointing...I can't believe the Bearcat fans didn't show up. Not a good sign for the Big East.

FAQs about the Bird Flu

I've been getting a lot of questions about this bird flu and I, as a certified genius, want to answer questions from the readers, like: What is the bird flu? Who's at risk? Are Yousa tinkin yousa people gonna DIE? and more. This is the facts and only the facts:

1. What is the Avian Bird Flu? - Bob the Messenger (Morgantown) The bird flu is a experiment by KFC gone wrong. Initially, KFC was attempting to come up with an additive that would make their delictable chicken even better and addicting. Unfortunately, the experiment took a wrong turn and ended up mutating into a killer flu. But, don't worry, KFC says their chicken is still safe and as addicting as it always was.
2. Who's at risk? - Justin (Buckhannon) Everyone Justin, everyone. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but KFC made this thing so strong that no one is immune. If you received a flu shot this year...too bad. It's doesn't protect against the Avian flu. And, if you think you're invincible, you're even more at risk. And you know you think you're invincible but I know that's not true.
3. How long do we have? - Greg (Kingmont) Not long...or maybe a long time. No one is in agreement. It seems to be killing a bunch of Asians...but that's where KFC does all their experiments. The flu hasn't mutated into being easily tranmitted by humans yet...but, when it does, expect everyone to just go crazy and throw a big Avian flu party at the Radisson in Morgantown.
4. Are Yousa tinkin yousa people gonna DIE? - Jennifer (NC) I know you went to Marshall but surely they taught you something about speaking. I'm not even going to answer that.
5. Is the mortality rate going to be high? - Andrew (WVU) Much better question. Yes, everyone who gets sick will die. Or they won't die. There's a 50% chance that one of those things could happen...or not happen. So, I hope that answered your question.
6. How can I protect myself? - Pat (New York) Simple...send me $20.00 and I'll send you a cure. Seriously, send me $20.00. I mean it.

If you have any additional questions regarding the Bird Flu, feel free to e-mail me. Or, if there is some other issue that you think needs addressed, do the same. I'm always happy to give you the correct answers...

Cincinnati Game

Well, headed up Cincinnati way with Jacob to see if the Mountaineers would be able to continue their run to the Big East championship. So, just a quick rundown of that trip and the experience of going to the campus of the Bearcats and watching a stomping...

Left Fairmont approx. 10:00 a.m. Conditions: Mild temperature and rain. Not too bad though. Things went pretty well until I got behind a truck that looked as though it was out mud-bogging all day or something. While the car wasn't clean by any stretch before I left, this truck completely covered me in mud....and, as luck would have it, the rain was done at that point and the mud was there to say.

Traveling to Cincinnati takes around 5 hours...upon arrival around 3:30, we found the campus first to try to find a good way from the stadium to the hotel for later. Instead of getting back on I-71, I had a hunch that I could find the back way to downtown Cincy and the Terrace Hotel. I was wrong. Instead, we wound up on the wrong side of Cincy...the ghetto you might call it. I'm talking about serious ghetto...even down to the obligatory black guy in the wheelchair with no legs ghetto. It was kinda scary...I locked the doors. Somehow, we survived and eventually found the hotel and somewhere to park.

The Terrace Hotel in Cincinnati was a recommended hotel and it wasn't bad really...no parking though. So, had to pay to park for an hour or so while we checked in (it was only $1 for 2 hours...excellent price). The lady at the front desk was kind enough to give me directions to Nippert Stadium which were very good. So, around 6:00 we headed out to the game.

$7.00 for parking on campus...walked around the campus a little while trying to find the stadium. It was still about an hour before kickoff so there wasn't much of a crowd yet...but, then again, there never was. Kinda got lost a little..saw the basketball facility and like some other well-lit alumni area or something. Finally found the stadium by following the Cincinnati band around. Seats were on the 3-5 yard line...first row. I mean, first row...like right at the wall. Couldn't see anything except the WVU cheerleaders. Luckily Nippert Stadium has a huge scoreboard that shows every play...so, that was how I watched the game. The stadium has undergone a lot of work over the past few years and it looks like they're not quite complete yet. It is a cool stadium though...right in the middle of the U. of Cincinnati campus.

Cincinnati fans didn't show up really...and those that did left at halftime. They didn't really do anything cool...no chants, no noise...at least not that I could ever distinguish. There were, to put it nicely, boring. There were a lot of Mountaineer fans there though..more than I expected for a weeknight game in Cincinnati. The Mountaineer wasn't allowed to shoot the musket but the Bearcats shot off fireworks on the field before the start of the game and shot a cannon a couple times during the course of festivities. That caused some consternation among the Mountaineer brethren. Of course, it was sad for Cincy to not have any fans and not even be able to keep the lights on...especially since it was a chance to shine on national TV...but, that's life.

By the time the game was over, it was only Mountaineer fans. The "Let's Go Mountaineers" chant was in full force and the Bearcat players were shooting us dirty looks. To leave, we went on to the playing field and out a tunnel...I don't think that was standard protocol but no one was guarding the fence. So, we just kinda took the place over. Poor Bearcat fans didn't know what to do. Maybe the best line of the night was in the 4th quarter when the fans were doing the "Let's Go Mountaineers" and a distraught fan yelled from the walkway as they were leaving "You've already won". It was a great night.

So, traveled back today...had to stop and get gas before leaving Cincinnati. A gentleman "Needing money to get a cab to go to work" was kind enough to wash my windows for $3. He said a buck or two but I was feeling generous. The ride back was nice...good weather. I immediately washed my car when I got back to Fairmont because it was disgusting. But, that's about it...I'm sure there's more but I'm tired and will now go to sleep.

Real Quick for Ya'll

Don't want you to go through withdraw while I'm gone...so, a quick update before I head up Cincinnati way...

• T.O. apologized, Eagles yawned and said "yeah yeah...whatever". Did anyone else thingk he sounded like a character off of SNL? Maybe the Ladies Man with a slight lisp? Talk is that he may end up in the ATL. What's the over/under for this statement: "Vick can run the ball but he can't throw it. I need someone who can get me the ball. I'm a playmaker."
• Marshall, Marshall, Marshall. If you missed that game last night on the deuce, you missed a funny one. Two blocked field goals and a clanker. I felt pain for the green machine...I did. I guess I could have gone to the game...did you see all those empty seats?
• John McCain is cracking down on steroids in MLB. I thought this guy was a senator. Does he really have nothing better to do?
• Welcome back college basketball. WVU destroyed Wheeling Jesuit...I'm impressed? Get well soon Shaq...before Wade realizes he can do it without you and develops Kobe syndrome.

Alright, that's it for today...I'm not sure how this thing became completely about sports but, hey, until I think of something else, that's all I got. I'll give you a full Cincy rundown on Friday when I'm back...maybe Thursday evening. Oh, and WVU by 2 touchdowns.

Anti-West Virginia Bias

"South Florida controls its own destiny in the Big East: It's not time for the BCS to panic yet, but the Bulls (4-3) have a clear path to the Big East title. That means a $14 million to $17 million payday for a program whose entire budget is approximately $9 million." -- Dennis Dodd; CBS Sportsline

"Notre Dame could certainly be tripped up at Stanford, LSU could get tagged by Ole Miss and its tough defense, Virginia Tech could have a hard time at Virginia and/or against North Carolina, and South Florida could certainly take the Big East title away from West Virginia. In other words, don’t relax just yet." - Pete Fiutak; Collegefootballnews.com

And I've heard similar sentiment on ESPN all weekend. South Florida is in the driver's seat in the Big East. USF could be in the BCS with 3 losses. Yeah, that's definitely possible. But they have to still beat some teams...technically, West Virginia is in the driver's seat for the BCS. But no one is giving any respect to WVU for the season it has had so far.

To begin the season, it was all Louisville and Pitt. Pitt imploded so it became a run-away for Louisville. Well, USF destroyed Louisville but everyone still said the Cards were going to win the Big East. Then WVU beat Louisville so the story had to change again...Rutgers was only a game behind WVU and if Pitt and USF could beat the Mounties, then Rutgers could go to the BCS. Well, Rutgers blew it to USF so now South Florida is in complete control of the Big East.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that WVU was not supposed to be that good this year...7-4, 8-3 at best. It's a rebuilding year. But they have stepped up and beaten Maryland on the road and Louisville. They beat Rutgers on the road and handled UConn. So, WVU is in the driver's seat. They head to Cincy tomorrow night and, if they win (which they better), they'll be 8-1 and two games away from wrapping up it's first BCS appearance. Of course, they could implode and still finish in the Car Bowl but they'd really have to fight to do that. Pitt will be a contest because of the rivalry and I'm anxious to see the USF game. But don't hand this conference to South Florida...I know the media doesn't want to give WVU any respect but eventually you have to face the fact that WVU is a major player in college football...or the Big East at the least where it is 20-4 over the last 24 Big East games.

Additionally, WVU has been ranked in the Top 25 in 23 of the last 31 polls. That's a major accomplishment...yet somehow everyone seems to completely ignore any accomplishments the Mountaineers make. Even the beloved Notre Dame can't say they have been in the Top 25 that much in the last 31 weeks.

Where to Begin...

Well, I was a little off in my predictions on Friday...I asked to see a sideline fight in the T.O. situation and I guess it happened in the lockerroom. Darn. More on that shortly.

I missed my game of the week obviously. I had predicted East Fairmont would beat West and neither team would go to the playoffs. Way off there. West destroyed East and made the playoffs. Oops. Now, I've watched East play like 6 games this year and West 2, now 3, and, I can say without a doubt that West Fairmont is not 32 points better than East. I could see how they might win in a close game but I would have never guessed a blowout like that. East has some talent but it never showed on Friday. The team came out flat and, I hate to say it, but that comes down to coaching. Maybe it's all psychological...I'm not sure...but it should have never been a game like that. 45-13, ridiculous. Now West gets to travel to Jefferson...good luck with that.

Notre Dame continued winning by beating an under-talented Tennessee team. I'm not sure I ever thought TN could win as much as I was hoping they would. I actually heard a commentator on ESPN on Saturday talking about how much a playoff would be great because then we could see a Notre Dame-USC rematch. Or even in a plus-one game. I've said this before and I'll say it again: Notre Dame has lost TWICE! Not once...TWICE. Give me a break.

On the winning side, Miami destroyed Virginia Tech and Marcus Vick was pretty ineffective. Of course, we got the obligatory Michael vs. Marcus comparisons...and we got to hear what a great coach the goiter is...and we got to talk about what a powerhouse Va. Tech is. I'm sorry...but Virginia Tech was NOTHING until like '95 at the earliest...until then, they were bottom feeders. I'll admit, Beamer has a good team...but they don't have the tradition of a Miami or FSU or Texas or USC, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Ohio State, Michigan...etc. And for ESPN to pretend they do is just insane.

Other wins I was right on...Penn State over Wisconsin...JoPa wins the Big 10 at the ripe age of 113. North Marion defeats Preston and celebrates by eating the buckwheat cakes the Preston had brought for a post-game snack. Steelers defeat the Packers and eat all the cheese in Wisconsin. Brett Favre is still wandering around LaBeau Stadium looking for someone to overthrow. So, for the week I was 4-2.

Lastly, and firstly, T.O. has been indefinitely suspended from the Eagles. What in the world took them so long? And how has it taken this long for someone to get into a fist fight with him? I'm surprised that didn't happen at training camp. He's alienated the quarterback, head coach and entire Eagles organization. I would send him away now...there's certainly some bottom-feeding team that will take him and let him run the entire organization...I'm talking to you Houston.

So, good luck to you T.O. and, just to get it started now, the Red Sox are still going to suck next year.

Football Predictions

I hate Terrell Owens and I hate the Eagles...that's why it was a match made it heaven when they got together. Everyone said "Oh, T.O. and Donovan will get along and it will be a heck of a combo". I said, wait until T.O. doesn't get what he wants...he will meltdown. It started right after the Eagle lost the Super Bowl. Then, T.O. didn't get his contract. Now, he's out saying the Eagles would be better with Favre as QB. Owens is a waste...he's talented but he's not a team player. I enjoy watching the implosion...maybe we'll see a good sideline fight. I can only hope.
Anyway...on to the football predictions (and nothing funny today...I don't have time):

North Marion @ Preston - North Marion ends the season on a high note and wins. Shame that no one is there to see it. N.M. 24 - Preston 16

Tennessee @ Notre Dame - Oh, please Charlie, wear the green jerseys. The "Luck of the Irish" runs out and the curse of Ty Willingham begins. The racist Irish lose to the "due" Volunteers. TN 42 - N.D. 28

Wisconsin @ Penn State - JoPa gets confused and sacks the Badger quarterback for the last play of the game but the officials are blind and didn't notice he was on the field. So the Lions are on their way to a Big 10 title. State 28 - Wisconsin 17

Miami @ Va. Tech - The goiter is sick this week and Beamer can't get the high school girls off of Vick. And the castrated Turkey is running from hunters looking for a Thanksgiving meal. Hurricanes ruin Tech's "National Championship dreams". Miami 33 - Va. Tech 24

Steelers @ Packers - Steelers run the ball and Bret Favre throws 76 interceptions. Steelers win 18-3. But, if Tommy Maddox comes out on the field, this choice is null and void.

And, the game of the Week, Fairmont Senior @ East Fairmont - Like I've said before, neither team is going to the playoffs. I just don't see it happening. However, at least one of the teams will have a winning record. The Curse of L.D. sinks the Polar Bears. The Bees triumph and finish 17th in the final poll. Just calling it as I see it. EFHS 22 - FSHS 16

That's all folks...

West Virginia Rolls

Well, I'd be a liar if I said that the Huskies didn't scare me a little going into the game. But West Virginia quashed any doubts early in the game and absolutely annihilated the poor UConn Huskies. It was a brilliant display of running and tough defense.

On the negative side though, the passing game is still non-existent. Pat White had several open receivers early in the game and overthrew them all. J.R. House came in and threw the ball better than Pat. We can beat Cincy, Pitt and maybe USF with no passing game...but, should we accomplish that, I have a hard time believing we can beat a BCS team with no passing game. We need at least the threat of being able to throw the ball and I'm not sure Pat White's arm is any better than Rasheed's was. He did finish 7-16 for 106 yards, which isn't bad, but we still have no deep threat.

Anyway, in other news:

• I got cold at the game and left in the 3rd quarter. As if you care...
• The Lakers beat Denver last night. I hate Kobe Bryant.
• A-Rod got in trouble for allegedly going to illegal poker games in New York. I can't believe that really made headlines on ESPN. How stupid.
• Pitt plays Louisville tonight...we need Louisville to win to stay in the Top 25 and help the Big East. Pitt's season has been a waste.
• Notre Dame gave Charlie Weiss a 10-year extension the other day because he started 5-2. Ty Willingham started 8-0 in his first year at N.D. and got a pat on the back. Everyone loved Tyrone except the boosters at Notre Dame. But N.D. insists it wasn't because he was a different race. Yeah, right.
• East Fairmont bonfire tonight in preparation for the big East/West Game tomorrow night. Playoff implications could be on the line. But, they're not. Neither team, win or lose, will probably make the playoffs.

Football predictions this afternoon or tomorrow.

WVU/UConn

Wednesday Night. ESPN...2. National Television. UConn. Big for West Virginia. Bigger for the Big East.

The Big East is suffering...I'll admit it. I'm a stauch defender of the Big East and of its BCS bid but, even with blinders on, you can see the lack of respect for the Big East in the national sports media...and it is somewhat rightfully earned. Like I said the other day, if you saw the Cincy/Syracuse game, you understand why everyone is so critical of the Big East. The games are sloppy and the teams are bad. Granted, Louisville is good but they can't play on the road. West Virginia is good but not great...at least they haven't shown greatness yet.

This is big for the Big East. Both WVU and UConn need to show that they can play football. West Virginia needs to pull away in the second half to show that they are the leaders of the Big East. The game can't be marred by 7 turnovers or something like that...that won't advance the premise that the Big East can play football. It needs to be a well executed game...with flashes of brilliance on offense and defense. This might be one of the few remaining times this year that the Big East and WVU can gain respect. Will an 18-game layoff make them rusty? Hopefully not...but we'll see. I have WVU winning by 2 touchdowns.

Should be a game worth going to...nice weather and a rocking Wednesday night. Hope to see you there...