Thursday, November 10, 2011

Failures of the Big Ten

Ohio State: Failure to Monitor (NCAA, Nov 10)
Penn State: Failure of Moral Courage (Court of Public Opinion, Nov 5)
Remainder of the Big Ten: Failure to rise above mediocrity (Scoreboard, Nov 5)

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Badgers fall again & other thoughts

The proof is in the pudding. If OSU can score more points than you... then you suck. Yes, Wisconsin belongs in the same category as Akron, Toledo, Colorado, and Illinois.

I was actually in Ann Arbor this weekend, watching a decent Michigan squad pick on an overmatched Purdue team. I have to comment that Denard's passing skills seem to be diminishing each week; it was quite amusing to hear the collective gasps in the Big House each time the rock was heaved more than 20 yards down field. Denard would be wise to follow the Antwaan Randle El school of thought and enter the draft as a wide receiver. I know the Wolverine faithful love Mr. Robinson, but they seem to be deeply disturbed by his rate of tossing interceptions this year.

...and in other improbable news, OSU is atop the Leaders Division at 2-0, with games at home vs. Indiana and Penn State and on the road vs. Purdue remaining. These are all winnable games for the Buckeyes. Want to bet that the NCAA was hoping the folks in C-bus would finish 5-7 and avoid any chance of the Big Ten or Bowl postseason? Saturday's win sets the stage where the NCAA will soon have to make a ruling that pisses a whole bunch of people off (currently even money for The World vs. Buckeye Nation).

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Spartanzzzz4Lifezzzz

To the Nut,
It was a grindout clash on the gridiron, one showing that both teams have something going on, but neither have a grasp of just what that is. Michigan State won on better coaching, better defense. From now on you must call us "The" Michigan State University.

To the Weasel,
I have to admit, the idea of beating you 4 years in a row doesn't seem very real... until you add Rich Rodriguez (and his legacy) to the mix. Oh, and the fact you don't have a QB (he's a hell of an athlete, nothing more). We beat you in coaching, defense, offense, special teams, intensity and thrown punches. You curled up in a ball.

Too bad there isn't a Badger on here. Better game ending than 2010 vs. Notre Dame. And to think, the Badger sitting next to me at work tried to argue "Wisconsin is better". Math must come hard to Badgers.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Ohio State Football Sucks For Realz

Yeah, real news flash there.

Before I get too far, I must congratulate the Greek for the win and wonder why Sparty showed so much mercy.... Between the Rees-esque statue-of-liberty fumble, the interceptions, and the garbage touchdown that Glass Joe (Bauserman) threw as the game ended, it seems that MSU did everything possible to keep the score close.

Anyway, I flew into Columbus this weekend for the shitshow. It's going to get ugly in Columbus (insert snarky comment.... here). The fans booed the team as they left field for halftime, and were giving Bronx Cheers at the end of the game for completed passes and first downs.

Fingers are already pointing. Since The Weasel is a fan of the Toledo Blade's Dave Hackenberg, I'll share this article and point out the best part: "The defense fought all game," Strong Safety Christian Bryant said. "We can't do anything else. The offense is on scholarship, too. Make a couple plays."

The implosion is happening right before our eyes, and we haven't even reached the halfway point yet. While people certainly expected Ohio State to struggle with the loss of it's head coach, 3-year starting QB, and the suspensions of several starters, it was presumed in the press that OSU would stay relevant and compete with Wisconsin for the Leaders Division title... and the forthcoming NCAA penalties may affect such a conference championship.

It's safe to predict that no one in Columbus will be packing their bags for a weekend trip to Indianapolis this December... or even a bowl. At 3-2, the season is about to get very grim for the Buckeyes. Oddsmakers will likely favor the Huskers, Illini, and Badgers in the next 3 games. And unless Denard throws 4 pick-6's to OSU defenders, the Greatest Rivalry In College Football will be a lousy game to watch for the 4th year in a row. It's likely that OSU will struggle to beat all 3 of Indiana, Purdue, and Penn State... meaning that bowl eligibility won't be in question either.

Oh yeah... OSU had 3 more players suspended for this weekend's game. I'm not sure how to interpret this. In order to discover this, you have to hire some good investigators for some good dirt-digging. Without the microscope on the program, this goes undetected. But you would think with all the shit that blew up on May 30, the athletic department would have ankle bracelet tracking systems on every player in the program. Someone needs to get fired.

Question to you all: Will Ohio State win 6 games this year? Will Urban Meyer coach the Buckeyes next year?

In other news, the Tigers and Lions are doing well! At least somebody is winning some games.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

A few interesting links....

Far be it for me to make a post without making a point, but there's a couple of links worth sharing here:

ESPNU Campus Road tour was in AA for the ND game.  See the video here:
http://mgoblog.com/mgoboard/espnu-road-trip-ann-arbor-video

Some heroism at the Michigan / ND game: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110915028

From the Toledo Blade, an open letter to Bo: http://www.toledoblade.com/DaveHackenberg/2011/08/30/Bo-in-case-you-didn-t-know-2.html

And finally, as much as I hate to do it, Rosenberg's article is both amusing and on point: http://www.freep.com/article/20110910/COL22/110911002/Michael-Rosenberg-U-M-caps-historic-night-let-Denard-run?odyssey=mod_sectionstories

Read.  Understand.  Discuss among yourselves.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Congratulations and Good Luck

Just a quick entry to congratulate The Moderator on his recent exchange of nuptial vows and surviving the hurricane. Mazel tov!

I'd also like to congratulate Shoelace for once again snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Denard's nickname is also appropriate as far as Notre Dame is concerned, it seems the margin of victory is only ever as wide as those laces. What a great game to watch!

Good luck to the Spartans this week - I would love to see the Irish go 0-3 and Kelly go thermonuclear on the sidelines.

And good luck to my Buckeyes this week in the aptly-named Ineligi-bowl. After the stinker last week, they will need lots of it.

Most disgusting thing a Michigan Athlete has ever done

Ewwww...

http://deadspin.com/5840042/new-biography-claims-sarah-palin-had-a-one+night-stand-with-glen-rice-in-1987

New Biography Claims Sarah Palin Had A One-Night Stand With Glen Rice In 1987

The National Enquirer grabbed some details from the upcoming Joe McGinniss Sarah Palin book, and this chunk is too delightful not to share with you immediately. Apparently Palin had a fling with former Heat/Hornet/Laker Glen Rice while he was in college and while she was a sports reporter in Alaska, all the way back in 1987. Rice confirms it in the book.

Here's the Enquirer:

In the book, which will be published on September 20th, McGinniss claims Sarah had a steamy interracial hookup with basketball stud Glen Rice less than a year before she eloped with her husband Todd.

Sarah hooked up with the NBA great, then a 6-foot-8 junior at the University of Michigan when he was playing in a college basketball tournament in Alaska in 1987, the book says. At the time, Sarah, just out of college, was working as a sports reporter for the Anchorage TV station KTUU.

A publishing source told The ENQUIRER that McGinniss claims Sarah had a "fetish" for black men at the time and he quotes a friend as saying Sarah had "hauled (Rice's) ass down."
[...]
In the book, McGinniss quotes Rice as confirming the one-night stand.

We won't subject her journalistic ethics to any kind of scrutiny at this point, because, well, wow. And, oh, don't worry, we are all just as terribly confused as you are.