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.

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.

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.

Sometimes that Michigan degree won't get you a job

http://deadspin.com/5826977/braylon-edwards-has-the-kind-of-resume-no-free-agent-wide-receiver-would-want

Actually, I have no idea if Braylon graduated. I'll give him the benefit of the doubt and say he may have. I never realized he was out with Stallworth the night of the crash with the pedestrian. That's pretty terrible, just by association.

Since this article was first written he has signed with SF. Not sure if that's a good fit or not.

Who's the wittiest of them all?

http://www.freep.com/article/20110725/SPORTS08/110725051/MSU-s-Hollis-orders-special-Spartan-pizza-U-M-s-Brandon?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Pretty funny, pretty harmless.

Brandon is a pretty pathetic in saying the pizza "sucked". It didn't suck, you just got jobbed in public.

Oh and further proof that the NCAA is nothing more than a money making machine.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110725/SPORTS06/110725049/U-M-s-Brandon-doesn-t-want-nonconference-road-games-other-than-Irish-?odyssey=mod|newswell|text|FRONTPAGE|p

Dear UConn, get a real stadium.

MLB All-Star Balloting - What a joke

Ok.  I know I'm a homer and my ballot probably proves that, but the all-star ballot is a joke.  It's a popularity contest.  The all-start game hardly recognizes the games best players, but rather the most popular from the fans...which means the Yankees and the Red Sox.  The biggest such travesty this year is Russell Martin beating out Alex Avila.  Russell Martin?  Are you kidding me?  He's batting .230 with no power in a home run haven.  Availa?  He's only hitting .304.  For a catcher!  I'm sure the Greek will agree with me, Avila should be starting for the AL.

For what it's worth, here's my AL votes (with the leader in parenthesis):
AL 1B (Adrian Gonzalez, Bos): Gonzalez, Bos.  Yeah, this one is pretty easy.  He's the first half AL MVP.  No question he should be starting.
AL 2B (Robinson Cano, NYY): Cano, NYY.  Another pretty obvious choice.  Only 2B hitting for average and power consistently....and one of the few teams with a consistent 2B.
AL SS (Derek Jeter, NYY): Peralta, Det.  Maybe a homer decision on my part, but how can you honestly vote for Jeter?  He shouldn't even be starting for the Yankees right now!  Peralta is hitting over .300 with some power and has been the most consistent hitter for the Tigers.
AL 3B (Alex Rodriguez, NYY): Rodriguez, NYY.  Yeah, it hurts to vote for anyone sharing a name with our beloved Dick Rod but he's been that good compared to the other 3B.  Who else, Brandon Inge?  That's like voting Jim Tressell for the most honest coach award.
AL C (Russell Martin, NYY): Avila, Det.  I still cannot believe Martin is winning this race.  If he had any sense he would withdraw.  Attack boy Alex behind the plate!
AL OF (Granderson, Bautista, Hamilton): Granderson, Bautista, Ellsbury.  All four of these guys deserve to be there but Hamilton missed some significant time. 

I'm not going to bother with the DH.  Wait, yes I am.  Ortiz of Martinez?  I don't think so.  Eat'em up Tigers, eat' em up.  Stomp the Tribe!

I should probably note that I only differ with one OF, SS, C and DH (40%)

(Note for the Nut: We are talking about baseball here, you know, the sport with the little round white ball with red seams?  I know, it's tough for you to follow).