This season is now an unmitigated disaster.
I love Coach Richt, but if Willie Martinez is still here next year then Richt deserves whatever criticism is thrown his way. We just lost to a much less talented team, and the blame falls squarely on Richt's BFF.
Stafford threw for 400 yards and 5 touchdowns, MoMass had what seemed like 30 catches (both in their last game in Sanford Stadium), and we lose because our defense can't stay disciplined and refuses to wrap up on tackles.
Embarrassing.
So, in this "dream season," we have been embarrassed by our two biggest rivals, and we don't have a signature win for the entire year.
Ugh.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
Hate week
I hate Georgia Tech. Like in an irrational way.
I get unreasonably angry when people say things like, "I want Tech to go 11-1, with their loss to the Dawgs, to make the loss hurt more." Not me...I want Tech to go 0-12, with their final loss a 40 point loss to the Dawgs.
I'm not even sure where the hatred comes from...it's just always been there. As long as I can remember loving the Dawgs, I can remember hating Tech. My hatred really ratcheted up, though, in 1997. I got my first computer, and really discovered the internet for the first time. I can remember going on the old Dawgnation.net site after the Tech game (that was the Corey Allen game), and reading post after post from Techies filled with hate, whining, lies, excuse-making...it was pathetic. As much as I disliked them before that game, that just made it that much worse. Then, in '98, I was at Sanford Stadium when they stole a game (Little Joe was NOT DOWN...that was a FUMBLE), and had to walk through a group of techies tearing apart our hedges. I was running a fever of 103 that day, I was miserable, weak, sick as a dog...and I literally had to be pulled out of there by friends in order to keep me from taking on the whole group single handedly. That's the last time I've even been close to being in a fight, and if that situation presented itself again, I don't know that I've matured to the point that the outcome wouldn't be similar.
The Jasper "fumble?" Don't even get me started...
I was also at the 2000 game, and that was the most miserable experience I've ever had in Sanford Stadium. Cold, wet, infuriating. If I could have found my way to Coach Donnan, I would have fired him myself.
I guess what I am trying to say is...while I'd rather beat the Gayters than any other team, there is no team I hate losing to more than the Gnats. (Which reminds me...why would you CHOOSE to name your team after an insect? Really? That's what you want to represent? Yard pests?)
I hate them, and I wish nothing but bad things for the entire program.
And I'm VERY nervous about tomorrow.
As I posted the other day, I don't like our matchup tomorrow, because I think Tech's strength matches up very well with our weaknesses. To play effective defense against the triple option, you need to play disciplined assignment football and not miss tackles. I sincerely hope that during the off week, we have rediscovered the defense that played early this season, and have exorcised the demons that I think have tortured this defense since the game against the gayters. Ever since that game, the defense has just looked tentative to me, like they're scared to get beat...and that's how you get beat.
On the other side of the ball, I think the news is better. Tech has not seen anything like the offense they will see on Saturday. Nothing this balanced, and nowhere near this much talent in their ACC schedule. They are also beat up in the secondary, which bodes well.
I'm going with my heart...Stafford leads a game saving drive in his last game in Sanford Stadium, and the Dawgs win 34-28.
GO DAWGS!!!!
I get unreasonably angry when people say things like, "I want Tech to go 11-1, with their loss to the Dawgs, to make the loss hurt more." Not me...I want Tech to go 0-12, with their final loss a 40 point loss to the Dawgs.
I'm not even sure where the hatred comes from...it's just always been there. As long as I can remember loving the Dawgs, I can remember hating Tech. My hatred really ratcheted up, though, in 1997. I got my first computer, and really discovered the internet for the first time. I can remember going on the old Dawgnation.net site after the Tech game (that was the Corey Allen game), and reading post after post from Techies filled with hate, whining, lies, excuse-making...it was pathetic. As much as I disliked them before that game, that just made it that much worse. Then, in '98, I was at Sanford Stadium when they stole a game (Little Joe was NOT DOWN...that was a FUMBLE), and had to walk through a group of techies tearing apart our hedges. I was running a fever of 103 that day, I was miserable, weak, sick as a dog...and I literally had to be pulled out of there by friends in order to keep me from taking on the whole group single handedly. That's the last time I've even been close to being in a fight, and if that situation presented itself again, I don't know that I've matured to the point that the outcome wouldn't be similar.
The Jasper "fumble?" Don't even get me started...
I was also at the 2000 game, and that was the most miserable experience I've ever had in Sanford Stadium. Cold, wet, infuriating. If I could have found my way to Coach Donnan, I would have fired him myself.
I guess what I am trying to say is...while I'd rather beat the Gayters than any other team, there is no team I hate losing to more than the Gnats. (Which reminds me...why would you CHOOSE to name your team after an insect? Really? That's what you want to represent? Yard pests?)
I hate them, and I wish nothing but bad things for the entire program.
And I'm VERY nervous about tomorrow.
As I posted the other day, I don't like our matchup tomorrow, because I think Tech's strength matches up very well with our weaknesses. To play effective defense against the triple option, you need to play disciplined assignment football and not miss tackles. I sincerely hope that during the off week, we have rediscovered the defense that played early this season, and have exorcised the demons that I think have tortured this defense since the game against the gayters. Ever since that game, the defense has just looked tentative to me, like they're scared to get beat...and that's how you get beat.
On the other side of the ball, I think the news is better. Tech has not seen anything like the offense they will see on Saturday. Nothing this balanced, and nowhere near this much talent in their ACC schedule. They are also beat up in the secondary, which bodes well.
I'm going with my heart...Stafford leads a game saving drive in his last game in Sanford Stadium, and the Dawgs win 34-28.
GO DAWGS!!!!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Help on the way?
Check out David O'Brien's blog on Braves pitching phenom Tommy Hanson.
This is impressive:
This is impressive:
Including the title game, Hanson finished 5-0 with a 0.74 ERA and stunning
64 strikeouts in 36-2/3 innings, with only 13 hits, 10 walks and three earned
runs allowed.
Please keep in mind he was facing fairly advanced young hitters
only a step away from the big leagues, not Class-A and Double-A lineups that
might have included three or four hitters with little chance of ever seeing a
major league field.
This was AFTER dominating A and AA ball to the tune of 11-5, 2.41 ERA, .175 opponents batting average against, 163 strikeouts and 52 BB in 138 innings. And a 14 strikeout no hitter.
This guy is why we don't have Jake Peavy...the Padres asked for Hanson in return and the Braves said no dice. I can see why.
Monday, November 24, 2008
The first step is admitting you have a problem
Remember when I said that I watch a LOT of television? Beginning Thursday night, through last night (Sunday), I watched:
House
2 episodes of Life
The Office
30 Rock
Numb3rs
The Mentalist
2 episodes of Bones
Grey's Anatomy
My Name is Earl
Life on Mars
Amazing Race
Pushing Daisies
Most of Oklahoma-Texas Tech (I just couldn't look away...like a train wreck, only if it happened OVER AND OVER AGAIN)
Falcons-Panthers
Also, Carrie watched Tropic Thunder and I drifted in and out of that as well.
Now, to make myself feel better, I also cleaned out my gutters, trimmed hedges, made two trips to the dump, did the laundry for my entire family, taught my Sunday School class, directed the music for both services on Sunday...so it's not like I was unproductive. But that is a LOT of television. So I just have to say....thank God for DVR technology!
I'm obviously not going to try and recap all of those...I'll be back later with the highlights (or lowlights, in some instances . I'm looking at you, Izzie).
Oh, and...Happy Hate Week! I will certainly have my thoughts on our little sister to the South, as well.
House
2 episodes of Life
The Office
30 Rock
Numb3rs
The Mentalist
2 episodes of Bones
Grey's Anatomy
My Name is Earl
Life on Mars
Amazing Race
Pushing Daisies
Most of Oklahoma-Texas Tech (I just couldn't look away...like a train wreck, only if it happened OVER AND OVER AGAIN)
Falcons-Panthers
Also, Carrie watched Tropic Thunder and I drifted in and out of that as well.
Now, to make myself feel better, I also cleaned out my gutters, trimmed hedges, made two trips to the dump, did the laundry for my entire family, taught my Sunday School class, directed the music for both services on Sunday...so it's not like I was unproductive. But that is a LOT of television. So I just have to say....thank God for DVR technology!
I'm obviously not going to try and recap all of those...I'll be back later with the highlights (or lowlights, in some instances . I'm looking at you, Izzie).
Oh, and...Happy Hate Week! I will certainly have my thoughts on our little sister to the South, as well.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Dwight's perfect crime
I'll post full thoughts on The Office from last night later, but this was too good to wait...Dwight's description of his "perfect crime":
UPDATE: Now with VIDEO!!!
I break in to Tiffany's at midnight. Do I go for the vault? No. I go for the
chandelier. It's priceless. As I'm taking it down a woman catches me. She tells
me to stop. It's her father's business. She's Tiffany. I say no. We make love
all night. In the morning the cops come and I escape in one of their uniforms. I
tell her to meet me in Mexico, but I go to Canada. I don't trust her. Besides, I
like the cold. Thirty years later, I get a postcard: I have a son, and it's the
chief of police. This is where the story gets interesting. I tell Tiffany to
meet me in Paris by the Trocadero. She's been waiting for me all these years.
She's never taken another lover. I don't care. I don't show up. I go to Berlin.
That's where I stashed the chandelier.
UPDATE: Now with VIDEO!!!
Are you skurred yet?
Anybody watch the Tech game? Yeah...I had Jonathan Dwyer nightmares last night.
You know what the BEST kind of defense is to defend an offense like that? One that plays disciplined assignment football, and tackles well, since missed tackles turn into big plays due to the one-on-one nature of defending this offense.
Yeah. A disciplined, sure-tackling defense. Anybody seen one of those around Athens lately?
I just threw up in my mouth.
You know what the BEST kind of defense is to defend an offense like that? One that plays disciplined assignment football, and tackles well, since missed tackles turn into big plays due to the one-on-one nature of defending this offense.
Yeah. A disciplined, sure-tackling defense. Anybody seen one of those around Athens lately?
I just threw up in my mouth.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
YES YES YES...LOST SEASON 5 PROMO
DON'T WATCH THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT SEASON 4 SPOILERS (MOM)!!
All others...watch, enjoy, analyze like the Zapruder film.
All others...watch, enjoy, analyze like the Zapruder film.
What I watched last night
Only one last night...Wednesday night is church night. As always, avoid this post if you have not yet seen the show and you don't want to be spoiled.
Fringe:
**********************SPOILERS**********************************************
Wow...to me, that was the strongest episode so far. I originally checked this show out because it was a JJ Abrams production (he was one of the creators of LOST), and because it starred Joshua Jackson (who I have always liked), Kirk Acevedo (who has been awesome in everything he's been in, including Oz and The Black Donnellys), and Lance Reddick (Matthew Abaddon on LOST and Lt. Daniels on The Wire). That's a pretty good foundation, for me at least. But for the first several episodes, I found myself checking out about halfway through. I may keep it on in the background while I'm doing other things, but it wasn't really holding my attention.
The past two weeks, this week especially, has been a different story. I feel like the show is really hitting its stride. One of the things I love about LOST is the "chill factor." You know, those scenes that give you chills every time you see them ("We're going to have to take the boy," first time you see Locke in a wheelchair, Desmond in the hatch, etc). This week's Fringe finally had a few of those...Walter seeing a version of himself in the asylum (a much more coherent version, at that), the little boy seeing his mother, and then seeing her start to decompose right in front of him, Kim explaining what happened to him as we see the same thing happening to the little boy (whose name I forget...sorry). A VERY enjoyable show, start to finish.
I also like how the Walter/Peter relationship is developing. It's nice to see Peter being a lot more patient with his father, and even proud of him at times. GREAT scenes between them last night...emotionally charged, well written and well acted. I also appreciated him being so protective of him early in the episode, and how worried he was about him throughout.
How about the abductress? Fakes her death, takes in all these coma patients, tries to torture the equation out of them, finally finds success and delivers it to the dirty agent from last week, and.......BLAM!! Thanks for coming!
Another cool part was the fact that the musical notes were translated into a mathematical equation, and vice versa. Very interesting idea. Also, you can tell JJ Abrams is VERY into numbers. I think he holds some belief that numbers/mathematics make up everything around us (based on his work on Alias and LOST), which is certainly a provocative thought. I am a Creationist (obviously, for those who know me), but I believe that God is a God of order (not the author of confusion), and I can see the beauty in the idea that everything can be broken down in an orderly fashion at its most basic level.
I was a little disappointed in the payoff, though...I guess the equation makes solid things non-solid? Pretty cool, sure, but I was expecting something more, considering everything the bad guys were doing in order to obtain the equation (abduction, virtual reality, faked deaths, torture). Maybe there's more to it...it is JJ Abrams, after all.
OK, off to watch some college football....GO CANES!!!
Fringe:
**********************SPOILERS**********************************************
Wow...to me, that was the strongest episode so far. I originally checked this show out because it was a JJ Abrams production (he was one of the creators of LOST), and because it starred Joshua Jackson (who I have always liked), Kirk Acevedo (who has been awesome in everything he's been in, including Oz and The Black Donnellys), and Lance Reddick (Matthew Abaddon on LOST and Lt. Daniels on The Wire). That's a pretty good foundation, for me at least. But for the first several episodes, I found myself checking out about halfway through. I may keep it on in the background while I'm doing other things, but it wasn't really holding my attention.
The past two weeks, this week especially, has been a different story. I feel like the show is really hitting its stride. One of the things I love about LOST is the "chill factor." You know, those scenes that give you chills every time you see them ("We're going to have to take the boy," first time you see Locke in a wheelchair, Desmond in the hatch, etc). This week's Fringe finally had a few of those...Walter seeing a version of himself in the asylum (a much more coherent version, at that), the little boy seeing his mother, and then seeing her start to decompose right in front of him, Kim explaining what happened to him as we see the same thing happening to the little boy (whose name I forget...sorry). A VERY enjoyable show, start to finish.
I also like how the Walter/Peter relationship is developing. It's nice to see Peter being a lot more patient with his father, and even proud of him at times. GREAT scenes between them last night...emotionally charged, well written and well acted. I also appreciated him being so protective of him early in the episode, and how worried he was about him throughout.
How about the abductress? Fakes her death, takes in all these coma patients, tries to torture the equation out of them, finally finds success and delivers it to the dirty agent from last week, and.......BLAM!! Thanks for coming!
Another cool part was the fact that the musical notes were translated into a mathematical equation, and vice versa. Very interesting idea. Also, you can tell JJ Abrams is VERY into numbers. I think he holds some belief that numbers/mathematics make up everything around us (based on his work on Alias and LOST), which is certainly a provocative thought. I am a Creationist (obviously, for those who know me), but I believe that God is a God of order (not the author of confusion), and I can see the beauty in the idea that everything can be broken down in an orderly fashion at its most basic level.
I was a little disappointed in the payoff, though...I guess the equation makes solid things non-solid? Pretty cool, sure, but I was expecting something more, considering everything the bad guys were doing in order to obtain the equation (abduction, virtual reality, faked deaths, torture). Maybe there's more to it...it is JJ Abrams, after all.
OK, off to watch some college football....GO CANES!!!
What a bunch of wankers
Thanks to Brent for pointing this out...
You know, I wasn't all that happy about the "Blackout" idea when UGA announced it for the first time last year. I thought it was a gimmick and hokey. But I went, all in black, to support the team and because the players asked us to. They had just beaten the Gayters...I would have worn a geisha outfit if they asked me to (and I would have looked FABULOUS).
For Tech fans, however, the sentiments are apparently different...
Best quote of the article? From a Tech fan...
You know, I wasn't all that happy about the "Blackout" idea when UGA announced it for the first time last year. I thought it was a gimmick and hokey. But I went, all in black, to support the team and because the players asked us to. They had just beaten the Gayters...I would have worn a geisha outfit if they asked me to (and I would have looked FABULOUS).
For Tech fans, however, the sentiments are apparently different...
Best quote of the article? From a Tech fan...
“I was telling one of my friends that if we wanted to do something
original, we should have a geekout and have a football game at the library,”
Pritchett said, “because that’s where everyone is, anyway. It’d be a guaranteed
sellout.”AWESOME.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
This...is...AWESOME
OK, I stole this from Bill Simmons on ESPN.com, and it may be the single greatest thing I've ever seen on the Interwebs.
A little background...anybody remember Battle of the Network Stars? The Big 3 networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) would all send stars from their shows to compete in Olympic-style events. The winning team would get $20K per member, which in not bad money now and was certainly worth coming out back then. Plus, it was advertising for the shows and for the stars themselves. Howard FREAKING Cosell was the host, which you can just imagine...and the sideline reporter? Bruce JENNER!
On this particular episode, the NBC team, consisting of Robert Conrad and a couple of other folks I don't remember, broke the rules of the 4X100 meter relay by passing the baton out of the passing area. The CBS captain....wait for it...TELLY SAVALAS!!! YESSS!!! is NOT happy about it. What follows is EPIC.
Things to watch out for:
- Epstein from Welcome Back, Kotter...and his MASSIVE 'fro.
- Cosell: "Farrah, baby, I'm not in charge of the RULES COMMITTEE" (how funny is it that this thing had a RULES COMMITTEE?
- Richard Hatch (Apollo on the original Battlestar Galactica and Zarek on the new BSG) trying to play peacemaker....to no avail.
- Lynda Carter in short shorts....YAY!!!!!!
- Ron Howard in short shorts....BOO!!!!
- How big a tool was Robert Conrad? Reminds me of those guys in the pickup basketball games who call phantom fouls every time they miss a shot.
- Telly Savalas was one of the coolest guys of all time.
Enjoy...
A little background...anybody remember Battle of the Network Stars? The Big 3 networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) would all send stars from their shows to compete in Olympic-style events. The winning team would get $20K per member, which in not bad money now and was certainly worth coming out back then. Plus, it was advertising for the shows and for the stars themselves. Howard FREAKING Cosell was the host, which you can just imagine...and the sideline reporter? Bruce JENNER!
On this particular episode, the NBC team, consisting of Robert Conrad and a couple of other folks I don't remember, broke the rules of the 4X100 meter relay by passing the baton out of the passing area. The CBS captain....wait for it...TELLY SAVALAS!!! YESSS!!! is NOT happy about it. What follows is EPIC.
Things to watch out for:
- Epstein from Welcome Back, Kotter...and his MASSIVE 'fro.
- Cosell: "Farrah, baby, I'm not in charge of the RULES COMMITTEE" (how funny is it that this thing had a RULES COMMITTEE?
- Richard Hatch (Apollo on the original Battlestar Galactica and Zarek on the new BSG) trying to play peacemaker....to no avail.
- Lynda Carter in short shorts....YAY!!!!!!
- Ron Howard in short shorts....BOO!!!!
- How big a tool was Robert Conrad? Reminds me of those guys in the pickup basketball games who call phantom fouls every time they miss a shot.
- Telly Savalas was one of the coolest guys of all time.
Enjoy...
What I watched last night
Last night, I watched the most recent episodes of Desperate Housewives and Chuck. If you haven't seen these yet, feel free to skip to the next post...
Desperate Housewives: Another pretty good episode...I think the 5 year jump has really helped the show. All of the characters seem fresher, and I would say that even the writers seem to be sharper.
Is it strange that on a show called Desperate HOUSEWIVES that I actually enjoy the guys on this show more than I do the housewives? (Their characters, I mean...I certainly enjoy LOOKING at Eva Longoria Parker and Marcia Cross). Kyle MacLachlan (Orson) cracks me up EVERY time he is on the screen. The scene last night when Bree introduced him to the reporter was perfect. I wish I could find a clip of the look on his face when Bree offered snacks...a mixture of excitement and delight, like he's been waiting ALL DAY for such an offer. HA!!
Rihardo Chavira (Carlos) continues to get WAY too many laughs out of being blind. Last week it was "Yes, the pitch darkness here is much better than the pitch darkness at home." This week it was, "If I could see the exits I'd be running for them."
Gabby earned some points last night by refusing to sell out her kids...Grandma Screwloose is CREEPY. Kudos to Gabby for keeping some things sacred, even at the cost of the nutjob's millions. And my wife disagrees, but she still looks GORGEOUS, even though she's supposedly looking "rough" now.
As for the nightclub scenes...ever notice that the clubs on TV are MUCH quieter than they are in real life? I've never been to a club where I can carry on conversations from ten feet away the way Dave and the Doc did last night, and I don't think I'd want to. Also, didn't a whole bunch of people die in an actual nightclub fire like this not too long ago? As in, there was a fire and nobody could get out because the emergency door was locked? Maybe it was so long ago that they felt comfortable airing it, or maybe it really didn't happen and I'm just losing it.
Every time Susan comes on the screen, I would fast forward if my wife would let me. She annoys the crap out of me, and I can't be bothered to discuss her storyline.
I was glad to see Lynette remember that she's a good person and run back in and save the hussy who's having her son's kid. That is what I like about that character...even though she screws it up sometimes, in her heart she is usually trying to do the right thing.
Bree's scene with the reporter in the club was nicely done...I love it when characters have layers, and I think that is what was missing from last season.
Other than the crap with Susan, this was an enjoyable episode, and it sets up the rest of the season nicely...what did Dave mean when he told Mike "I'm not done with you yet," and with the Doc out of the way who's going to stop him? My money is on the McCluskey sisters.
Chuck: This remains one of the most consistently entertaining shows on TV. GREAT characters, especially Casey (William Baldwin). Last night he was priceless...the bellhop uniform, the "High C," followed by "What? I wasn't HATCHED!" And of course, "I'm not even interested in my OWN feelings, Bartowski, why do you think I'd be interested in yours?"
The old girlfriend thing has been pretty lame and predictable. Who DIDN'T know that this would end up going sideways for Chuck? Jordana Brewster is smokin' hot, though, so I don't mind her hanging around a little longer. Side note: when is Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah) going to get her teeth fixed? She's a gorgeous woman otherwise, but the teeth are distracting. I do find it interesting that they have found lots of ways to get her into various stages of undress this season. That's called "knowing your geek-boy fanbase."
Tony Hale (Emmitt) has been a welcome addition (and I just found out he's a proclaimed Christian - interesting). I love the "dual nature" of the show...the actiony spy stuff, and then the comic relief of the BuyMore. Morgan's conversation with Emmitt about "Buymoria" was hilarious...like Morgan has been thinking about this very topic for a long time. HAH!!
If you haven't checked this show out, do yourself a favor and do so. Consistently funny.
Desperate Housewives: Another pretty good episode...I think the 5 year jump has really helped the show. All of the characters seem fresher, and I would say that even the writers seem to be sharper.
Is it strange that on a show called Desperate HOUSEWIVES that I actually enjoy the guys on this show more than I do the housewives? (Their characters, I mean...I certainly enjoy LOOKING at Eva Longoria Parker and Marcia Cross). Kyle MacLachlan (Orson) cracks me up EVERY time he is on the screen. The scene last night when Bree introduced him to the reporter was perfect. I wish I could find a clip of the look on his face when Bree offered snacks...a mixture of excitement and delight, like he's been waiting ALL DAY for such an offer. HA!!
Rihardo Chavira (Carlos) continues to get WAY too many laughs out of being blind. Last week it was "Yes, the pitch darkness here is much better than the pitch darkness at home." This week it was, "If I could see the exits I'd be running for them."
Gabby earned some points last night by refusing to sell out her kids...Grandma Screwloose is CREEPY. Kudos to Gabby for keeping some things sacred, even at the cost of the nutjob's millions. And my wife disagrees, but she still looks GORGEOUS, even though she's supposedly looking "rough" now.
As for the nightclub scenes...ever notice that the clubs on TV are MUCH quieter than they are in real life? I've never been to a club where I can carry on conversations from ten feet away the way Dave and the Doc did last night, and I don't think I'd want to. Also, didn't a whole bunch of people die in an actual nightclub fire like this not too long ago? As in, there was a fire and nobody could get out because the emergency door was locked? Maybe it was so long ago that they felt comfortable airing it, or maybe it really didn't happen and I'm just losing it.
Every time Susan comes on the screen, I would fast forward if my wife would let me. She annoys the crap out of me, and I can't be bothered to discuss her storyline.
I was glad to see Lynette remember that she's a good person and run back in and save the hussy who's having her son's kid. That is what I like about that character...even though she screws it up sometimes, in her heart she is usually trying to do the right thing.
Bree's scene with the reporter in the club was nicely done...I love it when characters have layers, and I think that is what was missing from last season.
Other than the crap with Susan, this was an enjoyable episode, and it sets up the rest of the season nicely...what did Dave mean when he told Mike "I'm not done with you yet," and with the Doc out of the way who's going to stop him? My money is on the McCluskey sisters.
Chuck: This remains one of the most consistently entertaining shows on TV. GREAT characters, especially Casey (William Baldwin). Last night he was priceless...the bellhop uniform, the "High C," followed by "What? I wasn't HATCHED!" And of course, "I'm not even interested in my OWN feelings, Bartowski, why do you think I'd be interested in yours?"
The old girlfriend thing has been pretty lame and predictable. Who DIDN'T know that this would end up going sideways for Chuck? Jordana Brewster is smokin' hot, though, so I don't mind her hanging around a little longer. Side note: when is Yvonne Strahovski (Sarah) going to get her teeth fixed? She's a gorgeous woman otherwise, but the teeth are distracting. I do find it interesting that they have found lots of ways to get her into various stages of undress this season. That's called "knowing your geek-boy fanbase."
Tony Hale (Emmitt) has been a welcome addition (and I just found out he's a proclaimed Christian - interesting). I love the "dual nature" of the show...the actiony spy stuff, and then the comic relief of the BuyMore. Morgan's conversation with Emmitt about "Buymoria" was hilarious...like Morgan has been thinking about this very topic for a long time. HAH!!
If you haven't checked this show out, do yourself a favor and do so. Consistently funny.
What I'm watching
OK, I told you there may be some different stuff up this week, since the Dawgs are off and I'm trying to figure out what this blog is going to be once football season is over.
I could pretend to be this super-interesting Renaissance man, but the truth is I'm pretty boring. I go to work, come home and be husband/daddy, follow the Dawgs as closely as possible, and watch TONS of TV. So one of the things I'll be doing as football season winds down is keeping up with the various shows I'm watching and giving my thoughts on them as I go.
Fair warning - if you're anything like me, you rarely watch anything live anymore. The DVR (or TiVo) is the second greatest invention of my time, behind only the interwebs. So, if you happen to be perusing my blog and you haven't seen something that I am discussing, you should probably avoid the recap if you want to keep from being spoiled. I am a HUGE Anti-Spoiler guy myself, so I will try to keep that in mind.
Here are the shows I'm currently watching, and will probably be providing thoughts/recaps on. Keep in mind that these are the days the shows currently run on, not the days I watch them, for the most part.
Sunday: Desperate Housewives, The Amazing Race
Monday: Chuck, Heroes, Terminator, Samantha Who (sometimes)
Tuesday: House, The Mentalist, Fringe
Wednesday: Pushing Daisies, Bones (haven't actually started this one...they are backing up on my DVR), Life, Dirty Sexy Money
Thursday: My Name is Earl (sometimes), Kitchen Nightmares (sometimes), 30 Rock, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, Life on Mars
Fridays and Saturdays, I catch up on what I've missed over the week, for the most part.
Coming up after the first of the year, I'll be adding:
Lost
Battlestar Galactica
24
American Idol
Dollhouse (probably)
Friday Night Lights
And in the summer, it will be:
So You Think You Can Dance
Mad Men
Psych
Burn Notice (maybe)
Damages
Rescue Me
The Closer
So...feel free to use the comments section. Question my choices/manhood, leave your thoughts on these shows, suggest some others you think I might like, etc.
I could pretend to be this super-interesting Renaissance man, but the truth is I'm pretty boring. I go to work, come home and be husband/daddy, follow the Dawgs as closely as possible, and watch TONS of TV. So one of the things I'll be doing as football season winds down is keeping up with the various shows I'm watching and giving my thoughts on them as I go.
Fair warning - if you're anything like me, you rarely watch anything live anymore. The DVR (or TiVo) is the second greatest invention of my time, behind only the interwebs. So, if you happen to be perusing my blog and you haven't seen something that I am discussing, you should probably avoid the recap if you want to keep from being spoiled. I am a HUGE Anti-Spoiler guy myself, so I will try to keep that in mind.
Here are the shows I'm currently watching, and will probably be providing thoughts/recaps on. Keep in mind that these are the days the shows currently run on, not the days I watch them, for the most part.
Sunday: Desperate Housewives, The Amazing Race
Monday: Chuck, Heroes, Terminator, Samantha Who (sometimes)
Tuesday: House, The Mentalist, Fringe
Wednesday: Pushing Daisies, Bones (haven't actually started this one...they are backing up on my DVR), Life, Dirty Sexy Money
Thursday: My Name is Earl (sometimes), Kitchen Nightmares (sometimes), 30 Rock, The Office, Grey's Anatomy, Life on Mars
Fridays and Saturdays, I catch up on what I've missed over the week, for the most part.
Coming up after the first of the year, I'll be adding:
Lost
Battlestar Galactica
24
American Idol
Dollhouse (probably)
Friday Night Lights
And in the summer, it will be:
So You Think You Can Dance
Mad Men
Psych
Burn Notice (maybe)
Damages
Rescue Me
The Closer
So...feel free to use the comments section. Question my choices/manhood, leave your thoughts on these shows, suggest some others you think I might like, etc.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Observations: Auburn
You know what? I am in no mood to go into a deep discussion of what worked and what didn't on Saturday. You all saw the game, there's nothing new I can tell you. I was there, so I had a birds-eye view. I'll just say this...the last few weeks have reminded me of nothing more than the Jim Donnan era, and those are NOT good times. Great athletes, dumb as rocks. Especially on defense.
Anyway, Doug over at Hey Jenny Slater really nails it this week with his thoughts on the game. I felt EXACTLY the same way watching the guys dance over on our sideline after the game. They were a LOT happier about that win than I was.
I can't add anything to what Doug says, really...the offense played fine, the defense stood up when it had to, but utter STOOPIDITY kept Auburn in the game. Specifically, our "special" teams play (insert short bus, special ed. jokes here) and dumb, moronic penalties. I'm so sick of typing those words. I should just create a macro for "moronic penalties" to use every time I'm recapping a Dawgs game this year.
Yes, I will take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day. Yes, I would rather have Mark Richt as our head coach than ANYBODY else. Yes, we are 5-0 on opponents home field this year, 9-2 overall, hopefully heading for yet another ten win season and a New Year's Day bowl. But what this year says to me is that we are not yet an elite program. This is a good team, not a great one...not by a pretty long shot. And next year there is a 90% chance (in my opinion) that we will be without Stafford and Moreno, the best 1-2 punch we have had at this school in my lifetime. Unbelievable that we will have had both of those guys at the same time and not even PLAYED in the SEC championship, much less won one. I'm afraid that this was the window for this team, and I can't help feeling like they blew it. I'm sure that another window will come along, but when you're NOT an elite program, you're not promised the chance to compete for the MNC on a regular basis.
Sigh.
For a slightly more humorous, but just as apt, description, check out Mackie's take.
This week will probably be a little different. With the off-week, I will probably start experimenting with what this blog will look like once football season is over. I welcome any feedback or suggestions.
As always...
GO DAWGS!!!!!
Anyway, Doug over at Hey Jenny Slater really nails it this week with his thoughts on the game. I felt EXACTLY the same way watching the guys dance over on our sideline after the game. They were a LOT happier about that win than I was.
I can't add anything to what Doug says, really...the offense played fine, the defense stood up when it had to, but utter STOOPIDITY kept Auburn in the game. Specifically, our "special" teams play (insert short bus, special ed. jokes here) and dumb, moronic penalties. I'm so sick of typing those words. I should just create a macro for "moronic penalties" to use every time I'm recapping a Dawgs game this year.
Yes, I will take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day. Yes, I would rather have Mark Richt as our head coach than ANYBODY else. Yes, we are 5-0 on opponents home field this year, 9-2 overall, hopefully heading for yet another ten win season and a New Year's Day bowl. But what this year says to me is that we are not yet an elite program. This is a good team, not a great one...not by a pretty long shot. And next year there is a 90% chance (in my opinion) that we will be without Stafford and Moreno, the best 1-2 punch we have had at this school in my lifetime. Unbelievable that we will have had both of those guys at the same time and not even PLAYED in the SEC championship, much less won one. I'm afraid that this was the window for this team, and I can't help feeling like they blew it. I'm sure that another window will come along, but when you're NOT an elite program, you're not promised the chance to compete for the MNC on a regular basis.
Sigh.
For a slightly more humorous, but just as apt, description, check out Mackie's take.
This week will probably be a little different. With the off-week, I will probably start experimenting with what this blog will look like once football season is over. I welcome any feedback or suggestions.
As always...
GO DAWGS!!!!!
Friday, November 14, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Nice article on MoMass
Check it out here.
Mohammed has always been a class act, and we will miss him after this year. Sure, he had a "disappointing" sophomore year (I hate using that word about a kid who was 19 at the time), but he has made COUNTLESS big catches, been a true leader both on and off the field, never got into trouble, and has been a guy who has been mentioned many times by the young receivers as the one who has taught them the most (especially AJ Green).
I think he could go on to have a decent NFL career, and he's probably going to be a steal for somebody in the draft.
It's the only thing I don't like about college football...everything seems to go by too fast. Seems like we just started the season, and now there are only 2 regular season games left. Seems like yesterday that I was watching Massaquoi make his debut by skying to grab a DJ Shockley pass against Boise State, and now he's an elder statesman on the team and about to move on.
Maybe I'm just getting old.
Anyway...here's a little MoMass (and Munson) to cheer me up!
Mohammed has always been a class act, and we will miss him after this year. Sure, he had a "disappointing" sophomore year (I hate using that word about a kid who was 19 at the time), but he has made COUNTLESS big catches, been a true leader both on and off the field, never got into trouble, and has been a guy who has been mentioned many times by the young receivers as the one who has taught them the most (especially AJ Green).
I think he could go on to have a decent NFL career, and he's probably going to be a steal for somebody in the draft.
It's the only thing I don't like about college football...everything seems to go by too fast. Seems like we just started the season, and now there are only 2 regular season games left. Seems like yesterday that I was watching Massaquoi make his debut by skying to grab a DJ Shockley pass against Boise State, and now he's an elder statesman on the team and about to move on.
Maybe I'm just getting old.
Anyway...here's a little MoMass (and Munson) to cheer me up!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
How do you improve on perfection?
According to this Variety.com article, someone is going to try. (h/t to Hale). Jaden FREAKING Smith? Are you KIDDING ME?
This could be a disaster of epic proportions. In case you have forgotten the genius of the original, check this out and then vainly try to A) NOT go around singing this song all day, and B) NOT kick the next guy you see in the face:
One of the most well-cast movies of all time:
Pat Morita - PERFECT. Wise, funny, mysterious, melancholy, and badass all wrapped up into one.
Ralph Macchio - Somehow was able to make you root for him and, at the same time, understand perfectly why people wanted to beat him bloody all the time. Now THAT is ACTING, my friends.
Elisabeth Shue - I was 10 years old when this movie came out, and I can honestly say that her character, Ali Mills, was probably my first true love. Scrumptious.
Billy Zabka - Come on. Has there ever been a more perfect villain than Johnny Lawrence?
And that's just the main characters. The entire Cobra Kai was perfect: "Get him a BODY BAG!!! YEAHHHH!!!" remains one of my most repeated movie lines to this day. I still say the most improbable part of the movie was when Daniel beats Dutch (the platinum blond dude). And John Kreese just personified evil.
So, again I ask: why mess with perfection?
************************************************************
UPDATE: Apparently Bill Simmons (ESPN'S The Sports Guy) agrees with me:
I'm a little torn because this flagrantly violates one of my Hollywood credos ("nobody should ever remake a movie that's still watchable and holds up"), only I'm the same guy who once wrote that, if we're remaking a movie everyone loved, it should only be remade with an all-black cast to make it a little different. The example I used was "Caddyshack," which bizarrely was remade as "Who's the Man?" with an all-black cast (starring Cedric The Entertainer) and it sucked. So let's dump that idea and stick with my Hollywood credo.
Here's the thing, Will Smith: Your movies have made something like $10 billion. We like you. We want to keep liking you. I just don't see the upside here. Everyone remembers the original "Karate Kid." It's on all the time. Everyone has seen it, and for kids of the '80s like myself, we've seen it 10 or 15 times. OK, 20. OK, 50. OK, I'm in the hundreds. For every male between the ages of 30 and 40 -- and by the way, we're the ones who would take our kids to see this stupid idea -- a "Karate Kid" remake is nothing short of a declaration of war. Really, is Hollywood that cooked? You're out of ideas to this degree? And beyond that, how do you think this makes Macchio feel? Or Zabka? Or Joe Esposito? If you're remaking a "Karate Kid" movie, remake "Kid II" -- that movie could have been good and instead sucked. Give that one another whirl. Or you could even do "Kid III" and delve into the homoerotic tension between Miyagi and Daniel-San a little more; maybe they could decide to get married and instead of the Crane Kick, your climactic scene would be their protest against Prop 8 on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. I don't care. But you can't remake the original "Kid." I can't allow it. The thought of Will Smith's kid feuding with Black Zabka on the soccer field as The Game's hip-hop remake of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" blares in the background makes me want to kill someone. We can't let this happen.
This could be a disaster of epic proportions. In case you have forgotten the genius of the original, check this out and then vainly try to A) NOT go around singing this song all day, and B) NOT kick the next guy you see in the face:
One of the most well-cast movies of all time:
Pat Morita - PERFECT. Wise, funny, mysterious, melancholy, and badass all wrapped up into one.
Ralph Macchio - Somehow was able to make you root for him and, at the same time, understand perfectly why people wanted to beat him bloody all the time. Now THAT is ACTING, my friends.
Elisabeth Shue - I was 10 years old when this movie came out, and I can honestly say that her character, Ali Mills, was probably my first true love. Scrumptious.
Billy Zabka - Come on. Has there ever been a more perfect villain than Johnny Lawrence?
And that's just the main characters. The entire Cobra Kai was perfect: "Get him a BODY BAG!!! YEAHHHH!!!" remains one of my most repeated movie lines to this day. I still say the most improbable part of the movie was when Daniel beats Dutch (the platinum blond dude). And John Kreese just personified evil.
So, again I ask: why mess with perfection?
************************************************************
UPDATE: Apparently Bill Simmons (ESPN'S The Sports Guy) agrees with me:
I'm a little torn because this flagrantly violates one of my Hollywood credos ("nobody should ever remake a movie that's still watchable and holds up"), only I'm the same guy who once wrote that, if we're remaking a movie everyone loved, it should only be remade with an all-black cast to make it a little different. The example I used was "Caddyshack," which bizarrely was remade as "Who's the Man?" with an all-black cast (starring Cedric The Entertainer) and it sucked. So let's dump that idea and stick with my Hollywood credo.
Here's the thing, Will Smith: Your movies have made something like $10 billion. We like you. We want to keep liking you. I just don't see the upside here. Everyone remembers the original "Karate Kid." It's on all the time. Everyone has seen it, and for kids of the '80s like myself, we've seen it 10 or 15 times. OK, 20. OK, 50. OK, I'm in the hundreds. For every male between the ages of 30 and 40 -- and by the way, we're the ones who would take our kids to see this stupid idea -- a "Karate Kid" remake is nothing short of a declaration of war. Really, is Hollywood that cooked? You're out of ideas to this degree? And beyond that, how do you think this makes Macchio feel? Or Zabka? Or Joe Esposito? If you're remaking a "Karate Kid" movie, remake "Kid II" -- that movie could have been good and instead sucked. Give that one another whirl. Or you could even do "Kid III" and delve into the homoerotic tension between Miyagi and Daniel-San a little more; maybe they could decide to get married and instead of the Crane Kick, your climactic scene would be their protest against Prop 8 on Santa Monica Boulevard in Hollywood. I don't care. But you can't remake the original "Kid." I can't allow it. The thought of Will Smith's kid feuding with Black Zabka on the soccer field as The Game's hip-hop remake of Bananarama's "Cruel Summer" blares in the background makes me want to kill someone. We can't let this happen.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
State of the Defense
As usual, Doc Saturday pretty much nails it.
The big difference between this year's defense and previous Dawgs defenses under Richt/BVG/CWM is the scoring average. This is, obviously, the most important stat, but it is not always the most telling. Special teams breakdowns and offensive turnovers have led to some very short fields in 3 of our biggest defensive debacles (Alabama, UF, and UK).
It was downright disconcerting to hear quotes this week from players about lack of motivation, lack of focus, and lack of discipline. Some of that is certainly coaching, but at some point some of that leadership has to come from the players, and we don't really seem to have that leadership this year. Corvey Irvin appears to be trying to take on that role now, but it's a little late for that.
Like the good Doctor says, there is plenty of blame to go around. Coach Martinez certainly deserves his share...but how much is his share? Only one person gets to answer that question, and that's Coach Richt.
I will reiterate my position...the defense has to get better, fast (duh). But I think Coach Martinez has done enough to deserve another year and a chance to get this thing going again. One of the strengths of our coaching staff under Coach Richt has been its relative stability, and I think the reward of maintaining that stability outweighs the risk that the defense will continue on a downward trend.
Any thoughts?
The big difference between this year's defense and previous Dawgs defenses under Richt/BVG/CWM is the scoring average. This is, obviously, the most important stat, but it is not always the most telling. Special teams breakdowns and offensive turnovers have led to some very short fields in 3 of our biggest defensive debacles (Alabama, UF, and UK).
It was downright disconcerting to hear quotes this week from players about lack of motivation, lack of focus, and lack of discipline. Some of that is certainly coaching, but at some point some of that leadership has to come from the players, and we don't really seem to have that leadership this year. Corvey Irvin appears to be trying to take on that role now, but it's a little late for that.
Like the good Doctor says, there is plenty of blame to go around. Coach Martinez certainly deserves his share...but how much is his share? Only one person gets to answer that question, and that's Coach Richt.
I will reiterate my position...the defense has to get better, fast (duh). But I think Coach Martinez has done enough to deserve another year and a chance to get this thing going again. One of the strengths of our coaching staff under Coach Richt has been its relative stability, and I think the reward of maintaining that stability outweighs the risk that the defense will continue on a downward trend.
Any thoughts?
Monday, November 10, 2008
News on LOST
The premiere date has been set...January 21! And it looks like a 3-hour premiere event, with a one hour recap and then 2 back-to-back episodes! Only 72 days!! Exclamation point!!!!!
SPOILER: DON'T WATCH THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET WATCHED SEASON 4!!!! MOM - THIS MEANS YOU!!!
SPOILER: DON'T WATCH THIS IF YOU HAVE NOT YET WATCHED SEASON 4!!!! MOM - THIS MEANS YOU!!!
Thoughts on the Kentucky game
Well that was...frustrating? Nerve wracking? Nauseating? Infuriating? Exhilarating? Seriously, it was like watching two totally different teams, and that really threw me out of whack as far as how I felt about the game.
Let's break it down: (why do I feel like I should be doing a dance solo right here?)
The Offense: A
Were it not for Massaquoi's two fumbles late, this would have been an A++++++++++++++. Virtually perfect game by Stafford. He was 17-27, and would have competed an even higher percentage if we had not been taking several early shots downfield on a very windy day. When the game was on the line in the 2nd half, and the offense had to score on virtually every possession, he was 9-10 for 211 yards and the game winning touchdown. That's clutch, big-time, manly quarterback play.
The receivers played very well all day, outside of Massaquoi's uncharacteristic dropsies. We seem to be having MUCH fewer problems with drops this year. Still happens occasionally, but that's going to be the case with every team.
O-line played decent enough, considering yet ANOTHER offensive tackle was lost to injury. Justin Anderson is out for at least a couple of weeks. Unbelievable.
Knowshon continues to amaze. Both of his touchdowns were just vintage...the first one, he just kept driving his feet and pushed the defense into the endzone with him. On the second one, he twisted, turned, stiff-armed, and basically just refused to give up on the play and got a TD out of it. I'm amazed every game by his balance...it's uncanny.
Overall, the offense was a thing of beauty, a joy to watch...probably the most complete game they've played all year, with the possible exception of the LSU game.
On the other hand...
Defense: D-
Why so high, you ask? Because on three straight possessions in the 4th quarter, including 2 "quick changes" after the fumbles, the defense had to make stops and they did. Before that, I probably would have given them a Q-.
My brother put it best...outside of Rennie Curran and Asher Allen, nobody on that defense looked like they had a freaking clue as to what was going on. They looked LOST.
Our D-line was being DOMINATED at the point of attack, which meant our LB's were dealing with offensive linemen all day, and that's not a matchup our undersized linebacking corp wants.
I was watching the game on tape, thanks to the previously mentioned yard sale last Saturday, and by midway through the 3rd quarter I just started fast forwarding past UK possessions until after they kicked the extra point. It was embarassing, and too painful to watch.
I'm not going to call for Willie Martinez's head on a platter, or even for him to be fired. The man has two SEC championship rings, and enough great performances by his defenses in the past to buy him more leeway than that. I'm just a layperson, and Coach Martinez knows about a gazillion times more about defensive philosophy than I do. I will, however, say this...if we don't have the personnel (read: pass-rushing defensive ends) to run what we normally run effectively, than we have to be willing to change up. I haven't seen that flexibility from Coach Martinez.
I'm also concerned that the running QB/option attack gave us so much trouble. Ummm....what two teams do we have left on our schedule? And what type of offense do they run? Yeah. Exactly.
Special Teams: F
Let's just move on...
Some other random thoughts:
- Glad to see Chapas finally have his hard work rewarded and get a touchdown. Clint Boling's quote (h/t to David Hale's Blog): "I thought he was allergic to the end zone. I'm surprised he didn't drop it." Always nice to have the support of your teammates.
- On the heels of possibly his most complete game at UGA, the issue has to be addressed: Is this Stafford's last year as a Dawg? I would put the chance at about 98.7%. He would probably be a top 5 pick...ask Brian Brohm or Matt Leinart how smart it is to turn that down. Not to mention the fact that, in all likelihood, a new collective bargaining agreement will be in place in time for the 2010 draft, and part of that will be much tighter restrictions on rookie salaries. Which means that Stafford could come back, have a MONSTER year, and still leave millions on the table due to the new salary structure. With the average NFL career being as short as it is, it's tough to ask someone to make that kind of financial sacrifice.
Anything going in the Dawgs favor here? Maybe...if Stafford leaves after this year, he will do so having never even PLAYED in the SEC championship game, much less won it. Maybe he comes back in hopes of winning a championship? Maybe. It's not like he grew up a Dawgs fan or anything, so I don't know how important bringing a championship to UGA is to him, to be honest.
Also...I don't claim to know anything about the financial status of his family. But they do live in Highland Park, which I understand is a fairly affluent part of Texas. Since his family doesn't necessarily NEED the money (but who DOESN'T need an extra $15-20 million?), maybe he sticks around for the fun of it.
He does seem to enjoy college life:
Maybe he listens to guys like Peyton Manning and David Pollack who say that they would take nothing for their senior year now. Maybe.
The smart move, in my opinion? Take the money and run. I hope he doesn't, but there's no way I could advise him otherwise.
- Ah, Raycom...I'll sure miss you. As will AJ Bryant and Josh Anderson.
Let's break it down: (why do I feel like I should be doing a dance solo right here?)
The Offense: A
Were it not for Massaquoi's two fumbles late, this would have been an A++++++++++++++. Virtually perfect game by Stafford. He was 17-27, and would have competed an even higher percentage if we had not been taking several early shots downfield on a very windy day. When the game was on the line in the 2nd half, and the offense had to score on virtually every possession, he was 9-10 for 211 yards and the game winning touchdown. That's clutch, big-time, manly quarterback play.
The receivers played very well all day, outside of Massaquoi's uncharacteristic dropsies. We seem to be having MUCH fewer problems with drops this year. Still happens occasionally, but that's going to be the case with every team.
O-line played decent enough, considering yet ANOTHER offensive tackle was lost to injury. Justin Anderson is out for at least a couple of weeks. Unbelievable.
Knowshon continues to amaze. Both of his touchdowns were just vintage...the first one, he just kept driving his feet and pushed the defense into the endzone with him. On the second one, he twisted, turned, stiff-armed, and basically just refused to give up on the play and got a TD out of it. I'm amazed every game by his balance...it's uncanny.
Overall, the offense was a thing of beauty, a joy to watch...probably the most complete game they've played all year, with the possible exception of the LSU game.
On the other hand...
Defense: D-
Why so high, you ask? Because on three straight possessions in the 4th quarter, including 2 "quick changes" after the fumbles, the defense had to make stops and they did. Before that, I probably would have given them a Q-.
My brother put it best...outside of Rennie Curran and Asher Allen, nobody on that defense looked like they had a freaking clue as to what was going on. They looked LOST.
Our D-line was being DOMINATED at the point of attack, which meant our LB's were dealing with offensive linemen all day, and that's not a matchup our undersized linebacking corp wants.
I was watching the game on tape, thanks to the previously mentioned yard sale last Saturday, and by midway through the 3rd quarter I just started fast forwarding past UK possessions until after they kicked the extra point. It was embarassing, and too painful to watch.
I'm not going to call for Willie Martinez's head on a platter, or even for him to be fired. The man has two SEC championship rings, and enough great performances by his defenses in the past to buy him more leeway than that. I'm just a layperson, and Coach Martinez knows about a gazillion times more about defensive philosophy than I do. I will, however, say this...if we don't have the personnel (read: pass-rushing defensive ends) to run what we normally run effectively, than we have to be willing to change up. I haven't seen that flexibility from Coach Martinez.
I'm also concerned that the running QB/option attack gave us so much trouble. Ummm....what two teams do we have left on our schedule? And what type of offense do they run? Yeah. Exactly.
Special Teams: F
Let's just move on...
Some other random thoughts:
- Glad to see Chapas finally have his hard work rewarded and get a touchdown. Clint Boling's quote (h/t to David Hale's Blog): "I thought he was allergic to the end zone. I'm surprised he didn't drop it." Always nice to have the support of your teammates.
- On the heels of possibly his most complete game at UGA, the issue has to be addressed: Is this Stafford's last year as a Dawg? I would put the chance at about 98.7%. He would probably be a top 5 pick...ask Brian Brohm or Matt Leinart how smart it is to turn that down. Not to mention the fact that, in all likelihood, a new collective bargaining agreement will be in place in time for the 2010 draft, and part of that will be much tighter restrictions on rookie salaries. Which means that Stafford could come back, have a MONSTER year, and still leave millions on the table due to the new salary structure. With the average NFL career being as short as it is, it's tough to ask someone to make that kind of financial sacrifice.
Anything going in the Dawgs favor here? Maybe...if Stafford leaves after this year, he will do so having never even PLAYED in the SEC championship game, much less won it. Maybe he comes back in hopes of winning a championship? Maybe. It's not like he grew up a Dawgs fan or anything, so I don't know how important bringing a championship to UGA is to him, to be honest.
Also...I don't claim to know anything about the financial status of his family. But they do live in Highland Park, which I understand is a fairly affluent part of Texas. Since his family doesn't necessarily NEED the money (but who DOESN'T need an extra $15-20 million?), maybe he sticks around for the fun of it.
He does seem to enjoy college life:
Maybe he listens to guys like Peyton Manning and David Pollack who say that they would take nothing for their senior year now. Maybe.
The smart move, in my opinion? Take the money and run. I hope he doesn't, but there's no way I could advise him otherwise.
- Ah, Raycom...I'll sure miss you. As will AJ Bryant and Josh Anderson.
Thoughts on the Florida game
VERY delayed thoughts on the debacle in Jacksonville...
Well, here's what I was RIGHT about in my pre-game thoughts:
- Neither defense could stop the other team's offense. When the game was still in doubt (all of the first half, into the third quarter), the Dawgs moved the ball up and down the field at will. But, just like in the UT game earlier this year, our socks looked like Swiss cheese we shot ourselves in the foot so often in the red zone. Florida didn't stop us...we stopped ourselves. We should have been tied or even leading going into halftime. Then, after Stafford threw the pick early in the third that the Gayters turned into a 21-3 lead, we could no longer run our offense. Against Florida, you can't come back on them by running the ball, punting, and playing defense, because their offense is virtually unstoppable right now. So, we had to throw in situations where we normally would not, which turned into more turnovers, which turned into more points. The game was lost in the first half when we failed to convert drives into points.
The Dawgs defense played pretty well in the first half, but constant short fields against that level of talent and offensive efficiency overwhelmed them in the second half.
- Penn Wagers' officiating crew stinks. Seriously, why do they keep showing up on my TV at 3:30 every Saturday? They are AWFUL, and even when they aren't missing calls, the games they call are just a mess. Multiple LONG conferences, instant replay reviews that seem to take 10 minutes, etc. There were some crucial blown calls in this one, most notably the obvious offensive pass interference when Louis Murphy pulled the Roller Derby move on Asher and pulled himself past him for the touchdown. But, again, you know what you're going to get when this crew takes the field...blatant incompetence. Unlike a lot of Dawg fans, I don't think Penn and the Gang are out to get us...they're too stupid to be crooked.
Bottom line...Florida is better than we are, but I still don't think they are 39 points better than we are. We bumbled our way to a 21-3 deficit, and that's too much to make up against a team of this caliber.
I hate Urban Meyer.
Well, here's what I was RIGHT about in my pre-game thoughts:
- Neither defense could stop the other team's offense. When the game was still in doubt (all of the first half, into the third quarter), the Dawgs moved the ball up and down the field at will. But, just like in the UT game earlier this year, our socks looked like Swiss cheese we shot ourselves in the foot so often in the red zone. Florida didn't stop us...we stopped ourselves. We should have been tied or even leading going into halftime. Then, after Stafford threw the pick early in the third that the Gayters turned into a 21-3 lead, we could no longer run our offense. Against Florida, you can't come back on them by running the ball, punting, and playing defense, because their offense is virtually unstoppable right now. So, we had to throw in situations where we normally would not, which turned into more turnovers, which turned into more points. The game was lost in the first half when we failed to convert drives into points.
The Dawgs defense played pretty well in the first half, but constant short fields against that level of talent and offensive efficiency overwhelmed them in the second half.
- Penn Wagers' officiating crew stinks. Seriously, why do they keep showing up on my TV at 3:30 every Saturday? They are AWFUL, and even when they aren't missing calls, the games they call are just a mess. Multiple LONG conferences, instant replay reviews that seem to take 10 minutes, etc. There were some crucial blown calls in this one, most notably the obvious offensive pass interference when Louis Murphy pulled the Roller Derby move on Asher and pulled himself past him for the touchdown. But, again, you know what you're going to get when this crew takes the field...blatant incompetence. Unlike a lot of Dawg fans, I don't think Penn and the Gang are out to get us...they're too stupid to be crooked.
Bottom line...Florida is better than we are, but I still don't think they are 39 points better than we are. We bumbled our way to a 21-3 deficit, and that's too much to make up against a team of this caliber.
I hate Urban Meyer.
OK, I'm behind...
Massive amounts of work stuff, as well as yard sales in back to back weeks, has put me behind on posting...I've got TONS of stuff to talk about, so I'll be back later today.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Need a laugh?
You've probably already seen this, but after the events of the last 5-6 days, I figure we could all use a laugh.
Greatest Halloween costume EVAH.
Greatest Halloween costume EVAH.
This is great...
From David Hale's blog...for some reason, it always cracks me up that Coach Richt's nickname was "Boca" when he was at The U.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Busy watching Fox News...
...waiting to see whether we now live in a Socialist country or not. I plan on taking part in the looting and riots that will occur tonight regardless of the outcome...no reason I shouldn't at least get a TV out of the deal. "Officer, I'm not stealing...I'm just redistributing the wealth of this evil rich appliance store owner!"
Be back soon with thoughts on the disaster in Jax, the continually astounding Falcons, and some other random thoughts.
Be back soon with thoughts on the disaster in Jax, the continually astounding Falcons, and some other random thoughts.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Thoughts on the game
Well, the game we were all waiting for finally got here, and it was well worth the wait. That's right...last night was the Hawks home opener! YES!!! It was great to have basketball at Atlanta's Playoff Factory!!! WHOO-HOO!!!!11!!!!1!!1!
Joe Johnson was the MAN, once again. 35 points, including a three point DAGGER with 11 seconds left to put the game away. I love the PA announcer's catch phrase every time he scores..."And now you know." Pretty cool.
Josh Smith had a typical Josh Smith game...one half of not being able to get out of his own way (dumb shots, turnovers, etc) and one half where he plays like Scottie Pippen on speed. Big shots, rebounds, blocked shots...it was like his whole career encapsulated in one game.
Even got some production from the bench...Flip Murray stepped in for an ineffective Marvin Williams and played well and ZaZa continued his aggressive play that started when he went nose-to-nose with KG in the playoffs.
So, we're 2-0...it's a new era for Hawks basketball!!
Oh, the Dawgs played yesterday? I was so caught up in the Hawks game that I was unaware. Did we win?
Joe Johnson was the MAN, once again. 35 points, including a three point DAGGER with 11 seconds left to put the game away. I love the PA announcer's catch phrase every time he scores..."And now you know." Pretty cool.
Josh Smith had a typical Josh Smith game...one half of not being able to get out of his own way (dumb shots, turnovers, etc) and one half where he plays like Scottie Pippen on speed. Big shots, rebounds, blocked shots...it was like his whole career encapsulated in one game.
Even got some production from the bench...Flip Murray stepped in for an ineffective Marvin Williams and played well and ZaZa continued his aggressive play that started when he went nose-to-nose with KG in the playoffs.
So, we're 2-0...it's a new era for Hawks basketball!!
Oh, the Dawgs played yesterday? I was so caught up in the Hawks game that I was unaware. Did we win?
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