COMMENTS FROM THE PEANUT GALLERY
Written by: Mike in DA
Date Posted: 12/1/2010
HOT CHEERLEADERS AT GREY CUP GAME IN EDMONTON: IT MUST HAVE BEEN REAL COLD, AS NO T&A IS SHOWING!
FINALLY, SOMETHING DYLAN GWINN IS GOOD AT!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_6cGOk7duw
CRIER'S BCS ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT:
Going into the final Playoff Week (#9), the Crier’s playoff elimination tournament is now left with five teams from the original 28 teams. Of the six teams remaining going into this past weekend, all won except Boise State, which lost to Nevada.
Oregon and Stanford are still in the lead to meet in the Crier’s version of the BCS Championship Game, which would be a rematch of an earlier season game won by Oregon on their field.
The only teams in action this week are Oregon and third-place Auburn, as the regular season is over for Stanford, TCU, and Wisconsin.
An Auburn win over South Carolina in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday should be enough to have them pass Stanford into second place. That coupled with an Oregon win over Oregon State will result in the BCS Championship Game match-up of Oregon-Auburn, in accordance with the Crier’s tourney rules, which will likely agree with the actual BCS match-up.
Once again, the purpose of the Crier’s rankings is to determine the top two teams standing at the end of play on this upcoming Saturday (12/4). Hopefully, the BCS people will have the same two teams as "The Crier" for their championship game when all is said and done.
Below is this week’s rankings and each team’s opponent:
Rank – Team – Record – This Week’s Game
1. Oregon (11-0) at Oregon State
2. Stanford (11-1) - regular season is over
3. Auburn (12-0) vs. South Carolina
4. TCU (12-0) - regular season is over
5. Wisconsin (11-1) - regular season is over
Last week, in the Crier’s BCS Game of the Week, Oregon won, but failed to cover vs. Arizona, improving the Crier’s record in tournament games to 8-6 SU, but lowering his ATS record to 8-6.
This week’s Crier’s BCS Game of the Week is:
SEC CHAMPIONSHIP
(Georgia Dome – Atlanta, GA)
AUBURN (-4.5) over SOUTH CAROLINA
The Gamecocks come in 3-0 SU and ATS in their last three games, with two of those against conference rival Florida and state rival Clemson. What do the Gators and Tigers have in common? Their offenses stink. No disrespect to the South Carolina defense – they are especially tough against the run – but Auburn’s offense is in a different galaxy than those two foes.
It will help the Gamecocks that they’ve seen QB Cam Newton and crew, but that crew is the only crew to post a rushing total of more than 140 yards vs. South Carolina. “More than 140” is a bit of an understatement….they ran for 334 yards back on September 25. The runs will open up the pass and that’s where the underdogs have struggled all year.
On the topic of running the ball, in most of their big wins this season, RB Lattimore has carried the load for coach Spurrier carrying the ball 23+ times in wins over Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Florida. That won’t happen this Saturday against an Auburn defensive front that ranks in the top 10 in rush yards allowed per game and that held Lattimore to just 33 yards back in September.
A lack of a running game means that South Carolina QB Garcia must keep pace with his arm. The Auburn secondary has been burned a bunch this year, but two or three big plays in the passing game won’t be enough for the Gamecocks to taste sugar. AUBURN, 41-24.
GAME(S) OF LOCAL INTEREST:
Because the Texans play this Thursday night and the Crier usually releases his games on Friday, below is the write-up on this Thursday's Texans' game. Other games of local interest and the "Millionaire" games will appear in Friday Crier's Corner.
HOUSTON at PHILADELPHIA* (for reading purposes only)
When a good offense like the Eagles is transitioning from being on the road against one of the NFL’s best defenses, to playing home vs. one of the NFL’s worst defenses, thoughts of a big effort by Houston get sobered.
The Texans are doing their own instant transition: from "Crusty" Rusty Smith and the internally troubled Titans’ offense, to an Eagles’ offense that just hung 26 points on a Bears team that had been allowing only 16.2 points per game. Houston, allowing 28.6 points per game prior to that semi-phony shutout win against Tennessee, travels to face a big-play Philadelphia offense coming off two straight so-so games against much better-than-average defenses.
The Texans do better when the pressure is off, but by beating Tennessee to become 5-6 SU and within arm’s length of Indy and Jacksonville, they put themselves back in the pressure cooker. Historically, Philly doesn’t fare well vs. AFC teams, but choking teams usually find new ways to choke. PHILADELPHIA, 34-23.
NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN, BUT YOUNG PUNKS SHOULD NEVER MESS WITH THESE TWO OLD MEN!
(http://www.sportspickle.com/video/4187/old-men-take-golf-seriously-and-will-kill-whippersnappers)
ESPN'S RESEARCH CREW BLEW IT ON PENN STATE!
Last Saturday, on ESPN, Michigan State beat Penn State at Happy Valley for the first time since 1965. But the announcers never brought up the fact that that 1965 win was the last game coached by legendary and beloved Penn State coach Rip Engle, who retired after an unacceptable 5-5 season.
Engle was replaced by the legendary and beloved Joe Paterno. On Saturday, the Nittany Lions' loss at home to Michigan State ended an unacceptable 4-4 Big Ten season, Penn State's sixth non-winning conference season since 2000. Is it irony or coincidence?
TORRY HOLT: A DISAPPOINTMENT TO SOME FOX VIEWERS!
Torry may eventually end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but here are some tweets to FOX about Holt’s performance this past Sunday (11/28) that make it obvious that he is definitely not Announcing Hall of Fame material:
“I thought Matt Millen and Joe Theisman were bad announcers, then I heard Torry Holt.”
“Torry Holt is a terrible announcer.”
“Torry Holt never finishes his...”This is the production.........." (stops talking mid-sentence)
“At some point, someone from Fox should tell Torry Holt it's pronounced "Smith" and not "Smif."
“Torry Holt should never call another game again. He was beyond horrible. He should not be providing commentary to professional football games.”
"The Browns-Panthers game is painful enough without having to listen to Torry Holt calling the.... uh... uhh... game.”
“Please let me not have to watch another game the rest of my life with Torry Holt doing the commentating.”
“Deep thoughts from Torry Holt: ‘John Fox is a man's man as a coach. He physically challenges you as a man.’"
“Torry Holt has to be the worst commentator I've ever heard. Absolutely brutal.”
“Dear Torry Holt, Think about the word, and then say the word!”
“This must be Torry Holt's first game. He is a mess. Can't finish sentences/thoughts. Sounds like he is talking to his friends.”
“Torry Holt should be covering the St. Louis game... at least there people will look past his idiotic statements.’
“It’s pretty obvious that Chris Rose and Torry Holt met about 5 minutes before kickoff today. What an awkward broadcast pairing.”
"Thanks Fox for this great announcing duo. I know Chris Rose is from Cleveland, but Magic Johnson thinks Torry Holt is a terrible announcer.”
“Listening to Torry Holt call today’s game was like watching Jake Delhomme quarterback a game. Pain. Fox, you got some explainin' to do.”
“Jake Delhomme didn't want Torry Holt to be the only train wreck at this game.”
“Good lord, we need legislation that prevents Torry Holt from ever setting foot in a broadcast booth ever again.”
“Who at FOX Sports thought Torry Holt would make a good announcer? He's almost worse than (Joe) Buck. Torry Holt, your commentary SUCKS!!! You are the Reggie Miller of NFL commentary.”
“Torry Holt must have missed announcing class the day they taught it at the Columbia School of Broadcasting.”
“I kept waiting for Torry Holt to say, ‘Boom goes the dynamite.’”
DO WE HAVE ANOTHER SPORTS CONSPIRACY BREWING OR JUST A COINCIDENCE AGAIN?
America is known for selective enforcement of penalties, from traffic tickets, to building code violations, to safety code violations, to stock market crimes. Some people get away with committing infractions and others don’t, for various reasons that begin and end with the people in charge of enforcing those rules.
Maybe we can add football penalties to the list of American selective enforcement. As mentioned here recently, the Associated Press reported about Nebraska vs. Texas A&M: “The disparity in penalties between Nebraska and Texas A&M - 16 to 2 - has led to allegations among Husker fans that the Big 12 is conspiring against Nebraska in its last year in the league, before it leaves for the Big Ten.”
One commenter wanted to know: “How do you explain that the least penalized teams in the conference are, by far, opponents of Nebraska and next is Colorado?” Colorado, of course, is the other team leaving the Big 12 after this season. Just for fun, the Peanut Gallery looked up the national rankings of opponent penalties. Among the 20 teams whose opponents were the least penalized were the following five:
Rank / Team / Conference:
119 Michigan / Big Ten: Investigated by NCAA
117 Nebraska / Big 12: Leaving conference
114 Illinois / Big Ten: Whispers of shady recruiting
111 Auburn / SEC: Shouts of shady recruiting
102 Utah / M-West: Leaving conference
Those claiming that a conspiracy is taking place have some circumstantial evidence.
ANOTHER NFL COACH WINS HIS FIRST GAME!
Two NFL teams have changed head coaches and both teams won their first game under the new regime. Neither firing was an outrageous act; both the Vikings and the Cowboys were very disappointing this season under Brad Childress and Wade Phillips, respectively. However, it is interesting to note that both of the fired coaches not only won their division last year, both also won playoff games last year. Success seems to breed high expectations and high expectations may set the table for firings.
One commenter wanted to know: “How do you explain that the least penalized teams in the conference are, by far, opponents of Nebraska and next is Colorado?” Colorado, of course, is the other team leaving the Big 12 after this season. Just for fun, the Peanut Gallery looked up the national rankings of opponent penalties. Among the 20 teams whose opponents were the least penalized were the following five:
Rank / Team / Conference:
119 Michigan / Big Ten: Investigated by NCAA
117 Nebraska / Big 12: Leaving conference
114 Illinois / Big Ten: Whispers of shady recruiting
111 Auburn / SEC: Shouts of shady recruiting
102 Utah / M-West: Leaving conference
Those claiming that a conspiracy is taking place have some circumstantial evidence.
ANOTHER NFL COACH WINS HIS FIRST GAME!
Two NFL teams have changed head coaches and both teams won their first game under the new regime. Neither firing was an outrageous act; both the Vikings and the Cowboys were very disappointing this season under Brad Childress and Wade Phillips, respectively. However, it is interesting to note that both of the fired coaches not only won their division last year, both also won playoff games last year. Success seems to breed high expectations and high expectations may set the table for firings.
Brad Childress actually won the NFC North two years in a row and won it two years ago with Tarvaris Jackson as the QB. Overall, Childress’ record with the Vikings was 39-35.
It is currently fashionable to bash Phillips as a head coach and his performance as coach of the 2010 Cowboys makes that an easy thing to do. However, consider Phillips overall record. He coached the Saints and Falcons as an interim coach for seven games meaning he did not inherit teams destined for glory. Other than that, he was the head man in Buffalo, Denver, and Dallas and his overall record as a head coach is 82-59. That means he won 58% of his games. That won't get him into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but the Texans would love to see Gary Kubiak with that winning percentage.
STEVIE JOHNSON AND GOD ALMIGHTY!
On Monday afternoon's "Matt Thomas Show" on Sports Talk 790, a caller asked Matt what he thought about Buffalo Bills' WR Stevie Johnson blaming God via Twitter for him dropping a pass in the end zone that would have beaten the Pittsburgh Steelers this past Sunday (11/28). Matt said he doesn't believe that God has any influence on games because he doesn't care. He has other work to do.
For those not familiar with the Johnson story, courtesy of the Pickle, below is the correspondence between Johnson and the Lord on this matter:
This is another one of my pet peeves: athletes praising God for helping them win or score or making a good play. Though I don’t believe in God per se, I admit that I rely on God.
If God really cared, then Brother Edward from St. John’s Parish would have gone pro and Father Michael from St. Anne’s Parish would be managing the Yankees. And St. John’s, St. Joseph’s, DePaul, Loyola Marymount, St. Peter’s, St. Francis, St. Bonaventure, and St. Mary’s would win National Championships, not teams like the Blue Devils, Spartans, and Runnin' Rebels.
Apparently, some athletes think God's busy watching sports and picking winners. On the other hand, considering the shape the world is in, maybe God sits around with the remote and bets on the games.
Of course not. Like Matt Thomas, I don't believe the Creator has anything to do with how well people do in sports, but there really isn't anything wrong with thanking your God for anything...because God does deserve all the thanks people can give him.
And prayer before game is very annoying to me. Both teams’ players always say that God is on their side, and then of course one of them has to lose. Remember that God doesn't CARE about your performance on the football field.
ODDS AND ENDS:
3. TCU is joining the Big East and people are mocking the geography of it. Big deal! How about New Jersey Tech playing in the Great West Conference with teams from Utah, Texas, and both of the Dakotas and the University of Denver playing in the Sun Belt Conference.
4. You may have read or heard that Memphis Grizzlies center, Hamed Haddadi and his girlfriend were arrested last week on charges of assault. According to police reports, what started as a verbal confrontation took on a “physical nature” and both were taken to the hospital for treatment of bruises and scratches. FYI: The girlfriend’s name is Goolnaz Karbalaeinematmoeenev. Her nickname is appropriately "Alphabet". But her last name is short compared to the Massachusetts lake shown above.
MIKE IN DA
HMW
Email:houstonmediawatch@yahoo.com
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