Boy were we all wrong about this one. SMU kicked the snot out of Nevada, the heavy favorite and the pick for everyone in our group. It was the school's first bowl appearance in 25 years. They made the most of it.
The current Hawaii Bowl has been around since 2002 but bowl games were being played in the islands as early as 1936, well before statehood. Be happy for the SMU and Nevada marching bands who got a free vacation in the sun.
We went on a quick snowshoe hike yesterday, just up to the top of our road and back. It is my unfortunate tendency to watch my feet when snowshoeing but I did take a moment or two to look up and admire the winter wonderland we call home. There are times when I wonder what madness drove us to move to Vermont but then I look around and the scenery never fails to take my breath away. I had a lot of things growing up where I did but my neighborhood was nowhere near as beautiful - not even in the same league. This is the childhood we have given our daughter. Deer and wild turkeys in the backyard and a forest of snow-frosted hemlocks for a decent portion of the year - this is her normal. Lucky kid!
Merry Christmas to all!
Peace on Earth.
Friday, December 25, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Bowl Season: Not a Flower
So, I finally got another one right as Utah beat Cal in the Poinsettia Bowl, held in San Diego since 2005.
In other news, NBC Bay Area has done a piece on Vernon Davis's creative works. Here is the link: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/enjoy-this/The_Art_of_Vernon_Davis_Bay_Area.html/.
In other news, NBC Bay Area has done a piece on Vernon Davis's creative works. Here is the link: http://www.nbcbayarea.com/enjoy-this/The_Art_of_Vernon_Davis_Bay_Area.html/.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Bowl Season: Las Vegas
I had Oregon State in the Las Vegas Bowl and crapped out again. I'm 1 for 4 so far, not too impressive. I take a little bit of comfort in the fact that Sports Illustrated's Stewart Mandel, who knows a lot more than I do, has picked every game wrong thus far. I didn't watch much of the game as the rout was on early but it was good to hear Mark May, a former Hog, doing color commentary.
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas used to be the California Bowl, also known as the California Raisin Bowl, and was held in Fresno until 1991. There was also a Raisin Bowl in Fresno back in the '40s. While referring to these games as bowls has to do with the shape of the stadiums and nothing to do with crockery, I like it when the games are named for things you might actually put into bowls: fruit, flowers, etc. What are you going to put in a Maaco Bowl? Cans of spray paint? I had a friend in elementary school who came up with the idea of having the two worst teams in the country play in the Toilet Bowl.
The Maaco Bowl Las Vegas used to be the California Bowl, also known as the California Raisin Bowl, and was held in Fresno until 1991. There was also a Raisin Bowl in Fresno back in the '40s. While referring to these games as bowls has to do with the shape of the stadiums and nothing to do with crockery, I like it when the games are named for things you might actually put into bowls: fruit, flowers, etc. What are you going to put in a Maaco Bowl? Cans of spray paint? I had a friend in elementary school who came up with the idea of having the two worst teams in the country play in the Toilet Bowl.
I'm a sucker for lists and SI.com is doing its end of decade wrap up with bests and worsts of the past ten years. I highly recommend "The Decade in Sportsmanship": http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/magazine/specials/2000s/12/07/sportsmanship/index.html. The softball story gets me every time. Victory comes in many forms.
In response to Roppongi Moose's comment about Vernon Davis's site (http://www.vernondavis85.net/), I thought I would look into other well-regarded pro athlete Websites. Pro windsurfer Sean O'Brien created a top 25 list of his favorites at http://www.design.aus120.com/design/top-25-pro-athlete-websites/. His favorite is Rafael Nadal's (http://www.rafaelnadal.com/) while his least favorite is Roger Federer's (http://www.rogerfederer.com/).
Monday, December 21, 2009
Checking in with the Redskins: In the Beginning
The Commish called yesterday to firm up our New Year's plans. The subject of this week's Monday Night Football game also came up. The Commish is a die-hard New York Giants fan and this week, they're playing my team: the Washington Redskins. He actually expressed greater faith in my side than I felt. As I write this, the Skins are being mercilessly pounded, certain to keep the Giants' playoff hopes alive.
Before tennis and even basketball, my sports interest began with professional football. To say that the Skins are a big deal in the DC area is putting it mildly. In perhaps the world's most contentious city, love for the Skins is the best hope for consensus. When I was 9 years old, the team shrugged off years of mediocrity and followed the great Joe Gibbs in only his second season as an NFL head coach to win the franchise's first Super Bowl. I was hooked for years afterward, never missing a game if I could help it.
Two more titles would come during Gibbs's first reign. His genius was manifold but his main contributions to the pro game were in the run offense. Gibbs favored a single-back set, allowing for an extra tight end on the offensive line. His plays and blocking schemes have become essential to the arsenal of any rush-heavy NFL offense. But perhaps even more extraordinary than his chalkboard work was his ability to win despite an ever-changing roster. He won his three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks and three different halfbacks. There were plenty of changes on defense and in the receiver corps as well. One thing remained constant. For 11 years, the Redskins had the best offensive line in football - perhaps the best the NFL has ever seen. When the Hogs were on their game, the Skins were unstoppable. Gibbs could put whomever he wanted in the backfield and still win. The results speak for themselves. And yet, none from that unit has made it to the Hall of Fame - criminal!
Just as my basketball sensibilities were formed by the Hoyas of the '80s, so too were my football concepts shaped by Gibbs. I worshiped the man. The whole city did. We were excused from school for the victory parade after they won in '88. I stood ankle-deep in a fountain on a ridiculously cold day just to catch a glimpse of the conquering heroes along with half a million fellow fans.
I liked Gibbs almost enough to care about NASCAR when he switched sports in the '90s. The organization hasn't been the same since his initial retirement in 1993. My interest quickly waned as well. The fact that I'd gone to college in another part of the country didn't help.
In May of 1999, the team was bought by Daniel Snyder for $800 million, at the time, the most ever paid for a sports franchise. While his pockets are plenty deep, Snyder has been a notorious micro-manager, running a long string of big-name head coaches out of town, including Gibbs himself in a return engagement. Always willing to shell out money for free agents rather than build a talent base over time, the Redskins never seem to fulfill their promise in a given season. What was once the organization's greatest strength has become a liability: a patchwork offensive line which can't protect QB Jason Campbell to save its life.
But this is the NFL and perhaps the league's greatest strength is the reasonable belief that a bad team will come around someday. As I have written previously, the NFL, with its Any Given Sunday philosophy, preserves parity better than any other American sports league. Every franchise has its ups and downs. Even Snyder can't hold the Skins down forever. He hired a new general manager this past week, the first person to hold the position during Snyder's tenure. He's a Redskins legacy: Bruce Allen, son of George Allen, the Redskins' coaching hero of the early '70s. Current head coach Jim Zorn is surely on his way out so there will be a fresh start there as well. One hopes that Snyder can learn from the George Steinbrenners of the world that meddling less might actually produce a happier and more effective organization. Plus, this year's miserable record will mean a decent draft position. Win or lose, the Redskins are one of the most powerful brands in sports. They've broken the NFL attendance record for eight years running. So, there is hope.
But not tonight. Game over. Giants win, 45-12. The Commish is surely happy.
Now, if we could please do something about the name of the team...
Before tennis and even basketball, my sports interest began with professional football. To say that the Skins are a big deal in the DC area is putting it mildly. In perhaps the world's most contentious city, love for the Skins is the best hope for consensus. When I was 9 years old, the team shrugged off years of mediocrity and followed the great Joe Gibbs in only his second season as an NFL head coach to win the franchise's first Super Bowl. I was hooked for years afterward, never missing a game if I could help it.
Two more titles would come during Gibbs's first reign. His genius was manifold but his main contributions to the pro game were in the run offense. Gibbs favored a single-back set, allowing for an extra tight end on the offensive line. His plays and blocking schemes have become essential to the arsenal of any rush-heavy NFL offense. But perhaps even more extraordinary than his chalkboard work was his ability to win despite an ever-changing roster. He won his three Super Bowls with three different quarterbacks and three different halfbacks. There were plenty of changes on defense and in the receiver corps as well. One thing remained constant. For 11 years, the Redskins had the best offensive line in football - perhaps the best the NFL has ever seen. When the Hogs were on their game, the Skins were unstoppable. Gibbs could put whomever he wanted in the backfield and still win. The results speak for themselves. And yet, none from that unit has made it to the Hall of Fame - criminal!
Just as my basketball sensibilities were formed by the Hoyas of the '80s, so too were my football concepts shaped by Gibbs. I worshiped the man. The whole city did. We were excused from school for the victory parade after they won in '88. I stood ankle-deep in a fountain on a ridiculously cold day just to catch a glimpse of the conquering heroes along with half a million fellow fans.
I liked Gibbs almost enough to care about NASCAR when he switched sports in the '90s. The organization hasn't been the same since his initial retirement in 1993. My interest quickly waned as well. The fact that I'd gone to college in another part of the country didn't help.
In May of 1999, the team was bought by Daniel Snyder for $800 million, at the time, the most ever paid for a sports franchise. While his pockets are plenty deep, Snyder has been a notorious micro-manager, running a long string of big-name head coaches out of town, including Gibbs himself in a return engagement. Always willing to shell out money for free agents rather than build a talent base over time, the Redskins never seem to fulfill their promise in a given season. What was once the organization's greatest strength has become a liability: a patchwork offensive line which can't protect QB Jason Campbell to save its life.
But this is the NFL and perhaps the league's greatest strength is the reasonable belief that a bad team will come around someday. As I have written previously, the NFL, with its Any Given Sunday philosophy, preserves parity better than any other American sports league. Every franchise has its ups and downs. Even Snyder can't hold the Skins down forever. He hired a new general manager this past week, the first person to hold the position during Snyder's tenure. He's a Redskins legacy: Bruce Allen, son of George Allen, the Redskins' coaching hero of the early '70s. Current head coach Jim Zorn is surely on his way out so there will be a fresh start there as well. One hopes that Snyder can learn from the George Steinbrenners of the world that meddling less might actually produce a happier and more effective organization. Plus, this year's miserable record will mean a decent draft position. Win or lose, the Redskins are one of the most powerful brands in sports. They've broken the NFL attendance record for eight years running. So, there is hope.
But not tonight. Game over. Giants win, 45-12. The Commish is surely happy.
Now, if we could please do something about the name of the team...
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Bowl Season: New Orleans
None of us had Middle Tennessee State in the New Orleans Bowl so no points for any of us. The Blue Raiders are quite an exciting team. Dwight Dasher (QB), Desmond Gee (WR) and Danny Carmichael (LB) are all top-notch college players. All too small for the NFL? Did anyone else notice that the end of their fight song sounds like "Take Me Out to the Ball Game"?
The New Orleans Bowl has been around since 2001. They were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in '05, playing the game in Lafayette that year.
The New Orleans Bowl has been around since 2001. They were displaced by Hurricane Katrina in '05, playing the game in Lafayette that year.
Bowl Season: Wyoming Crashes the Party
So, the New Mexico Bowl between Wyoming and Fresno State was actually a pretty exciting game in the end - ugly, but exciting. If you like bad coaching decisions offset by inept special teams, this game had it all.
The question, of course, is how I could be led to care about a game between Wyoming and Fresno State at all. I have MOCK!, my colleague and fellow blogger (http://cmock127.blogspot.com/), to thank for it. He invited me to join him and his friends/cousins in a college bowl pick'em group. It's a small group with only six members. I only know one of the other guys as he is also a music teacher. I had an uneven day yesterday. We all picked Fresno State so we all came up goose eggs on that one. I did pick Rutgers over Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl, though, so that will help.
I will not go on too long about how ridiculous the bowl games are. Many people have written very eloquently on the subject. I do think that the BCS is an absolutely absurd way to pick a national champion. However, the one thing more absurd is the United States Congress spending any time whatsoever legislating upon the matter. I think it was dumb for them to get involved with steroids in baseball, too. Come on, there's nothing more important for all of you to be doing with your time?!!
The fact of the matter is that as long as the bowls continue to make gobs of money for everyone involved, they're not going anywhere. So, we might as well enjoy them for what they are. It's not a tournament. It's more of a three-week, nationwide football festival. I had friends in the University of Maryland marching band back in the day and I know they really enjoyed bowl games. They provided a chance for a free vacation in a warmer locale. Hawaii was the best case scenario, of course.
The New Mexico Bowl was born in 2006, primarily a means of assuring that at least one of the state's two FBS schools would be invited to a bowl game when eligible. Unfortunately, both the University of New Mexico (1-11) and New Mexico State (3-10) fell well short of the 6-6 win-loss threshold this season. Wyoming was not considered by the clearly useless experts to have much of a chance. The Cowboys did play horribly, as expected. Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for me, the Fresno State Bulldogs played worse.
I had a more natural rooting interest in the St. Petersburg Bowl (in its second year of existence). I spent two years of graduate school at Rutgers and have been absolutely astonished by their rise to prominence over the past few years. During the two years I was in New Brunswick, the Scarlet Knights won a total of five games. There was much discussion of whether they actually belonged in the Big East conference or even Division I-A. But this season marked the fifth consecutive bowl appearance for Rutgers. They're finally capitalizing on being the largest university in one of the nation's most populous states. You'd think they could have a better men's basketball team, too, but one thing at a time.
If I were to build a football or a hockey team around a single athletic skill, it would be speed. You can't hit a player if you can't catch him. Rutgers is a very fast team and UCF always seemed about a step behind them.
I think the camera angles can do a lot to enhance a football game. The higher vantage point used in the New Mexico Bowl, and that most typical of football coverage, is great for watching plays develop. However, the lower angle used in the St. Pete Bowl is much better for exhibiting the skills of the athletes. There is not a sport in the world which benefits more from television than does football so I'm sure they've explored all of this. But I think the lower angle makes for a more exciting game.
The question, of course, is how I could be led to care about a game between Wyoming and Fresno State at all. I have MOCK!, my colleague and fellow blogger (http://cmock127.blogspot.com/), to thank for it. He invited me to join him and his friends/cousins in a college bowl pick'em group. It's a small group with only six members. I only know one of the other guys as he is also a music teacher. I had an uneven day yesterday. We all picked Fresno State so we all came up goose eggs on that one. I did pick Rutgers over Central Florida in the St. Petersburg Bowl, though, so that will help.
I will not go on too long about how ridiculous the bowl games are. Many people have written very eloquently on the subject. I do think that the BCS is an absolutely absurd way to pick a national champion. However, the one thing more absurd is the United States Congress spending any time whatsoever legislating upon the matter. I think it was dumb for them to get involved with steroids in baseball, too. Come on, there's nothing more important for all of you to be doing with your time?!!
The fact of the matter is that as long as the bowls continue to make gobs of money for everyone involved, they're not going anywhere. So, we might as well enjoy them for what they are. It's not a tournament. It's more of a three-week, nationwide football festival. I had friends in the University of Maryland marching band back in the day and I know they really enjoyed bowl games. They provided a chance for a free vacation in a warmer locale. Hawaii was the best case scenario, of course.
The New Mexico Bowl was born in 2006, primarily a means of assuring that at least one of the state's two FBS schools would be invited to a bowl game when eligible. Unfortunately, both the University of New Mexico (1-11) and New Mexico State (3-10) fell well short of the 6-6 win-loss threshold this season. Wyoming was not considered by the clearly useless experts to have much of a chance. The Cowboys did play horribly, as expected. Fortunately for them, and unfortunately for me, the Fresno State Bulldogs played worse.
I had a more natural rooting interest in the St. Petersburg Bowl (in its second year of existence). I spent two years of graduate school at Rutgers and have been absolutely astonished by their rise to prominence over the past few years. During the two years I was in New Brunswick, the Scarlet Knights won a total of five games. There was much discussion of whether they actually belonged in the Big East conference or even Division I-A. But this season marked the fifth consecutive bowl appearance for Rutgers. They're finally capitalizing on being the largest university in one of the nation's most populous states. You'd think they could have a better men's basketball team, too, but one thing at a time.
If I were to build a football or a hockey team around a single athletic skill, it would be speed. You can't hit a player if you can't catch him. Rutgers is a very fast team and UCF always seemed about a step behind them.
I think the camera angles can do a lot to enhance a football game. The higher vantage point used in the New Mexico Bowl, and that most typical of football coverage, is great for watching plays develop. However, the lower angle used in the St. Pete Bowl is much better for exhibiting the skills of the athletes. There is not a sport in the world which benefits more from television than does football so I'm sure they've explored all of this. But I think the lower angle makes for a more exciting game.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Checking in with the Hoyas: Paying Homage
Georgetown defeated the University of Washington today, 74-66, in the John Wooden Classic. Two games every year are played to honor the The Wizard of Westwood, the greatest coach in the history of American sports, in my humble opinion: 10 titles in 12 years in an era when you couldn't even play freshmen.
I was worried about the Hoyas in the first half as they exhibited much of the same sloppiness they showed in the Butler game. But they really cleaned up their act in the second: fewer turnovers, fewer careless fouls, more patience in waiting for the offense to develop before taking shots, more offensive rebounds, etc. The adjustment is a strong testament to Thompson's coaching and bodes well for the rapidly approaching conference schedule.
There's no shame in winning ugly, of course, but the Big East is a completely unforgiving conference. It was a nasty league back in the '80s and it's only gotten worse since. Seven different teams in the league have won national titles: Connecticut, Cincinnati, Louisville, Georgetown, Villanova, Syracuse and Marquette. By comparison, the ACC only has four schools that have won it all.
As noted previously, Thompson's coaching pedigree is strong indeed. He learned from his father (JT2) and Pete Carril, both coaches who believe in disciplined execution. The trick, of course, is to convince talented players to buy into the system. Today's performance was encouraging.
Greg Monroe is going to be important this year, of course, but it's always good to see strong performances from the supporting cast. Today was a good one for junior forward Julian Vaughn who finished with a career-high 18 points. No seniors in the Hoyas' starting five, suggesting a bright future even when Monroe inevitably bolts early.
Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas is not related to the NBA great but is named after him. The story of his naming is on Wikipedia and it's a good one. He got the name when his father lost a bet. Full story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Thomas_%28basketball%29#Personal.
I was worried about the Hoyas in the first half as they exhibited much of the same sloppiness they showed in the Butler game. But they really cleaned up their act in the second: fewer turnovers, fewer careless fouls, more patience in waiting for the offense to develop before taking shots, more offensive rebounds, etc. The adjustment is a strong testament to Thompson's coaching and bodes well for the rapidly approaching conference schedule.
There's no shame in winning ugly, of course, but the Big East is a completely unforgiving conference. It was a nasty league back in the '80s and it's only gotten worse since. Seven different teams in the league have won national titles: Connecticut, Cincinnati, Louisville, Georgetown, Villanova, Syracuse and Marquette. By comparison, the ACC only has four schools that have won it all.
As noted previously, Thompson's coaching pedigree is strong indeed. He learned from his father (JT2) and Pete Carril, both coaches who believe in disciplined execution. The trick, of course, is to convince talented players to buy into the system. Today's performance was encouraging.
Greg Monroe is going to be important this year, of course, but it's always good to see strong performances from the supporting cast. Today was a good one for junior forward Julian Vaughn who finished with a career-high 18 points. No seniors in the Hoyas' starting five, suggesting a bright future even when Monroe inevitably bolts early.
Washington point guard Isaiah Thomas is not related to the NBA great but is named after him. The story of his naming is on Wikipedia and it's a good one. He got the name when his father lost a bet. Full story at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaiah_Thomas_%28basketball%29#Personal.
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