The 12 Weeks of Cowboys by West Coast O

It is Christmas season again, and my favorite team has me feeling like I’m a kid on Christmas morning. The Dallas Cowboys are 11-1 through 12 weeks this season and I’m as giddy as a crotchet enthusiast at the world’s biggest ball of yarn. So what better way to celebrate Christmas and 12 weeks of the NFL season than with my very own Cowboys Christmas Carol?

I have had several inquiries from family and friends on when exactly I would write something regarding my beloved Cowboys, but like any healthily superstitious sports fan, I did not want to risk sabotaging my team’s success. However, my previous blog about the Cleveland Indians propelled them to a game away from the World Series title and in light of the fact that I am couching this blog using song, the story surrounding the birth of Jesus, and the Lord’s Team (note hole in the roof of Texas Stadium for His viewing pleasure.), I thought I would be safe to broach the subject of the Dallas Cowboys (if not slightly sacrilegious).

So, without further ado, I am introducing you all to my very own Cowboys Christmas Carol: The Twelve Weeks of Cowboys. This comes complete with an explanation of each day followed by the sing-a-long lyrics below. Enjoy and feel free to make it your new Christmas tradition…

On the __ week of football, my Cowboys gave to me…

1^st – A Romo Passing TD

Romo has already surpassed the great Cowboys quarterbacks of Meredith, Staubach, White, and Aikman to set the new single season touchdown record. He has currently thrown 38 touchdowns this year!

2^nd – Two Running Backs

Like many NFL teams this year, the Dallas Cowboys run a two-back system with Julius Jones and Marion Barber. Julius is the flash and has the Notre Dame pedigree; while Marion Barber runs so hard he has earned the nickname Marion the Barbarian and has quickly become maybe my favorite Dallas Cowboy on this team.

3^rd – Three Folk Points

Finally, the Cowboys have a good kicker. We Cowboy fans once took this for granted. Now, we are relieved to have a reliable, stud kicker back there that leads all kickers in Fantasy Football scoring (yes, he is on my fantasy team).

4^th – Fourmer Philly Bird

Okay, a bit of a play on words, but this references former Philadelphia Eagle Terrell Owens. After he desecrated the Star when playing with the 49ers, I vowed to always despise him. When the Cowboys signed him I said I would not cheer specifically for him. I gotta tell you, it’s hard not to when you watch the plays he has made this year.

5^th – Five Super Bowl Rings

Yep, when we add our 6^th this year, we will lead NFL franchises in most Super Bowls won!

6^th – Six Blockers Blocking

This refers to the real MVPs of our offense: Andre Gurode (C), Kyle Kosier (LG), Leonard Davis (RG), Flozell Adams (LT), Marc Columbo (RT), and Jason Witten (TE)

7^th – Seven Points-a-Scoring

The Cowboys have scored an NFC leading 48 touchdowns so far this season

8^th – Eight, wait that was Aikman…

The number 8 will forever be linked for me to my boy idol Troy Aikman, who is currently the best commentator in the NFL and has done several Cowboys broadcasts this year.

9^th – Nine, now that’s Romo!

The franchise-quarterback torch has been passed from Aikman to Romo. How can you not love this kid? Certainly Jessica Simpson, Carrie Underwood, and Brittney Spears can’t.

10^th – Ten sacks by Ellis

Despite only playing in 9 of our 12 games this year, our most seasoned veteran and silent leader of the Cowboys, Greg Ellis has a team leading 10 sacks. Demarcus Ware could also be inserted here as he has 10 as well. I love the blitzing, turnover-prone Wade Phillips defense.

11^th – Eleven Wins and Counting

That’s right. We lead the NFC with the best record and if not for those annoying Patriots, we’d be undefeated.

12^th – Twelfth Man, that’s the Fans!

Granted, the bandwagon fans are turning out by the droves again this year. But this goes to the true-blue Cowboy fans that invest their emotional, physical, and spiritual faculties to support the success of our team week in and week out. Cowboys fans unite!

Sing-a-long Song Lyrics:

The song is cumulative with each verse building and repeating until the conclusion. It sings exactly like the popular Christmas Carol “The 12 Days of Christmas” except the lyrics are obviously pertaining to the Cowboys. I have also substituted “my true love” with “the Cowboys”, which are synonymous anyhow. Remember, the only way to spread Christmas (or Cowboy) cheer, is to sing out loud for all to hear…

First Verse:

On the first week of football my Cowboys gave to me

A Romo Passing TD

Second Verse:

On the second week of football my Cowboys gave to me

2 Running Backs,

And a Romo passing TD

…and so forth until the last verse:

On the twelfth week of football my Cowboys gave to me

Twelfth man, that’s the fans!,

Eleven wins and counting,

Ten sacks by Ellis,

Nine, now that’s Romo!,

Eight, wait that’s Aikman…,

Seven points-a-scoring,

Six blockers blocking,

Five Super Bowl Rings…,

Fourmer Philly bird,

Three Folk points,

Two Running backs,

And a Romo passing TD

GO COWBOYS!!!

All Photos from: dallascowboys.com, except Ainkman is form cnnsi.com

Who needs Kobe?.... And other random questions from Chi-town Toe

I do realize the Kobe talk was so last month. However, due to the stellar start by my Chicago Bulls, I felt the need to re-open the wound. I was excited for the Bulls season to start. Can you blame me? They were picked by ESPN and Sports Illustrated to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals, the images of Tyrus Thomas dunking on Shaq were fresh in my memory from last year's playoff rout of the Heat, and I was still stuck in a sports coma due to the recent failings of the Cubs, the Irish, and the once mighty Bears defense. (Somewhere Dick Butkus is physically ill watching the 2007 Bears.) Then the supposed opportunity was laid in Paxson's lap to get Kobe. The papers and talk shows were abuzz. Sane people calling in and writing who both had seemingly legitimate arguments. However my friends, as seen in the past 20 years, there is one argument on the Kobe saga that should have trumped them all. I am afraid Johnny Pax, who I will forever love for Game 6 in Phoenix in 1993, didn't look closely enough at NBA history, or his own history to make the right decision. Are you ready for the argument? Here it is: The SuperStar Factor!

Quick: name one SuperStar on the Bulls. Still searching? How about one NBA all-star? Ok, so you came up with Lou Deng and Ben Gordon as POTENTIAL all-stars. In the words of the late, great Chris Farely: La-de-frekin-da! Be sure you watch the Pistons next time they play the Bulls. Watch as Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups take turns smoking our size deficient Ben Gordon. What about Loul Deng? Could he be very good? Yes. Great? No! Watch any Bulls game this year and tell me if you really feel you are watching something special when you watch him play. (By they way, he is also the guy that as a Freshman in college fueled the UConn comeback against Duke when he was launching threes with less than 4 minutes to go and 20 seconds on the shot clock with Duke up by 8.)

Now for the history lesson: Name one team in the last 15 years to win a championship without a SuperStar. You can't find one can you. MJ, Hakeem the Dream, MJ again, Shaq and Kobe, Duncan, D-Wade. Ah...but you say the Pistons. Good choice and the only team I can think of. 1 in 15!! Now that is a model to follow.

Kobe is the best player in the game. Period! He would have brought the Bulls to the finals. I am afraid Johnny Pax has gotten a little too conservative on us. He came to two crossroads in his GM career that will cost him. He failed to get Garnett and now Kobe. For all the great things he has done for the Bulls, he should have remembered that #23 who got him so many open shots and laid his cards on the table for Kobe.

Some other thoughts on recent sports events:

1. The BCS rocks! I love it when a 2 loss teams get to play for the title. And when the winner of Mizzou-Kansas actually didn't mean anything. What an awesome system! Start a playoff you idiots.

2. How great is it that we can see how the coaches voted in the polls.
Great Example: Bob Stoops, coach of Oklahoma. #1 OU........... #6 LSU...........HAH!

3. The Twins might seriously trade Johan Santana. Maybe to Boston? I can just hear the gun fire from the New York streets. If Santana goes to Boston, I am laying down $100 bucks on Boston to win the World Series for the next 5 years.

4. Tebow should win the Heisman. He is unbelievable. Enough said.

5. The college basketball season has started...is it March yet?



Kobe picture: www.allposters.com

A crying Irish fan sees a glimmer of hope

I have a crush on College Football. I love everything about it. The weekly matchups, the pageantry, the recruiting, and the dawn of hope that comes each August. Well this August my hope was quickly turned into pain. The kind of pain from taking a red pen and jamming it into your eye. My Irish are 1-7, and apparently, from what I read and hear, the laughing stock of college football. I thought I would share with you the evolution of a fan in this kind of pain. From wanting to jump off the top of my roof, to somehow, some way, seeing a silver lining in what could only be the worse Irish football season of my life. So here we go: the two voices inside my head.

The depressed, want to throw the remote through the tv voice: How could the IRISH be so bad? They are awful. They can't run the ball, can't throw the ball. Their special teams are atrocious and their offense could only be described as an unsightly bunch. A hideous team, plain and simple.

The somehow optimistic voice inside my head:Don't worry about it too much. It is only one season. And despite what Charlie says, this is a rebuilding year.

Remote Thrower: Rebuilding!! I thought Ohio State was going through rebuilding and they are No. 1 in the polls. The University of Notre Dame should still be an average football team when they go through the rebuilding. How in the world are they only 1-7???

Optimistic Voice: Yeah, they are 1-7, which sucks, no doubt about it. However, they have played the toughest record in the NCAA DI so far. Losing at Penn St and Michigan, and against BC and USC at home is nothing to hang your head about. They aren't going around playing Akron and NorthEastern Indiana St.

RT: Who cares? They should just throw in the towel. Where is the talent? The offense line looks like my Grandma's knitting group. My stomach is getting upset just thinking about it. They are never going to win another game again. Should I throw away my IRISH t-shirts? I am too embarrassed to wear my hoody out in public.

OV: Don't worry, the talent is on its way. The kids that are Juniors and Seniors right now weren't even ranked a top 25 class by Rivals100. And both of those classes only had 1 or 2 top 100 players. Ty was bringing in 2 and 3 star guys. Now Charlie has recruited two top 10 classes in a row and they have the number 1 class set to enroll next fall according to Scout.com and Rivals100. The young and inexperienced o-line still needs time to adjust and establish depth to be successful in the future.

RT: Recruits aren't making any difference this year. Jimmy Claussen...woopidy doo! He is awful and can't throw a ball more than five yards. I am so glad he is our reason to hope in the future. Plus, who says Charlie and the coaches can actually mold these guys into players. My alcohol consumed each Saturday is slowly on the rise!

OV: Just give them time to adjust to the speed of the game. NExt year: 8-4 and in 2009: back to BCS bound!! Corwin Brown, the Defensive Coordinator, is just the guy you want leading the defense. And Charlie will be ok once he makes the adjustment to coaching younger college kids instead of the established vets that he had when he came to ND. So get down off that roof and keep those Irish clothes ironed. Touchdown Jesus will uncover his eyes soon and be impressed by what he sees in South Bend.

RT: I will put the razor blades away for now. But if we lose to Navy, Army, or Duke the bonfire of Irish apparel will be at my house over Thanksgiving.

Baseball Purgatory: 99 Years and Counting

By: Chi-Town Toe

"Dad, where are we?" asked the pudgy young boy from the Northwest Suburbs of Chicago in 1984.

"Well, son, we are in a place called Baseball Purgatory. A place of endless waiting and suffering."

"Why does it smell so bad in here?"

"The smell is from the old people that have been waiting 99 years to enter those pearly gates over near the corner. But those old people have seen it all. I have only been waiting 58 years," says the father, "and you but a few years--they have been here forever. You weren't even here during 1969, when we all rushed up to the pearly gates with Ernie, Billy, and Ron and the beautiful angels were within sight. But right before we got there a black cat crossed our path, and next thing you know the angels were letting in Mets fans, fans who had only been waiting a few short years."

"Well that doesn't seem very fair," said the son.

"OH NOOOOOOO! It's not hell, but its close!" moaned Ron Santo.

"We got some talent this year!" said the father. "Rick Sutcliffe could hold the key to those gates!"

"Jo-dy Davis will surly get us in! Ryno and The Sarge could help him too!" the boy stated enthusiastically. "JO-DY! JO-DY!"

"What the hell is this?" the father exclaims. "Why is Leon Durham letting the ball through his legs?"

The boy stares in disbelief, learns his first cuss words from thousands of men in Cubby Blue, and slowly wipes away his tears in Baseball Purgatory.

5 years go by and all the boy hears is more cuss words from the other side of the room as fans in thick Boston accents saw their path to the gate smashed closed by Bill Buckner.

"Now this is our year, Dad," the growing boy states confidently. "We got the Rookie of the Year, Jerome Walton and clutch hitting with Sandberg, Grace, and Dawson."

"I suppose your right," said the father. "But will the pitching hold up?" You could see the hope in the father's voice slowly dwindling each year.

The angels whisper Cub fans names, but waiting there to slam the door in their face is a determined Will Clark.

9 more long years, waiting, hoping. The Bulls win on the waiting room tv, but it doesn't fill the void. It is not the same as what would await us inside the pearly gates. Instead, it is just a tease. Sparkling grape juice around the room instead of the true champagne.

"Wait a second," the father moans. "These 7 Marlin fans have only been waiting minutes! I can't believe they got the key! I HATE expansion teams....NO, I LOATHE expansion teams!"

When 1998 comes, a new flame-thrower gives Cubs fans hope.

"Did you see what Kerry Wood did?" is whispered from fan to fan. "What about Sammy Sosa?" "He is a freak!" "This is it!"

The father and son both sit, still waiting, as a Kevin Tapani pitching performance is wasted and Matt Karchner and Jeff Blauser hold back the angels coming to escort the Cub faithful.

"What the hell!" the son explains as his Cub hat slams to the floor. "How the sam-hill did those Diamondback fans sneak in after only a few minutes of waiting? This is Freakin Ridiculous!"

Its 2003 and the Cub fans are on their feet. The angels call their name, they see the streets lined with gold. The noise is deafening. And then, Darkness and silence, followed by tears and jeers.

"Why did that idiot fan touch the ball?" "Alex F'n Gonzalez!!!" "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

The boy breaks down, the father threatens to run out of the room. They will give up baseball for sure. This can't be happening. Most fans feel like their dog just got shot in front of their eyes.

More waiting and waiting. And the room gets less crowded every year. The Red Sox nation breaks down the pearly gates in 2004 after Babe Ruth finally gives them the key. The Cubs fan sit quietly, mourning as White Sox fans taunt them from behind the gates in 2005.

"Well, Dad its 2007. We got the hitting. Soriano, Lee, and Ramirez won't let us down."

"They sure better hit, we payed enough for them," exclaims the father.

"Well, at least we didn't have to get out of our uncomfortable chairs that are now conformed to our bodies," says the son. "We should have seen this coming. Losing to the no-name Diamondbacks!"

"I am getting old, and worry I might never see what is inside those gates," moans the father.

The waiting room gets darker and less crowded every year. Only Alex Rodriguez sits alone on the other side of the room. The smell never goes away and always gets worse. Those pearly gates look better every moment and Cub fans sit alone in Baseball Purgatory.

Pics
Dawson and Wood: www.chicagocubs.com
Jody Davis: www.agonyandivory.com

Cleveland Jocks!

by: West Coast O

The 2007 Cleveland Indians

Quick. Name the most maligned sports city in the last 60 years. I’m sure most of you jumped to Chicago, Boston, or maybe even New Orleans. The correct answer is Cleveland. The “mistake by the lake” has three major sporting teams but has not managed a championship by any of those teams since 1949. Cub fans love to lament their 100+ year drought in baseball, but the Bulls were okay, and the Bears had possibly the most dominant football team ever in 1986. Boston fans whined incessantly about the plight of the Red Sox until a few years ago, but come on...The Patriots, The Celtics; do you really have an argument? Cleveland is home to the Drive, the Fumble, Craig Ehlo’s posterization against MJ, and losing to an expansion team in the World Series. It is so bad that the people of Cleveland now expect to lose. But something is happening in Cleveland.

My wife was born and raised in Cleveland. All of her family still (sym)pathetically cheers for Cleveland sports. She like her family, now expects things to go wrong. When the Cavs matched up with Detroit in the playoffs, all I heard was, “we can’t beat the Pistons,” and “Chauncey Billups will always find a way to beat us with some ridiculous shot.” I would say, “But Erin, you have the best player in the league on your team, and the guy with the craziest hair, you took them to seven games last year and now you are better.” Fast forward to LeBron going off for 60 and the Cavs winning the Eastern Conference Championship. Of course, Erin’s rebuttal is, “Yeah, but we got swept in the finals!”

This is how it is for Cleveland fans: always second best. The Cleveland Cavs were runners up in last year’s NBA finals. The Indians were runners up for the World Series in 95 and 97. Hell, the Browns franchise was the originators of Marty Shottenheimer’s reputation for not being able to coach in the postseason. So, when faced with a generation of fans who are used to having their hearts ripped out, what am I supposed to tell the glass-half-empty Cleveland fans.? How About this? Watch out for these 2007 Cleveland Indians…

You might have missed it buried in Sunday’s headlines of the Dallas Cowboys, Green Bay Packers, and New York Yankees (and let’s face it, it is Cleveland), but the Indians clinched the Central Division in the American League. This has been the best division in Baseball over the past three years and they clinched it with almost 10 games left in the season.

Here is a group of guys that can change the hearts and minds of the Cleveland pessimists. Most of these guys, including Manager Eric Wedge, are not old enough to even remember The Fumble. All of the players are from places from other than Cleveland so their sports attitudes are not poisoned by the expectation to fail. The Indians roster is a bunch of free-swinging, spirited young guys, who all just seem to love to play baseball. Unlike some other Cleveland franchises of the past, they have not been hyped, put on a pedestal, or garnered much attention from the national media. These 2007 Cleveland Indians have just methodically gone about winning baseball games using great pitching, good defense, explosive offense, and fun-loving yet humble players.

So jump on the Tribe bandwagon. To help, I have listed the players in order of lineup to help you catch up:

Grady Sizemore CF – The guy graced the cover of Sports Illustrated this year for being among the league’s most well rounded talents. He has his own “Grady’s Ladies” fan club (my wife is a member) mostly for of his boyish good looks. Can’t deny his speed and hustle, just watch about 50% of ESPN’s top plays for evidence.

Asdrubal Cabrera, 2B – Rookie. He was a late season call-up, but you can point to his entry into the starting lineup at 2^nd Base as the turning point in the season and the start of the run that overtook the Tigers and left them in the Tribe dust.

Travis Hafner, DH – Nicknamed Pronk, Hafner is a workhorse. He works pitchers late into counts and is always a threat for a big hit. His numbers are down this season from his previous two MVP candidate seasons, but look for him to have clutch hits in the playoffs.

Victor Martinez, C – Quite possibly the best catcher in baseball. In the off-season he improved from last in the league at throwing out stolen base attempts, to second this season. He is also the offensive MVP for the team. He bats over .300 with over 100 RBIs and 25 HR. He has also become the vocal leader of the team.

Ryan Garko, 1B – Sort of out of the mold of another beloved Indians first baseman, Jim Thome. Big guy with plenty of power, but also hits for average. He is another .300 plus hitter. He might be the most clutch bat of the lineup as well with several walk off hits this year.

Jhonny Peralta, SS – Just when you want to get frustrated with Peralta for his penchant to strike out or make a fielding error, this kid will come back and have a multi-HR game or make an incredible double-play to make you fall in love with him all over again.

Casey Blake, 3B – A model of humility and hard work. The guy did not make it to the majors until he was in his 30s. He will never blow you away with stats, but is versatile: can play 1B, 3B, or outfield. Has had double digit hitting streaks two different times this season. He even personally apologized to the Detroit Tigers after hitting an extra innings walk-off home run because he pumped his fist afterward.

Franklin Gutierrez, RF – Right field has been platooned for much of the year on the Indians, but Gutierrez has emerged as the favored starter here. Another rookie, he makes nothing but plays. His average has hovered around .300 this year and his power numbers are great. If he can develop some more plate patience, he will be an all-star in no time.

Kenny Lofton, LF – Whatever team Kenny Lofton plays for, that team makes it to the postseason. This wily veteran just knows how to win. He still has the speed, the bat, and the moxie. The Indians picked him up at the trading deadline and he has brought nothing but great play since.

C.C. Sabathia, P – If he doesn’t win the Cy Young this year it will be a shame. He is 300 plus pounds of pure pitching. His fastball will always be there, but he has been mixing his pitches well this season and his location has been phenomenal. If his run support in the middle of the season had even been average he would have over 20 wins already.

Fausto Carmona, P – Another guy that will tug at your heartstrings. The Indians and Eric Wedge tried to make him a closer last year because of his electric stuff. He was 0-5 in save opportunities with a 10.00 plus ERA. The guy battled back in the off-season and gets called up in the first month. He has gone on to win 16 games to date with a low 3.30 area ERA. A big reason why the Tribe won their division.

Paul Byrd, P – Maybe the best old-school windup in baseball. This guy does not have much velocity or movement. He just knows how to play baseball, pitch to locations, field his position, and walk no-one. Probably why he has quietly won 15 games this season.

Rafael Betancourt, RP – Best set-up guy in baseball this season. Go ahead and try to argue this one. You can’t. Betancourt has a one point nothing ERA and is just lights out. His stuff is better than 80% of closers.

Joe Borowski, RP – This guy is an adventure. He leads the league in saves, but his ERA is in the 5.00 neighborhood. He must love drama, because Joe usually allows at least a few base runners and the go ahead run on base before shutting it down, but he gets the job done.

*The supporting cast is equally as impressive, but I will honor requests for the bios on each of them, including Manager Eric Wedge, to anyone who requests it.

So, as you can see, this mosaic of young talent is a load of fun to watch. Manager Eric Wedge has them playing baseball the right way, and the team is on a roll because of it. If your team did not make the playoffs this year, or you are not typically a baseball fan, please join me in rooting on the most maligned sports city in the country and cheer the 2007 Cleveland Indians on to a World Series victory.

It was only 20 years ago that the movie Major League was made mocking the ineptitude of the Indians. In that movie an unlikely bunch of ballplayers banded together to win an improbable World Series. Let’s make this year the year Cleveland fans can start looking at the glass half full. After all, they need it; I mean Drew Carey and the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame are cool and all…but as a sports town filled with die-hard fans, they have got nothing to show for it and they have stopped believing. Believe Cleveland. 2007 is the year of the Tribe!

Pics:
Elway: www.allposters.com
Lebron: www.nike.com
Sizemore: www.sportsillustrated.com

A Baker's Dozen: A collection of Fall Thoughts

By: Chi-town TOE

1. The Irish are absolutely awful. Their offense is pitiful, their defense is weak, and their special teams make my stomach physically ill. It is 4 weeks into the season and I am having trouble figuring out when they will win their first game. I have never slouched in my seat so early into games, or for that matter, so early into the season. Please remove the shoelaces from my New Balances. I hate college football already. Even Syracuse has a win.

2. So far watching the Bears on Sunday doesn't make me feel much better. When their offense takes the field I actually feel that I am back in an 8:00 Biblical Lit. class my Freshman year of college. Absolute Boredom!

3. GO CUBS GO!!!! Ah, the bright spot in my life. As of today the Cubs have a 3 game lead on the Wiener-Racers to the North. I can almost taste the playoffs. I can start to see my focus drifting at work for the next month as the Cubbies leap into the NLCS. I can envision Wrigley Field packed to the brim on a perfect fall night as Aramis Ramirez collects yet another clutch hit. Please let this happen.....please!



4. My Fantasy Football Team Sucks......I would personally like to send the Patriots an important message. Please review Jets videotape and pass the ball to Donte Stallworth. What a horrible pick he was. I don't know if Tom Brady realizes he is on the team.

5. Speaking of the Patriots, I pretty sure I believe this whole "taping" fiasco is out of control. So they tried to gain a competitive advantage during the game. You can't tell me MLB managers don't have people on the bench trying to steal other teams signs. Let it go people...they still are clearly one of the two best teams in the league. (The Colts, also known as women who play in a dome, are the second. I can't tell you how much I hate teams who play in a dome. That might be the title of my next post.)

6. The Red Sox are showing signs of 1978. I keep thinking Bucky Dent will show up in SportsCenter. Unfortunately, although it makes great tv drama for ESPN, both teams will make the playoffs anyway so it really doesn't matter. Go Yankees!

7. The Early Heisman frontrunner: Tim Tebow, Florida Quarterback. What a freak.

8. Go Appalachian State!!!! I hope all Big Ten schools are buying up those t-shirts. If they are smart they will also wear their "Keep Lloyd" shirts. We would hate for Michigan to have a real coach.

9. My College Fantasy Football team is incredible. I love Graham Harrell, the Texas Tech Quarterback. Today's Line: 645 yards, 5 TD. If you love college football check out CBS Sportsline's College Fantasy. It is a bit different from Pro in the fact you play units, not just individuals. I have the Wisconsin RBs. So I get all the Wisconsin RB points, not just PJ Hill.

10. Be sure to check out Bill Simmons article on Friday Night Lights. A great article begging you to support the show. SAVE FNL!!!!! In the last 10 years NBC has canceled two other great shows: Freaks and Geeks and American Dreams. Don't let them cancel this show. It is too good. Here is the link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=simmons/070919

(As proof that apparently NBC wants this show to fail, there was not one ad for Friday Night Lights during the Bears-Cowboys Sunday Night Game. I saw ads for Chuck and even Bionic Woman, but no love for FNL. You might think they would want to reach out to FOOTBALL fans by advertising for a show dealing with FOOTBALL! What was I thinking? Apparently, the same ad agency that produced the Burger King commercials with a human dressed as a Whopper Jr. also helps NBC.

11. Go Phillies! (I hate the Mets)

12. The IRISH will be back. Domers, sit back, have a beer and relax. The recruiting classes over the last two years and this incoming one,will have the IRISH back to 8-9 wins next year and BCS bound in 2009. You heard it hear first!!! And for those haters, get your laughs in this year. You won't be able to do it for long. (I love when the haters call Charlie Weis arrogant. If you had three Super Bowl Rings you might be a little arrogant as well. )

Column Break: Examples #1 is an example of the kind of fan I am (Pessimistic, or in this case, Realistic). Example #12 is an example of what I hope to become (Optimistic).

13. Next weekend could shape up to be one of the best of the year. It exemplifies why Fall is the best sports time. Playoff races down to the wire, with great college and pro football too!

Wow! 13 opinions and not one on the not-guilty plea of a former USC Running Back.


Pics:
Ramirez: www.chicagocubs.com
Teb0w: www. espn.com
FNL: www.nbc.com

Fair Weather Fan

It’s New Year’s Eve 2006. My wife Erin and I are having an amazing time at a fun Los Angeles party. Someone asks us what we are doing the next day. We reply, “We plan on sitting on the couch for about 12 hours watching college bowl games.” The party stops. Everyone stares at us, as if they didn’t quite understand the words we just spoke. They look at us like a casting director looks at a bad actor, with a puzzled and somewhat annoyed expression on their faces. Welcome to being a sports fan in Los Angeles.

Never mind that I watched some of the best football games I’d ever seen the next day. I mean, I still get goose bumps when I think of the Boise State comeback to beat Oklahoma. It was irrelevant to Angelians who would much rather spend some time on the beach, go for a hike in the mountains, work on their next screenplay, or acquire some plastic surgery. Granted, there are endlessly more constructive opportunities to fill your day with in the land of sunshine, but for me there is nothing better than becoming emotionally involved in a Dallas Cowboys game. However, in Los Angeles my obsession is looked upon as a trite novelty akin to an offbeat character in a Coen Brothers movie instead of with empathy.

There just aren’t that big of L.A. sports fans. Oh, some try. When the Lakers or Dodgers are winning you see the purple and gold or Dodger blue everywhere. Stadiums are sold out. The 5 o’clock news leads with a sports story instead of covering Paris Hilton’s dog tinkerbell. But even when those teams are winning championships one can go to a game and watch the fans show up in the 3^rd inning or 2^nd quarter and leave in the 7^th inning or sometime in the 4^th quarter. My favorites are the Oakland Raider fans holding on to the fact that they were once the L.A. Raiders. Of course, they don’t know half the players on the team, but they love to plaster the skull and cross bones all over their duely, er…Prius. And why miss the opportunity to wear silver and black and a crooked Raiders cap so you can “represent.”

The lack of sports fervor in the City of Angels isn’t without opportunity. Some of the greatest collegiate sports can be seen within a 10 mile radius. USC and UCLA are among the most storied college sporting schools in the country. You can throw in Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount, all of the UC schools and you have your pick of any excellent college sporting event you want to witness, and easily. Standard admission tickets to a UCLA football game starts at $12. Dodger tickets start at $7. Los Angeles has two professional basketball teams, two pro hockey and baseball teams (if you throw in step-sister Anaheim), and of course the ever-popular David Beckham and MLS Soccer team. There are 14 million people in Los Angeles, more than enough to have rabid fans for each of these venues. Yet, despite Penny Marshall and Billy Crystal’s efforts to the opposite, the LA Clippers are the least popular franchise in NBA history.

Okay, okay. I know I am the exception to my own rule here, but that is all I and many other transplanted sports fans have to clutch. True sports fans in LA are transplant fans from places much less cool than here. Actually, there is a funny phenomenon in Los Angeles. Every town has its own little sports bar, but only on game days because Sports Bars in LA are very scarce and hard to find (I know this may come as a shock to those of you from Chicago or Boston). For example, on Sunday one can find a Cleveland Browns bar where one can wear the ugly orange and brown, chew on a dog bone, and cheer with 30 other transplanted Clevelandites in 75 degree weather and sing Cleveland Rocks with Drew Carey when Brady Quinn throws 4 interceptions in a loss.

There are some other advantages to sports fans in L.A. For one, during football season there is no “local” game. So I get the featured game every week, which is usually the Dallas Cowboys. Yay me. Also, the aforementioned ticket prices; for a sports fan, Los Angeles is your Gladstone’s oyster. No one gives me grief after a tough loss because no one really cared enough to begin with. Plus, there is always room to be an extra on the sexy, if somewhat unrealistic, Hollywood sports movie.

Welcome to being a sports fan in Los Angeles, where the fanatic and fanaticism are rarely seen, where the term “fair weather fan” loses its meaning, and where myself and thousands of other transplanted superfans are left to chase the dreams of our teams that are thousands of miles away. Oh well. I guess I will have to go for a five minute drive (15 in traffic) to the beach and drown my sorrows in the 80 degree weather next to ridiculously good looking, tanned, athletic, and non-sports fan people.

Pictures from:
Kobe : sportsillustrated.com
Booty: usctrojans.cstv.com

The Joy of Saturdays in the Fall

The college football season of 2007 is rapidly approaching and nothing brings more joy to my Saturdays. Screw grocery shopping, mowing the lawn, and the honey's to-do list....give me 5 solid college football games in a row. An 11:00 Big Ten battle, an Irish game at 1:30, a SEC battle in beautiful High-Def TV at 3:30, an ESPN game of the week at 7:00, and a PAC-10 shootout to rest my weary eyes. I love everything about college football. The madness of the BCS, the one loss and your done probability (which makes each game much more exciting than an NFL battle), the excitement of recruiting, and the glorious fight songs. I hold significant resentment for Fall weddings due to the fact I am missing a day of outstanding college football. Here are ten things to love about the 2007 College Football Season:
1. Future Heisman Trophy Winner Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas Razorbacks (Even if you are only an NFL fan, you should watch this guy play since he will be a top 10 draft pick next year. So watch and enjoy Lions, Raiders, and Browns fans)
My other favorite players to watch:

• Pat White, QB, West Virginia

• PJ Hill, RB, Wisconsin

• Travis Thomas, RB, Notre Dame

• Isiah "Juice" Williams, QB, Illinois

• Brian Brohm, QB, Louisville

2. Exciting formations you would think were thought up by drunk college boys playing Madden at 3 in the morning. IE--Anything Florida runs with WR/HB Percy Harvin
3. Big Time Matchups
Must SEE TV:
Sept. 1 Tennessee at Cal (Watch DeSean Jackson of the Bears light up the Tennessee Secondary)
Sept. 8 VA Tech at LSU (Two of the best defenses in the country battle it out in the bayou)
Sept. 15 ND at Michigan (The other rivalry game in the Midwest has ND as a big underdog this year....but remember, they were one two years ago too and stole a victory in the Big House)
Sept 29 Auburn at Florida (Dominance in the outstanding SEC is at stake...oh wait, that is every week)
Oct. 6 Oklahoma vs. Texas (How could you not watch this game?)
Oct. 20 USC at ND (So who is going to push John David Booty over the goal line?)
Nov. 3 LSU at Alabama (How many LSU fans will be able to sneak weapons in?)
Nov. 10 Michigan at Wisconsin (A big 10 title at stake)
Nov. 17 OSU at Michigan (Revenge anyone?)
Dec. 1 UCLA at USC (See above)
4. The absolutely sick matchups week-in and week-out in the SEC.
5. The Defense played by Virginia Tech and USC
6. The Offense played by West Virginia and Texas
7. Tom Zbikowski returning punts.....The boxer, Safety, Punt Returner, Polish Sensation is a wreckless freak when returning kicks....you gotta love it even in you are an ND hater.



8. True Freshman on the field: Joe Mcknight (RB-USC) Jimmy Clausen (QB-ND) Marvin Austin (DT-UNC)
9. The 3 headed QB monster at ND.....who will Charlie have replace Brady Quinn? Can he convert whoever from a 6th Round Draft Pick to a 1st Rounder like he did after he fixed everything Ty Willingham had taught Brady?
10. The much Maligned BCS Championship Game:

Prediction: USC vs. West Virginia....WINNER: USC (Which unfortunately means we have to listen to that Men of Troy song they play after every first down)
Conference Predictions:
Big Ten: Michigan
Big Twelve: Texas
Big East: West Virginia
ACC: Virginia Tech
Pac 10: USC
SEC: LSU

Pics From:
Darren McFadden: www.usatoday.com
Colt McCoy: www.sportsillustrated.com
Tom Zbikowski: www.irisheyes.com