Death Cab for Woody

EPIC FAIL

2008-08-06T11:18:00.000-07:00

Obviously...

This place is a shell of the shell that it used to be, so I am heading over to Men of the Scarlet and Gray to add value...so to speak.

It has been real....

I hope to see you over at my new locale...posting under the moniker

YNBA

Herringbone...out.

There is Hockey in Columbus - Vol I

2007-10-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

What a difference a summer can make for a young team with a disciplinarian for a coach.

I saw something on opening night that I havent seen since the inception of this organization...an actual "breakout" with all of the players on the ice skating towards the opposing team's net with...wait for it...wait for it....SPEED!!!

It has been chronicled over and over again that Hitchcock wanted these guys in shape for this season and now we are seeing why this was so important to him and the performance of this team. I am not sure that they can keep up this pace of forechecking, backchecking and overall effort, but it is very refreshing to see a Columbus team go out on the ice and expect to win...no matter the opponent.

Obviously, Hitchcock has made some strategic changes to the CBJ attack this year, as the defensemen are jumping into the play a lot more and collapsing down low in the attack zone, which would have put the fear of god into any CBJ fan over the last 6 seasons. This team is only destined to be a successful as its defense will take them..on both ends of the ice. Other changes inlclude the "chip and chase" strategy instead of the "dump and chase" strategy utilized over the last few years, which accentuates the speed of some of the smaller forwards (ie Brule, Vyborny, Fritsche) and protects them from getting too roughed up in the corners. This may not seem like a big deal, but it is not easy to change directions for defensemen...even for the best of them when a small forward is flying by you at top speed.

From an individual stanpoint, I havent seen a player that has caused me to want to break something in my living room or change the channel, due to lack of effort or hustle. Players like Zherdev have played hard...even after a "so so" camp where it looked like he was soon to be on the trading block.

Way too early player reviews:

Nash = Stud. I dont think I need to say anything else. If you dont believe me, watch the Phoenix game where neither Jovo or Derek Morris could not move Nasher off of the puck. He will be a force this year..he already is.

Vyborny = See Vyborny's last 3 years in Columbus. They look eerily similar to this year.Most consistent CBJ player on the ice every game...and it looks like he is starting to want to shoot more.

Zherdev = "Less Toe Drag = More Effective Tricky Nick." This year's edition backchecks like a maniac.

Chimera = The best move of the Dougy Mac Era. This guy is Kris Draper with scoring touch. Once he gets his wheels moving, there isnt anyone that can stop him going to the net.

Malhotra/Fritsche = These guys need to pick up their games. Peca looked good in his first game back and Brassard will be ready after Christmas to contribute to this team

Boll = Think Blake Sloan with talent and skating ability...and he didnt go to Michigan. Can you imagine him and Picard on the same line together? Whoa...

Hejda/Novotny = Thank you Mr Howson. You have already proved your worth in bringing talented players into the organization that aren't named LaChance and Cassels.

Hainsey = DCfW whipping boy has started playing strong on both ends of the ice. His offensive game was always a known commodity...hopefully he can keep up the defensive play as the season moves forward.

Kris Russell = This guy will end up being a Calder candidate...I hope. It is nice to see a non-first round draft pick finally flourish for the CBJ. It is tiring seeing the Red Wings bring a new Kronwall-type player to its roster season after season. Power-play QB of the future for the CBJ, which is very exciting. Hopefully, his body can hold up with the amount of beatings that he is sure to take on the blueline. I dont look forward to games against Iginla, Tckachuk, or Bertuzzi for Kris....they will be brutal.

Fedorov = Starting to look like the dominant player that he was in the 90's when he wants to...which is for about 2-3 minutes a game. I'll give him a break, but there seems to be a lot of #2 Centers on this team...

Peca = When this guy is finally brought into the rotation of the top 6 forwards, the CBJ will be an even better defensive team. It is exciting to have a proven commodity at the center position...that is consistent.

LeClaire = 'Le Grinch' has been stellar so far this year through two games and hasnt even seen a puck laying behind him in a game yet. This is sure to change, but Pascal has been aggressive and is playing his angles very well. He still has the fastest legs in the league.

Hopefully, the CBJ will continue its fantastic play tonight in Colorado. This should be a good game...

Go CBJ! and dag gummit...Go Tribe!!

State of the "Diss" Union

2007-10-12T14:29:00.000-07:00

Ohio State is 6-0 (probably 7-0 after this weekend). After this weekend, the Bucks will attempt to navigate the “murderer’s row” section of its schedule.

Understandably, the "IRA-esque" section of the “SEC Fandom” has deemed OSU and the entire B10 conference as garbage. Calls of “Kentucky or South Carolina would dominate that conference of slow northern Yankees” have emanated from below the Mason-Dixon line since January 8th and Michigan’s colossal collapse against App State and trunk-f*cking by Oregon have done the rest of us simple plodding Midwest folk no favors.

I really don’t want to bother with these types of arguments, as it is a simple fact that OSU will most likely make the MNC game in New Orleans if it finishes undefeated. LSU’s home schedule of tough games and away schedule of VMI 5 or 6 times will likely not provide any challenges, until a neutral field contest for the SEC Championship game. Cal still has some tough games, but the preliminary SOS ratings will most likely favor OSU if both schools win out (HT: TellShow).

I have seen some articles making mention of the idea of LSU losing in the SECCG and whether or not they ~~will~~ still deserve to be in the MNC game. Simple Answer: No. There is past precedence for this type of loss and with teams of this caliber. Look no further than Ohio State in 1998. A late season loss (not even the last game of the season) and the team never had a chance to get back in the MNC discussion. Why should someone get a pass now? ESPN will have its say on this topic if it occurs and, of course, no one is allowed to have an opinion that goes against the mighty gauntlet of college football knowledge employed by ABC/ESPN. Ultimately, the SEC could get its way in the polls through public opinion, which is so ass-backwards right now that SEC fans and media could make an argument that the SEC should have a permanent seat in the MNC and Craig James, Rece Davis, and our own Herb Kirkstreit would nod in agreement so quickly that they wouldn’t even know which side of Slive’s scrotum is hitting them, during “ESPN’s Teabag Saturday” in early December.

Winning out for OSU or Cal will not be an easy task. Too bad either school doesn’t have the media on its side in case of a late season loss, which will, in all likelihood, be afforded to LSU, if it stumbles. This is sad…this is SEC homerism. Almost makes you wish that Notre Dame was decent so some of the homerism could rationed to more than one set of schools. Oh yeah…one more thing. How does the entire conference get credit for it’s set of two exceptional teams (UF and LSU)? That would be like the Columbus Blue Jackets taking credit for the Red Wings dominance in the Central Division for the last eleventy-billion years or something. The fact that I have to root for the schools in my conference that I have perennially hated during their OOC schedule makes me want to puke. Fore the love of god, I had to root for UM when they played in the standard “meteor” game against Notre Dame this year. FU SEC…FU for making me stoop down to this level. You make me feel like a Red Sox fan rooting for the Yankees, which is just wrong in so many ways.

Big Ten Roundtable - Week 2

2007-09-04T14:34:00.000-07:00

While I was absent last week (or all summer...depending on your perspective), you cant keep the DCfW down. Let's get it on!

There Is No Name On My Jersey brings us a good series of questions for the Week 2 Edition of the Big10 Roundtable.

And away we go...

Clearly, Week 1 was a huge week for upsets with Appalachian St. beating Michigan and Clemson beating FSU (though if that really shocked anyone I'd be surprised). What are your upset games for Week 2 and why?

Upset Special #1
#22 TCU at #4 Texas – Let’s face it. Without UM’s collapse against App State, Texas’ performance against Arkansas State would have provided a great deal of message board fodder and material to the blogosphere. They were borderline terrible after the first quarter and were lucky to win this game, from some post game reports. We have all heard about TCU’s defense this off-season. Don’t think that the Frogs haven’t had this one circled all summer. It is going to be a war. It will be interesting to see how many shots a beef-up Coly McCoy can take from this defense, because TCU will bring the house every chance they get on Saturday.

Upset Special #2
#12 Cal at Colorado State – This is a classic “let-down” game. Colorado State has never been an easy place for visiting teams to win. Yes, Cal has the talent, but is the motivation there? Fortunately for Cal, this is not a night game.

Upset Special #3
Alabama at Vanderbilt – For those of us not fortunate enough to see Vanderbilt’s entire season on the Jefferson-Pilot Network, Vandy was a force to be dealt with in the SEC last season. Neither team is ranked, but common sense would tell you that Alabama is just another class above Vandy…WRONG! We’ll see if Saban’s Alabama squad has an answer for the sweet combo of Chris Nickson (19 of 25 for 284 and 4 TDs against the mighty Richmond Spiders) and Earl Bennett (13 catches for 233 yards with 3 TDs).

2. What do you think about the BTN? How'd it look? How were the announcers? Did the first weekend change your opinion of the BTN?

- Overall, the BTN was a success this weekend. A lot of the mainstream media seemed to have issues with the BTN commercial spots being played over and over again, but it is obvious that the BTN knows that most of us were watching it in a bar or at a friends house. So for the Dodd’s and Fiutak’s of the journalism world…”DEAL WITH IT!”

- I primarily stuck with the OSU-YSU game, but the announcers put together a good product. Tomczak and Twibell did a decent job of making the game interesting, which YSU’s decent play in the first half was a great help, as well. I would say that the current level is above the old ESPN+ game crews and below ESPN2 MAC game crews at this point. I think that once the HD feeds are settled the BTN will be a great product.

- My opinion of the BTN is unchanged after this weekend. I want it at home. However, COMCAST wants to give me a steady diet of the Food Network, Oxygen, and WE. Seriously…How many Daphne Zuniga movies can be shown in one weekend?

3. Now that we're a game into the Season evaluate the Big Ten's strength.

- Linebackers – Connor, Lee, Laurinitis, Leman. The linebacker play over the course of the first weekend was what we all expected from these four. 20 tackles for Leman and a big game from Sean Lee with 2TFL, 1 sack, and a forced fumble. Linebackers are still all the rage in the Big10 this year.

- Wide Receivers – Brian Robiskie is the next OSU receiver stud with his 9-catch 153-yard performance on Saturday. Luke Swann put together a nice afternoon with a 170-yard performance. Notice, I made no mention of all-world receiver Mario Manningham or James “The Gigantor” Hardy.

- First-Year Starting Quarterbacks – There were a lot of question marks for Wisconsin and OSU starting some new blood under center this season. It looks like some of those concerns have been alleviated for the time being. Todd Boeckman, Tyler Donovan, and Brian Hoyer all had nice starts in some “cream-puff” type of games.

On Notice - Week #1

2007-09-03T22:18:00.000-07:00

DCfW Post Game Review: Youngstown State

2007-09-03T21:20:00.000-07:00

It was a typical September OOC game for the Buckeyes against an old friend of Jimmy T. The Youngstown State Penguins were in town and the Buckeyes were a not-so-gracious host. I wouldnt say they were rude to YSU, but they didnt provide level of hospitality afforded up at the Big House(with Kittens and emo).

Things of note...
1. Todd Boeckman is a pretty good quarterback and he throws a pretty deep ball, which we have been hearing from the coaching staff for last 18 years of Todd's college career in Columbus. Good start for him. I read that he missed some check downs (and did not utilize consumate v's when drawing dragons..see below). I didnt see them, but you guys explain icing or delayed offsides? I didnt think so...so BACK-OFF!
2. All of the running backs were fantastic except for one. Unfortunately, this was the running back that has the biggest expectations...Chris Wells. Chris stated that his focus was not there in a post-game interview. I hope this is not a sign of things to come for the perceived leader of the Buckeye backfield. However, Maurice Wells and Brandon Saine were very good. Saine was hitting holes hard and running with authority, while Wells seemed to be a little more comfortable inside of the tackles.
3. You cannot understate the signifigance of the Lawrence Wilson injury. Go watch his sack in Saturday's game about 4 times and tell me that OSU's D-Line will not miss that type of player. Let's hope that true freshman Cameron Heyward can help with the load. All you can really say here is "Thank God it wasnt a defensive tackle.."
4. Youngstown State was no slouch. They had a gameplan to take away the run and stacked the box in doing so. Mostly, their hopes relied on a slow start by Boeckman, which just did not happen. YSU's undersized, yet quick, defensive line caused some issues for the OSU O-Line. YSU's quarterback was efficient, but did not dazzle. YSU did not have any turnovers in this game, otherwise, the score would have gotten out of hand.
5. Youth prevails! There were a lot of freshman that played in this game and made significant contributions to the OSU victory. Brandon Saine, Dane Sanzenbacher, Taurian Washington, and Eugene Clifford made some plays that make the loss of playmakers from last year's squad seem a little more palatable. Again, it was YSU, but (in the past) OSU hasnt seemed to have many true freshman step in the early going.
6. Brian Robiskie is a monster. I really cant wait to see him go up against Justin King later this year. Speed against size and strength. Let's hope that offensive line can give Todd some time in Happy Valley to find him.
7. Kurt Coleman & Anderson Russell. Best Safety tandem at OSU since...I cant even think of a good one to compare them to at this point. Coleman was flying all over tha place in this game, and Russell was very disruptive as well.

Other notes...
1. That whole UM fiasco up north...well...I dont think it really means a lot at this point. UM will still have a good season most likely. If they are not motivated by now...they never will be. For some reason, I see them beating OSU and winning their bowl game this year. Too much talent. Unfortunately, most of that talent is on the offensive side of the ball. The coaching is kind of shit-riffic on that side of the ball as well. I mean the "English Majors" smelled that like they had a couple of bottles of "Olde English" spilled on them after Saturday's debacle.
2. Cal is pretty good. Obviously they are very fleet of foot. I mean they cant be SEC fast. Seriously, Mississippi State and Ole Miss would kill them on a neutral field.
3. Speaking of the SEC...How long until Les messes this one up? That defense is fantastic, but that offense is teh suxor. Any team with a competent offense will score some points against LSU, but will LSU be able to score against these teams? To be continued...
4. Tim Tebow can throw a football. Apparently, he threw 12 passes for 300 yards. Still not impressed....yeah I know...it's just me.
5. Jake Locker (from the UW) looks pretty fast. Unfortunately, it was against Syracuse, which is "hella" slow. He looks the part, but let's wait and see how he looks against Boise State before we call him the savior of the Husky Nation. Ok?
6. The trunk-f*cking of the week? Notre Dame. It looks more and more like Charlie cant gameplan his way out of a wet paper bag. Guess who is getting the trunk-f*cking of the week in week 2? Notre Dame. Penn State is going to unleash hell on those guys next week. It could get ugly. From urine on the band to a sieve-like offensive line, Notre Dame is in serious trouble in Happy Valley next week.
7. Can't Read, Can't Write, Kent State. Way to make us Ohioans proud. Taking out Iowa State is no small feat. Honorable Mention to BGSU for it's game against a rebuilding Minnehaha squad in Tim Brewster's head coaching debut.
8. I'm already tired of seeing stuff about the App State-UM game on ESPN or any other sports outlet. Yes, it was a huge and monumental win for a I-AA school, but in typical EPSN fashion...they need to glamorize it to a point of nausea. Thank god I am not a UM fan...otherwise it would feel a lot like the weeks following 1/8/07.
9. Go Tribe! Beat Johan Santana for the fifth time this season. No other team has beaten Santana more than once in any season prior to this year.
10. One other note for the CBJ faithful. Detroit picked up Mark Hartigan this past offseason. This was a quiet move in the grand scheme of things in the NHL, but anyone that knows how Mark Hartigan plays will realize this is a huge get for the Wings. Like the Wings need any freakin' help. I am calling it now. He will be a scoring machine in Detroit's system. He is a 2nd or 3rd center in the Wings' system...and is a farm club call on almost every other team's roster.

Finally...I bring you Strongbad at his finest...enjoy...

Peace...

Herringbone

Championship Afterbirth...err...math

2007-07-14T11:59:00.000-07:00

I have always been a big fan of watching people confirm that they would endure much confusion when attemping to decipher the difference between their ass and a hole in the ground.

I have always stated that the University of Michigan has been yearly overrated by the pre-season polls. Well, most Buckeye fans have stated as much on a yearly basis. There is also a small contingent of Buckeye fans that probably think the same thing this year, as well. I am not among them. I am not seeing many other teams outside of USC that really look to have everything it needs to be a true MNC contender this upcoming season. Every one of these teams in the Top 5 this year has a major flaw that it will need to develop or mask effectively to make it through it's schedule this year.

A quick glance...the order doesnt matter to me..USC will be a head-and-shoulders above everyone this year...IMO

2 Michigan - A lot of holes on that defense that need to be filled with departures of Woodley and Branch. Dont get me started on that secondary. The Yost crowds have a word that caters well to the UM secondary...sieve.
3. LSU - QB. It doesnt matter if they are bringing back someone that has experience as a starter within the LSU system. LSU will not be able to have the same luxuries it had last year with Uncle JaMarcus under center. Also, LSU's biggest shortcoming...Les Miles...does less with more consistently every year.
4. West Virginia - Give me a team with an average secondary and is willing to stack nine in the box. Crap...that's right the Big East doesnt have one of those.
5. Texas - Young offensive line. Hopefully, Colt spent some time in the weight room this summer.
6. Florida - See West Virginia. However, the SEC probably has a few teams that can expose Tim "Dont call me a mobile Tim Couch" Tebow's throwing ability. Championship hangovers are a bitch...ask the 2003 OSU team.

All in all...everyone is playing for #2 this year. There are a lot of teams that could end up undefeated this year, so we are already starting to hear about supposed SEC superiority and why they should be given a free pass if a team wins the SEC champoionship.

Lesley Miles dogging the Big12 and the PAC-10, which is curious to SEC and non-SEC fans alike.

Kyle over at Dawg Sports

Corporate Bloggers over at EDSBS

Fanhouse Crazy Talk

Nick Saban taking a shot on the Big 10.

Hey Nick, what was your record in the Big10? Dont worry Nick, I got your back...34-24-1. Nick was pretty much the picture of mediocrity in the Big 10 with the exception of one year (1999) and still managed to choke his team out of a BCS bid with two late season trunk-f*ckings at the hands of Purdue and Wisconsin. Nick tosses out this gem...

"No disrespect to the Big Ten, but most of the time there were three or four good teams in the Big Ten each year," he said. "Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State were pretty good and then there might be another team or two that was better that year. But here (in the SEC) there were eight or nine teams that were all pretty good. That was a challenge to play with the kind of consistency you needed to be able to sustain that kind of performance.

Yeah OSU, UM and PSU (Saban 6-7 versus the Big Three) were pretty good, but they never laid losses on Saban and MSU like Wisconsin and Purdue did in 99.

Needless to say, SEC-homerism is a great drug.

Looking further at Saban's Big10 Record...combined record against Wisconsin and Purdue ...wait for it...wait for it....2-5-1. I guess there are more than 3 good teams in the conference. I know...it's crazy. That puts the Big 10 at 5 good teams, but the SEC has like a hundred good teams. I mean even Ole Miss could give USC a run for it's money.

See, the coaches are good at slightly dogging other conferences, but the real heavy-hitters for the SEC are the footbaw bloggers. In particular, Gatorpilot from Orange and Blue Hue tends to rival the zealotry of a typical Monticello, Utah-based polygamist.

I very seldom stick up for Michigan in anything (bastards), but comments like these are stale and over-played from below the Mason-Dixon line, my friends. In reference to UM's schedule and potential to get better from 2006-2007..

No, Michigan didn’t get better since then. But their schedule didn’t get any worse, either. In fact it got a lot easier, if such a thing is possible, and that lines them up for a BCS appearance if they can beat a couple of decent teams before January. Remember, this is the entire schedule. The Big 10 doesn’t play a conference championship game.

I just want to pull out a snippet of the schedule bashing and ask a simple question afterwards....

October 20th - @ Illinois (Gatorpilot references as "Push Over")
October 27th - Minnesota (Gatorpilot references as "Cupcake")
November 3rd - @ Michigan State (Gatorpilot references as "Tediously Average")
November 10th - @ Wisconsin (Gatorpilot references as "Legitimate Top 25")
November 17th - Ohio State (Gatorpilot references as "Blood Rival")

Allow me to re-tort in a different manner...

How would UF and Timmy Tebow fare in these four games?

October 20th - @ Illinois - I think that the pushover tag would be removed either in pre-game or after UF's first offensive series. See, this is around the time of year that Memorial Stadium starts to turn into a freakin' wind tunnel. I see nine in the box and Tim Couch..err..Tebow limp-wristing throws into the wind (Come on non-Florida fans...we've seen him throw...the "noodle-arm" era is beginning in Gainesville). UF will probably win, but it will be a struggle and UF will be awfully sore after that game. Illinois' defense was extremely tough last year by the end of the year and should be pretty good this season as well. (Likelihood of win = 60%)

October 27th - Minnesota - Win...probably a blowout. Minnehaha is in a serious re-building mode right now. (Likelihood of win = 95%)

November 3rd - @ Michigan State - Win...MSU has some athletes and probably wont make the same John L Smith mistakes in the past with Dantonio at the helm. UF will actually have to beat MSU...MSU will not implode. An interesting wrinkle would be the gameplanning between Dantonio and Meyer. Dantonio is Meyer's equal in defensive versus offensive gameplanning, but he doesnt have the horses that Meyer does at his disposal. (Likelihood of win = 70%)

November 10th - @ Wisconcsin - Loss. UF may have the speed advantage...just like Auburn did in 2005 and just like Arkansas did in 2006. However, Wisconsin would be the toughest team that UF would face all year. Toughest is the key word. I am not saying that they are the better team, but you dont go into Madison in November and expect to win. It will probably be snowing or in the upper 30's for gametime. Elements and the fact that they are playing a good team with talented players would be a likely loss. Remeber...Wisconsin doesnt run around you...they run through you...and your 240lb Defensive ends. (Likelihood of win = 10%)

November 17th - OSU - UF will have the advantage on the offensive side of the ball, but you can ask any UM fan, as this will not be an OSU team that you would want to play at the end of this upcoming season. It will be a straight forward running attack and the defense will be worlds better than it was last year. Tebow will get his yards and UF will definitely have a homefield advantage. (Likelihood of win = 65%)

Any team that will make it through those 5 games undefeated probably deserves some recognition...well...at least some educated recognition.

About that whole Conference Championship thingy, it is a money train for the conference....not a rite of passage to a National Title appearance. If Florida would have played aginst Michigan they way that it played against Arkansas in it's last game of the season, Florida would have lost by 20 to UM. They fumbled and bumbled their way into a win in that game and were fortunate enough to find a fat and happy OSU team waiting in Glendale. Florida won that BCS Championship game very impressively, but Florida walked into a nice situation similar to OSU in 2002 with Miami.

If I were a UF fan, I would be more worried about the bullseye on the back of the Gators and the subsequent "best shot" from each team on its schedule. Then again who could argue with a group of fans supporting a team that is finishing it's season with this minefield of games....Georgia, Vandy, @ South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, and Florida State (Herringbone references these teams as "Terrible"...yes, even Georgia and Florida State...and dont get me started on Western Kentucky)

See it's all about perspective, SEC fan looks at Big Ten schedule and thinks there are only 2-3 tough games on there a year. I look at UF's schedule this year and I see 3 teams this year that are even in the arena of being worthy to describe as formidable (Tenn, Auburn, and LSU). Outside of those teams, Georgia and South Carolina are the only teams that might give UF a Northwestern-style scare in-conference. However, Georgia = No Offense, Florida State = NC State w/Chuck Amato..all athletes...no football knowledge. The rest of that schedule is garbage.

The only thing that is going knock the SEC zealots off of their high horse is a sound arse whipping in the bowl season. I dont see the Big10 having two representatives in the BCS this year, so this should be an interetesting year for Big 10-SEC matchups in the bowl season. Then again, outside of Florida's game against OSU, the SEC has been teh suxor against the Big Ten in bowl games the last few years. Dont let that fact cloud your judgement SEC fans, because CBS will be ready to tell the world during an in-game soliloquy of the SEC's dominance...in earnest. Unfortunately, the rest of the college football world will have CBS on mute, so they wont have to hear about for the 400th time.

A few updates to this blog of antiquity

2007-07-14T11:08:00.000-07:00

Again, ignoring the masses of fans that frequent this site. Apologies...I really mean it this time. Seriously. In all honesty...

Additions to Greatest Blogroll Ever...

Buckeye Lane - A new Buckeye site. If he follows the lead of any site but mine, he will have great success.

Badger Sports Fan - Our first Badger link. Awesome.

Hawkeye State - Ditto, but Hawkeyes of course.

Blogroll Fixes...

Fixed "The 12th Manchild"...sorry it took so freakin' long.

The Hockey Report = Fixed. My bad Adam...

Draft Party in Cowtown...That is Columbus for you Non-Ohio types

2007-06-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

So Anaheim has won the Stanley Cup...awesome. California winning the cup is about as useful as a third nipple...unless you are into that kind of thing...not that there is anything wrong with that.

More importantly, everyone was able to see how the ratings were terrible for this year's Cup Finals broadcast. There is nothing more entertaining than watching the journalists play the equivalent of tee-ball when they dont have a good story with juicy bits involved.

The thought process involves...

Ratings were poor this year + Hockey is not broadcast on "Worldwide Leader" = Hockey is sure to die in the future.

I say nay...

Look, a lot of people love hockey, but we all saw this coming. This is not a sport for the simple-minded creature that enjoys basketball or football on the periphery. This is a sport that takes some time to learn and understand what is actually going on out there. Hell, it takes some people a half of a season to understand icing when they are first learning the game. Lets slow down a little bit before we start talking about "cycling" and "zone responsibilities" with the noobs..ok?

To more positive news, and by positive I mean CBJ new...which is never positive, the candidiates for the CBJ jobs seem to be jumping ship or are just not delicious enough to get excited about. Bob Murray hung around long enough to get a cup of coffee, which makes a lot of CBJ fans sad. So that leaves Howson from Edmonton and Les Jackson from Dallas as the "real" remaining candidates. The one thing that really seems to be a little curious is Detroit denying Jim Nill the opportunity to talk to the Columbus organization about the position. I would think that this would make Steve Yzerman (regardless of his current position in the organization) a little upset, as he will probably want this job prior to eventually moving up to the Red Wing GM position whenever Kenny Holland decides he has had enough. I cant see him moving into the GM chair without some time as the assistant GM. IMO...

The 2007 NHL Entry Draft is coming to Columbus. Finally! Some postseason excitement.

I cannot attend (stupid new plane), but my CBJ Blogging Brethren (Drew and Michael) have decided to throw a clambake of some type for the in-town and out-of-town bloggers. It should be a pretty good time.

Here are some details...I suggest you attend...and bring something for the party..like local food...and that doesnt mean Coney Island food (whcih sucks) Wings bloggers!

Peace Out

Herringbone

Wait for it...yeah...Troy Smith is no longer able to throw footballs or walk upright.

2007-04-27T21:30:00.000-07:00

According draft gurus Todd Shay and Mel Kiper Jr., Troy Smith has gone from a first day pick to free agent status in the last 18 hours. The basis for this judgement has nothing to do with past performance, which has been basically perfect with the expection of a few hiccups against Penn State in 2005 and the Disaster in the Desert.

The assessment has been accumulated from Todd and Mel tossing Brady's and Russell's salads so much that they forgot what a Troy Smith salad tastes like. Personally, I am not keen to Troy Smith's salad, but most of the draft experts approach a Chester the Molester level with the amount of information and gushing over the flavor of the month talent that can throw a football over a mountain with a set of testicles in his mouth and nine broken fingers.

Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay carpooling to a private prospect workout near you

Let's look at the DCfW resumes of the two quarterbacks that are destined to be the first two quarterbacks taken in the draft tomorrow. Of course, this is all conjecture and factless banter, but bear with me...

JaMarcus Dilfer...err...Russell

Accomplishments inlude being able to being throw a football 6,000 yards underhand. I know this because this is all that I heard about when I watched the most ridiculous media "circus-sealing" ever, during this past Sugar Bowl, as JM faced a secondary and overall defense in Norte Dame that rivals that of an average MAC team.

Hey NFL draftniks, just because the guy is the size of a large condominium in the Seattle-area (if you lived here you would understand) that doesnt translate to on field success. JM has had a knack for not showing up in the biggest of games, especially in-conference. Take Auburn in 2006 and UT/UGA in 2005. These are games that a team with the talent of LSU (which is what we hear every year) should not lose at home or not have the ability to score one single freakin' touchdown.

Brady "I'm Notre Dame's QB, so that means I'm great against Coast Guard" Quinn...

Never has there been a QB that has earned more accolades for buckling in his biggest games each year. The best games in his career have been against team like Navy, Boston College, and Stanford. Notice that I did not mention USC, OSU, LSU, or Michigan. Yeah...basically he has not been able to lead his teams to victories in any big games....

And that just simply screams...pick me first!

In Conclusion...

I dont care about where Troy Smith gets drafted this year, but the fact that he is shade under 6-feet shouldnt make him any less of a high draft pick candidate than these other two that have played in the same amount of big games as Trpy Smith, but have lost twice as many games as Mr. Smith.

Makes you wonder when the NFL is just going to admit that they are just drafting like the NBA...for potential...not performance....not intangibles (unless you Notre Dame QA emu-ish

hair) nor leadership ability.

Enjoy the draft. I will be watching it from my high-altitude tent...I've got to start training for all of the games next year that may give me a heart-attack. The Bucks are going to have some problems scoring points...welcome back to 2002...

Where is my mind?

2007-04-18T21:54:00.000-07:00

It's freakin' all over the place...

I havent been writing about the CBJ, the OSU Men's BB (that almost won a national championship...by almost, I mean not a chance in hell), or OSU spring football.

Yeah, I am a little removed from the blog and have been for the last couple of months. I apologize to my six loyal readers.

But in an attempt to make amends, I come back to the blogging community asking for a second chance to write about things that mean little to many people yet important to very few.

So...let's start with something that I do know about...hockey and the luck of the draw.

Let's look at the CBJ and it's recent draft history and look at another franchise that doesnt deserve half of the luck it has been granted over the last 15 years....The Pittsburgh Penguins.

CBJ Name-dropping...
Top Brass:
Rick Nash - Most hockey aficianados and causal fans have a least heard of Rick. He is the face of the franchise.

Everybody Else:
Nikolai Zherdev - Columbus' Enigma or Zenigma. Does the term "uncoachable" do anything for ya?
Gilbert Brule - Too bad the CBJ doesnt play in the WHL...otherwise Gilbert would dominate.
Pascal LeClaire - The Grinch that cant finish a season. Fastest legs in hockey.
Rusty Klesla - Every time he is ready to turn the corner, a Kirk Maltby is waiting to check him into an open bench door.
Alex Picard - Couldnt score at an airport spa with $100 bills hanging out of his pocket
Derick Brasard - Drafted in the first round with bad shoulders. Its like buying a BMW with both axles broken.

Of the players listed above, only Nash, Klesla, and Zherdev have provided any meaningful minutes or contributions to make the team better, which is pathetic.

Pittsburgh Name-Dropping...
Top Brass:
Sidney Crosby - Watch the CBC and let me know if you can go more than an hour without seeing a Sid "The Kid" commercial. He scores points in bunches and makes Pittsburgh legit.
Evgeni Malkin - Remember that scene from "Bottle Rockets" where Owen Wilson wonders how one of his friends, who is such an asshole, can have such a nice kitchen.
Marc-Andre Fleury - If you are keeping track at home, that is 3 draft picks in three years in the top two slots.
Jordan Staal - Yeah...that would be a single #1 pick and 3 #2 picks in 4 years.

I didnt even bring Colby Armstrong into the equation.

For the CBJ faithful, let's realize that if the CBJ had accumulated these types of draft picks over the last four years, the CBJ would be in the playoffs. Hell, they would have probably made a run for the Central Division.

So....while we can blame Doug MacLean for a lot of poor management decisions, the CBJ fans need to realize that there is a lot of luck involved in a building a great team. "Cant-miss" prospects are normally in the top 3-5 picks of the draft.

Amazingly enough, I just realized that Dougy Mac has just been fired this evening...

Apparently, his poor management decisions have caught up with him.

Happy Trails Doug....

Week #5 - DCfW Song of the Week

2007-02-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

Another week...another song...

Name the commercial...

Artist: The Walkmen
Title: We've Been Had
Album: Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone(Buy the Album here)

Let me know what you think and any suggestions that you may have for next week's contribution.

Herringbone

**Dont be a dick..dont download..this is for evaluation purposes only!

Again, there is an issue with Firefox autoplaying the SotW, which is totally uncool. Any suggestions (like another embedded player)? Let me know...yo...

OSU wins defensive struggle..Butch Sprains Shoulder...Doyel Sprains Vagina

2007-02-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

I took in the OSU-UW game this afternoon. It seemed like a typical Big10 showdown with massive amounts of defensive play and physical intensity that is not in seen other conferences.

Basically, this game turned into a slugfest and the final scored indicated this as such.

Quick hitters...

- Oden is still a work in progress. Some of his travels were obvious...some were not travels. Yes,he could go to the NBA right now, but he wouldnt play...even for the Celtics. He needs another year....or two.
- Speaking of travelling, have you guys seen Alando Tucker play basketball? His jump-step is NBA ready now.
- Conley will be one of the best point guards to ever play in the Big10 before he leaves. His confidence level increases every game.
- Wisconsin plays basketball just like it plays hockey....deliberate..intense..disciplined
- The 2-3 zone works great (against teams that cant rebound), but OSU has the depth to man up the whole game, regardless of Oden's presence in the middle of the 2-3.
- That injury to Butch in the first half was brutal. It looked like he had a grapefruit on the back of his elbow when he got up.
- That injury that Greg Doyel received while putting together his write-up from the game was brutal. It looked like he had a grapfruit on the front of his vagina when he finished writing it. Weird..
- I hope these two teams meet up in the Big10 tournament final. Hopefully, it will be the same type of game, so none of the pundits give UW or OSU a chance in the Big Dance.
- As a Buckeye fan, I am really pulling for UW to get healthy for the NCAA tournament. They are a team that will give a lot of good teams fits. They play defense very well, which is something that most teams in the country arent doing right now...even flavor of the week Kansas...

In other news...
Speaking of vaginas, Jack Johnson and the Michigan Hockey team were in town this weekend. I single out Jack Johnson, who has a history of cheap shots, took out OSU's leading scorer, Tommy Goebel on Friday with a questionable hit (It seems like Jack has a lot of those...doesnt it?). Role reversal between the two teams, as UM scored with about a minute left on Friday night and OSU returned the favor on Saturday pulling out a 6-5 victory.

Week #4 - DCfW Song of the Week

2007-02-18T00:47:00.000-08:00

The feature is back from the dead...similar to this blog.

Artist: Silversun Pickups
Title: Lazy Eye
Album: Carnavas (Buy the Album here)

Let me know what you think and any suggestions that you may have for next week's contribution.

Herringbone

**Dont be a dick..dont download..this is for evaluation purposes only!

Again, there is an issue with Firefox autoplaying the SotW, which is totally uncool. Any suggestions (like another embedded player)? Let me know...yo...

Yeah...so I am back...

2007-02-17T23:54:00.000-08:00

So...after a bit of a hiatus, I figured that it was time to get back in the saddle and spew some vitriol in all the right places. Rest assured...the fork has been removed from my temple...and now approaches unattended electrical outlets...constantly.

OSU Football...see pic above and imagine doing this every day for about a week. This would some up the life experience that was the 2006 OSU Football Team

OSU Basketball - As unexciting as it was when I lived in Columbus, imagine how unexciting it is out here in Seattle. The pathetic crowds rival that of the OSU men's hockey team. At least the hockey team has an excuse for poor attendance, they're rebuilding.

CBJ...Aww F**k Off. So happy that I am not a season ticket holder anymore...dont know if I am could stand another empty prmoise from the management and ownership while Minnesota is a consistent threat to make the playoffs and the CBJ players are a consistent threat to have their handicaps squared away by June.

Onto more interesting topics like the non-big news of February.

Recruiting
OSU signs mediocre recruiting class...or should we say that OSU signed a class that did not rival the ridiculousness displayed by Flavor of the Week Florida and yearly recruiting juggernaut USC. I am really not concerned about the star ratings and such. They really mean little to most. I mean take USC, for example. All that talent being recruited every year, yet still managed to lose to Oregon State. I dont recall Oregon State having any 5-star recruits on it's roster.

I rarely agree with Brian about anything. However, his nice article about creepy SEC recruiting in conjunction with Jim Delaney's recent statement on the SEC versus the Big10 was very insightful. OSU and UM have pulled together some great recruiting classes over the last 4-5 years, yet never have the sheer numbers that schools like Florida and Georgia seem to put together every year. Then again...OSU and UM doesnt seem to have nearly the class attrition each year that the SEC schools have either, which isnt caused by the school curriculums but the fact that the 600 players that sign to go to school at UGA cant even qualify. Sad that the SEC schools count on this attrition to allow them to over-recruit. You would think that the NCAA would maybe spend ome time on this scenario instead of Native American mascots, but I digress...

Music
I had started a weekly song of the week post to relay some music to the masses that might still listen to that Green Day - Dookie album...or just cant figure out why every band sounds like Blink-182. Well, it hasnt gone away. I will bring back this feature this week and will continue to put out more music that you may or may not want to sample.

The greatest band of all-time....The Shins...released a new album at the end of January "Wincing the Night Away." A very highly anticipated album out here in the Pacific Northwest, as they were able to sell out two shows at the Paramount Theater in Seattle. Not sure how this album is going over in Columbus. However, the last time they played in Columbus in 2005, The Shins were not able to fill up the Newport, which is sad.

Another favorite band, Explosions in the Sky released a new album this past week "All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone." I havent picked it up yet, but the band's popularity is soaring, as a majority of it's US shows are sold out and they will be playing at Coachella on 4/29.

Other bands/albums of note...
- Silver Sun Pickups - Carnavas
- The Black Angels - Passover
- Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass

So...apologies to all for not posting about the Bluejackets and SEC dominance in every competitive sport every created...with the exception of hockey.

Better times are ahead....now if Boeing can just build this new plane everything will be alright....

Pwned...Seriously...Jorts 41 - Land of Coaches 14

2007-01-08T21:38:00.000-08:00

I'll be back after I visit the emergency room to get this fork removed from my temple...this could take weeks or it might just take until the next CBJ victory....

Herringbone...in severe misery

Congrats to the UF Gators...Cant argue the ass-whooping....

More Bulletin Board Material...and Lazy Journalism at its Finest

2007-01-07T13:07:00.000-08:00

Brandon Siler...We Knew You Could Do It!!

But when fielding questions at the Tostitos BCS National Championship Game Media Day, Florida linebacker Brandon Siler, from Evans High School, said his team will win.

"I've had the feeling all year," Siler said. "We will win this game. I know it."

Las Vegas says Florida's a 7-7.5 point underdog. But Siler insist not to bet on Ohio State.

"Not unless you want to lose some money," he said.

I guess you guys really are disrespected down there...I feel your pain brother...oh it stings...it stings...

Moving on...
I have been hearing a lot of smack from moron SEC beat writers (not bloggers) that feel the need to bash OSU's academic standing and utilize the NCAA numbers from past year graduation rates (Student entering in 1999...aka documentation containing players that were on the roster before Meyer or Tressel took over their respective programs) and african-american graduation rates.

First, I will never understand the need to segregate a race in the graduation rates, but whatever works...like people in the south (sans African-Americans) give two shits about the african-american graduation rates at UF or any other school in the south. It has about the same importance for the schools in the north. Regardless, people in the south speaking about how much they care about the well-being of african-americans and their team cumulative GPA at Florida would be similar to an *insert totally politically incorrect Al Queda & American "caring" comparison here*. This little ditty from the Miami Herald is a good example of slanted reporting at its finest...

"If academics were the measuring stick, the Buckeyes might be considered a two touchdown underdog. UF had an 80% graduation among football players while OSU had a 55% mark. Also, Ohio State's 32% graduation rate among black football players was the next to lowest of all the bowl eleigible teams this year. (Georgia was lowest with 24 percent)

Wouldnt it be nice if these article utilized some relevant numbers (which would be difficult because then the writer might have to spend a few more minutes on research by picking up a phone) like let's say this past quarters numbers for the OSU football team...I'll let the UF fans tell me what it's team academic numbers are for the semester/quarter.

OSU Football Academic Numbers - Fall Quarter 2006
Ohio State had a Football team cumulative GPA of 2.93 with 61 players over 3.0 (BTW Notre Dame had a team cumulative of 3.04 .)
21 Big Ten All-Academic Football players in Fall of 2006. This number led all of the the Big 10 Schools
(HT: Ozone Forum)

I think the most interesting aspect of this whole can of worms is that we go through this with the Detroit Free Press and Detroit News every year. They find a million things wrong with how OSU conducts it's business, but the Ohio newspapers pretty much just focus on the game and people involved in this event. No matter how much people want to dish out crap to the Dispatch and other Ohio newpaper outlets, they are still a professional and classy bunch. I am sure that the OSU backing papers could find plenty of dirt on the Florida program and it's players, but they are taking the high road, which apparently doesnt exist in Florida.

Bad Karma...The Next Night Beatdown and the Tag that comes with it...

2007-01-07T10:44:00.000-08:00

The approach for proper gloating generally requires pointing out the shortcomings of others,

Hopefully the CBJ will have some juice leftover for the Sharks tonight, who absolutely trunk-f*ckedthe Red Wings the other night. That was such a savage beating, I am surprised it didnt lead to an A2Y Glossary entry.

while basking in the sun of the *insert name of favorite sports team here*'s improbable comeback.

In this case...After livin' it up from the CBJ 4-3 comeback against the Ducks, I am now reeling in the misery of the San Jose Sharks trunk-f%cking on the CBJ by a count of 5-2 (not really 9-4...I'm looking at you Iwo). Apparently, there was some officiating that rivaled the IIHF shootout rules(which are ridiculous...it is a team sport Muir..not a skills competition), but I dont know about any of that...I didnt get to watch the game. However, in savoring the taste of sweet Red Wing fan tears, I am now faced with being tagged by IwoCPO for one of the "5 Things" Lists that was semi-started by AlanaH over at "Canucks & Beyond" and passed along to A2Y.

While there are a few people that read this blog who actually know me, here are "5 things about me which people might not know"...Yeah...This is gonna suck...

Grew up as a member of the Red Wing fandom watching Stevie Y, Klima, Burr, Hanlon, Cheveldae, Gallant and the boys. This was going to cease when Stevie Y retired. However, it came to an end a little before schedule when Kirk Maltby decided to (INTENTIONALLY) check Rusty Klesla into an open bench door towards the end of the last season before the strike. It was officially over at that point...much rage and hatred. I could imagine that this act pushed a lot of old Wings fans into the corner of the CBJ at that point. Kirk Maltby = A washed-up version of Sean Avery...without scoring or witty remarking ability.
WAS a certified River Guide in West Virginia on the New River("Was" is the key word). It never really amounted to much, as I started working on my MBA right after getting certified. I will be working on certification out here in Washington on at least a few rivers, so whenever you are ready to put yourself, friends, and family in extreme danger...let me know. Remember...most of the time...a "Downstream V" is your friend.
My first car was a 1982 Brown Ford Granada Stationwagon (This...but Brown and a stationwagon)...aptly named "The Turd." The ladies loved it...honest.
The first two CDs that I ever bought (Yes youngsters there was a transition between cassette tapes and CDs in my childhood) were Living Colour - Vivid and Winger...I just admitted that...and I will now throw myself into traffic for shaming my Indie Rock persona. I was young and stupid, but, no, I did not have a Kip Winger poster on my wall, so dont ask....jerks.
I am currently working for a company that is supporting the assembly of Boeing's newest plane, the 787 Dreamliner. Crazy stuff...I have worked on Automotive heavy assembly in the past, but nothing compares to this project, which sucks up a majority of my time. Hence, my inability to post at freewill, which is what I would really like. If anyone has any ideas on how I can become independently wealthy, bring it on... I think I still have that number for the Truck Driving School around here somewhere...

I must pass this punishment onto some of my CBJ brethren...Drew at End of the Bench (..ahem..you too Dose of Reality) and Michael over at Army of the Ohio

Peace

Herringbone

DCfW - Song of the Week - #3 - BCS Edition

2007-01-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

Friday Night Lights (The Movie...duh) put this band on the map (so to speak), but this Austin, TX quartet was a great band long before the movie actually came out...

While this song may not want to motivate you to tackle someone, I thought the title was fitting for the Gators on Monday evening.

Artist: Explosions in the Sky
Title: Greet Death
Album: Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever (Buy the Album here)

Let me know what you think and any suggestions that you may have for next week's contribution.

Herringbone

**Dont be a dick..dont download..this is for evaluation purposes only!

UPDATE: There is an issue with Firefox autoplaying the SotW, which is totally uncool. Any suggestions (like another embedded player)? Let me know...yo...Otherwise, you might have multiple players going at once, which sucks for Firefox users.

CBJ loses...oh crap...CBJ WINS!!!

2007-01-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while, you kind of get a feeling about a game before it is played. I was still at work when this game started, but remembered to DVR it. I had a feeling that the CBJ were going to take it to the Ducks. That feeling was quickly changed as I started to catch up and watch the first two periods after arriving at home. It was pretty much like watching the Kings game, which going forward will refuse to admit actually occurred.

First two periods of the game...yeah...they sucked, so let's move forward to about the 11 minute mark of the third period. Something happened. That "something" would be Freddy Modin (Team MVP) getting pissed and starting to take over in the corners. Modin and Vyborny had a great cycling shift, which led to an Anaheim penalty. The Jackets did not score on the PP, but they did set the tone for the rest of the game, and scored just seconds after the Power Play finished when Klesla got everything he could into a long shot from the point. Bryz-Gollum (Obvious misspelling) did not see that shot until it came out of the net. I didnt think that this goal made a huge difference, as the Jackets and Ducks skated around for the next 6 minutes without any real action....then all heck broke loose...

Fast forward to 3:14 remaining in the 3rd period, Svitov wins a big face-off in the Ducks zone and Klesla hammers a shot form the right point that looked a lot like his first goal. Breeze-gollob did see the puck until it ricocheted off of the back iron to bring the jacket within a goal.

...33 seconds later...

Modin makes a nice play on an attempted defensive clearing and started to cycle with Vyborny. Vyborny fed Modin in the slot twice and Modin hammered the second one home to tie the game. Again, Modin = STUD...

...1 minute and 21 seconds later...

This play was really started by Norrena who played the puck up to Klesla at the CBJ blueline and caught the Ducks in a semi-change. Klesla dumped the puck in the corner, which was passed and then misplayed in the corner by the Ducks defenseman. Malhotra gabbed the misplayed puck and started the cycle with Chimera, who found Malhotra driving hard to the net and put the Jackets up 4-3 with 1:20 left in the game..

...1 minute later...

Svitov covers the puck in the crease when a mad scramble occurs in front of the CBJ net after the Ducks caught the CBJ defense in the midst of a change. A penalty shot is called (with 20 secinds left in the game) for the Svitov error. Selanne takes the penalty shot...he aims at Norrena's shoulder...and hits it square. Too bad hitting Norrena's shoulder wasnt the same as scoring a goal.

Game Over...Ducks are sad. Ducks fans are shocked. The two CBJ fans in front of the FSN camera at the end of the game were going crazy. Yeah...I guess this sport just isnt exciting anymore...(HT: KK)

Hopefully the CBJ will have some juice leftover for the Sharks tonight, who absolutely trunk-f*ckedthe Red Wings the other night. That was such a savage beating, I am surprised it didnt lead to an A2Y Glossary entry.

And so it begins....

2007-01-04T20:49:00.000-08:00

How about these gems...

"We're anxious to see what kind of defense they play to match up with all of us on the field, because there's gonna be a lot of speed and playmaking ability out there," he said. We personally don't think they can stop us, but I know they feel they do, so we gonna see if they step up to the challenge with all that speed and playmaking."

"I really feel like they haven't seen people like us,"

"Guys down here in the South that move as well as we do, are as fast and athletic as we are, they'll get a pretty good taste of it on the 8th."

"You really can't simulate our team speed and our athleticism."

"Hopefully it will catch them by surprise and we just kind of shock them,"

It's quotes like this that really dont make the whole "underdog" thing work for the Florida Gators. Yet, they seem to play "dis-respect" card at the drop of a hat. I am going to be totally honest here. I do not think that an analyst would think that this game would be close if the Buckeyes had played a few more games after November 18th (outside of the obvious attempts to hype up a game that needs absolutely no hype). I am starting to think that people are forgetting how good the Buckeyes have really been this season. If anyone is taking the UM game as a litmus test for the BCS game, they are going to be sorely mistaken. Dont be fooled by the performance that UM had against USC. They had a great front seven..AND..had an offense with both a passing game and running game. This is not something that UF can claim on its best day, unless a Tebow rush counts for double these days.

Maybe we can get some testimonials from the Hurricanes on Northern Speed...or maybe we can just go ask the other SEC teams that lost to Big10 Teams on New Year's Day.

Mark it down...if UF goes down in this game, the SEC myth will be over...and there will be much rejoicing....YAY!

Mini-Rant...

"el fin"

Thoughts on UM for next year...

2007-01-02T20:43:00.000-08:00

I will not pile on the UM haters club for 2006...there is plenty of time for me to jump back on to the wagon next fall...

Obviously, I am not a Michigan fan.

However, I am one of those guys that will root for the conference, during the bowl season and OOC games.

I had heard that the radio stations in Detroit were absolutely ripping Henne for his performance in the Rose yesterday. First of all, I am a Henne supporter. I think that he is a good quarterback, brought along in the patented UM-Loeffler QB system, which is to recruit statuesque quarterbacks and make sure that any athleticism that they may have is rendered useless by schemes...and grooming. I ask UM fans this question...seriously...This is not the mid-80s or mid-90s anymore. Do you think that this QB style is really helping UM make strides anymore? The last two athletic QBs that UM has had on it's roster played 3rd base for the Clippers and the other transferred after Henne earned the starting position as a true frosh.

With that being said...
Chad Henne can read a defense if he has time...and he can make all of the throws on the field. Here is where things get ugly...

College football is about gameplanning and halftime adjustments, which UM failed miserably at both of them in Pasadena. Teams that are able to accomplish these facets better than it's opponents are most likely to win games when competing against an evenly matched opponent (duh..). I think that Debord and Lloyd Carr need to take a good look at the piss-poor effort put into the game plan that was created for the USC defense. If anyone on the UM staff thought that the OSU gameplan was going to work against USC, they need to have their head examined. OSU is a team that employs a rush-3 or 4 without blitzing and will attempt to contain, contain, contain. OSU was able to get some pressure on Henne (4 sacks), but Henne had time to sit in the pocket and was able to make some plays against the OSU secondary. However, USC took a different approach and blitzed almost every down against UM, which really took Henne out of his rhythm, until it was too late.

Where were the adjustments at halftime? Where were the quick slants? Why is the waggle and the play-action the only pass plays that UM knows how to run? Why hasn't Manningham been learning another move besides his "double-move" technique, during the break? Does Henne really need to take a seven step drop for each passing play? I know that UM hasnt had a lot of game where they have had a lot of pressure on the QB, but the quick passing (3-step drops, etc) game should be a part of base packages. Maybe I am missing something, but it doesnt seem that UM utilizes this type of attack in it's offense.

I think that some UM fans might think that I am bashing here...I am not. This is constructive criticism from a football fan, first and foremost. There are times that a coaching staff will need to adjust its scheme to the tempo of the game and actually consider trying something different. The OSU offense has evolved around its personnel over the last 4 years, this evolution has changed from a pro-style run first - play-action style, which UM still employs, to a spread-based pro-style offense.

I am not saying that UM should run the spread, but the results of the last 4 years for UM in its games with OSU and bowl games is indicative of a stale "played-out" style of football that UM just doesnt seem to want to let go. This might be crazy-talk here, but what about maybe...just maybe...putting Henne in the shotgun to give him an extra couple of seconds to survey the field. The guy has a cannon for an arm and can throw any pass on the field. Shouldn't UM base it's gameplans on the player that has gotten better and better this entire year? No offense to the M. Hart backers out there, but Henne is the key to next year's success for UM...not Hart. With Arrington and Manningham coming back with an adequate slot-receiver, the passing game for UM ought to be deadly. Hart should be a compliment to the passing game....not the basis for the offense. I think that Hart is a good back, but he is not a gamebreaker. Hell...I would take Pittman over Hart as a complete running back. Pittman is not going to get caught when he is in the open field and I know that you cannot say that about Hart. Gamebreakers for UM are in the receiving corps and it will be up to Lloyd and Debord to get the ball into the hands of these guys next season. Hart is important, but he is not the team.

As for the Rose Bowl..."Wha' Happened?"

No Pressure on Booty = Dead Meat

Top 5 for Pre-Season 2007? Not sure...I dont think that anyone is sure about where UM is going to be next season. There will be a lot of soul searching in Ann Arbor this offseason.

Week #2 - DCfW Song of the Week

2007-01-02T14:53:00.000-08:00

A good start with DJ Shadow from last week. This week we go in a different direction.

Grandaddy. A now "broken-up" band put out some great music in it's existence. In the Columbus-area, you have been able to hear a CD101 Big Room acoustic presentation of the band's single "Now It's On." Today, DCfW presents you a selection from the band's second album, which happens to be my wife's favorite song...seriously folks.

Artist: Grandaddy
Title: Crystal Lake
Album: The Sophtware Slump (Buy the Album here)

Let me know what you think and any suggestions that you may have for next week's contribution.

Herringbone

**Dont be a dick..dont download..this is for evaluation purposes only!

UPDATE: There is an issue with Firefox autoplaying the SotW, which is totally uncool. Any suggestions (like another embedded player)? Let me know...yo...

DCfW Post of the Day

2006-12-28T19:10:00.000-08:00

Compliments of the Ozone...

Halftime Show: Meyer says Leak is just as good as Troy when Leak is on his game..........Agree? * - UW AREA FAN
Oh, I'm buying a load of that. I bet I can bottle it and sell it to crazy people. - Swinginforthefences

I dont really want to talk about it - Coney Island 7 - City BBQ 4

2006-12-28T18:30:00.000-08:00

A glimmer of hope...dashed....

Turning point of the game(from my totally homer-tastic viewpoint) was non-call against Draper when he rode Duvie into the boards face first. I am not sure why it wasnt called, but it was a penalty. Was it intentional? Nope, but it was still a penalty. A penalty which would have given the CBJ a two-man advantage for over a minute. It was a disappointing non-call compared to the penalty that gave the Red Wings it's PP goal to take the lead. I am not saying it wasnt a penalty, but...let's just leave it at that...

The rest of the goals that the Red Wings scored were gravy. Once the Lang goal was scored, it was pretty much over.

Congrats the Wings and the Subway Fans that, for some gawd awful reason, still exist in the '614'...but like I said...I dont really want to talk about it.

Peace

Herringbone

PS. I havent had a City BBQ Brisket sandwich in almost 5 months...send to Seattle...stat.

PSS. Rivalry? Not enough hate...maybe if Draper smashed Duvie's face into the boards...something is going to happen in a game between these two in the near future. That will be awesome when the CBJ moves over to the Eastern Conference (I am looking at you Gary...jerk)