From The Panhandle

Papelbon: Red Sox Seek Revenge On Rays

2008-06-13T17:34:00.004-04:00

Key Word: REVENGE

Just as the dust was settling and the coast was clear, Jonathan Papelbon opened his mouth and set the field ablaze once again regarding the Rays / Red Sox dirty feud.

-"In my opinion, it's a bunch of bull what they did... All I got to say is what comes around goes around, man. Payback's a b****, I'll tell you what."

During the June 4th game between these two clubs, Red Sox center-fielder Coco Crisp complained about Rays' shortstop Jason Bartlett blocking second base during a steal which led to Crisp later deliberately taking out Rays' second-basemen Akinori Iwamura's legs. This tiny revenge led to a scuffle of words between Crisp and Rays' manager Joe Maddon as Crisp entered the dugout.

The following day, Jason Shields threw a revenge pitch directly at Coco Crisps waist (note: Not Head or anywhere near his upper part of his body). Coco then, to the apparent surprise of the Red Sox dugout, charged the mound, successfully dodged a right punch by Shields and got mauled by Jonny Gomes, Dioner Navarro, Akinori Iwamura and BJ Upton and the rest of the Rays.

As for the aftermath comments made by these two teams go, it seems that the two clubs are coming at this in totally different ways. Red Sox are seeking revenge while the Rays have kept quiet.

-After the game, Coco Crisp told reporters that, "they [The Rays] acted like little girls..." and went on and on.

-Days later, Rays' Manager Joe Maddon came out and said he defends what his team did and is actually proud of the way they handled the situation. He was happy that his team defended his pitcher and was able to take control of the situation.

-Wednesday, June 18th, Red Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon sings to Mohegan Sun Sports Tonight about the Red Sox seeking revenge.

It might be easier for a pitcher to come out and say stuff like that since they aren't stepping into the batter's box and facing 90+mph fastballs that could be aimed at their head. Maybe he is just drawing this whole feud out for the sake of pumping his team up, knowing that last time the Sox came to Tampa Bay they were swept. Who knows?

All I know is that I have cleared my schedule for the June 30th-July 2nd Red Sox vs. Rays series in Tampa Bay. Revenge is supposedly sought, I cannot miss that, and neither should you!

Dontrelle Willis Demoted to Class A Ball

2008-06-11T01:01:00.002-04:00

Dontrelle Willis (0-1) had the highest ERA for starting pitchers in the Majors* with a cool 10.32 ... until today. Today, Willis was demoted to Class A baseball in Lakeland, Florida for no specific time frame.

After signing a 3 year, 29$ Million deal in Detroit, Willis has walked 21 batters in 11 1/3 innings. His last outing however, was his by far his worst. Willis allowed 8 runs, 5 walks, 3 hits in 1 1/3 innings of work.

Last year the trade between the Marlins and Tigers recieved heavy criticism on both ends, good and bad. The Marlins were once again criticized for letting young talent go after having some success, letting go Cabrera and Willis; while the Tigers were criticized for putting too much faith in these young guys and risking a little too much.

Since the trade Cabrera has moved to first base with the Tigers' handful of troubles, including Jeremy Bonderman's placement on the DL.

"Our objective is to get Dontrelle back to being Dontrelle," Tigers president, CEO and general manager Dave Dombrowski said in an interview with ESPN (from ESPN.com)

*-among starting pitchers with at least 4 starts.

The Chicago Bulls Get the First Pick of the 2008 NBA Draft

2008-05-20T20:47:00.005-04:00

Predicted to be the #9 pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls jumped during the lottery to the top spot.

The Chicago Bulls, who had a 1.7% chance of getting that top spot, pushed the Miami Heat (who had a 25% chance) to the second spot and T-Wolves to number 3.

The 2008 NBA Draft will be like last year's draft where there are two prizes rather than just one. Last year we had Greg Oden out of Ohio State and Kevin Durant from Texas; this year we have Derrick Rose from Memphis and Michael Beasley from Kansas State.

2007 was not necessarily a down year for historic Chicago Bulls, but more of a rebuilding year as they picked up emotional Joakim Noah and made a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers at the trade deadline.

The 2008 NBA Draft Order (Predicted spot):

1: Chicago Bulls (9)

2: Miami Heat (1)

3: Minnesota Timberwolves (3)

4: Seattle Supersonics (2)

5: Memphis Grizzlies (4)

6: New York Knicks (5)

7: Los Angeles Clippers (6)

8: Milwaukee Bucks (7)

9: Charlotte Bobcats (8)

10: New Jersey Nets (10)

11: Indiana Pacers (11)

12: Sacramento Kings (12)

13: Portland Trailblazers (13)

14: Golden State Warriors (14)

15: Phoenix Suns (N/A)

-On a personal note, my roomate, who is from Chicago and goes to Florida State hopes that this scenario happens:

"With the first pick of the 2008 NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls choose to release Joakim Noah. The Miami Heat are now on the clock..."

FSU All-American To Meet With Rays After Unbelievable Showing

2008-05-13T13:50:00.003-04:00

On Monday May 12, The Florida State Seminoles showed off one of the most, if not the most, dominant, versatile college baseball players in the nation.

Mike Martin, long-time manager of the Seminoles, played star catcher Buster Posey in all nine positions on Monday against Savannah State in a 10-0 victory to close out the sweep. Not only did Posey play all the positions, he dominated all of them.

He started out the game at his normal position, catcher, moved to first base in the second, second base in the third, shortstop in the fourth, third base in the fifth, left field and center field in the sixth, and closed the game pitching and playing right field in the seventh.

It doesn't stop there, Posey hit a grand-slam during the game and struck out his both batters he faced in the game!

"To see Buster play all nine positions tells you what kind of talent the guy has," Martin stated after the game, "At no time was I ever worried about a ball being hit to him. Buster looked very comfortable everywhere he was, so that just goes to show you."

Posey currently leads the ACC in home runs (16), RBI's (66), and batting average (.469) and is expected to be a very high pick in the June Amateur Draft. Posey is set to meet with the Rays, who own the first overall pick, later this week.

Are The Rays For Real Yet?

2008-05-12T10:59:00.006-04:00

As the season keeps rolling along, the Tampa Bay Rays keep breaking personal records in this "break-out" season... but is it safe to say that they are for real? By getting rid of the "Devil" within their name, did they actually get rid of the Demon within their play?

Being in the AL East is no picnic to begin with as the team with the second lowest payroll (the Rays) competes with teams that are not afraid to spend some money. But, after an exciting sweep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Rays are looking strong, young, relatively healthy, and holding their spot in 2nd place in the division.

Fast, strong, and young, the Rays are leading the league in stolen bases, 6th in Runs scored and Home Runs; but the stats don't stop there as the pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays is 5th in ERA, 4th in opponent batting average with James Shields leading the team with a 3.14 ERA, and leading the league in complete game shutouts with 2, early in the season.

Are the Rays good enough to act tough throughout the 162 game season? Only 36 games in, the Rays are 5 games above .500 which is the franchise record, and on the verge of winning their 10th straight home game tonight against the Yankees, which would be another franchise record. Who knows how long the Rays will hold their second place in the AL East, but this year breaks yet another franchise record for the Rays being 2nd place this late into the season.

Carl Crawford, who leads the league in runs scored (30) and fourth in stolen bases (12), told reporters after the 8-5 victory over the Angels which completed the 3-game sweep, "We feel like we're going to win every game right now... we know that's not possible, but we have the confidence to feel that way."

Confidence is key for the Rays as their rookie third basemen, Evan Longoria, keeps his rookie-of-the-year bid in sight. Longoria's walk off 2 run homerun against the Angels on Friday helped James Shields get his second complete game shutout (a 1-hitter to boot).

Heading into a 4-game series against the Yankees, a team that the Rays have never had too much success against, might just be the answer of how well the Rays can hold up against the AL East at the moment. However, The Rays' ace Scott Kazmir is coming off the DL and scheduled to play the fourth game against the Yankees which brightens the outlook of the series for the team in the sunshine state; but BJ Upton is still day-to-day (but we all know he won't want to sit against the Yanks).

Are the Rays actually the force they portray to be? Lots of questions fill the air around young teams that are doing better than predicted, and good teams that are doing poorly; but which teams are just pulling our chains early in this 2008 baseball season?

Star Florida State Athlete Arrested

2008-04-22T15:41:00.006-04:00

Florida State University is no stranger to the law. Early Tuesday morning, 21 year old Preston Parker was arrested in South Florida on charges of carrying a concealed .45-caliber handgun and possession of less than 20 grams of marijuana.

Preston Parker last year led the Seminoles in all purpose yards with 1,513 and 62 receptions. In one of the issues of the FSView (The Florida State

University newspaper), a whole three page spread was dedicated to Parker, giving him the title of Mr. Versatile for his ability to play virtually any position on the offensive side of the ball with ease.

Last year's MVP of Florida State is awaiting an announcement from FSU officials. This is the first major discipline problem at FSU since the arrival of new athletic director Randy Spetman.

With FSU already on self-probation from last year's late Online Cheating scandal that placed over 30 players on the sideline of the bowl game, FSU will have a lot on their plate and a lot of questions to answer.

The Gators Biggest Fumble...The BCS Trophy

2008-04-15T15:12:00.002-04:00

Urban Meyer might have to reiterate the importance of not dropping the ball again. This fumble is going to cost the University of Florida a little more than $4,000.

On Friday the 2006 BCS Championship Trophy (The one with the Waterford crystal ball on top) was nudged of the table in the temporary coach's offices.

The main question should be:
Why is the trophy on a table? Shouldn't it be in a glass case or something that signifies importance?

Fortunately for The Gators, they planned to purchase a second trophy in Glendale, Arizona and will have it soon.

An Emotional Return and Torturous Chase

2008-03-28T07:48:00.007-04:00

It was an unbelievably emotional day for the Denver Nuggets and their fan-base around the world. During the Nuggets' 118-105 much needed victory over the slipping, Nowitzki-less Mavericks, Nene made his return to the court.

Nene had been out since January 11th with a malignant form of Testicular Cancer. Fortunately for the big Brazilian, the doctors found the cancerous tumor in its early stages and were able to remove it with little chance of the cancer returning and a 100% recovery. It has been just over a month since Nene underwent chemotherapy.

Nene is officially a cancer survivor.

It was a memorable moment for everyone as Nene ripped off his warmups with 77 seconds to go in the game and went in for the rest of the game. Coach George Karl teared up, and as Nene was replacing Kenyon Martin, the stadium erupted in a standing ovation and Martin gave him the world's biggest bear hug.

"He's a teammate, and he's somebody we care about and we want around, but life is so much bigger than basketball," Allen Iverson said. "When it happened to him, it put it more in perspective for me that it's not just about this game, it's about life. It was a good feeling and I was happy to be part of it."

Hopefully this is a start of great things to come for the Nuggets as they work for that final playoff spot in the West (Where the Nuggets would be a 4 or 5 seed easily in the East). The Nuggets are closing in on that preseason goal of 50 wins as they won their last 3. But, unfortunately, if the Golden State Warriors keep winning, the Nuggets have only a chance at becoming the team with the best record ever to not make the playoffs.

The Nuggets and Warriors meet in a HUGE regular season game Saturday night in Denver. Only 1/2 a game separates the Warriors' 8th place that guarantees them the last playoff spot and the Nuggets. If tonight is any indication or preview of what is to expect Saturday, then we will see a strong Denver team that came off an impressive win over Jason Kidd and the Mavs against a Golden State team who had first half trouble against the Portland Trailblazers.

Who knows if the highly productive offense of the Nuggets is going to be enough for the Beard and the rest of the Warriors.

A.I. Always Welcome In Philly

2008-03-20T00:30:00.000-04:00

It has been over 15 months since the Answer, Allen Iverson, was sent from Philadelphia to Denver; but tonight, AI and the Nuggets returned to Philadelphia to play the 76ers, bringing AI back to Philadelphia for the first time since the trade.

AI spent over 10 seasons with Philly, taking them to an NBA Finals and winning an MVP. He turned a once prestigious organization back into one when they were in a time of suffering. The 76ers were a laughing stock when they drafted AI out of Georgetown with the first pick of the 1996 NBA Draft.

During the introductions, AI was greeted in Philadelphia with a standing ovation and a huge uproar of an applause. Nothing could have been better for a man that has done so much for an organization both on the court and off. This future hall-of-famer is one of the most easily recognizable people of the NBA, noted for his natural appearance and his laid-back, "gangster" attitude. He is always known for his "Practice?!??!" speech and his "ghetto-swag," but he truly is a great NBA basketball player and personality.

Unfortunately for AI and the Nuggets, they left Philadelphia tonight with a loss, certainly not helping their chase for the playoffs. Even though the Nuggets have won 7 more games than the 76ers, the Nuggets would not make the playoffs while the East-lying 76ers would be a 6 seed if the season ended tomorrow.

Sam Cassell Finally Released...Now Where To?

2008-02-29T00:03:00.001-05:00

Sam Cassell, point guard for the LA Clippers who are in last place in their respective division, was finally released Thursday after requesting to have his contract bought out. This Florida State Alumni just had his jersey retired in Tallahassee and now wants to move back east.

Will he hop on the train to join his ex-Timberwolve Kevin Garnett in Boston? Or will another potential playoff team pick him up? Cassell must pass midnight Friday's waiver period, after that he can join whatever team will pick him up. This 38 year old injury-prone point guard needs to go to a team that needs help now obviously. If he does in fact move to Boston he will find out he has to play under Rajon Rondo and Eddie House. Do the Celtics really need Cassell?

If the Denver Nuggets are hoping for anything better they are dreaming. The Nuggets are half a game out of the playoffs under the Rockets and in need of something even though Karl and AI think the team is just fine. The Nuggets have had some incredible signs recently to tell them they need to pick up Cassell.
-First off, one of the teams that is jeopardizing their playoff picture is the Houston Rockets. Now that they took a huge blow with the injury to Yao Ming the Nuggets have an opening to secure that last playoff spot in the highly competitive West.
-Secondly, right before the trade deadline the Nuggets beat the Celtics and somehow believed that they are fine the way they are...the same way they were last year when they lost in the first round...and the year before. They then shut down all trade talk and didn't pick up a much needed PG, or Ron Artest, or Zach Randolph. As a result, the Nuggets lose their next three games, two of which were to the Bulls...and the Bucks.
-Thirdly, now, Cassell is dropped and teamless. A PG who needs to help out now. Chucky Atkins is hurt, Anthony Carter and Taurean Green aren't prize pieces, pick up Cassell!

Montana Tech Keeps Sampson's Name

2008-02-25T14:42:00.003-05:00

The school that gave Kelvin Sampson his first job as a head coach has no plans in changing its court name that honors him.

Sampson recently was suspended from the University of Indiana and accepted a $750,000 buyout of his contract following a mess of recruiting scandals.

As for Montana Tech, who he coached from 1981-1985, still supports him and honors him as a great man and great coach. Sampson shaped the poor team into a winning team in just one season and now the Orediggers are a winning program. Sampson coached M.Tech with the salary of $1,100 a year and later donated $50,000 to renovate the school's physical education building.

To commemorate Sampson, Montana Tech placed his signature on the basketball court. "We're not a big school, but we're extremely loyal, and we're not going to get caught up in that whole game," McClafferty, athletic director of Montana Tech stated. "Our court will stay Kelvin Sampson Court. We still love the guy, and if he wants to come back and coach here, we'd sure take him."

It makes me happy to see this school stay loyal and handle this situation with class. Knowing that this man made their program into what it is today, Montana Tech won't turn their back on him and erase him from their history.

The Orediggers aren't doing so well this year however, they are 1-9 in Frontier Conference play, and 5-19 overall. (Mr. Sampson? Are you listening?)

Go Orediggers!

All-Star Trade Deadline!

2008-02-15T01:00:00.001-05:00

Oh man... You have to love the weeks before the All-Star Break in the NBA. The blogs, airwaves, and sports channels are filled to the rim with trade talk, rumors and unhappy players! Now-a-days, the All-Star break isn't recognized as much for the spectacles as it is the sign of the trade deadline finally among us. Whether teams build up trade talk and finally decide against it, teams rushing into a trade, or teams finally building the guts to pull the trigger, the trade deadline/All-Star Break is the best time of the season.

Like I stated in my last article, the 2007-2008 NBA Season is the season of great changes. From the Boston Celtics getting ridiculous, to the Lakers getting one of the most one-sided deals in a while in Pau Gasol, and finally to the Marion/Shaq trade, this season is only going to get better.

I just don't want the trade deadline to come!

These past few days have been quite fun for a fan of the NBA and not particularly a fan of the Dallas Mavericks and the New Jersey Nets. Jason Kidd was supposedly packing his bags for his move to Dallas, when one of the extra bodies of the trade pulled out the rare "No-Trade Clause" of his contract. Devean George, the guy who after stops the huge trade between the East and the West shoots 0-11 from the field, is crazy! George might have his reasons for staying in Dallas, whether it be the playing time or the money, but sometimes you just have to know your role and follow. (Devean George does have some championship rings, don't get me wrong, but c'mon..)

But, I couldn't help but overhear while watching the Nuggets/Warriors last week that George Karl and my Denver Nuggets are hoping to get Ron Artest from the Sacremento Kings. The only thing stopping this trade is the Kings interest in the young and promising Linus Kleiza. The Nuggets don't need another small forward or shooting guard unless Allen Iverson is going to be the permanent point guard. Artest's defense would be a nice perk to the Nuggets sluggish perimeter defense, however.

As a fan of the Baby-Blue Nuggets, I hope this deal goes down in flames. What Denver needs to find is a point guard who can actually bring some game or a power forward who is not always hurt (nothing intended against Nene, my prayers are with him).

The Nuggets have a group of guys who are expendable. Look at J.R. Smith, Nene, Kenyon Martin! I don't know if Karl and the guys in Denver heard about someone from LA looking for a trade by the name of Sam Cassell. Cassell would be a great addition to the Nuggets and give them some help , even though his age is a little damper on the trade. Denver needs to take a stand and say simply "NO" to whoever even shows interest in Najera or Kleiza. These guys are too good of role players to give up.

It would be a great day in Denver if a strong point guard joined forces with the Nuggets and the health issues were resolved with the big men.

I can only hope that the Nuggets figure out something to keep up with the continuous growth of the Western Conference. I just hope they realize that if they give up Nene or K-Mart and get Artest or a point guard that they are getting smaller while the West is getting bigger and plan accordingly to compete with them.

The Suns Get Some Heat?

2008-02-07T15:59:00.001-05:00

The Suns and the Heat have come to an agreement in a trade that sends Shaq to Phoenix in return for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks. Did the Suns just get some wasted Heat, or are they just getting hotter?

This major trade that sent Shaq back to the west and the unhappy Marion and young Banks to the Heat came just days after the New Jersey Nets' point guard Jason Kidd requested a trade and weeks after Rashard Lewis shipped to Orlando and Kevin Garnett/Ray Allen to Boston. This 2007-2008 Season has already been dubbed "The Move-While-You-Still-Can Year."

One can only imagine what Steve Kerr and the Phoenix Suns were thinking when they accepted the trade to grab the dominant center of the past decade with bad knees and give away automatic the automatic double-double machine. Everyone can see right when they see this how it is a bad move for the Suns and a good move for the Heat, but there are some high pros that can shine over those cons.

1: Can Shaq provide a counter to Duncan and the Spurs in the playoffs?
   -Steve Kerr could have been thinking future. With the Spurs as the main competition, the Suns needed to change something and attack them from a different angle. The Suns could go big on the court and have Amare Stoudamire and Shaquille O'Neal on the court to prevent Duncan from just shutting down the Suns' inside game.

2: Could Shaq bring his rings...I mean... experience?

3: Did the Suns get rid of unhappy mojo?
   -Shawn Marion wasn't the happiest of campers in Phoenix. At the beginning of the season with Kobe trades were the talk-of-the-town, Marion also was requesting a trade, blaming his unhappiness in Phoenix. Is the credit not being spread around down in Arizona?

What we don't know is how Shaq will immediately fit in with the Suns' fast-break, run-and-gun offense. Only time will tell how everything works out, and how long Shaq's knees will be able to play.

--On the other side of the nation, the Heat made an amazing trade. They need to start rebuilding and freeing up cap-room. Getting rid of O'Neal freed up some space to start shopping for some great Free Agents at the end of the 2008 season, which is going to be a great season for those teams that are shopping (ie. Baron Davis, Chris Webber, Monta Ellis, Allen Iverson, Jermaine O'Neal, Elton Brand, Corey Maggette, Gilbert Arenas)

Florida State's Losses Continue

2008-01-25T14:27:00.000-05:00

Xavier Lee, Florida State's backup quarterback, was asked to move to tight end for the 2008 season after a rocky career at FSU. Xavier's answer was simple, "No." He chose to file for the 2008 NFL draft along with star linebacker Geno Hayes and big defensive lineman Letroy Guion.

Xavier Lee had only started 6 games in his three seasons at Florida State including his first game off the bench in the 07-08 season against Alabama in which FSU won. After being benched after a mistake-filled loss against rival Miami, Xavier Lee never saw the field again. Lee was suspended for two games within the season for academic reasons, and then again for the bowl game and the first few games of the 08 season for a online-class cheating scandal with 30 more FSU athletes.

Geno Hayes, like Lee, had been suspended for two weeks for a nightclub mishap, and Guion was one of the three dozen players to be suspended for the scandal. These penalties will have no effect after signing for the draft.

Florida State, losing players left and right, continues to lose people to the draft and the ongoing cheating scandal. Over a dozen players will miss the start of the 08 season. But, on a bright note, in the Music City Bowl against Kentucky, Florida State showed some growth and maturity through the loss of over 35 athletes and brings yet another shimmering glimpse of hope to the FSU campus and fanbase.

Well, Who Saw it Coming?

2008-01-08T14:26:00.000-05:00

Well...

First let me link you to an article I wrote on YardBarker a few weeks ago... http://yardbarker.com/college_football/articles/For_the_Sake_of_College_Football /32262 ...I guess we didn't take my advice and root hard enough against Ohio State to prevent them from making it to the BCS Title Game, and we had to suffer through another excuse for a football game. Could these past few National Title Games be any worse? I would hate to be a Ohio State fan right now.
-Yes, this is coming from a Florida State Seminole fan.

Now that the BCS National Title "Game" is over with we can all break down the game into the nitty-gritty whys and why-nots for both LSU and Ohio State! But, I wish the world were run without the mandatory politically correct, non-biased analysis that is shown on TV everywhere.

The answer is simple: Ohio State is stuck in the past, has no speed to match up with the better teams, and no style and grace. Yeah, Chris Wells who ran over LSU a bunch of times shed some light on how pathetic OSU was against a far better team. I mean, OSU runs a good old-school football game, but when they play anyone in the top 20 (which they haven't beat all year, which makes them the only school ever to make it to the National Title game having not beat a top 20 team all season) they have trouble competing with the speed and finesse the opponent brings to the table. Les Miles and LSU have speed, guts, and trickery. Even though LSU didn't utilize their two-quarterback scheme, it was still there enough to scare OSU. Florida's new-age offense did it last year.

Michigan has the right idea. Bring in Rich Rodriguez who will get the right recruits to bring the big blue into the 2000's.

But, I just hope, next time we catch the problem early and hopefully we can stop it early enough...that means ALL OF YOU COLLEGE FOOTBALL FANS!

But, in all, Congratulations to Louisiana State University for their National Title Game...thanks should go to all the top teams throughout the season for losing at some point to let LSU compose themselves again and march into the Title Game.

My Bowl Predictions!

2007-12-26T14:25:00.000-05:00

Here, as promised are my college bowl predictions. Last year I placed in the top 250 in the world on FoxSports.com with my sheet of predictions (with confidence levels), hopefully this year finishes in the same way!

(Predicted winner in bold, Confidence level is out of 26, every confidence point 1-26 can only be used once, 1 for being least confident, 26 most)

Purdue (8-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-6) Confidence: 24

Texas (10-3) vs. Arizona State (10-3) Confidence: 5

Boston College (11-3) vs. Michigan State (7-6) Confidence: 18

TCU (8-5) vs. Houston (8-5) Confidence: 4

Oregon State (9-4) vs. Maryland (6-7) Confidence: 21

Wake Forest (9-4) vs. Connecticut (9-4) Confidence: 17

UCF (10-4) vs. Mississippi State (8-5) Confidence: 16

Penn State (9-4) vs. Texas A&M (7-6) Confidence: 15

Alabama (7-6) vs. Colorado (6-7) Confidence: 12

California (7-6) vs. Air Force (9-4) Confidence: 6

Georgia Tech (7-6) vs. Fresno State (9-4) Confidence: 19

South Florida (9-4) vs. Oregon (9-4) Confidence: 10

Kentucky (8-5) vs. Florida State (7-6) Confidence: 8

Oklahoma State (7-6) vs. Indiana (7-6) Confidence: 9

Clemson (9-4) vs. Auburn (9-4) Confidence: 3

Tennessee (9-4) vs. Wisconsin (9-3) Confidence: 1

Missouri (11-2) vs. Arkansas (8-4) Confidence: 20

Texas Tech (8-4) vs. Virginia (9-3) Confidence: 11

Florida (9-3) vs. Michigan (8-4) Confidence: 22

USC (10-2) vs. Illinois (9-3) Confidence: 14

Georgia (10-2) vs. Hawaii (12-0) Confidence: 13

Oklahoma (11-2) vs. West Virginia (10-2) Confidence: 23

Virginia Tech (11-2) vs. Kansas (11-1) Confidence: 7

Rutgers (7-5) vs. Ball State (7-5) Confidence: 25

Tulsa (9-4) vs. Bowling Green (8-4) Confidence: 2

LSU (11-2) vs. Ohio State (11-1) Confidence: 26

Sorry for being late, I've just been busy with the family stuff for the holidays!

I hope you're enjoying the College-Bowl Season as much as I am...other than the fact that the officials and commentators were unbelievably bias against Florida State in the Music City Bowl...

(even though with 30+ players suspended, FSU played tight and close)
Thanks again!

Everyone's Favorite Time of Year

2007-12-04T18:45:00.000-05:00

No one can say this season of college football has been a let-down. This season had more ups and downs than a Richard Simmons workout tape, within every week a top 10 team fell to an unlikely opponent, numerous #2's fell like flies, and at the final whistle of the year, the #1 Missouri and #2 West Virginia lost.

Even though West Virginia was my pre-season pick to win it all, they had me at the edge of my seat every week after losing to USF. They worked their way back up into the #2 spot but couldn't hold it just like many predecessors.

Heading into BCS Selection Sunday where the computers and opinion polls are all put together to find out who plays who in the prestigious bowls, the title game was up for grabs. Who could be in? Georgia, LSU, USC, Kansas, Ohio State all had shots.

Now, as the bowls are all laid out and ready to be played, I will supply a list of what I feel like are the can't miss bowls of the year:

December 22nd- PapaJohn's.com Bowl - Cincinnati vs. Southern Miss
Why: Southern Miss coach Bower just resigned which makes the student body ecstatic, and the team has a bunch of talent waiting to shine, while Cincinnati has shown it is progressing and making the Big East a little bit stronger.

December 27th- Pacific Life Holiday Bowl - Texas vs. Arizona St.
Why: Even though Texas hasn't been as strong since Vince Yount, Jamaal Charles has begun to look like real NFL RB. Arizona St on the other hand has been in the title picture during most of the season but at the end fell like most. Texas and Arizona St. is a must see for these early bowl games on the list.

December 29th- AutoZone Liberty Bowl - UCF vs. Mississippi St.
Why: I don't know if anyone remembers, but in 2004 UCF didn't win a game in the entire season...in Conference USA, but in 2007 win Conference USA and show in their brand new stadium that they are growing as a team in Florida. It will be tough to play arguably the worst team in the SEC, and it will be a true test towards this new team.

December 29th- Alamo Bowl - Penn St. vs. Texas A&M
Why: Will Joe Paterno win another bowl with his 400k/year contract? Texas A&M has been disappointing with early losses but will strive to make their season a success with a win over a strong Penn St. team in their own Alamo Bowl.

December 30th- Independence Bowl - Colorado vs. Alabama
Why: This is basically a matchup of coaches, Nick Saban will work on this Alabama team and eventually make them title contenders, and this is the start. Colorado isn't afraid of beating the better team, so watch for a close one.

December 31st- Sun Bowl - USF vs. Oregon
Why: Weren't both these teams title contenders this year at one point? Watch this game and see where the spark went.

December 31st- Chick-Fil-A Bowl - Auburn vs. Clemson
Why: Arguably the best non-major post January bowl, storied SEC vs ACC battle it out. Don't miss it.

December 31st- Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl - FSU vs. Kentucky
Why: FSU hopes to finish the season on another high note like last year when they defeated UCLA in the Emerald Bowl by beating a hyped up Kentucky team, while Kentucky hopes to take this exciting season to a nice ending.

January 1st- AT&T Cotton Bowl - Missouri vs. Arkansas
Why: Two Heisman candidates in Chase Daniels and Darren McFadden, need I say more?

January 1st- Capitol One Bowl - Michigan vs. Florida
Why: After an embarrassing week one loss to App St. Michigan hopes to end the season a little bit differently by beating a young sharp Tim Tebow and the Gators. Tim Tebow will be getting off of an injury (Broken Hand) from the game against FSU. Who knows how that will effect the game.

January 1st- Rose Bowl - USC vs. Illinois
Why: Arguably the hottest team in the nation USC will try to kill the happy-go-lucky Fighting Illini at home in the Rose Bowl. Illinois is just happy to be there, but will still give USC a run.

January 1st- Sugar Bowl - Hawaii vs. Georgia
Why: Hawaii actually plays a team now! Georgia will be highly upset about being jumped in the final BCS standings and will try to crush the Warriors in their debut. But, in all, Hawaii will finally get some money and be able to afford better facilities.

January 2nd- Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma vs. West Virginia
Why: West Virginia was my pick to go all the way from the beginning, Pat White and Steve Slaton were the reason, watch this game to see that.

January 3rd- Orange Bowl - Virginia Tech vs. Kansas
Why: An emotional year for the Hokies leads to an Orange Bowl appearance and Kansas has a breakout year, this will be a fun game to watch on both sides

January 7th- BCS National Title - LSU vs. Ohio State
Why: My opinion is that the SEC will again show the Big 10 that they have no business in the BCS Title game, but you never know, maybe the Buckeyes will try to make up for what happened last time they faced an SEC team in the National Title...last year...Gators...41-14

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Stay tuned, my next article will be a complete list of bowl predictions, watch for your team!

Shula: Give Patriots an Aterisk

2007-11-06T14:24:00.000-05:00

Don Shula, the only coach to lead a team to an undefeated season and win the superbowl (1972 Dolphins), expressed his feelings on the possible 19-0 Patriots yesterday in a couple familiar words.

Shula recommends that the NFL needs to place an asterisk next to the Patriots in the record books if they do go undefeated and win the Super Bowl for Bill Belicheck's "spygate" scandal. Like Barry Bonds' home run record, Shula believes that this record, if broken, will be tainted and in need of an explanation.

Shula, obviously wanting his '72 Dolphins to stand alone in the record books as the only team to go undefeated and win the Super Bowl, stated, "The Spygate thing has diminished what they've accomplished. You would hate to have that attached to your accomplishments."

Shula goes on to say "Belichick was fined $500,000, the team was fined $250,00 and they lost a first-round draft choice. That tells you the seriousness or significance of what they found. I guess you got the same thing as putting an asterisk by Barry Bonds' home run record. I guess it will be noted that the Patriots were fined and a No.1 draft choice was taken away during that year of accomplishment. The sad thing is Tom Brady looks so good, it doesn't look like he needs any help."

Was this a valid argument coming from a respected, legendary coach, or was this an excuse to save the record? Was it a little too early to come out and express the opinion, or was it just right after New England's victory over the Colts?

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The Bill Belichik Patriots' Spygate scandal occured in the first week of the season. The New England Patriots were caught videotaping defensive signals of the New York Jets and using the signals to know what the Jets were going to do. This tactic and cheat has been used in baseball since the dawn of the sport but is illegal in the National Football League. As a result, Belichik, the Patriots head coach, was fined $500,000, the Patriots organization was fined $250,000 and lost their first round draft pick in the 2008 NFL draft. Belichik accepted full responsibility and stated that he misunderstood NFL rules.

You're Welcome LSU, Oklahoma, Oregon

2007-11-05T02:45:00.000-05:00

Tonight, #2 Boston College, the only #2 team to not lose immediately after awarded the spot in the last 4 weeks, fell to the Florida State Seminoles. FSU's Drew Weatherford squared off against the disputed Boston College Heisman front-runner Matt Ryan.

Matt Ryan, classy and poised, performed well enough to keep the Eagles in position to win, but couldn't bring the W home. Matt Ryan threw 3 INT's tonight, one that was returned for a touchdown by FSU's Geno Hayes late in the fourth quarter to put the 'Noles up by 10. Now, I'm not writing this as yet another heisman piece, but as an article to express how FSU gave LSU, Oregon, and Oklahoma an early Christmas present.

Exposing how weak of a schedule an ACC team has, and how an ACC team doesn't stand a chance against the cream of the crop (ie: Oregon, LSU, Oklahoma), Florida State took down BC to make room for an actual contender, not a pretender in the top 5 and ultimately the National Championship spot.

Focusing on the winning team's issues, FSU needed this win as a feel-good motivation boost. The last time FSU beat a top 5 team on the road was in 1999, and the last time BC lost at home was to...the Noles. FSU's Drew Weatherford showed that he is growing rapidly as a quarterback, making better decisions, throwing more accurate, and keeping the offense on the field longer to put up more points. FSU's offense was on the field for 21 minutes in the first half!

I, as a student at Florida State, hope that fellow students and fans of FSU don't think that FSU is back or in it's way back, but this is a good place to build off of.

For the Sake of College Football...

2007-10-22T19:54:00.000-04:00

For the sake of seeing a good, competitive national championship game in January, Ohio State must lose in the next month.

I beg of everyone to root against the Buckeyes simply because if they do go undefeated and end up with a bid to play for the title then we will witness another blowout / beatdown / trampling of Ohio State.

Ohio State's remainder of the season entails Wisconsin, Penn State, Michigan, and Illinois - a group of teams who's record together is 23-9. Hopefully the Buckeyes will fall to one of their Big-10 sisters and let an actual complete team gain the #1 spot and a shot at the title. Do we really need another 41-14 blowout by an actually complete team who has one loss, due to being in a far superior conference, in the championship game?

Let's face it; put the Buckeyes against LSU, Florida, Oklahoma, USC, heck or even Oregon who is only a goal-line fumble away or...(maybe my Florida State Seminoles...I wish) and Ohio State will be dominated.

Please...please...as a fan and viewer of college football...root against THE Ohio State University.

P.S.: I have no hatred towards the Ohio State University at all, I believe that they rightfully earned the #1 spot by staying undefeated and being a respected team, but I am just saying that if they make it to the National Championship game, history of last year will repeat itself.

FSU's QB Trouble Continues...

2007-10-22T17:10:00.000-04:00

After losing their second straight ACC game, Florida State benches quarterback Xavier Lee and bring in past starter Drew Weatherford. Florida State has lost 10 of their last 14 ACC games.

Last week against Miami Lee had 4 turnovers including 2 interceptions and 2 fumbles, one of which was returned for a touchdown by the Hurricanes putting them up by 8 in the fourth quarter with less than a minute remaining.

Weatherford started the season as QB after earning the spot in the offseason, but Lee stepped up and became the starter for the past 2 games.

As a student at Florida State I hope Weatherford has learned a lot from watching from the sideline and can bring us back up with a win over Duke (1-6, 0-4) and lead us into the tough end of our schedule on a high note.

The remainder of the FSU schedule:
FSU vs. Duke
FSU @ #2 Boston College
FSU vs. Maryland
FSU @ #8 Virginia Tech
FSU @ #9 Florida

Who's tired of people thinking they know college football?

2007-10-15T23:34:00.000-04:00

I am writing this article just to broadcast my feelings about everyone's biased and opinionated articles on the 2007 College football year, also known as 'The Year of the Upset'.

First of all, to all the people hating on the fact that some top teams are getting love by the poll-people and some teams are getting dropped faster than a bad egg: "Get over it, it makes sense." -- Seriously, take a breath and look at the facts:

-Michigan drops out from #5 completely because the polls are routinely shaken up after the first week due to it simply being a PRESEASON poll. Plus, I dont know, um, App St. is a D-2 school?
-Florida is on top of a few undefeated teams regardless of having consecutive losses placing them at 4-2 due to losing to tough SEC opponents such as #1 LSU and Auburn who was ranked in the past and moved into the top 25 after the last second field goal to beat the Gators. Not only that, but Florida lost both games in the last minute if not seconds.
-USC drops to #10 when losing at home to Stanford and Cal drops to #10 when they lose at home. Lets just look at reality, USC is better and has a better chance of winning out and coming back into the BCS bowl picture.

Now lets look at OSU and USF at the top 2 positions. I hear people saying USF is garbage and shouldn't have the #2 spot. Well who deserves it this year people? Who's going to lose next week and who are we going to have to give it to then? USF beat WV, a team people thought early in the season was going to win it all. USF beat Auburn who beat Florida. USF is killing the teams they should, and beating the good ones like they should. JUST LIKE A #2 TEAM WOULD. Yes, I agree they don't have a strong schedule but look at Ohio State in the BIG-10, is that schedule THAT much stronger?

As for the Kentucky triple overtime victory boosting them from #15 to the top 10, I completely agree with this move. Kentucky shouldn't have lost to South Carolina, but they regrouped and came back stronger than ever to beat LSU. Kentucky is for real. Their schedule is nothing to joke about, and we will see how they match up against Tim Tebow and the Gators next week.

To sum up my article, if you wanted to skip all the middle-stuff and get to the conclusion, the polls are as right as they could be, and people should stop thinking they know where teams should be better than the COACHES and people who are PAID TO ANALYZE games.

Top 25 Earthquake!

2007-10-01T00:45:00.000-04:00

This Saturday started like normal. I woke up, I made a bagel and sat down to read the daily newspaper. I anxiously waited one o'clock to strike for the opening kickoff of today's great match-ups. South Florida's win over West Virginia (#5) just wasn't enough for me.

I sat in my uncomfortable apartment chair all day watching some of the best, or maybe its the worst, college football. There is no way I can describe today's action other than shocking. I simply cannot wait the revealing of the top 25 late Sunday.

If I were to have my way it would look like this:

1 USC
2 LSU
3 Cal
4 Ohio State
5 Wisconsin
6 Kentucky
7 Boston College
8 USF
9 Oklahoma
10 Florida
11 South Carolina
12 Georgia
13 West Virginia
14 Virginia Tech
15 Hawaii
16 Rutgers
17 Oregon
18 Missouri
19 Cincinnati
20 Texas
21 Arizona State
22 Clemson
23 Nebraska
24 Florida State
25 Purdue

But, as for my input on what we have seen today, I have to say I wasn't completely shocked to see West Virginia go down to USF as USF won the meeting last year, and WV seems to forget they have Steve Slaton on the team. I also saw the Texas loss coming as their team is nowhere near as strong as years past. Texas struggled to put a W up against UCF prior to this week. This being a main reason why Texas should be dropped as far as I have dropped them in my poll.

As for Florida's loss, I can say that I saw it coming, but I'd be lying. The only thing I can say is that Auburn brings their A-game when they play the Gators. Meanwhile, in Boulder, Colorado, the game winning field goal proved that the Sooners are beatable.

If I had to choose one team out of all of this week's losers that will bounce back even stronger it would be Oklahoma. Both sides of the ball for the Sooners are top-notch, but this loss will set them back. Lucky for them though, Florida and company lost today as well.

In other news, LSU seems to have a pretty much guaranteed spot in the BCS Championship, but could still hit some bumps now that we see any team can beat any team at any given time more than ever. But I say that LSU is pretty much golden because USC's tough schedule starting up next week, and LSU has shown that the country's best D is not letting up and the schedule from now on seems manageable.

As for my team, Florida State, I am proud that Bobby Bowden came to his senses and realized that the horrible offensive line must have a mobile quarterback that can throw...Xavier Lee is the answer.
--Here's a rough draft of my letter to Bobby Bowden, I thought you guys could get a chance to read it.

"Thank you Bobby, we won because of Lee's arm, head, legs, and your choice. Lee showed that he can throw the long ball, throw an accurate ball, run when needed and make smart choices, other than the pick when he tried to force the ball in the second half. I can see a turn around point for the 'Noles if you put more confidence in that Lee 'fella and lets him do his 'thang'. Notice that he didn't make a stupid decision when a defender is in his face and there is a clean running hole for him to get a positive chunk rather than a sack or a pick. Notice that he put the ball in a catchable spot rather than Weatherford's 10-feet-too-high balls, and notice that the team actually looked like a college team winning rather than a practice squad."

...oh...and Notre Dame lost pretty badly once again.

Beating A Dead Horse...or Leprechaun

2007-09-28T17:45:00.000-04:00

After watching the Monday Night Football mini-show with Bill Parcells and Keyshawn Johnson I couldn't help but feel the urge to express my feelings on the Notre Dame subject matter through a blog.

Parcells and Johnson were on the subject of Notre Dame's 0-4 start. Parcells and Johnson both agreed that the Fighting Irish are lacking speed and strong recruiting. Parcells added that most of the independent teams such as Cincinnati and Boston College have joined conferences and dramatically improved their recruiting.

Well, Notre Dame will NEVER join a conference, simply because they are known for being independent, have their own TV contract and have free roaming capabilities of scheduling with no worries of conference restrictions. Notre Dame will and always have top prospects consider going to the land of Green and Gold simply because of the name and what the school stands for.

But, as for the struggle of Notre Dame, it can be blamed on easy things...no offense...no defense. The End. Either ND doesn't have the talent pool they usually have or the coaching is struggling. It could be one thing, it could be a mix of things, but whatever it is, Notre Dame is 0-4, has one of the worst offenses (if not the worst) in the nation, and is seeing no light at the end of the tunnel.

Either way, Notre Dame is bad right now, it is up to THEM to fix it, not us, so let's stop worrying about it and watch some football.

Now, I understand it is their jobs to analyze and tell us, the viewers, what it is that Notre Dame has to fix, but every analyst has stated the same jibberish, Notre Dame is NOT producing in any area of the game... I think thats all we need to hear. Let's move on to other subjects, here I'll provide a list.

1: Will the Championship game be USC vs LSU
2: Michigan State is 4-0
3: Saban's Tide
4: Florida's Tebow, first sophomore Heisman?
5: The U, on their way back?
6: Oklahoma over/underrated?

Plenty of Questions for Bowden and the 'Noles Before Saturday

2007-09-25T19:23:00.000-04:00

Florida State University has unpleasant and unhappy fans on campus...again. Heading into an important and exciting matchup against none other than the Alabama Crimson Tide on Saturday, Florida State fans are asking the famous Bobby Bowden to lead them to a strong victory, not one that keeps them on their toes until the final whistle like the game against UAB.

Florida State fans want to see either a change at quarterback or a great improvement by Bobby Bowden's choice Drew Weatherford. Bowden is quoted saying that Weatherford is the quarterback that performs the best in practice, but fans also know that Xavier Lee, the backup quarterback, has feet similar to Michael Vick and an arm like Carson Palmer. The problem with Lee is that he suffers from the same problem as Weatherford, the infamous bad choices and bad accuracy.

Every ten passes or so, Weatherford makes a great decision to throw the wide open man... but somehow successfully throws the ball ten feet above his head.

Students and fans of the 90's dominating Florida State team are hoping for a resurgence of the guys in garnet and gold, this game against Alabama can make or break these hopes once again. But to make matters worse, earlier this week, key linebacker Geno Hayes and injured fullback Joe Surratt were suspended for unruly conduct and resisting arrest at a local nightclub.

Needless to say, the game against Alabama means a lot to both teams as they meet in Jacksonville on Saturday the 29th. Alabama is coming off of a tough overtime loss against Georgia, while Florida State comes off of a bye week after traveling to Colorado for their second victory. This SEC vs ACC battle will be entertaining and a nice game to watch on CBS at 5PM (if your region applies).