Monday, December 22, 2008
MY CHRISTMAS THOUGHTS AND PLAYLIST
Hello everyone, and HAPPY HOLIDAYS. Below is a list of some holiday tunes I put together. I hope you enjoy them. I hope you're having a great holiday season. This year has been rough on many of us but we can only hope that CHANGE is ahead of us. And CHANGE will be good, right ? Speaking of the holidays, one thing that always comes to mind this time of year is when friends of family members are not seeing eye to eye with each other, whether it be an arguement or a misunderstanding, and many of us try to help patch things up between others and many of us have often said, " Come on, put aside you're differences, it Christmas ...." . Well, yes, Christmas can definately be the time of year to put aside our differences, but should we be putting aside our differences only during the holidays ? After all, we really should be nice to each other year round, right ? While it is true that it's only human to have our differences get in the way of things, ( I dont exclude myself either) our differences should also be something that should be embraced as well. As we all know, no one person was created the same, so why should our we let our differences be a hinderence in our everyday lives ? If you should take the time to use the holidays to put any differneces, or yet, conflicts aside, if you can, make the effort to keep it aside througout the upcoming year. And if you're not quite ready to tell that someone that " You're sorry.....", do it when your ready. Whether it be today, Christmas day, the 4th of July, whenever, again if you can, do make the effort. And should the holidays actually help you put aside any differences or conflicts you may be having with a friend, family member, or loved one, remember to carry it over with you year round. While Christmas shouldnt be an excuse to patch things up, it can certainly the time of year to start patching things up with those you care about. Well, enough from me. Enjoy the tunes everyone. Oh yeah, feel free to share a favorite holiday memory. HAPPY HOLIDAYS !!!!
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
UCLA VS. USC 12/06/2008
The USC Trojans enter this weeks crosstown showdown at the Rose Bowl against my beloved Bruins a 31.5 point favorite. As of today, about 1,000 tickets remain available for this Saturdays game. As a Bruin fan, I would like to believe the old rivalry mantra that anything can happen. And of course someday I will win the lottery. While UCLA's defense has shown signs of improvement over the last 2 games, albeit one of those games was against an even lowlier opponent the Washington Huskies, USC just has to much in it's arsenal for UCLA to even try to keep up with. Also not helping matters out is that UCLA ranks nearly dead last in the nation in total rushing while QB Kevin Craft has thrown an alarmin 17 interceptions this season . ( It seems like more though.....). Boy is it gonna be a long day for the Bruins this Saturday. PREDICTION USC 41 UCLA 13. I will go on record to say that should The Sons of Westwood pull off the miracle of the year, I will go to the Bruin Bear on Monday on campus and lead the Sons on to a rousing rendition of " The Mighty Bruins " !!!! GO BRUINS !!!!!!
Friday, November 21, 2008
49ERS VS. COWBOYS, 11/23 , NOTES AND THOUGHTS
These two longtime rivals go at it again in what will be the final 49ERS-COWBOYS game ever at Texas Stadium. The Niners have won 3 of their last 4 visits at Texas Stadium, however their last win came 6 years ago when Jeff Garcia connected with, that's right, Terrel Owens inside a minute to play to give the Niners a 31-27 win over the hated ones in yet another classic 49ERS-COWBOYS matchup. The win clinched the NFC West for the 49ERS. The 49ERS have not had a winning season since. The two teams have gone in different directions since, and one-time nemesis Terrel Owens is now donning the ungodly silver helmet and blue star.
After missing some time nursing an injured pinkie, Dallas QB Tony Romo is back, and the 'Boys, picked by many to win the NFC title this year, currently stand at 6-4 3 games behind last years Super Bowl Champ, the NY Giants. Here now are some game points former Niner Gary Plummer from sf49ers.com
Former 49ers linebacker and KNBR analysis and color commentator Gary Plummer is back again this year with his Points of the Game, a weekly online column that previews the upcoming opponent. Check out some of his views on Sunday’s road game against the Dallas Cowboys.
I don’t think the Cowboys 6-4 record has much to do with all the preseason hype and expectations surrounding the team. I also don’t think the HBO cameras being there filming them in training camp has anything to do with it. They’ve had injuries to the most important position on the field – quarterback. Tony Romo broke his pinky finger on his throwing hand against the Arizona Cardinals, and missed three games and that makes all the difference in the world.
The Cowboys also had to deal with the suspension of Adam Jones. They’ve had some other injuries in the secondary as well, with safety Roy Williams being out for the season with a broken left forearm. They’ve even had injuries at the running back position, with rookie Felix Jones missing the last four games with a partial hamstring tear, and now going on I/R with a toe injury.
When those things happen to your team, it really makes all the difference in the world when it comes to wins and losses.
You’ve heard Dallas players and coaches this week talking about the importance of Romo, and so it’s clear that they’re a different team with him in there. While their backup Brad Johnson has been a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and has been effective in this league, he’s old. And Romo is a great quarterback, who can do it all. He has great pocket awareness, excellent arm strength and has a great knowledge of their offense. They’re a completely different football team with him, and without him, they were a less-efficient team.
The 49ers will have a tough matchup against Marion Barber. The Cowboys running back had the last eleven touches in their 14-10 victory over the Washington Redskins last week.
Having a back like Barber opens up their passing game because they love to go play-action off of the running game, and what helps Dallas with that is their offensive line. They’re massive and they’re not particularly adept at pass-blocking. So in order for the Cowboys to give Romo enough time, they’ll run play-action. Being just a straight drop-back team hasn’t worked for them. So, if the running game doesn’t work, then the passing game isn’t going to work off of it.
For the 49ers defense, the pass rush last week against the Rams was really the best friend to any secondary player or defensive back because it makes coverage so much easier. The 49ers had four sacks last week and that played a part in Clements and Walt Harris coming up with interceptions. When the defense puts the other team in longer yardage situations, it’s always going to help the defense. Last week, the 49ers got the Rams in a lot of those situations. And it was easy to do, because the Rams didn’t have their run game with Steven Jackson out of action. So, it’s going to be a completely animal this week, knowing they have to stop a stud in Barber.
Romo’s best target when it comes to the pass is still former 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens. Although he is definitely not what he’s been in the past, he can still make big plays. Even though he’s not in his prime, he’s still better than a large percentage of receivers in the NFL.
When you look at him and newly acquired wide receiver Roy Williams, they’re both big receivers. But when you look at the stats from the 49ers-Detroit game, Williams was a non-factor. Part of that was because he was matched up with Nate Clements.
Now, the 49ers are going to have to decide who they put Clements on. Are they going to put him up on TO? Or are they going to put him on Williams again?
I would like to see Clements locked up on Owens, because he’s the bigger threat. And I think that’s a good matchup for Clements, because he plays very physical and plays better against bigger receivers. He obviously doesn’t back down when facing guys like Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Plaxico Burress. Like I said, the best way to cover is obviously the pass rush, but next, is playing physical at the line of scrimmage. There’s no other corner in the NFL, who I’d rather have matched up one-on-one than Clements. I expect to see an awful lot of that from him in the game, because if a guy can’t get off the line, he can’t catch passes.
Switching gears to the 49ers offense, Shaun Hill, who was just named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, has really been impressive since being named the starter. The thing I’m most impressed about is the change or almost paradigm shift that we’ve seen with Frank Gore getting more touches in Mike Martz’s offense.
To Martz’s credit, he’s taking the suggestions from Mike Singletary about being a physical football team that runs the football. And in my opinion, in terms of personnel, the 49ers are better suited to run the football. Similar to the Cowboys offense, I think Hill benefits from a solid run game.
Gore and Barber are number one and three in the NFL respectively, in how much of their team’s offense they account for. So you’re going to see two work horse’s going at it this Sunday. It might come down to which one of those backs is more productive. I think it’s a good challenge for both backs, because you want to play your best when you’re going up against the best. I’ll guarantee that Gore will be motivated to show why he’s being used so much in the 49ers offense.
Last week against the Rams, the 49ers ran the football, used play-action pass, the intermediate passing game and the short passing game. And if it’s not broke – don’t fix it.
The Cowboys have had to play some younger guys on defense because of the injuries in the secondary. They started playing Anthony Spencer more at outside linebacker over Greg Ellis also.
He’s a younger guy, but he adds more speed to their defense.
Another help has been head coach Wade Phillips taking over defensive play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. It’s his defense. He’s the guy who brought it there and he’s the guy who installed it. He knows that defense inside and out. And he’s been running it for 30 years. Different coordinators are going to call things in different ways, and Phillips has made some subtle changes, one of which is that he’s being more aggressive with the play-calling. He’s going to go after people more. If you think back to when the San Diego Chargers were at their peak of success on defense, it was because Phillips was their coordinator. He loves to get after people and loves having big linebackers in their 3-4 defense bring pressure off the edge on opposing quarterbacks.
One key to the game is 49ers return specialist Allen Rossum. If you look statistically in the NFL, starting inside the 20-yard line and scoring is tough to do. It’s hard to go 80-plus yards and then score a touchdown. So for every ten yards that Rossum brings the ball out, it’s like picking up a couple of first downs and your chances of scoring go up. Anytime he brings it close to the 30-yard line, it really helps the offense’s chances of scoring.
He’s also first in the NFC in punt returns, averaging 16.9 yards per return, and that’s like picking up 1.5 first downs on his own.
I know 49ers fans still have strong dislike for the Cowboys, but I think that’s sort of lost on the current group of players. There’s nobody on the current roster who played in those huge rivalry games. Instead, I think these guys are concerned with continuing upon what they’ve done the last few weeks under Mike Singletary. They want to play physical football and beat a talented team on their home field.
I'm not so sure if the rivalry would be lost on the current core of 49ERS players. Yeah, this is a different era than from the glory days, but a rivalry is still a rivalry especially when you're playing against " Americas Team ".
One of the keys to beating Dallas this Sunday and perhaps putting another roadblock to their playoff hopes will be ball control. If the Niner O-Line can open up some holes for Frank Gore and we control the clock and keep Dallas' offense off the field, we have a chance. Our offense under QB Shaun Hill has also picked up so a potent running game could also open up opportunities for receivers Isaac Bruce and Jason Hill.
I really like our chances this Sunday. Yeah, we won't be in post-season play AGAIN this year, our longest drought since the 70's ( 1973-1980 ), however, a win over the HATED ONES ( And the Chance to shut TO'S TRAP ) would really make my season, as well as other Niner fans too.
Prediction
49ERS 27 COWBOYS 24
GO NINERS !!!! BEAT DALLAS !!!
After missing some time nursing an injured pinkie, Dallas QB Tony Romo is back, and the 'Boys, picked by many to win the NFC title this year, currently stand at 6-4 3 games behind last years Super Bowl Champ, the NY Giants. Here now are some game points former Niner Gary Plummer from sf49ers.com
Former 49ers linebacker and KNBR analysis and color commentator Gary Plummer is back again this year with his Points of the Game, a weekly online column that previews the upcoming opponent. Check out some of his views on Sunday’s road game against the Dallas Cowboys.
I don’t think the Cowboys 6-4 record has much to do with all the preseason hype and expectations surrounding the team. I also don’t think the HBO cameras being there filming them in training camp has anything to do with it. They’ve had injuries to the most important position on the field – quarterback. Tony Romo broke his pinky finger on his throwing hand against the Arizona Cardinals, and missed three games and that makes all the difference in the world.
The Cowboys also had to deal with the suspension of Adam Jones. They’ve had some other injuries in the secondary as well, with safety Roy Williams being out for the season with a broken left forearm. They’ve even had injuries at the running back position, with rookie Felix Jones missing the last four games with a partial hamstring tear, and now going on I/R with a toe injury.
When those things happen to your team, it really makes all the difference in the world when it comes to wins and losses.
You’ve heard Dallas players and coaches this week talking about the importance of Romo, and so it’s clear that they’re a different team with him in there. While their backup Brad Johnson has been a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and has been effective in this league, he’s old. And Romo is a great quarterback, who can do it all. He has great pocket awareness, excellent arm strength and has a great knowledge of their offense. They’re a completely different football team with him, and without him, they were a less-efficient team.
The 49ers will have a tough matchup against Marion Barber. The Cowboys running back had the last eleven touches in their 14-10 victory over the Washington Redskins last week.
Having a back like Barber opens up their passing game because they love to go play-action off of the running game, and what helps Dallas with that is their offensive line. They’re massive and they’re not particularly adept at pass-blocking. So in order for the Cowboys to give Romo enough time, they’ll run play-action. Being just a straight drop-back team hasn’t worked for them. So, if the running game doesn’t work, then the passing game isn’t going to work off of it.
For the 49ers defense, the pass rush last week against the Rams was really the best friend to any secondary player or defensive back because it makes coverage so much easier. The 49ers had four sacks last week and that played a part in Clements and Walt Harris coming up with interceptions. When the defense puts the other team in longer yardage situations, it’s always going to help the defense. Last week, the 49ers got the Rams in a lot of those situations. And it was easy to do, because the Rams didn’t have their run game with Steven Jackson out of action. So, it’s going to be a completely animal this week, knowing they have to stop a stud in Barber.
Romo’s best target when it comes to the pass is still former 49ers wide receiver Terrell Owens. Although he is definitely not what he’s been in the past, he can still make big plays. Even though he’s not in his prime, he’s still better than a large percentage of receivers in the NFL.
When you look at him and newly acquired wide receiver Roy Williams, they’re both big receivers. But when you look at the stats from the 49ers-Detroit game, Williams was a non-factor. Part of that was because he was matched up with Nate Clements.
Now, the 49ers are going to have to decide who they put Clements on. Are they going to put him up on TO? Or are they going to put him on Williams again?
I would like to see Clements locked up on Owens, because he’s the bigger threat. And I think that’s a good matchup for Clements, because he plays very physical and plays better against bigger receivers. He obviously doesn’t back down when facing guys like Anquan Boldin, Larry Fitzgerald and Plaxico Burress. Like I said, the best way to cover is obviously the pass rush, but next, is playing physical at the line of scrimmage. There’s no other corner in the NFL, who I’d rather have matched up one-on-one than Clements. I expect to see an awful lot of that from him in the game, because if a guy can’t get off the line, he can’t catch passes.
Switching gears to the 49ers offense, Shaun Hill, who was just named NFC Offensive Player of the Week, has really been impressive since being named the starter. The thing I’m most impressed about is the change or almost paradigm shift that we’ve seen with Frank Gore getting more touches in Mike Martz’s offense.
To Martz’s credit, he’s taking the suggestions from Mike Singletary about being a physical football team that runs the football. And in my opinion, in terms of personnel, the 49ers are better suited to run the football. Similar to the Cowboys offense, I think Hill benefits from a solid run game.
Gore and Barber are number one and three in the NFL respectively, in how much of their team’s offense they account for. So you’re going to see two work horse’s going at it this Sunday. It might come down to which one of those backs is more productive. I think it’s a good challenge for both backs, because you want to play your best when you’re going up against the best. I’ll guarantee that Gore will be motivated to show why he’s being used so much in the 49ers offense.
Last week against the Rams, the 49ers ran the football, used play-action pass, the intermediate passing game and the short passing game. And if it’s not broke – don’t fix it.
The Cowboys have had to play some younger guys on defense because of the injuries in the secondary. They started playing Anthony Spencer more at outside linebacker over Greg Ellis also.
He’s a younger guy, but he adds more speed to their defense.
Another help has been head coach Wade Phillips taking over defensive play-calling duties from defensive coordinator Brian Stewart. It’s his defense. He’s the guy who brought it there and he’s the guy who installed it. He knows that defense inside and out. And he’s been running it for 30 years. Different coordinators are going to call things in different ways, and Phillips has made some subtle changes, one of which is that he’s being more aggressive with the play-calling. He’s going to go after people more. If you think back to when the San Diego Chargers were at their peak of success on defense, it was because Phillips was their coordinator. He loves to get after people and loves having big linebackers in their 3-4 defense bring pressure off the edge on opposing quarterbacks.
One key to the game is 49ers return specialist Allen Rossum. If you look statistically in the NFL, starting inside the 20-yard line and scoring is tough to do. It’s hard to go 80-plus yards and then score a touchdown. So for every ten yards that Rossum brings the ball out, it’s like picking up a couple of first downs and your chances of scoring go up. Anytime he brings it close to the 30-yard line, it really helps the offense’s chances of scoring.
He’s also first in the NFC in punt returns, averaging 16.9 yards per return, and that’s like picking up 1.5 first downs on his own.
I know 49ers fans still have strong dislike for the Cowboys, but I think that’s sort of lost on the current group of players. There’s nobody on the current roster who played in those huge rivalry games. Instead, I think these guys are concerned with continuing upon what they’ve done the last few weeks under Mike Singletary. They want to play physical football and beat a talented team on their home field.
I'm not so sure if the rivalry would be lost on the current core of 49ERS players. Yeah, this is a different era than from the glory days, but a rivalry is still a rivalry especially when you're playing against " Americas Team ".
One of the keys to beating Dallas this Sunday and perhaps putting another roadblock to their playoff hopes will be ball control. If the Niner O-Line can open up some holes for Frank Gore and we control the clock and keep Dallas' offense off the field, we have a chance. Our offense under QB Shaun Hill has also picked up so a potent running game could also open up opportunities for receivers Isaac Bruce and Jason Hill.
I really like our chances this Sunday. Yeah, we won't be in post-season play AGAIN this year, our longest drought since the 70's ( 1973-1980 ), however, a win over the HATED ONES ( And the Chance to shut TO'S TRAP ) would really make my season, as well as other Niner fans too.
Prediction
49ERS 27 COWBOYS 24
GO NINERS !!!! BEAT DALLAS !!!
Thursday, November 20, 2008
RICH RODRIGUEZ TO FANS, " GET A LIFE "
Ah yes, it's that time of year college football fans look forward to. Rivalry week. The time of year we bring up time honored traditions such as the Axe, The Apple Cup, The Victory Bell, etc.... It's also that time of year we bring up our favorite rivalry games. The time of year friendships and houses are divided. And what better way to welcome rivalry week than to call out your fan base, such as what University of Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez did this past week.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Rich Rodriguez loves to win -- and he hates to lose as much as anyone.
It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature. You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'
-- Rich Rodriguez
Michigan's coach, though, tries to keep as much perspective as he can.
Rodriguez has his wife and kids around him after practices, at the team hotel and on bus trips to the stadium. His office door is always wide open, allowing visitors to say hello.
Heading into his first Michigan-Ohio State game -- where the Wolverines are expected to extend their dubious record with a ninth loss -- he tried to deliver a message to fans who have lost touch.
"It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature," Rodriguez said Monday. "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'
"There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy."
College football's winningest team has tumbled like the stock market, losing a school-record eight games and getting beat a Michigan Stadium-record five times at home.
For the first time since 1974, the Wolverines will be relegated to watching bowl games.
Way to endear yourself to your public Rich. While I may not be the most ardent supporter of the Maize and Blue ( Though I do love " The Victors " ), and though Rich's comments may not have been directed toward all Michigan supporters, and though there is plenty of truth behind his comments, whom some feel were taken out of context, Richs comments have probably done nothing more than tighten his leash on what was already expected to be a rebuilding year in Ann Arbor.
Yes, we fans tend to spend too much time in our passion for our teams. It's what we do. That's why we are, FANS. And yeah, most fans in the world are not insane enough to think that they can outperform some of the most elite athletes in their profession. And yeah, as a fan, I am guilty of throwing good money away to watch my favorite teams, especially this past decade when it's come to UCLA Football and the 49ERS. Loyal to a fault, yeah. And yes, while it is true that the average coach knows more on the field than Joe Fan, no matter how much we criticize his playcalling, again Rich, you're leash as UM coach, how loose it may have been this first season, has only tightened.
One of the first rules in any business, never bite the hand that feeds you. And in bringing up the economy as a reference, when you take into account your , what, $2mil a year salery, who is the primary source for your dough ? That's right, the FAN. You know, the people who scurtinize your every move, the people who make fools of themselves singing all 500 versions of " The Victors " after every UM victory. The alums that contribute heavily to the athletic departments donor program, much of which probably goes to the football program.
When I bring up the leash, my point is that yeah, while fans expect nothing but success, especially in a succesful football program as the UOFM, every now and then, most fans come to the realization that there comes a time when even the best must go through rebuilding. Case in point, out here in Westwood, the Bruin Faithful have had to endure some growing pains this year under 1st year head coach Rick Neuheisel. Yeah, we were aware he had some past baggage , and of course it probably helped that he is a former Bruin QB, but considering UCLA football has not been up to par since 1998 ( More on that later ) and we went into the season with a 3rd string JC transfer as our starting QB, and we are playing over 20 freshman, yeah, we knew this was going to be a rough year. ( And we still got the SC game on Dec 6 ). But since his arrival here, Neuheisel has done what he can to endear himself to the Bruin Faithful, even fessing up to past mistakes.
Of course sports and the economy are two seperate beasts. Sports is one of the many things in life that takes our minds off reality every now and then. If we wanted to deal with reality 24/7, we'd all probably be miserable. Even this blogger knows it. And i'm sure most sports fans know it too. Rich, by making your comments, you've not only ostracized the UOFM fans, but you may have also shortened your grace period too in terms of returning the program back to glory. And should that not work out, as for future coaching jobs, you may have also , you may have also jeopardized any future jobs as well. Because when it's time to go job hunting, dont think for one minute you're comments will not be replayed over and over again, especially in the eyes of , of course, the FANS.
Oh yeah, Rich, how 'bout an apology to, the FANS ? Imagine if he were the head coach of the Raiders and he said this ? Now that I'm done, I'm going to continue on with my life now and debate with my uncle now, a die-hard Cowboys fan, not one of those bandwagon fans, 'till im Red and Gold in the face on why the 49ERS will upset Dallas this weekend.
'Drei
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Rich Rodriguez loves to win -- and he hates to lose as much as anyone.
It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature. You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'
-- Rich Rodriguez
Michigan's coach, though, tries to keep as much perspective as he can.
Rodriguez has his wife and kids around him after practices, at the team hotel and on bus trips to the stadium. His office door is always wide open, allowing visitors to say hello.
Heading into his first Michigan-Ohio State game -- where the Wolverines are expected to extend their dubious record with a ninth loss -- he tried to deliver a message to fans who have lost touch.
"It's amazing some of the things that people would say [on a message board] or yell at you of a personal nature," Rodriguez said Monday. "You almost want to tell them, 'Get a life.'
"There's a whole lot bigger problems. Look at the economy."
College football's winningest team has tumbled like the stock market, losing a school-record eight games and getting beat a Michigan Stadium-record five times at home.
For the first time since 1974, the Wolverines will be relegated to watching bowl games.
Way to endear yourself to your public Rich. While I may not be the most ardent supporter of the Maize and Blue ( Though I do love " The Victors " ), and though Rich's comments may not have been directed toward all Michigan supporters, and though there is plenty of truth behind his comments, whom some feel were taken out of context, Richs comments have probably done nothing more than tighten his leash on what was already expected to be a rebuilding year in Ann Arbor.
Yes, we fans tend to spend too much time in our passion for our teams. It's what we do. That's why we are, FANS. And yeah, most fans in the world are not insane enough to think that they can outperform some of the most elite athletes in their profession. And yeah, as a fan, I am guilty of throwing good money away to watch my favorite teams, especially this past decade when it's come to UCLA Football and the 49ERS. Loyal to a fault, yeah. And yes, while it is true that the average coach knows more on the field than Joe Fan, no matter how much we criticize his playcalling, again Rich, you're leash as UM coach, how loose it may have been this first season, has only tightened.
One of the first rules in any business, never bite the hand that feeds you. And in bringing up the economy as a reference, when you take into account your , what, $2mil a year salery, who is the primary source for your dough ? That's right, the FAN. You know, the people who scurtinize your every move, the people who make fools of themselves singing all 500 versions of " The Victors " after every UM victory. The alums that contribute heavily to the athletic departments donor program, much of which probably goes to the football program.
When I bring up the leash, my point is that yeah, while fans expect nothing but success, especially in a succesful football program as the UOFM, every now and then, most fans come to the realization that there comes a time when even the best must go through rebuilding. Case in point, out here in Westwood, the Bruin Faithful have had to endure some growing pains this year under 1st year head coach Rick Neuheisel. Yeah, we were aware he had some past baggage , and of course it probably helped that he is a former Bruin QB, but considering UCLA football has not been up to par since 1998 ( More on that later ) and we went into the season with a 3rd string JC transfer as our starting QB, and we are playing over 20 freshman, yeah, we knew this was going to be a rough year. ( And we still got the SC game on Dec 6 ). But since his arrival here, Neuheisel has done what he can to endear himself to the Bruin Faithful, even fessing up to past mistakes.
Of course sports and the economy are two seperate beasts. Sports is one of the many things in life that takes our minds off reality every now and then. If we wanted to deal with reality 24/7, we'd all probably be miserable. Even this blogger knows it. And i'm sure most sports fans know it too. Rich, by making your comments, you've not only ostracized the UOFM fans, but you may have also shortened your grace period too in terms of returning the program back to glory. And should that not work out, as for future coaching jobs, you may have also , you may have also jeopardized any future jobs as well. Because when it's time to go job hunting, dont think for one minute you're comments will not be replayed over and over again, especially in the eyes of , of course, the FANS.
Oh yeah, Rich, how 'bout an apology to, the FANS ? Imagine if he were the head coach of the Raiders and he said this ? Now that I'm done, I'm going to continue on with my life now and debate with my uncle now, a die-hard Cowboys fan, not one of those bandwagon fans, 'till im Red and Gold in the face on why the 49ERS will upset Dallas this weekend.
'Drei
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
BALTIMORE ORIOLES NEW LOOK FOR 2009
The Baltimore Orioles have recently unveiled a new look for the 2009 MLB season, with Orange being the dominant color on the team fonts. A patch featuring the Maryland state flag is also featured as well. The road unis will have the city's name " Baltimore " on the uni for the first time in over the 30 years.
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081112&content_id=3675825&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal
http://mlb.mlb.com/bal/photogallery/year_2008/month_11/day_07/cf3670404.html
More later on my " uni reviews " .
http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081112&content_id=3675825&vkey=news_bal&fext=.jsp&c_id=bal
http://mlb.mlb.com/bal/photogallery/year_2008/month_11/day_07/cf3670404.html
More later on my " uni reviews " .
Monday, November 17, 2008
UCLA, 49ERS, AND THE SOUTHLAND FIRES
This past weekend, for the first time since, oh, it seems so long ago, both my football teams, the 49ers and UCLA actually won on the same weekend !!! Of course, beating the Rams and the 0-10 UW Huskies really doesn't say to much except that there's others who are worse off then us. I guess I must have underestimated how bad the competition would be over the weekend on both counts. And as for the Rams, the final score of 35-16 coulda been worse had the Niners not gone into cruise mode in the second half after a 28 point 2nd quarter that led to a 35-3 halftime lead.
Unfortunately, not all had a good weekend here in the southland. By now many of you outside of L.A. county and Southern California have heard about the wildfires that have taken place throughout the region. As for my area in San Fernando Valley, we were not affected thank you, however, clouds of smoke from the Sylmar area were very visible and the ashes were such that area residents and pedestrians were actually wearing doctors masks to protect from inhaling the ashes or any other hazardous materials.
The weather certainly has not contributed. Temps in the lower 90s as well as the high winds are usually not the norm at this time of year ( OK, maybe the high winds ). Thankfully, most of the fires have passsed. However, there are those who have lost property and homes and could sure use a hand right now. Here is some info as to where you can contribute.
http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=423560714&messageID=6211491925&MyToken=2b604967-e4a1-439c-9393-66ebb3706344
Hope all is well with everyone out there. Have a good evening.
Drei
FIRES FROM THE YORBA LINDA AREA
Unfortunately, not all had a good weekend here in the southland. By now many of you outside of L.A. county and Southern California have heard about the wildfires that have taken place throughout the region. As for my area in San Fernando Valley, we were not affected thank you, however, clouds of smoke from the Sylmar area were very visible and the ashes were such that area residents and pedestrians were actually wearing doctors masks to protect from inhaling the ashes or any other hazardous materials.
The weather certainly has not contributed. Temps in the lower 90s as well as the high winds are usually not the norm at this time of year ( OK, maybe the high winds ). Thankfully, most of the fires have passsed. However, there are those who have lost property and homes and could sure use a hand right now. Here is some info as to where you can contribute.
http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=423560714&messageID=6211491925&MyToken=2b604967-e4a1-439c-9393-66ebb3706344
Hope all is well with everyone out there. Have a good evening.
Drei
FIRES FROM THE YORBA LINDA AREA
Friday, November 14, 2008
DODGERS, LAKERS, UCLA, USC, AND MANNY
Let the bidding begin. Did you really think that Manny Ramirez was a lock to sign for the 3 year $60 Million the Dodgers were offering when he's commanding 6 years ? Oh yeah, let's not forget his agent is Scott Boras. Locks for the Blue Crew in '09....C Russell Martin ( It's confirmed, he's not going anywhere, which is good, because I cant think of any other potential 5-tool catcher....), 1B James Loney, CF Matt Kemp, RF Andre Ethier, and Opening Day starter ( Yeah, I'm goin out on a limb already and making the call ) Chad Billingsley. DeWitt should be a strong candidate for 2B, Kershaw and Kuroda should occupy spots in the starting rotation as well, leaving 2 spots open. Jake Peavy, yeah, I'd like to see him wear Dodger Blue, ( especially since he's like , what, 13-1 against us lifetime ? ) , but in all reality, trades involving marquee players within a division is very rare, I say focus on CC Sabathia . James McDonald may also be ready to join the rotation next year as well. Today the Hot Stove League begins....
The Lakers are off to a 7-0 start and are the favorites to win it all this season. Without a doubt they are the most talented team in the league and if our big men Bynum and Gasol can stay healthy, we continue to get heavy contributions off the bench from Walton, Farmar, and Odom, this team could be scary. This could be Kobe's first ring without Shaq, but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
The UCLA Bruins mens basketball team survived a scare last night in the Coaches vs. Cancer matchup with Miami of Ohio. UCLA is ranked 4th in the early pre-season polls, a pretty lofty ranking for a team that lost 3 big guys from last years team in Love, Westbrook, and Mbah-Moute . Many are picking the Sons of Westwood to make a 4th consecutive trip to the big dance. As an ardent fan of the Blue and Gold, if this happens with a freshman heavy team, this will be Ben Howlands best coaching job here in Westwood. In the meantime, let's save those Buffalo Bills analogies.
And finally, that other school across town. Pete Carrol thinks the BCS stinks. And on most accounts, I do agree. Should SC lose out on a national title game, it will be due largely in part to the fact that the Pac-10 hasnt exactly flexed it's muscle this year. And thats too bad. SC may have been the best college football team the last couple of years, but because of a couple of hiccups ( OK, one of them a majore hiccup...Stanford 24 USC 23 ), we'll never know if USC would have added a couple more national championship trophies in Heritage Hall ( Not that I should shed a tear....) . As for a playoff system, well, have any ideas ?
Well, thats it for now. Have a great weekend everyone. And on a more serioius note, if you are going to the NO ON 8 event at city hall tomorrow, lets keep it organized and peaceful. As I said in an earlier post, lets stay united and not point fingers at any one group or race. We're all in this together.
'Drei
The Lakers are off to a 7-0 start and are the favorites to win it all this season. Without a doubt they are the most talented team in the league and if our big men Bynum and Gasol can stay healthy, we continue to get heavy contributions off the bench from Walton, Farmar, and Odom, this team could be scary. This could be Kobe's first ring without Shaq, but lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
The UCLA Bruins mens basketball team survived a scare last night in the Coaches vs. Cancer matchup with Miami of Ohio. UCLA is ranked 4th in the early pre-season polls, a pretty lofty ranking for a team that lost 3 big guys from last years team in Love, Westbrook, and Mbah-Moute . Many are picking the Sons of Westwood to make a 4th consecutive trip to the big dance. As an ardent fan of the Blue and Gold, if this happens with a freshman heavy team, this will be Ben Howlands best coaching job here in Westwood. In the meantime, let's save those Buffalo Bills analogies.
And finally, that other school across town. Pete Carrol thinks the BCS stinks. And on most accounts, I do agree. Should SC lose out on a national title game, it will be due largely in part to the fact that the Pac-10 hasnt exactly flexed it's muscle this year. And thats too bad. SC may have been the best college football team the last couple of years, but because of a couple of hiccups ( OK, one of them a majore hiccup...Stanford 24 USC 23 ), we'll never know if USC would have added a couple more national championship trophies in Heritage Hall ( Not that I should shed a tear....) . As for a playoff system, well, have any ideas ?
Well, thats it for now. Have a great weekend everyone. And on a more serioius note, if you are going to the NO ON 8 event at city hall tomorrow, lets keep it organized and peaceful. As I said in an earlier post, lets stay united and not point fingers at any one group or race. We're all in this together.
'Drei
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)