MIZZOU BIG-10 TALK CONTINUES, JAMARCUS BURIED AGAIN & A CHIEFS' PREDICTION
For those of you who doubted my story yesterday regarding Mizzou's interest in a possible move to the Big-10, now here this: "If we get a call from the Big-10, we will certainly listen to what they have to say" said University of Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton last night. The story is all over in just 48 hours, this is a real story. I think this could come down to Kansas City alums & donors versus St. Louis alums & donors. Other than rooting for the same team, these two groups have little in common & aren't what you'd call 'best buds'. I saw Big-12 Commissioner Dan Beebe on ESPN today & he said if Mizzou, or any other team, wants to leave the conference, there is absolutely nothing the conference or it's members can do about it. Beebe & the conference's bowl selection process is why Mizzou is willing to listen. They're tired of being pushed aside for lesser programs like Kansas in '08 & Iowa State this season. It's all about money, recruiting & public perception.
Good news for two bowl-bound teams, Iowa & Mizzou, as they get a pair of injured stars back for practice. Hawkeye QB Ricky Stanzi returned to practice after suffering a high ankle sprain early in their loss to Northwestern. He should be good to go for Iowa's Orange Bowl date with Georgia Tech. The Tigers will welcome back WR Jared Perry to workouts this week. They expect Perry to be ready to practice next Monday & hopefully play on December 31st in the Texas Bowl against Navy. Perry sustained a broken tibia a little over 5 weeks ago. His return would be a boost to the Tigers & showcase his recovery to pro scouts.
How bad have things gotten for JaMarcus Russell? The number one overall pick in the 2007 draft was benched in favor of backup Bruce Gradkowski about five weeks ago. Gradkowski played well, winning twice before getting both knees injured last Sunday. He is most likely gone for the year. Russell played in relief Sunday & was horrible, sacked 6 times, a fumble & an interception. Now coach Tom Cable has named Charlie Frye as the starter. Frye was signed a few weeks ago, so Cable would rather play a castoff who's only been in the Raider system for a few weeks than his #1 pick in '07. Russell might not be long for this Raider team.
Hey Chiefs' fans! Would you swap DE Tyson Jackson for Minnesota WR/KR Percy Harvin right now, straight up? Harvin has caught 6 TD passes & returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns. Jackson has 25 tackles & zero sacks. Except for some recurring headaches, Harvin has made a huge impact on the Vikings, showing no signs of his off-field troubles at Florida. This one is a no-brainer to me. Sports Illustrated ran a 'redraft' special & they had Kansas City taking Harvin instead of Jackson. No argument out of me.
Sports Illustrated is just as relevant now as they were 40 years ago. It's just their best stuff is usually on their website & not in the magazine. Their college All-American team is the best one out there, bar none. So many voters follow whoever has the best publicist, they do very little research & don't see that many games. Most every 'All' team has Colt McCoy at QB, Golden Tate & Jordan Shipley at WR's, Taylor Mays at safety, Kai Forbath as the kicker & more. These were the preseason picks, these are not the best performers this season & I'm glad to see someone finally get it right. Boise State sophomore Kellen Moore threw 39 touchdowns with an unheard of 3 interceptions. Moore & Houston's Case Keenum were the nation's best passers, not McCoy & certainly not Tim Tebow. SI's WR's were Danario Alexander & Golden Tate. To me, that's half right, should have been Alexander & Jordan Shipley. Taylor Mays wasn't in the top-5 at safety, much less 1st team All-American. Tennessee's Eric Berry was a great choice & SI also selected Earl Thomas who snagged 8 interceptions & made countless big plays. Kai Forbath made 29 of 33 field goals, which is very good, but he missed 2 extra points, which is pretty much inexcusable. SI selected Mizzou kicker Grant Ressel & I can already hear the cries of "Home" being hurled my way. Ressel was 24 of 25 & made every extra point. In fact, between Ressel & the guy he replaced, Jeff Wolfert, the Tigers haven't missed an extra point in 4 years, 223 of 223. Their first & second team picks were solid up & down the line.
Dallas WR Roy Williams, a disappointment since coming to Dallas in a trade that sent the Cowboys' 1st, 3rd & 6th round draft picks to the Lions. Williams has 36 receptions & 6 touchdowns, hardly number 1 receiver stats & make no mistake about it, his paycheck &what the 'Boys gave up to get him, he's a number 1 receiver. Well, fresh off losing 2 games, Williams has decided to trash talk the 'Boys next opponent, New Orleans. This is a smart decision, You're going to play in a domed stadium that is probably the best home field advantage in the league right now, plus the game is in prime time. Add in the Saints admitted desire for an undefeated season & the Cowboys' lack of success in December & you have a recipe for another loss.
Speaking of another loss, look for the Cleveland Browns to sack Chiefs' quarterback at least 6 times this Sunday. Rob Ryan's defense gets after the passer & K. C.'s soft spot is protecting the QB. The Browns have 32 sacks, good for 9th in the league. If Brady Quinn has a decent day, they'll beat the Chiefs.
Last night, Linda & I went to her company's Christmas party. This is the 4th one of these we've attended & it's more fun every year. Oh, there's been great food every year, good bar service & lots of giveaways. But what makes it so much fun is not only are her co-workers a lot of fun, but so are their spouses/significant others. They're a very special group of people & I'm so glad we can be a part of it. Some of the 110 people there last night are loyal readers of mine & they made a point of coming over to tell me how much they enjoy this blog. Thank you for your readership, I truly appreciate it. If you're a golfer, check out Old Kinderhook at the Lake of the Ozarks, named the best public couse in the state by most of the golf magazines. It's spectacular, as are the accomodations & the food is superior as well. Merry Christmas to everybody at Old Kinderhook & The Trophy Room!
Good news for two bowl-bound teams, Iowa & Mizzou, as they get a pair of injured stars back for practice. Hawkeye QB Ricky Stanzi returned to practice after suffering a high ankle sprain early in their loss to Northwestern. He should be good to go for Iowa's Orange Bowl date with Georgia Tech. The Tigers will welcome back WR Jared Perry to workouts this week. They expect Perry to be ready to practice next Monday & hopefully play on December 31st in the Texas Bowl against Navy. Perry sustained a broken tibia a little over 5 weeks ago. His return would be a boost to the Tigers & showcase his recovery to pro scouts.
How bad have things gotten for JaMarcus Russell? The number one overall pick in the 2007 draft was benched in favor of backup Bruce Gradkowski about five weeks ago. Gradkowski played well, winning twice before getting both knees injured last Sunday. He is most likely gone for the year. Russell played in relief Sunday & was horrible, sacked 6 times, a fumble & an interception. Now coach Tom Cable has named Charlie Frye as the starter. Frye was signed a few weeks ago, so Cable would rather play a castoff who's only been in the Raider system for a few weeks than his #1 pick in '07. Russell might not be long for this Raider team.
Hey Chiefs' fans! Would you swap DE Tyson Jackson for Minnesota WR/KR Percy Harvin right now, straight up? Harvin has caught 6 TD passes & returned 2 kickoffs for touchdowns. Jackson has 25 tackles & zero sacks. Except for some recurring headaches, Harvin has made a huge impact on the Vikings, showing no signs of his off-field troubles at Florida. This one is a no-brainer to me. Sports Illustrated ran a 'redraft' special & they had Kansas City taking Harvin instead of Jackson. No argument out of me.
Sports Illustrated is just as relevant now as they were 40 years ago. It's just their best stuff is usually on their website & not in the magazine. Their college All-American team is the best one out there, bar none. So many voters follow whoever has the best publicist, they do very little research & don't see that many games. Most every 'All' team has Colt McCoy at QB, Golden Tate & Jordan Shipley at WR's, Taylor Mays at safety, Kai Forbath as the kicker & more. These were the preseason picks, these are not the best performers this season & I'm glad to see someone finally get it right. Boise State sophomore Kellen Moore threw 39 touchdowns with an unheard of 3 interceptions. Moore & Houston's Case Keenum were the nation's best passers, not McCoy & certainly not Tim Tebow. SI's WR's were Danario Alexander & Golden Tate. To me, that's half right, should have been Alexander & Jordan Shipley. Taylor Mays wasn't in the top-5 at safety, much less 1st team All-American. Tennessee's Eric Berry was a great choice & SI also selected Earl Thomas who snagged 8 interceptions & made countless big plays. Kai Forbath made 29 of 33 field goals, which is very good, but he missed 2 extra points, which is pretty much inexcusable. SI selected Mizzou kicker Grant Ressel & I can already hear the cries of "Home" being hurled my way. Ressel was 24 of 25 & made every extra point. In fact, between Ressel & the guy he replaced, Jeff Wolfert, the Tigers haven't missed an extra point in 4 years, 223 of 223. Their first & second team picks were solid up & down the line.
Dallas WR Roy Williams, a disappointment since coming to Dallas in a trade that sent the Cowboys' 1st, 3rd & 6th round draft picks to the Lions. Williams has 36 receptions & 6 touchdowns, hardly number 1 receiver stats & make no mistake about it, his paycheck &what the 'Boys gave up to get him, he's a number 1 receiver. Well, fresh off losing 2 games, Williams has decided to trash talk the 'Boys next opponent, New Orleans. This is a smart decision, You're going to play in a domed stadium that is probably the best home field advantage in the league right now, plus the game is in prime time. Add in the Saints admitted desire for an undefeated season & the Cowboys' lack of success in December & you have a recipe for another loss.
Speaking of another loss, look for the Cleveland Browns to sack Chiefs' quarterback at least 6 times this Sunday. Rob Ryan's defense gets after the passer & K. C.'s soft spot is protecting the QB. The Browns have 32 sacks, good for 9th in the league. If Brady Quinn has a decent day, they'll beat the Chiefs.
Last night, Linda & I went to her company's Christmas party. This is the 4th one of these we've attended & it's more fun every year. Oh, there's been great food every year, good bar service & lots of giveaways. But what makes it so much fun is not only are her co-workers a lot of fun, but so are their spouses/significant others. They're a very special group of people & I'm so glad we can be a part of it. Some of the 110 people there last night are loyal readers of mine & they made a point of coming over to tell me how much they enjoy this blog. Thank you for your readership, I truly appreciate it. If you're a golfer, check out Old Kinderhook at the Lake of the Ozarks, named the best public couse in the state by most of the golf magazines. It's spectacular, as are the accomodations & the food is superior as well. Merry Christmas to everybody at Old Kinderhook & The Trophy Room!
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