BETTER GAMES TONIGHT BUT ESPN CONTINUES TO PILE ON
After three miserable snoozers this afternoon, we got 2 entertaining games this evening. Actually the Liberty Bowl was almost painful to watch as East Carolina's placekicker, Ben Hartman, missed 2 field goals late in the 4th quarter that would have won the game in regulation, then missed another in overtime allowing Arkansas to kick one to win it. Hartman missed one in the 1st half as well, you had to feel for the kid. The weather conditions were brutal, very cold with 25-MPH winds creating a near-zero wind chill. Skip Holtz's team out gained the Razorbacks & really had no business losing this game. Let a team habg around long enough & they'll beat you regardless of how poorly they're playing. Happens too often.
The Alamo Bowl was a surprise because Michigan State came out with so many gadget plays I thought I was watching a Boise State game. What was cool about it was they ran 6 gadgets & made 5 of them work. It was pretty exciting to see Mark D'Antonni's team scrap so hard, missing 14 suspended players & be leading in with 8-minutes left in the 4th quarter. Tech QB Taylor Potts injured a finger on his non-throwing hand & by time he got back from an X-Ray in the locker room, he'd been replaced by Steven "Sticks" Sheffield. He led the Red Raiders to the go-ahead score with a 6-6 passing performance including the touchdown to Detron Lewis. After a State interception, Tech motored on down for another score, converting twice on 4th down while in field goal range. Interim coach Ruffin McNeil rolled the dice the same way Mike did for 10-years & when Baron Batch scampered in from 13-yards out with 2:00 left, it was over. There was 973 yards of total offense in this game, Tech can move the ball on anyone when they get rolling & State made enough plays to stay in the game until late. The Spartans came to San Antonio down 3 wide receivers, their backup QB Keith Nichol played WR, caught a pass & ran one in out of the Wildcat. WR Keshawn Martin caught a touchdown & threw one out of the Wildcat. Their placekicker took a direct snap in field goal position & threw for a first down that led to the go-ahead score in the 4th quarter. It was a helluva effort from a team so shorthanded.
All through the game ESPN continued to throw dirt on Mike Leach, cherry picking quotes & not telling everything, just what fits their agenda. It's really shameful. Mike Patrick, the play-by-play man on the telecast said within 10 minutes of kickoff when the camera showed Adam James "he was punished for having a concussion." That's simply not true & very unprofessional. Bob Davie, former Notre Dame coach, to his credit, said, "when you sign that scholarship offer with your child, you need to let the coach do his job, let him coach." Amen Bob. It was briefly brought up that there were some inconsistencies in Adam James' story & about the 2 coaches that wrote an unfavorable report regarding James to school administrators, but unlike any of the negative stuff, it was never quoted. The hypocrisy of our media is just frightening. People hear stuff on ESPN, think "well it's not Fox or MSNBC, so it's probably right." Wrong, it's not, sure they report scores & stats correctly, that's a matter of public record. It's the other stuff, stuff that can slander, crap that can harm.
I told you last night about the risk Denver's Josh McDaniel is taking, benching both WR Brandon Marshall & TE Tony Scheffler when he already has TE Daniel Graham questionable with injury & WR Eddie Royal out for the season. Then this afternoon, McDaniel took a step I found funny, he cut offensive tackle Herb Taylor. He just signed Herb Taylor(how bad a lineman are you if the Chiefs cut you?) yesterday afternoon. Wow, Herb's first practice musta been a real stinker. Did you Chiefs' fans realize Jamaal Charles can achieve a 1,000-yard season if he can muster 139 yards tomorrow in Denver. Here's hoping he does it, there certainly hasn't been too much to be proud of this season but if this kid can reach this milestone, you have to be happy for him, considering he wasn't even the starter till they suspended LJ.
I never play the last weekend of NFL football, way too many variables to handicap, one team is out before they even play, anther team benches 8-10 starters, too much scoreboard watching around the league, horrible weather in Buffalo, etc. etc. Maybe I can find an edge in the Fiesta or Orange Bowls, we'll see Monday.
The Alamo Bowl was a surprise because Michigan State came out with so many gadget plays I thought I was watching a Boise State game. What was cool about it was they ran 6 gadgets & made 5 of them work. It was pretty exciting to see Mark D'Antonni's team scrap so hard, missing 14 suspended players & be leading in with 8-minutes left in the 4th quarter. Tech QB Taylor Potts injured a finger on his non-throwing hand & by time he got back from an X-Ray in the locker room, he'd been replaced by Steven "Sticks" Sheffield. He led the Red Raiders to the go-ahead score with a 6-6 passing performance including the touchdown to Detron Lewis. After a State interception, Tech motored on down for another score, converting twice on 4th down while in field goal range. Interim coach Ruffin McNeil rolled the dice the same way Mike did for 10-years & when Baron Batch scampered in from 13-yards out with 2:00 left, it was over. There was 973 yards of total offense in this game, Tech can move the ball on anyone when they get rolling & State made enough plays to stay in the game until late. The Spartans came to San Antonio down 3 wide receivers, their backup QB Keith Nichol played WR, caught a pass & ran one in out of the Wildcat. WR Keshawn Martin caught a touchdown & threw one out of the Wildcat. Their placekicker took a direct snap in field goal position & threw for a first down that led to the go-ahead score in the 4th quarter. It was a helluva effort from a team so shorthanded.
All through the game ESPN continued to throw dirt on Mike Leach, cherry picking quotes & not telling everything, just what fits their agenda. It's really shameful. Mike Patrick, the play-by-play man on the telecast said within 10 minutes of kickoff when the camera showed Adam James "he was punished for having a concussion." That's simply not true & very unprofessional. Bob Davie, former Notre Dame coach, to his credit, said, "when you sign that scholarship offer with your child, you need to let the coach do his job, let him coach." Amen Bob. It was briefly brought up that there were some inconsistencies in Adam James' story & about the 2 coaches that wrote an unfavorable report regarding James to school administrators, but unlike any of the negative stuff, it was never quoted. The hypocrisy of our media is just frightening. People hear stuff on ESPN, think "well it's not Fox or MSNBC, so it's probably right." Wrong, it's not, sure they report scores & stats correctly, that's a matter of public record. It's the other stuff, stuff that can slander, crap that can harm.
I told you last night about the risk Denver's Josh McDaniel is taking, benching both WR Brandon Marshall & TE Tony Scheffler when he already has TE Daniel Graham questionable with injury & WR Eddie Royal out for the season. Then this afternoon, McDaniel took a step I found funny, he cut offensive tackle Herb Taylor. He just signed Herb Taylor(how bad a lineman are you if the Chiefs cut you?) yesterday afternoon. Wow, Herb's first practice musta been a real stinker. Did you Chiefs' fans realize Jamaal Charles can achieve a 1,000-yard season if he can muster 139 yards tomorrow in Denver. Here's hoping he does it, there certainly hasn't been too much to be proud of this season but if this kid can reach this milestone, you have to be happy for him, considering he wasn't even the starter till they suspended LJ.
I never play the last weekend of NFL football, way too many variables to handicap, one team is out before they even play, anther team benches 8-10 starters, too much scoreboard watching around the league, horrible weather in Buffalo, etc. etc. Maybe I can find an edge in the Fiesta or Orange Bowls, we'll see Monday.
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