MIZZOU CURATORS COMMIT TO........NOTHING, NFL INJURIES, THE CAP REPORT & THE PLACEKICKER'S A QUEEN
The Board of Curators from the University of Missouri had their meeting in St. Louis, over 4-hours of meeting Tuesday afternoon. They discussed, debated & voted. What came out of the vote? Nothing, well basically nothing, they didn't agree to everything needed to stay in the as a member in good standing in the Big-12 Conference. They didn't vote to accept an invitation from another conference because no one has invited them......yet. The vote they took allows school President Brady Deaton to "explore other conferences." So they aren't leaving yet, but they were able to cause more trouble for the other conference members. To receive the TV revenues they are expecting, they must have a minimum of 10-teams. With the departure of A&M next season, it is paramount to recruit another school to replace the Aggies. But with Mizzou vacillating about their future, it makes it tough to know if they must recruit another team. Plus getting a school(s) to agree to join this apparently unstable conference will be a very tough sell. Mizzou poked Texas & OU with a stick. It's their only play at this point, they've lost trust in a few of their conference partners. If the SEC calls with an invite, Mizzou will walk away from the conference they've been a part of since 1907. They might be playing their final game in the Border War series with Kansas this November, the 2nd longest running rivalry in the nation. Tradition, bah humbug, money good. The whole thing makes me ill. Thanks Texas, thanks for busting up a conference in just 16-years, one that had been around for 104-years. Good luck with your Longhorn Network & best of luck finding teams to play in the Longhorn Conference, because that's what it's become.
The injury report for Wednesday morning is bleak, lots of frontline players. Pittsburgh leads the list with all-pro linebacker James Harrison who will "miss a number of weeks" according to head coach Mike Tomlin. He underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a fractured orbital bone(eye socket) in his face. RB Rashard Mendenhall has a hamstring issue & isn't likely to play this weekend against surprising Tennessee. QB Ben Rothlesberger won't practice until Friday or Saturday in hopes of his sprained foot to improve enough to play. Miami starting QB Chad Henne may have a shoulder separation & if so, he will miss the rest of the year. The Dolphins have been in contact with former Jaguar David Garrard. Indy DT Eric Foster, who was carted off Monday night with a gruesome injury, underwent surgery for a dislocated ankle on Tuesday & will miss the rest of the season. Also hurt for the Colts, starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo(ankle) & backup tackle Ben Ijalana(knee). Their status won't be known until Friday. A note out of Dallas where coach Jason Garrett complained pretty loudly about Dez Bryant's conditioning, "he never practices, never runs, so in the 4th quarter, he's so winded, he either sits out plays or is completely ineffective." Bryant is nicked up with injuries, enough to keep him out of practice & the conditioning periods. Last Sunday he caught 2 TD passes early in the 1st half but had only one reception after that. In fact, in the three games he's been active, he has 10-receptions. All three TD's in the first 20-minutes, only 2 second half catches. It is a problem. It's magnified by the absence of Miles Austin.
Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking 5 field goals in 5 attempts, two over 50-yards. He also forced 5 touchbacks on kickoffs. I think a special mention could have been made for punter Dustin Colquit who saved his best for last. Late in the 4th quarter, he boomed a 61-yard punt, downed at the Minnesota 15. This was huge making the Vikings start so deep in their own territory. His timing was impeccable.
New cap numbers were released on Tuesday & the Chiefs are no longer the league leader. Oh they still have $27.6 million stashed away somewhere, but the Jaguars are now the leader with $35.4 million. Two teams that have 3-1 records, the Bills & Bucs, are in the top-5.
I have been asked several times if I thought losing enough games to secure Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. I don't think it's ever good to lose, regardless of who you might get. Losing breeds more losing & sometimes it's habit that's hard to break. Veteran players who can leave via free agency, might flee a loser. As of today, I'd say Luck is the best quarterback prospect currently playing college football but he's not the only signal caller who could be drafted extremely high in next April's draft. Oklahoma's Landry Jones & USC QB Matt Barkley will go high & Arizona's Nick Foles could climb into the first round before the season ends. Another question I've received several times is "should Matt Cassel be the starting QB next season?" I'll say probably, but by 2013, I think they'll have another starter, or at least they better. I don't think Cassel will ever take this team to the AFC Championship game, much less the Super Bowl. He would make a superior backup if he's inclined to take a pay cut & stay with the Chiefs. What happens to Todd Haley will have a lot to do with who they draft & in what round.
I want to tell you an amazing story about the placekicking queen. Friday night outside Ann Arbor Michigan, it was homecoming at Pinckney Community High School. During halftime, the Pirates' placekicker received a note from the principal in the locker room. It instructed the player to come back onto the field. They needed to crown her homecoming queen. Brianna Amat, the team's placekicker, was named queen. So here was this 18-year old young lady in her shoulder pads & jersey being crowned during the halftime ceremonies. But as the late Paul Harvey would say, "and now for the rest of the story." Brianna kicked a 31-yard field goal in the 2nd half & it turned out to be the winning points in a 9-7 Pinckney win over Grand Blanc. It was the longest field goal she had kicked in a game. For the season, she has 4 field goals & 9 PAT's. Brianna has played soccer since she was 4-years old & just started kicking field goals her senior year. Wonderful story about a special young woman.
The injury report for Wednesday morning is bleak, lots of frontline players. Pittsburgh leads the list with all-pro linebacker James Harrison who will "miss a number of weeks" according to head coach Mike Tomlin. He underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a fractured orbital bone(eye socket) in his face. RB Rashard Mendenhall has a hamstring issue & isn't likely to play this weekend against surprising Tennessee. QB Ben Rothlesberger won't practice until Friday or Saturday in hopes of his sprained foot to improve enough to play. Miami starting QB Chad Henne may have a shoulder separation & if so, he will miss the rest of the year. The Dolphins have been in contact with former Jaguar David Garrard. Indy DT Eric Foster, who was carted off Monday night with a gruesome injury, underwent surgery for a dislocated ankle on Tuesday & will miss the rest of the season. Also hurt for the Colts, starting left tackle Anthony Castonzo(ankle) & backup tackle Ben Ijalana(knee). Their status won't be known until Friday. A note out of Dallas where coach Jason Garrett complained pretty loudly about Dez Bryant's conditioning, "he never practices, never runs, so in the 4th quarter, he's so winded, he either sits out plays or is completely ineffective." Bryant is nicked up with injuries, enough to keep him out of practice & the conditioning periods. Last Sunday he caught 2 TD passes early in the 1st half but had only one reception after that. In fact, in the three games he's been active, he has 10-receptions. All three TD's in the first 20-minutes, only 2 second half catches. It is a problem. It's magnified by the absence of Miles Austin.
Chiefs kicker Ryan Succop was named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week after kicking 5 field goals in 5 attempts, two over 50-yards. He also forced 5 touchbacks on kickoffs. I think a special mention could have been made for punter Dustin Colquit who saved his best for last. Late in the 4th quarter, he boomed a 61-yard punt, downed at the Minnesota 15. This was huge making the Vikings start so deep in their own territory. His timing was impeccable.
New cap numbers were released on Tuesday & the Chiefs are no longer the league leader. Oh they still have $27.6 million stashed away somewhere, but the Jaguars are now the leader with $35.4 million. Two teams that have 3-1 records, the Bills & Bucs, are in the top-5.
I have been asked several times if I thought losing enough games to secure Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck. I don't think it's ever good to lose, regardless of who you might get. Losing breeds more losing & sometimes it's habit that's hard to break. Veteran players who can leave via free agency, might flee a loser. As of today, I'd say Luck is the best quarterback prospect currently playing college football but he's not the only signal caller who could be drafted extremely high in next April's draft. Oklahoma's Landry Jones & USC QB Matt Barkley will go high & Arizona's Nick Foles could climb into the first round before the season ends. Another question I've received several times is "should Matt Cassel be the starting QB next season?" I'll say probably, but by 2013, I think they'll have another starter, or at least they better. I don't think Cassel will ever take this team to the AFC Championship game, much less the Super Bowl. He would make a superior backup if he's inclined to take a pay cut & stay with the Chiefs. What happens to Todd Haley will have a lot to do with who they draft & in what round.
I want to tell you an amazing story about the placekicking queen. Friday night outside Ann Arbor Michigan, it was homecoming at Pinckney Community High School. During halftime, the Pirates' placekicker received a note from the principal in the locker room. It instructed the player to come back onto the field. They needed to crown her homecoming queen. Brianna Amat, the team's placekicker, was named queen. So here was this 18-year old young lady in her shoulder pads & jersey being crowned during the halftime ceremonies. But as the late Paul Harvey would say, "and now for the rest of the story." Brianna kicked a 31-yard field goal in the 2nd half & it turned out to be the winning points in a 9-7 Pinckney win over Grand Blanc. It was the longest field goal she had kicked in a game. For the season, she has 4 field goals & 9 PAT's. Brianna has played soccer since she was 4-years old & just started kicking field goals her senior year. Wonderful story about a special young woman.
One, loved the story about Brianna.
Two, too many Chiefs fans were invested in losing to the Vikings so we could continue to be in the Suck for Luck derby. I agree with you winning is always better than losing. I know if we lost Sunday, it would have been alot worse week for me and my gang from Arroqwhead.
Reply to this