College football is finally upon us. It’s that crisp time of year when saturdays become even holier, Lee Corso gets more obnoxious, and sales of Keystone Light go through the roof. I wait for this time every year, and tonight it kicks off when the South Carolina Gamecocks face Southern Miss at 7:30.
I’ve always liked the Gamecocks. Maybe it’s their mascot, maybe it’s the t-shirts that just say “Cocks,” or maybe its their perennial enigmatic status in college football. USC (yes, I will always call them USC over their Southern Cal counterparts. Plus, only one is postseason eligible this year. Ha) has consistently had the coaching, the facilities, and alumni support, and the athletes (including a far more than average number of NFL picks) to field great teams, yet never have been able to. It’s always “next year” and that year never seems to come. Their last (and only) 10 win season came in 1984. They’re consistently about .500, always coming close to greatness but always dropping the ball in the second half of the season or losing a few games they shouldn’t even when they win games they also shouldn’t. They’ve been known to reach high rankings only to falter. Steve Spurrier has been at the helm for 5 years, and has put together a string of mediocre barely-bowl eligible seasons. By no means a disgrace, but also now what they Gamecock faithful had in mind when he rolled into town. But, depsite the mediocrity, his 35 wins are the best in any 5 year span in their history. And before him it was Lou Holtz and others who just couldn’t get the Cocks over the hump despite having all the tools in place.
This year looks to be no different. Once again, the tools are there, and it’s up to Spurrier and the Gamecocks to make something of it. I think the ‘ole ball coach will leave quietly if they can’t get their crap together in 2010.
To start, they have a veteran quarterback behind center in Stephen Garcia. Garcia is a screw-up off the field, getting arrested twice in his first month or so ever being on campus as a freshman, but he’s a gunslinger who loves to throw and fits well into Spurriers cock ‘n fire (or fun ‘n gun or whatever) offense. This year, he’s also throwing to a talented group of receivers and has a star recruit running back in Marcus Lattimore who should breakout to be a game changer. On defense their secondary is one of the tops in the country with senior Chris Culliver and sophmore Stephon Gilmore and defensive end Cliff Matthews is a beast who’s name you should know before too long. Their only glaring weakness is the offensive line, which allowed 39 sacks in ’08 and 37 in ’09. Without protection, Spurriers offense and Garcia’s arm are rendered useless. But they’ve brought in a new O-line coach and have 4 returning starters, so we’ll see if they can improve.
As I said, I like the Cocks, and if there was a year to be “next year” for them, its this one. Florida is finally sort-of rebuilding and Tennessee and Georgia are up in the air, so there’s never been a better time for South Carolina to make a statement in their conference. There schedules no piece of cake, with Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Arkansas, Auburn, and Clemson among others, but this is SEC football and the Cocks have managed to steal games before, now they just need to make sure they win all the games they’re supposed to.
I’m not sure what to predict. On paper, I think a 10 win season isn’t totally out of the cards, but then I’ve said that before and been burned by these guys. The pieces are in place, the alumni are as faithful and excited as ever, and it’s time for Spurrier to get over the hump or get out. I think realistically they win 9 games, but the season will tell us if they can finally get to the top or if the enigma will continue. I just think its about time they get another banner for Williams Brice Stadium besides the 1969 ACC Championship.
Holy crap, did anyone else see that “hit” that Ndomakung Suh laid on Jake Delhomme in the Lions/Browns preseason game Saturday? It can hardly be defined as a “hit.” The monstrous Suh, the 2nd overall pick and former Nebraska star, grabbed old-man Delhomme full-on by the facemask, twisted him around, and rather than pull him to the ground, full on powerbombed the aging passer headfirst into the turf. Geez, what a monster.
I’m no proponent of protecting primodonna quarterbacks in the pocket. This is football, and I think all the men on the field should be able to hit and be hit; it’s the nature of what makes the game great. But this was something else. Suh was given a 15 yard penalty for the hit but many, including the Browns Seneca Wallace, think it warranted at least an ejection if not more. Cleveland head coach Eric Mangini wouldn’t specify, but he did say he expected at least some further review/action from the league.
In Suh’s defense, he claims he was unaware that Old Man River Delhomme had already gotten rid of the ball and says he was just trying to make a play. Yes, the play that Andre the Giant would have made in the same situation. This isn’t the WWE. I know Suh is young and excited and loves to hit; he’s tasting NFL action and just wants to nail somebody, I get it. But that wasn’t even good form tackling or even a huge hit, it was more of a manhandling reminiscent of a grizzly bear taking down a young deer. He nearly ripped Geezer Jake’s head clean off. but, not content just to crack some upper vertebrae, be then stopped, cocked his arms, and full on slammed him down.
I love enthusiasm, I love hits, and god knows I don’t like Jake Delhomme, but this wasn’t a clean hit and I do think the League should penalize him further. There are big hits, there are accidents, and then there are blatant “who’s your daddy b*tch” demoralizations like this one that have no place in the league. This is preseason, it’s meaningless and Suh should save his inner demons for the real games. Poor Jake “38 picks in 2 years” Delhomme is just trying to get a paycheck and ride out his career, and even he didn’t deserve this. No one’s saying he was trying to hurt anyone, but excitement or not that tackle was not only bad football mechanics (wrap ‘em up!) but illegal as hell. Suh is young and a first offender so don’t be too hard on him, but if the NFL doesn’t do something, at least a fine, then they will send a bad message. I’m not saying make an example out of him, but don’t set a bad precedent either.
Boys will be boys and football is football, but the XFL lasted 1 season for a reason. Get it together Ndomakung, you’ve got work to do. If you flop, there’s always pro wrestling.
This post may seem unrelated to most, but I felt I had to share it.
I was reduced to acting like an 8 year old in the presence of Santa Claus yesterday evening when, to my astonishment, the one and only Bill Cowher strolled into my place of employment (gotta pay the bills somehow right?) not once, but twice throughout the night. There he was, with two buddies, being normal guys; wearing a white polo shirt, drinking imported beer, and eating a platter of BBQ nachos. Just like everyone else.
What should I do? This guys my idol. The owner of the unforgettable scowl and with a chin stronger than the colossus, Cowher led my beloved Steelers for years, and here he was. Lurking in the shadows around the tables, I pondered my next move. Do I talk to him? Do I ruin his generally anonymous experience and tackily ask for a picture? an autograph? Or do I continue my current course of action and cower by the soda fountain and admire from afar? Thats when I saw my opportunity. His nachos had sat, mostly eaten, untouched for several minutes. Time to put all this on the job training to work. I made my way until I was standing just behind him at the bar.
“Um, are you fellas’ finished with these?” I asked, leaning forward, grinning like a bafoon, not daring to make eye contact. (that’s the best line I had?)
“Yes,” he responded, as gruffly as you’d imagine the owner of that legendary sideline scowl would.
That was it. I took his dirty dishes, and the heavens sang a joyous hymn, as yes, he had spoken to me. ( I count it as a full conversation with an NFL head coach. Wouldn’t you?)
All right, so I’m blowing that out of proportion a little bit, but come on, it was the best I got for the night. Plus, he DID speak to me, that counts right? (and no, I didn’t build a shrine from his half eaten chips, I’m not that crazy.)
But I say this to preface the fact that I think Bill Cowher’s next job move should bring him to North Carolina (where he currently resides in Raleigh), and I have two jobs that I think would be great for him.
First, and most far-fetched, NC State football needs him. He already lives in Raleigh, so its within driving distance for him. The team has been mediocre for as long as anyone can remember, and they need a coach to recruit and get them to the next level. ( Sorry Tom O’brien, but I’d rather play for Bill Cowher) Not to mention this is his alma mater, as well as that of his late wife. He played linebacker here and was a team captain and MVP, graduating in 1979. He has history at NCSU, so why not pick up the job. he’s semi-retired, but with the recent death of his wife, he’s going to want to keep busy. This job would keep him close to home and allow him to work with kids who generally love the game rather than the money hungry pretty-boys in the NFL. I know it’s a long shot, but I think it would fit.
However, if the NFL is where Cowher loves to be, then I think the Panthers are the place to go. If they don’t produce this season, then John Fox is on the hot seat and will likely be let go. Cowher is the perfect choice to replace him. They’re similar in style, and with the personnel in place Cowher could flourish. He would inherit a team with an up and coming rookie quarterback in Clausen, a deadly one-two running back punch in Williams and Stewart, and a solid corp of receivers. His offense in place, he would have time to build a defense like he had in Pittsburgh. I cannot think of any logical reasons why Cowher wouldn’t fare well. The Panthers need a change to someone less conservative, and Cowhers that man as he loves to come out and grab a lead. It would keep him close to home, and would allow him to make his comeback with a team that could be ready to win big in just a year or two under his tutelage. I have loved John Fox in Carolina, but unless some major changes happen I think his time is up.
Cowher may not be ready to come back to coaching, but I think he is, and I think these are his two most viable options depending on which game (college or pro) he’d want to get into. Plus, I think the Panthers blue would really lighten that scowl. Maybe when he comes back in next time I’ll ask him. Or….maybe not. We’ll see.
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BRETT FAVRE RETURNS – FANS GO CRAZY, SUPER BOWL PICTURE GETS HAZY AND SPECULATION SWIRLS
NEW YORK, NY – With Brett Favre’s announcement that he will be returning to the Minnesota Vikings this season, the NFL’s playoff and Super Bowl picture has gotten very interesting. Fans across the country are looking for answers and licking their chops at the prospects for the coming season. This being the case the largest most successful sportsbook on the web, BetUS.com posted odds on all things “Favre’s Return”.
Analysts at BetUS.com posted the following odds on Favre’s Return:
Favre To Win MVP 15/1
Minnesota Vikings To Win the Super Bowl 9/1
Favre Starts every game
Yes 3/2
No 1/2
Favre Total TD’s
Over 30½
Under 30½
Favre Total Passing yards
Over 4000
Under 4000
Will he retire at end of season
Yes 1/2
No 3/2
Will he get booed
Yes 1/2
No 3/2
To win regular season matchup Green Bay vs Minnesota Vikings
Vikings 2-0 3/2
Green Bay 2-0 2/1
Tie 1-1 5/6
