College Football No. 2

Sorry about the lack of posts this week, but here's my predictions for weeks six through eleven of college football. For week six, I think that the game of the week is No. 1 Florida versus No. 11 LSU. This is Florida's first real test after stomping their first two opponents so far. I'm going to take them to win the game, because right now it isn't smart to bet against Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer.



For week seven, I picked two games. First, No. 14 Virginia Tech versus No. 15 Georgia Tech. Virginia Tech lost a tough game to Alabama, so I like them to win. The second game is No. 3 USC versus No. 18 Notre Dame. Notre Dame lost a heart breaker to Michigan, but USC looked too good against Ohio State for me to pick against them.



The next week, No. 13 Oklahoma plays No. 24 Kansas. Although Kansas is a very good team, Sam Bradford will be returning from a shoulder injury that caused him to miss the first game of the year, which Oklahoma lost. I expect him to be on a tear and predict an Oklahoma rout.



In week nine, No. 2 Texas plays No. 5 Oklahoma State, who just lost to my new favorite team, Houston. I expect this to be a high scoring game. If my Heisman pick Colt McCoy doesn't amass at least five hundred yards, I'm going to be dissapointed.



In week ten, we have a rare SEC showdown that doesn't involve Florida. No. 11 LSU plays No. 4 Alabama. I'm liking Alabama to win, and Julio Jones is the best wide receiver in the country, but this game doesn't even matter because Florida is going right through the SEC on their way to a championship.



The next week, in an ACC game, No. 20 Miami plays No. 19 North Carolina. There are rumors the Miami is going back to being a good program, and I'm a Duke fan so I'm going to pick Miami.

College Football No. 1

Tonight, college football officially began the 2009 season. College football is similar to college basketball in the fact that the players work harder and controversy in playoff decisions. In college, athletes have something to prove and tend to work a little harder than in the pro's, when they're guaranteed money. Also, the selection committee for both basketball and football has made some questionable decisions. Anyone remember Texas last year and Syracuse in 2006-2007.



Tonight, the only really notable game is No. 16 Oregon versus No. 14 Boise State. Boise State has been very successful the past six years, winning a bowl game against Oklahoma a few years back. Oregon is an up and coming team that has produced a few NFL players the past few years. Both teams are very exciting, and I'm expecting an interesting and fast paced game. Also, the game is played at Boise State, which has probably the coolest field in the NCAA.



In this post, I'm going to look at some of the most exciting games of the year, starting with day one and going until the end. To begin with, I'll start with Saturday's Minnesota at Syracuse game. Neither team is ranked, but this marks the debut of Greg Paulus as the Syracuse quarterback. With Paulus having fragile confidence after coming off of a horrible senior season at Duke, this game will probably be an indication of the season to come. I'll take the Paulus flop.



The next game that I really noticed was No. 4 USC at No. 6 Ohio State. Last year, USC won but there was some controversy at quarterback for Ohio State. This year, Terrelle Pryor is the definite starter for Ohio State and Usc is the one with some quarterback drama. Also, both teams lost key players on both sides of the ball. This game should be more competitive than last years, and I'm predicting an Ohio State victory.



Om September 19th, Texas Tech visits No. 2 Texas. Even though Texas Tech isn't rated, they're always dangerous with their spread offense and Mike Leach coaching. Last year, Texas Tech beat Texas in what was probably the game of the year and ended up keeping Texas from going to the national championship game. This should add more heat to the game, and I think that Texas should win in favorable fashion.



The next week is a little bit quiet, but I think that the game of the week is No. 12 California against No. 16 Oregon. This is a Pac-10 game that will probably have playoff implications. Both teams have been said to be over-rated, but they could easily win the Pac-10 if USC slips up. I"m taking California over Oregon, although they have the best uniforms in the country.



On October 3rd, No. 11 LSU goes to No. 13 Georgia to play in a typical SEC rivalry game. This game will probably implicate who plays Florida in the SEC final. I'm going to take Georgia in an upset because of a gut feeling I have about them and a hatred of LSU.



This concludes the first of my college football trilogy. Check back the next few days to see the next two.

College Football Prologue

After being stumped about what to write about for the past few days, I found a genuine pot of gold and decided to write a trilogy describing the top game each week of college football. This is basically the run-down for the trilogy of college football.



There are seventeen weeks of college football, so to split that up I'll pick the best games of the first five weeks for my first post. The next two posts will be for the next six weeks.



Every week, I'll check my predictions and compare them to what really happened. If at the end of the season, my ratings are negative, I refuse to watch the National Championship.

The End of an Era

Today, Teddy Bruschi retired from the NFL. This ends an era of Patriots football that is best described as dominating. With three NFL championships, twelve years, and an undefeated season it could be argued that the Patriots teams during Bruschi's playing career were one of the best ever.



Bruschi's retirement also creates some fear that that era is over. He's done, and everyone is getting older, including Bill Belichick. Also, Tom Brady is still recovering from an injury and hasn't looked great in pre-season. This year could be one of the last if not the last of the Patriots recent era.



Yesterday, California won the Little League World Series in comeback fashion, continuing the trend of American teams winning the tournament over international teams. I feel just a little bit un-American for not watching the final, but I was set on a Curacao versus Georgia final and decided that the championship game couldn't live up to my expectations of a Curacao-Georgia final, but I was wrong.



California, after falling down three to nothing, came back to beat Chinese Tapei three to six. This was a typical World Series final, and I've made a vow to watch every game of the LLWS next year. Last thing, I noticed that one kid on California was six foot tall two hundred and twelve pounds, which is gigantic for a thirteen year old.

NBA Predictions

Alright, so Kobe got his ring last year and finally proved he could win big without Shaq. After being knocked out of the play-offs last year, LeBron James is as hungry as ever to finally win his first championship. He probably has the most to prove after a tumultuous off-season. However, the Lakers are as good as ever, adding Ron Artest to take care of the other teams top players. Even though the Lakers lost Trevor Ariza, I think that they're a better team with Artest. But, no off-season acquisition was as big as Shaq going to the Cavs.



Shaq is the mentor that LeBron needs. After all, he's done the partner stuff quite frequently and with good success. Penny Hardaway, Kobe Bryant, and Dwayne Wade were all propelled to stardom and championships. Sorry Penny. I don't think that Shaq's stint with LeBron will be any different. The Big Aristotle is the most dominating player to ever play, and I think that he'll teach LeBron a thing or two.



Shaq wants another championship, there's no question about it. Nobody can question LeBron's want or desire for one either, and right now I'm going to make a prediction. The Cavs will start slowly and have some bumps along the way, but will end up finishing between second and fourth in the East. Then, they'll make their way through the playoffs in historic fashion before beating the Lakers in seven games. After the game, Shaq will announce his retirement and proclaim himself as the best player of all time, with Kobe visibly scowling in the backround. He will then go on to jubilantly dub himself dozens of inapropriate nicknames.



Well, this is how it would happen in the dream world, but I think that Shaq and LeBron will definitely win at least one championship together and Shaq will help LeBron get over his championship curse.

Has Duke Been Saved?

A while back, I was browsing through ESPN and found Duke's incoming class of basketball players. For the most part, the players we got were just like everything Duke Basketball has resembled the past eight years. White, un-athletic, good, but un-reliable, shooters, and defense that seemed to be played by a passive seven year old, not a division one athlete. Remind you of players from the past?



After finding this out and realizing that our post players for the next four years were going to be panzies, I went to Youtube and stumbled upon this video.



Class of 2010 Duke recruit? Athleticism? African American? Visible muscles? There's got to be some mistake right? No this kid is really coming to Duke. About a week later it hit me that he must be related to Johnny Dawkins. After fact checking this, I found out that it wasn't true. I figured that in two years, we would have one of the best back courts in the nation with Dawkins and Seth Curry.



A few weeks ago, I found out that he had enough credits to come to Duke and skip his senior season. Now, we actually have some athleticism. After reading about Amdre Dawkins, I found out that he is already a great shooter. This explains why he's going to Duke. Coach K would never recruit someone with great athleticism and a boat load of potential would he?



I mean in the 2000's, when I'm old enough to realize Duke's problems.

Michael Vick's Debut and Sport's Return

After two months of sub-par sports and running out of ideas, sports are finally returning to their usual exciting self. After two years of watching quarterbacks wait it out in the pocket, Michael Vick finally returns to the NFL and brings back an exciting and unpredictable quarterback.



The past two months, there hasn't been a lot of sports to watch, with basically only the MLB going through its most boring months. However, the NFL and College Football are returning, and following them are then NBA and College Basketball seasons. There are finally story lines to follow and money to be taken through bets. On top of all this, the MLB Playoffs are coming soon. Even better is that the Yankees are in them. That one hundred eighty million dollars we spent this summer really did work!



Also, tomorrow night Michael Vick makes his debut for the Philadelphia Eagles. Even though it's pre-season, it will be a sign of what's to come this season for Vick. Will the Eagles run some wildcat for him, will he be as good as he was, and how much will he play are all questions to be answered. However, wherever Vick goes, even in Philadelphia, he'll be greeted by boos and stuffed dogs along with very mean taunts. Just handling himself in the midst of this will be a big step for Vick.



Pictures like the above are common on the internet, but in person it's going to be much worse. No matter what happens, the Michael Vick situation will be entertaining. I think that people are in for a surprise when they see him tomorrow night.



Nobody knows how several story lines will play out, but there is no doubt that it will be more entertaining than the past two months have been. Sports are finally kicking into full swing.

Shaq Versus

The past two Tuesdays, from eight to nine,I've been watching a new ABC show, Shaq Vs. In the show, Shaq takes on the top pro athletes in their sports. So far, the results havn't been great for the Big Shaqtus.



The first week, Shaq took on Ben Roethlisberger at football. He didn't do as bad as I thought, staying with Big Ben for most of the game. The only thing was that Shaq got a stipulation. He only had to go from the twenty yard line while Big Ben had to go from the forty, which isn't unreasonable considering how good he is. Each player got the chance to score three times, with each touchdown counting as seven points. After each player got two chances, the score was fourteen up. On his third try, Shaq threw an interception while Big Ben scored. Game, Big Ben. Even though he lost, Shaq was pretty funny and the show was entertaining.



Last night, the show's second episode aired. This time, The Big Freeze took on Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh. He didn't have any advantages this time, and got to pick a partner. He chose Todd Rogers, an Olympic Gold Medalist. He also brought in Casey Jennings, Misty May Treanor's husband. However, he and his partners lost both games in a best of three series. As a bet, Shaq had to walk down a California beach wearing a pink speedo.



In next week's show, Shaq takes on Albert Pujols in a home run contest. Shaq only needs to hit it two hundred feet while Pujols needs to hit it four hundred feet. The episode will be on next Thursday on ABC. Shaq also plans to take on Oscar De La Hoya, Lance Armstrong, and Michael Phelps. If Shaq can win any of these contests isn't known, but it's entertaining to watch. One thing I would like to see added is the other athletes taking on Shaq at a basketball game.

LLWS Update

The Little League World Series is in full swing, and is living up to expectations of years past. Also, Michael Beasley checked himself into a rehab hospital and Duke finally has a player who isn't attached to adjectives like scrappy.



The Little League World Series is underway, but I havn't seen a game yet and will have to wait until August 29th when the games finally start airing on ABC. However, I've been talking to my friends about it and checking updates constantly. There are four brackets, with four American or International teams in each bracket. Right now, the leader in Group A is Georgia, with a record of three and zero. In Group B,Texas and California are both two and zero.

In the two international brackets, one team really sticks out to me. Curacao is three and zero and leading Group C. They are probably the most exciting team in the tournament, with base stealing and bunts very common. In Group D, Chinese Taipei and Mexico are two and zero. Mexico's first baseman, who has a name that requires several clicks of the tongue and guarantees that you will be out breath when you say it, is a pudgy kid who seems to be the best player on his team.



In the NBA, Michael Beasley just checked into a rehab center. Rumors have it that Pat Riley encouraged him to do this while there are other rumors he is there for psychological problems. Beasley has always been out there, but I just thought he was immature. Also, it seems that these days everyone is doing or has done marijuana.



Also, people have recently criticized Michael Vick for having a drink at an airport. The guy was in jail for two years, give him a break. He served his punishment, now we need to let him live.

It's Finally Here

Every year, I spend my whole summer(not really)waiting for the best baseball of the summer. The best athletes in the world are finally taking baseball seriously. After coasting through the regular season, the playoffs are finally here. The intensity level is off the charts, and whole cities get involved. I think you know what I'm talking about.



That's right, the Little League World Series is finally here. Two weeks of non-stop, high-pressure baseball. Even better, it's played by thirteen year olds. After reading that last sentence, you can imagine that breakdowns and errors are likely to occur. Even better, they're committed by thirteen year olds.



Okay, but in all serious the LLWS does get pretty exciting. In past years, there have been walk off home runs, extra innings, and emotional breakdowns. The Little League World Series has been going since 1947 and is annually held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania in late August.



For people like me who get about five channels, one of which is ABC, I constantly check ESPN for updates and watch the games I can with my brothers. In 2006, I remember watching a classic. Georgia was playing Japan in the championship game. Being American, I naturally favored Georgia. They were led by a great pitcher and overall player, Kyle Carter. The game was very dramatic and ended up with a Georgia player hitting a walk-off homer to win the game three to two.



The format for the series goes as follows. There are sixteen teams, eight American and eight international. They are divided into two brackets and the winners face off in a championship. Every year it seems like there is a great championship game, so make sure to tune in to ABC and ESPN over the next week.

Dajuan Coleman and Glens Falls

In my family, we have a tradition for all the men to go down to Glens Falls for the High School Basketball Championships. We always get the best seats, front row right about half court, and just have a good time watching basketball and going out to eat. Now before reading this post, there are a few things you should know about the tournament.

1)There are five classes, starting with D and going up to AA.

2)The classes are organized by enrollment in schools, so Class D has the smallest enrollment while Class AA has the largest.

3)As you go up classes, the games are usually faster paced and more exciting, with more athletic, bigger, and faster players.

4)Occasionally, there are really good players there. Also, of the three days your guaranteed at least one great game.

5)Past alumns include Ben Gordon, Elton Brand, Hilton Armstrong, and Christian Laettner.

6)Several current division one players have played in Glens Falls.

7)Coaches like Jim Boeheim, Paul Hewitt, and Jim Calhoun are sometimes there scouting.

8)The fans are crazy and usually it gets pretty intense.

9)Four teams from around the state are in each class.

10)Enough with this, here's my story.



While down there this year, I was looking forward to see the Class A Final, which featured Jamesville Dewitt and Peekskill. Jamesville Dewitt had a point guard, Brandon Triche, who was committed to Syracuse while Peekskill had a forward, Ralph Watts, who was committed to Albany. However, this man stole the show.



Six foot eight inch Dajuan Coleman. The thing is, he's only a freshman. He clinched the championship for Jamesville Dewitt, with eighteen points and eighteen rebounds. The rumors around the gym were that he was the son of Derrick Coleman, which seemed very possible because Jamesville Dewitt is around Syracuse, Coleman's alma mater.



However, after fact checking this, I found that his parents are both below six feet and that he could grow four more inches. About a month later, he was ranked by ESPN as the number one freshman in the country. After that, I found out that he was going to play in the Elite 24 Classic, which feature the twenty four best high schoolers in the country.



The future is bright for Coleman, and in ten years he could very well be an NBA All-Star. As for college, the early leader is Syracuse, which most upstate kids go to. Ex. Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris. However, I think this kid is special and has the potential to go to a bigger and better school. No matter what he does, this kid is destined for greatness.

Time To Play

Notre Dame, the best college football team of all time. A model of excellence, breeding the top quarterbacks and just as many national championships. But for the last four years, we weren't even considered decent, definitely not up to Notre Dame standards. We even lost to Syracuse.



This year is really going to define Notre Dame football. After three sub-par years, the whole roster is in danger of being re-modeled. Our line on both sides of the ball has been absolutely terrible. Also, although we have two of the best wide receivers in the country, we have a sissy throwing to them.



Even worse, the guy calling plays hasn't performed anywhere close to his forty million dollar contract. Even worse is that his contract is for six more years. However, if Charlie Weis doesn't get the Fighting Irish into a bowl game this year, then he's gone. He was supposed to be the best pro coach, but in four years he has led us to a twenty nine and twenty one record.



This season, we're ranked in the AP Top 25 Poll for the first time in six years.Although it's number twenty three, we'll take. Our season begins on September fifth against Nevada. We have two games on ABC, against Michigan and Stanford. Only one of our opponents in the preseason AP Top 25 Poll. That team happens to be USC, so an eleven and one record isn't impossible.



If Charlie Weis wants to play at Yankee Stadium in 2010, then he needs to deliver a successful season. If Clausen wants to play next year and improve his draft stock this year, then he should start playing like he was supposed to coming out of high school. But listen, we can't get much worse than Notre Dame being ten and fifteen last year, can we?

Greg Paulus: From Scapegoat to Savior

Greg Paulus has always been the player Duke fans blame for everything. I did it, and you probably did too. He was everything Duke basketball has resembled over the last ten, horrible, years. White player? Check. Slow? Check. Small for his position? Check. Role model was Coach K? Check. He was all these things and was hated for four years. Finally, Coach K made a smart decision and benched him.



Images like the one above embodied Paulus' career at Duke. About five seconds later, Paulus would get beat to the basket by a much quicker, bigger, and stronger player and then try to flop. What most people don't know about Paulus is that in high school he was a better football player than basketball player. He was the Gatorade National High School Football Player of the Year and had scholarship offers from Notre Dame and Miami.



After his basketball career at Duke didn't work out. Let me re-phrase that sentence. After his basketball career at Duke failed miserably, like a two year old trying to ride a bike for the first time, Paulus decided to try football at Syracuse University. Syracuse is his hometown, but it's also my second favorite college.



At first, I wondered why Greg was trying to ruin college sports for me. Then, I realized that Syracuse football is absolutely terrible. He, as a hometown hero, could actually help. Help? Usually when Greg Paulus and help are in the same sentence it results in a picture like this.



However, yesterday he was named starting quarterback for Syracuse. With the return of wide receiver Mike Williams, Paulus could actually form a good connection. Now I don't expect Syracuse to go to the Rose Bowl, but I expect an improvement over last year.



Paulus also finally gets a chance to redeem himself for four years of mistakes and flops. There isn't a football equivalent to a flop is there? Paulus can prove that he really is an athlete, and he can do it in front of his home crowd just like he did in high school at CBA.