Good Ol Boys ( #gobs) on Perception

When I was 16 years old, I worked at Erbert’s & Gerbert’s in West De Pere.  Right at the heart of the St. Norbert college bars.  I learned a lot of life lessons from my co-workers, many of whom were much older than I.  I’m not in touch with any of them anymore, but sometimes I really with I was.  They also enabled me to have an occasional cigarette while on break.  I never smoked more than a pack a month, but every now and again it’s nice to have one.  Any ways, on break, I went out to the side of Erb’s and had a cigarette.  Someone yelled from their mini-van “Put out that cigarette young man!”

“Ha,” I thought, “they should MTOB (mind they own business(typo intentional))!”  Ma calls me not one minute later, “what are you doing smoking!”  Turns out that mini-van had my parents in it, my uncle driving, and a couple other relatives, as they drove to a restaurant near Erb’s.  What are the odds of that?

I don’t want everyone to know that I smoke an occasional cig.  What if I want to run for office someday, know what I mean?  Much like, I don’t want everyone to know that on a Tuesday night, I might have more to drink than I should watching the Brewers.  It’s tough when the neighbors below have a persistent, very adorable, seven year old who will make frequent unannounced visits (door bell – “ding, ding, ding, ding, ding”).  

If I want to have a cig now, we have a balcony from our apartment.  This ‘man-cave’ area of seclusion overlooks the entire apartment complex.  There is no seclusion in this man-cave.  In all honesty, it’s probably a good thing because it may end up stopping me from smoking entirely.  But it probably won’t.

I got back inside this morning after having one, brushed my teeth (not in the kitchen sink), washed my hands, and then enjoyed a piece of gum: Ice Breakers Spearment Ice Cube, to be exact.

It is all about perception.  

Well, now it’s time to finalize my fantasy football picks and get ready for the Pack!

Kevin

NFL Player Profile: Marshall Newhouse

Last Sunday suffered another injury to a starter with Bryan Bulaga leaving the game with a bruised knee. You could hear all of Packer Nation let out a collective gasp when Bulaga pounded his fist in disappointment. Fans asked each other who would go in and replace Bulaga. Would it be first round pick Derrick Sherrod? Nope, he was inactive for the Bears game just like he was for the first two games. Many believe it is taking Sherrod more time to adjust to the pro game because of the lack of off-season work due to the NFL Lockout. They only other person on the depth chart was Marshall Newhouse. Newhouse, a second year pro out of TCU, was inactive for the first 14 games last season and injured his back on December 22 and was placed on Injured Reserve. He came into this year as just another name in a crowded line of offensive linemen. He battled in training camp and the coaches were high on his effort and picture perfect technique. When Bulaga went down, Newhouse grabbed his helmet and the offense didn’t miss a beat the rest of the game.

For most of the game Newhouse went up against Israel Idonije most of the time and held his own well. We all thought that as soon as Newhouse went in the Bears would move Julius Peppers over and line him up on the second year pro all game but that rarely happened. Newhouse at times looked like a seasoned veteran moving Idonije and Peppers when he was lined up against him. The communication was great and he, with Josh Sitton, opened massive holes and cut back lanes for Ryan Grant. Newhouse was humble after the game and gave attention to the reps in practice and being comfortable at his position for his success against the Bears. "Any D-line in this league is good," Newhouse said. "They're going to test you. But luckily I got a lot of reps at tackle and felt like I was prepared mentally. It gave me a chance to just play football and be athletic. Just be sound and play." Newhouse continues to take snaps with the first team offense while Bryan Bulaga rests his bruised knee.

Bulaga stated yesterday that he would be ready to play but Coach McCarthy said today that he and Ryan Grant would, “be challenged to play on Sunday”. If Bulaga is not ready to go on Sunday then Newhouse will be prepared and ready to play and play at a high level. This team is starting to take the same approach as last year’s team. The next man up will go in, and no matter if it is offense, defense or special teams, and not miss a beat.

Romo to Grossman: "Check-Mate"

Dallas D wins a close one!  Romo was hurt and playing with inexperience.  He looked like a great coach, teaching his players the ins and outs of the game…. During the game.  “We had a million mistakes tonight, but we had a lot of young guys , but they are out there for a reason, we depend on them,” Romo told America after the game.  “It’s football season, usually we play football.”

 

Nine field goals were kicked tonight.  Six by rookie kicker Dan Bailey.  He tied a rookie record and I’m really impressed by his play.  He sure captivated the eager Dallas fans.  A few sacks, an interception and a blocked kick gave the Cowboys defense 9 fantasy points in one league I’m in.  I only needed 8.5, the rest is just icing on the cake. 

It just made me quite happy seeing Rex play like the way I remember he did when he was on the Bears.  When the team needs him most, he gets sacked and fumbles.  That is expected of Indianapolis Colts third string quarterback Curtis Painter, but not you my friend!  My prediction holds true, Cowboys magically hold off the Redskins and give their home crowd a show worthy of the billion dollar stadium protecting them.

Kevin

Packers Top Bears in Sloppy Game, Improve to 3-0

This game was nowhere near as close as the score indicates.  The Packers thoroughly outplayed the Bears on Sunday afternoon at Solider Field.  It was at times your classic, hard hitting Bears and Packers game and at other times it was Green Bay talent overload.  The Bears defense did all they could but at the end they were no match for all of the playmakers on the Packers offense.  

The Packers starting the game the same way they began the NFC Championship in January.  They took the ball and behind a red hot Aaron Rodgers marched right down the field and scored.  This time around it was Rodgers finding Jermichael Finley on a free play (the Bears jumped offsides) for a quick touchdown.  Finley was on his way to a career day with three touchdowns.  The offense at times looked unstoppable against a very good defense but at other times looked sluggish and lack-a-daisical.  Ryan Grant showed a great burst throughout the entire game and made up for two lackluster games prior.  The Packers rushed for 100 yards on the dot and that is the third straight game at or over 100 yards rushing.  The Packers did a good job of opening big holes and getting blocks on the second level by guards Josh Sitton and TJ Lang.  The Packers did get another injury scare to one of their starters.  Right tackle Brian Bulaga left the game and did not return with a knee injury.  We will see what the injury is on Monday when Coach McCarthy speaks to the media; the early reports are a bruised knee.  My player of the game on offense was Jermichael Finley with 7 catches for 85 yards and 3 touchdowns.

The Packers defense was brutal in the first half.  Yes I know they only gave up 10 points but those 10 points came in a ten minute span in the second quarter and there were too many big (plays of 20 yards or more) plays.  Also there was very little pass rush against Jay Cutler and they gave him way too much time to find his receivers downfield.  After halftime the defense made the adjustments and got into gear.  Sacks by Jarius Wynn and Jarrett Bush gave them three for the game.  The defense did an amazing job against the run and held Matt Forte to 2 yards on nine carries.  For the game the Bears had 13 yards rushing their lowest total since 1950.  Clay Matthews did a great job on stopping the run and blasted three running plays in the backfield in the first half.  That was believed to be the only weakness in Matthews’ game and if this game is an indicator of things to come, he may be unstoppable.  Morgan Burnett also had two interceptions and five tackles.  My player of the game on defense was Morgan Burnett.

Some problems for the Packers to work on are penalties, pass rush, turnovers and giving up too many big plays.  They had 7 penalties for 35 yards but most of those penalties killed drives and put the offense in 1st and 15 or 1st and 20 holes.  The Packers have got to clean up the penalties, stop me if you’ve heard that before.  After the first half the pass rush increased and Jay Cutler hit the ground a few times but they have to get it done from the opening kickoff.  The offense had two big turnovers (their first turnovers of the year) in the fourth quarter that made this game closer than it should have been.  Leading 27-10, James Starks fumbled on a great play and read by Lance Briggs.  Julius Peppers recovered the ball and set up the Bears with great field position, which it took them one play to score and bring the score to 27-17.  The next possession ended with Aaron Rodgers first interception of the season.  Brian Urlacher faked a blitz and dropped off into coverage on Finley.  Rodgers didn’t see him and throw a bullet that was picked by Urlacher.  The defense also has given up a lot of big plays so far this season.  

The Bears were able to exploit some of the coverage and made some big plays down the field.  I was really impressed with the Packers special teams play.  They covered punts and kickoffs well and had some good punt returns by rookie Randle Cobb.  Probably the play of the game was that crazy punt return by Johnny Knox in the final minute that was returned for a touchdown but brought back because of a holding penalty.  Devin Hester looked like he was going to make a fair catch and run to the sideline.  Then entire coverage team followed but the ball was at the far sideline and caught by Knox and he had nothing but green to the end zone.  It was a bizarre play and would have worked brilliantly if not for the holding penalty that negated it.  Aaron Rodgers said, “That was the most amazing play I’ve ever seen.”   

This was a huge game because the Packers beat a division rival.  They had to keep up with the Lions who won and are 3-0 also.  The Bears fall to 1-2 and 0-1 in the division which will come into play for tiebreakers at the end of the season for playoff seeding.  The Packers are 3-0 for the second time under McCarthy and are still looking for their best defensive game.  They come home and will face a underachieving Denver Broncos team next Sunday.  Can’t wait!

Matt

Packers up 17-10: Half Time Update

 

Rodgers cadence, arm propels Packers 80 yards to six points on their opening drive.  Two off-side penalties by the Bears, one coming on the short touchdown pass to Finley.  We don’t have to @MikePeriera on that touchdown.

Crosby gives Hester a present, can’t get it to the back of the end zone, but Hester can’t capitalize.  How could you when going up against the Packers’ special teams.

Cutler threw a 30 yard pass to a wide open Morgan Burnett.  It was his second interception of the season and the second one thrown by Cutler.

Packers fail to capitalize on the interception, as Bulaga went down with a potentially scary injury to his leg.  Immediately after Bulaga goes out, Sitton gets a false start and Clifton tries to prevent an inevitable sack as he gets called on a holding penalty.  Our line looks shaky.  I don’t know whether it is Starks, or our line, that has been making Starks looks horrible this first game.  I count 6 rushes for maybe as many yards.

No sacks yet surprisingly.  Early blitzes have shown promise, with Clay Mathews taking out Forte 4 yards behind the line.  Cutler not looking sharp as he horribly overthrows his 3^rd down target.

Cobb, not Hester, has been providing the entertainment thus far as it relates to returns, as he juked his way 20 yards downfield after a Bear three and out.  Heck, Cobb almost provided even more entertainment, and not the good kind, but not calling fair catch on the punt before that one.

Another off-sides by the Bears.  We are liking these free yards.  Grant takes over as starting running back, and shows why.  A couple of very nice gains as he showcases his experience, and his lack of speed as he hits the hole, but can’t find the break-away corner.  Rodgers shows why he has the most jersey sales in the NFL as he makes it look easy, connecting to Finley a couple of times, including his second touchdown pass of the game.  This is Finley’s 6^th multi-touchdown game of his short, but very promising career.

Crosby must have read my mind as he shows the leg I’ve been looking for, knocking it into the back of the end zone for a touchback. 

Cutler finally shows up, shows why he is the starting quarterback of the Bears, and completes a fury of long 20+ yard passes to a wide range of players: first 37 yards to Hester, then Sam Hurd 20 yards, Knox another 20+ yards, and then an almost impressive stand by the Packer’s defense turns into six points as Cutler finds Sanzenbacher in the end zone(Born in 1988, guy is younger than I am).

This cadence is starting to backfire a little bit, with a false start, followed by a delay of game threatening to de-rail a late first half drive.  The Bears don’t seem to respect Ryan the way they have been Starks, as Ryan runs through the Bears defense for another big run.  Nelson, Jones, Finley all make catches as the Packers now threaten again with 2 minutes to go in the half.  Not even the metallic coil sticking out (at this point, you probably know more than I on that one!) will deter this offense from scoring.  Actually Starks deterred it for us, as Crosby knocks in a short field goal.  

Cutler threatens again, throwing a 40 yard pass to Knox after Crosby did his part in knocking another kick off into the back of the end zone. What I thought was a done post turns into a late first half attack by the Bears, Forte wide open for another 40 yard gain and the Bears are in the Packers red zone.  Still hasn't been sacked. Thank goodness it's Cutler back there and they have to settle for a field goal.

Lions v. Vikings Half Time Update #sports

Vikings 20, Lions 0

The first first-down of the game for the Detroit Lions came in the second quarter.  Prior to that first down it was a couple of three-and-outs.  It has been, surprisingly, sort of surprisingly, all Vikings so far.  Peterson has been averaging over nine yards per carry.  The only thing off on this Vikings offense is McNabb’s throws.  He’s not making any horrible throws, but he has a couple over throws and he can’t seem to hit his men in stride. 

The 2-0 Lions are not showing the offense that they showed during the 48-3 mockery of the Chiefs.  I guess this is further evidence that the Chiefs “are who we thought they were” and that the Lions are coming back to reality. 

The Lions are showing some signs of life, picking up the tempo, picking up first downs as they drain the clock closer and closer to half time.  We haven’t seen much of the Lions offense this game.  We have seen two personal fouls already on one of their defensive linemen, Hill.

Well, yikes, looks like the Lions are punting again.

Peterson has had two 20+ rushes thus far and Percy Harvin just had an end-around for another huge gain. As we wind down the half; it looks like Minnesota might score again, and this is looking to be the start of the NFC North just pounding on each other.   I really think the Packers might be in the toughest division in the NFC; perhaps even the NFL.   

Heard from other games in the league.  I benched Eli Manning and it sounds like he’s lighting up the field.  Vick’s helmet has been taken away after a helmet-to-helmet hit.  Boy is that guy injury prone or what!  Lastly, Brady is being Brady as they are already up on the Bill by over 2 scores and after hearing that, it seems the Lions are not the only undefeated team being shown for their true colors.

It would be nice to see McNabb run this offense, but it looks like it is ALL Adrian Peterson.  With 6 minutes left in the half, Peterson galloped his way in for his first of a most likely another multiple touchdown week for him.  Unless the Lions can do something to stop it; but I wouldn't hold my breath.  

Kevin

Da Good Ol’ Boys Weekend Sentinel

From the Editor:

"Thank you for viewing our paper. If you enjoy, please subscribe! Da Good Ol' Boys (Gobs) write content throughout the week on sports, business, pop culture, and anything else they wanna write about. Frankly, they are going to write about whatever, and I'm just here for minor grammatical corrections. Gobs don't really check their work, and most of the time, they don't need to.

Kevin"

Good Ol' Boys Weekend Sentinel
The paper comes out weekly at noon on Saturday. It covers the happenings of the week before and preps us for what to expect this weekend. It doesn’t contain all of the blog posts from the week, but it gives a broad stroke of what the Gobs have been talking about.

Take a look!

Brewers Clinch the Division!

Perfect Brewer game tonight.  I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect Brewer game than tonight.  What a great pitching performance by Yovani Gallardo.  Over ten strikeouts!  Almost 8 innings pitched!  What a wonderful performance to see.  And then for K-Rod and Axford to finish the game the way they did.  It was all tied up into the eighth inning.  

In the bottom of the 8^th inning, with Hart to bat, who would have thought he’d hit a double the way he did?  TPlush comes up to the plate.  I was expecting some sort of  ochocinco display,  or as typical as stevo in the sheen roast.  He walks.  What discipline!  Nobody out, game tied 1-1 in the bottom of the 8^th inning, Ryan Braun at the plate.  Have you heard this story before?  3-run Home Run.  Geeet up, get outta here!  Gone! 

Axford pitches his 44^th save.  He ties the Brewers record for saves in a season.  40 saves in a row!!  And the Cards lose, so for the first time in 29 years, the Brewers have clinched the division.  Celebrations, champagne, screaming cheers.  With one out in the top of the ninth, the crowd went nuts.  The cheers weren’t for the closer about to make his record tying save.  Not at this moment.  They were cheering at the 3 Run Home Run that I believe Soriano hit in Chicago to put the Cubs ahead of the Cardinals in their equally strong pitchers duel.  1-1 in the 8^th for the Cubs game (before the dinger) as well.  

What a game.  What a season!  Now lets see if I can get TPlush to re-tweet this!

Kevin

The Good ol’ Boys (Gobs) on 5 Important Steps to Fantasy Football

Do you remember your first fantasy football league?  Who your big players were; and who the “champ” of the league was?  Your fond memories of those big players back then might be the high risk (via injury prone, old vets, etc.), starters on your team this year. 

I set my team in five steps.  

1.       (Annually)               I draft them.

      Every year I draft them.  I may purchase a magazine, or look up online rankings.  Before the draft, I input my personal favorites on the queue.  During the draft, I will weigh the best ranked available, against my personal favorites (usually I opt for next best ranked available.)

·         I try to stay ‘til the end, just to make sure nobody has to wait my full turn.

2.       (Weekly)                I pre-set them to their projections (highest points play).

I pre-set them to their projections. (highest points play)

Pretty self explanatory.

3.       (Weekly)                I compare the away teams’ defense (matchups).

I compare the away teams’ defense (matchups).

You can go off either ranking matchups, or your gut on this one.  Defenses are pretty easy to decide whether they will be good.  Inversely difficult defenses you might have to face.

4.       (Daily)                   I use a little judgment on the close calls. (constraint: small margin of point difference).

I use a little judgment on the close calls. ( constraint: small margin of point difference).

Pretty self explanatory.

5.        (Daily)                   I monitor, and make changes if necessary (injuries, weather conditions, gut feelings).

I monitor, and make changes if necessary (injuries, weather conditions, gut feelings)

Pretty self explanatory.

The time of the week on the daily and weekly is up to you.  I know how hectic work and personal life can be. 

Now, do I or don’t I play the Packer’s Defense this week?

Kevin

Operations 102: John Henry really did beat the machine! And he still would today…

Most people my age can’t recall a time before the internet. We were force fed new tech gadgets while watching Saturday morning cartoons, we sent our first email before we sent our first written letter, and Google is a part of our everyday vocabulary while our parents’ encyclopedias continue to be overlooked at our yearly garage sales (notice this article is posed on a blog). Today, society judges a school’s ability to teach the new generation of “Trekkies”… I mean techies, by the number of computers they have in the classroom. It’s no wonder why most of us 20-somethings are able to mercilessly outmatch the computer literacy of our 40 and 50 year old counterparts in the work force, and we wonder why there is an ever-growing need for people with trade skills.

As a result, we college grads choose to flaunt our analytical skills and our past experience in SAP and other AS 400 systems through our various internships. We ache as we watch paper continuously spew from the printer as we preach our sermon to a deaf audience promising a “green” future where trees are our friends. We call the operating systems currently, “archaic”, and yearn for automated processes complete with LCD screens and bar codes. We must have been absent the day our kindergarten teacher read to the class the story of the legendary battle between John Henry and the machine… it is a battle which continues still today.



What were we supposed to take away from the tale of John Henry? That a man could outlast a machine? No, we all know that’s not true. Perhaps that a machine has no heart and as such can never be trusted? No, that’s not it either… I would never give my W4 to a tax specialist using an abacus (I would probably go to www.taxrelaxer.com instead). So what should we take away from this story?

Now, I can almost be certain that when reading the story of John Henry, our kindergarten teacher didn’t touch on the R&D team that worked day and night drawing up blueprints and running tests to verify the capacity of the evil prospector’s new machine. I bet there was no mention of the maintenance team employed to perform cursory inspection, and the purchasing team they work with to order spare parts, which is why it didn’t seem important to bring up the time wasted on hold for customer support in India either. I hope I am making my point…



Fellow generation whiners – I mean “y-ers” – we all understand the need to deliver financial results to our stakeholders… or do we? Somehow, in our day-to-day tasks do we forget why we are there in the first place – to make $$$? Are we so focused on how we can streamline our processes by installing the Megatron 3000 Inventory Control System that we don’t take into consideration ROI? Or is it that we want to leave our mark? Do we want to lead the charge of some radical break-through so that our boss will have no choice but to take a demotion under our new desk?

Newsflash… very few of us work for companies that have a net-worth than that of the Megatron 3000. If you want to make a change, don’t focus on how you can leverage your computer savvy systems development experience with automated systems; instead, focus on how you make a change with the tools you have right in front of you – your team.



How much overhead costs are associated with developing a manual system? Slim to none… How often do manual systems breakdown due to a virus? Not once since the bubonic plague… How much training do you have to provide for someone to use a pen and to write on a production chart? None, that lesson was before the story of John Henry…

If you want to make a difference – don’t do more with less, do more with what you have. Develop your people to be aware of business results. Walk through the process with them… Ask questions, they most likely have the answers… Include them in the decision making process. I tried googling why our on-time delivery was so bad yesterday… I didn’t find results.

Nate

Packers vs. Bears Late Week Report

The Packers and the Bears are deep in preparation for a huge NFC North match-up on Sunday.  The Packers come into the game with a 2-0 record, after surviving a scary trip to Carolina in week two.  The Bears had a great game and victory in week one against the Falcons but came up short in New Orleans last week.  This game is big for both teams if only for the reason it is Packers v. Bears.  It is the oldest rivalry in the National Football League.  It harkens back to the days of Halas and Lambeau.  Great coaches like Lombardi, Ditka and Holmgren have coached in these games.  We are entering another golden age of the Packers and Bears rivalry with the emergence of Aaron Rodgers and the belief by the Chicago faithful that Jay Cutler will bring another Championship to Chicago.
 
This is the 183rd time the teams will play against each other and both teams come in a little dinged up.  For the Packers; Nick Collins, Frank Zombo, and Mike Neal have all been declared out for this game.  Collins is out for the season with a neck injury and will be place on Injured Reserve next week.  Zombo continues to rehab a scapula injury and is still a couple weeks away.  Mike Neal underwent knee surgery a week ago and will miss “significant time” as Mike McCarthy said last week.  Starting cornerback Tramon Williams and linebacker Vic So’oto both returned to practice in a limited compactly this week.    They are both expected to play on Sunday against the Bears.  Clay Matthews and Charles Woodson were both added to the injury report and did not practice on Wednesday or Thursday with a thigh and foot injury respectively.  Both are expected to practice Friday and play on Sunday.  Look for the Packers to run the ball more in this game and open some big holes against the Bears.  The defense should get a lot of pressure on a make shift offensive line like the Bears have.  Charlie Peprah will get the start for Nick Collins and should provide stability through this injury to Collins.

The Bears have suffered some major blows for early in the year.  They will be without first round draft pick and starting right tackle Gabe Carimi, who dislocated his knee in last week’s loss to the Saints.  They may also be without starting safeties Chris Harris, who missed last week’s game with a hamstring, and Major Wright, who suffered a head/neck injury against the Saints.  Look for the Bears to be more balanced on offense and relay on Matt Forte a lot against the Packers.  Their defense always plays Aaron Rodgers well and I expect that to continue, but can they stop James Starks and Ryan Grant?  If they can then it will be close, but if they can’t it could be a long afternoon for the Bears.

My prediction: I predict the Packers will control the line of scrimmage and control the game.  Cutler will get hit hard and often, and the Packers will leave Chicago on Sunday evening with a victory and a 3-0 record.     

Packers 28 Bears 13

Matt

Good Ol' Boys (GoB) Talk on Redemption

 

On the 5th hole.  Down by three strokes and you’ve just hit a water ball.  Some people take a mulligan and some people will let them.  I won’t take a water ball, I take the penalty.  It’s still a competition between Dan and Nate, but for me, it’s just turned into a round of redemption.  I’m not playing myself.  I’ve just given myself an opportunity to play the best game of redemption of my life. 

I’m down $200 gambling.  Call it a night.  Most people would.  Some people wouldn’t, and those that wouldn’t you have to be a little worried about.  Most people don’t rely so well on their gambling ability.  Take out $200 more, take a seat at the poker table, and turn this night, into a night; of redemption.

It’s a little bit after midnight, and you try to keep up with the fellas.  It’s not about you, it’s about the fellas.  Well the fellas are about 60 pounds heavier than you and you haven’t been goin’ easy on yourself.  The dance floor looks real good, and at this stage in the night, it really, really shouldn’t. 

Go to bed, you are obviously done for the night.  Or are you?  Put down your whiskey and coke, and pick up a red bull vodka.  You’ve just turned this night, from a night of loss, into the golden opportunity of redemption,

and nobody can take that away from you.

Kevin

My Ten Pack of College Football Picks for Week Four

North Carolina St. vs. Cincinnati Thursday, September 22 7:00

In a battle of 2-1 teams I think that Cincinnati’s running game is going to be the key. The Bear Cats can also score points and are averaging 51.3 points per game. The game is in Cincinnati and I expect them to make one or two more plays then the Wolfpack. Cincinnati 38 NC State 28

#15 Florida vs. Kentucky Saturday, September 24 7:00

Florida is on a roll, coming off a huge win against rival Tennessee. Going on the road in the SEC is tough and Florida will be challenged early against Kentucky but will prove to strong after half time. Expect a romp in Lexington. #15 Florida 44 Kentucky 14

#23 USC vs. Arizona St. Saturday, September 24 9:15

Arizona St. will come out with something to prove after letting one slip away against Illinois the week before but expect USC to weather the storm and make a big play late to seal the victory. Watch for both quarterbacks to have big days as well. #23 USC 27 Arizona St. 21

Colorado vs. Ohio St. Saturday, September 24 2:30

Ohio St got embarrassed last week at Miami and will look to take out their frustration on a Colorado team that got back on track last week against Colorado St. Because this game is at the Horseshoe in Columbus I am going with the Buckeyes but look for it to be closer than most think. Ohio St. 30 Colorado 24

#7 Oklahoma St. vs. #8 Texas A&M Saturday, September 24 2:30

This is the only game of the weekend to feature two top ten teams and it will be a dandy in College Station. Back and forth the two will go in an afternoon full of high scoring. The Aggies will pull it out in the end and defeat the Cowboys. #8 Texas A&M 45 Oklahoma St. 42

Western Michigan vs. #24 Illinois Saturday, September 24 2:30

Western Michigan is a good football team and Illinois is walking into a trap. Coming off an emotional win against Arizona St. and a week before the Big Ten schedule opens against Northwestern, the Illini will lost a tough one to the Broncos. Western Michigan 28 Illinois 24

#2 LSU vs. #16 West Virgina Saturday, September 24 7:00

On paper this game looks like it could be good but I expect a blowout. LSU is a great team and playing in Morgantown won’t faze them. Look for LSU to dominate from the start. #2 LSU 38 #16 West Virgina 14

#11 Florida St. vs. #21 Clemson Saturday, September 24 2:30

Florida St. feels they let one slip away against Oklahoma and will look to takes its vengeance out on the Tigers. Clemson got a huge win against Auburn last week and it due for a letdown against the Seminoles. #11 Florida St. 35 #21 Clemson 25

#14 Arkansas vs. #3 Alabama Saturday, September 24 2:30

Last year’s matchup between the Razorbacks and the Tide was great, with Alabama escaping with a 3 point win. This year will not be as close. The Tide will ride the home crowd and some unexpected Arkansas turnovers to an easy victory. #3 Alabama 28 #14 Arkansas 10

San Diego St. vs. #22 Michigan Saturday, September 24 11:00

Name this one the Brady Hoke Bowl. Hoke is going up against his former team and they know exactly how to play him. It will be back and forth at the Big House but Denard Robinson makes too many plays with his feet and Michigan survives a big scare from the Aztecs. #22 Michigan 38 San Diego St. 31

Matt

War is for the Dogs.

Imagine a time where the entire world was at war with each other. That is what life was like in the late 1930s and 1940s. Germany had invaded Poland and was at war with Great Britain. The fighting in Europe raged on for two years and then hit the United States with the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. America was thrust into the middle of the worldwide conflict. Many young men volunteered to fight for their country and to do their civic duty. Many women went to work in the factories, building ammunition, tanks and weapons. All of this you have probably already heard before but here is something you might not know. During World War II the United States Army had war dogs. These war dogs were trained in combat for their use as scouts, sentries and trackers. The dogs represented the struggle of the entire planet and not just the human population of the war.

The most decorated American War Dog was Chips. He was a German Shepherd-Collie-Siberian Husky mix and had a wonderful nose for action and danger. He was the property of Edward J. Wren of Pleasantville, New York and was donated to the war effort by Wren. Like any American solider, Chips was sent to training, War Dog Training in Front Royal, Virginia. He passed all his tests and exams and was shipped out overseas. He served in the 3rd Infantry Division under Pvt. John P. Rowell, his handler. Through his war journey Chips fought in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, France and Germany. Chips was extremely brave in his success of warning the troops of impending ambushes and attacks from the Axis armies. He ran with a cable wire attached to his collar, dodging gun fire to establish a communication line the base. Chips ran and jumped into a pillbox that was filled with Italian troops and they were all taken prisoner by Chips and Rowell. Chips ended his service in 1945 and was reunited with Wren back in Pleasantville.

Chips is a national hero. He was awarded the Silver Star for Valor and a Purple Heart for his wounds. These awards would soon be taken from him because it was believed by some that they demeaned all the men who had been awarded them in the past and in the future. After World War II, war dogs were considered military equipment and no longer soldiers. Chips helped to win World War II and I think it is time he gets some recognition.
 
 

 
Matt

Good Ol' Boys (GoB) on Gambling

What should you do when the dealer shows a 6 and you have a 12?  Double down?  Hit?  Stay?  Odds say to stay every time.  Might win, might lose.  Odds say you’ll win more than you lose.  But what the hell, everyone knows the game is stacked to the house.  The house always wins.  You know that going into the casino.  I will do whatever I’m feeling like.  When you have that good, lucky feeling, you can do no wrong.  Don’t let the “cheat sheet” card given to you by the casino that tells you the right way to play dictate your move.  That doesn’t smell right does it?  Hell I would double.  Right now I would.  Who knows what I’ll do tomorrow. 

At casinos they teach you how to play craps.  They tell you never bet the field.  Would you have guessed that there’s a 44% the field hits?  A one-time bet where you can double your money.  Yeah, 44% isn’t in your favor, but when you’re looking for entertainment, your smile will be much wider when your field bet hits!  

The only time I will ever play my odds to a fault is when playing poker.  The casino doesn’t get the odds at a poker table.  It get’s the rake.  You are playing the odds against a fellow poker player, and if you play your cards right, you only put yourself in situations where your odds of winning are 90% and a lot of the times you are staring down at the nuts.

Look, I’m not making a career gambling here.  I am looking for the thrill.  The entertainment.  The rush.  I won’t get that rush when I play the way the dealer tells me.  Math will have me a broke man at the end of the night.  A couple of lucky rolls, a couple of lucky hits and doubles, and some basic A-B-C poker.   Doesn’t happen every time, but just remember, according to your significant other, you always win.

Kevin

The Future of College Football: Super-Conferences

College football is a game that is steeped in tradition and history. There are few left that remember a time when college football was more popular then professional football. A time where you had eight teams in a conference and you played everyone in your conference once a year. A time where the Big 10 had ten teams and the Big 12 had twelve teams. That has all changed now and the primary reason is money. There is more money if you have more teams in a conference. The magic number is twelve. If your conference has twelve teams then you can split that up and implement two divisions within a single conference. When you have two divisions, then the winner of each division will play in a conference championship game, which is another game and another way to make more money. We are in a volatile time for college football and there are two teams that hold the key to order or chaos. Oklahoma and Texas.

The Big 12 is a power conference in college football. Many of the teams in the conference have lush histories and traditions. Major rivalries fuel this conference from Oklahoma vs. Texas to Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma St. to Texas Tech vs. Texas and the list goes on and on. The Big 12 could be in their final days of existence because of the departure of Texas A&M to the SEC two weeks ago. The conference already lost two schools, Colorado to the Pac 12 and Nebraska to the Big 10, last season and with the loss of A&M, leaves the conference at seven teams after this season. In today’s college football it is impossible to survive with seven teams and the Big 12 would most likely fold.

Oklahoma and Texas are the two schools that could try to hold the Big 12 together and convince other schools to join the Big 12. Oklahoma is willing to move to the Pac 12 because they are upset that Texas was able to create their own television network that will help recruiting immensely and provide millions and millions of dollars to the university in advertising dollars. Oklahoma St. and Texas Tech would also bolt for the Pac 12 leaving the Big 12 in shambles. Texas is considering moving to the Pac 12 also but may have to give up their Longhorn Network channel in the process. Again this all comes down to money, the money that Texas would get with a network, the money that Oklahoma, Oklahoma St., and Texas Tech would get in an expanded Pac 12 and the money that the NCAA can make on the further exploitation of their student athletes.

I wish we could go back to the days of 8 team conferences and keep traditional rivalries but that time is over. The corporate machine that is college athletics is rolling and knocking down anyone who stands in its way. The future of college football is in Super Conferences and it will happen sooner rather than later. The ACC has just agreed to add Syracuse and the University of Pittsburgh as its thirteenth and fourteenth schools. Oklahoma and Texas are the lynchpins for the Big 12 and the Pac 12. Who will they decide to go with? It is only a matter of time before that decision is made.
 
Matt