THE WEEK BEHIND:
HUSKIES BEAT GEORGIA ST. AFTER FIRST HALF SCARE-
The first half was sickening. The Georgia St. (I don't even know the Mascots name) DOMINATED a Power 5 team expected to win 9-10 games this season. It was only 14-0 at halftime. Given the 36-point handicap vegas gave this particular matchup, it felt more like 50-0 in favor of the Georgia St. Whatevers.
Husky QB Cyler Miles doesn't quite look like a guy who is ready to lead a team to the top of the Pac-12. The best words to describe his play the first 30 minutes would be lost and confused. Granted, he cleaned it up the rest of the way. It still is worrisome. As is the young secondary.
Chris Petersen's team is 4-0, but heading into conference play the honeymoon is over, and this marriage is about to get real.
SEAHAWKS DO IT AGAIN TO DENVER-
This one was slightly more stressful for the 12th man. They called it a Super Bowl "rematch", but it didn't feel that way. The NFL is unlike any other sport when it comes to year-to-year parity. So many things change, guys comes and go, heal and get injured, the young mature, the mature get slow. While it was Hawks-Broncos again, it just felt different. But, most importantly, the result was the same.
Despite choking up a 20-12 lead with about a minute to go to force OT, Russell Wilson and the Seahawks won the toss in and marched 80 yards for another victory. The stakes were not nearly as high as they were in February, but coming off of a tough loss in San Diego the weekend before, 2-1 looks much better than 1-2 heading into the early bye.
Other than the result being the same, a couple of other things were as well... Russell Wilson was great. He is now a remarkable 7-0 in his career against Manning, Brady, Rodgers, and Brees. Thats absurd. Another constant was that Peyton Manning and the way he operates his offense continues to be a great match up for this Seattle D. Other than Manning's spectacular last-minute drive to tie the game, he was pretty much held in check. When it is noisy, it is hard for him to control things like he does. And when he is uncomfortable in the pocket, he doesn't throw the same balls. It was both loud and uncomfortable.
Seattle will take this weekend off before heading to Maryland for a MNF matchup against RG3 Kirk Cousins and the Skins'.
OREGON HOLDS ON TO BEAT WSU-
Pullman is never an easy place to play. And for the last four years the Cougars have played Oregon tough, for at least a half. So the 21-21 halftime score wasn't a total shock. You figured the 2nd ranked team in the country would run away with it the last 30 minutes. They didn't. WSU played tough, smart football on the defensive side, and the offense was able to keep pace with Heisman hopeful Marcus Mariotta and the Ducks. And until the last four minutes of play, it looked like the Cougs might of had a shot at the major upset. It was for not. While it wasn't all to blame on the guys in stripes, the wonderful PAC12 refs definitely had a hand in the defeat for the Cougs. What else is new in this conference?
Oregon is ranked number 2, and looks strong. They do have holes. A banged up offensive line looks susceptible to the Cougar pass rush all night. If they want to be a part of the first "final four" this season, they will need to figure that out. And quickly.
MARINERS TANK-
The Mariners surprised everyone this season. With strong pitching, a group of youngsters that took on their new managers attitude of fighting until the last pitch, and a veteran superstar presence in Robinson Cano, they stayed in contention all the way until the end. As I write this, they sit 2 games back with 2 games to play. It will be nearly impossible, but they gave it a hell of a shot. What had been the strength of the squad all season long, the pitching staff top to bottom, began to fade the last few weeks of the season. Felix Hernandez had a few rough outings after having a miraculous, record-breaking summer. Hisashi Iwakuma showed signs of fatigue, along with comeback player of the year candidate Chris Young. With a very spotty offense, they needed those guys to go how they've been going all year until the very end.
It is a huge letdown that they most likely won't be in the playoffs for the 13th consecutive year, but Mariner fans have a lot to be excited about. The team is young, and this season has probably made them hungrier than ever. Dustin Ackley may finally be coming into his own, and minor league prospect DJ Peterson might be one of the most electric ones we have seen in a long time. If this was just the beginning, great things are to come. Add a few more pieces next year, and they should be one of the favorites to grab a wild card at the very least.
What Lies Ahead:
HUSKIES OPEN PAC-12 PLAY-
After starting the season 4-0, Chris Petersen will get the real thing going Saturday afternoon against the 16th ranked Stanford Cardinal. The 4-0 portion of the schedule wasn't pretty. And the Dawgs will need to get it together in a hurry if they stand a chance to compete not only Saturday, but the rest of the way in a crazy competitive PAC12 North. The Huskies almost pulled off the upset last year in Palo Alto, this time around they will have the crowd behind them, and a younger Stanford offense to battle. It should be a good one. I think the Dawgs will get it going on offense, and the front line on the D (Danny Shelton anyone?) will be able to do just enough to get some big stops against the Cardinal power run game. Huskies 31 Stanford 24. BOOK IT.THE CAPTAIN SAYS GOODBYE (It's real this time)-
Yankee captain Derek Jeter will play his final games ever. He will cap off his career at Fenway Park, no less. For as much as I hate the Yankees, he was one guy I could always cheer for. He was a part of childhood, growing up and watching him become one of the best shortstops to ever play the game. In the late 90's/early 00's, it usually went A-Rod, Nomar, and then Jeter. The first two were power guys, Jeter wasn't. In the end, he was the last man standing. Nomar got hurt, and never returned to his old self. A-Rod, well, he's just an asshole. Miguel Tejada squeaked into the conversation in the mid 2000's, but that didn't last long. It is Derek Jeter who will go down as one of the best shortstops to ever play the game.
The farewell tour has gone on all summer, and some say it was too much, and too big of a publicity stunt. Sure, it probably was. But all those fans that attended when the Yankees were in their town got to see Derek Jeter one last time. It is something you can talk about for a long, long time. While it may have been dragged on, it was a cool way to go out.
THE TWEET OF THE WEEK-
Steelers To Wear Patch Honoring Victims Of Ben Roethlisberger http://onion.com/1wwAhhJ
Jake's Take:
Bill Simmons And The Mothership That Is ESPN-
Simmons, the long-feuding yet very popular and outspoken columnist/tv personality/podcast curator of ESPN/Grantland fame bashed the NFL and Roger Goodell, and then dared his employer, ESPN, to come after him for it. He has said some risky things in the past. Last year he received a 1-week Twitter suspension for calling a Richard Sherman/Skip Bayless First Take 'debate' "Embarrassing". And in 2009, Simmons received a two week social media suspension for bashing a couple of Boston-based sports talk guys. So this isn''t his first rodeo, but this one was definitely different.
What did the network do? They suspended him for three weeks, (or one week longer than the original Ray Rice suspension), and he will not appear on any and all platforms for the duration. Oh, and he also can't use his social media tools during that time.
The question is, did they do this because of what he said about Roger Goodell? Or was it because he dared ESPN do do something about it after? Well, its probably a little of both. While quite a few ESPN personalities have spoken out against the league in the wake of recent events, many of those folks have been former coaches and players. They can write that off as guys who are in the "fraternity" giving their opinion. Simmons is just a journalist. You would think he gets paid what he does for his strong opinions, but the mothership cannot allow him to bash a league that generates the kind of money for them like the NFL does.
I think it is ridiculous. Many are saying they had to make an example out of a guy like Simmons, (well-paid, well-known etc.), and let it be known you can't do what he did. Or else. The thing is, he was dead on with his thoughts. Not too many people have stopped watching the NFL after these scandals, (You are lying if you say you have) the PR crisis is still very bad. The league and anyone the league makes cash for want the negativity gone. They may or may not have shut Bill down without him calling them out, we will never know. He gave them the invitation to do it, and it was perfect for them. Had he not ended it with that, and they still suspended him, it would have looked a lot worse on them. Now they can give whatever reasons they want, and it's hard to question them. You can't walk into work, bash one of your biggest clients, and then dare your boss to say something. *DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME*
ESPN will always be scared of what is said and who its said about. They don't run themselves, they are run by the leagues and individuals that generate the cash for them. It is the same reason they fall in love with athletes that may not be the best or most interesting, but they are popular. Tim Tebow, anyone? If I were Simmons, I'd pickup, tell them to F*** off, and get out of there. Of course, that isn't happening. His Grantland website and the four letter network have a joint partnership. It's the same reason why the TV show "Playmakers" was taken off the air. The NFL didn't like how it depicted drug use, domestic violence, and gay players so they asked ESPN to yank it. They did it immediately. Ironically, years later the show plays out like another episode of Hard Knocks. ESPN works for the man, and until they don't act so frightened, guys like Bill Simmons will be held back from speaking freely and doing their jobs to the fullest.
