RIP BILLS MAFIA

In a world overrun by social media, it has become part of our daily routine to keep ourselves entertained watching total nonsense online. Whether it is when you wake up in the morning before work, while you are sitting on the toilet, or perhaps during your commute, these are the times you pull your cell phone out and watch the usual bullshit we have all become accustomed to.

College kids doing stupid stuff like running each other over at full speed with golf carts, shooting firecrackers out of their asses only to have the entire thing backfire, literally. Back yard wrestling attempts, drunk chicks trying to smash full beer cans over their heads and failing, you get the gist.

Then there is the group of people tucked away in Buffalo, New York. A rabid fan base that encompasses all of the stunts mentioned above into one faction, and in the fall and throughout football season you can bank on waking up on Monday mornings to see some of the debauchery these folks embark on. They are known simply as BILLS MAFIA. We all know them, and watching from a safe distance we have all come to appreciate them.

Well, maybe not all of us. According to a report, the Erie County Sheriff's Department will have an emphasis this season on curbing excessive drinking and enforcing the ban on all glass bottles. The smashed bottle over the head trick happens to be one of Bills Mafia's finest. The worst part though? Any and all body slamming through tables is banned and that ban will be STRICTLY enforced. 

What has this world come to? That would be equivalent to banning the foam cheese heads at Lambeau, or cancelling the raising of the 12th Man flag in Seattle. Bills Mafia getting obliterated to the point where they think it is a good idea to slam their friends off of RV's and into burning folding tables is one of the greatest traditions alive. Forget the anthem stuff, forget CTE concerns, this is the real issue that will bring down the NFL. If there is no Bills Mafia, there is no American Football. 

If they are unable to keep up the fight, and this really is the end, at least we will always have these videos to keep us entertained. Thanks Bills Mafia, and RIP. 

THE WNBA IS CLOSE, BUT STILL NOT THERE

The Seattle Storm capped off an incredible season last night, knocking off the Washington Mystics 98-82 to sweep the WNBA Finals. The victory captured the Storm's third championship, and their first since 2010.

As their amazing season progressed into the playoffs, and I started paying attention to some of the games, it amazed me how rocking Key Arena was. As someone who longs for the return of our beloved Sonics, it was cool to see the place jumping like it once did on nights the Supersonics were playing. I also gained a new found appreciation for the WNBA. Over the years I have often mocked the league, until I realized these women are ballers and I really shouldn't be talking. So congrats to the Storm on a third championship. That is big time. \

With that said, a WNBA championship is not on the level of the four major sports, and it should not be recognized as such. Before you tell me I am sexist, Sounder championships are in the same group.

When  we think of the sports landscape in America, the NBA, NHL, MLB, and the NFL immediately come to mind. These are the leagues generating the most revenue, the most exposure, the most T.V. time, the biggest fan bases, and the toughest competition. One could even argue you could throw NCAA football into the group as the fifth major pro sport.

Don't get me wrong, the WNBA is the top echelon of professional women's basketball in the world. It isn't like the MLS in the sense that despite it being a major pro league, their is still much better talent and teams throughout the world. The WNBA is it for women's basketball, here and abroad. It is the pinnacle of the sport.

That does not mean it is on the same level of the other pro leagues, no matter how hard you want to try and convince yourself of this belief. The exposure is not there, the size of the fanbase isn't there, the revenue isn't there, therefore the league just is not there. Yet.

I have started to notice an uptick in coverage over the last year or so, whether it be on Twitter or in publications. Popular writers such as Shea Serrano and Natalie Weiner, among others, have helped increase the exposure and popularity. They can't stop there.

Sports writer Jeff Pearlman wrote an article in 2010 titled " Why The WNBA Isn't- And Never Will Be- A Popular League". In part, Pearlman wrote:

"In other words, the WNBA's emergence is a mathematical, sociological impossibility.

It has not happened.

It will not happen.

It cannot happen.

No matter how many women dunk, no matter how incredible the playoff action might seem, no matter if the league expands to Las Vegas and Cancun and hires the cast members of Glee to hand out $100 bills to every customer, well, the WNBA is what it is -- a fringe entity."

It would appear that Pearlman misfired on his assumption. 8 years later, the viewership numbers he cited have dramatically increased, attendance is up, and hey, guess what? Vegas did get a team! Although, unfortunately, they still aren't handing out $100 to every fan in attendance. 

The point is, the league is not there yet. With the level of athleticism and competition seeming to increase every year, up goes the excitement. And with that, the general interest will continue to rise and more and more folks will get on board. Having the likes of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, and Kobe Bryant constantly voicing their support for the league doesn't hurt, either. 

Last night after the Storm won, it was front page news on ESPN.com. It was pulled a few hours later, but it is a start. The WNBA can't be viewed as one of North America's major sports leagues, but there is no doubt it can someday get there. 

THE MOST UNDERRATED VIDEO GAME OF ALL TIME

In honor of National Video Games Day, I thought I would write a blog post to honor one of the least talked about, mostly forgotten, classic video games of the 1990's; ESPN EXtreme Games!

Let's start off by discussing the fact that this game didn't even make much sense. It was released around the same time as the inaugural X-Games in the Summer of 1995, and while many of the sports featured in the real X-games were available to play in the video game, I would say it was "based on a true story". It was just really a racing game, and that is it. You would try to hit gates for extra points and swipe cash for new gear and equipment, but there were no tricks or style points to be had. Again, just a racing game.

It would start out with the noise of a garage/warehouse door opening, and inside would be a few different T.V. monitors (heads up, they aren't flatscreens, they are the ones that had a very deep backside and weighed about 90 lbs.) you used a giant ESPN microphone to select which sport you wanted to play.

You could rollerblade, skateboard, mountain bike, or even luge in the video game, but none of it was organized. No matter what apparatus you chose, you were going to be racing all of the others at the same time. I have never seen a guy on rollerblades racing a guy on a street luge, that's just me.

After selecting which activity you wanted to do, you would then select your rider (this was before most video games used real athletes so they were fictional), and then you would select the course. The courses were made up of various cities/states throughout the country, including San Francisco, Utah, Tahoe, and Rhode Island. Once all of this was selected, the downhill race would begin.

One of the greatest aspects of the game was the ability to knock your opponents down as you sped past them. This made it particular enjoyable when playing against your friends rather than the computer.

I remember playing this game for hours on end in my friends basement, and the excitement never stopped. After doing a little research, I discovered that shortly after the game came out Sony lost their marketing agreement with ESPN. Because of this they had to lift ESPN's name and logos off of everything and change the name to 1Xtreme. That is super lame, especially since at the time ESPN was just becoming the MOTHERSHIP that it is (was?). They were the only game in town and they were the shit, having the four letter network tied into the game made it that much more badass.

A quick Ebay search led me to one copy of the game for a whopping $7.95, but it is the non-ESPN version so no thank you. Watching YouTube clips will have to be enough for this trip down memory lane. Let me know if you have a copy, and the original PS, and I am down.

IT IS NEVER TOO LATE TO CHASE YOUR DREAMS!

Favre, MJ, Clemens, Foreman, Magic, Phelps, Bower. 

You can now add me to the list of stars that have come back to give it one last shot.

Almost four years to the day of my last official blog post, I have triumphantly returned.

Here is my "Why I am joining The Athletic" moment;

Recently I've come across some incredible opportunities to curate blog content for some well known websites, but first I must build up my portfolio. Writing (sports writing in particular) has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid, and as I have discovered that it might not be too late to pursue the dream, I made the decision to go after it one last time.

I am working on some basic changes to the blog, mainly a name change and layout change, but in the meantime this will suffice. I am not here for the frills, just the content. I hope that is why you are here too.

I am holding myself accountable to 2-3 posts minimum each day. It will be mostly sports, but I will dabble in some pop-culture, and lets be real, it is hard to completely avoid politics in our current climate. I want to stir the pot, maybe create some controversy, and entertain.

MOST IMPORTANTLY, I want to stuff my portfolio with fresh blog work and get it out there for people to see. The last part is where you come in, if you have made it this far  that means you are intrigued, so please share my posts and my blog when you come across something that interests you.

Feel free to comment, get angry with me, praise me, critique me, whatever you feel is necessary to help push me on this new journey.

Thanks for reading, I will try not to disappoint!

STWJ: A LOOK BACK/LOOK AHEAD

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  pic.twitter.com/VDHdXODuMd

 

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. 

I'M BAAAAACK!...

It has almost been one year to the day of my last blog post.

Reading the headline on that piece hurts. "Keep Calm People, The Kings Will be Here Soon".

Ouch.

I guess I should start this off by apologizing. I was wrong. I let the Seattle homer in me, along with my deep emotions on the issue, over shadow the potential for a failed attempt by Chris Hansen and Steve Ballmer to bring the NBA back to our city. It still hurts.

It seems like it was well over a year ago all of that drama was playing out. I really thought we had it in the bag. I think Chris and Steve probably did too. A year later, the Kings have wrapped up another bad season (thats still better than no season at all), the guy who was suppose to run the basketball operations for our new Sonics just got a job in the Big Apple running the Knicks. And the Milwaukee Bucks, another team thought to be a potential player in future Seattle hoops, just sold to a couple of guys who will keep the team in Wisconsin. That despite the Hansen/Ballmer group reportedly offering a much higher price than what Senator Herb Kohl received.

Enough about that topic for now, that isn't the reason I am writing this. This post is meant to be a "reintroduction" of sorts. Keeping up a blog isn't easy. It's not hard, but it isn't easy either. The itch is always there for me. I am always posting on Facebook, sending out tweets. I constantly find myself discussing sports at all times during the day. That is when I ask myself, "why don't you do your blog anymore?". Others ask me this at various times as well. I almost rebooted it that week in December when The Seahawks crushed the Saints on Monday night, and then Robinson Cano left the Yankees to come play for our lowly Mariners. I didn't though.

Another time came in mid January, when the Hawks were running through the playoffs, well on their way to our first ever world championship. Once again, I didn't.

That is what finally brings me to the point of all this. I have been working for the past month or so on a new, weekly post I will be doing right here. It will be pretty basic. Straight-forward, easy to read, and hopefully fun and entertaining. It will consist of three parts:

I will do a week in review. Simple concept. I will discuss major events/outcomes/performances/stories from the past week in the sports world. Maybe other topics as well, depending on the given week.

Next, I will do a look ahead. Discussing big games coming up, important dates, trade deadines, etc...

The final part will be a short column on one specific topic. A rant/opinion of sorts. Most of the time I will probably be aiming to piss you off. (Coug friends...)

Thats it. Nothing too fancy. Just something that I hope you will look forward to reading each Thursday when it is posted. And please, pass it along to anyone else you think may enjoy it!

Thanks for reading this far, and I look forward to hearing from you!

Keep Calm People, The Kings Will Be Here Soon...

As this Sacramento Kings to Seattle saga enters the final round, I thought it would be a good time to

hop back on this blog after a two year hiatus, and sooth the nerves of my fellow Seattle diehards. Everyday I get asked questions about the situation, and what my beliefs on the matter are. Apparently, these people think I actually know what is going on. And while I like to think that I do, I really have no clue. I don't think the NBA has any idea, either. I have studied the story from the beginning, and I continue to do so everyday, at all hours. I have gone about it from every angle, being calmed by the local media members, and angered by the people in Cowtown. All the while getting frustrated by the non-biased national talkers and scribes who sit firmly in the neutral zone. I have gone to city council meetings, and have sparred late into the night with Kings fans on Twitter. Enough with the numbers, the facts, and all of that. This post is not about that, it is just about why you should feel good and be positive about what will happen.

For me, this thing started on a muggy June day in 2011. It was the Fremont Solstice festival, and I was standing in a beer garden at LTD, proudly wearing a green and yellow Supersonics t-shirt. A guy approached me, complimented me on my Supes' gear, and we proceeded to discuss the topic. All of the memories the Sonics gave us as young kids in the 90's, and the pain that was caused when the team up and left for the city that shall not be named in 2008. This mystery man then told me something I never let go of...his brother, who lived in San Francisco, was friends with a guy down there that had begun the process to build a new arena and bring our team back. I expressed how awesome that would be, we said bye, and went our separate ways. While it was always in the back of my mind, I never thought much of it. What does some drunk guy at a beer garden really know about this?

Apparently, he knew it all.

It wasn't more than six months later, in December of 2011, that news began coming out that a San Francisco hedge-fund manager was scooping up land in the SODO district. And for what? Well, to build a basketball arena, of course. Just like that man in the beer garden, this hedge-fund manager was a mystery man in his own right.

Coming up on the two year anniversary of that Solstice festival, we now know this man as the second coming...Christopher Hansen.

His plan started quietly, and rapidly picked up steam. The grand idea started becoming much more clear, the rest of the group started taking shape, rallies were held, more land was purchased, arena discussions began popping up on city and county council agendas, and shit got real.

And then it happened, in January, right when our Seahawks remarkable season came to a brutal end, we had amazing news. The once former mystery man, turned local legend, Hansen, along with the CEO of Microsoft, Steve Ballmer, and a couple of guys with the last name Nordstrom, had reached an agreement to purchase the Sacramento Kings and move them to our city. At that time, this thing seemed all but done. Little did we know, it was only the end of the first quarter.

Here we are now, the clock winding down in the 4th. We have had the lead the whole game, and despite Sacramento getting some calls from the refs that seem...I'll say generous, we just need to close this out. Our team of All-stars have not once misled us, let us down, or made a misstep. Not one single time. What once seemed like a dream, is right there in our grasps. While the people in Sacramento have held press conferences on the reg, talked about their "whales" who would save the team, and spewed rhetoric after rhetoric about their arena "deal" (they use that term loosely), our guys have sat quietly, occasionally making it rain a couple extra million dollars just for good measure.

Some people I talk to are upbeat about the situation, others worn out from it, and a few extremely pessimistic. I say the same thing to all of them, "don't worry, we got this". I feel like I have Russell Wilson under center, and Marshawn Lynch in the backfield. We just need one more first down to drain the clock. You would feel good about that, right? So, yes, there is a chance of a mistake, but it just doesn't happen too often.

Instead of getting caught up in the numbers, the biased opinions, and the history, just focus on what we know is true. We know that what we have to offer in Seattle is a better all around deal. Most importantly, we know our team has never let us down.

To close, I wouldn't pop the champagne just yet, but the locker rooms are definitely covered in plastic, and the bottles are on ice.

Keep calm...We got this.

What Cougar Fans Should be Clamoring For...

If I was a Washington State Cougar fan ( I thank god every night that I am not) I would be harassing my athletic department to make the smartest move possible for the football program.

That move is out there, it just needs to be made.

Fire head coach Paul Wulff, which seems inevitable, and go hire Mike Leach before someone like Arizona gets to him.

You want to make at least one Husky envious, that is the way to do it. Mike Leach is an unemployed mad man,eager to get back into coaching and make Texas Tech realize they screwed up. This guy created one of the most dangerous spread attacks football fans have ever seen, and he drew it all up on a napkin late one night.

As a Husky alum with a team that ranks near the bottom in most defensive statistics, the idea of having Leach coaching our in-state rival is frightening. Year in and year out the Cougs have NFL caliber receivers. Put those guys with a spread-style QB, and a line that understands the scheme (Leach's offense requires much more space than usual in between each linemen) and they already have a potent attack.

Did I mention, the guy has a vast knowledge of the recruiting landscape in the South, most notably in Oklahoma and Texas. Those states are what they like to call "gold-mines" in the high school gridiron world.

Sure, Leach has been known to be a little coo coo at times. After all, any grown man with a deep fascination with pirates has to be a little nutty. And yes, he was accused of locking former Red Raider receiver Adam James in a closet after suffering a concussion. That whole story doesn't seem too accurate though. But, a guy like Leach could fit in perfectly in a place like Pullman. It is a small community, far away from a lot of other places. The type of place where he could get away with all that quirkiness. A lot of high school Football players in the South come from tight-knit communities that have a lot of passion for their local teams. One thing Pullman has is passion, and that small town feel. Leach bringing talented recruits in from the south might actually prove not too difficult for him and his staff.

All this guy did at Texas Tech was win. And score a lot of points while doing so. all while at a school that in the grand scheme of things out there, is just a little fish swimming in a big pond.  In Pullman, he would only have to compete locally with Washington. Yes, they appear to be making their way back to prominence, but they are not Oklahoma, Texas, or Texas A&M.

If I am Bill Moos, I am making this move now rather than waiting. Arizona has already fired their head coach and have begun the search for the next guy. The wildcats have gotten deep into Texas recruiting in recent years, and quite possibly will be going hard after Leach in order to keep that going.

When Washington fired Tyrone Willingham in 2008, Leach was my guy. Don't get me wrong, I love Steve Sarkisian, but the thought of Mike Leach coaching the Cougars is a scary one. A Harrell to Crabtree like connection on the Palouse, No thank you. WSU fans getting caught up in their head coaches pirate obsessions, wearing Jack Sparrow outfits into the student section for a night game on ESPN, that would make me a little jealous. It sounds awesome.

So, as a Husky alum, please do not make the move. But for those Cougs, I would be begging for Mike Leach's pirate ship to set sail for Pullman.

Ahoy.

ATTN: WSU Cougars, Stay on Your Side of The State...

It is that time of year again. The time when the Washington State Cougar football program rolls into the city of Seattle with their passion high, and their win total low. And this year, rather than hosting a non-conference opponent that is much worse than them, they are playing a Pac-12 foe, much worse than them. My point, no matter who they play or how good or bad they are, you guys stay in Pullman, and the Huskies will hold down Seattle.

Now, before you go arguing about all of the alums who live in the greater Seattle area, and all of the passion they have, let me tell you this; I understand that, and I don't care. I am sorry everyone graduates from WSU and gets the hell out of town as soon as they can. I also apologize on behalf of everyone responsible that Seattle is a much cooler place, and that the Washington legislator did not choose to put your campus here in 1890, but rather Pullman.

There are satellite campuses in Spokane (beautiful place), the Tri-Cities, and Vancouver. Why don't you guy's play a football game in one of those gems?

The idea of schools playing games in the largest city in the state should be reserved for rivalry games. I.e. Oklahoma and Texas playing in Dallas. That idea was brought up a couple of years ago for the Apple Cup, and WSU was scared away. Yet, they still want to come back and play a game each year. If the fan base has so many people in Seattle, and so much passion, why not play the Huskies in a 67,000 seat stadium every season?

The people in Seattle, and the Husky fans more importantly, did not make Martin Stadium the smallest in the Pac-12. The WSU administration did. Blame them. We understand you want our town, our town's facilities, and our amenities. But, with all that passion for the Palouse and "God's Country", why don't you just keep the "home" games over there?

Leave the West Side to the Best Side. UW.

Oh, and by the way, Martin Stadium is named after a Dawg. Nice work.

PAC-12 WEEKLY VIDEO PREVIEW

I run down the key matchups for the upcoming weekend...

WEEKLY 12-PAC(K)...WEEK SIX EDITION

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A Look Back At The Week That Was...

• Washington Strolls Into Rice-Eccles, Handles Utah: The Washington Huskies came into Salt-Lake 10 point underdogs. This was Utah's first Pac-12 home game, it was a chance for their famed "MUSS" student section to show that they could hang with the big boys. It was also a chance for their football team to show that they too belonged. They did anything but that. Utah fumbled the opening kickoff, which was scooped up by Husky linebacker Jamal Kearse and taken into the end-zone for six. And that would be the story for the day, as the Washington defense forced five turnovers, struggled offensively in the first half, and then erupted in the second. Running back Chris Polk ran for 189 yards, QB Keith Price threw for three more, and the Dawgs offense continued to click. Utah's defense is nothing extraordinary, but this Washington unit appears to be able to handle anything. Pac-12 teams better take notice, because they are tough to defend.

• Washington State Stuns Colorado on Late TD Toss: If you don't know who Marquees Wilson is now, you soon will. The Cougar wide receiver had 121 yards on six receptions, including a decisive 63-yard touchdown catch with 1:10 left in the game to win it for the Cougs. Colorado's secondary, which came into the game bruised and damaged, was able to keep Washington States passing game relatively quiet, until the last 2 1/2 minutes. The Cougars scored with 2:35 left, down a field goal, and elected to kick it deep and trust their defense. That paid off, as they forced a punt immediately. Then stepped in Wilson, who appears to be the next of a long line of star wide outs that have come out of Pullman. He simply sped past the corner and safety and went deep into the secondary, untouched, for the game winning touchdown. 

•  Luck Powers #6 Stanford to Another Victory: I might need to just begin a separate section for this topic, as it is becoming routine to write about Andrew Luck and him leading his team to victory. The guy is just ridiculous. He went 23-27 for 227 yards and three scores. Oh, and did I mention the one handed catch he hauled in on a trick play? If you know of a better player in the country than this guy, please let me know. I do not think it exists. By the way, Stanford beat UCLA 45-19.

The Winners...

• Washington State Wide Receiver Marquees Wilson: Could Washington State be recognized as Wideout U.? Every year, no matter who their coach is, or who is in charge of getting the rock to them, they produce NFL caliber wide receivers. Marquees Wilson is the next great one. He is currently ranked ninth in the country with 550 yards, and is averaging 26.2 yards a pop. After being bottled up most of the game in Boulder, he showed he can show up when his team needs him most, scoring the game winning touchdown with 1:10 left. This guy is becoming a star.

• Washington Husky Defense: The unit, and their coordinator Nick Holt, have been feeling the heat since the season began. They may have quieted the critics, for now at least, after their performance against Utah. The Utes are a know power running team, who grinds the ball until they can open up some play action. Well, not this game. The Huskies held Utah's ground game to 36 yards on 15 carries, and forced 5 turnovers. We will see if this showing can carry on throughout the year. 

The Losers...

• Oregon State: Things are not looking good in Corvallis this season. The Beavers were not able to capitalize on a number of Arizona State mistakes, and lost to the Sun Devils 35-20. They are now 0-4 to start the year, and 0-2 in league play. Looking ahead, they better hope to get past Arizona, or a struggling BYU team, or they could go without a victory for 2011. 

A Look Ahead...

• #9 Oregon Takes on The Golden Bears:  Last year, using what some would call a sketchy defensive tactic, Cal held Oregon to a season low 15 points, eventually losing 15-13. Multiple times through out the game, it appeared Cal defensive players would look over to the sidelines, then fall to the ground with various types of injuries. It did work however, as it slowed down the Ducks attack, and kept them out of a rhythm for much of the game. After breaking the schools single game rushing record two weekends ago, we will see if LaMichael James can pick up where he left off. Cal has some outstanding receivers, and a good quarterback in transfer Brock Maynard, so this should be an interesting Thursday night match up. At least until Oregon blows the cover off the thing.

• Washington State VS. UCLA: A quick glance, and this contest will not catch anybodies eye. The reason I find it intriguing is this; Both head coaches were on the hot seat to start the year, and now both seem headed in opposite places. This is a real turning point game for both schools. A win for WSU and they are at 4-1, 2-0 in the Pac, and only two wins shy of being bowl eligible. Whereas a loss for the Bruins would drop them to 2-4, 1-2 in the Pac, and Rick Neuheisels job would be hard to save. A win for UCLA and a loss for WSU would simply bring the two back to where they were at the beginning, with their respective jobs still up in the air for 2012.

•  Battle of The Beatens: Goes to show you not too many exciting games on slate for the weekend. Both Arizona and Oregon State are searching for their first Pac-12 victories. In Oregon States case, their first victory. I really do think that the Beavers are just that bad, and that will come to light when the 1-4 Wildcats manhandle them down in Corvallis.

My Random Sports Thoughts of The Week...

• How about these baseball playoffs? It all started with that wild finish to the last day of the regular season. Now, we have 3 out of 4 divisional series going to game 5. I have the Phil's winning at home, the D-Backs taking the series in Milwaukee, and as much as it pains me to say, the damn Yanks will be playing the Rangers in the next round. 

• Keep canceling everything David Stern. You are getting what you deserve. You don't know how to run a business, you try and force peoples hands, and that is finally catching up to you. I enjoy the NBA, and watching the playoffs in June, but no season is what this league needs to realize they don't operate in a functional manner. It is time to oust the commish. 

• Hank Williams Jr., you are a country singer. You have no business being on a news station discussing politics. What he said was wrong, and because of that I am now going to miss that song to open up MNF.

• The dream team? Once again, Vince Young does something stupid. 

• Another plug for this great new website, NWSportsBeat, I am doing some work for them. It is an awesome place to go for anyone who loves our Northwest teams. Canucks, Sounders, Mariners, Seahawks, colleges, Oregon teams, and much much more! Check it out.

My Fantasy Team Update That You Probably Don't Give a Crap About...     

• "Worst2First" are currently 3-1. After a tough loss in week three, we bounced back with a blowout rout. You know it is a crazy year in the NFL when I am debating who to start at quarterback; Phillip Rivers, or Bills QB Ryan Fitzpatrick.  

I Will Leave You With This...

Sure sounds like this lovely sportscaster wants to "F*ckin kick all the haters off"...

WEEKLY 12-PAC(K):Week Three Edition...

A Look Back At The Week That Was...

• Taylor Martinez And Company Exact Some Revenge Against Washington, With A Little Help From The Guy's In Stripes: In the third meeting in just 364 days between the two teams, this time in Lincoln, Nebraska, the Cornhuskers seemed unstoppable on offense and suspect at times on D as they rolled the Huskies 51-38. When the whistle blew at the half, it looked like it was going to be a pretty exciting shootout, as Washington only trailed by three points at 20-17. Depending on who you ask, some might say it should have been 24-20 UW. With only a couple of minutes to go in the second, Washington punted the ball away to Nebraska. As the deep man for the Cornhuskers went to catch the ball, one of his teammates tripped and bumped into him. That caused the ball to bounce off of his leg and into the hands of a waiting Husky gunner, who then ran the ball into the end-zone for what appeared to be a touchdown. Then came the flag for kick catch interference, which would be the first of three controversial calls for the same penalty, and things began unraveling from there. Nebraska was then able to march down and kick a field goal to go into halftime leading by a field goal. The third quarter was an absolute nightmare for the Huskies, who were called for another kick catch interference at the start of the quarter, with an additional five yards tacked on for a sideline penalty. Nebraska was able to capitalize on the great field position to go up 27-17. On the ensuing kickoff, Washington true freshmen Bishop Sankey fumbled the kick return in the end zone, and he and receiver Kevin Smith were unable to corral the ball as a swarm of Husker special teamer's ran down to grab the ball at the 1-yard line. It only took one play for them to punch it in and blow the game wide open. The Huskies made a late comeback, scoring three TD's in the fourth, but it was too little too late. Blaming the officials would be easy to do on this one, and the calls were admittedly bad. The Pac-12 officiating office even said so. But, winning teams overcome things like that, and after the first bad call the Dawg's never seemed to regain their composure. It cost them the game, and a chance to prove that the Holiday Bowl was no fluke. 

•  USC May Not Be Eligible For The Post Season, But They Are Starting to Look Like The Trojans of Years Past: Matt Barkley threw for 324 yards and five touchdowns, as the Trojans stormed past a lackluster Syracuse team. The Trojans offense had gotten off to somewhat of a slow start in the first two games, but they exploded Saturday. Where they are really reasserting themselves though is on the defensive side of things. They are allowing just over 300 yards per game through the first three contests, with a meager 88 of those on the ground. The Pac-12 South appears to be wide open, and with this team not being able to play in a bowl game, look for them to be very motivated to run the table. That would make quite the statement heading into the 2012 season, when the Trojans bowl ban will be lifted. 

•  The Cardinal Continue to Roll, As Zona' Continues to Tumble: Heisman front-runner (And future Seahawk quarterback) Andrew Luck threw for 325 yards, as the Stanford Cardinal thumped Mike Stoops' struggling Arizona Wildcats. After being contained much of the first half, Luck and his offense erupted in the last 30 minutes of the game. Slowly and methodically picking apart a worn out Arizona defense. Stanford has won 11 straight games, dating back to last season, which became the longest streak in the Nation after defending champ Auburn was knocked off Saturday afternoon. Arizona, meanwhile, has a 1-2 record and is currently on a very different sort of streak. The Wildcat's have now lost seven straight in conference games. With immaturity on both sides of the ball, it looks like it may be a long Winter in Tucson for Coach Stoops and company. For Stanford and Luck, who are currently ranked 5th in the country, they seem to have picked up right where they left off in the Orange Bowl. They appear to be legit nation championship contenders in 2011.

The Winners...

• Utah Utes: For the first time since 1922 the Utes and BYU played each other as non-conference opponents, and it was all Utah. Forcing seven turnovers, and punishing the Cougars with a relentless ground game, they became the first in-state opponent to knock off Brigham Young since 2005. Quarterback Jordan Wynn threw for 239 yards and two touchdowns, and running back John White shredded the defense on 174 yards and three scores. If the Utah defense can continue forcing turnovers, and the run game keeps on rolling, these guys may surprise some folks in the Pac-12 North. 

• Washington Receiver James Johnson: Although it came in a loss, the Junior had his best day as a Husky, catching six balls for 108 yards, two of them for touchdowns.  

The Losers...

• The Stanford Defense: It looks like this could be a very magical year for the Cardinal, as they are ranked 5th in the country and have the best quarterback in the nation leading their attack. The news on Monday that linebacker Shayne Skov will miss the rest of the season with a knee injury could prove to be a very big blow. Skov, the teams leading tackler, is the man who runs the show for the defensive unit. Next to Luck, he is the most important man on the team. It may be something they can overcome, but they will need somebody to step up in a very big way in order to keep national title hopes alive down on the farm.

• UCLA Head Coach Rick Neuheisel: Bruin fans are growing very impatient with the 4th year head man, and a 49-20 drubbing by the Texas Longhorns at the Rose Bowl will not help his cause. Quarterback Kevin prince went 3-7 with three interceptions in the first quarter before being yanked for backup Richard Brehaut. If Neuheisel and the Bruins can't turn things around soon, his seat will be getting much hotter than it already is.

A Look Ahead...

• #23 USC Heads to Tempe to Take on The Sun Devils:  After a tough loss last weekend against Illinois, Arizona State returns home to take on a 3-0 Trojan squad that looks to be returning to form. This will be the first crucial game in what appears to be a wide open Pac-12 South. Look for a high scoring game, I say last team to touch the ball wins.

•  Oregon Takes on The Wildcats in Tucson: It has been a tough stretch for Arizona, having faced two top-ten opponents in the last two weeks. It doesn't get any easier this weekend, as the 10th ranked Ducks head into town to play a team they have beat in three straight contests. Arizona quarterback Nick Foles has been playing very solid football, throwing for 7 touchdowns and zero interceptions, but he has gotten no help from an inexperienced offensive line and a lackluster running game. Things shouldn't be any different in this contest, as I expect Oregon to win big. 

•  Make or Break Meeting For Oregon State And UCLA: With losing records to begin the year, and struggling units on both sides of the ball, this game could be key in determining what direction these two teams are heading in for the 2011 season. Oregon State is starting a freshmen at quarterback, and UCLA doesn't know what to do at the position. Look for it to be a low scoring game, with UCLA being able to do just enough to pull out the victory.

My Random Sports Thoughts of The Week...

• The Seattle Seahawk offense is still bad. Actually, worse than it was a week ago. When you are talking about the April draft in September, things are not good.

• I told you last week Pretty Boy Floyd would knock Victor Ortiz out, and I don't care how it happened, it did. There is no such thing as a cheap shot in boxing. The object of the game is to batter one another in the face until one man is knocked out. And the number one rule to remember in the sport is to ALWAYS protect yourself. Well, Ortiz forgot that rule and the veteran Mayweather made him pay. Case closed. Oh, and that post game tirade against Larry Merchant was priceless.

• I will have a separate article on this before the weekend, but the Pac-12 choosing not to expand is the best decision. What people forget about a lot of times when talking about this sort of thing, is the academic side to all of it. We can all make fun of some of the schools in the league (Those people in Tempe and Pullman) but the truth is they are all really good academic institutions. Adding the schools that were being discussed would have diminished that high standard. The Pac-12 is very strong going forward, and right now the collapsing leagues are envious of that. Keeping newcomers out and working with what they have is by far the best option.

• Greg Normand, shut up about Tiger Woods. You cheated on your ex-wife with a flight attendant, so who's to judge?

• A Boston Red Sox wild card collapse would be great. Those Bean Town fans got so arrogant after the 2nd world series title. I liked that town a lot better during that 86 year drought. Maybe a complete collapse will bring them back to earth a little bit.

My Fantasy Team Update That You Probably Don't Give a Crap About...
    

• "Worst2First" moved to 2-0 this week, despite tight end Antonio Gates getting me a whopping 0 points. Looking ahead, the next 2 weeks are looking pretty easy, so count me in for 4-0. 

I Will Leave You With This...
  
In case you haven't seen this video yet, it was during the Monday Night Football game between the Gaints and the Rams. The Rams no-huddle offense was smashing down the field, so veteran safety Deon Grant decided to do something about it. That something was a very pathetic "injury" flop. He clearly won't be getting into acting once his career is over. It was so bad, the league sent out a memo to all players and teams today, warning them of fines and penalties for faking injuries in order to effect game play. Take a look...

WEEKLY 12-PAC(K)

A Look Back At The Week That Was...

• USC Defeats Utah in The Very First Pac-12 Game, in What Will Most Surely be Remembered as The Game That Screwed a lot of People Over in Vegas: After the Trojans blocked a kick in the final seconds and returned it for a TD, the officials decided the points would not count and the final score would be USC 17, Utah 14. Hours later, Conference officials said there was a miscommunication between referees and coliseum press box officials, and the touchdown should have counted. Making the final score USC 23, Utah 14. The line for the game was at 8 or 9 all week in Vegas. Those who took Utah and were given the points thought they had won the bet, and those who had actually won, thought they lost and probably ripped up their tickets. It left the league with a brand new slogan, " The Pac-12, where you can still score points even after the final whistle."   

•  The Oregon Ducks Bounce Back From a Week 1 Loss to #3 LSU, Demolishing Nevada 69-20: Now, it was only Nevada. And they are not nearly as good as they were last year when they knocked of Boise State. Even that shouldn't have happened, just ask Boise's kicker. Still, the Ducks offense looked like, well, the Ducks offense. Highly touted Frosh Running back De'Anthony Thomas, who looks like a young, slimmer version of one Don Cheadle, caught 2 touchdown passes and had some very electric moments. I have said all along, sooner or later the country will catch up to Chip Kelly's offense. These things go in phases. No one could stop Tony Sparano and the Dolphins when they first unveiled their Wildcat attack. Now look. I thought maybe this was the year when teams began to slow down the Ducks,  and still could be. But, from the looks of last week, Darron Thomas and company will be high flying once again.  

•  Arizona Continues The Horrible Out of Conference Play For The League, Then ASU (kind of) Makes it Better: On Thursday night, on national television, Arizona was man-handled by #9 Oklahoma State, 37-14. From the very beginning, it looked as if it were going to be a lot worse than the final score indicates. Arizona threw for 398 yards, which was actually 1 more yard than the spread attack of OK State produced. It was a lot of dinking and dunking, which is what they do best, but they were not able to produce much inside the redzone. The surprise here was that the Cowboys were able to run for 197 yards on the Wildcat D.  If that is a sign of things to come, it could be a long winter, and a lot of crazy faces from Coach Stoops, in the desert this year.  On Friday night, ASU tried to maintain some sense of national respect for the Pac, once again on ESPN, facing #21 Missouri. In a wild, back and forth battle, the Sun Devils were able to fight off the Tigers in overtime to improve to 2-0. Quarterback Brock Osweiler continued his torrid start, throwing for 353 yards and 3 touchdowns. He also ran for another score. With a stingy defense and a big play offense, The Pac-12 better be on alert; this Sun Devil team looks to be talented and dangerous.

The Winners...

• Washington State QB Marshall Lobbestael. Having to replace the very talented, annointed program savior Jeff Tuel should not be and will not be easy. Especially for a guy who already had his chance, never showed any promise, and eventually lost his job to Tuel. Can you say, full circle? Lobbestael had no problem on Saturday, albeit against UNLV.  He threw for 361 yards, 5 touchdowns, and 0 INT's. And in case you were wondering, Andrew Luck has a career high 4 TD passes. I'm not saying WSU should be sending out Heisman candidate postcards...YET. Wait until week 3 at least.

• Oregon RB De'Anthony Thomas. After losing a couple of big fumbles in the week 1 loss to LSU, the highly-touted recruit from LA, who spurned his backyard Trojans at the last minute to go to Eugene, came up big in his first Autzen appearance. He rushed for 81 yards on 8 carries, and had 93 yards receiving on 2 catches. Both of those wound up in the endzone. Another year, another dangerous weapon out of the backfield for Chip Kelly's gang. 

The Losers...

• Oregon State Beavers. After losing in week 1, week 2 was no better for the Beav's, getting shutout 35-0 on the road to #8 Wisconsin. I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but I think the over-achieving, compete with anyone party in Corvallis might finally be over. It worked for a while under Mike Riley, they competed every weekend and surprised a lot of folks in the process. I just don't think they have the talent right now, and the rest of the conference has quickly caught up to them, and those who have not passed them yet soon will. Yes, even the Cougars will have a better football team over the next 5 years than the Beavers. Sorry people.

• The Entire PAC-12 Conference. Despite ASU pulling out the upset in overtime against Missouri on Friday, the conference has not looked good in out of league games to begin the year. As we have already touched on, Oregon St. got crushed by Wisconsin, and Arizona did the same against Oklahoma State. Even the teams that pulled out victories didn't look so hot, with Washington having to cling on against Hawaii after storming the gates for an early 21-0 lead. And San Jose st. almost escaped with a victory over the Bruins. This conference expanded in the off-season, has a record television deal, and wants to be recognized as one of the best major conferences in the country. Well, they need to start earning that respectability where it really counts, and that is between the lines. 

A Look Ahead...

• Washington Heads to Lincoln For The Rubber Game.  After throttling the Dawgs 56-21 in Seattle last September, it almost seemed as if it were a joke that the Holiday Bowl committee selected the Cornhuskers to go up against UW a mere 3 months later. The University of Washington had the last laugh on that one, as they came to San Diego and shutdown the same Husker offense that torched them the previous game, winning 19-7. Some say Nebraska didn't show up to that 2nd game, and Husky coach Steve Sarkisian will tell you his team didn't show up for the 1st game. This weekend, hopefully both teams show up and we can finally conclude who is better. My guess, rooting interests aside, is that once again the Husky defense stacks up and stops the run, has an efficient enough day on offense, and takes the best out of three series. What we will come to find out though, is that more than the Huskies being that good, this Nebraska squad has been over rated since the first rankings came out. They are just not that good this year. 

•  Is WAZZU For Real? The talk in Pullman before the season began was that this team had a chance to come out and have a quick start, with the easy schedule they faced. Then, Jeff Tuel broke his collarbone. Things seemed to still be on track last weekend against UNLV. Now comes the first real test, a road game against San Diego State, and their very talented QB Ryan Lindley. It isn't super superior competition, but SDSU will be favored. If Washington St. comes out and dominates, it would be safe to say this team has improved dramatically. If they get dominated, questions of Paul Wulff and his future will begin to be asked once again. But for now, the Cougars are 2-0 and have an offense that looks dangerous. Oh, and did I mention, leads the nation in scoring?!? I know, I had to confirm that a couple of times myself. I would love for the Cougars to lose just to shut my Cougar friends up, but they will get the win. Let the National title talk begin on the Palousse.

•  Is Arizona a Has-Been? The past few years, the Wildcats were a team that always showed up for big games, and always surprised people. With a nasty defense, and a quick-throwing offensive attack, they have been a perennial Pac-10 contender. Times have changed, it is now the Pac-12, and this team seems to have maybe taken a step back. This weekend, fair or not, will tell us a lot. They host #6 Stanford at home in what will be a very tough test against Mr. Luck and his Cardinal. But, if Arizona can pull off the major upset, things will be back on track in Tuscon just like that. The way I see it though, that doesn't happen. Luck does what Heisman Quarterbacks do, and shreds the Zona' defense for 400 yards passing.

My Random Sports Thoughts of The Week...

• The Seattle Seahawk offense is bad. Really bad. If I was in Vegas, it wouldn't be too far fetched to put my money on the aforementioned Luck (no pun intended) to be wearing the Seahawks blue and green come next year. Although, he will have to switch numbers. 12 belongs to the fans. It is the least we can have through these tough times. 

• Floyd Mayweather will knock Victor Ortiz out on Saturday. And Sunday morning, Pacman will have no choice but to take the damn tests and schedule the fight of the century. 

• Manny Ramirez; Roid Rage at it's finest. 

• The NBA season is not going to happen. And to be honest, I really don't give a crap. 

• Here is a thought for when Major League Baseball renegotiates their CBA; if a team is more than 15 games out when football season begins, they should pack up their things and go home. I went to my buddies house the other day, during the ASU-Mizzou game, and was shocked to see him watching the Mariners and Royals battle it out for draft position.  That shouldn't even be allowed. I would rather watch Central Michigan State play Georgia Eastern. And I don't even think those are real schools. 

My Fantasy Team Update That You Probably Don't Give a Crap About...

• "Worst2First" is 1-0, and leading the league after week 1 in total points. Not a real shocker, really. We expect to win. Props to Cedric Benson for getting out of the can and cleaning up right away. And props to my fellow league members who were all too stupid to pick up Mario Williams on defense. I call that a STEAL.

I Will Leave You With This...

So a guy said a swear word while sitting around with his buddies talking about football. Big deal. I loved it!
 

Follow me on Twitter @SeaTownsFinest1

Are You Ready For Some Football? W/ J. Hoffman Blurb...

After a long off-season of courtroom battles rather then 7 on 7 battles, lawsuits opposed to gameday suits, and labor negotiations instead of contract negotiations, the thing we call the NFL is finally ready to put the ball in the air and kick off the 2011 campaign! Believe it or not, we are just about on time. The only thing effected was the annual Hall of Fame game in Canton last weekend. Other than that, we are right on schedule.

Tonight should be interesting, as rosters have been expanded to 90 players and most teams have a large amount of rookies they are taking a look at. These guys haven't had any OTA's, mini camps or extra meeting time. They have had the past two weeks to get acclimated to the highest level of competition.  Now, they have to go out and prove to the scouts and coaches that they have what it takes to play on Sundays in the National Football League. Most scouts will tell you the first preseason game is the most important for those rookies, as it will tell them if they are learning, lost, or simply just can't handle it. This year will be no different, but it will be that much harder for them.

*Jesse Hoffman*

The Shoreline/Lake Forest Park area will be somewhere football fans rarely are during the 4th quarter of a preseason game tonight, on the edge of their seats. Jesse Hoffman, one of our own, will be making his NFL debut with the hometown Seahawks on national television. No big deal. Look for #44, Defensive back. Pretty exciting stuff, especially around these parts!

Hate on LeBron, but he isn't the villain, you are.

People people people. MJ scored a lot of points all of the time. When lbj doesn't put up on offense, it doesn't mean he was horrible. He plays lockdown d and distributes and disrupts. He didn't join the heat to score 40, he joined to get jewelry. Haters will find anything to say about him. I don't get it. What did he do that was so bad? Why is he the villain? Is he selfish for joining a team with another superstar? Does he hog the spotlight? Was it selfish to raise 2 million dollars for the boys and girls clubs when he announced his signing? Was it Selfish to leave the team that drafted him, because he grew up in a city nearby? The real answer to all of those questions is no. The man is the opposite of selfish. Yet people treat him as if he were involved in a dog fighting ring, killed somebody drunk driving, did steroids, and beat his wife all in the same day. The haters are the selfish ones. Move on. Get over it. Spend that hatred on the real villains. The ones who deserve it more.

I'm back, and ready to stir things up. *Anti Pacquiao Edition*

Sorry for the hiatus people. It was necessary to take time off from posting for a few reasons. None of which I will bore you with. I had been discussing strictly college football on this blog. That is changing. I will now be hitting on every topic in sports. For example, how I despise the okc team and their fans, and I don't care if that is wrong. Or, how Seattle sports fans are starting to piss me off with their negativity when the first thing goes wrong. Now, I understand that is due to some built up frustration. But we have a lot of over reacters. It is getting obnoxious. How about this, I don't like manny pacquiao. Sue me. I am done being nice, and I am over saying what people want to hear. This started as a mostly informative space. I have recently been working on writing opinion pieces. That is what I want to turn this into. I will still be writing some serious things, but I mainly want to stir things up and hear what you have to say. I figure if I piss you off enough the comments will start flowing! Enjoy.

Follow me on Twitter @SeaTownsFinest1

Locker Pro Day...*UPDATE*

Jake is in group four today. He will be throwing to three of his former teammates; Dorson Boyce, Austin Sylvester, and D'Andre Goodwin.

The plan is for him to throw 60 passes, following a plan designed by Washington Husky offensive coordinator and QB coach Doug Nussmeier.

He will not do any running drills, or other timed events. We are told it could take anywhere from 25 minutes to two hours. It all depends on what other things scouts and other team representatives ask to see of Locker.

Some notable team reps include former University of Washington head coach Keith Gilbertson, representing the Cleveland Browns, and Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks.

Locker wound up throwing 39 passes, completing all but two of them. Both of the incompletions came on passes longer than 50 yards, and just out of Wide receiver D'Andre Goodwins reach.

Locker measured in at 6'0 ft. And 205 lbs. *CORRECTION* 6' ft 2 in. 227 lbs. (User error!)

There were plenty of scouts, coaches, and other team representatives here.But no team was more present than the tennessee Titans, who hold the 8th pick overall and are in need of a starting quarterback. I wouldn't read too much into it, but is definitely something to take note of. Locker will hold a private workout with the team tomorrow morning.

And incase you have forgotten, there were other huskies participating today. I will review their workouts later.

Check back later...

My Mariner Addiction...

Nine seasons.

767 losses.

Six managers.

All of that is between the last time the Mariners made the playoffs, and now. As a kid growing up in Seattle during the 1990's, I was too young to remember the struggles, so things with the M's always seemed perfect. I remember going to the raucous games at the Kingdome in 1995. Griffey's MVP season in 1997. Going to the first game at beautiful Safeco Field in 1999. The "two-out so what" squad in 2000. And, of course, that almost unbeatable team the following year. Winners of 116 games. Everything was going right. until they ran into the Yankees and a roided up Roger Clemens in the ALCS. And although they did not make it to the World Series, the season was still pretty fantastic.

Then things slowly began falling apart.

Longtime, and very successful, manager Lou Piniella left to be closer to his family.  They did maintain decency for a couple of seasons following his departure, but they were getting old. And fast.

The big time superstars that helped in the rise of the club were either gone (Griffey, A-Rod, Big Unit), or on the decline (Jay Buhner, Edgar Martinez).

Baseball fans in Seattle had just gotten used to winning. We got used to great teams, exciting players, packed stadiums, and national exposure. What we were really getting used to was the success.

Despite all of the issues. All of the firings, terrible trades, 100 loss seasons, and downright awful play, they still have me coming back for more.

When things first started getting bad, I was in denial. Then we were tricked for a few years when they put up 78, and then 88 wins. We thought things were looking up.

101 losses later, we realized they weren't.

At this point, I know what to expect. We have arguably the best pitcher in the game, and a few potential stars. And we have the always consistent Ichiro. That's it. We don't even have our most beloved member of the organization anymore in Dave Niehaus. We won't win more games then we lose. We will not score very many runs. And our pitchers, outside of the King, will give up a helluva a lot of them.

Yet, I am still excited for the season to begin. I will still try to make it out to Safeco field, and what has now become known as "Club Safeco" in the beer garden, to watch some games (You know the on-field product is bad when people are going to the games because of the beer garden atmosphere). I will spend $9 for a beer and wear my jersey. I will read the blogs, and constantly check the standings.

Some may call it loyalty, I am starting to believe it is stupidity.

By mid-June I will tell myself and my friends I have had enough. Yet, I will still watch, and have a vested interest. And when guys like Dustin Ackley are called up for the first time, I will be excited and brag about how this guy is going to be the real deal.

For some reason, I just can't get enough of my Mariners. My loyalty will be right on line with this teams record and performance for 2011, it won't be changing much.

Spring Preview, From Bottom to Top...

 UCLA Bruins


The Skinny:  The bruins enter spring ball for the fourth time under Head Coach Rick Neuheisel. Fans in Westwood were expecting a quicker turn around for their football team, and entering year 4, they have yet to see what they were hoping when Neuheisel was hired in December of 2007 to lead his alma mater. Only in the 2009 campaign did the Bruins finish the year with a winning record after appearing in the Eaglebank Bowl. Many supporters and outside observers believe that it is a "Win now-or else" situation for Neuheisel entering the 2011 season. He remains one of the best recruiters, although this year was not so good as previous seasons. It is now time to show progress on the grid iron.

What We Already Know: We know that after a rocky 4-8 season, the Bruins did a complete shake up of their coaching staff. Well regarded offensive coordinator Norm Chow was dismissed, as was their defensive coordinator. The firings were the result of what Neuheisel deemed "chemistry issues". The hiring of Chow in 2008 was seen as a very big win for UCLA. And when Lane Kiffin was reportedly trying to bring him back to USC when he was hired to replace Pete Carroll, UCLA stepped up to make sure he did not leave. Only to let him go one season later. Although the head coach remains the same, drastic staff changes can be very damaging. This program can not afford to back track, or Coach Neuheisel risks losing his job.

What We Want to Know: Can they make the pistol offense work? After installing the run and gun attack last season, they showed some what mixed results. The Bruins hired longtime Nevada assistant Jim Mastro to help with the pistol schemes in their offense. Nevada runs the most successful pistol in the country. The hiring of Mastro showed that the Bruins were not going to be one and done with the scheme, and that they wanted to stick with it and make it work. When correctly run with the right personnel, it can be a very explosive and unstoppable force. We will see if their attack improves beginning in the spring.

Potential Spring Star:  Quarterback Brett Hundley. Hundley was one of the top-rated dual-threat passers in the class of 2011, and managed to graduate early and enroll in time for Winter quarter. It came down to UCLA and the University of Washington for Hundley, choosing to play for Neuheisel, who has been known to mold star QB's in his time. Anytime Neuheisel has had coaching success, he has had an outstanding signal caller leading the way. Bruin nation is looking for Hundley to finally be that guy for them.

Spring Dates:  March 29th- April 21st.
                        Spring game- April 23rd.

Update, and some Ramblings...

Sorry I have not updated. I have been working vigorously for the paper getting my things done for the big Spring Football preview we have coming out in a few weeks. I am very excited because a lot of the things I have been working on will be in full print and online! A big moment for me and my career. Although, having the position I hold, I do not get too much name recognition. It is all part of being at the bottom of the totem pole.

Let's be honest, with that little thing called "March madness" getting into full gear tomorrow morning, no one seems to be very interested in college football right now. I even find my self scouring the basketball headlines while I am supposed to be doing research for a football story. 

I have the rest of my Pac-12 previews set to be released, I was going to do it last week but decided to wait because not all of the schools have began practicing.  I am going to go ahead and release them anyways, day by day starting tomorrow with the team I am predicting to finish 10th.

In the mean time, get your brackets finalized and submitted tonight! I am taking Kansas over the Orangemen in the championship game. These brackets get very frustrating. I keep wanting to change things around. I have finally decided to stick with what I have and call it good. The people who nail down their bracket to near perfection are not doing it with any sort of strategy. It is based on a whole lot of luck. That's why it is called madness!

Enjoy the basketball these next few days, as I am going to do the same. My boss told me this morning this weekend is the one weekend out of the whole year we can put the football in the back of our minds for a few days. That is what it takes when you are working in the largest college football section in the country! 24/7/365.

Oh yea, and as I remain as fair as I need to be when covering college football, the same does not need to be said for a sport I do not cover. So...

Go Huskies!