University of Miami's having a bad day. Please, don't take a picture.
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Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Showing posts with label football. Show all posts
Scandal
I'll send y'all over to Georgia Sports Blog for the proper introduction to the college football news that just hit the web.
University of Miami's having a bad day. Please, don't take a picture.
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University of Miami's having a bad day. Please, don't take a picture.
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Texas A&M to the SEC
Team Speed Kills disects the rumour mill. It all comes down to this:
While I think this probably means things will happen sooner rather than later, I still come back to the same question I keep thinking of: what other team gets the invite?
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The SEC is a great conference the way it is and should not expand just to expand. But if the Big XIIish is going to spin apart -- and it eventually will -- the SEC has to get Texas A&M.
While I think this probably means things will happen sooner rather than later, I still come back to the same question I keep thinking of: what other team gets the invite?
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SEC Expansion (Again)
Should Missouri join the SEC? Some folks think it would be a good fit. Others don't.
Why is this even a topic of discussion? Because last year's conference realignment talk featured a few good moves, a lot of bad ideas, and one line of thinking that refuses to die: "Texas A&M should be in the SEC."
As one of the folks who thinks Texas A&M would be a good fit, let me start off with this: the SEC does not need to expand right now. The brand is strong, the sports are strong, and the money is strong. Any moves made should be decidedly win-win moves, or they aren't worth it, from a conference standpoint. Unless the additions verifiably increase the conference's worth, they are not worth making.
I can see what TAMU brings to the table. I can also guess that, if they are invited, they will not refuse the SEC a second time. And in the land of narratives and memes the TAMU to the SEC is a strong one.
Missouri is only present in the discussion because of the question "what school would the SEC take to balance the numbers, if TAMU gets an invite?" First of all, I don't think that's a good enough reason.
While I don't think Mizzou would be a detriment to the SEC, I don't see them bringing a whole lot to the table. I don't think they fit the win-win mold that the SEC needs to be looking for when considering targets for expansion. Because of this, Mizzou becomes part of a growing list of schools that would love an SEC invite, but probably won't get one because there just isn't enough brought to the table to make it worthwhile, or there is already an SEC school that is a rival of the invitee who isn't ready to deal with that rival in-conference.
That list includes, but is not limited to:
Georgia Tech - a school that would bring absolutely nothing to the table for the SEC.
Tulane - see Georgia Tech
Clemson - a good cultural fit in a terrible television market.
Florida State - see Clemson.
Virginia Tech - see Clemson.
West Virginia - a less than appropriate cultural fit, less potential, and a less valuable television market than Clemson.
Oklahoma - more tied to the success of University of Texas sports than Texas A&M
Texas - will never join the SEC, and might destroy the conference from the inside if they do
Louisville - interesting opportunity, but a risky bet
North Carolina - DO WANT, but Kentucky basketball is not going to let the Tar Heels into their division
Missouri is different enough from most of those to understand why the idea might grow legs. It doesn't own any TV market, but is close to two big ones. It isn't a cultural fit, but isn't a cultural clash. Their athletic programs aren't big brand names, but they've got a lot of potential in several sports.
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Why is this even a topic of discussion? Because last year's conference realignment talk featured a few good moves, a lot of bad ideas, and one line of thinking that refuses to die: "Texas A&M should be in the SEC."
As one of the folks who thinks Texas A&M would be a good fit, let me start off with this: the SEC does not need to expand right now. The brand is strong, the sports are strong, and the money is strong. Any moves made should be decidedly win-win moves, or they aren't worth it, from a conference standpoint. Unless the additions verifiably increase the conference's worth, they are not worth making.
I can see what TAMU brings to the table. I can also guess that, if they are invited, they will not refuse the SEC a second time. And in the land of narratives and memes the TAMU to the SEC is a strong one.
Missouri is only present in the discussion because of the question "what school would the SEC take to balance the numbers, if TAMU gets an invite?" First of all, I don't think that's a good enough reason.
While I don't think Mizzou would be a detriment to the SEC, I don't see them bringing a whole lot to the table. I don't think they fit the win-win mold that the SEC needs to be looking for when considering targets for expansion. Because of this, Mizzou becomes part of a growing list of schools that would love an SEC invite, but probably won't get one because there just isn't enough brought to the table to make it worthwhile, or there is already an SEC school that is a rival of the invitee who isn't ready to deal with that rival in-conference.
That list includes, but is not limited to:
Georgia Tech - a school that would bring absolutely nothing to the table for the SEC.
Tulane - see Georgia Tech
Clemson - a good cultural fit in a terrible television market.
Florida State - see Clemson.
Virginia Tech - see Clemson.
West Virginia - a less than appropriate cultural fit, less potential, and a less valuable television market than Clemson.
Oklahoma - more tied to the success of University of Texas sports than Texas A&M
Texas - will never join the SEC, and might destroy the conference from the inside if they do
Louisville - interesting opportunity, but a risky bet
North Carolina - DO WANT, but Kentucky basketball is not going to let the Tar Heels into their division
Missouri is different enough from most of those to understand why the idea might grow legs. It doesn't own any TV market, but is close to two big ones. It isn't a cultural fit, but isn't a cultural clash. Their athletic programs aren't big brand names, but they've got a lot of potential in several sports.
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Shame, Shame
Doug Gillett is at SB Nation Atlanta, doing his part to make the college football offseason roll by a little quicker by trying to find out which of the many rivals could count as the Georgia Bulldogs' biggest.
Last week, he asked which rival is the most fun to beat. One guess as to which team got the most votes.
This week, he's asking which rival brings the most shame in a loss. I know that I'm in a minority. Our Atlanta-centric fan-base will answer this question resoundingly with "Georgia Tech."
Look, I completely understand that answer. But for me, that team is Auburn.
When it comes to the Bees, I understand they're going to catch the Dawgs every once in a great while. They'll just be up for the game, the Dawgs won't and the story will write itself in a close loss. The braying of their more obnoxious fans is more comical than anything else, and I feel no shame listening to them prance about the internets because they've won one football game this decade.
Auburn, on the other hand, is a more evenly matched foe for the Dawgs. Their fans have tasted the sweet nectar of championships, no matter how they were acheived. When they beat Georgia, they just kind of pat Dawg fans on the back and act as if their victory was always assured, has been in the past, and always will be.
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Last week, he asked which rival is the most fun to beat. One guess as to which team got the most votes.
This week, he's asking which rival brings the most shame in a loss. I know that I'm in a minority. Our Atlanta-centric fan-base will answer this question resoundingly with "Georgia Tech."
Look, I completely understand that answer. But for me, that team is Auburn.
When it comes to the Bees, I understand they're going to catch the Dawgs every once in a great while. They'll just be up for the game, the Dawgs won't and the story will write itself in a close loss. The braying of their more obnoxious fans is more comical than anything else, and I feel no shame listening to them prance about the internets because they've won one football game this decade.
Auburn, on the other hand, is a more evenly matched foe for the Dawgs. Their fans have tasted the sweet nectar of championships, no matter how they were acheived. When they beat Georgia, they just kind of pat Dawg fans on the back and act as if their victory was always assured, has been in the past, and always will be.
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Know Your Rights
I make a habit out of watching the show COPS, and counting all the things that are done wrong by (sometimes) the police and (most of the time) by the suspects. I really have always found it amazing how many people will let the police search their car during a traffic stop because they asked to.
Darnell Dockett of the Arizona Cardinals, however, refuses to be played in such a way. (HT: EDSBS)
I remember the first time I refused a search during a traffic stop, even the officer was like "Really? Wow. Well, you're within your rights to refuse."
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Darnell Dockett of the Arizona Cardinals, however, refuses to be played in such a way. (HT: EDSBS)
I remember the first time I refused a search during a traffic stop, even the officer was like "Really? Wow. Well, you're within your rights to refuse."
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Black Jersey
In 2007, the University of Georgia Bulldawgs football squad beat the Florida Gators in Jacksonville. The next week at home against Auburn, The 'Dawgs took the field in traditional helmets, but wearing black jerseys. The fans in Sanford Stadium "blacked out" the game. It was one of the more stunning visuals ever associated with Georgia football. Once the Dawgs beat Auburn badly in that game, Georgia fans thought the black jerseys were one of Coach Mark Richt's best ideas ever.
I got to see them in person when Georgia destroyed Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl. It looked great. At the time, I thought a new tradition was brewing.
Then came the 2008 Alabama blackout. Dawgs got destroyed by the Nick Saban coached Tide. In 2009, Georgia donned Grambling State-like black helmets against the Florida game and also lost badly. Fans wanted any uniform changes banned, never again to haunt the team.
I can't agree. The Black just looked too good. On the other hand, Georgia's worn red and white and silver britches through plenty of football losses and wins. What should be done with the Black Jerseys?
Mr. Sanchez solves this problem forever.
That's the answer. That should be the tradition.
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I got to see them in person when Georgia destroyed Hawai'i in the Sugar Bowl. It looked great. At the time, I thought a new tradition was brewing.
Then came the 2008 Alabama blackout. Dawgs got destroyed by the Nick Saban coached Tide. In 2009, Georgia donned Grambling State-like black helmets against the Florida game and also lost badly. Fans wanted any uniform changes banned, never again to haunt the team.
I can't agree. The Black just looked too good. On the other hand, Georgia's worn red and white and silver britches through plenty of football losses and wins. What should be done with the Black Jerseys?
Mr. Sanchez solves this problem forever.
Beat Florida, you can wear the black jerseys. Win the SEC East, you can wear the black jerseys. Make a BCS bowl, and you can wear the black jerseys.
That's the answer. That should be the tradition.
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Garnet & Black Colored Lenses
The Senator points out this college football preview for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Not to be confused with the "poetry of pre-mature trash talk", a different category of fan pathology in the best of cases, the tradition of Carolina fans to offer boastful hyperbole during the pre-season is legendary within the SEC. It really is something to look forward to by many other SEC fanbases.
Though as a Georgia fan, I've enjoyed it much less since I took my own bit of undergraduate fan swagger into Williams-Brice Stadium one fall afternoon in 2000, when the Gamecocks officially served notice that they would no longer put up with being an assumed Bulldawg win.
Georgia has still taken the supermajority of wins in the series since that afternoon when Quincy Carter interceptions fell like pinata candies into the unbelieving arms of the Garnet-clad secondary, but Carolina has done a tremendous job in closing the gap in the rivalry in terms of games won outright and close losses. Without Branden Smith's 61 yard TD run in 2009 and the mind-boggling David Pollack Interception/TD in 2002, the UGA - USCe rivalry could easily stand at 5 and 6 since 2000.
Of course, there are those who will correctly note that's why we play the games, or moral victories don't count, or the final score is all that matters; Carolina will always be Carolina, they will say.
Maybe. But membership in the SEC has its privileges. That TV money makes a difference in athletic facilities, coaching hires, and desirablility due to national exposure. South Carolina may not be the most fertile recruiting ground, but the state produces a crop of elite players every year. Sharing borders with Georgia and North Carolina give them an in, and close proximity to Florida (not to mention a coach with a pedigree from that state) put the program in better shape than most others in the country.
This is allowing them to close the talent gap, if not yet the depth gap. In the past, those gaps would combine to destroy Carolina's momentum later in the season as attrition and the talent plateau would take its toll against Florida, Tennessee and Clemson.
But the 2011 Gamecocks are not going to have the same talent plateau - they proved last year that they can play with elite teams for 4 quarters, if they maintain their concentration (another maddening achilles heel for Carolina fans over the years). For almost a decade, this team has deployed a scrappy defense playing above their level, and that D has often kept them in games against incredibly good teams. If they remain healthy, both Ashlon Jeffrey and Marcus Lattimore have the talent to play on Sundays*. If Stephen Garcia figures out how not to lose games, they may finally have an offense that can give the defense leads to protect.
And they'll all be playing with a dangerous psychological combination not often seen in Columbia: while the Carolina chip on the shoulder will be there still, you now inject into the mix the knowledge that this team was able to play and win against the elite. They've beat Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee in recent years, and those SEC opponents may not be able to count on their own programs' winning tradition to get in Gamecock players' heads.
This year, the preseason talk may not be the traditional hyperbole for Carolina. The game in Athens this year is going to be the biggest and most important this rivalry has seen in a while.
(*- Spencer Hall at EDSBS once referred to Georgia players and NFL 1st round draft picks Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno as "uncontainability twinned," and the same could be said for Jeffrey and Lattimore.)
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Not to be confused with the "poetry of pre-mature trash talk", a different category of fan pathology in the best of cases, the tradition of Carolina fans to offer boastful hyperbole during the pre-season is legendary within the SEC. It really is something to look forward to by many other SEC fanbases.
Though as a Georgia fan, I've enjoyed it much less since I took my own bit of undergraduate fan swagger into Williams-Brice Stadium one fall afternoon in 2000, when the Gamecocks officially served notice that they would no longer put up with being an assumed Bulldawg win.
Georgia has still taken the supermajority of wins in the series since that afternoon when Quincy Carter interceptions fell like pinata candies into the unbelieving arms of the Garnet-clad secondary, but Carolina has done a tremendous job in closing the gap in the rivalry in terms of games won outright and close losses. Without Branden Smith's 61 yard TD run in 2009 and the mind-boggling David Pollack Interception/TD in 2002, the UGA - USCe rivalry could easily stand at 5 and 6 since 2000.
Of course, there are those who will correctly note that's why we play the games, or moral victories don't count, or the final score is all that matters; Carolina will always be Carolina, they will say.
Maybe. But membership in the SEC has its privileges. That TV money makes a difference in athletic facilities, coaching hires, and desirablility due to national exposure. South Carolina may not be the most fertile recruiting ground, but the state produces a crop of elite players every year. Sharing borders with Georgia and North Carolina give them an in, and close proximity to Florida (not to mention a coach with a pedigree from that state) put the program in better shape than most others in the country.
This is allowing them to close the talent gap, if not yet the depth gap. In the past, those gaps would combine to destroy Carolina's momentum later in the season as attrition and the talent plateau would take its toll against Florida, Tennessee and Clemson.
But the 2011 Gamecocks are not going to have the same talent plateau - they proved last year that they can play with elite teams for 4 quarters, if they maintain their concentration (another maddening achilles heel for Carolina fans over the years). For almost a decade, this team has deployed a scrappy defense playing above their level, and that D has often kept them in games against incredibly good teams. If they remain healthy, both Ashlon Jeffrey and Marcus Lattimore have the talent to play on Sundays*. If Stephen Garcia figures out how not to lose games, they may finally have an offense that can give the defense leads to protect.
And they'll all be playing with a dangerous psychological combination not often seen in Columbia: while the Carolina chip on the shoulder will be there still, you now inject into the mix the knowledge that this team was able to play and win against the elite. They've beat Alabama, Georgia, Florida, and Tennessee in recent years, and those SEC opponents may not be able to count on their own programs' winning tradition to get in Gamecock players' heads.
This year, the preseason talk may not be the traditional hyperbole for Carolina. The game in Athens this year is going to be the biggest and most important this rivalry has seen in a while.
(*- Spencer Hall at EDSBS once referred to Georgia players and NFL 1st round draft picks Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno as "uncontainability twinned," and the same could be said for Jeffrey and Lattimore.)
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Jackass of the Month
We used to trot out the JotM Award pretty regular around these parts. Adrastos runs one over at First-Draft called"Malaka of the Week," highlighting "wankery not evil."
But it got me thinking about what a week it has been. We tend to focus on two topics on Hurricane Radio, sports and politics, and I'll be damned if it wasn't a banner week for bad behavior in both of those realms. Those topics usually have their share of weekly head slappers, to be sure, but the sheer volume of it this is impressive. Some of the memes and stories from Monday are already old news.
That's something. I mean, take your pick...
Jackasses in Politics:
Anthony's Weiner - naturally the biggest political story this week
Andrew Brietbart - he gets one thing right and takes a week long victory tour
The Senator from Louisiana - because of the ninja suit he can put on to completely vanish from the national zeitgeist the minute any other politician has a sex scandal
Sarah Palin re: Paul Revere's guns and bells(?)
Newt Gingrich's Incredibly Imploding Political Campaign
Jackasses in Sports:
Mike Hamilton - soon-to-be-former Athletic Director of the University of Tennessee for his hand in bringing down UT Athletics (and I'm a Georgia fan saying this)
Bill Stewart - soon-to-be-former head football coach of the West Virginia University Mountaineers, who was discovered to be giving the press dirty details on the personal behaviors of the soon-to-be head football coach (sort of a folksy Andrew Breitbart)
LaBron James - for making such a big deal out of playing basketball in Miami, and then playing like this in the NBA finals
Terrelle Pryor - former quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes who has gotten involved with so many shady sports star cliches that people may not remember the Cam Newton controversy from earlier in the year
And yet, all of this pales in comparison to former head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jim Tressell, who resigned his job on Sunday ahead of a blistering Sports Illustrated expose regarding allegations of widespread and long-term sports-based shenanigans conducted while cloaking himself in the mantle of deeply held Christian faith.
Of course, in true Tressell fashion, he picked the perfect week to do so, because all that other stuff makes Sunday seem so very long ago.
So that's that. Hopefully next week things will slow down somewhat.
Until then, I'll go the opposite route and give you this item of heartwarming, classy behavior.
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But it got me thinking about what a week it has been. We tend to focus on two topics on Hurricane Radio, sports and politics, and I'll be damned if it wasn't a banner week for bad behavior in both of those realms. Those topics usually have their share of weekly head slappers, to be sure, but the sheer volume of it this is impressive. Some of the memes and stories from Monday are already old news.
That's something. I mean, take your pick...
Jackasses in Politics:
Anthony's Weiner - naturally the biggest political story this week
Andrew Brietbart - he gets one thing right and takes a week long victory tour
The Senator from Louisiana - because of the ninja suit he can put on to completely vanish from the national zeitgeist the minute any other politician has a sex scandal
Sarah Palin re: Paul Revere's guns and bells(?)
Newt Gingrich's Incredibly Imploding Political Campaign
Jackasses in Sports:
Mike Hamilton - soon-to-be-former Athletic Director of the University of Tennessee for his hand in bringing down UT Athletics (and I'm a Georgia fan saying this)
Bill Stewart - soon-to-be-former head football coach of the West Virginia University Mountaineers, who was discovered to be giving the press dirty details on the personal behaviors of the soon-to-be head football coach (sort of a folksy Andrew Breitbart)
LaBron James - for making such a big deal out of playing basketball in Miami, and then playing like this in the NBA finals
Terrelle Pryor - former quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes who has gotten involved with so many shady sports star cliches that people may not remember the Cam Newton controversy from earlier in the year
And yet, all of this pales in comparison to former head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes, Jim Tressell, who resigned his job on Sunday ahead of a blistering Sports Illustrated expose regarding allegations of widespread and long-term sports-based shenanigans conducted while cloaking himself in the mantle of deeply held Christian faith.
Of course, in true Tressell fashion, he picked the perfect week to do so, because all that other stuff makes Sunday seem so very long ago.
So that's that. Hopefully next week things will slow down somewhat.
Until then, I'll go the opposite route and give you this item of heartwarming, classy behavior.
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On South Carolina
The college football offseason would be shorter for me if all the team previews read a little more like this.
(HT: The Senator's always essential Wednesday Morning Buffet.
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(HT: The Senator's always essential Wednesday Morning Buffet.
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Running Back Publicity, LLC
Well, if the whole sports thing doesn't work out for Washaun Ealey and Reggie Bush, at least they can always turn to mass communication and public relations.
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Of Offseasons & Memories
The last time the Boisie State Broncos were blown out in a football game, the year was 2005, the place was Athens, and the team on the giving end of the whoopin' was the Georgia Bulldogs squad led by DJ Shockley.
Since then, Georgia has turned in a few lackluster years. The Broncos, on the other hand, have rampaged through their conference brethren out West, and upset the likes of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech on big national stages.
You think folks out West don't have long memories? Their Athletic Department rearranged their schedule this year for a chance to come down to Atlanta and excorcise one of the last ghosts haunting their program. They are going to be fired up.
The Dawgs better be ready, or we could be in store for a dish Revenge served Rocky-Mountain-Cold.
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Since then, Georgia has turned in a few lackluster years. The Broncos, on the other hand, have rampaged through their conference brethren out West, and upset the likes of Oklahoma and Virginia Tech on big national stages.
You think folks out West don't have long memories? Their Athletic Department rearranged their schedule this year for a chance to come down to Atlanta and excorcise one of the last ghosts haunting their program. They are going to be fired up.
The Dawgs better be ready, or we could be in store for a dish Revenge served Rocky-Mountain-Cold.
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Politics & Football
Most sports blogs I read try to stay away from politics as best they can. Hell, one of the reasons I started this weblog six years ago was so my friends and I would have a place to chew on politics away from the tailgate.
But with so much public money tied up in sports, at the college and professional levels, sometimes those paths are going to cross. This is what happens when they do.
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But with so much public money tied up in sports, at the college and professional levels, sometimes those paths are going to cross. This is what happens when they do.
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Mad Wagerin'
I'm wondering how long it takes the NCAA to find a secondary recruiting violation based on this situation at the University of Georgia.
(HT: Get the Picture)
I also wonder if Buford, Georgia is considered part of metro Atlanta but not part of metro Athens (difference is between 4 to 6 miles).
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(HT: Get the Picture)
I also wonder if Buford, Georgia is considered part of metro Atlanta but not part of metro Athens (difference is between 4 to 6 miles).
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$400 Million Dollars
We've been hearing about it for years, but the voices demanding a new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons continue to rise in volume, and look more and more serious. The whole pricetag would be north of $700M, of which $400M would be on the taxpayers. And (unlike Dallas) the plans for the new Bird's Nest would be an uncovered stadium with less seating capacity.
Meanwhile, real conservative Kyle Wingfield of the AJC goes over all the other things Atlanta could do with that stadium money.
Hell, he even includes streetcars, mass transit, and trains on his list.
Of course, if Atlanta does build a new Falcons' stadium, they might get rid of the Georgia Dome, even though they say they want to keep it. The reason to keep it is pretty solid: the Georgia Dome hosts the Chick Fil-A Kickoff Classic, the Peach Bowl, the Georgia State Panthers regular season and OH YES THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. But how long do you think two NFL sized football stadiums will last a few parking lots away from one another?
Maybe the SEC could just buy the facility outright, which wouldn't be a bad idea, actually. Atlanta is, primarily, a college football town. The move could make economic sense for both the conference and the city. But such manuvering might not pan out, and who knows what will happen in 6 years?
This tells me one thing: New Orleans needs to have a 5-year bid to host the SEC Championship Game ready to roll before 2017. That's one of the only games on the planet more valuable than the Sugar Bowl. If there were ever an opportunity to get that game out of Atlanta, this would be it.
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Meanwhile, real conservative Kyle Wingfield of the AJC goes over all the other things Atlanta could do with that stadium money.
Hell, he even includes streetcars, mass transit, and trains on his list.
Of course, if Atlanta does build a new Falcons' stadium, they might get rid of the Georgia Dome, even though they say they want to keep it. The reason to keep it is pretty solid: the Georgia Dome hosts the Chick Fil-A Kickoff Classic, the Peach Bowl, the Georgia State Panthers regular season and OH YES THE SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME. But how long do you think two NFL sized football stadiums will last a few parking lots away from one another?
Maybe the SEC could just buy the facility outright, which wouldn't be a bad idea, actually. Atlanta is, primarily, a college football town. The move could make economic sense for both the conference and the city. But such manuvering might not pan out, and who knows what will happen in 6 years?
This tells me one thing: New Orleans needs to have a 5-year bid to host the SEC Championship Game ready to roll before 2017. That's one of the only games on the planet more valuable than the Sugar Bowl. If there were ever an opportunity to get that game out of Atlanta, this would be it.
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Honesty & Forgiveness
My question after all of this, how does coming down hard on honesty and rewarding lies help the NCAA investgators going forward? You'd think it would be the other way around. This situation could demonstrate even less incentive to be forthcoming while it increases the advantage of covering up wrongdoing for as long as possible.
And that will be the case at every school, not just the sacred cows that the NCAA won't touch with sanctions to fit the crime.
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And that will be the case at every school, not just the sacred cows that the NCAA won't touch with sanctions to fit the crime.
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The Low Hanging Branches
The poisoning of Toomer's Oaks in Auburn, Alabama continues to be a case study regarding Southern culture taken to the most absurd extremes.
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Chemical Weapons
The 130+ year old live oak trees at Toomer's Corner in Auburn, Alabama have been poisoned with massive amounts of herbicide.
Let me say, first of all, that this crosses the line of college prankery in the worst sort of way. Especially considering the lethal doses of poisonous herbicide used on a landmark where Auburn fans doubtless take pictures with their young children.
When they catch this guy or guys, I hope the full force of the law is brought down against them.
Update: Looks like they have a suspect in custody.
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Let me say, first of all, that this crosses the line of college prankery in the worst sort of way. Especially considering the lethal doses of poisonous herbicide used on a landmark where Auburn fans doubtless take pictures with their young children.
When they catch this guy or guys, I hope the full force of the law is brought down against them.
Update: Looks like they have a suspect in custody.
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Irrational Relationships & Valentine's Day
Watching sports and being a fan of a particular team can get emotional. I understand this as well as anyone, and I'll spare you the anecdotes I think prove it. The long and short of it is, I get that fanbases can be irrational when things happen to their team. But here's my two thoughts:
1. I'm still going to call you on it.
2. Just because every other team does it doesn't make it OK. Because they do.
Even as the apparent majority of Who Dat nation works through their complex emotions concerning Sean Payton buying a home in Dallas, the irrational reactions must be accepted as irrational.
And you know what? It is OK to be overemotional and irrational - that's what makes sports fun. But you can't let it get out of hand. That's when you let yourself get hurt for no good reason. That's happens when when "The Idea" of Someone comes into conflict with that real someone's actions, behaviors and motivations. Once you realize that the thing you're really angry at is a figment of your imagination, you can take a deep breath and a step back and start synthesizing the reality of the situation.
Here are the facts:
- New Orleans is a great place, but it is an acquired taste. Not everyone is going to love this place like you love this place. Just because they don't doesn't mean they're trying to insult you.
- He picked Dallas because he likes Dallas. Several million people like Dallas, the last time I checked. He did not pick it just to piss you off.
- An NFL head coaching gig lasts, on average, 3.3 seasons. In New Orleans, that average is a little higher, but Sean Payton has been here a long time considering the nature of his job.
- Sean Payton entered the 2009 season facing a go-to-the-playoffs-or-lose-your-job situation. You may not want to admit this, but this was the case. You were ready to get rid of him and his family two years ago. Back then it was you talking about performance on the field and maybe finding someone else if he wasn't up to the task.
- Moving your family every 3 - 5 years is awful.
Don't take this as patronizing advice from someone who is not from here. Understand that, as a fan of the University of Georgia Bulldawgs, I've been listening to the ravings of one of the most irrational fanbase factions in the history of football. I'm primed for calmly discussing overemotion and irrationality. Home football losses to Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech will force you to examine things from a more reasoned perspective.
And don't get mad at my role, I'm just one of the buddies who will sit with you as you drown your sorrows, telling you that the relationship you are pining for only existed in your own head, and that you're only breaking your own heart and inviting ridicule from others by going over and over it. It is time you remembered that your real relationship is with the Saints, and the Saints are bigger than Sean Payton.
And as long as where he lives doesn't affect his performance coaching the Saints to wins, he could live on the Moon for all I care.
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1. I'm still going to call you on it.
2. Just because every other team does it doesn't make it OK. Because they do.
Even as the apparent majority of Who Dat nation works through their complex emotions concerning Sean Payton buying a home in Dallas, the irrational reactions must be accepted as irrational.
And you know what? It is OK to be overemotional and irrational - that's what makes sports fun. But you can't let it get out of hand. That's when you let yourself get hurt for no good reason. That's happens when when "The Idea" of Someone comes into conflict with that real someone's actions, behaviors and motivations. Once you realize that the thing you're really angry at is a figment of your imagination, you can take a deep breath and a step back and start synthesizing the reality of the situation.
Here are the facts:
- New Orleans is a great place, but it is an acquired taste. Not everyone is going to love this place like you love this place. Just because they don't doesn't mean they're trying to insult you.
- He picked Dallas because he likes Dallas. Several million people like Dallas, the last time I checked. He did not pick it just to piss you off.
- An NFL head coaching gig lasts, on average, 3.3 seasons. In New Orleans, that average is a little higher, but Sean Payton has been here a long time considering the nature of his job.
- Sean Payton entered the 2009 season facing a go-to-the-playoffs-or-lose-your-job situation. You may not want to admit this, but this was the case. You were ready to get rid of him and his family two years ago. Back then it was you talking about performance on the field and maybe finding someone else if he wasn't up to the task.
- Moving your family every 3 - 5 years is awful.
Don't take this as patronizing advice from someone who is not from here. Understand that, as a fan of the University of Georgia Bulldawgs, I've been listening to the ravings of one of the most irrational fanbase factions in the history of football. I'm primed for calmly discussing overemotion and irrationality. Home football losses to Kentucky, Vanderbilt and Georgia Tech will force you to examine things from a more reasoned perspective.
And don't get mad at my role, I'm just one of the buddies who will sit with you as you drown your sorrows, telling you that the relationship you are pining for only existed in your own head, and that you're only breaking your own heart and inviting ridicule from others by going over and over it. It is time you remembered that your real relationship is with the Saints, and the Saints are bigger than Sean Payton.
And as long as where he lives doesn't affect his performance coaching the Saints to wins, he could live on the Moon for all I care.
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