Hello and welcome to the Halloween version of Sunday Sound Off presented to you by yours truly. In the spirit of this wonderful holiday, I have chosen to form my blog this week under some familiar Halloween terms and themes. The sports world has its own share of ghosts, ghouls, and goblins. Enjoy.
Haunted House
The denomination of "Haunted House" goes to the San Francisco Giants and AT&T Park for their stellar performance this week in the first two games of the World Series. The home crowd provided the Giants exactly what they needed to take an early and crucial lead in the series going to Texas for the following three games. Here's to you San Fran.
Scary Movie(Worst Loss)
I was actually able to attend the scariest movie this weekend when the 10th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes came in to face our own Minnesota Golden Gophers. Lets just say that they are who we thought they were, which was athletic, speedy, and physical. Too much for the last place Gophers to handle on Halloween weekend as the Buckeyes beat the Gophers 52-10.
Trick-Or-(H)eat
Whether you chose to watch the NBA season opener this past week or not, it cannot be denied that the Miami Heat are the hottest thing in sports right now. The combo of Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh debuted against the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics. The Celtics proved that although it may seem that the Heat may be the early favorite, nobody is going to hand them the rings just yet. The Heat have a very large target on their backs this season and will get every team's best effort, but it will be interesting to see how they handle this pressure throughout the entire regular season.
Boo
Oregon has overtaken Auburn as the top team in the BCS after defeating USC on national television Saturday night. Auburn also won on the road at Ole Miss, but it wasn't enough for the computers to keep them at number one. I don't believe that the computers should catapult any team over another that did not lose their respective matchup. I truly do not agree with the way the BCS allows teams to jump positions based on who they play or on how impressive their win was. This is college football, not leapfrog.
Witchcraft
The sincerest form of witchcraft from the world of sports came from David Garrard and the Jacksonville Jaguars. Their game against the Dallas Cowboys was a battle of two colossal disappointments. Garrard did his part to set himself straight after being injured the past two weeks and his team needing a win desperately. Garrard went 17-21 passing, for 260 yards and 4 touchdown passes. His passer rating of 157.8 was just 0.5 away from perfect, and gave the Jacksonville Jaguars a huge non-conference win against the dismal Dallas Cowboys.
Happy Halloween Everyone!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Sunday Sound Off 10/24
Cameron Newton's Coming Out Party
This week Cam Newton sits atop the list of Heisman candidates in my eyes after leading his team to a win against 6th ranked LSU on Saturday afternoon. Auburn is the real deal and Cam Newton has given the nation a reason to watch the Tigers. After their win on Saturday, Auburn leapfrogged both Oregon and idle Boise State to take over the top spot in the new BCS Standings. Their performance against a stellar LSU defense left voters and the computers impressed, while also becoming one of 7 unbeaten teams left in the nation. One main reason for Auburn's success stems from the outstanding play of their quarterback and freakish athlete Cameron Newton. Newton left his mark on this game by establishing his physical presence and rushing for 217 yards on the ground. He converted two of his attempts for touchdowns, and it became evident that he had the advantage over a previously stout LSU rush defense. Newton currently has taken the step above other Heisman candidates with his performances in key games. With their win this week, Auburn now controls their own destiny as the only undefeated team in the SEC. A favorable schedule seems to be at hand, with the regular season finale coming on the road at Alabama. If Auburn can run the table, their sites should be set on the National Championship, and Cameron Newton should be considered the best player in college football. The battle of the unbeatens at Jordan-Hare Stadium left us with two clear results: Cameron Newton as the Heisman front runner and Auburn as the best team in the country.
This week Cam Newton sits atop the list of Heisman candidates in my eyes after leading his team to a win against 6th ranked LSU on Saturday afternoon. Auburn is the real deal and Cam Newton has given the nation a reason to watch the Tigers. After their win on Saturday, Auburn leapfrogged both Oregon and idle Boise State to take over the top spot in the new BCS Standings. Their performance against a stellar LSU defense left voters and the computers impressed, while also becoming one of 7 unbeaten teams left in the nation. One main reason for Auburn's success stems from the outstanding play of their quarterback and freakish athlete Cameron Newton. Newton left his mark on this game by establishing his physical presence and rushing for 217 yards on the ground. He converted two of his attempts for touchdowns, and it became evident that he had the advantage over a previously stout LSU rush defense. Newton currently has taken the step above other Heisman candidates with his performances in key games. With their win this week, Auburn now controls their own destiny as the only undefeated team in the SEC. A favorable schedule seems to be at hand, with the regular season finale coming on the road at Alabama. If Auburn can run the table, their sites should be set on the National Championship, and Cameron Newton should be considered the best player in college football. The battle of the unbeatens at Jordan-Hare Stadium left us with two clear results: Cameron Newton as the Heisman front runner and Auburn as the best team in the country.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Sunday Sound Off 10/17
Can The Brew
Ever since Tim Brewster became the head coach of Golden Gopher Football in 2007, it has been a question of whether the talent he would attract could rise to the expectation of our prestigious university. We found out early this morning that his 3 1/2 years here at the U were enough for Athletic Director Joel Maturi to answer a firm "No". Brewster first arrived at Minnesota with much confidence as to what he felt he could accomplish as a head coach of a major university. His hopes of reaching a very high level of play were never reached as Brewster went 14-24 in his first 3 seasons as head coach. The peak of Brewster's campaign came in 2008 when the Gophers started 7-1 and were ranked in the top 25 before losing the final 5 games of the regular season. That season was a precursor of things to come in 2009 and this final year of his campaign. Despite Brewster's overall record, he failed to record a win against Wisconsin or Iowa, and was 0-10 in trophy games during his tenure. Saturday's loss to Purdue ultimately was too much for Maturi and Minnesota faithful to handle, which led to Brewster being relieved of his coaching duties early on Sunday. The search now begins for a new leader and someone who will spark excitement toward the fans and the program as a whole. Tony Dungy has already declined the offer from Maturi, but says he would like to be involved in choosing our next coach. Possible replacements other than Dungy include the likes of Troy Calhoun and Mike Leach. Calhoun is the head coach at Air Force and is someone I really like as a quality coach. Mike Leach is a former head coach of Texas Tech and was relieved of his duties following last year due to some controversy. Whatever Maturi's decision ultimately is, he must know that this decision may be his last as Athletic Director, choose wisely Joel.
Ever since Tim Brewster became the head coach of Golden Gopher Football in 2007, it has been a question of whether the talent he would attract could rise to the expectation of our prestigious university. We found out early this morning that his 3 1/2 years here at the U were enough for Athletic Director Joel Maturi to answer a firm "No". Brewster first arrived at Minnesota with much confidence as to what he felt he could accomplish as a head coach of a major university. His hopes of reaching a very high level of play were never reached as Brewster went 14-24 in his first 3 seasons as head coach. The peak of Brewster's campaign came in 2008 when the Gophers started 7-1 and were ranked in the top 25 before losing the final 5 games of the regular season. That season was a precursor of things to come in 2009 and this final year of his campaign. Despite Brewster's overall record, he failed to record a win against Wisconsin or Iowa, and was 0-10 in trophy games during his tenure. Saturday's loss to Purdue ultimately was too much for Maturi and Minnesota faithful to handle, which led to Brewster being relieved of his coaching duties early on Sunday. The search now begins for a new leader and someone who will spark excitement toward the fans and the program as a whole. Tony Dungy has already declined the offer from Maturi, but says he would like to be involved in choosing our next coach. Possible replacements other than Dungy include the likes of Troy Calhoun and Mike Leach. Calhoun is the head coach at Air Force and is someone I really like as a quality coach. Mike Leach is a former head coach of Texas Tech and was relieved of his duties following last year due to some controversy. Whatever Maturi's decision ultimately is, he must know that this decision may be his last as Athletic Director, choose wisely Joel.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Sunday Sound Off
Welcome to my weekly column that puts all the rest to shame. In "Sunday Sound Off", I make it my objective to cover anything and everything that had an impact on me in the sports world over the weekend. From Friday to Sunday Night, I have taken it upon myself to report my own opinion on what's what in the realm of sports. Lets get this started.....
Rolled Tide
As many in the college football world learned on Saturday afternoon, Alabama is human after all. The Tide fell to #19 South Carolina 35-21 on Saturday in Columbia. I was able to watch most of the game, and it was evident that Alabama was exhausted after playing their 3rd ranked opponent in a row. The Tide defense was not their usual dominant selves, allowing three touchdown passes through the air and two in the ground game by Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore of SC. Credit should also be equally given to the Carolina defense who accomplished a minor miracle by allowing only 21 points to the Alabama offense. South Carolina flat outplayed the Tide on Saturday. A statement not often used to describe a loss by the defending national champions. A funny story that coincides with this game occurred later that night as I was out to eat with my parents and a few family friends. It just so happened that we discussed the Alabama loss loud enough for the random guy wearing an Alabama Crimson Tide hat to hear. Our conversation dealt with how Bama QB Greg McElroy hadn't lost a game as a starter since 8th grade and that the 14 point margin of victory was an "ass-kicking" by the Gamecocks. Apparently this random guy was a die-hard Tide fan who was living in Minnesota for two years, and didn't take kindly to our harsh comments. I honored his courage to stand up for his team, but thought that this was a very strange occurrence that ought to be shared with others. That being said, he are my Top 10 teams in college football after this weekend:
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. Nebraska
5. TCU
6. Oklahoma
7. Alabama
8. Auburn
9. LSU
10. Arkansas
Twin Killing
The Minnesota Twins were left in an all too familiar position on Saturday Night, booted out of the MLB playoffs after just three games in the ALDS against the all too familiar New York Yankees. I found myself thinking before the series started that this year was different from the rest, and our small curse was sure to end with a new stadium and home-field advantage. Turns out that the Yankees don't care about these factors and outscored the Twins 17-7 in the series while beating the Twins twice at Target Field. In my opinion, this series showcased 2 of the top 3 contenders to win a World Series, with the Philadelphia Phillies being the third. Although it was unfortunate to see the Twins ousted in just three games, it seems evident that the outcome would have been just the same in the ALCS. I cannot even begin to predict the future for an older Twins team, let alone what will happen to all of the parts assembled for a specific postseason run this year. Who knows what the offseason will bring, but I would just like to say that the inaugural season at Target Field was amazing, it just lacked the essential postseason run that all of Minnesota was counting on.
Rolled Tide
As many in the college football world learned on Saturday afternoon, Alabama is human after all. The Tide fell to #19 South Carolina 35-21 on Saturday in Columbia. I was able to watch most of the game, and it was evident that Alabama was exhausted after playing their 3rd ranked opponent in a row. The Tide defense was not their usual dominant selves, allowing three touchdown passes through the air and two in the ground game by Freshman RB Marcus Lattimore of SC. Credit should also be equally given to the Carolina defense who accomplished a minor miracle by allowing only 21 points to the Alabama offense. South Carolina flat outplayed the Tide on Saturday. A statement not often used to describe a loss by the defending national champions. A funny story that coincides with this game occurred later that night as I was out to eat with my parents and a few family friends. It just so happened that we discussed the Alabama loss loud enough for the random guy wearing an Alabama Crimson Tide hat to hear. Our conversation dealt with how Bama QB Greg McElroy hadn't lost a game as a starter since 8th grade and that the 14 point margin of victory was an "ass-kicking" by the Gamecocks. Apparently this random guy was a die-hard Tide fan who was living in Minnesota for two years, and didn't take kindly to our harsh comments. I honored his courage to stand up for his team, but thought that this was a very strange occurrence that ought to be shared with others. That being said, he are my Top 10 teams in college football after this weekend:
1. Ohio State
2. Oregon
3. Boise State
4. Nebraska
5. TCU
6. Oklahoma
7. Alabama
8. Auburn
9. LSU
10. Arkansas
Twin Killing
The Minnesota Twins were left in an all too familiar position on Saturday Night, booted out of the MLB playoffs after just three games in the ALDS against the all too familiar New York Yankees. I found myself thinking before the series started that this year was different from the rest, and our small curse was sure to end with a new stadium and home-field advantage. Turns out that the Yankees don't care about these factors and outscored the Twins 17-7 in the series while beating the Twins twice at Target Field. In my opinion, this series showcased 2 of the top 3 contenders to win a World Series, with the Philadelphia Phillies being the third. Although it was unfortunate to see the Twins ousted in just three games, it seems evident that the outcome would have been just the same in the ALCS. I cannot even begin to predict the future for an older Twins team, let alone what will happen to all of the parts assembled for a specific postseason run this year. Who knows what the offseason will bring, but I would just like to say that the inaugural season at Target Field was amazing, it just lacked the essential postseason run that all of Minnesota was counting on.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Welcome Back Super Freak.
Early on Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings dealt their 2011 3rd-round draft pick in order to acquire future Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss from the Patriots. Moss returns to his original team after spending time with the Oakland Raiders and recently with the New England Patriots. With Moss being in the last year of his contract with the Patriots, he had expressed some distaste with the way the organization had dealt with resigning their star quarterback Tom Brady, and not offered Moss a similar extension. After Moss failed to record a catch on Monday Night Football against the Dolphins, it became even more evident that his interest in the team and the team's interest in him, have faded tremendously.
That being said, the Minnesota Vikings have been searching for a spark ever since the season began without Sidney Rice. With Rice slated to be out the first 6-7 weeks of the regular season, the Vikings were left to deal with what they had. After attempting to deal for Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson and failing, the Vikings were forced to scrape the plate to find efficient receivers. Until Wednesday, their offense has lacked a single player who can take the pressure off of Adrian Peterson and stretch the field, Randy Moss is that player. I believe that Moss will play a similar role in the Vikings offense that he did in New England. Moss opened up the middle of the field for players like Wes Welker, which ultimately led to such an affective passing game for the Patriots and Tom Brady. Brett Favre is more than capable of delivering the ball to his allotment of receivers with the addition of Moss.
With Moss being signed on Wednesday, it gives him enough time to begin planning with the team for their Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Jets, an all too familiar opponent for Moss. Coach Brad Childress said on Wednesday that Moss will see a significant amount of action on Monday night, and will surely help the Vikings offense moving forward. It only gets tougher from this point forward for the Vikings, but this move should ultimately place them among the top teams in the NFC, with a legitimate shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
That being said, the Minnesota Vikings have been searching for a spark ever since the season began without Sidney Rice. With Rice slated to be out the first 6-7 weeks of the regular season, the Vikings were left to deal with what they had. After attempting to deal for Chargers wide receiver Vincent Jackson and failing, the Vikings were forced to scrape the plate to find efficient receivers. Until Wednesday, their offense has lacked a single player who can take the pressure off of Adrian Peterson and stretch the field, Randy Moss is that player. I believe that Moss will play a similar role in the Vikings offense that he did in New England. Moss opened up the middle of the field for players like Wes Welker, which ultimately led to such an affective passing game for the Patriots and Tom Brady. Brett Favre is more than capable of delivering the ball to his allotment of receivers with the addition of Moss.
With Moss being signed on Wednesday, it gives him enough time to begin planning with the team for their Monday Night Football matchup against the New York Jets, an all too familiar opponent for Moss. Coach Brad Childress said on Wednesday that Moss will see a significant amount of action on Monday night, and will surely help the Vikings offense moving forward. It only gets tougher from this point forward for the Vikings, but this move should ultimately place them among the top teams in the NFC, with a legitimate shot at reaching the Super Bowl.
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