- 12:45 AM
- 12/22/24
"It is difficult for me to understand why university presidents oppose a well designed playoff system that involves many of the current bowls. The lesser bowls can still invite teams outside of the top 8 top play, if they are not chosen as a tournament site. The system will get the college championship decided by the start of the second week of January and only interfere with the first week of professional playoffs, but many Pro fans are not active college fans, those that are are likely to watch all games that they can watch." One word - MONEY.
posted by usroute17 at 05:29 PM on January 01, 2007
SI's list is good, however A-Rod for SS? I think that there were much better SS's than A-Rod over the years. How about Robin Yount, Ozzie Smith, or Ernie Banks?
posted by usroute17 at 10:08 AM on October 07, 2006
We can take stats and have them say anything we want to so using stats can't really address who the worst QB really is because there have been a lot of bad QB's. Even the "so-called" good QBs have bad seasons. There have also been good QBs on terrible teams so their stats aren't good either. How about the bad QBs on bad teams. When it comes to lousy QBs, Ryan Leaf does come to mind though or Todd Marinovich, who played for the Raiders for a very short time.
posted by usroute17 at 06:37 PM on September 11, 2006
I can take or leave Tony the Tiger. I glad Kasey got in there. If Matt Kenseth can keep up his top ten finishes along with a win or two, I think he will take it although it would be nice to see Mark Martin take it also.
posted by usroute17 at 03:20 PM on September 11, 2006
NASCAR has turned into a more grand version of IROC. In their attempt to make all cars "suppossedly equal", NASCAR has become more interested in the fans and the bottom line and somehow has forgotten the driver and crew.
posted by usroute17 at 09:04 PM on August 25, 2006
Now if they can only get the Lions to do the same thing!
posted by usroute17 at 06:28 PM on August 24, 2006
While this may be new to some of you, it goes on at every dirt track and dust bowl every weekend all race season. I agree there. If I want to see real racing, I'll head to the local track.
posted by usroute17 at 06:26 PM on August 24, 2006
It used to be a sport where the weak had no chance. Seems to me in the old days, any car had a chance to win on any given weekend. Even the independents with little or no sponsorship. Even guys like Dave Marcus had a chance in the old days. Today, what chance do independents have of winning? Basically, none. Favoritism has taken over NASCAR. Guys like Jeffy, Dale, & Jimmy can get away with quite a bit more than the Michael Waltrips, Robby Gordons, Scott Wimmers, etc. Mike Helton came out a few years back and said NASCAR is about "Entertainment". Gee, what happened to Racing? Does that happen any more? Looks to me like it's become one big IROC (due to one common template) follow-the-leader roundy round.
posted by usroute17 at 08:06 PM on August 23, 2006
Mayfield was competive finish 10 and 9 in the standings in 2004 and 2005 with a win in each season but than Baldwin left and they just had to take Kenny Francis (Mayfields Crew Chief) and put him with Kasey Kahne in the #9 Dodge and get a new Chief for Mayfield, its not Mayfields fault hes not competive its Evernhams for taking away his crew chief While I agree it's not all Mayfield's fault. A good driver and crew chief should click. If Baldwin left of his own accord, then Mayfield needed to get along with his replacement and at least try to convey what as a driver he needs. If things aren't going good then the driver needs to get together with the whole team and iron differences out instead of waiting until it is way too late into the season.
posted by usroute17 at 08:50 PM on August 11, 2006
Sad state of affairs. Here's a guy with so much potential and all his troubles start with one lie and everything just goes downhill from there. If he would have opened up at Denver and at least tried to make an effort, Shanahan would have at least put him on the practice squad or made him a reserve player. But since that didn't happen, he was let go. What a waste of good talent. What a waste of a life. Clarett is in need of some serious help. And that's just to live day by day not to mention football.
posted by usroute17 at 03:57 PM on August 10, 2006
If I were Derrick Cope, I would have told him to "Pack Sand" and work harder next time in order to qualify, but I guess when you're a has been Daytona 500 winner like Cope, the money looks much better than having no chance at winning a big race. But then what chance does Mikey have to win with a second rate ride? Obviously, he needs to at least start to get in the top 35 for next year when he will have support from Toyota to help him qualify and run. Still, if I were Cope, I would have told him to "Take a Hike!".
posted by usroute17 at 08:49 AM on May 27, 2006
I think there are only three teams running Fords ( Yates, Roush, & the Wood Brothers). It amounts to only 7 drivers running Fords. Ford might as well pull out with only 7 drivers running, so in any race with only 7 drivers running Fords, 36 drivers are running Chevy or Dodge.
posted by usroute17 at 04:16 PM on May 14, 2006
Why don't we just call it the NASCAR Nextel IROC series because that's what it has turned into with the common template. What happened to run what you brung?
posted by usroute17 at 12:17 PM on May 14, 2006
NASACR will have a common template for all brands including Toyota. The only difference will be the emblem on the front of the car and the front end itself. Basically, NASCAR has turned into a follow the leader sport. Is there real racing going on anymore? If you want to see real racing, head to your local track.
posted by usroute17 at 09:02 PM on May 13, 2006
To me it sounds like management in Detroit city is the biggest problem along with owners who only own the team to get a big tax write-off. Watch "Slapshot" sometime. The owners didn't care if the team lost. Sounds like the deal in Detroit also. Matt Millen is part of the problem not part of the solution. Maybe Harrington can get a different prospective in Miami. At least be on a winning team instaed of a team with ownership and management that doesn't give a rat's ass. Will he ever be a top rate QB? Probably not, but at least he can get some semblemence of winning instaed of carrying the weight of the team and being blamed for everything that goes wrong.
posted by usroute17 at 01:14 PM on May 13, 2006
I had forgotten about "The Boz's" hair. It was pretty bad.
posted by usroute17 at 09:05 PM on April 29, 2006
Don King hair - a classic!! Finger in the electric socket look. Ha, ha, ha!
posted by usroute17 at 06:58 PM on April 29, 2006
What a waste of talent. Maybe the Raiders can take him off the Dolphins hands.The Dolphins can make him a fire sale special for 2007. They will let the Raiders have him for say "$ 8 million". Ha, ha, ha.
posted by usroute17 at 07:33 PM on April 27, 2006
I believe it is a multifaceted problem. There is no one factor that contributes to this kind of behavior. It's a nickel here, a dime there, etc. It all adds up. Salary expected, NBA Players union, collective bargaining, owners, coaches, I could go on and on. I think it's time we throw out everything and just start over sometimes. How about a year with no NBA like what happened to hockey last year. I didn't miss it at all. How many people would miss the NBA for a year? I know I wouldn't. I just think there are too many self absorbed players and owners. Winning has come at too high of a cost. Too many owners want to win at any cost and if that means having guys who don't give a rat's ass about the fans so be it. AI will be back next year. My advice is like many before me. Just stop going to 76'ers games and stop patronizing some of their sponsors.
posted by usroute17 at 07:26 PM on April 19, 2006
I really like this site. Pretty neat. Different. Yes, it is a bit addictive.
posted by usroute17 at 06:11 PM on April 18, 2006
In the Washington Post today, they had the records of the brackets over the past 21 years. The record of the #1 seed against the #16 seed is 84-0 or the opposite 0-84. So that means that a #16 seed has never won against a #1 team in the last 21 years.
posted by usroute17 at 04:22 PM on March 14, 2006
I want to know how Alabama got in & Hofstra was left out?
posted by usroute17 at 03:36 PM on March 13, 2006
Earnhardt was just good at "rubbin". I think that some of the drivers today just don't have that finesse that Earnhardt naturally posessed. He was born to race. While many of today's drivers are groomed for NASCAR, they just don't have that natural talent that Earnhardt was born with. If they are born with it, then they aren't taught how to use and harness it. I think Dale Earnhardt learned by watchin' his old man race on all those short and dirt tracks when he was growin' up as well as his racin' as a young man. He learned what he could get away with and what he couldn't. Also many of these young drivers are coming up at an earlier age so that the learning curve is much more steep.
posted by usroute17 at 02:20 PM on March 12, 2006
"Jeff Gordon has no room to talk either. He will wreck anyone in order to win. He has proved that numerous times. " Well, I wouldn't say that Jeffy is a dirty driver, just a cheatin' one. One just to look at his teamate and driver JJ to see that. That and when Ray Evernham was Jeffy's crew chief, he was good at not getting caught.
posted by usroute17 at 03:17 PM on March 11, 2006
What baseball needs to do is start testing BB on a regular basis then we wiil see if he is "juiced up" or not. If he is not, we will see how long he actually lasts. If he is, then suppossedly he will be caught. But...of course those that are "juiced up" are coming up with better and better ways to avoid getting detected.
posted by usroute17 at 05:04 PM on March 04, 2006
"There needs to be some kind of "set-in-stone" policy for rules violations. It seems that NASCAR dishes out punishment based on popularity and pecking order." You're right about that. NASCAR needs to be consistent when handing out penalties to different teams for the same infractions.
posted by usroute17 at 05:49 PM on February 21, 2006
I remember him on the "American Sportsman" shows. I used to watch quite a few of them. Always great shows from a great sporstcaster.
posted by usroute17 at 03:03 PM on February 20, 2006
Well, I think that in the Gordon/Stewart incident, Gordon pulled back in front of Stewart thinking that he had plenty of room and think that Tony would give him some quarter. I guess Tony wouldn't give him any quarter. The Kenseth/Stewart incident. What was Stewart thinking? Of course NASCAR won't do anything to Stewart since he is the current champion and it is the Daytona 500. How come Kenseth didn't pull a "Days of Thunder" pay back? On another note Jimmie Johnson had this to say after winning the Daytona 500: "This is dedicated to all the haters." Fine, he won, but does he have to shove his self-righteous attitude in the faces of those who don't really like him? Does JJ think his stuff "don't stink"? Hello, Jimmy, wake up and smell the coffee. When you get to be as good as The Intimidator then maybe you can say what you did. Until then, shut your trap up and learn to be more humble.
posted by usroute17 at 08:25 PM on February 19, 2006
Mike Helton (now the president of NASCAR) said a few years back that NASCAR was in the business of "Entertainment". My question is "Ah, Mike, what about the racing? Doesn't that count?" I thought NASCAR stood for racing not entertainment. It's too bad that NASCAR, like all other major sports has become a business. Maybe if they concentrated on just "Racing" the fans would be attracted because the focus is on racing and not entertainment. If the fans show up, then the bottom line would take care of itself. As for NASCAR turning a blind eye, well yeah in many ways they do. Like I said before, if you are in NASCAR's good graces, are a popular driver, or your sponsor has an upcoming race, then NASCAR tends to overlook whatever you might be guilty of. Dale Earnhardt was the best example of NASCAR turning a blind eye. Granted, Dale was a great driver and could drive the wheels off a race car, even the most ill-handling race car and still win, but if any other driver pulled what he did, they would have been suspended or fined or both. He was NASCAR for all those years.
posted by usroute17 at 07:22 PM on February 18, 2006
Green Bay needs a QB since Brett Favre will be retiring (soon). Also the Deadskins might be willing to trade Patrick Ramsey.
posted by usroute17 at 04:06 PM on February 18, 2006
Yeah, Jeffy did beat my driver a lot, but he was also NASCAR's so-called "Golden Boy". NASCAR seem to prop him up a lot more than any other driver on the circuit for quite a few years. I think for awhile they banked on him also, meaning that because of Jeffy, NASCAR was able to bring in a larger base of fans therefore increasing their profits. So it was to NASCAR's advantage to have Jeffy win a lot of races. If it would have been more of a "good old boy" winning all those races, then the fan base wouldn't have grown nearly as fast. I think they wanted to try and compete with the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA for the same fan base. NASCAR needed a young clean-cut, preppy type of guy to help bolster their image from one of good old boy, southern, backwood hicks to one of young, clean cut, english speaking, polite drivers. My two cents worth.
posted by usroute17 at 03:59 PM on February 18, 2006
"What a wretched sport, where the heros are those recognized as the "best" cheaters. What am I missing?" In a way you are right JustGuessing. I think that Jeffy cheated for all those years when Evernham was crew chief, either NASCAR never caught him or just overlooked all those idiosynchrisies with their car. I just think that NASCAR is doing more policing these days or catching only those that they want to catch. I think part of NASCAR is also favoritism. If you are in their good graces and are doing good, I think they tend to overlook many things, but if a driver, CC, or team are in NASCAR's doghouse, look out.
posted by usroute17 at 12:18 PM on February 18, 2006
Since you mention QB's, what will the Deadskins do about Patrick Ramsey since they seem to like the "has been" Mark Brunell and it appears that they like the draft pick, Jason Campbell also? Ramsey seems to be caught in the middle with no place to go. I think there are many teams who would like to have him.
posted by usroute17 at 10:28 AM on February 18, 2006
Okay, I agree that cheating has always been there, but to to get caught three or four times with only a slap on the wrist is ludicrous. NASCAR needs to discipline a bit more after three or four times caught. I just think that a one race suspension is only a slap on the wrist. Yeah, if you are dumb enough to get caught that many times, you deserve a bigger fine or suspension. While I'm on the NASCAR subject, I just think that the Daytona and Talledega races have become "Follow the Leader" races. They aren't like when Petty, Allison, Pearson, or Yarborough were driving. I think the restrictor plate racing sucks. Just big freight trains and follow the leader. No real racing like 25-30 years ago. Granted the cars have become more aerodynamic since those early days so without restrictor plates they probably would be going closer to 250-275. A bit dangerous, but the restrictor plates have really cut down the real racing. There's got to be a better way.
posted by usroute17 at 10:20 AM on February 18, 2006
Jeez, why whinin' Joe Theismann. Me thinks that MNF is desperate for announcers. Mike T is a good announcer, but whinin' Joe. Oh no!! Haven't seen much of Kornheiser except for a few times on ESPN with Michael Wilbon. I just remember he liked to argue. I think Mike T deserves better than this. Joe Theismann??!! Yuck!!
posted by usroute17 at 07:07 PM on February 09, 2006
Detroit is the team to beat. The Spurs are probably second with the Mavs maybe third. I just think that Cuban is a bit of a hothead and showoff. He's got nothing better to do than jump up and down and throw a temper tantrum. Sort of a spoiled rich kid at this point in time.
posted by usroute17 at 06:41 PM on February 09, 2006
I think what the Vikings need is another Bud Grant. Someone who can whip them back into playing shape sort to say. Someone who can be seen as the coach and head honcho. Someone who will put their foot down on the shenanignas that have characterized the Vikings this year. The "little boat trip" comes to mind. They need a drill sargeant who will respect them so that they can respect him. Of course that could be said for many of the teams with fired head coaches.
posted by usroute17 at 08:24 PM on January 06, 2006
It's sad that a guy with such potential has totally blown his chance for a career in the NFL. He could have stayed clean at OSU and then gone on to a career in the NFL. It's also sad that the lure of fame and fortune was abused and wasted by Clarrett instead of being channelled into something useful not only for himself but others as well.
posted by usroute17 at 02:04 PM on January 01, 2006
The restrictor plate tracks just aren't the same as they used to be say 20 years ago. Of course NASACR jst isn't the same as it once was. I just don't have the excitement I once did about NASCAR. I think "crash" is right in one sense in that both Talledega and Daytona have become more follow the leader than actual racing. Yeah, there might be bumping, grinding, & rubbin' (rubbin's racin' right?!), but there also seems to be too many freight trains. Go back about 30 or so years and you won't see those massive 20-25 car trains and you didn't need 4-5 cars behind you to pass. I say get rid of the restrictor plates and go to a stock V6 engine and no plate. Freight train racing might thrill those who don't know a lot about NASCAR, but for an older fan, it just ain't racin'.
posted by usroute17 at 08:01 PM on December 17, 2005
Since you referred to "Backs", how about the best linebackers. My vote goes to Ted "Mad Stork" Hendricks along with Dick Butkus.
posted by usroute17 at 05:24 PM on December 06, 2005
I think that there is a lot to this issue, not just one thing. Look how lucrative a pro sports contract has become. College (specifically NCAA division I) has become sort of a minor league system to draw from. College sports has become about $$$$$$ as well, especialy if you have a top 25 team which can get into a big bowl game. With that in mind, many colleges don't really care about grades or academic standards. Money is the bottom line. At the same time the better high school athlete isn't really considering grades if he can basically make the cut and get in to a big time program, if only by the skin of his teeth or a little constructive test alterations (through cheating, payoff, etc.). It's sad that athletics has become a business and not a sport anymore.
posted by usroute17 at 05:10 PM on December 06, 2005
I like Walter Payton with Earl Campbell a close second and John Riggins third.
posted by usroute17 at 04:17 PM on December 05, 2005
How about George "Iceman" Gervin?? Only Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan have won more league scoring championships than Gervin's four, and he was the first guard ever to win three titles in a row.
posted by usroute17 at 02:47 PM on December 03, 2005
Too many greedy players and too many greedy owners. They both deserve each other.
posted by usroute17 at 06:01 PM on November 29, 2005
Too many greedy players and too many greedy owners. They both deserve each other.
posted by usroute17 at 06:01 PM on November 29, 2005
I think Mr. Pound needs to go "pound" something other than the NHL.
posted by usroute17 at 02:08 PM on November 26, 2005
Last years hockey fiasco between the owners and players was the best thing that happened to hockey in years. It showed me how much I don't really care what sports are turning into. Just a bunch of overpaid players and greedy owners only out to make a buck or name for themselves. And yes, owners are as bad, if not worse than some of the players. Daniel Snyder of the Washington Redskins comes to mind (mind you it is football and not hockey, but the same rules apply). It's too bad that sports has become just a business and not a game anymore. When athletes went out there to have fun and compete just because they wanted to. To REALLY prove who was better and not having to pop steroids to make sure they were out there every game. Do 1/3 of NHL players use steroids?? Probably not, but I'm sure there are NHL players out there using them. You're naive if you don't believe so.
posted by usroute17 at 06:59 AM on November 26, 2005
I've got nothing against speaking your mind, but when it impacts the whole team, it is detremental and a stumbling block. He has become a distraction for the whole team. Is TO or any other PROFESSIONAL athlete supposed to play for less money than he or she can get? Maybe not, but when they focus solely on their salary and go around bragging and having a very large chip on their shoulders, then it is detremental and becomes a distraction. Also, when their only motivation is $$$$$$$, yeah they are a football prostitute. If they focused on the team, the game, and winning for the team, then come contract renewal time, I believe tey can try to get what their really worth, but just going around patting yourself on the back all the time and putting down all your teamates because you think they are chumps and don't play as good as you do, then something needs to be done.
posted by usroute17 at 07:36 PM on November 25, 2005
Don't be surprised if one of the teams is the New Orleans Saints.
posted by usroute17 at 09:57 AM on November 25, 2005
Waht ever happened to guys with class like Walter Peyton? Now there was a real football player. He wasn't an egotist, self-centered jerk like TO. All TO cares about is TO. He's become a football prostitute, seling his services to the highest bidder and if he can get more, he'll do anything to get it; even if that means being a real stumbling block to the rest of the team.
posted by usroute17 at 09:52 AM on November 25, 2005
Green gone at Arizona
Of course I think that Bill Bidwell is a big part of the problem in Arizona.