November 01, 2009

SportsFilter: The Sunday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 37 comments

After yesterday's action, Al Groh is definitely on the hot seat at Virginia, and it's not unreasonable to suggest that Rich Rodriguez is now firmly perched on a warm plank at Michigan.

With every week that goes by, the early season Boise State win over Oregon looks larger and larger. The win itself, not the post-game incident.

posted by beaverboard at 08:47 AM on November 01, 2009

Las Vegas Cobras punt blooper.

posted by rcade at 11:41 AM on November 01, 2009

Wow. That was pretty funny. I guess he just got so hyped to lay down a good hit on someone he forgot which team he played for.

posted by NoMich at 12:11 PM on November 01, 2009

You have got to be kidding. That is what a football player on weed looks like.

posted by kerrycindy at 12:47 PM on November 01, 2009

I find it crazy that Oregon State beat AP-ranked #4 USC, who both had one loss at the time, and yet is now ranked #8 in the polls. Even though Oregon's one loss was "better" than USC's in loosing to undefeated Boise State.

posted by jmd82 at 02:03 PM on November 01, 2009

You can teach the Cobra's big lunkheaded defender to go get the ball, just don't confuse him by expecting him to realize who's on his team and who's the opponent. Baby steps.

posted by dyams at 02:28 PM on November 01, 2009

Just going to guess that the tackler plays on both all the special team plays...somehow forgot which he was on.

You wouldn't think this would happen past 7th grade.

posted by dviking at 02:51 PM on November 01, 2009

While calling the Jags-Titans today, Gus Johnson just said that running back Chris Johnson has "getting-away-from-the-cops speed."

posted by rcade at 06:02 PM on November 01, 2009

Reminds me of watching the World Series of Poker. There was a guy in the final 40 who was a top guy at Goldman Sachs and one of the announcers ripped on that fact every single time. Lines along the lines, "He just stole that pot like he stole from investors!!"

posted by jmd82 at 06:10 PM on November 01, 2009

Favre Cam

Fox sports never ceases to amaze me.

posted by cjets at 06:21 PM on November 01, 2009

Tomorrow it's The Day That Stops A Nation down here.

Here's some betting advice, for those tempted to get on the punt.

posted by owlhouse at 06:42 PM on November 01, 2009

Favre just kind of waltzed right into Lambeau and stuck it to the Packers, didn't he? As someone raised a Lions fan, all I can do is laugh at the wonderful theater of it all. Good job, Brent.

posted by NoMich at 07:47 PM on November 01, 2009

He's just a big ol' kid out there kicking everyone's ass. He is a mavrelous quarterback.

posted by rcade at 08:32 PM on November 01, 2009

Who wishes baseball would not interfere with Sunday Night Football? I think baseball should be finished by September. I also think that b-ball teams should have one game a week like football. Heck, as far as I am concerned, b-ball could fade into oblivion.

posted by kerrycindy at 09:13 PM on November 01, 2009

I'll second the vote that baseball be done in September.

posted by dviking at 11:13 PM on November 01, 2009

Favre was awesome today! 4 TD's and no picks or sacks.

His replacement had a decent day, though he did suffer through 6 sacks! Can blame some of those on his line, however, he also needs to learn to get rid of the ball.

It could have been worse, the Pack benefitted from some poor officiating at the start of the game. A clear Packer fumble that was returned for a TD was ruled down. I do understand that the whistle blows the play dead, but what the heck was the official blowing the whistle for on a play that was clearly not over? Didn't matter in the end.

posted by dviking at 11:19 PM on November 01, 2009

Saying that baseball should end in September and play once a week is like suggesting that football switch to two-hand touch and basketball outlaw the dunk.

posted by rcade at 07:15 AM on November 02, 2009

I agree that the one-game-a-week idea is ridiculous, but why not end in September? There's no reason to play the most important games of the year in 40-degree weather in New York.

posted by bender at 09:36 AM on November 02, 2009

I agree that the one-game-a-week idea is ridiculous, but why not end in September? There's no reason to play the most important games of the year in 40-degree weather in New York.

I am not a math major, but I am going to guess that it has something to do with not being able to fit 162 games plus off days plus the postseason into the 153 days between April 1 and September 30th. While i do think that playing a World Series game, or in this case multiple games, in November is ridiculous, you can't take issue with baseball for causing the NFL to push the Eagles/Giants game to 1pm.

I also don't see why football has become entitled to some kind of exclusivity on the fall season? So you didn't get to watch a Sunday night game on NBC, awww poor baby. Maybe you should take the issue up with the NFL on why they didn't move a different game to the 8pm slot, not with baseball for playing so late.

posted by Demophon at 09:52 AM on November 02, 2009

The Sunday night game has been around for 20 years. How long has October baseball been around?

posted by bperk at 10:43 AM on November 02, 2009

It's all about economics...the seasons of all sports have been expanded to allow for more games, thus more revenue.

While I like watching a football game that's taking place in inclement weather, baseball is another matter. The season should end by mid-October at the latest.

posted by dviking at 10:58 AM on November 02, 2009

I don't care that there was no football game last night or that the Giants-Eagles game was moved to accomodate the World Series. Those were the right things to do in this scenario. My objection has nothing to do with football. Rather, baseball is a Summer sport, and I think having the playoffs in late October and into November is dumb. If not reducing the number of games or adding doubleheaders, I would move the start of the season up so the cold games are at the beginning of the season rather than the end.

posted by bender at 10:59 AM on November 02, 2009

The Sunday night game has been around for 20 years. How long has October baseball been around? posted by bperk at 10:43 AM on November 02

How long as November baseball been around? They should try to wrap it up by Halloween at least, IMO.

posted by tron7 at 11:12 AM on November 02, 2009

They would have had a sunday night game if it wasnt originally set to be Philly/NY. I think it was a good move, especially with both games in the same city.

posted by Debo270 at 11:31 AM on November 02, 2009

Too bad the Giants didn't do as well as the Yankees, though.

posted by billsaysthis at 11:44 AM on November 02, 2009

somebody explain to me why b-ball needs 162 games in a season. if they played 1/4 of that maybe more people would follow it. 162 games makes for overload. and just what the heck would be wrong with 1 game a week per team. football does great with it.

posted by kerrycindy at 02:43 PM on November 02, 2009

And they're basically the same exact sport. It's not like baseball has historically always played 150+ game seasons.

Baseball is a different game. The pace of baseball is completely different than that of football and it's a war of attrition. 162 games takes luck out of the equation. If the fact baseball took away one Sunday's night's football is too horrifying to contemplate, maybe the issue isn't baseball?

posted by yerfatma at 02:52 PM on November 02, 2009

and just what the heck would be wrong with 1 game a week per team. football does great with it.

Maybe we should switch to only playing football every 4 years, the Olympics seem to do great with it.

posted by Demophon at 03:31 PM on November 02, 2009

somebody explain to me why b-ball needs 162 games in a season.

Baseball has had a 162-game season since 1961. If you shorten the season and a lot of records can't be broken in the shortened season, what do you do? Baseball fans are more obsessed with numbers than just about any other sport, and you'd be throwing a big chunk of the record book out.

Also, if you played it once per week, how many pitchers would be tossed on their asses? Say goodbye to the second through fifth starter and most relievers.

There are more reasons, but it seems pointless to spell them out. Anyone who would shorten the baseball season to weekly games, or 30 games a season, isn't a fan of baseball and wouldn't watch the shortened version anyway.

Baseball is what it is. I don't know that the 162-game season and the pace of the game are in step with the times any more, but changing them would sacrifice too much of the sport in an attempt to improve it.

posted by rcade at 04:39 PM on November 02, 2009

You are right. I am not a fan of baseball. It puts me to sleep. Sorry, but November? Even October is pushing it in my opinion. When I was a kid, they did not play that late into the year.

posted by kerrycindy at 06:22 PM on November 02, 2009

Oh yeah? Hockey goes from October to JUNE. 9 month season. God, I love hockey.

And they've always played into October in baseball. Unless you're in your 60s.

******

And how good is that Minnesota O-line? Wow. Favre wasn't even harshly breathed upon. That line is making Favre look like a genius.

posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 06:59 PM on November 02, 2009

You are right. I am not a fan of baseball. It puts me to sleep.

I've been a fan since I was seven years old, listening to WBAP broadcasts of Dick Risenhoover calling Texas Rangers games. I can understand why some people don't like it -- the slow play, the long season, the expectorant -- but I'm a lifer.

posted by rcade at 07:24 PM on November 02, 2009

And they've always played into October in baseball. Unless you're in your 60s

Pushing 60. And hey that wasn't that long ago. Oh, it was wasn't it. Showing my age. Hey, what ever happened to those big lizards? I think we used to call them dinasours.

posted by kerrycindy at 08:12 PM on November 02, 2009

One more thing. Really, on this subject anyway. Did they lengthen the baseball season so some of the old records could be broken?

posted by kerrycindy at 08:13 PM on November 02, 2009

The season was extended from 154 games to 162 games because commissioner Ford Frick needed an excuse to cover for his extra-marital affairs with Jackie O. The mob had their hooks into Frick, via Sinatra, over his stepping out, so he arranged to have a team "awarded" to them, creating the Seattle Pilots and handing over the keys to a then little-known consigeliere, one Allan "Bud" Selig, AKA "Ball Peen Bud".

posted by yerfatma at 08:31 PM on November 02, 2009

The season was expanded so that all 10 times in each league could play each of their opponents an equal number of times. It worked out best to play nine teams 18 times each for a total of 162 games.

posted by rcade at 08:49 PM on November 02, 2009

rcade, that would argue for a serious expansion in the schedule to match the expansion in team count, wouldn't it? Or maybe add three games to play each other 11 times, fix the schedule imbalance they have now.

posted by billsaysthis at 01:11 PM on November 05, 2009

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