Sleepyheads

Originally uploaded by brianjb

Guess who had too much play time this weekend?

Mark Sep 12 on your calendar.  Poser meets poser when USC travels to Columbus to face the Buckeyes.  On the one hand I’m ecstatic.  One poser will be exposed early.  But, the other poser will walk away with what the Lee Korso’s of the world will call a validating victory.

You would think that back-to-back shellacking’s in the National Championship Game would have confirmed for Ohio State that a soft schedule is their friend.  I mean sure, it’s embarrassing to have those two eyesores on your resume, but it’s better to have played in the BCS Championship and lost, humiliatingly, than never to have played in the BCS Championship at all.  If folks are going to continue to reward you for playing a subpar schedule, why are you trying to beef it up?

From USC’s perspective it’s no problem.  I think they’ll win, and probably convincingly.  This game actually makes complete sense for them.  Later on in the season this victory will help offset their disappointing loss to a Stanford or Oregon State type team.

On the road

Originally uploaded by brianjb

On the WKY headed to Mayfield.

Brian Besaw
(from mobile phone)

In the wake of Plaxico Burress’ two-year sentence on gun charges I find this headline from Fox Sports:

Don’t feel bad for Plaxico

Thanks, because usually I’m bubbling over with compassion for idiots who errantly discharge firearms in crowded buildings, or who simply don’t exercise caution with instruments of deadly force.

I really don’t care how his sentence compares with other sentences for other crimes.  He got the punishment that goes with the law he broke.

And if you think New York’s gun laws are too tough, well, thank Burress for making your case incrementally less persuasive.

OK, so I’m resetting the misc sports information database in my head to incorporate the effects of the NCAA vacating Memphis’ 2007-8 season, but I have some questions:

We now know that the final score of the National Championship game was Kansas 75 in OT.  What was once  a shining moment for Bill Self is now kind of an embarrassment.  His was the only team on the floor and the Jayhawks still need 5 extra minutes to seal the deal?  And, how was the ball put in play after Kansas made their first basket?

Derrick Rose had 15 blocks that season.  But, since those blocks have been vacated, does that mean the players whose shots were allegedly blocked now get credit for having made those shots?  Rose’s assists are no big deal because the players he assisted are also having their seasons vacated.  But what about the rebounds.  How do you decide who REALLY rebounded the ball in those situations?

And how about the Bulls reckless ‘08 draft … investing millions in a guy who can’t even account for an entire year of his playing career?  I thought they screened these guys.  Hard to believe this is the same organization who assembled a 6-time World Champion.

Funny how the mind goes over time.  There is so much I thought I remembered about the 07-08 season, but it’s as if I missed the whole thing.

Every football season I’ve got teams I’m rooting for and teams I’m rooting against.  Players I’m rooting for and players I’m rooting against.  Until a few moments ago I had some modest lists compiled on all accounts …

Then ol’ #4 came along and cleared the decks.  Now it’s almost a singular focus:  Get Favre!

Turns out Favre will be joining the Vikings after all.  His retirement was not permanent.  Oh right, which retirement?   I was thinking of the one he gave a couple weeks ago, but really, none of the many have been genuine.

As a Packer fan, I’m seeing red.  But I also have to wonder if Vike fan is overjoyed by this.  Minnesota is already solid on all fronts but QB.  But with their running game, they don’t need anything more than Sage Rosenfels under center.  I don’t see what Favre brings that the Vikings need.  They sure don’t need a gunslinger who, for the last two years, has ended his team’s season with his arm and bad decision-making.

A point I made about the Jets last year holds for the Vikings now.  I hope you’re happy with what this does to your QB situation.  You now have three signal callers on the roster that will be worthless to you next year.  Even if Favre considers returning in aught 10, it won’t be in Minnesota.  And what will Rosenfels or Jackson be worth after being jerked around like this?

Another problem for the Vikings:  Is there any question that the way this played out was a ruse to get Favre out of half of Training Camp?  I actually thought he’d do a full-on Roger Clemens and return in November in order to avoid putting a whole season’s wear and tear on his arm.  How does this sit with his teammates who have been grinding it out in the summer heat for two weeks already?

Clearly Favre’s other two goals were to sign on with a team that already showed promise.  If he can keep his inner Favre in check he can play the savior on a team that was likely headed to the post-season anyway.  And he get two chances to stick his thumb in Gang Green’s eye.

Note, I’m not with the Packer die-hards who want Urlacher to lay Favre out.  Not good enough for me.  I want Urlacher to hurry him into being his interception-chucking self.  Come December I want there to be no question that Favre is not worth the annual circus that he puts teams through.

Much has been made of Hillary’s abruptburst in the Congo last week, asserting that she was the Secretary of State with her signature warmth and charm (while wearing her signature polyester pants suit).  This incident was actually helpful, imho.

First of all it was a good refresher.  I had completely forgotten that she was our Secretary of State.  Since I’ve now been reminded it’s hard to say, but if asked I probably would have guessed Barack Obama or Bill Clinton as they’ve been the most visible in the SOS role so far.

Second, if she ever stops sulking and decides to run for President in the future, we’ve been well-informed on the “does she have the right temperament?” question.  Sure, we could have guessed that she doesn’t, but then we also could have guessed that Barack Obama would turn out to be an ultra-liberal amateur if we’d bothered to recognize that electing a President is a big deal and put our little minds to it.

You know, North Korea is scary crazy, but I have to admit, I laughed when they called Hillary a “schoolgirl” and said she looks like a “pensioner going shopping.”  That is rotflmao-level funny stuff.

In tough times, Obama has been going back to what worked for him on the campaign trail (granted, pretty much because he doesn’t have any other tools in his arsenal).  So, I’m waiting for a “spontaneous” bout of tears from Hillary.  That’s always good for an instant turnaround.

Doing a little catching up …

A couple of youngsters were taken to school last weekend in UFC 101.  Anderson Silva and BJ Penn (when he brings his “A” game) showed why they are two of the surest bets in the UFC.

Going into the night I wasn’t sure about Penn vs. KenFlo only because BJ hadn’t seemed to take fight prep seriously as of late.  However I had no doubts about Silva – Griffin.  Silva’s a great fighter anyway, but last Saturday he had the good fortune to step into the octagon against a supremely overrated Forrest Griffin.

I’ve never been a big Forrest Griffin fan.  He’s a serviceable fighter.  Fun to watch.  But he never comes across as a top notch MMAer.

Sure, Griffin has heavy hands.  And, he can take a punch.  We know this because he often does.  Griffin’s game plan is simple:  wade in and trade blows.  I can’t remember ever seeing a Forrest Griffin fight, win or lose, where the guy didn’t get his ass kicked.  Post fight he almost always looks at least as bad as his foe.

Take the fight that put Griffin on the map, his Ultimate Fighter finale against Stephan Bonnar.  That one was a three round slugfest that could have gone either way.  Fun to watch, but hardly Mixed Martial Excellence.

So, while leading with your face may work against fellow Ultimate Fighter alumni, a guy like Anderson Silva will eat that style for lunch.  That’s just what happened last Saturday.

Anderson started out cautiously, guard up, keeping his distance.  Then, about halfway through the round his demeanor changed.  It’s as if Silva suddenly realized he’d seen Griffin’s entire repertoire and had nothing to fear.  Forrest’s punches and kicks were slow and wild – Silva dodged them with ease.  So, he dropped his guard and waited.

Sure enough, Griffin kept pressing forward, a bleach-white hurricane of flailing arms and legs.  Silva finally reached out and tapped him right on the button.  Game over.

Actually this whole scenario was kind of similar to how GSP-Alves set up in UFC 100.  There too, the pre-fight talk centered around how much of a problem Alves’ striking would be for GSP.  In 101 Griffin’s power was supposed to overcome Silva.  Valid points in theory, but GSP and Silva are too good, too experienced to play into their opponent’s strengths.

So, Forrest Griffin will continue to be an entertaining fighter and UFC fan favorite.  But he’s never going to be that legend who grabs the belt and leaves a tattered pile of challengers in his wake.

Wow, just saw highlights of Jay Cutler’s first outing with his new team. I was impressed. First game of the pre-season and he already seemed to be in synch with the Buffalo receivers. Unfortunately he plays for Chicago.

Get used to this btw. I fully admit that I’ve got it in for Cutler this season. He was a total tool and overestimated himself. Let’s see how he does without all those receivers to throw to. I hope Kyle Orton lights it up in Denver this season.

Once again Commissioner Goodell has been swift and severe in suspending Donte Stallworth for the entire season after the Cleveland WR pleaded guilty to killing a man while driving under the influence.  Stallworth may have landed a sweet plea agreement within the legal system, but Goodell is the NFL’s father who will be waiting when you get home.

I must say, Stallworth has been as standup about this as any athlete I can remember.  He owned his actions and accepted responsibility without any b.s. or double-talk.  If there is an ulterior motive hiding in there, I still have to give him props for being far ahead of so many fallen athletes before him in understanding how to act in these situations.

Anyway, back to the NFL.  I have always been a big fan of Goodell’s conduct policies.  Here again, at very least you have to give him props for having looked at the other leagues and resolving, “Not the NFL.  Not on my watch.”

But, I have to laugh or cry when I hear the sports pundits lining up to give the commish big pats on the back because “drunk driving is serious business.”

My questions:  Still serving alcohol at the games?  And how are the fans getting home?

Let’s not go overboard.  It’s about the league with Goodell and there’s nothing wrong with that.  He is charged with overseeing the greatest sports franchise going, not purging the world of its social problems.