Busted

The illustrious former Senate majority leader Goerge Mitchell has released his report upon his investigation of "performance enhancing" drug use in Major League Baseball. Whoopty Doo! It's not like every one hasn't known that players have been juicing for the last 10 years or so. They might as well have had a press conference to announce that the AL was going to continue to use the Designated Hitter. Nothing new here.

Unlike all other 45 year olds Clemens needed drugs to keep playing in the MBL, poor guy, must be a genetic defect or something.
As for the press's "surprise" at Roger Clemens being the #2 guy in the report behind Barry Bonds I have to wonder about their intelligence. Come on, the guy's a 1000 years old and built like a brick shit house. What's the big surprise?

As for the press's concern that this could ruin baseball... PLEASE! This will have all the impact on the future of the game as the Dead Ball era has today.

But I guess it makes for an easy story to get in for their deadline.

The Dublinsaab inaugural FBS playoffs

First let me lay out my vision for a FBS (formerly Div I-A) playoff.

The playoffs would consist of 16 teams, the 11 conference champions and 5 At-Large slots. The 5 At-Large slots would go to the top 5 teams in a BCS style ranking system, for this hypothetical I will go ahead and use the current BCS rankings. This puts the top 12 teams in the BCS in to the playoffs.

Then the teams are seeded, again using some sort of BCS style ranking. For this I will use the actual BCS for the 14 teams ranked in the BCS and the CBS Sportsline120 ranking for the other two teams. This gives us the following as the seeding.


This gives us a 1st round, quarter finals, semi finals and the TRUE Championship game. In this system the higher ranked team has home field advantage for the 1st round, quarter and semi finals with the Championship Game held at a neutral site.

In order to ensure the neutrality of the Championship Game the attending schools will be given the same number of tickets and the total number of tickets given to the school will not be below 90% of the seats in the host stadium. This won’t ensure that the stadium is evenly split on game day, after all Georgia is going to bring more fans than Hawaii – if that ended up being the championship game – but at least the schools start out on an even field.

Things like how many games should be in the regular season, when the playoff games should be held, etc. are nothing more than logistical concerns that can be worked out, they are not impediments. This is my vision.

There are however those who would disagree with my vision for a playoff, not in the particulars but rather they stand athwart the very idea of a playoff for FBS. Let’s review the main arguments;

Academics: This argument states that most players are not going to ever even get a sniff at the NFL let alone get a big payday so forcing the “student” athletes to play and extra 2 or 3 games in a playoff could cause irreparable damage to their education and harm them later in life. This is a high sounding argument that has some truth to it, the truths being a) most won’t ever play in the NFL and b) extra games could hurt a player’s grades. The big short coming of this argument is that it isn’t so much an argument against playoffs for the FBS as much as it is an argument against playoffs in all collegiate athletics. Further weakening this argument is that the primary pushers of it are the very same college presidents that willingly signoff on playoffs for all their other varsity programs. Do all basketball players in the field of 64 make it in the NBA? Are the students playing in all other sports including FPS (formerly Div I-AA), Div-II and Div-III football all Rhoads scholars and only the players in Div I-A football having trouble with studies? This twisted thinking leaves the proponents of this idea looking like either giant hypocrites, if they apply it only to one sport at one level or silly fools if they apply it to all sports. Argument defeated!

Regular Season: There is an argument that worries that a playoff system would lessen the value of the regular season. Now it may be that in some playoff proposals this could be true, but I have no interest in defending the plans of others. I do feel that in my system not only will the regular season not be lessened, but rather it will be made even more important as a conference championship gets an automatic bid to the playoffs. In the current system you lose a few early season non-conference games your season is over for the MNC, sure you could come back and win your conference but big whoop, especially if your conference doesn’t have a BCS tie-in, and remember 45% of conferences in the FBS do not have a BCS connection. In my system more teams stay in the hunt longer creating more excitement. The proponents of this argument would counter that for the elite programs like a Florida or Ohio State a few loses don’t mean anything because they can still make the playoffs. I would reply with, “Home Field”. Having a chance to win a spot in the playoffs keeps schools who currently are no the outside looking in excited. Having a chance to claim the Home Field keeps the big boys pushing for an undefeated season. In my system the regular season becomes even more important that it is now. Argument defeated!

Bowl Tradition: This line of thinking goes that the FBS has a rich and unique tradition in the bowl system and moving to a playoff would ruin all that makes big time college football great. This is however, nothing more than Buggy Whips and Vaporware. Buggy Whips in the sense that it attempts to protect something that has outlived it’s usefulness. After all the first bowl game was played 105 years ago when the US only had 45 states and was still fighting the Indian Wars, Germany, England and France were vying to be the top world empire, women weren’t allowed to vote and the Greeks were still fighting the Ottomans for territory. In the past 105 years much has changed and the game of college football has passed the bowl system by, demanding to hold on to it is like demanding that the government protect Buggy Whip makers from bankruptcy in a world were everyone is driving a car, not a buggy. Replacing the MNC with a playoff won’t ruin the FBS, it will enrich it. Then there’s the Vaporware aspect of the argument, the idea that we shouldn’t mess with the tradition of the bowls. What tradition? For the first few decades there was only one game, the Rose Bowl, then by 1940 there were 5, by 1950 there were 8, by 1970 there were 11, by 1980 there were 15, by 1990 there were 25. Today there are 32 games… THIRTY TWO. This means that 64 of 120 FBS teams will be playing in “richly traditional” bowl game, more than half of the teams. What is so special about the current system? Let’s get more into this tradition we don’t want to mess with. There are 32 games this year. There are 50 defunct, out a business bowl games. With the exception of a few biggies bowl games come and go with more frequency that a banana republic, where’s the tradition? Bowl games once all had great names like “Blue Bonnet” and “Boot Hill” but today all but the Rose either put a corporate name first like the “Tostitos Fiesta Bowl or have one outright like the “Capitol One”, “Outback” or “Chik-fil-A”. Again, where’s the tradition. Bowls used to be played in December with only the Rose in January, then there were a small hand full in January making a “January Bowl” a special thing, but today there are 11 games in January. There is no tradition, outside of the Rose Bowl, in a single bowl game. We shouldn’t protect that which should be part of the past and we should hold steadfast to that which doesn’t exist. The proponents would, seeing their world collapse around them reach out for the claim that a playoff would lead to the death of the bowl games. Really? First do we really need the PetroSun bowl between two 6-6 teams? Second, the NIT seams to be getting along fine in the face of the NCAA March madness tourney, so why couldn’t the 3 hour corporate infomercials, otherwise known as a bowl game, be able to continue. My system certainly wouldn’t outlaw bowl games, just render them meaningless to the national championship debate, which it should be stated they all ready are since the MNC is now taking place in a separate game and not part of any bowl rotation. Argument Defeated!

Now that I have defeated the 3 major arguments against having a playoff I will address the reason why we won’t. Money.

Under the current flawed silly system we have the school presidents control who gets the money from the TV contracts, bowl game and everything else around FBS football. This is in difference to all other college sports where the NCAA controls the purse strings. The college administrators will never agree to give up control of the money to the NCAA, even more so considering that football has more revenue than all other college sports combined, including basketball.

So, there you have my proposal, my refuting of the arguments against it and the reason it will never happen.

Enjoy the bowl season!

Color Theory

LSU reminds me of mustard and grape. OSU reminds me of blood and steel.

Double HA!

Rivals (d0t) com has a poll for the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner that we schlubs can vote for. I cast my vote for one Darren McFadden. After casting my vote they showed that amongst the schlubs D-Mac was ahead of Tebow by 42.1% to 41.2% at the time of my vote.

Chris Wells busts off a 62 yard TD run.
But that is not what got the double HA! That was the result of seeing that OSU running back Chris Wells got 2.3% to Michigan running back Mike Hart's 1.4%. Wells shouldn't even be on the Rivals (dot) com ballot and he still got more than Hart. HA HA!

Mike Hart busts off a -2 yard non scoring run.

A few random photos

A picture of Half Moon bay, where Henry Hudson anchored his ship the Halve Maen for a few weeks back in 1609. I'm expecting that we should have quite the shindig in 2 years for the 400th. We have two spare rooms, make your reservations early.

View across the Hudson towards the Palisades from Croton Landing.

Big Ten Bowl Games Preview

I am going to get ahead of this one and become an apologist for the Big Ten’s poor showing in the bowl games before a single game is ever played and in the process help explain the Big Ten’s historic poor bowl performance. There are, as I see it, 3 items that are to cause for the failures, past and future. Weather, distance and money.

Weather: All 11 Big Ten teams play in the north and even upper north. As a result the teams, in order to win the conference, must be built to have an offense that will function when it’s 38° and raining sideways. However, bowl games are either all indoors or in warm weather locations and because with a few exceptions the Big Ten has the most northerly and foulest weather and foul weather teams they invariably end up playing teams built to take advantage of warm weather in warm locales.

Distance: Again, bowls are all indoors or in warm climates. As such bowl games often involve Big Ten teams traveling to virtual home games against their opponents.

Money: Butts in seats. Big Ten teams are famous for bringing large numbers of fans to bowl games (this also may have something to do with the whole weather thing) and since bowl games are about generating income for the host community and not about creating intriguing match ups Big Ten teams often find themselves in games playing against a better team they have no business playing against simply to please the local Chamber of Commerce.

With that all in mind let’s look at the upcoming Big Ten bowl slate…

Motor City
December, 26 7:30pm @ Detroit MI
Central Michigan Chippewas (8-5) vs. Purdue Boilermakers (7-5)
W: This is two northern teams playing indoors so this is a wash
D: The Chipps are 154 miles from Detroit to Purdue’s 309 miles. However Purdue’s larger fan base should keep this a neutral site.
M: A mediocre Big Ten team against the MAC Champion, again it’s a wash

Overview: This game already happened back on Sept 15th and Purdue won by 23 points so…

Purdue 45 – Central Michigan 22

Champ Sports
December, 28 5:00pm @ Orlando FL
Boston College Eagles (10-2) vs. Michigan State Spartans (7-5)
W: Two northern teams playing in a warm site; push.
D: BC is 1,295 miles from Orlando and the Sparties are 1,226 away making this a true neutral site.
M: Umm… BS played in the ACC Championship game and while they got snubbed after losing their final game still qualified for a BSC bowl by finishing #14 in the post season BCS poll. Michigan State? Oh my, the Spartans have no business whatsoever playing in this game.

Overview: BC has had a great year and at one point were ranked #2 in the BSC with a chance to make the BSC Championship game. Michigan State is… Michigan State.

BC 45 – Michigan State 27

Alamo
December 29 8:00pm @ San Antonio TX
Penn State Nittney Lions (8-4) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (7-5)
W: This is a foul weather team playing a warm team in a warm site, advantage A&M
D: The Aggies are 169 miles from the game and Penn State is 1,653 miles away. Texas A&M in San Antonio Texas? Home game anyone?
M: Two mediocre teams going against each other? Fair enough.

Overview: This is a home game for the Aggies and Penn State has Anthony Morrelli at quarterback. Also, the Aggies lost their coach and this is Paterno's 500th game. Still...

Aggies 38 – Lions 34

Insight
December 31, 6:00pm @ Tempe AZ
Indiana Hoosiers (7-5) – Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-6)
W: A foul weather team going against a less foul weather team in a warm location, slight advantage Cowboys
D: Indian 1,740 and OK State 1,079 so this is closer for the Boy’s but it’s still quite a haul and Indiana hasn’t been to a bowl game since 1745 so this is a neutral site.
M: Again middling Big Ten and Big 12 teams going at it, push.

Overview: The Cowboys lost to Tory and the Hoosiers are playing for Terry

Indiana 31 – OK State 27

Outback
January 1 11:00am @ Tampa FL
Wisconsin Badgers (9-3) vs. Tennessee Voluntures (9-4)
W: A foul weather team going against a less foul weather team in a warm location, slight advantage Vols.
D: Tenn 670 miles, Wisconsin 1,322 miles, but seeing as few Vol fans have a car in good enough condition to make a 670 mile drive I’ll call this a neutral site.
M: Upper level Big Ten team vs. upper level SEC team, push.

Overview: The Badgers beat Auburn in ’06 and Arkansas last year, which is proof of Wisconsin cheating since no team from the lowly Big Ten should ever beat a team from the mighty SEC. Combine the Badgers cheating with Phil “The Choke” Fulmer coaching the Vols and…

Wisconsin 28 – Tennessee 24

Capitol One
January 1 1:00pm @ Orlando FL
Michigan Wolverines (8-4) vs. Florida Gators (9-3)
W: Foul weather team vs. a warm weather team in a warm location, advantage Gators
D: Ann Arbor is 1,149 miles from Orlando, the Gators are 115. Can you say Florida home game? Can you?
M: Michigan has had an awful year based upon what they had hoped for and was a few plays away from being 6-6. Florida was a few plays away from defending their title. Michigan has no business being in this game.

Overview: Let’s see… all three factors play into Florida’s favor and the Gators run a great spread offense which is a style of offense that always shreds Michigan’s defense and Michigan has Mike Hart playing.

Florida 41 – Michigan 14

Rose
January 1 4:30pm @ Pasadena CA
Illinois Fighting Illini (9-3) vs. Southern Cal Trojans (10-2)
W: Foul weather team vs. a warm weather team in a warm location, advantage Trojans
D: The Illini have 1,994 miles to travel to the Rose Bowl while the Trojans have 10. Ten miles. A short bike ride vs. a 5 hour plane flight. Right. This isn’t a “virtual” home game for the Trojans it is a home game.
M: This one isn’t so much money as it is tradition. The people running the Rose Bowl would sell our state secretes to the bloody Al Qaeda if it would ensure a Pac 10 / Big Ten match up. Illinois did technically qualify for a BSC game by finishing #13 but USC’s only loses are due to injuries earlier in the season. USC is healthy now.

Overview: USC is at home, with good weather and is playing like the monster everyone thought they’d be now that they are healthy. Illinois is a solid club but come on… everyone knows Georgia should be in this game.

USC 48 – Illinois 31

BSC National Championship Game
January 7 8:00pm @ New Orleans LA
Ohio State Buckeyes (11-1) vs. Louisiana State Tigers (11-2)
W: Foul weather team vs. a warm weather team at an indoor location, advantage Tigers.
D: The Buckeyes are 909 miles from the Superdome. The Tigers? 80. Everyone should be so lucky as to play home games for the National Championship.
M: BSC #1 vs BSC #2, push.

Overview: Having been pantsed by Florida last year and then spending all year hearing how bad the Big Ten is vs. the Godlike SEC the Buckeyes will, I repeat, will be ready to play this year. Sadly, it’s still an LSU home game.

Tigers 27 – Buckeyes 21


So my overall prediction for the Big Ten is to go 3-5 in bowl games this year, leading to yet another year of trash talking about how awful the Big Ten is with not one bit a thought given to the inherit disadvantages that Big Ten teams face in the warm weather “neutral” site bowl games.

Big Ten Review 2007

1 – Ohio State: 11-1 (7-1)
Prediction: 10-2 (6-2) I thought the Buckeyes had 2 loses in them but they made it through with only one and thanks to a wacky season get a second crack at the SEC champ for all the marbles.

2 – Illinois: 9-3 (6-2)
Prediction: 5-7 (2-6) I was expecting the Illini to improve over last year. What I did not expect was for them to be going to the Rose Bowl or beat Ohio State. Dorks.

3 – Michigan: 8-4 (6-2)
Prediction: 11-1 (7-1) WTF? App State? With all their stars coming back for one last crack at a victory over the Buckeye and a bowl win no one saw this coming. The senior class lost #4 to Ohio State but they still have a chance to win at least one bowl game… oh wait… they’re playing Florida, nevermind.

4 – Wisconsin: 9-3 (5-3)
Prediction: 10-2 (6-2) Wisconsin had a loss against a surprise Illini team but was pretty much what I thought they’d be.

5 – Penn State: 8-4 (4-4)
Prediction: 9-3 (5-3) Same as Wisconsin I had the Nits dead to rights except the Illinois loss.

6 – Iowa: 6-6 (4-4)
Prediction: 9-3 (6-2) Ouch, I thought Iowa could be a dark horse for the Big Ten title. I thought wrong.

7 – Michigan State: 7-5 (3-5)
Prediction: 5-7 (3-5) I had the Big Ten part right but I figured Pitt would get the upset (they waited until the WV game to open their bag of upset powder) and Notre Dame… well, who knew.

8 – Indiana: 7-5 (3-5)
Prediction: 6-6 (3-5) I had the Hoosiers down for a bowl appearance this year and they not only became bowl eligible but got the extra 7th win over Western Mich. Well done guys.

9 – Purdue: 7-5 (3-5)
Prediction: 8-4 (4-4) I thought the Boilers would take the Spartans. I was wrong but otherwise nailed their season.

10 – Northwestern: 6-6 (3-5)
Prediction: 5-7 (2-6) They got one more game than I thought but still aren’t going bowling this year.

11 – Minnesota: 1-11 (0-8)
Prediction: 3-9 (0-8) Not much to say. I thought the Gophers would stink up the place, but I had thought they’d beat Florida Atlantic and um, North Dakota State. Oh well, no where to go but up!

Post Season CFB Top 20

This is my personal top 20 after the season had ended. Please compare it too the top 20 I made before the season started.