- Been out for a few days, work's been kicking me in the nads.
- Catch up
- Great 1 game playoff Monday night. Back and forth, extra innings, the guy who gave up the tying run by committing an error makes up for it in the 13th and scores the winning run. Great drama. Hopefully shows people that baseball can be exciting.
- What the hell happened to Texas? Shoddy special teams, not physical on both sides of the ball, a bad O-line. It's beginning to look more and more like Mack Brown owes his lifetime contract to Vince Young. What a 2 year aberration 2004-2005 were for him and that program. A team takes on the mindset of their coach 90% of the time. That other 10% is reserved for trandscendant players like Vince Young. And it looks like they're back to the Mack Brown mindset.
- Don't buy into Oklahoma being down. Talk about a fluke. They were owning Colorado and had their offense shut down on them and a few bad plays made by a few individuals occur in the 4th quarter. They're still far and away the best team in the Big 12 and a top 5 team.
- Now we enter into the best time of the year. Cowboys, Stars, Mavs, conference games in college football. Enjoy.
- A full report next week of the Rose Bowl, Anaheim, Boston-Angels game 3, and all other aspects of my 4 days in LA.
- If you desperately need to get out of a marriage, follow this schedule.
Tonight
Kentucky at South Carolina (-3.5) - ESPN - 6:30 pm
One of my sleeper teams just keeps winning and beating good teams. Their stiffest test so far comes tonight. South Carolina definitely has the defense to contain Andre Woodson, but I'm going to keep riding this pony until it dies. Keep me on the bourbon express.
Pick - Kentucky +3.5
Friday
Utah at Louisville (-14.5) - ESPN - 7:00 pm
Utah has lost bad to an average team (Oregon State) and has blown out a good team (UCLA). I have no clue what to expect. But I know anyone can score on Louisville and Utah is good enough to keep it within 2 TD's.
Pick - Utah +14.5
Saturday
- How great will it be to wake up Saturday and all of these start times will be 2 hours earlier for me? Nothing like 9 am football! I'll relocate to the west coast at some point, mark it down.
Wisconsin at Illinois (-2.5) - ESPN - 11:00 am
Wisconsin has been living on the edge of crap for too long. They are not a top 5 team. They win ugly, but that only take you so far. I like what Ron Zook is doing at Illinois and coming off a great win against Penn State, they keep it going and take down another overrated Big 10 team.
Pick - Illinois -2.5
Miami (-6.5) at North Carolina - ESPN2 - 11:00 am
This will be interesting just to see Butch Davis coach against the team he resurrected in the late 90's. Sorry A&M fans, Miami is not very good and I'll take Butch getting a TD at home any day of the week.
Pick - UNC +6.5
Kansas at Kansas State (-3) - FSNSW - 11:00 am
This could be for pole position for the Big 12 North. I think either of these teams are better than Missouri and Nebraska. Kansas State looks tough, fast, and nasty. Kansas hasn't played anyone, but is not that bad of a team. Kansas State rolls, they're on the upswing under Ron Prince.
Pick - Kansas State -3
Bowling Green at Boston College (-20) - ESPNU - 11:00 am
Nothing big here, will just be a chance for everyone to finally get a glimpse of a very unknown Top 5 team. Watch the QB, he's good.
Pick - BC -20
Oklahoma (-11) at Texas - ABC - 2:30 pm
Like I said earlier, put more stock into Texas' loss than Oklahoma's. That Texas team is bad, really bad. Oklahoma has a coach, Texas doesn't. They're going to wipe the floor with Texas' asses.
Pick - Oklahoma -11
Georgia at Tennessee (-1.5) - CBS - 2:30 pm
Talk about a disappointing team. Tennessee has looked so ordinary since 1998, it's a wonder how Phil Fulmer keeps getting free passes. 2-2 is not good considering the talent they had coming back. Georgia finds ways to make games ugly and win them. Give me the dogs.
Pick - Georgia +1.5
Iowa at Penn State (-9.5) - ESPN2 - 2:30 pm
Don't watch this crap.
Pick - Penn State -9.5
South Florida (-15.5) at FAU - ESPNU - 2:30 pm
Everyone's darlings go "on the road" to FAU. This team is good, very good. They don't slip up here.
Pick - South Florida -15.5
Arizona State (-9) at Washington State - FSNSW - 3:00 pm
Love me some Pac-10 and the Pacific Northwest scenery. Arizona State is rolling right now, Dennis Erickson has his team looking like all of his other teams. Athletic, personal foul machines, and showboating experts. But weird things happen in Pullman.
Pick - Washington State +9
Virginia Tech at Clemson (-5.5) - ESPN - 5:00 pm
Virginia Tech is terrible. That offense licks. Clemson is always a little overrated, but they can take down VT at home with ease. A good backfield and QB will be the difference. Watch for the stadium and the crowd if nothing else. A very underrated gameday experience.
Pick - Clemson -5.5
Stanford at USC (-39.5) - Versus - 6:00 pm
This shouldn't be close. USC is a whole different animal in the Coliseum. If I wasn't at the Rose Bowl, I'd try to find cheap tickets to this one. USC puts up 60.
Pick - USC -39.5
Oklahoma State at Texas A&M (-6.5) - FSNSW - 6:30 pm
Texas A&M is a mess right now. As is Oklahoma State, although not as bad. You know what you're getting with A&M, they are pretty consistently average. Oklahoma State is always capable of either a crap performance or a world-beater performance. I'm banking on the fact that A&M is about to go down the crapper.
Pick - OSU +6.5
Ohio State (-7) at Purdue - ABC - 7:00 pm
Anyone catching what Ohio State is doing? Beating teams and beating them handily. And now that they're out of their non-conference schedule and into their Big 10 crap schedule, look out. Do not count them out to be in BCS championship. Check out the teams around them:
1) LSU - always a high possibility of them slipping up in conference or in the SEC championship. The SEC is a f'ing dogfight every week.
2) USC - plays #3 Cal, UCLA, Arizona State. Either Cal or USC is going to have a loss.
3) Cal - in addition to them and USC cannabilizing each other, they also have to run the Pac-10 gauntlet.
4) Ohio State - has nothing on their schedule except a maybe rejuvenated Michigan team and an overrated Wisconsin team (who they play at home).
5) Wisconsin - will either lose to Illinois this week or against Ohio State later in the season.
6) Boston College - You think the voters would put them ahead of an unbeaten OSU?
7) South Florida - Ditto.
8) Florida - Will have at least 1 more loss before season is done.
Look at that, everyone around them is either from an inferior conference, has a tough ass schedule, or cannabilizes each other. The road has been paved for Ohio State to sneak into the title game. Bastards.
Back to the game, the way Purdue let Notre Dame hang around last week made me lose all hope for an upset here.
Pick - Ohio State -7
Florida at LSU (-9) - CBS - 7:00 pm
The Game of the Day. Would have looked a lot better had Florida not lost to a shat Auburn team at home last week, but still should be a decent game. This is the SEC weekly dogfight I was talking about. All of the factors will be in LSU's favor, a drunk, loud home crowd, night game, Florida coming off a loss, etc. Give me LSU and that defense to make Tim Tebow into a spare. They'll be flying to the ball in the bayou.
Pick - LSU -9
Cincinnati at Rutgers (-3.5) - ESPN2 - 7:00 pm
Rutgers simply is not that good. They had the NO Saints thing going for them last year. Where everything rolled perfectly their way. They played above their heads and are back to earth this year. Cincy is really good this year, they can score on anyone, and have some really good athletes. Give me the points.
Pick - Cincy +3.5
The Crown Game
Nebraska at Missouri (-7) - ESPN - 8:00 pm
A rare appearance for Nebraska in the Crown Game. This is the beginning of the free fall for Nebraska. They don't play well in Columbia, their defense is the worst of any BCS conference team, and that program is on the brink of chaos. Nebraska will score points, that's not a problem, it's just that Missouri will score more, a lot more. I'm seeing a 52-35 game. The first of 4 predicted conference losses for Nebraska. To get to the top you have to hit rock bottom. Their defense has hit rock bottom this season. It continues in Columbia.
Pick - Missouri -7
Sunday
Detroit at Washington (-3.5) - FOX - 12:00 pm
I'll take Detroit with points all year. Love that offense.
Pick - Detroit +3.5
NY Jets at NY Giants (-3.5) - CBS - 12:00 pm
A Giants team that has played better every week since the Dallas game only favored by a FG against a bad NYJ team? What am I missing here?
Pick - NYG -3.5
San Diego at Denver (-1.5) - CBS - 3:00 pm
San Diego turns it around for one week at least. After watching what Indy did running the ball against Denver, LT will finally break out and have a typical performance. Denver is a bad team and Jay Cutler is severely overrated.
Pick - San Diego +1.5
Chicago at Green Bay (-3) - NBC - 7:15 pm
It's not that I'm hopping the GB bandwagon, it's just that I think Chicago is done. They're defense is missing everyone, they have no offense to speak of, and Brian Griese is their QB. I think GB will get exposed for being an average team that has no running game at some point, but not this week. That defense is very good and will shut Chicago out.
Pick - GB -3
Monday
Dallas (-10) at Buffalo - ESPN - 7:30 pm
As much as I hate taking road favorites favored by 10+ points, I can't go against the Jedi Romo. Buffalo is a bad team, is starting a rookie at QB, and has a porous defense. Even if they play ugly b/c they're looking ahead to New England, it will still be a 20-7 type game.
Pick - Dallas -10
- BASKETBALL SEASON IS HERE
- It's finally here. Let's get this thing on, I can't wait.
- Wednesday's Practice Report
Mavs camp: Wednesday
08:36 PM CDT on Wednesday, October 3, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
News of the day
The Fan Jam is tonight, and while the Mavericks expect newcomer Trenton Hassell to be in attendance, he will not play. The 6-5 swingman missed the second set of two-a-day workouts to tend to his ill father in Tennessee. Coach Avery Johnson said Hassell will work out individually this morning. The team is not having a morning practice. Johnson said he intends to bring Hassell along slowly. "We want to make sure we don't skip a step with him," Johnson said. "We won't throw everything at him at once. He hasn't been here. And we need him this year. So we'll bring him along a little slowly, and then once he gets through being with a new team, dealing with the situation with his dad, we'll give him a day or two to get his feet planted and then we'll give him more." Eddie Jones and Jamal Sampson will make their first public appearances as Mavs. Doors open at 6:45 p.m. Admission is free with a $5 charge for parking.
Spotlight on: Nick Fazekas
For years, Dirk Nowitzki has spent his summers playing for the German national team. DeSagana Diop has played for Senegal in the past. Now it might be rookie Nick Fazekas' turn. The 6-11 forward has been asked to play for the Hungarian national team. But there are some hurdles to overcome. "I have to become a citizen first, and my grandpa has helped on that, as well as my dad, to be able to do that," Fazekas said. "It's definitely a thought. I'm not sure if it's actually going to follow through, but we've been discussing it the last couple weeks. They've asked me to play before. My grandfather kind of wondered why I'd want to play over there when the competition is so much better over here. But I think he understands." Fazekas' grandfather lived in Hungary until migrating to the U.S. in the 1950s. Fazekas' father was the first of the family born in the U.S.
Briefly
The Mavericks are probably out of the running for Chris Webber. Avery Johnson said he's heard Webber probably is either going to retire or return to Detroit. "We did communicate a little bit," Johnson said, "but I don't think anything got serious. Right now, the team we have is our team." ... Darrell Armstrong cleared waivers at 5 p.m. Wednesday, and it still appears New Jersey is the front-runner to sign him. Armstrong, 39, wants to continue his playing career ... Devean George goes to Indiana today for a follow-up exam on the stress reaction in his left foot. "If we can get him healthy, he's a serious weapon to have on your ballclub," Johnson said. "We saw glimpses of it last year. Hopefully, we can have a really good evaluation and we can get him going. The longer we have to wait on him in October, even though it's early in the season, the more concerned that I'm going to get."
- Dirk faces possibly the biggest year of his career this year. He must quiet doubters this year or else the stigma of being a choker/non-leader will continue to grow exponentially.
Mavs' Nowitzki looking to earn respect
Nowitzki knows postseason is where Mavs can quiet doubters
03:26 PM CDT on Tuesday, October 2, 2007
By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News
esefko@dallasnews.com
Dirk Nowitzki has heard the catcalls from fans who formerly had reserved seats on the Mavericks' bandwagon.
You know who you are. And to those who refuse to trust the Mavericks after their demoralizing finish last season, Nowitzki's response may come as a mild surprise.
He understands your lack of faith.
"We can go 82-0 and people will say, 'They're going to lose, they don't have what it takes,'" Nowitzki said.
The MVP and center of the Mavs' universe believes there's some credence to the widespread notion that this team is headed toward six months of wheel-spinning during the regular season.
Not that the 82-game grind will lose all meaning. That would be an overstatement. But Nowitzki knows the drill.
Nothing that happens before the playoffs will get them the respect they crave. And that challenge might just turn out to be healthy for them.
"Last year, we were one of the favorites to win it all and maybe the pressure was a little high," Nowitzki said. "Maybe this year, we're going to be underdogs, which probably is not a bad role for us to be in."
Nowitzki joined the rest of the Mavericks on Monday for media day. Training camp officially begins today with a pair of practices.
It's the beginning of a long journey the Mavericks hope will have a much happier ending than last season, when a record 67-win regular season was flushed down the drain with a historic first-round loss to Golden State.
Nowitzki spent his summer traveling to Australia to try to clear his mind, playing for the German national team (finishing fifth in the European championships) and trying to get rid of the painful playoff memories. Impossible to do, he said. But as he touched on several subjects Monday, he also said that sometimes a team has to fail before it can learn the final lesson.
"It's not bad," he said of being the underdog. "San Antonio last year did just that. Everybody said after they lost to us [in 2006] that they were too old and can't do it anymore. Next thing you know, they won it again."
But Nowitzki – entering his 10th season with the 27-year-old franchise– is realizing that getting the Mavericks a championship is the toughest task of all.
"It's easier to turn a franchise around into a winning team," he said. "It's not easy. But it's easier than taking it all the way. That last step is hard. It's a beast.
"People don't really believe anything you do until you've done it. We came close one year. Last year we were the heavy favorites and we didn't do it. Obviously, they [fans and media] killed us pretty good when we lost so, I mean, everybody only believes you can do it when you do it once. So far, we haven't. A lot of things factor into winning it all."
Coach Avery Johnson believes one of those factors is strong leadership from his players. Though he knows Nowitzki is not the type to make locker-room speeches, Johnson already has said he wants Nowitzki to take on a greater leadership role.
"His team has to play at a high level," Johnson said. "If we make it to the playoffs and he averages 40 and 40, but the team loses, it really doesn't matter. It's all about him getting his team to play at a high level and everybody else stepping up."
Jason Terry believes the way Nowitzki takes care of his business is enough to show the team he's a leader.
"If you watch a Maverick practice, you'll see his work ethic," Terry said. "That's where he leads us. No matter if he has an ache or pain, he's still putting the work in to become an MVP, knowing that he's going to face double- and triple-teams every night. That's how he leads us."
One thing Nowitzki is certain of is that management was right to give this set of players another shot at winning it all.
"We have all the pieces that we need," he said. "We've got shooters. We've got some great defenders. We just need to keep working."
And have the patience to prove doubters wrong come May and June.
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