Thoughts on the Alamo Bowl

When I told the Wife that I was leaving only an hour early to go to the Apple cup, she thought I was crazy. She knows that I don't like being late or leaving early from games and surely an hour was not enough time. i told her it was no big deal because even if I missed 2 scoring drives, there were probably going to be 8 more once I got inside the stadium. The Huskies have no defense. Whenever they play a team with an equally defense, it is going to be a shootout. Last night was no different.

It's amazing to admit, but I was actually bored by a good portion of the second half. To me, a total of 43 points in one quarter isn't suspenseful. I know that many people will argue that the 9-6 LSU-Bama game earlier this year was the most boring 60 minutes of their lives, but at least their was suspense. At least there was a chance that one of the offenses could score. In the Alamo Bowl last night, I never once thought either team could get stop. it was like an Arena League game.

Ok, with that being said, I did watch the entire second half and have the following random comments about the game

• I get that striking The Superman pose is the new fad, but I think it is going a little far. I saw the fullback break it out last night after a 4th down conversion, a DB break it out after an open field tackle and of course countless guys do it after TD's. Give it a break guys.
• My favorite part of the game was clearly when listening to former defensive stud Chris Spielman say anything positive about the game. Early in the third quarter he was asked if the offense deserves any credit and his response was great - "I'm not gonna give either offense any credit. They don't get credit. The defenses are just bad." Then later he said this was "really unbelievable" when speaking about the 100+ points and the 1000+ yards. He even suggested that both teams try onsides kicks, cut the field down and use the endzone as a 12th defender and hope for a FG. I was fully expecting him at any time to take off the headsets, run down to the field, rip off his shirt and beat the crap out of the defensive coordinators.
• In case there was any question, Keith Price is the man. With his 7 total TD and 438 yard performance, he is now the owner of the most impressive season ever by UW QB. Over 3000 yards passing, 36 total td's and only 11 interceptions. Oh, and he is only a Sophomore.
• Early in the year the Huskies couldn't stop the pass. Then when they went against Stanford and Andrew Luck, they only gave up 169 passing yards compared to 446 running yards. The same thing happened tonight as the "held" RG3 to 295 passing, but gave up 482 yards on the ground (including 3 rushers with 100+ yards!!).
• Anyone else really like the white helmets? I know I am not the UW traditionalist like many others, but I thought they were really sharp. Interesting that neither team went with their traditional gold helmets.
• Halfway through the game, my thought was that Chris Polk was off to the NFL. But now, after realizing that he is a mere 31 yards short of breaking Napoleon Kaufman's all-time school rushing record combined with the bad taste left in his mouth from the crucial third quarter fumble, I think he comes back to be part of what could be one of the special offensive units in college football. Or at least let's hope so.
• In none Huskies football stuff, a nice win by the Dawgs on the hardwood. They may have given up 80 points, but there was no way that the Beavers were going to outscore them. Also, I got to watch an exciting game between Rutgers and #10 Florida in which the Scarlet Knights overcame a late 7 point deficit to get the upset win in 2OT. The most amazing thing was that 0 points were scored by seniors. On the season, freshman and sophomores have accounted for 82% of their total points. It is going to be a up and down season this year, but they may be on to something for the future.
• Ok, back to the Alamo Bowl - I think RG3 can be successful in the NFL. I actually think he is still a bit green, but the dude has some freakish athleticism. In the past many successful dual-threat college QB's haven't been very successful in the pros but Cam Newton is showing that sometimes it doesn't matter - if you're a physical freak you can get things done.
• I love the freshman Seferian-Jenkins and Kasen Williams.
• Best of luck to Jermaine Kearse who ends his 4 year career with 2871 total receiving yards and 29 td's, both 2nd in school history. He was a part of that historically bad 2008 team but stuck with it and can say he was a key part of the UW revival.
• The offense may even be better next year and should be great for a long while. If I'm a potential recruit and I play offense, I have to seriously think about UW. I mean, they are going to score some points
• On the other side of the ball, I have no idea how Nick Holt keeps his job. I know that the administration isn't going to force Sarkisian to do anything, but how can he not go in another direction? I know that they are friends, but this defense kept them from winning 9 games in only his third season at the helm. I know there was a lot of leftover players from the old regime, but the offense was able to retool, why not the defense? This isn't USC. UW doesn't have the athletic freaks on defense that just blow up people.
• Jeopardy style...Answer: 13. Question: How many more points did Oregon St score than Baylor did against the Huskies?
  

My Favorite NBA Jerseys

In April 2010, one of my first posts on the blog was a list of the ten NBA jerseys I most wanted to have. It was a list not just of my favorite players in the league, but a combo of players I like to watch and jerseys that I just think are cool to look at. Well, since then a lot has happened in the NBA and I thought it was time once again to put out my list of top 10 (make that 11) jerseys I want to own. Let's get to it.

1. Brandon Roy (2010: #1) - This one is simple. Roy will always rank high on my list of favorite players, I love the Blazers road blacks and with his recent retirement, the jersey is suddenly retro.
2. Blake Griffin (NA) - Isn't this everyone's favorite?
3. Jon Brockman (#2) - I love the Brockness Monster and I really like the Bucks uni's a lot better than his old Kings jersey.
4. Deron Williams (NA) - This should be higher since he is the best player on my favorite team, but I just have the feeling he is leaving at the end of the year. Why get the jersey if it will be obsolete in a year.
5. Kevin Love (NA) - I love, love Kevin Love. Something about 20/20 lines just does it for me.
6. Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili (#4) - I just love the classic look of their home whites. Oh, and I like the players.
7. David Lee (NA) - I really love his occasional 15/15 lines, but really what does it for me is the jersey. I love the logo on the front.
8. Danny Granger (#6) - Alternate yellow's are just ballin.
9. John Wall (NA) - I don't necessarily like the player, but I love the old school Bullets colors that the franchise is once again sporting.
10. Danilo Galinari (NA) - Picking a player was arbitrary, I just really like the powder blues.
11. Kevin Durant (NA) - I know all my Seattle friends will hate me for even suggesting this, but it is a proven fact - this team is super exciting and Durant is a stud.

So who dropped out from a year ago? Well, Brooke Lopez got bumped simply because he is not the same player he once was. I still love Steve Nash, but I grew tired of the Suns jerseys. Gerald Wallace and Andrew Bogut were replaced by other teammates on the list. And I'm waiting for Dwight Howard to get traded first.

Who almost made the cut - Kris Humphries, Kemba Walker, Gerald Wallace, LaMarcus Aldridge, Quincy Pondexter, Isaiah Thomas, Ricky Rubio, Dirk Nowitzki, Nate Robinson, Eric Gordon

Big Day for Huskies

I hope everyone had a pleasant holiday with your families. Mine was especially nice this year, but I am glad to get back to blogging. The holiday is officially over so it's time to get back to work. This goes doubly for the Huskies, who have both a key basketball game against Oregon St on Thursday at 6pm and a nationally televised Alamo Bowl game against Baylor at the same time.

Both games are important to the sports program, but I think the basketball game is the more important of the two. I know beating Baylor and Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III would be a great way to not only end 2011 but gain momentum going into 2012, but I don't think it is a must-win game. I had a hunch heading into last year's game against Nebraska that the Dawgs were going to step up and get the win - there were just too many signs - but this year feels a lot different. Whereas Nebraska was upset at being bumped to the Holiday Bowl to play a team they had already beat, Baylor is genuinely excited to have been invited to the Alamo Bowl. The reason is simple - it's Baylor. It's not exactly the most decorated football program, having played in only 8 bowl games in the past 30 years. Oh, and one other reason - Baylor has RG3.

I don't think many Huskies fans are expecting a win - not with our porous defense. I think a lot of fans are happy to be going to a second straight bowl game, even if it is not a New Years Day Bowl. Don't get me wrong, beating the newly crowned Heisman winner on national television would certainly be great for recruiting and morale. It would signal that indeed UW football has turned the corner. BUT, a loss won't cripple the program.

On the other hand, a loss on the hardwood would be disastrous. I'm sorry, I know Oregon St has been impressive in their first 11 games (9-2), but this is a team that Huskies should and need to beat, especially at home (OSU only has 1 win against a RPI Top 100 team, so take the 9 wins with a grain of salt). The Huskies are one of the most talented, if not THE most talented team, in the conference, but so far they have been incredibly underwhelming, limping into the conference schedule with a 6-5 record (RPI: 107). Losses to Duke and Marquette showed what they could become, but losses to St Louis, Nevada and South Dakota St exposed their flaws. Talent alone will certainly win games, but this team just seems to be lacking something. Their three leading scores are underclassmen. Their three captains have been non-existent. Their frontcourt is led by a guy who can't stay on the court and when he is on the court can't get out of his own way. And their most talented player is a freshman who is expected to leave for the NBA at the end of the season, who can't play with their second best player, who turns the ball over way too much and who just appears to be a wrong fit. Ok, maybe 'wrong fit' is a little too much, but he certainly isn't buying into the team concept like other big name recruits have.

UW needs to win either the conference regular season or conference titles. With a 6-5 out of conference record (which should go to 7-5 after playing Seattle U), I think they will need to go at least 13-5 in PAc-12 play plus win 1 or 2 games in the tournament to be in the dance. That would put them with a record of roughly 22-11. A loss to Oregon St would make things really tough. They get a nice break with avoiding a trip to the Bay Area, but I could see either Cal or Stanford picking up a win at Hed Ec when they visit in late January. I think they will probably drop 1 game on the road in Oregon and could possibly lose both games on the road at USC and UCLA late in the year. Add in potential road losses in Tucson and the Pullman and suddenly this team is looking at their 5-6 conference losses. If this holds true, that means every other game must be a win. Thus, the importance of the conference opener against Oregon st.

It is a shame that both games will be on at the same time tomorrow night as each deserve my attention. When faced with simultaneous start times, I will be watching the Alamo Bowl simply because there will be no more football until September. BUT, I will be keeping a close eye on the more important of the two - the home tilt against the Beavers.

Bow Down.

Christmas Wish Lists

For sports fans, this is a great time of year - the NFL playoffs chase is on, the NHL and NBA are finally up and running, College Bowl Week is in full swing and MLB is merely a few weeks away. It has been a rough year for most of my teams, but at this current moment, I am at peace with the sports world. Instead of giving my extensive wish list for the next year, I thought instead I would ask the man in the red suite to bring some of my most lotal friends and readers what they want (or at least what I assume they want)

For my boy J-Will, that the Seahawks finally get some respect around the NFL. He is tired of them being a punching bag.

For my boy Irish Mike, revenge on City. That home loss really hurt.

For my boy D-Lib, more La Liga and Bundesliga and less Series A on Fox Soccer at all hours of the night.

For my boy Walker-Martin, consistent effort from the Devs. He is ok with losing, but he is not ok with a lack of effort. Oh, and he would like a long-term replacement for Brodeur.

For my boy T-Wetz, another Patriot League title for the Bison. I know a championship for the Phillies or Eagles would mean more, but I simply can't wish for that.

For my boy Gorman, having the Syracuse Orange avoid Bucknell in the 1st round of the NCAA Tournament.

For my boy Stebo, a reason to watch Mets games in September (this will probably be the most difficult of all requests)

For The Wife, a chance to have dinner and a drink with Kaery Keller. And one with Zach Scott, too.

For my boy Stollercoaster, that the Bears select the best Michigan player, whoever that may be.

Ok, I can't resist one wish for myself - I wish for a first round win in the MLS Playoffs for the Sounders.

TuesdayTweets

I don't tweet, but if I did, here is what I would have been saying over the past week...

-Congrats to Scott Niedermayer. 3rd retired Devils jersey. Classy guy. Best skater I ever saw. 3 Cups with NJ

-Patrick Elias now all-time Devils leader in goals, assists, points AND games played. Third best player in franchise history??

-Scott Stevens, Marty Brodeur 1-2 in some order. Niedermayer, MacLean, Elias 3-5 in some order

-Now can listen to KJR on FM. Enjoy all the Seahawks talk. Really like Doug Baldwin and Marshawn Lynch. Bought a hat for cheap…Conversion?

-Devils = offensive juggernauts

-Cards and Seahawks both now 7-7. Kudos for not rolling over after starting 2-6

-#Fantasyfootballhate. Brees, Colston, Chris Johnson, Calvin Johnson, Mike Wallace

-Funny SNL Tebow clip over weekend. God must have been at Country Music Christmas Special

-Packers better off with loss in game 14 than in game 19

-Sad to hear about Brandon Roy. Expected the day to come someday. Glad he got out now before destroying future. Never forget UW days

-Might be something really wrong with UW hoops. Might be more than just growing pains/chemistry…

-Nets need to get Howard. Just don’t see it happening. #BigMenLoveLakers

-Nets WAGs might have lost Sharapova and Kim K, but received consolation prize of Candace Parker. Girl can ball.

-Parker a favorite of mine, but will always be behind Sue Bird

-Alex Morgan looks really great in those Nike Cold Winter ads.

-Possible that NBA teams r not signing Humphries because of his terrible reality show stint? Maybe but 4.7/3.1 pre-2011 average doesn’t help

-Don’t care if Battier has lost a step. Perfect signing for Heat. Title favorites

-My two year old is perfecting the art of soccer diving. Practices 5 times a day when told to put toys away or go to bed. Ronaldo is proud

-Best way to save money at Christmas: find unopened stuff in garage and give them to 2-year old as gift

-Kid got a King Felix book for Xmas. All fun and games until they talked about his grand slam against the Mets. Not cool

-Check out @BrikDesign for all your graphic design needs

-Mets signings not sexy, but will help. Improve pitching by strengthening bullpen. Francisco, Ramirez, Rauch, Parnell, Acosta, Byrdak, Beato

-Mets ERA in losses – 6.69. Decrease by a run and probably win 5-10 more games. Oh, offense needs to help too

-Sandy praying for HUGE years from Ike, Duda, Bay, Wright, Murphy. Possible signings Jack Wilson, Ronny Cedeno won’t help

-Just getting to see some 30 for 30 reruns. Loved Run Ricky Run. Dude is interesting, complex.

-Can’t help but think media has changed their mind about Ricky after seeing this

-How bad was Nets’ Outlaw contract? New contract with Kings – 4yr/$12m is terrible…AND $33m less than Nets original

-Worse loss this weekend? Giants? Ravens? Jets? Titans? Close call but I go Giants. Just can’t lose that game.

-Favorite kits in EPL – Norwich City. LOVE yellow-green. Same scheme as my NBA Live ‘02 Tamarack Turtles. Favorite relegated kits-Blackpool

-Speaking of kits, really like Montreal whites and (gulp!) Timbers 3rd. No judgment on Sounders 3rd. Might be ok in person

-Love WWE direction right now. Have a feeling it might be short lived with current champs, but a great step forward for the company.

-CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, Zack Ryder, Cody Rhodes, Miz, Del Rio, Ziggler, Kingston. Love new era. WOO WOO WOO You know it!

-Great bowl match-ups this year. Def hard to win Bowl Pick-Em. Best pre-Christmas bowl – So Miss v Nevada. Both Top 15 in total yards

-I still love the bowl system – not the BCS, but the smaller bowls between Christmas and New Years. No Bowls after Jan 1

-Teams with interim coaches for bowls: UCLA, Illinois, Pitt, OSU, PSU, Houston

-NBA Conference Finals I want: Miami-Knicks, Clippers-Thunder

Come On, Lunardi

Every so often, I like to check out Joe Lunardi's Bracketology to see what seed Bucknell is likely to get come tournament time. This week I scanned the 15's and didn't see them. Then I looked at the 14s and didn't see them. Then I went to the 13s, a seed that I think might be a bit too high, and didn't see them. So (gulp!) I looked at the 16s and saw a weird name - the American Eagles representing the Patriot League...

I'm sorry Joe, I know there are over 300 teams in D1 basketball and I know you know more about each team than 99.9% of the world, but I'm sorry...you are an idiot. I'd like to admit that I am being a homer here, but it's not the case. I don't care about their record, but American is NOT a better team the Bucknell. They will not win the Patriot League title this year. It is just not going to happen.

It's clear that Joe really does all his homework on the big leagues, spending his time deciding whether the Big East gets 10 teams in or not. He doesn't have time to carefully study the small leagues, so he goes with record. So let me do the work for him and go over the two seasons to date.

With a 26 loss to #17 Georgetown, American is now 8-4 on the season. As of his last update, they were 8-3 with their 3 losses coming to Richmond, Maryland-Eastern Shore and St. Francis. RPI's for those three are 77, 279 and 310 respectively. They have a quality win against RPI 22 St Joseph's (and non other than Joe Lunardi's employer). They had only played 4 teams with RPI's <200. Three of their wins were against Howard (313), Maryland Baltimore County (336) and Hampton (335).

Prior to Bucknell's win at home against Richmond (a team that made the Sweet 16 last year) they were 5-4 against D1 schools with their losses all coming on the road to Minnesota (RPI 21), Vanderbilt (RPI 7), George Mason (RPI 182) and LaSalle (RPI 132). While they had no signature win, they had no terrible loss to a team in the 300s. Oh, and their losses to Minnesota and Vandy were by 12 points. This isn't Maryland Eastern Shore- these are two teams from power conferences.

If that isn't enough, they have two common opponents - St Francis and now Richmond. Bucknell is 2-0 and American is 0-2. With a high profile game against #1 Syracuse on Wednesday, I expect to see their RPI surpass American's and I expect it to stay that way for the rest of the season.

The Bison returned 4 starters including League POY Mike Muscala and league Defensive POY Brian Cohen from a team that went 13-1 in conference. American lost 4 starters from a team that went 11-3 in conference, but didn't even make it to the PL Tournament final. I could have handled it had Lehigh been the prediction - at least they have the leading scorer in the league - but American? Come on. That is a joke.

Some NBA Truths

For the second time in a year, it looks like the Nets will not be getting their man. For the second time in a year, the Nets have alienated their current players. For the second time in history, they are pointed in a really, really, really bad direction.

Last year, the trade offer from the Nets to the Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony were made really public. The Nets appeared to have two strong trades - one including 4 teams in January and then one straight up with Denver in mid-February. Both deals centered around the Nets sending Devin Harris, Derrick Favors and some of their stockpile of first-round picks to Denver.

While most Nets fans (and probably playes too) were excited by the possibilities, all the rumors really got to Devin Harris. In the 20 games after the first trade fell through, he saw his scoring (12.4 vs 16.6), shooting (40.3% vs 42.6%) and rebounding (2.0 vs 2.6) go down (interestingly though his assists went up from 6.8 to 9.0). Ever since his name was first mentioned in trade talks in November 2010, Harris felt betrayed by Avery Johnson, who he had pushed to hire. He sulked and was miserable. It was clear that something needed to be done before he poisoned the rest of the team. Luckily for the Nets they not only found a trade partner, but they were able to net Deron Williams in return. Things were suddenly bright. They had a boat load of cap space and a bonafied star.

But here is where things get dicey. Williams was unable to re-sign until January and under the new CBA who be a fool not to opt out once that date comes. He is going to be a free agent after this year. While moving to Brooklyn and being the face of the franchise is an exciting thing, Williams wants to win. He will not be sticking around if his supporting cast is not upgraded. That is the truth.

Ok, so the Nets know this. They know they need to make a splash. Aside from trading for LeBron or Wade, there is single player who could have a bigger affect on the Nets than Dwight Howard. He is the most dominant center in the game and if combined with a franchise PG, the possibilities would be endless. The problem as in the past is finalizing the deal.

Howard has made his trade request public. But unlike Carmelo, he actually wants to come to NJ (or the Lakers or Mavs). He wants to join forces with D-Will. He wants to be a member of the Brooklyn Nets. And yet somehow, for the second time in a year, the Nets were unable to make the trade. I know that after failing to convince Melo to come to the Nets, they turned around and traded for D-Will, but the difference is that NO ONE saw that Utah trade coming. No one had their feelings hurt by the Utah rumors because no one knew about them. The Melo rumors killed the team and if the Nets aren't careful, the Howard rumors are going to kill them too.

Teams are within their right to shop and inquire about players. It is part of the game, but when those talks become public and when the talks then break down, the teams need some damage control. Brook Lopez is now in a similar spot to Harris last year. He knows the team wants to replace him. He knows that they are not committing to him. He knows that he is trade bait. It is certainly an unenviable place to be in. Considering the rumors of his unhappiness with Johnson, I can't believe that this is going to end well. Once considered a cornerstone of this organization, he is coming off a disappointing year and has now been publicly disgraced. The Nets are going to need to do something - whether damage control with Lopez or somehow getting Orlando to pull the trigger.

And that leads me to the second truth: the Nets are not going to get Howard. I know that Howard wants to come here, but Orlando is asking for a ransom. Acquiring Lopez and a draft pick (plus Gerald Wallace from Portland) and shedding itself of Hedo Turkoglu's contract is not going to be enough for Orlando. They want more. And now they have another serious bidder - the LA Lakers. You know, the team with all the NBA titles; the team who's center lineage include Shaq, Kareem and Wilt; the team who just were upstaged by the Clippers; the team that can offer Gasol and/or Bynum. Yeah, the simple truth is the Nets don't have enough to keep up. They are not ready for primetime. They will not get Howard.

And finally, the last truth: the Nets, without Dwight Howard, will lose Deron Williams after the year. He will realize by game 40 that leading a team made up of Brook Lopez, Andrei Kirilenko, Anthony Morrow and 6 of his namesakes is not the situation he deserves. He will bolt and they will become miserable again. It is as simple as that.

The World Might End

I can't believe I am writing this, but I am officially in love not only with Tim Tebow, but (GULP!) Cam Newton as well. As many of you know, I am a NFL Fan Free Agent. My early life was spent loving Phil Simms and the NY Giants. After a few years of the Dave Brown experience (and seeing Simms break down physically) I decided to jump ship and go with an expansion team, the Carolina Panthers. There have been some really tough times over the years (1-15 in 2001 with the amazing Chris Weinke under center!), but I have been faithful. Last year was a little different though. The anti-Christ himself, Jimmy Clausen started 10 games, winning 1 and compiling a 58.4 rating. Johnathon Stewart and DeAngelo Williams combined for 3 rushing td's, Steve Smith led the team with 554 receiving yards and Julius Peppers was making the Pro Bowl for the Bears. In addition to having no favorite players on the team and living 4000+ miles away fantasy football has made me not care. It has affected me in ways I never expected - I now root for players from different teams and no longer have a favorite franchise.

So I officially cut ties with Carolina. Then in April when they drafted Cam Newton, I knew I made the right choice...I mean, come on, I really really disliked Cam Newton during his time in Auburn. Not only did I not believe that he was that good, but he just seemed really smug. I'm not sure what it was about him - he just was really unlikable.

Now fast forward 8 months and I officially am sold on Newton. I'm sure it's only because I own him in one of my fantasy leagues, but wow, he is totally an amazing player. Unlike other QB's who used their legs to win games in college, Newton has actually carried over that success to the pros. It is crazy, but somehow Newton is not only a threat with his legs, but he has a cannon for an arm. The dude is a freak - 6'5", 248 pounds and he can run a 4.59 40-yard. On the season he has thrown for 3573 yards and 15 td's (vs 16 int's), but has an amazing 13 rushing td's. I can't remember when the press conference was, but when asked who was the goal line back, head coach Ron Rivera emphatically stated it would be Cam Newton - not the 'franchise' RB who they had just re-signed in the offseason for $43 million or the 235 pound beast who had 10 td's in both 2008 and 2009. Nope, not DeAngelo Williams or Jon Stewart. Cam Newton was the goal line back. Rivera blatantly told teams his strategy, but yet he has 6 td's over the past 4 games. I kind of wish I hadn't cut my ties...until I realize how bad this team is. Then I remember that I can continue to like Newton from afar and not have to be a Panthers fan.

Then, there is the growing legend known as Tim Tebow. I recently wrote about him after the Detroit game, saying that I needed a few more weeks of amazing comebacks before I fully converted to the Church of Tebow. Well, after this past Sunday's game against Chicago, I am a believer. I turned the game off with 5 minutes left and Denver losing 10-0 to Chicago. There was NO WAY Denver was coming back. I went over to a family party and my brother-in-law tells me that they won. Somehow Tebow led them down the field for a td with 2 minutes left. Then after some poor clock management by Chicago, Matt Prater hit a 59 yard FG to tie and then a 51 yard FG to win it in OT. A lot of people will credit the Denver D. Some will credit Prater for crushing two clutch FG's. Some will blame Marion Barber. Me? I am officially giving credit to Tebow. Tebow has made a pact with GOD and has turned the 1-4 Broncos into a division winning 8-5 team. How else can you explain it? Through the first 55 minutes on Sunday, Tebow completed 8 of 24 passes for 106 yards. Then on the final 3 drives he went 13-16 for 130 yards and 1 td. How is it possible to suck that long and then all of a sudden pull something out of your ass? It is not humanly possible. There has to be some sort of divine intervention.

So there ya have it - I love Tim Tebow and Cam Newton. The world might be coming to an end.

The NHL is officially on notice.

That's right, the New Jersey Devils just traded 2 glorified paperweights (Rod "Nobody Calls Me the Bod" Pelley and Mark "Who?" Fraser) to the less than mighty Ducks of Anaheim County Incorporated of Los Angeles proper, CA.

The return? Defenseman Kurtis Foster and Goaltender Timo Pielmeier. That's right, minor league goalie Timo Pielmeier. Now that minor league goaltender Timo Pielmeier is in the system the Devils will stop giving up shorthanded goals and treading water at .500.

Translation: the Devils are about to start kicking ass and taking names. The rest of the league is officially on notice. All because we traded 2 guys that passed through waivers twice this year because nobody wanted them and got minor league goalie Timo Pielmeier.

What I Missed...

As many of you know by now, my last week was spent in Jersey away from the family. Apparently that time away did something to my brain as I tried to take The Incident to soccer practice this morning with no shoes on. I drove all the way to Edmonds, got out of the car to get her, noticed she had none on and then got back in the car. Apparently I forgot how to be a dad in only 6 days. Crazy.

Anyways, it seems that a lot of stuff has gone on in the past week. I have been fairly present on the blog over the past week, but definitely missed out on a lot. This is my opportunity to quickly address some of them

-I always like to lead off with Sounders' news (even in December) as we have found Keller's replacement. Oh wait, Sigi refuses to call him that. Instead, Michael Gspurning is the Sounders' new goalie. I will be honest - I had never heard of the guy (he's an Austrian playing in Greece) and have gotten all my info on him from SounderAtHeart. With that being said, I am pleasantly optimistic as it sounds like Gspurning might be able to present the team with something Keller didn't - confident play out of the back. I can't remember how many times I winced watching Kasey kick a ball played to his feet - it just wasn't a strong point of his game. If the G-Man (we learned that the G is not silent) can help start the build-up and be merely solid in the pipes, then this should be a good thing.

-Wait, so both Manchester United and Manchester City failed to make it out of the Champions League group stage, but Arsenal did? I knew City was in trouble, but I somehow missed that United was struggling. Wow, what a crazy result.

-Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson spurned the Marlins to sign with the Angels. I know I am not the only one who was shocked by this. After Pujols failed to meet the Marlins' deadline, it was assumed he would be taking the Cardinals 10 year, $220 million contract. Yet it was the Angels who swooped in to sign him for $255 million over 10 years. It is simply an amazing turn of events considering the Angels had never even been rumored as in the mix. I know Pujols has been the best player over the past 10 years, but assuming he will keep it up for the next 7 years (let alone 10 years) is a gamble (just ask A-Rod how his lat 30's are treating him). I know he is the best player in the game, but a contract like this could end up killing them, especially since their is a no-trade clause. Personally, I would have been upset had the Mets signed him for that much. As for Wilson, I think it is a perfect place for him. I don't believe he is a true #1 starter and he won't have to be in Anaheim, where Jered Weaver and Dan Haren are firmly the top two. Wilson should get 18-20 wins again as pitching third in the rotation will cover up some of his blemishes.

-UW lost a heart breaker to #11 Marquette and then by 6 to #5 Duke over the past week. Bottom line is that Huskies sit at 4-4 on the season, but I honestly think the recent results are something to be optimistic about. Marquette and Duke are quality teams and while they weren't true road games, UW did step out of it's home comfort zone and played fairly well. I think this is a young team with too much talent to miss the NCAA Tournament - it just might take a while to gel.

-David Stern stepped in to veto the three-team trade that would have sent Chris Paul to LA, Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom, Luis Scola and others to New Orleans. Apparently, many small market owners were upset that another big market team strong-armed a small market team into trading their star. I get it. It sucks, but the fact is that all three teams agreed to the trade. New Orleans can't afford to re-sign Paul at the end of the year, so they are trying to move on before the year starts. It is their prerogative to make the trade. The problem I have will the whole thing is that New Orleans is owned and run by the NBA. They have no owner. I understand that some moves need to be made in order to keep the team somewhat competitive, but this trade is one that will drastically change the league. This is Chris Paul we are talking about, not Darren Collison. I think the BA has a major conflict of interest here, but I'm not sure where to go since they do legally own the team.

-The rumor in Nets-land is that Dwight Howard is asking the Magic to trade him to the Nets after having spent some time talking to D-Will in the off-season (and after allegedly meeting against the rules with the Nets last week) about teaming up. The trade would be Howard and Hedo Turkoglu's contract for Brook Lopez and two1st round draft picks. This will be the only time I will comment until it becomes official (if at all). Obviously this would be amazing for the Nets, but they would still be a few open roster spots that they would need to fill. Howard, D-Will, Turkoglu and Morrow would be 4 of the starters, but I don't know who plays PF and who comes off the bench besides the horrible Travis Outlaw. I like Brook a lot and think it might be a good thing for him too - I have this feeling he wasn't a huge fan of Avery Johnson and think he can still be that 22/11 guy we thought he could be at one time.

-Brandon Roy retired at the age of 27. He was one of my favorite players in the league because his game was really like none other. He could have been a top-10 player if not for those terrible knees. Every time I thought about him running around with bone-on-bone friction, I cringed and prayed he would get out before he injured himself beyond repair. While he will be missed, it is the right move.

-Ryan Braun, the 2011 NL MVP, has tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. Apparently he did so a month before winning the award, and since being informed of the results, has has been disputing his case. According to Mark Fainaru-Wada and T.J. Quinn "a source close to Braun said that when he was told about the positive test, he immediately requested to be tested again. That second test, using a different sample that was tested by Braun's camp, the source said, was not positive. Those close to Braun believe that the difference between the two tests will show that the first test was invalid. Although Braun's representatives acknowledge that a non-positive test would not negate a positive one, they believe the second test shows certain anomalies that will suggest problems with the first. They declined to specify." Man, this is a bit of a shocker, although it seems like there might be something sketchy here. I am going to hold back judgment until I find more info on what the anomalies are.

-Congrats to Brad Guzan for earning his first EPL start on Saturday, a 2-1 win over Bolton. Guzan has long been the second string keeper for the US team, but has recently fallen out of favor. He has consistently failed to get any playing time in the EPL, leading many to wonder if his opportunity has passed him by. I still think he is the best option if Howard was to go down tomorrow. Maybe not in 4 years, but certainly now. I imagine he will go back to the bench once starter Shay Given returns in a month, but who knows - maybe he will force the coaches hand.

Gotta Go To Mo's

One of the underrated things about coming back to Jersey for a few days (besides being able to watch the Devils) are the Jersey version's of Modell's and Sports Authority. I'm not sure anyone really appreciates how awesome the stores are out here, but I certainly do.

You see, whereas the Seattle versions center around outdoor sports, the Jersey versions center around sports gear. Go to any Jersey store and you will see a shit-ton of fan gear from all the major teams (except the Isles of course). I'm talking hats, jackets, jerseys, shirts, sweats as well as beer coozies, playing cards, beer glasses, slippers, signed photos, coasters, magnets, Christmas ornaments and a lot of stuff I can't even remember. It's stuff you just can't find in Seattle.

Yesterday I took a trip to the second largest mall in America, the 4-story Palisades Mall in West Nyack. For those who have never been, this place has a Lowe's Theater, an ice hockey rink, a bowling alley, a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, Dave and Busters and a JC Pennys that is 3 stories high. I met my boy J-Will for lunch and he called the Food court a Food Mall because of all the choices (interestingly they had a place that specialized in Grilled Cheese sandwiches, a food that I have never seen an adult order at a restaurant).

My time spent in the Modell's at Palisades was very enjoyable. They had 2T and 3T Davd Wright jerseys and Mets jackets that would have looked great on The Incident, but I was disciplined and didn't splurge on. They also had a really beautiful Zach Parise jersey and Jose Reyes jerseys marked at only 20% off (I think they will learn that no self-respecting Mets fan will by this for anything more than 80% off). But my favorite items were some Panini sticker books. I'm not sure anyone reading this will know what they are, because the only place I had ever seen them was in South Jersey during, but they brought back some memories. basically, instead of buying cards, you bought packs of stickers and stuck them on the appropriate page. It was like having all your cards on one page to see. I was very tempted to buy one, but they only had 1 stinking pack of stickers left, which means that someone must be enjoying them.

Then I went to Sports Authority and looked at their wall of hats. It had to be 30 wide by 10 high and it was all NY sports teams. At first, it was impressive but then I noticed that you could buy Mets hats in black and white or red and white. If you have ever engaged me in a conversation before, you probably know my feelings on this, but I truly believe you need to wear your teams colors. A green or pink Mets hat is bad enough, but Mets hats in the colors of the Yanks or Phils is ABSOLUTELY UNACCEPTABLE. If you buy one of these and call yourself a fan, you should be ashamed and have your fan card taken away.

After leaving the hat section, I then began to test all the ice hockey sticks - something I did all the time as a teenager in jersey, but something I have not done once in Seattle. The only things I didn't do were try to dunk on the 8 foot hoops and test out all the workout equipment because...well, at sometime you have to grow up. (speaking of growing up, why was I so happy that they had an amazing Lego Store?)

Anyways, the trip to the mall was a good one. I was proud of myself for not blowing our budget...I survived. And yet, I put myself through the agony again the next day as I stopped into another Modell's store. I had a Mets jacket in my hand that I had every intention of buying for The Incident. I walked around the store and then decided to put it back, to instead use my money on white Castle. Two days, multiple sports stores and no purchases. I am happy that I remained disciplined, but know that if I still lived in Jersey things would be different (I'm talking discipline with buying Mets gear, but in general things would be a lot different). So while Seattle sports stores aren't as exciting as their Jersey counterparts, my wallet is thankful that I get to shop in them on a regular basis.

My grandfather passed away last Friday at the age of 96. I have spent the last few days in new Jersey trying to help my mom sort everything out with my grandmother. It has definitely been an interesting few days, but every time I get a little sad I try to think of all the good times I had with him. One of the things we always had a good time with was talking baseball. My grandfather was a Yankees fan. I obviously am a huge Mets fan.

He would wear his Yankees hat high on his head (with no curve of course) and would always ask me "Robert, did you watch the Yankees last night? They won again." To which I always said "No. I hate the Yankees." He would always laugh and then proceed to tell me about the new players on the team who he hadn't heard of. Then he would try to throw me a bone and tell me that he did actually watch the Mets the other day. At first, I think he was just kidding me, but in the previous few years, I'm pretty sure he would watch the Mets. You see, he didn't have cable and relied on the weekly Yankees games on 11 or the Mets games on 9 to watch baseball. Still, he would always carry on the old conversation and razz me about the Mets.

I opened up his closet today and on the top shelf was his Yankees hat. I took it down and thought for a split second about putting it on my head. Then I looked at the size and luckily it was a 1/4 size too small for me (thus eliminating any chance of me committing adultery) so I didn't put it on. Instead, I just held it in my hands and I couldn't help but smile. While I hate the Yankees more than the Devil himself, I was happy to be holding the hat and have since given serious thought to bringing it home. I'm not sure exactly what I would do with it if Grandma is ok with me having it, but I think it is something I want to do...and I don't think it makes me a bad fan.

Feels Like a Slap in the Face

So Jose Reyes is no longer batting leadoff for the New York Mets. He is no longer with the only franchise he has known since he was 17. He is now the newest signing of the newly named, newly rich Miami Marlins.

I had a feeling this day would come, and at times I even suggested that I would be ok with it. I feel like I have said it so many times - the Mets were in a shitty situation with Reyes. If he re-signed, his next tenure was bound to be destroyed by injuries. If he left, his tenure with his new team was bound to be highly successful. Simply put, we were damned if we do, damned if we don't.

But now that I sit here knowing that Reyes is officially leaving Flushing, I can't help but be a little sad. Not only does this symbolize the end of a once promising era, but it pretty much signifies the start of our rebuilding process. I thought that we could possibly win 80 games in 2012 and 2013...but now I think we are headed for 65 wins over the next two years (at least). Oh, and I think we trade David Wright. I know Sandy said that Reyes' status did not affect Wright's status, but come on...it obviously does.

I understand that this fan base, which can be hot and cold with players, had it's low moments with Jose Reyes. I understand that he might have been frustrated with the fans and I fully believe that players don't owe anything to the fans, but this just feels like a slap in the face. Jose, it's ok that you wanted to get paid, but to go to the Marlins, an inter-division team, is just insulting. I get that they have a new stadium and new direction. I get that Miami is close to the Caribbean, but come on. The Mets gave you the opportunity to make it to the big leagues. The Mets stuck with you when you were constantly hurt. The Mets were willing to pay you pretty decent money...and yet, it wasn't good enough. You went to the Marlins. the only worse teams would have been the Phils, Yanks and Braves. Come on, Jose.

There is No Debate

I want to be brief with this because to me there is no debate. Alabama is the second best team in the nation and deserves to be playing in the BCS Title Game. It's not the match-up that I would want - I would love to see high-flying Oklahoma go against the LSU defense - but when you look at the resumes, it's the only option.

I understand that Alabama did not win their conference, let alone their division. But in the world of the BCS, where they award at-large bids to teams who don't win their conference, you don't need to win your conference to play for the title. If you want to mandate that teams must win their conference in order to play for the title, then the BCS needs to get rid of at-large bids. It's as simple as that.

I understand that they already had their shot, but it's not like they got blown out. Everyone making this argument seems to believe that their loss was the definitive statement that they aren't worthy of a shot, but the fact remains that they lost 9-6 in Overtime to the team currently ranked #1. If this had been 1990, we would have had a tie and both teams would still be ranked 1-2. But in 2011, there must be a winner and thanks to a little bit of luck, LSU happened to get the FG in overtime. Had one play gone differently, we might be talking about Alabama being #1.

While Alabama lost by a field goal in overtime to the top ranked team in the nation, Oklahoma St, playing under difficult circumstances following the loss of the schools women's basketball head coach, lost in Ames, IA to Iowa St, a team that is 6-6 on the year. I'm sorry, but they need to win that game. They blew through all the other challenges during the season - Oklahoma, Texas, Baylor, Kansas St, but choked with the finish line in site.

If you throw out the names and conferences of the two schools in question and simply look at the resume, you see one team's only loss was to a 12-0 team while the other lost to a 6-6 team. I'm sorry folks, but it just doesn't add up. While Oklahoma St would be a more interesting opponent, Alabama is the more worthy opponent.

**

In other college football bowl news, how exciting is the Baylor-Washington game gonna be. Three weeks ago I officially backed Robert Griffin III as my Heisman candidate - now I get to see him officially shred my team's defense. Yikes.

Roger Levesque. Zach Scott.

Following Taylor Graham's retirement today, those are the only two remaining USL Sounders on the team. I'm not sure anyone would have seen that coming - surely the bets would have been on LeToux and Graham but at the end of the day, Graham could only do one thing...and he did that below average. Say what you want about Scott and Levesque, but the two continue to hold on because of their flexibility. Whether it is in the center or on the sides, Zach Scott has shown that he can fill a role. Whether it is as a forward, midfielder or defender, Roger Levesque has shown that he can fill a role. Neither are the best players in the league, but they are versatile. Versatility is a great thing in a league with a salary cap.

There are a lot of other news and rumors going on around the team. I will try to summarize them for those who get all your Sounders information from this site.

First, MLS's convoluted version of free agency, the Re-Entry Draft goes down on Monday. In a nutshell, when a team decides not to exercise an option or sign a player to an extension, the player then becomes available in a draft (because you know, free player movement is too crazy an idea right now). The Re-Entry Draft happens in two stages. In the first stage, players must be signed by the team that selected them at last year's salary (or better). Players that are not selected in Stage 1 are then available in Stage 2. At that time, teams can offer any salary to them that they feel. They have exclusive negotiating rights for a certain amount of time. If they cannot agree to a contract then they become a free agent.

Ok, so the Sounders released Nate Jaqua, Pat Noonan, Terry Boss and the aforementioned Taylor Graham. The same day, Terry Boss retired on his doctor's advice because of reoccurring concussions. I was sad to hear that it came to this, but kudos to him for stepping away before his brain turned to jelly.

As for Jaqua and Noonan being released, I'm not sure there has ever been a sentence involving those two that made more people happy. They have been punching bags for the past two years. Fans hated them and now they are gone. I personally think that they both served a role on this team and wonder if they will be missed. Again, they were not great players, but they allowed Sigi to mix and match his team late in the season without having a huge drop-off. I personally refuse to think that Nate is done - this is MLS. He can still get 5 goals a year. He just needs a change in scenery.

Moving away from the re-Entry Draft (which I personally don't think we will take part in), it appears Mauro Rosales has been re-signed, for a salary some are saying will be comparable to El Flaco and Montero. This is certainly well deserved after he received only 40k last year, but it will be tough on the salary cap. When I wrote my piece last week about not pulling the trigger on Braun for Riley, I said it would have been a straight up trade salary wise, but I forgot to mention that we actually needed to shed salary to re-sign Mauro.

I wondered what they would be doing with the Right Back position since Riley wasn't that highly priced. Some reports say they are looking at Heiner Mora, a RB from Saprissa and the Costa Rican national team. That is great, but I have to think his salary would be as much if not more than Riley's. So what gives. Well, the guys at SounderAtHeart held a chat tonight (check it out, there is a lot of great stuff in it) and suggested that Sigi will look at Evans as a possible starting RB next year. Personally, I think this makes tons of sense since the Midfield will be uber-crowded once Zakuani returns. It is possible that not only Evans would be on the bench, but Friberg as well. Finding an internal replacement for Riley not named Zach Scott would be amazing.

Also in the chat, the guys seem to indicate that Michael Gspurning is indeed going to be our starting keeper next year and that the team would be stupid to trade for Stefan Frei. (personally, I have never seen him the -play, but I really like Frei, regardless of how many goals he gave up last season). They also indicate that the team is looking at Honduras for some talent as well as keeping an eye on the Tanzanian trialist famous for his play in the Manchester UNited friendly.

I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen, but I do think that there is a lot of moves still to be made by Hanauer and company. I don't think it will be a big time signing like Nicholas Anelka or Didier Drogba, but I do see them making one final trade to gain some more financial flexibility. While they won't be giving up any of their core players, I do think there will be some movement. I do know one thing though - whatever they do, I am excited by the possibilities.

*****

Oh, and one final thing, best of luck to Arlo White in his new gig as the voice of MLS on NBC. I know he was only with the club for two years, but I am going to miss him. Even in losses, I would always go to the website Monday morning just to listen to his calls. Some of my favorite moments over the past 2 years included not just the players, but Arlo as well. He will always be etched in my memory for his calls on Fucito's stoppage time winner against KC and Montero's late game winner against Chicago.

I don't want to compare him to the legend Doc Emerick, but this is now the second announcer that NBC has stolen away from me. While I wish him the best, I can only hope that we don't get another Kevin Calabro debacle.

In Tebow I Trust?

In the NFL there are great QB's, good QB's, average QB's and below average QB's. Then there is Tim Tebow. I simply don't know where to group him because I have never seen anything like him. He is a crappy QB who somehow is winning with a less than spectacular team.

The NFL has it's share of bad QB's - Curtis Painter, Rex Grossman, Matt Moore, Tyler Palko, Tavarius Jackson - yet I might argue that Tebow is at the bottom. Have you ever seen him throw? He is terrible. Yet somehow he is winning.

In the past decade, the NFL has seen Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson, Jake Delhomme and Rex Grossman start under center in the Super Bowl. All were average QB's who played on great teams. Tebow is a below average QB on a team that drafted 2nd in the draft last year. Yet somehow he is winning.

I don't know how he is doing it but I am starting to come around on him. A few months back it would have been tough to find a bigger Tebow-hater than yours truly, yet somehow this ride he is taking us all on is doing something to me - it is capturing my imagination. Tim Tebow is not a good QB yet his team - a group of professional football players - believes in him like they are in college still. Even if he only completes 5 passes through the first 3 quarters he has instilled confidence in his teammates.

It is just amazing. After all, the Broncos changed their game plan to fit his needs. But unlike the sophisticated wishbone offenses seen in the college ranks (Army, Ga Tech, Air Force), this version of the wishbone leaves little to the imagination. Sure, there are some fake handoffs, direct snaps and reverses but at the end of the day, it's all about having the ball in Tebow's hands and letting him make decisions in the open field. The opposition knows that it is going to be Tebow all the time and yet he is still winning.

This is a team that started 1-4, traded their Pro Bowl WR and have old-man Willis McGahee as their starting tailback. In their last 4 games they have run the ball a total of 179 times (~45 times a game) while only throwing the ball 68 times (~17 times a game) for a ratio of 2:6 to 1. There is no balance and no semblance of a passing game. Opposing defenses aren't kept honest - they can play the run all day long and never be caught off guard by the pass. And when they are, Tebow throws a duck. He is a horrible passer. And yet hey continues to win.

Trust me, I don't want to believe. But when I saw San Diego settle for a 51 yard FG attempt in OT last week, I knew how the game was going to end. Novak would miss the FG. Tebow would drive Denver down the field. Matt Prater would hit the game winner. There was no doubt in my mind...and as expected, that is exactly what happened. Normally I would not buy into this - I mean, it has to be a fluke right? A few good weeks doesn't mean anything. Yet Tebow continues to do it. Aside from the blowout loss to Detroit, Tebow has been directly responsible for all wins - three fourth quarter comebacks (including 2 OT wins) and one comeback from a halftime deficit. He has not only given his team hope, but NFL fans as well. And unlike others, he has not failed yet.

I sometimes mock his image and his beliefs but I think there is something go on here (ok, the Tebow Knee is a bit too much - he is certainly overplaying it right now). He has GOD on his side. How else do you explain that a QB with a 45% completion percentage and an average of 128 yards in his 6 starts is somehow 5-1?

[ok, let's take a step back. The defense is remarkably good and the offense is not turning the ball over. In Tebow's 5 starts excluding the Detroit game, they have turned the ball over 2 times. Tebow himself has only turned it over 3 times in 7 games. It might not be pretty, but it is something the rest of the league hasn't seen yet. Not turning the ball over and winning the possession battle is winning them games]

I don't know if it will last - you have to imagine the rest of the league will catch on sometime - but if it continues for another two weeks, then I will be ALL IN. As for now, I am simply left to question my faith...in Tebow