DeShawn Stephens (23) was actually wearing Jordans when this happened. Man, the irony.
What Florida Gulf Coast's basketball team has accomplished so far in the NCAA Tournament is nothing short of amazing: Beating a highly favored and second-seeded Georgetown, becoming the first 15 seed to make the Sweet 16 (and Elite 8?!) and capturing numerous opponents' souls [see: DeShawn Stephens] in the process. Amazing. I really hope this team keeps rolling especially as they take on in-state powerhouse (and team that continuously grinds my gears) Florida.
At this point, I'm not even sure if I'm rooting for FGCU for the yearly Cinderella/David vs. Goliath storyline or for the sheer amount of dunks that they put up. Yeah, it's most likely the dunks. And the craziest part is, dunking is nothing new for this group. While I highly suggest checking out every [literally every] dunk from FGCU's 2013 Postseason (courtesy of Deadspin), you should also check out a Dunk Contest that the team held for fans earlier this season. There's some pretty jaw-dropping stuff here. Especially when you consider that these guys are probably just as well known as say, Jeremy Evans. Check it out.
So, Florida Gulf Coast, keep the streak going. If not for me and the thousands of college basketball fans that are cheering you on, then do it for Awesome Trainer Guy. He truly deserves it.
The draft started as predicted with Sam Bradford, Ndamukong Suh and Gerald McCoy going with the first three picks...but then it got a little, eh, weird. I was happy to see Eric Berry go to the Chiefs where he should make an immediate impact with two former LSU standouts in Glenn Dorsey and Tyson Jackson. Who could pass on adding THIS ↓↓ to their defense????
Yea. Dopeness. I was always a fan of Eric Berry over Taylor Mays but I thought it was a slap in the face that Seattle and Pete Carroll chose safety Earl Thomas instead of his former player. I was also surprised he didn't go to one of the four teams [excluding Detroit] to join already elite safeties. Butttt I guess his speed wasn't enough to make him a first-rounder. Oh well. I definitely like the Bills move getting C.J. Spiller with the 9th pick.
Crazy athlete, should make an immediate impact to an offense that will need it. I'm not gonna lie though, the Tebow pick by Denver was pretty much the strangest of all the picks in the first round. They actually traded UP to make it happen. I guess we'll have to wait to see if this turns out to be one of the biggest flops or steals in draft history.
Other Wins:
Joe Haden - CB / Cleveland Browns [7th]
Rolando McClain - LB / Oakland Raiders [8th]
Jason Pierre-Paul - DE / NY Jets [15th]
Derrick Morgan - DE / Tennessee Titans [16th]
Dez Bryant - WR / Dallas Cowboys [24th]
Other WTFs:
Tyson Alualu - DT / Jacksonville Jaguars [10th]
Devin McCourty - CB / New England Patriots [27th]
Kyle Wilson - CB / NY Jets [29th]
Who Knows:
Tim Tebow - QB/TE/RB/Idk / Denver Broncos [25th]
Sean Weatherspoon - LB / Atlanta [19th]
Demaryius Thomas - WR / Denver Broncos [22nd]
Biggest fail thus far has been Jimmy Clausen. Originally thought to be a top 10 pick by even Mel Kiper, he's still undrafted going into day two. Jealous'd. I was never sold on him and apparently neither were most of the NFL teams. Oh well. Maybe THIS ↓↓ picture had something to do with it...?? #cmonson
LSU Junior CB Patrick Peterson made the All-American First Team
I'm still having trouble letting go of college football. Even with this past weekend's NFL Playoff games and all of the college football coaching changes, I still kinda miss it. Only things to do now are talk about the draft and give post-season awards, I guess. With that being said, here are ESPN.com's 2009-2010 College Football All-Americans:
Note: I chose to use ESPN's All-American list because I agreed with it the most even though, truth be told, I would have had LSU's Ciron Black as an OT, Florida's Brandon Spikes as a LB and Bama's Terrence Cody as a DT. Guess I should have made my own list. For other official All-American lists check these links:
Florida and Alabama continued their dominance of the SEC this year by having 10 and 9 players on the All-SEC First and Second teams, respectively. This doesn't come as much of a surprise as the two teams finished undefeated and 1 and 2 in the SEC. LSU had 5 players make the cut. Bama also had the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year as well as Coach of the Year. [Ingram, McClain and Satan Saban]
So I guess Tebow IS human. And the only reason I have a picture of him for this post and not a jubilant Alabama team is because I REFUSE to put any pictures of Bama celebrating on my blog.
I refuse.
But even with that, good luck to the Tide. SEC superiority all day.
So yeah, I can't be the only person treating this game like the true National Championship. The SEC Championship is being played today at here in Atlanta with #1 Florida playing #2 Alabama. It's pretty hard to predict this one, but I'm going with Florida. Even without dumb ass Carlos Dunlap I think that Florida's D will be too much. McElroy hasn't really been tested on a stage like this, while Tebow has done this pretty much every year he's played. Mark Ingram's health could be an issue for Bama even though reports say he's going to play. Plus, Trent Richardson's not a bum either. I also feel like the matchup between Julio Jones and Joe Haden will be big also. But like I said, Saban and all, the Tide just won't have enough to beat Florida.
Sorry Bama fans.
But hey, at least you can sit back and imagine this actually happened...
You have been awarded the first ever Dumb Athlete of the Week Award for receiving a DUI this morning after being found passed out at a stoplight at the wheel of your Chrysler. Not only were you arrested... but FOUR DAYS before the National SEC Championship?? #comeonson And Carlos, we all know you're not a bum on the field. I mean, you were the Defensive MVP of the National Championship last year! Yikes. The University of Florida hasn't said whether or not you'll be suspended for the game, but it's pretty likely. Not only that, but it also shows poor judgement in the eyes of NFL scouts. You can't be serious, man. I have nothing else to say.
Mr. Dunlap, you, are the Dumb Athlete of the Week.
This week, college football teams around the country will showcase their special Nike Pro-Combat uniforms. Nike has completely redesigned the jerseys of 10 schools (LSU, Miami, Mizzouri, Florida State, Oklahoma, Florida, Texas, TCU, Virginia Tech and Ohio State) all the way from the helmet and jersey to the dry fits and cleats. It's a win-win for both parties since Nike gets free advertising and the players and fans get to see new jerseys. Especially for teams like LSU and Ohio State with really conservative jerseys. Not only do the jerseys add a new look to the programs but the jerseys are up to 40% lighter than the normal ones.
I mean, it might not sound like much, but these jerseys are DOPE. And don't sleep on the gloves. Each team has their logo one the palm of the gloves. Dopeness.
Miami, Mizzou, FSU Oklahoma, Florida, Texas TCU, Virginia Tech, Ohio State
In Depth looks and slogans for each school: LSU: Cochon De Lait [Pig Roast] Miami: The U Knows Mizzou: Beast Mode Florida State: Fear the Spear Oklahoma: Stake Our Claim Florida: Fear the Mission Texas: Texas Fight TCU: Don't Back Down Virginia Tech: Ut Prosim [...so that I may serve] Ohio State: Earned
I was 100% on last week's picks...except for USC getting jealous'd by Washington. We all knew that the Trojans would blow a game some time and I kinda figured after the Huskies played us so close that they were better than people thought. Anyway, on to the next one...
Game of the Week:
(9) Miami at (11) Virginia Tech - Jacory Harris vs. Tyrod Taylor. WOW. I'm goin with the Canes in this one. [ABC, 3:30]
This Week's Picks:
THE (7) LSU Tigers over Mississippi State - Duh. [ESPN 360/Peachtree TV, 12:00]
(1) Florida WAY over Kentucky. Even with a sick Tebow, the Gators are leagues ahead of UK. [ESPN2/ESPN 360, 6:00]
(2) Texas WAY over UTEP - Why elaborate??? [3:00]
(3) Bama over Arkansas - No McFadden or Felix to help the Hogs with this one. [CBS, 3:30]
(5) Penn State over Iowa - Sorry Web, payback's a bitch. [ABC, 8:00]
Upsets:
Oregon over (6) Cal - Cal barely squeeked by Minnesota last week while the Ducks are coming off a big win over (18) Utah. No LaGuerrette Brown, no problem. [ABC, 3:30]
Clemson over (15) TCU - I haven't seen much from TCU but Clemson is past due for a big game from CJ Spiller and Jacoby Ford. Plus, I don't think Kyle Parker can mess this up. [ESPN 360, 3:30]
Texas Tech over (17) Houston - Kinda weird that this is an upset, but Taylor Potts is about to go ham for Tech. [ESPN2, 9:15]
Keep an eye on:
Arizona State at (21) Georgia - I'm still not sold on Joe Cox and I don't think Mark Richt is either. He needs to perform. [ESPNU, 7:00]
Indiana at (23) Michigan - No chance for Indiana in this one, but the Wolverines are finally fun to watch again. [ESPN2, 12:00]
Notre Damn at Purdue - Tryin to see what Clausen talkin bout. [ESPN, 8:00]
McNeese State at Tulane - I might be the ONLY person that cares about this game. Shouts to Damion and Dustan
So I guess Florida's gonna be good again this year.
Tebow and the boys are on a mission to repeat as National Champs and apparently a lot of people think they will. In the Associated Press' Preseason Top 25, the Gators received 58 of 60 first place votes -- the most in the history of the poll. Hot damn. Texas got the other two first place votes but it really doesn't matter. As far as the SEC goes, Bama came in at #5, Ole Miss snuck in at #8 [overrated], LSU came in at #11 and Georgia rounded it out at #13. Not too bad. Bama has a chance to go pretty far and I feel like my Tigers are a sleeper this year but I'm not too convinced on Ole Miss and UGA. They still have a lot to prove in my opinion.
In other "Can't Get Right" news, Ryan Perriloux [the former #1 ranked QB in high school football and LSU signee] just got suspended for the season opener for his team Jacksonville State. Apparently he violated some team rules and will be forced to sit the game out. His season debut will be the following week against Florida State. Talk about wasted talent. He actually still has all the talent in the world, he's just been making really bad decisions. When I was in high school, we went against this fool in 7 on 7 and he was literally the best quarterback I've ever played against. I still feel like he can make it to the league one day if he cleans up his act and settles down some. Real talk, had he done the right thing last year he would have been our starting QB and we wouldn't have gone 8-5. But everything happens for a reason. I wish him all the best but DAMN bro.
It really didn't take me too long to make my pick for the game. I'm going with Florida for a number of reasons:
First off, Tim Tebow.
Love him, hate him, but you have to respect him. I was one of the people clowning him for that rant after the Ole Miss loss but he delivered on his vow to be the hardest working player on the hardest working team in the country.
The addition of Percy Harvin and the loss of DeMarco Murry
Percy Harvin is possibly the most dangerous offensive threat in college football and even though Florida was able to beat Florida without him, it can't hurt to have him. Now that he's 95% healthy, I'm sure that an overrated Oklahoma defense will have trouble keeping tabs on him. As far as Murry, Oklahoma has a stable of quality running backs that they could plug in his place. It's going to be on kickoff returns, where he is averaging 28 yards per return, where the Sooners will suffer.
SEC Loyalty
I'm a huge LSU fan so even rooting for Florida feels pretty weird, but it's the right thing to do. Outside of just being loyal to the conference, having a rough and challenging schedule really prepares you for games like the National Championship. Not saying the Big 12 is weak (it's not the Big 10!) but top to bottom, the SEC does well in games of this magnitude. An SEC team has won four of the last ten BCS National Championships and this game will be the fifth.
I didn't want to say his name, but Oklahoma defensive back Dominique Franks is dumb as shit. When reporters asked where Tebow would rank as a quarterback in the Big 12, he said fourth. Behind Bradford, Colt McCoy and Graham Harrell. He also said Tebow was ugly and he can't read good. Nah, he didn't but that was dumb as hell. Nobody even knows who the fuck Dominique Franks is! It's never a good idea to wake a sleeping giant. And like Skip said, I can't wait until Tebow hits the corner and Dominique Franks gets JACKED UP!! by Tebow. Oh boy.
[Note: For the record, I do not agree with mohawks. Except on this guy]
Everybody, and I mean everybody, saw this one coming. His numbers were just TOO great this year: 48 passing touchdowns to only 6 interceptions, nearly 4,500 passing yards, a 12-1 season...beastly. But what does it all mean?? Bradford and his Sooner teammates are set to face Tim Tebow and the Florida Gators on January 8th in the National Championship but does anyone remember the last time an Oklahoma Quarterback won the Heisman and then went on to play an SEC team in the Championship...?? Expect more of the same this year. Don't get me wrong, Sam Bradford is the truth. The numbers don't lie and plus he's only the second sophomore to ever win the award. The other, you ask? Mr. Tebow. I said all that to say this, congrats Mr. Bradford, but your reign on the top is going to be short like leprachauns.
It's been a crazy year for college football and now that the Tide has been ROLLED, it's time to get ready for the Bowl Game Series.
[Note: I'm not detailing all of the bowl games, just the major ones and the ones I'm watching. Owwww.]
December:
31: -MY LSU Tigers vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Chic-Fil-A Bowl. (7:30)
WTF?? How the hell did we land this one?? I know we had a disappointing year defending our 2007 National Championship, but does that deserve a pairing with Georgia Tech in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, GEORGIA?! Damn. I guess us playing in all those Sugar Bowls (7) has come back to haunt us. Even though it's essentially a home game for the Jackets, I still feel like we can beat them in their home state city.
January:
1: -UGA Bulldogs vs. Michigan State Spartans in the Capital One Bowl. (1 pm)
I was probably one of the people least surprised by Georgia's mediocre season, but it's I still have faith in them against Michigan State. Don't get me wrong, Javon Ringer could cause some problems but I feel like Stafford x Moreno x Massaquoi are even more dangerous. Plus, with this being the possible last game for these three together, I'm looking for big numbers.
-Penn State Nittany Lions vs. USC Trojans in the Rose Bowl. (4:30)
Oh damn. This might be one of the games I'm really looking forward to. USC, who has arguably more talent than any other team in the nation, is going against a Penn State team who was one loss away from the National Championship. I have to go with USC on this one. Their roster is too deep (pause) for Penn State to match up with, plus they're looking to prove that this should have been their year. Should be pretty high scoring, for USC at least.
-Cincinnati Bearcats vs. Virginia Tech Hokies in the Orange Bowl. (8:30)
This should also be a good one because I'm a fan of Tyrod Taylor. [Especially after they tried to T him]. I know that a 9-4 record from Tech doesn't jump out at you but they lost those four to some really good teams. Also, I think that Cincy might be a little bit of hype. This is the one game that I'm choosing to go with the underdog even though I'm not too sure it's gonna happen.
2: -Ole Miss Rebels vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders in the Cotton Bowl. (2 pm)
I usually go with the SEC team but...Texas Tech is gonna smash Ole Miss in this one. I could have easily seen Texas Tech in the National Championship while Ole Miss has more fluke wins than a little bit. Crabtree is about to go OFF on this overrated defense. Should be one of the more lopsided bowl games this year.
-Utah Utes vs. Alabama Crimson Tide in the Sugar Bowl. (8 pm)
This should be another one-sided game. Alabama is another team that could have been in the big dance, but fell short at the end. Utah was able to go undefeated but they really only beat two quality teams. It's hard for me to say it, but Bama fucking killed half of the [SEC] teams they played this year. Bama's gonna give Utah the business by at least 3 TD's. Yurp.
5: -Ohio State Buckeyes vs. Texas Longhorns in the Fiesta Bowl. (8 pm)
I'm not gonna miss one snap of this one. Ohio State has a lot to prove after a couple of trips to the Championship and the first year of a promising, young quarterback, a win over Texas would be huge. Texas, on the other hand, might have even more to prove. They were snubbed by the BCS and were unable to play in the Big 12 Championship, a game that would have allowed them to make it to the National Championship. Led by Heisman candidate Colt McCoy, they are one of the most dangerous teams in the country. This should be a legendary match-up of classic college football teams. But I'm taking Texas. [Sorry Wonderboy.]
8: -Florida Gators vs. Oklahoma Sooners in the FedEx National Championship. (8 pm)
The matchup of all matchups. A fast, quick striking offense facing a powerful and experienced defense. Oklahoma's record-setting offense has never seen a defense like Florida's but at the same time, Florida didn't face an offense like OU's this year. Percy Harvin should be at full strength and we've seen what happens when he is. I'm going with Florida off the strength of being an SEC team and I can't bet against Tim Tebow. I kind of wish it was Florida/Texas, but beggars can't be choosers. Hopefully after he cleans up the country a little bit, Barack will put his foot down and force a college football playoff. Only time will tell.
Should be a fucking awesome Bowl season. Bowlinnnnn'!!
This year in college football has been just as up-and-down as it has in the recent past. The #1 spot, which has not been the place to be, has been pretty good to Alabama as they've been able to hold onto it for the past few weeks. Texas Tech was able to shit on beat Oklahoma State 56-20 to stay at #2 and Texas beat Baylor to remain at #3. No real surprises here. But, the next few weeks are going to be huge for these three. Bama should coast against Mississippi State but their rivalry game against Auburn is always a big game. And not to mention these statements said by Auburn's Brad Lester. Never a good idea, yo. Especially when your team sucks. [Right Mauri??] If Bama can win these two and take down Florida in the SEC Championships, they should be more than capable of not only going to the National Championship, but they should considered the favorite. [Note: I could even go as far to call Bama/Florida the real National Championship.] Texas Tech's biggest test will be this weekend against #5 Oklahoma. The Sooners have a lot to prove after losing to a then-#5 Texas in the middle of the season. Graham Harrell's Heisman, along with a shot the National Championship, lie in Saturday's game in Norman - the biggest game in Tech history. And now, on to Texas. Despite having the distraction of a racist teammate, the Longhorns might have the easiest remaining schedule to get to the Championship. Baylor, an overrated Kansas team and Texas A&M are all that remain between Texas and the Big 12 Championship. Since the winner of that game will be Texas, Oklahoma or Texas Tech, they should be the other team in the National Championship.
With that being said, I'm going with the SEC team. Even though it burns my football soul, I'm going to go with Bama or Florida in the Championship, especially since it will be most likely be against a Big 12 team. SEC pwns.
>
And with that being said...NCAA basketball has begun!! ...and UNC is preseason #1. While that might seem like a good thing, the preseason #1 has gone on to win the NCAA Championship only 2 of the last ten years. 20%?? Can the Tar Heels beat history?? We'll see. The USA Today Top 10 as it is now:
Damn man. It was a big weekend for College Football...well, football in general. After USC got embarrassed by Oregon State, three of the top four teams in the nation lost as well. The most impressive of the upsets wasn't really much of an upset. #8 Alabama put up a HUGE [that'swhatshesaid] 31 unanswered first half against #3 Georgia en route to a 41-30 win...in Athens. [Note: The score doesn't really indicate how much Bama outplayed UGA.] Earlier Saturday, #4 Florida lost to an unranked Ole Miss team. The Rebels just looked better than Florida when it came down to it and even more noteworthy, the game was at the Swamp. Michigan rallied from a 19-0 deficit to upset #9 Wisconsin at home while Clemson got shocked (again) by Maryland [What up, Mook?!]. So much for a shot at the 'ship. After everything was said and done, nine of the top 25 teams lost and six of those losses were to unranked teams. Damn. This really shows that the level of talent in college football is growing and being spread out. There's no clear cut #1 for the second year in a row, which I think is best for college football.
At the end of the day, USC is now #9, Georgia fell to! #11, and Florida is at #12. Oh well. Oklahoma is the new #1, followed by LSU, Missouri, Alabama and Texas. [Note: I'm going by the Coaches' Poll because it has LSU the highest...]
Flicks from Saturday's games...
Hey USC, UGA, Florida, Wisconsin, Illinois, Wake Forest, Clemson, East Carolina and TCU....you loooooose!!
And speaking of upsets, how about Da Bears over the Eagles?! You loooooose!
DC|Chicago|Baton Rouge|ATL
Music Enthusiast.
asamp was right + Clan Eclectic.
Always and forever wavy. On a never-ending quest for the snooks, brews and some [good] new tunes.
