I had a full day in Eugene (driving down to ESPN's GameDay when it was still dark, and heading back after the sun had set in the evening), and while the outcome of the football game against the California Golden Bears might've been better, it was still a fun day out for being with friend and for the banter between the fans of the two closely related teams.
Yes, I headed down when it was still very dark outside, though I wasn't in such a hurry as to get there early enough to snag a front row. By the time I had made it to Eugene, the sun was rising and the crowd was roaring, I could hear them by EWEB as I made my way from my parking spot in downtown.
Found myself a decent spot in the middle of the very large crowd, estimates were about 6,000 from what I'd heard, right near the gentlemen waving an Ohio State Buckeye flag and the black Duck skull and crossbones. I guess the other sign in front of me was the one of Borat in his lime green thong, though I was only able to see that one once when it was turned around. Props to those who brought flags from L.S.U., Washington State, and U.S.C. I also noticed a homemade sign from an Arkansas Razorback sign imploring "Fire Nutt" as well as a note to Alabama fans from Texas A & M land. My two personal favorite signs were "O.J. Stole My Sign" and one of Bears quarterback Nate Longshore drinking Zima, with a pic of him and a thought balloon that said "God.........I'm soft!"
There was a LOT of drinking going on, predictably by the students, who then felt it was open season on anybody not showing support for the Ducks. Worst of those near me were the giggling pack of three frat boys who decided to vent on a couple of Cal fans. First they started in on the size of the their sign that they were waving ("You know what a small sign means, don't ya???"), to which I thought, "No, I think you're referring to drunks who have to shout down others to feel better about their own shortcomings". Then they started in on their looks, and the apparent conclusion drawn from them that these Cal guys were male cheerleaders (this was all happening in the second hour, before the main segments on the Duck/Bears game were aired to the crowd). Finally, one guy closer to the frat idiots told them to save their anger for the game, which drew various positive reactions from those unfortunate enough to be close to these boys. This idea seemed to have sunk into their thick heads a bit, or maybe it was the fact that ESPN ran the segment on Jonathan Stewart, but at least we didn't have to hear them blather on and on. Predictably, after each "witty" remark to the Cal fans, the boys would look at each other conspiratorially and giggle, which told me all that I needed to know about 'em (they wouldn't have done this crap if they were alone, and the fact that they were fueled on freakin' Bud Light!).
The game has been rehashed elsewhere, and while everybody in our section had absolute complete faith that we were going to come back and win, even after the kick off fumble and the two Dennis Dixon interceptions. Of course, Cameron Colvin's fumble was quite a shock (as was the ruling; technically a dumb rule, but it did happen just like that on the field, so they've gotta call it like that), but hats off to California for capitalizing on those mistakes, that's what good teams do.
I thought the defense played well, you can only keep players like DeSean Jackson and Justin Forsett contained for so long. Special teams were a mixed bag, punter Josh Syria had his worst kick of the season (29 yards I think) set up a Cal touchdown, though he has been absolutely great in all of his other kicks this season. I'm not sure the squib kickoffs to Cal achieved anything other than good field position for most of the game, but that's the way the coaches saw fit to play it.
It was still an exciting game of two evenly matched teams with connections between the programs, it was good to see that the rain held off until after the game was over. Relaxing for dinner at a joint that didn't have the Beaver game on, I had heard on the radio once I got back to my car after the Duck game that Oregon State had a 14-0 lead early on; imagine my surprise to hear that they wound up losing 40-14, leading me to call my mother who was working at Reser to find out exactly what in the world had happened. She relayed the sad information to me, and noting that it was now dark outside, the time had come for me to call it a day.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Marlins 8 Mets 1: Karmic Payback For '69,'73 and Game Six?
Photo is from today's NY DAILY NEWSPayback is a bitch, as has been said a couple of times, and apparently the bill was due today for the New York Mets, who, in absolute dire need of a win, played just a mere half inning of cringe-worthy baseball in the top of the first inning, and allowed the Florida Marlins 7 runs and granted the visitors their desires to play spoiler to somebody's post-season party. This was more than enough to bury the anemic hitting Mets, yesterday's 13 run outburst obviously the exception to the late September rule.
If the late season meltdown was to be completed to its grim conclusion, then I would've really liked to have had been able to view the SNY broadcast. Gary Cohen's critical analysis of the situation, combined with the commentary from two members of another underachieving team, Keith Hernandez and Ron Darling from the 1988 Mets squad, would have preferable to FauxFlorida broadcast team of Rich Waltz, who's not been missed in this area since his days with FauxSportsSeattle, and Tommy Hutton.
Of course the Phillies won today, so they can say that they didn't back into the title (actually, they played extremely good baseball over the last month of the season, and fully deserve credit for being able to get back to the place they found themselves in starting today.)
The boos for the Mets in the bottom of the ninth inning were loudest for shortstop Jose Reyes, who completed the day 0 for 5, and wound up the season hitting .280, a big disappointment as he was hitting over .300 for the majority of the year, though to his credit he did exhibit more patience at the plate and drew almost as many walks this year (77) as he did in the previous two seasons combined (27 in '05 and 53 in '06).
The late season swoon of Reyes isn't the only thing to point to, the age of some key players (Green, Alou, Glavine, Martinez, Delgado, etc) and the mess that the pitching staff became are are other issues to consider, so at first glance, I'd be inclined to say, at this time, that maybe one third of this year's team won't be back next year.
The good news is that I wont' have to spend much time watching baseball this October, and can instead focus on the shortcomings of Tottenham Hotspur in the EPL instead. Oh, life is grand indeed. Sheesh.
coup de grâce for the season
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Mets 13 Marlins 0: Don't Do This To Me
Just back from Eugene to find out that the Mets, no longer looking from a hilltop, blasted the Florida Marlins 13-0 today as John Maine pitches one-hit ball for 7 and a third innings, there was a fight between Jose Reyes and Miguel Oliva, and that the Phillies and Padres lost to tighten things up. The Mets and Phils tied for the N.L. east lead ( and with both a game behind the Padres for the wild card), and it was the Phillies turn, as division leaders, to bumble around with the baseball defensively as they lost 4-2 to the Washington Nationals.
I'm totally drained after a long day of football, so more will be added tomorrow, but it now looks as if there is a possibility of a four way tie for the N.L. wild card. Well, the only thing to say is.........Let's Go Mets!
I'm totally drained after a long day of football, so more will be added tomorrow, but it now looks as if there is a possibility of a four way tie for the N.L. wild card. Well, the only thing to say is.........Let's Go Mets!
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Cardinals 3 Mets 0: All Tied Up
The Mets lose, again, by finding themselves limited to just three hits. Those hits were given up by a Seattle Mariners cast-off, Joel Pineiro, who pitched eight innings, plus one inning by closer Jason Isringhausen. The Mets did not get a hit past the fifth inning, and the last 13 batters were set down in a row to end the game. Held scoreless and looking very ineffective on the offensive end, by freakin' Joel Pineiro, now that's gotta leave a bad taste in the Mets collective mouth, though thankfully the Mets bullpen did not implode in this game as has been the case so often the past two weeks. Always look on the bright side of things, we were told by Monty Python. That's my grasp at doing so tonight.
The Phillies have just closed out there game with the Braves by a 6-4 score, and now it is all tied up atop the National League East. No harm in saying that this team doesn't deserve to make the playoffs, which it very well may not if the Padres continue their winning ways and claim the wild card spot. Sigh.
BOX SCORE
The Phillies have just closed out there game with the Braves by a 6-4 score, and now it is all tied up atop the National League East. No harm in saying that this team doesn't deserve to make the playoffs, which it very well may not if the Padres continue their winning ways and claim the wild card spot. Sigh.
BOX SCORE
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Nationals 9 Mets 6: Season On The Brink
The Mets blew yet another large lead in their loss to the Washington Nationals tonight, 9-6, as they continue their spectacular effort to give away the division lead in the National League east. Combined with the Phillies victory over the Braves, this puts their lead down to just one game, the smallest margin since sometime in May.
Two home runs by Carlos Beltran and one by Moises Alou early on were not enough to stake rookie pitcher Philip Humber, making his major league starting debut in the middle of this heated pennant race, to a victory. Manager Willie Randolph removed him with a 6-2 lead in the fifth with two on and zero outs, but reliever Joe Smith was tonight's bullpen arsonist as the Nats put up 5 in the inning to give the visitors the lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Mets could muster no serious offensive rally after that, and even the return of Orlando Hernanadez could not really energize the deep faith in their fans that this team would rally to win this game. The appearance of Billy Wagner for the top of the ninth with the Mets still trailing by just one run could not instill that confidence either, as the Nats struck for 2 more runs to seal the game on this night.
About the only small bit of comfort I'm getting is that several other playoff contending teams are struggling with the same things that the Mets are, and there is still a small voice nagging away at the back of my head telling me that if the Mets just somehow make it to the playoffs, then their chances are just as good as anybody else's. That's true to a point, I'll admit, but I do hope that's not just a major case of wishful thinking on my part; all evidence since September 12th, when the Mets were 21 games over .500, to the contrary. Since that date, the Mets have lost 9 of 13, and of those losses, they've blown leads in six of them, most of those losses having allowed one big inning to the opponent, when either the pitching or defense leaves the team high and dry. To be fair, the Mets have also rallied for two victories in that time, but seeing as how they came against the Florida Marlins, the worst team in the division, in the series before this, I'm also not building a whole lot of confidence for the last few days, other than the fact that the Mets end the season with the Marlins at Shea this weekend.
The good news, for tonight anyway, and unless the Mets find themselves in a race for the wild card, is that the Padres, who have a one game lead over the Phillies in that race, are leading the Giants 2-1 in the fifth inning. This game is also noteworthy in that it marks the San Francisco finale for some guy named Barry Bonds.
METS BOXSCORE
Two home runs by Carlos Beltran and one by Moises Alou early on were not enough to stake rookie pitcher Philip Humber, making his major league starting debut in the middle of this heated pennant race, to a victory. Manager Willie Randolph removed him with a 6-2 lead in the fifth with two on and zero outs, but reliever Joe Smith was tonight's bullpen arsonist as the Nats put up 5 in the inning to give the visitors the lead they wouldn't relinquish.
The Mets could muster no serious offensive rally after that, and even the return of Orlando Hernanadez could not really energize the deep faith in their fans that this team would rally to win this game. The appearance of Billy Wagner for the top of the ninth with the Mets still trailing by just one run could not instill that confidence either, as the Nats struck for 2 more runs to seal the game on this night.
About the only small bit of comfort I'm getting is that several other playoff contending teams are struggling with the same things that the Mets are, and there is still a small voice nagging away at the back of my head telling me that if the Mets just somehow make it to the playoffs, then their chances are just as good as anybody else's. That's true to a point, I'll admit, but I do hope that's not just a major case of wishful thinking on my part; all evidence since September 12th, when the Mets were 21 games over .500, to the contrary. Since that date, the Mets have lost 9 of 13, and of those losses, they've blown leads in six of them, most of those losses having allowed one big inning to the opponent, when either the pitching or defense leaves the team high and dry. To be fair, the Mets have also rallied for two victories in that time, but seeing as how they came against the Florida Marlins, the worst team in the division, in the series before this, I'm also not building a whole lot of confidence for the last few days, other than the fact that the Mets end the season with the Marlins at Shea this weekend.
The good news, for tonight anyway, and unless the Mets find themselves in a race for the wild card, is that the Padres, who have a one game lead over the Phillies in that race, are leading the Giants 2-1 in the fifth inning. This game is also noteworthy in that it marks the San Francisco finale for some guy named Barry Bonds.
METS BOXSCORE
Thursday, September 20, 2007
Yes Way, Says Jose
Now that the news of the departure, and subsequent contract settlement, of former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has settled a bit some 24 hours later, and though the shockwaves will continue to reverberate for quite awhile, I've already realized I'm gonna miss the guy.
Sure he's a bit prickly and abrasive, as I'm sure lots of Liverpool fans will attest to, but I've always kinda admired the directness he often took with the British press, though I've also always had the feeling that sometimes even Jose didn't really know what he was gonna say before he said it. THROWING HIS CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS INTO THE STAMFORD BRIDGE CROWD upon repeating as league champions was refreshing to see; I could never see the dour Arsene Wenger, for example, doing such a thing.
One of my fave Jose clips, it's about Sir Alex Ferguson, the referees, and bad bottles of wine. Good luck Jose.
Sure he's a bit prickly and abrasive, as I'm sure lots of Liverpool fans will attest to, but I've always kinda admired the directness he often took with the British press, though I've also always had the feeling that sometimes even Jose didn't really know what he was gonna say before he said it. THROWING HIS CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS INTO THE STAMFORD BRIDGE CROWD upon repeating as league champions was refreshing to see; I could never see the dour Arsene Wenger, for example, doing such a thing.
One of my fave Jose clips, it's about Sir Alex Ferguson, the referees, and bad bottles of wine. Good luck Jose.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Remain calm! All is well!!!
Thank you to Kevin Bacon's Animal House character for putting the feelings of Mets fans into words, especially over the last week. Nobody can quite believe what's been happening, especially with the current fiasco that is the series with the Washington Nationals. Six errors in one game? The drama queens from Queens have probably spiked the sales of antacids and alcohol amongst their fans, a month's worth of sales squeezed into just one week.
The Mets currently lead the Nationals 7-3 in the top of the seventh, but with their bullpen back to "very shaky" status, I won't relax until the Mets put up another dozen or so.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Oregon 52 Fresno State 21; Running Wild Again
"You can never have enough rushing yards" or words to that effect from Ducks head coach Mike Belotti in the aftermath of yesterday's thrashing of the Fresno State Bulldogs have remained in my thoughts ever since I came across them earlier today (can't recall exactly where he was quoted in saying that, probably was the Register-Guard though).
Once again, the Ducks ran for over 300 yards, including an electrifying (and Autzen Stadium record) 88-yard dash by Jonathan Stewart, to lead the way to a satisfying all-around team victory over a team that's given Oregon fits over the last decade or so.
Quarterback Dennis Dixon had another great game, and while his passing stats may not have been as gaudy as in the game last week at Michigan, there really was no to test the Fresno defensive secondary much, for the Ducks defense responded with some key plays to pave the way to a dizzying 42-14 halftime lead. Walter Thurmond III had a fumble return for a touchdown, and nearly had another one on an interception. Patrick Chung, who caused the fumble that Thurmond scored upon, was as usual all over the place making plays. Safety Matthew Harper was also a standout, the fourth down play when he upended the Bulldog running back as they were attempting to mount a comeback had the people in my section standing on their feet (okay, most everybody else in the stadium reacted the same way as well, but it was still a key play).
Not much to complain about, other than some stupid penalties (can't quite recall so many rarely-heard about rules being enforced, especially in the first half), and when the biggest gripes were about Fresno State converting on a 3 and 13 play with a 14 yard run straight up the middle, well then life is not too bad at all, though Bulldog tight end Bear Pascoe proved to be quite a handful in the middle of the field.
What with Oregon continuing to score so many touchdowns quickly, either via a long-yardage play, or to a short field created by an opportunistic defense, the Ducks are now 106th (out of 119 teams) in terms of time of possession, which might possibly be an area of concern farther down the road as defenses begin to try to figure out offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's ideas. Still, the Ducks have done a pretty good job in moving the football when they have to, and the credit for that has to go to the offensive line. It seems to me that the one failed series early on when the Ducks lost 17 yards on three consecutive plays was when that protection failed, though watching the replay it looked next to impossible for even the elusive Dixon to elude the Bulldog rush.
One last note: I really hope that wide receiver Garren Strong will soon be on the scoring end of a pass from Dixon, the senior has yet to find his way to the endzone, yet is often one of the first receivers to catch a ball during the game, usually when the defensive intensity is sometimes the highest in terms of emotion. He's also a good down-field blocker, so he deserves to be rewarded for his work over his career.
Also, Ron Darling gave the Ducks some props today on the SNY broadcast of the Phillies at Mets today because of his relationship with a Duck fan; that was nice, though the most amusing part of the broadcast was Gary Cohen singing the Fordham fight song on-air because he lost a bet on the outcome of the Columbia at Fordham college football game.
ESPN RECAP
Once again, the Ducks ran for over 300 yards, including an electrifying (and Autzen Stadium record) 88-yard dash by Jonathan Stewart, to lead the way to a satisfying all-around team victory over a team that's given Oregon fits over the last decade or so.
Quarterback Dennis Dixon had another great game, and while his passing stats may not have been as gaudy as in the game last week at Michigan, there really was no to test the Fresno defensive secondary much, for the Ducks defense responded with some key plays to pave the way to a dizzying 42-14 halftime lead. Walter Thurmond III had a fumble return for a touchdown, and nearly had another one on an interception. Patrick Chung, who caused the fumble that Thurmond scored upon, was as usual all over the place making plays. Safety Matthew Harper was also a standout, the fourth down play when he upended the Bulldog running back as they were attempting to mount a comeback had the people in my section standing on their feet (okay, most everybody else in the stadium reacted the same way as well, but it was still a key play).
Not much to complain about, other than some stupid penalties (can't quite recall so many rarely-heard about rules being enforced, especially in the first half), and when the biggest gripes were about Fresno State converting on a 3 and 13 play with a 14 yard run straight up the middle, well then life is not too bad at all, though Bulldog tight end Bear Pascoe proved to be quite a handful in the middle of the field.
What with Oregon continuing to score so many touchdowns quickly, either via a long-yardage play, or to a short field created by an opportunistic defense, the Ducks are now 106th (out of 119 teams) in terms of time of possession, which might possibly be an area of concern farther down the road as defenses begin to try to figure out offensive coordinator Chip Kelly's ideas. Still, the Ducks have done a pretty good job in moving the football when they have to, and the credit for that has to go to the offensive line. It seems to me that the one failed series early on when the Ducks lost 17 yards on three consecutive plays was when that protection failed, though watching the replay it looked next to impossible for even the elusive Dixon to elude the Bulldog rush.
One last note: I really hope that wide receiver Garren Strong will soon be on the scoring end of a pass from Dixon, the senior has yet to find his way to the endzone, yet is often one of the first receivers to catch a ball during the game, usually when the defensive intensity is sometimes the highest in terms of emotion. He's also a good down-field blocker, so he deserves to be rewarded for his work over his career.
Also, Ron Darling gave the Ducks some props today on the SNY broadcast of the Phillies at Mets today because of his relationship with a Duck fan; that was nice, though the most amusing part of the broadcast was Gary Cohen singing the Fordham fight song on-air because he lost a bet on the outcome of the Columbia at Fordham college football game.
ESPN RECAP
Spurs 1 Ars* 3
I don't want to hear that Spurs still have the same number of points as they did last year at the same time, the loss yesterday at White Hart Lane is just another backward step in what was supposed to be a season of continued progress.
This will be brief, because "I am depressed" (to quote the late great Slim Pickens), but the good points were Gareth Bale's stunning free kick to give Spurs the early lead, and some heads (and hands) up play from goalie Paul Robinson, who thwarted a few chances away to give the home side the illusion that if they just dug in and continued to battle the way they did in the first half, the three points would soon be theirs.
The bad points: Robinson made a mistake on the first allowed goal, on a set piece naturally, and all of the pre-season money spent on additional strikers came to naught as Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Bent, and Robbie Keane all squandered golden scoring chances to put the match away. When combined with the two admittedly fine shots from from the visitors midway through the second half, it all adds up to another frustrating afternoon for Spurs fans. There is no other way to sugarcoat it, but it does appear that manager Martin Jol's future at the club is really in jeopardy now, the poor second half showing against the club's fiercest rival has to be considered the fatal blow to his chances to remain in charge.
SPURS RECAP
This will be brief, because "I am depressed" (to quote the late great Slim Pickens), but the good points were Gareth Bale's stunning free kick to give Spurs the early lead, and some heads (and hands) up play from goalie Paul Robinson, who thwarted a few chances away to give the home side the illusion that if they just dug in and continued to battle the way they did in the first half, the three points would soon be theirs.
The bad points: Robinson made a mistake on the first allowed goal, on a set piece naturally, and all of the pre-season money spent on additional strikers came to naught as Dimitar Berbatov, Darren Bent, and Robbie Keane all squandered golden scoring chances to put the match away. When combined with the two admittedly fine shots from from the visitors midway through the second half, it all adds up to another frustrating afternoon for Spurs fans. There is no other way to sugarcoat it, but it does appear that manager Martin Jol's future at the club is really in jeopardy now, the poor second half showing against the club's fiercest rival has to be considered the fatal blow to his chances to remain in charge.
SPURS RECAP
Thursday, September 13, 2007
Worst Case For Oden Is Here
Not much to add (yet) to the collective wincing around this state when the news emerged just before noon that the Blazers #1 draft pick Greg Oden is likely to miss the entire upcoming season after having had microfracture surgery on his right knee earlier today. Jim Rome happened to mention the "bad news for Blazers fans" toward the end of his show today, and I know that when the Blazers selected Oden, with the hopes of having a dominant big man a lá Bill Walton, none of us were really expecting that injury bug to resurrect itself now. Sigh.
BLAZERS NEWS STORY
EDIT ON SEP.16.....I purposely did not want to mention a certain Blazer draft pick, but there is a good ESPN article ABOUT SAM BOWIE'S THOUGHTS ON ODEN that was published on Friday.
BLAZERS NEWS STORY
EDIT ON SEP.16.....I purposely did not want to mention a certain Blazer draft pick, but there is a good ESPN article ABOUT SAM BOWIE'S THOUGHTS ON ODEN that was published on Friday.
Saturday, September 08, 2007
Oregon 39 Michigan 7; Perfect Scenario Played Out
Have to admit that the first half of this game in Ann Arbor played out like it might've in a dream, one which even I wasn't totally prepared to acknowledge (for the record, my pre-game pick had Michigan winning 38-34).
Yes, we figured that the Wolverines would show up determined to prove that last week was an aberration, and for much of the first half, they moved the ball well against the Ducks defense, giving up over 300 yards in that span. However, as Duck fans recall from last year, turnovers deep in enemy territory are not conducive to victories, and the Duck defense stepped it up to force those when needed, aside from the first touchdown of the game, a touchdown pass from Chad Henne to Adrian Arrington that gave the home side a 7-3 lead in the latter stages of the first quarter. It was exciting to see that Dennis Dixon continued to make progress, and the big play on the field, as on the ensuing Duck possession, he hit Brian Paysinger in stride for a perfect 85 yard touchdown pass down the left side that, when combined with the two-point conversion, gave the Ducks an 11-7 lead, a lead which would never be relinquished.
The Ducks ran roughshod over the Wolverines in the second quarter, with shocking ease to the fans of the maize and blue, and to the disgust of Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English, who did not look very happy at all. The game was over, for all intents and purposes, by halftime.
The Ducks were finally forced to punt with their first couple of second half possessions. However, the ineffectiveness of the passing game of Henne, who also suffered a leg injury, resulted in the installation of freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett. The combination of the untested QB combined with having to get away, because of the large deficit, from the one offensive bright spot for the Wolverines, running back Mike Hart, indeed proved too much to overcome.
I'm extremely happy the Ducks won, I thought the Ducks would be able to put up quite a few yards and points with no problem, but I also figured the Wolverines, especially on the defensive side of the ball, would show some progress in handling the spread offense. Instead, they looked worse, much worse, than the previous week.
Not much to complain about on the Ducks side of things, other than giving up too many third down conversions early on, but as the defense settled in and allowed only the one early score, those concerns were set aside for awhile. The test next week, against a Fresno State team that lost in triple overtime at Texas A & M tonight, should be a good one; let's hope the team recalls what happened the last time that Oregon beat Michigan. I am absolutely sure coach Belotti and the staff will remind one and all of that fact.
Don't think my aunt and cousin (Michigan people through and through) are gonna relish talking to me at the next family get together, I'll go easy on 'em as they're some of my favourite relatives, they're much more tolerable than all of the Beaver fans in this area. Besides, how sweet was the CINCINNATI ROMP OVER THE BEAVERS ON THURSDAY NIGHT?. Cheers to all concerned parties.
ESPN RECAP
Yes, we figured that the Wolverines would show up determined to prove that last week was an aberration, and for much of the first half, they moved the ball well against the Ducks defense, giving up over 300 yards in that span. However, as Duck fans recall from last year, turnovers deep in enemy territory are not conducive to victories, and the Duck defense stepped it up to force those when needed, aside from the first touchdown of the game, a touchdown pass from Chad Henne to Adrian Arrington that gave the home side a 7-3 lead in the latter stages of the first quarter. It was exciting to see that Dennis Dixon continued to make progress, and the big play on the field, as on the ensuing Duck possession, he hit Brian Paysinger in stride for a perfect 85 yard touchdown pass down the left side that, when combined with the two-point conversion, gave the Ducks an 11-7 lead, a lead which would never be relinquished.
The Ducks ran roughshod over the Wolverines in the second quarter, with shocking ease to the fans of the maize and blue, and to the disgust of Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English, who did not look very happy at all. The game was over, for all intents and purposes, by halftime.
The Ducks were finally forced to punt with their first couple of second half possessions. However, the ineffectiveness of the passing game of Henne, who also suffered a leg injury, resulted in the installation of freshman quarterback Ryan Mallett. The combination of the untested QB combined with having to get away, because of the large deficit, from the one offensive bright spot for the Wolverines, running back Mike Hart, indeed proved too much to overcome.
I'm extremely happy the Ducks won, I thought the Ducks would be able to put up quite a few yards and points with no problem, but I also figured the Wolverines, especially on the defensive side of the ball, would show some progress in handling the spread offense. Instead, they looked worse, much worse, than the previous week.
Not much to complain about on the Ducks side of things, other than giving up too many third down conversions early on, but as the defense settled in and allowed only the one early score, those concerns were set aside for awhile. The test next week, against a Fresno State team that lost in triple overtime at Texas A & M tonight, should be a good one; let's hope the team recalls what happened the last time that Oregon beat Michigan. I am absolutely sure coach Belotti and the staff will remind one and all of that fact.
Don't think my aunt and cousin (Michigan people through and through) are gonna relish talking to me at the next family get together, I'll go easy on 'em as they're some of my favourite relatives, they're much more tolerable than all of the Beaver fans in this area. Besides, how sweet was the CINCINNATI ROMP OVER THE BEAVERS ON THURSDAY NIGHT?. Cheers to all concerned parties.
ESPN RECAP
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Way To Salvage The Road Trip, Mets, Sweep And Bury Them Braves
EVERY SINGLE TIME this season that the Mets lead in the National League East has dwindled to a couple of games or so, usually at the hand of losing a series to either the Phillies or the Braves, the Mets have responded well to these challenges by coming together as a team and taking care of business.
After the disastrous four game sweep at the hand of the Phillies that ended last Thursday, a series full of pitching mishaps, well-meaning baserunners, and missed opportunities at the bat galore, the Mets limped into Atlanta to face the Braves, and if the Mets had any inclination to roll over and let those clowns down in Philly take the division lead, they were put aside by a wonderful pitching performance from the staff who, very recently, were the ones who couldn't throw a strike to save their jobs. A shocking statistic today from the series, in which the Mets outscored the the Braves 15-4, was that of the 14 hits the managed in the series, only one, a double by Brian McCann in the bottom of the ninth in today's game, was the only extra base hit of the series; it's kinda hard to score a lot of runs on singles, walks and errors.
That McCann double which opened the home half, was given up Billy Wagner, the closer under fire for blowing saves left and right as of late. The Mets lead was 3-1 at that point, but it took some slick defense to hold the Braves to just one run, particularly by first baseman Carlos Delgado on a bunt by Pete Orr between first base and the pitching mound. Delgado charged the ball and fired the ball to pick off Kelly Johnson, who had singled in the runner, created by McCann's hit, to bring the Braves to a 3-2 deficit with none out. A couple of ground balls to second base later, and the Mets hold on to claim a rare series sweep down in Atlanta, a sweep made all of the better by the fact that the Phillies lost to the Florida Marlins for the second day in a row, blowing a 5-0 lead to lose 7-6 to the Fish, their ninth inning rally just not quite enough, and while they finished their series with the Mets trailing by just two games on Thurday, as of now on Sunday evening they find themselves behind by four games, with the Braves a distant third at 7 and a half games.
No matter that while the Braves and Phillies may fight over the rights to who dominates the Mets better (until this series at least), the fact that these teams have made NO INROADS WHATSOEVER in totally overtaking the Mets is no surprise; apparently that's the main focus of both teams seasons. Well, congratulations on that front, I suppose, Mets fans will probably be laughing in a month when they're sitting home for the playoffs, yet mumbling to themselves, "Bastards.........we won the season series! How the hell can they be in the playoffs? " Too bad, so sad.
METS RECAP
After the disastrous four game sweep at the hand of the Phillies that ended last Thursday, a series full of pitching mishaps, well-meaning baserunners, and missed opportunities at the bat galore, the Mets limped into Atlanta to face the Braves, and if the Mets had any inclination to roll over and let those clowns down in Philly take the division lead, they were put aside by a wonderful pitching performance from the staff who, very recently, were the ones who couldn't throw a strike to save their jobs. A shocking statistic today from the series, in which the Mets outscored the the Braves 15-4, was that of the 14 hits the managed in the series, only one, a double by Brian McCann in the bottom of the ninth in today's game, was the only extra base hit of the series; it's kinda hard to score a lot of runs on singles, walks and errors.
That McCann double which opened the home half, was given up Billy Wagner, the closer under fire for blowing saves left and right as of late. The Mets lead was 3-1 at that point, but it took some slick defense to hold the Braves to just one run, particularly by first baseman Carlos Delgado on a bunt by Pete Orr between first base and the pitching mound. Delgado charged the ball and fired the ball to pick off Kelly Johnson, who had singled in the runner, created by McCann's hit, to bring the Braves to a 3-2 deficit with none out. A couple of ground balls to second base later, and the Mets hold on to claim a rare series sweep down in Atlanta, a sweep made all of the better by the fact that the Phillies lost to the Florida Marlins for the second day in a row, blowing a 5-0 lead to lose 7-6 to the Fish, their ninth inning rally just not quite enough, and while they finished their series with the Mets trailing by just two games on Thurday, as of now on Sunday evening they find themselves behind by four games, with the Braves a distant third at 7 and a half games.
No matter that while the Braves and Phillies may fight over the rights to who dominates the Mets better (until this series at least), the fact that these teams have made NO INROADS WHATSOEVER in totally overtaking the Mets is no surprise; apparently that's the main focus of both teams seasons. Well, congratulations on that front, I suppose, Mets fans will probably be laughing in a month when they're sitting home for the playoffs, yet mumbling to themselves, "Bastards.........we won the season series! How the hell can they be in the playoffs? " Too bad, so sad.
METS RECAP
Crazy Birthday Weekend: Spurs, Ducks, Mets & Death
The arrival of my birthday each late August heralds the start of another college football season a couple of days later, as well as the Labor Day weekend itself, making this time of year a wonderful time for myself and my friends and family.
Got up at 7 a.m. to catch Fulham hosting Spurs fully expecting a resurgent Spurs side to shellac an injury-plagued home side, which is what I got for the first half anyway. Fulham looked very shaky at the back the entire half, and Younes Kaboul made them pay early on with a tap in on a failed clearance from the box. Dimitar Berbatov added a second goal midway through the half, on a great pass from Keane, ending with a strong blast of a shot from the right side that goalie Antti Niemi had little chance of stopping.
As is usual, especially with leads, Spurs found themselves in some dangerous positions at close range, and goalie Paul Robinson watched one shot fly over the bar, taken at point blank range. The usual "fail to mark someone on a set piece" concern manifested itself late in the first half, when Clint Dempsey headed one home off of a corner (actually, I'm kinda glad Dempsey scored, I always want U.S. players overseas to do well, and with the confident way the Spurs were marching across the field, surely a 2-1 lead halftime would hold).
It was at this point that I left for the Duck game in Eugene, and thus spared the shock of watching live as Spurs throw away two valuable points. I did enjoy the replay of Gareth Bale's first Spurs goal to pad the lead, but the deflected goal that Fulham's Alexey Smertin got that pulled the home side to within 3-2, in combination with the bicycle kick that Diomansy Kamara nailed to tie it, just as regulation time was ending, were the type of goals that make lesser men throw things at other things.
Made it down to Eugene in time to get together with the usual crew to remember those like us who had passed away in the last year, and the slightly sombre tone was accented by the not-unexpected phone call from my mother about her mother, who had passed away early on Saturday morning. As noted, this was an event for which we were all preparing ourselves, though it's still hard when the actual phone call comes in, and one looks at the caller ID, and grimaces cause one knows what's about to be said. Thank you for helping to make such great memories of you and your house, grandma, you are already missed.
I got the call just as I was walking in to Autzen, so that kept me on the quiet side of things for awhile (the sun beating down relentlessly on us northsiders took its toll after awhile as well).
The Ducks played the Houston Cougars, finishing a home and home series begun in 2005,
and most of the Duck fans were aware of one Anthony Alridge, a speedy back who had 95 carries for 959 yards in 2006, over ten yards a touch. That's still a heckuva average, even in Conference USA, so we knew the Ducks "D" would be in for a long time, the memories of Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson running riot last year still fresh in our minds.
The Ducks got off to a good start on both sides of the ball and grabbed a 14-0 lead with most of the first quarter gone, though the Cougars got a touchdown back just before it had ended. It was nice to see that Matt Evenson could nail a couple of field goals from beyond 40 yards, always a great option to have when the offense bogs down for whatever reason.
Houston alternated quarterbacks like the Ducks did last year, and I thought that the Cougar offense began to click when Case Keenum was on the field. Regardless of who the QB was, the ball was thrown around the field very efficiently to a number of receivers, sometimes for short gains, but those short passes were always just enough to get another first down. Of course, handing the ball of to #22 Aldridge wasn't a bad way to go either, and when the Duck offense began to sputter, the Cougars began to take advantage of getting the ball back so quickly.
The biggest factor as to why Oregon won the game though was turnovers, plain and simple. Two fumbles and two very key interception totally negated whatever total yard advantage that Houston had up to that point. Patrick Chung stepped up and made a huge pick in the endzone when the score was tied at 20 late in the third quarter, with the visitors having all of the momentum going their way. That pick set up the first good drive that the Ducks had had since the first quarter, ending in a wonderful 29 yard pass from Dennis Dixon to Brian Paysinger that set the Ducks on their way to a victory. The people in my section could see the play develop and were all wondering if Dixon could see it unfold as well. It was a great pass, and we were all thinking that Dixon probably wouldn't have made that pass last year, especially in the latter stages of the season.
The defense responded with a quick three and out, the first they'd had for quite awhile, and then blocked a punt deep in Cougar territory to set up another quick strike to build the lead to 34-20 in the waning minutes of the third quarter. The Cougars then threw a screen pass to the dependable Aldridge, who took the ball 86 yards down the right side to put the visitors right back in the game. Dixon took it upon himself on the next play, and when just about everybody in the stadium was expecting Jonathan Stewart to get the ball, Dixon kept it for himself and ran 80 yards down that same side to put the Ducks up again by two scores. The Ducks added another score early to the fourth to finish the scoring for the game.
Didn't hear too many quibbles about the play calling from new coordinator Chip Kelly, though I do recall one key third and long opportunity when the play was a sideline screen to Paysinger, who then took it upon himself to get the yardage for first down; when he caught the ball, I recall thinking that he had no chance to get that yardage at all, so kudos to Paysinger for that play.
The defense wasn't particularly great, though it made some plays when it absolutely had to, but there were still too many third and long conversions for most peoples liking, The special teams were fine, though they gave it up on kick coverage a couple of times.
Kept up with the Mets as best as I could, and I am not surprised in the least that once the division lead got down to two games following the disastrous four-game trip in Philadelphia that the Mets would respond with wins when the team absolutely HAD TO HAVE ONE, but I'll try to recap their whole week later on. Right now, I'm burnt to a crisp physically and emotionally.
FULHAM/SPURS RECAP
DUCKS/COUGARS RECAPS
COUGARS GIFT GIVING
Can't forget the other big news for the day: APPALACHIAN STATE BEATING MICHIGAN and NOTRE DAME GETTING THEIR ASSES KICKED. Could be bad for the Ducks next weekend when they travel to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines, but it should be an entertaining game as both teams try to improve the weaknesses on display in week one.
Might as well bring this classic video back to life, Appalachian State is indeed HOT HOT HOT...Well done Mountaineers!!!
Got up at 7 a.m. to catch Fulham hosting Spurs fully expecting a resurgent Spurs side to shellac an injury-plagued home side, which is what I got for the first half anyway. Fulham looked very shaky at the back the entire half, and Younes Kaboul made them pay early on with a tap in on a failed clearance from the box. Dimitar Berbatov added a second goal midway through the half, on a great pass from Keane, ending with a strong blast of a shot from the right side that goalie Antti Niemi had little chance of stopping.
As is usual, especially with leads, Spurs found themselves in some dangerous positions at close range, and goalie Paul Robinson watched one shot fly over the bar, taken at point blank range. The usual "fail to mark someone on a set piece" concern manifested itself late in the first half, when Clint Dempsey headed one home off of a corner (actually, I'm kinda glad Dempsey scored, I always want U.S. players overseas to do well, and with the confident way the Spurs were marching across the field, surely a 2-1 lead halftime would hold).
It was at this point that I left for the Duck game in Eugene, and thus spared the shock of watching live as Spurs throw away two valuable points. I did enjoy the replay of Gareth Bale's first Spurs goal to pad the lead, but the deflected goal that Fulham's Alexey Smertin got that pulled the home side to within 3-2, in combination with the bicycle kick that Diomansy Kamara nailed to tie it, just as regulation time was ending, were the type of goals that make lesser men throw things at other things.
Made it down to Eugene in time to get together with the usual crew to remember those like us who had passed away in the last year, and the slightly sombre tone was accented by the not-unexpected phone call from my mother about her mother, who had passed away early on Saturday morning. As noted, this was an event for which we were all preparing ourselves, though it's still hard when the actual phone call comes in, and one looks at the caller ID, and grimaces cause one knows what's about to be said. Thank you for helping to make such great memories of you and your house, grandma, you are already missed.
I got the call just as I was walking in to Autzen, so that kept me on the quiet side of things for awhile (the sun beating down relentlessly on us northsiders took its toll after awhile as well).
The Ducks played the Houston Cougars, finishing a home and home series begun in 2005,
and most of the Duck fans were aware of one Anthony Alridge, a speedy back who had 95 carries for 959 yards in 2006, over ten yards a touch. That's still a heckuva average, even in Conference USA, so we knew the Ducks "D" would be in for a long time, the memories of Oklahoma's Adrian Peterson running riot last year still fresh in our minds.
The Ducks got off to a good start on both sides of the ball and grabbed a 14-0 lead with most of the first quarter gone, though the Cougars got a touchdown back just before it had ended. It was nice to see that Matt Evenson could nail a couple of field goals from beyond 40 yards, always a great option to have when the offense bogs down for whatever reason.
Houston alternated quarterbacks like the Ducks did last year, and I thought that the Cougar offense began to click when Case Keenum was on the field. Regardless of who the QB was, the ball was thrown around the field very efficiently to a number of receivers, sometimes for short gains, but those short passes were always just enough to get another first down. Of course, handing the ball of to #22 Aldridge wasn't a bad way to go either, and when the Duck offense began to sputter, the Cougars began to take advantage of getting the ball back so quickly.
The biggest factor as to why Oregon won the game though was turnovers, plain and simple. Two fumbles and two very key interception totally negated whatever total yard advantage that Houston had up to that point. Patrick Chung stepped up and made a huge pick in the endzone when the score was tied at 20 late in the third quarter, with the visitors having all of the momentum going their way. That pick set up the first good drive that the Ducks had had since the first quarter, ending in a wonderful 29 yard pass from Dennis Dixon to Brian Paysinger that set the Ducks on their way to a victory. The people in my section could see the play develop and were all wondering if Dixon could see it unfold as well. It was a great pass, and we were all thinking that Dixon probably wouldn't have made that pass last year, especially in the latter stages of the season.
The defense responded with a quick three and out, the first they'd had for quite awhile, and then blocked a punt deep in Cougar territory to set up another quick strike to build the lead to 34-20 in the waning minutes of the third quarter. The Cougars then threw a screen pass to the dependable Aldridge, who took the ball 86 yards down the right side to put the visitors right back in the game. Dixon took it upon himself on the next play, and when just about everybody in the stadium was expecting Jonathan Stewart to get the ball, Dixon kept it for himself and ran 80 yards down that same side to put the Ducks up again by two scores. The Ducks added another score early to the fourth to finish the scoring for the game.
Didn't hear too many quibbles about the play calling from new coordinator Chip Kelly, though I do recall one key third and long opportunity when the play was a sideline screen to Paysinger, who then took it upon himself to get the yardage for first down; when he caught the ball, I recall thinking that he had no chance to get that yardage at all, so kudos to Paysinger for that play.
The defense wasn't particularly great, though it made some plays when it absolutely had to, but there were still too many third and long conversions for most peoples liking, The special teams were fine, though they gave it up on kick coverage a couple of times.
Kept up with the Mets as best as I could, and I am not surprised in the least that once the division lead got down to two games following the disastrous four-game trip in Philadelphia that the Mets would respond with wins when the team absolutely HAD TO HAVE ONE, but I'll try to recap their whole week later on. Right now, I'm burnt to a crisp physically and emotionally.
FULHAM/SPURS RECAP
DUCKS/COUGARS RECAPS
COUGARS GIFT GIVING
Can't forget the other big news for the day: APPALACHIAN STATE BEATING MICHIGAN and NOTRE DAME GETTING THEIR ASSES KICKED. Could be bad for the Ducks next weekend when they travel to Ann Arbor to face the Wolverines, but it should be an entertaining game as both teams try to improve the weaknesses on display in week one.
Might as well bring this classic video back to life, Appalachian State is indeed HOT HOT HOT...Well done Mountaineers!!!
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