Was it over when the Germans Bombed Pearl Harbor?

NO!, and it’s not over now!! (Don’t stop me, I’m on a roll)

The U, the Mighty Miami Hurricanes traveled to the #2 team in the country, played them in front of over 105,000 fans and (gulp) lost. I’ve heard some grumblings already about Jacory Harris not the answer at QB and Coach Randy Shannon’s seat should be warming up, and it’s all nonsense!

This team, being built back up after the devastation caused by Larry Coker, is growing up and maturing in front of our very eyes. The leaders of this team are TRUE, 3rd year juniors, where most teams are lead by 4th year players. AND they held their own last night.

They didn’t get their doors blown off (like our in-state and conference rivals in the state capital) and were in the game most of the night. The offense stalled a bit and there were the 4 interceptions thrown by Jacory. 1 was a great defensive play, 1 the receiver went to block, 1 went through the receiver’s hands, and 1 the RB stopped. I’d blame his for 2.

The defense played extremely well I thought for most of the game. Showed great improvement but unfortunately had to defend a short field most of the night. The one downfall, they failed to create any turnovers.

What I’d like to see moving on, is more running out of the gate. Use the run, with our impressive stable of running backs, to set up the pass. That will create more one-on-ones and mismatches for the receiver. But I would definitely like to see at least 40 runs per game.

Going forward, we have no other games on the schedule where we should be an underdog. We’re at Pitt next game, we should win. Then we go to Clemson, they don’t have Spiller anymore and although toughest game left on schedule, we can win that one. Then the ‘Noles come a calling….they still dont play defense. After that, we travel to Duke, and well, it’s not basketball season. Then our toughest challenge left, our achilles heal (no pun intended) as Butch and the TarHeels come calling, we have a much better talent level, they’ll be missing some stars still, so lets say these boys buck up and get the Butch monkey off Coach Shannon’s back. Then we have games with Virginia and Maryland, goes without saying. We’ll go to GaTech, and we learned last year how to attack that triple option. Now the Chokies come to town, and they dont look so big and bad anymore, do they. Finally, we get the Bulls (not the ones with Coach Ernie Denardo) and that one should go our way as well…

There you go fellas…an 11-1 season. Then the ACC Championship game and an Orange Bowl bid. Still puts us on pace for the National Title run next season…This team is playing parallel to the rebuilding teams of the late 90′s. Last year would have been our ’99 team. This year is going to be like the 2000 team, and next year, Number 6 anyone?!

So, that’s it Canes fans…get your heads up…we lost, but played WITH the #2 team in the country, and lost…BFD..Would you rather be FSU right now? Va Tech? No thanks..I’ll take Jacory, Coach Shannon, and the C-A-N-E-S, CANES!

Jerry’s World

Cowboy's Stadium

Wow! – Things definitely are bigger in Texas. Case in point, the new Cowboys Stadium in Arlington,TX.

For 4 days, the large, strange looking, ginormous bubble has been taunting me from about a half mile a way. It’s the Dome known as Cowboys Stadium, at it’s the new 8th wonder of the world.

On Thursday I finally entered the beast, thanks to some crafty negotiations with some ticket scalpers. Bought a ticket to see the Raiders v. Cowboys pre-season game. Usually a ticket buys you a seat, but not in Jerry’s place, some just buy you a section of air to stand and walk around in and have the luxury of spending 8.50 on crappy beer at one of 6 levels in the place.

When we walked in, it felt nothing like a football stadium, one of the guys I was with said, “It’s like walking into a mall.”

The crowd - mulling around

He was right, huge concourses, huge-er hd video screens hang from the ceiling, and after walking about 100 yards, we got to a rail, where we looked down to see the field. It felt nothing like being at a football whatsoever. It was surreal. Kind of like hanging out and “Oh, cool, there’s a football game too!”

So, the stadium was huge (and air conditioned…a big plus on a 104 degree day) – It was immaculate, kind of like disney world, I never say papers or garbage on the floor and the TV screen was huge (Honey, I want one…I know it’s bigger than the house but…) however, as far as football atmosphere….major fail – too far from the field, as is the trend with most new parks, plenty of SPACE around the field, keeps the fans back, and as a result, the fans don’t get into it as much…not like the old days, when front row in the

The View - from main plaza level - party pass tickets

Orange Bowl was literally on the field…

So, in conclusions, I’d say the rather huge building would be a great shopping experience, good for conventions or trade shows, but for sporting events, at least this one….I’d say…ehhh……I’m going to the Super-WalMart, it’s right across the street….

Celebrate?!

As I’ve previously stated, I hate most sports celebrations these days. The worst, in my humble opinion is the insane champagne and beer showers after a baseball team clinches a wildcard spot, division series, league championship series and World Series (yes, so 1 team may do this 4 times in a season.)

Then you have football players fake bowling, fake hoop shooting, banging a gong…Soccer players ripping their shirts off and running around the field (while the clock continues to run.)

But, it is just bonkers when these things turn to injuries. Twice this season now, a major league ballplayer was injured while performing a stupid celebratory ritual. My new least favorite idea is the shaving cream pie to the face. Yep, if you to pitch a great game, hit a home run, save the game with a catch you canl get a face full of shaving cream. It used to be in a pie tin, but apparently, now it can be applied just by a towel.

Let’s ask the Florida Marlins how that’s going to work out the rest of the year. Reigning NL rookie of the year Chris Coghlan tore his meniscus while applying a “pie” to a teammate’s face after a game a few nights ago. He’s out for the year.

Earlier this year, The California Anaheim Los Angeles Angels lost Kendry Morales to a broken lef after hit hit a game winning grand slam home run…The team all started jumping around like little imbeciles at home plate, impeding his route there, and as he jumped into the pile, to stomp on home plate, SNAP! Also, from the college game, UCLA 2nd basemanTyler Rahmatulla broke his wrist in similar fashion while his team was en route to the College World Series.

These sophomoric and immature celebrations should come to an end immediately….

But, here’s a reminder of other insanely stupid celebration injuries…Led of course by Gus Frerotte, who threw a TD pass in a game, promptly ran over to the end zone wall, and jammed his head into it (intentionally, I may add) spraining his neck. Ted Ginn Jr. returned the opeing kickoff for a TD in the National Championship game, injured his foot in the celebration and may have cost OSU the title that day. Idiot Kicker Bill Gramatica torn a ligament in his knee after jumping for joy making a field goal vs. the Giants..not a playoff winner, not a game winner, just a simple, middle of the game field goal…

Can’t we do like Vince Lombardi once told a running back, “Next time you make a touchdown, act like you’ve been there before!”

NASCAR screwed this one up!

As a novice NASCAR fan I must say I am a big fan of bumping and grinding. The phrase “If you ain’t rubbin’, you ain’t racin” was a big part of the growth of NASCAR.

Since the newer, safer car came out, this contact has been few and far between, ratings and interest have declined and NASCAR didn’t want too much contact.

This season, NASCAR decided to push the envelope and allow more contact and Carl Edwards took advantage. He pooted Brad Keselowski out of a probable top 10 finish to settle a grudge. NASCAR gave Edwards a slap on the wrist.

This is wrong in many different ways, but the most glaring is that Edwards admitted to intentionally trying to take Keselowski out. At the time, Edwards was pretty much out of the race and Keselowski was in line for a top 10 finish. This is equivelnt to hockey sending out a goon to take out a star player late in a game with the score out of hand to “send a message” for next time.

Edwards should have been suspended for several races, docked points, and had his chances for the NASCAR “playoffs” simply limited. People pay good money to watch their favorite drivers and for one of them to be eliminated like this is simply rediculous.

I’m all for bumping, and grinding and all that good stuff that creates rivalries, ones that NASCAR desperately needs to re-attract a dwindling audience. BUT bumping someone to move him out of the way is one thing, purposely ending someone’s day like this is unacceptable and inexcusable. And I didn’t even mention anything about the safety factor.

I think MLB sucks!

This is a blog post for my buddy, and all others that care to read…It discusses my disdain for Major League Baseball.

The photo’s sum it up in a nutshell….I grew up a HUGE baseball fan..National League of course, from the time I was a little tyke watching the NBC game of the week with Tony Kubek and Joe Garagiola. Those were memories. I played little league ball all my life and couldn’t live without the game.

I counted down to Spring Training (grew up in Ft.Laud and went to Yankee Spring Training all the time) – Counted down to opening day, Remember, it used to be on a Monday @ 105pm in Cincinatti…

Some of my biggest highs and lows growing up were due to baseball culminating with the 1986 World Series Championship on my ol’ beloved Mets. The lows, 84 Mets, 85 Mets, 87 Mets..you get the picture!

Somewhere along the way, something terrible happened! In 1994 The greedy owners, (see pic at top) and greedy players couldn’t get together and for the 1st time, cancelled the World Series.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_World_Series

Having been burned, and realizing life goes on after baseball, I gave up on it..No more Mets, No more Braves, No more Marlins (yeah, the just started) I just didn’t care, it became a non-factor.

Several things got me more interested, but NEVER to the level it once was…You had Cal’s streak, Sosa and McGuire(I don’t care about the ‘roids issues) and the local Marlins winning the World Series TWICE…But it was too little, too late, the magic was gone….UNTIL…one day, while visiting my wife’s hometown, I went to the most magical place on earth….

So I became a Cubs fan, and that’s the only place I’ve seen a LIVE MLB game since 1995. But again, I am no longer a huge, diehard, gotta see every game type of fan….Thanks for George and Bud et al.

I do still love the game..Love the srategy and what not. Well, except it takes way too long to play now…LaRussa ruined that, changing pitchers like I change my mind, but another issue for another debate…To get my fix I simply watch College Baseball – Go Canes!

So, in conclusion, I don’t HATE baseball, I just find the MLB a drag these days..Love college ball, can go to Minor League ball, but just like to harass all my buddies that Love the game…But me..I’ve been burned once too many…

No Spring Football?!?!

Just curious – Why is there no spring football league? I know the USFL folded when it went to a Fall schedule thanks to dumb ass Donald Trump, but they were sucessful in the Spring…There’s plenty of players to go around and once the Super Bowl is over, it’s a major let down…Why don’t these start up leagues figure this out? Then the NFL can buy/absorb them and make it a developmental league..it’s not rocket science….

And speaking of rocket scientists, What’s up with Milfy Sarah Palin? Rips Pres. Obama at teabagger convention for using a teleprompter, as she reads from a .wait for it….teleprompter, THEN, goes on to do an interview with such slushy softball questions and has to have answers written on her hand…really? really!!! WTF Sarah!!!