Sidenote 9.30.06

Paul Z (3:29 pm) - A big heads up.... Mendel and myself are heading to Oxford Friday, October 20th. Cox will be back in Cincy, and I hope will make a trip up to Oxford. Whoever else can schedule a trip down there that weekend, we're gonna have a blast. Clinton, how do I get a hold of you when I get into town and/or where do you live???

GO BUCKEYES!!

Top 8 Week 4

1. Ohio State (4-0) -- Buckeyes used 2 late pick 6's to turn a tight ballgame against PSU into a mild blowout. The D, who has yet to allow more than a TD in any game, will face a seasoned vet in Iowa QB Drew Tate this weekend.
2. Auburn (5-0) -- More survived last night's game against So Carolina than anything. Still kind of weird seeing the #2 team play on Thursday night.
3. So Cal (3-0) -- As long as they play in the Pac 10 expect them to keep doing what they do, scoring a lot and stopping inept offenses.
4. Florida (4-0) -- Gator fans circled this weekend's game against Bama over a year ago when the Tide shocked the CFB world with a 31-3 ass whooping. I expect a Saturday afternoon where UF takes out a lot of frustration against an undisciplined UA.
5. West Virginia (4-0) -- Still 4 weeks away from first and only real test this season against Louisville.
6. Michigan (4-0) -- UM will be seeking some revenge from last year's 23-20 L to Minnesota, where the Gophers took home the Lil Brown Jug for the first time since 1996.
7. Louisville (4-0) -- Keep on winning even without their 2 Heisman caliber stars.
8. Texas (3-1) -- Sam Houston State?

Side Nod Squads: Lsu and Georgia

Sidenote 9.29.06

Paul Z (5:17 pm) - Yea, crazy talking about kids....I loved the old SI review so much that I added that blog to the links column, see '10 cent freeze pops' below.

GO BUCKEYES!!!

Cease (3:07 pm) - No idea how the kid is doing, but I see Kramer pretty much once a week here and there, and nothing has come up. He is back in school though, which is solid, but I'll ask him about the baby next time I see him. sidenote: we're talking about our friends kids. wow.
dsn. courtesy deadspin - some guy chooses to review a random old issue of SI, for no particular reason. pretty interesting.

Paul Z (11:45 am) - The Kinger!! Nice...I cannot believe Kramer is there. At all. How's his kid by the way?? Any knowledge of that Cease?

Cease (11:25 am) - underrated post of the week from Paul Z. 'Note the See Also portion at the bottom of the page'..in reference to the Dirty Sanchez Wikipedia entry.
sidenote: I'm sitting at the library (kinger..ah the memories) and Kramerica Industries is sitting to my right about 10 feet away having the worst conversation ever, with a girl who for whatever reason I think is 1809 Molly's kid sister. That post was so inside, I know, but I don't care. I can't stop laughing right now.

Cox (2:35 am) -- Maybe one of the best endings to a viral video ever. The rest of it is damn funny too.

How much would you have paid to have been in this class on that particular day?...I would've paid infinity dollars.

We don't want you wiping out all the Bengals

"We've told him he's not to be around here." -- Coach Lewis

Pretty much sums up how the Bengals organization feels about Odell Thurman's post game celebratory drunken' joy ride through Cincinnati's East End. All this after an off season littered with Bengal arrests which compelled new NFL Commish Roger Goddell making a personal appearance at the Who Dey's HQ to discuss proper behavior for NFL players off the field.

Message not recieved.

Odell's DUI video reveals just how blasted this guy was. I think it was his less than perfect rendition of the ABC's that proved to be his Waterloo. That and a BAC around twice the legal limit. Also, if you have the patience, he eventually narc's onChris Henry and Reggie McNeal who also are in the car.

Credit the officer with a few hilarious quotes; including,"I don't want you wiping out all the Bengals," and "Where did you learn that alphabet at?" It also appears that up until the breathalizer he was willing to let Odell go.

If I were Chris Henry I would have had to have asked for a clean pair of drawers after waiting nearly 15 minutes through the field sobriety test. How he is let go is beyond me, but three cheers for CPD.

At least Marvin and his coaching staff have been building a D since March that doesn't include the services of the MLB. I guess it wasn't a huge stretch to think that a guy already serving a 4 games suspension (because it is rumored he tested postive for crystal meth) would go ahead and scratch the whole season.

WHO DEY

Suicide is real

I don't what the hell is wrong with America, but this T.O. suicide attempt situation is very real. First of all, suicide is a serious issue. Second, I cannot believe how short people's memories are on things of such monumental nature.

Look, in short, the fact is that major superstar athletes try to kill themselves, on a semi-regular basis. This kind of thing is certainly not frequent, but I'd say it's more along the lines of 'occasional', and thus not to be taken lightly.

These next stories I'm posting, are all stories I remember from simple memory, that I only linked to for the sake of credibility, because everytime I tell someone one of these stories, they act like I just made it up out of thin air.

Ken Griffey Jr. tried to commit suicide once. See January 1988. As did Deion Sanders. And so did Herschel Walker, but I can't seem to find any info on that.

You can jump on the 'I wish I was crazy talented and rich - so I could go kill myself' train, but that's just straight up idiotic. I'm certainly not crying a river for T.O. and his problems, but what I'm saying is that you need to recognize that this is something real that guys actually do. Dudes attempt suicide, and generally deny, because they don't want to seem like a pussy.

I don't know..but as soon as I heard that, I knew it was true. I don't give a shit what he says. And by the way, this is a total dagger for the Cowboys season, which I am a huge fan of.

'if it feels good..do it'
-craig kilborn

Sidenote 9.27.06

Paul Z (10:29pm) -- The Redhawks have made ESPN's bottom 8. Fallen pretty far since Ben left.

Paul Z (9:54pm) -- I love the wikipedia page for "Dirty Sanchez". Note the 'See Also' part at the bottom of the page. The fact that Dustin Diamond is referenced is awesome. That guy is a legend.

Kyle (1:25pm)-- Apparently Screech has his own sex tape out in which he performs a Dirty Sanchez. This is not the tape just the story.

Cox (5:05pm) -- There is a reason the UNCs & the Dooks of the world look down upon NC State, and it's not just because of Chuck Amato.

Doesn't a story like this make you miss college even more? Me too.

Sidenote 9.26.06

Cox (4:20pm) -- Don't forget to send in your Top 8 for College and Pro to: dlc1981@yaho.com. (...coughing & water bubbling in the background...)

No Paper Bag Masks Tonight

Very excited to see football back in the Superdome. Another sign that New Orleans is returning to form. The folks of New Orleans are equally excited for football to return as they are over the surprising 2-0 start. Brees, Bush & Co. run a potentially scarey good offense.

I Effing Hate Kickers

I'm probably just a few more away from killing the last remaining brain cells that have any recollection of the Tide's nightmare of a finish against Arkansas. Not to mention the underwhelming play calling by HC Dave Shula & OC Dave Rader.

Not even a Bengals W tempered my bitterness. Well, may be just a little.

Sidenote: 9.25.06

the original caption for this picture read 'what could possibly go wrong here?'. hilarious.

Cease (4:35 PM) - What a dagger. Apparently playing footy with chinese guys is dangerous.

Weekend Update

after a crazy ass weekend - a couple of things to point out..

Mark Richt needs to thank redshirt QB Joe Cox for temporarily saving his job after that debacle with Colorado.

If you didn't see that game, Richt f-ed around and managed to put his team in a situation where he could have simply been kicking a field goal to win a game, but instead as a result of two botched 4th down plays, Georgia had to score a TD, and get the extra point to win.
Joe Cox played well under pressure, and came in and saved a game that the Dawgs should have lost. Georgia is officially the most vulnerable team in the Top 10.

It's not hard to outcoach Charlie Weis on gameday, but it's not easy to beat him as coach of Notre Dame. John L. Smith had Weis through 3 quarters, then the Irish players decided they wanted to win it.

Weis is a good recruiter for Notre Dame, and a smart guy when it comes to football. But he also thinks that if he does a good enough coaching job on any given week, his talent and the Golden Dome lore will win them games. Which it has and which has worked to a certain extent.
But it seems like Charlie never prepares for the notion that he doesn't have the best team, or that he might need one of his non-guys to have a monster game, or to basically win by a miracle.
That game was a hell of a game, but I don't know why Charlie always seems so worried when big games come down to the wire. He keeps talking about keeping an emotional even keel, but it's like he doesn't yet realize that the highs and lows of college football come every single week, and not just for 'big games'.

That Cincinnati/Pittsburgh game reeked so heavily of 'we've already won the big one, so we can just dial it up whenever' attitude from the Steelers, that the win almost seemed fake for the WhoDeys.

I mean, Carson threw a bunch of TD passes, but at one point during that game he couldn't get touched without fumbling, and was looking altogether out of sorts completely.
That was one of the uglier games of the weeekend, and especially after Odell got popped with a drunk driving charge and possibly missing more games, the Bengals don't really need to take anything positive from this game other than the simple W.

And those catches by TJ and Henry were pretty damn money - but other than that, they basically lucked out in my eyes.

Good for Nomar Garciaparra. He deserves a little postseason feel good times after the debacle that has been since his leaving Boston.

I don't really have any reason to like this guy, but I am glad he's finally making a difference in LA. I never really considered him a 'bad' guy, but I did feel those dagger injuries were maybe roid-related, and I was never exactly empathetic.
But it's cool to see him doing well for his hometown team. I wonder if he'll return though next year. Hope so.

The Ryder Cup sucks. End of story.

'if it feels good..do it'
-craig kilborn

I think I am in Love....

Flordia just ran a reverse flee-flicker for a big touchdown. It was amazing.

Top 8 Week 3

Sorry for posting this seven hours before kickoff, but it has been a hectic week on my end. I am assed out tired after a 10hr work day & 6hr poker session. This is going to be brief, so just the facts.

I'm sure most of us were glad to see the Irish taken down a peg or two by the Maize & Blue, now #6. (Sidenote--I am kind of disappointed Labo didn't have a photo spread from gameday in South Bend). O State rec'd all of the first place votes while Auburn jumped to #2 after beating Lsu. The Trojans stay at #3 with Florida & WVU rounding out the first five.

1. Ohio State (5) 3-0 vs Penn St -- The Bucks still haven't lost to an in-state foe since 1921 after beating Cinci 37-7. Facing back-to-back huge conference games starting with Psu in C-bus followed by a trip to Iowa.
2. Auburn 3-0 vs Buffalo -- Played maybe the most watchable 7 to 3 game I've ever seen. Cupcake city with the happless Bison, who prob couldn't beat a decent HS squad, coming to town.
3. So Cal (2-0) @ Arizona -- Even though the Trojans had little trouble with Nebraska last week, I think it is quite evident this team is not nearly as good as the previous 3 Usc teams.
4. Florida (3-0) vs. Kentucky -- Won a huge game in Knoxville last weekend and they were rewarded in all the polls. UK not likely to pose too much a threat this week.
5. West Virginia (3-0) @ E Carolina -- The Neers ran buckshot over the Terps and little should change as Wvu's schedule remains baby fat soft.
6. Michigan (3-0) @ Wisconsin -- Made a big statement by steamrolling over ND, 47-21, and managed to send 2 sets of network exec's (NBC & Espn/ABC) scrabbling to fill the hype machine. Henne should continue to dip in the Manningham well, and they should continue to win.
7. Louisville (3-0) @ Kansas State -- UL may have enjoyed their programs biggest ever home victory over Miami, but they also lost their second Heisman candidate of the season. Homegrown goldenboy QB Brian Brohm is out 4-6 wks after messing up his thumb in the 3rd Q. Should be back just in time for game against Wvu.
8. Texas (2-1) vs Iowa State -- Held Rice to negative rushing yards, enough said.

Side Nod Squads: Georgia and Lsu

Sidenote - 9.21.06

Cease (10:30 AM) - Two things. The above pictured Ryder Cup argyle sweaters are fucking sweet. God bless America.
The other thing..which we are all guilty of. Let's keep the sidenotes, to be actual sidenotes. If you have something to actually say, don't fear the dedicated post. mix in a picture, and some links, etc. We've been slacking fellas.
dsn..florida state will be wearing black jerseys against BC on 10/21. that's cool to me. buster davis in a black jersey? - I need a clean pair of shorts.

Cease (2:20 PM) - scroll down and Read Truth #2. refs in certain situations, are totally blameable.

Cease (7:20 PM) - Great interview with the best sports columnist in America. Ladies and gentlemen, Jason Whitlock.

Sidenote - 9.21.06

Labovitz (11:10 AM) - Good morning everybody. Just wanted to say a quick word on the instant replay controversy that no one will shut up about. In my opinion, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever why only one person looks at the instant replay in both college and the NFL. In the pros, the ref on the field sticks his head into that camera. In college, a replay official sits in the booth and reviews it on his own, then gives his decision to the ref on the field. My question is, why can't both the replay official and the ref be utilized? Most detractors would say that it would lead to too many arguments and it would take forever to decide on a call. Um, hello? Isn't that exactly what we are looking for??? The definition for instant replay these days that is given to the fans on a weekly basis is that they need indisputable visual evidence to overturn a call on the field. By that definition, if there is any argument whatsoever between the official and ref, indisputable evidence is obviously lacking. The call is made. The very definition of indisputable is that no one who was present would dispute it. So how can one person act as the sole definer of what is indisputable on a case-by-case basis? I don't like it one bit.

On the other hand, all this talk about Oklahoma protesting, and the whining that the game should be wiped out of the record books is complete hogwash. Yes, the calls were bad. And yes, they had an impact on the game. But those two replays didn't cause Oklahoma to blow a 21 point fourth quarter lead. OU needs to man up and just admit that they never should have allowed that game to be that close in the first place. They have no one but themselves to blame for that loss. Blaming refs are for girls, pussies, and Ohio State fans (just kidding guys).

DSN - I'm not sure how many people watched Michigan's massacre of the Irish, but my buddy and I astutely noticed (from our third row seat on the five yard line) that there was not a single measurement in the entire game. I watched the broadcast last night, and even when it was extremely close to the first down line, the ref just eyeballed it and called it like he saw it. Very odd. Can any of you guys recall a game that lacked even a single measurement?

Sidenote - 9.20.06

Cease (1:35 PM) - I saw Phil Smith (of D-Line Redhawk glory days) at First Run last night. He moved to DC, and he starts telling me about how sweet it is and so forth. When I told him that I grew up on Georgia Ave. he suddenly recoiled, and looked at me as if his whole knowledge of who I was had been completely changed because of that fact. When I started rattling off all the places he probably hit all the time, he was even more stunned. It was a funny scene, and he I guess didn't realize that a lot people know that the District is a sweet place.

That post was mainly for Arnoff, who probably gets sushi and salad with him twice a week for lunch in Dupont already - but if not, he lives in crystal city. Since I'm pretty sure if Arnoff would go gay for any former redhawk player, it'd probably be him. love you steve. start listening to the junkies and stop listening to elliot.

Sidenote - 9.18.06

Paul Z (8:16 pm) - ..New Daily Sidenotes format...see above... The stat on Heath Miller's passes thrown to - quarterback rating is unreal. 42-55 for 7 tds and 0 picks. That guy knows how to catch a ball.

Weekend Update

sidenote cox - dsn means 'double sidenote' ala pps. as in postpostscript. not a huge deal, but it could become confusing.

also, I saw absolutely zero college football on saturday, because I was at 97.3FM's Homegrown Music Festival all damn day. I know it's shitty. point is, this update will be related to many things non-CFB related. Cox, I also won't be voting in this week's poll.

that being said.

I didn't need to see a down of the Michigan/Notre Dame game to tell you that Chad Henne is definitely going to be playing on Sundays, regularly.

I've thought this for some time now, and maybe I'm crazy, but he screams NFL to me. People tend to lose focus on a guy's skills when they don't play on great teams, or particularly tend to blame all underachivement on the QB, which can be faulty. I like his skill set, and I think he's also got a coachability component to him that I like.

Ted Ginn needs to learn how to play defense if he plans on playing regularly on Sundays.

The gallop strided wideout can't seem to do anything other than run past people, or go with the 'two move and go' game. Certainly no knock on his game, because it works, but if he played D a) he learn some better footskills b) he'd be in a deion situation, where everytime he touches the ball, he goes to the paint. And of course, that is much easier to do as a defender running against an offense than vice versa, particularly in the pros with a skill set like that.
sidenote: Paul Z had the best quote ever about Ginn. "He's pissing me off. This faggot needs to stop acting like his pants are gonna light on fire everytime he gets them dirty."

The Redskins' problems aren't as big as most people think, but are definitely bigger than what their coaching staff realizes, for one simple reason. Overthinking.

Part of what made Gibbs solid in his heydey was the fact that he could take various parts, amongst very good/great players and make a great team. He let the guys who were great do great shit, and thus a great team.

This team is operating on such unecessary levels of precision that it is taking away abilities of the players. If you read about them as often as I do in the Post and stuff, you can immediately tell that they are almost taking every play too seriously. They've got a bunch of freewheelers, and have them reigned in just a tad too tight.

If they loosen it up a hair, they've got a shot at doing what they did last year. It's not a chemistry problem, or an age problem, it's a overthinking a simple task problem.

It still shocks me that Braylon Edwards is considered a great up and coming receiver.

He drops everything, and makes one circus catch a game and everyone who roots for his team, starts telling people how sweet he is. It was the same thing at Michigan. I don't understand why people act surprised everytime he drops a ball. He did it his whole career in college, and he's still doing it now. He's a dropper. Droppers generally don't coincide with greatness.

Apparently Jason Whitlock and I are on the same page about Byron Leftwich.

How weird is that? <--see#3. I'm dead serious when I say this. He needs a homecoming. If Dan Snyder had half a brain on his head, he'd find a way to get him back home. That would be unreal.

Roy Williams is every team's worst nightmare.

If you think that T.O. was a headache, you're right. If you're looking for a loudmouth, total fucking buffoon, look to Williams. What a clown.

I hate to say this, but fear the Ravens.
They are better than their Super Bowl team from a couple years back.

gotta run fellas. hope everyone had a good weekend.
sidenote: Top Deck's new Sunday Funday setup is unreal. Just ask Mark.

'if it feels good..do it'
-craig kilborn

Cincinnati Love

Bengals. Browns. Battle of Ohio and the future toll rights to I-71.

WHO DEY!!!

#85 does a little bit of this and a little bit of that. He lead the world's largest Chicken Dance in Cincinnati yesterday and promised a repeat performance when he scores in today's game against the Browns II.

DSN Sun 9.17.2006

Cox (4:14am) -- Anyone opposed to minor alterations to a few of the basic formats we use for Daily Sidenote's? First, in the by-line (if I can borrow from Cease & Garry), it never made sense to me why we put our names in ( ) and the date first? and on the outside? I say a quick switcharoo and we're kosher as Xmas. Second, can we shorten Daily Sidenote's to DSN (stealing that from someone, you clever bastard), then shorten the day to standard abbrv., & finish with the date. Brevity is the key. Plus it kind of give us that je ne sais quoi (sidenote--I promise to never use that French phrase again. And speaking of, why can't the rude frogs just leave Livestrong alone, you'll never be able to nullify all SEVEN of the maillot jaunes he collected. I swear, no more French after today.).

Cox (5:21am) -- TREMENDOUS day of CFB. Big shake ups in the polls. Send your Top 8 to dlc1981@yahoo.com by Monday-ish.

Daily Sidenotes Saturday September 16th,

12:57 (mendel) Ok, for those who thought that we here in Michigan had it bad enough, here is proof that it can always get worse. In Michigan, regional games mean we can't see OSU but we can see BYU/BC or Iowa Iowa State with a chick doing the color commentary! Attrocious!!!! Somebody get on that.
12.54pm (pz) Happy Football!!

need help

Can everyone in the comments section of this post name all the MAC quarterbacks that they can think of in the NFL right now or in the past. Thinking about doing a piece on how many good ones are in the NFL right now from a conference that many people would not expect.

Daily Sidenotes - Thursday, September 15, 2006

7:32 PM (PZ) - Those guys are good. Great bit. I like the comment: "I was once with a girl who had 56 guys" -- "So you were Heinz 57??" ..Classic

11:08 AM (Cease) - I don't normally jock other radio shows that don't include me..but what I listened to yesterday was one of the funniest things I've ever heard..once you click this link, click on the 'Are you a whore?' podcast download..fucking hilarious.

Viewer's Guide

It's only the third week of the CFB season but may be at the biggest weekend of matchups we're going to see all season. There is a slew of games that have either rivalry scenarios, conference title implications and/or shape the national title picture. The experts are calling it Separation Saturday, sounds good to me.

Steve's* Level of Interest when left with the Kids on Gameday

--"You're arm will still be broken after the game" Games--

1. #6 Lsu @ #3 Auburn -- The best game on a day full of attention grabbing match ups. Last year it went to OT with Lsu coming out on top 20-17. The difference? AU kicker Jon Vaughn missed 5 FGs. The winner likely finds themselves in the SEC title game in Decemeber.
2. #11Michigan @ #2 Notre Dame -- To state the obvious, Lloyd Carr has had his problems with the Irish. He has delivered on his stated goal of conference titles, but ND has been a thorn in his side. Points won't be a premium, so free advice: take the over.
3. #13Tennessee @ #7 Florida -- For years this game meant a year's worth of soundbites out of Spurrier & Fulmer and a trip to Atlanta come December. While UGA will have something to say about that trip to ATL, this game is no less important than it was 10 years ago. Urban Meyer better have his boys ready to play, because some of them, including the coach, are going to experience something in General Neyland's Stadium they have never see or heard before, 100K + singing Rocky Top at the top of their rednecked lungs wearing the most god awful orange ever.

--"You're not bleeding that bad, I'll take you to the hospital during halftime" Games--

1. #19Nebraska @ #4 Southern Cal -- A great cross regional matchup that pits the reloading Trojans against the up & coming Huskers. A win for Pete Carroll & Co means more of the same in LA but a win for Nebraska qualifies them as a legit BCS contender. I expect more of the same out of USC.
2. #17 Miami @ #12Louisville -- Miami represents the highest ranked non-conference opp anyone in the Big East Lite is going to play all season. UL still has enough fire power without Michael Bush to score a ton of points and therefore hold on to its BCS aspirations. But so are the Canes who will still be looking to avenge an early season loss against FSU. Fans of WVU will be watching intently and rooting for a Cardinal W to enhance their SOS.

--"Didn't we feed you yesterday? Here, chew some gum until a commercial" Games--

1. #15 Oklahoma @ #18 Oregon -- The Ducks will be looking for a little payback from the Holiday Bowl last December and they are well equipped to do so, and look like rejects from Shredder's Footclan at the same time. Sooners RB Adrian Peterson will likely use the national stage to boost his Heisman hopes. However, Autzen Stadium will be rocking and that is always a tough place to play.
2. Clemson @ #9 Florida State -- Bowden Bowl...who really cares what number? This game actually carries some conference title significance for both teams. An L for Clemson means elimination from any division title hopes, a dim prospect for a team that was chosen by some pundits to play for an ACC title. FSU is reeling after a near embarassment against a- not-so-good Troy team and could use the win to gain some Mo for a stretch in their schedule where they play 2 team out of 9 teams with hopes for a bowl game.

*Steve refers to my dad. The Sidestory- The date: September 5, 1981. Bama was playing Lsu in Baton Rouge. The halftime of that game happens to coincide with the time I was born. My dad was able to drive my mom to the hospital, watch me enter the world, & only miss a handful of plays as the Tide rolled to victory. Point is, Steve is a HUGE College Football Fan and there is little he will let get in his way of watching big games.

Sidenote--I can't begin to tell you guys how badly I miss the Homestead Saturday Gameday set up. For those who don't know, this was by far the greatest single set up for watching sports ever. We had three couches, one set upon a wooden frame behind another to create the stadium style seating. A fifty yard jaunt to Johnny's Pizza and all your munchie & Gatorade needs were satisfied. The epicenter of all the action was the 2x2 Tv arrangement. Four games. At once. All day.

Picture is from the MZone

Pic of the Day

"The league lets the [Chief brass] know what it thinks of [their] complaints regarding the Trent Green hit."

From PFT.com

Nice dress Mrs. Lima

An auction was held for this dress, belonging to the wife of Jose Lima time. A gentleman named Adam Morris, who runs a Texas baseball site, won the auction, paying $152.50 for the dress. Adam and his bloggers have great ideas of what to do with it and below is how his wife feels, great friggin' comment.


A post on Adam's website:

$150?

well, i guess thats not a lot for a famous dress,
but still a lot for a joke. but great buy. how
does the wife feel about such purchases?
by ab03 on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 08:51:48 PM EST


I just told her

And showed her the blog entry, and the suggestion that I
take a picture of me singing the national anthem with Ben
in the dress next to me (an outstanding idea, btw). Her
response: "I find nothing about any of this amusing."
by Adam J. Morris on Wed Sep 13, 2006 at 08:53:20 PM EST


Thank you Deadspin for pointing me to this...

Confirming the expected

In a totally sports related post, Jason Wahler of Laguna Beach fame (you know the duesche that LC dates) was arrested last night. Among the charges brought to him, possesion of Cocaine. Thought it was funny. Read about it here.

Daily Sidenotes - Wednesday, September 13, 2006

10:28 PM (PZ) - Congrats Cease...Rock on

3:35 PM (Cease) - Thanks for the love garry, and I'm glad you liked the digs in PG County. However I must say I am eating major crow, because in Jim Rome parlance that "I'm not to good for the blog I'm just too busy working on Monday Night Football in DC" crackback might be one of the best, if not the best in the history of our crew, nevermind this blog. The only thing that compares to it is the Mike Ditka 'they thought you invented the salisbury steak' blast.

sidenote: working at a real rock radio station = awesome.
dsn: those red blazers that tk&mike (not to mention reali - in studio no less) rocked on the special 3:30 at FedEx Field PTI, might have been some of the best team blazers in the history of american television. I'm really not even joking about this. That was such an unbelievable classy but brash, yet not ridiculous at all look, that went so well with everyone's look, it was amazing. Love those jackets.
3rdword: the term 'side nod squads' is also one of the best in the history of our crew. good work cox.

7:49 AM (Garry) - Leaving D.C. this morning after a nice night out in Georgetown but wanted to comment on something that I saw at FedEx field (understanding the whole time that this will just give Cease a reason to talk about the Skins in a positive way after they lost to the Love Boat). They have these little torch/lamp/flame thingies outside each of the entrances to the stadium (think mini Olympic flame things). It is awesome and they burn all day during game day. You seriously think that you are entering the Coliseum when you walk past them and when it is dark out it looks fantastic. Good work Snyder.

sidenote: congrats on the new gig cease.

12:41 AM (Cox) - From Espn.com's Mark Schlabach CFB column:
"Quiet celebrations. Tiny Chadron State of Chadron, Neb., a Division II program, pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season Saturday. The Eagles traveled nine hours by bus to Bozeman, Mont., and upset Division I-AA Montana State, 35-24, a week after the Bobcats pulled the trick at Colorado. Shortly after the game, the Eagles reloaded their buses and made the long journey home, watching movies and sleeping most of the way. Their reward? The school used the $40,000 guarantee to purchase new uniforms. "

Guess the Any Given Saturday theorem applies to all levels of football.

Just ridiculous

I really don't like hockey. I do pay attention to where the Thrashers are in the standings (not tough since all you have to do is look at the bottom), but the only reason I would ever watch, ever, is to listen to my boy Doc Emrick. But today, the New York Islanders gave its rookie goalie, Rick DiPietro, a 15 - FIFTEEN - year contract. There's nothing more I can say.

Wow....

I know we have moved back to mostly sports posts, but I wanted to toss this up. As I was driving back from Louisville today, I saw the remains of the most horrific accident I have ever seen in my life. A semi truck lost control in Northern Kentucky and went over the cement guardrail on a bridge. The guardrail itself was completely demolished and the entire truck was under the bridge, except for a few pieces of the cab. I clearly don't have any details since I was just driving by, but that shit is f'in crazy. People always say "drive carefully", and you always give an insincere "thanks" without even thinking twice about it. Well, I thought about it today. Truthfully, it scared the shit out of me for the next 5 hours of my trip. It is frightening how quickly things can change...

Top 8 Week 2

Ohio State remained numero uno after a big W deep in the heart of Texas. Notre Dame's offense was full throttle from the get go & got a suprisingly solid showing out of the defense in Happy Valley. They jumped 2 spots over idle SoCal to the #2 slot. The games of the week both have huge implications in the SEC and beyond as #6 LSU travels to #4 Auburn and #7 Florida goes to Tennessee.

1. Ohio State (2-0)...47 of 48 pts (5 first place votes)...vs Cincinnati
The Buckeyes superior team speed & experience at QB made all the difference in a 24-7 drubbing of the #2 Longhorns. The Texas egos weren't the only thing to take a hit that night; State fans were so exhuberant over a week victory they torched C-bus with over 40 fires & injured several school officials. O-H...I-O!!!

Even I think these two should continue to play every year.
2. Notre Dame (2-0)...39pts...vs Michigan
The Irish enjoyed their largest win over a ranked opp. in over a decade last weekend when they dressed down the Nittany Lions 41-17. However, they will certainly be put to the test this weekend when the Maize & Blue come to town. The key to this game may be the UM D-line against the ND O-line. This one has all the makings for a heckuva foobawl game. I'll be looking for Mr Labovitz in the stands as he cheers on his alma mater, Miiiiiichigan.

3. Southern Cal (1-0)...38pts(1)...vs Nebraska
The Trojans had an early week off, I'm sure not to the delight of players & coaches, after taking Arkansas behind the woodshed. Next on their schedule is #19(AP) Nebraska and Coach Bill Callahan's new balanced West Coast style offense. However, I expect John David Booty to be able to make big throws against the Black Shirts and the Trojans to roll. Sidenote--don't underestimate the Trojans D, they're a little banged up this week but among the nations best when healthy.

Jordan-Hare at night. Barf!
4. Auburn (2-0)...30pts...vs #6 LSU
In the biggest game of the week, the Tigers will battle the Bayou Bengaled Tigers in Jordan-Hare (pronounced Ger-dan her) Stadium set a top the plains of Alabama. The winner will have control in the SEC West along with loftier expectations from the fan base. And don't think the Auburn faithful aren't already getting nervous over being left out of the BCS title game again should they remain undefeated (though I reckon the Tide might have something to say about that in a few short months). This is a must watch.

5. West Virgina (2-0)...22pts...vs Maryland
The Moutaineers are gearing up for their annual border rivalry with the Terps on Thursday night after resting most of their starters last week in the 52-3 win over Eastern Washington. Coach Rich Rodriguez & Co. have won 2 in a row over UMD after losing four in a row in the series. Soph RB Steve Slaton is averaging in excess of 150 ypg and should expect more of the same this week. Ralph "The Fridge" Friedgen is on the hot seat at Maryland and this could be one of those job saving wins should they pull off the upset.

6. LSU (2-0)...17pts...at #4 Auburn
SEE ABOVE

7. Florida (2-0)...8pts...at Tennessee
Expect Gator's Coach Urban Meyer to be rudely introduced to Neyland Stadium by the Volunteer faithful as the two bitter rivals meet in this classic SEC East showdown. UT (#13 AP) is already looking for its second win over a top ten team in Knoxville this season and the Gators are facing by far their toughest test of the season. UT Coach Phil Fulmer could certainly use the victory to get the naysayers off his back after last year's woeful 5-6 record. Look for UF QB combo of Chris Leak & Freshman Tim Tebow to take advantage of a depleted Tennessee defense as Urban looks to go for 2 in a row against the Vols.

8. Texas (1-1)...7pts...at Rice
The Longhorns have their first team defensive unit together for the first time this week after a couple of player's legal issues were resolved, or swept under the table, whatever. They should rebound nicely from last week's brutal L by taking advantage of the overmatched Owls. Mack Brown & Co find themselves apart of a group of two dozen teams in competition for a BCS Bowl game but on the outside looking in as far as the championship game goes.

Side Nod Squads: Louisville (4), Florida St (3), Georgia (1)

Daily Sidenotes - Tuesday, September 12, 2006

3:45 PM (Cease) - You guys are reading words from the newest Promotions Coordinator at 97.3 FM New Rock/Alternative. This is of course an entry level gig, and on-air is the real passion, but at least the foot's in the door.
So in the mean time I'll be the guy with the microphone at some huge bar giving away beers and tshirts and all that fun shit. I'm jacked.

2:10 PM (Cease) - Since Garry again is too cool for the blog to use his resources at the four letter network, here's the video of TJ asking Michael Irvin if he's retarted.

sidenote: cox/paul if you could add dejuiced to the sidebar on the site, that'd be great.

Jacked Up

Tom Jackson's "Jacked Up" towards the end of Monday Night Countdown on ESPN is frequently the best part of Monday Night. I did not see the hits on Edgerrin and Pittman yesterday, but seeing them tonight as part of the Jacked Up highlight was great. The whole crew gets into it and there are usually some hits that don't make highlight reels for Sportscenter.

Marcus Washington, Redskins linebacker, introduced the defensive line with this, "they party together, they eat together, they run together, they don't sleep together because most of them are married." Good thing most of them are married ...

Minnesota may have something going that I did not anticipate. A healthy Matt Birk, $49 million Hutchinson, fullback Tony Richardson (from KC, and we all know who's been running behind him there) and a hungry Chester Taylor (trapped behind Jamal Lewis for too long). The Bears are gonna have some smashmouth football games against the Vikes this year.

GO BEARS!!!

Minor Memorial

For most of us, five years ago today represents the first time in our lives where some can ask you where you were when [insert moment in history] happened. For our parents, that would be JFKs asssination. I don't remember the day the Berlin Wall came down & my recollection of Challenger is solely from text books. For us, that moment in time is watching the towers. Its only been within the past five years that I met most of you for the first time, moved over half a dozen times, attended two colleges & completely shifted my political ethos. And I would say most of that is due to the perceived lack of security I felt living in the DC area immediately following the attacks.

For nothing more than posterity, & it may even be emotionally cathartic, I am going to write a little note about where I was five years ago today and hope that others would do the same.

David Cox -- I was in College Park, MD (about 8 miles from DC) that morning getting ready for class then my afternoon internship on Capitol Hill. I remember sitting in my fraternity house bedroom, my eyes welling, as I watched CNN for three days. It took about 6 hours for my parents to finally get through because of the rush of cell phone calls nationwide. For the next few days, fighter jets were flying so low over the DC Metro area, you could see and feel them. The first day DC airports opened back up, I was on a flight home, fully contagious with mono and terrified of the unknown.

The chain reaction of evil--wars producing more wars -- must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation. -- Dr Martin Luther King

Clinton Yates - I had been in Oxford for no more than two weeks. I had just left DC for the first time in a year, and before that I lived on 5th avenue & 10th streets in downtown New York while going to NYU. I still had tons of friends there that I talked to, not to mention all kinds of family, in NYC and DC.

When I first heard the news it was relayed to me in my CSA 101 - Webmaking (whatever you get the idea), when the 'I'm the dumbass loud sorority girl who comes in talking loud on her cell phone about [insert random idiotic MTV show] here every morning to class with her venti coffee. We were a couple classes in, and she had already pissed every off to the point that everyone just completely ignored her all the time.

This particular day she came in going nuts (but still in the OMG MTV style tone) talking about 'um..someoneo is shooting at the towers! I think our country is at war!'. Which everyone immediately dismissed as 'wow..she's still really drunk.'

Then when everyone sat down and logged on to their computers..things changed. I remember going straight to washingtonpost.com as I day everyday, and seeing the first burning tower. I just got up and walked straight out of the room. I was so shell shocked when I got back to my dorm, that I couldn't even turn on the TV.

When I did, I might have cried until the sun went down. Seriously. Between talking to my dad/parents, and trying to figure out if any of my friends were dead, I couldn't deal with it.

I also wasn't ready for the hardcore 'fuck those sand niggas' reaction from the Miami Campus. I wasn't used to that level of all-out Americanism so to speak until right then. That day, as Cox said completely shifted my political paradigm, and I instantly decided that I didn't give a shit about any other country in the world.

The next thursday (I guess two thursdays after), I sat down and banged out 1300 words about how the kickoff of that year's first home Miami football game (I was in the booth for student radio) brought me back to a sense of normalcy that made me proud. It was the first time I'd ever written anything, and the editor of the High Street Journal printed it word for word, and I apparently thus became a sports writer.

9/11 still scares the shit out of me everytime I think about it, and it turned me into a sportswriter. my dad saved the front pages of the USA Today, Washington Post, and Baltimore sun from the 12th, and the headline from the sun still gives me chills.
In big ass black letters with the towers burning below it said simply 'Infamy'.

sidenote: I'll try to get a copy of that column to post, if for no other reason than to round out this discussion. good call on starting this post moyer.

Andrew Labovitz - That Tuesday morning started way to early for me. It was our first Tuesday of classes, and I didn't have one until 11:00 that morning. Nevertheless, I was woken up by a phone call from my mother shortly after 8:50 in the morning. "Mom, what the fuck, I don't have class for another two hours!"
"Anj, someone just flew a plane into one of the World Trade Center buildings..."
At that point, somewhat regrettably, I said one of the more spiteful things I've ever said, as the second Intifada had just begun a month before, "It's the fucking Palestinians!" I was convinced.

And so, my mother and I sat on the phone together and watched live as the second plane hit a few minutes later, at which time I had the kneejerk reaction to run around the rest of the frat and wake up everybody, most importantly my New York brethren. I was the first in the house to know what happened that morning, and being the messenger was one of the most trying things that I've done in my life. A bunch of guys came into my room and watched the towers fall, and then I trudged off to my 11:00 class. Of course, I barely got out of the house before other guys came back with the word that classes had been canceled for the day. And so, the rest of that day was filled with 30 morose guys collectively smoking more pot than you can possibly imagine being consumed. It was the only thing we could think of doing.

Admittedly, that day didn't mean as much to me then as maybe it should have. At that time, I'd never been to Manhattan, never saw the towers in person, and even though I'd spent a lot of time in DC, I couldn't get my head around the magnitude of what the country was experiencing. Now, after spending living in DC last year before moving up to NYC, I have developed a much broader understanding about both the literal and symbolic meanings of that day. Unfortunately, I believe that the memory of that day has been horribly abused by our current government, but that's really a rant for a different time. As I live now just a few blocks north from where the towers would have stood, and I have a great view of the memorial lights that shoot seemingly all the way up to the heavens, I am constantly reminded of how that day forever changed all of our lives.

Daily Sidnotes - Monday, September 11, 2006

4:03 PM (Cox) - Top 8 ballots for CFB are due by 6pm EST tomorrow. Two weeks in, we now have some idea of who the 'haves' & the 'have nots' are. I would love to count more than 4 ballots this week.

In addition, starting after after week 2 of NFL games we'll start Sidenote's NFL Power Rankings. Just for the hell of it, in case you were wondering. Again, Top 8 unless someone has a better idea.

3:05 PM (Cease) - Garry, we are definitely going to need you to get us the footage of this. ASAP. and I'm serious. I have to see this moment, because apparently I missed it.

sidenote: toss up! who wins a boxing match - Zbikowski or V. Davis? Toughie. also, Vernon Davis' nickname is Duke. ie. Duke Davis. cool name.
dsn: This is the reason that Clinton Portis said he's 93.9% sure he'll play. And that's completely true. I love that station, and I don't need any confirmation, but I can tell you for a fact that every black person in DC got that reference, and if somebody got the audio of it, guaranteed the promo is already all over the station.

Weekend Update

as I wait around with Hail to the Redskins blasting (obviously) I'll drop the update.

Tom Zbikowski is my favorite player in college football in a long time.

He's also a boxer, and he's damn good at that. He'll be playing on sunday for sure. What I would give to see him and Sean Taylor in the same defensive backfield. I'm going with the TerrorSquad as the name of that crew, thank you Fat Joe.

The Bengals still haven't proven anything drastic to me.

They looked good. In fact, they looked better than good. They looked like a team that has come together in a tremendous manner, and have it in them to make a playoff run. But there's something about the way they play that just doesn't really get it done for me. Although I do love that road win.

And this is not some total rip on them, but I can't believe the impossibly fortunate manner in which they get turnovers. They obviously all still count, and they worked this way last year, but they still just seem kinda lucky sometimes. What they have impressed me with most is their ability to capitalize on other team's mistakes. Which is what makes championship squads. Marvin Lewis had an off-season eye opener with the Carson situation, and made sure the rest of the team got better. Bengals = very good football team. Not yet an excellent team. Definitely one of the Top 5 most fun teams to watch.

Trent Green needs to retire.

That hit was so jarring that I had to leave the place I was watching the game at in order to feel better about myself. The no thumbs, just hands placed one over the other, cadaver style, was frightening to say the least. I wish him well, and I think he needs to retire and go straight to the booth. Where he will excel by the way.

When the hell is Byron Leftwich gonna get his due?

Everybody who reads/writes this blog knows that guy is the man, but for whatever reason he seems to constantly getting overlooked in terms of his star power. That guy needs to be in way more NFL publicity stuff, and endorsements in general. With Ron Mexico running around giving half the women of Atlanta herpes, Lefty is actually throwing the ball like a goddamn NFL qb. And he's from DC so I'm wildly biased in his favor.

God bless Vernon fucking Davis, because he just saved Alex Smith's career.

And what a freakin game. That looked like old-school playing 'grab' football on a basketball court. But back to Davis - going to the house on his first NFL grab, after a hell of a route, and just a tremendous scoot to the paint, is insane. He immediately justified why he was given so much freaking money as a rookie TE. And he's the highest paid because of the salary structure, which definitely makes me laugh.

The Seahawks are apparently extremely foolish in the front office, and just made a dagger move after a clunker of Week 1.

Deion Branch? Are you kidding me? You just went to the Super Bowl, and lost a game you were certainly in for some time, and that some people even think you got jobbed out of to an extent, and you pick up this joker? I couldn't think of a more disastrous team chemistry related move, not related to Terrell Owens.

Not to mention they gave up a first round pick for this clown. I don't understand that all. But I guess that's why I'm not an NFL GM though.

It's 9/11 today, and I'm not gonna go crazy about it. And this is the second time I've mentioned crying on this blog. But that day was the worst day of my life, and I've hated this day every year since it happened. God Bless America.

'if it feels good..do it'
-craig kilborn

Buckeyes

The Undisputed #1 team in the nation is: THE Ohio State Buckeyes!!!
'nough said

Game Day Notes from Week 2

With week two within a half of wrapping up, here's a quick recap of a few of today's games.

Troy Smith & OSU redeem last year's only loss to Texas.
Buckeyes prevailed 24-7 in Austin as Smith went 17/27 for 269 yds & 2 TDs. Smith's performance undoubtedly makes him a Heisman frontrunner. Ohio State's team speed proved too much for the Horns as the Bucks moved the ball up & down the field and UT squandered scoring opportunities at key times. Freshman QB Colt McCoy (the real life version of Mox Moxon) looked comfortable at times but the teams 2 TOs put the Longhorns in a hole and eventually lead to the end Mack Brown's 22 game win streak.

Notre Dame takes Penn St to the woodshed.
Another Heisman hopeful, ND's Brady Quinn, had a big game with nearly 300 yds passing & 3TDs as the Irish rolled 41-17 over #19 PSU in South Bend. More importantly, ND's defense showed up and answered a few lingering questions from last year. After last week's lackluster showing against Tech, I was one of the naysayers who believed the Irish were vastly overrated. I didn't even have them in my Top 8. That will change next week, but they will again be tested when the Wolverines & Labo come to town.

The Division I vs I-AA embarassments.
This is getting a little ridiculous. One time I can understand. The whole "any given Saturday" cliche can explain any upset. But four times in two weeks? Last week saw Colorado, New Mexico & Duke lose to I-AA's Montana State, Portland State & Richmond. This week saw New Hampshire ruining Coach Walker's memorial in Evanston as UNH beat Northwestern 34-17. I guess some of these schools are going to have to start scheduling high school teams to guarantee at least one victory in front the home fans. Sidenote-- UNH's David Ball is about to break some of Jerry Rice's old college records. He's good.

Top 8 Week One

The big #1 vs #2 match up in Austin the weekend is all the talk of CFB. First time ever the top two teams of the Sidenote's Top 8 are going to face each other. The bet of the weekend is whether or not Tressel will be wearing the lucky sweater vest in 100 degree Texas heat. 35,000 Buckeye fans have swarmed the Texas capital almost overtaking the burnt orange with their scarlett & gray.

Rk...Team...Record...Pts...LW...Next Game
1. Ohio State...1-0...31(3)...1...@ #2 Texas
2. Texas...1-0...25...2t...v#1 Ohio St
3. SoCal...1-0...23(1)...2t...BYE
4t. Notre Dame...1-0...18...4...v Penn St
4t. Auburn...1-0...18...5...@ Miss St
6. W Virginia...1-0...11...6...v E Washington
7. Florida St...1-0...7...8...v Troy
8. Florida...1-0...5...7...v C Florida

Side Nod Squads: LSU (4), Oklahoma (1), Tennessee (1)

Lighting a Match

Since Mr. Yates has decided that it is time to take this to 'the next level' I will answer in kind and do so in a way that I probably find much to fun - blasting back at Clinton.

You are crazy to think that Saban's half-assed challenge flag throw was anything more than an attempt to cover his own ass. He pump faked 3 times before actually deciding that he was going to throw the flag and then when he did make the decision to do so, he threw it out there like (insert kyle insult here). I think we have all seen enough of Saban to know that if he wanted to challenge the play, REALLY wanted to challenge it, he would have thrown his little beanbag out there far enough that the officials would be able to see it (sidenote: he makes players cry). He knew that he could run down the sideline or onto the field to get the attention of the refs but he decided not to. I mean seriously, he was sitting there watching the ball about to be snapped and then just before it was, he threw his hanky out there. If you ask me, which you didn't, he was just looking to be able to say, "well I wanted to challenge but they didn't see my flag." Saban didn't want to risk it because at that moment the timeout was more valuable to him because he was going to need to come back. (many of you will think that this is crazy - mostly clinton - but at that point I think Saban was going with the video-game strategy of "let them score now and then I have more time to score.) It's all cute and convenient to think that the Steelers would not have been able to score but they most likely would have. To say that they would not have because they fumbled the last time they were on the goal line is a little crazy. I mean, yes, MAYBE they would not have been able to punch it in (again) but I would put their chances well above 50%.

All that being said, the reason that the Dolphins gave up a touchdown to a slow TE is because Zach Thomas blew his coverage, the safety was cheating down towards the line and the entire Miami defense bit on the play action because Heath Miller had stayed on the line for almost the entire game before that play. Thomas gave the "someone better pick that guy up point" which is really his way of saying, "shit, can someone please cover the tight end that I was supposed to be covering." For the Dolphins to blame the officials for their blowing a defensive assignment and then blame them again because they can't even challenge correctly is just childish. They lost because when it comes down to it, the Steelers (right now) know how to win better than the 'fins do. That might change in the next few weeks or months but right now the Steelers will likely win every close game that they play in.

And let's be serious, the thing that sucks most about the botched challenge is that fact that we didn't get to see Cowher challenge whether or not Saban's challenge was thrown in time. That would have been fantastic. Challenging a challenge. (sadly, such a thing is not allowed - that rule needs to change).

Thursday Night Football

since we're all (ahem) you know, stepping it up or whatever..

The Dolphins somehow managed to look like they got upset by the defending Super Bowl champions.

I don't really know why, but that whole game had the feeling of college football style 'trap game'. I'm not some big Dolphins guy, but I did think they would win the game. Heath Miller outrunning 3 black dudes to get into the endzone? That's like Mountain West midnight game shit.
This is a tough one to explain, but that loss might be the worst thing that ever happened to the rest of the AFC East.

I'm not going to be the direct 'blame it on the ref' guy, because everyone here is smarter than that..but we all know that the whole Miller/challenge/(guess not) situation changed the game in Pittsburgh's favor, drastically.

Hello! All of you idiots claiming they would have just punched it in on the next play might be the dumbest people alive. To use the parlance of my boy TK, I believe one Charles Batch fumbled the football, and gave it away, on the fucking drive immediately previous to that one.

If you think that calls like that don't wildly change what you can/cannot do in a football game, you have no clue. I don't give a shit if Culpepper had thrown 9 more picks in that game. If you get jobbed in a situation like that, it's almost impossible to recover from. I'm not saying that I really care, or that the Steelers didn't deserve to win, but Saban has a right to be pissed.

Apparently, Pittsburgh has not mailed it in after their Super Bowl win.

They wanna win it all. Again. And good help us all if they do, because someone gave Jerome Bettis a seat in front of a camera. If I have to listen to him talk about the Steelers all year, that's gonna suck.

This isn't really serious, but if our fantasy season comes down to Labo getting that TD from Miller that should not have been, that'll suck too.

and read Jason Whitlock today. again, it makes you smarter. sidenote: he refers to 'this column' as if some football god is relaying info to the earth through him, and it is super annoying. he also has some weird fetish with bizarre, clearly fake emails before talking about football. but fuck all that. he's a fucking genius when discussing the NFL.

'if it feels good..do it'
-craig kilborn

Daily Sidenotes - Friday, September 8, 2006

1:10 PM (Cease) - Okay Paul Z you (and others) have really shit the bed on the whole 'let's take this blog to another level thing considering it's football season now' thing. I will remedy this situation with my thoughts on last night's game.

sidenote: michelle wie's life has started to suck alot. And she makes a legit point in having to go to high school, and pay pro golf. That shit would be relatively difficult, if you think about it. She sounds immature saying it, but it's all true. I could barely figure out how not to get slapped by a woman when I was 16, and I can't imagine trying to be a freakin golf superstar at the same time either.

dsn: my new favorite blog. even though it's called a bog. which is really really smart if you think about it.

Daily Sidenotes - Thursday, September 7, 2006

3:44 PM (Cox) - IT'S GAME DAY(GO FINS)!!!!!

3:40 PM (Cease) - LaVar Arrington apparently is a flaming homosexual.

Daily Sidenotes - Wednesday, September 6, 2006

12:30 PM (Cease) - What is the deal with starting/sitting players in the fantasy league? I'm totally confused, and I can't imagine that it's just an 'everyone plays' situation. sidenote: the NFL starts TOMORROW. get pumped.

11:15 AM (Cease) - Okay gentlemen, folks are just simply gonna have to calm down about the 'Who's #1' rivalry debate. In all honesty, I don't particularly care about any college football team all that much, which is why I was making the point to begin with. Second, I said the rivalries were equal (if you care to read closer), not one better than the other. And by the real world, I meant the 'all sports roads don't lead to OSU/Michigan football' world which most people actually strangely do live in.
There are qualities to both that make them both tremendous. So relax, I just prefer FSU/Miami, which not only is completely reasonable, but also quite sensible for a person who is a 100% bigger fan of pro football than college. The big boys play on Sunday.

Sidenote: this is also an interesting list via Wikepedia. Scroll down to see the places Gameday chose to attend. Keep in mind that 2002 (I believe) is the season when they started going live on-site every single week, not just for big games.

This, also is hilarious. God bless California. This was a total "dude did you see that [insert crazy ass sports incident involving home video here] -yeah man, that shit was nuts!" moment at the bar like all night last night.

Best Rivalry?

So I must admit that I was a little miffed when I read Sidenoter Yates' opinion that FSU-Miami was a better rivalry than Michigan-OSU for the casual fan, but I decided to withhold a response until I could do some more research. Now, a couple of days later, I can honestly say, I still don't get it.

Firstly, the biggest and best rivalries only take place when the two teams are each other's biggest rival. Michigan and Ohio State is obvious... and without a doubt, Miami has no bigger rival than FSU. But conference affiliation aside, you would be very hard pressed to find an FSU player or fan who would say that Miami is a bigger rival of theirs than Florida. In my opinion, it mirrors the Tennessee-Alabama rivalry. For certain, Tennessee's biggest rival is the Tide (or UF), but would Cox come out and say that he hates the Vols more than he hates the War Eagles of Auburn? Not a chance.

Secondly, yes, its very cool that Miami and Florida State have played in some close games which are given titles after the fact, but c'mon. Real college football rivalries have titles BEFORE the game starts. The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. The Red River Shootout. The Iron Bowl. The Civil War. Michigan-Ohio State is simply called "The Game." It just doesn't get any bigger.

Thirdly, and you might think I'm reaching here, but whatever... almost across the board, the biggest rivalries in college football involve two teams from the same state. There is no other rivalry in the land with two teams having their most hated rival coming from a different state (I thought about Notre Dame-USC, but up until last year, the USC fans have, for years, cared MUCH more about beating UCLA and Cal). While they often are good games, no one outside the state of Florida really cares about the Miami-FSU game, especially considering the lack of relative size of the University of Miami.

Finally, I'm not going to get into the implications of either game, because they are both intra-conference, and all four teams are perennially ranked near the top. But to say that the Miami-FSU games are better? Last night marked the third straight game in this series where neither team could score 20 points. The teams rushed for 3 yards. COMBINED! The only thing that game would do to a non-involved fan is put them to sleep. Yes, there were some big hits. Yes, I loved watching that crazy FSU linebacker run all over the field. But that game was booooring. And I don't want to hear about it only being because it was each team's first game. Both of these teams' offenses have been inept for a couple of years now, and this game did nothing to reverse that impression.

Conversely, only once since 1997 has neither Michigan nor OSU scored 20 points in their matchup, and that game finished OSU's magical and utterly disgusting undefeated season. I highly doubt that very many non-informed fans missed that one. Moreover, the higher ranked team in the series has won only three times in the last 13 years! That is drama personified.

The debate over what is the greatest college football rivalry is one that will undoubtedly outlast this blog... but I simply will not buy that FSU-Miami deserves to be at the top, or even in the top 10.

Sidenote - I was absolutely stunned, STUNNED, that Edgerrin James came out and told the world last night that Miami recruits enter school with the mindset of "three and out." That sure does a whole lot for Miami's image, and the NCAA's already pathetic image of promoting the "student-athlete." I wonder what all the casual fans have to say about that one... that is, if they hadn't already turned off the game due to the porous play on the field.

Double Sidenote - Over the last year or so, I've become a bit of a recruiting junkie. Obviously, we fans will never get the true stories about why players choose which school. But I find the story of this past offseason's #1 recruit, Myron Rolle, to be particularly entertaining. Myron made straight A's throughout high school, scored over a 1300 on his SAT, and claims to want to be a pre-med major (which is obviously a joke, as he'll be in the NFL in three years, as opposed to studying for the MCATs). Still, throughout the recruitment process, he repeatedly claimed that the quality of school was the biggest factor in his choice, and as the #1 player in the country, one would assume that every school in the country was probably in on his recruitment. I know for a fact that Michigan was. Now this may be biased, but based on US News' school rankings, and the AP football rankings, Michigan and Notre Damn have by far the best combinations of academics and football in the country (both schools are in the Top 25 academically). Cal would have been up there, but after getting anally raped by Tennessee, I don't think so. So did Myron take the academic school? Sure, if he's majoring in Buxom Blond Whores (I myself was only fortunate enough to minor in Jappy Brunette Sluts as an upper classman). I wonder what Myron's freshman salary is down there at FSU...

Good One

Thought this was funny check it out
Completly uncalled for

R.I.P. Steve Irwin

The 'Crocodile Hunter' Steve Irwin was killed while filming a documentary on stingrays in Port Douglas, about 1200 miles north of Brisbane. He died from a stingray barb to the heart. This guy was a nut. He always stepped over the line to get a great view of some crazy animal. We've all watched him and wondered, how is he still alive?? Well, his work finally caught up with him...

"Crikey!!"

Sidenote...

Louisville's black uniforms are friggin' sweet...

PZ

MDW Deathwatch

Let's face it, when it comes to the Cincinnati-Cleveland sports rivalry, there is little the two sides share in common outside of tOSU, present company excluded. As a diehard Bengals fan (sidenote--I am well aware that that string of words once constituted an oxymoron, but times they are a changing), I can honestly say there may be common ground for all Ohio NFL fans to stand.

Art Modell.

(I'll pause for the Cleveland contingent to momentarily stop swearing and throwing things at the computer)

I'll admit that I have a strong disliking for the man. Don't think I actually give a damn about the "dawg pound", but I do care about history & tradition. Paul Brown was once responsible for both of the NFL franchises in the state until Modell ripped the Browns straight from the heart of Cleveland. Modell is greed personified. Did I mention I hate the Ravens as much as Modell.



"Modell Death Watch, a modest little page dedicated to the public service of networking those who, er, care about one Arthur Modell."

Click on the button above to check the breathing status of the octogenarian.

Keep your stick on the ice & your sports franchises in one city.

Godzilla over Austin

So how does U of Texas spend millions it earns by licensing the university's logo? By buying the world's largest TV. At over a cost of over $8 million, "Godzillatron" was unveiled Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium in Austin. The monstrosity that now sits above the south endzone is "a 1.7-million pixel electroscape towering over 4,000 new bleacher seats."

I have only two questions: "Is it cable ready? And, where can I plug in the 360?"

I found the photo on TheWizardofOdds, who rec'd the pic from Matt of the site Lmfanzon.

Daily Sidenotes - Sunday, September 3, 2006

9:48 PM (PZ) - During halftime of the Louisville/Kentucky game, Coach Lou Holtz had the greatest comment of the early season. Referring to Limas Sweed's early touchdown catch yesterday: "You can't let that guy run across the middle of your defense like that, you've got to hit him in the jugular and knock him down." Thanks coach.

Go Buckeyes!!! "Rip his freaking head off." --The Waterboy

2:03 PM (Cox) - My older brother Stephen has a knack for being interviewed on the local Cinci news & newpapers for the hype surrounding new video games. The first time was when EA released NBA Streetballers, the game where the gamer could use accrued points/cash to buy an entourage & concubines. This time, he managed to get himself misquoted regarding Tri-State native Shaun Alexander's effect on Madden sales in his local video game store.

From my brother's email he sent me: "I said although it would be a bigger deal if [Chad] Johnson were on the cover, Alexander is still a Crimson Tide player, and therefore tops in my book. Silly journalists."

2:11 PM (Cox) - In a minor feel good story, Wyoming High School grad and Bowling Green product PJ Pope has been signed to the Bears practice squad as a RB. I can remember this kid running around the baseball diamond & basketball court over ten years ago as I cheered on him & my little brother's rec league squads. Here's to making an active roster in the very near future.
Sidenote--as of yesterday afternoon Pooh Bear (as he was called in HS) was listed 3rd on the depth chart, which was sans last years #1 pick, Ced Benson. I guess that got corrected.

2:31 PM (Cox) - Thanks for 21 great years of tennis, Andre.

7:37 PM (Cox) - From Espn.com's home page: "Ben Roethlisberger underwent an emergency appendectomy on Sunday and will miss Thursday's season opener against the Dolphins. It's unknown how long the Steelers QB will be out." In addition, Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward is questionable for the opener due to a gimpy hamstring. I'd rather not tempt the fates, so I'll restrain from inserting a tasteless joke [HERE].

Weekend Update

This is a new feature that I'm gonna start doing personally, which means people can feel free to jock it, but I pretty much jocked it from Jason Whitlock, so..yeah.

I am more than glad to have Calvin Johnson in the '21' community.
He's got gamebreaker skills without being a one-trick pony, and he's essentially the best receiver in the country. Yes, he is better than Jarrett. And there will be a multi-pronged post about how tremendous any athlete wearing the number 21 is, but that's for later.

I've watched this guy play for a while now, it's not like he's anything new to anyone, but that doesn't mean I don't still love him.

Whoever the hell Vanderbilt's new QB is, he's fucking fun to watch.
That guy was running his ass all over Michigan Stadium yesterday, and at one point, right before a fumble you could see the look in his eyes that said 'oh shit, these two huge brothas are about to paint my nice white jersey to maize and blue in front of a hundred thousand people, and it's gonna hurt like shit'. and then he put the ball on the ground.

I don't know who the hell was smoking crack in the Vegas sportsbook for the Arkansas/USC game, but that line was ridiculously off-point.
I believe it was 6 1/2..what on earth? Hello, they beat them 70-7 last year, and just because SC's new quarterback has a name that sounds super serial-killer-ish, doesn't mean arkansas is suddenly going to go upsetting people week 1.

I know that college football/simpsons post was strong, but the one relating rappers to known programs was flat out unreal.
That post was so in my wheelhouse, that I almost completely lost control of my bladder, reading and laughing. I also could not stop thinking about the eldest brother Brandon 'this sweater isn't gay it's just cashmere' Wall, and how that post had his name all over it. In case you didn't catch it, I personally think it destroys the simpsons one.

Garrett Wolfe is the next Darren Sproles. Get over him.
You got a limited number of Satudays to see this guy play at this point, and if you like him that much, make sure you see him now, cause you certainly won't next year on Sunday.

That kid from Georgia better not fumble again all season.
Just because you ran back the next one, doesn't preclude you from still being an absolute freakin idiot for dropping the first one. If you think he's sweet for making up for the botch, think of how much sweeter he'd have been with two straight returns.

Sidenote: Miami/FSU = Ohio State/Michigan, like in the real world. Except the florida rivalry has better actual games for the non-involved fan. They have like, their own titles - ie. Wide Right I-IV. so money.

'if it feels good..do it'
-craig kilborn

A quiet demand...

To all reading this post...

It is officially football season, so let's pick this blog up another level. If you know somebody who loves talking about or talking shit about sports, especially football, get them invited to Sidenote's immediately. Kilgore, get Alex and those guys on here, etc. I want some hard core shit-talking this fall, no joke. The playing field is very even this year, and anybody can win the national championship. Let's hear your thoughts fellas...

I believe in what I write and say, otherwise I would be in politics...

Sidenote's Gameday

A place for those of us who devote countless hours to watching CFB each and every Saturday in the fall we aren't at a wedding or a funeral. The regional diversity we enjoy allows us to cover a good portion of the nation. This space is for gameday armchairing or Sunday afternoon Quarterbacking. There is no out of bounds.

-Miiichigan let Vandy hang around in the first half by dropping passes & a blocked FG. Mike Hart's big day on the ground of 140+ left the Dores reminiscing about the Glory Days of Jay Cutler & last season.

-I'm stuck watching 3 Pac-10 teams on 2 tvs, horrible ratio. Of the 4 teams I'm currently watching, there is a combined one defense, and all eleven of those guys are wearing the disgustingly fruity Volunteer orange . That color makes my eyes want to vomit. UT's up 14 to rip at the half. Stanford's D resembles Spanish matador's at a bullfight as Oregon is up 48-10 late in the 4th.

Daily Sidenotes - Saturday, September 2, 2006

1:45 PM (Cox) - Since FSU/Miami, Fl are set to play Monday night with more coverage by ESPN than a presidential debate, Top 8s should be delayed until Tuesday. Send me via email (dlc1981@yahoo.com) or AIM (cox9581) your Top 8 late Monday or anytime Tuesday. It would be cool to count 10 ballots or more.
Sidenote--The first Saturday in September has always been my 2nd favorite day of the year (my most favored being the 5th day of the same month). Here's to football.

***Site Update***

I have updated the site for slightly better navigation away from the page. All links in the right column now will open up in a new window instead of the current window.

Simple update, makes it easy to stay where you were within Sidenote's.

To add this to each individual link within your posts, add your link as normal, but also add: target="_new" into the link as you see below.

a href="http://deadspin.com" target="_new">DeadSpin<

The example link above does not include everything you need for a link, I eliminated some of it so that it would show as text and not a link in the actual post.

Click below for an example of opening into a new window.

DeadSpin into new window.

"I update because I am bored" -- PZ

As I sit here and do nothing at work on a boring ass friday. I was sent this article, which I dont know if any you have seen or not. Simpsons fans and college football fans rejoice.

http://heyjennyslater.blogspot.com/2005/12/letting-no-good-idea-go-unstolen-its.html

Read it its pretty good

Daily Sidenotes - Friday, September 1, 2006

6:21 (PZ) - Cox..top 8 rankings Monday or will it be delayed for the holiday? I say Monday still...


6:01 PM (PZ) - Back in the day, Agassi was the only reason I ever watched tennis. It will be sad to see him go. I am still hoping he can pull out some miracle and win one more. Rebel X forever.


12:45 AM (Garry) - I would go on and on in this post but let me just say to everyone if you didn't just see the Agassi v. Baghdatis match, you missed a great one. I am not huge tennis guy, but this was fantastic drama with Andre getting up 2 sets to love before Baggy battled back to even it 2-2 and the 5th set was amazing. Baghdatis was cramping and could barely walk late in the 5th set but continued to battle - it was incredible. Find a story about it, preferable a column and read about it. This was one for the ages.