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Alabama vs LSU

By Coach On October 31, 2011 No Comments

Painful though it may be, it is my duty to tell you that we must wait a few more days for No. 1 LSU to play No. 2 Alabama.

Both teams are off the week before, which is why the drumbeat around the shore of the Black Warrior River that runs beyond the Tuscaloosa campus already has begun. Tigers coach Les Miles admitted at his media conference after practice Tuesday evening that his team has been hearing the drums for some time.

“It’s been a few weeks there is something laying in the back of the accomplishment of this team that allowed them to get to these days, that allowed them to get to this opponent,” Miles said. “… I do believe this is college football, two great teams squaring off, something to play for. It’s fun.”

Whether there is a way to win the game this week is open to question. But there’s no doubt that either team could lose it. All of the players have to do is drink from the fire hose of excitement and tension that already is gushing.

Alabama coach Nick Saban said as much at a press conference following his team’s practice Tuesday. The challenge he faces, Saban said, is “to get our players not to think about everything that’s surrounding the game. That will be the hardest part.”

The tension will ratchet higher with each passing day all the way to kickoff at Bryant-Denny Stadium shortly after 8 p.m. ET on Nov. 5, which is shortly before we move our clocks back. Congress, in its infinite wisdom, made the longest night of the fall available for the best regular-season game in the last five years.

At least, that’s how I’m sure some member from Louisiana or Alabama will explain it.

The Southeastern Conference, which creates the schedule for its members, takes no credit for nice foresight. The game, senior associate commissioner Mark Womack said, is pretty much a result of dumb luck.

re trying to give guys an open date,” Womack said. “It wasn’t like we said, ‘LSU and Alabama will both be fantastic.’”

Womack added how the league tries not to give any team more than five consecutive conference games without a break. Alabama hit that threshold Saturday when it defeated Tennessee, 36-7. By happenstance, the off week coincides with fall break on the Tuscaloosa campus. There are no classes Thursday and Friday, which increases the feeling of a season intermission.

Saban is a believer that you can never be overprepared. But that does not mean that a couple weeks of practice devoted to LSU is better than one. Most of the time in the three practices this week, Saban said in a phone interview Monday night, will be turned inward.

“Obviously, there are going to be a lot of good players in this game,” Saban said, “and I think a premium suddenly becomes doing things correctly. You will get away with doing them [incorrectly] against somebody who’s not challenging you. Nevertheless they [the Tigers] certainly have enough good athletes to challenge you when it comes to every factor of the game.”

Good players? In the 76 seasons from the AP poll, the top-ranked teams have met only 22 times within the regular season. The LSU-Alabama game will be the first since No. 1 Ohio State edged No. 2 Michigan, 42-39, in 2006. That’s a long time between sequels.

But here’s the cherry on top of this ice cream Saturdae. Of those 22 games, only three have matched teams that both had an off week to prepare.

In 1944, No. 1 Army beat No. 2 Navy, 23-7, in Baltimore, where the game was moved from Annapolis only a couple weeks before kickoff. The academies moved the game to Memorial Stadium to foment the sale of war bonds and raised nearly $59 million.

However, the two weeks to prepare allowed the Annapolis brass, combined with the city fathers of Municipal Stadium, to attempt to resod the field in the interim in a naked ploy to slow down the fleet Cadets. Army coach Red Blaik got wind of the plan and sent an assistant coach to Baltimore to intervene, to no avail.

The plan worked too well. The week with the game, torrential rains turned the virgin turf into a rice paddy. “[I]n the finish the category of the Army team enabled it to rise above the unnecessarily poor conditions,” Stanley Woodward wrote within the New York Herald Tribune.

In other words, you can get too cute when you have an extra week to prepare. Saban said Monday night he developed his philosophy about what to do during an off week while an assistant coach in the NFL, which wove bye weeks into the schedule years back.

“I think the goal is always to try to give your team some kind of psychological reprieve, some kind of physical reprieve to kind of get healthy and get more healthy for the stretch,” Saban said.

That thinking did not originate with Saban’s former boss in the NFL, Patriots coach Bill Belichick. It dates at least to 1926, when first-year Tennessee coach Robert Neyland had an extra week for the season-ending game against Kentucky. In the notebook, Neyland wrote, “Coast to Ky game.”

The late Tennessee professor Andy Kozar, who played for Neyland at Tennessee, published in 2002, “Football as a War Game: The Annotated Journals of General R. R. Neyland.” “The unorthodox preparation for the 1926 Kentucky game was a practice Neyland would follow for years to come,” Kozar wrote. “I remember the 1950-52 season[s] if the practice week plan needed plenty of rest, elementary school chasing games, and relays.”

No. 1 Army and No. 2 Navy had two weeks to prepare for each other again in 1945, a game that the Cadets won handily, 32-13. Blaik’s team didn’t lose until 1947, the season after the graduation of his Heisman Trophy tandem of backs, Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis.

It’s been 40 years since the last matchup of No. 1 vs. No. 2 with an off week for both. No. 1 Nebraska won at Oklahoma, 35-31 on Thanksgiving Day 1971. Involving the buildup, the crowd swelled through the national holiday and the seesaw nature of the game itself, the game is the showpiece game of an era, as well as a great rivalry killed by realignment.

The Huskers’ Johnny Rodgers put a claim on the 1972 Heisman Trophy using a 72-yard punt return for a touchdown. Sooners fans of your certain age dispute if the Huskers committed one or three illegal blocks about the return.
Which is the great advantage of a game like LSU-Alabama. Two weeks of buildup can result in 40 years of memories — and counting.

Tony La Russa Retires

By Coach On October 31, 2011 No Comments

In terms of a lengthy view of the sport, the name Tony La Russa will forever be found atop a list of the very best managers in baseball history.

For that reason, it will make poetic sense that the St. Louis Cardinals skipper announced his retirement on Monday morning following 16 seasons with the team and just days right after reaching the pinnacle of his profession for a third time. It is rare that any athlete, manager or coach can select to retire as a champion, but La Russa is carrying out exactly that. He undoubtedly earned the right to create the choice, having won two,728 games – the third highest total in history behind Connie Mack and John McGraw- over 33 seasons with the Cardinals, Oakland Athletics and Chicago White Sox. He won six pennants and three Globe Series titles and will soon find himself in the Hall of Fame.

Though La Russa leaving the game may possibly come as a surprise simply because we saw so few signs leading as much as it, it cannot come as a total shock. La Russa constantly preferred to manage on one-year contracts so he could evaluate his position following every single season. It is also worth noting that 3 of the 67-year-old’s closest contemporaries – Bobby Cox, Joe Torre and Lou Piniella – hung it up immediately after last season. Although it often seemed like the only way TLR would leave the dugout was in a pine box, he’s going ahead and generating the call himself.

Is this definitely it for La Russa? Will a retirement filled with Tv gigs and wearing red blazers at Busch Stadium homecomings seriously placate the ever-calculating La Russa?

Or will the sweet call of the swish of a fungo bat lure him back in a year or two? Only La Russa knows for certain and with additional than 3 decades of expertise with playing it close towards the vest, there’s no way he’s going to tip his hand.

But like I said before, La Russa clearly earned the correct to make this choice on his own. No matter if you loved him or loved to hate him, we were all lucky to watch him work.

Joe Paw Becomes the Winningest Coach Of All Times

By Coach On October 30, 2011 No Comments

State College, Pennsylvania. In vibrant white letters against a blue background, the electronic sign boards around Beaver Stadium took note of another milestone for Joe Paterno long after the stands had cleared.

“Congratulations Coach Paterno,” the signs read. “Winningest Coach In Division I College Football.”

It took all 60 minutes on a snowy, sloppy Saturday in Happy Valley, but JoePa broke Eddie Robinson’s record with victory No. 409 as No. 21 Penn State defeated Illinois 10-7.

The Nittany Lions (8-1, 5-0 Big Ten) overcame six fumbles-losing two- with Silas Redd’s 3-yard touchdown run along with one:08 to go. Penn State’s only touchdown came after Illinois corner Justin Green was whistled for pass interference while breaking up a fourth-down pass for Derek Moye in the end zone.
Illinois (6-3, 2-3) drove from the 17 to the Penn State 25 on the next drive, but Derek Dimke’s 42-yard field goal attempt bounced off the right upright as time expired.

Even JoePa was nervous from the press box before Penn State’s last drive. Paterno coached upstairs since he’s still got a sore right leg, shoulder and pelvis following an accidental preseason hit.

“Did I have any doubts,” he asked rhetorically with a chuckle. “Sure I had doubts … nonetheless it worked out anyway.”

In a common occurrence over his remarkable 46-year career, Paterno was feted again with a postgame ceremony. School president Graham Spanier and athletic director Tim Curley presented JoePa with a plaque that read, “Joe Paterno. Educator of Men. Winningest Coaach. Division One Football.”

Among all coaches, Paterno now only trails John Gagliardi, still active at Division III St. John’s, Minn., with 481 victories.

“It really is something I’ve very proud of, to be associated with Eddie Robinson,” Paterno said in a brief postgame ceremony in the media room broadcast to fans still waiting in the stands 10 minutes later. “Something like this means a lot to me, an awful lot. But there’s a lot of other people I’ve got to thank.”

Start with Redd, the budding star who had a career-high 30 carries for 137 yards for Penn State, none bigger his late TD run.

An early-season snowstorm had fans bundled up in winter parkas and hoodies. The offenses seemed to be frozen stiff.

After struggling most of the afternoon, quarterback Matt McGloin drove Penn State from their own 20 to the Illini 32 on three long completions before the pass interference call gave the Nittany Lions a second chance.

“I thought it was a good play myself,” frustrated Illini coach Ron Zook said. “But obviously (the referee) thought … I don’t know, I didn’t ask him.”

Redd capitalized four plays later by barreling into the end zone, the crowd erupting in delight.

Jason Ford rushed for 100 yards on 24 carries but Illinois couldn’t exploit a slew of Penn State mistakes in a defensive slugfest.

Illlinois outgained Penn State 286-209. After a quiet start, Illinois’ pass rush turned up the heat in the second half, getting 2.5 sacks combined from standout ends Michael Buchanan and Whitney Mercilus.

Still, the Illini’s offense wasn’t a lot better than Penn State, but they got just received enough inside the third quarter from scrambling quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase to scratch out a 10-yard touchdown pass to Spencer Harris for a 7-0 lead.

Illinois’ defense held firm from there until Penn State’s late TD drive.

Moye, back after missing two games because of a left foot injury, dropped a third-down pass to groans from the crowd on the winning drive. McGloin went for Moye on fourth down with 1:31 left, and the ball bounced off the receiver’s hands in the end zone-but there was contact and the interference penalty gave Penn State another chance.

Zook could only wince on the sideline as a once-quiet Penn State crowd burst back to life.

“They were just able to find their receivers. They weren’t able to do that all game, we pretty much got them all game,” Buchanan said. “As a D-line, we weren’t able to get pressure on the quarterback that we wanted to. So it was pretty much on us.”

Illinois’ struggling offense couldn’t get untracked again early, going scoreless in the first half for a third straight game. They wasted opportunities deep in Penn State territory following fumbles by Redd at his own 37 in the first half, and quarterback Rob Bolden at the 29 late in the second half.

On that drive, Illinois receiver Ryan Lankford made a pretty tiptoe catch along the sideline from backup quarterback Riley O’Toole for a 12-yard gain towards the 12. The play was upheld by replay-and fans in the student section showed their displeasure by tossing snowballs on the field.

The snowballs missed the players-much like most of the passes Saturday. McGloin was 9 of 24 for 98 yards, while Bolden missed all four of his pass attempts, all in the second quarter.

Scheelhaase finished 9 of 16 for 63 yards, and ran 14 times for 89 yards.

After the game, Paterno had one further message to the frigid fans outside before they headed on the exits in relief.

“For all the fans out there, thanks for sitting through that today,” Paterno said half-jokingly, “You’ve got to be nuts!”

Tailgating In Gainesville, Florida

By Coach On September 1, 2011 No Comments

Tailgating is a traditional part of attending college and professional sporting events and having a great time partying with family and friends under a Florida Gators tent can make time spent much better. It just makes no sense that you would travel all the way to Gainesville and only spend your time watching the players chase the ball around, when you can be having your own kind of fun, not only before the game,  but during and after it as well.

With a good looking Florida Gators tent and your UF Gators tailgate chairs you will be all set to have an incredibly good time at the game. Since no one can guarantee that you will have fair weather while you are enjoying the time you spend waiting for the game to begin, having the right equipment can make all the difference between having a good time and wishing you had just stayed home.

With your Florida Gators tent you are going to be protected from the elements while you are grilling up some great burgers or maybe even your award winning steaks. Just be careful to maintain your position in those UF Gators tailgate chairs or someone may just take in the aroma and come by for a visit.

While there is no doubt that there are many diehard tailgating fans who would just as soon stand out in the rain or the extreme heat just so they can continue to rule as the finest tailgater on the planet, but why should you have to do that when you can be comfortable under your Florida Gators tent and seated in your UF Gators tailgate chairs.

A Florida Gators tent can be found at a reasonable price, and that makes securing one of your own much more attractive. It is not hard to put one up or take it down, and it is generally simple enough that one or two people at the most can set one up and have it ready to go in just minutes. Storing them at home in the garage or basement takes up little space so you won’t have to worry about where you are going to keep them.

So, the next time you are planning your next get away to a Florida Gators game be sure to take along your Florida Gators tent and those special UF Gators tailgate chairs so that you can spend as much time as you like enjoying the festivities. Don’t forget to keep some of those steaks handy so that you can continue your tailgating party after the game. How else do you expect to get through all those long lines of traffic as they escape from the confines of the parking lot if not by waiting around until the rest are all gone having fun discussing how you would have made a better play.

You are sure to be the hit of any tailgating party when you have a great looking Florida Gators tent and your own set of UF Gators tailgate chairs. Just be forewarned that you will be inviting guests over when you set all your equipment up so be sure to stock up on all the ingredients that make tailgating a blast.

USC Post 2009

By Alteo On June 26, 2011 No Comments

West Virgina 2010

By Alteo On June 25, 2011 No Comments

Don Wilson of the Houston Astros

By Alteo On June 24, 2011 No Comments

For fans of the Houston Astros, January 5, 1975 will always be something of a day of mourning. On that day, one of the Astros greatest players left the great ballpark of life, leaving behind him more than enough fond memories to fill a thousand Minute Maid Parks in the team’s home city of Houston. The player’s name was Donald Edward Wilson, but his teammates and fans alike knew him simply as “Don”.

The rise of a pitcher

Don Wilson was born February 12, 1945, and played his college baseball in Compton, California – at the Compton Community College. After college, he was recruited in 1966 by the Astros, who were in need of good pitchers – as most teams usually are. He was known as a bit of a wild card in college, and his wild streak continued in the early years of his professional career. Part of that lack of control was simply the result of the speed with which he threw the ball. He was routinely referred to throughout his 9 years in the Majors as having one of the hardest thrown pitches in all of baseball. As many analysts have noted over the years, the truly hard throwing pitchers often find that the first thing they must sacrifice to obtain such speed and force is their control over the pitch.

His career

Wilson is known for a great many things in Astros lore, including being the first pitcher to ever record a no-hitter under a dome or on artificial grass. That no-hitter also saw an impressive display of strikeouts, as Don’s brutal pitches sealed the fates of 15 total batters on the day, including the legendary Hank Aaron, whose strikeout was the final deciding out in the contest. A year later, Wilson would record 18 total strikeouts in one game, setting a record for the franchise. His hard-throwing style was paying off.

By the time Wilson threw what would prove to be the last game of his career, he had earned the respect of his team, fans, and foes around the league. No-hitters were always a possibility when Don took the mound, and his opponents knew it. His very last game was close – a 5 to nothing, two hit affair over the Atlanta Braves in September of 1974. It was the last time he would ever be seen by a batter, however, as his body was found in his garage in January of the following year, dead in the passenger seat of his own car. The engine was still running, but the official account recorded the death as a tragic accident since there was no evidence of intent to commit suicide.

A few months later, the Astros organization officially retired Don’s number, a fitting tribute to a man who had given his life to the ball club. The next season, the players all wore the number 40 on a uniform patch to commemorate their fallen comrade. To this day, fans across the Houston area still talk about the hard-throwing pitcher who always left everything he had on the field of play.

• Houston Astros Watch
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Kentucky Wildcat Baseball

By Alteo On June 23, 2011 No Comments

When you talk about the Kentucky Wildcats baseball program, there are several players that you need to add to the conversation. Many players that are in MLB today as well as several retired players, have played for the Wildcats and led the team to several SEC titles in the past few years.

These players are part of the reason why the Kentucky Wildcats in baseball are such a powerhouse. The rich tradition and history that is associated with Wildcat baseball leads several people to wonder why this team has yet to win a NCAA title.

Some of the names that have made a career out of playing baseball and doing so in successful fashion. One of the players that placed a Wildcats uniform on and went on to the majors was Joe Blanton.

Blanton career started with the Oakland Athletics, here he played for four years before being acquired by the Phillies in 2008. In his career he has had over 640 strikeouts as well as a record of 63-54.

Joe Blanton in his two years pitching for the Wildcats had a 13-12 record as well a ERA of 4.69. He led the SEC during his career with the most strikeouts.

Michigan State Spartans 2010

By Alteo On June 22, 2011 No Comments

Detroit Redwings and the History of their Players

By Coach On June 21, 2011 No Comments