Joe Gibbs to Ride off into the Sunset

Remember this blog?? Reading the previous posts was like a walk down memory lane. A time when kids played with toy trains and movies only cost a nickel. I still can't believe I spent a nickel on Transporter 2. I was foolish back in those days.

Anyway, word on the street is Joe Gibbs is resigning as head coach of the Redskins. It's hard to believe his second run here was three years, and even harder to believe Gibbs is 162 years old and single-handedly turned the confederate troops back at Antietam.

So what does this mean for the future of the Skins? They finally put together a respectable team and now they need new leadership. Who will be the new coach? Will it be Bill Cowher? Brian Billick? Will Smith (he's good in anything)?

Tourney Talk

Since it's almost my favorite time of the year (tourney time), I figured I'd get back into posting as much as I can. So prepare yourself for a heavy dose of Skretchosify (rhymes with philosify) over the next few weeks.

Here are a few NCAABB thoughts heading into tourney time (men's only, of course):

1. Since the game yesterday, everyone and their momma has been talking about the Hansbrough bloody nose "incident". Brace yourself for at least 3 more days of non-stop media coverage of this, including SportsCenter lead-ins and interviews, Duke/UNC "rivalry re-newed" columns, and top 10 bloody nose lists. I have 3 thoughts. First, Roy Williams should have had Hansbrough out of the game at the 1-minute mark, where the lead was around 15 points. I know he said he was trying to get him out of the game, but that was with 14 seconds left, why so late?? The game was a foul fest in the last minute and there was plenty of opportunity to sit the starters. Bad move by Roy. Second, Hansbrough had it coming. The only reasons he was trying to get an offensive rebound and put back with 14 seconds left in a 13 point game are either to pad his stats or to rub in the victory. I've read some writers say "it's in his DNA to go hard after every ball and score every play...blah, blah, blah". If so, he's just a robot and that will eventually come back to bite him, if this game hasn't already done that (he now has a broken nose). You can't just be a robot on the court and be successful, you have to play hard AND play smart. The smart play there is to get the offensive rebound and throw it back out to the perimeter to run the clock out. Like I said, he's either padding his stats or rubbing in the win, both which deserve a forearm shiver to the nose. Thirdly, Duke sucks.

2. Fear the Turtle. The Terps are, quite possibly, the hottest team in the entire country right now. 7 straight ACC victories, 3 wins over Duke and UNC, and a ton of confidence. So now the age-old question is...should we hope to lose in the ACC tourney?? Because of Duke's failure to beat UNC, the Terps don't get a first round bye in the ACC tourney. That means, to win it, they need to win 4 games in 4 days against premiere teams in the best conference in the nation, turning their legs into a soft, jelly-like substance of exhaustion. This, right before the Big Dance, would not be the ideal situation. So, how do you deal with this if you're Gary Williams? How do you react to this as a fan? Here are some pros and cons of winning all four games:
Pros:
-Win another ACC tournament title, only done once before by MD in 2004
-Continue the momentum of a 7 game winning streak heading into the Big Dance (with an 11 game winning streak)
-Continue to gel and work on offensive game strategy and gain experience for younger players
-Help seeding for tourney
Cons:
-Get tired and burn out
-Peak too early and have a bad game in the big tourney
-Someone gets injured

A few other reasons why it might be better to lose early is to get another chip on their shoulder to prove an early round exit will not happen in the big one. Also, when Maryland won it all, they lost early in the ACC tournament, not that that really matters this year's team, but I'm just sayin.

As a fan, here's what I hope for. They have to beat Miami in the first round (and avenge a horrible loss at home). Then, I hope they play hard against BC and hope to avenge their loss against them as well. If they lose, so be it, BC is a good team and they will have almost a week to rest before the tourney. If we win, that's another good "resume win" for seeding purposes, and could also help us. The next game is the one that I would not be opposed at all to losing. Now, I'm not saying they should tank it, but if they find themselves down 15 in the first half, I don't think they should kill themselves to get back in the game. Again, I'm not "rooting" for them to lose, I'm just hoping for a scenario that will help them keep momentum, stay respectable, and put them in the best position to win it all.

And yes...don't think Maryland can't win it all...

The Madness begins

For those of you stuck at work for the first two days of the tourney, go to this link and watch all the games on your computer:
http://www.ncaasports.com/mmod?year=2007

As for me...I've already put in the vacation request for March 15th and 16th.

We SOOOO Own Duke

That's all I'm saying. Tourney time is just around the corner, baby!

We OWN Duke

"They played with amazing energy, especially at the start of the game," Krzyzewski said. "The crowd, their team ... our team hasn't experienced that level of energy this season and it knocked us back."


I feel the energy. We're getting in the tourney this year.

Agent Zero: The Hope Killer

You cannot stop him. You cannot even hope to contain him. The only thing you can do is....watch and die.

Superbowl Prediction

Hello Team,

Here's my prediction for how this whole NFL Playoff picture will shake out.

Saints Vs Bears - I think the Saints will win. I don't think Rex Grossman is a good quarterback (nor does anyone else). Sure they have a good defense, but I think Deuce and Reggie will wear them down, and pull out the victory. The Saints have too many weapons.

Patriots Vs. Colt - I think the Patriots will win this one. Indy/Manning always chokes in the playoffs, and I don't believe this year will be any different.

Patriots vs. Saint - I think the Saints will win, and America will celebrate.

Love,
Jim

Prepare Thyself for the Baltimore Brawl

If your a Ravens fan, you understand that it's rather impossible to predict how those blackbirds will do in the offseason. I don't remember any sports writer talking about the Ravens being legitimate Super Bowl candidates. I know I didn't think so. But even the biggest Raven hater, (hi Petralia!), has to admit that they have a good shot now.

But there's a few teams in their way. And one of them is a ghost from the past, and not the friendly type. The Colts have returned, and some would say they've brought their own Johnny Unitas. As if the Ravens needed another reason to step up their brutal brand of defense.

You better believe this is going to be the loudest, craziest stadium crowd the city of Baltimore has ever experienced. Will Peyton Manning be able to keep his cool and get his offense rolling? Or will he be decapitated by a berserking Ray Lewis. Either way, it will be great to see the best quarterback wage war against the best defense.

And sure the Colts did beat the Ravens earlier this year. But that wasn't in Baltimore during the playoffs. And let's not forget that the Ravens play better when they are fueled by an intense and murderous rage. That loss to the Colts is going to work in their favor as it's heightened their bloodlust for a most vengeful punishing.

Will the Colts win? My prediction is: No. The real question is, should children be allowed to watch?