No NBA so far this year, and if they continue progressing at the rate, there won't be. So all the action on the hardwood is going to take place in the college world, and the season is starting with a big one! The Michigan State Spartans taking on the #1 North Carolina Tarheels on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson in honor of Veterans Day.
The Tarheels are looking to begin their quest for a National Championship in a rematch of the 2009 title game. North Carolina is an experienced team with 5 seniors and 4 juniors, and they hope this veteran leadership, will guide the squad through a tough regular season schedule. Possibly the toughest road game will be Saturday, December 3 at the #2 Kentucky Wildcats. Then they'll have their ACC schedule, with a pair of games against arch rival #6 Duke. But beyond that, North Carolina is focused on making another deep NCAA Tournament run, and hopefully another opportunity to play for the National Championship.
The Spartans are looking to rebound after what many fans consider to be an off year, last year. Michigan State went 19-14 (9-9) last season and barely squeaked into the tournament, only to get knocked out 78-76 by UCLA in the first round. Prior to that, the Spartans had a Sweet 16 showing in 2008, played in the 2009 National Championship game, and followed that with a 2010 Final Four appearance. They hope to return to being a premiere team in basketball, but returning 4 seniors and 1 junior, they are a very young team and have a lot to learn.
This game is going to feature two of college basketball's all time greatest coaches (Tom Izzo of Michigan State and Roy Williams of North Carolina) with two very contrasting teams. However, both teams are playing for one goal. To honor the US Service men and women in attendance. While yes this is a big game for both teams, it's important to remember that it's Veteran's Day and this game is in their honor.
If any troops read this, thank you for everything you give and have given. Thank you and God Bless! Now let's play some basketball!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Friday, November 4, 2011
The Saban Bowl
So here it is. Number one against number two, going head to head, with everything on the line. Except, it's not the national championship game. And these will not be the top two teams after the lights are turned out in Tuscaloosa Saturday night.
The LSU-Alabama rivalry dates back to 1895. The Crimson Tide leads the series 45-24-5 and they also own the longest win streak in the series at 11 which ranged from 1971-1981. In recent history, the game has been nicknamed the "Saban Bowl" because of current Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Saban coached at LSU from 2000-2004 after leaving Michigan State before their 1999 bowl game. At LSU, Saban would win 2 SEC Championships, the first coming in 2001 and the second came in 2003. Saban and the Tigers would go on to add a National Championship in 2003 with a 21-14 victory over #1 Oklahoma. At the end of the 2004 season, Saban would depart Louisiana for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. In his time at LSU, the Tigers were 4-1 against Alabama.
Then in 2007, Nick Saban returned to college football, this time donned in crimson. So far, with Saban at the helm, the Crimson Tide have a 43-11 record with Conference and National Championships in 2009. In his time at Alabama so far, the Tide are 2-2.
This season, however, there's more pressure on both teams than ever before. Both come into tonight's game with National Championship expectations, and rightly so. Alabama and LSU are the two top rated defenses, and the two top teams in the nation. There's almost no doubt that the winner of this game is going to be the favorite to beat (fill in whoever you THINK is going to be number two in January) at the end of the year.
So here's my prediction: Alabama's offense squeaks ahead of LSU midway through the third quarter, and the Crimson Tide wins 27-17. I think LSU's QB, Jarrett Lee, struggles against the stout Alabama D and the Tigers never get comfortable running the ball. Alabama's offense is also going to be more than the Tigers are used to seeing both on the ground and through the air.
This is a #1-#2 matchup that promises offensive football. Well most fans then are not going to turn it off in favor of the #14 K-State at #3 OK State game. Because as the old saying goes, "offense sells seats, defense wins championships." And the winner of this game, gets their shot at a championship.
The LSU-Alabama rivalry dates back to 1895. The Crimson Tide leads the series 45-24-5 and they also own the longest win streak in the series at 11 which ranged from 1971-1981. In recent history, the game has been nicknamed the "Saban Bowl" because of current Alabama head coach Nick Saban.
Saban coached at LSU from 2000-2004 after leaving Michigan State before their 1999 bowl game. At LSU, Saban would win 2 SEC Championships, the first coming in 2001 and the second came in 2003. Saban and the Tigers would go on to add a National Championship in 2003 with a 21-14 victory over #1 Oklahoma. At the end of the 2004 season, Saban would depart Louisiana for the NFL's Miami Dolphins. In his time at LSU, the Tigers were 4-1 against Alabama.
Then in 2007, Nick Saban returned to college football, this time donned in crimson. So far, with Saban at the helm, the Crimson Tide have a 43-11 record with Conference and National Championships in 2009. In his time at Alabama so far, the Tide are 2-2.
This season, however, there's more pressure on both teams than ever before. Both come into tonight's game with National Championship expectations, and rightly so. Alabama and LSU are the two top rated defenses, and the two top teams in the nation. There's almost no doubt that the winner of this game is going to be the favorite to beat (fill in whoever you THINK is going to be number two in January) at the end of the year.
So here's my prediction: Alabama's offense squeaks ahead of LSU midway through the third quarter, and the Crimson Tide wins 27-17. I think LSU's QB, Jarrett Lee, struggles against the stout Alabama D and the Tigers never get comfortable running the ball. Alabama's offense is also going to be more than the Tigers are used to seeing both on the ground and through the air.
This is a #1-#2 matchup that promises offensive football. Well most fans then are not going to turn it off in favor of the #14 K-State at #3 OK State game. Because as the old saying goes, "offense sells seats, defense wins championships." And the winner of this game, gets their shot at a championship.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
BCS Thoughts
Another week, another set of gut-wrenching, heard-pounding, show stopping, college football games. What game messed up the standings the most though? Was it the BCS stunners Michigan State and their play, "Rocket" with :04 to go in the tie ball game to knock off Wisconsin? What about Syracuse shellacking West Virginia to the tune of 49-23? Or perhaps the Texas Tech Red Raiders silencing the crowd in Norman, Oklahoma, by knocking off the unbeaten Sooners 41-38?
Well yes, to all. Depends who you root for (or against). All these results were exciting for somebody, and shook up the BCS Standings. That leads us to two questions.
Who's in? And who's out?
With LSU and Alabama staying in the top two spots, there's no need to evaluate them. The thing that shocked me in the top 5, was Stanford NOT moving to the number 3 spot. Oklahoma State took that slot and Boise State moved up a spot, putting Stanford in sixth.
Stanford destroyed number 25 Washington (5-2) by a score of 65-21, while OK State took down unranked Missouri (3-4). And Boise? They were in a down-to-the-wire battle with 3-4 Air Force. With Stanford doing what they did to a ranked opponent with a winning record, I don't see how the Cardinal isn't third.
Moving to the Big Ten section of the standings, Michigan State (6-1) moved up to 11 and Wisconsin (6-1) dropped to the 15 spot. Nebraska (also 6-1), whose loss came to Wisconsin is actually in at 14. But they lost to them... So shouldn't Wisconsin be AHEAD of Nebraska? Ugh... Computers. I'm pretty sure that Skynet became self-aware in the BCS Headquarters.
Then there's the Big East, the local conference. I'll save my predictions for what's to become of the fledgling conference for a future article, but their only representative in the BCS Top 25 is none other than number 25 themselves, West Virginia. The Mountaineers were ranked 15th in the nation heading into their Friday night showdown with the Syracuse Orange, and they were embarrassed to say the least. The Orange have had some controversy this season, so why not stir up a little more.
Why aren't they ranked? Two losses, yes that's a good reason but Texas A&M has two losses and is ranked 16th! Auburn has three (granted all three of them are to top 10 opponents, but still, it's three)!
Okay okay, don't put Syracuse in the rankings. How about the conference leading, 6-1, University of Cincinnati Bearcats! They have no losses in the conference yet, with their only loss coming at Tennessee. I won't lie and say that UC has beaten anybody big, but their win down in South Florida, made me a believer. They're at Pittsburgh, then get West Virginia in Paul brown Stadium. Bearcat fans, be rooting for WVU the next two weekends. The higher (although unjustified) they are, the better for UC.
It's wild. It's unpredictable. We all have opinions. It's college football. I love it.
Got an opinion? Share it with me and other sports fans on twitter @TheShow_Dave.
Well yes, to all. Depends who you root for (or against). All these results were exciting for somebody, and shook up the BCS Standings. That leads us to two questions.
Who's in? And who's out?
With LSU and Alabama staying in the top two spots, there's no need to evaluate them. The thing that shocked me in the top 5, was Stanford NOT moving to the number 3 spot. Oklahoma State took that slot and Boise State moved up a spot, putting Stanford in sixth.
Stanford destroyed number 25 Washington (5-2) by a score of 65-21, while OK State took down unranked Missouri (3-4). And Boise? They were in a down-to-the-wire battle with 3-4 Air Force. With Stanford doing what they did to a ranked opponent with a winning record, I don't see how the Cardinal isn't third.
Moving to the Big Ten section of the standings, Michigan State (6-1) moved up to 11 and Wisconsin (6-1) dropped to the 15 spot. Nebraska (also 6-1), whose loss came to Wisconsin is actually in at 14. But they lost to them... So shouldn't Wisconsin be AHEAD of Nebraska? Ugh... Computers. I'm pretty sure that Skynet became self-aware in the BCS Headquarters.
Then there's the Big East, the local conference. I'll save my predictions for what's to become of the fledgling conference for a future article, but their only representative in the BCS Top 25 is none other than number 25 themselves, West Virginia. The Mountaineers were ranked 15th in the nation heading into their Friday night showdown with the Syracuse Orange, and they were embarrassed to say the least. The Orange have had some controversy this season, so why not stir up a little more.
Why aren't they ranked? Two losses, yes that's a good reason but Texas A&M has two losses and is ranked 16th! Auburn has three (granted all three of them are to top 10 opponents, but still, it's three)!
Okay okay, don't put Syracuse in the rankings. How about the conference leading, 6-1, University of Cincinnati Bearcats! They have no losses in the conference yet, with their only loss coming at Tennessee. I won't lie and say that UC has beaten anybody big, but their win down in South Florida, made me a believer. They're at Pittsburgh, then get West Virginia in Paul brown Stadium. Bearcat fans, be rooting for WVU the next two weekends. The higher (although unjustified) they are, the better for UC.
It's wild. It's unpredictable. We all have opinions. It's college football. I love it.
Got an opinion? Share it with me and other sports fans on twitter @TheShow_Dave.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Officially Saying
By David Wayne Nystrom
Officiating is likely one of the most widely discussed topics in all of sports. And for this reason I typically have steered my articles away from those in stripes out of respect for what they try to do. However after watching the first bit of football season, I've decided my reservations on this issue need to be tossed.
In the past years, there's always been tough calls for teams and officials. Whether it's the right call, in a case like the "Tuck Rule" (Patriots v Raiders), or a terribly blown call on the direction of a thrown football in Denver. The job comes with a LOT of pressure.
It's not just football though! How many of you remember Detroit Tiger's ace, Justin Verlander, and a certain ruling that cost him a perfect game in Cleveland? Or perhaps you're one of the many fans who's tired of seeing somebody driving to the rim and taking five steps and there being no traveling call. The point is that every sport has officiating that either is doing their job right and they go unnoticed for the most part, or they're every losing fan's favorite victim for the one blown call that cost them the game.
My issue in this article isn't so much with the big rulings that decide games, but the little ones that add up over a game, season, decade, whatever. A five-yard false start penalty is pretty obvious, and 99% of the time is getting called, but has anybody else noticed that both ends of the offensive line are getting up faster than before? It's so close sometimes, I'm leaping off the couch throwing my imaginary flag, ON MY OWN TEAMS! Of course then there's the holding penalties. The saying at my household is, "there's holding every play," and it's oh so true.
Next up: personal fouls. In the recent Michigan-Michigan State game, Spartan defensive end William Gholston was flagged twice for dead ball unnecessary roughness. The first came on a Denard Robinson run. Robinson was down and Gholston came in and ripped Robinson's facemask around his head. The second one, however was the one that has Gholston sidelined for one week. A bit of aggressive play on both sides, led to Gholston punching offensive lineman Taylor Lewan. Personally, I would have thrown Gholston out of the game right then and there, but instead the coaches just benched him. I don't know if that was after a conference with the officials to let it go there or what, but my issue is with the action of the player and the reaction of the officials.
How is punching another player any better than spitting in another players face? We all remember the highlight a couple years ago from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game where a player was ejected for spitting in another players face, and there was another one last season as well (though the teams involved have slipped my mind). Players were getting ejected for this action, but not for punches?
Don't think I'm picking on Sparty, it happens all over football. Players throwing punches, kicking the ball out of down player's hands, etcetera. It almost seems like the officials are... letting it go? No no, that can't be it because I just saw the same thing called on the other channel...
So. What's this boil down to?
Consistency. Consistency and standards. If officials are letting certain things go in one game, but on the other channel it's getting called, there's s bigger problem than we thought.
It's about standards. Standards in sports officiating have slipped. Referees have let the standard for penalties slip down and the consistency has gone with it. Part of the problem that has caused this is the officials trying to stay out of the game. I respect the notion because I'm all for letting the players play, but there has to be a point where "just letting them play" pushes the rules too far.
Is it a reliance on instant replay? Can't say that for baseball, they don't have it. Is it expectations set by fans? Perhaps, but most of these plays in question aren't reviewable to begin with.
I'm not going to pose an answer like I normally would, because I don't have the answer. I'm tired of seeing penalties getting so picky, but I'm also tired of seeing players getting away with stuff that shouldn't even be close.
I'm honestly stumped as to what needs to be done.
Officiating is likely one of the most widely discussed topics in all of sports. And for this reason I typically have steered my articles away from those in stripes out of respect for what they try to do. However after watching the first bit of football season, I've decided my reservations on this issue need to be tossed.
In the past years, there's always been tough calls for teams and officials. Whether it's the right call, in a case like the "Tuck Rule" (Patriots v Raiders), or a terribly blown call on the direction of a thrown football in Denver. The job comes with a LOT of pressure.
It's not just football though! How many of you remember Detroit Tiger's ace, Justin Verlander, and a certain ruling that cost him a perfect game in Cleveland? Or perhaps you're one of the many fans who's tired of seeing somebody driving to the rim and taking five steps and there being no traveling call. The point is that every sport has officiating that either is doing their job right and they go unnoticed for the most part, or they're every losing fan's favorite victim for the one blown call that cost them the game.
My issue in this article isn't so much with the big rulings that decide games, but the little ones that add up over a game, season, decade, whatever. A five-yard false start penalty is pretty obvious, and 99% of the time is getting called, but has anybody else noticed that both ends of the offensive line are getting up faster than before? It's so close sometimes, I'm leaping off the couch throwing my imaginary flag, ON MY OWN TEAMS! Of course then there's the holding penalties. The saying at my household is, "there's holding every play," and it's oh so true.
Next up: personal fouls. In the recent Michigan-Michigan State game, Spartan defensive end William Gholston was flagged twice for dead ball unnecessary roughness. The first came on a Denard Robinson run. Robinson was down and Gholston came in and ripped Robinson's facemask around his head. The second one, however was the one that has Gholston sidelined for one week. A bit of aggressive play on both sides, led to Gholston punching offensive lineman Taylor Lewan. Personally, I would have thrown Gholston out of the game right then and there, but instead the coaches just benched him. I don't know if that was after a conference with the officials to let it go there or what, but my issue is with the action of the player and the reaction of the officials.
How is punching another player any better than spitting in another players face? We all remember the highlight a couple years ago from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game where a player was ejected for spitting in another players face, and there was another one last season as well (though the teams involved have slipped my mind). Players were getting ejected for this action, but not for punches?
Don't think I'm picking on Sparty, it happens all over football. Players throwing punches, kicking the ball out of down player's hands, etcetera. It almost seems like the officials are... letting it go? No no, that can't be it because I just saw the same thing called on the other channel...
So. What's this boil down to?
Consistency. Consistency and standards. If officials are letting certain things go in one game, but on the other channel it's getting called, there's s bigger problem than we thought.
It's about standards. Standards in sports officiating have slipped. Referees have let the standard for penalties slip down and the consistency has gone with it. Part of the problem that has caused this is the officials trying to stay out of the game. I respect the notion because I'm all for letting the players play, but there has to be a point where "just letting them play" pushes the rules too far.
Is it a reliance on instant replay? Can't say that for baseball, they don't have it. Is it expectations set by fans? Perhaps, but most of these plays in question aren't reviewable to begin with.
I'm not going to pose an answer like I normally would, because I don't have the answer. I'm tired of seeing penalties getting so picky, but I'm also tired of seeing players getting away with stuff that shouldn't even be close.
I'm honestly stumped as to what needs to be done.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
The Show is BACK!!!
Ladies and gentlemen, sports fans of all ages, The Show is BACK! After about a two year hiatus, I have returned to take back the world of sports! In the upcoming months, I hope to bring you up to date news and analysis of pro and college football, pro hockey, baseball, college basketball, and the 2012 Olympic Games! Also in the works, is a feature length documentary on the sports fans themselves!
So there's a look ahead. In the mean time, follow The Show on twitter @TheShow_Dave for live thoughts during highlighted sporting events!
So there's a look ahead. In the mean time, follow The Show on twitter @TheShow_Dave for live thoughts during highlighted sporting events!
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