Why Michigan fans should root for LSU

Monday is the day when Ohio State takes on LSU for the alleged national title....as most know, I am a Michigan fan who lives in Ohio.....and I am not just an average Michigan fan.....I bleed Maize and Blue.....so over the last few weeks, the Buckeye faithful in the Youngstown area have asked me who I am rooting for on Monday night.....the answer is easy – LSU!!!!.....

This usually riles up Ohio State fans because they feel I should support a Big Ten team.....Here are my two reasons why I want Ohio State to lose....

1) Ohio State and Michigan compete for the same recruits...when the coaches go into the homes of these families, they will use whatever they can to convince these young men to attend their school.....a win Monday will be Jim Tressel’s second national title in six years....this is something that he will (and should) use when he is recruiting....so why would any Michigan fan want Tressel to have this advantage????....so what a Big Ten team wins the national title?!?!....when all the hoopla is over, an Ohio State win does not help Michigan nor any other Big Ten team....

2) Ohio State and Michigan are rivals...rivals should not be rooting for each other....when Michigan plays in a bowl game against another non-conference opponent, I don’t want any Ohio State fans rooting for the Maize and Blue.....why should Michigan fans root for Ohio State when their head coach (Tressel) clearly took the first shot at the Wolverines on the day he was introduced as head coach.....who can forget those words, "you will be proud of your team in 310 days"....he did not single out Penn State nor Michigan State nor Purdue nor any other Big Ten team....he put the bulls eye on Michigan.....

In the Woody Hayes Center in Columbus there is a clock that continually is running until the next Michigan game...Ohio State scum always like to sing the song "We Don't Give a Damn About the Whole State of Michigan"....if they don't give a damn about Michigan, then why should we as Michigan fans back them on Monday????.....also, last season Tressel refused to support a Big Ten school (Michigan) when the final coaches poll was conducted....instead he slithered around the situation by trying to take the high road.....

I have two words - Fuck em!!!!....Big Ten or not, I hate Ohio State....Tressel has had his way with Michigan, but hopefully on Monday a Michigan Man in purple and gold will take care of business....

Geaux Tigers!!!....

Fiesta Bowl News and Saturday's NFL Playoffs

Fiesta Bowl - Oklahoma vs. West Virginia - 8:00 Fox
Norman Transcript sports reporter Clay Horning writes about the quiet leader of the Sooners - Sam Bradford..... "Bradford has been so good this season, he's reached the rarest of levels. The one where he's being taken for granted." .....

Clay Horning

Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette writes how interim West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart has stole the show down in Glendale.... "And then WVU interim coach Bill Stewart took his seat, raised above the masses. He grabbed the microphone. And made people smile. He made them laugh. He made them remember that, hey, this football stuff can be fun." ....

Mitch Vingle

NFL Wildcard
Washington @ Seattle - Saturday 4:00 EST - NBC
Jason LaCanfora of the Washington Post writes how cornerback Shawn Springs is the leader of the Redskins defense.... "When starting corner Carlos Rogers was lost for the season because of a knee surgery in October, Springs began assuming a larger role again and finished second on the team with four interceptions -- all in the final four games." ....

Jason LaCanfora

Claire Farnsworth of the Seattle Post Intelligencer writes that Matt Hasselbeck is healthy and ready to go on Saturday - even with a new look..... "The status of the team's starting quarterback appeared to be in question after he fell on his right wrist Sunday during a 44-41 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. There was, however, no questioning what Hasselbeck was able to do on the practice field Tuesday." ....

Claire Farnsworth

Jacksonville @ Pittsburgh - Saturday 8:00 EST - NBC
Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette writes how the Steelers defense will need more than spirit to slowdown the Jaguars running game... "Can that spirit tackle? Can it play the proper gaps and prevent long runs? Can it make a play or two on third down and get the defense off the field? Can it stop giving up touchdown passes and long scoring drives?" ....

Ron Cook

For all the latest on Jacksonville, check out the Jacksonville Sun's Jaguar page...

Jaguars

A disgrace in the Sugar Bowl - Hawaii Sucks!!!

When reviewing the New Year's Day bowl games, there are three conclusions that I have come up with.....1. Southern Cal is the best team in the nation no matter who wins the LSU-Ohio State game on Monday night......2. Hawaii's performance in the Sugar Bowl was a disgrace....3. Colt Brennan will not make it in the NFL....

I want to elaborate a bit more about Hawaii's perforamance....all season long we had to hear about Brennan and all the records that he and his receivers set throughout their career.....but for the first time, Hawaii played a real college team - Georgia - and look what happened....Hawaii ran their mouth how they wanted to come to the mainland and show how good of a team they are.....I will say this, they will not be asked to another BCS Bowl game even if they go 12-0 again.....

I think it was unfair for the Fox announcers, Tom Brennaman and Charles Davis to baby the Hawaii team.....with the score standing 38-3, the announcers were defending Hawaii's season and how hard it was for them to make it to a BCS game.....that may be true, but let me say this, if Georgia was beating say, Notre Dame, Ohio State, or Southern Cal 38-3, these same announcers would not be coddling those teams.....these announcers did not have the guts to flat out say "Hawaii did not deserve to be in the Sugar Bowl"....a team like Arizona State or Clemson should have been playing Georgia....so if Hawaii wants to run with the big boys, then they should also take the criticism like the big boys.....Aloha and don't let the door hit you in the ass on your way back to the island....

Michigan defeats Florida

LLOYD GOES OUT A WINNER

What I Have Learned

I was born January 1, 1969....so today is my birthday and my last year of being in the 30s....I always like reading in Esquire the section "What I Have Learned".....the editors always have someone famous spew off what they have learned over the course of their life.....well, here are some of the things that I have learned and what I believe over the first 38 years of being alive.....

When a crisis occurs, do not lie - tell the truth...

Living in Ohio, it is easy to be an Ohio State fan, but it takes a real man to be a Michigan fan...

Smile...

Don't worry what other people think about you - Fuck 'em!!!...

I do not like phoney people...I also do not like professional bullshitters...

Wearing a suit to work does not mean that you are making a difference...

Rocky is the best movie I ever saw...I cannot believe that Burgess Meredith never won an Oscar for his role as Mickey...

Everyone should see a counselor at least once in their life...

Being married does not bring happiness...

You never learn anything by talking - Listen!!!...

The most I was ever focused was when I completed two marathons...

It's okay to not own a gun...

It is a crime that Yankee Stadium will be demolished...

There is not a "soulmate" for everyone...some are destined to be alone...

My dad is the most honorable man I know...

If you are able, help those who are less fortunate...you don't have to donate hundreds of dollars...even a few dollars here and there do make a difference...

September 11, 2001 still bothers me when I think about all those innocent people who died...

The 1980 Olympic hockey game between the USA and USSR was the greatest game ever played....

As I get older, I become more aware that my time on earth is slowly running out...

I hate change...

It is truly amazing how the U.S. Postal system works...as big as this country is, in a matter of days, a letter from Niles, Ohio could be sent to another small town in say Montana...

Being in the eighth grade was the best time of my youth...all we did was go to school and play basketball in the evenings...no one could drive, so we all had to walk or have one of our parents drive us...life was simple...

Many sports fans hate him, but every sports fan wishes that George Steinbrenner was the owner of their favorite sports team because The Boss wants to win...too many owners stuff the profits into their own pockets instead of fielding a championship contender team...

I hate parents who think their kid is going to be some prodigy just because the kid could wipe his own ass at the age of three....

Do not raise your child because some whacko intellectual doctor told you to do it a certain way in a book....you will make mistakes, but remember, you are raising a human being, not some damn robot....

Just because someone goes to church every Sunday, that does not make him/her morally better than someone else....it's what you do every day and how you treat people - not just for that hour on Sunday....

Respect is the most powerful word in the dictionary.....if I respect someone, even if we don't see eye-to-eye, we can set aside our differences in order to get something accomplished....

People deserve a second chance....

Capital punishment should be allowed for the most horrible and inhumane crimes....

If you treat a dog well, he will be your best friend....

The legs are the best part of a woman's body.....nothing beats a great pair of legs....

I am a very passionate person...not enough people have passion...

I use my hands when I speak....I guess that is part of my passion...for those who don't like that - deal with it!!...

Jim Valvano's speech during the first ESPYs is one of the greatest speeches ever...Valvano only had weeks to live and he spoke from the heart...not enough people speak from the heart...

Like Howard Cosell said, "I tell it like it is"....if people don't like it - too fucking bad!!...

Ice Bowl - 40th Anniversary

As I was walking my dog it dawned on me that today is the 40th anniversary of maybe the greatest NFL game ever played - the Ice Bowl between the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers.....the game was played on December 31, 1967 at Lambeau Field in Green Bay....the actual game time temperature at kick-off was 13 below zero with windchills hovering around 40 below.....the game pitted two of the greatest coaches Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry.....including Lombardi, there were 8 future Hall of Famers for the Packers who were involved in that game while there were five future Hall of Famers for the Cowboys....it was so cold, the referees could not use their whistles.....

Below are some pictures and various links to this great game....

Green Bay Packers 21, Dallas Cowboys 17
Scoring
GB - Dowler 8 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
GB - Dowler 46 pass from Starr (Chandler kick)
DAL - Andrie 7 fumble return (Villanueva kick)
DAL - FG Villanueva 21
DAL - Rentzel 50 pass from Reeves (Villanueva kick)
GB - Starr 1 run (Chandler kick)

NFL - Ice Bowl

South Endzone Blog

New Year's Day Bowl Tidbits

Cotton Bowl - Missouri vs. Arkansas - January 1 - Fox 11:00 a.m.
Dallas Morning News sports columnist Kevin Sherrington writes how the Cotton Bowl will be the last game that Frank Broyles will serve as Arkansas athletic director..... "But don't let the white hair and silver tongue fool you. His coaches did so at their own peril. Since confirming in February that he'd retire at the end of the year, Broyles has outlasted two of the Razorbacks coaches that showed up in honor of his announcement." .....

Kevin Sherrington

Missourian sports reporter Drew Schemenner writes how Missouri head coach Gary Pinkel is a rarity among college coaches.... "Pinkel and his coaching staff are tortoises in a profession full of hares. While other coaches have quickly hopped from job to job in the frantic chase for success, Pinkel has remained faithful to his teams, gradually emerging from his shell in order for the Tigers to reach uncommon heights." .....

Drew Schemenner

Capital One Bowl - Michigan vs. Florida - January 1 - ABC 1:00
Detroit Free Press reports that Urban Meyer is not interested in becoming the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.....

Detroit Free Press

Detroit Free Press reporter Mark Snyder writes about Jake Long's last game as a Wolverine.... "Long, who made his first start as a Wolverine against San Diego State in 2004, has set a standard at Michigan rarely matched in the program's illustrious history. His achievements place him among the all-time greats." ....

Mark Snyder

Orlando Sentinel sports reporter Dave Curtis writes how Michigan defensive coordinator Ron English was surprised how well Tim Tebow could throw the ball..... "The comments bring full circle the "Can Tebow throw?" fun of 2007. Tebow doubters popped up throughout the country in the spring, and Coach Urban Meyer joked this summer that the Gators might run the ball on every play." ....

Dave Curtis

Rose Bowl - Illinois vs. Southern Cal - January 1 - ABC 4:30
Chicago Sun-Times sports reporter Herb Gould writes how Illinois needs to work through the mental side of playing in the Rose Bowl..... "The Illini -- two-touchdown underdogs, the biggest of this bowl season -- are playing not only to validate themselves. They also are carrying the hopes of a supposedly down Big Ten and an Illini Nation that wants to atone for a 45-9 drubbing by UCLA in the 1983 season, Illinois' only other Rose Bowl trip since 1963." ....

Herb Gould

Los Angeles Times sports reporter Gary Klein writes how Trojan linebacker Keith Rivers wants to uphold the honor of wearing number 55..... "Tatupu was referring to the No. 55 jersey that USC coaches bestowed upon Rivers when he arrived on campus in 2004 from Lake Mary, Fla. Trojans linebackers such as Junior Seau, Willie McGinest and Chris Claiborne, all of who were top 10 NFL draft picks, had worn 55." .....

Gary Klein

Sugar Bowl - Hawaii vs. Georgia - January 1 - Fox 8:00
Honolulu Sun Bulletin sports reporter Gary Chun writes how New Orleans is fast becoming green..... "Mostly wearing forest green and black shirts and jackets, a good number of the Hawaii fans were also bedecked with special Warrior green beads and the occasional green-and-white feather boa." ....

Gary Chun

Atlanta Journal-Constitution sports reporter Carter Strickland writes how Georgia head coach Mark Richt has learned that running the ball is the key to win the SEC..... "Yes, but Georgia may be better set up to win in the future because it has built, quite literally, from the ground game up this season. Never before under Richt has Georgia rushed for more yards than it did this season." .....

Carter Strickland

Odds on Presidential Race

Here are the latest odds on who will win their party's nomination....all of these are based on what you would win on a $10.00 bet

Democrat
Hillary Clinton - $3.64
Barak Obama - $22.50
John Edwards - $100.00

Republican
Rudy Giuliani - $16.00
Mitt Romney - $25.00
John McCain - $35.00
Mike Huckabee - $50.00
Ron Paul - $100.00
Fred Thompson - $160.00

Tidbits from around the league

Boston Globe sports columnist Jackie MacMullen writes how Tom Brady and Randy Moss stepped up when the Patriots perfect season looked bleak..... "The Patriots, quite frankly, were in trouble. Their defense was unable to contain Manning and his receivers. Brandon Jacobs literally ran over some of New England's top personnel, including team leader Rodney Harrison." ....

Jackie MacMullen

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald writes how some within the Dolphins organization question if Ted Ginn Jr., will ever become a number one receiver..... "Becoming a legitimate, long-term No. 1 receiver isn't too much to expect from the No. 9 draft pick." .....

Barry Jackson

Miami Herald sports reporter Armando Salguero writes how Bill Parcells is quickly learning how bad the Dolphins really are..... "Sure, he knew the Dolphins were bad. But now, as he studies and watches more closely, he will come to understand that they are truly this bad. And he will come to understand why." .....

Armando Salguero

Washington Post sports reporter Jason La Canfora writes how the Redskins have been down this road before.... "In 2005, a previously pedestrian Redskins team found a way to reel off five straight wins to close the regular season, then defeat Tampa Bay in its playoff opener before losing a close second-round contest to Seattle." ....

Jason La Canfora

Tennessean sports reporter Jim Wyatt writes how, in college, Vince Young always played his best when the national spotlight was on him..... "The national television spotlight blinds some players, but so far Vince Young isn't one of them." ....

Jim Wyatt

Minnesota Star-Tribune sports reporter Kevin Seifert writes how the Vikings may not be sold on Tarvaris Jackson as its quarterback in 2008.... "On Monday, a day after Jackson threw two interceptions in a 32-21 loss to Washington, coach Brad Childress used the word "decent" to describe Jackson's decision-making, making clear that 14 turnovers in 11 starts is too high of a number." ....

Kevin Seifert

Los Angeles Times sports columnist Bill Plaschke writes how Rick Neuheisel needs to do the right thing now that he got his dream job..... "After spending a month apparently trying to talk themselves out of it, UCLA officials have finally sighed and wiped their palms and handed their football program to Rick Neuheisel, boy wonder turned boy blunder turned . . . new man?" ....

Bill Plaschke