Week 5 in Review

Well my predictions last week were so so. After Miami's premature Backulation they did take it to Oklahoma in a very entertaining Saturday night game. Good for Miami and ACC. Wake's win against Stanford also looks better now in hindsight. The Hokies slept walked thru the Duke game. Thad Lewis and Vince Oghobaase played like great players( I think we have now played the three top DT prospects in this years NFL draft). TT and the offense basically came to play other than a few stupid holding penalties but the Bud Man's D has issues. I think it is going to be a suspect year on the D side. Kam is out of position, JJ is suspect at linebacker and our pass rush is not dependable. Play of the day to Jason Worilds on a 55 yard chase down of a WR. Unreal for a 260 lb LB. BC's beating of FSU is interesting. BC has more speed than they used to and the wheels on the bus are definitely not going round and round in Tallahassee. They have talent but issues. Maryland unexpectedly beat Klempson and I am sure www.dabomustgo.com has already passed 1 million hits. GT also put up a good ACC win over Miss State at their place. That option is tough the first time you see it but I think the more it is seen the more conference teams learn to play with the discipline to beat it. Still worried about playing them at home in a few weeks. Wake was a surprise winner over NC State as Russell Wilson threw his first Int since 7th grade. Last but not least the Hoo's continued to be the kings of Oct BCS play going 8-1 over the last three years and garnering no small amount of satisfaction by beating the REAL RIVAL Heels in their place. Guess missing a couple of NFL WR makes the O a little harder to manage eh Butchie? Fear AlGroh has not saved his job but you never know. With the Leitao and Gillen buyouts stilling ringing the cash registers in McCue, Craig the Little may try to squeeze another year out of Al.

Week 6 Predictions
Bud's D plays better against the Fluties
Tebow is put in a bubble and any LSU defender within 5 feet will be flagged
Media love of Miami kicks up to pre-Blacksburg meltdown
Jimmy Clausen is anointed Pope if he wins another close one

Backness Revisted

Well the month of September has come and gone (at least as far as college football is concerned). My Hokies survived a gauntlet early schedule playing Alabama, Marshall (ok not so gauntlet), Nebraska, and Miami. 3-1 is what I would have hoped. The Nebraska Miracle and the Miami Monsoon were both memorable. As to the national media's obsession with Miami's backness, I quote the great Rock Carmichael, "The U might be back, but we never left", amen brother, amen. Now the next few games offer some obstacles like Duke at Duke (it is REALLY hard to buy all a home team's tickets) and BC at Lane (with Coach Jags hired and fired already in the NFL the dancing in Lane should be restrained this year) but the next real test comes when my Hokies visit Gah Tech at Bobby Dodd. Mr. Johnson's Incredible Option Machine is a thing of beauty when humming but much like the team's Ramblin Wreck if it has to pass - fuhgetabutit. Russell Wilson and the Howling Wolfpackers worry me though. Mobile QB that can throw, crafty Tom O'Brien and his secret BeamerBall Kryptonite could be an issue. Good thing it is at home. Maryland should be a good second team (third team???) scrimmage (they really, really suck) leaving only the Hoos in the final game of the season and likely the final game of the Al Groh Era. I will miss Al. If I could buy stock in Hoo football I would. Little Craig won't screw up this bad again and they have enough of a draw to make things more interesting in State of Virgina recruiting. Mike London is the early favorite.

Week 4 Predictions
Ryan Williams starts to enter the Top 10 Heisman talk
Bud's D gets another step better
Miami takes it to Oklahoma at home and in the sun
Florida lowers the state flag to half mast since Tim Tebow does not start a game for the Gators

See you next week.

The Mystery Lebron Dunk Video

In an outcome that was totally predictable the great missing dunk caper of 2009 continues to fester and now reaches beyond the sports media to things like CNBC. Either this is the next great PR move by NIKE and King James or it is the equivalent of Hickory firing Coach Dale. The only question is who plays Jimmy? Anyone, anyone, Bueller? Maybe a new puppet commercial is in the works with Jordan Crawford as the pesky college kid harassing the King - " Lebron, Lebron, you remember when I dunked on your dome and you destroyed the tape". I am thinking that it is the later which in combination with walking off without shaking the Magic's hands in the Finals makes King James look more like the court jester.

P.S. I heard that His Airness got dunked on a time or two and he turned out ok. Man up Chosen One!

OH Canada - Veni, vidi, vici

Sincerely The USA Football Team

Enough with the Michael Jackson Stuff

Enough already with the Michael Jackson hysteria. Great singer, great dancer, no significant albums in 18 years, a debacle of a private life whatever you want to think about his issues (or not) with children. He is roughly a contempory of mine so I have seen the whole thing - cute Michael and the Jackson 5, confident Michael breaking out of the R&B genre with Off the Wall and Thriller and finally broke, sick, freaky Michael. Guy had issues probably rightly so if you are a superstar under the age of 10 but this is eerily reminiscent of Elvis which I never understood either. Sorry the guy passed but an icon of humanity he was not. Move on people!

USA Football - Future Hokie David Wilson

Thus far the IFAF World Junior Football Championship has been an azz kicking for the ages. Through two games the stats are US 133 points, opponents 0. In addition we have gained 1043 yards to our opponents 42. Future Hokie David Wilson is leading the O for the US with 327 yards on 23 carries and 7 touchdowns. I thought Mexico might give us a better game. Wow.

Understatement of the Year Award goes to LB Jose Miguel Garcia - "Clearly he's got great skills, agility and great vision, " when speaking of Wilson - Barcia had good stats though in leading the Mexican defense - maybe a schollie is in his future.

US meets Canada in the Gold Medal game on Sunday. Canada edged out that football powerhouse Japan 38-35.

Always a Classic

No one does NBA and Movies quite like Bill Simmons

People Are Idiots

Exhibit 1

Exhibit 2

to quote John McEnroe - "you have got to be kidding me!"

Long Time Away

Been awhile since I posted. We have stared at the abyss of financial Armageddon, the govt has taken over GM and Chrysler (don't you lose this game of duck duck goose once tapped twice??) and pushed purchases of MBS and Treasuries (monetizing debt) in order to lower rates to get home purchases back up. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over again but expecting a different result. The Feds (Fed, Treasury etc.) are in a box. They are hoping to God for more runway, a home run ball or a Hail Mary but this author doubts the outcome. It is natural of course for them to act this way, in their own self interest and with the undeniable hope that fills the human (and especially corporate executive and politico) heart but the math is hard to dispute. It is time to pay the piper and Schwartzies will not do.

Here is my predicted outcomes:
Taxes up for everyone - don't believe the "just the Rich" hype
Lifestyles down - time to save boys and girls
Y ou WILL start caring about the USD exchange rate
Debt is bad, equity good unless you are an investor
Energy costs double - carbon tax, Chindia, you name it
Oh and with National Health Care expect Cokes, McDonalds, Oreos to get a lot more expensive

TTFN