2005-07-27-6:35 p.m.
Well, it has been a really really long time since I have been here...and I just now found a blog where I do not have to pay for people to reply to my posts, so I started a blog there:
http://jerrybear54sports.blogspot.com/
2005-04-28-10:36 a.m.
Looks like I haven't been here since April 4...lots to catch up on.
It took until the final game, but the overrated Illinois men's b-ball team ended up falling short as predicted by yours truly. It couldn't have happened to a bigger bunch of punks. Thanks. North Carolina!
In the NCAA women's tourney, my pick to win almost did so. Michigan State made it to the final before coming up flat against Baylor. I ended up getting 40 of 63 games right in the women's tourney including half of the final four (Michigan State and Tennessee). I totally did not see Baylor doing as well as they did, and I also blew it with Duke instead of LSU in the Chattanooga regional.
Michigan's Tabitha Pool got drafted in the second round by New York of the WNBA. I was hoping that my favorite team (Detroit Shock) would pick her, but I am very happy that at least she will have the chance to make a pro team. Hardly anyone had Tabitha on their draft radar, but I saw her play for Michigan and knew that she deserved to be drafted. I look forward to seeing her become a star at the pro level, although as a Shock fan I will have to root against her team but for her individually. Such is sometimes the nature of being a sports fan!
The Tigers look to be somewhat improved, but are still struggling to get above .500.
Michigan softball remains #1 in the nation despite being #2 in the Big Ten behind Northwestern. This being due to Michigan's better overall record. Michigan had three games wiped out recently due to a late winter storm. Michigan plays Northwestern at the end of the regular season and first place should be on the line.
More to come later...
2005-04-04-10:03 a.m.
And so the consolidation of the oil industry continues, with ChevronTexaco buying out Unocal. We are rapidly heading back to the future, to 1910 to be exact. Which was just before the original Standard Oil Company was broken up. Today they would probably just continue this bizarre tendency to string together all the previous company names and we will end up with something like ChevronTexacoUnocalConocoPhillipsExxonMobilBPAmocoSunocoShell.
The banking industry appears to be going in the same general direction, with the likely result being something along the lines of BankOneChaseManhattanBankofAmerica.
And in the auto industry, perhaps it will be FordDaimlerChryslerGeneralMotors.
2005-03-25-2:24 p.m.
For a while now I have noticed this here in Beautiful Downtown Flint, Michigan where I work at the University of Michigan campus. Someone is in the habit of scrawling bizarre, quite frankly Dadaist phrases on the buildings downtown, many of which are at least partly if not totally vacant. The messages are all in black magic marker or sharpie and appear to be in the same handwriting. Today was a nice enough day for a stroll through the downtown and I happened to have a pen and paper and wrote these gems down:
"Are posted addresses orientational?"
"Planet earth today news?" (with all four words stacked atop each other)
"The laws! A law!"
"God given abilities/powers/rights" (with "powers" and "rights" stacked under "God given abilities")
"100% perfect grammar policers!"
And written twice on the side of the Flint Journal (Flint's major daily paper) building...
"Made on Planet Earth"
The last one seemed to at least make some obvious sense. Who this person is, and what he or she is trying to prove is a mystery to me. I plan on making periodic walks through the downtown area in the future to see what more messages appear.
2005-03-24-3:52 p.m.
The Michigan softball team is currently ranked at the top of both national polls, with a record of 27-1. And all of this has come on the road, as the weather is just now getting good enough for softball in Ann Arbor. Michigan defeated the previous number one team, Arizona, to beat them out of the top ranking. It is looking more and more like this may be the year for Michigan to strike a blow for the north and the midwest, taking the national championship away from the southern and western schools that have traditionally had a stranglehold on it.
Many congratulations to Coach Carol Hutchins and the team. They continue to do a great job representing not only the University of Michigan but also the Midwest.
2005-03-24-12:46 p.m.
I am doing pretty well with my picks for the women's NCAA tournament. In the first round I picked 21 out of 32 games correctly, in the second round I got 12 of 16. I have a chance at 7 of 8 in the third round with only Notre Dame (thanks a lot, Irish...NOT!) getting knocked out already. And all four of my final four teams (Michigan State, Tennessee, Duke, Minnesota) are still in.
Michigan State just barely got by Southern California in the second round, in a Classical World matchup of the Women of Sparta and the Women of Troy. Since I picked Michigan State to take the national title, I hope this was a wake up call for them and not evidence that maybe they are not ready for prime time yet. Next up for the Spartans is Vanderbilt who usually has a solid team, then either Stanford or U-Conn both of whom are also perennial national contenders. Then comes a likely date with Pat Summitt and the Volunteers, never an easy task. The Spartans have their work cut out for them but I think they have the talent to prevail. The key factor might be as I said...are they ready to take on the perennial powers on the game's biggest stage? We will soon find out.
Liberty University has had a nice run, with wins over Penn State and DePaul. I hate to have to tell them, but they will go no further. LSU is going to put a big time drubbing on Liberty and there is nothing that God, Jesus Christ, or the Reverend Jerry Falwell can do to stop it.
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2005-03-24-9:56 a.m.
Well, my pick to win the men's NCAA basketball tournament did a crash and burn in the second round. Thanks a lot, Gonzaga! That's the last time I pick you to win anything. My other three final four picks (Oklahoma State, North Carolina, and Duke) are all still alive. Unfortunately so are the Illinois Illi-punks, who play Wisconsin-Milwaukee tonight. Go Panthers! Please, send the overrated Illi-punks and their sleazy used car salesman of a coach back to Champaign-Urbana to whine about what might have been.
2005-03-17-10:49 a.m.
I have been busy with work and other things and so have not checked in here in a while. So much to talk about.
The Michigan women's basketball team ended a miserable season with a loss to Iowa in the Big Ten tournament. Perhaps with seven frosh and only ten total players, things were bound to be this difficult. Still I had hoped for better, at least for Michigan's two graduating seniors. Tabitha Pool has the skills and the heart to make it in the WNBA and I really want to hear Detroit Shock coach Bill Laimbeer call her name on Draft Day. BreAnne Mc Philamy will likely not end up playing professionally, but she did a great job at Michigan and most importantly will earn her degree shortly and go on to a successful life. Both of these players gave it their best under extremely tough circumstances and for that I will always admire them.
Neither of Michigan's b-ball teams made the post season. In the men's tourney I am rooting for Gonzaga. They still have enough of that cinderella vibe about them, yet they have been there enough that they really have a decent chance to go all the way. The overrated, overhyped Illinois Illini are going down in flames, as Texas will croak them in the second round. It would be even nicer if Fairleigh Dickinson croaked Illinois in the opener but that is prolly too much to hope for. Illinois will go down in the history books with the 1968 Baltimore Colts and all the other teams that couldn't lose...until they did.
In the women's NCAA I will swallow my Wolverine pride and root for the women of Sparta. Michigan State has done a great job over the past few seasons and they have earned their moment in the spotlight. But as Satchel Paige used to say, I would warn the Spartans "don't look back, something might be gaining on you!" That something being the Michigan women's team, who are going to get better in the next few seasons and will soon get their turn to shine.
Michigan's softball and baseball teams are looking good in the early going. Softball has been a national contender for some time, and the only thing they have not been able to do yet is win a national championship. Maybe this will be the year. Baseball has had a rougher time of it lately, but perhaps they are on the way back to the top level.
Women's gymnastics also has a good chance to bring some trophies home to Ann Arbor.
Looking forward to the Shock, and believe it or not the Tigers as well! The Shock learned some hard lessons last season after the bliss of "worst to first" and I see them taking back the WNBA title. As for Motown's MLB entry, Mike Illich is finally spending some money to bring in better players and it is going to pay off soon. Maybe it is not time to order World Series tickets, but the Tigers will be contenders this time around.
2005-02-21-10:05 a.m.
Not long after I renamed this blog in honor of Hunter S. Thompson, comes the news of his suicide. This is a truly sad moment, as the world loses another brave soul who had the courage to speak out against all the corruption and stupidity. One wonders what drove him to end his life. Perhaps like the great folksinger Phil Ochs, he became tired of having his words go unheeded by so many, and seeing the same greedy morons in power year after year, doing the same greedy and moronic things.
Rest in peace, Dr. Thompson, and those of us who are still here will do what we can to carry on the fight.
2005-02-17-10:30 a.m.
The Republicrat/Demublican regime headed by Gee Dumbya has just named John Negroponte as the first "national intelligence director." Negroponte was, among other things, involved with the terrorist "Contras" in their war on the people of Nicaragua who dared to overthrow Uncle Sam's buddy Somoza.
How shamefully typical of the political "leadership" of the United States. So many like Negroponte and Henry Kissinger are allowed to remain in positions of power and prestige, even though they are guilty of the same crimes that the United States accuses others of. Do as I say, not as I do. The arrogance and hypocrisy of those in power is truly amazing. The ignorance and apathy that keeps these crooks and swine in power is just plain sad.
2005-02-17-10:19 a.m.
I have changed the name of this blog to Jerrybear54's Sports Desk, as a homage to Hunter S. Thompson who sometimes refers to the "sports desk" in his writing. Specifically, part of the subtitle of his recent book "Hey Rube!" is "Modern History from the Sports Desk." He does a great job of weaving together sports, politics, and whatever else is on his mind, and that is also what I strive to do here.
2005-02-17-10:04 a.m.
Well, it is getting near the end of the regular season in women's college hoops. My beloved Michigan Wolverines are mostly playing for pride at this point. Hopefully they can beat Purdue at home tonight, and hopefully some scouts from the Detroit Shock are writing the name Tabitha Pool down on their list of possible draft picks.
Louisiana State is currently in the top spot in both polls and figures to be a leading national championship contender. From the Big Ten, Ohio State has shot to the top in both the conference and the nation and Michigan State is also looking quite good. Minnesota also stands a good chance and Penn State may also make some noise.
All three major universities from North Carolina (UNC, NC State, and Duke) are in both Top 25s. This state has a very rich basketball tradition for both women and men.
Also among this year's contenders are two of the usual ones, Pat Summitt's Tennessee Volunteers and Geno Auriemma's Connecticut Huskies. You can never count either of these teams out, and it would not be a big surprise to see one of them claim the ultimate prize.
As a Packer fan, I can't help but have a little bit of love for Wisconsin-Green Bay, currently #23 in both polls. They are one of those smaller schools that has a knack for competing with the bigger names and often pulling off upsets, kind of like Gonzaga on the men's side.
These are just a few of the top teams in the women's game this season. It should be an interesting battle for the national championship.
2005-02-17-10:00 a.m.
The Illinois men's basketball team remains undefeated and ranked number one. They have become the darlings of the sports media and the flavor of the month. But I still think they are a bunch of overrated punks who will end up choking at some point. If not in the regular season, then in the Big Ten tournament. If not in the Big Ten tournament, then certainly in the Big Dance. It would be a real shame for this team to end up winning a national championship, and I will continue to root for whoever is playing against them.
2005-02-16-1:48 p.m.
So it is official. There will be no National Hockey League season this time around. The commisioner says "We're planning to have hockey next season," but who knows if that will happen. As I said earlier, I am a Detroit Red Wings fan and I do enjoy watching pro hockey. That being said, I am not about to shed too many tears about this. There are so many other things to do both in and outside the world of sports. There's college hockey, for one thing, where my favorites from the University of Michigan are a contender for the national championship. There are the women's sports at the U of M, of which basketball is my favorite. The Michigan women's gymnastics team is one of the best in the nation, as is the softball team which has started their season with games in the South and will begin playing in Ann Arbor when the weather gets better. The WNBA will get started in a few months, with our Detroit Shock looking to take back the title. The Detroit Tigers will also be back in action shortly and may just be ready to contend in 2005!
So I would encourage everyone not to mourn for the NHL but to support the many other fine athletes who are out there actually playing. I would especially urge greater support of women athletes, who work just as hard and are just as talented as the men but all too often play to half empty arenas and do not get as much media coverage.
2005-02-11-9:48 a.m.
It was a long and painful evening for the Michigan women's basketball team in Columbus, as the Ohio State Buckeyes won by an overwhelming 72-39 final. More than ever, a lack of scoring hurt Michigan in this game. This has been a problem all season. Some more players must step up and contribute on offense, especially since leading scorer Tabitha Pool will be graduating and will therefore not be around to carry the team offensively next season.
Granted, Ohio State is the number two team in the entire nation while Michigan is in last place in the Big Ten. Nevertheless, the game could have been closer had Michigan been able to generate more offense. They did do a much better job defensively than in the previous meeting with tOSU, holding three point ace Caity Matter in check. But 39 points is not going to win you too many games, at least not in basketball. Even in football, 37 proved to not be enough for Michigan in the most recent Rose Bowl.
Four games remain for Michigan, plus at least one in the Big Ten tournament. I remain hopeful that they can at least win one or maybe two, although it will not be easy and they absoultely must improve on offense.
2005-02-09-7:33 p.m.
The Michigan hockey team is not the only Wolverine squad that may be bringing a national championship trophy to Ann Arbor in the near future.
The women's gymnastics team is currently ranked number 2 in the country, having won ten meets against only one defeat. That setback coming against Utah who is the only team ahead of Michigan in the national rankings.
The Wolverine women gymnasts have come very close to winning national championships in past seasons but have not yet been able to clear that final hurdle. With top performers such as Lindsey Bruck, Elise Ray, and Jenny Deiley, this may finally be the year for them to reach their ultimate goal.
They would become the second Michigan women's team to win a national championship. The first was the field hockey team in 2001.
2005-02-09-7:23 p.m.
And so we have another shameful case of power greed and corruptible seed in pro sports, this time in the National Hockey League. It looks as though if the lockout is not resolved by this weekend, it is no big league hockey until next season (unless the stalemate drags on even further).
I do like to watch NHL games, especially when the Stanley Cup playoffs roll around. The Detroit Red Wings are my favorite team. That being said, sometimes I get more than a bit tired of these stone throwing contests between millionaires (the players) and billionaires (the owners).
I doubt that we will end up having even a very abbreviated NHL season this time around. Maybe they will get things settled in time for 2005-06. If not, there is always college hockey, at least here in the Midwest. So if I can't say "Let's Go Red Wings!" any time soon, there's always "Hail to the Victors Valiant!" for my college favorites in Ann Arbor. Who by the way look to be a leading contender for the national championship this season.
2005-02-09-2:49 p.m.
Ho ho! We have a lot to catch up on here so let's get to it.
The Super Bowl was a bit closer than expected, and if Philly had managed the clock better and/or turned the ball over less they might have won. Still, they covered the spread and kept things interesting.
Michigan women's basketball dropped another one at home v. Minnesota. More missed opportunities on offense and biased officiating. Also, Michigan lacked a player tall enough to handle some of Minnesota's very tall players. Next up is a road game v. Ohio State...I as always hope for the best but fear what the number two ranked team (that would be the Buckeyes) might end up doing. Especially considering what they did in the earlier meeting at Ann Arbor which I would really rather not discuss again.
Michigan men's b-ball nearly pulled off a major upset, leading at halftime before falling just short against #1 Illinois. Michigan did manage to cover the spread. Just out of spite, I hope that Illinois ends up blowing it in the NCAA tournament. To be really specific, I hope they make it all the way to the final undefeated, then get blown out by Gonzaga or maybe Duke. That's what you get for beating my favorite team.
2005-02-04-9:11 a.m.
Michigan lost a three point halftime lead and the Evil Empire of Penn State got another women's basketball win.
I am really tired of losing to this team, and especially tired of the attitude of whiney entitlement shown by Penn State coach Rene Portland. She and her team get way more than their share of breaks and questionable calls, yet she has the nerve to spend the entire game whining to the officials about the few calls PSU does not have go their way. I would really like to respect her for all she has done for women's hoops, but her attitude makes it very hard if not impossible.
Which brings me to the subject of officiating in Big Ten women's basketball. There does seem to be some crookedness going on here, where the established powers like Penn State and Purdue get more breaks and calls than teams like Michigan that have tended to struggle. An example being from last night's game, where Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett was assessed a techinical foul (which she probably did deserve) but Queen Rene was given free rein to whine and complain without ever getting "T'd."
Well, all I can say is this current regime of power, greed and corruptible seed will not last forever. Michigan will improve, with hard work and dedication. And the time will come when victory will belong to the Wolverines. And there will be nothing that the cheaters and whiners from places like Penn State will be able to do about it.
2005-02-01-2:27 p.m.
I got to see another really good college women's basketball game on ESPN last night, as the Tennessee Volunteers (ranked #5 nationally) hung on at home for a 77-70 win over the Georgia Bulldogs (ranked #19 nationally).
Over 14,000 fans attended the game at Knoxville.
Lots of fine individual performances on both sides, and I expect at least some of these players will make it in the pros.
2005-01-31-11:26 a.m.
The Michigan women's basketballers fought hard in Madison only to come up short again, by the same margin (eight points) that they lost to Iowa by. It was a fine effort in many ways, as the team set a school record with 12 three point field goals.
Tabitha Pool put forth a particularly impressive effort as she scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. I really, really hope that the WNBA scouts are giving Tabitha a close look (especially those of my favorite WNBA team, the Detroit Shock!). A note to Shock coach Bill Laimbeer...remember the name Tabitha Pool on draft day!
Becky Flippin, Krista Clement, and Kelly Helvey also made significant contributions.
Next up is a home game against always tough Penn State. To anyone who happens to be reading this, if you have never been to a Michigan women's basketball game please go to this one. Game time is 7 pm on Thursday February 3, the place is Crisler Arena. Tickets are very affordable, so please show support for a fine group of Michigan student athletes who are playing their hearts out despite tough circumstances. I can't necessarily guarantee a win, but I can guarantee that you will be impressed with the hard work and desire of the team.
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2005-01-28-9:10 a.m.
Northwestern pulled off a significant upset last night in Big Ten women's basketball, beating #22 Penn State 59-48. The Wildcats also beat Michigan earlier this season. What this seems to indicate is that anything is possible, and hopefully this means that Michigan will have some more success before this season is over.
2005-01-28-8:59 a.m.
Iowa defeated Michigan 71-63 at Iowa in women's basketball last night. Michigan fell behind early in the first half and trailed by as much as 20 at one point. They shot the ball much better in the second half and drew within five points in the final minute but could not get any closer.
Tabitha Pool had another fine game with 21 points and nine rebounds, and Kelly Helvey finished with 14 points.
Michigan showed lots of poise and guts to come back and almost pull this one out on the road against a tough Hawkeye team. That being said, moral victories are probably getting old at this point for the Wolverine Women. A few more actual victories would I am sure make them much happier.
At 5-14 overall with eight regular season games left, Michigan now has no chance at a .500 or better regular season record. They could finish at or over the break even point in Big Ten play, but that would require no more than one loss in their remaining eight. Next up is a contest at Wisconsin, who has a better overall record than Michigan but about the same mark in Big Ten play. This is a game that Michigan can and must win. The remaining games will all be tougher, with road games against Ohio State and Michigan State appearing especially difficult.
There is the old cliche "when the going gets tough, the tough get going." The toughness of the Michigan women will be tested over these last few games, and it is hoped that they will be able to win at least some of them.
2005-01-26-5:16 p.m.
One is a humble, unassuming team player who excelled for four years at Michigan and is on the verge of earning another Super Bowl ring.
The other is a pampered, overrated "golden boy" who betrayed the University of Michigan and has already failed at one pro sport and is in the process of failing at another.
Tom Brady is a perfect example of what a Michigan Wolverine is supposed to be, and I am more than happy to see him succeed in the NFL.
Drew Henson is a spoiled punk, and I laugh every time he stumbles. I will never consider him to be a true Michigan person, and I lost any respect I may have had for him when he left Michigan at the last moment to chase after the money that Steinbrenner waved in his greedy face.
2005-01-25-3:43 p.m.
I got to see this game last night on one of the ESPN channels. The state of North Carolina has long been known for very good men's basketball teams at Duke, UNC, and NC State. The women's teams are also very good and this game was a prime example. Duke was ranked number one nationally coming into the game and UNC was ranked number 12. Those rankings are bound to change, as the Tar Heels earned a hard fought 56-51 decision over the Blue Devils.
As I mentioned some time ago in a similar recap of a televised Tennessee v. U-Conn game, it is great to see more women's games on television. Things are still not as fairly balanced as they should be in my opinion, but it does appear that the situation is improving for coverage of women's basketball on TV.
2005-01-25-3:31 p.m.
Well, things played out about as I expected in the NFL Conference championship games. In the National Conference, Philadelphia finally got over their jinx and advanced to the Big Game with a win over Michael Vick and the Falcons. In the American Conference, the playoff experience of Tom Brady and the Patriots overwhelmed Pittsburgh with their talented but green rookie QB Ben Roethlisberger. This kid has lots of talent and will probably get his hands on St. Vincent Lombardi's trophy at some point. It just wasn't his time this year.
I stand by my call of New England over Philly on Super Sunday. The Eagles are a fine team (I am still trying desperately to forget the pain they inflicted on my Packers) but the Pats have been there before and will end up winning. It may be a close game, or New England may win by a healthy margin. But New England will win.
And let me reiterate again my early call for next season's Super Bowl: Brett Favre and the Packers over Big Ben and the Stillers, as I hear they pronounce it in Pittsburgh.
2005-01-24-5:22 p.m.
The Michigan women's basketball team got their first win in a while and also their first in Big Ten conference play with a thrilling two point decision against Indiana. While the Hoosiers are not exactly one of the better teams in the league, the importance of this win for Michigan is almost beyond measure. The team was in a very serious slump heading into last night's contest. The fact that they hung in there and came away with a victory gives them much needed momentum and confidence. The rest of the season will not be easy, with games against the likes of Iowa, Penn State, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Minnesota. Nevertheless, I still believe that this fine group of student-athletes can and will accomplish great things before the 2004-05 campaign is over. Tabitha Pool and BreAnne McPhilamy continue to provide solid leadership in their final season as Wolverines. Sophomore Kelly Helvey is improving with each game, and always gives maximum effort. The rookies also are showing what they are capable of, particularly TaShia Walker and (especially last night) Jessica Starling.
Go Wolverine Women Go! Your true fans are with you and we know you will do well!
2005-01-19-5:17 p.m.
Tomorrow in Washington, DC, Little King Georgie gets re-coronated for another four years as Coward in Chief. One can only hope that impeachment proceedings will start soon thereafter.
So much money is being spent on this farce of an inauguration. It angers me to think of all the hungry people that could be fed, all the homeless people who could be sheltered, all the health care and education that could be paid for instead of wasting money on empty neo-royal ceremonies like this.
I will try my best to avoid television coverage, lest I end up raging at the screen.
2005-01-19-1:45 p.m.
Detroit Mayor Kwame "Papa Doc" Kilpatrick continues to act like a tin horn dictator, as one of his hired thugs shoved around a television reporter who is trying to get the truth about a luxury vehicle that city tax money was spent on.
This is a total and utter disgrace, and Mayor Stalin (oops I mean Kilpatrick) needs to tell the truth immediately or be removed from office immediately. He is supposed to be a public servant, elected by the people of Detroit and must be accountable to them. In addition, he must apologize to the journalists who have been bullied by his staff. If he cannot or will not do this, he is not fit to hold office and must either resign or be recalled.
2005-01-17-4:35 p.m.
Well, all four teams won who I predicted to win in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. I stand by my picks for the rest of the playoffs.
Pittsburgh was really lucky to win at home against the Jets. They will not be as lucky against the savvy and playoff experienced Patriots, led by quarterback Tom Brady (from the University of MICHIGAN, thank you very much!).
In the NFC, Philly will finally get past the championship game hurdle and send Michael Vick and the Falcons packing.
Then it will be New England (formerly the Boston Patriots for you old AFL fans) beating the Eagles in the Big Game.
2005-01-17-10:47 a.m.
"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual death."
So said the person whose life and work we remember today, the Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. Now more than ever, we need to take seriously and heed the words of the good reverend. His spirit is no doubt uneasy as he sees how far we have strayed from his vision of real peace, equality and justice for all. The Coward in Chief (little Georgie Dubbya) could not be bothered to defend Texas from the VietCong, yet he sends other people to kill and be killed for the benefit of him and his other rich, corporate buddies. Meanwhile, people in the USA and other countries go hungry and without medicine and other necessities of life.
We are more than likely well beyond merely "approaching spiritual death," and we must take whatever steps are necessary to reverse this state of affairs. Impeachment of Little Georgie and his entire administration would be a good place to start. They then need to be replaced by people who will uphold Rev. King's dream instead of working against it. People like, oh I don't know...Ralph Nader perhaps???
2005-01-16-7:29 p.m.
Ho ho! The Minnechoka Crykings have gone belly up in the playoffs once again, as Philadelphia croaked them. Bye, bye, Randy Moss! Bad Crykings, no Super Bowl!
Meanwhile in the AFC, Indianapolis is doing their usual and customary choke job in the playoffs. Peyton Manning is so good at putting up gaudy numbers in the regular season, but always seems to come up short at playoff time. Just like in college when he always choked against Florida. He and Dan Marino have to be the two most overrated QBs in NFL history. Nary a Super Bowl ring between them.
2005-01-15-2:03 p.m.
How about a nice little political rant? Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick is proving himself to be just another cowardly swine of a politician. In a time of city budget cuts, this shameful excuse for a "mayor" is spending city tax money on a luxury car. And when the media tries to get the truth out of him, Mayor McChicken runs (more like waddles) away and has his hired thugs intimidate the media who are trying to get the truth out. He should be immediately removed from office and put to shame, along with many other current officeholders including the entire G.W. Bush administration in Washington.
This is all too par for the course for government in the United States, with arrogant "leaders" who do not care about the people they are supposed to be serving and who are only interested in their own power and fortune. We deserve better but will not get it until we start voting for better candidates and then holding them responsible once elected. And getting rid of them when necessary.
2005-01-12-1:51 p.m.
It seemed so hopeful at one point in the first half, when the Michigan women's basketball team held a 19-17 lead over Ohio State, who came into the game with a number 5 national ranking.
Then the wheels fell off, bad craziness ensued and Michigan found themselves behind by 21 points at halftime.
Michigan's defense, which had generally been good in past games, totally collapsed in this one as Ohio State shot well over 50 percent from the field. Meanwhile, Michigan's season long offensive struggles continued. The final result was an 84-56 Ohio State win and yet another painful defeat for Michigan.
I feel badly for the players and coaches, because I know they are working hard and giving it all they have. I especially feel for the two seniors on the team, Tabitha Pool and BreAnne McPhilamy, since this is their last shot as college players.
Michigan has nine days off before their next game. This is a perfect opportunity for them to take stock of where they are and what they need to do to improve. As I have said before, I think there is enough talent on this team for them to be doing better than they have. We will see if they can find a way to finish strong. Whatever may happen, the Wolverine Women are my favorite team and I will always support them.
2005-01-10-3:55 p.m.
Well, the season is over for my Packers. Too many interceptions and not enough defense. So how will the next round of the playoffs go? Here's what I think.
In the AFC, I see Pittsburgh and New England winning. In the NFC, both 8-8 teams will get croaked with Philly and Atlanta advancing. Sorry, Minnechoka Crykings...you and your classless punk WR (I am looking at you, Randy Moss) will be finished soon.
New England will beat Philly in the Super Bowl.
And next year, the Packers will solve their defensive problems, Brett and Ahman will stop turning the ball over so much, and the Packers will win the Super Bowl over Pittsburgh. And, the Detroit Lions (yes, the Detroit Lions) will make the playoffs as a wildcard before getting croaked in the first playoff round.
Minnechoka will finish last in the NFC North (behind even the Bears, who still suck!) and Randy the Punk Moss will do something to merit a prison sentence.
2005-01-10-3:50 p.m.
Tennesee vs. Connecticut: I got to watch this game between two major powers of college women's basketball and it was a good one, with Tennessee winning by one point. It was preceded on network TV by Penn State vs. Wisconsin...two women's basketball games back to back on network TV! This is a very good thing in my opinion and something that we need to see more of.
Both of these programs (Tennessee and U-Conn) have been excellent for a long time and it is my sincere hope that my favorites (Michigan) will rise to their level soon.
2005-01-10-1:57 p.m.
I have not added any entries lately because I was on the Caribbean island of Nevis and did not have easy computer access. I am back now, and there is much catching up to do.
Item 1: Rose Bowl. Michigan's defense squandered a great performance by the offense and dropped a one point decision to Texas. Michigan's defense is really bad, and the consensus seems to be that it is the coaching and strategy and not a lack of talent. Michigan's last really good defense was in 1997, which incidentally was when they won all 12 of their games and the national championship. The current state of affairs is almost exactly the opposite of how things were during most of the Bo Schembechler era. Then, the defense was almost always solid and rarely allowed more than 20 or so points per game. But the offense was often too conservative and unable to score points, especially in Bowl games. Now the offense is much more explosive and able to score points, but the defense seems unable to stop any team with a credible offense.
Item 2: Michigan women's basketball. After a promising 4-4 start, Coach Burnett's team has lost seven games in a row with Ohio State (ranked ninth in the nation) coming to Crisler Arena tomorrow. Further bad news came when freshman forward Katie Dierdorf suffered an injury that may sideline her for the rest of the season. Inconsistent scoring and turnovers have been chronic problems for the Wolverine Women, as well as a maddening tendency to let the shot clock run down to almost nothing (which then increases the liklihood of bad shots and turnovers). The rest of the schedule will not be at all easy, as it consists entirely of Big Ten teams, most of which are very good. One of those very good teams being our friends (yeah, right!) from East Lansing. The Spartan women beat Michigan on January 2 at Ann Arbor with another meeting at East Lansing later. MSU has also beaten Connecticut, which is always something to shout about. Hopefully the Wolverines and their fans will have some things to shout about soon.
Item 3: Packers. The "three-peat" against Minnesota was not to be, as the Packers lost their first round playoff game 31-17. Four interceptions by Brett Favre hurt the cause, although at least two were the fault of receivers running the wrong routes. And of course, without Brett Favre the Packers would probably not have been in the playoffs to begin with.
More thoughts to come...
2004-12-24-12:43 p.m.
My favorite holiday song is without a doubt John Lennon's "Happy Xmas/War is Over."
"A very merry Xmas, and a happy new year/let's hope it's a good one/without any fear...War is over, if you (we) want it!"
Let's see what we can do to move at least a bit closer to making John Lennon's visions a reality. So that maybe someday we can say that "War is Over" and really mean it.
2004-12-24-12:31 p.m.
I have not been posting much lately mostly because I am busy with the holidays and all that. I wish happy holidays for all and will get back to posting more frequently as soon as possible.
Big game today for the Packers at Minnesota. The Pack are already in the playoffs, but a win over the Crykings would more or less clinch the NFC North for the Packers and with it a better seeding in the playoffs.
The annual parade of mostly meaningless minor college football Bowl games has begun, and I have only a vague idea who played in and won most of the games played so far. A tournament (you know, like they have in every other sport including all the other competition levels of college football) would make MUCH more sense than the current system where one or maybe two Bowl games have any bearing whatsoever on determining the national champion and all the others are more or less consolation games. And, there are way too many games matching teams with mediocre records of the 6-5 and 7-4 variety. But enough of that particular rant for now.
Happy Holidays to everyone, and may your team win whichever Bowl it made it to, if in fact it made it to one (not to single anyone out, but...Bad Sparty! No Bowl!).
2004-12-20-1:42 p.m.
Bob Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man" is one song that never fails to put me in a happy and transcendent state of mind. There is just something about the guitars, Bob's harmonica solos, and of course that beautifully rough and bluesy voice of his singing lines like "cast your dancin' spell my way, I promise to go under it" and "yes, to dance across the diamond sky with one hand waving free...with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves, let me forget about today until tomorrow!" The version I am listening to right now is on "Live 1975" but it is also on two other live Dylan recordings from 1964 and 1966 and the studio version is on the all around wonderful "Bringing It All Back Home" album.
The cover by the Byrds is nice, with its trippy electric psychedelic backing, but the Byrds only sing one of the four Dylan-penned verses and this IMO makes their version inferior to any of the Bobster's renditions.
Now the 1975 CD has gone onto "Blowin' In the Wind." This song, written so long ago it seems (1962) is nonetheless still very relevant and the questions it asks are ones that we still need to find answers to. Including "how many years can some people exist before they're allowed to be free?" and "how many deaths will it take till we know that too many people have died?"
Maybe Bob Dylan never really wanted to be anyone's spokesperson, but his words are here and they have stood the test of time. And I know I am not the only one who has and continues to be touched and inspired by the works of the Bard of Hibbing, Minnesota.
2004-12-20-10:34 a.m.
Well, it's time to take a break from sports for a bit, so how about some classic words of wisdom from the late great Jimi Hendrix?
I am listening to his album "Axis: Bold As Love" right now and am really digging the title song:
"Anger he smiles, towering in shiny metallic purple armour/Queen Jealousy, Envy, waits behind him/Her fiery green gown sneers at the grassy ground/Blue are the life giving waters, taken for granted they quietly understand/Once happy turquoise armies lay opposite/ready, but wonder why the fight is on...but they're all bold as love! Just ask the Axis...
My red is so confident, he flashes trophies of war and ribbons of euphoria/orange is young, full of daring, but very unsteady for the first go round/my yellow in this case is not so mellow, in fact I'm trying to say it's frightened like me...and all these emotions of mine keep holding me from giving my life to a rainbow like you/But I'm bold as love...just ask the Axis...he knows everything"
Pretty cool stuff, and that's just one song. If you do not have this album by all means get yourself a copy. Along with any and everything else that Jimi Hendrix ever recorded.
2004-12-20-10:13 a.m.
As was pointed out in a previous post, the Green Bay Packers had a great chance to gain control of the NFC North Division on Sunday December 19. A win by the Detroit Lions over Minnesota coupled with a Packer win over Jacksonville would have given the Packers a two game lead over Minnesota with two games left in the regular season.
It was also mentioned that it is not usually wise to count on the Detroit Lions for much. The Lions came ever so close to delivering a win over Minnesota, with a touchdown in the last seconds bringing them within a point of forcing overtime. The extra point kick is USUALLY pretty much automatic in the National Football League. But these are the Detroit Lions, and if there is a way to lose a game they will probably find it. Their long snapper rolled the ball wildly back to the holder, and the kick never even got off. Game over, Minnesota wins.
Which brings us to the Packers vs. Jacksonville. All season the Packers have had recurring problems on defense, and also have been inconsistent on offense with turnovers and penalties. All three of these things were in evidence on Sunday at Lambeau Field. The defense struggled to stop the Jacksonville running attack. Ahman Green and Brett Favre lost fumbles, and Favre threw three passes to Jacksonville defenders. All this added up to a 28-25 Packer loss. One of the TV announcers for the Packer game just happened to be former U of Michigan and St. Louis Cardinals offensive lineman Dan Dierdorf, whose daughter Katie is a freshman forward on this season's Michigan women's basketball team.
Strangely enough, despite all this the Packers managed to clinch at least a wild card playoff bid. This due to the overall weakness of the National Conference, where already half of the teams are guaranteed to finish with losing records. The Packers can still win the NFC North by beating the Vikings and Bears on the road in their final two regular season games.
If not for the horrible defense, turnovers, and penalties that have been a problem all season, the Packers would have wrapped up the division a long time ago.
2004-12-19-12:19 p.m.
The Michigan women's basketball team suffered their sixth defeat of the 2004-05 season in ten games, as the Maine Black Bears beat the Wolverines 69-61 at Maine's home arena. Michigan's star senior and Ann Arbor native Tabitha Pool did all she could for the cause, scoring nearly half of her team's points with 29 to go along with eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Becky Flippin led the team in assists with five and was second in scoring with eight points. To Michigan's credit, they bounced back from being down 17 points to make it a four point game in the closing minute. But Maine stood their ground and pulled away at the very end. Michigan's next game is December 28 versus Oakland U at Crisler Arena. The Wolverines need to win this one to finish the non-conference part of the schedule with five wins and six losses. Then on December 30 begins the always daunting Big Ten part of the schedule. As I have observed before, there is enough talent here for Michigan to end up with a good record, the question is how quickly can the mostly young (seven frosh out of ten total players on this year's roster) team get in a groove, especially against the likes of Michigan State, Ohio State (or pardon me, THE Ohio State!), Penn State, Minnesota, Iowa, and Purdue. Stay tuned for the Further Adventures of the Wolverine Women!
2004-12-17-1:32 p.m.
And so the Meeecheegun (as legendary turn of last century coach Fielding Yost pronounced it) Wolverine footballers are headed to Pasadena for another Run For the Roses. For once they will NOT be playing a team from the Pacific Ten conference, instead their opponent will be the Texas Longhorns from the Big 12. This is the very first time that these schools have faced off on the gridiron. They both have a lot of tradition and are almost always among the top ranked teams in the USA.
Texas is an early six point (last I looked) favorite. They have a slightly better record (10-1 vs. 9-2 for Michigan) and their only loss was to undefeated Oklahoma while Michigan lost to average Notre Lame and THE Ohio State University teams (keeping in mind, of course, that these two are traditional rivals of the Wolverines and are not exactly pushovers even if their records were not that great). Michigan has tended to have more than their share of troubles in Bowl games, so this may also play a factor in why the Wolverines are the underdog.
That being said, this should be a very good game and Michigan has more than enough talent to beat Texas. One key will be how Michigan's freshman quarterback (Chad Henne) and running back (Michael Hart) deal with the pressure of their first ever Rose Bowl. Also, Michigan's sometimes suspect defense needs to contain the Texas offense, particularly quarterback Vince Young. Young is a QB who likes to run a lot, and this type of QB has at times been a challenge for the Wolverine "D."
Michigan's standout receiver, Braylon Edwards, needs to step up and do his best in this game. Michigan also has some other pass catchers (Jason Avant, Steve Breaston, Tim Massaquoi to mention three) who can do some damage.
If Michigan can win this game, it will be a great way to end the season and will also give the returning players something positive to take into next season.
Go Blue!
2004-12-17-1:19 p.m.
It is getting towards the end of the NFL regular season, and my lifelong favorites (Green Bay Packers) can wrap up another NFC North Division title with a couple more wins. This Sunday, they play Jacksonville at home while the second place Minnechoka Crykings are in the Motor City to face the Lions. While it is never too advisible to count on the Detroit Lions for much, it is my hope that they can muster a win over the Crykings while the Pack takes care of business against the Jaguars. That would put Green Bay two games ahead in the division race with two games left, both on the road against Minny and Da Bears.
So far this season the Packers have been hampered by a rather weak defense, while their offense is usually quite productive. Brett Favre is truly the "Energizer Bunny" of the NFL...he just keeps going, and going, and going! His ticket to Canton was punched a long time ago, yet he keeps on amazing the Packer faithful while giving opponents and their fans headaches. Ahman Green has developed into one of the top running backs in the league, and the Green Bay receivers and offensive line are also very strong. Kicker Ryan Longwell is Mr. Reliable, having delivered three game winning field goals in 2004 (including on my 40th birthday, Nov. 14 at Lambeau, to beat the Crykings). If only the Packer defense was better, they would have already wrapped up the division crown.
So for this Sunday it is Go Packers (as it is every weekend in the fall) and Go Lions!
2004-12-16-9:26 a.m.
It has been a rather "up and down" season for the Michigan Wolverine women's basketballers so far in 2004-05. They are a VERY young team, with seven freshmen out of ten total players. The frosh all have a lot of potential, and the three veterans are also quite talented. Nevertheless, it has been a challenge to get everyone on the same page as it were and working together well. The team has some impressive wins (against Washington, California-Santa Barbara, and UNLV) but also some disappointing defeats. The team has two more non-conference games, then the always tough Big Ten conference part of the schedule begins. I believe that the talent is there for Michigan to do well this season, the question is how quickly the first year players can develop and the how well the team can come together as a group. This is also a very well coached team. Second year head coach Cheryl Burnett compiled an excellent record in her previous job, where she brought a smaller school (Southwest Missouri State) to national prominence and had them competing with bigger name schools such as Duke, Iowa, and Kansas. It may take some more time and effort, but I am confident that Coach Burnett will make the Michigan women's basketball program just as successful as Bo Schembechler made the Wolverine football program.
2004-12-15-8:02 p.m.
Well, I hope I figured out how to use this so it will work correctly! My username is jerrybear54 and this is my first entry. I found out about this through the blogger known as Ypsi Dixit who is an old friend of mine from when I was in graduate school. It sounded like a cool thing to do so here goes! I am a big fan of women's basketball, especially the University of Michigan Wolverines and the Detroit Shock. I write a column on the U of Michigan team for a fan website called umgoblue.com, and plan to use this blog for additional commentary on the Wolverines as well as my favorite WNBA team, the Detroit Shock. I am also a fan of American rules football, with the Green Bay Packers, Michigan Wolverines and Central Michigan Chippewas being my favorite teams. My other interests include pagan/wiccan spirituality, progressive (especially Green Party) politics, and hippie/beatnik music and culture such as the Grateful Dead, Phish, Allen Ginsberg, and so on. So at any given time I may post about any of these topics, or whatever else comes to mind!Please feel free to respond to my entries!
