A New Direction for the Blog?

I've made a lot of changes to this blog. And for some reason, I'm never satisfied with it. At first I thought "hey, I'll write in this everyday and as long as it's about sports, it'll be easy." Well, what I learned was that keeping a blog and having to update it everyday is tough. Especially when you're trying to balance school and two radio shows during the course of a week.

Then I thought, "I'll write on the weekends and try and throw some humor into it." And as hard as I tried, once again I failed. It's not because of the amount of coverage in sports, its mostly because that since I'm not getting paid for this sort of thing, it's sort of a secondary priority when it comes to things to do for the day.

But the one thing that I do know is that I love to write (even though I know nobody out there in internet world may be reading this). I've always loved it. Whether it was when I was little trying to write my own Matt Christopher novels or just trying to come up with something on my own, the point is, writing has always been there. And I think it's because my tone is very conversational and easy-going when it comes to reading it. So what I want is a vote from the people, what direction do you want this blog to go? Email me: MikeOsh1985@gmail.com

-M

It's Tournament Time

So the brackets are out. It's time to start filling out your picks as we are on the drive from 65 all the way to crowning a new national champion three weeks from tomorrow on April 7th. And while you can listen to all the analysts and the predictions as much as you want, the simple truth of the matter is you must pick upsets if you plan on winning your bracket pool. It's just a fact. You can't put all of the #1 seeds in the final four because that never happens. The great thing about this tournament is a team like Coppin State, who at 16-20 made the tournament maybe can get lucky and make a run. Of course, the chances of that happening are slim to none simply because Coppin State is a team who is 228 in the RPI, finished 7-9 in conference play, and finished 9 games back behind regular season champ Morgan State. They lost to Xavier by 49, Marquette by 47 and even Indiana was even able to smear them, although only by 27.

Speaking of Indiana, I wasn't surprised at all that my Hoosiers received an #8 seed. Not only do I not think that they will beat #9 Arkansas in the first round, but hypothetically, even if they somehow do, their reward for winning is they get to play the #1 seed in the ENTIRE tournament in North Carolina. Many people around here were angered when the results were revealed but let's be honest people, this is a team that has lost 3 of 4 including embarassing losses to Minnesota and Penn State. Indiana basketball, if it truly is the program that is mentioned with all the greats like UCLA, Duke, and Kentucky, must beat Penn State and Minnesota. It's really as simple as that. D.J. White finishes his career having never won a Big Ten Tournament game. Kind of sad in a way.

So what kind of a team is Arkansas? Well, the Razorbacks come into this game with a 22-11 record, won 4 of their last 6 including a thrilling 92-91 win over Tennessee (who with that loss blew their chances for a #1 seed) and have 3 players that score in double figures led by senior Sonny Weems at a little more than 14 points per game. After that, you also have Patrick Beverley and Darian Townes who score 12 and 11.9 ppg respectively. Arkansas is very athletic and very versatile and could give the Hoosiers problems. Plus they have a bit more momentum on their side recently making it all the way to the SEC Championship game. When the team scores 80 points or more they are 9-0 and 11-0 when they shoot over 50% from the floor. That's why I'm going with the Razorbacks to upset my Hoosiers, if you can even call #9 beating an #8 an upset.

I could go over all the teams that got snubbed and those that I think got in and shouldn't have (see Arizona and Oregon) but I'm sure at this point, you've heard enough of that. So I'm not going to sit here and try and change your mind because for most people, once they have their mind set on something there's almost nothing you can do to change it. I did see a funny Bobby Knight clip on Youtube that I'm going to post here.

I'm going to make the rest of my first round picks now so I can review them over next weekend's show and compare how much I think I know about College Basketball compared to the actual results.

EAST
North Carolina
Arkansas
George Mason
Washington State
Saint Joseph's
Louisville
Butler
Tennessee

Midwest
Kansas
UNLV
Villanova
Vanderbilt
Kansas State
Wisconsin
Gonzaga
Georgetown

South
Memphis
Mississippi State
Michigan State
Pittsburgh
Kentucky
Stanford
St. Mary's
Texas

West
UCLA
BYU
Western Kentucky
UConn
Baylor
Xavier
West Virginia
Duke

Oh and to close out the show for today, the cast of Boy Meets World by first and last name are:

Cory Matthews- Ben Savage
Eric Matthews- Will Friedle
Alan Matthews- William Russ
Amy Matthews- Betsy Randle
Shawn Hunter- Rider Strong
Topanga Lawrence- Danielle Fishel
George Feeny- William Daniels

That's all I got for today guys. Catch you next weekend. And be sure to listen to my radio show "The Front Row" Monday and Friday mornings on 99.1 WIUX-LP. Or online at WIUX.org

-M

Picture courtesy of: http://c.myspace.com/Groups/00000/53/73/113735_l.jpg

The State of Indiana Basketball

What up everyone? "The Weekend" is back, after a long break. I was in Florida for ten days just relaxing trying to throw all the hassles of school behind me, at least for a short while. But now that I'm back I'm more committed than ever and ready to give all you out there in internet world, my very best work.

Let's begin with my beloved Hoosiers. On Friday night, while stuck in a traffic jam in Atlanta, I was receiving frequent updates from friends as Indiana took on Minnesota in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament in Indianapolis. After being behind as much as 16 with 9:41 to go (it was 24-8 Minnesota at that point), Indiana fought back making it a 7 point game at halftime 34-27. With 15:51 to go in the game, D.J. White made two free throws to tie the game up at 34-34 and the two teams battled back and forth with neither one getting more than 5 points ahead the rest of the game.

That's when disaster struck. With 4 seconds to go and Indiana down 2, Eric Gordon (our supposed savior who was to bring back the prestige and honor that is Indiana basketball), missed the first of two free throws. This is a guy who shoots 84.5 % from the line. Having to miss the second one on purpose to give the Hoosiers a shot, Gordon lofted the ball off the back rim where it hung up long enough for D.J. to grab it and put it in for an "and 1." D.J. missed the three point opportunity but somehow once again got his own rebound and was fouled. So once again Indiana had ANOTHER opportunity to put themselves ahead. This time, White missed the first but made the second. So it's 58-57 at this point with 1 second and some change left. After both teams traded timeouts, Blake Hoffarber, who won an ESPY in 2005 after this miraculous shot, caught a pass in the frontcourt, hoisted up a shot, and somehow made it AGAIN this time to beat Indiana 59-58. If you haven't seen Blake's most recent heroics, you can watch it here.

So the question becomes now, how is anyone, especially the players, supposed to have any sort of confidence in this team after they've lost 3 of 4 to close out the season? I personally have none and am planning on picking whomever IU plays in the NCAA tournament to BEAT IU simply because I think the players still aren't over the whole NCAA violations thing. In one aspect, I understand because you put a lot of trust in a coach when he recruits you that he'll be there the whole time, that you can count on him. But at the same time, it's time for the players to grow up and move on. At one point in the season this was a top 10 team in and America and for us to suddenly struggle to beat Northwestern and lose to Penn State and Minnesota...are you kidding me? Yes, I'm talking to you JaMarcus Ellis and Jordan Crawford. Stop whining how bad it is that you don't have your coach anymore and just play basketball. That shows real class just walking out on a meeting with the athletic director just because you don't like what he's saying. GROW UP! You get to go to school and play basketball for FREE, which is something I know many kids would kill to get a chance. Ever since Kelvin Sampson's resignation on February 22nd, this team is 3-3 and it is GUARANTEED that Dan Dakich's will NOT be the coach next season.

On a side note, congratulations to Minnie Driver on her pregnancy announcement. She's one of my favorite actresses. I really enjoyed her in Good Will Hunting and Grosse Pointe Blank. Today's trivia question comes from one of my all-time favorite TV series, can you tell me the cast of the popular TGIF sitcom Boy Meets World? By real name too? Best of Luck.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.courier-journal.com/blogs/demling/uploaded_images/IMG_3247-759535.JPG

My Oscar Predictions

Today there wasn't that much going on in the world of sports. The Phoenix Suns showed what a vulnerable team they are now that they have Shaq, Tiger won his 4th straight PGA Tour win, and Wladimir Klitschko defeated Sultan Ibragimov and cemented himself as one of the best Heavyweight fighters in the World. Other than that, really nothing more going on. I picked Kevin Harvick for my radio show's contest "Start Your Engines" so I'm hoping they get to finish that race and he places well.

But tonight is all about the Oscars. Whether you want to admit you're a fan or not, the point is I know you'll be watching. Everyone's always interested in who wins best picture, best supporting actor/actress, best supporting actor/actress, and best director. The problem is, they get through some of the awards in the beginning then they make you wait 3 hours to find out who wins the last few awards. On one hand, its a genius idea because it makes you watch the whole thing, but it could also be a hindrance due to some people going to bed and not even paying attention.

So here are my picks for the categories that I listed above. Now remember, I've seen most of these movies and its my opinion that these people should win:

Best Director: Paul Thomas Anderson, "There Will Be Blood"
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"
Best Actress: Julie Christie in "Away From Her"
Best Supporting Actor: Phillip Seymour Hoffman in "Charlie Wilson's War"
Best Supporting Actress: Amy Ryan in "Gone Baby Gone"
Best Picture: Michael Clayton

And for those of you who saw the movie "There Will Be Blood," SNL had a great sketch last night parodying it. You can watch the video here.

Finally answering yesterday's trivia question, the cast of family members by real name (first and last) are:

Carl Winslow: Reginald VelJohnson
Harriet Winslow: Jo Marie Payton-Noble
Eddie Winslow: Darius McCrary
Laura Winslow: Kellie Shanygne Williams
Steve Urkel: Jaleel White

Look for more next weekend, I'm out. Peace.

-M

Picture courtesy of: http://www.bvallc.com/pensionblog/uploaded_images/Oscars-732859.jpg

My Vantage Point on the Kelvin Sampson Resignation

First off, for those of you that enjoy seeing GOOD movies with intricately drawn plot line with full character development, PLEASE GOD DON'T GO SEE "VANTAGE POINT." For me, it's right up there with the worst movies that I have ever seen along with "Catwoman" with Halle Berry, "Sugar and Spice" about the cheerleader chicks that rob banks, and "Johnny English" with Rowan Atkinson. One of the reasons "Vantage Point" was so terrible other than the fact that it was promoted 8,000 times during the NBA All-Star game to the point where it became ridiculously annoying (kind of like the "This is Our Country" song played during Chevy commercials not too long ago), but it also didn't let you divulge deep enough into each character's persona before they whisked you away and switched you to someone else's view. And by the time they came back to it 7 different vantage points and 45 minutes later, you had forgot what happened and now had to go back through your memory and sort through all the different characters to try and remember where you left off. Not to mention that by the time they actually get to the climax of the movie, it's no longer than 10 minutes tops. All that buildup, for ten minutes. Maybe it's just me, but I would have rather preferred not seeing the same scene over and over again where the mayor says, "I give you my city" eight different times and then having the President raise his arms and eight different times watch him get shot. It became repetitive to the point where I wanted someone to pull out a gun and shoot me and get it over with. I consider myself a connoisseur of good movies and this was up there with my worst four of all time.

Now onto sports. Yesterday was Indiana University's first game without recently resigned head coach Kelvin Sampson. Initially, as a Hoosier fan, I was worried because according to all the reports you read on Friday, DJ White and five other players skipped afternoon practice and some out there in the sports world wondered if the players would really consider boycotting the rest of the season in support of their terminated coach. But luckily, everyone came to their senses (especially White, who at 17.1 ppg and 10.4 rpg is easily the front runner for Big Ten Player of the Year and first team All-American honors) and the Hoosiers pulled out a close one and a big win at Northwestern 85-82. Sure, some of you may say, "wait a second, Northwestern was 0-13 in the Big Ten, how can you call this a big win?" I'll tell you why, it was Indiana's first game under Dan Dakich who was named interim coach for the rest of the season by athletic director Rick Greenspan Friday. Since six players skipped practice on Friday afternoon, the only time Dakich had with his players was later that night when the team did a walk-through and in the shoot around Saturday afternoon right before the game. So for this team to come together, with or without their recently dismissed coach and in a time of turmoil pull out a win on the road, that's huge. This could have easily gone the other way where the team looks disorganized and they did at times (they need to switch out of the man-to-man zone because when defenders get screened it leads to backdoor cuts and easy layups for the other team) and lose. But this team fought back from as much as 9 point deficits and played good defense when they absolutely had to.

Will this team succeed under Dakich? I can't say right now. What I do know it that Hoosier fans will have to give him a few days for everything to cool down around here and see how the team finishes the season. If we win the next four games (home against Ohio State and Minnesota and @ Michigan State and Penn State), Dakich has done his job. If we go 3-1, I still think he's done a good job. This is a tough situation for Dan. Coming in midway through the season after Rob Senderoff was forced to resign amid allegations of excessive phone calls and lead a top #15 team as they head into the Big Ten Tournament, would be tough on almost anybody. Especially someone who has to consider that this will only last one, maybe two months at most before you get replaced and returned to your old position. Whether or not Dan Dakich is the next head coach at Indiana University will depend on how he fares in the tournament, both Big Ten and NCAAs. With a roster that contains D.J. White and Eric Gordon, expectations are high, and it's up to him to find a way to harness all that talent, and return us once again to NCAA greatness.

Real quick, I have a trivia question for you today; name for me the main characters by first and last name of the ABC series "Family Matters." I know I can do it because I've done it before. Now it's your turn. As soon as you think you know it, email me mikeosh1985@gmail.com and DON'T CHEAT.

That's all for today guys, I'll be on here tomorrow same time, same place.

-M

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.impawards.com/2008/posters/vantage_point.jpg

Welcome to "The Weekend"

On behalf of MTO Productions, I'd like to welcome you to "The Weekend" with me, your host, Mike Oshita. This is a new thing we're trying out here at MTO, so we need your feedback. Shoot me an email and tell me what you think: MikeOsh1985@gmail.com.

So what is this new format going to be like you ask? Well, first and foremost, it's going to be about sports, no matter what. As far back as I can remember, sports has always been the most important thing for me other than family. So I'd say 95% of our focus will be directed towards that. Another 4% will go towards me rambling on whatever is on my mind for the day. It may be about a movie I've seen recently, to an issue that I think does or doesn't make sense, to something good on TV that I recommend. I feel like this is a way for me to connect with people in my audience that don't want to talk about sports all day every day.

And finally, the last 1% will be towards furthering my career as the next Howie Schwab. For those of you who don't know who that is, Howie Schwab is the coordination producer for ESPN studio production but he is most known for, at least in college kids minds, as the man to beat on the ESPN Classic show "Stump the Schwab." It's basically a who knows more when it comes to sports but I'm throwing in a twist: also included especially when you try and stump me in the segment I like to call "I Pity You Fool," you can ask me questions about 1990s TV and up. So if you have a "Boy Meets World" question or "Family Matters" query that you think I can't answer, post it on the blog and I'll try and answer it. If I don't, you win, it's that simple. But if I get it, I just add you to all the other fools who thought they could pity-win their way to victory. So a lot of changes going on here at MTO, we've even changed the name of the website, so bookmark it and look forward to postings on here every Saturday and Sunday because you're turned into "The Weekend" with Mike Oshita.

I'll write more on here a little later, gotta go school some wannabes on the court. Peace

M.

The Kelvin Sampson Era and Allegations

O.k. Let's me start by saying that as an Indiana University student, I was very happy with our win yesterday over Michigan State. We blew them out basically in a game that two out of the three analysts from College Gameday (Hubert Davis and Jay Bilas) predicted would go the other way with a Spartan victory Here's what they're saying in East Lansing. But even without D.J. White, who went out with 4:55 to go in the first half, my Hoosiers found a way to win. It was the play of our star Eric Gordon, who finished with 28 and broke Mike Woodson's scoring record, along with forcing 19 turnovers that essentially doomed the Spartans in. Not to mention the great play of the supporting cast who stepped up when they needed to. DeAndre Thomas, who finally looks to be back in Sampson's good graces, had 10 points of 5-9 shooting playing 16 big minutes when we needed him. JaMarcus Ellis, who at one point I criticized more than anyone on the team, had a great night shooting the ball hitting back-to-back 3's at one point finishing the night with 12 points. And let's not forget Jordan Crawford too added 12 big points. This is the type of game that makes me as a Indiana fan, believe that this could be a sweet 16 team and ever go further, because of the way this team played tonight. Even when you take away one of our best players, we still find a way to win. And if we can continue to get this type of production from our supporting cast outside of Gordon and DJ when he comes back, I think we'll make a pretty good run.

Now onto the coaching situation. When this story first broke late Tuesday night, I was shocked. My initial reaction was, "I can't believe something like this is happening again." For those of you who don't remember, "The NCAA launched its investigation after Indiana announced in October that Sampson had made 100 impermissible phone calls while he was on probation for illicit calls made while he was the coach at Oklahoma from 2000-06. During that time, he made 577 impermissible calls" (ESPN.com). So this is nothing new to Kelvin. The point is he KNOWINGLY went out of the way to break the rules by continuing to phone recruits and their families and then lied about it to the NCAA and Indiana University itself. On Friday, new IU President Michael McRobbie announced that the school would conduct their own investigation into the NCAA accusations and report back to McRobbie by the following Friday, essentially giving them 7 days. Among those heading the investigation include athletic director Rick Greenspan, university council Dorothy Frapwell and faculty representative Bruce Jaffee. Jay Bilas, analyst from College Gameday, brought up a really good point on Saturday when he said in his opinion, IU had already made up its mind, and the only reason for the 7 day inquiry, was to make sure it couldn't be sued just like what happened with former Ohio State coach Jim O'Brien. In a process that should take place over a few months, Indiana has instead turned it into 7 days. And I couldn't agree more. Now what do I think will happen? I think Sampson coaches Tuesday night against Purdue and on Friday, the committee recommends that Kelvin be terminated.

As much as you want to believe him (meaning Kelvin), the NCAA just doesn't throw out wild, crazy accusations without some kind of proof. You know they have something, you just don't know how specific it is at this point. Michael Vick thought he could beat the U.S. Government in court saying he was innocent of the dogfighting charges, look where he is now. If Indiana doesn't recommend that Sampson be fired then its a discredit to the athletic department and the entire university. Indiana basketball is up there with Kentucky, Duke and other elite institutions when it comes to historic programs. To keep Sampson around means that you're condoning what he did. Which is wrong because it says its o.k. to take shortcuts and cheat the system, as long as your team keeps winning. Since 1960, Indiana has had 0 violations in basketball up until this point. This is a black-eye to the university and one of those things where depending on the outcome and recommendations of the committee, could divide fans. And you know what the funny thing about this to me is, if Indiana was having an average to below average season, Sampson would be gone in a heartbeat. But because we're in the top 15 in the country, its o.k. to some people. By the end of the game last night, students were chanting "Kelvin Sampson" in support of our coach. Just another reason I really dislike some sports fans because they continue to flip flop depending on how the team performs. And that my friends, is not a true fan.

My Thoughts on the Pro Bowl

What's up everybody? I hope you all enjoyed my THRILLING Super Bowl Blog from last week. In case you aren't aware what's going on, I spent MY Super Bowl Sunday doing a running blog of the game. And while I can't say it was a total success, it did teach me a lot of things like how hard it is working under pressure, and also how much more involved I need to be while watching sports. In the past, I may have considered myself a casual fan, but now that I have an idea of what I want to do the rest of my life, now whenever I watch sports I mean I REALLY watch sports. I'm analyzing things that I've never seen before and actually taking notes while the game is going on. Noticing what players are making a difference at what time, and how that impacted the game. Some of you may call this nerdy, I call it being a fan.

Anyway most of you probably watched the Pro Bowl tonight, which the NFC took 42-30. Adrian Peterson, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, and Terrell Owens each had two touchdowns but it was Peterson's 16 carry, 129 yard performance that won him MVP. The thing is, at least for me, when it comes to the Pro Bowl I don't really care one way or the other who wins. I mean I'll watch it, but that's because this time of the year, there's really nothing to watch on TV outside of college basketball except maybe hockey and the occasional billiards match. Here's my take, and remember, the important thing is that this is my OPINION and in what way you take this is up to you. You may agree or disagree, but that's the great thing about sports, there's always room for debate.

Get rid of the Pro Bowl. That's right, I said it. Get rid of it. First off, it's boring. Any football game that's on past the Super Bowl is completely inconsequential. Because for most people, the Super Bowl is the culmination of an entire year of football and after that, it's time to look forward for spring training. It's in Hawaii, which I guess is kind of cool except for the fact that it's in a stadium that looks like it was built during the days of the Pyramids and that nobody goes. How many football people do you know that book a trip every February saying, "I really can't wait for the Pro Bowl this year." None. That's what I thought. I actually tried watching it earlier this afternoon and ended up falling asleep. That should never EVER happen when it comes to an NFL game. Not to mention, and I don't know if you know this, but 17 players that were voted in by the fans pulled out either because of injury or personal reasons. Now for people like Brady, LT, and Antonio Gates I completely understand because those guys played hurt in either the AFC Championship or the Super Bowl depending on the player. But what about Randy Moss and Brett Favre? I watched the Super Bowl, it didn't look like Randy Moss was hurt to me. And as for Favre, the only thing I think he's suffering from is a bruised ego after throwing that interception that let the Giants go to the Super Bowl. If the players that we vote in as fans decide not to show up because they're tired, then just take the fans vote away completely. Otherwise what's the point in voting people we WANT to see in if they're just not going to play if they can. It's a waste of their time and ours.

Picture Courtesy of: http://www.sf49ers.com/photos/images/2007_pro_bowl/pro_bowl_photos/goldrushgall.jpg

Fourth Quarter

9:04 PM
Patriots punt and Giants will get the ball at their own 20 just seven seconds into the 4th

9:07 PM
Huge pass to Kevin Boss. If he was any faster that would have been 6.

9:10 PM
Obviously if the Giants pull this off, Eli Manning is the MVP for the composure he has shown in the pocket

9:11 PM
TOUCHDOWN NY GIANTS...Eli to David Tyree. GIANTS NOW LEAD 10-7

9:14 PM
A little under 11 minutes left to go in the game, too much time for Tom Brady?

9:18 PM
Brady looks like he's starting to find his form here in the middle of the 4th

9:21 PM
Giants get the ball back after stopping New England on 3rd and 7. It's imperative that they put together any sort of a drive that will waste time if they can

9:26 PM
With a little more than 7 minutes left in the game you have to wonder if the Patriots aren't able to drive down into at least field goal range here, will they go for it at any cost? They may not get another opportunity to get the ball back.

9:31 PM
Wes Welker has 11 catches. No wonder in high school and college his nickname was "the natural."

9:34 PM
8 yards to go...can this be any more exciting?

9:38 PM
You have to give it to Brady. Even though he's had a rough game up to this point, he's still clutch in the closing moments, completing 7 of 10 passes on this drive alone driving his team into field-goal range and maybe even a touchdown depending on what happens on third down

9:39 PM
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS...Brady to Moss...Patriots now lead 14-10. Can Eli create his own Super Bowl Magic?

9:41 PM
Giants have 5 wins on the season when losing at some point in the 4th quarter which is most in the NFL

9:43 PM
Three timeouts and the two minute warning. Plenty of time for Eli Manning

9:44 PM
Almost a pick by New England

9:46 PM
Third and 10 for the Giants. If they don't convert what will Tom Coughlin do?

9:47 PM
This reminds me of the St. Louis-Tennessee Super Bowl a few years ago. 4th and 1...JACOBS CONVERTS. HUGE PLAY!!

9:49 PM
Eli almost dropped that ball....it makes you wonder...what if he did?

9:51 PM
HOW DID ELI BREAK THAT TACKLE AND COMPLETE A HUGE PASS ONCE AGAIN TO TYREE? Ball on the Patriots 24

9:53 PM
How many people had the Giants making a last-second game-winning drive attempt that puts them within 25 yards of a Super Bowl victory?

9:54 PM
No matter what happens, this is one of the best Super Bowls I have EVER seen.

9:56 PM
TOUCHDOWN GIANTS...Eli Manning to Plexico. 35 seconds left GIANTS lead 17-14.

9:59 PM
I just made the "girliest laugh ever" while SCREAMING at the TV

10:01 PM
4rd and 20. This is it ladies and gentlemen. One play to decide whether we have the best team in NFL history, or maybe the greatest upset.

10:05 PM
IT'S OVER!!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEW YORK GIANTS ON UPSETTING NEW ENGLAND. FINAL SCORE 17-14. New England finishes the year 18-1.

Third Quarter

8:25 PM
Patriots will have the ball to start the 2nd half...start right away in shotgun and complete a pass to Welker on a pass across the middle for 15 yards.

8:29 PM
Osi Umenyora is doing a great job getting pressure on Brady.

8:30 PM
Great tackle by Pierce on Kevin Faulk preventing the first down. You have to wonder if that was Spagnola's plan going in to shut down Welker and Faulk while double-teaming Moss. That way, you force Stallworth and Gaffney to beat you.

8:37 PM
They are REALLY promoting Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles

8:39 PM
That challenge by New England just shows what a great coach Bill Belichick is. There are few coaches who would notice something like 12-men on the field on a punt which, depending on the outcome of this drive, could change the course of the game.

8:40 PM
If New England wins this game, Kevin Faulk should be the MVP. There have been countless times in this game where Brady hits Faulk underneath and by himself, bowls his way for the first down. Spagnola seems to have prepared for everybody, except Faulk.

8:42 PM
Strahan with the sack. Patriots going for it on 4th and 13...don't convert. Seems weird because it only would have been a 49-yarder which is something that you would think a kicker like Gostkowski would make on a consistant basis. Not going to him here, shows a lack of confidence.

8:46 PM
On the 4th down replay just shown on Fox, Faulk looks like he might have tweaked a hamstring. That's a devastating injury if he can't return.

8:47 PM
Why is Asante Samuel covering Toomer and not Plexico?

8:49 PM
Giants try to take a shot down the middle and Plex almost beats 3 Patriots for a touchdown. If Manning would have looked for Toomer he was wide open down the middle for at least a 15-yard game

8:51 PM
As hyped up as the Patriots offense has been, you have to give credit to their defense and how well they've been playing up to this point.

8:54 PM
Patriots start at their own 5-yard line

8:55 PM
My co-host Justin Neff mentioned this earlier, but in any Patriots game I've seen this year, I've never seen Tom Brady pressured this much.

8:58 PM
I take it back..if New England does win this game, Wes Welker should be MVP. This guy has made catch after catch that has single-handedly saved this team.

9:00 PM
That's two bad passes in a row by Brady, have to wonder if the Giants getting pressure as much as they have has an impact on his throws

9:01 PM
End of the Third Quarter

Halftime Observations

8:19 PM
I really enjoyed Tom Petty's performance. At first I thought he was going to play new material along with some of his old hits but after hearing "American Girl," "Free Fallin,'" and a few others, I think the NFL did a great job on this one.

8:23 PM
Patriots scored 589 points during the regular season. As of the first half today: 7

The Rest of the Second Quarter

7:21 PM
First sack of the game

7:22 PM
FUMBLE.......Giants recovered.

7:25 PM
Naomi Campbell doing an ad for Vitamin Water. Again I ask...WHY?

7:27 PM
Giants first sack of the game. It shows the Patriots line is not as invincible as some people think they are

7:27 PM
Back-to-Back Sacks. A great stand by the Giants defense

7:30 PM
6:45 left in the game, Randy Moss has 0 catches. That's a credit to Steve Spagnola

7:31 PM
Ahmad Bradshaw is going to have to be a huge factor for this game. the combination of Jacobs, a power runner and Bradshaw a speedster, will try and do what Jacksonville could not do when they met New England.

7:35 PM
FUMBLE...NY recovers but an "illegal" pass by Bradshaw brings them back 10 yards.

7:37 PM
First bad throw that I've seen Eli Manning make almost led to another interception

7:38 PM
I really like that Planters commercial but hate the T-Mobile commercials with Dwayne Wade and Charles Barkley

7:40 PM
Two minutes left...will New England run out the clock or try and score?

7:42 PM
Funny Pepsi commercial with Justin Timberlake

7:43 PM
With 1:42 left in the half, I am not looking forward to seeing Tom Petty play at halftime. Unless he plays his hits only and nothing else.

7:45 PM
First pass attempt toward Moss, overthrown.

7:48 PM
New England looks like they're going to try and get something before halftime. 25 seconds left ball at his own 37

7:50 PM
Moss finally makes his first catch

7:51 PM
FUMBLE...Giants recover. Too bad there is only 10 seconds left.

7:52 PM
Hail Mary opportunity coming up for the Giants. Ball falls incomplete

7:54 PM
HALFTIME

Beginning of the Second Quarter

7:01 PM
2 Possessions in 1st quarter (fewest in NFL history)

7:02 PM
Maroney runs in it...TOUCHDOWN New England. 7-3

7:03 PM
Just saw a preview for Wanted...looks like a really good movie

7:05 PM
Kickoff goes out-of-bounds...reminds me of the Carolina-New England a few years ago. Wonder if that will be a huge factor by the end of the game

7:07 PM
Gisele is in the audience. Along with Jim Carey and Pam Anderson

7:08 PM
Second Giants possession...Manning looks accurate... great pass to Amani Toomer. Lucky for him they didn't call offensive pass interference there, Toomer definitely pushed off.

7:13 PM
That interception was not Eli Manning's fault. Steve Smith should have caught that.

7:17 PM
HUGE stop by the Giants defense. I'm suprised New England decided to run for it although it was only 3rd and 1.

Patriots First Possession and the end of 1st Quarter

6:48 PM
Lawrence Maroney is running back kicks...interesting.

6:52 PM
First possession Brady gets hit on first down, and Maroney runs for 8 on second down. What will they do on third?

6:53 PM
Maroney picks up first down. Bad throw on first down by Brady. Sidenote: one of the people I'm watching the game with, said that rather than hit Brady in the ankle everytime, she would rather hit Brady in the buttocks.

6:55 PM
How valuable is Wes Welker? Big 3rd down catch keeps the drive alive

6:55 PM
Kevin Faulk, another HUGE part of the Patriots offense that a lot of people overlook. If Sam Madison doesn't make that tackle Faulk goes in for 6.

6:57 PM
Maybe it's just me, but Brady just doesn't look as accurate as he's been in other games. What a stupid play by Antonio Pierce, that was definitely pass interference. I don't care what Giants fans think.

6:59 PM
End of the 1st Quarter

And We're Off....

6:32 PM
Two Brandon Jacobs runs...4 yards...interesting to see what they will do here on third down.

6:33 PM
Plexico gets his first catch for a first down. How long will his ankle hold up?

6:35 PM
The Patriots "D" seems to be doing a good job against Jacobs so far. But Eli Manning has stepped up on two third down conversions with passes.

6:36 PM
first Super Bowl commercial for Bud Light, pretty darn funny

6:37 PM
REALLY big run by Brandon Jacobs. He must keep this up in order for the team to be successful.

6:38 PM
Another big third-down for NY, Bradshaw gets the first down. 3 for 3 on 3rd down on their opening drive (Super Bowl Record) On a sidenote, Michael Matthews the Giants backup TE, went to Sycamore.

6:39 PM
A lot of people thought the Giants wouldn't be able to move the ball. They seem to be doing a good job so far.

6:42 PM
Just like I thought, Plexico is being double-covered. Belichek has always been known for shutting down the best player on the other team.

6:43 PM
Field goal attempt by NY...GOOD!
3-0

Pregame Thoughts Leading Up to Kick-Off

6:11 PM
The Giants have just taken the field (to Kanye West's "Stronger"), and while I give them all of the credit in the world making it this far, winning three tough road games in a row (the last two in Dallas and Green Bay respectively), I just don't think they have the weapons to defend when the Patriots go 4 or 5 wide

6:13 PM
Now the AFC Champions the New England Patriots have arrived on the field (to the song "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Ozborne). Just one more game separates them and history. In a way, a part of me wants to see them win, simply because 19-0 would be something I have never seen before and will probably never see again.

6:17 PM
Jordin Sparks is singing the national anthem. All I have to say is could they REALLY not get ANYBODY else?

6:24 PM
Jason Taylor wins Walter Payton Award....highly deserving

6:26 PM
Coin Toss...Giants win and have elected to receive...three and a half minutes until kickoff

6:28 PM
Teddy Bruschi has been to 5 Super Bowls? How long has he been on the team?

Pregame Observations

6: 11 PM

The Giants have just taken the field (to Kanye West's "Stronger"), and while I give them all of the credit in the world making it this far, winning three tough road games in a row (the last two in Dallas and Green Bay respectively), I just don't think they have the weapons to defend when the Patriots go 4 or 5 wide

6:13 PM

Now the AFC Champions the New England Patriots have arrived on the field (to the song "Crazy Train" by Ozzy Ozborne).  Just one more game separates them and history.  In a way, a part of me wants to see them win, simply because 19-0 would be something I have never seen before and will probably never see again.  

6:17 PM

Jordin Sparks is singing the national anthem.  All I have to say is could they REALLY not get ANYBODY else?

6:24 PM

Jason Taylor wins Walter Payton Award....highly deserving

6:26 PM

Coin Toss...Giants win and have elected to receive...three and a half minutes until kickoff

6:28 PM

Teddy Bruschi has been to 5 Super Bowls?  How long has he been on the team? 

A Running Super Bowl Blog....

So I know it's been a really long time since the last time I posted.  Between two jobs at different radio stations in Bloomington, being the underwriting chair for the Sports Committee, work, and homework on top of it, I haven't been able to write everyday like I once thought.  So with today being Super Bowl Sunday, I thought I could get a "do-over" and work on posting more from now on.  I promise.  And for today, MTO Productions proudly presents, a running blog during the game so all of you can see what I see.  

A Green Bay Adventure

So here's the deal. Last night, I'm sitting around my house trying to think of something to do this weekend because we don't have school Monday. My first thought was to go someplace cold and ski, because its something that I haven't done in awhile and I enjoy it. But around 11:00, my friend and co-host Justin Neff came up with a better idea. So here I am, blogging live from Green Bay Wisconsin.

We drove up this morning, leaving around 9:30. In the car was Justin, myself, our other co-host Mark Perlman-Price and friend of the show and fill in co-host Jake Smurell. After 8 hours on the road which included stops for lunch at the KFC Buffet and at an "adult" store for a bathroom break, we finally arrived in Appleton where our hotel was around 7 pm. The temperature at the time, -8 Fahrenheit with -30 degree windchill. Now at first, I didn't think the cold was going to make THAT much of a difference. After all, I had been places with negative windchill before, and as long as I bundled up heavily, it wasn't too bad. But Green Bay is different. The MINUTE you step out of the car, you're already on the brink of freezing to death, at least that what it feels like initially. What kills you really is the wind. How people live in this type of town is beyond me. You couldn't pay me enough to last through one Green Bay winter.

But the great thing about Green Bay is it's the type of town where EVERYTHING revolves around the Packers. Which is understandable considering the rich history of the team.  After unpacking, we drove to Lambeau Field which is one of those places that every sports fan, if they really are a true sports fan, should see before they die.  To think this is the place where great players like Favre, Reggie White, Bart Starr, and the legendary coach Vince Lombardi all stood on Sundays and competed with the best of them.  Walking into a local bar across the street from the stadium, all you heard were Packer chants and cheers from the customers while the Giants-Packers matchup from Week 2 played on the big screens behind us.  I have to admit, we felt a little out of place be as it we were wearing nothing Green or Yellow.  

We then went back to Lambeau inside the atrium that was just added.  Inside, there are a bunch of restaurants, the Pro Shop, and various other places.  They even have like a little arcade for the kids where you can practice running through practice dummies and passing at targets just like Favre does in a real game.  It had been a long day for us, so at that point, we decided to come back to the room and relax.  A 7 hour drive had made everybody tired so everyone's asleep at this point except me.  Hopefully we'll make this a trip to remember.  Until next time internet world, this is the ONE and ONLY Mike Oshita signing out.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.nei-gb.com/Lambeau%20outside%20winter%20smal.jpg

Wow What An Idiot I am

So for the second time in a week, I screwed up. This time, I deleted the post I had made yesterday that was supposed to be dated yesterday and write my new entry. Instead, I deleted yesterdays post making this the second time in a week, where I'm missing a day. So once again, I have broken my promise to all of you out there in Internet world and for that I apologize. So this post that I'm posting now is actually from yesterday, but dated today. Enjoy

To be honest, I'm not surprised Jason Garrett remained in Dallas. First off, it had to help knowing that owner Jerry Jones would've paid almost any amount of money to keep him in town. And signing a contract that pays you 3 million annually, the same amount that current coach Wade Phillips is getting paid, was just another positive incentive in the scheme of things. Was he ready to be a head coach? I don't think so; otherwise he would have taken the job. In his heart, I think Garrett wants to succeed Wade Phillips; after all, he was backup to Troy Aikman from 1993-2000. So if that means waiting a few years, so be it. It's almost as if you know right now that when Phillips does retire/get fired, that Garrett will immediately become the new head coach. The players seem to like him, he runs the offense well, and a few more years of being the coordinator can only sharpen his coaching skills. If, in the end, you get to achieve your dream job that you've wanted to do all along, isn't it worth waiting a few years for? You tell me...

But then you have to look at it from the other angle. Sure, staying in Dallas is the "sure" thing where you know you will always be wanted. But at the same time, at some point you have to try and establish your own way of doing things, instead of than copying off someone else's. At 41, taking the Ravens job is not a terrible thing. It's not like you would be walking into the Atlanta job where you are missing some key components; in Baltimore, you have Willis McGhee, Todd Heap, an up and coming quarterback in Troy Smith, and quite possibly one of the best defenses in all of football, when they are healthy. This is a playoff team (in 2006 they went 13-3). Being an NFL coach is lucky because in most professions, they look to prior experience when deciding whom to lead the company. In the NFL, just because you don't have heading coaching experience doesn't automatically rule you out. But for Garrett, what's the harm in trying it out? I mean let's say you fail in Baltimore hypothetically, if and when you DO get the Cowboys job, you have prior experience and now can learn from your mistakes so you become a better coach.

In the end, I think Garrett made the wrong decision. But it's understandable to know why he did what he did. In the end, job stability had to come into play. As long as the Cowboys keep near the top in all-offensive categories and keep winning games, nobody's going to come calling for his head. So best wishes J.G. I only hope in the end, you don't look back and regret this decision for the rest of your life.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.towntopics.com/jul0704/sports1.jpg

Bob Knight's 900th

I'd like to start tonight's post with a few things to tidy up. First of all, for those of you who are fans of "The Front Row," you know who you are, we are moving to a new time slot this semester. As of right now, plan on catching us on 99.1 WIUX Monday mornings from 9-10 AM. So for all of you who claim our show is too early, well now you don't really have an excuse. We've added a few new things to the show this time around the newest being our new game, "Who Knows More?" The idea is basically borrowed from the Stump the Schwab game, Alma Maters. We'd like to thank Pat Sullivan for coming on the air and being a contestant with us, unfortunately for him, he fell to the champion, me. If you have Facebook, join the group "The Front Row." There you'll find up to date information regarding and new news or information that might be pertinent.

My congrats go out tonight to Robert Montgomery Knight on his 900th career victory. As an current Indiana University student, it's good to know that Bob Knight is still accomplishing great things, even though he may not be roaming the sidelines at Assembly Hall anytime soon. For a man coaching his 42nd season, maybe an achievement like this doesn't even phase him, but for obsessed sports fanatics like me, I see this as a huge coaching milestone. As high as the competition is in men's college basketball these days, to reach 900 wins is something we may never for quite awhile.

Picture courtesy of: http://archimedes.galilei.com/stlcofcc/blogimages/bob-knight.jpg

Igor Olshansky...Are You Kidding Me?

You know, there are just some people in sports who should never open their mouth.  Case in point, meet Igor Olshansky, a defensive end from Oregon.  In his 4-year career Olshansky has never made more than 49 tackles in a season and his highest sack total is 3.5.  Yet, following the Chargers win over the Colts this past Sunday, Olshansky started trash talking like an all-pro.  In a locker room interview when asked about the Patriots, Olshansky stated that "they (the Patriots) are more worried than we are" and that "they know what's up."

Igor...are you serious?  First of all, this is a team in the Patriots that kicked your butt in week 2 38-14.  Tom Brady was 25 of 31 for 279 yards and 3 TD, two of them to Randy Moss.  While your boy Philip Rivers was 19 of 30 for 179 yards, 2 TDs and 2 INTs.  Your biggest weapon LT?  18 carries, 43 yards.  The game was over after the first New England drive. Let me tell you something, the only way your Chargers have ANY shot in beating New England is if the Patriots oversleep and can't get to their own stadium by kickoff time.  There's a difference between being confident and being cocky and for a 4-year defensive end who doesn't have much to back up what he's saying, that was pretty cocky.  If you notice, none of your teammates backed you up on it.  Now they'll support someone like Rivers or LT, but that's because they're stars and they make plays that help the team win games.  You?  All you do is bang your big fat noggin against a 300 pound lineman time after time until you start to feel like Frank Bruno after going a few rounds with Tyson.  The Patriots don't talk trash, they let their play on the field do the talking.  And up to this point, I'd say they've been doing an excellent job so far wouldn't you?   

That's all I got, but seriously Igor, after New England blows you out once again, maybe you'll learn from others who thought their teams could beat the Patriots (see Anthony Smith and Rashean Mathis).  

Picture courtesy of: http://www.igorshs.com/images/igor_pic.jpg

A Big No-No by Me

Unfortunately, as hard as I have tried up to this point, I forgot to post on Sunday.  I got to my computer too late after a long night of miscellaneous activities, and tried posting before the deadline, even a quick blurb mind you.  But alas, the date now reads Monday so this will be a Monday post but will cover events on Sunday and Monday.  First, a little bit on the NFL playoffs from Sunday.

-As a Bengals fan, I respect Tony Dungy, Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts as a franchise so much, that it was hard seeing them go down to San Diego at home on Sunday.  In a game that many considered (myself included) would be a Colts blowout, was actually a back and forth battle that went down to the final few minutes.  The Chargers, even without quarterback Phillip Rivers and running back LaDainian Tomlinson, won their 8th straight game 28-24.  Led by subs Billy Volek (who is the best backup quarterback in the NFL who could start on other teams) and running back Michael Turner (the best backup running back in the NFL), the Chargers went 78 yards on 8 plays that ended with a 1 yard Volek sneak to take the lead with 4:50 remaining.  

-The Colts had their opportunities getting all the way to the Chargers 7 before going for it on 4th and Goal and not converting.  Thanks to some timely clock management and use of timeouts there was one final shot late in the game but a 4th down pass to Dallas Clark fell just short.  

-The team now waits to see what Tony Dungy will do.  If you read my January 10th column found here, I predicted Tony Dungy would retire after this season regardless of how it ended. He himself mentioned in different interviews that he didn't think he would be coaching past 50, now that the season is over and he has time to discuss it with his wife and family, only he knows what the future lies.

-Can the Chargers go into Foxboro and makeup for that 38-14 whopping the Patriots put on them in week 2?  Well I guess anything can happen, just not in this case.  Everybody was waiting for the "True Super Bowl" between the Colts and Patriots.  Now that that's not going to happen, all indications are the Pats will take care of business like they always do and return to the Super Bowl for the 4th time since 2001.  My early prediction?  I like New England 42-17.

-In the other game, the Cowboys proved that you can't beat a team three times in one season as their quest for the Super Bowl ended with a 21-17 loss to the New York Giants.  This was another one of those games where many people didn't give the Giants that much credit/hope against the heavily favored Cowboys.  But Eli Manning, as much as he has been criticized up to this point, came through when it mattered.  The "Manning who doesn't do too many commercials" completed 12 of 18 passes for 163 yards and 2 TDs.  The most important stat there?  He didn't turn the ball over, one of the big criticisms about Eli and his play.  The win was the 9th straight road win for the Giants and leaves them one game away from the Super Bowl, the deepest run this team has made since 2000 when they made it to the big game, only to lose to Trent Dilfer and the Baltimore Ravens.  

-Tony Romo is now 0-2 in playoff games and remains winless just like his coach Wade Phillips who is now 0-4.    You know a lot of people are going to blame his weekend in Cabo with Jessica Simpson as the reason the team lost but you know what?  I just don't see it.  Rather blame the team as a whole.  On the offensive side, there were way too many penalties.    Same as on the defensive side but also, there was poor tackling and misuse of clock management.  However, when a team wins and loses, everyone looks to put the blame on someone.  And in Romo's case because of his high profile dating lifestyle, it looks like this one is all on him.  

-Early thoughts on Giants-Packers?  It's really going to depend on the weather in Green Bay for me.  That's the "x" factor.  If it is anything like it was for the Seahawks game, I think the Giants are in for some trouble.  If Ryan Grant continues to run the ball well I give the advantage to the Packers at home to play in their first Super Bowl since 1997.  Prediction?  Packers 31-24.

Packers and Patriots Continue to Roll...

Wow, what a day of NFL Football. First, the Packers thanks to two Ryan Grant fumbles find themselves down 14 points to Seattle just five minutes into the 1st quarter. And what does Packers coach Mike McCarthy do? He leaves Grant in the game. Good thing he did because the former NYG rushed 27 times for a team postseason record 201 yards and 3 TDs. The ageless wonder Mr. Brett Favre threw 3 TDs as the Packers posted their biggest point total in postseason history beating the Seahawks 42-20, outscoring them 42-6 after the early 14-0 Seattle lead. The Packers now wait until the results of tomorrow's NYG-Dallas game to see where they will be playing next week. If the Giants win, they come to Lambeau. If the Cowboys win, the Pack travels to Dallas where Favre is 0-9 all time in his career. The best thing about this Packer team is it looks like Brett is finally having fun again. Looking more like a 25-year old than the 38-year old veteran that he is, Favre's most memorable play was an off-balance underhand toss to Donald Lee right before halftime. By the end of the game Favre and longtime wideout Donald Driver were having so much fun on the sidelines that they were throwing snowballs at each other. As a sports fan in general, you have to love seeing that.

The second game featured the more hyped matchup between New England and Jacksonville. I myself though that if there was one team other than the Colts that had a shot at beating the Patriots, it was the Jaguars. With a two-headed monster at running back with Maurice Jones-Drew and Fred Taylor and a mistake-free quarterback in David Garrard, things were looking good early on as the Jags drove 9 plays for 80 yards resulting in a touchdown pass from Garrard to Matt Jones. But back came the Patriots led by regular season MVP and offensive player of the year Tom Brady. In one of the most spectacular passing performances that I have ever seen, Brady completed an amazing 26 of 28 passes for 262 yards and 3 TDs. The Patriots went on to win the game 31-20 and advance to the AFC Championship for the fifth time since 2001. Even with all-pro wideout Randy Moss being covered most of the night (he only had one catch for 14 yards), Brady found other weapons completing passes to 8 different receivers. The defense was able to hold the potent Jaguar rushing offense to only 80 total yards and got them to turn the ball over twice, one on a Garrard interception. I'm going to say it now that if San Diego somehow beats Indianapolis tomorrow which I don't think will happen, I'm predicting the Patriots to run away with their final 2 games and finish the season 19-0 and the title as "the greatest team in NFL history" bar none. Sure you can point at "Spygate" and put an asterisk next to their records just like we do with Barry Bonds, but the fact of the matter is this team continues to win week after week and if they go all the way, will have the type of season that we've never seen before. One that will set all sorts of records. And I for one, can't wait to see it.

Picture courtesy of: http://scores.espn.go.com/nfl/photos?photoId=1778713&gameId=280112009

Marion Jones

If you're an avid reader of this blog, which I know none of you are (it's ok, I know that most of the time when I post something on here nobody will EVER read it) I mentioned in my January 3rd post found here, that one of my worst moments of 2007 was when Marion Jones admitted lying to everyone about taking performance enhancing drugs. The thing that makes me so mad about this is that she lied right to everyone's face deliberately thinking she could get away with it. And today it seems, that Justice has finally been served. Despite her pleas to the judge for a leaner sentence, the former track gold medalist was sentenced Friday to six months in prison for lying to federal investigators and also her involvement in a check-fraud scheme.

First of all, Marion, I'm sorry you have to go to jail. But maybe if you didn't put yourself in these kinds of predicaments, then we wouldn't be in this mess. All you had to do was tell the truth from the beginning about BALCO and maybe, the judge would have taken that into consideration when it came time to sentencing. But because you didn't, it's going to take years of sorting through all sorts of evidence and testimony to form a case. I know you did it because you didn't want to lose everything that you had worked so hard to earn but you also have to think, at one point, you were the most celebrated female athlete in the world. To millions of kids, you were their idol. Setting the kind of example you did not only lowers your credibility, it makes you look sneaky and manipulative, regardless if that was the message you were trying to send or not. I know you have two sons, one of whom is still nursing. But if we let you get away with what you've done, then others who do the same thing from now on will point to this case as a precedent.

And then on top of everything, to lie AGAIN claiming you weren't aware of the fraudulent check-scheme in which ex-boyfriend and father of your child Tim Montgomery cashed millions of dollars in stolen or forged checks is even more beyond me. This is going on IN YOUR OWN HOUSE RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. How can you turn a blind eye to this? It's like walking into your house and discovering you have a homemade meth lab and think none the wiser.

The world will need time to forgive you Marion and for some that you've hurt so badly, forgiveness may never come. The important thing now is to spread the word and remind children to never do what you did. Because if we let cheating consume all of sports, everything that has ever been done will be under scrutiny.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/images/marionjonesconfessionsportsillustrated.jpg

The Future of Tony Dungy

There was word out of Indianapolis today that Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy might not be back next season. Fueled by speculation in a report published by the Tampa Tribune, it was reported Thursday that Tony's son Eric Dungy had enrolled at Plant High School in Florida. Whether it's a sign or not, the fact of the matter is up until this year, Eric, a 16-year-old receiver/defensive back, had gone to school at Park Tudor High in Indianapolis. In his 12 seasons as head coach in which he has compiled a 127-65 record, Tony Dungy has considered leaving football before:

-in 2005 it was widely speculated that he would retire after his 18-year-old son James's suicide. But one week after the season ended, Tony announced he was coming back.
-in 2006 following the Super Bowl victory over Chicago, it was again rumored that Dungy wouldn't return, that he'd go out on top just like others before him like John Elway. But again, Tony came back.

The 52-year-old signed a three year contract extension in September 2005, a deal that intended for him to coach through the 2009 season.

If you ask me, based on everything that I've read up to this point, I honestly believe that this will be Tony Dungy's last season in Indianapolis, regardless on how the season ends. I expect them to beat San Diego this weekend and setup what I consider to be the "real" Super Bowl Colts @ Patriots. But when everything is said and done and he talks it over with his wife like he does every year, I think he'll decide that enough is enough. It's not that he's tired of coaching necessarily, but I think there are other things he wants to do in his life. The tragic death of his son was hard on him and honestly, I'm surprised he came back this year. I know you always want to try and defend your title but why? If you feel that God as your witness has called on you to do other things, then walk away now. Since winning the Super Bowl, Dungy has become more involved in activities outside of football. He is the author of the bestseller "Quiet Strength," and also on the President's Council on Service and Civic Participation. In previous interviews, Dungy himself said that he never intended to spend his whole life in football and that he initially planned to retire by 50. His son leaving Indy to go to school in Florida is a huge red flag for me. Whatever his decision is, the important thing is that he will leave on his own terms when he's ready. The man is a Hall of Fame coach regardless, its just a matter of when his faith calls on him to head its next project.

Picture courtesy of: http://msnbcmedia4.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/070310/070310_dungy_vmed_330p.widec.jpg

Pete Carroll...Atlanta Falcons next coach?

I've got to admit, when I heard this story, my jaw dropped open in total shock. Pete Carroll possibly leaving USC to go Atlanta? There must be some mistake. Thank god when I actually READ the story, the two sides were just talking, not agreeing on a contract. Now I'm no sports genius (I like to think of myself more of like a sports guru; the next Howie Schwab in training if you will), but why on God's green earth would Pete Carroll leave? You can make the argument that Carroll has done everything he can do at the college level and is looking for his next big project. But let's look at the numbers. In his 7 seasons in Los Angeles Carroll:

-has a (76-14) record
-won 2 national championships
-has one of the highest recruiting classes year after year
-since 2002, has been in a BCS bowl EVERY year

But more importantly in his two NFL coaching stints he was

-(6-10) as the Jets coach in his one and only season (1994) and
-(28-23) with one division title and 2 playoff appearances at coach of the Patriots from 1997-1999.

Some people are just not meant for the NFL. They're a better college coach than a pro one. Don't believe me? Look at Steve Spurrier, Bobby Petrino and Nick Saban. All great college head coaches at one point in their career but failed miserably in the NFL just because they weren't use to losing like they did. And that's why I believe Pete Carroll will turn them down. Why anyone would want to leave a place like Los Angeles where its 70 degrees year round, a place where you are treated like royalty and the best high school players in the nation want to play for you, is beyond me. I could maybe see something in the works if a team like New England or Indianapolis came calling, but I'm pretty sure they're set in their ways, at least for awhile. But Atlanta? Trying to build a team around Chris Redman, Joey Harrington and Warrick Dunn? I don't think so. The loss of Michael Vick hurt this team's image immensely and its going to take a few years to try and get back to the team that went to the NFC Championship in 2004. Until then Pete, enjoy the warm sun beating down on your face. Because if you take this Job in Atlanta, I predict tough times are on the horizon; and the outlook does not predict a very happy ending.

Picture Courtesy of: http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/scorecard/02/14/truth.rumors.nfl/petecarroll.jpg

The Impact of Jessica Simpson

I'm sorry, I was going to write about something else today, but after everything I have heard and read about how Dallas Cowboy fans are livid about Jessica Simpson NOT attending this weekend's playoff game against the Giants, I just had to comment on it. It would go against my journalistic tendencies not to say anything. Anyway, here is the point. Sometimes players just have bad games. Tony Romo's week 15 game against Philadelphia was just one of those games. In that game Romo was 13-36 for 214 yards and 3 INTs. Yes, he played bad, but it wasn't because Jessica Simpson was watching. It's not like he kept looking up into the press box after every offensive play like a little kid looking for his parents in the crowd. I used to do that when I was little, I always used to search the stands for my Dad to see if there was anything I should be doing. But playing in front of 50 people at a high school soccer game is a lot different than playing in front of 50,000 every Sunday. He's a grown man. Criticism comes with the job, if you can't take it, do something else. Over the course of a 16 game season a player is bound to have a few bad games. The problem is when you're the quarterback, everyone puts the blame on you if the team doesn't win because then it looks like you're not doing your job. Look at the overall season stats on Romo folks, over 4200 yards, 36 TDs, 19 INT, 97.4 rating on a 13-3 team (that last loss against Carolina shouldn't even count because the Cowboys didn't play everybody due to them already having a first-round bye locked up). If Carson Palmer put up those type of numbers, I'd be a happy Bengals fan.

Oh and P.S. to all you Cubs fans out there, if you're still looking for someone to blame that's not named Steve Bartman, how about Alex S. Gonzalez? If he doesn't boot the routine ground ball and makes the double play, inning over, threat over. Or maybe Kerry Wood for not stepping up in a big-time game. How you can still blame a guy for going for a foul ball that was clearly not catchable for all your troubles as the "Curse of the Billy Goat" now reaches 100 years is beyond me.

Picture courtesy of: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,317122,00.html

Once Again, Another Ohio State Loss

I've gotta admit, as an Ohio State fan, I'm not using to losing this bad. Growing up, I remember all the good times like when they won the Rose Bowl against Jake Plummer and Arizona State, the 2005 victory over Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl, and of course, the 2003 National Championship. A game I was at by the way, and to this day, the best sporting event I have ever seen live in person.

But these last two years have been tough. Twice now I've gone from on cloud nine when the final BCS standings are released, to completely downtrodden after the championship game. And do you want to know the absolute worst part? In both games, Ohio State jumped out to early leads, last year with the KO return for a touchdown by Ted Ginn and this year with Maurice Wells's 65 yard TD run, and from that point on, just looked awful. So there I am jumping around like a madman yelling about how good OSU is, and half and hour later, I'm watching something else. Don't be calling me a fair weather fan now, it's just I can't take the pain of seeing a team come so close and end up so far away.

With the 38-24 loss to LSU, the question becomes now if you're a Buckeye fan like me, how do we fix something like this? Is it the coaching? I don't think so, what Tressel has done for OSU has brought them great success, just not in the pinnacle of when it matters most. If you want my opinion, I think the Big Ten needs to fix how they schedule games. Finishing the season right before Thanksgiving and having 50+ days off until your next game just doesn't make sense to me. It seems in all sports, the team that rests usually doesn't do as well as the other team who plays later into the season. Another example outside of college football is the Boston Red Sox this past baseball season. The Rockies swept both Philadelphia and Arizona on their way to the World Series. The Red Sox on the other hand, had to fight through a grueling 7-game series with Cleveland just to take the ALCS. And what happened? The Red Sox, because they had played more recently than the Rockies, ended up sweeping them in four games and winning their second World Series title in four seasons. So I'm pleading with you Mr. Big Ten Commissioner, please fix the schedule so things like this don't happen again. Otherwise, at least when it comes to OSU these past two years, that maybe the BCS will look somewhere else when deciding who plays in next years national championship.

Picture courtesy of: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3186010&sportCat=ncf

NFL Playoff Weekend Recap

It's the beginning of another semester for me, and the realization that this is my last few months of college. This wasn't meant to be a personal entry, but at the same time it's kind of sad. The roommates I live with, I've known most of them for four years now, and we're coming to the end of an era. I guess the best thing to do now is to enjoy what little time we have left. Listen to me, babbling on like someones dying and all. Anyway let's get back to the action.

Maybe it's just me, but being an AFC city, I really don't give two hoots about the NFC playoffs. Yes, I'll still watch them because it's the NFL and football is a great sport to watch, but the fact of the matter is, I could personally not care who wins or loses. In the first matchup on Saturday, you had Seattle beating Washington 35-14. The "win it for Sean" tribute is now over. And honestly, I don't have much more to say about that.

The second matchup was easily the best game of the weekend. You had Jacksonville trying to be the first team to win in Pittsburgh twice in one season for the first time in franchise history. And what happens? You have the Jaguars blow an 18 point lead, only to come back in dramatic fashion with a 32 yard run on 4th and 2 by David Garrard setting up the game winning field goal. Final score: Jacksonville 31, Pittsburgh 29. This, and I'm not just saying this because I like the AFC better, was an exciting game, even when it didn't seem like it early on. You knew Pittsburgh wasn't going to give up, no matter how many points they might have been down. To even make a game of it was enough to keep even the most modest of sports fans glued to their seat in anticipation for the next play. Congrats to the Jags for making history.

The other two games, I'm not really going to go into that much detail. The point is, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were way overrated going into the playoffs. People thought that this defense could actually keep up with the Giants. Final Score: NYG 24, Tampa Bay 14. News Flash: The Bucs went 9-7 in the regular season and only made it to the playoffs because they play in a division that includes Atlanta, New Orleans and Carolina. Maybe they lost because they aren't as good as they think they were. In my opinion to quote Dennis Green, "They are who we thought they were." Mediocre at best, and if they played in the AFC, wouldn't finish any better than 6-10.

And the last game, another one of those, "I guess I'll watch because there's nothing else on" type of games. Yes, Tennessee did goose-egg San Diego in the first half. But let's be honest, did you really think they were going to keep that up. I don't care what people say, LT changes the game even when he's not playing well. The entire focus is on him and that opens up Phillip Rivers game. It's when Rivers doesn't play well that the Chargers are going to run into problems. Look for him to struggle this weekend when they take on the Colts in Indianapolis. Oh, and am I the only person that doesn't believe that Vince Young is as good as he was hyped up to be? Yes, he did lead his team to a 10-6 record, but look at the guy's number from the season. He threw 9 TDs and 18 INTS. I'm not a math genius but I'm pretty sure that means he throws an INT twice as likely as throwing a TD. He also rushed for three touchdowns, take that as you will. Until this guy develops an arm and stops throwing the ball to the other team, he's going to make the same mistakes over and over again. Which is guess is ok, as long as your the team PLAYING the Titans.

Picture Courtesy of: http://weblogs.newsday.com/sports/football/bob_blog/vinceyoung.jpg

Coach Tomlin's Decision Making Process

You know, I'm glad I'm not an NFL coach. When I watch a football game, there are many times where I find myself yelling at the TV thinking that I could do better than the coaches. Take for instance, the Jacksonville-Pittsburgh game on Saturday night. A great game by the way; a critical 4th and 2 run by Jacksonville quarterback David Garrard ended up setting up the game winning field goal and the Jaguars escaped with a 31-29 victory.

Here's the thing...when Garrard scrambled for that 32 yard run on 4th and 2, if you're Coach Mike Tomlin, why even tackle him? Why not just let him ramble into the endzone? If that were the case, rather than having the ball at the Steelers 11, Jacksonville would be kicking off. It would be 35-29 and Pittsburgh would get the ball with 1:30 left and two timeouts. This way, you give yourself a better chance to score even if it means driving the entire length of the field. Instead, what happened was Jacksonville made the Steelers use their timeouts, ran the clock down as long as they could, and kicked what turned out to be the game-winning field goal with 37 seconds left. Having to go 40 yards in 37 seconds is tough, and Ben Roethlisberger ended up fumbling the first play from scrimmage and the game is over.

Now I realize, Jack Del Rio could have easily had Garrard pull a Brian Westbrook and had him kneel the ball. So my theory is not foolproof. In that example, Garrard then kneels the ball at the 1 twice, makes the Steelers use their timeouts, and the game is still over. So only in "Michael's Perfect World" as I like to call it, can this sort of thing happen.

Kansas...the TRUE National Champion?

I didn't get a chance to watch many bowl games since I've been home. It's not that I'm not interested, because I am. It's probably because that my parents decided to buy a 50 inch television, and not have cable. So now, I'm forced to watch championship caliber bowl games, on a GIANT fuzzy TV. And since we don't have cable, ESPN is out. So I'm stuck checking scores and highlights from my laptop which I am currently stealing my neighbor's wireless. (To the owner of the linksys router...my profound apologies). Anyway, the one game that I did get to see last night which I thoroughly enjoyed was the Kansas-Virginia Tech game. I went into this thinking that the Hokie defense would just overwhelm the Jayhawk offense. 60 minutes later, the Jayhawks held on for a 24-21 victory. This is a huge win for the program, not just because the team is coming off a 6-6 record last year, but mainly because it proves that maybe the BCS did get it right. That's not to say that Missouri wouldn't have beaten Va Tech also, but Kansas proved doubters wrong and in some people's minds, if LSU beats Ohio State, Kansas should be the true national champion.

Here's the problem I have with this, there is no way you can declare Kansas national champion regardless of Monday's outcome. Simply because, they played nobody. Until the Nov. 24th game against Missouri, the best team the Jayhawks had played up to that point was the Oct. 6th game at Kansas State, a team that finished the season 5-7. The vote will be up to the AP voters where they stand. In my opinion as of right now, the best two teams are USC and whomever wins Monday night's game. Granted, I want Ohio State to win more than anything, but something tells me they're going to have trouble stopping the LSU offense, even though the defense is playing out of their minds right now. (I read an article that said OSU had only given up 98 points on the entire season on defense. Ok, actually 128, but 30 of those points were on kick off and punt returns for touchdowns. So those don't actually count.) If Ohio State wins this game, there's no debate here. So I guess we'll have to just wait and see.

Top Ten Worst Moments of 2007...

Continuing on with our theme from yesterday, today MTO Productions presents…The Top Ten Worst Moments of 2007. I don’t really like to go into these at length; yet, I think these highlights are important because it takes athletes off the high pedestal that a lot of people put them on. Granted, I’m not comparing myself to LeBron James in any way other than we both live in the state of Ohio, but it just goes to show that athletes make mistakes just like you and I. Except the great thing about being me is that when I do make a mistake, it doesn’t show up the next day on the front page of the Sports section. Let’s begin and remember, you could have totally different rankings and or events than me, but that’s the great thing about sports. There is always room for debate.

1) 756*
-When Barry Bonds hit his 756 record-breaking home run on August 7th, it should have been a time for celebration. But with the release of “Game of Shadows” and being indicted by a federal grand jury for perjury, Bonds’s record is and always will be tainted in the minds of the fans. Long live Roger Maris, the true single-season home run record holder.

2) The Mitchell Report
-This is what any passionate sports fan has been waiting for since March 30, 2006. It was then that it was first reported that baseball had hired George Mitchell to head its steroids investigation. And on December 13, that said report was released to the public. Among the names that we already knew were on there like Barry Bonds, there were others that either took us by complete surprise like Andy Pettitte and Chuck Knobloch or those that we had speculated about but weren’t really sure like Miguel Tejada. As groundbreaking as this report was, in reality, it does nothing more than expose athletes for activities conducted when performance-enhancing drugs were not illegal. So you can’t prosecute them. All we can do now is make sure nothing like this ever happens again. We need random drug tests as often as necessary so we can clean up America’s pastime. So we can instead celebrate the accomplishments of Barry Bonds instead of looking down on them.

3) Michael Vick
-The one thing I hate more than anything is when people look you straight in the eye, and lie right to your face. Even if you don’t know it at the time, when you do find out, it hurts that much more. That’s how I approach the Michael Vick situation. When the FBI raided his Virginia home and found all the dog fighting equipment that was used to electrocute, drown, hang or shoot said dogs, Michael should have right then and there admitted that he was involved. Instead, after his first court appearance in July, Vick released a statement saying, “I take these charges very seriously and look forward to clearing my good name. I respectfully ask all of you to hold your judgment until all of the facts are shown." Memo to Michael: The government just doesn’t indict anyone without sufficient facts. You really think they just woke up one morning and said, “Hmm…I wonder who I’ll attack maliciously today?” I don’t think so. You knew you were guilty and yet you still tried to lie and get away with it like OJ. Do me a favor; say hi to Bubba in prison for me.

4) Tim Donaghy
-This issue has already been beaten into the ground mercilessly. The only thing I want to ask is knowing what we know now, how many games can we consider “fixed” when Donaghy was refereeing? See game 6 of the Suns-Spurs series last year when Robert Horry shoved Steve Nash into the wall on the sidelines. How many ridiculous calls were the result of him trying to cover his and his bookie’s bets?

5) The BCS
-As long as the BCS has been around, it’s never seen a season like this; a season in which four different teams were ranked #1 at some point (LSU, Ohio State, Missouri and USC). A 2-loss team LSU held the #1 spot twice, lost to two different opponents in triple overtime, and jumped 5 spots in the final rankings and STILL made the national title game. While Missouri, lost twice to Oklahoma and was snubbed out of the BCS just because they lost in the Big 12 Title game. And Kansas, at 12-1 was the feel good story of the year after many thought they didn’t stand a chance against Virginia Tech. There is talk about a playoff system but until all the commissioners agree, everything’s at a standstill.

6) Don Imus
-On April 4, 2007 during a discussion about the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship, Imus characterized the Rutgers Women’s basketball team players as “rough girls” because of their tattoos. He and his producer Bernard McGuirk took turns using different vernacular to describe the women at one point with Imus describing the girls as a bunch of “nappy-headed hoes.” Are you kidding me Don? Did you forget to take your smart pills or something? Because for you to make that comment on nationally syndicated radio and think nobody would be the wiser and that you could get away with it is just absolutely retarded. You must be off your rocker. There is no excuse for using racism, and if I were C. Vivian Stringer, I’d never forgive you.

7) Marion Jones
-Here we go with the lying to your face again. For years, Marion Jones vehemently defended herself saying she never used steroids. Winning five medals at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 made her a star in the eyes of those in the Track and Field world. When it was rumored that maybe Jones had “cheated” her way to victory she was furious. Even after her ex-husband CJ Hunter and former boyfriend Tim Montgomery were both convicted of using performance-enhancing supplements. In 2004 she released a statement saying, "I have never, ever used performance-enhancing drugs." She sued BALCO founder Victor Conte after he repeatedly accused Jones of using performance-enhancing drugs and said he watched her inject herself. Low and behold what can happen in just a few short years. In October, Jones pleaded guilty to lying to federal investigators and announced her retirement after the hearing. She also pleaded guilty to a second count of lying after it was discovered her known involvement in a check-fraud scheme. Now she’s broke, medal-less and headed for jail. Congratulations Marion, I have really high hopes for Tim Montgomery Jr. I’ll bet he’s in jail within fifteen years.

8) Bobby Petrino
-Three jobs in 16 months. Bobby Petrino are you kidding me? First, you sign a 10-year $25.5 million contract to stay at Louisville, where you lead the Cardinals to national prominence and a win in the Orange Bowl over Wake Forrest. You have Brian Brohm, who many thought would only blossom under your tutelage and Michael Bush, one of the better running backs in college football. It can’t get any better it seems. But what do you do, you leave five months later for the NFL, saying that you’re excited for the challenge that awaits for you in Atlanta. Which is another topic for debate for a later time. And just 11 months in, you leave AGAIN. This time for Arkansas, with three games left in the NFL season. Not only are you a coward for not even finishing a season when you have a contract, but you’re also a liar, and if I were a recruit, I wouldn’t believe a word that comes out of your mouth. You can’t even tell your players face-to-face, you instead leave them a note apologizing for bailing on them. What guarantees does Arkansas have that you won’t bolt when the next opportunity comes along? And don’t give me that B.S about how you had to quit because you had to go out on the road and recruit. The Razorbacks, if they really wanted you, could’ve waited three weeks. It’s not like any other coaches were beating down the door vying for the job.

9) Tim Hardaway
-In response to the news that former NBA center John Amaechi was homosexual, former NBA guard Tim Hardaway expressed his views while a guest on Dan Le Batard’s Miami sports station WAXY-AM “"You know, I hate gay people, so I let it be known," Hardaway said. "I don't like gay people and I don't like to be around gay people. I am homophobic. I don't like it. It shouldn't be in the world or in the United States." Hardaway later went on to say, “If he was on my team, I would, you know, really distance myself from him because, uh, I don't think that's right. And you know I don't think he should be in the locker room while we're in the locker room. I wouldn't even be a part of that." My question is, why Tim? Nobody asked for you opinion and by giving it, you only made yourself look worse. Now the word “prejudiced” will always be synonymous with Tim Hardaway, instead of five-time NBA All-Star.

10) David Beckham
-On January 11th, it was reported that English soccer superstar David Beckham, who gained international fame while playing with Manchester United, would be leaving his current club Real Madrid of the Spanish premiere league, to join the Los Angeles Galaxy of the MLS. His contract took effect on July 1st and was worth a reported $250 million dollars over ten years. This included all of the endorsement deals with companies like Adidas, Coca-Cola, and IBM. The hype and expectations were so high, it didn’t help that Beckham was injured. His first MLS action was on August 9th and he came on in the second half of a 1-0 loss. On the year, he played in 8 matches (5 league games), one goal scored, and three total assists. For a guy that was supposed to come to America and gain more fans for the sport, David Beckham failed terribly.