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