Pass The Egg-Nog, Please

Tis the Season, indeed. A time to laugh, love and share with friends and family, yada, yada, yada. While I'm very excited to see my relatives, and wouldn't trade any of them (seriously) for anything, I do think the holidays would be considerably funnier if this guy was my crazy uncle/nephew/brother-in-law.



Note: Semi-offensive language will ensue if user presses 'play'

Winter Links

Well the weather here in Lubbock is indeed frightful, as the first snowstorm/flurry is upon us. In honor of Old Man Winter, I bring you a fresh batch of links that will kill a few minutes if you're stuck inside a house or apartment this winter.

First off, how NOT to handle the winter weather:


I came across this blog a few months ago, check in ever-so-often, and may have even linked it here a while ago. I've laughed out loud numerous times at the tounge-in-cheek humor of Stuff White People Like, because it's so spot on with, well, stuff white people like. I fall into many categories, (Pea Coats, graduate school, thrift-store clothing, promising to learn a new language) and if you're white, you probably do too.

As always, check out Deadspin for up to the second sarcasm in the sporting news world.

It'll be a few more months before season 3 of Friday Night Lights airs on NBC (It's on DirecTV for now) but here's episode one of season three for all who are avid followers of the show.

Lastly, here's a short preview for season five and recap/music video for LOST. Gave me chills watching it. Can't wait for the new season. Six weeks and counting...

Play Like A Champion Today

Like most people, I was shocked when Notre Dame announced that Chaz Weis would return next year to lead 'College Football in America U.' It seems to me like Golden-Domer apologists have been saying for 2-3 years that once he gets his own recruits in the system, they'll take off and be a perennial contender, but for whatever reason, it hasn't happened. For my money, it's because he can't coach and ND has been overrated for 15 years now, but what do I know?

Anyway, for all my dislike for Notre Dame, there is one redeeming quality that any football fan must respect.

Intramural Takle Football!!

If I'm not mistaken, ACU toyed with this idea for about five minutes in November of 2002. I think it was the overwhelming odds of one horrific injury after another that persuaded the higher-ups not to go through with it.

On the bright side, if we did have intramural takle football, Austin Henley couldn't have falsely called Shane Spencer down in the Rec League playoffs on a crucial two-point conversion, costing this guy (points thumbs toward himself) a shot at the 2004 championship. And no, I'm not still bitter, Austin. I'm just sayin.

I Feel It Come Alive When I See Your Ghost

Wow, November started and ended on a really sour note, if you're a Texas Longhorn fan. I found out about oklahoma's jump when Kayla and I stopped in Abilene for a meal at Chili's (Where small business gets done) with Kayla's cousin and her husband. I wasn't really surprised by the jump, since 0u did win by twenty points, and UT had a very small lead in the B(c)S polls beforehand anyway, but after getting home and reading this article, I've officially gone back to serious suicide watch territory. It seems that Texas actually increased their lead in the human polls, but got caught by the computers because of oklahmoma's big win on the road. What gets me about this is two-fold. One, had zero-u not gotten their late TD (with all the starters in, no less. Classy Stoops) and their tip-drill 'look what I found' TD by their tight end in the third quarter (I think) the margin of victory may not have been enough to pass UT in the computers. Second, the tie-breaker for the Big XII is obviously out of whack, but after reading the article it seems that the SEC has the three-way tiebreaker figured out. I won't ruin it for you, but if the Big XII had it right, on the field performance would mean something, and yes, Texas would be going to Kansas City next week. Read it and weep Longhorn fans.
Also, this marks the second time in three years that Texas beat both teams that ended up playing in the conference championship game. Awesome.

Here's To My Alma Mater True

UPDATE @ 12:53 pm Monday, November 24, 2008-This game has obviously garnerned a lot of national attention, landing ACU at #4 on Sportcenter's Top 10 plays, now the good folks at Deadspin have gotten into the act.

161 points. 1,500+ yards of total offense. 323 yards receiving BY ONE PLAYER. 14.5 yards per play. 13.8 yards per rush. 2 defensive coordinators looking for new jobs (maybe). All in a days work in the Division II playoffs. Holla.

Just Finished Reading:

Current Reading:

This Is My Final Decision, Maybe

Ever since it was discussed in Monday's comments section, I've been thinking about who to cheer for in Saturdays Tech/Oklahoma match up. While I'm not crazy about my choice, I think I've come to a conclusion.

Even though Texas' only shot at the Big XII game comes from winning the three-way tiebreaker* (unless Tech falls to 0u AND Baylor, but really) I've gotta go for Tech as the lesser of two evils and hope they rep the State well in KC and Miami. What really gets me hoping that Tech pulls it out this weekend is the fact that I really can't stand to see Oklahoma win the conference again, after losing to UT.

There is a very real possibility that Texas will finish the regular season 11-1, beat Oklahoma, be co-champs of the South, AND WATCH OKLAHOMA PLAY FOR THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP. Seriously. Let that last sentence sink in for a second. In December of 2004, if you told me that within the next four years Texas will win 11 regular season games, be ranked number one for three weeks, beat Oklahoma in a game where the Sooners had better 'on-paper' talent, but 0u would be the ones playing for the national championship, I couldn't have found a high enough cliff to jump off of.

Fortunately for me, 2005 happened and my suicide watch meter went from 'potentially realistic' to 'Whatever, man UT's the Champs!' However, the past two years frustrations, followed up with this seasons awesomeness have officially put me back on edge as far as competing for conference and national championships go.

To beat Oklahoma and still not even get a shot at the conference championship is a brutal, empty feeling for Longhorn fans. Remember, it was just 2006 that UT won the RRR and had a one game lead over 0u (two games really, considering the tie-breaker) and the Horns squandered their conference championship hopes with the Colt Got Injured Game (KSU) followed up by a no-show against aTm.

If, by some act of BCS computer grace, UT could win the tie-breaker with Oklahoma, then so be it, but since that's looking like an unlikely scenario, Wreck 'Em Tech, and we'll see where we go from there.

*This is, of course, assuming that UT beats the deuce out of the ags next week. If they crap the bed like they did the past few years, however, all bets are off and Tech or 0u would deserve it more anyway. And yes, I know what happens when I a-s-s-u-m-e.

They Can Go For 2 Now, Also

Yesterday evening, I got a call from my old roomate, Garrett. He asked, "I heard a game today ended in a tie. How does that happen?" Well, Garrett is an Oklahoma Sooner fan, so he is forgiven for not knowing basic football rules.
Donovan McNabb, however, is a 10-year NFL veteran, and not forgiven:


What is even more amazing is that at least three of his teammates didn't know a game could end in a tie, according to espn.com. Yikes

Longhorn Basketball 2009, And Other Stuffs

It's a big weekend in the LBK, as I'll be attending my first Gay wedding Saturday, and have a lot of peeps coming in for it. I do, however have a couple articles to link y'all up to. The first should get any Texas Longhorn basketball fan (I'm looking at you, Halbert) extremely fired up for the 2009-10 basketball season-major props to Rick Barnes and his recruting prowess. The second is a mailbag from one of my favorite writers, SI.com's Stewart Mandel. He's great at what he does, but his answer to the first question in the column is a bit disconcerting if you love UT football.

A preview of UT basketball next year.

Mandel breaks it down.

I Know, I Was There

This weekend, the parents came into town to hang out with me and Kayla. It was a great time seeing them, and on Saturday night, my dad and I went to Jones AT&T, the sight of two of the most dissapointing losses I have ever experienced as a fan- the 2002 UT/Tech game and the 2008 matchup. And no, I still don't want to talk about it.

Anyway, we came to the game hoping that Oklahoma State would come in and upset the Raiders, giving UT a shot if Tech also falls to Oklahoma in two weeks. Didn't happen. Not even close. For those of you who missed the game, don't worry, you didn't miss much. Tech at this point looks pretty unstoppable on offense, and the D was o force all game as well. It remains to be seen if they can keep it up on the road in Norman, but after witnessing how good Tech looked on Saturday, I wouldn't be shocked if they pull it out.

The worst part of all of this is knowing how close Texas came to winning last weekend against a team that is very, very good. Ahhh, the joys of being a sports fan.

GameDay, Part Deux

As promised yesterday, here are a few pics of my College GameDay experience:

6:45 am: some of the hundreds of students who camped out to be first in line

Not sure what these guys are, but the one in the middle was the bell-ringer that was on TV like 10 times during the game.

Bob Knight takes the set

Knight, Fowler, Corso, Herbstreit

All us volunteers

It Was The Best of Times, It Was The Worst of Times

November has already been quite the roller-coaster. As I mentioned a few days ago, I got to help with ESPN College GameDay, which was here in Lubbock yesterday morning. I must say, it was awesome! If the GameDay crew ever comes to your town, or anywhere near, I highly suggest making the trip, you will not be disappointed. I could write 2-3 pages on the things we did, but you'd be bored reading it all, so I'll just knock out a few of the highlights:

• I got to the set at about 6:45 am, 2+ hours before they went on TV, and there was a line of literally thousands of students and fans waiting in a line whose end couldn't be seen. You know you're a hardcore fan to sleep in a sleeping bag on a sidewalk in hopes of getting on TV for maybe 3 seconds. Either that, or you're homeless.


• Wearing my Graham Steers hat. It's blue, but has the UT logo on it. (they're the Steers, fyi) That, along with the word 'Graham' under it really tripped some of the fans out. Like, who are you rooting for, volunteer?


• Parlaying said hat into a 10 second conversation with Chris Fowler. He was just as confused as many sleep-deprived Tech students.


• Watching the girls that were on the volunteer team get googley-eyed when Kirk "Make-up often?" Herbstreit strolled past us on his way to the set.


• Seriously, Herby had a TON of makeup on. I know it's part of the gig, but really man, come on.


• Bobby Knight. He may be a wretched human being, but he has quite the presence and is really funny. He's also a lot taller and thinner than I pictured.


• Figuring out that the short beefy guy in a couple of my classes was actually on the cheerleading squad. I was really beginning to wonder why he came to class 95% of the time in black and red windsuits. Now it all makes sense.


• Speaking of the cheerleading team, now I know why these dudes can throw the girls around like they don't weigh a thing. They don't weigh a thing! Seriously, they make the Chinese gymnastics team look like grown-ups.


• Explaining to everyone why the set, and pretty much everything else out there, was orange. No, ESPN isn't biased toward UT, the show is just sponsored by the Home Depot (You can do it, we can help) and their logo is-you guessed it, orange.


• After the show was over and all the fans were gone, we were taking all of the aforementioned orange Home Depot signs down, when Bobby Knight, and Lee Corso walked out of the bus, directly towards me. Knight, who is about 10 inches taller than Lee, had his arm around Lee and said, "My wife wanted me to tell you just how much she thinks of you. She thinks you're a fantastic guy, Lee, and I really do too. We both think think you are a great guy." Aww, that's sweet. Well, they were passing directly by me when Knight finished that sentiment. Really, they were two feet away from me, tops. I knew I should play it cool and act like it was no big deal that two guys I've watched on TV since I was 9 were within high-fiving distance, but I couldn't resist. I said, "He's right, Lee, you really are great." What happened, you ask? They kept right on walking, as if I didn't exist. Probably for the best anyway, since I had absolutely nothing of consequence to say to either of them, but still, a "Hey kid" wouldn't have killed them. In any case, about ten seconds after that, a group of three girls came up to the pair on the sidewalk and break out the "Oh my gosh, Coach Knight, I...I...I just love you. Is it okay if, umm, we take a picture with you?" And of course, Knight and Corso were more than happy to stop their conversation with one another and pose for the pretty gals. Whatever.


• I should be getting a few pictures of yesterday emailed to me in the future, and as soon as I do, I'll post them so you can all be jealous of me.

As for the game? Well you saw it, and honestly, I'm just now starting to not want to jump off a cliff, so if you'll forgive me, I won't discuss what happened on this here blog. Just know that, yes, I felt physically ill, yes, I'm glad I made the last second decision not to go, no, the extra hour of sleep last night didn't help and no, I don't think it's cool that I'm going to the school that maybe, just maybe will go to the national championship game. If you do want great analysis of what went so wrong, yet almost so right, please check out Burnt Orange Nation. As always, PB and the boys do a great job of giving credit-as well as criticism-where it's due, and help us hurtin Horns keep things in perspective.

On the bight side, I filled my car up this morning for less than $35 dollars, which is nice.

I'm Coming To Your City

I'm sure you've been waiting with baited breath since yesterday, when it was announced that 'a lot is going on here,' so without further adeiu, my big news of the week: As you know, ESPN's College Gameday Presented by the Home Depot, is covering this weekend's matchup between Texas and Texas Tech, and yours truly (Twig, not Jig) will be on hand helping Chris, Kirk, and Lee with the presentation of Gameday, Live from Lubbock, TX.

Don't DVR the show in hopes of seeing me, I'll be the guy behind the scenes doing the junk work no one else wants to do, but still...getting the chance to see Kirk Herbstriet in person? Wow, he's sooo dreamy. And I really can't wait to see Corso's head get literally knocked off if he puts a Bevo head on at the end of the show. Good times in West Texas.

You Can Have Whatever You Like

Not a lot going on around here-that's not true, there really is a lot happening, and you can expect an update in the next 24 hours or so-but in the meantime I'll post a few links I found from si.com. It seem's that rapper T.I. "You can have whatever you like" is getting a lot of play in the YouTube parody department. Here are two great ones:

My favorite part of this clip is the chunky white kid on the back right. I can picture his parents in the crowd going, "This is NOT why we sent our son to private school!"

Check Ya Later

Due to an obscene amount of work at school this week (who knew, you have to study in grad school?) I won't be posting for a little while, in case you were wondering. In the meantime, Hook em Horns, Go Cowboys, and Come On Christmas break!

We're Number One?

Obviously, I'm thrilled with the results of Saturday's Red River Rivalry, even though the Cowboys did their part to dampen my spirits yesterday. The game was exciting, and each team played well, which is different from most of the RRR's from this decade.

There is one thing that I just can't seem to wrap my mind around, and it's really thrown me for a loop. Texas is ranked number one? In the country? In football? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy with how they've played, and beating your rival, who just happend to be number one at the time, is always cause for celebration. However, coming into this season, I had no expectations for this team. The young defense, the new coaches, inexperienced skill players, and zero running game had me, and many other Longhorn fans looking forward to 2009 as the year that things came together and they made a run at the title. I'm still not sure that they will win any title, but the fact that they're where they are right now quite honestly blows my mind.

This is the first time UT has been ranked number one in the regular season since I was mere months old, so needless to say, I don't really know how to react. Granted, when three of the four teams in front of Texas lost on Saturday, they sorta had to jump to the top, especially since the other team-Alabama-was idle. So call it what you want: A fluke, a top ranking by default, or whatever, the fact remains-I have NO idea what will happen the rest of the season, but I'm tickled to death that the rest of the season matters for the 2008 Texas Longhorns.

Now the challenge poses itself for the Horns-how do you perform when you're supposed to win? Remember, coming into this season, no one was really talking about them as a serious conference or national championship contender. I think they used some of that 'disrespect' as fuel to go out and show the nation that they are a legit team that must be taken seriously. Now that they have a big victory and people are starting to pay attention, how will they respond? If they are like any of the 2000-2003 Texas Lonhorns, they will lose at least one big game this year that may cost them a championship, bowl positioning, etc, and be labled as soft and overrated. However, if they keep the "everybody doubts us" mentality, they may go on to great things and make this an extremely memorable year. You know what my hopes are for them, I just know that I won't ever make another prediction about this team again. Hook 'Em.

So When I'm Dead And I'm Gone, All I Ask Is You To Cry

First off, I've got a $700B check with your name on it if you know the name of the band and song the title is taken from.

On to more important stuff...I'm way too nervous/psyched/on edge for the game* this weekend that I don't believe I'll be doing too much blogging this week. On top of that, I'm going with a group of friends to the lake, so nedless to say, I'm a bit hyped.

For this week's links, browse on over to http://www.burntorangenation.com/. My thoughts/feelings/hopes and dreams can all pretty much be found there. Great, glad we got that covered.

Also, as I type, my good friend B Maenius is at the Washington Wizards/Dallas Mavericks pre-season game. Who goes to an NBA pre-season game, you ask? This guy and this girl. And yes, they're sitting RIGHT NEXT TO BRANDON!! Feel free to send him a text with many many inapropriate words and phrases. Thanks.

*If you don't know what "game" I'm talking about, we're breaking up. Right now. I mean it.

FNL And Other Fun Stuff

It's the start of the new season for many television shows, and as such, I feel it's my duty to plug Friday Night Lights. Due to bad ratings (but honesly, who's gonna watch a show that airs at 9pm on Fridays?) the season will first air on DirecTV, and come to NBC in February. Regardless, if you have't watched any of it, rent the first two seasons, or watch them online at nbc.com, get ready for season three in February, and thank me later. In order to whet your appetite, here's the FNL Site. Be sure to check the espisodes, as well as the interviews with some of the actors as they show their favorite Austin spots. My favorite is the one where Tim Riggins and Lyla Garrity go to the Hula Hut, which is where Kayla and I ate last year, while Bethany went out on a boat and lost Kayla's glasses. Fun memories.

Other things to read or watch if you don't have class until 4:30:

For those of you who are members of Facebook, read and enjoy this wildly entertaining list of the most annoying people on Facebook.

Say what you want about Penn State-I'm not crazy about them, either-but scroll to the bottom of this page, and watch the video from their 'white-out' game this past Saturday. Great stuff, and it's hard not to get pumped up for that. Also, the video after the PSU one is pretty funny, too.

Ali G, what else can you say? Hilarious:

"No disrespect, but you's Canadian, so you don't even speak English, so shout out."

(Update at 3:08pm)
Came across 'lil Wayne's blog on espn.com. Fantastic. My favorite part may be the last line, where it states that "Lil Wayne is a commercially successful rap artist and major sports fan." I don't know why, that just made me smile.

Crazy Days Are Here To Stay

Per my agreement with blogspot.com, I, Twig (who else would it be though, really?) am contractually obliged to write my thoughts on college football any day that three top-10 teams lose, especially when the number one team in the nation lost only three days before. Here we go...

• I was as shocked as anyone with the outcome of Thursday's upset in Corvallis, Oregon. I thought that USC would walk through their conference schedule with little to no problem, and that Oregon State wouldn't have a shot in this one. Ooops. However, only three days after their loss, USC has to be pleased with the outcome of the Wisconsin, Florida, and Georgia games today. Even with one loss, the Trojans aren't out of the picture yet, because IF they run the rest of their schedule, they could very well find themselves in position to play for the BCS Championship.



• I guess Urban Meyer's "Best player of the era" quote can officially be put to rest. When was the last time the best college football player of any era lost to Ole Miss AT HOME? Speaking of the upset by Ole Miss, I'm glad to see Jevan Snead have success after getting beat out for the QB job at Texas two years ago. Seems like things are looking alright for both him and Colt at this point.



• Did it take me two and a half paragraphs to mention UT? Wow, I must be coming down with something, I'll have to get that checked out. Anyway, today's victory made me extremely happy, if for no other reason than I don't have to hear it all year from my Uncle Jim, a Jonesboro resident and fan of the Hogs/SEC in general. (Quick side note: two days ago, Jim emailed me predicting a 52-13 victory by the Horns today. I thought that was a bit steep, but it turns out he was pretty close, one more field goal by ArKansas, and he'd have been dead on. Stay tuned for more disturbingly accurate predictions from Jimbo.)

Back to UT: I'm obviously pleased with their overall performance, especially given the duds they dropped in last years non-conference schedule (Uninspired victories over Arkie Stat, TCU, and UCF). They have the same record at this time as they did last year, but there's definitely a better feel about the team, and while they have to go through an absolute gauntlet in Big XII play, I feel they're much better prepared going into conference now that 365 days ago. The one thing that worries me is that the Horns haven't established a consistent threat on the ground yet. Vondrell McGee looks decent, but he seems more like a third down runner than an every down back. Cody Johnson is a bruiser, and honestly, I'm thrilled with how he's playing so far, but again, he's a change of pace, not a 20+ carry back. Fozzy Whittaker looked fantastic in the UTEP game, but he's been injured and hasn't seen the field since then, so who knows about him for the long-term. As great as Colt has been-and he has been terrific-if no one emerges as a consistent rinning threat, UT could be in for some rough times, especially against, oh I don't know, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Texas Tech-among others-who's outstanding offenses will kill a team that can't control the clock. Also, get well soon Blaine Irby, a class act if there ever was one.

• As for Oklahoma-they look outstanding, they're gonna be number 1 in the next poll, yadda yadda yadda. That's enough about that, I don't want to think about them for as long as possible.


• Before the Alabama-UGA game this evening, the aforementioned Uncle Jimbo from Arkansas (seriously, I couldn't make that up) exchanged text messages about who we thought would win. I was picking the Bulldogs, and was honestly surprised when he texted me that he was picking Bama-by two touchdowns! I didn't think there was any chance of that happening, but low (lo, loe?) and behold, the Tide pulled it out by 11, in a game that wasn't nearly that close. As the final whistle was blowing, I received another text from Jim, who reminded me that 12 points is in fact two touchdowns, and so he was only one point from getting another pick exactly right. So for the record, that's two games that Uncle picked the exact score for, and was a TOTAL of four points off. While he isn't a prophet just yet, the line gets blurrier by the day. (If only I had the picture of you as an overgrown 18 year old wearing cutoff jean shorts and a Texas Longhorn T-shirt that bared your midriff while holding a line of catfish, I would show the world what a smart-looking man your are, Jimbo) Also, he did buy me this thing when I was like one, so he's known what he's doing for a while now:

• While West Virginia fans probably aren't ready to admit it, how much do they with RichRod was still coaching the Mountaineers? Granted, Michigan won't be real good for at least two seasons, but today's come-from-behind win against 'Sconsin showed that he's a legit coach and that he's going to do great things in Ann Arbor. I can't wait to see the Michigan/Ohio State games for the next three years, when T.Pryor comes into his own for OSU, and the Wolverines continue to adapt to the Rodriguez Way.

As far as I know, that's it for now, gotta go get my fantasy football lineup ready for my match up tomorrow with this guy.

Over and Out.

Here's Looking At You...

First of all, let me say a quick thank you to Justin Scott for calling me a 'quasi-journalist' in the comments section two days ago. I've never been a quasi-anything so thank you, kind sir for the respect I've worked oh so hard to achieve.

And now, for the point of this post. I've done my favorite and least favorite college football and basketball uniforms, but it dawned on me recently that we're coming up on four weeks into the NFL season, and I've yet to do a rundown of teams who's unis i love-and hate. I'll start with the five or so unis I can't stand and then do a rundown of my top ten favs (betcha can't guess who I think is number one!) As always, the more classic and unchanged, the better. W/O further ado, the Bottom Five Or So:

Washington Redskins: These unis are so ugly they're almost cool, but not really. Could be worse, however, if not for the ultra-cool helmet logo.

Philly Eagles: They had a waaay better look in the early-90's/Randall Cunningham era, but I can't get into the updated look at all. Is it green? Aqua? Metallic-something?

NE Patriots: Overall, not a horrible look, but the old-school blood red, Patriot Pat uniforms were possibly the coolest things ever, and they had to change it. Shame.

Seattle Seahawks: Another team that should have kept their old unis. I absolutely loved the silver/blue/green combo from the 90's, but these new things look very high school to me. When the helmet, jersey, and pants are the exact same color (if that color isn't white), it's time to reevaluate things.

Houston Texans: As a Cowboy fan, this isn't a shot at the Texans, believe me. It's just that they're the youngest team in the NFL, and they had a chance to come up with some cool, fresh, unique name and uniform combo, and the best they can come up with is 'Texans' with red, white and blue unis. Very very very generic look (See also: Patriots, Bills, Giants, Titans)

Speaking of...The Buffalo Bills: In my opinion, easily the worst look in the league, and the shame of it is, like previously mentioned teams, the throwback look is by far better than their regular unis. If they switched to this look permanently, they'd find themselves on the Best-Dressed list.

Also Receiving Votes: Detroit Lions, Cincy Bengals, Arizona Cards, Minnesota Vikings

And Now...the Top Ten:

Honorable Mention: Indy Colts: I used to hate them, but they're growing on me, so I had to throw it in there.

10) Miami Dolphins: Probably an unpopular pick, as the color scheme is a little weird, what with all the pastel-looking green, but I love that they haven't changed, and can't imagine the hate they must have inspired when they were revealed in the 1960's.

9) Pittsburgh Steelers: From pretty much here on in, just know that I think the rest of the teams are 'extremely classic, greatly unchanged, and unique'




8) Cleveland Browns:

7) Nawlins Saints: Can't go wrong with the gold/black combo. Well done.

6) Kansas City Chiefs:

5) Chicago Bears:

4) Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The only one on this list that isn't a classic, old-school pick, but a big step forward from the yellow-orange look they previously owned.

3) Green Bay Packers: Classic team, classic stadium, classic look.

2) Oakland Raiders: Say what you want about the team itself, but if I weren't such an unapologetic homer, they'd be number one, and it wouldn't be close. Oh well.

1) Dallas Cowboys: I'm sure you're shocked that I picked the 'Boys number one, but come on. Wearing white at home, the silver helmet with the star...Love, love, love it.

Shock Of The Century

I know this is a 'Sports Blog' and whatnot, but I couldn't resist:

From the 'Gee, Ya Think So, Doctor?' Department...


Clay's been Aiken to tell the truth for some time now

Go Play Intramurals, Brother!

I just wanted to take a second today and salute a person that all of us has seen at one point or another. At least those of us who have visited a local university's intramural field any time in the past 6 years.

The guy is someone I like to call the "I'm not as good as I dress" guy.

You know what I'm talking about-the dude who's playing intramural football in the middle of September, when it's 80+ degrees outside, yet he's dressed like he's about to lace 'em up for the Cowboys (or Packers, if that suites you better) in the 1967 Ice Bowl. This player can easily be spotted by his cutoff T-shirt being accented by a long-sleeved Under Armour skin-tight shirt with multiple sweatbands on each arm (usually one at the elbow, and one around mid-forearm or wrist). The player also finds it fitting to use the cut-off sleeves as a silly-looking headband as well. And of course, to top it all off-RECEIVER'S GLOVES. That's right, receiver's gloves for INTRAMURAL FOOTBALL!

I think those things are unnecessary in real football, much less intramural football. Few things in life cause me to spell in all-caps, and especially all-caps and italics, but this really gets me going for some reason.

In no universe should it be allowed for some average Joe, 5 foot 11 white dude (Or black dude, it doesn't matter. Bad taste on the intramural field knows no color) who runs a 5.4 40 be allowed to even pretend that he's D-1 material, even if he was the third-string tight end his senior year.

At first I thought this phenomenon was limited to Moonies and ACU freshmen who were still holding on to high school dreams, but as I walked back to my car after class yesterday (At Texas Tech University, for those who don't know. And yes, it shocks me still, too) I noticed that a fair number of Red Raiders think that this is an acceptable way to look in public.

It is a shame, and I'm not going to take it anymore. That's why I'm taking my feelings public, to a blog that five people read, but still. Pass the word, and be a good citizen because friends don't let friends dress like @$!*%#'s.

Odds are, more than one of them played real good in high school.

Better Late Than Never

I know it's already two weeks into the college football season, and I haven't made any comments, but trust me, I've been watching and I'm full of comments. Want proof? Read on...

1) I know FAU isn't exactly UofF, but I was thrilled with the outcome of the Horns first game last Saturday. After the lackluster performance at home in last year's opener (see point 2) it was encouraging to see Texas look sharp and dominate a lesser team and was impressive.

2) Speaking of 'lesser teams,' the newly minted Red-Wolves of Arkansas State must love playing teams from the state of Texas. After nearly upsetting UT in last years opener, they go to Kyle Field and beat the Aggs and then crushed Texas Southern, quarterbacked by Bobby Reid (the player who was the center of Mike Gundy's "I'm a man!" tirade last season) this weekend, 83-10. 83 points?!?! A lot of basketball teams don't score that much!

3) The Colorado/Colorado State game may be one of the most underrated rivalries in college football. The crowd is always obscenely electric, and the game is usually a good one. This years match up turned out to be pretty one-sided after a close start, but how many times do you see back-to-back kickoff returns for TD's? Good stuff in Denver.

4) A lot of teams to watch that will be either good or REALLY good withing the next two years: Arkansas, Miami, Texas, Alabama, Notre Dame. Each has a ton of young talent that, assuming they progress as expected, should do a lot of winning in a few years.

5) Speaking of number 4, I'm very happy Texas doesn't have to go to Arkansas next year. Because Arkansas is playing ATM next year, the second game of the UT/UA series got moved back a few years. This makes me happy, because by then Petrino should be gone to a job he considers greener pastures, and the Horns may catch the Hogs in another rebuilding stage.

Now for a few NFL thoughts:
1) Yes the Cowboys looked really good yesterday, but let's hold the Tampa reservations, ya hear? Next week will go a long way in determining how good Dallas really is, but even then, it's only week two.

2) How many years will it take San Diego to underachieve until someone finally realizes that Norv Turner is a great coordinator, but a mediocre head coach? I'm not saying they're done. It is only week one after all, but how does a Carolina team with it's best player suspended come to SD and pull out a last-second win?

3) My not-so-bold prediction for who's coming out of the suddenly not-so-dominate AFC? The Pittsbugh Steelers. With Brady being hurt for maybe the year, (breaking news alert: he's out) San Diego looking unprepared, Indy somehow losing at home to the Bears, and Jacksonville managing to drop a game at Tennessee in which VY doesn't play well AND gets hurt, it looks like the Steelers have the early inside track at making the Super Bowl. Also, the AFC north may be football's new worst division, although the AFC East and NFC West may have something to say about that before things are all said and done.

4) Intersting tidbit that probably no one else noticed: After the thrilling finish to the Carolina/SD game, FOX had a rundown of the statistical leaders. Instead of displaying the name Donte Rosario, the tight end who caught the game winner, the FOX graphic read: Rosario Dawson-7rec 96yds 1td. Apparently, the FOX graphics personell got Rosario mixed up with the Sin City (among other things) actress.

Not the Panthers tight end

The Second Ten

It's been well documented around these parts how I made it a goal to read ten books this year. Well, that goal was achieved three months ago, and being someone to never rest on my laurels (whatever those are) I decided to keep on reading. Here's a list and quick review of books 11-20 of 2008:

The Good Guy, Dean Koontz-The sixth Koontz book I've read, and while they're all entertaining, they're also beginning to read the same. This story (like many Koontz novels) centers around an average guy being put in a situation to be a hero and save an innocent civilian, in this case, a young lady who is the target of a murder-for-hire. Intense and exciting, yet predictable with an ending I think I've read before. ***

Fight Club, Chuck Palahniuk-I know it's a cult classic, along with the movie, but I just didn't get into it too much. It's a very interesting read if nothing else, but when that's the best you can say about a book, it may be better to rent the movie and save yourself some time. **

Under The Banner Of Heaven, John Krakauer-An amazing story about the history of the Mormon religion. The book mostly focuses on the Fundamentalist Mormon Church, the extreme branch of the religion that condones polygamy, and whose followers claim to receive revelations directly from God to marry multiple wives, and do other fun things like, you know, kill people who disagree with them. *****

The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini-A great read that centers around fictitious boyhood friends who get torn apart by the Russian invasion of Afghanistan, and it's consequences that reach all the way to the present day.****

IV: A Decade Of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas, & Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs Chuck Klosterman-Both greats reads, but so similar that I put them together on the list. IV is a collection of Klosterman's best/favorite articles from the various editorials he contributes to, while SD&CCP's is all original thought about various topics that only Klosterman cares about, yet is extremely entertaining.****

Hero Of The Underground, Jason Peter-The much-hyped book from the former Nebraska Cornhusker and Carolina Panther DE Jason Peter. It's definitely an eye-opener and quite honestly amazing that Peter didn't kill himself through all the abuse he put himself through after leaving Nebraska. Would have been a better read, though, if Peter didn't write like a seventh-grader who's mad at the world. I say that because, when there's three swear words per line, it becomes difficult to take the author seriously after about ten pages. Just sayin. Even still, it's entertaining and many times shocking.***

The Shack, William Young-The uber-popular Christian fiction book did not disappoint me. It's a story of a heartbroken father, Mack, who travels into the mountains of Northwest America to discover God, and how He (or She?) still loves Mack and is there for him, even when he doesn't see God.****

Can I Keep My Jersey?, Paul Shirley-Shirley, a pro-basketball journeyman, writes about his experiences traveling the world trying to stick with a team for any sort of significant time. It is a great look at the unseen side of pro basketball, and Shirley does a great job of making fun of himself and his situation as he finds himself in multiple unenviable situations as a pro athlete.****

Lone Survivor, Marcus Luttrell-Easily the best book of this second group, the story is a first-hand account of Luttrell, a Navy SEAL who survived a gruesome attack from the Taliban in the hills of Afghanistan three years ago. It gives great insight to what it takes to be a SEAL (note: I a'int got 'it,' and you probably don't either) and what our troops experience as they battle for freedom abroad. Highest of high recommendations.*****

Also, if anyone is a Dallas Cowboys fan, or even just a fan of the NFL, I suggest pre-ordering Jeff Pearlman's Boys Will Be Boys. It comes out on Sept 16, and I can't wait to get on this one. I'm gonna go ahead and say that it will be the best thing anyone has ever written about anything. So there.

In a World, Where No One Can Be Trusted...

In a bit of sad news, the 'trailer voice guy' is no longer with us:


Which begs the question: Now that Mr. Lafontaine has passed, who will be the voice on future movie trailers? If I had a vote, it would go to this guy:

(apologies for the Russian, or whatever the heck language that is, subtitles)

Videos for the Weekend

Between watching college football all weekend, here are a couple hilarious spoof videos I came across, via si.com.

The first, a cover of Soulja Boy's Crank Dat, brought to you by the students at Bayside High:



And this one goes out especially to the Reeves Brothers, Christopher Luke, and Young Benjamin:

Also, after much encouragement from Brandon and Jig, I finally got around to buying and reading this book, which I highly recommend:

Hook 'em Tech

If you've known me for more than five minutes, you know that I'm a big (huge, ginormous, avid) fan of the UT Longhorns. Also, if you've known me for more that ten minutes, you know that, as of this week, I'm officially a Texas Tech Red Raider. This, as you can imagine, is a bit of a conundrum for me, especially since TTU already has the 'Beat Texas' T-Shirts prominently displayed in the bookstore. In an effort to clear the air about my loyalty, let me say this: I've been a UT fan since I can remember. I've gone to countless Longhorn football (and basketball) games, and will always be a Horn supporter. At the same time, if there's any other team in the Big XII that I can halfway stand, its Tech. That being said, of the 12 regular season games the Raiders play, I'll be rooting for them to win 11 of those matches.

Also, even though I'm not a huge Tech fan, I must say, it is pretty cool going to a big school at a time that the football team has great expectations, both in conference and nationally. I know that my good friend, Justin Scott feels the same way, after attending Baylor after graduating from ACU. (Wait, what's that? JScott goes to Baylor NOW? Bummer, I thought he went there in 1974? No? Oh, anyway...)

Beyond the 'lifelong loyalty VS where tuition money goes' debate, the important thing is this: college football is upon us, ladies and gentlemen. Rejoice and be glad.

Back From A Rocky Mountain High

Yesterday, I got back from vacation in Estes Park, Colorado with the wife, the in-laws, and the future bromandudeman-in-law. (A few pictures can be found here. The rest are on Kayla's Facebook page, for those who care)

While on the trip, I read this book:

And began this one:

They are/were both extremely entertaining, but so far the most exciting part of either book comes from page 67 of Hero, when Peter is describing the pre-game rituals of the 1997 Cornhuskers. For those of you who were in Gamma Sigma Phi any time between 2004 and 2006 you may remember the chant:

"Dear Lord, the Battles we go through in Life, I ask for the chance and it's fair.

A chance to equal all your stipes, the chance to do it or dare.

And if we win, we win by the code, with faith and honor held high.

And if we lose, we'll stand by the road and cheer as the winner goes by.

'Cause day by day, it gets better and better.

We're the team that won't be beat!

Can't be beat!"

Maybe it's a little corny that I still get excited just reading these words (especially since it's been two and a half years since I've actually said them out loud) but I think it's pretty cool that one of the most dominant teams in college football in the 1990's got jacked up with the same phrase as intramural teams and sing-song participants did at a Dear Christian College. So here's to you, Jason Peter, but more importanly, here's to you, Shane Spencer.

Don't You Put Me On The Backburner

Hopefully by now everyone has seen the dramatic finish to the men's 400 freestyle relay. (If you haven't, click on 'dramatic finish' in the previous sentence and be blessed) As exciting and quite frankly, satisfying as the finish to that race was, I must admit, this commercial by Nike comes a close second in the 'goosebump-enducing' category:


Any time you can incorporate a Killers song into an Olympic montage, I'm all for it.

However, any time you combine Marvin Gaye singing the Star-Spangled Banner with the US Men's Basketball team, (Sorry, they're not the Dream Team, that ship sailed in 1992) you have something incredibly incredible:



When you throw these two Nike Olympic commercials into the mix, it begs the question-Does Nike make the greatest commercials of all-time? In my opinion, they absolutely do, and not just because of these two. Besides these, there are numerous classics in the 'Jordan' series, the 'LeBron's,' the 'My Better is Better Than Your Better,' the old squeaky-shoes commercials, and many other I'm sure I'm missing. Feel free to chime in with opinions about what you think the best sports commercials are, I'd love to hear them.
Side Note: The Marvin Gaye footage was taken from his performance before the 1983 NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles. Here is an interesting article about the performance, which happened a year before his untimely death.

It Worked For The White Guy In 'Remeber The Titans'

Merciful Heavens, I couldn't be more excited about the upcoming season for the Dallas Cowboys. As everyone knows, Home Box Office is doing their annual training camp documentary Hard Knocks about the 'Boys. Since I don't have HBO, this four-minute recap, courtesy of Deadspin will have to do, at least for now.

Special mention should be made of Pac's six-ball punt return and MB3's abusive block around the 1-minute mark.

-Twig

I'm Like A Byrd, Gonna Fly Away

Being a Rangers fan is difficult. They don't win a whole lot, and when they do, they have a bad habit of getting swept by the Yankees in the first round. However, this season, the club has shown that they have a little fight in them, and last night was a game I would have killed to be at. Watch, Enjoy, Cry a Little...



Go Rangers.

I've Got More Records Than The KGB

A few weeks ago, University of Florida head football coach Urban Meyer made the bold statement that his QB, Tim Tebow is the greatest player of this era.

Nevermind the fact that he's not even the best quarterback in the country*, he definitely isn't the best player of an era. Regardless of this atrocity, my uncle (the avid Arkansas fan/SEC braggart) and I (avid UT fan) got into a heated debate about why Tebow isn't the best of an era, and why I think VY is. Obviously, I'm more than a bit biased on why I believe VY to be the best of this era, but the fact is, rather you like Young or not, he is among a group of at least four others who have played college football in the last four years who are/were better than Tebow. For those who care, here is my very unscientific ranking of the 6 best college football players since 2000:

1. Vince Young


2. Reggie Bush


3. Darren McFadden


4. Adrian Peterson


5. Tim Tebow


6. Matt Leinart

Say what you want about Tebow, I'm certainly not trying to make him sound like a bum or anything here, but anyone who claims that he's the greatest college football player of an era is clearly way off-base. That, or they're giving the 'Tebow for Heisman' campaign a bit of a head start, right Coach?

Also, even if you disagree with my rankings or my thoughts on specific players, what really matters is this: We're talking about college football again, and the season is just around the corner.

-Twig

*As much as I hate to say it, Sam Bradford, Graham Harrell and Chase Daniel may have something to say about this. I a'int sayin...I'm just sayin.

Going Through The Big D, And Don't Mean Divorce

I woke up Friday morning with a text message on my phone from my good friend, Brandon Maenius. Now, I don't care who you are or where you're from, any time you get a text that says, '*Come to Dallas and I'll feed you pancakes and wingstop' You, my friend, go to Dallas.

After consulting the wife (She was throwing a shower for her engaged sister and was happy to see me hit the road), I headed to Belton to pick up...wait for it...JIG!! After that quick stop, we headed up I-35, getting to Big D just in time for dinner.

After demolishing a pizza dinner, we proceeded to play Rock Band until about 4 in the morning, and I'm not gonna lie, Second Hand Beer Noodle is not only an awesome band name, it's a pretty fair sounding band as well. Saturday afternoon played out like Friday night, with us taking the group global, and gaining fans by the boatload.

However, Saturday night we did something that was quite honestly, nothing short of phenomenal. I'm not sure how to accurately explain it, but I will say this: If you ever get a chance to play Top Golf-DO IT!

Is it a driving range? Is it a video game? Is it a combonation of bowling, darts and golf? Yes it is, and so much more. I won't ruin it for you, but trust me, it's a worth-while experience. Also, if anyone is interested in opening up a new Top Golf in the Houston, Austin or San Antonio areas, give any of the six gentlemen in the picture below a call, we're already interested.


We may not look very smart, but overall it's not a bad group of guys to spend a weekend playing video games with. (Picture taken December 2006)

*And yes, I did eat pancakes and Wing Stop before making it back to the Sug

You Are A Winner!!

Some of you may have heard by now, but apparently Rudy G's son is suing Duke University for cutting him from the golf team. Hopefully this lawsuit will get thrown out before it comes close to court, because the precedent this type of lawsuit could set is very disturbing.

It's a sad day in America when a college student decides it's a good idea to sue his university for 'impeding his chances of making it to the PGA Tour,' even though this kid is apparently a very mediocre golfer. At least his dad is a gracious loser. At least he knew it wouldn't be a good idea to sue the American public after failing in his bid to become the Republican candidate for President of the United States. Whatever.

The Great Hambino

I was speaking with the commander-in-chief of Running Down A Dream last night and we realized something very interesting about the Bambino of Arlington, Mr. Josh Hamilton. Have you heard, he once was a drug user? Seriously, have you read anything, anywhere about his past demons? Honestly, I've tried and tried to find information about these allegations, but they're nowhere to be found.

Fortunately, that is all that the ESPN and FOX announcers talked about during his at-bats last night and his awesome performance in the Home Run Derby Monday night, so now I feel up-to speed with his story.

On a serious note, I'm very happy for Josh and wish him all the best in his battle to fully recover from the past that still haunts him today. He seems like a great Christian guy and his openness and honesty about his past is both refreshing and inspiring. Hopefully he'll perform at a high level for a long enough time that he's seen as a great person who's also a very, very good baseball player.

Get Lost

As some may know by now, me, my wife, and the in-laws are spending this summer watching the first three seasons of Lost on DVD. Of course, we're totally hooked on the show, and we usually watch at least two episodes per evening, so we're getting through the DVD's prettyquick.


As much as I love the show, however, there are a few things that bother me about some of the characters:

Jack-The fearless leader of the castaways. He absolutely drives me crazy. I understand that he's the doctor, so somehow that means that he has a solution to everything, but come on. He gets way too headstrong about being in control and making every important decision. He's also too emotional and lets those emotions get in the way of making the right decision all the time. If there was ever a doctor who needed to prescribe himself the Chill Pill, it's Jack. Plus, lately he's been spending too much time with that harlot Juliette, and I have the feeling that within about two episodes, he's really gonna regret that alliance.
Side Note-We watched episode 18 of season three last night, and I actually wanted to punch Jack at one point. It was when Kate came to talk to him on the beach about the helicopter girl that the guys found in the jungle the previous night. Anyway, Kate wanted to talk to him alone, but Jack pulled the "Anything you need to tell me, you can tell me in front of her (Juliette)" routine. That junk hacked me off. Seriously, if I were Kate, I would have kicked him in the teeth and walked away. That was such bull. I need to move on. Speaking of Kate...

Kate-The little lost puppy of the show. Drives me nuts with how she constantly insists on going along with the guys on searches through the jungle. Honestly, how many times have you heard this conversation:
Kate: "Where are you going?"
Jack: "John found a hatch, we're going to check it out."
K: "I'm going too."
J: "No, you're not."
K: "Yes, I am."
J: "No, it could be too dangerous. Kate, you're not going with us."
K: "I'm going."
Sawyer, looking tough and agitated at the same time: "Hhhmmmmpphh"
J: "Kate, we need you here...on the beach...to look after everyone else."
K: "Jack. I'm going"
J: "Fine."

Gaw-lee, it's a good thing Kate is cute, if she wasn't, she would have been Medusa spider-poisoned and buried alive by now.

Claire-Another Lost-er who's fortunate she's just as cute as a button. She actually brings nothing to the table. At least Jack and Kate do things like try to rescue their friends who are captured, pick fruit, work the hatch (at least until, you know, it imploded). Claire has a child, yes, but that's no excuse to not pitch in a little here and there. Plus, for a native Australian, her accent sounds brutal, not at all like the locals on Real World: Sydney. It pains my ears when she says things like "Chaaa-leee! Thae stole mayy bay-beee! May bay-bee! Cha-lee, it's gone!"

I guess that's pretty much it for the characters who annoy me. I'm getting close to adding Locke to the list, though. I liked him at first because he had such a cruddy life before the island, and because he reminded me of a teacher I worked with this past year, but recently, he's made some very questionable choices. I've got my eye on you, John Locke, your getting close to my bad side, Sir.

On the other hand, I'm a big fan of Sawyer (even though he's clearly crazy and one of the seediest characters in TV history), Saiyd, Desmond, and Hurley, so hopefully they stay on my good side.

-Twig