Author Archives: Andrew Long

by | September 10, 2013 · 9:35 pm

Around The Pac-12 – Week 3

Edit: For the second week in a row I posted right after Matthew.  Sorry, Matthew.  Here’s his post which is actually about football and real teams. 

The Pac-12 showed well in their non-conference games last week, winning all of them.  None of the early games set us up for the night-cap of USC-WSU.  It’s been 4 days and I still don’t know what to say about that game.

This week brings a tougher test to Pac-12 teams as the non-conference slate of games is nearing an end.  With that in mind, if you have any ideas on contests you’d like to see the mascots face-off in put them in the comments!  If you don’t, you’ll be stuck with my boring ideas.

For now, you get this week’s match-ups.  No, these aren’t the football teams that I think are going to win.  I pick the mascots that would win in a fight!

UCLA Bruins at Nebraska Corn-Huskers – 9 A.M. Saturday

In the past, I’ve talked about how I like it when mascots fit the region that they are in.  Nebraska definitely did that, but at what point does it become a fault?  At what point does a regional relevant mascot become a dumb mascot?  Nebraska probably passes that line.  Yes, we don’t think about Nebraska having a dumb mascot now because it’s been around for a long time but if Nebraska had just now decided that their mascot would be a Corn-Husker we all would be laughing and making snarky comments on Twitter.  Also, at what point do you become a Corn-Husker?  I’ve husked corn.  Am I a corn husker?  Is there a certain amount of hours you have to put in?  A certain amount of ears of corn? The Bruin is nice because it is actually frightening.  Imagine being out camping.  On one side of the camp ground a bruin walks in, on the other side a guy is husking corn… You’d probably be frightened for the Husker.  While the Husker gets us some delicious corn, he is mauled by a Bruin.

Stanford Cardinal at Army Black Knights – 9 A.M. Saturday

I have a hard time knocking Army.  With that being said, I do think that they missed out on an opportunity here.  Army is one of the few schools that has a mascot as its actual school name.  So, why didn’t they just insert an ‘of’ into their school name?  Even Army of Black Knights sounds pretty awesome.  Heck, let your mascot be your home city, Army.  Army of Westpoint?  Army of America?  Or give yourself a crazy mascot with ‘of’ before it.  ‘Army of Fire-Breathing Dragons’?  See what I mean.  Now, Black Knights is pretty cool.  Black simply refers to their jersey color way back when they got their name.  Stanford, on the other hand, is either a color or a tree.  Hey Stanford, Army used a color and mascot in their name!  Pretty cool, huh?  The tree is in awe of using a color as an adjective and gets chopped down by the knights.

Fresno State Bulldogs at Colorado Buffaloes – 11 A.M. Saturday

Some classy mascots here.  Bulldogs are about the coolest dog around.  Unfortunately, they aren’t the most active here.  Then again, whenever I’ve seen a real life buffalo they have just been standing around.  But, I’ve seen that buffalo in Colorado that storms across the field and I fear for any bulldog (or anything else) that stands in its way.  Bulldog gets trampled by the Buffalo.

Boston College Golden Eagles at USC Trojans – 12 P.M.

Oh boy!  What a match-up!  First, a few questions.  Was the eagle turned into gold?  Is it still able to fly, hunt, and do everything else other eagles do?  Since this is my post, I’m going to say that it is able to function as a normal eagle would.  A trojan, as I’ve covered before, is a little strange as well because they don’t really exist anymore.  Both of these things are pretty awesome though.  Eagles are the most majestic of animals (I’d be willing to listen if you said a lion was more so) and Trojans were pretty solid warriors.  Unfortunately for the human race, Trojans can’t fly and that’s what really sets the eagle apart.  You get some eagles dive bombing you, do you really think you stand a chance even with a sword and metal helmet on?  To a Trojan, an eagle might be even more frightening than a USC quarterback pass right now?  Zing.  Also, haha Lane Kiffin.  Eagles dive bomb the Trojans into obscurity.

Edit: As Matthew has pointed out in the comments below, a Golden Eagle is a real bird (duh) which will make this victory even easier.

Tennessee Volunteers at Oregon Ducks – 12:30 P.M.

So to recap Oregon’s non-conference mascot schedule, they have played some racist confederate Colonels and some supporters of King Charles.  Now, they get to play some people who volunteer.  Well, I guess you should play to your strengths when you’re a duck.  There aren’t many strengths so you schedule some awful mascots.  But wait!  After a little bit of research we find that the volunteer nickname is a regional relevant name that isn’t half as stupid as Corn-Huskers.  Tennessee is known as the Volunteers (and the Volunteer state) because of the state’s many volunteers in the War of 1812.  They played a prominent role in our country winning that war and specifically the Battle for New Orleans.  You can’t pull a fast one on me, Ducks!  As an aside, I have no idea why Tennessee’s mascot that dresses up is a dog.  It’s named Smokey, which is regionally relevant but I don’t see a connection to the Volunteer.

Even taking the standard definition of volunteer could probably beat a duck in a fight.  Even the random dog could probably beat that duck.  Ducks beaten by Tennessee’s three mascots: Generic volunteer, volunteer soldier in War of 1812, and Random Dog.

Washington Huskies at Illinois Illini – 3 P.M. Saturday

Another interesting match-up (good week, although it’s not quite as exciting after this)!  Huskies are one of the best dog breeds there is.  The Illini is believed to be a group of tribes around the Illinois area.  But, after some research, the truth comes out here.  Illini is not the name of these tribes.  Illiniwek is the name of six Native American tribes in the upper Mississippi River valley.  The only thing with the actual name Illini is this school and an Amtrak train.  Clearly, Illinois wanted to be known as the Native American tribes so why didn’t they just go with Illiniwek?  It doesn’t look as good?  It doesn’t roll off the tongue quite as nicely?  If you’re going to honor a tribe by naming your team off of him, you better actually name your team after them.  The Illini aren’t who we thought they were, Huskies win because a random train shows up and can’t fight.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds at Washington State Cougars – 3:30 P.M. Saturday 

Cougars are very tough and an intimidating animal.  Dang, Southern Utah!  That’s an awesome mascot!  The Thunderbirds.  But, does it stand up to the research?  Just because I want to name my next band that, doesn’t mean that your mascot gets a free pass.  Here is your definition: a mythical bird thought by some North American Indians to bring thunder.  Wow!  Of course, the United State Air Force also uses the name Thunderbirds for an air demonstration.  That’s pretty cool too.  I try to be fair to the Cougars in these because I really do think they have a solid mascot that is tough but you just can’t win this one.  You’re going against a bird that brings the thunder!  When someone says, “Bring the thunder!” it is actually because of this bird!  Thunderbirds eek out a close one, a thunderous match-up.

Ohio State Buckeyes at California Golden Bears – 4 P.M.  

Brutus

Brutus

Oh good, a Buckeye.  Are you kidding me?  Ohio State is named the Buckeyes because it’s what their state tree is.  We have a ‘Nebraska’ situation all over again.  Buckeye is relevant to Ohio but it’s also a tree.  Golden Bears are extinct, but at least they used to have the power to kill someone.  Trees have to be affected by something else to have the ability to hurt anyone.  Not to mention you have Brutus… What is Brutus?  Is he supposed to be a standard Ohio citizen?  Hasn’t someone else wondered this before?  The Golden Bears claw at the tree, known as a Buckeye, until it falls down.

Oregon State Beavers at Utah Utes – 7 P.M.

The lone Pac-12 match-up brings us unique mascots but, sadly, a not very close match-up.  Beavers chop down trees but I don’t really think they can chop down people.  Utes are a proud Native American tribe.  Native Americans usually had weapons.  Beavers don’t.  Utes stab Beavers repeatedly to death because they don’t give a dam.  (Sorry)

Texas San-Antonio Roadrunners at Arizona Wildcats  – 7:30 P.M.

You know my disdain for Wildcats.  They are stupid.  Roadrunners aren’t exceptionally tough but they smart and usually out-think their opponent.  They are quick and usually leave behind a trail of dust.  When they are escaping from their opponent, they usually mock said opponent with a noise that sounds like “Beep, beep” almost exactly like a car.  Roadrunners take a break from Wile E. Coyote and defeat the Wildcats.

Wisconsin Badgers at Arizona State Sun-Devils – 7:30 P.M.

badger

devil

You don’t need my help on this one.  Devil wins.

Andrew

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by | September 6, 2013 · 11:16 pm

Moments

Deontae Cooper came to Seattle in January of 2010.  He was one of the crown jewels of Steve Sarkisian’s first full recruiting class.  His legend had spread among Husky fans before he even stepped on to the practice field.  He was the guy who ran for 7,450 yards in high school.  He was the guy who ran for 388 yards in one game.  When he did step on the practice field later that spring it was easy to see how he racked up those gaudy numbers.  Every practice he would break off an unbelievable run.  He was the talk of camp.  Husky insiders mentioned Cooper, who would have been a true freshman, stealing away carries from Chris Polk, who turned out to be one of the best running backs in school history.

Hype and expectations for a player tend to grow when people don’t have anything better to talk about.  That’s exactly what happened that off-season.  Entering Fall Camp of 2010, Cooper could have passed as Superman to some Husky fans.  Were there unreasonable expectations for a 17 year-old?  Yes.  But, some people were made to entertain with their talent and Cooper seemed destined for that.

A few days into Fall Camp, Cooper was running hard, planted on his left knee and made a cut.  No one tackled him but something was off.  He tore his ACL.  He worked hard and came back in time ready for 2011’s Fall Camp.  A few days in, the same thing happened.  The next year?  Lather, rinse, repeat (just switch knees).  He vowed to work hard and come back.  He said that he would tear his ACL 5 more times and still try to come back.  He went from legend to folk hero.  His perseverance was strong but most people realized that he would never see the field at U-Dub in a meaningful game.

***********************************************************************

Felix Hernandez was signed as a 16 year-old Venezuelan by the Seattle Mariners organization.  He threw fireballs and was said to have a hammer of a curve.  As Felix advanced through the minor league system, his legend grew.  He earned the nickname ‘King Felix’ before pitching in a major league baseball game.  He eventually made his debut, still a teenager, and eventually lived up to the expectations that were, probably unfairly, placed on his broad 16 year-old shoulders when he signed with the team.

For years, he was the lone shining star on a team that celebrated mediocrity.  He loved Seattle and gave the team and fans everything he had when he’d step out on the mound.  It didn’t matter that his offense probably wouldn’t score runs or that the bullpen would eventually blow his shutouts, Felix pitched, and still pitches, like he’s leaving everything he has in him on the field.

On August 15th, 2012, I watched from a rented beach house as Felix threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.  It was a performance that Mariner fans will never forget.  A perfect moment that showed Felix’s perseverance against a ball club’s continual mediocrity.

By the end of the year, the Mariners were 77-85.  They finished last place in their division, a place that was all too familiar.

***********************************************************************

The other day, I was in a McDonald’s, with my wife, about to order some breakfast.  We were in a rougher part of Seattle, a block or so away from a Methadone clinic.  I know we were that close to the clinic because the guy in front of us in line told us he had come from there.  He was dressed in some worn down clothes and seemed like a guy who had gone through his share of struggles.  I noticed he was holding a dollar and a few coins.  He was studying the menu intently, trying to find something that fit his budget.

In front of him was a lady who had seemed like she might haven’t gotten caught up in the wrong part of town.  She seemed a bit frazzled, to put it lightly.  She was frantically looking through her purse, trying to find the money that would pay for her meal.  Amongst the scramble, a few belongings from her purse had fallen on to the ground without her noticing.  By the time she had noticed, the gentleman in front of me had picked them up and hurriedly gave them back to her, in a nervous and shy sort of way.  It was a moment of genuine kindness from a person that the world usually doesn’t expect to see kindness from.

She said, “Thank you.”  They both went on with the rest of their day.

***********************************************************************

I’m not sure why we all get caught up in the pessimism.  None of us watch the news to see what’s going right with the world.  Even in sports, ESPN and other sports outlets are generally leading with stories about someone cheating or getting cut from the team instead of the feel-good moments.  In the media’s defense, that’s what the consumer demands.

This isn’t a call to always be positive, the Mariners will probably keep sucking and people do bad things.  Life isn’t easy.  But, I think we all owe it to ourselves to enjoy the moments.  Soak in the little things that aren’t ordinary.  There are plenty of things in our day that aren’t ordinary, no matter how big or small.  It’s just a matter of us choosing to see them before our routine sets in again.

***********************************************************************

Last Saturday night, in the second quarter of Washington’s 2013 season opener, Deontae Cooper jogged on to the field.  The center snapped the ball and the quarterback handed it off to Cooper.  He barreled up the middle for a one yard gain, showing a little less zip than what he used to have but a determination that I wish we all had.  The play would be called back because of a penalty.

Deontae Cooper flashing the smile, and optimism, he's famous for among Husky fans.

Deontae Cooper flashing the smile, and optimism, he’s famous for among Husky fans. 

It was a moment that I’m sure he cherished.  A moment he had waited and worked so hard for.  Fans stood up and cheered.  Cooper received an ovation that he was more than worthy of.  Then, everyone sat down and the next play began.

– Andrew

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by | September 5, 2013 · 11:05 am

Pac-12 Predictions – Week 2

The Pac-12 is bounding in to week 2 tonight, with ASU opening their season against Sacramento State.  The conference did about as expected last week aside from that Oregon State debacle.  This week should be an even better week for the conference.  In fact, it would be an upset if any conference team lost this week.

We also have our first conference game as Wazzu travels to Los Angeles to take on USC.  Not exactly a marquee game to start conference play, but the Cougars could surprise an often under-achieving USC team.  All in all, there isn’t a game this week that has a spread under 10.

Thursday – 

Sacramento State vs. Arizona State
The Good Guys: Arizona State

Saturday – 

Weber State vs. Utah
The Good Guys: Utah

Oregon vs. Virginia
The Good Guys: Oregon

Portland State vs. California
The Good Guys: California

Hawaii vs. Oregon State
The Good Guys: Oregon State

Central Arkansas vs. Colorado
The Good Guys: Colorado

Arizona vs. UNLV
The Good Guys: Arizona

WSU vs. USC
The Good Guys: USC

San Jose State vs. Stanford
The Good Guys: Stanford

I can’t remember a week where all of the Good guys had the same exact picks.  There will probably be an upset somewhere along the way but none of us feel very confident in the underdogs.  Here are the standings after week 1 (that includes the Husky game):

Andrew 8-1
Matthew 7-2
Dan 7-2
Joe 6-3

Put your predictions in the comments to see how you compare!  Happy football!

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by | September 3, 2013 · 9:03 pm

Around The Pac-12 – Week 2

EDIT:  I should have paid better attention but Matthew wrote a post right below this one that you should go read.  It is much more informative than reading about mascots.  Here is the link if you don’t like to scroll.

The first week of Pac-12 play brought a few exciting games, a bad loss, and mostly predictability.  This week, we get our first conference game, a slew of uninteresting non-conference games and hopefully some awesome mascots!  Now, for your second installment of 2013…. Let’s get to the mascot post!

Until we get in to full-on conference play, I will simply just pit each game’s mascot against each other in a fight.  Using a very scientific method, I will determine which one will win and I’d recommend (if you’re the betting type) placing your money on that team.  We all know that the tougher mascot determines the better football team.  I’m sorry if I don’t like your school’s mascot.  I’m not actually.

Sacramento State Hornets vs. Arizona State Sun Devils – Thursday 10 P.M.

So, some people think bees/hornets are fairly evil.  My wife visibly gets flustered and sometimes lets out a scream when a hornet or bee gets near her.  She’s not alone in that.  Now, how do you think she would do if the devil came near her?  Now, this isn’t a contest to see what is the most intimidating thing but intimidation is built on fear.  Do you think the devil would be afraid of a hornet?  Not a chance.  If the hornet is even capable of having fear, it probably wouldn’t enjoy being around the devil.  Hornets are a formidable, annoying thing but they ran into one of the toughest battles out there.  Sun Devils flick the Hornets aside.

Weber State Wildcats vs. Utah Utes – Saturday 11 A.M.

This is one of the first images that shows up when you search "Wildcat" on Google. This is many peoples mascot... Idiots.

This is one of the first images that shows up when you search “Wildcat” on Google. This is many peoples mascot… Idiots.

YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING!  MORE FREAKING WILDCATS?! Last week brought two teams with this wimpy mascot and so does this week.  A wildcat is slightly more terrifying than a house cat.  It’s not terrifying at all.  Ban the Wildcat!  Ban the Wildcat!  The Utes were a Native American tribe that is well-respected.  The Ute skins the Wildcat alive and then cooks it over a fire while receiving nothing more than a scratch.

Oregon Ducks vs. Virginia Cavaliers – Saturday 12:30 P.M.

What a ridiculous match-up.  Let’s turn to our friend, Dictionary.com to help us sort this out.

cav·a·lier
ˌkavəˈli(ə)r
noun
1.a supporter of King Charles I in the English Civil War.
2.a small spaniel of a breed with a moderately long, noncurly, silky coat.
duck
dək
noun
 1.a waterbird with a broad blunt bill, short legs, webbed feet, and a waddling gait.
2.a pure white thin-shelled bivalve mollusk found off the Atlantic coasts of America.
Umm…  Virginia was named the Cavaliers because there were a lot English people in Virginia in 1888, apparently.  Take a quick look at the second definition of each word.  That doesn’t bring any clarity to this situation.  Do we pick the waterbird or the King Charles supporter?  For years, humans and ducks have lived in harmony aside from some people duck hunting.  I’m giving the slight edge to the Cavaliers because I ate duck on Sunday.  Credit to the Ducks for scheduling a confederate soldier and a British supporter in their first two games though.
Portland State Vikings vs. California Golden Bears – Saturday 2 P.M.
Last year, I got confused and wrongly called Portland State the Pilots.  I would like to take this moment to publicly apologize for that comment.  Now, for this match-up we have something special.  These are two mascots that have gone extinct in the real world.  While this does happen, it’s not a regularity and indeed makes this special.  If these two were alive, this would be quite a match-up.  A Scandinavian Pirate against a bear that is fairly closely related to a grizzly?  I’ll buy a ticket to that any day.  If life has taught me one thing, it’s to not mess with pirates so… The Vikings win a close one while losing an arm or two thanks to the bear.
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors vs. Oregon State Beavers – 5 P.M.
The Rainbow Warriors make another appearance this week and come against the beavers.  There’s not much commentary to add to this fight.  A beaver might be able to gnaw on someone’s ankles but a rainbow warrior would have a spear.  Beavers are taken down by the Rainbow Warriors because of a spear sticking out of its furry back.
Central Arkansas Bears vs. Colorado Buffaloes – 5 P.M.
Now, this is intriguing!  It’s a tough one to choose and not in the way choosing between a waterbird and a King Charles supporter was.  If a buffalo charged at a bear I am extremely curious as to what would happen.  Would the bear simply step out-of-the-way and make a counter-run at the buffalo?  Would the bear hold his ground and try to take the buffalo horns on?  Would the buffalo send the bear flying back and then proceed to stomp on it?  I feel like I should mention that Central Arkansas is often referred to as the ‘Sugar Bears’.  I don’t know what that means.  If life has taught me one thing, it’s to not mess with a buffalo.  Buffaloes beat the Bears barely (alliteration), mostly because I like it when that buffalo runs out onto the field.
Arizona Wildcats vs. UNLV Rebels – 7:30 P.M.
You already know where I’m going with this.  The only intrigue here is what the rebels are rebelling from.  It is interesting a team from Las Vegas is called the Rebels and I do like it when the mascot name has a connection to the city.  Because of that, I’m a fan of the Rebel mascot, even with it being nondescript.  Wildcats are dumb.  Rebels stomp on the Wildcats until they die.
Washington State Cougars vs. USC Trojans – 7:30 P.M. 
Our first conference game gives us a nice human vs. animal fight.  Cougars are quite frightening even if you have a sword, I’m guessing.  Trojans would be able to stand a few attacks because of that armor they wear.  Speaking of Trojans, it’s cool that they’re called that and play in the Coliseum.  Home field advantage doesn’t often isn’t considered in these fights but since the Cougars will be placed into the Coliseum with the Trojans I’m guessing the humans stand a much better chance than if they were out in the wild.  The home field comes advantage comes into effect for the first time ever in the mascot posts, as the Trojans barely kill the Cougars.
San Jose Spartans vs. Stanford Cardinal – 8 P.M.
Oh, Stanford how I missed you.  Stanford’s mascot has a confusing history but all you need to know is they are named after a color.  Because I refuse to put a color in the mascot battles, I use the tree that they have dressed up as their mascot.  It is easy to make fun of a tree because almost everything can take it down or get on it aside from a Wildcat.  It is awesome to have a tree and a beaver in the same conference.  As far as the Spartans go, I count them in the same light as Trojans.  Mighty warriors and such.  I think Spartans could figure out a way to chop down a tree.
Well, that’s it.
– Andrew

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by | September 3, 2013 · 1:07 pm

Washington-Boise State Review

Yesterday, Matthew wrote a few thoughts on the Huskies victory on Saturday night.  It was a great night and the stadium was everything I hoped it would be.  We plan to do a further review on the stadium, complete with pictures, after this weekend.  This post is all about the game.  I wrote about 3 pages worth of notes on the game while watching the replay and tried to go pretty in-depth.  With that being said, I’m not sure how to format this so bear with me as I try to figure it out.  If I get to continue doing this for every game, these posts will get better every week.

For now, I think I will just go with a few main stats on the offensive side of the ball and then lots of bullet points.  My numbers are a tiny bit off (I must have missed a play here or there) but they are only a yard or two off in places.  Enjoy!NCAA Football: Boise State at Washington

Offensive thoughts:

I don’t think anyone is questioning the move to the no-huddle offense after that performance.  The offense did go more to spread concepts, although Sark said they may not use those as much when ASJ plays.  The quarterbacks didn’t take a single snap under center, it was all in shotgun or pistol.  Double tight-end sets were used on multiple occasions and a fullback was used in 3 or 4 drives.  One interesting formation was with Price lined up in the pistol and two tight ends (Perkins and Hartvigson) would both line up on the same side of the line.  The Dawgs had a good bit of success running behind that formation.  Both tight ends did a good job of getting to the second level and making blocks all game long.

While it looked like a completely different offense, it wasn’t.  All of these were things that Sark had used in previous years just not to the extent of what they did Saturday night.  Easy throws, a staple of the spread, were a common occurrence on Saturday night although they didn’t do that as much as I had thought when initially watching.  About 35% of Price’s throws were behind the line of scrimmage. 

These passes behind the line of scrimmage almost always worked.  I only counted one pass behind the line of scrimmage that ended up in a loss of yards.  On the first Husky touchdown drive, the Huskies faced a 3rd and 9 in which Price threw to Mickens 3 yards behind the line of scrimmage.  He took it for a 12 yard gain and a big first down.

Boise didn’t shift a lot when the Huskies sent guys in motion (which was often).  Usually the linebackers would shuffle over but nothing more.  Boise was commonly in a zone and the Huskies took advantage of that.  Our wide receivers were well prepared in who to block in what formation.

The running game was fantastic all night.  There was a good balance of running and throwing in the offense and a pretty good balance of which direction the team would run.  These numbers are a big trivial but I had the Huskies gaining 47% of their rushing yards running to the left side, 27% to the right side, and 26% up the middle.  I’m guessing a big reason for this is that Boise’s star defensive end, Demarcus Lawrence, lined up on the right side of the line so the Huskies ran away from him.  I’ll be interested to see if these numbers keep up in the next few games.

The pass blocking was very good as well.  Riva constantly dealt with Lawrence and he hardly sniffed Price.  Hatchie wasn’t noticed at left tackle, which was a good thing.  The offensive line was clearly in good shape and played well throughout the night.  Yes, Price got rid of the ball quickly but he threw down the field a few times and had plenty of time in those situations.  The one sack the Huskies did give up was on Price, as he could have stayed in the pocket much longer.

Speaking of Price, he played a fantastic game.  When throwing downfield, his receivers would find holes in the zone and sit in them, Price would almost always find these guys.  I counted Price throwing the ball more than 20 yards downfield 4 times.  One sailed over the head of Ross and the Boise safety.  Another pass was completed to Smith on a beautiful throw that fit right between the corner and safety who seemed to be playing a cover two.  The other throws were in succession to Kasen.  The first was a back shoulder throw that was perfectly placed.  Following that came a touchdown in which Kasen found himself wide open.  Why was he wide open?  The safety bit on a slant route that was really a slant and go.  Why did he bite on it?  Maybe because, up until that point Kasen had been targeted by Price 3 times.  2 of those times had been on slant routes.  All in all, Price finished 3/4 on balls that he threw 20 yards+ downfield.  You could count his touchdown pass to Perkins as another but that was right on the border of 20 yards.

In the first half, Price managed the game.  In the second half, Price controlled the game.  Both of these were effective but, obviously, he was the better player in the second half.  He created more plays without forcing them.  Even if Price just manages the game, I think this team will be successful.

A few more thoughts on the offense:

  • Ross and Mickens were fantastic.  They will both be a handful to cover for everyone involved.
  • Deontae Cooper’s first carry was negated by a chop block penalty.  In watching the replay, that looked like a really bad call.  From what I saw, all of the other penalties looked to be right.  (More on Cooper later this week).
  • On the second touchdown drive of the second half Boise put subs in to get their guys some rest.  The Huskies absolutely ran them over.  There wasn’t a gain of less than 6 yards on that drive until the starters came back in for Boise.
  • Dwayne Washington looked great and just ran over some guys.  Him and Bishop could be a very good combo this year.

Defensive Thoughts:   Continue reading →

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by | August 28, 2013 · 7:17 pm

Pac 12 Picks – Week 1

FOOTBALL IS HERE!

Well, almost.  At this time tomorrow one Pac-12 game will be wrapping up, another about to begin, and a whole weekend of football will be staring us directly in the eye.  Thank goodness.  It’s been a tough last month without football in the sports world but the dry spell is over! 

This week the Pac-12 has a few games where they could make a statement.  Cal, WSU, and UW all have a chance to prove themselves.  UCLA, Colorado and Utah play teams that are okay.  The rest of the teams need to avoid being embarrassed.  The conference should be in good shape through week one and keep their national perception high. 

As always on the Good Guys, we’ll do Pac-12 picks mid-week and the Husky predictions the day before the game.  We’d love to have you in on the predictions.  If you’re interested, put your predictions in the comments and then I’ll add you to the weekly posts (along with your name in the standings).  On to the predictions!

Utah State at Utah – Thursday 5 P.M.
Joe, Dan – Utah State
Andrew, Matthew – Utah

USC at Hawaii – Thursday 8 P.M.
The Good Guys – USC

Northern Arizona at Arizona – Friday 7 P.M.
The Good Guys – Arizona

Nicholls State at Oregon – Saturday 1 P.M.
The Good Guys – Oregon

Eastern Washington at Oregon State – Saturday 3 P.M.
The Good Guys – Oregon State

Washington State at Auburn – Saturday 4 P.M.
The Good Guys – Auburn

Northwestern at California – Saturday 7:30 P.M.
The Good Guys – Northwestern

Colorado vs. Colorado State – Sunday 3 P.M.
Dan, Andrew – Colorado
Matthew, Joe – Colorado State

Football!! 

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by | August 28, 2013 · 11:13 am

Around The Pac-12 – Week 1

 

Football starts in about a day now and that means our weekly look at mascots is back!  If you are new to this, here is how it will work.  During the Pac-12 non-conference schedule, I will write down who’s playing who each week.  I will then decide who will win this game based on who would win in a fight between each school’s mascot.  Some of these are easy, some are more difficult.  These are in no way predictions for the upcoming game.  We will have our predictions for each Pac-12 game but that post will come later in the week (or later today, in this instance).  This post is simply to let you know how dumb or awesome I think a school’s mascot is.  You’re welcome.  Once we move into conference play, I will be changing up the format and putting the mascots into competitions (like last season).  Enjoy!

Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes – Thursday 5 P.M.

This is one of the few match-ups that will have you looking at Wikipedia pages for both teams.  According to that website, Utah State Aggies is short for Agriculturalists.  Maybe that’s common knowledge, but, if it is, I do not have common knowledge.  Agriculturalists?  Really?  You are from Utah, but I bet you could name the team something better.  As for the Utes, they are named after a Native American tribe.  I tend to think of those people as tough.

Native Americans didn’t need Agriculturalists.  Also, I think their weapon of choice is probably a bow and arrow.  What’s an agriculturalist’s weapon of choice?  A hoe?  (Watch your mouth, Andrew). A map?  If anyone is dumb enough to say that a common agriculturalist could conquer a Native American, please post in the comments so that I could tell you how dumb you are.  The Utes win, and it’s no contest.

USC Trojans at Hawaii Rainbow Warriors – Thursday 8 P.M.

Umm… Where to begin?  Trojans are some of the greatest warriors ever known.  The weapon of choice seems to be a sword, a shield, or some giant wooden horse.  I guess I respect the Rainbow Warrior name.  Technically, the football team has chosen to be known as just the Warriors.  I don’t respect that choice.  The Rainbow Warriors, from the information, simply called themselves that because they had a rainbow in their logo.  Can it really be that simple?  Yes, I’m sure that Hawaii has some great rainbows in it, but is that a justifiable reason to just stick the word in front of another word?  Probably not, but it’s pretty funny!

Picture a Trojan fighting a Rainbow Warrior?  Not sure what a Rainbow Warrior looks like?  Me neither and, to avoid any insults, I’m not going to post a picture of one because it would just be my opinion of what it would look like.  Trojans beat the Rainbow Warriors.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks at Arizona Wildcats – Friday 7 P.M.

I’ve got to be honest, I love the nickname Lumberjacks.  The school lies near a large pine forest, so it’s a fitting nickname which is great.  Consider that when the school opened it was named ‘Northern Arizona Normal School’ (you can’t make this stuff up) and this mascot name is off the charts.  Wildcats, on the other hand, are barely more than a house cat.  A wildcat isn’t simply in cat that is from the wild, it is a cat that lives in the wild but is roughly the size of your pet cat, Whiskers.  What a wimpy mascot.

Let’s see here.  A lumberjack with an axe against a cat?  The cat may make it interesting for a few minutes with its quickness and claws but in the end all we have is a cat that’s cut in half.  Lumberjacks win!

Nicholls State Colonels at Oregon Ducks – Saturday 4 P.M.

This one is ugly.  Almost as ugly as this game will be (Nicholls State lost to OSU 77-3 last year.  The Ducks might score 100).  Nicholls State is named after a Confederate soldier.  After realizing that this was a bit racist in 2004 (yes, it took that long) they changed their logo to, what looks like, a Nazi soldier.  But, is this really as bad as a university deciding that their mascot should be a duck?  Yes, it actually is.  The Ducks win by default.

Eastern Washington Eagles at Oregon State Beavers – Saturday 3 P.M.

We’re starting to get into some better mascot match-ups!  I love eagles.  They are as beautiful and majestic as an animal can get.  Plus, they are impressive hunters.  I’m also fond of the Beaver as Oregon State’s mascot.  As far as intimidation goes, a beaver might not be the best choice.  It is unique though and that’s important.  Also, let’s not undersell beavers’ accomplishments.  They build entire fortresses out of sticks!  I imagine that they can be feisty too, although I’ve never seen it.

As far as this battle, I don’t think a beaver can hold up to the aerial attack of an eagle.  The beaver would get pecked together and wouldn’t be quick enough to defend himself.  Eagles>Beavers. 

Washington State Cougars at Auburn Tigers – Saturday 4 P.M.

This is the best match-up so far.  Some really nice cats from the wild battle each other.  Cougars are ferocious, fast and fierce.  Tigers are a little bigger and pack more of a punch.  Does Auburn also get the War Eagle?  To be honest, I don’t really think they need it.  Have you seen Life of Pi?  That tiger is huge.  Tigers win in a close one.

Boise State Broncos at Washington Huskies – Saturday 7 P.M.

I used to have a dog named Monte (R.I.P.).  We lived pretty close to some horses and when we went on walks, Monte inevitably would go over to the horses and start to chase them.  He would nip at their heels and send them into a frenzy, no matter how much we called him back.  He liked the thrill.  He drove those horses crazy but anyone who watched knew that he could be dead by one, well-placed hind kick from the horse.  I just don’t know if the horse was coordinated enough to do it.

This is another nice mascot match.  Broncos are better than just regular horses and huskies are better than just regular dogs.  In the end I think we have to go with that hypothetical hind kick.  Broncos win in a battle that could go on for days.

Northwestern Wildcats at California Golden Bears – Saturday 7:30 P.M.

We discovered in the mascot posts last year that Golden Bears are exactly that.  There is no breed of bear called a Golden Bear anymore.  They have gone extinct.  Then again, Trojans have also gone extinct so I’ve decided to reverse my opinion on the Golden Bear and reinstate them in ‘Mascot Match-ups’ as the power they once were.  I’ll have all season to hold the extinct thing over their head though.  Really?  More stupid Wildcats?  Golden Bears win with one mighty swipe of the paw.

Colorado Buffaloes at Colorado State Rams – Sunday 3 P.M.

Have you ever watched a buffalo run straight towards a ram?  That would be more interesting than this actual football game.  The ram’s horns are a nice weapon but they simply can’t match the size and speed of the buffalo.  If a buffalo runs straight at you, you are probably going to die.  Buffaloes crush Rams.

Buffaloes

Buffaloes

Andrew

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by | August 26, 2013 · 2:01 pm

Dawgs As Dogs

As taken by the Wikipedia entry for each dog breed:

Shaq Thompson = Golden Retriever

The Golden Retrievers’ intelligence makes it a versatile breed and allows it to fill a variety of roles.  The Golden Retriever is a large, strongly-built breed.  A natural retrieving ability means it is also competitive in flyball and field trials.  They are used for many important jobs.  

Bishop Sankey = Labrador 

Labrador’s instinctively enjoy holding objects.  

Sean Parker = German Shepherd

German Shepherds are highly active dogs and described in breed standards as self-assured.  They are expected to patrol the boundaries.  

Dexter Charles = Boxer

Their suspicion of strangers, alertness, agility, and strength make them formidable guard dogs.

Travis Feeney = Rottweiler

Their behaviour self-assured, steady and fearless. They react to their surroundings with great alertness.

Erik Kohler = Doberman

They may suffer from a number of health concerns.  Their size, strength and aggression towards strangers makes them potentially dangerous

Danny Shelton = Great Dane

They are known for their enormous bodies and tall height.  

We are all Huskies.  5 days.

Husky

Andrew

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