January 2008 Archives
Today's Games
BOWLING
4 p.m. -- Farmington vs. Piedra Vista at Bowlero Lanes
Tuesday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Kirtland Central at Farmington
7 p.m. -- Aztec at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. -- Navajo Prep at Ramah
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Rehoboth at Navajo Prep
7:30 p.m. -- Bloomfield at Tohatchi
Thursday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
6:30 p.m. -- Rehoboth at Navajo Prep
7:30 p.m. -- Tohatchi at Bloomfield
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Kirtland Central at Farmington
7 p.m. -- Aztec at Piedra Vista
Friday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Aztec at Farmington
7 p.m. -- Kirtland Central at Shiprock
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m. -- Wingate at Bloomfield
WRESTLING
Bloomfield, Piedra Vista, Aztec at Robertson Invite
SWIM/DIVE
6 p.m. -- Farmington, Piedra Vista at Griffin Invite in Santa Fe
Saturday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m. -- Bloomfield at Wingate
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Aztec at Farmington
7 p.m. -- Kirtland Central at Shiprock
7 p.m. -- Cortez at Piedra Vista
WRESTLING
Bloomfield, Piedra Vista, Aztec at Robertson Invite
9 a.m. -- Ignacio at Farmington
SWIM/DIVE
10 a.m. -- Farmington, PV at Griffin Invite in Santa Fe
King was in his fourth year guiding the Chieftains. He coached at Newcomb for two seasons before coming to Shiprock.
When reached on his cell phone, King said his decision boiled down to "philosophical differences in how to operate the program."
Assistant coach Cliff Johns is expected to coach the team during tonight's District 1-4A game at Farmington High. Shiprock athletics director Mike Walker said a meeting is scheduled for Monday to determine how best to proceed with a month remaining in the campaign. "It's always tough when you lose somebody in the middle of the season," Walker said. He added that the news caught him off guard.
Shiprock is expected to contend for a league title this season with an experienced and talented roster that spent December traveling across New Mexico while embarking on a challenging pre-district slate of games. The Chiefs are off to an 8-11 start (1-0 in District 1-4A).
Walker planned to meet with the team after school Friday to notify the players of the situation.
Lou
Well, tonight's entire slate of games has been wiped out.
PV and Farmington have yet to announce a makeup date for their District 1-4A girls game, while the Aztec and Shiprock girls will play Friday night. Bloomfield's road game at Crownpoint will be played Feb. 1. Finally, the Navajo Prep girls contest at Ramah has been rescheduled for early February.
Was this the most bizarre snow day ever? It was almost 50 degrees when I went to the office in the early afternoon, and nearly all the snow was melted. It was a good day to be a high school student.
Alright, I'm officially ready for spring. Enough snow, already!
Because of the weather, the Farmington-Piedra Vista girls game scheduled for tonight (Thursday) has been postponed. A makeup date has not been announced.
Thus far, this is the lone game affected. But it's still early and I'm still at home.
We'll be sure to provide updates if and when more games are called off.
Ever since the NBA morphed into a woefully unentertaining league that relies almost predominantly on isolation plays and free throws, I've turned more and more to the college game to satisfy my basketball fix.
And because we're drawing increasingly closer to March Madness, I thought I'd take a look at the postseason prospects for the Lobos and Aggies. The results were a bit mixed. Both squads, with strong finishes, have a legitimate shot at cracking the 64-team field. That's right, 64-team field. I'll accept the play-in game when the NCAA gives me a playoff system in college football. Until then, no dice.
Let's start with the Lobos. New Mexico is 16-4 and 3-2 in the Mountain West Conference after Tuesday's 77-67 overtime win over Utah, and resides in fifth place, a game behind league-leading San Diego State (4-1, 14-5 overall). The Lobos have 11 games remaining, including five at The Pit, and have the luxury of playing Colorado State (winless in the MWC) twice. Assuming they go 7-4 down the stretch, a modest expectation, that's a 23-win campaign.
But the problems arise when the RPI is considered. Just to be safe, let's preface this paragraph with a disclaimer: There will be no explanation here of what the RPI (Ratings Percentage Index) is because, in my opinion, it makes the BCS look elementary. I do know this: strength of schedule (SOS) appears to be the cornerstone of the system.
The Lobos have an RPI ranking of 60, a lofty number considering their SOS is slotted at an abysmal 176. However, UNM is 2-1 against teams with an RPI ranking between 51-100 and 6-2 against squads between 101-200. Then again ... it will be hard for the Lobos to improve their standing when San Diego State, at No. 54 in the RPI, is the highest-ranked MWC team (UNLV is No. 55). Also, no conference foe is in either of the top-25 polls.
Still, 60 is a good place to be (especially when the Lobos' non-conference SOS was 238). 60 is manageable.
The guess here: UNM needs to play in the MWC tournament championship game to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. Not win it, just play for it. That's an attainable goal for a team that has won eight of its past 10 games, proof the Lobos are on the rise.
Down south, the Aggies were hampered by a brutal non-conference slate. Wait, I just rechecked their schedule and brutal is an understatement. Horrific works. NMSU hooked up with Duke (currently ranked fourth in the AP poll), Texas (12), West Virginia (receiving votes) and Louisville (RV), to name the elite. There were two contests against New Mexico (NRV), as well. Throw in all the off-court stuff (Herb Pope, arrests and a new coach), and the Aggies' 10-10 record looks absolutely brilliant.
At 4-1, they're in second place in the Western Athletic Conference after beating Louisiana Tech 63-54 last Saturday in Pope's debut. NMSU has seven games left, four of which are at home. Oh, and then there's this: the WAC tourney just happens to be in Cruces.
Looking at the RPI, the Aggies are ranked way down there at No. 140 (out of 341 teams). But they boast an SOS rank of 71. Even better, their non-conference SOS is 34. Those -- 71 and 34 -- are big numbers come Selection Sunday. Of course, they went 1-7 against teams ranked below 100. Yeah, that could hurt.
Bottom line: the Aggies likely have to win the WAC -- a definite possibility on their home floor -- to return to the party.
Wow, I just made it through a college basketball blog without using the term "on the bubble." Is that even legal?
**********
I'm already tired of the Super Bowl buildup. Let's just be honest here: Eli Manning is personable the same way Rosie O'Donnell is attractive. And Tom Brady, though I'm a fan, isn't Rambo (I'm at a loss for renowned "tough guys") because he played through a sprained ankle. Also, do we really need another game with a New York-Boston-area undertone?
Lou
I've put off writing about Sunday's NFL games because I'm bitter. I was pining for a Packers-Patriots Super Bowl.
But after Green Bay puked on itself in the second half, we're left with a decent, if not remarkable, SB XLII. Without the Packers and Brett Favre in the mix, I'll be hoping to see New England cap a perfect season by winning me some money (you can bet I'll be tossing money on the Patriots to cover whatever the spread ends up being).
Back to Sunday's heartbreak. The feeling I had after the game was reminiscent of the way I felt in high school when a ballgame was canceled. Just empty. Something I wanted to happen so bad - in this case Packers v. Patriots - flamed out, and it was Brett Favre who played a leading role in killing the dream. That was the toughest part. I've never cared that, because I'm a Minnesota guy, I'm supposed to hate Green Bay, and especially Favre. Not the case: I love the guy. In fact, he's a top 5 in my list of all-time favorite athletes (the list includes Michael Jordan, Kevin Garnett, Cal Ripken Jr. and Lance Armstrong if you're scoring at home).
One of the reasons I like Favre so much is this: what you see is what you get. Watch the guy conduct an interview. He doesn't just stand there and provide polished, rehearsed answer after polished, rehearsed answer. He speaks from his heart, while wearing a crusty ballcap, a five o-clock shadow and a sweatshirt. I believe the answers he provides are the same ones he'd give to a buddy over a cold beer at a Biloxi, Miss., watering hole. Favre is such a far cry from the Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys of the world. Those guys are the essence of boring, though both are amazing QBs. But they're driven by sustaining their corporate image. If Favre is having a blast during a snowy game, he's going to chuck a few snowballs. That's just who he is, how he rolls, whether it's on national TV or not. He's the real deal. Once again, what you see is what you get.
So watching No. 4 play so poorly in the second half and into overtime was gut-wrenching. He returned to Brett the Gunslinger at the worst possible time. He was lobbing passes into double coverage, and his trademark fastballs were missing their usual zing. Quite simply, he was a pedestrian quarterback in the biggest game of the year.
What's worse, Favre didn't look like his usual tough-guy self. Did you see him on the sidelines? He couldn't have been more bundled up. No way. The man looked like he absolutely hated the cold, hated playing in it. Oddly enough, the weather did affect the game, it just appeared to affect it the wrong way. Not that the Giants played a flawless football game. They did nearly everything they could to blow that game, but the home team couldn't capitalize. At Lambeau Field. Under the lights. In extreme cold. Ten years ago, the Packers win that game by 30. But the Lambeau mystique is eroding, if only a bit.
This is one of those Super Bowls where I wish we could just play the game this Sunday instead of having to endure two weeks of insincere hype. Eli Manning-Brady is nowhere close to Favre-Brady, in terms of sexy showdowns. And given that the two teams played less than a month ago, you can bet Bill Belichick will put together a game plan that capitalizes on every single New York weakness. I'm not saying the Giants don't have a chance, but it would take a mammoth performance to stop New England's quest to make history.
For the record, I placed three different bets on the game (I didn't actually gamble because we all know that's illegal). The first bet was a two-part parlay on the Packers to win by more than 7.5 points and for the combined amount of points to exceed 41.5. The second was for Green Bay to score first, and the third was for Ryan Grant to score the first touchdown. So that's 0-for-3. Just a bad day all around.
**********
A quick thought on the day's first game. What was Norv Turner thinking punting from the New England 36-yard line with his team trailing by two scores? You're confident you can stop the best offense in the history of the league two times with a SB berth on the line? And you're also confident you can turn those stops into two scores, when you haven't cracked the end zone all afternoon? Attempt a 53-yard field goal or go for it on fourth-and-10. It's that simple.
Ladies and gentleman, Mr. Norv Turner.
By the way, Brady was photographed wearing a walking cast today. Apparently, he has a high ankle sprain. Do the Patriots even have a backup quarterback? Obviously Brady will play in two weeks, but if this is more serious than it sounds, the Giants could have a shot. As it stands now, you better believe Michael Strahan and UmenyorolakIya (that's gotta be close, right?) will be taking aim at that ankle.
Lou
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Farmington at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. -- Shiprock at Aztec
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Farmington at Shiprock
7 p.m. -- Pagosa Springs at Kirtland Central
7:30 p.m. -- Crownpoint at Bloomfield
Thursday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7:30 p.m. -- Bloomfield at Crownpoint
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Farmington at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. -- Shiprock at Aztec
7 p.m. -- Navajo Prep at Ramah
Friday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Piedra Vista at Kirtland Central
7 p.m. -- Shiprock at Farmington
7:30 p.m. -- Pine Hill at Navajo Prep
GIRLS BASKETBALL
6 p.m. -- Pine Hill at Navajo Prep
7:30 p.m. -- Bloomfield at Zuni
WRESTLING
4 p.m. -- Bloomfield at Kirtland Central
DIVING
6 p.m. -- Farmington, PV at FHS Invite
Saturday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
4 p.m. -- Zuni at Bloomfield
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Piedra Vista at Kirtland Central
7 p.m. -- Bernalillo at Aztec
WRESTLING
Ignacio Invitational
Farmington, Piedra Vista, Aztec, Kirtland Central and Bloomfield, at Ignacio Invitational
SWIMMING
10 a.m. -- Farmington, PV at FHS Invite
My, it's a cold one out there today. Whenever it gets cold or, heaven forbid, we get three inches of snow, people always ask me, "Bet this reminds you of home."
My response: No, no it doesn't.
Sure, today was unpleasant. Not too cold to go for a run, but chilly nonetheless. However, I'm from Minnesota, and if there's one thing I'm accustomed to, it's seeing my breath. In fact, that's my first memory: being able to see my breath circle out of my mouth. Some people have birthday parties or sitting on grandpa's lap, I have impossible cold.
On Tuesday, my brother sent me this link, which ably underscores my familiarity with harsh temps: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22649329/?GT1=10755
It's a story about a Colorado city fighting a Minnesota city for rights to the moniker "Icebox of the Nation." Apparently, this is an ongoing feud. We're not sure why, but it is. The article is reminiscent of two guys arguing over who has the better Yugo. Funny thing is, International Falls isn't even the coldest Minnesota city. It gets all the pub, though.
In Minnesota, we aren't blessed with much. We say things like "Oh yaahhhhh," and "youbetcha," and we do so proudly (or, perhaps, out of habit). So when I read the article, I was ready to fight. My home state needs a city with this title. It's a bizarre source of pride. Thus, if there's a militia being formed, count me in.
**********
OK, back to the task at hand. We're trying to tweak this modern marvel we call a blog. If you're an avid reader (and by "avid" I mean if you read it at all), you know there's improvements to be made. One idea my boss would like to implement is a Q & A format, which I'm all for. So, if you have any questions relating to The Daily Times and local sports, we'd like to hear 'em. Questions of coverage, why we write what we write, how we decide what games to include, etc. -- it's all fair game. Ask away. Also, and this is a BIG also, story ideas are welcome. I've been told it's easier to mow a lawn with scissors than it is to leave a comment here, so questions and suggestions can be sent to lstgeorge@daily-times.com
**********
Aztec's girls basketball tournament starts Thursday. The eight-team bonanza runs through Saturday, and differs from many of the tournaments throughout the area. Ya see, when a team hosts a tourney, they schedule their first-round game against the absolute weakest team in the field. There's no question about it: if you're at a basketball tournament and you're playing against the host squad in Round 1, you have a weak team. In fact, that could be a barometer of each team's strength: how many times they've played against a host team on the first day of a tournament.
The Lady Tigers, however, are slated to take on Capital, no slouch, on Thursday. If the Tigers had maintained the party line, they would have played their junior varsity in the opener, but alas, they're not.
**********
Randy Jackson's departure from the Farmington sidelines leaves three District 1-4A programs looking for football coaches. Kirtland Central is trying to replace Bill Cawood and Shiprock needs a replacement for Bruce Graham. The situation nearly mirrors that of the league's girls basketball scene, which boasts four new coaches this season.
My early prediction for the new Farmington coach: Bobby Petrino.
**********
Has anyone seen Wade Phillips recently? Was he even at the Cowboys' game against the Giants on Sunday?
If I'm Jerry Jones, I would just keep giving Phillips 16-game contracts. That way he could guide the Cowboys to a strong showing during the regular season before turning control over to an assistant with a spine. Poor Wade has never experienced a postseason win as a head coach.
If the Packers and Patriots both win Sunday, the Feb. 3 Super Bowl will go down as the most anticipated Super Bowl ever. I hate to look too far ahead, but the prospect of Brett Favre playing in another Super Bowl is intoxicating.
My forecast for the weekend's conference championship games:
Patriots 27, Chargers 21
Packers 23, Giants 14
Lou
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. - Bloomfield at Aztec
7 p.m. - Newcomb at Navajo Prep
7 p.m. - Durango at Kirtland Central
7 p.m. - Shiprock at Wingate
GIRLS BASKETBALL
5:30 p.m. - Durango at Kirtland Central
7 p.m. - Gallup at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. - Shiprock at Tohatchi
7 p.m. - Aztec at Grants
WRESTLING
5 p.m. -- Piedra Vista at Bloomfield
Thursday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. - Kirtland Central at Moriarty
7:30 p.m. - Farmington at Bloomfield
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bloomfield at Cuba Tournament
7 p.m. - Navajo Prep at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. - Shiprock at Grants
Friday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. - Taos at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. - Farmington at St. Pius
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bloomfield at Cuba Tournament
7 p.m. - Farmington at Eldorado
WRESTLING
Farmington, Piedra Vista at Joe Vivian Classic
Tiger Duals
At Koogler Middle School
Aztec, Bloomfield, Kirtland Central, Deming, Robertson, Silver City, Taos and Ignacio at Tiger Duals
Saturday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
4 p.m. - Farmington at Los Alamos
7 p.m. - Piedra Vista at Espanola
7 p.m. - Kirtland Central at Pagosa Springs
7 p.m. - Aztec at Bernalillo
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Bloomfield at Cuba Tournament
3 p.m. - Piedra Vista at Thoreau
4 p.m. - Farmington at Highland
5:30 p.m. - Kirtland Central at Pagosa Springs
WRESTLING
Farmington, Piedra Vista at Joe Vivian Classic
Tiger Duals
At Koogler Middle School
Aztec, Bloomfield, Kirtland Central, Deming, Robertson, Silver City, Taos and Ignacio at Tiger Duals
SWIM/DIVE
10 a.m. - Farmington, Piedra Vista at Albuquerque Academy Invite
A few quick notes heading into the weekend.
Saturday is Marv Sanders Day in Farmington. Sanders is the iconic former Farmington High boys coach who helped the Scorpions to two state championships, including the much-revered 1982 campaign when the Scorps went 26-0. Sanders, who coaches the Capitan Lady Tigers, recently captured his 800th career coaching victory.
Farmington High takes on Del Norte on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at Scorpion Gymnasium.
I'm trying to track down Mr. Sanders and recall those glory days, and what it meant to win No. 800.
Today's winners at Aztec's Rumble in the Jungle included Sandia Prep (53-38 over Piedra Vista), Whitehorse (81-48 over Cortez) and Ignacio (63-37 over the host Tigers). Check out this stat from from the late game: Ignacio made 7-of-14 shots from beyond the arc, including its final six long-range attempts. Conversely, Aztec converted just 4-of-25 moneyball attempts, and missed its first 15 from downtown.
Friday's Rumble slate reads like this: Sandia vs. Ignacio (4 p.m.), PV vs. Whitehorse (6 p.m.) and Aztec vs. Cortez (8 p.m.).
If you're looking for the Shiprock boys score in Friday's edition of The Daily Times, give up the hunt. The Chieftains threw their junior varsity and C-team onto the floor Thursday night against Tohatchi. The reason: The Chiefs, who played in four early season tournaments, didn't have room for the Cougars on their schedule. Each prep team is alotted a certain number of games, and Shiprock is nearing that limit while taking into consideration the eight District 1-4A contest. Who knew? Certainly not us. D-Vaughan drove 35 miles to The Pit, only to be told there was no varsity game. That's 70 miles round-trip and approximately 90 minutes dedicated to a game that didn't happen. Of course, we were never notified of the schedule change.
Lou
With all this snow tumbling to the ground, it seems I should be discussing hockey instead of basketball, but, alas, there's not much hockey to discuss here in the Four Corners.
So, we'll delve back into the world of prep hoops, and try and navigate through some of the top showdowns on this weekend's impossibly packed slate. But first, a quick word about the Farmington Scorpions, who managed to snag a 42-32 win over Pagosa Springs on Tuesday night despite scoring a paltry two first-quarter points.
After covering a game such as Tuesday's, there are so many thoughts, so many possible angles, to consider before cranking out a 16-inch game report. Often, we as sports writers don't do a game justice. Looming deadlines spin us into a rush, and certain tidbits get wheated out. It happens, though it's always maddening when it does. Rather than organize our thoughts and lay out a rough template of the important items, it becomes a jumbled collection of loosely tied facts, stats and quotes.
It's part of being a young writer, learning what works and what doesn't and trying to nail down a format that is both efficient and effective, and one that appeases the reader. Credibility and accuracy is everything in this business. Nonetheless, we're still learning, and doing so on the fly. There's no grace period. We don't get practice stories or do-overs. What we put on paper each night goes to print. Some stories are better than others, and an unfortunate few are flat out terrible.
Fortunately, I'm not here to discuss my profession, which would, essentially, boil down to writing about writing. I am here to talk basketball.
Getting back to the Scorps, their game against Pagosa was one of those contests with enough storylines to make Larry King jealous. Farmington looked like a fish out of water in the first quarter -- an apt description considering they were playing the Pirates. The Scorpions netted a lone basket in the opening frame, but sprang to life with a 21-point outburst in the second quarter.
* They turned the ball over just nine times, an incredible number for a squad that doesn't feature a single player who entered this campaign with varsity experience.
* They made Chuck Barkley proud by attacking the glass, often securing two and three offensive rebounds a possession despite their relative lack of size.
* They got big games from role players (15 points off the bench) at an ideal time, with a handful of regulars sidelined.
* They amped up their defense in the fourth quarter, holding Pagosa scoreless for the final 7 minutes, 30 seconds.
* In the aforementioned electric second quarter, the Scorps buried five 3-pointers en route to a game-changing 17-4 run. This from an outfit that admittedly lacks offensive firepower, a huge philosophical switch for a program that, in recent years, lit up scoreboards.
* They snapped a three-game skid while playing at Scorpion Gymnasium for the first time in 2008.
Most definitely, there were ample subplots. Some were included in Wednesday's game report, while some were, regrettably, omitted. Such is the life of a still-learning sports writer. It's an unbelievable challenge to sit down each night and produce a smooth-flowing, informative, entertaining and accurate story that captivates the atmosphere from a game or event. We hit home runs once in a while, and we go down looking from time to time.
But, like the Scorps on Tuesday, we give a valiant effort in the process.
**********
That took more words than I anticipated. More time, too. Let's look at the weekend games, and there are many.
The Tiger Tournament, a six-team round robin, tips off in Aztec Thursday. At 4 p.m., Piedra Vista hooks up with Sandia Prep, followed by Whitehorse (Utah) and Cortez taking the court. Host Aztec plays Ignacio in the nightcap. On Friday, Sandia plays Ignacio (4 p.m.), PV meets Whitehorse (6) and the Tigers battle Cortez (8). A day later, Whitehorse and Sandia open the action at 3 p.m. Ignacio and Cortez battle for Colorado bragging rights at 5, and Aztec welcomes PV in a showdown of District 1-4A foes at 7.
I don't know a ton about every team playing in Aztec, but I have seen Whitehorse and that's a scary club that could claim the crown when the dust (snow?) settles.
Saturday is about more than just basketball, with the Kirtland Central grapplers hosting the KC Invitational and the Farmington swim team hosting the FHS Open, a five-team affair featuring the Scorpions, PV, Cibola, Highland and Valley. That meet starts at 10 a.m. at the Farmington Aquatic Center.
Aside from tournaments, there are a few enticing games on the docket this weekend. Aztec's girls travel to Navajo Prep on Saturday (4 p.m.). Aztec and Prep have gone in opposite directions during the last month. The Lady Eagles are competing with large-school teams nearly every night, and have hit a speed bump, though it should be good preparation for the state tournament in March. The Lady Tigers sit at 6-2 and nabbed a bizarre victory last week at home against Crownpoint, when they watched a 13-point lead disappear before recovering in the waning seconds. After that contest, Aztec coach Brian Shock said the happiest he's been this season with his team's performance followed games against Clovis and Los Lunas. The Tigers lost both games, but played and executed well, which is the chief objective during the pre-district schedule.
Farmington's boys have an imposing double dip this weekend. Manzano visits on Friday (7 p.m.) and Del Norte invades Scorpion Gym on Saturday afternoon (2:30 p.m.). Other notable games include Grants at Bloomfield (Friday, 7:30 p.m.), Tohatchi at Piedra Vista girls (Saturday, 5 p.m.) and Shiprock at Bloomfield (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.).
**********
Pete Carroll is reportedly interested in returning to the NFL next season with the Atlanta Falcons. Why? Make that a double why? Why would Carroll want to leave Southern California, and why would the Falcons want him? To the Falcons, I say: Bobby Petrino. Nick Saban. Steve Spurrier. Chan Gailey. Dennis Erickson.
College coaches jumping to the NFL simply doesn't work. Recruiting is the lifeblood of the college game. In the NFL, recruiting means squat. Drawing up game plans, masterins Xs and Os, understanding the salary cap ... all are part of the job description. In college, coaches can mask shaky coaching skills by running out a stable of All-Americans. Not the case in the pros, where teams operate on a much more balanced playing field.
Carroll has done the NFL thing. He didn't fail miserably, but he was far from Bill Belichick. Why not stay at USC, continue to contend for national titles and create an ever-lasting legacy?
Lou
As I was pinned inside my apartment today - partially by the snow, but mostly by my unwillingness to bother brushing off my car to venture out into it - it gave me the opportunity to observe the drama of the world of sports.
First was the Roger Clemens press conference, which only served to further confuse the public as to who actually is telling the truth. Personally, I believe today's presser served only to validate the ages-old cliche that there are three sides to every story. The die-hard sports fan in me wants to believe the Rocket is telling the truth; that there still is some element of purity that we all can believe in from the past 10-15 years of baseball. Sadly, I think trainer Brian McNamee's story probably has some element of truth to it. Maybe the information that he passed on to George Mitchell is an exaggerated version of the truth. Neither Clemens or McNamee is telling the complete truth, but the actual truth probably lies somewhere in between.
As for tonight's BCS Championship Game, it was the perfect capper to a nearly unwatchable bowl season - another blowout. Unlike my superior's unfortunate mishaps with his TV, my picture came in clear all game long, but it's not like Louie missed much in between flickers. I tried to escape the awful LSU-Ohio State mismatch by tuning my satellite dish to the Nuggets-Suns game, but even that was bad (it was 70-49 Phoenix when I turned it on).
With the snow (and the fact that safety comes first when you're talking about putting kids on a bus), it's not looking too promising for Tuesday's prep action. Gallup-McKinley County School District has cancelled classes, and schools in Farmington, Bloomfield, Kirtland, Shiprock and Aztec all are on delayed start times. As sports fans as well as sports writers, we at The Daily Times hope there is some way Tuesday's prep schedule can be salvaged, but once again, safety is the main priority - both for the student-athletes and the spectators.
THE PREP SCHEDULE for JAN 7th - JAN 12
Today's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Tohatchi at Navajo Prep
7 p.m. -- Pagosa Springs at Farmington
7 p.m. -- Kirtland Central at Gallup
7 p.m. -- Foothill High at Aztec
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Farmington at Cortez
7 p.m. -- Gallup at Kirtland Central
7:30 p.m. -- Navajo Prep at Tohatchi
Thursday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
6:30 p.m. -- Navajo Prep at Crownpoint
7 p.m. -- Tohatchi at Shiprock
7 p.m. -- Newcomb at Kirtland Central
Tiger Tournament
Aztec, Piedra Vista, Sandia Prep, Cortez, Ignacio, White Horse (Utah) at Tiger Tournament
GIRLS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Crownpoint at Navajo Prep
7 p.m. -- Durango at Farmington
Friday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
7 p.m. -- Manzano at Farmington
7 p.m. -- Bernalillo at Kirtland Central
7:30 p.m. -- Grants at Bloomfield
Tiger Tournament
Aztec, Piedra Vista, Sandia Prep, Cortez, Ignacio, White Horse (Utah) at Tiger Tournament
GIRLS BASKETBALL
5 p.m. -- Tohatchi at Piedra Vista
7 p.m. -- Bloomfield at Shiprock
7 p.m. -- Farmington at Los Alamos
WRESTLING
Farmington at Silver City Tournament
Bloomfield at St. Michael's Invitational
Saturday's Games
BOYS BASKETBALL
Tiger Tournament
Aztec, Piedra Vista, Sandia Prep, Cortez, Ignacio, White Horse (Utah) at Tiger Tournament
2:30 p.m. -- Del Norte at Farmington
7:30 p.m. -- Shiprock at Bloomfield
GIRLS BASKETBALL
4 p.m. -- Aztec at Navajo Prep
7 p.m. -- Shiprock at Durango
7 p.m. -- Grants at Kirtland Central
WRESTLING
Farmington at Silver City Tournament
Bloomfield at St. Michael's Invitational
Kirtland Central hosts KC Invitational
9 a.m. -- Piedra Vista at Alamosa
SWIM/DIVE
10 a.m. -- FHS Open (PV, Cibola, Highland, Valley)
Wow, the Buckeyes are on a roll. Fox ... not so much. Why does Fox always implode under the spotlight? Just terrible reception for the first few minutes of tonight's BCS national championship game.
I've been increasingly amped for tonight's showdown. Ya see, I'm a Big Ten guy through and through, and it pains me to hear the talkin' heads discredit Ohio State simply because the Big Ten was admittedly weak this fall. Sure, the Buckeyes backed into the championship game, but what about LSU? They lost twice, and only because of the zaniness of this college football season are we seeing the Tigers play OSU. Interestingly, tonight's matchup has revived the discussion surrounding the plus-1 format, which would give us, essentially, a four-team field. Who would want to play Georgia right about now, after what the Bulldogs did to Hawaii last week? What about USC or West Virginia?
This season, especially this season, strengthens the argument for a playoff.
By the way, did y'all know Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans a couple years back? Has this story run its course or what? Not that I'm not sympathetic to the plight of that region. I most definitely am. More than anything, however, it irks me that certain parts of the city remain neglected. I don't understand how a country of our magnitude, our financial capacity, can respond to a natural disaster with so much ineptness.
Also, I can't help but think that the media outlets who continue to bring this story into our homes overwhelmingly lack creativity when it comes to covering a game such as tonight's. Certainly, there has to be other angles, other storylines, to tackle.
Back to the action on the field. I've hopped on the Buckeye bandwagon for the night. OSU's coach, Jim Tressel, embodies class and he runs his program the right way. Also, that sweater vest he wears each game is spectacular. I'm not sure where the sweater vest comes into play strategy-wise, but it can't hurt. Perhaps Ohio State's defense, which is one of the best in the land, draws its inspiration from that gem. We'll never know.
I do know that I want the Buckeyes to win to restore some respect to the Big Ten. I'll admit that, at least this season, the SEC was the top conference in college football. I don't think there's much of an argument there. But the Big Ten isn't as bad as everyone makes it out to be. In my opinion, it's cyclical. The SEC currently is on top, but that won't last forever. The Pac 10 will rise up, a prospect once laughable but not so much anymore, or the Big 12 or the Big East.
My God, Fox is bungling this thing. Even the commercials are flickering in and out. Could this be related to the snowstorm that nailed the Four Corners this afternoon? It's a plausible explanation.
The snow reinforced the reality that I've lost some of my native Minnesotan since moving to New Mexico two years ago. I was thrilled at the prospect of being able to shovel while my dog ran through the snow. But, alas, no shovel. Not a one in the house. Also, I don't have a pair of winter gloves, and when I was getting ready to go clear the driveway and sidewalk, I was resigned to using a pair of work gloves. Also, my dog is all of a sudden scared of snow. She used to love the stuff, but whined the first time I put her out this morning. Eventually, she regained her appetite for running through snow, but it took some prodding. I called her names and challenged her "doghood" before she came around.
Tie game! LSU just scored on a beautiful seam route by the tight end. Really nice play. Fox even let us see this one with no flickers. Nicely done, Fox, nicely done. How about the fact that LSU is playing a home game tonight? How bizarre is that? The Superdome is a neutral site? Really? Wait, I'm already making excuses for a possible Ohio State loss. That's bad karma.
Oooh, an Archie Griffin piece. That's gotta be good karma.
On that note, better wrap this up. Just a quick note for the readers, both of you: Because of today's snowstorm, The Daily Times imposed an early deadline. Thus, it's doubtful that Tuesday's paper will feature much, if any, info. from tonight's game. We will, however, post the game report to the Web site and include complete coverage in Wednesday's edition.
Lou
I don't like to watch CNN. It makes me nauseous.
But I lost my TV remote a couple weeks ago. It just disappeared. Don't you hate when that happens?
I swept the apartment a couple times, desperately searching for the remote (Or, as it is called in
I don't think I've ever looked so hard for something. I've lost my cell phone on several occasions, but I barely search for it. I'll have someone call my phone and if I can't hear it ring, oh well! Life goes on.
But the TV remote? I'll venture into the Bermuda Triangle to find my clicker!
Anyways ...
Since I don't have a remote, I have to manually change the channel. Which is just a real pain in my moneymaker. There's no good way to channel surf when you're hovering over the TV or sitting directly in front of it. Just doesn't work.
On Sunday night, I'm changing the channels MANUALLY when I see CNN's re-broadcast of the "One night, Two Parties: New Hampshire Debates." Every major presidential candidate was present at Saint Anslem College in
At one point, they brought all the candidates together on stage. All 67 of them.
Was it entertaining? Yes, most definitely.
Was it also depressing? Very much so.
But I'm in no position to get into politics. I'm just a measly sports writer. My politics involve Hall of Fame voting, steroids testing, and free agency. But Healthcare and the Energy crisis? I'll leave that to the people who get paid the big bucks. Like Steve-O from MTV's Jackass. He gets paid a lot of money.
The real reason I blogged was to compare the candidates in the Presidential Race to NFL playoff teams. So here goes:
The Republicans - The NFC
Rudy Giuliani - The
Rudy rode 9/11 all the way into a presidential campaign. He will fall short.
The Redskins rode their own inspiration, the death of Sean Taylor, into the postseason. They fell short Saturday, as the Seattle Seahawks held rank.
Mike Huckabee-
Scrappy. They're hanging in a little longer than most expected. Plus, they both won this past week. Huckabee trumped
John McCain- Dallas Cowboys
Oh, those gunslingers! McCain announced his candidacy on the Lettermen show last year. That's such a Terrell Owens thing to do.
Fred Thompson -
The "Best Known For" clause. Thompson best known for his role on Law & Order. Gruden and the Bucs are best known for their Super Bowl title in the 2003 season. But "best known for" can only get you so far.
Ron Paul -
How is Ron Paul still alive? How is Brett Favre still playing professional football?
Mitt Romney -
Both are overlooked and, at times, even dismissed. He's a Mormon. And the Seahawks are in the NFC West. C'mon now!
But both have a hefty resume. Romney's been around the block and the same could be said about Mike Holmgren and Matt Hassleback. Watch out!
The Democrats -- The AFC
John Edwards - The
First off, judging by his tan, Edwards has been spending some time in
Both are suitable for secondary roles. Edwards is a strong Vice President candidate, and has been in the past. The Chargers will never win on the big stage. They were in the Super Bowl once before (in 1994) and they lost by 27 touchdowns.
Bill Richardson - The
Both are storming out of small markets. Both have an uphill battle to the top of the mountain.
Good night and good luck.
Hilary Clinton - The
Both have been to the top of the mountain. They've reached the glory land. The Colts won the Super Bowl. Hilary's been in the White House and is a
Plus, Peyton Manning looks like a horse and Hilary looks like an ass.
Barack Obama - The
The Pats went 16-0. Obama was endorsed by Oprah Winfrey. Both look great on paper.
Obama is knocked for his inexperience. The Pats are knocked for their inexperience without a video camera.
Oh, also. Obama looks like a skinny version of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Rock was in a classic film called The Game Plan, a movie about a Boston-based football team.
Hmmmm .....
Today's schedule for the Webb Toyota Lady Bronco Invitational is set.
In the two consolation bracket games, Shiprock plays Gallup (1 p.m.) and Belen plays Hope Christian (3 p.m.). The semifinals have Grand Junction Central (Colo.) hooking up with Thoreau at 5 p.m., followed by the main event, Kirtland Central and Navajo Prep at 7.
According to various folks at Bronco Arena last night, Gallup has suspended three of its best players for the remainder of the season, including one young lady who was garnering All-America consideration. The suspensions reportedly stem from an incident last week in Albuquerque, where the Lady Bengals were playing in the T-Mobile Invitational. (Side note: At the T-Mobile, La Cueva's boys team was hammered by 50 by a team from, I believe, New Jersey, which had seven -- SEVEN -- players on its roster who had signed Division I letters of intent.)
This explains the Bengals' offensive struggles Thursday night -- they went nearly eight minutes down the stretch of a tight ballgame without a point.
I'm going to look into the suspensions a bit more, but it could be tough to learn anything of substance. Coaches aren't apt to talk much about players who have been suspended. These are, after all, still teenage athletes.
By the way, how about that National Anthem performance leading into Kirtland Central's game with Belen? The young lady who did the singing is a KC graduate who studies music at the University of Texas and has spent time in Europe singing opera. She brought the house down last night. We're not sure which house she brought down, but somewhere in Kirtland, a house is down.
Finally, be sure to check out the rodeo at McGee Park this weekend. It runs today and Saturday. Doors open both nights at 5:30 p.m.
Apparently, Hawaii's football team didn't realize its mammoth Sugar Bowl showdown with Georgia was slated for Tuesday, Jan 1.
According to the World Wide Web, "warrior" is defined thusly:
- One who is engaged in or experienced in battle.
- One who is engaged aggressively or energetically in an activity, cause, or conflict.
Hawaii looked like it was playing its first college football game of the year Tuesday, far from an outfit boasting battle experience. Georgia's bruising Bulldogs hung a 41-10 laugher on the Warriors, which wasn't shocking, but it was disappointing. Basically, in my New Year's Day column, I said Hawaii would upset Georgia. At the time, I was under the wild impression that the little guys from the big island understood they had a rather big game looming. Did I mention I filed that column from Crackers Sports Bar? I didn't, but that would be a handy excuse right about now.
By the way, is this the worst bowl season ever? Terrible matchups across the board, too many blowouts, too many mediocre teams. The first day I set foot in Farmington, I watched on my hotel room TV as Texas survived USC in one of the most entertaining games I can recall. It was one of those rare matchups that actually lived up to all the hype. Fast-forward to this year's Rose Bowl, and we saw USC destroy a terribly, horrendously, disgustedly overrated Illinois team. On the heels of such a dizzying regular season, this bowl season reeks.
This doesn't bode well for the NFL playoffs.
The NFL just wrapped up a spectacular regular season. Perfect Patriots. Brett Favre circa 1997. Icing the kicker. Peyton Manning willing the Colts to the No. 2 seed in the AFC despite a rash of injuries. The debut of Adrian Peterson. America's Team. I mean, there were so many delightful developments during the past four months that a postseason for the ages is but a foregone conclusion, right?
We'll see how it plays out the next four weeks, and hope it doesn't mirror that of the college game.
While I'm here, I'd like to mention that I picked the San Diego Chargers to beat the Cowboys in the Super Bowl. I'm not backing down from that prediction. I think the only reason you should ever reconsider a prediction is if one or both teams are belly-up. Do I think the Chargers will be in Arizona in early February? Perhaps, if Tom Brady (and Norv Turner) gets abducted by aliens in Roswell. But I will still cling to my prediction from back in August. It's no fun to join the masses and foretell a New England-Dallas billing. That takes no thought, no guts.
Come on Chargers! (Note: I'd really like to see Green Bay in the Super Bowl, so if you're scoring at home, I've basically picked half of the 12-team field to win out. Tomorrow, we'll discuss the finer points of how not to make a prediction. My head hurts.)
Alright, let's talk local. How was everyone's New Year's celebration? I'm not sure if my groundbreaking idea to call today January 1B caught on, but I'd like to think I made it OK for just a few folks to sit on the couch like a maple tree yesterday. Do maple trees sit on couches? Probably not, but you're missing the bigger point, which is this: None of us, technically, are maple trees. I'll argue this until my cow comes home.
Anyway, the prep basketball scene returns Thursday in a big way. Kirtland Central is hosting its tournament, which features eight very good, very enticing squads. I would call the tournament by its name, but it's like eight words and I can't recall but five of 'em. We're always excited when these local shindigs include a bunch of San Juan County teams, but I gotta admit, I'm looking forward to seeing the Gallup Lady Bengals hit the hardwood at Bronco Arena. Throw in Navajo Prep, Shiprock, a tough team from Grand Junction (Colo.) and, of course, the Lady Broncos, and it should be a whale of a weekend. My prediction? I really like Kirtland, but Gallup is dynamite and Prep and Shiprock are ... you get the idea. I'm having a tough time predicting anything this evening.
Speaking of hoops, the district season will be starting in roughly three weeks. Until then, there's a few more tournaments. Then, it's all San Juan County all the time. (At least until March.)
A few quick hits:
Joe Gomez enters the ring again next Friday in Albuquerque. Gomez, the puzzling pugilist from Bloomfield, is the main event at Isleta Casino and Resort. If you have any inclination to make the trip south, now's as good a time as any. If Gomez keeps blistering opponents the way he has been, it won't be long before he's fighting in Atlantic City and Las Vegas.
Aztec's boys basketball team is playing a correctional facility team on Jan. 8 at The Jungle. Forget basketball for a moment, this is a really cool deal, especially for the young men coming from Albuquerque who will have the chance to play in an ideal prep facility in front of a big crowd.
Huge rodeo this weekend at McGee Park. I'd love to tell you more, but all I got is there's a huge rodeo at McGee Park this weekend. Check tomorrow's paper for details, courtesy of Mr. Darren "my real name's Mike" Vaughan.
If you haven't been out to a wrestling match yet this winter, do so. Obviously, the Four Corners annually boasts some of the best wrasslin' in the state, but this year could be especially dominating. Four of the five District 1-4A teams are loaded, and Bloomfield is tough in 3A. On any given weekend, any of those five squads could win a tournament.
Well, it's approaching 8 o'clock and we know what that means: Jack McCoy and Law & Order! I have to confess, I didn't see my first episode of Law & Order until this past June, but I can't get enough of the show. And tonight, I get to watch without it being a rerun for the first time. Suffice it to say, I'm elated. I got a pepsi in the fridge and cheese sticks in the oven.
See, my New Year's Resolution to eat better didn't even make it past January 1B.
Happy 2008.
Lou