Worth the Wait
I know, I know, I've heard from many of you that I'm taking too long, not updating frequently enough, yadi, yadi, yadi. Well, I heard you and now, on this last day of my vacation, I give you the preview of all previews...but first, if you'll indulge me, I've got a small favor to ask of you, my faithful readers.
Rock and Roll Kind of Cause:
I normally don't do this kind of thing, asking for money that is, but this is a great program and a great cause and I'm hoping you'll agree and help out. As many of you know I work for Carino's Italian Restaurants. There are many great things about working for Carino's, but none greater than the Carino's Family Fund. This was a fund that was established to offer immediate, direct financial assistance to employees who may fall victim to natural disasters, sudden loss in the family, or other dire circumstances. A recent example of the fund in action was following the Joplin tornadoes. We have a location in Joplin and thankfully our staff there was safe, however some had significant damage to their homes and/or cars, losing almost everything. Through the Carino's Family Fund we were able to get them money to buy clothes, food, toiletries, as well as cover other immediate needs while they were waiting for insurance to kick in.
The best part about the program - it's direct and immediate. 100% of these funds goes directly to these people in need. And when you consider that Carino's has 68 corporate-owned restaurants, that's a lot of people who can and do benefit from a fund such as this.
In early November I'll be joining some of my Carino's brothers and sisters in San Antonio for the Rock and Roll marathon (or in my case, half marathon) and in doing so trying to raise money for our Family Fund. My goal is to raise $300 and so I ask that you help out a great cause. If I can get 25 of you to pledge $1 a mile (essentially $13) we'll exceed the goal. Additionally, I'll be contributing $100 on top of the $300 goal. If you're interested in helping out I and countless other would be much appreciated. Please reach out to me at rbearden@carinos.com for details.
Thanks so much for indulging me, and now, on to the Ranting....
Aggies:
I've got to touch on the A&M saga before I get into the annual guessing game we call pre-season polls. I gotta hand it to these Aggies, they sure did a lot of hemming and hawing over the summer, but by golly they went off and put at least a little bit of bite into their bark. Just a little bit. I know I rubbed some of my Aggie friends the wrong way last year when I doubted the legitimacy (and reality) of the Aggies to the SEC rumors. Yes, I received all of your links to articles and commentary on the subject, but at the end of the day it didn't happen. In light of the recent events, and in hindsight, here's what I believe to be true: at the time, the SEC didn't want the Aggies, they wanted OU AND the Aggies. Big difference. Why? Because that made sense. Adding 2 teams offers the SEC more flexibility than adding 1. Bringing OU and the Aggies into the fold gives them a foot into the Texas TV markets through BOTH schools (OU does quite a bit of recruiting in Texas as you know) while also adding another premier program to the fold (that would be the Sooners, not the Aggies). But adding just the Aggies? I'm not seeing it.
Look, I'm not knocking the Aggies, not one bit. As poorly as I think they handled this whole thing this summer, I give them boat loads of credit for taking a bold step. The Aggies have been criticized for not being bold enough over the past 15 years. Their coaching hires have been questionable, their recruiting has been sub par and they did nothing to aggressively expand and grow their program while Texas and OU exploded. And on top of that, Tech owned their asses for half a decade if not longer. So please, whether or not you're an Aggie lover or hater, you have to give them credit for taking a big, bold step. With that said, this was an emotional decision that was handled very poorly (in my opinion). Aggie faithful, for some reason, still think that they are in the same league as their arch rival Longhorns. Not only is that not true, it's not even close to being true. I don't say this as a pompous Texas fan, I say this is as someone who has an ounce of common sense - A&M isn't in the same league as Texas, OU or even half the SEC schools in terms of growth, consistency and draw. Not even close. And that's part of what the Aggies are looking to do, to get out from under Texas' (and although they may not admit it, OU's) shadow. And you know what, that's perfectly understandable.
Here's another defense to the Aggies - I DO NOT believe that they would get their heads kicked in by every team in the conference. I just don't. And those that do are either big-time Texas fans, or big-time SEC fans. Sure, they may lose quite a few conference games the first year or two, but soon enough, they'd blend in with the rest of the conference. Let me also say that this "SEC dominance over the rest of the country" is about 45% media and fan hype, so let's just dispel that BS right here and now. Would they win the conference year 1? No way. Are they going to lose every game? No way. Kind of like 90% of the teams in that conference....
Finally, let me add this. I would sincerely be bummed out if the Aggies left the Big 12, I really would. The Big 12 is a better conference with the Aggies vs without. No question. As I've stated before, I also applaud the Aggies for making a bold move (or trying to at least). Here's the wrinkle - although the Aggies would bring something new to the SEC, this marriage would be a MUCH bigger deal to the Aggies than it would to the SEC. MUCH bigger deal. Furthermore, why would the SEC add just one team? It makes no sense. They are enjoying the fruits of being on top of the college football world right now - they are the kings, deserved or not. As Mike Slive has stated, any decision they make is going to be in the best interest of the conference and a long-term decision. Adding a single team to produce an odd number of teams is not a long-term decision, nor is it a smart big-picture decision. So why do it? At the end of the day, whether they make an offer to the Aggies this year, next year or 4 years from now, they can get the Aggies when ever they want to. So why not do it when it is most optimal? Right now, in a singular emotional act, it is not optimal. This is why I believe the SEC responded the way that they did. They didn't dis the Aggies (although many construed it as that), they just didn't commit to the same kind of aggressive tone and posturing that A&M had demonstrated. Smart move. And what if it does happen? What will happen to the annual Thanksgiving night game? Again, just my opinion, but here's what I think: while the Aggies will be trying to convince Texas to keep the tradition going, the Longhorns will be too busy to return their calls....because they'll be finalizing details to play Notre Dame on Thanksgiving night. Either way, I think A&M's departure is inevitable, it's just a matter of when. It seems crazy and a little sad, but we've seen this before, and it's not really a terrible thing, just another example of where the sport is going.
Longhorn Network:
Let me just also add that I'm not a fan of this. I'm genuinely not a fan of this type of programming/platform. It's an enormous risk by both parties, but hey, if you're ESPN, it only makes sense to test it with a program like Texas. Texas may have been one of the first, but they'll certainly not be the last. I'm sure a lot of schools will watch closely over the next year or two and see what worked and what didn't. Makes sense.
I think the beef with the high school games being televised was totally valid - I agree it would, although indirectly, give an advantage to the Longhorns if it's on their network. That's a nice little hook for Texas coaches to toss out there to high school Juniors.
With all of that said - either Texas (really, IMG and ESPN) flat out lied, which I find incredibly hard to believe, or the Big 12 didn't do it's due diligence before agreeing to the deal. I don't know what happened, but it's gone less than swimmingly. Either way, I say the days of team networks will be short and not-so-sweet. Talk about diluting an already saturated 24-hour sports media market. I just don't see it working personally, but what the hell do I know?
College Football Preview:
Has there ever been a time when college football can be so easy to hate? Archaic rules that NEVER punish the right people, hypocrisy, BCS, corruption and of course my favorite, the pre-season polls (insert sarcastic sound effects here).
Look, we know the teams that are going to be good (and I mean 10 and 2 or better good) like your OU, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, blah, blah, blah. Stellar work guys, the teams that are always "pretty damn good and even when they're not we rank them high" is a good place to start. Because I have no idea how to rank teams (with 20 year old kids) before I've seen them play, or who they'll play, I'm going to make a few comments on the top 15 or so in the pre-season AP.
We had our fantasy draft this weekend and I feel really good about my team. On top of that, I'm super pumped about the season - the trend continues - my excitement for NFL is beginning to consistently and increasingly outweigh my excitement for college football. Oh well, thank goodness the lockout is over. Before I get to my fantasy team here are 10 quick thoughts on the start of the season:
Running Backs: Leshon McCoy, Mark Ingram, Ryan Matthews, Kendall Hunter
Rational: McCoy and Matthews are in prime RB situations with very elite QBs and strong passing games. And they are great backs. Ingram may be seen by some as a stretch, but I don't think he could have fallen into a better situation. Like the first two, very strong passing game. AND, he'll be the bruiser and I think will get a lot of goal line runs. And finally, Hunter is a fast, change of pace kind of runner who's behind Frank Gore, who's guaranteed to get hurt at some point this year.
Wide Receivers: Vincent Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Julio Jones, Steve Smith (Philly), Plaxico Burress, Steve Breaston
Rational: Vincent Jackson is paid and happy and that team is on a mission. Jeremy Maclin is a great complement to Jackson, but more of a true receiver so I think he'll get more balls. Jones, like his Alabama buddy in New Orleans, fell into a fantastic situation with a great team (Atlanta) with established number one receiver and elite QB and RB. Steve Smith, Plax and Breaston were, I thought, just great pickups along the way. Steve Smith (formerly of Giants) in Philly is a great insurance policy and will get his options. He's a strong receiver. Plax will be a touchdown machine, it's just a matter of when he'll start to get balls his way.
Quarterback: Tom Brady and Colt McCoy
Rational: Brady and Ochocinco are going to make some sweet, sweet music this year. I feel good about 4500 yards and 35 TDs from Mr. Brady. And Colt was a bonus (at least it looks like it now).
Tight End: Jermichael Finley
Rational: Praying he stays healthy. He's ridiculous.
I'll spare you the rest, but I took Bears' D. Whatever, they were the best one available. Anyway, I feel good about it, I really do. I think my rookie Bama pickups are going to pay off early and often. We'll see.
That's what I got. It's late and I'm tired. Have a great week.
Rock and Roll Kind of Cause:
I normally don't do this kind of thing, asking for money that is, but this is a great program and a great cause and I'm hoping you'll agree and help out. As many of you know I work for Carino's Italian Restaurants. There are many great things about working for Carino's, but none greater than the Carino's Family Fund. This was a fund that was established to offer immediate, direct financial assistance to employees who may fall victim to natural disasters, sudden loss in the family, or other dire circumstances. A recent example of the fund in action was following the Joplin tornadoes. We have a location in Joplin and thankfully our staff there was safe, however some had significant damage to their homes and/or cars, losing almost everything. Through the Carino's Family Fund we were able to get them money to buy clothes, food, toiletries, as well as cover other immediate needs while they were waiting for insurance to kick in.
The best part about the program - it's direct and immediate. 100% of these funds goes directly to these people in need. And when you consider that Carino's has 68 corporate-owned restaurants, that's a lot of people who can and do benefit from a fund such as this.
In early November I'll be joining some of my Carino's brothers and sisters in San Antonio for the Rock and Roll marathon (or in my case, half marathon) and in doing so trying to raise money for our Family Fund. My goal is to raise $300 and so I ask that you help out a great cause. If I can get 25 of you to pledge $1 a mile (essentially $13) we'll exceed the goal. Additionally, I'll be contributing $100 on top of the $300 goal. If you're interested in helping out I and countless other would be much appreciated. Please reach out to me at rbearden@carinos.com for details.
Thanks so much for indulging me, and now, on to the Ranting....
Aggies:
I've got to touch on the A&M saga before I get into the annual guessing game we call pre-season polls. I gotta hand it to these Aggies, they sure did a lot of hemming and hawing over the summer, but by golly they went off and put at least a little bit of bite into their bark. Just a little bit. I know I rubbed some of my Aggie friends the wrong way last year when I doubted the legitimacy (and reality) of the Aggies to the SEC rumors. Yes, I received all of your links to articles and commentary on the subject, but at the end of the day it didn't happen. In light of the recent events, and in hindsight, here's what I believe to be true: at the time, the SEC didn't want the Aggies, they wanted OU AND the Aggies. Big difference. Why? Because that made sense. Adding 2 teams offers the SEC more flexibility than adding 1. Bringing OU and the Aggies into the fold gives them a foot into the Texas TV markets through BOTH schools (OU does quite a bit of recruiting in Texas as you know) while also adding another premier program to the fold (that would be the Sooners, not the Aggies). But adding just the Aggies? I'm not seeing it.
Look, I'm not knocking the Aggies, not one bit. As poorly as I think they handled this whole thing this summer, I give them boat loads of credit for taking a bold step. The Aggies have been criticized for not being bold enough over the past 15 years. Their coaching hires have been questionable, their recruiting has been sub par and they did nothing to aggressively expand and grow their program while Texas and OU exploded. And on top of that, Tech owned their asses for half a decade if not longer. So please, whether or not you're an Aggie lover or hater, you have to give them credit for taking a big, bold step. With that said, this was an emotional decision that was handled very poorly (in my opinion). Aggie faithful, for some reason, still think that they are in the same league as their arch rival Longhorns. Not only is that not true, it's not even close to being true. I don't say this as a pompous Texas fan, I say this is as someone who has an ounce of common sense - A&M isn't in the same league as Texas, OU or even half the SEC schools in terms of growth, consistency and draw. Not even close. And that's part of what the Aggies are looking to do, to get out from under Texas' (and although they may not admit it, OU's) shadow. And you know what, that's perfectly understandable.
Here's another defense to the Aggies - I DO NOT believe that they would get their heads kicked in by every team in the conference. I just don't. And those that do are either big-time Texas fans, or big-time SEC fans. Sure, they may lose quite a few conference games the first year or two, but soon enough, they'd blend in with the rest of the conference. Let me also say that this "SEC dominance over the rest of the country" is about 45% media and fan hype, so let's just dispel that BS right here and now. Would they win the conference year 1? No way. Are they going to lose every game? No way. Kind of like 90% of the teams in that conference....
Finally, let me add this. I would sincerely be bummed out if the Aggies left the Big 12, I really would. The Big 12 is a better conference with the Aggies vs without. No question. As I've stated before, I also applaud the Aggies for making a bold move (or trying to at least). Here's the wrinkle - although the Aggies would bring something new to the SEC, this marriage would be a MUCH bigger deal to the Aggies than it would to the SEC. MUCH bigger deal. Furthermore, why would the SEC add just one team? It makes no sense. They are enjoying the fruits of being on top of the college football world right now - they are the kings, deserved or not. As Mike Slive has stated, any decision they make is going to be in the best interest of the conference and a long-term decision. Adding a single team to produce an odd number of teams is not a long-term decision, nor is it a smart big-picture decision. So why do it? At the end of the day, whether they make an offer to the Aggies this year, next year or 4 years from now, they can get the Aggies when ever they want to. So why not do it when it is most optimal? Right now, in a singular emotional act, it is not optimal. This is why I believe the SEC responded the way that they did. They didn't dis the Aggies (although many construed it as that), they just didn't commit to the same kind of aggressive tone and posturing that A&M had demonstrated. Smart move. And what if it does happen? What will happen to the annual Thanksgiving night game? Again, just my opinion, but here's what I think: while the Aggies will be trying to convince Texas to keep the tradition going, the Longhorns will be too busy to return their calls....because they'll be finalizing details to play Notre Dame on Thanksgiving night. Either way, I think A&M's departure is inevitable, it's just a matter of when. It seems crazy and a little sad, but we've seen this before, and it's not really a terrible thing, just another example of where the sport is going.
Longhorn Network:
Let me just also add that I'm not a fan of this. I'm genuinely not a fan of this type of programming/platform. It's an enormous risk by both parties, but hey, if you're ESPN, it only makes sense to test it with a program like Texas. Texas may have been one of the first, but they'll certainly not be the last. I'm sure a lot of schools will watch closely over the next year or two and see what worked and what didn't. Makes sense.
I think the beef with the high school games being televised was totally valid - I agree it would, although indirectly, give an advantage to the Longhorns if it's on their network. That's a nice little hook for Texas coaches to toss out there to high school Juniors.
With all of that said - either Texas (really, IMG and ESPN) flat out lied, which I find incredibly hard to believe, or the Big 12 didn't do it's due diligence before agreeing to the deal. I don't know what happened, but it's gone less than swimmingly. Either way, I say the days of team networks will be short and not-so-sweet. Talk about diluting an already saturated 24-hour sports media market. I just don't see it working personally, but what the hell do I know?
College Football Preview:
Has there ever been a time when college football can be so easy to hate? Archaic rules that NEVER punish the right people, hypocrisy, BCS, corruption and of course my favorite, the pre-season polls (insert sarcastic sound effects here).
Look, we know the teams that are going to be good (and I mean 10 and 2 or better good) like your OU, Alabama, LSU, Oregon, blah, blah, blah. Stellar work guys, the teams that are always "pretty damn good and even when they're not we rank them high" is a good place to start. Because I have no idea how to rank teams (with 20 year old kids) before I've seen them play, or who they'll play, I'm going to make a few comments on the top 15 or so in the pre-season AP.
- Boise State at 5, huh? Better respect, but as I said last year, and the year before that - the Broncos as a program are at a place where they can play with any team in the country on any field. I'm not crowning them, but they are definitely on an elite level in my book.
- I'm curious, if the Aggie stuff weren't going on this summer, would they come in at 8? Who knows. I can definitely see this team making a nice run, but they have 2 brutal stretches in their schedule: Okie State, Arkansas and Tech on consecutive weeks early in the year. And then Missouri, at OU and at Kstate on consecutive weeks later in year. If they can get through the year with 9 or 10 wins, that would be a big year.
- Will you AP writers stop punishing Okie State fan by ranking them so high? They've got good talent coming back and have played tough in recent years, but man these guys are inconsistent. They get Texas, Missouri, A&M, Tulsa, and Tech all on the road, with OU coming to town the last game of the year. I don't know, that's a lot of road games to get through.
- Florida State, huh? We'll see.
- Three "Sleeper" Teams (based on the fact that they are ranked kind of low, but who I think could be really good): Notre Dame, Ohio State, and Texas (only because I think they're going 8-4 which is a big improvement).
- From the files of "when will we learn?" I give you....Georgia at 19 and Michigan State at 17.
- Alright Texas fans, here's what I got: First off, no, there's no way they should be ranked. Stop it. They went 5-7, replaced 90% of their coaching staff, and looks as if they're heading into the year with Gilbert at the helm. So..there's that. Second, I see this team vastly improving, going 8-4. Losses will be to OU, UCLA, Kansas State and A&M. And before you start throwing, "how could they lose to UCLA or Kansas State" BS, let me ask you this: What, in the history of the existence of this conference, and the last 15 years of this Texas program, gives you any idea at all that Texas will beat either of those teams? That's what I thought. So until Texas actually beats the Bruins or the Wildcats, please save it. We will all take 8-4 after last year's debacle. And assuming Gilbert improves vastly from last year, he'll have a senior year left to come back, offering good stability heading into year 2 of a completely new offensive philosophy. Think long term. Give me 8-4 any day of the week - anything better than that is gravy.
We had our fantasy draft this weekend and I feel really good about my team. On top of that, I'm super pumped about the season - the trend continues - my excitement for NFL is beginning to consistently and increasingly outweigh my excitement for college football. Oh well, thank goodness the lockout is over. Before I get to my fantasy team here are 10 quick thoughts on the start of the season:
- I think you're going to see a lot of sloppy play early in the year - first 3-4 games given the condensed training camp. This will especially be true for teams that experienced a lot of turnover: Philly, Arizona, Seattle.
- I'm very excited to watch the Jets, Philly, Houston and Patriots this year. On paper, those look like some fun teams. Texans offense looked great Saturday night, but their secondary still looks suspect at best, especially with the second and third teams.
- I know it's only pre season, but Colt McCoy is looking far better than I ever thought he'd be in the NFL. It's early, but he's looking like a solid player.
- I don't know the details, but the issue with Peyton Manning's neck does not sound good. He hasn't missed a game in like 15 years or something like that. Hope he keeps the streak alive, but I wouldn't mess around with a neck injury. Without him for an extended period of time and they'll be going home for the playoffs.
- Settle down Aggie guy - if McGee was good enough to be the back up QB, they'd make him the backup QB.
- Seattle will be an interesting team to watch - I smell a train wreck, but they made some bold moves. Tavaris Jackson - that's rolling the dice on faith there Pete Carroll.
- If you're putting a gun to my head I'm taking New England out of the AFC...
- ....and New Orleans out of the NFC.
- I'm rooting like hell for Detroit this year - they seem like they're coming together.
- Like Vick and Ricky Williams, I think Plaxico Burress will benefit from having a year off of taking NFL abuse, or as I call it "NFL aging" - he gained a year so to speak. He's probably healthier than he's been, he's rested and I'm sure he's in shape. I think he'll be a great addition to that team.
Running Backs: Leshon McCoy, Mark Ingram, Ryan Matthews, Kendall Hunter
Rational: McCoy and Matthews are in prime RB situations with very elite QBs and strong passing games. And they are great backs. Ingram may be seen by some as a stretch, but I don't think he could have fallen into a better situation. Like the first two, very strong passing game. AND, he'll be the bruiser and I think will get a lot of goal line runs. And finally, Hunter is a fast, change of pace kind of runner who's behind Frank Gore, who's guaranteed to get hurt at some point this year.
Wide Receivers: Vincent Jackson, Jeremy Maclin, Julio Jones, Steve Smith (Philly), Plaxico Burress, Steve Breaston
Rational: Vincent Jackson is paid and happy and that team is on a mission. Jeremy Maclin is a great complement to Jackson, but more of a true receiver so I think he'll get more balls. Jones, like his Alabama buddy in New Orleans, fell into a fantastic situation with a great team (Atlanta) with established number one receiver and elite QB and RB. Steve Smith, Plax and Breaston were, I thought, just great pickups along the way. Steve Smith (formerly of Giants) in Philly is a great insurance policy and will get his options. He's a strong receiver. Plax will be a touchdown machine, it's just a matter of when he'll start to get balls his way.
Quarterback: Tom Brady and Colt McCoy
Rational: Brady and Ochocinco are going to make some sweet, sweet music this year. I feel good about 4500 yards and 35 TDs from Mr. Brady. And Colt was a bonus (at least it looks like it now).
Tight End: Jermichael Finley
Rational: Praying he stays healthy. He's ridiculous.
I'll spare you the rest, but I took Bears' D. Whatever, they were the best one available. Anyway, I feel good about it, I really do. I think my rookie Bama pickups are going to pay off early and often. We'll see.
That's what I got. It's late and I'm tired. Have a great week.
posted by The Bearden Wonder at 9:24 PM
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