Olympic Ring Toss

Wouldn't ring toss be a fun Olympic event to watch??
I thought I would be remiss if I didn't discuss the Olympics with you all. Every four years, the world's greatest athletes (and some folks who excel at games) gather in a large city for shiny pieces of metal and the adoration (or shame of their country.
I've made my opinions of the Olympics obvious before. I really enjoy the country versus country aspect... maybe because Team USA is the one team I cheer for that isn't terrible or stuck in mediocrity. I don't remember any Olympics prior to Barcelona '92, so I didn't experience much of the "us vs. them" drama during the Cold War with the USSR (and even at that point Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were splitting up). I still want the USA to win everything they possibly can. I want to see all the US athletes compete, especially when there is medal at stake. Also, there are a few sports (basketball, track, soccer, volleyball) that I really want to follow closely. That being said, here are my thoughts on London 2012 so far:

- London??? Really? Ok, I can come to terms with the time difference... and at least our athletes are in a country that doesn't hate us (thank God the Olympics will probably never be in Tehran). But I am seriously looking forward to Rio '16... no more tape delays.
- The Olympics always have several storylines that end up being no big deal, and several storylines come out of nowhere. The Phelps/Lochte rivalry is nothing to write about, but the success of the Chinese female swimmers is a surprise.
- I started out being REALLY mad at NBC for their coverage and the lack of excitement because of athletes and reporters Tweeting/Facebooking results in real-time, ruining the surprise and drama on TV. Now, I've begun to forgive them. I'm the one following people on Twitter and checking status updates like a hawk; NBC is just trying to have something to run in prime time so their coverage can sell ads. They've moved the time consuming team sports to NBC Sports and MSNBC, which sucks if you don't have NBC Sports (I haven't seen a second of men's basketball or women's soccer). At least it's not terrible coverage, and they have quality broadcasters (Al Michaels to Dan Patrick to Brian Williams to Bob Costas is a solid line up).
- Let's talk Phelps vs. Lochte... it seems like heading into this Olympics, most people were fed up with Phelps and really excited about the results Lochte was producing. Phelps had turned into the "villian" and Lochte was the likeable hero. So far, while Phelps has not been up to his standard (or our ridiculously high expectations), he was not the one that got passed on the final lap of the 400 Free relay, giving France revenge for the US upset in '08. Ease up on Phelps... and Lochte for that matter. They are on the same team and appear to be great friends. We can't win EVERY medal.
- Speaking of "disappointments"... our gymnastics teams were both expected to win several medals (and favorites to get gold), and we had the defending individual all-around World Champion Jordyn Weiber. Well, a funny thing happened during qualifying... Weiber had too many mistakes and missed out on the individual all-around because, even though she had the 4th-best score, you can only have 2 athletes per country. Then the men seemed to have the same issues and finished 5th in the team competition (at least Danel Leyva made up for it last night with that great come back and the women won team gold). Gymnasts rarely make two Olympics, unless they are VERY young in the first one or stay really good into their 20s. We need to give these kids a break... they are KIDS remember. Poor Jordyn Weiber couldn't even talk to the press after she missed out on the all-around because of a technicality. Some of the deductions the judges are taking off can't even be seen by a normal person. If they haven't been in the Olympics before, there is no way to train for the pressure they will feel while throwing and contorting their body around the gym.

Some US surprises so far...
- Men's archery beat South Korea in the semi-finals... they lost the gold-medal match, but they ousted the top ranked team to get silver.
- We have 4 good beach volleyball teams. How awesome would it be to win 2 golds AND 2 silvers.
- John Isner made the quarterfinals of the men's tennis tournament.
- The women's soccer team has played stellar defense since giving up two goals in the first twenty minutes to France. Also, the three teams that can beat them (Brazil, Japan and Sweden) are on the other side of the bracket (but watch out for UK, they beat Brazil).
- Gabby Douglas filled in nicely for Jordyn Weiber in the all-around winning gold.
- Missy Elliott and Allison Schmidt... nuff said.

Some US "concerns"...
- The Women's basketball team has seemed sluggish to start games off. The second team of Whalen, McCoughtry, Augustus, Moore, and Cash has been playing better defense and with more energy.
- There is no men's soccer team... let that sink in for a little.
- China maintains the medal count lead into today... it's time to kick it in high gear.

I'll post some final thoughts when the events are completed... hopefully a comprehensive review of how the USA dominated down the stretch.

Parenting is a Sport

I have been a father for over a year now (the main reason I have failed to keep this blog updated) and I feel like it's about time for me to impart some wisdom and hopefully give you a few laughs.
I don't claim to be a super-dad or anything like that, but I have received plenty of encouragement that I am doing a better job than a dead-beat dad. My son has given me plenty of opportunities to learn lessions... and hopefully they've stuck with me.
Maybe it's the type of person I am (obsessed with sports), or the constant metaphorical references to aspects of life being like sports or vice versa, but I like to think of parenting as a sport. Parents are athletes. Not in the typical sense but in the way they approach their task. Allow me to demostrate.
- Parenting requires teamwork; trust your teammates and communicate
- Practicing the fundamentals might not be fun, but it's necessary; you need a solid base of skills before you can up your game.
- Practice makes perfect; yes, Allen Iverson, we are talking about practice... man.
- Be prepared every day; have a gameplan.
- Sometimes gameplans fall apart; be flexible and make adjustments on the fly.
- Uniforms get dirty; deal with it.
- It's okay to play zone defense from time to time.
- Don't get flashy, don't show-boat, don't brag; you won't make many friends.
- We don't do it for the money or the accolades; we do it for the love of the game.
- A win is a win is a win; it doesn't have to be perfect.
- Learn all you can from the veterans.
- The sooner you "turn pro" the more pressure their will be to succeed.
- The more effort you put in, the sweeter the rewards will be.

We are coming up on football season and you know I'll have plenty of posts to come, but I would like to post more about parenting and my fathering experiences. If you have any topics you want me to discuss, please comment and I will do my best.
I'm hoping this blog can be a small second income for me, so please keep reading. If you feel like clicking on an add, that'd be even better, I get something like $1 everytime you do.

What if College Footbal Had My Playoff System?

So it has been waaaay to long, but that's what working hard and having a baby can be all about. Things you used to do get put on the way-back burner and you just try to survive.

The college football season is long over, but I wanted a chance to get my two cents in. Since Alabama beat LSU in the BCS "championship" game there has been room for arguments that the system is still very flawed. I mean, the "National Champion" didn't even when their conference... or their DIVISION. Would a +1 game featuring Oklahoma State and Alabama have solved it? In some people's minds, yes. You guys know I prefer a tournament, and I've outlined my plan to restructure the system before.

But for this year, since I can't move the conferences around and still use the same records and rankings, I'll work with the current conference system and use my rankings... an average of the AP poll, ESPN poll, RPI, and strength of schedule. The winner of each 11 conferences in an auto bid to the 16-team tournament and the 5 highest ranked teams non-champs are the at-large bids. The rankings will determine the seeding.

Here are the final rankings (champs in bold):
1: LSU (SEC)
2: Alabama
3: Oklahoma State (Big 12)
4: Kansas State
5: South Carolina
6: Baylor
7: Clemson (ACC)
8: Oklahoma
9: Arkansas
10: Virginia Tech
11: Michigan
12: Georgia
13: Nebraska
14: Oregon (Pac-12)
15: Penn State
16: Stanford
17: West Virginia (Big East)
18: Wisconsin (Big 10)
19: TCU (MWC)
20: Boise State
21: Notre Dame
22: Missouri
23: Michigan State
24: Tulsa
25: Louisville
26: Houston
27: Louisiana Tech (WAC)
28: Northern Illinois (MAC)
29: Virginia
30: Florida State
31: Southern Miss (C-USA)
32: Rutgers
33: Georgia Tech
34: Cincinnati
35: Arkansas State (Sun Belt)
36: BYU

Which means, the seeding for the postseason tournament would be:
(1) LSU vs. (16) Arkansas State
(2) Alabama vs. (15) Southern Miss
(3) Oklahoma State vs. (14) Northern Illinois
(4) Kansas State vs. (13) Louisiana Tech
(5) South Carolina vs. (12) TCU
(6) Baylor vs. (11) Wisconsin
(7) Clemson vs. (10) West Virginia
(8) Oklahoma vs. (9) Oregon

The second round would be reseeded to (with my predictions):
(1) LSU vs. (12) TCU
(2) Alabama vs. (10) West Virginia
(3) Oklahoma State vs. (9) Oregon
(4) Kansas State vs. (6) Baylor

The semi-finals:
(1) LSU vs. (6) Baylor
(2) Alabama vs. (3) Oklahoma State

Final:
Oklahoma State over LSU

Wouldn't that have been more fun... and more importantly better television.

NFL Week 4

Bills (-3.5) over Bengals – might as well not pick against them anymore
Panthers (+6.5) over Bears – after last week’s performances, which team do you think is better?
Titans (+1.5) over Browns – both teams are too tough to pick, hence the spread
Lions (+3.5) over Cowboys – how about the respect for the Lions?
Chiefs (+1.5) over Vikings – beware of the home dogs
Redskins (+0.5) over Rams – I’d hate to be playing a team that didn’t give up a touchdown but still lost
Saints (-7.5) over Jaguars – welcome to the NFL Blaine Gabbert
Eagles (-6.5) over 49ers – quit bitching Vick, I think you hit those dogs too much, this is Karma
Texans (-3.5) over Steelers – sneaky good Texans team here, this is their year to make the playoffs
Falcons (-4.5) over Seahawks – eventually the Falcons will get going, probably in time for the playoff run
Giants (-1.5) over Cardinals – the Giants turned a corner last week, the NFC East should be very tough
Packers (-13.5) over Broncos – you know it’s time for Tim Tebow when you are two-touchdown dogs
Patriots (-4.5) over Raiders – before last week, I bet this line was double figures
Chargers (-8.5) over Dolphins – are the Dolphins destined for a date with Andrew Luck
Jets (+3.5) over Ravens – this will be the best game this week, mark my words
Buccaneers (-8.5) over Colts – this is why Peyton Manning should be the MVP every year, his team SUCKS without him

Last Week: 6-10
Season: 27-21

College Football Week 5

Before we get into this week’s college match-ups, how about the simultaneous epic collapses of the Braves and Red Sox?? Was it me or did the Yankees look pleased with the way they screwed over the Sox? I mean you have to try really hard to blow a 7-0 lead in the eighth. More respect for the Phillies who played their hearts out and aided in the Cardinals postseason entry. I bet there is some sort of karmic realignment before we’re all said and done. Phillies over the Rangers in 6.

There was lots of chatter about LSU jumping Oklahoma after last week. Which team do you think looked more convincing in their win? OU at home giving up 500 yards of offense, 2 turnovers and 28 points to Mizzou or LSU dominating West Virginia?

Baylor over Kansas State – RG3 is going to show us just how weak k-State’s non-con schedule was
Georgia Tech over NC State – which will happen first: Georgia Tech puts up 700 yards of offense or the ACC gets some respect?
Virginia Tech over Clemson – speaking of ACC, are you ready for the slaughter that will leave everyone with at least 3 losses?
Alabama over Florida – Bama is for real, the Gators are just hanging around waiting for South Carolina to slip up
Notre Dame over Purdue – why don’t they just join the Big Ten already?
Wisconsin over Nebraska – crossing my fingers for a 4-8 finish from the Cornsuckers
Navy over Air Force – are we going to have another couple weeks of hearing about the awesomeness of the triple option offense
Texas A&M over Arkansas – welcome to the SEC… wait, that’s not ‘til next year?
Auburn over South Carolina – upset alert: which team is actually overrated?
Ohio State over Michigan State – I have no clue on this game

Last Week: 7-3 (47 pts.)
Season: 27-13 (174 pts.)

NFL Week 3

If you’d have showed me the Chiefs 2011 schedule 3 years ago, I’d have said they’d start 2-0. I definitely would have said that as late as Sept 10th. Two torn ACLs and dozens of bad play calls later, they are 0-2 (and the teams they played are both 2-0, wow!). By the way, if you are looking for a fantasy football advice nugget this week, take the Chargers… all of them. On my ESPN Gridiron Challenge this week, I have Mathews, Tolbert, Jackson, Gates, Novak and the Chargers D. I didn’t pick up Rivers because Cam Newton is cheaper and I have a feeling Rivers will throw a couple picks early.

This rash of injuries has to be directly linked to the lack of offseason training and conditioning. Jamal Charles’ injury was a freak accident, but that hit Tony Romo took really punctured his lung?? They should have moved the first two or three games of the season to the end of the season. Sure, they’d be playing the Super Bowl on President’s Day weekend, but at least they’d have had more time to get their bodies ready.

Chargers (-14.5) over Chiefs – Which Chief will tear their ACL this week? I’m hoping for Cassel, but it will probably be Derrick Johnson, Tamba Hali, or Brandon Albert.
Lions (-3.5) over Vikings – That’s right, I think the Lions will start 3-0.
Packers (-3.5) over Bears – So Jay Cutler has been sacked more than any QB in the league this year; expect that to continue this week.
Jets (-3.5) over Raiders – The Raiders deserve some credit for running the ball well, but the Jets have looked good so far.
Broncos (+6.5) over Titans – These teams are too evenly matched for this spread, despite Tennessee’s win over the Ravens.
Browns (-2.5) over Dolphins – This game should be close, but not that close.
Patriots (-8.5) over Bills – The Bills circled the wagons last week, but they probably won’t be a road block to Brady’s 8,000-yard passing season.
Bengals (-2.5) over 49ers – Andy Dalton for Rookie of the Year (oh wait, there’s that Cam Newton guy).
Texans (+3.5) over Saints – Have you been watching Houston’s defense??
Giants (+7.5) over Eagles – A concussed Michael Vick or a healthy Vince Young?? Is there a third option?
Panthers (-3.5) over Jaguars – Okay, I’ll buy the Newton hype.
Ravens (-3.5) over Rams – Last week was an aberration.
Falcons (+1.5) over Buccaneers – Now here’s a line that makes sense, way too close to call this game.
Cardinals (-3.5) over Seahawks – The ‘Hawks are the one thing standing between the Chiefs and Andrew Luck.
Steelers (-10.5) over Colts – When was the last time the Colts were 10-point home dogs?
Redskins (-6.5) over Cowboys – The ‘Skins are rolling. The banged-up Cowboys will struggle.

Last Week: 10-6
Season: 21-11

College Football Week 4

So the expansion saga continues…
Word is that Dan Beebee is out as Big 12 commissioner. Apparently, Oklahoma will stay if he leaves. Could I have hit the conspiracy nail more on the head? He’s in Texas’ pockets. Get him out of here before he adds UTEP and Rice to the conference so the Longhorns can get 2 guaranteed wins every year. On to the picks:

Ohio State over Colorado – I couldn’t be more sure of anything in my life. The Buffs are the worst team in the Pac-12.
Oregon over Arizona – Are you guys ready to discuss whether a one-loss, Pac-12 champion, Oregon team is more deserving of the BCS #2 than Boise State? ‘Cause it’s happening.
LSU over West Virginia – Offensive gurus aside, this is SEC defense.
Michigan over San Diego State – don’t underestimate the Aztecs, but they won’t win.
Alabama over Arkansas – It’s about time the Tide expose Arkansas as pretenders.
Notre Dame over Pittsburgh – less than 2 Irish turnovers and they’re in good shape
USC over Arizona State – if James Franklin and Mizzou can go in there and ALMOST win, USC should.
Florida State over Clemson – something about the Tigers on National TV, they don’t show up
Oklahoma State over Texas A&M – first team to play defense wins
North Carolina over Georgia Tech – I believe the Tar Heels’ defense is good enough to slow down the Ramblin’ Wreck.

Last Week: 5-5 (36 pts.)
Season: 20-10 (127 pts.)