Tag: pigskin

Oh so random…

On By kassienetteIn Baseball, Basketball, Controversy, Football, Hockey, Marathons, Music, NASCAR, Running, Sports, Tennis2 Comments

They say there is a first time for everything. Welp, I am experiencing another first….blogger’s block. Ugh. I have a few topics that I want to write about but for some reason I just can not seem to get them going. Instead of trying to force it,  I have decided to take another route with this post. So here it is…a plethora of thoughts from Kassie….

1. Ken Griffey, Jr. had the prettiest swing. EVER.

2. As big a sports fan as I am, I have never seen Hoosiers, Bull Durham or Caddyshack. I have seen Blue Chips though.

3. I went to my first North Carolina State football game at the age of 2. I have a reoccurring flashback of me sitting with the family in the upper deck.

4. I was at The Cheesecake Factory in DC about 10 years ago with some friends when all of a sudden a very tall man arose from a table near us. It was Dikembe Mutombo. Before I could even catch myself I yelled out, MUTOMBOOOOOOO! If looks could kill. For that reason alone, he deserves more than two sentences.

5. Earvin “Magic” Johnson does not get the respect he deserves. Dude was a ballerrrrrrr, you hear me?!

6. When I was in middle school, my granddaddy would make me cheese toast for breakfast. I would eat it while watching Scooby Doo then I would turn and watch SportsCenter.

7. Ya’ll know the ‘This is SportsCenter’ commercial with Jay Harris and Larry Fitzgerald, where Larry catches all the stuff that falls in the office? I was with Jay on the day they emailed the script for the commercial to him. I have always thought Larry was a kutie and I told Jay that. About a week later I got a text from a friend that was sent by Jay that said, “Kassaundra, Larry told me to tell you hey.” Yep! That deserved extra sentences.

8. My all time favorite football player is Jerry Rice. Greatest of all time.

9. Quite often during football season, I lose my voice. It is a good thing that I do not have to talk to blog.

10. If you have never been to a Virginia Tech football game, GO!! That ‘Enter Sandman’ intro almost made me tackle someone in the stands.

11. Leave Lance Armstrong alone! He has raised over 500 million for cancer research. That will have a greater impact than anything he has done on a bike.

12. <—–My favorite number so I have got to make this good….44 days until the marathon!!! Have you made your donation :-}??

13. Some of my favorite athlete names…..Milton Bradley, Picabo(pronounced Peekaboo) Street, Tim Biakabutuka, Doug Flutie, Anfernee Hardaway and Alan Kulwicki.

14. I want to go to Soldier Field to see a Chicago Bears home game so I can sing “Bear Down” as loud as I can after the Bears score a touchdown. I love to randomly sing that song, just ask my mama :-}.

15. I keep up with the NBA but I do not like it. Do. Not. Get. Me. Started.

16. Everyone should experience a hockey game. LIVE.

17. I have been trying to learn how to play poker. The only thing I still understand how to flush a toilet.

 18. This year’s baseball playoffs are going to be something special. You heard it here first…..Go Rangers!!

19. I am still giggling at the fact that they kept playing “Lean Back” by Fat Joe at the Broncos game Sunday night. Whoever was in charge of the music needs to not be in charge of the music anymore.

20. Until next time….TOODELLS.

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, Sports, Tennis, Wolfpack8 Comments

Hi all!! I hope everyone had a great weekend! I know I did. High school football on Friday night. College football on Saturday. NFL Football alllllllllll day Sunday. Ready to do it all over again next weekend :-}. Now, onto the what happened this weekend in the sporting world…

My 9ers leaped into Lambeau and came out with a 30-22 win. There are rumors of the cheese melting as a result.

The most asked question going into this NFL season was how is Peyton Manning going to look. I think Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin answered this question best, “He’s Peyton.”

Robert Griffin the 3rd bka RGIII, passed for 320 yards, rushed for 42 yards and threw no interceptions in his debut as he led the tataskinz to a 40-32 win over the Saints. Tataskin Nation had no idea real QB’s still existed.

Serena Williams won her fourth US Open title. She collected a 1.9 million dollar check too.

After not scoring any TD’s in the preseason, the Jets put up 48 on the Bills. That would be very impressive if they were not playing the Bills.

The New York Yankess regained the lead in the AL East with a win over the Orioles. With 22 games left, this division is up for grabs.

My Wolfpack beat UConn 10-7. I know a win is a win but sheesh.

Dr. Shaquille O’Neal is in talks to play in a Mexican Basketball League.  Can he speak Spanish as well as he speaks English :-}??

The Eagles almost got their wings clipped by the BROWNS. Yes, you can laugh.

The University of Louisiana-Monroe pulled off the shocking upset of #8 Arkansas winning 34-31 in OT. The Associated Press rewarded Arkansas with a drop kick right out of the top 25.

Twins Mike and Bob Bryan won the US Open Men’s Double championship. They now have 12 Grand Slam championships, most in the open era.

Washington Nationals pulled the plug on Stephen Strasburg for the year. See you next year kid.

Reggie Miller, Don Barksdale, Jamaal Wilkes, Mel Daniels, Coach Don Nelson, Ralph Sampson, Phil Knight, the All-American Redheads, Chet Walker, Katrina McClain, Lidia Alexeera and Hank Nichols were all inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.  Congrats and two snaps!!

Seahawks rookie QB, Russell Wilson, almost threw a game winning TD in his debut but the pass was dropped in the endzone by Braylon Edwards. New year, same Braylon.

Oscar Pistorius won gold in the Paralympics 400m final. Glad to see him bounce back after the “controversy.”

No update on the potential NHL lockout. Both sides are still frozen in their position.

My assessment of the replacement refs? They need to be replaced.

Clint Bowyer won the race at Richmond. Due to rain, the race literally took all night to finish.

Until next time…TOODELLS

Ladies, klass is in session…Football 101, Lesson 2

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, College football, Football, Panthers, Sports6 Comments

Alright ladies, Sunday is a BIG DAY!!! The first Sunday of the NFL Season. Do you understand what that means? Men everywhere will be missing in action. Some women will be too, liiiiiiike me :-}. I know some of you will be making a serious attempt to sit down and watch a game or two and see what all the hype is about. Get your pens and paper ready. You have notes to take. Oh, college football is on Saturday as well sooooo….

 

Uno) The offense is typically made up of the quarterback, running back(RB), fullback(FB), five offensive linemen, tight end and two wide receivers(WR). Just so you know the offensive line up can vary at times.

     Uno A) The offensive line is responsible for blocking the defensive players from getting to the QB, thus giving the QB enough time to throw the ball. If it is a running play, the offensive linemen are expected to push opposing players backward, sideways, to the ground in an effort to open up holes for the RB to run through.

     Uno B) The guy who snaps the ball is the center. He will always be lined up in, yeah you guessed it, the center of the field. The guys on both side of the center are the guards. The guys to the outside of the guards are the tackles. Got it? Great!

Dos) The defense typically consists of four linemen, three linebackers, two cornerbacks and two safeties Lets just stick with that for now.

 

Tres) The yellow line that you see on tv indicates how far a team needs to advance the ball in order to get a first down. This line ONLY exists on tv. ONLY.

 

Cuatro) The line of scrimmage is the imaginary line that stretches the width of the field. Since the line is imaginary, I will make it simple. Wherever the ball is placed before the snap, that is the line of scrimmage.

 

Cinco) The short lines on the middle of the field that the ball is placed on are the hashtags. They were around long before Twitter. If you do not use Twitter, you will not understand. Carry on.

 

Seis) Alright, lets talk false starts and offsides. Once an offensive player is in their set position, they can not move. If they do, it is a false start, the team is penalized five yards and the down is repeated. Here is an example. It is 2nd and 5 for Team Uh Huh. #81 for Team Uh Huh crosses the line of scrimmage resulting in a false start. The team now has to go an extra five yards to get a first down. The down remains the same and it is now 2nd and 10 for Team Uh Huh. Got it?! Great!

 

Seis A) Offsides is when a defensive player is on the wrong side of the line of scrimmage when the ball is snapped. This is typically deemed a “free play.” The coach of the non-offending team can decide to accept or decline the penalty. If the non-offending team, gains a significant amount of yardage, the non-offending team will typically decline the penalty. If the non-offending team’s play works against them (results in a dropped pass, interception, fumble), the non-offending team’s coach will typically accept the penalty because this negates anything that happened on the last play. Got it?! Great!

 

Siete) Many newcomers get offsides and encroachment confused. Encroachment happens when a defensive player crosses the line of scrimmage and makes contact with an offensive player before the ball is snapped. This results in a five yard penalty against the defensive team. Got it?! Great!

 

Ocho) A safety is worth two points and occurs when an offensive player who has possession of the ball is tackled in the endzone. My guess is the player with the ball feels anything but safe at the time.

 

Nueve) I had a request from one of my faithful followers to explain pass interference. Yes, the job of the defensive back(DB) is the prevent the WR from catching the ball. However, a DB can not trip, push, pull or body slam a WR in order to prevent them from catching the ball. The DB is suppose to go after the ball and not the WR. If you see a DB push a guy to the ground before the ball has even arrived, expect a yellow flag to come flying out. I like to throw them at home too.

 

Whew! I think that is enough for today. You should be well equipped for the weekend. Do not be discouraged if you find yourself still struggling to understand. It is going to take some time to fully understand the game. You all are well on your way though. So go grab some wings, pizza, chips, cookies(snacks are essential when watching football), sit back and relax and enjoy what it sure to be a wonderful weekend!! And remember, NO QUESTIONS DURING THE GAME. You have been warned. Twice.

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.

The Weekender

On By kassienetteIn Baseball, Basketball, Entertainment, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, Sports, Tennis, Wolfpack4 Comments

Hello all!! I hope you are having a great holiday weekend. Here is a quick rekap of all the big and not so big sports stories…

Pia Sundhage resigned as coach of the US Women’s Soccer team. 2 snaps and a job well done.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar will finally get his statue in Star Plaza outside of the Staples Center. Oh Kareem, if only you had not complained.

Jake Skelton was named the starting QB for the Arizona Cardinals. And just like that, Kevin Kolb becomes the highest paid backup QB EVER.

Eureka College QB, Sam Durley, passed for 736 yards in a win against Knox. Seven hundred and thirty six yards.

Alabama laid the smackdown on Michigan in Texas. I guess everything really is bigger there.

Dwight Howard took out an ad in the Orlando Sentinel expressing his loooooove for the city. Mickey and nem were not impressed.

Maurice Jones-Drew ended his holdout WITHOUT signing a new contract. Did I miss something?

After becoming an overnight, inspirational sensation at the London Olympics, Oscar  Pistorious finished second in the 200m final at the Paralympics. He then complained the winner had an unfair advantage. *crickets*

My Wolfpack failed to show up against Tennessee. Maybe they were looking ahead to the UConn game.

Denny Hamlin won his second race in a row, claiming the checkered flag in Atlanta. Vroom vroom.

Stepping up to the plate with two outs in the ninth inning, the Atlanta Braves Chipper Jones, put one over the wall to give his a team an 8-7 win. Chipper’s chip shot keeps the Braves in the lead for the NL Wild Card spot.

The NFL & NFL Referees Association failed to reach a deal and no new meetings are scheduled. I have a good feeling a few replacement refs will appear in the C’Mon Man segment on Monday Night Countdown next week.

Andy Roddick announced he will retire after the US Open. Kool.

New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft said, “I think Timmy, with all due respect, is better than Joe Montana.” Laughs out loud very loudly.

Labor talks between the NHL and the NHL Players Association have stalled, likely signaling a lockout.  New soap opera coming soon, “As The Ice Melteth.”

Cheyenne Woods, niece of Tiger, won her first LPGA tourney. I wonder if her new slogan is “Tiger, Tiger, he’s the man, if he can not do it, I can!!”

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.

For the love of the pig….skin

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Food, Football, Olympics, Panthers, Sports, Wolfpack14 Comments

The best pig skins can be found in my hometown of Lexington, NC, sandwiched in between a hamburger bun with extra dip on top, fries or hushpuppies to accompany it and a sweet tea to wash it down. *wipes away drool* Ok, wait. That is not the pigskin I am suppose to be talking about. Sorry. I love food. At any time my mind can wander off and begin to think of something decadent to partake of. And if you have to ask what dip is, then you have NEVER had real que.

Anyway, moving right along. Do you smell that? Do you? Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Now do you smell it? You do? Smells great right? Aaaaaaaaaah, the smell of pigskin, the non-sandwich kind. IT’S FOOTBALL SEASON YA’LL!! HAPPY HAPPY, JOY JOY!! I can admit that I am something like an addict when it comes to football. Ok, ok, I am addicted.  Pee Wee. Pop Warner. Little League. Middle School. High School. College. Professional. Flag. Fantasy. You name it, I love it!!! I can talk to you about Cover 2, the wishbone, slot receivers, nickelbacks, 3-4 defense, offsides and blitzing. I can do the Ray Lewis intro dance, the Deion Sanders skip, Aaron Rodgers Discount Doublecheck move and I still Ickey Shuffle from time to time. I know when to yell RED during the National Anthem at Carter-Finley aka The Carter. I know that if Florida State is playing, I will hear the Seminole chant at least 20 times a quarter. I know the University of Maryland has one of the non-prettiest stadiums in the country.

I inherited my love for the game from my mother. As a child growing up in Lexington, Fridays were one of my favorite days of the week. During the late summer, early fall months my Fridays consisted of school, fried croaker(one of my grandma Margie’s specialties) and cheering on the Jackets, home or away. JACKET PRIDE!! My other favorite day was Sunday, of course. If you were at our house on Sunday afternoons, you had two tv choices: the game on CBS or the game on FOX. Unfortunately for me, if the dreaded cowgirlies were playing there was no choice. My mama and aunt are both die hard cowgirlie fans.  I refused to make such a mistake and rebelled early. My team of choice? THE SAN FRANCISO 49ERS!! They were soooooo kool. Their qb was kool. The WR was smoove. And their coach had a full head of white hair. It love at first snap.

The game of football gets me giddy, like first day of school I can not wait to show all my friends my new Trapper Keeper giddy. Most men understand the feeling. Some women do not. The women give me that horrified look when I tell them football over Lifetime any day. Their mouths drop open when they find out I enjoy watching Cam Newton play because I know at any moment he can change the whole momentum of the game with his feet. The fact that he is handsome is just an added bonus.

Tomorrow, the college football season begins. OH BOY!! Friday night, my beloved WOLFPACK take the field to show Tennessee who’s boss. Since I am a blogger, this would be a great time to make a prediction huh? Let me see. USC(with the pound cake schedule they have, they better make it) and LSU for the championship. LSU redeems itself. Now back to my regularly scheduled thoughts…next Wednesday night, I will be plastered in front of the TV for the start of the NFL season. HAPPY HAPPY, JOY JOY!! Unfortunately, I have to be subjected to watching the team who “beat” my team to go to the Super Bowl last year and quote unquote “America’s Team.” Regardless, I am ecstatic that football is back. I was struggling during the off months, like I always do. Thank God for the Olympics. If it were not for them, I may have been tempted to watch Lifetime.

Until next time….TOODELLS.