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The old switcheroo…

On By kassienetteIn Basketball, College football, Controversy, Football, SportsLeave a comment

Here we go again…

Before I went to sleep last night, I was skimming my Twitter timeline when my eyes landed on a tweet from SportsCenter “REPORT: ACC officials to vote on expansion candidates Wed. Louisville is most likely school to receive invite (via ACCSports.com).” My heart leaped for joy!! Not really. I rolled my eyes and said here we go again…

I am not sure if there is a word to express how annoying this realignment, musical chairs stuff is. For real. Almost every day there is talk of one school leaving this conference to go to another conference or this school does not want to pay this amount of money to leave their current conference. Talk about a mess!! Want to know what annoys me the most? The fact that this is all about MONEY. Surprising? Not at all. The decision makers could care less about tradition, alumni, the fans, etc. They are all playing switcheroo so they can see how much money they can make. Yes, athletic departments need money. Yes, institutions need money. Yes, the more money you have the more you can do for your school. However, society has become so money hungry that it is willing to sacrifice, at times, its integrity all because of a dollar or two.

Still not convinced this thing is money driven? In the college sports world, there are six major conferences: The Atlantic Coast Conference(ACC), the Big East Conference, the the Big 10 Conference, the Big 12 Conference, the Southeastern Conference(SEC) and the Pacific-12 Conference(Pac-12). Within the last two years, five out of the six conferences have either added or lost members due to the conference shuffle.

Lets take a look at the Big East, which I think will be extinct in a few years. As of today, the Big East consists of the University of Connecticut, Georgetown, St. John’s, Seton Hall, Syracuse, Rutgers, the University of Pittsburgh, Temple, the University of Cincinnati, DePaul, the University of Lousville, Marquette, the University of  South Florida and Notre Dame(in every sport except football). Louisville, Pittsburgh, Syracuse and Notre Dame have all jumped ship and are headed to the ACC. Rutgers is sailing to the Big 10. To compensate for the impending losses, the brilliant minds in the Big East have decided to add Boise State(yes, the school in Idaho), San Diego State, Southern Methodist(straight out of Texas)Houston, the University of Central Florida, the University of Memphis, Tulane, East Carolina(in football only) and Navy. Whew! Makes your head hurt right? I am just waiting to see a tweet announcing that the Big East is now the Big USA conference or the Coast to Coast with a stop in the midwest conference. That conference makes no sense whatsoever.

Want another example? The Big 12 which consists of Baylor, Iowa State, the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, the University of Texas, Texas Christian University, Texas tech University and West Virginia University. That is 10 schools for those of you keeping count. In 2011, the  University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska, bolted for the Pac-12 and Big 10, respectively. In 2012, the University of Missouri and Texas A&M left for the SEC. I fully expect the Big 12 to go after two more schools since they can not call themselves the Big 10, now can they?

This round robin, in my opinion, is putting a damper on college sports. Schools such as Texas A&M and the University of  Texas will no longer get to compete against each other year after year due to Texas A&M leaving the Big 12 to join the SEC. The ACC which had not lost a charter member since 1971, recently lost another when the University of Maryland decided to leave for the Big 10. High school athletes sometimes make decisions about where to go to school based on the conference they would play in. Etc. Etc. Etc. I could go on and on about why I wish a moratorium would be put in place when it comes to the switcheroo but I do not have the energy to do it. Plus I know my argument would just fall on death ears. So I will just sit back in The Korner, watching the money talk and secretly thanking them for giving me something to blog about, repeatedly. Insert sarcasm.

 

Until next time…TOODELLS.

Too soon???

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Controversy, Football, NFL, SportsLeave a comment

As a forever Faithful San Francisco 49ers fan, I did NOT see this coming. In case you missed it, last night’s Monday Night Football game was deemed the Battle of the Backups. San Francisco’s QB Alex Smith and Chicago’s Jay Cutler, both starting QB’s for their respective teams, were out as a result of concussions they sustained last week. So starting in their place you had Colin Kaepernick for the 49ers and Jason Campbell for the Bears. BOY OH BOY!!! Ok, that is not how I really felt when the game started. I honestly did not know what to think. Kaepernick, lets call him Kaep, had been used sparingly during the season so I do not think anyone outside of the team really knew what to expect from him.

My, my what a pleasant surprise. Not only was Kaep playing like he had been a starting NFL QB five years, he controlled the offense from start to finish. Lets check the numbers. 16/23 for 243 yards. 12 yards rushing. Yes, those were an important 12 yards. 133.1 passer rating and the single highest QBR rating for a first timer, 97 out of 100. Simply put, he was balling.

Now conventional wisdom says, a QB should not lose his job because of an injury. Well, we all know San Francisco head coach Jim Harbaugh is anything but conventional. When asked last night about who would be the starter on Sunday, he simply replied that he “usually goes with the guy with the hot hand.” Welp, sounds like Smith may be on the bench for another week.

Lets face it. Today may be too soon to start the QB controversy talk or is it? Yes, in his last 25 starts, Smith has gone 19-5-1. However, outside of the divisional playoff game against the Saints last where Smith truly seemed to be in control, Smith has not managed to convince me that he is the guy for us. I appreciate his dedication to the team because he went through the worse of the worse out in the bay. I appreciate him wanting to be in San Fran. I appreciate his love for the game. I appreciate the way he has believed in himself since Harbaugh arrived. With that said, for all the games I have watched over the past two years, I have never seen Smith look as comfortable quarterbacking the offense as Kaep did last night. Kaep was in command. I knew he was a good QB coming out of Nevada but sheesh, that was crazy. While I am still on the offense, did you all see the block Frank Gore laid on Lance Briggs? My goodness!! The 9ers played the way I had been expecting them to play all year, dominating on both sides of the ball.

So what happens next? Good question. I am not ready to say Kaep deserves to be the QB but I do think he earned a second start with his performance last night. If the 9ers are going to be all about starting to add rings to their other hand then you have to go with the QB that gives you the best chance to make that happen. This is going to be interesting. Get your popcorn ready. Looks like we have a QB controversy in the bay. Too soon? Not. At. All.

Until next time….TOODELLS.

The problem in New York….

On By kassienetteIn Controversy, Football, NFL, Sports1 Comment

…..is not Tim Tebow. It is the people running the team. Woody Johnson. Mike Tannenbaum. Rex Ryan. The circus came early this year folks.

All that is taking place within the Jets locker room is disgusting. Feel however you want about  and his football skills. That has nothing to do with the way the man is being treated. It is obvious that Ryan has no control over his locker room and that Johnson is lacking control over his organization. Now while Johnson seems to be your quintessential owner, ie letting the coach run his team, it is apparent that the players have very little respect for the Jets organization.

My mother is a principal. She always taught me that in a leadership position you have to assert yourself early. If you do not do it early then it will be nearly impossible to reel in those who you have been charged to lead, later. All the anonymous talk to the media should be a cause for concern. Not only does that show lack of respect for the organization but it signifies a divided locker room. I think the anonymous talk stems from jealously and pride. Players who are jealous of all the attention Tebow gets. Players who are jealous that he got a chance to be a starting QB even though people felt like he did not deserve a shot. Players who are uncomfortable with a guy who openly expresses his Christian faith. Now that this guy is riding the bench and being made a mockery of they want to take the opportunity to dig the knife in a little deeper. Sad, huh?

Maybe this is how the Jets stay relevant seeing as how they have not been since Broadway Joe declared a Super Bowl victory in 1969. It took discipline, poise and a united front to reach that plateau. Maybe Broadway Joe can come back and teach the current Jets a thing or two or three or four…

 

Until next time….TOODELLS.

The Lake Show…The K True Hollywood Story…

On By kassienetteIn Basketball, Controversy, NBA, Sports, UncategorizedLeave a comment

 

It was like a scene straight out of a Hollywood movie…

It was a chilly Friday. I was minding my own business on when I decided to check out the trending topics on Twitter. To my surprise, both Mike Brown and Phil Jackson were trending. If you are a trending topic then something has happened, good or bad. I soon found out that Mike Brown had been fired as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers. Immediately, that “think” cloud appeared above my head. Come again? Five games into the season and the Lakers now do not have a coach? Definitely did not see that coming. After his not so graceful exit in 2011, it was natural to assume Phil Jackson’s name would be brought up for consideration.

Throughout the entire weekend “sources” reported that Jackson was the front runner and it was essentially his position to turn down. If a camera was following me around, it would have seen me out and about shopping, dining, relaxing, honoring our vets and the brave me and women who serve currently along with frequently checking my phone to see if a new coach had been named. Then Monday morning happened. It started off with my usual routine. Prayer, laying in the bed not wanting to get up, quick check of the weather then turning on the tv to watch SportsCenter. There was breaking news! Yes! As a blogger, it was just what I needed but definitely not what I expected. The Lakers unanimously decided to hire Mike D’Antoni. Here comes that cloud again. Come again? When I went to sleep Sunday night, his name was being thrown around but NO ONE, absolutely NO ONE believed he had a shot at getting the job. If someone tells you they believe he did, they are lying!

So lets break this down. It is not often you hear the word unanimous used when deciding on a coach, especially in the professional ranks. It is well documented that Jackson does not have much of a relationship with Lakers owner Jerry Buss nor his son Jim, the executive VP of player personnel. However, in the world of sports, your personal feelings should not determine how you do business. I was not there when this unanimous decision was being made but it seems to me that the younger Buss may have been driven by the need to exact some personal revenge. I mean what other reason can you give for passing on arguably the greatest coach in NBA history? The man who had already brought you five extra Larry O’Brien trophies? Jackson deserved to be treated with respect regardless of how they felt about it. He had earned that much and more. I was literally SMH.

And so it begins. Another drama filled year on the left coast. Complete with a new coach, players and an NBA legend who was so shocked by the hire that he could not even tweet for two days. Poor Earvin “Magic” Johnson. Get your popcorn ready. This true Hollywood story is only beginning…

The Weekender…

On By kassienetteIn 49ers, Baseball, Basketball, College football, Football, NASCAR, NFL, Panthers, Sports, WolfpackLeave a comment

Hey! Hey! Hey!! Welp, I did not like the way I structured The Weekender last week so I am back to my old format. Here we go!
All it took was three days for “The Lake Show” to implode. They fried Coach Mike Brown on Friday, let rumors swirl that Phil Jackson was coming back then announced the hiring of Mike D’Antoni this morning. I have no words.

The Falcons fell from the ranks of the unbeaten. Mercury Morris popped open another bottle of champagne.

My 9ers tied the Rams, 24-24. Yes, I said TIED!

Texas A&M went into Tuscaloosa and ended(maybe) Bama’s hopes of repeating as national champs. The legend of Johnny Football continues to grow.

The college basketball season kicked off on Friday. Watch out for the Wolfpack!!

Kansas State & Oregon are now 1-2 in the BCS standings. I want Oregon to play for the championship because I know their uniforms for the championship game are going to be tiiiiiiiiiiight.

It was announced this morning that Lance Armstrong resigned from the Livestrong Board of Directors on November 4. Even though I understand why he did it, I wish he had not and I hope he can now live in peace.

Antron Brown made history this weekend becoming the first African-American to win a major racing title. You may now refer to him as Antron Brown, NHRA Top Fuel Champion. Respect.

Three stating QB’s left the game yesterday with concussions: the 9ers Alex Smith, the Bears Jay Cutler and the Eagles Michael Vick. Prayers going up for all.

Brad Keselowski held onto his first place spot in The Chase for the Cup. He can clinch the cup next week with a finish of 15 or better but that was nothing compared to what happened off the track…

Four time champion Jeff Gordon intentionally caused a wreck with Clint Bowyer…then the pit crews threw down on pit row. Wildness!!

The Texans marched into Soldier Field and punched the Bears in the mouth, in the rain. As Roland Martin likes to say, #BullsOnParade.

It has been reported that the maximum number of years the Texas Rangers will offer Josh Hamilton is three. Looks like Hambone will be playing somewhere else.

Former Washington State receiver Marques Wilson quit the team on Saturday after alleged abuse by Coach Mike Leach and his staff. Why do I feel like I have heard this story before?

The Panthers lost to the Broncos. The Panthers O-line were the biggest losers, allowing Cam Newton to get sacked seven times.

My Wolfpack is bowl eligible. I hope we do not get a “cold” bowl!!

The NHL….SMH.

 

Until next time….TOODELLS.

 

The weekender…

On By kassienetteIn College football, Controversy, Football, Hockey, NASCAR, NFL, Panthers, Sports, WolfpackLeave a comment

New format to The Weekender. Here it goes…

Wolfpack, LSU, tataskinz, cowgirlies, g-men lost. Bears D scored again and again. Bama & Notre Dame came back and won. Oregon beat USC in a shootout. Knicks gave NYC something to smile about. Jimmie Johnson won to keep his lead in The Chase. Panthers, Steelers, Dirty Birds, Seahawks and the Broncos won. Bama and K-State are still 1-2 in the BCS. And still no hockey.

 

Until next time….TOODELLS.

A DIFFERENT kind of concern for Cam…

On By kassienetteIn NFL, Panthers, Sports2 Comments

A DIFFERENT kind of concern for Cam….