What a difference a week
makes…
2 Saturdays
ago, I was drinking an icy cold bloody-mary in the late morning to cool off
from the sun that had been beating down on me while I had been forming sand
into something that was not as pretty as some of the stuff I was seeing. But it was good “Practice” for next time when
I hope to go down with a better plan and some tools for a day of practice
before the competition.
This past
Saturday I was standing at the tailgate next to the portable grill huddled over
a pot of corn chowder I had prepared, trying as best as I could to stay
warm.
And it was a pretty thin tailgate
crowd. In fact, it was just me for a
while, but then a couple of people showed up.
And I’m not blaming anyone, believe me, for not going. I even wondered to myself why I was going as
I made the journey down US23 and what I was doing in Ann Arbor after I had
arrived. After all…the season is for the
most part, over. So why go?
I guess it’s
the feeling I get when I don’t go (when I could have) that I dis-like more than
going and leaving early. At least I had
a chance to see and cheer for the seniors on Senior Day and verify for myself that
there is NO WAY there was 101,717 in the stands. The student section was less than half
full. And I had a row entirely to
myself. I actually think the “Big Chill”
was more crowded than this particular game….But some other crazy fools showed
up and we got a photo commemorating the, er, idiocy of it all…..
Speaking of
the game: When it’s that bad, I really hate
to dissect it. But I will say
this: Hoke could be fired on the merits
of clock and time-out management from this game alone – I’m referencing the 3rd
quarter debacle here…. In addition to
all the dropped passes and bumbled opportunities, terrible penalties (which, I’m
still looking for the illegal block on the Norfleet punt return) and so much
chaos that resulted in an overall pathetic display of football in Ann
Arbor. Edsal came into Ann Arbor and
beat the Wolverines for the first time ever (personally) and for Maryland. And
what’s really funny is again, I can’t blame the players. This is a coaching loss. Period.
Add that to several other bone-headed mistakes Hoke has made and the
decision on what to do should be obvious.
Speaking of
losing to Maryland, here’s another sickening fact: Only Michigan
and Indiana lost to both Rutgers and Maryland, the two newcomers of the
B1G, this season. THAT ALONE should be reason enough to can Hoke.
So what,
exactly, is Hackett waiting for? Isn’t
this all inevitable by now? Aren’t we at
“That point” where we can say that it’s over?
Hoke is gone and the search can begin?
I mean, I get that it’s again
$1M
cheaper to fire Brady on January 1st , 2015
(AND WHY DOES
MICHIGAN
KEEP
WRITING THAT INTO THE CONTRACT FERGODSAKES!) and that alone is reason
to wait. But, the lobbying of “desired”
coaches needs to begin and soon…And it will be lobbying. Michigan isn’t the “destination” job it once
was….
However, I
will say that the latest rumor (which I hate to spread) that was flying around
several tailgates is that Harbaugh
has already been contacted and wants to come back to Ann Arbor. Hoke
wants to step aside and may do that voluntarily in order to do “what’s best”
for Michigan. This may play out in an
entirely different way than anyone sees coming and it could get really
interesting in the next couple of weeks.
I have a new source that has stated he would keep us posted on some of
this activity, but he stated “Don’t be surprised if Michigan and the actors
involved collectively pull a stunner and they do something completely out of
right field.”
So, there’s
that and it’s out there. I’m not saying
it’s going to happen…but someone is. I’ll
believe it when I see it.
The Rest of the Mess
The domers have gone from “possible Final 4”
team to right where I thought they’d be in the pre-season. I believe (But I should really go back and
verify) that I thought the domers
would be, at best, a 4 loss team this season.
Based on who they were playing and where they were playing them. Now, I will say that losses to the Purple
Kitties and Bobby Petrino were not on my radar, but never-the-less, the
questionable character Petrino going into South Bend and knocking of the “Holier
than thou” domers gave me a wonderfully warm feeling of delight on
Saturday. And I know how the domer
faithful had to feel when a team (and coach) like that comes in and beat’s “Our
Lady’s” team. Hee-hee!!!
Indiana gave us all some hope, but then ohio started to roll in Columbus. In the end, it wasn’t pretty and I believe
that Michigan may not do as well as said Hoosiers in the Horseshoe on
Saturday. Not looking forward to the
beat-down…nope, nope, nope. But they
have to play the game…
The Seminoles barely beat another crappy
ACC team. But they did beat them and
that’s all that matters.
Sparty did what a good team is supposed to do
to Rutgers….They completely
dismantled and destroyed them. Sparty is
right in the “Best 2-loss” team discussion, but that and a nickel still won’t
get you a Starbucks coffee or a respectable bowl game at the end of the day. Unless you feel like the Citrus or Outback
are respectable….
The Gophers rolled and the cornsuckers are proving that you can
leave the Big 12 and “THINK” you‘re going to own the B1G,
but at the end of the day, you’re just another team trying to put it all
together wondering how you lost to the team you just lost to….
UCLA has proven who the new power team is in LA and “Seven win Sark” is proving so far to
hold true in Rubber-land kind of like it did up in Washington. Will he turn it around there? Time will tell….
Ole Miss was completely humiliated by the Hawgs and everyone’s favorite upset
team is finally doing what many people thought they would do at the beginning
of the season. Brett B. is going to
continue to surprise and may be a factor in the coming years in the SEC West. The Egg Bowl is now down to spoiler-alert and
isn’t for all the marbles…
The Ducks and the Beavers go at it Saturday
and Mike Riley may have a trick or two up his sleeve for this game. Kind of like the Beavers getting points here…
But the Iron Bowl is kinda for a few marbles
for one team with the other team in a position to ruin it for Satan’s Warriors. I know who I’ll be rooting for….
The 5 Stages of
Slappy Fan Grief
- Denial and Isolation: Miss State, hoping against hopes that
the 9.5 point dog Auburn can pull the upset…Maybe Alabama will try a long
field goal again….
- ANGER: MICHIGAN
FAN….Still here…AIN’T LEAVING!!!! What can I
say...We’ve been lied to (attendance), abused as fans (ticket prices,
concessions, product on the field) and we’ve had players do dumb, bad
things. And somehow, we’re still
fans because what else do we have?
I’m just glad Basketball has started…Can’t actually believe I’m
saying and believing that, but yeah…Michigan fans welcome the domers, Ole
Miss faithful, cornsuckers and Trojans into the angry section….
- Bargaining: ohio, TCU and Baylor are all still hoping and
praying that one of the current Final 4 teams royally screws up in
addition to the other two in the group of three screws up so they get the
last spot in the Final 4. I have a
funny feeling they may all get their wish…but they may also be victims.
- Depression: domers, dawgs, hawgs (what could have been),
Wolverines, Cornsuckers, Gatorland (if they’re still alive and if they
even care,) and others….
- Acceptance: It is the true release…when you
just accept the fact that your team sucks, it’s not your fault…and you
just let it go. There’s peace in it…honestly.
The MMQ’s Top 10
I’m thinking
that this Final 4 isn’t going to be the Final 4 come December 7th. Too much football left and too many things
can happen.
- Alabama – Fine – I’ll fall in line and
put Bama here and make all the Bama people happy for a Monday. Still gotta’ beat Auburn….
- Oregon – Mariota isn’t going to screw
this up…but the other Ducks have to play the Beavers, too….
- FSU- has to play a motivated
Gatorland. It won’t be easy….Most
likely candidate to fall out of the Final 4.
- Miss State – Have to hold serve and win the
Egg Bowl. If they don’t, it’s over
for them….
- Baylor – They are the
best one loss team with the best performance Saturday,
- TCU – Head to head has to matter…sooner
or later.
- Ohio – needs a lot of help. Clubbing Michigan isn’t going to do much
for them. And they still have to
get by Wiscy….
- UCLA – Do they have a slugger’s chance if there’s
chaos up front and they win out?
Meaning they beat Oregon?
- Georgia – just cause…..
- Sparty – to help ohio….cause, you know. B1G still matters.
Idle Thoughts From Saturday
-What a
difference a week and some latitude change makes….
-I think I
like the sand and sun better…
-I used to
love the cold Football games in November…
-Especially
when I was a student or at least, younger…
-Now, not so
much.
-Of course,
the rain didn’t help.
-I would have
preferred colder and snow…
-Rain at the
game sucks…
-Huh- I made
a rhyme…I’m a poet and didn’t know it.
-There goes
the team….last ride for the seniors…
-Well, at
least I’m ROCKIN’ THE CAN GAME!
-Huh…2 hours
before game time and I’ve clinched the Can Game Season Title?
-Alan
P has not represented this season!
-He’s been
the guy to beat in the Can Game for multiple years runnin’!!!!
-But, times
change….
-Time for
some not-so-Big-Game….
-Cause when
the opponent sucks – well, it’s not a Big Game….
-Can Indiana
really do this?
-Do I WANT
Indiana to do this?
-I mean, if
the Hoosiers pull it off and Michigan goes down there and gets humiliated….
-Okay, I don’t
have to worry about that any more.
-Jeez, kids
in the band get younger looking EVERY SEASON!
-Last walk
for the season to the stadium.
-Till next
season…
-New Coach,
new chapter.
-Wonder who
it’ll be…
-Better be
someone that can re-inspire the fan base.
-Even the
Tailgate crowds are dis-illusioned.
-Man….we suck.
-Hey, gutsy 4th
down call.
-Finally.
-Where was
the hold on the punt return?
-Still looking…
-Hoke, Hoke,
Hoke…what are you doing?
-You need to
be smarter than this….
-For your own
sake if you ever want to work in this sport at this level again…
-Whatever…
-It’s over…finally.
-I don’t even
want to think about next Saturday.
-Michigan has
not won in ohio since the days of John Navarre…2000
-It makes my
stomach hurt.
-Both main
rivals doing it better than Michigan ever did is just wrong…
-WTF….It’s
not Fantastic…It’s the other one…
-LET’S
GET THIS PROGRAM BACK ON TRACK!!!
The Hot Seat
Brittany
Palmer was more or less a unanimous pick even though the very hot Nicky Whelan
is still garnering that one vote a week.
I have to admit, Nicky is difficult to ignore and may be a bracket front
runner when the time comes. This week, Anastasia
Ashley
tempts you with her charms and is the HSM for Week #13!
Gone List:
- Muschamp
- Weiss
- Jones
- Others….
Hot Seat Rank
Brady
Hoke – It’s a foregone conclusion…
- Beckman: He’s
got problems….
- Hazell: Purdue
beat Illinois….
- Norm Chow:
Hawaii.
- Mike London:
Needs wins…
- David Shaw – Stanford fans not happy…
- Sarkisian – Neither are the Trojans…
- The Ole Ball Coach – He may just go golfing…
FMQ
It’s weird…..But I sometimes think the fortunes of
the FMQ are somehow linked to the performance of the Wolverines….or maybe it’s
vice-versa…Dunno’. Either way, Michigan
and the FMQ are both lousy and we need a miracle in “Rivalry Week” to have any
chance at making this season a decent one….
Minnesota @ Nebraska (-10):
Take the Gophers and the 10 for
$60
WIN!
Bank $114
Indiana @ ohio (-34.5):
Take ohio and lay the 34.5 for
$30
LOST….
Rutgers @ Sparty (-22):
Take Sparty and lay the 22 for
$30
WIN!!!
Bank $57
Colorado @ Oregon (+32.5):
Take the Ducks and lay the 32.5
for $60
WIN!!! Bank $114
Maryland @ Michigan (-5): Take
Michigan and lay the 5 for $30
LOSE….
Parlay!
Big Point Spread combo!
Miami (-5.5) – Oklahoma (-25) –
ohio(-34.5) – Oregon (-32.5) $20 pays $270
Wow – what a disaster…Miami destroyed…ohio
doesn’t cover…
Starting Bank: $236
Total Bet: $285
Bank: $521
