Tag Archives: Football

Retire Already

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Brett Favre: Packers should let me play elsewhere

I’ve been an admirer if not an outright fan of the Green Bay Packers going back to the Bart Starr/Boyd Dowler/Max McGee days. News like that in the posted link always makes me shake my head. Favre, you’ve won Super Bowls, you’ve been an Iron Man at quarterback, you’ve faithfully and deservedly worn the mantle of superstar at a storied NFL franchise.

Please don’t blow all that in your latter days with whining and pining. Irrespective of your obvious dedication to the sport, you are a Packer. No matter what happens, you belong in the green and gold. Retire already. Run for governor of Wisconsin. Mayor of Green Bay. Congress. Buy a Chevy dealership. Whatever. Just retire.

-k-

Obligatory SuperBowl Weekend Fandom

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I never thought I’d wave the banner for an NFC East team, but I’ll be rooting for the New York Giants tomorrow. I like them partly because of their underdog status and partly because a bunch of my and my little bride’s coworkers are Giants fans.

I like Eli Manning; I like his dad Archie, and Peyton is OK in my book as well, even though the Colts aren’t in the big show this year.

Still, I can’t muster much enthusiasm. I plan to snack hugely, and have a six pack truckload of Shiners.

Happy Super Bowl Weekend! Go Giants! Yea, Team!

-k-
[stags]Football, sports, superbowl[/stags]

Orange Bowl

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Watching pre-game hype on Fox. In spite of the fact that Bob Dole spoke for the Jayhawks in the overview of the two schools, I’m rooting for Kansas anyhow.

I was a KU student the last time they went to the Orange Bowl, and hope this year’s outcome is more favorable.

Rock Chalk!

-k-
[stags]Football, NCAA, Kansas Jayhawks[/stags]

It’s Hard to Rally ’round a Math Class

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While watching NCAA Basketball a while ago this evening, I was struck by the number of players who have been declared “academically ineligible” for upcoming NCAA football bowl games, and who therefore will not be playing.

Without doing any research at all, I’d surmise this is some NCAA final inspection rule prior to the football extravaganza about to unfold. If that’s the case, why?

Let’s just drop the pretense. Many college athletes are in college for one reason only: To get drafted by a professional team and sign a contract. That can be a tall mountain to climb. But let’s not delude ourselves that a college athlete’s indoctrination in some liberal arts program is why they’re really in college from the git-go. These guys just didn’t dumb up over the last week or so, yet they were allowed to play all season. Now that the moment has come for them to showcase their talents on the gridiron and possibly become gainfully employed by an NFL franchise, they’re now academically ineligible? Football fans don’t buy tickets to a differential equation solving contest; the NCAA should understand this, and let the athletes compete.

-k-
[stags]NCAA,Football[/stags]
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A Bit Short

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Last night’s Kansas-Missouri football Border War was an outstanding game; unfortunately, the Jayhawks came up on the short end of a 36-28 score.

Taking nothing away from the outstanding play by Missouri, it doesn’t take a huge sports analyst to say that had the ‘Hawks rushed the ball better, had they not turned the ball over three times, and had they not missed two field goals, that the outcome could have been different. If Ifs and buts were candy and nuts, etc..

What struck me about the game was the fact that Kansas never gave up; Mizzou, whose season-long 4th quarter domination was loudly trumpeted by ABC play-by-play men Brent “Why is he still on TV?” Musberger, and Kirk Herbstreit, was outscored 21-8 by KU in the final quarter in a comeback effort that just came up short. Brent and Kirk were so full of their insight that the cameras shifted to the booth with 3 or 4 minutes to go, and showed them discussing how Ohio State, LSU, and West Virginia could still get back into the BCS title game, and how Missouri had narrowly lost to Oklahoma1 in an earlier game, and how they should all but present the crystal football to the Tigers right now. They then turned their attention to the field, where Kansas was methodically driving down for touchdowns, and remarked “Wait, we still have a game here.” Indeed.

So, with an 11-1 season, and excellent prospects of playing in some warmer climes on New Year’s Day, The Jayhawks still have had a season to remember.

And I’ll be rooting for Missouri next Saturday. And watching KU on January 1.

-k-

[stags]Kansas Jayhawks, Football, Missouri Tigers[/stags]
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1 Next weekend’s opponent in the Big 12 title game.

Hoping to Rock the Chalk Again

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For Kansas fans, Kansas fan wannabes, and Kansas expatriates, tonight’s Kansas vs Missouri football game has been much anticipated. Even more so, since LSU lost yesterday. The game is not only for a berth in the Big 12 Championship, but for #1 national ranking.

I used to rate KU’s football program on whether they beat Kansas State and Missouri; if they did, even though they may finish the season 2-and-whatever, I rated it a success.

I still rate the season by those standards, but the stakes are much higher now. And the ‘Hawks are far better than 2-and-whatever.

Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

-k-
[stags]Kansas Jayhawks, Football[/stags]

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More Fallen Records

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Some may accuse me of being a fair-weather Kansas Jayhawks football fan, throwing them under the bus when they’re struggling, and wrapping himself in crimson and blue when they’re on top. There may be some truth to that. In prior seasons, the Hawks oftentimes struggled to play .500 ball; the reality was that they had little chance against a lot of teams. This year has obviously been different; their early success has resulted in more exposure, which means us east coasters can see them more often, which stokes the fires of fandom. Whatever.

This article from the Lawrence Journal-World details just what records were broken in the Jayhawk’s 76-39 mauling of Nebraska yesterday:

• Kansas never has scored more points in a conference game.

• Nebraska never has allowed more points in ANY game.

• The 115 combined points are the most ever in a contest involving KU.

• Quarterback Todd Reesing’s six touchdown passes are a school record.

• Brandon McAnderson’s four touchdown runs tie a school record.

• Even when the Huskers were a national power a generation ago, they never put more than 70 on the lowly Jayhawks. KU was almost there in the third quarter Saturday.

Add to that over 1000 yards in combined total offense by both teams, and it was definitely a game for the ages.

-k-
[stags]KansasJayhawks,NebraskaCornhuskers,NCAA,Football[/stags]

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Filling the Time

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I flipped over to the Washington Redskins/New England Patriots game after the stock car race. The announcers just commented that this is the first time in history that two coaches, each having 3 or more Super Bowl rings, have faced each other in a game.

With the Pats up 45-0, and showing no signs of letting up, the announcers will probably have the Manual of Obscure NFL Statistics totally dog-eared before the game is over.

-k-
[stags]football,WashingtonRedskins[/stags]
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Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

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I don’t follow college football with the fervor I once did; it’s a case of oversupply, with an endless stream of games starting on Thursday night, and continuing through Saturday. I guess teevee revenues are fine for the schools, but the glut of games leaves me overwhelmed. Last weekend in Roanoke, we saw the Kansas Jayhawks play and defeat Colorado on the teevee in the hotel bar. Last night, we saw the Hawks prevail over Texas A&M. And wonder of wonders, they are undefeated1 and nationally ranked. Awesome! Maybe this will be the year that Jayhawk fans won’t have to say, as the pigskin season draws to a close: “Wait until basketball season.” Though we’ll be rooting for them then, too.

-k-
[stags]kansas,kansas jayhawks,ncaa,football[/stags]

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1 First time they’ve been 8-0 since 1909.

Go, Chieves

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They have a halftime lead, 20-7. During the second half, they could still get handed their stindeens in a paper sack, but for now, I’m a happy boy.
-k-
[stags]Football,KansasCityChiefs,ArrowheadStadium,NFL[/stags]
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Update: And helmets off to Tony Gonzalez of the Chieves, for catching more TD passes that any other tight end to play the game.