Mardi Gras came early to the Yard this year. With our chosen Saints, smashing another future Hall of Fame QB into untimely interceptions, we put on our beads, got liquored up and flashed our boobs. It is still a blur in the afterglow of betting the money line rather than taking the points with our recently beloved team. There is no better sports story this century than the Saints carrying this nearly 300 year old city into a much needed winner’s circle. Drew Brees is a relentless warrior encased in genuine. Dat who!
It was a great game with Saints Coach Sean Payton making some gutsy calls that could have cost his team the game. Going for it on 4th and goal from the 2 yard line right before half was gutsy and it failed. Coach Payton saving his timeouts while Peyton Manning tried to run out the clock was brilliant. He got that field goal back as the half ended. The on sides kick with the second half kick off could have been disastrous but it worked out.
The play that changed the game was made by Indy WR Pierre Garcon in the first quarter. It did not seem like anything could slow the Colts after their 11 play 96 yard drive to take a 10-0 lead. With Peyton Manning affirming his brilliance on every play, the Colts faced a rather pedestrian 3rd and 7 from their own 35 yard line. Manning dropped back and hit Garcon right in stride 20 yards down the field with no other player shown on my television. Garcon had another 30 yards of wet Miami turf open ahead of him and the legacy of Peyton Manning within him. A 17-0 lead would have been insurmountable and changed the Saints game plan, their fortunes and the spirit of this blog. With the ensuing touchdown, Manning might have been inducted into Canton right there in Miami at halftime.
Pierre Garcon would catch five passes on Super Bowl Sunday but not this one. The Colts were forced to punt. The Saints ham and egged a 46 yard field goal on the ensuing drive while the French Quarter ordered another round. Manning was never in control of this game again after that moment. The French Quarter has not been in control either but that goes back 300 years and a day.
We are on the fence if Tim Tebow can take his game to the NFL. He certainly did not do himself any locker room favors with his Focus on the Family ad that ran during the Super Bowl pre-game. The media deemed it controversial but it really did not convey any controversial message. We watched it and it seemed sort of like a hair salon commercial with Tebow playing the role of Alphonse. We are glad to see Tim and his mommy have so much fun together but it was a bit creepy.
The real irritating commercial during the Super Bowl was President Obama and CBS News Anchor Katie Couric sitting down at the White House in effort to save both of their careers. It was another unpaid advertisement for Barry to get his message out. Couric was there to remind the majority of the massive television audience that she is still on television. Barack, interrupting the Super Bowl pre-game show is definitely not going to help your approval rating. We prefer the Clydesdales and Carrie Underwood during the pre-game on our day. Have your people call my people next time.
Which washed up band is going to play the next Super Bowl halftime Rod Stewart? The Who’s lead singer Roger Daltrey looked like a Vegas lounge act with the curls and pink tinted Aviator sunglasses. Daltrey can not goose out those high notes even with that outfit. Pete Townsend still does his signature windmill strum that produces the same meager chords he has been playing since before CSI: Miami. Who were the other guys that were on the stage representing the Who? The lighting show was nice especially when it drown out the band. Next year let’s hope the NFL hires the Black Eyed Peas and Fergie has a clothing malfunction.
USC football will finally get their day before NCAA tribunal council next week. It has been a long time coming and Prince Peter knew better than to stick around for the punitive phase of his reign. The civil suit with Reggie Bush’s former agent’s claim that Mr. Kardashian needs to repay the $300,000 salary he was paid during his Heisman year still beckons before, after and during the NCAA investigation.
USC President Steve Sample can not be too thrilled to have his grumpy AD Mike Garrett representing the University’s most valuable asset-the football program. Garrett has raised record monies, built the Galen Center, and has made few friends in the process. Mike is quick to point out that he has a law degree. The Yard is quick to point out, he never passed the bar. Garrett might need to hit one on the way home from this hearing. We are seeing a “You can’t handle the truth” moment coming with Garrett impersonating Jack Nicholson when questioned.
Trojan faithful, it is not going to end well. UCLA had their best recruiting class this century while benefitting from the uncertainty. Hiring Lane Kiffin slowed the bleeding but the wolves are getting closer to the fire. The big lineman from MN is already talking to Ohio State and will not be coming if the axe falls. When the NCAA cuts scholarships for ten of your Parade All-Americans with no bowl games for two years, and restricted recruiting, etc, Lane will be what we all know he is already-not much. At some point in the next four years, if Garrett is still there, he will be forced to ask Kiffin to leave. The Yard takes no solace in the misfortune of Troy…yeah, right…
Sports do not build character. They reveal it. John Wooden.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Super used to be enough!
In January of 1983, the Yard attended our first and only Super Bowl. The only Shack that was a relevant sports icon to us was our good friend and former NAU Lumberjack John Shack who was on the Redskins injured reserve. Joe Theismann was eighteen months away from Lawrence Taylor ending his career during the making of the “Blind Side”. Super Bowl MVP John Riggins was the Huckleberry who rushed for 166 yards and the game changing touchdown. It was still a football game back then.
My first employer, Lanier Business Products was advertising dictation equipment during that Super Bowl. Lanier missed out on Edison’s electricity but they were all over his wax cylinders and dictation invention. Industry Icon, Temple Alumni and father of Victor, Bob got us Lanier hall passes into that game. The Yard is forever in his debt on many levels but we will probably never attend another Super Bowl. In 1983, the tickets were free with a face value of $40. In 2010, the face value is $850 and nothing is free.
At the Rose Bowl that day, the sponsoring of sports in America was still about the game not about being at the game. When the arrogance of being at the game subjugated the value of the game, the Super Bowl became courtside seats at Staples. Celebrities will be “surprised” that there is an interviewer in their face who wants to discuss their CBS TV series. Taco Bell, Budweiser, and Go Daddy will buy the soul of our Super Bowl thirty seconds at a time. The Yard will watch the game from home with the youthful fervor of 1983 and the waistline of 2010 on the sofa from 2006.
There is no better sports story than Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The “Who Dat” nation has descended on South Beach and they do not need no stinking tickets. They will cheer in proximity with an alcohol fervor that the Yard could barely muster in 1983. Drew Brees signed with the Saints when the smart money was playing for the Dolphins. Bill Parcells wanted him desperately and appeared to have him locked up when the Chargers released Brees. The Chargers desperately needed Phillip Rivers to lead San Diego to greatness and apparently felt Brees would never lead a team to the Super Bowl.
Drew Brees is the guy you want coming to the front door to pick up your daughter. He says the right things because he means them. He works as hard as Peyton Manning with less public ball washings. He makes as many right decisions and he has more weapons. He had a better season than Sir Peyton and he will have full Yard support. The Saint defense is under rated and opportunistic. They pummeled Kurt Warner into retirement. Brett Favre got a similar message while throwing a game changing play off interception with a different team for the third straight post season. Brees decided on New Orleans because he did not just want to rebuild the Saints, he wanted to rebuild the city. In four years, he has taken the Saints to their first Super Bowl and has helped rebuild the city he now owns.
The Yard expressed concern that the impending divorce of Jamie the Load and Frank the Weak was going to hamper the Dodger’s ability to fill the gaps in their lineup. The Dodgers filled in the gaps in their roster with Reed Johnson and Jeff Weaver this past week. Reed Johnson to replace Juan Pierre? The Dodgers are paying 60% of Pierre’s salary so he can start for the White Sox. Jeff Weaver? Is this the 8th coming of Jeff Weaver? The Dodgers keep picking the wrong brother.
UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland is conducting his greatest coaching clinic this season. He is working harder with this young 11-12 team than he had to with any of his Final Four Teams. Howland always works hard and pounds fundamentals. Today’s one and done elite players are not easy converts. This Twittering, entitled youth does not always want to learn the bricks and mortar. They feel they were born with the bricks and already laid the mortar. They want the gloss and the Benjamin’s not necessarily Benjamin Howland.
The players that buy into his system are now playing significant minutes in the NBA. Drew Gordon did not get that and his last games will be played as a New Mexico Lobo. NBA coaches know that Ben’s kids are alright. If they can play for Howland, they can play anywhere. Freshman Tyler Honeycutt will play at the next level. He can run the point while leading the team in rebounding.
Extra Minutes: Is it just the Yard or is the whole sex addiction illness just a married guy who got caught epidemic? Derek Jeter banged half the Maxim Hot 100 between 2007 to present. He had more quantity than Tiger and exponentially better quality. But Tiger is a cheat who needs to cure his addiction. Derek is a player who is getting major trim. Jeter was smart enough to save the “I do’s” for the end of career not the prime. We hope it all works out for the Woods because lord knows the PGA needs him.
Penalty Kicks: Is Horatio Caine of CSI Miami going to introduce the Who for their signature tune while lowering his sunglasses?
My first employer, Lanier Business Products was advertising dictation equipment during that Super Bowl. Lanier missed out on Edison’s electricity but they were all over his wax cylinders and dictation invention. Industry Icon, Temple Alumni and father of Victor, Bob got us Lanier hall passes into that game. The Yard is forever in his debt on many levels but we will probably never attend another Super Bowl. In 1983, the tickets were free with a face value of $40. In 2010, the face value is $850 and nothing is free.
At the Rose Bowl that day, the sponsoring of sports in America was still about the game not about being at the game. When the arrogance of being at the game subjugated the value of the game, the Super Bowl became courtside seats at Staples. Celebrities will be “surprised” that there is an interviewer in their face who wants to discuss their CBS TV series. Taco Bell, Budweiser, and Go Daddy will buy the soul of our Super Bowl thirty seconds at a time. The Yard will watch the game from home with the youthful fervor of 1983 and the waistline of 2010 on the sofa from 2006.
There is no better sports story than Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints. The “Who Dat” nation has descended on South Beach and they do not need no stinking tickets. They will cheer in proximity with an alcohol fervor that the Yard could barely muster in 1983. Drew Brees signed with the Saints when the smart money was playing for the Dolphins. Bill Parcells wanted him desperately and appeared to have him locked up when the Chargers released Brees. The Chargers desperately needed Phillip Rivers to lead San Diego to greatness and apparently felt Brees would never lead a team to the Super Bowl.
Drew Brees is the guy you want coming to the front door to pick up your daughter. He says the right things because he means them. He works as hard as Peyton Manning with less public ball washings. He makes as many right decisions and he has more weapons. He had a better season than Sir Peyton and he will have full Yard support. The Saint defense is under rated and opportunistic. They pummeled Kurt Warner into retirement. Brett Favre got a similar message while throwing a game changing play off interception with a different team for the third straight post season. Brees decided on New Orleans because he did not just want to rebuild the Saints, he wanted to rebuild the city. In four years, he has taken the Saints to their first Super Bowl and has helped rebuild the city he now owns.
The Yard expressed concern that the impending divorce of Jamie the Load and Frank the Weak was going to hamper the Dodger’s ability to fill the gaps in their lineup. The Dodgers filled in the gaps in their roster with Reed Johnson and Jeff Weaver this past week. Reed Johnson to replace Juan Pierre? The Dodgers are paying 60% of Pierre’s salary so he can start for the White Sox. Jeff Weaver? Is this the 8th coming of Jeff Weaver? The Dodgers keep picking the wrong brother.
UCLA basketball coach Ben Howland is conducting his greatest coaching clinic this season. He is working harder with this young 11-12 team than he had to with any of his Final Four Teams. Howland always works hard and pounds fundamentals. Today’s one and done elite players are not easy converts. This Twittering, entitled youth does not always want to learn the bricks and mortar. They feel they were born with the bricks and already laid the mortar. They want the gloss and the Benjamin’s not necessarily Benjamin Howland.
The players that buy into his system are now playing significant minutes in the NBA. Drew Gordon did not get that and his last games will be played as a New Mexico Lobo. NBA coaches know that Ben’s kids are alright. If they can play for Howland, they can play anywhere. Freshman Tyler Honeycutt will play at the next level. He can run the point while leading the team in rebounding.
Extra Minutes: Is it just the Yard or is the whole sex addiction illness just a married guy who got caught epidemic? Derek Jeter banged half the Maxim Hot 100 between 2007 to present. He had more quantity than Tiger and exponentially better quality. But Tiger is a cheat who needs to cure his addiction. Derek is a player who is getting major trim. Jeter was smart enough to save the “I do’s” for the end of career not the prime. We hope it all works out for the Woods because lord knows the PGA needs him.
Penalty Kicks: Is Horatio Caine of CSI Miami going to introduce the Who for their signature tune while lowering his sunglasses?
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Garrett Lane
Focus at the Yard is sacredly fleeting. Random ideas and story lines nag at our surprisingly functional ADD. The enthusiasm of a great topic is calibrated by the realities of financing private education, the payment of bundled services and the cost of our unmitigated spirit.
It had been an exceptional sports weekend at the Yard last weekend. Santa Clara University sponsored an event featuring Lebron James and the Cavaliers playing the Clippers. With our summer home like educational investment in the oldest university in California, we were thrilled that they e-mailed us with this exciting opportunity. We had tickets to the USC-UCLA basketball game which is a prouder moment for Bruin sports fans than football. It was a quandary and there was no doing both. Jo at the Yard provided the deciding vote for the Clipper game. She made the right call along with Charlie Sheen, Rihanna and Billy Crystal who were also there. Nadia of the Yard went with her USC dude to Westwood to represent our interests.
The Clippers led the entire game and lost at the end as they always seem to do. Clipper owner Donald Sterling is the ruddy poster boy for bad karma. The Clippers have no history, a marginal presence and a suspect future. We had fun and a recent Santa Clara grad bought me a beer so the ROI is kicking in. Across town, the Bruins suffered the worst home loss to USC since 1945. Defeat was in the air all over town and the beer at Staples mitigated the loss at Pauley Pavilion. The SC dude knew better than to gloat and we easily avoided those that would on a blustery Saturday.
It always seemed that the NFL and the NCAA were in a race to get to Pete Carroll at USC. It was going to be a photo finish but we were surprised how bad the NFL boat raced the NCAA investigators. Pete escaped to the NFL before the tribunal council of the NCAA voted him off the island faster than you can say Tim Floyd.
Lane Kiffin baited and switched Volunteer nation when Mike Garret came calling. After the Raider debacle, University of Tennessee took a chance with this young coach. He sang the fight song, wore the colors, kissed Pat Summit’s ass, and committed the SEC mandated secondary recruiting violations. Now, UT is digging up dirt to shame the turncoat that the University hid when he was one of their own. Lane Kiffin may be a jerk but the Volunteer Nation is acting like the girlfriend scorned. Get over it!
Lane moved out of Knoxville the first chance he got. USC was a unique opportunity for the young Lord Kiffin. He was dumb enough to take the Raider job working for Al Davis. Apparently, he is ignorant enough to believe the Trojan Nation is going to give him the hall pass he got in Tennessee with a 7-6 team this year. At Tennessee, three of his players were arrested for armed robbery. The Volunteer fan that was held up at gun point refused to press charges because two of the players were starters. Lane was blessed with patience from the hillbillies that the Ralph Lauren crowd will never wear or tolerate.
At this time last year, bitter Pete Carroll was angrily distaining Mark Sanchez for leaving USC. A college coach’s brilliance is exponentially related to the talent of his starting quarterback. Carroll wanted Mark Sanchez leading this team to recover the national championship that Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns stole from his greatest team. Peter spent most of this season prematurely washing Matt Barkley’s balls in a very public way in the hope he would grow into a Sanchez. It was Curb Your Enthusiasm uncomfortable at times. Matt seemed to like it even if it was not reflected in his play. The Trojans lost conference games early, late and in between while earning post season home court advantage in the Emerald Nut Bowl.
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is thrilled by these developments. Mike Garrett needed to conduct emergency triage. Garrett spent the 1990’s being bitch slapped by UCLA. Paul Hackett and John Robinson Part Duex were at the football dashboard while UCLA won eight straight over Troy. Ricky does not mind the “dirt under your nails” recruiting that USC has perfected. He beat Kiffin in Tennessee this season. UCLA does not have Jerry Buss wealthy alumni that buy out Lord Lane for $800K in Knoxville, provide the SUV to NFL bound Joe McKnight, OJ Mayo’s flat screen TV or Reggie Bush’s family’s free family rent. We do have a feisty Rick Neuheisel who will do the work to compete publicly with LA’s famously private institution across town.
BTW: If the paparazzi can find Tiger at a Mississippi Sex Clinic, can’t we outsource them to Pakistan to find Bin Laden?
It had been an exceptional sports weekend at the Yard last weekend. Santa Clara University sponsored an event featuring Lebron James and the Cavaliers playing the Clippers. With our summer home like educational investment in the oldest university in California, we were thrilled that they e-mailed us with this exciting opportunity. We had tickets to the USC-UCLA basketball game which is a prouder moment for Bruin sports fans than football. It was a quandary and there was no doing both. Jo at the Yard provided the deciding vote for the Clipper game. She made the right call along with Charlie Sheen, Rihanna and Billy Crystal who were also there. Nadia of the Yard went with her USC dude to Westwood to represent our interests.
The Clippers led the entire game and lost at the end as they always seem to do. Clipper owner Donald Sterling is the ruddy poster boy for bad karma. The Clippers have no history, a marginal presence and a suspect future. We had fun and a recent Santa Clara grad bought me a beer so the ROI is kicking in. Across town, the Bruins suffered the worst home loss to USC since 1945. Defeat was in the air all over town and the beer at Staples mitigated the loss at Pauley Pavilion. The SC dude knew better than to gloat and we easily avoided those that would on a blustery Saturday.
It always seemed that the NFL and the NCAA were in a race to get to Pete Carroll at USC. It was going to be a photo finish but we were surprised how bad the NFL boat raced the NCAA investigators. Pete escaped to the NFL before the tribunal council of the NCAA voted him off the island faster than you can say Tim Floyd.
Lane Kiffin baited and switched Volunteer nation when Mike Garret came calling. After the Raider debacle, University of Tennessee took a chance with this young coach. He sang the fight song, wore the colors, kissed Pat Summit’s ass, and committed the SEC mandated secondary recruiting violations. Now, UT is digging up dirt to shame the turncoat that the University hid when he was one of their own. Lane Kiffin may be a jerk but the Volunteer Nation is acting like the girlfriend scorned. Get over it!
Lane moved out of Knoxville the first chance he got. USC was a unique opportunity for the young Lord Kiffin. He was dumb enough to take the Raider job working for Al Davis. Apparently, he is ignorant enough to believe the Trojan Nation is going to give him the hall pass he got in Tennessee with a 7-6 team this year. At Tennessee, three of his players were arrested for armed robbery. The Volunteer fan that was held up at gun point refused to press charges because two of the players were starters. Lane was blessed with patience from the hillbillies that the Ralph Lauren crowd will never wear or tolerate.
At this time last year, bitter Pete Carroll was angrily distaining Mark Sanchez for leaving USC. A college coach’s brilliance is exponentially related to the talent of his starting quarterback. Carroll wanted Mark Sanchez leading this team to recover the national championship that Vince Young and the Texas Longhorns stole from his greatest team. Peter spent most of this season prematurely washing Matt Barkley’s balls in a very public way in the hope he would grow into a Sanchez. It was Curb Your Enthusiasm uncomfortable at times. Matt seemed to like it even if it was not reflected in his play. The Trojans lost conference games early, late and in between while earning post season home court advantage in the Emerald Nut Bowl.
UCLA coach Rick Neuheisel is thrilled by these developments. Mike Garrett needed to conduct emergency triage. Garrett spent the 1990’s being bitch slapped by UCLA. Paul Hackett and John Robinson Part Duex were at the football dashboard while UCLA won eight straight over Troy. Ricky does not mind the “dirt under your nails” recruiting that USC has perfected. He beat Kiffin in Tennessee this season. UCLA does not have Jerry Buss wealthy alumni that buy out Lord Lane for $800K in Knoxville, provide the SUV to NFL bound Joe McKnight, OJ Mayo’s flat screen TV or Reggie Bush’s family’s free family rent. We do have a feisty Rick Neuheisel who will do the work to compete publicly with LA’s famously private institution across town.
BTW: If the paparazzi can find Tiger at a Mississippi Sex Clinic, can’t we outsource them to Pakistan to find Bin Laden?
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