Keeps you up at Night

Matt Clement took a bean to the bean last night. It was an awfully scary sight and for Boston fans it was one in a trilogy of head shots. I don't count the time Manny got hit and just shook his natty dreads put his helmet back on and continued. He is one of my favorite players to watch. Adventurous in the outfield and on the bases, but unmerciful at the dish.

Anyway Matt Clement experienced the greatest fear in baseball realized last night. I played baseball and pitched. It was easily my greatest fear. Unfortunately it's drilled into your head, pun intended from your earliest playing days. Whether its your father telling you to A. be aware of every pitch, because a line drive can kill you. "I knew a kid in another town playing your position that took one right to the heart and died." Whether that is true or not doesn't matter. It is true. Kids are killed everyday by linedrives. They are dangerous. But part B. to that lesson is get in front of the ball, don't let it get by you. Never "big league" it and field it at the side. I got tagged with the lazy, or lacksydasical name because I could field that way. I was great defensively. But my fear was that liner to the aorta.

My fear was never realized, but I did have an exchange that can be retold by many parents and teamates of mine, if they remember it as vividly as I. I was at bat. A place I feared more than the field. Batting gave me a 66% chance of utter failure, based on a great major league batting average. Now my batting average was .750 at the end of one season, because I wasn't stupid. I knew the average 12 year old couldn't hit the strikezone. I walked probably twice as often as I got out. Plus I figure someone got my stats messed up.

Anyway, I'm at bat and the pitcher from the best team in the league in a really important game decides to give me a little chin music. Well the natural reaction is to bring your hands up and in towards the ball. Watch the big leaguers, they do it to. Sometimes they raise their hands but mostly they don't. Its natural. The ump gives me my base, because the ball hit some of me. It mostly hit the knob of the bat, creating a foul ball. I told him unequivically, No. It hit the bat. He says okay. Most everyone was freaked out because the ball bounced away from my face in a downward motion, looking like it hit my jaw. I was pissed. No one had ever come that close to plunking my noggin. I couldn't stand the fact that this little pischer (Yiddish for bed wetter, look it up) thought he could get away with that. I beared down and decided revenge would be mine. My plan, base hit maybe a screaming rope into left center.

The next pitch I absolutely crush. I made good contact like this about four times a year. Three of which usually happened in practice. This one though would have hit the fence after a couple of hard bounces past the centerfielder, save for the fact I nearly took this pitcher's shoulder off. He couldn't react in time, and I drilled his ass into the clay. I felt awful. He cried and screamed off the field and to the dugout, and probably to the ER later.

I got in the car later and my mother gave me the best compliment a baseball player could ever hear. She first said that she was sorry for that kid that I hit, but second said she was proud that I didn't back down. I was too. I feel though that it was all a coincidence. Just dumb luck. I never intended to hit that boy. If I did I would have done it when he came to the plate. If I didn't pitch that game then the next time. (I always pitched against Crowfield who used older players it was suspected. I beat them twice, but lost probably six times to them. I rarely lost to any other team.)

The greatest fear in baseball is getting hit, and failing at the plate. You can't predict the former, that's what terrifies all of us. The other two guys in the Boston Head Shot Trilogy never were the same. Tony Conigliari was gonna be the next big deal. Bryce Florie couldn't quite get his action back to major league status. Both tried both unsuccessful, but luckily for Matt Clement, both much more severe.

Schedule Strength

I've given you my Heisman hopefuls, and the scenarios for the Nat'l Championship. Now I thought we should look at some schedules and see what the big weekends in college football will be.

In the ACC it can determine the conference championship, and the winner usually finds its way to the BCS. Miami and FSU now play on Labor Day barring any hurricane scares. This year Miami road trips to FSU and Va Tech, and Clemson who they lost to last year. The games in the ACC with a supposed national impact are few, but none are more important that Sept. 5th.

In the Big East, while staying in alphabetical order...Its a three team race. Pitt, Louisville and West Virgina. Now I highly doubt anyone else will contend, so this makes Louisville and Pitt the big game, but what if Louisville loses to say Rutgers after a brutal Pitt game that should determine the conference. That puts the Pitt/West Virgina game into a whole other level of intensity.

The Big Ten is Michigan/Ohio ST. But lets try and be original. Michigan and Iowa. Pretty good. Texas and Ohio ST. probably the best non conference game going. I'll go with Purdue and Wisconsin on Oct 22nd. Why? Purdue has a cupcake schedule that barring any upsets should run them to 6-0 or 5-1 at worst. Wisconsin could be 6-0 or 5-1. After this game both teams only have one real legit challenge, and both are home games. This one happens in Camp Randall. Wisconsin is never considered a contender, and Purdue always falters. This could be a make or break game for each team's season.

Okay bring on the Big 12. Another easy pick Texas and Oklahoma. Boring, but vital to the national scene. I wanna look at the Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma game. A&M could come in undefeated at 9-0 maybe at worst 7-2. Same with Oklahoma, but probably 8-1. If Texas falters, or one of these teams goes undefeated this game becomes major. Then the winner gets Texas if you are Texas A&M. Or goes to Lubbock to play Texas Tech if you're a Sooner. The winner of the South usually makes the BCS and its a nasty three dog race.

Pac Ten, because Conf. USA don't count. And while were naming conferences, I'm gonna call this one Conf. USC until some one tells me different. They have no conf. rival. I know about UCLA and Cal and the others, I mean they have no competition. If Matt Leinhart went down and Reggie Bush got benched, they would still be my favorite. LenDale White and Booty, Josh and Mark Sanchez would start almost anywhere in the country. Now lets talk about the big game. There are two USC playing host to Arkansas. Yes. Houston Nutt does very well in non-conference road games. Call Mack Brown. Last, Fresno ST. Fresno is never afraid to play you, and even less afraid to beat you. Watch out. It comes after Cal and before UCLA. I'm telling you now this could be the next game the Trojans lose.

My area of expertise. SEC football. Florida and USC is the game of the year in college football. Spurrier against his old team. Gameday will be there, and it will be a big deal. USC will probably be 4-5, maybe 5-4. UF will be 6-3. Still biggest game in USC's Spurrier era comes against Central Florida. The first game, and the game we play with several suspended players. We'll see. Now about the biggest game of the year on the field. UT plays Florida and LSU in successive weeks on the road, welcome to the SEC for you outsiders. Not the biggest game though. The biggest games are great in September but important in November. I made that up. Nov. 12th Alabama against LSU in Tuscalosa. Why? LSU could be 6-2, but will be undefeated 8-0. Bama will be 7-2 but could realistically be 9-0. More than likely both will be with a loss and it may not determine the SEC West and a potential National Champ competitor. But if they both come in undefeated LSU finishes with Arkansas, and possibly UT, UF or UGA, whom they would have beaten previously save Georgia. If Alabama wins and contiues undefeated it puts the Iron Bowl against Auburn into the stratosphere. Bama rarely wins in Jordan Hare, and if undefeated against some folks co-Nat'l champ this would cause a possible big bang towards an apocalypse. If nothing else it will be the biggest game Bama would have since the probation, and the biggest for Auburn since the Sugar Bowl.

Ricky Woods Wins Again

I was going to pick Tiger to win the Open Championship, but I thought that would be a little obvious. So I was thinking who would contend, and I honestly thought of Colin Montgomerie, but I really really thought it would be a battle against Luke Donald. Donald could become the next Nick Faldo.

I was happy to see Tiger refer to Ranger Rick. Not sure if that is a pet name for how golfers hit the ball at the range in hopes of bringing it to the course, or that he finally caught on to my valiant attempts at making him know as Rick Woods.

More in the future.


Oh I am picking Rick at Baultusrol, one of my favorite courses in the USA, that sound foreign.

Nat'l Champion Prediction in July???

First question every year is who's number 1. I think that is pretty obvious. USC is going to be the concensus #1 across the board, the more important question is how will they finish, and who is the leader in the race for #2?

My best guess places USC as the clear choice as the class team of college ball, with no one in their league. Will they go undefeated, maybe not, but that's irrelevant now. They may only lose one game all year, barring any unforseen issues. But who will they play for the championship and can that team take them down. I say yes, but I doubt it.

I've got five teams I believe can win the National Championship, Texas, Tennessee, Iowa, LSU and Louisville. Texas first. Texas is the best team that isn't in California, but has one of the greatest potentials for losing it all if Vince Young goes down or if Cedric Benson's shoes aren't filled. Why Texas won't be there...@Ohio St. @ Texas A&M, @Oklahoma St, and theres a game with Oklahoma they can't win. Why Texas will be there..this is the year to catch Oklahoma, and they are the best team in the Big 12 and won't play Nebraska.

Tennessee now. They could win the SEC and fall into the 2nd position for a chance at the Nat'l championship. They're good but not good enough. Why they won't...QB play. You got Claussen and Ainge, what happens if Claussen struggles and they have a controversy, and have any of you heard of the SEC East? UGA is a homer but they travel to Florida, and LSU. Why they will Gerald Riggs Jr. is the best back in the country that doesn't play in Los Angeles, or Michigan. Defense should be good and they have the pedigree as winners.

Iowa. This is a semi-gamble. These guys weren't supposed to win 7 games last year, and they didn't, they won 10. Including beating LSU in a bowl. Kirk Ferentz can flat coach and they can still sneak up on teams. Why they won't..still a year away. Got Michigan, Ohio St on the schedule. Why they will.. because they've won 11, 10, and 10 the last three years. This could be the cinderella that Virgina Tech has been.

LSU next. LSU is going to be good there isn't much arguing that. This is the most loaded team of people you may have never heard of in the country. Remember Sugar Bowl MVP Justin Vincent, he's third on the depth chart at RB. He only ran for two TD's and 125 yrds on Okla. Two good WR's . Defense is the unproven, but over the last few years that hasn't been any concern. Bo Pelini will have all eleven athletes swarming the conference. Why they will win...they know how, and they are going to be tested and they are deep. Why they won't... I don't have anything here, just more why they will, UT, UF, Auburn and Arizona St at home.

Louisville. Yes this is quite possibly going to be the story of the year. Imagine LSU, UT, UTenn, and the rest losing a game or two. Oklahoma and Michigan take defeats and the ACC is brutal with its parody. Maybe USC takes a loss, who has the best chance to go undefeated in a major conference? Louisville is right. Why they will...Michael Bush, Brian Brohm, and Bobby Petrino. why they won't...college football doesn't believe in happy endings for "non-powers". This will be needed to steam the playoff talk another year.

So write it down, I'm taking LSU and USC. USC wins because they get to sleep in their own beds.

Preview 05

This officially begins the college football preview of The Mighty Sound of the Southeast.

What I plan to deliver is your Nat'l. Champ, Heisman Winner, and the most spot on predictions for what will happen this season. Years past, I created my own gambling lines for games and was moderately successful with very liberal lines. This year I don't plan on going down that road, but I can help guide everyone's picks and give some clarity to the season. I plan a weekly poll and weekly Heisman updates begining later in the season. I also plan on giving as much insider info as I can find. I've been privy to a smidgen over time.

I thought it might be a nice excercise to have some word association to jar your memories and wake the echoes so to speak....

Let these words or phrases begin scratching that college football itch:

Norman, Oklahoma...Rocky Top...Hokies...Blue Hens...Zips...Big Blue...Reggie Bush...Corvalis...Bayou Bengals...Army/Navy...Howard's Rock...12th Man...Rose Bowl...
Joe Pa ...Camp Randall... Howard Schnellenberger...Hook 'Em Horns...Chris Leak...
Roll Tide...Chief Osceola...Uga...Touchdown Jesus...Folsum Field...The Grove...The Shoe...Play Like a Champion Today...Fun 'n Gun...Run 'n Shoot...Single Wing...Wishbone...The Egg Bowl...The Iron Bowl...Little Brown Jug...Border Wars...Whooo Pig Soiee....Wide Right...

That's a start...

I'm still here

I have so little to write about in the sports world right now, I thought I'd drop a line just to say I'm still out here.

I was thinking of the unconscious possibility that I went to the University of South Carolina just to guarantee I would always be a fan of the team, and so I could use that as the excuse why when the pressure gets to me.

Its too hot to do anything, but in 56 days we will be kickin' off on ESPN. I'll bet it will be 85 degrees at kickoff. That's nasty.

More soon, including my football preview.