Miami Hurricanes @ MindSay

Today the Mighty Miami Hurricanes visit Gainesville for a battle in the Swamp tonight.  I love my Canes and even though they have the number one ranked offensive line and speed on both sides of the line, I doubt they have enough playmakers to take a victory back home to Miami.  Sadly, our return to glory will be for another day.  With that being said my College Gameday Picks are as followed:

Miami (OH) will lose to Michigan in Ann Arbor

West Virginia easily beats East Carolina

Mississppi has no chance against Wake Forest

Georgia Tech upsets Boston College on their home turf

Northwestern and Duke.  This one is a no-brainer.  Duke loses.

Stanford should have stayed at home against Arizona State

Air Force drops the bomb on Wyoming

Upset of the day:  Oregon State beats the Penn State Nitally Lions (as Barac likes to call them)

South Florida beats UCF

So there you have it.  My picks for the day.  Now it is off to prayer session for the Canes.  You never know until you know and that is why they play the game.  Go Canes!!!!!!

Current mood: happy
Category: Sports

THOUGHTS ON WEEK 6 IN THE NFL
I usually reserve this weekly post to all things NFL but the brawl that took place on Saturday's college game between the University of Miami and Florida International University marks not only another low point for chronically overrated Miami but should be an embarassment to all of college football. What bothered me most was not the herd mentality that players displayed in joining in with their teammates but that the officials and coaches lacked the ability to take control. For a few minutes it became a gang fight in football pads. And unlike the ugly brawl that marred the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers game two years ago this incident seemed to delght the fans who were there. Miami spirit squad members ran around the field waving the Hurricane flags as if this was a sanctioned UFC bout and a good many of the fans in the stands were on their feet cheering them on like a bunch of junior high school kids rallying around two kids going at it. What's done is done and the image of Miami once again of an outlaw college football program that has no standards with regards to the types of players it recruits, preparing them to become Oakland Raiders one day. The University President has come out in force and several of the players involved have been suspended; for one game, the easy game against Duke this week back in time for nationally ranked Georgia Tech and all will be forgotten. Tell you what they should do. Suspend each player involved in actual fighting and furthering the melee for the remainder of the season. Fire Coach Coker, who hasn't exactly done a good job this year now. All of those players involved in inciting more violence or going above and beyond simple pushing and shoving, like kicking opposing players on the ground and throwing helmets at opposing players heads should not only be suspended from the team for life, but should be expelled from the University. The Dade County district attorney should file criminal assault and battery charges, and inciting a riot. Send the message that such conduct has consequences beyond overnite ratings. ESPN should stop replaying bits of it on tv. It was a news story the first time, every time hence, treats it not as such but as entertainment and a spectacle to watch. Of course that means drawing a line between competitive sport and entertainment, and we all know in todays 24/7 global satellite media culture there's enough time and space to show everything. Over and over again until the next ever more outrageous clip of video comes along and we do it all over again.

REGGIE BUSH v. MARIO WILLIAMS
(Reggie Bush was the ..2 player chosen in the 2006 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints, after being widely regarded as the consensus ..1 pick by every expert in favor of Mario Williams by the Houston Texans)

Reggie Bush--RB
Stats for Week 6 against the Philadelphia Eagles; 11 carries for 26 yards, 4 catches for 35 yards, 3 punt returns for 29 yards, 0 touchdowns
Breakdown: 18 total touches for 90 yards total in helping Saints beat Philly as time expired by a field goal 27-24. Hasn't had that monster game we saw over and over again at USC, but has shown flashes of it when he has the ball in the open field and is a legitimate threat every time he touches the ball.
Impact: He makes it tough on opposing defenses because he can line up in the backfield, in the slot, out wide and gives N.O. so many options and formations that allows Drew Brees to make plays. It's no coincidence that WR Joe Horn and RB Deuce McCallister are having solid years in no small part because of what Reggue brings to the table, and I imagine as more and more defenses scheme up ways to stop Horn and McCallister, Bush will get more opportunities. He makes others better and that in turn will make him better. After going 3-13 all of last year the Saints are certainly better and more than just a feel-good story this year at 5-1 and in first place in the NFC South. The Saints are a bona-fide playoff team and will be playing this January.

Mario Williams--DE
Stats for Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys; 6 tackles, 0 sacks, 0 forced fumbles, 0 fumble recoveries, 0 interceptions.
Breakdown: Houston lost to Dallas 34-6. After leading Cowboys 6-3 at halftime the Texans couldn't stop the run, couldn't pressure Bledsoe and couldn't contain Terrell Owens, who had his best game yet as a Cowboy.
Impact: Texans are 1-5, tied for last place in AFC South with Tennessee and getting worse each week. Is it basketball season yet in South Texas cuz' this team's heading nowhere and Mario Williams is no help.

SUNDAY TRIFECTA
San Diego Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs
Sporting Line: San Diego by 5.5
Breakdown: C'mon they demolished an improving San Franciso team last week scoring 48 points! They have the best RB in the game (LT not Larry Johnson), the best TE in the game (Gates not Gonzalez), the best front 7 outside of Chicago and an impressive young QB. KC is beat up and one dimensional. Sure it's a divisional game and on the road so I'll give KC the first half to hang around, but the Bolts have too many weapons, the Chiefs too few. The Bolts put too much pressure on opposing QBs and force mistakes and can stop the run. Onwards to 5-1.
My Pick: San Diego by 13; 33-20.

Denver Broncos @ Cleveland Browns
Sporting Line: Denver by 4.5
Breakdown: Denver (that other really good team in the AFC West) isn't explosive or sexy, but they have allowed only 1 defensive TD through 5 games and given up the fewest points. Cleveland is a game opponent with some fight in them (the Oakland Raiders they aren't), but can't establish the run on offense or attack with a vertical passing game. Denver's D and ball-control offense will take command of this game even if the score looks less impressive.
My Pick: Denver by 14; 20-6.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Atlanta Falcons
Sporting Line: Pittsburgh by 2.5
Breakdown: These are two teams headed in opposite directions. Pittsburgh's QB Ben Roethlisburger seems like he's finally emerged from his early season struggles and they have been able to run the ball again. And play pretty good defense too. Atlanta is fun to watch with QB Michael Vick and RB Warrick Dunn but is largely one dimensional. Pittsburgh is clearly getting better and about to hit its stride. Atlanta is not the same team that started 2-0.
My Pick: Pittsburgh by 4; 17-13.

Last Week: 3-0
Season: 13-3.

Here is my story...  Today is game day so I have my Miami Hurricanes gear on.  I was out running some errands and as I was leaving the grocery store when I see a guy walking in wearing nothing but Auburn attire.  He started the conversation by asking me who we play today.  I told him North Carolina.  We chatted for a bit and then said our goodbyes and good lucks and walked away.

Stuff like that did not happen when I lived in Miami.  Mostly speaking, we have a lot of nice, cordial folks that live here in Eas Tennessee.  I can't speak for other places in the country but I am reminded of a Dolly Parton song when she sang about friendly people here and other folks don't look at you funny when you strike up a conversation with them.

Just something that I like about living in East Tennesee.

O.k., it's 9:40 in the a.m. and ESPN has just ran some commercials pubbing the Canes/Noles game tonight.

All of the sudden my juices are a flowing!  GO CANES!!!!! 

We will win tonight.  We will. 

Finally it is here.  Tomorrow night the Mighty Miami Hurricanes take the field.  Yes!  Finally!  The 'Canes are back in action.  I encourage everyone to watch the Mighty Orange and Green take on the "crimi"-Noles at Tallahassee.  Criminoles.  Free Shoes University. 

The game that I will never forget was back in 1985.  The Noles were pre-season ranked number one and coming to the Orange Bowl to face Miami.  The stage was set.  Miami was up and coming and the one of the hottest chics I will ever know, Mitzabel Serrano, asked me if I wanted to go.  She had sideline seats over the fifty yard line.  That was when I became a Miami fan.  There is no other electricity one can imagine than feeling it a college football game.  I still miss Mitzi.  I wonder whatever happened to her.  She went to FSU for college so I am sure she is fine.  But I would like to see her again. Anyways,

After growing up in East Tennessee I never really latched on to the whole "orange and white" thing.  I thought it was overdone.  I even met Bill Battle when I was young but just did not get into it.  But that one Saturday night in Miami did it for me.

Here are some facts about the University of Miami.  They school was established in 1925.  They chose the nickname the "Hurricanes" because, well that is obvious.  There was hurricane that came through in 1926 so there it was.  The colors were chosen due to the orange trees that are abundant in South Florida.  The mascot, Sebastion the Ibis, is as follows...  The name "Sebastion" comes from San Sebastion Hall, a residence hall at the campus.  Back in the '50's when they were looking for a mascot they adopted a local marsh bird, the ibis, as a their mascot.  The ibis is considered as legend for being the last bird to leave when a hurricane comes and the first to come back.

The split "U" is derived from changes that were made since the beginning.  In the '70s it was decided that no one else had "U" as an emblem.  So there you have it.  With the school colors the "U" became the emblem.

There are a ton of pro players that have come out of the Canes University.  Jim Kelly.  Vinny Testeverde.  Gino Torretta.  Ken Norton, Jr.  Steve Walsh.  Warren Sapp(i cannot stand the man).  Ken Dorsey.  Sean Taylor.  Willis McGahee.  Frank Beard.  Michael Irvin (Yes the Cowboy great).  Jimmy Johnson, one of the gratest coaches of all time.  Craig Erickson. Jeremy Shockee   I could go on and on but the man who started it all was Howard Schellenberger.

He told the team that they could win.  And they did.  He put confidence in them.  And the team put themselves on the map.  Great coaching followed and they are one of the best programs in the nation.

They are my team.  I am a Hurricanes fan.