The land of 346 - D1 College Basketball

Of all the sports I follow in this world, nothing comes as close to NCAA Division 1 college basketball in terms of sheer numbers of teams involved in the chase for ultimate glory. All told there are 346 Division 1 Men's college basketball teams. That's an average of about 7 teams per state. By comparison, Division 1 football, officially termed the Football Bowl Championship division has 120 teams, or about 1/3 of basketball.

I consider myself a connoisseur of college basketball. I can, if given enough time, name all 346 teams and maybe name about 2/3 of their mascot names. But for the majority of casual sports fans, up to as many as half of the teams may be completely unrecognized. There are 32 conferences in college basketball and all but 7 teams lie within those, the rest are classified as independents.

The state breakdowns are remarkable, unless you live in Alaska or outside of the US, you have a team in your state that plays D1 basketball. And if you live in Alaska, you can still count on 2 things, you have D1 hockey and you can see Russia from your house. California alone has 24 teams, followed by New York (22), and Texas (21). Rounding out the Top 10 is: North Carolina (18), Pennsylvania (14), Virginia (14), Florida (13), Illinois (13), Ohio (13), Louisiana (12), South Carolina (12), Tennessee (12), and let's throw in the Hoosier State, Indiana with 10 teams.

These states that lack an NBA team have more than a couple to pick from. Alabama (9), Maryland (9), Connecticut (7), Kentucky (6), Mississippi (6), Arkansas (5), Missouri (5), Washington (5), Iowa (4), Rhode Island (4), Idaho (3), Kansas (3)

The great divide can happen in these states when deciding between only 2: Delaware or Delaware State, Montana or Montana State, Nebraska or Creighton, Nevada or UNLV, New Hampshire or Dartmouth, New Mexico or New Mexico State, North Dakota or North Dakota State, South Dakota or South Dakota State, and West Virginia or Marshall.

And if you happen to live in a state with only one D1 team (like me), you have no choice but to put all your hopes into these teams: Hawaii, Maine, Minnesota, Vermont, and Wyoming.

Of the 346 teams, 75 of them must share their home city with at least 1 other team if not more. There are 20 cities with 2 teams and 9 with even more. The cities (city proper only, not suburbs), that carry more than 2 teams are: New York (Columbia, Fordham, Long Island, Manhattan, St. John’s, St. Francis, and Wagner), Philadelphia (Drexel, La Salle, Penn, St. Joseph's, and Temple), Washington DC (American, George Washington, Georgetown, and Howard), Chicago (Chicago State, DePaul, Loyola, and Illinois-Chicago), Nashville (Belmont, Lipscomb, Tennessee State, and Vanderbilt), Houston (Houston, Houston Baptist, Rice, and Texas Southern), Los Angeles (Cal State-Northridge, Loyola Marymount, UCLA, and USC), Baltimore (Coppin State, Loyola, and Morgan State), and Charleston (Charleston Southern, The Citadel, and College of Charleston).

Directional schools litter the landscape. I'm talking about colleges that use north, south, east, west, central, or middle in their names. There are 58 teams that use directions in their name, with North being the most prevalent at 21. Some schools go even beyond and use a combination of directions: Northeastern, Northwestern, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, and Southeast Missouri State.

School names can get so long they are often abbreviated making for easier references. UNLV, USC, LSU, BYU and UCLA are well known and to even a casual fan needs no further explanation, but these schools might require a little interpretation: UAB - University of Alabama Birmingham, Cal Poly SLO - California Polytechnic Institute San Luis Obispo, FIU - Florida International University, UCF – University of Central Florida, SIU-Edwardsville - Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville, UIC - University of Illinois – Chicago, IPFW - Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne, IPUI - Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis, UMBC - University of Maryland Baltimore County, UMES -University of Maryland Eastern Shore, UMKC - University of Missouri-Kansas City, LIU - Long Island University, ETSU - Eastern Tennessee State University, TCU - Texas Christian University, UTSA – University of Texas at San Antonio, UTEP – University of Texas at El Paso, UTPA – University of Texas-Pan American, and VMI – Virginia Military Institute.

With so many teams, there are bound to be more than a few repeating mascots. In fact the 10 most common nicknames can be found on 81 (almost a quarter) of the teams in division 1. The top 10 names are, in order, Bulldogs, Tigers, Eagles, Wildcats, Bears, Panthers, Cougars, Huskies, Spartans, and Rams. The Bulldogs can be found at these schools: Alabama A&M, Bryant, Butler, The Citadel, Drake, Fresno State, Georgia, Gonzaga, Louisiana Tech, Mississippi State, UNC-Asheville, Samford, South Carolina State, and Yale.

Several teams are colorful, literally. Not satisfied with just a mascot, 44 schools have colors associated with their nicknames. Gold, yellow, red, black, blue, green, purple, crimson, orange, and grey all can be found in college basketball. The gold standard in colored nicknames is just that gold, with 12 teams monishing gold nicknames, they are: Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions, California Golden Bears, FIU Golden Panthers, Oakland Golden Grizzlies, Minnesota Golden Gophers, Southern Miss Golden Eagles, Canisius Golden Griffins, Kent State Golden Flashes, Oral Roberts Golden Eagles, Tulsa Golden Hurricane, Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles, and Marquette Golden Eagles.

Team names and mascots aside, all of these teams have 1 thing in common that can’t be said about college football; that is every team has a shot at the national championship. Yes, some teams are horrific and probably shouldn’t belong in D1, but there is a mathematical way for these teams to reach the championship game, regardless of how much or little chance each team has. The only exceptions are those teams that are in the reclassification period, on NCAA probation, are independent, or belong to the Great West, which does not have an automatic NCAA berth for its champion. The NCAA Tournament is perhaps the biggest championship for any sport, professional or amateur in the country. Just getting an invite is said to have made a successful season for many. Only the elite, the top 10% of teams in the nation wouldn’t be satisfied with just an invite. Of the 346 teams, 294 can claim an invite at some point during their program, leaving 52 teams yet to receive the golden ticket.

Many of those 52 teams have only been around for a few years and can’t be too upset about not reaching the Big Dance. However, there are a few teams that have suffered greatly through many generations, failing to produce even 1 NCAA tournament team. The NCAA tournament has been around since 1939 and at present there are 5 teams that have been around since then and not made the tournament. Army, which spends more money fighting over seas wars, Northwestern, the only team from a “Power” conference, St. Francis of New York, not to be confused with the one in Pennsylvania, William & Mary, and The Citadel. Other schools that have yet to gain entrance to the Big Dance since I’ve been alive (initial D1 year): Denver (1948-80, 1999), Youngstown State (1948, 1982), Centenary (1960), New Hampshire (1962), Maine (1962), UT Pan-American (1969), Stetson (1972), MD-Eastern Shore (1974-76, 1982), Buffalo (1974-77, 1992), UC Irvine (1978), Bethune-Cookman (1981), and Western Illinois (1982). Centenary has one more shot this year as they will be moving to Division III next year (a wise decision).

There you have it, whether you live in Honolulu, Hawaii, or Orono, Maine, and everywhere in between, there’s sure to be a team close nearby to satisfy your college basketball needs. And if you live in Alaska, then you can just pick a name out of a hat or maybe follow one of the Wolves, Bears, or Huskies, that could be fitting.

That’s it for now, the Courtesy Wave wishes you a very happy Thanksgiving and remember to save some room for pie!

bsv

the courtesy wave

TCW College Football Guide Week 12

We're getting down to the nitty gritty of the college football season where teams are all playing for various levels of motivation. Some are in the hunt for a National Championship, others a BCS or New Years Day Bowl. A few teams are seeking Conference Championships, middle tier bowls, and some just fighting to become bowl eligible. The rest are working the pride angle, especially with several rivalry games left on the season, some teams' seasons can be vindicated if they just beat their archnemisis. Without further ado, here are 12 games to follow on college football Saturday.

TOP 25 FACEOFFS
8 NEBRASKA (9-1) at 19 TEXAS A&M (7-3) 7p
These 2 teams could potentially face each other in the Big 12 Championship game, but only if A&M emerges as the victor on Saturday. Both teams are walking in with swagger as each ride 4 game winning streaks, however the Aggies wins have come by a little easier than the Cornuskers. Nebraska relies heavily on QB Taylor Martinez, who is a run first signal caller, and will have plenty of chances against a defense that can be had on the ground. However, the Aggies are the 8th best passing team in the country, which means a lot of quick scores are possible. If Nebraska shows up in College Station like they did in Ames, they won't be walking away from this one. WARNING: UPSET SPECIAL
TEXAS A&M 35-31

9 OHIO STATE (9-1) at 20 IOWA (7-3) 2:30p
With a Big Ten Championship on the line, the Hawkeyes, will have all the motivation they need to beat Ohio State, 1 of 3 teams that stand in their way to do so, Michigan State and Wisconsin the others. This game would have been even bigger had Iowa not had a huge letdown last week at Northwestern, losing 21-17. On the other end of the spectrum, Ohio State has shutdown its last 3 opponents, Purdue, Minnesota, and Penn State by a combined 139-24. Because of what occurred last week, its hard to put a ton of faith into Iowa, but anything can happen in the Big Ten. It just rarely happens to Ohio State, especially this year, who's only blemish is a road loss against 7th ranked Wisconsin.
OHIO STATE 42-31

13 ARKANSAS (8-2) at 21 MISSISSIPPI STATE (7-3) 6p
There are 2 big similarities between Arkansas and Mississippi State and both can be found in the loss column. Each team has a loss versus Alabama and Auburn this season, failing to capitalize on strong seasons with impressive wins over those 2 behemoth programs. Each team was blown on in one game and just nipped in the other. The Razorbacks have reeled off 4 straight since their loss to Auburn, how Mississippi State will react after losing their first game in 7 contests will be interesting to watch.
ARKANSAS 38-26

16 VIRGINIA TECH (8-2) at 24 MIAMI (FL) (7-3) 2:30p
It's hard to believe we're still in the same season where Virginia Tech started 0-2 in the season's epic opener versus Boise State, followed by a monumental upset at the hands of FCS foe James Madison. Well 8 straight wins have brought the Hokies back to the national scene. And at 6-0 in the ACC Coastal division, a win against Miami would lock up their berth in the ACC Championship game. Miami's record is aided by a bunch of victories over mediocre teams, and no wins over a ranked opponent. Miami has a lot more to prove, and a 24 ranking might have been aided by the the Canes stellar reputation.
VIRGINIA TECH 35-29

RIVALRY GAMES
NORTH CAROLINA STATE (7-3) at NORTH CAROLINA (6-4) 11a - NC in-state rivalry
The Wolfpack will take the half hour bus ride west to Chapel Hill on Sunday and face off against the Tar Heels for 100th time in history. North Carolina holds a 63-60-6 edge on the series, but NC State has taken the last 3. Neither team is ranked, however each team is already bowl eligible. Both teams have average ground games, but the passing edge lies with NC State. The Tar Heels are coming off a tough home loss to Virginia Tech, see above for how they are doing. NC State will see no love in this game, but they are not far from home either.
NORTH CAROLINA STATE 33-25

NORTHERN ILLINOIS (8-2) at BALL STATE (4-7) 11a - Bronze Stalk Trophy
The 2 teams duke it out for the Bronze Stalk Trophy, the trophy depicts several cornstalks in tribute to the prevalence of maize around the respective homes of the rivals, just outside major metropolitan cities (Chicago & Indianapolis) .I probably owe Northern Illinois a little bit of credit since I incorrectly picked them to lose badly to the Gophers earlier this year. Northern Illinois should not have trouble against Ball State in a really down year overall for the MAC.
NORTHERN ILLINOIS 34-22

COLORADO STATE (3-8) at WYOMING (2-9) 1p - Bronze Boot
I know what you're thinking, why in the sam hell would I tune into a game featuring 2 teams with a combined record of 5-17. I'll tell you why. The annual Wyoming–Colorado State football is one of the most bitterly contested rivalries in college football. The teams have waged the "Border War" one hundred times since the schools began playing in 1899. The boot was worn by Cpt. Dan J. Romero, at CSU between 1967 and 1969. Each year leading up to the Wyoming–Colorado State game, the game ball is carried in a running shuttle relay by the ROTC detachment of the visiting team down to the Wyoming-Colorado state border, where the home team's ROTC detachment receives it and runs the game ball to the stadium hosting the game. Sweet.
WYOMING 21-18

6 STANFORD (9-1) at CALIFORNIA (5-5) 2:30p - Stanford Axe aka The Big Game
Cal went toe-to-toe with #1 ranked Oregon last week, losing a close game 15-13 to the Ducks. They won't be intimidated by Stanford and their #6 rankings. The first Big Game was held on March 19, 1892 in San Francisco when Stanford beat Cal 14–10. It is the tenth longest rivalry in FBS history. Stanford leads the series record at 55–46–11. Stanford also lost to Oregon, however, that's their only loss on the season, whereas Cal has questionable losses to Nevada and Oregon State. There will be no band interference in this game, but Stanford shouldn't need it.
STANFORD 40-28

ILLINOIS (5-5) at NORTHWESTERN (7-3) 2:30p in Chicago - Land of Lincoln Trophy
Move aside Cubs, football is headed to Wrigley Field on Saturday as Illinois faces in state rival Northwestern at the famed baseball stadium. The trophy derives its name from the official state nickname of Illinois and depicts a bronze replica of a stovepipe hate famously worn by Abraham Lincoln. The Fightin Illini are coming off an unspeakable home loss to Minnesota, which followed a 3 OT loss to Michigan. Meanwhile Northwestern claimed its biggest victory of the season with a win over Iowa last weekend. The Wildcats are pushing for a middle tier bowl, Illinois has 2 more chances at a bowl, and both are tough (at Fresno State next week).
NORTHWESTERN 26-24

5 LSU (9-1) vs OLE MISS (4-6) 2:30p - Magnolia Bowl
The yearly contest between these 2 long standing rivalries is called the Magnolia Bowl, named after the magnolia flower being the state flower of both Louisiana and Mississippi, which is also the name of the trophy awarded to the winner. LSU's lone loss came on the road against Auburn, otherwise, the Tigers own an impressive resume. The same cannot be said for Ole Miss, who have been slaughtered by SEC competition so far. This one is in Baton Rouge and has the recipe to become ugly.
LSU 38-14

MEMPHIS (1-9) at UAB (3-7) 3p - Battle for the Bones
The Blazers and the Tigers began competing in football after the Blazers football team joined Division I in 1997. UAB holds an 8-4 series edge. Four hours on Interstate 22 separate these two campuses, and each team could use the win to boost a dismal season as both teams will not be headed towards a bowl. Both these teams are bad, UAB is just less bad.
UAB 26-14

15 MISSOURI (8-2) at IOWA STATE (5-6) 6p - Telephone Trophy
Before the 1959 match-up between the two schools, field testing showed that the telephones the two schools used to communicate with their coaches in the coaches box were wired so that either school could hear what was going on on the other sideline. The problem was fixed before the game, but neither of the two coaches knew that. Northwestern Bell Telephone Company of Ames then decided to have a trophy made to commemorate the incident, and thus the Telephone Trophy was born. The Tigers faltered lately with back-to-back losses to Nebraska & Texas Tech, before righting the ship against #24 Kansas State last week. Kansas State has a great shot to finish the regular season with 10 wins. Iowa State is just a few yards shy of a good team. Their wins over Kansas, Texas, & Texas Tech all look good, but a near loss to Nebraska was followed up by a beating at the hands of Colorado. This Cyclone team is extremely hard to predict, but other than Nebraska, every other ranked team has demolished them, expect that trend to continue.
MISSOURI 32-21

GOPHER WATCH
The Minnesota Golden Gophers are on a bye, getting one more week to celebrate their improbably victory over Illinois on the road last week.

Well that's it for now, plenty of other solid college football action going on if your interested. Appalachian State at Florida could get interesting, as well as UCONN/Syracuse, Florida State/Maryland, and Utah/San Diego State all are worthy of tuning into. Enjoy your Saturday, kick up your feet, grab a beverage of your choice and get your channels lined up!

bsv
the courtesy wave

Jim Thome Appreciation Day

It's been a few weeks since baseball ended and now that we're officially in the hot stove season, free agents are deciding whether to stay or go, leaving teams with big decisions to make about their future. The Courtesy Wave wants to highlight one of those free agents, from which had a stellar 2010 campaign and in only 1 season, created legions of new fans.



Let me start by saying I've always been a fan of Jim Thome, despite having grown up watching him kill Twins pitching in Cleveland and Chicago. I think he's just a tough guy to hate, you can hate that he's beat your team time in and time out, but you can't hate how he goes about doing so. Thome has lived in the steroid era where nearly every other top homerun hitter has been indicated as users, ie: McGwire, Sosa, Rodriguez, Palmeiro, Ramirez, Ortiz, Sheffield, Giambi, and the list goes on. Only 2 of the great homerun hitters of this era can be described as clean, Thome and Ken Griffey Jr.

James Howard "Jim" Thome was drafted by the Cleveland Indians in the 13th round of the 1989 MLB draft out of Illinois Central College in East Peoria, Illinois. He was the 333rd overall selection. 221 players drafted ahead of Thome NEVER played in the majors. To say Thome was a diamond in the rough, is a gross overstatement. Thome was drafted as a long-shot prospect, an 18 year old, who at the time was only 6'1", 180, (Thome currently stands at 6'3", 250). His rapid ascent through the minors began with bewildered everyone, including the Indians, who drafted him. They had no choice but to move him up. Thome's ascent had more to do with his hard work ethic than his pure talent, a trait that makes him even more easier to be a fan.

Thome's first major league game occurred in September 1991, against, of all teams, the Minnesota Twins. He went 2 for 4 against the eventual world series champion Twins and so his career began. However, it wasn't until the strike shortened season of 1994, that Thome became a regular everyday player, having only hit 10 home runs in 369 at bats. Thome doubled that amount (20), in 1994, starting a string of 16 out of 17 years of 20 or more homeruns. (injury shortened 2007 to 59 games) While with the Indians, Thome put up 6 seasons of 30 plus homeruns and 100 RBI's. He switched from 3rd base to 1st base in 1997, when the Indians traded for Matt Williams, which seemed to only make him better at the plate. Although its been 8 years, since Thome has played for Cleveland, he is still revered in that town and will likely don an Indians cap some day in Cooperstown.

Thome left Cleveland in 2003, deciding to jump ship to the National League, a puzzling move for a guy seemingly headed towards a DH role. But that didn't matter either as Thome put together his best season as a professional, leading the league with 47 home runs and posting a career best 131 RBI's, while finishing in the top 4 in MVP voting. He was rewarded with another trip to the all star game the following year while posting back to back 40Hr/100RBI seasons. The only statistical blemish during Thome's prime happened in 2005, when a slow start and a season ending injury eventually ended Thome's career in Philadelphia, after Ryan Howard's emergence left Thome expendable. He was traded the following offseason to the White Sox.

Thome's return to the American League turned out to be a godsend for him. In his first year with the White Sox, Thome went back to doing what he does best, smashing baseballs. He hit 42 homers and 109 RBI, gaining an all-star nod and earning himself the AL Comeback Player of the Year Award. His production only slightly dipped, however in his 3.5 years with the White Sox, Thome hit 134 home runs and 369 RBI's, for an average of 38/105. Not too shabby. His time with Chicago ended when the White Sox were looking to dump salary and start building for the next year. On August 31, 2009, Thome was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers with cash for minor league infielder Justin Fuller. Thome's only appearances with the Dodgers were as a pinch hitter. He had four hits in seventeen at-bats with the Dodgers.

That brings us to last year, when Thome's services, after a dismal short campaign with the Dodgers were seemingly running out of options. Thome was seen as a aging power hitter with pinch hitting abilities, useless in the field, and likely losing prowess at the plate. Despite the fact that he hit 23 homeruns the previous year, not many teams were shelling out the cash for Thome's services. The White Sox were said to have been interested, but the team didn't think they could give Thome enough at-bats to be satisfied. That's when the Twins swooped in and offered Thome an incentive laden contract offering at-bats, but no promises. The offer was good enough for Thome, who had always liked Minnesota, and was very familiar with the AL Central.

For the Twins, Thome was earning $1.5 million, less than utility man Nick Punto, who owns a career .247 batting average in 10 years. At first, Thome was used as planned, providing spot starts and pinch hitting appearances, but about mid-season, he turned things up a notch and was regularly providing big hits, so much that he was awarded the full time DH spot essentially when Morneau's injury moved Cuddyer to 1st Base, allowing Kubel to be used in the outfield, a domino effect that actually improved the Twins.

After that point, Thome became the Twins power hitting force. He hit 25 homeruns in 269 at bats, a mind boggling homerun per at bat ratio of 10.76. That put him 2nd behind the major league leader, Jose Bautista, and 1 at bat better than Babe Ruth's career ratio. Aside from hitting homeruns, Thome got on base just as effectively, his OPS (on base plus slugging percentage) came in at 1.039, just a couple ticks shy of Josh Hamilton's 1.044 mark. He also bettered his career marks in Batting Avg (.283), On-Base percentage (.412), and slugging percentage (.627).

His career accomplishments are staggering enough, Thome is 8th all time on the Home Run list with 589, likely to top 600 next season. He's in the top 30 in RBI's, Walks, Extra Base Hits, On Base percentage, and at-bats per home run. He's also as many power hitters go, prone to the strikeout, of which currently Thome is 2nd all time to hall of famer Reggie Jackson in that department.

His career statistics are remarkable, but what makes Thome more likable than say Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, or Sammy Sosa, is the fact that he's an all around good guy. In a 2007 poll of 464 Major League Baseball players, he was voted the second friendliest player in a tie with Mike Sweeney. He's putting all of his 10 nieces and nephews through college. He has been the recipient of several character and community awards including the Roberto Clemente Award, given annually to the MLB player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. and Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. And also receiving the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award, given to players who best exemplify his character and integrity both on and off the field.

Well there, now its been said. Here's one fan who took notice to Jim Thome's incredible year with the Twins, and incredible baseball and personal career. Here's hoping that Thome continues to wear Twins pinstripes, but in case he moves on, here's saying thanks and best wishes on a hall of fame career.

Until next time, remember the pen is mightier than the sword.

bsv
the courtesy wave

The Amazing World of Brocks

My cousin Lori inspired today's post on the Brocks of the world. Having first hand knowledge of what it's like to be a Brock, let me lead you into the world of Brocks and teach you a thing or two about our people.

First, what is a Brock? The English Dictionary describes Brock as a noun, meaning a European Badger. Now being a Gophers fan, I suppose a Badger is not the first moniker I'd like to receive, however, a European Badger is often thought of in higher esteem then its brothers in Wisconsin. I personally like to think that my Badger brethren is more like Mr. Badger from The Wind in The Willows, who is seen as a good friend to Mole & Ratty, and is a good leader and gentleman, embodying common sense. He is also brave and a skilled fighter, and helps clear the Wild Wooders from Toad Hall.

Brock may not be in the top 100 Baby names, but has steadily increased every year, much to our chagrin. You see we Brocks are not conformers and would prefer our name to be sacred and instead of chosen, be chosen. The High Council of Brocks dates all the way back to 1982, when supposedly the first child bared the name that was previously only granted surname status. A Banker and a Nurse were given the high honor after passing a series of tests and naming their first 2 children after books of the bible, as to not bring attention to the family as a whole. The family was forced to move every time a new Brock entered the community so as to maintain uniqueness and not support uniformity.

Figures from the Council of Brocks suggest there are currently anywhere from 40 to 80 Brock's living in the world, blending in among people, eating, living, and in some cases even working among everyday citizens. The Endangered Species Association (ESA) has for years been trying to get Brock on the list, but the Council refuses, stating that "We are not endangered, just dangerously inclusive." Of the 10 most notable people named Brock on Wikipedia, 4 are dead. A 40% notable people mortality rate, figures that would only be remarkable among deep south literacy rates.

The most notable Brock, is also the largest documented Brock in history, I'm talking about wrestling superstar Brock Lesnar, who just so happens to reside in my hometown. Coincidence? I think not. Although separate and often considered dangerous in the same presence, 2 Brock's can be found in similar habitats if the right conditions exist, although like the Yetti or its North American cousin, the Sasquatch, a photograph confirming this has yet to exist.

There are 2 tiny villages in the US that use the name Brock to describe the residency of their citizens, one in Nebraska, and one in Texas. These towns pay the Council of Brocks an exclusive naming fee and must abide by the rules that if their residency spikes above 200, the name must be changed to protect the seclusion of the name.

There has been international controversy over the usage of the name between the United States Council and the Canadian Council. The Canadians have for years been leasing their name to schools, businesses, and even islands. The Canadians went all the way to congress and passed the Brock University Act of 1964, aiming to increase its influence on the Canadian way of life. This created the University that offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degree programs that include co-op and other experiential learning opportunities to an enrollment of over 17,000 full-time students. Or at least that's the cover. There have been many conspiracy theorists over the years that have stated the Canadian Council of Brocks is actually a political and even mason-like association of top French Canadian citizens, of whom actually run the country. The Council of Brocks acts as a peace-keeping front from which the inner layers of the onion run deep and every peel tearfully opens up an inner society hell bent on Canadian domination.

But I digress, for this article is meant to shine light, not grant fuel for controversy. The Brock name has a rich history, but is often misheard, literally. A recent survey of Brock's showed that the name is often mistaken for others when introductions occur. The most common of which are: Bob, Rob, Brad, and Bert. Which is forgivable, I suppose, but these were also listed in the survey, causing mild confusion: Bork, Bock, Block, and Borg. Excuse me, I'm from Planet Earth, have we met?

In any case, the name Brock has created some influential and colorful people as well as described places and cultural groups (disputed). If you so happen to run into someone with the name, consider yourself lucky, because you are in some elite company. While all of the above is opinion and heavily biased, you should still regard mostly everything in this post as factual evidence.

No Canadians were harmed during the writing of this post.

Until next time, remember to chew with your mouth closed.

brock aka bsv,
the courtesy wave

College Football Saturday Preview

Been a busy week and didn't have the time for my regular in depth weekend sports preview, but in the interest of keeping it up and coming off a 11-4 record of predictions last week, I'll extend my hand on today and tomorrow's key games and give you something to watch this weekend, starting with today's college football matchups. Also take note, the College Basketball season is under way and there are literally thousands of games taking place in the upcoming week, so lets sit back and watch those games for now and see how the early season shakes out.

Quick note and thanks to Michael Rand from the Star Tribune for his article on my recent MN Sports Misery Rankings. Also a big thanks to Tom from the TheDailyGopher for their inclusion as well. I highly recommend you follow their blogs!

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

TOP 25 FACEOFFS
12 ALABAMA (7-2) vs 19 MISSISSIPPI STATE (7-2) 6:15p
The Crimson Tide are coming off a tough loss to LSU last week and the Bulldogs of MSU are flying high on a 6 game emotional win streak. It's tough to bet against Alabama at home, but Mississippi State has the energy and a stout defense to do it. That said, Alabama has the big game experience.
ALABAMA 24-21

17 MISSOURI (7-2) vs 24 KANSAS STATE (6-3) 11:30a
Missouri is reeling after 2 tough back to back losses against Nebraska and Texas Tech. Kansas State beat Texas last week in what normally would have been considered a big victory, but Texas is down this year and their recent losses to Nebraska, Baylor, and Oklahoma State suggest the Wildcats don't have enough to stay with the big boys this year.
MISSOURI 28-18

22 FLORIDA (6-3) vs 23 SOUTH CAROLINA (6-3) 6:15p
I thought this was the year of the Gamecock, but after last weeks trouncing at the hands of Arkansas, South Carolina has a little ways to go to be considered elite, and that was a home game. Now they travel to Florida and play at one of the toughest stadiums in college football. The Gators havent had the best year, but they're coming off 2 wins and momentum is in their favor.
FLORIDA 35-27

RIVALRY GAMES

2 AUBURN (10-0) vs GEORGIA (5-5) 2:30p Deep South's Oldest Rivalry
The Deep South's oldest rivalry takes place in Auburn on Saturday against 2 teams going in opposite directions. The game will be hard fought because of the rivalry, but the talent all lies with Auburn in this one that could turn into a laugher.
AUBURN 41-28

MARYLAND (6-3) at VIRGINIA (4-5) 2:30p Formerly for the Tydings Trophy
It's the 2nd oldest out of state rivalry for Virginia and the only a much bigger rivalry for Maryland, who doesn't possess a single arch rival. The series dates back to 1919, and the Terps lead 41-31-2 all time. Virginia lost to Duke last week, which negates any further discussion here.
MARYLAND 41-31

25 TEXAS A&M (6-3) at BAYLOR (7-3) 6p Battle of the Brazos
According to Wikipedia, in the early days of the rivalry, Texas A&M was an all-male college, and Baylor was the closest college that had female students. Many Aggies dated Baylor coeds causing some resentment among the male students at Baylor, who did not have a corresponding pool of young women from Texas A&M to date. So you can see why there might be some blood between the two. The Bears are a much better team this year but are coming off a bad loss to Oklahoma State, whereas the Aggies just defeated #8 Oklahoma.
TEXAS A&M 35-28

GOPHER WATCH
MINNESOTA (1-9) at ILLINOIS (5-4) 11a
One team is counting down the days till the end of the season, and the other is 1 win away from a bowl-eligible season. The Illini have the talent, motivation, and homefield advantage. The Gophers are one of the worst in college football this season. Easy pick.
ILLINOIS 38-24

That's it for today, happy watching and I'll try to get NFL previews/picks out later today.

until then, remember that when driving in snow, it's not a certainty that you'll stop when you hit the brakes...

bsv
the courtesy wave

Minnesota Sports Misery Rankings - November edition

If there were to be a correlation study of the weather and moods in Minnesota, it's likely you'd find a correlation coefficient close to 1. That is, as one variable goes up, the other does too, but just the same as one goes down. Such can be said about weather and sports in the state of Minnesota. The highs of the summer and the Twins glorious regular season are gone, and the lows of winter and a struggling Minnesota sports landscape is upon us. It'll only get colder and it could get much worse. But then there are days like we've had in early November, where the weather inadvertently spikes up 20 degrees and all of a sudden there's reason for hope. So as we roll into late fall, TCW presents the November edition of the Minnesota Sports Misery Rankings.



EUPHORIC BLISS
A long suffering fan base was vindicated when the San Francisco Giants won their first title since moving to the Bay area. Good for them, we can only hope for this in the land of 10,000+ lakes.

POPULOUS PRIDE
None. Teams in this category are championship contenders and not just playoff participants.

CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC
The USA Today and AP pre-season NCAA Basketball rankings recently came out and the Gophers Basketball team didn't make either, but weren't too far off, coming in at 29th and 30th respectively. Joe Lunardi ESPN's bracketologist just released his first NCAA Tournament Bracket of the season and he has the Gophers slotted as an 8 seed team. This is all good news in Tubby land. This signifies that the experts believe the Gophers will be competitive and one of the best teams in the country. However this doesn't necessarily mean the Gophers will be elite and at the top of the Big Ten. The Gophers have 10 non-conference games to start the year. Often times these non-conference schedules face mainly cream-puff teams and give only a brief indicator of how competitive a team will be in the Big 10 conference slate. That won't be the case for the Gophers though. Their schedule may seem very favorable, but an in depth look shows that of the 10 teams they face, 6 have made the NCAA tournament either last year or the year before or both; Wofford, Siena, Western Kentucky, North Dakota State, Cornell, and Akron. Of the others, Eastern Kentucky won 20 games last year, annual ACC foe Virginia is no pushover, and St. Joseph's is the only road game. That leaves South Dakota State as the one true cream puff on the schedule. Don't get me wrong here, the Gophers should be favored in every game and if they come out 8-2 or better, this could be a great Gophers Basketball season.

BANDWAGON TEAM OF THE MONTH
Something is happening that profoundly made a statement on the Minnesota sports landscape that the other 2 active Pro Teams cannot say at this time, the Minnesota Wild have more wins than losses! Pandemonium right? Ticker tape parades and riots? Well not yet, but the Wild are providing some hope in the frozen North. After starting the year looking shaky in Finland and a so-so October, the Wild have reeled off 3 straight wins and are undefeated in November. At 7-4 and 2nd in the Northwest Division, ESPN just skyrocketed their Power Ranking to 9th in the NHL, up 11 spots from last week alone. How are they doing it? Penalty kills and power play goals, currently ranked in the top 10 in each, and with Backstrom in goal have allowed the 4th fewest goals per game. Can they keep it up? We will see as the season is still in infancy. For now they are driving a full double decker of fans hoping for a chance of glory or a snippet of hope.

WAITING ROOM OPTIMISM
Its Hot Stove season for Major League Baseball, also known as the offseason. Free agency has opened its doors and the big names are deciding where they should take their services next year. ESPN and Sports Illustrated recently released their top 50 free agents and the Minnesota Twins can find 2 of their 2010 players on the list. The most sought after Twin will be Carl Pavano, who won 17 games last year and established himself as a reliable veteran innings eater who has a lot left in the tank. The question will be whether teams are willing to throw the Yankee type contract he received from New York several years ago. Everyone knows that turned out to be a bust, injury plagued decision that cost New York millions (never mind that they can afford it). The Twins have built a good relationship with Pavano and he might just decide to stay in Minnesota where he has a loyal following and a good thing going to finish his career. Plus, his mustache has reached legendary status and has its own separate following. The other big free agent decision is 40 year old Jim Thome and his 589 career home runs. Although he only spent 1 season in Minnesota, you can tell Thome and the Twins got a long really well and he was more than just a good character guy, he was a force at the plate, leading the team in Home Runs and providing clutch hits in about half the at bats as the regulars. If the Twins bring back these 2 veteran free agents, optimism for 2011 will grow steadily.

HANGING BY A THREAD
The team that never stays far from the headlines, whether good or bad, is producing another roller coaster season of emotions. Vikings fans are standing on the edge of the cliff. One win gets you one step closer to safety, one loss pushes you one step closer to going over the edge and landing at the bottom of the gorge where dreams are squashed and the next best thing is the NFL draft. Last Sunday's game versus the Cardinals epitomized these feelings. The Vikings eventually won the game in overtime, but not before pulling out the teeth and hair of all its fans by giving up 2 special teams touchdowns and losing by 14 points with 7 minutes to go. A win is a win, but nothing is easy this year. The team is fighting to stay sane with a litany of negative press, mainly aimed at one man, Brad Childress. The guy who played Major Dad and Buffalo Bill (ok not really), never gained the support of the fans in Minnesota, and now has the entire fan base and according to reports, his own players against him. His fate is already likely sealed, even if the team starts winning again, its likely the Vikings will blow up and look quite different next year and a new head coach is just what a re-building team needs. Oh, did I forget something? Randy Moss. There I said it. Are you happy now?

STANDING OUTSIDE A BROKEN PHONE BOOTH WITH MONEY IN OUR HANDS
Gophers Hockey epitomizes this statement, which is actually a song by the Primitive Radio Gods and can be found on the Cable Guy soundtrack. The team is 5-4-1 on the season, including 3-4-1 in WCHA play. The Gophers have loads of talent, but can't seem to skate their way past a WCHA conference that has caught up to the Gophers over the past couple years in terms of competition and talent. In fact, the Gophers are no longer the best team in Minnesota, at present time, that honor goes to the University of Minnesota Duluth, who's only blemish on the season comes at the hands of perennial favorites North Dakota in Grand Forks. The Gophers have a 13 day layoff between games, and will pick up action again on November 19th against Michigan Tech, maybe just the opponent they'll need to pick up some momentum as MT often occupies the cellar of the WCHA.

GLIMMERS OF HOPE AMONG SEAS OF DESPAIR
I started writing this edition a few days ago, but life got in the way and I had to shelve my thoughts for a bit. In that time, the Minnesota Timberwolves created a new category and buoyed themselves from utter despair for the time being. Last night I couldn't sleep, so I stayed up and watched the Wolves-Kings late night west coast game. I couldn't believe it, but I saw a very competitive 1-7 team play like they knew what they were doing. The T-Wolves beat the Kings last night to improve their record to 2-7 and for the time being hold a slightly better record than 3 other teams (Raptors, Rockets, Clippers). This team likely needs to savor its victories, because they'll probably be few and far between. But I place them in this glimmer of hope category for a 2 reasons: Michael Beasley and Kevin Love. I watched Beasley toss up a career high 42 points last night and take over in the 4th quarter the way all-stars do. Beasley was dominant, albeit against the Kings, but non-the-less, he's a go-to-guy at the end of the game that this team has sorely lacked since the days of you know who. The other T-Wolf that you got to love, is coincidentally named Love. Kevin Love pulled down a whopping 24 boards and put up 23 points. Love is a rebounding machine the likes of Dennis Rodman, but with far less tattoos and a better jump shot. He's 2nd in the league in rebounds and the Timberwolves are the best rebounding team in the league. Love and Beasley are just 22 and 21 years of age respectively, so they have much developing to do, but if they can produce like this now, can you imagine what they'll be like in 2 to 3 years?

COMICAL DEPRESSION
The Gophers football team hasn't had much to hold itself up against. The team is staring at its 2nd 1-11 season in just three years. Not what Tim Brewster had in mind when he stated the Gophers would make history upon his arrival in 2007. He's now gone, but not much has changed. The Gophers have lost all 3 games since Brewster left by a combined 116-39. You can circle November 28th on your calendar if your a Gophers Football fan, that's the day after the last game of the season, when the carnage of 2010 comes to an end and we can all ice our backs for the rest of the season. The Gophers football team does have a distinction though that the basketball team can't say yet. They have been featured in weekly rankings on ESPN.com. Unfortunately however, these aren't the rankings you want to be in. The Bottom 10 features the worst teams in College Football and out of the 11 weeks, they have found themselves on the list 5 times and on the waiting list 4 times. Ouch. The Gophers can at least thank the Zips of Akron for their winless season thus far, making the Gophers only the 2nd worst team in all of college football by record.


That's it for this Month's edition of the Minnesota Sports Misery Rankings. Yesterday was the last 60 degree day in 2010 and today is likely the last 50 degree day this year. Therefore I hope you got a cup of hope with your misery coffee today and see the bright lights in the dark cold that awaits the Minnesota landscape for the next 6 months.

Until next time, remember that guns don't kill people, but people with guns often do.

bsv
the courtesy wave

The Virtual Tourist

I've traveled all over the world. I've been driven from Bangkok to Bangladesh, I've sailed from South Africa to South Korea, I even took a hot air balloon ride from Guinea to Equatorial Guinea, with a pit stop in Guinea Bissau. And I've done all this from the confines of my desk. Technology has allowed me to become a virtual tourist with the ability to see the world virtually through the screen in front of you.



Like most things in life nowadays, Google is at the center of virtual travel. You can pinpoint a location down to the foot. In fact, you can even end up on the map itself if you happen to be lucky enough to have the street view cam car catch you. I'll get to that in a little bit. Google's map features are so incredible they make you forget that Mapquest even existed. I can vaguely remember the days when someone asked me where something was and I told them the address and said to mapquest it. Little did I know that google would swallow Mapquest, as they did Yahoo and everything else in their path. On top of being able to search for any address in the world, Google gives you the option to view the maps politically, via satellite, the terrain, in real traffic time, and maybe the most visually impressive, Google Earth. The Google Earth view allows you to view the landscape and terrain of any spot on Earth with buildings and other landmarks projected in 3D. However, I rank the Satellite view as the most appealing feature.

I consider myself to be a connoisseur of geography. Next to sports, I eat up all the information I can get on world geography. Maybe that's odd, but I just find it interesting to learn about the different countries and cultures there are out there. And to realize that life exists in many different ways outside of the US. Back to the satellite view. Have you ever wondered about those tiny dots on the globe that you need magnifying glasses to see in many cases? Well often times those dots are tiny countries, islands, and ultimately someones home land. I implore you to pull up Google maps and find one of those tiny dots, then hit Satellite view and zoom in. You may be interested to find houses and roads exist in the craziest of places. Yesterday, I took a jaunt through the Tanzania, I had heard of a spot where the highest density of elephants in the world was, the Tarangire National Park, I saw mainly desert for most of the virtual trip, but then all of a sudden I stumbled onto a huge pack of elephants.

The Street view option is amazing too. It's like someone has given you keys to a car that can drive anywhere in the world without the need of a passport. Almost every major city in the world has its city streets street viewed by Google. Just drag and hold the little yellow man on your left, if the street or road lights up blue, you're good to go. Plop the yellow man (or woman) down and begin sightseeing. A couple months ago I took a trip up the Highlands in Scotland, I've always wanted to go there, and still do, but for now I'll settle for the virtual trip. I've never been to Australia, but would love to go someday, in the meantime, I visited Ayers rock a couple days ago. I drove as far as I could, then used pictures to get to the large sediment rock in Western Australia.

I could go on and on about places I've been. I love to travel, but current economic times put discretionary spending on travel as a low priority. If you find yourself in this situation, don't fret, always keep your goals in front of you and if you really want to get there someday, determination will see that you do. But for now, take a virtual tour, its free and you just might find or stumble upon something you had no idea that existed. And maybe that makes you more worldly or you find it interesting like me. Or maybe you can take a virtual break from a stressful reality. Whatever your choice may be, I hope your travels bring you joy and a new sense of awareness of the world around you.

That's all for now. Happy traveling and don't forget to bring 2 forms of ID with you when you travel!

bsv
the courtesy wave

Weekend Sports Guide Nov 5th-7th

November? Really? Another year is flying by with only 2 months left in 2010. Although we never want to wish away time, if your a sports fan like me and living in Minnesota, it figures to be a long winter and part of me just wants to hibernate until spring. But for now I'll enjoy the rest of what the sports world has to offer. If you're a college football fan, there's plenty to thirst your appetite this weekend with 10 ranked teams going head-to-head and plenty of rivalry games too. Since there's a lot to get to, lets get this started. Enjoy the read and happy viewing!



COLLEGE FOOTBALL

TOP 25 FACEOFFS
3 TCU (9-0) at 5 UTAH (8-0) 2:30p
As close to a playoff college football game as you'll get. The winner of these 2 undefeated programs from the Mountain West conference gets a chance to finish in the top 2 in the BCS and land a national title. The loser will have zero chance barring a miracle. Its hard to determine a clear favorite, as both teams are excellent. If we look at common opponents this year, each team has faced UNLV, Wyoming, Colorado State, and Air Force. Utah outscored those four 155-45, while TCU outscored them 15-13. The key in this game will be defense and TCU has the best defense in college football, followed closely by Utah. These teams are used to scoring 40 plus a game, that won't be the case on Saturday. Tough game on the road, but I think its the Horned Frog's year.
TCU 24-21

6 ALABAMA (7-1) at 10 LSU (7-1) 2:30p
Now on to a more traditional top 10 matchup between two storied universities. In what's been dubbed the Saban Bowl due to the fact that current Bama head coach Nick Saban also coached and won a national championship at LSU. Like the TCU/Utah game this one is proabably an elimination game for the national title. Preseason favorite Alabama has bounced back from their loss at South Carolina with 2 convincing wins since. LSU is coming off a tough road loss at Auburn. In games versus Tennessee and Florida, LSU squeaked out victories by a total of 5 points. Whereas Alabama blasted both teams by a total score of 72-16. The Crimson tide have the momentum back and are poised to make another title run. Like TCU above, tough one on the road.
ALABAMA 34-26

13 STANFORD (7-1) vs 15 ARIZONA (7-1) 7p
These two teams are playing 2nd fiddle in the PAC 10 this year next to Oregon, who's not slowing down and definitely not losing this week at home versus struggling Washington. Stanford has already lost their chance against Oregon this year, but Arizona has a shot at them on the road November 26th. However, all eyes should be staring down the Cardinal this week, and especially at the guy behind center, Andrew Luck. In fact, the Wildcats might need a little luck to go with talent this week.
STANFORD 31-24

17 OKLAHOMA STATE (7-1) vs 21 BAYLOR (7-2) 11:30a
Well the Cowboys have burned me the last 2 weeks, I picked for them vs Nebraska and against them versus Kansas State, and they proved me wrong each time. Now they face a Baylor team who's spent the last 2 weeks in the top 25, equally the same amount spent the last 17 years. Both teams will beat you on offense before they do so on defense. And I've always like the 3 headed monster of QB Weeden, RB Hunter, and WR Blackmon. I'm going back to the Cowboys this week, hoping for better results.
OKLAHOMA STATE 45-34

18 ARKANSAS (6-2) at 19 SOUTH CAROLINA (6-2) 6p
Two of the top 10 rated QB's face off in this one as the Razorbacks Ryan Mallet duels it out against the Gamecocks Stephen Garcia. Mallet throws early and often and has talented wide receivers, but he doesn't have Alshon Jeffrey, the Gamecocks 6'4" 230 WR should pass 1000 yards receiving and already has 7 touchdowns on the year. South Carolina came up big against Alabama, where Arkansas came up short. Look for similar results in this one.
SOUTH CAROLINA 31-28

RIVALRY GAMES
WESTERN MICHIGAN (3-5) at CENTRAL MICHIGAN (2-7) Friday 5p - CANNON TROPHY
The trophy has been given out only since 2008, but the series dates back another 100 years to 1907. Western Michigan leads all time 43-35-2. The trophy represents the cannons that are fired at both CMU's Kelly/Shorts Stadium and WMU's Waldo Stadium, it sits atop the trophy and each of the schools' wins are noted on both sides. Keep an eye out for the Broncos (WMU) Jordan White, who's 5th in the nation in receiving yards, including 348 in their last 2 games. That being said, there's nothing else to watch here. These 2 teams have combined to beat 3 FBS teams, Ball State 2-7, Eastern Michigan (1-8), and Akron (0-9).
WESTERN MICHIGAN 31-21

25 NORTH CAROLINA STATE (6-2) at CLEMSON (4-4) 11a - TEXTILE BOWL
Why textile? Apparently NC State and Clemson are two of the biggest and best Textile schools in the country. They'll be weaving against each other again this weekend in a game that dates back to 1899 and trophy game since 1981. Clemson leads all time 50-27-1 and has a current 6 game winning streak. They seem to be in a down year, yet all 4 of their losses have been by less than 10 points. NC State has struggled on the road, losing at East Carolina a few weeks ago. This game is also my UPSET SPECIAL as the Tigers will look to continue their dominance over the Wolfpack.
CLEMSON 28-25

AIR FORCE (5-4) at ARMY (5-3) 11a - COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF'S TROPHY
The Commander-in-Chief's Trophy is awarded to each season's winner of the triangular college football series among the United States Military Academy (Army Black Knights), the United States Naval Academy (Navy Midshipmen), and United States Air Force Academy (Air Force Falcons). In the event of a tie, the award is shared, but the previous winner retains possession of the trophy. Air Force leads all time with 16 wins, but none since 2002. If they win on Saturday, that 8 year losing streak will end. You can put away the plane tickets and take out the car keys because this game will be decided on the ground. Two of the nation's worst passing teams and not coincidentally two of the best rushing teams. Although the records are similar, the guts of the schedules are not. Army's best win of their 5 comes against 3-5 Tulane. While the Air Force is lacking a signature victory, they have faced 3 top 10 teams this year and came close versus Oklahoma (27-24) and Utah (28-23). Falcons have the experience and will become bowl eligible after this weekend.
AIR FORCE 34-24

SOUTHERN MISS (5-3) at TULANE (3-5) 2:30p - BATTLE FOR THE BELL
These 2 teams are separated by 110 mile stretch of interstate and have been battling for the bell since 1979. Southern Miss has dominated the series 22-7, including the last 5. This one is in New Orleans, and while on paper I like the Golden Eagles, I have little other information and knowledge on this game and will say that the Green Wave of Tulane has victories against decent teams Rutgers and UTEP, so maybe they can pull out another one.
TULANE 38-35

GOPHER WATCH
MINNESOTA (1-8) at 14 MICHIGAN STATE(8-1) 11a
Get ready for a bloodbath. The Spartans are coming off an ugly loss to Iowa and will be looking for revenge as they still are in the driver seat for a Big Ten Championship. This one with get ugly early as the Gophers just don't have the talent to stay with anyone in the Big Ten.
SPARTANS 52-10

NFL

BUCCANEERS (5-2) at FALCONS (5-2) Noon
You could make a solid argument for the Falcons being in this position, but not so much for the Bucs, who were thought to still be in rebuilding mode this year. But as the story with the NFC goes, nothing is normal this year. Tampa Bay has a future all pro Quarterback in Josh Freeman, really keep your eye on this guy, in my opinion he's just a few steps away from being an elite QB. The LeGarrette Blount project is in full swing too as the troubled Oregon running back has emerged as the go to guy in the ground game. His 222 yards are just 10 yards more than Cadillac Williams, but blount has gotten there in 43 carries as opposed to Williams' 84. On the other side, the Falcons are no longer a 1 man show now that QB Matt Ryan and WR Roddy White have formed a top 5 combination. While Tampa has improved, they're not contenders yet until they can prove to stop the run, currently the worst defense against the run. They won't stop Turner or Ryan/White for that matter this Sunday.
FALCONS 27-17

CARDINALS (3-4) at VIKINGS (2-5) Noon
The Randy Moss experiment is now officially over. Just a month ago, Vikings fan were praising the move and ready to buy their playoff tickets. Now, Vikings fans just assume burn their Moss jerseys and are calling for Childress' head. It's a must win scenario this weekend for a couple, one the fan base desperately needs it and two if they lose it stands to be a long season and this core of veterans will be blown up for a rebuilding year or years to come. The Cardinals are not good this year, their Derek Anderson experiment has gone completely awful. Fitzgerald is only effective when he gets the ball, and he hasn't gotten enough this year. Although Arizona did somehow pull off a shocker versus New Orleans this year,Minnesota knows what the stakes are and should pull off the win.
VIKINGS 34-21

GIANTS (5-2) at SEAHAWKS (4-3) 3p
A possible playoff preview takes place in this battle of Division leaders. The parity of the NFL shines brightly in Seattle where the Seahawks weren't expected to compete. It could be a product of their division however as the NFC West is arguably the weakest division in the NFL. Seattle doesn't even do anything that great, they are near last in rushing, passing, and pass defense. Their top 10 pass defense is the only thing to hold a candle to. The Giants on the other hand are well deserving of their record. Of the 4 categories mentioned above, the Giants hold a top 8 ranking in each. Manning, Bradshaw, and Nicks will roll this weekend.
GIANTS 38-24

CHIEFS (5-2) at RAIDERS (4-4) 3:15p
Like the Seahawks, the Chiefs and Raiders have been a surprise this year, the Chiefs especially, proving that their opening day win versus San Diego was no fluke. Its #1 vs #2 on Sunday at the Black Hole. That's the #1 rushing team in Kansas City, vs #2 Oakland. The Chiefs Jamal Charles and the Raiders Darren McFadden are very familiar with each other, both being taken in the 2008 draft, both with mediocre rookie seasons, and while Charles exploded last year, McFadden is on pace this year. The Black Hole is a tough place to play as the Seahawks found out last week, and the Chiefs are without a road victory yet. This game is always charged up with it being a division rivalry, but this year has possible playoff implications. If the Raiders win, we'll have a dogfight battle for the AFC West on our hands.
RAIDERS 27-25

COLTS (5-2) at EAGLES (4-3) 3:15p
The Hank Bassett Bowl takes place on Sunday afternoon as Bassett's former teams play each other. I suppose most wouldn't call it that way, but since he's now on the Vikings and when Brad Childress was asked by the media what impact it would have on the receivers, he mentioned, "we still have Hank Baskett". Whew, thank god, right? Anyways, Vick returns well rested and ready to gunsling again. Should be a good matchup vs prime time QB's Vick and all-world Peyton Manning. The Eagles have a balance run/pass game, the Colts rely more on the passing. A toss up matchup, I'll go with the Vick returning, home game for Philly angle.
EAGLES 28-20

NBA
Its too early for the NBA, long season and hard to get excited for anything now.

NHL
Same thing as NBA, I'll try to make some futile attempts at this later in the season. No promises though.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Starts on Monday! Look for previews of top matchups next weekend!

Well thats it for now, hope you enjoy this first weekend in November and don't forget to turn your clocks back on Sunday!

bsv
the courtesy wave