Well, it finally happened, the Cowboys and Titans agreed, in principle, to a deal that will send 6-time arrestee Adam "Pacman" Jones to the Dallas Cowboys. The teams have not released all the terms of the deal, but I have a feeling that it probably involved a few late draft picks.
This could be interesting. The upsides are that the Cowboys get a need position for cheap (hopefully), and bring in a veteran who has game-changing ability on defense and special teams. The downside is that Pacman brings a troubled past with him. Either way, it isn't a huge gamble if the speculated 4th and 6th round picks are indeed what the Cowboys gave up for Jones.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Let's talk NFL Draft
So the first pick is already locked up. The Miami Herald is reporting that Jake Long has agreed to a deal, in principle, with the Dolphins for 5 years. So with that done, we move on to pick #2, which is held by the Rams. Honestly, I don't know who the Rams are going to pick, only they do. As I peruse all these sports sites, I am bombarded with MOCK DRAFTS! In my opinion, mock drafts are about as useful as an asshole on your elbow. People who make mock drafts are up there with those people who think that they are all knowing due to their March Madness picks. Its all about guessing right, and usually without any real knowledge, just luck.
Now I'm sure there are people out there who really can tell you what options a team has when picking their draft pick, but once you get past pick 10, every pick is dependent on those before it, so you have such a large pool of variants, that it really does come down to lucky guesses.
With that stated, most of the expert picks for the Cowboys have them taking a RB and CB, or a WR and CB, or a WR and RB...the trend is nearly endless. CBS offers 3 mock drafts, all have the Cowboys picking 6 different players with their 2 picks. That just furthers my point of variants in the late round. Its comical.
If I were to guess at who the Cowboys were going to pick, I wouldn't be able to give you a name, but rather a position. Personally, with what I saw last year, there is one area that the Cowboys must address immediately, and that is secondary. They have good cornerbacks in Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry, and one Pro-Bowl caliber safety in Ken Hamlin, but they have that huge hole in Roy Williams. The guy should be paying Brett Robin millions for making him a superstar fraud. Williams just doesn't cut it, and he needs to be replaced, badly.
One option I have heard was moving Henry to Williams' safety spot and selecting a CB at #22. I can see that strategy working very well. There should be a few solid corners left at that junction. Aqib Talib, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Antoine Cason, Brandon Flowers, Reggie Smith and Justin King would all be safe picks.
After shoring up that pick, Dallas can now look past filling gaps, and find a player that can give them an immediate impact. There will really be no glaring needs on the defensive side, which leaves the door wide open for an offensive player, be it a strong RB or a playmaking WR. Personally, I think that it would be best to find a good sized WR who can help out Owens and Glenn. I have a leaning towards Limas Sweed and James Hardy. Both are tall, can catch and Sweed has excellent speed. Or they can take a small slot receiver who can catch the ball and take a hit, like that Danny Amendola kid from Texas Tech...alright, maybe a little bit of a stretch, but someone should take him in the late rounds solely because of Welker's success.
So there you have it.
Now I'm sure there are people out there who really can tell you what options a team has when picking their draft pick, but once you get past pick 10, every pick is dependent on those before it, so you have such a large pool of variants, that it really does come down to lucky guesses.
With that stated, most of the expert picks for the Cowboys have them taking a RB and CB, or a WR and CB, or a WR and RB...the trend is nearly endless. CBS offers 3 mock drafts, all have the Cowboys picking 6 different players with their 2 picks. That just furthers my point of variants in the late round. Its comical.
If I were to guess at who the Cowboys were going to pick, I wouldn't be able to give you a name, but rather a position. Personally, with what I saw last year, there is one area that the Cowboys must address immediately, and that is secondary. They have good cornerbacks in Terrence Newman and Anthony Henry, and one Pro-Bowl caliber safety in Ken Hamlin, but they have that huge hole in Roy Williams. The guy should be paying Brett Robin millions for making him a superstar fraud. Williams just doesn't cut it, and he needs to be replaced, badly.
One option I have heard was moving Henry to Williams' safety spot and selecting a CB at #22. I can see that strategy working very well. There should be a few solid corners left at that junction. Aqib Talib, Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Antoine Cason, Brandon Flowers, Reggie Smith and Justin King would all be safe picks.
After shoring up that pick, Dallas can now look past filling gaps, and find a player that can give them an immediate impact. There will really be no glaring needs on the defensive side, which leaves the door wide open for an offensive player, be it a strong RB or a playmaking WR. Personally, I think that it would be best to find a good sized WR who can help out Owens and Glenn. I have a leaning towards Limas Sweed and James Hardy. Both are tall, can catch and Sweed has excellent speed. Or they can take a small slot receiver who can catch the ball and take a hit, like that Danny Amendola kid from Texas Tech...alright, maybe a little bit of a stretch, but someone should take him in the late rounds solely because of Welker's success.
So there you have it.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Let's Make It Official
We (I) here at Absolutely Obknoxious are ready to announce which NBA team will be our favored club throughout the NBA Playoffs. We (I) have done extensive research, comparing endless pages of statistics for weeks to figure out which team is worthy of being crowned the World Champions of basketball. We (I) spent sleepless nights trying to decide if Steve Nash would be the man to jockey his team to the Finals, or if the newly re-made Celtics would weather the storm and win 16 games. After all of this, we (I) decided that it was pointless since I'm a huge Spurs homer!
GO SPURS GO!
I am so biased about this that it isn't even funny. I will be rooting on the Spurs and rooting off the Mavs. Hopefully I will be able to proudly display my Dirk logo once the Hornets dismantle Dallas.
GO SPURS GO!
I am so biased about this that it isn't even funny. I will be rooting on the Spurs and rooting off the Mavs. Hopefully I will be able to proudly display my Dirk logo once the Hornets dismantle Dallas.
AJ Ramos out for the year
Unfortunately, AJ Ramos is no longer in service for the remainder of the year. Ouch.
The official release says that it is the result of a torn UCL, suffered earlier in the season. This will leave Tech struggling to find another weekend starter, who won't struggle.
Official Release
The official release says that it is the result of a torn UCL, suffered earlier in the season. This will leave Tech struggling to find another weekend starter, who won't struggle.
Official Release
PICTURES!
The first batch is from a home game against Central Arkansas, while the last 4 are from Coach Hays' 1500 career victory.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Tech falling faster than Britney Spears
6 conference games in a row, and 7 of the last 8. Texas Tech just isn't getting it done. I'm not sure if the team has quit on themselves, or if they are in a team-wide slump, but it hasn't been pretty at all lately. I'll let the box scores and 1 hitter speak for themselves, rather than writing a rant. It seems that Kansas has our number this year.
Kansas bats power Jayhawks past Tech, 9-5
Jayhawks crush Red Raiders, 9-1 (1 hit, but 7 walks, and only 1 run)
Kansas "complets" weekend sweep. (no typo on my part.)
Texas managed to steal a game from the Missouri Tigers today, and didn't give up double digit runs doing it! Of course, in the 3 game series, the Longhorns were outscored 46-23. On a positive note, Kyle Russell hit 2 more home runs, bringing his yearly total to 7, up from 2 weeks ago. his batting average has also jumped to around .250, its highest since week 2. One thing troubling me about the Longhorns is their ERA, which is above 5.00. I don't think Texas has had a staff ERA this high since around 2001. Very troubling, especially if they want to get past the Regionals for the first time since the 2005 Championship.
Kansas bats power Jayhawks past Tech, 9-5
Jayhawks crush Red Raiders, 9-1 (1 hit, but 7 walks, and only 1 run)
Kansas "complets" weekend sweep. (no typo on my part.)
Texas managed to steal a game from the Missouri Tigers today, and didn't give up double digit runs doing it! Of course, in the 3 game series, the Longhorns were outscored 46-23. On a positive note, Kyle Russell hit 2 more home runs, bringing his yearly total to 7, up from 2 weeks ago. his batting average has also jumped to around .250, its highest since week 2. One thing troubling me about the Longhorns is their ERA, which is above 5.00. I don't think Texas has had a staff ERA this high since around 2001. Very troubling, especially if they want to get past the Regionals for the first time since the 2005 Championship.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
How to ruin an ERA, Longhorn style.
Aaron Crow gave up 9 runs in 5 innings, after going 42+ straight scoreless innings. He also picked up his 8th win.
Texas jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, before Missouri went on a 28-3 run to close out the game. Highlighting the offensive plague was Jacob Priday, who collected 4 home runs and 9 RBIs. Missouri hitters collected a total of 7 home runs off the Texas staff, trumping Kyle Russell's pair.
Let me be the first to say, "What the &*$&!" The 31 runs allowed in a single game is a new record for the Longhorns, breaking the previous high of 26 that Texas Tech collected in 1995.
4 of the 7 pitchers in orange each gave up 6 runs in a combined 5.2 innings pitched. The "good pitchers" only allowed 8 runs in their 2.1 innings.
I don't have much more to say, I'm in that much shock.
Tech lost too, but the only surrendered 9 runs.
Texas jumped out to an early 9-3 lead, before Missouri went on a 28-3 run to close out the game. Highlighting the offensive plague was Jacob Priday, who collected 4 home runs and 9 RBIs. Missouri hitters collected a total of 7 home runs off the Texas staff, trumping Kyle Russell's pair.
Let me be the first to say, "What the &*$&!" The 31 runs allowed in a single game is a new record for the Longhorns, breaking the previous high of 26 that Texas Tech collected in 1995.
4 of the 7 pitchers in orange each gave up 6 runs in a combined 5.2 innings pitched. The "good pitchers" only allowed 8 runs in their 2.1 innings.
I don't have much more to say, I'm in that much shock.
Tech lost too, but the only surrendered 9 runs.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Tech swept by Nebraska, Texas beats OU twice
This is gonna be quick. I was unable to follow or see any games this weekend due to a funeral, but here is a quick rundown.
Nebraska swept Texas Tech in 3 games to stay atop the Bog 12 leaderboards. The Huskers beat Tech by scores of 6-2, 5-2 and 5-3. While the sweep is nothing to enjoy, the fact that the Raiders did not get blown out, or give up tons of runs are both positives to take away from the weekend. Nebraska's pitching staff was dominant, or Tech's bats became anemic and strikeout riddled during the road series. I'm not sure which choice fits the hole better, but that was the best synopsis from my quick boxscore review.
Texas managed to win their series against the Sooners, taking the Friday and Sunday games, while surrendering the Saturday contest. Kyle Russell may have jumped out of his slump, hitting 2 home runs over the weekend, including a grandslam. For the Longhorns' sake, lets hope this is his way of informing his fans that his .209 average and 1 home run are a thing of the past.
Tech plays a series this week againts New Mexico, battling tonight and Wednesday night, while the Longhorns face off against their I-35 rivals from San Marcos. UT vs. Texas State is scheduled for a 6:00 first pitch.
I have some pictures from Coach Hays' 1500 win that I will upload as soon as I remember to get my camera. I was awarded as the fan of the game, recieving Rudy's BBQ "Sause" and a $10 gift card. That makes 2 prize winnings for me, and 1 that was actually worth something.
Nebraska swept Texas Tech in 3 games to stay atop the Bog 12 leaderboards. The Huskers beat Tech by scores of 6-2, 5-2 and 5-3. While the sweep is nothing to enjoy, the fact that the Raiders did not get blown out, or give up tons of runs are both positives to take away from the weekend. Nebraska's pitching staff was dominant, or Tech's bats became anemic and strikeout riddled during the road series. I'm not sure which choice fits the hole better, but that was the best synopsis from my quick boxscore review.
Texas managed to win their series against the Sooners, taking the Friday and Sunday games, while surrendering the Saturday contest. Kyle Russell may have jumped out of his slump, hitting 2 home runs over the weekend, including a grandslam. For the Longhorns' sake, lets hope this is his way of informing his fans that his .209 average and 1 home run are a thing of the past.
Tech plays a series this week againts New Mexico, battling tonight and Wednesday night, while the Longhorns face off against their I-35 rivals from San Marcos. UT vs. Texas State is scheduled for a 6:00 first pitch.
I have some pictures from Coach Hays' 1500 win that I will upload as soon as I remember to get my camera. I was awarded as the fan of the game, recieving Rudy's BBQ "Sause" and a $10 gift card. That makes 2 prize winnings for me, and 1 that was actually worth something.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Doug Thennis named Big 12 POW
5-10 with 7 RBIs, including the game winning grand slam on Sunday and the game tying RBI single on Saturday was enough to get Doug the Player of the Week award for the 2nd time in his career. Congrats.
Texas Tech release
Texas Tech release
Sunday, March 30, 2008
A-mazing
So I'm here to gladly eat my crow. Texas Tech, in dramatic fashion, beat the Missouri Tigers in two of the three games this weekend. Both wins for the Raiders came in the bottom of the 9th inning, a 3-2 win Saturday and a 15-11 win on Sunday.
Friday's game was a heartbreaker. Missouri's Aaron Crow did what Aaron Crow do. He shut out the Raiders for 8 innings, helping Missouri to a 1-0 win. Tech's starting pitcher, Nathan Karns, had his best outing of the season, giving up one run in the 1st inning and walking only a single batter, well below his season average.
Saturday's game would start off the same. Missouri scored one in the 1st, but was answered by the Raiders with a single score of their own. The game continued at 1-1, seeing great pitching from Tech's AJ Ramos and Missouri's Ian Berger, until a bases loaded, full count walk gave Missouri a 2-1 lead. It was a strike, by the way. Tech seemed destined to lose another 1 run game, until the 9th inning decided to be all drama-like. Monk Kreder's 1-out walk, followed by consecutive singles from Jason Seefeld and Doug Thennis tied the game at 2. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Tech LF Taylor Ashby ripped a single up the middle, making way for Jason Seefeld to score the winning run, albeit on a horrible slide that sidelined him for Sunday's game.
Sunday would be a goose of a different feather. Missouri's 4 run 1st inning paved the way for a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th. Tech pieced together a 3-run rally to knot the game at 7. Missouri, being the #2 team in the nation, picked the 8th inning to score another 4 runs in an attempt to spit in the face of their hosting opponent. The Red Raiders would have none of their tomfoolery. A 2-run 8th inning kept Tech within reach of making my sunburn worthwhile. Tech reliever Zach Stewart held the Tigers in check in the 9th, bringing up the meat of Tech's lineup for the final at bat. A walk, single and a sacrifice bunt gave Tech runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. 2B Willie Rueda ripped a triple into left center to tie the game at 11. With the winning run on 3rd, and only 1 out, Missouri opted to load the bases, hoping for a double play to end the threat. Instead, Doug Thennis lifted a would be game-winning sacrifice fly into the gusting wind and over the left field wall for a walk-off grand slam. It was very dramatic. Tech won 15-11.
So, this weekend was huge. Not only does Tech finally put it together, but they avoid losing their 3rd straight conference series to open the year. Winning 2 of 3 against the best pitching staff in the nation also helps. The confidence from both the wins could be what the Raiders needed to turn their hard luck around into soft luck, assuming soft luck is the good kind that wins games.
Video of Thennis Grand Slam
On another note, Texas won their game against Nebraska, salvaging a win to put them at 5-4 in conference play. Their basketball team decided not to win, losing to Memphis by more than I care to write down. Stupid Memphis, with their free throws and make-out parties.
On a sad note, the starting QB for the Hub City Bulls, a semi-pro team that plays in Lubbock, suffered a broken neck on the first play from scrimmage in Saturday's game against the opponent (I honestly never knew who they were playing). I haven't heard any updates on his condition, but it did not look good at all. Prayers are with him and his family. The Bulls won 21-16 to go to 2-0.
Friday's game was a heartbreaker. Missouri's Aaron Crow did what Aaron Crow do. He shut out the Raiders for 8 innings, helping Missouri to a 1-0 win. Tech's starting pitcher, Nathan Karns, had his best outing of the season, giving up one run in the 1st inning and walking only a single batter, well below his season average.
Saturday's game would start off the same. Missouri scored one in the 1st, but was answered by the Raiders with a single score of their own. The game continued at 1-1, seeing great pitching from Tech's AJ Ramos and Missouri's Ian Berger, until a bases loaded, full count walk gave Missouri a 2-1 lead. It was a strike, by the way. Tech seemed destined to lose another 1 run game, until the 9th inning decided to be all drama-like. Monk Kreder's 1-out walk, followed by consecutive singles from Jason Seefeld and Doug Thennis tied the game at 2. With runners on 1st and 2nd, Tech LF Taylor Ashby ripped a single up the middle, making way for Jason Seefeld to score the winning run, albeit on a horrible slide that sidelined him for Sunday's game.
Sunday would be a goose of a different feather. Missouri's 4 run 1st inning paved the way for a 7-4 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th. Tech pieced together a 3-run rally to knot the game at 7. Missouri, being the #2 team in the nation, picked the 8th inning to score another 4 runs in an attempt to spit in the face of their hosting opponent. The Red Raiders would have none of their tomfoolery. A 2-run 8th inning kept Tech within reach of making my sunburn worthwhile. Tech reliever Zach Stewart held the Tigers in check in the 9th, bringing up the meat of Tech's lineup for the final at bat. A walk, single and a sacrifice bunt gave Tech runners on 2nd and 3rd with only 1 out. 2B Willie Rueda ripped a triple into left center to tie the game at 11. With the winning run on 3rd, and only 1 out, Missouri opted to load the bases, hoping for a double play to end the threat. Instead, Doug Thennis lifted a would be game-winning sacrifice fly into the gusting wind and over the left field wall for a walk-off grand slam. It was very dramatic. Tech won 15-11.
So, this weekend was huge. Not only does Tech finally put it together, but they avoid losing their 3rd straight conference series to open the year. Winning 2 of 3 against the best pitching staff in the nation also helps. The confidence from both the wins could be what the Raiders needed to turn their hard luck around into soft luck, assuming soft luck is the good kind that wins games.
Video of Thennis Grand Slam
On another note, Texas won their game against Nebraska, salvaging a win to put them at 5-4 in conference play. Their basketball team decided not to win, losing to Memphis by more than I care to write down. Stupid Memphis, with their free throws and make-out parties.
On a sad note, the starting QB for the Hub City Bulls, a semi-pro team that plays in Lubbock, suffered a broken neck on the first play from scrimmage in Saturday's game against the opponent (I honestly never knew who they were playing). I haven't heard any updates on his condition, but it did not look good at all. Prayers are with him and his family. The Bulls won 21-16 to go to 2-0.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Tech sets up for battle with #2 Missouri
Tomorrow marks the first game of the 3 game series between Texas Tech and #2 Missouri at Dan Law Field in Lubbock. The only positives I see right now is that Tech is getting their harder series done with first. Already gone is Texas A&M and Texas, so that leaves the easier part of the conference schedule after this weekend. Unfortunately, Missouri is coming off a weekend that saw them allow only 2 runs on 8 hits against 14th ranked Baylor, shuting out the Bears twice.
Missouri is stacked on the mound. SP Aaron Crow is possibly the best pitcher in the Big 12, and combines with SPs Kyle Gibson and Ian Berger to give Missouri one of the top rotations in the nation. In 5 starts, Crow is 5-0 with a 1.03 ERA and 2 complete game shutouts. In his 35 innings, he has struck out 51 batters and walked only 7. Crow will face off against troubled Tech pitcher Nate Karns on Friday. AJ Ramos and Ian Berger will pitch Saturday's contest, while Sunday belongs to Chad Bettis and Kyle Gibson.
Offensively, Missouri is led by Jacob Priday and Aaron Senne. Senne is tied for 2nd in the Big 12 in home runs with 6, and trails only Roger Kieschnick (TTU) and Brandon Belt (UT) in RBIs, with 32. Priday leads the Tigers with a .387 average and 7 doubles.
The only true weakness in Missouri's armor seems to be their baserunning, being thrown out 10 times in 27 stolen base attempts. This probably won't become a factor in the series, due to their superb ability to do everything else.
I don't see this being a good weekend for the Red Raiders. Crow average 13 Ks per game, while Tech seems to like striking out with runners in scoring position. I predict a sweep for the Tigers.
Missouri is stacked on the mound. SP Aaron Crow is possibly the best pitcher in the Big 12, and combines with SPs Kyle Gibson and Ian Berger to give Missouri one of the top rotations in the nation. In 5 starts, Crow is 5-0 with a 1.03 ERA and 2 complete game shutouts. In his 35 innings, he has struck out 51 batters and walked only 7. Crow will face off against troubled Tech pitcher Nate Karns on Friday. AJ Ramos and Ian Berger will pitch Saturday's contest, while Sunday belongs to Chad Bettis and Kyle Gibson.
Offensively, Missouri is led by Jacob Priday and Aaron Senne. Senne is tied for 2nd in the Big 12 in home runs with 6, and trails only Roger Kieschnick (TTU) and Brandon Belt (UT) in RBIs, with 32. Priday leads the Tigers with a .387 average and 7 doubles.
The only true weakness in Missouri's armor seems to be their baserunning, being thrown out 10 times in 27 stolen base attempts. This probably won't become a factor in the series, due to their superb ability to do everything else.
I don't see this being a good weekend for the Red Raiders. Crow average 13 Ks per game, while Tech seems to like striking out with runners in scoring position. I predict a sweep for the Tigers.
Tech Football updates
The NCAA has cleared transfer DT Chris Perry to play in the fall. Perry, who transferred from Miami, sat out last season with a knee injury. Perry will likely battle for a starting position with incumbents Colby Whitlock and Rajon Henley. The addition of Perry will help Tech in the middle, a position that gave Tech troubles last season against the run.
DMN
Tech began their spring practices on Wednesday. Some positin changes have taken place already, according to reports. So. LB Brian Duncan has been moved from the outside to the middle, his position in high school. LA Reed has been moved from WR to S. His production at WR last year was dismal, while his hitting ability on special teams was tops on the team. This move could help out a lot if Reed can make the adjustment to defense. RB Jarred Flannel, a RS Fr. has moved to CB. He will battle for the starting spot opposite Jamar Wall, but won't likely get it.
Also back in action was WR Todd Walker, a former HS All-American from Pflugerville who sat out last season with an injury.
Fox 34 Video
DMN
Tech began their spring practices on Wednesday. Some positin changes have taken place already, according to reports. So. LB Brian Duncan has been moved from the outside to the middle, his position in high school. LA Reed has been moved from WR to S. His production at WR last year was dismal, while his hitting ability on special teams was tops on the team. This move could help out a lot if Reed can make the adjustment to defense. RB Jarred Flannel, a RS Fr. has moved to CB. He will battle for the starting spot opposite Jamar Wall, but won't likely get it.
Also back in action was WR Todd Walker, a former HS All-American from Pflugerville who sat out last season with an injury.
Fox 34 Video
Thursday, March 20, 2008
My worlds collide today
So today kicks off the annual baseball series between Texas Tech and the University of Texas. I am always at a loss whenever this day arrives. I'm a student of one school, and a lifelong fan of the other. Either way, I win, but I also lose. Usually though, I'm obliged to root for the Red Raiders, since I'm paying them.
So here we go. #13 in the Nation vs. #7 in the Big 12. I wonder how this will turn out. From an unbiased standpoint, I will have to say that the Longhorns will take 2 of the 3 games. The inconsistent pitching that has been plaguing the Tech starters will haunt them against the able-hitting Longhorns.
Tech's best hope is a to play mistake-free baseball. This means no base running blunders, no errors and no free passes. If all of those fall into place, Tech can easily overcome the Longhorns and win the series. The best chance for Tech is Saturday, when Chad Bettis takes the mound. Bettis is a perfect 3-0 in 4 starts with a 3.25 ERA. He stiffled the Aggie offense on Sunday to help avoid a sweep in College Station, and could easily do the same in Lubbock.
For the Longhorns to win, they will have to play their brand of baseball. Dan Law Field is perfectly designed for Augieball. A decent bunt on astroturf is an amazing bunt on fieldturf. Jordan Danks, Travis Tucker and Michael Torres could be the three best weapons for Texas this week. A leadoff single can easily turn into a runner on 2nd with 1 out, a scenario that has always been positive for the 5-time National Champs.
So here we go. #13 in the Nation vs. #7 in the Big 12. I wonder how this will turn out. From an unbiased standpoint, I will have to say that the Longhorns will take 2 of the 3 games. The inconsistent pitching that has been plaguing the Tech starters will haunt them against the able-hitting Longhorns.
Tech's best hope is a to play mistake-free baseball. This means no base running blunders, no errors and no free passes. If all of those fall into place, Tech can easily overcome the Longhorns and win the series. The best chance for Tech is Saturday, when Chad Bettis takes the mound. Bettis is a perfect 3-0 in 4 starts with a 3.25 ERA. He stiffled the Aggie offense on Sunday to help avoid a sweep in College Station, and could easily do the same in Lubbock.
For the Longhorns to win, they will have to play their brand of baseball. Dan Law Field is perfectly designed for Augieball. A decent bunt on astroturf is an amazing bunt on fieldturf. Jordan Danks, Travis Tucker and Michael Torres could be the three best weapons for Texas this week. A leadoff single can easily turn into a runner on 2nd with 1 out, a scenario that has always been positive for the 5-time National Champs.
Tech and Okie State close to Dallas game?
It seems that this ongoing drama is taking yet another exciting turn. Hopefully, this is a turn for the better. According to Texas Tech AD Gerald Myers, it seems that the game is a go, except for deciding where it will be played. The two options on the table are the dilapidated, yet renovated Cotton Bowl in Fair Park, or the monstrosity that is slowly growing south of Interstate 30 in Arlington. Which stadium would be better?
The Cotton Bowl, originally the Fair Park Bowl, has been sitting in South Dallas since 1934. As historic as the stadium is (Cotton Bowl game, Texas/OU, Styx concerts), it is also one of the most outdated facilities that I have ever been to. The bathroom setup at Oso Little League in Corpus Christi, Texas was more uriner-friendly than the enormous lines that await you inside the State Fair's centerpiece. Now, with the new renovations that are bumping the seating from 76,000 to 92,107, the bathroom problems could be fixed, so that helps out the Cotton Bowl. Getting to the Cotton Bowl (and subsequently leaving) are seemingly nightmares. I sat in traffic longer than I sat in the Cotton Bowl all 3 times I've seen a game there (2002 and 2003 Red River Shootout, 2006 Cotton Bowl). So the Cotton Bowl is not in a bad location and has plenty of seats, but the traffic problems are a huge sad face sticker on their report card.
The "Sponsor to Come Later" Dallas Cowboys Stadium would be ready by the game's planned start date in 2009. It will be state-of-the-art and dwarf any building I've ever seen in person. It is currently planned to hold only 80,000, but honestly, when was the last time a Tech or OSU home game came close to 80,000? Parking and the such shouldn't be a problem, thanks to the location of the stadium. Plus, being between Fort Worth and Dallas, and in Arlington increase the amount of adequate hotel rooms for fans. This is a huge plus. Did I mention that it is state-of-the-art? Personally, I think it is hard to go wrong with a $1 billion plus stadium.
My vote goes to Jerry World. I think it will be a great option for both teams to play in a major venue, and the central location helps out a lot. Plus, I have been to the Cotton Bowl, but haven't been to Jerry World (duh). Although I did drive past it on Saturday afternoon, and was simply mesmerized by the enormity of it.
This whole scenario sits very well with me. We are finally getting a game in Dallas, against a team that will make it a fun event. I hate OSU more than I hate 8 of the other schools in the conference, plus, with the Tech fanbase in the metroplex, there is no way this will fail. Look at the TCU and SMU games over the past 2 seasons (with myself in attendance) and try and estimate what percentage of those crowds donned Scarlet and Black (hint, more than 50%).
The added revenue from this game will far surpass the paultry amount we get every other year from hosting the game in Lubbock. Sure, it will hurt the economy a bit, but in the long run could improve the overall talent of the team through recruiting, which could help in wins, which aides attendance, which begats profit for local businesses. Problem solved through a PROACTIVE solutin, rather than our typical reactive route.
Avalance-Journal
Jerry World
Cotton Bowl
The Cotton Bowl, originally the Fair Park Bowl, has been sitting in South Dallas since 1934. As historic as the stadium is (Cotton Bowl game, Texas/OU, Styx concerts), it is also one of the most outdated facilities that I have ever been to. The bathroom setup at Oso Little League in Corpus Christi, Texas was more uriner-friendly than the enormous lines that await you inside the State Fair's centerpiece. Now, with the new renovations that are bumping the seating from 76,000 to 92,107, the bathroom problems could be fixed, so that helps out the Cotton Bowl. Getting to the Cotton Bowl (and subsequently leaving) are seemingly nightmares. I sat in traffic longer than I sat in the Cotton Bowl all 3 times I've seen a game there (2002 and 2003 Red River Shootout, 2006 Cotton Bowl). So the Cotton Bowl is not in a bad location and has plenty of seats, but the traffic problems are a huge sad face sticker on their report card.
The "Sponsor to Come Later" Dallas Cowboys Stadium would be ready by the game's planned start date in 2009. It will be state-of-the-art and dwarf any building I've ever seen in person. It is currently planned to hold only 80,000, but honestly, when was the last time a Tech or OSU home game came close to 80,000? Parking and the such shouldn't be a problem, thanks to the location of the stadium. Plus, being between Fort Worth and Dallas, and in Arlington increase the amount of adequate hotel rooms for fans. This is a huge plus. Did I mention that it is state-of-the-art? Personally, I think it is hard to go wrong with a $1 billion plus stadium.
My vote goes to Jerry World. I think it will be a great option for both teams to play in a major venue, and the central location helps out a lot. Plus, I have been to the Cotton Bowl, but haven't been to Jerry World (duh). Although I did drive past it on Saturday afternoon, and was simply mesmerized by the enormity of it.
This whole scenario sits very well with me. We are finally getting a game in Dallas, against a team that will make it a fun event. I hate OSU more than I hate 8 of the other schools in the conference, plus, with the Tech fanbase in the metroplex, there is no way this will fail. Look at the TCU and SMU games over the past 2 seasons (with myself in attendance) and try and estimate what percentage of those crowds donned Scarlet and Black (hint, more than 50%).
The added revenue from this game will far surpass the paultry amount we get every other year from hosting the game in Lubbock. Sure, it will hurt the economy a bit, but in the long run could improve the overall talent of the team through recruiting, which could help in wins, which aides attendance, which begats profit for local businesses. Problem solved through a PROACTIVE solutin, rather than our typical reactive route.
Avalance-Journal
Jerry World
Cotton Bowl
Thursday, March 13, 2008
End of season review, Texas Tech fan style.
Well, it wouldn't be a risky reach to say that the Texas Tech basketball season is over, and thank God it is. Now, there might be an NIT appearance in store for the Red Raiders, but that's basically an insult anywhere outside of College Station (oh snap!!1).
It was an entertaining season, to say the most. High expectations at first turned into a slow and steady downward spiral that was momentarily stopped with a win against high-ranked Texas, and ended again with a 2 game losing streak to finally put the Raiders down for the count.
We began the season with The General at the helm, doing his same old song and dance, and ended the year with a glimmer of hope that his son can emulate at least half of what Bobby was able to do in his career. Stumbles against Centenary and Sam Houston State stung the most, even more than the 44 and 58 point losses to Texas A&M and Kansas. At least Kansas and Texas A&M had the personnel and resume to hand over those types of defeats to the oft out-matched group from Lubbock.
The most pleasant surprises were the emergence of the whitest basketball shooter since Brandy Perryman lit up the Erwin Center. Yes, Alan Voskuil, the unsuspecting shooting guard who made quite a name for himself with his accurate shooting and Dawson's Creek-esque looks. Voskuil made good on exactly 50% of his 3-pointers (68-136, including today's game against OSU). Voskuil will have to be a focal point next year, as teams will probably que up on him to limit his production on wide open shots.
Another reason to not walk away with a frowny face is the play of a few newcomers. Freshmen John Roberson and Mike Singletary showed glimpses of All-Conference calibur play, while transfer Trevor Cook was a solid candidate for All-Lubbock. With Roberson taking control of the offense after a good season under his belt, there is hope. He showed great poise in the motion offense, hitting 40% from beyond the arc, and finishing 3rd on the team with 12.2 points per game.
Singletary looked like a third-world PJ Tucker. He could've been a PJ Tucker clone with the right coaching philosophy, but we can't get everything we want. He showed glimpses of offensive goodness (not greatness) with his 7.3 points in varying amounts of playing time. His 2.9 rebounds per game were "good enough" for 4th on the team.
All I can really say about this season is that I'm very sad to see Martin Zeno leaving. He played his heart and soul out for 4 very good years, never complaining and always being ready to play. He is the kind of person that everyone should want on their team. I'm also hoping that, in true Texas Tech fashion, we can truly "wait for next year." We return 3.5 starters (I honestly don't even know who would qualify as starters on this club) and only lose 2.5 players (Rizvic still has half a year of eligibility, Longar.) Pat Knight has also gained commitments from 5 players, 2 in the JuCo ranks, who could contribute immediately or be the next Ricardo De Bem.
So, in closing; this year was subpar. We lost games we shouldn't have and won games we shouldn't have. We almost upset 3 top 10 teams, but could only muster out wins against 2 of them. We lost to 2 schools who are smaller than my high school class, and lost by the largest margin in Tech history, twice, within a week, sandwiched around a win against Texas. The best I can predict next year is that we will be a team that will either run you out of the building, or absolutely crash under the pressure of having to rebound and shoot. Regardless, we will still beat A&M in Lubbock. Wreck 'Em!
Incoming Recruits ... Plus One!
It was an entertaining season, to say the most. High expectations at first turned into a slow and steady downward spiral that was momentarily stopped with a win against high-ranked Texas, and ended again with a 2 game losing streak to finally put the Raiders down for the count.
We began the season with The General at the helm, doing his same old song and dance, and ended the year with a glimmer of hope that his son can emulate at least half of what Bobby was able to do in his career. Stumbles against Centenary and Sam Houston State stung the most, even more than the 44 and 58 point losses to Texas A&M and Kansas. At least Kansas and Texas A&M had the personnel and resume to hand over those types of defeats to the oft out-matched group from Lubbock.
The most pleasant surprises were the emergence of the whitest basketball shooter since Brandy Perryman lit up the Erwin Center. Yes, Alan Voskuil, the unsuspecting shooting guard who made quite a name for himself with his accurate shooting and Dawson's Creek-esque looks. Voskuil made good on exactly 50% of his 3-pointers (68-136, including today's game against OSU). Voskuil will have to be a focal point next year, as teams will probably que up on him to limit his production on wide open shots.
Another reason to not walk away with a frowny face is the play of a few newcomers. Freshmen John Roberson and Mike Singletary showed glimpses of All-Conference calibur play, while transfer Trevor Cook was a solid candidate for All-Lubbock. With Roberson taking control of the offense after a good season under his belt, there is hope. He showed great poise in the motion offense, hitting 40% from beyond the arc, and finishing 3rd on the team with 12.2 points per game.
Singletary looked like a third-world PJ Tucker. He could've been a PJ Tucker clone with the right coaching philosophy, but we can't get everything we want. He showed glimpses of offensive goodness (not greatness) with his 7.3 points in varying amounts of playing time. His 2.9 rebounds per game were "good enough" for 4th on the team.
All I can really say about this season is that I'm very sad to see Martin Zeno leaving. He played his heart and soul out for 4 very good years, never complaining and always being ready to play. He is the kind of person that everyone should want on their team. I'm also hoping that, in true Texas Tech fashion, we can truly "wait for next year." We return 3.5 starters (I honestly don't even know who would qualify as starters on this club) and only lose 2.5 players (Rizvic still has half a year of eligibility, Longar.) Pat Knight has also gained commitments from 5 players, 2 in the JuCo ranks, who could contribute immediately or be the next Ricardo De Bem.
So, in closing; this year was subpar. We lost games we shouldn't have and won games we shouldn't have. We almost upset 3 top 10 teams, but could only muster out wins against 2 of them. We lost to 2 schools who are smaller than my high school class, and lost by the largest margin in Tech history, twice, within a week, sandwiched around a win against Texas. The best I can predict next year is that we will be a team that will either run you out of the building, or absolutely crash under the pressure of having to rebound and shoot. Regardless, we will still beat A&M in Lubbock. Wreck 'Em!
Incoming Recruits ... Plus One!
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