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Monday, November 1, 2010

Black Out - Take 2



Well who would have thunk it? Certainly not me. With all the questions on defense it was hard to try and decide what the Utes would be this year. Has the question been answered? Well....kinda.
Utah was given the scheduling luxury of learning on the fly. A team that did not know how good they were or how good they could be were given a bone by the scheduling gods and here we are, 4 days before arguably the biggest game in school history, and we still are not quite sure. There have been the comparisons to the 2004 team. That only stacks up against a comparible schedule which you can't compare. Yes the Utes are scoring at an incredible pace but they have played the cupcakes early.
So how good are they? We will find out this Saturday. If the Utes can manage to win this game all bets are off on how far they can go. TCU is a gifted well balanced team with incredible speed in all phases of the game. They are also battle tested. They have experience at all the skill positions in BCS games and that experience is something that can't be overlooked. A Utah victory Saturday would absolutely answer any questions on the strength of this team and ultimately send the Utes to a huge BCS bowl game if not the NC game.
I can't think of anything that would be sweeter than playing Alabama for a National Championship. A Utah win this weekend could possibly set that up. Of course they would need some help from Oregon and Auburn. But with Auburn having to play Alabama it is quite possible that Auburn could go down and set up a number of scenarios, one of those would be a rematch of the 2008 Sugar Bowl. Do you think that Alabama could get up for that game? Oregon is not out of the woods but they don't have the daunting task of SEC games.
As I have said in the past, Utah can play and compete in any conference in the country, other than the SEC, but I also think that Utah can get up for one game, at the end of the year, to upset an SEC team.

So let's sit back and see what happens Saturday November 6th, 2010, only the biggest game in school history....seems we have had quite a few of those lately.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Respect Will Only Come Next Year....maybe














I watched the second installment of the BCS, (B drop the C S),show last night and could not be more irritated at the level of weak conference scrutiny the MWC still gets from the "Hosts" of the big ESPN show. Actually it would be quite comical if not for the outright despise the "Hosts" continue to show for non-AQ conferences. Craig James keeps putting up TCU and Boise State on his board and says he is still showing respect to them....but for what? They don't move up on the board and teams ranked behind them continue to leap frog according to his list. He does not even show Utah on his BCS top ten picks, along with Robert Johnson. Then the big drop....Kirk Herbstreet, the unabashed Ohio State homer, slams Craig for making up reasons to lift other teams over the non-AQ teams then minutes later admits he does not have an agenda for Boise State and really flat out "does not care about Boise State or what happens to them". There is the rub, you get some love then the truth comes out.
THESE GUYS DON'T CARE ABOUT THE NON AQ TEAMS!
They are just a story to grapple with and banter about but if they were in charge they would not be considered for any BCS games.

So what is to make of all of this? Not much. It is still the same old school, good old boys, TV money, rip off that it has been since the BCS was installed. But the hope is that when Utah joins the PAC-12 next year that, if they go undefeated or one loss, then the BCS will show them respect that they deserve.
Not so fast...did anybody see the way that Auburn jumped Oregon for the number one spot? Did you or anyone you know understand it?
Oregon has been dismantling teams all year. They have not scored under 43 points in any game and beat Tennessee, (an SEC team), Stanford, and Arizona State convincingly. They hung 60 on UCLA, the same UCLA that whipped up on Texas.
Auburn barely beat teams like Miss. State, Clemson (OT), and Kentucky. Yes they have beaten LSU, Arkansas, and South Carolina but here is what the BCS is saying, that those teams are better than Oregon's competition, visa vie the leap frog to number one. That, at it's core, is an assumption based on old school home cookin. Period! How do they know? The computers are supposed to give that stat a one twenty fifth score behind the human polls which have Oregon ranked higher.

So there you have it, don't count on Utah getting all of the love if they make this same run in the PAC-12. As long as the BCS is in charge, most schools east of Denver and south of Oklahoma will get the nod before the western teams will. Unless Utah turns into USC. The only problem with that is that Salt Lake is not L.A. and does not have the same TV market.   BOOM!! Now you know what drives the BCS.

That is your lesson for the day.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Sports Radio Callers....whaaaa?

Been listening to sports radio shows and have been amused by the calls about Utah and the jump to the Pac-10. How it will effect the team and future opponents. As the calls come in I hear that Utah is going to be more dominant with better recruits and more money to shore up the facilities that are far behind other PAC-10 schools. I hear that Utah will be creating a gap in strength among their current MWC brethren and specifically BYU. The move to drop Boise State is due to the already difficult schedule on the Utes plate after the jump.

But I think that the callers need to rethink the their reasoning.

If the callers really believe Utah is a top ten program then they are in the belief that Utah can play an SEC, Big 12, or PAC-10 schedule and fare the same as the 5-0 start contends. Yet they believe that Utah will get better after the move to the Pac-10. If the team is top ten now....how much better can they get? The callers theory is they can handle the best of the best right now. So if they are that good, why the need to move to another conference other than money?
Now I am being a bit condescending but the fact remains that Utah in it's current form could not contend week in and week out in the SEC. I think they could hold their own in any other conference in the country.
But now Utah is falling in line with the BCS powers they have been bashing for the past decade. Dropping Boise State only shows that Utah is going to do what all the other AQ teams do, schedule cupcakes because their schedule in the PAC-12 is going to be difficult enough without playing the Boise States of the future. And the callers on the radio show stating that they are top ten right now but after the conference jump they are going to make this huge progression is just silly, if they are now what the callers consider a top ten team.

Utah is a team that can play with anybody, but it has been the recruiting and coaching of those recruits that has turned Utah into the team that it is. Better talent could make them an even better team, but I kind of like the Utah team that coaches up talent rather than being considered great due to a bunch of 5 star divas that don't go all in.

Coach Whitt keep doing what you are doing...that philosophy is working just fine!

Monday, October 11, 2010

A Quiet 5-0 is Just Fine

To say that it was surprising what Utah did to Iowa State would be a huge understatement. Considering Utah spotted them 14 points and proceeded to dismantle them on offense was astonishing to put it mildly. I assumed a Big 12 team of any caliber would be able to put up a fight but Saturday night Utah seemed to have the better coaching, athletes, and attitude.
BIG 12? Really? How does this arrogant conference still manage to keep their nose in the air? Iowa State plays Oklahoma this week and if it is televised I suggest every Ute fan watch to see how the Sooners play against ISU. This should give you some gauge as to what kind of team Utah really has.

If the Sooners struggle but win by a ten points or less, Utah has a special team.

If they blow out ISU, you are still wondering how strong the Utah team is.

If the Sooners lose...Utah could run the table and have a shot at the national title game.

You may think that I am a homer and may be putting to much credence into the Utah win, but consider what Coach Whittingham has been saying since he took over as head coach, "You don't know what kind of team you have until six weeks into the season", well here we are going into week six and if Saturday night was any indication, Utah has a damn fine team.
Read what the ISU head coach thinks about Utah:
Cyclone Football: No.10 Utah Blasts Iowa State 68-27

The TCU game is building up to be a battle of unbeatens on November 6, and I would expect The College Game Day crew to be on hand if that is the case.

I have freed up some time to start blogging daily. After I started a new gig I was not sure how much time I would have to continue but I have settled in and want to get back at it.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Back to Work

My schedule just got extremely busy so I have not paid attention to this blog like I should have. I will try and keep posting everyday, but with my new schedule I may miss a day here or there. Please keep visiting and commenting.

By the way....the USA Today Coaches Poll came out today:
Utah tied for 24th with West Virginia
Boise State - 5th
TCU - 7th


Pitt, the Utes September 2nd opponent is ranked 15th. If the Utes pull off the upset, it would mean a huge jump in the polls. How cool is that!!! Talking about moving up in the polls in August!

No BYU....kind of surprising really.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Former Utes And Start of NFL Camps

The Utes begin camp Thursday and the only news lately is the fact Coach Whitt will not be talking about move to the PAC-10 for the remainder of this season. OK, fair enough. So we will have to wait for camp to begin analyzing happenings on the Utah front.

Things are different for former Utes playing in the NFL. Camps are in full swing so lets take a look at a few players and what the outlook is for their upcoming seasons.

Alex Smith
Having been through an astounding measure of up and downs, 2010 holds promise for the former #1 pick of the 49ers. No QB competition here, he is the starter and should have a solid grasp of the offense for the first time in his NFL career. He also has been handed the keys to an array of weapons at his disposal. WR Micahel Crabtree, TE Vernon Davis, and RB Frank Gore give Smith options he has not had in the past. They have upgraded on the offensive line with two first round draft picks at taclke and gaurd.
This is Smith's make or break season, and with all of the BS that he has dealt with, you would have to be a cold hearted goon not to be pulling for him. My guess, 3800 yards, 28 touchdowns, with 8 picks. That should hand the 49ers an NFC title, the first trip to the playoffs since 2002 and a Pro Bowl nod. Not too shabby.

Paul Kruger
Having limited playing time in his rookie season for the Ravens Kruger has bulked up to 273 lbs to try and match up better against bigger offensive lineman in the NFL. He plays behind perennial pro bowl DE Terrel Suggs so minutes are hard to come by. He also does not play on special teams, (my guess is Kruger has good burst of speed but not sustainable speed needed to run down the field on kick off or punt returns.)
Kruger gained the extra weight as requested by Ravens coaches hoping to get more plays and prove that he was worth a second round pick. Here is the outlook for him from a Baltimore football site. Good input.
#99 Paul Kruger

Eric Weddle
AJ Smith, GM for the Chargers, traded a bunch of draft picks to move up and get Weddle in the 2007 NFL draft. Although it is hard to determine whether or not San Diego feels the move paid off, it sure looks like he has a lock on the safety position for this season. Consistent seems to be the word coming out of San Diego when asked about Weddle. He is not flashy, but gets the job done. If he has a steady season I can see the Chargers trying to sign him to a new deal, (he is in the final year of a 4 year $4.165 million contract), even though some critics claim he has not played up to the price they paid to get him.

Koa Misi
From everything that I have read coming out of Dolphins camp, Koa Misi is the real deal and could be starting immediately, very rare for a rookie defensive lineman. Coaches are impressed with his work ethic and attitude. While playing for the Utes in his junior year, Misi seemed to be playing under the radar, but his senior season he showed strength and speed required at the next level. His commitment to hard work seems to be paying off and check out what some people are saying about him.
Koa Misi Report



To try and be fair and balanced to my BYU Cougar buddies here are a few news items. Jon Beck has been traded to the Redskins from the Ravens. That makes him the fourth QB on Washington's roster.
Dennis Pitta, after dropping a few passes in shells the first day of camp, has impressed since. Coaches are raving about his route running and great hands. OK enough of that.

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Coincidence.....I Think Not!

Terence Cody At Combine Weigh In.
Terence (Mount) Cody failed his conditioning test as a rookie for the Baltimore Ravens. Listed at 6'6" 350 lbs. it is understandable that he is not the most cut player on the team, but for a second round pick, you would think that he would put in the effort to be in better shape coming into camp.
Andre Smith 40 Yard Dash
What I find interesting is that Andre Smith OT for the Bengals had similar issues coming into camp his rookie year (2009), albeit later due to contract negotiations. Smith missed all but one week of camp and then hurt is foot the second day he was there and missed 10 games of the season. He also missed OTA's this spring with follow up surgery on his broken foot.
So there you have it, two huge men who have come from SEC powerhouse Alabama under Nick Saban falling on there face once they have signed their millionaire contracts. Smiths contract - $42 million with $21 million guaranteed. Cody's contract - $3.385 million with $1.5 million guaranteed. Now I don't know about you but if it was up to me, I think that I would do whatever I had to do to justify an NFL team investing that kind of cash on my ass. But that's just me.

The thing that I question is the character of these kids and how did they ever get through college? From what I have seen of them is they worked their butts off playing college football, signed their deals, and now they can sit back and do the bare minimum to make earn their money on the highest level letting owners, fans, and fellow players down in the process.
You are probably wondering why I would waste my time on such a topic......well..... it still stems from the 2008 Sugar Bowl and the cocky arrogance of Saban and Alabama players. Every time I get an opportunity to knock Saban or one of the Alabama players I take full advantage of it. Remember LB Antoine Caldwell telling Stevenson Sylvester that he was going to kill him? Check it out.
Caldwell threatening Utes after coin toss

Monday, July 26, 2010

2010 MWC Season Projections

Apologies, apologies, apologies. I have not posted a blog for about a week and for that I am sorry. The news during the middle of July is very slow, coming up with content has been rough. I decided quality vs. quantity. (If you consider any of my rambling posts anything close to quality is purely subjective).

MWC media days begin in Vegas Tuesday which starts off the 2010 college football season. This is great news because we will get the media pre-season poll for the MWC and thus opening up discussion and arguments as to whether or not your team deserves it's position in the rankings. Since this is Monday and the polls have not been released I will give you my projections for the conference title.
I am not going into detail on each team because I will be breaking down each game the Ute's play and will go more in depth on the teams at that time.


2010 Mountain West Football Projected Finish

1. TCU - The returning starters on a high scoring offense gives TCU the nod...but not by much

2. Utah - Anything could happen, but Utah would have to play a perfect game to slow down TCU even  with the game at home. There are to many questions on defense to stop the them let alone out score them.

3. Air Force - The Falcons have been trying to break into the big three for quite awhile. This is the year.

4. BYU - The offense will be a work in progress. I don't care how talented Heaps is as a freshman QB there  is still a huge learning curve from high school to college....sorry Coug fans...better luck in 2011.

5. Wyoming - Austyn Carta-Samuels is the real deal and with stability at QB, the offense could surprise a few teams.

6. Colorado State - Coach Fairchild's team is on a nine game losing streak.

7. San Diego State - Perennial under achievers. I don't understand it considering the fruitful recruiting grounds in So Cal. How long has QB Lindley been playing for the Aztecs???

8. UNLV - Sorry Rebels once again you just do not have the horses to compete.

9. New Mexico - Not sold on the coaching staff and that is a shame, I think New Mexico actually has some talented players. Too bad Elizabeth Lambert got booted off the girls soccer team, as mean as she is, she could probably start.
Elizabeth Lambert from New Mexico's women's
soccer team abusing a BYU player.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Pitt Panther Preview - First Game 2010 Season

Pitt shows up September 2, at Rice-Eccles in arguably one of the biggest games of the opening weekend of college football. As I checked in on message boards and media speculation on the game it is apparent that Pitt and their fans are nervous about the non-conference opener.

Pitt is starting a sophomore QB in Tino Sunseri. If you are not familiar with the name don't feel bad, he has never started a game and has seen only mop-up duty in 2009 piling up 114 total yards on 10 for 17 passing with two touchdowns. Head Coach Dave Wannstedt is giving Sunseri the nod over Pat Bostick who redshirted last year. Starting your first college game ever, on the road, across the country, should be enough to rattle the young QB into a few miscues. Advantage - Utes.

The offensive line for the Panthers is also in flux. With two returning tackles they should be consistent on the edge, but they do have questions at center, gaurd, and tight end. With the tendency for the Utes to blitz inexperienced O-lines, Sunseri may have to get used too a bunch of red in his grill. Unless Pitt can show that they can stop the pressure on the QB, or open some running lanes for a pair of talented backs, they could be in for a long day, which is what I predict. Advantage - Utes.

Pitt will lean heavily on breakout freshman Dion Lewis who accumulated 1,799 yards on 325 carries. That is a butt load of carries and I would be surprised to see Wannstedt expect that number of carries this season. Lewis is backed up by a very talented Ray Grahm, who many thought would transfer in and effort to be a premier back. But with the changes in the offensive line and tight end, the yards will be hard to come by with Utah's front, but the Utes have also had a hard time containing small versatile backs. With the questions at linebacker for Utah, this could cause some concern especially if they get into the secondary. Advantage - Even.

At 6' 5", 225 pound wide out Jonathan Baldwin is going to be a handful for any secondary, but he could be a nightmare for the unproven defensive secondary of the Utes. His sub 4.4 speed and 42" vertical leap could spell trouble for Utah's speedy but smaller corners and safeties. If the Pitt O-line can give Sunseri time to throw the ball, Baldwin could have a HUGE day. Advantage - Pitt.

For a defense that ranked 29th nationally in 2009, expectations are high for a stellar returning group. That being said, DE Jabaal Sheard was suspended indefinitely for an undisclosed incident last weekend and will likely miss at least the Utah game. His loss takes the teeth out of a Pitt defensive front that would have been considered one of the best in the nation. They are stll returning DE Greg Romeus, LB's Greg Williams and Max Gruder with Tristan Williams pressing for playing time, and should present Utah with a formidable challenge. But Utah's spread offense and the fact they are on the road will pose problems for the young defense. The secondary returns one starter in safety Dom DeCicco who was the teams second leading tackler last season. Look for Utah to expose that inexperience and the loss of Sheard. Advantage - Utes.

Special teams return place kicker Dan Hutchins who was 23 for 29 in '09. He also converted on 46 of 48 extra point attempts. Both kick and punt returners will be back this season. Hutchins kicked two game winning field goals last year against UConn in October and once again in the Meineke Car Care Bowl against North Carolina. With Utah returning both kickers and experience in the return game it is difficult to pick a favorite for special teams. With the game being played at Rice-Eccles and this being the first game of the year. I give Advantage - Utes for that reason alone.

It is tough to predict what kind of team you have early in the season. Kyle Whittingham had always stated that they should not even do a top 25 poll until the 5th or 6th game because nobody really knows what they have until about that time. These two teams match up pretty well against each other but as noted above Utah has the upper hand with stability at QB, RB, Offensive Line, and overall defense. Add home field and Utah wins it's season opener against the Pitt Panthers 27-10.


Pittsburg Panthers have not been to a BCS game since 2004. Remember that one?

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

How Far They Have Come

As we get prepared for the upcoming season, (August 5th fall practice begins), I have been searching the web for significant info on the Utes. Although there is quite a bit of information, nothing really jumps out at you. I did happen upon the release of season tickets for the 2010 campaign and was amazed that the system that the university set up to sell these tickets was overloaded and could not handle all of the requests.
To be fair the school did not inform the public that it was only releasing 1000 tickets and they probably should have, but I would rather look at this from a more positive view, which is the demand for these tickets.

In 2001 the average attendance for RES was 34,458. In 2009 the stadium averaged 45,155. Of course the spike in attendance coincided with the success of the team during the past decade but I wonder how many seats the Utes could sell. With the PAC-10 inclusion coming next year, I think that they could presumably sell into the 60 to 65,000 seat range without worry. I don't know that RES could handle that kind of addition but I would think that when the new stadium was built (1997-98), the architects had to consider potential expansion as a part of the design. Chris Hill Utah's AD is on record stating that potential expansion is coming but capacity, as far as I know, has not been announced.

Stadium capacity in the PAC-10 is quite varied. USC and UCLA have venues that handle 92,000 and 91,136 respectively. Cal, Arizona State, and Washington all boast over 70,000 with the smallest stadium being Washington State at 35,117. If Utah was to expand 65,000 we would be the fifth largest stadium in the PAC-10. Colorado's stadium holds 53,570.

I guess my point is that University of Utah football has come a long ways since 2000. The 2004 team seemed to be an anomaly. But the success that Coach Whit has brought to the table lifted the program to heights unimaginable just ten short years ago. With PAC-10 membership looming, success could be taken to another level completely.
Can you say National Championship! Not only is it conceivable......it is probable.

                                           Cummings Stadium 1884-1926


Ute Stadium 1927-1971
NO IMAGE COULD BE FOUND

Rice Stadium 1972-1997

Rice-Eccles Stadium 1998-Present

Monday, July 12, 2010

Desperate for Football - NFL Network

I spend x amount of time on the Internet searching for football news that may relate to the Utes or 49ers. My current schedule allows me plenty of time to go through the list of blogs and news articles that may offer up some information that I probably have to know about.
Unfortunately the news front is so quiet right now you may have one or two items to choose from on a 24 hour need to know basis and most of the stuff is referencing old news.

I needed something, anything. Well I found it, and believe it or not it did have something to do with the Utes in a very round about way. I will explain later on in this blog.

I turned to the NFL Network. Usually they are replaying 2009 games, top ten lists, old Superbowl's, and NFL follies, things that don't really offer anything up to fill the void left by 30 days of nothingness in July. They had been running a show called Hard Knocks, I thought it was a fictional account of the NFL along the lines of the one they did on ESPN, at least that was my thought when I clicked through the guide.
I hit the enter key on my remote to watch and was pleasantly surprised. The show actually is the real story behind various 2009 teams during training camp. This particular series of episodes, (I think there were four of them), showcased the Cincinnati Bengals from the start of the rookies first speech from head coach Marvin Lewis to the the last cuts to the 53 man roster.
I watched every episode last night. I could not turn it off. If you ever want a reality show that does not pull any punches I strongly suggest you tune in. The punishment and stress put on these players is amazing. The coaches are relentless in their pursuit of the best players and they take no prisoners. You find yourself getting caught up in the emotions of the players, coaches, and members of the organization that surprised even myself. Never....EVER..... did I think that I would watch anything to do with the Cincinnati Bengals but I was consumed with everything.

Now what it had to do with the Utes.
During the 2009 Sugar Bowl you will remember a certain offensive lineman from Alabama that was suspended from the game because he had improper contact with an agent. That's right, the Bengals drafted 6' 4" 330 pound Andre Smith, the same Smith suspended by Nick Saban in the Sugar Bowl against Utah. At the time I wondered how a player with one game remaining could do something so stupid but after watching the happenings in Bengals training camp, and their efforts to sign Smith, it was very apparent why he did it. Greedy agent and self serving stupid individual.

I don't know why Smith was in such a hurry to find an agent because unlike the other rookies who signed their contracts Smith held out until the final five days of training camp, and his agent was a jackass. During the last episode you will find out what the wait cost Smith and the Bengals.


This is great stuff and if you have had enough of the Lebron crap, the never ending MLB season, and The World Cup, click on and tune in to the NFL Networks Hard Knocks series. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Former Ute - Alex Smith

I wanted to try and clear some things up about Smith, his college career and his up and down NFL career. I read Block U today about the writers favorite Ute. I enjoy his blog and he is one of the reasons I started one of my own, but I disagree with his thoughts on Brian Johnson being the better Ute than Alex.

Smith is 21-1 while starting for Utah, was fourth in Heisman voting and  busted the BCS for the first time since it's inception, winning that Fiesta game against an underwhelming Pitt team. The 2004 version of the Utah Utes as far as I am concerned was the best team ever produced, (there may be some old timers that would probably disagree but for arguments sake lets consider the last thirty years). Teams that year included, Texas A&M 41-21, Arizona 23-6, North Carolina 46-16, BYU 52-21, and Pitt Panthers in the Fiesta Bowl 35-7. The 2008 version won four games (Michigan, TCU, Air Force, and Oregon State), by 11 points combined. No team from 2004 got
within 11 points of the Utes.
Back to Smith. His grasp of the offense during that 2004 season was impressive to say the least, that being said it gives you some perspective of what happened to him in the NFL.

2005- Smith was drafted by the 49ers #1 overall and was expected to lead them back to the promised land. The only problem with that scenario is the 49er team Smith inherited was terrible. They had a new head coach that was tasked to turn the team around. The problem was the entire team had to be rebuilt. There was no quick fix after being saddled with salary cap hell by the previous management.
As expected, he started nine games his rookie season struggling with one touchdown vs. eleven int's.

2006 - Offensive coordinator Mike McCarthy fled to Green Bay the next season and Alex was forced to learn a new system under Norv Turner. Smith progressed nicely under Turner and had a respectful 2006 campaign starting all 16 games, (the only 49er QB in team history to have done that), and it was generally felt that Smith has taken the next step. Then Turner left for the head coaching gig in San Diego and boom, a third offense to learn in as many years.

2007 - Jim Hostler, the QB coach in 2006, was named OC. He had never been a OC before and was given the chore of running a pro football teams offense for the first time ever, the disaster that followed was epic, and with Smith trying to lead the team with a patchwork offensive line ended up costing him his season. On Sept. 20 in a game against the Seahawks d-lineman Rocky Bernard slammed his 320+ pounds on top of Smith driving his throwing shoulder into the turf causing a grade three separation effectively ending his season. Although Smith tried to endure without surgery and actually played through the injury in a few games, it was apparent to everyone, (except his head coach), that Smith was injured badly and should not be playing. 2007 Season done, Smith was placed on IR and had surgery on the injured shoulder.
2008 - Same old story same old song and dance, the 49ers fire Hostler and replaced him with Mike Martz. Martz was the OC of the "Greatest Show on Turf" of the Rams during their Super bowl season. He was fired by the Detroit Lions after failing to improve the lowly Lions offense.
Nolan and Matrz started a QB competition circus with JT OSullivan, Shaun Hill, and Smith battling for the starting nod. OSullivan was from Martz days with the Lions and knew Martz system, Smith and Hill were at a distinct disadvantage. It was apparent that something was still effecting Smiths throwing and he was spurned for OSullivan as the starter, on September 10th Smith was placed on IR for a broken bone caused by the initial surgery. 2008 done.

2009 - To stay with the team and not have the label of "bust" attached to him forever in San Francisco, Smith restructured his contract from 24 million the remaining two years to 8 million for the same duration. Essentially being paid backup money to try and redeem himself to the organization and fans alike.
He was starting the season under a new OC. That is five offensive coordinators in five years.

Once again Smith faced the indignity of not being named the starter. The only bright spot is that Mike Nolan was fired as head coach and Mike Singletary was hired as the full time coach for the upcoming season. Singletary had witnessed all of the crap that Smith had gone through because he had been an assistant with the 49ers starting the year Smith was drafted.
Smith was a good soldier and waited for his opportunity which came in week 7 when Shaun Hill was ineffective and saddled with a 21-0 halftime deficit, Smith replaced Hill and threw for three touchdowns almost bringing the 49ers back for a win over the Houston Texans.
Smith was named the starter for the remainder of the season and finished with respectable numbers yet failing to get the team to the playoffs.

2010- Smith is the starter going into training camp July 30th. He has the same offensive coordinator for the first time since college. In contrast Peyton Manning has had the same OC his entire NFL career. Smith has had to deal with a team with NO talent around him, five OC's, an injury, a coach who messed with his head and undermined him behind his back, and a fan base in SF that remembers the Montana and Young days and has a short fuse when it comes to Smith.

I know of no other NFL QB that has had to go through the indignities that Smith has dealt with. From not being named starter to restructuring his contract the ego deflating laundry list goes on and on yet Smith perseveres.

Not only are the San Francisco 49ers my favorite NFL team, but Alex Smith is my favorite Ute and player in the NFL. Brian Johnson gave us thrilling games but Johnson's story is over as far as his playing days. Smiths story has just begun.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Just A Thought On My Favorite Sports Movies

After talking with some friends about sports movies and their likes and dislikes I was surprised to find out that they did not have a favorite. What was even more surprising was they have not seen quite a few of the more popular or off beat movies which have been on my list of favorites for a long time.

So I decided to list my top ten sports movies of all time. My list will generally lean towards fictional stories because I want to have fun watching a movie or be moved in one way or another. Dark depressing movies bring me down and I would rather not watch those types of shows.
So here is my list starting with number one with a few thoughts of why I enjoyed them. Feel free to comment on your favorites if they did not make my list.

1. Tin Cup

Hands down a kick in the ass fun ride from start to finish. Whoever cast this movie hit the nail on the head. The story line is so off the beaten path that it surprises you as the story progresses. I have no other show that I reference quotes in my day to day happenings as this movie. If you have not seen this movie I say run, don't walk, to your nearest Blockbuster. "Greatness courts failure Romeo" - Roy McAvoy


2. Bull Durham

It is no surprise that Kevin Costner is in three of my top ten sports movies but the actor is not the reason I love these shows. I think he saw great scripts and seem to fit the part perfectly. Bull Durham like Tin Cup is one of the many shows that I will come across while clicking through channels and even if the show is partially over, I will watch to the end again.



3. Hoosiers

This one speaks for itself. Everyone loves an underdog and this is the ultimate underdog story, in my humble opinion.




4. Invincible

I had no idea what this movie was about at the time I watched it. I happened upon it while channel surfing and did not even know that it was a true story. The cast was spot on and the music came from my high school era. Another underdog movie but the fact it was true made it even better.


5. A League of Their Own

Tom Hanks. What a great story but even better than the story was Hanks acting. They keep saying that he is the Jimmy Stewart of our time and I could not agree more. If you don't have this movie in your top ten you may need to watch it again to appreciate the job Hanks did.
Rosie Odonell makes perfect sense now that we know which gender she prefers. Watch her and it answers a lot of questions.



6. Remember The Titans

Great movie, wonderful story. The racial stuff was a bit overblown but understandable considering the story line. Still a feel good movie.







7.  Field of Dreams

Would have been higher but Costners wife in the movie irritated the hell out of me. But all the same a great movie. More about the relationship between father and son than baseball but was brought together in a very unique way.
James Earl Jones is fantastic along with Burt Lancaster.

8. The Longest Yard

The original was very well done. Out of all of the Burt Reynolds movies this has to be considered one of his best. The casting once again was wonderful. The start of the movie has Reynolds taking off in his girlfriends Jag to the music of Lynyrd Skynyrd set the tone for the show and did not let up until the end. Very good fun stuff!


9. Cinderella Man

This sometimes moody boxing movie keeps giving. It's rags to riches to rags story is so well told and Russel Crowe is great. This one is a must see.
This is the only boxing movie in my top ten, (or even top fifty), because the Rocky movies were shallow, it was amazing they made five sequels. Raging Bull was way to depressing for me to enjoy.

10. Talledega Nights - The Legend of Ricky Bobby

Ok this is my guilty pleasure pick. If you can't escape your worries for a few hours watching this show there is something wrong with you, (my wife hates
Will Ferrel and won't watch this with me...hmmmm).
If you want to laugh your ass off you have to watch the extra features on the DVD. The outtakes are some of the funniest you will ever see.
Turn off your brain and enjoy this one!

That's the list, let me know your favorites in the comments section at the end of this blog.
Others receiving consideration would be Caddy Shack, The Natural, Friday Night Lights, We Are Marshall, Slap Shot, and Brian's Song. I have not seen Pride of the Yankees so I could not list it.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Day Before NBA Free Agency

College football news is pretty slow today so I am going to vent a little bit on the subject of Lebron James.


OMG how much coverage does this really need???!!!
If Lebrons head was not big enough, his ego must be off the charts now. Every sports pundit from all types of media outlets are driving me cRAZY with all of the Lebron speculation. He has to be sitting back with his peeps, entourage, friends and family laughing his ass off. I am sure he has made his decision by now but can sit back and watch all of the foolishness going on with the teams that are courting him. Hell even Obama and Oprah are making a pitch for him in Chicago, (that did not work out too well for the Olympics), Spike Lee, Trump, Chris Rock for the Knicks are you kidding me.
I don't recall anything like this for any player in any sport. And all of this for a guy who has not played in an NBA finals.
Now they tell you that if Lebron, Bosh, and Wade, end up playing together that will make them a title contender, I think not. It is still a team game and there is only one ball, (see Iverson and Carmelo), any team that considers Lebron should grab one other player that is thought to be a star, three won't work. The Lakers gave it a try with Gary Peyton and Karl Malone to play with Shaq and Kobe and that did not work out. The Celtics have Garnett, Peirce, and Allen, but Allen is not a superstar and Rondo showed flashes of brilliance but also a lack of an outside shot. Yet still they have won a championship and been back to the finals in the last three years by playing unselfish team basketball. that's how it is done.

The love fest for Lebron is understandable but one man does not guarantee you a championship and three or four superstars will not do it either, just ask Mike Brown the former coach of the Cavs. I don't hate Lebron, I think he is a hell of a talent and may end up being one of the top five players to ever play the game, but being a great player will only get you so far no matter how much talcum powder he throws in the air. The way he tore off his Cavs jersy after losing in the playoffs this year gave you a look at the real Lebron, a spoiled athlete pouting because he did not get his way.

I'll take a great team over a great player every day.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Sports Junkies And My Addictions

Summer.
This is a difficult time of the year for me because I can't get the sports fix I need. Sure major league baseball is in the middle of their endless summer run but since we don't have a major league team here in Utah I don't have the passion for a team like I do for the Jazz or Utes. Now don't get me wrong I still have a plethora of choices for my addictions, it's just not the same as from August training camp to NBA springtime playoffs.
I will have to admit the following:

Yes I did watch the USA soccer team in the World Cup. You knew immediately what was on, the steady hum or buzz or whatever sound those annoying uvuzelas make gave notice that you were watching something completely different. It was very difficult to stay focused on the match and I found myself clicking back and forth between the US Open at Pebble, or later, the College World Series featuring a TCU team that was enjoying a dream season. The channel stayed on the latter two mostly but I still managed to keep track of the soccer during commercials and what they call extra time, (I call nut cuttin time), for the US team.
USA lost to Ghana and is out, TCU lost to UCLA in a blow out to get to the finals of the CWS, and a Northern Irishman won the US Open. Not exactly thrilling stuff but something to feed the addiction.




There were a few significant events splashed in the middle of the last few weeks. Utah being invited and excepting to become a member of the PAC-10 and the NBA draft. Both of these have enormous implications and helped ease the pain of being in between seasons. (I love the Hayward pick for the Jazz).

My most guilty pleasure, which will be kept just between us, is NASCAR. I have a driver that I follow and a weekly wager that keeps my attention to the circuit. I don't understand why I watch it but believe it or not I am hooked, I actually enjoy it. I don't know what that says about me but I do know that ESPN  reports on it, has a half hour show dedicated to it, and broadcasts a large portion of the years races.
So shut up!

I have other friends who seem to have the same addictions as myself. The last twenty or so years we gathered at the local pub, watched and wagered on all types of sporting events, even to the point we would bet on who would win the girls pool tournament happening right at the bar. What fun was had by all.
As addicts we keep our spirits up by having bragging rights to rivals.  Some are life long fans and others are homers. The true lifelong fan has little use for the homers as they claim bragging rights to whatever team is playing well at the time. These people are very easy to spot because they have NO knowledge of their teams history, players, coaches, and usually the dedicated lifers know more about the homers supposed teams than they do.

So to my fellow addicts and sports sufferers keep your chin up, step off the ledge, NFL and college camps begin in five weeks and I will keep you posted on the happenings. In the meantime try a shot of Nascar, watch the MLB All Star game, knock down a few golf tournaments, keep an eye on the box scores so when September and October roll around baseball games will become interesting again.

Thursday, June 24, 2010

PAC-10 Teams Getting Familiar With New Members

As with any new neighbors you want to see what they are all about. But when the new neighbors are the ones that have been bullying your kids for the past decade, your welcome may not be as cordial as one might expect. The Utes are moving and PAC-10 schools are taking notice, not that they are not aware of what Utah has accomplished over the past ten years, they just were not planning on having the team bus pulling onto their driveway, kicking their dog, flirting with their wife, and then taking their ball.
It makes it even worse that eventually they have to come over to Utah's house for a Saturday brunch that may or may not taste very well.
Utah is excited about the move.....the existing neighbors...not so much.
Now if they were splitting their subdivision with Texas and five other teams from the Big 12, they would have embraced the move, their value would have increased and they would have had bragging rights with the big boys of the SEC for having the biggest, um...conference, and TV revenue. But the potential PAC-16 bonanza was shot down when Texas got it's way and made more money staying put and pushing it's own neighbors around for the next however many years.

But to be sure the PAC-10 will put on a smiling face, but will always wonder why they had to have Utah move in, especially when they know for a fact that Utah's dog bites.

Check this out:
10 Things
Cal Bears thoughts

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Conference Move Paying Off

Utah recruiting seems to be on cruise control. The Utes picked up two more commitments for 2011.http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700042457/Utah-Utes-football-gets-commitment-from-2-more-players.html This may seem like normal news as the Utes usually land a few players in the summer, but the timing shows that great recruiting and the opportunity to play in a BCS conference was enough to sway players that may have otherwise gone elsewhere. This can't be overstated as Utah faces stiffer competition after this season in the PAC-10 (12). http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/andy_staples/06/18/utah-pac-10/

So far I have not seen any venom laced rants from MWC or PAC-10 sites about the Utes move or potential success in their new conference. But I did read a Cal blog that hooked up with JazzyUte from the Block U and they seemed very gracious and inquisitive. http://www.californiagoldenblogs.com/2010/6/23/1527789/q+a-with-new-pac12-sbn-site-blocku

Check these links out, all are good reads and gets me jacked up for the upcoming season.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Interesting Offseason To Say The Least

The announcement came and went and Utah fans had their moment to gloat, brag, and be their arrogant selves. This description includes myself. I have relatives and friends that are BYU fans and I was unforgiving in my "we are better than you" reveling. But a funny thing happened as I was tossing digs at every turn, the majority of BYU fans want to continue the rivalry. I don't get it.
If the position were reversed and BYU had joined an AQ conference I would not want anything to do with them. As far as I am concerned, that team jumped for the money, (which I don't blame them), but I would leave them for another quality AQ team and go about my business playing for a great season and potential BCS game.

Scheduling BYU does nothing for Utah other than continue the rivalry. The only team to benefit from the match up is BYU. Playing now a BCS opponent with a huge chip on their shoulder, feeling slighted they were not invited to an AQ conference, the Holy War sideshow, and an opportunity to show that they were the deserving team and not Utah.
Utah receives nothing in return. Tradition must go out the window here. I can't think of any reason to play BYU now. If you think that now we are a PAC-10 school automatically gives us a victory over MWC teams, you need to put the crack pipe down and step away from the table. BYU is going to do everything they can to ruin the Utes season, but this would happen in September, and that should be unacceptable. BYU feels like they have been disrespected and if you don't think that makes them a dangerous team feel free to ask Alabama about it.

Utah thought about themselves when they made the jump to the PAC-10, they need to continue to do so in scheduling teams that can't hurt them for reasons other than play on the field.

I told you that I was going to update you on my progress golfing. I played last Friday at Gladstan Golf Course in Payson, Utah. It was very disappointing and I shot a 101, +29. That sucked but I did strike the ball better. I played Sunday at Wasatch Mountain State Park Golf Course, (my favorite), and shot a 90, +18. Much better and I forgot to change something with my driver until the back nine which really pleased me. Back to the driving range to continue to improve.