WHAT WEEK WILL THE TOP 25 RANKINGS BECOME LEGIT?

I am trying to figure out at what week the Top 25 becomes a measuring stick to know how good a team is and if a game is really an upset, because so far, the rankings appear to be a madman's compilation of his favorite mascots instead of a legitimate collection of the best teams in the country.

How was UCLA ever in the Top 25 and how are they still the in the top 2 "others receiving votes" category? The Bruins have played one game, on national TV (mind you no other games were even on, so the audience had to be huge), at home, and they won in overtime. Sure they played a big time SEC program in Tennessee who was ranked #18 entering the game, but I think every person who saw that game quickly realized that a Top 20 spot for the Volunteers was as ludicrous as Venus William's hair at the U.S. Open Finals last week. The Bruins had 4 first half interceptions, horrendous QB play (mainly in the 1st half), 29 total rushing yards and Tennessee still couldn't win. I don't think that Rocky Mountain choking means UCLA is for real. Lets wait a few more weeks, because despite the fact that on paper they are playing another Top 20 team this week, I don't how legitimate the Cougars are yet.


Using that transition, how is a mid-major team like BYU Top 20 2 weeks into the season with the wins they have thus far? Sure BYU has a gunner behind center in Max Hall and a beast running back who probably should be playing linebacker, but the Cougars have beaten Northern Iowa (I don't even know their mascot and it takes more than three computer clicks to figure it out). Couple that with last week, where with the help of the zebras, the Cougars eked out a win against a bottom tier Pac-10 team. In my book, that doesn't make you the #18 (or #15 depending on the poll) team in the country.

Not to toot the horn of the train I ride, but the Cal Golden Bears beat a mid to top level major conference team (Michigan State) and went on the rode a destroyed a poor Pac-10 team. That resume alone (lined up simply against the Cougar's list of wins) should mean that Cal is a lock in the Top 25 poll, however, they just crawled in last week and currently are sitting on the doorstep of not being ranked (#23 and #25).

The rankings this year are more premature than in recent years. Obviously this weekend will tell us a lot, but I am not even certain the Buckeyes are a Top 10 tam, let alone a Top 5. Their resume looks like a joke...beating Youngstown state (once again, what is their mascot and by the way, their is no State named Youngstown, so a name change might be in order) and barley sneaking out of the horseshoe with a win over the mid-major Ohio Bobcats. That's about as impressive as Tyson Gay's performance in Beijing.

So lets erase the Top 25 rankings for another week or two and then begin to build them from scratch, based on THIS SEASONS performances and resumes.

RICH RODRIGUEZ DOESN'T FALL FOR THE GAMES THAT GREG SCHIANO DOES

Greg Schiano, the head football coach at Rutgers, has had two years of Cinderella runs where his program has burst onto the national scene after being an NCAA Division 1 doormat for most of the last few decades.

Well, those jobs that Schiano has passed up over the last 2 years at his alma mater, Miami, at Michigan and at other big name programs seems to be a horrible decision. I know Rutgers had something good, but it now appears it wasn't so much the program that was doing well, but a player (Ray Rice)...and now that Rice is making the gouda (E-40 word of the week) in the NFL, Rutgers has face-planted.

The Scarlett Knights are 0-2 after losing two home games to a smaller conference team (Fresno State) and a weak team from a very weak conference (UNC). Not the start that an up and coming program needs. I know Rich Rodriguez got alot of flack for packing his U-haul and heading up to Ann Arbor, but maybe he saw what Schiano didn't. That West Virginia and Rutgers are two teams that had a short BCS runs, but in the end the program itself hasn't changed. Instead, it was just a result of a few years with some great players (Steve Slaton, the old Pat White, Ray Rice) in the weakest conference (Big East).

College Football Always Draws Me Back

Its been awhile, but the blogging has returned partly because the college football season has started, but also because the weather is turning and so there are more hours to pound away at the computer.

Here is the plan (things don't always go according to plan)!

I will make posts about the sports world when there is something that interests me and I feel it may be fun to write about, but in addition, I will make a weekly College Football Review where I discuss different things going on around the NCAA, certain teams progress, amazing individual performances, etc.

Maybe I will even take the time to sit down and go over my version of the Top 25...but there are no guarantees.

Minor Leaguers Outdue the WNBA

For the 2nd time in 3 days, a major brawl broke out in a sporting event. Tuesday it was the Sparks and Shock (which lead to 11 suspensions), but Thursday night the Peoria Cubs and Dayton Reds broke into a brawl that was brutal. First the managers went at it, then, seemingly out of nowhere, Peoria pitcher Jose Castillo comes flying in and throws a "fast ball" at a fan in the crowd. The fan was taken to the hospital with no serious injury, but Castillo was arrested and charged with felonious assault. He has a court date today.

Passing of the Torch

When you read the headline above, you probably thought this column would be about Favre-Rodgers, or Bowden-Fisher, or Palmer-Leinart-Booty-Sanchez, or even Bush-Obama/McCain. But, there has been a much more important torch passing taking place over the past few years...Mr. Woo-John Farnworth.

Mr. Who??? Legally known as Hee Young Woo, Mr. Woo has been considered the "Greatest Football Entertainer in the World." Once a South Korean soccer player, Woo specializes in ball tricks and was an ambassador for the 2002 World Cup which was held in his native country, South Korean. Woo has performed for Pele's 50th birthday and impressed Ronaldinho so much during a Nike shoot that the Brazilian superstar asked the Korean entertainer for an autograph.

But Mr. Woo is aging and so his successor appears to be the Brit, John Farnworth. Farnworth trained under Mr. Woo a few years back and in December 2006, Farnworth beat his mentor, Mr. Woo at the "Masters of the Game" tournament. Check out videos of both the guys below. Their craft is one of the most amazing specialized skills I have ever seen.


Mr. Woo


John Farnworth (in the red)

Emotions Erupt in the Palace....Again.

For the second time in less than four years, a major brawl has broken out in the Palace of Auburn Hills, this time in a WNBA game (who knew people took the WNBA this seriously?). Last night, the L.A. Sparks visited the Detroit Shock. After a hard foul down on the other side of the court, Plenette Pierson of the Shock decides to get physical with the face of women's basketball, Candace Parker. Fortunately for us, Parker is a not a pushover, thus she retaliated and the catfight began.

Two things to note in this fight.
1) a few seconds into this melee, the Shocks best player, Cheryl Ford (the daughter of Karl Malone) fell to the floor and grabbed her knee in pain while trying to hold back a teammate from fighting. Real good move...you will probably lose your best player for awhile because she was one of the few players who tried to hold back her teammates.
2) After Shock Assistant coach Rick Mahorn tried to pull Lisa Lesile away from the fight, he accidentally knocked her down causing Sparks guard Delisha Milton-Jones to push him from behind and throw a punch at his head. Luckily for Mahorn, Milton-Jones is about as accurate as Shaq when he went after Brad Miller.



Obviously this fight will make headlines because it was outside of baseball and involved a large number of players. But don't think this is "the Malice at the Palace" part two, because it didn't even compare to the insanity that ensued November 19, 2004 when the Pacers, Pistons and FANS got involved in a brutal beatdown.

A First On The Race Track

Earlier this week in a practice session for the IRL race in Ohio, Danica Patrick got a little ticked off when fellow female driver Milka Duno because she was driving too slow and wouldn't let her pass. Patrick had good reason to get steamed, but to go confront Duno immedetley afterwards is a little too much drama for most IRL drivers.

At least Patrick is consistent...this is the most camera time she ever gets onthe track after the race since she has never been in the winner's circle. On a side note, notice all the men standing around not really stepping in to settle things down...interesting!!! Could they be hoping for more?