These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things

Guys I'm feeling a bit better since the Jazz manhandled the Spurs the other day. I'm not satisfied by any means, but like Deron, my mood is a little lighter and I feel like singing. Since I'm not a song writer I just took another song and bent it to my jolly will. If you don't know already these new and improved lyrics go to the song "Favorite Things" from the musical the Sound of Music.

Trey balls by Memo and sick D-Will handles
His floater, his dishes, CP3 can’t hold a candle
AK’s bad hairdos and the F bombs Sloan sings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the refs suck
When the Lakers win
When I’m effing mad
I think of a few of my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

Dwight Freeney’s spin move and Bob Sanders’ blitzes
Hit Brady so hard, give him 48 stitches
Peyton to Reggie, another victory it brings
These are a few of my favorite things

When the refs blow
When the Pats win
When I’m effing mad
I think of a few of my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad

Sporting my jersey, the game on the tube
Cheerleaders in short shorts and shaking their…pom poms
The Jazz, Colts and Cougars all play my heartstrings
These are a few of my favorite things

When seasons over
When the game ends
When I’m feeling sad
I think of a few of my favorite things
And then I don’t feel so bad.

Pre-Weekend Thoughts

I must say that in week two of the blog I am impressed with the contributions from everyone! We have had some good stuff put up as posts and some good comments as well. Thanks to everyone that is making this thing fun. With that said lets keep on making it better, comment all you want and let us know when you have any ideas to make it better.

Ok so here are my random thoughts as we head into this weekend:

College Football:

Not a huge weekend for the national college scene this weekend, hence ESPN's College Gameday is going to the Air Force/Army game ("WTF" Why The Face?), but at least BYU hits the field again tomorrow. The Cougars undoubtedly will beat the Cowboys of Wyoming, but I have a bigger issue on my mind currently. The issue is Bronco Mendenhall's coaching philosophy. After seeing BYU completely unprepared to take on TCU two weeks ago Bronco has undoubtedly faced a ton of questions, and justifiably so. I am beginning to understand more and more that BYU is as good as they will ever be. Local pundits/former Cougar players, Hans Olsen and Ben Criddle are extremely critical of Bronco for various reasons. I wont delve into those reasons here but for those of you are interested in hearing a mind boggling interview with Bronco here is the latest one:

(http://1280thezone.com/images/uploads/audio/11-5-09-bronco.mp3)
The only thing I will say about this is that as someone who has played athletics at a very competitive level I am blown away by Bronco's insistence that motivation plays no part in the outcome of these games. Motivation and emotion play a huge part in any competitive sport, anyone who doesn't see that is crazy.

NBA:

The NBA is in full swing and I couldn't be more grateful, however the Jazz look like their "Jekyll and Hyde"-selves which is not good. I don't know how the same group of players can go from getting manhandled at home by a less talented Houston Rockets team and blowing a 16 point lead in the 4th quarter at Dallas to absolutely running a very good San Antonio Spurs team off the court. It makes no sense! They lack consistent effort from their most of their main contributors and the role players are role players for a reason. It's a good thing I don't have time to sit and watch every second of every game because I would be out of hair by now if I did. If this continues I suggest that the Jazz have a fire sale, ship Boozer to whoever will take him, trade Okur or Millsap if you can, dump Ronnie Brewer, do whatever you need to do to overhaul this team. Once that happens the Jazz would surely be a lottery team, giving them 2 picks in the top 14 of the draft (the Jazz get the Knicks pick as well). There is a lot of talent in the upcoming draft, and coincidentally a lot of big men with great potential. I know a lot of Jazz fans will say "What a fair weather fan!!" But hear me out on this. The Jazz are not going to win a championship as constituted, that is clear. You can not do the same thing as you have always done and expect different results, if you do then you are insane. So start the overhaul now while Deron is still in the early part of his contract. That is our best chance at good things in the long run.

For now, that is the view from the upper bowl .

The Quest for the Oquirrh Bucket

By: Matt Chadwick

For those who might not be familiar with the Oquirrh Bucket, every year since 1974 the trophy has been awarded to the in-state college team (BYU, Utah, Utah State, Weber State, Southern Utah, and UVU) which has the best win-loss record against in-state competition. Last years winner? Utah State (which seemed to have showed in the NCAA Tournament). With a fresh college basketball season just around the corner, the question on everyone's mind is: Who will take home the Bucket this year?

BYU:
Having received a preseason rank of 40 in the Associated Press Poll and 39 in the Coaches Poll - not to mention heavy Mountain West Conference favorite picked to finish first with a decisive vote; it would appear that BYU looks to have another solid team again this year. With Lee Cummard out of the picture, can Jimmer Fredette and Jonathan Tavarnari carry the team by themselves? Possibly, but not likely. Look for Junior guard Jackson Emery and Senior center/forward Chris Miles to step up there game this season. Logan Magnusson may also prove to be a nice addition to the team. The Y has a large gap to fill, but is a strong contender for the Bucket this season.

University of Utah:
The U had a decent team last year - despite a generous seed in the Tournament and embarrassing loss to Arizona. How will they hold up this season without big-man Luke Neville at center and forward Shaun Green? It's hard to say. Luka Drca will need to step up his game and play every game like last seasons 94-88 OT win against BYU, where he scored 18 points. Also, look for good things out of Junior College transfer Jay Watkins, who may or may not have something positive to add to the team. Only time will tell if Utah has what it takes to contend this year.

Utah State:
Returning from a 30 and 5 season, some people may have doubts about how well Utah State will actually be this season. The returning WAC champions are favored to finish first in their conference (just over Nevada), despite the loss of last season's WAC Player of the Year Gary Wilkinson. With returning starters Jared Quayle, Tyler Newbold, and Tai Wesley, the team hasn't been left in complete shambles. Expect big things from SLCC transfer Nate Bendall and possibly Freshman guard Preston Medlin. Utah State looked pretty solid in their first exhibition game of the season, and looks to have what it takes to hold on to the Oquirrh Bucket this season.

Weber State:
The Wildcats look to return four starters this year including Sophomore Damian Lillard who shot 8-8 from the field and 6-6 from behind the three point line to lead his team to a 110-58 victory in Weber State's first exhibition game. Senior center Steve Panos should also have a lot to offer the team this year. Weber State fans have something to hope for this season, as they were picked to finish first in their conference. Expect them to be a formidable opponent this year and solid contender for that Bucket.

UVU:
No Ryan Toolsen + One in-state scheduled game = No Qquirrh Bucket and One miserable season. Sorry UVU fans. Maybe next year.

Southern Utah:
With only two in-state opponents on the schedule this year, Southern Utah may find it nearly impossible to take home the award this year.

Look for the BYU/Utah State game to be the deciding factor this year. It should be a good one!

A haiku

Why do the Jazz blow?

Boozer is a filthy douche,

tears flow from my eyes

Glutton For Punishment:

What makes a sports fan follow a team even though they know full well they will be let down most or all of the time? Unless you are a fair-weathered fan that jumps ship to the Yankees, Red Sox, Patriots, Cowboys, Lakers, and Celtics after they win a championship, then you know exactly what I mean.

Fan is short for fanatic, which by definition means: a person with an extreme and uncritical enthusiasm or zeal. So when my Seahawks, Indians, and Jazz start every new season, I have an uncritical enthusiasm for them, hoping that this year will be the year. The year that they will go all the way in their respected sport. I am 28 years old and I have not seen a championship in any sport from any of the teams I follow. Never. Not a single one. The Utah Jazz and Seattle Seahawks don’t have a single championship between the two of them. They have both been right there, but failed to win the big one. And the Cleveland Indians have not won a championship since 1948.

So why do I continue to follow these teams? Secretly, I guess I like punishment. I like to be let down. I enjoy getting pumped only to realize that my hopes and dreams will be shattered like a bat trying to hit a 98 mph fastball high and tight. Each year of every season always starts the same. I follow the team’s off-season moves and convince myself that they made the move that will put them over the top. T.J. Houshmandzadeh….. Championship! Carlos Boozer opts in, and Paul Millsap resigns……. no one dares bring the ball inside now! The Indians added a couple sluggers last off season to boost their run production….. now we have all the pieces!

And what happens? The Indians go 65-97, unload 2 of their 4 best players mid season for minor league players who may never see a single inning in the big leagues. The Seahawks have started 2-5 and will be lucky to finish 8-8. And the Jazz already look disappointing only 3 games into the season. The Jazz are the only one of my teams that can still turn it around, but let’s be honest. Even if they do, can they get past the Lakers, Nuggets, Spurs, and Mavericks? And if they can, can they even contend with the Cavs, Magic, and Celtics?

Didn’t I know this was coming? Didn’t this happen last year, and the year before that? Sure it did. But that’s what keeps me, as a fan coming back for more. I convince myself that a new year means new opportunity. But all it really means is another chance for the teams I love to break my heart.

3 NFL Observations You're Sure To Hate:

1. The Colts; you can’t beat them; only hope to contain them.

2. Brett Favre is my American Idol.

3. The Bronco’s are who I thought they were!

The San Francisco 49ers did everything they wanted to do on Sunday. They held Peyton Manning to zero Touchdowns (Something that hasn’t been done in 10 straight games.) They held an offense that came into Sunday averaging nearly 30 points per game to just 18. They got their own offense clicking, (As much as San Fran’s offense clicks these days.) with both Alex Smith and Frank Gore getting into the end zone. They also minimized their own turnovers to 2. And yet, the Colts found a way to win. They trailed for the first 3 quarters. Sure they put up huge offensive numbers, but they failed to get into the end zone. And then it happened! Joseph Addai took the handoff and instead of running it for a mediocre gain, threw a TD pass to Reggie Wayne. Are you kidding me? Has Joseph Addai ever thrown the football in a game before? The better question is; why was Reggie Wayne all alone in the end zone? None of that matters though, because the Colts were just doing what the Colts do; snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Brett Favre leading his Vikings to victory over Green Bay in week 4 was the game of the week. It had everyone talking before, during, and after. But I am more impressed with Favre in Week 8. Going back to Green Bay dressed in purple, being received with boos from fans that 3 years ago were chanting his name, and throwing 4 TD’s to lead his new team past his old one. Sure the Vikings tried to give the game away. They were leading 24-3 and let the Packers score 17 unanswered points to pull within 4, but that’s as close as it ever got. Brett Favre did not play like a purple pill taking 40 year old. He outplayed his younger replacement. In fact Aaron Rogers was the one limping after the game and listed on the injury report today. Favre’s theme song (whether he knows it or not) is, Toby Keith’s “I’m not as good as I once was.” But on the downside of his career, he is still better than most of the league’s starting QB’s.

Kyle Orton is a clock management QB. He is not a QB that will make huge mistakes, but he is also not the savior Denver has made him out to be. The first 6 games of this season, the Bronco’s have escaped with narrow victories. While most people were praising Kyle Orton and his Fantasy Football type numbers, I was telling everyone, “Wait and watch.” Wait and watch what, you ask? The first 6 games of a season have never defined a team or a player. The 2003 Vikings are proof enough of that. They started 6-0 and ended 8-8. What happened? Reality caught up to them. Teams figured out how to stop them, and they had no plan B. The Denver Bronco’s will be facing a similar fate this year. I originally predicted them to finish 8-8, but considering the lackluster division in which they play, they will probably pull off a winning season. They still face the Steelers (L), Redskins (W), Chargers (L), Giants (L), Chiefs (W), Colts (L), Raiders (W), Eagles (L), Chiefs (W). By my calculations, they finish 10-6, and fight for a wild card spot. Sure, 1 loss may not be enough to start discrediting this team, but when they lose 5 out of their last 9 games, you heard it here first!