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Friday, December 31, 2004
Happy New Year! Hope everyone has an extraordinary 2005 .... I'll soon be spending a few days in beautiful Tampa, Fla., as Jen is going down for a job interview ... can't wait, should be a great trip!!
Before I go I have a few things I've been working on ... first, it's time for my annual year in review, where I'll present the best metal cd's of 2005 (as well as a couple non-metal just for fun) .. then next up I'll have some year-end awards .... oh and if you're wondering, I have a lot of free time at work. Enjoy. TOP METAL ALBUMS OF 2004 1. Mastodon - Leviathan
As crazy as it sounds, this metal album based on the classic novel Moby Dick is my 2004 Metal Album of the Year, and one of the most impressive listens I've come across in a while. It really came out of left field to blow me away with its variation and inspired performances. As I said in my full review earlier this year, it's a disc that's ahead of its time, pushing the boundaries of what a metal album can be. A landmark achievement - Herman Melville himself might even headbang to this stuff. It's a must-listen, plain and simple.
Coming in at a close second, I actually had Blast Tyrant penciled in as my Metal Album of the Year for a while - which is a little ironic because I consider Clutch to be a little closer to stoner/hard rock than traditional metal. Still, the link is undeniable, particularly to the early 70s hard rock/Black Sabbath stuff that set the template for all metal that followed. A solid album from start to finish that's chock full of standout songs and inventive lyrics, it also took me by surprise since I had never given the band a really honest listen over the many years they've been around. Just goes to show that you've always got to keep your ears open, because you could miss out on something excellent.
Quite an impressive disc from the modern American/so-called "mallcore" genre ... in fact, these New Jersey natives have outshined 2004 releases from like-minded peers Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage. They've added more clean vocals and upgraded their songwriting since their last outing, and it really paid off in the form of some of the best material of the year.
A great collection of tracks inspired by 80s underground metal, the band is the brainchild of alternative hero Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, who does the drumming and wrote most of the thrash-style tunes several years ago. The album includes a host of dream guest vocalists, including King Diamond (Mercyful Fate), Max Cavalera (Sepultura/Soulfly), Cronos (Venom), Lemmy Kilmister (Motorhead) and many more. Remarkably, the various singers and styles form a pretty complete sounding album and also serve as a terrific metal history lesson. The long-anticipated side project does not disappoint.
5. Slipknot - Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses
Jay's Picks: "Three Nil", "Duality", "Opium of the People", "Before I Forget", "Vermilion Pt. 2", "The Nameless"
Technically a 2005 North American release, but I make the rules here. Anyway, their last album, 2003's Below the Lights (overlooked on last year's list, shame on me) expanded the definition of black metal, and Isa only pushes the envelope even more, blurring the lines between extreme metal and progressive rock. There's an incredible contrast between harshness and melody - vocals that alternate between tortured croaks and clean chants, song constructions that feature fierce blastbeats and a mellow organ here or there. Overall, it's a bit more "mainstream" - depending on who you ask, of course - and leans more toward the prog side of things on a bunch of tracks. They still manage to keep their black metal credibility though, at least in my book (a driving instrumental featuring sound effects of the Scandanavian winds always helps), but as longtime members of the scene they're really trying to transcend it. In a way it's like Opeth's combination of death metal and more mellow musical elements, only not quite as obvious on either end. It's a much more seamless blend, resulting in some pretty emotional, haunting, and epic music - even if you can't make out a lot of the words. A challenging but ultimately rewarding musical experience.
7. Megadeth - The System Has Failed
Quite a comeback album from one of the truly legendary American metal bands. Most people didn't have high hopes that they'd even release another album - let alone anything of much quality - again, but mastermind Dave Mustaine apparently got his act together and recovered from nerve damage in his arm to come up with something very impressive. No one said he had to recreate the magic of his absolutely classic output of the past, but System is arguably his best work since the 1990 masterpiece Rust in Peace. Don't get me wrong, it's not RIP Part 2, but it captures the technical thrash spirit of that album (check out the eye opening "Kick the Chair" or ode to the old-school "Back in the Day") and combines it with some of their more radio-friendly stuff since then. It's all wrapped it all up in a nice, complete package that's one of the 10 best listens of the year. Welcome back.
These champions of American metal return with the same formula as their previous standout albums, combining an 80s mainstream thrash/hardcore sensibility with more melodic, faster, Swedish (i.e. In Flames) influences. Basically, if you liked the last disc (2002's The Art of Balance) you'll enjoy this one just as much. They do have a knack for memorable songs (try getting "Inspiration on Demand" out of your head), but I still think they need to take another leap to fully flesh out their sound and put out a truly great record, a Master of Puppets of their very own. That being said, this is a lot better than most of the similar stuff out there, totally devoid of any filler, and a pretty fun listen.
9. Decaptitated - The Negation
This is an excellent album showcasing the cream of the crop of modern death metal. Innovative and interesting, these 20-something Polish guys have already taken the genre by storm, and judging by the path of their first three albums you can expect big things in the future. Especially worth noting is the title track, one of the finest examples of what death metal has to offer.
10. 3 Inches of Blood - Advance and Vanquish
Imagine Iron Maiden as a faster, modern-day band with Rob Halford (in his prime) on co-vocals, and you'd have 3 Inches of Blood. In stark contrast to their hardcore-sounding name, these Canadians are throwbacks to the epic 80s Maiden style, crossed with speed metal and plenty of irony. With song titles like "Destroy the Orcs" and "Isle of Eternal Despair (Upon the Boiling Sea III)", it's hard to take them very seriously, but with one listen it's instantly clear these guys are for real. Everything about them celebrates the excesses of metal, from the Halford-sounding co-vocalist's name (Cam Pipes) to the song titles to the lyrics to the album cover art (grinning barbarian/troll warrior with battle axe) ... the music, however, pays homage to the genre's greats with lightning-fast guitars and screaming/growling "duets" from pipes and shrieking co-vocalist Jamie Hooper. The trick can get a little tiresome at times, but in moderation their sound is pretty refreshing and, oddly enough, somewhat original. Call it a rip-off, a gimmick, or a fresh take on old ideas - I just call it good metal.
11. Lamb of God - Ashes of the Wake
With their non-stop headbanging approach, it's easy to see why Lamb of God has gotten so big so fast. This disc may have been a little rushed after 2003's As the Palaces Burn, but I don't blame them for wanting to strike while the iron was hot. We may have heard a lot of this before, but the songs are pretty damn impressive and packed with so many riffs that there's something for everyone, new- and old-school alike. Thanks to their success they're starting to get a "trendy" label, but how's this for metal credibility? Old-timers Alex Skolnick (Testament) and Chris Poland (Megadeth) contribute guitar solos to the instrumental title track. Combined with band guitarists Willie Adler and Mark Morton they've created one of the most outstanding metal instrumentals of recent memory. Vocalist Randy Bythe seems to have come up with a more distinct style, which helps both the band's message and its music stand out even more. A solid album from start to finish.
12. Fear Factory - Archetype
I guess you could call this part metal album, part American history textbook. Band mastermind Jon Schaeffer pursues a new direction, at least lyrically, tackling the concepts of liberty and the fight for freedom through historical topics, most notably the Civil War. Onetime Rob Halford stand-in Tim "Ripper" Owens, formerly of Judas Priest, makes his debut with the band and does an admirable job taking over for the mighty Matt Barlow on vocals. Some of the material sounds a little too familiar and can at times border on being corny (the Sept. 11th-inspired balled "When the Eagle Cries" might be a little too much for some to take - not me though), but there is still plenty of high-quality stuff, especially the three-part "Gettysburg (1863)" found on a bonus disc. The 32-minute trilogy features battle sound effects and a full orchestra and stands as one of the band's (and metal's) crowning achievements.
Jay's Picks: "Prophecy", "Living Sacrifice", "Execution Style", "Mars", "Soulfly IV", "Born Again Anarchist"
15. Killswitch Engage - The End of Heartache
After emerging on the scene in full force in 2002, Killswitch was quickly labeled as one of the saviors of American metal, and they re-emerged this spring with a highly anticipated third major album (now on Roadrunner Records) and a new singer (ex-Blood Has Been Shed frontman Howard Jones). Jones proves to be an adequate substitute for the departed Jesse David Leach, mixing clean vocals with a hardcore-style bark. However, he does have a tendency to be a little too melodramatic (see "Breathe Life"), and combined with the band's uplifting, quasi-religious lyrics I could see it being too much for some serious metalheads to take. That being said, the band's sound hasn't changed too much to go along with all the hype surrounding them (the title track was even nominated for a Grammy), and fans of the first two discs probably won't feel a letdown. There's a good mix of accessible hardcore and Swedish melodicism that should continue to propel them to new heights. Tracks like "Rose of Sharyn" and "A Bid Farewell" are absolute sing-alongs, and there are enough tempo changes, vicious riffs and mosh-pit material elsewhere to justify all the positive press attention.
16. Bloodbath - Nightmares Made Flesh
I have to say I was a little wary when I heard that the second full-length from this death metal supregroup wouldn't include vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), who really gave one hell of a performance on 2002's Resurrection Through Carnage. I was even more distressed when I gave it a first listen - not by the vocals, but by the guitars. They completely scrapped the dirty, old-school Swedish death metal guitar tone and replaced it with a more modern, albeit original, sound. It's not necessarily bad - in fact it's pretty good - but essentially this sounds like a totally different band. Hypocrisy's Peter Tagtgren stepped in behind the mic, while former drummer Dan Swano (Edge of Sanity) took over second guitar duties and was replaced by Witchery's Martin Axenrot. Remaining on lead guitar and bass are Katatonia's Anders Nystrom and Jonas Renske, respectively. Anyway, they've gone from an Entombed-worshipping side project (which I happened to really like) to a completely new outfit, and if you consider it that way this is a pretty impressive album. They carve out a pretty chaotic sound but manage to keep every element pretty clear in the mix, which is key. Tagtgren's vocals are all over the map (and I mean that in a good way), and it's clear to see why they added Axenrot on drums - really good performance. There's a variety of guitar tones and interesting ideas, from the gore-inspired (and memorable) "Eaten" to the speedy "Outnumbering the Day". "Draped in Disease" is another standout that features chugging, chainsaw-like guitars, while "Year of the Cadaver Race" is, as far as I can recall, the first metal song to feature a buzzing flies sound effect. I think I still prefer the band's previous incarnation, but this is pretty cool stuff indeed.
Jay's Picks: "No Compromise", "Fire Alive", "99", "All Against All", "Sabotage" 18. Into Eternity - Buried in Oblivion Interesting release that combines death metal with power/progressive metal, two genres not often thought of in the same breath. Sure, you'll find subtle elements of both styles popping up in certain bands (think Dream Theater, or at the other end Opeth), but rarely are they displayed to such extremes. For instance, Into Eternity even goes so far as to feature three separate vocalists: in basic terms, a growler, a shrieker and a guy who sounds like the guy from Styx. Now that's something you don't hear every day! Anyway, there's some good stuff here - it's obvious that they're technically proficient musicians, and they take every opportunity to show off their impressive skills. There are some memorable choruses by the Styx guy, although they seem to often use big words in the lyrics and song titles ("Embraced by Desolation", "Morose Seclusion", and so on) a little too much ... overall I get the sense that they're trying too hard to impress and getting a little too cliched to make their point. There's definitely promise though, and with a little maturity they could grow into something pretty powerful. Jay's Picks: "3 Dimnesional Aperture", "Spiraling Into Depression" 19. In Flames - Soundtrack to Your Escape One of the most copied bands of the last decade, In Flames seems to be deliberately moving away from the heavy but melodic New Wave of Swedish Death Metal sound they helped create. Following the trend of Reroute to Remain, Soundtrack has less of their trademark, blistering melodic lead guitars and death metal influence and more catchy/radio-friendly songwriting. That's not necessarily a bad thing, and songs like "F(r)iend" and "In Search For I" offer glimpses of previous mid-90s undergound classics like Whoracle and The Jester Race. Still, I can see why old fans get turned off when lead singer Anders Friden breaks out into an awkward "touch me now" chorus in "A Quiet Place" or guitarist Jesper Stromblad strays away from any of the memorable, lightning-fast solos of his past. There's no denying their talent though, and this is a good - but not great - album. It's worth checking out, and it could open the door to the underground for some new fans. Jay's Picks: "F(r)iend", "Like You Better Dead", "In Search For I", "Superhero of the Computer Rage", "Dial 595-Escape" 20. Amon Amarth - Fate of Norns Amon Amarth offer a sweeping, epic, melodic death sound and lyrics that focus on Viking (yes, Viking) themes, but are more believable than most of their counterparts. Each song is a tale from an ancient world, yet somehow you buy into it because you get a sense that they're pretty passionate musicians. Fate of Norns follows the same blueprint as basically all of their material I've heard: crushing guitars, but also soaring melodic parts over double-bass drumming ... in short, plenty of headbanging material. I can't say they've improved much since 2003's outstanding Versus the World, making this disc a little unnecessary, but it's worthwhile nonetheless if you're into this sort of thing. Jay's Picks: "An Ancient Sign of Coming Storm", "Where Death Seems to Dwell", "Pursuit of Vikings", "Once Sealed in Blood" HONORABLE MENTION Darkthrone - Sardonic Wrath No surprises, no frills, just pure, basic underground black metal from the AC/DC of the genre. They follow their usual "less is more" mantra - no keyboards or other musical excesses, just simplistic (but harsh) drum patterns and riffs, topped off by Nocturno Culto's grim, grating vocals. Compared to boundary-pushing acts like Dimmu Borgir or Emperor, Darkthrone is at the other end of the black metal spectrum, offering a garage band, do-it-yourself aesthetic and a sound that owes more to hardcore punk than any classical style. Occasionally they slow things down to a crawl ("Rawness Obsolete") but mostly keep things going at the same tempo, which is fine when you want to rock out or even wear some corpsepaint, if you're so inclined. Sardonic Wrath is dedicated to the memory of the mysterious Quorthon, the late singer/mastermind of early black metal architects Bathory, and the comparison is pretty fitting. Jay's Picks: "Sjakk Matt Jesu Krist", "Sacrificing to the God of Doubt", "Hate is the Law" Behemoth - Demigod Another Polish death metal band releases a solid album ... Behemoth kind of has its own niche in the genre, they sound like a sick bastard child of Nile and Morbid Angel, chaotic and pretty pissed off. The vocals are indecipherable at most points, almost sounding like two or three vocalists mixed into one. There are some nice touches like a few acoustic guitar passages and a somewhat laughable intro to the title track that sounds like some kind of horn sound effect as played on a Casio keyboard. But for the most part the guitars and drumwork are pretty top-notch, brutal stuff - check out "Slaves Shall Serve", probably one of the angriest songs ever recorded. Jay's Picks: "Slaves Shall Serve", "Demigod", "The Reign ov Shemsu-Hor" Vader - Beast Hmm, another Polish death metal band, I'm sensing a trend here. Anyway, these veterans really impressed me with 2002's Revelations, but I'm finding that the follow-up is not quite living up to that album. I can't pinpoint it really, but Beast just doesn't have that same special spark that made the last one really stand out. Don't get me wrong ... there's plenty of Slayer-worshipping, thrash-meets-death tracks like "Firebringer" or the shout-along "Dark Transmission." But for a better introduction, Revelations is a much wiser choice. Jay's Picks: "Dark Transmission", "Fire Bringer", "Choices" Suffocation - Souls to Deny Really solid, old-school death metal from these N.Y.-based innovators. The complex, dizzying guitars and snarling vocals serve as a "how-to" manual for a lot of imitators, which is somewhat surprising since they haven't released a full-length since 1995. Death metal fans should have no problems with this disc. Jay's Picks: "Souls to Deny", "Surgery of Impalement", "To Weep Once More" Evergrey - Inner Circle 2003's Recreation Day was a late bloomer for me - I had it as No. 12 on my list last year but it really should have been higher. It's mix of outstanding, progressive musicianship and passionate vocals and lyrics really was something incredible, and the first five tracks or so are just absolutely killer. However, Inner Circle is a fairly big letdown, lacking some of the originality and spark that made its predecessor so appealing. Again, I can't put my finger on it, but the disc is certainly dragged down by its loose concept based on religion (signified by recurring spoken-word samples of some sort of televangelist preacher) and maybe a little too much melody for its own good. There's still quality here, but I guess I really had high hopes for this album after their previous brilliance, so I have to give Recreation Day a much stronger recommendation. In fact, do yourself a favor and get that album, you won't be disappointed. Jay's Picks: "A Touch of Blessing", "More Than Ever", "Ambassador" Meshugah - I [ep] I couldn't give this a full recommendation because it's only a one-song ep ... but what a song it is: Twenty-one minutes of their machinelike guitars and weird, irregular time signatures, plus some of the heaviest music ever recorded. Seriously - the first few minutes feature a level of heaviness and speed I don't think I've ever heard before, and that's saying a lot. Things slow down later on and even get a little tranquil at about the 15-minute mark, but give them credit for creating something so unique and entertaining in one long track. It's a must-have for fans, but newcomers are advised to check out their forthcoming full-length, because I'm sure it will be something that shouldn't be missed. Jay's Picks: The only track on the album, duh TOP NON-METAL ALBUMS OF 2004 1. Beastie Boys - To the 5 Boroughs A terrific return to the spotlight by the B-Boys after an almost six-year hiatus and also a return to an old-school style of hip hop not heard this completely since the 1989 masterpiece Paul's Boutique. Nearly the entire album has an old-school vibe with minimalist but memorable beats supplied by collaborator Mix Master Mike. There is a whole bunch of the tounge-in-cheek humor and lyrical bragging we know and love, but there's also a political, anti-Bush slant on a few tracks that sometimes goes a bit overboard. The only real exception is the serious standout "An Open Letter to NYC", which serves as a heartfelt tribute to their hometown post-9/11. The disc is refreshing in its simplicity and its throwback nature, setting a new trend simply reexamining an old one, making it as enjoyable as any in their 20-year history. Jay's Picks: "Ch-Check it Out", "Oh Word?", "We Got The", "Open Letter to NYC", "Triple Trouble", "3 The Hard Way" just to name a few. 2. Black Label Society - Hangover Music, Vol. VI Even though BLS are a metal band through and through, I'm counting this as a non-metal disc simply because, as the title somewhat implies, the music is a bit more mellow and rock-oriented on the whole than their previous five albums. There are some heavy moments with Zakk Wylde's trademark guitar squeals pop up, but it's largely acoustic - although not quite on par with Zakk's outstanding solo album, Book of Shadows. Still, there's plenty of nice stuff here, from piano ballads ("Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow"), to classic rock covers (Procol Harum's "Whiter Shade of Pale") to Ozzy Osbourne-like slower numbers ("Steppin Stone") to a tribute to late Alice in Chains frontman Layne Staley ("Layne"). Basically there's something for anybody who's into hard/acoustic rock, and if you dig Zakk's previous stuff you're sure to enjoy this. Another fine album from a musical giant. Jay's Picks: "Damage is Done", "Once More", "Steppin Stone", "Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow", "She Deserves a Free Ride (Val's Song)" 3. Green Day - American Idiot What's this, a pop-punk album on my list? That's right ... I was a fan of these guys when they hit the mainstream a decade ago, but didn't really keep up with them too much. Then I kept hearing good things about this album ("it's a rock opera", and so on) so I decided to give it a try. I have to say, it's not bad ... it's catchy, but not too mass-produced or TRL-sounding. There's actually some intelligence behind it (see the surprisingly epic, five-part "Jesus of Suburbia" and "Homecoming"), some politically charged lyrics about the crumbling of American society and so on ... if you weren't already much of a fan at this point you probably won't change your mind, but if you're at all interested in this sort of thing it's worth giving it a listen. Jay's Picks: "American Idiot", "Jesus of Suburbia", "Boulevard of Broken Dreams", "Are We the Waiting", "Wake Me Up When September Ends" Monday, December 27, 2004
Hope everyone had a very happy and joyous Christmas, Hannukkah, Festivus and/or Kwanzaa ... mine was great, only had to work a few hours on Christmas Eve and had Christmas Day off. I also have a bunch of days off coming up, including New Year's Eve and New Year's Day ....
MONDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK (Because I don't do mornings) BIG BLUE RECAP As I sit here and reflect on this dismal 2004 season, I can't help but think back to last year ... this is rapidly becoming worse than that god-awful, four-win disaster under Jim Fassel ... the Giants entered '04 with the promise of a new coaching staff and two new QBs, so you'd figure at least there would be some improvement. But after Sunday's one-point loss to the Bengals, it's clear that almost nothing has changed. The Giants still find new ways to lose each and every week against bad and good teams alike. They're taking awful penalties and there is at least some unrest in the locker room, things that were supposed to change immediately under hard-nosed drill sergeant Tom Coughlin. Plus, they've really tanked just like last season, losing eight straight games now. They pissed away Sunday's game by allowing a huge kickoff return and ridiculous fourth-down catch in the final minutes of play, then Eli Manning was intercepted on the final drive after a ball was tipped at the line. An utterly absurd loss to a team they should have beat, but what else is new? Maybe someday Eli will win his first game ... they have a good shot against the Cowboys next week in a stellar Sunday night matchup in primetime, but I'm not holding my breath. Next week after the season's wrapped up I'll take an inside look at where the G-Men need to go in the offseason, who needs to be brought in and who needs to be kicked out. AROUND THE NFL Playoff picture The Seahawks clinched at least a wild card playoff spot by virtue of their 24-21 victory over the Cardinals. They made it interesting by surrendering two Larry Fitzgerald TDs in the fourth quarter before hanging on. Remarkably, the 'Hawks, who have looked downright awful at times this season, can clinch the NFC West with a Rams loss to the Eagles tonight. The Packers clinched the NFC North with their win against the Vikings on Christmas Eve. Minnesota can still get in as a wild card with a victory or a Panthers or Rams loss. Both those teams need some help, as do the Saints, and things should get a little clearer after tonight's game. Over in the AFC, the Jets hurt their chances with a disappointing loss to the Patriots. Despite having 10 wins, Gang Green enters the final week still needing a win over the Rams, or a Bills or Broncos loss, to get in. Denver has the inside track to the other wild card spot and can clinch with a victory vs. the Colts on Sunday, while Buffalo (which has been on fire) needs some help. The Jaguars shot themselves in the foot with a bad loss to the Texans. RB Fred Taylor was out with injury and banged-up QB Byron Leftwich didn't look too good ... now the Jags need three scenarios to play out in their favor to move on. The Ravens are also still alive, but they need four things to go their way on Sunday. Shut up, Chad Speaking of the Jets, they once again came up short in a big game, losing 23-7 to the division rival Pats. Making things worse was the fact that QB Chad Pennington shot his mouth off last Sunday after the Jets destroyed the Seahawks. Pennington, who was apparently upset that the media thinks he can't win a big game, declined to talk to them after the win. Then the next day he came out saying he was just "throwing them a curveball" and trying to inconvenience them. He also said he didn't read the papers but still new what the media was saying about them ... then he went on a big rant about how the members of the press are "privileged" to be covering "the greatest athletes in the world" and the New York Jets. Now, I like Pennington, and the New York media has been pretty soft on him so far in his career and treated him like a darling. But he was really way off with this whole rant, and only opened himself up to more attacks from the media. Plus, it was pretty ill-timed given the fact that they had only beaten the awful Seahawks and were preparing to play the defending Super Bowl champs. He didn't help fight the perception of coming up small in big games either with his performance (two bad INTs and one TD in garbage time) ... A pretty dumb move by an otherwise smart guy and, oddly enough, a journalism major ..... Big ups to Peyton At least one Manning his having a good year ... Colts QB Peyton Manning is, in fact, having an awesome year. As expected, he broke Dan Marino's single-season TD mark in Sunday's comeback win over the Chargers. That offense has had an incredible season, with three WRs (Marvin Harrison, Brandon Stokley, Reggie Wayne) going over the 1,000-yard mark and RB Edgerrin James making the Pro Bowl. There's been a lot of fanfare for Peyton - but there will be a whole lot more if he should lead his team to a win in Pittsburgh or New England in January. If not, I suspect the TD record won't mean a whole lot in the long run. COLLEGE REPORT Bowl update I am a dismal 1-5 so far entering tonight's Toledo-UConn matchup. Not good! However, there are plenty of interesting matchups coming up featuring teams I've followed more closely, so hopefully things will turn around. Until then, let's go Huskies! COMING SOON: Jay's World annual Top Metal CDS of 2004 list and year-end awards ..... stay tuned Thursday, December 23, 2004
Some very exciting news for Penn State football fans today (haven't heard that much lately, huh?) ...
Derrick Williams, considered by many to be the No. 1 high school football player in the country, gave a verbal commitment to the Nittany Lions on Wednesday. The 6-foot-1, 190-pound WR prospect from Maryland chose Penn State over national powerhouses Oklahoma, Florida, Texas and Tennessee (and over 50 scholarship offers total). Coupled with the commitment of Pittsburgh area CB prospect Justin King a few months ago, this gives the downtrodden Nittany Lions two of the top ten recruits in the nation. Unbelievable, given the recent struggles over the past five years, the hideous offensive performances and the constant questioning of 78-year-old coach Joe Paterno .... but these are exactly the types of athletes that Penn State has been missing out on the past few years to college football's elite programs. Granted, Williams did call it the "University of Penn State" by accident in his press conference (oops!) ... but ironically enough he first made a name for himself as a 15-year old at a Penn State football camp by running a 4.4 40-yard dash. He also chose the Lions in part because he and his family were concerned about minority graduation rates, academic support, professional development, and so on ... a homecooked meal from Sue Paterno probably didn't hurt either ..... my only hope is that this coaching staff doesn't squander this assembly of talent in the coming years but instead uses it to help JoePa go out as a winner ........... If you're so inclined, you can read more from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazzette or an excellent article from the Washington Post (free registration required, it's worth it) ....... In other Penn State news, three former Nittany Lions were named NFL Pro Bowl selections today: OLs Marco Rivera (Packers) and Jeff Hartings (Steelers), and KR Eddie Drummond (Lions) ..... also selected was Giants RB Tiki Barber, who joined his brother Ronde (DB, Buccaneers) as the first set of twins to be named Pro Bowlers. Giants special-teamer David Tyree also made the squad as an alternate. Congratulations, gentlemen ... Earlier tonight Jen and I had dinner for the first time at a place called The Cheesecake Factory (which, despite its name, has a full complement of actual meals in addition to its own cheesecakes) .... anyway, it had an excellent menu and top-notch service, I give it my highest recommendation ....the closest location to us is in Edison, N.J., but they're found throughout the country, stop in if you ever get the chance ..... We also watched two films, Meet the Fockers (not quite as funny as Meet the Parents, but still enjoyable and better than some of the reviews I've seen), and The Manchurian Candidate (had some loose ends, but still worth a rental) .... Finally, you probably heard the Randy Johnson deal fell through, the Dodgers backed out at the last minute ... but from everything I hear, the Yankees are still very intent on acquiring the Big Unit and will do everything in their power to get him at some point .... I don't know, I guess I'll believe it when I see it .... I seem to remember something somewhat similar happening with Alex Rodriguez and the Red Sox last season and we all know how that turned out, so maybe this time things won't go in the Yanks' favor. We'll see. Oh and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez signed with the White Sox today ... although a lot things are still up in the air I'll still take our current rotation (Pavano/Mussina/Wright/Vazquez/Brown) over Boston's (Schilling/Wells/Arroyo/Clement/Wakefield) .... Tuesday, December 21, 2004
I've suffered a disappointing end to my fantasy football season. Two weeks ago, Ace in the Hole was officially eliminated from playoff contention ... then last week we were ousted in the first round of the Toilet Bowl, a tournament organized by the losers of the league ... then in my work league this weekend, the Nittany Lions missed the playoffs by a game in the final week of the regular season ... it was pretty bad, but that's the way these things go sometimes. It was a lot of fun though, until the last few weeks or so, and I look forward to dominating next season ...
2004-05 BOWL BREAKDOWN A quick look at my picks for my favorite time of the year, plus a few choice comments .... Champs Sports Bowl Syracuse (+6.5) over Georgia Tech GMAC Bowl Memphis (+6.5) over Bowling Green Fort Worth Bowl Marshall (+1.5) over Cincinnati Las Vegas Bowl UCLA (-12.5) over Wyoming Hawaii Bowl Hawaii (+.5) over UAB Timmy Chang and the Rainbow Warriors (sounds like Saturday afternoon Japanese kids show) have homefield advantage in an offensive shootout MPC Computers Bowl Virginia (-6.5) over Fresno State Nothing beats the grand tradition of the prestigious MPC Computers Bowl! Motor City Bowl UConn (+3.5) over Toledo Huskies win their first ever bowl game Independence Bowl Miami (Ohio) (-3.5) over Iowa State Even without Big Ben Roethlisberger, offense is still good Insight Bowl Oregon State (-3.5) over Notre Dame Irish listless without a head coach Houston Bowl Colorado (-2.5) over UTEP Gary Barnett wins battle of disgraced coaches (one may have permitted sex parties for recruits; the other partied with strippers) ... still a nice season for Mike Price's team Alamo Bowl Ohio State (-2.5) over Oklahoma State Buckeyes without QB Troy Smith, but still find a way to win Continental Tire Bowl Boston College (+4.5) over North Carolina Golden Eagles make up for late-season flop against these upstarts Emerald Bowl New Mexico (-1.5) over Navy Holiday Bowl California (-10.5) over Texas Tech Cal takes out aggression after Rose Bowl snub Silicon Valley Classic Northern Illinois (-1.5) over Troy State Where the heck did these two come from? Music City Bowl Minnesota (+3.5) over Alabama Sun Bowl Purdue (-7.5) over Arizona State Senior QB Kyle Orton makes statement after tank job at end of season Liberty Bowl Louisville (-9.5) over Boise State Expect a fun offensive shootout Peach Bowl Miami (-3.5) over Florida Always a battle, but Gators suffer downer without well-liked coach Ron Zook Outback Bowl Wisconsin (+7.5) over Georgia Bulldogs' stars should pull out a close win, but Wisconsin's tough defense getting too many points to pass up Cotton Bowl Tennessee (+5.5) over Texas A&M Gator Bowl Florida State (-9.5) over West Virginia Seminoles exploit Mountaineers' defense Capital One Bowl Iowa (+6.5) over LSU Kirk Ferentz outcoaches former NFL colleague Nick Saban Rose Bowl Michigan (+7.5) over Texas Wolverines (other than freshman QB and RB) know the drill from last year's Rose Bowl loss to USC ... Watch the Longhorns choke after Mack Brown raised a fuss to get them there instead of Cal Fiesta Bowl Pittsburgh (+16.5) over Utah Which team will play hard for its outgoing coach? Utes' offense is great, and of course Pitt stinks ... but more than two TDs? I'll take that ... Sugar Bowl Auburn (-6.5) over Virginia Tech Keeping my fingers crossed the Tigers don't quit now after getting snubbed in the polls despite an undefeated regular season Orange Bowl USC (-3.5) over Oklahoma The greatest assemblage of talent in one game in a long time (four Heisman Trophy finalists!) ... should be an excellent matchup, with Matt Leinart tossing a late TD to seal the mythical national championship Well there you have it .... Jay's World will not be held responsible for any monetary losses based on these predictions ..... enjoy the games! Monday, December 20, 2004
I would like to send a very happy anniversary wish to my girlfriend Jen. Can you believe it has been six years? And she has not even attempted suicide this whole time or left me for someone closer to her own age. Amazing!
Speaking of Jen, I was just up at Penn State to visit her for a few days. We had a fun time, saw some films, went to some eating establishments, enjoyed the State College night life, and even went ice skating. Romantic, eh? In sports news, supposedly the Yankees are or on the verge of getting Randy Johnson in a three-team trade with the Diamondbacks and Dodgers. They're reportedly parting ways with P Javier Vazquez, former Trenton Thunder catching prospect Dioner Navarro, and minor-league 3B Eric Duncan (who happens to be from Morris County, where my newspaper is located) ... this is wonderful news, hopefully all the remaining pieces fall into place (Dodgers OF Shawn Green must waive his no-trade clause) and the Yanks will have an opening-day rotation of Johnson, Carl Pavano, Mike Mussina, Jaret Wright and Kevin Brown/Orlando Hernandez as a fifth starter ... not bad, not bad at all. MONDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK (Because I don't do mornings) BIG BLUE RECAP I didn't get to see the Giants-Steelers game Saturday but I listened on the radio (including the legendary Myron Cope on a Pittsburgh station for the first half - Jen put it best when she asked "is that guy drunk or something??") ... I was surprised the G-Men put forth such a solid effort against the league's best team. I was also surprised the game became something of a shootout, with Eli Manning (16 for 23, 182 yards, 2 TDs) having his best game so far and the Giants actually holding a lead in the fouth quarter. They just didn't have enough firepower (settling for a field goal after a first and goal in the third quarter is always a killer) and were torched by a number of big plays on defense (Pittsburgh had five pass plays of 30 yards or more) ... The secondary play was embarrassing, despite missing talented rookie S Gibril Wilson some of the showings were just inexcusible, as were a few horrendously dumb penalties. It's not much consolation, but it was good at least to see Eli gain a little confidence against a very good defense, and hopefully he can use it in his advantage these next two weeks. And then, the Season of Frustration, Part II will finally be over ..... AROUND THE NFL Playoff picture Things are starting to shape up around the league in terms of the postseason. In the AFC, the Steelers, Patriots, Chargers and Colts have all clinched, and the Jets are almost locked in. The Jaguars suddenly creeped into the AFC wild card hunt by virtue of their big win over the Packers in Green Bay on Sunday. They made Golden Boy Brett Favre look pretty bad on a few plays and picked up a gutsy win - that's a team I really enjoy watching. Anyway, the Jags bumped the Ravens, who fell to the Colts despite holding Peyton Manning to just one TD pass (one short of tying Dan Marino's single-season record ... for now). Very classy move by Manning and the Colts, too - they had the ball inside the red zone with under two minutes left but elected to take a knee a couple times rather than go for a cheap TD pass for the record ... Also still alive in the AFC are the slumping Broncos (bombed by the Chiefs, what happened there?) and the surging Bills (beat up the Bengals but may have to wait for next year) .... Over in the dismal NFC, the pretender Packers have already clinched the NFC North and would have an all-important home game at the Frozen Tundra in the first round .... the sorry Seahawks (dismantled by the Jets 34-17) are in control of the NFC West only because the even sorrier Rams were spanked by the Cardinals ... the Vikings are in good shape for the wild card, partly because the Lions inexplicably botched a game-tying extra point to end their game Sunday .... the Panthers (who started the season 1-7) have a slight edge for the other wild card with the enigmatic Saints just behind them .... these loser teams are making it look pretty easy for the Eagles to slip into the Super Bowl, although if there's one team they should be downright scared of it's Michael Vick and the Falcons .... otherwise, the Iggles might have to find some excruciating new way to choke against one of these sorry-ass squads .... PSU PRIDE Two Penn State products had really outstanding performances Sunday, let's take a look: QB Kerry Collins, Raiders - 21 for 37 passing, 371 yards, 5 TDs vs. Titans Kerry tied a career high with the five TD tosses in this shootout against Tennessee and Billy Volek, who had a pretty nice day himself (4 TDs passing, 1 rushing) .... it's good to see Kerry airing it out and living up to the hype after an awful start when he took over for Rich Gannon. Hopefully the team will keep emerging WR Jerry Porter, a free agent and Collins' new favorite target, around next season so they can start the year fresh. RB Larry Johnson, Chiefs - 30 carries, 151 yards, 2 TDs vs. Broncos Here's another guy who's really shining now that he's been given a fair chance .... Chiefs head coach Dick Vermeil either A) really knew how to motivate Johnson by keeping him on the bench for a year and a half and calling him a baby to light a fire under his ass, or B) really made a mistake by holding a grudge against management for their desire to draft Johnson in the first round .... anyway, with Priest Holmes on the shelf, LJ has had an expanded role the past few weeks and he's delivered three straight 100-yard rushing performances. I don't care much for the guy personally but it's good to see a Penn State running back succeeding given its recent track record ... and you've got to figure Johnson is either auditioning to replace the oft-injured Holmes next season or showcase his talents to other teams for a potential trade. Either way, at least he's made the most of his opportunity. Monday, December 13, 2004
How about a little Yankees offseason news? The Bombers are closing in on a contract with free agent P Carl Pavano, who decided he wants to be in Pinstripes. The 28-year-old New Englander, a lifelong Red Sox fan and former Sox farmhand, should be a great additition to a pitching staff in desperate need of a relatively young guy who can gobble up innings. Pavano is one game under .500 for his career (57-58) but seemingly blossomed in 2004 with the Marlins and should be moving into his prime.
As for another pitcher the Yanks recently signed, ex-Brave Jaret Wright .... I'm not so sure about this one. Wright showed a lot of promise as a rookie with the Indians in 1997 and even helped beat the Yanks that year in the playoffs. But he faded pretty quickly after that because of injuries, a preoccupation with life outside baseball, and just plain lack of execution before his career was resurrected last season. Under the tutelage of super-pitching coach Leo Mazzone, Wright won 15 games and didn't miss a regular season start last year. However, I could easily see that being a fluke ... there were also questions about his health, with initial reports saying he failed a physical (now they say he passed). I guess it's not a bad addition, but why would you take Wright over Jon Lieber, who, though a little older, proved he can effectively pitch in New York and in the postseason, against the Red Sox no less? Lieber signed with the Phillies to a three-year deal almost identical to Wright's. Puzzlilng ... the only way it makes sense to me is if they're considering sending Wright somewhere in a trade for Randy Johnson, who the Yanks are still after. There was also talk of sending Javier Vazquez to the Marlins for A.J. Burnett, then shipping Burnett to Arizona in a deal for the Big Unit. We'll see about that ... A breakdown of some other moves, both actual and rumored: Trading OF Kenny Lofton and cash to Phillies for Felix Rodriguez - Wonderful! Rodriguez is nothing special anymore, but he's an extra bullpen arm. Good riddance, Kenny ... Signing 2B Tony Womack to replace Miguel Cairo - Apparently Cairo wanted too much money. Sorry to see him go, but Womack, though older, can do the same job and also replace some of Lofton's speed at the bottom of the order. Trading P Felix Heredia to the Mets for P Mike Stanton - A swap of highly disappointing left-handed relievers. Just about every Yankee fan is happy to see Heredia gone, and even though Stanton is almost washed up they could be able to squeeze some production out of him in his second stint in Pinstripes. Signing backup C John Flaherty - Everything you want from a backup backstop. *Signing OF Carlos Beltran for 10 years, $200 million, and moving CF Bernie Williams to 1B? - I suggested moving Bernie to first weeks ago, even before Jason Giambi's steroid use came out. If Beltran's coming, why not move one of your in-house players to solve the 1B problem (assuming he's halfway decent at it)? Even if Giambi's contract can't be voided and he's healthy enough to play, surely he'll see a lot of time at DH. There's talk of brining back Tino Martinez, which would be a smart move also. As for Beltran, I'd love to have him, but agent Scott Boras' asking price is ridiculous, and most bids so far reportedly haven't been for half that amount. I don't care how good he is, whoever gets him will likely not be happy when they're paying him $20 million a year when he's 37 ... MONDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK (Because I don't do mornings) BIG BLUE RECAP Things are getting ugly. In fact, this is worse than 2003 because at the end of last season, even though the Giants had only four wins, they had a new coach to look forward to and decisions to make in the draft. This year, we all know that Tom Coughlin isn't going anywhere even though he's been no better than Jim Fassel, and we don't have to worry about the draft because our first-round pick belongs to the Chargers in return for Eli Manning ... Anyway, a brutal 37-14 loss to the Ravens ... where to start? The offense turned the ball over six times (twice by Tiki Barber, reverting to his old self), and was held to only 55 total yards through three quarters. Eli was just dreadful: 4 for 18, 27 yards, 2 INTs, a fumble and a quarterback rating of 0.0 (yes, ZERO POINT ZERO) before being pulled for Kurt Warner (fear not, Eli is still the starter next week!). The defense fared no better, allowing Kyle Boller (who's being mentored by special assistant Fassel) to toss four TDs after he had never thrown more than two in a game before ... they were also abused by TE Todd Heap, who caught 2 TDs (that's two more than the Giants WRs this season) as they foolishly had a LB covering him several times ... Eli and the Giants are seemingly regressing each week. It's safe to say I don't have high hopes when the Steelers come to town Saturday. AROND THE NFL Lucky Birds The Eagles barely held on to beat the Redskins 17-14 last night ... the Skins had every opportunity to at least tie the game with under two minutes remaining, but QB Patrick Ramsey threw an ugly INT in the end zone when he had the team in field-goal range. The nightmare continues for Joe Gibbs, as his team was assured of a losing season and he also was passed on the career wins list by counterpart Andy Reid. As for the Iggles, well, they'll get theirs eventually, and it's gonna be sweet .... for reference, see the last three NFC Championship games, if you're a glutton for punishment that is .... Here and There Peyton Manning threw "only" two TD passes against the Texans, leaving him two behind Dan Marino's single-season record (48) with three games left. It's worth noting that Marino had only 36 at this point in the season in 1984 ... Yes, that was 39-year-old Chris Chandler playing for the Rams on Sunday. The 17-year veteran started in place of injured Marc Bulger and proceeded to throw six INTs. Needless to say, St. Louis lost a costly game to the Panthers, who are suddenly back in the playoff picture ... Saints coach Jim Haslett gets to coach another week thanks to his team's timely 27-13 win over the Cowboys. Haslett didn't sound too sure of himself afterward when he was asked how they did it. "If you figure it out, you tell me," he said. "I've been trying to figure this out for two years"... COLLGE REPORT Coaching carousel It looks like Notre Dame finally got its man after an embarrassing two weeks, hiring Patriots offensive coordinator and ND grad Charlie Weis. The Irish got burned by Urban Meyer, who they thought they had in the bag before he jetted to Florida, then they took a well deserved media hit for firing Tyrone Willingham and getting turned down by a handful of candidates ... this seems like a good move though, a guy who wants the job. His only head coaching experience is in New Jersey high school football (in the Morris County area, up near my paper actually), plus he's gona have his handful the next few months (a vital recruiting period) as he continues to coach New England through the playoffs. We'll have to see how it plays out and if Weis really is a savior, or gets labeled the next Bill Callahan in his first season. At least one administrator still has her head shaved in protest of Willingham's firing and had pledged not to grow it back until the Irish win a national championship ... good luck with that, lady ... As for Willingham, don't feel too bad for him, he wasn't unemployed long. He was hired at Washington on Sunday, taking over a pround program in a slump. He returns to the Pac-10, where he coached for seven years with Stanford and led the Cardinal to a Rose Bowl before his stint at Notre Dame ... Speaking of Stanford, it made the other notable coaching move Sunday with the hiring of Pittsburgh coach Walt Harris. Harris, who's been under fire from the administration for some time, will remain with his team through its Fiesta Bowl matchup with Utah. I suppose Stanford, known for its academics, was more interested in Harris' reputation as an "offensive genius" and wasn't too concerned about the most recent graudation rate (31 percent / 20 percent for black players), which is the worst of any bowl-bound team in 2004 ... Anyway, hopefully Pitt doesn't try to turn to Penn State assistant Tom Bradley now, he's been out-recruiting them for Western Pa. talent the past few years and I'd hate to lose Joe Paterno's likely successor .... Coming soon My extensive bowl game breakdown ...... Thursday, December 09, 2004
And another thing ...... I don't want to start hearing people blaming this tragedy on the "violent satanic heavy metal culture" because that's garbage ...... the guy obviously had psychological problems. The shooting happened on the 24th anniversary of John Lennon's murder by crazed fan, and I don't seem to remember many people blaming that on the Beatles music, do you? But people always have to take the easy way out and look for some scapegoat rather than looking at the serious issues in society that lead to these acts. Sorry, had to rant.
Some very sad news to report: Jay's World mourns the loss of former Pantera/current Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell, who was reportedly shot dead on stage along with three others as his band was about to perform at an Ohio club on Thursday. At least two others were injured, and the gunman was killed by the police.
Dimebag was one of the greatest metal guitarists of his generation and, on a personal level, one of my favorites. His style was instantly recognizable, and he has been one of the most skilled and influential axemen of the past 15 years. I highly recommend that you immediately check out his work on any number of metal classics - "Domination", "Walk", "This Love", or more emotional songs like "Cemetery Gates", "Floods" ..... basically anything the man ever played on. This is a huge loss for the metal community - I would have bet anything that former Pantera vocalist Phil Anselmo would be the first to go (after all, he's already been legally dead at least once) .... pretty shocking, and unfortunate too that Dimebag and his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, couldn't get along with Anselmo anymore and will now never get to have a Pantera reunion. At least I was lucky enough to see the band live a few times, including the loudest show I have ever attended. Darrell Lance Abbott was 38 years old. Monday, December 06, 2004
MONDAY AFTERNOON QUARTERBACK
(Because I don't do mornings) BIG BLUE RECAP What a dismal performance. I didn't have high expectations going in, but I also wasn't expecting the Giants to get hammered 31-7 by the god-awful Redskins. After all, WASHINGTON HAD'NT EVEN SCORED 20 POINTS IN A GAME ALL SEASON .... they didn't seem to have much trouble this time, did they? After the G-Men went 3-and-out to open the game, the Skins proceeded on a 13-play, 88-yard touchdown drive, not even needing to convert a third down. From there, it was pretty gruesome, the only bright spot being new return man Derrick Ward's 92-yard kickoff return for a TD in the third quarter. Eli Manning still hasn't shown much, although he's certainly learning the hard way against some of the league's toughest defenses. Next up: Ravens. Playoff hopes: Currently on life support. NITTANY NOTES One Penn State-related item this week ... seems that acting N.J. Gov. Richard Codey is planning to get PSU to join the Big East Conference. The formerly independent Nittany Lions have beein Big Ten members for over a decade now, and although they haven't had huge football sucess over that time in the traditional powerhouse league, they've benefited tremendously in terms of academic prestige and research grants, as well as other financial gains through academics. Meanwhile, the Big East (in most cases considered a step down in football and academics on the whole) has lost two charter football members (Miami and Virginia Tech) and will lose another (Boston College) next year to the ACC. Granted, PSU has Eastern ties and old rivalries with several Big East teams, and could likely become the league's dominant football team ... the fact that, for the near future at least, the Big East is somehow retaining its automatic BCS bowl bid for the conference champs (a weak, three-loss Pittsburgh team this year, for those scoring at home) is an incentive ... still, it's unlikely PSU would make that tradeoff and give up its overall financial and athletic security. And the biggest issue here is this: doesn't Codey have other, more important things to deal with as the governor of our fair state? If he's bored, here's a recommendation: New Jersey is reportedly having its federal security budget cut in half by President Bush, despite the fact that we're home to some of the country's busiest airports, seaports and financial centers. You'd think something like that would be a little more pressing for a guy who just took over the job a few weeks ago .... COLLEGE REPORT BCS Mess Well it's time again for the annual college football controversy to flare up once again. BCS bowl lineups were announced Sunday and, no surprise, undefeated No. 1 USC and undefeated No. 2 Oklahoma will meet in the Orange Bowl to determine the mythical national championship. The only problem is that this year there's a third team (Auburn) from a major conference that is also undefeated. However, just because the Trojans and Sooners started the year ranked first and second in the otherwise meaningless preseason polls and both ran the table, they stay where they are and the Tigers get stuck in the Sugar Bowl playing Virginia Tech ... not bad by any means, but still it's not the national title game, and they'll need a miracle to get a share of the championship. It's a shame, because Auburn played in what I consider the nation's top conference in 2004 (SEC), yet are the odd men out because the NCAA Division I school presidents are reluctant to add a playoff system like that of every other level of college football. Anyway, that being said, I don't want to hear too much whining if the Tigers finish undefeated but still miss out on a championship ... the same thing happened to Penn State in 1994, even though that was before the BCS was formed to supposedly alleviate such problems. No roses, only thorns There's another team out there that was pretty pissed when the bowl lineups came out, and that's No. 4 California. The 10-1 Golden Bears were passed over for a Rose Bowl bid, which instead went to 10-1 Texas, which was ranked lower in the AP and Coaches' polls but had a slight BCS edge. Cal, which was the nation's only team to boast a top-six ranking in both scoring offense and scoring defense and whose only loss was by six points to No. 1 USC, will instead play Texas Tech in the Holiday Bowl on Dec. 30. Not bad, but it sure ain't the prestigious Rose Bowl, in which the Bears haven't played for 46 years. Instead of a traditional Pac 10-Big Ten matchup between Cal and Michigan, Texas gets a chance to again choke in a big game. Interesting comments by Cal QB Aaron Rodgers too, he called Longhorns coach Mack Brown "classless" for lobbying with voters to get his team a trip to Pasadena. Yet another BCS grudge is born ... No Urban renewal in South Bend Looks like Utah coach Urban Meyer won't be taking over at Notre Dame after all ... He turned down his alma mater and instead elected to become the next head coach at Florida. Guess $14 million over seven years made his decision pretty easy. Meyer should become an instant winner in the talent-rich Sunshine State with the Gators (a powerhouse since only the early 90s), while old Notre Dame is left desperately scrambling to find someone to fill its position .... if that doesn't tell you the landscape of college football has dramatically changed in the last decade or two, nothing will. Anyway, where do the Fighting Irish turn now? The NFL's Steve Mariucci and Jon Gruden have both already reportedly said no, as has Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz, who just signed a contract extension with the Hawkeyes. ND grad Charlie Weis' name has come up, but the Patriots offensive coordinator will not be allowed to talk until after the playoffs (or Super Bowl) and the Irish will probably have to hire someone by then. Butch Davis is available, but he doesn't really seem to be a "Notre Dame guy", plus the whole nervous breakdown thing and player revolt with the Browns could be a factor .... if I were the Irish I'd take a long hard look at Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, who has guided his team to a 10-1 record and a spot in the Liberty Bowl, and will otherwise be dominating the Big East next season when his school makes the jump there from Conference USA. Other than him, who knows .... they can have Joe Paterno if they want him ....... AROUND THE NFL NFL facing serious Chargers It appears the Chargers are for real. They've clinched their first winning season since 1995 with their 20-17 win over the Broncos (who weren't helped by four INTs by Jake "The Snake" Plummer) ... It was also a pretty big win because San Diego (9-3) opened a two-game lead in the AFC West. I'm not sure if San Diego's defense is good enough to make them any sort of postseason threat, but I'd keep an eye on them from here on out. What a game Good one in Jacksonville last night ... rookie QB sensation Ben Roethlisberger led his Steelers to a late victory against the Jaguars, the kings of late victories this season. He and counterpart Byron Leftwich put on a pretty good show (boy I'd love to have that guy on my team) .... Pittsburgh got a last-minute field goal from Jeff Reed, then held their breath as Jags kicker Josh Scobee just missed an incredible 60-yard attempt on the final play. The loss really put a crunch on Jacksonville's playoff hopes, while the only question for the Steelers now is if they will be returning to Alltel Stadium for the Super Bowl .... PSU Pride Former Nittany Lion running back Larry Johnson got his first significant opportunity with the Chiefs on Sunday against the Raiders, and he delivered. Johnson rushed for 118 yards and had two touchdowns (1 reception) while filling in for Priest Holmes and Derrick Blaylock. The much maligned LJ (who earlier in the season was told to "take off his diapers" by coach Dick Vermeil) even received the game ball. "A lot of people in the media said I couldn't do what I did today," said Johnson, the team's top draft pick in 2003. "I knew if I got the opportunity, I could do something." Now let's see him do it again ..... Some other PSU products had pretty good games Sunday, let's take a look: QB Kerry Collins, Raiders: 27 for 41, 343 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs vs. Chiefs CB David Macklin, Cardinals: 5 tackles INT vs. Lions Thursday, December 02, 2004
A few items regarding two of America's most loved/hated sports teams, followed by my own two cents ... free of charge!
First off, some late breaking news: Yankees first baseman Jason Giambi has admitted he used steroids, according to a report in today's San Francisco Chronicle. Giambi admitted to a grand jury in 2003 that he took "undetectable" steroids and human growth hormone from Barry Bonds' trainer, Greg Anderson, that season. I can't say I'm shocked by this ... he's always been pretty ripped and there had been suspicions, but you gave him the benefit of the doubt .... then after last year, when Giambi battled ailment after ailment (knee surgery/back problems/intestinal parasite/pituitary gland tumor, etc), plus implications with him and BALCO (Anderson's company), you had to know something was up. I'm just shocked that it came out ..... and it's only the first wave, this is going to be huge. Hopefully we can get the whole truth though, especially regarding Mr. Bonds, and Major League Baseball will actually take serious steps to rid the league of these users .... As for Giambi, I'm sorry to hear he made this mistake. I liked the guy but there is no excuse for this. His career should be over, but it likely won't be since there are currently no punishments for steroid use in baseball (ridiculous) ... I'd like to see the Yankees try to void his contract just on the principle of the thing, although that probably won't happen either because of how powerful the players' union is. The whole thing is pretty sad ... Anyway, in other news, the Yankees have reportedly broken off talks with the Diamondbacks regarding a possible trade for Randy Johnson, saying Arizona's demands were unrealistic. Apparently, in return for the Big Unit, the D-Backs wanted Javier Vazquez, between $15-18 million, a few prospects, PLUS a pitcher from their "wish list" that the Yankees would need to acquire from another team. It's believed that list included: Barry Zito and Tim Hudson (A's), Scott Kazmir (Devil Rays), Jeremy Bonderman (Tigers), Edwin Jackson (Dodgers), A.J. Burnett (Marlins), Ted Lilly (Blue Jays), Jason Jennings and Shawn Chacon (Rockies) and Kenny Rogers (Rangers). Now, I don't blame the D-Backs for trying to milk the Yanks for all they're worth, because they've got something New York desperately wants. And I also understand that supposedly the franchises aren't exactly best of friends .... plus we don't know how accurate these reports are or if it's some kind of a leak or a ploy by one side or the other in the negotiations. However, these teams have been talking for months, and if Arizona refuses to budge from this ridiculous proposition, then screw them. Consider this: If the Yankees had the means to acquire a good relatively young lefthander like Zito or Lilly or even Kazmir, why not just keep them, along with Vazquez? Granted, Vazquez bombed in the second half and the playoffs last year, but he's too good and too young to give up on, especially for a pitcher that's 41 years of age. I'd love to get Johnson, but not at that price. Hopefully, this is just a plot to put some heat on Arizona's new owner .... maybe he'll come down in his asking price and realize the Yanks are the only team Johnson wants to go to, plus the only team that is willing and able to take him, and also that Johnson will likely end up walking away after this season for nothing. Like I said, I'd love to see the freak in Pinstripes next season, just not at such a huge expense. Now, if the only alternative is getting Pedro Martinez and/or Al Leiter, then all bets are off, and bring on the Big Unit at almost any cost .... Finally, in the world of college football, Notre Dame fired head coach Tyrone Willingham on Tuesday after three seasons (one good, two not so good) .... Supposedly they made the move to go after hotshot Utah coach Urban Meyer, a former Fighting Irish assistant who led his team to an undefeated season this year and is the hottest coaching prospect out there. I'm pretty sure they're going to be hiring him very soon, which is bad news for Penn State - I've had my eye on Meyer as a possible Joe Paterno replacement for a while now, and even though the school probably wouldn't go for it I think he'd be a great fit. Those bastards. Anyway, if ND doesn't get Meyer, or if he doesn't consistently deliver them big-time victories and BCS bowls, they are just going to look silly, much like Nebraska did when it replaced Frank Solich with Bill Callahan this year and flopped big time. Traditional powerhouses like Notre Dame, Nebraska, and yes, even Penn State, just aren't at the same level as the Oklahomas and USCs are right now, and sometimes they have to realize that the hard way. The landscape of the sport has changed: college football is largely seen as a springboard to the NFL by today's high school kids, and whoever can get them prepared faster to go pro has the extreme advantage. Many schools now have national exposure through TV and are recruting talent from a much wider national pool. You can't just get by on name recognition alone anymore, you've got to have the results on the field and the right coach to deliver those results. And plus, the brutal schedule Notre Dame plays every year doesn't help much either. Maybe Willingham wasn't the right guy for ND, but he didn't exactly get much of a chance to prove it. And just yesterday, a bunch of other coaches were axed at places Indiana and Ole Miss and BYU after just a few years on the job ... just goes to show there's a pretty short leash when it comes to winning football games, which equals big dollars for these schools. Notre Dame can give all the lip service it wants to Willingham's great job of "teaching" and improving academics and character .... if he did such a terrific job at all that, then why was he fired? Isn't the main goal at college supposed to be about molding young men's characters and giving them an education, and sports is only secondary? Obviously, it's not. Anyway, I hope Notre Dame (along with PSU) can return to its former gridiron glory but also at least try to maintain a shred of dignity in the process. As for Willingham, I wonder what he would look like in blue and white .... |