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Saturday College Football Open Thread

The picks:

Florida @ Missouri +5, Wisconsin -1 @ Nebraska, Georgia -3 @ Tennessee, Virginia @ Pittsburgh -10, Central Michigan -7 @ Western Michigan, Illinois @ Iowa -11, Maryland @ Ohio State -33, Oklahoma @ Texas+18, Oklahoma State @ West Virginia -6, Ball State +10 @ Northern Illinois, Connecticut @ Central Florida -3, Syracuse PICK @ South Florida, Georgia Tech =7 1/2 @ Clemson, Iowa State @ Texas Tech -10, South Carolina +21 @ LSU, Wake Forest @ Boston College -6, Navy +14 1/2 @ Notre Dame, Middle Tennessee +8 @ Western Kentucky, Tulane +14 1/2 @ Temple, Indiana +7 @ Penn State.

Go Gators!

Open Thread.

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    JACOB deGROM!!!! (5.00 / 3) (#1)
    by kdog on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 09:58:28 AM EST
    Total deGromination....7 innings, no runs, & 13 Ks tying Tom Seaver's Mets postseason record for strikeouts in a game. Amazin', Amazin', Amazin'.

    Tonight it's Thor's turn.

    I'm happy for you, kdog. (none / 0) (#2)
    by caseyOR on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 10:58:58 AM EST
    Hopefully, my Cubbies will find the will to win tonight in St. Louis.

    Parent
    Hopefully, (5.00 / 1) (#4)
    by Zorba on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 11:43:57 AM EST
    They won't.   ;-)
    Go, Cards!

    Parent
    ... Chase Utley should rightly face a lengthy suspension for that late 7th inning hard slide at 2nd which fractured the leg of the Mets' Ruben Tejada.

    But he won't, because coming as it does on the heels of an even worse slide by the Cubs' Chris Coghlan that sidelined Pittsburgh's Jung Ho Kang for the season with a broken leg and wrecked knee, the folks who run Major League Baseball are probably going to do what's they've always done every time this type of incident and injury has happened over the last 45 years -- nothing.

    MLB won't change the rule to mandate that the runner has to slide at the bag, rather than at the feet and legs of the opposing inflielder, which is how the game's played at the collegiate and high school levels. Rather, they'll just shrug their shoulders and look the other way.

    Shameful.

    Parent

    Yes, that was horrible (none / 0) (#38)
    by ruffian on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 06:39:42 AM EST
    I always thought the rule was that you could not deliberately slide at the player instead of the bag. If that is not the rule,  the rule needs to change.

    I didn't see the Cubs play you referenced, but I trust your opinion on it.  Not the way I want baseball to be played.

    Parent

    MLB changed a rule to protect (none / 0) (#48)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 11:50:25 AM EST
    the catcher.  And rejected a change re second base. Maybe now though. Remember when the Minnesota catcher tagged out a hitter based on the catcher's superior knowledge of the MLB rules?

    Parent
    My oh-so-vivid memory of watching this play may (none / 0) (#50)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 12:09:12 PM EST
    be incorrect though. Can't find it.  

    Parent
    Maybe: (none / 0) (#51)
    by oculus on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 12:23:35 PM EST
    Speaking as a Mets fan (none / 0) (#63)
    by TrevorBolder on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 08:08:50 PM EST
    Thought Utley went over the line on that play,

    Interesting take from ESPN...Biggio and Madden

    "I just hope the game doesn't change the way they did with the home-plate thing. I hate this thing back here," said Biggio, pointing behind home plate at Minute Maid Park. "I'm not a big fan of it. This game is played by big men. They're fast, and unfortunately sometimes things are going to happen.

    "It's like every time somebody gets hurt, we're changing the rules. They do it in college, where you have to slide straight into the base. I think that's absolutely, 100 percent correct, because you have a bunch of amateur players who are playing a little kamikaze at times. You have to control those guys. Guys in the minor leagues and the big leagues understand the way you're supposed to slide. If you don't slide the right way, usually your pitcher will take care of that."
    Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon also said he's not in favor of a rules change.

    "The rule's already in place," Maddon said. "That's the part that really staggers me. If, in fact, the umpire thinks he did it on purpose, it should have been a double play. And beyond that, if you wanted to attach any kind of penalty, it would almost be like the equivalent of the flagrant foul in basketball. ... But that's the first time all year something like that happened. I'm not into over-legislation of anything, but there's already a mechanism in place to take care of that, as far as I'm concerned."

    Maddon rejected arguments that because there's a "Buster Posey rule" that protects catchers from collisions, infielders need a similar rule.

    "I hate it," he said of the Posey rule. "I don't like it at all. I think the rule at the plate is ridiculous, and that needs to go away. It was one play and it was based on bad technique; that's why the catcher got hurt. And that play right there [involving Utley and Tejada], there was only one play to be had, and that was one out at second base. I'm not defending the slide, but I'm saying there was only one out to be had there. Just an awkward situation that doesn't happen very often."


    Parent

    Utley has been suspended for 2 games (none / 0) (#64)
    by CoralGables on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 08:40:53 PM EST
    Having not watched the play I'll withhold judgement.

    Parent
    Of course with the right to appeal (none / 0) (#65)
    by CoralGables on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 09:10:14 PM EST
    My assumption is that he will continue playing through the series.

    Parent
    From what I understand, ... (none / 0) (#69)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 02:20:25 AM EST
    ... Utley is benched for Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS. Of course, that hurts my Dodgers, but that's the point. It was a dirty play.

    Parent
    The Mets wuz robbed. (none / 0) (#66)
    by desertswine on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 09:48:59 PM EST
    Utley should've been called out.  And the runner to first base should have also been called out due to the interference.

    Parent
    My entire family agrees that we want the Cubs to (none / 0) (#37)
    by ruffian on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 06:35:15 AM EST
    get to the World Series by beating the Cards and the Mets, so here's hoping you come back strong in NY.

    Parent
    158 familes: $176 Million in campaign donations (5.00 / 1) (#3)
    by Mr Natural on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 11:15:30 AM EST
    Just 158 families have provided nearly half of the early money for efforts to capture the White House.

    Like most of the ultrawealthy, the new donor elite is deeply private. Very few of those contacted were willing to speak about their contributions or their political views. Many donations were made from business addresses or post office boxes, or wound through limited liability corporations or trusts, exploiting the new avenues opened up by Citizens United, which gave corporate entities far more leeway to spend money on behalf of candidates. Some contributors, for reasons of privacy or tax planning, are not listed as the owners of the homes where they live, further obscuring the family and social ties that bind them.

    Bradley Podliska ...bad news for Repubs (5.00 / 2) (#43)
    by christinep on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 09:46:15 AM EST
    Bradley Podliska, once an investigator for the Repubs' Benghazi committee, has gone public...Podliska is very publicly claiming (and suing) that he was fired as an investigator hired by the committee because he would not simply focus on Hillary Clinton as a target.  Podliska, who has the rank of major in the military reserves, states in articles carried by NYTimes, WashPo, HuffPo, etc. that the investigation had become a mechanism for going after Clinton solely.

    Note: Bradley Podliska calls the Benghazi Committee activities an example of waste, fraud, & abuse of taxpayers' funds.  Strikingly, Podliska is a conservative Republican who will vote for the Republican nominee for President.

    Kevin McCarthy, now investigator Podliska, and .....  Timing is, indeed, everything.

    This whole (none / 0) (#49)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 11:57:12 AM EST
    thing has become a complete embarrassment to the GOP yet they are doubling down. Of course, when your goal is to fleece the rubes why would you shut down something that bringing cash for you?

    Trey Gowdy has completely trashed what little reputation he had which wasn't much to begin with.

    And voters are supposed to vote for Republicans when they have shown time after time they will waste tax payer money on nonsense investigations like this one and Whitewater?

    Parent

    It is doubtful that (5.00 / 1) (#52)
    by KeysDan on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 01:31:26 PM EST
    the GOP is embarrassed about anything.  That would require a sense of decency that is clearly no where in sight--these matters just roll off.

      Look at the House dysfunction and chaos.  Out of the 247 Republican members of the House, they can not find the leadership necessary to Speaker. Discussion has included going outside of the House membership to pluck Gingrich out of retirement. Now that would seem embarrassing, but, of course, no. Surprisingly, the Republicans have not looked to Coach Hastert, after all he holds the record for longest serving Republican Speaker. Perhaps, he is tied up..

      And, the right wing NYT columnist Ross Douhat is advocating for Mike Lee. The perfect choice, being a "partner in crime" as he admits, with Ted Cruz in government shutdown debates.  Douhat does recognize that Lee (R. UT)is a US senator, but he is undaunted--noting there is no rule, although no precedent, for electing a senator for speaker.

    Douthat does see Paul Ryan as a possibility for speaker, being a right wing ideologue, but he is not always a reliable bomb-thrower: having voted for no child left behind, Medicare Part D, TARP, and worst of all, is too "soft" on immigration.

    Parent

    Meanwhile (5.00 / 1) (#55)
    by FlJoe on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 03:16:36 PM EST
    over to Gowdy's side show tent, Ex-staffer: Benghazi committee pursuing 'partisan investigation' targeting Hillary Clinton
    Maj. Bradley Podliska, an intelligence officer in the Air Force Reserve who describes himself as a conservative Republican, told CNN that the committee trained its sights almost exclusively on Clinton after the revelation last March that she used a private email server during her tenure as secretary of state. That new focus flipped a broad-based probe of the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi on September 11, 2012, into what Podliska described as "a partisan investigation."
     Sounds disgruntled but legit.

    Got to love this

    Podliska alleges that the committee's staff director told him he was fired for three reasons: using work email to send a social invitation to colleagues, assigning an "unauthorized project" to an intern, and allegedly putting classified information on an unclassified system.
     OMG, Call the FBI! Seize the servers!

    That is if you can spare any time from your overworked staff,

    He said half the staff was "surfing the Web all day long" and said "there was plenty of drinking during the work day."

    And while he was reprimanded for sharing an invitation to an event with his colleagues via work email, he said a group of staffers had set up a "gun buying club" for "chrome-plated, monogrammed Tiffany-style Glock nine millimeters" and that staffers would spend "hours at a time" designing the guns.



    Parent
    I wonder if there is a 3rd (none / 0) (#57)
    by christinep on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 03:59:58 PM EST
    As I noted about Podliska above, timing can make the difference.  Adding Major Podliska's claim following so close in time to Kevin McCarthy's words has a presumed credibility to it.  

    With so many Committee players, staff, friends, potential eavesdroppers & bystanders, probability increases that another reveal might be in the wings.

    The Benghaziii Unravel and the overall Repub Chaos--while parallel stories so far--may converge in public view if they continue in the forefront of the news.  IMO, the more both stories are written/talked about, the more likely that each will deepen the other as a Tale of Republican Folly and Loss.

    Parent

    And there's this (none / 0) (#72)
    by Nemi on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 06:50:41 AM EST
    "Had CNN contacted the Committee regarding its interview with this staffer before it rushed to air his sensationalistic and fabulist claims, it could have fully questioned him about his unsubstantiated claims. But that is the difference between journalism as practiced by CNN, and the fact-centric investigation being conducted by this Committee," Gowdy said in the statement.


    Parent
    Baa waa waa (none / 0) (#73)
    by Ga6thDem on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 07:11:32 AM EST
    Fact centric? Gowdy is desperately spinning in that quote.

    Parent
    Yes (none / 0) (#53)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 02:21:52 PM EST
    Ryan's record when George W. Bush was president has always been problematic. It was a problem for him as Romney's VP. I can see not wanting him as speaker merely for the fact that he was the VP on a losing presidential ticket.

    When I was talking about embarrassment, I was talking about how the GOP has become a national embarrassment to anyone outside the wingnut welfare crowd.

    Parent

    This quote (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by lentinel on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 10:25:20 AM EST
    from Martin O'Malley:

    "Leadership is not putting a finger into the wind and waiting for the polls to tell you it's safe to do so. Leadership is forging a new consensus based on the principles we share as a people that will actually give our children a more just and more prosperous future."

    makes him seem like a pompous nitwit to me.

    Obviously, the first part is aimed at HRC.

    But the second part, his attempt to define leadership in what he perceives as his own image,
    spoken in gobbledegookese, makes me want to reply in rather impolite street language what he can go and do to himself.

    Yeah...I hate the pompous statements about what (5.00 / 1) (#45)
    by ruffian on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 11:00:28 AM EST
    leadership is...does he have examples of how he has forged
    a new consensus based on the principles we share as a people that will actually give our children a more just and more prosperous future.
     ???

    If not, it is just talk.

    Parent

    I was going to say (none / 0) (#67)
    by sj on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 09:55:20 PM EST
    that he "led"  in making Baltimore a war zone for people of color, but even that isn't true. He was following NY's "Broken Windows" policy.

    He was good on the death penalty though. And a few other things that Anne has detailed previously.

    Parent

    You're right... (none / 0) (#70)
    by lentinel on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 05:28:45 AM EST
    It was the word salad...

    It just felt as if he was talking to us plebes from on high -- and it really put me off.

    Parent

    Okay, I see (5.00 / 1) (#68)
    by sj on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 09:56:43 PM EST
    You were pointing out the word salad.

    Parent
    "makes him seem pompous" (none / 0) (#71)
    by Anne on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 06:42:57 AM EST
    What does his record make him look like?

    Oh, what - you didn't bother to check that out?

    Huh.

    So, you just went with his tone, when you could just as easily have said to yourself, "hey, I wonder what this guy's ever done - can he put his money where his mouth is?"

    The man does have a record, both in the City Council, as mayor of Baltimore and two terms as governor of Maryland.

    I could enlighten you, but what fun would that be?  You'd rather go with his tone, than find out or even acknowledge that he does know a little something about leadership.

    It's not all sunshine and roses, but on his watch some very important, and progressive, things were accomplished, some of them at a time when others were dithering or equivocating.

    I'll leave you to explore on your own, and look forward to your picking all the negative stuff out in yet another episode of Down in the Dumps with lentinel.

    ::rolling eyes::


    Parent

    What can I say? (none / 0) (#76)
    by lentinel on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 09:29:05 AM EST
    Tone matters to me.

    On two counts, his statement bothers me.

    One - if he's going to criticize HRC, as I believe is an inevitable conclusion from the first part of his statement about being led by the polls, he should just say it. Why generalize? I just don't go for that.

    Two - this is the second time I have been aware of him from reports or interviews. The first time I saw someone - a person - ask him about his stand on the legalization of marijuana. He brushed off the questioner by saying that it was not the topic at hand. His manner put me off. That kind of thing counts for me. The brush-off had the smack of elitism for me.

    I believe, from what you are saying, that he may have a sterling record - is a great leader - and has accomplished a great deal as governor. Maybe he would be a terrific president.

    What I am reporting though, is a visceral reaction from an uninformed citizen (me) who this man (Martin O'Malley) is presumably trying to interest in his candidacy.

    If I am the audience he is trying to reach, someone possibly interested in candidacies other than those of HRC or Sanders or the other two... I would suggest another approach.

    I will also add that I think it is the responsibility of the candidate to inform me of her or his many accomplishments and vision for the future - both in domestic and foreign affairs. That stimulates me to do the research - seeking the enlightenment you say would be available to me were I to extend myself to this effort.

    Maybe he will do so in the forthcoming debate.

    Parent

    Given that the media is more or less (none / 0) (#79)
    by Anne on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 10:27:35 AM EST
    ignoring O'Malley, how would you propose he inform you of his various positions?

    Oh, I know - you could go to his website!

    I get the whole tone thing, I do; I think O'Malley can come across as if he's above it all, and I can see where that would turn off someone who isn't more familiar with his record.

    But if this election is as important to you as you say it is, and the media's not cooperating - as usual - in informing the public, then it has to fall to each of us to do our own legwork on the candidates, don't you think?

    And for what it's worth, I don't have a problem with someone telling the media what is or isn't the subject of his comments and taking control of the message; when you let the media control the conversation, it's never good!

    Parent

    I respect your (none / 0) (#84)
    by lentinel on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 11:37:17 AM EST
    opinion - and I will be watching the debate with great interest.

    Parent
    Hey BTD... (5.00 / 1) (#47)
    by MileHi Hawkeye on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 11:47:13 AM EST
    I hope you learned your lesson yesterday and will henceforth refrain from wagering on Iowa.  

    Go Hawks!!!

    Lt. Col. Mark Visger, (5.00 / 1) (#58)
    by KeysDan on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 05:12:54 PM EST
    who conducted an Article 32 hearing that reviewed evidence against Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl be referred to a lower-level court-martial and he receive neither jail time nor a punitive discharge.

     The proposed military system is similar to a civil court  that handles misdemeanor charges--that limits the maximum punishment to reduction of rank, a bad conduct discharge and a short jail term, although incarceration is not being sought. The final decision will be up to Gen. Robert Abrams, commanding general of the US Army Forces Command.

    Sgt. Bergdahl was captured by the Taliban afer leaving his post on June 30, 2009 and held until last year when he was exchanged for five Taliban commanders. Military prosecutors charged Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy. A charge that could carry life imprisonment. The evidence did not support the charges, and showed  that Bergdahl was inhumanely treated as a prisoner, he gave no information, and tried to escape.

    The defense attorneys have asked that Col Visger's report be made public in its entirety "so Americans can be fully informed of the findings."  

    Not that the findings will change the minds of some, for example, Donald Trump said this week, that Bergdahl should have been executed and called him a "no-good traitor."  

     So, we have the range: the Colonel who conducted the hearing (no jail) to the former  military high school cadet (kill him). From the careful gathering and evaluation of evidence to disdain for facts and the superiority of ignorance.

    I think the military has a very big (none / 0) (#86)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 02:15:30 PM EST
    Problem on its hands with the rumor that an Afghan child was killed by coalition forces, but it was not properly reported...and that led to Bergdahl snapping/walking out to make the needed report to someone who would listen. They have silenced everyone who knows anything about what led up to Bergdahl leaving his post.

    Bergdahl's lawyers have something not revealed that they are using, and I place my bets on whatever the heck happened in that incident. And because it wasn't properly reported, the military doesn't  want that whole story out in the public realm.

    The military will do everything in its power to imprint on soldiers that command is obeyed first, even when impropriety has occurred. You are supposed to just sit on it, if you bring it up later though you can be charged for just sitting on it even though not sitting on it could have led to you having to defy command. It can be a horrible catch 22 for the low ranking.

    I don't know who will win in this standoff, but Bowe's attorneys have something powerful in play.

    Parent

    Yes, it seems (none / 0) (#87)
    by KeysDan on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 02:55:54 PM EST
    there is lots going on here. Of course, the mainstay political argument boils down to Obama--the agreement to swap five Taliban detainees held at Guantanamo  and the opportunity for the right wingers and their talk radio jerks to launch tirades based on the usual and customary zilch.

    The Army's own investigating officer, Maj. Gen Kenneth Dahl, whose report forms the basis for the prosecution, testified that no troops died while specifically searching for Berghahl.

    General Dahl also denied that there was no evidence Berghahl had intended to defect or aid the enemy.  Moreover, General Dahl described Bergdahl as a truthful but delusional soldier who left his base intending to hike 18 miles to a larger base so he could inform a  senior commander of what he thought were serious leadership problems with his unit that were endangering his platoon.

      General Dahl also testified that jail time would be inappropriate.  

    Eugene Fidell, Sergeant Berdahl's lawyer, a professor of military law at Yale, has asked that the entire findings be released. Terrence Russell, a top Pentagon debriefer of prisoners of war testified at the hearing, that Bergdahl endured the worst treatment and torture of any American captive since Vietnam. Of course, Bergdahl does not matter to some--life, execution..as long as Obama can be criticized. Or, as you mention, the chain of command can be served.

    Parent

    Truthful but delusional? (5.00 / 3) (#89)
    by Militarytracy on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 04:32:58 PM EST
    I gotta chuckle. How is he delusional? Can someone really be both? Delusionally truthful? He was exactly the idealist the Army advertises for on the tube. He is what they say they want, and when they get them they destroy them.

    I suppose all idealists must be broken. But who advertises seeking them out like the military does? And idealists live by golden rules until you grind it out of them, they aren't good at fudging. And the code soldiers are told they live by doesn't allow for fudging either. When an idealist shows up in a war zone, the military has its work cut out being all it's supposed to be, playing by the rules that it has set. Sad sometimes. There is no perfection though.

    Something is up with Doctors Without Borders getting hit too. The command had the coordinates, always does, someone effed up monumentally.

    Parent

    John McCain is disgraceful. (5.00 / 3) (#91)
    by KeysDan on Tue Oct 13, 2015 at 02:38:52 PM EST
    Campaigning in New Hampshire for Lindsey, McCain, Chair of the Senate Armed Services Committe,stated flat-out that Sgt Bergdahl was "clearly a deserter." And, as Chair of the committee, "if it comes out that he has no punishment, we're going to have a hearing in the Senate Armed Services Committee.  McCain insisted that, although he made up his mind, despite the Army investigation and hearings, that "I am not prejudging, OK, ..."

    Mr. Fidell, Bergdahl's attorney said in a comment filed on Monday before the Court of Appeals for the Army, that Senator McCain's comments constitute unlawful Congressional influence. The four-star general who will ultimately decide the fate of Bergdahl will face a hearing for his next job before McCain's committee. McCain is improperly seeking to influence the outcome of of a major military prosecution.  Sir, do you have no decency?

    Parent

    correction, (none / 0) (#88)
    by KeysDan on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 02:58:32 PM EST
    General Dahl also denied that there was ANY evidence Bergdahl intended to defect or aid the enemy.   (paragraph 3, line one)

    Parent
    Northwestern at Michigan? (none / 0) (#5)
    by oculus on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 12:04:27 PM EST


    Hail to the Victors (none / 0) (#7)
    by CoralGables on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 12:07:30 PM EST
    Whoever that might be :)

    Parent
    Half time: (none / 0) (#15)
    by oculus on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 04:21:22 PM EST
    Northwestern 0
    Michigan 28

    Parent
    No line (none / 0) (#12)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 02:50:26 PM EST
    some injury issues.

    Parent
    What's this? (none / 0) (#18)
    by oculus on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 04:50:57 PM EST
    BTD (none / 0) (#6)
    by CoralGables on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 12:05:48 PM EST
    I don't remember you picking either side in a Gator game yet this year. Why are you messing with success?

    Go Gators!

    Ive piciked against them every game (none / 0) (#11)
    by Big Tent Democrat on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 02:50:10 PM EST
    Excellent (5.00 / 1) (#14)
    by CoralGables on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 04:10:07 PM EST
    I feel more confident now :)

    Parent
    I (none / 0) (#16)
    by FlJoe on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 04:22:43 PM EST
    see, if they lose at least you can buy a beer to cry in with your "winnings".

    Parent
    Poor USC! (none / 0) (#8)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 01:16:18 PM EST
    Once upon the time, the Trojans were a preseason Top Ten pick at No. 6, and the consensus choice by simply everyone supposedly in the know about college football to win the Pac-12 championship and be a slam-dunk selection for the four-team invitational known as the college football playoffs.

    Fast forward to October 8, 2015, where the scoreboard at the Los Angeles Coliseum reads "4th Quarter," "0:00" and "Washington 17, USC 12," thus signifying the obviously overrated Trojans' second straight home loss in conference play to a double-digit underdog -- cue the UW Husky Marching Band -- and further begging the following questions:

    How does Coach Steve Sarkisian even make it out of L.A. alive come December, should the now 3-2 Trojans finally finish at 7-5, 6-6 or -- Heaven forbid! -- even 5-7, which is suddenly a very real prospect since they still have to play Notre Dame, Utah, Cal, Arizona, Oregon and UCLA? For that matter, how does USC AD Pat Haden avoid the long knives soon to be unsheathed, as well?

    After all, Haden was the guy who pointedly chose to ignore the remarkable job done by interim head coach Ed Orgeron under challenging circumstances in 2013, and instead hired Sarkisian away from the very same Washington program which just put the kibosh on the Trojans' dreams of a return to national championship contention.

    Beware the wrath of an all-powerful USC Alumni Association whose collective visions of gridiron glory are once again eclipsed by the Bruin renaissance taking place right across town in Westwood, under UCLA head coach Jim Mora. They will have their pound of flesh.

    Ah, the drama and spectacle that is college football, where events offstage can sometimes be much more interesting and entertaining than what's actually happening on the field of play.

    Aloha.

    Good write-up (none / 0) (#9)
    by CoralGables on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 01:30:28 PM EST
    Except Ed Orgeron was so highly regarded that 20 months later he still hasn't been offered a head coaching job by anyone. He is however back to being a D-Line coach.

    Parent
    But Ed Orgeron had not only earned ... (none / 0) (#13)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 03:22:14 PM EST
    ... due consideration for the head coach's job on a permant basis but also a fair shot at it, and it's pretty apparent that he was really accorded neither by USC administrators. He took over a troubled Trojan football team in middle of the 2013 season that was clearly on a downward spiral into oblivion, and had coached them to 10 victories despite the considerable headwinds.

    I mean, so what if the Trojans had failed to beat either Notre Dame and UCLA that year, which Haden had cited as part of his rationale when hiring Steve Sarkisian. Coach Orgeron is a proven recruiter, and his remarkable accomplishment at USC under dire conditions certainly demonstrated that he has the personal qualities and attributes necessary to be an outstanding head coach. And anyone who couldn't see that really has no business being in a position to make such personnel decisions.

    But more to my point, Haden's selection of Sarkisian -- who was an unremarkable 35-29 in five seasons at Washington -- is indicative of a corrosive culture at USC that's still basking in the faded glory of Sarkisian's mentor, Pete Carroll. It's this very same culture that prompted USC to hire Lane Kiffin, another Carroll protégé and otherwise decent coach who was in way over his head in L.A.

    Evidently, the Trojan faithful prefer to remember all the praise and prominence of USC football garnered during Carroll's tenure while conveniently ignoring the fact that he had also effectively mortgaged the team's future, by risking and incurring the wrath of NCAA investigators and enforcers in order to obtain the brass ring.

    The red flags about USC's actual prospects this season should have been noticed by the media's pundits and prognosticators this past August, when Coach Sarkisian showed up publicly intoxicated at a preseason booster event, dropping F-bombs and slurring his words, which prompted school officials to then quickly hustle him off the stage. That incident naturally raised a lot of doubts about so much more than merely his coaching abilities.

    Sarkisian did himself no favors in the obligatory press conference he called afterward to apologize for that night, by first admitting that he had mixed alcohol with pain medication that night, and then adamantly denying any suggestions that he perhaps had a problem with either or both substances.

    And for their part, Haden and USC administrators then further compounded the obvious issues posed by this matter, by announcing after this embarrassing public spectacle that henceforth, alcohol in the USC locker room would no longer be allowed. This, of course, left everyone to wonder why alcohol had ever been allowed there in the first place.

    USC's history and pedigree as one of the marquee names in college football has blinded a lot of people to the fact that the Trojan athletic department has become a very troubled program as a whole, with longstanding issues and concerns apparently far beyond the ability of any one athletic director to address and control.

    Everyone at USC needs to re-read the portion of the NCAA report regarding the university's failure to exercise proper institutional control over its entire athletic program, because the NCAA probation was not just for football, but also impacted men's basketball and other sports. Investigators even cited serious violations by golf and tennis coaches!

    This has become a pervasive institutional problem for which everyone in the USC family, from administrators to alumni to boosters, bears no small share of the responsibility for having allowed matters to even devolve to this point. Steve Sarkisian is but a single symptom of a major systemic illness.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    UPDATE: USC Coach Steve Sarkisian ... (none / 0) (#60)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 05:44:43 PM EST
    ... has been placed on an indefinite leave of absence today after not showing up at Sunday practice, Athletic Director Pat Haden has announced. Offensive coordinator Clay Helton has been named interim coach.

    It's pretty apparent at this point that Sarkisian has some very serious personal issues with which he need to attend. I wish him all the best in his attempts to resolve them.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    UPDATE, Part II: According to an ... (none / 0) (#61)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 05:53:51 PM EST
    ... unidentified source, Sarkisian arrived at the USC athletic complex this morning, but was apparently asked to leave by Haden because he was inebriated. A player told ESPN's Shelley Smith that the coach "showed up lit to meetings again today."

    Hoo boy. Not good.

    Parent

    ... not wait until December to wield its long knives, probing the public record of Coach Sarkisian's time at the University of Washington to create a portrait of a man who'd fight for his right to party:

    "The Times interviewed more than two dozen people knowledgeable about Sarkisian's time at Washington, and reviewed hundreds of pages of documents. What emerged is a portrait of a man who favored Patron Silver tequila or Coors Light and frequented a handful of Seattle-area bars, typically accompanied by staff members, and didn't hesitate to drink -- early -- while traveling."

    For his part, Times columnist Bill Plaschke doesn't hesitate to lay the primary responsibility for this suddenly-very public fiasco at the feet of senior USC administrators, Athletic Director Pat Haden in particular:

    "Shame on Athletic Director Pat Haden for waiting this long to give Sarkisian help, and shame on USC President Max Nikias for allowing him to wait. Seriously, what were they waiting for? Why was Sarkisian allowed to coach a football game this season without at least taking a leave of absence to be evaluated? Haden basically dragged an unstable coach from the 'Salute to Troy' stage directly to a football field, propped him up, and held his breath, and shame on him for that."

    Plaschke then proceeds to skewer Haden, calling for him to either step down from his post or be fired by President Nikias:

    "This is about leadership. It's time to acknowledge that the Trojans' athletic department has none. By allowing Sarkisian's illness to fester for seven weeks in full view of his players, tearing down a man while tearing up a season, Haden was derelict in his duties. His error in judgment in dealing with the fallout from the 'Salute to Troy' was as bad as Sarkisian's error in judgment at the actual event. Moving forward, it's difficult to see how Haden can continue to be trusted to run the USC athletic department." (Emphasis is mine.)

    Aloha.

    Parent

    UPDATE, Part IV: USC announced today ... (none / 0) (#90)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 05:29:21 PM EST
    ... that Steve Sarkisian has been terminated as head football coach, effective immediately.

    Well, that settles that. Hopefully, this termination may prove a blessing in disguise for the embattled now-former Trojans coach, and allow him to focus upon regaining his own health and well being without any of the pressures that a high-profile job brings to one's life.

    I wish him Godspeed, and hope that he gets well soon.

    Parent

    Texas +18 looks like a good call (none / 0) (#10)
    by ragebot on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 01:51:37 PM EST
    Not so sure about Indiana +7

    I wouldn't a thought (none / 0) (#17)
    by oculus on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 04:23:21 PM EST
    Central Michigan v. Western Michigan would attract gamblers.

    Did the Turks shoot down a Russian jet (none / 0) (#19)
    by ragebot on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 05:07:03 PM EST
    link

    unconfirmed but early

    The bigger story out of Turkey today ... (none / 0) (#21)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 07:08:57 PM EST
    ... has been the terror bombing of a peace rally in Ankara, the deadliest such attack in that country's history, which as of this writing has left 97 dead and scores injured.

    It's been nearly nine hours since the first reports surfaced of a Russian warplane being downed by the Turks. But from what I see, such stories have been almost exclusive to Britain's Fleet Street tabloids, with the sole exception of the Washington Examiner, and have yet to be confirmed by any government agencies or the parties in question.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    Tennesee-Georgia (none / 0) (#20)
    by FlJoe on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 05:18:10 PM EST
    Turning into a good one.

    38 to 31 (none / 0) (#23)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 07:45:49 PM EST
    and Butch has escaped...for another week.

    They have 6 left. If they don't go 5 and 1 to end 8 and 4 he should be gone.

    Parent

    No dog in that fight (none / 0) (#27)
    by ragebot on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 09:57:23 PM EST
    I was sad to see Chubb go out the way he did.  Hope he is able to come back.

    Parent
    9:59 3Q: Washington St. 21, Oregon 17. (none / 0) (#22)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 07:15:56 PM EST
    The Ducks were up 17-7 early, but now find themselves in a real tussle with the Cougars in Eugene.

    The Ducks lose 45-38 in OT. (none / 0) (#26)
    by caseyOR on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 09:06:03 PM EST
    The Cougars are victorious at Autzen. This is, I believe, what is called a rebuilding year for the Ducks.

    Parent
    Seriously, the best team in Oregon this season may well be Portland State of the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings knocked off Washington State in the season opener at Pullman, 24-17, and today made a statement with a 66-7 thrashing of North Texas, the most lopsided victory by an FCS (Div. 1A) team over an FBS (Div. 1) team in NCAA history.

    The lopsided loss immediately cost North Texas head coach Dan McCarney his job, which is hardly surprising since (a) it was UNT's homecoming game, and (b) UNT had actually paid Portland State $425,000 plus expenses to make the trip to Denton, TX -- and all they got in return was a lighter bank account and national humiliation.

    Aloha.

    Parent

    The dreary Ducks... (5.00 / 2) (#41)
    by fishcamp on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 08:32:44 AM EST
    I'm going with Portland State, which is my actual alma mater.  I transferred up from U of O so I could be closer to Mt. Hood for  skiing.  Then I moved to Aspen to try out for the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley.  That was also the year I graduated from college.  There was a tremendous amount of driving between ski races and school, in my trusty '53 Chevy.  It was good to be young and fearless.  

    Parent
    Boo! (none / 0) (#24)
    by Zorba on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 08:23:34 PM EST
    Boo, Cubbies!

    Now now, Zorba. (5.00 / 1) (#25)
    by caseyOR on Sat Oct 10, 2015 at 09:02:10 PM EST
    There ae more games to play. Although I do hope the next two games play out much like tonight's.

    Interesting factoid I learned today-- this is the first time the Cubs and the Cards have ever played each other in the post-season.

    Parent

    Hey now..... (none / 0) (#36)
    by ruffian on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 06:28:16 AM EST
    I realize you didn't thane many 'Go Cards' moments, so I will let you slide at boo'ing the Cubbies!

    Parent
    Why my buttons get pressed... (none / 0) (#46)
    by ruffian on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 11:06:23 AM EST
    I know fan behavior has changed a lot since I was  a kid going to games at Wrigley...but I clearly remember my dad, who would not have won any 'father of the year' awards  on the best of days, telling us it was bad sportsmanship to boo the opposing team. You cheer your own team as loud and obnoxiously as you want...and you could even call umpires and your own players bums....but boo'ing the other team was prohibited.

    I still cringe at some of the stuff I hear at live sporting events these days...I little 'na na na na na hey hey goodbye' is about all I am comfortable with!

    Parent

    Well, I will say (none / 0) (#56)
    by Zorba on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 03:17:02 PM EST
    Much as I want the Cards to win, if the "dreaded" happens and the Cubs do go all the way to the National League title, I will root for them in the World Series.  National League, all the way!
    My St. Louis family members, rabid Cardinals fans that they were/are, were never ones to "hate" the Cubs, as was "supposed" to be the case with the so-called "hated rivals" meme that the sports writers (and many fans) always touted.
    But then, we had, and still have, many close relatives in Chicago, and we spent a lot of time visiting there when I was young, and the Chicago relatives spent a lot of time with us.  We were back and forth all the time.  
    And I went to a whole lot of Cards games in Busch Stadium when I was growing up.  Our father never would have allowed us to boo the other team, any other team, before, during, or after a game.  He considered it rude, and unsportsmanlike.  But I feel okay about teasing you Cubs fans on the Internet.   ;-)

    Parent
    Police State: 1 Tamir Rice: 0 (none / 0) (#28)
    by Mr Natural on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 12:01:03 AM EST
    Looks like they based their decision on facts (none / 0) (#29)
    by McBain on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 01:14:00 AM EST
    not on emotion. As tragic as the outcome was, the shooting officer (Loehmann) appeared to be in an impossible situation.  I don't see how a reasonable jury could convict him.

    Parent
    Since "the facts" would presumbably be (5.00 / 2) (#40)
    by Anne on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 08:03:55 AM EST
    the same when presented to a jury, what you're really saying here is that you don't trust the system, that some cases are best left out of the judicial process lest different results be reached.

    As if an investigation of law enforcement by a law enforcement body could not possibly have contained a scintilla of emotion, right?  

    The public had a right to judge the actions of the police officers, especially in light of the shooter's history; they had a right to know and decide whether a police officer with a demonstrated inability to exercise proper judgment and a questionable mental history, had once again failed.

    Funny that you don't ever address the emotion of a police officer with a loaded weapon in his hand, making apparently emotional decisions that cost someone his life.

    No, the only emotion you're ever concerned with is the emotion that might come into play in holding a police officer accountable for his actions.

    Parent

    Lots of wrong assumptions, Anne (2.00 / 1) (#62)
    by McBain on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 07:08:48 PM EST
    Not every case should go to trial.  It doesn't look like there's enough evidence of wrongdoing by Loehmann in this one.  You can't blame him for what the driver did or what the dispatcher did or didn't do.

    Parent
    Dude, You are Like... (5.00 / 3) (#74)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 08:59:23 AM EST
    ...the ghost cop apologizer, you just show up at any mention of a cop shooting a black person.

    You could save yourself a lot of trouble and just copy and paste your reply, it's not like you have anything to add, beyond 'the cop is always innocent'.

    For the record, Ohio is an open carry state, so even if the kid had AR-15 he was in his legal rights to do so.

    Parent

    The reports' findings are limited in scope. (none / 0) (#33)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 03:17:57 AM EST
    "The sole purpose of this report is to review the use of deadly force by CPD Officer Timothy Loehmann from the perspective of the United States Constitution. No opinion is rendered with respect to Ohio state criminal law or [Cleveland Police Dept.] policy."
    - Kimberly A. Crawford, Supervisory Special Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Legal Instruction Unit (Ret.)

    Special Agent Crawford also noted the following:

    "The only constitutional provision at issue when law enforcement officers seize an individual by using deadly force is the first clause of the Fourth Amendment[.] It is significant that the Fourth Amendment does not require a law enforcement officer to be right when conducting a seizure. Rather, the standard is one of objective reasonableness." (Emphasis is mine.)

    [...]

    "The question of whether Officers Garmback and Loehmann could have avoided the situation had they used better tactics is one that is worthy of consideration from the prospective of policy and training for future events. However, it should not be considered when determining the constitutionality of the use of force. It could be argued that the officers enhanced that risk by entering the park and stopping their vehicle so close to a potentially armed subject. However, this type of 'armchair quarterbacking' has no place in determining the reasonableness of an officers use of force, and is exactly the type of analysis the Sixth Circuit Court of Appels (sic)warned against in Smith v. Freeland[.]"

    Aloha.

    Parent

    106 degrees (none / 0) (#30)
    by MKS on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 01:29:38 AM EST
    yesterday.  WTF?

    The air conditioning in my car did not work, so I just rolled down the windows.   I got home and had heat rash on my neck and back.....

    Where are the climate deniers' snowballs when you need them?

    Where are you? (none / 0) (#42)
    by Ga6thDem on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 08:56:35 AM EST
    Years ago when I lived in middle Georgia our temps would get that high and with the humidity they would have advisories for you to literally stay inside

    Parent
    SoCal (none / 0) (#59)
    by MKS on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 05:38:32 PM EST
    And it has not really rained in three years.....

    Everything messed up "weather" wise for years now......

    Parent

    Just Be Glad... (none / 0) (#75)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 09:01:40 AM EST
    heh (none / 0) (#54)
    by jimakaPPJ on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 03:15:17 PM EST
    We were about 15 degrees below normal...

    As you tell us...it's weather.

    Parent

    heh (5.00 / 1) (#78)
    by jondee on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 09:55:55 AM EST
    and people who habitually say "heh" as if it were an actual word, tend to be about 15 I.Q points below normal.

    But, as U.S.A Today documented recently, folks on the Right tend to have a little more trouble readin' and writin' and speakin' at folks.

    heh

    Parent

    Apparently Real Scientists... (5.00 / 2) (#80)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 10:28:55 AM EST
    ...don't like being asociated with the kooks who think climate change due to human beings is a hoax.

    Anyone who has a degree in journalism will remember sitting through classes where the Associated Press' (AP) Stylebook was regarded as the bible of journalists. And when the AP makes changes to that bible, it's major. And changes have been made in regards to climate change.

    The Stylebook now states that the AP will "avoid the use of `skeptics' or `deniers'" in regards to global warming and will instead use the term `doubters.' The Stylebook furthers states: "To describe those who don't accept climate science or dispute the world is warming from man-made forces, use climate change doubters or those who reject mainstream climate science. Avoid use of skeptics or deniers."

    LINK

    Consider that the majority of the world's climate scientists not only say climate change is occurring, but also that it is manmade. A study published in 2013 in Environmental Research Letters reviewed scientific literature on climate change and found that 97.2 percent of all climate scientists concur that climate change is manmade. That is an overwhelming consensus. So, why is the AP so concerned with the feelings of the climate change deniers? I don't have the answer.

    Ronald A. Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry, is glad about the AP dropping the use of the word skeptic. He said that the Center for Inquiry is "very glad that the word `skeptic' will no longer be used to describe deniers of climate science, such as Sen. James Inhofe, who claims to believe that global warming is a hoax."

    Apparently real scientists like Neil deGrasse Tyson, who are proud to be skeptical, don't like being associated with the climate change 'doubters' like Inhofe.

    "There's a whole concept called scientific skepticism, which means evidence-based inquiry, which is fundamentally how science works. We take a skeptical view of anything that doesn't have strong evidence," said Mark Boslough, a fellow at the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and a physicist who studies asteroid impacts. "The word `skeptic' basically implies people who use logic and evidence and the scientific method, and that's just not the case for people who reject the reality of global warming."
    LINK

    Parent
    Cheap and trashy SITE VIOLATOR. (none / 0) (#32)
    by Donald from Hawaii on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 02:45:26 AM EST
    Banish that woman into the interweb hellfires.

    Novak Djokovic just beat (none / 0) (#39)
    by fishcamp on Sun Oct 11, 2015 at 07:52:36 AM EST
    Rafael Nadal in the first set of the finals of the China Open in Bejing.  The game is being played live on tennis channel now.  Djokovic is just too tough for almost everybody.  Rafa seems to be wearing out his body joints with his muscular bullfighter technique.  They will both receive piles of Chinese Yuan in winnings.  Nice to see some people taking money away from China.

    NFL - Fail Again (none / 0) (#77)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 09:34:25 AM EST
    Except for Terry Bradshaw:

    "Anybody, in my opinion, that lays a hand on a woman, I don't care who you are my friend, you never come back in this league," said a passionate Bradshaw. "But Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, in his desperation to get a pass rusher, said, 'Well, you know what America, Cowboy fans, he's alright, he's a good boy, we're going to get him all straightened out over here and bring him in here.' Which he did.

    "[Hardy] has his first news conference, he makes a fool of himself, and Jerry goes out and...basically becomes an enabler himself. This is wrong. We have no place for this, and I'm actually tired of talking about the Hardy's of the world, and I really, really, seriously hope that eventually we never have a place in the NFL for people that touch a woman, strike a woman."

    LINK

    Hardy had said he was coming out 'guns a blazing' after his year long suspension over domestic violence and pushing his girlfriend down on a bed full of assault rifles, then he went on to say something about loving to see Brady's wife and hoping her sister comes to the game.  Jones proceeded to McBain Hardy, and make excuses for his inexcusable behavior.

    Katie Nolan's breakdown of buffonery.

    All of this really sucks considering yesterday was filled with great games.  The Seahawks lose in overtime after having a 24-7 4th quarter lead to Cincinnati, who remains 5-0, the Browns win in OT that included this most unbelievable catch.  The Giants pull a last minute victory, and Hardy's Dallas Cowboys slide to 2-3.  Not sure who I enjoy watching lose more, the 49ers, the Hawks, or the Cowboys.  

    Just kidding, the the Cowboys, hands down.

    Saw two movies this weekend, and I (none / 0) (#82)
    by caseyOR on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 10:58:10 AM EST
    recommend them both. Both Sicario and The Martian provide suspense, interesting characters and an emotional response, albeit a different emotional response for each movie.

    Sicario is another movie about our never-ending drug wars. It stars Emily Blunt as an FBI agent who specializes in kidnap rescues. While not starry-eyed, she does still believe in doing things by the book. She is assigned to be the liaison to an undefined drug war task force lead by Josh Brolin, a task force that somehow includes a former Columbian prosecutor played by Benicio del Toro.

    It is a harsh movie, but the actors, especially Blunt and del Toro, are excellent. Be warned- this is in no way a nice or fun or easy-going movie, and violence probably should have been billed as a co-star.

    The Martian, which stars Matt Damon with a multitude of other actors doing excellent work (Jeff Daniels, Jessica Chastain, Chiwetel Elejiofor, Michael Pena and others) is based on the book of the same name. Damon plays an astronaut, part of a Mars exploration team, who is left on the red planet by his crew because they think he has been killed in a storm.

    The movie runs on two tracks- Damon trying to survive on Mars and NASA down on earth trying, once they learn to their great shock and surprise that Damon's character is alive, trying to figure out a way to bring him bak home to earth.

    I laughed and I cried. Seriously. Damon, who is one of my favorite actors, is so good in this movie. And, given that he plays an astronaut stranded on Mars, totally believable.

    The Martian is offered in both 2D and 3D. I saw it at the Giant Screen Theater here in 2D because I trouble watching 3D. Spectacular.

    We have entered that time of year when I seem to be going to a movie at least once, if not more, a week because suddenly the theaters are filled with movies I actually want to see enough to pay the ticket prices. I do take full advantage of the fact that I am now old enough for the senior discount.

    Saw the martian as well (none / 0) (#83)
    by CST on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 11:08:00 AM EST
    It was a lot more lighthearted than I expected, but it really worked.  I think what was nice was that while it technically takes place in the "future", it was very approachable today, and the "future" was not very far away.  Everything seemed believable, and they managed to make it moving without being heavy.  Which - sometimes when you go to the movies you just want to escape and not carry it around with you afterwards.  They accomplished that really well.  Cast was fantastic all around.

    Parent
    Bad news for the Gators (none / 0) (#85)
    by ragebot on Mon Oct 12, 2015 at 02:13:51 PM EST
    Looks like a new QB for the rest of the year.  Grier is suspended for PEDs.