Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Rose Bowl

1. Announcers: seemed enormously pro-USC. Fouts has about a pound of Leinart's kids in his stomach. A lucky play in favor of the Trojans was always considered "heads up". And yes, Vince Young's knee was down on that lateral TD (it should've been first and goal from the 5), but you don't need to tell us eighty times. Also, he used the term "mistake" to describe a Texas play about 30 times (once on an "incidental" facemask). Just ingratiatingly biased. Jackson, when coherent, wasn't much better. It is time to put him out to pasture. Seriously. He's no more than a cartoon. Ron Franklin should be calling the top game.

2. Leinart: I wouldn't draft him. Seems extremely slow, and his best quality is his uncanny ability to draw penalties for late hits. Reminds me (in this game) of a bigger, slightly more accurate Chris Leak. And I don't mean that as a compliment. He cost himself a lot of money by staying this year. I wouldn't be surprised if he slips to the middle of the first round.

3. Mack Brown: way to go on icing your kicker at the end of the 3rd quarter. When I saw the down and distance, and time on the clock, I thought, bring the team over to the side and "decide" on whether to go for it or not. Instead he sends out the kicker, lets him stand around for 5 minutes with the commercial break, and then he promptly misses. Error of the coach (and that changed the complexion of the game too).

4. If I were the Houston Texans, I wouldn't draft Bush either. I'd trade the pick for more picks. I do not think he's a franchise player unless he has a good line in front of him. He's a fantastic player, and on the right team he's a stud. But with the line the Texans have, I think he'll be injured pretty quickly and he won't have the impact they need.

5. It just boggles the mind how teams have not figured out that after a questionable call it behooves them to get up to the line of scrimmage and run a play quickly. This should be mandatory for all teams in spring and August practices.

6. Vince Young is pretty much holyshitmutherfuckfucking incredible (I'd written most of this as the game progressed, changed at the last drive). I'd definitely draft him. I see him giving the Falcons trouble twice a year (bad delivery and all) with the Aints.

7. USC's O line is really really good. Really, really good. I'm more impressed with this unit than anything else in this game.

8. Any attempt by sports pundits to lay the results in this game at the feet of the coaches I feel is misguided. Neither team "outschemed" the other. So Keyboard Koordinators, hang on to your egos. It was pure talent against talent, and I think we had a damn good game from it. A freaking classic.

ADDED:

9. ABC: INTERVIEW THE FUCKING WINNERS AFTER THE GAME! Holly Rowe and the Billy Bush lookalike interviewing Carroll and Leinart? ABC/ESPN "just can't quit" USC. Also, celebs in the crowd and on the sidelines... WE DON'T GIVE A SHIT.

10. Speaking of such, I expect a 11 part Sportscenter series on Texas' place in history to begin shortly.

11. And just a reminder of those who mock the goofy bastard. Corso has been picking Texas for a few months. Watching that show as closely as I've felt forced to, I'm starting to think Corso, when sentient and lucid, might have the sharpest insight. Herbie's all image, May's terrible, Holtz is incoherent and not lucid. Corso knows he's an entertainer (and he plays it up), but he also has some sharp, and not always "easy-way-out", analysis.

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