S7s: Jan 10

1) Exam week at North Henderson (and a lot of other schools). My kids seemed to have done well. I'm not at liberty to talk about the tests but I feel good about what we accomplished this semester and I hope that they were able to carry that over into their tests. I hope that they also know that they are not defined by the tests.

Big kudos to our testing coordinators, who organized, planned and prepared hundreds of tests, computers and separate setting placements each day. It was a pretty smooth week and that's because there was a lot of cooperation, planning and communication happening.

2) Republican debate last week, here are a few thoughts:

• I hope they know that they are not running against Barack Obama. You would think they were.
• Remember when Ben Carson was relevant? 
• On that note, who's Carly Fiorina?
• I feel as Trump has reached his high water mark.
• Drop the matter on Cruz's eligibility, Trump. How about you run on issues?
• Christie doesn't want you to forget that he's still there. 
• I can't believe that the American servicemen captured and then released by Iraq was even an issue. They were legally detained and then released. The candidates sounded like we should have started a war over it.
• Jeb Bush is the invisible candidate, but he still win the nomination.
• I think it will be either Rubio or Cruz. 

3) I should have mentioned it in last week's Sunday 7s: Ken Griffey, Jr. Congratulations on the Hall, Kid. Such an effortless swing, the backwards hat, great athlete and fun to watch. And then there was the smile. He looked like he was having fun. If not for injuries, his numbers may be even more staggering. And, as far as we know, he is free from all the doping allegations that followed the greats of that era. Someone said the fact that Junior was hurt proved he wasn't on performance enhancing drugs since drugs help you heal faster.

4) I officially said goodbye to Pompey on Friday. Signed the title over and handed the keys to my nephew, Benny. Real sentimental moment. I was very attached to that car. I hope Benny loves it half as much I loved it. Things worked out well: I got a little money for my car (3 times what the dealer was gonna give me), helped my nephew out and even got my roof rack sold!

John Hart drove me down to deliver the vehicle. We made a stop at the Beacon for some "A-plenty":

5) I must confess: I fell asleep during the 3rd quarter of the College Football Championship Game. It was a good game though. Kudos for Alabama for playing well and being gutsy with the onsides kick. Clemson has nothing to hang their heads about: they played excellent and Watson is a legit star! They'll be in the conversation next season for number 1. 

Here are the final rankings according to me: 1) Alabama 2) Clemson 3) Ohio State 4) TCU 5) Stanford 6) Oklahoma 7) Michigan St 

6) Huge week for the wrestling team. We won on Thursday against Smoky Mountain 74-4. On Saturday, we went 5-0 to win the Ram Duals at TC Roberson. Our record is now 23-4, 4-0 in the WNCAC. 23 wins sets a new school record for wins in a season. The old record was 22, set by the 2011-2012 team. This week is rivalry week: West Henderson on Tuesday, East Henderson on Friday.

I think what I like best about this photo is not that we won the Ram Duals, but how much fun it looks like the team is having and how much they like each other. I'm really blessed with a great group of kids.

7) The NFL is popular because they give us great entertainment. Up until Alabama-Clemson, most bowl games were lame. They were lopsided. Last week's first round games in the NFL were very exciting and this week's even better. You had Carolina take a 31-0 lead and barely hold on to win. Arizona won in improbable ways, Kansas City mismanaged the clock and Peyton holds off an injury ridden Steelers team. Great stuff.

Predictions for next week:

• Carolina is playing too well and getting great efforts by more than Newton. As good as Larry Fitzgerald was yesterday, he can't carry the Cardinals out of Charlotte with a victory. Carolina by 6
• I am pulling for Manning. But New England has been like his Kryptonite. And, when's the last time 2 number 1 seeds played in the Super Bowl. As much as I'd like to see Carolina-Denver, I have to pick New England by 3.

S7s: Dec 3- Ode to Pompey

1) Happy New Year! 2015 was indeed a great year for me. Lots of highlights and some trying times. Blessed with a great career, friends, church and community. I got to share in some really cool moments. Had a neat moments of reflection. I worked too hard sometimes and not hard enough during others. I'll post my photo review later, but in the meantime I am stoked at what 2016 has to offer this soul of mine.

2) I bit the bullet and did something that will surprise and shock a lot of people: I bought a new car. My old car, affectionately named Pompey, has been a rock for 15 years and over 230,000 miles. She still runs strong, but has some issues that older cars get. I was looking for a replacement and found a good deal on a 2012 Mazda 3. It leather heated seats, moonroof and gets 40 MPG on the highway. I will miss the stick shift (still on original clutch) and all the great adventures Pomp and I had. She drove to Alaska! She's been to Colorado twice, RAGBRAI and Nova Scotia. There have been countless trips to Atlanta and we've hauled bikes to almost all those places. 15 years is a long time together and I bought her new, so there is a lot of sentimental value. I'm hoping this new car is half the car that Pompey was.

3) There are "militia" members who took over a National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. I biked through Harney County in 2015 and spent a night in Burns. A few gripes:

• The same people who call these guys heroes and militia would also call similar people standing up to "oppression" thugs, terrorists or traitors. Double standard 1.
• The same people who claim patriotism are the first to cry foul, tyranny and offense when they don't get there way. The ones say they stand behind the Constitution don't bother to follow the methods set by the Constitution to change laws, amend policy and effect change.
• These people are like Westboro Baptist: attention hungry, disillusioned and narrow minded. They don't want to understand or try to be part of a nation that is diverse and made of many people, needs, interests and beliefs. 
• Double standard 2: if others are offended or feel put off, they are told to suck it up and not be so damn easily offended. If they are offended or feel put off, it is acceptable to throw a tantrum and issue threats with lots of firearms.
• I do feel, in my limited knowledge, that maybe the jail time for the Hammonds might be excessive, we do have a legal process for appeals. You know, the Constitution. No where in the law of the land does it advocate taking matters into your own hands.

4) Instagram Top Nine: babies, bikes, outside! 

5) Quote of the Week: "Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart."

6) Wrestling competed in the Holy Angels Tournament on Friday and Saturday. The tournament featured 66 teams and North finished 11th. We only entered 7 wrestlers. Josh Blatt beat the #1 4A wrestler in the state in overtime in the finals. Paul Searcy had three tough matches in a row to win at 145 lbs. We had three other placers in the tournament and three place in the JV Tournament. It was a great weekend, this team showed lots of heart.

7) The college bowl games have been lame. Too many blow outs. Clemson played well and Alabama looked angry. Could be a great National Title game. Hope it's not a blow out.

In the NFL lots of action this week:

• Chip Kelly out in Philly. Sort of a surprise. Thought he'd get one more year.
• Welcome back Peyton Manning.
• I hope the Dolphins find the right coach.
• Tom Coughlin: classy guy. I hope he enjoys retirement and doesn't return to coaching. 
• Is there a bigger mess than Cleveland? What a train wreck-- from personnel to coaching. But it all starts at the front office.
• Congratulations to Carolina. They looked great. 
• I want a Panthers-Broncos Superbowl.

Sunday 7s: Nov 15

1) Paris. The City of Lights. The city of Voltaire, Rousseau and Hugo. A city I have never been to. I tried to go to France when I was living in London, but the line at the French Embassy for a visa was longer than I wanted to wait. Which is real unfortunate, because I love French culture and food and I did take two years of French with Madame Klein way back in high school.

What happened this weekend of course is unspeakable. I don't know the answers. I hurt because of the human tragedy and because that could have been any of us going out to eat, attending a concert or cheering at a sporting event. Here's what I do know:

• The threat from radical Islam is real. These people are serious.
• If we live in and by fear, the terrorists win.
• I feel bad for my Muslim friends, some of which are truly among the best people I've met.. In many ways, they have it difficult already in this nation and other western countries. This doesn't make it easier. 
• We need to answer what draws people to radical Islam. It's not just ideology. There is an entire group of people who feel alienated for one reason or another and seems to have found refuge in religion.
• As I type, France has begun airstrikes on ISIS targets. I wish them the best. I want to take down the bad guys. I worry about collateral damage. Do we perpetuate and raise more terrorism by simply raining bombs on helpless people? Today's children are tomorrow's ______________ [fill in the blank].
• I think we help determine what goes in that blank.
• Call me naive or dumb, but I do not believe ISIS can sustain itself. It's message and branding I believe will get tiresome to the masses. I just believe good will overcome. Humanity will win out. There will be a backlash and it will come internally. I just hope it comes sooner than later.
• I will go to Paris. Soon, I hope. I need to eat outside in a cafe, walk along the Seine, be humbled at Notre Dame, soak in the view from the Eiffel Tower and be introspective at the Louvre. Then there is Normandy, the Riviera, Corsica, and the Alps. And, I still need to see the Tour de France live. Yes, France, I'm coming for you.

2) I did not forget Beirut and Kenya. My heart hurts there too. I don't think there's a media conspiracy to ignore it as some people have alluded. I believe, as one of my friends shared, that we can relate with Paris. There's empathy there. We know Les Miserables, the French Revolution and Dijon Mustard. There's less of a connection with the Lebanon (though it is part of the biblical land of Canaan). Most Americans couldn't tell you Nairobi is a city in, much less the capital, of Kenya. Many more could tell you Paris is in France. For the great majority of Americans, Paris hurts because it feels like a small part of us hurts. The human tragedy of Lebanon and Kenya hurt us, but there's less of an emotional connection.

3) I spent the weekend at Pioneer Plunge on the Grace Watershed High School Man's Retreat. It's a weekend of bonding and spending time connecting with and depending on each other. There's no running water, electricity or heat. We slept in uninsulated cabins. I slept in a hammock. Temperatures got into the 20s. 

• Pioneer Plunge is on the property of Windy Gap, a ministry of Young Life. All the land was sold years ago to Young Life for $1 to use as a ministry to high school and college youth.
• The main cabin at Plunge burned down last year. Groups like ours are helping rebuild it. We learned to lay block, filled a retaining wall, hewed logs and chopped wood. It was great stuff.
• The theme was Brotherhood. What does a Christian brotherhood look like? We used the story of the friendship of David and Jonathan as an example. 
• I'm really thankful for the adult leaders that came and poured their hearts, talents and love into these young men. They set great examples for the boys and inspire me.
• Since we had no cellular service, I did not get any updates on the tragedies. What a shock to turn on my phone and try to decipher all the information.

 

 

 

 

 

4) I did get a ride in. Buck Tanner asked me today if I wanted to ride up Thrift Cove and down Black Mountain with him and his son. Tired from the retreat, I went to get away from the news. I love this route. Thrift was a long climb, but easy since we got to go at Rowan's pace. Black was dry for once and fun to hop down. They called it a day and I went on and finished with Sycamore Cove, a rooty and fun trail that has several small creek crossings towards the end. I'm glad I got a ride in. I needed it.

5) How cool is this: a wrestling match in a football stadium. Over 42,000 people in attendance.

6) Speaking of wrestling, Knights Wrestling had two big events last week:

• Wednesday was our Boot Camp. We took the kids out to John Rock in Pisgah and ran them up to the top, did some team building and drills and came down for lunch. Good time was had by all and no one fell. Some of my students have never been to Pisgah, so it was great to get to share that with them.
• Thursday was our intersquad scrimmage. Our Purple-Gold Scrimmage has become a fun tradition. I divide them into teams and they compete in a regular dual. It's the first real experience for some of our kids. We had a close, hard fought scrimmage. Purple won 31-21.

7) I watched zero football yesterday since I was at Pioneer Plunge. Based on that:

• Georgia Tech's 18 year Bowl Streak (3rd longest in the nation), will come to an end. So many mistakes on Thursday night.
• Top 7: 1) Clemson 2) Alabama 3) Oklahoma St 4) Ohio St 5) Notre Dame 6) Oklahoma 7) Iowa

Sunday 7s: Nov 8

1) One week into wrestling season. We have a great core of kids who really want to be out there and work hard. Practice is fun. These kids work hard. They know what's expected. They care for one another. We're still waiting on our football players, but I expect lots of great things from this squad.

2) More North athletic news: Football team secured their first winning season in 15 years. They are 7-5 with a playoff match at King's Mountain on Friday. That's pretty awesome.

Soccer finished their season with a first round playoff loss at Asheville. A few wrestlers and I made the trip up there to cheer on the squad. Asheville had lots more opportunities to score and seemed to control the ball more than we did. But we played valiant and I'm proud of Wayne Nock and his boys (many of which wrestle).

3) I got to do the talk on the High School side at Grace this morning. I John 5:1-5. It's good stuff. We are born of God. Obedience does not mean love, but our love drives us to obedience. When we are obedient in love, the our burdens of righteousness are removed. God's love overcomes the world.

4) I really like this article by Kareem Abdul Jabbar. It's called Ignorance over Reason and talks about the attacks on education and reason in the contemporary world. We'd rather be wrong than possibly seek truth that contradicts our beliefs. We don't push, nor allow, our kids to reason and come to their own conclusion on important matters. Problem solving is a lost art. A few years ago, I remember reading a story about how researchers found that people don't use the internet to find out truth and answers, especially among political matters. People use the web to find things that affirm what they already believe. It's frustrating and maddening as a teacher to ask why a student believes something and they cannot tell you. Or they tell you false statements. I assign projects where students can choose a world religion and create a presentation. It is shocking how often students who would proclaim to be Christians create projects about Christianity that have historical and other factual errors.

5) Speaking of factual errors, does Ben Carson really believe that the pyramids were Joseph's storehouses? That's crazy. He may be a great neurosurgeon, but he's a terrible student of history. And science for that matter, since archaeology clearly tells us they were tombs.

I do think Politico exaggerated their claims that Carson lied about his West Point offer.

6) Ride Report: Now that it is dark at 5:30 and I'm in season, my rides will be mostly relegated to the trainer. The weather has been non-cooperative all week with lots of rain. Dan, Derek and I did get out to Dupont today. It was a lot wetter than I was anticipating. But we had a blast. We rode Burnt Mountain backwards. That trail is great both ways and it was nice to get to appreciate the steps from the other angle. Climbed Cedar Rock from the powerlines and had a great descent down Big Rock. Invited some out of towners to ride Micajah and Wilkie with use. It was cool and wet, but we had a blast all day. I was just glad to get out.

7) Slowly the college football field is getting more clear. Don't worry if you're Michigan State, you can still play your way into the playoff if you win out (and some teams lose). TCU may be done, We'll see. I've been picking Clemson #1 for a few weeks now and this week the AP voters agree with me. Here's my 7: 1- Clemson 2- Alabama 3- Oklahoma St 4- Ohio State 5- Notre Dame 6- Baylor 7- Stanford

Sunday 7s: Oct 18

1) Just left a congregational meeting at the church. Our pastor is resigning. Everyone is heartbroken. Some are angry. Dave Desforge has taught me so much about the Gospel. He's one of the reasons I love Grace and keep coming back. It will be strange not have him giving the sermon, but I am reminded that Jesus is bigger than one man. Or one church.

2) Jesus + nothing.

3) This experience has made me contemplative. I understand the inability to manage people and the constant risk of burnout. I wonder if or how long my heart can continue to pursue this passion (teaching) with the energy, commitment and love that I need to for my students and co-workers. It's tough to admit that you might be in over your head. I often feel that way.

4) Today's sermon was by my good friend Brian Land. He spoke on Hebrews 12:1-3, which is one of my favorite passages.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

• Jesus runs with us. It's an endurance race and we're not alone.
• I love that not only does he "author" our faith, he also is the "perfecter:
• I made it into the sermon today. Me, Reese Witherspoon, Liam Neeson & Robert De Niro, King Leonidas and Neo (the Matrix) all make their way into the sermon. Obviously, I was the star...
• Brian used my bike journeys to illustrate the endurance aspect of the race that must be endured. Also, he said that if he were to ride the Great Divide, he has a reference that he can trust-- a wealth of knowledge. Jesus provides that for all our races.
• Talked to two friends who recently moved. They both commented on how much stuff they have and they are trying to lighten the load. Ironically, that's one of the messages in the sermon: we carry heavy burdens that make our race harder. Reese Witherspoon in "Wild" had too much stuff and she couldn't hike the Pacific Coast Trail. Robert De Niro's character in "The Mission"-- he literally carried his burdens and was trapped by them until they were cast into the river. Both my friends are at a point where they are realizing that the stuff the accumulate to make their lives more comfortable only burden them and weigh them down. But getting rid of stuff and lightening the load is difficult. In one friend's words, "It takes radical heart change."

5) Went to Columbia yesterday. We had a party for my older brother, Chhay, who is being deployed to the Middle East for 6 months with the Air National Guard. His brother in law, La, who is the only person I know with a hibachi grill on his porch, cooked up dinner. We played with the kids, ate and celebrated a great brother, dad and husband who will be missed while deployed. 

6) Rode Spencer Branch Trail today. It was the last run down Spencer as we know it. Tomorrow, they are closing it and the new re-route will be the only way down from Spencer Gap. The old trail was technical, with lots of roots, rocks and decent drops off water bars. I'm not a great technical rider, but I love to ride this trail and have no shame in walking when necessary. It will be greatly missed. I hope the new one is as fun and challenging.

7) Another crazy week in College Football. Michigan-Michigan St was nuts! Georgia Tech and Virginia Tech look bad. Ole Miss lost to Memphis. 

• Overrated in this week's Poll: Florida St (9), Houston (21)-- I know they are undefeated, but I still haven't seen a Top 10 performance from the Noles. Houston is beneficiaries of a soft schedule (though they did beat Louisville).
• Under rated: Oklahoma (17)-- they are better than Iowa and Florida in my opinion and that throttling of K-State was impressive. The Texas lost, while not pretty, might be an anomaly. North Carolina (NR)-- shows the lack of respect the ACC gets. And the ACC deserves no respect, even though Clemson is really good and UNC isn't bad.
• Top 7: 1) Utah 2) Baylor 3) Ohio St 4) LSU 5) TCU 6) Clemson 7) Michigan St.

Sunday 7s- Oct 11

1) "The ground of Liberty is to be gained by inches". Thomas Jefferson
Good reminder that change doesn't happen overnight. It's more trees growing than it is weeds sprouting.

2) Went and saw "I Once Was a Beehive". One of our former students, Kaley McCormack, has a role in it as one of the campers. It's a feel good story, with some intense parts and several messages of faith and family. Overall, it's just a cute picture. I was extra excited to see Kaley on the way out of the showing and get to give her a hug and congratulate her.

3) My brother came up this weekend. We got some good family time and I got to hang out with the niece and nephew. That's always worth it. They're pretty cute.

4) Stephen Willis came up this weekend also and brought some friends. We rode in Pisgah. Weather had been great all week until Saturday. All day rain. We rode anyway. About 21 total miles. Lots of fun and good people. Some trail notes:

• Daniel Ridge is so fun. The hike a bike going clockwise is tedious at times, but I always forget how fun the downhill is: lots of twists and turns, nothing too technical, some creek crossings and then you finish at a cool waterfall.
• Looked for Cove Creek Connector. Went up one trail and it was all wrong. Found it on the second attempt. I had heard of this trail but never seen it before.
• Butter Gap was a river at the top. But that's such a great descent. You definitely appreciate full suspension. I was really surprised at how well the trails handled the rain. There's a terrific waterfall on Butter about 2/3 of the way down. 
• Longside is a tough little trail climbing away from the intersection with Butter Gap. But we cleaned most of it. Rode down a forest road back to the main road. 
• Davidson River Trail will always be one of my favorites. You can go fast, it doesn't have many obstacles and it's where I put in a lot of miles when I first learned to mountain bike. I also have a scar from a crash on that trail.

5) May not seem like a big deal, but North Henderson was one of 139 schools in North Carolina to go ejection free for the school year 2014-2015. 

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/sports/high-school/hshuddle/2015/10/09/wnc-schools-go-ejection-free/73655266/

6) Hero of the Week: Doug Draper. Draper is heading to Australia tomorrow to compete in the world Duathlon Championships. We wish him the best as he represents all of us. And Doug is a serviceman, friend, teacher, riding buddy. Great guy to have around.

7) Did anyone think that Florida would be undefeated, Michigan looking like the real deal, Auburn and Georgia unranked and Oregon with two losses at this point in the season?

• Tennessee fans deserved and needed that win. Congrats.
• Is there a more disappointing division than the ACC Coastal? No offense to Duke or UNC, but Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech, Miami all look miserable and that makes the division miserable.
• Overrated this week: TCU (3). I have been on the Horned Frogs bandwagon all season, but their defense seems suspect and there have been too many close calls. They are top 7 for sure, but right now I'd have them out of the playoffs. 
• Underrated: Temple (NR). I just like the Owls and their 5-0 record. 
• Top 7: 1) Utah 2) Baylor 3) Ohio St 4) Clemson 5) TCU 6) Michigan St 7) LSU

Sunday 7s: 9/27

1) I've been teaching for 15 years. Thursday was the first real lockdown that we've had. There was a gun on the middle school campus (in the parking lot) and since the middle and high school are connected, both schools went into a lockdown. It was a tense moment when we all realized it wasn't a drill, but very proud of our students and staff. Most importantly, no one was hurt. Teachers did a great job of following procedure. Students were cooperative and resilient. Law enforcement did what they were supposed to do. Our administration displayed great leadership.

We learned a lot from the experience and some things that we can do better. Hopefully, we'll never be in a similar situation again. But if we are, I know North Henderson will be prepared.

2) I don't own guns but I'm not anti-gun. They are useful for defense and sport. They are a ton of fun to shoot! What I am against is our country's obsession with them. There is this idea that everything is better as long as there are guns and any effort to talk about gun issues results in a knee jerk reaction that somehow all the guns will get confiscated. I'm always disappointed that we can't have more civil dialogue and discourse about guns and gun issues.

3) Pope Francis in America. If my schedule were better or he was closer to me, I definitely would go battle the crowds to see him. I found it ironic that there were some on the right that criticized the pope for bringing his religion into our politics when that's what the right is kind of known for. There's a humanity and humbleness to Francis that I admire.

4) Richmond, VA hosted the World Cycling Championships this past week. Another event I wish I had the time to make as a spectator. It's a pretty big deal for the UCI to have chosen the United States for the host and it seems as Richmond played the part very well. Congratulations to two of my favorite riders for their success in Richmond:

• Taylor Phinney, who in the US Championships last year broke his leg in a crash, showed his return to form by leading his BMC Racing team to 1st place in the Team Time Trials and was the top American (12th place) in the individual time trial.

• Peter Sagan, one of the most colorful characters in pro cycling, won the World Championships in the Road Race. This is Sagan, riding a wheelie, uphill on Alpe d'Huez, during the Tour de France a few years ago:

5) I don't have many Jewish friends, but Happy Yom Kippur last week. And peace, comfort and safe travels to all Muslims who traveled to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj.

6) Jordan Spieth. Only 22 years old and having one of the greatest individual years of a pro golfer in since a certain Tiger was in his prime. And no one played better the last month and a half than Jason Day. If Rory McIlroy can get his game back to where it was two years ago, golf will be very exciting. Now if we can get ESPN, Golf Channel and other outlets to talk about these great players and not about golfers that don't make the cut of finished near the bottom, we'd be better off. The PGA Tour will be pretty exciting next year.

7) Georgia Tech has proven to be a fraud so far. They are missing the two receivers that went in the NFL Draft and their backfield more than we could imagine. But, I guess as bad as I feel as a Tech fan, I could be an Auburn or Oregon fan right now. Or a Tennessee fan. What a heartbreaker that game was in Gainesville.

• Underrated in this week's AP Poll: 
• Michigan (22)- the loss to Utah doesn't look so bad now. I think they should be in the top 20. 
• Texas Tech (NR)- played TCU close. Should be in top 25.
• Over rated: 
• Ohio St (1)- They still may win the national championship and they're still a top 3-4 team, but they don't look like the best team in their own conference. I've never been on the "until they lose, they're still number 1" philosophy. 
• Florida (25)- narrow wins over Kentucky and Tennessee are still wins, but I'm not buying Florida yet. 
• My Top Seven: 1) Michigan State 2) Ole Miss 3) Ohio St 4) LSU 5) TCU 6) UCLA 7) Notre Dame

Playoff 2012

Here's the alternate postseason I proposed last year:

• Eight team playoff
• Champion of each automatic qualifying conference gets in.
• Two at large qualifiers determined by BCS Rankings. Teams from Non AQ conferences are guaranteed a spot if they finish in the top 5 of the final BCS rankings.
• Higher ranked team hosts in their home stadium in the first round
• Semifinals are at two of the sites of the Fiesta, Rose, Sugar and Orange bowls on a rotating basis. The two bowls not hosting that year have first choice of non-playoff teams.
• Finals rotate among the 4 BCS bowls.

This year it would look like this:

• #8 West Virginia (Big East Champ) at #1 LSU (SEC Champ)
• #5 Wisconsin (Big10 Champ) at #4 Oregon (PAC 10 Champ)
• #6 Stanford (at large) at #3 Oklahoma St (Big 12 Champ)
• #7 Clemson (ACC Champ) at #2 Alabama (at large)

Stanford would have been ranked ahead of Wisconsin but the rankings were reversed to avoid a conference rematch in Round 1.

Hypothetical Semifinals:

• Rose Bowl: #4 Oregon vs #1 LSU in a rematch of the season opener
• Fiesta Bowl: #3 Oklahoma State vs #2 Alabama

The other BCS Bowls played these games:

• Sugar Bowl: Arkansas vs Boise St
• Orange Bowl: Michigan vs Kansas State

The BCS final would be:

• #1 LSU vs #3 Oklahoma State in the BCS Title game at the Superdome in New Orleans.
• LSU slipped past Oregon in a much closer game than week 1, 35-30 to get to the game.
• Oklahoma State played good enough defense to contain Trent Richardson to beat Alabama 27-17.

Final Words

Last words on the college football scene:

• Yes, I pulled for the Ducks. They're my favorite team west of Seymour.
• Something about this Auburn team makes me feel dirty-- like I need to bathe to clean myself off after watching them.
• I would vote TCU First Place in my poll if I were a voter. Just to stir the pot.

And I offer you my alternate postseason:

• Eight team playoff
  
• Champion of each automatic qualifying conference gets in (I would make all the conferences have a championship game).
  
• Two at large qualifiers determined by the BCS Rankings. Teams from Non-automatic qualifying conferences are guaranteed a spot if they are in the top five.
  
• Higher ranked team hosts in their home stadium in first round.
• Semifinals are at the sites of the Fiesta, Rose, Orange and Sugar Bowls on a rotating basis. The two bowls not hosting that year have first choice of match-ups between non-playoff teams.
• Finals rotate among the 4 BCS Bowls each year.
  
• Other teams can go to their bowls (there are 35 total bowls).
  

In my world, the college football postseason would have looked like this:

• #8 Connecticut (Big East Champ) at # 1 Auburn (SEC Champ)
  
• #5 Wisconsin (Big Ten Champ) at #4 Stanford (at large)
• #6 Oklahoma (Big12 Champ) at #3 TCU (at large)
  
• #7 Virginia Tech (ACC Champ) at #2 Oregon (Pac10 Champ)

Semifinals would be:

• Rose Bowl: #5 Wisconsin, #1 Auburn
  
• Sugar Bowl: #3 TCU vs # 2 Oregon
  

While the other BCS bowls invited these non-qualifiers:

• Fiesta Bowl: LSU vs Boise State
  
• Orange: Ohio State vs. Arkansas

The finals in Tempe would then have had:

• TCU vs Auburn

Final score: TCU 25, Auburn 24

Too bad it won't happen. The Conference Presidents say it will extend the season too long and make kids miss class. That despite that the FCS (formerly Division 1-AA) does it every year and no one questions the class time that Duke and Baylor missed last year in the NCAA Basketball tournament. The Conferences also like their contracts with the bowls and ESPN that pay them handsomely, even if most schools lose money attending the bowls.

The BCS is un-American. It is set up for the rich to get richer and limit access for the poor (sorry Mountain West and WAC Conferences). There are no Cinderellas in the BCS. No Baylors.

We who have power will capitalize on our position to increase our prestige while limiting or eliminating competition. That's the BCS. On second thought, maybe it's more American than I first gave it credit for...

Can you tell I hate the BCS?

I Hate/Love Football

I'm pulling for Oregon tonight in the BCS Championship. I need an excuse for a bulleted list, so here's why I like the Ducks:

• State of Oregon > State of Alabama. Salem tops Montgomery, Portland tops Birmingham. Oregon has Crater Lake, Alabama has well, Biloxi. Oregon wins big.
• Duck might not be the toughest mascot, but at least Oregon can decide on one. Unlike the Auburn Tigers/Eagles. Plus, Ducks are original. There are 46 four year colleges that use Tigers (and 74 that use Eagles). Info from this interesting article.
• Autzen Stadium cooler than Jordan-Hare Stadium.
• Oregon's offense is cooler to watch. Makes you tired they move so fast. And anyone can use hand signals and runners, Oregon uses these to call plays:
• I also think there's something dirty about Auburn. I have no proof, but the Newton saga just stinks. If it smells like poop, it just might be poop. And I do believe that Auburn all-world DT Nick Fairley is a dirty player because of his late hits and unnecessary roughness . Mighty talented, but dirty.
  

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I hate the BCS. TCU won a quality football game against a pretty good Wisconsin team. They finished 13-0. Bowl apologists, please never ever tell me again that every game matters. Obviously it doesn't. A team should not win every game and not get a chance to play for a championship.

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Is College Athletics a Sweatshop?

Interesting read. Continuing the spirit of bulleted lists:

• College Athletes have to do an amazing thing by balancing social, academic and athletic obligations. Greg Strobel, head wrestling coach at Lehigh University told me he tells his athletes they can excel at two of the three, but not all three. So they have to choose. But they also get preferential selection of classes, housing and academic tutors. They have lots of help.
• College football programs generate lots of revenue and the poor athletes get nothing from it. I must apologize and say I do not for one moment feel sorry for a big time football or basketball player. They get equipment, training tables with the best food, per diems and leave college with no debt. You know who's starving? I was. And many of my friends and other regular students who had to work their way through college. You know who else is starving? Collegiate wrestlers, gymnasts, lacrosse players and other minor sport athletes. Please don't tell me, Tyrelle Pryor, that football players can't make it.
  
• I would not be opposed to paying college athletes on top of their scholarship. It needs to be something universal across the NCAA, or else Texas, Alabama and Notre Dame will become the Yankees of college sports by paying their athletes the most. Maybe something like you can pay college football players $500 per month, minor sports $250.
  
• I would like to see football and basketball scholarships become more of a loan. If you do not get a degree in 6 years from your first semester (that even lets you go pro and work towards a degree), you are contractually obligated to repay the value of your scholarship. Then maybe we would see more student-athletes in these sports. The ones who are using it for a stepping stone to the pros can then give back to the school that assisted them.

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Final word: As the NFL season winds down, there is a talk of a lockout by the owners. The NBA collective bargaining agreement is expiring soon also. There's lots of things that need to be worked out, but if anyone in the know is reading please remember:

• Bureau of Labor Statistics have January 7 unemployment numbers at 9.4 percent.
  
• Tom Brady is guaranteed 48.5 million in his new contract, $72 million with incentives. I would have to work about 970 years just to reach just his guaranteed money.
• Reggie Bush's 2009 salary was just over $7 million. He ran, caught or returned the football 144 times that year. Basically, he got $48,611 for each time he touched a football.
  
• US Census data has median US income in 2009 at $49,777.
• If there's a lockout, we'll come back to football eventually. But we'll be hurt because many of us will not understand or be able to relate with millionaires who do not have enough money.
  
• Some will wonder why, when they cannot find employment, these men who get to play a game for a living do not want to work.
  
• I hope there is no lockout, because I do love football. But if there's no NFL, I'll ride my bike more, hike after church and pay more attention to the college game.
  

College Football

Quick thoughts on college football now that the season is over:

- Alabama is really good. Could be better next year. But there will always be the "what if" Colt McCoy did not get hurt.

- Georgia Tech laid another egg in the bowl. Last year, LSU just ran off lots of points and forced them into a different gameplan. This year, Iowa did a wonderful job on defense avoiding the cut blocks and staying on their feet. Iowa with a healthy Ricky Stanzi plays in the Rose Bowl.

- Losing their top receiver (Demaryius Thomas), best running back (Jonathan Dwyer), best defensive player (Derrick Morgan) and best defensive back (Morgan Burnett) as juniors to the NFL really hurts Tech. We'll see what kind of coach Paul Johnson is.

- I want Tim Tebow to be successful in the NFL. His throwing motion is horribly inefficient, but the knock on Phillip Rivers when he came out of NC State is that he had terrible form too. Now he is an All-Pro.

- Lots of people thought that Boise State vs TCU was boring. I did not watch the game, but if the uniforms said Florida and Alabama instead of Boise State and TCU, everyone would be raving about what a great SEC defensive struggle it was.

- If you are against a playoff in college football, please do not ever say that the regular season is the playoff or that a playoff diminishes the regular season. If every game mattered, then undefeated TCU, Boise State or Cincinnati would have had a shot. Tell me strength of schedule matters and common opponents matter, but every game does not matter. Otherwise, a team that wins every game would get a chance to compete for a national championship.

Can't wait until next season. Go Jackets!

Record Setting

One of my all time favorite football players is former San Francisco receiver Jerry Rice. The Hall of Famer hailed from tiny Mississippi Valley State University (Enrollment: 2500). Rice was widely considered too slow to be an elite NFL wide receiver. He went on to finish his 20 year career with 38 NFL records, including most receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns.

Enter Elon senior wideout Terrell Hudgins. Hudgins caught a 44 yard pass this past Saturday in Cullowhee to break Jerry Rice's FCS (formerly Division I-AA) record for career receiving yards. He is also the Division I all-time leader in receptions and FCS leader in 100 yard receiving games.

Here's the summary from Elonphoenix.com

Elon is a program on the rise. If they can beat Appalachian State at in Rhodes Stadium this week, then the program can truly say that they have arrived. Both teams are 6-0 in confernce play. A win would clinch, at worst, a share of the Southern Conference Championship and surely punch a ticket to the FCS playoffs. A win this week and then against Samford would break Appalachian's streak of four consecutive SoCon championships.

Go Phoenix!

Josh Nesbitt II

Mark Bradley of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution published this piece today. Since I beat him to the piece with my previous blog entry, perhaps the AJC will consider putting me on their payroll. He even used my adjective "warrior":

Josh Nesbitt: ‘Warrior’ quarterback becomes Tech folk hero

Actually, it's a good read.

Josh Nesbitt

Josh Nesbitt will not win the Heisman trophy. He is not going to garner lots of accolades for his passing skills. When talking about great college quarterbacks this year, his name will probably not come up. As a matter of fact, he spent the early part of the season being ripped by Georgia Tech fans for being inadequate as a passer.

Josh Nesbitt is a warrior. He is a great leader. He plays quarterback in an offense where quarterbacks take a beating. He gets hit a lot. He is tough. Josh almost single handledly beat Boston College last year. He was one of the main reasons Georgia Tech nearly beat Virginia Tech last season. And this year, he put the Yellow Jackets on his back and helped carry the team to victory over a very emotion Florida State team.
This clip exemplies the competitor that Josh Nesbitt is. After Florida State picks up the fumbled pitch, Nesbitt rips the ball back in perhaps the most important play of the game. It's incredible. It's very gutsy. But gutsy is Josh Nesbitt.

A few plays later, he scores on this 22 yard touchdown run: a run that would not have existed had he not stripped the ball from the FSU defender.

"That Guy"

"We got 'that guy' sitting in front of us"

That was the text message I received from John Hart yesterday from the Appalachian State vs Citadel game in Charleston. A few weeks ago, John made the road trip with me to see Elon take on Wake Forest at Groves Stadium. In our row, to the left, was a very obnoxious Elon fan. He was not only loud, but he was annoying. Choose your own orifice adjectives (--hole, --head, etc) didn't seem to fit him. When John asked how would I describe him, I simply replied, "He's 'that guy' ".

This is my simple test to see if you are the jerk fan. If you answer "yes" to one or more of the following, you might be "That Guy".

1) If you start chants or cheers and you are the only one chanting/cheering, you might be "that guy".

2) If you can't just cheer for your team but also have to berate opposing fans (or even your own team's fans), you might be "that guy."

3) If during the game, the area around you gets bigger and more empty (especially amazing in a packed stadium), you might be "that guy".

4) If you curse and have disregard for women, children and humanity in general during games, you might be "that guy".

5) If you yell at the refs for every call, you might be "that guy".

6) If you yell, "HEY REF, THAT'S HOMECOOKING" and your team is the home team, then you ARE "that guy."

Gameday Kickoff

At long last, college football has arrived. What a great weekend. My friend Paul was driving home from the Georgia Tech-Jacksonville State game and, since I could not make the game, was giving me his take. Well, he took a wrong turn and ended up downtown. There were a lot of people there for both the Alabama-Virginia Tech game and the 2009 version of Dragon*con.

"It's a real freak show down here", Paul said over the phone. My mind started racing as I processed what was the freak show:

Dragon*con-


Virginia Tech-


Alabama-


I vote Alabama fans. And I'm not changing my vote.

Other college football observations:

- I hate it for Sam Bradford. Good kid who came back to school rather than be a top 10 NFL Draft pick. Hope he heals quickly.

- NC State-South Carolina made me want to gouge my eyes out. Miami-Florida State had me glued to the screen.

- I was very impressed by the quarterback from Baylor, Robert Griffin.

- I hope Boise State and BYU both go undefeated.

- I still think they are the best team and should be ranked #1, but Florida's nonconference schedule includes the likes of Charleston Southern, Troy, Florida International (and Florida State). I used to diss Virginia Tech for their easy out of conference schedule, but now they are scheduling Alabama and Nebraska. Come on Gators, play some real schools.

- Georgia Tech is good, but we are going to need to be really, really good and at the top of our game every week to beat Clemson, Miami, UNC, Virginia Tech, Florida State and Georgia. Despite their mediocre showing last week, the ACC has several good teams (and a few really, really bad ones).

Confessions

Sometimes, you don't tell you friends things because you don't want them to make fun of you. For example, I'm a closet Kelly Clarkson fan. Admit it, you also turn up the radio when she sings.

The other confession is that I am slowly becoming an Ochocinco fan. If you don't know, Chad Ochocinco is the wide receiver for the lowly Cincinnati Bengals. He's known for his cockiness and on field antics after touchdowns. He also legally changed his name from Chad Johnson to Chad Ochocinco (he wears number 81).

I used to think he was a self absorbed loser. I still think he likes himself, but unlike Terrell Owens, Ochocinco also likes his team. And the fans. Chad has personality and humor. Here's Sports Illustrated's Peter King, talking to Chad Johnson.

Peter King: "I'm having a lot of trouble calling you, 'Chad Ochocinco,''' I said.

Chad Ochocinco: "Just call me 'Ocho, that's not hard.''

And he can kick. He got to kick a point after in the Bengal's preseason game on Friday because the one kicker on the roster was injured. And Ocho did it well. And the ensuing kickoff was very good too, all the way to the 9 yard line. That's not bad for a wide receiver moonlighting as a kicker.

After the game, Ochocinco was pleading with the Bengals to let him handle all kicking duties. Wisely, to reduce the potential for injury to their star receiver, the Bengals said no. They signed former Wake Forest kicker Sam Swank. Asked about Swank's signing by Peter King, Ocho relied, "Totally unncecessary."

Yeah, I like this guy.

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Speaking of kicking a field goal, it might be one of the hardest thing to do in team sports. A good snap needs to get to a holder who then must place the ball upright ("Laces out!" Ray Finkle is yelling) and while the kicker boots it through uprights. All this must be done in less than 2 seconds while the other 8 guys are madly blocking a rush of defenders trying to block the kick. And it's not always the kicker's fault (though in Ace Ventura, it was).


What's the gutsiest thing to do in football? Return punts. I don't mean fair catch. I mean catching, holding on to and running with the football while being covered by guys who want to knock your head off.

The most difficult thing in football? Man coverage by a cornerback. You are defensive back lined up across from Calvin Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald or Randy Moss. You must backpedal and defend a guy who is 6-4 and runs a 4.4 Forty with no help. All the rules in football favor the offense too. Your job is an uphill battle. Which is why Deion Sanders was so good. Best cover corner ever. Also best ego ever, but that's another post.

Top 10

Less than two weeks from College Football season kicking off. Here is MY preseason top ten:

1) Florida - Defending BCS Champions. Returns 19 or 22 starters, including their entire 2 deep on defense. Oh, and they got that Tebow guy.
2) Oklahoma - Sam Bradford is Mel Kiper's number 1 draft prospect for next year. He'll take the Sooners far if they can beat...
3) Texas - Big 12 will be fun to watch on offense again. Yes, they have Heisman candidate Colt McCoy, but Texas's defense might be the difference maker in this conference.
4) Southern California - Another year, another talent laden team and another top 5 for Coach Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans.
5) Ohio State - This might be a little high for the Buckeyes, but Tyrelle Pryor will have better grasp of the offense in year 2 (even if I don't believe he ran a 4.3 Forty). Will players step on defense to replace the lost All-Americans?
6) Alabama - Nick Saban is still Satan, but he can coach. As a team, I like them more than I like Ole Miss.
7) Oklahoma State - In the shadows of Austin, Norman and even Lubbock, Coach Mike Gundy has quietly assembled a Top 10 team in Stillwater.
8) Boise State - Blue field plays mind tricks on teams. Plus, they are the best non-BCS conference school this year.
9) Virginia Tech - Darren Evans going down hurts this team, but they are loaded at running back anyway. Plus, Beamerball will keep them in games.
10) Oregon - The Ducks are looking to upend the Trojans for the PAC10. Cal might have a word here also, but I like the potential for success in Eugene.

And where are my beloved Jackets? I'd say Top 15 right now. Let's see where we are at the end of the season. Hopefully playing in Jacksonville in December and then somewhere warm January.

Sunday Observations - Dec 14

1) Knights wrestling split this past week. Won our home opener against Hendersonville (47-26), but lost 42-24 at Mitchell. We did finish the wall of fame in our auxilary gymnasium. Ed Lewis, our art teacher did an amazing job designing it.

2) Yesterday was very strange for me. I didn't have an college scores to check on. It was quite sad. On several occasions, I have found myself wondering if heaven has college football. Am I strange?

3) Sam Bradford was a good choice for the Heisman. Tim Tebow would have gotten my vote, but Bradford makes a great argument (as does Colt McCoy). Perhaps Bradford's going airborne against Oklahoma State was what put him over. It will be one of the defining moments of his college career and this football season.


4) I don't know Rod Blagojevich. From the what I see on the news, I have come to these conclusions:- He is angry.
- He is greedy.
- He is arrogant.
- He has bad hair.

5) The art department at North Henderson sponsored "Empty Bowls". Students and staff created their own clay bowls and they were sold Thursday night in a banquet. The proceeds go to our Backpak program that feeds hungry students at North. Great stuff. You should have seen some of the bowls, we have some neat and creative people at the school.
Here's the article in Hendersonville News.


Crush of the Week:
I was listening to Pandora and there was a cover of the Cure's classic "Just Like Heaven". I liked the sound of it and looked to see who it was. Her name was Katie Melua, a British singer/songwriter born in the Georgia (the former Soviet Republic, not the Peach State). I listened to some of her other stuff on itunes and youtube. Some of it was okay, nothing really stood out. But "Just Like Heaven" sounded great and Katie's really cute, so she's this week's crush.

ACC vs SEC

The SEC has won the last two National Championships in college football. They are a powerhouse of a football conference. The ACC has been mediocre. They are a basketball conference. When SEC teams beat up on each other, their supporters say it's because the teams are so good. When ACC teams beat up on each other, their detractors say it's because the teams are so awful. That being said, I believe that the ACC is a better football conference than the SEC this year.

The ACC has no elite teams, but it has at least 10 good or decent teams. The SEC has two elite teams and a bunch of okay to dismal teams. Here are the schools, their records in parenthesis and the grade I give them:

ACC:
Atlantic-
Boston College (9-3) B+
Florida State (8-4) B
Maryland (7-5) B-
Wake Forest (7-5) B-
Clemson (7-5) C+
NC State (6-6) C+

Coastal-
Georgia Tech (9-3) B+
Virginia Tech (8-4) B
North Carolina (8-4) B-
Miami (7-5) B-
Virginia (5-7) C
Duke (4-8) D+


SEC:
East-
Florida (11-1) A
Georgia (9-3) B
South Carolina (7-5) C-
Vanderbilt (6-6) C-
Kentucky (6-6) C-
Tennesse (5-7) D-

West-
Alabama (12-0) A
Mississippi (8-4) B-
LSU (7-5) C-
Arkansas (5-7) D+
Auburn (5-7) D
Mississippi St (4-8) D-

Average Grade ACC = B-
Average Grade SEC = C
On the Season, ACC is 6-4 against the SEC (including 3-1 this past weekend) and is the conference with the highest winning percentage against BCS conferences.
The Sagarin Index has the ACC rated as the top conference in the nation this week, followed by the Big 12 and the SEC.
The Sagarin team rankings has two SEC teams (FL and AL) ranked higher than the highest ACC team (BC). It has 6 SEC teams ranked lower than the lowest ACC team (Dook).
Also, the ACC has 7 teams in the top ten, including 3 in the top five (FSU 1, GT 3 and UNC 5), of schools that have the highest percentage of non-conference games against BCS Conference foes over the last ten years. The SEC has no teams in the top ten.

Look, the SEC is a great conference in a down year. It does have two great teams. The ACC is just better top to bottom this year. Will it be the better conference next year? I don't know. I do know that the ACC is on the rise. Look out for Georgia Tech, UNC, NC State, FSU, Miami and even Duke next year.