Pic of the Day...Who Dat?

Scott McCarron....PYB....

Scott McCarron....please feel free to make a cut in 2010 before you start whining about the best active player on tour 'cheating.' Or feel free to play in more than two of the last 16 major championships. Or three of the last 20.

Why is it always some hack (in relative, PGA Tour terms) that has to act as the champion for the rulebook when better players boatrace him? Go away Scott.

Pic of the Day...

He flamed out at ASU, Nebraska and in the Arena League....but Sam Keller bounced back to become stud in the club world....where faggy hair makes the man....

Flairtender extraordinaire...

All That and a Bag of Chips...

Wednesday Thoughts....

--Phil Mickelson is a liar:

"Amy and I are good friends with both Tiger and Elin, and we care deeply about how this turns out. But I'm going to choose not to talk about it publicly anymore, and I appreciate your understanding on that."

--Here's a shocking development from the NFL...Tim Tebow sucks as a passer and won't make the NFL! If this isn't enough coverage, go to ESPN as they've been covering it for 15 hours now. AND he has strep throat!

--Can NU get its first Big 12 win tonite in Boulder? This may be the best/only chance at a road win in conference, but the Buffs are a 2.5 favorite with three hours until tip....

--Oden's crank shot....bent tree root...veins like fingers...

Longhorn Soft...

Dodging Nebraska, who you've beaten 7/8 times? Weak. Soft. Pure Texas.

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100125/SPORTS/701259823

Prairie Club Valentine, NE

Interesting video here....

Ronnie Runhome....

The epitome of the overhype of college recruiting...this diva in training steals newspaper headlines about two Big 12 teams competing for his services....then signs with a Division II school. Another in the long line of Omaha homebodies....eg Randy Stella and that terrible LB whose name escapes us--with good reason...who can't cut it with the big boys and run right home at the first sing of adversity...

http://www.omaha.com/article/20100124/BIGRED03/100129780

Pic of the Day....1/25/2010

Totally unsurprising in a crowd where PYB could not determine what was more amazing on Sunday: the amount of flannel, fat or bad hair in the Lucas Oil Field crowd...

See You in August....

The next time we'll get to see Brett Favre is when he is wavering back & forth about retirement this summer, holding the world (and the Minnesota Vikings) at bay with his decision. Favre went as long as he ever had (or possibly could) without letting his hero complex get the best of him.

Then Sunday in New Orleans, he threw two horrendous interceptions, that most likely cost his team a Super Bowl berth. Same flameout as in Green Bay, same flameout as in New York. Same story, same ego, same gunslinger mentality....but a 40-year-old arm. Couple the untimely picks with Adrian Peterson's three fumbles (and Percy Harvin adding another), and you've got the Saints first NFC Championship.

No Queen James in Dunk Contest...

The sports world today cries foul because Lebron James isn't gracing us with his presence in the dunk contest. Perhaps he decided against it, since ESPN Sportscenter doesn't judge the contest. Perhaps he knows he can continually get top-five plays of the night from ESPN with the only dunk in his repertoire...the one-hand power dunk....but wouldn't get far in a dunk contest that requires at least a bit of variety. Shit, James Worthy wore this dunk out 20+ years ago. No flair to his dunks, just height and power.....I could watch the Globetrotters if that's what I wanted.

Rigging it for James to win with just one type of dunk would surely doom the contest for good, after it had most of its legitimacy sapped in 2009 when Nate Robinson won it just because he is short. Fuck off.

Tuesday Notes...

-Anyone looking for a sign that quality & depth in college basketball has hit a new low? Newly-crowned #1 Texas has to go to OT to beat Texas A&M in Austin, then goes on the road and is the underdog against Kansas State. The Longhorns promptly got blasted 71-62, and the Mildcats were clearly the better team. Had they not gotten tight for a while in the second half and started short-arming shots, they'd have won by 25.

-The 'Horns point guard, Dogus Balbay, is the worst point guard PYB has ever seen on a top-ranked squad. No threat to shoot from outside, can't get to the rim, racked up four assists and six turnovers Monday night. Can't make plays. That being said, UT is easily the worst top-ranked team PYB has seen.

-Nebraska's loss at home against Iowa State was a season-killer. Their best player, Brandon Richardson, played very limited minutes after suffering another one of his myriad of injuries. Bear Jones, the only other Division-I-capable guard NU has, did not play because of the flu. Still the Cornhuskers took the lead and should have won the game. Doc may not have done his best coaching job ever, but four of his top five players are freshmen or sophomores. Bad games will happen.

The real heat needs to be directed at the Huskers' physicality, or lack thereof. 2009-10 marks another season where NU has been physically dominated in conference play. Sure, there are a lot of young bodies out there. But NU has not developed players as they stay in the program...not to the point where they can bang in the paint and become the aggressor rather than being tossed around like the Ayatollah's corpse in an Iranian funeral procession. NU's players also miss too many games with injuries...not torn ACLs or broken legs, but nagging back injuries, thigh bruises and the like. PYB contends this has to do something w/ the training staff's methods in Lincoln...just a theory, but it's gone on far too long for it to be total coincidence.

Look for more soon from The Donger on the state of NU hoops....

Know Who You're Messing With...

Talk about getting your just desserts....Protesting against hare-brained movies stars or plastic politicians is one thing, but bikers are a whole other ball game. These guys apparently never watched Gangland on TV....


http://glossynews.com/society/201001070305/activists-missing-after-declaring-war-on-leather-at-motorcycle-rally/

Huskers Need a Win as 'Clones Blow In

NU faces an absolute must-win on Saturday as Iowa State visits Lincoln. They cannot afford to go 0-3 in conference, after playing half a decent game against Kansas Wednesday before succumbing by 12 points in the end. If NU can defend its home court the rest of the way (not entirely impossible) and its pathetic fan base can help them by showing up in numbers more than 5500 a game (not very probable), and then steal one on the road (mildly possible)...8-8 is a possibility (possibly). That would make the Cornhuskers 20-12 going into the B12 Tourney. We'll do that math again, if NU is fortunate enough to win tomorrow.

This is the type of game where NU needs its home crowd to show up, and show up in force. There is bound to be a semi-letdown after a big game like Kansas, but crowds need to be there to add the extra emotion for the home team to get over the hump and get the win no matter what. If not, hello NIT--again.

As for the KU game, NU hung in there the best it could before eventually faltering. Despite being 0-2 in conference, anyone who knows anything about basketball (which eliminates 85% of Nebraska's population, including the Creighton 'fans' who go to the Qwest in ever-dwindling numbers for the beer and the 'scene'..ha ha ha), knows that NU finally has some talent that can succeed at the Division I-A level. PYB has seen four, if not five, above-average major-college talents so far:

Brian Diaz: Great hands, coordination and offensive ability for someone 6-foot-11. Just needs to get stronger.

Brandon Richardson: Sophomore guard put up 18 vs. high competition Wednesday, just needs to get past the injury bugs that have plagued him. Smooth skills and shooting.

Eshaunte Jones: Has had his best performances when logging heavy minutes against top competition. Seems to be honing his shot from downtown as he gains experience.

Christian Standhardinger: Flopped a bit against KU, but all the skills are there. He just needs to find his rhythm and figure out the best way to get shots in Doc's system.

The players listed above included three freshmen and one sophomore. NU's biggest limitation is lack of a go-to scorer.....and PG Lance Jeter needs to become at least a threat to pull up from 10 feet, or drive to the hoop for a layup, or shoot a couple three pointers a game.....if not, defenses will be able to help with five defenders on the other four players. And improving three-point defense is a must, as the Huskers look continually confused and gave up 13 more to the Jaycocks on Wednesday.

We'll find out tomorrow....in the meantime, enjoy the pic of drunken Larry Eustachy....what happened to the good times??

From the Get a Life Department....

Letters to Tom Shatel....Get a life...or at least a hobby...

From: Dave, Kansas City
Published Thursday, Jan. 14

Tom, now that the Kiffins are at USC, and given the ties back to Lincoln for Monte, do you think we'll see some more NU vs. USC games in the not-so-distant future? I'd sure as heck like to get a crack at them again!

The NU schedules are pretty set the next few years. How long do you think Lane will be there?

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

From: Bill M., Miller, Neb.
Published Wednesday, Jan. 13

Thanks for the great coverage in 2009, is spring ball here yet? Could you give us an update on Kody Spano? His name has not been mentioned all fall and I am wondering if he is done with football. I have heard that it is extremely difficult to come back from his type of injury twice. Hope he still has a chance, thanks.

I saw him in San Diego and hear he's going to be back. That should really help the quarterback position, especially because I would doubt Lee will do much in the spring, so Cody and Kody can get the snaps then.

Pic of the Day...

Clipper Jinx...Redux....

PYB touched on the amazing depth of the Clipper Jinx....add this one to the annals....Blake Griffin gone for the year....maybe it's karma for all his injury faking while in college....or this faggy, whore-laden picture...

Wednesday Thoughts....

1. KU is favored by 12.5 points over Nebraska in Lincoln tonight. Everyone predicts a BIG JAYCOCK win because they're MAD MAD MAD over their loss at Tennessee on Sunday. Maybe if they showed up Sunday they wouldn't have lost. KU continues its ineptitude against non-conference opponents, where it doesn't get to manhandle opponents and get every call imaginable.

Hell, the 'Hawks needed a terrible and-one call at home against the Big Red last week...Cornell that is...to seal the game. Then they were completely dominated in Knoxville by the Vols, who were playing with six scholarship players. Sweet. This is Doc Sadler's deepest squad in terms of athletes (albeit still not strong enough to bang inside vs. older players), so PYB wouldn't be surprised to see the Cornhuskers keep it within the spread....we know big dollars will go on KU and Vegas ain't stupid.

2. Colt McCoy gets engaged....hopefully for him his arm is the only thing that feels like a noodle....

3. For all you bettors out there.....bet against Milwaukee the rest of this week and get rich.....after playing a back-to-back at LAL and PHX Sunday/Monday, the Bucks play four out of five nites at Portland, Golden State, Utah and Houston. Michael Redd went out for the year w/ another ACL tear on Sunday. Brandon Jennings is shooting 32% from the field and 30% from the FT line the last month. Cha-ching...

4. Anyone heard of Tacki-Mac golf grips? Just got a deal on some yesterday at Golfsmith....come in all colors and feel pretty good. But PYB needs some consumer reports....the kid at the shop said they'd been around forever....

5. Lane Kiffin to USC. A definite upgrade for the Trojans, as far as coaching skills go. Pete Carroll was a glorified cheerleader. That shit doesn't play in the NFL, which is why he'll be fired within two years. $7MM per year AND president duties to a guy who flopped in his first attempt in the league? Please.

Fresh Prince...

Well Prince Amukamara is staying for his senior season. Good decision, considering he's the third-best CB on his college team behind Dejon Gomes and Alfonzo Dennard. This is no insult, as Gomes and Dennard had great 2009 seasons.

Amukamara made big strides in the last third of the season, but he is not a natural defensive playerem and his ball-playing (for lack of a better word) skills are raw at beste. Still, continued development in 2010 could mean a bright future.

See Ya Colt....

Well Texas' luck ran out. The team, which defines soft, lost its QB Colt McCoy on a seemingly routine hit. Eerily similar to a Chrissy Simms injury. All the breaks went to Alabama, even the cheap pass interference calls.

Nick Saban forgot who he was for a night, with an arrogantly sloppy game plan that allowed Texas to keep it close--and damn near lost the game despite McCoy playing one series. A botched punt from their own 20 on 4th & 23, while McCoy was still in the game. An unfielded kickoff for a turnover....another lost kickoff that ricocheted off a return blocker.

Saban's defense over-blitzed against a first-game QB. There is no reason to continually bring 2-3 extra guys, when one will suffice while keeping others back to confuse Garrett Gilbert in coverage. And Bama's DBs were vulnerable in one-on-one coverage...they couldn't cover Jordan Shipley. As a unit, the Blackshirts make the Tide defense look pedestrian.

Alabama's QB, Greg McElroy, looked awful. Panicked at the first sign of pressure. Showed no playmaking ability. Missed easy throws while going 6/11 for 58 yards. PYB thought Zac Lee was at home resting after surgery for his fake injury??

Mark Ingram looked legit, as he made the runs NU could not in the B12 title game. This was the difference in the game. Too bad Musburger had to mention 50 times than his father was 'incarcerated' and couldn't be at the Rose Bowl.

Another Big 12 BCS title loss. Texas got its just desserts, as karma bit the 'Horns in the ass. They joined OU by tanking a chance at the title with no running game, soft defense and questionable coaching (nice shovel pass before half time, Mack). Maybe they're just keeping the seat warm for a Big-12 team with a real strategist as coach, who can run the ball, who has a smothering defense, who rises to the occasion instead of beating up on pretenders all year......hell, Zac Lee can go six for 11 for 58 yards....who knows?

Tide Rolls...

The waves have gone back & forth on BCS predictions....first was the wave of Alabama's Heisman winner, vaunted running game and tough defense will blast Texas. Then came the wave from all the counter-punchers trying to prove how smart they are/boost TV ratings (Musburger, et al) saying what a great leader Colt McCoy is, etc. PYB does realize one must be one of the best college QBs ever to lead his team to 202 total yards vs. the 24th-ranked team in a conference championship game. Now, the final wave, as the point spread has moved up from 3.5 to 4.0 in favor of 'Bama. The original line was 5.5.

So, let's bottom line it. There are a lot of factors going into the game....lots of intriguing angles. Will 'Bama avoid another Heisman jinx, which takes a back seat only to the Madden cover jinx? Here's PYB's bottom line. Who would you rather have coaching your team in a big game: Mack Brown or Nick Saban?

Mack Brown, he of Roy Williams-esque stature, in his brutal in-game management? He, who has won only one national title despite having his pick of the litter EVERY recruiting season. Who spits out perennially soft teams...talented, but soft as hell. UT played three teams who would qualify as DECENT in 2009, and nearly lost them all

TT 34-24...Needed a huge comeback to win this one
OU 16-13...Needed Sam Bradford to re-injure his shoulder
NU 13-12...Needed a regurgitated second to beat the worst offense in Division I

The 'Horns 41-14 win over Okie St., does not qualify, as the Cowboys were simply horrible once they lost Dez Bryant. And let's not forget the 49-39 debacle against aTm.

Nick Saban, who has taken Alabama to the BCS in three short seasons? Who lives for big games? Who can take speed and talent and turn it into a shutdown defense that makes plays. Whose team blasted Florida and Jesus Tebow in the SEC title game?

PYB's money is on Saban and Alabama.

So Much for the Pelini Rumor....

Doesn't give much creedence to the internet rumors....

http://huskerextra.com/articles/2010/01/06/football/doc4b450dc84b5ef989912378.txt

Trouble Ahead...

As the Big 12 schedule hits the Huskers, trouble looms as they have only three players who have shown to be consistent D-I contributors: Brandon Richardson (who is questionable for every game), Ryan Anderson and Eshaunte Jones (not consistent with minutes or scoring, but for not looking overmatched by real competition). NU travels to College Station to play aTm Saturday, and the future ain't looking too bright right now.

Doc Sadler is the first to admit he has played too many players in the non-conference season, and hopefully he has an idea of who can become his core group in the Big 12. Other plays who look like they may be able to compete in conference: Ray Gallegos, Quincy Hankins-Cole (if he can shoot better than 35% from the FT line, and Brian Diaz (if he can get his hands on some good steroids...paging Matt O'Hanlon...line 3).

PYB will reserve any further judgment until after Saturday, as the last three NU opponents haven't merited analysis.

Jail Bait...

A pic from Longhorn & Aggie boards, of a chick who is supposedly a booster's wife or daughter that Carl Pelini drilled and may get fired for. PYB think it's BS, as the honks from Texas are just mad that the Horns got dominated in Dallas and the aTm fans are pissed they have a bad coach and suck....Anyway, enjoy....what would BHS be?

Of course internet chat board geeks are salivating over her....just like any normal guy would be after 12 beers when he dialed her digits at 2am....on a Friday!!!

Husker Hyperbole...

All hail the mighty Cornhuskers, national title contenders for 2010 because Zac Lee threw for 173 yards and beat Arizona in the Holiday Bowl.

Some commentary:

Lincoln Urinal-Star
Notice that Pelini doesn't commend any of his shitty returning LBs that have logged significant game time. HUGE problem area. And 173 yards passing is a corner-turning event for Lee? Puke. Cody Green should be completely worthless with another year of mismanagement by Pelini and Watson.

Omaha World-Herald
How will the Blackshirts ever replace Matt O'Hanlon? He improved greatly as the year wore on, but is more the product of Pelini's system than individual talent. The confidence that Pelini can breed in players by teaching them assignment football is amazing, and O'Hanlon is the poster boy for that. But let's not forget he blew assignments on two game-losing TDs for Nebraska this year: VT and Iowa State.

NE Statepaper
NU is a national title contender, says the Statepaper. Quick aside: what the fuck is the Statepaper? Shows up online last year and now is a 'trusted source'? Maybe since the OWH is a Bluejay trumpet, they saw an opportunity.

We digress, so NU's SHITTY offense, SHITTY QBs, lack of offensive playmakers, Holiday Bowl win and Colt McCoy's graduation make the NC a possibility? Please. Tons of work to do yet, and NU creates new ways to lose to Texas every time they play. And the Holiday Bowl as NC springboard....ask 2008 champion Oregon how that worked out this season.....or 2007 champion Texas....or 2006 champion Cal....

According to the Statepaper, only Zac Lee's fake injury can stop NU in 2010!