New UNLV Uniforms

A+.  Didn't see this one coming.  All around.  Great for UNLV.  Now get some wins.  Thanks to Uni-Watch.

New GT Helmet

A picture surfaced, taken by a GT player, of a new helmet design.  First word was they were going to wear the honeycomb lids against VTech, but nothing has been finalized.  Also, today it was reported that the GT will be added to the final look.  I really don't mind the helmet, but it could look stupid on the field like Notre's did with the pot of gold or whatever the hell was on their helmet last year.  Nice idea, but I don't know if it will look that good.  Here are the pics, from AJC.com.

Grade: B right now

Quote of the New Era of Buckeye Football

This comes from wide recieve Corey "Philly" Brown earlier today,

"Coach Tress’s was kind of just play it safe and win the game, as opposed to Coach Meyer’s which is we’re going to go score 100 points, and do this and do that, and try to run scores up, and just have a good time out there. Try to defeat our opponent’s will, just ‘no mas’ everybody.”
 

No Mas is right

This is exactly why I still cannot believe Urban is the head coach of Ohio State.  Tress had to apologize for scoring in the 4th quarter at Northwestern in 2007.  A 30-7 win over Akron was deemed good enough.  Seniors got to start no matter what.  That era is over.  I loved Tress.  I still do.  But with our 4 and 5 stars, his offense was boring and predictable and overall BLAH.  They are not going to lose to Purdue anymore.  Michigan thinks they had a nice season by only giving up 34 to the worst Buckeye offense in history.  No Mas is right.  Hide ya kids, hide ya wife.  Once this thing gets rolling...look the F out.



Thanks to Lori Schmidt via twitter (@LoriSchmidt) and her blog Fear The Hat

Oregon Unis 2012

Oregon showed their official jerseys for the 2012 season, and the only minimal surprise is that the wings actually take over the entire shoulder pad.  Other than that, nothing really new from the Rose Bowl set, just a lighter "throwback" green color.  Thanks to Nike Inc. and Uni-Watch.
Grade: B+
Like the feathers better than the past and love the number on the sleeves.

Walking the Plank

Last night I proposed to my girlfriend of 4 years and the mother of my daughter.  She said yes.  The plan to propose totally blew up but I ended up toughing through it and got it done.

How we roll, from last fall

The plan was to have our daughter take the gift box to her has she pulled up after work.  I told her to text me when she was on her way, however her phone was in her purse, and after a few minutes with no response, I checked out the window.  Car in the driveway, car empty, door opening.  I was sitting in the living room with the gift box out in the open, so I jumped up, got the box and ran into our room and put the box under our covers.  She also has two boys from a previous marriage that live with us for half the week.  The plan was to have her and my baby girl walk in with the box and the boys and I would all be there.  Since she was walking into the house, I wasn't ready, the babe was playing with a toy and the boys were downstairs killing zombies on Call of Duty.  I yelled that she was home as I ran into our room.  I returned and had to have a secret meeting with the boys, after trying to get the baby into the room, but she was then face-deep in Tiff's purse.  I said screw it, walked out with the boys with the box and proposed.  Not nice and tidy, but got the job done, kind of like LSU's offense last year, you know, before they played in the championship game.

Ok, so it's a major life step, and after the proposal, my sister came over to watch the babe as we went to dinner at Cap City.  Between tweeting and facebooking it (most 2012 thing ever) and when the dinner ended, my phone was basically dead due to all the alerts from all my friends.  Apparently every one checks facebook and twitter every second of every day, not just high school girls.  It was great, and it was time for this to get done.  She's already been through the traditional wedding and I don't really care, so we are just going to have a reception/party-type deal after a bachelor party, presumably sometime in the summer.  I'm really happy, she loved the ring, and everyone has been great.  Nothing to do with sports, but just thought I would share a little personal story.

2012 Season Preview - Straight Ca$h Homey

Last year I won the weekly NCAA football pick ‘em betting league.  After week 1 where I went 3-4, I said f*ck it and went  with my gut.  I took teams I tend to love to bet on (that have burned me forever)…big offenses in a shitty conference along with betting against teams that are horrible just about every week, regardless of who they are playing.

I also look at hot/cold teams and if the team has been tested in the past few weeks, no major injuries and a quality QB and O-line or a team with a D full of preds and not a shit given.

I'm too Buckeye
to bet on them

The teams I loved last year were Bama and LSU, Okie State, Wisconsin, Houston and USC late in the year.  The key was to stick with those teams throughout the year, not just after a big win I would’ve missed.  Teams I always bet against were Kentucky, Ole Miss, UNLV, Arizona, Kansas, UCLA and Texas Tech.  Notre and the Buckeyes killed me so they are on my shit list.  Not so much the Buckeyes because last season has been erased from my memory, along with the Bollman-designed offensive attack (run run pass punt).  So yeah, f*ck you Notre.  But I am never taking the Buckeyes ever.  My heart is too invested.

Going into this year, here are some of the teams I am looking at:

Obviously USC, Bama, LSU, and Oregon early.  Not a big deal.  The highly-ranked teams I hate are Virginia Tech, Michigan, and Notre Dame to an extent.  And it’s just not my Buckeye-bias. 

Virginia Tech has two pure freshmen RBs and a rebuilt/young O-line.  The ACC is weak, but I don’t see VT in the top 20 in anything.  They have a huge QB who is magical, but he is going to be pounded early and often, and Frank Beamer is overrated.  He has won less than five times against a top 10 team while at VT.

No way he finishes the game against 'bama

Michigan, if you look at their season last year, they had to go 80 in 30 seconds to beat Notre, squashed at Sparty, gave up 34 to the worst offense in the history of Ohio State, and really did nothing in the Sugar Bowl against my Hokies.   Yes they won in OT, but the way they dominated the first half, it should’ve been over by the 3^rd quarter.  They didn’t play Wisconsin and had a really good season, but no way they get all the breaks they got last year.  Also, nice schedule this year, Big Blue. 

Living, breathing, pick 6
Especially in the red zone

Notre was a tire fire with last year’s schedule and this year, well…good luck with that.  If you ever bet on Notre Dame, punch yourself in the face, then take that money, put it into a bag with dogshit, light it on fire, and put it out with said punched face.  Then take that burnt bag, turn that som’bitch sideways and STICK IT STRAIGHT UP YOUR CANDY ASS.

Of course things are subject to change, like if a linebacker gets arrested for throwing his baby mama into a door, or the star RB gets kicked out and has to go D-II.  Or a returning Heisman finalist has to go to “weed rehab”…wait nevermind.  LSU still has 3 AA in the defensive backfield.  They won’t miss one beat. One thing I know…I’m already taking one team I like (Bama) over one team I don’t (Mich) and it could be a money game.  Oh and Notre Dame is favored by more than 2 touchdowns while they play in Ireland against a team that runs the option and has stunned/scared major programs early in the past.  I’m taking America and the Navy against the Irish. STRAIGHT CA$H HOMEY.  See you in just over a week.  I didn’t mention Clemson?  If you don’t know to STAY AWAY FROM CLEMSON AT ALL COSTS THEN GO DO METH.

New SMU Uniforms

When June Jones took over a few years ago, he went back to the multiple Buffalo-Bills-stripes, which looked pretty good.  This year, they are taking the Northwestern Stripe and putting that on the shoulders, which I have never seen before.  They switched the stripes with the numbers and removed the SMU on the front with the horse.  No blue shown, but I would expect them to break those out from time to time.  Good look, but I like the shoulder stripes to be a little less bold.  Not bad but a big of a step down from their new-classic look from the past couple years.  Grade: B

Note: I believe they were adidas the past few years, so the switch to Nike with new jerseys makes sense.




Source: Nike Blog

The Rest of Oregon's Set

Yellow, black and "old" green.  Black with the silver looks good.  Match those with the carbon lids and pants.  Hopefully they get with yellow pants and hats this year.  These wings look better than the Air Force inspired diddies they have had the past few years as well.  Nothing to outlandish, yet. Grade: B

Here's the helmet:


Source: Uni-Watch

Notre Dame Alternate Uniform

October 6th, versus Miami in Soldier Field.  I woke up this morning, checked uni-watch, and this is what I see.  These were dropped last night and I have no idea what is going on.  Notre Dame is supposed to be one of the college football programs that you cannot touch.  The Helmet.  The Navy on gold.  The green alternates.  Classic all around.  Sure, they can tweak a little here and a little there and pay homage to the past while selling new stuff, but this...I have no words.  If Ohio State ever went with a two-tone unsymmetrical helmet just because, I would lost my shit.  Everyone bags on Nike for being evil and making teams look like they represent "Team Nike" and Oregon and blah blah blah Pro Combat sucks blah blah blah, but the last 20 things adidas has done, along with the practice jerseys, has been downright deplorable.

If this is what the new uni craze has come to, I might turn into a pure-traditionalist right now.  THIS is too much.  Nebraska and Wisconsin, bad.  THIS is too much for a program with the stature of Notre Dame, their annual 4 losses notwithstanding.  Adidas is doing this by the way, not the swoosh.  Here are the pictures form It's Always Sunny in Detroit via Uni-Watch.  Grade: F-

Penn State Adds Names: Video

Standard video of nameplates being added for the first time to the back of State's unis.  Average guy won't care nor notice, but to any college football guy/historian, it will be a little odd.  No Joe Pa, no bowls, no nameless shirts.  Times they are a changin'.

Can't wait for a matte helmet and grey numbers next year!

New Army Helmet: Flat Gold

Army is going with a flat look, like most new helmet teams, which looks like the color of the hummers, which is cool.  Also, a fattened black stripe and the flag on the back.  Grade: B+.  Hit the jump after the first picture for the rest.

Virginia Tech Camo Unis

I posted a sketch of their camo jerseys earlier, but along with the white out/turkey celebration, VTech is doing their usual salute to the military by wearing a special uni as well this year.  Here are the pictures of the uniform.



I really don't hate them.  I wouldn't mind if they used camo shoulders as well, but it's a clean look, I like the jersey design with sleeve numbers, and the helmets are fine.  For camo unis, I give this a B+.

Source: Uni-Watch

Chad Ochocitgo Released By the Dolphins

This also happened over the weekend.  The same old story of a premiere athlete who met his wife after cussing her out on twitter, headbutts said wife after she found a receipt for condoms.  As he wait in jail, his team releases him.

Chad Johnson, who was a force with the Bengals, wore out his welcome after he changed his name to Ochocinco was moved to the Patriots, who love to take a chance on players who were run from their previous team.  Johnson was a top 10 WR just a few years back and last year had less than 20 catches in a pass happy offense with a hall-of-fame quarterback who made Dion Branch a lot of money.  He couldn't figure out the playbook and "lost himself".  His hometown team scooped him up this year and from the first episode of "Hard Knocks" on HBO, seemed like he was their main only threat to gain yards at any point of the year (THEY ARE HORRIBLE).

Now he's pumping gas after going Lord Tensi on his twitter wife.  I could care less about this, other than putting your hands (or forehead) on a woman is deplorable.  But at least "Hard Knocks" will be watchable for two more weeks.  That is, until the 3rd preseason game, the "dress rehearsal" if you will, when the "first" team gets outscored by 30.  Maybe they will be able to draft Barkley next year.  You know, a quarterback in college who played quarterback for 4 years in college and high school and middle school.  Who also has a hot wife/girlfriend, WHO PLAYED QUARTERBACK THE ENTIRE TIME WHILE IN COLLEGE.  Sorry, but taking a WR who converted into a QB for a year and half at the 9th pick, I do not like.  How very Browns of you.

SO ANYWAY, if you have HBO or have HBO GO and use someone else's password and are on the fence about watching "Hard Knocks", the Dolphins were the 10th team asked and the 1st team to say yes.  This incident will be featured so watch the next two episodes.  Then move on to Brickelberry.

New Virginia Tech White Helmet

This popped up over the weekend, I was actually laying with my daughter in her bed when I saw the pic on my phone, but this is the helmet the Hokies are going to wear when they "white out" against Austin Peay on September 8th..  Looks like they are taking a tracks of their mascot and putting them on the helmet.  Ok then.  I wonder with they will have a special turkey track uni like Oregon did with their catroon duck...once again, cool to have, but not to wear, you're trying to hard hokies.  Stick with your UCLA stripe throwback forever and your other white helmet with the orange stripe flanked by maroon.

Penn State Announces Uniform Changes

So kind of.  On twitter, naturally.  A blue ribbon will be added to support the victims of child abuse.  And also names will be added to the back to honor those who stayed.  For Penn State, that's a major change, which is fine with me.  It will be odd to see white names along with the numbers, but to the average guy it won't matter much.  And I don't give a shit what the PSU fans think.  The ones I have read, they can go f*ck themselves.  I used to think that Wisconsin and Ohio State fans (along with the entire SEC) fans were the worst, but Penn State fans hoping the NCAA would get raped like the boys did...I don't want to group all PSU fans into one group because I have a few good friends that are Staters, but my goodness...Anyway, stay tuned for next off season where there is a possibility of a "major" PSU uni change (I hope not).

[tweet https://twitter.com/BryanDFischer/status/232915722282627072]

UTEP All Orange Errrrrthang

UTEP going all orange.  Love the combo, navy with bright orange.  Ever since Carson Palmer's brother got his diploma, I haven't given much thought to UTEP other than I hoped they wouldn't stay within 35 of Houston last year, and they didn't.  Thanks for the $$$$$.  Also, more orange is always better orange, as long as it's not the Browns or Syracuse (Cleveland-please bring back the orange pants, AMIRIGHT?)  The blue on orange or white on orange wouldn't be hateful either.  Anything on orange and I'm pretty much a fan, so I am biased.

Anyway, here's UTEP's unis.  All orange for their first game Sept. 1st.  Sock included.


[tweet https://twitter.com/UniWatch/status/232545398030471169]

New Maryland Football Uni

Here we go...too bad they only won 2 games last year and had about 29 players transfer.  I don't know if you can use the "uniforms are for the recruits" argument if they all leave after one practice.  The helmets remind me of the Iowa Barnstormers from the Indoor league that had the goggles around the helmet.  Yuck.   From twitter.


[tweet https://twitter.com/WNST/status/232499780587237377]


[tweet https://twitter.com/WNST/status/232500218065739776]

Official Oregon Green Jersey

This is what the Ducks will wear when they go with their standard green shirt.  It first debuted in the Rose Bowl but had a giant patch on it and I wasn't sure if it was a special Rose Bowl jersey or just a preview the this year's. 

The silver Air Force wings are gone and there is an addition of sleeve numbers, which I both like.  They are using extra material like they did in the early 2000s (and I guess you could count the diamond plates too) that are in the form of wings which I guess works...but for Oregon, this is pretty tame. 

I am suprised the numbers weren't rejected due to the fact that they are hard to read.  Black on dark green is tough enough, but with the metallic finish on them, it's almost impossible at night with the lights.  I also wouldn't mind that wing design on the pants in some fashion, on the knees like the diamond plates or down the side at a stripe...I think it would look cool as the same color but with a different glossy finish.  No word as to whether or not their chrome lids will be used more or just once like the best helmet of all time, the Holiday Bowl la flama blanca, which needs to be put in NCAA '13 like yesterday.

Anyway, what I am really using this for is to see if I can embed a tweet into this thing...


[tweet https://twitter.com/McNamaraUO/status/232494442479763456]

Live Olympic Coverage, Except When Michael Phelps Goes for Gold

I don’t know if I’m late to this party or what, but when I wanted to watch Michael Phelps’ last Olympic race, a relay, where the USA took gold, I expected it to be shown on the network that is covering the games live.  NBC has 4 channels that have shown Olympic events, and on Saturday, when Phelps and his team took to the water at 3:37pm (on a Saturday), I turned to NBC and NBC Sports Net to see which of them was showing the live Olympic event.
NBC was showing the end of a USA water polo match where they were down by 3 in the last two minutes.  Ok fine, USA is playing, I kind of figured that they would at least switch over or do a duel-screen set up since NBC is the main channel and this is an “event everyone is watching” but ok, fine.  They show the USA basketball games on NBCSN and sand volleyball so I’ll give that a shot.  I turn over and there are a bunch of rich white people with motorcycle helmets jumping horses over poles and water and bushes.  Mind you I turned to NBC at 3:30 so now this is about 3:33.  In the afternoon.  On a weekend.  Ok fine…horse jumping.  I’m sure they are going to switch over.  Any minute now.  Michael Phelps is swimming in his last event as the greatest Olympian in American and World history ever.  Any time now.  It’s 3:36 and then 3:38.  I switch back and forth, check out Bravo, they are showing real house gold digging skanks of NYC or LA or Omaha or whatever.  CNBC? MSNBC?  No sports, just the magic bullet and INSANTITY workout infomercial.  I go to twitter.  I ask about the station that is showing the relay.  I am getting updates from reporters there.  Phelps crushed it.  USA wins gold.  Not on tv.  Not on tv from a company who is broadcasting live Olympic events.  They purposely did not show the race so they could show it during primetime.  If you think I stuck around to see if they even mentioned it, you are dead wrong.  F*ck you NBC.  F*ck you with no lube.

At the start of the games, there were a lot of bitching about NBC and their tape-delay coverage.  I really didn’t see the big deal, since I am at work during the weekday, I can stream events here and there (which is a whole different problem), but since it’s during the work week, not many Americans get to sit at home and watch every event on tv.  That’s fine.  I assumed they aired the “main” events and then showed them at night, like a normal company would.  And even if they didn’t, I’m sure on the weekend, where a majority of the people are home to watch, they would show the big events live and then replay them at night.  NBC HAS BEEN DELIBERLTY NOT SHOWING THE EVENTS PEOPLE ARE MOST INTERESTED IN SO THEY CAN SHOW THEM (WITH THE RESULTS ALREADY KNOWN) LATER.  It’s like they are showing live bowl games, but when the Rose Bowl starts at 4:00, they not only don’t show the game, highlights or talk about the result, they show the Rose Bowl taped at 8:00 (when anybody who cares already knows that Oregon beat Wisconsin and Thomas had 200 yards and 3 tds).  They go out of their way to NOT show THE LAST EVENT IN MICHAEL PHELPS’ career so they can show it later that night.  On the weekend.  I am turning bright red as I type this.  How can this happen?

THE EVENT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.  YOU ARE SHOWING LIVE OLYMPIC EVENTS.  THEY ARE IN THE POOL RACING RIGHT NOW.  SHOW THE F*CKING MEET.  YOU ARE BROADCASTING LIVE OLYMPIC COVERAGE AND THE EVENT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.  I DON’T WANT TO SEE HORSES JUMP OVER POLES.  I DON’T WANT TO SEE THE USA LOSING IN WATER POLO BY 3 WITH 2 MINUTES LEFT.  SHOW THE LIVE EVENT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW OVER ONE OF YOUR FOUR CHANNELS.  How can this happen?  I have to go online on a Saturday, stream live ((which buffers every 30 seconds but the commercials about Dwight Howard loving basketball as long as it’s not for the Magic run seamlessly every 3 minutes) and missed Usain Bolt’s 100M dash), in order to watch Michael Phelps’ last race as an Olympian?  How can this happen?

I hope and pray, on September 1^st, when Notre Dame plays Navy in Ireland live at 9:00am, that NBC shows the game LIVE at 9:00am and not at 8:00pm that night.  F*ck you NBC.  F*ck you now and then again at 8:00.

Baylor Football Black Uni

Baylor is going black, with green numbers...that's great and all, but when they are losing by 30 again, I don't think it will matter.  The pants stripes are stupid.  If they would keep the jersey and go back to their gold pants with the green and white stripe, we would be all set.  Here's what the all black errrrthang looks like...



Source: Uni-Watch

Army Home Uni

From Uni-watch via @armyeqip

Heads Up: Browns Uni

Here is what the Browns will wear in their opener at home vs. the Eagles.  No changes, other than instead of all white socks with the sleeve stripes, they are going with brown socks and two orange stripes.  Might not look better than the all-white uni, but sign me up for about 20 of those socks baby.  Best looking team in the NFL.

UNC White Lid

Here is UNC's new white helmet for the 2012 season.  Not too bad.


Sources come from everywhere this morning: Lost Letterman, Uni-Watch, UNC