Friday, October 31, 2008

Mike Singletary and the 49ers

The NFL Code of Respect

It is said that respect is a two-way street, meaning that it’s not enough for you to GIVE respect, you also have a right to GET it as well. This may be seen in how teams respect one another both on and off the field.

I want to use an example to discuss how even in the National Football League there must be respect. Now, a lot of people talk about how players have to respect coaches, and I agree. The coach is the figure head of the team, and must be the leader. As such, that means that those under his command must respect his authority.

That’s fine, I got that.

But it goes both ways too. Sometimes the coach has to remember that he is not God, and is just as human as the team he coaches. Lots of times the delicate balance of team is broken when players no longer have the absolute respect of their head coach. This happens a lot in sports, but let me use a recent example.

I have the highest respect for current Head Coach Mike Singletary, one of the reasons the Chicago Bears won the Superbowl (along with Walter Payton, Jim McMahon and others). Many of you have seen the turmoil that has happened with the San Francisco 49ers, and how they recently fired their head coach and put Mike Singletary at the helm.

When I saw this, I was very happy for Singletary, and I felt it was LONG overdue. It’s like wondering why Joe Greene never got a shot at a head coaching job in the NFL. And we know Mike Singletary is a very intense player, and we hoped to see that happen with the 49ers.

Many of you know about how Singletary removed Vernon Davis from the game, then sent him to the showers. Singletary made a statement about how he’d rather play with 10 guys and get flagged every time than play with guys that are not with the team.

Now, when I first heard that, I thought that maybe he was right. Sometimes players get a little too emotional in the game and need to be tamed a bit. So maybe Mike Singletary was right in “nipping it in the bud” with this Davis by sending him to the showers. Maybe it was the way to get control of a bad team…and let’s not fool ourselves, this is a bad team.

But then a story comes out how Mike Singletary took his pants off during the halftime of a game to demonstrate how humiliating it was for the beating the 49ers were getting. That made the news all around sports media, and I was then starting to wonder what’s up with Singletary…that kinda seemed extreme…and weird.

Turns out, that info was “leaked” to the media, which now has Mike Singletary upset because as he said, “what happens in the locker room ought to stay there”.

In most cases I am inclined to agree, but I am making an exception, and even saying this about what happened…Singletary made himself fair game…so he needs to take his OWN medicine.

It pains me to say that, because I love Mike Singletary, but in the events of the last week or so, I think the coach has no right to argue about what the media found out. I think the better way to put this is “turnabout is fair game”.

Singletary had no problem throwing Davis under the bus, making his announcements to the media and the sports world. And although I don’t have a problem with the coach telling his players about stuff they don’t want him to do, and EVEN if he has to discipline his players, fine. But the moment you open your mouth to the media about that, you publicly humiliate one of YOUR players.

Where’s the respect in that?

And yet, Singletary gets bent out of shape when somebody leaks out what he says in the locker room. I don’t see how that is any different and it is possible that in what Singletary did, may have caused a severe fraction in the team. Lots of players on the 49ers are actually speaking on behalf of Davis, in support that maybe Mike Singletary should not have opened his big mouth to publicly embarrass one of his players. Perhaps one of those players (or coaches) felt that the respect of the team is not just about respecting the coach alone. It’s about respecting every player as a human being, and when they make a mistake, you correct in in the confines of your team…not to the media.

So maybe the info leaked on Mike Singletary dropping his pants was justified. Heck, if you want to embarrass one of your players, fine, but don’t get upset when you get embarrassed yourself.

I really think if Singletary had just yelled at him and let him be, it would have been cool. Or even if he sent him to the showers, that is fine, just don’t tell the media what that was about. That was only between you and Davis…not the rest of the world. I can imagine the teammates of Davis felt that Singletary was too hard on him. Discipline is fine, I am all for it, but to put his shame out there for the world to judge is not fair to Davis, and I thought Mike should have been a better man than that. So I think he got what he deserved with the “pants dropping” example. It ought to be a sign to the coach that just as you treat your players with little respect, expect the same.

Sometimes coaches need to realize that treating players like inmates in prison does not work. You must treat them like MEN, because they are MEN. Once you get the respect of MEN, then you can lead these MEN, and thus get the respect of these MEN.

It’s like Duke Football several weeks ago. Duke played at home vs. Virginia and won that game, and during that game a Duke player intercepted a pass and ran in the end zone. On the way there, he dove in celebration in the end zone, which by some stupid rule is now considered excessive celebration..

(and don’t get me started on that)

The Duke player got up, was happy and celebratory as the fans were excited and cheering. But the second he got to the sidelines, not one but TWO coaches on that team jumped down his throat trying to tell this guy how stupid it was to do that.

This is a problem with people used to losing, they find the WRONG things to discipline. Yes you talk to him and tell him not to do it again, but tell me this, how many games have Duke won in the last 5 years? This is a team that does not see winning much, so you BETTER enjoy every bit you can get.

Since winning that game vs. Virginia, they lost the next two, and recently beat Vandy in a very low scoring game. Perhaps they learned that chewing out a kid for scoring a touchdown was an issue they didn’t have to treat like a felony.

Mike Singletary can learn from that. Great player he may be, and one of the best defensive linemen of our time…but being a coach means respecting ALL players just as much as you want them to respect you. If he does not learn this soon, there may be a mutiny.

How to get wrestling fans, part 5

How to get wrestling fans part 5

You guys will notice that I bounce from topic to topic because I cover several different sports at the same time, so if you read one blog about wrestling and don’t see anything for two or three blogs, don’t worry, I try to get back to it when I can.

This is an ongoing topic on what I might do if I was in charge of a local wrestling federation. Not some multi-million dollar federation where you have millions to throw around. I’m talking about a local wrestling show where you can provide people in a few towns some nice and decent talent. These are for the real wrestling fans, not those that watch only “Smackdown” or “Raw” on television. That’s fine if you are into that, but lots of times we ignore the people who try to bring us local entertainment right in our back yards.

So this is a blog of what I might do if I had a wrestling federation and what I would do to make it better. If you have read the other blogs on wrestling, you know we have covered a few topics, including Location, Sound Quality and Promotions/Advertisings.

So let’s continue with the next element: Video Quality and Post Production.

Back in the days of the 70’s and 80’s this would have been hard because the equipment used for video was expensive and pretty big. But today anybody can take videos…Youtube is an excellent example of this. For good or for bad, you can easily get videos of yourself or others to the faces of thousands, or millions.

But how can you utilize this when it comes to local wrestling? Well, many local wrestling businesses forget the power of the media. Any match that you have can be recorded for several uses. As a guy that has a degree in radio and television, I want to try to share some points on this.

First off, if you’re gonna do it, do it right. Don’t go buying cheap stuff because the end product needs to be good. Remember, this is your calling card to anyone who has not been to your events; give them a good impression. Now we’re not gonna get too involved in the actual names of cameras and editing suites, because for every one I say, there could be options. But the key here is this, get some decent cameras.

Now, here is a problem I think many people miss, recording a match is more than just setting a camera and “letting it roll”. Lots of federations use a single camera on a fixed location…no good.

Give the people angles of action, not just from one camera. You can get 2, maybe 3 digital cameras, and set positions around the ring and have three different angles. If you can’t do 3, then do two, but it is critical to have more than one angle to record these events.

Now, the problem with this is that most people have no experience in editing. This is where you have to combine multiple sources into one source for the best presentation. Say I have a “match of the year” one night, and I want to sell that match on DVD. I need to give the fans the best I can give them, because if it is done right, those fans may share it with others, and those people who see it might be my next set of fans. However, editing isn’t as easy as “point and shoot”.

This is what a lot of federations rely on, just shooting once and using the exact same footage. Not good. If I am going to get wrestling fans, I need to give them a product they can be proud of which will also help create interest in my events. It also creates a steady income of past events that can keep the money coming in.

Even nowdays with digital cameras and the like, you still need to learn HOW to use it. Some people think all you need to do is turn it on and start recording. But that’s the difference in amateurs and professionals…you DO want to be professional in what you do, right?

I would get a couple of people to learn how to record events, if that means hiring a couple of college students, fine, at least I know they are studying their craft while helping us. I would make sure we have a fixed angle (a camera set in one position, and never moved) and a roving camera (one that circles the ring). If I could get a third, that is fine, but if not, I can live without it. My aim is to get as much footage of the matches AND the fans if possible.

And while quality is a given, the post production adds a whole new angle, and even some elements some wrestling federations don’t apply…announcers. It just sounds too bland to watch a DVD of a wrestling match and all you hear is the sounds of the slams, grunts and occasional yells from the audience.

There needs to be filler in the post production, and this is where announcers come in. You’ve never watched a wrestling match on television without announcers, so why settle for less when you get a DVD?

Guys, the post production of the wrestling matches has to be as intense and professional as the matches themselves. If there was as much effort put into post production as there were in the matches, you could sell each DVD for $20 and nobody would complain. These are the tangible sales that can easily recoup any losses.

If I had a wrestling event in a town, this could be an example. If I had a facility that seated 300, and sold tickets for $9 each, I am hoping to make about $2700. But that is a high estimate because most times I don’t expect to sell out, even with concessions. Now if I recorded the event that night, I can make it available for sale, and in time, we might be able to recoup any losses of that event.

One reason this can happen is local fans want to buy the product that they participated in, because they might be seen in it. I mean, wouldn’t you like to get a DVD of a wrestling night where in a pan across the fans, there YOU are, sitting there yelling and screaming? Another reason is that it allows fans who don’t travel to keep up with the wrestling federation. I might have events in 4 towns, but many of my fans can’t travel to the other three. This way, I can offer the DVD of what happened in the other towns so they won’t feel left out. And it might just encourage them to travel the next time we are out of town.

There are numerous advantages of video quality and post production, but lots of times local wrestling federations don’t take advantage of it. It’s not gonna make them multi-millionaires but it certainly can help bring more revenue. And the video can be a great promotional tool on the internet or even local television. So you might want to think about that.

Anyway, got more stuff to write about, we’ll talk more about this again soon.

Halloween warnings to college football

College Football warnings on Halloween

Already I am late in my weekly warnings and I hope it is not too late to bring tidings of fear and caution to those teams of the Division I, and the warnings I hope to share. For it would seem that South Florida never got the warnings before they lost their game to Cincinnati in their own home…it proves that you are not even safe in your own home stadium.

Who then shall also be warned? I hope for the sake of the post season that people will hear my voice, even on this Halloween:

Be warned, both Northwestern AND Minnesota, that your battle against one another could doom the loser as a vampire to sunlight. Yes you both now qualify for the post season, but we all wonder the path taken to get those “easy” wins. Are you as good as the records say, or have you been hiding the truth from us? I warn you, the truth shall be revealed in the sunlight as one of you must fall.

Be ye warned, both Wisconsin and Michigan State; for I have seen teams break down like a wore-out Frankenstein standing in the middle of an earthquake. Can we not say that of you Wisconsin, when we thought you would certainly factor in for a Rose Bowl, or perhaps the BCS Championship? Now you struggle to just make it to a bowl, and the odds may be against you. Can you still win 6 games to qualify? And what of the Spartans? History says you are due to go on a losing streak, even though you are qualified for post season. But with a big game vs. Penn State at the end of your season, have you overlooked the teams at hand? We shall see…

I give you fair warnings West Virginia, to beware of the team that changes more than a family of werewolves. You travel deep into the dangerous woods, where Connecticut has fooled many people. This team started out undefeated although many wondered who they really were. But then this team was exposed, losing 2 games in a row, and we all thought we had seen the real Connecticut. But they are back in the top 25, and they need YOU to validate their greatness. But who exactly are YOU? Did we no see you lose 2 of the first 3 games, and wondered if the better days have passed you by? A win over a ranked team makes a strong point to a team trying to claw back in the Big East race….who then is REALLY the werewolf?

A caution to you Miami, as you travel to the depths of the Cavaliers of the lagoon. How else can we compare a team that was doomed after only 4 games, losing heavily to USC and even…to Duke? What manner of creature would dare to come from the depths of failure to fight for a season already lost? But this “creature” is now a powerful force, and seems unstoppable. Beating Maryland, then dashing the hopes of ECU, then conquering then ranked teams UNC and Georgia Tech. And you are in desperate need of wins…lest you not make post season. Can you survive this test?

Be fearful Arkansas, for an unstoppable blob comes your way in the form of undefeated Tulsa. This team treads in YOUR home, in your stadium, to make you an example and to impress any voters that are looking for another BCS Buster. You have had perhaps the toughest schedule in the country, but none shall pity you should you lose to this team. In fact, should you lose, the hopes of post season may be in jeopardy with only 3 other games left…your post season life is on the line. But WHO is this Tulsa team, who has defeated no one of consequence this year? Shall a Razorback fear such a team when you have faced the likes of Texas, Florida and Alabama? Will you fear the unknown of a Tulsa Golden Hurricane?

And who shall tell the state of Texas of the witching hour, and the fate of the BCS Championship? For we know that either Texas or Texas Tech will fall. We have seen the power of Texas, knocking off 3 straight ranked teams, but did you not barely escape the last game against Oklahoma State? Are we seeing…fatigue? And what of you, Texas Tech? What witches brew will you create to convince us that you are really as great as your record? Where then are your top 25 victories, for we see only one, the win over #23 Kansas. We shall see if you will ride high like a witch on a full moon, or melt like a familiar witch when dashed with a bucket of water.

Take great measure of caution Nebraska, you are being stalked. You need not travel to Crystal Lake or Elm Street to know that your adversary seeks your defeat. For Oklahoma has red in their eyes, and are still steaming from their loss to Texas earlier this year. Should any of the top undefeated teams slip and lose, Oklahoma will be in a very opportunistic position to possibly play for the National Championship. And to do that, all their foes must fall….including you. But you also play for post season life, do you not? You must have one more victory to qualify for a bowl, and you have 4 chances to get it. No one gives you this game against Oklahoma, and you may have a problem with Kansas. With Kansas State and Colorado left, your life lines are running short. Many already question your strength of schedule, claiming your wins come from weak teams, but can you quiet the criticisms and get those 6 wins for post season play? We shall see.

So my warnings have been given…so many more I wanted to give…but….

Well, it’s Halloween, and I got candy to give out! Happy Halloween guys, have fun this weekend!

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

NO, you cannot go BOWLING!

NO, you may NOT go!

At this moment, there are nine teams in Division I that have unfortunately been delivered the news that they cannot compete for a post season game. That’s tough news for those teams, but if you look at this carefully, it might also say something about the conference, and the strength of it (or lack of strength). Let’s take a quick look at these teams and what it may represent in the conference they come from.

North Texas represents the Sun Belt Conference and was actually one of the first teams to fall out of the post season picture. This is one of 2 teams in the nation that still has no wins to their credit. So how does this represent the conference?

This 8-team conference isn’t one of the power conferences, but is still competitive inside their own. Nobody’s saying that they should have a team in the BCS bowls, but that does not mean these guys can’t play. But the fact that no one IS talking about a BCS or big wins for the conference seems to be shown in the representation of North Texas. Of all the conferences, this may be the one that few talk about when it comes to top 25 caliber, and often times the proof is in the representation of their lowest team, that being North Texas. Before the next couple of weeks, there may be 3 more teams that fall out of any chance of a bowl.

Utah State and Idaho represent the WAC (Western Athletic Conference) and both of these teams will be watching the post season together. Utah State is 1-7 and Idaho is currently 2-7. This is part of the implications when it comes to a team like Boise State who is currently undefeated, and why some don’t believe they belong in a BCS Championship. In a way there is argument here, when you have two teams that are already out of any post season. One may argue that teams like this make it easier for Boise State to pick up wins and advance up the polls.

And there may be some truth to it, but Boise State does what it can to play a competitive schedule and so far they have not lost. And let’s not lose the fact that there are some pretty decent teams in the WAC, such as Fresno State, Hawaii and San Jose State. You can very likely see 4 teams playing somewhere after the regular season is over, but when the authorities of the BCS look at teams like Boise State and their conference, they will continue to label them “BCS Busters” because technically they don’t belong with the “big dogs”. Having two teams already out of post season seems to be proof of that.

Ohio University and Eastern Michigan from the Mid American Conference are also out. With both teams being 2-7, it won’t be long before several more teams out of their conference are added next weekend. Four more teams may be added by the end of Saturday, bringing question to the strength of the conference.

And even with Ball State at 8-0, few people will put this team in the top ten because the strength of schedule is very suspect. Again, this does not mean these teams are not competitive, but when one looks at the conference, they look at the best teams, and the worst teams, and see how easy it was for the best teams to get those wins. One may argue that if Ball State was in another conference, they would not be undefeated. So it does make a difference when it comes to the strength of the schedule, but at the same time, do not fault Ball State for being undefeated…they played everyone on their schedule.

San Diego State represents the Mountain West Conference, and are also out of any hopes of a post season, and will be joined by another very soon. But here’s the counter to this argument, there are already FOUR teams that are already eligible. So it’s hard to say that the MWC is not as worth when you’ve already got several teams already eligible for a bowl. We can expect that from the power conferences, but the MWC is not one of those power conferences. This is a GOOD conference, and even in such conferences, there will always be a “cellar” team. So even though San Diego State is out, and Wyoming at the door, this is still a credible conference.

But having said that, it still plays against teams like Utah, who stand undefeated. BYU was the early talk of the town, and before them, TCU, both having lost a game, so one wonders how long before Utah loses one game in this competitive arena. All it takes is one loss to lose any hopes for a BCS Championship, but MAYBE one loss keeps them in the picture for a BCS bowl. The fact that there is only one team not going to post season as this moment helps a bit.

SMU and Conference USA is a strange thing. A conference with 12 teams, and one team now out of post season, yet only one that is currently eligible. It’s amazing that only Tulsa with 8 wins is eligible, and Rice being the only team that can become eligible this weekend, one argues if this is a competitive conference or a very soft one. It wasn’t too long when we sang the praises of ECU, now everyone outside of NC has forgotten them. Outside of Tulsa, who has already qualified, and Rice, who MIGHT qualify with a win this weekend, nobody else will qualify for a bowl for at LEAST two weeks, if even then.

For that reason, Tulsa will not be given serious consideration when it comes to a BCS Championship even if they go undefeated. One wonders if they will even get a serious bid at a BCS Bowl, rather than the Liberty Bowl. I am sure the conference would love to have a representative in the bigger bowls, but a lot of things have to happen for them to get in that ball room. There is little doubt that the conference just isn’t strong enough to warrant an undefeated team in the National Championship.

And then there’s the Pac-10, with the state of Washington out of luck this year. With Washington University winless at 0-7 and Washington State at 1-7, this is a sad year for the state. This is odd because the Pac-10 is a power conference, not like the MWC or Conference USA. And yet, they have one shot at the National Title with USC. The problem is that unless the current undefeated teams lose, Southern Cal won’t get in.

It is quite possible that half of the Pac-10 won’t see post season, which raises some questions about the strength of the conference this year. Some have said that according to the computers, USC cannot improve their current rankings by the numbers, but of course they can improve their POSITION if Texas, Penn State and Alabama lose a game… or two.

But this speaks some volumes how a power conference can have two teams already out of any hopes of post season. With two teams with a combined 1-14 record, how easy has it been (or will it be) for USC and Oregon to snatch up two easy wins? It can make the conference lose some punch when it comes down to those one-loss teams like USC and others like Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma and the like. It will play a factor, but ultimately, USC needs charity to get to a national championship.

You can indeed tell the strength of a conference by the best teams, but you can learn a lot from the teams on the bottom too. As the weeks go on, we will see more teams fall outside the post season, but the balance of who is great and who was bad will play a role in who really is the best teams in the Division I…we shall see…

Best NFL teams week 8

Week 8 Top 10 NFL Teams

It would seem that we have learned a little bit more about the NFL and the teams that are trying to get to the post season, but one thing that keeps all our guesses in check is the fact that the NFL is not always about the BEST team, rather the HEALTHIEST. And a lot of people may argue that, but you need not look any further than some of the best teams and the key players that are out either this week, the next two weeks, the next month or gone for the season due to injuries.

But regardless, you still have to play with the players on your roster, so we must still try to identify the best 10 teams in the NFL. Let’s get to it. This week is harder because there are 17 teams that have a winning record, and one team even at .500. There was a lot of shifting last weekend so we really aren’t much closer to knowing the best than the beginning of the year.

#10 Philadelphia Eagles (4-3)

This was pretty hard because there are a bunch of 4-3 teams out there. I counted 8 teams with this record and one with 4-4 (Saints). But after you get past all the other looking records, I HAD to pick one of these teams. I will not argue with anyone who debates this pick but I put the Eagles here because they are in perhaps the best division in the NFL. This is not a division where one team is perfect and everybody else is below .500, or where the best team is 4-3 and the others are right behind them. This is a very competitive division. The Eagles have lost to three teams currently over .500 and may well see post season action. But injuries have many worried how far this team can go, and at least 6 of their upcoming games are going to be true battles. We know only 3 teams at best from the NFC East are going to the post season, and right now this team is the odd man out.

#9 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-3)

I had this team in the top 5 last week, and thought they could beat the Cowboys, but as they say, that’s why they play the game. They took a quick fall but this does not mean they should be forgotten. The Buccs have lost 3 games, but each on an average of just over a field goal. Losing to the Saints by 4 at the beginning of the year in New Orleans is nothing to be ashamed of. Losing to Denver at Mile High Stadium by 3 points is not bad either, if you have to take a loss. Even losing to Dallas AT Dallas by 4 points isn’t the end of the world, although most would say that Tampa should have taken that. These are close losses that can be fixed. Nobody has blown them out the water, which shows this is a team that can stay in the game. Keep your eyes on this team, I smell post season for them.

#8 Dallas Cowboys (5-3)

The difference between this team and the Buccaneers is the simple fact that Dallas beat the Buccs last weekend, so that makes them better. Say what you want about those three losses, but at the time they lost, we thought these teams were pretty bad. When Dallas lost to the Redskins, people didn’t know how good the Redskins were. When they lost to Arizona, we didn’t know this could very well be a team we will see in post season. When they lost to the Rams, who knew they could have turned this team around. Now this does not completely defend those losses, but the more important issue is the injuries on the team. As I said at the top, sometimes the best teams are the healthiest, so one has to wonder about the Cowboys. 6 of their last 8 games are against teams that can get in the playoffs, and their very next game is against the Giants. A rough road to travel when you are not healthy.

#7 Buffalo Bills (5-2)

I’ll be honest, I am still not fully convinced of this team, but we cannot ignore the record. I understand that they cannot change the schedule, but this does not mean they get an automatic bye in the post season. And consider that to this point, they have only played one divisional game…and lost. Now they face the Patriots twice and the hungry Jets twice, as well as facing Miami again…I fear for the Bills, and not just because it’s near Halloween. They have a stretch where they play the Browns, Chiefs and 49ers, this could be a good point to fine-tune the team in the midst of a tough storm. People forget that the AFC East is pretty good, with the Pats, Jets and Miami. The Bills are going to have to step it up because it looks like the better teams are BETTER than the Bills.

#6 New England Patriots (5-2)

You can’t count out this team yet, there seems to still be some hope in them, and why not? Nobody has really locked down the AFC, and with so many teams within 2 or 3 games apart, there is hope for anybody. The Patriots come off a tough win against the Rams. If the NFC is indeed tougher this year, then the Patriots have been spared because they only play 4 NFC teams, one being the 49ers they recently defeated, as well as the turnaround Rams. With Seattle and Arizona, the latter at home, the Patriots won’t have to fear the NFC until the Superbowl…if they get there. But they will have their hands full playing teams like the Steelers, Bills, Dolphins and even a desperate Colts team. We’ll see how this turns out.

#5 Washington Redskins (6-2)

Eyebrows were raised when the Redskins lost to the Rams, but they have been forgiven since that same team beat the Cowboys. But two wins in the last 2 weeks does not really solidify them as the elite…I mean, they did beat the Browns only by 3, and the Lions only by 8. An elite team has to dominate the lesser foes, and they don’t come any lesser than those two teams this year. So there is question that maybe the league has figured the Redskins out. With a game vs. an injured Steelers team, we may still not know the true answer. But with upcoming games against the Giants, Cowboys, Eagles and Ravens, we will see all we need to see. We shall know if this is a playoff bound Redskins team, or a pretender. There is still many more games left to play.

#4 Carolina Panthers (6-2)

It’s odd that I have this team above the Buccaneers, since in head-to-head the Panthers lost to the Buccs. But this is a very good team when all cylinders are clicking. Many wondered if this was a team that played great one weekend, then forgot how to play the next weekend. The real question is that right now, the Buccaneers are the only real quality team the Panthers have played…and lost. Wins against the overachieving Cardinals, the struggling Saints, the hapless Chiefs, the upstart Falcons and others still has me wondering if this team is for real. But with only 2 losses, we cannot debate that. And with games vs. the Lions and Raiders, we won’t really learn that much more about them. But the last 6 games will really show the NFL what these Panthers are really about. We will see what we shall see very soon on this Carolina Panthers team.

#3 Pittsburgh Steelers (5-2)

This team should be lower but you wonder if this team is still getting better or are they wore down with injuries. But how can you lower a team that lost only to the Giants and the Eagles? This is still a good team, and in the AFC, these guys have just as good a chance as anybody else to make the playoffs. And let’s not forget, this team has injury problems as well. With a very mixed schedule of decent teams and bad teams, we are going to see if Pittsburgh can be consistent in winning. One of the knocks on this team is the strength of schedule hasn’t really tested this team. The Texas, Browns and Bengals aren’t really great tests for a great team, but then again, we aren’t saying this team is great. With the Redskins, Cowboys, Patriots and Titans on the schedule, this will be a hard path to the post season for the Steelers…made even harder with injuries.

#2 New York Giants (6-1)

It appears the Superbowl Champs are still in the mix big time, and nobody else save one can challenge them on the winning record. The Giants are the only team with one loss, and last week defeated my #2 team in the Steelers. So they MUST be one of the best, right? Up until last weekend, I questioned the strength of the Giant’s foes, but after beating the Steelers I still want to see more. Consider this, 8 of the last 9 games that the Giants must play are against teams with a winning record. Up until last weekend, 1 of the 6 previous games was against a team currently with a winning record. It’s time we see what the Champs are all about. The NFC East is tough enough to get through, but add on the Ravens, Cardinals and Panthers and wow, this could get interesting.

#1 Tennessee Titans (7-0)

Is everybody on the bandwagon yet? This is the only undefeated team in the NFL at 7-0, and the reason the 1972 Dolphins have not sipped of the undefeated champagne. But again, I put this team here only by default, and that is not to insult the Titans. We have not really seen this team tested because only 1 team out of their 7 has a winning record, and their division is made up of teams all under .500. Yes they are a very good team, but I am not putting them in the Superbowl, I can’t even guarantee them that they will win the first game in the playoffs. They just have not played a tough enough schedule to say that now. And further, 4 of their last NINE games are against teams currently over .500. The schedule just isn’t showing that this is the best team in the NFL, but because they are undefeated, I must give them that respect. I also have to do so because it’s not the Titan’s fault that the Bengals, Texans, Colts and Chiefs are so bad this year. They play who is on the schedule, and they win. And because they are perfect so far, this makes them number 1.

So, that’s our look at the best NFL teams this week. I mentioned that there were 18 teams that were .500 or better, but if you add in teams that are just one game under .500, that adds on 6 more teams. This means you still have 24 teams in the mix… anything can happen…

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

ACC Costal Division

Speedblog: ACC Coastal

What in the name of sports is going on in the ACC?

In a year where the ACC has been seen as the weakest of the power conferences, and where the MWC and WAC can boast that they might be just as good as the ACC this year, we cannot possibly predict who will come out on top.

Doesn’t anybody want to go to one of those BCS bowls? There’s a lot of money in it for your university if you go.

So let’s look at half of the ACC and see what the future holds for them. Let’s look at the Coastal Division and get an idea of how these teams may fare. Now I know it can be a bit complicated to remember which team belongs where, so I’ll list them out for you in order from “worst” to “best”.

Duke University (1-2 conference, 4-3 overall)

It used to be that Duke Football was as funny as a retro show of Sesame Street…in fact, I get warm feelings when I think of both. And if you read my blogs, you know I kid these guys a lot, but all in fun. But seriously, this has been the doormat of the conference for quite awhile. Yet this year, there is slight hope that maybe Duke won’t finish at the bottom and MAYBE they’ll qualify for a bowl. A surprising win over Vanderbilt brought hope to the Blue Devils.

It is possible that Duke could steal a game from either NC State or Clemson, but most people may not bet on that. But Duke is close to qualifying for a bowl and there might be a surge of hope that could get them a win…maybe two. They managed to beat Virginia but lost to Georgia Tech and Miami…getting 6 wins just doesn’t seem likely.

Miami University (2-2 conference, 5-3 overall)

It seems that the glory days of the “U” are gone, but there are still signs of a good team here. Yes they are at the bottom beside Duke, but they beat Duke, something Virginia can’t brag about. Losing to three quality teams, (Florida, Florida State and UNC) isn’t bad, but the loss to the Tarheels was a division game, one they needed. Now they’ve got to play the other 3 teams in their division, and it won’t be easy.

The “U” needs to qualify for a bowl as well, and has a hard road to get there. If you don’t count the Charleston Southern game, the Hurricanes need 2 more wins. I am not too sure they can get it from a surging Virginia team or a pretty decent Georgia Tech team. There might be a chance with a wounded Virginia Tech squad, and let’s face it, NC State isn’t going anywhere. There could be a chance for Miami, but it’s really a crap shoot.

Virginia Tech (2-2 conference, 5-3 overall)

When VA Tech lost to ECU, it was a big shocker, but having lost the last two games to Boston College and Florida State puts this team in some serious trouble. We know the injuries of last week was a main problem and will likely have in impact on whether this team can still compete for the ACC Title. I had Boston College and Virginia Tech playing in the ACC Championship, and although there is still a chance, it seems to be slipping.

To their credit however, they HAVE defeated UNC and Georgia Tech, so division wise they are in as good a shape as anybody. Even if they lose to Maryland next week, they can still take the division championship and go to the ACC Championship if they sweep Miami, Duke and finally Virginia. The Hokies have a better chance for post season than Miami or Duke…by a long shot.

North Carolina (2-2 conference, 6-2 overall)

Only two teams in the ACC are currently eligible for a bowl, having 6 wins…UNC is one of them. Strange, when they are not the best team in their own division. The problem is they lost 2 division games to Virginia and Virginia Tech, making it very hard for them to slide into the ACC Championship. With games vs. Georgia Tech and Duke, it is possible they can split that, but they also have games against NC State and Maryland. I can’t guarantee them more than one game (Duke), so the others are going to be tough to get.

You can call it a moral victory that the Tarheels are in post season already, but they’d like to compete for that ACC Championship and then a BCS game. But to make that happen, they need Virginia to lose a couple of games, as well as Virginia Tech. Again, odd that a team that has already qualified for bowl season is so low in the division, and needing a lot of help to get to the ACC title game.

Georgia Tech (3-2 conference, 6-2 overall)

Georgia Tech has 6 wins, just like UNC, but they have yet to qualify for a bowl. This implies to me that either the Jacksonville State game does not count, OR the Gardner-Webb game, or BOTH. In either case, they need to win some more games to qualify for a bowl. And like UNC, both their losses came to Virginia AND Virginia Tech. Yes they have wins over Clemson, Boston College and Duke, but only the Duke win counts for the division. Technically you can say Georgia is 1-2 in their division, with two more games to play in their division.

The hard part is that currently 3 of their last 4 games are against ranked foes. They play #15 Florida State next, then #22 UNC before a game vs. Miami and finishing the regular season vs. #6 Georgia. None of these games are easy. If GA Tech needs one win, they will have to scrap to get it….if they need 2 wins, I am not sure they can get it.

Virginia University (3-1 conference, 5-3 overall)

Who woulda thought that this team would be sitting on top of the Coastal Division of the ACC? I certainly didn’t when they lost to Duke. Getting embarrassed by USC early can be overlooked, but losing to Duke must have really woke these guys up. From the point they lost to Duke, they were 1-3, with their only win over Richmond. But since then, they have beaten Maryland, once-ranked ECU, and currently ranked UNC and Georgia Tech. It’s interesting what an embarrassing win will do for a football team.

Once this team looked doomed and would never see post season unless they watched it on television like the rest of us. But now, they have a chance. If we assume that the Richmond game does not count, then Virginia needs at least 2 wins to qualify. And I gotta tell you, the way they have been playing, I can see them getting it. The next game vs. Miami could be key, because winning that sets up some interesting games vs. Wake Forest and Clemson, games I can see them winning. It is theoretically possible that Virginia could be 8-3 before seeing Virginia Tech at the end of the season. And if the Hokies are still wounded…could the Cavaliers be 9-3 and in the ACC Championship?

Stay tuned and we’ll all find out at the same time.

Monday, October 27, 2008

How to get wrestling fans, part 4

How to get wrestling fans, pt 4

I hope you are keeping up with my short series on how a local wrestling federation can get more wrestling fans for their events.

As you know, I am writing this based on the appreciation of the entertainment, as I am a wrestling fan. I am not as big a fan as I was when I was a kid, when I watched NWA and WWWF back in the day. My favorite programs around here was Florida Wrestling, IWF and other NWA-based wrestling shows in and around the south.

In my previous blogs I talked about what I would do if it was up to me to improve a local wrestling federation. Now this also implies that the federation is not raking in the money like the television shows (WWE and TNA). Many times the guys we see wrestling in local events are not paid much, or not at all (some wrestle for free). But to be honest and fair, I would want to pay every wrestler and crew member that was significantly involved in helping us get out there and filling the seats with fans.

All the parts have to work well before you can get the best result of having a strong fan base and being able to make money to pay your wrestlers and occasionally get a wrestling legend to come visit. This happens all the time across the country, but lots of times the investment is greater than the profits. Heck, I’d hate to promise a legend like Dusty Rhodes $1500 just to come visit and sign autographs and do a little something in the ring if we don’t sell out and make big concession dollars. It has to make sense all the way around so my wrestlers can get paid, or we won’t be in business long.

So I first talked about LOCATION, and how important it is to have the best facility that we can afford, not necessarily the best one that cost more than we can manage, or one that forces us to jack up the ticket prices.

After location, we talked about promotion and advertising, which is imperative to creating an interest in the event. Lots of local wrestlers forget how important the media can be to getting their product out to the public.

So now let’s talk about another element in getting more fans…sound quality.

This sounds like a petty idea (pardon the pun) but this means a lot to the actual experience of the fan. I think the 80’s wrestling era introduced the music intro, or at least brought it into mainstream. I have some old tapes of some old school matches and they used to play a radio with the song of the wrestler as he came to the ring. They would put the microphone to the speakers and let er rip. Some of the ones I can remember from the “old school” is Jimmy Valiant, coming to the ring with the song, “Boy From New York City”, I think done by Manhattan Transfer.

Then there were others like Leroy Brown, coming to the song “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown”. And who could forget the music the Road Warriors came to….do I even have to say what classic song they came to? I mean, you ARE wrestling fans, aren’t you?

The point here is that music has become as much a part of the entertainment as the wrestler. And often times we forget that the music and sound starts long before the matches begin. It starts from the moment we as fans enter the building.

Remember, to entertain the fan, it does not start when the matches begin. You’ve got to build that excitement for the fans so that when the first match starts, we are ready to have a good time. All of this comes from the sound and the quality of that sound.

This means the sound system has to be good…not cheap and half working, half not working. Remember, the music is a reflection of how you carry your business. Many times local wrestling events allow fans in 30 minutes to an hour before the event starts. That means while we are sitting in those seats waiting for the action to begin, you’ve got to give us some high-energy music to get excited about.

And although this will vary from one federation to another, there has to be some guidelines on what you play as well. For example, because kids often go to these events, you don’t want to be playing music with profanity. IF you do, then at least edit those words out, if you can’t find the radio version of it. I mean, think about it, do you want your kids hearing that kinda profanity and then saying it?

All you have to do is look at the wrestling shows and see how the bigger groups do it. Sound is an important part of the event because it sets the mood. We know this because most wrestlers have “intro music”. Why? Because it sets the mood and is a representative of what that wrestler is about. Well, if so, how much more does it set the tone for a night of wrestling?

I would invest in a good sound system that can get the crowd excited while waiting for the event to begin, but I also want to have a good set of music that can help my wrestlers and not offend the fans. I’d also keep one person whose job it would be to manage the sound. Even if this guy is to help set up the ring or anything else, that is fine, but the moment the event starts, his or her job is to do nothing but manage the sound.

It’s a small part, I grant you, but the sound makes an important part of creating the mood for the event. If done right, you please the fans and give them a great show and can help lead to their return. Give the fans a great show, and they’ll be back. But to give them that show, every element has to click, which includes the sound.

Ok, we’ll pick this up again soon and continue the discussion. Until then…

Sunday, October 26, 2008

How to get wrestling fans, part 3

How to get wrestling fans, pt 3

I started this I think Friday, and wanted to make a short series of this as we went along. If you follow my blogs on Blogspot, then you have not missed anything, this is indeed the third part of that series.

If you missed it, you might want to bounce there and find out about it. But in a nutshell, I am blogging on ways that local wrestling federations can bring more fans and thus revenue to their sport…although that word is debatable.

I heard that the owner of WWE wants to change the terminology of “sports entertainment” to just “entertainment”. Well, that’s his call with his wrestling, but on MY blog, I call it sports entertainment…because that’s what it is. It takes athletes to do what these guys do, and it is for entertainment.

Anyway, on my second blog on this issue, I talked about LOCATION, which is critical to a small wrestling federation. You see folks, not every wrestling group is like the big ones, where they can travel to Chicago this week, Pennsylvania the next week, North Carolina the next and so on. Many of the smaller ones have a small region, like a part of a state, some just have a single town or city. So location is important to establishing their business because it has to be a place where the fans can get to, but at the same time, the facility itself can’t be so high in rent that the tickets end up being $20 and a hot dog costing $2...without condiments!

So let’s talk about another element in getting wrestling fans…PROMOTION AND ADVERTISING.

This is HUGE when it comes to wrestling, and I think many times this is where most small wrestling federations lose a golden chance to rack up fans. I mean, think about it, when was the last time you went to a local wrestling show? How did you hear about it? If you’re like most people, it might be through word of mouth, or by some flyer stuck on the wall somewhere.

A few weeks ago I was told about a wrestling event in Robeson, NC. I was told that the event features some pretty unique names in the wrestling business, such as Terry Funk, CW Anderson and others. Now to ANY real wrestling fan, that is a ticket you don’t want to miss, if at all possible. I never got the chance to go because the distance was just not convenient and the ticket price was I think $25. I also heard Terry Funk didn’t make it, and instead Jake “The Snake” Roberts was there…

(many of you know the story of how some smaller wrestling federations don’t like Jake Roberts because he sometimes does not deliver on his performance, google on that and find out what I am talking about)

But my point is that the promotion and advertising was word of mouth. Now, that is fine to some of you, and to a lot of wrestling federations they rely on word of mouth, but be careful for what you wish for. Just as word of mouth can help your event, it can also hurt it as well. Just as somebody can say what might be good about your event, they can also say something bad. Advertising and promotions give you the chance to make your case as to why fans ought to come see your event.

It really is amazing how many people see advertising as a waste of money. You don’t see Coca-Cola crying about spending money on advertising. You don’t see McDonalds crying about spending money on advertising. It’s a part of your investment. If I was in charge of a wrestling federation, this would be a key part of bring in the fans.

The idea of advertising is to create the awareness of your product (wrestling) to the people in the area. If you are relying on a few pieces of paper stapled to some billboard or hoping that some of your fans tell others, you are shooting too low. The idea is to pack the house with fans, right? Then take an action to maximize your chances to pack that house.

For example, if I had a wrestling federation event coming up, I would first try to identify the electronic media sources of the town. That means radio stations and local television stations. This does not mean you can afford to advertise, it just means you need to find the info on it.

Lots of radio stations offer very cheap rates, and you can cut a spot (spoken by a guy who knows a bit about radio) very cheaply. Some stations offer rates as low as $5 a spot, or even less, if you know who to talk to. I don’t care how many flyers you put out, it won’t beat the numbers you can get from a few well placed radio spots. And heck, with the cost of printing, ink and gas to travel around town anyway, you might as well at least consider radio ads.

If I was running a wrestling federation, I’d tap into the thousands of people who listen to even small radio stations, and build a fan base from there. This is just one part of how advertising and promotions can work to build a wrestling fan base.

Let me give you an example:

I used to cut spots for local high school sports, so I know a lot about 30 second and 60 second spots. If you are going to use local radio to advertise, you need to make sure the listeners are well informed about your event, and to encourage them to act… not just to listen, but to act. I mean, it doesn’t matter if 10,000 people listened to your spot, if you didn’t give them a reason to come see you, then you still won’t fill the seats, right?

This means there is a difference in sharing info, and SELLING info. I mean, think about it, when you watch wrestling, and you see a guy take a punch, look to see if they SOLD the punch. What does that mean? That means they made it believable. One of the things didn’t like about wrestling is when the “star” stops selling punches. Two examples…Hulk Hogan and Undertaker. You punch them, and they act like they don’t feel it. That’s because they are not “selling” the move. This was one of the big problems a local wrestling federation had with Jake Roberts, and how he ruined their program.

But in advertising it applies to. For example, which wrestling ad would you pay more attention to:

Spot #1: Coming this Thursday night to the Williams Assembly Building, it’s MWW (Mighty Wrestling World). Come see local wrestlers battle it out for the MWW Championship title. Tickets are only $10, and kids under 5 get in for free. Call us at 555-5555 and reserve your tickets now. That’s MWW wrestling at the Williams Assembly Building, this Thursday night. Be there.

Spot #2: Mighty Wrestling World is coming to YOUR area this Thursday night! Come see high-flying, drop-kicking old-school wrestling at it’s best at Williams Assembly Building! If you’ve ever wanted to see wrestling live and in person, this is your chance to enjoy great local wrestling talent! And tickets are only $10! Kids under 5 get in for free! Come see some great wrestling entertainment as the stars fight it out for the MWW Championship Title!. Call 555-5555 today and get your tickets NOW, before they are sold out! It’s MWW, Mighty Wrestling World!

Now I made that name up (yeah, kinda corny) but you get the idea. If you are going to advertise, you can’t just tell folks the info. You have to excite them to action, you want that phone ringing off the hook of people demanding tickets. The point of advertising is more than just telling people that you have a wrestling event, it’s INVITING them to come see it.

Now, promotion goes a step further in that it allows you to use your talent to help promote the event. In wrestling, it helps a lot to use the talent you have to help push your wrestling event. This can also work in your favor to help create local favorites even in small towns.

Remember folks, local wrestling federations can’t afford to employ the big names like AJ Styles, John Cena, Cactus Jack or Triple H. They just can’t, and if by any miracle they could acquire those kinda talents for one night, it would cost the fans an arm and a leg just to see them. So we have to think on a smaller scale, and build a fan base from what we have.

Let’s say I actually DO run MWW, and I have a face wrestler (a good guy) and a heel (bad guy) that I want to promote. Let’s call the face “Cory Saint” and the heel “Vengeance”. We might have been in business for a couple of years, but most of the people may not know of them or my other wrestlers. They might have even heard that there’s some wrestling going on in town, but never came to see it. I need to push the envelope a bit to encourage them to come see my talent, and root for Cory Saint. I need to build a fan base and create interest in my wrestlers.

To do this, I may need to identify a local radio station and cut a few spots that actually feature my wrestlers. Whereas the advertising spots give info, I can use promotion to get the listeners familiar with my wrestlers by having their voice on the spots. For example:

Spot #1: Hi, I’m Cory Saint, one of the many great wrestlers of Mighty Wrestling World, and I’ll be here in town this Thursday night at Williams Assembly Building to defend my title against “Vengeance”. I want your support as I lock up with this guy, because he’s known to break the rules. You come out and support me, and I’ll give you a victory for all my fans. Tickets are only $10 and kids under 5 get in for free. There’ll be giveaways and plenty of action, so you might wanna call 555-5555 and get ticket reservations. So come on out and check us out, and root me on to victory and I defend the MMW title. That’s this Thursday at the Williams Assembly Building. Hope to see you there.

Now, that’s a nice clean spot, even though I know it still lacks time of event and physical location, but you get the idea. The purpose of this promotion is to get the listeners familiar with the good guy. It also invites the fans to come support him, and it also tells you that a world title match is one of the many things you can expect. There is a call for action and you’re already familiar with one of the wrestlers.

But I can also use the bad guy to promote the event as well…

Spot #2 I’ve been hearing stories of Cory Saint talking on the air about how he’s begging his fans to support him when he faces ME, Vengeance. Well, he’s gonna need all the help he can get! You can come out to the Williams Assembly Building this Thursday all you want, but it won’t help him one bit! That Mighty Wrestling World Title is as good as mine and I’ll take great pleasure to see every one of Cory Saint’s fans cry like a baby when I pin him to the mat! So go ahead, get your tickets or call for reservations. You can even bring your snot-nosed kids, they get in for free if they are under 5 years old! So come on out to Williams Assembly Building this Thursday night and watch me, Vengeance, take the world title. Ha, it’s already mine!

See, if we play off these two wrestlers, we are slowly building a fan base for people who have not even seen the event yet. If given enough time to run over a week or so, we would have already brought entertainment by our ads and promotions, while hopefully creating a fan base to fill the stands.

We’ll talk more about this as we keep the series going, check out my continuing wrestling blog on blogspot.com.

Speedblog; Alabama or Penn State

Speedblog: Alabama or Penn State

Well, which is it?

In light of the games over the weekend, we know that both Alabama and Penn State are fighting for that second spot in the polls, ensuring a shot at the National Championship. From what we know at this very second, Texas is still going to be #1 (and should be) but now the question is raised; who is second?

I am sure many SEC fans want Alabama to stay #2, after all they didn’t lose, but now the question has to be raised, what about Penn State?

Both Alabama and Penn State are undefeated and deserve a chance at the championship, but the fact is only one can go, if all three teams finish out undefeated. There is no doubt that if Texas sweeps the schedule and win the Big 12 Championship, they deserve to be the best team in the nation. But now you’d have to create the argument about who is second.

And with both teams still perfect, you’d have to look at the strength of schedule and then look in the future for both teams. Let’s start with Alabama.

When you look at Alabama’s schedule thus far, only 3 games really stand out. Their big win over #9 (at the time) Clemson, the win over #3 Georgia and the close game vs. Kentucky. These are the signature wins thus far, but we could also add in some close games that a #2 team should not have had a problem with.

We know that Clemson was over rated and may not even qualify for a bowl, and while Georgia is still “in the mix”, we may be finding out that Kentucky also overachieved as well. The close win over Mississippi can have some people wondering how legit this team is, especially when you compare it to other teams that dominate their games, but may have one loss.

Penn State would make it’s argument in that they defeated Oregon State, Wisconsin, Michigan, #20 ranked Illinois and recently, #9 Ohio State. But you’d have to factor out Michigan because like Clemson, they may not make a bowl. And although Wisconsin started out good, they have stumbled heavily. But that win last night AT Ohio State was huge, and you now have to wonder if this team should be ranked ahead of Alabama.

The BCS rankings at this moment have Alabama with a .9487 and Penn State with a .8666. That’s quite a difference between two teams in the top 3, meaning Penn State needs the wins, and quality ones at that. They got that last night, while Alabama beat a Tennessee team that is currently 3-5. So who is the better team?

According to Alabama’s schedule, their next game is against Arkansas State, then they play slipping LSU, Mississippi State and finally Auburn. IF they get through all this, they’ll play in the SEC Championship against Georgia or Florida. I still don’t see them winning all their games, but if they do, it might be enough to have them #2 in the nation.

But it is possible they might flip with Penn State before then. Remember that the voters have a sway in this, and some might feel that Penn State’s win at Ohio State was enough to jump over Alabama. With just 3 games left, Penn State plays Iowa, Indiana and finally, Michigan State. Only one quality game left, and their regular season is over. For Penn State to stay #2, they need Michigan State to get back on the top 25 rankings so that game will have a greater meaning.

If both teams go undefeated, Alabama might get the nod because their schedule is slightly tougher. But Penn State might get the nod this week because of the big win. Alabama won’t help themselves next week with a weak game, but they still have a chance to step over Penn State if they win out, and win the SEC Championship.

But the odds are against them, I don’t see Alabama going undefeated, and it looks like Penn State just might be in the BCS Championship…any chance of a Rose Bowl look-alike (hint, USC?)

Saturday, October 25, 2008

Navy Football Revisited

Navy Football Revisited

A few weeks ago I did a blog on Navy football and the tough road they seemed to have just to qualify for a bowl. The midshipman started the season beating Towson, then losing to Ball State and Duke. There was a lot of concern about whether this team was going to finish with 6 Division I wins, and some of you probably remember that blog.

But since then Navy has been tough, and turned that 1-2 record to a current 5-3 record. I’d like to revisit those past games and get some of you caught up on how they got to where they are, and what the future holds for them:

Picking up from the 1-2 start, it seemed like the Midshipmen were doomed to not even make it to post season, losing to a Ball State that few knew about, and then to Duke…I mean, losing to Duke is, well… you know…

(we kid because we love)

The problem wasn’t scoring, Navy was actually very good in scoring, but there was questions about the defense. And one of the big questions about running the option was that is it not designed to come back from 14 points or more down late in the 4th quarter. If a team jumped on Navy early and could put distance in the score, it would be hard for Navy to make a comeback without eating the clock up.

But Navy turned it around in their next game, defeating Rugters 23-21. Many still question the strength of the schedule, but all Navy can do is play the teams on their schedule. But then they began to stand out by beating ranked Wake Forest in their own home 24-17.

This was important because Navy needed Division I wins, and some quality ones at that. Beating Rutgers University would have been cool if they were the team of last year, but this year they seem to be the same old Rutgers. But that win vs. Wake Forest begin to bring hope to the team.

There must have been some magic in that old option game they found, for when they…

Hold up, that sounds like a Christmas song!

Anyway, Navy began to show us the true power of that option game by following up their win vs. a ranked team by defeating Air Force. I’ll be honest folks, I didn’t see that coming. I know you can throw out records when it comes to true rivals, and we know that Army, Navy and Air Force are true rivals, but I thought the air attack would ground the Midshipmen. I was wrong. A 33-27 victory suddenly made us pay attention to Navy, with their record swelling to 4-2.

Now, how can Navy qualify for a Division I bowl? They have to win 6 Division I games, or have one quality Division IAA (I know the terms have changed, just go with it for a minute). If the Towson win counts, then Navy needs 2 more wins to qualify for a bowl. If not, they need 3. So every game is still important.

Navy then ran into a brick wall in ranked Pittsburgh, losing 42-21. With 5 games left on the schedule, the Midshipmen needed at least 3 wins to ensure a bowl. This is important folks, because often times we talk only about national championships, but there are more stories of success than just who plays in the BCS Championship. Every game is important, every game is a test of will and some measure of success or failure. Seasons are judged by how you finished, and what you did in post season. Every game has great importance.

So today, Navy plays, and crushes, SMU 34-7, bringing their record to 5-3. With 4 games left on the schedule, they need 1 or two wins, depending on that Towson game. If you look ahead, their next game is against Temple…hmmm, can you say 6-3?

If you can, then this might be the qualifying game for Navy. But they still need another win, the next game will be a tough one…Notre Dame. Now, I know the Irish have not had a tough schedule, but some media will probably give them a top 25 ranking just because they are the Irish. This could be a good thing for Navy, to be able to play another top 25 team. But I think this one will be hard to win.

If they don’t their last two games are against Northern Illinois and Army. I am going to treat the Army/Navy game like a tossup, you just never know who’s gonna win that. So this means that it is possible that Navy’s post season could lie in that game vs. Northern Illinois.

This team is currently 5-3, and almost had a big win over Tennessee this year and a very close game vs. Minnesota. Navy will be playing in their back yard, so this could be a very tough game to win. Remember, if that Towson game does not count as a Division I win, and if they don’t upset Notre Dame, this could be the season making game.

Are the Midshipmen up to it…stay tuned….

Why playoffs in college football?

Why Playoffs in Football?

I have less than an hour before kickoff, so I need to jump right in this so I can have time to watch the games today. Before I do, those who have read my first part of the wrestling blog can catch the rest on blogspot.com, which is where I will be blogging out ideas on how to get wrestling fans.

So, let’s look at this, why should there be Division I playoffs in football?

Lots of media whine and cry about this all the time, and they get upset when the teams they think should be in the championship mix are left out. Ironically, this is interesting because Penn State is currently undefeated, but has been left out of the championship picture before, even with an undefeated record.

So let’s chew on this for a second. Why do we want playoffs?

I wonder a lot about this, and I personally think it is a personal belief of the media. It just seems to me that the media wants to force the NCAA to have playoffs for Division I, but the hypocrisy here is that when you report news and sports, you are to do just that… report it, not CREATE it.

We all have our opinions when it comes to sports, I am no different, but we cross the line when we start thinking that the sports world ought to do what we want them to do. This is one of the reasons there is such a big debate for playoffs in college football, especially in Division I…

(and YEAH, I know it’s the FBS or CBS or CSI or something, but hey, it’s my blog!)

So why have playoffs? What is the real reason behind it? Well, as you know, the playoffs is a tournament styled form of competition which gives more than 2 teams a chance to compete for a championship.

Sounds simple but follow me….

The key words being “more than two”. If it’s just two, then it’s called a championship, a competition between the two BEST teams. But to imply that there should be a playoff means that there are more than 2 teams that could make a case as being the best.

Now, factor out professional sports because we’re talking about college kids here, remembering that those guys in the pros get paid for it. So the idea of playoffs in Division I is based on the idea that there should be more than 2 teams competing for the National Championship.

THIS is where the argument really begins. Every year people in the media start creating the hysteria, many times they start after 2 weeks. What if this team and this team and THIS team finish undefeated, what happens then?

In fact, we can use the current BCS ranking as an example. Currently Texas is number one, followed by Alabama and Penn State. All three are undefeated. What if all three finish the season undefeated?

Well certainly the Big 10 will cry out for justice because they felt that the conference was slighted a chance in the National Championship (although they’ll GLADLY take the Rose Bowl and all that MONEY!).

But there’s another argument here, one many don’t really say much about. Many people want to see the playoffs because they want to give the “little guy” a shot at the championship.

The “little guy” being teams out of the power conferences. I bring to your attention Boise State, currently ranked #12 and came off a win last night over San Jose State.

The media wants to see schools like this in the national spotlight, and I don’t blame them. It’s always a “feel-good” story when teams out of the power conferences go undefeated. Several teams have had some success, and several others are in the mix… they call them “BCS Busters”. Teams like ECU, TCU, Utah, BYU and others have made news because of their early or continuing success.

And because of that, the media wants us to root for the “little guy”. So when a team goes undefeated, we immediately want the world to crown them champions, or put them in the National Championship. And when they can’t get that, they try to force them in with the idea of “playoffs”.

But how legit is this?

Now it might sound like I’m talking in favor of the power conferences, as if that rich cat in Oklahoma State just sent me a whopping donation on my blog, but that’s not it. I mean, I graduated from a Southern Conference school (not to be confused with SEC), so I know about the “little guy”. But many times the media, in an attempt to look for a great story, tries to create one.

Still….should there be playoffs in football?

As mentioned earlier, the reasons for playoffs in Division I are theoretically to give the overachieving “little guy” a chance, and to place more than 2 teams in competition for the National Championship. But there are so many other factors, such as money, but the media doesn’t care about that…only the colleges and universities.

But let’s say there is a playoff…who gets invited? Right now the teams out of the power conferences that are ranked are Boise State and Utah…but that’s 12 teams down. You can’t have a post season with that many teams and hope to finish before the end of the year. That’s too many teams! So if the idea is to get the “little guy” in, the idea becomes a crusade just to get teams like Boise State and Utah in. And even though those teams are good, where do you draw the line on who is good, and who are the BEST?

How many teams would be in it, or should there be a “sliding scale”? For example, if Texas and Alabama finish undefeated (just saying) and all the other power conferences lose at least one game (including Penn State) then is there REALLY a need for a playoff if you have the two best teams?

But what if Boise State…

NO! I said the two BEST TEAMS, not the feel good stories of the year! I am not going to argue about Boise State being good, they are very good and have proven it year after year. And we know about that game where they beat Oklahoma. But you cannot tell me that this team, which has only beaten ONE top 25 team in #17 Oregon State is in the same category as any power conference team that goes undefeated.

If Boise State goes undefeated, they would have beaten 2 teams that were ranked throughout the course of the year (Oregon State and Fresno State). That’s fine… but tell me how many ranked teams Texas and Alabama would have beaten, not to mention the conference championship game?

We’re talking a whole different plane of competition. So if a power conference school goes undefeated, they get greater favor than a team not in a power conference school. Now, Utah has a legit argument too, if they go undefeated, and I personally think they might jump OVER Boise State because if they go undefeated, they would have had the tougher schedule.

And all this is fine when we talk about undefeated teams…but it really gets wild when there are NO undefeated teams…what do you do then? What if all the undefeated teams lose, who then is the best teams to compete in the BCS Championship. Well of course we have the rankings to identify that, but it still makes for debate.

I know there is no real answer to the playoffs issue, but I wondered how much easier it would be if some of the conferences took some measures to help themselves. For example, the Pac-10 and Big 10 don’t have conference championships, which means in theory they can have two undefeated teams that don’t have to play one another…just a theory. Why not get the power conferences to at least 12 teams so they can have a championship like the SEC, ACC and Big 12? Would it be so hard for the Pac-10 to absorb Fresno State and San Jose State for example, making them a 12 team conference?

Would it be too hard to get the MWC and WAC together again, so you’d have Boise State, BYU, Utah, Air Force, TCU and others in a much more competitive conference? You’d have enough to have a conference championship, and if anybody comes out of THAT undefeated, then you’d have a real argument for a BCS Champion contender.

I think before you start throwing teams in the playoff mix, you first have to identify the best teams. Until you do, we’re just picking the teams as the rankings show it, and lots of times those rankings can be deceptive…I mean, where is that #9 Clemson team now? Where is that West Virginia team now that was so highly ranked, or that Wisconsin team? Let the teams prove it in their conference, and in the conference championships. Would it be too hard for the Big 10 to add one more team? Now, I can’t help you with the Big East, but you get my point.

Anyway, just something to run my mouth about. I’ve been typing too long and I got 7 minutes to get some pancakes, bacon and get my spot for college football!!!!

Friday, October 24, 2008

How to get wrestling fans

How to get wrestling fans, pt 2

In my haste to talk about the components that might help local wrestling federations, I forgot a few I am sure. One of those being LOCATION, and I will get to that in a moment.

This is my short series blog about how I might work to get wrestling fans in the average US city to come out and enjoy a night of wrestling. As I said before, most people think this is about WWE or TNA…this is not.

Most fans don’t get to go to those events, and if they do, the cost for tickets are pretty high. No disrespect to those that DO go, but let’s face it, most don’t and can’t. So there are many, many local wrestling federations across the US, most you don’t even know about. But nobody talks about them so much.

In our area I can think of 3 federations that I have see either in person or on local tv. One is called NWA-Anarchy and it comes on one of our cable stations every once and awhile….I mean that, it is really a crap shoot on when it really comes on.

We have see it on the menu for a certain time, but when we tune in it isn’t on, and sometimes when it wasn’t on the menu, it is on. And sometimes when it IS on, the hour-long program is suddenly cut off by some local program…what’s up with that?

Another wrestling federation I have heard of is LAW wrestling, and I don’t know much about that. It used to be on a nearby city’s local television station but for some reason, it disappeared. It also came on at some unholy hour, so unless you were working the graveyard shift, you weren’t gonna see it anyway.

That leaves UWC, or Universal Wrestling Council. As I mentioned in earlier blogs, I have gone to see this wrestling event at least 6 times. I like it a lot, and I am really pulling for these people because they provide an entertainment that we most times would not get.

But how would I improve one like it, not implying that UWC needs my help. Those guys know more about it than I do, so don’t mix my words to make it seem like they are not going a good job.

But often times when my friends and I sit in the living room after the wrestling event, we talk about what could be done to help a local wrestling federation. We have tons of ideas, but you know as well as I do that ideas are just that. Making it into something real is a whole different animal.

But it’s worth blogging, so let’s take a stab at it.

If you remember my first blog on this issue, I listed several key elements that must be refined in order to bring the wrestling fan to the event. Not just one time, but make them a regular. You know you’re doing something right when you see paying customers over and over again. But how do you increase that?

Let’s go over a couple of factors, starting with the one I left off. LOCATION.

Around here, there are indeed many places where you can hold a wrestling event. No different from any of your towns. But it’s not as easy as saying “we’re gonna have it here and we’re gonna sell tickets at $20 each”. It does not really work that way.

Every wrestling federation needs a good location, and a reliable one at that. But most people think that all you need to do is find the biggest place to hold your event and people will come….no, it does not work that way.

I’d like to think that if I rent out a facility that houses 1000 people, and I charge $10 a ticket, then I’ll make $10,000 if we sell out….

But what if you don’t?

What if you are being charged $1500.00 to rent that space, and you sell 100 tickets? Unless concessions is real good, you’re going to lose money. So sometimes having a big place isn’t the best way to go, especially if you are not sure of your audience. Sometimes you have to settle for a smaller place that is cheaper and build the audience into a following, THEN look for better places to perform.

Now this isn’t a problem for the big federations, but I ain’t talking about them anyway. We’re talking about the very small federations that are made of traveling wrestlers and local wrestlers who truly love the game.

I would hope that I could find a nice sized place that seats maybe 500 or so, and sell tickets at maybe $6-$9 dollars each. Hey, I’m not trying to break anybody, because if I do, those people may not come back.

Location is very key because it’s got to be a place where they can find you, and the rent of the place can’t be so outrageous that you have to charge an arm and a leg just to break even. You gotta be fair to your audience but you also have to make a profit.

There are lots of places in cities you can have an event, but just because you can have one there does not mean the place is open to you. For example, we have several schools where a gym could be an excellent place to have an event, but what if the schools are not interested in wrestling? I mean, we could set up in any of the high school gyms and sell lots of tickets at $5 each and maybe pack the place, but we don’t know how much the school will charge us.

This is where the numbers game comes in, and where a manager or owner needs to know his math. He also has to be realistic too, you might WANT to get that facility at $2000 that seats 1500 people, but if your federation is not well known, there is no guarantee that you’ll even sell half the tickets. If tickets were $10, you’d need to sell 200 tickets just to even out the rent. We have not even talked about salary for the performers and crew, and the cost for refreshments and travel and ALL that goes into making the wrestling event happen.

And this is where a lot of greedy managers miss it. A lot of them don’t figure on what happens if OTHERS can’t get paid…they are only interested in themselves. This is what happens a lot when people book events on the HOPE that they can clear, and don’t do their homework.

It’s key to remember how important the location of the event is, because it creates the foundation of what you charge your audience. You can try to go high-end and get a really nice and big facility, but the cost to rent it will have a serious impact on what you are going to charge the fans. It’s a delicate balance not to overcharge and tick off the fans or to make it very affordable and cut your profits. Sadly, many wrestling federations try to get all the money first, leaving the fans with a performance that may not have been worth the money.

To their credit, I really like the way UWC does their business here. Tickets at $6 are very affordable, and I am more likely to spend a few dollars on a drink or some chips anyway. And, if we feel that we got our money’s worth, we’ll tell friends and want them to come with us next time. That means more sales for the wrestling federation and more fans.

Again, location has a lot to do with that. If they were somewhere else, and charged $15 per ticket, we might not feel the same way, even if the performance was the same. So this would be a very important element I would try to deal with if I was to run a wrestling federation.

Well, that’s the first part, I will go through each of the elements as we go along, so keep checking with my blog. I am not saying I have the gospel truth on this, it’s just some thoughts on how to improve a local wrestling federation so they can make more revenue and end up giving more to their fans. We’ll chat more next time.

How to get wrestling fans

How to get wrestling fans

Has anybody every written a book on this?

Well, it’s worth thinking on. Today I wanted to write a blog on how I might get more fans to come to wrestling events. Now, I say this ONLY for local wrestling. We’re not talking about WWE or TNA because they have television contracts.

I’m talking about how to get locals to come out and watch local wrestling. I say this because I am a huge sports fan, but I also like wrestling too. I am not too big a fan of WWE anymore, and rarely watch it. But I am a big fan of the sport or wrestling. Around here, we get to watch a local group called UWC, or Universal Wrestling Council. I know they’re not like WWE in talent and superstars, but they give us every bit of entertainment we could ask for.

I think I have gone to about 6 or 7 of their events inside of a year, they come by every other month or so and I think I have only missed one performance. I can say as honestly as I am sitting here that I have enjoyed every performance they give us. We often go early enough to get a front row seat to ensure maximum enjoyment.

But each time we go, we sit and wonder how the UWC could be better. Don’t get me wrong folks, we WANT this to succeed because if they keep coming back, then we can keep coming to see them. Not everybody can afford to pay big bucks to see WWE when they come to Raleigh or Fayetteville or Charlotte.

And you don’t have to be from North Carolina to understand that. Anybody that is a wrestling fan in whatever state you live in probably has a few local wrestling federations around…but most of you won’t support them.

Why not?

How can you sit there and swear allegiance to major wrestling federations and totally ignore the talent in your own back yard? How about a little support for those guys too?

Now, I am probably going to make a short series of this on blogspot.com since that is my main sports log, but I wanted to take some time to go over things that I would do if I had the opportunity to either create or run a local wrestling federation. In short, what can small federations do to help draw more attention, more audience and thus create revenue for their business.

I say again, I enjoyed every event of Universal Wrestling Council, and I think the money spent is worth it. They don’t try to gouge you with overpriced snacks. I mean, why should I spend $1 for a bag of chips that cost only 25 cents? I can see spending 50 cents or so because I understand they need to make a profit. Remember, I WANT them to succeed, so they can keep coming back.

So what would I do if I was starting my own wrestling federation, or given management of one? I think you’d have to break it down into different categories:

Promotion and Advertising
Sound Quality
Video Quality and post production
Marketing products
Personnel
Concessions
Media Relations
Continuity
Pay scale
Community Involvement

I hope to blog more on these subjects in the upcoming days, and try to explain what I mean in each of those categories, and how I might try to make a local wrestling federation better. I think maybe easiest way to do it is to win a lottery, because most times it comes down to money, but if you don’t have that, you need a good plan. I’ll talk more about that in upcoming blogs on my sports blog on blogspot.com

Warnings for college football teams

Warnings for college football teams

I hope I am not too late to warn some of these teams, usually I post this earlier than on a Friday afternoon. I was so busy watching the Auburn vs. West Virginia game that I completely forgot to give my warnings.

So I better get on with it, because as we get closer and closer to the end of the season, there will be many teams that are on the edge of qualifying for a bowl, but won’t make it. There will be teams that think they have a shot at a BCS bowl that won’t make it, there are teams that think they have a chance at the BCS Championship, but won’t make it. Who will tell them of the impending danger?

Shall anyone warn Texas Tech of the danger that could happen? Playing a morning game vs. ranked Kansas in their house could be a problem, but surely not for such a team that scores 799 points a quarter? But then there’s that kicking game… what shall you do if a game comes down to a field goal? What shall you do?

And yet, perhaps greater warnings go to Kansas. You sit on top of the division ONLY because you have yet to play Missouri. Few give you any chance to beat Missouri, but that would be a moot point if you fail to defend your home against the high scoring Red Raiders…one ranked team WILL fall at the end of this game.

Has anyone warned Ball State of the huge implications of their game? While there is almost no chance to go to the BCS Championship, there is a good chance to go undefeated. Yet in your own division you are not the best team (technically). This could be a very slippery trap for you should you fail to handle your business at home against Eastern Michigan. The eyes of the NCAA will be watching….

Take care of your record Northwestern, for losses can add up faster than your calculators….

For years you have been compared to Duke when it comes to football, but this year can indeed be magical. Only one loss, and that to a quality team that was ranked, but now you must play just as hard against the worst team in the conference. It’s easy to get up for the big games, but can you get up for the small ones…every game matters you know. You are eligible for a bowl right now, but can you shoot for a higher profile bowl? It would me a lot to the future of your program. Lose this game to Indiana and we’ll be forced to say that famous phrase of Dennis Green…

“They are who we THOUGHT they were”

And who shall travel to Chapel Hill to warn both Boston College and UNC? Weren’t these two teams ranked sometime this year, and yet neither are on the top 25? Who will stand up for this conference and declare supremacy, or are we forced to see the best of a bunch of AVERAGE teams? Boston College has the unique chance to shake the foundations of the ACC and the BCS. With only one loss (Georgia Tech), they must now play 5 of 6 teams that has been ranked or currently ranked, plus the game vs. Notre Dame. Win all these games and you’ll be in the ACC Championship and sports media will sing your praises. But if you are as average as many think, you may struggle to split these games, lowering yourself to a mediocre bowl.

And what of YOU, Tarheels? Are you not just a fingernail from the post season? Yet you have two losses, one just recently to Virginia. You have a tough schedule ahead, with games vs. Boston College, Georgia Tech and Maryland. We know when it comes to state rivals such as NC State and Duke, anything can happen (well, don’t really know about that Duke game..) so which UNC team did we see? The one that made it inside the top 20, or the one that fell out last weekend? We shall see.

We shall also see what Wisconsin is really about…lately is has not been much. I warn you Wisconsin Badgers, do not fail your fans this weekend in your house vs. Illinois. Four losses in a row, all to Big 10 opponents, cannot be tolerated any more by this once proud team. Where then is the pride? There is still a chance that Wisconsin can play in the post season, all they need is 3 more wins. Surely you can make a home stand against Illinois to begin the road to recovery? But if you fail this weekend, what then will they whisper about your greatness when there was none shown this year?

And who shall inform Wake Forest of the dangers of playing in Florida? Wasn’t Wake Forest the best team of the ACC for a portion of this season? Were they not seen as the darlings of the ACC and almost guaranteed a BCS bowl? Where then is that same team? With 6 games left, can we all pencil you in for a bowl? We KNOW you can get at least two more wins, right? But we wonder about your offensive power…or lack of it. The ACC needs leaders to bring credibility to the conference, and you must be the carriers of such power. But lately there have been stories of your weakness…and that loss to Virginia raises eyebrows. Indeed, we wonder of your scoring, scoring only 19 points in your last 3 ACC contests…that’s an average of just over 6 points.

I warn you, find more points or there may be yet another loss this weekend….

And who desires to warn either team at the Duke vs. Vanderbilt game?

Did I not criticize Duke weeks ago for jumping on one of their players when he dove in the end zone, drawing a penalty? Didn’t Duke WIN that game against Virginia? Who told Duke that they were worthy of the top 25 and thus swelled their egos? Since then, they have not seen a victory. You now must play to make the post season bowl, but with 5 of the remaining 6 games being of teams that have been ranked this year, how then will you find 3 wins? If ever there shall be any hope of this team, it must come in a quality win. Lose this game, and it will be nearly impossible to see 6 wins…or even 5.

But laugh not at Duke, ye of Vanderbilt? We sang of your glory earlier this year as you jumped to a 5-0 start, with quality wins over South Carolina and Auburn, but those games have been put away, as well as your winning ways, losing your last two games. You need only one more victory to qualify for a bowl, and it seems to have been hand-delivered to you in the form of Duke. But take care, for some say that your wins over Auburn and South Carolina may have been based on those teams underestimating you…is there any truth to that?

If so, then wouldn’t YOU be doing the same if you underestimated Duke? You know they are starving for a bowl, and need a win over YOU to make it happen…will you see them as an easy win, or take them seriously as you should every opponent. We shall see.

And finally, a great caution goes out to the entire state of Michigan. Where has all the football spirits gone in this state? Let us not mention the Detroit Lions for starters, but who can explain the failure of mighty Michigan?

And yet, we also fear for Michigan State. Both must play each other this weekend, and one must lose.

Michigan State will be in a bowl, to be certain, but some of your sting has been removed. Have we not seen this before, where you started out great, and faltered at the end? I warn you, this cannot be tolerated and you must put a stop to this. The beginning of a new power in the Big 10 is within your grasps, but you must grip it firmly. While it may be true that some will question your strength of schedule, none can argue the heart of the Spartans. We saw that movie “The 300” and we know the power and heart of the Spartans…but we also know that at the end of the movie, they lost. History also says that those Spartans were slaughtered after a short stand…will you fall along the wayside as well, or will you take control of your destiny?

But what destiny remains for Michigan? Your post season is almost gone, and the only way to get it back is to win 4 of the last 5 games. You cannot afford to lose more than one game…ONE GAME. And yet, who will give you hope when you must defend your turf against Michigan State this week, and then play Minnesota, Northwestern and Ohio State the last 3 games of the season. Currently all three of these teams are ranked, but many will still question the strength of Minnesota and Northwestern. These could be games you can take if there is heart left in the Wolverines.

But I warn you, you are allowed only ONE loss…any more and your season is over. Take heed.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Auburn vs West Virginia

The FATE of Auburn vs. West Virginia

I am actually blogging this less than an hour before the game kicks off, and wanted to get my thoughts out there before the game starts. Tonight is a pretty important game for two schools and the conferences they represent.

Now, I realize that there is another game, New Mexico vs. Air Force, but I doubt that we’ll actually be able to see that game. I would love to have been flipping back and forth between the two, but I’ll settle for the game we have.

This game tonight between Auburn and WVA is one both conferences need. We know that the SEC claims to be the best conference in the nation, but some argue about the Big 12. But the Big East has been underachieving this year, and could use some help from West Virginia. A win by the Mountaineers could be a shot in the arm to the conference, let alone the team.

As you know, Auburn started out doing fine, beating Louisiana-Monroe 34-0, then beating Southern Mississippi 27-13. A so-so record against foes that won’t really matter, but the conference win vs. Mississippi State by ONLY 3-2 sounded like a baseball game.

Still, who’s to sneer at a 3-0 record?

Things started to fall apart with a loss to LSU 26-21, but the Auburn Tigers pulled it together with a win over Tennessee (though barely). It seemed to mark the continuation of problems when they then lost two games back to back to #19 Vanderbilt and Arkansas, a team supposedly in “rebuilding”.

The Tigers have some interesting games ahead of them, beginning with this one tonight. They still need 2 more wins to qualify for a bowl, and the West Virginia game is not a gimmie. They should be favored against Mississippi and certainly against Tennessee-Martin, but their last two games are against Georgia AND Alabama.

Good luck with that. I won’t rule out them NOT beating Alabama, but only if we see something tonight against West Virginia. I think LSU may end up taking the division, but Auburn could contest for second place.

West Virginia on the other hand, may have some work to do. And you’d argue that with me knowing that WVA’s record is 4-2, and undefeated in conference play. But take a closer look:

Beating Villanova 48-21 was not impressive, and losing to ECU 24-3 and to Colorado 17-14 showed that there are some problems that wasn’t there last year. West Virginia lost a great running back, and a coach, at least those two seemed to truly affect the team.

Beating Marshall 27-3 and a struggling Rutgers 24-17 may have put them back on track, but in truth there are no real quality wins. The 17-6 win over hapless Syracuse adds a win in the column, but not much respect.

If you don’t count the Villanova game (not Division I game), then West Virginia has to win 3 more games out of 6 to qualify for a bowl. Odd to say that about a team in second place in the Big East, but this is because they have not met the “meat” of the schedule yet…they are about to.

That makes this game vs. Auburn a big one, in fact 4 of the 6 games remaining are against teams that are ranked or have been ranked this year. We know Auburn is currently ranked, and we know Connecticut was ranked. I am not sure if Louisville has been ranked this year, but we know that Pittsburgh and South Florida are currently ranked. This is a very tough schedule for West Virginia, but this is what they need to get back into the spotlight that they enjoyed last year.

Both teams need this win; Auburn needs it to keep pace with their SEC foes and stay in the top 25, and West Virginia needs this win to stay above water. To date they have not really been tested this year, and there have been a lot of questions about this team. We’re gonna get a few answers tonight.

Game on!