They Said It

This week has been a vocal one for sports. Milton Bradley blamed his coach for his knee injury, a statement I disagree with. OSU's Mike Gundy blasted the media and spent his entire interview speaking up for his players! And then Hope Solo blasted Brianna Scurry and Coach Greg Ryan.

Hope Solo is correct in everything she said, however she should have left Brianna out of the sound bite. Brianna played her game and it wasn't enough. The person who chose to play Scurry, Coach Greg Ryan, is the person at fault. Listen in:

She's Right!

Milton Bradley is unprofessional and incorrect in his accusation of Bud Blacke, and needs to be disciplined for it. Listen to the piece and then view my previous article on the issue. Bud Black never threw his player on the ground. Bradley should have handled this within the locker room.


The best outburst of the year and the one that deserves the most attention is OSU's Mike Gundy. Mike pumped his team up like no other with what he has shown them this week. Watch out if you are a OSU opponent!

He is completely right and I am glad someone said it! Go Oklahoma!!!!

Week 3 Recap, Week 4 Picks

Last week was a bad week for me. I made the following picks for NFL week 3 and got all of them wrong.

San Diego over Green Bay
Minnesota over Kansas City
Miami over NY Jets
Detroit over Philadelphia
St Louis over Tampa Bay
Denver over Jacksonville
Cleveland over Oakland
Washington over NY Giants
Chicago over Dallas
New Orleans over Tennessee

Green Bay; who would have thought they would be 3-0, not even Brett Favre saw that win coming.

Dallas’ Tony Romo has bounced back from the muffed field goal hold he had in the playoffs last year. This year he will not be a place holder and he is beginning to play with Brett Favre type numbers and experience.

New Orleans is done. Deuce McCallister and Reggie Bush are not putting up the numbers that they wanted, and now Deuce is out with an injury. After staring 0-3 this season they have to play Carolina in week 5. New Orleans will be atleast 0-4 before they can gain a win and at that point we should be prepared for a 7 loss season. Prediction: The Mind says no playoffs for the Saints.
The Minds record: 6-10 this week, 29-19 overall

Now for this week’s picks:
Sunday:
Houston over Atlanta
New York Jets over Buffalo
Baltimore over Cleveland
Dallas over St. Louis (Dallas will remain undefeated)
Chicago over Detroit
Miami over Oakland
Green Bay over Minnesota (Favre earns the record and GB is undefeated)
Carolina over Tampa Bay
Seattle over San Francisco
Pittsburgh over Arizona
Indianapolis over Denver
San Diego over Kansas City
Philadelphia over New York Giants

Monday:
New England over Cincinnati

Byes this week: New Orleans, Jacksonville, Washington, Tennessee

1 Team 1 Season: Purdue Football with James Shepherd

Last week Purdue played Minnesota and improved to 4-0. I predicted that Purdue would beat Minnesota by 2. ESPN experts expressed opposite views when discussing this game, however the consensus was a close game. Purdue rose to the occasion and beat Minnesota 45-31. After yet again predicting a game and being shown up by the Boilermakers I decided this week to ask freshman James Shepherd to give me a short explanation of why the football team has had such success and provide us all with an inside view of the Boilermakers.
James Shepherd
Class: Freshman
Hometown: Crofton, Ky.
High School: Christian County
Height/6-6 Weight/ 309
Position: Offensive Tackle

The Mind: On paper Purdue v. Minnesota should have been a close game. However Purdue made sure it wasn’t. Like many others I predicted Purdue by two. What is it that we can’t quantify, and you can tell us about Purdue, that allows them to continue to drive everyone into the turf?

James: We have a lot of experience on both sides of the ball this year. We returned 18 starters from last year’s team and that always helps. But another big thing in football is turnovers. We take care of the ball for the most part and we have created a lot of turnovers with our defense this year.

The Mind: What superstitions do you and Purdue have that help prepare for a game?

James: I wouldn’t say that we have superstitions, but one thing Coach Tiller always tells us is that we can’t take any opponent lightly and we have to prepare the same way every week. Having a routine is a big part of preparation.

The Mind: On game day Saturday what is the basic routine?

James: We wake up and eat. Then we have our last position meetings before the game. We go over what we might see in the game and just take care of the final mental preparations. Then we go to the stadium and get ready for warm ups.

The Mind: I would like to talk about Painter a little. What is Painter’s attitude and work ethics like?

James: He’s a hard worker. He’s just one of those guys that just comes in everyday and does what’s expected of him. He’s definitely one of the leaders of this team and he leads by example.

The Mind: What was Painter’s reaction to tying Brees’ record? How did the locker room react?
James: I don’t think anyone really realized that it happened until after the fact but as soon as we did know everyone was happy because he is a good player and he deserves it.

The Mind: Who is the biggest trash talker in your looker room?

James: Well nobody talks trash on game day because we feel that that’s not how you play the game. But when were just hanging out in the locker room or at practice I think that Stanford Kegler and Dustin Keller are always vocal about something.

The Mind: You were heavily recruited by Kentucky, University of Tennessee, Wake Forest, Indiana, and Purdue- what made you choose the Boilermakers?

James: Great Education and the chance to play in the Big Ten. When I was making my decision I took football out of the equation and decided based on that. Then I added football and I just decided that Purdue offered me a lot of opportunities.

The Mind: As a freshman out of high school what has been the biggest change for you on the field?

James: You have to work hard every play. You are never good enough, even in practice, to just go half speed or use bad technique and expect to do well. You have to come in and work hard at a high tempo.

The Mind: Let’s look ahead at the end of this season. What do you see for Purdue this year? Can you give us a prediction for the final record? If you predict a loss, who hands it to you?

James: It’s hard to predict because it’s a long season and so many things can happen. We just want to take it one week at a time. Don’t overlook anyone. Our goal is to go to the Rose Bowl and its going to take a lot of hard work. I think that everyone on the team is working to achieve the lofty goal that we’ve set for ourselves.

The Mind: To avoid any bias I will remove Purdue from the mix, which two teams play for the BCS title this year and who wins?

James: It’s tough to say. There are a lot of really good teams out there. I think that a few different teams could end up there. USC is always good, so they could be there. Oklahoma’s offense looks pretty impressive this year so it wouldn’t surprise me if they made it. West Virginia looks really good this year on offense but I don’t know if their defense can hold up. LSU, though, has been the most impressive team to me overall. I mean their defense is great and they have some amazing athletes on the offensive side of the ball.

The Mind: Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and please let Purdue know that I thank them for their cooperation. I would like to put it out for the readers that Purdue’s PR team has been incredible and has approved this interview. James, good luck this season and I look forward to talking with you again.

This week Purdue takes on Notre Dame at what will likely be the largest home crowd they have ever seen. I disagree 100% with ESPN’s Lee Corso’s comment on College GameDay last week. Lee stated ‘Notre Dame’s losing streak ends at Purdue’. Lee think about this: Notre Dame lost to the team who lost to Appalachian state!
The Mind’s Pick: Purdue over Notre Dame

League Makes The Right Decision

In light of the most recent information released by Major League Baseball, I have to add my own editorial about yesterday’s article on Milton Bradley.

The league suspended Mike Winters, the umpire from the incident, today and let Milton Bradley know that what was said to him was inappropriate. This does not, however, solve the whole issue. At this point Milton Bradley is still wrong in arguing with the home plate umpire, not controlling his temper, and after the game blaming his coach for the knee injury.

The league has shown us that they will side for the players when the time is right, however, there must still be consequences for Bradley’s actions against his manager. The league can not be the governing body of these actions. The matter now falls into the Padres’ court. The league has let us know that what Bradley did to the umpire was not his fault. The actions he took against Bud Black are in house issues and it is time to address them like the Falcons addressed DeAngelo Hall. Bradley should be fined 50,000 and he should be suspended for one game.

While what Bradley did was right in bringing attention to the inappropriate Winters, he was wrong to attack his coach verbally. Again it’s time for the Padres to back their manager, and his fight in favor of the player who criticized him.

Milton Bradley's Tirade and What Should Happen

Sunday night Milton Bradley was playing for the San Diego Padres when he was thrown out of the game. Disagreeing with an earlier call he challenged the umpire and engaged in a heated debate. Once on first he began to argue with the first base umpire. As the incident escalated, Bradley’s manager and first base coach ran from the dugout to the first base line, and began to argue with the ref and remove Milton from
the situation.

What happened next has been a topic of discussion on every sports show starting that night.

Padres Manager Bud Black grabbed Milton Bradley by the shoulders and began to push him away from the ref. As Milton began to fight against his coach he fell to the ground and began grapping his knee. Later it was revealed that Bradley had torn his ACL, needed surgery, and would be out for the rest of the season.
Following the game Bradley screamed and cursed at the media, blaming his coach for the injury and calling Black unprofessional.

Maybe I am old fashioned, but since when is it ok for a player to degrade his coach? Maybe once you reach the age when you pay to play, or play because you love the game, turns into being spoiled so that you will play. Too many guys have stopped playing baseball because they like it, and have continued to play because it makes them rich. This new attitude is the reason why Milton Bradley thinks he is above the coach. He believes that his paycheck gives him the right to say what he wants and to defy whoever he disagrees with.

Bud Selig and the San Diego Padres need to step up and send a message to all players. Bradley was entirely out of line and needs to be reprimanded. The league should suspend him for his actions and the front office of the Padres need to fine him 100,000 dollars. Any less of a punishment would be shrugged off and laughed at. The Commissioner has to tell the players that they are players and not managers or owners. Players must be shown where they stand in the hierarchy of baseball. The Padres must show that they back their manager and that they believe players have a time and place to discuss in house matters. The fine, if lower than 75,000, would be laughed at and brush under the table by Bradley’s paycheck. However if between 75,000 and 100,000, the players will take note and feel this in their pockets.

You may ask how all this is fair. Watch the following clip and then read my explanation. After reading the explanation re-view the clip and see if you noticed what I, a player that puts all faith into his manager and staff, noticed after viewing the incident once.



The first thing I notice during the incident is that Bradley broke the first cardinal rule of baseball: Never argue with the umpire. As a young player you are taught over and over to disagree in silence and remember that it is his job, not yours, to make the hard calls and decisions. Had Milton listened to the rule he would still be playing right now.

The next strike against Bradley came when he shoved his coach out of the way and got physical with his manager. At that point the first base coach was already fighting FOR Bradley, and was trying to diffuse the situation and get to the root of the problem. Bradley’s manager was doing his job. Before he can have a word with the ref, he must first calm his player and make sure that he will allow the staff to handle the issue.

The physical actions of Bradley towards Bud Black, crossed an even tougher line when he placed his hands around Black’s neck. You can see that Bradley actually grabbed Black’s neck and used it as leverage to push away from the coach. As he continued to struggle and push away from Bud, Milton reaches for his knee and falls to the ground. It is later noted that during the struggle Bradley torn his ACL. After the game Bradley said that Black tackled him and is the reason for his injury. On top of this ESPN and other shows are agreeing. As you watch the video for a second time watch and note that Bradley grabs his leg BEFORE he falls, and that his coach does not force him to the ground, but he allows Bradley to fall. Thus discrediting Bradley’s blame.

Watch again and look for the things I mentioned.



Milton Bradley is out of line and must be taught his place. Bud Selig, The Padre’s, and all other players must back Bud Black on this issue and send Bradley a reprimand harsh enough to deter all further issues. And as for ESPN and other stations, well my thoughts on that are for another article.

1 Team 1 Season: Purdue Football with James Shepherd

Last week Purdue played Central Michigan in a game that I predicted would bring a 40 point margin of victory to the Boilermakers. I regret to report that the victory was only 23 points. I guess the excitement of the first two games got into me and I exaggerated my estimate.

Curtis Painter had yet another outstanding performance and only proved his stock was rising. He completed 29 of 39 passes. His total touchdowns are up to 13 this season and he has no interceptions. The Boilermakers have scored 149 points this season under Painters leadership and this weekend’s match-up should follow that trend. Kory Sheets ran for a career high of 144 yards and two touchdowns. Dorian Bryant ran for 41 yards on 3 carries and had 6 catches for 95 yards.

Last week the defense showed the nation what it takes to win ball games. Despite giving up 22 points the defense stopped C. Michigan four times on fourth down plays in the red zone. Terrell Vinson had a key stop on the 5 yard line. With the Chippewa two yards from a first down, Vinson stopped Antonio Brown for a one yard gain and got the ball back into the offense’s hands.
Final Score: 45-22 Purdue

This week the Boilermakers face their first Big Ten opponent. Minnesota is 1-2, with their only win coming at home in the Metrodome. Tonight the Purdue football team looks to improve to 4-0 and make Minnesota 1-3.

The Minnesota offense is not scoring like the Boilermakers but it is out performing the Purdue line. Minnesota’s top rusher has 386 yards compared to Bryant’s 263. Painter leads the arms race with a higher number of completions and better passing percentage. He also leads the Gophers QB in yardage. Minnesota’s receiving leader holds 3 more catches and 124 more yards than Dorian Bryant, Purdue’s top receiver.

Minnesota has lost 2 games both under 5 points, while Purdue has won all its games by at least 23. This week is the first test the Boilermakers will face this season. Look for a score around 23-20, with the winning team only squeaking by with a last minute field goal. Purdue has received 7 votes in the AP polls, while Minnesota has received 0. Its close but Purdue is better

The Mind’s Pick: Purdue by 2

Week 3 Picks

Week 2 Results

Sunday:
Indianapolis over Tennessee 22-20

San Francisco over St. Louis 17-16

Jacksonville over Atlanta 13-7

Cleveland over Cincinnati 51-45 (The Mind picked Cin)

Green Bay over NY Giants 35-13 (The Mind picked NYG)

Pittsburgh over Buffalo 26-3

Tampa Bay over New Orleans 31-14
Houston over Carolina 34-21 (The Mind picked CAR)

Arizona over Seattle 23-20 (The Mind picked SEA)

Denver over Oakland 23-20

Chicago over Kansas City 20-10

Detroit over Minnesota 20-17

Dallas over Miami 37-20

Baltimore over NY Jets 20-13

New England over San Diego 38-14

Monday: Washington over Philadelphia 20-12

The Mind’s record for Week 2 is 11-5 and 23-9 overall.

Week 3 Picks

Sunday:
Baltimore over Arizona
San Diego over Green Bay
Indianapolis over Houston
Minnesota over Kansas City
New England over Buffalo
Miami over NY Jets
Detroit over Philadelphia
Pittsburgh over San Francisco
St Louis over Tampa Bay
Denver over Jacksonville
Cleveland over Oakland
Seattle over Cincinnati
Carolina over Atlanta
Washington over NY Giants
Chicago over Dallas

Monday:
New Orleans over Tennessee

FedEx Cup

I contemplated for several weeks on whether or not I wanted to write on the FedEx Cup. I am an avid golf fan, however I had not yet determined if I was for or against this final set of tournaments.

The FedEx cup was surrounded by controversy from the weekend before the Cup began. The points dropped for a few players; however the largest drop came from Tiger Woods. Tiger went into the tournament 30,000 points in the lead. His points dropped to 30 over the pack to narrow the field and bring more competition. The question on everyone’s mind was whether or not this was fair. I believe this was unfair to the players trying to compete against Woods in this set of tournaments. When going into a tournament all the players are even. Everyone starts with a score of par and then it is up to them to go over or under par. I believe everyone in the tournament should have been accepted to the tourney and then give a score of 0 in the FedEx standings. This would have allowed the players to all start in the same place and compete against one another fairly. Tiger Woods won the FedEx Cup, however he competed in only three of the four Championship Events. After winning two events he only had to compete in the last one to earn enough points to solidify his place in first. Again this is unfair. The point system needs to be reevaluated and made so that fewer points are to be awarded for a win. This would cause Tiger to not only win a tourney, but to remain in the top ten for all of the other tournaments as well. The scoring system should also allow for a player to win the entire thing if he remains in the top 5 for all four tournaments and there is a different winner each weekend. You should be rewarded for a month of solid golf, not just three days of good strokes.

All and all the FedEx Cup was a success. The FedEx Cup showed us, no matter how convinced we already were, the number one player in the world. If you had your doubts you don’t anymore, Tiger Woods is still the best, and until you get more points for losing then for winning, Tiger will always be the best.

The FedEx Cup did what it was meant to do. The Champion was named, Golf was on everyone lips, and even the players stepped up and fought back against the raging Tiger. Maybe next year we will see an even start and a scoring system that will allow someone to get closer to the cup. One thing is certain: Tiger Woods will win the 2008 FedEx Cup no matter what the changes are.

9/11

After posting my picks for the upcoming NFL weekend I realized that I had neglected something more important than sports. For 6 years now the United States military has been serving over seas. This is a direct result of what happened on this day in 2001. Because of the many views on what has expired I will leave my own political sense out of the article. I would, however, like to take a moment to look at what happened in New York, DC, and that empty field in Pennsylvania.

8:45 American Airlines Flight 11 crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center

9:03 United Airlines Flight 175, a second plane, crashes. This time into the South Tower.

Both flights were taken over by hijackers

9:43 American Airlines Flight 77 is hijacked and crashes into the Pentagon. The White House is evacuated.

10:05 The South Tower collapses

10:10 United Airlines Flight 93, also hijacked, crashes in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh.

10:28 The North Tower collapses

4:10 Building 7 of the World Trade Center catches fire

5:20 Building 7 collapses

Throughout the hours and minuutes that this timeline covers, 5 ships and 2 carriers were immediately manned by the men and women at Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Base Norfolk.

Overall there were 2,974 fatalities. These included all the passengers on the flight, individuals inside the buildings, and the men and women of the emergency response units who fought to save the lives of all those involved in the attacks.

Tonight take a moment to think about all of the people in the hijacked planes, reflect on the heroes who rose to the challenge and responded to the needs of other, and no more how you feel about the war be thankful that people are putting themselves in harms way for you and your country as they have been called to do.

Below is a list of all those who died on 9/11. We will continue to remember you and your families, and we thank you for your brave heart and unfortunate sacrifice. You are the true HEROES of the United States!

Victims Of September 11th 2001

Week 2 Picks

Week 1 Recap
Thursday: Indianapolis over New Orleans 41-10

Sunday: Green Bay over Philadelphia 16-13 (The Mind picked PHI)
Houston over Kansas City 20-3
New England over NY Jets 38-14
Carolina over St. Louis 27-13 (The Mind picked STL)
Washington over Miami 16-13
Denver over Buffalo 15-14
Minnesota over Atlanta 24-3
Pittsburgh over Cleveland 34-7
Tennessee over Jacksonville 13-10 (The Mind picked JAX)
Detroit over Oakland 36-21
San Diego over Chicago 14-3
Seattle over Tampa Bay 20-6
Dallas over Giants 45-35

Monday: Cincinnati over Baltimore 27-20 (The Mind picked CIN)
San Francisco over Arizona 20-17


Week 2 Picks
Sunday: Indianapolis over Tennessee
San Francisco over St. Louis
Jacksonville over Atlanta
Cincinnati over Cleveland
NY Giants over Green Bay
Pittsburgh over Buffalo
New Orleans over Tampa Bay
Carolina over Houston
Seattle over Arizona
Denver over Oakland
Chicago over Kansas City
Detroit over Minnesota
Dallas over Miami
Baltimore over NY Jets
New England over San Diego

Monday: Washington over Philadelphia

The Mind’s record after week 1: 12-4

1 Team 1 Season: Purdue Football with James Shepherd

Welcome to the second week of college football!

The Boilermakers played at home this week and had more to overcome from the storm that delayed the second half than against the East Illinois team that showed up to play.

On paper Purdue and the East Illinois Panthers looked to be a good game. The defenses were relatively equal and the Panthers offense obtained more yards per game than the Boilermakers. Within a few short minutes it was obvious that Purdue was on its way to routing the Panthers. Nobody expected the Div 1-AA Panthers to pull an Appalachian State miracle, however what did take place was ridiculous.

In the Boilermakers second game, Quarterback Curtis Painter matched Purdue’s record for most touchdowns in a single game. Painter threw 49 passes and completed 38 incurring 348 yards, and had 6 touchdowns to tie Drew Brees’ 1998 record.

The game was suspended before the start of the third quarter. Just as the players exited the tunnel they were sent back into the locker rooms and the stadium was evacuated. The delay lasted one hour and five minutes.

Despite the delay the Boilermakers picked up right where they left off. Purdue scored over fifty points for the second time this season and had 533 total yards of offense.

Bryant caught 12 passes and had 111 yards and 1 touchdown. Chris Summers kicked 7 extra points and 1 field goal. The highlight of East Illinois’ day was that Cole Stinson threw for 143 yards. The 46 point margin of victory was Purdue’s largest since 2004.

Next week: Purdue hosts Central Michigan. Purdue stands to 3-0 to start the season and grab a 2-0 record in front of the home crowd on family day next weekend. CMU beat Toledo last week 52-31, however opened their season with a brutal loss to Kansas. The Chippewas scored only 7 while giving up 52. The defense gave up 538 yard to the Jayhawks and with Purdue’s quarterback and excellent running game the feat looks to be repeated. Look for Painter to try and break the all time touchdown record for a single game and for the offense to put 50 on the board for the third straight week.
The Mind’s Pick: Purdue by 40.

later this week: first interview with James Shepherd.

Saturday's Game to Watch

This week’s must see match-up takes place in the Bayou. Virginia Tech heads to Baton Rouge to take on LSU Saturday at 9:15 ET. After last weeks emotional season opener the Hokies have to shake off the nerves and play a little better on the offensive side.

The Hokies had only 33 rushing yards against a bad ECU rushing defense. If VT has any chance of beating the Tigers in the bayou, they will have to find the holes in a very solid LSU rushing defense. The Hokies’ passing game will likely look as good as it did last week. However with LSU’s defense, 245 yards from VT will likely fall short. Look for the Hokies to lose the ball on two picks.

LSU comes into this week after annihilating Mississippi State 45-0. LSU had 149 yards rushing and boasted 198 yards passing. These numbers will be much lower as the defense of VT as been a suffocating force. After not being able to grab the ball last week, VT should have at least 1 interception.

For any top 10 team, special teams play is a must. No one has made it to National Title game with out exceptional special teams play. The Hokies have had those special teams and will look to continue that this weekend. Watch for a break-away play from the Hokies. If VT wins look for a late game field goal.

Despite how the line reads, LSU over VT, this top 10 match-up will likely be a toss up. With Virginia Tech being the only team in the ACC that can contend for the national title, both teams need this win to remain a legitimate threat for a BCS championship. If the Hokies win this week they will need 9 more wins this season to go 11-1 and have a chance to play for the title.

The Minds Pick: LSU by 6

1 Team 1 Season: Purdue Football with James Shepherd

Welcome to Week 1 of 1 Team 1 Season.

Last Saturday the college football world kicked off its season. That evening the Purdue Boilermakers kicked off their season at the Toledo Rockets. Purdue went into the game 0-1 against the Rockets under the current head coaches. The Rockets, not only at home, were the favorite and expected to win the game with moderate ease.

The first quarter started with Toledo’s DeJuane Collins breaking a 35 yard run capping a 6 play drive and putting the Rockets ahead by 7. Purdue struck back with two touchdowns. The first TD came on a 13 yard run by Kory Sheets. On the next possession QB Curtis Painter connected with Dustin Keller for an 80 yard touchdown pass.

The teams went into the second quarter with the score 14-7, Purdue. 2 minutes and 10 seconds into the quarter Toledo struck for the second time in the game. This time Jalen Parmele ran 4 yards for the touchdown. Purdue returned the favor with a 28 yard pass in which Painter hooked up with his second receiver, Kyle Adams, and his second touchdown. With just 2:59 left in the half the Boilermakers completed a 91 yard drive on 8 plays, and Painter met Selwyn Lymon for a third receiver and yet another touchdown. Going into halftime Purdue was up 28-14

Things did slow down for the Boilermakers at all in the second half. The Rockets of Toledo held the boilermakers to a 44 yard field goal off the foot of Chris Summers.
Purdue 31, Toledo 14.

After throwing some wood on the fire the Boilermakers began to pick up speed and blew the game wide open in the fourth quarter. Painter hit his fourth receiver for a touchdown when Greg Orton caught a 34 yard pass and gave Purdue a 38-14 lead. The Rockets retaliated with a solid boot from kicker A. Steigerwald. His 44 yard field goal inched Toledo a little closer and gave them a small glimpse of hope. This would be the closest Toledo would come to the Boilermakers. On the ensuing kick-off Dorien Bryant return the kick 91 yards and gave Purdue a 28 point lead. Purdue struck again with 8:57 left in the game when Dan Dierking ran for a 30 yard touchdown after the Boilermakers picked Rockets offense’s pocket. Toledo tried for one last hoorah when DeAndre Ware scored on a 1 yard run. The game ended 1:51 later and Purdue improved to 1-1 against Toledo and 1-0 for the 2007-08 season. Purdue 52, Toledo 24.


Purdue Leaders:
Painter- 30 attempts 14 completions 0 interceptions, 244 yards passing 4 touchdowns
Dustin- 3 catches 107 yards (longest 80yds) 1 touchdown
Sheets- 11 carries 90 yards 1 touchdown
Bryant- 1 touchdown on a kickoff return.

Purdue Total yards:
Receiving-244
Rushing-244
Total-488
Toledo Leaders:
Cochran- 14 attempts 9 completions 1 interception 0 touchdowns, 83 yards passing
Parmele- 24 carries 93 yards (longest 22yds) 1 touchdown
Moore- 5 catches 44 yards

Toledo Total yards:
Receiving- 154
Rushing- 172
Total- 394

Up Next: Purdue takes on East Illinois Saturday September 8th at 12:00 pm. East Illinois is currently 1-0 this season and would like to come into Ross-Ade stadium and get a win on the road. Their QB Cole Stinson has a completion rate of 73.1% and has thrown for 308 yards this season. E. Illinois has only run for 109 yards and brings 417 yards of total offense with them. EIU has a better record over the last 6 years however the offensive numbers favor the Boilermakers. The Panthers defense only gives up 60 more yards than the Boilermakers. This looks to be an early test for the Boilermakers who need to come into the game where they left off in Toledo. My Pick: Purdue by 14.

Coming Sunday: Game Recap of Purdue v. East Illinois
Later in the Week: An inside look at Purdue with James Shepherd
Brought to you by,
The Mind

Week 1 Picks

After a quick look at the Vegas Odds I decided to hit you with a my picks for this weekend. At the end of the season we will look back at all my picks and check my final record.

Week 1:
Thursday: Indianapolis over New Orleans

Sunday: Philadelphia over Green Bay
Houston over Kansas City
New England over NY Jets
St. Louis over Carolina
Washington over Miami
Denver over Buffalo
Minnesota over Atlanta
Pittsburgh over Cleveland
Jacksonville over Tennessee
Detroit over Oakland
San Diego over Chicago
Seattle over Tampa Bay
Dallas over NY Giants

Monday: Baltimore over Cincinnati
San Francisco over Arizona

Brought to you by,

The Mind

Sam McGuffie: Michigan's Hope

With the start of college football there are always some upsets. One game included the two-time AA champions Appalachian State v. Michigan. ASU played hard scoring 28 in the first half to lead Michigan by 11. In the second half however, the “Big House”, in Ann Arbor proved to be a bit much for the Mountaineers. ASU only scored 6 over the next two quarters. The Wolverines didn’t play better either. Michigan only scored 15 in the second half. A last minute attempt to win the game went south when the defensive team for App State blocked a field goal that would have put the Wolverines up by 1.

With Michigan’s season now in ruins and no reason to look at what the rest of the year holds for the Wolverines we should take a look at their future:

A few weeks ago my close friend posted a mix tape battle on his website. The Scrapper didn’t go into detail over the players in the tapes, nor should he, but it got me to think about one kid in particular; Sam McGuffie.



Sam McGuffie is quite possibly one of the best players to come out of Texas. He recently committed verbally to the University of Michigan. With Michigan’s season already over Sam may be the only thing they have to look forward to.



McGuffie joined the varsity ranks at Cy-Fair high school his sophomore year. In most states this isn’t a big deal, however when you play for a 5-A school in Texas it is rare to see a guy that young start for a nationally ranked team. In his first season McGuffie put together 115 carries, 853 rushing yards, 0 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns. Not a season to remember, but look at what he did only a year later.

In 2006 Sam put together incredible numbers. On less the 3x the number of carries he increased his yards by over 360 percent. Sam McGuffie had 358 carries, 3121 rushing yards, 43 touchdowns, and 400 receiving yards. Sam increased his play making abilities by working on speed and power. At only 6’0” and 188lbs Sam can out run almost anyone and break tackles like Reggie Bush. His vision is his greatest strength. Without this he wouldn’t be able to run to holes and see break-away paths. With his explosive speed and incredible power Appalachian State won’t be able to hold him next year.

Sam McGuffie at a glance:
Name: Sam McGuffie Pos: RB School: Cy-Fair Year: Senior
6’0” 188 pounds 40 yard dash: 4.32 seconds
Attributes: Explosive speed. Power. Great Vision. Bench max: 350 Reps:15
2005 Sophomore- 115 carries, 7.4yac, 853 yards, 11 touchdowns
2006 Junior- 358 carries, 8.7yac, 3121 yards, 400 receiving yards, 43 touchdowns
2007 Senior- no current data available, commits to Michigan



Quotes: McGuffie: "My playmaking is my biggest strength. I think of different things to do on the field. I guess you could say I have creativity on the field. I don't do what is expected. I'm sort of spontaneous when I run the ball.”

"I want to work on my blocking. We don't block much now so I need to refresh myself for the next level."

Duke Football: Independent or ACC?

This week my mind was on college football. September 1st marked the start of the football season and was an exciting day for many around the United States. One game in particular made headlines when a NCAA div 1-AA team took down Michigan at home in Ann Arbor. Appalachian State put together an incredible game and during the last few seconds blocked a crucial field goal that would have put Michigan in the lead.

Hearing this incredible story I turned my thoughts to another team. Could it be possible for Duke to upset UCONN? It shouldn’t be too hard, right? UCONN was once a pretty good football team. In 2003 UCONN was 9-3, and then in 2004 they were 8-4. That season UCONN met Duke for the first time. UCONN overcame a 14-0 deficit and beat Duke 22-20. The following years boasted sub .500 seasons for the Huskies and it looked as though they were headed for the same outcome this year.

Saturday the Blue Devils hosted the Huskies for the first time since 2004 and looked to put them away. Duke led at the half 14-11. Defense and special teams proved to be Duke’s executioners. Duke was shut down on offense scoring 0 in the second half, and the defense gave up 35 points. UCONN also had a key interception that ended Duke’s only scoring drive.

After yet another disappointing loss I could not help but begin to think about ways to fix Duke or to give them a new advantage. One way to help Duke compete and begin to rebuild their program is to give them a new arena of play. If Duke was allowed to withdraw their football team from the Atlantic Coast Conference everything could be

turned around.

When moving around conferences you have to look at all aspects of the school. Its size, its location, the sports it provides, and how well each team performs. Most schools join and move conferences based on all of these aspects and they take the entire athletic department to the new conference. This is not always the case. The University of Notre Dame is one such school. Notre Dame is currently the only collegiate group, other than military academies, currently independent. This is interesting because every Notre Dame sport, other than Football, is in the Big East conference.

If you wanted to give Duke a fair chance at surviving in the college football world you would move them to an independent status. Duke’s other sports would remain in the ACC and would continue like normal. The reasons in which schools have left the independent leagues include money, bowl game access, and consistent schedules. These three things are unimportant to Duke at this point in their Football career.

By leaving the ACC Duke would have to give up its rights to television revenue. Not a problem. At this point over half the games aren’t televised and the stadium is never full. When your school charges its students $46,050 a year, and the waiting list for basketball games is 7 years long you are creating revenue from other source; which is preciously how the Football team makes its money now. If being independent works and the team gets better, people will attend the events and the television stations will come back. Everything you lose will be returned.

The second issue with leaving the ACC is the loss of access to bowl games. Again, not a problem. Duke doesn’t go to bowl games anyway. But this can be remedied. Just like Notre Dame, Duke can be granted a bowl game with a season record of at least 9 wins and a top 15 ranking in the nation poll. This qualifies Notre Dame for a BCS appearance and the courtesy should be extended to the Blue Devils as well. The Big East has also agreed that based on Notre Dame’s performance they can accept a BCS bid in the place of lower ranked Big East teams. With Duke’s reputation and ACC involvement in all other sports we shouldn’t see the ACC hesitate to allow Duke a bowl spot.

Now for the biggest Duke bonus. Schedule! Duke currently has to play 8 ACC games. With the teams in that conference that’s 8 losses before you add other teams into the schedule. If Duke was an independent team they could play anyone they wanted. You could play a full season of Div 1-AA schools. With every school you take out of your schedule you can now add a smaller school. You can customize your schedule to allow you some guaranteed wins. With every win you earn yourself more recruiting points. As you win games your demeanor and swagger changes. This all transcends the Saturday games and transforms your practices. Suddenly you are playing better, winning games, and recruiting star talent. As all of this takes place you adjust your schedule. You begin to add Div 1-A teams into the mix. Now instead of playing 8 AA schools and 4 A schools you are playing 4 AA and 8 A. Next year you don’t play a single AA school and yet you still have a 9-3 record. After at least ten years you have completed your transformation and you can now begin to think about rejoining the ACC.

People have perceived Notre Dame to be a football power house, and for sometime they were, but did you ever think it was because they knew how to manipulate the system? If they can use the independent status to their advantage don’t you think we should use it to ours? Go Duke!

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Welcome

I wanted to thank you for viewing my site and taking the time to indulge my thoughts. I created this site to let my thoughts and rants out. I have been a college athlete and an avid fan of all sports. I hope that some of what I have to say is meaningful and you find yourself agreeing with different thoughts of mine. I also hope that even if you disagree I can put together a compelling article and you will return to the site in the future. I will do my best to include with my thoughts and feelings as many facts as possible. This site represents my thoughts and feelings on hundreds of sports subjects and with my views I hope to remain error free and on track with any statistics or facts that may be used in various articles. A few of the upcoming articles include:

Duke Football: Independent league or ACC?
A-Rod: Why no one cares that Barry Bonds set the homerun record
The Fedex Cup: Explaining the PGA’s latest playoff series
Dream Team 2?
What’s wrong with the Atlanta Braves
Carr: The new QB of the Carolina Panthers
1 Team 1 Season

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