November 17, 2008

Blog update

To all who have been following this blog, I urge you to check out this one (if indeed you love sports as much as I do.)

http://cbacsmack.blogspot.com/

November 6, 2008

Ode to the 18th row

So last night, Melanie had Young Women's and they were at the Conference Center downtown so I took Leah out and we went shopping for Christmas stuff . . . stocking stuffers, candy, etc. While perusing the aisles at Wal-Mart in Taylorsville, my phone starts to ring and my buddy Drew is on the other line. He's calling to offer me a ticket to last night's Jazz game against Portland.

Andrew: "Its lower bowl, wanna come?"
Matt: "Can I put Leah on my lap without paying for her?"
(Muffled voices in the background while he asks) "Yes."
"Then I'm in."

He and his two brother's-in-law met me and Wal-Mart where we transferred Leah's carseat and headed to the game.

I will tell you this much: I love going to Jazz games. I've never enjoyed them as much as I've enjoyed going to football games (on any level where it matters) but last night rocketed up my list in a hurry.

Sorry, its a little blurry, but this is what you get from a cell phone:

(Picture of the Jazz bench during a timeout)

The tickets were on the 18th row! The game was close all night, the fans are more attentive in the lower bowl, and I think with all the extra noise from above you poring down from the rafters just adds to the environment. What a fantastic surprise to end the day.

Thanks to Andrew and his brother's-in-law.

More BCS Mockery

I'm not the only one complaining. Of course, the Pac-10 isn't what's keeping USC out of the NC game; its that loss to OSU. But all it takes are a few coaches from BCS teams to really get the ball rolling to get this subject into the mainstream. You go Pete!



USC's Pete Carroll finds humor in BCS
Carroll injects some levity after the Trojans drop from No. 5 to No. 7 in the aftermath of their third shutout victory in four weeks.
By Gary Klein

November 3, 2008

Coach Pete Carroll typically avoids commenting about the Bowl Championship Series standings, let alone inviting questions about them.

But even Carroll could not help injecting some gallows humor Sunday after the Trojans dropped from No. 5 to No. 7 in the aftermath of their third shutout victory in four weeks.

"The more we win the worse we get," he joked.

USC, a 56-0 winner Saturday over winless Washington, maintained its ranking in the coaches' and Harris Interactive polls.

But the Trojans' weak Pacific 10 Conference opponents, coupled with the strength of the Big 12 and Southeastern conferences, hurt them in the computer component of the BCS formula.

USC dropped from sixth to 10th in the computers, as Texas Tech and Florida jumped the Trojans in the BCS standings to Nos. 2 and 5, respectively.

Carroll dismissed concern about the standings -- "I don't even know how to figure that out," he said -- but he acknowledged that this week's game against No. 21 California offers the Trojans an opportunity to prove themselves against a respectable opponent.

USC's defense remains the top-ranked unit in the nation, but the Trojans' three shutouts have come against Arizona State, Washington State and Washington, which are a combined 3-22.

"The real tests are the teams like the Oregons, Arizona, those kinds of teams that are putting up a lot of yards and points," Carroll said. "Cal's one of those teams."

The Golden Bears improved to 6-2 overall and 4-1 in the Pac-10 with a 26-16 victory over Oregon.

The win moved the Golden Bears back into the top 25 -- they are 21st in the Associated Press media poll, 21st in the Harris Interactive poll and 22nd in the coaches' poll.

Carroll did express concern about the Trojans' continuing penalty problems. USC was flagged 10 times against Washington, the third time this season that the Trojans were in double figures for penalties.

Penalties cost the Trojans in their loss at Oregon State and could cost them again if they continue unabated.

"The wrong one at the wrong time . . . can be devastating," Carroll said.

Here's the link: http://www.latimes.com/sports/college/football/la-sp-uscfyi3-2008nov03,0,1371850.story