I have joined forces with my good buddy AJ. Read the blog that is updated almost everyday:
http://benandaaron.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
The State of Sooner basketball
Blake Griffin was knocked out for the count. Texas jumped on the Sooners in the second half and ran off to a 12 point lead. Everybody thought the game was over. In Austin, rivalry, OU had no energy. But then... OU had new life. Willie Warren stepped up and became a monster, scoring 27. OU's role players became the corner stones to the comeback. The score was soon tied and remained that way until there were 4 minutes left in the game.
The Sooners ended up loosing the game after A.J. Abrams went off for 16 straight points... but the Sooners never gave up. They really showed some guts after losing the best player in the country. We learned something Saturday night. OU is a legitimate title contender. Yes they are a great team with BG23, but they can hold their own without him. That is what a championship team should be.
We will learn more tonight at Big Monday, when the number 3 ranked Sooners face Kansas at the Lloyd Noble Center. Can the Sooners remain strong without the big man? Can freshman Willie Warren step up and be the leader this team needs? The regular season big 12 title is on the line.
Stay tuned.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
The Best Sports Movie Scenes
I'm reposting this with VIDEO.
I love sports. I love movies. So naturally, I thoroughly enjoy sports movies. For a long time I have thought to myself: “What are the best scenes in my favorite sports movies?” This is like trying to pick a bad golf shot in one of my rounds…. practically impossible because there are soooo many. So I came up with a few short stipulations:
1) It must be from a movie that I liked, therefore a movie I’ve seen.
2) It must bring out an emotion in me, whether it makes me laugh out loud, get chills, or tear up.
And that’s it. A note before the list, I hate Sylvester Stallone, therefore Rocky movies will not appear on my list. So with that, I present my top 10 favorite sports movie scenes.
10. “Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!”
Just cracking the list at number 10 is the feel good movie out of Jamaica. If you need a smile on your face then this is the movie to do it. The scene that does it for me, which you will see is a recurring theme in this list, is the final scene. When the bobsled turns over and you fear the worst, the Jamaicans lift you up with their courageous trip to the finish line. Bringing me a smile and chills, lands Cool Runnings on the list.
9. “He's on his final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2 iron I think.”
Caddyshack. Enough said. Performances by all were fantastic. For me though, Bill Murray makes the movie. I could have picked any of his scenes or quotes, but the Cinderella story scene just makes me cry from laughing so hard.
8. “On this team we fight for that inch”
Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday speech sends chills down my spine every time. Whether I am listening to the background music on my ipod or the speech in my car before I go play intramural football, it doesn’t matter. It is just so badass. I love it. The last football game is great too, but the speech makes it. Some people think it’s a cheesy speech, I think its gold.
7. “Sweep the leg”
As a scrawny un-athletic Jewish kid growing up, underdog stories always hit home. Karate Kid is the definition of an underdog story. Good vs. Evil, good wins… chills maybe even tears. Welcome to the list Mr. Miyagi.
6. “It's no joke, pal. People die in fairy tales all the time.”
The words of Max Baer, defending champion, and talking to his challenger, Jim Braddock in Cinderella Man. Another underdog story that is just a truly awesome fight scene, that is long, bloody, and emotional. If you haven’t seen this movie, see it just for the fight scenes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great movie, but the fights are really really good.
5. “Nice par, David.”
I love playing golf, I’m not any good, but I love it. Tin Cup is a real fun movie. The reason I love the final scene on the 18th hole of the U.S. Open is because its so painful to watch. Even though you know what is coming while watching the scene for the 30th time, its still so hard to watch. Yet in the end, it is so gratifying. From looking away from the screen to getting chills as Kevin Costner raises his fist into the air, its just a near perfect ending to a great movie.
4. “Who's the wild man now?!”
Rudy. One word is all you need to tell many sports enthusiasts. The final scene is awesome and supported well by the amazing score. You know, the music that you could run a Forrest Gump marathon too. Nothing more really needs to be said about this scene.
3. “You make sure they remember, *forever*, the night they played the Titans!”
Remember the Titans is one of my favorite movies. Ya it has the whole race thing, which really makes the plot gel into a good movie. But the football scenes are really good. My favorite is the scene in which the game is being thrown by the refs. Coach Yoast goes and talks to the head ref and then calls a timeout. The shortest greatest pep talk/speech ever. Better than Rudy, better than Any Given Sunday, better than the Hoosiers speech, it’s concise and AWESOME. Chills, chills, chills, and a big smile on your face and is followed by a superb slow motion football sequence. This could have made the top of my list. I only held it back because its recent and maybe hasn’t had the time to really soak in and hit home like the last two.
2. “I'll make it.”
Jimmy Chitwood didn’t have very many lines in 1986’s Hoosiers, but the movie would not be great without him. The town hall meeting scene is classic, but the final timeout in the championship game and the last shot… nothing but chills. The only question is how coach Norman Dale could possibly want to use Jimmy as a decoy when he was shooting 13 of 17 (estimation) with 28 of Hickory’s 40 points? But that’s what made the scene so great. The rest of team is thinking the exact same thing, and Gene Hackman is befuddled, until he looks up at Jimmy and he says those three words. Incredible. Some movies keep you on the edge of your seat, so you wonder whether or not the team is going to win. With Hoosiers, there is no doubt. Jimmy Chitwood is going to make it, you want him to make it, and you get chills anyway. Yet, it still didn’t make numero uno.
1. “There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.”
Roy Hobbs’ last at bat in The Natural is maybe one of the most famous sports scenes in cinema history, and it deserves to be. The breaking of his favorite bat. The blood soaking through his jersey. The catcher noticing the blood and signaling for an inside pitch. Then the towering shot. The music. It’s a perfect scene. I’m not a big baseball guy, but it deserves to be at the top.
Just missed the cut:
Field of Dreams: Playing ball with dad
Jerry Maguire: Concussion scene
The Sandlot: All of the scenes when they are trying to get the ball back
Happy Gilmore: Bob Barker fight scene
Hope you enjoyed the list, its just a matter of opinion so feel free to chime in with your comments.
Stay Classy,
Ben
I love sports. I love movies. So naturally, I thoroughly enjoy sports movies. For a long time I have thought to myself: “What are the best scenes in my favorite sports movies?” This is like trying to pick a bad golf shot in one of my rounds…. practically impossible because there are soooo many. So I came up with a few short stipulations:
1) It must be from a movie that I liked, therefore a movie I’ve seen.
2) It must bring out an emotion in me, whether it makes me laugh out loud, get chills, or tear up.
And that’s it. A note before the list, I hate Sylvester Stallone, therefore Rocky movies will not appear on my list. So with that, I present my top 10 favorite sports movie scenes.
10. “Feel the rhythm! Feel the rhyme! Get on up, its bobsled time! COOL RUNNINGS!”
Just cracking the list at number 10 is the feel good movie out of Jamaica. If you need a smile on your face then this is the movie to do it. The scene that does it for me, which you will see is a recurring theme in this list, is the final scene. When the bobsled turns over and you fear the worst, the Jamaicans lift you up with their courageous trip to the finish line. Bringing me a smile and chills, lands Cool Runnings on the list.
9. “He's on his final hole. He's about 455 yards away, he's gonna hit about a 2 iron I think.”
Caddyshack. Enough said. Performances by all were fantastic. For me though, Bill Murray makes the movie. I could have picked any of his scenes or quotes, but the Cinderella story scene just makes me cry from laughing so hard.
8. “On this team we fight for that inch”
Al Pacino’s Any Given Sunday speech sends chills down my spine every time. Whether I am listening to the background music on my ipod or the speech in my car before I go play intramural football, it doesn’t matter. It is just so badass. I love it. The last football game is great too, but the speech makes it. Some people think it’s a cheesy speech, I think its gold.
7. “Sweep the leg”
As a scrawny un-athletic Jewish kid growing up, underdog stories always hit home. Karate Kid is the definition of an underdog story. Good vs. Evil, good wins… chills maybe even tears. Welcome to the list Mr. Miyagi.
6. “It's no joke, pal. People die in fairy tales all the time.”
The words of Max Baer, defending champion, and talking to his challenger, Jim Braddock in Cinderella Man. Another underdog story that is just a truly awesome fight scene, that is long, bloody, and emotional. If you haven’t seen this movie, see it just for the fight scenes. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great movie, but the fights are really really good.
5. “Nice par, David.”
I love playing golf, I’m not any good, but I love it. Tin Cup is a real fun movie. The reason I love the final scene on the 18th hole of the U.S. Open is because its so painful to watch. Even though you know what is coming while watching the scene for the 30th time, its still so hard to watch. Yet in the end, it is so gratifying. From looking away from the screen to getting chills as Kevin Costner raises his fist into the air, its just a near perfect ending to a great movie.
4. “Who's the wild man now?!”
Rudy. One word is all you need to tell many sports enthusiasts. The final scene is awesome and supported well by the amazing score. You know, the music that you could run a Forrest Gump marathon too. Nothing more really needs to be said about this scene.
3. “You make sure they remember, *forever*, the night they played the Titans!”
Remember the Titans is one of my favorite movies. Ya it has the whole race thing, which really makes the plot gel into a good movie. But the football scenes are really good. My favorite is the scene in which the game is being thrown by the refs. Coach Yoast goes and talks to the head ref and then calls a timeout. The shortest greatest pep talk/speech ever. Better than Rudy, better than Any Given Sunday, better than the Hoosiers speech, it’s concise and AWESOME. Chills, chills, chills, and a big smile on your face and is followed by a superb slow motion football sequence. This could have made the top of my list. I only held it back because its recent and maybe hasn’t had the time to really soak in and hit home like the last two.
2. “I'll make it.”
Jimmy Chitwood didn’t have very many lines in 1986’s Hoosiers, but the movie would not be great without him. The town hall meeting scene is classic, but the final timeout in the championship game and the last shot… nothing but chills. The only question is how coach Norman Dale could possibly want to use Jimmy as a decoy when he was shooting 13 of 17 (estimation) with 28 of Hickory’s 40 points? But that’s what made the scene so great. The rest of team is thinking the exact same thing, and Gene Hackman is befuddled, until he looks up at Jimmy and he says those three words. Incredible. Some movies keep you on the edge of your seat, so you wonder whether or not the team is going to win. With Hoosiers, there is no doubt. Jimmy Chitwood is going to make it, you want him to make it, and you get chills anyway. Yet, it still didn’t make numero uno.
1. “There goes Roy Hobbs, the best there ever was in this game.”
Roy Hobbs’ last at bat in The Natural is maybe one of the most famous sports scenes in cinema history, and it deserves to be. The breaking of his favorite bat. The blood soaking through his jersey. The catcher noticing the blood and signaling for an inside pitch. Then the towering shot. The music. It’s a perfect scene. I’m not a big baseball guy, but it deserves to be at the top.
Just missed the cut:
Field of Dreams: Playing ball with dad
Jerry Maguire: Concussion scene
The Sandlot: All of the scenes when they are trying to get the ball back
Happy Gilmore: Bob Barker fight scene
Hope you enjoyed the list, its just a matter of opinion so feel free to chime in with your comments.
Stay Classy,
Ben
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Big game after Big game
Oklahoma sports are now rolling. I attended the preseason NIT in Norman to watch OU basketball and Davidson's Stephen Curry. 
First off, Curry is ridiculous. Quick release, impossible to guard, quick feet. Needs to work on his defense, but as far as pure scorer, he is the best in college basketball, and perhaps the best in years. Our own All-American, Blake Griffin, is maybe the most athletic player in the country. He can leap out of the gym and has extended his range. His defense is fantastic. Willie Warren has potential to be all Big-12. He is that good. Had 20 points in about 15 minutes against an elite 8 team from last year (Davidson). This team, this OU team, has a chance to be great. If they can gel, they can be an elite 8 team if not a final four team. They are that good, and its only November.
Now, onto the big game still to come. Just picture Marv Albert hyping this game: "OKLAHOMA. TEXAS TECH. BRADFORD vs. HARRELL. ITS SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL ON ABC!!!!"
This is the definition of BCS implication game. If Tech wins, they clinch the South and likely a birth in the National Championship game. If OU wins, they must still beat OSU, but likely gains a berth to the Big 12 championship and likely the National Championship. Texas is on the outside looking in. They need OU to win their last two games, and by some miracle, still hold their lead in the BCS rankings.
The game is in Norman, 59-2. Thats the record of Stoops teams in Norman. OU has the better defense. I know Tech has a better defense that year's previous, but OU's defense is still better. OU has a better running game and the passing attacks are relatively equal. Give Tech special teams and your breakdown would give you an OU edge in position battles at least at a 2-1 ratio. OU at home and the better team. If they play well, they win the game.
Radio show at 4:30 Saturday afternoon.
Stay classy,
Ben
First off, Curry is ridiculous. Quick release, impossible to guard, quick feet. Needs to work on his defense, but as far as pure scorer, he is the best in college basketball, and perhaps the best in years. Our own All-American, Blake Griffin, is maybe the most athletic player in the country. He can leap out of the gym and has extended his range. His defense is fantastic. Willie Warren has potential to be all Big-12. He is that good. Had 20 points in about 15 minutes against an elite 8 team from last year (Davidson). This team, this OU team, has a chance to be great. If they can gel, they can be an elite 8 team if not a final four team. They are that good, and its only November.Now, onto the big game still to come. Just picture Marv Albert hyping this game: "OKLAHOMA. TEXAS TECH. BRADFORD vs. HARRELL. ITS SATURDAY NIGHT COLLEGE FOOTBALL ON ABC!!!!"
This is the definition of BCS implication game. If Tech wins, they clinch the South and likely a birth in the National Championship game. If OU wins, they must still beat OSU, but likely gains a berth to the Big 12 championship and likely the National Championship. Texas is on the outside looking in. They need OU to win their last two games, and by some miracle, still hold their lead in the BCS rankings.
The game is in Norman, 59-2. Thats the record of Stoops teams in Norman. OU has the better defense. I know Tech has a better defense that year's previous, but OU's defense is still better. OU has a better running game and the passing attacks are relatively equal. Give Tech special teams and your breakdown would give you an OU edge in position battles at least at a 2-1 ratio. OU at home and the better team. If they play well, they win the game.
Radio show at 4:30 Saturday afternoon.
Stay classy,
Ben
Saturday, November 8, 2008
BCS
With the Sooners wiggling their way back into the BCS picture... I thought I would come out and predict the standings that will come out tomorrow.
How I would rank the teams based on who is playing best right now:
1. Tech
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. Bama
6. Utah
7. USC
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
How the BCS will look:
1. Bama
2. Tech
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Boise State
9. Penn State
10. Ohio State
Oklahoma needs to pass Texas in the computers and keep their hold on the polls. If they win out, they should be headed to Kansas City.
How I would rank the teams based on who is playing best right now:
1. Tech
2. Florida
3. Texas
4. Oklahoma
5. Bama
6. Utah
7. USC
8. Penn State
9. Boise State
10. Ohio State
How the BCS will look:
1. Bama
2. Tech
3. Florida
4. Texas
5. Oklahoma
6. USC
7. Utah
8. Boise State
9. Penn State
10. Ohio State
Oklahoma needs to pass Texas in the computers and keep their hold on the polls. If they win out, they should be headed to Kansas City.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Resurrection
Are the Boys back? Just when I had written the Dallas Cowboys off, they go and make a statement. A few things stuck out in my mind:
The defense looked good for the first time since the Green Bay game. They looked great at times, holding Tampa Bay to 6 points in the first quarter when they were given a short field on 3 consecutive possessions. Tampa Bay isn't an offensive powerhouse, but this is the first time in 24 regular season games that they have failed to score a touchdown. Impressive.
The Roy Williams/ Terrell Owens combo will be unstoppable. If TO can play well for another year, Jason Garrett should be able to maximize their potential with new plays and schemes. With two big, strong, fast receivers, the Cowboys should be unstoppable in the red zone. Add in a healthy Jason Witten and this offense should be practically unstoppable.
Tony Romo needs to get back fast. This offense is nothing without his big play ability. Brad Johnson can't make the throws, as he missed an open TO in the endzone several times. Maybe bring in Brooks Bollinger for the Giants game to bring back the big play threat. Brad Johnson needs to go to the nursing home... stat.
The Cowboys are still a playoff team. I had written them off. I looked at their schedule and said 8-8 and maybe 9-7 at best. Now... I dont know. Lets look at the schedule:
@ NY Giants: I cant see them winning this game. NY is too good and its on the road without Romo.
BYE
@ Washington: Redemption. I think they can win this game. Especially if Romo is back. A bye week gives Roy Williams more time to learn the offense. Maybe Terrance Newman is back as well.
San Fran and Seattle at home should be wins with Romo almost definitely back. Is there a Pacman spotting?
@ Pittsburgh: Probably a loss, but I give the Boys a fighting chance. We will chalk it up to a loss for now.
Giants: At home with Romo, rivalry, toss up. We will go with a win since they are 3-1 at home so far this year.
Baltimore: At home, getting towards crunch time for the playoffs... this is a win. They wont score on the Dallas, and Dallas will make a few big plays. I see 24-13 or something like that.
@ Philly: Toss up. Depends on if they are in playoff contention or not.
So going into the Philly game, I see Dallas at worst 8-7 and more likely 9-6. 10-6 gets you into the playoffs most likely. So, I say Dallas has a 50-50 shot at the playoffs, but it all depends on the health of Romo and if the defense can play as well as they did this Sunday.
Good luck!
Random thoughts:
OU is in trouble defensively, with Tech and OSU looming. Tech vs. Texas is a huge game nationally and in the Big 12. We will know a lot more after next weekend, and then can talk BCS implications on every game coming down the home stretch.
I can't believe NBC had the "40 year-old Virgin" on television. They censored half of the damn movie and ruined it. Oh well... I love that movie.
My fantasy team in my league I care about... dominated this week.
Thats all I got.
Tune in Wednesday's 8-10 central time at wire.ou.edu
Stay classy,
Ben
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
A long absence....
Sorry that I haven't been around, but it has been a busy few weeks.
The Cowboys are in a downward spiral that I dont think they can recover from. I don't see them beating the Bucs or the Giants without Romo or anybody in the secondary. That puts them at 4-5 going into their bye. They need to be at least 10-6 to make the playoffs. With games AT Washington, NYG, and Philly.... no way the Cowboys finish better than 9-7. I actually see them finishing 8-8. It is really just sad that this team completely fell apart. I just hope TO doesn't pull a gun and shoot people as he runs down the field for the touchdown ala "The Last Boy Scout."
OU fell to UT, but somehow still finds themselves in the championship race.
Sitting at 4 in the BCS several things MUST happen. Penn St must lose. Alabama must lose. A one loss team cannot win the SEC. If those three things happen, I think OU can stave off USC (unless the voters put USC ahead of OU just to keep OU out) in the BCS and either OU and TX will rematch for the National Championship... or OU will play whoever happens to be in that one spot. I wouldn't be surprised to see an OU/USC rematch from 2004 if Texas loses to either someone they shouldn't lose to, or loses two games. That is my BCS rant. Still a LONG way to go.
World Series is a snooze fest. Congrats if Tampa can pull of the complete turn around... but who cares? Tampa fans don't even care that much, they haven't sold out a game until the World Series!
I am ready for Tiger Woods to return.
On the show tonight, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Terry Stotts.
Stay classy,
Ben
The Cowboys are in a downward spiral that I dont think they can recover from. I don't see them beating the Bucs or the Giants without Romo or anybody in the secondary. That puts them at 4-5 going into their bye. They need to be at least 10-6 to make the playoffs. With games AT Washington, NYG, and Philly.... no way the Cowboys finish better than 9-7. I actually see them finishing 8-8. It is really just sad that this team completely fell apart. I just hope TO doesn't pull a gun and shoot people as he runs down the field for the touchdown ala "The Last Boy Scout."
OU fell to UT, but somehow still finds themselves in the championship race.
Sitting at 4 in the BCS several things MUST happen. Penn St must lose. Alabama must lose. A one loss team cannot win the SEC. If those three things happen, I think OU can stave off USC (unless the voters put USC ahead of OU just to keep OU out) in the BCS and either OU and TX will rematch for the National Championship... or OU will play whoever happens to be in that one spot. I wouldn't be surprised to see an OU/USC rematch from 2004 if Texas loses to either someone they shouldn't lose to, or loses two games. That is my BCS rant. Still a LONG way to go.World Series is a snooze fest. Congrats if Tampa can pull of the complete turn around... but who cares? Tampa fans don't even care that much, they haven't sold out a game until the World Series!
I am ready for Tiger Woods to return.
On the show tonight, Dallas Mavericks assistant coach Terry Stotts.
Stay classy,
Ben
Monday, October 6, 2008
AD on Monday night
I will keep posting tonight as I watch All Day run over the Saints. Also I need Brees to perform well so I win my fantasy football game.
7:35: AD looks ready to go on the sideline. Please someone tell ESPN that we are tired of Hank Williams.
8:05: Adrian hasn't really gotten a chance, but Brees started well and the Vikings defense just won me another fantasy game.
8:18: Give Adrian a damn block.
9:15: Adrian just fumbled...wait no he didnt, wait he did....no they ruled that he has strong hands? Anyways, that was a huge hit. We will see if Adrian gets stronger as the defense gets more tired. Halftime 20-10 Vikings.
7:35: AD looks ready to go on the sideline. Please someone tell ESPN that we are tired of Hank Williams.
8:05: Adrian hasn't really gotten a chance, but Brees started well and the Vikings defense just won me another fantasy game.
8:18: Give Adrian a damn block.
9:15: Adrian just fumbled...wait no he didnt, wait he did....no they ruled that he has strong hands? Anyways, that was a huge hit. We will see if Adrian gets stronger as the defense gets more tired. Halftime 20-10 Vikings.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
...
Wow Benjamin we really do suck at picking 'em...can I just say though that both my NFL fantasy teams are 3-0...Oh and Granger IS passing up season ending surgery so he'll most likely be back in several weeks (not that its really gonna make that big of difference). Thats all I gotta say for right now...gotta get back to studying for two quizes and a test. Catch you all tomorrow night at 8...its gonna be a good one!
OUT,
Steve
Monday, September 22, 2008
The results are in.....
We dont know squat about football.
Results:
NCAAFB:
Week 2
Steve:3-2
Ben: 3-2
Cumulative:
Steve: 5-5
Ben: 5-5
NFL:
Week 2
Steve: 2-3
Ben: 0-5
Cumulative:
Steve: 4-6
Ben: 3-7
Locks:
Week 2
Steve: 0-2
Ben: 0-2
Cumulative:
Steve: 1-3
Ben: 2-2
Pathetic.
Random ramble:
The boys in blue are a force to be reckoned with. Other than garbage time, Dallas pretty much shut down Green Bay. I'm real excited for the rest of the season. Not as excited about missing next week's Washington game.
U.S. Ryder Cup was sick.
4 of my 5 fantasy teams' fate lie in the toe of LT. If he scores 3 points, one team will win... up to 22 points and all 4 teams win. The other of my 5 teams... I already won. So lets go Chargers!
Finger roll:
Stay Classy,
Ben
Results:
NCAAFB:
Week 2
Steve:3-2
Ben: 3-2
Cumulative:
Steve: 5-5
Ben: 5-5
NFL:
Week 2
Steve: 2-3
Ben: 0-5
Cumulative:
Steve: 4-6
Ben: 3-7
Locks:
Week 2
Steve: 0-2
Ben: 0-2
Cumulative:
Steve: 1-3
Ben: 2-2
Pathetic.
Random ramble:
The boys in blue are a force to be reckoned with. Other than garbage time, Dallas pretty much shut down Green Bay. I'm real excited for the rest of the season. Not as excited about missing next week's Washington game.
U.S. Ryder Cup was sick.
4 of my 5 fantasy teams' fate lie in the toe of LT. If he scores 3 points, one team will win... up to 22 points and all 4 teams win. The other of my 5 teams... I already won. So lets go Chargers!
Finger roll:
Stay Classy,
Ben
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Picks and Podcast Info
Radio Show was a huge hit tonight. Here are Steve and I's picks:
College:
West Virgina -3 at Colorado: Ben and Steve take West Virgina covering
Florida -7.5 at Tennessee: Ben and Steve take Florida
Boise St at Oregon -10.5: Ben thinks this gets ugly and takes Oregon. Steve takes Boise
Georgia -7 at Arizona State: rebound game both of us take Georgia big.
LSU -3.5 at Auburn: Ben takes the champs laying the points. Steve takes the team with no offense.
Locks: Steve takes Auburn; Ben takes Fresno State laying 7 against Toledo
NFL:
Arizona at Washington -3: Both take Arizona's high powered O.
Tampa Bay at Chicago -3: Both take the Bears
Carolina at Minnesota -3.5: Steve takes AD, Ben bets against his boy Gus
Saints at Broncos -6: Both think Broncos win big
Dallas -3 at Green Bay: Steve stays loyal and takes the boys, Ben thinks 6 days isnt enough to recover from Philly game
Locks: Steve says Broncos -6, Ben takes over 42 points in AZ vs. Wash
Why the hell did we not pick the Pitt Eagles game? We overlooked that....SORRY.
Ok so I figured out how to do podcasts. Here is the Pat Forde interview and it should show up on the right Podcenter toolbar for at least the next few weeks.
Stay Classy,
Ben
College:
West Virgina -3 at Colorado: Ben and Steve take West Virgina covering
Florida -7.5 at Tennessee: Ben and Steve take Florida
Boise St at Oregon -10.5: Ben thinks this gets ugly and takes Oregon. Steve takes Boise
Georgia -7 at Arizona State: rebound game both of us take Georgia big.
LSU -3.5 at Auburn: Ben takes the champs laying the points. Steve takes the team with no offense.
Locks: Steve takes Auburn; Ben takes Fresno State laying 7 against Toledo
NFL:
Arizona at Washington -3: Both take Arizona's high powered O.
Tampa Bay at Chicago -3: Both take the Bears
Carolina at Minnesota -3.5: Steve takes AD, Ben bets against his boy Gus
Saints at Broncos -6: Both think Broncos win big
Dallas -3 at Green Bay: Steve stays loyal and takes the boys, Ben thinks 6 days isnt enough to recover from Philly game
Locks: Steve says Broncos -6, Ben takes over 42 points in AZ vs. Wash
Why the hell did we not pick the Pitt Eagles game? We overlooked that....SORRY.
Ok so I figured out how to do podcasts. Here is the Pat Forde interview and it should show up on the right Podcenter toolbar for at least the next few weeks.
Stay Classy,
Ben
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Romo = Retarded?
Here are the updated rankings between Steve and I:
College:
Ben: 2-3
Steve: 2-3
NFL:
Ben: 3-2
Steve: 2-3
Locks:
Steve: 1-1
Ben: 2-0
Looks like I have the early lead.
Monday night thoughts....
The Dallas secondary is in trouble. Pressure was sufficient from the d-line, but the secondary struggled mightily. I fear there may be several shootouts this year. Luckily, our offense is sick. Good luck stopping our passing attack. Very interesting to see if Sunday night vs. the Packers is another shootout. My dad goes to that game.... lucky.
Alright, Steve and I will post our picks for this weekend tomorrow night.
Stay Classy,
Ben
College:
Ben: 2-3
Steve: 2-3
NFL:
Ben: 3-2
Steve: 2-3
Locks:
Steve: 1-1
Ben: 2-0
Looks like I have the early lead.
Monday night thoughts....
The Dallas secondary is in trouble. Pressure was sufficient from the d-line, but the secondary struggled mightily. I fear there may be several shootouts this year. Luckily, our offense is sick. Good luck stopping our passing attack. Very interesting to see if Sunday night vs. the Packers is another shootout. My dad goes to that game.... lucky.
Alright, Steve and I will post our picks for this weekend tomorrow night.
Stay Classy,
Ben
Saturday, September 13, 2008
BCS a Mess?
So everyone wants a playoff system for college football...right? Well with the system we have in place, I think that there are just a few adjustments that would drastically change the landscape of college football.
Before I get into this adjusted system, I am going to assume (because this should happen) that the Cotton Bowl is added as a new BCS site. The Cotton Bowl will be moved to the new Texas Stadium in the next 5 years.
Ok here we go:
A) All BCS conferences should have conference championship games.
Tired of seeing Ohio State finish playing football on November 15th and then waiting 3 weeks to slide up the polls into the national championship? Me too! PAC-10, BIG-10, and the BIG-EAST must add conference championships. How fantastic would it be to have a Friday night double header of conference championship games and then FOUR conference championship games on Saturday. uh....awesome? Yaaaa. This needs to be done. It is unfair for teams in the brutal SEC and tough Big 12, and sometimes competitive ACC to have to go through maybe their most challenging game of the year just to qualify for a BCS game. While the other three conferences don't have to face that tough test. Make it fair across the board.
B) Two AT-Large teams **(Credit to Aaron Brenner who helped me with this idea)
I like the BCS rankings. I think 95% of the time, it gets it right. One gripe I have with it, is that the human pollsters are so dumb I wonder sometimes if they watch football. I believe in last years last poll, 10 coaches put Missouri ahead of OU, even though OU beat them twice? It's a joke and its not just my OU bias. Other teams rankings were just ridiculous. Florida with 3 losses ranked #1? Several coaches had that. But overall, keep the BCS rankings.
The two BCS at-large teams will be: 1) The highest ranked BCS team that didn't win its conference; and 2) A non-BCS team selected by a play in game. The play-in game will be played on the Thursday night of the conference championship weekend. It will be between the two highest ranked non-teams. Should be exciting, no?
C) Rank the teams according to BCS rankings and place them in the BCS bowls.
Best ranked against the worst ranked. Second best ranked against the second worst etc.... For example, if USC is #1 and the Big East champion is ranked #22 and thats the worst ranking... they play in game one. The way the bowl should be selected is by proximity to the best seeded team. There will be 4 preselected locations (out of the 5 BCS bowls) and proximity to the best seeds is how the games are placed. So obviously is USC is #1 they are playing in the Rose Bowl. But if USC was #6 and they were playing Oklahoma who is #4. They play in the Cotton Bowl. Get the gist? So fill the 4 quarter-final games by proximity. By using proximity, it guarantees fans filling the seats which equals money and that has been the biggest gripe with a playoff (Sponsors losing money).
D) Winners face off in 2 more BCS bowls at repeat locations.
The BCS locations for the semi-finals should be preselected locations. The bracket is not re-seeded between rounds. Simple.
E) National championship is played during the weekend between the conference championships and the Super Bowl in the NFL.
This will be played in a preselected BCS location. There will be one location that did not host a quarterfinal and a semifinal games and this is where the championship will be. It will be a yearly rotation, so each location gets to host the National championship. Some years they only get a quarterfinal game. Some years you get a quarterfinal and a semifinal.
F) The schedule will work with school.
Quarterfinals: First week after school is out. (Weekend before Christmas)
Semifinals: (New Years week)
Championship: (Between AFC and NFC championship and Superbowl)
So I think i covered it. BCS makes more money, fans are happy. Less people will be upset because:
If you win your conference you are in the playoff. If you lose your conference but play in a tough conference (i.e. Missouri) you still have a good chance of making the playoffs if you are highly ranked. At large teams have a legit shot at making the playoffs and wont always be the last ranked team.
So this should sum it up. I know the bowl locations is kinda confusing, but it works. I'll do a what if for you:
If the season ended after week 2 and we will pretend the AP is the BCS standings it would be:
10. Wisconsin
9. Auburn
8. LSU
7. Missouri
6. East Carolina (lets assume they dont lose a game all year)
5. Ohio State
4. Florida
3. Oklahoma
2. Georgia
1. USC
Big 12 champ: Oklahoma
Pac-10 champ: USC
SEC champ: Georgia
Big-10 Champ: OSU
ACC champ: Wake Forest ranked #12
Big East champ: South Florida ranked #15
Fresno State is ranked #14
Here are the games:
Play-in game: East Carolina beats Fresno State
Quarters:
Rose Bowl: USC vs. South Florida
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Wake Forest
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs. East Carolina
Orange Bowl: Florida vs Ohio State
Semis:
Rose: Georgia vs. Oklahoma
Sugar: Florida vs. USC
Championship:
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. USC
Again bowls will rotate every year.
I think this works. Very long explanation. So, whats your take?
Before I get into this adjusted system, I am going to assume (because this should happen) that the Cotton Bowl is added as a new BCS site. The Cotton Bowl will be moved to the new Texas Stadium in the next 5 years.
Ok here we go:
A) All BCS conferences should have conference championship games.
Tired of seeing Ohio State finish playing football on November 15th and then waiting 3 weeks to slide up the polls into the national championship? Me too! PAC-10, BIG-10, and the BIG-EAST must add conference championships. How fantastic would it be to have a Friday night double header of conference championship games and then FOUR conference championship games on Saturday. uh....awesome? Yaaaa. This needs to be done. It is unfair for teams in the brutal SEC and tough Big 12, and sometimes competitive ACC to have to go through maybe their most challenging game of the year just to qualify for a BCS game. While the other three conferences don't have to face that tough test. Make it fair across the board.
B) Two AT-Large teams **(Credit to Aaron Brenner who helped me with this idea)
I like the BCS rankings. I think 95% of the time, it gets it right. One gripe I have with it, is that the human pollsters are so dumb I wonder sometimes if they watch football. I believe in last years last poll, 10 coaches put Missouri ahead of OU, even though OU beat them twice? It's a joke and its not just my OU bias. Other teams rankings were just ridiculous. Florida with 3 losses ranked #1? Several coaches had that. But overall, keep the BCS rankings.
The two BCS at-large teams will be: 1) The highest ranked BCS team that didn't win its conference; and 2) A non-BCS team selected by a play in game. The play-in game will be played on the Thursday night of the conference championship weekend. It will be between the two highest ranked non-teams. Should be exciting, no?
C) Rank the teams according to BCS rankings and place them in the BCS bowls.
Best ranked against the worst ranked. Second best ranked against the second worst etc.... For example, if USC is #1 and the Big East champion is ranked #22 and thats the worst ranking... they play in game one. The way the bowl should be selected is by proximity to the best seeded team. There will be 4 preselected locations (out of the 5 BCS bowls) and proximity to the best seeds is how the games are placed. So obviously is USC is #1 they are playing in the Rose Bowl. But if USC was #6 and they were playing Oklahoma who is #4. They play in the Cotton Bowl. Get the gist? So fill the 4 quarter-final games by proximity. By using proximity, it guarantees fans filling the seats which equals money and that has been the biggest gripe with a playoff (Sponsors losing money).
D) Winners face off in 2 more BCS bowls at repeat locations.
The BCS locations for the semi-finals should be preselected locations. The bracket is not re-seeded between rounds. Simple.
E) National championship is played during the weekend between the conference championships and the Super Bowl in the NFL.
This will be played in a preselected BCS location. There will be one location that did not host a quarterfinal and a semifinal games and this is where the championship will be. It will be a yearly rotation, so each location gets to host the National championship. Some years they only get a quarterfinal game. Some years you get a quarterfinal and a semifinal.
F) The schedule will work with school.
Quarterfinals: First week after school is out. (Weekend before Christmas)
Semifinals: (New Years week)
Championship: (Between AFC and NFC championship and Superbowl)
So I think i covered it. BCS makes more money, fans are happy. Less people will be upset because:
If you win your conference you are in the playoff. If you lose your conference but play in a tough conference (i.e. Missouri) you still have a good chance of making the playoffs if you are highly ranked. At large teams have a legit shot at making the playoffs and wont always be the last ranked team.
So this should sum it up. I know the bowl locations is kinda confusing, but it works. I'll do a what if for you:
If the season ended after week 2 and we will pretend the AP is the BCS standings it would be:
10. Wisconsin
9. Auburn
8. LSU
7. Missouri
6. East Carolina (lets assume they dont lose a game all year)
5. Ohio State
4. Florida
3. Oklahoma
2. Georgia
1. USC
Big 12 champ: Oklahoma
Pac-10 champ: USC
SEC champ: Georgia
Big-10 Champ: OSU
ACC champ: Wake Forest ranked #12
Big East champ: South Florida ranked #15
Fresno State is ranked #14
Here are the games:
Play-in game: East Carolina beats Fresno State
Quarters:
Rose Bowl: USC vs. South Florida
Sugar Bowl: Georgia vs. Wake Forest
Cotton Bowl: Oklahoma vs. East Carolina
Orange Bowl: Florida vs Ohio State
Semis:
Rose: Georgia vs. Oklahoma
Sugar: Florida vs. USC
Championship:
Fiesta: Oklahoma vs. USC
Again bowls will rotate every year.
I think this works. Very long explanation. So, whats your take?
My picks
I'm about to go tee it up in Dallas. Trying to beat that damn hurricane. Without further ado:
Picks from the show:
College
OU over Washington +20
USC over OSU +11
Georgia over SCarolina +7.5
Kansas over USF.....lost that one
Michigan over ND +2.5
My lock DOMINATED LAST NIGHT! Baylor over WashU
NFL:
Eagles cover 7 against Cowboys
Pitt covers 6.5 over Browns
Patriots beat Jets
Broncos over Chargers
Colts over Vikings
Lock: Giants cover 9 at St Louis
O'll let you know how the Hurricane man handles me on the course...
Stay Classy,
Ben
Friday, September 12, 2008
Predictions
Ooooooook here we go...my top five picks and predictions are in for this week's college football and NFL. I hope everybody had a good week (hope Nick is still alive in Reno and Ben hasn't contracted a disease from the male hitchhiker he picked at that rest stop.) I thought my very first radio show went pretty good and I know that it will only get better and more comfortable. I'm lucky to have a co-host that knows his stuff (thanks for carryin us last week Ben.) It was a good opening year show (minus the tech difficulties.) We had some strong guests and got to talk a lot of in depth sports. Anywaaay, getting back on track...
My 5-game college fball are:
1. OU (beat cincy 52-26) @ Wash U (lost BYU 28-27) – OU wins by 24
2. USC (bye) @ OSU (beat Ohio 26-14)– USC BIG!
3. Georgia (beat C. Michigan 56-17) @ South Carolina (lost to Vanderbilt 24-17) – Georgia by at least two tds
4. South Florida (beat UCF 31-24) @ Kansas (beat L. Tech 29-0) – Kansas by a td (crazy how on recent ESPN.COM online poll, of 13,593 votes, it is exactly 50%-50% on who the winner will be.)
5. Mich (beat Miami Ohio 16-6) @ ND (beat San Diego State 21-13) – Mich wins by 14
My Lock of the Week
NFL:
Eagles (beat St. Louis 38-3) @ Cowboys (beat Browns 28-10) - Cowboys win by 10
Pittsburg (beat Houston 38-17) @ Browns (Lost to Cowboys 28-10) - Steelers win by 14
Patriots (beat KC 17-10) @ Jets (beat Miami 20-14) - Patriots win by 10
Chargers (lost to Panthers 26-24) @ Broncos (beat Oakland 41-14) - Broncos win by 7
Colts (lost to Chicago 29-13) @ Vikings (lost to GB 24-19) - Colts win by 13
My Lock of the Week
Pit over Cleveland
Quote of the day-
"TMI? Too Much Information. It’s just easier to say 'TMI'. I used to say "don't go there", but that's lame."
- Michael "The Office"
- Michael "The Office"
The S-Train has left the station
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
RADIO SHOW TONIGHT!
Shaving Points with Ben and Steve debuts TONIGHT at 8PM CDT. Please tune in.... we have several guests:
Josh McCuistion from Rivals.com talking college football
Jason Sobel from ESPN.com talking Ryder Cup.
My good friend Aaron Brenner who writes for the paper in Madison, Wi. He will preview OSU vs. USC.
Its gonna be awesome. Steve and I will post our NFL and CFB picks. We will not be wearing pants in the studio, so feel free to come take a peak at the Oklahoma student union.
Listen at Wire.ou.edu... email us at shavingpoints@gmail.com
Stay Classy,
Ben
These tools will be running the show.
Josh McCuistion from Rivals.com talking college football
Jason Sobel from ESPN.com talking Ryder Cup.
My good friend Aaron Brenner who writes for the paper in Madison, Wi. He will preview OSU vs. USC.
Its gonna be awesome. Steve and I will post our NFL and CFB picks. We will not be wearing pants in the studio, so feel free to come take a peak at the Oklahoma student union.
Listen at Wire.ou.edu... email us at shavingpoints@gmail.com
Stay Classy,
Ben
These tools will be running the show.
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Hello World!
Just to give everyone reading this a quick mental image of me: I just woke up and am sitting at my desk in my blue monkey boxers and birthday cake socks (what is that smell??)
I want to start by thanking Ben for asking me to be on the show with him. I'm actually kind of surprised he asked me to be on his sports show due to some bitterness I thought still existed from when I used to kick his ass in 3rd grade basketball practice. I am however very excited be a part of this and I think it’s going to be a great show.
My name is Stephen LEVIN (no 'e' at the end...BEN!) I am a Super Senior at the great University of Oklahoma. I'm not quite sure when I'll be graduating (changed my major about the number of times Tavaris Jackson threw an incomplete pass last night.) I sort of view myself as an almost as but not quite as cool or attractive “Van Wilder.” I even have a bulldog named “Goldberg” with gigantic…well if you’ve seen the movie then you know what I’m talking about. I guess all I need now is a decked-out golf cart for class and a personal assistant Indian man.
On a brief NFL note, I watched Monday Night Football and was a bit disappointed in my two favorite players. First off, kudos on a pretty exciting Packer-Viking game (Denver not so much.) Although the game was sloppy at times and a bit frustrating (thanks to Tavaris who makes me want to rip my eyes out and pour Freebird’s fire sauce in the sockets…for cryin out loud just hand the ball to AD every freakin play!!) it was a pretty good game that came down to the wire and seeing Rogers do his first Lambeau Leap made the little hairs on the back of my neck stand up.
I was a little disheartened with the play of Jared Allen (who is a beast of man) and Adrian Peterson (the god of beasts of men.) Allen had 0 tackles or sacks in last night’s game which really surprised me. I realize he was double teamed a lot, but I was looking forward to see the rabid animal he was in a Chiefs jersey. Now I know on paper Peterson’s stats aren’t bad at all (103 yards and a TD), but lets face it, die hard AD fans, none of us are happy unless he’s breaking either the 200 yard mark or a d-backs leg (that hit on Al Harris was pretty good though.)
Anyways, I'm stoked to be a part of the show, it’s my first time on radio so hopefully I can catch on quick and don't forget to listen from 8-10 on wire.ou.edu!!
OUT,
Steve
“Half this game is ninety percent mental.”
-Yogi Berra
Monday, September 8, 2008
Back from the future
Well I'm really just back from a long hiatus. I'm sitting in class right now and decided now is as a good a time as ever to talk sports.
My radio show is BACK. Starting this Wednesday night from 8-10 central time... and we are starting with a bang. At least two main stream guests including but not limited to Jason Sobel from ESPN.com to talk Ryder Cup. Also Josh Mccuistion from Rivals.com will talk college football, specifically Oklahoma football. Its gonna be great.
I have brought in a new co-host this year. Times didn't work with D No, so my boy Stephen Levine will be joining me to form "Shaving Points with Ben and Steve." I am giving him permission to blog on here, so this will be a Shaving Points blog. He will introduce himself later tonight or tomorrow.
Be sure to tune into the show WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM 8-10 CDT at WIRE.OU.EDU
Moving on to actual sports talk. My teams.... have been impressive. The OU football team looks awfully strong. I see us surpassing 500 points of offense this year...EAAAASY. We should average 45 points a game. The Big 12 defenses are weak this year. However our defense looks good. Our linebackers were a question mark, but Travis Lewis answered the call. Beast! Our secondary was a big question mark.... and they have looked pretty solid. Dominique Franks has big play ability but could get burned now and then. Brian Jackson just looks like he could shut down an entire side. My overall grades after two games: Offense A; Defense B+; Special Teams C-. The kicking game is good except for kickoff coverage.....AWFUL. God we need a special teams coach.
Moving on to my boys. That is the Dallas Cowboys. Our offense looks good. Our defense looks scary good even with Terrance Newman out. I see us having trouble scoring in a game or two. 12-4 will be our final record. Marion Barber needs to stay healthy, that is a big concern of mine. But our rookie back ups, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones look real solid. If the Cowboys stay healthy... they win 11 games minimum and will be playoff bound. Now if only we could win a playoff game.......this is the year baby!!
Ok, I should pay attention to some of my lecture. Tune in to the show Wednesday night!
Stay Classy,
Ben
My radio show is BACK. Starting this Wednesday night from 8-10 central time... and we are starting with a bang. At least two main stream guests including but not limited to Jason Sobel from ESPN.com to talk Ryder Cup. Also Josh Mccuistion from Rivals.com will talk college football, specifically Oklahoma football. Its gonna be great.
I have brought in a new co-host this year. Times didn't work with D No, so my boy Stephen Levine will be joining me to form "Shaving Points with Ben and Steve." I am giving him permission to blog on here, so this will be a Shaving Points blog. He will introduce himself later tonight or tomorrow.
Be sure to tune into the show WEDNESDAY NIGHT FROM 8-10 CDT at WIRE.OU.EDU
Moving on to actual sports talk. My teams.... have been impressive. The OU football team looks awfully strong. I see us surpassing 500 points of offense this year...EAAAASY. We should average 45 points a game. The Big 12 defenses are weak this year. However our defense looks good. Our linebackers were a question mark, but Travis Lewis answered the call. Beast! Our secondary was a big question mark.... and they have looked pretty solid. Dominique Franks has big play ability but could get burned now and then. Brian Jackson just looks like he could shut down an entire side. My overall grades after two games: Offense A; Defense B+; Special Teams C-. The kicking game is good except for kickoff coverage.....AWFUL. God we need a special teams coach.
Moving on to my boys. That is the Dallas Cowboys. Our offense looks good. Our defense looks scary good even with Terrance Newman out. I see us having trouble scoring in a game or two. 12-4 will be our final record. Marion Barber needs to stay healthy, that is a big concern of mine. But our rookie back ups, Tashard Choice and Felix Jones look real solid. If the Cowboys stay healthy... they win 11 games minimum and will be playoff bound. Now if only we could win a playoff game.......this is the year baby!!
Ok, I should pay attention to some of my lecture. Tune in to the show Wednesday night!
Stay Classy,
Ben
RIP Tom Brady
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