Thought for the Day: Nick Burnes is over there...
September 30, 2005

First things first:
Two things bothering me today:
1). Thanks a lot State of Michigan for putting the tourism industry ahead of the education of your children. I would like the governor to explain how this is consistent with the Cherry report. Oh, and by the way, if you have kids in high school, they will likely have schedule pick-up and orientation in that last week before Labor Day, so you still can't go on vacation. Oh, and if your kid is on a fall sport or is in marching band, they're starting before Memorial Day. So exactly how will this help? Anyone? Oh and Republicans, I thought you were the folks that scream "local control" from the rooftops, and here you are giving one more bit of the equation to Lansing. Oh well, looks like we'll have to live with it, but I don't have to like it. I'd also like to point out that my comment is at least sane, some of the people here clearly have something resembling rage issues.

2). I am happy to help you with your computer problem to a point. But if I don't know how to or I can't do it, please remember, it's also not my job. It's a service I provide out of goodwill. Thank you.

That's all for today, until tomorrow,
I am Craig Barker, MOVE.

Thought for the Day: Forward down the ice...
September 29, 2005

First things first:
Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 4

Sorry this is late, I had a fantasy hockey draft tonight. As you might expect, it's Wolverine laden. That said, the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 3 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Delano Barnes
Eric Bell
Gordon Berman
Ryan Blay
David Bykowski
Jessie Connolly
Jon Couture
Raffy Dakessian
Shawn DeVeau
Robert Flaxman
John Haveman
Brian Hight
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Rob Long
Mike Philpy
Jason Pless
Joel Quintong
Chris Rodgers
Mark Urciuolo
David Wallace
Tim Woodward
Joe Wright
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until tomorrow,
I am Craig Barker, on the otherside.

Thought for the Day: Shoes, they hover.
September 20, 2005

First things first:
The Tuesdays with Greg Caption Contest:
Photoshop this picture of Bears' coach Lovie Smith and Bengals' Coach Marv Lewis.

---

Cut-Throat: Week 3 Results

Oh, so anyway, simple thing, by next Sunday 1:00 PM EDT, send me your picks (you can even reply to this email, since it will come back to me.)
P.S.: If you don't get them in by 1 PM, you can still pick from the late games, Sunday Night, and Monday night. You can also send along picks extending through the whole season, as several of our competitiors have done.

(If the picks are done by SNF, I'll send them Sunday, otherwise, the wee Eastern hours of Tuesday)

Current Leaders:
Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 15
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 12
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 12
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 12
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 12
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 12
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 12
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 12
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 12
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 12
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 10*
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 10*
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 10
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 10
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 10
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 9
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 9
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 9
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 9
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 9
Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 9
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 9
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 9
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 7
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 7
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 7
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 7
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 7
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 7*
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 7
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 7
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 7*
David Wallace Livonia, MI 7
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 7*
Tim Young Washington, DC 7
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 7
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 7
Brian Long Redford, MI 6
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 6
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 5
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 5*
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 5*
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 4*
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 4
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 4*
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 4
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 2*
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 2

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
(Sadly, I have not yet had a chance to convert my comments into their usual "I Like It, I Love It" montage.)
22 people took Seattle over the Cardinals.
Now I know why Jason wanted the anti-cut-throat, just so people would stop picking against AZ.

17 people took Indianapolis to triumph over the Browns.
Still the same, still the D. Yikes.

8 people took Cincinnati to beat the Bears.
Yep, the Bengals are back. Alert FEMA.

6 people took Philadelphia to emerge victorious over the Raiders.
Moss played Owens and no one got hurt. There are no winners here.

6 people took St. Louis over the Titans.
You know, I don't think this game took place. I think someone was just showing Super Bowl XXXV footage and made us think it did.

5 people took San Diego to triumph over the Giants.
Word is, Eli Manning finally got to try a fish taco and discovered that in fact, they were overrated, so he's cool.

4 people took Dallas to beat the 49ers.
Wow, road pick. Nice.

4 people took Minnesota to emerge victorious over the Saints.
Can we please stop picking on the Saints? Seriously? It just doesn't feel right.

Big Losers of the Week:
No one. Seriously, everyone wanted off the schneid.

Boola Boola (got both games right)
Lauren Indianapolis/Philadelphia
Craig Indianapolis/Seattle
Delano Dallas/Indianapolis
Eric Cincinnati/Seattle
Gordon Dallas/Seattle
Ryan Cincinnati/Tampa Bay
Matt Indianapolis/Seattle
Mike Seattle/St. Louis
David Seattle/St. Louis
Mark Cincinnati/Philadelphia
Jessie Minnesota/Tampa Bay
Jon Indianapolis/San Diego
Raffy Cincinnati/San Diego
Shawn Seattle/St. Louis
James Cincinnati/Seattle
Noel Philadelphia/Seattle
Joel Dallas/Seattle
John Indianapolis/Seattle
Brian Philadelphia/San Diego
Tyler Dallas/Indianapolis
Dwight Cincinnati/Dallas
Adam Indianapolis/Seattle
Lucas Indianapolis/Seattle
Greg Cincinnati/Seattle
Rob Seattle/St. Louis
Kevin Indianapolis/Seattle
Mike Indianapolis/St. Louis
Jason Indianapolis/Philadelphia
James Indianapolis/Philadelphia
Mark Indianapolis/Seattle
David Indianapolis/Seattle
Tim Dallas/San Diego
Joe Minnesota/San Diego
Tim Minnesota/Seattle
Geoff Indianapolis/Seattle
Jason San Diego/St. Louis
House Indianapolis/Seattle

Wipe-Outs (got both games wrong):
Jason Kansas City/New Orleans
Paper New Orleans/Pittsburgh

Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
Rocky
Tim K.
Michael N.

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
Nope, sorry, so many people were looking for points this week that no one earned it.

Conventional Wisdom:
Dr. House talked to the Cottages and they picked Indy and Seattle for 5 points this week.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy, 52 seconds ago, was right on at least one of his games, but, well, his dual selections of New Orleans and Pittsburgh didn't quite earn him any points. But this week of cut-throat is over, so there's nothing he can do about it.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, Bollingered.

Thought for the Day: Would you believe?
September 26, 2005

First things first:
Firstly, a happy and hale congratulations to David Thorsley and Emily Moore, who were married this past weekend in Ann Arbor. They aren't reading this, since they are elsewhere, nevertheless, congrats to you, and a thanks to all of you whom made the reception a good old time.

In sadder news, I must report the death of one of my all-time favorite television actors, Don Adams, the legendary Maxwell Smart, Agent 86 on Get Smart. I know my good friend Mr. Philpy shares an abiding affection for the show as do Kevin and Mike. I don't think a lot of people realize how many comedic devices that Get Smart employed that we now just take for granted. To wit, the cone of silence, the shoe phone, the old _______ trick, the "would you believe" bit, the "missed it by that much" bit. All classics, and just an exceptional show. Oh and my other friends are now in mourning because the voice of Inspector Gadget died. Well, to each their own.

48-Hour Football People: Abbreviated Edition, sort of...
Friday:
@Livonia Stevenson Spartans 24, Walled Lake Central Vikings 21
I didn't attend, because of Saturday's morning call, but feeling like every week is a test, and every week the bubble could burst. But I guess that's the nature of football. Any given Friday night. This weekend is a test with Salem, of the Plymouth Salems, an early game because of the shared facility at PCEP and well, if SHS wins, it would be in the odd position of the driver's seat for the Lakes Division heading into Homecoming against Westland John Glenn. Only time will tell.

Saturday:
Since this is the only game I really watched with any major interest, and since it took a while to write, this is all you get today for Saturday:

A conversation between the irrational Michigan fan (IF) in my mind and the rational Michigan fan (RF) in my mind.

RF: So, let's look at how Michigan's season has gone so far, shall we?
IF: [expletive deleted]
RF: Look, we're not going to get anywhere if all you can muster is curse words and ad hominem attacks. Wisconsin played better than Michigan did over the course of the whole game and was rewarded with a victory.
IF: Fire Coach Carr, it's clearly all his fault!
RF: Is it? Seriously, explain to me how this is Coach Carr's fault. A man, who by the way, has won just about three out of every four games he has coached.
IF: The talent's there, but his bland vanilla offense has doomed this team to mediocrity!
RF: Sorry IF, I just don't see it. The reason Michigan was still in the game late was the fact that they used a flea-flicker to get a big 49-yard gain. I don't see how that is bland or vanilla.
IF: Even a blind squirrel...
RF: No, you can't have it both ways. The troubling part in my mind is more how readily Michigan has decided to abandon the run with the injury to Mike Hart. Are Max Martin and Kevin Grady really that big a step down from Mr. Hart?
IF: They fumble a lot!
RF: They fumble at inopportune times.
IF: When exact is an opportune time to fumble?
RF: Point taken, but is that any reason to...
IF: It's all Chad Henne's fault, he's playing like...
RF: ...A sophomore.
IF: That wasn't the word I was going to use.
RF: I know, but I am trying to keep this dialogue PG at worst.
IF: OK, fine, so if Henne's playing like a "sophomore", why not bring in Gutierrez, he's clearly better?
RF: How exactly do we know Matt Matt is "better", let alone clearly better?
IF: Gutierrez wouldn't have thrown all those incompletions to start the third quarter!
RF: You can't know that.
IF: But I can suspect it. It's Steve Breaston's fault!
RF: Nope, try again.
IF: Jim Hermann! It's all on him.
RF: Sorry, I can't accept that premise either.
IF: So exactly what do you blame? Huh, Mr. Smart Guy?
RF: Look, it is troubling that Michigan is having trouble sustaining drives and eating up clock, but isn't it also worth realizing that perhaps this is the breaks going against the boys. Michigan's had a lot of good karma over last decade. If you believe in balance in the universe, wouldn't it make sense that eventually, some of the breaks would have to go against them?
IF: That's loser talk.
RF: No, seriously, think about it. Consider, to wit, the fourth and inches on the goal line in the first quarter. A bold call, especially when a field goal there would have ended the game with a tie score. But Michigan got stuffed by the skin of their teeth. Is that bad play, or just perhaps bad luck? The Henne goal line fumble against Notre Dame, a bad play call, or just bad luck? I understand that luck is the residue of design, but it just seems like its some bad luck all converging at the same moment.
IF: Now who's making excuses?
RF: I'm not making excuses. Michigan has lost two games this season, one by a touchdown, one by a field goal. It happens.
IF: I can't even talk to you any more, you're no fun. You don't get angry when Michigan loses, you don't realize just how much it sucks that they've fallen out of the Top 25 for the first time since 1998, you don't know how annoying it is to know that Sparty is going to lord it over us all week, especially since they ARE ranked and they ARE undefeated.
RF: No, actually I do know those things. I just try not to let them upset me because I know that there is nothing I can do about them, nor is there anything that getting angry about them will do to make me feel better. The simple reality is, it's a football game, it's a football season, and all you can do is look at it objectively and try and hope for the best.
IF: You are such a loser. Where's the Sparty taunting, Buckeye hating, Notre Dame cursing guy I used to know.
RF: That's you, that's always been you. You kept me locked away for years but I finally have started winning out because in your head you know I'm right.
IF: And in your heart, you know you I'm right.
RF: This is why you scare me. Remember, I'm the one that picked Michigan State to beat Michigan back in August.
IF: That's nothing to be proud of, just more loser talk.
RF: Look, do you want to be like Nebraska fans or Notre Dame fans, fans we had mocked for thinking that a 9-3 season wasn't good enough for them. We both know darn well that Michigan considers itself an elite program, but right now it's struggling through a rough patch. All you hope is that there is a commitment to turning things around and perhaps some sound and harsh self-assessment, that maybe this recent string of bad games is enough to turn it around, starting on Saturday up in East Lansing.
IF: Maybe...No, [expletive deleted].
RF: We talked about that...Ponder for a moment

Team A:
Year----Wins----Losses--Tournament------AP
1996----18------13------NCAA------------NR
1997----24------9-------NCAA-------------8
1998----32------4-------Elite 8----------3
1999----37------2-------Runner-up--------1
2000----29------5-------Sweet 16---------1
2001----35------4-------Champion---------1
2002----31------4-------Sweet 16---------1
2003----26------7-------Sweet 16---------7
2004----31------6-------Final Four-------6

Team B:
Year----Wins----Losses--Tournament------AP
1996----24------12------Sweet 16--------20
1997----36------0-------Champion---------1
1998----30------9-------Sweet 16--------12
1999----30------6-------Elite 8----------5
2000----27------9-------Sweet 16--------11
2001----24------12------Sweet 16--------20
2002----30------9-------Sweet 16---------9
2003----30------9-------Elite 8----------6
2004----27------9-------Elite 8---------14

If you extrapolate Michigan into a basketball program, I would say they are relatively comparable to our "friends" from Duke over the last decade or so, and yet, I don't hear anyone calling for Coach K's head. Well, except for the AmEx ads, and even then, I can get down with them, but that's not the point. So why don't we just take a moment, be thankful that we have had such a long period of up, hope that Michigan can fix what ails it, and work from there. Thank you.

Sunday: Week 2 of the NFL
Detroit--We love the bye! Seriously!

Ten thoughts as I watched the bye:

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Five-word Wrap-ups:
Cincinnati 24, Chicago 7--There are...four lights! Four!
Atlanta 24, Buffalo 16--A result has been achieved.
Indianapolis 13, Cleveland 6--Peyton Manning, a fantasy bust?
Tampa Bay 17, Green Bay 16--How the mighty have fallen.
Jacksonville 26, NY Jets 20--Just keep chopping wood boys!
Philadelphia 23, Oakland 20--T. O. gathers no Moss.
St. Louis 31, Tennessee 27--Not so Super, same result.
Miami 27, Carolina 24--Saban's minions win a second.
Minnesota 33, New Orleans 16--Not a Viking funeral, yet.
Seattle 37, Arizona 12--Arizona still wandering in desert.
Dallas 34, San Francisco 31--Tonight's "I Love the '90s"
New England 23, Pittsburgh 20--Antwan Randle-What the Hell
San Diego 45, NY Giants 23--We don't need no Manning.

We'll have cut-throat for you tomorrow, but until then...

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, turning his head when he hears the rolling thunder.

Thought for the Day: Say Good Bye
September 22, 2005 extra

First things first:
Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 3

Ahh my favorite week of the NFL season, the Lions' bye, the week they guaranteed cannot lose. That said, they'll find a way and the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 3 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Delano Barnes
Eric Bell
Gordon Berman
Ryan Blay
David Bykowski
Jessie Connolly
Jon Couture
Raffy Dakessian
James Dinan
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Joel Gluskin
John Haveman
Adam Kittle
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brigid Laurie
Brian Long
Rob Long
Michael Nathan
Kevin Olmstead
Jason Pless
Mike Philpy
James Quintong
Joel Quintong
Mark Urciuolo
David Wallace
Tim Woodward
Tim Young
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until tomorrow,
I am Craig Barker, on the otherside.

Thought for the Day: Random thoughts, that's what a blog is for...
September 22, 2005

First things first:
Dr. Gregory House:
"I'm sure this goes against everything you've been taught, but right and wrong do exist. Just because you don't know what the right answer is - maybe there's even no way you could know what the right answer is - doesn't make your answer right or even okay. It's much simpler than that. It's just plain wrong."

I've been thinking a lot lately, which is always a dangerous proposition, and I think I have come to the conclusion on one of the biggest problems facing America, and it begins and ends with our good friend, the Internet.

To wit: Everyone is not only entitled to an opinion, they are entitled to an opinion which may have little to no basis in fact. What's worse: said people will also then defend their right to hold said opinion because it is their sacred right to have such an opinion, even if the facts contradict them. Now, historically, this is nothing new. Jefferson himself provides us with one of the great lines about it, specifically that "Error of opinion may be tolerated where reason is left free to combat it." But that is no longer the case in this day and age. We now live in a world where a person's belief is so scared to them that they will no longer listen to possible counterpoint, because they know they are right and how dare you accuse them of being anything else.

Now, I will admit that, at times, I am probably as guilty of this as anyone. But I like to think that at least I will non-dismissively listen to an opposing viewpoint. And perhaps I over value this belief because I work in a high school, where teenagers have seemingly always held this belief on some level. But I also see that it's behind the culture of America that says he who screams the loudest is the most correct and that if you're not with us, you're against us. We seem to be hearkening back to the era that Jefferson's quote comes from, an era where America had not yet strongly developed the concept of a loyal opposition, to an era where one's political views, if not in line with the ruling majority, were seen as treasonous. An era where the Sedition Act (which is odd to see non-paired with its usual partner in crime, the Alien Act) was the law of the land (it is worth noting that the Sedition Act gets way more pub than it should based on how effective it was, since only ten people were ever convicted of sedition, but by the same token, how much speech was suppressed under the law, which is sort of what's important in this case.)

The problem I think comes from information overload and presumption. In an era where we have so much information about so many things and so many people, where gossip about reality show contestants provides fodder for a dozen websites, where we see someone on television and instantly make judgments about their character, personality, and intelligence, well, it's only natural that people would begin to presume that their opinions are the most important thing in the world. In an era of instant celebrity, it only takes one scoop, one bit of information, one moment of being the vanguard to "earn" one fifteen minutes of fame, people have to push harder and farther away from common politeness and decency to make sure that their head is above the crowd.

I'm not suggesting some crazy dream where we're all nice to each other and we all get along and everything is hunky dory, because it has never and will never happened. We can't all just get along. What I am asking for is a bit of civility, where people actually listen to other people, not just pretending to care while they line up their talking points about how the other side is an idiot. We have seen in the past month a tremendous outpouring of generosity, both materially and of the spirit, towards our fellow man. Why can't we work on extending that to all people and all levels? Why don't we try and give people the benefit of the doubt instead of letting hate and jealousy and spite rule the day? Well, it's simple; we don't because it's so much easier and more fun to give in to the dark side. As the great philosopher Homer once said "But, you know what? To be loved, you have to be nice to people, every day; but to be hated; you don't have to do squat!"

So yeah, there, I feel better now and will listen to dissenting points of view.

---

But I've seen this movie before.

I realized that was my problem this week in class. I couldn't figure out why I was getting so frustrated with the AP kids this year. They're a good group and I was doing my absolute best to not let "the taint of '08" color my judgment, and truth be told, I like this gang of kids quite a bit. I thought it was perhaps total information awareness, and that's part of it because if you start believing your critic's reviews and reacting to them, they've made their point and you've lost. So I have ended that, because it's just not worth it. Feel free to write what you like. But what it came down to was simple. I started to get comfortable.

In and of itself, comfortable is not a bad thing. Comfortable means that you likely know what you're doing and can do it pretty well. But it also leads to forgetting things sometimes. Like the fact that if this is your fourth time teaching the exact same class, especially a history class, you know how the story plays out and you expect them to know it to, but the fact of the matter is, they don't, which is why they are in the class in the first place.

And that's when I realized it, how could I explain it in terms that they would for sure understand, and that is when I hit upon the analogy of the movie, because everyone has seen a movie before and then a bunch of your friends want to watch it and you agree, because you love the movie, but it loses a little something because the magic of seeing it for the first time is gone. But everybody else doesn't know where the movie drags, or where the good lines are, of how something a character says in the first ten minutes of the movie will make a major impact in the dramatic climax. So you have to try and remember what it was like the first time and try and see it through those eyes.

One of my students last year explained to me the concept of constant self improvement, the notion of polishing the stone. No matter how nice something looks, it can always be a little bit better. I view my efforts in the classroom in the same way. I want to get better and I know I must keep getting better for the sake of my own personal thing and for the kids as well. If this means acknowledging early on that you weren't at the top of your game and fixing it, then so be it, you sometimes need to press reset early on to prevent bigger problems down the line.

What will come of this realization? I genuinely can't be sure. It's too early to tell, and like any historian knows, you can't start assessing the outcome while you're still in the middle of the events. But I have taken charge, I am controlling that which I can control, and really, that's sometimes all you can do.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, writing away.

Thought for the Day: Totally Fierce
September 21, 2005

First things first:
A few words on my best friend's (met during college or later females category) Jeopardy! appearance.

SHE ROCKED!

Here's her first day's board. And her second day.

I already had an idea of how things might go, but I viewed watching her games like watching an episode of House. I know the patient is going to live, it's the how that brings you back.

Now, there are those in the world of message boards and the like who didn't like Victoria, thought she was too perky, too smug, too cutesy. These people, of course, suck. They'll defend themselves as having a right to an opinion, but of course, just because you have an opinion doesn't mean you're right, especially when it's not based in facts. You see someone on TV and presume you know everything about them. How foolish is that? So, yes, hold fast to your opinions, and realize they work better when you actually have the pesky facts to back them up.

Anyway, Victoria has an easy charm that I long for, she's way more clever than I could ever hope to be, and she is the mother to my favorite member of the class of 2022. This is a woman who understands the elegance of a well-executed suicide squeeze (though her love for the double switch I will attribute to growing up as a National League fan.) She's the person who introduced me to Coldplay. Meeting her was the single best thing that happened to me in the Year 2000, which included graduating from college, my student teaching, winning the TRASH/CBI Double in the same year, and the Michigan/Alabama game in the Orange Bowl, and assorted other parts of my past, it's her.

I helped Victoria "train" for Jeopardy! and I'd like to say I was a great help, but the fact of the matter is, she knew what the hell she was doing, if I helped it was to help her refresh. She worked hard to be ready, so it was wonderful to see her rewarded. (By the way, consider this, she was preparing for Jeopardy! and minding a seven month old Norasaurus by her lonesome. I'm not sure what the degree of difficulty is on that, but it's got to be pretty high.)

(Oh and for you internet geek stalker types, she is married to one of the best people I have ever met. So let's just keep the fantasies in check and admire from afar, lest we need to get the authorities involved.)

Sadly, Victoria's run was too short a season, but like all great things, it was fun while it lasted. Way to go Vickkers.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, very proud.

Thought for the Day: Shoes, they hover.
September 20, 2005

First things first:
The Tuesday's with Greg Caption Contest:
Photoshop this picture of the Willie Lanier, Frank Gifford, and John Elway.

---

Cut-Throat: Week 2 Results
Up is down, left is right, Noel is winning cut-throat...What does this mean: We consulted some experts:
Dr Ray Stantz: Fire and brimstone coming down from the skies. Rivers and seas boiling.
Dr. Egon Spengler: Forty years of darkness. Earthquakes, volcanoes...
Winston Zeddemore: The dead rising from the grave.
Dr. Peter Venkman: Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together - mass hysteria!

Oh, so anyway, simple thing, by next Sunday 1:00 PM EDT, send me your picks (you can even reply to this email, since it will come back to me.)

(If the picks are done by SNF, I'll send them Sunday, otherwise, the wee Eastern hours of Tuesday)

Current Leaders:
Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 10
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 7
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 7
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 7
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 7
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 7
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 7
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 7
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 7
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 7
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 5
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 5
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 5
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 5
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 5
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 5
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 5
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 4
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 4
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 4
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 4
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 4
Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 4
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 4
Brian Long Redford, MI 4
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 4
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 4
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 4
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 4
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 2
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 2
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 2
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 2
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 2
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 2
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 2
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 2
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 2
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 2
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 2
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 2
David Wallace Livonia, MI 2
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 2
Tim Young Washington, DC 2
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 2
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 2
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 0
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 0

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
(Sadly, I have not yet had a chance to convert my comments into their usual "I Like It, I Love It" montage.)

14 people took Philadelphia over the 49ers.
Hmm, I believe that in Vegas they call this "the smart money".

11 people took the New York J-E-T-S to triumph over the Dolphins.
Mammals devolving back to the mean?

6 people took Indianapolis to beat the Jaguars.
You wouldn't have believed it if you were told that Peyton was held under 150 yards through the air.

4 people took New York's Football Giants to emerge victorious over the Saints.
Wow, guys, way to take the road team there.

Big Losers of the Week:
19 people took the Cowboys over Washington.
Let's play a little 24-second joke clock:
Ready....GO!
Looks like Custer's Revenge...
Washington hasn't ambushed Dallas like this since 1963
I guess 13 is an unlucky number?
I guess this is why the play the full 60-minutes. We can accept that.

15 people chose the Packers over Cleveland
Allow me to explain something to everyone who is not from Detroit. There is a guaranteed win for the Packers, EVERY YEAR since 1991. Week 14, Packers, at Lambeau, in December, over Detroit. It's clockwork.

Boola Boola (got both games right) (also this week's leaderboard)
Delano B.-------Philadelphia/Tampa Bay
Gordon B.-------Indianapolis/Philadelphia
Matt B.---------NY Jets/Philadelphia
Jessie C.-------Cincinnati/Denver
Noel E.---------Indianapolis/Tampa Bay
Dwight K.-------NY Jets/Philadelphia
Adam K.---------NY Jets/Philadelphia
Tim K.----------Philadelphia/Pittsburgh
Brigid L.-------Kansas City/NY Jets

Wipe-Outs (got both games wrong):
Mark C.---------Dallas/Green Bay
Raffy D.--------Dallas/Green Bay
Lucas K.--------Dallas/Green Bay
Greg L.---------Dallas/Detroit
Mike P.---------Dallas/New Orleans
James Q.--------Dallas/Green Bay
Chris R.--------Dallas/Green Bay
David W.--------Baltimore/Detroit
Joe W.----------Dallas/Green Bay
House-----------Dallas/Green Bay

Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
Jason P.
Tim W.

Punted (booted from the league):
Steve K.
Eric M.

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
I'm giving this one to the Happy Couple, since Mark and Brigid both picked the Kansas City Chiefs going into the Black Hole and emerging with a victory. So, way to go you two.

Conventional Wisdom:
Dr. House needed a couple of Vicodin with our picks this week, since the Ice Bowl redux made for a wipe out.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy, believing all the pre-season NFC hype, took the Panthers and the Vikings. Proof that any given Sunday holds, Clippy earned two points from the game no one would have expected it from.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, sweating it.

Thought for the Day: We, the people
September 19, 2005, special edition

First things first:
Another month, another Detroit News editorial to piss me off:
Schools must teach value of America's Constitution

I refuse to take the blame for Americans not knowing the freedoms enshrined in the Constitution. I blame the states for failing to value civics education and social studies in general. In Michigan, there are five MEAP tests at the 11th grade level: English Reading, English Writing, Science, Mathematics, and Social Studies. Four of them count for the Michigan Merit Scholarship. Social Studies does not. So when the DetNews cites the stat "In Michigan last year, a mere 35 percent of students taking state social studies tests met or exceeded standards. And that dismal number is up from previous years." is it perhaps possible that Social Studies, the fifth test given over the course of a week, knowing it doesn't matter for ANYTHING, perhaps just fill in 54 straight C's and go back to class because they're just sick and tired of taking standardized tests? If you answered yes, congratulations, you have discovered what several of my high school's students have figured out over the course of the last few years. (And what does it say about standardized testing that a kid would rather be in class than out of class?) Oh, and with the MEAP being replaced by the ACT, what one subject area does the ACT not cover? Yep, social studies. We might as well be gym for as much as standardized testing cares (and given America's current hand-wringing over childhood obesity, we may get left with wood shop and debate.)

I have a very simple solution, one which no one will like, but will solve the problem. It is this: Virtually every thing in American life that is potentially dangerous requires some form of licensure. Since electing Congressmen and a President mean that they can potentially take America into a war means that they are potentially dangerous, people must be licensed to vote. Very simple, you give Americans the standard INS citizenship test, if they pass it (minimum 75% correct), they get to vote for the next six years. You have to re-up your application every six years.

But Craig, the right to vote is a fundamentally enshrined right in the U.S. Constitution. I should be able to vote no matter how stupid, ill-informed, ignorant, or coin-flippy my judgment may be! Well, OK, you know what, you're right, and guess what, you're going to get to keep voting because the current political establishment in Washington knows damn well its in their favor to keep the stupid, ill-informed, ignorant, or coin-flippy voters voting, because they're the people who put them in power in the first place. But the fact of the matter is, the American government, for as much as they pretend they want people to know the values and rights emeshed in the Constitution, does not want you to understand the Constitution. Because then you might, you know, use things in it. And you might protest if your freedoms are taken away under the pretext of national security.

So, you know what Detroit News, don't just blame the schools for not doing the job. There is plenty of fault to go around, and the schools are just one part of it.

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, who does have a pocket Constitution in his desk.

Thought for the Day: Avast, these Lions be frustratin', arrr.
September 19, 2005

First things first:
Happy International Talk Like a Pirate Day!

Also, for the love of criminy, if you're not watching Jeopardy! today/tonight, do so. One of TFTD's favorite people in the world is on!

Holy crap, I went 10 for 10 in this week's ESPN college pick 'em. That's never happened before.
48-Hour Football People

Friday:
Livonia Stevenson Spartans 70, @Livonia Churchill Chargers 33
OK, so I broke down and drove down Newburgh to watch this one. There must have been 4,500 people there, it was a tremendous crowd, good buzz, good feel. Plus, when your team scores TEN touchdowns, it's a good day. Got to sit with the band, got to hand with the Double Blue Zoo, the new student cheering section, tried to teach them some basics of organized football cheering, but working only from the Michigan playbook seemed a little cliche. I will say I thought my cheer of "Way to be, Adlai E" was actually pretty clever, but as one of the kids said "Mr. Barker, it's Friday night, don't make us think too hard." Made sure, as best I could, to keep the kids positive. Just good to see the kids outside of the walls of SHS.

Saturday:
Games I Watched:
#14 Michigan 55, Eastern Michigan 0
"That said, oh, poor Eastern." My dad asked me why Eastern would come in and subject themselves to something like this. I said "money", specifically $430,000 according to ESPN. I hope that was worth it to them. Michigan offense looked like a well-oiled machine again, the defense was humming, but I mean, it was Eastern Michigan. The Big Ten season begins in earnest now with Wisconsin

Michigan State 44, #10 Notre Dame 41 (OT)
OK, so I watched most of this and was cheering for Michigan State, which is always an odd feeling. But they Sparties got out to such a big lead (38-17), I wondered "Wow, this isn't very State-like." Then State remembered they were Michigan State and proceeded to surrender 21 stright points, some in the most foolhardy manner. That was the State I knew. But then they went to overtime, limited the Domers to a field goal and then ran a beautiful option to Jason Teague to seal the deal. Now, he's the beauty of pre-season polling. Michigan is currently #14, Notre Dame is #16, and Michigan State is #17. It doesn't make any sense, but there it is. Sparty faces the Fightin' Zooks next week as they start Big Ten play.

The Big Ten
The Big Ten, the ten things you need to know from last weekend of college football. Like all Big Tens, it will have 11 items.

* #4 Virginia Tech 45, Ohio 0: Sadly, Ohio's dream became a bete noir in one quick weekend.

* #6 Florida 16, #5 Tennessee 7: Urban Meyer got the "we must protect this house" memo.

* #18 Arizona State 52, Northwestern 21: So the Apostrophe Cats got lost in the desert, surrendering 31 points in the second quarter. Yikes.

* #19 Texas Tech 80, Sam Houston St. 21: So every week in the UM Alumni Association's Pigskin Pick 'em, you get to pick a "rout of the week" for bonus points. I surveyed the list and locked on to this. Michigan looked to be good, but I went with the creme puff that is Sam Houston Institute of Technology, a I-AA paycheck. It was bad though, because I began rooting for bad sportsmanship during the game. 61 bonus points, however, were not good enough to win the week.

* UCLA 41, #21 Oklahoma 24: Hint to the Sooners, stop playing teams from Los Angeles. It rarely turns out well for you.

* The goggles, they do nothing.

* Crodgers, how 'bout that Ball Coach of yours?

* #22 Iowa 45, Northern Iowa 21: Drew Tate's bell seems to be back on straight. They have a big one in the Big Ten Opener, they have to go to the Snake Pit next weekend. Yikes.

* #25 Virginia 27, Syracuse 24: Great line from ESPN.com about Al Groh: "It was a gutsy call to go for it on fourth-and-inches on the Syracuse 9 with just over a minute left. It was even better when he quoted (kind of) Risky Business in the post game interview and said "Sometimes you just have to say 'What the heck'"

* #1 USC 70, Arkansas 17 USC had the ball for just 1:32 in the first quarter, but they scored four touchdowns during that time.

* Looking forward to this week's match-up, the Iowa-OSU affair looks to be a season-ender for one of those teams.

Sunday: Week 2 of the NFL
Chicago 38, Detroit 6--We all saw it coming

Ten thoughts as I watched the game:

* The Lions won a game that they weren't expected to win last week, so naturally, expectations were very high.

* Jason Hanson's out for the first time that anyone can remember, but that's OK, we've got Remy Hamilton, he of the beating Notre Dame field goal. This should be just fine.

* OK, so they surrendered an early TD, but then Eddie Drummond runs it back well, and boom, perfect strike to Roy, Roy Roy Roy and we're back.

* But wait, Remy misses the extra point. What's worse. That would be his only shot of the day. He just became Remy Zero. (Great joke from Mr. Thorsley or Mr. Wright.)

* And then the wheels fell off. Seriously, I blame the weak-ass OPI call on Mike Williams after his amazing catch (Joe's assessment to my incredulousness: Yeah, he does that.) It never looked good from there.

* Five picks. Five. One, two, three, four, five. Five picks. Hang down your head Joey Ballgame.

* Roy and Kevin yelling at each other, not good.

* Dre Bly sitting by himself and pseudo-sulking? Not good.

* As good at the Lions looked last week, they look godawful.

* And now, the dreaded bye week. Don't let Charles Rogers practice. We can't afford to lose the bye again.

Five-word Wrap-ups:
Pittsburgh 27, Houston 7--Big Ben Chimes Once More
Cincinnati 37, Minnesota 8--Missing Mr. Moss in Minnesota!
Indianapolis 10, Jacksonville 3--Weak Manning, bring in the D?
Tennessee 25, Baltimore 10--Remember, the city's spelled Baltimre.
Carolina 27, New England 17--Down go the defending champs.
Tampa Bay 19, Buffalo 3--Avast! The Bucs Arrr back.
Philadelphia 42, San Francisco 3--Donovan McNabb: What bruised sternum?
St. Louis 17, Arizona 12--Loss caused by penalty runoff.
Seattle 21, Atlanta 18--Vick tweaks his hammie? Agggh!
NY Jets 17, Miami 7--Miami back to being Miami.
Cleveland 26, Green Bay 24--No Favre magic on this.
Denver 20, San Diego 17--Too many men? No biggie!
Kansas City 23, Oakland 17--Even with Moss: Still winless.

Still pending:
NY Giants at New Orleans
Washington at Dallas

We'll have cut-throat for you tomorrow, but until then...

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, no longer surprised by anything.

Thought for the Day: Waiting for McNabb
September 15, 2005

First things first:
Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 2

As we eagerly anticipate the decision as to whether or not Donovan can go, the following people
still need to get their picks in for Week 2 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Delano Barnes
Gordon Berman
Matt Bruce
David Bykowski
Jessie Connolly
Jon Couture
Raffy Dakessian
Shawn DeVeau
James Dinan
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Joel Gluskin
John Haveman
Brian Hight
Tyler Johnson
Steve Kaplan
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Rob Long
Eric Muraszewski
Michael Nathan
Kevin Olmstead
Jason Pless
Mike Philpy
James Quintong
Joel Quintong
Mark Urciuolo
David Wallace
Tim Woodward
Tim Young
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until tomorrow,
I am Craig Barker, housed

Thought for the Day: Sorry Greg.
September 13, 2005

First things first:
Tuesday Caption Contest:
Photoshop this picture of the Lions' Kalimba Edwards and Green Bay's Brett Favre

---

Cut-Throat: Week 1 Results
Simple thing, by next Sunday 1:00 PM EDT, send me your picks (you can even reply to this email, since it will come back to me.)

(If the picks are done by SNF, I'll send them Sunday, otherwise, the wee Eastern hours of Tuesday)

Current Leaders:
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 5
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 5
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 5
Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 5
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 5
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 5
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 5
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 5
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 5
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 2
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 2
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 2
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 2
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 2
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 2
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 2
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 2
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 2
Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 2
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 2
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 2
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 2
Brian Long Redford, MI 2
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 2
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 2
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 2
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 2
David Wallace Livonia, MI 2
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 2
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 2
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 2
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 2
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 0
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 0
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 0
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 0
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 0
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 0
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 0
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 0
Steve Kaplan Los Angeles, CA 0
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 0
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 0
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 0
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 0
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 0
Eric Muraszewski Macomb, MI 0
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 0
Tim Young Washington, DC 0
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 0

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
(Sadly, I have not yet had a chance to convert my comments into their usual "I Like It, I Love It" montage.)

16 people took Washington over the Bears.
Hmm, a rookie quarterback taken in the fourth round, named Beth, starting in his first NFL game on the road? I don't possibly see what could go wrong.

10 people took Pittsburgh to triumph over the Titans.
Dwight, is his nickname honestly "Phast" Willie Parker?

5 people took New York's Football Giants to beat the Cardinals.
Do you care: Kurt Warner started on opening day for the third consecutive season at Giants Stadium for his third different team?

4 people took Pittsburgh to emerge victorious over the Raiders.
The Bus making all local stops.

Big Losers of the Week:
14 people took the Rams over San Francisco.
Well, thankfully, we're not an eliminator pool.

8 people chose the Vikings over Buccaneers
In the battle of fierce sea-going peoples, the warm water beat the cold.

7 people selected the Panthers over New Orleans
It's not hubris, it's something close, but it's not hubris.

7 people gambled on the Broncos over Miami
Fortunately for Maurice Clarett, he did not have his good name sullied by this effort.

Boola Boola (got both games right) (also this week's leader board)
Eric B. New Orleans/NY Giants
David B. Buffalo/Washington
Shawn D. Detroit/Washington
Noel E. New England/Pittsburgh
Greg L. NY Giants/Washington
Kevin O. NY Giants/Pittsburgh
Mike P. Detroit Pittsburgh
CRodgers Jacksonville/Washington
Joe W. Pittsburgh/Washington

Wipe-Outs (got both games wrong):
Lauren A. Cleveland/Minnesota
Rocky B. Denver/St. Louis
Mark C. Denver/St. Louis
James D. Minnesota/St. Louis
Robert F. Carolina/Minnesota
Joel G. Denver/St. Louis
Jason K. Arizona/St. Louis
Tim K. Denver/St. Louis
Rob L. Carolina/Chicago
Jason Z. Carolina/Denver

Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
Gordon B.
Steven B.
Steve K.
Adam K.
Lucas K.
Eric M.
Mark U.
Tim Y.

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
It's a three-way tie to Eric Bell, Brigid, and DEK for their selection of the New Orleans Saints. Clippy's pick of Miami is nice, but road dogs always get props, and ahead of that, its teams whom have had their home city destroyed by a hurricane.

Conventional Wisdom:
Since the election has passed, we return to the House with a new House, Dr. Gregory House of Princeton-Plainsboro Teaching Hospital. Let's face it, I'd be cranky too if I had to live in New Jersey. Anyway, the conventional wisdom said Rams and Redskins and being half-right, while not risking a patient's life, only earns you two points.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy, back on the pipe, took the Raiders and the Dolphins. Apparently he got a hold of some of the Canadian stuff, because that was good for two points.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, in the hands of an angry Facenda.

Thought for the Day: We're obnoxious, they're moreso.
September 12, 2005

First things first:
48-Hour Football People

Friday:
Livonia Stevenson Spartans 35, Walled Lake Northern Knights 14
OK, that's more like it. Solid all-around play setting up the cross-town showdown with Churchill. For the first time in anyone's memory, the Stevenson kids are looking for a measure of revenge and to keep the regular season winning streak dating back to the Ford Administration. Should be a good one.

Ohio 16, Pittsburgh 10
I watched most of this affair thinking "Wow, maybe Pitt isn't that good, and if Pitt isn't that good, maybe it isn't as impressive that Notre Dame beat them so badly." But a nice win for Frank Solich, whom I am now rooting for after his shoddy treatment by Nebraska. Nebraska, where 9-3 isn't good enough, but 5-6 is.

Saturday:
Games I Watched:
#20 Notre Dame 17, #3 Michigan 10.
Oh where to begin. I am upset, but not angry. So many things went wrong, and yet, perhaps I had already steeled myself to this possibility. Let me say for starters that Michigan's D found religion and looked very good. Yes, they gave up two long scoring drives, but on any normal day, giving up two-hundred odd yards and 17 points to Notre Dame at home should be enough to win. But should doesn't win football games. I think we sometimes forget that the players on the field are young men and young men still make mistakes. It's hard to be mad at Chad Henne when you remember he's just 19 years old. Yes, it would have been nice if he had thrown crisper passes, lower passes, found his recievers. But it didn't happen. By the same token, losing Mike Hart early in the game hurt on some level, much like losing David Underwood to a concussion in last year's Notre Dame game hurt. I feel if Hart had been in the game, Coach Carr would have given the ball to him on the one foot line rather than Mr. Henne. This, in turn, would have not given rise to my new least favorite football phrase "indisputable visual evidence." I know the burden of proof is different, but if I can argue that I'm not sure on something, how can it be indisputable. At the end of the day, this is the thing, and it was put into perspective nicely by Joe and Mike. You gotta remember, the other team's guys are on scholarship too. It's not like their gonna roll over and play dead just because you want to see your boys win. That said, oh, poor Eastern.

Michigan State 42, Hawai'i 14
Didn't see a whole lot of the game, but who knew that the Hawai'i coaches are required to wear the Hawaiian shirts and leis on the road as well. Also, always nice to see that Michigan State now plays on grass. It's not like they don't have a fine turf management school or anything.

The Big Ten
Realizing that I no longer have the energy or time to do a total college football recap, I will now present the Big Ten, the ten things you need to know from last weekend of college football. Like all Big Tens, it will have 11 items.

* Iowa State 23, #8 Iowa 3: Look, I know they were missing Drew Tate, but this qualifies as the worst Big Ten loss of the day. Thanks Iowa!

* #2 Texas 25, #4 Ohio State 22: I think one of the great things about maturing as a football fan is the ability to appreciate a good game in which you have no rooting stake. In this case, I thought that this game was the rare effort that lived up to the media hype. But I must defer to the line of the day from our friend Jason Z, who posits that if you were writing The Program 2, choosing the name A.J. Hawk for your right leaning all-American linebacker
would be rejected for being too cliched.

* Wisconsin 65, Temple 0: Temple of Doomed

* Purdue 49, Akron 24: Thank goodness one Big Ten favorite got the job done.

* Northwestern 38, Northern Illinois 37: Wow, and I made fun of this one
being on ESPN Classic, but apparently it was another Cardiac 'Cats game.

* #5 LSU 35, #15 Arizona State 31: You know, I probably could have been
watching this one on ESPN simultaenous with the OSU/Texas showdown. But good
to see LSU win on the home.

* Crodgers, how 'bout that Ball Coach of yours?

* #11 Florida State 62, The Citadel 10: I kid you not, at halftime, this game was Florida State 13, The Citadel 10. Then Florida State remembered they were Florida State and scored FIVE third quarter touchdowns.

* #18 Oklahoma 31, Tulsa 15: When all else fails, give the ball to Adrian Petersen. Wow, that was a heck of a turn it on at the last minute thing.

* SMU 21, #22 TCU 10: What goes around comes around.

* Looking forward to this week's match-up, the Florida/Tennessee affair with both teams ranked in the top ten.

Sunday: Week 1 of the NFL
Detroit 17, Green Bay 3--Off on the good foot

Ten thoughts as I watched the game:

* I just don't know what to expect. The pre-season means everything/nothing. Nothing is everything. Let's see action!

* I just don't like the black jerseys. They don't look like the Lions. It's black for the sake of black, which is so 1990s.

* Marcus Pollard seems to be a nice target.

* Of ALL of the Lions you don't want to see hurting, Jason Hanson is surprisingly high on the list. As in, maybe, #1. Paging Remy Hamilton, paging Remy Hamilton.

* How can Brett Favre be one of the hundred greatest Americans when he always plays like crap in a dome?

* A LOT of flags in this game, but you need that kind of help when you want to win.

* I was about to write an item about Ahmad Carroll, but I just got slapped in the face by him. I should have expected that, it happened a lot yesterday. It was so bad, Mike Sherman called him out after the game.

* Kevin Jones didn't look spectacular, but he was effective, and I think that's what's important. He had to be accounted for, which opens up the rest of the field. The West Coast offense only works when you have a running threat.

* Factoid from AP: The game marked the fewest points Green Bay scored with
Favre as its starting quarterback.

* Next stop, the spaceship on the shores of Michigan Avenue.

Five-word Wrap-ups:
New England 30, Oakland 20--Same as the old boss
Tampa Bay 24, Minnesota 13--Missing Mr. Moss in Minnesota?
Miami 34, Denver 10--Oh no, Shanahan's head asplode.
Pittsburgh 34, Tennessee 7--OK, now where was I?
Washington 9, Chicago 7--A Congressional Investigation is pending
New Orleans 23, Carolina 20--A win for Gulf Coasters.
Jacksonville 26, Seattle 14--Cross-country flights kill the Seahawks.
Buffalo 22, Houston 7--Bills look good in retro.
Cincinnati 27, Cleveland 13--In-state Rivalry goes to Marvin.
Kansas City 27, NY Jets 7--KC has D? No Way!
Dallas 28, San Diego 24--This game had three Drews!
San Francisco 28, St. Louis 25--Mad Genius gets even madder.
NY Giants 42, Arizona 19--Wow, I mean, just wow.
Indianapolis 24, Baltimore 7--Colts blow the shutout late.

We'll have cut-throat for you tomorrow, but until then...

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, balanced.

Thought for the Day: Fear and Trembling in Ann Arbor
September 8, 2005

First things first:
Thoughts as the echoes wake up...

If you're a Michigan football fan, you eventually get used to more than a few rhythms and a few recurring memes. Michigan fans are arrogant, cocky, self-righteous, and haughty. Truth be told, well, maybe many Michigan fans are. It's what happens when you root for a team with a long history of success. You develop different expectations that teams that are not used to sustained excellence. It's hard to argue with any of these points, Michigan fans are usually confident going into almost any game. They can see the fraught, but they usually choose to ignore it, or believe Michigan can overcome it.

So, it's a little different vibe this week for me, and my fellow Michigan fans. I have never heard so much self-doubt, so many questions, so little assurance that Michigan would win a particular game as I have in the past week. I am at the fore of the list. Michigan's offense is high-octane, and I genuinely believe may be one of the four or five finest units in the land. Even the lack of Braylon Edwards does not seem to have slowed down the passing attack, and the twin barrelled attack of Hart and Grady seem to be a solid one-two punch.

(You can feel the "but" coming....)

However, Michigan's defense, usually the hallmark of its teams, is clearly suspect. Even if one is willing to give a bend, but don't break strategy a try, anytime you allow 400 plus yards, you run a higher risk of losing the game. You cannot count on creating turnovers. You cannot count on allowing the first sixty yards, but not the last ten. Yes, forcing the opposition to settle for field goals or less is nice, but you can't count on it. You need three and outs or six and outs. Force the other team to give up the ball. But Michigan is seemingly unable to do that. Michigan looks, at times, slow, confused, and unclear on assignments. It looks unable to get decent pressure on the quarterback, nor does it seem to be able to stop a running back from turning the corner.

Couple this with how good Notre Dame looked in beating Pittsburgh last week, how the Charlie Weis mystique, coupled with the mancrush that the national sports media seems to have with Notre Dame football, has created a week's worth of stories about how Notre Dame can go into Michigan Stadium and steal one from the #3 Wolverines right there in front of 110,000 people in the Big House. You just have to start to wonder.

I know I am not alone in my doubts. Every Michigan fan I have spoken to this week about it seems to have a higher than usual doubt level. It's a strange difference between believing how Michigan "should" win a game and how Michigan "could" win the game. I am struggling to remember the last time that people felt this way about a Michigan/Notre Dame game at Michigan Stadium (the helpful chart three entries ago points out that when thinking about games in South Bend, Michigan fans are far less confident with very good reason.)

Now, all of that said, I am going to side with the advice of my good friend Mike Burger, who posited the notion that this could be the first game to break triple digits on both sides. OK, perhaps I am not going with it that strongly, but a case can be made that the reason this game will be won is by employing the best defense is a good offense strategy. There are many ways Michigan can win the game, there are many ways Notre Dame can win the game. The simple fact that we won't know until Saturday just makes it all the more interesting.

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, wondering if I am still in bat country.

Thought for the Day: You know, you can use your bye in Week 1
September 7, 2005

First things first:
Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 1

I know it's a little earlier than usual ladies and gentlemen, but if you're joining is this season, the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 1 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT...unless you want the Raiders or Pats, they need to be in before 8:50 PM EDT Thursday):

Rocky Barker
Delano Barnes
Steven Bevier
David Bykowski
Jessie Connolly
Jon Couture
Raffy D
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Tyler Johnson
Steve Kaplan
Dwight Kidder
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Rob Long
Eric Muraszewski
Kevin Olmstead
Mike Philpy
Joel Quintong
Mark Urciuolo
David Wallace
Tim Woodward
Joe Wright
Tim Young
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That is all.

That's all for today, until tomorrow,
I am Craig Barker, a little out of it.

Thought for the Day: The Virtual Barbershop
September 6, 2005

First things first:
I have come to love ESPN Classic's "Who's Number 1", not for the ranking of things, as much as for the discussion of sports history. Last night's episode was "Best Game 7's" and it was a solid list, but it led me to a question...Game Sevens are easy, in part because there is finality.

So here's my question: What are the Most Memorable Game 6's (NHL, MLB, and NBA)?
Now, obviously, part of what makes a Game 6 memorable is when a comeback occurs to force a game seven, so those will be on the list. BUt there are other game sixes that close out a series which also have their moments.

With some input from Joe Wright and Mike Burger, here's my humble starter list, in no particular order. Since my new goal is participatory blogging, the comment box is waiting for your additions.

* 2002 NBA Western Conference Finals: Los Angeles Lakers 106, Sacramento Kings 102
In my mind, the Ralph Nader game, as Mr. Nader wrote a letter to Commissioner Stern requesting an investigation of the officiating in the game. Like it or not Ralph, the Kings also blew Game 7.

* 1988 NBA Finals: Los Angeles Lakers 103, Detroit Pistons 102
From NBA.com: "In a valiant effort, Isiah Thomas scores 42 points on a badly sprained ankle, including an NBA Finals record 25 in the third quarter, only to have his team lose in the closing seconds."

* 1998 NBA Finals: Chicago Bulls 87, Utah Jazz 86
From NBA.com: "Michael Jordan hits "The Shot" to win the game at the end and the Championship. His 45-point performance earns Jordan and the Bulls their sixth championship of the decade, a perfect close to his Chicago Bulls career."

* 1991 World Series: Minnesota Twins 4, Atlanta Braves 3 (11 innings)
From Wikipedia: "The game went into extra innings, and in the first at-bat of the bottom of the 11th, Puckett hit a dramatic home run off Charlie Leibrandt to keep his team alive...Images of Puckett rounding the bases, arms raised in triumph, are always included in video highlights of Puckett's career, often accompanied by CBS Sports commentator Jack Buck's words, 'And we'll see you tomorrow night!'"

* 1986 World Series: New York Mets 6, Boston Red Sox 5 (10 innings)
Do you care? The National Anthem was sung before the game by New York's own Paul Simon. Oh as for why it's memorable. No, let's just move on.

* 2004 American League Championship Series: Boston Red Sox 4, New York Yankees 2
See, here you go. Which part do you want to remember it for? Schilling's bloody sock or Alex Rodriguez's slap-fight extraordinare? Either way, a heck of a game.

* 1985 World Series: Kansas City Royals 2, St. Louis Cardinals 1
From Baseball Almanac: "In a brilliant move, Howser sent in Darryl Motley (a right handed pinch-batter) to face the left handed closer. St. Louis Manager Whitey Herzog caught the move and called for right-hander Todd Worrell to replace Dayley. As the chess game continued, Howser countered with Jorge Orta in place of Motley. The lefty responded with a hot grounder towards first baseman Jack Clark who fielded it with a toss to the covering pitcher. Umpire Don Denkinger called Orta safe although everyone else in the park was convinced he had trailed Worrell by a step. Television replays indicated Denkinger was wrong, but the contested runner remained on first. Steve Balboni followed Orta with a textbook pop-out, but Clarke (still upset from the blown call) was unable to field the ball. Now with two runners on (including pinch-runner Onix Concepcion) Jim Sundberg bunted into a force out at third. As the revolving line-ups continued, Hal McRae stepped to the plate (for Buddy Biancalana) and was intentionally walked after Cardinals catcher Darrell Porter committed a passed ball that advanced all runners. Dane Iorg brought Concepcion home with a single to right followed close behind by Sundberg who avoided Porter's tag at home and the Royals tied the Series with the 2-1 victory."

* 1993 World Series: Toronto Blue Jays 8, Philadelphia Phillies 6
Wild Thing vs. Joe Carter. And Joe walks off with it.

* 1986 National League Championship Series: New York Mets 2, Houston Astros 1 (12 innings)
The 1986 Baseball Playoffs are really a classic on all three levels, each of the playoff series has a memorable moment, which is a very rare convergence. Here's your memorable moment for the NLCS.

* 2003 National League Championship Series: Florida Marlins 8, Chicago Cubs 3.
It occurs to me that any discussion of this unpleasantness will inducing cringing in my friends who are Cubs fans.

* 2002 NHL Western Conference Finals: Detroit Red Wings 2, Colorado Avalanche 0
Hubris, thy name is Roy. The Game 7 is a dream for Red Wing fans (Detroit 7, Colorado 0), but Game 6 made it possible when Roy lifted up his trapper up to the sky like Lady Liberty as if to say "Look what I have", only to see the puck fall from the glove and into the crease, where Shanny poked it into the net for the Red Wings' first goal.

* 1996 NHL Western Conference Finals: Colorado Avalanche 4, Detroit Red Wings 1.
Sometimes rivalries happen because of proximity. Other times, due to the equal levels of play between the two combatants. Or sometimes a pick cheap shots a beloved member of the opposing team and it turns into an all-out nightmare. That would be this game. "I can't believe I shook that friggin' guy's hand."

So there's a dozen for you to start with. Pile on guys.

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, we're up to six!

Thought for the Day: Here they come with banners flying.
September 5, 2005

First things first:
48-Hour Football People

Friday:
Livonia Franklin Patriots 53, Livonia Stevenson Spartans 28
Holy flurking schnit. I need to get the full story (done), but I mean, seriously, ouch. Coach Gabel did a nice job of pointing out the issues inherent in pre-season expectations, but when you turn the ball over three times, its hard to win any game.

Saturday:
Games I Watched:

#4 Michigan 33, Northern Illinois 17
Dave and I were at the game and honestly, the fall just doesn't begin for me until I hear those first strains of the M Fanfare. (Also, yesterday, I learned that apparently the Michigan Marching Band has three commonly used versions of the Victors, including one called "Parking Lot.") Admittedly, I was a little nervous about this one, just because you never know. And honestly, the turnover battle was huge, because Coach Carr is right, it would have been a very different ballgame without those five Northern Illinois turnovers. The defense needs to find it, right now, but the offense looks very good and was really only stopped when it pulled itself back in. Jason Avant is as good a possession receiver as I have seen, and we also have Stevie "Ballgame" Breaston. Michael "Mike" Hart looked tremendous again and Kevin Grady seems to be a very good power back, but the fumble was a little troubling. Let's hope it was just first game jitters.
They say if you watch football, you'll see something in every game you have never seen before. And I don't know that this is always the case, but I do know that this game featured a punt fumble recovery by...the punter himself, forty yards downfield. It was quite amazing.

And so now it's the annual matchup against Our Lady of Perpetual Field Goals.
(Taken from last year, as a reminder:
I hate Notre Dame the most of all of Michigan's rivals. Quite simply, they are the only ones who can ruin your entire fall. If OSU beats you, well, that sucks, but it doesn't remove all hope, just all remaining hope. If Michigan State beats you, you have to deal with the giving back from all of the Sparties, but you know there's usually something to explain it (Spartan Bob, a lack of pass interference on Desmond, etc.) But with Notre Dame, it goes all the way back to my youth starting in fifth grade.

1988: @Notre Dame 19, Michigan 17 (The infamous Reggie Ho game)
1989: Notre Dame 24, @Michigan 19 (The pre-season #1 does down to the Rocket)
1990: @Notre Dame 28, Michigan 24 (I think there may be more Rocket here as well)
1991: @Michigan 24, Notre Dame 14 (The Desmond catch! I have a photo of this in my classroom.)
1992: @Notre Dame 17, Michigan 17 (The infamous Mo-Tie year)
1993: Notre Dame 27, @Michigan 23 (I don't even remember this one.)
1994: Michigan 26, @Notre Dame 24 (The reason Remy Hamilton is beloved in Ann Arbor (see note 1))
1995: No game
1996: No game
1997: @Michigan 21, Notre Dame 14 (Sealed by a late INT, it was the feeling that this could be something)
1998: @Notre Dame 36, Michigan 20 (This would be the post-National Championship buzz kill.)
1999: @Michigan 26, Notre Dame 22 (I was at this one and I should remember it better.)
2000: No game
2001: No game
2002: @Notre Dame 25, Michigan 23 (I'm not sure, but I think we blamed this on John Navarre.)
2003: @Michigan 38, Notre Dame 00 (OK, that was better)
2004: @Notre Dame 28, Michigan 20 (and here we are)

The Big Ten
Realizing last season that I no longer had the energy or time to do a total college football recap, I instead now present the Big Ten, the ten things you need to know from last weekend of college football. Like all Big Tens, it will have 11 items.

• Michigan State 49, Kent State 14: Meh, Sparty did what it needed to do. Big whoop.


• TCU 17, No. 7 Oklahoma 10: Great ESPN.com headline, Frog Day Afternoon. By the way, it's too soon to tell, but could Mr. Petersen not have the year he had last year without the line he had last year. It's just a shame the Sooners can't use Ashlee Simpson for cover this time.


• No. 3 Tennessee 17, UAB 10: Great effort by Mr. Fulmer and the boys. I am sure their poll ranking will reflect such an effort.


• No. 11 Iowa 56, Ball State 0: Admittedly Ball State had suspended 13 starters for this one, but when Drew Tate has a stat line that looks like an NFL starting quarterback in Week 2 of the Pre-Season, well, you're rolling.


• Notre Dame 42, No. 23 Pittsburgh 21: I'm predicting a No. 17 ranking for this effort by the Irish.


• No. 2 Texas 60, Louisiana-Lafayette 3: Wow, just, wow. Should make OSU/Texas a heck of a game next week.


• No. 13 Georgia 48, No. 18 Boise State 13: Woof, Woof, Woof! Nice try Broncos, no go back to your blue turf and think about what you've done.


• Wisconsin 56, Bowling Green 42: You know, the Falcons nearly won this one, but at the end of the day, what we really learned is Wisconsin's D, like Michigan's is suspect.


• Colorado 31, Colorado State 28: Damn Buffaloes, but wow "Colorado rivals combine for 20 points in final 2:32"


• Clemson 25, #17 Texas A&M 24: Well, the Aggies season starts with a thud.


• Miami vs. Florida State: Still awaiting the result from this one, but a Labor Day tilt is a heck of a thing.

NFL starts next weekend, so we'll have that, so...

Something for Greg
Five Deadly Venoms, the highest rated film Greg hasn't seen on the EW Cult Movies list, is on sale at Amazon.com

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, welcoming back fall.

Thought for the Day: Cuttin' Throats and Pickin' up the Pieces
September 2, 2005

First things first:
Hey gang, welcome back to another year of NFL Cut-Throat Pick 'Em, brought to you by the Mike Keenan Employment Agency, LLC.

So, as a reminder, here's how it works (and if you have friends who would want to play, just give them my email address of cdbarker@umich.edu and forward this email to them and if you want out, just email me and you won't hear from me again, at least on this.)

For 16 of the next 17 weeks, you pick two NFL teams to win their football games. If one wins, you get two points, if both win that week, you get five points. Here's the catch, you CANNOT pick those teams again during the season, win or lose. By picking two teams a week, you're down to having a grand total of two teams to pick from for Week 17. So, it will be VERY interesting. This also means that like the NFL, you'll have to survive a harrowing bye week, which no one enjoys. The catch is that you can either use the bye by not picking any teams one week, or by only picking one team in two weeks. The catch with that is that you forfeit your bonus point for that pair of picks if you split them.

Oh and for those of you who like to plan ahead, here's the NFL Master Schedule for 2005:

http://www.nfl.com/schedules

To play:
Send me the following in an email no later than Sunday, September 11, 2005 at 12:50 PM EDT (unless you want to take the Raiders or Patriots on Sept. 8, I'll need it before that game's kickoff):

Your name
Your hometown
Your email address (OK, that will be pretty apparent)
Your week 1 picks.

I'll send out results next Tuesday and then you can just email me your next week's picks off that, etc.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Enjoy, good luck, and hey, let's be careful out there

That's all for today, until tomorrow,
I am Craig Barker, ringmaster.

Thought for the Day: I am pleased to endorse this product/student
September 1, 2005

First things first:
As many of you know, I am somewhat loathe to write about my job in specifics on the blog, partially because I know the Stevenson crew is familiar with the work of Google, and partially because I believe in the Kennedy family motto: "Never write it down."

That said, I would like to speak in general terms to one aspect of my job which, while I am happy to do, is the mini-bane of my existence during the first month of school. I speak, of course, of Letters of Recommendation.

Now, mind you, this is my own fault. You teach AP to sophomores, you talk about how great Michigan was, and this is what happens. We're already at six letters of rec for UM this year, and in each case, I was happy to do it, because the kid is clearly Michigan material. The only one I feel guilty about is the one I wrote for the kid who got a really high ACT score but whom I know is almost for sure going to Michigan State. He doesn't need my letter of rec, but I still gave him a good one. I also set the bar really high this year for Barker version 2.0 when I wrote his back in JUNE at his request. It may be the most glowing letter I have ever written, and not that he doesn't deserve it, I just know how much he wants to go to Michigan, it's the same thing I saw in myself back in '96, and I want to make sure I do everything I can to make sure it happens.

The two things with letters of rec are that
a). they all sort of sound the same
b). I worry about dilluting the importance of my selections by choosing so many kids to help. Now, on point B, I will say that this apparently is not a concern, as schools understand that being an AP teacher before the student's senior year, I would be a natural choice for many students' letters of rec. Couple that with being a Michigan alum, and well, it just makes more sense. But the all sound the same thing sort of bothers me, because it's like a form letter and a mad lib all at the same time.

Anyway, I think I had a point at some point, and then said screw it and just decided to rip Joe and Dwight off instead. Good news for Greg, this should make the blog 15% less unreadable from September to December.

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, who encourages you to contact me if you have any questions.