A good look at Rathergate.

Check this article from FPM. Kinda scary that this guy is the nightly news guy on a major network. What media bias?

I don't need another reason to hate TSUN, but....

here's a good one. Read this article from FPM. I'm still too naive about higher education. I can't believe this stuff still goes on. Shocking.

Bucks down the Pack 22-14!

Not too bad for a road game. The anemic offense scares the beejeezus outta me, but I'm starting to like the defense. I still have doubts about Mark Snyder, but if the defense keeps playing like this, he'll be ok.
I still like Zwick. I think this guy's going to be really special, maybe before this season is over. I like that he didn't make the big mistakes. Once he puts it all together, he'll be dominant. Still focusing too much on Holmes, but that's understandable. I remember one bad pass, where he missed Hamby for a touchdown. Just overthrew him, b/c he was open. Hopefully that doesn't happen again.
Lydell Ross doesn't seem to be able to get it going. I did like the touchdown run. Gotta have a guy that can get that 1 yard. Pittman showed flashes, even in limited play. Was the defense tired? Maybe, but they were geared to stop the run and he still was able to get positive yards. I would like to see more of this kid.
How about that defense? Awesome. I was cursing during NCST's first and second series, but after that, it was lights out. D line was starting to get some pressure and Simon Fraser played very well. What else can be said about these linebackers? Hawk is awesome and should have gotten that last interception (I hate it when teams get that cheap last TD. Hawk's int should have prevented that). Carpenter looked good. Schlegel played well. D'Andrea is getting better. Opponents shouldn't be able to get too much done running on us, again. Secondary still looks good, even w/o Fox (though I still love this guy and hope he makes a speedy recovery). I notice that this defense tackles well. Able to tackle "in space." I hope this continues.
Use the bye week to get better and to get healthy, young Bucks, you've earned it!

I say we change the name to "Leftywood."

Which I suppose is better than "Goofballville" or "KooKootown." Couldn't let this go by and not comment. Check Jay Leno and his version of "free speech." I'll have to refer him to the Pat in Covedale primer on Constitutional law. I'm referring to the end of the interview when he tells his studio audience to "just be polite." Yeah, Jay, this is America and if we don't like your sorry ass, we can boo. I mean, if you want to frame the argument in terms of manners and politeness, fine. Booing may not be appropriate. But if you want to throw around the First Amendment, the Constitution and other issues apparently beyond your grasp, then your audience has the right to boo any jackal you want to trot out on stage. Don't try to shame the audience with your incorrect and biased understanding of the Constitution (here's an idea, try READING the document before you try to scare people with it). Ridiculous.
This paper is kinda funny to read. It's almost like George Costanza and Mr. Opposite. I just believe the opposite of what this reporter thinks, and I'll be cool.

A friend of the Stream moves on.

Couldn't let the passing of a colleague go unmentioned. Read about Francis X. Olding. His brick at Ohio Stadium in not too far from mine. I'll stop at his everytime I'm there.

Now they're forging documents?

You've got to be kidding me? CBS actually ran and defended a story based on forged documents? Bet that doesn't make the next edition of 60 minutes. Read some of the story here (I like Horowitz and FPM, good edge to them). Isn't this getting a little weird? The obvious bias and palpable hatred are astonishing. This campaign is going to seriously damage the Democratic party for a long time, not to mention some of their best buddies, big media.

Bucks escape Herd stampede 24-21!

Whew! That was too close for comfort. What a great kick. NUUUUUUUGE!!!!
Very disappointed in the play of the defense, and the post game comments of our defensive coordinator are not comforting. The players and the coaches said that Marshall kept running the same play (it sure looked like the same play on tv, though I'm no expert). Snyder says, "I couldn't see it" or something to that effect. Well, get your ass to the coaches box and off the sideline. We're going to miss Dantonio, he seems to have been the brains behind our awesome defenses of the past few years. I hate to see our beloved Bucks get run on like that, very depressing. In fact, I was reprimanded repeatedly by my wife and mother for continued use of very foul language, words I doubt most would use in front of their mother (rhymes with Bucks, coincidentally. Call me a Cheneyite). The signature of the defense over Dantonio's tenure was the second half adjustments. We really used to dominate folks. Didn't happen on Saturday. Plus, the loss of Dustin Fox is going to hurt us, especially against pass happy teams (Purdue?!?). I know we have a lot of talent in the secondary, but losing a 4 year starter and senior depletes the leadership on an already young defense.
What an offensive show in the first half. Footballs haven't flown around like that in Ohio Stadium in a long time! I'm really starting to like Zwick. He has all the throws and seems to be very poised. Needs to make better reads and stop locking in on Santonio Holmes. We have many talented receivers, Justin, use them all. Also, just because Ginn is in the game doesn't mean you HAVE to throw to him.
Where's the run game? Do we miss the fullback that much? Let's hope Brandon Joe gets healthy soon. I like Lydell, but he's not getting the job done. Why didn't we see any other backs on Saturday? Would like to have seen more of Pittman, and even Haw. Can't live on the pass alone, we have to do more to establish the run. Just not sure what it is.
Can't somebody else return punts? Don't want to see Santonio get hurt back there. Get somebody else to do it.
We still have a long way to go this season. I'm really nervous about this NC State game. They had the week off and will have examined our tendencies. It's going to take this teams best game to win, hope their up to it.
Go Bucks!

It all boils down to this...

Krauthammer nails it here. This election IS a referendum. That's frightening because the Dems have not offered any alternative plans. Not sure it's such a great idea to let this country's foreign policy drift like a rudderless ship, just becasue you hate that guy from Texas.

Bucks de-claw Bearcats 27-6!

Not too bad a start to the 2004 campaign. This young Buckeye team still has much to learn before the B10 season, though. Towards the end of the game, it was obvious that the Bucks had more depth and were able to wear down Cincy. My concern is that when playing teams in the B10, that advantage will be lost.
I thought Zwick looked Ok. I was surprised by his arm strength. Threw an out to Bam that was a frozen rope. Also displayed touch early, floating passes over lb's and in front of db's. I think he lost some touch later in the game and wondered if he injured his hand. Some of those passes looked awful and that last int cost us a touchdown (he overthrew Hamby around the Cincy 10). Happily surprised that Coach Tressel stuck with him, even after making mistakes. I think that's good for his confidence.
Didn't get to see enough of T Smith as a passer to evaluate. Thought his fade to Santonio was awesome! Can he duplicate that kind of touch on other passes? If so, then he's going to be hard to keep off the field (Hate that. Wish we had The Guy. Don't want "controversy").
Running game didn't look solid until later in the game. A sign that Cincy was tired or just better execution? I know the O line was concerned about pass blocking, but they looked pretty decent. I still didn't think the run blocking was remarkable. Still work to do. Lydell looked pretty good. Thought he ran with the same intensity he showed his freshman year. Could be a sign of good things to come. Also liked Pittman (except when he ran outta bounds! Don't ever do that again!). He's got what Mo Hall doesn't, the ability to bounce outside. Mo Hall did look good on kick returns, but still not able to run between the tackles.
Ted Ginn is the real deal. Did you see Coach Dantonio yelling and holding up seven fingers to his defense? They definitely keyed in on him. That should open it up for other guys, like Bam, who looked good! Man, is Bam small! Saw him in the huddle and thought he was somebody's little brother.
Defense looked really good. Although I wanted them to be tougher against the run. I think that will happen as they get used to playing together. The lack of a qb sack concerns me. We will miss Will Smith. I know the pressure was good, but you gotta get the qb a couple a times to really disturb his rhythm. Defensive secondary was really good. Youboty played well, as did Underwood. Salley and Everett also will be good.
Nuge! Kickoffs were awesome. Think he'll make that long FG more than he'll miss it. Good job.
Good times ahead for the Bucks if they keep getting better.

On a personal note....

Hello to Squeeze and his lovely bride. Had the chance to sit down to dinner with our reigning radical recently, and my wife and I said the same thing on the drive home, "That Squeeze is a good guy. I really like his wife." In our lexicon, being called a "good guy" is high praise indeed. While I secretly suspect that his wife is the brain in the operation, it was wonderful to sit and talk (mostly avoiding politics at my behest) with these two insightful and thoughtful people. Hope all is well, and let's get together again soon. Aloha.

Don't rely on the sports media.

Jim Gray is a moron. Making completely false and biased statements about the American criminal justice system. Last night on the late Sportscenter in reference to the Kobe case dismissal.
Exactly where did Jim Gray get his law degree and vast criminal justice system experience? He kept saying things like, "innocent people go to jail all the time" or "innocent people get charged with crimes all the time." (I'll try to find the segment to get the exact quotes) What? What the hell is he talking about? I've lamented this before, in the athletes as defendants context, it's exactly the opposite, Jimbo. Remember OJ? Or Ray Lewis? The guilty go free.
But in the world according to Jim Gray, our jails and prisons are full of innocent people. Well, I suppose if you ask the people in the jails and prisons, that's what they would tell you. And our police departments are so bored and have so much time on their hands, they concoct stories and chase innocent people all day.
How horrible life must be for Jim Gray. To be hounded by the cops all the time. Living in fear. Hiding in the alleys. Flying coach. Continually defending himself against trumped up charges. Avoiding those cheap frame jobs. Looking around and watching the cops lay ruin to our beloved society.
Is this system perfect? No, but it's the best in operation currently on this earth. Does the system make mistakes? Yes (Don't start on me with DNA cases, there's not enough of them to be statistically significant), but not as often as Jim Gray would have you believe. Get ahold of yourself Jim and the rest of the sports news cadre (more on them later....)