Thumbs Up! Thumbs Down! W/E 9-30

I started this last week and I have decided that it will be a weekly thing for me. Those who get a thumbs down are ineligible for the thumbs up for 2 weeks. So, here are this week's good and bad...

Thumbs Up: New Orleans Saints--You're 3-0 and back in the 'Big Easy.' They need to be on "let down alert" this week against the Panthers, however. Their emotional return to the Superdome will make them vulnerable this Sunday.

Thumbs Up: Minnesota Twins-- In the playoffs for the 4th time in 5 years. And, this time it was after an extremely slow start to the season. Could this be the year that they finally get past the Yankees in the playoffs and back to the World Series? Probably not.

Thumbs Up: Jeff Burton-- First win in 174 starts, which dated back to 2001. He also took the points lead after the Dover 400. Heading into week 3 of the Chase in Kansas the 31 team looks to be peaking at teh right time. Can he hold off the foursome of Jeff Gordon, Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin and his team mate Kevin Harvick? It'll be tough.

Thumbs Down: St. Louis Cardinals-- If they get into the playoffs they will have done so on a downslide. Considered a lock this time last week, the 'Cards have managed to allow the Houston Astros within 2 1/2 games of the Central Division lead. This could be a historical collapse.

Thumbs Down: New England Patriots-- Boston was on top of the sports world a year and a half ago and now they face the real possibility of all their sports teams out of the playoffs. The smug attitudes of the Red Sox and Patriots front offices have led to their possible downfall. The Patriots looked less than stellar in their opening 2 wins and looked terrible in their loss to the Denver Broncos Sunday night.

Thumbs WAY Down: US Ryder Cup Team-- An 18.5-9.5 point whooping at the hands of the European team was embarassing to say the least. The Americans looked as if they could care less about how they performed on the world's stage of golf. Is there no national pride? On the European side only. The US team didn't get out-manned, they got out worked and out performed. I am ashamed of guys like Tiger Woods, Phil Mickleson and David Toms, just to name a few. And hopefully, they are ashamed of themselves as well.

Thumbs up, Thumbs down!

Thumbs up: JESS! You are awesome!

Thumbs up: Jeff Gordon. That competitive fire seems to be back and the drive for 5 is alive.

Thumbs up: Kevin Harvick. Could anyone other than Jess be hotter than you right now?

Thumbs up: NY Yankees. Yet another division title and another year of Red Sox misery.

Thumbs down: Bob Dillner. How dare you think the organization that employed Dale Earnhardt would cheat. You should be ashamed.

Thumbs down: Chris Gamble and John Fox. Smooth move exlax! Thanks to you too the Panthers are 0-2.

Evans to Start at QB for Wolfpack

Chuck Amato announced Monday that redshirt sophomore Daniel Evans will start at QB this weekedn against #20 Boston College. Evans will replace the struggling Marcus Stone on the heals of a 2-game losing streak.

Amato and his assistants made the decision after discussions on Monday and the need for better offensive production.

The only question that remains is: Is it too late?

The 'Pack will begin a 3-game home stand that could make or break the rest of the season. The 'Pack will host BC on Saturday night, Fla. State on Oct. 5 and Wake Forest on Oct. 14. For the team to make a bowl game and possibly save Amato's job, then they need to win at least 2 if not all 3 of the games.

If the nation has learned only one thing about Wolfpack fans, then they have learned that the 'Pack faithful have a quick trigger when it comes to running a coach out of town. The ever popular fireINSERTCOACH'SNAME.com is even in place. Firechuckamato.com surfaced a week or so ago after the team lost to Akron on the final play of the game.

Will Amato survive the season? Well, the play of Evans may have a lot to do with it. Last year Amato and his staff waited too long for Marcus Stone to replace Jay Davis at QB, and some fret that they may have done it again. It's definitely not too late. It may be a little late, but not too late. The BC game will be the 'Pack's first conference game, so, the team may have to chalk this game up to getting Evans some experience. There are 9 games remaining, however, and the team needs to win 5 of them to become bowl-eligible.

A conference title is out of the question and the next question that will arise is when to start playing freshman QB Justin Burke.

Burke, is a highly touted QB out of Lexington, KY. But, he is not the highest ranked QB on the roster. Transfer Harrison Beck was ranked as the #3 QB as a Sr. in high school. He transferred to State after his freshman season at Nebraska. He is having to sit out the 2006 season, due to NCAA transfer rules; however, he will have 3 years to play for the 'Pack staring in '07. That is why you don't play Burke, because if Burke doesn't play this year he can use it as a redshirt year and that would give State 5 years of good play to possibly look forward.

Everyone knew this year could be a tough one for Amato and the Wolfpack. So, let's remember Frank Beamer's 1992 season where the Va. Tech Hokies went 2-8-1 with a loss to lowly East Carolina. The Hokie fans were calling for Beamer's immediate dismissal (IN HIS 6th SEASON ON THE JOB), but their wish was not granted and Beamer and teh Hokies are on the upper tier of college football right now.

So, my message to the NC State nation is: Don't go jumping off bridges, sending letters to Bill Cowher and Butch Davis or booing every time Chuck tells you to change your oil or throw away your trash. Just give Evans a chance and know that Beck is waiting on the spring game to show you what he is all about. It will be ok. Besides of all the possible NC State coaches out there, none of them are knocking down doors for the job.


Photos:
1. gopack.com football roster
2. http://images.news14charlotte.com/media/2006/2/1/images/01_01-amato.jpg

T-Ball Coach Convicted of Lesser Charges for Beaning

The Pennsylvania T-ball coach accused of offering an 8-year-old boy money to bean his autistic teammate was convicted of less serious charges than he originally faced.

Mark R. Downs Jr, 29, was convicted of corruption of minors and criminal solicitation to commit simple assault, according to Fayette County, Pa. officials.

How could this happen? How could someone stoop to such a level? I guess it is because Downs had so much riding on that T-ball game, that he just couldn't imagine losing because an autistic kid was playing. I mean how could he face his friends?

I felt like throwing up when I first heard about this story. I remember T-ball, but I don't remember winning being the most important thing. I guess a lot has changed since I was 8.

People often pose the question: Why are sports losing their appeal to the younger generations? The answer is simple. It is because of people like Downs. Kids don't learn to appreciate the games they play and have fun playing them. They learn that you must win at all cost and nothing else matters.

I wouldn't have liked sports myself if I would have been exposed to that stuff. I learned to love the pure sport, not the results. The idea of wins and losses were instilled at an older age when I had the mental capacity to handle such things.

I loved baseball (and I still do) and that's why I played it. I wanted to win and I wanted to win a lot. But, it was the love of the game and purity of it that brought me to the game my grandfather loved. And kids these days don't learn to appreciate the game. Whether it be football, baseball, basketball or soccer kids are taught that winning is the most important thing.

How should we fix this? Abolish Williamsport, Pa.'s Little League World Series and events that are similar and start playing the games. Play the games because they are fun, not for some over-weight 40-year-old man's ego.

All you fathers and mothers who are killing sports in America...You should be ashamed. For every "Go Jimmy #8" on the back of a mini-van there is a kid giving up on sports because sports are not fun anymore...

Backup Punter Stabs Starting Punter...

Mitch Cozad, a 19-year-old backup punter at the University of Northern Colorado, was arrested Wednesday and charged with stabbing Rafael Mendoza, the team's starting punter, in the leg.

The motive was apparently competition for the starting spot. Wow! You must say that Cozad wanted it more than Mendoza, a 21-year-old juinor.

Cozad allegedely stabbed Mendoza in the leg around 9:30 pm Monday night. This was after Mendoza was struck in the head from behind. Mendoza will miss this week's game at Texas State.

Cozad and Mendoza were locked in a threeway battle for the starting position with Zak Bigelow. Bigelow looks like the beneficiary of this week's shenanigans. Bigelow will undoubtedly be the punter for this weekend's game if not more.

Cozad was kicked off the team and suspended from school on Tuesday morning. He was released on $30,000 bond, and will await trial for his Tanya Harding like actions.

Photo:
washingtonpost.com

Athletes Are Not Always Football Players

Great athletes don’t necessarily make great football players. Tiger Woods wouldn’t necessarily make a great football player, neither would Michael Jordan. So, why does Chuck Amato keep trying to make good athletes great football players?

I don’t think that coaching is the problem at NC State; however, the recruiting is. We have great athletes out there week in and week out. But, they don’t seem to be able to grasp the ideology of football. If they were a track team then Chuck would be the Vince Lombardi of the 4x100. That’s the reason that his seat inside the Murphy Center is starting to heat up.

If Amato is able to survive past this season, then a change in philosophy is needed. While the defensive coordinator at Florida State, Amato was able to recruit great athletes that were also great football players. Those players are still going to FSU, Florida, Southern Cal and Tennessee. And the athletes that aren’t great football players are coming to NC State.

Great or just good football players are able to beat Akron. Decent football teams (Rutgers) beat teams like UNC. Good football teams win the games that they are supposed to. If the Wolfpack is going to become a national power, then beating a team like Florida State shouldn’t be a big deal.

If you want to see good football players, then you need to travel to Winston-Salem, NC. Or you can see them in Raleigh on Oct. 14. At wake Forest they have smart and disciplined players that play with a lot of heart. They may not be world class athletes, but they need to be.

Jim Grobe, the Demon Deacons head coach, has been heavily out recruited by NC State. However, Wake is sitting at 2-0, while NC State sits at 1-1. How can that be? It’s because Jim Grobe is quite possibly the best football coach in the state of North Carolina.

Wake is not headed for national prominence, but Grobe is. He is on a lot of school’s short wish list. And, with most of Wake’s money tied up in basketball and women’s field hockey, it is going to be hard for Wake to hold him if another school came calling.

Amato’s most recent loss at the hands of Akron was embarrassing. And, I don’t want to hear that both teams left everything they had on the field. That’s a lie! Akron gave more than they had and the ‘Pack gave a lot less than they have. If the ‘Pack had left it all on the field, then they would have won easily.

We have plenty of athletes, but not enough heart, discipline or fundamentals. Had there not been a 15-yd celebration penalty with 1:07 left in the game Saturday, then State would have probably won.

If Chuck wants to make another bowl and or save his job, he needs to enroll in Football 101. There he will learn that football players win games and athletes win track meets.

Photos:
1. http://graphics.fansonly.com/photos/schools/ncst/sports/m-footbl/auto_action/35023.jpeg
2.http://images.news14charlotte.com/media/2006/2/1/images/0101-wake.jpg
3. http://media.gatewaync.com/wsj/photos/2004/wake/05fb/ncsu/grobe.jpg

The Chase is On!!

In just 10 short weeks we will know who will be the 2006 Nextel Cup champion. But, I would like to take a shot at predicting who will win it. It should be a great Chase. One prediction, that is not so bold, is that this will be the best Chase since its inception in 2004.

I would like to start by saying: I knew Tony Stewart wouldn't make the Chase, but, that's about all I got right. Now, the question of who will win the Cup. Let's start with who will not...

Jimmie Johnson has been so close of the past few years. He will fall short again this year as well. He has inconsistent of late and has been inconsistent in his past Chase appearances. It's time for Johnson to call Phil Mickelson, because I am sure Mickelson still has the belt of "Best to Never Win the Big One" lying around the house.

Kyle Busch? Well, he's a young kid and his day will come, but it's not today. Those 25 points he lost in Charlotte for throwing his HANS device at Casey Mears will come back to haunt him in November.

Denny Hamlin has exceeded any expectations that anyone could have had for him. It has been a great season for him, no matter what happens from here on out. He will win one if not two by the end of the decade, but not in his rookie season.

Dale Jr.? We will come back to him... Jeff Burton is back to his old self. He should get a win in one of the Chase races, maybe even this week in New Hampshire where he once led all 300 laps. However, it has been a roller coaster year for the 31 team, which saw him limp into the Chase. Not this year for Burton.

These next guys have some work to do if they hope to win it... Dale Jr. is back in the Chase where he belongs. He got into the Chase on good luck and pit strategy. I'm not a Jr. fan, but I would love to see that name on the cup again one day. I just don't think it will happen this year with DEI's admitted problem with horsepower. He will win one one-day. And as for Mark Martin, he will be the sentimental favorite. But, he also has limped into the Chase. You have to believe that Jack Rousch will do his best to get Martin his championship. I just don't see it happening.

The chase within the Chase will be between 4 guys. First, Matt Kenseth who has been on fire of late. He is a past champion and leads the points heading into the Chase. Second, Kevin Harvick who is having one of tea best seasons in history. He is looking to become the first to win both the Busch Series title and the Nextel Cup in the same year. Next, Jeff Gordon, a 4-time champion, is the only other champion in the Chase. He knows how to get it done and is starting to run out of time to catch 7-time champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt. Finally, Kasey Kahne who clawed his way into the Chase and has more wins than anyone else this season at 5. Can he keep it going or has he exhausted himself already? We shall see.

Of those 4 guys, who will win it? If I were a betting man, and I am not, then I would put my money on Harvick. He just has that championship look. And, it would be awesome to see that Goodwrench Chevy with cup yet again. He deserves it. He took over that car after the untimely death of Dale Earnhardt in 2001 and has been more successful than anyone would have guessed. Richard Childress and Kevin Harvick will get it done in Homestead, Fla. and will hoist that silver NEXTEL Cup in November. The other 3 guys will not make it easy, but nothing in Harvick's NEXTEL Cup career has been easy.

So, let's sit back and enjoy the Chase and see how I do this time around...

Predictions for Richmond...

Hey Folks! It's been a while, but I am back now! The Chase for the Nextel Cup is upon us! Tomorrow night the 10 contenders for the Chase will be decided once and for all. Who will be in and who will be out? Look no further than right here for the predictions.

Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson are in. Kenseth leads Johnson by 9 points. After last week's race in California it was obvious that Kenseth wasn't going to just lie down, eventhough he had secured a position in the chase a week earlier in Bristol. So, I would look for Kenseth to race just as agressive as if he were in 9th or 10th as opposed to first. Neither Kenseth nor Johnson can start the chase any worse than first or second; therefore, they have nothing to lose by going after the win this weekend. Johnson will just try to roll of his weekly top-10 and Kenseth will fight to the front. Come Saturday night Kenseth will lead drivers into the Chase.

Kevin Harvick has had an awesome year. He has 2 wins (Phoenix and Watkins Glen) and ran strong, leading the most laps before finishing 3rd, in the spring Richmond race. Harvick needs to finish 40th or better to secure a spot in the Chase, and he will definitely do that. Jeff Gordon trails Harvick for 3rd in the points by 45 points. I don't see Gordon passing Harvick; however, 45 points is only 7-10 finiishing positions. Gordon has 2 wins at Richmond, but has fallen on hard times over his last several trips. Look for him to bounce back and garner a top-5 finish, much higher than the redquired top-25 needed to secure a Chase spot. Harvick will finish in the top-10 to make it in.

Kyle Busch (5th) and Dale Earnhardt Jr. (6th) are separated by a mere 18 points. Earnhardt Jr. has 3 career wins, including the spring race this year, and has always ran well. Kyle Busch needs only a top-22 finish and Jr. needs a top-16 finish. The always aggressive Busch will aim for the win, while Jr. will focus on making the Chase after missing it last season. Thus, Kyle Busch will maintain 5th while Jr. will probably fall to 7th. Denny Hamlin only trails Jr. by 1 point for 6th place and Hamlin will finish in the top-10 and will force Jr. to start the Chase in 7th or worse.

Now is where it gets good. Who will fall out? I am going to go way out on a limb and say Tony Stewart, currently in 8th, will be the odd man out. Stewart has had a roller coaster year and hasn't looked particularly strong over the last few weeks. Jeff Burton and Mark Martin both need top-4 finishes to secure a spot. I look for Stewart to have a bad night and allow for Burton to make it into the Chase with a top-10 finish. Martin and the AAA Ford Fusion will have a good night and come home inside the Chase with a 6th place finish.

That leaves one man,

Kasey Kahne. If Stewart's out, then Kahne must be in. Kahne dominated last week in California earning the most points possible. As of right now Kahne is 30 points outside the top-10. His first career win came at Richmond and he has added 5 more wins this year, the most of any driver. Kahne will have a repeat of last week in California. His whole team's attitude is to not rely solely on the competition to falter. Plus, Kahne can't afford to sit back and wait for other's to fall; the competition is just too stiff. His win will propel him a few spots in the standings and make the competition nervous with his 6 wins this season.

So, if I am correct in my predictions, then the Chase, which heads to Loudon, NH next week, will look like the following:
1. Matt Kenseth --
2. Jimmie Johnson -5
3. Kevin Harvick -10
4. Jeff Gordon -15
5. Kyle Busch -20
6. Denny Hamlin -25
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -30
8. Kasey Kahne -35
9. Mark Martin -40
10. Jeff Burton -45

Come back next week to see who will win the Nextel Cup in 10 weeks!