I don't have a vote for the top 25 in college football, but if I did, here is what it would be:
1. Boise State-I hate the argument that someone isn't number one because of their schedule. The Broncos look awesome and could have easily hung triple digits on the Spartans last night.
2. Oregon-very explosive offense, but I absolutely refuse to move a team to the number one spot when they are on a bye week. Sorry Oregon, just bad timing.
3. Oklahoma-remember in week one, when Utah State gave these guys all they could handle? Yep, me neither. Oklahoma gets better and better each week. I said in an earlier blog post that they shouldn't be taken seriously. I was wrong.
4. TCU-the frogs just don't seem as good to me this year as they were last year. But, they do have Andy Dalton, Jeremy Kerley, and Tank Carder. Did you see Carder intercept Jake Heaps yesterday? That was sweet.
5. Auburn-halfway through the season, they look like the class of the SEC, and that generally means a trip to the national title game.
6. Alabama-stumbled against South Carolina last week, but if they can stay unbeaten and win the SEC championship, they are probably right back in the title game. Health of Julio Jones is a big concern.
7. Michigan State-I didn't think there was a team that could what Michigan State did to Michigan, but I was wrong. The Spartans look solid all around.
8. Utah-still waiting to actually play someone good. Utes looked bored and out of synch at times against Wyoming. Showdown with TCU in three weeks should be awesome.
9. Wisconsin-that was a straight up beat down of Ohio State. The badgers are a force to be reckoned with in the Big 10. Hard to stop that bruising running attack combined with efficient QB play.
10. Nebraska-yeah, they lost to Texas. Yeah, Texas isn't very good. But Nebraska has been awesome and could give the Sooners a run for that Conference championship, assuming the two teams meet up then.
11. Stanford-They have Luck on their side (cue bad joke drums)
12. Iowa-outside of hiccup against Arizona, they have been playing very well. Showdown with Wisconsin looms on Saturday.
13. Florida State-I have them considerably higher than most, but they have been awesome. They have been on fire since a setback to Oklahoma. Hard to see them losing in a very weak ACC.
14. Arizona-hard to know what to make of the Wildcats. Should be fun to watch them play the hot and cold Washington Huskies on saturday.
15. Ohio State-yes, I had them plummet. They did not deserve to be number one ever and Wisconisn exposed them for the frauds they are. Hopefully, Michigan State beats them and they can be out of the BCS picture completely.
16. South Carolina-I hope Steve Spurrier enjoyed his moment in the sun again, because that loss to Kentucky was a choke job, straight up. It will be interesting to see how they respond. Still, this team showed against 'Bama that they are for real.
17. Missouri-it looks like the post-Chase Daniel era has begun. Tigers are getting better and better. Could challenge in Big-12 north at this rate.
18. Oklahoma State-still not sold on Mike Gundy's team. Yes, I know that Gundy is a man, and I know he's forty (three, now). So, Im coming after him. It's just that I have seen this episode before, and it doesn't end well for the Cowboys.
19. Arkansas-this is still a very good team. We don't know how serious the injury to Ryan Mallet is, but if he is able to come back, Arkansas could surprise some people.
20. LSU-the "experts" have this team at 6, and it boggles my mind as to why. This team has needed last second miracles to beat Florida and Tennessee this year, who are not very good teams. Last night, McNesse State played them tough. That is the closest 22 point win I have ever seen, not impressed at all. If they lose one game, they are out of my poll forever.
21. you know what, never mind, there is no one else who is worthy of being a top 25 team in my mind. No one. So my top 25 ends with 20 teams. Thats right Texas, West Virginia, Mississippi St., and Miami, your names may fool the "experts" but they don't fool me.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Sports Radio in Utah
Over at slcdunk.com, they are currently having a "march madness" of Utah Sports Radio personalities. I thought I would give a quick look at the Sports Radio guys and give my rankings. Ill compare each show head to head. I will stick to the local shows.
Mornings:
DJ and PK 6-10 AM 1320 KFAN
vs.
Hans and Company 6-10 1280 The Zone
DJ and PK have the same game plan each day. PK (Patrick Kinahan) takes the opposite stance of DJ (David James), no matter if it contradicts something he has already said. He aims to get under the skin of all of his listeners. If he is not taken seriously, he can be somewhat entertaining. David James seems uninterested in what is going on and does a much better job on TV with "Talkin' Sports"
These two were on 1280 a few years ago, and the quality of their show has dipped since they made the transition, due to the fact that they are recieving paychecks from the Utah Jazz' flagship station. Their opinions have been less objective (and subsequently less interesting) now that they are on KFAN.
Until this past week, 1280 clearly had the edge here with the "John and Hans Show". Unfortunately, John took a job in Portland and has left Hans with a variety of co-hosts. Hans is the former BYU and Indianapolis Colts player. He gives an honest and refreshing opinion and he always seems to be having his fun. He has much more insight when it comes to football then anyone else in the market. It remains to be seen who will replace John, but with Hans there, it is a good bet that the 1280 crew will continue to dominate this time slot.
Midday
Powerhouse 1-3 PM 1320
vs.
Jan and Gunther 10-2 1280
These two don't exactly overlap much, but they are the most comparable midday shows.
Powerhouse features Utah sports veteran Alema Harrington and Ben Bagley. Bagley is an exceptionally talented host who can keep the conversation and the show flowing well. He is a solid interviewer who can bring his guests to life. Harrington is a name and is more or less "filler", he doesn't bring much of anything to the table, except for that national championship ring.
Jan and Gunther has the most potential of any show in the market. Both Jan Jorgenson (BYU) and Kyle Gunther (Utah) played college football locally and are still well-connected to their various teams. They provide an insight and analysis that is not matched by anyone. They have good chemistry and both bring a good perspective. Listeneres feel like they are really inside the huddles.
This show has several drawbacks though. While these two know a lot about football and mixed martial arts, their knowledge of other sports is somewhat lacking. Additionally, Gunther will try to make jokes (which are lame) while Jan is making a point. He will also say things like "Jan, our friendship is now in serious jeopardy" or other juvenille garbage. Jan will become very defensive if anyone associated with the U. of U. tries to put down BYU, to the point that it takes away from the broadcast.
Got to give the edge to Powerhouse, becuase of Bagley's abilities. But Jan and Gunther (if they remain together) will grow to be a better show eventually.
Drive-Time
Locke, Garrard, and Bolerjack 3-6 1320
vs.
The Gordon Monson Show 2-6 1280
vs.
Bill and Spence 2-6 ESPN 700 Sports=
I have blogged about Locke before. He is arrogant. He considers himself superior to everyone, unless they are a Jazz player, in which case he will suck up and laugh at everything they say. But he does work hard, and he brings good guests onto his show. Only problem is he tries to always put himself front and center.
Scott Garrard is a great new addition to this show. He is a great host who relates well to the fan. He does not consider himself superior, but listens and will consider different viewpoints. If he and Bagley were put together, it would be the best show in the market.
Bolerjack doesn't really know sports, or the utah culture, or much of anything at all. Why he was brought onto this show is beyond me.
Monson is also very arrogant, and he is extremely defensive about media rights. He, like Locke, is much more interested in himself than he is his listeners, but he is more palatable than Locke. He is a better interviewer than Locke, though he does not get the high-profile guests that Locke does.
This past summer, Kyle Whittingham made a statement that indicated he would not take anymore questions regarding Utah's future move to the Pac-10. This enraged Monson who felt like Whittingham was denying his constitutional rights. Despite the fact that literally dozens of listeners texted or called in to say that they were supportive of Whittingham and they preferred he focused on the season at hand, Monson vehemently insisted that he was right and everyone else was wrong.
Jake Scott co-hosts this show, and he does a decent job in his role, which is basically to bring up topics, keep the conversation going, and try to be as invisible as possible. Jake is a very good sidekick.
Bill and Spence are Ute-homers. They also talk a lot of Real Salt Lake. Bill Riley can be interesting in his takes. Spencer Checketts is ok, but clearly got the job because his dad is Dave Checketts. Not worth listening to these two and their sometimes childish games unless you are a die hard ute fan who is starved for everything Utes.
All in all, Hans Olsen is, in my opinion, the best that utah has to offer. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future as the market continues to grow.
Mornings:
DJ and PK 6-10 AM 1320 KFAN
vs.
Hans and Company 6-10 1280 The Zone
DJ and PK have the same game plan each day. PK (Patrick Kinahan) takes the opposite stance of DJ (David James), no matter if it contradicts something he has already said. He aims to get under the skin of all of his listeners. If he is not taken seriously, he can be somewhat entertaining. David James seems uninterested in what is going on and does a much better job on TV with "Talkin' Sports"
These two were on 1280 a few years ago, and the quality of their show has dipped since they made the transition, due to the fact that they are recieving paychecks from the Utah Jazz' flagship station. Their opinions have been less objective (and subsequently less interesting) now that they are on KFAN.
Until this past week, 1280 clearly had the edge here with the "John and Hans Show". Unfortunately, John took a job in Portland and has left Hans with a variety of co-hosts. Hans is the former BYU and Indianapolis Colts player. He gives an honest and refreshing opinion and he always seems to be having his fun. He has much more insight when it comes to football then anyone else in the market. It remains to be seen who will replace John, but with Hans there, it is a good bet that the 1280 crew will continue to dominate this time slot.
Midday
Powerhouse 1-3 PM 1320
vs.
Jan and Gunther 10-2 1280
These two don't exactly overlap much, but they are the most comparable midday shows.
Powerhouse features Utah sports veteran Alema Harrington and Ben Bagley. Bagley is an exceptionally talented host who can keep the conversation and the show flowing well. He is a solid interviewer who can bring his guests to life. Harrington is a name and is more or less "filler", he doesn't bring much of anything to the table, except for that national championship ring.
Jan and Gunther has the most potential of any show in the market. Both Jan Jorgenson (BYU) and Kyle Gunther (Utah) played college football locally and are still well-connected to their various teams. They provide an insight and analysis that is not matched by anyone. They have good chemistry and both bring a good perspective. Listeneres feel like they are really inside the huddles.
This show has several drawbacks though. While these two know a lot about football and mixed martial arts, their knowledge of other sports is somewhat lacking. Additionally, Gunther will try to make jokes (which are lame) while Jan is making a point. He will also say things like "Jan, our friendship is now in serious jeopardy" or other juvenille garbage. Jan will become very defensive if anyone associated with the U. of U. tries to put down BYU, to the point that it takes away from the broadcast.
Got to give the edge to Powerhouse, becuase of Bagley's abilities. But Jan and Gunther (if they remain together) will grow to be a better show eventually.
Drive-Time
Locke, Garrard, and Bolerjack 3-6 1320
vs.
The Gordon Monson Show 2-6 1280
vs.
Bill and Spence 2-6 ESPN 700 Sports=
I have blogged about Locke before. He is arrogant. He considers himself superior to everyone, unless they are a Jazz player, in which case he will suck up and laugh at everything they say. But he does work hard, and he brings good guests onto his show. Only problem is he tries to always put himself front and center.
Scott Garrard is a great new addition to this show. He is a great host who relates well to the fan. He does not consider himself superior, but listens and will consider different viewpoints. If he and Bagley were put together, it would be the best show in the market.
Bolerjack doesn't really know sports, or the utah culture, or much of anything at all. Why he was brought onto this show is beyond me.
Monson is also very arrogant, and he is extremely defensive about media rights. He, like Locke, is much more interested in himself than he is his listeners, but he is more palatable than Locke. He is a better interviewer than Locke, though he does not get the high-profile guests that Locke does.
This past summer, Kyle Whittingham made a statement that indicated he would not take anymore questions regarding Utah's future move to the Pac-10. This enraged Monson who felt like Whittingham was denying his constitutional rights. Despite the fact that literally dozens of listeners texted or called in to say that they were supportive of Whittingham and they preferred he focused on the season at hand, Monson vehemently insisted that he was right and everyone else was wrong.
Jake Scott co-hosts this show, and he does a decent job in his role, which is basically to bring up topics, keep the conversation going, and try to be as invisible as possible. Jake is a very good sidekick.
Bill and Spence are Ute-homers. They also talk a lot of Real Salt Lake. Bill Riley can be interesting in his takes. Spencer Checketts is ok, but clearly got the job because his dad is Dave Checketts. Not worth listening to these two and their sometimes childish games unless you are a die hard ute fan who is starved for everything Utes.
All in all, Hans Olsen is, in my opinion, the best that utah has to offer. It will be interesting to see what happens in the future as the market continues to grow.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Five for Five
1. College football
As a 9 year old growing up in Tyler, Texas, one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays was to watch college football. I would tune into different games and tried to learn the game. I still remember very clearly watching the Utah vs. Colorado State game in 1994. I remember watching Harold Lusk pick off that pass, jumping up and down with my dad and yelling "GO GO GO! " as he returned it all the way to the house to seal the win. The Utes finished in the top 10 that year.
The biggest football in those days was the Red River Shootout. The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. Played in Dallas each year, it brings hundreds of thousands of people to the area and millions more watch on TV.
This past Saturday, the annual Shootout took place. I only had a chance to watch the end of this game. It was a sloppy mess. Oklahoma nearly fumbled the game away when it was trying to put it away. Texas blew their chance by dropping a punt. It was awful football, but it showed me one thing. Most years, these teams are right in the thick of it and the winner often goes into contention for the national title. This year, neither team should be taken very seriously, particularly Texas.
2. Ron Boone
It was announced this past week that longtime TV analyst Ron Boone will join David Locke for the radio broadcasts of Utah Jazz games this year. Craig Bolerjack will continue to provide play-by-play on TV, while fan-favorite Matt Harpring will join him and give commentary. For TV, this is a great deal. Harpring provides great insight, has a lot of passion, and really knows the game.
For those who can only listen on the radio (like me!), this move could not be worse. Locke is atrocious. Instead of actually calling the game, he tries to get you to focus on him with obscure stats, off the wall phrases, and constant self-promotion. That was never the case with Hot Rod. Hot Rod called the game, made it fun, and I never felt like he was trying to make it about him. Locke is a pure ego-maniac. On his daily radio-show, he tries to take the spotlight no matter who he is talking to. I have no idea why the Jazz brought him on, but it was a big mistake. Putting Boone at his side is like making a symphony out of people scratching a chalkboard, hyenas, Vanilla Ice, and Billy Ray Cyrus. Its going to be awful. Boone only offers the most obvious comments ("down by 20, the jazz can only hope to get back into this game by getting some stops and shooting at a higher percentage") he often gets lost "was that boozer?" or gets so far off-topic (during a tight game with about a minute to go) "You know what my favorite movie is, its "one flew over the cuckoos nest"" that fans get frustrated.
Expect radio ratings to plummet.
3. MLB playoffs
Its october, which means it must be time for the Major Leauge Baseball playoffs. Its been a fun season with some surprise teams. Outside of the 8 teams remaining, everyone else has gone home to start the routine of contract negotiations, rehabilitating injuries, and enjoying the winter vacation.
For those who are still alive, the most intriguing matchup to me is the Twins and Yankees. The Twins have the home field advantage, the Yankees have the experience. A victory for the Twins would be a victory for all that is right and good about sports. The Twins are the small market guys who don't have bottomless pockets. It would sh ow, once again, that championships can't be bought, they have to be won. But the defending champs, despite shaky pitching, will not be an easy out. They have been there and know what to do.
I am picking the Twins in 5.
4. Austin Collie
The man who made headlines with his "magic happens" comments nearly three years ago is tearing up the NFL. In a loss this week to the Jaguars, he scored yet another touchdown. He has quickly become a favorite target of quarterback Peyton Manning. His presence has caused defenses to spread themselves thin while also trying to cover Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, to say nothing of Pierre Garcon.
Collie defies traditional logic. After a huge career at BYU, he slipped in the draft after posting below-average times in the 40 yard dash. But Collie runs his routes sharply, has some quickness, and a really good pair of hands. On top of that, he works hard. Its always good to see guys do the right things "on and off the field" and have success.
5. Rec Center
Working out at the gym is pretty fun. Its fun to notice little things.
I love people who ride the elliptical machine backwards. Its so funny because no matter how hard they work, they aren't getting a work out! There is absolutely no resistance. And it looks funny too.
I saw something for the first time the other day that was even more humorous. A guy next to me actually put both feet on one pedal. I wanted to say "sir, you can actually save money by not coming here. If you want to stand in one place, you can literally do that anywhere you want to, there is no sense coming to work out and then standing in one place, thinking you are getting a workout."
Another guy was actually riding the machine pretty hard. I mean, he was going really fast, and surprisingly, actually doing it right. All of a sudden, he just goes "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" and then calmly jumped off and walked away, leaving the machine spinning like crazy. Random.
My favorite has to be the lady who sings along with her ipod. And not just sings, but SCREAMS along with it. I wonder if she notices that there are other people around her. Probably not, but thats ok.
The ultimate point of the rec center is to work out, but walking away laughing is not a bad thing either.
As a 9 year old growing up in Tyler, Texas, one of my favorite things to do on Saturdays was to watch college football. I would tune into different games and tried to learn the game. I still remember very clearly watching the Utah vs. Colorado State game in 1994. I remember watching Harold Lusk pick off that pass, jumping up and down with my dad and yelling "GO GO GO! " as he returned it all the way to the house to seal the win. The Utes finished in the top 10 that year.
The biggest football in those days was the Red River Shootout. The University of Oklahoma and the University of Texas. Played in Dallas each year, it brings hundreds of thousands of people to the area and millions more watch on TV.
This past Saturday, the annual Shootout took place. I only had a chance to watch the end of this game. It was a sloppy mess. Oklahoma nearly fumbled the game away when it was trying to put it away. Texas blew their chance by dropping a punt. It was awful football, but it showed me one thing. Most years, these teams are right in the thick of it and the winner often goes into contention for the national title. This year, neither team should be taken very seriously, particularly Texas.
2. Ron Boone
It was announced this past week that longtime TV analyst Ron Boone will join David Locke for the radio broadcasts of Utah Jazz games this year. Craig Bolerjack will continue to provide play-by-play on TV, while fan-favorite Matt Harpring will join him and give commentary. For TV, this is a great deal. Harpring provides great insight, has a lot of passion, and really knows the game.
For those who can only listen on the radio (like me!), this move could not be worse. Locke is atrocious. Instead of actually calling the game, he tries to get you to focus on him with obscure stats, off the wall phrases, and constant self-promotion. That was never the case with Hot Rod. Hot Rod called the game, made it fun, and I never felt like he was trying to make it about him. Locke is a pure ego-maniac. On his daily radio-show, he tries to take the spotlight no matter who he is talking to. I have no idea why the Jazz brought him on, but it was a big mistake. Putting Boone at his side is like making a symphony out of people scratching a chalkboard, hyenas, Vanilla Ice, and Billy Ray Cyrus. Its going to be awful. Boone only offers the most obvious comments ("down by 20, the jazz can only hope to get back into this game by getting some stops and shooting at a higher percentage") he often gets lost "was that boozer?" or gets so far off-topic (during a tight game with about a minute to go) "You know what my favorite movie is, its "one flew over the cuckoos nest"" that fans get frustrated.
Expect radio ratings to plummet.
3. MLB playoffs
Its october, which means it must be time for the Major Leauge Baseball playoffs. Its been a fun season with some surprise teams. Outside of the 8 teams remaining, everyone else has gone home to start the routine of contract negotiations, rehabilitating injuries, and enjoying the winter vacation.
For those who are still alive, the most intriguing matchup to me is the Twins and Yankees. The Twins have the home field advantage, the Yankees have the experience. A victory for the Twins would be a victory for all that is right and good about sports. The Twins are the small market guys who don't have bottomless pockets. It would sh ow, once again, that championships can't be bought, they have to be won. But the defending champs, despite shaky pitching, will not be an easy out. They have been there and know what to do.
I am picking the Twins in 5.
4. Austin Collie
The man who made headlines with his "magic happens" comments nearly three years ago is tearing up the NFL. In a loss this week to the Jaguars, he scored yet another touchdown. He has quickly become a favorite target of quarterback Peyton Manning. His presence has caused defenses to spread themselves thin while also trying to cover Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark, to say nothing of Pierre Garcon.
Collie defies traditional logic. After a huge career at BYU, he slipped in the draft after posting below-average times in the 40 yard dash. But Collie runs his routes sharply, has some quickness, and a really good pair of hands. On top of that, he works hard. Its always good to see guys do the right things "on and off the field" and have success.
5. Rec Center
Working out at the gym is pretty fun. Its fun to notice little things.
I love people who ride the elliptical machine backwards. Its so funny because no matter how hard they work, they aren't getting a work out! There is absolutely no resistance. And it looks funny too.
I saw something for the first time the other day that was even more humorous. A guy next to me actually put both feet on one pedal. I wanted to say "sir, you can actually save money by not coming here. If you want to stand in one place, you can literally do that anywhere you want to, there is no sense coming to work out and then standing in one place, thinking you are getting a workout."
Another guy was actually riding the machine pretty hard. I mean, he was going really fast, and surprisingly, actually doing it right. All of a sudden, he just goes "AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" and then calmly jumped off and walked away, leaving the machine spinning like crazy. Random.
My favorite has to be the lady who sings along with her ipod. And not just sings, but SCREAMS along with it. I wonder if she notices that there are other people around her. Probably not, but thats ok.
The ultimate point of the rec center is to work out, but walking away laughing is not a bad thing either.
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