Beats of the Decade

Let's clear a thing or two up before I start. These are certainly NOT my favorite songs of the decade, just the best rap instrumentals since the year 2000... in one man's eyes. Debate is welcome - encouraged, in fact. Also, I should point out that this was an incredibly difficult task. I could have listed 200 and been content. I went with 10 though... first, the honorable mentions:

Dirt Off Ya Shoulder - Timbaland (Jay-Z) - 2004
I Got My Locs On - JR Rotem (Ice Cube and Young Jeezy) - 2008
'Till I Collapse - Eminem (Eminem) - 2001
Chevy Ridin' High - Dre (Rick Ross, The Game) - 2005
Draped Up - Messy Marv (Bun B) - 2004
Higher - Dr. Dre (The Game) - 2004
Brooklyn (We Go Hard) - Kanye West (Jay-Z and Santogold) - 2008
Swagger Like Us - Kanye West (T.I., Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil' Wayne) - 2007
Dreams - Kanye West (The Game) - 2004
We Major - Kanye West (Kanye West, Nas) - 2005
Black Republican - L.E.S. (Nas, Jay-Z) - 2005
So Fresh, So Clean - Organized Noize (OutKast) - 2000
Won't Let You Down - Kane Beatz (Chamillionaire) - 2007
Gone - Kanye West (Kanye West, Cam'Ron and Consequence) - 2005
What Up, What's Haapnin' - Drumma Boy (T.I.) - 2008
My Block - Nashiem Myrick and Lee Stone (Scarface) - 2003
Get You Some - Dr. Dre (Busta Rhymes, Q-Tip, Marsha Ambrosius) - 2006
Dope Boys - 1500 or Nothin', DJ Quik (Game and Travis Barker) - 2008

Now, the top 10:

10. B.O.B. - Earthtone III (OutKast) - 2000
Dear God,

Please let there be another OutKast album. Soon. Please. It's probably the greatest shit ever. Seriously. Thanks.

Sincerely,
Earth.

9. 99 Problems - Rick Rubin (Jay-Z) 2004
The guitar riff is unbelievable, and 500 times better in concert, when Jay does his big boy shows with a real band, than in digital/disc form. The scratching is a perfect accent to the drums and guitar riff, making this a beat you'll hear for 50 years.

8. Jesus Walks - Kanye West (Kanye West) - 2004
It might be the best rap song of all-time. If you can make a song questioning the philosophical approach to religion... and have PEOPLE PLAY IT IN CLUBS... you've made a fucking incredible song. The choral backdrop is perfectly executed, the drums aren't so fierce that they overpower the lyrics, and the layered secondary drum loop accents the entire track perfectly.

7. Cannon - Don Cannon (T.I. and Lil' Wayne) - 2006
Don Cannon's beats have giant titanium balls that graze the pavement when they walk through the gates of Hell. This song samples Tecmo Super Bowl for God's sake. How fucking awesome is that?

6. Made You Look - Salaam Remi (Nas) - 2002
BOOM! A gunshot, and you're off. The echoing "Bravehearts" grows into a roar before Nasir Jones destroys this ridiculous beat. Once again, an echo on a synth used to perfection. The nuances of sound are accentuated perfectly by Salaam Remi on this beat -- the scratches that have a gradually ascending volume are awesome, the reverse-action after the gunshots in the hook, etc. Timeless hip-hop.

5. Breathe - Just Blaze (Fabolous) - 2004
Just Blaze continues to have some of the sickest keys in the world, and this may be the best example of that. The echo of the vocal sample is flawless, and provides an eerie depth that gives the MC an accent to his lyrics, but not a dominating voice he has to work to overcome. The first time I heard this song, I think I listened to it a dozen times. And I can't stand Fabolous.

4. What You Know - Wonder (T.I.) - 2006
This song is fucking brilliant. There's a reason why it was played to death - the combination of the rumbling bass that reverberates throughout the track, flawless synths and sick hook made it one of my favorite rap singles of all-time. This song also reminds me of about 75 fantastic, friend-and-female-filled, inebriated nights in college.

3. Diamonds From Sierra Leone (Remix) - Kanye West (Kanye West, Jay-Z) - 2005
The first time I heard the OG version of this, I think I hit repeat a dozen times. The sample at the beginning is the perfect tease for the horns and synths that 'Ye drops before letting the drums do their work. The song sounds fit for a concert hall in a genre of strip club producers. The "Hold One Up" sample cut into the verses is brilliantly executed, as well. Lupe Fiasco's version of this song is one of my favorite songs of all-time.

2. It's Okay (One Blood) - Reefa (The Game) - 2005
The best sample of the decade, HANDS DOWN. Maybe the best bass line, too. This shit was so gruesome, it made your speakers bleed melted plastic, and you didn't mind the smell. Anytime a beat doesn't need a hook because the sample is so vicious, it really doesn't matter what is rapped over it. And Game didn't disrespect it, either - it's probably his best song.

1. Grindin' - The Neptunes (Clipse) - 2002
The sheer brilliance... is in its simplicity. The crispness of the drums, simple bass pattern, and incessant resonating clap provide the quintessential backdrop for a verse. The basic instrumental addition in the hook is just enough to put it over the top. It's the rare beat that gets rapped over 10 million times by 10 million different emcees, and one never gets sick of hearing it. My number 1.

Who's the Best to Never Win a Major?

Update: This was updated and put on ESPN.com

http://sports.espn.go.com/golf/pgachampionship09/columns/story?id=4399235

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Underneath yesterday’s most prominent storyline at Turnberry, another was brewing. Several players who had never won a Major – Lee Westwood included – circled the top of the leaderboard with chances to take home the Claret Jug. Stewart Cink, though probably not at the top of that list yesterday morning, eliminated that possible label for good Sunday. The answer to the question “Who’s the best without a major?” has seemingly been Sergio Garcia for the past several years, but several players have thrown their names into this unenviable ring. So let’s statistically assess this question, and try to come up with an answer.

I’ve come up with a formula that combines PGA TOUR wins, European Tour wins, Top 10 percentage on each tour, Top 10 percentage in Majors as a professional, and assesses a different amount of points for each top-10 finish in a Major championship. For transparency purposes, here’s how my formula shakes out:

(2 + (PGA TOUR top 10 pct)) + (1 + (European Tour top 10 pct)) + PGA TOUR wins + (Euro Tour wins x .5) + (Top 10 pct in Majors x 100) x .25) + (Major points x .1) = Almost Index

Major points are collected like this: players are given points in every Major in which they finished in the top 10, on a scale from 1 to 9. A 2nd place finish is a 9, a T-2nd 8.5, a 3rd gets 8, and so on – with the scale ending at T-10 (.5 points).

Your list of nominees:

Sergio Garcia
OWGR: 5th
PGA TOUR wins: 7
Almost Index: 30.965

Sergio’s staggering list of near-misses in Major championships makes him an easy choice for the label. He may have never finished as the runner-up in a major since Medinah in 1999, but he’s finished in the top 10 on golf’s biggest stage 12 times (29.3 percent of the majors he’s started as a pro). Garcia has made the most of his European Tour appearances, too, finishing in the top ten 45.8 percent of the time he’s teed it up. Garcia has won 7 times on the PGA TOUR, including last year at golf’s ‘fifth major.’ It’s telling though, that the first person he thanked when he won the PLAYERS in 2008 was Tiger Woods – for not being there.

Kenny Perry
OWGR: 4th
PGA TOUR wins: 14
Almost Index: 23.513

Perry’s late career renaissance has made him a compelling figure on the PGA TOUR the last few years. Despite turning pro in 1982, 10 of his 14 wins have come since 2003. Overall, his PGA TOUR top 10 percentage is 17.58, but since 2003, it’s 25.93 percent. We’re taking the whole picture into consideration for our arguments, though. Perry has finished in the top 10 in majors 6 times in his career (13.95 percent of his starts). Everything you may need to know about Perry’s perspective on never winning the big one may come from what he elected to do last year – skip the Open Championship in a strategic move that gave him a better shot at playing for the U.S. Ryder Cup team in his native Kentucky.

Lee Westwood
OWGR: 14th
PGA TOUR wins: 1
Almost Index: 20.898

Another Sunday in the spotlight for Westwood – another disappointing finish. Twice in the last 2 years now he’s been on golf’s biggest stage: he played in the final group with Tiger Woods at the ’08 U.S. Open, missing a putt on the 72nd hole that would have made him the third member of that memorable Monday playoff; and yesterday, when he found himself on top of the leaderboard at Turnberry, only to falter down the stretch. Westwood now has 7 top-10 finishes in Majors, good enough for 36.5 major points on our scale. He has 18 career European tour wins, and has finished in the top 10 in nearly 40 percent of his starts. On the Almost Index, though, he’s not quite on the level of Mr. Garcia.

Steve Stricker
OWGR: 6th
PGA TOUR wins: 6
Almost Index: 18.255

Steve Stricker is another testament to the value of grinding. He’s enjoying his second career multi-win season this year on TOUR, with the other coming in 1996. After finishing in the top 10 just 3 times from 2002-2005, he’s done it 29 times in the last 4 years. In majors, he’s finished in the top ten 5 times since the 2006 U.S. Open, but never better than T-6th in that span. Despite finishing T-52nd at the Open this year, he’s your new leader atop the FedExCup standings. Stricker’s mid-career lull hurts his Almost Index number, but the fact that he’s ascended as high as 3rd in the OWGR says his ‘comeback’ has evolved into staying power in golf’s top tier.

Paul Casey
OWGR: 3rd
PGA TOUR wins: 1
Almost Index: 13.827

His resume isn’t as long as the other names on this list, but I’d be remiss if I did not mention the 3rd ranked player on earth. Casey picked up his first career PGA TOUR win in Houston this year, and has finished in the top ten 3 times, including at the WGC Match Play, where he was runner-up to Geoff Ogilvy. He’s got 48 European Tour top 10 finishes, and 9 wins across the pond. However, Casey’s best finish in a major is T-6th a the 2004 Masters, and he’s only finished in the top 10 in majors 4 times (15.38 percent of his starts as a pro).

So the verdict is in, and it remains Sergio Garcia. The formula says Kenny Perry may be closer to Garcia than people think. However, I don’t think Perry is disappointed to finish runner-up here.

When a Public Figure Dies

No one wants to speak ill of those who are deceased, yet I always find the same consistently bizarre development when someone in the public eye passes away. Bizarre to me, anyway.

Human beings immediately develop a sense of fond remembrance for people when they die. No one wants to remember negative aspects of someones life. It's one of the few endearing parts about human nature that never gets noticed.

This act is consistent with the immediate legacy of someone in the public eye. In the last few hours, this has been readily apparent to me with the death of Michael Jackson. Here is a man who's persona has literally been possessed by the public for in excess of 30 years. Everything he's done since adolescence has been analyzed by people. Shotty check-out line publications funded their entire payroll off hearsay regarding him.

For my entire time on Earth as a thinking, functioning person, Michael Jackson has been dubbed grade-A, bat shit insane by most people. I'm 24. I wasn't around for the peak of Thriller, or the Jackson 5. Obviously, I'm well aware of his musical catalog, but for my entire life, he's just been an aging entertainer tied up in legal battles regarding child molestation. THAT'S my overwhelming impression of him.

To hear people's reaction to this news, though, you would think he was a Verile, mid-twenties superstar, with his hand on the pulse of music. "Shock?" "Surreal?" Seriously, how is this a shock? The man has looked like a zombie for a decade. I feel for any loved ones when they lose someone who passes away, but how can the public express shock at this news?

My point is not to berate Michael Jackson. It's that I can't help but be fascinated every time a public figure passes away, people share this unified sense of humanity. This invariably leads to people narrowing their view of a person's life into a myopic, flowery image that best suits whatever glowing impression the deceased DID make on their lives.

When Tupac Shakur passed away I was 11, and he was my favorite musician. I of course paid no mind to his assault charges, nefarious actions, etc. I was 1) sad my favorite rapper was gone, and 2) invariably thought about my own death, which unfortunately I did way too much as a kid. I say this because he was probably the most personal example I can recall of a public figure dying that I was most saddened by.

People will wax poetic for several days and weeks about Michael Jackson. His musical legacy is obviously impossible to deny. But as is the case with everyone who dies, the public perspective on them glistens less as time goes on. The haze of human emotion that clouds their immediate legacy drifts away in time.

Just something I find interesting anytime the world loses a public figure.

I Co-Sign Charles Hamilton

I'm usually pretty good at staying up on new music, but I've realized recently there's a couple of new rappers that I hadn't heard of, and may be more famous than I expected. I don't read music publications really anymore - there's only so much media one human can consume, and with all the sports and news shows I watch...well there are only so many hours in a day.

That being said, I got this mixtape the other day and have listened to it 3 times already. This kid Charles Hamilton is very original and apparently pretty prolific. I share because I love:

Download torrent file here

Ninos del Infiernos, Negative Zero and I'm Good are probably my 3 favorite tracks on the album.

Why I Choose Sports

In journalism school, I never felt like I fit in anywhere. Ever. In any sense of the word.

This isn't to say I didn't like many aspects of my experience there. At the risk of exposing vast dorkiness, I will openly say my favorite parts of the whole thing were the lectures and debates we had in classes regarding ethics, newsworthiness, and journalism's place in democracy. I always thought the faculty was great, and many of them I will admire for a long while to come. It was the vast majority of the students I encountered there that I found completely arrogant and insufferable.

Saying this doesn't worry me, because 1) nobody will read this anyway, and 2) my J-school friends should know who they are, and I'm not worried about alienating them. If I like you, you're aware of it. If not, you're aware of that too. One of the most ferociously aggravating things I experienced there was the perception many people there had of sports, and the people who cover them.

Oh, sports are cute. They're not important. They're what you do if you aren't chiseled and intelligent enough to cover hard news. Sports fans are empty-minded, moronic and slow-witted. Those interested in working in sports media for a living are an extrapolation from those who consume them, meaning they're equally incompetent and immature.

Well, at least that's what it seemed like they were saying. This forced me to feel the need to constantly defend sports, mostly to no avail, amid a sea of silver-spoon-fed, utterly disconnected individuals unlike any I had ever met in my life. Clearly, I had come from a different past than these people. My favorite analogy describing the experience was this - they grew up reading the New Yorker, I grew up reading the Houston Chronicle's sports section. And they knew it.

The truth is, I CHOSE to work in sports for a variety of reasons. I was never forced or obligated to. I don't idolize athletes or coaches. I'm not transfixed by the primal desires of money, fame and glory that often come in sports. My tiny brain can handle more than a baseball box score - and for the record, partisan politics are much simpler to decipher than a zone blitz. There are a myriad of other reasons I would rather talk about the stronger points of running a Tampa 2 defense than to a politician putting the spin cycle on the day's minutiae.

The most significant and pleasing difference between sports and the rest of the world is FINALITY. There is a concrete element in sports - whether it be statistical or at the conclusion of a season - that does not exist in other facets of news coverage. For example, in politics, any facts or figures can be spun to adhere to a certain perspective. Regardless of what the numbers are, they are all relative, and can be presented in a manner that supports a certain viewpoint.

To a smaller extent, this exists in sports - but the bottom line is always WINNING and LOSING, a definite, polarizing outcome in competition that separates success from failure. There is no line of winning and losing in art, culture, politics, or even war (particularly the one we're in now) - just events that blur together in an endless calendar of cause and effect. Merits of a war are debated for decades; elections and political tactics and discussions thereof inevitably reach an unwavering standstill of partisanship. Sports give us the definite, the conclusive - finality.

This finality is so much more appealing to me than going to city hall and being lied to everyday. The conclusiveness of a season is the closing of a book - one that will always have another volume added that next spring, fall or winter. The characters and human interest stories generated from athletics represent all facets of society, and engender some of the most inspiring writing and journalism in America today. Sports give you definitive context, endless story lines, human drama, captivating rivalries, and the excitement that can be utterly void from many other forms of journalism.

And that's why I choose sports.

For the record, I'm proud to have graduated from the Mizzou J-School. And when I go back, I'll visit with my professors. I'll also go to a football game and grab a beer at Harpo's. But you people I never liked are better than that, so I won't have to worry about seeing you there.

C.C. 2008 vs. Unit 1998

I have long been a fan of C.C. Sabathia. I was a fan of David Wells, Rich Garces, and other large pitchers, but Sabathia is easily my favorite of the group. This most likely stems from my experience as an un-svelte right-handed pitcher with back problems, a mediocre fastball, and self-created slurve that I threw 75% of the time.

My favorite comparison between Sabathia's success this season as a Milwaukee Brewer, coincidentally and happily, is Randy Johnson's 1998 stint with the Astros. Less you forget, Johnson was acquired from the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Carlos Guillen, Freddy Garcia and John Halama. He proceeded to mutilate the National League for the remainder of the year, going 10-1 with a 1.28 ERA and 116 strikeouts, making the Astros (*cough*) presumptive trendy World Series picks entering the post-season. Unfortunately, they ran into roid-raging Kevin Brown and the best performances of Sterling Hitchcock's life - losing to the Padres in the NLDS.

Here's the tale of the tape between Sabathia and Unit entering Carsten Charles' start against the Fathers tonight in SD:

Through first 7 starts:

2008 C.C.

W-L: 6-0
ERA: 1.58
CG/SHO: 4/2
K/BB: 52/12
Opp BA: .200

Height: 6'7"
Throws: Left
From... AL to NL Central


1998 Unit

W-L: 6-1
ERA: 1.17
CG/SHO: 3/3
K/BB: 71/14
Opp BA: .183

Height: 6'10"
Throws: Left
From... AL to NL Central

I am Justin Ray, supreme baseball dork.

This Sample Is Crazy.

Woooo!



BLUEPRINT 3 from kwest on Vimeo.

Welcoming the NBA's Craziest Player

Let me begin by saying, I like that my favorite NBA team has never been afraid to make a big splash.

The Rockets have a history of making large, aggressive moves. Look at the names they've dealt and dealt for in just MY lifetime: Tracy McGrady, Steve Francis, Dikembe Mutombo, Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and now Ron Artest. This ain't roleplayer-for-cash-considerations swaps we're making here.

Owner Les Alexander, former GM Carroll Dawson and now Dawson's heir apparent, Daryl Morey, see the Houston Rockets as a premier NBA franchise - and as a fan, you have to appreciate that, especially when you're from a city that is sizable in populace but largely ignored by the national media.

I love this move on several different levels. For one, he only has a one year deal. If Certifiably-Insane-RonRon skips his Paxil dosage and throws a shit-fit or two, we can Bonzi Wells him and trot out the same team that copped a 4 seed last year despite significant missed time from Yao and T-Mac. That's the WORST case scenario.

Best case, he adds the additional wing scorer that Tracy so desperately needed (see: Game 2 of the Utah series this year, when nobody but T-Mac could create their own shot), a third banana to our two mega-stars. He allows McGrady to take the number 2 or number 3 offensive option on defense, dependent on whether or not Battier AND Artest are on the floor with him together. Tracy will be more refreshed on O, consummate team player Battier becomes Bruce Bowen without Satan horns, and both Yao and Tracy face fewer double-teams.

Also, if and when McGrady's back flares up, Artest gives us another seasoned primary scoring option. This isn't even taking into account that Luis Scola improved offensively as he adapted to the American game, Rafer Alston took a leap forward last year under Adelman, and Carl Landry will only get better in his 2nd season. Oh, and they added veteran depth with Brent Barry signing in the off-season.

Look at it this way: who do you want in a matchup with the Lakers (who the Rockets beat in the season series 2-1 last year) - Baby Bynum and his knee, or Chairman Yao and his recovering foot? A soft Gasol, or a 2-headed forward tandem of Landry and Scola? Lamar Odom or Ron Artest? I would ask Kobe or Tracy, but that answer's obviously #24. Derek Fisher, one year older, or Skip with another year of seasoning? A bench of Battier-Barry-(maybe Mutombo, Francis)-Head, or Walton-Sasha-Farmar? The matchup now is certainly closer than yesterday.

Could we win a title with Ron Artest? Hard to say - but we did win with Vernon Maxwell. And he was fucking INSANE.

At least there's a precedent.

An Open Letter to Missouri Basketball

Dear Mizzou Basketball,

I, as a man-law-abiding sportsman, aknowledge that you, as my alma mater, represent the college basketball entity I am obligated to devote my fandom to. However, it seems like you've done everything in your power to shoo me from staying with you.

Like it or not, we've been thrust into this relationship. Since I began my courtship of you in the Fall of 2004, though, you haven't seemed to show the slightest interest in wooing me. My emotional investment in you has been somewhere between marginial and thorough; my expectations realistically grounded, my hopes hovering slightly higher. You've flashed a sheepish smile in the form of a home win against Kansas, or a flirtation with pushing the envelope of a winning season, but invariably, you've given me more shame than pride.

A timeline since our first enounter:

October 23, 2004
My new team, a new era, a new stadium. The Tigers get their first shot at playing in front of a crowd in their new Paige Sports Arena in the Black and Gold game. We'll be in rebuilding mode this season - but hey, we've got sparkling new digs, so that will make things far more bearable.

November 4, 2004
Mizzou and the NCAA announce sanctions that include the loss of scholarships for two years, a one-year off-campus recruiting ban, and 3 years of probation. The discipline stems from an incident that preceded us meeting each other, yet I was fully aware of: a saga simply referred to as "Ricky Clemons." I elect not to delve further into this, because most of it preceded when we first crossed paths. I don't care about your exes; I'm more concerned about today. So, a rough start, but we're looking forward.

November 26, 2004
Paige Sports Arena is renamed, cleverly I may add, "Mizzou Arena," amid accusations that the Wal-Mart heiress it was named after cheated her way through college. Bill and Nancy Laurie had donated $25 million to launch the original arena project, and in exchange recieved naming rights and other perks. Paige Laurie, the besmirked namesake, never attended Missouri - she recieved a bachelors degree from USC. These are not positive omens.

March 15, 2005
Quin Snyder's second consecutive nightmarish season concludes as his team loses to DePaul at home in the first round of the NIT, 75-70. This is the second year in a row the team ended their season in the second tournament's first game. The Tigers finish 16-17, their first losing season since 1996-97.

November 14, 2005
The Tigers lose their season opener to Sam Houston State, 80-77, in a game that I contend should be called The Justin Ray Classic. I did not anticipate that I was transferring to the weaker basketball school when I left this Southland Conference powerhouse for the land of Stormin' Norm.

December 21, 2005
In the annual Braggin' Rights showdown, no. 6 Illinois, a final four team the year before, demolishes Mizzou 82-50. I learn it is the worst loss in the history of the series for the Tigers. Hilariously, yet somewhat sadly, an enraged Missouri fan dumps popcorn over Quin Snyder's head after the game.

January 16, 2006
In what was easily the high-water mark for my Mizzou hoops fandom, the Tigers shock the Kansas Jayhawks in Columbia. The team is showing signs of life - 10-5 overall, 3-1 in conference, and what will be a quality win on the possible tournament resume. The Tigers begin reeling me in as a full-fledged fan.

February 7, 2006
Five consecutive double-digit conference losses later, I am far less enamored. The streak of futility includes the worst home loss in 25 years (82-58 to IOWA STATE) and is capped off by a 26-point loss to previous 1-win juggernaut Baylor. Our sparkling arena remains sparkling because nobody is coming to see this monstrosity in action.

February 10, 2006
The Quin Snyder era ends, as he "resigns." Resign is the word used by Mike Alden in a structured, well-rehearsed statement, and reeks of falsity. Quin had seen much better days before my arrival, but unfortunately my perception of him is dominated by the basketball I saw first hand while I was there. That being said, his career record with the Tigers was 126-91, and he did take the team to the NCAA Tournament 4 times, including once to the Elite 8. I never even sniffed that kind of action, though.

March 9, 2006
The season ends in round one of the Big 12 Tournament at the hands of Nebraska, 71-64. Seven people watch this game.

March 26, 2006
Mike Anderson is named as the new coach. After watching a bit of UAB the season before, I'm excited that we'll be playing a faster, more aggressive brand of basketball that emphasizes a kinetic defensive style and push-the-rock mentality. This has got to be a step in the right direction, I say to myself.

February 17, 2007
Mike Anderson Jr. is arrested for a DWI. Yes, he is our head coach's son. No, he is not a valuable member of our team. Carry on.

2006-2007 Season Recap
Amidst the lowlights of my time as a fan, the '06-'07 season was a shred of promise. Stefhon Hannah emerged as the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, flourishing as the point man of Mike Anderson's fluid offensive scheme. Matt Lawrence, Kalen Grimes and Leo Lyons emerged from nowhere to be extremely valuable contributors. J.T. Tiller emerged as a personal favorite of mine because of his tireless defensive efforts. Even Jason Horton flashed glimpses of mild competency. The on-court product, despite finishing 18-12 and missing the NIT, was flush with effort and fire. Add the promise of transfer DeMarre Carroll coming in the season ahead, and Mizzou basketball looked like something I should at least not write off in its entirety.

July 5, 2007
Highly regarded transfer DeMarre Carroll is shot in the ankle outside of Tropicana Night Club in Columbia. Details of the fracas are sparse, yet all reports imply Carroll was an innocent bystander trying to break up a fight. Carroll ends up being alright, and I chalk it up (optimistically) to a kid being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

July 10, 2007
Kalen Grimes is accused of striking a man in the face with the butt of a shotgun in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen in Florissant, Missouri. I wish I was creative enough to make this shit up. Grimes is formally charged the next day with second-degree assault. On July 17, Grimes is dismissed from the team altogether. Apparently the fight that led to the climactic act of Grimes Barry Bondsing someone with a pump started in a Jack in the Box parking lot, before spilling to DQ. Good to see Kalen was making smart dietary choices, as well.

2007-08 Preseason
Despite the Grimes and the Carroll incidents, excitement seems to be renewed for Mizzou hoops. The school is riding high on an incomprehensibly successful and surprising football season, a fraction of which would bring elation to Tiger basketball. People have not forgotten the promise brought forth by Mizzou's fresh look last year - energy, tenacious defense - and another year of Coach Anderson instilling his system and working his guys into the program can only bring more reward. DeMarre Carroll is even named Big XII Preseason Newcomer of the Year, and Tiger alumni Thomas Gardner is (shockingly) getting minutes for the Chicago Bulls.

October 18, 2007
That didn't take long. A few weeks before the Black and Gold game, Darryl Butterfield is suspended from competition following an arrest for allegedly punching his ex-girlfriend during a domestic dispute. Darryl returns to practice a few weeks later, after issuing a public apology.

November 18, 2007
At least something from the team's past can make us feel better: Norm Stewart is inducted into the College Basketball Hall of Fame. I am aware of his success and stature in Tiger lore - his name is on the court, after all - but am inspired to learn a bit more upon this announcement. He won the Tigers' only national championship, in baseball in 1954, and was named national coach of the year twice, leading his team to the NCAA tournament 16 times. So the rumors are true! We were good at one point.

December 2, 2007
The Tigers drop both games in a crucial pre-conference road swing. First, a heartbreaker in Arkansas, followed by a less inspired effort at Cal. Either win would have glimmered a bit on a potential post-season resume, especially for a bubble-at-best looking team like Mizzou. Disheartening, but conference play is still yet to start.

January 29, 2008
Five (FIVE!) players are suspended after being involved in a brawl outside of Athena Night Club: Marshall Brown, Stefhon Hannah, Butterfield, Jason Horton and Leo Lyons. Hannah, the team's leading scorer, gets the worst of it - he suffers a broken jaw in the melee. Hannah will never play again for Mizzou.

Coach Anderson's hard stance is commendable, but it's getting tough to even take the team seriously at this point.

February 12, 2008
Stefhon Hannah is formally dismissed from the team. In every press release regarding the dismissal of a player, one line always exists:

"We will continue to support (insert player name) through this difficult time and his health continues to be our primary concern." I think the S&I director has a template for these releases saved in a Word file on his computer.

March 13, 2008
Missouri loses to Nebraska in the opening round of the Big XII Tournament. We finish 19-11, and miss the NIT. I am several states away, and have stopped paying close attention.

June 27, 2008
Keon Lawrence tells Coach Mike that he will be transferring. Lawrence boils it down to personal problems and unhappiness, not blasting the coach or program. All things considered, I would probably transfer, too. Keon had taken on a leadership role when the wheels fell off the season post-Athena-fight, and correspondingly elevated his play. Lawrence, in my eyes, was usually the most talented player on the floor any time he came into the game.

So how does that riot act look, Missouri basketball? I've tried and tried to love you, but have gotten nothing but shame in exchange for my efforts so far. I'm not going to bail out completely, but if you were a thinking entity with reasoning abilities, I'm sure you wouldn't blame me if I did.

You're running out of time and chances,

Young Alumni

Jay-Z at Glastonbury, Parts 1-8

"If you break it, people ain't gonna go. I'm sorry, but Jay-Z? ... No chance," said Oasis songwriter Noam Gallagher, who has headlined Glastonbury twice with his band. "I'm not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. No way. No. It's wrong."

So days after Gallagher called the notion of a hip-hop act headlining the colossal British music festival, "wrong," Jay-Z walked on stage singing "Wonderwall." He then put on a fantastic show, apparently to the surprise of many.

Below is his set in its entirety (If the video links below aren't showing up on Facebook, click the "view original post" link at the bottom of the page, and it will take you to my blog page with the videos).

Worst Moments in Astros History

There are dark moments for all professional sports franchises. Typically, a player choking your general manager would qualify as such. The events of the past few days have not put the Houston Astros in the best of lights, but there have been more ominous tones heard in Astroland. So before you cast this as the worst moment to face the Dis-Astros, here's a history lesson on moments where the skies seemed darker.

5. December 7, 1988
Nolan Ryan signs with the Texas Rangers

After the 1988 season, the Astros began a string of significant personnel changes. Manager Hal Lanier was dismissed after the team suffered consecutive disappointing seasons following the NL West crown in 1986. What amounted to a fire sale ensued, as well, the zenith of which being the iconic gunslinger heading North up I-45 to join the Texas Rangers. Called "too old" by then-owner John McMullen, the Ryan Express went on to throw 2 more no-hitters for the Rangers - one more than he did in an Astro uniform.

4. April 8, 1964
Jim Ubricht dies of cancer

Jim Umbricht pitched just two seasons out of the Colt .45's bullpen, going a combined 7-3 in 143 innings of work. However, he would be better remembered in the Houston area for his resiliency, returning to pitch for Houston in 1963 after undergoing surgery to remove a malignant tumor in his leg in March of that year.

On the eve of the 1964 season, Umbricht succumbed to lymphoma at the age of 33. The club immediately retired his number 32, and the Astros' MVP award was subsequently renamed in his honor.

3. June 13, 1999
Manager Larry Dierker suffers seizure in dugout

One of the more bizarre, frightening moments in recent baseball history happened inside the Astrodome during a game between the Astros and visiting San Diego Padres. Larry Dierker, the Astros' manager at the time and former player and broadcaster, suffered a grand mal seizure during the 8th inning. The game was postponed and resumed July 23rd.

"''I was getting ready to step in, and the umpire said, 'Hold on,' '' Jeff Bagwell said. ''I looked around, and everybody was running to the dugout. Larry had collapsed. He couldn't talk. He was shaking violently. He was shaking the whole time. It was shocking. We're all stunned.''

Paramedics in an ambulance rushed to the dugout from center field. Dierker's wife, Judy, left the stands and went to the dugout. As the ambulance was driven off the field, accompanied by a motorcycle escort, Astros players huddled in group prayer. Dierker underwent brain surgery to repair malformed blood vessels two days later.

Thankfully, Dierker returned to the dugout just a month later. The Astros went on to win the National League Central that season.

2. January 5, 1975
Don Wilson dies in his Houston home

Wilson pitched 8 full seasons with the Astros from 1966-1974, going 104-92, making the All-Star team in 1971, and throwing 2 no-hitters - one as a rookie in 1967, the other in 1969. He is also is one of only 12 pitchers to ever strike out 18 or more batters in a start of 9 innings or less. On January 5, 1975, Wilson died at his Southwest Houston home he shared with his wife, daughter and son. Wilson was found in the passenger seat of his brown Ford Thunderbird inside the garage with the engine running. The garage was attached to the house, which caused his son, Alex, to die also and his daughter, Denice to be hospitalized in a coma. The official cause of death states that Wilson's death was accidental.

1. July 30, 1980
J.R. Richard has stroke

In 1980, J.R. Richard was widely considered to be a front-runner for the National League's Cy Young Award and was one of the most dominating pitchers in baseball. The flame-throwing righty had a 10-4 record and an ERA of 1.73 on July 30, 1980 when he suffered a stroke before a game. In the days and weeks previous, Richard had complained of a "dead arm" and shoulder and neck pains. Additionally, in his last start on July 14, he said he was unable to read the catcher's signs. Richard's concerns fell on deaf ears with Astros management, and several in the local media perceived Richard to be whiny for making such claims.

While playing catch before a game on July 30, 1980, Richard suffered a major stroke and collapsed in the outfield. A massive blockage in his right cartoid artery necessitated emergency surgery that evening. A CAT scan of Richard's brain later indicated that he had suffered three separate strokes from the different obstructions in his arterial system. Richard underwent rehab, but missed the remainder of the season. J.R. underwent a lengthy comeback attempt over the next couple of years, but was never able to regain his old, dominant form, and never pitched in the major leagues again.

Though the team still managed to go on to win the NL West that season, long-time Astro fans maintain that had something so colossally tragic not happened to one of their aces, the Astros would have won the World Series that year. The Astros lost the NLCS, 3-2, to the eventual World Series champion Philadelphia Phillies.

Richard's personal struggles outside of baseball in coming years make the story much more tragic, though. He lost hundreds of thousands of dollars in unsuccessful business deals and two different divorces. In 1994, a local Houston news outlet aired a story revealing that the former diamond hero was living under a Houston-area bridge. Richard has since regained traction in his personal life, finding solace in the church and becoming a Christian minister and stalwart for youth baseball programs.

The Astros have yet to retire Richard's number 50, an issue that remains a tedious one with the franchise and long-time fans.

What I Learned In 1200 Miles

Yesterday, I dragged my life and a U-Haul 1200 miles from Orlando to Bristol, Connecticut. As you know, Bristol is famous for the world-renowned Pequabuck Golf Club. It's also home to a large row of satellites and some large sports television network. The following are some of the things I picked up on my odyssey from exotic and secluded Central Florida to the bustling metropolis that is my new home.

1. Never over-fill a U-Haul
I rented a U-Haul to drag behind THE Silverado, and elected to go with one that was the same size as the one I rented when I moved to Florida. As it turns out, I underestimated the amount of crap I purchased while living in Orlando, and bought a U-Haul trailer that was a size or two too small. This was no matter to a longtime veteran of the back room at Foot Locker, where I became thoroughly experienced in the art of cramming boxes into spaces where they should not fit. When I got to Bristol, however, this became a bit of an issue, when I was unable to get the back gate open of the U-Haul. In all my brilliance, I did not anticipate the contents inside shifting and rendering the opening of the back gate impossible. I then tried the following methods to get the gate open:

1. Pull on handle repetitively
2. Kick back door in frustration
3. Try to accelerate truck, slam on brakes trying to shift content
4. Fail
5. Kick back door in frustration
6. Borrow crow bar from apartment complex
7. Use crow bar to try and pry gate open
8. Fail
9. Kick back door in frustration
10. Call U-Haul hotline, where they offered to send someone out there, per my expense, to try and open gate with crow bar.
11. Tell U-Haul guy what I thought of his idea.
12. Detach U-Haul from trailer hitch in an attempt to move stuff forward
13. Fail
14. Kick door in frustration
15. Get back at it with crow bar
16. Work back gate open, millimeter by millimeter
17. *Time elapse = roughly 30 minutes*
18. OPEN BACK GATE! FREEDOM! SWEET FREEDOM!

The lesson here, children: never over-fill a U-Haul. That, or hire a moving service. Also, never give in to your own stupidity or the suggestions of help line operators.


2. Dragging a U-Haul up the east coast is PRICEY
When I started my journey, I had 70 in cash in my wallet. When I arrived in Bristol, I had 4. I didn't pay cash for anything along the way EXCEPT TOLLS. At one point, I spent 29 dollars in 30 minutes paying for the NJ turnpike and the George Washington Bridge. I'm convinced the booth operators saw my Texas plates and made up a number. I'd also like to thank Google maps for the expedient, affordable route they provided.

3. New Jersey is Depressing/Confusing
I've driven through New Jersey twice now, and maybe it's because a slow drizzle and yellow/gray sky has been the backdrop each time, but I really can't imagine living there and not needing a Prozac IV. That, or a lot of whiskey. Why is everything so rusted there? Maybe someone can help me out with this.

Also, this is the only place I have ever been that I've seen nothing but full service gas stations. I had never even seen a gas station with an attendant in my life before I drove through there last summer. I thought this was so bizarre, I told the dude that he didn't need to pump my gas and I did it myself. I explained to him that I was from Texas and had never seen a full service gas station before. He responded in a jumbled lexicon I was unable to distinguish and waddled away.

4. Delaware
What is the fucking point of Delaware? Have you ever met anyone from Delaware? No, of course not. This is because nobody lives there. The woman in the toll booth who charged me 10 dollars for driving through their county (ed. note: state) actually lives in Pennsylvania. Because of this egregious toll I was subjected to, I will always hate Joe Flacco.



If this was a publication of significance (another ed. note: a publication at all) I would now have 2 states that would hate me.

5. Wale's new mixtape > Tha Carter 3
I had only heard Wale in bits and pieces before I put "The Mixtape About Nothing" on my IPod the other day (his feature on the new Roots joint, "Nike Boots," sporadic listens on HipHopGame.com, etc.). Maybe it's because he might like Seinfeld as much as I do, but dude's new mixtape is really, really good.

His assessment of how fans shoulder the blame for hip-hop's declining health was smart and refreshing. His metaphors are subtle and rolling, harder to detect but smarter than the blatant verbal presentation of most emcees today. He also has a keen ear for beats, something that distinguishes young emcees from their peers and can lead one to superstardom. The format of the mixtape was creative and brilliantly executed, and I liked the intermittent clips from "Seinfeld." I give it a solid A-.



Don't get me wrong, I LIKED Carter 3. I'll probably be playing several of the tracks all summer, if not off and on for years to come. I think it's remarkable that he had this many gems in the bank after the epidemic of net leakage that the project suffered (which was either brilliant modern marketing or just incidental). The singles are singles - the Babyface feature is the obvious next of which (I'm guessing the T-Pain track is already on radio, 'Lollipop' and 'A Millie' leaked months ago... I wouldn't know, I haven't listened to mainstream radio willingly in years.

'Mr. Carter' is unmistakably dope, but it's obvious to me that Wayne was so geeked about having his idol on the album that he put on 2 extra verses that really didn't need to be there. 'Tie My Hands' was unexpectedly my favorite song on the album. The Fab and Juelz feature song was thankfully remastered, and thumps quite well. 'Mrs. Officer' has good replay value, and '3-Peat' is a near-perfect opening number. I give it a B overall, and a B+ if you factor in the watered-down, Adderall-needed crappiness of this current era of hip-hop.



----

So that's what's good with my venture to the WWL. I drove through Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, circumvented DC, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, and finally Connecticut. I start work Monday.

Tiger Is The New Babe Ruth

Much has been said in the past week since Tiger Woods' victory waltz through the Accenture Match Play championship about his place among the most dominating athletes of all time. I don't know how he could be anything but number one.

On the course, Tiger can hardly be compared to his modern-day peers. What's most telling though is that he really never was - since he won the 1997 Masters, he has been compared almost solely to historical figures: Palmer, Nicklaus, Snead, et al. Essentially, even in his youth, his pedestal was being crafted for him. His immediate, permanent ascension to the top of the golf world solidified this practice.

To say he is bigger than the sport would ignore the significant cultural, socioeconomic and historical ties that golf has around the world. However, to say he is bigger than the PGA TOUR would be a transparent fact. Events Tiger skips usually don't warrant a mention on SportsCenter, or on the front page of USA Today, or get play on Deadspin.com (unless Phil manages to stumble into a win, then it's a 50-50 shot, at best). He is a breathing mythical icon - the unequivocal mark of greatness in his sport - and he's just now entering his prime.

It's telling that his name is constantly brought up during European Tour broadcasts as a benchmark for greatness - meanwhile, he's literally half a world away, either playing in an event that matters, preparing for an event that matters, or savoring the spoils of previously winning an event that matters. These events matter, of course, on a relative basis, because to most of the sports world, the only golf tournaments that matter are the ones in which Tiger Woods is an active participant.

A microcosm of Tiger's absolute cultural dominance comes in Tiger's video game with EA sports. In Madden (also an EA publication), one player every year is singled out and given the privilege of being on the cover. Yet, the star of the game is the NFL shield - the league, and the game play, is far bigger than one superstar. NBA Live is the same way. T-Mac or Dwyane Wade or Carmelo Anthony is made the game's poster child, yet does not carry the burden (or financial benefit) of the game's entirety on his shoulders. This is the polar opposite in golf. The GAME ITSELF carries Woods' moniker, because he as an entity is such a stronger sell than anything else remotely associated with the game of golf.

(John Madden's moniker is on the NFL game, but his presence in the game itself is minimal, and one can argue that the Madden video game franchise has surpassed anything else John Madden as a man has accomplished in terms of impact on American culture.)

Sergio Garcia, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, and legends of the past exist in TIGER WOODS 08, but serve as auxillary pieces in the grand scheme of things. Note that the actual game is incomprehensibly addictive, as any gamer will tell you. In turn, the video game consuming public, who for the most part are either passive golf fans or have no interest in golf at all besides this game, see professional golf AS Tiger Woods. If I went to my buddy's apartment, we would 'play T-Woods' not 'play PGA.' This may seem like a small thing, but years of inundation makes this repetitious practice have a lasting impact on the perception of professional golf.

(Somehow, the impact of video games on culture is lost on many, which is a tangent that could have a book written about it someday, since they have been inundating the brains and social patterns of youths since 1970-something.)

Elite TOUR courses are no longer modified or updated, they are "Tiger-proofed." Cognizant players hit weight racks, treadmills, pilates classes and supplement stores because Tiger treats his body like an elite athlete would instead of a frat pledge or accountant or middle school teacher.

One mention of his name makes you into a temporary star. Ask Rory Sabbatini. Or Ian Poulter. This is a fascinating topic in and of itself, that strikes me as most akin to the relationship between unknown emcees beefing with rap stars. In the circles who follow your sport or musical realm closely, you are granted 15 seconds of notoriety if your words strike a strong enough chord. Quickly, the party of lesser power rescinds his notion of superiority, for fear of the wrath they feel in said sport or musical realm. Either that, or their comments fade into the abyss of obscurity within a matter of weeks, and maybe days. So if Jay-Z is Tiger, Ian Poulter would be on par with Agallah. This analogy works, because unless you either follow golf or rap music very closely, you haven't heard of either of them.

Michael Jordan is the most common sports analogy to Woods because he's the most recent, but I have always thought of Tiger most comparably to an American cultural icon who dwarfed his peers, fellow competitors, and historical precedents, in and out of the playing arena: Babe Ruth.

In 1927, Babe Ruth hit 60 home runs. The Philadelphia Athletics, who came in 2nd in the American League standings that year, hit 56. AS A TEAM. Ruth was a force unlike anything ever seen in what was then a station-to-station game catered more towards singles and doubles than the long ball. Ruth's star power that came from his larger-than-sport presence and talent did more to alter the way baseball was played, viewed and marketed than any one person ever did to that point. There are also Ruthian anecdotes buried into American nostalgia, both on and off the field, like his famed called shot, or strong penchant for vices of the flesh. Because of all of these wonderful things, he has grown into a mythical American superhero, like Paul Bunyan, John Wayne, and possibly Optimus Prime.

But even Ruth had statistical peers eventually, when Lou Gehrig and Jimmie Foxx arrived. Tiger doesn't really have any yet. Phil Mickelson, a legendary talent and competitor in his own right, would have been a sporting hero had he shown up 15 years earlier. Unfortunately, he didn't, and his prime coincided with Tiger's total eclipse. Els, Goosen, Singh, Garcia, Scott, and others all have appeared to be on the precipice of entering his atmosphere, before either 1) drifting back down to earth, or 2) watching Tiger click his afterburners and return to his own galaxy.

Babe Ruth was the ultimate sum-of-all-necessary-parts needed, during his day, to become the American legend he will always be. He played in our Rome, for the greatest franchise in the history of American sports. He was big in stature, bigger in personality, and biggest in skill. The three biggest draws in sport during his day were baseball, boxing and horse racing. The sports media landscape was unsplintered, focused, and carried a boys' club aura that made pressers chummy with players - this permitted the idyllic imagery of all that was majestic and right with Ruth to permeate coverage of him.

Tiger is, essentially, a perfect storm for his day, too. He is a youthful in appearance and articulate behind a microphone in an age that demands aesthetic perfection from its idols. In a time where every celebrity's breath, word and burp is recorded and posted online, his demeanor and persona is just about flawless in the public eye. He is covered by a sports media that is very splintered and user-specific, but because he plays golf, and is not tied to any particular media market, he will never be limited by what city he plays in. His youthfulness and greatness makes him appealing to young people, while his respect for history and greatness make him appealing to older people.

Tiger Woods has hit some Ruthian shots in his day. But, now that I think of it, it's more accurate to say Babe Ruth was pretty Tigerian.

Today: 10 Years Since Harry Caray Died

When I was extremely young - like, 5-and-6-years-old young, I was a Cubs fan. This was predominantly because they were on television every afternoon when I got home from kindergarten. Ryne Sandberg, Andre Dawson, and Shawon Duntson were my favorite players, and the late Harry Caray called games. Of course, I came to my senses by second grade, fully embracing my hometown Astros, but the impression left by the living soundbite Caray has held to this day.

To me, he was the proverbial friendly old coot down the street, who your mother was leery of because he oogled the other Moms and perpetually clutched a Bud longneck. At the same time, the kids loved him because he gave out the best Halloween candy, and didn't care when the football landed in his yard.

Caray has also been immortalized in one of the best SNL sketches of all time.

Big XII Championship: Position by Position Breakdown

2007 BIG XII CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
#9 OKLAHOMA vs #1 MISSOURI

POSITION BY POSITION BREAKDOWN

Quarterbacks
You can keep your Graham Harrell, folks, because these two are inarguably the best quarterbacks in the conference. The fact that their teams are in the title game is no coincidence, either - you all know about #10, who seems to have been on TV more this week than Wolf Blitzer and Peyton Manning combined. Chase Daniel is now a legit Heisman candidate, and will submit his final statement in that conversation Saturday night. Chase at times looked fidgety against the Sooner pass rush the first time these two played, and last season when OU came to Columbia and won. However, Daniel has been more and more poised in the pocket since then, and displayed unforeseen escapability last Saturday at Arrowhead.

One needs to look no further than the game against Texas Tech to determine how valuable redshirt freshman Sam Bradford is to the Oklahoma Sooners. Bradford exited in the first half with a concussion, and the Sooners never really got back on track, dropping that game in Lubbock. Last week against an overmatched Oklahoma State team, Bradford wasn't asked to do much, completing 11 of 15 passes for 150 yards, with 4 TD's and 1 pick. Bradford leads the country in passing efficiency with a 182.23 rating, but a key thing to note for Bradford is the disparity in home and road splits: Bradford has been impeccable in Norman, with 25 touchdowns, 3 interceptions, and an efficiency rating of 207.35! In 5 games away from home (including the neutral Texas game), Sam has just 7 touchdowns, 4 picks, and a more modest rating of 139.23. He struggled against Iowa State and Colorado on the road, and I think he'll struggle in the Alamodome Saturday.
ADVANTAGE TIGERS

Runningbacks
When these two teams last met, Mizzou's best ground threat, Tony Temple, was inactive. He's back this time, and gives MU the key cog in what really is an underrated ground game. Temple has 382 yards and 5 touchdowns since coming back to the lineup.

On the flipside, the tables have turned a bit, as Oklahoma's best runner and weapon on special teams, DeMarco Murray, is out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. That puts the onus on Allen Patrick, a beast in his own right, to carry the load for OU. Patrick demolished the Oklahoma State Cowboys last week with 208 yards on 29 carries, and will look to do the same against the nation's 25th best rush defense. Patrick is the key to Oklahoma's success this weekend in San Antonio.
ADVANTAGE SOONERS

Recievers and tight ends
Mizzou is currently enjoying what might be the most talented group of pass-catchers in the history of the school. Chase Daniel has the privelege of throwing to a litany of weapons, including Mackey award finalist Martin Rucker, a freshman with after-burners in Jeremy Maclin, and extremely talented senior Will Franklin. Star TE Chase Coffman has been walking in a cast this week on an ankle he re-aggrivated on a PAT against Kansas, but is expected to play Saturday. His effectiveness on a bad ankle, though, is up in the air. When Kansas keyed in on Maclin and Franklin last week, DaNario Alexander and Tommy Saunders played like All-Americans. It will be interesting to see if they are able to do that against much a much deeper Sooner secondary, should the Tigers' big guns be blanketed.

Oklahoma exploited the size mismatches of WR's Juaquin Iglesias and Malcolm Kelly back the first time these two teams played. Iglesias snagged 7 catches for 77 and a score, while Kelly caught 5 for 58. Tight ends Jermaine Gresham and Joe Jon Finley give the Sooners a nice complement inside to go with the big guns at wideout. That being said, Chase Daniel's downfield accuracy makes his recievers all that more dangerous, and I give the edge to MU.
ADVANTAGE TIGERS

Offensive line
The Tigers offensive line has had a fantastic season, but this one isn't close. The Sooners' offensive line averages 322 pounds, and 6-5, 352 pound left guard Duke Robinson will be protecting some lucky NFL quarterback in a couple of years. That being said, Chase Daniel's run at the little gold man and Sam Bradford's success his freshman year are due in large part to the stellar O-line play they have enjoyed in 2007.
ADVANTAGE SOONERS

Defensive line
The biggest thing to watch on either team's defensive lines Saturday will be the effectiveness of Big 12 sacks leader Auston English for the Sooners. English has missed the last 3 games due to injury, and so far, Coach Stoops has been mum on his playing status. It is hard to believe that English will be at 100% this weekend, but even at half-speed, he's a weapon that needs to be accounted for.

Last week, the Tigers were able to put more pressure on Kansas quarterback Todd Reesing than he had seen all season long. He was frustrated, flustered, and failed to execute on the big stage. The Tigers defensive line doesn't get a whole lot of sacks, but will need to sufficiently pressure Bradford, get him out of his comfort zone, and force him to look like a freshman.
ADVANTAGE PUSH

Linebackers
The Tigers' young core of linebackers doesn't feature one senior, but have rapidly matured and improved over the course of the season. Once considered the biggest weakness of the defense, they have evolved into another strength for a team on fire.

Oklahoma is used to churning out sensational linebackers - see Tedy Lehman, Rocky Calmus, etc. - and they have produced yet another all-world defensive menace in Curtis Lofton. Lofton terrorized Mizzou with 18 tackles in their first matchup, and is second in the conference in tackles per game this season. MU's group has been great recently, but no one on MU's defensive unit is as talented as Lofton.
ADVANTAGE SOONERS

Secondary
When defensive leader Pig Brown was lost for the season, many close Missouri followers expected the Tiger defense to struggle the rest of the season. What it did though, was serve as a catalyst for William Moore to emerge as a star and leader of this Tiger secondary. With an INT of Todd Reesing Saturday, Moore tied the all-time MU single season mark for interceptions in a season of 7 with NFL hall-of-famer Roger Wehrli. The secondary is vastly undersized when matching up with big OU wideouts Iglesias and Kelly, though, and face a difficult challenge Saturday.

The same can be said about the Oklahoma Sooners. It's nearly impossible for anyone to match up well with Rucker and Coffman when they're healthy. One big question in this matchup, of course, is the health of Coffman, who caught 10 passes for 102 yards in the teams' first meeting. CB Reggie Smith was a Big 12 preseason first-teamer, and has subsequently backed that up with 3 picks, while DJ Wolfe and Marcus Walker are ball-hawks who have been menacing Big 12 offenses all season.
ADVANTAGE SOONERS

Special Teams
Both teams are pretty sound in the kicking game, so let's look at the kick returners.
When the Tigers put Jeremy Maclin on the field, the Sooners will, at all times, know where he is. He's second in the NCAA in all-purpose yardage, and has long since broke the freshman record in that statistic. Maclin gives the Tigers this game's best big play threat. That statement is made possible by the absence of DeMarco Murray, who's injury takes away Oklahoma's best weapon in the kicking game. The Sooners are number 1 in the country in kickoff return average at 28.23, but without Murray, that stat is far less significant.
ADVANTAGE TIGERS

Coaching
It's no secret that Bob Stoops might be the best coach in the country. He's 4-0 career against Mizzou, 4-1 in Big 12 championship games, and 27-4 against the Big 12 North. Gary Pinkel has done a sensational job this season, and would become a likely favorite for coach of the year should the Tigers win the game Saturday. That being said, this is an impossible matchup to win for almost anyone not named Bear Bryant.
ADVANTAGE SOONERS

So, to recap: the two biggest things to watch for me in this game will be the health/effectiveness of Auston English, and the ability for the Mizzou defensive line to make Sam Bradford uncomfortable. MU's offense is rolling right now, and are coming off a win in an absolutely electric bowl-game environment last weekend in Kansas City. Oklahoma will be without arguably their best offensive weapon, though Allen Patrick is certainly a pleasant plan B to have available. Sam Bradford's best win away from Norman was against a flat, overrated Texas team, and struggles on the road against ISU and Colorado lead me to believe he may scrap a bit Saturday night in San Antonio. I predict a close game, with a William Moore interception in the 4th quarter leading to a draining TD drive for the Tigers to seal the deal.

PREDICTION
#9 Oklahoma 31, #1 MISSOURI 41

Tigers play WVU in the BCS National Championship.

Countdown to Armageddon at Arrowhead: 5 days

Some notes about the Border War:

-Series tied 53-53-9*
*This total reflects a 1960 Kansas win as a Missouri win due to a Kansas forefeit, it was later revealed that KU used an ineligible player.
-Series dates back to 1891...this is the 'oldest rivalry west of the Mississippi'
-First time game has been played in Kansas City since 1945...18 of the first 19 matchups were played in Kansas City...at neutral sites, KU leads the series 13-6-3.
-Until the early 1950's, the MU-KU game was played on Thanksgiving Day

Biggest games in Kansas-Missouri history:
-In 1909, both teams went into the season finale undefeated. Missouri won the game 12-6 to finish the season 9-0-1.
-In 1960, Kansas defeated Missouri, ranked no. 1 in the country for the only week in the history of the school, 23-7. Kansas was later forced to forfeit the game for using an ineligible player.
-In 1969, Mizzou defeated KU, 69-21. That point total remains a single-game record for the Tigers.
-In 1991, Tony Sands rushed for 396 yards against MU, a mark that is 2nd all time on the single-game rushing yards list (LaDaninan Tomlinson, 1999 vs UTEP, 406 yards).

The MU-KU bass drum:
The MU-KU Bass Drum is issued to the winner of the Missouri-Kansas football game. It originated in 1935, and was originally conceived as Indian War Drum in nature by a couple of Mizzou alumni, since Osage Indians roamed the plains of Kansas and Missouri long before the state universities were founded. The trophy's original intent was to stimulate new interest in longtime series that had dwindled during the Depression of the '30s and MU's all-time low in football victories. The supposedly authentic Indian drum was purchased in a Kansas City pawn shop, and new drum was acquired prior to the 1986 game; it was autographed originally on both drum heads by KU and MU alumni. The tradition was temporarily forgotten for a few years but resumed on an annual basis in 1947.

Pinkel Could Wind Up In Line for Carousel

The Tigers have been good. Almost too good. Maybe too good for their own good.

Good enough to enter the discussion as a dark horse to play for the national championship. So good, their quarterback is throwing his name into the Heisman Trophy candidacy discussion. So good, their head coach is having his name bandied about as a nominee for national coach of the year awards.

Goodness.

One bad part to all these good vibes is the consequences of such good actions. Several prominent programs could be looking for new head coaches this off-season: Nebraska, Texas A&M, Auburn (should Tommy Tuberville take the Aggies' job), Iowa and Michigan all could be jockeying for position on this season's college football coaching carousel, a ride that gets started earlier and earlier every season.

This forecast is coming far, far, in advance: think looking 12-days ahead for weather on an upcoming vacation. The forecast, nonetheless, is not without a bit of foreboding context. Callahan is all but out at Nebraska, and Monday's report of Dennis Franchione's contract being bought out by the Aggies has spelled out the end of his tenure in College Station. Lloyd Carr has been on the brink of retirement for seemingly 5 seasons, now, and Kirk Ferentz is treading on thin ice in Iowa City.

*Cue carousel music*

Let's say the Tigers do the unimaginable and run the table the rest of the season. A Big 12 Championship is going to put Coach Gary Pinkel's name in many a pundit's column for all these revolving spots. Offensive coordinator Dave Christensen also could be performing his way into a job interview or two. It's difficult to imagine Coach Pinkel fleeing to Lincoln after the mass exodus of Husker recruits this fall changing their minds and deciding on Columbia, but it isn't inconcievable to think Christensen could be a candidate for the position. Aggieland is seeking a big name (think Tuberville), but should Auburn need a new head coach, would Coach Pinkel think about heading for a pay raise in the SEC?

What about Ann Arbor? This could be Lloyd Carr's swan song as the Wolverines' head coach, and Big Blue could throw big green at Gary Pinkel to lead their program. The Hawkeyes could, too.

Just some food for thought.

Food that doesn't sound so good.

Ending the Folsom Field Blues, With Authority

How impressive was that?

A quick glance at the luminosity that was Saturday night's performance in Boulder...

Chase Coffman re-asserts self as your future NFL fantasy football team's tight end:

Here's a line pulled directly from the AP story about Saturday's game that basically says it all: "Chase Coffman turned No. 9 Missouri's trip to Colorado into his own personal pro tryout, displaying the talent that has NFL scouts drooling over the 6-foot-6, 245-pound touchdown machine."

I'll say.

Highlight-reel after-the-catch physical prowess makes it any wonder how any team in the country could cover CC with anything less than the entirety of their linebacking core. With three more TD receptions Saturday night, he's got 19 for his career, already passing Justin Gage's old school record of 18. But, he arguably was not the best offensive player named Chase on Saturday night.

Chase Daniel re-asserts self as dark horse to fly to NY for the Heisman ceremony:

How about 26-for-44, and personal highs of 422 yards and 5 touchdowns? The 55 points MU racked up Saturday was the most Colorado has allowed at home since a 59-20 loss on October 8, 1983 to...Mizzou. He is engineering an offense that has scored 30 or more points in all nine of their games this season, which is a school record. The Tigers are now the 6th-ranked scoring offense in the country, 7th-ranked total offense, and 5th in passing. If the Tigers win out, you may be seeing Chase Daniel at Radio City Music Hall in December. But, the best story of the day was easily...

Tigers D bringing home the bacon without Pig:

Let's highlight some key figures here. The Buffs managed a meager 196 yards of total offense. They were a horrific 3-for-17 on 3rd downs, and forced into 3 turnovers. The 8th-best defense IN THE CONFERENCE lost their best player and on-field leader the week before, and may have just painted their best picture of the season.

The 8-1 start is the best for MU since 1969, and I need not tell you that the #6 BCS ranking is the new high water mark for Tiger football.

Whoa.

Truman Cranks Dat Soulja Boy

The song is awful, and has completely run its course, but that doesn't hurt the replay value of Truman getting down.

ESPNU - NEVER GRADUATE!

Deja Vu All Over Again

Saturday's win over a struggling ISU Cyclones team wasn't sparkling, or noisy, like the W's over Nebraska and Texas Tech, but was a win nonetheless in a season of convention going the way of the T-Rex in college football. Regardless, the Tigers were 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the Big 12, and found out Sunday afternoon they had vaulted to #9 in the Coaches', AP, and BCS polls.

And we left the game feeling like we got kicked in the stomach.

We frantically sent text messages and made calls describing what had happened. We listened for Gervino to relay the news on the post-game show. We scoured the interwebs upon arrival at the house looking for an update. An update on our injured star defensive player.

Pig Brown writhed in pain on the turf of Faurot Saturday, with the game hovering in garbage time. His leg was de-mobilized, and he was carried and carted off the field, towel-over-dome, defeated and in obvious pain.

For those of you who haven't heard, Pig Brown, he of two Big XII Defensive Player of the Week awards, has been lost for the season with a ruptured achilles tendon. Brown would have been a top contender for conference defensive player of the year.

Sound familiar?

October 21, 2006. The Tigers had just knocked off Kansas State at home, rebounding from a loss in College Station the week before, to go 7-1 overall, 3-1 in the Big XII. The win, though, was horribly tempered by the loss of Missouri's all-time sacks king and the biggest playmaker on their defense, defensive end Brian Smith. A broken hip had ended his playing career.

The Tigers lost their next three games, and four of their last five.

The vibe was not of the jovial manner it could have been Saturday night in CoMo. It's because we've seen this all before - promise, build-up, even the unwarranted air of expectation surrounding the ballclub. And then the other shoe drops... or the broken hip, or ruptured achilles.

So where from here? Mizzou has lost, arguably, their most irreplacable piece besides Chase Daniel. Justin Garrett and Del Howard are part of a secondary that has been free-wheelingly rotated throughout 2007, so at least they aren't completely green. The litmus test won't come this weekend in Boulder against the Buffs' offense, which is a modest 10th in the Big XII, though any game in the thin air is tough goings. Mizzou has lost their last 4 contests in Boulder, and only won once (1997) there since anyone on their roster has been on earth (1983).

The defense will look to the Sean Weatherspoons, Darnell Terrells, Stryker Sulaks, Brock Christophers and Ziggy Hoods of the world to elevate their games. Garrett and Howard know the shoes they will try to collectively fill are colossal in nature. That D that looked stout against Nebraska, and downright impressive against T-Tech, knows they have a whole new challenge on their hands.

And we'll just try to shake that familiar sinking feeling.

-Note: this post also appears on the new ESPNU@MIZZOU blog... and I think you should give it a look.