As I watched the final nervous minutes of the Badgers and Buckeyes from Camp Randall, something didn’t seem right. My brain was saying: “Hey, man… this is a BIG moment!” The upstart Badgers – not ranked before the season – were poised to take down their third top-10 ranked opponent of the season before Halloween! But it felt flat. That’s when I started to pay closer attention. It’s Chris Fowler. I mean, no offense to him, he’s a class act and a fine fine studio host. But for the big moment, in an “emotion sport” like college football, he under-delivers badly at the mic. I’m not saying he should be Gus Johnson. Gus’s the other extreme. But this is where we badly miss Uncle Brent, winding the tension of the moment, layering it with big picture narrative, and punching up the key moments. Instead, it felt like the quarterfinals at the French Open. Anybody who thinks the play-by-play man on TV doesn’t matter to your overall enjoyment of a game… you’re not paying attention.
This guy won the weekend….
This Wisconsin fan gets an A+ in sign making (via @TheRyanSmithers, @BarstoolBigCat) pic.twitter.com/qymY1d9I1F
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) October 15, 2016
Sometimes in life, just getting a chance is the hardest part of success. For many years Lorenzo Alexander was a special teams specialist with the Redskins. Then he went to Arizona, where he did basically the same. Had a cup of coffee with the Raiders. Same. Then this year, at age 33, he’s playing outside linebacker full time… AND TERRORIZING teams! He recorded a sack against the Niners Sunday, his 8th so far on the season. He’s a universally liked “good guy” who was probably misused and overlooked by three different teams for 10 years. Just remember this when the so-called smart “football people” in the league try to belittle those of us at home as “know nothings.”
Ezekiel Elliot is running wild. The last four games he’s gone for 140-138-134-157. This is in a supposedly “passing league” where having a “bell-cow” tailback is passe. Meanwhile, the assumption that if you had a guy like Aaron Rodgers, you could pass your way out of any problems is getting severely tested. Hey Packer fans: you know you are going to have to fire Mike McCarthy, right? I’m not saying it’s his fault, per se. But he’s gonna go, and he’s got to go. If it were me, the sooner the better.
Cam Newton is back to being a sore loser. Only this time, with smashing headwear! I sense that even the most ardent defenders of this childishness in the NFL media, can’t carry his water much longer. And good luck making this a race thing again. Everybody knows it’s not. Cam Newton doesn’t need to grow up to satisfy me, or anybody else. He needs to do it for his own team. As Jerry McGuire lectured to Rod Tidwell: “That’s not what INSPIRES people!”
Lastly, I saw this tweet over the weekend. And I’ve been predicting this for some time now. One day, we’ll be able to do our own “ProTracer” videos with our phones – in real time! Well, we are not there yet… not quite. This app, apparently lets you video your swing on your phone, and with some manual futzing and tapping, have the app decipher ball flight and draw the tracer line. I have not splurged for the $5… yet. But if anybody has… let me know if it’s any good. One day, the camera in the phone will be sophisticated enough to see your ball in flight and draw the line immediately. Patience, my singularity loving golf friends. Patience….
Survived the ridiculous wind for the first 16 at Waterville. Did everything in my power to keep this left on 17 but…. EJECTED! ➡️➡️💨💨💧💧 pic.twitter.com/OmJ0bQzNPa
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) October 15, 2016
6 Comments
Ben Wood
I was thinking the same watching Alabama/Tennessee and listening to Uncle Verne. Next year he will be gone and we will all be sad. Not only that, but he and Gary make such a great team and play off each other well. Who is going to replace the irreplaceable?
I agree about Fowler as a pro show host (on a live 2 hour show, man what a challenge that is) but he’s just Suck + at best as a PxP guy. And it’s flat criminal what they’ve done, burying Brent on the SEC Network.
Mark
Anyone who’s ever played links golf can appreciate that fade-on-the-wind shot. We’re playing Prestwick’s 9th, par 4 with a monster 50 foot dune running down the right side. From the tee my buddy Billy hits a high cut into a left to right wind and it carried OVER the dune. The caddy says “For fuck’s sake! Re-load!”
Chris
It mccarthy’s fault and he should have been fired after last year. The Seattle debacle was massive, and he should have been given one year to prove himself. Instead, he ruined what was a strong offense, and has now wasted the prime of Rodgers. He is not a good coach. He may have won a super bowl, but the team won in spite of him (and mostly because of luck and Rodgers), and not because of him.
pete pellegrini
Love your posts. Missing you on the my morning drive on Sirius satellite.
David
I completely agree on Fowler. He’s SUCK- as a PxP guy. I, too, miss Uncle Brent and will sometimes watch whatever crap game he is calling just to hear him and Palmer who actually does a good job too.
Unfortunately, I get another 3 (I mean, 4) hours of ear torture tonight when Fowler does his 3rd FSU game of the season :(.
Paulie Coconuts
Czabe! Noah Brown went to my high school!
Check his bio, Pope John XXIII in Sparta NJ.
Awesome catch!
http://czabe.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/BLOG_feature_wisc_osu-740×493.jpg