Random thoughts- MLB, Bama-UGA, and more

MLB

I picked 6 of 8 playoff teams... maybe 7 if the White Sox win today and beat the Twins tomorrow. Not bad. I have changed my WS picks since July... I'm thinking the Angels and Phillies now with the Angels winning it all. I probably won't watch a minute of it as an extremely disappointing season of Yankee baseball has got me 100% vested in football season. This is coming from a lifetime baseball fan.

Bama-UGA

Speaking of football, I was there to witness a funeral. If someone would've told me we'd be up 31-0 at the half I would've had them committed. What an amazing game! I should've known this was coming as I came oh so close to running out of gas driving up. I found a gas station off exit 129 on I-85 with my tank sitting below E. Right there I should've known... to quote the great Ice Cube, "Today it was a good day." I'm 2-0 on the road this year... and 2-0 in Athens lifetime... although it's been 13 years since I last watched us play up there. The University needs to supplement road tickets for me the rest of the way.

Other stuff

- 2 gallons of gas costs as much as a 12 pack of Southpaw Light. That ain't right!
- Does gridiron success take some of the pressure off CMG and the basketball team or does it intensify? I say it's take the pressure off a bit.
- South Carolina still hasn't released their basketball schedule. Maybe they'll let the world know before opening tipoff.
- Auburn's offense makes Mike Shula's look like Southern Cal's.

FINALLY!! Alabama's 2008-09 basketball schedule

I would've posted this earlier, but that work thing got in the way.

From Rolltide.com

Alabama A&M and Quincy were added to the schedule it seems. Our non-conference slate features Oregon, Texas A&M, GA Tech, Clemson, and maybe North Carolina, Notre Dame, Texas, or St Joseph's. Quite stout.

I say 11-3 non-conference and 10-6 in SEC play. I might be smoking crack (again), but I can't help but think we should win the west. That would put us about 4th best in the SEC... which is where I think we should be this season.

Mississippi State 2008-09 basketball schedule

This leaves South Carolina and us as the only ones left not to release their basketball schedule. I think this was the scenerio last year.

Click link for complete schedule.

I say 11-4 non-conference and 6-10 in SEC play. I don't see how Varnado is going to compensate for all the offense lost by Gordon and Hansbrough.

I guess MState fans better look ahead to basketball 'cause their football team sucks. Losing to Ga tech isn't bad... losing to Ga Tech by 31 with a new head coach and offensive scheme is embarrassing.

Auburn 2008-09 basketball schedule

I owe Mitchell for this... the schedule hasn't been officially released, but it's being sent with their football program.

11-7-08 v Tuskegee (EXB) 7:00 CT
11-14-08 v Missouri State 7:00 CT
11-19-08 v Mercer 7:00 CT
11-22-08 v George Washington 1:00 CT
11-25-08 @ Dayton (Chicago) 7:00 CT
11-29-08 @ Northern Iowa (Chicago) 4:30 CT
12-3-08 @ Xavier TBA
12-6-08 v Louisiana-Monroe 1:00 CT
12-20-08 @ Virginia TBA
12-22-08 v Alabama State 7:00 CT
12-29-08 v Alabama A&M 7:00 CT
12-31-08 v Southeastern Louisiana TBA
1-3-09 v Tulane 4:30 CT
1-10-09 @ South Carolina TBA
1-14-09 v Florida 7:00 CT TV:Raycom
1-17-09 v Alabama TBA
1-21-09 @ Kentucky 8:00 CT TV:Raycom
1-24-09 @ Arkansas 12:00 CT TV:Raycom
1-27-09 v Texas-Pan American 7:00 CT
1-31-09 v Vanderbilt 1:00 CT
2-4-09 @ Ole Miss 7:00 CT
2-7-09 v Tennessee 12:00 CT
2-11-09 v Arkansas 7:00 CT
2-14-09 v Mississippi State TBA
2-18-09 @ Georgia TBA
2-21-09 @ LSU TBA
2-25-09 v Ole Miss 7:00 CT
2-28-09 @ Mississippi State TBA
3-3-09 @ Alabama 8:00 CT TV:ESPN
3-7-09 v LSU TBA

I don't think it's overly tough... and they should be in a good spot going into SEC play. My guess on their schedule is 10-2 non-conference and 7-9 in SEC play.

Tide Pride tickets available and Charity Fundraising

Okay, a couple of things that have absolutely nothing to do with each other, but combined in one post for the sake of brevity.

1. I am selling my Tide Pride basketball tickets this year. I'm still going to every game, but I bought some tickets behind the bench from somebody else, so I am letting mine go at cost to a Bama fan. I've got 2 seats in Sec. B row 21, behind the visiting team's bench. The tickets are $446 plus my Tide Pride donation of $50 per seat, for a total of $546. If you are interested, please email me at jcarruth@bham.rr.com.

2. I am currently in the rather painful process of getting my fat ass in shape to run a 5k in the Komen Race for the Cure on October 11th in Birmingham. The reason I am doing so, is to help raise money for breast cancer research. One in 8 women will be effected by breast cancer, so this is obviously a very important cause. I would like to ask everyone to please go to the link below and make a donation. No amount is too small, and every bit helps, so please give whatever you can afford. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Click here to help find a cure!

2008-09 Vanderbilt basketball schedule

If you don't have Adobe Acrobat, you'll need it to view their schedule.

Illinois, (the) Drake, and Ga Tech are the name non-conference games.

I say 20-10, 9-7 in conference.

2008-09 Arkansas basketball schedule

I'm guessing we're going to see the other 5 released in the next 2 weeks.
Schedule

Non-conference has Oklahoma and Texas at home and Missouri St and South Alabama on the road. Not exactly a super tough non-conference schedule.
I predict 17-12, 7-9 in the SEC and a 2nd week run in the NIT.

Edit (Sat morning)- I guess I'll pick 2 more games...

UGA -7 over South Carolina- The Spurrier factor is the only reason the line isn't double digits.
Atlanta +8.5 over Tampa Bay- I don't think Tampa Bay can beat anyone by more than a touchdown.

Piecing the schedule together Part II

Some copied/pasted from DJC's post a month ago... some updated. Mitchell made me aware fo the Chattanooga game. Updates are in red. If there's any mistakes let me know.

Sunday, Nov. 16 v. Mercer
Wednesday, Nov 19 v. Florida A&M

Maui Invitational
Monday, Nov 24 vs Oregon
Tuesday, Nov 25 vs UNC or Chaminade
Wednesday, Nov 26 vs TBD

Saturday, Dec 6, Louisiana-Lafayeete
Saturday, Dec 13 v. Texas A&M
Saturday, Dec. 20 v. Tennessee State
Monday Dec 22 vs Chattanooga
Sunday, Dec. 28 v. Yale
Jan 3 vs Ga Tech
Jan 6 @ Clemson (FOX Sports 9PM)

SEC Schedule
Sunday, Jan. 11, v. LSU
Wednesday, Jan 14 @ Miss. St
Saturday, Jan 17 @ Auburn
Wednesday, Jan. 21 v. Ole Miss
Saturday, Jan. 24 v. Kentucky
Thursday, Jan 29 @ Arkansas
Saturday, Jan 31 v. UGA
Thursday, Feb 5 @ Vanderbilt
Sunday, Feb. 8 @ LSU
Saturday, Feb 14 v. South Carolina
Wednesday, Feb 18 @ Florida
Saturday, Feb 21 v. Miss St.
Wednesday, Feb 25 v. Arkansas
Saturday, Feb. 28, @ Ole Miss
Tuesday, Mar 3 v. Auburn
Sunday, March 8, @ Tennessee

My guess is there's 2 more games to plug in before it's complete. I figure one of them goes between November 27 and Dec 5th and the other is either between Dec 7 and 10 or Dec 14 and 17.

WANTED- New NFL team to root for.

It's been 3 years in the making, but I no longer root for the Tampa Bay Buccanneers. I barely paid attention to them last year and didn't care a lick that they lost to New Orleans on Sunday. Jon Gruden is mostly to blame for this.

RIP fandom- Tampa Bay 1991-2007

I grew up a NY Jets fan, but disguarded them when they left Shea Stadium to play in NJ. The only NY football team resides in Buffalo Ontario, Canada.

I need a new team to root for. I can be a frontrunner and cheer for the Patriots or Giants or I can suffer and hope to reap the rewards by latching on to Kansas City or Cleveland. I am open to suggestions. Right now the only reason I watch football on Sundays is to see how my fantasy players are doing.

Random rant- NY Yankees, griping about CMG, and 2 crappy BCS conferences

NY Yankees
As most of you know I'm a lifelong Yankees fans and while I can stomach missing the playoffs, the way this team has quit amazes me. We got the $30 million man (Rodriguez) laying an egg anytime there's an important at bat, Jeter hitting into 2 million double plays, Abreu's phobia of walls, and the overall unclutchiness of the entire team. Did I mention the starting rotation pretty much sucks and the bullpen is hit or miss? You'd think $200 million would buy a team that makes the effort. Earlier in the year I wished the Yankees starting OF was as good as the Pirates (before they dumped their entire team... again). They'll be lucky to finish 3rd.

Griping about CMG
I'm all for ripping into him during the season, but ripping on him before the season is a bit much. Listen. I'm not a big fan of his coaching style (some would argue there isn't a style) and while I'm not optimistic about this season I'll wait until we lose some games we have no business losing. I know we've read this story before and it mostly ends up disappointing, but I ask to wait until we play our first game.

The ACC and Big East in football
The ACC and Big East are putrid... so bad that C-USA and the MWC should take their B(C)S slots. I say that the ACC and Big East champs would finish about 6th in the SEC or Big 12.

Both conference made mistakes when they expanded. In an effort to rival the SEC in football, the ACC diluted their basketball prowess and somehow weakened their already weak football status. Miami hasn't been good (they're on the rise though) and while Va Tech has done well, they're still a notch below what they used to be in the Big East. Big East football is a joke... and losing Va Tech, Miami, and BC solidified that. Seriously, when your dominant team is West Virginia your conference has problems. I despise the 16 team Big East basketball conference, but I'll rant on that right before basketball season.

Just to say I posted something... Thursday picks against the spread

College Football
Vandy +10 over South Carolina. I wouldn't be surprised if Vandy won straight up. South Carolina's offense was horrible last week against NC State.

NFL
Giants -5 (4.5 if you're lucky) over the Redskins. New coach, new offense, defending SB Champs... not a good way to start the year for the Skins.