PETE CARROLL’S ENCHANTED GRIDIRON GROTTO
The random things we can’t quite put anywhere else always get put into the stew of the Grotto. This is the New Year’s Day edition, performed without the assistance of a 4′8″ personal assistant or pet unicorn.
Suck it, Tedford!Of course Pete Carroll has his own little person. This conversation happened last night between Cuddles Swindle and ourselves:
OS: Pete Carroll’s is Owen Wilson from “Meet The Parents.” He built a gazebo just for this occasion.
Cuddles: You walk in and there’s two girls getting it in the corner, and he’s like “Never mind them, they do this all the time.”
OS: He’ll be right with you as soon as he finishes brushing down his unicorn and hanging out with Scarlett Johannson, who despite being a platonic friend still craves the warmth of his soul.
Cuddles: He’s not human.
Nothing will surprise us about Pete Carroll. Nothing. Not a miniature personal assistant, not a unicorn, not finding out that he’s on the phone with Terelle Pryor trying to snake him away from Michigan and succeeding while putting the finishing touches on his part of Project 2050. Nothing.
Mike Patrick had a very, very bad Capital One Bowl, presumably distracted by the excitement of Jamie Lynn Spears’ pregnancy and the video recaps of Todd Blackledge’s “Todd on the Town” or whatever the hell it’s called. We know you’ve gained ten pounds this season because you’ve been mooing on about it like a sorority girl over winter break (Sweatshirts, Mike! They’re magical!), but that wasn’t an reverse, Mike–it was an end around. And the coverages, and the routes, and sometimes even the basic facts of the game escaped him. He may be blameless: the glare of Florida’s blazing secondary was bright enough to obscure what was actually happening on the field, so luminous was the fire.
We also don’t care what Todd Blackledge eats as long as it’s food. Next season, test Todd by having him eat non-food objects, and we’ll get excited. Thumbtacks with pepper gravy! Mmmm, Mike, that’s some eating. A whole pipe wrench covered in batter! Your broadcast partner, or even Holly Rowe! Long pig never made for such great entertainment, but the food of the gods would certainly double the ratings on our end, Todd. And if Blackledge can eat a West Virginia pepperoni roll without his flatulence stripping the skin off Mike Patrick in the booth, a whole wrench would be tapioca for that gastrointestinal highway.
When I was a little girl, I asked my mother……if I would play a commercial that somehow managed to show a bunch of computers getting a wrecking ball that somehow missed being cool, but managed to annoy the devil’s bees out of me over a ten hour day of watching football? And she said yes, it would happen, and it would suck and feature an iMac knockoff, and it would be played all day on January 1st, 2008. But mother, will it not feature a right-click button and require three restarts a day?
Colt Brennan, if still alive today, should read his own blog for the funniest blog comment of the day anywhere, posted by Don Ho from hell.
DON HO // January 1, 2008 at 8:09 pm
Mele Kalikimaka, thanks ALOT for that performance 41-10!!! I just got kicked out out of heaven for that performance! I don’t even like football!!!! Owwww It’s hot down here!!!! Everybody hates The Hukilau and Tiny Bubbles THANKS A LOT COLT
Decimation would be a gentle word for what happened to Hawaii, since decimation involves killing every tenth man in a regiment, not every single one of them. A Junior Rosegreen moment happened in the first half when Jason Rivers got noct da fuk owt on a pass play and hit the turf facefirst with both arms at his side, taking a convincingly dead-looking nap in the middle of the game courtesy of one of the eleven whirling dervishes on UGA’s defense. Rivers returned and finished the game, something Brennan didn’t do. The hit he took from Marcus Howard explains why:
We’re not kidding about the “every position killing every position” thing, either. Even the punter got chippy with flowzy-haired warriors:
If Rich Rodriguez did not contribute to the game plan at least a teensy-bit for Michigan, we’ll start Jaques Rickerson at every position on our NCAA 2007 Florida team online. (In case you don’t get this, just replay the game from yesterday every time, and you’ll get the idea.) Michigan showed formations, plays, and routes they hadn’t displayed all season, along with shocking aggression on offense that was distinctly un-Debordish. Throw in the d-line’s collection of fuck lions with the shocking aggression tag–they were horrifying, and gave Tebow no time to pull the one-man play-action bit or scramble around to buy time for receivers.
Arkansas sucked the deep, cholera-tainted suck of the ancients yesterday. That’s analysis right thurr, but that’s all the shitty performance Arkansas turned in against Missouri deserved. Viewers had to resort to making Pat Summerall jokes–”Reboot his life support system!”–in order to put some verve and interest into a game where Missouri, after a year of being a pass-first, five wide team, just decided to crack out a 300 yard rushing day. You know, for funzies. Bowl teams under interim coaching aren’t supposed to give five solid turdlets about the game, and Arkansas lived up to that nostrum to the letter. (Unlike Michigan, say, who appeared to have boundless concern about the game.)
Erik Ainge, good night, sweet prince. He was still doing the things wrong he’s always done: throwing off his back foot, getting deer/headlights looks more often than you like, fumbling just because he was…um…bored? Spastic? Had a blinking red Arby’s hat over his head? And yet it all worked against Wisconsin: 25/43, 365 yards, 2 TDs, and no real sustained appearances of Bad Erik. Tyler Donovan, in the meantime, suffered the second worst personal beating of the day as Tennessee attempted to separate his head from his body.
Eric Berry, please transfer to Florida. I, Orson Swindle/Spencer Hall, will pay you at least forty dollars to do this. This is against NCAA regulations, and I do not care. Our secondary blows goats and cannot defend a post pattern. O but Chad Henne threw a perfect pass blah blah blah yes he threw one. He should not have been allowed to throw three of them for TDs. Someone should have been there to concuss a motherfucker, and last year, Reggie Nelson would have.
Hey! Bonerama!









1
Colt Brennan says:
Ouch.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:26 am
2
Jerkwheat says:
“Arkansas sucked the deep, cholera-tainted suck of the ancients yesterday”
I redirect you to Arkansas’ bowl history in the last twenty odd years.
Nay, the last seventy odd years.
This is not a new development.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:35 am
3
TIGERinATL says:
Orson – would love to hear Cuddles’ feelings on Tony Franklin’s offense. I for one am giddy, given that Monday’s hot and cold performance was the product of just eight practices.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:41 am
4
Bonerama says:
Way to go guys! We put on such an awesome performance! Now we’ll get national respect from the greatest of tromboners! Our group has the biggest and best tromboners of all! Wait till the world gets a glimpse of our Bonerama!
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:42 am
5
OhioDawg says:
I felt badly for Hawaii by the end of the night. On the other hand, welcome to the SEC, bichez.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:44 am
6
GamecockTony says:
I was terrified to click on the Bonerama link.
But I did….. and laughhhheeeddd.
You don’t even want to know what the flute group calls themselves.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:46 am
7
TIGERinATL says:
I was also glad to see the dogs punish the warriors. IMHO mid-majors need to be in their own division with their own national championship.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:48 am
8
NoleinTexas says:
I wonder how the meeting that came up with Bonerama went…
Cockmania? No. Penispocalypse? Been done. Bonerama? Fuck yeah!
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:49 am
9
baconboy says:
I just woke up with a bonerama….
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:50 am
10
DevilGrad says:
Yesterday’s highlight: Sean McDonough tossing back to the studio at halftime of the Whatever-the-Fuck Bowl with the line, “And now back to Rece Davis and Robert Smith in the studio for a steady stream of analysis and highlights on the Flomax Halftime Report.”
Rece Davis barely held it together.
The other highlight: Hockey in the snow from Buffalo. New Year’s Day is so glutted with football now that, if your team isn’t playing, none of the games really stand out. As an old-school Midwesterner, I tried watching the Rose Bowl but only lasted fifteen minutes. Probably just as well — we had dinner guests.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
11
Mergz says:
Hey Swindle – It’s only against NCAA regs if you are a booster.
I think.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:52 am
12
reb pup says:
Bonerama kicks major ass
Seriously, y’all should check them out. They do ripping covers of rock songs (Whipping Post, War Pigs) along with other N.O. funk type stuff. They never get replaced when I update tunes on the ipod.
January 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 am
13
wahiggle says:
Orson,
Decimation is indeed too mild a description for the Sugar Bowl outcome. Snuff film is perhaps more apt.
It reminded me of the 2005 Alabama Auburn game with Colt Brennan ably reprising the role of Brodie Croyle.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 am
14
Scalz1 says:
Orson,
What was your first clue about RR helping game plan ?
Maybe Mike Hart lined up at wide out for half the game.
If that screen to Jake Long would have worked, I’m sure the 500 UF fans surrounding me would have do things yet known to this realm to me.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:01 am
15
Scalz1 says:
*done things, I mean.
Still hungover.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 am
16
drogue says:
Hey O. Blatant sucking up here. I just want to say thanks for the EDSBS blog. Best out there, bar none.
Many thousand cocktails to you and your henchmen good sir and please keep up the good writing.
Top shelf, Top shelf! Fresca anyone?
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:03 am
17
Mr Pelican Pants says:
So if this batch of Bowls would have been the first round of some bizarre playoff, who would the next matchups be?
We have Georgia, USC,Mizzou, more than likely Oklahoma, with LSU and tOSU with first round byes…..
Somehow I think both LSU and tOSU get eliminated, and you end up with USC vs Georgia for th MNC….this goes of course with a memory that forgot USC lost to Stanford and Georgia laying an egg vs USCe….
Colt Brennan was General Custer, and the defensive linemens facemask were arrows…….
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:07 am
18
Mr Pelican Pants says:
You know its a sucky Bowl season when, during blowouts, you keep switching to career mode on Guitar Hero 3…..and nearly complete the whole game on easy……..then start over…..
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:15 am
19
Aerobab says:
I can haz Eric Berry?
No, sir, you may not. Unless you’re willing to trade straight up for Tebow+Harvin and all your Heismens. K thanx bai!
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:20 am
20
Eirishis says:
As an upside to a lackluster bowl day (way to be yourself, Al Groh, way to be) … at least Notre Dame didn’t lose their bowl game this year.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:25 am
21
bitterhorn says:
Those Swindl- sibling conversations have got the be the surrealist thing going in Atlanta.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:27 am
22
tonyiniraq says:
From Wikipedia:
Bonerama is a jokingly named brass band from New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Official site is http://www.bonerama.net/ often confused with bonerama.com, a gay porn site .
I can’t think of a finer way to salute America.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:28 am
23
maskedavenger says:
Orson,
Not that it will make you feel any better, but according the Carr this morning, Debord put in this offense after a number of meetings with the Indianapolis Colts’ OC, not RR.
And while I am certainly pleased (and surprised) by yesterday’s result, I can’t help but look at this season and wonder what might have been. There are numerous future NFL players on our team and we can’t beat ASU and we allow Oregon 400+ yards of offense in a half? That same offense that just put up 500+ on the Gators was good for just 91 yards against the Buckeyes? WTF?
What an odd season.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:33 am
24
Brian says:
Regarding the Solar Power stuff — don’t hate, its not IF but WHEN solar power in that area (others too) reaches parity with your standard grid power costs. Pete Carroll, though, heats his office with manatee blubber.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:39 am
25
Futbawl Fan says:
Orson – surprised you have not mentioned the godawfulscarybadass hit laid by #29 of Hawaii (Jones) on Mikey Henderson last nite…. cheap shot cocksucker that he is
this could lead to a new player on CFB… the disposable “star killer” who goes out and crushes your star player in an illegal move only to be sent immediately to the lockers… and wall-to-wall naked ladies in a whipped cream jacuzzi… gotta reward those starkillerz yanno
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:40 am
26
DC Trojan says:
At first, I thought you meant Todd Blackledge was going to do a little deep sea diving on Holly Rowe… Much as I like the chubby short ladies, it was a relief to find out that you were promoting cannibalism.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:42 am
27
Great Caesar's Ghost says:
+1 (again) on Bonerama. One of the many NOLA area bands that kick more ass than a really good ass-kicking thing.
Also, how Georgia felt playing (is playing the right word?) a high school team is exactly how LSU felt last year playing Notre Dame. Neither Notre Dame last year or Hawaii this year had any business being in a BCS game.
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:56 am
28
Great Caesar's Ghost says:
#25…you mean like Chaz Ramsey?
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:59 am
29
Doug says:
Georgia’s punter can’t get enough RAGEAHOL!
His name is Brian Mimbs, and he’s gonna eat your family!
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:13 am
30
fotodog says:
#25
I see you have been reading the Koran.
And if you check out the Brennan blog, be sure to scroll to the top where wispy-eyed middle schoolers are doing some Colt worshipping that would make Tebow blush.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:21 am
31
Papa Lou BSU says:
And yet, Great Caesar’s Ghost, the Warriors and the Irish still had more business in a BCS game than Illinois did. Accomplished more to get there, too. And at least ND and Hawaii were competitive for more than two minutes, unlike the Illini.
Let’s make sure we’re holding everyone to the same standard here. If Hawaii’s and all of us non-BCS rabble are getting relegated to our own separate division because the Warriors got beat by 31 in a bowl game, you must then do the same for Big Ten squads that get beat by 32 points in a BCS contest.
You BCS-conference fans can’t have it both ways. If Boise State’s win in the Fiesta Bowl last year was a fluke with no lasting significance, then Hawaii’s pummeling can’t be a lifelong statement, either.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:21 am
32
SpartanDan says:
Fitting, I guess, that Bizarro Year ends with Michigan saying “okay, fuck it, let’s run something besides zone left all day” and managing to slow down a spread-option attack for a change.
DevilGrad (#10): Outdoor hockey rules all.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:22 am
33
Papa Lou BSU says:
BTW, Orson, did you catch Blackledge’s rejoinder to Patrick’s whining about gaining ten pounds this year? Todd all but blurted out: “well, I’ve been trying to get you on the treadmill when we travel, but you’ve decided to sleep in all season and avail yourself of the hotel’s free cinnamon roll buffet, fatass.”
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:24 am
34
Mr Pelican Pants says:
Bonerama…….that about sums up the game for Hawaii…..well at least for Colt……
Holy Shit…..Roger Schultz, former center from Alabama was on the Biggest Loser…..yes, the SEC speed thing applies to the Buffet , so it seems, at least the linemen are the fastest to it and the last to leave ….good god, if Schultz would have weighed that back in the day, he’d be starting
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:28 am
35
marcillac says:
Papa Lou,
It seems fairly obvious neither Illinois nor Hawaii belonged in the BCS but I would differ quite vehemently with your assesment of the relative performance of Hawaii and Illinois.
While neither had a prayer on defense, Illinois was not nearly so overwhelmed on offense and actually was able to move the ball quite effectively on a supposedly studly USC defense. The game was never in doubt, to be sure, but absent a couple of turnovers the Illini could have put up 10 to 14 more points and showed they belonged on the field with the Trojans who had a superb offensive game.
The overwhelming physical superiority of the Dawgs was fairly self-evident from minute one (to be perfectly honest I cannot say I followed the game with rapt attention and went to be in the middle of the 3rd quarter). Indeed, Georgia did not, imo, play a particularly impressive game, nor did they need to. The Hawaii players simply had no chance to look up before they were blasted into oblivion on practically every play.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:33 am
36
Mr Pelican Pants says:
BTW, did anyone see the CODE RED Tuberville called the other night on Clemsons DE? By the same O-Linemen??? And he says he doesnt coach that??
Thats twice…at least Dorsey walked away with a limp, by the looks of it, that guy aint gonna play again…..
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:35 am
37
SpartanDan says:
Regarding Illinois: no, they didn’t play well (turnovers, plus the whole deer-in-the-headlights thing which is mildly understandable when no one there has been to a bowl game before and suddenly you’re in the Rose Bowl), but that could have at least been a respectable score if not for every possible break going against them. A near-fumble by USC (ruled down, and I think correctly so, but it was damn close) early on would have gone for an easy six the other way if called a fumble. A USC receiver gets steamrolled, jarring the ball loose, only to have it land directly in the hands of another receiver. The USC RB drops a pitch, only to have it bounce right back to him and take it 60 yards through a hole that almost certainly wouldn’t have been there if he caught the pitch cleanly. Then there’s the bullshit PI call that took away an interception (though it looked more reasonable at live speed, based on replay it was obvious that 1) the corner was looking right at the ball, and 2) the receiver ran into him and not the other way around), with USC scoring to make it 28-10 on the next play.
Illinois wasn’t winning that game even if they got lucky, at least the way they were playing. But when you’re playing badly *and* can’t get a break to save your lives … well, 49-17 happens. You think a BC team that had no rushing attack at all and couldn’t stop the run until they switched to an 11-man front (made possible only by Hoyer’s spectacular incompetence) would have fared much better? Or an Arizona State team that got similarly annihilated by a not-nearly-as-good Texas team? (Don’t whine to me about Missouri or Florida, as neither could have replaced the Illini in the BCS due to the two-per-conference limit. Missouri should have been taken ahead of Kansas, but that’s another argument entirely.)
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:37 am
38
drogue says:
I think USC could have bent any team over and breachloaded them last night.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:42 am
39
Brian says:
#34 – He woulda’ made a splendid Marine – first in, last out.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:44 am
40
HornsRuleMMK says:
Hey #37,
Screw off about lucky breaks for Arizona State. You my have room to speak if the penalty commited by angry stepson/closet Arizona State fan Chris Jesse hadnt happened. ASU scored points in trash time, and also off of that ridiculous “illegal touching” penalty, which hasnt been called since 1993 (against some guy named “Jackson,” if I recall correctly). Texas was better prepared, more motivated, and to be honest with you, Rudy Carpenter sucks mah balls, Capisce?
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:48 am
41
fotodog says:
I think it was baconboy who said it during the game, but Urban or Doc were effing idiots because they put Tebow in a bad spot, dropping him straight back each time. They should have done some roll outs to get away from Michigan’s relentless (but not UGA-relentless) pressure. I mean, Tebow is a mobile QB, right? Give him the option to throw or tuck it on the corner. For all the talk about Urban being such a wiz and revolutionizing the game and shaking up the SEC, Carr/Debord/English showed him what good coaching is all about.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:53 am
42
Colt Brennan says:
Today’s Itinerary:
#1: Pack up my board shorts, hookah shells, and Blink182 CDs
#2: Piss up blood
#3: Go to hospital and get CAT scanned, PET scanned, and MRId
#4: Return to Superdome and pick up teeth left on field
#5: Ask Coach Jones what my name is
#6: Shit blood
#7: Board plane for Hawaii
#8: Start looking for job in the Honolulu insurance sales market
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:54 am
43
Because They Can says:
“Decimation is indeed too mild a description for the Sugar Bowl outcome. Snuff film is perhaps more apt.”
+1 During the third quarter I started to feel the same shame I felt watching “Faces of Death” in college.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:56 am
44
marcillac says:
Pelican@34
Excellent points. However must say that the whole Code Red thing is somewhat inapposite. This is procedure to induce better performance among members of one’s own unit (err…team). You have to remember that Santiago was a substandard marine. Dorsey wasn’t on the Auburn team, and, at least prior to the block that Auburn “doesn’t teach”, anything but substandard.
January 2nd, 2008 at 11:58 am
45
PW says:
I wouldn’t be so quick to cast aspersions on Colt Brennan’s NFL prospects based on last night’s game. You could’ve put 1984 Dan Marino back there last night and not done much better.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 pm
46
Papa Lou BSU says:
Marcillac,
I’m sorry, but your argument still boils down to “this team got dominated, too, but they’re a brand-name, so I’ll give them a pass over the team that nobody’s heard of.”
Hawaii did have a few sustained drives, too, that were cut short by turnovers. But apparently, those were all because of Hawaii’s inherent awfulness while Illinois’ were the product of dumb luck?
Illinois had no damn business in a BCS game, not with three losses and a third-place finish in a two-team conference. If you’re going to make the argument that an *undefeated* team somehow didn’t belong, you must concede that the three-loss team who got beat by an even greater margin shouldn’t have been there, either.
(And while I hate Fox’s coverage of college football — you know Monday’s game is going to be four-and-a-half hours long — I did appreciate the announcers last night pointing out what a low-rent move it was for the Georgia fans to start the “overrated” chant in the third quarter last night. Hawaii were clear underdogs coming in, were ranked lower than UGA, have one-tenth of the football and recruiting budgets of the Dawgs and probably one percent of the TV revenue, have a smaller fan base. They had dozens of pro-big-school media types questioning their fitness for the game, despite an unblemished record in a year where all but one other team competing in the BCS has at least two losses… and yet, that qualifies as “overrated?” On what planet?)
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:02 pm
47
fotodog says:
Marcillac,
How can you say, “Indeed, Georgia did not, imo, play a particularly impressive game”?
The defense was incredible. 7 sacks, 2 forced fumbles- one recovered for a TD, 3 INTs and a complete shut down of one of the highest scoring offenses. Now if you want to say that Stafford wasn’t that impressive, I can except that, because he was inconsistent. If you say the offense wasn’t impressive, I could maybe buy that even though we busted off pretty long TD runs with 9-10 in the box. But don’t tell me the defense wasn’t impressive because it was.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:05 pm
48
Because They Can says:
“and yet, that qualifies as “overrated?” On what planet?)”
On Earth, where being ranked #10 means a team’s supposed to be something north of decent rather than having reason to whine about the poor taste of challenging bad calls in the third quarter. Undefeated is one way to describe Hawaii coming into the Sugar Bowl. Winless against any team worth a crap is another.
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:49 pm
49
Because They Can says:
I noticed that 30% of participants in ESPN’s bowl picks thingy chose Hawaii to win. I weep for our future…
January 2nd, 2008 at 12:59 pm
50
Chg says:
Hawaii had 100 yards of offense in the first half. They had one “sustained” drive of 42 yards resulting in a FG.
The TO’s were not flukes, and they did no occur after crossing midfield. They were natural byproducts of facing a team bigger, faster, and stronger at every position; one that forced the QB to throw under pressure all night and delivered hits Hawaii’s players were physically unable to withstand.
It was abundantly clear the Warriors had no business being on the field with UGa and that the Dawgs could have hung at least 60 on the board had they so desired. Had Evil Richt coached the game, the final score would have been something like 62-3, but he was evidently content to take the win, let the band play a couple series, and try to escape without accidentally decapitating anyone on the field of play.
Boise State was a great game to watch with a Hollywood ending, but their result would have been pretty much the same as Hawaii’s had they been “rewarded” with a trip to the Sugar and matchup with LSU.
January 2nd, 2008 at 1:41 pm