It’s only appropriate that we bring you this news on a Thursday, as that strikes us as the appropriate time for a a game between West Virginia and Marshall. The sentiment is a little bit different in the Mountain State where the Coal Bowl actually matters. Representatives for the schools and Big East conference are trying to find a television slot for the game, to no avail. Seems ESPN has decided there are other games on September 2nd that might draw a ton touch more interest.
One of the few guys who like coal.
(Hat Tip: AtlEagle)
There are many revenge plotlines for 2006 being talked about across the country.
– Oklahoma wants to put Texas “back in their place.”
– Florida State wants blood against the Gators after the beat down in the Swamp.
– Notre Dame wants to prove that the Michigan State game was every bit the fluke it now looks to have been.
– OU wants to shut up that “GOOOOO RAAIIIIIIIDDDERRRSSSS” guy.
– And Michigan would like tOSU fans to spell Lloyd with fewer Ls
But there’s one revenge game that has slipped under the radar.
– Kenny Irons vs. South Carolina in Columbia
The story: Irons was a modestly recruited running back several years ago that chose the Gamecocks. Stories vary, but rumors of poor conditioning, a bad attitude and minor injuries held back his initial progress at Columbia. The following year Holtz recruited alpha 5 star recruit Demetrius Summers, and all but gave him the starting job over Irons and the parade of other unproductive backs hanging around Dead Cockroach Stadium predictably pouted. In a huff, Irons transferred to Auburn to play along side his brother David. I was so unimpressed with Irons as a Gamecock that I once called the slow, out of shape and plodding Irons, “the Nell Carter of running backs.”
Last year (much to my dismay), Kenny exploded on the scene late in the season to become the dominant running back in the SEC, and he proved Lou Holtz and me wrong.
However, despite Auburn’s 48-7 thrashing of South Carolina in Jordan-Hare, Kenny didn’t get his full measure of revenge against his former employer team. In fact, he only carried the ball 11 times for 27 yards. As of that Oct. 1st contest, he had not yet emerged as the SEC’s Uber Back. On Sept. 28th, he will return to Columbia to face a South Carolina defense that ranked 11th in the SEC and 85th nationally against the run in 2005. A defense that has virtually no hope of stopping him.
The thrashing will be Biblical. I’m expecting Irons run for 723 yards (give or take) in front of a nationally televised primetime audience. It’ll look like something out of Tecmo Bowl. Prepare yourselves Gamecock Fans. It’s going to be fugly. – Paul Westerdawg
According to this article on Slate, for most of us, it saves on having to call home to speak to our families. Good enough reason for me.
Secretly, all bloggers are just hoping to end up hearing their nom de plume said with a sexy british accent on CNN.
Don’t snicker. (Okay, snicker.) Yes, your favorite southern academic institution that you previously had no chance to get into continues to hack, hack, hack away at its pristine reputation.
Today’s good news out of Durham: sophomore quarterback Zack Asack has been suspended for the year for… plagiarism!
Welcome to the final re-run portion of Pepidemiology… although it has been brought to our attention that we might need to add to the series to cover the inflatable mascots. We’re not sure they are important enough, but it is under advisement.
The stuff nightmares are made of.
Without further ado, on to the analysis of the Live Mascot:
Pepidemiology, Chapter 4: Live Mascots
Long delayed but ultmately finished, we continue our study of the art and science of college pomp and circumstance, Pepidemiology, with chapter 4: live mmascots.
Cam the Ram wants you to study Pepidemiology.
Live mascots may represent the most primitive level of fan worship, the actual physical incarnation of a team’s animus made animal, sitting there chained/leashed/tethered on the sidelines. Mascots are chosen like Indian totems, each representing an attribute or set of attributes the team seeks to adopt by proximity to the totem. The choice of attributes, however, is selective at best, and downright picky at worst. While Auburn may certainly want to be as ferocious as a Tiger, they would certainly not want to adopt the values of sleeping 20 hours a day, eating competitor’s young, and peeing on objects to mark their territory. (Though Auburn fans have certainly been known to pee indiscriminately after games, and are not alone in this behavior.)
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The ever-benevolent NCAA has granted Utah wide-out Brian Hernandez another year of eligibility. Hernandez, who is 22, will be an old junior this fall… and not because of a 2 year mission trip.
