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January 19, 2016

Brogdon? More like Slogdon!

Am I right?

Slogdon, as in how this basketball season suddenly feels... like a slog.

I'm going to keep this short and simple: The game tonight against 5-1 Clemson - CLEMSON - is a must-win for the Hoos, lest we slide to 2-4, and from the top five to the bubble in the span of 2.5 weeks.

Did you know that we're #10 in the ACC right now?  Number 10.  Behind such juggernauts as Clemson, Miami, and Virginia Fucking Tech.

Malcolm Brogdon needs to step up and start taking over games, BY ATTACKING THE BASKET.

The D needs to improve.

The sophomores need to huddle up and find one guy (just one guy, I'm not being greedy) who can pitch in as a #4 scoring threat to complement Brog, Perrantes, and Gill.

When Jack Salt comes into the game, he needs to know he has one job to do: Deliver a hard, violent foul.  Preferably to the opponent's pretty boy finesse big man.

Most importantly, we just need to start playing with an edge and some intensity, with a little bit of urgency.  We know this team has talent, and is capable of doing things like beating the Villanovas and West Virginias of the world, now they just need to get back to doing it, and string together a few wins.

Clemson

Syracuse

@ Wake


I smell a three-game win streak.

Go Hoos.




January 12, 2016

In Defense of Vontaze

Steelers 18, Bengals 16.

Easily the most painful loss I've ever been associated with, which is really saying something when you consider that I'm both a life-long Bengals fan and a die-hard UVA sports fan.

In the end, I guess the NFL got what they wanted, and their "made" team advanced while a new villain and public enemy #1 has emerged.



This might surprise you, but Vontaze Burfict is my favorite football player.  He plays a violent game with aggression.  He makes great plays.  He impacts games.  He gives a previously spineless team some balls.

Did he ultimately cost the Bengals the game on Saturday night?  Yes.

Is he a thug, a low-life, a scumbag, a goon?  Maybe he's some of those things in spurts, but no more than any of the Steelers... who are routinely lauded for their toughness, swagger, and grit.  These are just words, tossed around clumsily by fans and media who struggle to reconcile the fact that they love a violent sport for being exactly what it is -- violent.


Anyway, the main points I'd like to make are:

1) Tez is public enemy #1 this week.  However, I challenge fans of 31 other NFL teams to tell me that they wouldn't want him on their squad.  There are three types of people in this world: People who would gladly welcome Vontaze Burfict onto their teams, liars, and losers.

2) Maybe Vontaze Burfict cost us the game on Saturday night, but without him the Bengals would have lost 29-0.  So with him, as usual, you get a double-edged sword.

3) He shouldn't have hit Antonio Brown like that, but every non-Steelers fan on planet earth should be happy to see someone finally standing up and railing against the constant flow of bullshit that team pumps out onto the field.

4) Vontaze's hit on Antonio Brown was dirty, but was a mere drop in the bucket compared to the headhunting that Ryan Shazier put on Gio Bernard earlier in the game.  An unflagged illegal hit, I should add, and one that removed one of the Bengals most explosive offensive weapons from the game.

5) The best analogy I can muster comes from A Christmas Story.  After years of being bullied, Ralphie snaps, gets Scut Farkas down... but then can't stop punching him and cussing at him.





Anyway, fuck it.  I'm done with sports for a while.  Need to calm down and decompress.

~~~~~

In the meantime, I hope Virginia Basketball can find a way to add a little Tez to their games tonight and moving forward.  We're playing soft and losing games; tonight against Miami is a must-win, lest the spiral begins in earnest.  Time to show some real grit and tenacity, time to start playing with some urgency, time for a little aggression, time for some junkyard dog to come out of the Cavaliers.

It worked for the Bengals... kinda.



January 8, 2016

WHO DEY

I'm a die-hard Cincinnati Bengals fan. Have been for the last 30 years or so, the latter 25 of which have been accompanied by a playoff win drought unmatched in the NFL.

Tomorrow night, that drought comes to an end.

For insight into where I'm at as a fan, read this:

Football Remains Fun: The emotional journey of a Bengals fan on Wild Card weekend



Fuck the Steelers.  WHO DEY.





January 3, 2016

While we wait for Kendall's BIG Bronco post

   Hey guys and gals, my name is David and I'll be posting every now and then on things that come to my mind.  Some of you know me but for those that do not, I am Kendall's padawan. So lets just dig in to what has been on my mind.  Who was in JPJ for Bronco's half time standing ovation speech during the Oakland game?  The man is a true grinder and if any of these kids want to start this fall they better tighten down those chin straps and dig in.  I believe this man will make Saturdays fun again and he will also start packing the stands.  He will get win 100 with the HOOS and I hope we can keep the bowl streak alive with sending Bronco to his 12th straight bowl game.  No don't expect us to be ranked in the top 4 next year, but a 7-5 or even 8-4 season is in our future.
   One thing I'm looking forward to is no more run, run, short pass, and punt.  I don't know how many hats I have worn out slamming them on the bleachers at Fairchild's bull shit play calls. Bronco is bringing Robert Anae with him as our new OC.  Anae helped the cougars offense to a regular season ranked 21st in passing offense this year and ranked 14th in scoring offense last year.  With Jason Beck coming in as the QB coach and Robert Anae at the helm of the offense we will see a big, big transformation of the offense. Can't wait till the fall.


-David (aka the crazy man in section 118)