UCONNvicts Strike Again!

Anyone that knows me knows that my hatred for the University of Connecticut and it's men's basketball program knows no bounds.  Today, the University of Connecticut admitted that their men's basketball program committed major NCAA rules violations.  This is in no way, shape, or form surprising considering their head coach is the one and only Jim Calhoun.  Jim Calhoun could be the biggest douchebag in the history of College Athletics. Ooooh, where do I begin?: 

L is for loser.

1. Back in the Summer of 2005, Connecticut guards AJ Price and Marcus Williams were caught and convicted of Larceny in the theft of laptops from other student athletes at UCONN.  Most normal schools would've kicked said players off the team and probably out of school all together; but not UCONN.  Calhoun suspended both players for the year .... and then let them both back on the team after that.  Some people might say, "but they served their punishment," .... garbage.  The Spring before this incident, UCONN expelled guard Antonio Kellog for Marijuana possession and assaulting a police officer.  What does this have to do with the Marcus Williams and AJ Price case you might ask?  Well .. first of all, it shows what kind of a ship Coach Calhoun is running here; pretty much a minimum security prison.  But secondly, it shows that Calhoun is willing to throw the book at a player when he has little to no impact on his team.  But a player like Price or Williams who have a large impact on the team .. no worries, they'll be back at some point.

2. Calhoun has a history of berating officials, screaming obscenities, and just being an overall tool shed.  A few years ago, UCONN Athletic Director Jeffery Hathaway received an e-mail from a long time season ticket holder of the Men's Basketball team at UCONN.  The ticket holder was writing the Athletic Director to complain about Calhoun's behavior and language.  The ticket holder held tickets about 5 rows up behind the UCONN bench and held such tickets for quite some time.  He had recently begun to bring his small children to the games, and had started to notice a trend he never noticed before; Calhoun's douchebag behavior.  He politely requested that Mr. Hathaway speak with Mr. Calhoun about his language/behavior because he enjoyed attending UCONN Men's Basketball games, and wanted his children to be able to share in the experience as well.  Guess what happened next?  The following season, said Season Ticket Holder's tickets, were no longer behind the UCONN bench.  They were moved to the upper deck, and this was not a voluntary move.  Long story short, Jim Calhoun is once again a douchebag.

3. In 2005, one random night I was in the poker room at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY.  I was watching a rather large limit table in action (20/40) and noticed someone sitting at the head of the table that I swore I recognized from somewhere.  After about 15 minutes of staring at this guy, I finally realized who he was.  Yes, he was the one and only Josh Boone, from the UCONN Men's Basketball team.  Of course, how could I ever forget the size of that schnoz.

I made more at UCONN.

This led me to my next question: Where in God's name does Josh Boone, a college student, get the money to play 20/40 poker?  Does ANYONE here believe that Josh Boone is just that good of a poker player that he somehow built up a big enough bankroll to play 20/40 poker?  Because I sure as hell don't.  If that wasn't reassurance enough for me that Jim Calhoun was running a shady ship, nothing was going to be.

4. Which brings me to today's news.  You might say "kudos to UCONN for admitting that their Men's Basketball Program committed NCAA rules violations" but then you'd completely miss this beauty of a line: "But the university says the evidence does not support the NCAA allegation that coach Jim Calhoun -- who has won two national titles with the Huskies -- failed to promote an atmosphere for compliance."  Really UCONN, really?  How DID Calhoun promote an atmosphere for compliance when his coaches were, making improper phone calls and text messages to recruits and giving away free game tickets to high school coaches and others.  You're either in compliance, or you're not, and UCONN was NOT.  The way this college continually sticks up for Jim Calhoun's douchebag behavior boggles my mind.  What's even WORSE is UCONN's self imposed punishment of 2 years probation and 1 scholarship lost for the next 2 seasons as a way of trying to avoid an NCAA sanction.  Give me a break UCONN, man up to your mistakes and accept whatever punishment the NCAA feels fit.  Your beloved douchebag coach put you in this position and now you have to live with the consquences.

In my opinion, it's all finally starting to catch up to Calhoun and UCONN.  With an unimpressive 18-16 record last season, and a piss poor recruiting class in 2010 (by Big East standards) it's only a matter of time before Calhoun hangs 'em up (for fear of looking bad).  Until then, U-C-O-N-N, YOU SUCK, YOU SUCK, YOU SUCK.

Blue & Gold Are Back, Baby!

In honor of the NHL season starting in less than 90 minutes with a game overseas (still think it's stupid), I thought I would give you a little preview of the greatest team in the world, the Buffalo Sabres. I'll give you a hint: the Sabres have a better shot at making the Finals than Drew Stafford does at scoring 30 goals.

During the off season, the Sabres really did basically nothing. Out are Hank Tallinder, Toni Lydman, and Tim Kennedy. I thought people in Buffalo were going to kill Darcy for buying out Kennedy. Apparently he was God's gift to Earth & the next Gretzky, I guess I don't see it. In come veterans Jordan Leopold, Shaone Morrisonn, and Rob Neidermayer. In my opinion, upgrades across the board. Granted, they got a little older, but this team was too young anyways. Guess what?! They actually have a player who has won a Cup and knows what he is doing! Remember the last time that was true (hint, Chris Drury). That alone should be exciting.

Nuts & Bolts: The forwards are pretty much the same, finally no more Adam Mair or Matt Ellis (sent to Portland). In come Tyler Ennis, Nathan Gerbe, and Cody McCormick. Ennis has potential to score 30 goals a season for the next 10 years. I see him as a version of Danny Briere. Small, quick, great hands. All the things you look for in a man, right? Speaking of men, or lack there of, Drew Stafford needs to basically shape up or ship out. What a waste of a first round pick he has turned out to be. Can't score, can't play defense... sounds like Max Afinegenov. The Sabres still don't have a number 1 center, but depending on his play, Tim Connolly can fill this void. Him or Derek Roy, if Roy decides to grow up. Vanek is Vanek, Hecht and Mike Grier will be your solid defensive forwards with 30 goals between them. My wildcard this year (besides Ennis) is Pat Kaleta. This guy is the new Sean Avery with a mix of Rob Ray. No, he won't fight, or at least not that often, but he is hated by everyone outside of Buffalo. Best part, he scored 10 goals last year in 50 or 60 games. I know that is one thing he has been working on since he became a regular, but it should be interesting to see if he can outscore the likes of Drew Stafford, Paul Gaustad, or Mike Grier this season. I think it's possible.

The defense, the weak link, improved this summer. Morrisonn is a better verison of Tallinder and will be that stay at home defenseman that will let Tyler Myers go out and destroy the NHL. Jordan Leopold is extremely underrated, however the only thing that scares me is his injury history. Look for Craig Rivet to come back strong this season following his shoulder surgery. I know he wasn't happy with his play this past season so he will be looking to do better this season (especially with the hints of this being his last season in the NHL). Beyond that, its a crapshoot. Steve Montador will play all 82 games for the Sabres, but the last spot will be up for grabs between Chris Butler, Mike Weber, and Andrej Sekera. Gut feeling is one of these guys will be traded during the season.

Ryan Miller is still the best goalie in the NHL and that is really all I have to say to make my point here. Oh, Patrick Lalime is backing up again.

My Prediction: I think the Sabres will win the Northeast again. Although Boston improved a ton in the offseason, so they are the only ones who really scare me. Toronto is trying, Ottawa isn't, and Montreal is still there, but with no goalie. At the very least, the Sabres will be in the playoffs for the second straight season, and everyone knows that anything can happen then (example, Boston, Montreal, & Philly). Sabres got new uniforms this season (again, 5th year in a row) that now make them the best dressed in the NHL.

As always LETS GO BUFFALO!

Meet the New 22: JoJo Marasco.

Congratulations go out to JoJo Marasco on earning the right to wear the 22 this upcoming season for the Orange Lax Team.  JoJo is following in the footsteps of SU greats such as: Cody Jamieson, Dan Hardy, Mikey Powell, Casey Powell, Ryan Powell, and Gary Gait.  What does all of this mean?  Oh not much, outside of the fact that my buddy's got a lot to live up to.  But if anybody is up for the challenge it's JoJo.  The pride of Somers, NY tallied 17 points as a Freshman last year in just 10 games, and will look to expand on those numbers this year.

The new QB.

With the departures of Seniors: Chris Daniello, Cody Jamieson, and Max Bartig; JoJo will be counted on to do a lot of the scoring for the Orange this season.  Along with Seniors: Stephen Keogh, Josh Amidon, Jeremy Thompson, and Joel White.  The Orange will once again start the season (and finish it) ranked amongst the top teams in the country; as they look to rebound from a disappointing finish against Army in the Carrier Dome last season during the NCAA Tournament. 

You can't of course win them all, even though we sure try (and most of the time succeed) up on the hill.  In my opinion, a return to glory should be in the cards this season for the SU Men's Lax team.  After all, when you've got guys like JoJo Marasco leading your team, only good things can happen.  Congratulations again JoJo, and good luck this season.  And lastly, Go Orange!

Lynch trade now looks that much better.

The Patriots traded Randy Moss to the Vikings today for a 3rd round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.  I really don't understand this trade from a Patriots stand point and if I were a Pats fan, I'd be pretty upset right now.  The Patriots just traded away their best WR, a first ballot hall of famer, for a 3rd round pick.  They essentially traded away any chance they had of winning the Superbowl this year for another draft pick.  Sure they're going to have 2 picks in every single round in the 2011 NFL Draft, but still.  The NFL and it's fans are all about "what have you done for me lately," and lately, the Patriots just traded away any chance they had this year.

Straight cash homie.

The Patriots WR core now consists of: Wes Welker, Julian Edelman, Darnell Jenkins, Tyree Barnes, Taylor Price, Matthew Slater, and Shun White.  Outside of Welker, none of these names are really striking fear into the hearts of opposing CB's and Defensive Coordinators.

What's my point in all of this?  The Buffalo Bills' trade of Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks just looks that much better now in my opinion.  The Bills traded Lynch for a 4th round pick this year, and a conditional pick (5th or 6th round) in the 2012 draft.  Sure Lynch is much younger than Moss, and maybe it's a valid argument that Moss is entering the downside of his career.  But you can't ignore the fact that Moss still put up 1,264 yards and 13 TD's last year compared to Lynch's 450 yards and 2 TD's.  When comparing the 2 players, there really is no comparison.  Lynch is a 24 year old RB, it's pretty much become commonplace that NFL RB's fall off the table once they hit the age of 30 (If they've been starting since entering the league that is).  It only stands to reason that Lynch should not be an exception to this rule, ESPECIALLY when taking into consideration his running style.  Where as a player like Moss has spent his entire career essentially avoiding contact by just running by people and catching a whole mess of TD's. A style of player that is much more conducive to a long and productive NFL career.

Taking a pounding, as usual.

Moss should have no trouble playing another 3-4 seasons as a very productive WR.  Where as, who knows what Seattle is going to get out of Lynch.  A player who in my opinion (as stated in my previous post about him) has largely disappointed since he entered the league; whether it be ON the field, or OFF the field.  Bills fans, you can complain about it all you like, but getting 2 picks including a 4th rounder for Lynch, was a steal.  Stop thinking about WHERE he was drafted, and start thinking about WHAT he's done in this league; which isn't much.  Also, keep in mind, just because the Bills traded Lynch for a 4th round pick, doesn't necessarily mean they're going to draft someone with said 4th round pick.  They could package the pick to move up to a better pick in the draft.  Just something to keep in mind when you're crying about how you can no longer wear your Marshawn Lynch jersey you spent 50 dollars on.  

You bet they are!

Hockey season is just around the corner, and you know what that means! Yes that's right, another year of watching the Buffalo Sabres demolish everyone in the regular season and then choke in the playoffs!  No I kid, but seriously, you want to know what the difference is going to be this year?  Look no further than this: Ryan Miller Commercial

Great commercial and great goalie (if not the best).  I just wish for once that Darcy Regier and Larry Quinn would get some legitimate defensemen in front of Miller so he didn't have to make 50 saves a night just to give us a chance to win.

Ryan Miller is in my opinion the best goalie in the league.  Sure he gives up the occasional softy, but I mean come on, he is consistently night in and night out the best player on the ice for the Sabres.  He is the Jim Kelly of the Buffalo Sabres basically.  I just pray that before he is gone, we can do what we never did for Dominik Hasek which is win a Stanley Cup.  It's something that not only the Buffalo Sabres need after that BS debacle in the '99 against the Stars.  But it's something that the city of Buffalo desperately needs.  Between THAT, and the 4 consecutive Superbowl losses for the Bills, this city and these fans deserve a championship more than any other sport in America.  And there's really no debating that.  All that I have to say is, "LET'S GO BUFFALO!"  Oh and "NO GOAL!"

Bye Marshawn.

Citizens of Seattle, Washington: please look both ways before crossing the street. The Buffalo Bills have traded Willis McGahee .. I mean Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks today for a 4th round pick in the upcoming draft and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft.  A pretty good trade for the Bills if you ask me.  It forces Chan Gailey to get Fred Jackson (who was clearly the better back last year) and our 1st round pick CJ Spiller on the field.  Bills fans will undoubtedly complain that the Front Office did not get enough for Lynch, but what do you really expect?

You're talking about a guy that:

A. Had 450 rushing yards last year.
B. Has had numerous off the field problems in his time in Buffalo.
C. Never lived up to the billing of being a great pass catcher coming out of college.

Don't get me wrong, I think Lynch is a good back, but he suffers from the same symptoms that plagued Willis McGahee in his time here in Buffalo.  He just dances from side to side instead of going forward and hitting the hole (except Willis didn't have any trouble hitting the hole ... if you know what I mean).  Marshawn is like a 235 pound load, his strength has always been that it takes more than 1 guy to tackle him.  Therefore it would only stand to reason if he just hit the hole hard and ran forward, he'd probably be a really good back.  Instead, the only way Marshawn ever seemed to crack 100 yards rushing was if he somehow miraculously broke off a long run (which rarely happened).  I'm sure most Bills fans aren't aware of this but ... Marshawn Lynch only had six 100 yard rushing games in his entire career in Buffalo.  6 .. out of 46 games.  And he hasn't cracked 100 yards since 2008 either.

Fact is, Fred Jackson is a better back, and a better pass catcher as well.  And Spiller, well he's the exact opposite of Lynch, a homerun hitter.  Which was evident by his kickoff return for a touchdown against New England.  The Bills need to get him on the field and hand him the ball.  Hopefully now that Lynch is gone, we'll see Spiller in the backfield a little more.

Chad Henne's Hand?

I dare anyone to attempt to explain to me what it is that led to Chad Henne doing this with his left hand when he throws a football.  Seriously, please comment and attempt to explain.  I mean, what is he even doing with that thing?  Outside of practicing for his next profession of being a waiter of course.  The Bills may be a terrible joke of a professional football team right now, but at least our QB doesn't look like this when he throws the ball:

Can I get a refill please?

So we've got that going for us I guess?

Speaking of the Dolphins, as if it wasn't bad enough that their official team colors are "teal" and "salmon" why did they feel the need to make their helmets so glittery? Every time I watch the Dolphins play I feel like I'm watching a terrible unfunny live version of a Lisa Frank notebook or something.  I mean seriously, can you think of a professional sports team with uglier uniforms than the Miami Dolphins?  Sadly the uniforms have only become uglier over the years too.  If I were a Dolphins fan, I would much prefer to watch my team lose in the old school uniforms.  At least those were a mostly ambiguous white and not so much teal ... and of course the ever so popular salmon.  

Although my hatred for the Dolphins runs deep, I must say, it is nice having some company at the bottom of the AFC East.  Thanks Miami, you're welcome to stay as long as you'd like.  Please make yourselves at home, because you're probably going to be here a while (especially once the Bills draft Andrew Luck).  Here's to hoping for a 1-15 season Bills fans.  The 1 of course being the New Jersey Jets in the Meadowlands.

Awesome.

Layout and the Jets.

No, this post has nothing to do with what I suspect most Jet fans dream about when they go to sleep (Mark Sanchez laying out by the pool naked).  Sorry to disappoint any Jet fans that may happen to read.  More or less I am too lazy to update with pictures and spruce the blog up, but I will eventually.  That being said ..

Yes Jet fans, that is your QB.

Is it possible that Mark Sanchez (and the entire New York Jets team for that matter) could be any MORE of a tool?  After the Jets thoroughly romped the Bills today, Sanchez unleashed this gem: "Even now, I think we still feel like we could be 4-0, it's frustrating. We still want that first game."  Seriously?  Maybe you lost that game because you played like complete GARBAGE.  10 of 21 for 74 yards .. yippee. 

But seriously, I just can't see why everyone is all over this guy's crap like it doesn't stink?  He's a very inaccurate passer (53.8% last year and right on pace this year), he plays the most vanilla scheme in the world because his team has the best O-line and arguably best running game in the league, and he's got a defense that's pretty much second to none.  He had 28 turnovers last year and it's only a matter of time before he starts turning the ball over this year as well.  Maybe he'll turn out to be a good player, maybe he won't.  All I know is, I've never seen a player who led the league in INT's the previous season and pretty much looked like garbage the entire year be SO hyped.  The Jets will continue to win football games but make no mistake about it, it won't be because of Mark Sanchez, it will be because of that defense and that offensive line.  Hell, even Trent Edwards would be successful behind that line. Ah who am I kidding?

Thanks for wasting 3+ seasons of my life, guy.