Texas to Play on Thursday in 2008...Or Are They?

ESPN's Thursday night football game has grown to be a favorite among college football fans. Usually these games match up some up and coming teams or teams looking for more national exposure. But this year both Texas and USC have agreed to move one of their games to the early week slot.

While USC will be playing Oregon State on Thursday, it is not clear which game the Horns will move. If it is a home game, it will interesting to see how that affect attendance, traffic, parking, tailgating and everything else that accompanies a typical Texas game at DKR.

ESPN Thursday Night Football



**UPDATE**

Deloss Dodds denies the ESPN report that Texas will play on Thursday....

Even the Collective Loathing of a Nation Cannot Stop Boston

Hasn't this gone far enough? At some point is has to stop, doesn't it? I mean someone has to step in and make it end, right? I don't know if any city has ever gone on a run like this. And if it is possible it seems like we're closer to the beginning than the end of it.

Seriously, the way Boston sports teams are winning is just nauseating. It probably wouldn't be so bad, except for the other things that come with it. Like the fact that you can't do anything sports related without having the city of Boston stuffed down your throat.

It starts with the Boston Red Sox. Sure great, you ended all those years of suffering with a likable team and a story book ending. You captured the heart of the nation. Only you did it with a payroll the size of the Yankees. Your best players came from the Twins, Indians, Marlins, and Diamondbacks (Phillies). You now have so many people that have jumped off the bandwagon, I have at least ten friends that once the playoffs roll around they start singing their allegiances to the Sox, and in between try and figure out who the new players are. I mean last night, they showed Troy Aikman in the stands, completely decked out with Red Sox gear. I mean I always suspected Troy Aikman was a soulless loser, but yeah, that pretty much confirmed it. I'm sure he's been a life long Red Sox fan, you know, growing up in California and Oklahoma, and spending his entire career in Dallas. Yeah, I'm sure that whole love affair didn't start exactly 7 minutes after the Red Sox won game 7 of the 2004 ALCS against the Yankees. The only question is, what did he do with all his Yankees gear? The whole love affair with the Red Sox has taken the exact same course as the Yankees from their Championship Shopping Spree in the 90s. That was a team featuring a bloated payroll and some homegrown talent sprinkled in (Jeter, O'Neill, Williams, Posada). And it has caused the formation of the bandwagon fans that loved the Yankees and the rest of the country that hated them. (Fans and team) And the same thing has happened with the Red Sox. I think I hate them more than I hate the Yankees.

But while all this has gone on, the Patriots have some how formed a dynasty in an era in football where you're not supposed to have dynasties. Early on, they seemed like a good bunch of guys, succeeding with solid talent, a team oriented attitude, and some luck. But as time passed and the wins kept piling up, the Coach Belicheck led Patriots seemed less and less like that likable good bunch of guys, then a bunch of unemotional players led by a coach who comes off more like an arrogant, self-loving, dictator. Throw in a quarterback that becomes less and less likable every time you see him with a supermodel that he will most likely impregnate by week's end. Brady is a great quarterback on a great team, you can't deny that. But when the #1 topic of a Colts broadcast isn't the unbeaten defending super bowl champions, but how the Patriots are the best team in football, you just get to the point where you've had enough. You would think Belicheck is related to every football analyst and Brady has impregnated their daughters the way every football person talks about the Patriots at all times.

Then last night, a new hatred of Boston takes center stage. #2 Boston College, fresh off of playing absolutely no one this season, faced their first true test of the season at #8 Virginia Tech. However, we were told Boston College wouldn't have any problems because of Heisman front runner, and Doug Flutie's love child, Matt Ryan. In a telecast that almost become unwatchable because of Flutie, Matt Ryan played terrible the entire game as the announcers searched for every opportunity to make an excuse. Then in the final three minutes, with Virginia Tech electing to go without a pass rush, Ryan was able to run around for 20 seconds on each play before finding open receiver after open receiver. Virginia Tech's defensive line looked so bad during that stretch it was no wonder that LSU was able to shred them 41-7 earlier this year. The win pretty much secured Ryan the Heisman and left Boston College without very many capable teams of beating them this season. Boston College is not very good, but now we're going to have to listen to Doug Flutie and company sing Matt Ryan's praises this season. The only way BC doesn't get absolutely killed in the National Championship game is if someone in the ACC can knock them off, or Ohio State makes it to the title game so BC can play another horribly overrated opponent. Either way, great, more Boston.

Of course what makes it even better is that the NBA is about to start. Normally that wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact the Celtics just got Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Coupled with Paul Pierce, Boston is an instant contender in the still pretty pathetic Eastern Conference. I think what makes this worse is that I like Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Even Paul Pierce is a pretty likable guy. But I'm positive that by the end of the season, we will be sick of hearing about the three of them and how it is like the Boston of old, while the sporting world sings the praises of the newest "genius" Danny Ainge. It hasn't started yet, but I'm sure it's not far off.

All of this wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the over saturation of the sporting market, and the domination of ESPN, head quartered in Boston, excuse me, Bristol, Massachusetts, excuse me Connecticut. Led by Bill Simmons, ESPN has dove in head first with round the clock Boston coverage. If it hadn't been for the Indians choking away the series, I'm sure the top three stories on Sportscenter would be Manny Ramirez driving a cab to the airport to fly home to the Dominican (Oh, that Manny), an inside look at Patriots camp, that despite popular belief Bill Belicheck actually does put his pants on one leg at a time, followed by a moving story about how Paul Pierce got stabbed 10 years ago, and Kevin Garnett gives him hugs and is dedicating his season to him.

The worst though has to be Bill Simmons. I read him avidly for the longest time because he is a very talented writer with a unique style. But he's gotten so big now that he pretty much as free reign from ESPN to write about the Red Sox, Patriots, and Celtics 24/7. Even with the NBA season (his specialty sport) a few days away, he can get away with posting his napkin notes on the 2008 NBA season as a preview. Instead continuing to smugly continue to write about the Patriots and the Red Sox. I could be wrong, but I can't say that I can stomach reading him anymore since his "Sorry I have to write my one article about Boston sports" has turned into "Sorry, I have to write my one article not about Boston sports".

I just want to be able to turn on a sporting event without having to hear about the Red Sox, Patriots, Celtics, or Boston College. Too bad it's hard to enjoy sports without watching ESPN, ABC, or the NFL. It's getting to the point that I wish the British had won the Revolution or at least destroyed Boston in the losing effort. If only the NHL hadn't ceased being a sport 4 years ago, because don't the Bruins suck?

*Note, all pictures taken from the front page of ESPN today.

DJ Augustin: One and Done, Too?

The speculation about Kevin Durant leaving early for the NBA is obvious. If you are guaranteed to be no worse than the number 2 pick in the draft, there isn’t much upside in staying in school for another year (see, twisted ankle against Kansas). What has become more intriguing are the questions about freshman standout, DJ Augustin, leaving the 40 Acres after just one year.

There are two current sources providing the answer to these rumors, but you would be surprised as to which way each source is making me lean in questioning the time DJ will spend in Austin.

The first evidence presented is DJ’s own statement that he will be back next year. You might think this would lead to a conclusion that DJ will, in fact, be back next year. However, this statement has been proven to hold little meaning after the season is over. In fact, if you take a look at recent Longhorn stars that have proclaimed their mid-season desire to return for another college season (TJ Ford, LaMarcus Aldridge, PJ Tucker and Daniel Gibson), DJ’s statement seems more and more ominous. And if you remember correctly, TJ was 99.9% sure he was coming back before bolting to the league. (On a related note, there must be something lost in translation with UT athletes and the use of statistical probability. Wasn’t Texas legend Roger Clemens 99.9% sure he was retiring with the Yankees and now we are in our 3rd off season of “Waiting for Roger?” We should look and make sure UT athletes aren’t taking Stats class from a paint-by-numbers coloring book…)

(Another side note: Is it just me, or has the “I’ll be back next year” almost replaced the GM’s dreaded “vote of confidence” as far as a coach’s concern level goes? A statement like that from the GM, will immediately precipitate a call to the coach’s family realtor. But now, a coach hearing a star player profess his interest in a degree will immediately start the recruiting process for a blue-chip replacement. Something to think about, anyway.)

Ironically, the one thing making me feel like DJ may return is a recent ranking by ESPN’s Chad Ford that has Augustin ranked as the number 16 NBA prospect in the nation. (It’s a pay link so if you cant see all of it; you just have to trust me). Now, why, you ask, does this make me feel ok? Its because of the seemingly lack of any common sense or sports knowledge displayed by Ford in his “rankings.”

Any list that has DJ Augustin ranked higher as a pro prospect than Acie Law (#19) is immediately null and void in my book. Are you kidding me, Chad Ford?! Have you even SEEN Acie Law play basketball at any point in time this season? If you had, there is no way you can keep that guy out of the top 10, much less almost put him out of the top 20. Absolutely ridiculous.

The second, third and fourth glaring areas are the fact that Mr. Ford has ranked Chase Budinger as his #12 prospect, Josh McRoberts as his #13 and, then fourth, proceeds to put Tyler Hansbrough as his 32nd best prospect. So many things make no sense about any of this. Budinger is a decently talented forward, averaging less than 16 points on an unranked Arizona Wildcat team. I am not saying he isn’t an eventual pro prospect, but there is no way you can call that guy one of the top 15 amateur basketball players in the world.

And don’t even get me started on Josh McRoberts. All you have to do is look at Duke’s tract record of putting white guys in the NBA (Thank you very much Cherokee Parks) and see what kind of pro potential this guy has. And how in the world can you have watched the UNC/Duke game on Sunday and thought that McRoberts is anywhere near Hansbrough in talent?

I could go on, but I will just point to these few examples and say that Mr. Ford’s “expertise” has convinced me that DJ is not ready to be a lottery draft pick at this point. But with one more year experience, it is not out of reach to say that Augustin could be the best PG prospect in the draft. That is reason enough for DJ to spend one more year as a Horn.