Saturday, September 16, 2006

Late add

I'll pick up Scott Chandler, the 2nd sucker to add a TE. I'll drop Tim Brasic.

Bryan " Joe Willie Namath" Cupito

Bryan Cupito, the oft insulted starting QB of the Minnesota Fighting Farmers will face off against his nemesis rivals, Bucky's Goodgers this Saturday afternoon. ESPN's very own Lee Corso did an interview following practice last week at Minnesota's practice facility at Fallow Field. While the expletive laced tirade will not be aired on television, a few exerts were released for publish.

Corso: After your first few miserable games, do you feel you have something to prove this weekend against the Goodgers?
Cupito: We'll Lee, the way I see it, we're a .500 team after two games. In this league I've got something to prove every #@% Saturday. I'm the team leader and I'm not going to shirk my responsibility of sucking monkey my first two games. It is time for me to step it up.
Corso: Speaking of monkeys, is that one on your back?
Cupito: Yes it is. Coach Kennedy has forced me to wear this kids monkey backpack around campus all week until I prove we can get this *%$# monkey off our own back. It actually feels more like a %@#$* 1000 lb. Gorilla.
Corso: Could you elaborate on those comments?
Cupito: It's those damn communist bastard, son's a bitches, no good %#@* Goodgers! We just can't seem to beat them in head to head competition. But today will be different. Today our destiny is upon us.
Corso: What do you mean by that? Do you think you can actually beat the 3 time defending league champ, the Goodgers!?!
Cupito: I don't think it Lee, I know it. Last night I had a dream about me inside of Joe Namath's body and I was winning the BTFFL Blue Ox Bowl. I could truly feel Joe's effervescence.
Corso: Come again.
Cupito: I fell I am the illegitimate godson and embodiment of Joe Namath. Through his body, metaphysically, I'm going to carry my team to victory. I garuntee it!
Corso: That's quite a prediction Bryan. Good luck today. I think you might need it...

Bryan Cupito garuntee's victory this weekend and so do I.
Starting line-up for today's victory:
QB Bryan Cupito
RB Alex Daniels
RB Tony Hunt
RB Javon Ringer
WR Ted Ginn
WR Derrick Williams
WR Matt Trannon
K Taylor Melhoff

Go Farmers!

Friday, September 15, 2006

I'll take Ted Ginn!

If Shawn can have Paul Hubbard, I'll take Ted Ginn. Because I am so fairminded, I'll even spend the $7 for the pick-up!

MarxistGopher's Top 10

1. Ohio State
2. Auburn
3. Notre Dame
4. USC
5. West Virginia
6. Florida
7. LSU
8. Texas
9. Louisville
10. Virginia Tech

Spitfires 3rd Alternate Uniforms


"We're excited to announce that we will be wearing these brand new Alternate style Uniforms for select games in the future, starting with this week's game vs. the Golden Goblins at the Litter Box," said new Spitfires PR representative Jenna Fischer, on her first day on the job. "I'm very pleased to be a part of this incredible organization, and I look forward to being part of many Blue Ox Bowl Championships." The reporters in the room erupted in laughter after that statement, causing Fischer to abrubtly end the press conference, saying, "I left a hit TV show for this!"

(Jenna Fischer)

pick 'em

Toledo - You don't want to play in the glass bowl!
Iowa - I really want to pick ISU (I F-ing hate Iowa- they screwed me again last week) but I cannot imagine Iowa playing any worse than last week and if Tate actually plays Iowa will win a close one.... IfTate doesn't play then I like ISU
Syracuse - After watching that debacle called Illinoise last week how can anyone pick them to win? Syracuse looked surprisingly decent against f-ing Iowa so I expect they can beat a much weaker Illinois team
Ohio State - OSU sleep walks through this game 38-16
Purdue - We know PU has no D but they can outscore the ballers 45-40
Minnesota - even with its high school D and underacheiving O minnesota should coast - 47 -24
Northwestern - After losing to NH this is not a sure thing but I think NW can sqeak this out
Oregon - Not a typically great Duck team but OK is the most overrated team in the land
Pitt- MSU is a Drew Stanton injury away from no more wins this season. Pitt is on the rise!!!
Louisville- Another battle of overrated teams. Miami has no O and Louis never plays a real team.
LSU - just a guess
Notre Dame- They play Chad Henne...game over 31-23
Penn State- by far the most disappointing team for me last week. You have a slew of very good wrs and cannot get a TD- horrible!! 48-10
Wisconsin- Have not seen a snap of them yet but they seem disappointing too. 20-3 in the 4th Qtr against a 1aa team??!! SDSU lost to UTEP. In a typical boring wisconsin game 27-20
Indiana - they win it for the coach 30-13
Wash. St. - baylor is better but not good enough
TCU - I just think tt is too gimmicky and TCU is pretty good
So Miss - NCST has collapsed after Rivers and Robinson left
Miss - Kentucky is already looking to B-ball season
Fresno - I miss a good washington team
Tulsa - A big game for Tulsa
Fl. St. - I am not impressed with FSU but Clemson is no better
USC - Run it up on Nebraska PLEASE!!!!!
Florida - Tenn should have lost to Air Force! They are pretenders!
Missouri - SHHHH Missouri is the sleeper in the Big 12- look out!
Navy - This would be a bad loss for Stanford - Navy is still the best military program
Nevada - it's time for sonny to go - the power in cf continues to move westward


highest scoring team - Penn State
Lowest scoring - Michigan

Give up the most points - Michigan State
Give up fewest points - Penn State

Turnovers - Wisconsin

Thursday, September 14, 2006

This could pose a problem for the BTFFL

The Big Ten Conference announced today that it will wait until the conclusion of the Major League Baseball regular season on Sunday, Oct. 1, to determine if it is necessary to move the Oct. 7 Penn State at Minnesota football game to Saturday, Nov. 25.

If the Minnesota Twins do not qualify for the playoffs or win the American League Central division with the best or second-best record among division winners, the Penn State at Minnesota football game will be played on Oct. 7 as scheduled.

If the Twins earn the wild card or win the division with the third-best record among division winners, the Penn State at Minnesota football game will be played on Nov. 25.

The University of Minnesota will be financially responsible for all additional travel, hotel, administrative and other direct costs incurred by Penn State University due to the rescheduling. In addition, Penn State fans unable to attend the game due to this possible change may seek reimbursement for a documented, direct financial loss associated with unused game tickets and non-refundable travel and hotel expenses. Fans seeking access to the reimbursement pool should contact the Penn State athletic ticket office and present appropriate documentation."

'Billboard' material adds fuel to Iowa-Iowa State rivalry

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- The most talked about billboard in Iowa
has a tame message compared to what some folks have to say about
the rivalry between the state's two big-time football schools.

But try selling that in a Kinnick Stadium parking lot Saturday,
when No. 16 Iowa (2-0) takes on Iowa State (2-0).

The infamous sign on Interstate 380 in Cedar Rapids, a short
jaunt from Iowa City, reads "It's a Cyclone State," above a group
of Iowa State players celebrating last year's win over Iowa.

The board has drawn the ire of Hawkeyes fans since it went up in
July. It is just the latest jab traded in a rivalry in which bad
blood predates the forward pass, and the buzz it has generated is
exactly what Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard was hoping
to create.

"I've heard a lot of people talk about it," Iowa State wide
receiver Todd Bythe said. "I bet a lot of Iowa fans are upset and
mad about it. But I think it's all in good fun."

Of course, Pollard has gotten ahead of himself. Iowa has
dominated the Cyclones in both prestige and public adulation for
most of the last century. But the days when Hayden Fry's Hawkeyes
treated Iowa State like a punching bag are over, thanks in large
part to Cyclones coach Dan McCarney.

Iowa State, which lost to Iowa every year from 1983 to 1997, has
taken six of the last eight from the Hawkeyes under McCarney, who's
in his 12th season at Iowa State.

"To everybody in our camp and everyone in Iowa State's camp,
this is not just another game. It's a huge game for both teams,"
Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said. "This is going to be up there on the
Richter scale."

Pollard's billboard stunt seems innocuous in the context of this
rivalry's often bitter past. Bickering between the schools put the
game on ice from 1921 to 1932 and 1935 to 1976, and only an
arbitrator's ruling brought it back to life.

A 1916 survey commissioned by the U.S. Commission of Education
stating that the game was the "occasion for the revival of feuds,
charges and countercharges (and) the reassertion of differences and
criticisms," led to a halt in the series. After a brief two-year
revival, the Hawkeyes used a resolution in the state Legislature to
justify not renewing the series.

The schools' athletic directors agreed to a two-year contract to
play starting in 1977, but when Iowa found out that its athletic
director had actually committed to six games, the school refused to
sign the deal.

An arbitrator was brought in to resolve the dispute, forcing
Iowa to honor the six-game contract.

Fan fervor has kept the series alive ever since -- though Iowa
made the term "rivalry" seem silly throughout much of the 1980s
and 1990s. All that changed in 1998, when McCarney, a former Iowa
assistant, and his Cyclones entered Iowa City as 26-point underdogs
and left with a 27-9 win that ended a 15-game losing streak.

"It's a whole different ball game now, and it started in
1998," said Ferentz, who is 2-5 against McCarney. "It's a heck of
a contest now."

Because Iowa (Big Ten) and Iowa State (Big 12) play in different
conferences, the head-to-head meeting in the only measuring stick
the teams have. There's also no major pro sports in Iowa, save for
Kerry Wood's annual rehab start for the Triple-A Iowa Cubs.

The Hawkeyes and Cyclones fill that void.

"It's just unique. It's a state without a lot of population,
with major college programs, Big Ten, Big 12, competing against
each other." McCarney said. "To say it's just another game,
somebody's crazy. It's not."

It seems hardly coincidental that Pollard's billboard was on the
route Iowa takes from the team hotel to Kinnick on game days.
Ferentz insists that he hasn't seen it, even though his wife
pointed it out to him the last time they drove by.

It looks like he won't get that chance. The billboard, which has
redefined the term "bulletin board material," was scheduled to be
taken down Thursday.

"This is not my time of year to be sightseeing," Ferentz said.

Spitfires Unviel New 2006 Uniforms....finally

"Though it is a few weeks late we'll finally be putting those old 2003-05 uniforms to bed this week, and wearing our brand new uniforms to go along with our brand new blue helmets we've been wearing for the first 2 weeks," said an anonymous Spitfires spokesperson. "Lets be real. This is embarrassing. It took until week 3 to get the new uniforms on the players. This goes along with everything else going on with this team.....we're just inept." He then walked out of the room and shouted, "I quit! Go G******!" Coach Carhart immediatly starting interviewing for a new PR representative.

Iowa receiver Davis tears Achilles, likely done for year

DES MOINES, Iowa -- Iowa wide receiver Calvin Davis is expected miss the rest of the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon. Coach Kirk Ferentz said Thursday the injury occurred Wednesday in practice.

Davis, a fifth-year senior and starter, had just two receptions for the 16th-ranked Hawkeyes, who host rival Iowa State on Saturday.

Freshman Dominique Douglas and sophomore Andy Brodell should see more playing time in Davis' absence.

Tight end Scott Chandler leads the team with 10 catches and a pair of touchdowns through two games.

Tuesday, September 12, 2006

Indiana coach Hoeppner to undergo brain surgery


BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana football coach Terry Hoeppner is scheduled to undergo brain surgery on Wednesday after a scan showed evidence of a possible recurrent tumor, the university said Tuesday.

Hoeppner, who had successful brain surgery in December of 2005, is expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks.

An MRI showed evidence of a possible recurrent tumor, neurosurgeon Marshall Poor said Tuesday in a statement. Surgeons in December removed a tumor from the 59-year-old's right temple.

"The entire Indiana University family has treated me so well during my two years in Bloomington and I cannot thank everyone enough for that," Hoeppner said in a statement released by the university. “My health is an important part of being able to lead the Hoosier football program and I look forward to resuming my duties as head coach of this team as soon as possible."

Assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Bill Lynch has been named interim head coach. The Hoosiers are 2-0 with wins over Western Michigan and Ball State; they are scheduled to play Southern Illinois on Saturday.

Hoeppner was named head coach at Indiana in December of 2004, after spending 19 seasons at Miami (Ohio), including six as head coach. The Hoosiers went 4-7 in his first season.

He had a 48-25 record as coach at Miami (Ohio), where he coached Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Miami won the MAC championship and the GMAC Bowl in 2003.