Houston Cougars 55 Northwestern St. 7

Honestly it was nothing more than a glorified scrimmage. The Northwestern St. Demons were merely a sacrificial lamb to the College Football Gods.

The Demons visit was a homecoming of sorts for their head coach Bradley Peveto. Peveto served as UH defensive coordinator in another life.

The announced attendance was a little over 22,000. I find it a little disappointing considering the expectations for the Cougars this year. I'd like to see more UH alum and casual fans come out the games. This is nothing new and has been an on going problem since long before I attended UH.

On the field the offense, lead by junior QB Case Keenum, looked ready for the season. Keenum picked up from where he left off last season. He tossed the ball for 355 yards while completing 23 of 30 attempts (76.7%). He threw four touchdown passes and ran another one in. He played the first half and one series into the second half.

The defense pretty much manhandled the hapless Demons all night save for one TD drive and when the back ups started to play.

The only concern going forward is the special teams. One blocked extra point, one missed field goal and a long return late in the game show that there is room for improvement.

As for the back ups, RB Wilson seemed to have a nice night. QB Cotton Turner looked like he had first game jitters but hopefully that's all it is. Right now I'm not to confident on how he'd handle a game should Keenum go down. Heralded true freshman A.J. Dugat burned his redshirt last night and made his debut. He got a late start practicing with the Cougars due to a delay in the NCAA clearing him to play. He had a nice catch on his first play and had a few other attempts thrown his way.

Next up the Coogs travel to Stillwater, OK to take on the Oklahoma St. Cowboys. The No. 9 Cowboys beat the No. 13 Georgia Bulldogs in Stillwater 24-10. The win should move them up in the rankings. The Coogs need to bring the A+++ game to win.

Block "H" Formation

Player Intros

Opening Kick Off

David Wetzel's Questionable Source on Michael Crabtree

I'm a little late with this but....

I love a writer who never let's facts get in the way of a good story. For instance, take Yahoo.com writer Dan Wetzel. He does a column on San Francisco 49er's holdout Michael Crabtree. The headline reads 49ers’ Crabtree conducts convoluted holdout and the article leads you to believe that Crabtree himself came out and said he will reenter next years draft if he doesn't get his money.

A sampling of Wetzel's comments:

Crabtree has decided that he shouldn’t have to be paid less because – based on all the made-up, predicted drafts – Al Davis made a mistake. He wants to be paid more than Heyward-Bey, demanding his contract reflect that it was actually he who was the higher selected receiver.

We are prepared to do it,” David Wells, a cousin of Crabtree, told ESPN.

Crabtree apparently operates in a world ruled by Mel Kiper Jr.

The second quote points out the flaw logic of Wetzel on Crabtree's flawed logic. Wetzel is taking what someone else said as proof of what's going on behind closed door negotiations.

Look very carefully at the source of the quote. David Wells. A cousin of Crabtree. Not his agent, not his lawyer, not his spokesmen. His cousin.

Now go read the real story on ESPN.com. The headline is Adviser: Crabtree could re-enter draft. If you bother to read the whole article, you'd see that Crabtree's agent, not David Well, states that there is no such threat about holding out for more money or reentering the draft. In fact, the agent, Eugene Parker tells ESPN.com:

You've known me a long time and I'm not a guy who makes threats. Nor am I a guy who negotiates in the public. I don't know where this came from but no such threat has been made.

Wetzel may not be wrong on his assessment. We really don't know what's going on behind closed doors. We don't know how much or how little an amount he 49ers are offering.

Wetzel goes wrong in treating a questionable source as a primary source of information. At best, the advisor/cousin, might know what's going on but he might just be part of Crabree's posse with no real information. I'd tend to believe the quotes more if they came from Crabtree or his agent but not his cousin.

Newsflash: Tiger Woods is Human

Calm the hell down people. The sky isn't falling. The second coming of Christ hasn't happened. Ming the Merciless isn't outside our solar system fighting Flash Gordon.

Yet some people are reacting like that because, hold your breath, Tiger Woods lost a lead and a tournament.

On the local news, Houston Foxnews 26, the sportscaster made a big deal about a Tiger choke.

ESPN2's First Take lead off with Tiger losing and making drama out of it.

It all boils down to one thing. Last I checked, Tiger Woods is human. He's the greatest golfer of our lifetime (arguably the best ever) but he does lose occasionally. He even can lose a lead.

He doesn't heal the sick. He doesn't walk on water. He doesn't fly. He's human. He's bound to lose every once and a while.

The media, as usual, are just acting like drama queens.

It's called an upset. North Carolina St. over Houston. Villanova over Georgetown. NY Jets over Baltimore. NY Giants over New England. These things happen.

If I'm Woods, I'm sitting at home with my model wife and kids enjoying a beer and laughing at all the media hysterics.

Favre Stays Retired, What's Peter King to Do?

Drama Queen Brett Farve decided to stay retired. Not without the Minnesota Vikings putting every effort they could into signing Favre. In the end, Favre decided he didn't want to go through the grind of NFL life anymore. Or he remembered how awful he played down the stretch last year.

Now the Vikings are in the awkward position of going back to Plan B aka Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfails. How do you go to your current quarterbacks and tell them,"Well Favre decided to not play. We love you guys."

To top it off, the front office recruited players to call Favre and try to sell him on signing with the team. No dice. Now either Jackson or Rosenfails will have to look at players in the huddle and think that their own guys tried to sell them down the river for Farve.

Good luck to Jackson. I think he probably wins the battle for quarterback. Rosenpenis is a turnover machine. He turned the ball over as much as Texans starter Matt Schaub in half as many games while filling in.

Congrats Vikings, he's your problem now.

The NFL's Problem Children

I finally decided to weigh in on the legal woes of three NFL players and the spot commissioner Roger Goodell finds himself in.

When Goodell to the reins of the NFL, he promised more law and order. He worked with players and the players union to come up with a personal conduct code for players, coaches and basically all NFL personnel. In his term he has suspended several players including high profile problem child Adam Pacman Jones. The policy doesn't just include legal problems but an behavior that can tarnish the league's brand. So far I believe Goodell has done a good job of using his judgment.

First, I'm going to go back to a show I heard on ESPN Radio. I can't remember the show but an interesting question was raised around the time Goodell issued an indefinite suspension to WR Donte Stallworth and the postponement of Plaxico Burress's court date. Typically Goodell waits until a case has wound through the legal system before issuing his ruling.

The host asked his callers this question: Should Roger Goodell be judge, jury and executioner and punish a player more severely if the legal system doesn't seem harsh enough? He was referring to Stallworth's case. Stallworth received a relatively light sentence for DUI and manslaughter while Michael Vick received more prison time for killing dogs. Stallworth served 30 days in prison and received probation for killing a pedestrian while intoxicated. The host didn't take sides as the question was posed for discussion.

I started to think about the personal conduct policy and Goodell's duty as commissioner. I think the question boils down to one simple concept. The NFL is a private business enterprise with the goal of making money. Goodell's job is to steer the ship and to maximize the profits of the business. He has the duty to protect the image and marketability of the league. If a players actions hurt the image of the league, then Goodell has the right to punish those players. Players are the most visible employees of the league. How they behave and act off the field can impact the league as much as play on the field.

In the private sector, employees usually have to adhere to some kind of behavior policies at work. Just as a player can get suspended for getting a DUI, an employee in the private sector can be terminated, suspended or other actions. A company, and the NFL, must act to protect its best interest.

While Goodell is under no obligation to come down hard on a player, he has every right to do so in the interest of preserving the integrity of the NFL.

I wrote all that to preface what I think Goodell should do in the cases of Vick, Stallworth and Burress.

Michael Vick took a hard fall. He was on top of the football player financially, in popularity and successfully on and off the field. That was until it was discovered that he funded a dog fighting ring. Vick did federal time for his crimes. He lost all his wealth and filed bankruptcy. In all but a few quarters he is wildly unpopular.

In my opinion, I think Goodell should reinstate Vick. His crimes were horrendous. He lied initially about his activities. In no way, shape or form do I condone what Vick did. What I believe though is Vick paid a huge penalty. I also believe he should have a chance at redemption. The commissioner has stated that Vick must prove that he is sorry for his crimes. If Goodell truly believes that Vick in humble and sorry, I think there is no further reason to not allow him to play. However, Goodell also should make it very clear that any further mishaps may lead to a permanent ban from the NFL. Despite if he is reinstated, Vick must still convince a team owner, GM and coach to sign him. Just because Vick is reinstated doesn't mean he will ever play another down of football again. Teams may choose not to sign him. It's a big public relations risk to sign him. I believe whether or not to sign him should be left up to the individual team.

In the case of Donte Stallworth, Goodell should issue an definite suspension. Unfortunately, I can't judge on what length of suspension is appropriate. Like Vick, I no way condone Stallworth's actions. Stallworth killed a man while driving intoxicated. In an image driven business, perceptions are everything. Some seem to think Stallworth skated with a 30 day sentence and probation. For whatever reason, the judge, prosecutor and probably the victim's family all decided it was enough. Stallworth took responsibility for his actions. He didn't try to run from the law or blame others. He settled up financially with the family. No matter what a price
cannot be put on human life. However, Stallworth paid the family and they seemed content and that is their business on how they handled the situation.

Goodell probably will weigh Stallworth's actions and what appears to be honest behavior and responsibility along with the seriousness of the situation and, of course, the perceptions of Stallworth's legal consequences. In the end, I think Stallworth should be reinstated and allow teams to make their own decisions on to sign him or not.

Finally at the opposite end of the spectrum is Plaxico Burress. Generally Goodell awaits the legal system before making his decisions. In the case of Burress, he imposed an indefinite suspension. I think it's mostly because of Burress actions after the incident that Goodell acted. Burress has done everything but take personal responsibility for his actions. He tried to get others to cover up for him. He used a fake name at the hospital where received treatment. He has not tried to reach a plea agreement. He's putting off settling the case in hopes of playing the 2009 season. Instead of waiting for the case to come to a conclusion, Goodell is being proactive and gathering information on Burress. It is likely Goodell issues his punishment before the a judge and jury do. If being honest, contrite and responsible are traits highly valued by Goodell then Burress is probably gone for the season.

Another Reason I Hate Peter King the Hack

Sometimes, like Official Hack Little Dickie Justice, Sports Illustrated writer Peter King makes an uninformed observation along the lines of point number 7:

7. I think the Rex Grossman signing in Houston says one thing to me: The honeymoon's over for Dan Orlovsky as the walk-in, no-doubt backup to Matt Schaub.

Granted, King states it as an observation. However, as any observer of the Houston Texans will know, King is simply wrong.

Bigfatdrunk at DGDG&D breaks it down on why Orlovsky is better than the Sex Cannon

There is a further discussion over at the Battle Red Blog comparing the Sex Cannon to the late signing and early release of Quin Gray before camp last season.

So go beat that dead horse at those two blogs if you must. I won't.

The real reasons I hate King are multiple. His constant online blowjob of Brett Farve is tops. I think he even tops John Madden in publicly performing fellatio on Farve.

Also his constant bragging on who he texts with during the off season and after games smacks of elitism.

His Tuesday column reaches a new low in his "I know these people, you don't" attitude. Most writers either talk about "sources in the organization" or something along those lines. King goes out of his way to say who texts him and who he talks to on their cell phone.

The second paragraph is a classic King texting marathon. Three times he brags on his texting skills:

But Monday night, I texted McDaniels, who is a big texter.

Texted his assistant and got back that the coach is laying low

Texted Marshall, who's also a texter.

Enough King. We get it! You know players and coaches. You know their cell phone numbers. Farve is your BFF but you have more than five people in you Circle of Five. Give it a freaking rest now. Farve is supposedly retired. Go blow him on the privacy of his ranch.

As if his texting buddies wasn't enough King has to remind us he's also BFF with a New York judge:

I'm friendly with a judge in the New York area

I honestly wouldn't have a problem with a friend judge and his anonymous comments if it wasn't for the fact that King hadn't rubbed it in my face about all his texting butt buddies.

Then there is finally the obligatory lick to Farve's nut sack when King gives his brief take on Farve's HBO interview.

To get an appreciation of Peter King's magnitude of suckage, one must read the whole body of work over the course of an NFL season. A casual reading doesn't come close to revealing how bad a writer he is. Over a year one notices certain patterns: his constant bragging of texting players and coaches, his tiresome Brett Farve lovefest, his inane observations of teams he has no interest in covering and his Ten Things I Think I Think feature that goes well beyond ten.

Congratulations Peter King. You are now the latest entry in to Unkle Monkee's list of Official Hacks.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Your Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins

When the dust settled and the horn sounded, the Pittsburgh Penguins stood tall with Sir Lord Stanley's Cup. What a beautiful sight to behold. All Hail the Pens!

I was more nervous than a whore in church. Game seven is it. All the marbles. Winner take all.

Pens goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was unbelievable again. I can't say enough good things about him. The way he rebounded from that 5-0 thrashing in game five was incredible. When the Pens needed Flower the most, he stood tall. He stonewalled shot after shot in games six and seven. In the closing seconds of game seven, he made one last stop to avoid overtime and win the Cup for the Pens.

Maxine Talbot also came up big in game seven. He made the best of two opportunities by putting the puck past Detroit Red Wings goalie Chris Osgood. The first was on a turnover that went off Pens start Evgeni Malkin. Talbot took the rebound and found the back of the net. Latter, on a two on one play, Talbot chose to shoot versus passing the puck. He scored the two goals for the Pens. It was all the scoring they needed.

For the Pens it was the role players that stepped it up a notch. Sidney Crosby only had one goal and two assists during the Finals. In game seven, he was injured on a legal hit in the second. The Pens sucked it up and played on without him. He tried to come back on the ice but wasn't able to move around much. Instead of staying out and becoming a liability, he stayed on the bench and let his teammates finish up.

The Red Wings played strong obviously. They started the series fast by going up 2-0 but were unable to put the Pens away. For his part, goalie Osgood was fantastic. Osgood has his critics but anyone who blames him for the series loss is either blind or doesn't know hockey.

I thank both teams for an incredible back and forth series. It was exciting hockey and a great final series.

As a Pens fan, I'm on cloud nine today. Fans and media began to write the Pens off, as did I, when they were tenth in the play off race. They fired the head coach and made a charge all the way up to the fourth seed. It was a roller coaster season that ended on the ultimate high for Pens fans.

Thank you Pittsburgh Penguins for an outstanding season.

See you all next season.

Go Pens!