SB Nation User Blog: MeanBobMean

Boise State Wants Alabama in 2011

MeanBobMean — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:01:53 -0000

Boise State athletic director Gene Bleymaier is all but begging for a major opponent – any major opponent – to play his Broncos, particularly in 2011. He can hardly get his calls returned. Not by the SEC. Not by the Big Ten. Not by anyone.

Bleymaier is making a nearly unheard of offer in college football scheduling – Boise will bring its popular, high-profile, top-10 team to any stadium in any town to play any big name team in America in 2011. And they don’t have to return the date in Idaho.

So far, no one has bit.

I think you guys have a hole on the day in question, September 3, 2011. Well, the Boise State fans are saying everyone is afraid of them. Here's the story link. Boise State is the team "No one will play . . ."

What do you all say? Think it's worth a note to the AD?

That would give Alabama back to backs with Boise State and Penn State, their SEC schedule . . .

Hell, what's the game for if not opportunities like this?

ESPN is already pushing national TV for any major team taking the game with Boise on that date. Be a sweet early season wouldn't it?

I love it personally.

Cheers,

Bob

Help Get Boise State a Big Game

MeanBobMean — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:37:27 -0000

Boise State is looking to fill September 3rd, 2011. In a story on Yahoo Sports, BSU is making the above offer, ESPN is pushing the game, and guess who has an open date?

Nebraska. You may recall this comment from last year included in the following quote:

Last year Utah went 13-0 yet didn’t have a chance to play for the BCS title. At a Congressional subcommittee hearing University of Nebraska chancellor and BCS figurehead Harvey Perlman was asked what the Utes could’ve done differently.

“They could have played the schedule Nebraska did,” Perlman said.

Well, the Nebraska AD is Tom Osborne. His email addy is ahackbart@huskers.com .

So, do the MidMajors a favor and politely ask coach Osborne to help his Huskers open the season with a bang by scheduling the Boise State Broncos.

Smithson Writeup in Sports Illustrated

MeanBobMean — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:42:40 -0000

"He prefers to be called Shaky. It's the nickname that Antoine Smithson earned long before genetics kicked in and countless hours in the weight room packed 210 pounds onto his 6-foot-2 frame. As a six-year-old playing basketball and football in the projects of Baltimore, he displayed an innate skill for eluding trouble; he found he could simply spin and juke his way past bigger, older opponents."

See story here, nice for Utah to have its players get some media attention--sign we're growing up and being recognized, it would have been rare to see a Utah story in the Sporting News 20 years ago.

Great Halloween Costume/Gameday hat idea

MeanBobMean — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:59:40 -0000

Based upon this comment from Andy Staples at Sports Illustrated:

The conspiracy theorists came out again Saturday after Alabama nose tackle/aircraft carrier Terrence Cody blocked a second field-goal attempt to secure the Crimson Tide's 12-10 win against Tennessee.

The following is recommended for some enterprising Alabama fans.

1. Purchase (or acquire in any way necessary; e.g., steal from kid brother) a model of an aircraft carrier (see example A).

Example A

2. Paint USS Cody on same.

3. Attach to head as a type of covering akin to a "hat".

4. Pitch in and have "USS Cody" hats made up a la US Navy ship caps with a picture of a carrier on them and distribute liberally (see Example B below).

Example B

Because I think in this case, the more salt applied to the wounds incurred by others the better.

Just a thought, cheers.

Ten Tennessee Takes on Alabama Predictions

MeanBobMean — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:46:18 -0000

Predictions for the game should include, but are not limited to:

1) Final scores of both teams.

2) Number of sacks and turnovers yielded by both teams.

3) Offensive production ruminations for both teams.

4) Expected highlights of the game.

5) Matchups to watch for when UA has ball.

6) Matchups to watch for when UT has the ball.

7) Special teams--which group will contribute most meaningfully to this contest.

8) Which coach blows his cool first and why.

9) Most important expected single aspect of the game.

10) Which historical contest between the two teams will this game most represent.

Also posted on RBR

Full Disclosure: I picked UA to win this game, including in comments on this site. However, I'll enjoy the game much more with insights from both sides about key matchups, expectations, and the wishes and hopes as well. I mean, sure, the final score is what folks recall, but the dreams define us too.

Ten Alabama Takes on Tennessee Predictions

MeanBobMean — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 13:36:34 -0000

Predictions for the game should include, but are not limited to:

1) Final scores of both teams.

2) Number of sacks and turnovers yielded by both teams.

3) Offensive production ruminations for both teams.

4) Expected highlights of the game.

5) Matchups to watch for when UA has ball.

6) Matchups to watch for when UT has the ball.

7) Special teams--which group will contribute most meaningfully to this contest.

8) Which coach blows his cool first and why.

9) Most important expected single aspect of the game.

10) Which historical contest between the two teams will this game most represent.

Posting also on RTT

Rocky Top Talk

Hot Seat for Coaches? Most Relevant to Utah?

MeanBobMean — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 14:02:03 -0000

Which Division I coach will be the first to lose their job this season?

Hawkins, Locksley, and Kragthorpe affect Utah the most. Hawkins for competition recruiting, Kragthorpe because he's on our schedule this year, Locksley due to the obvious ties in conference.

Each of these guys has had some trouble of late, or for a long period. The smart money is leaning New Mexico or Colorado's head honchos, Locksley for being out of control, Hawkins for failing to deliver, but none of these guys is safe.

Charlie the Tuna? UNLV's Mike Sanford? O'Leary at UCF?

Poll

Which Major College Coach Will be the First to Lose Their Job?

Ralph "The fridge" Friedgan, Maryland

0 votes

Mike "the Hammer" Locksley, New Mexico

13 votes

Dan "the Hapless" Hawkins, Colorado

9 votes

Ron "Zookinator" Zook, Illinois

0 votes

Al "What the Hell Happened" Groh, Virginia

3 votes

Steve "Well, see, what happened was . . ." Kragthorpe, Louisville

4 votes

Mike "Offensive Genius" Sanford, UNLV

8 votes

37 votes | Poll has closed

Utes Vs. Ducks in Poetry!!!!

MeanBobMean — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 21:52:09 -0000

Poetry, the poor man's testosterone!

Inspired by a brief exchange of Boise State-Oregon related poems on ATQ before the start of the season, we’re instituting a Utah-Oregon haiku contest, running jointly here and on Addicted to Quack, the blog of the Donalds. With a pithy nibbling of the Boilermakers last week, the Ducks have shown why everyone fears the truck up to Autzen:

It's always tough in the Duck pond.

A haiku is three lines: 5, 7 and 5 syllables. But if you use the wrong number of syllables, or prefer limericks, or want to post a 5,000-line epic in iambic pentameter, you won’t be disqualified, ‘cause there’s not much we can do about it.

Please keep everything sportsmanlike. And tasteful. And ethereally poetic. And utterly savage, if your heart so prompts you.

Grand Prize: glory! (’Cause it’s free.)

Here's an old english type verse:

Fair Oregon!

Thy unraped bosom cloaked in valor

Ne’re the dark of nigh ta’en o'er thine providence,

Where thy fortune lies in nimble footitude,

The tales of strength and honor long,

All knowledge fawns at thy marbled Pedestal

But Utah!

Late morning dew bespecks thy nobled youth

How long thy throws besought to reign,

In dappled duckville's hallowed ground.

Whence seek the battle with fair Oregon?

The solicitude of a loss for either,

Beckons stormy winters slumber to fall.

A few thoughts

MeanBobMean — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:27:51 -0000

First, good luck on your season, congratulations on your preparedness and hard work--it showed, and I hope you guys are proud of your coaching staff as well as the players.

It looked to me like BSU showed a great amount of restraint by wanting to quell the player who was mouthing off at Blount (and I'm making no judgment here as to whether or not that kind of thing is appropriate, it simply was happening), and by not jumping into a full blown fray after the punch. Kudos to your guys.

Good on your team for not getting into a free for all brawl, this will serve as an example of your sportsmanship and help to erase highlights of last year's game. That as much as anything can elevate your program's status.

BSU has grown a fine, more than competitive, program; highlighting sportsmanship will only improve the program, and the caliber of your recruits, and your enjoyment of the game. People love to travel to towns with good, knowledgable, hospitable fans, and Boise could attract some good teams (large traveling fan bases) with their rankings. As I noted: Texas is going to Laramie and Boise is a far better place to visit. This is an opportunity for your town economically.

Hats off again on a great win, coach, and team. Kellen Moore is speacial, enjoy him.

I must say as well, I am terribly impressed with the Oregon fans, how they are assessing the game and their thoughts on it. Frank, objective, no excuses.

Good fans and programs rise above such things. I hope your rivalry with them continues as a home and home. I hope you guys can upgrade your OOC schedule some more.

Last year I personally lobbied some eastern bowls to take you guys in, I'll continue to do so.

Sometimes the jokes write themselves

MeanBobMean — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 19:11:53 -0000

I suppose I'll catch a raft of poo for saying this, and starting mud flinging when it simpy is not my place is uncalled for, but I couldn't help myself.

So . . . I'm on this new kick to give people their due and I read: "A Letter to Tennessee fans" from Lane Kiffin? Thought I should see what he says to say? I really wanted to back off my pre-judgment of him and check into his head and try to be objective. For real now, because some things have happened recently that made me want to go in a new direction attitude-wise.

Anyway, his letter (see here) makes the following claim:

"Saturday's season opener against Western Kentucky will be a landmark day for our entire program."

Well, I don't know it just seems . . . well . . .

Who breaks a butterfly upon a wheel? I mean, are we overstating the importance of the game against, what is it, the Hilltoppers (no offense meant)? Or, is he saying that it's the beginning of "The Lane Kiffin Era at Tennessee you lucky devils!"

Now I have to repent and start over. Thankfully, I never once during this process claimed to be a good man, so any Tennessee fan wanting to bang on me for this, I understand completely.

I should be cocentrating on the Utah game tonight but . . .couldn't stop myself.