We have two game sevens in the NHL tonight...Rangers vs. Capitals...Bruins vs. Maple Leafs...Which will you be watching...

Or will you be watching some shitty "Reality TV?"

Hello Gabbers, its been a while since we have chatted last hope everything has been going well for you and the teams that you follow. I found out while I was away that people can be ignorant at best, in how they handle situations and if things keep going the way they are I will be divorced by the end of the summer. But on to the things at hand, I have something sports related issues that I want to get off my chest, I am going to start with a little issue related to baseball that I got into a discussion with a friend of mine at work today.

Craig and I were sitting in the break room eating lunch and shooting the shit about our fantasy teams like we always do, when he brought up J.A. Happ taking one of the side of his head last night, thank God he is alright, a cut and a bruise at best, no concussion. Anyway, Craig brought up instant replay and how he thought it should be used in baseball, and if they had a more broader use of instant replay they could have overruled Jim Joyce's blown call that cost Armando Gallaraga his perfect game and more or less ruin his major league career from that point on. My argument is this: in baseball its used exclusively for home run calls which I understand, because after all you are expecting old men with poor vision to make a judgment call from 200 feet or more away which can be rather difficult at times which is fine with me. I mentioned hockey's use of replay for goal scoring only more or less, the puck travels at 100+ miles per hour for which it can be in and out before the referee and goal judge see it, so I can live with that. What do you guys think?

How many of you Bruins fans are getting a chuckle out of the Ottawa-Montreal series, with the Sen's leading it 3-1 going into Game 5? I know I am, somebody should have told the Penguins and Canadians that the Islanders and Senators were going to show up, and play them tough. What a bunch of dumbasses if they thought those two teams were just going to roll over and let them win. Also who would have thought the Canucks would go down in 4 to the Sharks, wouldn't be surprised to see the coach and a lot of player turn over this summer in Vancouver. Sorry Beeze, the Rangers-Capitals series means nothing to me right now, have not watched enough of that one to form an opinion.

If you can't tell I really could care less about the NBA playoffs, for whatever reason I am not interested what-so-ever. I have watched about 5 minutes of the playoffs because I am more interested in watching the NHL and the Tigers.  I know most of all the Astros were glad to see them leave Houston last weekend, getting swept and nearly no-hit by Verlander on Sunday.....

Which NBC dumbass decided to pull the plug on Faith Hill? She was sometimes better than the football game they would show on Sunday night. Oh yes and finally, a little something for the Beeze.....

Finally this one is for Sully, I want to thank him for inviting me to take Old Harry's place this week while he is visiting with his daughter. Hope you have a great time with her Harry as she is home on leave from the Marines. I wish her well, and hope she remains safe as she serves for our country.....

This may even get Old Harry's blood flowing, along with a few others who are from that area. May everyone remain safe, until we meet again.........

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. I hope this day finds each of you warm and healthy. In my part of the country, we are having what we consider a cold spell. Dark, cold and damp is the kind of day yesterday was…the kind of weather that brings spring to mind. But, thoughts of spring will have to wait…we have time left in January and it always blows cold.

Last weekend was a feast for football fans. Many will look at the overtime loss of the Broncos or the Falcon comeback over the Seahawks as the most significant playoff games. The Peyton haters will point to his late interception as the reason for Denver’s loss. There really is no explanation for making that pass…QBs at every level are told not to make that pass. Rolling right, you never throw back to the middle. The angles favor the defense and bad things frequently happen. What many will miss is the game called by Fox and the poor defense Denver displayed. Hey, give Flacco credit too, he made the pass, but it was a pass of desperation. There was no last minute drive. No precision. No great play calls. It was a prayer that somehow Denver allowed to be answered. Exciting? Absolutely, but the Ravens should temper their excitement…the Patriots are next and the hoodie is smarter than a fox.

Playoff games are difficult to predict. As fans, we never really know if young players will be able to deal with the big games. Last week featured two young QBs in Russell Wilson and Colin Kapernick. It would be a fair statement to say that if not for injury, Wilson could easily have been replaced by the Redskin’s Griffin. Nevertheless, it was Wilson in Atlanta leading a comeback over the top seeded Falcons. Sadly for Seahawk fans, the touted Seattle defense allowed Matty Ice to live up to his nickname and drive his team into position to kick the winning field goal. Now…that was a drive to be remembered…a deep out and then a pass to Tony Gonzalez set up the game winning kick. But, watching this game play out, I was struck by several crucial mistakes that easily could have cost Atlanta the game. I had no problem with Atlanta kicking that field goal when they did, but why not let the clock run down before calling a time out? And…why in heavens name do you kick an onside kick when Seattle only needed a field goal to win the game. Yes, there were only seconds left on the clock, but winning coaches don’t leave anything to chance. As it was…Seattle had the chance to kick a 66 yard field goal that Carroll elected not to try. Smith or Carroll may one day win a Super Bowl, but they will first have to learn how to embrace the big moments.

There were two other games last weekend, but really only one that bears discussion for me. To steal a line…the Texans were who we thought they were…and they were found wanting. I will only say regarding Houston that it seems very obvious to me that it is time for a new head coach in town. The Texan’s conservative approach just will not beat a team like New England. The Texans need someone like Jim Harbaugh…this is the story that really strikes me. Harbaugh is a character, no doubt…but he is not afraid. In week 8, Alex Smith led the 49ers over the Cardinals 24 to 3…his stats for the game? 19 attempted passes and 18 completions for 232 yards and 3 TDs. Now…that is one helluva game. After Smith suffered a concussion, Colin Kapernick became the San Francisco QB. Two things strike me…Harbaugh found Kapernick and had the guts to stay with him instead of bringing back Smith. In Kapernick, the 49ers have found a QB that quite frankly is a game changer. Until the game against Green Bay, I was still unsure of Kapernick’s mettle. My doubts regarding Kapernick’s ability to play on the playoff stage were quickly dismissed. Colin Kapernick did not just beat the Green Bay defense, he embarrassed them. There is a change coming to the NFL. For years, professional football has refused to utilize the running QB. Of course, there have been a few…Tarkenton, Staubach, Steve Young and most recently Michael Vick. What is changing now is the way that the NFL QBs are running. I watched DeMarco Ware stand almost helpless as RG3 optioned off him time and again. Colin Kapernick ran untouched for 50 yards…against the Green Bay defense. The zone read is here to stay in the NFL. The NFL defenses have no answer for how to stop this offense. But, of course…they will adjust. Some will say that QBs in the NFL are too valuable to run this offense, but the reality is…it works. Unless something crazy happens, we will see San Francisco play either New England or Baltimore in the Super Bowl. I just have no confidence that Atlanta can stop Kapernick and the 49ers. Go ahead Atlanta…focus on stopping that run. The lasers you will see are the TD passes that Kapernick will be throwing all over the field. The success of Kapernick, Wilson and Griffin are due in part because they also pass extremely well. Yes my friends, this is something different and the NFL is finally beginning to understand. Did you know that Washington coaches spent three weeks in Waco Texas learning how to run Baylor’s offense? Yes, they get it now. Those crazy college offenses have merit. Now, I wonder what would have happened if Tim Tebow or even Vince Young had found a team willing to learn what they did well? I cannot say that Tebow or even Young throw the ball as well as this new group of QBs…just saying that there might be a few teams out there that could do worse…

Did you hear the one about Johnny Football kicking OU's ass then going to an Oklahoma casino and hitting it big? Apparently the Aggie brass are none to happy if you heard about this on Twitter. Seems that they do not feel that a Heisman winner should be sharing his good times on Twitter. Is there anything that this kid can't do?

More troubling to some was the fact that he was wearing a Miami Heat hat...

A few odds and ends…

Did you see that an attorney has filed a law suit against the Spurs for resting their best players? Check this out:

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/8847216/san-antonio-spurs-sued-lawyer-resting-top-players

What an idiot…

Did you happen to see that a 4 star recruit (Kylie Fitts) has decommited from USC? This kid graduates early with plans of entering USC this spring. Three days before the student is to enter school, he finds out that Kiffin has the scholarship deferred to the fall. Oops…

That’s all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey:

Contrary to popular belief, the most dangerous animal is not the lion or tiger or even the elephant. The most dangerous animal is a shark riding on an elephant, just trampling and eating everything they see.

If you go through a lot of hammers each month, I don't think it necessarily means you're a hard worker. It may just mean that you have a lot to learn about proper hammer maintenance.

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own…

Do you think Pete Carroll will ever use a Time Out to try and freeze a kicker again?

Hello and welcome to another Wednesday of deep thoughts. Turkey day is in the books and soon we enter the home stretch of the year, known as December. As a sports year, what do you think history will remember about 2012? I am sure that Doug will remember the NHL championship of his Kings. Perhaps baseball fans will recall the amazing playoff run of the Oakland As? Fans of LeBron will recall this year as a year of redemption. I am sure that Beezer would love to remember this year for an Irish championship. Although the script remains to be written, I think that a landmark legal case brewing in Greensboro, NC will define this year.

On Tuesday, Marvin Miller died at the age of 95. To say that Miller was an important figure in baseball history would be a huge understatement. In fact, some think that he is responsible for the transformation of professional sports. When Miller took over the MLB players union, baseball was operating just as it did in the 1900’s. Curt Flood and Marvin Miller brought free agency to baseball and eventually professional sports. So what does this have to do with Greensboro? Tuesday the ACC sued Maryland for approximately $53 million in exit fees. “The lawsuit also states that Maryland’s president Wallace D. Loh also refused to provide assurance that the school will pay the exit fee and has made it clear that defendant Maryland does not intend to pay the amount." Some may see this as a clear cut case of Maryland just delaying the inevitable. This is what they get for bailing on the ACC for the Big 10. Isn’t this simply a black and white issue? I am not so sure. You may not recall, but the ACC exit fee used to be between $12 and $14 million before the league added Pittsburgh and Syracuse. With the addition of these schools’s the league raised the exit fee to $20 million. Then, with the recent announcement of Notre Dame joining the league (except for football), the league raised the exit fee to $50 million. Two schools voted against the new exit fee…Maryland and Florida State. Loh voted against the increased fee because he felt that the fee was an exit penalty and was illegal. Okay…got that? So, the cards are on the table. Can you imagine what this will mean for college football if exit fees are ruled illegal?

I was listening to sports on the radio this week and one of the national sports guys ( Vick the Brick?) was going on and on about how important it was for several college coaches to take an NFL job…”before it was too late”. As I drove along, I started thinking about his comments. Why do these media guys think you are only a successful coach if you coach in the NFL? If I was guiding a young coach, I am not sure the NFL would be the direction I would send them. If you look at what major college coaches make, there is really not more money in the NFL. While the job security in college is not great, it is certainly much more secure than the NFL. If you can build a program at a major school, life is pretty sweet. Recruiting is probably the worst thing about college coaching and once you attain success, the talent comes much easier. Plus, you don’t have to worry with dealing with the likes of Jerry Jones...

The Thanksgiving football this year left me with a bit of an upset stomach. I am more or less resigned to the Cowboys being mediocre, but the Longhorn game was a surprise. I know that TCU is a good team, but the Horns just did not show up. This Texas team was not projected to be a great team, but the flashes of greatness continue to tease Horn fans. We see how close this team is to being very good, then they lay an egg against OU and TCU. As disappointing as those two losses were, the season is not over. What really pisses me off is fans’ saying that they hope Texas loses so that they can get rid of Mack Brown. From my chair, Texas has a chance to finish the season strong and build for next year. What kind of fan roots against their team? A fair weather fan…For all of those SEC fans touting the SEC...did you notice that 9 Big 12 teams are bowl eligible. Just saying...

Game day begins...

Tailgating at Rudys...with family and friends.

The entire family...

Our QB Bear found this venue to his liking...

Still true...

LB's emerge...

Blake recovers a fumble on the kickoff following our first TD...Warriors rolling.

Sights set...

Hello ground...here I come.

Although we lost this onside kick, it was not because Brad did not get up high enough!

Time to celebrate with DC Nelson...what a great coach!

The seniors celebrate the Warrior victory!

Very happy times...

Here was an article written by an Austin American writer:

By Danny Davis

American-Statesman Staff

WACO —

On Saturday morning, Westwood senior linebacker Blake Thomas logged onto Twitter and asked a question. “Y’all ready to make history today?”

Hours later, the Westwood football team gave him an answer.

Bear Fenimore guided Westwood to a 20-point halftime lead and the Warriors held off a late rally in a 34-26 victory over the Woodlands. The victory advances Westwood to the postseason’s third round for the first time.

Westwood will now face Allen in a Class 5A, Division I regional playoff game. Kickoff at Waco ISD Stadium is set for 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

“It’s pretty much a dream come true,” said Thomas, who recovered two fumbles. “It’s amazing.”

Westwood (9-3) led 27-7 at halftime at Floyd Casey Stadium as Fenimore threw for 202 yards and two touchdowns.

Fenimore, who sat out the regular season finale against Pflugerville and was sidelined for two additional games with a shoulder injury, went into Saturday with only six touchdown passes. But Westwood called 24 pass plays over the game’s first 24 minutes and the junior quarterback completed 13 of them.

“Passing the ball is something I love to do, but I’m not a selfish player, so if it means we have to run the whole game or first half, I’m fine with that,” Fenimore said. “But to go out there and pass it a little bit more than usual was fun.”

On the receiving end of four of Fenimore’s first-half passes was senior Ty Marshall, who entered the game with 107 receptions. Travis Dale contributed 126 receiving yards, and Wake Forest-bound defensive back Brad Watson caught a four-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds left in the second quarter.

“Travis has been making big plays all year long, Ty’s just overshadowed him,” Westwood coach Anthony Wood said. “It was really neat to see all the kids step up and make plays.”

Westwood led 34-18 by the start of the fourth quarter and the Warriors were in a position to put the game away with eight minutes left.

With Fresno State-bound kicker Colin McGuire on its roster, Westwood received the football at The Woodlands 16. But Fenimore threw incomplete passes on the first two downs and was intercepted on third down.

After the game, Wood said that three passing plays were called because he wanted to deliver a knockout punch.

“I can guarantee that I’ll never do that again,” Wood said with a laugh.

The ensuing drive stalled after a 57-yard scoring pass was dropped by a Highlander receiver, but The Woodlands got the football back and pulled within 34-26 with 1:07 left. The Woodlands (8-4) then recovered the onside kick.

Set up with a first down at his 49, Blaine Gillespie threw incomplete passes on The Woodlands’ first two snaps. Gillespie was then sacked by D’andre Roach and Andrew Bagaline on back-to-back plays.

“When they got that ball, we were all scared but our defense knew we were going to stop them,” Bagaline said.

Mr. Davis delivers the facts very well. What he does not convey is the excitement of the team and players. Last Saturday was a joyous day to be a Westwood Warrior. Years of frustration were vanquished with this victory. I asked the question earlier in my blog about what 2012 would be remembered for. I am very hopeful that I will be able to remember a state championship for the Warriors. The next step for this goal is a very tough Allen Eagle team. Do you remember that high school with the new 18,000 seat stadium that Scott wrote about earlier this year? That would be the Allen Eagles. Thankfully, we will not be playing in their stadium…
As a dad, I have to say that I have never seen my son play better. 2 fumble recoveries and 9 first half tackles was just amazing. What made the game even more special is that our entire family was on hand…

I don’t know what next Saturday will bring, but I am very excited at the prospect…

I do hope that if our defense stops them on 4^th down at their 15 and 6 minutes left  in the game... that we run the ball and kick the field goal next time…it would have made the score 37 to 18…crazy.

That’s all I have today, but I will leave you with a bit of Jack Handey:

“Sometimes life seems like a dream, especially when I look down and see that I forgot to put on my pants”

“I don't like small birds. They hop around so merrily outside my window, looking so innocent. but I know that secretly, they're watching my every move and plotting to beat me over the head with a large steel pipe and take my shoe.”

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a few deep thoughts of your own…