Is it time for a name change, Lions on the move, NBA, Rays and more in this weeks edition of……………

Wow, it has been just over one-year since I started Rants and Raves. I have had a great time doing this week-in, week-out. I hope to continue for quite a while. But I have decided to change the name of my blog, from Rants and Raves to….Drum rolls please……

 Da-Dah. So starting next week, my blog will be called Random Thoughts. I hope you will continue to enjoy my blogs. 

It is amazing that the Detroit Lions had two consecutive weeks of coming back from 20 point deficits to win a game. They just might be the team to beat.

No wait, the Green Bay Packers are the team to beat. Oh, I'm so confused. Can anyone help me??

I, for one, am on record to say that I don’t care if there is no NBA season. Can’t believe that the Owners and Players waited until the last minute to sit down and talk about the collective bargaining agreement. It’s all about the $$$. Too bad it’s the fans that get screwed in the end. It will just mean that the prices of seats, food, drinks and stuff in the team shop will go up.

Wouldn’t it be refreshing if all sports reduce prices 15%. 

Tampa Bay Rays had only 28,299 fans for game 4 of their wild card against the Texas Rangers. When will MLB realize they made a mistake by putting a team in Tampa. Maybe that’s the problem. The team is actually in St. Petersburg. 

Do you really think that Albert Pujols is going to leave the Cardinals? 

Cubs should go after Fielder. He could hit 60 home runs for the Cubbies. 

Let’s go Islanders!!! They have a young team. Just hope they finally make the playoffs. 

Favre just can’t keep his mouth shut, can he? I just hope Rogers leads the Packers to another Super Bowl win. Then Rogers would have twice as many Super Bowl wins then Brett. 

I don’t think there is a clear winner for the Stanley Cup this year. Since the Sporting News is saying San Jose I will go with the Pittsburgh Penguins or Washington Capitals.

Rehab is going well. I can now walk to blocks with a walker.

Til next time

 Scott

I am now home and starting in-house rehab. It feels good to be home. My experience at the Rehab center was very pleasant. They treated all the patients well. Most of us had hip or knee operations. But is is still good to be home with the family.

Its almost 11:30 pm, on the last day of baseball and Major League Baseball still hasn't decided its wild card baseball teams. This is exactly what baseball wanted when it created the playoff format.

The Yankees had a 7 run lead against the Rays, but the Rays scored 6 in the 8th and 1 in the 9th to tie the score. Now the game is going into extra innings. You have to love it.

Its 11:42 and the Atlanta Braves just lost to the Phillies allowing the St. Louis Cardinals to win the Wild Card. The Braves had a nice lead in the wild card race heading into September but injuries to their starting pitching and their young relief corps just got tired from overload, allowed the Cardinals to win the Wild Card.

The Boston Red Sox had a big lead in the Wild Card race over the Tampa Bay Rays.

Its now mid-night and Baltimore has just tied the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth. Baltimore has just beaten the Red Sox in the bottom of the ninth. Ya gotta love it.

Rays and Yankees are still playing Its in the 12th.

Oops its now 12:05 at the Rays just took the AL Wild Card Race with a line drive home run by Evan Longoria

It is refreshing to see that the Buffalo Bills might be the real deal after beating the New England Patriots, this past Sunday. Hopefully they will continue to play well the rest of the season.

Detroit Lions are playing well. They have a great defense, and the team is hungry. Could they be the best in the NFC??

I can't wait until the Jaguars get rid of Coach Del Rio. Why he is still the coach is all about the $$$.

The Raiders and Jets always play great games against each other.

I am typing this on my iPhone at the rehab site I am at.

Just found a computer at the rehab facility that i can use.

I want to thank all the Gabbers for the well wishes. If there is no pain there is no gain is so true in the rehab process.

I was shocked to read that Syracuse and Pittsburgh are going to the ACC. It will make their football programs better,.plus it will no longer allow Duke basketball to go undefeated in the conference. Sometimes change is good.

Til next time Scott

The mighty Hurricanes were falling even before the scandal occurred. Find out what ScottJax77 found in this surgery full edition of Rants and Raves.

By the time you read this I will have already had my hip replacement surgery and am recovering in the hospital. I wrote this last week and submitted it for my regular posting. I will be discharged from the hospital on Friday so I won’t be able to respond to at least the weekend if I am not in any pain, yeah right no pain.

I was waiting until the dust settle before I wrote this because it had nothing to do with the illegal activity by the Hurricanes. 

The Miami Hurricane program was going down hill long before the scandal occurred. At one time the Miami Hurricanes ruled the roost. They were the bad boys of football on and off the field. For the most part, they got away with a lot of the allegations off the field until now. But this isn’t about the Hurricanes off the field mess. This has more to do with the Miami Hurricane’s football program on the field mess.

This mess happened many years ago. In a decision that can’t sit well now, Miami President Donna Shalala and Athletic Director Paul Dee decided at the last minute to bolt the Big East. "It has been a bizarre, strange, and goofy process," Shalala said. "But it has allowed us the opportunity to give ourselves some distance, so that we got a view of who we are, where we are and where we want to be." She also mentions the Big East's financial guarantee was "a lot" higher than the ACC's.

I bet they discussed the situation with then coach, Larry Coker, to see if the pasture was greener on the other side. Maybe they thought it would be a piece of cake in the ACC. One thing for sure it wasn’t about the $$$. Ha, Ha,Ha. 

The records speak for themselves:

Miami was in the Big East from 1991-2003 (13 seasons). 

128-29 .815 overall record
66-11 .857 Big East Record
No losing record in any season in the conference
8 Big East Championships
1991 and 2001 National Champions
3 times #1 in AP final polls
1 time #1 Coaches final poll
In top 20 in all 13 seasons in conference

They ruled the roost as evidenced by their record. They even made the other Big East teams better because they had to keep up with the Hurricanes.

Miami joined the ACC in 2004.

55-35 .571 overall record 
30-26 .536 ACC record
1 losing season
Never finished 1st in the ACC.
In the top 25 3 times in 7 years.

Recruiting isn’t a factor. Miami consistently is in the top 25 year-in, year-out.

What a bummer.

In the long run, it might have made more sense to stay in the Big East and make more $$$ as the Big East Conference could have generated a lot of money with a dominate football program.
 

With today being the start of the NFL season, ScottJax77 will take you on the Road to the Super Bowl. So sit back, relax, and get your voice tuned up to sing like Three Dog Night, while I give you my version of their hit song…..Inside this edition of Rants and Raves.

The Road to Shamballa begins now!!

While this isn’t the mythical kingdom of Shamballa, and the road it leads to, it is the start of the NFL football season, and the long road to the Super Bowl.

Now that you have Three Dog Night’s song imbedded in your head I am proud, after careful fine tuning and drinking a lot of rum, to introduce my version of their song. So without further ado, here is ScottJax77 song. This is where applauding would be appropriate.

“The Road to the Super Bowl“
*Sung to the tune of “The Road to Shamballa” Duh…
*Extra verses added to my song

Wash away my fumbles, wash away my interceptions,
With the rain to the Super Bowl
Wash away the tipped passes, wash away the punts,
With the rain to the Super Bowl

Ooooh…yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ooooh… yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

Wash away the penalties, wash away the offsides,
With the rain to the Super Bow
Wash away the stupidly, the ref’s could be kind,
With the rain to the Super Bowl

Ooooh…yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ooooh… yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

How does your light shine
In the halls of the Super Bowl
How does your light shine
In the halls of the Super Bowl

The coaches are helpful, they are so kind
On the Road to the Super Bowl,
The owner is happy, he has a sparkle in his eyes
On the Road to the Super Bowl

Ooooh…yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ooooh… yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

The offense is marching, it is scoring all the time
On the Road to the Super Bowl
The defense is strong, it crushes its opponents
On the Road to the Super Bowl

Ooooh…yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ooooh… yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

I can tell our fans 'bout the vision in their eyes
On the road to the Super Bowl
I can tell my teammates 'bout the vision in our eyes
On the road to the Super Bowl

Ooooh…yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ooooh… yeah
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

How does your light shine
In the halls of the Super Bowl
How does your light shine
In the halls of the Super Bowl
Tell me how, how does your light shine
In the halls of the Super Bowl
Tell me how, how does your light shine
In the halls of the Super Bowl

Ooooh…yeah, Super Bowl
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah
Ooooh… yeah, Super Bowl
Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah

I hope you enjoyed this.
May your team be the victor is this years Super Bowl.

Sorry, I do not do Weddings or Bar Mitzvah’s.