7.24.2008
7.08.2008
You Say Coincidence, I Say Fate
I'm not afraid to admit it: I frequently like to start my summer days by listening to this song:
A good friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song. He also wrote this one:
Why I didn't make that connection sooner, I'll never know, but now that I have Steve Goodman is officially one of my favorite people on earth.
Let me, let me, let me!
A good friend of mine named Steve Goodman wrote that song. He also wrote this one:
Why I didn't make that connection sooner, I'll never know, but now that I have Steve Goodman is officially one of my favorite people on earth.
Let me, let me, let me!
6.30.2008
Drifting
First Will Leitch leaves Deadspin and now this (indulge me with a brief bout of self-importance):
As of this post, I'm officially joining the crew at the Big Red Network.
OK, so maybe it's not that momentous, I didn't feel the Internet shake, but it does mean a couple of different things:
1) All of my Nebraska football content will now appear over there.
2) I will still be here at HiPlainsDrifter.com but in a more general sports/personal blog format.
I have a couple of reasons for doing that, which I will now letter to avoid confusion:
a) Writing this blog (for free) makes me feel like I'm utilizing my graduate degree (not free).
b) I have to fight the urge to not write about the worst thing to ever happen to me--the Chicago Cubs--daily. Now I'll have the freedom to do that and it's something I used to do a lot of. The timing for this really couldn't be better as the injury-riddled Northsiders are starting to come back to the pack which is good for me. I don't possess a vocabulary deep enough to write about the Cubs when they're good but over the years I have developed a sharply-honed arsenal of ways to say essentially the same thing: the Cubs suck. Hopefully I'll get to work on my weakness here but, if not, I'm ready to write them off about 300 times in the next three months.
c) I'm still going to kick the crap out of Trace Adkins this season. Despite the fact that I can't pick games worth a damn, I like doing it. Perhaps naively, the point-spread represents just about the most objective college football data out there to me and I'm going to keep looking at the game from that angle.
d) Shameless self-promotion. If anyone decides to pay me to write something, I assure you, I'll link it here.
Honestly, I don't know what this blog will be going forward outside of those few general ideas but I do know this: In financially dire, environmentally distressing times such as these what the world needs now is another navel-gazing, general sports blog so that's what I'm going to aim to provide.
But more than that, the reason for the move was driven by the opportunity to contribute to a site I read and respect. I won't be writing about the Huskers any less or any differently than I have been, it will just be at a different location.
I know most of the people who happen across this site day to day come here for the Husker talk and if it doesn't interest you outside of that then, sincerely, thanks for coming by and you know where to find me.
And if, by chance, you do find yourself back here, well, thanks for that too.
As of this post, I'm officially joining the crew at the Big Red Network.
OK, so maybe it's not that momentous, I didn't feel the Internet shake, but it does mean a couple of different things:
1) All of my Nebraska football content will now appear over there.
2) I will still be here at HiPlainsDrifter.com but in a more general sports/personal blog format.
I have a couple of reasons for doing that, which I will now letter to avoid confusion:
a) Writing this blog (for free) makes me feel like I'm utilizing my graduate degree (not free).
b) I have to fight the urge to not write about the worst thing to ever happen to me--the Chicago Cubs--daily. Now I'll have the freedom to do that and it's something I used to do a lot of. The timing for this really couldn't be better as the injury-riddled Northsiders are starting to come back to the pack which is good for me. I don't possess a vocabulary deep enough to write about the Cubs when they're good but over the years I have developed a sharply-honed arsenal of ways to say essentially the same thing: the Cubs suck. Hopefully I'll get to work on my weakness here but, if not, I'm ready to write them off about 300 times in the next three months.
c) I'm still going to kick the crap out of Trace Adkins this season. Despite the fact that I can't pick games worth a damn, I like doing it. Perhaps naively, the point-spread represents just about the most objective college football data out there to me and I'm going to keep looking at the game from that angle.
d) Shameless self-promotion. If anyone decides to pay me to write something, I assure you, I'll link it here.
Honestly, I don't know what this blog will be going forward outside of those few general ideas but I do know this: In financially dire, environmentally distressing times such as these what the world needs now is another navel-gazing, general sports blog so that's what I'm going to aim to provide.
But more than that, the reason for the move was driven by the opportunity to contribute to a site I read and respect. I won't be writing about the Huskers any less or any differently than I have been, it will just be at a different location.
I know most of the people who happen across this site day to day come here for the Husker talk and if it doesn't interest you outside of that then, sincerely, thanks for coming by and you know where to find me.
And if, by chance, you do find yourself back here, well, thanks for that too.
6.24.2008
Meet the Broncos
Maybe it's a bit early to be thinking about Western Michigan but that extra time will be useful because the New York Times preview of the Broncos is just about as thorough as you can get without reverting to Phil Steele-like abbreviations.
The gist of the analysis is this: W.M.U. is a live longshot come August 30. Very live.
If you like that NYT style, here's the preseason look for the rest of Nebraska's opponents who have been revealed so far: San Jose State, New Mexico State, Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State.
Nebraska has yet to show up on this bottom-to-top list, meaning that, in the estimation of the NYT bloggers, the Cornhuskers are better than these six teams. And, as superior teams never lose to inferior teams, that means we're going bowling.
Great!
The gist of the analysis is this: W.M.U. is a live longshot come August 30. Very live.
If you like that NYT style, here's the preseason look for the rest of Nebraska's opponents who have been revealed so far: San Jose State, New Mexico State, Baylor, Iowa State, and Kansas State.
Nebraska has yet to show up on this bottom-to-top list, meaning that, in the estimation of the NYT bloggers, the Cornhuskers are better than these six teams. And, as superior teams never lose to inferior teams, that means we're going bowling.
Great!
How Lucky Are We?
As you probably noticed Monday on HuskerExtra, Marlon Lucky is one of the ten players most likely to win the Heisman Trophy according to HeismanPundit.com.
Now, this is just one person's opinion but it is the opinion of the one person who probably spends more time researching and writing about the Heisman race than anyone in college football, mainstream media included. But more interesting than Lucky's inclusion on the list is that you're unlikely to find a Nebraska fan who would've placed their own starting running back on it.
Why is that? Lucky's undeniably Nebraska's best returning offensive player. His stats from 2007 stack up with just about anyone in the country: 1000+ yards rushing, 4.9 yards per carry, 700+ yards receiving. He's on everyone's preseason All-Big 12 team and the leading returning rusher in the conference. Pro scouts love him. Every pass he's ever completed has gone for a touchdown.
Yet, despite all of these things, heading into 2008 it feels like a lot of Nebraska fans are more excited about Roy Helu than they are Marlon Lucky. Again, the question is why?
I think the answer lies below. Here's a highlight reel of Lucky's 2007 season (odds are always good that online football highlights will contain some objectionable lyrical content...this one is no different):
Now, by way of comparison, here's an unfortunately titled compilation of Noel Devine's 2007 highlights:
What's the difference? Devine can make a 7-yard gain off a toss look spectacular (and last seven seconds, going sideline to sideline). Lucky doesn't make anything look spectacular. He doesn't run over, around or away from people. There is no quintessential Marlon Lucky highlight. If you had to name the most memorable play of his Nebraska career what would it be? The touchdown pass against Texas? Granted it's hard to compile much of a highlight reel running stretch plays and catching screen passes for three years straight but the simple fact is Lucky just isn't very flashy. He gets the job done, quite well I might add, but quietly.
There used to be a time in Nebraska football history where quietly getting the job done as a running back was just about the best thing you could do. But Marlon came along at a difficult time. He was the first big recruit the new regime reeled in, everything that Frank Solich had failed to do wrapped in one very highly touted package.
And now, four years later, Lucky is still trying to live up to that lofty Rivals ranking. When you get the #3 ranked running back in the country you almost instantly expect your jaw to start dropping. You expect to be floored early on and then more often after that.
But Marlon's not that kind of back. It doesn't seem like any Nebraska fans think to themselves, when facing an Oklahoma or a Missouri, "But we have Marlon Lucky." He's not that kind of back either.
He is, however, a Heisman contender according to the one guy who makes it his business to evaluate such subjective matters and, in the end, isn't that just about what you would expect out of a blue chip running back four years later?
A Quickie Heisman Watch [Heisman Pundit]
Now, this is just one person's opinion but it is the opinion of the one person who probably spends more time researching and writing about the Heisman race than anyone in college football, mainstream media included. But more interesting than Lucky's inclusion on the list is that you're unlikely to find a Nebraska fan who would've placed their own starting running back on it.
Why is that? Lucky's undeniably Nebraska's best returning offensive player. His stats from 2007 stack up with just about anyone in the country: 1000+ yards rushing, 4.9 yards per carry, 700+ yards receiving. He's on everyone's preseason All-Big 12 team and the leading returning rusher in the conference. Pro scouts love him. Every pass he's ever completed has gone for a touchdown.
Yet, despite all of these things, heading into 2008 it feels like a lot of Nebraska fans are more excited about Roy Helu than they are Marlon Lucky. Again, the question is why?
I think the answer lies below. Here's a highlight reel of Lucky's 2007 season (odds are always good that online football highlights will contain some objectionable lyrical content...this one is no different):
Now, by way of comparison, here's an unfortunately titled compilation of Noel Devine's 2007 highlights:
What's the difference? Devine can make a 7-yard gain off a toss look spectacular (and last seven seconds, going sideline to sideline). Lucky doesn't make anything look spectacular. He doesn't run over, around or away from people. There is no quintessential Marlon Lucky highlight. If you had to name the most memorable play of his Nebraska career what would it be? The touchdown pass against Texas? Granted it's hard to compile much of a highlight reel running stretch plays and catching screen passes for three years straight but the simple fact is Lucky just isn't very flashy. He gets the job done, quite well I might add, but quietly.
There used to be a time in Nebraska football history where quietly getting the job done as a running back was just about the best thing you could do. But Marlon came along at a difficult time. He was the first big recruit the new regime reeled in, everything that Frank Solich had failed to do wrapped in one very highly touted package.
And now, four years later, Lucky is still trying to live up to that lofty Rivals ranking. When you get the #3 ranked running back in the country you almost instantly expect your jaw to start dropping. You expect to be floored early on and then more often after that.
But Marlon's not that kind of back. It doesn't seem like any Nebraska fans think to themselves, when facing an Oklahoma or a Missouri, "But we have Marlon Lucky." He's not that kind of back either.
He is, however, a Heisman contender according to the one guy who makes it his business to evaluate such subjective matters and, in the end, isn't that just about what you would expect out of a blue chip running back four years later?
A Quickie Heisman Watch [Heisman Pundit]
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
