November 2003 Archives
30 November 2003
Williams On Bill White
John Williams has done a little more digging on Bill White's business record, and discovers White has been somewhat selective in promoting himself.
Hardly a shocker in a campaign.
Still, candidate White doesn't especially like to talk about Frontera Resources, the one business he actually started on his own (and didn't have handed to him) -- and that's has been a miserable failure.
White has run a fine campaign and spent a record amount. But surely not everyone has confused the images he's created through record spending (successful businessman, non-partisan, political outsider) with political reality (successful rainmaker/lobbyist-style CEO of Wedge and unsuccessul head of Frontera, former Texas Dem Party chair, Greater Houston Partnership bigwig).
Kudos to John Williams for pointing out a few of the discrepancies between the Bill White of the multimillion dollar advertising campaign, and the Bill White of Frontera Resources.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/03 10:29 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
More Horned Whiny Babies
The GMAC Bowl extended an official invitation to the TCU Horned Whiny Babies yesterday, after their pitiful showing against SMU.
TCU says they'll get back to the bowl, and Gil LeBreton is doing some more whining on their behalf in the Star-Telegram today.
LeBreton and the Horned Whiny Babies are both losers. You join a conference, you agree to their bowl tie-ins, good and bad. You don't get to pick and choose what you'd rather do. There's been talk from the Horned Whiny Babies that they'd like to go to the Fort Worth bowl instead, which is (conveniently) played on their field. No way.
I have a bad feeling C-USA will try to work some deal so that another C-USA team will swap bowls with the Horned Whiny Babies, so they won't bolt to the Mountain West. I hope not. If they're already balking at C-USA's tie-ins, what are they going to be doing a year from now?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/03 09:38 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
Uh-Oh
It looks like elite prep quarterbacks are starting to figure out that Mack Brown's program isn't exactly the best place for a quarterback to be:
Just 10 months ago, on signing day, Texas coach Mack Brown defended his decision to not sign a quarterback with the 2003 recruiting class.It's not that amazing. Mack Brown mishandled the Chris Simms/Major Applewhite mess, taking the QB job away from Applewhite and giving it to an undeserving recruit with great bloodlines. And Simms never really developed under Mack's coaching staff into a great quarterback (despite that obnoxious Texas Monthly cover). And Mack's handling of the Vincent Young/Chance Mock controversy hasn't been much better (if Young was going to be the starter, he should have gotten all the spring practice snaps, because he can't pass well enough for Texas to beat elite teams right now). Why would a great prep quarterback pass up USC or Oklahoma to go play for Mack Brown right now?He said there wasn't an elite quarterback in the state to sign. And if all went well, they'd sign two this year.
But things did not go well. Not well at all.
"Ask me something after signing day," Brown said.
In one fashion or another, Texas targeted six quarterbacks as top recruits at their position for this class. But it appears the Longhorns will not sign a quarterback for the second year in a row, as the six have committed to other schools. Some favored another offense, others were turned off by the Texas recruiting strategy and the perception of constant quarterback controversies with the Longhorns.
"It's pretty amazing, with as many potentially great prospects in the state this year -- the deepest in this state in a long time -- that Texas hasn't gotten a commitment from one of these guys," said Geoff Ketchum, editor of the Texas-based recruiting site Orangebloods.com.
I am pleased that Bob Stoops beat out Mack Brown for Rhett Bomar, the best QB prospect in Texas. That can't have the UT faithful very happy.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/03 09:30 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Solich Booted
Nebraska pulled the trigger and fired Frank Solich.
I have to say that I'm very pleased Arizona finally got their deal done with Mike Stoops. The thought of the Sooners having to face him as head coach of Nebraska every two years (or more often if you figure in the Big 12 championship game) was not a happy thought at all.
The Huskers obviously needed to do something. Solich has turned that national championship caliber program into a bunch of also-rans in a weak Big 12 North. Their record was extremely deceptive this year, boosted by a pitifully weak schedule and the overall weakness of the North. But worse than that, their talent level has declined. This was a slow Nebraska team this year, and there were no signs Frank Solich was going to turn around the recruiting. By all accounts Solich seems like a nice guy, and a loyal Husker, but mediocrity won't do at Nebraska.
So I wonder where Nebraska finds its next coach (and if Tom Osborne will have any input)? I just hope they stay away from Chuck Long!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/03 09:10 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Coogs Finish At 7-5
It's always a good day when Mack Brown loses.
But since Texas wasn't playing yesterday, I'll settle for a loss from his brother Watson Brown, head coach at UAB.
Art Briles and the Houston Cougars had a crisp offensive performance and didn't give up many big plays on defense as they manhandled UAB, 56-28.
With the win, the Coogs move to 7-5 and should now be a lock for a bowl game -- in the first season for Coach Briles, and only two seasons removed from that Dana Dimel winless season. That's a good start, especially considering that half the starters yesterday were freshmen or sophomores.
I know people from places north won't have much sympathy, but that was one CHILLY game in the stands yesterday (at least for us Houstonians). At least for the 15,000 of us who made it out. Brr. Oh, and C-USA referees are some of the worst in the land. Just horrible. They miss calls all over the place, and blow way too many easy calls.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/30/03 08:56 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
29 November 2003
Stoops To Arizona
Arizona finally pulled the trigger and will hire Mike Stoops.
I have no idea what took them so long to get this done.
Stoops will apparently bring his brother Mark Stoops on board to help coordinate the defense, and current Sooner assistant Keith Sumlin to help coordinate the offense.
Texas A&M fans may recall that Sumlin took over as offensive coordinator early last season for the Aggies, and rejuvenated that offense. When that genius "Coach Fran" did not retain Sumlin, Bob Stoops was smart enough to bring him on board the Sooner staff. And brother Mike is smart enough to give the guy a job promotion.
Nice job Coach Fran! It's not often that you can contribute to two programs simply by letting a talented coach from a previous staff go, AND take your own program to new lows in the process!
Incidentally, the story is wrong when it says Sooner co-defensive coordinator Brent Venables coaches from the booth, while Stoops coaches from the field. But of them coached on the field for OU, as is evident from this photo (Stoops on the left, Venables on the right). ESPN is populated by the same fools who have decided the Pitt receiver should win the Heisman over OU's Jason White, so I'm always happy to point out just how clueless they typically are when it comes to Big 12 football.
(11-30-03 Update) Bob Stoops says younger Stoops will not be taking any assistants from the current OU staff with him, so it looks like Kevin Sumlin may be staying put. I hope so. He's a good coach.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/29/03 13:24 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
Priceless
The Houston Press letter writers are all upset about Robb Walsh's recent column, "Shooting Bambi's Mom":
Birth control's better: No one has ever loved meat more than I -- be it pork chops from the Cracker Barrel, burgers from Tookie's, or chicken from Café Michael. Even now, every cell salivates at the thought of my son's marinated rib eyes sizzling on the grill, and no one prepares venison as deliciously as my son-in-law. So no one could ever mistake me for one of Robb Walsh's sentimental vegetarian, yuppie types ["Shooting Bambi's Mom," November 6].Heh heh. I love it when the liberal weenies start frothing.Then I read Matthew Scully's book, Dominion: The Power of Man, the Suffering of Animals, and the Call to Mercy. It has been lauded in the media as life-changing, and it is for anyone brave enough to read it.
Let's call a spade a spade. Walsh's nice little word, "harvesting," means killing and slaughtering. And "wildlife management" means that somewhere in the world today, anyone with a fat enough wallet and an empty heart, can do whatever he wants to any animal -- whether for pure profit or pure pleasure. That goes for anything from hanging cats in cages, to skinning dogs alive while they lick your hand, to auctioning polar bears at a safari club convention in Nevada. And "factory farming" here means raising chickens or sows in cages too small for them to even turn around in, and never setting foot on the good earth or feeling the sun on their backs.
Many of Walsh's sarcastic references to "Bambi's mom," coupled with his pictures of so many "wild" creatures gathered in one spot, makes one wonder if it was the reason he was "in no hurry" to bag his third doe of the morning. He kept her deliciously in sight for a full, mouthwatering five minutes, while scrunched down on the passenger side of his pickup, his rifle resting on the outside mirror. He is one of those brave hunters who baits his venison stew with road feed or the manmade sounds of "yearling distress."
And if Walsh is really so all fired up about deer overpopulation and the car accidents they cause (which increase five-fold during hunting season), next time he aims for the thick of Bambi's mother's neck, let him move it a bit and bang her in her big fat butt with a little birth control instead.
Oh, but then what would Robb eat for supper?
Jonnie Yeatman-Micheletti
GalvestonShooting himself instead: "…only the few, the proud, the gourmet environmentalists, will shoot Bambi's mom."
And only one idiotic, doe-killing food writer will be brazen enough to brag about it in print. No doubt, this leaves the many, the irate, the totally turned-off readers of Walsh's column to browse elsewhere for their restaurant reviews.
Bert du Plessis
Houston
I have to say that I very much enjoyed the venison sausage my aunt gave me over Thanksgiving. Sausage produced from the deer they killed in Nebraska. With GUNS (another scary word to liberals) even! Mmmmmm.... tasty animal flesh! Yummy!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/29/03 12:36 | Outdoors | Technorati | Comments (3)
Robertson's Mediocrity Exposed
You get the sense after watching that the local pitiful excuse of an NFL football team (the Texans) figure out new ways to lose each week, that frustrated Comical writer Dale Robertson has just been waiting for Dallas to stumble so he could write this snippy little column (Cowboys' Mediocrity Exposed) about the Cowboys.
How lame (or, even better, mediocre).
Sure, the Cowboys stunk it up on Thanksgiving. No doubt about it.
And the naysayers who were strangely silent after they beat Carolina last week can all come out and say Dallas's record is just a fluke, I guess.
But their record of 8-4 is still good enough to have them very much in the hunt for the playoffs (and even the NFC East title), and when you have the #1 defense in the NFL after 12 weeks of the season, it's hard to call that a fluke. You can't say any of those good things about Dale Robertson's hometown boys, the Texans (the same Texans, he likes to remind us, who beat the Cowboys last year).
Do the Cowboys still have deficiencies? Yes, absolutely. They don't have a single running back on the roster who deserves more than spot duty, yet someone has to start. Injuries on the offensive line have hurt its efficiency. The special teams have been mediocre. The defensive line could use another playmaker (or two). But nobody said this team was a Super Bowl contender. It's not. Until recently, nobody even really said it's a playoff contender.
But at 8-4, that's exactly what they are: playoff contenders (and, because of that, above mediocrity). They may still not make the playoffs. They may get in, and lose in the first round (which seems most likely to me). They may even get to the second round somehow. Nobody should expect them to get to the Super Bowl. That's reality.
However, none of the "experts" had 'em picked even to win 8 games to start the season; and most "experts" figured Parcells would have Ray Lucas or Vinny Testaverde in Big D by now. Instead, Quincy Carter is developing into a decent NFL quarterback, and even in a pitiful team effort on Thanksgiving, the guy made some really nice throws that he couldn't make a year ago. They've developed some defensive lineman. And they've figured out they need to bolster their running game. That's a pretty good start for Parcells, whose teams typically have not contended for the playoffs until his second year of rebuilding. By that track record, the Cowboys are well ahead of schedule. And, we might add, well ahead of Dale's 4-7 Texans.
(Update) Maybe Robertson really meant to write about our mediocre Rockets, whose lofty record to start the season came at the expense of teams who mostly have losing records now, and who have not fared as well against better teams of late.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/29/03 10:03 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (3)
Seems More Like Wheezing Than A Tornado
The Houston Press's Tim Fleck is practically gushing over the recent Houston visit of Howard "The Duck, M.D." Dean:
Fleck doesn't bother to mention that turnout was poor, despite campaign staff heavily promoting the event at polling places during Houston municipal elections.The motley coalition of college kids, labor activists, gays, attorneys and other denizens of the Democratic deep filled the theater and several candidate fund-raisers last week. They had come to let their leading party presidential therapist voice their anger and become its receptacle, along with their energy and cash donations.
Doctor Howard Dean didn't disappoint. Unlike the storm that swept through town the previous day, the 55-year-old former Vermont governor and family practice physician didn't blow down any trees or tear off roofs in the Hermann Park-area neighborhoods. But his stem-winding Huey Long-style rant to the faithful offered compelling evidence that he and his movement could produce a national political tornado before the primary season is over.
A tornado of 1,500 people, when the campaign hoped for 5,000?
Karl Rove must be losing sleep.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/29/03 09:28 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
28 November 2003
Mack Brown: No Aspirations
Here's a great observation from Berry Tramel:
That Mack Brown can't stay out of trouble. This week Brown said he had "no aspirations to leave a legacy ... this school, to me, is about coach Royal.True enough."How many people win three national championships and retire and stay in the same town? I enjoy bragging on coach Royal, because we can't ever do what he's done here."
Contrast that with Bob Stoops, who pays due homage to past OU generals but wouldn't utter the word "can't" even under threat of torture.
And if the Sooners play to their potential and win their next two games (as expected), Bob Stoops will have won two national championships -- as opposed to the three national championships each won by Sooner legends Barry Switzer and Bud Wilkinson.
Meanwhile, Mack Brown's reliving the three Darrel Royal championships over in Austin. Then again, Mack's idea of motivation is telling his team to play like losers. So it's not surprising he doesn't have high aspirations for himself as UT's coach.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/28/03 22:25 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Shakedown (Breakdown, Takedown?)
Remember that nutty Housnitch woman, who managed (with Dem Congressman Chris Bell's help) to con the Bill White campaign out of $5,000 earlier in the mayoral campaign?
Well, according to city council runoff candidate Ronald Green, she tried to shake a $2,500 "consulting" fee out of his campaign, and then posted some negative information on her little scandal sheet when he refused to play:
With city elections little more than a week away, Ronald Green is still introducing himself to the community.Really? It must be nice to be independently wealthy, I guess.Meanwhile, a self-proclaimed snitch, Brenda Flores, was using her Website to raise questions about Green's payment of taxes.
At issue was, first, a $2200 payment to the IRS for his political expenditures which was easily explained.
"I have employees that we take taxes from their checks and we pay payroll taxes. And that's what we paid to the IRS,” Green explains.
Second was Green's failure to pay a yearly franchise tax to the state on time.
Green said it was simply an oversight and proved it had since been paid.
That wasn’t enough to satisfy his opponent, Councilman Bert Keller. "I think it's irresponsible,” Keller said.
She came to prominence earlier when she claimed she was offered $5000 to put a fake Bill White on the ballot.
Now, Green says Flores called his campaign last week and asked for a $2500 consulting fee.
"We told her we didn't need her and the next thing we get is this," explains Green.
"That's not true,” Flores argues. "I don't need a job."
Back to the earlier controversy.... I guess Bill White just sat down and wrote her a $5,000 check because he's a really swell guy. Uh huh. Sure. Whatever. Still, a (cynical) person can't help but wonder if she didn't come up with some juicy dirt on him, and got twice the $2,500 she was asking of the Green campaign to keep it quiet. That explanation is at least as compelling as the non-answers that came from the White campaign about the expenditures at the time.
Kudos to the Green campaign if what it says is true, and they refused to play ball with this scandalmongering, wretched woman (or, as the local publications prefer to call the idiot, "political activist" Brenda Flores).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/28/03 21:37 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
27 November 2003
Happy Thanksgiving
Here's wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to all of you faithful readers.
It's been a nice lazy week in OK so far of visiting with family and friends, and poking around in the country (including a visit to the bison herd north of town), and eating foods that would horrify Dr. Atkins, and overdoing the sports news consumption (you blog readers couldn't tell, could you?) and such.
And now, I'm going to unplug from the silly innernut for a while, get geared up to do more of most of that stuff above, add a little NFL football, and a couple of bottles of wine and my mom's DamnFineStuffing to the mix, and have a fine Thanksgiving.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! And may the Cowboys cover the spread. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/27/03 11:19 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Big 12 Thanks
Jimmy Burch writes that Big 12 coaches have plenty to be thankful for.
Amusing.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/27/03 10:52 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
The TCU Horned Whiny Babies
Now that Southern Miss ended TCU's cinderella season, the Horned Frogs have turned into a bunch of whiny crybabies:
TCU was unable to land a spot in the Bowl Championship Series. Now it appears the Horned Frogs may turn down the next best thing.Let me translate that: Since we didn't take care of business and beat Southern Miss, we're going to act like a bunch of crybabies, and angle for a bowl we really like (Hawaii Bowl) instead of the bowl we agreed to go if we finished in second place in our conference.The school is planning to decline an expected invitation to the GMAC Bowl because of academic considerations, athletic director Eric Hyman told The Washington Post on Wednesday night.
TCU had its sights sets on a BCS bowl, but those hopes were dashed by a loss to Southern Miss on Nov. 20. As a result, the Horned Frogs will likely finish second in Conference USA and earn an invitation to the GMAC.
However, Hyman says the school will likely decline the bowl bid because the game falls in the middle of their exam period (Dec. 18). The bowl could have pitted a pair of impressive mid-majors (TCU and Miami-Ohio) against each other.
"I can't do that," TCU Athletic Director Eric Hyman told the Washington Post on Wednesday night. "I have to be sensitive to our young people. They are student-athletes, but they are also students, and they are coming to school to get an education. We cannot disrupt their exams. It's not fair to them."
The C-USA commissioner should make it clear to these whiners that if they screw the conference on this deal, they won't be representing C-USA in any bowls, ever. He won't, of course, because he's scared TCU will bolt to the Mountain West. But if this is the sort of conference member they're gonna be, I'll take Louisiana Tech, thank you very much.
None of you sports fans really buy into this AD's faux concern about finals week, do you? It's obvious enough that I don't, because these bowl schedules have been known for a while, and his dismay seems awfully sudden (as in, coincident with that loss to Southern Miss).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/27/03 10:27 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
Sloan The Grump
Jerry Sloan is his same cheery self:
When the Rockets signed Scott Padgett, coach Jeff Van Gundy said that in addition to the skills Padgett would bring, the Rockets specifically valued Padgett's four seasons playing for Jerry Sloan.Now THAT's a gracious way to take a compliment."What I liked most was he had been in a situation where he had been coached tremendously and tremendously hard both in college with coach (Rick) Pitino and in Utah with Jerry Sloan," Van Gundy said. "So you were getting a guy you knew had been in situations, had been coached extremely hard, and could make a shot."
Sloan, however, was not interested in that praise or being grouped with Pitino, one of Van Gundy's coaching mentors.
"I've never coached or played basketball for a compliment," Sloan said. "I don't give a (hoot). It's been a part of my life every day. I get a lot of fun out of watching guys play and compete."
Perpetual grump.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/27/03 09:44 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (0)
26 November 2003
Six Sooners Land All-American Honors
Six Sooner football players made the FWAA All-American list released today.
I was most pleased to see receiver Mark Clayon on the list. Most college football fans know UT's Roy Williams and OSU's Rashuan Woods, and they are fine players who will be high NFL draft picks.
But Clayton has been the best receiver in the Big 12 this year, and one of the best in the land.
Give Bob Stoops an assist on this one. His frequent mentions of Clayton during press conferences can't have hurt.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/26/03 23:00 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
25 November 2003
Solomon/Hohfeld Tag Team
It took the Comical two reporters to recycle reports from other newspapers on Chance Mock's potential transfer from UT?
That's some "reporting," guys. Maybe the Comical will give you overtime.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/25/03 23:33 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Shorthorn Discord
UT (backup) quarterback Chance Mock is considering transferring:
If Chance Mock wanted to be groomed for the NFL, then he picked the wrong place. Mack Brown's coaching staff recruits all sorts of talented players, but they don't seem to develop all that well. Especially on the offensive side; witness Chris Simms.Texas junior quarterback Chance Mock is considering transferring to a Division I-AA school where he could play immediately next season to improve his chances of playing in the NFL, his father said Tuesday.
"There's nothing that's been decided. Nothing's been done," said Mike Mock, Chance's father and a former NFL linebacker who played at Texas Tech under then-defensive coordinator Bill Parcells in the 1970s. "These are things that need to be talked about after the season."
Mike Mock said Chance "doesn't want to leave" and is "trying to find every opportunity and reason to stay."
"He wants to graduate from the University of Texas," Mike Mock said. "He wants the T ring and to go out on Senior Day with his parents. He wants to be a part of that, but he's also looking at a business decision. He wanted to be groomed to have a shot at fulfilling his dream of playing in the NFL."
Still, this petulant little outburst from the Mock camp seems poorly timed. The Shorthorns have their annual grudge match against Texas A&M to play in a few days, and probably don't need the distraction. Plus it can't be helpful to recruiting to have your backup quarterback's dad questioning the coaching staff's ability to groom players for the NFL (no matter how true it might be).
I can't help but think that Chance Mock has already made the decision to transfer. Because he's not going to be the most popular guy in Austin at this point if he stays.
(Update) Shorthorn columnist Kirk Bohls (I refer to him that way because he's at least as much a UT apologist as he is objective sports columnist) says the Mock camp wasn't the source of this talk:
Mock's just keeping his options open.Fine, whatever, but it's not like Chance Mock or his dad is exactly denying they will look at transferring after the season. In fact, they're pretty much promising to consider it."I don't want to be a distraction," Mock said. "Right now, I'm a Texas Longhorn, and I will continue to be until the end of the season. I think I can throw the ball well enough to be able to play at the next level. I don't know what will happen."
He means it, too. This isn't lip service from a team guy who's bit his lip and remained a selfless player since relinquishing the starting quarterback's position to Vince Young after the loss to Oklahoma.
Who could blame him for leaving? No one should. And it should be emphatically stated that Mock didn't choose to raise this issue now, three days before the Texas A&M game.
Unbeknownst to him, a brief item in the Boston Globe recently mentioned Mock could transfer to Massachusetts or Delaware, a pair of Division I-AA playoff teams out of the Atlantic 10. Tennessee-Chattanooga is another possibility. He denies having checked out any of them.
Texas Coach Mack Brown discounted the talk.
"People are nasty with rumors," Brown said. "Several years ago, everybody had Major (Applewhite) transferring to South Carolina, and I think they had Chris (Simms) going to about 49 different schools.
"Chance has been such a team guy all year long, and his patience, confidence, attitude and talent led us on a drive that put us in position for some really big things. We continue to have two of the most talented quarterbacks in the country, and I have no reason to believe that Chance won't finish his career as a Longhorn."
And Mack Brown is gripping, no doubt, since he seems not to be in the recruiting hunt for any outstanding prep quarterbacks, according to Bohls. I can't imagine why any star prep QB would want to go into that mess, honestly, Mack Brown's smooth talk notwithstanding.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/25/03 13:25 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
Digits That Defy Belief
Since we know the Comical's Jerome Solomon occasionally borrows from the Oklahoman sports pages, maybe someone should point him to this column:
Toss out the storybook saga of White's two knee surgeries. Even forget OU's 12-0 season and its run not just to the Sugar Bowl but to maybe the college game's grandest squadron ever.Unless you're the Comical's Big 12 Football columnist.Reduce this to cold, hard numbers. White has thrown 40 touchdown passes and six interceptions. Digits that defy belief.
In the past 10 years, three throwing quarterbacks have won the Heisman. Here are the TD-intercept ratios at the time they won the hardware:
USC's Carson Palmer: 32-10 in 2002.
Florida State's Chris Weinke: 33-11 in 2000.
Florida's Danny Wuerffel: 39-13 in 1996.
Healthy 3-to-1 margins. White is busting through at better than 6-to-1, almost 7-to-1. It's like Barry Bonds' 73 home runs. The Babe's 60, Maris' 61, those are numbers we can process. But 73? Forty-to-six? That's qwazy.
To discuss the Heisman in rational terms is to declare the race over.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/25/03 12:24 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Two Sides Of A Coin
Everyone loves to take shots at the BCS:
An independent commission on collegiate athletics recommended Monday in Washington that the NCAA should reclaim control of postseason college football from the Bowl Championship Series and that the universities exert more control over television sports.I remember back in the "glory days" when the NCAA was "in charge" (as Mr. Friday puts it), and something like two college football games were televised each week. Wasn't that fun, sports fans?"Speaking for myself, I want to see the NCAA in charge" of the bowl games, said William Friday, chairman of the Knight Foundation Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics.
The BCS may be evil, but the NCAA is hardly a bunch of saints. Frankly, I'd rather have the very best conferences and football teams in control of their product.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/25/03 12:08 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (7)
24 November 2003
Solich
Nebraska head coach Frank Solich says he's not considering leaving quietly (i.e. retiring):
"That's never crossed my mind," Solich told reporters Sunday after Nebraska's practice at Cook Pavilion.Maybe when the A.D. tells him he can retire, or that the university plans on firing his ass, that will be a pretty direct shot across his mind.
I can't see how they keep him if he loses to Colorado this week (and I don't expect slow plodding Nebraska to beat the Buffs).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/24/03 22:56 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Coach Fran
I expected a somewhat critical column on "Coach Fran" from this headline:
Franchione fanfare cools as losses mountTurns out this column is pretty tepid in terms of criticism.
There hasn't been much "Coach Fran" fanfare here, as I'm a pretty big fan of the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. I've seen nothing this year to suggest to me "Coach Fran"'s going to improve on R.C. Slocum's considerable legacy at that fine school anytime soon. And you Aggies must agree, since your attendance has dropped so dramatically at the revered Kyle Field.
It may just be that "Coach Fran"'s best coaching came at non-BCS schools TCU and New Mexico. That doesn't seem like a good reason to chase off R.C. But it makes life easier on OU fans (R.C.'s teams played OU well), so it's fine with me. Go "Coach Fran!" Keep it up (especially that low attendance when OU heads to your place next year)!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/24/03 22:51 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
Wizig Competes With Solomon For Comical Sports Doofus
Just in case any of you care to suggest I'm too harsh when I rip the Comical's pitiful sports columnists, let me offer you this line from Jerry Wizig:
Unless UH -- 6-5 after its 66-45 loss to Louisville on Saturday -- beats 5-6 Alabama-Birmingham in its final regular-season game this Saturday at Robertson Stadium, the Cougars will join a three-way tie with UAB and Cincinnati if the Bearcats upset Louisville on Friday at Cincinnati.Starting with the obvious -- a three-way tie for WHAT, Jerry? First, second, third, WHAT? We have no idea from reading your column.
Proceeding from the obvious -- why should we assume UH won't beat a losing team at home? And why should we assume that Louisville won't beat Cincy? Frankly, those are both stupid assumptions.
How does a column result from such stupid speculation? I can only assume the Comical's sports editors are even worse than the columnists, and poor Mr. Wizig was desperate to come up with something interesting to say about C-USA.
He failed.
Miserably.
Typically pathetic.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/24/03 22:34 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
Robertson Rebukes Solomon (Indirectly)
Dale Robertson must not be reading fellow Comical columnist Jerome Solomon's retarded columns:
USC has athletes equal to Oklahoma's best, just fewer of them. Trojans coach Pete Carroll insists, "there's nobody in America playing better" than his quarterback, Matt Leinart, who went 23-of-32 for 289 yards and two touchdowns against the overmatched Bruins. Meanwhile, a thousand miles to the east in Lubbock, OU's Jason White was polishing his Heisman Trophy with a 22-for-32, 394-yard, four-touchdown afternoon.Robertson gets it right. Solomon is still retarded.Anything Leinart can do, White can do better. Anything USC can do, OU can do better.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/24/03 22:24 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
Warren Spahn, RIP
Warren Spahn's death probably registers only among the dwindling hardcore baseball fans in the nation.
Spahn was the mate of longtime Braves coach Johnny Sain, and together they were the source of the phrase, "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain."
From a lefty baseball fan to the winningest lefty pitcher of all time, thank you and godspeed, Mr. Spahn.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/24/03 22:18 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
PubliusTX, Live from Pawhuska
I didn't mention that I'd be on the road for a few days, but I was.
I had a stop last night at Lake Texoma to see my Aunt (and the 20 or so wild turkeys running around her spread overlooking Lake Texoma). 20 degrees or so. Brr.
And then on to Pawhuska, OK today, to get my mom's DSL functioning. I'm now sitting here chatting with family, watching Monday Night Football, and posting from the newly established high speed wi-fi connection. We're almost certainly one of the most technologically advanced homes in Pawhuska now! LSFP!
Posting will be sporadic over the Thanksgiving holiday -- people to see, turkey to eat, wine to drink, etc. But there will be posting.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/24/03 21:53 | Other | Technorati | Comments (8)
23 November 2003
That's Right, You're Not From Texas
You're from the East and want to write a column ripping Houston on everything from lack of zoning to parks acreage to its skyline?
Fine, but you better get your facts right, or you're gonna have to deal with the wrath of Owen.
I can't believe anyone would take potshots at Houston's skyline, of all things. I've long had some version of the skyline anchoring this blog's logo because it's an absolutely beautiful skyline. It's even better at night, but most photos don't do it justice (certainly none I've taken do). Blar.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/23/03 08:30 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
Big 12 Wrap: Week 14
It's time again for the weekly Big 12 Wrap, my whimsical look back at the week's football games in the Big 12. For those who are new, just a reminder that this is my fun little take on things and shouldn't be taken all that seriously.
Oklahoma 56, Texas Tech 25
Oklahoma trailed for only the second time all year in this game. But that 3-0 lead quickly evaporated for Texas Tech, as their high-flying offense was grounded by the Sooner defense. Jason White helped his Heisman campaign with another impressive showing, and B.J. Symons can forget about it after his five interceptions. Oklahoma heads to the Big 12 Championship game in two weeks. Texas Tech is likely headed to the Houston Bowl.
Kansas State 24, Missouri 14
Kansas State clinches the Big 12 North and the right to play Oklahoma for the Big 12 title, against a Mizzou team that just didn't quite have enough firepower. Kansas State has won six straight games and is playing its best football of the season. It probably won't be enough in Kansas City, however. Mizzou has another game (Iowa State) to try and secure a better bowl game.
Oklahoma State 38, Baylor 21
Vernand Morency ran for over 200 yards and Rashaun Woods had six catches for 125 yards, but pesky Baylor kept this one fairly close until the fourth quarter, when the Cowboys blew it open. Oklahoma State ties a school record with nine wins, and seems a favorite to head to the Cotton Bowl.
Kansas 36, Iowa State 7
KU quarterback Bill Whittemore came back from an injury that sidelined him for several games, and accounted for over 300 yards of total offense in this romp over hapless Iowa State. With the win, Kansas becomes bowl-eligible, but is on the bowl bubble with its .500 record. Still, not a bad second year for Mark Mangino.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/23/03 00:15 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
22 November 2003
Jerome's Boy Throws Five Picks
A couple of days ago, the Comical's damn fool idiot Big 12 football columnist Jerome Solomon wrote a silly column explaining why Oklahoma's Jason White didn't deserve his Heisman vote, but why Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons did deserve his vote. His argument came down to something along the lines of, "B. WOW! J. WOW! Symons WOW! really WOW! gets WOW! me WOW! off":
Symons brings to the table that "wow" factor I've written about before. And it's not a wow from the ridiculous numbers -- PlayStation numbers, as Colorado quarterback Joe Klatt calls them.
It's a wow from the plays he makes. It's a wow from watching him make those plays on one leg. It's a wow from seeing him run Mike Leach's offense with such precision. It's the wow from every defensive coordinator as they watch film in preparing to face him. It's the wow from helpless defenders who were in good position but never had a chance of stopping his endless slew of perfectly thrown passes.
When you have that many wows in your game, you should get a plane ticket to New York.
Oklahoma's Jason White, a lock to be a finalist, comes up a few wows short in comparison to Symons.
Now, it's entirely possible that Jerome Solomon is some sort of idiot savant, who occasionally types WOW in the midst of stupid columns (the WOWs distinguishing him from the other columnists who regularly produce stupid columns for the Comical). Or it's more likely that he's simply an idiot.
In any case, here are the numbers from today's OU-Texas Tech game:
Jason White, 22/32, 394 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs
B.J. Symons, 31/53, 230 yards, 1 TDs, 5 INTs
Legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates do not throw 5 interceptions in a single game.
Legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates put up incredible statistics, lead their team to an undefeated regular season, and trail ONLY TWO TIMES during that entire regular season! That would be Jason White, of course.
Jerome Solomon has made it clear he's not going to vote for Jason White for the Heisman. And for that reason among others, he's a damn fool idiot.
Oh, and the best receiver in the Big 12 (Mark Clayton) caught 8 passes for 130 yards in the game. Not bad. Maybe Jerome can write another column about Roy Williams and Rashaun Woods next week. I hope he leaves out the WOWs though.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/22/03 19:11 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (0)
"Something Bad Just Happened"
It turns out that Jeep that was clipped a few days ago by the Light Rail Trolley was driven by a local television reporter (from KPRC-2):
Marino told News2Houston she was driving home from choir practice, traveling down Main Street and preparing to turn left onto West Gray Street.Crack reporting from Channel 2, "where local news comes first."At the same time, a METRO light-rail train, on a trial run of the new commuter system, was traveling north on Main Street when the collision occurred. The train struck the rear of her vehicle on the driver's side and spun it around.
"He hit me and I fishtailed to the middle of the intersection," Marino said. "I had no time to be scared because I never saw it coming. I never heard it. I never saw it. So, once I was hit, I banged my head against the window and I realized something bad just happened."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/22/03 11:57 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (0)
Now You See Him...
What well-known football player was bumped from the cover of Life magazine the week of the Kennedy assassination?
Tom McMahon knows.
I've been needing to add Tom's blog to the old roll for ages and keep forgetting. So here's a reminder for myself. And for those who haven't been there already, go visit Tom's place.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/22/03 11:14 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Fertitta Marches On
Tillman Fertitta's Landry's corporation has gobbled up another couple of local eateries.
So does having a city full of corporate upscale restaurants make us world-class?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/22/03 10:24 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (1)
That Ain't Country
Here's a review of Shania Twain from Michael D. Clark and the Comical:
Shania Twain, the biggest selling female artist of all time, brought her worldwide Up! tour to Houston's downtown Toyota Center Friday night with the intention of throwing the country concert event of the season.You almost get the sense that Clark wanted to say what he really thinks about Shania Twain, and then thought better of it. Too bad.Instead, Twain delivered a pop-rock show with a few twangy frills.
For slightly more *ahem* raw reviews of Miss Twain, you can always turn to Mr. Sparks or Mr. Whitlock.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/22/03 01:48 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
21 November 2003
Sex Offender On The Loose
Local station KHOU-11 is reporting some disturbing news tonight:
A violent sexual predator is on the loose and Houston and authorities warn he is probably armed and definitely dangerous.Early Friday morning, convicted rapist Daniel Weeks walked out of the Reid Correctional Facility in the 10000 block of Beaumont Highway and didn't come back. Officials there realized he was missing at the 9 a.m. roll call.
Police later found the monitoring bracelet Weeks was supposed to be wearing in a garbage can outside LBJ Hospital in northeast Houston.
Weeks was just released from the Texas Department of Corrections last Friday. Authorites call him a violent sexual predator. He has a string of arrests which include charges of rape. Weeks was convicted of assaulting two different women at two different fast food restaurants.
One DPS officer described Weeks as "the worst of the worst."
The search is focusing on the Montrose area because Weeks often spent time there.
When he was released for those offenses he was supposed to register as a sex offender. When he did not, he was sent back to prison. On Friday he was sent to the facility on Beaumont Highway.
"At the end of the day we're all responsible for our individual activities," said Paul Doucette with the Reid Center. "He was here. He was here under the terms of the civil commitment. He knew what the rules were and he chose to leave anyway."
Weeks, 35, is about 5'10, 150 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes. Both of his arms are heavily tattooed from shoulders to wrists.
More coverage from ABC-13 and KPRC-2.
Liberals who lament the fact that Texas spends so much money on incarceration of criminals, and who argue for greater rehabiliation programs that have the goal of putting violent criminals back in society do tend, of course, to ignore such news. Fortunately, voting majorities generally do not.
It's almost certain that this guy is going to commit violent crimes again. The only question is whether law enforcement finds him before it happens, or after.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/21/03 18:37 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (5)
Purple And Yellow Makes.... Texas Dems?
Well, how about that? The Texas Democrat Party has started a weblog: the Yellow Dog Blog.
Whereas most political sites go with some variant of Red and/or Blue, these guys feature Yellow and Purple fairly prominently in the (all too) familiar Movable Type standard layout.
LA Lakers fans?
Beats me.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/21/03 17:59 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (1)
Caffeine
With all of the activity today, I still have not had my morning coffee.
I tried to have a Diedrich coffee on the run, but the cup was defective and trying to spill the crap all over me. Blar.
Not cool. Must have caffeine.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/21/03 16:58 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Miscellany
This is a strange day.
I took off from work to go to a liturgy and memorial service for Callie's dad this morning.
Now, I need to go tend to what seems like a million errands.
Music possibilities tonight:
Molly and the Ringwalds (again) at the Continental Club, because I'm feeling in need of some 80s cheer.
Scott Miller at Rudyards (unlikely, because I'm not in the mood for the smoke).
And I think Jack Ingram may be doing an in-store at Cactus Records.
On top of that, it's 80+ degrees outside. In the middle of November. How about that?!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/21/03 14:45 | Other | Technorati | Comments (1)
Wow?
Jerome Solomon has learned a new word today, "wow." In reaction to overrated Texas Tech quarterback B.J. Symons.
And really, three-letter words are fairly appropriate for Solomon's columns, given their level of sophistication and degree of insight. This is a good example:
Oklahoma's Jason White, a lock to be a finalist, comes up a few wows short in comparison to Symons. While his season has been superb, don't you wonder how many other players in the country could be quarterbacking the Sooners to an unbeaten record and No. 1 ranking?Well, Jerome, here's news for you -- Nate Hybl had himself a really fine year quarterbacking Oklahoma last season, in terms of individual statistics, and he even had the benefit of the best running back in the Big 12 (Quentin Griffin) to help take the load off. But you look at Jason White's numbers -- against outstanding teams and against bad teams, WITHOUT the benefit of a premier running back like Griffin -- and they're much much better; we're talking best quarterback rating in the country! High completion percentage. Great TD/INT ratio. Excellent YPA. And, oh yeah, better record too!That's no knock on White, whose inspiring comeback from two serious knee injuries is remarkable. And it's no anti-OU stance. Twice in the last three years, Sooners earned my first-place vote.
The most "outstanding" player in the country needs to stand out. He should do things few others can do or are doing.
Since you apparently haven't bothered to watch his games too carefully, I'll just point out that he's made extremely precise throws that not many quarterbacks in the country CAN make. And he's done it without All Big 12 playmakers Quentin Griffin and Trent Smith in the offense, because of their graduation (their replacements have been adequate, but hardly the same kinds of players). Only a damn fool would wonder "how many other players in the country could be quarterbacking the Sooners to an undeaten record and No. 1 ranking?" You qualify, Jerome. Nice job.
Oh, and just as an aside Jerome, Tim Couch played when Mike Leach was an offensive assistant at Kentucky, yes. But it was Hal Mumme's system there; Leach learned it from him. Try and get that part right at least.
I can't believe this guy gets a Heisman vote. That's pitiful. When oh when is the Comical going to get some decent new sports columnists?!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/21/03 12:54 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
Bye Frogs
Everyone who's been whining about TCU and the mean BCS can now go back to more meaningful pursuits, as Southern Miss ended TCU's Cinderella season last night, despite a late rally from the Frogs. This is the same Southern Miss team that looked so good a couple of weeks ago here in Houston, and that should clinch Conference USA (they haven't lost a conference game yet, with one game left). That means that not only will TCU not have to worry about attending a BCS bowl, they also won't be attending the Liberty Bowl as C-USA champs.
It's best to take care of all your business before worrying about what bowl you'll be in.
And for that reason, Oklahoma's trip to Texas Tech this weekend is starting to scare me. All week long, people have been commenting that the Sooner defense is the one defense that's been able to shut down Mike Leach's high-powered offense over the past couple of years. Even the Sooner coaching staff has admitted as much. And there's been a big media circus following co-defensive coordinator Mike Stoops around, and trying to figure out if he's going to be the next head coach at Arizona.
The Oklahoma guys are bigtime coaches, their team is much more talented, and they've been through these things before, but it's just starting to feel like a trap.
And boy, wouldn't a Sooner loss scramble the BCS really nicely? I'm a Sooner fan who hopes it doesn't happen, but I'm just saying....
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/21/03 08:34 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (3)
20 November 2003
Pigpen Pothole And Former Mayor Bob Endorse White
The White campaign's internal polling must show that he's got a lock on the mayoral election, as they actually allowed Mayor Pigpen Pothole to endorse White publicly:
[Mayor Lee P.] Brown, who defeated Sanchez in a 2001 runoff, said there is "no comparison" between White and Sanchez in the ability to lead Houston.By going out, or through record spending?"Bill White is an independent person who is not controlled by any interest group," Brown said. "He has earned his position as the leading candidate for mayor by going out into every neighborhood and communicating his plans for Houston's future."
The White people are not fools, though. They made sure to fill the stage with former mayors, not just Pigpen. That says quite a bit about Pigpen's popularity.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/20/03 11:19 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
19 November 2003
First Trolley/Traffic Accident
Owen has been warning us that the new trolley system that Metro likes to call light rail would cause plenty of accidents.
So he won't be surprised by this bit of news:
11 News warned Houstonians about the possible collision course between the new light rail trains and cars. Wednesday night the impact was clear as police investigate Houston's first such accident. It happened at intersection of Main and Gray in downtown Houston.I don't think even Owen predicted we'd have accidents before the system officially opened. I'm sure we can expect more of the same.Police say that around 8:30 both the Metro railcar and a Jeep Cherokee were travelling north on Main. Then, police say, the driver of the SUV, Christa Moreno, made an illegal left turn going in front of the railcar. The rail car clipped the back of a vehicle.
(Update) Owen comments here.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/19/03 23:16 | Danger Train | Technorati | Comments (5)
Mayor Pigpen Pothole
This is a great line from councilman Carroll Robinson:
"It sounds to me like you have chaos," Robinson said." "This administration is like (the Peanuts character) Pigpen -- no matter what they do, there is always a cloud of dust and confusion following them."
Hmm... should we laugh or cry?
Or just be happy Mayor Pigpen Pothole will be leaving in a little over a month?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/19/03 23:06 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
Astros Re-Sign Ausmus
I've got to post this before it changes:
Ausmus, a two-time Gold Glove winner, hit .229 with four home runs and 47 RBIs for the Astros last season. He finished second among major league catchers with a .997 fielding percentage. In the past three seasons in Houston, Ausmus hit .256 with 63 home runs and 430 RBIs.Anybody care to point out what's wrong with this?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/19/03 22:01 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (4)
Free Host
I saw this advertised in PC World and never got around to posting anything about it.
Apparently, 1 & 1 Hosting is giving away 3 years of hosting.
It's an account with limited bandwidth (5 gb/month), and apparently they do some sort of verification of the address/phone info you give them, but it seems legitimate. Those of you who like to geek around with such things might want to have a peek at their offerings. They seem popular across the pond, but don't seem to have a great reputation on WHT. Then again, free is free. Could be worthwhile if nothing else as a rollover redundant account for email.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/19/03 19:17 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (0)
18 November 2003
South Florida's I-AA Scheduling
I've been bitching all season long in my Big 12 posts about teams in that conference scheduling Division I-AA schools. In my opinion, teams in premier football conferences should not be scheduling such teams. It's embarrassing.
C-USA is not a premier football conference by any stretch, but it did give me immense pleasure today to learn that Houston's chances at a bowl game look much better because of the fact that South Florida, which has a better overall record than the Coogs, still needs to win two more games to become bowl-eligible because they scheduled two Division I-AA teams this season:
Since victories over Division I-AA schools aren't factored into a school's bowl eligibility, South Florida still needs two victories to attend its first-ever bowl game.Jim Leavitt's a good coach who should get offers from better schools once the season ends and the coaching carousel begins, but I don't have much sympathy for him here. South Florida knew the rules. So now they're going to have to beat UAB and Memphis to earn a bowl trip. That Memphis game could be tough.In other words, the Bulls needed to win six out of nine games against Division I foes to have any chance of making a bowl.
South Florida coach Jim Leavitt noticed the situation before the season and tried to do something about it. But he couldn't find anyone willing to play his team.
"When Baylor dropped us from their schedule, we only had nine games," South Florida coach Jim Leavitt said. "We tried so hard to find another school. We probably contacted 28 different Division I-A programs, but couldn't get anything done. We basically just ended up adding the two I-AA because we wanted to play 11 games."
Meanwhile, Houston is already bowl-eligible, although I'd feel better about it with one more win. The roadtrip to Louisville will be tough, but UAB at home is a winnable game.
Go Coogs!
(11-20-03 Update) Jerry Wizig writes that South Florida can count one of those I-AA victories to become bowl-eligible. That actually sounds right to me, but I can't recall the rule exactly.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/18/03 21:10 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (4)
Osage County
My mom sends along this interesting history of Osage County, Oklahoma.
Here's what they have to say about Pawhuska, where I grew up:
Pawhuska - The name means White Hair; it was given to Osage Chief Paw-hiu-Skah (spellings vary) after he took part in a battle in Ohio against American troops during the Washington administration. He tried to scalp a fallen officer, only to have the officer's white hair (a powdered wig) come off in the chief's hand. Aided by the diversion, the officer escaped. The chief thought the hair had great power - it had helped protect its wearer - and kept the wig with him for the rest of his life, taking the name White Hair as a result of his experience.Thank goodness that powdered wigs are no longer part of the military dress code.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/18/03 20:55 | Other | Technorati | Comments (2)
Net Hoaxes
Something earlier reminded me of the great Kaycee Nicole internet hoax of a few years back.
We "journallers" were all so gullible then (myself included).
I wonder if it would be possible to pull off such a hoax today?
I doubt it.
We've all become much more diligent "fact checkers." Or cynical. Or both.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/18/03 20:44 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (3)
Montrose PSA
I ran across a poor guy in the neighborhood after the flooding yesterday who was searching frantically for his lost dog. I saw him again this morning as I was walking Kiwi, and he gave me a flyer.
If anybody in the Montrose area has seen the following dog, please leave a comment or send an email so I can put you in touch with the guy (I don't want to post his phone #s). He is offering a reward.
German Shepherd Mix
Female, 70 pounds
4 years old
Wearing 2 collars (1 red bark control collar)
Lost near Shepherd and W. Alabama (during storm, Nov 17)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/18/03 07:48 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (3)
17 November 2003
Oh Those Dannyskins
The Dannyskins revealed today that their quarterback has been suffering all season from a fracture in his foot:
Washington Redskins quarterback Patrick Ramsey has been playing all season with a broken bone in his right foot.Gee, it's hard to believe that getting the living hell beaten out of you because of the deficient pass blocking schemes of Steve Spurrier and Kim "Love Coach" Helton would aggravate old injuries. Imagine that."It's flared up pretty bad recently," said Ramsey, who has had difficulty planting the foot when throwing. "It's just something I'm trying to fight through."
Coach Steve Spurrier revealed the injury Monday, a day after Ramsey had one of his worst games of the season in a 20-17 loss at Carolina.
Ramsey said the foot started hurting during training camp. An X-ray disclosed an old fracture. Ramsey has no idea when or how it happened.
"It never hurt me last season. It never hurt me in college," Ramsey said. "But at some point, I apparently fractured my foot. I know that sounds odd."
Ramsey said he wasn't really bothered by the injury until the last couple of weeks.
And speaking of quarterbacks who have had the hell beaten out of them, I really feel sorry for David Carr, who's just been pulverized in his year-and-a-half in the league. It sure would be nice if Saint Casserly had drafted (or traded for) some offensive line help for him, instead of two quarterbacks (one of whom still is a baseball player). Probably about time for Casserly to start circulating rumors that Drew Henson really IS gonna quit baseball (and walk away from $12 million). Hope springs eternal, I guess. Two words why I think it won't happen: Chad Hutchinson.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/17/03 22:59 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (2)
Soggy
Here's a little photo essay of the flooding on my street this afternoon. Since I posted this, the water has completely receded. Such is life in Houston!
The post is heavy on graphics (about a dozen photos, no thumbnails), so you'll need to click on the [Read More] link to see it. It may take a while for those of you with slower connections.
[Read More]Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/17/03 16:55 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (5)
Fun Weather
After lunch, we were lucky enough to figure out Harris County was under a Tornado Warning. The warning even mentioned that the Galleria was in the path of the tornado-producing storms.
So my boss and I waited the thing out in the basement of the place (the only place that is not effectively a giant glass enclosure), and decided to get the hell out of the place once that particular warning expired. Now I'm home.
It was nice to have the Jeep to get home over the flooded, pothole-plagued streets. Not that I need it, mind you, but like I said, it's nice to have on days like this.
Apparently, the Sugar Land area has already been hit.
Now it seems to be pounding the area along I-45/Bush Intercontinental Airport.
And there's another round in Fort Bend county that appears to be headed this way.
Nasty.
(Update) And now, flooding -- comparable to Tropical Storm Allison, at least in my neighborhood. Photos to follow momentarily (the rain is easing now).
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/17/03 13:57 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (7)
Town Hall
Found at Town Hall just now:
Nothing database-driven seems to be working on the site at the moment.HTTP/1.1 404 Object Not Found Server: Microsoft-IIS/5.0 Date: Mon, 17 Nov 2003 14:56:19 GMT Content-Type: text/html
404 Object Not Found
Maybe they should consider Linux or FreeBSD for their server needs? Just a suggestion.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/17/03 09:21 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (0)
16 November 2003
Poor Offense
Wouldn't the Cowboys be better with a top running back and another offensive lineman or two?
I'm thinking so.
And those things will probably be on Big Bill's wish list for next year.
Meanwhile, Stephen Davis is looking great for Carolina. Another team that wins ugly (except they beat good teams and bad teams). He might have been the difference in Dallas being good this year, versus being good only against bad teams. Oh well. At least Troy Hambrick (<3 yards/carry tonight) can shut the hell up now.
Now that tonight's offensive debacle is over, the Cowboys can start preparing for Davis and Carolina. Fun!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/16/03 22:41 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (1)
Just An Awful Sports Page
The Comical just has pitiful sports columnists.
Here's Jonathan Feigen as the latest example:
But the longer that the Eastern Conference remains the junior varsity, the more steam the concept will get. The NBA might have to play around with its new six-division format for a while. But a real realignment might have to eventually be considered.Might have to do this. Might have to do that. Eventually consider something involving a split infinitive. Steam?
Blah.
What a bunch of gibberish.
How soon will they be getting some new sports columnists? Because they sure need 'em.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/16/03 22:13 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (1)
Big 12 Wrap: Week 13
It's time again for the weekly Big 12 Wrap, my whimsical look back at the week's football games in the Big 12. For those who are new, just a reminder that this is my fun little take on things and shouldn't be taken all that seriously.
Oklahoma 41, Baylor 3
Oklahoma cruised to an easy victory, and seemed to get bored after halftime, which should please Mike Lupica. Jason White helped his Heisman campaign along, and Mark Clayton again showed that he's the best receiver in the Big 12 this year. Credit Baylor, however, with not quitting in the second half -- unlike Oklahoma's last opponent. Oklahoma has clinched the Big 12 South, but travels to Texas Tech next week to wrap up the regular season.
Kansas State 38, Nebraska 9
All season long, Nebraska has been beating inferior opponents despite its lack of team speed and one-dimensional offense. They've also been losing to more talented opponents all season long. For one half, they hung with Kansas State. But the Wildcats' superior speed and diversity was too much for Nebraska in Lincoln, and Kansas State now has the inside track to the Big 12 title game -- they just have to win against Mizzou in Manhattan next week. Nebraska, on the other hand, was left to whine about Kansas State's coaches afterwards.
Texas 43, Texas Tech 40
In many ways, Texas Tech outplayed Texas in this game. But breakdowns on special teams and defense at crucial times -- not to mention boneheaded coaching (going for it on 4th and 2 on his own 39? Does Mike Leach think he's Barry Switzer?!) cost the Red Raiders in this one. Credit Texas with a big drive led by Chance Mock with the game on the line. But don't credit them too much -- it was Texas Tech's defense, after all.
Oklahoma State 44, Kansas 21
The Cowboys hit the accelerator in the second half, and cruised to a fairly easy win against a depleted Kansas team. OSU's backup running back Vernand Morency ran for over 262 yards in place of Tatum Bell. The Pokes conclude their season at Baylor next week, and should be in line for a decent bowl game. Kansas tries to get to six wins by hosting Iowa State (not sure if that would get them to bowl-eligibility, because one win was against a I-AA opponent earlier in the season).
Missouri 45, Texas A&M 22
Missouri controlled this one from the start, as Brad Smith outclassed the talended Reggie McNeal (who left the game, according to Dennis Franchione, because of illness). Dustin Long had a nice day after he replaced McNeal, but couldn't overcome the deficit. A&M is guaranteed their first losing season in two decades, as they close with the UT grudge match in two weeks. Missouri travels to Kansas State next, with a shot at the Big 12 North title.
Colorado 44, Iowa State 10
Colorado is finally starting to resemble a decent Big 12 football team. Iowa State, on the other hand, is not. Colorado becomes bowl-eligible with a win next week -- but they host Nebraska. Quite a few people thought that game might decide the Big 12 North when the schedules came out. Obviously not.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/16/03 16:57 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (5)
Grand Theories Of My Automotive Needs
Jim Henley likes his SUV, and has penned an article for the American Spectator online that goes to all sorts of lengths to argue he needs his SUV (and that deserves an award in the Awful Analogy department for forcing readers to get through that aerobic/anaerobic bit).
Friend Ginger Stampley, on the other hand, really dislikes SUVs, and so she has put together a post that suggests Henley doesn't really need an SUV (and neither do quite a few other people, by extension).
Well, you know what? By Ginger's standards, I probably don't "need" my SUV either. It doesn't have a rusty hitch (there's no hitch at all). It's not dented from farm equipment or animals running into it. There's not a scratched brush guard adorning the front (although there could be if the homeless people keep clogging the intersections!). Most of the time it's used for driving around Houston -- although I can't help but wonder about Ginger's description of perfectly paved streets in Houston, because aside from the recent Kirby/Alabama traffic mitigation work done in preparation for the 2004 closing of the downtown spur, I haven't seen any stretch of "perfectly paved" roads here after six years of Mayor Pothole.
Thankfully, my assessments of my own wants and needs aren't determined by the fact that Ginger can't see around some rude drivers of SUVs when she's in her Civic, and doesn't think moms "need" SUVs to haul around kids and their gear. Or, by extension, that I don't really "need" my Liberty for my occasional forays outside of the city, because gawd forbid, I could probably fit backpacks and gear in a Honda Civic's trunk if I tried really hard.
Here's an interesting little bit of information, though. That Liberty I bounce around this city in? 71.1 inches wide, and 174.2 inches long (mine is a 2003, but there have been no major body changes between the model years). A 2004 Honda Civic? 66.7 inches wide, and 168.4 inches long. This much discontent over six inches (no rude jokes, please)? Wow. Doesn't seem worth it to me.
And yes, I was inspired by my (very liberal) friend Pineapple Girl to look up those dimensions, and I still point to her classic rant in defense of SUVs for anyone who really cares about this.
I don't. It just annoys me when other people want to elaborate on the automotive "needs" of me and others -- whether it's via the Grand SUV Theory of Aerobic/Anaerobic Exercise, or the Categorical Imperative of Inherent Moral Superiority of Compact Japanese Automobiles.
I like my Liberty. It suits my needs/desires quite well. If a Civic, or an Explorer, or a Cobra, or a Mini Cooper is more in line with your tastes, great! Go for it. And if you're an asshole driver? To hell with you, whatever you drive!
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/16/03 16:34 | Other | Technorati | Comments (5)
A is A
This is just delicious:
Sara Kellner, executive director of Diverse Works, a Warehouse District art space that has commissioned and exhibited graffiti paintings, noted with dismay that her gallery occasionally has been defaced inside and out by illegal graffiti writers.Who would have ever guessed that if you treat vandals like artists, they might still act like vandals?
And so the progressive quest to remake man continues in our fine city.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/16/03 15:50 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
15 November 2003
Nebraska's Girly Coaching Staff
Nebraska's coaching staff needs to stop whining, and find a way to play better on those (rare) occasions when Nebraska plays a good football team in Lincoln:
K-State's win was too decisive for Nebraska defensive coordinator Bo Pelini's taste.Grow up, Pelini and Solich.Pelini said he didn't appreciate Kansas State having Roberson and school career rushing leader Darren Sproles on the field late in the game against Nebraska's defensive reserves.
Pelini started to confront Snyder after the game, but a member of the Nebraska staff took Pelini by the arm and led him away.
"I told him I didn't like it," Pelini said. "I let him know that's not the way I've gone about things in the organizations I've been in."
Said Snyder: "I don't think I want to repeat what he called me."
Nebraska head coach Frank Solich said he had an opinion about K-State's fourth-quarter decorum but that he wouldn't share it.
"That's the way it is," Solich said.
You got your asses spanked on your home field. Don't make it worse by turning into crybabies.
Pitiful. That whole coaching crew at Nebraska couldn't even carry Tom Osborne's headset. Or Bill Snyder's, for that matter.
But will they clean house at the end of the season and start over? Beats me.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/15/03 22:16 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
Woodson's Value
In the preseason, Bill Parcells had safety Darren Woodson in a nameless practice jersey with "Woodson" taped to his helmet, just like all the rookies and other players trying to make the team.
But don't think Bill Parcells didn't know what he had in Woodson. And here, he talks about it a little:
"Roy, now, he can't go 10 steps without saying something to Darren," Parcells said. "Roy is lucky – and Tony Dixon and Lynn Scott – to have someone. It's just a godsend when you have someone like that to look at as a role model. Some guys come into the league, there's nothing but rookies there and none of them know anything.The writers made a big deal out of the helmet-name thing in the preseason, but it was just Parcells being Parcells. Every once in a while, though, what he really thinks about a player slips out, for those who are listening."This guy can teach you how to practice, teach you how to study, how to do this, what's important. ... It's just luck that you happen to go someplace where there's another veteran guy playing the same kind of position you are and give you all of his knowledge."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/15/03 16:01 | Dallas Cowboys | Technorati | Comments (0)
Freshman College Football Coaches
Houston coach Art Briles gets some love from Richard Cirminiello in this column on this year's rookie college football head coaches:
One of the more anonymous rookie coaches, Briles is doing a terrific job at a program that desperately needed a shot in the arm. The Cougars have been skidding of late, but can still get to the postseason for the first time since 1996. Briles has made Houston fun again and is developing a future star in true freshman quarterback Kevin Kolb.The schedule has been tough for the Coogs the last few weeks, as they've played teams that are just much better (deeper, more talented, and more experienced). However, they should be favored to win at least two of their last three games starting today, and that would be a pretty good start to the Art Briles era.
Tulsa's Steve Kragthorpe also gets a mention in the article I linked. He's done just an amazing job at that program, and under much tougher conditions (small school, limited facilities, tough academics, hard to recruit). He gets my vote for rookie coach of the year.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/15/03 15:11 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (6)
Rashaun Woods
This is a good piece by Jenni Carlson on Oklahoma State's standout wide receiver Rashaun Woods.
Woods is frustrated by his team's losing. No small contributing factor is the team's inability to get the ball to their best player (him). The article is not that critical of Oklahoma State -- it just mentions that other teams have taken away the quick passes to Woods, and the line isn't giving the QB enough time to get the ball to him deep. That's all well and good, but as good at Woods is at getting separation and creating opportunities for himself, the OSU coaches should be able to figure out a way to get him the ball, and get it to him quickly, if that's a necessity because of their offensive line.
That they haven't been able to in big games explains why OSU isn't contending for the Big 12 South lead.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/15/03 15:00 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (4)
Blog Hawk Down
This Tom Tomorrow cartoon is harsh, but funny (although I would have given it the title above).
(found via The Duff Wire)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/15/03 14:20 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
A$tro$ Raise Ticket Prices
Nice move, Drayton:
Less than two weeks after trading closer Billy Wagner to the Philadelphia Phillies in an apparent cost-cutting move, the Astros on Friday raised ticket prices for more than half the seats at Minute Maid Park next season.Look, Drayton is more interested in making a little money on this franchise than spending what it takes to make this franchise a winner -- the Billy Wagner trade is the latest example (and I expect more cost-cutting, and would be SHOCKED if Andy Pettitte is signed). That's his right as the owner, but I wish he wouldn't have given the impression things would be any different after he conned the public into funding his new stadium, and I certainly wish his little lackeys would stop the lines of bullshit about doing "the best that you can do for fans."The increase affects most of the higher-priced seats at the ballpark. Forty-five percent of the seats will be priced the same or lower, with 11,000 seats costing less next season. The Astros did not raise ticket prices for the 2003 season.
[snip]
"We felt that in last year's economy we needed to hold the line," Gardner said. "You always do the best that you can for fans. When we looked at it this year, we knew we needed to do some type of price increases."
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/15/03 11:27 | Sports | Technorati | Comments (4)
14 November 2003
I Love The 80s - PubliusTX Edition
I think the cure for tonight's Friday night blahs is a dose of 80s songs, courtesy of local cover band Molly and the Ringwalds.
It's free, and if mindless 80s pop can't clear up the blahs, then what can?
(Update) THAT was a hoot. I'll probably be checking this out again (Fridays, 7-10pm, no cover, and the club sells homemade BBQ that smelled REALLY good). Highlights: "Jenny (867-5309)" by Tommy Tutone, "Major Tom" by Peter Schilling, and "Mickey" by Toni Basil.
And hey, you music snobs, I never claimed it was Jay Farrar or Ryan Adams. All I said is that it was FUN! Like the 80s. :)
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/14/03 18:38 | Music | Technorati | Comments (3)
The Comical's On The Story -- A Month Later
Hotshot new Comical columnist Rick Casey is writing about the Starbucks/Star Bock controversy today.
I bet Kuffner's wondering why the Comical isn't shooting big bucks HIS way -- since he commented on this story over a month ago, and linked to the Houston Press article on the same topic.
Hell, Kuff's a better writer (he uses PARAGRAPHS even), he actually writes about Houston, and I'll bet the Comical might have even gotten him cheaper than Rick Casey.
But then, that wouldn't be like our Comical, would it kids?
What a pathetic newspaper.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/14/03 15:49 | Other | Technorati | Comments (0)
Music Tonight
There's good music in town tonight in (at least) two places:
Mark David Manders at the Firehouse
and
Randy Rogers out at the Sidecar Pub
I'm feeling a bit burned out on alt-country music today, so I'm not likely to make either one.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/14/03 14:18 | Music | Technorati | Comments (0)
13 November 2003
The Ten Commandments Can Stay In The Texas Capitol
I'm glad the fifth circuit ruled the way it did (shocker, I know), but there's just something about this sentence:
Thomas Van Orden, a homeless man living in Austin, had sued to have the monument removed, calling it an endorsement of Judeo-Christian beliefs by the state government.It's good to know that even in John Ashcroft's America, folks who are barely even a part of society still have standing to bring lawsuits on constitutional grounds.
Who would have thought?
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/13/03 22:58 | Texas | Technorati | Comments (0)
Bye Bye Orlando?
Tim Fleck throws out this rumor:
Hard to say if that's wishful thinking or not, but things sure do seem spooky-quiet right now.As we went to press some big-bucks Sanchez supporters were reportedly chewing over the idea that their candidate might be better off dropping out of the runoff in a unity gesture. If that happened, Orlando would in defeat have made Houston political history.
I'm not sure quitting preserves Sanchez's political viability any more than losing, given his status as frontrunner going into this thing. Texans don't much like quitters or two-time losers. My thought is, he'd better go full speed ahead and hope for the best.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/13/03 15:38 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
12 November 2003
The Jayhawks, Thursday, Continental Club, Be There
Thursday night, we Houstonians are going to get a real treat: The Jayhawks are playing the Continental Club, in support of their fine CD Rainy Day Music.
If you rely on the online music section of the local alternative corporate newsweekly, however, you'll find no mention of this upcoming show from a band that's influenced a whole bunch of artists in the genre known as alt-country. It seems they were too busy this week writing about Michael Jackson and Cheap Trick.
*** sarcasm alert ***
You know, those really alternative artists.
Fortunately, their Dallas corporate sister publication did see fit to run a feature on the band (who are playing the Gypsy Tea Room in Dallas on Saturday, in case you're interested Scott and Cindy).
I hate Thursday night shows, but I think this one will be worth it.
(Update) Or not. Much too packed for my taste, and since I have to be up at 6 a.m., this show suffered an early abortion.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/12/03 22:00 | Music | Technorati | Comments (12)
A Sports Page Shuffle At The Comical?
Regular readers of this space know that I've ragged on the Comical's sports columnists for... well, about as long as I've had this spot in cyberspace.
While DFW has great sports columnists spread across two papers (and even San Antonio has a good writer or two), the largest city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the country can't even come up with one decent sportswriter.
So I'm hopeful that Rich Connelly is on to something here:
The Houston Chronicle's team of sports columnists has remained pretty stable since the firing of Ed Fowler six years ago. Then again, the lineup of My Wife and Kids hasn't changed much either lately, but that doesn't mean it's a good product.Something needs to be done, although I would advise them not to bother if the best they can do is repeat the Rick Casey effort. He's been a singularly unimpressive addition to the metro pages (and since he effectively replaced Thom Marshall, that's really saying something).The Chron's group -- Fran Blinebury, Dale Robertson and John P. Lopez -- comprises about as tepidly predictable a bunch as any Top 20 newspaper in the country fields. (The fourth guy, Mickey Herskowitz -- the Leon Hale of the sports section -- is in a love-him-or-hate-him niche of his own, specializing in nostalgia.)
Rumors are flying at 801 Texas that the roster may be headed for a shake-up. Some say respected baseball beat writer Richard Justice will get a slot; others are speculating on an outsider being brought in, much as San Antonio's Rick Casey shoved Thom Marshall off the Metro front. (A move that brought with it a large increase in the number of times the words "San Antonio" appear on that page.)
Which columnist(s) won't survive? No one's sure.
But if the paper's sports columnists suddenly appear to be energized and putting out their best efforts, there may be an underlying reason why.
By the way, Houston Press, when are you gonna get around to putting Connelly to work fulltime blogging? Or give him back a regular column? Or something altish at least (to the extent corporate alt-newsweeklies are alternative at all these days)?
Too little Connelly is making the Houston Press way too dull.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/12/03 21:28 | Houston | Technorati | Comments (0)
Mark Clayton
Oklahoma State's Rashaun Woods and UT's Roy Williams are going to be really high picks in the next NFL draft, and should be playing on Sunday for a long time to come.
But the Daily Oklahoman's Mike Strain today points out that the best receiver in the Big 12 this year is neither of those likely first round draft picks:
With 104.7 receiving yards per game, [OU's Mark] Clayton ranks sixth nationally and No. 1 in the Big 12. His name is mentioned with Pittsburgh’s Larry Fitzgerald as one of America’s best receivers.I don't think that's true. I rarely see his name mentioned. I think he'll be lucky to make All Big 12 First Team, let alone All-American. Even in this area, he's rarely mentioned by the media, because they can't get over their Williams fixation (or, if they can, they can't then get over their Woods fixation). Take the Comical's Jerome Solomon as an example. I'm not taking anything away from Woods or Williams, as should be clear from my statements above regarding the NFL draft -- but they've disappeared in games this year, for whatever reason.
Aside from starting slow (as OU was trying to figure out what it had on offense), Clayton has put up numbers all season. And it's largely gone unnoticed.
(Update) In fairness, this latest Jerome Solomon column is pretty good. I think he must have read about Clayton in the Oklahoman though.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/12/03 21:18 | Big 12 Football | Technorati | Comments (1)
Belkin: Hijacking Your Packets For Fun And Profit
In the "what the hell were they thinking" category, Belkin has now decided that the advertising/redirection "feature" they built into their routers was not such a good idea:
Belkin, the consumer networking and connectivity firm, has promised customers a firmware upgrade to disable a controversial 'spamming' feature built into its routers.Isn't that generous of them?As first reported on The Reg last week, the feature hijacks random HTTP requests every eight hours and redirects users to a page advertising Belkin's parental control software. There is an opt-out link but that failed to appease Net users who accused Belkin of creating a new mechanism for spam.
In response the negative user feedback, Belkin is to give users the option of disabling the feature.
Unbelievable.
I think I'll be avoiding Belkin's products in the future.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/12/03 20:54 | Web Stuff | Technorati | Comments (0)
Bad Mondays
This bit of amusement came out of today's press conference with Bill Parcells:
When Parcells arrived in Dallas, his secretary received unsolicited calls from each of his former secretaries to offer some advice. They told her not to talk to Parcells on Mondays. Win or lose on Sunday, Monday is always a bad day.Mondays suck, but man -- dude is hardcore.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/12/03 20:47 | Dalla