Editor's Note: Soggyblogger is fighting a minor health problem
and a major addiction. Certainly that is justification for his laziness
and lack of production for this blog. The best he seems to be capable
of is passing along some of his posts on forums where actual humans
exist. The following post was first posted on the Seattle Times Husky
Basketball Forum.
Will WSU make the NIT? That might be wishful thinking.
This is a troll's thread, but this forum needs more trolls not less.
I can't figure out why this forum is so blah. There isn't all that
much activity here, and so maybe the P-I forum is dominating
the scene the way the P-I Seahawks forum dominates. Why is
that? Maybe the P-I's forum has a friendlier interface. I've been
banned there. It happened during my registration process before
I was ever allowed to post a single time. So I don't have the choice.
Self-censorship may be part of the problem with this forum. I read
the rules, and depending on how they are enforced, they can act
with a dampening affect on the conversations here. There is a no
personal attacks rule which might sound nice, and agrees with my
personal philosophy, but to actually make it a RULE causes me to
be more careful in what I write. And I don't know what the penalties
are nor what the definition of an attack is. I have limited myself to
calling people pessimists or chicken little, and so far so good, I have
not been banned yet. Should I escalate? Feel out the edges of
permissible language? It's not that I have a list of people I want to
unload on - it's that there seems to be no real conflict here. People
seem afraid to disagree too strongly.
I hate censorship of any kind. No, that is not correct. I do appreciate
some very compassionate moderation. Deleting posts given to
pointless vulgarity and the like, or removing a poster when after
repeated warnings that poster persists in obstructive behavior or beyond
the pale attacks on people.
My opinion has changed with regards to conflict on forums. I used to
really hate it, but I am much more tolerant of almost any behavior on
forums today. Some forums I participate on are Google forums without
rules or moderators to speak of. The totally childish and rude behavior
I just ignore. It is actually quite easy. All it requires is a fraction of a second
to scroll past it. Some are hugely offended by vulgar posts and then get
emotionally involved and expose their own childish behavior. In the end,
on an uncensored forum, a much clearer picture emerges of each personality.
Lots of mistakes are made. Posters learn along the way. They grow as
people, and learn something about themselves usually. And so do the rest
of us. It's not all good, but it is rarely dull. And a community develops. A
weird sort of community compared to pre-internet community, but in many
ways it can be enriching, IMO.
I follow the P-I Seahawks forum because it is one of the most interesting,
well written, football savvy group I have found. That I cannot post there may
have been to my advantage in some ways. By now I might have exposed
my ignorance of football and been called on it. I cannot say what the differences
in the rules between the two sites, but threads can get quite heated and not
much censoring seems to go on.
What I have learned so far about the censorship policy here at the Seattle Times
Husky Forum is that some posts get deleted without the author getting banned.
That is a hopeful sign, but what it takes to get banned is of interest to me. And is
there any appeal? Does one get banned for life or is there a time limit on banning?
I know in some cases being banned just means the need to create a new ID, but
so far I cannot figure out how to get a new ID for the P-I forum. Their server seems
to recognize me and wherever I go on that site I am reminded that "my account
has been banned."
There are not any actual humans involved in the P-I.com site so far as I can tell.
They do have telephone numbers to call, but every time I have called I end up with
voice mail, and have never had a call back. I have never gotten an answer to an
email, either. Unless one counts robo emails. So far as I can tell everything about
the P-I.com EXCEPT FOR THE FORUMS are robotically created. If there are five
people actually employed there I would be surprised.
Sorry for changing the topic here and going on so long, but I needed to vent.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Friday, February 25, 2011
Re-Post....UW Basketball
Good posts all. I agree with what you said about Romar, chabby,
and would add that the list of talents a bb coach needs is much too
long for any coach to excel at everything....though maybe that was
Wooden's reason for such success. Players come and go, but the
coach is really the key ingredient in any program. I like Romar. I have almost no complaints. I do wish he would improve FASTER than his peers because that is what this is really about. Adapting, learning, changing, and rearranging priorities in a lot of different areas.
and would add that the list of talents a bb coach needs is much too
long for any coach to excel at everything....though maybe that was
Wooden's reason for such success. Players come and go, but the
coach is really the key ingredient in any program. I like Romar. I have almost no complaints. I do wish he would improve FASTER than his peers because that is what this is really about. Adapting, learning, changing, and rearranging priorities in a lot of different areas.
The area which is hardest to measure is the people skills. Working with the players and relating to each of them as individuals to get the most out of everyone. Choosing assistant coaches, and then teaching them, and motivating them, and when necessary firing them. I have no knowledge at all regarding the assistant coaches, but if they were really great they would be making Romar appear better than he would otherwise. A great coach might have even greater assistant coaches working for him. Yes, they will leave and that is the testament to a coach outside of winning games. How well his assistants fare when they leave. So he needs to replace them, and how well he does that could cover up a lot of his own deficiencies.
What we are learning this year, IMO, is that the coaching staff needs to improve in many areas. If we take as a given that the Huskies have the most player talent in the conference, then we can grade the coaches high in recruiting and development of players' skills, but we might need to downgrade the game day coaching skills, the motivational skills, or even the game preparation skills of the coaches. My guess is that following the rules 100% has cost us some of the blue chip prospects. That's too bad, but I don't fault the coaches for that. Corruption exists in all endeavors and avoiding it is a choice that pays off in the long term.
Teaching maturity to young adults from various walks of life is possibly the most important skill a coach can be born with, develop over time, or recruit in assistant coaches. Few people really have this skill. Overall, all Romar teams seem to buy into his program and develop maturity as well as most programs. That could just be the result of a recruiting focus on maturity.
Mental focus is the most important attribute in any competitive endeavor. It is easier to focus when playing at home. IMO, that far outweighs the supposed assist teams get from the refs at home.
The mental state of a team is a moving object, and harder to predict than the stock market, but I get a good feeling about the direction our team is going. Taking an optimistic perspective, I like to think our early losses to good teams will give us the experience to finally turn the corner to toughness. Those losses were due to nervousness and lack of confidence. The middle season losses were due to a lot of issues. Arrogance, laziness, and consequently lack of focus.
We learned humility from those losses. From the recent loss at Arizona, I hope we learned the need to play all 40 minutes with intensity.
Unfortunately, it's a lot like Whack-A-Mole, what the next problem to pop up willbe is anyone's guess. That is another coaching job. Most coaches wilt under the pressure or die of stress related illnesses. My hats off to all of them that excel.
What we are learning this year, IMO, is that the coaching staff needs to improve in many areas. If we take as a given that the Huskies have the most player talent in the conference, then we can grade the coaches high in recruiting and development of players' skills, but we might need to downgrade the game day coaching skills, the motivational skills, or even the game preparation skills of the coaches. My guess is that following the rules 100% has cost us some of the blue chip prospects. That's too bad, but I don't fault the coaches for that. Corruption exists in all endeavors and avoiding it is a choice that pays off in the long term.
Teaching maturity to young adults from various walks of life is possibly the most important skill a coach can be born with, develop over time, or recruit in assistant coaches. Few people really have this skill. Overall, all Romar teams seem to buy into his program and develop maturity as well as most programs. That could just be the result of a recruiting focus on maturity.
Mental focus is the most important attribute in any competitive endeavor. It is easier to focus when playing at home. IMO, that far outweighs the supposed assist teams get from the refs at home.
The mental state of a team is a moving object, and harder to predict than the stock market, but I get a good feeling about the direction our team is going. Taking an optimistic perspective, I like to think our early losses to good teams will give us the experience to finally turn the corner to toughness. Those losses were due to nervousness and lack of confidence. The middle season losses were due to a lot of issues. Arrogance, laziness, and consequently lack of focus.
We learned humility from those losses. From the recent loss at Arizona, I hope we learned the need to play all 40 minutes with intensity.
Unfortunately, it's a lot like Whack-A-Mole, what the next problem to pop up willbe is anyone's guess. That is another coaching job. Most coaches wilt under the pressure or die of stress related illnesses. My hats off to all of them that excel.
Soggyblogger
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Fashion Police or The Emporer Has No Clothes Revisited
The Seattle Times Sports Page, on Feb. 21, 2011, had a photo of Ichiro whatshisname the Japanese baseball player who plays right field for the Seattle Mariners. In that photo, Ichiro is wearing a plaid suit, itself a fashion felony, but in addition to the plaid suit, he wore a bow tie which is merely a misdemeanor, but the bow tie was also plaid and from what I could tell, was not a matching plaid to his suit. Wow.
If fashion police had the authority to actually imprison offenders, Ichiro would get life. Or maybe even a death sentence. Yet, to my knowledge no one has remarked on Ichiro's attire. Much like the emperor who wore no clothes, everyone seems afraid to point out Ichiro's fashion failures. The photo accompanied a story about an interview of two hours which Ichiro gave to some Japanese media outlet for the Japanese public who adore Ichiro slightly less ardently than Baptists adore Christ.
My exposure to Japanese culture is limited to a six hour wait on a plane sitting on the tarmac of Tokyo's International airport waiting for a Hurricane to pass by. Which is to say, none. And yet....anytime anything Japanese is mentioned on TV regarding some Japanese cultural characteristic, my wife is quick to point out the Japanese learned that from the Chinese. Like seaweed wrapped rice. Or their clothes. Or their music. Or their written language. Or anything at all. If the Japanese know anything at all they learned it from the Chinese.
According to my wife, without the Chinese, the Japanese would still be monkey's swinging in trees. Therefore, Ichiro, in wearing plaid on plaid, must have learned his fashion sense from the Chinese as well. Given this assumption, one would expect to see a fair amount of plaid on plaid fashion choices being demonstrated in China, and I am here to assure my readers that such is the case.
Walking the streets of Shenzhen (pop. 15 million.....uh, make that 16 and read quickly or 16 will also be an obsolete count on the pop.) one is more likely to see major felonies of the fashion kind then in any other place on earth I have visited.
I am not known for my fashion sense. In high school I took a liking to a flannel pajama top and wore it to school more days then not. Various decades have come and gone with my signature attire a flourescent red watch cap, or a purple polar fleece sweatshirt scarred from grinding metal and stained with copper bottom paint. This last item has been casually identified by more than one former owner as I walk down the street of Craig, Alaska - since I acquired this item from the local thrift store. I have almost no shame when it comes to fashion, and so it is out of character for me to throw stones at Ichiro.
The trouble is that no one else has said a single word about Ichiro's odd attire. Putting the onus on me, and my lonely blog. After all, Ichiro is not a farm worker recently arrived to the big city as most of the fashion criminals from China can claim. Nor is he a fisherman, like me - which allows for any clothes which suit the purpose and fashion be damned. No. He is a very rich baseball player who probably paid big bucks for his plaid suit.
Ichiro, I implore you, spend a little of your money on a magazine article about men's fashions. Something along the lines of "10 Do's and Don'ts for Men's Fashions." Or, "A Guide to Men's Fashions for the Idiot".
Soggyblogger
If fashion police had the authority to actually imprison offenders, Ichiro would get life. Or maybe even a death sentence. Yet, to my knowledge no one has remarked on Ichiro's attire. Much like the emperor who wore no clothes, everyone seems afraid to point out Ichiro's fashion failures. The photo accompanied a story about an interview of two hours which Ichiro gave to some Japanese media outlet for the Japanese public who adore Ichiro slightly less ardently than Baptists adore Christ.
My exposure to Japanese culture is limited to a six hour wait on a plane sitting on the tarmac of Tokyo's International airport waiting for a Hurricane to pass by. Which is to say, none. And yet....anytime anything Japanese is mentioned on TV regarding some Japanese cultural characteristic, my wife is quick to point out the Japanese learned that from the Chinese. Like seaweed wrapped rice. Or their clothes. Or their music. Or their written language. Or anything at all. If the Japanese know anything at all they learned it from the Chinese.
According to my wife, without the Chinese, the Japanese would still be monkey's swinging in trees. Therefore, Ichiro, in wearing plaid on plaid, must have learned his fashion sense from the Chinese as well. Given this assumption, one would expect to see a fair amount of plaid on plaid fashion choices being demonstrated in China, and I am here to assure my readers that such is the case.
Walking the streets of Shenzhen (pop. 15 million.....uh, make that 16 and read quickly or 16 will also be an obsolete count on the pop.) one is more likely to see major felonies of the fashion kind then in any other place on earth I have visited.
I am not known for my fashion sense. In high school I took a liking to a flannel pajama top and wore it to school more days then not. Various decades have come and gone with my signature attire a flourescent red watch cap, or a purple polar fleece sweatshirt scarred from grinding metal and stained with copper bottom paint. This last item has been casually identified by more than one former owner as I walk down the street of Craig, Alaska - since I acquired this item from the local thrift store. I have almost no shame when it comes to fashion, and so it is out of character for me to throw stones at Ichiro.
The trouble is that no one else has said a single word about Ichiro's odd attire. Putting the onus on me, and my lonely blog. After all, Ichiro is not a farm worker recently arrived to the big city as most of the fashion criminals from China can claim. Nor is he a fisherman, like me - which allows for any clothes which suit the purpose and fashion be damned. No. He is a very rich baseball player who probably paid big bucks for his plaid suit.
Ichiro, I implore you, spend a little of your money on a magazine article about men's fashions. Something along the lines of "10 Do's and Don'ts for Men's Fashions." Or, "A Guide to Men's Fashions for the Idiot".
Soggyblogger
Friday, February 18, 2011
Blog On Sick Leave
For all my faithful readers, I apologize for my absence. Along with a case of writer's block has come a variety of minor aches and pains which have reduced my production down to bare survival levels. Consider this piece as a gulp of air only.
If I ever recover from my various ailments I will go fishing which will add to my absence.
I am also going through nicotine withdrawal. If I come out the other end I hope to be breathing easier. Three days smoke free and I already feel better. Plus I am making money just breathing. Cool.
Soggyblogger
If I ever recover from my various ailments I will go fishing which will add to my absence.
I am also going through nicotine withdrawal. If I come out the other end I hope to be breathing easier. Three days smoke free and I already feel better. Plus I am making money just breathing. Cool.
Soggyblogger
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
HOMICIDE
Like all Americans, I have watched my share of TV dramas where homicide is the central theme. I have also read more than a few novels and even non-fiction books with the same theme. I believe I am typical as I read from the NY Times best seller list more often than not.
Without doing any research at all, after all this IS a blog, I believe we can all agree that homicide is probably the most common plot thickener of all time. And that goes way back. A quick memory search comes up with Cain and Abel. Then there is Romulus and Remus or something like that. Shakespeare used murder in more than one of his dramas. And the trend continues and gains momentum by the decade in spite of a rising voice of concern from parents about violence on TV and in video games.
With all of this violence, and specifically homicide, one could easily come to the conclusion that homicide is in fact a very common occurrence when the opposite is actually true. Here is a story from Seattle P-I.com on the official homicide statistics for Seattle going back to the 1950's . Granted, many other cities have considerably higher homicide rates, yet I have to guess it is not 10 or twenty times higher which makes these figures seem rather tame compared to the impression anyone might expect to have based upon the proliferation of homicidal maniacs populating our TV's and movies.
I expect the reader has checked out that P-I story. Bringing that story to the attention of the reader was my primary purpose in writing this blog entry. Reading that story and seeing those graphs and figures clicked with other information I have read over the years about the actual numbers of serial killers in our society and a proliferation of serial killer stories told through our TV and movies. Over the course of a year I might read ten different stories about serial killers and I finally swore off of them voluntarily. No intervention or 12 step program was necessary. I'd just had enough.
Consequently, I am looking for good books to read that do not include a serial killer. I recently saw the mini-series "I, Claudius" which had numerous and various forms of homicide, and technically at least, even one serial killer. However, given it was an historical drama about my brethren, and the serial killer was not a psychopath, but killed for political purposes, I did not censor this movie from my list.
My mother loved Greek and Roman mythology, having been educated at a classics based Catholic educational institution, and I am not sure if she ever saw this production. Dad? I know she would have put down whatever book she was reading at the moment and pulled up a chair to watch this show if she had noticed it in the paper or someone had brought it to her attention as she really loved programs like this.
Anyway.....it is nice to know that homicidal maniacs are actually quite uncommon, and does not seem to increase with increased TV, news, and movies concentrating so heavily on homicide whenever it actually happens or is depicted in fictional dramas. Actually, we are quite safe. Statistically speaking.
Soggyblogger
Without doing any research at all, after all this IS a blog, I believe we can all agree that homicide is probably the most common plot thickener of all time. And that goes way back. A quick memory search comes up with Cain and Abel. Then there is Romulus and Remus or something like that. Shakespeare used murder in more than one of his dramas. And the trend continues and gains momentum by the decade in spite of a rising voice of concern from parents about violence on TV and in video games.
With all of this violence, and specifically homicide, one could easily come to the conclusion that homicide is in fact a very common occurrence when the opposite is actually true. Here is a story from Seattle P-I.com on the official homicide statistics for Seattle going back to the 1950's . Granted, many other cities have considerably higher homicide rates, yet I have to guess it is not 10 or twenty times higher which makes these figures seem rather tame compared to the impression anyone might expect to have based upon the proliferation of homicidal maniacs populating our TV's and movies.
I expect the reader has checked out that P-I story. Bringing that story to the attention of the reader was my primary purpose in writing this blog entry. Reading that story and seeing those graphs and figures clicked with other information I have read over the years about the actual numbers of serial killers in our society and a proliferation of serial killer stories told through our TV and movies. Over the course of a year I might read ten different stories about serial killers and I finally swore off of them voluntarily. No intervention or 12 step program was necessary. I'd just had enough.
Consequently, I am looking for good books to read that do not include a serial killer. I recently saw the mini-series "I, Claudius" which had numerous and various forms of homicide, and technically at least, even one serial killer. However, given it was an historical drama about my brethren, and the serial killer was not a psychopath, but killed for political purposes, I did not censor this movie from my list.
My mother loved Greek and Roman mythology, having been educated at a classics based Catholic educational institution, and I am not sure if she ever saw this production. Dad? I know she would have put down whatever book she was reading at the moment and pulled up a chair to watch this show if she had noticed it in the paper or someone had brought it to her attention as she really loved programs like this.
Anyway.....it is nice to know that homicidal maniacs are actually quite uncommon, and does not seem to increase with increased TV, news, and movies concentrating so heavily on homicide whenever it actually happens or is depicted in fictional dramas. Actually, we are quite safe. Statistically speaking.
Soggyblogger
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Husky Basketball
The below was posted on the Seattle Times Husky Basketball Forum, and a thread titled: Disgrace to the program and embarrassed to be a Husky.
The original poster was over the top, and I deleted a bunch of my own complaining about him. What was left is below, and is my response to the recent downturn in the Husky BB fortunes.
I thought Romar's explanation was perfect. This is his fault. He accepted the blame, and yet most of you want to put it on the players. Some of you think coaching is easy, and have the
simple but PERFECT answer to every problem Romar faces.
Yes, it can get frustrating watching our team dismantled by seemingly inferior players. However, if I honestly approach the problem, I cannot think of easy answers. We only have one post
player who can reliably catch the ball. The opponents have learned to remove him from the game and force us to shoot threes.
So what is the answer? Put Suggs, Wilcox, IT, Ross, and MBA in game and bombs away? That was easy. Oh, but rebounding, and defense also comes into the equation. Wilcox, Ross, and Suggs are still developing their defensive skills.
Other than IT getting sloppy, which is a mental error, I thought the team gave a good effort. The first game Duke lost, coach K was very wise. He said, our team gave a good effort, but the other
team gave a better effort. They played really well. They were coached really well. ....that was about all he said, publicly.
Motivating and teaching young athletes is no science. Romar is learning just like everyone else. He is doing fine in my book. Not great, but fine. Let him do his job, and we should do our job which
I suppose does include pretending we are coach and offering ideas. Try to keep it inspirational. Or rationale.
Here is my coaching tip: Next practice, spend half the time allowing everyone to practice their three point shooting. Maybe one on one. The defender giving varied defense from open shots to loosely defended. Maybe a drill where the team plays one minute scrimmages and then immediately goes into the three point shooting practice. Other than Suggs, the entire team is shooting bricks. They are way too tense. They have lost confidence. They need to relax!
Please relax!
Aziz needs to practice CATCHING the ball in the post. Until he learns that he cannot be part of a half court offense. MBA cannot dish off to him when triple teamed. Anyone 7 foot tall
and athletic enough to be playing at the major college level is hoping to get rich in the NBA. Aziz will never make it until he can catch the ball more reliably. Maybe he will never make it, but if he is going to he will have to dedicate himself to putting in the work.
Good luck Huskies! Please spend 20 minutes relaxing before each game. Zen or prayer, it doesn't matter. Then hype yourself up for BATTLE.
***********
Then after the game on the game thread of Percy Allen's Seattle Times Husky Basketball Forum, I wrote the following comment after the Huskies lost a close game to the University of Quack. (Oregon U.)
Soggyblogger said:
"Good effort. Well played except for the early turnover problem. OK, the rest of the country is catching up to the leaders all over the country. Everybody is stepping it up and improving their games. That's what this is all about. Why cry about it? We made progress. I think we turned a corner. Now I think they will accept that nothing is going to be handed to them. Work hard on those things which you can control. Rebounding. Good D. Take care of the ball better.
Thomas was sloppy early, but clearly took control in the second half. I think he is mentally tough and will fight through this. Ross and Suggs are growing every game. Keep rebounding and take care of the ball and I think this team will mature into a top competitor. MBA was great, but either lost his focus or tired out at the end.
It isn't that we are less than we were, but others have turned up the heat and we need to make that next step to being tough AND talented. Go Huskies."
**********
Other fans felt similar, and quite a few are filled with despair. Lots of blame. How sad. If the Huskies cannot get themselves together it is not a life changing problem for me. I will not need prozac. My goodness, it's shocking. Total despair over a college basketball team. Not good mental health.
When people's happiness is based upon a sporting event or season, they need to re-evaluate their priorities, and they are missing the best thing about being a fan of sports. Regardless of what happens, I will take pleasure in the Huskies successes and shrug my shoulders when they lose. Either they will help make me happy or I will find happiness somewhere else. Any other attitude seems self-destructive to me.
Oh, well.... [shrug]
Soggyblogger
The original poster was over the top, and I deleted a bunch of my own complaining about him. What was left is below, and is my response to the recent downturn in the Husky BB fortunes.
I thought Romar's explanation was perfect. This is his fault. He accepted the blame, and yet most of you want to put it on the players. Some of you think coaching is easy, and have the
simple but PERFECT answer to every problem Romar faces.
Yes, it can get frustrating watching our team dismantled by seemingly inferior players. However, if I honestly approach the problem, I cannot think of easy answers. We only have one post
player who can reliably catch the ball. The opponents have learned to remove him from the game and force us to shoot threes.
So what is the answer? Put Suggs, Wilcox, IT, Ross, and MBA in game and bombs away? That was easy. Oh, but rebounding, and defense also comes into the equation. Wilcox, Ross, and Suggs are still developing their defensive skills.
Other than IT getting sloppy, which is a mental error, I thought the team gave a good effort. The first game Duke lost, coach K was very wise. He said, our team gave a good effort, but the other
team gave a better effort. They played really well. They were coached really well. ....that was about all he said, publicly.
Motivating and teaching young athletes is no science. Romar is learning just like everyone else. He is doing fine in my book. Not great, but fine. Let him do his job, and we should do our job which
I suppose does include pretending we are coach and offering ideas. Try to keep it inspirational. Or rationale.
Here is my coaching tip: Next practice, spend half the time allowing everyone to practice their three point shooting. Maybe one on one. The defender giving varied defense from open shots to loosely defended. Maybe a drill where the team plays one minute scrimmages and then immediately goes into the three point shooting practice. Other than Suggs, the entire team is shooting bricks. They are way too tense. They have lost confidence. They need to relax!
Please relax!
Aziz needs to practice CATCHING the ball in the post. Until he learns that he cannot be part of a half court offense. MBA cannot dish off to him when triple teamed. Anyone 7 foot tall
and athletic enough to be playing at the major college level is hoping to get rich in the NBA. Aziz will never make it until he can catch the ball more reliably. Maybe he will never make it, but if he is going to he will have to dedicate himself to putting in the work.
Good luck Huskies! Please spend 20 minutes relaxing before each game. Zen or prayer, it doesn't matter. Then hype yourself up for BATTLE.
***********
Then after the game on the game thread of Percy Allen's Seattle Times Husky Basketball Forum, I wrote the following comment after the Huskies lost a close game to the University of Quack. (Oregon U.)
Soggyblogger said:
"Good effort. Well played except for the early turnover problem. OK, the rest of the country is catching up to the leaders all over the country. Everybody is stepping it up and improving their games. That's what this is all about. Why cry about it? We made progress. I think we turned a corner. Now I think they will accept that nothing is going to be handed to them. Work hard on those things which you can control. Rebounding. Good D. Take care of the ball better.
Thomas was sloppy early, but clearly took control in the second half. I think he is mentally tough and will fight through this. Ross and Suggs are growing every game. Keep rebounding and take care of the ball and I think this team will mature into a top competitor. MBA was great, but either lost his focus or tired out at the end.
It isn't that we are less than we were, but others have turned up the heat and we need to make that next step to being tough AND talented. Go Huskies."
**********
Other fans felt similar, and quite a few are filled with despair. Lots of blame. How sad. If the Huskies cannot get themselves together it is not a life changing problem for me. I will not need prozac. My goodness, it's shocking. Total despair over a college basketball team. Not good mental health.
When people's happiness is based upon a sporting event or season, they need to re-evaluate their priorities, and they are missing the best thing about being a fan of sports. Regardless of what happens, I will take pleasure in the Huskies successes and shrug my shoulders when they lose. Either they will help make me happy or I will find happiness somewhere else. Any other attitude seems self-destructive to me.
Oh, well.... [shrug]
Soggyblogger
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Mortal Enemies
I have spent the last week or two as a Husky Football fan following the recruiting process of high school stars. This process never ends, but each year culminates in the LOI day. Letter Of Intent signing day. Technically, athletes can sign any day after LOI day, but the first day has a carnival feel to it, and is much awaited by the growing internet fan base.
Nowadays, fans can get much more information, think about it, and write about it with other similarly interested fans and an education goes on elevating the discussion from the pre-internet sort which used to go on. I am a recently recruited internet fan. One of over 500 comments made on a thread on Husky recruiting from the Seattle Times Husky Football Blog.
Sark set up a camera panning the UW Football office's Fax machine, and over 700 people were viewing that awesome internet feed. 700 people stareing at a monitor showing an office and a fax machine! One could NOT read the faxes. So I am assuming much excitement was had when the fax machine began whirring and paper came out with fortune cookie expectations.
Twitter was being used for actual information announcements like "Kasen Williams confirmed." Other social networking sites for other schools were followed and reported on, and one such contribution got a rumor started that we were now on the list for the "Black Mamba" some guy defecting from U$C to Nike U (Zero University or Oregon U. are other aliases).
As the reader can see, this reporter has been converted from an objective observer to a homer journalist. In the past I would have said, "USC, and Oregon U...." but after reading 500 posts from the Husky faithful minus a few trolls from WSU and Oregon, I have been brainwashed into seeing both programs in a new light. Meaning, of course, as mortal enemies.
And speaking of enemies, how about that SEC conference? Wasn't I just rooting for the University of Quack against an SEC opponent for the national title?
This is a lot like fishing. While I have local opposition, competition, or enemies depending on a variety of emotional and environmental factors, but all of us locals are actually more in competition with non-locals. If the BIG SCHOOL OF KING SALMON decides to hang out up around Sitka, then those of us down around Noyes Island fight over the proverbial crumbs. I may catch more than my immediate neighbor, but the ones who are up around Sitka are catching many times more fish than any of us down around Noyes Island.
I guess the comparison is not enlightenment quality, but still I think I have made my point. I DO hate Oregon, USC, and all the rest of the football world, but I like our conference to get better together. The perception that Oregon and USC and UW are powerhouses actually helps each other recruit better athletes from out of the conference and to keep those from within from defecting.
Right now, the SEC sucks off of other parts of the country because of the perception, based upon strong evidence, that the SEC rules NCAA football. I think 8 or 9 teams from the SEC held places in the top 25 recruiting classes. Next best conference was the Pac 12 with 5 or 6. Then the ACC with 4 teams in the top 25.
Until people get tired of living in swamps filled with pollution from the industrial north, the SEC seems to have a decided edge on the rest of the world when it comes to high school talent for football. One other factor might be the education level of the west and east versus the south. I have heard professional athletes say that with what we now know about head injuries, he wouldn't want his child to play football. I suspect more and more parents with any education will be pushing their children to consider less violent sports to pursue. Tiger Woods is looking better and better all the time. Not only can you get as many women as you want playing a sport old men can play, you can make oodles of money without all of that pain. How many billionaire football players are there?
Well, that is about it for now....
Soggyblogger
Nowadays, fans can get much more information, think about it, and write about it with other similarly interested fans and an education goes on elevating the discussion from the pre-internet sort which used to go on. I am a recently recruited internet fan. One of over 500 comments made on a thread on Husky recruiting from the Seattle Times Husky Football Blog.
Sark set up a camera panning the UW Football office's Fax machine, and over 700 people were viewing that awesome internet feed. 700 people stareing at a monitor showing an office and a fax machine! One could NOT read the faxes. So I am assuming much excitement was had when the fax machine began whirring and paper came out with fortune cookie expectations.
Twitter was being used for actual information announcements like "Kasen Williams confirmed." Other social networking sites for other schools were followed and reported on, and one such contribution got a rumor started that we were now on the list for the "Black Mamba" some guy defecting from U$C to Nike U (Zero University or Oregon U. are other aliases).
As the reader can see, this reporter has been converted from an objective observer to a homer journalist. In the past I would have said, "USC, and Oregon U...." but after reading 500 posts from the Husky faithful minus a few trolls from WSU and Oregon, I have been brainwashed into seeing both programs in a new light. Meaning, of course, as mortal enemies.
And speaking of enemies, how about that SEC conference? Wasn't I just rooting for the University of Quack against an SEC opponent for the national title?
This is a lot like fishing. While I have local opposition, competition, or enemies depending on a variety of emotional and environmental factors, but all of us locals are actually more in competition with non-locals. If the BIG SCHOOL OF KING SALMON decides to hang out up around Sitka, then those of us down around Noyes Island fight over the proverbial crumbs. I may catch more than my immediate neighbor, but the ones who are up around Sitka are catching many times more fish than any of us down around Noyes Island.
I guess the comparison is not enlightenment quality, but still I think I have made my point. I DO hate Oregon, USC, and all the rest of the football world, but I like our conference to get better together. The perception that Oregon and USC and UW are powerhouses actually helps each other recruit better athletes from out of the conference and to keep those from within from defecting.
Right now, the SEC sucks off of other parts of the country because of the perception, based upon strong evidence, that the SEC rules NCAA football. I think 8 or 9 teams from the SEC held places in the top 25 recruiting classes. Next best conference was the Pac 12 with 5 or 6. Then the ACC with 4 teams in the top 25.
Until people get tired of living in swamps filled with pollution from the industrial north, the SEC seems to have a decided edge on the rest of the world when it comes to high school talent for football. One other factor might be the education level of the west and east versus the south. I have heard professional athletes say that with what we now know about head injuries, he wouldn't want his child to play football. I suspect more and more parents with any education will be pushing their children to consider less violent sports to pursue. Tiger Woods is looking better and better all the time. Not only can you get as many women as you want playing a sport old men can play, you can make oodles of money without all of that pain. How many billionaire football players are there?
Well, that is about it for now....
Soggyblogger
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Welcome Followers and Lurkers, Too
I am back. I was unable to enter my own blog! This is just a test to determine if I am truly back.
Since I have been gone, I have gained my first follower. How exciting! Too bad for all those lurkers who missed out on this hidden prize for being the first follower. My first follower is currently receiving her $600.00 per month award. Again, so sorry to all you lurkers who missed out on this fabulous award. In a previous post, I mentioned our upcoming reward program for news tips, gossip, Sloggyblogger's Investigative Journalistic Apprentice Program (SIJAP) which is waiting on a grant from the Federal Govt. We are still struggling with some of the requirements and translating the legaleze back into English. We may need to apply for a grant to supply us with a legaleze translator before we can complete our original grant request. SIJAP is just one of our proposed AWARDS PROGRAM. Check back for further updates on our exciting proposed AWARDS PROGRAM.
And don't miss out on any more hidden awards. Sign up as a follower today! Tell your friends and neighbors to sign up, too.
Today I had "frosted flakes" with half and half for breakfast. Welcome back to myself.
Soggyblogger
Since I have been gone, I have gained my first follower. How exciting! Too bad for all those lurkers who missed out on this hidden prize for being the first follower. My first follower is currently receiving her $600.00 per month award. Again, so sorry to all you lurkers who missed out on this fabulous award. In a previous post, I mentioned our upcoming reward program for news tips, gossip, Sloggyblogger's Investigative Journalistic Apprentice Program (SIJAP) which is waiting on a grant from the Federal Govt. We are still struggling with some of the requirements and translating the legaleze back into English. We may need to apply for a grant to supply us with a legaleze translator before we can complete our original grant request. SIJAP is just one of our proposed AWARDS PROGRAM. Check back for further updates on our exciting proposed AWARDS PROGRAM.
And don't miss out on any more hidden awards. Sign up as a follower today! Tell your friends and neighbors to sign up, too.
Today I had "frosted flakes" with half and half for breakfast. Welcome back to myself.
Soggyblogger
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