Marshall out of Denver?

Is it true? Are we headed to a crucial season without our greatest threat? Well friends, the answer is a bit complicated. About five or so months ago, I posted a blog regarding the firing of Mike Shanahan. I was for it and it seemed like a very good idea at the time. Today I sit in my chair believing the same principles that I did then: the Bronco's need to go in a different direction. At this time though, I believe something is not right in Denver. I don't know if it's a GM problem or a head coaching problem or what. BUT! The problem is escalating further each day and I can only hinge my season's expectations off of what I know now. McDaniels has brought in some rookie blood that has yet to be tested. He appears to be holding his water well while the team around him seems to dissapate at a rate faster than the '08 defense let passing yards go. Here's the problem: THE DRAFT IS OVER! We had an awesome pick this year and we used it on a running back who will look extra great behind our stellar o-line. The problem is, Orton does not have long term written on him and he also posseses a skill set similar to what Jake Plummer gave the Bronco's. Now I am not sure that Orton will ever give the fans a middle finger salute, however, he has played much of his career with Jake Plummer style. Remember the Arizona Cardinals before Kurt Warner? They were headed by none other than Mr. Plummer. He did horrible with them and guided the franchise to one playoff berth in his 9+ years under center. Then he was traded to Denver for very few if any draft picks. Plummer did well because a nice receiving core made his less than accurate arm seem like perfection. Once Mr. Mccafferey decided to call it a career, Plummer was exposed for what he was: a quarterback who rolled out of the pocket where he the protection was so flimsy. Remarkably, Plummer led the Bronco's to the AFC Championship game and lost to the Steelers. Flash forward a couple of years and take a look at Orton. The man was playing for a very crappy team that did well only his first season as gunslinger. He led them to the NFC Championship game, but floundered much like Grossman did two years later in the Super Bowl. Although NFC championship means quite a bit, it did little to improve Orton's stock. He squandered his next season and lost the job to Rex Grossman. Now, much like Plummer, Orton is surrounded by talent at offense. He brings little to no improvement for them, and is surely less productive than his predeccesor;Cutler.
So what do we do? Well option number one will lead us to a year of guaranteed bad play. We hope that Orton does well enough that we get the 1st round pick in 2010. Option number two would be a stab in the heart, but it would provide immediate damage control to our other wounds; FIRE MCDANIELS!
So, lest I forget, we have an offense with great talent and some good receivers in Marshall and Royal. If, and I do say this with a strong emphasis on the if, we gain control of Marshall; Orton will lead us far. The problem is, once again, we must be something that they call a team; and god only knows, we have very few of that in us.

Nascar needs some house cleaning

Oh that sweet sound of a wreck into the Talladega walls while thousands of fans clamor over the fate of the driver who slammed so quickly. This is what Nascar has spun down to and it's a crying shame to watch as ratings plummet with the sport. I used to love the races and I would sit for the four hours or so watching drivers continually make that left turn. You can say what you want, but the skill level is pretty intense. Probably comparable to a showing of the Air Force Thunderbirds aviation show. The problem is this: Nascar has lost it's zing and may never get it back. The voice of the sport, the feel good image died on a Sunday afternoon in early 2001. His name was Dale Earnhardt and he was stock car racing's image. When he did, so too did a part of Nascar. For a couple of years, his son unsuccessfully held the reigns as the image of Nascar. Jr., as they call him, never lived up to the hype his father's death dealt him. He never won a championship and only made the chase for the cup a handful of times. To be precise, I think I can count the number with my left thumb. Today, Nascar is another sport waiting to die out because of a fan base that stays in one area: the southeast. Every decent track that can produce high speeds and loads of wrecks are found somewhere near Florida.
So what are we to do about a sport that so many, or should I say, so few care about? Well, the truth is hard to hear, but we must let it die. Like the XFL, Nascar has found a hole that is almost unmanagable to get out of. Three major labels in seven years has cost the sport quite a bit. Wait, is it the telephone cup of America yet? Just checking, it's still the Sprint Cup....for now. What needs to happen is a resurgence of the sport on another level. I highly doubt that Talladega or Daytona will ever leave our minds, but to erase some pitfalls like Darlington and Louden would really help the sport. Someone needs to get this sport back to the basics and allow real competition to come in. Remember when Dick Trickle was a driver? I do, and I also remember when this sport had compassion for it's fans. Who cares if one of the drivers takes steroids? It will just be that much harder to fit their large arms into the one size window frame. Although I don't offer much of a proposal to fix Nascar's problem, I do offer the proposal that someone undermine their operation by sticking money into venue's like ARCA or similar events. Giving local racetracks face time will really do this sport a favor. Not to mention, I'll get to see a race again.

How is it not the goalies fault?

Okay, I am a little sick and tired of hearing the same old crap about goalies not being at fault for a loss. It's like saying that John Elway was not responsible for throwing the football into the endzone. Now granted, these days we have the flea flicker and many other assortments, but still, it's the goalie's job to stop pucks. When a team such as Pittsburgh has so much talent, when does it become the responsibility of the goalie to stop the puck? Let's take myself for example. I am a goalie in my night league and I have many issues with stopping the puck. Let's see...I have the whole butterfly thing to work on, not to mention my top shelf is open like a refrigerator for a fat man. Who do I blame at the end of the day for my inconsistencies? Well, I blame myself. Even last week, I had a guy (who was completely numb to playing the role of a defenseman) stand in front of me and try to stop the puck. Instead of having a left leg pad save with a nice rebound, I had a redirect through my five hole and into the back of the net. Who is at fault here? Well according to all of the retarded sports writers who give great sense to the game, the defenseman is because I was already set up for a left side shot. What is never written or spoken about is the fact that my stick was off in la-la land while I anticipated that pad save. It's my fault for not keeping my stick down and redirecting the puck to the boards. Seriously, if people would put the blame where it belongs, we might be able to find who is the problem in this game. I also realize that shit about no I in team. Well my friends, if Sidney Crosby does not score a goal, is it the goalies fault? I don't think so, it's the kids fault. So why is it that Fluery can get away with being a sub-par goalie because his defense sucks? I don't know, you tell me.

Tigers Fall Again

As if this past season was not enough, you have to deal with the fortunes of the 2009-10 season. Tiger hockey fans, eat your heart out. With no prominent acquisitions this past season and the departure of Richard Bachman and Jake Connelly, you can bet that coach Scott Owens will have his hands tied. Last season, the Colorado College faithful watched as his almost famous umbrella formation fell into opposing team breakaway's and multiple tallies on the scoreboard; none for the Tigers. I have noticed a trend that has followed with this school; marketing has gone down with performance. When the Tigers first aquired Bachman, they were preaching that they had a team environment where the fans were part of the game. Last season, they were ready to prey, ready to kill. Obviously this did not work and the Tigers lost their best assets. Keep going Owens, your not that far away from a stay at home dad.