Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week VII

Football, Gaming, ,

When on the telecast of Syracuse at Vegas I heard the unique if not so dulcet voice of my favorite college football analyst Petros Papadakis, I took it as a harbinger of another boffo prediction weekend ahead.

The Orange prevailed Friday evening. As did the Aggies and Cornhuskers and still undefeated Hoosiers on Saturday as was foretold in this space last week in advance of the games.

Which means that Louisville’s disturbing L to SMU in the L&N was my only miscue.

As for the Cardinals, I just don’t like the sound of Head Coach saying five games into the season with the hard part of the schedule yet ahead that U of L needs to change some things. It is never a good sign when culture and systemic changes are necessary in October.

Here’s a start, beat the Hoos on Saturday.

Anyhow, 4-1 for the weekend, lifts me to 30-10 for the year.

Which if my arithmetic is correct is 75% correct.

That works.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week VII →

Seedy K’s Pigskin Palaver: 10/07

Football

No matter how much you pay attention to something or another, no matter how absurdly obsessive, no matter how much you note to yourself not to forget, you always miss something.

I’ve been a rock & roller since it began. Starting in the 50s, through the 60s, through the era many of us know as “back in the day,” and beyond. There was a time when I went to every rock & roll show. Literally. Just about.

And spent way more time than any normal human being cruising the bins at record stores. Vine and Variety early on. Karma, ear X-tacy.

You see the photo.

Even with all that, there were groups I missed. Or, for often the strangest of reasons, ignored. In that category, Moby Grape comes to mind. In their case, I was just turned off by the Bay Area band’s name.

Silly me. Thanks to Little Steven’s Underground Garage on Sirius XM, I’ve “discovered” them. So too, Rhinoceros. There were just bands I never got to, even if I meant to.

More germane to the pigskin task at hand — Yes, I’m getting there, stick around — is what happened one year at JazzFest. Where I’ll print out the schedule, plan my day among the acts on the dozen stages. At dinner on this one night, my krewe and I were playing musical oneupsmanship, telling each other what we missed when we happened to be at a different stage.

During which smackdown, I looked at my plan for that day and was forced to own, “Oh my, I blew off Ray Charles.” (Fortunately I heard him several times live, starting in the early 60s.) Continue reading Seedy K’s Pigskin Palaver: 10/07 →

U of L CardFile: Southern Methodist

Football,

Given there’s no doubt where many of my almost 100% Cardinal-loving readership will go in the Comments section, let’s just start there and get it over with.

In real time, I heard from several fans how Louisville was screwed by the refs late.

Once, when Kevn Jennings scrambled for an important 1st Down late, and he appeared to have nonchalanted his way out of bounds, a yard or less short.

Don’t even think it was reviewed. Though it may have been. (I was somewhat distracted after the 6:56 mark of the 2d, when it was first pitch of my Tigers’ game against Cleveland. Even though the Guardians had 5 in the bottom of 1st before recording an out, I kept watching out of the corner of my eye. What are laptops for, right?)

Anyway, back to the game at hand, I agree with the naysayers. To my eyes, Jennings appeared short. An important situation.

Then, of course the fumble. Forced by Cardinal Stanquan Clark, recovered at the five yard line or so by Corey Thornton.

Called a turnover and change of possession on the field.

After the review, it was overturned, giving the Mustangs a 1st Down at U of L’s 13. After a legitimately whistled Card PI in the endzone, SMU tallied the go head/ eventual winner from close in.

But there was 6:39 left, as it is said, “plenty of time.” Continue reading U of L CardFile: Southern Methodist →

Seedy K’s Pigskin Palaver: 10/03

Uncategorized

Who’s actually smiling at all the potential rejiggering of college football, more realignment, power grabs we’re hearing about?

I’ll tell ya.

The not so subtly named movie character Gordon Gekko. (Oliver Stone was never very finespun, when a thick needle and ten pound hammer would work.)

Recall Gekko was the financially avaricious dude with the motto, “Greed is good.”

So, yeah, there’s the Big Two, need I say their names? OK, SEC and Big Eighteen, who are apparently meeting to set a course where they can totally dominate the sport in the future. As if they don”t already.

Scheduling. Other stuff.

Including apparently their contractual ability to ensure they each get a minimum of four teams into the CFP under the next ideation of the post season. Whether they have that many worthy schools or not.

Has this sport’s superstructure gotten out of balance or what?

Truth: Those two conferences could pull it off.

Unlike the cockamamie proposal presented by some confederation called College Sports Tomorrow. Whose business leaders, entrepreneurs, interlopers and a few real college people could care less about anything other than pigskin. By their own admission.

Their initial suggestion is the top 72 powers broken up into 12 six team geographically  sensible divisions. The Power 12. The other CFP schools would be in Group 8. With a chance for prmotion upwards. Continue reading Seedy K’s Pigskin Palaver: 10/03 →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week VI

Football, Gaming,

Edited 10/03, 6:27 pm.

In retrospect, I haven’t the slightest idea why, for the first time ever, I weighed in on eight games?

Senior moment, I suppose.

Don’t expect it to happen again. Too much work, too much aforethought.

As a diehard, I keep wondering about U of L’s loss in South Bend. Chatting with a pal the other day, I used the word “disheartening” to describe my sense of the Cardinals’ meltdown. The more I think about however, the word that now comes to mind is “disturbing.”

It seems like the performance might be an indicator of some systemic flaws, rather than simply a bad afternoon by players and coaches. Sure hope not. We’ll find out soon enough. The schedule from here on out is significantly more difficult than how it began.

Anyway, I picked the Cards even though I didn’t really believe in it. Rarely, very rarely pick against Louisville. A karma thing. When they lose I take the licking and keep on ticking.

I of course have no great love for the UK Wildcats. Actually little if any love at all. But I truly dislike Lane Kiffin, who coaches Ole Miss. What seemed obvious is the Rebels ain’t so hotty toddy. And, my feelings about UK notwithstanding, I’ve developed an appreciation for Mark Stoops. Because he’s just an unassuming grinder. So I honestly wasn’t so sad that they didn’t celebrate so much in the Grove postgame.

Other than that I missed that one also.

The other six predictions? Bullseyes all. Hold your applause.

Thank you, SMU, Duke, Rutgers, Penn State, Alabama and Indiana.

6-2 for the weekend, 26-9 for the campaign. Glossy.

This week’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week VI →

Side Trip: Detroit Tigers in the Playoffs

Baseball

A little diversion today.

Taking a little side trip.

Feel free to come along. Jump in the back, remember to fasten your seat belt.

May not be as fun a diversion as, oh, stopping at the Weekie Watchie Alligator Farm. Or a spinoff to Buc-ees for a brisket on bun, one of those killer iced cinnamon buns, and a logo mini surboard for the grandkid.

But I’m looking forward to it.

Venturing into the world of post-season baseball. Because (for context) . . .

. . . my maternal grandfather owned a fruit/ vegetable stand outside the clubhouse entrance at Navin Field l/k/a Briggs Stadium l/k/a Tiger Stadium. The home of my faves, the Detroit Tigers. He knew a lot of the stars that came through.

My dad loved baseball.

Among the moments I cherish most from my youth are playing pitch and catch with him after dinner in the yard of our apartment building. I still drive by there, and many times just stop and soak in the memories.

Such was his affection, when they started a little league (small caps, was never Williamsport “official”) at the JCC, dad became Commissioner. Which some of my long time pals continued to call him until he passed away.

My first MLB game was at Briggs Stadium for the home opener of the 1956 season, the year after Al Kaline became the youngest winner of an AL batting crown. My Aunt Martha took my cousin Eddie and me. On a gloriously gray and drippy and chilly April afternoon, we sat in deep center field seats. Continue reading Side Trip: Detroit Tigers in the Playoffs →

U of L CardFile: Notre Dame

Football,

That the National Broadcasting Company used the name Peacock for its foray into the expanding world of streaming is no surprise.

Way back when color television was new and fascinating and groundbreaking, the PR folks at Rockefeller Plaza chose a peacock with rainbow colors to herald its programming entry into that world.

They didn’t exactly go full Roy G Biv, but close.

It was Green Day in South Bend.

Green for Irish.

31-24 Notre Dame.

No gold in that peacock’s feathers, but ND’s helmets shone as bright as that dome and all those glorious statues in the City of Lights.

That first Cardinal TD was fool’s gold. They soon fell behind, and frankly, after the first it seemed like their’s would be a futile chase the whole drizzly afternoon. Continue reading U of L CardFile: Notre Dame →

Hoopaholic’s Gazette: The Schedule

Basketball,

Contrarian that I am, I am loathe to fall in line behind the vicissitudinous Pied Piper of political correctitude.

Adhering to advice not to use naughty words when inappropriate also remains an anathema to my let the chips fall where they may devil may care attitude.

That said, on occasion there is adherence. I shall open thus with this opinionation of the University of Louisville’s 24-25 baskeball schedule.

The Year I slate of games of the Pat Kelsey Reset Era is a M****r F****r.

Games 1, 3, and 4 should be Ws. Morehead State, Bellarmine, Winthrop.

If not, it shall be deja vu all over again, and we be apprised we’re still in a heap o’ heap.

Game 2 is Top 15 Rocky Top. Albeit in the Yum! Game 5 in the Bahamas is Top 20 Indiana. Game 6 could be Top 5 Zags.

Game 8 is Top 20 Ole Miss at home.

Game 9, the Great A&P Conference opener, is Top 10 Duke. Fortunately also in the friendly confines at 2d & Main.

Then come visits to Lexington and Tallahassee.

What satanic presence planned this Trip Tik? Continue reading Hoopaholic’s Gazette: The Schedule →

Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week V

Football, Gaming, , ,

Not a lot of shtick to share about last weekend.

It happens.

Went 4-2 but it felt less than good.

Southern Cal looked still pretty OK still on both sides of the ball, but Michigan under new coach Sherrone Moore proved more capable than it previously had. Stanford came up big in the Carrier Dome, as Syracuse fell back to the norm a bit. Could have used the Dome Ranger going long.

So I got those wrong.

Florida State finally won one. IU, UK and U of L also prevailed.

Like I said, 4-2 for the weekend, 20-7 on the campaign.

This weekend’s winners: Continue reading Seedy K’s Peerless Pigskin Prognostications: Week V →

Seedy K’s Pigskin Palaver: 09/23

Football

Regular readers here know your OCD scribe is a tried and true bronconagurskian.

We (Royal) pray at the altar of that former pigskin great. At least until his image is replaced in my prayer corner with James Naismith’s. But, hey, the calendar’s just turned autumnal, humiditure notwithstanding,  so I’m still locked in on all matters gridiron.

Speaking of said deity — Mr. Nagurski —  did you know he threw a TD pass in what is generally regarded as the progenitor of the NFL’s first title game. That said score came in the hands of the Galloping Ghost? (Another deity for sure, with a top shelf nickname.) And that said score came in a game played indoors on a shortened, narrowed field because of a massive snow storm?

Well, frankly, neither did yours truly.

Until I read of same in what is a must read for anybody with even the slightest obsession with football.

Sportswriter emeritus Joe Posnanski’s just released “Why We Love Football: A History in 100 Moments.”

Posnanski is surely my current favorite national sports scribe. He’s got a blog on Substack. Which is mainly baseball, truth be told, but he loves football and interestingly tennis.

He’s a great writer. A marvelous storyteller. An incisive investigator. A teller who fills context with fantastic peripheral stories. Continue reading Seedy K’s Pigskin Palaver: 09/23 →