Saturday Open Thread 1/11/2014

Posted on January 11, 2014 by Michigoose

Unlike last weekend it looks like the weather is swinging the other way (at least here in the mid-Atlantic area)–fog and rain here today and tomorrow and then warming up into the 50s early in the week. I’m guessing we have some very confused plant life out there!

Playoffs start in earnest in the NFL, and (since my Packers and the Eagles both lost last weekend) I’m reduced to hoping the Seahawks make it into the Super Bowl.

Happy weekend, all!

Filed under: Football, Open Thread, Saturday | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Saturday Open Thread–Polar Vortex Edition

Posted on January 4, 2014 by Michigoose

It’s set to be a cold, cold weekend as the NFL playoffs begin.  One news story had it thusly:

This “polar vortex,” as one meteorologist calls it, is caused by a counterclockwise-rotating pool of cold, dense air. The frigid air, piled up at the North Pole, will be pushed down to the U.S., funneling it as far south as the Gulf Coast.

Ryan Maue, of Tallahassee, Fla., a meteorologist for Weather Bell, said temperature records will likely be broken during the short yet forceful deep freeze that will begin in many places on Sunday and extend into early next week. That’s thanks to a perfect combination of the jet stream, cold surface temperatures and the polar vortex.

“All the ingredients are there for a near-record or historic cold outbreak,” he said “If you’re under 40 (years old), you’ve not seen this stuff before.”

And three of the wildcard games are being played outdoors, which will separate the men from the boys (as it were):

Philadelphia: The Eagles host the Saints with an 8:10 p.m. Eastern kickoff on Saturday, and it will be cold: The forecast calls for an overnight low of 21 degrees, with a 20 percent chance of precipitation, and wind at 5-10 mph. Those conditions should favor the Eagles, who went 4-4 at home this season, winning their final four at Lincoln Financial Field, and already proved that they can play well in bad weather when they beat the Lions at home last month, in one of the snowiest games in NFL history. The Saints have been a bad road team all season (they went 8-0 at home but just 3-5 on the road), and Drew Brees and Co. will have a tough task on their hands dealing with the elements.

Cincinnati: The Bengals host the Chargers with a 1:05 p.m. Eastern kickoff on Sunday, and although it won’t rival the Freezer Bowl when these two teams met in the playoffs 32 years ago, it will be cold: The forecast for Sunday in Cincinnati calls for a daytime high of 34 degrees and an 80 percent chance of snow. (The game will end before it turns bitterly cold and dips below zero on Sunday night in Cincinnati.) With a Southern California team coming to town, the bad weather is good news for the Bengals, who were 8-0 at home in the regular season. The Chargers, who were 4-4 on the road, may be in for an unpleasant Sunday.

Green Bay: There’s cold, and then there’s really, really cold: The Packers host the 49ers with a 3:40 p.m. Central kickoff on Sunday, and it’s going to be brutally cold. The National Weather Service has issued an advisory that warns of “An Arctic outbreak” with “near record temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills.” Temperatures at Lambeau Field could rival those of the famous 1967 Ice Bowl, when game time temperatures of 15 degrees below zero made for the coldest game in NFL history. The forecast calls for a high of 5 degrees below zero and an overnight low of 20 degrees below. The Packers, who went 4-3-1 at home this season, are more accustomed to cold temperatures than the 49ers, who went 6-2 on the road this season. But neither team is accustomed to cold like this.

I wish you all a happy and warm weekend. . . Go, Pack!

Filed under: Football, Open Thread, Weather | Tagged: | 13 Comments »

Happy New Year 2014 Open Thread

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Michigoose

I hope all of you have the very best year ever!

(I was trying to get all artsy-fartsy and add some fireworks, but for some reason my links keep breaking. . . oh, well, the thought was there!)

Filed under: 2013 and beyond, Open Thread | 8 Comments »

Saturday

Posted on December 28, 2013 by Let the mutherfuker burn!

Slap it and give it a name.

Filed under: Open Thread | 6 Comments »

First Post of the Day

Posted on December 25, 2013 by ScottC

Merry Christmas, McWing. And everyone else, of course.

Filed under: Open Thread | 6 Comments »

Monday!

Posted on December 23, 2013 by Let the mutherfuker burn!

Wide open baby!

Filed under: Open Thread | 4 Comments »

SATURDAY/WEEKEND OPEN THREAD

Posted on December 21, 2013 by Let the mutherfuker burn!

It’s how I roll.

I added the “weekend” to the title. Deal with it h8rs!

Filed under: Open Thread | 24 Comments »

Saturday Football Open Thread (Wrap-up and Bowl Preview)

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Michigoose

The annual Army-Navy game, played in Philadelphia, is the only game on the schedule for today (line: Navy, spread: 10)(3:00 pm EST/CBS). Since I don’t think any of us have a dog in this hunt, I hope it’s simply a great game. The weather will be problematic, with the forecast being for rain/snow at kickoff turning to snow around the end of the first quarter or so. Bundle up!  UPDATE: Navy wins 34 – 7.  

Bowl games start next Saturday; here is the complete bowl lineup:

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Gildan New Mexico Bowl: Washington State (6 – 6) vs Colorado State (7 – 6).  ESPN/2:00 EST

Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl: Fresno State (11 – 1) vs USC ( 9 – 4).  ABC/3:30 EST

Famous Idaho Potato Bowl: Buffalo (8 – 4) vs San Diego State (7 – 5).  ESPN/5:30 EST

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl: Tulane (7 -5) vs LA-Lafayette (8 – 4).  ESPN/9:00 EST

Christmas week

Monday, 12/23: Beef ‘o’ Brady’s Bowl, East Carolina (9 – 3) vs Ohio (7 – 5). ESPN/2:00 EST

Tuesday, 12/24: Sheraton Hawai’i Bowl, Boise State (8 – 4) vs Oregon State (6 – 6). ESPN/8:00.  Wear sunglasses–the combination of those two uniforms is likely to be blinding!

Thursday, 12/26: Little Caesar’s Bowl, Pitt (6 – 6) vs Bowling Green (10 – 2). ESPN/6:00 EST.

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, Utah State (8 – 5) vs Northern Illinois (12 – 1). ESPN/9:30 EST.

Friday, 12/27: Military Bowl Presented by Northrup Grumman, Marshall (9 – 4) vs Maryland (7 – 5).  ESPN/2:30 EST.  Another game that may require sunglasses.

Texas Bowl, Syracuse (6 – 6) vs Minnesota (8 – 4).  ESPN/6:00 EST.  May the best ATiM team win! (I notice Texas doesn’t need any stinkin’ help hosting a bowl game)

Fight Hunger Bowl, BYU (8 – 4) vs Washington (8 – 4).  ESPN/9:30 EST.

Saturday, 12/28: New Era Pinstripe Bowl, Rutgers (6 – 6) vs Notre Dame (8 – 4). ESPN/12:00 noon EST.

Belk Bowl, Cincinnatti (9 – 3) vs North Carolina (6 – 6).  ESPN/3:20 EST.  Am I the only one who knows what “Belk” is, or are they outside North Carolina as well as inside?

Russell Athletic Bowl, Miami (FL) (9 – 3) vs Louisville (11 – 1).  ESPN/6:45 EST.

Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl, Michigan (7 – 5) vs Kansas State (7 – 5).  ESPN/10:15 EST.

New Years Week

Monday, 12/30: Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl, Middle Tennessee (8 – 4) vs Navy (?7 – 4?).  ESPN/11:43 EST.

Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl, Ole Miss (7 – 5) vs Georgia Tech (7 – 5). ESPN/3:15 EST.

Valero Alamo Bowl, Oregon (10 – 2) vs Texas (8 – 4). ESPN/6:45 EST.

National University Holiday Bowl, Arizona State (10 – 3) vs Texas Tech (7 – 5). ESPN/10:15 EST.

Tuesday, 12/31: AdvoCare V100 Bowl, Arizona (7 – 5) vs Boston College (7 – 5).  ESPN/12:30 EST.  Scott and “Carl” get to fight it out!  May the best ATiM team win.

Hyundai Sun Bowl, Virginia Tech (8 – 4) vs UCLA (9 – 3).  CBS/2:00 EST.

AutoZone Liberty Bowl, Rice (10 – 3) vs Mississippi State (6 – 6).  ESPN/4:00 EST.

Chik-fil-A Bowl, Duke (10 – 3) vs Texas A&M (8 – 4).  ESPN/8:00 EST.

Wednesday, 1/1:  Happy New Year!

Taxslayer.com Gator Bowl, Nebraska (8 – 4) vs Georgia (8 – 4).  ESPN2/12:00 EST.

Heart of Dallas Bowl Presented by Plainscapital Bank, UNLV (7 – 5) vs North Texas (8 – 4).  ESPNU/12:00 EST.

Outback Bowl, Iowa (8 – 4) vs LSU (9 – 3).  ESPN/1:00 EST.

Capitol One Bowl, Wisconsin (9 – 3) vs South Carolina (10 – 2).  ABC/1:00 EST.

Rose Bowl Game Presented by Vizio, Stanford (11 – 2) vs MSU (12 – 1).  ESPN/5:00 EST.

Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, UCF (11 – 1) vs Baylor (11 – 1).  ESPN/8:30 EST.

Thursday, 1/2: Allstate Sugar Bowl, Oklahoma (10 – 2) vs Alabama (11 – 1).  ESPN/8:30 EST.

Friday, 1/3: AT&T Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma State (10 – 2) vs Missouri (11 – 2).  FOX/7:30 EST.

Discover Orange Bowl, Clemson (10 – 2) vs osu (12 – 1).  ESPN/8:30 EST.

Saturday, 1/4: BBVA Compass Bowl, Vanderbilt (8 – 4) vs Houston (8 – 4).  ESPN/1:00 EST.

Sunday, 1/5: GoDaddy Bowl, Arkansas State (7 – 5) vs Ball State (10 – 2).  ESPN/9:00 EST.

National Championship, Monday, 1/6/2014:

Vizio BCS National Championship Bowl, Florida State (13 – 0) vs Auburn (12 – 1). ESPN/8:30 EST.

Filed under: Football, Open Thread | 4 Comments »

Championship Saturday

Posted on December 7, 2013 by markinaustin

This is all about getting to the Mythical National Championship, or the other four BCS Bowls for consolation.  First, we say goodbye to Louisville, NIU, and Fresno.  Byebye.

 
Then we look at what ought to be the premier matchup: MSU [10] against tOSU osu (they don’t deserve capitals, Mark!)[2], tonight around 7:15 CST.
Kelley and my sis are Spartans for life.  They are underdogs here.  While I will back MSU and Narduzzi’s creative defense in this game, it is not without fear that ESPN will engineer an SEC team into the MNC Game if tOSU osu loses.  ESPN controls college sports now and it is hopelessly in bed with the SEC.

 
First game is at 11CST.   Okie Lite[6] hosts the Land Thieves[17] in Stillwater in unseemly cold weather for the southwest.

 

At 2:30 CST, my ‘Horns [25] are in Waco ready to be drubbed by Baylor [9].  Should be Mack Brown’s last regular season game.  Because of the unseemly weather and the popular nickname for our noodle armed QB, we shall call the game “Derp on ice”.

 
At 3 CST, MO [5] plays Auburn [3].  It doesn’t occur to ESPN that MO and aTm have done far better in the SEC than they did in the entire history of the Big 12.  I pick MO.  I think Malzahn may be UT’s next coach despite the extension he just signed at Auburn.

 

At 6:45 CST Stanford [7] plays ASU [11].  Top to bottom, the PAC has been really strong this year, but this game is only for the Rose Bowl, thanks to the possibility of two unbeaten teams and the certainty that ESPN will force us to watch SEC football if either unbeaten goes down.

 

At 7 CST FSU [1] plays a BASKETBALL SCHOOL [20] for the ACC title.  Since Jameis has been cleared of rape charges and not indicted, there is no hope whatsoever for the BASKETBALL SCHOOL.

 

With Fresno and NIU gone from the unbeatens, the five BCS bowls will have ten BCS teams from six BCS conferences.  The four extras should go to the PAC, the 12, the BiG, and the SEC, but not to the ACC or the little east or whatever that abomination is.

 
Finally, ‘Goose may have some interest in Utah State v. Fresno [23] at 9 CST.

 
‘Goose, edits are welcome!

Filed under: Football, Open Thread, Saturday | 16 Comments »

In England, Poor White Kids are far Behind Poor Black Kids

Posted on December 3, 2013 by markinaustin

Filed under: education, Open Thread, Poverty | 8 Comments »

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