A Quick Note on Being a Better Sports Fan

Are you a sports fan? Well, hold on to your hat, because I'm about to give you some groundbreaking, never-before-heard advice on how to be a better sports fan. I daresay that following this advice will make you the best sports fan you can be, not to mention a better human being. Ready? Here goes.

Don't tell other people how to be fans.

That's it. That's the list.

Certainly in the months and years you've spent being a fan of a certain team, you have absolutely perfected it. You. You are the pinnacle of fandom. Compared to you, everyone else in the stadium--nay, the world--is sucky.

Nevertheless.

You may find this hard to believe, but other fans don't fan the way you fan. As inconceivable as it may be, that does not mean that these other fans are doing it wrong. Your insistence that it is otherwise is not welcome. If you persist, you risk going from "annoyance" to "asshole."

Here's what happened.

Brandi and I returned to our beloved alma mater, Bowling Green State University, for the football team's home opener against VMI. The BGSU Falcons ended up winning the game 48-7, so clearly the VMI Keydets were overmatched. Now, in the early stages of the game, there was plenty of cheering whenever the Falcons did something good, which was often. As the game went on and the outcome was less and less in doubt, the cheering cooled off. The crowd thinned out and quieted down. This was not to the liking of one dude in the front of our section, who repeatedly waved his arms at those of us behind him in an effort to get us to stand up and make more noise.

Before I go any further, let me say that, in what I've said so far, I've been this guy before. I've been in crowds that I wished were louder and more enthusiastic, and I've done the arm wave thing. I will say that I only remember doing it a handful of times, for really close, really big games. However: I get it. You feel like the crowd should be up,  you feel like you can influence them in that direction, you start flapping your arms. Cool.

So needless to say, I didn't hate the guy's message, although I did think it was a little unnecessary as the third quarter was winding down and the Falcons were up by 34 points. The game was over. Still, if that was as far as it had gone, it would have been fine. That was not as far as it went, though. After a certain length of time had passed in non-loudness and numerous arm-waves had gone unheeded, dude's cup runneth over and he started berating those of us lucky enough to be in the superfan section for not supporting the team, not caring, not being fans. Because of course he did. Brandi and I had noted previously that we were sitting in front of one player's parents and another player's grandparents, but hell yeah, dude, these people don't care.

Anyway, after a certain amount of abuse tossed our way, a few words were lobbed back in dude's direction, which, surprisingly, did not defuse the situation. Dude doubled down on his argument, more words were exchanged, and, with the third quarter closing and the game well in hand, Brandi and I decided it was time to go.

And this is exactly my point. Along with violating Wheaton's Law, dude trying to increase support for the team ended up driving two fans from the stadium, thus defeating his own purpose. And I'm not an early leaver--I go to a lot of sporting events, and I can count on one hand the number of times I've left before the final gun, and that includes many blowouts (both wins and losses for my team), crazy weather, and what have you. And I'll note here that I'm not knocking people who leave early; I'm just saying that staying until the end is what I like to do. You want to scream your face off at what ended up being a 41-point blowout? I respect that. Actually, I think it's kind of awesome; it's just not my thing. Me, I'll be behind you, kicking back with a brewski, enjoying the sunshine and the fact that my team's got one in the bag. If that bothers you to the point where you actually have to be a jackass to complete strangers, it seems to me that you're the one with the problem.

EDITED TO ADD: On the bright side, it was an otherwise spectacular day. I'll be writing about the good part as time allows.

EDITED (AGAIN) TO ADD: Writing about the good part has now taken place and can be found here.

What? Where Am I?

Huh. After wandering around all this time in the dark, I've finally managed to stumble back onto my own blog. Yep, I'm still around and out of the funk brought on by the end of the football season. With the end of the year rapidly approaching, it seems like a good time for a sampling of what's been going on.

- If you're a regular visitor, you'll notice that my banners have disappeared. This happened a while ago, when my hosting company discontinued their service, the second time that's happened to me this year, I think. I've found a new host, though, and the banners will be back. I'm in the process of deciding whether to simply upload the old ones or create a bunch of new ones.

- I'm also in the process of contemplating, at least mildly, moving on from cable television and switching to a dish service of some sort. I've had DirecTV before and had a ton of problems with it; but, to be fair, the system wasn't professionally installed. My dad has it now and has occasional issues, but nothing like what I had. At any rate, I feel like a dish service might be able to offer a better deal for a comparable package, and I also like some of the features they offer (remote programming of DVR, onscreen score guide, more HD channels, etc.). But, on the flip side, I don't really want to get locked into a contract, and I'm still leery of dish performance, especially in adverse weather. So we'll see.

- Christmas was good. I took a couple of days off work last week so Brandi and I could travel up to her hometown to spend some time with her family. We had dinner and spent some time with her mom on Wednesday, then spent Christmas Eve with her dad and stepmom. Normally we spend Christmas Day with my parents, but my mom has been under the weather, so we just had a nice, low-key day here by ourselves.

- When iTunes started charging $1.29 for some more popular songs, I thought the tradeoff was going to be that some other songs would be reduced to $0.79. Where are the $0.79 songs?

- I went to the bookstore tonight in hopes of picking up a novel or three. I'm quite fond of my local independent bookstore, but I have to admit that my last several trips there have resulted in me leaving emptyhanded. Tonight was no exception. Apart from the big-ticket writers (King, Grisham, etc.), their selection is pretty limited. They might have a book or two from a lesser-known writer, but it's a crapshoot. And it's disheartening to finally come across something you are looking for, as I did a couple of times this evening, only to find that the cover is bent, or there's a section of pages with mangled corners. I'm admittedly a little bit of a snob about such things - I want a new book to look like a new book.

- I actually haven't been to any sporting events since Troy's football season ended in disappointment (as I referenced above). That'll change this weekend, as I'm planning to make my first trip of the season to Anderson Arena to see the BG Falcons men's basketball team take on the St. Louis Billikens (and Coach Rick Majerus). Basketball season doesn't even feel like it's started since I haven't been to Anderson yet. I'm really looking forward to seeing the Falcons in action, and I have to soak up that atmosphere while I can - just one season remains at Anderson after this one, and then the Falcons will move into the shiny new Stroh Center.

- While I won't be attending, BG's football team plays tomorrow afternoon at the Humanitarian Bowl in Boise (4:30 ET, ESPN). They'll be taking on the Idaho Vandals on the blue turf. Should be a good one if you like offense. BG's main threat, wide receiver Freddie Barnes (a Biletnikoff Award finalist), will likely set a new record for most catches in a season.

- Of course, the topic of BG football leads to the topic of Urban Meyer. He's an amazing coach, and college is football is better with him in it; I just hope he isn't risking his health by continuing to coach. I really enjoy watching his teams play (especially back when he was on BG's sideline), and I don't think there's anyone else even remotely like him out there. Of course, that's largely due to his intensity, which apparently isn't doing his heart any good. Hopefully a leave of absence will be enough to get and keep him on track in that regard.

Next on the Docket

Because my love for college football is, to a certain extent, an extension of my passion for high school football, much of the list of things I love about high school football can be applied to the college game as well. However, there are a few things that are unique to the college game. With the opening of the college season coming this weekend, it's time to list these as well:

Getting up "early" on Saturday for College Gameday on ESPN.

Watching football on TV all day (when BG doesn't have a home game, of course).

Upsets.

Smurf turf (the blue Astroturf at Boise State).

Brandi's temporary tattoos of the Falcon logo on her face.

My Cole Magner #21 jersey.

The excitement on campus before a big game.

Tailgating.

Cold afternoon games in November.

The occasional pre-game jet flyover.

Freddie and Frieda Falcon.

The spread offense.

The cannon being fired after a score.

Storming the field after a big win.

Watching West Coast games at the bar on Saturday night.

Bowl games.

Never a Dull Finish

Yep, here we are with another notes column. I'll try really hard to make my next post a real one, and I'll also try to make sure it has absolutely nothing to do with sports. Who knows how long it'll take for that to happen, of course, but that will be the goal.

The BGSU Falcons men's basketball team played another close game at home on Tuesday night, winning 73-71 over Eastern Michigan. They had to hold on for the win despite having a significant lead for much of the game. In the Falcons' two previous home games, they lost 93-90 to Ohio University in double overtime and 77-72 to Akron in overtime. In both of those games, BG had to overcome large deficits to tie the game at the end of regulation, only to fall just a bit short in overtime. One way or another, it seems like they're determined to make sure each game comes down to the final horn. I don't mind so much, because at least it makes the games interesting from beginning to end. I just hope they can turn more of them into wins. I think eventually they will. Maybe not this year, of course, but a whole bunch of this team is coming back next year. And you never know what can happen in the MAC tournament.

Speaking of Falcon basketball, a home game with Wright State was recently added to the schedule for February 18 of this year as part of the ESPN Bracket Buster event. I'm pretty fired up for that, for several reasons. For one, Wright State was where I started my college career, before transferring to BGSU. Secondly, the last time Wright State played at Bowling Green (Dec. 10, 1997) was the first game I attended after transferring, my first game at Anderson Arena, so that will bring back some memories. Finally, BG will return a game at Wright State next season, so that gives me at least one road trip I can bank on. I haven't been to a game at the Nutter Center in several years. I still have some friends in that area that I don't get to see very often, so hopefully that can turn into a reunion of sorts as well.

One more BG sports scheduling note before I move on: it was reported earlier this week that the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team will be visiting Doyt Perry Stadium for a game against the Falcons in 2008. It's always a good thing to get a team from a "big" conference to visit. It brings more electricity than we normally get, especially during the non-conference schedule. The strange thing is that it doesn't seem as if BG will have to return a game to Minnesota in order to get them to visit. Normally, for a team of Minnesota's stature, we'd play there twice in order to get them to come once, but that doesn't seem to be the case this time. I'll be a little surprised if we're getting them to come free and clear with no strings attached, but we'll see how it plays out.

Does anyone care about this Wayne Gretzky gambling thing? I don't, and I don't know anyone who does, but it's all I've been hearing about for the past two days.

I'm in the middle of an experiment, trying to go without pop for the entire calendar month of February (at least). I don't drink a whole lot of it anyway, at least not compared to how much I used to drink, but I thought I would drop it entirely and see what happens. I've heard other people who have given it up talk about how much better they feel in general. So far, I'd have to say that I feel exactly the same, except I get tired a whole lot earlier in the evening.

It's been pretty crazy at work lately. Yesterday was our catalog deadline, and it's always crazy in the days leading up to that. This month, though, we're launching an entirely new product line, which means a new catalog we've never done before. That meant a lot of stuff came to me later than usual, as we all scrambled to figure out exactly what we were doing. I've been coming in early and working late each day for the past two weeks. Today, as the day after deadline, was a nice break from that. It all starts up again next week, though, as I've been recruited to help fill in some of the gaps for our new product launch, which is scheduled to take place on March 1.

The extra time I've been putting in at work is a major reason why I haven't written much lately. By the time I get home, go to the gym, then come home and eat dinner, I really haven't felt like doing much else. I've noticed some things I probably would have written about under other circumstances, too, such as Britney Spears driving around with her baby on her lap, and the guy who attacked gay bar patrons with a hatchet. I don't read as widely on the Internet as I used to, which makes it tough for me to take on more serious topics or really much of anything outside of what I directly experience. Hopefully I'll get there at some point, though.

Another downside of being so busy is that it's been a while since I've been out to do anything fun (other than BG basketball games, of course). That all changes tonight. Brandi and I are going out tonight to see a band perform at Nate & Wally's in Bowling Green. The band is called Neon Black, and they do mostly covers of 80s rock tunes--stuff like Poison, Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard, that sort of thing. They also throw in a couple of change-ups, as well as some of their own original stuff. This will be the third time Brandi and I have seen them. I dig that type of music, and they're really good. Some friends are going to meet us there for the show, so it should be a really good time. Expect a full report next week.

A Little of This, a Little of That

Okay. After so long away, I'm not totally sure I'll get to everything I'd like to tonight, but we'll see what happens.

* First off, the chicken pox episode is almost entirely over. I've been back to normal in terms of how I feel for nearly two full weeks now. Unfortunately, I'm still waiting for the last of my rash to clear up. My arms and legs only have a couple of spots left, but my chest and back still have quite a few. My face has probably cleared up the best, but the ones that are left are pretty deep. I'm ready for them all to be gone. There's still some occasional mild itching, but it isn't too hard to ignore. I missed a grand total of six days of work at a bad (busy) time, but they kept everything up for me so that I've been able to get caught up with little trouble since I've been back.

* Earlier this evening I watched the MAC Championship football game between the Akron Zips and the Northern Illinois Huskies, played at a neutral site at Ford Field in Detroit. It was a hell of a game. I honestly didn't think Akron would be able to stay in this game, but they came out and got an early lead. NIU came back and took a fairly decent lead, though, and held it until nearly the end of the game. Then Akron came back and put themselves back in the game, then scored again with only ten seconds left to take the lead and win the game. They're going to a bowl game (the Motor City Bowl, also at Ford Field) for the first time in their history, and I say good for them. Seeing the game on television, though, I think they have to move the MAC Championship game back to campus sites. Go back to the old system, where they rotated the game from year to year from the stadium of the East Division and West Division winner. Either that or play the game on a Saturday. Having a weeknight game at a neutral site virtually assures that the crowd will be small, as it was tonight. A great game like that deserves a great crowd. At least if it was at one of the teams' home stadiums, the students and home fans could have been there, or if it was on a Saturday, the fans would be more likely to travel. Some teams (say, BG and Toledo) would have drawn better due to their proximity to Detroit, but that matchup didn't quite happen.

* Speaking of football, BG's season ended with a 44-41 2OT loss to archrival Toledo, and they finished the year 6-5. That record likely would have been better had QB Omar Jacobs not missed almost three full games with an injury, and had the record been better, BG would have been in the MAC Championship game over Akron. As nice as that would have been, I don't really believe that this year's team was championship caliber. The offense was very good (when Jacobs was healthy), but the defense and special teams were suspect...and that's being kind. It'll be interesting to see where the Falcons go from here. The defense should get better with more time under the new defensive coordinator, and the special teams just can't get any worse. The offense will be in transition, losing their two top receivers and tailbacks. Jacobs may opt to leave early for the NFL as well. Hopefully he'll be back, because the team needs him and I think he needs another year before going pro. One way or another, it'll be interesting to watch next season's Falcons take on a killer schedule--including a "home" game in Cleveland against Wisconsin, a home game against Boise State, and a roadie at Ohio State.

* As one season ends, another begins. On Wednesday night I made my first visit to Anderson Arena to get my first look at the BGSU men's basketball team. This will be an interesting year for them as well. There are a ton of newcomers to the team, most of which are freshmen. I think there's some talent there, but they have a long way to go before they're a good team. They played hard and looked good in the first half, but faded in the second and lost 76-66 to Oakland. I'm hoping they can develop as the season progresses to a point where they're dangerous as the postseason approaches, but I think they might be a year away. As long as they keep playing hard, though, they'll at least be fun to watch.

* The iPod saga continues. I returned it for service on November 3, and I don't have it back yet. Needless to say, I'm getting pretty irritated at this point. Brandi called the store this week to see if she could find out its status for me, but they said they couldn't help her without the order number on the paperwork. Of course, somehow the paperwork has been misplaced, so we couldn't get any information. I'm giving it until early next week. If the iPod hasn't shown up at my door by then, the people at Best Buy are going to have to deal with me in person. I want my iPod, and I want it to work. I've been without it for nearly two full months now, and that's unacceptable.

* Sometimes I think I would be willing to trade my other talents (which are numerous) for the ability to sing well. Of course, if I could do that, I have a feeling I would be insufferable. I think I would probably sing everything I had to say.

* Last week Brandi and I went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. It was pretty decent, but I feel like it could have been done better. I understand that they have to cut some stuff in order to adapt such a long book into a two-hour movie, but I always feel like they cut the wrong things. The one thing that bothered me most about this one was the removal, at the very end, of a minor incident that turns out to be a major plot point. It's vital to setting up the story for the next one, and I'm very interested to see how they deal with it. The last movie also removed a major plot point, and it has diminished, in my eyes, two otherwise very good movies. Neither would have taken much time, so the decision to leave them out utterly mystifies me.

* While there, we saw the trailer for the upcoming King Kong film. In general, I'm totally uninterested in King Kong. Still, I have a great deal of respect for Peter Jackson (of Lord of the Rings fame), and the trailer looked awesome. I may have to see this movie.

* Earlier this week, I finished reading Star Wars: The Unifying Force. It's the conclusion to the New Jedi Order series and the story arc that deals with a new alien species, the Yuuzhan Vong, invading the galaxy. I liked the series in general, but I'm not sure I liked this book. It attempted to almost totally re-define the Force, and it just seemed forced (no pun intended) and lame. I'm glad I've finally finished the series, though. There are a bunch of Star Wars books I haven't read (both post-NJO and prequel-era), and now I can move on to those.

* My goal for this month is to finish all the books I'm currently working on by New Year's, before I start on anything else. I don't think it'll be too much trouble if I can maintain my focus, but it's sort of contrary to my nature to finish something without immediately opening something else. I just want to start the new year with a clean slate.

New Falcons in the NFL

Mruczkowski Drafted By The San Diego Chargers
Cole Magner Inks Free-Agent Contract with Atlanta
Shaun Suisham Inks Free-Agent Contract with Pittsburgh
Newson Signs Contract With The St.Louis Rams

A Nice Day for...Football?

Orange tops White 45-42


Backup QB Anthony Turner looks for an open receiver.


WR Chuck Sharon gets ready to field a punt.

It was a gorgeous weekend here in Northwest Ohio. The skies were clear, the winds were calm (a rarity here in Bowling Green), and the temperatures were in the 70s. If you could bottle a perfect spring day, Saturday is the day you would have picked. So what was I doing in a football stadium?

Saturday was the date for BGSU's spring football game, a scrimmage that marks the end of spring practices. It was a great day to be outdoors, so I headed over to Doyt Perry Stadium to check out the new edition of our team. Of course, I would have been there even if it had been cold and raining (or snowing), but that's beside the point.

I was really looking forward to seeing the guys play. We have some key players returning, but we also graduated some guys who contributed a lot to last year's 9-3 GMAC Bowl championship team. I was particularly interested to see the progress of our receiving corps after losing Cole Magner, James Hawkins, and Cornelius McGrady. I also wanted a chance to check out our backup QB, Anthony Turner, a much-heralded prospect who redshirted last season.

Watching the game, I found myself ill-equipped to be a good scout. The batteries in my camera died shortly into the first quarter--I managed to get the two photos above and a few more besides, but there were plenty more I wanted to take. I also wish I would have had a notepad to jot down some thoughts as the game progressed.

Despite these shortcomings, I had a great time watching our offense explode up and down the field. Needless to say, with a final score of 45-42 and 719 combined passing yards, our receiving corps didn't miss a beat. Particularly heartening was the play of a couple of freshmen, Corey Partridge (who redshirted last season) and Luke Alexander (who graduated early from high school in order to enroll early at BGSU and participate in spring drills). They both looked outstanding, which bodes well for the future of our passing offense. Upperclassmen Steve Sanders (who showed some great speed) and Derrick Lett also looked good, as did top returner Charles Sharon in limited action.

Of course, starting QB Omar Jacobs (a Heisman candidate for next year) was incredible, after a bit of a slow start. It's going to be a lot of fun watching him play next season. I hadn't seen his backup, Anthony Turner, play before, but I had heard a lot of good things about him. He showed that the offense will be in good hands if and when we need him to play. He's got a good arm, and he did a nice job of finding receivers--if his primary guy wasn't open, he had no trouble going through his progressions and finding an open man. That's impressive for a guy seeing his first collegiate action. Granted, it was just a scrimmage, but he showed no signs of freshman jitters.

Defensively...well, it's hard to say. Being split up among two squads certainly didn't help them; hopefully they'll perform better when they're all on the same side. I'm sure that they will. In their defense, they certainly aren't going to see many (probably not any) offenses that are nearly as potent as the ones they faced on Saturday (our own). If it turns out that we need to outscore people in order to win, that's going to be just fine.

After the game ended and I got back home, I realized that camera batteries and a notepad weren't the only things I had forgotten. I didn't have any sunscreen, and the positioning of the sun had given me quite a sunburn...on the right side of my face and neck and my right arm. Lovely. Now I'm in pain and sure to be peeling soon. It was worth it to get my football fix, though. The Falcons don't play at home until October 1, so I definitely needed this to hold me over until then.

Emptying the Holiday Notebook

A few things that have thus far escaped the attention of my blog over the past few days...

My blogging schedule, and indeed my internet usage in general, has been knocked for a loop over the past week or so by the fact that Brandi's laptop is currently down for the count. In order to get online, I now have to sequester myself in the computer room, whereas I had grown accustomed to doing it in the living room, on the couch, in front of the television. I'm fairly proficient with computers, but her laptop is broken beyond my ability to fix. Of course, it doesn't help that Dell doesn't include a copy of the operating system CD when it sends out a computer, so any repair work would technically require the unit to be sent back to them. I'm hoping one of my friends can do something with it, though.

My blogging habits have been bad, but my e-mail habits have been worse. I have to sit down sometime exceptionally soon and pound out some messages to people who have been waiting on them for longer than they should have to. I don't know why I've gotten so bad about this, but I feel terrible about it. I hope it's a temporary thing.

I had a brush with fame yesterday. Actress Katie Holmes is originally from Toledo, and she works out at the same gym that I do (and where Brandi works) when she's in town. She was in there yesterday when I was. I must say, she's rather average-looking when seen in person--I almost didn't even recognize her. Still, it's not every day that you see a famous person, so I thought it merited a mention.

I meant to write about this at the time, but I didn't get a chance to. Last Wednesday I watched the Bowling Green Falcons football team beat the Memphis Tigers in the GMAC Bowl. This is the second straight year that the Falcons have earned a bowl bid and a bowl victory, after beating Northwestern in last year's Motor City Bowl. Considering the sad state the program was in when I first started coming to games here, that's pretty significant. I never thought then that I would see the level of success this team has come to enjoy. It certainly has been fun to watch. Now we turn our attention to next year. There will be holes to fill, as the team will suffer the loss of such leaders and players as Cole Magner, Keon Newson, and Jovon Burkes. However, there's also a lot coming back, most notably MAC Offensive Player of the Year Omar Jacobs at quarterback, and his primary targets in Chuck Sharon and Steve Sanders. The defense needs some work, but the offense is in good hands.

I was incredibly glad to hear the news that the Reds have signed pitcher Eric Milton to a 3-year contract. He's a very good left-handed starter, and starting pitching has been a weakness for the Reds for some time. It's been a while since the Reds made a move in the offseason that made me feel like they were serious about winning. They actually spent some money on this guy, which I think is a great sign. They've also plugged the hole at third base, signing Joe Randa to play there. He may not be a superstar, but he'll be solid there. I'm starting to get excited about this team. They've definitely got some offense, and the pitching looks to be coming together. They just may be able to make a run in the dysfunctional National League Central.

On the topic of professional sports, the Cincinnati Bengals have a decent chance of finishing 8-8 for the second season in a row. They play Philadelphia this weekend, but the Eagles likely won't play their starters for any length of time so as to keep them healthy for the playoffs. Given the Bengals' recent history, two consecutive non-losing seasons signifies good progress. Now it's time to step it up to the next level. There are a lot of pieces in place. Carson Palmer has a full year at quarterback under his belt, and he needs to continue to progress. Rudi Johnson, Chad Johnson, and T.J. Houshmandzadeh are all offensive playmakers, and Peter Warrick should be healthy next season as well. The defense still needs some help, but the secondary has shown some promise. I hope the Bengals follow the Reds' lead of making some good moves in the coming offseason, and I'm hopeful that they can make a run at the playoffs next year.

At some point this week I really need to get the oil changed in my car. I was hoping to do it on a relatively warm day so I could get my car washed at the same time and without the water freezing my doors shut. Today was supposed to be a day like that, but the forecast has changed. Tomorrow may be a better option, as it's supposed to be in the 40s all day.

Speaking of my car, I'll soon be breaking the 110,000-mile barrier in terms of mileage. That'll probably happen tomorrow, in fact. I really, really need to start making some sort of preparation for getting a new car sometime in the not-too-distant future. My beloved Neon has been performing like a champion lately, but with that many miles, you just never know when something is going to go catastrophically wrong.

This One Stings

Last night, Bowling Green's football team lost to the hated Toledo Rockets 49-41.

I didn't go to the game, but instead watched it on television (ESPN2) with Brandi and McComas. The loss aside, it was a good time. Brandi and I went and got some wings, and Brandi also made her famous nacho concoction so we would have plenty of snacks during the game. I would like to note that she does stuff like this for McComas and me for football games all the time, and she is totally awesome for doing so. McComas brought the baby along, and she was quite entertaining. She got a little fussy a few times, but overall she was pretty good.

The game, however, was not so good, despite the fact that it started well. BG came out on fire and took a commanding lead into halftime, then proceeded to fall apart. They allowed Toledo back into the game, totally lost momentum, and gave the game away. It's a big loss, not only because this is a big rivalry, but also because of what it could mean for our season. The MAC currently has only three guaranteed bowl bids for this year, and right now Bowling Green would be the likely outsider.

The officiating in the game was terrible. Toledo's blockers were obviously holding on nearly every one of their big plays, but they were only flagged for it once. I re-watched several of Bowling Green's offensive plays, and they were not holding nearly as often. The one that bothered me the most was when Toledo's defense sacked BG QB Omar Jacobs by pulling him down by the head. I thought it warranted a facemask penalty, if not unnecessary roughness, but it wasn't flagged at all. However, I want to make clear that the officiating did not cost the Falcons the game. The loss was caused by some sloppy play, the inability to make plays at a couple of key points, and weak playcalling on both sides of the ball. I think the turning point of the game came just before halftime. Toledo was driving, but Bowling Green picked off a pass with more than a minute left before the break. Instead of trying to score, the Falcons ran out the clock. I really think that took an edge off our players, and they just never got it back after that. It's unfortunate.

Now there's nothing to do except wait and see if the Falcons will get a bid to a bowl game. I sincerely hope so, because it will be a long offseason if we're left with the taste of this game in our mouths. I think we'll get one, but I'm not counting on it.

Hopefully I'll be able to start putting the game out of my mind this evening when I get to see the Bowling Green men's basketball team play for the first time this year. They're playing Illinois-Chicago at Anderson Arena at 7:00, and I can't wait to get back to "The House That Roars."

Wednesday Tidbits

I really hope I'm not coming down with some sort of illness, but it feels that way. This is the second straight day that I've had a sore throat. That's the only symptom I have right now, but it hurts quite a bit. I'm just hoping it doesn't spread into a full-blown cold. I thought about staying home from work today, but given the circumstances it didn't seem like such a great idea. Besides, if I'm going to be mildly uncomfortable, I might as well be at work.

I am continually amazed at how uptight people can be. I've heard a lot both yesterday and today about the "controversy" surrounding the intro to Monday Night Football this week, featuring Philadelphia wide receiver Terrell Owens and Nicolette Sheridan from the show Desperate Housewives. I saw the intro, and yes, she dropped her towel, but unless I missed something there was no nudity. So what's to be upset about? Implied nudity? Give me a break. If I were authorized to speak on behalf of ABC, Monday Night Football, or the NFL, I would categorically not apologize, and would instead issue a statement encouraging everyone who was offended by the spot to stop being so juvenile.

Staying with pro football, rookie quarterback Eli Manning will start for the Giants this weekend ahead of Kurt Warner. I hope Eli enjoys his moment in the sun, because I have a feeling that he was vastly overrated coming out of college and will struggle in the NFL. If he does succeed, I doubt it will be this year. The Giants' offensive line isn't very good, and opposing defenses will be coming after the rookie. He's not known for being fleet of foot, so he's going to take some lumps. I hope he's up for it.

The MAC has made an agreement to send a team to the Silicon Valley Bowl this year, meaning that at least three MAC teams will play in bowl games. This greatly enhances the chances that Bowling Green will get a postseason berth. This one-year agreement was brought about by the fact that the Pac-10 conference won't have enough bowl-eligible teams to fill all their slots. Bowling Green currently has the best overall record in the MAC at 8-2 and has one of the most explosive offenses in the nation, so I have to think we're the leading candidate for a bid. I would most like to see the Falcons return to the Motor City Bowl, which we won last year over Northwestern, because Detroit is nearby and I could probably attend. The other options would be Mobile, Alabama for the GMAC Bowl, or San Jose for the Silicon Valley Bowl. I'd be happy if the Falcons made either of those, but I wouldn't be able to attend in person.

In the midst of all this football hoopla, I'm trying to get myself geared up for college hoops season. You'll notice that I've listed the BGSU men's basketball schedule in the sidebar to the right. The Falcons start their season this Saturday at DePaul (in Chicago), and as much as I would love to be able to make it out there for the game, I just can't. I haven't seen them at all yet this year, as there were no scrimmages, and the one public exhibition was held this past Saturday morning while I was out tailgating before the football game. It's driving me crazy because we have a lot of newcomers and I have no idea what to expect from them. I'm hoping I'll be able to find the game somewhere on my digital cable, but I'm not banking on it. The first home game is a week from tonight against Illinois-Chicago.

Until I see the Falcons play, I doubt I'll be fully into basketball. Normally I'm a college hoops junkie and will eagerly consume any game I happen to come across, but last night ESPN2 was televising a Providence-Niagara game and I just couldn't get into it. I'm sure that'll pass soon enough, though, and I'll be ready for some "Happy Action Fun Time."

I neglected to mention it last week due to my self-imposed silence on the topic of politics, but I did want to point out that I've added a new blog to my list of links in the sidebar. It's called Democrack, and it's an interesting and well written political blog by a former employee of the Clinton White House. Check it out.

BGSU 56 Marshall 35

This game was a matchup of the MAC's #1 offense (BG) vs. The MAC's #1 defense (Marshall). Of course, Bowling Green has faced this before--when the Falcons played at Ohio, the Bobcats had the best statistical defense in the league. BG had no trouble moving the ball during that game, and I expected more of the same against Marshall.

I was not disappointed. Omar Jacobs threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns, setting a BG record for most TD passes in a season with 32 with one game left. The rushing game was also in fine form, with P.J. Pope rushing for over 100 yards. The offense had very little trouble moving the ball against Marshall's vaunted defense.

Bowling Green's defense, on the other hand, had some issues. Marshall has some athletes on offense, but hadn't shown a whole lot of ability to put it all together. They got past some of that on Saturday, putting up 35 points. BG's offense outscored them, but the defense gave up more than I would have liked. I have to give them credit, though. They played well enough to win, and they came up with some big plays when they needed them. Keon Newson's interception return for a TD was one of the most exciting plays of the day.

There was also a scary moment, when wide receiver Cornelius McGrady was injured while trying to make a tackle after an interception. He was hit with a crushing block and lay on the turf for several minutes before finally leaving in an ambulance. Fortunately, he was able to wave as they loaded him in, and it was nothing more serious than a concussion. He was released from Wood County Hospital later that day.

The game ended with Bowling Green running out the clock on the goal line, with the BG crowd urging Coach Brandon to punch it in for one more score. Marshall is leaving the MAC after this season, and many fans wanted to pile on the score as a not-so-fond going-away present for perhaps the least-liked team in the conference. I must admit that I would have liked another touchdown myself, but I'm sure Coach Brandon took the right path by just running out the clock and being content with a 21-point victory.

Bowling Green has one game left in the regular season, a Tuesday night matchup (Nov. 23) against the hated Toledo Rockets. With a win, it's still a possibility that the Falcons will play in the MAC championship game and/or earn a bowl bid. After the way our offense played against a good defense this weekend, I'm feeling very confident about our chances against Toledo's decidedly weaker defense.

Everything and Nothing

I have surprisingly little on my mind today. I'm not sure I even have enough to fill out a post of random notes, but I'll give it the old college try.

I'm happy to report that I applied this week for a proofreading job, but I don't know where. I'm normally extremely leery of responding to newspaper ads in which the potential employer declines to be identified, but in this case I felt it was worth taking a chance. It's been a long time since I've seen an ad for a job in my field, so I can't really be picky. My current gig is killing me a little bit each day. Getting back into editing would be awesome. Of course, with my luck it'll turn out to be a part-time third-shift position with a militant religious group and paying only $6.00 an hour. I guess I'll find all that out in the interview, should I get one.

Drivers in Toledo are becoming even more moronic as temperatures outside get lower. Come on, people, the cold air itself does not necessitate driving well under the speed limit and clogging the passing lanes. Once there is actual ice on the roads we can talk. Until then, just assume that normal laws apply. DRIVE ON THE RIGHT!!!

A couple of co-workers today were having a conversation about people they know who have been attacked by animals while hunting. They seemed to have some sort of indignation over this, as though the animals should know better than to dare attack a hunter. What is that? When a person enters an animal's habitat, that person is just as much fair game as the animal is. They're going to protect themselves (or their young) and it's just lunacy or arrogance to think otherwise. I continue to be struck by the self-centered view that so many people seem to hold.

Last week I took advantage of my parents' AOL membership to watch the trailer for the upcoming Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith before it was released to the general public. Wow. This one looks to be very intense. I've watched the trailer again several times since then, and it's going to be hard to wait until May to see the movie. The trailer is now available to everyone at the official site.

A friend this morning sent me a link to an article about current Utah and former Bowling Green head football coach Urban Meyer. It contains this quote about how attendance issues played into his decision to leave Bowling Green:

"It's the most successful senior class at Bowling Green, and I'm looking at the (players') faces and there are 5,000 people there. You can't build on that."

Attendance at Bowling Green football games is an enigma, but I would think a coach that took over a struggling program (as BG was when Coach Meyer took over) would realize that it takes time to build up attendance. That game took place in horrible weather against a terrible opponent, and while our crowds are always up and down, that one game was not characteristic of the season overall. Personally, I think Meyer could have continued to build on that, and I wish he would have stayed. Still, BG is doing fine without him, and Coach Brandon is continuing to build on what Meyer started.

Of course, the problems BG has with attendance are nothing to what Ohio State's football program might be facing. There are new allegations there of improprieties by Coach Tressel and the athletic program. I have doubts about how much of it is true, but it'll definitely be interesting to keep an eye on this as a developing story.

BGSU 41 Eastern Michigan 20

Jacobs guides Falcons' romp

Before we left for the game, I made a score prediction to Brandi of 43-20 in favor of the Falcons. I turned out to be pretty close. Eastern Michigan has the look of a program on the rise, but they aren't quite ready to be in the upper echelon of the MAC just yet.

In the press coverage of this game, words such as "romp," "domination," and "blowout" have been used fairly frequently. Despite the fact that BG won by three touchdowns and the outcome of the game was never really in doubt, I think such strong language might be at least a little bit off the mark. The defense did manage to shut down a pretty potent rushing attack, but in doing so they gave up a ton of passing yards. The Falcons were gashed for long passing plays on a couple of occasions, and Eastern Michigan was also able to convert on several fourth down attempts. I would have preferred if we were able to shut them down a little more handily.

Still, I can't complain too much. A win is a win, and it was a pretty entertaining game. In fact, the play of the night was turned in by the defense, when defensive end Mitch Crossley stepped in front of a lateral pass and intercepted it with one hand, then rumbled in for a touchdown from thirty yards out. The offense was able to get the ground game going with tailback P.J. Pope going over 100 yards, and Omar Jacobs had another 300+ yard passing day as well. As long as the offense continues to click the way it has been for the past several weeks, that will be enough to cover if the defense has an off day as they appeared to on Saturday.

The only real complaint I had from the game was the attendance. There were just over 10,000 people there, and I can't understand why more people didn't show up. BG is probably the best college football team in Ohio right now, and tickets are extremely reasonably priced. Our game didn't conflict with any of the other major games going on that day, and the weather was nice. Hopefully our next (and final) two home games will draw better, as our hopes for playing in a bowl game at the end of the season may hinge on it.

BG's next game will be this coming Saturday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m. against the Western Michigan Broncos.

BGSU 51 Ball State 13

Game story

There's really not much to say about this one. Bowling Green came out and pounded the Cardinals into submission early in the game, then coasted the rest of the way.

It was good to be back at Doyt Perry Stadium to see the Falcons in action again. It had been five weeks since the last home game, so I was going through a bit of withdrawal. Fortunately, three of the final five games are at home, so there won't be another break like this one for the rest of the season.

There were only two things about the game that weren't so great, and they were likely related. The weather was a little rough, being cold and windy, and drizzling rain for most of the first half. Weather never really bothers me at a football game, but apparently the same can't be said for a lot of people, because the crowd was a little sparse. Official attendance was 16,669. We should draw better than that, especially for Homecoming. Other than the weather, I can't understand why people wouldn't come out. The team is fun to watch, and tickets are cheap ($14 each--try to get into any other Top 25-caliber program's game for that much).

I'm still a little troubled by BG's problems stopping the run. As long as we're keeping teams from scoring, it isn't a huge problem, but it's something I really hope the coaches are looking to fix. Letting a bad team like Ball State run the ball well against us is a bad sign for better teams we'll face down the road. However, I can take solace in the fact that we run an offense that is capable of putting up enough points to overcome some defensive shortcomings. After all, an opposing team can't run the ball as much if they have to try to keep up with us.

A Weekend Review of Sorts

Although I had an enjoyable weekend, I doubt that my exploits (or lack thereof) would make for fascinating reading for anyone else. Therefore I'll spare you the details and just hit some highlights.

You'll notice that there has been no mention on this blog of BG's 34-17 loss to Northern Illinois on Friday night. This will be the first and only. I recorded the game on my DVR and watched it when I got home from the Troy game that night. I wish I hadn't done so. The Falcons were beaten in every phase of the game. I'm now attempting to purge the whole thing from my memory. Unfortunately, the Falcons don't play another home game until October 16, so it'll be hard to get that bad taste out of my mouth. Hopefully the PlayStation Falcons can help me out in that regard.

Perhaps I should have gone into sociology. I'm an admitted people-watcher, and I'm especially fascinated by how people interact. Brandi and I went last night to a showing of Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban at the BGSU Student Union, and we sat behind a large group of what appeared to be college freshmen. It was really interesting to watch them. It occurred to me that, most likely, these kids didn't even know each other a month and a half ago. Now most of them are away from familiar surroundings and have been thrust together, through dorms or classes or whatever, and they've reformed into what looked like a tight-knit group.

It made me think of the group I found myself a part of when I was a freshman in college: myself and my roommate Matt, Lora and Jacki, Josh, Steve, Eric, Shannon, and Hernan. What a crew. I don't think I let myself fully be a part of the group, and I regret that now. Still, we had a lot of good times, and I miss them all (some more than others, of course). I haven't seen most of them since I transferred to Bowling Green from Wright State after my second year there. Lora and Matt and I do e-mail occasionally, and even talk about trying to get together at some point, but it's hard to do with all of us being at different corners of the state.

Today I finished reading The Winds of War by Herman Wouk. What an incredible book. It's the tale of an American naval family's travails in the time leading up to the U.S. entry into World War II. Very shortly I'll be picking up War and Remembrance by Wouk, which is a continuation of the family's story through the war.

In the meantime, tonight I'll be visting the Wood County Public Library to pick out a challenged book to read in commemoration of Banned Books Week. I hope everyone out there is doing the same. I was going to just re-read something I've read before (perhaps Catcher in the Rye, or any of the Harry Potter books), but I think it would be truer to the spirit of the week to read something I haven't read before.

Random Sports Post

I watched a few minutes of the Reds game last night. I'm so far out of baseball mode right now that I couldn't even take much of that. My interest in baseball always dims once football starts up, as long as the Reds are out of the pennant race. Generally it comes back once the playoffs start, at least to the point where I can watch the games. I don't know if that will be the case this year. It looks like most of the teams that will be in the postseason are teams that I actively dislike. If that's the case, I may skip the whole thing.

On a baseball note, though, they were talking this morning on Mike and Mike in the Morning on ESPN Radio about Sammy Sosa doing his little home run hop and then getting thrown out at second base when the ball actually stayed in the park. The hosts were pretty irate about this. I think they're off base. I saw the highlight, and it had nothing to do with the hop; the issue is that he didn't really start running until he rounded first base. At any rate, the argument is irrelevant. Like it or not, this type of showboating and lack of hustle is a part of the game now for most players. It makes a difference in a crucial play only rarely, and then there's an overreaction. Just let it go.

From overreaction to the complete lack of a reaction: does anyone care that the NHL may not play this year and into next? Has anyone even noticed? I didn't think so. I do like hockey, although not nearly to the extent I like football, basketball, and baseball, but I'll be glad not to come across it on ESPN. Aside from maybe the Stanley Cup Finals, hockey should be experienced only in person. I'll be catching some college games at the BGSU Ice Arena this upcoming season.

Speaking of the Falcons, the football team plays their MAC opener tomorrow night at Northern Illinois. Yes, it's a Friday night game, which makes me almost physically ill. I think Friday nights should be exclusively for high school football. I'll be at a high school game on Friday night, so I won't be able to watch BG's game as it happens. I do have a DVR now, so I'll be recording the game and watching it later that night. It's on ESPN2 starting at 7:00 p.m. if anyone is interested.

This game is building into a pretty good rivalry. Bowling Green and Northern Illinois are both programs on the rise from low spots a few short years ago. Two years ago BG went to NIU undefeated and nationally ranked, only to experience what I and my friends still refer to as a "pass-dropping extravaganza" and a loss. Last year the situation was reversed, as NIU was undefeated and came to BG. Both teams were ranked, and ESPN College Gameday was there, and it was absolutely the most incredible football atmosphere and experience I've ever had. The Falcons came out and drilled the Huskies early, then coasted to a win.

This is the first conference game for both teams this year, and it's a big one. I have a good feeling about it, though. I think BG will win fairly easily--I'm not predicting a blowout necessarily, because Northern is a good team, but I don't think it'll go down to the wire. I just hope I'm right. The winner of the game is in good position to win the MAC West Division.

I'll probably get to see a lot of football this weekend. I don't even know right now which games are being televised. I do know that Ohio State doesn't have a game this weekend, which saves me from having them shoved down my throat. Hopefully I'll be able to check out a bunch of different teams. I'd really like it if I could catch a MAC game or two, but I don't know offhand if any are being televised on Saturday.

I'm looking forward to Week 3 of NFL action. Most notable is that rookie Ben Roethlisberger will be starting at quarterback for the Steelers. I have a sneaking suspicion that he'll stay in the starting role even when Tommy Maddox is healed from his injury. I saw Big Ben play in person a couple of times in college, and let me tell you, he's the real deal. I liked him as a player even though he beat my Falcons each time I saw them play because he's that good. Of all the rookie quarterbacks, I think he's the best.

I'm hoping I'll get to see the Philadelphia-Detroit game this weekend, and since Toledo is so close to Detroit, there's a pretty good chance I will. Philadelphia, with Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens, is a hell of a lot of fun to watch. So is Detroit, actually. I don't know how good they're going to be this year, but their offense is going to be fun. Roy Williams looks like a heck of a receiver already, after only two games, and I think Kevin Jones is going to be a great tailback for them as well.

Of course, if I'm going to talk about sports, I have to at least mention the Troy Trojans. They play Greenville at home tomorrow night. That's where I'll be, instead of on my couch watching BG play NIU. It's an interesting matchup, as Greenville is an improved team this year. If Troy plays the way they did last week, I think they'll roll; if not, I wouldn't be too surprised if Greenville pulls it off.

A Serious (and Sad) Note

BGSU football player dies
"Forever a Falcon" by Grant Cummings

This is difficult to fathom. An 18-year-old kid, an athlete presumably in prime condition, just dies for no apparent reason.

It's hard for me to get my mind around the idea that sometimes things like this just happen. It's something I think about often: not death specifically, but just the general concept that you never know what's coming next. You may plan ahead, and you may think you know, and a lot of the time you may be right. Then you get a shocking reminder that, ultimately, your fate is not entirely in your hands.

Aaron Richardson was a young kid with the whole world still ahead of him. From everything I've heard today, he was a great guy with a promising future. This is a sad day. My thoughts are with his family and friends.

BGSU 49 SE Missouri State 10

Game Story

The most impressive thing about this game was probably the attendance. Getting 23,088 people out to the stadium for a sure win over a Division I-AA team is no small feat for a team with a history of attendance problems. I think BGSU is developing more of a football culture, and that's great to see. As someone who spent some long, cold, lonely afternoons in a mostly empty stadium watching the Falcons get drilled during the last years of Coach Blackney's tenure, it's nice to finally have some company. It's even nicer to see the Falcons putting points on the board and compiling a bunch of wins.

I was really looking forward to this game to see Omar Jacobs start at quarterback for the first time at home. In the limited amount I've seen him play I've been hyping him as a future superstar, and last week's loss at Oklahoma only confirmed that opinion. He played well last night, leading Bowling Green to an easy victory against an overmatched team. He's still got room to grow, and it's going to be fun watching it happen.

Bowling Green's defense looks like it still needs some work, especially on the pass rush. I think they only got one quarterback sack last night, and none the week before against Oklahoma. That's an obvious concern. The important part, though, is just keeping points off the board. They were pretty successful in that area last night. They bent some, but they didn't break when their backs were against the wall.

The next home game is more than a month from now, on October 16 against the Ball State Cardinals. The next game overall is on September 24 (yes, a Friday) at Northern Illinois. That game is on ESPN, but I'll be at a high school game that night. Will I have a DVR by then? Let's consult the Magic 8 Ball:

"Outlook Good"

Good News for BGSU Football Player

Navarro On Road To Recovery

A Little Preview

Falcon Football To Hold Public Scrimmage

I haven't talked nearly as much about the upcoming college football season as I have about the high school season, but I'm just as excited to see the BGSU Falcons as I am the Troy Trojans. It'll be cool to get a little sneak preview at this open scrimmage. I went to the spring game back in April, which was fun, but this one will really whet my appetite for football. I'm thinking about going home to Troy that weekend, because my brother Jim (who lives in Kyrgyzstan) will be in town, but I think I can probably make it back to BG in time for this exhibition.