Silly Girl

So variations of the photo above are circulating all over Red Raider Land. Hey, its where I work and where I play.

This post, along with the fact that save second base weekend was a couple of weekends ago and teams were rolling out special things for breast cancer awareness, it made this girl stop and think.

Has college football become a fashion show?

I uttered these words around a bunch of male colleagues and you would have thought that I would have drop kicked an infant across the room the way they were arguing and whining about it.

This is my point with the whole thing. I think somewhere along the lines the view got skewed, for the fans in particular. I've heard every weird argument in the book. From its used for recruiting, to well... I won't go there.

So let's look at this whole, we must have new pretty uniforms every week to recruit players thing. Call me old school, but I thought a coach with a name and the ability to produce a winning program was all you really needed to pull in players. I mean look at the house that Bear Bryant built in Alabama. I have then had the argument that the only reason they have top recruits is because they are the only school in the state. I have family in the deep south that argue otherwise. There are other schools, just schools that don't have programs like the machine at Alabama, and think about this, what if the machine got built somewhere else?... uh-oh I just got existential on ya. Be careful now.

I do have to say that I have a lot of respect for Alabama's program, because it produces, without fluff. It has in essence produced a winning program without a new costume change every time they take the field... yes I went there. At this point new uniforms including helmets every week is starting to wear thin on this junkie, and I consider it a costume change... Alabama has built a program on two jerseys and one helmet. It must be awful to have so much success that you can't have new uniforms every week.

I guess I'm getting fed up with the whole what do you think of this weeks new look question... I along with every female, which makes up over half of your viewing demo have some opinions on the Red Raiders new looks.

Let's start with the gray... I as Tech Alum, didn't receive the memo that our new colors were black and gray with touches of scarlet. In fact I believe it is the scarlet and black, I could be mistaken in the chants, songs and everything else where school color is mentioned. While I admit that the gray looks sharp, there is one thing that every woman in the world will agree on and it is the sweat factor. I do not need to visibly see from my seats in the stands that the 250+ lineman has a butt crack sweat issue. While I am as turned on as the next girl by a sweaty man that works hard I don't need to see it from a long distance, without visual assistance. Stop and think about that. I will tell you this there is a reason that you rarely have the option to purchase women's workout wear in gray, and you almost never see a woman actually wearing gray to the gym. There is a reason behind it, and smart men don't wear it in the gym either.

I'm not a superstitious sports fan so when I bring up the fact that I like seeing scarlet jerseys on our team, and your argument is that we never won in them, it is totally lost on me. Its not about the color of the jersey on your back, its about the team. Did they train, did they prepare, and is their mental game in order? Those things determine a game... not a "lucky jock strap".

Here's my thing...

I know that college football is a huge industry. The alumni donations alone after a big win is reason enough to win, its a money maker. But I as a fan don't care what the team is wearing, because a loss is a loss, no matter what your wearing.

I would rather focus on the game and the strategy of what's going on and not how "fierce" a new uniform looks for game day.

Side note: I think the uniform above would be more "fierce" if the uniform was solid black with that helmet. But I'm female what do I know about color coordination, or the perception of color. For example, black is actually a menacing color, i.e. nothing good happens in the dark of night. Red's are very impassioned colors, that is also used as a symbol strong for warriors. There is a reason that gray business suits are a dime a dozen. I'm just saying...

I have then had the back handed argument that we need to recruit players so that we can have a winning program... I'm not sure I want a player playing for my team who cares more about the way he's gonna look on the gridiron over all, than how he's gonna look when he fumbles the ball.

I guess my argument is this simple, produce the program, then play dress up if you want.

I did have one loving and generous (tongue and cheek) friend point out that we were in a worse position last season under Tuberville and the team just gave up. He wants to know what I think happened. What this has to do with the fact that I think this new uniform every week thing is beyond ridiculous, I don't know.

I will first point out that we are ending our season taking on murders row. Season isn't over yet. Tech can still ... I'll say Tech up the season. I hope they don't for no other reason than Kingsbury's sake. I like the guy and I would like to see him build a program at Tech that makes every fan go Mike who?

As for last season I blame the fans for that give up. Having played organized sports, I know that when the fans are disgruntled with anything you do, at a point you wonder why do it. The fact that fans hated Tubberville and wanted his job win or lose, I would have given up too. And you can't tell me that these kids don't read it, see it, and hear it. I went to college on that campus I know how it is and how many people think that it is okay to air their opinion about everything. I'll never forget Potts having to go to classes in disguise after a loss. You thought grade school was tough, be an athlete in a football king state, in college.

Unfortunately there is an infant loop on the uniform argument, but none the less I think its ridiculous and I think that vision has gone a little wonky.

I just found it funny how many men started defending the gray when I said I didn't like it. I never knew I had so many divas in my presence.

But that's all this just junkies opinion.

Week 9: I Can't Believe It Happened

So last weekend was the weekend that I professed my love for college football and that I love weekends filled with upsets, and amazing changes in the polls.

This weekend I was disgusted and couldn't stand to watch another game.

Yes, the same girl who watched for 12 solid hours the weekend before... Turned off football and said, "Sorry I have a headache."

Yup I just went there.

So this weekend Texas Tech walked into Norman with a perfect winning streak and they unfortunately didn't walk away with one.

Tech was leading the Big 12 with a perfect overall season and because of some absolutely disgusting and sloppy plays Tech suffered a loss. It was like I was saying all week leading up to it, Tech is going to have to bring their best game. I wasn't sure the team caught the bus... Well, there early on I was afraid that the offense got left in Lubbock.

What was terrible was the fact that Tech's defense got so run ragged and I think mentally beaten down early on. Webb was making mistakes that couldn't be made and then Tech wasn't able to convert when we needed to, so our defense got to see lots of field time early on. Which could have been a good thing, except I think at some point that the defense threw their hands in the air and said, what's the point? The offense isn't doing their job. So by the time we really needed the defense to step up they were too tired to do anything.

Not only that this game is a prime example of us being a late start team catching up to us. I knew it would, the question was how lucky was Tech going to get for how long. Tech can't afford late starts for the rest of the season. It has officially caught up to us and we need to fix it.

I could continue to harp about the huge hole that our defense seems to neglect to close... Come on ladies cross your legs, let's not let everyone in our business.... But I've been beating that horse from the start of the season.

One thing that I still have yet to understand the strategic gain for leaving in a player that isn't performing.

Maybe I need the men in my life to explain this to me.

I was an athlete in high school and I remember that no one was above being pulled, for not performing. My uncle was a high school varsity basketball coach (one of the winningest coaches in the state) and he would pull his own kids when they didn't perform up to standard. So I'm not understanding why when Webb couldn't make the plays, and was obviously rattled; why Kingsbury didn't pull him.

Things I guess the tata's don't understand, but you can't tell me that you weren't thinking it yourself.

None the less I got so disgusted with that game I couldn't watch anymore football after that. So instead I turned on movies this weekend.

The real problem I had with this loss was we shouldn't have lost. I won't even talk about the fact that I don't think OU's Bell probably was able to work up his best game this season for Tech. That kid was playing so far above his head it was ridiculous, and Tech couldn't make the connections, it was almost the perfect comedy of errors.

Now here's going to be the kicker for Tech. Are they going to take this loss learn from it and build to have a better game next go around, or are we going to in typical Tech fashion, roll over and die for the rest of the season and prove to everyone that Tech is a flash in the pan team?

So I will continue to watch and cheer, but Tech you've got to prove to yourself, before you can prove to the rest of the country, that you are better than people think. And it all starts when you take the field and it all starts with your mental game. Its there or its not. And this past weekend it wasn't there.

So the question this week is, will you mentally be prepared to handle what ever OSU brings? I'm not sure. We shall see...

But that is all just this sports junkies opinion.

Week 8: The Week of Upsets

Well, another fun filled weekend of college football has passed us by and the BCS standings are officially out. I love weekends like this. This is one of those weekends that I was so giddy about what was going on that I almost couldn't stand myself.

For those of you that missed it six of the top ten teams in the nation suffered upsets against opponents. If it hadn't been for the battle at Death Valley and Auburn cracking the Top 25 last week they would have all been unranked teams causing the upsets.

I love college football anything can happen!

Let's take a look at what happened this week. In a nut shell the football gods decided to toss the tables and see what happened... I blame the pink.

It was breast cancer awareness weekend around the NCAA, so pink was everywhere. I jokingly texted friends that pink seems to zap the powers of these otherwise great teams. Do I have the stats to justify what I am implying... Not really, but none the less I'm sure it is distracting to hormonal men on the field.

Follow me for a second...

Pink is used to remember to save the tatas... Society has now trained us that pink means boobs. What distracts most red blooded men in this country?... I will say that when I wear a low cut shirt its my cleavage. So how could we not expect the guys, boys, man-children, what ever you like to call them, not be distracted by the one thing that the NCAA wanted at the forefronts of everyone's mind? Saving second base. Heck it became so laughable, I even gave out an award for who wore "save second base the best"... The award went to Oregon. They went neon pink and managed a great win.I guess neon pink is more masculine than some of the other pinks that were being worn.

I digress...

So lets look at some of the big upsets of the week. There was the Louisville game... Meh. Then there was the A&M game. This was a big loss for A&M, because it dropped them out of the top 10 rather handily. Which is justified, not sure that where they landed is where they should be, but what do I know? I'm just a silly girl. I did get to watch the A&M game and I knew that if A&M walked away with the win that were gonna have to fight for it, because Auburn came to play and they came to win.

On a side note, be sure to catch Auburn and Freshman receiver Marshall... I'm just saying, they are making some interesting waves. And if you think that Auburn hasn't produced anything of worth in decades, or what not... two words Cam Newton.

So A&M hobbled off the field with a loss and an injured shoulder for Manziel, but if A&M wants to keep up their defensive line is going to have to show up for every play at every game. The O-line was solid, giving Manziel time to look for the options. And I will say that Manziel is gonna have to stop with the interceptions... It's getting a little old shug, you're better than that. Now do I think that Manziel is out of the hunt for the Heisman. This year it is quiet possible, unless there are a couple of teams that can sneak up the machine of the SEC, which I don't foresee happening, but this is college football. Anything can happen.

Now on to the Tech game. I know... Its where I work, where I play, and on occasion a place that I admit that I got my degree from.

So Tech is 7-0 and is sitting at the top of the Big 12 so far this season. Behind us is Baylor and then Texas as far as the conference goes. Which I find really funny given the way everyone was positioned at the beginning of the season. Heck the team that was positioned to finish 7th overall in the Big 12 is the only team with a 7-0 season. I know that Baylor also hasn't lost, but we're a game up on them at this point. Things can change during Tech's bye week later this season.

There were a couple of things that went on during this game that I think need to be addressed on a coaching and player level. This is the second game this season that a players in ability to tuck has cost us. Earlier this season it was a ball that was just randomly dropped at the half yard line, by a receiver. No one around, just decided to drop the ball after he had taken it out of its tucked position. This week it looked like a sloppy and loose tuck by the QB, Webb, that was fumbled and recovered, by well, not us. These are the types of things that will kill Tech in the upcoming weekend against OU. Let's face facts there have been plenty of seasons where on the boards we should have beaten OU, but didn't because we didn't monopolize on the opportunities that were given to us in the same degree of effectiveness that OU did.

So what needs to be re-thought you ask?

On the coaches end, the sloppy carries and the dropped things in practice. I've had a colleague running around saying, "Perfect practice makes perfect execution." This is true.

Back in the days when I was playing competitive sports I remember, going through drills that made everything muscle memory. Our coach wanted us to just have it ingrained, period. So in practice, you slack off you would hear the words, "Do it again, and do it right."... For Tech this should mean that in practice the coaches should be looking for the loose carries and yelling, "Do it again." When they are doing drills. They should also be watching for when the receivers pull the ball out of their carry when they near the end zone. It should stay put until they cross that line, period. I hope this week at practice the team gets tired of hearing the words, "Again." And that it shows in the upcoming game. Its a partial coaching error to allow for the slack... Slack can mean sloppy and sloppy is the difference between a win and a loss. Besides there is a reason that I call Alabama the machine. They are in every aspect. No slack, they expect perfection and they execute it.

Now Tech did do somethings right. Like our time to answer mistakes that window is slowly closing. We aren't exactly to next play answers yet, but it is taking less than a quarter. That's improvement. Webb is getting better at reading his options. I don't like that he keeps using his safety blanket as much as he does, but to that extent Amaro is putting up nice numbers.

So with all that said, where do I stand on the Tech OU game coming up?

I am going with Tech for the win. And yes I have looked at the fact that we are playing in Norman. I'm not gonna say its gonna be a big win, or even a pretty win. I'm thinking that this will be as ugly as the TCU win, if not uglier. Here's the things that Tech is gonna need to win. The defense needs to show up, and put lots of pressure on Bell early on. He will make plenty of mistakes on his own as long as we rattle his cage early and often. Let's create opportunity and not just take the opportunities that we happen to be handed.

The second half team bs has got to stop... This is one of those typical Tech patterns that we keep falling into. Doesn't matter the team, the year, or the coach. Its Tech's trademark at this point I think. Late starting will catch up to you at some point. We don't need it to catch up to us now, or when we play Baylor.

The O-line needs to show up before halftime and we have to diversify our receivers... I know that Amaro is a nice big target, but look for the options. We've got them so let's use them.

And lastly this is the game where you see what type of ground game we have. OU is notorious for covering the passing routes... Let's change it up Tech! Instead of falling on that sword use the great run game that we have and work it. I would bet that OU can't keep up.

And lastly we can't go in thinking that we have this won. The thing about being on the top of the conference is that everyone wants to topple the king. We need to play this game like we are 0-7, and prove everyone wrong, because no one is expecting us to win. That is what will win this game, before you even step foot on the field.

And I'll be praying for a decent referee staff... but we haven't been able to buy one of those even if we tried.

But that is all just this sports junkies opinion.