Saturday, July 3, 2010

SEC Football Blogger

Tennessee signs Punter.
The Breakdown of Ole Miss’ New Mascot
Rating the Indoor Practice Facilities of the SEC.

Posted: 30 Jun 2010 03:42 PM PDT

Terrence Splash!

Tennessee signs Punter.

Special teams are easily mocked. After all, if they were a seemingly legitimate part of football, why would you call them special? But there is a good benefit to winning the field position battle. And when you have a quarterback that makes Chris Simms look like Phil as your starting quarterback? Maybe managing have yourself a merry little punter is a good thing.

And that’s the big news out of Knoxville. Matt Darr, who I can only assume is the cousin of former Padre prospect Mike Darr, has been signed by the Volunteers. Darr is the #1 punter according to Scout.com and joins Michael Parlardy as the #1 kicker according to the same website. It may not be the most exciting news for the average SEC fan, to be sure. And only the most whimsical of rogues would deem this comedic.

But ask the average fan of Rocky Top if special teams is important? See the above picture. You’ll be reminded why special teams are special. And not in the mockery way.

The Breakdown of Ole Miss’ New Mascot

Posted: 28 Jun 2010 02:00 PM PDT

Could these be your New Ole Miss Mascot?

The Breakdown of Ole Miss’ New Mascot

Yeah yeah, get over it. Admiral Ackbar didn’t happen. It’s a shame. Oxford could have become such a trap game that it would be so funny for teams in the SEC West. I won’t make any more puns on my own.

Because there’s the Ole Miss Mascot Selection Committee to do that for you.You’ll see. Trust me.

Anyway? There are 11 candidates for Ole Miss Mascot. And I will break them all down. Because it’s June. June is football slow time.

1) Hotty and Toddy

These two feel like a bad impression of Statler and Waldorf. After all, the plan is something along the lines of a pair of animals or “muppet-like” characters. As such? I say this mascot will be too lame to get a consensus. That being said, an adorable Milo and Otis puppy and kitty tag team is something I could get behind.

2) Rebel Black Bear

The safe choice. It’s not a muppet or a talisman. It’s historical, but not in a bold fashion. Committees don’t like bold. Also, Bears are totally more bad ass than elephants or tigers. If this isn’t the winner? I will be surprised.

3) Rebel Blues Musician

Fun fact: Robert Johnson was born in Haverford, Mississippi. His legend was that he took his guitar to the crossroad off the Dockery Plantation between Ruleville and Cleveland and sold his soul to play the blues.

That’s one reason why I want this to happen. The second reason? It’s a complete repudiation of the Colonel Reb and the culture that it perpetuated. The third reason? It’s a celebration of the best of Mississippi.

And it will never ever happen.

4) Rebel the Cardinal

Celebrating the color red? Really? That’s west coast liberal stuff right there. Do you want to start comparing yourself to Stanford? Do you? I know you don’t. Moving on.

5) Rebel Fanatic

No. Do not want. The fraternity doucher in Muppet form just seems dumb to me. So yeah.

6) Rebel the Horse

A poor man’s bear scenario. Not bad. It would most definitely fire up a home crowd. It seems like it would be something that would finish in the upper third of the middle of the pack.

7) Rebel the Lion (Rebellion)

Puns? Really? But you know what? It’s a strong contender. It may even come close to winning. Someone’s going to fight for this. They will fight a little too hard for it. And that’s why it will not win.

Rebel Mojo

Do you really want to abscond with the talisman and the war cry from a West Texas High School? I know I don’t. Permian came up with this first. Let them keep it.

9) Rebel Riverboat Pilot

Now if you don’t know why this one has a legitimate chance of happening? Read a map. It’s not an awful premise for a mascot as well. But it can’t fire people up like the other ones. It would probably finish 4th. Maybe 5th.

10) Rebel Titan

In terms of symbolism. The one who stole fire from the Gods is one of the first Rebels of myth and legend. And that is cool. But can you picture a mascot looking even decent in a titan costume? I don’t.

If I had to pick a Top 3?
1) Rebel Black Bear
2) Rebel the Lion
3) Rebel Titan

Rating the Indoor Practice Facilities of the SEC.

Posted: 21 Jun 2010 02:16 PM PDT

Rating the Indoor Practice Facilities of the SEC.

I know what you’re thinking. LOL what? Is this even a post. And I say unto you, mister and missus hypothetical reader. I like to challenge myself. Sometimes, I want to see if I cannot make something interesting. And when Auburn tripled the size of their indoor practice facility? I have an excuse!

In one of the strangest one of these things is not like the other sort of scenarios? Two out of the twelve? Don’t have indoor practice facilities. One of them is Vanderbilt. Guess the other one. Come on.

I’ll even add to it that it’s nobody in the SEC West. When Auburn’s expansion is complete? There will be nobody who has to work a short field either. You might guess Kentucky. But you’d be wrong.

South Carolina and Tennessee are both working off of short fields. But they’ve got something to work with.

So at this point? The fact that Georgia and Florida don’t have an indoor facility is strange. These are the Eastern powers of the SEC, after all. They should be top of the line in everything they do. But one of them has plans for a new indoor facility.

And guess what? It’s not Florida.

Let me say that again. The team of the previous decade has found their way into the best high school recruits of this generation. And their facilities are lacking. There is an obvious lesson to it.

But I’ll leave that to you to figure out.

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