Posts Tagged Under ‘Football’

One More Business-School-Weekend Tale

Here’s a good one for all my NU buds:

One of the career panel discussions featuring Michigan alums had a panelist who had attended the University of Wisconsin as an undergrad. When they opened the panel up for questions, I asked another panelist what he thought about the consulting vs. general management track at Ross, then added a jokey question for the Wisconsin dude in which I asked, as a fellow Big Ten undergrad dealing with similar issues, how it felt to be in a conflicted football-fan state for grad school. My question got a chuckle from the panel and the audience, prompting the panelist to ask me which Big Ten school I attended for undergrad. When I answered “Northwestern”, the whole room laughed at me and at least one dude shouted, “That doesn’t count.”

Go ‘Cats!

Myron Cope, 1929-2008

It’s probably to easy to slip into sappiness in the wake of Mahrn’s passing, but I won’t forget listening to the never-ending parade of fall-evening “first-time callers” as my dad had the radio tuned to Cope’s show in the evenings. Myron might be more famous as a clown and one of the first wacky sports guys — the man who invented the Terrible Towel and had funny, screechy sayings — but he was first of all a bright football commentator and a tremendous writer. The sports media would do well to follow more his example of intelligence, humility and fun.

Interesting note: apparently Cope once came close to beating up Norman Mailer (6:14).

The One Downside to the Giants’ Victory

”As for the 1972 Dolphins, I don’t take joy in the fact the Patriots lost - period,” said Jim Mandich, the tight end on the 17-0 team. ”But I do relish and savor the fact that there has only been one unbeaten team in the history of the NFL, and it is the 1972 Miami Dolphins.”

Seriously, 1972 dudes: after 35 years, it’s time to give it a rest. The Patriots won 18 in a row counting the AFC Championship, while you Dolphin jags had to win 17 including the Super Bowl. Times have changed.

A Grateful Nation Rejoices

Wow!

• A thinking football fan would say I should have been happy if the Patriots had won and decisively proved their worth as the best team in the past however-many years. Yes, I would have dryly appreciated that. But on a purely emotional and more powerful level, I’m incredibly happy that the Giants won, and in spectacular fashion. Congratulations to my old city of residence.
• Props to Rob, Paul and my other New York friends on the win. As Paul said, “It’s nice to see the country lined up behind an NYC team for once.” The Giants and Steelers are now 2-0 in Super Bowls in which Rob and I text each other ongoing football analysis throughout the game. His final message: “Did that just happen?”
• My friend Billy said today that the Patriots’ linebacking corps was too old and gassed to last through the game, and that the Giants could potentially get yards up the middle through the short- to medium-range passing game. Oddly enough that happened more at the game’s beginning than at the end, when the Giants were driving with midfield passes and off-tackle runs. That didn’t get them the points, and the fact that those points came on long passes over the Patriots’ big-time secondary made this more of a surprising win.
• Despite such a fantastic fourth quarter, the primarily turnover-free defensive battle beforehand led me to text my bro at halftime that the game was “boring as s—”. In hindsight, keeping the score so low is what allowed the Giants to take a shot into the 4th quarter.
• My vote for most-valuable player would have gone to Justin Tuck or Osi Umenyiora, but that’s not to take away from Eli’s very un-Eli performance. He earned a “Go Team Manning!” from Geeta. Does “Eli-like” have to be retired as a negative comparison?
• I was surprisingly touched by Plaxico Burress’ postgame interview. He was the last person I would have expected to get emotional like that.
• And the obligatory commercial notes:

  1. The Audi Godfather ad: supreme. The “Rocky” Budweiser horse was solid. Props from Geeta to both that ad, the Coke parade floats and the yelling squirrel.
  2. Geeta disliked the Will Ferrell Bud Light ad, but man, that was hilarious.
  3. I’m a little lost on how associating Doritos with random, brutal beatings is a desired thing. Same with Toyota and face-shredding badger claws. Questionable calls there, ad execs.
  4. We also must like hearts exploding out of chests and walking around the hallway. That was disgusting.
  5. UnderArmour: for ripped denizens of a 1984 world? But the reappearance of “Protect This House” guy was a tremendous upshot. I love it.
  6. The Tide stain thing worked cleverly. And I liked Charles Barkley with the phone.
  7. That was definitely Donkeylips from Salute Your Shorts fame in a commercial for Amped energy drink. Nice! Even if it made me seriously uncomfortable to see him clamping jumper cables on his chest.
  8. Iron Man has definite coolness potential.

Party on, New York.

Pat’s Going to Michigan

I got the good news on Friday: I’ll be heading this fall to the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan to be part of the class of 2010.

I mentioned this fall that application essays were sapping my blogging resolve, so now yinz know what that was about. I’m definitely relieved to hear I was accepted, and more than that, I’m psyched to start grad school. I’m also hoping I don’t revert too much back to undergrad, but I don’t think business school students tend to beard-out quite as much as your average 20-year-old junior. (Note: that photo is of Microsoft’s staff in 1978, but it’s so awesome that I had to link it.)

“But Stack,” you may be saying, “where’d this MBA idea come from? I thought you were a web media guy.” You’re right: I am a web-media guy, and on first glance, it might be confusing. But the longer I’ve been doing what I do, the more I’ve realized an MBA is a solid idea.

I’m all about the success of online media: the format is still new, and media companies are finding their way through the changed climate, so it can be a scary thing for those steering the media to where it needs to be. Good websites are built on three legs — content, technology and business — and having worked a lot on the first two, I knew that strengthening the third one would help me out in the field. There’s a lot of harsh rhetoric on both sides about who’s going to “win” in the new / old media divide, but non-suckas know that it’s a mutually beneficial relationship up in this. Both old and new media need knowledgeable people to help guide the industry along and use the web’s opportunities. That’s where I’m coming from.

Journalists have long believed very strongly in the separation of business and editorial, and I share that opinion. But I think there’s a definite role for website managers who can navigate both sides of the field: an appreciation for the vital democratic role of the media with the ability to keep the site economically thriving is what’s needed here, and in a nutshell, I’m going to b-school to play that role.

And for the record, I’m agnostic on the football question right now. Sure, Michigan will help with future success, but I lived in Columbus from ages zero to one-month, my mom’s family is all over Central Ohio, and I can hardly turn my back on the greatest NU football moment of all time:

Conflicted.

Cowher

The big story around DC, in the wake of Joe Gibbs’ retirement, has been the search for a new Redskins coach. People are mentioning Russ Grimm and Jason Garrett, but the name that’s getting the biggest play is Bill Cowher. There were three subway workers sitting behind me on a bench today, and they were discussing just how much they want Cowher as the new Skins coach.

Though Bill’s denying that he’ll come back in 2008, I don’t doubt that Dan Snyder is crazy enough to throw around the type of money that will make Cowher say, “You know, I’ll look like I’m completely going back on my word, but for $15 million per season, I’ll be happy to flash my new choppers around Jack Kent Cooke Stadium. Not to mention I get to coach Antwaan Randle El again, and enjoy the hilarity that is Clinton Portis.”

Should the Redskins ever play in Pittsburgh with Cowher as the Skins coach, there’s no question that Cowher will be booed unmercifully and at maximum volume. “But the guy gave them a Super Bowl victory and 21 playoff games in 15 years,” you say. Yes, but remember you’re talking about the “What have you done for me lately?” sports capital of the greater Rust Belt region. Once-popular-Steeler (and airplane homie of mine) Joey Porter was roundly booed this year, and he didn’t even leave the team of his own accord.

My question is for the non-Pittsburgh fans out there: is this unique to Pittsburgh, or would your fans boo a returning coach in a new uniform as well, even if the coach had won you a Super Bowl? Let’s say Brian Billick becomes the Bengals’ new coach: do the Baltimore fans boo and/or stab him?

On second thought, they’d clearly stab him, since they were glad to see him go and stabbing is what Ravens do. But you get the point.

Nine Steelerless Months

Time to become a full-time hockey fan again.

• I went in expecting an uphill battle for the Steelers, and by halftime was ready to turn the game off. Then they managed to get my hopes up just enough in the fourth quarter to make it that much more of a crushing blow. The 2007 Steelers: Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.
• There were many plays today where Willie Parker could have broken extra yards that Najeh Davenport — while a good third-down back — couldn’t get. The Steelers definitely came out determined to avoid the up-the-gut runs that were pwned by Jacksonville in the last game, but when Fast W. is out with a broken leg, it isn’t as effective as it could have been.
• That said, I thought Roethlisberger did an adequate job leading the offense with the running game in such poor shape. While after the first drive — which was great — his first-half performance was hideous, dude tends to play so well in the second half that it’s almost offset. The difference today was the three interceptions: while he often plays just meh in the first half, it’s rarely with so many turnovers that lead to easy points. His second-half self was just what we all expected: rocking the Elway comeback ability — even if he often does dig his own hole — but with ultimately too many cracks in the supporting cast around him to make it work.
• I still think Hines Ward is the best clutch receiver in the NFL. The referees should have awarded him two points on that conversion play just for the catch alone. I guess non-existent holding penalties are always a good excuse.
• Injuries sure are a bitch.
• Trai Essex, my fellow NU alum: I thought you played pretty well. You played like a starter, which is more than can be said for the rest of the offensive line in the second half of this season. If you were playing for your upcoming free agency, at least it benefited the Steelers today.
• The Steelers don’t have too many big-name players up for free agency this year save Alan Faneca, but I can’t say I’m sold on this lineup for another Super Bowl run. I can’t think of a glaring weakness, but something has just been off anyway in the past two seasons. Even in the Super Bowl year, they really overachieved to get that victory.
• I don’t want to be Bob Ligashesky this off-season.
• All things said and done, NBC did get the obligatory molten-steel B-roll shot that goes with any televised Pittsburgh event. That’s a victory in itself.

Penguins, bring it.

Return of the Steeler Funerary Rites

The Post-Gazette wrote that another fan tied his memorial rites in with the Steelers, this time by having the Steelers logo carved into his gravestone and having his wife bring his ashes to the game on Sunday. This story was kind of bittersweet, in that he died having never fulfilled his wish to go to Heinz Field, but he did make it there in the end and it gave comfort to his family. He gets extra props by being from New Hampshire and becoming a Steeler fan by choice instead of by region.

This follows the infamous Pittsburgh funeral of two years ago, where the dude was laid out wearing Steeler gear, sitting in a recliner in front of a TV that played Steeler highlights. He even had a pack of cigarettes and a beer next to the chair. That one was more awesome than sad, and made me think that the deceased must have been a great guy to hang with.

In poor taste, I’d like to note that the Steeler / burial connection is starting to prove a lot more relevant after the past two games.

Steelers v. Bengals

The game:

• The Steelers clearly won that game on merit, but I hate seeing so many controversial calls make it a murky win. This one wasn’t as bad as the Super Bowl, which even I will admit was a lucky break. Still, Seattle beat themselves that time. Enough revisiting.
• Willie Parker has fumbled twice in the entire season before today. Therefore, the fumbles this game get a “so what”.
• Congrats to Hines on the TD record.
• I hate the Patriots, but I hate the Ravens more. That’s why I really hope this screenshot from my Time Magazine NFL pick ‘em league comes to pass. (Also note how close I was on the Sunday tiebreaker score. Hell yeah. Good thing I was wrong, because my prediction would have wound up as a push. But, it didn’t. Hell yeah again.)

3-0

That was the most relieving end to a football game in a long time.

And they even name-checked Woodland Hills. (Though from what I’ve read lately, it’s probably not a place to be proud of anymore. Be sure to read the part where a student tries to excuse his punching a cop because he thought he was only punching a security guard.)

Tank J.

Is any football fan surprised that the Cowboys picked up a dude who pled guilty to weapons and assault charges? I’d like to see them play the Bengals in an arrest-off.