Sunday, December 2, 2007

OU should be in the National Championship Game


Okay. Time for me to be a homer. Still, let's look at this reasonably.

OU should be in the BCS National Championship game. There. I said it. Now it's time for Bob Stoops to say it, and maybe somebody will listen.

#2 West Virginia and #1 Missouri lost on the final weekend of football during the regular season. Now there's a glut of teams prepared to fight amongst themselves for the right to play in the BCS National Championship Game (time for a playoff system anyone?)...

Oh sure, there are plenty of "worthy" candidates, but let's think objectively for a moment. Ohio State's in, despite the fact that they haven't played in several weeks because the idiotic powers-that-be don't require them to play in a conference championship where they would have lost again to a decent Illinois team.. Nevertheless, they're "next in line."

After that, the line's muddled. But I think I can clear it up for you all.

Georgia and Kansas... great teams, but they didn't even make it to their own conference championships. Next!

Virginia Tech... decent squad that actually won its conference championship to a decent Boston College team. But they lost by 41 points to LSU earlier in the season. LSU gets the edge over them.

Hawaii... I'd love to give the 12-0 team a crack at winning it all, but without a playoff, their "quality win" against then #19 Boise State doesn't hold enough weight to excuse their pitiful schedule.

LSU... Granted both its losses were in overtime, but it still lost (to Arkansas and Kentucky). And it barely won just as many games as it barely lost -- hardly the sign of a dominating team. Even their conference championship was won just by one touchdown against a half-good Tennessee team.

USC... Lost to Oregon (which looks much worse now than it did then) and (AT HOME) to Stanford. Plus, they won their final game, but it was against UCLA... woo...hoo...

OU, however, just defeated the #1 team in the nation (for the second time this season). Not only did they defeat them, but they crushed them by three touchdowns! And why are they not the current front-runners for the BCS title game? Because they lost by one touchdown two weeks ago to one of the highest-scoring offenses in the nation (Texas Tech) in a game in which OU had lost their starting QB, Sam Bradford, to a concussion. Oklahoma is not the same team without Bradford at the helm, and they proved that in Saturday's game! If it's all about who you've played and who you've beaten, OU is the only team in contention right now that's beaten a number one ranked team this season.

If I had my way, OU would be playing LSU or USC in the BCS title game, but I doubt the voters will be that savvy. Hence, the lack of a playoff will once again place our college football crown at the hands of "voters," leaving Division-1 college football little more than a figure skating competition.

That said, I'll give OU a 9.5!

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Save Journeyman


Every once in a while, a network station will find a show that offers thought-provoking intelligent drama with excellent characters/actors and a gripping, original plot. This doesn't happen often. Usually we see clones of police, courtroom, or hospital dramas, mired in plots that center around sex (see Private Practice). Sometimes we get a rehash of an old goody that's ruined by poor pacing, bad acting, etc. (see Bionic Woman).

But recently NBC got it right. They ordered 13 episodes of a show called Journeyman. This show has everything a good show should have--excellent pacing, plotting, characterization, etc. The leading man, Kevin McKidd, is phenomenal, and he's surrounded by a fabulous supporting cast.

But apparently nobody watches it. Apparently, it's getting poor ratings, so NBC is canning it after this last episode (Monday, Nov. 26). Well, apparently NBC didn't get it's own memo. They make Journeyman available for free ad-supported download on their new Hulu system. They also provide full episodes for viewing on NBC.com.

Yet NBC doesn't take into account either of these sources when they check for ratings on their shows. In fact, they don't even take into account DVR-delayed viewing, which is becoming increasingly more common. I myself usually DVR Journeyman and watch it on Tuesdays or Wednesdays.

They must be made aware of their folly! Fans of Journeyman, show your support. Let's not let another excellent show slip away due to the inability of the networks to account for changing technology!

Sign this petition to save the show (I'm number 1909): http://www.petitiononline.com/jmf/

And any other suggestions you might have to save the show are welcome. Please share your thoughts!

Monday, November 12, 2007

Where's Sam Bradford in the Heisman hunt?


I was looking on ESPN's Heisman watch to see what the "professionals" had to say about this year's Heisman hopefuls, and I noticed one name glaringly absent -- Sam Bradford.

Oklahoma's rookie QB has some phenomenal stats for a freshman. He's the top rated passer in the NCAA (QB rating of 180 and over 70% completion rating). So where's the love?

I know some people argue that freshman just get overlooked. But Tim Tebow is getting accolades, and both his QB rating and his completion percentage are lower than Bradford's. So what's going on here? Any thoughts?


And I suppose while I'm harping on people being overlooked in the Big XII Conference, what about Mangino's team in Kansas? How does an undefeated team in a BCS conference not get ranked above two one-loss teams in the polls? These coaches and writers need to disregard how teams have faired historically and rank them based on how they're playing now.

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Why I like Superhero Comics


The great thing about superhero comics is that they tie into a sense of wonder innate in all of us. They allow us to touch the fantastic.

What if I could fly? Heal instantaneously? Move things with my mind? Travel through time? These wondrous abilities are more common than hair colors in superhero comics. They give us a chance to live vicariously but also to do it safely.

Other genres may tap into our other desires: Mystery (curiosity). Comedy (humor). Romance (passion). But I truly believe that the superhero genre feeds into our sense of wonder like no other.