Friday, February 27, 2009

This Ain't Intramurals...

VSL is declaring a jihad on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Mark Bradley for his quip that Vanderbilt is an intramurla football team. His "witticism" comes from a post ranking the most annoying coaches in the SEC which was linked to by Matt WIlson on the Nashville City Paper's Nashville Ballerz blog. While Commodore fans can take a modicum of satisfaction that Bobby Johnson ranks dead last in this category. I'm a little surprised, as I'd think given his characterization of Vanderbilt as an intramural team, Bradley would find it mildly irritating that Coach Johnson graduates players and consistently ranks among the least penalized teams in the conference.

I've also got to say that his power ranking (clever comments notwithstanding) take a serious credibility hit by having the Ol' Ball Coach situated in the middle of the pack. I hate Saban as much as the next guy, and can see where Les Miles can grate on one's nerves, but there is no way Spurrier is less annoying than Urban and Richt.

He did get one thing right though: Lane Kiffin is the most annoying coach in SEC, and he hasn't even coached a game yet.

Blast from past...for Boyer in the District:

9 comments:

Douglas James said...

John Jenkins is in this weeks "Faces in the Crowd" in SI. No mention of him matriculating to Vandy in the fall though.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/scorecard/faces/2009/03/02/

Unknown said...

no mention of Vandy = other schools still in the mix

Stanimal said...

It will be hard for other schools to get him since he's already signed an LOI.

As for the Bradley article, you will find my comment in there as "Intramural Team is a Bit Harsh". He actually replied back and said that he meant it as an inside joke because we folded our athletic department into student life, which I thought was at least semi-funny.

Not that much of a Mark Bradley fan anyway as he's a bit too much of an Atlanta sports homer, but I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.

Anonymous said...

no way other schools are in the mix. he had on a vandy shirt at the biggest home game of the year and he signed the LOI. and i saw him tonight at the south carolina game. speaking of, what a game and what a promise this team can be next year. so inconsistent and so frustrating though.

Aaron said...

Cutler was shopped around...what the hell is denver thinking?

Anonymous said...

I said it three years ago that the Broncos would long regret dumping Jake Plummer during the middle of a competitive season for Jay Cutler. Let's look at where it got 'em.

They tanked the back end of the '06 season -- missed the playoffs by a game. They went 7-9 in 2007 -- and missed the playoffs. They went 7-9 in 2008 -- and missed the playoffs. Now they've got a new coach and a crybaby quarterback who's lost the respect of his teammates (and whose $#!hole quotient is reaching epic levels among those who follow the AFC West). His stat line clearly hasn't been worth the damage it's down to their organization.

... Think some of those cats in Denver might want to take a trip back in time and play out the rest of the '06 season with Jake P ... the guy who had them at 13-3 level in '05?

The Doc is proven right once again.

Dr. MZ

Boyer in the District said...

2 things -

1) Thanks for posting the Hawkins rant!

2) I can assure you that Arkansas fans are certainly not upset that Houston Nutt left Fayetteville. We were just tired of having a used car salesman call the plays.

Boyer in the District

Douglas James said...

I disagree Doc. First of all the problem with the 2007-08 Broncos was the Defense not Cutler. Second Matt Cassell is not the answer. He hasn't proven anything to me yet. I think Benji Walker could have thrown for that many yards with the talent he had around him in New England. Finally even if Jake wasn't replaced at the end of 06 he would have been replaced at the beginning of 07. He is supposedly tearing up the amateur handball scene though so there's that.

Anonymous said...

I was only trying to settle a long-running beef with O'Shea. He and I got into about a dozen arguments that year about the benefits of dumping Jake the Snake during the middle of a winning season. My take at the time was that Shanahan caved into a lot of loud sportswriters, most of whom had never played football, by playing Cutler early and costing his team a playoff birth. And yeah, I agree -- Jake would have been gone the next year anyway.

As for Jay Cutler's problems now -- the dude's fast becoming the Jeff George of his generation.

Bigtime arm. Bigtime Numbers. Bigtime Douche.

MZ -- OUT