Upset Saturday?

[Colonel_Reb]

Man, there were some big upsets today! Vandy over Tennessee for the first time in 22 years. In the top 25, there was Georgia Tach taking down #3Miami, Clemson beating #19 South Carolina, #11 Auburn beating #8 Alabama, UAB beating #24 UTEP, and several other near upsets as well. Also Utah over BYU, Air Force over New Mexico, Kansas State beat Missouri, and as I write, #16 Fresno State is up 14-7 on #1 USC! What are your observations on these games?

 

[Don Wassall]

Air Force over New Mexico

New Mexico must have an all-white team.

I'm glad to see Tennessee having a poor season. There's a lot of white football talent in Tennessee high schools that is completely ignored by Philip Fulmer. Not that he's different than other coaches, but I like seeing his program in disarray.

 

[jaxvid]

Rivalry week is always tough for teams. Especially for the favorite. None of the upsets really surprised me except for Vanderbuilt. Last week several teams without a loss got beat. I have to say I'm glad to see Tennessee, Miami, Alabama, and South Carolina lose as they are all staunch caste-system teams.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

If only Vandy could have beat MTSU or Kentucky, which they lost by 2 and 5 points, they would be going bowling for the first time since the 1982 Hall of Fame Bowl! I feel sorry for Vandy. They have had 2-5 win seasons since 99 and they just can't get over the hump. I hate to say this, again, but maybe next year!

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Update on the USC game, at the half it is Fresno State 21, USC 13. I hope Leinart, and not Bush, pulls it out. If Bush or Young gets the Heisman over Leinart, it is a fix, IMHO!

 

[Don Wassall]

I have mixed feelings over Penn State winning the Big 10 title after beating Michigan State today. Certainly absolutely nobody saw it coming as the Nittany Lions had been lousy for several years after decades of dominance. I've always liked and admired Joe Paterno and think it's great that he's been coaching at the same university (first as an assistant then as head coach) for 55 years and is still going strong at 78. I think it's inspirational that he can still dohis job so well at that age, proving that in many ways age is merely a state of mind.


But. . . he's also been a big disappointment. He has blatantly favored blacks when it comes to meting out punishment for off the field transgressions. Whites get severe penalties for things like public drunkeness and phone pranks while blacks accused of aggravated assaults and sex crimes have been treated with kid gloves.


Also, with his reputation and influence, Paterno could have made Penn State a strong bastion of non-conformity to the Caste System; instead he has heartily embraced it. That's what bothers me the most. Joe's a tough as nails Italian guy from Brooklyn who fought his way to the pinnacle of success in his profession, and built a great program with all kinds of white players with names ending in "ski" and "zza" and various other combinations. Think Ted Kwalick, Jack Ham (Polish), and John Cappelletti. But now, it's Caste System all the way. Too bad.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

It is a crying shame to see these old guys do this. You would think they would be hold-outs so to speak, but most of them seem to be the opposite now. I don't understand it, but it sure seems strange. Its like they are sell outs and have no intergity at all.

 

[Don Wassall]

Maybe it's not a lack of integrity so much as a desire to show that they're not "out of touch."

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Maybe, but if that means selling out because of political correctness, I see it as a lack of integrity, or at least a lack of guts.

 

[sport historian]

Don, Fullmer's job may be in jeopardy. This year he lost to Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina (Spurrier), and now Vanderbilt (maybe Kentucky next week). If you live in Tennessee, you know that losing to Vandy on top of the "big ones," is something I Tennessee coach can't do and hold his job for long. Majors was forced out in 1992, for losing to Alabama 7 years in a row, 1986-92. If 2006 is like this year for Tennessee, Fullmer will be gone.


However, I don't see any change in Tennessee's recruiting practices, which have been institutionalized. There are rumors that David Cutcliffe might come back next year as Tennessee's offensive coordinator. He would probably take it if he can't find another head coaching job.


On a historical note, Tennessee's great teams of the early 1950's, had a number of Catholics from the Northeast of Irish and East European extraction. Many were from the Pennsylvania coal mining country.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

I think your talking about the days when Tennessee players wore these style helmets, 1949-1960.

 

[Don Wassall]

However, I don't see any change in Tennessee's recruiting practices, which have been institutionalized.

That summarizes the entire Caste System in a nutshell. No one dares defy what's been institutionalized. And when you see how the fans are so into rivalries like Alabama-Auburn, with two basically all-black teams going at it year after year, it hardly gives a coach incentive to do so.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Forget about that Fresno State upset, they are getting whooped now! Still, there were several games that surprised me today.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Actually, it looks like Fresno is still in it. Well, if they do win, I hope Texas loses somehow, and they don't end up playing for the National Championship.

 

[Bronk]

What is your problem with Texas, Reb?

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Well, they have a black QB for one thing, Bronk, and almost a black everything else. They aren't much blacker than USC though. The main reason is I want Matt Leinart to win the Heisman for the 2'nd time, so that guy from Ohio State won't be the only won to have won it twice. I also don't like it when any team that is Caste System to the extent Texas is winning the title. All we need is a black QB like Young winning the National Championship and Heisman in the same year.

 

[Bronk]

Texas was pretty white even a decade ago. Under Mack Brown the we have seen the Longhorns grow blacker by the year.

 

[Colonel_Reb]

Bronk, I watched the same thing happen at Ole Miss. The 1997 team was fairly white, not half, but close. From 1998 until now it has been downhill big time. I don't root for them anymore, or spend any money going to games or buying merchandise.