phoenixrising

I didn't see the game, but from what I have seen from Florida this season they don't seem to give a whole lot of commitment to defense. When I see them play they appear to give up a lot of easy baskets. I haven't seen much of them since Drejer left to play in Spain but I imagine that did not help them much.

So I finally finished the 2005 season of my dynasty, with UCLA crushing Miami 49-14 in the Fiesta Bowl to take home their third national title. I then recruited for 2006 and brought in the #1 draft class in the nation. I was helped by the fact that 15 seniors left, thus freeing up a lot of slots. However, despite being the defending three time champs I'm ranked #2, behind Texas. So I may change my schedule to play Texas. I already have UL-Lafayette, Middle Tennessee State, #24 Ole Miss and #3 NC State, with the last three being away games. I might trade the Middle Tennessee State game for a home game with a ranked opponent. I'm trying to load up my non-conference schedule because the Pac-10 never seems to have high ranked teams, just a few around the bottom of the top 25. As for the team, well it's young. I only have five seniors on the squad. The big problem is my offensive line. Four guys left - and they were all All-Americans. I'm not worried at center and tight end, the backups are starters now and they're pretty good. Guard should be fine, with the starters improving from last year. The tackles...aarrrrgh. I went like mad after all the five-star tackles I could get and wound up with a bunch of three stars instead. So one of my tackles is a true freshman, and the other is a converted guard. I lost my top three running backs too but the lone returning halfback is good (89 speed, 65 strength), and I got a runner with 98 speed - Thunder and Lightning. Everywhere else is solid, and my defensive line might be the best in the country. So I'll have to see how it goes.

I wish Brosnan had done one more movie, I first became a Bond fan while he was Bond and I think that after watching the older movies that he did a great job and was one of the better Bonds. I actually think Hugh Jackman could play a great Bond. He seems like he could do both the humorous and serious parts of James Bond. The hardest part is balancing those two, people don't seem to like a Bond who's too funny (Roger Moore) or too serious (Timothy Dalton). If Jackman could balance those character traits like Connery and Brosnan were able to he'd be a great Bond. Not so sure on McGregor. Who's Clive Owen? What has he starred in? Seems like a few people on here think he could pull Bond off too.

I don't mind the commentary. I actually heard a line where I was playing, Corso was talking about giving someone a car, and Herbie says "A car? With your luck?" Corso then says his car was hit by lightning (reference to the ESPN game cancelled a few years ago by lightning, it struck Corso's rental car). At least they put in a lot of new lines this year, unlike Madden.

I tuned in just wanting to catch a few minutes and I saw the AFC jump out 14-0 so I just kinda left it on figuring the AFC was going to blow the NFC out. Then the NFC just turned it on. I loved the fourth quarter. Everyone was playing HARD - the way they never seem to play in the Pro Bowl. There were even a couple of roughing the quarterback penalties. I figured there would be an overtime but Vanderjagt missed, maybe he was surprised that some guys actually rushed him. Great game, it was pretty funny cause I was talking about all-star games with someone and we agreed that the Pro Bowl was the worst one cause the starters never show and the guys try not to get hurt rather than play hard. Maybe it was because of all the first-timers there (something like fifty guys were playing in their first one) but they played like it was a game that mattered, and it showed.

I completed it. You have to be really good against the run and good with your onside kicks. I've also noticed that SMU seems to fumble often when they have the ball, so even if you don't get the onside kick you still have a shot. On offense, try to score on one play, just go for the endzone. Yeah I have tried it all and closest I have come to completing it is losing by 8 and have one last shot at the end zone but not scoring. Does going for 2 when you are down 45-25 help? Thanks. It might, going for two makes it 45-27...score again and go for two makes it 45-35, then you'd only need a TD and extra point, and you'd have the option to kick a field goal to tie (all games go into OT regardless of if there was OT when they played or not). Or go for two on all three scores, it makes it 51-45, either way you have to score three times. I prefer to stick with the extra points, unless you're not paying attention or they get blocked (very rare) you always get the one, while you might get the two point conversions about half the time.

I completed it. You have to be really good against the run and good with your onside kicks. I've also noticed that SMU seems to fumble often when they have the ball, so even if you don't get the onside kick you still have a shot. On offense, try to score on one play, just go for the endzone.

Pause the game, go to Coaching Strategies and then Depth Chart. Select the guy you want in and put him in the #1 slot. I do this with my backs to give my starter a rest or put in a change of pace back. Or in the case of my dynasty, I put in the other QB. I actually started Fowler against Washington State and threw for 300 yards and three scores and ran for one, so I'm going to keep him as the starter for now. You could go into Formation Sub and put different guys into different formations, but then I get confused about who's where. About all I use it for now is to put my best linebacker in the Dime and Nickel formations if he isn't there already.

So I finally got back to my UCLA dynasty after taking a couple month long break to play the bowl games (I recorded the results and MVP's too - I'm such a dork), and play my new games (Madden and Naval Ops: Warship Gunner). I'm in the third year and ranked #1. My goal is to play up to the national championship which is in the Rose Bowl, get that trophy and either switch to a different team in the same dynasty or start a new dynasty. I want to use a mid-major - either BYU or Hawaii - for a little more of a challenge. Anyway, I'm 8-0, and playing #21 Stanford who is 8-1. It's in Stanford. Home advantage must have helped because they jumped out to a 17-7 lead. I have Matt Moore in the game, and he's throwing picks and getting pressured big-time. So I switch to my other quarterback, Stuart Fowler, who's more mobile (I've been switching off between these two QB's for a few weeks now, when one goes into a funk I put the other one in and it usually does the trick). I go up 21-17, Stanford scores to make it 24-21, then they get the ball back. Then Glenn Oheari takes it away with a long interception return to make it 28-24 UCLA in the second quarter. I finally get into a groove and win 80-24. Despite Moore's 205.6 passer rating I'm going to start Fowler for the next game. Moore has better accuracy, Fowler's the better scrambler. I like using Fowler cause if I get pressured I can just scramble for first-down yardage, and I can use the few option plays in the UCLA playbook to get out on the edge and run with either Fowler or Tyler Ebell (now rated 98 in the dynasty), or throw up a quick option pass (rapidly becoming one of my favorite plays, the computer doesn't know what hit them). I'm #1 in both polls but #2 in the BCS behind Ohio State. I have three games remaining, against Washington State, #18 Oregon and USC.

My favorite players of all time are now in the Hall. Congrats to two of the best players to play the game, John Elway and Barry Sanders. I think Jim Marshall and Art Monk are getting shafted though. Both are deserving of the Hall, maybe they'll make it in in future seasons.

Amen to MTV never hosting a halftime show again. Now we can get back to talking about the actual game itself and not some stunt performed by a fading star trying to take the heat off her brother or trying to generate record sales and another pop star who's trying to top his ex-girlfriend's stunt. Maybe the singers will actually, you know, SING for a change. I actually thought the halftime show was all right up until that sorry incident but I just dismissed it and watched a great game. The commercials weren't Super Bowl quality this year either. My personal favorites were the Pepsi commercial with a young Jimi Hendrix and the Budweiser donkey commercial.

1998 - UCLA/Miami - the last second pass by McNown into the endzone flying just above Brad Melsby's hands and blowing UCLA's shot at the national championship game (and the way it looks now it's gonna be a long time before they get anywhere near that level again). 2000 - Tennessee/Jacksonville, AFC Championship game - Tennessee getting a safety, then Derrick Mason returning the ensuing kick for a touchdown to kill the Jags hopes of a Super Bowl. 2002 - Kings/Lakers, Game 4, Western Conference finals watching Horry's last-second three go in. If Sacramento wins they go up 3-1 and probably finish the Lakers off, but it wasn't destined to be.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/2...mtvassault.html She got arrested for pushing the ex-Marine. I think she was trying to show the cop what she did cause it didn't look like she was pushing him very hard. On a side note, those are a nice set of melons Robin has. No wonder she's a Coyote Ugly dancer. About the interviews...they're done every week with each cast member. The cast members are told to speak in present tense so it seems like they are reacting to the incident being shown when the interview could have taken place days or weeks after the incident. Also, I've learned to think of Real World episodes as not being in chonological order, but as individual stories, incidents and themes that the editors felt would make a good episode.

Another Pedro, or just a loudmouth?... Frankie has cystic fibrosis. Not a loudmouth, but she got drunk the first night, attempted to make out with one of the guys in the jacuzzi (who had a girlfriend) and wound up puking on her bed (shown in great detail with a close-up shot). Cameran is already beginning to remind me of Trishelle from Real World: Las Vegas. So far we've had one attempted hookup, one possible hookup, and what looks like a boating accident and a couple of arrests. It doesn't look like they're going to show anything about the rape in the house though. I guess I'll see how long I stick with it - I've wound up not watching the last two Real Worlds about the halfway point of the season, so we'll see how long San Diego keeps me interested.

I don't know about Lee Smith. He has the career saves record, but I really don't think he was the dominant closer Gossage and Eckersley were. My Hall of Fame Picks: Molitor, Eckersley, Dawson and Sandberg. I think the other guys might sneak in over the next couple of years... Wade Boggs is the only shoo-in vote until McGwire, Ripken and Gwynn are eligible (I think 2007).

Love the Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies and You Only Live Twice teasers. Hate hate HATE the A View To A Kill one. I like the Beach Boys, but man that song is so misplaced there. Just is weird and out of place.

Jimbo, if you're using the option a lot be prepared for your QB's to get hurt a lot. My brother has had dynasties with Navy and Air Force. In the Navy dynasty Candeto was out for half the season; in the Air Force one Harridge missed a couple of games. A couple of times with UCLA I've used the option as a change-up and wound up getting my QB's knocked out for the game. In exhibition games I've lost QB's on option plays very often, it's easier for the defenders to get the big hit and knock them out of the game.

UCLA Bruins - 34-0, 8 games into my third season. 2003 season - went 12-0, Tyler Ebell wins the Heisman, defeated Miami in Sugar Bowl. 2004 season - 12-0, Craig Bragg wins Heisman, defeated Miami in Orange Bowl, turned down offer to coach Tennessee, Bragg sets NCAA record for most recieving yardage in season; Drew Olson sets NCAA record with 55 touchdown passes then turns pro after his junior year. 2005 season - 8-0 so far, put it on hold so I could play the bowl games, after this season I am going to switch to a mid-major school, UCLA has a decent prestige level to begin with so it's ridiculously easy to get top-5 recruiting classes. The only interesting things about this season - Ebell was hurt for three games so that might cost him the Heisman, and I have a QB controversy - between dropback passer Matt Moore and scrambler Stuart Fowler. I threw five picks with Fowler in the first game and replaced him with Moore, Moore has been good but Fowler has been just as good if not better when I do play him, so I might go back to Fowler.

Nolan Ryan, who is still the best pitcher of all-time in my book. I loved how he could just go out and just absoultely blow through the opposing lineup with fastballs. And the guy was tough too, as Robin Ventura found out.

You're right Johnny, it was the 1972-73 Sixers.

December 16 New Orleans: North Texas 6 pts. December 18 GMAC: Miami (OH) 18 pts. December 22 Tangerine: N.C. State 4 pts. December 23 Fort Worth: Boise State 21 pts. December 24 Las Vegas: Oregon State 8 pts. December 25 Hawaii: Hawaii 1 pt. December 26 Motor City: Bowling Green 11 pts. Insight: Virginia Tech 10 pts. December 27 Continental Tire: Virginia 12 pts. December 29 Alamo: Nebraska 15 pts. December 30 Houston: Texas Tech 5 pts. Holiday: Texas 24 pts. Silicon Valley: UCLA 3 pts. December 31 Music City: Wisconsin 9 pts. Independence: Missouri 13 pts. Liberty: Southern Miss 16 pts. Sun: Minnesota 14 pts. San Francisco: Boston College 7 pts. January 1 Outback: Florida 22 pts. Gator: West Virginia 17 pts. Capital One: Georgia 23 pts. Rose: USC 27 pts. Orange: Miami 25 pts. January 2 Cotton: Mississippi 19 pts. Peach: Tennessee 20 pts. Fiesta: Kansas State 26 pts. January 3 Humanitarian: Georgia Tech 2 pts. January 4 Sugar: Oklahoma 28 pts.

For the ten I would pick: Paul Molitor Dennis Eckersley Ryne Sandberg Andre Dawson Rich Gossage Jim Rice Steve Garvey Dave Parker Bruce Sutter Lee Smith I think Molitor and Eckersley are locks, with Sandberg and possibly Dawson also getting in. I wouldn't be surprised if five or six other players from this class get in over the next two years, as there is no Hall of Fame lock outside of Boggs.

Once again a MAC game is the game to see this week. I think Bowling Green has a good shot...they seem to play better as the hunter than the hunted as witnessed by their big win over Northern Illinois followed by the loss to Miami of Ohio. Also, trying to beat a team twice in the same year is very hard to do. Bowling Green seemed to be thrown off of their game the first time...playing at home and being the underdog I think BGSU will play better now that most of the pressure is off them. I can't wait to see two of the best quarterbacks in the nation go at it once again...maybe Josh Harris can have a better game this time.

If Larry Fitzgerald has a big game this week and helps Pitt beat Miami I'd say Fitzgerald for the Heisman. Fitzgerald is the best player in college football right now. White may have great recievers and a good line, but that TD/INT ratio - 40/6 - is damned impressive and shows me 1) he's making good decisions 2) he's not turning the ball over and 3) the reason Oklahoma's offense has been so successful isn't just because of their great recievers and line - White is playing a huge role. Chris Perry would be my number 3 pick...I think him being a non-factor in both Michigan losses will hurt him though, the same way it hurt Larry Johnson last year. Four would be Eli Manning...he's been as steady as he has been the past two years, but Ole Miss has a better record this season. Rounding out my top 5 is B.J. Symons...I think he'll get a look based on the ridiculous numbers he has put up all season, especially the single-season yardage record and total offense records he now holds.

One dog, a six year old Alaskan Malamute named Shasta.