Monday Moaning (Choices)

Choices...Choices, choices, choices...

The choices we make can have a major impact on our lives...If you were choosing from the picture above, you're decision would be based on limited information...Who knows what the fronts look like...What if one of them has a dick? Like I said, choices can make a major impact...

In the NFL, teams have to make important choices based on the information they have...Some teams just don't know how to read that information...Perfect example...The Cleveland Browns...They consistently drafting poorly...They've had about 24 different QB's in 15 years...They thought these FUBU looking uniforms were a good idea...

And Josh McCown thought this was going to work out...Dude looked brain-dead before he hit the ground...

Another example, would be which of two big-name college QB's should you draft...Right away I thought the Tennessee Titans got it right with Marcus Mariota...






Kid looks so comfortable, and confident...Has plenty of skills and room to improve...


But based off of everything we knew, I thought Tampa Bay was making a mistake drafting Jameis Winston...The kid carries trouble in his back pocket, and in his brief college career showed so many flaws, not just in his character, but also in his abilities...The Titans D watched the film...






Honestly, I only watched some highlights...I truly can't stand the NFL...I got sick seconds after popping on the Jets / Browns game...And it wasn't just those god-awful uniforms...Just have no taste for the NFL and all their bullshit...I jumped over to NFL network to check on my fantasy guys, just to find out half my team was playing Monday night...


-Sometimes we make choices that lead to change...Sometimes change leads to making choices...The Notre Dame Fighting Irish have to make some choices after finding out they are changing QB's for the rest of the season after this...

That's starting QB Malik Zaire breaking his ankle Saturday...Now Sophomore DeShone Kizer takes over...Another "dual-threat" QB...But do they use the full playbook with Kizer?  Do they try to keep him from running to prevent another season ending injury?  Do they lean toward the running game? Passing game? Balanced?  Choices...Choices based on what they know...Which is more then us when it comes to Kizer...


-There is a choice that needs to be made in Pennsylvania High School football...That choice is to play defense...First, teach kids how to play defense...Friday night Meadville  beat DuBois 107-90...Not in basketball...Football...Meadville's offense was lead by running back Journey Brown who rushed for 722 yards on 30 carries, with 10 TD's....Shockingly while setting a PA record for yards, it's not  a national record...That is 754 yards set in New Jersey by John Giannantonio in 1950...

Dubois' offense was lead by the arm of QB Matt Miller who set a national high school record, throwing for 782 yards, adding 10 TD's himself...

I find this lack of defense disgusting...But I wanted to find some video of these kids lighting it up...Local TV highlights were crap...I couldn't find anything of Miller, but I found Journey Brown's 2014 highlight video on YouTube...





Kid can run...And it sounds like he made a highlight video for 2015 all on Friday night...


-Lastly in this post about choices, is the choice my wife and I have made...With her father having dementia issues, and having had a number of small strokes over the last couple years, as well as her mother having more troubles as she's getting older, we have decided to move toe Erie, PA...We will be able to help handle things for them more, instead of being on call and having to drive in all the time from Cleveland...They don't drive at this point, and my father-in-law's health issues are far more then what my mother-in-law can handle...At some point when we get him into a full-time care facility (which will most likely eat up all their money) we'll take her in with us...

The boy, and Molly are excited...The 13 year girl isn't so thrilled as she is all goo-goo for a boy and has some very good friends here...But she understands why we are making this choice...It wasn't long ago when I wrote about needing a change...Well, here it is...And I'm very excited about it...

After we made our final decision, and signed wheat we needed to sign, I did something I never thought I would do...I started a "go fund me" page to ask for help for this big transition....but I figured millionaire actor Zach Braff used crowd funding to pay for a bad movie studios didn't want to make, why shouldn't I to help get a couple appliances our new home needs, along with a couple pieces of furniture and some paint...The boy doesn't like the idea of his bedroom staying light pink!  So, if you're interested and able, any HELP would be greatly appreciated...

As for the sports scene in Erie...Beside no defense high school football...There is junior hockey, college sports, AA baseball...and it's a hour and half from Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo...So, I can continue being miserable!


Have a week!

Malik Zaire Out for the Rest of the Season

Right there was the moment when many of us Notre Dame fans said, "Shit! There goes the season!"  Actually I yelled "Mother Fucker" when watching the replay that made it look pretty clear that Irish QB, Malik Zaire's season was done...

The Irish offense seemed out of sink for much of Saturday's game with Virginia...And I wasn't thrilled with the defense's play, especially in the second half...At the end of this run, Zaire had racked up 87 yards on 10 carries for the day...He was 7 for 18 in the passing game for 115 yards and a TD...Not quite the performance many of us were expecting after his excellent showing against Texas...But Zaire is the guy...The coaches love him...His teammates love him...He talent is very clear...So ND Nation has hung our collective hat on this kid...

So when coach Brian Kelly confirmed after the game that Zaire had a fractured ankle and would miss the rest of the season, a week after starting running back Tarean Folson's season was ended with a knee injury, hopes of winning season, and making the palyoffs seem harder to imagine...There has been a lot of talk of Notre Dame's depth, but at this rate how long will the depth hold up?

Enter Sophomore QB, DeShone Kizer...Kizer who stepped in Saturday to complete 8 of 12 passes for 92 yards and 2 TD's...One coming on a fake field goal, and the other a 40 yard, last minute, game winning TD pass to Will Fuller...Pulling out a 34-27 win...

Kizer is 6-4, 230 lb. dual-threat QB from Toledo, Ohio...Coming out of High School Tom Lemming had him ranked as the 40th best player in the nation...He saw no game time last year, and got a bit of mop-up duty during the Texas game...He has a seriously strong arm, but seems to need to learn some touch...Also, while the dual-threat QB is nice, and opens up more of the playbook, they also have a better chance of getting hurt, just like Zaire...

The offense rallied around Kizer at the end...Hopefully they won't miss a beat, but I think this season just got a bit tougher...

Monday Moaning

Well, it's Labor Day...Summer is officially over...I'm okay with that...I'm a Fall kind of guy to begin with, so the heat and humidity can fuck off very much please...

And what comes with Fall?  Football!  It was great watching the Fighting Irish beat the living shit out of Texas Saturday night 38-3...The Irish defense was pretty dominate...And the Offense, for the most part was able to do whatever they wanted...The O-Line pushed Texas around...Notre Dame picked up 214 yards on the ground, and almost all of that after starting running back Tarean Folston left the game after 3 carries in the first quarter with a torn MCL injury...3 carries, 19 yards, season over...That sucks!

C.J. Prosise, a RB turned WR, was turned back into RB, and put up 98 yards on 20 carries...Freshman Josh Adams added 2 TD's and 49 yards on 5 carries...Fellow Freshman, Dexter Williams picked up 24 yards on 7 carries late in the game...

Much of the talk around Notre Dame coming into this season has been hype about how they feel this is there best group of players, with the most depth...Well, the backfield depth will have to step up and prove that early now...

As for Texas, I thought they would be more competitive this year, but maybe not...The talking heads kept praising Texas QB, Tyrone Swoopes, and going on about his bright future...REALLY?  kid completed 7 out of 22 passes for 93 yards...I wasn't impressed...They may want to give the other kid a bit more of a look...

An impressive performance was my HEISMAN DARKHORSE, Irish QB, Malik Zaire who completed 19 of his 22 passes for 313 yards and 3 TD's...

Here's the whole game in under 3 minutes for ya...





Oh, and Texas...When you're getting your ass kicked 38-3, and the game has less than two minutes left...And you make a tackle on the 4th string running back...That's not the time you stand over the guy and taunt him...Coach Strong, you got a lot of work to do with those dolts!


- As for the rest of the College Football action, as usual the first week was filled with mostly big-time teams playing cream-puffs...But there were a couple good ones...Northwestern upset #21 Stanford...#2 TCU wasn't impressive at all against Minnesota...Washington gave #23 Boise State all they could handle...#25 Tennessee woke up in the second half after Bowling Green spent the first half exchanging punches with them...Everyone who has Bowling Green on their schedule better watch out...This team plays fast and hard...They have the speed to run with the so-called "SEC Speed"...

And for the weekend's biggest goose-bumps moment...BYU beating Nebraska 33-28 on a "Hail Mary"...






That's a play that will get ya right in the feels, as my son says!

-Kansas State Marching Band...Listen, I'm a big supporter of marching bands...Christ at out local high school games, people go to see the band,  not the football team...(the band could totally take the football team out!)  But Kansas State did you really think no one, especially the PC Police wouldn't catch this move?

They are trying to tell everyone that the cock and balls on the right are suppose to be the Starship Enterprise...It's clear that on the left is a rival Kansas Jayhawk...But really, Star Trek? That's no Enterprise....That's a prize about to enter the Jayhawks mouth!

Screw apologizing...You got caught...Admit that you were shitting....Or jizzing on your rival, and own it, you fucking pervs...It's college football, you're suppose to be dicks to your rival!


-As for life here...It's been crazy...The kids will finally start school Tuesday, as their building were under construction...And the wife is back...Last week, I was a single parent as my wife was in Houston doing training for her new job...Other then her having to make a couple trip there each year, it's going to be great for us...On the plus side, she brought me home a sweet Astros cap!


-One last thing...The judge made his ruling...We all Goodell an his ego are going to fight it...Whatever...I don't give a fuck...So, ESPN, FOX Sports, Bleacher Report, SI, and even us at the Gab...Can we please shut the fuck up and never hear or say the words "deflate-gate" again!?!


Have a week!

The Beeze's Heisman Preview

Here's your next Heisman winner...Ohio State Running Back, Ezekiel Elliott...Yes, the Heisman has become a QB dominated award...11 of the last 12 winners have been QB's...Elliott, like past Ohio State Heisman winners, Eddie George and Archie Griffin, Elliott will restore college football's faith in a dominating running back...

Last year, the 6'0", 225 running back rushed for 1,878 yards...696 of those he racked up in the last three games...220 yards against Wisconsin in the Big-Ten Championship game...230 yards against #1 Alabama in the playoff game...And then 246 yards against Oregon in the National Championship game...

Ohio State head coach Urban Meyer said, "he's the most underrated back in America. He's the most post-contact-yards guy I've ever been around."

When new Ohio State running backs coach Tony Alford came to Columbus from Notre Dame, he didn't hold back his excitement when asked what it would be like coming from ND to Ohio State..."I don't know, it's pretty easy to drive  a Lexus after you've been a Volkswagen." 

While many of the talking heads predict that either Buckeyes QB, Cardale Jones, or J.T. Barrett have a good shot at the award, I'm not sold since we haven't seen either put together a full season...Elliott is the key to the offense....

Having the National spotlight on Ohio State will help his chances...

....That is my front-runner...My prediction of who will win...In past years I make you wait until the end for that...But each year since I have done this, I have nailed it, or at the very worst, had two of the finalists in my list of Heisman hopefuls...So here are the other guys to watch...


-USC Quarterback, Cody Kessler...

Kessler had an excellent season last year on an average Trojans team...He threw for 3,826 yards with 39 TD's...He threw just 5 INT's, and had a completion percentage just of 69.7%...The Trojans are coming off probation, and have some solid play-makers for Kessler to get the ball to...He also has a solid O-Line in front of him...The biggest question is if the team has a enough depth if they sustain injuries...


-TCU Quarterback, Trevone Boykin...

He's already working on the pose...Boykin, ran the high-powered, high-tempo, TCU offense almost flawlessly last season...He is THE dual-threat QB, as his numbers from last season prove...3,901 yards passing with 33 TD', with 10 INT's...Adding 707 yards on the ground with another 8 TD's...

Working against Boykin is that he plays at TCU, which doesn't always get the credit it deserves...Also, I'm not sure TCU can win the Big-12...A Baylor squad returning almost everyone may be too much for the Horned Frogs...


-Miss State QB, Dak Prescott....

Prescott got a look last year while his Bulldogs were 9-0...Then they hit a bad skid, and that was it...He will get early season talk, but I don't think he has a much of shot...The SEC won't be surprised by Miss State this year...Also a key factor...the Bulldogs have to replace Prescott's entire O-Line...

His numbers last year were pretty good...They say the SEC plays defense, but clearly they don't...Prescott threw for 3,449 yards with 27 TD's...He rushed for 986 yards and 14 more TD's...


-Georgia RB, Nick Chubb...

As a Freshman Chubb put up 1,547 yards with 14 TD's...A 7.1 yards per carry average is a nice start to a college career...With Todd Gurley gone, the job is all his...Reports have compared his offseason work ethic to Herschel Walker...


-Sleeper:

Auburn QB, Jeremy Johnson...

In limited duty were Johnson saw snaps in 6 games, he completed 28 of 37 passes for 436 yards, 3 TD's, and no INT's...The Auburn coaching staff feels their run-first-spread offense won't miss a beat with Johnson, and feel he will be a bi-time player...Again, this is a guy who will benefit from the SEC's lack of strong defense...You know, that strong defense they all say they have...



-Really long-shot...This is my Dark-horse...

-Notre Dame QB, Malik Zaire...

Zaire was dubbed Notre Dame's "running QB"...After a solid performance against LSU in the Music City Bowl, where he threw for 96 yards, and rushed for 96 yards, putting up a TD via both ground and air, the rumbles started in South Bend...Eventually it became clear during workouts, and Everett Golson transferred to Florida State where right now he is the #3 guy...

Zaire went back to the Elite 11 this year camp as a counselor...When he was a camper there, (then an option QB) he nearly won the competition...Camp coach, Trent Dilfer had high Praise for Zaire watching him work now as a counsler...

Speaking about Zaire's work ethic Dilfer said, “He’s a machine. He’ll go until he dies.”

Here is what Dilfer said when he was asked how Zaire has evolved as a passer?

“He’s so much more advanced as a passer. Not that he wasn’t before, but I remember getting him from high school, and everybody was saying he’s just a runner who can throw a little bit. And anyone who’s still saying that, I think it’s crazy. He is going toe-to-toe with (Penn State quarterback) Christian Hackenberg, (USC quarterback) Cody Kessler, with all of these supposed passers, and he’s ripping it around as good as anybody. I think Malik has the curse like a lot of college quarterbacks these days that they’re so dynamic as runners that they get devalued as passers. But I think Malik is an exceptional passer.”


Yes, I'm a ND fan...But I'm not saying he's going to win...He's just my long-shot...Hey, I hate Ohio State, and I've got Elliot winning the thing...Don't gamble with your heart...Dad taught me that a long time ago...But if the Irish can notch at least 10 wins, Zaire will be a huge reason why, and may actually get some notice...

Feel free to share your thoughts...