Happy Holidays

Merry Christmas even though it's late and a happy impending new year. The Big Cat will be back after the new year to do more blogging.

One Last Hurrah

One last hurrah for the Dallas Cowboys this weekend as their playoff hopes remain on the line and the last game in the storied history of Texas Stadium will take place between the Cowboys and Ravens. Before we get to the game lets talk about the Stadium itself. For many years Texas Stadium and The Dallas Cowboys have been an icon around the world. The odd stadium with the hole in the roof has become as synonymous and historic as the team itself. Texas Stadium has housed The Cowboys as well as The Big XII Championship and many, many years of the Texas Highschool State Playoffs. For me personally the stadium is kind of a rathole and not fitting of "America's Team", but at the same time the charm of that stadium is what makes it so unique. I can't tell you how many times I've sat in that stadium and watch high school teams do battle on the field for the Texas High School State Title. A Title that may be the biggest honor on the high school level in the nation considering the brand of football played in the Lonestar State. Many great moments have taken place on that field including the Drew Pearson comeback against the Redskins, Emitt Smith breaking the NFL all time rushing record, and the greatest high school game ever played between Plano East and Tyler John Tyler shown below.

The Cowboys will soon move to a new luxury stadium being built right down the street from me in Arlington. Jerry Jones has cut no expense to make this Stadium the suitable home for "America's Team." Come out and join The Talkin Trash Tailgate Bash at the Cowboys/Ravens game this Saturday.

Kickoff is at 7:15 on the NFL Network, but we will be in the Red Parking Lot starting around Noon, drinking, eating and giving a proper send off to Texas Stadium. We will have the game on at our tailgate so come by, say hi, and have a beer and a burger. The Map to where we are is listed below but we are against the railing in Red Parking. Look for our emblem on our grill.

So enough of my own personal plugging, let's get onto to thoughts about this weeks game.

The Cowboys showed a little fight as they defeated the New York Giants last week completing step 1 of 3 to get to the playoffs. This week a suprising Ravens team led by rookie QB Joe Flacco rolls into Texas Stadium. The Ravens have played their usual brand of stingy and agressive defense led by former Hurricanes Ray Lewis and Ed Reed, and Flacco has managed to get them into position to win enough games.

The circus that is the Cowboys locker room right now put itself on hold last week enough for the Cowboys to muster an impressive offensive performance and their every impressive defense clamped down on the Plax-less Giants. The defense led by edge terror DeMarcus Ware who is within 3 sacks of tying the NFL single sack record is going to be the key to the Cowboys continued success. For now the fires in the locker room have been put out but it's time to keep rallying because they are not out of the woods yet. A big win this week would give the Cowboys needed momentum to finish off the Eagles next week and clinch a playoff spot. If I were asked to give the Cowboys a pep talk this week I would harken back to the words of William Shakespeare. Football is often compared to war and even though "Once more into the breach dear friends" from Henry V, I would go to a more inspiring part from the same Henry V.

This day is called the Feast of Crispian:
He that outlives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a-tiptoe when the day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall see this day and live t'old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbours,
And say "To-morrow is Saint Crispian":
Then will he strip his sleeve and show his scars
And say "These wounds I had on Crispin's day."
Old men forget: yet all shall be forgot,
But he'll remember with advantages
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names,
Familiar in his mouth as household words
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter,
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester,
Be in their flowing cups freshly remembered.
This story shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispian shall ne'er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today that sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he ne'er so vile,
This day shall gentle his condition:
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks
That fought with us upon Saint Crispin's day.

The Cowboys are in a state where they really need to bunker down in the foxhole and take an "us against the world" mentality. The Cowboys defense can match up well with a rookie QB and no explosive playmaker on the team, but the Ravens defense will not lie down and let the Cowboys offense roll their helmets out on the field and take home a win. I'm not gonna pretend to be an expert and break down all aspects of the game, so come on out to the tailgate, see for yourself, and help us send Texas Stadium off with a bang!

No Funeral...

This year my hopes were dashed in the worst way. I really thought The Bills were ready to take that next step and make their way back to the playoffs. I believe in Trent Edwards and still do if the guy can just stay healthy. The Bills came firing out of the gates at 4-0 and Trent Edwards was playing at a Pro Bowl level. Brady and the Pats were down and the Jets and Dolphins were in old form and September was good. Edwards was getting the most out of deep threat Lee Evans, and while Marshawn "Beast Mode" Lynch wasn't racking up the yards he was getting in the end zone. Trent Edwards went down in Arizona and the Bills hopes were dashed. Since then Edwards has gone through a turnover plagued stretch and had some injuries which forced former 1st round pick JP Losman into action. The Bills clinging to a shred of hope for the playoffs rolled into the Meadowlands last Sunday and almost won until Losman did what he did best. He choked. Below is my tribute to JP Losman via Youtube (audio on video not safe for work or children).

Now I did not always think this way of JP, in fact I was a huge fan and had a Losman jersey at one time. I actually said to my friend John on draft day that year, "I will be ecstatic if the Bills just get Lee Evans and JP Losman in this draft." The thing with Losman is that he's got it all, he has a big arm and can make all the throws, he's tough, and makes plays with his legs. The downfall of Losman is that he can't and has never been able to take care of the ball. Many are blaming head coach Dick Jauron, but I can't do that because he was trying to win a game. Losman who was benched last year in favor of Trent Edwards, requested a trade but has since said he will play his remaining days in Buffalo and take his free agency. One thing is for sure, for Buffalo to win they need to find some potion for Trent Edwards to stay healthy, get a quality backup QB, find a center, get someone explosive at the TE and LB positions, and get out of their own way. I don't know why I should be suprised, since the Bills have done this to me all of my life. When I first became football conscious I grew a man crush for Jim Kelly and watched Scott Norwood dash my hopes. The next three years they gave up three more Superbowls including two to my hometown Cowboys. The Music City Sham was next to jade me and the "Monday Night Miracle" last year when the Bills dominated the Cowboys up and down the field and Nick Folk kicked a 600 yarder twice to win the game in the Bills triumphant return to Monday Night Football. one of these days i will get some sports karma and the Bills will make me happy. I can be jaded all I want and vent all over my blog, but the fact is when the Bills return to training camp at St. John Fisher College I will be watching with Bills gear on, reading practice reports, and holding onto the hope my Bills will return to the playoffs and maybe actually win one. In April I will pour over draft reports and take whatever the Bills do as my next shred of hope that "This is the year." Until that time lies another long offseason of disappointment. Circle the wagons Bills fans, we've got to rally at some point.

I'll keep it short, but classy

I don't have much going on tonight. I'm just watching "Sports Night" on DVD, but I did want to mention the Heisman Trophy. As a Longhorn fan I wanted Colt McCoy to win it and moreso I felt he deserved it. Not to say Tebow and Bradford were less deserving, but all three were grat candidates. As a Longhorn fan I'm ignoring every bone in my body that hates Oklahoma, the state, the university, and the coaches and players. I've come to appreciate Bradford this year. He seems like a very classy guy and a great competitor. He's soft spoken and has driven the Oklahoma offense with precision accuracy. The numbers are all there for all three competitors and I will reiterate that even though I thought McCoy deserved it I will say that I can't argue against Bradford winning it. Congratulations to a great young man, but that's where it ends. I hope Tebow and the Gators pound the Sooners into submission. As I said earlier I hate the team, the state, and most of their coaches and players because I am a Longhorn, but I will be pulling for Bradford once he leaves that god-awful state. The lowlight of the night was that jackass idiot Billy Sims yelling "Boomah!!!" when Sam was announced. Below is the video of the presentation.

Soapbox Time...

Way to go Billy Sims. After Bradford, McCoy , and Tebow and their families brought a lot of class to the Downtown Athletic Club, Sims decided he was not the center of attention and decided he would then grab the spotlight and focus it directly on himself. This from a guy who was a great runner no doubt, but a deadbeat dad who owed so much in child support he contemplated selling his Heisman Trophy. This is a guy who represented the face of Barry Switzer's dirty outlaw program. This is a guy who was so insecure that he needed to jump out and steal the moment away from Sam Bradford. Congratulations Billy, your shining star has faded so much you take every oppurtunity you can to to light it up just a bit. As much as an Okie (Bradford) can bring some class to the situation, it just as quickly was taken down a level by Sims' grandstanding. Please go Kurt Cobain yourself in a remote area.

He Loves Him Some Him

Earlier this week trouble erupted at Valley Ranch after a group of Wide Receivers led by Terrell Owens allegedly approached Offensive Coordinator Jason Garrett about the relationship between Tony Romo and Jason Witten. Considering Owens' past no one is suprised by his antics. T.O. and the team are denying any rift in the locker room, but Ed Werder reported earlier this week there is definitely trouble at The Ranch. This couldn't come at a worst time for The Cowboys as the team has stumbled this season under the pressure of tremendous expectations and face a tough three game stretch against the Giants, Ravens, and Eagles. The Cowboys defense has been playing well, but the offense hasn't hit it stride against a good team since early in the season. Sometimes in some seasons trouble like this can do one of two things. It can unite a team for a stretch run, or totally tear it apart and shoot the wheels off. With the personalities in the Cowboys locker room (T.O., Romo's celebrity, Pacman Jones) I would bet on the latter. One thing's for sure, times have certainly changed since this.

Now I have always been one to speak up for T.O. and be a staunch apologist for Owens, but even he should know not to do this. The always paranoid Owens is a team leader and for the most part has been a good teammate, but if he is a leader as he says he should be mature enough to step up, be a leader, and constructively help the team. Things look dark for America's team but I will remind you the Talkin Trash Tailgate Bash will be at the game this week against the Giants and next week against The Ravens, so come out an join us.

The Heisman...

Tomorrow night the three best players in the nation converge on New York for the Heisman Trophy Presentation. A couple of weeks ago I reported here that I thought it was down to a two man red river shootout between Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. Tim Tebow raced back in the picture over the last couple of weeks to win our hearts and AP votes. Tebow is the model citizen helping to minister in The Phillipines and leading the Gators to an SEC Championship and a berth in the BCS Championship game. ESPN says there is No Wrong Answer. I tend to agree with the experts here as each player has done enough to to hoist the trophy. Without further interruption here is how my ballot would look for the Heisman if they gave me a vote.

1st Place - Colt McCoy - QB - The University of Texas

McCoy has been the consumate leader for his team and I realize for those who know me it will come off as a homer pick, but I will echo the sentiments of many who say McCoy has done the most with the least. I will give the MVP argument for this one and say no man is as important to his team as McCoy. He has led his team in passing and rushing this year, and did it with a team that was supposed to be in a down year. Following a sophomore slump last year McCoy has shown precision accuracy and a tough blue collar attitude to lead the "Lunchpail Longhorns." The small town QB with a name suited only for playing for the Longhorns has been impressive with virtually no running game.

#2 - Sam Bradford - QB - Oklahoma

Bradford has the most impressive numbers (albeit some of them coming in garbage time with the Sooners running the score up), but nonetheless has been very impressive. Sam has been nearly perfect this year and has really spread the ball around to his high powered offense to lead the highest powered scoring machine that is the Sooners' offense. Despite being a Horns fan I have a very high appreciation and respect for Bradford. He seems like a classy kid and he plays his ass off when on the field. Bradford has led this team as a 3 star QB coming out of high school and he has led them to the top of the mountain. Even though I've always liked Colt McCoy as my QB and team leader, I can't say I'd be upset if Bradford won the trophy.

#3 - Tim Tebow - QB - The University of Florida

I'll admit I was a Tebow critic, not so much as to say I don't believe he's a great player because I do, but I didn't see that "It" factor in him. Mel Kiper suggested this week he's one of the top three players to ever play college football, and I just dont believe that. I will say my tune changed when I saw a feature on Tebow on the Home Depot College Football Awards show about his ministry to The Phillipines. I knew the stories of Colt McCoy and his ministry, but was impressed with Tebow's story mainly because I've always viewed him as the typical college playboy. I admit I'm ashamed that I judged im so quickly and I received a refreshing view of him, but besides the fact he'd make a great neighbor, Tebow is clearly a great football player. As I said before I don't see the "it" factor had by Vince Young, Adrian Peterson, Ricky Williams, Reggie Bush, and many others had, but nonetheless he is a great team leader. After losing to Ole Miss at home, Tebow vowed they wouldn't lose again and he would play his heart out. He doesn't have the numbers of McCoy or Bradford, but he does have some superstar moments including his play in the SEC championship game. To revisit the earlier content about my feelings concering Tim Tebow, my father maintains I resented him because of this...

I would say there could be some validity to that...

And Finally...

Today I made one of the best decisions I've ever made and purchased "Sports Night" on DVD. My dad got me onto this show when it first started in 1998, and I loved it. The show full of quick witted banter seemed to be ahead of its time and was cancelled just two seasons in. For fans of "The Office" this show runs along the same lines with more direct humor. I would love to see this show come back, but it wont and I think it would be funnier if on HBO and not written for network TV. For anyone wondering why I havent had a blog out in the past few days, I've had a bit of writers block. I've been watching this all night and in an episode where the character "Dan Rydell" had writers block it inspired me to get on and write so big thanks to Dan Rydell and Casey McCall.

Playoffs?...Don't talk about Playoffs. Playoffs?

What's on Mike's Mind today? Playoffs of course. The NFL is nearing the playoffs and the NCAA is in need of a system. Now I know what you're thinking...

Sorry I just wanted an excuse to put that in there...

Let's start off with a couple of my quick hitting playoff thoughts.

Yesterday as I watched Cowboys/Steelers I was very impressed with the Cowboys defense. Actually at one point I texted my friend Steven and told him if they win that game they go to the NFC championship game. I was that impressed with this Cowboys D and have been for the past few weeks. I told him I thought they had gotten their struggles out of the way mid-season and were gearing up into playoff form. All it took was one Tony Romo pass to erase all of that. The Cowboys still have hope but will have to navigate a tough road and beat The Giants/Ravens/Eagles. I don't know if they can do it but come on out and join the Talking Trash Tailgate Bash at the Giants and Ravens games. By the way, after the game Steven who is the biggest Cowboy fan I know texted me with this. (Warning not safe for work or children)

"Danny White is better. I predict huge failures over the next 3 weeks,
Romo is a mental Midget! Put that in your damn blog! Romo is a P*ssy
and a mental midget! I'm trying to have a good night
but F*cking 4 turnover Tony ruined it. Quote me on that one
too. He probably has a broken Vagina...P*ssy 'I'm cold'"

-Steven
Craig Roderick

What happened to Buffalo? 4-0 start 3-6 the rest of the way. It is really not a good time for me to be a Bills fan.

Is Carolina the team that can beat The Giants in the playoffs? The Panthers feature an offense much like the Giants with superstar WR Steve Smith and the two headed rushing attack of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart.

The Answer to the above is...No...The Giants are still the best team in football.

What happened to Green Bay? The NFC North is begging for someone to step up and win that thing and The Packers can look elite at some times and terrible at others. Not a good year for my father The Packer fan.

Who will represent the AFC in the Superbowl? The Titans are still the class of that division, I'm just not sure Kerry Collins leads them there. I predict Steelers/Colts in the championship game.

Onto College Football...

The Big Cat has devised a 16 team playoff system. Before you read you should know that while a playoff would fix some things, there will always be something to complain about. I first devised an 8 team system that would only showcase the top 8 teams in the BCS rankings but then it turns to "Why aren't we in the top 8" and "We won our conference." Here is how a 16 team playoff system looks based on the latest BCS rankings taking the conference champions from the BCS conferences and the other "At Large" bids.

Conference Champions

Big XII - Oklahoma

Big East - Cincinnati

ACC - Virginia Tech

SEC - Florida

Big Ten - Penn State

Pac 10 - USC

At Large Bids

Texas

Alabama

Utah

Texas Tech

Boise State

Ohio State

TCU

Oklahoma State

Georgia Tech

Georgia

At this point you take the top 4 teams according to ranking (Oklahoma/Florida/Texas/Alabama) and seed the teams according to ranking with the top seeds going to the top 4, and the conference winners remaining getting the next highest seeds in the first round. If a conference winner is to face another conference winner the team with the highest BCS ranking (not counting the top 4 seeds) getting the nod with the top seed and play them at the top seed's stadium. The other at large bids will play at the location of the higher ranked team.

1st Round Matchups - And my picks

Georgia vs. Oklahoma - At Oklahoma - Oklahoma Wins

Georgia Tech vs. Florida - At Florida - Florida Wins

Oklahoma State vs. Texas - At Texas - Texas Wins

TCU vs. Alabama - At Alabama - Alabama Wins

Ohio State vs. USC - At USC - USC Wins

Boise State vs. Penn State - At Penn State - Penn State wins

Cincinnati vs. Virginia Tech - At Cincinnati - Virginia Tech Wins

Texas Tech vs. Utah - At Utah - Texas Tech Wins

At this point you re-seed according to BCS rank and play these games at traditional bowl sites.

Round 2 matchups - And my picks

Oklahoma vs. Virginia Tech - At The Cotton Bowl - Oklahoma Wins

Florida vs. Penn State - At The Orange Bowl - Florida Wins

Texas vs. Texas Tech - At The Fiesta Bowl - Texas Wins

Alabama vs. USC - At The Outback Bowl - USC Wins

Semi Finals

Oklahoma vs. USC - At The Sugar Bowl - Oklahoma Wins

Texas vs. Florida - At The Rose Bowl - Texas Wins

Finals

Texas vs. Oklahoma - Rotating BCS Site

Ok so I know based the semi final pick on the fact I'm a Longhorn fan, but who cares I'm just a fan with a blog, and we all get what we wanted, a chance for Texas and OU settle it on the field. Past those bowls let all the other bowl eligible teams play in their bowls. It's not perfect but it's a start.

Stay Classy Norman

Oklahoma wins it's 3rd straight Big XII title in what was called "The JV Bowl" or the "Beat By Texas" bowl. The Sooners also set an NCAA record by registering the fifth straight game in which they scored 60+ points. That is a very impressive record to the naked eye, but having your starting QB in with 4 minutes to go in the game throwing into the end zone with a 35 point lead is not a classy way to win games. But don't tell that to "Big Game" Bob, he's just running his offense. By the way, it seems like such a long time ago that Bob Stoops earned his nickname, but now in Longhorn circles he's referred to as "Choke Job" Bob. Is that Longhorn sour grapes or reality? Let's be honest the Sooners last few BCS Bowls have not been great performances. Let's look at the evidence.

2004 - Sugar Bowl - LSU 21 - Oklahoma 14

The Sooners rolled into New Orleans led by Jason White, Mark Clayton and a high powered Sooner offense. The Saban led tigers had a smothering defense led by Will Muschamp and grounded the OU air attack. Some thought USC should be in this game and the AP awarded a split national championship between Oklahoma and USC. This sparked a discussion of who was the better team and how it wouldn't be decided...or would it?

2005 - Orange Bowl - USC 55 - Oklahoma 19

This was to be a matchup for the ages and the previous year's argument was to be settled. On one side Oklahoma boasted the nation's youngest and best player in Adrian Peterson to go along with Jason White fresh off a Heisman trophy win. On the other USC had the big 3 of Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and LenDale White to go along with a fast and furious defense. Both teams traded punches for a while and then USC broke the game wide open after an Oklahoma special teams mistake. USC never looked back and embarrassd the Sooners on the national stage. After two straight national title losses criticism begin to fall on Bob Stoops.

2007 - Fiesta Bowl - Boise State 43 - Oklahoma 42

The Sooners started off with a rough year by having starting QB Rhett Bomar kicked off the team for receiving pay. Paul Thompson stepped in and did a pretty good job all things considered even with an injured Adrian Peterson. Due to Texas stumbling down the stretch to Kansas State and Texas A&M, OU backed in to the Big XII title game which they won. On the other side BCS buster Boise State went undefeated and was given a Fiesta Bowl berth. Oklahoma was picked as a sure winner and an example to show why the small schools shouldn't be allowed in the BCS. Instead Oklahoma fell behind Boise but came back to take the lead until Boise State sent it to overtime on the Hook and Lateral play known as "Circus". Adrian Peterson started off OT with a 25 yard TD run and looked like they would put it away. Boise State then executed a direct snap to their running back on 4th and 2 from the 5 who hit Derek Schouman in the end zone to tie. In a gutsy move The Broncos went for two to win the game and ran the famous Statue of Liberty to win the whole thing as "Choke Job" Bob was officially born after a loss to the WAC. Enjoy this

2008 Fiesta Bowl - West Virginia 48 - Oklahoma 28

The Sooners were quarterbacked by the nations leader in passing efficiency in Sam Bradford and an exciting running back in DeMarco Murray. West Virginia missed a shot at the National Title Game by laying an egg against Pitt in the last game of the season. Oklahoma was thought to still be the better team with a hard nosed smash mouth offense. Oklahoma's potent offense was shut down, while Pat White, Steve Slaton, and Noel Devine exploited a slow Oklahoma defense with their speed. West Virginia got out to a quick start and never looked back and once again "Big Game" Bob was relegated to "Choke Job" Bob.

With this in mind, how many points will Florida put on them?

In Conclusion...

We continue with the Big Cat's picks for the major College Football Awards.

Nagurski Award - Brian Orakpo - Defensive End - Texas

(Nation's top defensive player)

This was a tough decision with so many outstanding defensive players in that nation. USC's Ray Maualuga, Ohio State's James Laurinaitis, and Florida's Brandon Spike's are all tremendous players who have had tremendous seasons, but Orakpo has given a little attitude and nastiness to a Texas defense that has struggled in previous years. Call it a homer pick, but Orakpo has been downright unstoppable this year. He's rolled up 10.5 sacks and who knows how many he could have had if Big XII officials called holding. Orakpo has been a great leader of the team and has made so many impact plays this season. He will be the strongest pleyr in this class too as he is amazing in the weight room. He's on record as holding a 515 lbs bench press and runs in the 4.6 in the 40. Orakpo is a tremendous athlete and has played his way into this award. As cited in the picture below, Orakpo certainly passes the eyeball test and has the production to go along.

Sloppy Seconds

Sean Avery a LW for the Dallas Stars was suspended indefinitely by the league. Avery is a well known "pest" in the league and the John McEnroe of hockey. The comments Avery made seemed harmless, but if it weren't for his past reputation he wouldn't have gotten such harsh punishment by league commissioner Gary Bettman. Avery's comments were directed at his ex girlfriend film star Elisha Cuthbert. Cuthbert a well known hockey fan had a relationship with Avery in the past but broke it off and got with Calgary Flames defensemen Dion Phaneuf. Avery known for mixing things up all the time made the following comments.

Avery's comments were a little distasteful sure but do they really merit an indefinite suspension? What about the rights to free speech or the right to be downright hilarious? The Stars are hurting bad enough with a bad start to the season and the loss of captain Brenden Morrow to a torn ACL. Avery apologized for his comments and is to meet with NHL league officials so we will find out the rest later. One thing's for sure, the Big Cat will be sure to follow this story as long as it goes on.

In Conclusion...

We continue a look at the Big Cat's picks for major college football awards.

Doak Walker Award - Shonn Greene - RB - Iowa

(Nation's Top Runningback)

Greene has flown a bit under the radar but has had a very impressive season. For me it came down to Greene and LeSean McCoy from Pitt. McCoy has had an impressive year also, but Greene has put up great numbers on a mediocre team. If you remember a few posts back I had Greene in my top 5 for the Heisman. I think that highly of the guy. On the season Greene has amassed 1.729 yards on 278 carries for an average of 6.2 yards per carry and 17 TD's. Greene may not win it due to not being a national name, but in the Big Cat's mind he's at the top of the class.

No Quarter

They hold no quarter

They ask no quarter

The pain, the pain without quarter

They ask no quarter

The dogs of doom are howling more!

-Led Zeppelin

The Texas Longhorns are the nice guy that have been screwed by playing nice. Mack Brown has always gone about things in a classy way and not running up the score on lesser teams for "Style Points." I admire Mack for that as he has represented The University in a great way doing that. It has been stated many times that the reason the dirt burglars from Oklahoma were moved ahead of Texas was due to the 4 games of over 60 points they had. Mack Brown simply will not play that game, but I'm hoping the Horns have a large chip on their shoulder starting in their BCS bowl and going into next season and carry that over with the motto "No Quarter."

This would be a somewhat ironic message but the Horns should issue the Deguello. The Deguello was a bugle song the Mexican army played offering No Quarter to Texas soldiers at The Alamo. It's ironic in the fact that the Deguello was the last song heard by the men who fought so bravely to free our great state from the tyrrany of Mexico.

El Degüello is a bugle call of Moorish origin notable in its use by the Mexican Army during the 1836 Battle of the Alamo. According to James A. Michener's book Texas, the original meaning of the Degüello call was an appeal to an enemy to surrender or else they would die by the sword. General Antonio López de Santa Anna of the Mexican Army used it to signify that no quarter would be given to the enemy.

According to various English-Spanish dictionaries, El Degüello means no mercy. The literal translation is slit-throat. -Wikipedia

The Horns have handled things with dignity and class and I wouldn't blame them if they continued playing the game the way Mack Brown thinks is best and "Dance with the one that brung ya." One thing is for certain, the Texas Longhorns are the nice guys that finished last. One way to stop that is to mudhole every team that they come into contact with.


Plaxico Burress

Turkish: What's a gun doin in your trousers?
Tommy: It's for protection
Turkish: Protection from what? Zee Germans? What's to stop you from blowing your bollocks off everytime you sit down?

Plaxico Burress was arrested on felony weapons charges today. First question? What was Plax doing with a weapon at a club? I know this question has been asked over and over since the story first came out that the Giants star receiver shot himself while adjusting a gun in his pants at a New York night club, but why did he really have a gun? Is Plaxico Burress that sought after a guy on the streets, or was this just another case of "When keepin it real goes wrong"? If you're that rich wouldn't you just hire a bodyguard? I know it aint exactly keepin it real, but it keeps you out of trouble. New York mayor Michael Bloomberg is saying he would like Plax punished to the fullest extent of the law, which could carry a 3 1/2 year prison sentence. With that looming on the horizon and the crack down of tough guy commish Roger Gooddell, many people are wondering if the Giants aren't better off without Burress.

Just like the New England Patriots of the past few years this Giants squad is a team in every aspect of the word. These guys have proven to be the best team in football without a great year from Plax, and the loss of monster defensive ends Michael Strahan and Osi Umienyora. Don't look now but Eli Manning is turning into a quality QB, and the Giants rushing attack behind a good offensive line and on the legs of Brandon Jacobs is making this team a threat to return to the Superbowl and win it once again. Without Plax the Giants still have "Well Dressed" Amani "It's not a" Tumor, Steve Smith, and Kevin Boss who's turned into a pretty good tight end. Plax is a playmaker and there is no denying that, but the Giants have gotten along fine without him and might be better off that way.




In conclusion...

We continue with The Big Cat's pick of the College Football major awards...

Fred Biletnikoff Award - Michael Crabtree - WR - Texas Tech
(Nation's Top Wide Receiver)

With many great Wide Receivers in this nation and many in the Big 12 (Jeremy Maclin, Dez Bryant, Desmond Briscoe, Manuel Johnson, Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley, Juaquin Iglesias) Crabtree is ahead of the class. He's put up monster numbers this year once again (93 rec, 1135 yds, 12.2 avg, 18 TD's) and propelled Tech to it's biggest win ever against an unranked Texas with his touchdown catch with under 10 seconds in the game. An argument can be made that Crabtree is the best player in the nation, but he probably wont win the Heisman because the voters just wont give it to a wide receiver any more. Crabtree is a lock to go in the top 10 in the NFL Draft and looks like he will be a big time impact player at the next level. Crabtree won this award last year and in The Big Cat's opinion is a lock to take home the honor for the second consecutive year.