You may remember this past summer, when Michael Jackson and Steve McNair died in the span of just a few days, I wrote a column about how the way someone dies shouldn’t overshadow the way they lived.
Well, in a slightly less lethal way, I was reminded of that lesson this week. You see, Mickey Andrews confirmed the worst kept secret in Tallahassee not involving Charlie Crist’s sex life. After 26 years with the Noles, Andrews, the defensive coordinator is retiring. While the myopic may look at the Noles giving up 34, 28, 44, 27 and 42 points already this season and say ‘well, he was going whether he wanted to or not’, it is only appropriate to take a step back and appreciate Andrews’ entire career.
Not only was Andrews’ defense the real key to making the Noles the best team in college football for about a decade and a half (quick – how many quarterbacks can you name for the Noles from 1987 – 2000?) but he also helped teach some of the greatest defensive players in the game. Deion Sanders, Derrick Brooks – two of the best players at their position in the history of the sport learned from Andrews. And, given their off-the-field personalities, it is pretty clear Andrews is not a coach that requires mindless automatons unlike some other less flexible coaches. Add in other players like Terrell Buckley, LeRoy Butler, Marvin Jones, Pete Boulware, Bryant McFadden, Chris Hope, Lawrence Timmons, Darnell Dockett, Antonio Cromartie – Andrews has been responsible for more great players than Nick Saban, Pete Carroll and Jim Tressell combined.
While I may mock and curse the Noles disappointing performance this year, that doesn’t mean I have anything but respect for Mickey. So, enjoy your retirement Mickey.
Next year, you can join the rest of us in complaining about the Noles disappointing performance.
While, I am stuck working in San Francisco for the weekend, Turner and the Shadow have roadtripped to Lincoln for the OU/NU game. Sadly, they are only 24 years too late for it to really matter but never-the-less I am probably the first person mad to be stuck in San Francisco rather than Lincoln for the weekend.
Turner: Wednesday Nov 5th:
From 30,000 feet above the great beige landscape of Wyoming, we are coming to you with the weekly edition of THH. I’m a bit concerned about our readership as no one asked the question of why there were no NFL games? I’m sure SuperDave will admit to his careless attention to detail and lack of focus of quality on this over-read blog.
The week thus far has consisted of Boise, ID. Let me tell you of the GREATEST invention ever….Fry Sauce…… I will likely be starting a “frysauceblog” to rate and gather scientific information about the concoction of mayonnaise, ketchup, paprika, and horseradish (just one recipe) that might be the most heavenly thing since, well, hmmmmmm……. I’m not sure if there is a comparison. Apparently this is a Northwest (or at least Idaho) thing. Every restaurant has their own recipe and fast food restaurants carry it as part of their standard condiment package. As the Shadow will attest, I found this one of the most amazing creations ever created. So I have a new endeavor in life, and that is to spread the greatness of Fry Sauce to the rest of America. If you haven’t tried, please use this opportunity to experience the essence of why food was put on this earth. A condiment that can double as ‘soup’ and be eaten alone is truly a National Treasure.
If you are a facebook aficionado (like SuperDave just became!) please visit the official site…
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fry-Sauce/74421423291?v=feed&story_fbid=116075066313
Thursday Nov 6th:
We aren’t quite in the air any more and we aren’t quite ready for football picks… We just passed the sign on Interstate 80 for the Original Pony Express Station somewhere in Western Nebraska. The Shadow is flying at 80 mph in our Pontiac G6 while we listen to his variety of Taylor Swift, Def Leopard, Michael Jackson, and Tiffany. Yes, I’m stuck in this silver bullet absolutely dying right now. He took control of the radio and will not relinquish it. The other issue I’m facing is that the Shadow will not turn on the in-car circulation and if you have every been to NE Colorado or Western Nebraska (or any of Nebraska), the putrid smell of cow manure has officially been absorbed into my OKC Thunder T-shirt and hair follicles. I’m pretty sure if I’m suggest to a drug test over the next 6 months, I might fail b/c what has been absorbed into my system….. With that I must quickly supply a very short explanation b/c I am losing all oxygen b/c I officially can not breathe. This might be the last you’ll ever hear from me so I’m giving the Shadow my credentials to send this message upon my death. It has been a good ride…. MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Shadow: People always give me crap for being a Yankee fan. My first actual memories of baseball are from the Bucky Dent game in 1978, when I was 6 years old and sitting in the kitchen watching a tiny black and white TV with my dad, who was a big Yankees fan. It was only natural that I would become one as well, and as I have told many friends over the years, I had to go from 1978-1996 before I got to witness another World Series victory, so don’t give me any sh*t about being some late ’90′s bandwagoner. That being said, I am lucky enough to have gotten to enjoy 5 titles in the last 13 years, and have enjoyed every minute of it. The Yankees have the most money, blah, blah, blah, blah. Yeah, and I wish Iowa could recruit blue chips from the Southeast or California or Texas. Every sport, although maybe Pro Football the least, has some sort of talent disparity, if not payroll disparity. Get over it. Okay, now that the rant is out of the way, I can try and summon up the hatred.
College
LSU @ Alabama
SD: This week, rather than coming up with some obscure reason to pick rooting interests in games no one actually cares about, we are entering the heavyweight division. We are picking the two biggest games of the week. First stop Tuscaloosa. I could argue that I am picking LSU because I don’t think Alabama can beat UF and I want to minimize the inevitable win for UF in the SEC title game. I could say that rather than hearing about Bama and UF playing a playoff game for the BCS title game in the SEC title game will drive me insane and a foregone conclusion of LSU losing again to UF would be much easier to digest. I could argue all of these things but really I am cheering for LSU because I have always felt that the fans of Baton Rouge were kindred spirits and even more importantly, because I would love to get more kindred with the female spirits of LSU, if you know what I mean. Oh yeah, and I hate Nick Saban.
Turner: Air Boats and Creole over Winnebago’s and BBQ
Shadow: With my Hawkeyes perched where they have never flown before in the BCS standings, it is only natural that all of my hatred is squarely focused on the three teams ahead of them, one of which is the Crimson Tide. Every week I am hoping for a loss from Bama, and every week I am disappointed. I am pulling for the Tigers here.
Ohio State @ Penn State
SD: In just about every other year, this game would be to decide who gets to go to the Rose Bowl (or BCS Title game) and get slaughtered by a more athletic team from the west or south. This year, however – thanks to Shadow’s boys from the creatively named Iowa City – it is really only to decide who will take the lead in the recruiting battle for some ‘athletic’ (meaning athletic relative to the rest of his state) high school senior from either Ohio or Pennsylvania that will be the next savior of the Big Ten to come in and not really do much. Call it the Terrelle Pryor bowl. So, which fanbase takes the lead in the sweepstakes to mutter ‘damn, another fumble, at least it wasn’t another interception’ each week for the next half-decade? I will go with Ohio State only because it is always fun to watch Kirk Herbstreit try and rationalize how OSU is athletic enough this year to compete, when they never are.
Turner: On this one, the pick is for the Shadow… We need to fully root for PSU on this one so that in the event that Iowa ‘may’ (but definitely won’t) stumble against Ohio State in 2 weeks, the Hawkeyes still get to go to the Rose Bowl (with easy wins against Northwestern and Minnesota!!) Ideally, they will be undefeated but this White Out win at least will guarantee the Rose Bowl for the Shadow, which he said he would attend!
Shadow: This one is going to be very petty and very self-serving. I want Iowa to go undefeated. If that is not going to happen, then I want them to win the Big 10 and play in the Rose Bowl for only the 3rd time while I have been cognizant of college football. Both of the last two times (1985 and 1990) were utter failures. I want them to go to the Rose Bowl and kick the ass of some Pac-10 team like we kick the ass of SEC teams in bowls. We hold a win over Penn State. We play Ohio State next week. If Penn State beats Ohio State, then technically we could still lose to Ohio State and win the Big 10 based on them having 2 losses and us owning a win over Penn State. So for this weekend, I am totally a supporter of Linebacker U.
NFL
Tennessee @ San Francisco
SD: My secret theme this week in the NFL is simple. Music. We are again visiting Tennessee (or the middle) but this time they are representing country music. San Fran, of course, is the home or adopted home of almost every important 60’s band. Despite reading Chuck Klosterman’s chapter on the retrospectively weird Garth Brooks /Chris Gaines experiment last week, I have to go with San Francisco. The Dead or the Gaitlin Brothers? Minnie Pearl or Janice Joplin? Grand Ole Opry or the Fillmore? Hee Haw or the Electic Kool Aid Acid Test? Please.
Turner: Pull my pants down for this one, Niners roll!!!
Shadow: Vince Young versus Alex Smith. Vince Young went to Texas. Alex Smith was coached by Urban Meyer. Vince Young singlehandedly beat Michigan and USC in back to back years on New Years Day. Alex Smith led Utah to its only undefeated season ever. Vince Young won a national title. Alex Smith and Utah were one of the first “BCS Busters”. Sense a trend here? Exactly…we must focus on their college careers because each has been pretty much a bust to this point in the pros. But both have another chance to grab the reins and turn their careers around. How can we hate that? We love second chance stories. Call this one a push.
Detroit @ Seattle
SD: Motown versus the grunge movement. Well, next time I get home I will probably put on a flannel and I have several Pearl Jam songs on my Ipod. Does that answer your question as to which I am picking?
Turner: This one is for the Java, my operating system, and rain over gun-shots and…. Hmmm……Eminem?? Go ‘hawks!!
Shadow: KISS versus Nirvana. Pontiac Silverdome versus the Kingdome. Starbucks coffee versus Little Caesar’s pizza. How sucky would it be to have to be in Detroit where they hold one out of every 8 Super Bowls or so, and know that your team is far, far, far, far away from ever getting to the big dance, and there are no signs of a turnaround? But, you know what…..I just really, really hate the Seahawks throwback jerseys. More like throw-up jerseys. Blecch. Let’s see if the Lions can shock the world and double their win total to ’2′.
