January 02, 2013

SportsFilter: The Wednesday Huddle:

A place to discuss the sports stories that aren't making news, share links that aren't quite front-page material, and diagram plays on your hand. Remember to count to five Mississippi before commenting in anger.

posted by huddle to general at 06:00 AM - 25 comments

NIU didn't "wear down" Florida State with their impressive 10 point offensive explosion, but they definitely wore me down. After watching a few good games earlier in the day, that one sucked.

posted by dyams at 06:31 AM on January 02, 2013

The Big 10 might as well mail it in instead of showing up for Bowl games. That's how they play them anyway.

posted by roberts at 06:47 AM on January 02, 2013

The bit of the Orange Bowl I watched was educational to me in terms of comparing team speed and athleticism of a terrific smaller school against a competitive top tier big program. FSU looked so much faster and stronger out there, especially on D.

Oh, and getting to hear Matt Millen say that the FSU OL had completely taken over the game when the Noles had yet to get a first down at that point.

posted by beaverboard at 08:05 AM on January 02, 2013

Gingerbread Ivor Wynne Stadium

posted by tommybiden at 09:28 AM on January 02, 2013

Will someone explain to me why 6-6 Purdue was involved in a bowl game against a real team (OSU)?

THAT was the most ridiculous bowl game of the season.

posted by grum@work at 09:39 AM on January 02, 2013

How did NIU get into the Orange Bowl? They didn't beat a quality team all year long and lost to a bad Big Ten team.

posted by cixelsyd at 10:03 AM on January 02, 2013

This bowl season is well salted with 6-6 teams, unfortunately, while good teams with superior records (LA Tech) are sitting at home. Sad but true twists and turns in this year's bowl selections. Conference meltdowns and realignments are partly to blame.

I think NIU got where they got because they took care of their business during the season as a one loss team, and other, more prominent teams who coulda/shoulda gone to the Orange Bowl instead of NIU did not win when they needed to.

I'm still getting high off the fumes of Boise State's Fiesta Bowl win over OU, and postseason games like last night's OB only serve to enhance the legendary nature of the Broncos' accomplishment.

posted by beaverboard at 10:13 AM on January 02, 2013

Barcalona vs Osasuna. In Two minutes.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 10:43 AM on January 02, 2013

Michigan's defense at the end of the game was just terrible. They deserved to lose after playing like that.

posted by insomnyuk at 10:43 AM on January 02, 2013

Thank you for that, good sir of Bismark. That was pretty cool. I'd like to see the same thing for a hockey game.

posted by NoMich at 11:00 AM on January 02, 2013

I'm still getting high off the fumes of Boise State's Fiesta Bowl win over OU, and postseason games like last night's OB only serve to enhance the legendary nature of the Broncos' accomplishment.

Not to rain on your parade too much, but let us recall that BCS busters are 4-2 against AQ schools, and Utah beat the snot out of Pitt the year before Boise State-Oklahoma. The Broncos played a hell of a game, but they're not the only ones to ever slay a dragon.

posted by Etrigan at 11:22 AM on January 02, 2013

The Broncos played a hell of a game, but they're not the only ones to ever slay a dragon.

Yeah, but they're the ones that got to write the legend.

posted by NoMich at 11:25 AM on January 02, 2013

The Big 10 might as well mail it in instead of showing up for Bowl games. That's how they play them anyway.

By your standard the Pac 12, Big 12, and the ACC should have mailed it in as well, based on the results of the Holiday Bowl, Pinstripe Bowl, and Music City bowl.

Northwestern and Michigan State won. Michigan lost in the last 13 seconds. Wisconsin was 50 yards from taking the lead in the final two minutes. Minnesota lost on a field goal at the end of the game. Nebraska (who was, at best and that may be a stretch, the third best team in the Big 10 this season) lost by two scores against a team that was in the national title conversation.

The only team that could be considered to have "mailed it in" is Purdue, which hardly constitutes an entire conference mailing it in.

posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 01:10 PM on January 02, 2013

Dicks Sporting Goods has a humourous display.

Should have had #6 running into someone's ass.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 02:37 PM on January 02, 2013

Well, they've got Tebow glued to the bench and Sanchez playing with his hands tied behind his back, so they apparently did their homework.

Wonder what poultry farm they got all those brooder lamps from.

posted by beaverboard at 02:49 PM on January 02, 2013

A nice tribute from Bill Belichick to long-time Patriots' equipment man Don Brocher, who died from leukimia on Sunday.

posted by yerfatma at 05:09 PM on January 02, 2013

Need a wake-up call for the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships Semi-final tomorrow, in Ufa Russia?
Jay & Dan will look after you.

posted by tommybiden at 10:33 PM on January 02, 2013

What if MLB teams had soccer jerseys?

AL East

NL Central

I would buy the Blue Jays one in a heartbeat (if they really existed).

posted by grum@work at 11:45 PM on January 02, 2013

Well Louisville just dominated Florida. Clemson beat LSU earlier. Is Bama next?

posted by insomnyuk at 12:25 AM on January 03, 2013

Bowl game tonite proved how horribly flawed the entire BCS ratings concept is. Louisville kicked the crap out of Florida.

Think it will make a difference next year?

Not likely. We'll again end up with SEC teams dominating the BCS rankings and Bowl appearances without merit.

posted by cixelsyd at 12:52 AM on January 03, 2013

Bring on the "Bowl games don't really matter anyway" SEC gomers.

posted by Etrigan at 07:20 AM on January 03, 2013

@grum: nice find! I like the Pirates shirt best. I was hoping the Reds would be more Liverpool-ish, the vertical split does nothing for me though, and I thought he should've stuck with the original Orioles design.

posted by billsaysthis at 02:00 PM on January 03, 2013

@MrBismark: Damn, did Ossasuna get into the attacking third at all in that match?!?!

posted by billsaysthis at 02:02 PM on January 03, 2013

They appear to in the first minute, but then it's all Barca. Game finished 4-0 with two goals from Fabregas and then two from some diminutive Argentinean fella that every one thinks might be pretty good.

posted by Mr Bismarck at 02:06 PM on January 03, 2013

Grum: So would I! Except I'd put duct tape over the Rogers logo because they're scum.:)

posted by Drood at 03:39 PM on January 04, 2013

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