random facts, tidbits, articles and most importantly my thoughts about things that i find while aimlessly surfing the web...
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Architecture, College Football, Baseball, Hockey, March Madness, The Economy, Corporate Corruption, Incomptent Leadership, Tulane, Atlanta, Florida, etc.
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travacado's thoughts
or at least "others'" thoughts that I find interesting...
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Sunday, September 26, 2004
Cheerleader of the Week
Danielle Dolen, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cheerleaders
TIDAL 10:26 PM
Friday, September 24, 2004
Refs' mistakes payback to UF for Fenner call
Somewhere, Lane Fenner is sitting there with an orange-and-blue voodoo doll, devilishly poking it with pins and relishing every blown officiating call that deprives the University of Florida of an important victory.
Another referee's blunder went against the Gators on Saturday and cost them a crucial Southeastern Conference game against Tennessee. Last year against Florida State, the Gators were victimized by those low-down, no-good Atlantic Coast Conference refs. This year, it's the blind and biased SEC refs. What about next year? Will UFF (University of Fraudulent Flags) demand that all their games be called by officials from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference?
Of course, the Gators are only getting what they have coming -- a massive amount of compensatory karma for what they did to poor Lane Fenner nearly 40 years ago. Sure, the Gators were robbed by poor officiating this year and last, but isn't this simply part of the eternal payback for cutting a deal with the Grand Demonic Zebra?
Quit whining about bad calls, Gators. Your entire program was propagated by a bad call 38 years ago. (By Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
More calm, less chaos? More troops
It is a tale of two cities, a tale of what might have been and what now may never be. It is the tale of a halfhearted gamble lost by swaggering, halfhearted men, and of two countries that will suffer the consequence of their callowness for decades. (By Jay Bookman, The Atlanta Journal-Consitution) View the entire article
Sweet Nothings
Bush's U.N. speech offers platitudes instead of solutions.
George W. Bush doesn't like speaking at the United Nations. You can see it in his eyes—the flicker of perplexity, bordering on distress, when he recites a line that draws surefire cheers on the campaign trail but only blank, distant stares from the assembly of world leaders.
This morning's speech wasn't as dreadful as the one he gave last year, but it suffered from the same basic inadequacy: He catalogs some of the world's problems, then suggests nothing—not the vaguest plan of action—for how to deal with any of them. (By Fred Kaplan, Slate.com) View the entire article
Bush the Liberal
The nobility and folly of democratizing Iraq.
I admit it. I have a soft spot for President Bush.
I love it when he goes to the United Nations—as he did two years ago and again today—and tells those lazy cynics to get off their duffs. They spend their days congratulating each other, passing toothless resolutions, and giving lip service to tired pet issues. Bush is just what they need. He pokes them in the ribs. He points out that scofflaws are treating them like a joke. He tells them to enforce their threats, or he'll do it for them. He preaches freedom and democracy. He vows to serve others, no matter who else joins in the cause. He refuses to back down, no matter what the price.
Unfortunately for Bush, it's the liberal in me who loves these things. And it's the conservative—in me and other Americans—who's turning away.
This is what liberals do: They coerce or cajole the fortunate to serve the less fortunate. They spend American lives and money to serve causes beyond our national interest. It's what lured Presidents Kennedy and Johnson into Vietnam. It's what conservatives hated about President Clinton's war in Kosovo. (By William Saletan, Slate.com) View the entire article
How to OutFOX Bill O'Reilly
TIDAL 1:38 PM
Sunday, September 19, 2004
Cheerleader of the Week
Crystal Risher, Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders
TIDAL 5:35 PM
Tuesday, September 14, 2004
Let Sexton have a try against UAB
It's time.
Whether it is for a quarter, the first half or the entire game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham, sit Chris Rix.
Don't do it to get Rix's attention, or make him more focused. This deep into his collegiate career, he is who he is - with as many interceptions (35) as starts and a 2-6 record against top-10 teams. Rix, 24-11 as a starter, has as many losses as his predecessors had combined in 10 previous seasons before he took over. Rix is a loser to less talented teams such as North Carolina in 2001, N.C. State twice and Clemson a year ago. Unfathomable statistics and unthinkable decisions.
Make a change because Bobby Bowden deserves a better finish to his marvelous career, and his team needs a quarterback it will respect and follow. And offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden deserves an honest opportunity to do his job.
The younger Bowden isn't without culpability here - it's inexcusable that the offense did not adjust to Miami's blitzes and Antrel Rolle's free passes to the FSU backfield on Friday night. But the feeling here is that, with a quarterback who follows his game plan, Jeff Bowden would have fewer critics, and FSU would have had more victories.
It wasn't just Rix's four turnovers and the passes off his back foot even when he wasn't under pressure. But it was also the misreads that made sideline assistants hoarse and teammates shake their head. (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Rix remains 'Noles starter
Coaches say Sexton is still not ready; other things also went wrong offensively vs. Miami
Bobby Bowden had one question for reserve quarterback Wyatt Sexton in the aftermath of another Chris Rix meltdown against Miami.
Are you ready?
Sexton insisted he was but, after a weekend of studying the quarterback position, Bowden and his staff decided to stick with Rix. But that's not to say the FSU offensive staff is pleased with the four-year starter. They are not.
"I've got confidence in what we're doing," offensive coordinator Jeff Bowden said of his play calling. "I'm not going to abandon everything we're doing. It still comes down to executing in our passing game. Anybody that's going to play us is I think is going to say - 'Look, 16 is going to have to beat us.'
"I don't think that is a mystery. And if he is hot, he'll beat anybody. And if he's not, you see what can happen."
One question for Jeff Bowden on Monday was how could have been so optimistic regarding Rix in the offseason.
"It was a case where your optimism from the end of last year (Rix against North Carolina State and Florida) exceeded the reality of what can happen, and that's just kind of been his history when he's played Miami," Jeff Bowden said. "That's three out of four times against Miami - six turnovers, six turnovers and four turnovers."
The younger Bowden was particularly displeased with Rix's two interceptions and two fumbles, the way Rix failed to react properly to Miami's cornerback blitzes and a career-long problem with mechanics. (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Bobby, I don't want Sexton to start against UAB but Wyatt better play... a lot! And a serious question... Why after five years of tutlage and guidance from the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach does Chris Rix still have a problem with his mechanics? Part of the problem is Rix but the real problem is Jeff Bowden and Daryl Dickey.
TIDAL 7:00 AM
Sunday, September 12, 2004
Tech stuns Tigers
CLEMSON — The tables turned so quickly on the Clemson Tigers it knocked the wind out of them and left the orange faithful in Death Valley numb.
Georgia Tech defeated the 20th-ranked Tigers, 28-24, Saturday night with two touchdowns in the final minute, 50 seconds.
Quarterback Reggie Ball hooked up with freshman receiver Calvin Johnson on touchdown passes of eight and 11 yards, the second with 11 seconds to play.
Even after the first, Clemson appeared in good stead with the clock on their side. But after failing on a third-down and short yardage, a bad punt snap rolled to the 11, putting the ball in Tech's hands with 16 seconds to play.
It took one snap, with Ball throwing his fourth TD pass and Johnson catching his third, out-jumping cornerback Justin Miller who was giving up five inches to the 6-4 receiver.
Tech's victory before an ABC primetime audience and a sellout crowd of 82,000 snapped a three-year string of losses to Clemson (1-1) and gave Coach Chan Gailey his first win over the Tigers. (By Ed McGranahan, The Greenville News) View the entire article
These Dolphins only can aspire to be mediocre
MIAMI -- Dave Wannstedt was given an edict before the season:
End the mediocrity. Enough of the passable, pedestrian teams that barely make or miss the playoffs. No more routine, run-of-the-mill 9-7 records.
Wannstedt, it seems, is finally on the verge of giving Miami Dolphins fans what they so desperately desire. At long last, the Fish won't be mediocre this year.
They'll be just plain awful.
"It's obvious to everybody that we have a lot of work to do," Wannstedt said Saturday after the Dolphins opened the season with a dismal 17-7 home defeat to the Titans.
A lot of work to do? This is like homeowners in Port Charlotte saying, "We've got a few shingles that need replacing."
Granted, it's only one game, and we all know the NFL regular season is -- Cliché Alert! Cliché Alert! -- a marathon and not a sprint. But even in a marathon, you can't win if you're running in clown shoes. In this marathon, the Patriots are the Kenyans, and the Dolphins are Shelley Winters.
Sure, Miami lost its opener last year to the Texans, but that was a fluky defeat, and nobody ever doubted the Fish would rebound and be respectable. This loss was different. It was defeat bathed in desperation. The traditional Dolphins hype has been replaced by hopelessness.
This year, there is nothing to count on, nothing at all to make you think the Dolphins have a chance. Their season already has dissipated into the atmosphere like the distant smoke from Ricky Williams' pipe. (By Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel) View the entire article
After loss, Bowden says coaches have to answer questions
Bobby Bowden, as he studied film from Florida State's 16-10 overtime loss to Miami, found numerous reasons for another poor outing by Chris Rix against the Hurricanes.
Miami's defense, especially up front, was as good as and possibly better than a year ago. FSU, without two starters on the offensive line to open the game, and without a third starter by the third quarter, was outplayed up front. The Hurricanes used five and six defensive backs to smother FSU's receivers, and Miami was ready for every new FSU wrinkle.
But Bowden apparently saw enough that could be attributed only to Rix to direct his offensive staff to take a hard look at the quarterback spot. Behind Rix is seldom-used Wyatt Sexton. Rix committed four turnovers, and coaches implored Rix during the game to make better reads of Miami's defense and to do a better job of stepping up in the pocket.
"I told them to do a lot of thinking of what we should do and that I will sit down with them (today) and we'll decide what approach we should take," Bowden said. "Should we try to get Wyatt some playing time? Should we give Wyatt a shot at it? Or is this just because the way (Rix) was harassed, hit, and beat on?
"We'll try to take in all the facts of what happened ... how much harassment was going on. The one thing about it is Wyatt would not have been able to evade some of the things Chris was able to evade. We have to look at it real good - not do anything stupid. It's one ballgame. We can't afford to panic."
Rix is 0-5 against Miami, and completed just 12 of 28 passes on Friday night. FSU's only offensive score was a 45-yard field goal by Xavier Beitia. At least one player publicly grumbled about Rix's effort. But Bowden, pointing to strong team leadership, expects his players to support the quarterback. (By Steve Ellis, Tallahassee Democrat) View the entire article
Nation about to enter whirl without end
SEATTLE -- They have done it to you again. The region, the entire Red Sox Nation, has once again been swallowed into the cavernous sinkhole of Hub hardball hope. It's going to stay this way for the next three to seven weeks, as your friends and neighbors, wearing all sorts of slogan-drenched Sox garb, walk around with that honey-glazed look in their eyes while mumbling . . .
This is the year.
Many of you swore them off (and swore at them) after He Who Must Not Be Named refused to remove Pedro Martinez in the eighth inning last October. Others gave up after the Alex Rodriguez fiasco, and more than a few lucid souls dismissed this 2004 season when the Fraud Sox played .500 baseball for three months and fell a whopping 10 1/2 games behind the Yankees.
But then Jason Varitek fed A-Rod a leather sandwich, and Theo Epstein engineered the boldest Sox deal since Harry Frazee sold the Babe, and now the Red Sox again are the national rage, playing the best stretch-run baseball in the history of the franchise. You all are on board again -- the midnight train to Georgia if the Sox and Braves make it to the World Series.
Truly, this 86-year Red Sox epic is the greatest sports story ever told, a quest of biblical proportions (the Sox even have a Jesus action figure playing center field), with layer upon layer of history, character, and subplot. The chase transcends sports and is followed, and chronicled, by giants of film, poetry, and music. (By Dan Shaughnessy, The Boston Globe) View the entire article
Palms Girl
Please vote for Miss October 2003 Audra Lynn at palmsgirl.com
Cheerleader of the Week
Caroline, Philadelphia Eagles Cheerleaders
TIDAL 1:53 PM
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