Because of the now healed thumb and a scheduling SNAFU I got of work Friday at 8AM and do not have to be back at work till Wednesday at 1PM. In return for not working, Wednesday starts my 10 days in a row and Friday was kind of a particle wasted day because, well I got off work at 8AM and was tired all day. Truthfully the almost 5 days off have been wonderful so far and I thought I'd just do one big random post:
GREATEST GAME EVER!
The biggest problem living in North Carolina is that normal cable and local stations do not carry Big Ten nor MAC football, I get the crappy ACC and the annoy fans of the SEC. For the most part football is football and if the game is exiting I'll watch. Honestly The Wife is the most upset about this predicament. She can't stand not watching Ohio State on Saturdays, but Shawn has Direct TV and has picked up the BigTen Network and the OSU opener can only be seen there. I'm invited over (The Wife had to work) I start watching with Melissa, but she has to go to work, and they were nice enough to let me stay and watch the game even though they were both at work. Ohio State played like Ohio State always does, boring yet dominating. In all honestly they are at times hard to watch when they play "smaller" teams.
I'm getting bored of this game when I get a call "Is that App State Michigan score correct?" Shawn asked with great shock in his voice. I text him earlier with a score of 14 all, but that's not the score he gives me "Turn over to at game App State is up 28-14!" WHAT?!?! That can't be the score, it has to be a typo on his phone. I flip over and I see 28-14 and I have a new game to watch.
That was the most exciting game I have ever watched. It seemed like the Mountaineers were going to dominate, then they would fumble, throw an interception or drop at touchdown pass. At the same time, "the state up north" did want to win. They would score and miss a two point conversion, fumble and just look bad. Finally Michigan started to play like a Big Ten school and took the lead late in the game I thought that was it Goliath would win... again. I miss judged the scrappy 1-AA school. They stormed back and took a two point lead 34-32. I was jumping up and down. Titus, Shawn and Melissa's dog, looked at me like I was an idiot. I was jumping up and down. Also during this time I got a call from The Wife and I told her about the game and I had to give her play-by-play of the game, then Shawn called and I was doing the same for him. I had to look like and idiot with a phone on each ear giving the call of the game two feet from the TV jumping up and down.
Michigan did not want to live in infamy. They threw a bomb to Mario Manningham and he makes the diving catch at the 20. I thought it was over. How can the Michigan kicker miss a gimmie like that. Shawn calls back and I tell him that the Wolverines are about to win the game with a kick. Then it happened, Appalachian State BLOCKS THE KICK! APP STATE JUST BEAT MICHIGAN! I was screaming into the phone, while shawn was laughing at me and cheering the fall of the mighty Wolverines.
I don't care what some of the football writers are saying, this was the greatest upset off all time in college football. A powerhouse Big Ten school LOSES TO A 1-AA SCHOOL! To put it in perspective it's like the Indianapolis Colts losing to Florida, LSU or USC. It's not going to happen. This should never have happened and probably will not happen again. I was lucky to get to see this game.
S
ECOND GREATEST GAME OF THE DAY To open the season Bowling Green is playing Minnesota and guess what? It's on the BigTen Network so I am invited back to watch, I brought the beer Shawn ordered the pizza. Prior to the game I was unsure what to expect from BG, we are starting a young quarterback, our wide receivers are unproven and last year we forgot to play this thing called defense.
I settle in and the next thing I know BG is reeling of a drive of all drives and scores. I am shocked, I didn't even jump up and down or anything I just sat there. Minnesota came out and looked, well bad, they are installing a new offense and it looks like it has not sunk in yet so they have to punt. I think coach Greg Brandon thought he was playing Playstation and sliced the gopher D for the second time and even through in a trick play that scored a 58 yard TD. BG is dominating and I am stunned, is this the time that I have cheered for? What happened to my Falcons, don't get me wrong I'm loving it's just hard to handle is team that is dominating a "bigger" program.
Well BG came back down to Earth and only scored one more time before the half to make it 21-0. I think the Tim Brewster lit a fire under his team, because they started playing better and I think he found Glen Mason's old play book and started running a "Minnesota" type offense. By the 4th quarter it is all tied at 21. I am worried now, I start pacing and realize that I am watching Bowling Green and we are going to chock. Minnesota kicks a field goal and looks like they have the game locked up.
BG finally wakes up and Tyler Sheehan dismantles the gopher D and get BG with in field goal range. I'm nervous as hell. If you don't know anything about BG football let me fill you in on a little problem we have had for a couple of years. WE CAN'T KICK THE BALL! Shawn is laughing at me pacing around his house I know the new junior college transfer is going to blow it. HE MADE IT, HE MADE IT! WE MAY ACTUALLY HAVE A KICKER! I'm happy for overtime, but Minnesota wants to run a play. I can't give this play as much justice as the Futonreport did:
Weber hurls it down field at the 35, for the Hail Mary, and … nope, it’s tipped
and — wait — BG catches it. They’re going downfield. JESUS CHRIST THEY’RE GOING VERY FAR DOWN FIELD. THEY’RE PAST MIDFIELD. THEY’RE AT THE 40 YARD LINE. THEY’RE LATERALING THE BALL! THEY’RE FUCKING LATERALING THE BALL! I DON’T SEE A MOTHERFUCKING BAND ON THE FIELD! KEEP LATERALING! GO, YOU STUPID FUCKING FALCONS!!! KEEP RUNNING, KEEP LATERALING… oh, they ran out of space at the 30
yard line. Welp, how’s about overtime?
In overtime Minnesota scores first and then BG gets a fast touchdown, OK send in the kicker... what the hell is Brandon doing! He keeps the offense out there. BG goes for it, FREDDIE BARNES CAUGHT THE BALL! HE CAUGHT THE BALL! WE WIN WE WIN!
I was jumping up and down screaming in a voice only Titus could hear. What a way to end a Saturday.... just perfect!
OK I'm confused, did I some how come across a secret Ohio State Michigan game? No, it's just both schools wanted to confuse me. The game was at North Johnston, which is a haul from the station and I felt like I was working for The Network again. For the most part highs school football is the same anywhere you go. The only exception is the large schools that take the game serious. I don't think I'll get to see teams as good as Elder, St. X, Colrane, St Iggy or Glenville. But these kids played hard and it felt good to be on the sideline.
So this game was Notre Dame versus Michigan? I know it's high school, but come on North Carolina be original! Well I guess the Smithfield-Salem Spartan (known as SSS) are the class of Johnston County and one of the better teams in the triangle. South was undefeated and looking to get their first win at SSS. I get there at the half and it's 34-8... ouch! In the second half South made it interesting scoring to make it 34-14, but could not grasp the idea of moving forward. They kept throwing screens and throwing passes no more than 3 or 4 yards. They were just out manned. For me the best part were the three touchdowns I got. I had one where the kid nearly fell down, puts a hand down, spins and runs 30 yards for a touchdown. The next was a touch pass thrown to the corner of the end zone and the wide receiver got a foot in and the touchdown counts. The last was a 86 yard run for a score. The big thing was my placement on the field. When shooting football you always want the play running towards you. You don't want to shoot from the behind the line of scrimmage. Another photographer from the dominate station did not believe in my rules. He shot from the line of scrimmage and had the play going away from him. His shot may have been pretty good, but no matter what more people probably saw his, so I guess it's a push.
We started a new segment called Pint Size Pigskin, where we go shoot a pee wee football games and make it look like NFL Films, but having fun with it because it's 5 year old's playing football.
