Josh Eats Birds

Healthy Driving

2009-06-17T18:36:00.001-05:00

Of late, I've been doing a lot of driving for work. To the tune of about 2,000 miles in the last 2 or 3 weeks. Plus 3 overnight stays in medium-to-small towns. This is all well and good, but it ends up with me eating most of my meals from fast food restaurants and gas station convenience stores. If I have enough time in a town, I could look for a restaurant that might have healthier options, but I rarely want to take the time.

So, what's a healthier way to eat on the road? Are there tasty AND good-for-me things on the menus at fast food places? Are there easily-transportable things that I could pick up at a grocery store before I depart?

I'm open to suggestions! What healthy things do you eat when you travel?

Battlestar Galactica Finale: Toaster Party!

2009-03-20T19:06:00.003-05:00

3 Toasters (one not pictured)
4 People

One more day (at least)

2009-03-16T11:38:00.001-05:00

Hurrah for the ApostroBasketballCats making it to the postseason! Well, a postseason. The NIT is probably making a comeback in national attention, ever since its younger, yet bigger, brother (the NCAA) took it over. Also, Big Ten teams have often done well in the NIT, so let's all hope for that kind of action.

Before we get to thinking about Tulsa, when do you think was the last time both NU football and men's bball made the postseason in the same year? I'm betting never, so let's enjoy this modicum of success while we have it.

I'm stealing whole cloth from the NUsports.com article about the Tulsa game, because this is kind of eerie. Check out how similar NU and the Golden Hurricanes were against common opponents:

The meeting will be the first ever between Northwestern and Tulsa. The
teams have three common opponents this season. Both teams defeated
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at home with NU winning 66-48 and the
Golden Hurricane earning a 66-43 victory. Tulsa lost to Illinois 48-44
at a neutral site in South Padre, Texas, while the Wildcats fell to the
Fighting Illini at Welsh-Ryan Arena 60-59. Northwestern topped SMU
66-55 at home and Tulsa beat the Mustangs 64-55 at home and 74-64 in
Dallas.

The only real difference is that we played Illinois a little closer, with a higher score. I don't know if this really means we'll be close with Tulsa -- but it should be a fun game, and a chance to really test this team.

Let's go Cats!

Cats eat shelves. Or sleep on them.

2009-03-08T14:39:00.007-05:00

In a fit of creative whimsy (or...something?) I decided a couple weeks ago that I needed to build a piece of cat furniture for Susan's cat, Atlanta. After several revisions of my design, I remembered that I have this shelf thing that was disassembled in my closet. With the shelf as my basic structure, I put something together yesterday.

Feel like I should post something

2009-01-30T16:03:00.000-06:00

Just a couple quick hits to keep the blood pumping during the off-season.

Tyrell at the combine
Tyrell Sutton has kept his name in the header of my blog for the foreseeable future by getting invited to the NFL draft combine. Well, I probably would have kept him there anyway, but this ought to be a great chance for him to show how much he can contribute to any pro team. The Shrine Game was good for him (with a TD and solid kick returns) and the combine invite shows that scouts want to see him up close and personal. If the NFL Network airs the combine again this year, you can see just how disturbingly personal that is!

Basketball exists
I don't usually write about NU hoops here, but it's not for a lack of being wild about the Cats (see what I did?). It's because we are usually either boring or depressing. This year, with a still-over-.500 record and 3-5 conference start, we are rarely either. Even the losses feel OK, some of the time. Tomorrow's game at home against the Badgers is a great opportunity for two reasons. 1st: A win will keep us from being swept home/away by anyone (so far). That will show a lot to the lookers-on. 2nd: It's your chance to witness the miracle of me playing trumpet! Will we play the Josh Eats Birds Feature Song? There's only one way to find out!

Let's go Cats!

NU sports roundup

2009-01-07T09:20:00.000-06:00

This probably looks like some kind of weekly feature, doesn't it? Well, good luck convincing me to keep up that kind of pace.

Let's start with happy news!

Women's Hoops
The Lady Cats, no not those Ladycats, won their first conference game over the weekend. A nice win over Wisconsin will hopefully kick-start this team that is supposed to be on the improve.

Women's Tennis
Dual pre-season #1s for Northwestern to start 2009. The team is ranked first in the nation after finishing the regular season at the top last year. Add to that Maria Mosolova's ranking as #1 in singles. The sophomore will look to dominate in the winter and spring. Let's all hope the team can overcome its tournament jitters -- although I'm not complaining about an NU team that seems to get to the sweet 16 every year.

Men's Hoops
The men take their turn with Wisconsin tonight in Madison. While we have played the Man Badgers close in recent games, we haven't usually pushed through for a win. I think we can throw out the 77-point defensive failing to MSU; they hit 56% on 3s, and 47% overall which is crazy for our opponents. Take away 3 of their shots, and it becomes a super-close game.

Let's go Cats!

Wha' Happened: The Alamo Bowl

2009-01-02T16:32:00.000-06:00

That was a tough one. I don't think I've been so nervous (or on so little sleep) at an away game since Minnesota in 2000. But at least we won the one at the Humphreydome.

Oh well. I know we were in this to win, not just to feel good, but I think we can feel good about most of the Alamo Bowl. We had the better running back and the better quarterback. We had the more exciting defense. We had the better fans. I think we made some decisions that hurt our chances -- e.g. passing play on 3rd-and-long late in the first half that led to the Maclin return -- but we also had some luck. Mizzou's missed kick could have gone down as one of the great NU moments, if we had pulled out an OT win.

Now we can look forward to next year. We should see a number of fresh faces at "skill" positions, and a lot of the same names in the trenches and the secondary. That's a good level of continuity, as far as I'm concerned.

Until then, I'll focus on basketball, lacrosse, and US soccer here at JEB. And whatever else floats my boat*. Be sure to check out my other digs, at which I totally meant to post the other day, and now I have no idea what it was.

* - wrestling? softball? buoyancy?

More thoughts on: The Alamo Bowl

2008-12-27T16:10:00.002-06:00

Realized that I forgot to mention Jeremy Maclin in the first Alamo Bowl post. Consider him mentioned.

Also, it's pick time. The line is MU -12.5, and the O/U is 66.5. But, I'm just picking on gut feeling here, and I had a lot of pizza last night. Northwestern 31, Missouri 27.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: The Alamo Bowl

2008-12-27T07:39:00.001-06:00

It's been a little since I wrote about the Cats, but today makes it one week remaining before the last game of 2008. It's time to start getting pumped again!

I'll admit, I was less than thrilled at first when it became clear (and then confirmed) that NU would be taking on MU in the Alamo Bowl. Not just because any Big XII team is a tough opponent this year. Not just because I felt like we deserved better -- a bad loss to Indiana notwithstanding. Not even just because there's still a bad taste remaining from the last time we played on the turf in San Antonio.

No, it's because I didn't think I could go! But never fear, gentle reader, I will be in Texas to cheer for our beloved ApostroCats. I'll be there with my spurs a-janglin' and my belt a-big-buckled and...other things?

Northwestern should have Tyrell Sutton back for his last collegiate game, in honor of the fact that I still haven't decided what to do with my little tagline up there. Add in C.J.'s last game as a Cat, and I think we'll see some offensive highlights of our own. It also looks like we will have Vince Browne back for the bowl, which would make for a lot of danger coming at Daniel.

As for the game itself, I'm suitably afraid of Missouri -- or as it's pronounced in the northwest of the state, "Kansas," -- and the Tigers outstanding offense. Along with Ohio State this will be the best offense that we have faced, only this one is led by a veteran QB and not a rated rookie. Chase Daniel can light. it. up. Unless, we can get some pressure, which we know we can. Seriously, can you imagine looking up from center and seeing two real NFL prospects (Gill and Wootton) plus Kevin Mims, plus Vince Brown staring back at you? We should see Chase Daniel try to escape from pressure a lot, and that's when he ought to get walloped by Brad Phillips.

At least, that's what I'm hoping to see. I'm also hoping to get to The County Line either for lunch on the 30th or post-game drinks on the 29th. Come visit, why don't you! Breakfast on the 30th is at the place that I can sort of remember, and I hope it's still there. You'll know it when you see it.

Let's go Cats!

More lolwildcats

2008-12-18T20:00:00.003-06:00

Well, sort of.

The instructions are:
1. Open Paint
2. Close your eyes
3. Draw a picture of a cat
4. Post it on your blog

Wha' Happened: Illinois

2008-11-30T15:09:00.002-06:00

I'm delayed again in an airport, so this means I must blog. Unfortunately, it will now be an official tradition, which could get annoying...

The price we pay.

I also don't want to make a tradition of waiting this long after games to review them. Looking back on our nice, solid win over Illinois last week, I still feel very good about our bowl game position and our season as a whole.

Many have said that this was our most complete win; I'm not sure I completely agree. Illinois did to us what we did to Michigan the week before -- they came out of halftime with a much better offensive strategy. If not for critical drive-killers like sacks and turnovers, we might have been in greater trouble than we ever were.

Still, it was a 9th win. A good win. Right? Right.

Yesterday's victory by Oregon helps us, but other wins this week hurt some. We'll have another week of waiting and tentative planning before we know anything for certain, winter-sun-wise. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that OSU will sneak into the BCS and we will get the Outback Bowl berth that we have deserved for the last 8 years.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Illinois...

2008-11-22T09:33:00.002-06:00

...and also the rest of the Big Ten's games for the last weekend of our season.

Does anyone else dread this game every year? It seems like it rarely helps us (exception: 2000), and sometimes we get hammered (um...last year, anyone?). So, I am concerned, especially as we go in without any running backs and or half our defensive line.

There are promising things though. Nate Williams has really stepped in well for Malcom Arrington, and Prince Kwateng has carried A LOT of the weight for that LB corps. Stephen Simmons has shown a couple flashes, and C.J. had a great 3rd quarter last weekend.

So, let's just pick this game and then look a the 4 others of note in our conference. The Cats are coming in as 3-point underdogs. Yeah, really. I don't know. Seing how it's senior day and we have, I think, 23 seniors, I'm picking Northwestern 33, Illinois 10.

Let's go Cats!

Around the conference, I think we're rooting for PSU and OSU to win. That might get two Big Ten teams into the BCS again. That would leave us tied with MSU for 3rd in the Big Ten (should we win). Then, we want Minnesota to beat Iowa for "Floyd of Rosedale." Right? So that we stay two games ahead of Iowa?

Oh yeah and never has the Old Oaken Bucket seemed so meaningless. I love the Indiana-Purdue rivalry, but this is so a nothing game this year. le sigh.

Wha' Happened?: Michigan

2008-11-22T09:23:00.002-06:00

Why do I always do this? Why do I wait until just before I am about to write the next preview before I review the last game? The obvious answer is that I'm lazy, but that hardly seems to cover the full gamut of reasons that I wait until the very last minute. I mean seriously, if it weren't an afternoon game today, I'd never have gotten to this at all. Maybe it's something to explore in December.

So, Cats win! Last week, that is. I did watch the game from the relative comfort of my parents' couch (a little cold) and on the relative awesomeness of their new TV (no complaints there). It was perhaps a little anticlimactic, but upon reflection I don't think this was because I was watching alone. I think it was because this was a game the ApostroCats "should win." And they did. So there. We won't curry a lot of favor for beating Michigan, even in Ann Arbor, in such a down year. But we sure would have lost a lot of it if we hadn't won.

So, that was basically a relief. All of you who really care about the reunion I attended have heard the tales, I think, so I'll just make this PSA:

***
The bridge is not out. Bridge St., west of the bridge, is one-way in the east-bound direction. But you can still cross the bridge in both directions.
***

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Michigan

2008-11-15T09:30:00.001-06:00

So, tomorrow, the ApostroCats (is that better, Mike?) travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan. This is always a popular road trip option for NU students and alums, so it should not surprise you to learn that I am typing this entry en route.

Well, en route to somewhere, anyway.

I’m actually sitting in O’hare International “Airport”* unwilling to pay for wifi. That means no fact-checking or the like in this entry. Which is no big deal, because I’m not headed to or writing about Ann Arbor, I’m headed to Pennington, NJ, by way of Philadelphia. Yes, I have my 10-year high school reunion tomorrow. Good old Hopewell Valley Central High School. The fightin’ Bulldogs. The Black and Gold. The, uh, place where I was a total geek and why am I going to this reunion again?

But, I am going nonetheless. It’ll be good to see Pennington again. Not that the reunion will be in Pennington. Or in New Jersey. What? It’s at some bar in New Hope, PA? And the only bridge I know how to use to get to New Hope is under construction? Promising!

I’m not totally sure what to expect from this thing. Questions are percolating. Will I still like the people I used to like? Will I still hate the people I used to hate? Will those two groups have switched? Are there people I used to hate reading this? Hi! I secretly always liked you, and I only pretended to hate you to keep up appearances!

Will they all have had cool jobs for the last 5 years? Will they be impressed by the cool job that I’ve had for the last 5 weeks?

How many people will be married, and how many will have kids? Is there a place somewhere near my parents’ house that I can easily and cheaply get a kid to bring along. Like a child talent agency? Or a poorly-staffed day care center?

At least there are some things I think will probably be just fine. I’ll stay in my parents’ house, although they’re thousands of miles away in Italy this weekend. I’ll see a couple friends who I feel confident I will still like. ~~I’ll get to play with a GPS deal in my rental car.~~ I'll get hosed by the Avis bus, and have to rent a more expensive car from Dollar with no GPS. I’ll watch the NU-Michigan game on my parents’ new HDTV.

See what I did there? Brought it all back to the original topic, didn’t I? Bow before me, as I make my weekly prediction! Northwestern 28, Michigan 20.

Let’s go Cats!

* - that is, if I ever get a chance to get up in the air. Current estimated delay: 1 hour, 22 minutes. Update, wheels-up was just over 2 hours late. I got to my parents house at about 2am and stumbled around the garage blindly before finding the key.

Wha' Happened?: Ohio State

2008-11-15T09:26:00.001-06:00

Well, that kinda blew, but I guess we saw it coming. Right? What’s that you say? Some of us had crazy premonitions in which the Cats won? And in which they started off with a safety during the opening Buckeyes kickoff return? Well, those people must be nutso internet “bloggers” or something. Throw rocks at them.

There were some worthwhile moments in the game, despite the lopsided scoreline. Mike Kafka did better running the ball than I ever thought he could against OSU. I really expected them to spy on him all day and all the night. Yet, he still ran effectively, even if the rest of the Cats didn’t really do so.

The big plays against were bad, I’m not gonna lie. But we don’t see QBs like that too often, so maybe it’s allowable.

Also, several of us more-or-less improvised the same cheer at the same time, which was freaking awesome.

Let’s go Cats!

More lolwildcats

2008-11-08T07:34:00.003-06:00

Because I needed to kill a little time this morning, having woken up WAY too early.

And because Corey Wootton is an absolute beast.

Thoughts on: Ohio State

2008-11-07T19:45:00.002-06:00

I know not everyone loves the cold and wet weather, but I gotta tell ya. I came out of work to head home today, and it just felt like the best weather for football. Low 40s and drizzly? Can't get any better than that.

On to tomorrow's game! I'm hoping that the cold-and-rainy will keep it close and hard-hitting. Also, more-hyphenated! With a severe lack of senior running backs, the AprostroCats will need to keep OSU in check and score just enough to win.

Whether or not he starts, I am sure that Mike Kafka will see time under center tomorrow. You can bet on it. You can also bet that when he's at QB, OSU's James "We'll do some tests, but I'm afraid it might be" Laurinaitis will be stalking Kafka. The senior LB will probably do a little spying on our running QB, especially with our inexperienced running backs.

I'm about to make my pick, and I need to tell you something about it. I think I know exactly what is going to happen tomorrow. I've only told one person, just in case I'm wrong, but she will verify my story when I am right. The line is OSU -11, O/U 42. I'm picking Northwestern 19, OSU 11.

Let's go Cats!

$1.959

2008-11-03T20:52:00.001-06:00

I bought this gas today. There was a line.

For serious.

Life on the road

2008-11-02T20:13:00.005-06:00

I'm currently in Jacksonville, IL, and tomorrow I'll be in Winchester, Litchfield, and Taylor Springs. It's only for one night, but can you tell I am bored out of my mind?

One nice thing about being in the real America? I saw gas for $1.95/gal. It's $2.09 here in Jacksonville. I'll try to get a pic of a sub-$2 sign tomorrow. Also, it is nice that my hotel on this trip has good wifi, so I'm not forced to lie on the floor with my laptop in order to get a signal near the bathroom door.

Nice product placement for Coke, huh?

Here's a game! Which of the above pictures of my hotel room was taken with the $200 point-and-shoot and which with the $1000 DSLR?

More when I get home. Assuming the guy in [town name withheld] lets me leave with my life. He was not happy with me on Friday...

Wha' Happened?: Minnesota

2008-11-02T09:14:00.002-06:00

What a strange game, huh?

In the first quarter, I thought we would win. In the second, I thought we would lose.
In the third, it looked like both coaches just sent their guys out to run suicides. And, for the last few minutes, it looked like both coaches were getting paid by the period and heading for overtime.

Then the aliens came.

Namely, Brendan Smith turned Mike Kafka's first start in two years into a dominant individual offensive performance, worthy of national attention. Before that, Kafka was just a footnote from that ever-weirder team from outside Chicago.

Smith will get all the accolades and the [INSERT SPONSOR HERE] play-of-the-week nominations, but Kafka got the Cats in the game and kept them there by taking the offense on his shoulders. The NU defense did what it could with major injury problems, but those will crop up much more in 7 days when OSU comes to Evanston.

Get some rest guys, and look to build on this with a shocker next weekend.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Minnesota

2008-11-01T06:29:00.003-05:00

Yikes! I keep leaving these until later and later, don't I? This time I can't blame being out of town, so I guess it all falls on me. I'll try to keep up.

This week the ApostroCats take on the surprisingly competent Minnesota Gophers. Yes, this year's incarnation of the mustard-and-ketchup are 7-1 and ranked #17 in the current BCS list. That one loss is to Ohio State, so I'm thinking Minnesota is feeling pretty good right about now.

And why else might they be feeling good? Well, maybe because NU lost the two offensive skill players who touch the ball the most: QB CJ Bachér and running back Tyrell Sutton. So it looks like Northwestern fans (and opponents) should gird themselves for a heavy dose of running as backups Mike Kafka and Omar Conteh take the starting labels.

The keys for an NU win today? It's simple. 1) Efficient offense. 2) Effective defense.

If Mike Kafka can guide the offense to first downs, decent field position and, most importantly, few turnovers, the Cats should be able to put up a few points. That will leave the rest to a still-impressive defense, albeit one that gave up too many big plays a week ago. I think Coach Fitz will have had a few choice words with a few choice players, and we will see renewed vigor as the defense continues to recover from the loss of Malcom Arrington.

All together, there is a great chance for the Cats to win. Not just because I always pick them to win, but because our defense is capable of keeping us in any game. The line is Minnesota -7.5, O/U 46. I'm taking the Cats and the under: Northwestern 20, Minnesota 17.

Let's go Cats!

Mmmmmm

2008-10-30T17:20:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't you like to live in a town called Fruit?

I would.

Phillies win. Josh breathes.

2008-10-29T21:22:00.005-05:00

No words. Should have sent a poet.

Ideal gas plate

2008-10-27T22:22:00.004-05:00

Saw this plate in Evanston.

It's hard to see in these photos, but it's an Illinois violence prevention plate. So the plate says

NRT PV

or

NRT = PV

I love nerdy license plates!

Wha' Happened?: Indiana

2008-10-26T08:31:00.007-05:00

Well, ugh. What a disappointing game for the Cats yesterday. 800 turnovers? Check. Every player injured, including guys who didn't make the trip? Check. Depressing* game-day bar experience? Check.

So, I figured I would use this space to show some pictures from my recent business trip to scenic Iowa. Keep in mind, these pictures were taking with a cameraphone through the window of my car. And usually in the rain.

* - Dear friends, I naturally don't mean you were depressing. But that place was not nearly as electric as when we went to watch the Iowa game.

Iowa 80 - the world's biggest truckstop. I stopped there on the way back, in case I maybe wanted to see a dentist. You heard me.

I took a lot of pictures of signs for towns. Brooklyn was prominent in Iowa AND in Illinois.

That sign is for What Chance, Iowa. I assume that no one ever means to arrive there, but they're always glad that they did.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Indiana

2008-10-25T06:50:00.003-05:00

Not a lot of thoughts this week, because I'm cutting things pretty close! Time t-minus 4 hours to kickoff, and I need to try to get some costume preparation done before and/or after going out to watch the game.

A big key to the game will be a whether Indiana will have the services of QB Kellen Lewis. He is a versatile and experienced threat, but an ankle injury could limit his play or see him on the sidelines entirely. IU has a decent rushing attack for the season, but Lewis is their leading gainer on the ground. If he is out, expect to see an even more aggressive NU defense.

On the other side, Indiana's pass defense is...not vaunted. Bachér will need to be efficient with the ball and keep the Cats on an even offensive keel. To have a big day akin to last week's 48 points, Northwestern will need big gains as well as drive-savers from C.J.

NU is an 8-point favorite in this game, and the O/U is 52.5. I'm going to pick a close-ish one. Northwestern 31, Indiana 22.

Let's go Cats!

Also!: Purdue

2008-10-19T23:32:00.002-05:00

I totally had the game picked right. If only you double both the scores I picked, that is. I don't know if that means I had the ratio of Cats/Boilermakers right, or if I was just really truly way off...

Anyway, back to trying to catch up on sleep.

Let's go Cats!

Wha' Happened?: Homecoming (Purdue)

2008-10-19T18:56:00.001-05:00

Highlights from this year's homecoming weekend:

Eric Peterman - The Peterman Reality Tour made another stop in Evanston on Saturday as "The Real Peterman" caught a 45-yard TD pass and threw another for 30 yards.

Fire Trucks - Did you know you can rent a fire truck for any occasion? Now you do.

Rent a fire truck for your next bris!

Tyrell Sutton - Tyrell lived up to his place of honor in this blog's upper-right-hand corner. Just under 100 yards rushing, a TD reception and a lot of yards after contact helped make up for a case of fumblitis.

Big Booty - I played Big Booty (Big Booty, aw yeah) at two seperate parties. And for the record, I was not the instigator of either game, so it was a totally organic coincidence.

The world biggest game of Big Booty? Sadly, no.

Cats win! - Well, duh. More excitingly, Cats win without too much of an increase in yours truly's blood pressure. Who knew it was possible?

Time to get ready for Indiana, who will be looking for a much-needed conference win.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Purdue

2008-10-16T19:51:00.002-05:00

So, Purdue is a weird team this year. You'd kind of think they would be good, like when they take Oregon to OT. They're 2-4, but they've lost three straight to tough teams (ND, PSU and OSU). Also, we tend to get clobbered when they come here.

So, it's too much to try and fathom Purdue. What you should spend your time fathoming this weekend is homecoming! Woo! You heard me -- woo!

Things you won't want to miss out on...

wearing NU apparel
bands marching
peps rallying
revisiting the sites of your most favoritest exam freakouts*

* - a random carrel on a random floor of the library.

Things you will want to yell at Grand Marshall Matt Grevers...

Are you the one from Bulgaria?
Which of your gold medals is your favorite? The one you won for Michael Phelps, or the one he won for you?
Can you reach that off the top shelf for me?

Finally, I don't think I'm going to get to the Whether this week, so I'll jump to a pick! The line is NU -4, O/U 47. I'm going with Northwestern 24, Purdue 13.

Let's go Cats!

Wha' Happened?: Michigan State

2008-10-12T17:56:00.001-05:00

Kind of a strange game yesterday afternoon in Evanston.

The Cats outgained MSU on offense, and had some decent stops on defense. Tyrell outrushed Javon, and he had 183 total yards. CJ completed 34 passes and was only sacked once. But, we lost by 17?

Those annoying other parts of the game came and reared their ugly (collective) head: turnovers and special teams. Northwestern's kick coverage, punt coverage and kick return game was a mess. We gave away three turnovers and never caused one. These kinds of things explain how a seemingly close game is really a 17-point loss.

While everyone is silver-lining...ing about a 5-1 record, the worryworts will remember that all these annoying miscues come after a bye week. I tend to side with the people who enjoy our 83% winning percentage, but we need to hope that this was a little rust that developed after a week away from our winning streak. A little honing this week will hopefully do the trick against Purdue for Homecoming.

Let's go Cats!

Whether Report: Michigan State

2008-10-10T20:45:00.001-05:00

Say Josh, tell me whether...

...you almost forgot that you usually do two preview posts?
Kind of. A little bit.

...you also forgot that there used to be a "real" weather report?
Forget that, I did not. In fact the weather tomorrow should be pretty excellent.

...you really mean that?
Well, kind of. It should be pleasant, although I usually start wishing for a crisper temperature once October rolls around.

...you used the bye week productively?
I studied the opposition profusely, if that's what you mean. Also, I didn't really shower much...if that's what you mean?

...you're ready to make a pick?
Well, I was. But then I told jhodges what I thought, and he said that was his pick. So, now I have to switch it around a little.

...so?
I'm going to go with Northwestern 34, MSU 21. A nice happy mix of defense, offense, and a couple made kicks for good measure.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Michigan State

2008-10-10T20:38:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to get back into the swing of blogging here, after a bye week for the team and for the blog. Also, the Phillies just went out to a 2-0 lead in the NLCS, so my attention is a little split today.

But, I don't blog about the Phillies (often) so let's get back to the Cats!

Tomorrow afternoon -- yes, afternoon -- Northwestern returns home to take on the Spartans. The last two years, this match-up has been decided by an average margin of 5 points, but an average of 84 combined points per game. I'd like to believe that this year will be different and that defense will prevail. BUT, I just can't bring myself to go against history and Javon Ringer. Even if Iowa did hold MSU and Ringer sort of in check last week, I think NU will have to worry about:

Javon Ringer - Duh. The RB is the best in the conference (unless and until OSU's Wells gets fully fit again). He might have been the best back in the country for the first few games, although Iowa kept him under 100 yards last week. We'll need to do something close to that to keep our defense from falling on its heels.

Brian Hoyer - He's not the greatest QB, and he doesn't have the best wideout crew, but he is a veteran and he has the ability to throw for a ton of yards on a good day. With our LBs and secondary focusing on supporting the run, we'll either need good pressure or great coverage to keep Hoyer under wraps.

The ApostroCats to look for tomorrow, in my incredibly humble and attractive opinion are:

Tyrell Sutton - Maybe this will be the game in which Tyrell really runs like we know he can? It's hard to argue with wins, but I think there has to be a showcase game for Sutton, and I think it could be tomorrow in his return to the Ryan Field grass after his injury against Ohio.

Jordan "" Mabin & "I Shot the" Sherrick "but I did not Shoot the Deputy" McMannis - These guys will have a lot of single coverage as we try to stop the MSU ground game. I'm not looking for lockdown coverage on both sides, but solid open-field tackling is the watchword...s.

Let's go Cats!

A little behind on things

2008-10-05T20:20:00.002-05:00

So, I firmly intended to get out a post about our thrilling win over Iowa last week. Really! I wasn't going to use work as an excuse or anything. But then I got kind of sick (here come the excuses!) and then a whole other weekend's slate of games happened...So, let's just all say that we're happy to be 5-0, to be rested from a bye week, and to be recognized in a couple of national polls [pdf].

In other sports news about which to be happy, some of us don't hail from Chicago and we are celebrating the first NLCS appearance for the Phillies since 1993. Joe Carter is out of league, so hopefully there's no one to stop the Phightin's. He is out of the league, right?

Back to NU to finish things off, the men's soccer team improved to 9-0-2 with a win over Penn State. They entered the week ranked #3 in the nation, and with #2 St. Johns losing, the Cats should be poised to move up a rung.

Let's go Cats (and Cats) (and Phillies)!

Ha! Take that, almost everyone!

2008-09-28T11:40:00.005-05:00

You can like or not like the various computer rankings, and you can dispute the value of each particular ranking model. But there is a pleasant surprise in the Colley Matrix this week.

Yes, that's Northwestern at #4. That's number 4 nationally. One can only laugh, and root for further rises!

Screen-grab of the top 35 after the jump.

Whether Report: Iowa

2008-09-27T08:36:00.001-05:00

Say Josh, tell me whether...

...the 5th of 12 games can really be all that important?
This year, definitely. In 2000, our overtime victory at Wisconsin was the 4th of 11 games, and it set the tone for the rest of the year. That was probably the biggest early victory we've had this decade.

...a win at Iowa would be bigger?
I think it would, because 5-0 would be an eye-catcher for many, although Wisconsin was ranked in the top ten at that point in 2000.

...there's something unusual about the Iowa visiting locker room?
Have you heard? The stadium was built to last, but locker room was built TOO SMALL! It's kind of awesome.

...it isn't something else. Something pink?
Maybe, but mine is better.

...it's pickin' time?
Well, if you're referring to corn, I think our avian hosts will tell you that picking time was a few weeks ago. If you mean games, then yes.

...you're stalling?
OK fine. This is the first game where I am a little less sure of the win/loss aspect of my pick, and I'm a little because at least I'm 4-0 picking NU winners. The line is Iowa -8, O/U 42.5. I'm going with way under, you'll notice: Northwestern 17, Iowa 10.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Iowa

2008-09-26T19:46:00.001-05:00

See previous post for why I'm rushing through this a little bit this morning.

I think this week at Iowa, we'll depend on three things: Tyrell Sutton; the true confidence of our defense; and the very nature of our opponent. The first two seem obvious, and they should feed off each other. An offense that moves the ball gives valuable rest to its defense; a defense that makes big stops inspires big plays from its offense.

The last thing that is important is the birdlike nature of the Hawkeyes. Even though I'm pretty sure a hawkeye is not a real thing (at least they're not nittany hawkeyes) Iowa likes to claim that it is a bird. And what happens to birds? Cats eat them. By the way? Those last three sentences were written over the course of 13 hours. I need to lie down.

Just like the Hawkeyes will! These are the jokes!

Let's go Cats!

Wha Happened?: Ohio

2008-09-26T06:50:00.001-05:00

Sorry that I've been slow to update this week. I'm starting a new job, and not doing very well at managing my time outside of work. That will improve, but I might cut back on the number of posts here and here.

The story of the game last weekend was pretty short, as far as I'm concerned: Tyrell Sutton. I believe he was going to start wearing down the Bobcat defense in the second half, and that might have broken the game open. It certainly looked like that on the last drive of the first half.

The other story? Turnovers, naturally. If only one team had had 4 or 5 TOs, it probably wouldn't have been as close as it was. But, since both teams had a pile of giveaways, it allowed the game to stay close AND it provided each type of *cat with plenty of opportunities. Nearly all of which were blown by an ensuing turnover.

We'll need to take care of the ball better once the Big Ten season starts, so let's hope our Cats got it out of their system.

Let's go Cats!

Briefly: Ohio

2008-09-20T21:32:00.001-05:00

With today's win, Coach Fitzgerald improved his career win percentage to 50%.

With today's win, the Cats improved their record in home games to 50%, for the first time since I started at NU. That is to say, their record in home games since I started at NU. Games since and including the 1998 season. Does that make sense?

More to come. Let's go Cats!

Whether Report: Ohio

2008-09-19T21:52:00.001-05:00

Say Josh, tell me whether...

...you're getting a late start on this today?
Yeah, perhaps just a little late.

...you at least have a good excuse?
Tom's dog ate it? Or at least, he tried to eat other things while I made fun of him.

...the lateness will be corrected next week?
Unlikely. New job = I probably won't work on blogs during the day. Unless I get bored at lunch.

...the actual, you know, weather is going to be an issue tomorrow?
It looks like it should be a pretty nice day. I guess someone upstairs (Quasimodo?) is cutting us a break.

...you're tired, and it's time for a pick?
Dern tootin! The line is something like NU -11.5, O/U 52. I really, really want to pick the Cats in a major blowout, but I will hedge and just pick us to win nicely: Northwestern 37, Ohio 16.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Ohio

2008-09-18T21:01:00.001-05:00

In Saturday's clash with the Bobcats of Ohio University, Northwestern's aggressive D will be facing Ohio's new QB, Boo Jackson. What do we know about Jackson? Well, we know what Boo knows. By the way, if you're not groaning, congratulations on being too young to get it.

Bo(o) Kno(o)ws:

Passing - Jackson threw for over 4500 yards in two years of junior college play.
Rushing - He is tied for second on the team in rushing in 2008.
When to cut his losses - "Boo"'s real first name is Franshaw.

Now a little something for the fans in the stands.

This Cats game will be televised on the Big Ten Network. If you're looking to get a little basic cable face-time, you'll need a clever sign that also advertises for the BTN. I'm here to help with three potential acrostic sign ideas:

Bobcats Trigger Nausea
Boo is Talent's Nemesis or Boo's Talent: Nil
Bachér is Tailored Nattily

Enjoy your 0.15 seconds of fame, and let's go Cats!

More lolwildcats

2008-09-17T18:29:00.003-05:00

Wha' Happened?: SIU

2008-09-15T10:03:00.001-05:00

The sloppy weather on Saturday in Evanston was met by an encouragingly non-sloppy win for Northwestern over in-state FCS power SIU. The wet game included no turnovers for either team, although the Cats recovered their own fumble on a kickoff return, SIU had a lost fumble that was over-ruled on review, and NU blocked a Saluki punt.

The only "low" points that I can see were a mediocre running average, although Sutton did have all three of the Cats' touchdowns, and an inability to finish drives with TDs (4 short FGs). I can chalk some of that up to the rain, although I would have liked to see our offensive line start having its way in the 2nd half.

The story of the day, aside from the weather was the NU defensive pressure. While more or less containing SIU's running game, they acrued 6 sacks and about a jillion TFLs. The opposition will get stiffer from here, but this will help us visualize what our attacking defense is supposed to look and feel like.

How did they do?

Bachér - C.J. was efficient and calm in the bad conditions. He was helped greatly by the always-improving O-line and good routes by the receiving corps. I think we'll have to get used to a lot of 7-15 yard passes this year. We've seen those thrown against us for years, so it should be nice to do a little damage ourselves.

Sutton - Tyrell had all three NU touchdowns on just 101 yards rushing, plus 16 receiving. It was what we needed, but I'm starting to wonder if he's lost a step since last year. Some runs looked like Sutton circa 2005, but he didn't seem to hit every gap. Looking forward to next week, on hopefully dry turf.

Mabin - Jordan had little statistical impact on the game, although he returned one kick in Stephen Simmons' absence. This has less to do with Mabin's game and more with the Cats' safeties leading the team with 7 tackles each and the front 7 dominating the LOS and the backfield.

Finally, last week's one vote has become 10 in the coaches' poll and 4 in the AP.

Let's go Cats!

Whether Report: SIU

2008-09-12T09:54:00.001-05:00

Say Josh, tell me whether...

...the weather is going to cooperate in Evanston tomorrow?
It looks a little rainy, but not very cold. Not the worst football weather ever, for sure.

...the rain could impact the game?
I think it could keep the game closer if both offenses get bogged down. Probably, difficult conditions favor the more experienced, deeper team. NU should have more options and make use of them. The Cats benefit, comparatively, in bad weather.

...high school band day could impact the game?
More than you might expect. The SIU band is also performing (I think) which should rile up the Saluki-faithful. It will probably be our highest-attended non-conference game, and a fairly raucous affair if the game stays close.

...there are any other noteworthy Big Ten games this weekend?
Well, Iowa-ISU is sometimes entertaining, Purdue-Oregon and Wisconsin-Fresno State should be of national note. There's also Michigan-Notre Dame, but that hardly qualifies these days. Oh, and OSU is playing some "directional" school from California.

...you're going to pick NU to go 3-0?
Historically, it's kind of hard to do that, but it's also hard to not pick the Cats over any FCS school. With no betting line on this game, my (for entertainment purposes only) pick for an NU win. Northwestern 35, SIU 13.

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: SIU

2008-09-11T11:11:00.001-05:00

This week marks Northwestern's now-annual game against a team from the FCS. The opponents this time around are the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Hopefully, last year's opening shutout of North~~west~~eastern means that the team and coaching staff has learned lesson from 2006's loss to New Hampshire. SIU is a very good team in their division, and has had lots of success over the years.

That doesn't mean we can't take advantage of some things. In their season-opening win over Hampton, SIU gave up over 400 yards through the air -- albeit while grabbing 3 picks. The ApostroCats have been picking around the edges of a deep and balanced passing attack for two games, and this could be the first time C.J. goes big. I abhor the pass-to-set-up-the-run philosophy, but I think this is a good week for both phases of our offense to mesh and support each other.

Who's gotta come up big for the Wildcats?

C.J. Bachér - I didn't get to see last weeks game, but it sounded like the accuracy wasn't quite there in NU's passing game. To get a statement win, we'll need big points and that all starts at QB.

Tyrell Sutton - Wouldn't usually choose two offensive players, but this feeds directly from my last statement. We need to show that we're lots better than a top-tier FCS program. I'd really like to see a standout performance from our featured back here, before the first quarter of the season is over.

Jordan Mabin - The freshman DB has earned a start this week, and he needs to come up big. Coach Fitz thinks very highly of him, and an all-around defensive performance is necessary to make a nice-looking win.

Let's go Cats!

Wha' Happened?: Duke

2008-09-09T22:05:00.001-05:00

So, I was not able to get video of this game. "ACC Select" just plain didn't work for me when I tried to buy the game, even though it had worked when I tested it the day before. That was depressing, but the WGN.com broadcast was good as always.

My impressions of the game, therefore, are only based on what I've heard or read since Saturday. I remain perplexed by the lack of getting Tyrell Sutton the damn ball. I know that's what everyone expects us to do, since he's a major weapon, but I think he can make things happen no matter what. And with our woeful performance on first downs this past weekend, The Cats need something that gets us into better situations. 2nd-and-fives will give us a plethora of options compared to 2nd-and-tens.

Also, I just used the word plethora, which is a daily goal of mine!

I realize that I forgot to pick some key players before the game, so I'll just mention them after the fact:

Jordan Mabin - The red shirt freshman came up with 5 tackles and forced a fumble (which he recovered). He's apparently earned the starting spot over Justan Vaughn for the next game, so mad props to Jordan.

Eric Peterman - Peterman was involved in two of the biggest plays of the game. He caught a 45-yard pass that helped set up the eventual winning TD and he threw a pass to C.J. Bachér that led to Sutton's second TD.

Amado Villarreal - The NU kicker was successful on his first FG attempt of the season -- a 35-yarder. It's going to important for us not to leave points on the field, and having a reliable kicker is vital. He also made his three PATs on the night.

Time to start getting ready for the visiting Salukis on Saturday. Let's see if Northwestern can't put together a whole game by the whole team!

A vote!

2008-09-07T17:17:00.001-05:00

They like us, they really like us!

Well, one person likes us a little. It seems that Northwestern has garnered one vote in the USA Today poll after getting out to a 2-0 start. You gotta start somewhere in that long climb up the polls.

More on the Duke game tomorrow (or Tuesday).

Whether Report: Duke

2008-09-05T10:13:00.001-05:00

Say Josh, tell me whether...

...the weather will be a major factor?
I think it will indeed be windy and rainy. Both teams have been practicing in those kind of conditions, so I don't think it favors either side.

...you really just wanted to write about weather in the whether report.
Maybe just a little.

...this game will be aired, videographically, in your home?
Reply hazy, try again later. I'm still uncertain on this ACC Select business, although I tested it out yesterday.

...you kind of nailed it with your pick last week?
Not to pat myself on the back too much, but I was pretty damn close. Expect less of the same as the season continues.

...you're picking NU to get off to a 2-0 start?
Yes I am. The bettors have NU -6.5, O/U 44. I think the weather could make it a sloppy game with a lot of miscues and 3-and-outs by both teams. Northwestern 22, Duke 10.

Bonus pick! Eagles 30, Rams 17!

Let's go Cats!

Thoughts on: Duke

2008-09-04T10:40:00.001-05:00

So, the overshadowing thing-of-interest regarding our Saturday night game at Duke is Tropical Storm Hanna. Right now, it looks like it could run up the Atlantic coast and maybe make landfall in North Carolina on Saturday. Yikes! At best, the game could be impacted by rain and wind. It is also conceivable that the game could be postponed, if the weather is dangerous for fans.

Once play ensues, the Cats apparently-capable defense will be dealing with Duke's Thaddeus Lewis. Lewis is a very good QB, as we sadly learned last year. Other players of note include:

Jordan "Sampling" Byas (CB)
Kevin "Wu Kevin" Wu (WR)
Ryan Wood "you know how this game is played" (WR)

But, none of this will matter unless you're in going to be in NC this weekend. Because the damn game's not on TV! You can come over to my house if you want to pay $8 to watch a postcard-sized version on my computer -- sorry mac users, full-screen is not enabled for you! Or if you want to huddle around the Marconi wireless and listen to Dave Eanet's fireside Cats.*

* - I'm sorry.

Am I missing something?

2008-09-04T09:56:00.001-05:00

As has been reported over the last day or so, NBA rookies-to-be Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur were thrown out of the rookie transition program. They allegedly had marijuana and women in their hotel room.

Now, is it just me, or isn't this exactly the kind of thing that the rookie transition program is designed to teach new players about? Let's take a look at some of the points that the NBA orientation is supposed to highlight:

Professionalism
Character, Image and Ethics
Drugs and Alcohol
Felony Situations
Security
Players "20 and under"

So, why throw them out? How about keeping them in there for an extra couple of days to make sure they learn some lessons? Suspend them or fine them or whatever after the program is over, so they can maybe actually learn something from this.

To me, the headlines for this story may as well read: Local boy expelled from school after failing exam.

Things that I want to do in September

2008-09-02T11:31:00.001-05:00

This looks like one of those posts that will become a series, doesn't it? How much do want to bet that it won't?

September 6 - Find a way to watch the NU game @ Duke. LUV U, NUR, but I need some video on this sucker.

September 24 - Get free pie from the Pushing Daisies World Domination Tour and Pie Bus Extravaganza. Or whatever they're actually calling it.

September 27 - Age gracefully.

September 28 - Do the Chicago edition of The Mp3 Experiment.

Wha' Happened?: Syracuse

2008-09-01T18:05:00.001-05:00

I would call that "not a bad start," for the Wildcats this weekend. It was far from a great game, considering that we lost the turnover battle and couldn't get our offense clicking for most of the first half.

There are some very bright spots of course, such as very nice punting from Stefan Demos, and Fitz's third straight opening day victory. It says a lot about our preparation and concentration that we don't look past openers that some might consider gimmes. Oh, and a goose-egg in the L column always looks good, even when we're only one week in.

Let's see how my three important players did:

Adam Hahn - The lineman didn't have a noteworthy game, but linemates Corey Wootton and Corbin Bryant played well with the LBs and secondary picking up for some missed tackles in the line. There is much room for improvement, and the return of John Gill will be very welcome.

Stefan Demos - What more can I say except for Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. 6 out of 6 punts were inside the 20 and 3 were inside the 10. One of those set up the defense to earn NU's first 2 points of the game with a safety. Plus he kicked off well enough to keep Syracuse's vaunted returners to fewer than 100 yards on 5 kickoff returns.

Ben Burkett - No problems in the center-QB exchange. Only one sack allowed, and C.J. usually had time. The entire line will have to continue to improve; most of our opponents will have more skilled D-linemen than the Orange. But a little confidence should go a long way for the still-green trenchmen.

Stay tuned for nervous thoughts about our trip to Durham, NC!

Whether Report: Syracuse

2008-08-29T08:31:00.001-05:00

Say Josh, tell me whether...

...you're ready for the season to kickoff?
Let's see. Flag hung in my window? Check. Wore purple for the last several days? Check. Alarm clock set for tomorrow morning? Check. Depth chart and rosters printed? Check. I think I'm just about ready.

...you think the Cats are ready?
Yes and no. No, because I think only the very best teams are ever fully ready for the first snap. A lot of guys haven't taken real full-speed hits, and the coaches haven't called full-speed plays for this team. Yes, because of the many reports indicating full buy-in by the team into the philosophies of the new coaches on offense and defense. They've got to be rearing to go.

...anyone really rears anymore?
Yes. The Cats rear. Then they go.

...you said "rear?"
Grow up.

...NU-Syracuse is the best game on the Big Ten slate this week?
Well, it looked a lot better when it was scheduled in 2003. Illinois-Mizzou is one of the nation's highlight games this week. MSU goes to Cal, which could be good, and Utah comes to Michigan which could be...almost anything.

...you're picking NU to get off to a winning start this year?
I'm going to say...yes. The line I'm seeing is NU -11.5, O/U 55.5. I think we'll win the turnover battle, giving our offense a couple short fields. So my pick is Northwestern 30, Syracuse 13.

Let's go Cats!

A little bit more about: Syracuse

2008-08-28T09:55:00.001-05:00

Whenever a new season begins, it's hard to know where our beloved ApostroCats will have improved and where they will have declined. Which players will have blossomed in the spring and which graduates we will unexpectedly miss. Which condiments will have been left out of the Ryan Field refrigerators for 10 months and which will have been left out but topped off with fresh supplies.

So, I'll keep things brief today and just give three players who have to show up Saturday to give the Cats a win.

Adam Hahn - A lot has been made in the off-season of NU's revitalized attacking defense, and with John Gill out to suspension, you can expect Corey Wooton to earn a lot of blocking attention from the Orange offense. Hahn (as well as the rest of the D-Line) needs to make the solid stops as well as the more glamourous sacks and hurries to give the LBs a chance to execute the way Coach Hankwitz has designed.

Stefan Demos - The sophomore kicker/punter has a year's experience and an off-season of conditioning under his belt now. He needs to do his part to improve what was a poor kick coverage unit in 2007. If Demos and his coverage team can keep SU to poor starting field positions, it will give the defense great momentum from the start of every opposing drive.

Ben Burkett - Who touches the ball on every play? The center and the QB. While Bachér will be the man who operates our no-huddle offense, the red-shirt freshman Burkett must lead a patchwork offensive-line though any early quavers so they can quickly become a strength of our attack rather than a weak link. The more that C.J. gets a chance to run the offense normally, the better our chance to win this weekend and in the future.

Whether Report tomorrow, along with my pick!
Let's go Cats!

A couple early thoughts on: Syracuse

2008-08-26T10:59:00.001-05:00

Do you remember when we scheduled this series with Syracuse? It was five and 1/2 years ago, and the final game won't be for another 5 years. Back then, we kind of feared this series, but now it's just one of four hopefully-probably-crossyourfingers winnable non-conference games to start the year.

I'll have a pick, and hopefully some other content in advance of Saturday's season opener, but there's two guys on the Orange that I worry about:

Ryan Howard (Senior, CB) - Will we have to contend with the home run champ and league MVP? Or will we get to take a few shots at the strike out leader with a Mendoza-approaching batting average? Or possibly the once-pleasant, now-jackassish temp-turned-manager.

Maximilian Leo (Junior, Long Snapper) - Leo was his father's favorite pope, and Maximilian was his mother's favorite pope. Except, I don't think there was a Pope Maximilian, but it's too good a joke. Plus, we all know that the LS is the smartest guy on the team, so watch out!

2008 Fan Preview

2008-08-20T14:54:00.001-05:00

With 10 days to go until the 2008 incarnation of the Wildcats kicks off against Syracuse, it's time to look at things from a broad perspective. As the games approach each weekend, I'll try to consider them individually, but for now I want to bask in my general optimism.

If you want an in depth season outlook, you should definitely check out this place, and also this place. And I'll do some of that stuff too, as the games come and go. But not today! Today, I just want to talk about how fans should approach this fall.

Patience
Most Northwestern fans are well-schooled (groan) in patience. We're used to wait-til-next year platitudes -- after all, some of you are also Cubs fans -- and we tend to expect long-term program development rather than flash-in-the-pan success. However, the big story coming into the 2008 season is the slew of veterans, particularly at offensive skill positions. My advice is to be patient if we don't put up 35 points/game right away. Remember that the offensive line is inexperienced, and will take time to gel.

Expectations
BUT! Just because we're patient doesn't mean we shouldn't expect to win. We should be able to win a majority of the non-conference games that start the season. They might not be blowout victories (Miami in 2006 or North~~west~~eastern last year) but we should prevail more often than not. We have better coaches across the board than we have in recent years, and it should show in the form of results as they compliment and improve the Wildcat athletes.

The Future
There are two things for which it is never too early: clock management & thinking about the future. The former is mostly in the hands of Fitz, so I will just worry about the latter. It's important for every moment of every NU home game to be spirited moment. Why? Because there are recruits at every game, and whether we're thrashing someone in September or ruing the end of a rough loss, those high school juniors and seniors need to see a great place to play. So combine those top two things, patience and expectations, to give every play of 2008 energy and vitality. We expect no less from the team, after all.

But enough of this profundity. Check back in next week for picks, weather, and hopefully some funny!

Hey! Look over there!

2008-08-19T11:28:00.001-05:00

I have a new blog up and running. It's called Seldom Welcome, and the conceit is that it is an unsolicited advice column. Well, "column" might be a little generous. Whatever it is, it encompasses advice to The World At Large. So take heed, The World, because apparently I know what's best for you.

Also, it is green.

So, go over there and enjoy it! And then come back here. And go back again. Whoa, I'm letting this advice thing go to my head. Sorry.

Things you should be reading

2008-08-17T08:26:00.001-05:00

Another list of things you should be reading, because they are (or promise to be) entertaining. Eventually this space ought to be back to being interesting in and of itself, as we're about 2 weeks from the Wildcats' 2008 kickoff!

@SlateOlympics - The Twitter feed on the Olympics from Slate. It's great for when you're watching NBC and don't have anyone around to snark with.

@CobraCommander - Another Twitterer, and it's exactly what you think it is. Sample from this past Monday: "Excited for new week. Destro delivering first blueprints of potential "weather manipulator device" today. Oh and how bout that Phelps?"

Ephener of Mind - A new blog from friend-of-Josh, Michael. Yay! He finally succumbed to the alure of blogging!

@joshwss - Enough with the Twitter already! But this one is me, so feel free to follow me. Just try and be a real person and not a robot, kay?

The end of an era

2008-08-08T09:59:00.001-05:00

This morning I had to change my email alias at work. Why would I do that? Wouldn't it cause people who I work with to not be able to reach me?

Well, that might actually be a benefit (just kidding Jim!), but I had to escape the spam-sending nogoodnik who decided my address would look nice in his reply-to field. So my 10-year reign as "j-held" is over. I will now begin a new reign as "josh" -- although hopefully this one will be slightly shorter.

Unless you work with me, this should not impact you at all. Carry on. If you do work with me, take note. And why are you reading my blog?

An Open Letter to The Person to Whom My Apartment Was Shown Yesterday

2008-07-23T09:43:00.002-05:00

Dear Person,

Sorry about the state of my apartment. The piles of boxes probably obscured some highlights, and the place is kind of dusty. I guess I could clean, but the boxes are permanent until I move. I'm sure you know how that is, because you yourself are probably preparing to move. Unless you sprang, fully-formed, from the brow of that lady from ApartmentFinders.com and now you need a place to rest your corporeal form. Something with easy access to the bus and the red line! In that case, call me; I'd love to write a myth about you.

If you do decide to take the place, here are some simple warnings, from my experience:

Don't use the microwave and the AC at the same time. It blows up the living room.
Don't use the dishwasher and anything else at the same time. It blows up the dishwasher.
Don't set anything on the floor of the laundry room. That includes your feet.

I hope your search for an earthly home is ultimately successful.

As ever, your humble pre-tenant,
Josh

HMS Sabathia, or The Cats that Loved a Starter

2008-07-07T18:38:00.003-05:00

Should the Phillies have gone out of their way to get pitcher CC Sabathia before he went to the Brewers today? What do I know? Let's say yes, because I love the Phillies -- look me up Sunday in section 419! -- but there's only one real question that this blog will address:

Should the Wildcats have traded for Sabathia?

Let's see where he fits in. The obvious fit is on the Cats' struggling baseball team. The Northwestern Nine went a disappointing 21-28 (14-18 Big Ten) in 2008. The overal ERA was 6.91, with the best starter at 4.17 (Eric Jokisch). It seems likely that CC would be a welcome addition to next year's staff.

Exploring a little more, so that we can get our money's worth on him, the 6'7", 290 lb Sabathia might be able to step in on the ApostroCats' rebuilding offensive line in the fall. With Camp Kenosha starting in a few weeks, and the former Indian in his midseason stride, he would likely be ready by time the Big Ten rolls around, if not earlier. In high school, he was a TE with interest from USC and Hawaii, and we all know you can't teach size.

And just to keep him in shape between sports, I say start a club hockey team for men (if there isn't one) and throw him between the pipes. He's no sumo goalie, but it's a start.

Josh eats bird

2008-07-01T13:43:00.001-05:00

Google "josh eats birds". I'll wait here...welcome back.

Happily, the first listing is me, and the first-and-a-halfth is also me. That is basically as it should be, yes? Disturbingly, the next listing is a YouTube clip called "Josh eats bird." I haven't watched it, and I don't necessarily encourage anyone to do so. BUT it should be noted that, whatever happens in that video, it is in no way endorsed or engaged in by this blog. This Josh only eats birds in the metaphorical sense.

Hey, a Northwestern blog in purple! What novelty!

2008-06-24T20:33:00.003-05:00

OK! New color scheme, and a new logo! If I broke something while I was messing with Blogger templates, please give me a heads up. Thanks and enjoy!

Things you should check out

2008-06-21T11:10:00.004-05:00

Good morning, my lusty readers! On today's agenda is a discussion of whether you exist. Can I get someone to make a motion to approve the agenda? No one? OK. While we wait, why don't you check out these websites:

Amie Street is an independent music download site. Everything's mp3, so it'll play on your PMP of choice. The songs are variously-priced, including $free! I'm making great use of this since I heard about it.
Hexagonal Close-Packed is a new blog by friend-of-Josh Jason. It's allegedly going to be quite nerdly, so please to enjoy.
Air Toxics Analysis Services is small business owned by Joann Held. It's my mother! And my website design for ATAS should be live (or quasi-live) by the time I post this.

Is nothing sacred?

2008-06-18T10:10:00.003-05:00

Because a blog just isn't a blog anymore until it has a lolsomething. And because it's looking like a slow morning. Please welcome the first (and hopefully only) installment of Willie the Lolcat.

New addition to the family!

2008-06-04T18:00:00.002-05:00

From left to right: Dad (Al Powerbook), Son (new iMac), Mom (Dell desktop)

That's him the in middle there. He got his dad's OS, his mom's CPU manufacturer, and a combination of his parents' form factors.

OK, that was dumb. But I'm copying some user info, and I've time to kill until I get to really use him.

A New Direction for NU Basketball...Up?

2008-05-05T12:30:00.001-05:00

According to IllinoisHSBasketball.com, the basketball Wildcats have picked up one more player for the class of 2008-9. Kyle Rowley, from Lake Forest Academy, marks the 5th in this year's line of recruits. He seems like an excellent recruit and a decent dude, but I don't think it's just me -- there's something that ties this class together. Let's look at something:

Class of 2008-9

Kyle Rowley - 7'0", 280 lb
Luka Mirkovic - 6'11", 225
Davide Curletti - 6'9", 225
John Shurna - 6'8", 205
Nick Fruendt - 6'5", 190

Returning significance, 2007-2008

Coble - 6'8", 190 (190? really?)
Williams - 6'3", 190
Moore - 6'3", 190 (No way he's 6'3")
Thompson - 5'10", 185

Now, I don't think that these veterans have to worry about playing time next year, but are we looking at a change in direction? Maybe to a more physical, more defensive, less Princeton-y, more post-oriented team? Josh Eats Birds is looking forward to finding out.

Monday Night Sports Roundup or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dancing With the Stars

2008-04-29T08:06:00.004-05:00

The plan was to watch a little arena action -- Soul vs. Desps in a battle of unbeatens -- and a little NHL -- the Flyers taking on the Habs in game 3. That was before I remembered that my friendly neighborhood dual-tuner DVR is already pretty well taxed on Monday nights. So, even though I won't be doing a guest blog for the gents at It's Still Football, I'll give you a little insight into what I did watch!

First, what I missed:

Think the Pats still have those 19-0 shirts? The Philadelphia Soul moved to 9-0 on the season with a nice win over the previously undefeated Dallas Desperados. Just a couple hundred yards from our next item...

Some say the world will end in Flyers, some say on ice. That doesn't even make any sense! If the Flyers' 3-2 win over Montreal had ended the world, it would have been both anyway. As it was, it just allowed the Flyers to take a 2-1 series lead with game 4 at home.

Now your glimpse into my TV proclivities:

Look at me. I'm as helpless as a baby up a tree. Bones: Brennan and Booth find a baby up in a tree, following a car accident. What follows is a fairly boilerplate miss-matched non-parents have-to-take-care-of-the-kid episode of any show. Also included? Small-town folks who hate the gub'mint. And? Temperance is using her fancy author money to save the town (yay!) and for some reason Sealy thinks he automatically gets to live in any house she builds. Huh? Please don't become Maddie and David or something here.

Clap on. Clap off. House: Ok. It was syphyllis and not gonorrhrea, but we'll get there. The patient of the week is diagnosed with a terminal case of niceness. Apparently he saves the children AND the British children. First they think he has syph. Then they think House has syph. Then they think no one has it! All in all, Kumar is kind of awesome this week, and Wilson and Cutthroat Bitch are really annoying.

It takes 2 to tango (or samba, or mambo...) Dancing With the Stars: All the couples did two dances last night. For the most part the all did one pretty well and one very well. I don't feel like looking up the scores or anything, so I have no idea how they all placed. A couple of highlights include:

Christian racking his arm during their samba. I don't know when he hurt it, but honestly, it was no great shakes from the beginning. Hope he's OK.
Jason did my least favorite dance, the paso doble, to, I think, the ~~ESPN NFL~~ Monday Night Football theme. No really. It was completely un-musical, but somehow the judges loved it.
Kristi slipped down the leader board for the first time, largely because Len didn't like their non-traditional choreography. NOTE TO PROS - Len hates, HATES, non-traditional choreography and non-dancy intros and codas. You've had 98 episodes to figure this out. Start getting a clue or start brushing off your seats in the front row.

Two, two, two Greg(g)s in one!

2008-04-14T16:02:00.005-05:00

I haven't blogged for a while, so when the following thought occurred to me, I figured I should the seize the opportunity.

Is it just me, or does Phillies first baseman Greg Dobbs look a lot like phormer* Phillies first baseman Gregg Jefferies? You be the judge:

Dobbs

Jefferies

Separated at birth? Even though they were born 11 years apart? I think you know what I think.

* F -> Ph? Never not phunny.

Maybe we can all kick in our stimulus checks?

2008-03-06T15:15:00.002-06:00

Sad news today in alterna-football. According to ESPN.com, The All American Football League may have to postpone its inaugural season for a year due to extreme financial iffyness. I don't know how much the league needs (other than a TV deal) to get and stay afloat, but I'm thinking it needs more than the $300-600 per person ($600-1200 for married couples!) each of its coaches and players will be getting this spring.

Fortunately AFL and MLS are starting up. Oh, and baseball too, if you count that as a viable football replacement.

At least I may not have to weigh the pros and cons of the AAFL Sunday Ticket package (watch all 35 games!).

All-American Football League may scrap season for lack of funds [ESPN.com]
All American Football League [allamericanfootballleague.com]

Synergy!

2008-02-20T13:48:00.002-06:00

Just wanted to give the Josh Eats Birds bump to a guest post I wrote for the guys over at It's Still Football. If you are (a) a person who reads this blog, and (b) not one of the guys who writes ISF, you should go over and check it out.

Also, you should introduce yourself in the comments, because I didn't know you existed!

Guest Post! In Re: Chicago Rush Sartorial Choices [It's Still Football]

Cat wins!

2008-02-03T15:30:00.000-06:00

No, I'm not referring to the kitten-filled halftime show for The Puppy Bowl. This is my official pick for tonight's Super Bowl. I just want to get this on record, so that if it turns out that I'm right I get to gloat (more) fully.

I'm picking Giants 31, Patriots 27.

Exotic picks:
First TD: Barry Cofield - NYG (fumble recovery)
First Offensive TD: Barry Cofield - NYG (receiving)
MVP: Barry Cofield - NYG

Hmm. I can't remember where he went to school. Little help?

Terminator: SCC

2008-01-14T21:04:00.001-06:00

I have a confession to make: I have never seen any of the Terminator movies. "I'll be back" - I know of it. "Hasta la vista, baby" - I think it comes from one of them, but if you told me it was from Total Recall, I wouldn't be so sure.

Does this make me less of a man? Maybe. Less of a techie? Almost certainly.

Here's the point. I just watched the pilot episode of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, and you know what? It was kind of awesome. Here's what I thought, roughly in order of thinking things:

Pretty exciting action
Decent dialogue
Occasionally funny
Pretty hot chicks.
John was Claire's friend Zach, from Heroes

I'll watch the second ep tonight, and we'll see what that brings.

I'm sure that Terminator movie fanatics (terminuts? termaniacs?) will have a million problems, but I couldn't tell you for one second if this show fits well with the mythology of the films. If it stays interesting, I've got one more show to add to my vast menagerie.

The one that got away?

2008-01-09T18:57:00.000-06:00

So, it's my first Cats hoops post of the year. I think. Let me start by saying that I think Carmody et alii are doing a pretty good job of recruiting. There's a really decent mix of foreign players (always looking for the next Vedran) and US talent (Coble, Moore), and there's a special emphasis on competing for the best guys in Illinois.

But, in watching some highlights for the UNC/UNC-Asheville game, I can't help but feel like we missed out on someone. See if you can pick him out of this picture.

Yes, that's junior center Kenny George in the middle. He's 7'7", 360. I'm not doing the math, but I think he weighs more than any two Wildcats combined. He averages over 5 blocks per game for the Bulldogs, and I swear he blocked 10 shots in the one-minute highlight I just saw on ESPN. Against North Freaking Carolina!

AND he's a Chicago native, having attended Chicago Latin HS. I have no idea if he was recruited here. Maybe he's a bad shooter, and a bad fit. Or maybe the academics aren't there. Or maybe there's a personal connection to UNC-A.

Mostly, though he's really big, and I wanted to write about that!

Close, but not quite

2007-11-28T07:59:00.000-06:00

Ah, the holidays. That magical time of year when people start emailing me to ask if I created this:

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

For those not link-inclined, it's a very cute animation of Santa and his reindeer singing. The music is the totally awesome cover of White Christmas as performed by The Drifters.

Why do people ask if I made it? Because at the end there's a signature that reads "Joshua Held 2002." Yes, his name is my name too. But, no, I didn't make it. Although I kind of wish I had. I'm a little confused how some random people find my email address, but I guess it can't really be that hard for the people with free time on their hands...

...unlike busy people like me who blog about Christmas animations?

Merry Christmas!

IFAF: You can stop holding your breath...

2007-11-20T17:10:00.003-06:00

...the IFAF final between Japan and the US will be aired Thanksgiving Day at 12pm (CDT) on the NFL Network.

In case you need a reminder, this is the world championship of American football. It featured 6 national sides. It happened back in July. The US pretty much waltzed through the group stage, beating Korea and Germany by a combined score of 110-7.

The championship game was a lot closer, so I won't ruin it for you!

Illinois Preview

2007-11-17T07:55:00.001-06:00

I'm kind of sneaking this in under the wire, so I'll be brief:

Offensive keys:

Good mix of run/pass
Bacher - good decisions (get a little more help from his WRs)
Sutton - do what he does
Don't get frustrated if J Leman makes 25 tackles.

Defensive keys:

Keep Juice contained, hit him hard when he runs
Don't get frustrated if Mendenhall or Benn hurts us
Don't let them BOTH hurt us

My pick: Northwestern 34, Illinois 28
Bonus pick!: Northwestern (bb) 65, DePaul 60.

Let's go Cats!

Indiana Preview

2007-11-08T13:34:00.000-06:00

Well, I've been way off for a couple weeks now. So, it's time to stop trying to actually pick the game, and just have a little fun.

You may or may not remember that our last two games against Indiana have been settled in overtime. Yes, even when the Loosiers were pretty damn bad, we tended to need extra time to finish them. I see no reason why that should not continue in '07, especially because our seasons are often either OT-filled or OT-free.

I'm picking the Cats, in a home upset: Northwestern 37, Indiana 34 (OT)

Let's go Cats!

Speak to Me II: Electric Boogaloo: Redux: Iowa Edition:

2007-11-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

I think this Saturday's game against Iowa is our first broadcast on the ESPN/ABC family of networks (ESPN2 tomorrow) since the OSU game. I don't count the Eastern Michigan game on ESPNU, because that can hardly have been considered a "broadcast."

Therefore, we're looking at the second opportunity for a bubble-encased authority to introduce our offensive and defensive starters. After it was shamefully omitted from the OSU game on ABC, let's hope ESPN2 gets it right. Check out my post from September to refresh your mind on the possibilities.

Speak to me from your tiny bubble [Josh Eats Birds]

Also, on the Iowa side, I'm putting all my money on Dallas Clark, TE of the Indianapolis Colts. You might have heard that they have a game on Sunday!

Iowa Preview

2007-11-02T12:31:00.000-05:00

Well, my guess proved to be approximately wrong. Alas, 4 1st-quarter turnovers and a bad day of run defense can do that. Not to be deterred, I am picking in favor of NU this weekend. Not because of any statistical comparison or strategic benefit. Not because of an advantage in personnel or coaching aptitude. Rather, it's because I saw Chris Malleo at the barber-shop yesterday, and he told someone that the ApostroCats are gonna win. Works for me!

My Pick: Northwestern 27, Iowa 10

Sorry, little Hawkeyes.

Let's go Cats!

Purdue Preview

2007-10-26T14:35:00.000-05:00

I'm taking a time-out from thinking about the firing properties of medium spiny neurons. I know it's hard to believe that I can tear myself away, but I didn't want to miss out on making a pick.

Conventional wisdom suggests that current trends (the two most prolific Big Ten offenses this year) and past performance (we tend to lose at Purdue, except in 2005) point toward a big loss for the Cats tomorrow. Personally, I think this is one of the two hidden-but-important games of the year for NU. The first was the MSU game that started us on this current winning streak.

I think the ApostroCats and the ApostroCoaches know this, and they'll be ready with a couple of guys back from injury (Sutton and Simpson) and some big plays to change the game for us.

My Pick: Northwestern 35, Purdue 31.

Let's go Cats!

EMU Preview

2007-10-17T14:23:00.000-05:00

After two thrilling OT wins in the last two weeks, let's all hope and pray that the ApostroCats don't have a let-down at Ford Field on Friday. Detroit is as close to a home game as they will get in this series. NU is not going to Ypsilanti. But I really wanted to type "Ypsilanti."

The Eagles have a pretty balanced offense, and they have been able to score some points lately. Also, they played us pretty close at Dyche last year. I think we'll pull it out, but it's not going to be the kind of blow-out that could get us a little national dap.

Northwestern 31, EMU 13.
NU gets a little ground game going, which means a slightly lower score than the last two weeks.

Minnesota Preview

2007-10-12T13:24:00.000-05:00

Hey! I guess my prediction of a shutout didn't quite come true last week? Perhaps I overestimated John Gill's ability to stop all 11 Spartans at once. Ah well, everyone makes mistakes, and obviously I'm quite pleased with the final result.

Looking ahead to Minnesota tomorrow, I think the ApostroCats will have reasonable success on offense (not 48 pts worth), but don't expect that Minnesota has no scoring potential. I'm going with....

Northwestern 30, Minnesota 14.

Let's go Cats!

Michigan State Preview

2007-10-05T14:47:00.000-05:00

Is it bad that I get less and less excited about writing these as we keep losing? I guess that's why I'm not a professional sports columnist; I can't write 12 columns per day like Jay Mariotti.

For tomorrow's NU game at Michigan State, I think the Cats will have to look to their most consistent performers to keep on doing what they've been doing. Everyone on all sides will have to pitch in to get the win, and last week they showed that they can do just that for a while.

So, I'm picking two Cats to make major impacts tomorrow: John Gill and Amado Villarreal. Gill is in charge of stopping both of MSU's running backs (Ringer and Caulcrick). Amado is in charge of offense.

My pick: Northwestern 21, MSU 0.

Let's go Cats!

Michigan Preview

2007-09-28T12:13:00.000-05:00

In a hurry today, and it's looking bleak for the Cats with Sutton and Smith both out (Smith for the season). Briefly, I think the only way that NU wins is in a defensive show, stopping Hart and getting to Mallett.

If the Cats win, it will be Northwestern 14, Michigan 13.

Let's go Cats!

Speak to me from your tiny bubble

2007-09-20T18:55:00.000-05:00

It occurs to me that this Saturday will be NU's first ESPN/ABC game of the season. That means that the Cats' offensive and defensive starters will be introduced by someone either directly or casually associated with Northwestern, sitting in a little video bubble on-screen. Who do you think it's gonna be? Well, I've got the odds and I'm taking all bets.

Pat Fitzgerald 3 to 2
Coach Fitz is the obvious choice since he's already here by the cameras all day. If he's the go-to guy, expect a coach joke about how slow CJ Bacher is.

Mike Greenberg 5 to 1
Greeny is a vocal NU alum, and ESPNer, and I can only assume that CFB is next on his list for commentating domination. But who are we kidding? He'd use this time to lord NU's 2-1 start over Mike Golic's 0-3 Notre Dame.

Mike Wilbon 7 to 1
Wilbon is also part of the nice NU presence on the worldwide leader. I'd like to state a preference for him to be the guy this job. Also, I saw him at the ASU game a couple years ago, which was cool.

Wait. Wilbon's the one on the right? You just shook my world to the core. I've gotta sit down.

Luis Castillo 20 to 1
Luis is probably the most prominent Wildcat in major pro sports right now. I was going to use a picture of the other Luis Castillo, but I was worried that the San Diego lineman might kill me with his mind. He can totally do that, you know.

David Schwimmer 40 to 1
I don't really think it'll be him, but I wanted have some actor. BTW? It's scary how many pictures like this you find when you search for him.

Willie the Wildcat 99 to 1
As much as this might be pretty funny for a few seconds, it would get awkward really fast as the announcers wonder whether they ought to fill in the words that Willie would leave out. ESPN has someone on staff who can recognize bad ideas before they happen, right? Oh yeah, I forgot: "Who's Now?"

Ohio State Preview

2007-09-20T10:16:00.000-05:00

So, it's been a painful week in Wildcatland, although I think the mainstream sports media has done us a favour by not highlighting out loss too much. Now it's time for a whole different kind of pain as NU heads to OSU Saturday afternoon.

Anyone know why this game is on ABC here in Chicago? How weird that Michigan-PSU isn't a fully regional game.

And now we've reached the part of the season where I change the way I pick games. Instead of what I predict will happen, this is what the score needs to be for NU to come away with a win: Northwestern 31, Ohio State 28.

Cats win!

Duke Preview

2007-09-13T18:45:00.000-05:00

Guess what I'm still not doing? Over-obsessing about the Cats! I'm obsessing just the right amount these days, thank you very much. So, here's what I know about our upcoming game against Duke:

It's at night. But NOT at 9pm like they said on WNUR. It's at a much saner 7pm.
Duke sucks. But sometimes they don't
We have some pretty good moments, but sometimes we suck.

So, will the ApostroCats suck for more or less of the game than the blue devils? That's a tough question. I think we'll be OK to win, but probably not to cover the 16.5 points we're giving. Unless Tyrell is 100% healthy; for now I'm assuming that B-Rob will be the main rusher.

I say Northwestern 27, Duke 13.

Nevada Preview

2007-09-06T12:08:00.000-05:00

Once again, I haven't really done any research to preview this game. Maybe I'll get on the ball once the Big Te(leve)n season starts. And once I've found a job! Here's what I know, mostly gleaned from the radio and the newspaper:

Nevada got clobbered by Nebraska, in large part by getting run over like Wal*Mart greeter on the day after Thanksgiving.

Jim O'Donnell of the Sun-Times has a flare for vocab, using "cornhuskered" (spellchecker suggestion: consecrate) and "upstreaming" in his recap of that game.

Even with Trevor Rees back, NU probably doesn't have the same O-line as Nebraska, although Sutton is at least as good as Lucky (Nebraska RB).
The line is NU -10, O/U 50.5. When was the last time we were a 10 point fave? Maybe for EMU last year, I suppose...checking...yes (unless we were highly favored over Illinois).

I can't really justify giving 10 points to any team that falls only behind Hawai'i and Boise State in its conference. So I'm going with the push (and the over) in a reversal of last year's score: NU 31, Nevada 21. I would have really like to go with 28-17, but this is too symmetrical to pass up.

Oh, come on Ivan. We aren't THAT good.

2007-09-04T15:27:00.000-05:00

There are much better recaps of the ApostroCats' 27-0 win over Northeastern out there. So, I'm not really going to say much. I agree with most people who say that it was not a particularly impressive defensive effort that led to that shutout.

But, there's something about keeping your opponent off the scoreboard when you're supposed to. It lends you credibility among people who don't actually watch your games. Hence? On ESPN.com, Ivan Maisel has us playing in the Insight Bowl against Colorado AND the Motor City Bowl against Miami (OH).

I do think that getting in multiple bowl games in a single season would only help our recruiting, but I'm not sure I can get enough vacation to make it to both Tempe and Detroit this December.

NU 27 - NU 0 - Cats Week 1 Recap - Lake The Posts
2007 Bowl Predictions (Week 1) - ESPN.com

Northeastern Preview

2007-08-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

It's almost time for NU football to get going again. The 2007 season starts out at home against the Huskies of North~~west~~eastern. This is a Josh Eats Birds family grudge match, because my cousin went to that other NU. So you know I'm bringing my A-game to Dyche on Saturday. My cousin may or may not be aware that the game is taking place.

This season, I'll be reducing my posts to a preview and a recap. I'll throw in random other posts too, approximately sometimes.

My half-penny analysis of NU-NU (heh):

Northwestern's defensive line is outweighed by North~~west~~eastern's O-line by only 8 lbs on average. Expect them to get backfield pressure throughout the game without much blitzing.
The ApostroCats front 5 on offense average almost 300 lbs, and outweigh the Huskies three defensive linemen by almost 50 lbs. North~~west~~eastern will bring blitzes from different locations, but if the Cats can pick those up, Bacher will have time to find open receivers.
If the Cats get a lead, Sutton will see minimal carries, if he is still nursing a leg.

I'm not seeing a betting line for this game. Maybe they don't have them for FCS games? Anyway, I'm picking without that influence this week.

My pick: Northwestern 30, North~~west~~eastern 10

2007 Big Ten Predictions

2007-08-14T09:24:00.000-05:00

So, last year, I slightly underrated Wisconsin and OSU, slightly overrated NU and vastly overrated Iowa. Let's see if I've learned any lessons (hint: probably not). Here are my predicted final standings and bowl berths for the Big Te(leve)n in 2007.

Big Ten Champs: Wisconsin
Coach of the Year: Bill Lynch (Indiana)
Northwestern? Champs Sports Bowl


             Big Ten  Overall
Wisconsin       7-1     11-1     Rose Bowl
Penn State      7-1     10-2     Capital One Bowl
Michigan        6-2     10-2     Outback Bowl
Ohio State      5-3     9-3      Alamo Bowl
Northwestern    4-4     8-4      Champs Sports Bowl
Indiana         4-4     8-4      Insight Bowl
Iowa            3-5     6-6      Motor City Bowl
Purdue          3-5     5-7
Michigan State  2-6     4-8
Minnesota       1-7     5-7
Illinois        1-7     4-8

IFAF World Cup Championship: USA vs. Japan

2007-07-18T08:34:00.000-05:00

Look for Craig Coffin at a gridiron near you. He'll probably be the one selling beer, but he'll also probably be the only one that won a world championship lately. The (former?) SIU kicker made two FGs in an NCAA-style overtime to push team USA to a 23-20 victory in the final of its first American Football World Cup.

The Americans faced their toughest competition, as expected, from the host Japanese. The two-time defending world champions took an 10-7 lead into the locker room (do they have locker rooms at this thing?) at halftime. They also led 17-10 in the 4th, until American running back Kyle Kasperbauer rushed for his second TD of the game with 2:51 remaining on the clock.

After matching FGs in the first OT period, Coffin won it for the US by making his kick in the second overtime.

A location for the 2011 IFAF final has not yet been determined. I say they have it in Indianapolis, and the US can just field whichever of the Colts happen to live in the area during the off-season.

In Demetrius Eaton news, Demetrius Eaton had one tackle.

IFAF World Cup: USA vs. Germany

2007-07-12T14:00:00.000-05:00

The US national American Football side played its second (and final) pool match of the 2007 championships, and it beat Germany 33-7. USA had held its opponents scoreless for nearly 6 quarters before the Germans scored on interception return just prior to halftime at Kawasaki Stadium.

Team USA played a game that Americans would be more familiar with, after their 77-0 drubbing of Korea in earlier Pool 2 play. The 33 points came from three TD runs (Childs, Johnson and Blakowski) an interception return and a safety. Neither team had a particularly prolific offense, with USA gaining a total of 254 yards and Germany totaling 148.

In players we care about news: LB and captain, Demetrius Eaton had 2 tackles and 2 assists. The US punter/kicker is named Coffin. Do we think he specializes in "coffin corner" punting? We do.

I just remembered I'm a blogger: IFAF Edition

2007-07-10T11:25:00.000-05:00

Guess what I haven't updated in a while? This! Fortunately, I have found a pretty stimulating topic...the IFAF World Championships.

?

The IFAF is the International Federation of American Football. So this the World Cup of American Football we're talking about here. And guess who's looking to clean house? Yup, a group of about 65 undrafted (and still playing?) college players from the good old USA. One of the Team USA captains is former Northwestern LB Demetrius Eaton, which is what brought this event to the forefront of my attention.

So, how are they doing so far? Well, the US is in Pool 2 with Germany and Korea -- Pool 1 consists of host Japan, Sweden and France -- and they just played their first match. The US seemed to be shaking a bit of the rust off, scraping by Korea 77-0.

77-0

Korea had no 1st downs. 1 complete pass. -47 rushing yards (yes that's negative) and -31 total yards. The US scored on two punt returns, one kickoff return, a blocked punt, a fumble return, and an interception return. Demetrius Eaton had 1 tackle (for a loss) and one assist.

The matchup against Germany in pool play and the presumed championship against Japan should provide a little more of a test for the US.

You should be there

2007-04-25T09:08:00.000-05:00

I don't think I've pimped TelevisionWithoutPity.com enough on this blog. I know there's a little link on the right, but that hardly articulates how much I love TWoP some days. My main purpose in this particualar post, though, is to completely steal a passage from a recaplet (well, a weecap) of Dancing with the Stars.

If you like musical numbers featuring lots and lots of people, you would like this. My favorite part is at the end, where they bust out tambourines out of nowhere. I think more of life should feature tambourines out of nowhere. It would certainly make life more interesting. Imagine if you're waiting in line at the grocery store and suddenly a big musical number starts up, and all of the shoppers bust out tambourines. And maybe a group of large women in black robes pours out from behind the customer service desk to sing backup. God, that would be awesome.
- From Kim's recaplet of DwtS, season 4, episode 11

I swear I'm stealing this and quoting it to feed my starving family. And also because it made me laugh like crazy after a miserable bus ride to work. So if you don't read TWoP all day, you should, so that they can keep making my life better. And yours.

More of me being a jerk to various entities

2007-04-11T19:35:00.000-05:00

After being angry at the White House this morning, it's now time to be angry at Reuters. It's just...you see a sentence that reads, "Three suspected suicide bombers blew themselves up on Tuesday following a police raid on a house in a Casablanca slum..." and you think: Suspected?

They are suspected of being suicide bombers? What tipped you off? The part where they blew themselves up when you tried to capture them? Is that when you started to think, "Hmm, maybe these guys are suicide bombers..."

Yes, I know that if you read the rest of the article, you see that the men are thought to have belonged to a gang that organized and carried out such bombings, and that the members were believed to wear those devices constantly to avoid being captured.

I'm just saying. SUSPECTED???

Four suspected bombers killed in Casablanca [Reuters]

Two unrelated items

2007-04-11T11:13:00.000-05:00

First, in the spirit of Tom's post in February, I need to share my iPod's sense of sArcasm. Fortunately, I only had wait outside for a couple minutes today to get on the bus. What song was played from the moment I exited my building, until the moment I boarded the bus? U2's "Beautiful Day." Ha ha. Very funny Dr. Jones*.

This is what my iPod considers "beautiful."

Second, what is up with the White House? They want to appoint a war czar? What, a Secretary of Defense isn't good enough? Or the Chiefs of Staff of the armed forces? Or the Commander-in-&^@%ing-Chief???

This is why I shouldn't read those newsfeeds on the bus, and I should stick to analyzing my iPod's taste in music.

* - No, my iPod is not named Dr. Jones.

How did I not know this?

2007-04-09T19:21:00.000-05:00

As if I needed another reason to root for the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League.

They had the inside track for my sports affections, simply by playing in the CoBL. And admit it, you know that being owned by Bon Freakin' Jovi is just plain cool.

But now I find out that Dwayne Missouri is playing for the Soul! Apparently he's been there the whole time, and was actually the first player they selected when they formed an expansion team in 2004. He's been up and down between the AFL and NFL since graduating from Northwestern in 2001.

With large-field, no-wall, outdoor football -- it's hard to visualize, but trust me, it's pretty cool too -- many months away, this is going to make the interim much more exciting!

S-O-U-L! Soul! Soul! Soul!

All-Name Update

2007-03-19T10:52:00.000-05:00

Let's take a look at how that all-name team is doing through the first two rounds: 8 lost in the 1st round. 1 lost in the 2nd round. 5 remain alive in the Sweet 16. 1 had his arm ripped off by wolves (or at least, I pretend he did, because it's less gruesome than his actual injury.)

Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes (Gonzaga) - Lost in the 1st round. 1 foul, 0 points in 1 minute.
Solomon Tat (Virginia) - Lost in the 2nd round. 4 points in two games.
Supo Jegede (New Mexico State) - Lost in the 1st round. DNP.
Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA) - Sweet 16. 11 points in 60 minutes played.
Idong Ibok (Michigan State) - Lost in the 2nd round. Oh God. Please don't make me think about his arm.

Can Civi (Davidson) - Lost in the 1st round. DNP.
Martin Zeno (Texas Tech) - Lost in 1st round. 21 points in 40 minutes.
Duke Crews (Tennessee) - Sweet 16. 18 points in two games.
Fendi Onobun (Arizona) - Lost in 1st round. 2 points in 1 minute.
Chinemelu "Junior" Elonu (Texas A&M) - Sweet 16. 0 points in 2 minutes.

Churchill Odia (Oregon) - Sweet 16.
Chamberlain Oguchi (Oregon) - Sweet 16.
Ousmane Barro (Marquette) - Lost in 1st round.
Taj Finger (Stanford) - Lost in 1st round.

All-Name Team

2007-03-13T11:08:00.000-05:00

It's a March tradition to make fun of young men's names, just because they happen to attend one of the 65 schools competing for the national basketball championship. So let me do it, before I see one elsewhere. I tried not to hit too many names just for being difficult to pronounce, but there are some.

First Team All-Name
G - Pierre Marie Altidor-Cespedes (Gonzaga)
G - Solomon Tat (Virginia)
F - Supo Jegede (New Mexico State)
F - Luc Richard Mbah a Moute (UCLA)
C - Idong Ibok (Michigan State)

Second Team
G - Can Civi (Davidson)
G - Martin Zeno (Texas Tech)
F - Duke Crews (Tennessee)
F - Fendi Onobun (Arizona)
C - Chinemelu "Junior" Elonu (Texas A&M)

Honorable Mention
G - Churchill Odia (Oregon)
G - Chamberlain Oguchi (Oregon)
F - Ousmane Barro (Marquette)
F - Taj Finger (Stanford)