Bleacher Report - Articles by Iceman

Oregon Ducks: Icemans 2009 Predictions

Iceman — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:10:19 -0500

What a season 2008 was. The critics predicted a down year, and most of the duck nation was skeptical losing Dennis Dixon and Jonathan Stewart in the same year. Those two guys were unstoppable, but Jeremiah Masoli and Jeremiah Johnson filled in nicely. A Holiday Bowl win was huge, it proved that the Big 12 isn't bulletproof. All though the Ducks lose a great senior class, 2009 should be a great year for the green and yellow.

1. First stop, Boise State; these guys beat the Ducks last year at Autzen Stadium last year. But they lose a very good running back in Ian Johnson, he will be hard to replace. The Ducks lost Johnson, but LeGarrette Blount is back, and ready to put linebackers on their asses. Masoil returns, and hopefully will enter 2009 as a great passer and runner.

Masoil has great running ability, but his arm needs to be dialed in some more this spring. If he can improve his accuracy, he will be deadly next year. Its gonna be a close game, but I am betting Oregon will be pissed off and want to start Boise's year off with a loss. Oregon wins a shootout, 42-38.

2. Next up is Purdue, a Big Ten team that the Ducks beat last year on the road. With Oregon's QB set, this should be a easy home win. I could see Blount rushing for 200+ yards, and Masoli passing for 300 plus. Oregon wins 49-21.

3. Utah will be one of the best teams Oregon will play next year, and if the play like they did in the Sugar Bowl, I don't know if Oregon can hang with them. If Oregon can run the ball at will, they have a great chance at pulling the upset. But Utah is a great team, and I have to give them the win. Utah wins 38-31.

4. To start off PAC-10 play, Oregon gets California at home. The Golden Bears have beat the Ducks the last two years, but I think that will change this year. With good QB play and Blount running over people the Ducks should get a well deserved home win. Ducks get 300 plus rushing yards to a 35-21 win.

5. The state of Washington was terrible last year, the rest of the country was judging the PAC-10 on this state alone. Oregon gets another big home win, 56-14. I would bet Blount breaks some records this day, 300 plus rushing yards.

6. Next is the UCLA Bruins, who gave hints of being good last year, but disappointed. If they can get great QB play, they could be good next year. They also get the Ducks in California, but it won't matter, Oregon wins it 45- 21.

7. The Huskies get the Ducks at home this year. After embarrassing the Huskies last year, the dogs will be looking for revenge, but will not find it. I'm not going to bother checking, but i don't think they won a game last year. With a new coach, they should be better this year, but not good enough. Oregon wins it 49-14.

8. USC is all that stands between Oregon and a visit to the Rose Bowl, the Ducks will be looking for the upset. The last time Oregon played USC at Autzen stadium they won. With Mark Sanchez leaving for the NFL, and most of the defense getting drafted in the first round, Oregon wins a close one 28-24.

9. If the Ducks can get a win over USC, they will be in the lead for the PAC-10 title. The only good team Stanford seems to be able to beat is USC, so they should poise little problem for the Ducks. Masoli could have a huge day here, and secure a duck win, 42- 10.

10. After Stanford, Arizona state comes up to Eugene to take their shot at the Ducks. Although they started strong last year, they finished last year win a bunch of losses. I don't see them improving very much, so I have to give Oregon the win here. with the crowd behind them, the Ducks will put up 40 plus points and hold Arizona state to under 21 points.

11. The Wildcats almost pulled the upset last year in Autzen stadium last year, I was there sweating out the third quarter with the rest of the nervous crowd. But Arizona loses their QB, and by this time Masoli will be ready to lead his team to a road win. 35- 17, with Blount again running all over the place.

12. Civil War time, the game of the year. If you remember last years score fest, I still remember the ducks putting up 65 points, what a game that was. With the Beavers at home this year, Autzen stadium will work its magic, and the green and yellow will pull out a another win, 49-38.

My picks are far from scientific, but If Masoli can run and throw, and the line makes holes for blount to crash through, 2009 could be a great year. I could see the ducks finishing 11-1 with a loss at Utah or USC, but not both.

Hopefully that will be good enough to get in the Rose Bowl, and give the ducks a chance to show the Big Ten how to run an offense. Feel free to give your picks, or if you disagree with mine. I can't wait for next year to start, it give me chills thinking about it.

Seven Reasons Why the NFL Is a Joke

Iceman — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 20:51:14 -0500

1. The NFL sucks the fun out of everything. Examples: During the Bears/Colts Super Bowl, the league didn't let a church watch the game on a wall projector because it "violated" copyright laws...give me a break.

Also, they didn't allow tailgating within a mile of the stadium because who knows how many bombs are hiding under those charcoal grills. A coach isn't allowed to wear a suit during the game, but NFL gear is required.

Players' towels must be shorter than six inches, or else the team is fined. Look at the average NFL coach, he is a lifeless droid. Tom Coughlin, Marty Schottenheimer, and Bill Parcells could all put grown men to sleep with their postgame speeches.

2. The NFL has more convicts than your average jail. In 2006, nine Cincinnati players found ways to get arrested, including spousal abuse, resisting arrest, several DUIs, and burglary.

Pacman Jones has been arrested at least five times in the last five years. In 2001, Nate Newton was arrested for dealing massive amounts of marijuana. The list goes on and on. I could write a book on criminals in the NFL.

3. All NFL offenses are exactly the same. There is no creativity. There is no difference. You could swap uniforms at half time and you couldn't tell the difference.

The defenses are so tuned into what the offenses is going to do that the scores are so low. The punters get twice as much playing time as they did in college, which is boring for the fans. Special teams are so well-coached that touchdowns returns are rare.

4. College has tradition and a more fun atmosphere that includes living, breathing mascots, ancient rivals, and cheerleaders that don't look like hungover strippers. Notre Dame fans lighting candles before the game at the Grotto, SC players touching "Gouxs Gate" before their practice, Clemson players tapping Howard's Rock before running into Death Valley, the list goes on.

With the way NFL players skip town every other year, there is no way they could play with pride.

5. The NFL's regular season is almost pointless. Due to the fact that your team could make the playoffs with more the six losses, it takes away from the excitement of the regular season.

In college ball, you lose the last game of the year, you are not going to the National Championship. In the NFL, you could lose your last four and still have a chance to win the Super Bowl.

6. The NFL is a few steps away from becoming scripted. If you don't know what that means, it's the same as WWE. Miami Mitch's article on refs throwing the game is more than enough evidence to say that this is already happening.

7. Like NBA players walking up and down the court until the last few minutes, NFL players don't play with heart. They get paid, win or lose, so who cares? They are part of a system that make billions of dollars a year. The NFL is bureaucratic, un-smiling, and clinical.

Most college players aren't going to be drafted, so they play because they love the game and enjoy displaying the pride of wearing the school's Jersey.

This year's Super Bowl was my first and last NFL game I will ever waste three hours watching. So next year, join me on Saturdays to watch some good football and avoid the Sunday sleepers.

College Football Wrap-Up: Five Things We Learned This Year

Iceman — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 04:11:31 -0500

Well, the season is now over, and I can actually get some homework done on a Saturday now. I sure had fun this year. I hope all of you had as much fun as I did every Saturday. I am glad I found this site; it has been fun talking to other football nuts. I really enjoyed arguing with some of you; it's good for the soul.

Even when I was hungover as hell, I would still yell at the TV when the refs messed up, or cheer when the Ducks scored (my throat is still sore after the Civil War massacre). I still remember laughing my ass off when I learned USC was beat by Oregon State.

So, now that it is all over, what have we learned? Florida wrapped up another National title—wonder if Urban Meyer still wants to go to Notre Dame?

1. Upsets will always happen

Period. The best team in the nation almost always finds a way to lose to someone they're not supposed to. Florida and USC found a way to lose, even when it was thought impossible. Next year, and the year after that, the top teams in the nation will be upset—it happens.

2. The Big Ten is falling behind

If the last two BCS title games aren't enough, this year's bowl games prove the fact. 1-6 is sad, and it proves that there are way too many bowl games. If Pete didn't slam the brakes on USC's offense and defense at halftime during the Rose Bowl, the score would have been 60-3. This is also the same team that tore Ohio State a new one early in the season. Is USC that good? Or are Big Ten teams really that bad?

So the question still lingers, why are they a step below everyone else? Texas, California, Mississippi, Louisiana, and Florida are the five best high school football states, no question. The level of play in high school up north pales compared to these states.

Most high school standouts, armed with a choice to go to school where they please, are going someplace warm. There is a formula imprinted on every young male's mind: hot weather = less clothes on girls. Simple math when you add it up, but it sucks for Joe Pa and Jim Tressel when they are sitting on some kid's couch, telling him about all the great things to do in the snow.

3. There are no more "BCS busters"

Utah should have been playing a few hours ago, but that is a different article. TCU, Boise State, BYU, and Utah all have beaten teams they weren't supposed to in the last few years. The BCS needs make all conferences equal and get rid of all bowl tie-ins. The Orange Bowl was a waste of time; I could name several teams that could have played and produced a watchable game.

4. Tim Tebow is the man

He proved who should have won the Heisman this year. I will say right now, Sam Bradford is very good and will have a better pro career than Tebow will. But Tebow has things that Bradford doesn't: leadership, heart, intensity, and Percy Harvin.

Tebow didn't put up crazy numbers this year because he didn't have to; he had several mind-numbingly fast friends who had to get the ball. He also didn't stay in the game deep in the fourth quarter, when the game was wrapped up, unlike Bradford (Texas Tech, Missouri).

5. Saturday will always better than Sunday

I will say it right now: I hate the NFL, about as much as Ohio State fans hate Michigan. If I was a Doctor, the first thing I would prescribe for sleeplessness would be a Sunday of NFL. The NFL is run like a Communist state, except with more money.

You could swap their jerseys at halftime, and the average fan couldn't tell a difference. The NFL fun police make sure that all NFL offenses are perfectly the same, and they do a great job. The NFL has more talent, sure, but college kids play with heart, and they make mistakes. Mistakes are fun to watch—it keeps the game exciting. Watching NFL games is like watching robots run into each other.

College games have bands, live animals, crazy students, and coaches that don't look like robots. The NFL has cheerleaders that look like hookers, and players smart enough to shoot themselves in the leg, and many other very smart players like Vick, Tank Johnson, and Pac-Man. There is a reason I do homework on Sundays, because the only thing on TV is a bunch of overpaid thugs playing just enough to get paid.

I can't wait for next year. If anybody has any ideas on how to survive the offseason, please let me know.

Heisman Heist: Tim Tebow Was Robbed

Iceman — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:07:59 -0500

This year, a great player named Sam Bradford won the Heisman. He put up big numbers all year, leading his team to the BCS National title game. He had a great year, and is one of the best College quarterbacks playing right now.

His only loss came against Texas, where he was beat by ten points. Colt McCoy, who out-played him, was also a Heisman hopeful.

Then there is Tebow, Florida's superstar quarterback, who also led his team to the title game, and had only one loss this year. His numbers this year pale in comparison to last year, but still very good. His ability as a passer was greatly improved, and he is the team leader and vocal captain.

If you compare these two great QBs, you have to wonder, who is really the best?

Let's look what Bradford did this year. Crazy yards and stats, all against soft Big 12 defenses. He played deep in the forth quarter; in blow out games, still throwing the ball. You can tell they where running up the score, and Bradford's stats. He didn't do much rushing this season, he just sat in the pocket.

Tebow doesn't have the stats Bradford had, or the huge numbers, but he had something even better, He played like superman would. He was the team leader, after the Ole Miss loss, he forced his team to practice and and play at a higher level. He didn't pad stats in the forth quarter, he let younger guys in.

He had three of the fastest running backs in the nation that got the ball. He played in the best conference this year, and played against teams that play some sort of defense. Bradford was basically playing catch with his receivers, I almost never saw him get pressured.

Running over an SEC linebacker is no joke, a mere mortal would perish. Tebow didn't just plow them over, he sought them out and lowered his shoulder pads. You can see it in his eyes after he smashed into a 270 pound chiseled muscle machine. He seems to enjoy it. Bradford would be knocked out if he tried to play at Tebow's level.

The Heisman shouldn't be about numbers and stats. It should be about who made the biggest impact in the nation. I just hope to see Tebow in a Gator uniform next year. Watching him in a boring NFL offense would bring a tear to my eye.

Urban Meyer Has Some Choices to Think About—Like Where to Work

Iceman — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:20:48 -0500

Imagine this for a moment:

It's Monday, the day after your company you own just had a very successful meeting with another company. You wake up and its a gorgeous day, the sun's out and there's a slight breeze, and beautiful women are all over the place. You take your time getting to work, absorbing the awesome the weather.

You get to work and you mangers are laughing and enjoying a stress free work day in Paradise. Your workers are the best in the business, they have unbeatable talent and are the fasted workers in the nation.

The rulers of your world just ranked you the second best company in the nation, and you have a week to enjoy the weather until you have a meeting with the No. 1 company in the business. If you outwork them, you get to go to the title meeting against another great company.

keeping your business in its great shape is easy, all the best already work at smaller company's in the neighborhood, the best of the best come to your company to work for 4 years, then move on to a less fun, but bigger company.

The pay is great, did you forget that the weather is awesome? You only messed up on one meeting this year, but who cares? You are still the best in the nation. The beach isn't far away, and the stress level of your works is at an all time low.

But another company wants you to run it for them. You like this company, they used to be the best, but have failed 13 out of the last 24 meetings in the last two years. they want you to move to someplace cold, dark and rainy. the workers there generally suck at what they do, and are not nearly as fast as the workers at the company your are at now.

the old boss, who you would replace, is on the hot seat for not meeting crazy expiation's from the blinded consumers of the company. they expect you to turn dirt into gold, and to do it now. The stress level at this new place is very high, and if you don't succeed soon, your ass is also fired.

Getting good workers to your company is also much harder than your old company. The best workers don't want to come to a cold, crappy place to work, they like the warm places. most of them cant even come to this company, they focused to much on working, and not on reading.

So you end up with the left overs, and its not much to work with. this place used to be hopping, but has lost its magic. They wanted you a few years ago, but passed because of the weather. You think to yourself, now why would I want to come here? this tradition? Na, that was a long time ago. The stock holders? Na, they have crazy expiation's and want me to work way to hard.

So what do you do, you shake your head at this crazy idea and go back to the beach and enjoy so sun.

The Case for Justin Roper As Oregon's Starting QB

Iceman — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 06:46:46 -0500

The Oregon Ducks have several good quarterbacks on their roster. So far Jeremiah Masoli has been the starter. He has made some good plays this year and has shown some great potential for the years to come.

Masoli's running ability lets him make plays outside the pocket, and he can run for first downs and more. But his ability to accurately throw the ball has been lacking.

Enter Justin Roper. He has led the team to victory and has the most experience on the field. He threw four touchdowns and led the team to a victory over South Florida last year in the Sun Bowl.

His passing skills are far more developed than Jeremiah. His quick thinking allows him to get the ball to the receiver, and he is mobile enough to move around quite well.

Unlike Masoli, who is 5'10", Justin is 6'6" and has no problems seeing over the line. He can quickly read the defense and get rid of the ball. His playmaking skills and strong arm make him a great leader for this team.

College Football: Why Playoffs Would Ruin It

Iceman — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 11:16:51 -0400

When you turn on your TV or are driving to a game, you get that feeling, that rush of excitement. If the team you are watching is a national championship contender, you know this game is vital to stay in the race. Unless your name is LSU, multiple losses ruin your chances of playing in the big game.

Wouldn't it then be fair to say that the regular season is basically like a big playoff, with the losers going to lower bowls, kind of like the losers' bracket? And with the teams that win and dominate the entire year go to the big game?

I would cry my self to sleep every night if college football had playoffs similar to the NFL (No Fun League). Why anyone would watch a game that has no real meaning to who goes to the Superbowl is beyond me.

Example: say the Giants win enough games to make the playoffs, but still have two games left, why would they even try. If it doesn't matter if you win or lose, why play?

My friends sometimes make me suffer through Sunday night football, and all I can think about is how Texas and Oklahoma duked it out, or how Percy Harvin can out-juke anything. I would be in tears to see Tebow and company walk through a game because they made playoffs already.

I know the BSC is messed up, but please, don't ruin my Saturdays by turning them into Sunday or Monday snoozers.