the air

It is about half-time right now in BCS championship game and Florida leads the Buckeyes 34 - 14. I’m not sure where to begin, but I am just surprised as to how poorly the Buckeyes are playing against a team that barely made it into the number two spot.

Troy Smith, starting QB of OSU, is 2 of 8 for 24 yards and 1 interception. Chris Leak, QB for the Gators, is 16 of 24 for 149 yards and 1 touchdown with 0 interceptions. The Buckeyes are playing as if they are scared of the Gators and have too much inconsistency on offense. With all due respect, I think that Troy Smith is not exactly playing with the caliber expected of a Heisman Trophy winner.

Let’s see how the Buckeyes fare in the second half and hopefully the Gators are able to expand their lead and further crush the Buckeyes. If you haven’t figured it out already, I am rooting for Florida. However, Ohio State is known as a second half team and there have been numerous games, under Jim Tressel’s guidance, that the Buckeyes have won while losing at the end of the first half.

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A great way to start the New Year is by losing to your arch-rivals on the eve of 2007 and at home. That is exactly what happened to the Chicago Bears as they lost to the Greenbay Packers 26 - 7. This wasn’t the finale that the Bears were hoping for, but it was definitely a major highlight for Brett Favre, who likely played his last NFL game of his career.

To no surprise, Rex Grossman performed poorly again in a meaningless game for the Bears. He finished 2 of 12 for 33 yards and 3 interceptions with 1 sack. On a brighter note, Brian Griese was 5 of 15 for 124 yards, 2 interceptions and 1 touchdown with 2 sacks. The Bears will enjoy a first round bye and will play the lowest seed in a couple weeks.

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A while ago, I wrote about the two issues plaguing NBA players. Perhaps the longest running issue is the fact that the NBA introduced and forced all of its players to use the new synthetic basketball without consulting the Players’ Association or the players themselves. NBA commissioner, David Stern, felt that the ball was a significant improvement for the game and for some strange reason, he felt it necessary to simply force his players to use it.

Luckily for many players, the new synthetic ball will not be used for the remainder of the 2006 - 2007 season starting January 1. Many of the veteran ball players are rejoicing and some of the newer players are indifferent. However, this does mark the significance of the Players’ Association since without their approval, the NBA had gone ahead and, in my opinion, illegally forced them to use new equipment without their feedback. On the other hand, the new synthetic ball did not contribute to poor performance statistically:

The stats show the ball had no real negative impact in the NBA. Scoring is up about 2½ points per game from a similar point last season, and field goal and free throw percentages also have risen.

As much as the players enjoy the news, they will have to learn to realize that leather balls will take time to break in and they will not be used to the different ball for some time. Stern has not set a deadline for, even if, the new ball will make a comeback. However, for next season, the ball could make its debut and spell the end of leather basketballs in the NBA.

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It always seems that the Purdue Boilermakers tend to lose in their post-season bowl games. Although the Boilermakers did not play in a bowl game last season, they did play in the previous 8 seasons. Unfortunately, for the 2004 season, the Boilers lost in the Sun Bowl and this season was no different.

For the 2006 season, the Boilermakers capped off their winning season with a trip to the Champ Sports Bowl at Orlando, FL. Their opponent were the Maryland Terps. This trip was definitely a disappointing one for the Boilers as they lost to the Terps, 24 - 7. Curtis Painter finished the game 22 of 34 for 249 yards with 3 sacks, 1 touchdown, and 1 interception. Bryant lost one fumble, which played to the favor of the Terps and was consistent with the Boilers’ poor performance.

The Boilers will only lose 4 starters for next season and they hope to be a much better team overall. I do hope that the Boilers are able to beat a team with a winning record next season. Although Joe Tiller has played a pivotal role in turning the Boilers into a perennial powerhouse, he needs to garner more post-season victories and ensure that his team can give the best of the best Big 10 teams a run for their money and win.

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With nothing on the line, the Chicago Bears escaped Detroit with a narrow victory over the Lions. Since the Bears already have home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, there really is no point for the Bears to play the game due to the risk of injury to their starters. However, before the game, Lovie Smith vowed to have his team play this game to win. To keep his word, Smith replaced starting QB Rex Grossman with backup Brian Griese. This proved to be a great move since Griese, on his opening drive, drove the Bears 72 yards and set up a successful field goal.

Grossman finished the game 20 of 36 for 197 yards and 1 touchdown and Griese was 6 of 9 for 51 yards. Both Peterson and Berrian gave the Bears a touchdown. Overall, the game was well played again by Grossman, but his inconsistent performance issues still hover around him. Although the Bears have nothing to lose, it seems that the team was struggling to contain Kitna and the Lions offense. However, that is probably due to the fact that the Bears defense did not apply as much pressure as they normally would to avoid injury.

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