You shot yourself in the leg? Sounds like “old school” Britney…

OK ladies.   As college football winds down and the NFL heads toward the playoffs I’ve been hearing about some other women who are having the same problems I’ve been experiencing (TV permanently showing football games, husbands/boyfriends who wouldn’t notice if you suddenly gained 60 lbs and didn’t shave for a month, etc).  These are not good times.  Of course we’d all like to be watching Gossip Girl or be out shopping for new clothes, but when all else fails and you’re really miserable in front of the TV, just remember that at least you didn’t pull a “Plaxico”.  What is a “Plaxico”, you ask?  Allow me to explain, within the context of two of today’s top games:

New York Giants (10-1) at Washington Redskins (7-4), 1:00 EST FOX

• Plaxico Burress is the best wide receiver on the Giants, and he is also a bit of a headcase/problem child.  You may remember him or his name because he caught the winning touchdown pass from Eli Manning in the Super Bowl last year to take down the previously undefeated Patriots.  In addition, he has had a tumultuous year in that he has had a few suspensions and fines from the league for his behavior on the field, not showing up to practice, etc.  Well, Plaxico decided that catching the winning TD in the Super Bowl isn’t an adequate way to be remembered, so he elevated his game.  While out at a Manhattan nightclub on Friday night, Plaxico accidentally shot himself in the leg!!!!!  First of all, why do you need a gun when you’re out at a nightclub?  I am sure he has a ton of body guards or at least some big guys who are part of his group that were out with him if any problems were to arise.   Second of all, how exactly do you accidentally shoot yourself in the leg?  He was going to miss today’s game with a previous injury anyway, but a gunshot wound tends to keep you out a bit longer than a strained hamstring…This guy seems a little crazy to me…sort of like Britney Spears last year when she just kept digging herself in a deeper whole with all of her antics…its like, when is it enough?  It seems that Britney is back to her old self…lets hope that Burress can get there too…hopefully this was the last straw..
• This is an important NFC East divisional battle, as the Redskins (7-4), need to keep pace with the Cowboys (8-4) and a few other teams in the NFC in the Wild Card chase.  The Giants (10-1) have a pretty dominating lead in the division title race, but every win counts as we approach the playoffs and battle for home-field advantage.
• Besides the Plaxico Burress storyline…there is more drama as the Washington Redskins will be honoring the late Sean Taylor who was killed in a home invasion a year ago today.  Running back star for the Redskins, Clinton Portis, will be carrying a flag in his honor in the beginning of the game…I am sure this will be televised…and this sort of thing usually pulls at the heartstrings of us ladies…so might be worth catching the first 5 mins….then back to decorating.

Pittsburgh Steelers (8-3) at New England Patriots (7-4), 4:15 EST CBS

• Patriots QB Matt Cassel started out slow but has been making big strides in his development each week as he fills in for the injured Tom Brady.  He has thrown for over 400 yards in the last two games, and it will be interesting to see if he can keep this trend up against the tough Steelers defense.  
• These teams played at New England in December of last season, and the Patriots embarrassed the Steelers 34-13, on their way to the undefeated 16-0 regular season.  I’m guessing that the Steelers haven’t forgotten about that beating and will be out for a little revenge this afternoon…
• Also, the Patriots are usually very strong after the Thanksgiving holiday…I read on FoxSports.com, that looking historically at all of the games that the Patriots have played in the week following Thanksgiving since 2001, their record would be 48-9…the Steelers will need to come on strong to close the gap in this stat.  
• This game is the national TV game at 4:15 today ladies, so unfortunately most of your televisions will be tuned in to it.  One thing that could make it a little bit more interesting to watch, although not quite as interesting as a good “Lifetime” Christmas movie, is that the weather is supposed to be lousy for the game today in New England, lots of mud and sliding around, should be slightly entertaining.  Actually, the only place that mud is truly entertaining is when it involves a nice luxurious spa treatment, but thats another story.

Hopefully everyone had a great Thanksgiving weekend, and maybe you’re wrapping it up today by doing some holiday decorating around the house and trying to pry your guy away from the TV so he can help you with the lights… fat chance, I’m sure.  Here’s something to keep in mind:  today is only 9 weeks until the Super Bowl, and the period after the Super Bowl is typically the worst sports period of the year (aka “heaven” for the ladies)… but more on that later.   For now, enjoy the games (if you have to) and the rest of your holiday weekend.

-sportsgirl

Angelina v. Jennifer??? Sort of…

OK girls, so we’re counting down the final days of the college football regular season, and while the end can’t come soon enough for most of us, there are still some pretty important games to be played today, including some pretty intense and interesting rivalries… not quite as interesting as Angelina Jolie against Jennifer Aniston, but I digress.  So, here’s a look at some of the most important and most interesting games of the day:

#3 Oklahoma at #12 Oklahoma State (8:00 EST, ABC)

• This is the host site for College GameDay this week, with the crew on hand for a big Oklahoma game for the second week in a row.  Corso was right with his prediction of a big Oklahoma win over Texas Tech last Saturday, so lets see who he picks to win yet another important Big 12 South game tonight.
• The latest installment in “The Bedlam Series”, as this rivalry is known, should be an interesting one.  Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford is considered one of the frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy, which is the award given annually to the best college player. 
• Although they’d like you to think this is a big rivalry, its a bit one-sided to be considered one of the best in the country:  Oklahoma leads the all-time series 78-17-7.

Auburn at #1 Alabama (3:30 EST, CBS)

• This rivalry is referred to as the “Iron Bowl”.  These two schools have an intense dislike of one another.  If you grow up in Alabama, you pick sides at an early age, there’s no room for sitting on the fence…going back to the Aniston v Jolie reference…I never sat on the fence…I am “Team Aniston all the way”.   Family members get into years-long arguments over these games, its definitely intense.
• The Crimson Tide have a lot to lose in this game, and they may be caught looking ahead to next week’s SEC Championship game against Florida.  Auburn has won the past 6 meetings in this rivalry, which has historically been dominated by the Crimson Tide, and the Tiger fans would love nothing more than to ruin their rival’s National Championship hopes with a victory today.  Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville is rumored to be on the hot seat on “the plains”,  (meaning he probably will get fired after the season) as the Auburn area of eastern Alabama is known, and I’m sure he’d love to go out on top, taking out Alabama and making his 5-6 team bowl-eligible.

#23 Oregon at #17 Oregon State (7:00 EST)

• This in-state rivalry is known as “The Civil War”, and this year it could decide the Pac-10 title.  If the host Beavers can take down their rivals, they will guarantee a share, with USC, of the Pac-10 championship and a berth in their first Rose Bowl since the 1960’s (Oregon State defeated USC earlier this year, so they win the tiebreaker).
• Oregon leads the Civil War series 55-46-10, and its the seventh-oldest college rivalry in the country, having first been played in 1894.  Oregon State has won the last two meetings, and you can bet that they’ll be out to win today, with visions of Pasadena on New Year’s Day in their minds.

So…I never thought I would be able to incorporate the Angelina/Jennifer saga into sports, but there’s a first time for everything….hopefully these facts wil make watching a little more interesting…I plan on avoiding the games at all costs… a little decorating, a little shopping and before you know it…the games will be donezo…

Check back tomorrow with some NFL football facts…

-sportsgirl

If the Stores Are Closed Shouldn’t Sports in General Take the Day Off Too???

Well ladies, one of the more popular days of the sports year is here.  Apparently for most guys there is nothing better than a day that consists of sleeping in, eating a huge, delicious meal, and ‘working it all off’ by dozing off in front of football games on a nice HDTV.  Doesn’t sound quite as good as shopping, champagne, and a good chick flick to me, but hey, their loss.  Anyway, here’s some good facts that will impress everyone at the Thanksgiving feast…

Thanksgiving and football are linked together unlike any other holiday with a particular sport.  Tradition plays a big factor in the scheduling of the games each year too… you probably haven’t noticed but the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys are always the home teams for the two Thanksgiving Day afternoon games.  Do you know why, or how that started?  Didn’t think so, and thats why I’m here:

• The Detroit Lions were the first team to start the tradition… in 1934, their owner decided to schedule the game on Thanksgiving as a way to draw additional fans to the games.  The attendance at the Thanksgiving game doubled their average for the previous home dates, and the tradition was born. Since 1934, the Lions have hosted a Thanksgiving game every year, except for a six year gap during World War II (if anyone at your Thanksgiving day gathering is old enough to remember this, well, they deserve a toast and another glass of wine).  This year the winless Lions take on the Titans (12:30 EST, CBS), in what should be an easy win for the Titans, although the Lions usually play well on Thanksgiving.

• In the mid 1960’s the NFL was starting to become more popular, so league executives went searching for another team willing to host a Thanksgiving Day game in addition to the Lions.  Incredibly, none of the teams wanted to do it, saying that scheduling a Thursday game so late in the season would disrupt their routines… but, the Cowboys decided to accept the chance and they played their first Turkey day game in 1966… it became incredibly popular, and that season was the first of 20 straight winning seasons for the Cowboys.  The Cowboys have hosted a game on every Thanksgiving afternoon since then, except for 1975 and 1977.  This year the Seattle Seahawks are paying a visit to Big D (4:00 EST, FOX)… Dallas is a big favorite, and rightfully so… keep an eye out to see if Tony “ouch my pinkie” Romo still has the splint on his finger, and also keep an eye in the stands to see if Jessica Simpson is there too…the controversy…missing dinner with the family to see your boyfriend play football….interesting…

• Two years ago the NFL decided to expand its Thanksgiving schedule by adding a night game that would be televised on the NFL Network.  That game rotates between different teams each year, and this year it involves the Cardinals at the Eagles.  At least the whole country will be able to watch the next chapter of the McNabb-Reid saga unfold.

OK…I think we have some good facts here for the big Thanksgiving celebration….but if you want to get out of watching football…I have a few ideas for you….

1.  Feed the sports-lovers a TON of turkey…its supposedly loaded with that tryptophan stuff which makes you sleepy…they can all fall asleep and you can watch what you want on TV.  

2.  Surf the web in the AM of T-giving and search out the best price for a plasma tv…print out the information, hand it to your guy and urge him to go stand in line at Best Buy, Circuit City, Walmart or wherever nice and early so he can get the good deal and a new TV…he will be so shocked you are allowing the purchase that he won’t rationalize the situation…

3.  If the ladies cooked the dinner, announce to everyone that it is “guys do the dishes” type of Thanksgiving…explain that this is an equal opportunity celebration…and claim the tv before he gets a chance…

I am sure there are plenty of other ideas you can think of…these are just my top 3!

 

Alright, have a fantastic Thanksgiving…I want to THANK YOU for continuing to read my blog and pass it on!  I will be back tomorrow with your College Football info….

- sportsgirl

If These Were Girls…They Wouldn’t Need an Excuse to Drink Champagne…

OK ladies, we’ve made it through another weekend of sports.   Here’s what you need to know to stay knowledgeable when you’re back at the office for another ‘thrilling’ Monday morning…the only thing that I can say is…it is a short week…we can do this!

In the NFL, the Titans lost their first game of the season, falling to the Jets at home, bringing their record to 10-1.  Looks like the 1972 Dolphins can pop their champagne, as there will be no undefeated team this season… and unfortunately the Tennessee loss eliminates the chance for the first ever 11-0 against 0-11 matchup on Thanksgiving day when the Titans visit Detroit.  As for me, I’m always up for popping some champagne, maybe I’ll have to celebrate with them…plus you can’t beat the warm Miami weather…I am already sick of the cold weather here…

The big controversy of the NFL weekend was the benching of Donovan McNabb in Philadelphia.  The Eagles were routed by the Ravens in Baltimore, and McNabb’s typical erratic performance in the first half landed him a prime spot on the sidelines for the second half.  Kevin Kolb is the back-up QB for the Eagles and he also did not give a good performance …this means that most likely the big story in Philly all weekend will be whether or not McNabb will play in the Thanksgiving Night came against the Arizona Cardinals…. Does this lead to the end of the Donovan McNabb era in Philly?  We’ll have to see, but I must say that all good things must come to an end at some point… although some should get the chance to stay around a little longer (Lipstick Jungle, Dirty Sexy Money, and a few of my other favorite shows).

 

In college football, Oklahoma destroyed Texas Tech on Saturday night, setting up the potential for even more BCS chaos.  In case you didn’t know, the BCS method for setting up the National Championship game is pretty controversial, and a lot of people (including the President-elect) are in support of setting up a playoff system.  Now that there is only one unbeaten team remaining (Alabama), there will be a number of one-loss teams staking their claim to a matchup in the National Championship game.  Alabama and Florida will play in the SEC Championship game in two weeks, and if Florida wins that game then there will really be some controversy. 

Other College Football news is that Penn State clinched their place at the Rose Bowl on New Years Day when they beat Michigan State….the crazy thing is that on Sunday (one day after their win)…JoPa (Joe Paterno), the coach, had hip replacement surgery and should be able to coach at the RoseBowl…just from the press box…this man just doesn’t want to give up…I hope for him that Penn State wins the RoseBowl…just in case he is finally ready to retire after this season. 

 

Alright…I will be back with a bunch of sports information this week…with the Thanksgiving holiday this week, there is plenty of sports to watch…UNFORTUNATELY. 

Have a nice short week….

-sportsgirl

Would You Want a Bronzed Pig???

Thankfully we’re getting close to the end of the college football season, as I’ve said before I don’t know how many more Saturdays of this I could take, although it is always entertaining to watch the end of College GameDay.  Last week Corso put on the entire mascot costume…not just the head of the costume…it was a snake…and I have to admit…even I laughed.  

With the end of the season comes the bulk of the great rivalry games in college football… which is what a lot of people think makes college football so great and unlike any other sport.  Cal and Stanford are both out of the race to win the National Championship or the Big 10, yet Saturday’s “Big Game” is as important as ever.  Cal-Stanford is the “Big Game”, but there are a number of other interesting quirks to these rivalries ( a lot of the trophies resemble bad yard sale items, but thats another story for another day)… most of the big rivalry games take place next weekend, but there are a few big ones this weekend.  Here are some fun facts on them to keep you looking impressive while you’re watching:

Minnesota-Iowa:  These neighboring states play for “Floyd of Rosedale”… Floyd is a bronze pig… seriously.

Michigan-Ohio State:  Some of the luster is off this year’s matchup because Michigan is so bad, but if Ohio State wins and Penn State loses to Michigan State, then Ohio State gets to go to the Rose Bowl.

Indiana-Purdue:  These two in-state rivals have played for “The Old Oaken Bucket” since 1925… which is, yes, a wooden bucket.

Washington-Washington St:  The “Apple Cup” is a big deal in the Pacific Northwest, not so much to the rest of the country since these two teams are a combined 1-21 this year (from my perspective, the only shining spot here is that one of these two teams will have to win….)

Tennessee-Vanderbilt:  This is the first time in years that Vanderbilt has been favored and even though Vandy is the home team this year…the stadium will likely be at least half Tennessee fans….

 

 

Does this really look like something you would want to win????

 

 

So, those are the bigger rivalry games tomorrow, most of the huge ones are next week, so there will be a lot more info coming up on them.  I have to admit, even though I’m not the biggest college football fan, these rivalry games will make it pretty interesting these next couple of weeks….I mean, my husband can go down to the basement and watch these and I can have my own rivaly…which show to watch on DVR…Lipstick Jungle, DirtySexyMoney or Gossip Girl….  

 

Tomorrow’s biggest game, however, isn’t a rivalry game at all:

#2 Texas Tech at #5 Oklahoma (8:00 EST, ABC)

Another huge battle in the Big 12 South conference.. both of these teams still have one more regular season game next week and then the potential for playing in the Big 12 Championship game, but this game will go a long way towards sorting out the picture for the National Championship.  Oklahoma’s only loss was to #3 Texas, so a win over Texas Tech here could vault them up in the rankings.

I’ve previously listed some of the more famous alumni from these two schools, but keep an eye out for Corso doing his routine from the site of this game in Norman, OK tomorrow.  Norman doesn’t sound like it would be too exciting of a place, but I bet it will be crazy for this big Saturday night game and the appearance of College Gameday.

 

Alright…I will be back tomorrow with your NFL information….off to the Web to start some early holiday shopping….

-sporstgirl

“Paradise Jam”… Are We Still Talking Sports?

 

So ladies, you probably wouldn’t know it unless you or your significant other is a big fan of the sport, but college basketball has tipped off in full effect over the past week and a half.  You wouldn’t know it because unlike most other sports there really is no “Opening Day” celebration… the season opening excitement came a little over a month ago at the traditional start of practice, otherwise known as “Midnight Madness”.  

I’m not going to cover any teams or players in detail today, that will definitely be coming as the season progresses, but here’s what I can tell you:  late November is not a bad time to be a college basketball player.  Have you seen the schedule?  Right now we’re in the midst of the ‘preseason’ tournaments, and take a look at some of their names:  the “Maui Invitational”, the “Puerto Rico TipOff”, and the “Paradise Jam”?  The locations of the first two are pretty apparent, and the “Paradise Jam” takes place in St. Thomas, USVI.  How do I get involved in one of these?  Maybe next year us ladies can talk our significant others into a November escape by selling them on Top 10 college basketball teams in an intimate environment with coaches wearing flowered shirts.  Our incentive?  Mai-tais and margaritas on the beach, massages at the resort spas, and relaxing dinners looking out at the sunset.  Almost makes a girl want to become a college basketball fan.

 

 

Can you imagine this guy coaching in a Hawaiian shirt? Tune in next week...St. Joe's Phil Martelli will be there...

So, keep an eye out for some nice exotic destinations over the next couple of weeks if you’re stuck watching college basketball… Personally I don’t think it gets exciting until March Madness, but it can’t hurt to start doing some scouting for your brackets now.  Good brackets = winning money = more shopping!

I’ll be back tomorrow with some college football previews (thankfully only a few weeks to go)… 

-sportsgirl

Who Knew an NFL Game Could End in a Tie? The Players Didn’t…

That’s right…this weekend the Eagles vs Bengals game ended in a tie…the final score was 13-13.  I had no clue that NFL games could end in a tie…and apparently some of the Eagles players didn’t know the game could end in a tie either. After the 15 minute overtime ended in a tie, the players thought that they were going out there for another overtime…not the case according to the rule book.  The reason for the confusion around a tied football game is that it is pretty rare…here are a few stats about today’s game….

• This is the first NFL tie in 6 years…the last tie was Pittsburgh vs the Falcons in 2002
• The last time that the Eagles ended in a tie was in 1997…the crazy thing about that game was it was also on November 16th…
• The last time that the Bengals eneded in a tie was in 1969…almost 40 years ago

 

Some other stats from this weekend’s NFL games…

• The Steelers beat the Chargers at home..the crazy thing…the final score was 11-10…the first time an NFL game has ended with this score.
• The Tennessee Titans are still undefeated with 10 wins…the Detroit Lions are also keeping up their “0fer” season…they have 10 losses.  The two teams play each other on Thanksgiving Day…

 

The Monday Night Football game is the Cleveland Browns (3-6) at the Buffalo Bills (5-4).  The game is on ESPN at 8:30 EST.  This game doesn’t really mean much, so not much to worry about stat wise….

College Football…this weekend none of the top teams had big match-ups…so they were all able to keep their ranking intact…the top 5 teams are…

1.  Alabama

2.  Texas Tech

3.  Texas

4. Florida

5.  Oklahoma

On Sunday Night’s 60 Minutes, Obama was interviewed and talked about his wish to change the way that the College football championship was decided.  Basically, he wants the top 8 teams to play in a three week playoff series to get to a final champion… a good idea, but he might want to focus on the economy first. 

Other sports news…this week the baseball MVPs will be announced….they just keep wanting to have baseball in the news….

Alright, back to a Monday….college basketball and NBA stuff coming this week….

-sportsgirl

There Are Still 7 Weeks Left and They Play on Thursdays?

So…its Sunday, which means NFL football time, however somehow I missed the fact that NFL games are played on Thursdays too.  Seriously, can’t they give us ladies a break…we have other shows to watch and don’t want to be distracted by sports 24/7.  The Thursday game thing has only occurred the past 1 or 2 years…anything to bring in more money for the NFL I guess.  This week’s Thursday game was the NY Jets at the New England Patriots.  The Jets won in overtime…just in case it comes up in conversation….

Now…if you are around some Sunday games this week…I looked around and there wasn’t anything that exciting for the week…but I have provided facts for 3 of the games….

Baltimore Ravens at the NY Giants (1pm EST, CBS)

• Both teams are going for their fifth consecutive victory
• The Giants are 5-0 at home this season
• The Ravens have won 3 of their last 5 games on the road and they have won the last 3 times that they have played the Giants since 1997
• During Eli Manning’s rookie year (2004), he played one of his worst games against the Ravens…he had a zero QB rating…I didn’t even know that was possible.  He completed only 4 of 18 passes for 27 yard, threw 2 interceptions and lost a fumble…talk about a bad game…hopefully he has forgotten about that game tomorrow for the Giant’s sake…currently they are 8-1 on the season.

 

Philadelphia Eagles at the Cincinnatti Bengals (1pm EST, FOX)

• The Bengals are awful…they only have 1 win this season against the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Eagles are 5-4, however they are coming off a difficult loss against the NY Giants last Sunday night. 
• The Bengals are 7-3 all time against the Eagles and have never lost to Philadelphia at home.  I have to say these types of stats make it seem like the Bengals have a good shot, but they really are not good and if the Eagles want any chance of seeing the playoffs they can’t afford any more losses. 
• The Eagles have the highest Average Points per Game on the road (30.8) in the entire NFL…
• Defensive End Trent Cole is from Cincinnatti…therefore, expect a loud cheering section for the Eagles on the road.

 

Dallas Cowboys at the Washington Redskins (8:15EST, NBC)

• The last match-up between these two teams resulted in a Redskins win at Texas Stadium…the last time the ’skins most likely will have played in Dallas’ stadium.
• Tony Romo and his broken pinkie are rumored to back in action in this week’s game.  Since the game is away, chances are probably slim that Jessica Simpson will be there…but as always, be on the look-out.
• If the Redskins lose they still have a chance to make it ot the playoffs…however if the Cowboys lose, their chances of making the playoffs will be very slim
• Each team will be plaing without a key running back.  The Cowboys’ Felix Jones will be out this season with an injured hamstring.  The Redskins’ Clinton Portis will be out due to an injured knee…

Besides these three games, there are two other stats to watch out for….An undefeated team to continue their winning season and an “0fer” team continuing their devastating losing season.  The Tennessee Titans are still undefeated for the season….the last time a team went undefeated for the season was only last year when the Patriots went 16-0.  On the other side of the spectrum, the Detroit Lions have the potential to be 0-16 this season…the first time in NFL history.  They are so bad this year and their upcoming games are against decent teams…making it very unlikely that they will see a win.  Last year the Miami Dolphins were almost an “0fer” team…but wound up winning one game and ending the season 1-15.  No one likes to lose all of their games…but might as well have a stat in the books, right? 

 

Ok…all the information you needed for this weekend.  I promise to have some sort of basketball write up this week.  I just needed to motivate myself.

-sportsgirl

Do the Mascots Get a “Free Ride” at the Dermatologist?

Personally, I am starting a countdown until College Football is OVER!!!  I am told it is 3 weeks after this weekend…plus the Bowl games.  Since I am trying to “embrace” sports so that my husband and I spend any time together…I have learned that College Football Saturdays are the WORST.  College GameDay from 10-12 and then the games…all day long…past midnight sometimes.  Don’t worry, I don’t watch the games all day…but if we are anywhere near a tv that is what has to be on.  Luckily this week there are apparently no big games on…so I might not have to have my “typical” Saturday!

So…I will cover the two bigger games of the weekend in a separate post….but thought I would cover the mascots since I did have a request for that.  Apparently, like the band, the mascots are a big deal.  They typically get a scholarship for all of their hard work throughout the season.  Capital One is even hosting a contest to choose the best mascot for College Football.   They have narrowed down the field to the top 12.  I went out to the site and had a few initial reactions…First, the mascot costumes could use a fashion update…the material that the costumes are made of are awful, they look so hot (temperature hot that is).  I think a better contest would be for fashion designers to create new mascot uniforms and then we pick the winner for each school…that would get girls involved…it actually could be another reality show since those seem to be the only tv shows that don’t get cancelled (I am bitter that Lipstick Jungle got cancelled!).  My second observation is that I really hope that besides the free ride to school that these universities pick up the dermatologist bills that these mascots probably have piling up….seriously, take a look at these uniforms…if they don’t cause a breakout for the whole season, then I want these kids’ genes.  

The BYU Cougar...doesn't it look like it's wearing UGGs???

 

OK…i figure that I will list the mascots for the Top 25 teams…

#1 – Alabama Crimson Tide (Mascot:  Elephant called “Big Al”)

#2 – Texas Tech Red Raider (Mascot: The Masked Rider – only allowed at home games since it incorporates a live horse…so for other games, the Red Raider is the mascot)

#3 – Texas Longhorns (Mascot:  Bevo – a “longhorn” cattle)

#4 – Florida Gators (Mascot:  Albert E. Gator…get it…”Al E Gator”

#5 – Oklahoma Sooners (Mascot: The Sooner Scooner – its an old school covered wagon pulled by two white ponies called Boomer and Sooner)

#6 – USC Trojans (Mascot: Traveller the Horse – doesn’t sound that initimadating)

#7 – Utah Utes ( Mascot: Swoop – a red tailed hawk)

#8 – Penn State Nittany Lions (Mascot: Nittany Lion – refers to a mountain lion on Mount Nittany)

#9 – Boise State Broncos (Mascot: Buster Bronco)

#10 – Georgia Bulldogs (Macot: Uga -its an actual bulldog…the most recent bulldog died earlier this year, so this year’s Uga is a brand new dog)

#11 – Ohio State Buckeyes (Mascot: Brutus Buckeye – the Buckeye is a nut…literally a nut from a tree…I can’t imagine it usually intimidates the opponent’s mascot)

#12 – Missouri  Tigers (Mascot: Truman the Tiger – named after President Harry Truman)

#13 - Oklahoma State Cowboys (Mascot: Pistol Pete…a Cowboy obviously)

#14 – Ball State Cardinals (Mascot: Charlie Cardinal…unoffical mascot is David Letterman…he went there and always talks about them)

#15 – Michigan State  Spartans (Mascot: Sparty the Spartan….not too original)

#16 – North Carolina Tar Heels (Mascot: Rameses the Ram…again, not too original)

#17 – BYU Cougars (Mascot:  Cosmo the Couger…on the Capital One mascot website…his quote is “Like any cougar, he likes his meat well-seasoned.”  From my perspective cougars are usually the ones that are well seasoned and are looking for fresh blood…so this is an interesting quote. )

#18 – TCU Horned Frogs (Mascot: SuperFrog the Horned Frog…I think Horned Frogs are some sort of lizard…not a fan of this one at all)

#19 – Florida State Seminoles (Mascot: Chief Osceola – a Seminole Indian…he rides in on a horse called Renegade)

#20 – LSU Tigers (Mascot: Mike the Tiger…he’s an actual Tiger they keep in a cage on the sidelines…I am thinking that the opponents probably don’t try to steal this mascot before big games…)

#21 – Pittsburgh Panthers (Mascot: ROC the Panther)

#22 – Cincinnatti Bearcats (Mascot: Bearcat…literally that is it)

#23 – Tulsa Golden Hurricane (Mascot: Captain Cane the Hurricane – if you decide to look this one up…you might agree that it doesn’t really look like a hurricane)

#24 – Wake Forest Demon Deacons (Mascot: The Deamon Deacon…its an old man with a top hat)

#25 – South Carolina GameCocks (Mascot: Cocky the Gamecock..its a rooster of sorts)

 

Now that I have read up on all of these mascots, I will reiterate that I think these mascots need a 21st century update…the costumes, the names, everything about them are “old school.”  And most of them are not that inimidating….

Alright, have a fantastic Saturday…I’ll be back with the NFL information for the weekend…

-sportsgirl

“College GameDay” Takes a Detour…

College Gameday is taking an interesting detour on their weekly journey through the best games in the country.   Since the schedule this week doesn’t have the typical match-ups of top contending BCS teams, College Game Day is making their first trip to the campus of a historically African-American college… the game?  Hampton at Florida A&M.  I know nothing about either school…I didn’t even know there was a school called Hampton…but it should be an exciting day for both of these schools!

Hampton & Florida A&M (1:00 EST)

• Florida A&M is located in Tallahassee, FL, more commonly recognized as the home of Florida State.  A&M was named the #1 college in America for African-Americans by “Black Enterprise” magazine in 2006, pretty impressive…  their sports teams are known as the Rattlers.
• Florida A&M’s band is a bit more famous than its football team… the “Marching 100″, as they are known, has performed at four Super Bowls, two presidential inauguration parades, and at the Grammys with Kanye West… not bad.  I’m betting they will get some air time on Gameday tomorrow morning.
• The Rattlers’ opponents are the Hampton Pirates, from Hampton University in Virginia.  Also a historically African-American school, some of Hampton’s most famous alumni include Wanda Sykes, Spencer Christian, and Booker T. Washington
• Whatever hat he decides to put on, Corso will feel right at home, since he attended Florida State right across town.  Although you probably wouldn’t guess it  by looking at him now, Lee Corso was an outstanding athlete, he starred in football and baseball during his time at Florida State.  Fun fact for you ladies to show off:  Corso’s college roomate was Burt Reynolds.  Can you imagine the stories the two of them could tell about their nights on the town in Tallahassee?

South Carolina at Florida (3:30 EST, CBS)

• As I mentioned before, there aren’t a lot of great games this weekend, but any time Steve Spurrier returns to the Swamp it makes for an interesting game.  Spurrier coached the Gators from 1990 – 2001 before leaving to take a shot at the NFL with the Redskins.   When that didn’t work out he returned to the college ranks, deciding to accept an offer to coach one of his former school’s biggest rivals in the SEC (sound familiar, anyone?  If not, you weren’t reading girlonsports.com last week!)
• Florida still has national championship hopes, and the Gamecocks will be hoping to spoil them.  The Gators are ranked #4 in the BCS and would need some help to get to the championship game, but they largely control their own destiny, since they will get to play #1 Alabama in the SEC Championship game on December 5th. 

Alright…lots of new stuff this weekend…be back tomorrow with NFL stuff.

-sportsgirl