Week 11 CFB 2011 (Where are my damned frog legs?)

At this point we are all over saturated with the tragic news coming out of “Not So Happy Valley”, PA, so there is not a lot more I can add that will provide further insight. However, I will say that this story is going to get incredibly worse when all the details come out. There is far more complicity than is even being reported (read my mid week post). Slimedusky is a monster, and there will be more than 9 incidents. If Joe Pa is Penn State, than he had a responsibility to do something about this back in the 90’s when rumors surfaced. And we all ask ourselves if we were Coach McQueary happening upon the despicable shower scene, what would you have done? Personally, I am going into that shower (Slimedusky’s personal house of horrors), knocking Slimedusky out, taking that child to safety and calling the cops. Especially after he tells Joe Pa and nothing happens. This is the most disturbing incident in sports that I can ever recall. There is no rationalizing or defending anyone’s actions that knew and should have done more. If Boise State loses scholarships for future players sleeping on current players couches during the summer, “State Penn” deserves extreme sanctions as this was criminal in nature beyond belief. I feel bad for the current players being caught in the middle, but nowhere near as bad as I feel for the victims of this horror. If I were a parent thinking about sending my kid to Penn State, I would have to reconsider my decision.

Tailgate update – First, a shout out to all my loyal followers for sending my blog to your friends. Weekly viewership has more than doubled in the past few weeks! I appreciate all the positive feedback and suggestions and guest reporting you all send as well. If you want your school represented more, make sure you vote on the polls on the left side for schools, games & players.

Okay a huge weekend for the Tailgate. We flew north to Boise for the weekend for the BSU -TCU game and a well organized pre planned Tailgate extraordinaire. And most important of all we got to spend time with or beautiful daughter Rachel from the Tailgate. A big thank you to our friends the Griffins (well really just Terry and Ben as Kevin was nowhere to be found during the preparation phase), the Ricarts (Lynne, Octavio and Nick) and Boss Amy for helping pull together all the necessary items for an outstanding Tailgate. We set up camp in Dale’s tailgate lot near thestadium. Great location and atmosphere as it was a mere 200 yards from the stadium. The menu consisted of grilled Morton’s of Omaha tri tip sandwiches, “Fowl Thing” chicken teriyaki sandwiches, hot dogs, baked beans, potato salad, vegetable platter, chips & dips, cookies , brownies, bloody marys, mimosas, wine, tequila and of course a full keg. KG, finally stepped up to bartend and managed to break a cork screw in a wine bottle and pulled his pliers out and continued the job. I had ordered frog legs in honor of our opponents that day, however, they never arrived due to some mix-up, like incompetency! So instead, I bought a bag of fully cooked wings and told everyone they were frog legs. While sampling the “frog legs”, most claimed to like them, and said that they sort of tasted like chicken. Their expressions were priceless when they found out the truth! The party swelled to about 30 people with parents, college kids, and their friends. The food and beverages were outstanding, but the company was even better. Many new bff’s were made, Rachel’s friends Morgan, Bailey and Emily OMG, OMG, SHUT UP, LOL, HAHA! The Ayres family from Newport Beach and Ben’s friends Sei who now knows how to chug a beer, Ethan, Jackson, Jeff and Don. I was introduced to the “Shots Ski” and taught the college boyz how to properly down a 16 oz beer in 2 seconds flat. We also witnessed the Collegians doing their keg stand rituals. So I guess the adults taught the college kids a few things and the college kids taught us as well! With 15 minutes of tailgating to go, Boise’s Finest instructed us to get rid of all open cups or be ticketed. Again, we are law abiding tailgaters and follow instructions well.

The game was an epic matchup of two great rivals. The stadium was electric as this was the biggest home game since Oregon played on the Blue 2 years ago in the now infamous “Punch Bowl”. The score was back and forth with each team seeming to have their way offensively. TCU’s young quarterback Casey Pachall had a better day than Hesiman Candidate Kellen Moore (who also played great) by throwing for close to 500 yards. With two and a half minutes left, Boise’s third string tailback fumbled the ball with a seven point lead, and the game apparently in hand on the TCU 20 yard line. The Horny frogs promptly drove down the field, scored, and in "the gutsiest move I ever saw Maverick", they went for two and converted. The Broncos had one minute and a final chance to regain the lead. It all came down to a 39 yard field goal attempt by freshman kicker Dan “not so Goodall”. Not even close, as I saw later on the replay. Something tells me I have lived through this before recently. There was only one person in the 208 area code who was heard shouting for joy when the kick went right. I believe his name was BROTZMAN? I am actively training my daughter to try out as the kicker for next season. Oh well, had Boise been able to stop TCU’s passing game, the finish would not have come down to a FG attempt. I said earlier in the year two things about Boise to be concerned with: eventually they will need to rely on a kicker to win a game and that their pass defense was porous. I don’t claim to be Nostrildanus, but I can be observant periodically. Final score TCU 36 – Boise 35. The TCU fans were great as we mixed with them in the post game chill out/tablegate back at the hotel watching the Oregon beat down of Stanford. Overall a great weekend, disappointing outcome. But the good news is, I still have 2 more regular season tailgates to attend!

Around the country - Another offensive explosion in the Glass Bowl in Toledo on a Tuesday night! 66 -63 win for the Rockets over WMU 1440 total yards. Wow more offense and scoring than last week’s game in the same venue! It was good to see that the Penn State and Nebraska players in a show of class held a group prayer at the beginning of the game to pray for the victims of the now well known travesty. The Huskers pull out a solid 17 -14 win in the first game in 46 seasons without Joe Pa coaching PSU. With ESPN College Gameday in Palo Alto for the first time ever, the other Spotlight was on Stanford this weekend. Not only did they not deliver, they have no chance of playing in the BCS Championship game, and at best are an outside shot to go to any BCS Bowl. Additionally, Andrew “It’s so easy even a Caveman can do it” Luck had a sub-par game that will now make the Heisman race more interesting. Oregon deserves all the credit as Chipper K clearly out coached Mr. Shaw. How about Brandon Weeden, Justin Blackmon and the Galloping Gundys of Oklahoma State? They are firmly entrenched as the nation’s # 2 team with really only the Bedlam game left to challenge them. Since this is my wife’s and Father in – law’s (“Cowboy Curt Peters”), Alma Matter, we will be pulling for you to make it the Ship. My new friends in Boston College were ecstatic as they pulled out another win against NC State and former Coach Tom O’Brien. I was told the gang did a special Irish jig at the Heights of Chestnut Hill after the game. Northwestern continues it’s late season push to become bowl eligible again with another solid win. Ohio State going back in the wrong direction again in their roller coaster season. Can you say Coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State Buckeye? The Fighting Irish sporting those shall we say “interesting” helmets running over the Turtles at FedEx Field. Brady Hoke and the boys from Ann Arbor clawing their way to a victory over the now deflated Illini. Is that Zookies head they are calling for in Champagne? The Crimson Tide in an uninspired win over the MSU bulldogs after last week’s heartbreaking loss. Georgia Bulldogs making a serious run for the SEC crown with a resounding win over Auburn. Payback is a bitch Mr Chizick! UCLA’s hopes of getting to the PAC 12 final were dampened with a lackluster loss to those damned Utes. And yes of course to my USC friends, they had a resounding win over UW but probably cheated or stole some secrets to gain the W. Do you think Petey Boy Carrol is wishing he could come back next season when the boat is upright and afloat again? Usually rats do return to the ship. I miss you Petey boy!

Gripe – no gripe this week since we have discussed the Penn State issue already

Next week the Tailgate will be hosting brother Brian and friends as Navy makes the trek out west to play San Jose State. SJSU Tailgaters, you know where to find us!

Happy Tailgating!