Nick Sloan's Official Web Site

(Cough Cough Cough)

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:33:00 +0000

To my fellow Mizzou fans and supporters of KU and even Kansas State fans who thought I was nuts for this post, it would be nice to get some kudos for this call.

He's knocked off Kansas and Kansas State is favored to defeat Mizzou next weekend.

Kansas State 35, Missouri 14

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 07:18:00 +0000

There's no way Mizzou wins this game.

No way....at all.

• Sophomore quarterback playing in the toughest stadium in the Big 12 North.

• Daniel Thomas.

• Mizzou's weak special teams against Kansas State's Brandon Banks. Not pretty.

• Mizzou has no running game.

Just four points. I'll expand into more throughout the week. I absolutely fear the worst going into this game.

Frank Martin Will Kill You

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 01:02:00 +0000

Big 12 Power Rankings

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:28:00 +0000

NORTH

1. Kansas State
2. Nebraska
3. Iowa State
4. Colorado
5. Kansas
10. Missouri

SOUTH

1. Texas
2. Okahoma State
3. Texas Tech
4. Oklahoma
5. F*cking Baylor
6. Texas aTm

Josh Freeman Might Not Suck In The NFL

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:22:00 +0000

Remember when Tampa Bay was criticized for drafting Josh Freeman?

Well, critics may have to eat their words on that.

He led Tampa Bay to a 38-28 victory and he threw two fourth quarter touchdowns. Considering Matthew Stafford's contract, Freeman might have been the better choice.

VIDEO: SEC Refs Strike Again, Prove Mangino Right

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:00:00 +0000

Hey – remember when Florida got two or three blatantly horrible calls against Arkansas a few weeks back?

The same thing happened with this interception involving Alabama. With Florida-Alabama heading for an epic collision course within weeks, it can't be too surprising both teams have benefited from calls.

Maybe Mark Mangino's "BCS....Dollar Signs" blast years ago wasn't too far off. Yes, I just said I agree with Mangino.

Stop The Madness: Boise State, Cincinnati, TCU Have No Business Being In National Title Picture

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 09:10:00 +0000

With this being America, many sports fans are attached to the underdog.

In college football, the underdogs are the non-BCS programs such as Boise State, TCU, Utah and so on. Although they are in the Big East, I'll also include Cincinnati in this category.

This weekend, Cincinnati allowed 45 points to an unranked UCONN team, while Boise State allowed Louisiana Tech to put up 35 points.

Fans, Top 10 teams and national title contenders don't allow other teams like UCONN and Louisiana Tech to put up 45 and 35 points respectively.

While these are feel good teams, in reality they are Jerry Lewis teams who play in garbage conferences.

How many times would Cincinnati, Boise State and Utah lose if they played in the Big 12, ACC, Pac 10, SEC and even the Big 10? I would say at least three times.

And while I love TCU and its stingy defense, I suspect they wouldn't make it through the Big 12 unblemished, either.

Teams like TCU, Utah and Boise State are the three common examples given by playoff proponents as to why there needs to be a playoff.

I'll be the opposite – if TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati sneak into the national title game, I'll become a supporter of the playoff. TCU, Boise State and Cincinnati would not survive one round in an NCAA playoff. No way.

But they've won big games before.....

Take a look at the "big games" they've won:

• Boise State beat what was Bob Stoops' worst Oklahoma team until this year with a bunch of gadget plays. It was the most entertaining game ever but c'mon.

• Utah beat an awful Pittsburgh team (I think) in the Fiesta Bowl.

• Utah beat a good Alabama team that didn't have its STUD tackle and the Crimson Tide were coming off a horrible loss to Florida in the SEC Title Game.

• Hawaii got bombed by Georgia.

These teams have no business being in the title hunt.

Good News: Nebraska-Kansas State Matters Again

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 07:22:00 +0000

Could Nebraska-Kansas State, the biggest rivalry in the Big 12 North from 1996-2004, mean something again?

Both teams had huge wins tonight and could play for the division title in Lincoln, Nebraska. It also sets up an interesting coaching matchup between Bill Snyder and that jackass Bo Pelini.

Pelini, you remember, melted down the last time a Snyder coached team played in Nebraska.

I bet that handshake will be interesting.

And I love the Nebraska propagandists – uhhh.....Husker beat writers – feeding Pelini questions in that clip.

The New (Old) King Of Kansas Football

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:33:00 +0000

It took him just 10 months, but Bill Snyder is back in the position where he retired from – as head coach of the best football program in the State of Kansas.

Snyder's turnaround of Kansas State has been nothing short of remarkable.

Ron Prince's teams were soft in the middle, allowing Jake Sharp to have a career game last year in Lawrence. Seeing how tougher Kansas State is last year is just unbelievable. This team is more physical and mentally tough.

(Editor's Note: Congrats to Kansas State fans. I love you guys more than I do my own team's fan-base. A tear came out of my right eye when you guys ran out the clock. You guys were so gracious to me and a few thousand other MU fans back in 2007 after Mizzou beat Kansas State in Manhattan and pulled for us against Oklahoma in the Big 12 title game. Well done, my friends. )

I guess 70-year-olds don't lose their football IQs after all.

More thoughts on the Sunflower Showdown:

• Perhaps the greatest camera shot of the entire season came at the end of the game. While KSU players and assistant coaches were celebrating wildly on the sideline, Snyder just stood there with the same look on his face as if he was beating UMASS. It was just another win and another step for Kansas State – not a Super Bowl win.

• Daniel Thomas is the best running back in the Big 12. Period. If he played for Texas, Oklahoma, and even Oklahoma State, he might be a Heisman candidate. He's a tough SOB and might be the best running back Snyder's had. And yes, that includes one of my favorite players of all time – Darren Sproles.

• The talent gap in today's game between the two Kansas schools will be as wide as it'll get for the next five years. That would be a bad sign if I was fan of the other school involved in the game.

• Here's another bad sign: The final result should have been worse. As in 34-16 worse. Kansas State had several drives stalled by penalties, loss of downs and missed field goals. Also, there were missed opportunities for touchdowns and KSU drove into enemy territory several times. This game could have resembled some in the 1990s.

• Is there any doubt who the best coach in the North is? Really? The game has not passed him by. Snyder's refreshed and that's bad news for Gary Pinkel, Bo Pelini and other coaches in the Big 12 North.

Again, congrats to Kansas State. I'll feel like a real asshole if Missouri wins up there next week.

We Lost To F*cking Baylor

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:17:00 +0000

Editor's Note: From here on out in this blog, the Baylor Bears will be known as F*cking Baylor. Thank you. Sincerely The Management.

The worst loss of the Gary Pinkel era happened today. Random questions and comments:

• F*cking Baylor now has three road wins in its Big 12 history – Columbia is now a third of them.

• F*cking Baylor is now 1-23 after trailing in the first half in Big 12 play on the road – we're now that one.

• F*cking Baylor had a basketball player murdered and a batshit crazy church massacre back in the early 1990s. We lost to that school and city.

• We are now in last place in the Big 12. Not the north – the Big 12.

• F*cking Baylor may have injured Blaine Gabbert's hand, which is not a neat deal.

• F*cking Baylor had a freshman, third-string quarterback making his debut. He looked like John Elway.

• Mizzou averaged under 2.0 yards a carry on the ground. Hooray.

Two of my best four friends in the world tried to cheer me up tonight, saying that KU and Kansas State both lost to them in the past.

It's inexcusable losing to F*cking Baylor. At home. With an 11-point halftime lead. With more talent. And screw that non-sense about F*cking Baylor improving. They have a worse offense line than last year and they have injuries this year.

This loss was a disgrace. F*cking Baylor ended our season and our Big 12 North run.

I'm not sure what's worse – losing to Terry "Booger' Allen or F*cking Baylor.

God Save The Queen.

Missouri Football is done, especially with Kansas State and Nebraska on the way back up.

PHOTO ESSAY: Things Less Done Than Mizzou, KU's Seasons

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:08:00 +0000

How about the BOREDer War this year? Forget ABC, Fox Sports, ESPN or even Versus – it should be broadcast on Lifetime or Comedy Central. What a pitiful game featuring two teams that are battling for last place in the Big 12 North.

Introducing The Tim Tebow Halloween Costume

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:46:00 +0000

Got this in the mail from a friend.

It's the Tim Tebow Halloween costume, which comes with the complimentary worshiping press that the Florida quarterback gets.

Bonus points for The Bible as well.

It's just an hour that teams like Missouri, Kansas State and Kansas can all play the same sport as Tebow.

He's practically invented everything associated with college football.

(I'd still take Vince Young, Michael Bishop, Tommie Frazier and several other recent quarterbacks over him.)

VIDEO: Why Soccer's Increasing In Popularity

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:14:00 +0000

Best. Takedown. Ever.

Dear David Glass

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:29:00 +0000

In light of the Yankees winning the World Series tonight in roughly 17 minutes, here are the things the Kansas City Royals need to prosper and contend for a title:

FLASHBACK: KSU-KU Rivalry Would Heat Up

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:17:00 +0000

When a blogger is right, he can be right. July 5 – two days after the darkest day of my life – I posted this piece concerning the KSU-KU rivalry.

With the game this week and the hype coming from both sides, here it is in full:

---------

Over the next few seasons, expect the Kansas State-Kansas Sunflower Showdown to heat up on the gridiron.

After Kansas State and Bill Snyder dominated in the 1990s, the Jayhawks have had Kansas State's number the past three seasons. With Snyder coming back in the fold, things will get interesting.

A few reasons why this rivalry will improve in the next few seasons:

• Bill Snyder and Mark Mangino aren't exactly the best of friends. The coaching match-up between these two is more exciting and interesting compared to the Gary Pinkel-Mangino one in the Border War. Mangino used Kansas State time while a coordinator there to recruit players for Oklahoma and they have a history as well. This alone makes it interesting.

• Scandal. Kansas went on academic probation a few years ago in part because of its football program. And of course, this audit situation in Manhattan will become the butt of jokes in Lawrence this year. Both fan bases have gallons of fuel to throw on the other school.

• The roles are reversed. Kansas is the best football program in the State of Kansas right now. Sure, it's only three seasons. But they've won three straight bowl games, while Kansas State has lost one and sat at home during the other two Bowl Seasons. One of those bowl games was a BCS Orange Bowl* victory.

• The Big 12 North will be wide open for the next three seasons. I don't see Colorado and Nebraska taking over. Iowa State will never do anything and quite honestly, Missouri is probably the best football program in the North right now. It's not going to take a miracle for Snyder to turn KSU into a Big 12 North contender.

• If Missouri bolts to the Big 10 like they should, Kansas City will need a conference rival and KU-KSU will step up in that area.

Urban Meyer, Strict Disciplinarian

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:08:00 +0000

You know you're one hell of a leader when your own player suspends himself longer than you did.

Nice job, Urban.

Florida coach Urban Meyer said Brandon Spikes will sit out the entire Vanderbilt game on Saturday as punishment for an incident in last week's 41-17 win against Georgia, in which he stuck his hand in Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey's facemask and appeared to be poking at his eyes.

Meyer had originally made the punishment just the first half - which the SEC had agreed would be fair punishment - but after talking with Spikes, they agreed to make it the entire game.

I'm surprised Meyer didn't coach under Tom Osborne.

Mea Culpa, KU Fans

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:01:00 +0000

I'm going to stop actively bashing KU for a while. I'll criticize them if they deserve it but I'm going to stop putting bait out there. I let one of that school's football fan get inside my head and that should not affect the Web site.

The anti-KU stuff is gone for a while.

Have a nice day.

(You might have to forgive me if I dip back into come one week in late November.)

Whitlock: Benching Reesing Wrong

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 06:32:00 +0000

Apparently, I'm not the only one who misunderstands the coaching genius of one Mark Mangino.

Based on Mark Mangino’s logic, Lew Perkins can consider firing the Kansas football coach at the end of the season.

Mangino’s decision to bench Todd Reesing late in the Jayhawks’ loss to Texas Tech signals that the 12-1 season of 2007 and the Orange Bowl victory mean nothing in 2009. Not to Mangino, the Janet “What Have You Done For Me Lately?” Jackson of college football coaches.

Who cares that Reesing saved Mangino’s job and reputation and earned his coach additional millions by leading Kansas to a magical 12-1 season and top-10 ranking? Who cares that Reesing is the best Kansas quarterback since John Hadl?

Whitlock makes a good point concerning Reesing and Mangino's history: Lew Perkins was ready to off Mangino's coaching tenure at Kansas. Then, 2007 happened, and it's damn hard to fire a coach who's won 12 games.

VIDEOS: The 1985 Royals

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:18:00 +0000

Two cool YouTube videos I found. The first is President Reagan speaking to members of the Kansas City Royals. The second is a video of highlights of the victory parade.

Will this ever happen again in Kansas City?

Danario Alexander Vs. Dezmon Briscoe

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:47:00 +0000

Entering the season, the wide receiving position was a major concern for the Missouri Tigers, while many suspected Kansas had one of the best groups of receivers.

However, just over midway through the college football season, Danario Alexander has proven to be the best wide receiver in the Big 12 North rather than Kansas' Dezmon Briscoe.

A comparison of stats so far this season:

• Alexander: 58 receptions, 824 yards, 7 touchdowns, 14.2 yards a catch, 4 plays over 50 yards

• Briscoe: 54 receptions, 841 yards, 5 touchdowns, 15.6 yards a catch, 1 play over 50 yards

Briscoe has more yards (just 17) and a higher yards/catch average, which is to his credit.

But Alexander has four plays over 50 yards, including two 70-plus yard touchdown receptions. Briscoe just has one.

Briscoe has also dropped some crucial passes this season. He dropped the potential game winning touchdown in Boulder late in the game; a potential game-changing touchdown against Oklahoma late in the first half and a key pass in the second half against Texas Tech.

Other factors that support my hypothesis of Alexander being the North's best receiver:

• He has a sophomore quarterback delivering balls to him, while KU's quarterback is the greatest in school history. Blaine Gabbert is a special commodity, but he is still shaking off rust since he didn't play high school football in his SENIOR season. Alexander is still making the best of it.

• KU's supporting cast is better. Mizzou has Perry and a bunch of sophomores. KU has Kerry Meier and some decent athletes filling out the depth chart there.

If Alexander had not been injured throughout his career, he'd be a first round NFL draft prospect – he's 6-5 and just catches the ball. He's also faster than Briscoe. Remember, he was once listed above Jeremy Maclin on the depth chart.

He's been more explosive and reliable than Briscoe this season.

Gary Pinkel's Top 10 Wins At MU

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 06:08:00 +0000

10. Missouri 41, Kansas State 21: 2006

Snapping a billion game losing streak to Kansas State, even if it was against a freshman quarterback named Josh Freeman and Ron Prince, felt good. That Kansas State team nearly beat Auburn and went to a bowl game that year, so it wasn't as if it was one of the all-time worst teams at Kansas State. Pinkel finally got the K-State monkey off the back.

9. Missouri 17, Iowa State 14: 2004

2004 is the season that never happened. It was the most disappointing season in any Missouri sport I can ever remember. But Brad Smith and the Tigers knocked off Dan McCarney's Iowa State Cyclones and cost them the North title. You could argue this game got McCarney fired eventually. If he wins the North, there's no way you can fire him, right? Anyway, it was nice capper to an overall abortion of a season.

8. Missouri 38, Texas Tech 21: 2006

Missouri was undefeated going into this game, but really had played no one. Playing a prime-time game in Lubbock is no easy challenge, but the Tigers jumped out big in this one. It was Chase Daniel's homecoming back to Texas for the first time. This was the game that showed Mizzou could build something special eventually. Huge victory.

7. Missouri 41, Texas Tech 10: 2007

Texas Tech makes the list again. Coming off a tough loss in Norman, the Tigers rebounded in a vicious way against a solid Texas Tech team that would win I think 11 games that season. Many favored the Red Raiders going into that game, but Missouri played its best game ever in the Pinkel era as a team and destroyed a very talented Tech team.

6. Missouri 41, Nebraska 6: 2007

Winning blowouts against Nebraska matters, as you'll soon see on this list. But coming into the 2007 season, Nebraska was actually favored to win the North. After an early October trip to COMO, there was no doubt who was Boss of the North. The Tigers utterly destroyed Nebraska and became a national title contender that night. Chase Daniel entered Heisman consideration and this game got Bill Callahan fired.

5. Missouri 33, Illinois 20: 2002

Coming off a Sugar Bowl appearance, Illinois was a huge favorite going into this game against Missouri. The Tigers had a tough season to begin the Pinkel era. But soon, the Brad Smith era began. Smith had probably the greatest freshman debut ever for anyone in Missouri black and gold. It was a glimpse into the future and this game gave Tiger fans some major optimism about the football program.

4. Missouri 38, Arkansas 7 (Cotton Bowl): 2007

The game clinched a postseason Top 5 ranking (Mizzou finished #4 and #5 in the polls) and gave the Tigers a great opportunity to flex its muscles against a good Arkansas team. I would argue this Arkansas team was better than the Virginia Tech team KU got in the Orange Bowl that year. UA beat the eventual national title winners on the road and played several SEC teams tough. They had two first-round picks at the running back position and some solid linemen.

3. Missouri 38, South Carolina 31 (Independence Bowl): 2005

Mizzou fell down 21-0 and 28-7 in this game. They overcame and Brad Smith left COMO in a great manner, leading his team to a comeback victory against a decent South Carolina team. This game was much more important in the long-term, as it took away some of the criticism Pinkel received.

2. Missouri 36, Kansas 28: 2007

Ah, you knew this one had to make a list. Do I really need to rehash the history here? Both teams were really good this year and Missouri was eight points better on a cold night at Arrowhead where I breathed maybe five times. I still think if these two teams played 100 times, each would win around 50. Missouri had more talent but Kansas would have won their fair-share of games. Still, KU won the war, as it got the Orange Bowl while Mizzou got screwed with the Cotton Bowl.

1. Missouri 41, Nebraska 24: 2003

Rankings wise and short-term importance, this shouldn't be number one. However, long-term it was very important. The Tiger hadn't beat Nebraska since 1978. This Cornhusker team – unlike those in 2005, 2007 and 2008 – was pretty solid. They were 10-3 that year, also losing to the Greatest Head Coach In College Football History's Big 12 champions and the Texas Longhorns on the road. They entered this game #9/#10 in the polls. At the time, Mizzou needed to beat Nebraska more than any other team. Before MU could win the North, they needed to beat Nebraska. That Saturday night in COMO provided them a national boost.

PHOTO: The Last Team KU Football Defeated

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:41:00 +0000

Ho Hum, Another 4-Star Recruit For Mizzou

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:31:00 +0000

Kony Ealy is a Missouri Tiger.

"They’ve already put him on the board and they’re finished recruiting defensive ends," Pixley said. "The thing that excited him most about the Mizzou program was he went to the Texas game and he was a young fiery bunch that battled well even though they were outmanned," Pixley said. "They were going to grow, and he sees a squad he can grow with."

“They’re getting a highly, athletic very fast 6-5, 225-230-pound defensive end that’s going to give them some flexibility,” Pixley added. “He can play inside linebacker or outside linebacker. He’s also going to remind you, as a receiver, of” Martin “Rucker and” Chase “Coffman. You get a lot of upside with him. But I think the immediate thought process is that he’s going to be on the defensive side of the ball.”

Pixley said Ealy had whittled his list of suitors down to Missouri, Auburn, Georgia Tech, Michigan and Nebraska. He won't take any official visits, other than a trip to Columbia later this year, Pixley said.

One thing Gary Pinkel has improved on recruiting is going after athletic linemen. While this offensive line is undersized, Mizzou has three big STUDS coming into the program this year.

With recruiting Sheldon Richardson (Mizzou would win the North if he was on this year's team) and Aldon Smith, the defensive line suddenly looks impressive. Winning in the Big 12 requires strong linemen and ends with speed.

I like the direction of the recruiting class. 2011 and 2012 could be very special years for Missouri. That isn't a national title prediction, but those two years could be better than 2007 if things fall into place.

At Least Todd Haley Isn't A Wife-Beater

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:25:00 +0000

The Oakland Raiders' head coach, while not good at leading teams to victories on the field, is good at administering black eyes and bruises to women. Coward.

Cable acknowledged striking Sandy Cable with an open hand in a statement Sunday. Cable said the altercation happened more than 20 years ago and was the only time he's ever touched a woman inappropriately. He stood by that statement Monday, declining to answer any questions on the topic.

The Raiders said they first learned of these allegations from ESPN in the past week.

"In conjunction with the league office, we will undertake a serious evaluation of this matter," the team said in a statement Monday. "We wish to be clear that we do not in any way condone or accept actions such as those alleged. There have been occasions on which we have dismissed Raider employees for having engaged in inappropriate conduct."

The Raiders also released a statement criticizing ESPN's reporting, saying the network, "routinely disseminates falsehoods about the Raiders."

Fire him, Al. Wifebeaters should be castrated.

VIDEO: The Best-Played Game In Missouri Tigers Basketball History

njsloan212@gmail.com (Nick Sloan) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:20:00 +0000

Before it comes, I'll hit it off now – Yes, Mizzou's never made the Final Four and the Missouri-Memphis game being one of the school's best games in history proves that it doesn't have a good tradition.

OK, there.

However, this was the most exciting basketball game to watch as a Missouri fan. Memphis scared the crap out of me coming into this game and Missouri never relented at all. It was outstanding.

Unlike the 2002 Elite Eight run, Missouri got there by beating legitimate powerhouse teams. Marquette was ranked in the Top 10 earlier in the season and Memphis was the sexy pick to win the title entering the tournament.

It's very exciting for Missouri basketball right now. They may soon land a STUD of a forward that could change the program.