Looks like we are going to have a Biblical offense, if nothing else. I dont care how good we are going to be, I’m looking forward to the start of a fresh season. Go Wolfpack!

UPDATE: I like to see this from the head coach.

Hey I’m back! Its been a while I know, but for those who still check in now and then here are a few things:

First of all happy fourth of July! Its glorious to be American and we should all appreciate the risk, dedication, and sacrifice it took to sign the declaration of independence and officially make America the land of the free.

As many of you know I am in MA for the week for work and went to see a Red Sox game last night with Jillian. It was a great experience, almost unreal, and it was a learning experience too. I would like to say that it was like returning home, but it really felt more like an introduction. Its been so long since I was last at Fenway that it felt like my first game and my first day as a fan. Sweet Caroline!

Here are some links:

NC State was endowed with $2 million to promote capitalism. Wouldn’t surprise me if UNC countered with some socialism.

Tom O’Brien has been very successful recruiting, not for this comming year, but for the next years football season. Sounds like he is putting a good program together.

The Swiss won the America’s cup over New Zealand, 5-2. I am kind if disappointed because New Zealand was dominant coming into the Americas cup, and it just doesn’t seem right for Sailings most esteemed trophy to be held for another four years by a landlocked country.

NC State baseball is right around the corner with 10 days to go before our opening game on February 9th. Pre-season rankings have us at 28th, which is a good place to be. On the map, but with plenty of room to move up. We only have three starters in the field left from last years team so the real question mark is how good will we be offensively and defensively. We are set to have great pitching, led off by Andrew Brackman who has been ranked as a pre-season 1st team all American. Since great pitching makes for a good team, it should be a fun season for baseball this year.

For football word is just in that we have a commit from Germany for defense, and from the article it seems he will be pretty exciting to watch. Here is another article concerning football commitments for NC State, UNC, and Duke. NC States schedule has been set and I am really looking forward to seeing how next season will play out. Two out of conference games that should be good, Louisville in Raleigh, and ECU at ECU. If we are doing well, a win over a highly ranked Louisville on a Thursday night on ESPN could get some attention, and a win over ECU at ECU will be very satisfying after getting clobbered by them this year. Should be an exciting season.

According to accuscore the Colts win the super bowl by about 3 points and both teams score in the 20s.  The only hope they give the Bears is if their special teams comes through big time.

Its pretty exciting times for football these days.  Last night Florida laid the smack down on the huge favorite in the BCS national championship game, Ohio State.  I am pretty excited about that because it shows that the BCS system got things right.  No one but Florida can contend that they should be national champions.  Boise State could claim they are undefeated, but when you go into overtime against 11th ranked Oklahoma that lost to both Oregon and Texas then you can’t claim that you would have a chance against anyone in the top four.  Their fifth place finish is very fair, and next year they will need to do a better job scheduling non conference games.

So all that being said, where did football get started, anyway?  In fact it began at Rutgers University in 1869, and you can read all about its origins and evolution in this popular mechanics article.

One last note, this Sunday’s game between the Patriots and Chargers should be really good.  Being from New England I have alwasy favored the Pats.  I also have really enjoyed following the chargers this year because of Philip Rivers.  Who am I pulling for?  Dunno.

It has been one whole year since my first post to thebradlands, December 15th, 2005. I would like to thank my mom and dad, for bringing me into this world. Also my producer/ providor/ spellchecker/ factchecker Warren Myers. Of course I’d like to thank Jillian who has stuck with me through thick and thin and has helped me with my Spanish. And lastly all my fans who have made it fun for me to write knowing that you care enough to check by and read. Blogging has been a great way to vent my excitement in lots of different areas. Hopefully reading has energized you, and thebradlands has been an instrument to get you excited about life.

Well the football season this year was a sorry thing to see. After beating FSU and BC we didn’t win another game all year, and in the end Amato was sacked. Unfortunately not much is expected in basketball this year either. This is Lowes first year coaching, and since he didn’t get to recruit since he was in the NBA, and since syndeks recruits bailed, and since our big guys went to the NBA, and since Brackman is just playing baseball, our team is basically left with absolutely no depth and not the greatest starting five. They are ranked last in the ACC and most likely rightly so. Its a building year.

However last night NC State won over Michigan in their first big test of the season. Despite losing Angin Atsur to injury (our team captain and strongest starter) the guys pulled out a big win, and did it in a fashionable manor. No last minute come from behinds or lucky shots. After being down 16-4 to start the game the wolfpack went on a 31-12 run to end the first half. Then opened the second half with a 19-6 run that put them solidly in a lead which they wouldn’t give up for the rest of the game.

Basically how they won was they used a zone defense that forced Michigan to take three pointers, something they are bad at. Against Duke this defense never would have worked, but against Michigan it was perfect and allowed the Wolfpack to pull off the upset. This is exciting because it is a demonstration of Sydney Lowe’s ability to coach. He saw what needed to be done, did it, and the results were perfect. Another great thing to see is the penetration by the State offense. It was always so agrivating watching Syndek constantly running the ball inside only to pass it out again, and try for a three. Lowe has his guys constantly dirving for the basket and finishing every play. Every shot taken is a high percentage shot. I would have loved to have seen some of the guys we have had in years past, like grundy and hodge, plugged into this new offense.

What does the future hold? Hopefully this is not the high point of the season. Hopefully we can pull off some ACC upsets and make it to the ACC tourney. This team may not be the most tallented but they are 5-0 and they are demonstrating that they are willing to out work and out hustle their oponents. A lot of times a team is good because of the talent it has. I am hoping this team will become better and better as the guys learn how to play better basketball. If they can stay healthy then maybe basketball season will be something of a redemption from that season which just ended.

This pretty much sums it up.  In loving memory:

Ok so I have been following national college football pretty closely this year, and it has been very exciting. Last week Louisville played West Virginia in a big east showdown between two unbeaten teams. I was very glad to see Louisville win it since I don’t like the Mountaineers too much, and on top of that it set up yet another big east showdown last night. Louisville vs. Rutgers. Rutgers caught my attention when they beat UNC to open the year (woo hoo!) and they have been the surprise team of the year in the national scene. Last night they took a step towards proving themselves when they beat Louisville with an exciting come from behind win. Tied up with the game almost over, Rutgers attempted a field goal and missed. However there was a flag on the play and they got another chance, this time getting the three points with 13 seconds left and defeating the number 3 team in the nation. Of the three undefeated teams in the big east last Wednesday only Rutgers can make the claim now.

If they can beat West Virginia on December 2nd and finish the season undefeated, Rutgers might just have the chance to play the winner of the big November 18th Michigan vs. Ohio State game for the national championship. What a thrilling ashes to glory story that would be for Rutgers, who in the past has been more known as a 1-11 team.

A lot of people are saying that if they do finish the season undefeated that they wouldn’t go to the national championship game anyway because of their past history and because they have not played a tough enough schedule. However past history should have nothing to do with it and your football team should be judged according to how good it is now. A schedule is not weak if you have beaten two potential national championship contenders. If Rutgers finishes the season undefeated they should play in the big game, and I am pulling for them to be there!

Ok this is crazy. Cingular Wireless has an add campaign targeted at sports fans who listen to sports radio or watch games on TV. Their theme is sports mascots. Now, there are two main things that define a mascot. They dress up, and they can’t talk. Who is the genius working for Cingular that decided that they would use a bunch of guys who can’t talk to advertise for a cell phone? How crazy is that?

Now the comercials I have seen on TV are not that bad. A bunch of mascots are standing around and throughout the advertisement the mascots sign and nod and stuff and they stay true and keep their mouths shut. However on the radio some guy is interviewing a mascot and the mascot is talking back and is telling jokes and all the while I am thinking what are you crazy! Do you want to be kicked out of the brotherhood of mascots or the mascot society or be demoted to be one of those “Mrs.” mascot? (By the way I think Mrs. Wuf liked me back in the day because at all the games I went to she would always end up next to me, trying to give me high fives and stuff)

Anyway my point is that using mascots to advertise for cell phones is stupid. Having them talking on the radio is downright disgraceful. Cingular, if you think that you are winning over business you are wrong. You are probably either being laughed at or you are getting people upset.

Just a side note, kudos to Philip Rivers who is finally getting a chance with the Chargers. He is having an incredible season and finally getting to prove what a fantastic player he is. So far the Chargers are 6-2 and he has six 200+ games and one 300+ game. Also kudos to the little girl for wearing Rivers’ number 17. Go pack!