Beyond

Upsets Aplenty in College Football

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This past weekend nine out of the college football teams ranked in the Top 25 lost to teams that were ranked lower than they were, or in some cases to teams that were not ranked at all.

There are upsets every week in college football but the collapse of nine schools in a single week is a little odd. From Friday to Saturday night the teams ranked 3rd, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 15th, 20th, and 22nd lost.

While eight of those upsets occurred throughout the day on Saturday, the biggest upset in my mind occurred Friday night when the 8th ranked Louisville Cardinals lost to the University of Central Florida Knights.

The University of Central Florida Knights upset the Louisville Cardinals Friday night kicking off a weekend of upsets where nine of the top 25 teams in the nation lost. Photo R. Anderson
The University of Central Florida Knights upset the Louisville Cardinals Friday night kicking off a weekend of upsets where nine of the top 25 teams in the nation lost.
Photo R. Anderson

While many could have a strong case in questioning the fact of whether the Cardinals really should have been considered the 8th best team in the nation, the fact remains that the polls said they were and the unranked Knights defeated them despite trailing by 21 points at one point in the game.

In the end it became UCF’s first victory in school history over a team that was ranked in the Top 10.

The victory also spoiled Louisville’s homecoming and ended a bid at a perfect season for the Cardinals.

So right about now you are probably asking yourself why a game between two American Athletic Conference teams warrants mentioning since most of college football is focused on which of the teams from the SEC will claim the national title this year.

It warrants mentioning because UCF just happens to be my alma mater and I have a bit of a history with the football program beyond just being an alumnus.

I worked in the Sports Information Office as an intern, and also as the editor in chief of a newspaper covering the college when the Golden Knights, as they were then known, made the jump to the upper levels of collegiate football.

So having been around when some of the early seeds were planted it is nice to talk about the current state of the program as well now that some of those seeds are bearing fruit.

Since making the jump to the highest level of college football UCF has gone from playing games at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium to a stadium on campus.

They have also improved their practice facilities from a crab grass covered field next to the disc golf course to an indoor air conditioned practice facility.

After years of playing "home" games at a stadium across town from the campus the UCF Knights got an on campus stadium of their own a few years back. Photo R. Anderson
After years of playing “home” games at a stadium across town from the campus the UCF Knights got an on campus stadium of their own a few years back.
Photo R. Anderson

The football team has not been alone in the facility renaissance. Virtually every team on campus has received new or completely remodeled facilities since making the jump to Division I.

While many other schools have the same amenities as UCF many of them have also been playing football for many decades more than UCF has.

While the improved stadium and practice facilities have been nice they are not the only change in the program.

The Knights have won bowl games and conference championships and occasionally get mentioned as a growing program by the national media.

The truth remains though that despite having one of the largest enrollments of any public university in the entire nation, UCF still does not get the coverage of some of the smaller schools with a longer history of competition.

So defeating the Cardinals during a nationally televised game on ESPN gives UCF more exposure. The fact that the Friday night game was the only televised game on at the time makes it even better.

Whenever the UCF knights are playing within four hours of Houston I try to attend the game and show my support. Of course it was way convenient when they sahred a conference with Rice University and I only had to drive 30 minutes to the game and had ample parking to pick from. Photo R. Anderson
Whenever the UCF knights are playing within four hours of Houston I try to attend the game and show my support. Of course it was way convenient when they shared a conference with Rice University and I only had to drive 30 minutes to the game and had ample parking to pick from.
Photo R. Anderson

While a single victory against a Top 10 team in front of a national audience does not mean the the Knights are ready to compete year after year for the national title, it does show the next step in a growing program that is evolving into something that other schools need to look out for.

Although I have not made it back to campus to see a home game in the new on campus stadium, I have been fortunate enough to see several away games in Texas and Louisiana over the past decade or so.

Who knows, maybe before long I will get to see UCF play in a major bowl game as well before too long.

As a nice bonus the Knights were ranked in the Top 25 following their victory over Louisville so perhaps that flying under the radar will soon be coming to an end.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get my tickets to see the Knights play Southern Methodist University in December. Go Knights.

Copyright 2013 R. Anderson

Beyond

Certain Fans Give Sports a Black Eye

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Sunday afternoon the Houston Texans did something that they had done for the previous three weeks, they lost a game.

At 2-4 for the season it is highly unlikely that the Texans, who some had predicted as a Super Bowl team, will even make the playoffs this year.

Such is the nature of sports. You win some. You lose some. And until the game is played one does not know which side of the coin one will fall on.

Sure there are sports like soccer where the outcome can just as easily be a nil to nil draw, but by and large the stick and ball sports that most Americans follow end with a winner and a loser when all is said and done.

With this clear distinction of only two outcomes, it stands to reason that a team on any given day has an equal opportunity to either win or lose.

Of course there is a whole industry from fantasy sports to the betting houses in Las Vegas that try to guess the outcome ahead of time but they are not always successful since no one can predict with 100 percent accuracy what will happen once the players take the field.

This brings us back to the Texans who by most accounts are falling well short of expectations for the season.

By most accounts the Houston Texans are having a disappointing season. The reaction of some fans however is even more disappointing. Photo R. Anderson
By most accounts the Houston Texans are having a disappointing season. The reaction of some fans however is even more disappointing.
Photo R. Anderson

People are blaming coaches and players for the losing streak with some fans even calling for people to be fired or worse.

This came to a head during the game Sunday when the Texans quarterback left the game with a leg injury. Now, this same player had led the Texans to the postseason last year but he is off to a rough start this year and even set a NFL record with four consecutive games where he had a pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown in a play known as a pick 6 which got its name from the fact that the interception, or pick, results in six points for the opposing team.

So when the Texans quarterback was down on the ground in pain there was a vocal group of fans in the stands that were cheering the injury since they felt that it would mean a new quarterback would enter the game and lead the team to victory.

Instead the new quarterback entered the game and threw, you guessed it, a pick 6.

So it seems that the Texans issues are not limited to a single player having an off year and point to more of an institutional off year which teams do tend to have from time to time.

Of course any sane person could see that since rarely does one player win or lose a team sport. It takes the entire team working on both offense and defense to secure a victory.

Still, there are those extreme fans who fixate on a single player as the cause of all of their issues. Normally this just involves yelling at the television but in some cases it can turn violent.

While there have not been any reports of Texans fans getting violent towards any players yet there have even been reports of fans driving by the quarterback’s house and confronting his family.

That is taking things too far. No one, regardless of their profession, should have to deal with people harassing their family members.

Remember it is just a game. The athletes are paid to entertain us and to give their all during the game. They do not owe us anything during their off time and cheering for someone to get injured harkens back to something out of the Roman Coliseum days.

We have moved beyond those days although I am not so sure that everyone in society made that trip and we do seem to be reverting back to a more barbaric society.

Of course there is time to stop that trend and return to a more civilized sporting environment. Watch the games, enjoying the effort but don’t take it too far to the point of cheering for someone to get hurt just because they threw some interceptions.

From 1982 to 1991 the Washington Redskins went to the Super Bowl four times, winning three times against the Miami Dolphins, Denver Broncos and Buffalo Bills. The second of those four appearances resulted in a loss to the Oakland Raiders.

The Washington Redskins went through a period where winning the Super Bowl each year became expected. With the last title coming over 20 years ago it has become clear that winning is not guaranteed. Some fans of the Houston Texans are still trying to learn that after a couple of trips to the playoffs. Photo R. Anderson
The Washington Redskins went through a period where winning the Super Bowl each year became expected. With the last title coming over 20 years ago it has become clear that winning is not guaranteed. Some fans of the Houston Texans are still trying to learn that after a couple of trips to the playoffs.
Photo R. Anderson

So as a fan of the Redskins during that time, winning it all sort of was expected despite the fact that only one team can win it all each year. It is sort of the way that fans of the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and New England Patriots expected to win it all every year during the dominant years each of those franchises had.

During the 1985 or 1986 season I was watching a Washington Redskins game with quarterback Jay Schroeder behind center.

Beyond

The Day to Party Like it is 1492

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Today is Columbus Day observed across the United States.

Not even a partial government shutdown can stop the day set aside to honor the 15th Century explorer.

I am sure most of us recall from the story how Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and “discovered” the new world.

Of course there were already people living in the new world when Columbus arrived and scholars often debate the timing of the arrival of vikings in terms of who really arrived from Europe first, but for our purposes here let us just agree that it was old C.C.

Now, in addition to learning about the year of the arrival of Columbus students are also taught from an early age the names of his three ships that accomplished the journey.

These ships were of course the Ni

Beyond

Munchie Meals Make Me Yearn for Night Shifts

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A few weeks ago the fast food chain Jack in the Box introduced Munchie Meals.

The Munchie Meals are only served from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. and cater to a certain demographic that is awake and hungry during those hours.

Fast food chain Jack in the Box recently unveiled the Munchie Meal for those people who prefer to get all of their daily calories between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m. Photo R. Anderson
Fast food chain Jack in the Box recently unveiled the Munchie Meal for those people who prefer to get all of their daily calories between the hours of 9 p.m. and 5 a.m.
Photo R. Anderson

This follows the trend set by Taco Bell’s Fourth Meal campaign and other restaurants as a way to drum up business during non traditional hours.

In the same way, certain restaurants such as Sonic offer a Happy Hour of sorts from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. where they have a menu of items at a reduced price to entice people to spend money during normally slow hours between the lunch and dinner crowds.

As for the trend to entice people to eat during the overnight hours one can assume that the demographic is mainly college students and shift workers.

When I worked for newspapers I often worked until 1 a.m. or later and found the selection of places to grab a bite after work to be rather limited.

Were the option of Munchie Meals available back then I most likely would have made it part of my driving home routine.

An interior view of the Munchie Meal reveals assorted fries, tacos and one of five special entrees. Photo R. Anderson
An interior view of the Munchie Meal reveals assorted fries, tacos and one of five special entrees.
Photo R. Anderson

It should be noted that one Munchie Meal includes more calories than the total daily recommended amount. So they are certainly not intended for the healthy eater and those watching what they eat.

Instead the Munchie Meals offer a smorgasbord of tasty but bad for you selections that are covered in various cheeses and/or deep fried to a golden tasty perfection.

For convenience and portability sake the Munchie Meal comes self contained in a box.

Right about now some of you are probably craving a Munchie Meal while there are others who are wondering if the prize inside the box is an automatic defibrillator.

Having looked inside the Munchie Meal box strictly for research for this column I can assure you that the automatic defibrillator is not included but could probably be ordered as an add on.

As if thousands of calories was not enough entertainment to keep one occupied the Munchie Meal teaches the ancient art of napkin folding as well. Photo R. Anderson
As if thousands of calories was not enough entertainment to keep one occupied the Munchie Meal teaches the ancient art of napkin folding as well.
Photo R. Anderson

With the introduction of the Munchie Meal Jack in the Box, like Carl’s Jr. before it, is giving consumers what they want in the form of thousands of calories in a convenient carrying case.

It is not necessarily giving consumers what they need however since very few people could argue that anyone needs that large of a calorie hit during the overnight hours.

So while the battle rages over wants and needs and whether the Munchie Meal is good or bad for the nation as a whole one thing is certain Denny’s, Waffle House and IHOP have been put on notice as there are now more choices vying for those late night diners.

Now if you’ll excuse me I need to take a nap so I can be awake in time to get my Munchie Meal later.

Copyright 2013 R. Anderson

Beyond

While Rome Burns Fiddles are Tuned Up

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For the most part I try to steer clear of discussing politics.

It is not that I do not follow the political system. Quite the opposite, I am rather informed and involved in the government process and try to stay on top of current events as much as possible.

I am also a big history buff and believe that one must learn from history in order to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

The government is a lot like a puzzle. It takes a lot of pieces going together to work but it only takes a single piece to be missing to make the whole thing fall apart. Photo R. Anderson
The government is a lot like a puzzle. It takes a lot of pieces going together to work but it only takes a single piece to be missing to make the whole thing fall apart.
Photo R. Anderson

The reason for steering clear of political writing is simple. Were I to write about conservative topics that appeal to the right side, I am leaving out the left side. In the same manner if I write about liberal

Beyond

Grand Experience with Grand Prix of Houston

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The Grand Prix of Houston was held over the past weekend. I know this because I was there.

But more on how I was able to be there in a bit. First it is important to mention the lasting visual that made its way across the sports media yesterday afternoon.

Will Power (front) and Scott Dixon (back) each won a race during the Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader with Dixon leaving as the points leader with one race left in the season. Photo R. Anderson
Will Power (front) and Scott Dixon (back) each won a race during the Grand Prix of Houston doubleheader with Dixon leaving as the points leader with one race left in the season.
Photo R. Anderson

The race ended with a terrible last lap crash that sent Dario Franchitti to the hospital with a concussion, fractured vertebrae and a fractured ankle. The crash also injured a baker’s dozen of fans and a race official.

The fencing put in place did its job and prevented more injuries from occurring but it is once again a reminder that racing is a dangerous sport and even races on a flat parking lot can cause cars to become airborne with the right set of circumstances.

Despite the crash, the weekend started with the promise of two races in the parking lot of Reliant Center.

That’s right boys and girls they were racing in a parking lot around a football stadium and a concert hall.

When I first learned that the Indy Racing League was coming to Houston I was excited since I had missed out on covering the Champ Car Grand Prix back in 2007 when they were last here.

Dario Franchitti was injured in a last lap crash on Sunday at the Grand Prix of Houston. Photo R. Anderson
Dario Franchitti was injured in a last lap crash on Sunday at the Grand Prix of Houston.
Photo R. Anderson

I have a picture that was taken of me when I was a freshmen in high school in front of the pace car for the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg. I would often look at that picture and think how cool it would be to cover the race some time.

A few years ago I was in St. Petersburg for some Spring Training baseball and had the opportunity to drive on a portion of the track. Granted I was going under 50 miles an hour but I can still say that I drove on an IRL course.

So that brings us back to the Grand Prix of Houston and my thoughts that the race would occur in downtown Houston as it had previously been.

But, imagine my surprise when I learned that instead of a race course around Minute Maid Park and other downtown destinations the race would be held in a parking lot around the Astrodome and Reliant Stadium.

To my knowledge this is the first parking lot Grand Prix that has ever been run.

And it was not without its share of bumps along the way.

A temporary tire barrier had to be installed after a large bump was discovered in the parking lot road course Friday afternoon. Photo R. Anderson
A temporary tire barrier had to be installed after a large bump was discovered in the parking lot road course Friday afternoon.
Photo R. Anderson

For starters during practice on Friday a large bump on the track was discovered. After leading to a few wrecks a temporary solution of a tire barrier was added to the track to help slow cars down to avoid the bump in the road.

Friday night there was some grinding on the bump and the temporary tires were removed once the course was deemed smooth enough once more.

I spent most of Friday watching the practice from the grandstand and touring the grounds since I was “on staff” for the event. Unfortunately one thing that I forgot to do Friday was apply sunscreen.

As a result of my lapse in sunscreen application I burned to a little crisp and will soon be greeted by the post burn peeling.

Drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay (left) and Marco Andretti (right) get an update on the tire barrier construction that pushed qualifying back from Friday to Saturday for the Grand Prix of Houston. Photo R. Anderson
Drivers Ryan Hunter-Reay (left) and Marco Andretti (right) get an update on the tire barrier construction that pushed qualifying back from Friday to Saturday for the Grand Prix of Houston.
Photo R. Anderson

But with two days left in the weekend I was not about to let some sunburn get the better of me.

Saturday included an early arrival to the track and an all day marathon of walking through the Paddock and garage area as well as watching the first race.

As part of working the event as a volunteer, I was given an all access pass for the weekend. Aside from spending some time on pit road on Friday I really did not test the boundaries of all of the areas I could access Saturday and mostly stuck to the areas with the general public.

And might I add it was a very well behaved general public compared to some of the other large sporting events that I have attended.

I can’t say for sure what it was that made this particular crowd so well behaved but I can see that after three days in their midst I did not see a single drunk or unruly fan nor did I see anyone taken away by security for any reason.

Will Power (center) held off Scott Dixon (left) and James Hinchcliffe (right) in Sunday's Grand Prix of Houston finale. Photo R. Anderson
Will Power (center) held off Scott Dixon (left) and James Hinchcliffe (right) in Sunday’s Grand Prix of Houston finale.
Photo R. Anderson

Make of that what you will, but if you want to see a well behaved crowd I suggest you try an Indy Racing League event.

Sunday was the final day of the Grand Prix weekend, and as noted earlier it ended with hospital trips for a driver and some fans.

But before all of that happened Sunday was the day that I finally tested what exactly my “all access” pass could do.

Now, I knew that the pass would not allow me to say drive an Indy car, but I figured that there were some cool things that it would allow me to do.

The first of those things was to walk onto pit lane while the track was “hot.”

I spent around 20 laps walking through the pits and was close enough to the action to feel the heat from the cars as they passed.

James Hinchcliffe gives victory circle a champagne bath following Sunday's Grand Prix of Houston Indy Racing League race. Photo R. Anderson
James Hinchcliffe gives victory circle a champagne bath following Sunday’s Grand Prix of Houston Indy Racing League race.
Photo R. Anderson

I saw the pit crews in action and watched the members of the radio and television broadcast teams run from pit to pit to get their stories.

After wandering the pits for awhile I finally settled near the start/finish line and victory circle.

Ballparks

Rays Earn Boston Tea Party Berth

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The Tampa Bay Rays never seem to do things the easy way.

But, based on recent results, the hard way seems to suit them just fine.

Playing in their 39th game in the past 41 days the Tampa Bay Rays claimed the American League Wild Card title Wednesday night with a 4-0 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

The Rays have been winning away from home for over two weeks. They finally will come back to the Trop on October 7th. Photo R. Anderson
The Rays have been winning away from home for over two weeks. They finally will come back to the Trop on October 7th.
Photo R. Anderson

For the second time in three nights the Rays went into a hostile environment faced with a win or go home elimination game only to arise victorious and celebrate on the field while the home team’s fans looked on with sadness.

Of course the showdown in Cleveland was just one of many stops on the Rays’ late season whistle stop tour.

The Rays have been on the road since September 24th, when they opened a three-game series in New York against the Yankees.

The Rays swept the Yankees.

Then it was off to Toronto, where they lost two games to the Blue Jays before winning the regular-season finale to force a one-game tiebreaker with the Texas Rangers.

The Rays beat the Rangers with a complete game pitching effort from David Price in front of a sellout crowd at the Ballpark in Arlington.

The win in Texas earned the Rays a trip to Cleveland where they once again claimed victory and silenced a sellout crowd.

Fernando Rodney, finished off the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night. Rodney will look to shoot some more arrows starting tonight in the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox. Photo R. Anderson
Fernando Rodney, finished off the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night. Rodney will look to shoot some more arrows starting tonight in the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox.
Photo R. Anderson

Alex Cobb took the mound for the Rays and allowed no runs on eight hits a walk and five strikeouts to pick up the win.

Despite missing 50 games earlier in the year after getting hit with a line drive and suffering a concussion, Cobb showed no signs of buckling under the pressure created by the sellout crowd of 43,579 rally towel-waving Cleveland fans.

With the Cleveland win the Rays earned another destination and more frequent flier miles.

The Rays will start the American League Division Series against the Boston Red Sox tonight.

The Rays and Red Sox are familiar division foes who were fairly evenly matched during their regular season match ups this year.

Matt Moore takes the mound for the Rays tonight against the Boston Red Sox. Photo R. Anderson
Matt Moore takes the mound for the Rays tonight against the Boston Red Sox.
Photo R. Anderson

Matt Moore will look to continue the strong pitching performances by Rays starters in game one of the best of five series tonight at Fenway Park.

The good news for the Rays is that on October 7 they finally get to return to Tropicana Field for a home game and some changes of clothes.

A home game would also occur in game four of the series if needed before a return trip to Boston in the event of a winner take all game five scenario.

The Rays will get to add 2013 Wild Card to their banner collection at Tropicana Field. Of course they are hoping for several more up to World Series Champion this year. Photo R. Anderson
The Rays will get to add 2013 Wild Card to their banner collection at Tropicana Field. Of course they are hoping for several more up to World Series Champion this year.
Photo R. Anderson

Regardless of what happens in Boston the Rays will get to hoist a 2013 Wild Card Champion banner into the rafters at Tropicana Field.

Of course there is room for a few other banners as well as the team has its sights set on a return trip to the World Series.

Now if you’ll excuse me, there is some American League Division Series baseball to get ready for.

Copyright 2013 R. Anderson

 

Ballparks

Rays Finally Silence Rangers in an Elimination Game

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The past two times the Tampa Bay Rays went to the postseason they were knocked out by the Texas Rangers.

So on paper when the Rays and Rangers met Monday night for the tiebreaker game to earn the second Wildcard spot and a trip to the postseason it felt like deja vu all over again.

The Rays had dropped two of three games against the Toronto Blue Jays to slip from first place in the Wildcard standings to tied for the second spot with the Rangers. The Rangers on the other hand had won 10 straight games and were hosting the pivotal 163rd game of the season.

Historically Rangers Ballpark in Arlington has not been kind to the Tampa Bay Rays. Photo R. Anderson
Historically Rangers Ballpark in Arlington has not been kind to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Photo R. Anderson

The Rangers held a four games to three edge over the Rays during their regular season meetings leading to the Rangers having home field advantage for the regular season tiebreaker.

Momentum and home field advantage were clearly in favor of the Rangers, on paper.

On paper the pitching match up also favored the Rangers as David Price, the defending American League Cy Young Award winner, took the mound for the Rays.

Despite being the defending Cy Young Award winner Price had only defeated the Rangers once in his career and in previous meetings the Rangers and little difficulty scoring runs off of him.

Before the game there were many who looked at Price’s past performance against the Rangers and said that the Rays were foolish to put him on the mound in a win or go home type scenario with the whole season on the line.

Rays Manager Joe Maddon made several player substitiutiuons that helped propel the Tampa Bay Rays into the postseason Monday night. Photo R. Anderson
Rays Manager Joe Maddon made several player substations that helped propel the Tampa Bay Rays into the postseason Monday night.
Photo R. Anderson

But Rays Manager Joe Maddon is not one of those people who does what conventional wisdom says and he put his ace on the mound despite Price only having one victory in his career against the Rangers.

Thankfully for Rays fans though Monday night was not like the previous two meetings as the Rays defeated the Rangers in Arlington to return to the postseason for the fourth time in the last six years.

As for David Price, the guy who the Rangers had managed to dominate the past few years, he pitched a complete game and only gave up two runs.

I guess one could say he balled up that piece of paper that said he couldn’t win against the Rangers in big games.

The Rays face the Cleveland Indians tonight in a win or go home Wildcard game with the winner facing the Boston Red Sox in the American League Division Series.

Alex Cobb who finished the season with an 11-3 mark and a 2.76 ERA in 22 starts will take the mound for the Rays.

Alex Cobb will look to extend the season for the Tampa Bay Rays tonight when he pitches against the Cleveland Indians in the American League Wildcard game. Photo R. Anderson
Alex Cobb will look to extend the season for the Tampa Bay Rays tonight when he pitches against the Cleveland Indians in the American League Wildcard game.
Photo R. Anderson

On paper the teams are pretty evenly matched.

And once again the Rays will be living out of their suitcases as they face yet another game on the road.

Of course, the Rays seem to excel in the face of adversity and hostile crowds so I will place my money on the Rays winning the game.

While there is still a lot of October baseball to be played I would not be the least bit surprised if the Rays make it all the way to the World Series.

Don’t tell me what the odds are of that happening on paper are.

After all, the Rays have shown time and time again that just because it is the conventional wisdom, it is not the way the Rays play.

The Rays are a different team with a quirky manager that gets the most out of his players in every situation and once again they are in the playoffs.

Regardless of what happens in the game tonight the Rays will be remembered as a playoff contender once more.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a game to watch.

Copyright 2013 R. Anderson

Observations from the cheap seats, the beach seats and everywhere in between