HuskerFanChuck

Interesting article by Tom Shatel in the OWH today, with a lot of information about the Mavericks. First, the link: http://www.omaha.com/article/20120806/SPORTS/708069873/1140#shatel-uno-s-alberts-quiet-about-hockey-arena 3 things that stood out to me: 1. Sounds like an on-campus arena for the hockey team isn't a question of if, but very potentially a question of when. Sounds like it could very well be part of a larger facilities announcement coming for the Mavericks soon. Also a great sign for them that the money sounds like it's already there to proceed, or at least the pledges for the money needed, anyway. 2. Terry Leahy, who has been the voice of the Mavericks hockey team on the radio for quite some time, will be back as the radio announcer again, regardless of where the Mavericks are broadcast this year. Always great to have an identity for your team, and Leahy has certainly been that for the Mavericks. 3. Maybe the most important piece, buried right at the end of the Mavericks information, is the fact that Cristensen announced that the athletic department, for the first time in a long time, ended the year IN THE BLACK. That likely came a lot quicker than a lot of people were expecting. And yes, I realize it's possible to use different methods to make that happen, but the fact that he was willing to announce that publicly, to me, means that they're pretty confident in whatever methods they used that the athletic department is actually paying its way right now. Considering the controversy caused by the moves a year and a half ago, that has to be at least partial vindication for Christensen and Alberts, and the moves they made. Anyhow, a little food for thought for those that follow the Mavericks.

I agree with you on that. Star Wars is the superior trilogy. and Empire, the best of that trilogy Little tough to be the 'only' when the other came out as a book decades before. If either is the 'only', Return of the King deserves that designation. And I loved Return of the Jedi (my favorite of the trilogy) and the Star Wars trilogy. To me, my fave two have to be the original SW trilogy and LOTR. Indiana Jones isn't far behind, Toy Story is awesome, I actually like SW episodes 1-3 (really wish he'd have done 7-9 instead... hate stories where I already definitively know the outcome) but those two stand head and shoulders above. I think... had the Academy moved past their disdain for sci-fi/fantasy prior to Return of the King, one of the SW movies might have won a major Academy Award earlier. Still amazed that RotK won, in a lot of respects. Even though it was the favorite, the Academy voters have done so many illogical (and to my mind, stupid) things over the years, that the fact that they got that one right still surprises me.

What's sad about the whole situation is the absolute inability of certain members of the Penn State fanbase, including members of the Board of Trustees, to move on. Exactly what do they expect to gain by either the appeal or a subsequent lawsuit? Again, the penalties were agreed to by the administration. Unless there is enough support on the Board to vote to either overturn the decision of the administration or to remove the current president and put in someone who they believe will fight it, the move would appear to be pointless. Without a majority of the Board agreeing that they would have not voted to approve the sanctions, it's a few members of the Board spitting into the wind. I don't agree to make the sanctions harder at this time, because I think it's a few individuals, and not the institution that are making the stink. If this were somehow turned into a fiasco where it were the institution making these demands and filing suit, then throw the book at them. But I'm not seeing it as that right now.

Interesting. So I swear the first time the LJS warned me about the number of articles I had read, they had it set at 10. Now, I get a note about the fact that I've read 4 out of 15. Interesting... so only a week or so after they shifted to this model, and they've already upped the number of free articles? o.O Maybe their subscription model didn't get the numbers they expected... or even close. Maybe they also figured out that people figured out how to get around the system. Be interesting to see how the model gets revamped further.

Pic from the day: Brett Maher

Going to update some arena pics from the last few weeks. If I have these right, the first ones should be from about mid last week, the next ones are from Monday evening this week, and the last few are from Thursday.

Great day today! I'll post some of the stadium pics I got. Moiraine, we got there about 2:40, 2:45, and we got through three lines: Specialists, Tight Ends, and Players not yet Played. Only two that I wanted out of those groups that I didn't get were Ben Cotton (unavailable for some reason) and Tommy Armstrong (I think he was already gone by the time I got to him... either that or wasn't seated in the West stadium for some reason). Pics of the stadium work, and a pic of the new photo tower. No accounting for the quality, from the camera phone. Got some more pics of the events, but they're not of this. I'll put them in another one.

Wow. Agree, Blackshirts, that was a great read. Miles will do amazing stuff here. That wore me out just reading it. A mile a minute. Great character guy too. That's what's so great about him, is I think we landed a knockout punch in BOTH areas, great coach and great character guy.

One question, though... the Russian gal that got bronze tied on score with the second American in the all-around... so I'm not quite sure how the tie-breaker works. I looked over on the website for the Federation that runs the sport... and was even more confused by their tie-breaking explanation. So does anyone know what the rule is? May just have to watch it on NBC tonight to find out how that worked. Higher total after dropping lowest apparatus score for each. Thanks. Sadly, it seems like that defeats the purpose of an "all-around", because you're rewarding the person who scored highly in one events, but poorly in another, over the person who was more consistent throughout the events. But they all know the rules going in. Too bad.

Good job selling out your matches yet again, ladies! Tickets sell out in less than half and hour, per OWH: http://www.bigredtoday.com/article/20120802/BIGRED/708039999/-1#single-match-nu-tickets-sell-out-in-less-than-half-an-hour

One question, though... the Russian gal that got bronze tied on score with the second American in the all-around... so I'm not quite sure how the tie-breaker works. I looked over on the website for the Federation that runs the sport... and was even more confused by their tie-breaking explanation. So does anyone know what the rule is? May just have to watch it on NBC tonight to find out how that worked.

I think that's the shoulder we're seeing, isn't it? Interesting... that could be a bit... interesting... to say the least, if both teams have red of some fashion.

The really weird thing about that me is that I would have thought that JP would have some type of loyalty towards TO. And this is TO's guy that he's pummelling. Just... weird. I'd expect it from someone like Bishop. I like John, but John's always been a 'glass-half-empty', devil's advocate type person. Met him, nice guy in person, but he just kind of has that radio personna. But until JP got on the radio and started doing the curmudgeon shtick to a T (that was a great description above, btw), I really don't remember him being THIS abrasive toward the football program.

Good posts all. Agreed that it's not even a question that needs to be or should be asked. In my mind, it's about like what seemed to me to be a manufactured controversy by Tom Shatel and Dirk about Bo's comments regarding distractions. He answered honestly, and I never really saw any blame given in the conversation, and yet here we have those two deciding they need to hit Bo over the head regarding the media and the fans, because they acted like he had just punted their dog. Overblown media pseudo-controversy. I'd say "Can you tell it's still the offseason?", but in these instances, I think that becomes too cliche, because it's now going so far outside of just the offseason. The local media need to find some better entertainment for themselves than creating the pseudo-controversy.

Agreed. Put himself in quite a hole, but to come back and basically nail the last 3 apparatus like he did... and the strength it takes to pull off some of those moves... wow.

In most cases, I'd agree, TOB. But you better believe in the Penn St case a LOT of their fans cared about the win vacation, and Joe's name being stripped from the record books. Most cases, it makes no difference, you're exactly right. In this case, however, that was certainly a not-so-veiled shot at Paterno's legacy, rightfully so, and it meant quite a bit to quite a few people out Pennsylvania way.

I'm about 95% sure I'm gonna head over that way on Friday. Since I took my son last year, going to give my daughter first choice if she wants to go. Should be a good event. Was fun last year, though we didn't get there til right at the last minute. At least got to meet a few linemen before they called time.

Yeah, I've been getting the same thing, only with 25, then 20 articles out of the OWH website. Pain in the rear, to say the least. But you're exactly right, knapp. No reason to pay for the info that I can basically get from several other sources. Anything big gets around pretty quickly. But then, I think you're going to see this coming from most newspapers online over the next couple of years. WSJ has been doing it for quite a while already. I'd say it's Warren's group buying up the papers that caused it, but as I recall, this had been rumored before the sale of the newspaper anyway, and as I noted, others have been doing for a while already.

It's gonna be rough if, at some point, Bill O'Brien decides it isn't worth it anymore, and leaves. The coronation they've given him on the Penn St. message boards will be nothing compared to litany of flith that will spew forth about him. Don't envy what any kid that leaves has to listen to at this juncture, but if that's the way it's going to be, best get out now and be done with it.

Nice game by the women today. Question for anyone that knows... the men's standings seems to be very clearcut, three points for a win, nothing for a loss. But I can't make hide nor hair of the women's standings. Some teams have the same record, but different point totals, and I was curious if anyone knew why.

PB - I played intramural WP in college... no lie, that wears you out... I remember needing to grasp the side many times to just catch a bit of a breather. Fun, but crazy.

Thanks, cf! Have to try that out.

NICE!!! I especially like that they got an actor to play the young Bilbo that looks so much like Sir Ian Holm. Very nice work done by casting on that. Can't wait!

I think Suh won't have any problems turning things around. I also think they'll probably settle with the gal at some point for a fraction of what she's asking for, and the case won't get any more play than it has. Ultimately, that's likely what will be in his best interests, to get the case behind him, whether she truly has a case or not. Likely why they posted the $1M pricetag on the case to begin with.

On the .5 O/U listed earlier, I'll go over. I think we'll likely get the WIsconsin game, but I also think we'll pull one some time later in the year. As for knapp's post... over. Hey... at least I amuse myself.