Big Ten Awards - Week 5

Team of the Week : Iowa -- Iowa went on the road and pounded Minnesota, allowing the Gophers only 30 yards rushing and the only threat offensively came after the Gophers returned a kickoff to the 37.  Mark Weisman rushed for 147 on the year and the Hawks are now 4-1 on the year.

Game of the Week : Ohio State 31 - Wisconsin 24 --  The Badgers made it interesting int he end, scoring 10 fourth quarter points, but in the end the Buckeyes won their 17th straight game.  Braxton Miller returned to the Buckeyes starting lineup, and accounted for the 4 Buckeye TDs.  The Buckeyes now take their streak to Evanston for the biggest regular season game in Pat Fitzgerald's tenure at Northwestern.

Player of the Week : Nathan Scheelhaase - QB - Illinois -- This is fast becoming the Scheelhaase/Guiton award this year.  Scheelhaase is definitely the leading candidate in the Big Ten for comeback player of the year.  The senior QB threw for 278 yards and 5 touchdowns in the Illini's 50-14 win over MAC foe Miami (Oh).  The Redhawks didn't stand a chance, the Illini QB threw all 5 of his scores in the first half.  

Jimmy John's Big Ten Challenge:
Matt : 4-0 10pts | 45-5  281pts
Kyle : 4-0 10pts | 44-6  276pts
Chad : 4-0 10pts | 42-8  275pts

Warrior Dash

10 days ago I was able to cross Warrior Dash off my bucket list.  I didn’t get to run and train as much as I wanted to for it and going into it was kind of dreading it thinking, “I’m dead”, but as I drove out to Rubes in Waukee to meet up with my group and getting parked there I felt a little bit better about it.  Getting registered we saw the “Warriors” from the previous starting times.  A lot of mud!  About an hour after getting registered we got in line for our heat with a bunch of other runners.  The countdown was on and then the flames blew and our run started. 

The first stretch wasn’t so bad, outside of having to look down where you were running due to it being basically in a pasture and the ground was uneven and holes and beaten up by cows.  Then we turn the corner and the first hill.  I was warned about them that they suck.  I got the run in about halfway up the hill then it was rough with the crowd and also the ground being uneven I had to walk, and for those who ran it completely and the whole thing props to them.  I saw a few rolled ankles and I’m sure there were many more.  There were two more hills that sucked, one up was straight up it seemed, from a dried out creek.  Most of the other stuff was ok running.  

The obstacles though were FUN and made up for the running.  My favorite was probably the big rope climb.  Get a running start, grab the rope and climb up, flop over and then go rappel down the other side. There were a couple others I liked that you were on your knees for doing army crawl and up hills and down trenches that I liked too.  Finally the mud was cool too, just a huge pit of mud that seemed a couple feet deep and you kind of floated more to the end of it then having to crawl it. 

Finally getting to the finish my group didn't recognize me I was so mud covered, that was kind of cool.  Looking at pictures Warrior Dash took I looked like a giant human chocolate.  I had mud in my ears and nose for about a week after still showing up (yes gross I know)  Afterward got partially showered and cleaned up some, went back for a few beverages and to check out our times.  Really glad I did it, finished in the top 40% which I thought was pretty good.  A lot of people we talked to said it was a harder course this year than last year, and I wasn't going for time or anything and it was just fun. 

I don’t know if I’ll do it again next year, I may put something on the bucket list like one of the paint/color runs, but who knows I may get talked back into. 

2013 NFL Predictions

Last year I nailed the Super Bowl Champion, missed on the NFC participant. 2nd time in the last 7 years I at least got the champion right (picked the Colts over the Bears in 2006), hitting .285 isn't bad, would be a nice MLB career average. This year’s picks I'm going a little out there different, and Pete Prisco of CBS Sports proved to me I'm not totally crazy.

AFC East – New England Patriots

AFC North – Cincinnati Bengals

AFC South – Houston Texans

AFC West – Denver Broncos

AFC WC – Baltimore Ravens

AFC WC – Miami Dolphins

NFC East – New York Giants

NFC North – Green Bay Packers

NFC South – Atlanta Falcons

NFC West – Seattle Seahawks

NFC WC – New Orleans Saints

NFC WC – San Francisco 49ers

AFC Championship

Cincinnati over Denver

NFC Championship

Atlanta over Seattle

SUPER BOWL

Atlanta over Cincinnati

CBS Experts picks.

2013 Big Ten Predictions

It's game week!  Prediction time!

IF Ohio State goes 12-0 I think Braxton Miller is your Heisman Winner.

I think that Indiana and Iowa both could have 2 more wins….and 2 mor losses than I have predicted.

I think Ohio State could get knocked off somewhere in the Big Ten season, but not at home, I think it would be a road game they slip up on.  To go 24-0, 25-0 at OSU for Urban would be an amazing feat.

I could see any of Nebraska, Michigan State, Northwestern or Michigan winning the Legends.

2013 Summer Movie Awards

School starts tomorrow, which is a sign summer is over.  This is the 5th annual summer movie awards that I've done.  Some people and movies are moving into some prestigious territory, looking at 2 time winners and movie franchises taking home more hardware too! 

This summer also movies are coming out and hitting DVD quicker then usual so some movies may have been seen on DVD.  

Movies seen this summer:

GI Joe Retaliation, The Croods, Iron Man 3, Epic, Star Trek: Into Darkness, Man of Steel, Fast and Furious 6, The Heat, 42, The Wolverine, Red 2, Olympus Has Fallen, Mud, Planes

  

Best Movie – Star Trek : Into Darkness

Star Trek won 2009 Best Movie

Best Dude – Harrison Ford : Branch Rickey : 42

Best Dudette –  Melissa McCarthy : Mullins : The Heat 

Won Best Dudette in 2011 for BridesMaids

Best Scene – Spock and Kirk while Kirk lays in the Enterprises reactor : Star Trek: Into Darkness

Best Fight –  Mike Bannig going John McClane through the White House for about the last hour of Olympus Has Fallen

Biggest Dud –  Iron Man 3 – There are little parts where I would have changed things differently.  I didn’t like the changing how they used the Mandarin, Ben Kingsley would have made a great villian himself.  He is supposed to be someone that is like the Joker to Tony, and it started out that way.  I also didn’t like all the suits, it reminded me of Tranformers 2 with all the extra Decepticons that you didn’t know who were getting blown up.  It’s cool to see all the tech Tony has in making the all the suits BUT nothing beats the old red and gold suit. This had a different flair from the previous 2 Jon Favereu directed flicks.

Anticipated Sequel – Star Trek 3

Summer movie not seen that I want too – Now You See Me & Despicable Me 2

2012 GFR Final Rankings - Tide Rolled

For the 2nd time in 4 years, Alabama is the GFR National Champion. Last year they couldn’t overcome what LSU did even with the win in the National Championship Game. This year, they took care of business verse Notre Dame and jumped A&M (before the champ game results A&M was #1). Congrats to Saban and the Tide. You don’t get a Crystal Ball or trophy or plaque, just a spot in history.

The SEC also remained tops in conference strength. They widened the gap over the Big XII and doubled the Pac-12 and Big Ten. The Pac-12 also jumped up over the Big Ten to take the #3 spot.

Start the countdown! Only 233 days till the 2013 season kicks off!

The Final Top 25

**FYI for Iowa and ISU friends ISU finished 65 and Iowa 84**

Operation Backpack

My oldest daughter came to me mid December with a Christmas wish list she shared with her teacher. She had 10 things on there, and a few where what you’d expect a 7 year old girl to have. Orbies, a dreamlight, Barbie and other toys. Then listed was one that opened my eyes. She wanted pencils and erasers and paper to give to kids to other kids who didn’t have them and couldn’t get them. I read it and looked at her and said “I don’t know if Santa can do this but we can look into something.”


I posted that wish on my facebook and it got a fair amount of likes and then some people said they’d like to help. I talked to one teacher at her school and they have a program for that too. After talking with my daughter about this she has set a goal and come up with a name. “Operation Backpack” I thought that was kinda cool and I have an idea for a logo for her just haven’t got to that yet. So a facebook page/group will probably be coming in the near future.

Her goal first goal is to help 50 kids with a notebook, 2 pencils with erasers, a folder and box of crayons. I’m really proud of her for thinking of this and thinking of others. I’ve got a great daughter growing up!

If anyone would like to help out with this who is reading this please feel free to comment on here and I can get a hold of you or contact me here.