Slick Rick in LA

UCLA hired Rick Neuheisel as their head ball coach this Saturday. In the ESPN article linked, Neuheisel was quoted as saying the current UCLA defensive coordinator, "DeWayne Walker is my No. 1 recruit."


We'll see if he can turn his career around as a head coach. But if Pete Carroll can become a successful coach in LA, anything is possible. The recruiting advantage of being in a city the size of LA is a huge plus. Honestly, I'm more excited that Slick Rick will take the "Hollywood" nickname from me and I can go back to being "Two Point Oh", or maybe just plain ol' Joe.

A few years ago after losing his job at UW, Neuheisel fell to the point where he got creamed against Coach Goose in a Junior High scrimmage. Great story, if you haven't heard it, just ask Goose sometime. Tonight, I just got done watching the Pats come back from down 12 and beat the Giants in New York. Great game. Too bad the first game of the weekend will be the last good game of the weekend. At least there are some good Premiership matches manyana.

Happy holidays from Goose

Mitchell Report Incomplete?

Although I am sick of talking about steroids since ESPN and other news outlets have driven the story into the ground along the likes of Pedro Gomez in SF and Patriots "cheating scandal"... Jimbo and I were talking about two curious names that were NOT mentioned in the infamous Mitchell Report. The first is Bret Boone.

Look at Boone's statistics after he arrived in Seattle and started playing for the Mariners and the results are either a miracle of modern science (steroids or something else) or a miracle of biblical proportions. Boone went from a 3 yr average in the NL of 21 HR and 77 RBI per to the following 3 yr average with the M's of 32 HR and 122 RBI.

If it wasn't steroids, then I think Boone went more technical and did what the cyclists do and went to blood doping. Thinking outside the box. That, or he made a deal with the Devil.

The second ominous name not mentioned in the report is Chong Li of Bloodsport fame. I'm pretty sure we all know what I'm talking about. But just in case, I'll let the video below state the case against the testy Korean. Are there any other names not on the report that you were surprised were missing?

Cowboys 11 - Seahawks 6

Congrats to all of the Honolulu-bound...especially Lofa going 3 for 3 so far, track-marks Trufant getting his first taste..and #71 making another stamp on the Hall...oh yeah...and put a laion the human stop sign himself...Kenny Hamlin is going to the Pro Bowl!!!!

Looks like I'm not the only one losing a job this week...

From the desk of it's about f'n time, the U laid down the hammer on maligned and much run and passed upon Defensive Coordinator for the Washington Huskies, Kent Baer. Baer was an "old boy" for Ty, serving under him for 13 consecutive seasons and obviously a casualty of change for the potential lame-duck head coach.

No word yet on potential replacements or if they'll even look outside the house. More to come...

What the hell?

• December 2007: Cited for simple assault stemming from an altercation with a cab driver.

• July 2006: Suspended four games by the NFL for testing positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance.

• December 2004: Charged with driving while impaired, pleaded guilty, was fined $100 and placed on unsupervised probation for a year.

A LB for the Cowboys?

No...its the resume on Todd Sauerbrun...Denvers Punter...Another thing to add to Gooses "WHAT THE HELL???" file

Burning Questions

During the first Lodge gathering that I will attend next week during the upcoming Christmas season, please remind me to tell you a cautionary tale involving a member of the LAPD that the missus and I experienced last night on our drive to Santa Monica. I feel like it was a deleted scene in Crash. And to make things worse, I hated that movie.

But I have some questions that I need to ask each one of you. First, in the Big League today I have Drew Brees starting at QB for Team "That Just Happened!". With enough points to earn an admittedly mediocre victory over Aaron Vanderlinden - I have a few questions for ya'll: Would you sit Brees tonight in his MNF matchup versus the Hotlanta Falcons? Or do you start Brees and let the chips fall where they may? Does the Vick decision help or hurt ATL's cause tonight?

The second dilemma I am contemplating is which movie matinees do I see this week? [I wrapped up my classes this past Friday, leaving this week open to catch up on missed movie watching] I am planning on seeing a minimum of 4 films this week and am leaning towards (in order of preference) the Coen Brother's new flick No Country For Old Men, Guy Richie's just released Revolver, Into The Wild and Ridley Scott's gangster epic American Gangster. Which of these (or any other movies currently out in the main or cheap theaters) does the Lodge recommend?

OJ's 11

Like PB&J or PB&R

I just wanted to move on from all the Ty talk this week, as I crawl back into my Husky Nation cave and face the realities of another 4 win season in 2008. Helping me move on is the pro Football team here in the Emerald City and their Qwest for their 4th (? I'm not looking this up just guessing, facts aren't important) consecutive NFC West Division Title.

I'm curious if they've thought about bringing in added WR depth to cover the final stretch before the playoffs...if so I think I might know of someone.



-half-rack of the 'beast' included with purchase of jersey

(taken from one of my new favorite daily sites: Straight Cash Homey)

He's Baaaaaaaaaack (Like it or not Husky Fans)

Christine Gregoire hates Centralia

If you don't believe me...click here

Gooses Take: Whats wrong in Montlake

Much like everyones beloved Soccer, the concept of the game of Football is not that difficult.

The issues that the huskies have are very obvious. How to fix it is the issue. On any Football play, you have 5 linemen and a QB, leaving 5 skill positions eligible to touch/carry the ball. Your 11 guys have to stop 5 players and a QB

This team averaged 27 points per game and lost 7 games in which they scored more than 23 points. Losing 48-41 or 55-34 shows a huge issue in the defense.

Lets start by breaking down the defense. Defense is built on three basic principals

1) Talent

2) Scheme

3) Technique

Talent itself breaks down to three basic skills, Speed, Agility, Strength. Its what determines the character of your defense. Will it be an Edge defense? Or power up the middle. Can you play with small corners or do you need big safeties. This part is not taught. Its where recruiting comes in.

Scheme is the X's and O's of the defense. Regardless of what you run your job is to put your defensive players in the right area/position to make a play.

Technique is what you do when you on every play. Its pass rushing, coverage skills, tacking, angle of pursuit. Its what I believe makes bad defenses good, and good defenses Great.

Where I think the Huskies fall short is as follows

20% of their issues are Talent 45% Technique and 35% Scheme

Things that have gone wrong this season in Talent will be made up with some good recruiting classes/

Scheme is an issue. Here is why. Its not the 4-3 defense that is the issue. The issues is breakdowns in understanding the scheme. If you dont understand where you should be then breakdowns happen. If you call the wrong defense and guys run free, thats a breakdown. Both of these fall under the fault of coaching.

I noticed throughout the season Technique is the biggest issue. Tacking, angles, hip placement, were issues each week. The problem with College and pro sports, when things go wrong, so much time is spent on scheme that technique is ignored.

Technique and Scheme are coaching issues, and thats where I believe the focus of the off season should be. Do you fire Ken Baer? I feel part of the big coaching fraternity and I typically dont like to see any coach get fired. I thing there is a area of need here. Maybe better position coaches? What I do know is that you have a great technique and scheme coach over in kirkland.

I wonder if he would take the defensive coordinator job under Tyrone?

I hate to see Ty leave, but its part of the game. This is a man who if given the right circumstance will build a dynasty program. His issue is it takes time, and the schools he's been at (ND and WA) have no patience)

Gooses take, Defense needs a change. Where that change will come from? We'll know in the next few weeks

Aloha

UW: For those of you that don't know, "aloha" means hello and goodbye. And I'm fairly certain Husky Head Ball Coach Tyrone Willingham will be saying goodbye to the Husky program after the Dawgs came up short to the Rainbows on the Island of Oahu late Saturday night. Yes, Udub finished the season with more wins than the last 2 years combined, but when that total comes to 4, it's still not enough.

Thinking Tyrone will get canned is the truth. Don't hate on me for thinking it. No, it's not a good thing for Tyrone, for more than a few reasons. First, he got fired after only three years at Notre Dame, only to get the same treatment in Montlake. In addition, it's never a good thing when a great guy, recruiter and top-shelf motivator like Willingham gets pointed the door. But quality character doesn't equal wins in this instance. And the program needs some new energy and new coordinators, and I'm afraid Tyrone is loyal to a fault and won't fire his staff.


But the most important reason the time is now is down the road in the form of the Seahawks assistant head coach and defensive backs coach Jim Mora Jr. It's his dream job, he's proven successful in the NFL, and he'd be coming back as an alumnus. Not unlike the background of Lorenzo Romar. Make it happen, UW.

IN OTHER NEWS: Nice work by the Seahawks closing out a feisty Philly Eagles team on Sunday. Also, kudos to Liverpool for moving into 3rd in the table and six points out of Seatown's first place Arsenal squad. SAF's keeping Ronaldo and Vidic out of the match last week really hurt them in the standings. Especially considering the Champions League match didn't matter after already qualifying. Usually SAF makes the right moves, but that was sketchy. Your thoughts?

I'll leave you with this amazing video of Led Zeppelin's "Black Dog". Not sure why it's on ESPN's video page, but anything this quality for free, the Lodge will gladly accept.

It's Time