With the official start of the holiday season, there is no better way to begin then with football and gorging ourselves with food. Seeing the Dallas Cowboys paste an opponent and the Detroit Lions get pasted every Thanksgiving is getting a little monotonous though. There is something about “Turkey Bowls” that turns men (and some women) into professional football players. To an observer, we probably all look like a bunch of “Rudy’s,” (a whole lot of heart, but lacking in talent).At the end of the day, although sore, be thankful you have your tackling and stiff arming skills polished, you will need them if you participate in the early morning shopping on Friday. Happy Thanksgiving from JIB Sports! Visit us again next Monday for NBA Monday Morning Report Card: II.

We’ve reached the time of year when over half the nation’s teams slam on their breaks waiting for bowl game invitations while the others play in conference championships. Seven teams in the Top 25 are done (Utah, Ohio State, Penn State, TCU, BYU, Michigan State, and Northwestern) while USC and Pitt still have two games each to play. If they ever want to establish a uniform playoff system, the NCAA needs to incorporate a uniform 13 week or 14 week regular season schedule.

The Cowboys are hoping for a Barry Sanders-esque performance to lead them to victory over the Sooners.

Cowboys Lasso Sooners

In what has been a crazy season for the Big 12, it would makes sense for the Oklahoma State Cowboys to stand pat at home against the rival Sooners. Coming into the year, there were lots of talks about the Big 12 being the best conference in college football with Kansas, Missouri, Texas, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Longhorns, Red Raiders, and Sooners have met expectations, the Tigers slipped early but is coming on strong, and the Jayhawks has been a complete disappointment. One team that has far exceeded everybody’s expectations is Oklahoma State. When people think of Cowboy football, most will think, “Oh yeah, they were a good team…when Barry Sanders was there…20 years ago.” The Cowboys first made some noise when they knocked off Missouri, a top 5 team at the time, on the road. While Bob Stoops has coached the Sooners, they are 3-1 at Oklahoma State, all of those wins coming by less than 6 points. The Cowboys have been bending the Sooners for years in Stillwater, it’s about time they break them. It does help that this is perhaps the Cowboys best team they have put on the field against the Sooners since 1984, which was the last time the Cowboys were ranked in the top 15 coming into this game.

USC Send Weis, Irish Packing

In what could have been a great rivalry for years to come, USC has stayed atop and the Irish have sunk since their classic 2005 showdown in South Bend. That game featured Brady Quinn, Matt Leinart, Reggie Bush, and LenDale White. This year’s game cannot tout any standout names for the Irish because they really don’t have any and only a few for the young Trojans. The 6-5 Irish are coming off of an embarrassing loss at home to Syracuse, who might as well be downgraded to a 1-AA school in football. For Charlie Weis being recognized as one the mastermind behind the New England Patriots’ success en route to 3 Super Bowls, he has failed to bring any of that success to South Bend. One could argue that his only successful year was his first one, where he had the players that were all recruited by Tyrone Willingham. Although the Irish could still play in a decent bowl because they are Notre Dame, don’t be surprised to see Notre Dame trying to get rid of Weis or buy him out. Are there any descendants left in Knute Rockne’s line that are in football? If so, the Irish might be coming a calling for them this upcoming spring. 

Beavers Dam Breaks (Possibly)

Whatever the Oregon State Beavers built, it wasn’t very stable. The Beavers started the season with two bad losses to Stanford and Penn State, and had just as bad of a loss midseason at Utah. In that game, the Beavers let a late two-score lead disappear with poor play-calling and clock management. The Beavers win over USC is keeping them hanging on a string of hope they will get to play in the Rose Bowl. They won’t have to worry anymore about possibly playing in Pasadena after the Oregon Ducks break their faulty dam this week. The fact that shifty beaver Jacquizz Rodgers might not play will make the Beavers one-dimensional. If Rodgers is ready to go on Saturday, the Beavers will win, that is where the “possibly” in the headline comes in. It may seem like a stretch to say the result of this game lies with whether a 5′7″ running back will play, but “Quizz” is a big reason why the Beavers are in the position they are. Power to the little people! Where would Jedi’s be without little Ewoks?

Michigan State RB Javon Ringer helped the Spartans have a stellar season this year.

JIB Picks

Week 13:10-5 / Overall: 193-45

Week 14: #1 Alabama – Auburn / #2 Texas - Texas A&M / #3 Oklahoma – #12 Oklahoma State / #4 Florida – Florida State / #5 USC – Notre Dame / #6 Utah (Done) / #7 Texas Tech – Baylor / #8 Penn State (Done) / #9 Boise State – Fresno State / #10 Ohio State (Done) / #11 Georgia – #22 Georgia Tech / #13 Missouri – Kansas / #14 TCU (Done) / #15 Ball State – Western Michigan / #16 Cincinnati – Syracuse / #17 Oregon State -  #23 Oregon / #18 BYU (Done) / #19 Michigan State (Done) / #21 Boston College – Maryland / #24 Northwestern (Done) / #25 Pittsburgh – West Virginia

With the NBA season underway and football soon coming to an end, JIB Sports will have a new weekly column every Monday. The NBA Monday Morning Report Card will recap five events from the previous week’s action with grades of A- F. Don’t be surprised to find yourself sucked into this weekly column and anticipating it every week. Monday night may be for Monday Night Football, but Monday morning is for NBA Monday Morning Report Card.

Celtics Ray Allen has stayed healthy and kept the "Big 3" in tact so far this season.

A – Lakers and Celtics Still on Top – Just like ‘A’ students in school, there isn’t too much to say about them. They are good, we know they are good, they know they are good. The ‘A’ students here are last year Finals participants, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Although there have been some worthy contenders prove themselves early, the Lakers and Celtics have also shown they will not be pushovers. They are a combined 23-3 to start the year. The only thing that is going to stop them is injuries, which the Lakers have been more prone to. In other words, teams better start hoping the Lakers and Celtics get worse, because you can’t get much better than how they are playing now. 

B - The Rebound of Dwayne Wade - After a season ending injury in 2006 that lingered into 2007, Dwayne Wade became a name of yesteryear. Many people thought that his best days were already behind him and might have a career shadowing the injury plagued Grant Hill. D-Wade worked hard to prove Team USA basketball coaches he was ready for Olympics and had an impressive showing. His extremely unexpected play has carried over into this year’s regular season. Although the Miami Heat are only 7-6, D-Wade is having a banner year and showing rookie Michael Beasly the ropes. The Heat are still taking a back seat to other teams such as the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlants Hawks, and Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference that are having better starts.

The Utah Jazz haven't won in San Antonio since Stockton and Malone played.

C  -The Knicks Get Different, Not Better- New team President Donnie Walsh was making deals this week with his players as if they were trading cards. After all the dust settled, Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph, and Mardy Collins were shipped out and the New York Knicks welcomed Tim Thomas, Al Harringtonand Cuttino Mobley. At the end of the day it’s not about being better now, the Knicks made this move to be better later. The Knicks cleared over $27 million in cap space with the trades and got rid of two bad contracts. Word on the street is the the Knicks are trying to clear cap space to lure LeBron Jamesin 2010. LeBron has not liked Cleveland because his supporting cast was always lacking. As it stands, the Knicks just shipped away a pretty decent supporting cast and picked up three players that can sign elsewhere in 2010. 

D - The Utah Jazz’s Pathetic Performance in San Antonio - San Antonio is the Bermuda Triangle for the Utah Jazz. The Jazz disappear for a day only to reappear with another loss. The Utah Jazz are historically a bad road team and dominant home team.  Last year the Jazz were the only team to win their division and have a losing record on the road. With their loss last week, the Jazz dropped their 22nd straight game in San Antonio, the last time they beat the Spurs there it was in the Alamodome. That was way back in 1999 when the Spurs had pink accents on their court and “Stockton to Malone” was still uttered over the airwaves. The Jazz rebounded the next night with a road win over the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies have just been one of those “rebound” teams.

F – The Team Formerly Known as the Seattle Supersonics – The Oklahoma City Thunder fired their head coach P.J. Carlesimo this week, but that is hardly going to help stop the bleeding. We need to remember that the Thunder are not an expansion franchise, they did not start from scratch, they are the Supersonics. The Thunder have a lot of talent, but as new interim head coach Scott Brooks said, “It’s a challenge to get our guys motivated to play every night.” I have an idea to get them motivated to play, make their salary performance based. All of those players are employees of the NBA and the Thunder organization, right? Just like about every other employee out there in the business sector, these players need to be paid and given bonuses based on performance and effort. If that were the case all of the Thunder players would be broke this year. I bet the Minnesota Timberwolves aren’t feeling too hot being the victim of the Thunder’s only victory.

After week 11, a couple of teams know where they stand. The Bills, Browns, Jaguars, Eagles, and Chargers know it’s going to be very difficult to make the playoffs. Every team in the NFC North (excluding the Lions) and the Falcons and Saints know they still have a glimmer of hope to make the playoffs. Lastly, the NFC West (excluding the Cardinals), Raiders, Chiefs, Rams, and Bengals know they still stink. Here are couple more things we know for sure after week 11:

Cowboys QB Tony Romo helps his team win, and lose, but mostly win.

Romo Does Make a Difference

As quarterback Tony Romo goes, so does the Dallas Cowboys. Just as fitting to say after the Cowboys beat the Redskins in Washington D.C. is: as quareterback Brad Johnson doesn’t go, so doesn’t the Dallas Cowboys. With Johnson in the Cowboys were stale and stagnant, Romo brings energy and excitement. Although his stats weren’t amazing (his 198 yards passing were the fewest of the season), Romo managed the game and got running back Marion Barber going again. Barber had his second best game of the year running the ball. The Cowboys will have 2 weeks of fine tuning and getting healthy while dispersing the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks at home before they finish off their season with a tough stretch. A news story leaked in the press that Romo treated a homeless man to the movies this week. It sounds like an National Enquirer story to me, a member of the Dallas Cowboys doing something nice? That’s about as hard to believe as the woman that was enpregnated by an alien that looked like Sam Cassell. Wait a minute, maybe it was a Sam Cassell that looked like an alien… Apparently Carrie Underwood and Jessica Simpson, whom Romo has dated at one time or another the past couple years, just weren’t doing it for him, too much country. I bet he is loathing the day when Underwood or Simpson use his name in a country song about breaking up and losing a dog, or a playoff game. They could make lots of songs about that.

Eagles QB Donovan McNabb could have saved himself from embarrassment if the Eagles would have just lost.

There is Such a Thing as a Tie in the NFL

Donovan McNabb baffled the sports world with his lack of knowledge about NFL rules. The Philadelphia Eagles and Cincinnati Bengals both struggled offensively and could not settle their game in regulation, so they went into overtime. Both teams continued to struggle, Cincinnati missed what would have been a game winning field goal with under a minute left in overtime. As Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb trotted on the field, he was probably thinking, “Let’s get a couple good plays in and take the momentum into the the second overtime.” Unknown to McNabb was that there is no such thing as a second overtime in the NFL. After the game McNabb said, “I’ve never been a part of a tie. I never even knew that was in the rule book..I hate to see what would happen in the Super Bowl and in the playoffs.” Congratulations Donovan, you now have a place in the “Stupidest Things Ever Said by Professional Sports Players Hall of Fame.” Instead of a nice jacket, they are given a dunce cap when enshrined. Donovan, here’s your cap. Maybe somebody should let Donovan know if the Eagles even make the playoffs now (the tie put them in last place in their division), there are no real overtimes in the post-season, it’s sudden death. It’s comments like those that make me wonder why we all still care about most professional athletes’ opinions. Most of the time they really do have no idea what they are talking about.

As conference races tighten and bowl picture start to come in focus, these last couple of weeks of college football will offer up a lot of drama. This week is headlined by three huge games between top 25 teams: #15 Michigan State – #8 Penn State, #14 BYU – #7 Utah, and #5 Oklahoma – #2 Texas Tech. Hopefully you can push your weekend chores off or get them done early because you won’t want to miss this weekend’s action. Here are a few headlines you shouldn’t be surprised to see in your Sunday sports section:

Gators Slowing Inching Out of Corner

Florida speedster Percy Harvin has the Gators rolling.

Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer has been a long standing critic of the BCS and how unfair it is. This coming from a coach who in 2006 was given the gift of playing in a National Championship Game over much more deserving teams. They took advantage and won, but that still doesn’t mean they deserved to be there. The Gators have done a lot that past few weeks to work out of the corner they found themselves in after losing to an unranked Mississippi team at home. Since losing to the Rebels they have torn through their competition, leaving little room for doubt that they are one of the nation’s elite teams. Right when we start giving them the benefit of the doubt, here comes another patsy team to flirt with the Gators and ultimately get devoured. If the Gators are looking to pick up points with their strength of schedule, they aren’t going to get them this week when they play the Citadel Bulldogs (Military College of South Carolina). Luckily the Gators will play #1 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game, which may very well provide us the winner of the National Championship.

Rivals Collide

Rivalry week has been turned into rivalry weeks lately, kind of like how after Thanksgiving day sales have turned from a fun outing into utter madness and pure hell. This week will showcase two huge rivalries, with one uncharacteristically having more on the line than the other. It’s crazy to think that the BYU-Utah rivalry game this week will trump Ohio State-Michigan in importance, but it is. BYU comes into this year’s game boasting a 10-1 record and a #14 ranking in the BCS. Utah comes with a 11-0 record and a #7 BCS ranking, with BYU being the last hurdle toward an apparent BCS Bowl invitation. With a win by BYU, the Cougars could very well jump into the top 10 of the BCS and make an argument for themselves. Their only loss of the year came against #16 TCU on the road, who Utah beat in Salt Lake City. The Utes, with senior quarterback Brian Johnson, are looking to crash the BCS for a second time. This year’s “Battle for the Beehive Boot” promises to be a huge game. On the other hand, Ohio State-Michigan couldn’t be less meaningful than it already is. Michigan has it’s most losses ever. With every Michigan loss, teams like Utah (who defeated Michigan) are being hurt in their strength of schedule column. I bet the Buckeyes are trying to get this game canceled, there is no way this win in a rivalry game can help them leap frog a couple teams into the National Championship.

Big East and ACC Continue Slugfest

If there ever was two conferences that should have their “BCS” tag revoked, they would be the Big East and the ACC. At one time dominant, these conferences are hoping their recent slides are cyclical. The only problem is that this current cyclical slide has been a long one. Heading into this week the leaders in both conferences each have a 7-3 record and are heading into tough road games. ACC division leader Miami will visit the jittery Georgia Tech and their triple-option offense. Meanwhile in the Big East, Cincinnati will play host to Pittsburgh. It’s hard to picture a couple of 4 loss teams in BCS Bowls, but so is a couple of non-BCS teams in BCS Bowls. This year hasn’t been as crazy as 2007, but it has had it’s fair share of idiosyncrasies. In what has been an unprecedented year for the Mountain West, with 3 teams (BYU, Utah, TCU) having a combined record of 30-3, there’s a chance none will get to go to a BCS Bowl. Word is President-elect Barack Obama would like to overthrow the BCS, that might make conventional Republican states within the Mountain West Conference change their minds. Utah voting majority Democrat? That’s just straight up crazy!!

Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford looks to lead the Sooners over #2 Texas Tech.

JIB Picks

Week 12: 14-5 / Overall: 183-40

Week 13: #1 Alabama (Bye) / #2 Texas Tech – #5 Oklahoma / #3 Texas - Arkansas / #4 Florida - Citadel / #6 USC (Bye) / #7 Utah – #14 BYU / #8 Penn State – #15 Michigan State / #9 Boise State – Neveda / #10 Ohio State – Michigan / #11 Georgia (Bye) / #12 Oklahoma State (Bye) / #13 Missouri (Bye) / #16 TCU – Air Force / #17 Ball State – Central Michigan / #18 LSU – ‘Ole Miss / #19 Cincinnati – #20 Pittsburgh / #21 Oregon State - Arizona / #22 North Carolina – NC State / #23 Miami – Georgia Tech / #24 Oregon (Bye) / #25 Maryland – Florida State

We need to remember it really was Ben Wallace that started the Palace Brawl by overreacting to a foul.

There is a fine line between being competitive and a “poor sport.” From an early age I learned this, it began with intense games of “Hungry Hungry Hippos” and “Candy Land,” and then it spilled over into recreational sports I participated in as I grew older. After every game, as a team, we would do a cheer for the other team and then go shake their hands. If that didn’t teach us sportsmanship, it at least taught us to pretend like we were good sports.

Commissioner David Stern has got quite the dilemma facing him in the NBA right now, most of his players fall into the “poor sport” category. If it is fans he is seeking, he is losing quite a few with the delinquency and childishness displayed by many of his players. I promise that people can find better ways to spend their time than watching crybaby millionaires get up in each others “grill” and throw sissy punches. Proof of that theory is evidenced by the low ratings that the NHL gets. One thing that has gone missing from the NBA is the customary exchange of hand shakes (or chest bumps) between players and coaches. You see it in football when coaches meet at midfield, you even see it in college basketball when coaches meet a half-court, but you won’t see it in the NBA. Why? Ron Artest, the Founding Father of Brawls, was nowhere to be seen last week when the Phoenix Suns and Houston Rockets got into a little spat. Suns forward Matt Barnes threw an elbow into the chops of Rocket Rafer Alston. From there, Suns point guard Steve Nash came in and threw an elbow of his own only for Rocket Tracy McGrady to push him to the ground. All in all, a pathetic display of sportsmanship and an embarrassment. This was just one of many incidents already this year, Kevin Garnett centering around a couple of others. With what NBA players are getting away with, it is making the NFL look like a civil sport. Maybe the players just can’t handle sportsmanship and need to be taught like small children. Here’s a proposition, every time a hard foul or flagrant foul occurs, both parties need to hug and say, “I’m sorry.” It works for kids…

A portion of sportsmanship comes down to us all as fans of sports. Obtaining knowledge of the rules and procedures of our favorite sports can make us look less foolish. Take for example, your favorite football team is called for a pass interference foul, what do you do? Do you accept the call for what it was, or do you “boo?” I frequently sit by spectators who think their team can do no wrong, that every foul called against them is “absurd,” and “ridiculous.” We all have a responsibility as fans of sports to know the ins and outs of the sports we watch. I remember attending a college football game where a running back was stripped of the ball. After watching the replay on the big scoreboard, a lady screamed in disgust, “That’s illegal!! He stripped the ball from our player!! He can’t do that!!” I hung my head in shame for such a comment, that is a perfect example of stupid sportsmanship. While players, coaches, and officials are held to comply with sportsmanship guidelines, so should we as fans.

Brady Quinn finally got his chance to start in the NFL when the Cleveland Browns faced the Denver Broncos on one of the NFL Network’s Thursday night games. The games should be a lot more exciting to listen to this year after the NFL Network “parted ways” with former play-by-play announcer Bryant Gumbel. I would have rather listened to Ben Stein give a monotone play-by-play of paint drying than listen to Gumbel. Quinn had a good night, but was overshadowed by Broncos QB Jay Cutler’s outstanding performance. As Wild Card races for the playoffs start, the separation of contenders and pretenders is becoming more evident. Here are a couple revelations after watching some action from week 10:

Kurt Warner is not as evasive as he used to be, but he is still finding success.

Kurt Warner Not Letting Gray Hair Get to Him

Kurt Warner is 37 years young and playing just as well as he did almost 10 years ago when he guided the St. Louis Rams to a Super Bowl Title. After the Arizona Cardinals victory over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night, there were fans chanting “M-V-P” during Warner’s post-game interviews. Deemed by many to be the Cardinals starting quarterback before the season started, now backup Matt Leinart is spending his time on game day drinking Gatorade and adjusting himself from the sideline (my wife notices the players doing it more than I do). Warner isn’t throwing as many long bombs as he used to,  probably because now he has to worry about throwing his elbow out. Warner is getting his touchdowns and passing yards by getting the ball out fast and picking apart defenses, a skill that he perfected while playing Arena Football. As good as Warner has played all year, and especially last Monday night, it is apparent that the Cardinals just aren’t that imposing of a team. The Cardinals got the win on Monday night against the 49ers, but it wasn’t well deserved. The 49ers made a lot of great plays, but their quarterback Shaun Hill made more stupid ones, his untimely interceptions proved costly. The stupidest mistake of the night was how the 49ers managed the end of the game. After Frank Gore was tripped up right before the goal line, the 49ers elected to run their last play instead of spiking the ball to regroup. The play they ran was a run right up the middle by former Penn State QB Michael Robinson. After that play call I’m sure a lot of fans were thinking, “what was that?!?!” “Did offensive coordinator Mike Martz call in the right play?!?!” That kind of play call is volatile even in video games! Kurt Warner’s late career resurrection is shades of Doug Flutie in Buffalo. While Flutie got his own cereal, “Flutie Flakes,” I don’t think Warner will be as fortunate. “Cinnamon Kurt Krunch,” or “Frosted Warner Wheats,” just don’t have the same ring to them.

Colts WR Reggie Wayne has seen more balls come his way this year.

Colts Still Bucking

What started out as very disappointing season and had many people declaring the end of their glory days, the Indianapolis Colts have come together and knocked off the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers in consecutive weeks. The Colts victory in Pittsburgh last week was their first in 15 years! The Colts relied heavily on their defense in both games, which has been known to be their achilles heel. In the waning minutes of the game, they came up with two huge plays; the Colts stuffed the Steelers on a 3rd and Goal to force a field goal and then intercepted Ben Roethlisberger in Steelers territory. It is no doubt that the Colts assume a completely different identity defensively with Bob Sanders in the lineup (Sanders was out with an injury for the Colts first 7 games). While the Colts are in no position to win their division, a Wild Card berth is starting to look very achievable. The one thing still plaguing the Colts is an awful running game. Jospeh Addai, who was a 1,000 yard rusher for the Colts in ‘06 and ‘07, has managed a measly 282 yards on the ground all season! Backup running back Dominic Rhodes has more yards than Addai, albeit only 8 yards more, but more nonetheless. Maybe the Colts are trying to turn them into a running back tandem. With every tandem comes cool nicknames, like “Thunder and Lightning,” or “Slash and Dash.” Addai and Rhodes could be “Crash and Burn.” With the Colts starting to win again, maybe we will see some more of those knee-slapping, make you laugh so hard you want to cry Peyton Manning commercials. Rumor has it that companies having been pulling the ads because of the bad publicity with a loser representing them. No wait, I heard that about Macy’s and Jessica Simpson.

In week 12 there is only one game between top 25 teams, and that is #4 Florida – #25 South Carolina. Every other top team has gut check games before rivalry week and Conference Championships get under way. Gut check can easily turn into a punch in the gut if anybody lets down their guard. Here are a few headlines you might see in your Sunday sports section:

With a win of Saturday, North Carolina will surpass it's win total for '06 and '07 combined.

North Carolina Continues It’s Resurgence

With it’s win on Saturday, the North Carolina Tar Heels football team have equalled their win total for ‘06 and ‘07 combined! While students at Duke are already heading to get their basketball tickets, the boys and girls on Chapel Hill will still be watching football and expecting a bowl invitation. This week will be a tough test when they go up to Maryland, the original team to sign with Under Armour, they are good at protecting their house. The key to North Carolina’s resurgence is head coach Butch Davis. Davis was able to unify a hoodlum Miami team who had lost multiple scholarships and was barred from going to a bowl his first year and is now unifying a bunch of losers to win. We won’t mention his stint in the NFL with the Cleveland Browns, it would take you a long time to think of one football coach that successfully transitioned from the college football ranks to the NFL. I’m still thinking and coming up blank…  

Cardinals are the Giant Killers

In years past the Louisville Cardinals were the giants, now they are the giant killers. Cincinnati isn’t that big of a giant, but they come into Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium ranked. A couple weeks ago the Cardinals knocked off ranked South Florida and are going to do it again this week. If I were a Louisville fan, I’d much rather be in this position, the giant killer. They are rebuilding and nobody is expecting much from them, so why not throw in a couple upsets and solid wins every year? Steve Kragthorpe has them going in the right direction, but they need to be very satisfied with where they are right now. BYU is experiencing the exact opposite, with lower expectations they went 10-2 in ‘06 and ‘07 and came into ‘08 with great expectations. Right now they are 9-1 and the fans are disappointed! Nobody likes a Debbie Downer. 

Texas Tech, Oklahoma Take Week Off, Prepare for Huge Game

Just about every week we look at a game and say, “This is the biggest game of the year.” Then we constantly retract our previous statement the next week and say, “No, this is the biggest game of the year!” (Utah Ute fans went as far as to say their game against TCU last week was their biggest game EVER!) The first blockbuster game was Texas-Oklahoma, then Texas-Texas Tech, and now it’s going to be Texas Tech-Oklahoma. The Sooners still have an outside shot at a National Championship and a loss would knock them out of the picture. With a loss this late in the season, a Texas Tech loss might knock them out of the picture too. Hopefully both teams will get their legs under them because next week’s big game will be a track meet. I smell a 1,000 yard game by both offenses combined in the making. 

The sad thing about Ball State is we will never know how good they are unless they play a quality opponent in a bowl.

 JIB Picks

Week 11: 14-5 / Overall: 169-35

Week 12: #1 Alabama - Mississippi State / #2 Texas Tech (Bye) / #3 Texas – Kansas / #4 Florida - #25 South Carolina / #5 Oklahoma (Bye) / #6 USC – Stanford / #7 Utah – SDSU / #8 Penn State – Indiana / #9 Boise State - Idaho / #10 Georgia – Auburn / #11 Ohio State – Illinois / #12 Missouri – Iowa State / #13 Oklahoma State – Colorado / #14 Ball State – Miami(OH) / #15 Michigan State (Bye) / #16 North Carolina – Maryland / #17 BYU – Air Force / #18 TCU / #19 Florida State – Boston College / #20 LSU – Troy / #21 Pittsburgh (Bye) / #22 Cincinnati - Louisville / #23 Tulsa – Houston / #24  Wake Forest – NC State

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Whenever people compile their favorite sports movies you are almost certain to hear “Rudy,” “Hoosiers,” “Field of Dreams,” “Remember the Titans,” and even “Major League.” Rightfully so, those are all good movies, but there are so many other good movies that aren’t mentioned. Maybe it’s because we only classify movies about basketball, football, and baseball as “sports movies.” The “Rocky” movies are in a league of their own, and are replayed about every weekend on either TNT or TBS if you are interested. Without further ado, here are the top five sports movies (not in rank) that get no respect: 

1. The Sandlot (1993)

The boys in "The Sandlot" were not by any means the most athletic of in shape.

The film begins with Scotty Smalls moving into a new neighborhood and meeting a bunch of new friends while playing baseball everyday at the “Sandlot,” (a run down baseball field). This movie follows the stories of these 10-12 year old boys that summer, centering on the mysterious dog that lives over the left field fence. Any ball that goes into his territory is good as gone. The movie climaxes when they hit a baseball signed by Babe Ruth over the left field fence. The ball was owned by Scotty’s father, and Scotty had no idea who Babe Ruth was, he thought it was a girl who had signed the ball. Now the boys are forced to retrieve the ball, and try to get it back using various methods. The psycho mutated dog (which ends up being a figment of their imaginations), turns out to be a lovable pooch and ends up being their mascot during games. The most notable line you might have heard from this movie was in reference to how bad Scotty is at baseball when he starts playing with the boys, “You’re killing me Smalls!”

2. Forget Paris (1995)

If there ever was a sports chick flick, this is it. Billy Crystal stars as Mickey Gordon, an NBA referee who’s father has just died. His father wished to be buried in Paris so Mickey flies there with his father’s body which is lost on it’s way their. Mickey ends up waiting for days and falling in love with the airport attendant that helps him find his father’s body. This love story is up and down, which affects Mickey’s performance as a referee. During one of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s final games, Mickey ends up ejecting both rosters from the Lakers and Pistons, a trainer, head coach, and the guy who puts cheese on the nachos. One of the truly classic parts is when Mickey is driving his father-in-law to the doctor. Since they have nothing to talk about, his father-in-law starts naming stores they pass. Can’t say I haven’t been there…”You asked for it, you got it. Toyota!”

 3. Little Giants (1994)

The little Giants practice for their assumed beat down.

This may perhaps be the best peewee football movie ever, probably the only one ever at that. When Becky O’Shea is cut by her uncle from the local peewee football team, she decides to start her own team. Since league rules sanction only one team per city, they decide to have a playoff between the two teams to see who will represent the city. There is nothing more classic and cliche than the team of rejects and nerds being victorious over the jocks that are obviously inferior. This wouldn’t be a great movie without a twist in the plot that could change the movie. The twist here is when Becky falls in love with the starting quarterback and thinks that he will like her if she becomes a cheerleader instead. Oh no! Now the dorks chances of winning are cut in half. What will happen? We all know what will happen, but wouldn’t it be cool one of these times if a movie didn’t end the happy way we think it will? Oh yeah, that movie would have been “The Perfect Storm,” I think they killed everyone.

4. Cool Runnings (1993)

In what I’m sure is a very dramatized true story, a bunch of Jamaicans fall short of making it to the Summer Olympic Games, so they settle to try and make it to the ‘88 Winter Olympics Games. The sport that is going to take them there is bobsledding, and their coach is a retired cheater in the sport from the United States. While this movie goes above and beyond in making clever jokes not based on the bobsledders Jamaican accents, it at times can be a very inspirational movie. After watching this movie, I wished I could either be in the Olympics or be Jamaican. My mom convinced me neither was possible, so here I am as a sports writer. 

 5. The Karate Kid (1986)

Not many know karate, but we all know this kick!

Yes, karate is a sport, and Mr. Myiagi is a manipulative slave driver in the name of it. Everybody knows about “wax on, wax off,” and the famous kick the Daniel Larusso uses to win at the end of the movie, but I feel we just don’t respect this movie as a sports movie. Here are a couple things to watch for the next time you see this movie that will make it a little more memorable. Firstly, watch the part where Mr. Miyagi and Daniel are catching flies with chop sticks very carefully. Several times during the scene you can see the glare off of the string that the fly is attached to. Their fly catching is fraudulent. Secondly, watch how Daniel kisses his main squeeze Ali Mills at the sports park/arcade. He practically sucks her face off, great material to show kids on how not to kiss. And one last thing, try the rubbing hands technique Miyagi uses to help heal Daniel during the last tournament. It doesn’t work, I’ve tried many times, I guess I don’t have the Hollywood touch. 

Honorable Mentions: Teen Wolf, Angles in the Outfield, High School Musical (I got to do something to try and get the school girl demographics in my favor)

It seems like every other week we are reminded of the importance of a good backup quarterback. The NFL is on it’s way to start more backup quarterbacks this year than ever before. This past week it was Byron Leftwich is slipped in beautifully for injured Ben Roethlisberger. You never know when your starting quarterback is going to go down, or when they are going to suck. For the Cleveland Browns it’s the latter, which is why Brady Quinn will get his first start after watching from the sidelines all last year and through the first 8 games of this year. The only two backups in the league that never think about playing are the ones behind Brett Favre and Peyton Manning. Between the two quarterbacks they have 429 consecutive starts! 

DeAngelo Hall has been freed from Raider bondage.

Oakland Raiders are in Shambles

The Oakland Raiders are the most dysfunctional franchise in the NFL, perhaps in the history of sports. I don’t believe anyone in their right mind would argue that point. After owner Al Davis fired head coach Lane Kiffin earlier this year, a handful of former players and coaches came out saying what a nut job Davis is. Al Davis is like the little kid that doesn’t know how to play monopoly but always wins. Those house rules will get you every time. After trading away 2 draft picks to Atlanta for DeAngelo Hall, Davis signed him to a very lucrative deal worth about $70 million over 8 years. After 8 games he got waived. Hall has got to be feeling like one of the most fortunate men on Earth right now. He got paid $70 million to play 8 games in a Raiders uniform and then they cut the ball and chain off his ankle themselves. In a 24-0 loss to the Atlanta Falcons last week, the Raiders racked up a whopping 77 yards of total offense with 3 first downs. That’s the fewest yards that the Raiders have managed since 1961 (Al Davis was an assistant coach on that team). Perhaps Davis could use that money from waiving Hall to go get some help on offense. No, that would make too much sense, and Davis is all about being non-sensical. He’ll probably go out and sign another defensive back, hey, house rules! 

The Cowboys' decline started will before Tony Romo's injury.

It’s Great to be Mediocre

At the halfway point of the season, there are a plethora of teams sitting with 4 losses that are still in the hunt for the playoffs. With the way this season is going, it’s not a stretch to say they are also still in the hunt for the Super Bowl. In what is turning in to be one of the most topsy turvy seasons in recent history their are six 4-loss teams that still have a fighting chance. In the AFC there are the Indianapolis Colts, the Miami Dolphins, and the Denver Broncos. In the NFC there are the Dallas Cowboys, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Green Bay Packers. While the Colts, Dolphins, Vikings, and Packers are making steady improvements, the Cowboys and Broncos are free falling. There are a lot of people in the press right now holding their heads between their legs who picked Dallas to go all the way. The loss of starting quarterback Tony Romo has no doubt hurt the Cowboys chances of winning, the Cowboys’ problems started well before Romo’s finger injury. The Dallas Cowboys are “America’s Team,” and just like America, the Cowboys are going through a recession.