This week we have a fivesome of game “previews” for your reading enjoyment. Both Ryan and Jimmy contributed a preview of their own.<\/p>\n
Author:\u00a0<\/strong>Ryan<\/p>\n We go DI this week (I was gonna say big time, but this game does not qualify) with Rutgers at South Florida in an intense Big East Battle.<\/p>\n Mascot<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rutgers<\/strong> \u2013 Scarlet Knights.\u00a0 They actually have a pretty long history of random ass mascots.\u00a0 Rutgers used to be known as Queens College, and at that time were known as the Queensmen.\u00a0 However, in 1925 they changed to the terrifying Chanticleers.\u00a0 They changed to Scarlet Knights in the \u201850s in hopes of all-around good athletic promise, which apparently has failed.\u00a0 The actual physical mascot of a knight in all red armor on his white steed is actually pretty badass.\u00a0 This version<\/a>, is not.\u00a0 But good news, you can become the Scarlet Knight for the 2012-13 season.<\/p>\n South Florida<\/strong> \u2013 Bulls.\u00a0 When the school first started they picked Golden Brahmans as the official mascot, and then took something awesome and changed to the much more lame Bulls sometime in the 80s.\u00a0 A few years ago they created this – http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Rocky_the_Bull<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Scarlet Knights would never take down Golden Brahmans, but Bulls have no chance.\u00a0 Rutgers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Best Player Name<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rutgers<\/strong> \u2013 Freshman WR Ruhann Peele.\u00a0 And yes, he probably won based on this<\/a>.\u00a0 And Marcus Thomson<\/a> looks spectacular in a suit.<\/p>\n South Florida<\/strong> \u2013 Freshman TE Jackson Cannon, who should have been a QB.\u00a0 And loves Jersey Shore<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Rutgers.\u00a0 The name might be better, but Ruhann is just incredible.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rutgers<\/strong> \u2013 There may have been someone better, but as soon as I read this it was over.\u00a0 In 2004, Offensive Assistant Devin Fitzsimmons won the Bucknell Football Moxie Award.\u00a0 Done.<\/p>\n South Florida<\/strong> \u2013 Being related to Dr. Lou is not a positive here, so I\u2019m going with WR coach Jerome Pathon, a former Colt, Saint and Falcon, who once did this<\/a>.\u00a0 Make sure to watch the full video for memories of awesome.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Rutgers.\u00a0 Anyone who can win the Bucknell Moxie Award is a winner in my book.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Location<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rutgers<\/strong> – Piscataway, NJ.\u00a0 The name stems from the words Pisgeu (Dark Night) and Awa (Place Of).\u00a0 Place of Batman.\u00a0 Awesome.\u00a0 Founded by Quakers – I do like oatmeal.\u00a0 Lots of technological companies are located there, including the Colgate\/Palmolive Technology Center.<\/p>\n South Florida<\/strong> \u2013 Tampa, FL.\u00a0 The word Tampa has one of two meanings, depending of if the historian is any fun.\u00a0 One is \u201cSticks of Fire\u201d referencing the many lightning strikes in the area.\u00a0 The other is \u201cThe Place to Gather Sticks\u201d, which is also cool, right?\u00a0 Sadly, neither of the names mean Styx.\u00a0 Obviously lots of things are based in Tampa, but most impressive, they are home to the only Yuengling Brewery outside of Philly (but still not close enough to Oklahoma) and Bloomin\u2019 Brands \u2013 proud parent of Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill and Carrabba\u2019s Grill.\u00a0 A few movies have been filmed in Tampa, including Edward Scissorhands, Cocoon and Cop and a Half.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 South Florida.\u00a0 Burt Reynolds and Yuengling.\u00a0 This one was over before it started.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Notable Alumni<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rutgers<\/strong> \u2013 Actors James Gandolfini (Tony Soprano), Kristin Davis (the only cute one from Sex and the City) and Calista Flockheart; Adult film star Asia Carrera (she was in Logjammin\u2019 in The Big Lebowski, which is beyond awesome); Food Network Star Mario Batali; many NFL stars including Ray Rice; the band Looking Glass, who had a hit with Brandy (You\u2019re a Fine Girl), formed while there; and Supreme Leader of the NBA David Stern.<\/p>\n South Florida<\/strong> \u2013 SI Columnist Don Banks; Gallagher (graduated with a Chemical Engineering degree, which taught him a lot about smashing shit); an odd amount of Soap Opera actors; Tony LaRussa (that\u2019s right, the smartest man in the world graduated from USF); many NFL players including Jason Pierre-Paul; actor Greg Pitts (the O face guy from Office Space); and most importantly, Hollywood Hulk Hogan.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 There is no way I can name a winner here.\u00a0 Dead heat.\u00a0 TLR, Logjammin\u2019, Tony Soprano, Gallagher, Malto Mario and Hollywood Hogan.\u00a0 There is just too much good here.<\/p>\n Decision<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Rutgers takes this one on the strength of Ruhann\u2019s hair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kutztown <\/strong>\u2013\u00a0 Oddly enough Kutztown U. is in Kutztown, PA (pop. 5,067 as of 2010 census). Nothing interesting in wiki, but their Chamber of Commerce link did take me directly to a sight trying to get me to buy Viagra and Cialis.\u00a0 Apparently the town isn’t growing but other things are. If you get an erection after reading this call your doctor immediately because you a sick SOB.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013\u00a0 Kutztown – strictly based on their Chamber of Commerce site trying to get me to buy Viagra and Cialis.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Chuck, you were a hell of a coach but General E. Rection is too stiff of competition to overcome.<\/p>\n Kutztown 4-0-1…Let’s face it Bloomsburg never had a shot.<\/p>\n [Ed. Note – If you want to write a future preview that sets the blog record for penis\/sex jokes, Jimmy has set the bar pretty high.]<\/p>\n <\/p>\n “Cuyahoga Gold Bowl”<\/strong><\/p>\n Information from the John Carroll website about the Gold Bowl can be found here<\/a>, although it appears to have not been updated in a couple of years.<\/p>\n Author:<\/strong> Bristol<\/p>\n Mascots<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Baldwin-Wallace<\/strong> \u2013 Yellow Jackets. Stinger the Yellow Jacket<\/a> likes to hang out by buildings. Don’t worry if he touches you with his stinger, he’ll quit when he’s finished.<\/p>\n John Carroll<\/strong> \u2013 Blue Streaks. The nickname was adopted in the 1920s after a former player remarked that the team was “tearing around like a blue streak”. Unfortunately, it is not a reference to the movie Blue Streak<\/a>.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Yellow Jackets. Or, more appropriately, BEES<\/a>!<\/p>\n Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Baldwin-Wallace<\/strong> \u2013 J.T. Render. Render was a walk-on WR at Penn State who lettered once and was a member of the undefeated 1994 Rose Bowl Championship team. He was worked at Upper St. Clair High School (PA) and Washington & Jefferson College prior to John Carroll. Also, he looks a bit like<\/a> Jim Carrey from Ace Ventura.<\/p>\n John Carroll<\/strong> \u2013 Tom Arth. Arth set 18 school records at QB for John Carroll and was twice named to the Division III All-American team. He spent three seasons in the Indianapolis Colts organization and played for two years in NFL Europe and one in the Arena Football League.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Render. SPOILER ALERT – Einhorn is Finkel<\/a>!<\/p>\n Best Player Names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Baldwin-Wallace<\/strong> \u2013 Spyro Spondyl, who is wearing the worst wig ever<\/a>. Honorable mention to Pat LaGuardia’s Amish beard<\/a>.<\/p>\n John Carroll<\/strong> \u2013 Tie – Buntu Biyana & Patrick Gawryszewski. Best hair – Alex Manos<\/a>. (Bonus movie reference<\/a> for fans of Mystery Science Theater 3000.)<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Biyana & Gawryszewski (pronouned “Williams”), with an assist to MST3K.<\/p>\n Locations<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Baldwin-Wallace <\/strong>\u2013 Berea, OH. Berea is also home to the Cleveland Browns training facility and the Cuyahoga County Fairgrounds. The town proclaims itself the “Grindstone Capital of the World” and its symbol is a grindstone. Berea dimension stone was an important building material before concrete came into wide use. Berea was also the home of NFL Hall of Famer Lou “The Toe” Groza.<\/p>\n John Carroll<\/strong> \u2013 University Heights, OH. The motto is “City of Beautiful Homes” and the community is closely tied with neighboring Cleveland Heights, sharing a school system, post office, and many other municipal services. The city was originally called Idlewood Village but changed its name when the university moved into the area in 1925.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 John Carroll. Beautiful homes tops grindstones in the pecking order for towns, Lou Groza notwithstanding.<\/p>\n Notable Alumni<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Baldwin-Wallace<\/strong> \u2013 Senator George Norris of Nebraska, the creator of the Nebraska Unicameral legislature; model & actress Claudia Jordan, a Barker’s Beauty on The Price is Right from 2001 to 2003; CBS tennis announcer Bud Collins; astronaut Robert Overmyer; Harrison Dillard, the only male runner to win Olympic titles in sprints and hurdles; and sweater-vest wearing weasel Jim Tressel<\/p>\n John Carroll <\/strong>\u2013 Tim Russert, the host and moderator of Meet the Press; astronaut Carl Walz; actor Jack Riley (the voice of Stu Pickles in Rugrats); singer Eric Carmen (All By Myself and Hungry Eyes); NFL LB London Fletcher-Baker; and Hall of Fame NFL Coach Don Shula<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 John Carroll in a rout. Jim Tressel isn’t worthy of working as a busboy in one of Don Shula’s steakhouses. Throw in Hungry Eyes<\/a> and it’s even more of a blowout.<\/p>\n Decision<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n <\/strong>John Carroll rallies from a Tommy Boy\/Ace Ventura 2-0 hole to win 3-2 on the strength of MST3K, beautiful homes, Hungry Eyes & Don Shula.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Author:<\/strong> Bristol<\/p>\n Mascots<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Calgary<\/strong> \u2013 Dinos. This<\/a> is their logo. His name is Rex. Also, for no other reason than because it’s the greatest team photo ever – this<\/a>. God bless the Internet.<\/p>\n Manitoba<\/strong> \u2013 Bisons. You can hire Billy the Bison<\/a> to make an appearance at your event or just rent the suit. Or you could have a kindergartner make a costume that is just as good.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Dinos. Rex will eat Billy. And so would the Unabomber.<\/p>\n Coaching Staff (Most Awesome Member)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Calgary<\/strong> \u2013 Head Coach Blake Nill. Nill played for the Dinos in the early 80s and spent six years in the CFL. He is in his 7th year at Calgary after serving as St. Mary’s head coach for 8 years, winning 2 Vanier Cups.<\/p>\n Manitoba<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Receivers Coach Blair Atkinson. Atkinson is a former Bisons receivers who ranks highly in many statistical categories, including tied for most TD receptions in a season with 6. He spent one year on the practice roster for the CFL Winnipeg Blue Bombers and played in the preseason of a second year.<\/p>\n Advantage<\/strong> \u2013 Dinos. Playing in CFL > practice roster\/preseason for the CFL.<\/p>\n Best Player Names<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Calgary<\/strong> \u2013 Tie – Doctor Cassama and Alex Ogbongbemiga. Weirdest picture: tie – Tanner Doll<\/a> and Spencer Duff<\/a>. Warning labels for pregnant women are not just for show, folks.<\/p>\nKutztown @ Bloomsburg – Saturday, September 15 @ 1:30 pm CDT<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Baldwin-Wallace @ John Carroll – Saturday, September 15 @ 5:00 pm CDT<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n
Calgary @ Manitoba – Saturday, September 15 @ 1:00 pm CDT<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n