Pics of the stuff

Here are the iPod and blanket pics, I'm a motard and still learning this blog stuff.

Christmas Fun

My family is awesome and we had a great time for Christmas this year.  Although I got very few pictures from it.  I'm a moron and left the battery to the camera on the charger at home.  :(  But we took

some good pictures from our Christmas Eve Bash at my Mom's house.

Each of us "kids" did a Christmas activity.  Jennifer, my sister, had all the children act out Luke 2.  It was fun.  This is Morgan being a Wise "Man". And Mace was playing Joseph.  The kids didn't really get it though, they did have fun.  Gabriel played the angel Gabriel, big stretch for him.  We decided to do something a little more secular, we had the kids make reindeer food.  It was fun.  For the recipe contact my beautiful wife. 

The best thing we did though was what we did with presents.  Instead of all the kids exchanging gifts this year, we found a family that needed a little boost, and we bought for them.  It was great to see the way Mace got into to it and suggesting things.  I loved the fact that we showed the kids that it's not always about what you get, it mostly about what you give.  My mom did an awesome thing this year and made each of the kids blankets of there own.  Mason got a Utes blanket!  She said I couldn't have it, :_( sad.  But it's really cool looking.  Morgan got, what else, a princess blanket.  They both love them.  

Also, my wife was good to me again this year.  She got me a Red iPod, I don't know how she knew, I hinted so subtly.  Hehe.  

New Blog spot!!

So I have an entirely new spot just for sports!  That way I leave this to family stuff.  the new one is biasedsportsreport.blogspot.com

Alabama by 10 1/2?

I am sick and tired of hearing the national media say that Utah can not hope to match up to the size and speed of Alabama.  I even heard a one media member, Jesse Palmer for College Game Day, mention that if he were a betting man, he would bet that Alabama would more than cover the 10 1/2 point spread.  Not going to happen.  Here is why.  I have done some research into a few things.  

Alabama played has played 13 games this year.  They are 12-1 with the only loss coming against currently ranked #2 Florida (U. Meyer is a football god).  Sounds great for an SEC team.  Their opponents had an average win total of 6 games.  6.1 to be exact.  I thought the SEC was the dominant conference?  The key wins for 'Bama were Clemson (7-5), Georgia (9-3), and LSU (7-5).  The highest ranked (current) team they beat was Georgia (15th in the BCS and 17th in the AP)  Although they played Florida a lot closer than I thought they would, they don't have the resume that screams "big time football"!  They scored 405 points in the year which is 31.15 ppg and allowed 169 points (13 ppg).  The highest point total for them this year was 49 against Arkansas, and lowest points allowed was 0 twice, Auburn and Arkansas State.  Their defense is NASTY.  They only allowed 13 points per game and Florida scored 31!  After watching their D against Florida, they are fast and strong.  But, The thing that I noticed is that when they are spread out and fear a passing attack, they are more vulnerable.  Ole Miss scored 20 points and LSU (Gary Crowten's spread style) scored 21 and forced overtime.  So, they don't look so scary to me.

Utah on the other hand, has played 12 games this year.  They are 12-0 and have played three ranked (currently) teams.  TCU is ranked 11 in both the BCS and AP polls, BYU is ranked 16 in both the BCS and AP polls and Oregon State is ranked 24th in the AP poll but unranked in the BCS poll.  Utah's opponents have an average win total is 6, so just a little less than Alabama's.  However, if college football's schedule's were graded as basketball's is, Utah's RPI would be much higher because Oregon State losses were to much better teams than Arkansas States losses.  TCU only lost to Utah and Oklahoma.  BYU only lost to Utah and TCU.  So all in all, in the conference, the only losses among the three teams came at the hands of a team ranked 16th or higher.  I thought the SEC was suppose to be the tougher conference to come out of.  Utah scored 449 points at 37.4 ppg and allowed 207 at 17.2 ppg.  Again the numbers are a little unfair.  BYU, TCU, Air Force and Oregon State all have top 25 offenses when the only two that 'Bama played are Georgia and Florida.  With those numbers alone though, I say Utah by 3.  

I also compared team stats.  Both teams average 5.7 yards per play and allow around 4.5.  The glaring differences are how they gain the yards.  Utah passed for 236.8 ypg and rushed for 168.4 ypg.  Alabama passed for 170.7 ypg and rushed for 196.5 ypg.  Even Time of possession is very similar.  Utah 32:40 and 'Bama 32:11.  King Louie must have a good game.  If he does, I predict Utah by 5.

The biggest thing I have heard is that Utah's D line can't handle the size and speed of Alabama's O Line.  Um, size?  Really, I thought BYU had one of the largest and most atheletic O lines in the country.  So I looked it up.  Alabama's line in an average of 6-4.4' and 306.6 pounds.  Wow, that sounds really big.  Oregon State, for example, is average for the Pac-10 and is 6-3.4' and weighs in at 299.6 pounds.  So, Alabama is taller and bigger than OSU.  BYU however, is HUGE!  Dallas Reynalds alone is an animal.  He allowed just two sacks all year.  They average an astounding 6-5.4' and 325.6 pounds making Alabama look little league.  And I forget, how did Utah's D-line do against BYU and Max Hall?  Yah, they got pushed around and couldn't get any pressure.  I remember...oh wait... no... if I remember right, Paul Kruger and Koa Misi showed the nation how good they really are and although they didnt sack Max Hall, they were the reason that he through five interceptions and lost the fumble.  Just ask him how good they are. 

My biggest concern is Gary Anderson being half interested in the prep for the game.  People here in Utah are saying that it's ok because Coach Whit is a Defensive coach.  The problem is that Coach Whit's defenses have always run straight man.  Almost no zone.  They just execute better than others.  Coach Anderson's Defense would throw Zone in every once in a while and lot's of zone blitzes.  I really think that is a bigger loss than we know going into next season.  Also, I'd like to thank Kansas State for taking Andy Ludwig and I hope we get an OC that either wants to (and knows how to) run the spread offense or says "I'm running MY offense, not the spread".  We wish you all the luck in the world Andy, but don;t let the door hit you in the ass on the way out!!

Final prediction for the game:

Utah 34  Alabama 29

 

So I just finished reading my best friends blog www.dreadpirates.blogspot.com, and I am not as articulate as he is.  (Good job Dan.)  Also, I know not how to create a link to another blog because I am new at the whole blogging thing.  If you go to his blog, check out the captain's log, He makes really good points.  The one thing about Dan is even though we don't always see eye to eye politically, we are both kind of in the middle.  So his blog on the industry bail out is really interesting.  All I have to say is the Utes get no respect and they are going to BEAT DOWN 'Bama at their own game.  DEFENSE!  GO UTES!

Now for another of my passion's, gaming.  If you play any type of online game, it doesn't give you the right to be a jackass to someone on the other side of the world!  I really hate it when people say things to someone else just to piss them off.  Nor is online gaming the forum to use if you want to spout political, or religious, or even economic garbage.  Believe what you want and leave me the Hell Alone!!  With all the other places to go to do that, you can leave my game world A GAME WORLD!  I hate it when I'm getting shot at in Call of Duty 4 or Warhawk (Awesome game BTW), or cleaving someone's head in WoW someone has to say Obama this, Mormon that, or McCain this and Palin that.  I DON'T CARE what you think.  So that's my cynical point of view on one more part of society that won't just let me be.

Now that the Jazz are 12-7, things actually look good for the year.  They have won some blowouts and some nailbiters, all without having the full crew there.  Tonight Boozer and AK were still out, and AK is a bigger loss than Boozer in my humble opinion.  Yet, they were still able to beat a faster Sacramento team.  They nearly gift wrapped the win for the Kings though, 23 turn overs?!  That's pathetic!

For all those who hate the "F" word, do not see Wanted, I am not one that typically balks at language.  I.E. Robin Williams Live on Broadway is really damn funny.  However, without 90% of the usage of said word, Wanted would have been a good movie, not great, but really good.  Rarely does it take so much away from the film, but I would have to give Wanted a 5 out of 10 because of poor dialog.

Ok, so this is a family picture of me, Darth Jake, in the Lofa Tatupu jersey (#51), My wife, Darth Terrisa, in the outdated Shaun Alexander jersey (#37) and my great kids Sith learners Mason and Morgan.

Ok, this is new for me, I'm going to start by saying that I am going to start posting new things that we do together as a family and also things that I do.  For those that know me, You know what to expect from me.  From those who don't know me, well, expect a lot of sports, maybe some sports, and a few sports as well.  Oh, I may even talk about sports.  As you can tell, I am a huge sports fan and even a sci-fi fan.  So all of these influences my families lives.  So it may be centered around that.  Ok, my hand already hurts (surgery) so I'm done for the day