I don't get it

Ya, it looks like those of you viewing the blog on Internet Explorer might be having a problem... in a sidebar that's not on the side! Um... bear with me on that one. The sidebar is there, you have to scroll down a long way to get to it though. That's another reason for you to switch to my beloved Firefox. You'll be able to see my blog in full, normal beauty with Firefox. I'm gonna investigate the problem for the IE users. I don't know if there are any issues with Netscape users, but I'm going to make sure about that one too. So bear with me, and please you IE users, if you won't switch, please take time to check out my links by scrolling down to find it.

Eye-Candy

Well, I hope you've noticed all of the new dynamic content... Check it all out! My personal favorite is above... my countdown to the game against scUM on Nov. 19th! Everything new is of my personal recommendations and personal touches. Don't think any of this is paid advertising or anything (not like I would like to make some money). I added this content for you to enjoy, so go for it. I'll have more on the way too. Also, I made sure that all of the content is viewable for Mozilla FireFox users. Firefox is my weapon of choice for web browsing, and I strongly encourage it to all of you, especially if you're fed up with the slowness and susceptibility of Internet Explorer and its use of Active X; for those of you who don't know what Active X is, simply put it was a good idea for browsing, but it allows for easy entry of spyware, adware, malware, all kinds of "ware" that you don't want that slows your computer and is a pain to remove. Firefox doesn't use Active X, so it is more secure in that sense, and is more reliable, and it allows for you to pick what special add-ins to include. Internet Explorer floods your browser with a bunch of stuff you'll never use. I get to choose all of the special tools I want for Firefox. Firefox is totally free, and you can download it from Mozilla's website: www.mozilla.org/products/firefox/
So check it out. Take a look at my links, too. Again, these aren't advertisements, they're my personal favorites. And if you happen to have a link of your own that you want others to see, e-mail it to me at mauer.4@osu.edu and I'll start another list.
I guess that's it... Let me know what you think!

"Eliminate the mistakes and you'll never lose a game. To eliminate mistakes, you have to pick the right QB. And the pass is a weapon of surprise -- don't overuse it."You don't get hurt running straight ahead... three-yards-and-a-cloud-of-dust offense. "I will pound you and pound you until you quit.""

"I'm not trying to win popularity contests". I'm trying to win football games. 

What a sad day

I'm not sure what to think about this newest revelation: Our defensive backs coach Mel Tucker is leaving the Buckeyes to take up a similar coaching job with the Cleveland Browns. All I have to say is that Romeo Crennel better be worth it after this. Coach Tucker made our secondary shine, especially this year, drastically molding Nate Salley, Ashton Youboty and Donte Whitner into great DBs. Now I'm really worried aboutwho will be coming to fill in the hole in Coach Tressel's staff. This hurts just as bad as losing Coach Mark D'Antonio to the University of Cincinatti last year. I really hope losing two great coaches in two years doesn't mean we lose games next season. This is the first time I have gotten worried about not making it to the Rose Bowl. Coach Tressel has a big gap to fit now. Coach Tucker was a great recruiter, too... He owned the Cleveland area. The Browns had better show promise in their pass defense next season, or I just may become a Bengals fan. Or maybe I'll get a liking for the Steelers.

Damn Right! This is from one of my favorite ESPN commercials. I have this picture on my wall. 

"Touchdown! Touchdown! Michael Jenkins! On fourth and one! Would you believe it! Craig Krenzel strikes! With a minute and a half left! HOLY BUCKEYE!!!" -Brent Musberger
 

The famous TD catch by Michael Jenkins in 2002 versus Purdue, continuing our unbeaten record. 

The Bigman Cometh

Ok, I need to get to posting more often... these long absences I bet are getting people restless and anxious... YA, OK NOT REALLY. But I still gotta get the word out, right? It wouldn't have made any difference over the last few nights, because since monday night I've been feeling like shit, exhausted, sick. Maybe the high of 66 DEGREES on tuesday got me out of my rhythm. Ya, we were feeling HOT on tuesday down here. No jacket required. It was just too bad that my buddy Grable and I couldn't get out and toss a baseball around. But anyway, I was feeling not so great anyway. At night I felt it was a sinus infection from all of the pressure in my face, and in the morning I thought it was mono because I felt so tired. I'm finally breaking out of it, but I still can't figure it out. It was ironic, two nights ago I took two NyQuil, got nine hours of sleep, almost missed waking up for my physics class, and still felt exhausted all day in class. I get home in the late afternoon, and I finally feel energetic, and it became hard to fall asleep. (No, this time I wasn't thinking of my lady back home. Actually, I wonder if she got the letter I sent her...) So last night, I get only six hours of sleep (if that) and wake up ready to go. Only now late at night I feel tuckered out, like a normal person.

So things have not slowed down here at all. Damn Right! I was privileged to attend a lecture by the famous Dr. Ruth Westheimer a while ago. She had plenty to say, including her position on many sexual issues. I wish more people had as open of a mind as she does. Also at that lecture some people had some really dumb questions to ask Dr. Ruth, too stupid to type in this blog. You'll have to ask me sometime. Still, it seemed funny that an old lady who is four foot seven has all of this knowledge in her brain.

I also had the opportunity to listen to some great stories from Henry Rollins, the well-known rock entity from the 80s. The best part about it was that half of the time he used the stories as ways to bash the hell out of the Bush Administration. If you see me sometime, you gotta ask me about what he said of Condy Rice. Unbelieveable. But his stories had variety, some with comedy, most with drama and emotion though. Rollins talked about being with Johnny Ramone a few days before his death, about visiting troops overseas with the USO and staying in Saddam's guest house and Uday's party mansion, and especially about his visit to army hospitals to visit many of the injured soldiers. He had some sad stories to tell from the hospital trips. I really expected to hear Rollins get into our faces with some kind of hard rock image, but he gave us the opposite, and was it breathtaking!

Last week on Thursday I got to rock out to Shinedown at Newport Music Hall for FREE courtesy of the Ohio Union Activities Board and 99.7 The Blitz. I suddenly remembered during that show that they have four hits, not just the two big ones, "45" and a cover of Lynyrd Skynard's "Simple Man" (Which they played in dedication to the beloved and late "Dimebag" Darrell from Pantera). They really knew how to get the crowd into it (not like it took much), they had all of the energy. Actually, one of the opening bands, Theory of a Deadman, had a lot of energy too. I liked their sound. At the end of Shinedown's set, The Blitz 99.7 DJ Blazor came around by me with two hot ladies (still kinda too old for my taste... and isn't Blazor married?), and as everyone walked out, Blazor and I rocked out, trading off shots on the air guitar to Pantera's "Walk" over the speakers. Some Jagermeister chicks handed out shot glasses on the way out, so I made sure to snag a couple (c'mon, not like I would really use them............................. I'd use someone else's!). I have had a good record with concerts here in Columbus. None of them have sucked and I come out of each one with a new band I like. Continuing with the trend, Mike and I are looking to buy tickets to a Green Day concert coming in May. Presale is Friday, so I'm hoping floor seats will still be available when I can get them at 1:30.

Now we go to sports. Tuesday night brought another victory for the men's basketball team, this time over Indiana. I have a feeling that we just cost Mike Davis his head coaching job at Indiana with that one. Right now everyone is anticipating the season finale, WHEN WE PUT ILLINOIS DOWN AND END THEIR UNBEATEN SEASON! We have a game at home against Wisconsin, but no one really cares about that one honestly. We want to beat Illinois on March 6, on CBS. (check your local listings) Last year the season finale was against Illinois, and the second half was full of passion, an amazing comeback. I hope we top that this year. And if that holds true, you better be looking for me rushing the court! ON CBS! Maybe Dick Vitale will be commentating, and I'll get to rub his bald head after the game. We'll get on ESPN, ESPNEWS, ESPN2, ESPNU (the new ESPN college station coming March 4), ESPN DEPORTES (Spanish ESPN station) the local news, all of the Ohio newspapers, FOX SPORTS NET, maybe even the golf channel it will be so big. So don't miss it!!

I'm gonna go to bed and dream of that moment....

The Sports Edition

Well, since there has been a recent flux of sports news and happenings, I have decided to make a dedicated post about the subject. First off, how about that Super Bowl? I personally wanted to take over the playcalling for the Eagles in the fourth quarter, but I bet many of you out there are Patriot fans, so I won't go into it much... Although it still remains that the only players I really don't like from that team are Tom Brady and Ty Law, because they're both scUM... But I gotta give love to Mike Vrabel, a linebacker playing tight end on the goal line, catching a poorly thrown TD pass from Brady; the Buckeye alums are versatile! It's sad, though, because I still dream of seeing my hometown Cleveland Browns making it to the big dance one day... Hell, I already know the reason why the Browns are so horrible... Not one of the players is an alum of The OSU. Especially after 14 Buckeyes were drafted on the 2004 Draft, a record, and not one was taken by Butch Davis, I knew the season was tanked. This coming April, new head coach Romeo Crennel better look at Bam Childress, Simon Fraser, Dustin Fox, Kyle Turano and maybe even Mike Nugent (if we want to upgrade from Phil Dawson). Especially with looming rumors of Anthony Henry not being re-signed, Dustin Fow would be a great fill, with or without Henry. Plus, adding Fraser would end a lot of the questions about the D-Line. But really, not having a Buckeye, much less a player from all of Ohio on the Browns is really laughable. I might decide to be a Bengals fan if things don't change playerwise.

In other Cleveland sports... The Indians are gonna get some serious heat in the Central division, because now Detroit is buying players off the free agent market. They've acquired Troy Percival, Troy Glaus, and now Magglio Ordonez. Not to mention the current talent, Carlos Guillen. The only good thing for the Tribe to bank on is that that's all that the Tigers have. Kansas City is sliding now, as is Chicago, even though they added names... The Twins are likely not going to get Johan Santana to sign a long-term deal, because the Twins can't afford it... Maybe the Tribe can trade a big prospect or two for him. Likely not. The Tribe signed my boy Kevin Millwood, and since he's my boy, many of my friends already think we're doomed... whatever. Also picked up were Jose Hernandez and Alex Cora, two decent infielders to add depth to the bench, but I'd rather have kept Lou Merloni. Plus, many are saying that these pickups mean that GM Mark Shapiro will have the flexibility to trade away Ronnie Belliard... I hope not, unless Shapiro wants to lower our scoring. Hey, a familiar face is back too! Juan Gonzalez signed a minor league deal, and if he makes the 25 man roster I'd love it because I hate to see Casey Blake in right field. He's an infielder, a 3B... Speaking of 3B men, Aaron Boone is in town! Gotta love it! AB, or as the Red Sox fans call him, Aaron "Bleeping" Boone. What a HUGE grab last year. I just thought of another familiar face coming back to the Tribe - Paul Shuey has a minor league deal. Seeing him in the bullpen again would bring me a sense of security... If Juan Gone and Shuey make the squad, look out - we're playoff bound.

Also... The Cavs are rolling, although slowly, to the playoffs. So we lost "Wild Thing" Anderson Varejao for a few weeks. And Ira Newble is still out. Thank God for 10 day contracts to fill the void. Thank God for LeBron too. He needs to be signed to a max extension ASAP. It isn't mentioned much, but he will be a free agent after next season. Zydrunas Ilgauskas needs to be re-upped too. LeBron has put in his words on wanting Z to return, and Z wants to stay here. A part of me believes he deserves it too, even though he has missed most of his early career from injury. The Cavs need one more link in the chain to be title contenders... and hopefully that link will come in the postseason free agency. Gary Payton could be a great option if Jeff McInnis isn't re-signed, and many have speculated that Michael Redd is a very possible pickup as well. Wouldn't it be great to see Redd, a Buckeye alum, also a 4 time all star, in a lineup with LeBron, Z, McInnis (or Payton), and Drew Gooden? We'd be right up there with Miami, Detroit and Indiana in the East. Plus, we can secure more depth by trading guys like DeSagana Diop, Dajuan Wagner, and Luscious Harris (even though I like having him for depth already). Diop has had no success with the team at all, but he's a big body that someone can like to have. And Wagner hasn't played much with all of the injuries he's had, but teams know he can still shoot.

Now, for the Buckeye news... We whipped the scUM on Saturday, 72-46 at home. Just WHIPPED THEM. They scored only 6 points in the first ten minutes. They had only 4 assists and 28 turnovers. Their coach Tommy Amaker couldn't even get a technical foul when he was asking for one, arguing so much with the referees. At the game were a bunch of high school junior football players here for the football coaches' Junior Day. And, a benefit from Junior Day, and I bet the game, too, was getting Running Back Chris Wells' verbal commitment to play at THE OSU! For those of you who don't know, Wells is projected to be a top 3 RB in the country for the 2006 recruiting class, and is likely a top 10 overall prospect in the nation. He's 6-1, 210, and is like Maurice Clarett without the parole officer... and probably more speed. He's the big bruiser back, the thunder we need to complement the lightning quick offense we're going to have for a few years.

Speaking of recruiting, 18 players made it official for next season by inking their names on paper on signing day earlier in the week. 18 players is somewhat a small number, but coach Tressel had to be selective since he didn't have many scholarships available to offer after going heavy last season. That doesn't mean our list is weak. Our class is ranked #7 in the nation. Highlighting the list are:
Jamario O'Neal - National Top 100 prospect, 6-1, 205, Cornerback, played alongside Ted Ginn Jr at Glenville HS in Cleveland. 4.45 sec 40 yard dash
Alex Boone - National top 100 prospect, St. Edward HS, O-Lineman, 6-8, 300, I keep claiming to be the white Orlando Pace.
Doug Worthington - National top 100 prospect, 6-7 257, D-End, St. Francis HS in Athol Springs, NY. Can be an immediate impact on the D-line

All three of these guys should see immediate playing time. There are other great players that I can list but don;t want to type so much about. DT Todd Denlinger, LB Freddie Lenix, OL Jim Cordle, QB Rob Schoencroft, WR Andre Amos, RB Maurice Wells, DE Lawrence Wilson, and WR Brian Hartline are all guys who will have a definite big impact in the future. Hell, all of them will. In this class I really see few players who will not have a big role for this team. Our defense is going to be ridiculous in the coming year. We'll have all three starting LBs back for senior seasons, and we'll get back Mike D'Andrea, who was injured early in the season. With Worthington, Denlinger and Wilson coming in, I bet two out of the three will start this season. Worthington is almost a definite to me, but I bet either Denlinger or Wilson, or maybe both of them will put up a huge effort and beat out someone for a starting job. The secondary is losing only Dustin Fox (still a big loss), and with Jamario coming in, there will be a minimal time needed to adjust. Tyler Everett, Nate Salley, Ashton Youboty, and Donte Whitner are good to go as it is. I can't wait for next season, especially the game against Texas. That's before the school year, so I hope I can score a ticket and drive down for that one. We're Rose Bowl bound this year. There are only three tough games on our schedule, and I bet Ted Ginn could win them all by himself. The season can't come faster for me.

Well, that's all for now... I think I just set a personal best for a long post, and it was all about sports... hmmmm.... maybe I have an alternate career in hand if the whole engineering thing goes awry... Anyway, I'll hit it up again later.