Shameless plug…?

Well, I fell asleep last night and missed a significant portion of one of my favorite TV shows, The Good Wife.  Will have to catch up later by watching on demand!!

On a personal note:  This blog is about two things I love, sports and pop culture.  It is also meant to draw attention to my book Surviving “Paradise” available at Amazon.com; $9.99 for paperback and $3.30 for kindle edition.  I hope to see a version of it on TV and/or film someday!!!!!

Please visit www.survivingparadise.info and check it out.

Thanks for your support and let’s keep blogging!!


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Georgia Tech fires defensive coordinator Al Groh

Breaking news this afternoon, Paul Johnson, head football coach at Georgia Tech, announced that Al Groh would be relieved of his duties as defensive coordinator immediately!  Well, well, it comes as no surprise as the GT defense has been awful, giving up around 1800 total yards in the past three games.  In addition, they are giving up an average of 46 points scored by the opposing team. For that matter, the defense has been pretty awful during the whole Al Groh tenure of trying to implement the 3-4 scheme over the past three years.  Georgia Tech simply did not have the athletes to produce significantly good results using the 3-4.  Moreover, the defense had and has become such a liability to Johnson’s triple option attack.  They need a defense that can get the other team off the field, some three and outs, so that they can put their time consuming but also explosive triple threat attack on the field.  Mentioned as possible interim defensive coordinator replacements are current defensive assistants Charles Kelly and Andy McCollum.

With a bye week ahead and three very winnable games to follow, this comes at a time when there is perhaps the hope of turning things around and the season not going completely south.  Let us hope that proves to be correct and there can be a very good hire as defensive co-ordinator in GT’s future, one that understands the athletes he has to work with and the importance of his scheme maximizing the potential of the GT’s triple option offense.

I still say, and will continue to say, Vad Lee needs to be playing QB.  GT needs to pass in addition to using their powerful and comfusing ground attack to outscore opponents.


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Let’s hear it for the boys from Atlanta…

Way to go Falcons.  The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Washington Redskins 24-17 and improve to 5-0 for the first time in their NFL history.  Redskin’s super rookie quarterback RG III was knocked out of the game with a concussion but says he plans to play next week.  In other actions, Colts upset Green Bay and Tom Brady wins the dual with Peyton Manning as New England defeated Denver 31-21.

In Sunday night action, Drew Brees broke the record for consecutive games with a TD previously held by Johnny U and led the Saints to their first victory of the season, 31-24 over San Diego.  For now, the Saints are not the “aints”!

Monday Night Football will feature the Houston Texans (only other undefeated NFL team besides the Falcons) vs. the New York Jets.  How much of Tebow will we see??  Moving on…

Tennis starts in China at the Shanghai Masters.  It will be televised throughout the wee hours of EST and then replays throughout the day on Tennis Channel.  Roger Federer will probably not be in action until Tuesday at the earliest.  Important first tournament for Roger as he will need to accumulate and defend as many points as possible this fall to hold onto his number 1 ranking and fend off a certain charge from Djokovic.  Here’s to hoping Mr. Federer is at his best and remains number 1!!

GO ROGER!!


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Let’s hear it for the boys from Atlanta…

Way to go Falcons.  The Atlanta Falcons defeated the Washington Redskins 24-17 and improve to 5-0 for the first time in their NFL history.  Redskin’s super rookie quarterback RG III was knocked out of the game with a concussion but says he plans to play next week.  In other actions, Colts upset Green Bay and Tom Brady wins the dual with Peyton Manning as New England defeated Denver 31-21.

In Sunday night action, Drew Brees broke the record for consecutive games with a TD previously held by Johnny U and led the Saints to their first victory of the season, 31-24 over San Diego.  For now, the Saints are not the “aints”!

Monday Night Football will feature the Houston Texans (only other undefeated NFL team besides the Falcons) vs. the New York Jets.  How much of Tebow will we see??  Moving on…

Tennis starts in China at the Shanghai Masters.  It will be televised throughout the wee hours of EST and then replays throughout the day on Tennis Channel.  Roger Federer will probably not be in action until Tuesday at the earliest.  Important first tournament for Roger as he will need to accumulate and defend as many points as possible this fall to hold onto his number 1 ranking and fend off a certain charge from Djokovic.  Here’s to hoping Mr. Federer is at his best and remains number 1!!

GO ROGER!!


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From That 70’s Show to World’s Sexiest…

Mila Kunis, from the popular TV show That 70’s Show has been named the Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire Magazine in its upcoming November issue.  Congrats to her.  She joins the recent ranks of Rihanna, Minka Kelly, and Kate Beckinsale.  Mila is also dating her former co-star from the 70’s Show, Ashton Kutcher (currently starring on Two and a Half Men).  She is enjoying quite a successful career; the last movie I saw Mila in was Ted with Mark Whalburg. It was very Funny!!

You go girl!!


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NFL Today…

Full slate of NFL games on tap for today for sports fans.  I will be watching two games closely.  First, Matt Ryan and the red hot Atlanta Falcons vs. RG III and the Washington Redskins at 1:00 pm EST.  Later, I will be tuning in to see Peyton Manning visit his “old friend” Tom Brady for a match up between the Broncos and the Patriots in Foxboro.

Sunday Night Football offers San Diego at New Orleans.  Can the Saints win a game??  The big story here is that Drew Brees is on track to surpass the great Johnny Unitas for the record of 47 straight games with at least one TD pass.  Ironically, Tom Brady is on track to accomplish this feat later this year.

Tennis news: Novak Djokovic defeated Jo-Wilfreed Tsonga in Beijing to extend his perfect record at the China Open.  He engaged in a little celebration after his victory, performing the popular “Gangham Style” dance, based on the popular single by Korean rapper Ksy.  This dance is sweeping the nation and world, they are doing it at Georgia Tech home games!!  Here’s to hoping he is not doing the dance again next weekend at Shanghai Masters as Mr. Federer will be returning to action.  I am pulling for Roger to win next week’s event!!

In another battle of the screamers,world number 1 Azarenka again defeated 2 Sharapova 6-3, 6-1.  She seems to have Sharapova’s number.

Are we ready for some more football………..?


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And they all came tumbling down…

Super Saturday delivered, and it delivered some big upsets and shakeups for the top five in the polls.  Numbers 3, 4, and 5 all fell!  LSU lost to Florida in the afternoon, and in last night’s action, South Carolina spanked the Bulldogs 35-7.   In a heart breaker (if one is a Nole fan), NC State came from behind and scored the winning touchdown with time running out to hand FSU a disappointing loss, 17-16.  Quite a performance by NC State in the second half, holding FSU scoreless and with almost no yards rushing.

Other final scores include: Ohio State 56 – Nebraska 31 (apparently Urban Meyer is back to working his magic as he has the Buckeyes undefeated); WVU outlasted Texas in a shootout, 48-45 and QB Geno Smith continues to be the Heisman frontrunner for now; Notre Dame demolished Miami 41-3 and demonstrated that perhaps it is once again deserving of relevance and its ranking.  It was a very dismal performance by Miami who had showed such promise in the past few weeks.  Also, not a good showing for the ACC this past Saturday in general.  Last but hardly least, Oregon defeated Washington by a sore of 52-21.  This Oregon team is fun to watch and fully deserving of its #2 ranking.  You blink and they score.  You leave the TV for two minutes and come back and they had 21 points when you left and when you get back they have 36!! Very exciting and impressive bunch under Chip Kelley.

This all resulted in three new teams entering the top five in the polls:4  Florida, 3 South Carolina and 5 West Virginia.


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We’re up, no we’re down, yes, we’re down!

Georgia Tech traveled to Clemson after a humiliating loss to Middle Tennessee State last week and who knew how they would respond.  In all honesty, I feared a horrible blowout.  Such was not the case, although in the end, we did lose.  They fought hard, certainly until midway through the 4th quarter.  The game see sawed back in forth but ultimately Clemson prevailed 47-31.  The game was actually a little closer than the score indicates.  The safety on Georgia Tech was the belly punch that they simply could not recover from.  Hopefully, a week off and some winnable games afterward can salvage a terribly disappointing season.  One can hope…right?

In other games this afternoon, Florida won a huge game over LSU at the swamp 14-6.  It was largely a defensive battle and based on what I am seeing so far in the first half of the UGA – South Carolina game, (South Carolina currently kicking UGA’s tail 21-0), Florida and the Gamecocks look like the class of the SEC East.  There is still a second half to be played in Columbia, SC, however.

North Carolina whipped Virginia Tech 48-34.  Penn State upset 24 Northwestern 39-28 and Mississippi State beat Kentucky 27-14.  In a thriller, Stanford survived Arizona 54-48 in OT, scoring the last 20 points to finally prevail.

West Virginia and Texas are currently in a shootout at halftime with Texas up 28-27.  Nebraska and Ohio State are tied 7-7 early.  FSU leads NC State 3-0 in the first quarter and Notre Dame leads Miami 10-3 at Soldier Field in Chicago.  Number 2 Oregon plays Washington tonight late, 10:30 pm start (may not be able to watch all of that game although I love to watch Oregon play!!)

I love Steve Spurrier.   He says exactly what he thinks.  One of my favorite comments he made was regarding playing UGA in October instead of September.  He said he missed playing them early because he could always count on them to have at least two or three starters suspended!!  So true!!  Keeping it real…

In MLB news, former Rex Sox manager and current ESPN analyst Terry Francona has been named the new manager of the Cleveland Indians.

More of today’s College Football scores and analysis to follow….either later or tomorrow???  For now…back to watching!


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“…I only wanna be with you…”

College Game Day from Columbia, South Carolina:  Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish fame was the celebrity guest and of course picked his alma mater South Carolina to win.

The funniest sign I saw in the crowd (and there were some good ones!) was a glossy picture of UGA coach Mark Richt with the caption: “The Most Interesting Spray Tan (instead of man) in the World”.  I thought it was hilarious (of course I am a Georgia Tech fan!!)

Great College Football action today:  Back with you later…


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It all goes wrong in the ATL…

The Braves lose to the Cardinals 6-3 in the first wild card game which will forever be known as “the infield fly rule game”??? What happened??  First, the Braves who have been the best defensive team in the National League were off their game and committed three errors (one by Chipper, very uncharacteristic).  Second, the Braves had runners on first and second and their rookie SS Simmons hit a blooper between two Cardinals in the shallow outfield, and the umpire made a LATE and questionable “infield fly ruling”.  So, instead of bases loaded with Brian McCann up to pinch hit and one out, the ruling was that Simmons was out and the runners could advance.  The Braves had another opportunity in the bottom of the ninth when Chipper had an infield hit and Freddie Freeman hit a double, but Dan Uggla failed to deliver.  The game is under protest but don’t expect anything to change as far as the outcome.  Sad day for the Braves.  Once again, they do not advance in post season.  VERY DISAPPOINTING!  Still, Thank you Chipper Jones for all you have done and the Hall of Fame awaits you!

The Rangers and the Orioles are now underway.

Also, on ESPN, Pittsburgh and Syracuse are playing.  These are two teams completing their final year in the Big East and will head to the ACC in 2013.  Utah State and BYU will follow this game.

Important games in College Football abound tomorrow…

That is all for now.  Very disappointed in Atlanta!


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