December 29, 2006
Loyalty For Bowling Green State University
It is Friday, Dec 29, and I'm working. LOL. Seriously I am. This column is the result of a couple encounters I've had at family functions the last few days. As some of you know, my whole family graduated from BGSU except my younger sister, Beth. She went to BG for one year and then transferred to Kent State, where she earned her degree.briana banks mp3 videos
My aunt and late uncle are/were BG grads. We are a BGSU family. My grandfather on my mom's side did attend Ohio State and played basketball there in the 1930's. Mrs. Freak is an OSU grad but roots BiG time for the Falcons.briana banks mp3 videos
At my nephew's birthday party two weeks ago, I saw an old friend who knows my loyalty to BGSU. He asked who I was rooting for in the BCS Title game. When I replied "the Gators", he responded with "How in the hell can you root for Florida??" He is an OSU fan. When I told him Meyer coached for BG and I'd like to see him win, he said "Well, if BG was playing in a BCS Bowl, I'd be rooting for them! You have to root for OSU cuz you're from Ohio!" Bullshit. I don't subscribe to that line of thinking. He was actually stunned and couldn't understand how I could "dis the Bucks". My nephew's birthday party theme? You guessed it...ALL Buckeyes all over the place. I'm sure my brother in law, Shane, pushed pretty hard for that.briana banks mp3 videos
At our Christmas gathering last night at my parents house, we weren't there more than an hour and my nephew started bragging about OSU and how some kid at his school roots for Michigan. He couldn't stand the fact that some other kid actually roots for UM. Shane, my BIL, attended Akron for a few years but is a huge OSU fan. Here's where the plot thickens...He pushes OSU on his kids all the time and they are now OSU fans. One of them started singing "BG" last night and I responded with "SU" and they came back with "stinks, stinks, stinks!". I laughed it off since they're kids but I think you see where this is going. Shane starts bragging about how OSU is gonna show Florida what a "real college football team" can do. I kept my mouth shut for the most part.briana banks mp3 videos
When it was time to go, my sister Beth, Shane's wife, asked me who I thought would win the game on 1/8. I told her I'd like to see Florida win for Meyer and I'm tired of all the OSU stuff I see, hear, read and must inhale every day. She replied sarcastically, "Well, when you're the #1 team in the country, that's what happens". I was thrown back. Since when did my sister ever follow another school but Kent. I replied "Well, OSU could go 0-12 and the media in this state would still cover what toothpaste Tressel uses every day". My older sister, Brenda, a 1987 BG Grad, constantly wears OSU gear but rarely says anything about BG. Brenda is a very successful teacher and coach thanks to her education from BGSU and yet doesn't seem to care for the school much. I will buy her some BG gear when the Freaklings and I head up 1/6/07 for women's hoops and hockey.briana banks mp3 videos
The point of all this? Why is is a crime in this state to support one school only...just one? Why is it I am expected to follow, support and cheer on OSU just because I'm from Ohio? Why do I get looks of disbelief when I tell people I only support BGSU? It has gotten to the point where I feel like punching someone when I get a reaction like that. YOU support the team(s) you want and I'LL support the team I want. Period. If you don't like it, tough. I get accused of "brain washing" my boys to like BG. Personally, I don't care who they want to follow...except that school up north. I gotta draw the line somewhere. Wink Jake does root for OSU a little cuz Dana went there and I don't have a problem with that. But it's ok for others to force OSU on their kids like what happened to me when I was a kid? The double standard is sickening.briana banks mp3 videos
I don't have a problem with OSU as a school, any of their teams, players or coaches. It's the obnoxious attitude the majority of OSU "fans" have. Not all of them...but more than not. This arrogance makes it very easy to root against OSU in everything. My dad, Class of '64, is feeling the same way these days. I have to say most of the OSU fans here at work are pretty cool and compliment BG's athletic teams...even though only one actually went to OSU. 90% of others went to Kent, Akron, Miami and UT> When I try to bring up the success in the class room for all the BG teams compared to OSU, nobody wants to hear that. When I mention BG has owned OSU In hockey over the years except for the last decade, nobody cares. When I mention that BG men's hoops is 2-3 lifetime against OSU and every game has been played in Cbus, who cares? When I mention OSU's athletic budget is 10-15 times the size of BG's and should be winning titles every year, they can't answer that. I call OSU the New York Yankees of college sports. The team with the most $$$ wins. So why can't OSU win an NCAA National title in anything. Remember, the NCAA does not recognize a 1-A football champ. OSU won the BCS title 4 years ago but not an NCAA National title like BG in 1984, hockey. When I mention the NCAA investigations on a regular basis in Cbus but BG never has been found in violation, I get the "Well, the NCAA only cares about the big schools". Really? Ask Marshall and SMU about that. Many of them are so blinded by OSU's success on the gridiron that nothing else matters but winning. None of the other athletic teams at OSU matter...except hoops since Matta has gotten there. Now all of a sudden they follow hoops too.briana banks mp3 videos
Thanks for letting me rant. I don't have many folks over this way that I can talk BG stuff with so it's always a pleasure to be here with my Falcon Family. This Falcon will be Orange and Brown, only, forever. My loyalty to BGSU will NEVER waver. I am so very proud of our STUDENT-ATHLETES at BG...on and off the playing surface. As for any other schools? Don't look to me for support because it's NEVER gonna happen.briana banks mp3 videos
GO FALCONS!!!! briana banks mp3 videos
Posted by falconfreak90 at 01:58 PM | Comments (0) briana banks mp3 videos
November 27, 2006
Forget 06, Get It Done In 07!
No way can 12 weeks fly by that quickly....are you kidding me??? I can remember driving the Freaks to Cleveland Browns Stadium on 9/2 to face Wisconsin. It rained the whole way but let up enough for the tailgating and game. And now we're done? It just isn't fair that football season seems to end so quickly and other sports get more time. I've read thru most of the threads to get everyone's thoughts on the UT game, the season and the road ahead. I kept my comments to a minimum on those thread cuz I wanted to see what everyone else had to say.briana banks mp3 videos
So where do I begin? A few areas I'd like to touch on. First, the season itself. I know we played a ton of young players. I know we had a lot of injuries to key players. I know BG had a lot of road games. Yes, it was a tough grind and after 7 games, BG was 4-3, 3-1 MAC. I thought we were in good shape. Then came that humiliating loss to Temple. From that game on, I didn't see the intensity or desire I saw in the first seven weeks (minus the Kent disaster). Even when we lost a game, we came back and won the next week. The Ohio game was beautiful. I know we're capable of playing at that level. BG looked decent against the #1 team in the country. But the team ended the season on a 5 game slide when it should have been playing its best ball.briana banks mp3 videos
The UT game...Did this team simply give up? I try to be the most optimistic person about the program but I just didn't see the effort the other night. I was on a 3-7 team my SR year in High School. Nobody wanted to practice and we wanted the season to end due to how miserable it was. One thing saved it, though...a win over the arch rival New Philadelphia Quakers. Dover 8, New Phila 7. That made the other 9 games obselete. What bothered me most about the BG/UT game was UT wanted it....BG didn't. How the hell can you not get up for the arch rival??? I just don't get it. I give credit to Tom Amstutz cuz he sells his players on this game...no matter what. That's what you do in the rivalry. You MUST beat THAT team. With the exception of Corey Partridge and some others, I saw no signs that BG wanted this game. That was disheartening & I find that hard to swallow...especially with 3 former Falcons on the coaching staff. They should know the importance of this game for sure. Did the veteran players not instill in the young players the importance of winning this game? All I know is UT has won 3 straight and 9 of the last 12. That simply must stop. It seems UT gets up for this game while BG doesn't feel it's as important and that bothers me in a major way. GET UP FOR THE ROCKETS AND WIN THE DAMN GAME!!!!briana banks mp3 videos
So now we ride a 5 game losing streak into the off season and prepare for 2007. It will be great to be at the Doyt 6 times next year. We saw some very talented youngsters who should be rockin the next few years. The major question mark is QB. Can AT get the job done? Will he put in the necessary work to improve his game and become the field general? Will he become the player we thought he could be? Will the staff open the playbook to help him become that player? We'll find out that answer. I think AT is the front runner but the QB race should be wide open going into spring ball. Whoever can run this offense, get them on the field. We'll have a ton of starters back next year. I hope the coaching staff does a better job of putting the players in position to win games. Everyone is accountable for this disappointing season. Which brings me to my final point...briana banks mp3 videos
Coach Gregg Brandon. Coach has had success here at BG and we all know about the Bowl wins and Division Titles. There a numerous people calling for his job. Coach has 2 years left on his contract. I think it's right and fair that he gets a chance to turn it around. Coach has 4 seasons in the book and is 30-19, but only 10-13 the last 2 seasons. That's unacceptable at Bowling Green where we play for titles and bowl bids. Remember how pissed we got when Urban Meyer didn't honor his contract? It happens every year where coaches get out of contracts to move on. Well, here we have the opposite. We have a coach with 2 years left on his contract and BGSU should honor that contract. IF Coach Brandon doesn't get the job done in the next 2 years, we should find someone that can. It's nothing personal, just the nature of the beast known as college football. I like Coach a heck of a lot...good family man, funny dude and all round nice guy. I'd love to sit down with him and drink a few beers and pick his brain. However, the bottom line is winning. We all know that and so does Coach. I know the man wants to win...will he return the program to the winning tradition? I sincerely hope so....I want him to succeed. I sorely hope he'll put more emphasis on the UT game. 1-3 is not good...Amstutz is 4-2 vs BG. I am sick and tired of losing to that team up north. Period.briana banks mp3 videos
We're roughly 5 months away from Spring Ball. Everyone needs to embrace the 2007 season NOW and start preparing for success. To all the Seniors departing, thanks again for being Falcons and I hope you come back to games in the future! To the guys coming back, forget 2006 and get it done in 2007. It's all up to you. How badly do you want it? Bust ass and bring back Falcon Football as it's meant to be!!!!briana banks mp3 videos
Josh and I will be at the Football Banquet on Dec. 9. I know we'll go to the Doyt first to sit in the stands one last time in 2006. Listening to the wind blow thru the place knowing we won't be at a game there again for 9 months is depressing. Riding a 5 game losing streak, 3 game losing streak to tsun and a lot of work ahead will make this a very interesting off season. The countdown clock to Sept 2007 is now on...briana banks mp3 videos
GO FALCONS!!!!!!briana banks mp3 videos
Posted by falconfreak90 at 09:20 AM | Comments (0) briana banks mp3 videos
November 19, 2006
THIS is "The Game"....
Tuesday is a freakin HUGE game. There are no titles on the line. There are no bowl bids or top 25 rankings in jeopardy. But dammit, this is that school up north. Just look at the last 10 years...tsun has won 7 and we've won 3. They've won the last 2...including last year on our turf (It was actually turf and not mud! Laughing ). I am sick and tired of losing up there. I was there in 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2004 and with the exception of getting our butts kicked in 2000 (51-17), BG had substanial leads in those games and lost. BG leads the all time series 36-30-4, but that school up north has been closing the gap the last decade. We gotta stop the bleeding and start winning consistently against them....home AND away.briana banks mp3 videos
As frustrating and, at times, embarrassing, as this season's been, BG has a chance to take it out on the team we all flat tout despise. BG can go into the offseason on a high note, hit the weights and get ready for 2007. BG hasn't won a game since October 14, 2006. BG hasn't lost 4 games in a row since 2000. I sure as hell don't want to be riding a 5 game losing streak into the off season. And we won't. BG must win this game. They must get the "Glass Bowl Monkey" off their back.briana banks mp3 videos
I ended up with a nasty cold after the Miami game. I've been battling it for 5 days...and nothing will keep me from taking a 1/2 day off Tuesday night and all day Wednesday and being at this game. It doesn't get the coverage, publicity and reporting OSU/UM gets, but that doesn't mean it's any less intense...or important to the players, coaches, alumni, fans and towns. If there's one game, one game, that BG must do everything it can to win, it's Toledo. Period. Throw the kitchen sink at 'em. Empty the playbook and let it all hang out. Why not? It's Toledo. They want to beat BGSU more than anything in the world. We are the same way wanting to beat UT more than anything in the world...or it should be. It is a great rivalry. Both schools (and I'm using that term lightly for the UT crowd Wink ) have won 10 MAC titles. Both, along with Miami, are arguably the all time best MAC programs in history. The all time series is very close...although we still lead by 6, soon to be 7, games. As much as I despise them, I give them credit for what they've done on the field. They've won titles and been very successful over the last 10-15 years. Think about it...this is UT's first losing season since 1993? That's impressive.briana banks mp3 videos
Both teams are 4-7. UT was picked by many to be a favorite for the MAC Title. BG was picked to finish 3rd or 4th in the East...where we are. BG can finish 5-7 overall and 4-4 in the MAC. I think most folks figured that would be about right considering our inexperience and tough schedule...which included 8 games on the road. As disappointing as the season has been for BG, I would think it's been 20 times more disappointing for UT. Gregg Brandon is currently 1-2 vs UT. Tom Amstutz is currently 3-2 vs BG. Brandon needs to win this game to even his record in the rivalry. I don't care what rivalry it is...you better not lose to the arch rival more than you beat them. Isn't that the case? Or is it just me?briana banks mp3 videos
It's about making a statement that even when things aren't going well, there's still something to play for. Pride. In your team, program and school. I know the BG players remember what happened last year. A stinging loss like that? Took me til summer to really forget about it. Especially after the 2nd half collapse in 2004. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for the players. I simply don't want to lose to them in any sport...but ESPECIALLY football. And if your blood is orange and brown, you feel the same way.briana banks mp3 videos
So Tuesday afternoon, I will pull into the parking lot at Rockette Hall or wherever we plan on tailgating, and intensify myself for the war. I was going to leave the grill at home since it will just be me going. But then I realized, "Why should I pack away the grill when the season isn't done yet???" I don't expect the team to pack it in, why should I? Laughing I know Mitch's brother Matt, a real good guy except for his dilusional support of the Midnight Pew and Old, will be there for the friendly jabs back and forth. One reason I love this rivalry is the fact that though we despise each other, we don't go out of our way to kill each other. I've NEVER had a bad experience at the GB...except for BG losing the game, of course. But I'm talking about the way you get treated there. Sure there are a few aholes but IMO, I think it's pretty civil. Unlike some rivalries I know... Wink I honestly think there is a respect that goes both ways because BOTH programs have had great success thru the years. That makes it even better.briana banks mp3 videos
With that said...briana banks mp3 videos
GO FALCONS!! BEAT TOLEDO!!briana banks mp3 videos
Posted by falconfreak90 at 06:53 PM | Comments (0) briana banks mp3 videos
November 06, 2006
Coach Gregg Brandon
Hard to believe we only have 2 games left in the season. Time is passing so quickly these days and it seems to accelerate during football season. With the performance of the team in 2006, it seems this site is divided into 2 camps....those that support Coach Brandon and those that want to show him the door. We all have opinions and feel would be best for the program. The bottom line is NOBODY is happy with the way this season has evolved. When we kicked off in Cleveland vs Wisconsin, the majority of us thought anywhere from 4-8 to 8-4 would be the team's final record. I'm sure none of us thought we'd lose to Kent State and Temple.briana banks mp3 videos
That being said, I continue to support Coach Brandon as head coach. I won't sit here and say mistakes haven't been made...they have. I won't sit here and say special teams are much better than 2005...they aren't. We all knew the offense would probably take a big step back due to the All MAC performers we lost in Jacobs, Pope, Sharon, Sanders and Warren...not to mention a heck of a backup in Lane. Think about that....FIVE All MAC performers lost from last year's team. Probably 90%+ of our offense. Would it have been different had Jacobs come back? I'd venture a guess that this offense would still be putting up solid numbers with Jacobs at QB. AT played a decent game at Akron but has been inconsistent. He's been injured as well.briana banks mp3 videos
Defensively, we only had 4 or 5 starters back for 2006 and we all know the 2005 defense wasn't anything special to write home about. Coach Lovett had so little time after Tim Beckman left for OSU to mold the D into what he wanted. The D this year is better...still with a ton of work to do. But if you've seen the majority of games in 2006, you know the D is getting better.briana banks mp3 videos
I guess what I'm trying to say is for everyone to take a step back and look at the big picture. When the 2006 season ends, 8 games out of 12 will have been played on the road. The team will have travelled to Florida, Philadelphia, Mt Pleasant, Athens and other places. If you don't think travelling takes a toll on a team, I'll have what you're smoking. BG played the best team in the country...a second Big Ten team. BG didn't have a bye in the season....I challenge anyone to find another team out there that didn't have a bye until this late in the year.briana banks mp3 videos
Next, the inexperience of the team as a whole. 27 freshman have seen playing time this season. Have we given up big plays? Absolutely. Have there been mistakes? No doubt. Next year, BG will return 17-18 starters.
It's called growing pains. The mistakes these kids learn from will pay off in 2007 and beyond.briana banks mp3 videos
Finally...the injuries. Take a good long look at how many key players have missed time this year. AT, Barnes, Partridge, O'Drobinak, Lanning, M Parks, Macon, Williams, White, A Smith, Nick Davis, DJ Young among others. Now Nystrom is out for the year with Mono. This team hasn't been all together on the same page all year. It makes it more difficult to get the chemisty going when you have to keep plugging new players into roles. At the same time, at least these new players are getting experience for the future.briana banks mp3 videos
Yes, the playcalling has been suspect at times. Yes, there have been major breakdowns in the special teams. And yes, the defense has been burned by the big play. It's been downright ugly at times but that's what happens with an inexperienced team. You never know what you're going to get. Lots of these kids were playing high school football just one year ago.briana banks mp3 videos
We all want BGSU to win titles, get to bowl games, top 25 rankings and such. This has been a very trying year. Nobody wants to lose and I simply can't accept anyone saying Coach Brandon is running this program into the ground. NOBODY in the nation picked BG to win the East. Most preseasons pubs had us picked 3rd or 4th in the East. Guess what? That's exactly where we are right now. What did we all expect?briana banks mp3 videos
Coach is a good man...I'm convinced he wants what's best for the BG program. Some will disagree with me. Fine. I expect that and it's good to have all points of view present. I am merely making a case for why firing Coach Brandon would be a dumb thing to do. Here's a guy that has been coaching for over 25 years. I don't know of anyone on this board with any experience coaching in 1-A football. If you think you know how to coach and can do better, why aren't you coaching now? How many of us here know what's going on with the day to day operations of the program? It's easy to get negative when things aren't going well. But ya keep fighting to get better knowing it will all pay off in the end.briana banks mp3 videos
Coach has 2 years left on his contract. As we all know, BG rarely fires a coach before the contract is up. The real test is 2007 and 2008. We'll have almost all these kids back for at least the next 2 years. We'll have fewer away games and less travel time. The Sebo Center will be finished and our team can take advantage of the state of the art center.briana banks mp3 videos
Maybe this just turned into a rambling speech. I wouldn't waste my time or yours writing all this out if I didn't believe it. Falcon Football is extremely important to me and I want what's best for the program. Coach Brandon has my support because he is the coach of the program I love. He's won 2 bowl games, 2 division titles and has a 30-17 record. I remember just a few short years ago, a lot of people wanted Joe Pa out @ Penn State cuz he had a few losing seasons. Everyone loves ya when you're winning.... ;-)briana banks mp3 videos
Bowling Green will win these last 2 games, finish 6-6, 5-3 MAC, and head into the 2007 season on a positive note. I'm going to enjoy these last two games cuz it will be a long time until we see the Falcons hit the field again.briana banks mp3 videos
Peace and GO FALCONS!!
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Posted by falconfreak90 at 09:46 PM | Comments (0) briana banks mp3 videos
