Mail

Before adulthood, bills, and home-ownership, there was nothing like the feeling of getting mail.   I would always hurry home from school, hoping to be the first one to check the mailbox, only to be disappointed that I received nothing 98% of the time.  I never understood why my parents weren't fired up when they got 5 pieces of mail each day, but now I realize mail sucks.  When you are a kid mail is either money from Grandma or the magazine you eagerly await.  Now, mail is bills, junk, more junk, a magazine I don't have time to read, or more junk.  When I look at our countertop that is littered with mail from the past week, I just want to cancel the mail just as Kramer did on Seinfeld... 

Time for the college picks... 

The theme of the week is 'mailing it in.'  I'm picking teams that could just "mail it in" as they say and get a win.

Florida International @ Florida (-45.5)

Yeah, I'm laying 45.5.  Ambitious scheduling at its best. 

TCU @ Wyoming (-31)

I'd love to see 3 or more undefeated teams at the end of the year, the horned frogs won't have any trouble staying that way this week.

Kansas @ Texas (-27)

It's bad when you are on the front of espn.com for off the field issues on the same week you are playing at Texas against a QB that needs big numbers to win the heisman.  

Season:  25-20-0

Until next time, 

Tweeting the picks

Busy day.  Just got done with a scrimmage, now headed to a wedding.  Due to time constraints, I'll have to tweet the picks.  Because it's an abbreviated post, I'm picking the abbreviated team.

ND @ Pittsburgh (-7)

Standford @ USC (-10.5)

Miami @ UNC (+3.5)

Season:  23-19-0

Until next time, 

Cuts

One of the best things about coaching football is that you do not have to make cuts.  You can take on any kid that wants to play, no matter his skill level, and give him something to take pride in and belong to.  I never knew how underprivileged many kids were until I started teaching/ coaching, and seeing a kid belong to a team is extremely rewarding, especially when you know it truly is the only positive thing going on in his life.  

Today was the worst day for a basketball coach, the last tryout.  You know that every kid there just wants to be on the team and just wants to belong.  But, in basketball there are only so many jerseys and so many spots available on the team, that cuts are inevitable.  It's an awful task to sit there and look a kid in the eye and tell them they didn't make the team that they so desperately want to be on.  

However, the last tryout also brings the opportunity for one of the most rewarding experiences as a coach as well.  It doesn't get much better than the experience of calling a kid into your office that works so hard and has been so unbelievably committed that his work ethic and toughness overshadow his shortcomings in skill and athletic ability, and having the opportunity to tell that kid how proud you are of him and that he has MADE the team is as good as it gets. There aren't a whole lot of more rewarding experiences than that.  

Now for the week 10 picks...

I'm picking all favorites this week because according to parents of kids that get cut, thats what coaches do.

Oregon @ Stanford (+7.5)

Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Quack! Goooooooooo Ducks!

USC @ Arizona State (+11)

Trojans take out frustration from last weeks stomping.

Wake Forest @ Ga. Tech (-13)

HOT SHOOTER!!! I'm posting the Tech fight song with next weeks picks if they win again for me.  

Oklahoma @ Nebraska (+6)

I just had a 3rd grader in one of my classes move to Oklahoma.  I didn't think people really even lived there, but here's a welcome to Oklahoma present for that kid.  

Season: 23-15-0

Until next time,