DORA'S WORLD OF SPORTS

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Reminiscing about Tech's 2008 season and the O-line nicknames

As I stated above, Louis was "Super Human Indian". The rest of the monikers for the Tech O-line were like this:

#74 - Rylan Reed was "the Hulk" because of his bench press.

#71 - Stephen Hamby was "Mr. Incredible" because he just looked like him.
#51 - Shawn Byrnes was the "Kool-Aid man" because he was all upper body (too funny).

#76 - Brandon Carter was "Mankind", because he paints his face and messes up his hair like the wrestler.
#67 - Marlon Winn was "Fat Albert" because he has a big old belly would wear a half-shirt (yikes, bad recall for my memory) every day at practice .

Tech football players faired well in first day of NFL draft

#10...WR- Michael Crabtree (#5 Tech) was picked up in the first round at the 10th spot by the 49ers. Something about his character is what some say hurt his chances at getting drafted better than 10th. Alex and I were perturbed and perplexed at those news. Not sure what the ESPN sport's pundit meant by that. I never heard anyone question Michael's character in any way. I did not research it further...we decided to let it go. I only knew that his ankle injury was what would hurt him get drafted at a better pick number. Whatever...I am still very disappointed and upset that Michael went pro immediately following his sophomore year with Tech. A reminder to Mikey of how Tech was the first university willing to give him a chance to play college ball only to have him leave us too early. The scholarship of course was for basketball, but that soon changed. And another change as he did come to Tech for football was that he was moved from the QB position to the WR position; something Michael and his dad should kiss Mike Leach's derriere for as it made him who he is today as a player going to play in the NFL. A good college education should still be worth more than NFL $$$. If a player is that good, like Michael was...he waits at the college level and prepares himself to get better. The sad thing about the student-athletes of current day is that most minorities tend to be impatient and leave college to make the big bucks while the white athletes tend to stay in college and get educated. A good thing to do in case the pro career does not work out. Graham Harrell did things the right way and waited. He even went to grad school while at Tech. Anyway, about Michael, had he kept his draft card clean, he probably would have gone higher and been the first Wide Receiver to be drafted, instead, the Raiders took liberties as they had the #7 pick and went with another WR from Maryland, Darrius Heyward-Bey. That made Michael the second WR to be drafted overall, that was not kosher, but...Good luck to Michael, though.

#48...S - Darcel McBath (#7 Tech) went 16th in the second round by the Broncos. An awesome feat as he helped ensure Tech had two players drafted in the early rounds. Being 16th in the second round puts Darcel @ 48th overall. He was an awesome Safety while at Tech and I believe he holds a record for interceptions and/or interceptions returned for points. Even though he is also a minority, he did right by his alma mater and waited until after his senior year to enter the draft. Something which probably made him a better fit for the NFL. I will miss him as well this season at Tech, but am happy for him.

Now we await Graham Harrell's NFL propects...blog-mills say the Cowboys are on the list for drafting him 1st overall in the 4th round. Since I posted this blog late tonight, no definite deal had been made. Nothing short of rumors which I hope to have some truth behind them. One of my fellow sport's bloggers who works over at Yahoo!Sports said that the Denver Broncos were leaning towards Graham as well. That would be okay and would place him and Darcel on the same team. If Graham does go early (first) in the fourth round, it would make him #97th overall. A couple of other teams are also in the hunt for him as a true red-shirt back-up QB. One being the Redskins (YUK!). Anyway, Dallas is in need of a real back up QB...Kitna from the Lions is a joke as back-up. Anyway, Dallas needs a back up who can be at the ready to sub for Romo as Tony is not the most reliable QB around and his character towards a prof career in the NFL is still yet to be proven. He cannot seem to take the leadership role. Detroit gave us Kitna while they drafted #1 overall and took Matthew Stafford (Georgia). Nick, Sara, Alex and I say that was so stupid as he never did anything great for Georgia. He screwed up the annual game versus Florida (Tim Tebow & co.) last season and they (Georgia) lost after leading the series as of 2008...45-38-2! Knowshon Moreno (RB) for Georgia is what made Georgia a good team, not Stafford. Knowshon went 12th overall with the Broncos. Stafford is indeed a good QB, but not so worth #1 draft overall and not the 79 million dollars which is the contract Detroit signed him for with a guaranteed 41 million dollars. How offensive to the draft, to the NFL and to the game itself. We await day 2 on Sunday (4-26-09) for the other rounds. Keeping my hopes up for Graham and other Tech players who have a good chance of being drafted somewhere in the 7 rounds. I hope for the best for the guys who helped make Texas Tech's 2008 football season an awesome and memorable one.

Monday, April 13, 2009

Texas Tech bi-annual Garage Sale April 17, 18 & 19.

Tech Athletics Hosts Bi-Annual Garage Sale. The event will be held in conjunction with Red-Black Game weekend.
Texas Tech will hold its bi-annual "Texas Tech Athletic Department Garage Sale" next weekend, April 17-19, in the west side main lobby of Jones AT&T Stadium. Fans of all ages are invited to browse through apparel and equipment from each of Texas Tech's 17 intercollegiate sport programs. Everything from authentic game-worn jerseys and other team apparel and equipment and in-store merchandise from the Double T Zone will be on sale to the public at discounted prices. Hours for the sale are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. CT Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.
For more information on the Texas Tech Athletics/Double T Zone Garage Sale, contact the Double T Zone at (806) 742-1077.

Texas Tech 2009 Spring Game

Saturday April 18th, 2009 (Today is Alex's 15th Birthday!!!):
11:00 AM free kid's football clinic
12:00 PM is the alumni game
1:00 PM spring game>>>come get a preview of our new football team for this coming football season...we're slated to be in the mix. Some sport's pundits say we will finish behind the tea sippers (longhorns) and the cry babies (sooners) again, but we will not win as many games as we did last season. Phooey to them I say. A handful are giving our beloved Red Raiders a chance of repeating what we did last season and bettering it all. I say we can go full force with many victories. We are missing many caliber players, but those who remain have seen greatness and are eagerly awaiting the chance to keep up the high spirits and high standards that last season's squad left behind. The beginnings of a real legacy to move forward and to give the bigger schools something to be afraid of for a change. Like our motto goes..."from here, it's possible!"...

Thanks 2008 Texas Tech Football squad!!!

Thanks to the likes of Daniel Charbonnet, Michael Crabtree, Graham Harrell, Anthony Hines, Darcel McBath, Eric Morris, Jake Ratliff, L.A. Reed, Rylan Reed, Louis Vasquez & Shannon Woods! I only listed some of the key Sr's who have since left Tech. Of course Michael was a sophomore, but equally missed as though he had been a senior. I listed them in alphabetical order as to not dare try to give more importance to one player over the rest. It took the entire team to take them to where they did last year and for all of them (all grade levels), I am thankful and so proud. Thanks for a season of greatness, of blow-outs, of nail-biting, and of course, with those good things came the exact opposite in disappointments, heart breaks, tears and some "oh, so" angry moments.

Best moment will always be during the 'horns game with the 8 seconds left in the ball game. That awesome moment in time when Harrell passed that ever-sweet fade route pass ("route 5") to Crabtree and Michael did the unthinkable. The very moment and play which finally brought our wonderful and beautiful university the universal recognition which placed us on the map; and brought the program to the level which it has been so deserving of for years.

"Fearless Champions Evermore" ...

Monday, December 1, 2008

you decide...i decided Tech belongs in a BCS bowl before UT (but so do Boise 12-0 St & Ball St 12-0)

Several sport's pundits (ie: Craig James) also believe that TECH was wronged and they are the reason i make my case for TECH!

my (dora carey's) breakdown on why OU and TECH should be ahead of UT (whinyhorns).
Points that big 12 south respective offenses scored on their opponents (these points matter):
OU overall points are 640...comes to 53.33 average points scored per game
TECH's overall points are 535...comes to 44.58 average points scored per game
UT's overall points are 527...comes to 43.91 average points scored per game

Oct 11th: UT beats OU 45-35 during their annual red river shoot-out. at a neutral location. oh really, neutral. it should be played in austin since dallas has always been in love with UT. the newspapers and t.v./radio stations there make it seem like it is all longhorn country. just give it up and call them the dallas longhorns for goodness sake. that stupid game always has and always will favor UT. OU ended up with 2 major injuries during that game and UT took advantage (as teams should) and they prevailed. "sans" (french for "without) those OU injuries and it is a different outcome and score favoring OU (sorry UT, but u won by default). neutral location my foot, please sport's pundits, you know not what you say. these views i just posted by no means make me favor OU over TECH either overall, just for this one game.
Nov. 1st: TECH beats UT 39-33...some say Tech barely won, but Tech had a handle on the game from the get-go. remember that Tech could have and should have scored one final time when UT unsuccessfully tried to lateral the ball after Tech squibb-kicked it back to them with 1 second left in the game. our special teams recovered it and should have run it in for the quick 6. let's not forget that earier in the game, UT unfairly scored a touchdown when their offensive player illegally tackled our defensive player. that call was taken back and then UT wrongfully scored. then there's that other bad call when Crabtree should have scored but was called for "O" interference, nevermind the UT defensive player fell down on his own and Crabtree was nowhere near him. and as for that beautiful fade route with 8 seconds left when Crabtree caught Harrell's throw, Crabtree was not double covered, it was single-coverage. UT screwed up and the defensive player (#3 brown) was all alone in trying to cover Crabtree. no one successfully covers Crabtree all alone, especially not in a route play. the UT safety showed up late and ran right past Crabtree and brown (loser). thus, it was single coverage not double coverage as UT and "big baby-cry" mack brown claimed it was in trying to justify how they had just blown a play. no matter, Crabtree would have caught that ball since brown never looked back even if it had indeed been double-coverage (which it WAS NOT!). Crabtree is too strong as is HIS WILL TO WIN!
Nov 22nd: OU beats TECH 65-21. Tech coaches were too non-chalant in their play calls and in their preparation. mike leach knows bob stoops and how much of a bully he (bob) can be. bob did not inherit the surname of "stoops" for nada. that man will stoop at nothin' to win. our bad.
okay...here we are, OU lost ot UT, UT lost to Tech, Tech lost to OU.
To settle things...i list reasons why OU should rank ahead of Tech and why Tech moves ahead of UT:
OU puts up 60+ points against the last 4 teams with 2 of them being ranked (Tech and OK St), make it 5 games with 58 + points if you go back to include K-St. Overall, OU has beaten 4 of 5 ranked teams dating back to their win over TCU in late Sept. their loss to UT was a mere blooper (yes, i said a blooper - this is my blog and i call them as i see them indeed).
UT has beaten 3 out of their 4 ranked opponents (not Tech) then they go on to beat Baylor, Kansas and A&M (big whoopeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....big freakin' deal, UT!)
TECH loses late in the season to OU (bad loss, i already acknowledged it) but TECH did beat the almighty 'horns. plus, TECH - after their win over UT, went on to play a tougher schdeule (5th toughest in the NCAA).
Mike Leach said it best then he said the champ should be measured as the student-athlete that they should be. afterall, most collegiate players are at their respective colleges on athletic scholarships. our Tech football program graduates 79%, while UT graduates a meagor 50% and OU stinks at 46%. Too bad college football fails to place an emphasis on overall accomplishments with grades taken into account or Tech would be representing the big 12 south division against Mizzou on Sat. night. style points and not gpa's are what unfortunately count thus bob stoop's dumb players edge out our more intelligent Red Raiders. Even UT seems smarter than the OU "hillbillies". also, Tech does have 2 Heisman hopefuls compared to just 1 for the other big 12 teams (Mizzou, UT & OU).

I give leeway to OU for being ahead of Tech in the polls but not to UT. I believe offense not defense is what wins games and makes the teams successful. it matters not how much opponents score against you as long as the offense keeps you ahead in the game. UT should be getting the Cotton Bowl, not Tech. TECH deserves a BCS bowl and the sport's pundits also need to shut up and go to a red river game and see if it really is neutral. it may be in the middle of both schools (UT & OU) mileage-wise, but it really benefits UT as i already stated. Geez'uz, PPL, it is played in the state of TX. the RR rivalry will be played in dallas through-out 2015 as both school's AD's already signed back up for it. how significant would it be for the big 12 to rid itself of the RR rivalry and have UT play in Norman (spooky hillbillies) and vice versa. the victors could then lay better claim to actual victory after having played in each other's actual back-yard. Jerry Jones is still trying to get Tech and OK St to play a rivalry game each year at his new Texas Stadium starting next year. I do not like that idea unless Tech can keep 6 home homes regardless. take "neutral location" and shove it up the ole proverbial crevasse...these games benefit both school's for certain monetarily speaking; however, the out-of-state team could always justify a possible loss for obvious reasons. neutral games do not benefit the big 12 overall. it just benefits $$$ the two schools and makes them keep thinking themselves as "elite".