Tuesday – Google Reader Links

Monday Bits and Pieces

Before we start, I have to admit it is getting a little lonely around here. Remember when DXP had a bunch of lively contributors? What the hell happened? I heard from Sammy Vegas this weekend and he will be returning shortly. What about T. and/or A. Rose? You guys game for some pieces this off-season? Oh and Dr. D if you can take a break from the “Fornication Vacation” you’ll always have a spot too. Just let me know guys.

· The LJS is reporting that Joe Rudolph is perhaps the leading candidate for the TE coaching vacancy. Rudolph played for Wisconsin (while Callahan coached there) and earned first team All-Big Ten honors twice and helped the Badgers win the Big Ten and Rose Bowl as a senior. In the NFL, he spent two seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles and two with the San Francisco 49ers before injuries cut his career short in 1998. Rudolph is currently a member of the Ohio State strength and conditioning staff, but was formerly a GA with the Buckeyes who assisted with the offensive line.

· The Day 4 NFL Combine results are posted and Brandon Jackson seems to have had a pretty decent day. He won’t be happy with his 4.57 time in the forty, but he did show good explosiveness and change of direction with a 4.14 time in his 20-yard shuttle. Jackson also posted a 37’ inch vertical 10’2” broad jump. I’m still thinking he is a 3rd or 4th round pick.

· The Seattle Seahawks have tagged former Husker Josh Brown as their franchise player. Brown is the only kicker among this season’s seven franchise players. He led the league with four game-winning FGs in 2006 and is quickly becoming the leagues top clutch kicker. By rule the Seahawks will be forced to pay Brown just more than $2 million.

· Finally, we see what serves as a Texas-sized celebration around these parts. Apparently this is a group of Longhorn fans throwing down after the win over OU. I don’t think we really need to worry about that whole “Keep Austin Weird” movement.

Greatest. Headline. Ever

Leave it to the Onion to bust out Bears Lead Rex Grossman To Super Bowl

“All season long, the Bears have shown that they can win, even in the presence of Rex Grossman.”

Well played.

Oh, and go check out this post from Saurian Sagacity on the geographic distribution of talent in college football. It is a pretty decent piece of analysis and certainly explains some of the barriers impacting the Nebraska coaching staff.

And don’t miss Mr. Irrelevant’s look at the year that was the hotness of Erin Andrews. How on earth did I miss the pic of the Iowa kid groping her?

Quick Hits

The girls are a tribute to FSU’s big Emerald Bowl win. Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

· Speaking of which, EDSBS has a piece which traces the origins of the Seminoles’ recent demise.

· In Cotton Bowl news, Auburn is taking a more business-like approach to this year’s bowl game.

· Husker Mike examines the apparent fan apathy surrounding Nebraska’s trip to Dallas. I’ve noticed this too, but can’t put my finger on the reason.

· The Blue Gray Sky has an interesting look at Nebraska coaching “legend” Bo Pelini. It is a nice treatment of his work with LSU.

· Finally, stop what you are doing and go out and buy Blindside by Michael Lewis. I received it as a Christmas gift (thanks Dad), and read it in virtually one sitting. It will also give you a better understanding of webgems like this.

College Football Blog Awards – The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All

The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All

“The I Wanna Talk About Me Free for All is designed primarily to spread the love in case it doesn’t naturally happen some other way and to serve as the season’s Round Up of Round Ups. Each blogger, no matter who they are, must identify their three best posts of the year.”

Ok, so here is where I had to nominate my three “best” posts of the year. I didn’t get any help from my loyal readers, and I assume that was because it was impossible to pick just three. As a result, I selected three that were either really fun to write, brought on a lot of commentary from others, or received a “hey, I enjoyed that piece”, from people I respected.

Here goes nothing:

What’s Eating at Coach Callahan?

Husker Urban Legends Part I

NCAA Initial Eligibility Clearinghouse

College Football Blog Awards: Blogger Championship Series

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

Blogger Championship Series

…it’s just like that other BCS except completely different. We’ll be handing out Best Blog awards for each of the BCS conferences, plus one for mid-major coverage (including all independents other than Notre Dame), and one for more general, national coverage blogs. After long debate we decided to put Notre Dame blogs in with the Big East, as the “non-BCS” category is supposed to be an award for mid-majors, which Notre Dame is certainly not. Since ND shares bowl affiliations with the Big East and plays the rest of their sports there, it seemed the logical choice.

ACC: Eagle In Atlanta – Makes reading about Boston College entertaining. Not an easy task my friends.

Big 12: BON – If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, BON should feel more than a little flattered. Perhaps the most frequently emulated blog in CFB (see my formatting for these very awards).

Big East: Card Chronicle – One of my new favorites, this blog covers Louisville in great depth.

Big 10: MGoBlog – Perhaps the most competitive conference for blogs, but Brian is still the king.

Pac 10: Bruins Nation – This UCLA blog seems to be updated constantly with outstanding Bruin coverage making it the best out West.

SEC: EDSBS – Another competitive conference, but another easy choice.

Mid-Major: SMQ – Somewhat unfair to put this USM fan in with this group, but SMQ is damn good at what he does.

College Football Blog Awards: The Best Community Interaction Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Best Community Interaction Award

FOR: The blog with the best community interaction.

CRITERIA: A regular solicitation of input from readers and utilization of reader-produced content.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

BON The guys at Burnt Orange Nation do a great job of getting readers involved and have fostered a solid sense of community.

MGoBlog Brian’s writing has a way of bringing about a lot of comments. The discussion tends to be enjoyable and fairly civil outside of one week a year.

College Football Blog Awards: The LOL, MSM Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The LOL, MSM Award

FOR: The blog best keeping tabs on the man and calling out all of the injustices in the college football world.

CRITERIA: Consistently ahead-of-the-curve on controversial issues in college football.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

The Wiz: A great site overall, he took Rule 3-2-5-e by the horns prior to the season and never let it go.

The Corporate Headquarters of the San Antonio Gunslingers: LD gets the nod primarily for his take on “the narrative”, which served as my introduction to the concept. Also keeps the Gameday crew honest with his weekly recaps.

College Football Blog Awards: The New Blog on the Block Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The New Blog on the Block Award

FOR: The best new college football blog.

CRITERIA: Must have launched sometime after last year’s national championship game. Transitioning to a new blog or affiliating with a network mid-stream doesn’t count.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

Corn From a Jar: Not just a clever name, this has quickly become another fantastic Tennessee blog.

Tightwad Hill: This Cal blog is still in its infancy, but is already putting out some good stuff. As Exhibit A – check out their stance on recruiting, which echoes some of the reasons I won’t be covering it here until signing day.

College Football Blog Awards: The Brady Quinn Award

I am continuing my nominations for the first annual College Football Blogger Awards.

Readers note: Nominating blogs is open to everyone, not just CFB bloggers. To nominate blogs for any of the categories, simply go to the Nomination Page and appoint your blogs of choice.

The Brady Quinn Award

FOR: The prettiest blog, the best layout and design.

CRITERIA: An aesthetic appeal, whether from a stylish banner, a pleasing layout, or an eye-catching incorporation of blog technology.

Double Extra Point Nominees:

College Football Resource: Although I’ve always liked the old-school feel of CFR’s banner logo, this one is more about functionality. CFR houses the preeminent collection of links and resources to guide the lazy blogger. He should be rewarded for that if nothing else.

Rocky Top Talk Again the banners and graphics are always fresh and pleasing to the eyes. In addition, Joel’s animated BCS race is state-of-the-art.