(**Aaron's Note: For those who can't listen to these podcasts at your computer, I've contacted iTunes, and should have all these podcasts up and running there within a day or so. As soon as they're officially there, I'll let you know. Thanks for the patience.)
Earlier this week, Aaron continued his conference preview podcasts by discussing the Pac-10 with Washington Huskies beat writer, Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times. Bob was nice enough to take a few minutes out of his schedule to talk with Aaron about the following topics:
- How new Pac-10 Commissioner Larry Scott almost turned the college football world upside down this summer with expansion.
- What were Scott's true motives behind the Pac-10's east coast media road trip a few weeks ago.
- Why Oregon should still be the favorites in this conference, despite the loss of Jeremiah Masoli.
- What Jake Locker needs to do, not only to get Washington to a bowl game, but to put himself in the Heisman Trophy discussion.
- Why, even with the loss of Toby Gerhart, the Stanford Cardinal are still a threat in this conference.
- How recent injuries may have hampered UCLA's season before it even began.
- And much, much, more....
Folks, college football season is right around the corner, and now is the time to start doing your homework. Join Aaron and Bob for a comprehensive Pac-10 debate today!
To listen to Aaron's ACC Preview Podcast with Michael Felder of InTheBleachers.net: Click here
To listen to Aaron's Big XII Preview with Allen Kenny of BlatantHomerism.com: Click here
Admit it: Jets fan or not, you were excited for Wednesday's premeire of Hard Knocks. How could you not be?
Rex Ryan. Darrelle Revis. Rex Ryan's stomach. LaDainian Tomlinson applying for his AARP card. If Hard Knocks couldn't get you pumped for football season, nothing could.
Anyway, like I did for the Jersey Shore premiere a few weeks ago, I took it upon myself to keep a running diary for all to enjoy. Was it the most original idea? Of course not, a million writers have done it before me. But was it the best way to capture all the hijinks from Jets camp? I think so.
Regardless, let's pick things up at 10:02, since I missed the first couple minutes after getting lost on the way back from a friend's house.
Yesterday, I revealed the first part of my "Way Too Early," College Football Preseason Top 25. We laughed, we cried, and luckily, remained injury free through all 3,000 words. To read the preview click here.
Today it's time for the second part, where I reveal 15 more teams, and end with the revelation of my preseason No. 1 (I'm sure you'll all be real shocked who I take at No. 1. Kidding.). Two quick notes before we start:
1. This is a very, VERY long article, even by my standards. You probably won't read it all in one sitting, and that's ok. Take your time, soak it in, swish it around in your mouth, like a glass of fine wine. Come back two or three times if you need to. And if you don't want to do that, just print it out and read it on your commute home, in bed while ignoring your wife, or wherever else you do your reading (I don't want to know where that might be). Just make sure to block off a fair amount of time.
2. After finishing yesterday's countdown at No. 15 Miami, we are starting... back at No. 15. Why, you ask? Well because I'm an idiot and actually ranked 26 teams instead of 25. I guess that hypothetically makes Notre Dame No. 26 in this poll, not No. 25, but I'm keeping them there anyway. Whatever. Like I said, I'm an idiot. Clearly, math was never my strong suit.
I've got to be honest: I wasn't planning on writing this article until next week. But I just couldn't wait.
That's right, camps are opening nationwide, and Joe Schad has appeared from his summer hibernation, seen his shadow, and is now on my TV more than Lindsay Lohan jail news. Which can mean only one thing: College football season is right around the corner!!
With that, here is my preseason Top 25.
Sure, I probably should have waited a few weeks to post it, and yes my opinions will probably change 100 times between now and September 2nd. Then again, why bother waiting for boring stuff like "position battles," to play themselves out, when I can just make broad, sweeping generalizations, without having the facts to back them up!! At the very least, it sure beats another baseball article, right?
Let's start today with teams No. 25-15, as well as a few teams that missed the cut. Then, be sure to check back tomorrow for team's No. 14-1. As always, feedback is welcome, even if (More likely than not), you think I'm an idiot.
Baseball games are too long. College football needs a playoff. The NHL- for some inexplicable reason- still has a team in Phoenix. ESPN continues to show WNBA games.
But what really needs fixing?
Here's a list of a few ways on How I'd Change Sports...
(**Aaron's Note: For those who can't listen to these podcasts at your computer, I'm hoping to have them all archived and available for download on iTunes by the weekend. I'll pass along that information as soon as it becomes available.)
On Thursday, Aaron continued his breakdown of all six BCS conferences by talking some ACC Football with former North Carolina Tar Heels cornerback and current football analyst Michael Felder of InTheBleachers.net.
Michael and Aaron had a great conversation all things ACC, with Michael giving incredible insight on the following things:
- Why Virginia Tech has to beat Boise State on opening night.
- What the status of North Carolina defensive tackle Marvin Austin is, and why it might not be as big a deal as many think heading into the season.
- How the Miami Hurricanes are different than last year, and what they need to do to win their epic Week 2 clash at Ohio State.
- Why Georgia Tech quarterback Josh Nesbitt is college football's most important player, yet the Yellow Jackets MVP might be new defensive coordinator Al Groh
- What the flaws of the three Atlantic Division favorites- Florida State, Boston College and Clemson are- and why each is suseptible coming into 2010.
“Can’t lie: On the 1-10 Excitement Scale, I’m at about a 347 thinking about Jeremiah Masoli playing QB in the SEC at Ole Miss.”
Looking back though, that really might have been an understatement.
Last year Masoli turned Chip Kelly’s offense on its head at Oregon. The guy didn’t just run a no-huddle, read option attack, he was playing fast-break football. He was must see TV. When it came to the “eye test,” Masoli passed with flying colors: He was easily one of the 2-3 most exciting players in college football.
So to say that I was a 347 on the excitement scale, doesn’t really do justice to how I was feeling a few weeks ago. It was more than that.
It was the cast of Jersey Shore at an open bar level of excitement. It was a puppy off the leash in the backyard level of excitement. It was a Brett Favre’s Vikings teammates when he shows up at camp in two weeks, level of excitement. Masoli against Alabama, LSU or Auburn? Forget must-see TV, Ole Miss could charge $49.95 to watch their games on TV and I’d be the first one in line with my credit card.
With college football camps opening nationwide Monday, Aaron will be breaking down all six major conferences in the coming weeks, with experts from around the country.
On Monday, Allen Kenney of Oklahoma Sooners site BlatantHomerism.com, stopped by for an in-depth breakdown of the upcoming Big XII football season. In this hour long podcast, Aaron and Allen discuss...
- Big XII Conference realignment, and whether the conference is viable long term.
- The Oklahoma Sooners: They're the preseason favorites. But is Landry Jones ready? Can DeMarco Murray stay healthy?
- The Texas Longhorns: Are we overvaluing Garrett Gilbert's performance in the BCS National Championship Game last year? Despite the losses on defense (Earl Thomas, Sergio Kindle, Lamarr Houston) is this still the best unit in the conference?
- The Nebraska Cornhuskers: Are we overrating this team based on the last few games of 2010? Can this offense put up enough points?
- The Texas A&M Aggies: Will this defense get better? Can they hang with the big boys of the Big XII?..
- The Texas Tech Red Raiders: What should we expect in year one of the Tommy Tuberville era?
- Allen's Big XII sleepers and busts for 2010 and much, much more.
Don't worry though, it's not alcohol or drugs, fast cars or loose women. It's not dark chocolate or cigarettes. And despite what rumors might be floating around out there about me, it's definitely not late night re-runs of Sex and the City. I swear.
Nope, my new vice is Tampa Bay Rays baseball, and truthfully, I can't enough. More importantly, after watching them pick apart the Yankees this weekend, I think we've officially got our favorites to win the American League.
Before I go any further, please understand that while the Rays may be my vice, the Red Sox are still my team. I root for Boston through the good and the bad, the pretty and ugly, whether Terry Francona is winning Manager of the Year or picking his nose in the dugout of a last place team. And I still most definitely root for Boston when they play Tampa Bay.
But with the Red Sox season stuck in neutral (Honestly, I give the team credit for not folding, but am realistic. With the way Tampa Bay and New York are playing, it doesn't seem like we're catching either), and generally more uneventful than a senior citizens bingo game, I find myself watching the Rays more and more.
There's a great scene in the movie Major League II, where Roger Dorn looks Jake Taylor in the eye, and says, "Did you ever feel like you were just born for greatness?"
While I can't say I have, I do know greatness when I see it: Roger Federer. Pre-sex scandal Tiger Woods. Ken Griffey Jr., before his body broke down like a used car. And of course Snooki, the Situation and Pauly D and the rest of the Jersey Shore cast.
That's right, Jersey Shore kicked off it's second season last night, and I'm here to give you a recap.
But rather than just doing a regular review, I'll let the guys put it into their own words. Here is a running diary (Yes I ripped this gimmick off from a million writers before me) of the events, as they transpired.
Let's pick things just minutes before the premeire...
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(**Aaron's Note: For those who can't listen to these podcasts at your computer, I've contacted iTunes, and should have all these podcasts up and running there within a day or so. As soon as they're officially there, I'll let you know. Thanks for the patience.)
Admit it: Jets fan or not, you were excited for Wednesday's premeire of Hard Knocks. How could you not be?
Yesterday, I revealed the first part of my "Way Too Early," College Football Preseason Top 25. We laughed, we cried, and luckily, remained injury free through all 3,000 words. To read the preview 
I've got to be honest: I wasn't planning on writing this article until next week. But I just couldn't wait.
We all know sports aren't perfect.
(**Aaron's Note: For those who can't listen to these podcasts at your computer, I'm hoping to have them all archived and available for download on iTunes by the weekend. I'll pass along that information as soon as it becomes available.)
When news broke a few weeks ago that former Oregon quarterback Jeremiah Masoli might end up playing at Ole Miss,
With college football camps opening nationwide Monday, Aaron will be breaking down all six major conferences in the coming weeks, with experts from around the country.
Confession time: I've got a new vice.
at scene in the movie Major League II, where Roger Dorn looks Jake Taylor in the eye, and says, "Did you ever feel like you were just born for greatness?"
Bloguin is the revolutionary blog network specifically focused on helping bloggers get the most out of their websites. We're currently working on building a large network of online communities and hope to expand our blogging coverage to include a wide range of topics. 
The Bloguin Network allows advertisers to promote their products and services to our ever-growing number of visitors. We offer both site-specific ad placements as well as the ability to run a network-wide campaign. If you're interested in working with Bloguin to meet your advertising needs, please contact us.
The Bloguin Network is always looking to expand. We're specifically looking for blogs in the sports, entertainment, and video games field, but are open to adding any type of quality site. If you're a blogger and interested in joining our network, please fill out our application form.
The Bloguin Login gives you full access to everything our network has to offer. Your name and password will work for each and every one of our sites. Signing up is simple, and will allow you to post in all our forums, create member blogs, and access other cool features! What are you waiting for? Create an Account! 