Don't bug me when I'm eating

It’s a tough world.  The challenges of the new job are formidable but I’m still liking it very much.  Having worked for one man for 17 years and having free reign on almost everything I did, it’s a challenge to have, well, rules.  I don’t mind the rules it’s just that there are a lot of them and no real manual.  Still the cooperation I’m getting when I need it is good and helping me to succeed. 

I drive to Williston, ND every other week.  475 miles one way and I only cross one state line. The crew here is in the same boat as I am. They are all new Titan employees as this location only opened in January.  The entire staff is great and they give my all the help I ask for.  There is also a former ABC employee here so that is a tremendous help as well.  All in all, good things.

A little smorgassbord.

Here are some links you may find enjoyable.

First, from Kissing Suzy Kolber here is  a nice bit of sarcasm from one of the guys pretending to be Jason Whitlock.  The jurty is still out for me with Whitlock.  I used to watch him on ESPN's Sports Reporters back in the day and liked him on that.  He always put Frodo Mike Lupica in his place.  His articles can be edgy but like all journalists he can fall in love with the sound of his own voice or keyboard as it were.  I'm so glad I'm not like that. Humility, it's my middle name. You can read an actual Whitlock here.  The guys at KSK are very funny but they're writing is rated "R".  You've been warned.

Its warmer than it looks

Here are some photos I took at the playoff game last week. The battery in my camera died so I took these with my phone. Enjoy.  It was 10 degrees F at kickoff but did warm up to 12 degrees by the 3rd quarter.

This is before the end of the first half. I had to leave early to get the food out for the halftime festivities.  Double T and his crew got there early to put down the straw which really helped in keeping your feet warm.

This is not quite 5 minutes later.  Poor boy sandwiches, chicken gumbo, cold shrimp, cold cuts, cheese, beer, Crown, Alpines, Irish coffee.  What's your pleasure?

Well, that sucked!

North Dakota State 42, Montana State 17.  This was a 4 point game is 8 minutes left in the fourth and then the wheels really came off the ol' apple cart.  A good season for the Cats.  It exceeded some expectations but that's the thing with success.  The more you taste it, the higher your expectations are.  NDSU was tough, but I didn't like a few of the things the Cats were doing on offense, but then what do I know?  Good luck to the Bison.  I hope they party stomped Eastern Washington.  Nine months until the Cats play again.  Sigh.

Random thoughts #24

Things that crossed my mind while wondering why life has been so good to me.

#1. I find myself saying "dude" a lot more than I used to and it sucks.

#2. Andie MacDowell is getting better looking with age. Not that she is that great  of an actress, but hot, yes she is.

#3. "Human Target" is the best show you aren't watching. Mark Valley is the star. A West Point graduate and a Desert Storm vet. The show is fun, exciting and good entertainment. Indira Varma is hotter than doughnut grease.

One game at a time.

I have a random thoughts I worked on last night and will post that later, until then you have to hear about the MSU Bobcats.  Hopefully for a few more weeks.

Your Montana State Bobcats begin their quest for their fourth national championship tomorrow when the North Dakota State Bison (they pronounce it BY-zun) come to town. It's the first home playoff game for the Cats since 2006.  As you can imagine, I'm pretty excited.  We had 8 inches of snow last night.   Kick off is slated for 12 PM  MST.

I watched NDSU last week.  They are big up front on both sides of the ball.  Their defense is very stout and is the reason they are in the playoffs.  It will taken a very well executed game tomorrow for the Cats to win.  We have a big advantage at quarterback in Denarius McGhee.  He was the Big Sky Conference's offensive player of the year and is one of 20 finalists for the Peyton Award, given annually to the best offensive player at the FCS level (formally Division I-AA).  Did I mention that he is also a straight A student?  Did I also mention that he is a redshirt FRESHMAN?!

Anyway, I have snow to plow and house to clean for company coming for the game.  Below are two videos.  The first is a little montage done by an MSU student with some highlights from the season.  This kid has posted several of these and does great work.

The second is an interview with the fine young man I just mentioned.  If you have a few minutes, watch this.  There is no way you can't like this kid.  He's from Dallas, TX living in Montana and loving every minute of it. At about the 2:10 mark of the video a reporter tell's Denarius he's been named BSC Offensive Player of the Year.  Watch this kid's reaction.  How can you not like him? If he was 6'2" tall he'd be in the Big 12 somewhere.  I'm so glad he's only 5'11".  So is the rest of Bobcat Nation.

Supposed to be 31F at kickoff tomorrow.  SUHWHEET!!  The game will be broadcast on Altitude if you happen to get that channel.  If I can find where to stream it on the NCAA's website, I'll put that up in my random thoughts.

Digging out and throwing it in neutral.

After my celebration on Saturday night, Sunday brough much rest as the Lord intended.  I awoke at 6 AM so that I could clean up and go have breakfast with the football team and watch the playoff selection.  MSU received a #4 seed and at least one home game.  The grizzlies were left out of the playoffs for the first time in like 15 years.  That's the way it goes.

After breakfast I hooked up the plow to my four-wheeler and decided to plow my driveway after the 8 inches of snow that dropped Friday night.  Did my driveway and the neighbors and hit my part of the subdivision's sidewalks as it was cold and not a lot of people wanted to shovel evidently.  5.1 miles of sidewalk later I called it a day of plowing.

We are supposed to have lovely weather this week.  High's in the teens.  Low's below zero and more snow.  Fortunately, work will be slow and the need for me to leave the confines of my office for anything more than to drive my truck home will keep me warm and dry.  MCW theme is up.  It's lame I know, but it's a short week and while the Bobcats are winning I went with an easy one.  It's all part of my master plan.

Haiku Thursday is back as well.  Go to Troll's place if you want to know how everything works.

Now it's to work for me.  Take care all.

CAT/griz 2010 again

21-16 YOUR WINNERS ARE THE MONTANA STATE UNIVERISITY BOBCATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm happy and drunk and so glad that these great kids went into the most difficult place to win in all of FCS ( formally division I-AA)  and WON!!!!!!  My beloved alma mater are the Big Sky Conference Champions!!  These kids played their asses off today and brought home a great victory.  I'm so happy for these boys especially the seniors as they have never won a game against the hippies.  I'm tying one on tonight boys and girls.  Sleep well but keep your eyes on these kids. They are something special.

CAT/griz 2010

This Saturday, the 9th oldest rivalry in all of college football will be held in The Pits of Mount Doom Missoula. It's hard to win there. Period.  A very loud place to play. Rowdy fans. Referees who are afraid to make a call against the home team and dominance by the griz over the Cats the last 25 years.  I like the Cats chances but in a rivalry, anything can happen.

Am I going to Missoula?  The answer is simply "no".  More completely though it is "Hell no".  Missoula is a shithole.  It's full of smog and hippies. Their rivers are dirty, their infrastructure was designed by retards u of m grads.  The list is endless. OK, the infrastructure thing, it wasn't designed by u of m grads.  They don't have engineering there.  MSU does, but no grads from here designed Enemaville. This is how stupid the citizens of Missoula and the surrounding area are.  There are a couple of lumber mills in Missoula and of course they are union.  So the union members all vote democrat and when the environmentalists put almost a comlete halt to the timber industry, thereby causing layoffs and closures, the union blamed Bush.  Wait, what?  Like I said.  Morons. The point is that Missoula sucks to get around in because it's a dump.  Plain and simple.  Besides, why would I want to sit with 25,000 assholes dressed in dark pink when I can sit with 100 of the finest people on God's green earth and have my glass constantly full.

Here's a little something to get the juices flowing at mid-week.  THE BRAWL OF THE WILD!! Amanda's dad and the rest of the griz better have their "A" game.



It's not that Missoula doesn't have some nice people and a couple of decent fans, it's just that in comparison to ANY other major town in Montana, it's swampland.  Get it?

We still have Monte

Even though this video (made by an Eastern Washington fan) mistakenly says that if EWU wins out they win the conference (they don't, if Montana State wins out my Bobcats win the title) it's still well done and very funny.  Especially the Hauch reference. 

Random thoughts about the election and American scene.

Had a couple of drinks with my friend Jon at The Mint here in Belgrade.  Our waitress/bartender has a husband who has served two tours in Iraq.   Jon asked to borrow $60 bucks from me as he was out of cash. I didn't ask why.  He's good for it.  He says " I'm going to buy her and her husband dinner for his service."  I told him I was in for half.  She was very touched.  Even better news.  She said she'd been offered a position at The Grantree where I stop every Friday.  Jessica, I look forward to seeing you there and thanks to your husband Nate for his service. 

Things that crossed my mind while wondering how Barry and the media don't get it.

Random Thoughts #23

Things that crossed my mind while wondering if I should become a professional body builder.

1) I'm enumerating my thoughts because 14 is always my goal.  No one has figured out yet why 14 is the number and The Prodigy is exempt from participating.  Also, I'm usually a little Crowned up when I do these and I'm tire of trying to keep track. 

2) Juan Williams was fired from NPR for saying what we all think.  The tolerance of liberals was shown again yesterday.  Just like the hyenas they are, they ate one of their own.

Some reading while I recover

Here are a few links I thought you would enjoy while I get caught up on my sleep and work.  Made a mad dash to St. Louis to watch the Rams put a little beat down on the Chargers.  Left Saturday at 5:30 AM and landed in St. Louis at 3 PM.  Beers, Crowns, sleep, breakfast, beers, then victory beers, dinner, sleep then leaving the hotel to catch a plane at 6 AM yesterday.  Good times though.    Rams won 20-17.  Sam Bradford looked pretty darn good.  Steven Jackson was THE MAN at the end of the game and the D put whiny ass punk Phillip Rivers on his back 7 times.

The Bret Favre issue.

I'm sure that most of you are aghast that I haven't said anything about Bret Foreskin Favre yet.  Maybe relieved is a more accurate description.  Anyhoo, here's my take.  Do I think it is him? Yes.  Am I positive? No. Do I want it to be true?  Does a ragdoll have cloth knobs?

Homecoming 2010

Your tenth ranked Montana State University Bobcats are taking on the Portland State something or others tomorrow for what should be a beautiful day of football here in the Gallatin Valley.  Our Cats are 4-1 having lost only to Division 1 Washington State when our coaches put their collective heads up their asses and cost the boys the game. That aside.

The Cats blew a 37-10 halftime lead last week against Sacremento State and let them score 35 in the third quarter.  The boys in blue and gold rallied to win 64-61 in overtime to go 4-1.

I think tomorrow they will come out strong.  PSU runs a "pistol" offense whatever the hell that is.  Doesn't matter we have Bignell and Craney back this week. We also have a guy named Denarius McGhee. Kid is a STUD. How happy am I that he is only 5'11".  If he was two inched taller he'd be playing in the soon to be defunct Big 12.

The Cat defense will be pissed off tomorrow.  We've lead the conference in overall defense 6 of the last 10 years and been 2nd 3 times.

Cats win.  The conference title is still in their control.

Meanwhile in Hell.  The demons of the dark pink are playing Idaho State University. ISU took the griz to the wire last year but this year will get crushed 40-7.  This griz offense can score points and ISU's defense won't be up to the task.

 I don't know who Malta played tonight but I'm sure they rolled.

Notre we suck ass Dame is 2-3 and won't go to a bowl game again so they are barely worth a mention except for the fact that they are the most overrated program of the last 20 years. They do not, and will not, get any more space on this blog until they are in the top 15 again.  So I'm thinking that I might have to adopt a son to blog about them sometime in 2030.

Bama crushes South Carolina.  Cats and Malta win. All is right with the world.

Just a couple thoughts and Bobcat pregame.

So yesterday I took my great friend EJ golfing for his birthday.  Long story short, he got me on a scramble team for the annual Sonny Holland Classic at Valley View Golf Club.  The irony is that I played on a team of guys who sit right behind me at Bobcat home games. We took second.  It was a great day.  Like EJ says "you only have to know one guy and that guy is me."  True words.

So I'm whipped.  Spent the night at EJ's house.  He cooked a great steak.  I spent most of the evening playing with his soon to be two-year-old daughter.  Drank some Crown and red wine and took advantage of his guest room. 5Wood made it as well.  Played the back nine with us and partook in the festivities.

Here are a couple of thoughts.

Tomorrow is Bobcat Victory Day.

So last week I almost had a cincofecta.  Malta won, crushing defending state champion Huntley Project 27-18 with 354 rushing yards. Notre Dame losing to Michigan. Two hapless teams trying to be .500 this year. Bama "rolling" over Joe "I dont know what the fuck is even going on anymore" Paterno and Penn State. The minions of hell from Missoula losing to my Cal Poly Mustangs. I'm 4 for 4.

Then the Cats let me down. Not really. They played a D-I school to the wire. They led in every category.  Some questionable play calling at the end cost the game.  We could have and should have won. This team,and our quarterback, are fucking awesome. I said earlier that our season begins next week with Eastern Washington. I have no doubt that the Bobcats are going to PUNISH Drake tomorrow. Then, bring on EWU who have the grizzlies.

Cats 40 The Drake 10.

Meanwhile in the pit of Mount Doom

The frizzlies lost to my Cal Poly Mustangs.  Maybe this offense isn't that great.  griz fans have been bragging about how good their defense will be. "We'll shut out at LEAST seven team this year.  Well maybe if your offense doesn't suck. This is a good griz team. Make no mistakes. CP is good as well. Coach Fluff has instilled Don Read's offense without the talent so we will see how far that takes them. Let's not forget that the year that Read won his only national championship, his defense was the best in the nation. Right now, they aren't the best in the conference. That can change. I've said before, the griz have a mystique. They know how to win. They are going to have a tough game in Cheney tomorrow but I don't count them out. I'm rooting for the Eagles all the way mind you. I hope it's a bruiser because we have EDub next week.

Malta rolls, The Tide rolls as well. The slow, trudging Irish drunks win.

That's it for now.

Bobcat preview and road trip to Spokane/Pullman

Heading to Spokane for the Bobcat game.  Here's the quick rundown for the weekend.

Bobcats lose but look good against a D-1 school.

Griz win by10 and don't look as good as previously thought.

Notre Dame gets ROLLED by Michigan 157-0.

Malta crushes whomever they are playing. 

Bret Favre does not throw a pick this Sunday.

Nothing new.

OK. So I've been scrimmaging for the MONTANA STATE vs. Washington State game tonight.   I don't have a pregame analysis on Thursday like I usually do.  I'll give you all one tomorrow while I'm packing and heading west for Bobcat victory day.  Many thanks to all who read this. The chances of MSU winning our 30-70 but those are good odds.  All I know is that I have tickets on the 50 yard line four rows up (I think) and that the Cats might win. More on the morrow.  Old English (or JC).

Bobcat Football is ready to begin.

Welcome beloved followers of the drivel.  The Montana State University Bobcat football season get's underway at 1:05 PM this Saturday and I'll be there for the opener.  My schedule looks good this season for not missing a home game.  I usually miss one for various reasons but it looks like I'll have a perfect attendance this season and that makes me very happy.

I'm always optomistic about our chances to contend for a Big Sky Conference title but even more so this year.  The Cats return a lot of starters, are deep in most positions and outside of the Cat-griz game, which is in smogville Missoula this year, like their chances to make that game for the BSC title.  Redhirt freshman quarterback Denarius McGhee has been given the keys to the car and that alone makes me excited.  This kid played for Trinity High in Dallas and was 13-1 as starter including a 5A state championship.  Trinity is a HUGE powerhouse in Texas.  McGhee played in front of 25,000 fans in high school so playing in front of 14,000 Cat fans won't even begin to bother him. He's a stud.

Here's the deal. Cats open with Fort Lewis on Saturday then travel to Pullman, WA to play the I-A Cougars and yours truly will be there.  After that we have Head Coach Rob Ash's former team Drake.  They should be able to enter the conference opener against Eastern Washington with a 2-1 (3-0?) record.  This game determines the season.  I can't remember the last time we beat EWU. Can't.  They've had our number as much as the griz have.  However, if they can beat them, they should be able to run the table on the rest of the conference and both Montana teams will be undeafeted when the Cats go to where you put an enema Missoula to play the dark pink.  If the Cats can defeat the minions of hell, they will be outright conference champs, get an automatic bid in the playoffs and at least an 8 seed.  Keep your fingers crossed.

Meanwhile in

The grizzlies will be stacked as always. Their new coach Robin Pflugrad, has implented a new offense and new defense. According to all the fans of the dark pink, this is the best grizzly team EVER!  Hmm. The graduated 17 seniors. At least 11 starters, two guys who are still on NFL rosters, and THIS team will be better than last years? Really?  This team is good.  One thing I learned when Bobbie Hockaloogie was coaching was never, ever, underestimate these guys.  As much as I hate to admit it, they have a mystique, one I'd love to see the Cats acquire.  Coach Roberta played in 3 national title games in 7 years, and then he was run out of town. They signed three kids from Montana and the rest were almost all from Oregon.  From this point forward I will refer to them as Eastern Oregon University. 

I don't really want to do this because their initials or um and as I like to say, you can't spell scum without the um.

griz fans call the title game "the chipper". Dickheadisque I know.  But they will be tough. I will be anxious to see how a brand new offense and defense plays out over the course of the season.  griz fans suck ass so I'm hoping for a big popcorn fart of a season for them. It's a big wish but a guy can dream.

The key to our season lies in the hands of a 19-year-old stud from Dallas. Godspeed Denarius. The eyes of Bobcat Nation are upon you. And our hopes are extremely high.

Take a look at this montage of DM.  He's a stud.  We still have a great backup in Cody Kempt. Started 13 games for Oregon and a great player.  QB is solid for the Cats this year.

GO CATS

I'm at tailgate spot #54 on the booster side.  In the grizwagaon.  If I'm not there, help yourself to my cooler.  It's Keystone Light, the official sponsor of my tailgate spot.