313's Heroes and Goats

From the Michigan State vs. Iowa game

The Hero: Albert Young. Iowa's starting tailback rushed for 179 yards, the second-best total of his career, and scored two touchdowns. He also accounted for 63 of the 75 yards on Iowa's third-quarter drive for a touchdown to tie the game at 17.
The Goats: MSU's offensive line. The line gets the booby prize for the second week in a row for failing to open enough second-half running lanes after a strong first half. Penalties were also an issue for MSU, and linemen committed a majority of the errors.

From the Minnesota vs. Michigan game

The Hero: Michigan wide receiver Mario Manningham had a career-high 162 yards receiving on five catches, including a 40-yard touchdown reception. His 48-yard catch led to a touchdown in the third quarter that gave Michigan a 20-10 lead. His touchdown in the fourth gave Michigan a 27-10 cushion.
The Goat: Minnesota coach Tim Brewster. He's 1-8 and has done nothing to change the opinion that he's just a good recruiter.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Paramore "Crushcrushcrush"

Gripping and grinning

Alright, let's kick things off with this. I'm relieved that Butch is OK after the wildfires. Butch, I know I said I'd help you out if need it. I'm just really glad you haven't lost anything. Unfortunately, there's 5 dead people because some dingbat was playing with matches. Once they find this guy and charge him or her with murder, I have a great idea for a possible execution (which he or she deserves). Mauling by Smoky the Bear. How fitting.

Speaking of the California wildfires of October 2007 (as they are being called on Wikipedia), it brings me to my all-time favorite target of complaint. The Westboro Baptist Church. They really went overboard with this one. Fred Phelps and his dumbass followers believe that the wildfires were a work of God. Ahhh, guys, you might want to watch the news every now and then so you'd realize IT WAS AN ARSON! God had nothing to do with this. Of course, they go find an excuse for God whenever something terrible happens. In this case, it happens to be that Arnold Schwarzenegger allowed the passage of California SR 777. That law is an amendent to equal rights to education for all California children, regardless of many factors, which now include sexual orientation. The WBC, of course, has their own lovely nickname for this new law. They have dubbed it the "Sodomize Your Children Act". Pleasant. You know, I think God would be more for equal rights than he would for support of biggots who use His name in their vile work. Plus, if I were as old and fragile as Fred, I wouldn't be calling out the guy who played The Terminator if I want to stay alive.

And continuing on the WBC, I'm still losing serious gas money, but it's all worth it. They were supposed to be at St. Maragaret of Scotland today in Saint Claire Shores. Problem is, once again, the fear of coming to Metro Detroit made them crap themselves and stay in their backwoods compound to continue inbreeding. Cowards. But I guess their right. They know if they ever come back to Metro Detroit, I'd slash their spineless little bodies into fettuncini. But on a more peaceful note, I'm glad that the family and friends of Staff Sgt. Donald Munn II were able to bury his body without hearing the hurtful catcalls of a bunch of idiots. Thanks for serving this country, SS Munn. *salutes*

Back to happier notes. The state playoffs for football started tonight and after one round, Livonia Stevenson is still alive, kicking, and undefeated. Their first playoff test wasn't as easy as many thought would be, but the Spartans prevaled tonight, taking a 27-21 victory over conference rival Plymouth in the pre-districts. Next up, the Spartans play their second straight playoff home game next against a formidible foe in the form of Novi. Go get 'em, Spartans. I want to be there celebrating my alma mater at Ford Field on Thanksgiving Weekend. Anyways, that's all that's on my mind for now. Later, homies.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Britney Spears "Gimme More"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Buccaneers vs. Lions game

The Hero: DeWayne White. White kept the Bucs grounded for most of the game with three sacks against his former team.
The Goat: Jeff Garcia. The ex-Detroit QB remained interception-free and tossed two TDs, to boot, but his two fumbles led to two Lions TDs.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Kaya & Crossing Coldwater "Kiss And Make Up"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Michigan vs. Illinois game

The Hero: Carlos Brown. Filling in for Heisman Trophy candidate Mike Hart, the sophomore got better as the game progressed, gaining most of his 113 yards after halftime. The performance was the first time Brown broke the century mark as a Wolverine.
The Goat: Illini cheaters. At one point in the third quarter, the Illini had eight penalties to U-M's none, and stalled Wolverine drives were kept alive by Illinois personal fouls.

From the Michigan State vs. Ohio State game

The Hero: Chris Wells. Beanie rushed for 221 yards on 31 carries and scored a touchdown for Ohio State. He was also the horse the Buckeyes rode to run out the clock in the fourth quarter.
The Goats: MSU's offensive line. Brian Hoyer was sacked four times -- and pressured plenty more -- but even worse, tailbacks Javon Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick couldn't find a crack to run through.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Rihanna "Hate That I Love You"

UNDEFEATED!

Congratulations, Livonia Stevenson. You guys have been great all year. My alma mater just wrapped its best season ever with a 14-0 win over Brighton. Sure, it wasn't pretty. The Spartans were haunted early with penalties and turnovers, but they managed to pull through and defeat Brighton to finish the regular season undefeated. A 9-0 season has been done by the Spartans before, but this may be their must one yet. Up next, the guys at the Michigan High School Athletic Association draw up the tournament, and will reveal the Spartans' first playoff foe Sunday at 6:30. Good luck, Livonia Stevenson. You will be a very tough team to beat in the playoffs.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Terius 'The Dream' Nash "Shawty Is A 10"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Indiana vs. Michigan State game

The Hero: Javon Ringer. Hard not to give the MSU defense some love, but how can you deny running back Javon Ringer? This guy broke off another 100-yard game with 203 yards on 29 carries. His 64-yard score in the second quarter was a flat-out display of speed.
The Goat: Kellen Lewis. The Indiana quarterback came into the game with a lot of hype. Although he completed 13-of 19 passes, some throws were behind receivers and he just missed some. And after an electrifying 59-yard rushing score on the Hoosiers' first offensive play, he never really threatened the Spartans' ground defense.

From the Purdue vs. Michigan game

The Hero: Mario Manningham. The U-M wide receiver returned from his one-game suspension and caught eight passes for 147 yards. He had TD receptions of 24 and 21 yards in the first half.
The Goat: Purdue's offense. In the first half, it had two turnovers (both leading to Michigan TDs) and 82 total yards.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: The Last Goodnight "Picture Of You"

Go Spartans on to glory!

I'm referring to the Michigan State Spartans. I'm talking about the Spartans from my alma mater, Livonia Stevenson High School. To say the least, this has been Livonia Stevenson's best year in football. Every game they have played, they have flat out dominated each opponent. Livonia Stevenson started out strong at home in game one, a 49-26 thumping of Ypsilanti Lincoln, which had lost 26 games in a row at that point. Then, they traveled to the southern part of the city and defeated Livonia Franklin, 38-26, with help indirectly from the Patroits, who were depleted by injuries and suspensions. Then, they went out west and defeated Salem, 49-0. This was the first time Livonia Stevenson had a mercy rule enforced upon an opponent. Heading back home, Livonia Stevenson continued crushing opponents, this time, a 45-15 win over Westland John Glenn. The week next, the Spartans scored another mercy rule victory, 49-7 over Walled Lake Northern. At this point, the Spartans were 5-0. So were their archrivals, the Chargers. No, not the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers from Livonia Churchill. Two 5-0 rivals meeting. The stadium was packed to the brim, fitting in approxamitely 10,000 fans, argueably the largest crowd to see a high school football game in Livonia. So who would come out on top in this battle of undefeateds? It wasn't even close. The Spartans walloped Livonia Churchill, 37-3. Needless to say, the Chargers fans who packed their own stadium to see their favorite team left disappointed. After this, it was back home for the Spartans, who continued their dominant ways. This time, it was a 39-8 crushing of Walled Lake Central. So then it was a home game for the Spartans against the Warriors from Walled Lake Western. This would be a battle for the Western Lakes Activities Association championship. The Spartans won the Lakes division, the Warriors won the Western division. The Spartans were 6-0, the Warriors were 5-1. Who would prevail? Again, not even close. The Spartans beat Walled Lake Western without breaking a sweat, 35-3. So there they are, the Spartans, won their first conference title in any conference and the last WLAA championship before the conference merges with the Kensington Valley Conference. I have to say, these boys are tough to beat. But their quest is not done yet. They must travel to one more game against Brighton before the state playoffs start. I have a good feeling these Spartans will be playing Thanksgiving weekend at Ford Field for the state championship. SPARTANS, PREPARE FOR GLORY!

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Kevin Michael "It Don't Make Any Difference To Me"

No Mercy results

To say the least, No Mercy brought a pretty good adjustment to my record. I went 3-2 for No Mercy, so my record stands at 117-94. I gotta give big ups to Triple H, Batista, and CM Punk for saving me. But Randy Orton and Candice, don't come asking me for favors (Note 1: I counted the original WWE Championship as the one I picked Matt Hardy to win, but when the match was official, I went with Randy Orton. Stupid. I did count Triple H's win over Umaga in my win column. I didn't, however, count the Last Man Standing match to my record because I never made a pick for it) (Note 2: I also tossed the Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio match because it was a no contest). Guess I could have done worse though.

By time's up, you've been great. For the road: Jennifer Lopez "Do It Well"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Lions vs. Redskins game

The Hero: Jason Campbell. The Redskins' 25-year-old QB was pretty much flawless, completing 79% of his passes for two touchdowns and a 125.3 rating. Guess it helps when you're not sacked five times, like Kitna was.
The Goat: Jon Kitna. He had one of his worst games as a Lion, just when a win would have made a lot of doubts go away.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Nicole Scherzinger "Baby Love"

No Mercy card & picks

WWE Championship Match: A new WWE champion will be crowned tonight, the participants of this match have yet to be determined.

Punjabi Prison Match for the World Heavyweight Championship: Batista vs. The Great Khali

Singles Match: Triple H vs. Umaga

ECW World Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Big Daddy V

WWE Women's Championship Match: Candice Michelle (c) vs. Beth Phoenix

Singles Match: Finlay vs. Rey Mysterio

To say the least, this card is the most difficult to pick. I've dealt with matches where the fan vote decides one fighter, but never a match in which none of the particapants has been named. So that means I will need to pull a name out the air to win the WWE Championship (where the first roster member I list will be the new WWE Champion). Well enough chit-chat. Here are my picks. I'll take Matt Hardy (sunject to change at match time), Batista, Triple H, CM Punk, Rey Mysterio, and Candice. At this moment, I stand at 114-92. I just I hope my winning ways don't end tonight.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Faboulous "Baby Don't Go"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Northwestern vs. Michigan State game

The Hero: C.J. Bacher. The junior QB threw for a school-record 520 yards and five TDs. He was given plenty of time and completed a whopping 38 of 48 passes.
The Goat: MSU defense. The Spartans took the day off. What happened to the ferocious pass rush of the first five games? The defense managed only one sack, and there was shoddy tackling, bad pursuit angles and blown coverages. It was a major step back for what was considered a team strength.

From the Eastern Michigan vs. Michigan game

The Hero: Mike Hart. Say hello to Michigan's new all-time leading rusher. He broke Anthony Thomas' school record of 4,472 yards in the first quarter, then broke or tied several other marks later in the afternoon. He finished with 215 yards and three touchdowns.
The Goat: EMU's offense. Despite putting on one impressive scoring drive and owning the time of possession, the Eagles couldn't put enough points on the board to win.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Ashley Tisdale "He Said She Said"

Could it be his time?

I've been hearing reports that Jeff Hardy could be competing tomorrow at Unforgiven for the WWE Championship (picks coming tomorrow). So should the young man from Cameron, North Carolina finally get his shot? It's sort of a mixed bag with Jeff Hardy. First off, he's still got a few demons. Yes, he is still sober, but keeping track of time is still something he hasn't mastered. Less than a year back in the WWE, he was suspended 30 days for not arriving on time, something he did often in his first WWE run. Secondly, Jeff's main event status is very limited and lacking. Aside from Royal Rumble Matches, he's never competed in a PPV main event. As for the pros, Jeff is easily one of the best, most thrilling superstars on the roster and giving him a push for the title would make Jeff a lot more fun to watch in the ring. Secondly, like I said previously, the Rainbow Haired Warrior has sobered up and stopped taking drugs. Third, Jeff's daredevil antics make him a crowd favorite, and gets one of the biggest pops of the night, almost every night. And finally, flash back to 2002, when Jeff took on the Undertaker in a ladder match for the WWE Undisputed Championship. Sure, Jeff came out on the losing end. But that match was proof that he can compete with the big boys and one day battle for the title. So, maybe, just maybe, it is Jeff Hardy's turn.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Soulja Boy Tell'em "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"

You what grinds my gears?

The tabloids. Every freaking day, they are going out there, hounding celebrities, making there lives miserable. Honestly, there must be more to life then chasing stars with a camera. Why else have Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan been under so much stress? Simple, the papparazzi. It's basically legalized stalking. No wonder these women have been under so pressure and doing things they normally wouldn't do. When will the papparazzi learn? They've put Reese Witherspoon and her children in harm's way, gotten women like Britney and Lindsay into traffic incidents, and I even so one clip where they were being ignored by Rebecca Romaijn and one photographer yelled, "No wonder John Stamos left you, bitch!" That's just wrong and cold. And you'd think they'd learn their lession after Diana, Princess of Wales was killed in a Paris tunnel trying to escape the camera's lenses, but noooooooooo! Geez. They should be a better (and healthier) way of getting photos. Red carpet events, magazine shoots, yes. While they're shopping or spending time with their kids, no.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: 50 Cent "Ayo Technology"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Ducks vs. Red Wings game

The Hero: Jiri Hudler. Hudler did want Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg couldn't -- score the lone goal in the shoot-out.
The Goat: Corey Perry. Perry looked like a cheap-shot artist during regulation (he led the Ducks with 11 penalty minutes). During the shoot-out, he took the weakest shot I've ever seen.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: T.I. "You Know What It Is"

313's Heroes and Goats

From the Tigers vs. White Sox game

The Hero: Ordonez. MVP! MVP! MVP! His first-inning double started the Tigers' scoring, and his fifth-inning single drove in the winning run.
The Goat: Jose Conteras. Not a good day for Conteras, who allowed five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings. It was the third time in three starts vs. the Tigers that Conteras has allowed at least five runs.

From the Bears vs. Lions game

The Hero: Jon Kitna. He directed three fourth-quarter drives, including the crucial answer to Devin Hester's momentum-swinging return TD. And only one turnover!
The Goat: Brian Griese. The former Wolverine's three interceptions -- including two in the red zone -- were too much for the Bears to overcome. Rex Grossman could have done that.

My time's up, you've been great. For the road: Chris Brown "Kiss Kiss"