Football, more football and some hockey for good measure

Losing to Notre Dame is never acceptable. Let's get that out of the way right now. But despite a somewhat lopsided score I was actually encouraged by some of the stuff my Wolverines did on Saturday. Not enough to get over losing to the hated Irish, but still encouraged nonetheless.
First of all, a star was born. Michigan freshman HB Sam McGuffie is the real deal. The Youtube sensation showed that he is quick as a whip and not afraid to take and/or deliver some punishment as well. He really is a dynamic playmaker and if he can stay healthy, he may turn out to be the ideal weapon for Rich Rod's spread option offense.
Second, after being absolutely dreadful for the 1st two games of the year, the Michigan offense showed some life. The passing game actually made some big plays as Steven Threet definitely made his case to be the full time QB. The fact of the matter is that had Michigan simply taken care of the ball (7 fumbles, 4 of them lost, and 2 interceptions) the game could have easily swung in their favor. The carelessness with the ball will have to be stressed and I am sure that will happen in a big way.
The defense still looked underwhelming, especially since it was considered to be the team's one strength coming into the season. Next up is a bye week, and I am sure coach Rod is gonna work the boys hard and fast. Then it's the Big 10 opener against highly ranked Wisconsin. This season still has ugly written all over it, but at least some progress is being made.

As for my St. Louis Rams, well, they suck. And I mean that in the worst possible way. They were somehow still in the game midway through the 3rd quarter (because of a flukey TD pass to Torry Holt) and then basically just folded like a cheap tent. The defense is beyond horrible. I know every Rams' fan wants head coach Scott Linehan fired, and I understand, but defensive coordinator Jim Haslett should be the first to go. His defense is about as tough as a wet kleenex and has shown no signs of improvement in his 3 seasons here. There are also some rumors floating around that he hasn't been exactly supportive of Linehan either, supposedly doing a lot of squaking behind Linehan's back. It's painfully obvious that the teams is coming apart at the seams and if Mr. Haslett has been making things worse then I hope he is run out of town on a rail.
The Rams are in a shambles now and the only way I see to get them back to respectibility is to fire Linehan and Haslett and somehow lure Marty Schottenheimer out of retirement. He may never win us a Super Bowl (or even a playoff game!) but he would toughen this team up, get back to fundamentals, send the problem children packing and lay a good foundation for years to come. It probably won't happen, so please just let me have my dream in peace. The only good news about the Rams this season is that it gives me someone to pick each week in my Lock-Of-The-Week pool; I just simply pick whoever the Rams are playing.

In gaming news, I am still waiting for Madden's 2nd patch. In the meantime I picked up NHL '09 and it is a beautiful thing. Be A Pro mode lets you create a player and work your way up through the minors. The game plays like a dream and only has a few minor issues that can hopefuly be addressed in a patch. I am so enamored with BAP mode that I have rarely touched the regular hockey segments. If you are looking for a nice, first class, FUN sports game, take a look at NHL '09.

That's all for now. Laurel had a nice birthday, John is doing well but not sleeping, Zach and Jess are navigating their way through high school and my lovely Barbara is somehow functioning despite working long hours and getting up 3-4 times a night with John. How she does it all, I'll never know, but I sure do admire her.