Upcoming this Weekend

Well it seems another long week has come and gone, and with the beginning of the weekend I wanted to create a list of big-time sports and show previews so you don't miss any of the action!

College GameDay Feature Game--Oregon - Stanford (coverage starting Saturday 8:00 p.m. EST on ABC): 

Power vs. Speed, Luck vs. LaMichael, is there any better way to spend your Saturday than watching this Pac-12 match-up with national title implications on the line? We didn't think so, and either should you. Assemble you football compatriots, grab a beer, and watch the fireworks fly in this GameDay offensive showcase. 

The Walking Dead (starting Sunday 9:00 p.m. EST on AMC):

After discovering the dark side or Rick in the first few episodes, Season 2 of The Walking Dead is on a roll now, leaving cliff-hanger after cliff-hanger. Be sure to check out this weekends episode to discover if the crew will find Sophia--what will happen to Daryl after he falls onto one of his arrows--and last, but certainly not least, what appears to be the return of Daryl's brother! Make sure you don't miss the next suspense-packed episode of one of AMC's greatest shows! 

Hell On Wheels  (starting Sunday 9:00 p.m. EST on AMC)

The season premiere of AMC's latest show certainly was great, and with a quick plot twist early on in the series we should expect bigger things from this week's installment. Be sure to stay-tuned to AMC right after The Walking Dead to see if Hell On Wheels can keep up its head of steam! 

Enjoy your weekend and be sure to follow and keep commenting!

-John Jr. 

Destruction of an Icon

As many of you may know, Joe Paterno, coach of the Penn St. Nittany Lions will most likely be exiting his position as head coach of the Penn St. men's football team. Paterno has 409 Division I football wins and has served as Penn St. head coach for 45 years, both Division I records. He is known as a legend and an innovator, but now he is amidst fire for the child sex-scandal that took place by one of Penn St.'s former assistant coaches Jerry Sandusky. I am not going to lavish you with all the details (check out the article below this post for more infomation), but basically Paterno testified early today before the grand jury, and then his scheduled media conference was cancelled shortly after The New York Times reported that he would be "exiting the position of head football coach" sometime this coming week.

Sandusky (left) and Paterno (right) 

I am going to be upfront, I can't give you a straight answer on who is right and who is wrong in this horrific situation. If Paterno is telling the truth, then he technically followed proper protocol involving the situation, but why wouldn't he ensure an investigation occurred? And furthermore, why didn't he confront Sandusky when he heard from his graduate assistant that Sandusky was sexually abusing a ten-year-old boy in the locker room shower? 

Much of this puzzle remains unsolved, and it is clear that the university will terminate Paterno in an effort to save what dignity they have left. Penn St. officials cancelled Paterno press conference in order to avoid the spread of his controversial testimony that he properly reported this situation. They are trying to gain a buffer and maintain some damage control for a situation that is spiraling out of control in the media. Although it is controversial evidence against Penn St., Paterno may just hold the key to the prosecution's case, and provide enough elements to turn a jury decision in favor of a conviction for both Athletic Director Tim Curley (charged with perjury) and Sandusky (charged with over 40 counts of sexual abuse and assault on a child). It is my hope that Paterno is true to the image he has earned for himself as a caring and honest man over his many years as head football coach, and that he testified truthfully--regardless of the implications and penalties it may cause Penn St. University and its officials. 

This is a deeply sad day not only for the state of Pennsylvania, but the entire United States. How did this storied program fail to protect innocent children from unspeakable crimes? Why did Penn St. officials fail to launch an investigation at the time of the initial allegations? Was it to protect the prestige and sacredness of the Penn St program? Was it worth it? 

All these questions are yet to be answered, and we the people must demand these answers. Penn St. must have been able to more than it did to protect the innocence and seek justice for these 8 children forever scarred. Now they will pay the price and answer to the public--Sandusky, A.D. Curley, and even Paterno must explain. There will be no easy way out, and Pennsylvania State University will be forever tarnished in what truly is the destruction of an icon. 

(Click here to see an interesting and highly edgy/controversial article about the scandal from Sports Illustrated. Also please follow and comment your opinions, and donate to our cause if you are feeling generous!)

-John Jr. 

Modern Warfare 3 vs Battlefield 3--Preview

With the release of Modern Warfare 3 a little over an hour ago (central time), the long awaited debate will begin--what is the better game, Modern Warfare 3 or Battlefield 3? This seems like a considerably hard decision, hell, I can't even decided which commercial is better! 

Modern Warfare 3--There is a Soldier in All of Us

Battelfield 3--99 Problems

I was able to play the Battlefield 3 Beta test during the two weeks it was out, and I have to say I really enjoyed the way the gameplay flows. I have also been keeping a close eye on Modern Warfare 3 streams in the last hour and noticed the gameplay is at least what we have come to expect from the Call of Duty series (take it as good or bad--your call). With that being said, I feel as though we might be comparing apples and oranges. 

Battlefield takes on a larger scale, placing one amongst an full chaotic war-zone (pitting players up to 64 vs. 64 in a single game!) BF3 is also much more realistic and holds a much more accurate depiction of modern combat than the Call of Duty series (No, you can't quick-scope in it).

Modern Warfare, like the rest of the Call of Duty games, places a higher precedence on individual skill and competitive play, and will most likely be played on the Major League Gaming circuit next year. Basically what I am trying to say is MW3 plays more of arcade-shooter role, where game awareness, shooting ability, call-outs, and in-game strategy and map knowledge give a player a greater advantage than they do in BF3 (Advanced and highly-skilled players will thrive in this game).

We all knew these games would play very differently, and how differently they are enjoyed will be up to you. Whether you enjoy picking off a foe with a precision sniper shot 200 yards away in Battlefield 3, or running train on a group of noobs using the throwing knife and UMP 45 combo in Modern Warfare--one thing is certain--these latest installments of the prolific Call of Duty and Battlefield series will be sure-fire hits amongst FPS fans.

Stay tuned for further analysis of these games' strengths and flaws in the full review coming soon!

Signing out,

John Jr. 

Hell on Wheels Season Premiere

After watching the season premiere of Hell on Wheels, we have to say that it has us waiting anxiously for the next episode.  Honestly we are very surprised--although AMC excels in television shows--that a "western" genre captured our attention like Hell on Wheels.

Hell on Wheels jumped straight into the action, with the first scene involving a bullet through the head of an unfortunate union soldier via our main character Cullen Bohannon (Anson Mount). Bohannon is a rough around the edges ex-Confederate soldier who seems to be hiding a sympathetic side drawn out by his late wife. After killing the union soldier during a confessional, Bohannon wastes no time in his search to find the men who murdered his wife. This leads him to the outer reaches of the Union Pacific Railroad, where he meets Elam Ferguson (Common) and Daniel Johnson (Ted Levine).  Lily Bell (Dominique McElligott) is briefly introduced in a scene involving an Native American attack on her expedition and mapmaking team's camp site. A greedy entrepreneur, Thomas 'Doc Durant (Colm Meaney), is portrayed in another scene as taking full advantage of the changing economic landscape through the railroad industry. The way all these characters will interact is not completely revealed in the premiere, and it will be interesting to see how it pans out throughout the rest of the season. The first episode depicts the brutal working environments and intense racism that will envelop the senses, and an early plot twist towards the end of the episode will leave you begging for more. 

The Hell on Wheels premiere provided a raw and unadulterated view into the social norms and culture of post-civil war era, manifested through the ideals of white supremacy amongst the upper level task overseers. It's use of course language and visual indecencies add to it's sense of realism and allure. Hell on Wheels is rough around the edges, and we definitely like the brash and blunt beginning to what appears to be like the next great series from AMC.

Follow and comment below if you are excited for next week's episode!

-JJ and JT 

Hell on Wheels - A Pre Thought

The premiere of Hell on Wheels is approaching quickly, and with that I wanted to share some of the thoughts I have on it.  First off, it's from AMC which has some of the best shows on television at the moment.  Secondly, the presented story line is very original in a time when many shows lack a unique plot.  Finally, if the show doesn't lack action and isn't too slow, something most Americans unfortunately need to stay interested, then I feel it will do well.  Hopefully it can live up to the same level as the show that precedes it.  Look for our opinion about it after the show.

Please Comment.

-JT

Nearly a Belle: M-I-Z! S-E-C!

Nearly a Belle: M-I-Z! S-E-C!

M-I-Z S-E-C?

It is official--the South Eastern Athletic Conference has announced the University of Missouri has been accepted to join starting in the academic year of 2012-2013. After a lengthy exchange between Mizzou and SEC presidents and chancellors over the period of a several weeks, the Tigers were voted unanimously to join the conference along with fellow Big 12 competitor Texas A&M. For official details about the move click here.

Now to the point, was this a good or bad move for the Tigers? On pen and paper, it looks like a solid new fit for most Missouri athletics besides wrestling (The SEC doesn't have wrestling, go figure). The majority of Mizzou fans are really excited about the move out of the Big 12 and into the SEC, but there is pivotal point that they fail to realize about the transition--THE SEC IS BEST FOOTBALL CONFERENCE IN THE NATION. 

Let's be honest, no one gives shit about softball or wrestling or any other college sport for that matter. It all boils down to football, that is all the fans really care about, and in terms of football this move was a terrible decision. "Being in the SEC will lure in better recruits," a Mizzou fan will tell you. Wrong, going 3-9 will not bring in better recruits, especially when Mizzou can't even secure the best recruits from it's own state. "We will at least be able to beat Tennessee, Vanderbilt, and Ole Miss," wrong again, people fail to realize the size and speed difference of the athletes in the SEC, even from the lower tier teams such as those listed above. They are big and fast and can actually play defense, unlike most teams in the Big 12. 

Mizzou was sitting pretty right where it was, playing in the incredibly over-hyped conference known as the Big 12. Point in example, Mizzou has lost it's past two bowl games to out of conference opponents although they were ranked in the top 25 (and one of them was a blow-out to Navy!). This is because the Big 12 is a conference will smaller athletes and less defense, which plays right into the hands of Mizzou's Spread and shoot-out style offense. Leaving the Big 12 was probably the worst thing that could happen to Mizzou's football program, especially in what they would consider a rebuilding year (they are 4-5 after a loss to Baylor last night). 

Some will read this and think I'm bashing Mizzou, no I am not all, I am bashing Mizzou's ignorance. Mizzou needs to know what they are--a mid-tier team in an over-hyped conference. In the Big 12, Mizzou is almost guaranteed a bowl game every year (I mean come on, they play Kansas and Iowa State every year), as well as a top 25 ranking. People are going to tell me they didn't just change for football though, and I will tell them right back "Yeah that is why they joined a conference with no wrestling when Mizzou has been a national contender in wrestling every year for the past 4 years." 

They clearly don't care about the other sports, this was a football move and a business move, and if you were a student at Mizzou you would realize the university is just doing what it can to get it's greedy hands on a little more of that green. 

-John O'Connor 

Alabama vs. LSU

With all the hype surrounding this game I wouldn't be surprised that people are going to scrutinize it for its lack of "excitement."  I can just hear the complaints about how both teams lack offense and flamboyancy, most of this probably coming from the fans of the Big 12 and Pac 12, who are used to high scoring games that usually lack a true defense.  In my opinion these teams are among the best in the nation and deserved every bit of attention they got.  If you need proof just look at who has won the National Title the last few years.  Remember  offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships.  The idea of low scoring games may turn people away, but I hope that the days of smash mouth and run first football start to flourish again in College Football.

Newcastle United

With the brutal stretch of games oncoming in the weeks to follow (Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea) the true test of how good this side is will be tested.  Newcastle has composed themselves, even without the help of star players, proving that the right combination can be more important than the combination of the 0's on a players contract.  I hope that the next games will only help to fuel their passion to remain one of the top clubs in the EPL this year.  As long as injuries don't plague the team and spirits remain high, Tyneside has a lot to look forward too.  C'mon Magpies!

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