82-0 Here We Come!

Rain on competition like razor sharp confetti...

Quick hitters from the Nuggets opening night win over the Utah Jazz:

-All the rumors and chatter about Aron Affalo stepping up on the offensive end just may be true. Affalo looked smooth and crisp (Aron Affalo: the human celery stick?) in the paint and hitting the deep ball. Since Affalo will normally be paired against the opponent's top scorer at the 2 or 3 spot, he really has the chance to make his mark on both ends of the court this year.

-Nerve Tonic looks like a physical, hard nosed player; he has the body type and length. However, for some reason I can't see him starting and loggin nearly 30 minutes all year. He is an excellent 15-20 minute, grab 7-10 boards type player.

-Watch out for Ty Lawson getting all up in Deron Williams ass all season long.

-Game One and the new NBA replay policy is already tired and in need of tweaking. Do we need to get the flatty out on breakaway fouls? To make it interesting, I think the TV should be one of those quarter operated ones that used to be in bus stations.

-Melvin Ely's beard looks like he picked it up at the Halloween Superstore on the way to the game.

-Let's not get ahead of ourselves and think this game is a model of what to show Melo about all that is right baout staying in Denver. His mind is made up- the Nuggets could start 10-0 smoking the NBA and he'd still want out oif town. The tough decision comes to Kroenke The Younger and the brass as to when to pull the trigger on a possible deal. Keep an eye on the records of the teams in the Melo sweepstakes. (Andre Iguodala seems the ideal player if the Sixers are looking to get back in the mix. You'd be able to plug him in and still be a very competitive team.)

-They keep upping the Free Taco ante, now at 110 points?! If the old Loyola Marymount teams had that offer, their fan base would be rahter rotund.

-If you buy your toddler a Rocky stuffed animal before she really gets into watching TV, then she sees the actual Rocky on TV months later, be prepared for a constant "Where Rocky?" and "more Rocky" during the entire first quarter. That's the SG parenting tip of the month.

RELATED: MC Serch - "Here It Comes" - ("I heard the rumors and the fables...")

Stop Giving Juice to the Raiders

I got techniques drippin out my butt cheeks,
Sleep on my stomach so I don't fuck up my sheets...

DROPS from the Buffs loss to the Red Raiders and Bronco debacle versus the Raiders:

DROP: Enough. Dan Hawkins and his staff have had more than enough time to show us anything. The time has come to get the coaching search really amped up and bring in a leader and guy who actually knows Xs and Os to lead the Buffs into the Pac 12. As the seconds ticked off the clock at Folsom in the Buffs loss to Texas Tech, I went from my seat to the rail to give Hawk some trash talk as he strolled past. You know what though? I couldn't do it. Hawk walked from the 50 yard line all the way to the locker room alone. He had all the look of a completely broken man. And this is the leader of young men? This game was there for the taking, but then his coaching took over. A ten point lead evaporated as the defense showed no creativity and allowed Tech to move up and down the field. The offense went limp (1st and 5 on inside the Tech 20 and three straight passes?) and the special teams went the way Buff special teams have gone since Mason Crosby graduated. The starting QB is out with a ruptured spleen and OU awaits. The AD will have more empty seats for the remaining two home games than any Boy Scout troop can fill. Do it now, cut the cord, start anew. It's the Big 12, brutha, and you don't fit into it or the Pac 12.

DROP: All the misguided chest pumping after the loss the Jets last week went south as soon as Zach Miller ran completely untouched nearly 50 yards for the beginning of the Raiders onslaught at Invesco. Game over. The offense mailed it in shortly thereafter and the defense just didn't have the horses to compete against the Raiders (yes, the Raiders, whose offensive "stars" are a virtual "who?" and retreads and never-weres.) This might be the first crack in the great Orange wall (59 points might be a crack worthy of a ten concrete truck repair) and Coach McHoody's downfall. Kyle Orton looked like the Kyle Orton we all remembered. Knowshon Moreno looked like an idiot celebrating a TD down 38-7. The O-line looked like matadors. The defense had no punch, plain and simple quitting as Darren McFadden just scoerd again. The fans had every right to boo the hell out of the team, but most seemed more in complete shock. The real shock may be coming as the air turns colder and teams run more, something the Donks don't see apt to doing or stopping. That crack could be getting bigger by the week.

RELATED: Black Star - "Respiration" - ("The beast crept through concrete jungles...")

Southern Politics

Cause I'm malicious, vicious on the mic is how I am
And I always do as I like, cause I demand
The utmost respect from you
Because you should give respect where respect is due

The Pac 10 luminaries split up the future 12 Pac yesterday and Dear Ol' CU ended up in the Southern Division with the LA and Arizona schools. Obviously, as my man Fresh Marcus likes to say there was some "politicking" to get CU and Utah into the South Division. Part of that was altering the location of the University by a couple hundred miles to the south.

Man, I can't wait to get back to Alamosa tomorrow for the CU game. All those memories of colliegiate life in Alamosa get me feeling a bit nostalgic. To boot, they also moved The University of Utah from SLC to St. George (which, according to rumors, is where Osama Bin Laden is hiding because St. George and Afghanistan have similar climates and terrain. So next time you're on a roadie to Vegas and the dude helping you at Subway is a 6'5" Arab with a salt and pepper beard, call the CIA tipline.)

Apparently no one west of the Rockies has ever really looked at a map to see that CU and Utah may not, in fact, be "south" of their Bay Area counterparts. But really, does anyone out there care. They still think we're battling Indians and panning for gold nuggets. Oh yeah, and they know we have good weed.

The Pac 10: Conference of Champions, but not the conference of geography.

RELATED: K-Solo - "I Can't Hold Back" - ("...to put my face on the map.")

RIP Eyedea

Another death has hit the Hip Hop game as Rhymesayers MC Eyedea has passed away. He was only 28 years old. Although his latest release By The Throat was a disappointing effort in my eyes (I don't know why, it may be label pressure, but some white MCs seem to gravitate to "alternative/emo/mash up" delivery and style in their later releases, and this album seemed to border on that) their second release E & A was on steady rotation a few years back. Eyedea cut his teeth at an early age in battles and cyphers and when matched with Abilities' beats the result was a rpid fire precise effort. A definite highlight was "Now" which even made it on the SG Summer Beers mix a couple summers back. RIP.

Fuzzy Math in Boulder

I write prescriptions, of words that fit in
The thought gets prescribed, as I kick it live

PROPS and DROPS from the Buffs loss to the Baylor Bears and the Broncos last minute loss to the Jets:

DROPS: Early in the game the Buffs put together an impressive drive down the field and score a TD. Hooray, right? You showed Baylor you are efficient, tough, and this is your field. Then inexplicitly, you decide to use the goofy “swinging gate” and go for two. In the first quarter. Conversion no good, 6-0 Buffs, home crowd booing, a bit of air out of the team and crowd. Now, you are “chasing points” the whole game. Next TD, you go for two again: no good. Later in the game, because of your missed conversions, Baylor goes for two and makes it. A net difference of three points. Go for the standard PATs and when the Buffs score their last TD late in the game a 2pt conversion ties the game! Dammit, now I need an abacus.

DROPS: Was it or wasn’t it a pass interference call on Reanldo Hill late in the Donks game that lead to the winning Jets TD? Replays proved it actually was, but replays can show a penalty on damn near every play. Did Hill prevent Santonio Holmes from catching that ball, which was underthrown? Probably not, and the official in front of the play agreed, as the official behind the two threw the flag. It is like basketball, you can’t call that flag at that point in time.

PROPS: After the Donks two interceptions the PA blared Tag Team’s “Whoomp! There It is” (rumors have always flown that those dudes are from Denver) and Montell Jordan’s “This Is How We Do It.” How 90’s poppy of them. Anyone know what Montell Jordan is doing, that dude was pretty big? He’d make a good tight end.

DROPS: Baylor’s Robert Griffin is the real deal. The good news is he won’t be playing the Buffs anymore and as a world class hurdler we can root for him in London in two years. U-S-A! U-S-A!

DROPS: It would be easy to fault Buff RB Will Jefferson for fumbling on his way to a touchdown. It would’ve put the Buffs up by two scores and then the Bears took the fumble and turned it into their own lead. However, look at why Jefferson was running the ball. He’s a wide receiver who was moved to RB this week. He’s playing a Big 12 game at RB after being a WR for two years with days of practice. One Buff backup left the team (here’s an idea, he’s a kid, go talk to him, nuture him, tell him come back to the team, you know coach him) recently and the rest of the RBs are freshmen or walk-ons. A huge recruiting gap by Dan and his merry band of coaches.

PROPS: Early in the second quarter the sun shined throughout the world, all war stopped, children sung in harmony, gas prices dropped by 75 cents, kegs ran freely at bars everywhere, that chick from accounting called you, everything was glorious: Tim Tebow scored an NFL touchdown.

DROPS: Another game goes by and the long pass downfield for the Buffs is non-existent. These WRs are damn good and damn fast, and run the gamut from the diminutive to the tall variety. Throw it up and let them go get it.

DROPS: On the surface the Donks special teams looked pretty good: a 59 yard FG (hey Dierdorf this isn’t Coors Field, a football isn’t a baseball, and Tom Dempsey didn’t make his long FG here, so quit acting like the air is a huge advantage to the kickers) and and on-side kick. But scratch deeper and see a missed 49 yarder and a botched hold, six points off the board.

PROPS: Jason Hunter, picked up off the street (not really the street, but Seattle) before the season started may have been the best defensive player yesterday. He was all over in the run game and more impressive with his drops covering LT and crew out of the backfield.

DROPS: Baylor didn’t punt at all in the game. However, when it is all said and done, they basically punted Dan Hawkins out of town.

RELATED: Prodigy - "Keep It Thoro" - ("...only if the math is real")

Slow Melo News

Father of all stylin, I be wildin on wax
We hack shit up like big ax and little ax...

Haven't heard to much about Melo skipping town lately, have you? Here's some theories as to why:

-Chauncey has been trying to one up Melo's Olympuic medal by flaunting his own World Championship medal won in Turkey this summer. Chauncey keeps wearing it in the shower saying "Waddup, turkey!" Melo just loves that joke.

-Two words: Melvin Ely.

-Tim Tebow has sought out Melo and the two have formed an inseparable friendship. Think Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor in 'Stir Crazy.'

-Radio, TV, and 'net transmissions have stalled because of Sheldan Williams' head. Seriously, have you seen that dudes head? He looks like Ken Griffey on The Simpsons when he overdosed on nerve tonic. I seriously might scream "nerve tonic" everytime he touches the ball this year.

-Two words: Eric Boateng. Plus, that is fun to say: "boaaa-tennnng! Boaaaa-teng!"

-Melo's lame propensity for constantly wearing huge cop-style shades inside has turned off potential suitors where they actually play games indoors. So, like all the league.

-Maybe, just maybe, the combo of George Karl and Nuggets' brass is in Melo's ear, explaining to him that they can pay him the most. They've broke down how they can be a team in transition, moving K-Mart, JR Smith's new attitude, and a guard combo of vet Chauncey and fireplug Ty Lawson. How Al Harrington is a scorer and they will add a big man to go with Nene. They show Melo the rigid structure and stability at the top of the organization and that Denver is the place for him

-If you believe the above, you too may want to get addicted to nerve tonic.

RELATED: Biz Markie - "Vapors" - ("Radio, TV, and even the press...")

Not Very Raven

PROPS and DROPS from the Buffs' shellacking at the hands of Mizzou and the Broncos loss in Baltimore...

DROPS: When it comes to the Donks and a ground game, you best be talking about the bus they take to the airport. Five games into the season and it is pretty evident that the Donk running game is non-existant. 259 yards is what they have thus far. That's for the entire season. What does this tell us? One, the three injured guys on the line aren't even close to being 100% and that even at their injured status they are better than the dudes behind them at full speed. Two, the running backs would rather dance/Dougie behind the hurt line rather than go north and south. Three, the staff is trying to get creative to get some space (reverses, counters) but it just isn't happenning because you still need some blocking.

DROPS: CU special teams Coach Kent Riddle had a tough week after his "mentor" was fired from the Miami Dolphins. The same Miami special teams coach who had the worst NFL special teams performance this past MNF versus the Patriots. Apparently, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Riddle and his unit had a blocked punt, long returns, two missed FGs, penalties, and a huge fake punt for a Mizzou first down that all but took the life out of a gassed CU defense (and the MU punter looked like he was running the speed of an old Intellivision football player.) Riddle is one of the higher paid coaches, yet Coach Hawk's blind loyalty to him is comical despite the unit being piss poor the past two years.

DROPS: Is that Ed Reed on the sideline or Lysol from 'The Mad Real World'?

DROPS: Benching Tyler Hansen for Cody Hawkins in the third quarter (I got a text from my buddy D2 when it happened that simply read "shoot me now") made absolutely no sense. Hawkins the Elder explained it by saying he was hoping to get a "spark." A spark would be if you brought in a running QB or a wildcat type option. Not a drop back Qb who happens to be divisive to Buff Nation. Leave Hansen in if he is your starter, let him work against the Mizzou second team, develop with his WRs (one of whom, Travon Patterson is still only two months into his CU career) and keep the enigmatic Hawkins on the bench.

DROPS: Joe Flacco seems like a decent QB, but sfter watching the Ravens, he really doesn't need to do much. The Ravens line up and punish with a fullback and dare you stop them on the ground. The Broncos couldn't stop it, so Flacco didn't need to drop back too much. When he did, he missed several wide open receivers. Back to Ray Rice (dude was standing on the sideline looking like someone's little brother) and Willis MacGahee in steady doses.

PROPS: Brandon Lloyd is having a tremendous year thus far. That sound of computers clicking? Every fantasy owner trying to pick him up. Kind of "third receiver" guy throughout his career, we now see a guy with OK speed who runs precise routes and has his QB's trust. Think Ed McCaffery type.

DROPS: Mizzou QB Blaine Gabbert was Vicked in the ribs early in the game, yet CU made no attempt to rattle him and his fragile mid section the rest of the game. Might sound a bit dirty, but get their best player on the sideline.

DROPS: Yo, Dan Fouts, mix in "A Touch of Men" or a magic marker. Keith Hernandez approved.

PROPS: No more trips to Columbia for the Black And Gold, and no more fifth down talk ever again. Those damn Tiger fans are like a scorned girlfriend who never forgets the way you totally dicked her over your junior year when it comes to fifth down. Move on, Tigers, find yourselves a new dude to be mad at.

DROPS: Penalties on the Donks are one thing, but stupid penalties are indicative of mental and coaching mistakes. Delay of game and too many men on the field are the latter. Throw in having to take timeouts because you have 10 men on the field and it should be another flag for not knowing the rules of football.

RELATED: Audio Two - "I Don't Care" - ("You look puzzled, it isn't a riddle")

Mr Green & Pacewon- Liquor And Drugs

New joint from Pacewon and Mr Green aptly titled "Liquor And Drugs" from they're upcoming The Only Color That Matters Is Won. Their debut album was one of my favorites from 2008, and if this track is any indication the followup should be equally dope. Besides the production and lyrics ("eyes so red they might start bleeding") two things stand out in this video. One, the dude rocking the Dominos Pizza umbrella hat: where do I get one and can I wear it to my next formal dinner? Two, Mr Green copping a cube of Coors Light and skateboarding away with it. That shit is harder than it looks.

No Grit At Coors

Im takin ya back come follow me
on a journey to see a for real MC...

The MLB playoffs start today and I've looked high and low, sweet and low, near and far, far and side, and I can't find our Colorado Rockies on the schedule.

A team that seemed destined to be in the playoffs for the third time in four years stumbled, bumbled, and plainly sucked down the stretch to finish a ho-hum two games over 500.

We can list the reasons for the slide, from worn out arms to lack of clutch hitting to Dinger taking a crap in the planter on the club level. However, one aspect of the team needs to be looked at.

I've had a chance to catch Ken Burns "10th Inning" on PBS (yes, The Commish is all snooty catching PBS shows, as Doughboy said in Boyz In The Hood : "I can read muthafucka!") and the 30 for 30 that aired on the 04 Red Sox. Both highlighted what the Roc are missing outside of the Mulleted One (is he gonna let that thing grow all offseason to full Bill Ray Cyrus length?) and that's attitude.

Those Red Sox teams had dudes who were gritty, ass-kickers, no-nonsense guys. Last year's Yankee team had Derek Jeter banging the whole "Friday Night Lights" cast and leading. The Phillies have those types in Chase Utley and even Jimmy Rollins.

The Rockies have the big players, but can you see CarGo slamming a Gatorade cooler in the clubhouse. Jason Giambi is a veteran, but how much can a cartoonish pinch hitter lead a team? Todd Helton? Does Dexter Fowler get you pumped? Even Jim Tracy doesn't seem like the old school "get your fucking asses in gear" type.

With the Rockies window inching a bit closer, it will be time to be very active in this year's hot stove and bring in the types that might only bat 275, but will bat that ass if needed.

RELATED: Cypress Hill - "I Ain't Going Out Like That" - ("Outlaw, kickin like Billy Ray Cypress Hill")

Buffs Bite Dawgs

PROPS and DROPS from the Buffs Blackout win over Georgia and the Broncos road triumph over the Titans:

PROPS: The late play on which Georgia fumbled wasn't a botched play on the Dawgs' part. Buff linebacker BJ Beatty snuffed out the play beautifully, reading the line and arriving at the same time as the handoff. While the ball was loose he then held back teh UGA running back and allowed fellow LB Jon Major to recover the ball. This is where I could put in something like "Major Pain!" but I won't because it reminds me of an old No Fear shirt.

PROPS: Best player in the Donks win? Orton was big time. Robert Ayers I thought played with passion and got big push. Champ was his usual self. Even Parrish Cox atoned for some early slip ups and finished strong. But the best player was the oldest guy on the field, Brian Dawkins. He didn't allow anything over the middle longer than 10 yards (although I'm not sure Vince Young can throw that route.) His run support was key in holding Chris Johnson to a platry sum, see the play where the 35+ Dawkins made a textbook one on tackle for a loss on the NFL's 09 leading rusher.

DROPS: Georgia WR AJ Green is everything he is cracked up to be, a physical specimen with speed and hands to boot. The Buffs couldn't cover him with Jalil Brown and offered no safety help. Jimmy Smith matched up better but Green still got his. He is very apt (read: sneaky) at using a forearm to help with separation.

PROPS: If my Facebook page said "Commish CH is now friends with Jeff Fischer's mustache" it would be the coolest thing ever.

PROPS: Georgia has a DB named Rambo, which is awesome. Even more awesome would be if he camo-ed himself with some grass and laid down and hid in the defensive backfield. Double awesome if when a WR went by he got up and stabbed him with a sharpened stick.

DROPS: The Broncos have to face the fact that they are a passing team content on throwing the rock 50 times a game. That or fix the running game ASAP (Orton might look like a starting pitcher after a game with a missive ice pack.) My super football knowledge says their problem with the running game is a) the OL isn't that good and b) either are the running backs. Someone tell Merrill Hoge to match that breakdown. Getting it right could happen with Ryan Clady and Ryan Harris getting back into pre injury form and Knowshon actually playing.

PROPS: Matt Prater is dead on this year. Not only is he making kicks (they'd be good on those mini Arena League field goals; sign him up for the Tampa Rowdies!), but his semi-pooch kick after the winning touchdown had a bounce like a four square ball.

PROPS: Tyler Hansen set the tone early in the first quarter on his 40 yard scamper. It put the Dawgs on alert that he was indeed a treat to scramble and that he has to be respected with a LB following him. There were even a few designed QB draws and an option (holy old school!) or two.
DROPS: Guy from my office about the Chuck Cecil flip off" "Couldn't he tell them he was stretching his fingers?"

PROPS: The pomp and celebration honoring the 1990 National Championship team was very emotional and took the crowd back. A few of the guys look like they could still lace em up, while a few looked like they've laced up boxes of frosted doughnuts. Biggest cheer: Alferd Williams. Special honor went to Eric Bienemy, who half the crowd wanted to chant "The Next Coach" instead of clapping.

RELATED: A Tribe Called Quest - "Check The Rhime" - ("And a middle finger goes for all you punk MC's")