RIP George Perles - a true Spartan Before we get into this week’s losing picks – a look to the past and the future.
RIP George Perles. He resurrected Spartan football from the depths of Muddy Waters to two Big Ten Championships and a Rose Bowl win. Only to let it slip back with back to back losses to Central Michigan and his ultimate dismissal after the 1994 season.
It seems that’s they way it goes when discussing George. On one hand but then on the other hand.
One the one hand he had phenomenal, hard hitting, blue collar defenses. I recall back in 1989, after a close loss to a great Miami (FL) team, the Canes said that MSU was the hardest hitting team they had ever faced. We were a pipeline for linebacker to the NFL, Ike Reese, Carl Banks and Percy Snow.
Yet the offenses were archaic even by 80’s standards. Everyone in the stands and on the field knew that when it was third and long what the next play would be – a draw up the middle and then a punt.
He loved MSU. When he was passed over for the HC position when State tabbed Muddy Waters, he didn’t quit on State. Rather, he waited for the position to re-open which it quickly did in in Dec 1982. I still remember being in the stands at Notre Dame in his first season, when he upset the Domers 26-20. Things were looking up after years of misery.
Yet for all his love of MSU, he always seemed to overplay his end. The Rose Bowl season ended up with him trying to be both HC and AD using an offer from the Jets as leverage. He got both but the turmoil led to him resigning as AD after two years and returning to be just the HC. Two years later he was out.
For all the controversy, I chose to remember his legacy in one simple image – storming the field in 1987 after we beat Indiana to clinch the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. One of my favorite Spartan moments.
And then Bill Mallory, the HC at Indiana and a class act went into the Spartan locker room after the game and gave a great pep talk.
RIP George Perles. He resurrected Spartan football from the depths of Muddy Waters to two Big Ten Championships and a Rose Bowl win. Only to let it slip back with back to back losses to Central Michigan and his ultimate dismissal after the 1994 season.
It seems that’s they way it goes when discussing George. On one hand but then on the other hand.
One the one hand he had phenomenal, hard hitting, blue collar defenses. I recall back in 1989, after a close loss to a great Miami (FL) team, the Canes said that MSU was the hardest hitting team they had ever faced. We were a pipeline for linebacker to the NFL, Ike Reese, Carl Banks and Percy Snow.
Yet the offenses were archaic even by 80’s standards. Everyone in the stands and on the field knew that when it was third and long what the next play would be – a draw up the middle and then a punt.
He loved MSU. When he was passed over for the HC position when State tabbed Muddy Waters, he didn’t quit on State. Rather, he waited for the position to re-open which it quickly did in in Dec 1982. I still remember being in the stands at Notre Dame in his first season, when he upset the Domers 26-20. Things were looking up after years of misery.
Yet for all his love of MSU, he always seemed to overplay his end. The Rose Bowl season ended up with him trying to be both HC and AD using an offer from the Jets as leverage. He got both but the turmoil led to him resigning as AD after two years and returning to be just the HC. Two years later he was out.
For all the controversy, I chose to remember his legacy in one simple image – storming the field in 1987 after we beat Indiana to clinch the Big Ten title and a trip to the Rose Bowl. One of my favorite Spartan moments.
And then Bill Mallory, the HC at Indiana and a class act went into the Spartan locker room after the game and gave a great pep talk.
We are gong to have to check out the Circa when we get to town this year! And kick their as we did.
And speaking of the 1995 season, MSU hired two Hall of Fame coaches in the same year, Nick Saban for football and Tom Izzo for basketball. That's got to be the best hires ever by the same school in the same year.
As to the future, Woz sent along the potentially fantastic news. There’s a new casino going into Old Vegas called the Circa. They say they are going to have the biggest sports book in town. Bigger than the Westgate!
The owner, Derek Stevens, who also owns the Golden Nugget and D casinos, was always impressed with the Hilton SuperBook and wanted to go one further. According to the press releases they will and then some. The sportsbook will have three floors, stadium seating and an overhanging bar. It's supposed to open in December so will will have to check it out for the 2021 GO JUMBO trip.
No word if he will hire BeDDy.
Cousins finally got that big game monkey off his back I entered a pool to pick the NFL playoffs using the spread. total waste of money as I went 0-4. that's tough to do. Losing two games in OT was a killer. Going with my heart on New England and New Orleans didn't help either. I had bought prop bets on them to win the Super Bowl during GO JUMBO.
Those are gone so I can make picks without worrying about how it affects my prop bets.
San Francisco -7.0 vs Minnesota – Mrs. H was livid. For the third straight year, the Saints were bounced from the playoffs on the last play of the game, twice by the Vikings. Of course, it had to end on a controversial play. That sure looked like offensive pass interference by Kyle Rudolph to me but I was a little biased. Mrs. H vehemently agrees.
But won the game was not Rudolph, it was the running of Dalvin Cook. With Diggs, Cook and Thielen all healthy at the same time, the Vikings were unstoppable. And the defense is peaking at just the right time, stopping Brees and company cold, even forcing a Brees fumble in a crucial fourth quarter drive.
Cousins won’t have much success against the Niner’s top rated pass defense but Cook was will be the difference maker against a middle of the pack 49er rush defense.
The Niners won’t be able to move at all against Minnesota’s stellar defense and don’t forget that stat about QBs starting their first playoff game. Last week it got Carson Wentz and the Eagles. This is Garappolo’s first playoff game. I’ll take the Vikings to cover.
Those are gone so I can make picks without worrying about how it affects my prop bets.
San Francisco -7.0 vs Minnesota – Mrs. H was livid. For the third straight year, the Saints were bounced from the playoffs on the last play of the game, twice by the Vikings. Of course, it had to end on a controversial play. That sure looked like offensive pass interference by Kyle Rudolph to me but I was a little biased. Mrs. H vehemently agrees.
But won the game was not Rudolph, it was the running of Dalvin Cook. With Diggs, Cook and Thielen all healthy at the same time, the Vikings were unstoppable. And the defense is peaking at just the right time, stopping Brees and company cold, even forcing a Brees fumble in a crucial fourth quarter drive.
Cousins won’t have much success against the Niner’s top rated pass defense but Cook was will be the difference maker against a middle of the pack 49er rush defense.
The Niners won’t be able to move at all against Minnesota’s stellar defense and don’t forget that stat about QBs starting their first playoff game. Last week it got Carson Wentz and the Eagles. This is Garappolo’s first playoff game. I’ll take the Vikings to cover.
Dalvin Cook pounded the Patriots into submission Baltimore -9.5 vs Tennessee – One thing you can expect that the Ravens are going to try to run the ball down the titans throats. Baltimore has not been held under 115 yards on the ground in a game this season and has gone over 200 yards rushing nine times. They narrowly missed a 10th such game with 199 yards against Seattle.
Tennessee struggles against the run. The Titans have given up at least 100 rushing yards in 10 of their 16 games this season on the ground including two games where they gave up over 150 yards on the ground.
The Titans are no slouches running wither. They have run for more than 100 yards in 12 of their games with two other games where they ran for at least 91 yards. Derrick Henry led the league-with 1,540 yards and 16 scores on the season. Against the Patriots lasy week, Tennessee pounded the ball 40 times for 201 yards and a score.
Baltimore hasn’t had to defense the run much as they get up fast and force teams to pass. But they can be gashed on the ground. Kansas City ran for 140 yards, while Cleveland racked up a season-worst 193 yards including four TDs. In the last few weeks, Houston ran for 122 yards , 174 yards against the 49ers, 104 yards against Buffalo and 103 yards versus Jets, That made for the fifth time in the last six games they surrendered at least 100 yards on the ground.
In a game of smashmouth football I’ll take the Titans and the points.
Tennessee struggles against the run. The Titans have given up at least 100 rushing yards in 10 of their 16 games this season on the ground including two games where they gave up over 150 yards on the ground.
The Titans are no slouches running wither. They have run for more than 100 yards in 12 of their games with two other games where they ran for at least 91 yards. Derrick Henry led the league-with 1,540 yards and 16 scores on the season. Against the Patriots lasy week, Tennessee pounded the ball 40 times for 201 yards and a score.
Baltimore hasn’t had to defense the run much as they get up fast and force teams to pass. But they can be gashed on the ground. Kansas City ran for 140 yards, while Cleveland racked up a season-worst 193 yards including four TDs. In the last few weeks, Houston ran for 122 yards , 174 yards against the 49ers, 104 yards against Buffalo and 103 yards versus Jets, That made for the fifth time in the last six games they surrendered at least 100 yards on the ground.
In a game of smashmouth football I’ll take the Titans and the points.
