Saturday, November 20, 2010

Close only counts in horseshoes, not for purple ponies

Dedicated to Greg Marshall and the Western Mustangs, for the third consecutive year.



Remember, kids, it is OK to be an opportunistic jerk if you admit your jerkiness. It is also OK if you likened Donnie Marshall to Rex Grossman during a radio hit before the Western QB's four-interception day against Laval. (It's in Kinger's archive from last Thursday.)

Nine of 19 for 61 yards with four picks and a 15-yard sack, what's that in adjusted net yards per pass? Minus-6.7 yards. Really.

15 comments:

Superfun Happy Slide said...

There's a story behind this nasty little piece.

sager said...

'tis all in fun, great season for the Mustangs, they represented OUA football most excellently.

We posted the same vid in 2008 after the Vanier ...

Still, forgive Queen's alumni if we sin by asking, "Yes, but did you win?"

Anonymous said...

Yes. you are being jerk.
No, it is not OK, even if you admit.
Not cool, Neate...I thought you were better than that.

sager said...

Guess Western can't be spelled without a "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

Superfun Happy Slide said...

Ha!

Making friends wherever he goes!

Are you really going to have this much fun writing about curling?

Well, there's always pin collecting . . . right.

P.S. you're totally not invited to the Marshall Christmas party.

sager said...

I'm not invited to any Christmas parties, and that's fine by me.

Keith Borkowsky said...

I thought I was the curling guy....

Tim in London said...

Marshall was ineffective to say the least, partly due to play selection. Why they let him throw deep against quality teams is beyond me. They needed ten yards on the play before the field goal and had him throw an out and up to the wide side. Uggh.

Superfun Happy Slide said...

Western was trying to make use of the Thibaudeau match-up; he was the only guy getting seperation from the coverage. There were at least three almost-big plays with Thibaudeau throughout the day. I assume Laval was sitting on Travail's short comeback routes; Bull's hamstring prevented him from getting any kind of seperation. Going to Thibaudeau may not have been the highest percentage play but he was like the most open, due to the roll-up coverage and his explosiveness.

In a game decided by two points there are always plenty of "what ifs." There was always a danger that this Stangs' team would bog down if someone stuffed the run. Sager's teasing excepted, people are a little too hard on Donny; an Ontario title and a last moment loss to the best team in the country, in their own backyard, is hardly a bad first-year at the helm.

As it played out, the Stangs probably needed one more ten yard pass to give their kicker a better chance. Ford said as much when he remarked that Western went to the QB sneak one too many times, at the end of the final drive. It wasn't to be; that's the beauty, drama, and heartbreak of sport.

On the positive side, Western can return the majority of that offense next year. The defense loses Kaiser to graduation and possibly Surla to the draft. Depending on graduations, fifth-year options, and academic eligibility, this team appears stocked for another run next year. Most importantly, Donnie will return with a year's experience and the knowledge that comes with it.

See, the glass is more than half full.

sager said...

They'll be more than fine next season, that's why any potshots have to made now. :)

It is not on D. Marshall. In all honesty, it's a stretch to even fault G. Marshall for not having their heir apparent right away. The only quarrel is with media cheerleaders who played No. 7, not hinting Western was very hit-or-miss in the passing game.

Superfun Happy Slide said...

I thought you liked DJ, Tim, and the rest of The Score Nation.

A-ha, I was right during the live blog of the Western-Queen's game. Tim Micallif's comment, about DJ's right to cover games where he has an emotional conflict of interest, was directed at someone.

Namely, you.

I thought Micallif's comment was in response to something or someone specific.

sager said...

You are reading a little too much into that comment. I've never questioned anyone's right to commentate a game.

Greg Layson, who is a friend of mine, has raised questions about there being a conflict. He limited that to pointing out that being on broadcasts the OUA pays for is a conflict in the classic definition. The proof is in whether that influences the coverage and that is very tough to prove.

http://bigmanoncampus.typepad.com/big-man-on-campus/2010/10/dj-bennett-spoils-the-ballot.html

Also, Micallef would not waste good airtime on making cryptic comments about some media member. He's better than that, plus he also is interesting in entertaining the audience who care about what's on the field, not on a blog.

Superfun Happy Slide said...

So its agreed then, I've broken the biggest traditional-new media gossip/piss-fest in CIS history!

Wow, I did all that while watching the Western Final and clipping my toe nails. Three cheers for . . .

. . . mmmmm, three cheers for me?

Honestly though, I read something into Micallif's comment during that game. I'm usually not wrong about these types things. I would suggest trying to find a copy of The Score's broadcast that day; Micallif's comment was decidedly pointed in reference to some backlash against DJ.

I'm not making it up.

sager said...

The only thing you've broken is your brain.

Superfun Happy Slide said...

I'll get that checked out, thanks.