Pages
Friday, December 31, 2010
Bedlam 2010
Posted by Saint44 at 4:10 PM 0 comments
Labels: Big XII, Football, Oklahoma Sooners, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Top Ten
Thursday, December 30, 2010
First Time in 50 Years
Posted by Saint44 at 1:37 PM 0 comments
Labels: Canada, Hockey, Olympics, Top Ten, United States
First 11-Win Season
Posted by Saint44 at 10:37 AM 0 comments
Labels: Arizona Wildcats, Football, Oklahoma State Cowboys
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
The Butler Almost Did It
Posted by Saint44 at 8:45 AM 0 comments
Labels: Basketball, Butler Bulldogs, NCAA Tournament, Top Ten
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
One Play Can Win a Ballgame, But One Play Can't Lose It
Posted by Saint44 at 1:54 PM 0 comments
Labels: Boise State Broncos, Football, Nevada Wolfpack, Top Ten
Monday, December 27, 2010
The New Conference and New Speculations
Outside the Arc is a little late to the party when it comes to the news about Southeastern leaving the Lone Star Conference. There were reasons. Trust me.
Varying reports started leaking in June that six Arkansas schools in the Gulf South Conference were looking into seceding from the union and forming their own government. With UCO and NSU looking into the possibility of breaking the Lone Star Conference ranks to join the MIAA, the Arkansas schools were in talks with SOSU, East Central and Southwestern to form a nine-team league. In July, these schools made it official.
It wasn’t until late November that the conference got a name: the Great American Conference. It’s definitely a somewhat bold statement for an affiliation of schools from only two states.
Now, it the opinion of the OTA staff that nine teams is a bit small for a conference, but we’re sure that the officials of these nine schools have already considered this and have something else in the works.
Enter Northwestern and Southern Nazarene.
Here are two schools that have stated they have been considering the move from NAIA to NCAA DII for over a year. The announcements of their applications to the NCAA to make the jump both came within the last month. It would seem to be a perfect fit, as these two schools fit the mold around which the other nine have formed their alliance.
Just something to consider.
Posted by Saint44 at 9:35 PM 0 comments
Labels: Great American Conference, Lone Star Conference, Southeastern Savage Storm
Largest Viewing Audience Ever To Watch "The Who"
#5 > New Orleans Saints 31, Indianapolis Colts 17 Feb. 7
Super Bowl XLIV was the most watched program in television history. (Yes, something finally surpassed the series finale of M*A*S*H back in 1983.) And it really was a game worth watching.
At this point, the Department of Full Disclosure here at Outside The Arc mandates that we let you know that we were cheering for Indy at our house. My wife and I have been Peyton Manning fans since his days at the University of Tennessee and would like to have seen him get his second ring. But Drew Brees is a pretty good guy himself and he led his team admirably throughout the game.
When the Colts got out to a 10-0 lead, it looked like this could be another Super Bowl blowout. Then the Indianapolis offense went silent and two Saints’ field goals kept the game close with a 10-6 halftime score.
Surely the Colts could get things going when they would receive the ball to start the second half, but that kickoff proved to be the turning point in the game. Coach Sean Payton’s decision to attempt an onside kick was gutsy and ultimately successful. And the Saints capitalized on this big play with a six play touchdown drive that gave New Orleans its first lead.
Posted by Saint44 at 8:01 AM 0 comments
Labels: Football, Indianapolis Colts, New Orleans Saints, NFL, Top Ten
Sunday, December 26, 2010
The All-Powerful NFC West
My beloved Seahawks are 6-9, have lost 5 of their last 6 (while being outscored 202-128), and lost 7 of their last 9 (and outscored 294-174). And STILL... if they win next Sunday against Sam Bradford and the Rams, Seattle will win their division and grab the #4 seed in the NFC playoffs.
Posted by Saint44 at 7:12 PM 0 comments
Labels: Football, NFL, Seattle Seahawks
Just One Win Can Make a Difference
#6 > United States 1, Algeria 0 June 23
Admittedly, OTA doesn’t follow soccer (or fĂștbol) that much. In the 1970s and 1980s, there was much more opportunity to watch and play baseball, basketball, and football (fĂștbol americano). But the World Cup is becoming increasingly popular and with the significant coverage that ESPN gave it this year, it was easier to follow. And besides, the United States’ team was exciting to watch.
The U.S. came into the third and final match of the round robin session with one win and one tie, and really needed a win to advance. They had put themselves in difficult positions in the first two games by allowing early goals and almost did the same thing against Algeria, with a shot on goal hitting the bar, but not going in. The U.S. had chances throughout, but couldn’t convert. And of course, there was another controversial disallowed goal. This time it was Clint Dempsey who had his taken away on a questionable (at best, outright lie at worst) offsides call.
After 90 minutes, there was still no score and it looked like the U.S. team might not advance, even though it hadn’t lost any games. But thankfully, there is the mysterious equivalent to overtime – extra time or stoppage time. And in the 91st minute, the United States had a long breakaway down the field. It looked like Dempsey might get poetic justice and a goal, but his shot was blocked. However, U.S. star Landon Donovan was following at a perfect pace and put the rebounded ball into the corner of the net.
Bandwagon fans came out of the woodwork to celebrate this amazing victory. But maybe some of them will stick around long enough to influence the popularity of this sport before the World Cup rolls around again in 2014.
Posted by Saint44 at 6:55 AM 0 comments
Labels: Top Ten, United States
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Two Games Today
#7 > Auburn Tigers 28, Alabama Crimson Tide 27 Nov. 26
Because it’s Christmas Day, OTA will give you two games on our Top Ten for 2010 list today. No. 7 on the list is one of three games that took places in the same weekend. If you’re a college football fan, you had a lot to be thankful for during Thanksgiving weekend.
Of course, if you’re an Auburn fan, you’ve had a lot to be thankful for this season just having Cam Newton as the quarterback for your team. But for the first 20+ minutes of the 2010 Iron Bowl, Newton seemed almost human against the arch-rival Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama QB Greg McElroy and the Tide offense looked invincible in the early going. With a great offensive gameplan and very much momentum, Alabama moved ball through the air and on the ground and were up 21-0 at the end of the first period.
Then the game changed on a seemingly harmless fumble. With the Tide up 24-0, last year’s Heisman winner Mark Ingram fumbled on a long run toward the endzone, which would likely have been too much for Auburn to overcome. The Tigers came back and Newton finally got his game going. A touchdown pass to Emory Blake got Auburn on the board and down only 24-7 at the half.
The Alabama defense looked good for a half, but that was about as long as they could keep Newton down. Auburn outscored Alabama 21-3 in the second half and a big hit took McElroy out of the contest when Alabama looked to be making a final game-winning comeback. Auburn hung on for a one-point win, which probably sealed the deal for the arrival of the Heisman Trophy in the state of Alabama for the second consecutive season.
Posted by Saint44 at 2:55 PM 0 comments
Remembering March Madness on Christmas
#8 > Kansas State Wildcats 101, Xavier Musketeers 96 [2OT] Mar. 25
The label “instant classic” was thrown around quite a bit following this Sweet Sixteen matchup in Utah. And if you had a chance to watch it, you would have most likely agreed.
Kansas State rattled off 15 straight points in the first half to break a 4-all tie and go up 19-4. But the Musketeers would gradually work their way back into it and actually take a one-point 32-31 lead at the half. The second half would prove to be a see-saw battle throughout. KSU superstar Jacob Pullen’s two free throws with 10 seconds left gave the Wildcats a three-point lead, but Xavier’s Terrell Holloway was fouled on a crazy three-point shot and made all three baskets to tie the game at 72 and send it to an extra session.
Neither team wanted to miss in the first overtime and 30 points later the game would play on, tied at 87 after the five more minutes.
In the second OT, the players started to feel the wear and tear of the high pace and intensity of the game. Pullen’s three-pointer with 35 seconds left gave the Wildcats a 97-94 lead, which they would not relinquish.
It was an incredible offensive output from both sides and really was one of those games in which it was a shame that there had to be a loser. Kansas State would go on to face the fifth seeded Butler in the Elite Eight contest. We’ll hear from Butler again a little later on…
Posted by Saint44 at 1:11 PM 0 comments
Labels: Basketball, NCAA Tournament, Top Ten
Friday, December 24, 2010
OTA's Countdown Continues
#9 > Texas Rangers 5, Tampa Bay Rays 1 Oct. 12
OK, so this game in and of itself wasn’t the most dramatic, but it did consummate a playoff series victory for the Texas Rangers for the first time in franchise history. The series was also unique in that it was the only one in MLB history in which the road team won every game.
Rangers manager Ron Washington had the good sense to leave Cliff Lee out on the mound for nine innings and Lee did not disappoint. He gave up only one run and six hits in the series finale that sent Texas to its first appearance in the American League Championship Series.
Ian Kinsler finished strong with three RBIs, with two of them coming on a ninth-inning “icing on the cake” home run. Kinsler was 3-4 in Game 5, as was Nelson Cruz, who also scored on a throwing error.
Finally, Rangers fans had something to cheer about in October.
Posted by Saint44 at 11:39 AM 0 comments
Labels: Baseball, MLB, Texas Rangers, Top Ten
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Outside The Arc's First Countdown
#10 > Arizona Cardinals 51, Green Bay Packers 45 [OT] Jan. 10
At #10, we take you back to the January and the highest scoring game in NFL playoff history. The Arizona Cardinals took a 17-0 lead into the second quarter against the Green Bay Packers, but quarterbacks Kurt Warner and Aaron Rodgers made watching the rest of the game like viewing a tennis match with all of back-and-forth scoring and momentum changes that followed. Warner actually had more touchdown passes (5) than he had passes fall incomplete (4).
Rodgers' touchdown pass to Spencer Havner with less than two minutes remaining tied the game at 45 and allowed for an overtime session. However, although the Packers won the toss and got the ball first, three plays into the extra period, Rodgers fumbled the ball and Karlos Dansby ran it in for the score. (Somewhere in the northwest, Seahawks fans were celebrating the poetic justice of the playoff loss for the Packers.)
And in a postscript, if there was any question as to the impact that Warner made during his tenure with the Cardinals, we submit to you Exhibit A: The 2010 Arizona season, complete with the blazing disarray at the quarterback position.
Posted by Saint44 at 1:54 PM 0 comments
Monday, December 20, 2010
Haven't I Seen This Before?
Posted by Saint44 at 9:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: Basketball, Dallas Mavericks, NBA