Clubhouse Grille (*** NO LIV DISCUSSIONS ***) (*** NO POLITICS/RELIGION ***)

[Fellaheen51]

You are absolutely right Tol, no reason to place any arbitrary age stipulations on anything. Which I did. 77 is the new 57. As long as we can maintain our health and vigor. Remain active. Keep our minds engaged with thought and curiosity. Family that needs us around. We are young older guys. Still feel like I'm 50, save for the creaky knees as I get out of bed in the morning. Within 5 minutes, that disappears. So let's keep kick'n it all the way into our 90's. With the volume still turned up to loud. .

[Conrad1953]

Don't mean to rub in that we play year round down here. We do have some cold days

that I just won't play; even snowed twice last year and the one time stayed on the ground

for 2 whole days! Some days in summer are so friggin' hot I just won't play then either.

 

We do get lots of rain here, generally. I guess my point is it's not like California with a

mild and dry climate where you might have 350 good golf days each year. I think we're

a little less than that, lol.........but I'm not complainin'................just saying that since we

have no off season I have no off season golf activities.....but the weather is far from perfect

down here.

[billh17]

My golf thoughts over the winter will be getting more strength in my legs. I have a bicycle machine set up in the garage,and i plan on starting at a couple mile a day and gradually increasing up to five or so. I will do a lot of putting on the putting mat and "return" gadget i got. And still using my old Yes putter.

Have a Rosa that i used for years and years..changed to this one with the longer handle. May have to just extend the handle on the Rosa...we'll see.

Not too overly excited about golf on the tube. I watch the Majors,but not too much of the rest.

I m heading towards 73,so lets be gentle about placing a limit on our activities. I figure i was given some additional time on this piece of ground we call

home,and i refuse to use it sitting around !

Was gonna try a lesson or two...but i figure i have a tiny rudimentary understanding of ball flight so will end up just putzzing around.Need to work on my chipping and pitches...that will take me into spring well before i figure all that out ! Have decided to give the One Length one more summer.

I hit greens...hit more good shots than bad...but for some reason,i just cannot say that I love the feel/looks...IDK...

[Conrad1953]

yep... personally think it has to be Georgia in.. Georgia would own Ohio state .... But i know there is tons of politics involved, and money lost if 2 SEC teams are in .. I say that as a lifelong Gamecock, so no love for Georgia at all. lol

 

When Hurts came in i looked at my wife and said " thats bad for Georgia.... That guy has an axe to grind , and the kid wasnt doing anything anyway ...." i just had a feeling hed come in and light them up..

 

You're right. If Georgia got in there would be he** to pay as 3 conferences would be sitting

on the sidelines; with ND being independent. If that happens look for a real push to an 8

team playoff.

 

They need to make it 8. This lie that the "best 4" teams get in is old. Georgia beats Oklahoma or Ohio state 8 out of 10 I'm sure. Oklahoma's defense is not sec ready. Georgia has a top 5 offense and defense. And their D line owned Alabama for 3 quarters . And strength of schedule ? Please. It's not close. Especially when talking Oklahoma. I mean. Texas. That's equal to Tennessee or maybe Kentucky. Maybe.

 

People don't like to hear that. But it's the truth. Georgia is conference champs in any of the power conferences this year minus Bama. Clemson would need a top level game to beat them. And I literally can't stand Georgia. Fans almost as rabid as Tiger fans.

 

My 4 is

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Georgia

4. ND.

 

And I've got almost even odds on the first 3 winning it all.

 

I do think we need to be careful just outright dismissing conferences as not competitive nationally.

Last year Oklahoma took Georgia into double overtime until Geogia finally prevailed 54-48. That

game could have gone either way. And Bama whooped Clemson easily 24-7. It seems reasonable

to me to say that Oklahoma would have given Bama a better game than Clemson did; might have

even won.

 

The talk this year is who has the best chance to beat Bama? One could say Georgia just had their

chance last night and didn't do it....so I think the game with the Sooners is gonna be a good one.

As a homer, of course, I want Bama to crush them but I have no clue at this point what to expect.

Both teams will be well rested and prepared. I don't expect either to get cocky in the run up.

 

The 8 team playoff would be, apparently, the 5 power 5 champions and 3 at large; picked by a

committee I suppose. The top 4 would get the game at home first round as a reward; with the

usual format, 1 plays 8, etc etc. Next round games at neutral sites. I like it myself. It's 1 extra

game and could be played mid December.

 

I understand the argument that we just shift the compaints from 5-6 to 9-10. Don't have an answer

for that. It just is what it is and not everyone is gonna be happy. I understand also that there may not

8 competitve teams and there may likely be some first round blowouts. That will happen.

 

The argument for going from 4-8 has holes in it for sure but the argument for keeping it at 4 does too.

I would like to see 8 tried. Can always go back to 4 if it doesn't work out.

[Conrad1953]

Warmer here as well today, ~50*. But rainy, melting away the remainder of the snow. And hopefully the last of the ice that has built up in the driveway. It's very slippery the last few days, requiring careful stepping on the way out to the mailbox. Haven't been letting the Mrs. make the trek. The last thing either one of us needs is to slip and fall breaking something.

 

Holding out false hopes of one more trip to the course. Although I believe all of them are now closed. But one never knows. Have one that will open on short notice, provided the conditions are half way acceptable. Would be a soggy mess right now. Couple of years back, the last outing was on 12/15 in near 60* weather. We had a week long warm-up last year in late February, melting away all the snow cover. Played 9 on 2/28, there were a number of golfers out that day. Sun was out, walking made it quite pleasant. The only month of the year that I haven't played at golf at least once is January. Not that I'm going to play in frigid temps just to say I did. All depends on the climatic conditions on the day, but the go no go line is + 45*.

 

Usually by late January I'm ready to head to the local golf dome. Max distance shots are ~110 yards. But still enjoyable to hit some balls after the hiatus. Couple of heated ranges around that stay open, but not exactly nearby. And even with the propane heaters on, not all that warm. Especially one that faces to the west, into the prevailing breeze. The dome is a welcome mid-winter chance to swing a golf club. Usually have something new that I want to hit, try a few different clubs that are in inventory. Don't really "practice" anything in particular, more of an exercise in swatting a large bucket of balls for an hour or so. I know some prefer doing the SIM thing. But none are conveniently close, nor are they inexpensive to use for an hour solo. Plus, hitting into a screen 10' away is not my thing.

 

Seriously considering a change in the irons utilized for next year. Moving away from the i20's. Been reading about C-Dim, VCOG, MOI, RCOG, etc. (all Maltby MPF factors). My head has been spinning. But one stat does make some intuitive sense to be, actual vertical COG. Having something of a sweeper swing as opposed to a one more steeper in descent, a more suitable iron head may very well be one that has a COG below .840" (i.e. the centerline of a golf ball). To avoid the high on the face ball strike that results in a less then optimum ball strike. The i20 VCOG is .871, on the high side. Always felt that I have to "manipulate" the Pings (forward shaft lean, work the bounce, accentuate a downward swing angle) to get them to perform. Not adjusting to this results in the thinned shot all to frequently. By comparison, irons I enjoy hitting and do not have to manipulate in the same fashion are the '99 Hogans. Always seem to be able to get them up and away quite easily, rarely hitting them thin. And their VCOG is .783. Thus the mass is lower. Not wanting this one data point to be in isolation. But perhaps why I've struggled with one iron head and less so with another. Despite the Hogans being theoretically a more difficult head to play.

 

Have been testing a Maltby TE 7 iron all season. Super low VCOG at .675. No matter what shaft I installed (had four different in it at various times) always was significantly shorter that the i20 7 iron. Like nearly 10 yards. Hit moon shots with it. So the experiment was not successful, no need to pursue further. Been contemplating other Maltby heads in a higher range. They have two new heads out that are very modern. Hollow bodied, foam filled, modern lofts that's been getting lots of discussion (and evaluation commentary) in the equipment forum. As good if not better than the OEM stuff that is being introduced. So thinking about deciding on a head (TS-1?) and trialing it at the dome this off-season. Just that $50 per head is on the pricey side for a component head.

 

Part of all this is to move into a set that I'll refer to as my "old man's" implements. Easier to swing, more forgiving, stronger lofted SGI irons. That do not look like SGI. And shafting up with lightweight graphite shafts. Hit some of the OEM offerings at the LGS with ~ 70 gram graphite shafts just to see if I'd like them, maintain control. No problem, they felt wonderful. Easy to swing. Did not feel excessively light. So I bought a Grafalloy Prolaunch Axis Red shaft ($13.50 cheap) and installed it in the TE head. No problem issue with control, still short (head issue conclusion). I liked the shaft a lot. There was a 15% off everything sale on eBay recently, bought the reminder needed. They're perfectly adequate graphite iron shafts (for my skill set) and a bargain at $11.50 per. So that decision has been made, now trying to figure out what head to utilize. The game plan was/is to sell off the i20's (plus some additional unused implements) and move on to something else for minimal net capital outlay.

 

Trying to figure this out not only for creating a playable set today, but also one that remains useful as I transition further along in the aging process. Easier to swing, more forgiving as I hit the ball in less than optimum position. Perhaps my last set of "new" irons. A 10 year useful lifespan would be ideal. Taking me out to 77, after which, who knows.

 

Maybe somewhere along the way, work up the courage to take a lesson or two. Since you asked. This is what's on my golf related mind.

 

Thanks for bringing up the vertical COG Fella. I didn't know that the i20 irons had a higher vertical

COG because I never bothered to look it up. The fact for me that many hits with the i20s feel thin

pretty much validates that they're probably not the best irons for me either.

 

I have said for a few years that I think the S series Ping irons are easier to hit/more forgving than

the i series; based on my own experiences with those iron sets. I haven't looked it up but I would

guess my Ping S58s have a lower vertical COG than my i20s.

 

The i20s are awesome when the ball is sitting up a little but tough when on a tight lie. I used to

chuckle at golfers saying they caught an iron shot a groove low. Well, a groove low on these i20s

and you can hit some painful stingers, lol. They just work better for those with a little steeper angle

of attack. I prefer shallower to steeper. Just the way I swing I guess.

[SixtySomePing]

You are absolutely right Tol, no reason to place any arbitrary age stipulations on anything. Which I did. 77 is the new 57. As long as we can maintain our health and vigor. Remain active. Keep our minds engaged with thought and curiosity. Family that needs us around. We are young older guys. Still feel like I'm 50, save for the creaky knees as I get out of bed in the morning. Within 5 minutes, that disappears. So let's keep kick'n it all the way into our 90's. With the volume still turned up to loud. .

Exactly. Yesterday afternoon it was into the 60's here, so being the last day of the year for temps like that, my DW said 'lets go out on an adventure'. So we started out at the city park, where we got to see two red tailed hawks hovering and screeching, circling for squirrels. Then on the the fish hatchery to look for eagles- none as it started getting pretty breezy. I had found plenty of places to stop and sit along the way, but she was proud of me that I went. Then she said 'you've come this far, let's go to see the newly finished Buckeye Lake walkway area'. It's one of our favorite spots. They have been working on this project for 3 years and just recently completed it. If you watch this video, we are ecstatic in this area because the dam around the lake that was falling apart now has a beautiful walkway along the Northbank, well over 2 miles long and paved, which is the black part is that you see in the video, walk path/bicycle path. That didn't even exist before, there was no walkway at all by the lake. Anyway, my DW and I go there to see eagles as well but only at certain spots, and it a good place to go fishing. It's now actually beautiful. So we went there and walked. I hope to build up my legs for golf, maybe some day I can get rid of these carbon braces so I won't have to sit down every once in a while. Adding all the places we went yesterday, my smartphone said I walked 4.6 miles. Between her early morning run with her friends and her walk with me, and then some running she did while we were there as I sat and enjoyed the lake, she did 15 yesterday... ugh, I thought that was why we have a car :)

[Wriggles]

Didn't get out to the course yesterday. I've been under the weather. Seems on Saturday night, immediately after I ate a bowl of limited edition Chocolate Lucky Charms, my stomach ached off and on all night. I had the same symptoms on Wednesday night. I think (?) I may have a bowl of the same cereal that night. No more Lucky Charms for me.

 

Researching the ingredients, the choco stuff is corn based, the regular oats. Both Include some chemical called TSP, a cleaner of some sort. I'm really hoping it's the cereal that caused my distress, not some other serious underlying condition.

 

Who knows at this age? All kinds of horrible maladies can befall. Anyhow, don't have any desire to eat cereal at present. Ate a few Ritz crackers last night, no problems.

 

I haven't been to a regular doctor for 10 years. My doctor retired a year or so. A new doctor will put me through the wringer, with tests, etc, just like when my Dad got sick in 1998. His last seven years were just appointments with several different doctors, "specialists" and otherwise, all sharing the wealth. Tests, tests, and more tests. His life became just going to several medical related things a week. Constant. And he was basically healthy after the initial treatments.

 

I dread the thought. End of rant.

 

Take care guys.

[Fellaheen51]

Thanks for bringing up the vertical COG Fella. I didn't know that the i20 irons had a higher vertical

COG because I never bothered to look it up. The fact for me that many hits with the i20s feel thin

pretty much validates that they're probably not the best irons for me either.

 

I have said for a few years that I think the S series Ping irons are easier to hit/more forgving than

the i series; based on my own experiences with those iron sets. I haven't looked it up but I would

guess my Ping S58s have a lower vertical COG than my i20s.

 

The i20s are awesome when the ball is sitting up a little but tough when on a tight lie. I used to

chuckle at golfers saying they caught an iron shot a groove low. Well, a groove low on these i20s

and you can hit some painful stingers, lol. They just work better for those with a little steeper angle

of attack. I prefer shallower to steeper. Just the way I swing I guess.

 

Significantly lower. The S58's have a VCOG of .675 compared to the i20's at .871. Likely a significant contributing factor on how well you can "pick" the ball with that much mass down low. In fact, they are labeled as SGI in the Maltby MPF. Granted, the MPF weights certain factors heavily in determining the final number. And there may be certain biases inherent in the system. Nevertheless, when used as a general guide, finding it to be beneficial. Without descending into the argument on the merits of MPF that I've read elsewhere.

 

Never looked at Maltby MPF numbers either. Until recently. And tried to make sense of them beyond simply the MPF rating. Have always wondered why I had to manipulate the i20's with setup and swing path in order to hit a good shot. When done correctly, a quality shot resulted. And it felt very pure. But I have to be vigilant with every swing. Otherwise, the dreaded thin shot occurred. Why was that. The VCOG data point offered a possible explanation, and it made some logical sense to me. Us sweepers need a COG below the centerline of the golf ball (.840). Mass down low to get the ball up and away. Why I found the '99 Hogans easier to hit that the Pings, not requiring the same degree of club manipulation. Which didn't make sense to me, as they are in theory a more demanding iron to wield. Lower COG.

 

But the COG can be to low, especially for a high ball hitter such as myself. Resulting in an excessively high trajectory (to much spin) and loss of distance. This was occurring with the super low Maltby TE head I've been testing. Nothing I could do (shaft changes, trying to flight it down, swinging harder) changed the result. Wasn't looking for 7 iron distance in the absolute, but wasn't willing to sacrifice 7 -10 yards vs. the Pings either. Utilizing Trackman Range at a LGS to validate my on course observations. Posting about this, contributor CWebb (seems to be knowledgeable about the Maltby system), mentioned that I should be looking for heads with a VCOG in the mid to upper 700's as an optimum design.

 

A big IDK about all of this. So many factors to be considered in how a club reacts in our hands and singling out one point in isolation is risky. But again, seemingly has some intuitive logic behind the numbers. And one more thing to mess with my head on why I need to dump the Pings and move on.

[Wriggles]

As I grow older, the winter feels like just lost time. I basically just hibernate all winter. Watch a little golf on TV. Yesterday, taking it easy while trying to recuperate, I "watched" the Hero tournament. Barely could stand watching it, just wasn't interested.

 

The Albany place in the Bahamas, like everyone can go there. Looked it up, residential homes start at $5 million. The resort starts at $2.5K a night.

 

You could drop $10-$20K in a getaway weekend.

 

Who can relate to that?

[bladehunter]

yep... personally think it has to be Georgia in.. Georgia would own Ohio state .... But i know there is tons of politics involved, and money lost if 2 SEC teams are in .. I say that as a lifelong Gamecock, so no love for Georgia at all. lol

 

When Hurts came in i looked at my wife and said " thats bad for Georgia.... That guy has an axe to grind , and the kid wasnt doing anything anyway ...." i just had a feeling hed come in and light them up..

 

You're right. If Georgia got in there would be he** to pay as 3 conferences would be sitting

on the sidelines; with ND being independent. If that happens look for a real push to an 8

team playoff.

 

They need to make it 8. This lie that the "best 4" teams get in is old. Georgia beats Oklahoma or Ohio state 8 out of 10 I'm sure. Oklahoma's defense is not sec ready. Georgia has a top 5 offense and defense. And their D line owned Alabama for 3 quarters . And strength of schedule ? Please. It's not close. Especially when talking Oklahoma. I mean. Texas. That's equal to Tennessee or maybe Kentucky. Maybe.

 

People don't like to hear that. But it's the truth. Georgia is conference champs in any of the power conferences this year minus Bama. Clemson would need a top level game to beat them. And I literally can't stand Georgia. Fans almost as rabid as Tiger fans.

 

My 4 is

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Georgia

4. ND.

 

And I've got almost even odds on the first 3 winning it all.

 

I do think we need to be careful just outright dismissing conferences as not competitive nationally.

Last year Oklahoma took Georgia into double overtime until Geogia finally prevailed 54-48. That

game could have gone either way. And Bama whooped Clemson easily 24-7. It seems reasonable

to me to say that Oklahoma would have given Bama a better game than Clemson did; might have

even won.

 

The talk this year is who has the best chance to beat Bama? One could say Georgia just had their

chance last night and didn't do it....so I think the game with the Sooners is gonna be a good one.

As a homer, of course, I want Bama to crush them but I have no clue at this point what to expect.

Both teams will be well rested and prepared. I don't expect either to get cocky in the run up.

 

The 8 team playoff would be, apparently, the 5 power 5 champions and 3 at large; picked by a

committee I suppose. The top 4 would get the game at home first round as a reward; with the

usual format, 1 plays 8, etc etc. Next round games at neutral sites. I like it myself. It's 1 extra

game and could be played mid December.

 

I understand the argument that we just shift the compaints from 5-6 to 9-10. Don't have an answer

for that. It just is what it is and not everyone is gonna be happy. I understand also that there may not

8 competitve teams and there may likely be some first round blowouts. That will happen.

 

The argument for going from 4-8 has holes in it for sure but the argument for keeping it at 4 does too.

I would like to see 8 tried. Can always go back to 4 if it doesn't work out.

Yea. Mostly agree. I the last years sooner team had a huge anchor that it doesn’t now at QB. A lynch pin player like that makes a big difference. I predict a blowout this time around. But doubt they get a shot as Clemson ( as much as I hate them ) is stronger still.

 

And an 8 team is the only way to stop the conference bickering. I don’t know why they don’t do it. Has to be money to be made. Plus an 8 team would give a UCF like team a shot. A shot I think they could take advavatage of alot of times.

 

Edit- I see now that OU is in. Ugh. I guess we will see bama vs Clemson AGAIN for sure. That match up is getting old in my book.

[Conrad1953]

yep... personally think it has to be Georgia in.. Georgia would own Ohio state .... But i know there is tons of politics involved, and money lost if 2 SEC teams are in .. I say that as a lifelong Gamecock, so no love for Georgia at all. lol

 

When Hurts came in i looked at my wife and said " thats bad for Georgia.... That guy has an axe to grind , and the kid wasnt doing anything anyway ...." i just had a feeling hed come in and light them up..

 

You're right. If Georgia got in there would be he** to pay as 3 conferences would be sitting

on the sidelines; with ND being independent. If that happens look for a real push to an 8

team playoff.

 

They need to make it 8. This lie that the "best 4" teams get in is old. Georgia beats Oklahoma or Ohio state 8 out of 10 I'm sure. Oklahoma's defense is not sec ready. Georgia has a top 5 offense and defense. And their D line owned Alabama for 3 quarters . And strength of schedule ? Please. It's not close. Especially when talking Oklahoma. I mean. Texas. That's equal to Tennessee or maybe Kentucky. Maybe.

 

People don't like to hear that. But it's the truth. Georgia is conference champs in any of the power conferences this year minus Bama. Clemson would need a top level game to beat them. And I literally can't stand Georgia. Fans almost as rabid as Tiger fans.

 

My 4 is

1. Alabama

2. Clemson

3. Georgia

4. ND.

 

And I've got almost even odds on the first 3 winning it all.

 

I do think we need to be careful just outright dismissing conferences as not competitive nationally.

Last year Oklahoma took Georgia into double overtime until Geogia finally prevailed 54-48. That

game could have gone either way. And Bama whooped Clemson easily 24-7. It seems reasonable

to me to say that Oklahoma would have given Bama a better game than Clemson did; might have

even won.

 

The talk this year is who has the best chance to beat Bama? One could say Georgia just had their

chance last night and didn't do it....so I think the game with the Sooners is gonna be a good one.

As a homer, of course, I want Bama to crush them but I have no clue at this point what to expect.

Both teams will be well rested and prepared. I don't expect either to get cocky in the run up.

 

The 8 team playoff would be, apparently, the 5 power 5 champions and 3 at large; picked by a

committee I suppose. The top 4 would get the game at home first round as a reward; with the

usual format, 1 plays 8, etc etc. Next round games at neutral sites. I like it myself. It's 1 extra

game and could be played mid December.

 

I understand the argument that we just shift the compaints from 5-6 to 9-10. Don't have an answer

for that. It just is what it is and not everyone is gonna be happy. I understand also that there may not

8 competitve teams and there may likely be some first round blowouts. That will happen.

 

The argument for going from 4-8 has holes in it for sure but the argument for keeping it at 4 does too.

I would like to see 8 tried. Can always go back to 4 if it doesn't work out.

Yea. Mostly agree. I the last years sooner team had a huge anchor that it doesn't now at QB. A lynch pin player like that makes a big difference. I predict a blowout this time around. But doubt they get a shot as Clemson ( as much as I hate them ) is stronger still.

 

And an 8 team is the only way to stop the conference bickering. I don't know why they don't do it. Has to be money to be made. Plus an 8 team would give a UCF like team a shot. A shot I think they could take advavatage of alot of times.

 

Edit- I see now that OU is in. Ugh. I guess we will see bama vs Clemson AGAIN for sure. That match up is getting old in my book.

 

Although he is smaller and likely wouldn't be NFL material supposedly (and already the 8th pick overall in

the baseball draft and headed to the Oakland A's) Kyler Murray has had an impressive year at QB. Could

give the Sooners back to back Heisman winners. I don't dig around in the stats much but hear others

saying he has actually had a better year than Baker Mayfield did last year.

 

I get Alabama fatigue and Alabama v Clemson fatigue. It doesn't really matter what team. Any team that

goes on an extended run; people get tired of them eventually. If it's your team then you're happy, of course. :)

[Fellaheen51]

Part of the problem with an 8 team playoff, is where do you play the first round games. The existing system utilizes the current bowl game structure. That is not in place if the first round games are played mid-December, after the conference championships. Having the top four awarded "home" games is a solution as mentioned. But that presents an issue as well. Thinking you guys are being to to provincial, that the games would be played in fair weather climes like Tuscaloosa or Athens.

 

Let's use 2015 by way of an example, if an 8-team playofff was in effect. Based on this format, you would have had Stanford (#5) traveling to play in East Lansing (#4). What would be the expectation for Stanford fans and alumni making the trek to the game? Not to mention the climatic conditions that may occur playing at that time of year at a cold weather site. And the impact on the game. Without researching, but the same argument could likely be made with games played in Columbus or Madison. Not sure how well SEC (or Pac-12) schools would cope with bad conditions. They simply do not play their games in that type of environment.

 

Speaking purely as a fan of my program. It was just OK to participate in the '15 playoff, a mere chatter point this number year's removed. Getting trucked by Alabama holds no redeeming value of any kind. Compare this to the excitement of winning the 100th Rose Bowl in the prior year. When they did not qualify for the playoffs. Which one had greater appeal, offered more value to the program, and still resonates today? Playing for a Natty is not always the raison d'être for playing college football. And please don't make the argument that not participating in the playoffs with a chance to win a NC is losers talk. Remember that not to many years ago, Alabama, and Georgia, and Clemson were very average at best. These things have a way of being cyclical over time.

 

So what's the point of having a #8 seed, playing a #1 with a minimal expectation that a victory would result. Upsets do happen, so there is always that possibility. But the probability for occurrence is very low. Doesn't make for drama or heighten viewership (i.e revenue). Besides the logistics of holding one more set of games. In theory, 8-team playoff has validity. In practice, continue to question if it's necessary.

[scomac2002]

You are absolutely right Tol, no reason to place any arbitrary age stipulations on anything. Which I did. 77 is the new 57. As long as we can maintain our health and vigor. Remain active. Keep our minds engaged with thought and curiosity. Family that needs us around. We are young older guys. Still feel like I'm 50, save for the creaky knees as I get out of bed in the morning. Within 5 minutes, that disappears. So let's keep kick'n it all the way into our 90's. With the volume still turned up to loud. .

Exactly. Yesterday afternoon it was into the 60's here, so being the last day of the year for temps like that, my DW said 'lets go out on an adventure'. So we started out at the city park, where we got to see two red tailed hawks hovering and screeching, circling for squirrels. Then on the the fish hatchery to look for eagles- none as it started getting pretty breezy. I had found plenty of places to stop and sit along the way, but she was proud of me that I went. Then she said 'you've come this far, let's go to see the newly finished Buckeye Lake walkway area'. It's one of our favorite spots. They have been working on this project for 3 years and just recently completed it. If you watch this video, we are ecstatic in this area because the dam around the lake that was falling apart now has a beautiful walkway along the Northbank, well over 2 miles long and paved, which is the black part is that you see in the video, walk path/bicycle path. That didn't even exist before, there was no walkway at all by the lake. Anyway, my DW and I go there to see eagles as well but only at certain spots, and it a good place to go fishing. It's now actually beautiful. So we went there and walked. I hope to build up my legs for golf, maybe some day I can get rid of these carbon braces so I won't have to sit down every once in a while. Adding all the places we went yesterday, my smartphone said I walked 4.6 miles. Between her early morning run with her friends and her walk with me, and then some running she did while we were there as I sat and enjoyed the lake, she did 15 yesterday... ugh, I thought that was why we have a car :)

 

Very reminiscent of the Lakeshore Trail that runs along the north shore of Lake Ontario. It's pretty much uninterrupted between Fort Erie and Oshawa.

 

I have ridden it several times between Stoney Creek and Burlington. Access is easy from several points along the way.

[SixtySomePing]

Didn't get out to the course yesterday. I've been under the weather. Seems on Saturday night, immediately after I ate a bowl of limited edition Chocolate Lucky Charms, my stomach ached off and on all night. I had the same symptoms on Wednesday night. I think (?) I may have a bowl of the same cereal that night. No more Lucky Charms for me.

 

Researching the ingredients, the choco stuff is corn based, the regular oats. Both Include some chemical called TSP, a cleaner of some sort. I'm really hoping it's the cereal that caused my distress, not some other serious underlying condition.

 

Who knows at this age? All kinds of horrible maladies can befall. Anyhow, don't have any desire to eat cereal at present. Ate a few Ritz crackers last night, no problems.

 

I haven't been to a regular doctor for 10 years. My doctor retired a year or so. A new doctor will put me through the wringer, with tests, etc, just like when my Dad got sick in 1998. His last seven years were just appointments with several different doctors, "specialists" and otherwise, all sharing the wealth. Tests, tests, and more tests. His life became just going to several medical related things a week. Constant. And he was basically healthy after the initial treatments.

 

I dread the thought. End of rant.

 

Take care guys.

 

Yeah, I agree, what's with the tests thing anyway? Other than my neurologist, I have gone without a regular doctor for a while because my doc that I really liked retired too, even though he was in his 40's, something about he couldn't handle it anymore or something, they never did say. Anyway, I got hooked up with some new guy near where we live, which is near the hospital but he's kinda strange. He wants test after test, I'm not gonna do it. Test if you obviously need it, but for the sake of doing tests, no way. End of start of rant. Testing for rant. End of rant test. Good results, no further rant needed. No copay necessary. No thrill, no biil, well, billh is good, but not medbill.

[Conrad1953]

Part of the problem with an 8 team playoff, is where do you play the first round games. The existing system utilizes the current bowl game structure. That is not in place if the first round games are played mid-December, after the conference championships. Having the top four awarded "home" games is a solution as mentioned. But that presents an issue as well. Thinking you guys are being to to provincial, that the games would be played in fair weather climes like Tuscaloosa or Athens.

 

Let's use 2015 by way of an example, if an 8-team playofff was in effect. Based on this format, you would have had Stanford (#5) traveling to play in East Lansing (#4). What would be the expectation for Stanford fans and alumni making the trek to the game? Not to mention the climatic conditions that may occur playing at that time of year at a cold weather site. And the impact on the game. Without researching, but the same argument could likely be made with games played in Columbus or Madison. Not sure how well SEC (or Pac-12) schools would cope with bad conditions. They simply do not play their games in that type of environment.

 

Speaking purely as a fan of my program. It was just OK to participate in the '15 playoff, a mere chatter point this number year's removed. Getting trucked by Alabama holds no redeeming value of any kind. Compare this to the excitement of winning the 100th Rose Bowl in the prior year. When they did not qualify for the playoffs. Which one had greater appeal, offered more value to the program, and still resonates today? Playing for a Natty is not always the raison d'être for playing college football. And please don't make the argument that not participating in the playoffs with a chance to win a NC is losers talk. Remember that not to many years ago, Alabama, and Georgia, and Clemson were very average at best. These things have a way of being cyclical over time.

 

So what's the point of having a #8 seed, playing a #1 with a minimal expectation that a victory would result. Upsets do happen, so there is always that possibility. But the probability for occurrence is very low. Doesn't make for drama or heighten viewership (i.e revenue). Besides the logistics of holding one more set of games. In theory, 8-team playoff has validity. In practice, continue to question if it's necessary.

 

All good points IMO. College football is not encapsulated in a 4 team playoff. One could argue

that the playoffs have been detrimental in that they minimize everything else going on. People

wanted a national champion determined in a more definitive manner so here we are; but at

what cost to the overall picture?

 

I have not been paying attention for anywhere near as long as you Fella. I am aware that there

are traditions and traditional bowl agreements and games. I can remember as a lad the Pac xx

champion playing the Big 10 champion at the Rose Bowl on New Years day. A huge event preceeded

by a huge parade. These have always been big big games on national TV, regardless of what was

at stake. Playing in the Rose Bowl was a dream come true for many.

 

This is just one example though it is one of the biggest. Lots and lots of bowl games with many long

term and long running agreements. This is one of the things that makes college football special.

 

As a relative newcomer it would probably be better for me to remain mute and not get involved in

all the discussions as I don't really have a good grasp of the history of college football. I paid scant

attention until moving to Alabama. Down here you either pay attention or feel left out when the

discussion turns to college football; as it often does, especially on the golf course, a good part of

the year.

 

It's such a big deal down here. You can feel pretty isolated when a discussion turns to college

football and you become a bystander. I guess I got tired of being on the outside looking in. After a

few years I decided it was time to become a little more Alabamian and a little less Californian, lol,

as Alabama had become my adopted "home" state.

 

I've learned a lot in the last several years but will never likely have the depth of knowledge and

understanding that you do. From where I sit with my limited exposure it appears to me that very

rational and knowledgeable people are slowly working their way through all this and taking a

very measured approach.

 

Listening as I do to the radio each day, I get exposed to all sides of the arguments and hear

many opinions. Admittedly though, I lack the context in which these discussions take place. In

a way it presents a personal challenge but I have to contend with my own laziness and how I

prioritize things in life. A deep dive is not imminent, especially with the season nearing an end;

and with me retiring; which will put an end to me driving constantly with the Sirius XM radio in

my ears.

 

One last thing. Growing up in California there has always been a problem with attendance at

sporting events. Die hard fans grow fewer while fair weather fans abound. You don't win they

don't come. Too many other activities draw attention away. Saw this first hand when I lived in

San Diego. Attendance at Charger games was so so; at Padre games downright abysmal; as

in maybe 5-10K per weekday game. Chargers had a great year in '92 and the stadium was

overflowing. They were the hot ticket in town. Have to win to bring the fans out.

 

I heard attendance at the Pac 12 Championship game in Santa Clara was an embarrassment.

With the Pac 12 in a down cycle fans don't come. Heard the same for the rival USC v UCLA

game at the Rose Bowl. Many empty seats.

 

Don't know what the problems are but the Pac 12 needs to turn things around, especially the

south. USC and UCLA used to be powerhouses and the rivalry game was huge. 2 supposed

blue bloods. Do you know what happened? It can't be money and it can't be that they can't

recruit great talent.

 

Tua said USC was where he dreamed of playing but when Bama came calling his dad said

let's go to Bama. But here's a kid that grew up wanting to play for USC...... but Bama got him

instead.

[Conrad1953]

Thanks for bringing up the vertical COG Fella. I didn't know that the i20 irons had a higher vertical

COG because I never bothered to look it up. The fact for me that many hits with the i20s feel thin

pretty much validates that they're probably not the best irons for me either.

 

I have said for a few years that I think the S series Ping irons are easier to hit/more forgving than

the i series; based on my own experiences with those iron sets. I haven't looked it up but I would

guess my Ping S58s have a lower vertical COG than my i20s.

 

The i20s are awesome when the ball is sitting up a little but tough when on a tight lie. I used to

chuckle at golfers saying they caught an iron shot a groove low. Well, a groove low on these i20s

and you can hit some painful stingers, lol. They just work better for those with a little steeper angle

of attack. I prefer shallower to steeper. Just the way I swing I guess.

 

Significantly lower. The S58's have a VCOG of .675 compared to the i20's at .871. Likely a significant contributing factor on how well you can "pick" the ball with that much mass down low. In fact, they are labeled as SGI in the Maltby MPF. Granted, the MPF weights certain factors heavily in determining the final number. And there may be certain biases inherent in the system. Nevertheless, when used as a general guide, finding it to be beneficial. Without descending into the argument on the merits of MPF that I've read elsewhere.

 

Never looked at Maltby MPF numbers either. Until recently. And tried to make sense of them beyond simply the MPF rating. Have always wondered why I had to manipulate the i20's with setup and swing path in order to hit a good shot. When done correctly, a quality shot resulted. And it felt very pure. But I have to be vigilant with every swing. Otherwise, the dreaded thin shot occurred. Why was that. The VCOG data point offered a possible explanation, and it made some logical sense to me. Us sweepers need a COG below the centerline of the golf ball (.840). Mass down low to get the ball up and away. Why I found the '99 Hogans easier to hit that the Pings, not requiring the same degree of club manipulation. Which didn't make sense to me, as they are in theory a more demanding iron to wield. Lower COG.

 

But the COG can be to low, especially for a high ball hitter such as myself. Resulting in an excessively high trajectory (to much spin) and loss of distance. This was occurring with the super low Maltby TE head I've been testing. Nothing I could do (shaft changes, trying to flight it down, swinging harder) changed the result. Wasn't looking for 7 iron distance in the absolute, but wasn't willing to sacrifice 7 -10 yards vs. the Pings either. Utilizing Trackman Range at a LGS to validate my on course observations. Posting about this, contributor CWebb (seems to be knowledgeable about the Maltby system), mentioned that I should be looking for heads with a VCOG in the mid to upper 700's as an optimum design.

 

A big IDK about all of this. So many factors to be considered in how a club reacts in our hands and singling out one point in isolation is risky. But again, seemingly has some intuitive logic behind the numbers. And one more thing to mess with my head on why I need to dump the Pings and move on.

 

I used to use the MPF when considering irons. Despite what some say, I think it has validity for me.

I don't remember the numbers comprising the MPF and tended to just look at the overall rating. I

remember at the time I bought my first set of S58s, that Maltby had given them a playabilty factor

just a little below the G10 irons; I think in the high 700s compared to low 800s for the G10s.

 

At that time I also had a set of G10s so I could easily compare the 2 iron sets when my S58s arrived.

I discovered the same thing many others did; the S58s looked hard to hit because of their small

bladelike size but actually they were very forgiving for their size and much easier to hit than one

would think based on looks. When Maltby gave them the MPF of an SGI iron they did not miss the

mark.

 

Were they as easy to hit as the G10s? A qualified yes in my mind. They have a completely different

feel and look so you don't feel as if it's an apples to apples comparison. One just has to hit them to

see for themselves. I loved 'em. What's not to like? A blade sized iron with SGI forgiveness.

 

Many people would start threads looking for such a creature and I would point them to the Ping S

series irons. Oftentimes others would chime in and say the same. The only knock on them was

that they were not forged but when you're playing with them you don't care, really. They feel good

to me......and many others.

 

As I said before, I sold that first set because I had scratched them up bad playing in the desert.

I regretted selling and finally found another set and that was the set I had delivered to Big Stu and

he reshafted, regripped and fixed the lofts and lies on them for me. I will never part with this set

3-P with the AWT shafts.

 

Fella, if you ever run across a set of Ping S series irons for cheap, grab 'em. I think you would

like them. Stu is toying around with a set of S56s. Don't know if he's finished them and hit them

yet. I'll be curious to see what he thinks.

 

Oops, I don't include the S59s in my comments. Those were the first of the S series and a different

design that is not as good. S58s, 57s, 56s and 55s are all good.........great even.

[Conrad1953]

 

 

My first set of S58s

[bladehunter]

Part of the problem with an 8 team playoff, is where do you play the first round games. The existing system utilizes the current bowl game structure. That is not in place if the first round games are played mid-December, after the conference championships. Having the top four awarded "home" games is a solution as mentioned. But that presents an issue as well. Thinking you guys are being to to provincial, that the games would be played in fair weather climes like Tuscaloosa or Athens.

 

Let's use 2015 by way of an example, if an 8-team playofff was in effect. Based on this format, you would have had Stanford (#5) traveling to play in East Lansing (#4). What would be the expectation for Stanford fans and alumni making the trek to the game? Not to mention the climatic conditions that may occur playing at that time of year at a cold weather site. And the impact on the game. Without researching, but the same argument could likely be made with games played in Columbus or Madison. Not sure how well SEC (or Pac-12) schools would cope with bad conditions. They simply do not play their games in that type of environment.

 

Speaking purely as a fan of my program. It was just OK to participate in the '15 playoff, a mere chatter point this number year's removed. Getting trucked by Alabama holds no redeeming value of any kind. Compare this to the excitement of winning the 100th Rose Bowl in the prior year. When they did not qualify for the playoffs. Which one had greater appeal, offered more value to the program, and still resonates today? Playing for a Natty is not always the raison d'être for playing college football. And please don't make the argument that not participating in the playoffs with a chance to win a NC is losers talk. Remember that not to many years ago, Alabama, and Georgia, and Clemson were very average at best. These things have a way of being cyclical over time.

 

So what's the point of having a #8 seed, playing a #1 with a minimal expectation that a victory would result. Upsets do happen, so there is always that possibility. But the probability for occurrence is very low. Doesn't make for drama or heighten viewership (i.e revenue). Besides the logistics of holding one more set of games. In theory, 8-team playoff has validity. In practice, continue to question if it's necessary.

 

All good points IMO. College football is not encapsulated in a 4 team playoff. One could argue

that the playoffs have been detrimental in that they minimize everything else going on. People

wanted a national champion determined in a more definitive manner so here we are; but at

what cost to the overall picture?

 

I have not been paying attention for anywhere near as long as you Fella. I am aware that there

are traditions and traditional bowl agreements and games. I can remember as a lad the Pac xx

champion playing the Big 10 champion at the Rose Bowl on New Years day. A huge event preceeded

by a huge parade. These have always been big big games on national TV, regardless of what was

at stake. Playing in the Rose Bowl was a dream come true for many.

 

This is just one example though it is one of the biggest. Lots and lots of bowl games with many long

term and long running agreements. This is one of the things that makes college football special.

 

As a relative newcomer it would probably be better for me to remain mute and not get involved in

all the discussions as I don't really have a good grasp of the history of college football. I paid scant

attention until moving to Alabama. Down here you either pay attention or feel left out when the

discussion turns to college football; as it often does, especially on the golf course, a good part of

the year.

 

It's such a big deal down here. You can feel pretty isolated when a discussion turns to college

football and you become a bystander. I guess I got tired of being on the outside looking in. After a

few years I decided it was time to become a little more Alabamian and a little less Californian, lol,

as Alabama had become my adopted "home" state.

 

I've learned a lot in the last several years but will never likely have the depth of knowledge and

understanding that you do. From where I sit with my limited exposure it appears to me that very

rational and knowledgeable people are slowly working their way through all this and taking a

very measured approach.

 

Listening as I do to the radio each day, I get exposed to all sides of the arguments and hear

many opinions. Admittedly though, I lack the context in which these discussions take place. In

a way it presents a personal challenge but I have to contend with my own laziness and how I

prioritize things in life. A deep dive is not imminent, especially with the season nearing an end;

and with me retiring; which will put an end to me driving constantly with the Sirius XM radio in

my ears.

 

One last thing. Growing up in California there has always been a problem with attendance at

sporting events. Die hard fans grow fewer while fair weather fans abound. You don't win they

don't come. Too many other activities draw attention away. Saw this first hand when I lived in

San Diego. Attendance at Charger games was so so; at Padre games downright abysmal; as

in maybe 5-10K per weekday game. Chargers had a great year in '92 and the stadium was

overflowing. They were the hot ticket in town. Have to win to bring the fans out.

 

I heard attendance at the Pac 12 Championship game in Santa Clara was an embarrassment.

With the Pac 12 in a down cycle fans don't come. Heard the same for the rival USC v UCLA

game at the Rose Bowl. Many empty seats.

 

Don't know what the problems are but the Pac 12 needs to turn things around, especially the

south. USC and UCLA used to be powerhouses and the rivalry game was huge. 2 supposed

blue bloods. Do you know what happened? It can't be money and it can't be that they can't

recruit great talent.

 

Tua said USC was where he dreamed of playing but when Bama came calling his dad said

let's go to Bama. But here's a kid that grew up wanting to play for USC...... but Bama got him

instead.

 

That last part. The recruiting. That’s where these powerhouses are coming from. And why the old power teams aren’t growing. Clemson is the next long term dynasty. Call me nuts. But Dabo is a wonderful motivator and a very good salesman. His players would follow him into traffic. And he’s getting every 5 star prospect in Sc GA and Florida that Bama and UGA doesn’t get. That’s saying a lot. It’s single handedly killing Florida state and Florida and holding my gamecocks back. Damn him! lol. We only got Debo Samuels because he’s a local kid and grew up hating orange .....he said so to me. Same for Clowney ....nothing you can do about it. Dabo is just one of those leaders that kids want to be around. They are rare. But they work. I’ve been praying that Saban retires and bama offers Dabo a mint to come home and coach. At least our recruiting chances will go up.

[Wriggles]

Didn't get out to the course yesterday. I've been under the weather. Seems on Saturday night, immediately after I ate a bowl of limited edition Chocolate Lucky Charms, my stomach ached off and on all night. I had the same symptoms on Wednesday night. I think (?) I may have a bowl of the same cereal that night. No more Lucky Charms for me.

 

Researching the ingredients, the choco stuff is corn based, the regular oats. Both Include some chemical called TSP, a cleaner of some sort. I'm really hoping it's the cereal that caused my distress, not some other serious underlying condition.

 

Who knows at this age? All kinds of horrible maladies can befall. Anyhow, don't have any desire to eat cereal at present. Ate a few Ritz crackers last night, no problems.

 

I haven't been to a regular doctor for 10 years. My doctor retired a year or so. A new doctor will put me through the wringer, with tests, etc, just like when my Dad got sick in 1998. His last seven years were just appointments with several different doctors, "specialists" and otherwise, all sharing the wealth. Tests, tests, and more tests. His life became just going to several medical related things a week. Constant. And he was basically healthy after the initial treatments.

 

I dread the thought. End of rant.

 

Take care guys.

 

Yeah, I agree, what's with the tests thing anyway? Other than my neurologist, I have gone without a regular doctor for a while because my doc that I really liked retired too, even though he was in his 40's, something about he couldn't handle it anymore or something, they never did say. Anyway, I got hooked up with some new guy near where we live, which is near the hospital but he's kinda strange. He wants test after test, I'm not gonna do it. Test if you obviously need it, but for the sake of doing tests, no way. End of start of rant. Testing for rant. End of rant test. Good results, no further rant needed. No copay necessary. No thrill, no biil, well, billh is good, but not medbill.

 

I quit going when Doc refused to give me anything for a bad case of the flu. He ordered blood work and throat swabs. He said he couldn't prescribe anything until he determined what was wrong. Wasn't going to give me something, just because I wanted it. Take Tylenol.

 

$75 for that. A couple days later, the office calls, and says everything is OK.

 

Great to hear that, while I'm in bed sneezing and coughing.

[Fellaheen51]

That last part. The recruiting. That's where these powerhouses are coming from. And why the old power teams aren't growing. Clemson is the next long term dynasty. Call me nuts. But Dabo is a wonderful motivator and a very good salesman. His players would follow him into traffic. And he's getting every 5 star prospect in Sc GA and Florida that Bama and UGA doesn't get. That's saying a lot. It's single handedly killing Florida state and Florida and holding my gamecocks back. Damn him! lol. We only got Debo Samuels because he's a local kid and grew up hating orange .....he said so to me. Same for Clowney ....nothing you can do about it. Dabo is just one of those leaders that kids want to be around. They are rare. But they work. I've been praying that Saban retires and bama offers Dabo a mint to come home and coach. At least our recruiting chances will go up.

 

Conrad. I value your opinion on many topics. Does not matter whether you've been "paying attention" to CFB for 30 years, or the last 3 weeks. You're engaged now and that's the main thing. So no reason to "remain mute". Furthermore, proper use of the Google Machine has a way of making one appear "smarter" about stuff than they actually are. Or at least fill in the blanks of a foggy memory. We all just yak'n in the Grille.

__________________________

 

That's the key. Finding a dynamic HC with a plan and allow them the time to develop a program. After a point, success begins to occur. A program reaches a certain critical mass, from getting choice recruits to winning on the field, and it becomes self sustaining. Kids want to play there. They see the prime time big games, chance to play out all their aspirations on a grand stage, a pathway (if they are indeed best of breed) to the professional game. The entire process becomes "easier" to keep the pipeline filled. Recruiting at top level programs is national. They've developed a cache. The best want to play there, not because they have some grand affinity to the school. They want to see their name in lights.

 

Consider Clemson before Dabo arrived. They were an average to decent FB team at best (with a google assist) with T. Bowden as HC. They hired Dabo, he established a program with continuity, and it all began to come together in 2012. Winning games, conference championships, and now consistently playing for a Natty. But one day, he'll be gone. Then what? Back to being average? Has Clemson developed enough cache to remain top echelon? YTBD.

 

Alabama is universally considered a modern day dynasty under Saban. He came to Tuscaloosa with a pedigree, a plan, and a NC. But before he arrived on the scene? They ranged from being terrible to a couple of decent years under several HC's (1997 - 2006). Even Saban's first year was average. One day Saban will be gone. Then what?

 

Consider all the high profile programs that have had their day. Texas, FSU, OSU, USC, LSU, OK. Heck, Texas could out recruit Alabama with in-state talent alone given similar circumstances. During their run of prominence, all had a measure of stability at HC.

 

On the what happened to USC question. NCAA sanctions is what happened, followed by a succession of poor choices for HC. Won a Natty with Pete Carroll in 2004. Then he skipped town to Seattle one step ahead of the "Lack of Institutional Control" sanctions (the Reggie Bush misdeeds) that came down in 2010. Sent the program into a tailspin that it has yet to extract itself from. Loss of scholarships, bowl ban, probation. Then made a mess of things by hiring Lane Kiffen and Steve Sarkisian as HC's. Been a dumpster fire for awhile now. Get the right person in charge, no reason not to expect USC to return to winning Pac-12 'ships and playing for Nattys.

 

One last point. Regarding two programs within a state. Tell me about it. Forever MSU has played second fiddle to that other school 60 miles down the road. The one that likes to boast of their 5* recruiting prowess, how their "future is so bright they gotta wear shades". Once the HC gets "his" players in place. Yada, Yada, ad nauseam. MSU gets the 3* and 4* leftovers.

 

Yet. We're 8-3 against all that superior talent. Won 2 B1G 'ships (Them = zero). Won a Rose Bowl (Them. Not since '97). Made the CFP playoffs (vs. not even close). Actually can beat OSU occasionally (Them = OSU owns them). They have the savior in place, the one that will restore all the glory from the bygone years. Yet they win nothing and act like they're still relevant on the national stage. They got all these 5 stars, all this coaching, all the tradition. Yet, their "Quarterback Whisperer" HC has to go out and find QB transfers because the 5* ones recruited aren't quite panning out.

 

We have a coach that knows how to coach. Develop talent and mold them into a team. Play tough hard nose FB with a chip on their shoulders. One that knows how to manage a game plan, yet is bold enough to go outside the box when necessary. Theirs............he's a legend. It is possible for the "inferior" program to have success, if the right guy is steering the ship. As Coach D remarked a number of years ago, after a bad beat and being subjected to the cackling from "them" afterwards (the infamous Little Brother" remark):

 

"I find a lot of the things they do amusing. They need to check themselves sometimes. Let’s just remember, pride comes before the fall. ... They want to mock us, I’m telling them, it’s not over. They want to print that crap all over their locker room, it’s not over and it’ll never be over here. It’s just starting."

 

P. S. As I failed to remember this until just now. South Carolina 28 - "Them" 19. TYVM.

 

Breaking news: Urban Meyer. He gone. After the Rose Bowl. Color me not surprised. Several issues have been swirling around him this year. He's been dropping hints that he's got health problems, would like to spend more time with his family. NTM, the 4 game suspension likely pissed him off. Take a year off. Then look about to see what "opportunities" are out there. Not unlike when he left Fla. Heard some wild speculation and rumor that he may be interested in the USC position, given the right circumstances and timing. He's only 54, not like he's at the end of the line age-wise.

[tolmij]

Didn't get out to the course yesterday. I've been under the weather. Seems on Saturday night, immediately after I ate a bowl of limited edition Chocolate Lucky Charms, my stomach ached off and on all night. I had the same symptoms on Wednesday night. I think (?) I may have a bowl of the same cereal that night. No more Lucky Charms for me.

 

Researching the ingredients, the choco stuff is corn based, the regular oats. Both Include some chemical called TSP, a cleaner of some sort. I'm really hoping it's the cereal that caused my distress, not some other serious underlying condition.

 

Who knows at this age? All kinds of horrible maladies can befall. Anyhow, don't have any desire to eat cereal at present. Ate a few Ritz crackers last night, no problems.

 

I haven't been to a regular doctor for 10 years. My doctor retired a year or so. A new doctor will put me through the wringer, with tests, etc, just like when my Dad got sick in 1998. His last seven years were just appointments with several different doctors, "specialists" and otherwise, all sharing the wealth. Tests, tests, and more tests. His life became just going to several medical related things a week. Constant. And he was basically healthy after the initial treatments.

 

I dread the thought. End of rant.

 

Take care guys.

 

Yeah, I agree, what's with the tests thing anyway? Other than my neurologist, I have gone without a regular doctor for a while because my doc that I really liked retired too, even though he was in his 40's, something about he couldn't handle it anymore or something, they never did say. Anyway, I got hooked up with some new guy near where we live, which is near the hospital but he's kinda strange. He wants test after test, I'm not gonna do it. Test if you obviously need it, but for the sake of doing tests, no way. End of start of rant. Testing for rant. End of rant test. Good results, no further rant needed. No copay necessary. No thrill, no biil, well, billh is good, but not medbill.

 

I quit going when Doc refused to give me anything for a bad case of the flu. He ordered blood work and throat swabs. He said he couldn't prescribe anything until he determined what was wrong. Wasn't going to give me something, just because I wanted it. Take Tylenol.

 

$75 for that. A couple days later, the office calls, and says everything is OK.

 

Great to hear that, while I'm in bed sneezing and coughing.

 

We have been extreemly lucky, three years ago we found a very good doctor, considerate, informative, listens to your concerns. A hands on person who still performs minor surgical procedures in his surgery. DW had one some months ago, after being told for years put up with it because you will be on an indefinite waiting list for a hospital appointment. Only mentioned it once, the next week she attended his bi weekly clinic and it was done. Really weird looking man, funny sense of humour but a brilliant doctor.

[bladehunter]

That last part. The recruiting. That's where these powerhouses are coming from. And why the old power teams aren't growing. Clemson is the next long term dynasty. Call me nuts. But Dabo is a wonderful motivator and a very good salesman. His players would follow him into traffic. And he's getting every 5 star prospect in Sc GA and Florida that Bama and UGA doesn't get. That's saying a lot. It's single handedly killing Florida state and Florida and holding my gamecocks back. Damn him! lol. We only got Debo Samuels because he's a local kid and grew up hating orange .....he said so to me. Same for Clowney ....nothing you can do about it. Dabo is just one of those leaders that kids want to be around. They are rare. But they work. I've been praying that Saban retires and bama offers Dabo a mint to come home and coach. At least our recruiting chances will go up.

 

Conrad. I value your opinion on many topics. Does not matter whether you've been "paying attention" to CFB for 30 years, or the last 3 weeks. You're engaged now and that's the main thing. So no reason to "remain mute". Furthermore, proper use of the Google Machine has a way of making one appear "smarter" about stuff than they actually are. Or at least fill in the blanks of a foggy memory. We all just yak'n in the Grille.

__________________________

 

That's the key. Finding a dynamic HC with a plan and allow them the time to develop a program. After a point, success begins to occur. A program reaches a certain critical mass, from getting choice recruits to winning on the field, and it becomes self sustaining. Kids want to play there. They see the prime time big games, chance to play out all their aspirations on a grand stage, a pathway (if they are indeed best of breed) to the professional game. The entire process becomes "easier" to keep the pipeline filled. Recruiting at top level programs is national. They've developed a cache. The best want to play there, not because they have some grand affinity to the school. They want to see their name in lights.

 

Consider Clemson before Dabo arrived. They were an average to decent FB team at best (with a google assist) with T. Bowden as HC. They hired Dabo, he established a program with continuity, and it all began to come together in 2012. Winning games, conference championships, and now consistently playing for a Natty. But one day, he'll be gone. Then what? Back to being average? Has Clemson developed enough cache to remain top echelon? YTBD.

 

Alabama is universally considered a modern day dynasty under Saban. He came to Tuscaloosa with a pedigree, a plan, and a NC. But before he arrived on the scene? They ranged from being terrible to a couple of decent years under several HC's (1997 - 2006). Even Saban's first year was average. One day Saban will be gone. Then what?

 

Consider all the high profile programs that have had their day. Texas, FSU, OSU, USC, LSU, OK. Heck, Texas could out recruit Alabama with in-state talent alone given similar circumstances. During their run of prominence, all had a measure of stability at HC.

 

On the what happened to USC question. NCAA sanctions is what happened, followed by a succession of poor choices for HC. Won a Natty with Pete Carroll in 2004. Then he skipped town to Seattle one step ahead of the "Lack of Institutional Control" sanctions (the Reggie Bush misdeeds) that came down in 2010. Sent the program into a tailspin that it has yet to extract itself from. Loss of scholarships, bowl ban, probation. Then made a mess of things by hiring Lane Kiffen and Steve Sarkisian as HC's. Been a dumpster fire for awhile now. Get the right person in charge, no reason not to expect USC to return to winning Pac-12 'ships and playing for Nattys.

 

One last point. Regarding two programs within a state. Tell me about it. Forever MSU has played second fiddle to that other school 60 miles down the road. The one that likes to boast of their 5* recruiting prowess, how their "future is so bright they gotta wear shades". Once the HC gets "his" players in place. Yada, Yada, ad nauseam. MSU gets the 3* and 4* leftovers.

 

Yet. We're 8-3 against all that superior talent. Won 2 B1G 'ships (Them = zero). Won a Rose Bowl (Them. Not since '97). Made the CFP playoffs (vs. not even close). Actually can beat OSU occasionally (Them = OSU owns them). They have the savior in place, the one that will restore all the glory from the bygone years. Yet they win nothing and act like they're still relevant on the national stage. They got all these 5 stars, all this coaching, all the tradition. Yet, their "Quarterback Whisperer" HC has to go out and find QB transfers because the 5* ones recruited aren't quite panning out.

 

We have a coach that knows how to coach. Develop talent and mold them into a team. Play tough hard nose FB with a chip on their shoulders. One that knows how to manage a game plan, yet is bold enough to go outside the box when necessary. Theirs............he's a legend. It is possible for the "inferior" program to have success, if the right guy is steering the ship. As Coach D remarked a number of years ago, after a bad beat and being subjected to the cackling from "them" afterwards (the infamous Little Brother" remark):

 

"I find a lot of the things they do amusing. They need to check themselves sometimes. Let’s just remember, pride comes before the fall. ... They want to mock us, I’m telling them, it’s not over. They want to print that crap all over their locker room, it’s not over and it’ll never be over here. It’s just starting."

 

P. S. As I failed to remember this until just now. South Carolina 28 - "Them" 19. TYVM.

 

Breaking news: Urban Meyer. He gone. After the Rose Bowl. Color me not surprised. Several issues have been swirling around him this year. He's been dropping hints that he's got health problems, would like to spend more time with his family. NTM, the 4 game suspension likely pissed him off. Take a year off. Then look about to see what "opportunities" are out there. Not unlike when he left Fla. Heard some wild speculation and rumor that he may be interested in the USC position, given the right circumstances and timing. He's only 54, not like he's at the end of the line age-wise.

 

agree with it all... and that Game agianst "them" where Clowney nearly killed their QB ...That game ill recall till the day i die...

[SixtySomePing]

 

Breaking news: Urban Meyer. He gone. After the Rose Bowl. Color me not surprised. Several issues have been swirling around him this year. He's been dropping hints that he's got health problems, would like to spend more time with his family. NTM, the 4 game suspension likely pissed him off. Take a year off. Then look about to see what "opportunities" are out there. Not unlike when he left Fla. Heard some wild speculation and rumor that he may be interested in the USC position, given the right circumstances and timing. He's only 54, not like he's at the end of the line age-wise.

We've been expecting this all year because of the cyst on his brain only. He has had lots of issues with it, they drain it, and it doesn't help, he has lots of pain, and it won't go away. Of course we get to see every game, and this season is the one where we've seen it affect his demeanor on the sideline so much. Bending over, holding his head, timeouts with Ryan Day talking to the team while Urban bends over and holds his head in pain. You can't do that forever. Everyone likes Urban, but Ryan will work out just fine. It's time. I don't think he will go on from here, unless it's off the field in some capacity.

[tolmij]

 

Breaking news: Urban Meyer. He gone. After the Rose Bowl. Color me not surprised. Several issues have been swirling around him this year. He's been dropping hints that he's got health problems, would like to spend more time with his family. NTM, the 4 game suspension likely pissed him off. Take a year off. Then look about to see what "opportunities" are out there. Not unlike when he left Fla. Heard some wild speculation and rumor that he may be interested in the USC position, given the right circumstances and timing. He's only 54, not like he's at the end of the line age-wise.

We've been expecting this all year because of the cyst on his brain only. He has had lots of issues with it, they drain it, and it doesn't help, he has lots of pain, and it won't go away. Of course we get to see every game, and this season is the one where we've seen it affect his demeanor on the sideline so much. Bending over, holding his head, timeouts with Ryan Day talking to the team while Urban bends over and holds his head in pain. You can't do that forever. Everyone likes Urban, but Ryan will work out just fine. It's time. I don't think he will go on from here, unless it's off the field in some capacity.

 

How many times has this happened in sport, the money, the fame, it’s like a drug to them. Seen it happen so many times in rugby, playing with an injury, pain killers to get on the field and it never ever ends well.

[Conrad1953]

pl

[tolmij]

pl

 

 

Plink, plonk, plunk

[billh17]

plentiful plainspoken plainclothesmen planing pleasantly pleasing playdates

[tolmij]

plentiful plainspoken plainclothesmen planing pleasantly pleasing playdates

 

 

Wow, just wow.

 

Sixty has competition.

[scomac2002]

Don't think I'll ever have to worry about being a world traveler as we're now four days in and I'm still on eastern time. I guess it's a triumph that I'm up at 5:00 am and not 2:00 am!

 

It has been pretty quiet as both kids are working this week, so we haven't done much more than walk to our favourite coffee shop for breakfast and then shop for groceries for dinners. DW is in her glory mothering the kids. She brought a gas fitter in yesterday to properly install their new gas stove with the required permit. An early Christmas gift to start them on their kitchen renovation.

 

The kids have taken today off, so not sure what the plans are other than going out for dinner tonight to celebrate DW's birthday.

[SixtySomePing]

pl

Pluto