UUOTD-Saturday

One of the alarming trends over the last few years is the number of teams that do not have black as a school color, but use it as part of one of their basketball uniforms. Duke is the most high-profile program to do this, but schools such as Tulsa, Baylor, and others are guilty, as well.

This is so unstable. Duke's teams are the Blue Devils, not the Black Devils. Blue Devils are supposed to wear blue, not black. Black is not their color. I know they have blue trim and numbers on the black unis, but the black uniforms are just plain inconsistent. When Duke goes on the road, they should wear blue.

Schools like Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, with black as a primary color, are more than welcome to have a black uniform, in my opinion.

The black uniform needs to go, unless it is an official color.

NFL Picks-Week 16, Continued

Last Week: 12-4 This Week To Date: 1-0 Overall: 137-88

It’s time for the playoff push in the National Football League. Division titles and playoff berths are on the line. The wheat is being separated from the chaff. At the same time, teams that stunk last week become this week’s version of the ’85 Bears. It’s a crazy league, one that Pete Rozelle would be proud of.

On with the picks….

Philadelphia at Dallas: This is, for all intents and purposes, for the NFC East championship. The Cowboys clinch with a win, while the Eagles move into a tie with the Cowboys with a win, and the subsequent tiebreaker. The Eagles were given up for dead when Donovan McNabb was injured. Jeff Garcia has stepped up and led the Eagles to the brink of the playoffs. The Cowboys have recovered from the spanking by the Saints, going to the ATL and getting a big win last week. The Cowboys are in the playoffs, but want more. Pick: Dallas, of course.
Kansas City at Oakland: The best rivalry from the old AFL, but the Raiders totally stink. The Black Hole is more than a section of their stadium, it is the entire franchise. This team needs a new owner. The Chiefs have an outside chance at the playoffs, but need lots of help. The Chiefs take care of business this week. Pick: Kansas City
Chicago at Detroit: The Bears have clinched home field throughout the playoffs. The Lions are playing for the top pick in the draft. Do the Bears bring their A game? Do the Lions have an A game? Pick: Chicago
Carolina at Atlanta: The Panthers have been a huge disappointment. The Falcons took a major blow to their playoff hopes last week with their loss to the Cowboys. Atlanta bounces back this week. Pick: Atlanta
Baltimore at Pittsburgh: The Ravens need this game to stay in the race for a first round playoff bye. The Steelers have put themselves in a position to make the playoffs, with a lot of help. The Ketchup Bottle turns into a tomb for the Ravens. Pick: Pittsburgh
New England at Jacksonville: Which Patriots team shows up? The one that got skunked in Miami, or the one that drilled the Texans? Similarly, the Jaguars are also a Jekyll and Hyde team, as they play awesome at home, and mediocre on the road. Pick: Jacksonville
Indianapolis at Houston: The Colts looked awesome last week against the Bengals. The Texans looked awful against the Patriots. Does anything change this week? The Texans will be a bit more competitive at home, but the Colts win the game. Pick: Indy
New Orleans at New York Giants: Huge game in the NFC. The Saints lost a winnable game last week to the Redskins. The Saints need to win out to get the #2 seed in the playoffs. The Giants need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Weird things happen on top of Jimmy Hoffa’s grave at the Meadowlands. Pick: Giants
Tampa Bay at Cleveland: How would you like to be stuck in Florida or Ohio and have to watch this clunker of a game? Both teams are well on their way to top 10 draft picks. That’s the best you can say for either of them. Pick: Cleveland
Washington at St. Louis: The Redskins play their second dome game in two weeks, having defeated the Saints in New Orleans last week. The Rams are coming off a win in Oakland. This is the first blackout in St. Louis since the Rams moved there in 1995, as the game did not sell out, and will not be on local TV. The Rams don’t give the locals a whole lot to cheer about in this one. Pick: Washington
Tennessee at Buffalo: These teams have a playoff history with each other, as they will go down together for the Houston Oilers’ choke on a 35-3 lead in the 1992 playoffs, and for the Music City Miracle in Nashville eight years later. This isn’t a playoff game, but both teams have an outside shot at the playoffs. Vince Young is a hot quarterback. His stats aren’t always great, but the Titans are winning. Pick: Titans
Arizona at San Francisco: The Niners are 6-8, and have slight playoff hopes. They have improved a ton this year. The Cardinals have shown flashes of hope, but, at the end of the day, are still the sad sack Cardinals. Pick: Frisco
Cincinnati at Denver: Huge game for wild-card hopes for both teams. Cincinnati was a hot team before last week’s trip to Naptown. The Broncos are starting to get it together with rookie QB Jay Cutler. The city of Denver is still digging out of a blizzard. The Bengals are just a little better than the Broncos, even in Denver. Pick: Cincy
San Diego at Seattle: Another huge game. San Diego is playing for home field throughout the playoffs. Seattle is holding on for dear life in the NFC West, having lost in consecutive weeks to Arizona and San Francisco. The Chargers simply need to give the ball 40 times to LaDainian Tomlinson, and they win. Pick: San Diego
New York Jets at Miami: The Dolphins are a little mediocre, but are playing at home. The Jets are a surprising playoff contender, riding the arm of Chad Pennington. The Jets should have enough to hold off the ‘Phins. Pick: Jets

UUOTD-Friday

The football programs at California and at Oregon are joined at the hip. Head coach Jeff Tedford came from Oregon, where he was the offensive coordinator. Not coincidentally, the Oregon program began to slip, while the Cal program took off. The only thing Cal hasn't done in the Tedford era is make it to the Rose Bowl, or another BCS bowl. That will happen, eventually, as long as he is still the coach. Cal is lucky to have Jeff Tedford as coach.

Cal also has Nike as their uniform supplier. They use an alternate uniform that is a copy of the Oregon yellow jersey. To my knowledge, they haven't worn yellow pants with it. However, the yellow jersey is looking pretty loud. If they had yellow pants with it, they would look like bananas.

Note to Cal: Wear the blue, wear the white, but keep those yellow/gold jerseys in the laundry room.

College Bowl Picks, Part 1, continued

Bowls to Date: 2-0 Season: 188-84

I have some time to review a few more of the early bowls. These bowls primarily exist to fill some hotel rooms and to provide programming for ESPN. However, they’re a big deal to the coaches and players. I’d rather have a playoff, but the system is what it is. So, here it goes:

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans: Troy vs. Rice. The Owls are in their first bowl game since 1961. First-year Rice coach Todd Graham has performed a miracle down on South Main, taking his team from one win last season to seven this year. At this rate, he will be able to take a higher-profile job in the next few years, if he wants one. The Men of Troy, Alabama, are champions of the Sun Belt Conference, and have been competitive in games against higher-profile competition. Troy has played in more big games, and I give them an edge. Pick: Troy
Papajohns.com Bowl at Birmingham: South Florida vs. East Carolina. The inaugural game in Birmingham, former host of the Hall of Fame Bowl and the All-American Bowl. I like Pizza Hut pizza better. East Carolina is bouncing back nicely, but the Bulls should win this one. Pick: South Florida
New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque: New Mexico vs. San Jose State. Another new bowl. I like Albuquerque, but do they deserve a bowl? If you can come up with the money, you, too can host a bowl in your city. As for the game, New Mexico won their normal six games this year, and became eligible to play in a bowl on their home field. San Jose State is one of the better under-the-radar turnaround stories of the year. Dick Tomey took one of the worst coaching jobs in America (decaying stadium, low budget, astronomical cost of living for staff) and built a winner. They have won eight games, and came the closest to knocking off unbeaten Boise State. Pick: SJSU
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth: Utah vs. Tulsa. I love Fort Worth. I lived there for fourteen years. With that being said, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to have a bowl there. But, if Shreveport and Birmingham can have bowls, then by golly, Fort Worth can have one, too. Now, it would be a coup if they could move it to the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington in four years. It is a nice touch to name the bowl in honor of our armed forces, as new title sponsor Bell Helicopter has done. As for the game, Utah peaked when they beat TCU in September. Tulsa went into a tailspin at the end of the year, but they are in their third bowl in four years under coach Steve Kragthorpe. Pick: Tulsa
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl at Honolulu: Arizona State vs. Hawaii. Arizona State is playing under a lame-duck coach, having fired Dirk Koetter in November. Hawaii is led by record-setting QB Colt Brennan. The Warriors score a ton of points. Hawaii is a nice trip. The problem is, a team like Arizona State has to play a good team when they get there. Pick: Hawaii
Motor City Bowl at Detroit: Middle Tennessee vs. Central Michigan. Middle Tennessee got thumped by Oklahoma, Louisville, and South Carolina, but beat seven other teams to qualify for a bowl. Central Michigan won the MAC title, then lost head coach Brian Kelly to Cincinnati. This is the first time a team from Michigan has played in this bowl. This is also the first time the Blue Raiders have appeared in a Division 1-A bowl game. Pick: Central Michigan
Emerald Bowl at San Francisco: Florida State vs. UCLA. This lower-level bowl got two big names for their game, as reeling Florida State goes to the West Coast to face UCLA. Florida State is 6-6, and is here thanks to the 12th game allowed this year by the NCAA. Otherwise, they would be 5-6. The last time we saw UCLA, they were dancing on the floor of the Rose Bowl after knocking USC out of the national championship game. Florida State has a better name, but UCLA has a better team. Pick: Bruins
SunPower Independence Bowl at Shreveport: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama. Both teams come into this game at 6-6. Alabama fired coach Mike Shula, and has spent the last month being turned down by various coaches. OSU beat three creampuffs in their non-conference schedule, won three conference games, and got to a bowl. It’s really hard to figure Alabama out. My gut says OSU, but my head says Bama. Pick: Tide
Texas Bowl at Houston: Rutgers vs. Kansas State. After an epic double-overtime loss at West Virginia, Rutgers stumbles onto the South Loop, when they had a chance to be on South Beach. K-State got a big win late in the season against Texas. If this were a regular season game, Rutgers would win by two touchdowns. This is a bowl game, though, and anything can happen. Rutgers should still win. Pick: Rutgers,SUNJ.
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl at San Diego: Texas A&M vs. California: Earth to Desmond Howard: Texas is not playing in this bowl game. Texas A&M is. The Ags parlayed their upset of Texas into a trip to sunny San Diego. Cal is an enigma, as they lit up the scoreboard earlier in the year, but struggled against teams like Tennessee and USC. This is the ultimate clash of cultures, as Berkeley is the traditional home of the anti-war movement, and gave six percent of their votes to George W. Bush. Texas A&M is home of the Corps of Cadets, and is the home of the George Bush library. Off the field: A&M. On the field: A&M.

UUOTD-Thursday

Oregon's ugly uniform combinations would make great fodder for an entire web site. I wonder if www.oregonuglyuniforms.com is available?

Tonight, the guys from Nike unveiled a psychedelic-looking new helmet for the Ducks. It is gold and/or green, and appears in multiple shades depending on the angle and the lighting. In tonight's Las Vegas Bowl, the Ducks wore green uniforms with those steel-looking things on the shoulders and pants. Ugly.

Deadspin.com says it would be cheaper for Oregon to simply buy LSD for everyone in the crowd. I don't endorse drug use at all, but it is obvious that someone at Nike was under the influence of an illegal substance when they designed these things.

I like green and gold. They are the colors of my alma mater, probably a polar opposite of the University of Oregon. Oregon and Nike are doing some really ugly things with these colors, and are bringing shame to them. It's really sad.

College Bowl Picks, Part 1 (continued)

The bowl season marches on...

Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Oregon at Las Vegas: BYU had a great season, winning a conference championship. Is this all they get? A pre-Christmas bowl game? Oregon's season went downhill after the questionable call in the OU game. BYU is a pretty decent team. Oregon is inconsistent. Pick: The Y

NFL Picks, Week 16, Part 1

There is a game Thursday night, and I won't pick 16 big ones here, but I'll pick tomorrow's game.

Minnesota at Green Bay: Could this be Brett Favre's last home game? The Vikings enter Lambeau Field with rookie quarterback Tarvaris Jackson set to start against the Pack. I had never heard of him until yesterday. I wonder if this is the first guy named Tarvaris to start an NFL game at quarterback. The Packers are trying to make a run at respectability, and play their last home game Thursday night. The Pack has not been a good home team, but they will be in this one. Pick: Green Bay

Mid-Major Win of the Night

The Cuse is in the house! Unfortunately for Syracuse, Drexel was in the house, also. The Dragons, better known as the odd man out of the Big Five in Philadelphia, went to the Carrier Dome and upset the Orange, by a score of 84-79. Frank Elegar scored 27 points for the Dragons.

Drexel plays in the Colonial Athletic Association, the same conference that gave us George Mason, Old Dominion, and Hofstra. Drexel has wins this year over cross-town rivals Villanova and St. Joseph's.

Remember Bruiser Flint, the guy that followed John Calipari at UMass? He's now the coach at Drexel.

Look out for Drexel in March..

UUOTD-Tuesday

No series of ugly uniforms is complete without mention of the Oregon Ducks. Their main benefactor, Phil Knight of Nike, uses them as a testing lab for multiple styles and types of uniforms. Knight is a graduate of UO, and donates millions of dollars each year to the school.

The uniforms come in multiple ugly combinations. The worst of the bunch is flourescent yellow. With the green helmet, yellow jersey, and yellow pants, they look like a bottle of dishwashing soap.

You have to take your hats off to them, though. Their ugly uniforms have brought a lot of attention to the school, and many look for their broadcasts and highlights just to see what threads they are wearing that day.

If it walks like a duck, and smells like a duck....

Bowl Picks-Part 1

Bowl season starts tonight. I'm not picking all 32 bowls at one time, but I can't forget tonight's bowl....

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, San Diego: TCU vs. Northern Illinois The Frogs are rolling, after losing their first two conference games to BYU and Utah. The Frogs are now 10-2, while the Northern Illini (oops, they're the Huskies) are 7-5. While NIU didn't win the MAC, they got the best bowl trip, as the other MAC bowls are in Detroit, Mobile, and Toronto. I hope they like San Diego, because they won't like the hurting TCU will put on them tonight. Pick: TCU

Stay Tuned

I am out of town on business, and currently only have access to the public hotel computer. Therefore, there is no UUOTD, or NFL Week In Review today. I should be in a position to have something up tomorrow.

Off to watch the impending point-fest between the Colts and the Bengals....

UUOTD-Sunday

I am on the road for work this week, so I can't promise an ugly uniform every day. However, I have received a nomination.

The NCAA Division III championship game was on yesterday. My wife saw the uniforms that Mount Union College was wearing, and was grossed out by them. She said I should post on it, so I will.

Mount Union's football team has been absolute greatness, as they won their record ninth national championship yesterday over Wisconsin-Whitewater, 35-16. The Purple Raiders have been a well-oiled machine for over a decade. All nine championships have been won since 1993. Any loss they have suffered in that time period can be considered an upset. They have dominated Division III in a big way. At their level, they are awesome.

The Wife pointed out some flaws in their uniform. The main problem she had is that the helmet, the numbers, and the pants are different shades of purple. That is a big deal to her, as she always has to tell me that a black shirt and black pants do not always go together. She is applying this principle here. I asked her about the purple circle "Raiders" patch on the shoulder, and she didn't have a problem with it. The two shades of purple clash, in her opinion. I tried to take up for the guys at MUC, as it is a small school, most likely with a low budget. She was still grossed out by the multiple shades of purple.

Congratulations to the Purple Raiders. I'm sure they would wear plaid if it meant winning another national championship. Hopefully, they'll get the purple problem worked out before next year's appearance in the Stagg Bowl.