Eleven Warriors

I go out of town for a few days and go off grid. Get back and what, what, WHAT? The Big Ten expands and 1. adds schools that suck in sports 2. adds schools that don't strengthen our chances of winning national championships in the 2 sports that matter. WTF?!

Now, I know, without exploring, that Rutgers and Maryland are fine educational institutions. But I think we all know conferences are trying to increase their ability to take over the world in sports, which, = ratings, which, = money, money and more money. 
With that- with what conferences are doing, I am venting and hopefully letting you vent a little too. I say, Rutgers?! REALLY?! Jesus- their football team is "coming up" in a bad football conference. Whatever- their first year coach is doing a great job, with the old coaches recruits....so he has not proven a solid coach in recruiting yet, and we all know how a team can go south quickly if that's not the case.
Maryland? OK, basketball tradition is good but haven't heard from them lately...from a casual basketball fan's viewpoint...and in FOOTBALL? REALLY? The ONLY reason I know they have a freaking football team is due to their really, really stupid looking uni's they threw up...I mean, threw out there last year.
So, while other conferences are at least TRYING to increase their chances of strengthening either their football or basketball programs for winning more National Championships, we go after Rutgers and Maryland .Way. To. Go. That will really help with our "strength of schedule" issues. 
How about this - we get Kentucky to strengthen our basketball conference and hell, who cares about Kentucky football, we HAVE Maryland now...but that would be awesome for the conference in basketball...and let's go after Cincinnati - solid football and basketball. They could make some noise perhaps...even Pitt maybe? You'd bring back the PSU rivalry, even though Pitt has sucked in football. But Pitt has shown it can produce a solid football team every once in awhile and their basketball team is solid (? not sure- casual basketball fan but I seem to hear about them during basketball season).
So, VENT! Let me know what  teams you would add to The Weak Conference. Be it for real or for fun. I just can't believe we can't recruit schools with better football/basketball teams. Who is next, Syracuse? WOWWWW got the SEC and 12PAC shaking in their SHOES! At least they have a great basketball tradition...argh. Louisville? West Verginny (always over rated-choke more than a John Cooper coached team)-What schools would you add to our conference? 

I'm watching the NFL Network and Rich Eisen has verified to me that he is a "DA." I'm trying to be politically correct here so I'm not spelling out "DA." If you can't figure it out then;

1. you are not a true Buckeye Fan

2. you do not know Eisen is a u of ichigan grad

3. you are "S."

So, old Rich comes on after a commercial talking about the recent passing of Darrell Royal. He actually had the nerve, as a TV journalist, to attribute the quote ""only three things can happen when you pass and two of them are bad." REALLY Rich? You ichigan scum bag. Everyone knows that's Woody's quote. To give prudence it's place, I did check my lap top sources! Not that Wikipedia is The Source of accurate information but it seems reliable to me. Also, I've NEVER heard ANYONE say that quote came from Darrell Royal.

If I try to look at it logically, does this seem like a quote that comes from a coach that designed the wishbone or a coach that was very conservative and LOVED running the ball? I believe there is some connection to "three yards and a cloud of dust" to Wayne Woodrow Hayes...just sayin, "only three things can happen when you pass and two of them are bad" would be a reason a running coach would say he runs the ball/doesn't pass much, verses a coach that loved to pass...PLUS, it's Woody's freaking quote!!!! 

Sooooo, Rich Eisen can suck my socks! "One thing happens when I watch the NFL network, and ONE of them is bad." That would be watching you, (ya dumb son-of-a-sea cook!) Argh!

Go Buckeyes!

LOVE the weekly snippet about Bourbon. Living in Utah (The Land behind the Zion Curtain), my bourbon selection has been greatly reduced by our wise and compassionate state government. And NOW you know at least one of the reasons why they are called "Utards."

The 11W posting about making a "Suffering Bastard" using Buffalo Trace Bourbon brought to mind this little bit of information. DID YOU KNOW, Single barrel BT is from the same barrels as Blanton's? I have it on good authority this is so. When I tasted Blanton's Bourbon a few years ago, it instantly became my favorite bourbon. It's a bit pricey here, around $55.00 so I would also have some cheaper bourbon in the pantry as well.

Enter Buffalo Trace...(at $20-$25 a bottle). A friend of mine in the alcohol distribution industry took a tour of all the bourbon distillery's in Kentucky. He came back and told me about BT. Same barrels- BUT $25 TO $30 CHEAPER! It makes sense in a way- there are only a few bourbon distillery's and how many more bourbon labels? I'm sure all distillery's do the same thing, it would be silly to think they didn't.

However, I was skeptical. I had a blind taste test with my bourbon drinking brothers and there was perhaps a very, very small difference in the finish between the two. But this difference could have been more psychological and again, it was such a small difference, barely noticeable, so we couldn't tell any true difference between a $55 bottle and a $25. Which is why I wrote this. 

I saw Buffalo Trace on the shelves for quite awhile but never thought of buying it. I'm not opposed to trying new adult beverages but "Buffalo Trace" did not speak to me as any kind of bourbon I'd be interested in. Seriously? Buffalo Trace? I don't connect that to bourbon at all- at least someones NAME on a label logically means that there is some connection, either a historical reference, or by family...but "Buffalo Trace*?" Seemed like a stupid name for a bourbon so I never bought it.

When you go onto the Blanton's Bourbon website, you will notice that to schedule a tour of their facility you need to check out www.buffalotrace.com, so I don't think it's some extra-double-top-secret thing. And wow, how depressing to a bourbon drinker, and a fan of this particular bourbon, to see that Blanton's actually makes FOUR types. I would like it to be known that in Utah, they only offer the Original Single Barrel Bourbon, so this is the one that is identical to Buffalo Trace.

*While "Wild Turkey" certainly doesn't imply bourbon to me either, at least it has "wild" in the title....which, I believe, anyone that drinks has had a wild time of some sort...at least once. After drinking it the first time, Wild Turkey seemd to me, to be a very good name for it. 

Go Buckeyes! ....Go Bourbon!