AJC > Blog > Archives > 2006 > September > 01
Friday, September 1, 2006
Finally, some real football
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
According to the papers and the scoreboard, the college football season has begun. Actually, games have been played, but that’s not the same thing.
But they weren’t real games, in the mind of Enemy Watch, which didn’t bother paying much attention to Thursday’s farcical lineup:
Connecticut 52, Rhode Island 7
Boston College 31, Central Michigan 24
Minnesota 44, Kent State 0
Even South Carolina’s 15-0 win over Mississippi State has to be kept in perspective: In Starkvegas, they will play any night of the week if television’s interested in picking up the sounds of the clamorous cowbells.
Gimme a break!
This is not how major I-A programs in BCS conferences should start the season. No, Enemy Watch blew off the Thursday Night Thumpings in favor of another Turner Classic Movie reprise of “Double Indemnity,” in which Fred MacMurray repeatedly calls chain-smoking, sunglassed Barbara Stanwyck “baby.” The AJC’s own The Movie Guy rates this as first-tier film noir, charactized by the “rotten sweetness of corruption.”
Which is the perfect segue back to big-time college football. Take a look at Saturday’s listings on the official first day of the season:
Idaho at Michigan State.
Vanderbilt at Michigan.
Akron at Penn State.
Western Kentucky at Georgia.
Yawn.
California at Tennessee, UAB at Oklahoma, Utah at UCLA, Washington State at Auburn, a bit more competitive.
But not good enough.
Most of these openers are about picking up easy wins and shelling out pittances to the mid- and low-level schlumps who agreed to take such beatings.
That’s why Enemy Watch has nothing but admiration for Georgia Tech. For the second consecutive year, the Yellow Jackets will be opening with one of the elites. Last year’s win over Auburn set off an unpredictable year, and Gailey’s Guys may be no less confounding again.
But bravo for putting the Irish on the schedule, and Notre Dame for accepting. Even if their fans are a bit too full of themselves. Yes, wrapped up in Gipper mythology and Touchdown Jesues whatnot, the South Benders are about as unbearable as any fans can be. Especially for this Midwestern Lutheran harkened by the cry: “Let’s Go, Valpo!”
(As in Valparaiso University, also in northern Indiana, home of the Crusaders.)
However, they have been diligent in visiting this website for news about the Jackets. Here now is a chance to see what they think about Tech and the game.
One. N.D. fan’s bold prediction: Irish 35, Tech 20. One more point than the whupping Notre Dame took from Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl, natch.
If you’ve got time, here’s a radio take on Tech on the Irish Eyes website. The guest is Jonathan Leifheit of gojackets.com.
The South Bend Tribune introduces its readers to Calvin Johnson.
This member of the Mainstream Media predicts an Irish-Auburn clash for the BCS national championship. Oh, this is MacMurray falling for Stanwyck, silently knowing he’s going to be fatally deceived. He just can’t help himself.
Enemy Watch says he is wrong from the start: Tech 17, Irish 13.
What do you say to that, Baby?
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