Post-Birthday Blogging

Yesterday was my 24th birthday, and I pretty much have made up my mind that my life was always in my hands, and I'm going to treat myself better than I have in the past. No longer am I fretting over the insignificance of immature females who have nothing better to do with their lives than be groupies for athletes, frat boys, and wannabe hustlers. I have something better to do with my time. It's called journalism. That's the love of my life right now, and that's all I'll be focusing on, aside from taking care of Chris. No one else is going to do it, so why not me? Why not care about myself when I'm obviously a great person? End Declaration of Independence. On To the Sports talk.

Disenchantment in Chanticleer Land

So that plate of fried Chanticleer with fries and hot sauce had to be put on hold, as Coastal Carolina took advantage of an impotent Hornet offense to pull out a 24-6 victory Saturday night, and thankfully, the brutal back-to-back non-conference road trip is over.

However, the fun may have just begun, as Delaware State resumes MEAC play at the defending conference champion, and most likely a fired-up Hampton Pirates squad October 1st. The Pirates offense is led by the two horsemen in the backfield, Junior Alonzo Coleman and Senior Ardell Daniels, both of which ran for over 1,000 yards in 2004. The Hornets last year limited Daniels and Coleman to less than 100 yards combined on the ground, and kept Prince Shepherd and the receivers off-balance to beat HiU for the first time since 1970.

While I joke about the bitterness of the Pirates over last year's stunning loss, the fact that they have opened up a can of whoopass on everybody they've played against (with maybe the exception of Howard) has to be the main concern for a Hornet team which has stunk up the joint two weeks in a row.

So, About that bet I made with Jamar Hudson, or I'm about to make....hmmm, if DSU wins, The Boom-Boom room must become Live at the Hive for a week and he must say at least one positive thing about DSU in all of his entries for that week. If Hampton wins (or maybe when) I will talk endlessly about the virtues of the Home by the sea, and change the name of the Post Game show to Blackbeard's Locker for a week. Jamar, this might be corny, so if you have any other ideas to spice this thing up, let me know.

Black Irish?

Now if any of the brothers and sisters who read TPGS do have Irish in their family, forgive me for what I am about to say. I have an issue. A big one. I have an issue that NFL wide receivers are now incorporating Riverdancing and Irish Jigs into their celebrations....I'm talkin' about you, Chad Johnson. You are a blue-black negro from South Central LA....I don't think "Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance" was what was poppin' at the bootlegger's spot back in the day.

Don't get me wrong, as a brother with very little rhythm, I feel the urge to dance when I make deadline for the Hornet newspaper or get an "A" on a test or paper. But I keep it regular with the Wop, the Snake, and occaisionally the first couple of steps to the Electric Slide, but the drunken white percolator? Oh hell no. Next thing you know, he'll be doing "She Bangs" dances William Hung style...God I may have given him an idea.

*DJ Clue voice* New Layout! Chris Stevens updates blog look!

O.K., so after eight months of a pretty drab set-up, I finally took advantage of the numerous templates that Blogger provides, and I found this nice little blue setup, kinda reminds me of the Jay-Z Blueprint cassette I used to have. I also updated my profile to say a little bit more than two lines, so hopefully you guys will appreciate the 10 minutes of work I put in to make it look nice, ah-ha!

The Phils' Cards are Wild

So with nine games left in the season, the Philadelphia Phillies are still in the hunt for a National League postseason spot. Yesterday's 4-0 victory over the Atlanta Braves pulled them to within four games of the Braves in the Eastern Division and kept them two games behind the Houston Astros for the NL Wild Card. While they can only worry about their games, you get the feeling that the Phils could very well overtake the Braves or the Astros (or both) to get into the postseason party for the first time since 1993.

The fact that this team is contention without their biggest and most expensive bat (Jim Thome) and arguably their ace starting pitcher (Randy Wolf), this team is winning in spite of the embecillic ways of GM Ed Wade. Ryan Howard, who should be Thome's replacement at first base, is hitting like he isn't even aware that a playoff race is going on, Jimmy Rollins is definitely on a J-Roll, with a 27 game hitting streak and becoming the table setter and leader the Phils always envisioned he'd be.

The real key is the young pitchers who have been able to hold the fort down. Rob Tejada and Eude Brito have thrown lights-out innings for the Fightins and Aaron Fultz has been a pleasant surprise out of the bullpen, more than making up for Wolf's loss and the struggles of veteran reliever Rheal Cormier.

It would be considered a disappointment if the Phils can't cap off the comeback and get into the playoffs, but it gives the Phils a real cause to be excited about next year. If Ed Wade does his job right, or owner Dave Montgomery finds somebody else to do it for him.

Hornets battling a bird

Trying to get over last weeks "Mama I promise I won't do it no more" Ass-whippin handed to them courtesy of James Madison, the Delaware State football team travels to South Carolina to take on the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina, an up-and-coming NCAA I-AA Football program. The Chanticleers beat JMU 31-27 two weeks ago, which explains the Dukes' foul mood that they took out on State last week.

CCU is a passing team, which could very well prove to favor the Hornets, especially now that they have safeties Jamel Trott (dislocated shoulder) and Kadafi Tunsill (NCAA paperwork issues) back in the lineup. The biggest thing is to see how quarterback Vashon Winton bounces back from the rude awakening he suffered at the hands of the defending I-AA champions last week. The kid's not gonna run and hide, he's going to play his game, which involves quick feet and a red-beam arm, and he'll play well.

The running game should return to form, especially Rodney Roy, the bruiser of the two running backs Coach Lavan alternates. When Roy finishes beating them on the inside, look for Emmanuel Marc to run them to death on the outside.

Coastal's mascot intrigued me, so I asked around about what the bloodclot a Chanticleer was, and found the answer from the always-reliable SID here at DSU, Dennis Jones. It's a mythical middle-ages England rooster that according to DJ is "the HNIC of the barn" So I joked with him and defensive back Blake Saunders to bring me back a plate of Chanticleer, which I hope they do. Should've asked for fries and hot sauce with that.

My prediction? 24-17, Hornets.

Challenge!

O.K., you know how Richard Pryor described that nice guy who turns punch-drunk alcoholic on the weekends on the album "That N*****'s Crazy?" Welp, this is my version of that tipsy punching bag. I'm calling out a fellow sports writer and Blogger.com user, Jamar Hudson. In two weeks, The Stinging Hornets of Delaware State will be coming to everyone's home by the sea, Hampton University for a MEAC football battle.

Sure we just got Mollywhopped by James Madison 65-7, but that doesn't count. They snuck us when we weren't looking. COWARDS! We want a fair fight October 1st, jack. No messing around!

Is Joe Taylor and company still accusing us of watering the Alumni Stadium field, despite the fact that there were Biblical amounts of rain in the First State's capital all that week, including that Friday night? Despite the fact that we beat you guys for the first time since the Pre-Watergate 70s, y'all still went on the I-AA playoffs, so don't be too mad if it happens again this year.

So basically, Brother Hudson, what do you want to put on this? What wager are you willing to participate in? I'm so confident, I'll let you choose the terms. Let the swashbuckling begin.

2-0 Hornets and other random thoughts

So for the first time since my first year as sports editor the Hornet newspaper (2002, damn I've been around a while), The Delaware State football team has won its first two games of the season, and not a moment too soon.

This coming Saturday, they begin arguably the toughest three-game stretch any MEAC team has this year. Over the next three weeks, the Hornets are set to do battle with defending I-AA champion James Madison, an up-and-coming program in Costal Carolina, and the reigning MEAC champion Hampton Pirates...all on the road.

While the schedule is more frightening than Condoleeza Rice in a two-piece, this team obviously shows no fear from what I gathered when talking to them after Saturday's 38-6 win over Division II Millersville. The players I talked to (Rodney Roy, Shaheer McBride, and Vashon Winton) along with coach Lavan seemed eager for the challenge of taking on some of Division I-AA's top football programs.

And if anything can give the Hornets confidence, it's the knowledge that they have one over the Pirates, who are probably still steaming over last October's Alumni Stadium miracle win. It should be a pretty good test of this team's character and heart. Like I said on MEACFans, this could be the start of something special, or a long slow trip back to Earth. Only time will tell which one it is.

Katrina's aftermath

After the most devastating hurricane possible destroyed one of the South's cornerstones, the idiocy of the Bush administration has come out of the closet, and now Americans are starting to see what kind of moron the man 51% of this country elected is. These folks pretty much have to start their lives over, more than likely somewhere else because it took these good old boys FIVE DAYS to get down there and get those people some help, not to mention at least having the common sense to order a federal evacuation, because they knew that Katrina was one tree people did not want to climb. I guess the good to come out of this is that celebrities and athletes are really getting behind the cause, Shaq and his wife are going to rent 400 apartments for displaced folks throughout the region, and it's just beautiful to see that these folks who have the ability to help some people who really need some assistance are truly are giving back. It's a shame that the federal government can't do the same.

Women, or at least those who claim to be...

I've held off on ranting about personal subjects because sports is the reason I started this blog, but for the love of Robin Givens, some things need to be cleared up ASAP. I really think in my last life I was a player. Really, I must've treated women like crap and had more chicks between my sheets then Essence (sup, Hov), because that is the only explanation I have as to why females at this school (and worldwide apparently) are so superficial, shallow, and evil.

At DSU (not sure about anywhere else) it breaks down like this...if you're not a frat, an athlete, a thug or a prettyboy, and God forbid you weigh more than 165 pounds, you're shit out of luck. It's almost hilarious because those girls who chase those same guys are heartbroken when Mr. Broke Phi Broke or the star of the game doesn't call back after getting the goodies.

But it just isn't Del State. One broad (who shall remain nameless) saw fit to try and make me look stupid after she called herself "being nice" by giving me compliments or whatever, but then turned right around and started demeaning me because I wasn't her type, but all these things are a lesson, and while I have no intention of going interracial or jumping orientation fences, let's just say I'm done trying to understand these chickadees for now. I doubt I'll ever understand them at all.

Tallahassee Take-down

It's been a while since a Hornet football team has beaten Florida A&M. So long, that the President Clinton term in question was the "I did not inhale" era. So with Delaware State's 21-17 season opening win over the Rattlers, the Hornets finally got revenge for 12 years of beatdowns and close games that didn't quite go their way. The Hornet defense, led by potential I-AA defensive player of the year(yeah I said it) Sam Smith, gave the offense good field positon all night long, and while they only scored one touchdown (Rodney Roy's game winning 1-yard plunge with 8:42 left in the fourth quarter), kicker Peter Gaertner gave the Rattlers das boot four times, a new team record for field goals in a game.

Vashon Winton played like your typical redshirt freshman QB; pretty good in some spots, rushed and hurried in others, but overall, 12-21 for 119 yards to six different receivers doesn't look so bad when you win. The two interceptions were overthrown balls by a kid who was excited in his first collegiate start, so once he realizes he doesn't need to go for the end zone everytime, his arm should be fine. Would love to see him get out and run a little more though.

For all the Rodney Roy questions folks had coming into the season, 27 carries for 90 yards doesn't look too bad, especially the 24 yard dash to the goal line he had to set-up his game winner. A quick change of direction left the sideline open until a Rattler bowled into his right leg (a dirty play I felt), but Roy wasn't hurt and kept plugging away until he reached across the goal line to give the Hornets a lead that would stand up.

And in the MLK Student Center auditorium, the Hornet faithful stood up and cheered for their team, who might just have a different look, swagger, and feel to their game, now that they are no longer snakebitten.