Tinker
When the people decide to
fire the bad politicians running Washington DC that have been hurting
their country for much too long. I will start to feel better for the
safety and welfare of our children again. After all the gown ups have
had their chance at living out their life successfully, or not. Enjoying
the fruits of their adult moments according to their ability and lucky
breaks, and mistakes.
The good Parents in America are the kind of
boss that can really fix what is wrong in America. They are the people
who get their children off on the right foot as the child starts walking
through life. So now that the American people know what is wrong
about America don't you think that it is about time that the American
people should do something about it.
So let them simply use their god given instincts of raising their own children to become better citizens that the same parents can also apply using their good judgment towards the men and women running the United States government in Washington DC. Do what they half to do to put the right people in the right job.
So let them simply use their god given instincts of raising their own children to become better citizens that the same parents can also apply using their good judgment towards the men and women running the United States government in Washington DC. Do what they half to do to put the right people in the right job.
If good parent have the ability to raise good
American citizens then of course the good parents in American are just
what the doctor ordered to fix what is wrong in the American peoples
government.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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http://www.cnbc.com/id/
Economy
US Treasury to reach debt limit by mid-October: report
Getty Images
U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew
The U.S. Treasury will reach its debt
limit in mid-October, Dow Jones reported on Monday, citing sources
familiar with the matter.
That was "sooner than many on Capitol Hill had anticipated," the wire service said.
In the summer of 2011 a fight over the government's debt limit turned into a crisis that weighed heavily on markets.
(Read more: Jack Lew's quiet period?)
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said earlier this year that the debt ceiling was unlikely to be reached until September.
"People shouldn't relax, Congress should deal with this right away. The uncertainty caused by putting this off is not good. The anxiety caused to the U.S. and world economy by putting this off until the last minute is not good," Lew said at the time.
(Read More: CNBC Explains — National Debt)
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates...http://www.cnbc.com/
That was "sooner than many on Capitol Hill had anticipated," the wire service said.
In the summer of 2011 a fight over the government's debt limit turned into a crisis that weighed heavily on markets.
(Read more: Jack Lew's quiet period?)
Treasury Secretary Jack Lew said earlier this year that the debt ceiling was unlikely to be reached until September.
"People shouldn't relax, Congress should deal with this right away. The uncertainty caused by putting this off is not good. The anxiety caused to the U.S. and world economy by putting this off until the last minute is not good," Lew said at the time.
(Read More: CNBC Explains — National Debt)
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates...http://www.cnbc.com/
The New York Times
Politics
Challengers to South Carolina Senator Are Lining Up on the Right
Alex Wong/Getty Images
Senator Lindsey Graham, shown
in Washington this summer, has been criticized by some Republicans and
targeted by Tea Party supporters.By KIM SEVERSON
Published: August 25, 2013
LAKE WYLIE, S.C. — Some of the early shots in the Republican primary battle against Senator Lindsey Graham have been fired from this tiny community on northern border of the state where the Civil War began.
John W. Adkisson for The New York Times
Mr. Graham's challengers so far in the Republican primary campaign include Nancy Mace, the first woman to graduate from the Citadel.
Stephen Morton for The New York Times
Another challenger, State Senator Lee Bright, tends to support extremely conservative legislation.“Lindsey Graham has not been seen in the state of South Carolina for most of the last two years,” said Bruce Carroll, the chairman of the group.
Conservatives in South Carolina are eager to oust Mr. Graham, who has enraged the far right for, among other things, reaching across the aisle on immigration and supporting President Obama’s nominations for the Supreme Court. Tea Party supporters called him a community organizer for the Muslim Brotherhood when, instead of heading home for the Congressional break this month, he went to Egypt at the request of the president.
But to stand a chance against the politician who succeeded Strom Thurmond in 2003, conservatives will have to win a civil war of their own. At least 40 groups align themselves along Tea Party and Libertarian lines, and trying to unify them to topple the state’s senior senator will be no easy task.
So far, three people have stepped forward to challenge Mr. Graham in the June primary: State Senator Lee Bright; Richard Cash, a former Congressional candidate; and Nancy Mace, the first woman to graduate from the Citadel and, at the moment, the challenger whose political star is rising the fastest.
Ms. Mace, the owner of a public relations firm in Charleston, prides herself on her social media skills. She has never run for office, but her story is familiar to many here. For a time, she became the face of gender integration when she graduated from the Citadel in 1999, an experience she followed with a 2001 book, “In the Company of Men: A Woman at the Citadel.”
Toughing it out at the formerly all-male military college makes her a perfect candidate for voters seeking a true conservative, she said.
“I feel like they are looking for someone who is very strong and who won’t waver,” she said in an interview last week. But Ms. Mace is also the biggest target so far, in part because of her connection to a political gossip Web site called FitsNews, which she helped create in her role as a Web designer and media manager.
Will Folks, once a press secretary for Representative Mark Sanford and a former political consultant for Governor Haley, runs the site, which consistently attacks the governor. In 2010, Mr. Folks claimed to have had an “inappropriate physical relationship” with Ms. Haley two weeks before the election in her highly competitive bid for governor.
The claims were never proved, and Ms. Haley, who is heading into a campaign for her second term next year, has long said it was just another example of underhanded South Carolina politics.
Suggestions of a connection to the Web site can quickly throw Ms. Mace off message.
“My opponents’ political operatives have started smearing me,” she said. “I’m talking about all of them. It says more about my opponents than it does about me.”
The smears, she said, began in Mr. Graham’s camp two months before she announced her candidacy. The others have joined in.
One is Mr. Bright, who endorsed Ron Paul in the state’s presidential primary and has used the Web site connection to attack Ms. Mace. He has also been at odds with Ms. Haley over ethics changes and strategies to keep Mr. Obama’s health care law from being implemented in the state. Mr. Bright tends to support extremely conservative legislation and introduced a bill in 2011 to have the state create its own currency if the Federal Reserve system collapsed.
Ms. Haley said she was not jumping into the battle over who should replace Mr. Graham. Speaking this month at the annual Red State gathering, organized by Erick Erickson, the founder of the conservative blog RedState.com, the governor said: “I controlled Tim Scott. We’ll see what you do with the other one.”
She was referring to former Representative Tim Scott, a Tea Party favorite she appointed this year to the Senate seat vacated by Jim DeMint, who left to head the Heritage Foundation.
The Senate Conservatives Fund, which Mr. DeMint founded in 2008, took on Mr. Graham last week for suggesting that a government shutdown as a way to fight the Obama administration’s Affordable Health Care act would be “a bridge too far.”
Mr. Cash, a businessman and a social conservative from Piedmont in the vote-rich upstate region, is considered a sleeper in the race, said David Woodard, a longtime South Carolina political consultant who ran Mr. Graham’s Congressional campaign in 1994 and wrote the 2006 book “The New Southern Politics.”
“You got to look at their money, and the guy with the most money is Richard Cash,” Mr. Woodard said.
According to recent campaign finance records, Mr. Cash had about $250,000, including at least $200,000 of his own money. Ms. Mace said she raised more than $100,000 in her first two weeks. Mr. Bright has not filed any campaign finance papers.
Mr. Graham has $6.3 million. Although he declined to comment on his opponents, his campaign staff pointed out that tough opposition in a primary is nothing out of the ordinary in South Carolina.
“Lindsey Graham is a strong fiscal, social and national security conservative with the record to back it up,” said Tate Zeigler, a campaign spokesman.
But Mr. Cash is staking out a position as the most anti-abortion, Christian constitutionalist in the race.
He is certainly the most seasoned campaigner among the challengers, even though his first race was not until 2010, when he was one of six Republicans trying to capture an open Congressional seat. Although he was not well known, he ran a disciplined campaign that moved him into a runoff against Representative Jeff Duncan, Mr. Woodard said.
In meetings with Tea Party groups, Mr. Cash repeats a carefully honed slogan about his candidacy, which he says is built on three C’s: capitalism, Christianity and the Constitution.
The state’s traditional Republican leaders and political consultants say that it will take a deeply unified effort to mount
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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http://www.anncoulter.com/
Ann Coulter
ARAB SPRING: WORST SOAP EVER
August 21, 2013
Liberals' rosy predictions for Egypt's Islamic revolution didn't turn out as planned. Who could have guessed that howling mobs in Tahrir Square in 2011 would fail to produce a peaceful democracy?
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak had supported U.S. policy, used his military to fight Muslim extremists and recognized Israel's right to exist. So naturally, Obama told him he had to go.
Let's review what liberals said at the time about that glorious people's revolution -- only from The New York Times:
-- "(Egyptian) Officials blamed the Muslim Brotherhood (for the protests). ... Even if the Brotherhood had a role -- the group denies it; the truth seems more complex -- it is easy to understand why Egyptians are fed up." (Editorial: "Mr. Mubarak Is Put on Notice," Jan. 26, 2011)
-- "The mistake, which still emanates from think tanks stocked with neoconservatives, is assuming that democracy can come at the end of sword. ... Now that some of the dominoes appear to be falling, this has more to do with Facebook and the frustrations of young, educated adults who can't earn enough money to marry than it does with tanks rolling into Baghdad, or naive neocons guiding the State Department." (Timothy Egan, "Bonfire of American Vanities," Feb. 3, 2011)
-- "It's time to be clear: Mubarak's time is up." (Roger Cohen, "Hosni Mubarak Agonistes," Feb. 4, 2011)
-- "What is unfolding in Arab streets is not an assertion of religious reaction but a yearning for democracy with all its burdens and rewards." (Ray Takeyh, "What Democracy Could Bring," Feb. 4, 2011)
Oops! Within less than a year, we found out that the truth wasn't "complex": The Muslim Brotherhood was behind the revolution. They rigged an election and were planning to implement Sharia law -- until the Egyptian military stepped in on behalf of the people this year and removed the Brotherhood's Mohammed Morsi as president. Read More »
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
SHOTS FIRED AT UN
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
Mika Brzezinski: Miley Cyrus VMA Performance 'Disturbing,' 'Disgusting,' 'Pathetic' (VIDEO)
The Huffington Post | By Jack Mirkinson Posted: 08/26/2013 8:30 am EDT | Updated: 08/26/2013 9:50 am EDT
Cyrus, you may have seen, did a slightly suggestive routine on Sunday night's VMA's. Basically everyone was some combination of shocked and appalled.
These were some of the things Brzezinski had to say:
"That was really, really disturbing."
"That young lady, who is 20, is obviously deeply troubled, deeply disturbed...probably has an eating disorder."
"That was disgusting and embarrassing."
"I feel terrible."
"That was really, really bad."
"They should be ashamed of themselves."
"She is a mess. Someone needs to take care of her."
"I don't want to see that ever again on this show."
"It was pathetic."
"She doesn't look healthy."
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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Sports
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://espn.go.com/espnradio/
ESPN
ESPN radio.com.. http://espn.go.com/espnradio/
-----------------http://www.youtube.com/watch?
2013 LSU Football Countdown Trailer
--------------------http://espn.go.com/espnradio/
ESPN
Archived Podcasts
ESPNU College Football: 8/26
Matt Barrie and Ivan Maisel discuss if it's a good idea for USC to play two quarterbacks. Plus, Virginia Tech associate head coach Shane Beamer talks about preparing for Alabama in Week 1.http://www.youtube.com/watch?
ESPNU's College Football Daily w/ Alyssa Lang
-----------------http://www.tigerrag.com/?p=
ENGSTER: Statistically Speaking
August 26, 2013 - © 2013 Tiger Rag
Miles faces pressure of high expectations
By JIM ENGSTER
Tiger Rag Featured Columnist
LSU rolls into Cowboys Stadium with ten straight season opening victories. The last time the Tigers faltered to begin a season was in Nick Saban’s third year at LSU. The Bengals were whiped 26-8 at Virginia Tech on Sept. 1, 2002.
Les Miles is unbeaten in eight season openers at LSU, equaling the start of Charles McClendon who was victorious from 1962-69 before losing a 20-18 heartbreaker at home to Texas A&M on Sept. 19, 1970.
Miles has dominated the meek and the strong since debuting on the heels of Hurricane Katrina on Sept. 10, 2005. LSU outlasted Arizona State 35-31 at Tempe to kick off the Miles Era a dozen days after Katrina forever changed the landscape of Louisiana.
Just as Katrina altered preparation for hurricanes in Bayou Country, Miles has permanently changed expectations for football. Twenty-one years ago, LSU fans cheered the Tigers for being competitive in a 31-22 opening night loss at home to No. 7 Texas A&M. A similar performance Saturday against TCU would leave thousands of disgruntled LSU supporters angrily returning from Texas.
LSU has spoiled its followers with the resounding success of the Golden Age of Tiger football, which bloomed soon after Nick Saban was hired at the close of the Twentieth Century. Miles and Co. give every indication this season of continuing to keep the turnstiles singing and the alumni crowing.
If and when the Golden Age wilts, the reaction will be strong. Gone are the days when a coach like Curley Hallman could withstand 28 losses in 44 games.
The LSU Board of Supervisors has opened the vault at the Ole War Skule and has invested millions on Miles to win at a superb rate in each of the next seven years. The reality is that an 85-21 record, two SEC titles and a BCS crown might not be sufficient for a wildly successful coach to survive a bad season.
Les Miles approaches every year a few good breaks from BCS glory and a few bad ones from oblivion. Thirty years after Athletic Director Bob Brodhead placed Coach Jerry Stovall on a game by game evaluation, the same holds true today. Despite vast compensation for Miles and the enormous payout that would be necessary to retire his contract, there is substantial pressure for him to win and win big.
LSU Coach
Les Miles
Nick Saban 2000-04
Gerry DiNardo 1995-99
Curley Hallman 1991-94
Mike Archer 1987-90
Bill Arnsparger 1984-86
Jerry Stovall 1980-83
Charles McClendon 1962-79
Paul Dietzel 1955-61
Gaynell Tinsley 1948-54
Bernie Moore 1935-47
Remembering Pistol Pete and Dean the Dream
Dean Peter Meminger died at 65 last Friday shortly before noon in Harlem. The end for Dean “The Dream” was at a $95 per night hotel called the Casablanca. Meminger was a prep star in New York City and came to fame 43 years ago at Madison Square Garden. There he first encountered a man whose first name was Peter, who invaded Meminger’s back yard as the leading scorer in NCAA history.
Meminger led Marquette to a 101-79 victory over LSU in the final college game for Pete Maravich in the 1970 semifinals of the National Invitational Tournament. “The Dream” held Pistol Pete without a field goal for 19 minutes at one stretch as Al McGuire’s team dominated the SEC runners-up from Baton Rouge and beat St. John’s for the NIT Championship.
Maravich was noticeably limping as he was hounded by Meminger, but Pete relaxed after the Marquette debacle by quaffing down his sorrows at Bachelors III, owned by fellow Pennsylvanian Joe Namath.
Press Maravich, the LSU coach and father of Pete, fumed over the putrid NIT performance. “We played like a bunch of fifth graders,” Press bellowed as he lamented the number of television offerings for his players in their hotel rooms. “You have 17,000 channels up here. They get up in the morning and look like they’ve been on a seven-day drunk.”
Meminger was not as talented as Maravich, but he achieved what Pete sought. Championships at the college and professional levels came quickly for Meminger, who helped the New York Knicks win their last NBA title in 1973 after posting a 78-9 record in three years as starting point guard for Marquette.
Ironically, Meminger was traded with others for Maravich in 1974 as New Orleans Jazz President Fred Rosenfeld secured Pete from the Atlanta Hawks. Meminger had been acquired by the Jazz in the NBA Expansion Draft.
Maravich had enough magic in his arsenal to average 31.1 points for the Jazz in 1977, the last white man to win an NBA scoring title. His first matchup with a great black backcourt opponent came on March 19, 1970 in an arena best known for heavyweight title bouts.
Meminger gave away four inches in height to his heralded counterpart, but McGuire was confident his ace defender could prevent the Pistol from gunning down the Warriors at the Garden with a series of long-range bombs. McGuire mused that Meminger was “quicker than 11:15 Mass at a seaside resort.”
Meminger, who was born on May 13, 1948 (the fifth birthday of LSU football great Pat Screen, who also died in a hotel in his hometown of a drug overdose), played six seasons in the NBA and was unable to kick a cocaine habit that tormented him for at least 40 years.
In 2009, Meminger was critically injured a four-alarm fire in his room. It was reported that a crack pipe may have sparked the blaze at a dank building in the Bronx.
The end for “The Dream” was nightmarish. He was found fully clothed and wearing his NBA championship ring. A witness was quoted as saying “white stuff” was oozing from Meminger’s nose when he was found on top of a red-and-white paisley bedspread in a sparse room at W. 145th Street.
Like Meminger, Maravich fought drug and alcohol addictions through most of his adult life. Unlike the man from Marquette, LSU’s legendary guard died at a gymnasium, shooting hoops and nothing more.
http://espn.go.com/blog/
College Football Nation Blog
It's officially game week! We all thought it wouldn't come, but it's
finally here, and in just three days we'll have our first college
football games of the 2013 season!
And what's a better way to kick off one of the most glorious weeks of the year than debuting our first set of power rankings for the season?
Let's see where all 14 SEC teams rank in our eyes heading into the first weekend of the season:
1. Alabama: The two-time defending national champion brings back an extremely talented defense and an All-American candidate at quarterback who will have a slew of weapons to work with. The question is if there's a team not named Alabama that can stop the Tide from winning its third straight BCS national title.
2. Texas A&M: Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has received all the wrong kinds of attention this year, but as long as he's the Aggies' quarterback, A&M should again contend for the SEC West. Even with an ongoing investigation swirling around Johnny Football and his autographs, it doesn't sound like A&M plans to sit its star for Saturday's opener against Rice.
3. Georgia: The Bulldogs lost a wealth of defensive experience from last year's team, but they still will operate with one of the nation's best offenses. There should be no shortage of points in Georgia's opening matchup against Clemson on Saturday, and it'll provide a nice test for the Dawgs' young defense.
4. South Carolina: There are questions at linebacker and in the secondary, but having arguably the SEC's best defensive line could help mask some issues behind it early. Oh, and Jadeveon Clowney is still roaming around out there. The Gamecocks also should have quite the balanced offense to work with this fall, even if two quarterbacks are sharing snaps at times.
5. Florida: The defense might have lost some key starters from last year, but it sounds like this year's defense won't miss much of a beat with the quality reps returners got last year. The offense is still a mystery, especially the passing game, where a consistent receiving target has to emerge. Also, not having running back Matt Jones after the first week would be a major blow.
6. LSU: The return of running back Jeremy Hill and the maturation of quarterback Zach Mettenberger mean the Tigers should have a better and more explosive offense in 2013. It'll help to have a solid line and all of Mettenberger's top receiving targets returning, but can that rebuilt defense help get LSU back into BCS contention this fall?
7. Vanderbilt: Off-field distractions should be clouding the minds of these players, but coach James Franklin has made sure to keep his guys as focused as possible. Expectations are higher than ever, as a very good -- and underrated -- defense returns, while the offense has the potential to be very explosive again. However, if starting receiver Chris Boyd misses time due to his suspension, Vanderbilt could be in trouble.
8. Ole Miss: The expectations are higher in Oxford than they have been in years, but second-year coach Hugh Freeze would like those tempered a bit. Nineteen starters return, including All-SEC candidates Donte Moncrief and Bo Wallace. It's hard not to think the Rebels will build off the success Freeze had in his first year. Depth is still an issue in certain areas, and the start of the schedule is brutal.
9. Auburn: With Gus Malzahn back on the Plaines and Ellis Johnson working with the defense, the Tigers have the recipe to be better in 2013. No longer will coaches be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole on offense, and Johnson has proved to be a great at developing talent. Those are two things that lacked in last year's team. Also, Malzahn has said he's very comfortable with junior college transfer quarterback Nick Marshall, who fits his offense perfectly.
10. Mississippi State: Dan Mullen is looking to take the Bulldogs to their fourth straight bowl game. The talent is certainly there to do it, but the road to the postseason will be challenging. Mississippi State has to replace its top four receiving threats and three starters in the secondary, including Jim Thorpe Award winner Johnthan Banks. Having veterans Tyler Russell and LaDarius Perkins working behind a solid offensive line will help, but this team has to generate more pressure from its defensive line.
11. Missouri: The Tigers' SEC debut didn't go well at all last year, but injuries were a major factor. The offensive line is healthier, but communication issues this spring really hurt the offense's growth. The hope is that the talent at receiver lives up to its potential, while the defense has to make strides at linebacker and in the secondary.
12. Tennessee: New coach Butch Jones has brought a lot of excitement to the program, and he's building for the future. But in the present, a lot of questions remain, especially on offense. So much receiving talent is gone, and recently-named starting quarterback Justin Worley has little experience. The defense returns a lot of experience and should be better suited to run John Jancek's 4-3 defensive scheme.
13. Arkansas: There's no question Bret Bielema's presence in Fayetteville has generated some much-needed excitement, but the personnel has to match Bielema's intensity. Right now, the name of the game is making sure players adapt to Bielema's more physical style. The inexperienced receiving corps has been ravaged by injuries and a transfer, and the defense still has a lot of questions at linebacker and in the secondary.
14. Kentucky: New coach Mark Stoops has known since Day 1 that fixing the problems at the offensive skill positions was going to be tough. A quarterback has to be found, consistency at receiver must happen and the running backs have to stay healthy. Defensively, the line is one of the SEC's best, but there are holes at linebacker in the secondary. A turnaround is possible, but this team has a long way to go.
And what's a better way to kick off one of the most glorious weeks of the year than debuting our first set of power rankings for the season?
Let's see where all 14 SEC teams rank in our eyes heading into the first weekend of the season:
1. Alabama: The two-time defending national champion brings back an extremely talented defense and an All-American candidate at quarterback who will have a slew of weapons to work with. The question is if there's a team not named Alabama that can stop the Tide from winning its third straight BCS national title.
2. Texas A&M: Reigning Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel has received all the wrong kinds of attention this year, but as long as he's the Aggies' quarterback, A&M should again contend for the SEC West. Even with an ongoing investigation swirling around Johnny Football and his autographs, it doesn't sound like A&M plans to sit its star for Saturday's opener against Rice.
3. Georgia: The Bulldogs lost a wealth of defensive experience from last year's team, but they still will operate with one of the nation's best offenses. There should be no shortage of points in Georgia's opening matchup against Clemson on Saturday, and it'll provide a nice test for the Dawgs' young defense.
4. South Carolina: There are questions at linebacker and in the secondary, but having arguably the SEC's best defensive line could help mask some issues behind it early. Oh, and Jadeveon Clowney is still roaming around out there. The Gamecocks also should have quite the balanced offense to work with this fall, even if two quarterbacks are sharing snaps at times.
5. Florida: The defense might have lost some key starters from last year, but it sounds like this year's defense won't miss much of a beat with the quality reps returners got last year. The offense is still a mystery, especially the passing game, where a consistent receiving target has to emerge. Also, not having running back Matt Jones after the first week would be a major blow.
6. LSU: The return of running back Jeremy Hill and the maturation of quarterback Zach Mettenberger mean the Tigers should have a better and more explosive offense in 2013. It'll help to have a solid line and all of Mettenberger's top receiving targets returning, but can that rebuilt defense help get LSU back into BCS contention this fall?
7. Vanderbilt: Off-field distractions should be clouding the minds of these players, but coach James Franklin has made sure to keep his guys as focused as possible. Expectations are higher than ever, as a very good -- and underrated -- defense returns, while the offense has the potential to be very explosive again. However, if starting receiver Chris Boyd misses time due to his suspension, Vanderbilt could be in trouble.
8. Ole Miss: The expectations are higher in Oxford than they have been in years, but second-year coach Hugh Freeze would like those tempered a bit. Nineteen starters return, including All-SEC candidates Donte Moncrief and Bo Wallace. It's hard not to think the Rebels will build off the success Freeze had in his first year. Depth is still an issue in certain areas, and the start of the schedule is brutal.
9. Auburn: With Gus Malzahn back on the Plaines and Ellis Johnson working with the defense, the Tigers have the recipe to be better in 2013. No longer will coaches be trying to fit a square peg into a round hole on offense, and Johnson has proved to be a great at developing talent. Those are two things that lacked in last year's team. Also, Malzahn has said he's very comfortable with junior college transfer quarterback Nick Marshall, who fits his offense perfectly.
10. Mississippi State: Dan Mullen is looking to take the Bulldogs to their fourth straight bowl game. The talent is certainly there to do it, but the road to the postseason will be challenging. Mississippi State has to replace its top four receiving threats and three starters in the secondary, including Jim Thorpe Award winner Johnthan Banks. Having veterans Tyler Russell and LaDarius Perkins working behind a solid offensive line will help, but this team has to generate more pressure from its defensive line.
11. Missouri: The Tigers' SEC debut didn't go well at all last year, but injuries were a major factor. The offensive line is healthier, but communication issues this spring really hurt the offense's growth. The hope is that the talent at receiver lives up to its potential, while the defense has to make strides at linebacker and in the secondary.
12. Tennessee: New coach Butch Jones has brought a lot of excitement to the program, and he's building for the future. But in the present, a lot of questions remain, especially on offense. So much receiving talent is gone, and recently-named starting quarterback Justin Worley has little experience. The defense returns a lot of experience and should be better suited to run John Jancek's 4-3 defensive scheme.
13. Arkansas: There's no question Bret Bielema's presence in Fayetteville has generated some much-needed excitement, but the personnel has to match Bielema's intensity. Right now, the name of the game is making sure players adapt to Bielema's more physical style. The inexperienced receiving corps has been ravaged by injuries and a transfer, and the defense still has a lot of questions at linebacker and in the secondary.
14. Kentucky: New coach Mark Stoops has known since Day 1 that fixing the problems at the offensive skill positions was going to be tough. A quarterback has to be found, consistency at receiver must happen and the running backs have to stay healthy. Defensively, the line is one of the SEC's best, but there are holes at linebacker in the secondary. A turnaround is possible, but this team has a long way to go.
Comments
Michael Byers · Georgia Tech
-------------------Michael Byers · Georgia Tech
Georgia wins the East and chokes against Bama in a crazy deja vu SEC title game.
http://espn.go.com/blog/sec/
His defense lost eight players to the NFL draft after ranking eighth
nationally in total defense a year ago, so John Chavis understands the
skepticism that LSU’s defense faces this season. He just doesn’t find it
a cause for major concern.
“It’s a natural thing when you lose the number of people that we lost. It’s natural for some people to think, ‘Well, they’re going to be down a little bit.’ But we don’t think that way,” said Chavis, entering his fifth season as LSU’s defensive coordinator. “We’re going to work to be the very best that we can be, and certainly if we reach the potential that we have in terms of the quality of the players, then we’re going to be fine.”
That’s
where Chavis’ confidence level is appropriate entering Saturday’s
opener against No. 20 TCU in Arlington, Texas. With veterans Anthony Johnson and Ego Ferguson
anchoring the front line and a huge group of talented youngsters
jockeying for early playing time alongside established players like
linebacker Lamin Barrow and safety Craig Loston, talent is not an issue at LSU.
Yes, the Tigers will be young and will face an extremely difficult schedule, but an infusion of talent up front -- including early enrollee Christian LaCouture at defensive tackle and ESPN 150 defensive end Tashawn Bower -- gives LSU’s coaches hope there won’t be a big drop-off after losing Barkevious Mingo, Bennie Logan, Sam Montgomery and Lavar Edwards to the draft.
“I like what we’re getting out of our veterans there,” LSU coach Les Miles said after Friday’s practice. The young guys are stepping to the front, and they seemed much more polished even from when they arrived.”
As with all young players, however, the trick is preparing them for the physicality, speed and knowledge base necessary to compete at the college level.
“When you have 92,000 people coming in, you’re not really going to have a lot of time to think,” LaCouture said. “I just want to make sure I have everything down when we go through that process and make sure I’m ready for Week 1.”
The freshmen are merely role players filling secondary roles on the depth chart for now, though. Now is the time for players like Barrow to seize the spotlight after Kevin Minter’s starmaking 2012 performance helped him become a second-round draft pick. And for Johnson and Ferguson to make good on their enormous potential now that the aforementioned big-name defensive linemen are in the pros. And for young cornerback standouts and a deep linebacking corps to perform at a high enough level that the Tigers can sort out their questions with the rotation up front.
Johnson is the No. 15 prospect for next year’s draft on ESPN Scouts Inc.’s most recent top 32, and even if the two-deep figures to be loaded with underclassmen, LSU has enough of a veteran presence from players like Loston, Barrow and Ferguson to help the Tigers remain a defensive force even while replacing so many major contributors.
“I come to work every day with the No. 1 goal of getting this defense ready to compete in the SEC. These guys are ready to compete,” said Chavis, whose units have finished 26th, 12th, second and eighth nationally in total defense since he arrived at LSU in 2009. “But everybody saying that we’re going to drop off, well, we don’t expect that, and we’ve got to work hard to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”
“It’s a natural thing when you lose the number of people that we lost. It’s natural for some people to think, ‘Well, they’re going to be down a little bit.’ But we don’t think that way,” said Chavis, entering his fifth season as LSU’s defensive coordinator. “We’re going to work to be the very best that we can be, and certainly if we reach the potential that we have in terms of the quality of the players, then we’re going to be fine.”
[+] Enlarge
John Korduner/Icon SMIAnthony Johnson is expected to provide a veteran presence on a defense that lost a lot from 2012.
Yes, the Tigers will be young and will face an extremely difficult schedule, but an infusion of talent up front -- including early enrollee Christian LaCouture at defensive tackle and ESPN 150 defensive end Tashawn Bower -- gives LSU’s coaches hope there won’t be a big drop-off after losing Barkevious Mingo, Bennie Logan, Sam Montgomery and Lavar Edwards to the draft.
“I like what we’re getting out of our veterans there,” LSU coach Les Miles said after Friday’s practice. The young guys are stepping to the front, and they seemed much more polished even from when they arrived.”
As with all young players, however, the trick is preparing them for the physicality, speed and knowledge base necessary to compete at the college level.
“When you have 92,000 people coming in, you’re not really going to have a lot of time to think,” LaCouture said. “I just want to make sure I have everything down when we go through that process and make sure I’m ready for Week 1.”
The freshmen are merely role players filling secondary roles on the depth chart for now, though. Now is the time for players like Barrow to seize the spotlight after Kevin Minter’s starmaking 2012 performance helped him become a second-round draft pick. And for Johnson and Ferguson to make good on their enormous potential now that the aforementioned big-name defensive linemen are in the pros. And for young cornerback standouts and a deep linebacking corps to perform at a high enough level that the Tigers can sort out their questions with the rotation up front.
Johnson is the No. 15 prospect for next year’s draft on ESPN Scouts Inc.’s most recent top 32, and even if the two-deep figures to be loaded with underclassmen, LSU has enough of a veteran presence from players like Loston, Barrow and Ferguson to help the Tigers remain a defensive force even while replacing so many major contributors.
“I come to work every day with the No. 1 goal of getting this defense ready to compete in the SEC. These guys are ready to compete,” said Chavis, whose units have finished 26th, 12th, second and eighth nationally in total defense since he arrived at LSU in 2009. “But everybody saying that we’re going to drop off, well, we don’t expect that, and we’ve got to work hard to make sure that that doesn’t happen.”
Comments
Keith Estopinal · Top Commenter · LSUNO
Thomas Williams · Im not telling uKeith Estopinal · Top Commenter · LSUNO
Geaux Tigers! The proof will be this weekend on if the D will be as good as normal! I think it wll stand up to the test!
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I
have been getting report of just how advanced the new LSU interior
defensive linemen were in training at LSU fall practices, that they were
crashing down on the great LSU running back all over the fall workouts.
That this LSU defense will in fact be better then in 2012 10-3 (6-2).
Add the improvement of the LSU offense to that reported better LSU defense and the opponents in LSU 2013 college football season is going to be hell to pay, no matter who wins.
--------------------Add the improvement of the LSU offense to that reported better LSU defense and the opponents in LSU 2013 college football season is going to be hell to pay, no matter who wins.
http://www.tigerrag.com/?p=
Tight Ends should be active this year - finally
August 25, 2013 - © 2013 Tiger Rag
Deep bunch battling for playing time
By HUNT PALMER
BBI Senior Writer
It’s August, so the calendar dictates that we all talk about how much LSU will involve the tight ends this year.
Am I right?
As sarcastic as that lede was, I’m going to bite this year. We were only permitted to watch a week of fall camp, but the tight ends caught my eye.
While you may need a pregame program to figure out who the new faces are, a look at a postgame stat sheet should further familiarize them t you.
Last year the Tiger tight ends were offensive linemen. They stuck a paw in the ground and assisted the running game.
Get this. In eight of the 13 games last year the tight ends combined for one catch or fewer. Touchdowns? None.
That’s pretty tough to do.
I’ll make you a bet. I think it’s very possible that three tight ends haul in a touchdown this year. This crop is deeper and much more talented than last season’s. Last year Steve Ensminger admitted that senior Chase Clement was the only guy he really trusted out there.
Clement was saddled with the vast majority of the action, constantly bashing defensive ends and linebackers before being asked to occasionally head for the first down marker, turn around and throw his hands up. Once Nic Jacobs was suspended, Travis Dickson got a chance. He answered with a huge five-catch afternoon against Ole Miss.
Dickson returns in 2013 as the veteran of the group, and he’s now put on the necessary weight to be an endline blocker. He’s not just an H-back who tips LSU’s hand toward the pass upon entering the game. Dickson still has better than average hands and speed.
But I don’t think Dickson is the starter. Look out for sophomore Dillon Gordon.
The John Curtis product is easily the biggest tight end at 286 lbs., but he’s not going to play the Mitch Joseph “third-tackle” role. Gordon can move, and he’s got excellent hands. I watched the big guy play a high school basketball game against five-star Ricardo Gathers, and Gordon more than held his own in the paint. He’s light on those feet and has a soft touch.
Gordon split the seam and caught a 15 yard touchdown in the spring game, and he scored another in the Tigers’ fourth and final scrimmage of fall camp. He also added to the offseason highlight reel by manhandling (252 pound) freshman Kendell Beckwith in the Big Cat Drill.
Suffice to say Gordon, like Dickson, can handle both roles demanded of an LSU tight end.
“(Gordon)’s a very talented big man,” said LSU head coach Les Miles. “For 285 pounds, he’s a very nice receiving target, no question.”
The other two players fighting for time at the position are newcomers. Bulky junior college transfer Logan Stokes fits the blocking mold. Freakishly athletic freshman DeSean Smith might be the best pass-catching weapon at the spot since Richard Dickson or Robert Royal.
But even those two have diversified their games. Stokes grabbed three balls in the spring game, and Smith reported to camp carrying significantly more weight than he did in high school.
“I’m really pleased with the development of DeSean Smith’s physicality,” Miles said. “He’s stepped in and blocked and really done a good job.”
Get these guys the football. More importantly, get these guys the football in the red zone.
LSU was dreadful inside the 20 last year, scoring 27 just touchdowns in 53 chances (51%). By comparison, Alabama score 46 touchdowns in 62 tries (74%) and Georgia scored 38 touchdowns in 50 attempts (72%). Even Mississippi State went 31 of 51 (61%).
Remember the bad interception Mettenberger threw against North Texas at the goal line or the jump pass that wasn’t by Terrence Magee at Florida? LSU settled for field goals inside the 10 twice against Ole Miss.
It was a circus out there.
With all due respect to Clement, he was a converted defensive end. Now LSU has a set of tight ends with better hands and more athleticism. Line ‘em up against linebackers and go to work.
New offensive coordinator Cam Cameron has a history of using the tight end in his offenses. When the San Diego Chargers were dicing up NFL defenses under Cameron’s leadership, Antonio Gates averaged more than four catches per game. Better yet, in the final three years that Gates played for Cameron the tight end averaged almost 11 touchdowns per season.
Gates is ticketed for the Hall of Fame, I know, but Smith has that type of skill set compared to his collegiate peers, and Gordon was a basketball player like Gates.
When you get down there near the goalposts, use those big targets.
I think part of LSU’s passing game woes last year was the fact that mismatches were hard to come by. Odell Beckham has good size and good speed. He doesn’t have great size or great speed. For that reason he struggled to shake No. 1 corners.
Finally toward the end of the season Jarvis Landry started to find his niche by working on helpless linebackers and nickel backs. Over the last five games he averaged seven catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. That’s while Beckham drew much of the attention.
Tight ends create advantages.
Hell, Bill Belichick looked at his division and decided there were too many good corners so he decided to draft a pair of tight ends who would never have to line up against them. How’d that work out (on the field!)?
Look at what Jimmy Graham has done for the Saints.
I’m not insisting that the tight ends lead the team in receiving or account for big plays. What tight ends do is move the chains and change the scoreboard. Since Richard Dickson, LSU hasn’t used the position at all.
Consider this. Dickson scored 10 touchdowns between the 2007 and 2008 season, five per year. Since then, over the course of four years, the position has accounted for five touchdowns total.
I think things change for the better this year. But it’s August so of course I do.
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Responses to “Tight Ends should be active this year - finally”
Chief Peace Pipe Pickle Head on Your comment is awaiting moderation. August 26th, 2013 10:34 am
Yeah Hoo!! With nothing but green in front of them, running into the end zone of victory…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
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