Full Pads

This week the Nebraska football team began practicing in full pads and today they started their first two-a-day. I think that it is safe to say that the new culture of Nebraska football is in place and the foundation has been paved.

A few years ago, it came out that during the season the team quite often weren't practicing in full pads. Everybody was scratching their heads. But now, most fans expect to hear that the team is all geared up and getting at it on the practice field.

Whenever I hear the coaching staff speak, one of the most often used words that is thrown out there is 'PHYSICAL'. Coach Pelini and his staff have built into the system that pretty schemes alone are not going to win games. Hitting hard and putting your opponent on their butt is needed to rack up the wins. As Coach Hawkins reminded us a few years ago 'this is Division I football'. And nothing says that this is a man's game more than strapping up the pads, hitting people and practicing during the week like you're under the lights on Saturday.

Once again . . . welcome back football season. It's been too long.

Unfortunate Loss

We found out yesterday that Nebraska's potential back-up QB Kody Spano was injured with a torn ACL. It's the same ACL that he tore just a few months ago. That is unfortunate news for Kody Spano, but the question is what will happen with the QB position behind Zac Lee.

I hate to say this after a player was injured, but I think this could be a very good thing for the team. The competition will narrow down. The potential backups will get more reps at practice. They SHOULD be better prepared now.

Now all eyes turn to Cody Green and Latravis Washington to see which one will step up, and try to earn the spot as the no. 2 QB in case the worse case scenario happens and Zac Lee gets hurt. Which one will step up and fight harder for the chance to be the QB for the future of the team.

All I can say is . . . THANK GOD FOOTBALL IS HERE!!!!

Welcome Back Old Friend!

It's back! Football season is upon us!

Last night I turned on the TV and saw something that I haven't seen since January! I saw two NFL football teams on the field playing LIVE. That was awesome. The Bills and the Titans, decked out in retro uni's (which was great to see) played in the Hall of Fame Game and kicked off the preseason for the NFL.

50 miles down the road from Omaha, the Nebraska football team began their fall practices as they get ready for their September 5th opening game against Florida Atlantic at Memorial Stadium.

Get the beer cold, get the dip ready, make the imprint of your butt on you favorite recliner because right around the corner we will be watching football players play games that actually count for something.

It's like seeing an old friend that you haven't seen in 7 months. Welcome old friend. Sit down. Can I get you anything? I've missed you.

Fantasy Football!!

My name is Brian Delehant and I play fantasy football.

I love fantasy football. One of the things that I start to look forward to once August hits us is draft day. Here's some reminders for your fantasy football draft.

1) You have to schedule a day for your draft. This part is NEVER easy. You have 8 to 16 teams (or maybe more) and that means you have 8 to 16 schedules that you have to coordinate to determine a time when you can all get together. Good Luck.

2) You need a place to hold your draft. Do you go to a house? Do you go to a bar? You need beer, you need snacks and most importantly NO KIDS (team owners need to focus. You don't see any kids running around in the war room during the NFL draft, do you?).

3) You need to speak loud AND turn up your hearing aids. There is nothing more annoying than getting to the 6th round and having somebody draft a player that was taken in the 2ND ROUND.

4) Be prepared. Don't get to the draft and ask a fellow manager to look off their sheets. Do your homework, get your own magazines and be ready. Everyone else is, you should too.

5) And finally, TALK SMACK. Everybody can do this on the day of the draft, because you haven't lost yet. In your head, your team is made up of nothing but all stars and you're going to run the table and make your opponents look silly. That is until game one when you lose 115-25.

Let the games begin!

Funny!!

I'm sorry, I know that I'm a 28 year old guy, but this is funny. On Sunday at the Buick Open, Tiger Woods was on the 18th fairway waiting take his second shot on the hole and this happened:



That's funny. For the golfers out there, the next time you are out with your boys and one of them is right in the middle of their backswing, drop one and see what happens. I bet you'll when the hole.

The Perfect Game

Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game yesterday. That is amazing! That is one feat that is so hard to reach that it's only been done 18 times in the major leagues. 27 up and 27 down. No mistakes. Wow. And that's not only for Mark Buehrle, but that also goes for his team playing the field behind him. When the ball is hit into play each player needs to either be there to catch the ball, field the ball and throw the ball to get the batter out. There are a lot of places where the smallest miscalculation takes place and the perfect game is blown. It very well could have happend to DeWayne Wise, but instead he makes this catch in the 9th inning to keep the perfect game in play.

So, congratulations not only to Mark Buehrle, but also to the Chicago White Sox defense. There's nothing more to say than you were . . . perfect!

Cox Classic Begins Tomorrow!

I know that we're in the dead time before football season gets here, but there's an event this weekend that I have really grown to like and take advantage of over the last couple years right here in our back yard. It's the Cox Classic at Champions Run.

I've always liked golf, but it's never been a sport that I took seriously, but a couple years ago, I went out to play around with a couple friends and we needed a fourth so my wife came along. She's never played golf in her life and wasn't a fan of the sport. But, she did ok for her first time and she got the golf bug. She wanted to go play almost every weekend which is good for me, because it gets me on the course more now.

The summer when we first started playing seriously, we went to the Cox Classic and had a great time. The first day we were there we sat in a box on the 18th green and had some drinks and food and watched as the golfers came through. The next day we talked with a group for 9 holes and saw how a pro would approach a hole and got a chance to see what they're looking at before they make a shot. Ever since then, we've gone back every year and do the same thing.

This year won't be any different. We'll go watch pro golfers play great and also get frustrated with their game (the exact same way that I get - I love the game one hole and hate the game very next hole). We'll see what they see and learn something just by watching them.

Plus, there's always the 19th hole!