Since we write a blog, we naturally have some problems with the mainstream media, namely E!SPN.
ESPN's new logo.These feelings are federally mandated. Everyone knows it. We can sit back and rip on the worldwide leader for blowing the Vince Young story out of proportion, for its analysts’ shock-value-laced diatribes and for even employing Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith. But after this weekend in college football (three games in particular), things are starting to hit home.
ESPN.com’s Big11Ten blogger, Adam Rittenberg, has alluded to the fact that Ohio State is no longer the team to beat in the conference numerous times in the last 48 hours (example 1, example 2, example 3). Suddenly, in the course of three hours, everyone stopped saying that Ohio State was one of the best teams in the nation and firmly agreed that they suck, and are not even the top team in their conference.
Obviously, Ohio State got drubbed. And any competent person saw this coming from a mile away. But the way this thing is being covered, you’d think the Buckeyes were going to pack it in and not even play out the rest of their schedule. Never mind the fact that they haven’t played a conference game, they could still finish their season with only one loss (to the #1 team), and could be in national championship talk at the end of the year.
Do we hope that scenario plays out? Hell no. But let’s not get too excited because an amazing football team on a completely different plane smacked Ohio State around. This doesn’t make Penn State’s trip to the horseshoe any easier.
However, judging by the mainstream media, you might think it does. Check out Rittenberg’s power rankings that we mentioned. Wisconsin is his #1 after surviving a tight game at Fresno State, and our beloved Nittany Lions are #2 after spanking Syracuse, which leaves Ohio State at the three spot. What’s even worse is that we heard a combination of the following terms in the same sentence on Sportscenter Sunday morning: “Penn State”, “Big Ten”, “team to beat”.
This pisses us off for a couple of different reasons. First of all—and most obviously—we haven’t played anyone yet. Sure, we’re racking up huge points, but so would the varsity basketball team when they scrimmaged you and the JV squad in practice in the preseason. Second, we don’t want the spotlight. We hate to get nostalgic here, but remember ’05? No one thought we were any good then, and we proved that, yeah, we were. Let’s face it, no one outside the fanbase thinks we’re really any good again, and it’s too early for people to take notice. We’d much rather sneak up on people when we’re 5 or 6-0 than now when we’ve destroyed three awful teams.
We’re not trying to defend Ohio State here or anything. In fact, watching them get blown out Saturday was pretty satisfying. And as Rittenberg correctly points out in his “We are the Big Ten” post, the worst thing that could happen this year is the Buckeyes winning out and getting smoked again in a big bowl game. We think this can be a great year for Penn State, but they’ve still got a lot to prove. And while ESPN can jump to conclusions all it wants to, we’d rather heed the advice of the great Winston Wolfe:
"Pretty please...with sugar on top. Clean the fucking car."Okay, that was the wrong quote, but we think you know which one we mean. Everyone relax, enjoy yourselves and we'll see how this thing shakes out.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment