Friday Recycle: No Love For B-Mac in St. Louis

Attention NFL Teams | Hardworking, never say die fullback available. KUsports.com reports that the St. Louis Rams are passing on Brandon McAnderson. Mistake. Watching this guy tough it out in our program for five years to put up the senior season that he had -- well that's the kind of attitude some of these pro teams could use.

It's Conference Preview Season | Another Big 12 preview from New Era Scouting. This one is light on words and heavy on the rankings -- which is kind of nice. The theme continues though -- now that KU has to play Texas and OU the world is ending. We had a few players on the first team (Joe Mortensen and Justin Thornton) and a few on the second team (Jake Sharp and Dexton Fields). This story was tipped by the hardest working Big 12 Blog this offseason -- Double T Nation.

Kansas Football Select-A-Seat Swag | Item #2 is the new poster made available (below) at Select-A-Seat. The "We're Just Getting Started" theme for the season suits me just fine.

Wednesday Recycler: KU Color History, NCAA 2009, Hating Mizzou, Etc.

www.easports.com/ncaa09

NCAA 2009 | The game is set for a July 15 release. Nice to see the new numbers and the alternate jersey. Is that Bradley Dedeaux? Also, not sure that I'll make the purchase this season due to the omission of Aqib Talib as a cover man.

KU Color History | Please read this and summarize for me: http://www.kuhistory.com/proto/story.asp?id=32

John Brown-The Huddle | One of things you can count on in life is John Brown spreading the word about Mizzou on the KUsports.com Huddle message board. Tune in daily:

"I was outside enjoying the day and just thinking of that passage. We must always remember that as Jayhawkers our goal is not merely to win football games and play in bowls. More importantly, it is to kick the living crap outta Missoura. Period.Ya'll may be of the opinion last year was fine. 12 and 1. Orange Bowl win. That was great. That being said, I'm for getting it back together for another shot at the Slavers. All that matters in my opinion."

ESPN Poll | Who will win the North? KU got zero votes in Alaska in case you were wondering: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/fp/flashPollResultsState?sportIndex=ncf&pollId=55374

ESPN North Summary | A pretty in-depth look at all six programs for May: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=3392045

Meanwhile in Manhattan | As Wefald exits, they are claiming that the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) has already been turned on. 

Weekend Scraps: SB Nation, Saban Online and More

Facilities Pix From Phog.net | BMWJayhawk posted a great set of updated facility photos on the gridiron board at Phog.net. I think the high shot showing the new turf for the practice fields gives a great view of the area. Definitely disappointed to see a chain link fence around the fields, but I'm not sure what else could go around it. Besides I think my personal campaign against chain links is getting a little old.

Nick Saban - Recruiting By Webcam | Nick is always looking for an edge. Excerpt from the Yahoo article:

"Even before the new rule, coaches weren’t allowed to have more than brief, inadvertent contact with recruits during the spring, a rule Saban was accused of breaking last year in Miami. He has called the new restrictions against visits to high schools “ridiculous.”

When they went into effect, he turned to Plan B: Web cams, which are permitted by the NCAA."

SB Nation Redesigns | Thankfully the SBNation network of sports blogs appears to be implementing a redesign. Looks like burntorangenation.com is among the first to get the new look. The menu bar is a little "WordPressy," but the look is a welcome improvement. Hawkdigest could have been SB Nation blog. I actually spent quite a bit of time researching all of the platforms before deciding on Squarespace. SB Nation offers pretty much a ready-made audience, so it was tempting, but I just couldn't get into that look (old SB design: rockchalktalk.com, cornnation.com). By the way, Squarespace has worked so well for me, I build all of my new sites with the platform. Flexible and deep.

Thursday Recycle: Olaitan Oguntodu, Ryan Cantrell, Michael Crabtree and more

The Power of Olaitan | Checking in on this week's UDK article on Clint Bowen, I found this quote to back up what I saw in the Spring game:

 "... sophomore strong safety Olaitan Oguntodu settled in at outside linebacker during some plays to offer some pass-rushing help."

I think this is a nice feature and with his jersey number (44) could create confusion for those reading our defense.

Cantrell for Rimington | KU center Ryan Cantrell was named to the watch list for the Rimington Trophy for the 2008 season. Hopefully, he'll enjoy a full recovery and snag this award. Other Big 12 players named:

• J.D.  Walton / Baylor
• Jordan  Bedore / Kansas State
• Jon Cooper / Oklahoma                   
• Andrew Lewis / Oklahoma State                          
• Chris Hall / Texas  

New Jayhawks in the Sunday League | There's a great post over on the Gridiron Board updating the progress of recently drafted KU players fighting for roster spots in the NFL. Even has pictures. Go there.

1986 KU Football Media Guide Available | Also tipped from the Gridiron Board. Ebay is your friend.

Big 12 Spring Football Round Table -- Blog Style | The Crimson and Cream Machine posted a blogger round up of questions on Big 12 football. Skip to the predictions if you check it out. Note that all three Nebraska blogs pick the Corn in second. I really like Corn Nation putting KU in the fourth spot. It's a consensus for Missouri, unless you count Rock Chalk Talk's vote. For comic relief, Bring on the Cats has an interesting take on the order in the North. This is how bad it's gotten in Manhattan -- "who knows and who cares?" 1998 seems so far away.

Michael Crabtree Interview | Double T Nation tipped off this interview of Tech Wide Receiver Michael Crabtree. Favorite excerpt with a KU twist:

CS: You played multiple positions at Carter, but primarily at quarterback. How did you wind up becoming a wide receiver?

Crabtree: I was a receiver my sophomore year [at Carter]. I was basically a receiver my whole life; I played quarterback and receiver. When I left high school and attended Tech, I wanted to play receiver.

CS: Did you like one position over the other?

Crabtree: I prefer being a receiver. It’s a real fun position, and I’ve learned a lot.

CS: What went into your decision to go to Texas Tech?

Crabtree: They throw the ball, and I wanted to be a receiver. They say that this system only has system players. It doesn’t matter what the system is, if you’re a football player, you can ball.

CS: Was there another school that you were strongly considering?

Crabtree: Kansas was the other school, but everyone was saying that Kansas wasn’t good. Everyone was telling me that Kansas is just a basketball school; don’t go there, don’t do that.

CS: They finished 12 – 1 last year and won the Orange Bowl.

Crabtree: Yeah, I know.

Another note: On the system vs player question -- c'mon Michael it has to have a little to do with the system right? I mean just a tiny portion ... maybe? Your call.

SI.Com Article on Mangino | This has been out a while, but you might want to check it out if you missed it.

Wednesday Recycle: Two-Deep, U.S. vs BCS, No-Huddle and More

Wood Scoops the Two-Deep | Ryan Wood had a nice article on the newly-released KU football depth chart this morning. One thing is missing -- the chart itself. I'll just take it that Wood assumes KU football fans already have the two deep all worked out.

Congress vs the BCS | When this SI.com article came through the feed last week, the only thing that surprised me was that Missouri didn't have a representative involved. The only thing more ridiculous than having the federal government waste time on this will be the inevitable conclusion -- a finding that the BCS system is in complete compliance with the law.

The Great Advantage | There've been a number articles on this one, but I'll reference the LJW story. It looks like seven teams will now be looking to the sidelines for the playcall in the Big 12. KSU, Colorado, Baylor and Oklahoma join Mizzou, KU and OSU on this trend. Having the coach call the audible from the sky is pretty much a no-brainer. I hope Clint Bowen is the first to adapt -- you can't run the defense that you show.

Defense Wins Championships | A good read yesterday from UDK reporter Asher Fusco on the spring game performance. Fusco notes the stellar defensive performance. Hopefully this experienced unit can carry the team until we get the offensive tackles lined out and the running backs rolling.

OSU Offer Letter | I caught this over on EDSBS after the great real estate controversy, but I've seen it all around the boards. You can't believe everything you find on the internet, but this looks valid to me.

Note the LSUfreek credit.

Friday Recycle: Back in Action

A lot of events conspired that caused a little hiatus for HD. The best of those would be the Hoops NC. The worst would be that nasty little virus that crossed the country. How much productivity is lost from something like that? Alright, let's get to it ...

Aqib and the Weed / I hope it this doesn't cost AT that much on draft day, but we'll see. You gotta love a place where it's okay for a stoner to be prez, but we're gonna have think about it before we let you play corner in the NFL.
http://www.profootballweekly.com/PFW/NFLDraft/Draft+Extras/2008/wwhi040808.htm

D'Cunha / I'm not real surprised about the slow learning curve with the Australian tackle. A lot of people had him penciled in as starter, but it's a challenging position for guys without a lot of football experience. I take heart in the fact that Matt Darton (playing at left tackle) filled in for Anthony Collins against Iowa State and we didn't miss a beat. Right tackle concerns me more, but hopefully the competition between Wolfe and D'Cunha will be good.
http://www.kansascity.com/166/story/569327.html

Spring game to Monday / In case you missed it, the game moved to Monday at 7:00 p.m. (gates open at 6:00 p.m.). That might make it easier to score the essential free poster and T-Shirt.

Sands II / The LJW is reporting that the son of KU legend Tony Sands will be part of the 2009 recruiting class. Deshaun Sands (5-9, 175-pound) rushed for 1,486 yards and 13 touchdowns for Monarch High School in Coconut Creek, FLA last season.
http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/apr/11/kansas_lands_legacy/?football

Brentwood Bomber on the Move / Same article as above. We're losing Bill Whittemore to an A.D. job at Franklin Road Academy in Nashville, TN. That's alright -- the training will do good for when he takes over the head job here at KU when MM announces his retirement in 2026

Thursday Recycle: Spring Game Time

Spring Game: April 12, 1:00 p.m.
The official KU website announced the game time for the spring scrimmage. The action kicks off at 1:00 p.m and Mark Mangino will receive his coach of the year award from Sporting News during halftime.

The Perkins Restaurant Family Plan
A lot of adults use the child tickets anyway, but I don't understand why the ticket office doesn't offer an actual discounted four-pack of season tickets for adults for the bowl and the extreme south sections in the main stadium. No one can say those seats are as good as the ones on the side and I think $500 for four tickets would be a pretty nice deal to build up the season ticket base. The family plan is two adult/two child tickets for $400. Four regular tickets would cost you $1200.

There's still more out there to be achieved. We still haven't won the Big 12, or a national title for that matter.
Speedback, Jake Sharp | Clickety KUsports.com

Wednesday Recycle: South Florida Switch; Black Sabbath Out

USF Game Moves To Friday
The game moves to September 12 for a 7:00 p.m. start. ESPN2. I'm thinking that means no high definition and I believe that would be a mistake for two teams that made a lot of noise in '07.
http://www.kansascity.com/166/story/526547.html

Spring Practice Quotes
There's a whole page of quotes at the KUathletics.com site. A lot of revealing coments. Stuff like a mention of OT Matt Darton playing a full game last year against ISU. Kerry Meier as our punter for spring ball? Briscoe mentions a focus on less dropped balls for 2008. Sharp states three goals available for KU football.

Facilities Already Helping
From the same page, JUCO transfer wide receiver Rod Harris Jr. had the following quote on why he choose Kansas:

"In the past, Kansas wasn't really a school that I paid attention to because I grew up watching the bigger schools in the Big 12, like Texas A&M, Texas and Texas Tech.  But watching how Kansas improved over this short time span is amazing and to be a part of a growing program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  A chance like that doesn't come around too often.  I get to be a part of the new facilities and everything else that is changing.  It is a great atmosphere and a great environment to be coming to and I am glad to be here."

Mangino Doesn't Want to Rock
I think Ryan Wood is off by saying that Spring Game attendance has been lagging in recent years. We don't compare with OU and Nebraska, but we've seen steady attendance growth for the game under Mangino. On the subject though, Mangino threw this gem out there:

"I'm not going to recommend that we have a rock band at the spring game, or rodeo clowns."

Pro Day Surprises
Again from Wood's blog, there's a mention that two former KU players were in attendance -- Eric Butler and Rodney Allen. I remember Bill Young calling Allen the best DE he had at KU. I'd love to see both of those guys get a tryout this summer.

Update on Wednesday, March 12, 2008 at 07:36AM by DJ Goodwin

For spring game attendance from 2007, here is a post I had last year -- http://hawkdigest.squarespace.com/hawk-digest-kansas-football/2007/4/27/big-12-spring-game-rankings.html

It reallly doesn't take much to move into the top five.

Friday Recycle: Auto Border War, McFadden Gets the 360

Saturday Night Special
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. Saturday night for the 7:30 p.m. football awards celebration. Be there. You get something for free.

Darren McFadden Gets the X-Box 360 Cover
The Arkansas back nabbed the 360 cover, but there are still four platforms to go. EA is choosing a different athlete for each console plus a school mascott for the Wii. That one is being voted on here. As for the other three athletes -- I know a certain NFL-bound CB that would look awesome on the game. There should be plenty of photos available.

KC Auto Show Gets Into the Border War
This is something I couldn't have anticipated:

Toyota is roaring straight into the spirited University of Missouri and University of Kansas rivalry with two college-themed Tundra pickups at the Greater Kansas City International Auto Show, promising fans of either school the most powerful vehicles ever for their sports enthusiasm.

... To wrap them in school spirit, the trucks will be emblazoned with school graphics and fans will even be given a chance to take a photographic memento home with them. The auto show is unfolding at an ideal spot to highlight the schools' rivalry, right near the geographic fault line between two universities that are barely a three-hour drive from one another.

Put on by the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Kansas City, the show runs from Wednesday, March 5, to Sunday, March 9, at H. Roe Bartle Hall in Kansas City, Mo. It will feature about 500 new cars, trucks, vans, SUVs and crossover vehicles.

On Saturday, between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., the mascots of both schools -- Truman the Tiger for Missouri and Big Jay for Kansas -- will be on hand for photography sessions.

Clickety

Monday Recycle: Saturday for the Border War -- Open Practice Dates

Saturday Special for Arrowhead War
The KC Star reported last week that the Border War would likely remain on Saturday for 2008. The Big 12 announced a change with Texas A&M/ Texas moving to Thanksgiving Night. I like that move -- pro football on Turkey Day just doesn't do it for me anymore. Keeping KU/MU on Saturday is a no-brainer ... how could you make a change as it was one of the highest rated college football games on TV last season.

ESPN Big 12 Deal
In the same article, the Big 12 and ESPN announced a two-year deal to televise seven Big 12 games per year. The games will be on Thursdays or Saturdays. Saturdays are good, Thursdays ... well, it depends on how your schedule breaks down. Guess I better hold a couple of vacation days in reserve this year.

Open Practices
From KUsports.com -- open spring practices are scheduled for March 14 and April 4. Both practices are at 3:30 p.m. on Friday's on the practice fields next to Hoglund.

NCAA 2009
Voting continues in the contest to get Baby Jay on the cover of NCAA 2009 ... http://www.easports.com/ncaa09/

Monday Recycle: Double B to Miami

Bryce Brown to Miami
Rivals has five-star RB Bryce Brown already making a verbal commitment to Miami. I'm not too concerned about the loss as a specific need for KU, but from an overall recruiting perspective, I'd like to fast forward to the point where we can retain a local five-star player. I also need to offer my apologies as we hosted a little roundball watch party on Saturday for the old tailgate crew. They reported this news to me on Saturday and I said no way. Wrong again.

NFL Combine Profiles
Marcus Henry -- "Will be characterized by some as an overachieving one-year wonder playing against really poor Big 12 defenses"
Will the subtle Nebraska bashing ever end?

Aqib Talib -- "Could be more physical at his size"
Maybe, but I saw AT sacrifice himself against RBs in the open field a few times. I was really impressed with the way he tackled in the open field this year. 

Anthony Collins -- "Not a finesse player -- he likes to mix it up and give a strong punch. ... Likes to put his man on the ground"
This is true.

Derek Fine -- "Very good receiver who runs precise routes and does not drop many balls"

James McClinton -- "Flat-out unblockable at times, disrupting the play even if he doesn't make the tackle"
That's what I remember

Joe Semple & Sebelius: Monday Recycle

Offensive lineman Joe Semple (6-4/302) out of Mundelein, Illinois will walk on / it's been discussed on the boards for over a week. Rivals has him as two-star, while Scout ranks him as a one-star. The two profiles vary on his height/weight. Here's an official link confirming the commitment: Daily Herald.

Kathleen Sebelius makes good on her bet / Channel 5 has some video. You gotta love her moxy.

Baby Jay on NCAA 2009 / the message boards were touting this opportunity to vote for Baby Jay to take the cover spot on next summer's version of the college football video game. A little tour around the site indicates that NCAA 2009 will not be available for the old X-Box. Looks like it's time for an upgrade for me. What a waste. There's really nothing wrong with the game play on my old X-Box. I guess it might be time to look into the Wii -- my goal of always being one generation behind on platforms may be fading away. Hey, maybe I should really stick it to Bill Gates and pick up a PlayStation 2 (the new version will be available on that platform).

Update on Tuesday, February 19, 2008 at 12:27PM by DJ Goodwin

http://www.easports.com/ncaa09/