Tag Archives: Texas Football

#AskJerryJones

The NFL Network created a hashtag – #AskJerryJones – seeking to solicit questions for the publicity hound Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager.  What could possibly go wrong with that?  It turns out, just about everything.  Find out for yourself at #askjerryjones.   Red’s personal favorite –

Mike Gessner @calbears96 Nov 25

if you could go back in time and murder baby Hitler, would you do it or sign him as a defensive back?

Followed closely by –

#1 Cat Step-dad™ @moleloco Nov 25

Which prisons do you plan on visiting in the off-season looking for new players?

Red’s Texas College Football Game of the Week

Red’s Texas College Football Game of the Week features a rematch between 9-1 Mary Hardin-Baylor and 9-1 Hardin Simmons – this time in a win or go home NCAA Division III playoff game at Shelton Stadium in Abilene.  Loyal readers will perhaps remember Red picking the HSU Cowboys to prevail in the regular season game in late October.  Red called that one correctly as the Cowboys eked out a 29-26 win over the UMHB Crusaders with both teams not coming close to their season scoring averages.

A week later, however, HSU posted their only loss of the season at East Texas Baptist going down in a close 26-21 contest with their lowest scoring output by far all season.  They rebounded to crush Louisiana College 82-21 last week.  Meanwhile, UHMB responded to their only loss by butt-whipping Howard Payne and East Texas Baptist – notching 67 points in each victory.

It is always hard to beat a team twice in one season, but Red calls it for the Cowboys once again in a close one.  HSU 45 UHMB 41.

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 10

“I remember a discussion that several of us had with Tom Landry one afternoon. The subject was field position, a term you hear more frequently from college coaches than professional coaches. The concept of the game of football is attack and retreat, the same as war. The ultimate object is to capture the opponent=s goal, but a secondary consideration is keeping the ball as far as possible from your own goal line. Professional teams with their superior striking power are less cautious about field position, but no less concerned, as Landry was explaining. After taking some time to ferment his question, Harold Ratliff cornered Landry and asked, “Tell us, Tom, what you consider the best field position?” I looked at Landry. He didn’t need anyone to remind him to answer with care. He said, “Harold, I am personally attracted to my opponent’s one inch line.”

From Confessions of a Washed Up Sportswriter by Gary Cartwright.

And that my friends, was as close as Tom Landry ever came to telling a joke.

Red Rates Himself – Last week 2-4. For the season 36-18. Affect hangdog look.

Your Tom Landry Pick of the Week: Buccaneers over Cowboys. Red thinks this may be the most even match up of the entire season – at least on a statistical basis. Both teams are have similarly mediocre offenses ranking smack in the middle of the pack with equally inept passing games bolstered by reasonably strong running attacks. The main difference is the Buccaneers slightly less mediocre defense. But this game comes down to Red’s long hoped for desire to see an 8 game Cowboy losing streak. If they can just blow this one, then only one more game stands between Red and happiness. So once again, Red invokes the Red Rule (score 13 points and beat the Cowboys). It is hard to see how the Cowboys are not completely dead if they lose this one, but stranger things . . .   Red likes the under at 43.5.  Tampa Bay 20 Arlington 10.

Your One Inch Pick of the Week: Cardinals over Seahawks. The Cardinals are the most balanced team in the league so far. They have a top 3 offense and a top 3 defense. Only a slightly underperforming rushing game keeps them in check. About right now, Red is wondering why he did not pick the Cards to make the Superb Owl – especially in light of the troubles brewing in Northern Wisconsin. Meanwhile, this is as close to a must-win game as there is for the defending NFC Champion Seahawks. A loss and they are 3 full games behind the Cards with 7 to play. Not an impossible hill to climb, but definitely a demanding task for an underperforming offense that has scored almost 100 points less than the explosive Cardinal attack. Despite the seeming disparity, Red thinks this is Your NFL Game of the Week. Too close to call on the money line, but solid on the over at 44.5. Arizona 29 Seattle 28.

Your Field Position Pick of the Week: Bengals over Texans. Forgive Red for stating the obvious, but the undefeated Bengals are undefeated at home with a 4-0 record. The 3-5 Texans have an expected 1-3 road record having only beaten the Jags on the road. Yet, the Texans are still in the hunt in the pathetic excuse for a professional football division (PEFPFD) that is the AFC South. The hunt is likely to come up empty as the Texans are looking at 3-5 in the second half of the season at best. Red just can’t see the Texans beating the Bengals, or the Patriots, or the Jets, or the Saints, or Bills, or the Colts for that matter. It was nice while it didn’t last.  Red is done with betting on Texans’ games. Cincinnati 35 Houston 17.

You’re Asinine Question Pick of the Week: Patriots over Giants. The question here is, “Red, how can the Giants possibly be 5-4 and leading their division when they have the worst defense in the entire NFL and a sub-par offense?” Well, Timmy, it’s called the “luck of the draw.” You see, Billy, the Giants play in the festering swamp that goes by the name of the NFC East Division. It is filled with teams led by megalomaniac owners, college coaches in over their heads, and quarterbacks that are, in the words of the eloquent fraternity of professional sportswriters, “really, really bad.” So Jimmy, even though the Giants are only 2-2 against the dregs of the NFL (see festering swamp supra) and have an offense that at times seems incapable of advancing the ball more than about ¾ of a yard at a time, they have managed to somehow score 247 points which ranks only behind the “real NFL teams” called the Patriots and the Cardinals. Thus Willy, Red believes that smoke and mirrors must be somehow involved in the Giants having actually won 5 games. That can work, Lenny, until you meet up with a team that smashes mirrors with a sledgehammer and puts sugar in the gas tank of your smoke machine. Red will take the Pats giving up 7 on the road and take it all day, every day, at least 3 times a day. New England 57 New Jersey 16.

Your Washed Up Sportswriter Pick of the Week: Packers over Lions. Somewhere on Red’s list was becoming a “Washed Up Sportswriter.” Unfortunately, this weekly ranting about NFL games is about as close as Red is ever going to make it. Red is somewhat mystified by the Packers 6-2 record – he would be more mystified if the Pack had not gotten slaughtered by what we call “Really Good Teams” in the Panthers and the Broncos the last two weeks. Other than beating a fast-fading Seahawks team in Week 2, the Packers really do not have a quality win yet this season and have yet to really dominate a game. So when they faced quality opposition coming off the “bye” week, it was not a real surprise that they stumbled. As it stands, the Pack has not won a game in almost a month, and that is just not something that fits well in to the order of Red’s universe. Take the Pack and given up whatever points you have to give up (probably at least 11), the Packers will be taking out a month’s worth of frustration on the hapless Lions. Green Bay 35 Detroit 16.

Your Dumbshit Pick of the Week: Jaguars over Ravens. Red keeps picking the Jags. The Jags keep losing. Red rewards the Jags by putting them in the Shit Bowl for the third time this season. Sixteen games these teams have played and 4 times they have emerged victorious. It really don’t get no shittier than that. Put the lock on the Glock and hide the key in a place you will forget before you dare to tune in to watch this beastly bowel battle, lest ye be tempted to empty a clip into your brand new 86 incher. Oh, you wanted Red to give you a recommendation so that you could bet on this one? Call Gamblers Anonymous right now. Jacksonville 17 Baltimore 13.

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 9

“”My assistant Jack Daniels and I actually destroy a cell phone every four months or so. Usually just the screen but I get it.”

Chris Long discussing Tom Brady destroying his cell phone after the Deflategate “Scandal” broke.

Red’s personal assistant simply goes by the name Oban. But some of his favorite Bourbon brands are listed below.

Red Rates Himself – Last week 4-2. For the season 34-14. Lick finger, touch ass, make sizzle sound.

Your Fighting Cock Pick of the Week: Eagles over Cowboys. Longtime readers (yeah both of them) will remember the Red Rule from past seasons. The RR is “score 13 points and beat the Cowboys.” Well, the RR is coming back into vogue. For the last 3 weeks the Cowboys have averaged exactly 12.666666666666 . . . points. Red likes irrational numbers in case you hadn’t guessed. Combine that offensive ineptitude with a 5 game losing streak and it adds up to a road win for the also struggling Eagles. The loser of this one is not dead – but will need life support even in the awful NFC East. Somehow the Cowboys are favored here. Take the Eagles and whatever points you can get.  Philadelphia 17 Arlington 11.

Your Rebel Yell Pick of the Week: Panthers over Packers. Your NFL Game of the Week features the formidable Packers going up against an undefeated team for the second week in a row and coming out on the short end. Red guesses that it has been many a long years since a team has had to face undefeated opponents on the road in weeks 8 and 9 of the season. Red looks for a wild shootout here and the over at 45.5 is Red’s NFL Bet of the Week. Carolina 39 Green Bay 35.

Your Wild Turkey Pick of the Week: Jaguars over Jets. Red has to walk out on the limb every once in a while or else this exercise just would not be very entertaining now would it? But there is a surprising amount of buzz over a matchup that no one would probably have seen as important at the beginning of the season. The Jets are sitting in the 6th playoff spot right now and the Jags are not out of contention in the pathetic excuse for a professional football division (PEFPFD) that is the AFC South. If the Jags win and Colts lose as Red predicts, the Jags will be tied with the Texans for the lead in the AFC South at 3-5. And yes, you read that correctly. So this is a big game for both teams at midseason. Most signs favor the Jets. They have given up only 4 sacks all season and the Jags have no pass rush to speak of. If Fitzpatrick has time to throw, he is among the best in the league and finding open targets. And the Jags seem incapable of holding onto a 4th quarter lead. Unfortunately, none of that phases Red after a couple of shots of Wild Turkey liquor this morning. But don’t bet on this crapshoot.  Jacksonville 20 New Jersey 17.

You’re Early Times Pick of the Week: Stealers over Raiders. Red goes with triple-reverse time zone, magnetic field shift hex on this one to call it for the Stealers at home against a still viable Raiders that are on the playoff bubble right now. The Raiders have been surprisingly competitive against the Stealers winning the last two, but look for the Stealers to be hopping mad after blowing the Bengals game last week. Lil’ Carr best watch out. Big Ben wins this one on pure grit. Pittsburgh 19 Oakland 17.

Your Old Crow Pick of the Week: Broncos over Colts. It doesn’t seem to matter to the Broncos that they have PMS (that’s “Peyton Manning Starting” for you newcomers) despite his fairly awful performance so far this season. It has been clear that PMS can’t throw the ball more than 20 yards and isn’t making particularly good decisions. In addition, feature back CJ Anderson has been pretty much a bust. So why do the Broncos keep winning? Their incredible defense and highly respectable special teams. Why do the Colts keep losing? Luck has sucked, they have no running game and the defense is pitiful – really, Red actually pities their defense. PMS will likely carry the Broncos into a first round bye and then the whole thing will implode in a wave of acrimony and recriminations. But until then it is going to be quite a ride Broncos fans – so enjoy it while you can. Red takes the Broncos anywhere up to -5 and the over at 44.5.   Denver 35 Indianapolis 16.

Your Old Blowhard Pick of the Week: Chargers over Bears. This week features a rare Monday Night Shit Bowl. But a deserving pick as these two teams have 4 wins between them. Red is puzzled about the stench emanating from Southern California as there is no reasons for the Chargers to be this bad. Their high powered passing attack should be winning more games, but for the train wreck of a defense and mediocre running game. Meanwhile over in Ursaland, the rumblings are growing. You have an aging journeyman quarterback, an aging formerly excellent back, an apparent failure top to bottom organizationally and trust Red, heads are going to roll pretty soon. Even Vic Fangio who has done a decent job with the defense may see his noggin careening toward the parking lot before this season is over. Check out the NBA schedule before tuning into this shameful shit struggle – that is, unless your pain threshold is remarkably high. San Diego 35 Chicago 13.

Red’s Texas College Football Game of the Week

We travel to Seguin this weekend for the showdown between Texas Lutheran and Austin College.

The TLU Bulldogs who are having an excellent season marred only by losses to powerhouses Hardin-Simmons and Mary Hardin-Baylor bring a 6-2 record into the game led by Senior QB Trenton White who is completed 65% of his passes with 23 touchdowns.  White probably has the distinction of being the shortest (at 5′ 9″) high performing quarterback in all of college football.  The tandem rushing attach of Marquis Barrolle and AJ Saucedo compliments the dynamic passing attack with Jekovan Holmes as the main target with 13 touchdowns.  TLU looks primed to claim another Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference title.

The Austin College ‘Roos come into the game at 5-3. Senior Madison Ross has been carrying the offensive load with 112 yards per game and a 5 yard per rush average.  The passing attack under Junior Quarterback Cooper Woodyard has been somewhat anemic with only about 175 yards per game through the air.  The defense led by linebackers Brooks Ward and Charles Eneh has managed to keep most game close, but the ‘Roos looked overmatched by the Bulldogs this weekend.

Red calls it TLU 55 AC 30.

Photo of Bulldog Stadium from http://www.scacsports.com.

Red’s Texas College Football Game of the Week

This week Red features the not so longstanding rivalry between Mary Hardin-Baylor and Hardin-Simmons at Shelton Stadium in Abilene.

The third ranked MHB Crusaders come into this matchup on a hot roll with butter having won all 7 games this season.  And not just winning – the Crusaders have put an old-fashioned butt whipping on every opponent so far.  The closest game was last week’s 48-20 blowout of Texas Lutheran.  This is nothing new in Belton, as MHB has only lost one conference game in the last 10 seasons.  This year the Crusaders are averaging just over 53 points a game.

The thirteenth ranked Hardin-Simmons Cowboys will have taken a backseat to no one either.  HS is also 7-0 and pretty much destroying the competition – except for a 35-27 close call against Texas Lutheran which would be undefeated except for playing these two juggernauts.   HS is not scoring points at the same incredible rate as MHB, but it may have a better defense.

There is nothing unusual about the American Southwest Conference championship coming down to this game.  For all but two seasons the conference crown has passed back and forth between these two powerhouses.  But this year’s playoff stakes are unlike any other. With the departure of Mississippi College and Texas Lutheran after the 2012 season, the ASC dropped below the seven-team threshold for an automatic qualifying bid. There was a two-year grace period, and two provisional programs have since been added, but the conference has been pushed into the Pool B grouping, where 13 teams are fighting for one bid.  The winner of this one is probably in, but the loser may be left in the cold despite having had an otherwise exceptional season.  Red calls it for Hardin-Simmons 59-53.

Photo of Shelton Stadium from http://www.hsuathletics.com.

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 8

I’m 6-foot-7, a big black guy running down the middle of the field. … I wear white gloves so [quarterback Jay Cutler] can see the white gloves when I wave them like Mickey Mouse.” — Martellus Bennett

Red is a Daffy Duck man himself. Despicable.

Red Rates Himself – Last week 3-3. For the season 30-12. Red will never pick against the Patriots again – at least until he does.

Your Mickey Mouse Pick of the Week: Seahawks over Cowboys. “Hey Red, didn’t the Cowboys used to be somebody,” you ask. Well yes Jimmy, the Cowboys were once one of the NFL’s storied franchises. After a few struggling seasons beginning with the inaugural year in 1960 (sneak up behind an old Cowboys fan and shout “Eddie LeBaron” and watch him flinch), the Cowboys put up a record of almost unmatched excellence for about 30 years. Then Jerry Jones decided that he was the smartest man in football, ran off the best coach he would ever have, started to hire any felon that could hit somebody hard or go deep, and well, you know the rest of the story. More recently, the upstarts from the godforsaken wilds of the Northwest decided that, “Hey, we might be able to play football too” and started a fairly decent run with a 7-9 team that made the playoffs and actually won a game and then went on to win and lose a Superb Owl! But Timmy, things are not looking so good on the west coast either these days. Pete the Cheat hasn’t been able to brew up a good batch of his old-fashioned whip-ass tonic this season and the Seahawks are looking tired and old well before the expiration date. If the Seahawks don’t have enough left in the tank to finish off the hobbling Cowboys with Matt Cassel at the helm, then they may not even make the playoffs. Meanwhile Danny, the Cowboys are playing for time, hoping to not be in too big a hole when Romo and Dez return. And as bad as the NFC East is, the Cowboys will not be out of it with a 3-7 record. So Billy, while Red is typically an over guy, he kind of likes the under here at 41.  Seattle 17 Arlington 13.

Your Goofy Pick of the Week: Broncos/Packers Tie. It happens on average every 3 seasons. And by the way, this is your NFL game of the week. Which tells you it aint a very good week.  Broncos 35 Green Bay 35.

Your Donald Duck Pick of the Week: Patriots over Dolphins. Red could make a case for the Dolphins beating the Patriots, just like he tried to make a case for the Jets beating the Patriots last week. See how that worked out. So why bother? Take the Patriots giving up 8 at home on Thursday Night Football and flip a coin on the over/under at 51.5. It came up heads? Then the over it is. You’ll sweat this one out, but be glad you did. New England 35 Miami 25.

You’re Pluto Pick of the Week: Bengals over Stealers. Bengals are getting serious talk as possible Superb Owl contender. Beating the Stealers on the road will do nothing but ramp up that hype. Unfortunately, they do not play the Patriots so we lose our best chance at seeing a late-season matchup of undefeateds. If Bengals get over the Stealers hump, then it looks like they have the easiest road to a sure playoff spot with only the Cardinals, Broncos and the Stealers again at home as possible road bumps on the way to a division championship. Yes, Ben is back, but the Red Rifle and Gio take this one over for an easy win. Bengals cover any spread that you get.   Cincinnati 42 Pittsburgh 19.

Your Uncle Scrooge Pick of the Week: Titans over Texans. Actually, Bob McNair makes Uncle Scrooge look like a fricking genius. Bob has always followed the Clint Murchison/Cowboys model. The owner just hires folks and lets them do their job. Clint hired Tex Schramm and Tom Landry – both in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Bob has hired Bill-O the Clown and Rick Smith – both of whom may get to visit Canton if they don’t check ID’s at the door. Red is actually on the verge of giving up his official Texans’ fan status if things don’t improve soon. Things will not improve soon enough he fears. This one is a pick ‘em and Red will respectfully decline to do so. Red hopes he gets to see Mariota play in person for the first time since he destroyed the Longhorns in the Alamo Bowl in 2013.  Almost to close to call between these pathetic excuses for an NFL franchise, but here goes anyway. Texans find a new and imaginative way to lose.  Tennessee 21 Texans 20.

Your Pete is a Turd Pick of the Week: Ravens over Chargers. Red will go with the triple time zone with a Mediterranean to Mid-Atlantic climatological shift hex to pick the hapless Ravens to even things up with the almost as hapless Chargers. Red actually picked both of these teams to make the playoffs. Sorry about that. The coast to coast stench emanating from this awful anal Armageddon will spoil more than a few Sunday meals. Bet on this one only if you have a serious gambling addiction and need a cheap high. Baltimore 33 San Diego 24.

Today in Texas History – October 26

From the Annals of the State Fair –  In 1930, the first football game was played at the Cotton Bowl at the Fair Park in Dallas.  SMU beat Indiana 27-0 to record the first win in the newly constructed stadium.  The 46,000-seat stadium was on the site of the former 15,000 seat Fair Park Football Stadium.  For more than 75 years, the stadium was the site of its namesake Cotton Bowl Classic which pitted the Southwest Conference champion against another highly ranked team on New Year’s Day.  The Cotton Bowl was the site of several of the “mythical” national championship games including UT’s victory over Notre Dame to claim the title in 1969.  The stadium was renovated extensively in 1949 increasing seating to 75,504. The Cotton Bowl was home to the short-lived Dallas Texans of the NFL in 1952, the Dallas Texans (now the Kansas City Chiefs) of the AFL from 1960 to 1962, and the Dallas Cowboys from 1960 to 1970. The stadium was renovated again in 1994 in preparation for World Cup games.  The venerable stadium was renovated again in the last decade to further increase its capacity.  The Cotton Bowl still hosts the annual Texas-OU game and the Ticket City Bowl.

Why did this guy ever get to start an NFL game?

The Houston Chronicle reports that back up quarterback Ryan Malllet missed the team flight to Miami for today’s game.  Mallet has shown nothing to indicate that he has the mental capacity to lead a professional football team.  Red posits that the Texans would be at least 3-3 if Brian Hoyer had just been given the reins.

Red’s NFL Picks – Week 7

“I would not be bothered if we lost every game as long as we won the league.”

Mark Viduka

Just guessing that Mark didn’t score so well on the math portion of the SAT.

Red Rates Himself – Last week 4-2. For the season 27-9. Polite applause, thank you.

Red is going to have to be quick this week.

Your Losing Every Game Pick of the Week: Vikings over Lions. Sadly, we will not have an 0-16 team this season. Red believes that kind of purge is good for the collective soul of the league, kind of an exemplar of failure, a milepost of ineptitude, a glimpse into the bottomless abyss of failure. But the Lions were the last hope, so the best we can hope for now is 1-15, with maybe a 2-14 the most likely outcome. Vikings meanwhile are rounding towards mediocrity. Minnesota minus 2 is a good bet, if you having a serious gambling addiction and have to bet on a game that no one cares about. Minnesota 24 Detroit 17.

Your Big Loser Pick of the Week: Giants over Cowboys. Winner is at least in the passenger seat in the NFC East. Loser is getting drug behind the car over 2 miles of rough pavement. The Cowboys are rumored to actually have a professional quarterback ready to play. The Giants have a guy that has won 2 Superb Owls. You pick it. New Jersey 27 Arlington 19.

Your Winners Pick of the Week: Jets over Patriots. Yep, you are thinking – Red what the hell are you smoking now? Red’s high on the pure vapor coming off the Fitzpatrick express. Red thinks Fitz is having that career year and what better way to show it than to knock off the Champs in New England back home in front of some old Crimson men. Hey, you wanna toke? Red can’t feel his nose. At 48, take the over for a ride. New Jersey 42 New England 33.

You’re Math Major Pick of the Week: Falcons over Titans. Bet the over and the under, bet on the Falcons and the Titans, bet on the coin toss, bet on the number of holding penalties, bet on the number of missed field goals, bet on the punters, bet on anything that anyone will take a bet on, but just bet. Bet on Red not giving a rat’s ass about who wins this one.  Atlanta 17 Tennessee 3.

Your Why Bother Pick of the Week: Texans over Dolphins. Not often does the Shit Bowl feature two teams coming off wins, but Red has to shake things up every now and then. Hard rain predicted for Casa Red on Sunday and he might just go sit on the porch and get soaked rather than watch this turgid turd tussle. Houston 29 Miami 24 Pittsburgh 21.

Your Red is Out of Ideas Pick of the Week: Eagles over Panthers. Panthers do not deserve to be undefeated. ‘Nuff said. Take the Eagles and 3. Oh yeah, and this is your NFL Game of the Week. Philadelphia 38 Carolina 35.