Horrifying

The people of Louisiana and Mississippi wish skies remained dark and cloudy today so they wouldn't have to see the destruction Hurricane Katrina left in its wake. Gulfport-Biloxi, MS are in total ruin tonight. Katrina literally picked up beachside casinos and moved them inland, dropping them on top of other houses. There is nothing left; the damage is total. New Orleans appeared to have survived a big hit, but that thought ended when 2 levies failed, enabling Lake Pontchartrain to spill into the city, leaving 80% of New Orleans underwater. The Coast Guard is having to remove people that are trapped in their homes by boat and helicopter. Because of the flooding, people are stranded on their rooftops because they have nowhere else to go. As of now, the current death toll is around 80, which is likely to rise. Hundreds of thousands of people are homeless, and 5 million are without power. Power won't be restored for another 6-8 weeks until the flooding recedes.

By far, the worst image I've seen was the interview of a Mississippi resident. An African-American man and his two kids were stopped by a reporter and asked how they were doing. The man tearfully went through their experience. Their coastal home quickly flooded with water, splitting in two. The man was trying to hold onto his wife in the rushing water, but couldn't. The last words his wife said to him were, "You can't hold onto me, make sure you take care of the kids." The wife was swept away and is missing. If that wasn't heartbreaking enough, the man went on, "I'm lost, I have nothing, we have nowhere to go, I'm just wandering around, we have nothing." Even the reporter started crying. I just can't even begin to understand what these people are going through, I hope they are able to bounce back from this.

Katrina made her appearance today, dumping rain that lasted all day. I know we don't like rainy days, but put it in perspective. This was the same storm that leveled the Gulf coast. A little rain isn't going to kill us; a lot of rain and wind killed more than we'd like to count in the South.

It's tough moving onto another subject, but that's what I'll do. Tonight, I'm talking defensive matchups in the Miami/OSU game. Starting with the front 4, both units have talent, but also have something to prove. Miami's strength is rushing the passer, led by All-MAC end Marcus Johnson and Kurt Mester. John Glavin is tough against the run at defensive tackle, but he's undersized. Mike Barz gets the start at the other tackle spot. Barz is small and inexperienced. Miami must get some kind of push from their D-line to somehow counter OSU's offensive line.

The Bucks' defensive line is strong against the run, led by Quinn Pitcock, who is big and quick inside. But, they must generate some kind of pass rush against Miami to take pressure off of their linebackers, the main source of Ohio St's pass rush last year. A key matchup will be Charlie Norden vs. David Patterson. Norden had trouble at right tackle last year, forcing his move to guard for the rest of the year. If Norden struggles again, it will be a long afternoon for the Redhawk offense.

Both teams' linebacking corps are stellar to say the least. The Miami threesome of Terna Nande (The Freak), Derek Rehage, and John Busing are quick, big, and physical. Nande is a likely 1st-day draft pick due to his 4.4 speed and unbelievable strength. Busing is a great athlete and sure tackler, while Rehage is solid in the middle. These three will benefit the most from the return of Taver Johnson to Miami as defensive coordinator. They are at their best when attacking, flying all over the field.

Ohio St.'s linebackers are just awesome. AJ Hawk, preseason All-American and Big 10 defensive player of the year. He's always around the ball and makes plays. I can't remember ever seeing him miss a tackle. On the other side is Bobby Carpenter, 6'3" 255 with 4.55 speed. He may even play some tight end, he is that athletic. He will also line up at defensive end in passing situations to help rush the quarterback. In the middle is Anthony Schlegel, stout against the run and physical. Backing them up is Marcus Freeman, the talented underclassman from Wayne, who is itching to get on the field. He would start for anyone else in the country.

The secondary is Miami's biggest question mark, especially against OSU. Darrell Hunter will likely matchup vs. Ted Ginn Jr. Hunter is 6'3" 220 and has 4.3 speed, and will be one of the top cornerbacks taken in the NFL draft. Hunter's cover skills are good, but he tackles like Deion Sanders (he doesn't tackle). Can he tackle Ginn in the open field. The other 2 corners are Ryan Redd, former nickel back, and Frank Wiwo, nickel back this year who started some at safety last year. Both have experience, but aren't great corners. Their play against Holmes and Gonzalez is the #1 key to the game I think. At safety will be Steve Burke and Joey Card, both returning starters. Burke is good against the run, but vulnerable agains the pass. He does not have good speed. Card can hit and run, but he's still relatively young.

Ohio St. has a lockdown corner of their own in Ashton Youboty (kinda like Djibouti haha). Tyler Everett will be on the opposite side after playing some safety, although corner is his natural position. Nate Salley is the enforcer in the back. Be wary of him when coming across the middle. Donte Whitner is his counterpart, who is extremely quick and has good ball skills. If OSU's secondary tackles well, Miami will get their yards, but not many points.

Tomorrow I'll look at special teams; Thursday will be my prediction.

Also today:
Da Bears released Chad Hutchinson. YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!

Day 2 of the US Open saw Andy Roddick lose to Gilles Muller in 3 straight tiebreaks. Muller played lights out and smart tennis, attacking Roddick's backhand, which is pathetic. Instead of making a fluid swing, Roddick stays stiff through the ball, which makes him hit lower balls that are prone to go in the net. This stiff swing also makes him prone to taking too big of a backswing, forcing him to decelerate through the ball, sending his shots long as he leaves the face of the racquet open. You want a fluid swing and an abbreviated follow through, almost with a golf-swing type finish (your pose). As long as Roddick has a weak backhand, he will continue to fall short in the majors.

25 years ago today, The Blues Brothers premeired, a personal Top 10 movie of mine. "We like both kinds of music here, country and western."
"How much for the women?!?!?!"

Tomorrow is another visit to the doctor for my Grandpa. Hopefully, the test results will continue to be good.

I guess that's it, g'night.