bmwracer wrote:

You might want to check eBay... Or maybe the local library.

I did; eBay has one copy selling for $99.00 (plus $4.00 shipping). Right now not willing to spend that much money for that book. My local library doesn't have a copy either.

Speaking of eBay books, years ago a book entitled Rikishi of the Showa Era was being offered on that site. This book is like the Holy Grail of English-language books about sumo. I remember bidding $250.00 for it, but it wasn't enough. If it were offered again today, I'd be scared to think how much I'd be willing to bid for it.

shin2 wrote:

I did; eBay has one copy selling for $99.00 (plus $4.00 shipping). Right now not willing to spend that much money for that book. My local library doesn't have a copy either.

Wow, pricey.

There's always visiting those ancient bookstores that carry books from a bygone era with an owner who's just as old... If those type of bookstores even exist anymore.

shin2 wrote:

I did; eBay has one copy selling for $99.00 (plus $4.00 shipping). Right now not willing to spend that much money for that book. My local library doesn't have a copy either. Speaking of eBay books, years ago a book entitled Rikishi of the Showa Era was being offered on that site. This book is like the Holy Grail of English-language books about sumo. I remember bidding $250.00 for it, but it wasn't enough. If it were offered again today, I'd be scared to think how much I'd be willing to bid for it.

After some Googling, there's supposedly an eBook version... But I haven't found any hard evidence that it really exists.

bmwracer wrote:

After some Googling, there's supposedly an eBook version... But I haven't found any hard evidence that it really exists.

it isn't offered on Kindle which is what I use.



The college football season begins tonight. It's also the last evening for pre-season NFL games; the NFL begins in earnest next week. High school football has already started in a number of states.

Yea!

shin2 wrote:

High school football has already started in a number of states.

Except for that coach in Florida who slapped his players' helmet. When I saw that I had one of those roll-your-eyes-when-I-was-your-age kind of moments. (Which seem to be increasing with each passing day.)

When I was in high school if a player DIDN'T get his helmet slapped at least once a practice that meant he probably wasn't playing that Friday.

gaijinmark wrote:

Except for that coach in Florida who slapped his players' helmet. When I saw that I had one of those roll-your-eyes-when-I-was-your-age kind of moments. (Which seem to be increasing with each passing day.) When I was in high school if a player DIDN'T get his helmet slapped at least once a practice that meant he probably wasn't playing that Friday.

What was acceptable then is no longer tolerated now.

I'm old enough to remember when they didn't give players water breaks during practice. Instead we were told to swallow salt pills prior to going out to the field. And the only time you took your helmet off was if you got your bell rung, and you were expected to get back to practice or in a game once you said you were OK (and you always said you were OK).


Good opening weekend in college football. Upsets galore--seven FCS (formerly Division IAA) schools defeated FBS (formerly Division 1A) schools. Plus those seven FCS schools collectively earned 2.3 million dollars from their opponents for going out of their division to play the big boys.

Peyton Manning throws seven TDs and the Broncos rout the Ravens, 49-27, in the season opening game.

Pretty terrific weekend of football.

The Alabama-Texas A&M game lived up to its considerable hype.

UCLA coming back from a 21-3 deficit to thrash Nebraska at Lincoln under trying circumstances was impressive. The Cornhuskers, despite posting winning records every year, are just a shell of what they used to be.

Wild finish to the Arizona State-Wisconsin game. If you're a Badger fan, zebras aren't your favorite animal right now.

Oregon looked really good in its beatdown of an SEC team. OK, it was only Tennessee, which is still suffering from the aftereffects of the Lane Kiffin era.

Speaking of Kiffin, USC won convincingly over Boston College. I guess that means his job is safe . . . at least for another week. If/when he does get fired, he'll have the consolation of being comforted by a hot-looking wife.

So many close games in the NFL; a number of them came down to either the final play or the last minute. And thanks to NFL Red Zone, I got to see live the exciting finishes of all of them.

The most hyped game though--Seattle vs. San Francisco--was the most disappointing. Very sloppily played.

The Chargers pulled out a victory over Philadelphia with a FG on the last play of the game. The Eagles have the worst defense in the NFL to go along with the most exciting offense in the league.

Aaron Rodgers is ridiculously good; the best QB in the the NFL over the last three years.

Manning versus Manning turned out to be a blowout. Denver looks scary good . . . but then again they looked scary good last season until they met Baltimore in the play-offs.

Rookie E. J. Manuel throws a TD pass with 2 seconds left to win his first game as a pro. Awarded the game ball, he then gives it to his dad as a birthday present. Pretty neat.

shin2 wrote:

Speaking of Kiffin, USC won convincingly over Boston College. I guess that means his job is safe . . . at least for another week. If/when he does get fired, he'll have the consolation of being comforted by a hot-looking wife.

LOL.

Quote:

Manning versus Manning turned out to be a blowout. Denver looks scary good . . . but then again they looked scary good last season until they met Baltimore in the play-offs.

Yeah, I still haven't gotten over that brain freeze by the defense in that game... Talk about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory...

shin2 wrote:

Speaking of Kiffin, USC won convincingly over Boston College. I guess that means his job is safe . . . at least for another week. If/when he does get fired, he'll have the consolation of being comforted by a hot-looking wife.

If just became now.


Lane Kiffin fired by USC after 62-41 loss to Arizona State

The USC Trojans have announced the termination of football coach Lane Kiffin after a disappointing blowout at the hands of Arizona State. The Trojans' release:


USC AD Pat Haden informed Kiffin of his termination upon the team charter's arrival back in Los Angeles early Sunday morning following USC's 62-41 loss at Arizona State.

Kiffin's Trojans have lost 7 of their past 11 games. USC is 3-2 this year and has lost both of its Pac-12 games. His overall record in 4 years at USC is 28-15.

Haden will hold a press conference at USC on Sunday afternoon at a time and place to be announced.

That follows multiple dreaded votes of confidence by Haden, a loud "Fire Kiffin" chant during a home loss to Washington State, and even the tailgate tents getting in on the act.

There's no word yet on who will be the team's interim coach for the remainder of the season.

The Trojans experienced some success in its first several seasons under Kiffin, going 18-7 in between 2010 and 2011. In fact, USC ended 2011 with a 10-2 record, which would have been good enough for a Pac-12 Championship Game appearance, had it not been for previously-imposed NCAA sanctions.

Armed with 18 returning starters and Heisman candidate Matt Barkley, the Trojans would enter then enter the 2012 season with extremely high expectations, opening at No. 1 in the preseason AP poll. However, the year would prove to be a complete disaster. By season's end, USC was unranked, finishing a disappointing 7-6 campaign with a loss to Georgia Tech in the Sun Bowl.

The USC job will undoubtedly be among the most sought-after in the country, no matter which others become available.

^ Anyone who didn't see that coming, please stand on their heads.

Peyton Manning and the Broncos light up the Eagles, 52-20.

Cowboys lose to the Chargers, 30-21.

bmwracer wrote:

Cowboys lose to the Chargers, 30-21.

I had missed the news of Danny Woodhead signing with the 'Bolts. He had a great game yesterday getting two touchdowns.

Also makes it easier to dislike New England now.

gaijinmark wrote:

Lane Kiffin fired by USC after 62-41 loss to Arizona State

Well, I am sure his hot wife is providing some much needed TLC.

Speaking of hot wives, another coach who has one is Bret Bielema, who used to be Wisconsin's head man and is now the coach at Arkansas. Unlike Kiffin though, Bielema is in no danger of being fired, even though his Razorbacks got smoked last weekend by Johnny Manziel and Texas A&M.

I only saw two games this weekend but I think I picked the right two.

On Saturday, watched the Georgia - Tennessee game. When it was 17-3 Georgia midway thru the 2nd quarter it had all the earmarks of a 45-10 blowout, but Tennessee hung in there and made a game of it and they very well could have won. No doubt the injuries to Georgia hurt them but still have to give credit to Tennessee for not folding the tent and making it a great game. This is the first time I've seen Tennessee this year and my only complaint is those awful gray uniforms.
Who came up with that? To paraphrase Yogi Berra: "If Johnny Majors was dead he'd be spinning in his grave."

Sunday saw the Broncos - Cowboys game. Looks like this was an experimental game under a new system Goodell would like to try out; no more clock, first team to 50 wins. A completely different Dallas team showed up from the one that played the Chargers the week before. Romo had the game of his life, but Dallas fans being Dallas fans, I'm sure all they'll talk about is that last pick.

gaijinmark wrote:

Sunday saw the Broncos - Cowboys game. Looks like this was an experimental game under a new system Goodell would like to try out; no more clock, first team to 50 wins. A completely different Dallas team showed up from the one that played the Chargers the week before. Romo had the game of his life, but Dallas fans being Dallas fans, I'm sure all they'll talk about is that last pick.

That was a wild game... Had no idea the Bronco pass defense was so porous.

Getting Von Miller and Champ Bailey back should help... Hopefully.

bmwracer wrote:

That was a wild game... Had no idea the Bronco pass defense was so porous. Getting Von Miller and Champ Bailey back should help... Hopefully.

Pass defense starts with pass rush, which Denver is lacking right now. That's why Miller's return is important. Bailey's had a great career, but in the last couple of seasons his play hasn't been what it used to be.

Another good weekend of football. The Stanford-Washington game was really competitive; both teams played well enough to win. Northwestern-Ohio St. was a great game; if not for a fumbled snap, the Wildcats would have had a more than good chance to win at the end. Tennessee-Georgia was exciting; kudos to the Vols for putting up a great fight after being thrashed by Oregon. Mack Brown at Texas is hanging on by a thread; Iowa State should have beaten the Longhorns--only a bad call by the refs at the end gave Texas the win.

In the NFL two more previously undefeated teams bit the dust. The ending to the Patriots-Bengals game was greatly influenced by the weather; deluge would be an understatement. The Colts knocking off Seattle is adding to Andrew Luck's nascent but growing legacy for fourth quarter comebacks. The Dallas-Denver game was both entertaining and disturbing--entertaining because of all the offensive fireworks; disturbing because today's rules have greatly emasculated defenses. The Jets' upset of Atlanta last night was pretty shocking. Atlanta, one of the best teams on paper, is a mess right now.

Inaugural Polynesian Football Hall Of Fame Announced


By Cindy Luis
POSTED: 12:13 p.m. HST, Oct 09, 2013



Waianae High graduate Kurt Gouveia, Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo, a Radford High product, and the late Junior Seau are among those named to the Polynesian Football Hall of Fame's inaugural class, it was announced this morning at the Sheraton Waikiki.

Joining the three are Olin Kreutz and the late Herman Wedemeyer, both of whom played at Saint Louis School; Kevin Mawae and Jack Thompson. The enshrinement ceremony will be held Jan. 23 at the Hawaii Convention Center as part of Pro Bowl Week.

Former University of Hawaii football coach Dick Tomey, part of the selection committee, said that the class was chosen out of more than 200 nominees of Polynesian descent who distinguished themselves on and off the football field. All had illustrious playing careers at the NFL, college and high school levels.

Gouveia, of Hawaiian ancestry, led Waianae High to three consecutive Prep Bowl championships before a winning a national title at Brigham Young. The all-pro linebacker played 13 seasons in the NFL, mostly with Washington, twice winning the Super Bowl with the Redskins.

Kreutz, also of Hawaiian ancestry, was a consensus All-American center at the University of Washington. He played for 14 seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Chicago Bears, and was named to the NFL all-decade team for the 2000s.

Mawae, another player of Hawaiian ancestry, was the first Polynesian to serve as president of the NFL Players Association. The LSU sports hall of fame and NFL all-pro center center played 16 seasons in the NFL and also was on the NFL all-decade team for the 2000s.

Seau, a two-time All-American linebacker for USC, played 20 seasons, mostly with the San Diego Chargers. Of Samoan ancestry, he was a 10-time all-pro selection, the Walter Payton Man of the Year award winner in 1994, and named to the NFL's all-decade team for the 1990s. He died in 2012.

Thompson, known as the "Throwin' Samoan during his NCAA record-setting quarterbacking career at Washington State, went on to play six seasons in the NFL. He was selected by the Cincinnati Bengals in the first round of the 1979 NFL, third overall, which was highest ever for a player of Polynesian descent.

Wedemeyer, a consensus All-American halfback at St. Mary's in the 1940s, was the first player of Polynesian descent to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Of Hawaiian ancestry, Wedemeyer played two seasons in the All-America Football Conference -- a short-lived pro league that rivaled the NFL.

Niumatalolo, a former UH quarterback, was the first person of Samoan ancestry to be named a collegiate head football coach when hired by Navy in 2007. He also was the first service academy coach to lead his team to the Commander-in-Chief Trophy in his first two seasons as a head coach, doing so with the Midshipmen in 2007 and 2008.



FWIW: All the names on this list are worthy, but it's too bad the late Charlie Ane and the late Mosi Tatupu couldn't be part of this inaugural class.

shin2 wrote:

Inaugural Polynesian Football Hall Of Fame Announced FWIW: All the names on this list are worthy, but it's too bad the late Charlie Ane and the late Mosi Tatupu couldn't be part of this inaugural class.

Yeah, Tatupu should be in. Those were some pretty good New England teams of Raymond Berry in the '80s. Managed to make it to the Super Bowl once losing to Ditka's Bears. They tend to get forgotten with all the success New England has had under Belichick.

Speaking of which, Brady added to his legend today with that comeback against the Saints. Although for the life of me I didn't understand the Saints' play calling after that interception. There were still over two minutes to go they really needed to make at least one first down and they were already playing 'kill the clock'.

And what in the name of Len Dawson is going on with Kansas City?!!? When was the last time they were 6-0? But unless you count Dallas or Tennessee as good (and I don't) they've had a pretty easy run of it so far.

Former Oilers' coach Bum Phillips dead at 90

HOUSTON (AP) — Bum Phillips, the folksy Texas football icon who coached the Houston Oilers during their Luv Ya Blue heyday and also led the New Orleans Saints, died Friday. He was 90.

"Bum is gone to Heaven," son Wade Phillips tweeted Friday night. "Loved and will be missed by all — great Dad, Coach, and Christian."

Phillips died at his ranch in Goliad.

Wade Phillips is the Houston Texans' defensive coordinator.

Born Oail Andrew Phillips Jr. in 1923 in Orange, Phillips was a Texas original in his blue jeans, boots and trademark white Stetson — except at the Astrodome or any other dome stadium because he was taught it was disrespectful to wear a hat indoors.

"Mama always said that if it can't rain on you, you're indoors," Phillips said.

Phillips loved the Oilers and when coaching the team in the 1970s, he famously said of the Cowboys: "They may be 'America's Team,' but we're Texas' team."

He took over as coach of the Oilers in 1975 and led Houston to two AFC Championship games before he was fired in 1980. He was responsible for drafting Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell, the player who was largely credited with the success of the franchise.

It was a time marked by a frenzied fan base that filled the Astrodome to root for the Oilers and wave their blue and white pompons during games.

Houston lost to Pittsburgh 34-5 in the AFC Championship game in Campbell's rookie year. The Oilers returned to the game the following season only to be beaten again by the Steelers, this time 27-13.

The Oilers went 11-5 in 1980 but lost to Oakland in the AFC wild-card round and Phillips was fired. He was 55-35 with the team in the regular season.

Fans loved his no-nonsense demeanor and were entertained by his often blunt comments

"Football is a game of failure," Phillips was quoted as saying. "You fail all the time, but you aren't a failure until you start blaming someone else."

Among his best Bumisms: "There's two kinds of coaches, them that's fired and them that's gonna be fired." On Miami Dolphins coach Don Shula: "He can take his'n and beat your'n and take your'n and beat his'n." On Campbell's inability to finish a mile run: "When it's first-and-a-mile, I won't give it to him."

He left Texas to coach the Saints in 1981, going 27-42 before retiring after the 1985 season.

Phillips played football at Lamar Junior College before joining the Marines during World War II. After the war he went to Stephen F. Austin where he played two more football seasons before graduating with a degree in education in 1949.

He spent about two decades coaching in high schools and colleges mostly in Texas — he assisted the likes of Bear Bryant at Texas A&M, Bill Yeoman at Houston, and Hayden Fry at SMU — before making the jump to the AFL in 1967 as an assistant under Sid Gillman with the San Diego Chargers. Phillips came to Houston in 1974 as Gillman's defensive coordinator and became coach and general manager when Gillman resigned after that season.

Phillips picked up the nickname Bum as a child when his younger sister couldn't pronounce brother correctly and it sounded like bum. He embraced the nickname and was quoted as saying: "I don't mind being called Bum, just as long as you don't put a you in front of it."

Although he left Houston, he always remained fond of the city. The Oilers moved to Tennessee and became the Titans in 1997 and Houston returned to the NFL in 2002 when the Texans began play.

Wade Phillips talked about his father a few days after his 90th birthday. Houston led the Seahawks 20-3 at halftime on his birthday on Sept. 29, only to lose 23-20 in overtime. Wade Phillips told his dad that the first half of the game was his birthday present.

"He's real positive when you lose and gets on me when we win, saying, 'You better play better than that or you might not win the next one,'" Wade Phillips said.

He said his father was still sharing tips with him this season.

"He always gives me a little advice about why did you play this on that certain down and this stuff," Wade said. "He's sharp on all the football stuff."

Phillips is survived by his second wife, Debbie, and six children from his first marriage along with almost two dozen grandchildren.