A Week of Firsts

Sorry for the lack of posting last week, but I had my first test of the semester and spent a lot of time studying for that. Now that I’ve entered the realm of upper division classes, I’m having to make some adjustments to my study habits. I’ll address that issue in Wednesday’s entry though. My wife was pretty sick last week, too. I spent one of my days off last week driving her to the doctor’s office and then to the pharmacy.
For now, I would like to talk about the week that was in FIU sports. The volleyball team continues to spike the competition. Sorry, I couldn’t resist the cheesy pun. They started conference play this past weekend and won both their matches, making them 2-0 in conference play, 12-3 overall. The men’s soccer team notched their first victory of the season on Sunday. In the 66th minute, defenseman Corey Kendall tallied his 2nd career goal for the Golden Panthers. I had to mention that since I had a Spanish II class with Corey over the summer. Despite playing some tightly contested matches, the lady’s soccer squad continues to search for their first win of the season. They also opened conference play this past weekend, falling 2-1 to Middle Tennessee and tying Western Kentucky 1-1.
Finally, the football team went up to Toledo and grounded the Rockets (I just can’t stop). The offense finally seemed to get it going, although it doesn’t hurt when you start four drives inside the opponents 30 yard line. T.Y. Hilton continues to spark the team. Besides Toledo turnovers, T.Y.’s returns on special teams were the reason the offense benefited from excellent field position most of the night. Not only was the offensive line able to open up holes for A’mod Ned (one touchdown) and Julian Reams (three TDs), but they gave Paul McCall the time in the pocket he has so desperately needed all season. He took advantage of it too, completing passes of 22 and 27 yards to Eric Kirchenberg and Greg Ellingson, respectively. He also threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to, who else, T.Y. Hilton. Hopefully this quiets the QB controversy rumblings.
The defense continues to shine. Not only did they force four turnovers, one interception and three fumble recoveries, but they held a team that put 54 points on 25th ranked Fresno State the week before to 16 points. The four forced turnovers gave the team a +2 turnover ration on the season. Of all the football stats that are kept, I consider that to be one of the important ones. You don’t find a lot of 1-3 teams that have a positive turnover ratio, which tells me that this team is better than its record indicates.
The Golden Panthers now begin conference play on a roll. When I did my football preview at the beginning of the season, I said that FIU might be able to steal a win at Toledo or North Texas. Now that they’ve won at Toledo, I don’t think that it is out of the realm of possibility that they win again this week. How nice would it be to have the Golden Panthers come home riding a two game winning streak?

There's One in Every Class

You know how every semester, no matter the class, you always get those same kinds of people in class?  If it isn't the student that can't be on time to class to save their life, it's the person that constantly forgets to put their phone on vibrate.  One of personal favorites is the guy who not only comes in late, but comes in late carrying a bag from Subway or Burger King.  Not only is he going to disrupt the class by entering late, but he also plans on continuing his annoying existence in class by making everyone listen to his paper bag or sandwich wrapper rustle as he eats.  You're already late jackass, just stay in the food court and eat. 

But as annoying as the late enterer/eater and the phone ringer guys may be, there is no one worse than the know-it-all.  You know the one.  He just can't wait to raise his hand or talk over anyone who dares debate him.  He or she may even argue with the professor on occasion.

I've got one of those in my Poetry class right now.  This guy never shuts up.  I don't mind people that like to speak up in class since it alleviates pressure from me to do so.  I'm not exactly forthcoming with my theories on what some 16th century English poet is trying to say in the form of a Petrarchian sonnet.     

My main beef is that this is material that is open to all kinds of different interpretation yet this guy argues his theories as if he was the one dipping the poet's quill in ink for him as he wrote (what do I mean by dipping his quill in ink?).  He raises his voice to squash any potential differing interpretation like a child who covers his ears in order to block out mommy telling him to eat his veggies.  I can't count how many times in the four meetings we've had this semester that the professor himself has said that there are no wrong answers, yet this guy remains vigilant.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the know-it-all is the guy who asks the professor to repeat every word he or she says.  You guessed it, I've got one of them in a class, too.  This guy raises his hand every time the prof stops to take a breath.  I understand that the professors in upper division classes seem to lecture twice as fast as they do in the lower division.  It is for that reason that I went to the bookstore and bought one of those mini cassette recorders this week.  Is there a way in which I could subtlety suggest that this boner do that?

I'm going to put up a poll this week asking who you, my very few loyal readers, find the most annoying.  If you think I've left an annoying person out, feel free to share.

On a sports note, my request for a little love for the volleyball team did not go unheard as ESPN posted a nice article on the Lady Panthers at ESPNU.com.  

Here is the link to the article: http://sports.espn.go.com/ncaa/news/story?id=3567688

Show the Ladies Some Love

In all my excitement over the start of college football season, I forgot to mention the other fall sports teams that have already started their seasons at FIU.  The women's and men's soccer teams are both off to winless starts, although they both have schedules loaded with top-notch opposition.  The men, in only their second match of the season, played the top ranked team in the country.  Meanwhile, the women have dropped some close match ups to Florida Gulf Coast and Miami, as well as a heartbreaking 2-0 loss to Buffalo, in which the Lady Panthers outshot the Bulls 25-8.

In the meantime, the football team had a respectable showing in Lawrence, Kansas against the 14th ranked and heavily favored Jayhawks.  Unfortunately, if you weren't in Kansas, you didn't get to see any of it.  From what I have read, highly touted speed demon punt returner T.Y. Hilton, whose number teammates have gotten to know very well while chasing him down the field  all summer long, looked fantastic in returning a Kansas punt 74 yards for the Golden Panthers' only touchdown of the game.  

As suspected, Paul McCall was the starting signal caller for FIU and is rumored to have looked very good when the offensive line gave him time.  He finished the game 10 of 28 for 73 yards and two picks.  He also rushed for 26 yards, showing that those mobility drills that he has been enduring over the past spring and summer have paid off.

The defense supposedly had the Kansas O confused early on, forcing a fumble and a three-and-out punt on the first and second Jayhawk possessions, respectively.   Also, the defense held Kansas to 384 total offensive yards.  That same Kansas offense torched the FIU defense for 615 total yards en route to putting up 55 points last season.  Overall, I remain optimistic for this season.  The defense seems to be living up to its hype and the offense can only get better.

In case any of you missed it, the Golden Panthers will hold an open scrimmage in their brand new stadium, which is appropriately being dubbed The Cage, on September 11 at 7 o'clock.  The scrimmage is open to the public and admission and parking are free.  Also, stay tuned to FIUsports.com to learn when and where there will be a viewing party for this weekend's football game against the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten.  Or, if you are lucky enough to get the Big Ten Network, you can watch it at home (but where is the fun in that).

Now, on to the pride of the Panthers, the women's volleyball team.  Right now they have more wins (4) than the other fall sports teams combined.  This past weekend, they won the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, S.C., beating the host and 19th ranked Tigers in the process.  They were led by preseason Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Yarimar Rosa, who had a double-double in all three tournament games.  On their way back to Miami, the ladies stopped in Greenville, S.C., where they continued to dominate the schools from the Palmetto State by beating Furman.  The unbeaten Lady Panthers' first action on their home court will be Friday, September 12, when they host the two-day FIU Tournament.  Other teams participating in the tournament include Penn, Oral Roberts and Central Florida.

A quick blurb on my Atlanta trip, I had a lot of fun.  We didn't get into the game, there were many more people looking to buy tickets than there were selling and we all know what happens when demand is greater than supply, the price goes upward.  We ended up at a small microbrewery/sports bar with a bunch of other Bama fans who were also left ticketless.  The group of us had a lot of fun together even though there were a few of them who were beyond the "I drank so much that I have to high five anyone and everyone around me anytime that Bama does something even remotely positive.  While I'm at it, I think I'll spray them with saliva, too," stage of inebriation.     

I stayed with my cousin Laurae and her husband Jim while there.  I enjoy seeing them and their kids and I think Laurae and Jim enjoy having me around since the kids seem to gravitate towards me, giving L and J a moment of peace, if only ever so brief a moment.

That's about all for now.  I'll be back tomorrow and Friday with a wonderful method of preparing the perfect chicken wings for tailgating and a look at this weekend's football foe, the Iowa Hawkeyes.  I may even try to make a score prediction.

-ELI3