Stop the Insanity!

I stopped making sports posts for two reasons. One of them being because I don’t really want to limit this blog to stuff that is only relevant to people at FIU. I would prefer to have a broader reader base than that. Mainly I stopped posting about sports though because, like most sports fans, I am superstitious. About the same time I stopped posting sports related blog entries, the football team started winning. They got their same victory about the same time that the men’s soccer team got theirs and the volleyball team got their first conference win. Since that post the volleyball team continues to roll and both the soccer squads have notched a few victories. The football team went to Denton, Texas and put a whooping on UNT.
So I stopped posting about sports, not out of laziness or a lack of desire to post about sports, believe me. Besides the wins we’ve gotten, some of the stuff I’ve been reading on college football message boards has had me chomping at the bit to post. Let me get the basics out of the way first.
Is there anyone still questioning Paul McCall as the starting QB for this team? Paul has looked great now the he is getting more time to set up and check down to his second and third pass options. I would like to see fewer dropped passes from the receivers though.
Next, how fast is T.Y. Hilton? Damn! That guy can fly. I don’t know that “Goodbye” is an adequate nickname for him. Perhaps it should just be T.Y. “Damn that guy is fast” Hilton. He’s got good hands too. Normally it’s the sure handed receivers are the slow ones and the burners are the guys who couldn’t catch a cold.
Finally, the biggest difference I see between this team and the team that lost its first two games is confidence. This team knows that it has talent and can win games. Even when they went down 13-0 in the first quarter to Troy, they didn’t quit. Winning can do that to you. This team may only lose one more game the rest of this season.
Now that I’ve gotten that out, let me address you insane people. Once the Panthers won a couple of games I started reading message board posts with people talking about a conference championship and subsequent bowl game. Hold on a moment people. We beat three bad teams. Yes, I know that we beat Toledo and then Toledo beat Michigan but guess what? Michigan isn’t a good team either. Rich Rodriguez is installing an offensive system without the proper tools right now. UNT is in the same position FIU has been in for the past two seasons, only they aren’t in a talent hotbed like Miami and they don’t have a recruiter like MC there either. MTSU is the best of the three teams that we beat but they have personnel issues right now.
It is great to be winning and hopefully the stands will begin to fill a bit more with each win but don’t make those New Orleans reservations just yet. We still have two of the better teams in the conference remaining in Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette, not to mention FAU, who I still think is better than their 2-5 record indicates. Two losses in any of those three games leaves us at 6-6, providing we win the games we should win against Louisiana-Monroe and Western Kentucky. We don’t want to overlook those teams the way that Toledo obviously overlooked us.
If we win two of those three games and end up at 7-5, a bowl game is still a long shot. Yes, the Sun Belt conference does have more bowl tie-ins than just the New Orleans bowl but those aren’t guaranteed. The other bowls have other teams to choose from before falling back to the Sun Belt teams and FIU and its young tradition and poor attendance record isn’t likely to wow any bowl selection committees. Even if we win out, we need Troy to lose two conference games now that they have beaten us and that isn’t likely to happen. Winning out would put us at 8-4 though, making passing on FIU a difficult proposition for any lower tiered bowl game. I just don’t think that will happen. I think FIU wins three of its last five games, finishing 6-6 and staying home for the holidays. Considering that most in the sports media had FIU as the worst team in the country this year, a 6-6 season should be more than enough for its fans. Even I only had them 4-8.
Now before any of you FIU fans start bashing me or saying that I’m not a true fan, let me say that I will gladly print out these pages and eat my words if FIU ends up winning the conference or playing in a bowl game.

The 8th Cirlce of Dante's Hell

Next week is the eighth week of the semester, midterm if you prefer. Undoubtedly, college students nationwide will be doing their part to keep Starbucks’ profits up. Those who prefer a cold, carbonated beverage will be keeping the Red Bull vendors busy as well. Midterm exams, presentations and papers are common this time of year: thanks to the evil professors that scheme to have them on the same days. Unbeknownst to those professors, there is a special circle of Hell reserved for them.
Literature professors like Dr. Joan Baker at FIU will teach that there were only seven circles to Dante’s Hell. But your friend, The Invisible Student, just happens to have a copy of the original text and there is an eighth, secret circle that is reserved for college professors that schedule their exams on the same day as their colleagues. Below the lustful and the gluttonous, the murderers and the suicides, the blasphemers, sodomites, hypocrites, thieves and traitors, are the devious educators.
At first glance, the eighth circle resembles a classroom. There are desks for the students and a podium for the professor. Spanning the wall behind the podium there is a white dry erase board. Above the dry erase board there is one of those generic, round Seth Thomas clocks with the white face and plain black numbers that match the plain black minute and second hands. The carpet is a boring, faded blue and is flat and lifeless after countless semesters of being trampled on by class after class of uncaring students wearing their cruel Nikes, Vans and Chuck Taylors.
In this classroom though, the students are always tardy, every one of them. Professors are helpless against the tardiness, too. Hell prohibits attendance policies. Once the students are all present and accounted for and the professors start to lecture, the students begin to open their sodas and snacks. Their sodas are all in cans and make that disruptive pfffffffffffk noise as the students crack them open and slurp down the foam that bubbles out of the top. Once they’ve wet their whistles, the students begin tearing open their loud plastic bags of Cheetos, Doritos, and Funyuns, which crunch loudly as they are shoveled by the handful into the students mouths.
Once snack time is over and the professor believes that he or she finally has the undivided attention of the students, they begin the lecture anew. After only a few minutes the professor can see the heads of the students begin to nod. As the students fight the weight of their eyelids and their chins fall closer to their chests, their heads spring back to attention, only to start nodding once again. Nap time only lasts a few minutes though and soon the students are at full attention. Only their attention isn’t directed towards the professor. No, after their brief naps, the students open their laptops and begin typing away, much to the professor’s chagrin.
As much as the students try to pretend that they are taking notes, and as much as the professor would like to believe that taking notes is what the pupils are doing, the educator knows better. This isn’t his or her first day in Hell, although today is exactly like the first day in Hell, as well as every day leading up to today. These students are undoubtedly surfing the web, checking their email or Facebook accounts, or checking the most recent posts on some message boards about hockey fights or college football recruiting.
Making matters worse, none of the students ever put their cell phones on vibrate. Slowly but surely each student’s phone rings. A few of them have polite, synthesized ringtones but most blare hip-hop, techno or heavy metal song snippets. In Hell there is no voicemail either. The calls don’t get redirected after only a couple of rings. The phones continue to ring until the students answer and then proceed to rudely conduct their conversations aloud.
Finally, the students seem to settle for a moment and the professor looks at the cookie cutter clock on the wall and sees that they still have ten minutes to get their point across to the students: ten minutes until this hellacious day is over. A moment of relief befalls the weary professor. That is when the students begin to pack up their stuff. They stuff their laptops back into their backpacks, crumple up their soda cans and snack wrappers and, in their best Kareem Abdul-Jabbar impersonation, skyhook them in the direction of the trash can. They all miss though, leaving a small pile of aluminum and cellophane encircling the trash can.
With one cheek still on the seat, the students impatiently await their release. They, like Dante, get to leave Hell. They get to go to this weekend’s football game, to college night at the local pub, to the Drink or Drown party at the Pike house on Friday night. The professor gets to stay here. In a matter of moments the bell will ring and release these students back into the world while at the same time signaling the start of the next class. Because much like the students who must suffer during midterms by going from one class to the next only to have the same fate awaiting them, professors who pile it on those students must spend eternity with the class from Hell.
Think about it.

FIU @ Iowa Review

I don’t know where to start.  That game was abysmal.  Like I said, the key to the offense having any success at all was going to be the play of the offensive line, who got pushed around all day.  Paul McCall was scrambling for his life and often had to throw the ball prematurely.  Wayne Younger had  some success in the second half but that didn’t last long.  It seemed like the Iowa defense was able to adjust to his mobility and soon he was scrambling for his life, too.

As far as individual play goes, Marquis Rolle left me scratching my head on a couple of occasions.  One of those times he had a sure first down had he just kept running once he caught the ball.  Instead, he chose to try to run around the defense in hopes of gaining extra yardage.  What happened?  The same thing that happens almost every time someone tries t get more than what is there, he lost yards.  On a positive note, he was our leading receiver in the game.

Wayne Younger, as good as he looked on his first few series, took a sack on a fourth down late in the game, something that absolutely should never happen.  You have to at least chuck that ball up.  What’s the worst that could happen, an interception?  You were going to lose possession anyways.  That being said, until the offensive line can provide some protection, he may be the best quarterback for this offense.

Iowa’s mammoth offensive line was able to open holes big enough to drive a truck through all day.  Shonn Green was over 100 rushing yards by halftime and Iowa called off the dogs in the second half, otherwise he might have run for two bills.  Their O-line also prevented FIU’s defense from getting near their quarterbacks all day long.  Some of FIU’s key defensive players on the day were: Scott Bryant, with seven total tackles; Robert Mitchell, who had six total tackles to go along with a fumble recovery and an interception; and Anthony Gaitor, who had five total tackles and two pass breakups.

In all fairness to both the offensive and defensive lines, these Iowa lines were probably the biggest they will face all season, so this game may be an unfair measuring stick.  As far as coaching and intangibles go, I think Mario Cristobal is an excellent recruiter and a player’s coach, that being said, I question his ability to be tough on these players when he needs to be.  When Marquis Rolle decided to run backwards and cost his team a sure first down, he didn’t need a pat on the ass and a “We’ll get ‘em next time” talk.  He needed someone in his grill or to spend the next series or two on the bench.

As far as offensive play calling goes, why, other than because we fell behind so quickly, did Bill Legg abandon a running game that gained 13 and six yards on it’s first two attempts, respectively.  I’m just a spectator and have no better ideas or methods to make this team successful so I’m speaking purely out of a fan’s right to be an armchair quarterback but, as I said in my game preview, the threat of a run game, which we may have been able to establish, opens up the passing game.  So why, when you seem to be having early success, abandon it so quickly?

All in all, the game was dreadful to watch.  I was so looking forward to a competitive game.  Especially since it was the first FIU game I’ve ever watched.  Actually, it was the first collegiate game I’ve ever watched as a student of that particular institution, so you can imagine my desire for the game to be a competitive one.  We just seem light years away from being able to compete on the D-1 level.  Some of our conference rivals have been able to be competitive with big conference schools.  UL-Monroe, who beat Bama in Tuscaloosa last year, lost to Arkansas of the SEC on a last minute play and Middle Tennessee beat the ACC’s Maryland.

I’ll end this rant on a positive note.  The opening of our beautiful on-campus stadium is now less than two weeks away.  I hope to God that our boys defend “The Cage” with pride.  USF, who has come along way in a very short time with their program, were taken to the limit by UCF this past weekend, squeaking out an overtime win against the Knights.  Let’s hope they overlook the Golden Panthers and give this program the signature win it so desperately needs.

That’s all for now, see you on campus!

-ELI3

FIU @ Iowa

The Golden Panthers will face another tough test on Saturday, this one in the form of the Iowa Hawkeyes of the Big Ten.  FIU, as you know, is coming off of a 40-10 loss at the hands of then #14 Kansas while Iowa drubbed Maine last week, 46-3.

The key to this game for FIU, as cliche as it may sound, will be the play of the offensive line.  Paul McCall did not have a lot of time to throw last week, spending a lot of time on the run, which is not the strength of his game.  If the Iowa defense spends a lot of time in the FIU backfield tomorrow, look for the more agile Wayne Younger to see some significant play time.  The O-line will also need to open bigger holes for A'mod Ned as well: 42 yards won't cut it.  In order to run Bill Legg's spread option offense properly, FIU must establish at least a threat of a running game.  Just ask John Parker Wilson and Alabama what a successful ground attack can do for the passing game.  Based on last week's game, the Iowa Run D may be just what the doctor ordered for FIU.  The Hawkeyes surrendered 137 rushing yards to the Black Bears. 

On defense we need to see more of what we saw last week, which was Golden Panthers wreaking havoc.  The Golden Panthers D forced two fumbles and made one interception while combining for nine tackles behind the line of scrimmage for losses totaling 30 yards.  Those tackles will come in handy this week against an Iowa offense that relies heavily on the run.  In their rout of Maine last week, the Hawkeyes ran for four touchdowns and 245 yards on 44 carries.  They were led on the ground by Shonn Greene, who carried the ball 22 times for 109 yards.   

Iowa started the season using a two-quarterback system.  Jake Christensen and Ricky Stanzi had very similar stats last week.  JC finished 9/15 for 122 yards with a touchdown and an interception while RS was 9/14 for 90 yards and no TDs.  Neither quarterback, based on their rushing stats, seems incredibly mobile.  That means the Golden Panthers may have an opportunity to get to the passers and  disrupt the offense of Iowa.  If the Hawkeye receivers have seen that hit that "Buzzsaw" Scott Bryant laid on that unfortunate Jayhawk last week, they may be a bit reluctant to run patterns across the middle of the field.

Overall, I'm looking for FIU to have a much better showing against Iowa than they did against Kansas.  I think that Iowa's susceptibility to the run will allow Paul McCall to properly run the offense and I would be will ing to bet we may have a few trick plays involving the speedy T.Y. Hilton on offense.  There is no reason not to try to get a weapon like that on the field as much as possible.  Although I do not think that FIU pulls off the upset, I think they are more capable of beating Iowa than they were Kansas.

My prediction: Iowa 37, FIU 21

FIU Football Preview

My own personal Panther preview.  If the last 2 seasons are any indicator or if the trend continues, we should win 2 games this season (0 wins in ’06 and 1 in ’07).  Rivals.com has the Golden Panthers ranked 120^th out of 120 Division 1-A teams and says that merely doubling our win total from last year is a legit goal.  I’ve got loftier expectations.  We have four conference home games and I say we win three of those, with our lone conference home loss likely being to Middle Tennessee (Rivals #100).  On the road, I think we steal a win at either North Texas (#115) or Louisiana-Lafayette (#97). 

FAU (#74) is once again picked to win the conference and in the Shula Bowl they are likely to squeak out a win but you can never predict a rivalry game.  Now some of you may be asking, “What is this guy smoking?”  Yes, FAU has Rusty Smith who at 6-5/215 is a future NFL prospect.  Smith threw for 32 TDs last year and is likely to improve upon that number this season, especially throwing to his favorite target, junior WR Cortez Gent.  But the Golden Panthers’ strength this season will be its secondary and like I said, it’s tough to predict rivalry games.  Another positive for the Golden Panthers is that they face FAU and their 2 new starting safeties at the end of the season after the offense has had plenty of time to master Bill Legg’s spread offense.

The question is, who will be calling the plays in the huddle? Paul McCall got us our only win last season and his stats were pretty impressive (35/63, 55.6 comp. %, 413 yards, 5/1 TD/Int., 133.64 passer efficiency rating and 1-0 as starter) but I don’t like to make assumptions based on stats.  On one hand, his lone start was against the second worst team in the conference.  On the other, he did force FAU to put their 1^st string defense back in after replacing an injured Wayne Younger during the second half of the Shula Bowl.  I attended the Spring Game and one of the fall scrimmages before coach Cristobal closed them to the media and public and McCall seems to have a grasp on Legg’s offense.

Wayne Younger (121/265, 45.7, 1357, 9/17, 87.05, 0-11) is returning from an injury and not likely to give up his position without a fight.  He led the team in pass yards and touchdowns as well as being second in net rushing yards.  Unfortunately, for most of the season he was the leader of an offense that finished next to last in the nation in total offense.  Wayne, based on his mobility, is probably the better fit for this offense.  Spread offenses require a mobile quarterback and Younger is definitely that.  The biggest question mark with Wayne is whether or not his down time while recovering from the broken collarbone hampered his ability to master this intricate offense the way Paul McCall has.

From what I saw during the scrimmage that I attended, the wide receiver position should be a concern.  We have a lot of speed guys but none of them seem to be able to hold onto the ball.  I saw too many dropped passes for an offense that will be pass heavy.

We also have a lot of talent at the tailback position.  Julian Reams, A’mod Ned and Daunte Owens should get the lion’s share of the touches, meaning we have experience and speed in the offensive backfield.

The strength of this team though will be the defense, especially the secondary.  We are stacked with talented corner backs and safeties and the competition for playing time among them will only make them even better.  Jeremiah Weatherspoon, who should be the next FIU alum playing football on Sundays, is back from injury and leads a talented crop of defensive backs.  On the line, freshman Kambriel Willis spent so much time during the fall scrimmage in the offensive backfield that I thought he was just a really big fullback.

During the scrimmage, the defense was dominant.  That could mean one of four things: our defense is that good; our offense is that bad; both the offense and defense are bad but the offense is so bad that it makes the defense look good; or that the offense is really good and the defense is very good.  Let’s hope for the latter. 

            I’m predicting a 4-8 2008 campaign although I’m hoping for a 12-0 season and a BCS Bowl berth.  Hey, a guy can hope.  I’ll see you at The Cage!

            BTW, FIU is getting next to zero respect on the FIU vs. Kansas message boards.  One person predicted a 62-0 blowout.  Go over there and show the Panthers some love.

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/conversation?gameId=282432305

 

                I’m leaving for Atlanta this afternoon and probably won’t be posting again until next week.  Have a good weekend everyone.

-ELI3

Back to School

So my two week school break is done.  Tomorrow it is back to the grind.  I feel as if I've gained 10 lbs in those two weeks since I haven't been to a spin class or to the gym. 

I am excited for my first fall semester at college.  Sure, I was excited for spring too but fall is when most of the excitement is.  Fall is when the majority of the new students are coming in.  It is also a return from summer break, which is the longest break.  Winter break is only a couple of weeks and doesn't create the sense of truly being away the way that summer break does.  Most importantly, fall means football.  Not just any football either, college football.

Now is the time to break out the portable grills, face paint and rally towels.  I couldn't care less that my beloved Golden Panthers--there is a rumor going around that they will be dropping the Golden--are 1-23 over the past two seasons and not expected to be much better this season.  Personally, after seeing the strides they've made between the spring football game and this summer's scrimmages, I'm rather optimistic about this season.  I plan on tailgating my happy little rear end off this year.  All of our home games are 7 p.m. games, which leaves plenty of time for tailgating, grilling, drinking, tossing around the old pigskin and whatever else comes to mind.

As far as school goes, I've coordinated a perfect Tuesday-Thursday schedule.  My first class starts at 9:30 and the last one ends at 3:15.  That allows me to attend a 7:30 spin class at the gym with plenty of time to shower and stop at the campus Starbucks on my way to my first class.  It also means that I can beat traffic on the turnpike and be home by five o'clock on school days to help Tina with dinner.  On top of all that, only having to drive to campus two days a week saves a ton on gas and allows me three whole week days to devote to studying.

Top priority right now is this weekend because I am Atlanta bound.  For the last two years my friend Mike and I have been going to Tuscaloosa, Alabama for the Crimson Tide's season opener.  You see, the first weekend of college football always falls on or around Mike's birthday.  His wife, Amanda, or his mother usually get him tickets to the opening game and we make the road trip.  Lat year we were joined by Mike's brother as well as their childhood friend Ron.  

This year, the game is being played in Atlanta as some kind of SEC vs. ACC challenge and the Tide are playing Clemson.  Ron will be joining us again.  I can't wait.  I am leaving Thursday following school, spending Thursday night in Jacksonville, driving up to Atlanta on Friday, going to the game on Saturday and flying home on Sunday.  Should be tons of fun.  I'll try to take tons of pictures to post.  

Got my voucher for the USF game!

Is there any excitement on campus for the upcoming football season?  I know I am excited.  Even more so now that I got my game ticket voucher for the home opener.  For those of you that don't know or if, like in my case, all your email from the school goes directly into the spam catcher, vouchers for student tickets are available at the ticket office until August 1.  Only one voucher per student id and for the USF game no student guest tickets will be given.  I inquired at the ticket office about guest tickets for subsequent games and was told that students will be allowed to purchase one guest ticket for $10.

Apparently, in previous years students were given 2 tickets--1 student and 1 guest--for each game.  Those days are over.  Someone has to pay for the new stadium and I don't mind a bit.  Our conference rivals to the North in Boca can't get funding for a new stadium and they went to a bowl game last year and have a national championship winning coach.

Here's the email about student tix:

July 23, 2008

Dear Student,

I hope you are enjoying your summer. I would like to remind you of our
exciting upcoming season and some important ticket information. Our
first home football game in our new on-campus stadium is scheduled to
kick-off on Saturday, September 20 at 7 pm, against the University of
South Florida. We are expecting a sold out crowd of 20,000 fans, and we
want to make sure you are included and not left outside the gate!

To reserve your ticket to this historic first game, the following steps
must be followed:

1. Stop by the FIU ticket office between July 28 and August 1, 2008,
with your valid student ID to receive a voucher for the game. (One
voucher per student, you may not pick up vouchers for other students)
The ticket office will be open from 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.

2. In the event you cannot make it to the FIU ticket office by August 1,
2008, please mail a letter to the address below stating that you would
like a voucher.  You may then pick up your voucher prior to September 1,
2008.   The letter must be postmarked by August 1, 2008.

FIU Ticket Office
11200 SW 8th Street GPA 111
Miami, FL 33199

3. Bring the voucher with your valid student ID to the stadium on
September 20.  All ID cards will be swiped at Gate 6 on the northeast
corner of the stadium.

Only the students who have a voucher and a valid student ID will be
guaranteed admission to the first game.  In the event there are seats
still remaining on game day, students will be admitted until the stadium
reaches maximum capacity.  We regret in advance that some students may
be turned away.

We certainly appreciate your support of our Golden Panthers and of our
new era of FIU Football. Be a part of our new traditions, spirit,
stadium and attitude!

We hope to see you at all the games this season!


Pete Garcia
Director of Athletics

  

You're probably asking yourselves why, right?

I started at Florida International University in the spring of 2008 as a Marine Biology major.  That lasted less than a week once I realized that I hate science classes.  I changed my major to English Education and now, thanks to the budget cuts, it's English, just English.

My wife, Tina, and I decided about two years ago that it would be best if we just bit the bullet, I quit working, we move in with my parents--awkward, I know--in order to save expenses, and I went to school full-time so that I could finish and we could move on with our lives.  So in that two years we got our affairs in order, so to speak, and I finished the AA degree that I had been toiling on, part-time, for years.  Finishing even an Associates degree is difficult when you're taking one class per semester, hence the decision to drop everything and finish school.  At the rate I was going it was more likely that I would receive an AARP card before I earned a Bachelor's degree.

I'll save the awkward tales of being 36 years old, married and living with your parents for another day.  Right now I want to talk about being a full-time college student for the first time.  I also want to try and avoid lecturing anyone, giving you the "see what happens if you don't stay focused" or "don't make the same mistakes I made" speeches.  Personally, I think the best way to learn is to make mistakes and I'm glad my parents, my mother in particular, allowed me to find that out.  Would I like to be further along in life than I currently am?  Absolutely.  Do I think my wife deserves better than living with her in-laws while her late bloomer husband gets his shit together?  Without a doubt.  Do I realize that there are some of you reading this thinking, "What a LOSER!" Yes.  And believe me, I think the same thing about myself almost daily.  It's a blow to the ego every time I have to tell someone I meet on campus that I live with my parents.  But it is what it is.

Did I mention that I live in Boynton Beach and have a 136 mile round trip commute two or three days a week?

So why this blog?

Well, I realized after a few weeks on campus that I really am an invisible student.  Age wise, I fall in between the typical post high school student and the late in life, tired of my career and want to find something new while I still have time student.  It seems that the few students that I have encountered that are my age are working on a second or third degree, not their first. 

So why do I say invisible?  Well, I get ignored when walking down the GC halls.  When the Greeks are recruiting for rush I don't really expect anyone to hand me one of those little cards asking me to rush Pike or Sig Ep so I don't take offense when they don't.  This isn't the movies and I'm not Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell or Luke Wilson.  If someone does invite me to a party on frat row its like Christmas time to me (it happened once last spring, almost certainly by mistake)  I'm too old to be a frat guy, I know that.

But when student elections were going on at the end of spring, not one of those SGA hopefuls handed me one of their cards, buttons or t-shirts.  No one wanted my vote.  Is their some age cap unbeknownst to me?  Can the 30+ students not vote?  Well, I vote for Paige (sp?) and Adam, that much I remember.  

I went to the spring football game, too.  Over and over I was solicited for season tickets and when I told the solicitors that I was a student they looked at me as if I was joking.  To top that off, most of them called me sir.  SIR!  I'm 36 years old for Christ's sake, I'm not a sir.  Speaking of the spring football game, I will be getting to the obvious lack of support for our athletic programs by the student body in another post.  You guys do realize that you get to watch Division I college sports for FREE don't you?  My wife graduated from Florida and believe me, the students up there would kill for the opportunity to see the Gators for free.  Most of them have to pin their football ticket hopes on a lottery system.  We've got it made at FIU.

Well, this post was supposed to be a short introduction and I've rambled on.  I don't know how much I'll blog until fall semester starts.  After all, I won't start publicizing this blog on campus until then.  Right now no one even knows this blog exists.  

If anyone does stumble across this, please leave me comments.

Later,

ELI3