Remember This Dude?

Buck Harvey wonders how Ryan Perrilloux is feeling this weekend …Fascinating column this morning – you should read the whole thing on the link. This dude has to be second guessing himself…

Perrilloux, according to stories from Louisiana, has changed. But his Web site is still up, as are the memories.

"I do it all," he once told a recruiting service. "I'm the type of QB everyone wants."

He was certainly right with that last statement. Coaches marveled, and his legend grew. When UT lost again to Oklahoma in 2004, a columnist from the state of Texas wrote: "Forget signing day, Ryan Perrilloux. Get here now. Today. Preferably sooner. Can we send a limo?"

Young, clearly, would never work out.

Perrilloux didn't mind critiquing Texas, too. "I don't think they've opened the playbook enough," he said that fall. "They run first and pass second. When I get there, we'll pass first and run second. I'll give (UT offensive coordinator Greg Davis) a chance to work with Ryan Perrilloux, and I'll make him a success."
The arrogance was bad enough. But referring to himself in the third person? This was a kid in need of a good Tasering.

On signing day, in Louisiana, Perrilloux continued the act, announcing he would win the Heisman. UT should have laughed, but couldn't. Brown signed just one quarterback that spring, a small-school kid named Colt McCoy.

Perrilloux would never have seen McCoy as a threat. After all, he dismissed the two LSU quarterbacks. "JaMarcus (Russell) struggled last year, and Matt Flynn is definitely not a better quarterback than me," Perrilloux said. "I can come in and play next year."

But if teenagers can change their minds on their choice of colleges, they can also change the way they think. Today's Perrilloux shows respect to his LSU teammates, and for good reason. He's third string behind Russell and Flynn.

LSU coaches haven't given up on Perrilloux. They think he can play, but the question is when. Both Russell and Flynn are juniors.

So if Perrilloux had signed with Texas and red-shirted last season? He might be getting ready for Ohio State and the national stage.

Instead, he might have to sit for two more years. Asked if he has any regrets about passing on Texas, Perrilloux said, "I never think 'what if?'"

To the shock and amazement of nobody, Tarell Brown’s lawyer assures us his test was clean …

Texas cornerback Tarell Brown tested negative for marijuana the day of his arrest on misdemeanor drug charges, his lawyer said Wednesday.

Jamie Balagia, an Austin attorney representing Brown and backup linebacker Tyrell Gatewood in the case, said the pair took voluntary drug tests at UT shortly after their release from the Travis County jail Monday.

It is unlikely Brown's negative test would affect his status for Saturday's game against Ohio State. UT coach Mack Brown suspended the two players from all team functions after the arrests.

Balagia had yet to receive the results of Gatewood's test.

A few things I would like to ask. 1) Would it be possible for someone a little more independent to vouch for the test results? And 2) Why does Gatewood’s test take longer?

I would also like to issue a correction to the Austin Newspaper. I had erroneously reported that GoHorns.com was their website. That of course would suggest that they have very little journalistic integrity to just openly cheer for their local team. Well, that is not their website. I apologize. Their website is actually, Hookem.com which certainly is not nearly as biased and a real example on how to merely report on news and not take sides. Please, forgive me for that error.

It is autumn, and it is Thursday. Why am I happy? The Return of Jimmy Burch’s Big 12 Insider …

The top-ranked Buckeyes and elusive receiver Ted Ginn Jr. are headed to Austin. Tarell Brown, the Longhorns' top cover man, will not be in the lineup because he was suspended Tuesday after a Monday arrest on drug and weapon charges.

How well the second-ranked Longhorns fill that void will go a long way toward determining whether they extend the nation's longest active winning streak past 21 games.

On the surface, it would be easy to say the burden of proof falls on whoever replaces Brown in the starting lineup. But that is far from true. This falls on the entire defense, primarily the secondary.

By design, the Longhorns cross-train their defensive backs at safety and cornerback to maximize flexibility in these situations and to create confusion in opposing quarterbacks. That is one of Texas' primary defensive strengths.

Although Brown's departure will mean increased playing time for Brandon Foster (5-foot-9, 180 pounds) and Ryan Palmer (5-10, 185), a pair of speedy but undersized cornerbacks from Arlington Bowie, it wouldn't be surprising to see Michael Griffin, the team's strong safety, drift out to cornerback to challenge Ginn on selected plays. Backup safety Erick Jackson (6-2, 200) also is trained at both positions and offers a larger body for run support and to impede Ginn while running routes.

In the walk-up to Sunday, a story that is flying under the radar is the injury situation with top LB for the Jags, Mike Peterson …

Whether he'll be ready for Sunday's season opener against the Dallas Cowboys is the question of the week for the Jaguars.

This is the week Terrell Owens will steal the headlines, but the Jaguars know that Dallas coach Bill Parcells likes to run the ball.

The Jaguars know they have to stop Julius Jones, who led the Cowboys in rushing last year with 993 yards.

Even the Cowboys know it will be harder for the Jaguars to stop their running game without Peterson in the lineup.

"When he is on the field, he brings some speed and some aggressiveness to that defense," Cowboys quarterback Drew Bledsoe said in a conference call. "He really flies around and makes a lot of plays. If he isn't able to go in the game, that helps us some, but we are still going to have to play against their guys and play well.''

If Peterson can't play, third-year veteran Daryl Smith is expected to move in the middle. Jorge Cordova, his backup, is likely to make his first start in the NFL after spending two years on the injured reserve list.

Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio won't specify what his plans are if Peterson can't play.
"Let's let Dallas prepare for the 'what-if' scenarios," he said. "I don't care to make it so specific."

Keeping Peterson off the field, even if he's not ready to play, may not be easy. He hasn't missed a game in his three years with the Jaguars and played in the playoffs at New England last year with a cast on his broken right wrist.

Sam Hurd, 3 other undrafted FA’s make the Cowboys 53 ….

Sam Hurd's improbable rise from undrafted free agent to Terrell Owens' backup isn't the only feel-good story the Dallas Cowboys have to offer.

The Cowboys kept three other undrafted players on their 53-man roster: receiver Miles Austin, safety Abram Elam and linebacker Oliver Hoyte.

Hurd, Austin, Elam and Hoyte probably wouldn't have cleared waivers if Bill Parcells had tried to hide them on the practice squad.

"I was told yesterday by two general managers if I put either one (Hurd or Austin) out there, we're taking them," Parcells said.

This intrigues me: The Falcons are using 1 guy to kick, kick off and punt …Of course, what happens if he gets hurt?

Almost one third of the league's teams (including the Panthers) are planning to go into the season with just two quarterbacks on their roster.

Most of them are carrying a third quarterback on the practice squad and that's where the risk comes in. A practice squad player can't be elevated to the roster in the middle of a game, and a team could end up with a wide receiver or running back playing quarterback if the starter and the backup go down.

The chances of that happening are minimal. A far greater risk might be what the Atlanta Falcons are doing. They're going with just one guy, Michael Koenen, to handle kickoff, field goal and punting duties.

They signed kicker Tony Yelk to the practice squad to give Koenen a chance to rest his right leg during practices. But what if something happens to Koenen in the middle of a game?

Sir Sid hired in Fort Worth …

This week Sidney Moncrief was hired as coach of Fort Worth (Texas) Flyers, a team in the National Basketball Association's Development League.

Moncrief owns a distinction among the seven players whose numbers have been retired by the Milwaukee Bucks. Those numbers hang in the Bradley Center.

Moncrief is the only player among the seven who actually played in the Bradley Center. The building opened on Oct. 1, 1988 and Moncrief's last season with the Bucks was 1988-'89.

Moncrief, who played 10 seasons in Milwaukee, is the father of four sons.
According to the Flyers, Moncrief operates at least one business these days, the Sidney Moncrief Back 2 Basics All-Star Basketball Academy.

When does a No Hitter really hurt me? When you just traded him to Jamey Newberg with a 3rd rounder for Devil Rays prospect Joel Guzman …Ouch.

The last thing the rain-saturated diamond at Dolphin Stadium needed on Wednesday was another watering. But a steady drizzle began to fall the instant rookie pitcher Anibal Sanchez of the Marlins ended the longest drought between no-hitters in major-league history.

The drops were tears of ecstasy, and they gushed from Sanchez the instant the 22-year-old native of Venezuela became the fourth pitcher in Marlins history to throw a no-hitter and the first one in the majors to accomplish the feat since Randy Johnson tossed a perfect game for the Diamondbacks on May 18, 2004.

Fun Stats from Anibal’s No-No …

• Anibal Sanchez's no-hitter was the fourth in Marlins history, the first since A.J. Burnett at San Diego, May 12, 2001, and the first at home since Al Leiter in 1996, against the Rockies.

• The Marlins and Yankees have both thrown four no-hitters since 1993, the most in MLB in that time.

• Sanchez is the first rookie to throw a no-hitter since Bud Smith (2001 Cardinals, at Padres). It is also the first September no-hitter since Smith's.

• Sanchez is the second Venezuelan native to throw a no-hitter, joining Wilson Alvarez (1991 White Sox).

• This no-no ended a stretch of 6,364 major-league games between no-hitters, the longest drought in MLB history.

In Soccer News, Ruud Van Horsey Face vs. Sir Alex Ferguson …

Get your Updog Gear …

Daniel Sent me this cool site: Baseball Pennant Race website …very good for time wasting…

Youtube:

Angry Cat



Bert Be Home Blyleven drops F Bomb. LANGUAGE WARNING



Blyleven Suspended for the above mistake …

Minnesota Twins commentator Bert Blyleven was suspended for an additional three telecasts for accidentally using two profanities on air during a pregame segment, the Twins said Wednesday.

The team, Fox Sports Net North and WFTC Television said in a joint statement that Blyleven will not work the Sept. 9 and Sept. 10 games against the Detroit Tigers and the Sept. 17 game at Cleveland. However, he will return to the broadcast booth for the Sept. 11 game against the Oakland Athletics.

Blyleven was also suspended for the Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 games at Tampa Bay.
Blyleven uttered the words after slipping up during Sunday's segment, which he thought was being taped rather than broadcast live. He apologized to viewers during the first inning of the Twins-Yankees game in New York on Sunday.

"We all make mistakes," said Mike Diamond, FSN North vice president and general manager. "Bert would never do this intentionally. Having said that, there are consequences for our actions, and we feel this is an appropriate consequence."
Blyleven again apologized.

"I want to make sure that everyone knows that I fully understand and accept this suspension and am very much looking forward to getting back in the booth to concentrate on the team's late-season success," he said.

Twins president Dave St. Peter said the team and its television partners feel the additional suspension was both necessary and appropriate.