Football in Exile

In our wide ranging travels, we often find ourselves in strange cities on game day, away from our beloved home stadium with its grilled bratwurst and autumn leaves. In these cases, we seek common ground; we seek out ones of our own kind. Throughout this country, the binding ties of University life have fostered regional alumni clubs and a network of “official bars” for the gathering of the faithful.


This week, my job took me to San Francisco to speak at the Essentials of Emergency Medicine conference organized by Mel Herbert and USC. (Essentials of Emergency Medicine) I love San Francisco- it is consistently number 1 on my list of favorite worldwide cities (Chicago is #2 followed very closely by Paris and London, LA barely cracks the top 10). I am happy to just walk the streets and see the amazing people here, or taste the wonderful and expensive restaurants, or enjoy the gorgeous views of the bay. I have previously written about the City by the Bay in this blog. Check out “Coldest Winter”: (Coldest Winter)

On this trip, we spent the first few days attending the amazing conference, then going out to dinner and drinks in the evening.  The time was filled with wonderful, warm-fuzzy kind of moments.  We took the streetcar (photo above) to Fisherman's Wharf for dinner at the famous Alioto's, drinks at the Chieftan irish pub, family style dinner at Buca di Pepo, then drinks at Smuggler's Cove.  If you haven't been, Smuggler's Cove is an incredible bar specializing in rum drinks and dedicated to keeping the kitsch Tiki-bar style alive and well (Smuggler's Cove)  And they succeed.  Although it is decorated with the most awful collection of tiki torches, fishing nets, and a two-story waterfall, there is no doubt that it is very cool.  Its the kind of place that is hard to find and you are kinda nervous when you approach the nondescript blacked-out door.  But when you enter, you are very glad you came.  The staff was friendly, engaging, eager to work their rum magic, converting skeptics into fanatics.  I was doing great, pacing myself, trying rums from the far reaches of the Caribbean, and then I ordered a MaiTai.

Crap.

If you have read "Coldest Winter" you'll understand.  You would think I would have learned.

We were together the whole time, one big happy residency family, coming together as a team.  Then Game Day arrived.  Immediately following the conference, we split to the four winds across the hills of San Francisco, each heading for their own "official bar".*

• USC Trojans: Green's Sports Bar, Polk Street
• Nebraska Cornhuskers: Final-Final, Baker Street
• Iowa Hawkeyes: ALSO Final-Final, (boy, that's going to be awkward come next Thanksgiving)
• Oregon Ducks: The R Bar, Sutter and Polk
• Wisconsin Badgers: Ace's Bar, Sutter and Hyde
• Missouri Tigers: uh. . . well . . .they don't have a bar.  Our Tiger alum went along with the Husker and joined the fun at Final-Final.  

As we watched our respective games, Nebraska marched towards the Big 12 north championship, Wisconsin wore out Bucky's arms with a 83 drubbing of Indiana, USC completed its sweep of the Arizona schools, and Iowa got schooled YET AGAIN by Northwestern (poolers, if you haven't figured out to pick this game every year, you haven't been paying attention).  But all these games were overshadowed by what was happening just across the bay from us in Strawberry Canyon. 

Cal has struggled this season to say the least.  They are the only team that made the USC defense look good, and that's embarrassing.  So it seemed that the vaunted Oregon offense could take a week off before hosting Arizona next week.  This game was such a forgone conclusion that none of the usual networks carried the game; it was broadcast on Versus.  (By a remarkable coincidence, this is the same network that carried USC-Stanford two years ago when Stanford was a 45 point underdog.  And we all know how that one turned out)  As the game wore into the 3rd and 4th quarter and the Quack attack had still yet to emerge, more and more heads turned toward that game.  Sorry, Ducks, you should have lost that game; Cal had the winning field goal made before they had to re-kick it.  Oregon better take this second lease on life and run with it all the way to Glendale. 

Fight On,

Hans


*PS:This didn't really happen.  As you all know, the Wisconsin and Iowa games were played in the morning.  I would never let the truth get in the way of a good story.  But the official bar list is accurate.

Wierd Day

The family and I took a day-trip to Chicago last Saturday, and we were away from the TV for most of the games.  Thanks to the wonder of the internet, I was able to stay on top of all the pending upsets (thank you Dearl) and catch up on key events when I got home later that day (thank you ESPN).

I was entranced by the Iowa State - Nebraska tussle in Ames.  This game was particularly significant because it represented the last conference game between the two teams.  They may not play again for a decade or more.  The series, dating back to 1896 and played every year since 1920, has been owned by Nebraska, 85-17-2.  One of those precious few Cyclone wins came last year and spawned one of the greatest locker room celebrations ever (Locker Room Celebration Video).  How would this series end?  Would the Huskers keep rolling on the way to the Big 12 title game?  Or would Iowa State, fresh off of its only win over Texas in history, upset the mighty Big Red?  Go Blue and I thought it could happen, needing every 19 of the points the upset was worth. 

The Cyclones led for much of the game, until Nebraska pulled away, 24-10 in the 3rd quarter.  Knowing the Blackshirt's reputation for defense and the Cyclones lack of an explosive offense, I put away my phone and kissed those 19 points away.  Next thing I know, the game is in overtime, with Nebraska scoring first and kicking the convential PAT.  Iowa State scores on their series in OT and line up for the extra point.  But they go for the win and execute a fake.  The holder lofts a floater to a wide open tight end, but it is snagged by a leaping Blackshirt instead.  Game over.  Series over.  What a finish!

I give Paul Rhoads all the credit for going for two.  That's a great call and most of the Cyclones I have heard from agree.  In a way, this was the perfect ending for the series.  Nebraska needed a win to continue their march toward the title in their last year in the league.  And the Cyclones needed to give them a going away present.  Iowa State succeeded in everyone's hearts.  But not on the scoreboard.  Ross Mathiasen, one of my residents and a Husker, was at the game.  He said this week, "what a weird game."

Aparently, he didn't watch the USC- ASU game.

THAT was a weird game.  In the course of the evening, there was an interception returned for TD's by EACH team, a 100 yard kickoff return by ASU, a blocked extra point returned for 2 points by USC, a couple of missed field goals including hitting the post, and a blocked punt by USC.  Wow!  What a wild ride.  I am was very glad to see USC finally win a close one.

Another wild ride took place in Salt Lake City.  In what was billed as the biggest sporting event in Utah since the Olympics, TCU met Utah in a battle of undefeateds.  Unfortuantely for the Utah fans who had paid several hundred dollars for scalped tickets, the game was ugly early and often.  TCU dominated to become a clear legimate contender for the BCS championship.  There is no way that a one loss team (even from the SEC) will get in ahead of an undefeated TCU.

 Fight on.

Hans




TCU UTAH

Election Day

These Ducks are really, really good.


I spent Saturday night watching USC try to hang with Oregon; and they did, for about 2 and half quarters. But then the Duck offense kept rolling and Matt Barkley and company couldn’t keep up. As the Trojans struggled through the last few painful minutes, I switched over to Titanic, showing on TBS. How appropriate- a story about a excessively opulent anachronism that goes down in a hubris-laden disaster. On this same weekend last year I wrote that Oregon had ended the Carroll era at USC. Not only was I correct, but they are now the standard bearer for the conference. From a completely selfish standpoint, I am glad that the Pac-12 with the two divisions goes into effect next year. That way, we don’t have to play Oregon every year and only need to focus on beating our division opponents: UCLA, the Arizona schools, and Utah/Colorado. If this year is any indication, only Arizona and Utah poses a challenge. Utah will be a tough date and I expect the Utes to win that game for the next couple of years. Utah at Oregon will make a great Pac-12 championship




Iowa had a great game against Michigan State last weekend and climbed back into the Big-10 race. One play from the blowout made ESPN’s top plays for the day: a spectacular one-handed by receiver McNutt. But that was not the best play of the game! The most amazing play, one that is easily the play of the year so far for Iowa, was a bizarre hook and ladder pick-6 interception return for a TD. Check it out here: Sash to Hyde.  What is cool about this play is that pick-specialist Tyler Sash made the grab, and then tossed it behind him to Mica Hyde. Sash could have gone a long way on his own- there was plenty of open field in front of him. But he tossed it to Hyde anyway. Why? Obviously it was something they had practiced before. But also Mica’s brother happens to also play defense for Michigan State. So, Sash ensured that the Iowa Hyde brother got something to brag about over Christmas dinner!



As Iowa and Nebraska met their obligations in cutting the number of undefeated teams down to 5, I stumbled onto ESPN's sportsnation website: http://espn.go.com/sportsnation/polls .  They had a number of polls about the BCS "candidates": the 5 undefeated plus Alabama, asking who should be number 1, who is more deserving, Boise State or TCU, etc.  What is really fun with these polls is to click on the "view map" after you vote and see the regionalization of these topics.  When asked if a one-loss Alabama should be put ahead of an undefeated Boise State, the regions were very clear: everyone in the SEC thinks Alabama should be there and most of the rest of the country picked Boise State. There was one notable result: a majority of voters in Oregon chose Alabama!  I guess the Ducks dont want to lose to Boise State by a knockout like the start of last season!

Fight On,

Hans

Epic Weekend

I apologize for not writing in a while, but the hospital has been keeping me busy. As you peruse the standings, you might notice that most of the House brothers are having a rough year. Our dear leader sits in dead last, even behind Gran. The Underdog pool is a game of skill- the same players often lead the field, like MiniMike and his wife GopherGirl. But the Underdog pool is also a game of inches- a couple of missed field goals here and a few fumbles there and you end up in 38th place like me. But while the leaders scrap and struggle for the few precious points to hold off upstarts RickRob and BShedek, the rest of the us can relax and enjoy the joy of college football for what it is.




What an amazing weekend it was!



Halfway through the season, we were really lucky to get so many top 20 matchups, including two meetings of undefeated teams. I could have watched football all day, so I did. Mostly, I sat in the first aid station at Kinnick stadium, babysitting the drunk freshmen and watching on the monitor the game outside my door: Iowa – Wisconsin.  It was back and forth all game and, as expected, came down to the wire.  In the end, the Badgers played mistake-free ball and earned it.  No trip to Pasadena this year for Hawkeye fans; it looks like another New Years in the Outback or Capitol One bowl. 


I was thrilled to see Missouri put the BCS human vs computer debate to rest with their upset of Oklahoma.  When I looked at the standings, I thought the Sooners were due for a stumble, since they had barely beaten Air Force and Cincinatti.  Now, the national championship race is focused mostly in the west, with Oregon, the TCU/ Utah winner, and Boisie St scrambling for the top.  Auburn, Michigan St, and now Missouri are right behind.  With USC playing Oregon next week, could a number 1 fall for the 4th week in a row?



In anticipation of the Ducks visit to the Coliseum next week, I enjoyed watching their rout of UCLA. Of course, it is always fun to watch UCLA lose. But the artistry with which the Oregon offense moves the ball is nothing short of magical. The statistical accomplishments of that offense is truly astounding. After the first 4 games, they were on a score a minute pace- they had literally scored at least one point for every minute of game time. Right now, they sit at a mere 0.92 points per minute. But I noticed how quickly they scored and how they are constantly trailing in time of possession, so I looked up their points per minute of possession. For every minute the Oregon offense has the ball, they have scored 2.2 points!



I was also thrilled to see the plan for the Pac-12 divisions and excited that it will start next year (Colorado was somewhat in doubt over their Big12 buy out). They kept the teams paired with their rival, but split California schools: USC/UCLA, Arizona/ASU, Colorado and Utah will be the Pac-12 south and Cal/Stanford, Oregon/OSU, Washington/WSU will be the north. Yet they will have a guaranteed crossover for the California schools, so USC will still play Cal and Stanford every year (yes, I want to play Stanford every year- I want every chance I get to get back at that jerk Harbaugh . . . grumble, grumble). It was the best possible result for the LA schools. Most of our games will be within a 6 hour drive, and we get to make a mountain road trip to Boulder or Salt Lake City every year. Best of all for me in Iowa, I now have direct flights to half of USC’s schedule!



The big surprise in the Pac-12 plan came with their championship game. Unlike everyone else, they are not going to hold it at a neutral field! The team with the best record will host the game! So Utah could find itself traveling to Eugene for the first Pac-12 championship game.



What a country!



Fight on,
Hans

Football 2.0

I awoke last Friday to thunderstorms in Las Vegas. The sky was overcast, the ground wet, and the light artificial. I boarded a plane and emerged in Iowa at the end of a perfect Indian Summer day: the sky was crystal clear and robin-egg blue. The light from the slowly setting sun illuminated the farms and fields with a bright enriching glow. The contrast between the dull, hungover depression of Vegas and the vibrant energy of the heartland could not have been more apparent.



Following my week in Vegas, I was happy to get back home. Besides playing with my daughter, I had two ER shifts to work. I was scheduled to be locked up in a plexiglass cubicle during the most exciting three hours of football Saturday night: Oregon- Stanford, Alabama-Florida, USC-Washington, Iowa- Penn State, and Boston College- Notre Dame. With the Iowa game raging just across the street, we expected to be flooded with patients before and after, but be relatively quiet during the game. In reality, the ER was surprisingly calm the entire time- all our patients were too busy watching football.



Enter the blessing of new football technologies.



First, I must give credit to the amazing website Dent Earl has developed. Wow. I am discovering new, wonderful features of that site on a daily basis. I love the graphical analysis of the results and picks. I love the continuous updates during game time. I even appreciate the rotating languages of salutations on the home page. DEARL, you rock! I kept the site open and watched as my picks went down in flames one by one.



Another amazing advance in football entertainment is ESPN3. When I saw the ads for it, I was highly skeptical. I assumed its was yet another subscription service that may or may not work in your area and was not worth the money. I am thrilled to report that I was wrong- not only was I able to get it on my local carrier, but the service is free. That’s right: free. The quality of streaming picture was perfect. And I was even able to select two games to project simultaneously. Even better, the site works in our hospital, behind the vaunted hospital IT firewall.



So there I was, saving lives, curing disease, teaching students, and I hardly missed a snap of the USC-Washington debacle! Different year, different stadium, same kicker and same result. Why didn’t I pick Washington?

Fight On,

Hans



PS: To all the Nitany Lions out there: I am sorry Iowa beat you again. But at least this time the result was never in doubt. The Hawkeyes came through on my promise to put the game out of reach early. I am sure Penn State is happy they get a break from the Hawks for a few years.