World Series Droughts: Another One Bites The Dust

Tonight, just for fun, I did a quick rundown of the most consecutive seasons that each of MLB's thirty teams has gone without a World Series victory. A few thoughts:

• Of the six expansion teams that have been introduced since 1977, five have appeared in a World Series, winning five and losing two. The Mariners are the odd team out, failing to get past the American League Championship Series in three tries (1995, 2000-01).
• My grandfather died the day before the Cincinnati Reds won the 1990 World Series, the last in franchise history. He was born eight months after the Chicago Cubs won the 1908 World Series, the last in franchise history.
• The San Francisco Giants, owners of the third longest Series drought, have not won a World Series since moving to California, though they have played in the Fall Classic three times (1962, 1989, 2002). The Los Angeles Dodgers, who also moved west in 1958, have five titles in that time frame.
• Five of the last seven World Series winners have ended droughts of 24 years or more (2002 Angels, 2004 Red Sox, 2005 White Sox, 2006 Cardinals, 2008 Phillies); I don't think that's going to happen next year...which means the Cubs will probably defeat the Indians to become the 2009 champions.
• As a Red Sox fan, I feel it necessary to caution Phillies fans: do not allow this title to turn you into an entire fan base of assholes with an overblown sense of entitlement. Don't let it happen.
• The last time the Phillies won a World Series, I had just turned a year old.
• Ten teams have not won a World Series in my lifetime: Chicago Cubs, Cleveland, San Francisco, Texas, Houston, Montreal/Washington, San Diego, Milwaukee, Seattle, and Pittsburgh.

Team	Last World Series Win	Drought
Chicago Cubs	1908	100
Cleveland Indians	1948	60
San Francisco Giants	1954	54
Texas Rangers	NA	47
Houston Astros	NA	46
Washington Nationals	NA	39
San Diego Padres	NA	39
Milwaukee Brewers	NA	39
Seattle Mariners	NA	31
Pittsburgh Pirates	1979	29
Baltimore Orioles	1983	25
Detroit Tigers	1984	24
Kansas City Royals	1985	23
New York Mets	1986	22
Los Angeles Dodgers	1988	20
Oakland Athletics	1989	19
Cincinnati Reds	1990	18
Minnesota Twins	1991	17
Toronto Blue Jays	1993	15
Colorado Rockies	NA	15
Atlanta Braves	1995	13
Tampa Bay Rays	NA	10
New York Yankees	2000	8
Arizona Diamondbacks	2001	7
Los Angeles Angels	2002	6
Florida Marlins	2003	5
Chicago White Sox	2005	3
St. Louis Cardinals	2006	2
Boston Red Sox	2007	1
Philadelphia Phillies	2008	0

Smith vs. Forte: Week 8

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Week 8: bye
Season Totals: 147 carries, 515 yards, 4 TD; 29 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TD

Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions

Week 8 vs. Washington: 4 carries, 12 yards; 7 receptions, 50 yards
Season Totals: 56 carries, 268 yards, 3 TD; 22 receptions, 146 yards

Reverse Survivor: Something Tells Me November 22 Will Be An Important Day In Reverse Survivor History

There will be no repeat Reverse Survivor champion in 2008.

Playing in front of 15,010 home fans on Saturday, the defending champion Idaho Vandals defeated New Mexico State, 20-14, for the program’s first FBS win of the year. Idaho tied the game at fourteen on a Nathan Enderle touchdown pass late in the second quarter before senior Tino Amancio kicked a pair of 50+ yard field goals in the second half to seal the win.

Princeton McCarty (great name) supplied most of the offense for the Vandals, carrying the ball 15 times for 160 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown run in the first quarter.

Idaho was one of two one-win teams that dropped out of the competition this week; Kent State dominated Miami of Ohio, 54-21, to remove themselves from consideration. The Golden Flashes trailed 7-3 at the end of one before reeling off 44 unanswered points in the second and third quarters. Two players, quarterback Julian Edelman (16 carries, 158 yards) and halfback Eugene Jarvis (23 carries, 105 yards) ran for over 100 yards. Edelman reached the end zone once on the ground with a 58-yard scoring run and once through the air, while Jarvis scored four times, all in the second quarter, from 1, 1, 1, and 2 yards out.

Four teams remain eligible with one win. Three did not play this week: Syracuse, Washington State, and Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky, the only team in Reverse Survivor to have a shot at the title despite having two wins, will be charged with a tough task next week: North Texas, one of only two winless teams remaining in FBS, brings its 0-8 record to town. The Mean Green have three games remaining after next weekend, against less than stellar competition, but this is undoubtedly the team’s best chance to win a game in 2008.

OMDQ favorite Giovanni Vizza did not play well in North Texas’ blowout loss to Troy (31-52, 246 yards, one TD, three interceptions), but his favorite receiver, Casey Fitzgerald, continued to pad his already remarkable stats. With fourteen catches for the second time in three weeks, he now leads the nation with 78 receptions. In the last three weeks, he has caught 37 passes for 414 yards and three touchdowns.

Washington, of course, remains the other winless team, following a brutal loss to Notre Dame. Who do they play next week, you ask? They travel down the coast to take on USC. Given the state of their schedule, the Huskies may well finish the season with a win or two (Arizona State and Washington State look especially promising). Pretty sure this weekend won’t be one of them.

Winless Teams
Washington (Pac-10, 0-7) – lost to Notre Dame, 33-7

• Sat, Nov 1 - @ (6) USC (6-1) - TBA
• Sat, Nov 8 - Arizona State (2-5) - TBA
• Sat, Nov 15 - UCLA (3-5) - TBA
• Sat, Nov 22 - @ Washington State (1-7) - 3:00 pm
• Sat, Dec 6 - @ California (5-2) - TBA

North Texas (Sun Belt, 0-8) – lost to Troy, 45-17

• Sat, Nov 1 - @ Western Kentucky (2-6) - 4:30 pm
• Sat, Nov 8 - @ Florida Atlantic (3-5) - 4:00 pm
• Sat, Nov 22 - @ Middle Tennessee (2-6) - 3:30 pm
• Sat, Nov 29 - Arkansas State (4-3) - 2:00 pm

Eligible One-Win Teams
Syracuse (Big East, 1-6) – did not play
Southern Methodist (CUSA West, 1-8) – lost to Navy, 34-7
Washington State (Pac-10, 1-7) – did not play
Western Kentucky (Independents, 2-6) – did not play

Dropped Out
Kent State (MAC East, 2-6) – beat Miami (OH), 54-21
Idaho (Western Athletic, 2-6) – beat New Mexico State, 20-14

Winless Teams – FCS
Idaho State (Big Sky, 0-8)
Dartmouth (Ivy League, 0-6)
Indiana State (Missouri Valley, 0-8)
St. Francis (PA) (Northeast, 0-8)

Born To Be Blogging

This is old, of course, but I had to laugh when my wife found it earlier tonight:


Looks like Joey is planning on entering the family business someday. I hope he realizes that the family business grosses approximately $200/year. Something to keep in mind.

My Favorite Movie Quotes, Volume 16

The Strangers (2008)

After I saw "The Strangers", I couldn't shake the feeling that the title held a double meaning. The first, more obvious, reference is to the masked invaders who stalk Scott Speedman and Liv Tyler for the bulk of the movie. The second more subtly referred to Speedman and Tyler themselves, who, though presumably a couple that has been together for some time (long enough for him to propose marriage), don't really know each other well at all.

One could argue that the second point is just a product of my imagination, but I think this exchange is evidence that on some level, that ulterior meaning does exist.

James Hoyt: [referring to shotgun] How do you use this thing?
Kristen: What do you mean?
James Hoyt: I'm not even sure how to load it.
Kristen: But you said you used to hunt with your dad.
James Hoyt: No, I never did. It's just something I said.

Smith vs. Forte: Week 7

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Week 7 vs. Minnesota: 20 carries, 56 yards, TD; 2 receptions, 17 yards
Season Totals: 147 carries, 515 yards, 4 TD; 29 receptions, 223 yards, 2 TD


Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions

Week 7 @ Houston: 10 carries, 61 yards, TD; 1 reception, 7 yards
Season Totals: 52 carries, 256 yards, 3 TD; 15 receptions, 96 yards


Forte is third in the NFL in carries and eighth in rushing yards. He is also 23rd in receptions - ahead of Bernard Berrian, Hines Ward, the Carolina version of Steve Smith, and Chad Johnson. Somebody should tell that to Steve Young; saw him on TV last week, touting Atlanta's Matt Ryan as the league's best rookie.

Smith continues to be the top back in Detroit, as Rudi Johnson has failed to take the job away. His role in the passing game has diminished since Jon Kitna's season ended, however: in the first four plus games of the season, Kitna connected with Smith for 4, 4, 0, and 2 passes; in the two plus games since, Dan Orlovsky has thrown the ball to Smith 2, 2, and 1 times.

Next Week
Forte: bye
Smith: vs. Washington

Reverse Survivor: Thinning The Ranks

Washington and North Texas held true to form this week, losing easily to Oregon State and North Texas, respectively. Quarterback Giovanni Vizza was a bright spot for the Mean Green for the second straight week, completing 37 of 61 passes for a season-high 362 yards and two touchdowns. Washington got 100+ yard games out of running back T Dailey (16 carries for 102 yards, touchdown) and receiver D. Goodwin (5 catches for 136 yards), but quarterback R. Fouch threw three picks and the defense allowed the Rodgers brothers, James and Jacquizz, to run wild (23 carries for 204 yards, 7 catches for 78 yards, 2 kickoff returns for 53 yards, four touchdowns).

Winless Teams
Washington (Pac-10, 0-6) – lost to Oregon State, 34-13

Sat, Oct 25 - Notre Dame (4-2) - 8:00 pm
Sat, Nov 1 - @ (6) USC (5-1) - TBA
Sat, Nov 8 - Arizona State (2-4) - TBA
Sat, Nov 15 - UCLA (3-4) - TBA
Sat, Nov 22 - @ Washington State (1-7) - 3:00 pm
Sat, Dec 6 - @ California (4-2) - TBA

North Texas (Sun Belt, 0-7) – lost to Louisiana-Monroe, 35-23

Sat, Oct 25 - Troy (4-2) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Nov 1 - @ Western Kentucky (2-6) - 4:30 pm
Sat, Nov 8 - @ Florida Atlantic (2-5) - 4:00 pm
Sat, Nov 22 - @ Middle Tennessee (2-5) - 3:30 pm
Sat, Nov 29 - Arkansas State (4-3) - 2:00 pm

Eligible One-Win Teams
Syracuse (Big East, 1-6) – lost to South Florida (19), 45-13
Southern Methodist (CUSA West, 1-7) – lost to Houston, 44-38
Kent State (MAC East, 1-6) – did not play
Washington State (Pac-10, 1-7) – lost to USC (6), 69-0
Idaho (Western Athletic, 1-6) – lost to Louisiana Tech, 46-14
Western Kentucky (Independents, 2-6) – lost to Florida Atlantic, 24-20

Dropped Out

Rutgers (Big East, 2-5) – beat Connecticut, 12-10

Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt, 2-5) – beat North Texas, 35-23

UAB (CUSA East, 2-6) – beat Marshall, 23-21

Miami (OH) (MAC East, 2-5) – beat Bowling Green, 27-20

Winless Teams – FCS

Idaho State (Big Sky, 0-7)

Columbia (Ivy League, 0-5)

Dartmouth (Ivy League, 0-5)

Indiana State (Missouri Valley, 0-7)

St. Francis (PA) (Northeast, 0-7)

Austin Peay (Ohio Valley, 0-7)

Nicholls State (Southland, 0-4)

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC, 0-7)

I Don't Need Sports, But I Like Having Them Around

Thursday night before bed, I found myself in one of those moods where I just needed to write something. Unfortunately, I had nothing interesting in mind, and no time to really work on anything (early start to the day on Friday), so I ultimately decided to crack open a Word document and let fly with a random train of thought.

The thing that bothers me the most about myself is my inability to “raise my game to another level.” I know that 99% of the successes at my job will come from hard work and preparation, but I worry about that leftover 1%, those times where things don’t go anything like I expected and I’m forced to improvise, to throw the old plan out the window and create a new one on the fly, to succeed only because I absolutely, positively, refuse to fail. I need to believe that I can make things possible through nothing more than the sheer force of my own will.

Those thoughts were never supposed to see the light of day. They were just some pointless, "Musings" as I named the document, stuff meant for my eyes only. As luck would have it, however, my point has been driven home and clarified by certain events over the past couple days.

The first, of course, is the startling comeback of the Boston Red Sox, who had been left for dead up to the start of the local eleven o'clock news on Thursday night. About an hour later, in the wee hours of Friday morning, they had done exactly what I fear I cannot: raised their game to a completely different level, stared adversity in the face and forced it to back down, absolutely refused to fail. I want me some of that.

The second thing actually wasn't something that happened recently. I've been reading John Feinstein's "A Season On the Brink" and took note of the way Bob Knight described his University of Indiana basketball team after they had finished a promising season by losing in the first round of the NCAA tournament. I don't have the book in front of me, so I'm just paraphrasing, but Knight essentially told the players, "All season long, you failed to stand up to the challenges that were presented to you. You failed to play tough." It caught my eye because it was the opposite example: a group of kids who weren't able to dig deep and succeed primarily on guts and heart. I feel like that's me a lot of the time - I think I work hard, but it's not really as hard as I think it is, or as I'm capable of, so I'm not ready to react when the shit hits the fan.

It's interesting: for a while now, I've had this feeling that sports aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. I'm not nearly as passionate a fan as I was five years ago, mostly because I have many responsibilities that I didn't have five years ago. I hardly followed the Red Sox over the summer and Thursday night, as the clock struck midnight and the game entered the ninth inning tied at seven, I went to bed. My day started at seven A.M. on Friday and I couldn't afford to be late. It's not that I don't care about the team, it's just that they aren't as important as they were in 2003 and 2004.

And that's what I find ironic, that even as I'm downplaying the importance of sporting events in my life, those same events are able to provide me with concrete examples to support things that I'm thinking and feeling about myself. Maybe the title is wrong; maybe I do need sports after all.

My Favorite Movie Quotes, Volume 15

It's a Wonderful Life (1946)

George Bailey: Dear Father in heaven, I'm not a praying man, but if you're up there and you can hear me
[begins crying]
George Bailey: show me the way... show me the way.

Smith vs. Forte: Week 6

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Week 6 @ Atlanta: 20 carries, 76 yards, TD; 5 receptions, 34 yards
Season Totals: 127 carries, 459 yards, 3 TD; 27 receptions, 206 yards, 2 TD

Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions

Week 6 @ Minnesota: 5 carries, 62 yards; 2 receptions, 11 yards
Season Totals: 42 carries, 195 yards, 2 TD; 14 receptions, 89 yards

Forte is on pace to pass 1,000 yards and 50 receptions before the season is done. Smith broke one long run against Minnesota, but Rudi Johnson had the bulk of the carries for the Lions.

Next Week
Forte: vs. Minnesota @ 1:00 PM
Smith: @ Houston @ 4:05 PM

Reverse Survivor: Holding A Lead Is A Start, At Least

North Texas did some very good things offensively yesterday in a 59-30 loss to Louisiana-Lafayette. Giovanni Vizza had a fantastic day, completing 29 of 44 passes for 361 yards; Casey Fitzgerald reeled in fourteen passes for 231 yards and a touchdown; the offensive unit scored a season-high thirty points.

Unfortunately, the defense was not told that there was a game. Lafayette's Jason Chery ran three times for 85 yards and a touchdown, caught three more passes for 123 yards and three touchdowns, and returned a kickoff for a score. The five touchdowns tied a school record.

Oh, other big news: the Mean Green jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first quarter, its first lead of the season. They lost it soon after, but proved the indomitability of the human spirit by recapturing the advantage, 10-7, later in the quarter. This week, they win half a quarter - maybe next week, an entire quarter. We Can Do It!

Washington had a bye this week. Boooooriiiiiiiing.

Winless Teams
Washington (Pac-10, 0-5) – did not play

Sat, Oct 18 - Oregon State (3-3) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Oct 25 - Notre Dame (4-2) - 8:00 pm
Sat, Nov 1 - @ (9) USC (4-1) - TBA
Sat, Nov 8 - Arizona State (2-4) - TBA
Sat, Nov 15 - UCLA (2-4) - TBA
Sat, Nov 22 - @ Washington State (1-6) - 3:00 pm
Sat, Dec 6 - @ California (4-1) - TBA

North Texas (Sun Belt, 0-6) – lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, 59-30

Sat, Oct 18 - @ Louisiana-Monroe (1-5) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Oct 25 - Troy (3-2) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Nov 1 - @ Western Kentucky (2-5) - 4:30 pm
Sat, Nov 8 - @ Florida Atlantic (1-5) - 4:00 pm
Sat, Nov 22 - @ Middle Tennessee (2-4) - 3:30 pm
Sat, Nov 29 - Arkansas State (4-2) - 2:00 pm

Eligible One-Win Teams
Rutgers (Big East, 1-5) – lost to Cincinnati, 13-10
Syracuse (Big East, 1-5) – lost to West Virginia, 17-6
Southern Methodist (CUSA West, 1-6) – lost to Tulsa, 37-31
UAB (CUSA East, 1-6) – lost to Houston, 45-20
Kent State (MAC East, 1-6) – lost to Ohio, 26-19
Miami (OH) (MAC East, 1-5) – lost to Northern Illinois, 17-13
Washington State (Pac-10, 1-6) – lost to Oregon State, 66-13
Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt, 1-5) – lost to Arkansas State, 37-29
Idaho (Western Athletic, 1-5) – lost to Fresno State, 45-32
Western Kentucky (Independents, 2-5) – lost to Ball State (25), 24-7

Dropped Out
Ohio (MAC East, 2-5) – beat Kent State, 26-19
Mississippi State (SEC West, 2-4) – beat Vanderbilt (13), 17-14

Key Matchups
North Texas (0-6) @ Louisiana-Monroe (1-5) - The first of two games the Mean Green will play against Reverse Survivor teams in the next three weeks.

Winless Teams – FCS
Idaho State (Big Sky, 0-6)
Columbia (Ivy League, 0-4)
Dartmouth (Ivy League, 0-4)
Indiana State (Missouri Valley, 0-6)
St. Francis (PA) (Northeast, 0-6)
Austin Peay (Ohio Valley, 0-6)
Nicholls State (Southland, 0-3)
Arkansas-Pine Bluff (SWAC, 0-6)

That Doesn't Make A Lot Of Sense

So David Price, with his five games and fourteen innings of major league experience, gets the call on balls six inches off the plate, but Mike Timlin (1058 games, 1204.3 innings) doesn't?

Makes sense.

Everyone here, from Terry Francona (who brought Timlin into the game in the first place) to home plate umpire Sam Holbrook (who isn't too anxious to call a strike on Rays hitters here in the bottom of the eleventh - and actually just ejected John Farrell for arguing balls and strikes?) looks like they just want to go home.

You Know, She Has A Point

An actual conversation that took place tonight between my sister Anna and her three-year-old daughter Shakeira:

Anna: [talking to the Red Sox game on TV] Drop it, drop it, drop it, drop it [Tampa player catches a flyball] Oh, you suck.

Shakeira: You suck!

Anna: No, you shouldn't say that.

Shakeira: You shouldn't say that either.

What exactly do you say when presented with logic like that?

We Fear The Little One Has Gained Intelligence

My son is fifteen months old.

Today, while my wife was getting ready for our niece's birthday party, I was put in charge of "watching" Joey, which means that I sit on the couch with my laptop and glance up every so often to make sure he's not doing something crazy like sucking on the end of a printer cable (don't laugh, that was one of his actual Saturday morning activities today). For the most part, he amuses himself and stays out of trouble.

I figured since I wasn't doing anything to actively help his little brain grow strong and robust, I decided to put the classical music channel on the TV. Well, first I put on some classic rock, but The Eagles and Peter Gabriel wasn't exactly what I was looking for, so then we went with classical. Pretty sure I read somewhere that it's good for brain development to listen to that kind of stuff.

So I'm sitting on the couch, working on something for Bus Leagues, when he toddled over and grabbed the remote. Not a problem - he likes electronics like remotes and phones (and apparently printer cables) and is allowed to play with them, as long as he isn't ordering porn On Demand or making crank calls.

I wasn't really listening to the TV, but it was on in the background so it was getting into my subconscious to some extent. A couple minutes later, I realized that something had changed - the classical music was gone. Joey must have changed the channel. I looked up to see what was on...

And it was Word Girl.

Remember, the first channel I went to was classic rock, then classical music. He didn't just accidentally hit the "last" button and end up on PBS. I know what you're thinking: "He probably pressed "2" and got lucky." Perhaps. But the thing that really surprised me was that he turned the channel to PBS, then walked over and handed me the remote. Like he had done what he needed to do, was done now, and wouldn't be needing it anymore.

And that's why I've been watching Word Girl for the last fifteen minutes. I just don't have the heart to change the channel.

(And to top it off, as I was writing this, I noticed him rummaging through his mother's bag on the floor, tossing stuff left and right. What did he come out with in the end? A bag of Mini Cheese Nips, which he brought over and handed to me. He's too smart, I say, too smart!)

Kevin Smith vs. Matt Forte

Last year, inspired by the performances of UCF's Kevin Smith and Tulane's Matt Forte, I wrote a post here about college football's 2,000 Yard Club and how its members have fared in the pros. While watching football this afternoon, I heard Forte's name during a highlight and inspiration struck: why not run a weekly comparison between these two guys and see who has the better rookie season? It's a simple idea. I like simple ideas.

Each player's game logs through Week 5 are listed below.

Kevin Smith, Detroit Lions

Week 1 @ Atlanta: 16 carries, 48 yards, TD; 4 receptions, 32 yards
Week 2 vs. Green Bay: 10 carries, 40 yards; 4 receptions, 21 yards
Week 3 @ San Francisco: 3 carries, 14 yards
Week 4: bye
Week 5 vs. Chicago: 8 carries, 31 yards, TD; 4 receptions, 25 yards

Totals: 37 carries, 133 yards, 2 TD; 12 receptions, 78 yards

Matt Forte, Chicago Bears

Week 1 @ Indianapolis: 23 carries, 123 yards, TD; 3 receptions, 18 yards
Week 2 @ Carolina: 23 carries, 92 yards; 3 receptions, 21 yards
Week 3 vs. Tampa Bay: 27 carries, 89 yards; 7 receptions, 66 yards, TD
Week 4 vs. Philadelphia: 19 carries, 43 yards; 5 receptions, 42 yards
Week 5 @ Detroit: 15 carries, 36 yards, TD; 4 receptions, 25 yards, TD

Totals: 107 carries, 383 yards, 2 TD; 22 receptions, 172 yards, 2 TD

Both players are contributing on the ground and in the passing game, but Forte is the clear front runner at this stage in the season, leading the Bears in rushing yards and receptions through five games. Smith leads the Lions in rushing yards and is among the leaders in receptions, but his numbers are relatively unimpressive.

Next Week: Forte and the Bears travel to Atlanta, while Smith and the Lions head to Minnesota.

Reverse Survivor: And Then There Were Two

Of the three seasons I have done Reverse Survivor for college football, this may prove to be the least dramatic. After Army's 44-13 dismantling of Tulane on Saturday, only two winless teams remain in FBS: Washington and North Texas, both 0-5 following blowouts to Arizona (48-14) and Florida International (!!!) (42-10), respectively. Washington's persistence in making it to this point still surprise me - nice of Ty Willingham to back up all the talk about how he got screwed at Notre Dame by throwing up a goose egg and suggesting that maybe those who said he wasn't really a good coach are correct - but it's reassuring to have North Texas around. I'm not sure what we would do without a Sun Belt representative.

The remaining schedules for both teams are listed below. Washington is in the difficult position of playing in a deceptively tough conference without any real gimmes the rest of the way (Washington State could be the best chance). The Huskies do have the good fortune to play four of their next five games at home.

North Texas, on the other hand...North Texas should not only be able to avoid a winless season, they should win at least two of the remaining seven games, two of which are against teams still alive in the Reverse Survivor hunt (Western Kentucky and Louisiana-Monroe). Of course, "should" doesn't always happen.

(Two fun things about today's FIU-North Texas game: one, A'mod Ned scored a touchdown for the Golden Panthers and two, the game story mentioned that the Mean Green has yet to hold a lead in any game this season. They haven't even been tied beyond 0-0 - the closest was in the first quarter against Rice, in a game they eventually lost 77-20, when the kicker missed an extra point that would have tied the score at 7-all. They've been outscored 261-65.)

Winless Teams
Washington (Pac-10, 0-5) – lost to Arizona, 48-14

Sat, Oct 18 - Oregon State (2-3) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Oct 25 - Notre Dame (4-1) - 8:00 pm
Sat, Nov 1 - @ (9) USC (3-1) - TBA
Sat, Nov 8 - Arizona State (2-3) - TBA
Sat, Nov 15 - UCLA (2-3) - TBA
Sat, Nov 22 - @ Washington State (1-5) - 3:00 pm
Sat, Dec 6 - @ California (4-1) - TBA

North Texas (Sun Belt, 0-5) – lost to Florida International, 42-10

Sat, Oct 11 - Louisiana-Lafayette (2-3) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Oct 18 - @ Louisiana-Monroe (1-4) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Oct 25 - Troy (2-2) - 7:00 pm
Sat, Nov 1 - @ Western Kentucky (2-4) - 4:30 pm
Sat, Nov 8 - @ Florida Atlantic (1-4) - 4:00 pm
Sat, Nov 22 - @ Middle Tennessee (2-3) - 3:30 pm
Sat, Nov 29 - Arkansas State (3-2) - 2:00 pm

Eligible One-Win Teams
Rutgers (Big East, 1-4) – lost to West Virginia, 24-17
Syracuse (Big East, 1-4) – off
Southern Methodist (CUSA West, 1-5) – lost to UCF, 31-17
UAB (CUSA East, 1-4) – lost to Memphis, 33-30
Kent State (MAC East, 1-5) – lost to Akron, 30-27 (OT)
Miami (OH) (MAC East, 1-4) – lost to Temple, 28-10
Ohio (MAC East, 1-4) – lost to Western Michigan, 41-20
Washington State (Pac-10, 1-5) – lost to UCLA, 28-3
Mississippi State (SEC West, 1-4) – off
Louisiana-Monroe (Sun Belt, 1-4) – lost to Louisiana-Lafayette, 44-35
Idaho (Western Athletic, 1-5) – lost to Nevada, 49-14
Western Kentucky (Independents, 2-4) – lost to Virginia Tech (20), 27-13

Dropped Out
Army (Independents, 1-4) – beat Tulane, 44-13
Virginia (ACC Coastal, 2-3) – beat Maryland, 31-0
UCF (CUSA East, 2-3) – beat SMU, 31-17
Eastern Michigan (MAC West, 2-4) – beat Bowling Green, 24-21
Hawaii (Western Athletic, 2-3) - beat Fresno State (22), 32-29 (OT)

My Favorite Movie Quotes, Volume 14

I was in the mood for a movie quote tonight but didn't have a specific movie in mind, so I searched for about 45 minutes while we were watching Knocked Up. Nothing really presented itself until about halfway through - I stopped staring at the computer for a minute, looked at my wife, and said, "You know, I really like Paul Rudd."

So there you have it. For the third time, the OMDQ Movie Quotes series honors a specific actor. Rudd joins Sam Elliott and Nicolas Cage on that list.

Anchorman (2004)

Brian Fantana: [about Veronica] I'll give this little cookie an hour before we're doing the no-pants dance. Time to musk up. [opens cologne cabinet]
Ron Burgundy: Wow. Never ceases to amaze me. What cologne you gonna go with? London Gentleman, or wait. No, no, no. Hold on. Blackbeard's Delight.
Brian Fantana: No, she gets a special cologne... It's called Sex Panther by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries... Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good.
Ron Burgundy: It's quite pungent.
Brian Fantana: Oh yeah.
Ron Burgundy: It's a formidable scent... It stings the nostrils. In a good way.
Brian Fantana: Yep.
Ron Burgundy: Brian, I'm gonna be honest with you, that smells like pure gasoline.
Brian Fantana: They've done studies, you know. 60% of the time it works, every time. [cheesy grin]
Ron Burgundy: That doesn't make sense.
Brian Fantana: Well... Let's go see if we can make this little kitty purr. [snarls]

The 40 Year Old Virgin (2005)

David: Hey, Paula.
Paula: Yeah?
David: I gotta tell you something. I'm really excited about it. Uh, for the first time, today, I woke up, I came to the store, and I - I feel confident to say to you that if you don't take this Michael McDonald DVD - that you've been playing for two years straight - off, I'm going to kill everyone in the store and put a bullet in my brain!
Paula: David, what do you suggest we play?
David: I don't care. Anything! I would rather - I would rather watch "Beautician And The Beast". I would rather listen to Fran Drescher for eight hours than have to listen to Michael McDonald. Nothin' against him, but if I hear "Yah Mo B There" one more time, "Yah Mo" burn this place to the ground.
Paula: You're such a smartass. Get back on the floor! [Paula walks away]
David: [cough-mutters] Ah-fuck you!

Knocked Up (2007)

Pete: I wish I liked anything as much as my kids like bubbles.
Ben Stone: That's sad.
Pete: Totally sad. Their smiling faces just point out your inability to enjoy anything.