04 September 2007
29 August 2007
KNOW YOUR NOLES... FIVE DAYS UNTIL KICKOFF
More of this to come if the "Skin and Bones" Seminole O-Line can't get their lives right.Here is the last "Know Your Noles" segment of the year. Labor Day is imminent and we can't wait. Hope you've enjoyed this segment and as always we appreciate your opinions and comments in the "rabble rabble" section at the bottom of the post. Lastly, thanks to Bill K, err, NoleCC, err, whatever he goes by. Thanks to that guy. He's always fun to work with and is a credit to the Seminole fan base, especially the blogging sect. Check out our responses on Scalp Em here.
1) Weatherford is the starting QB again. Are a lot of Nole fans thinking "Hey, there's still time for him to have a bad acid trip (Wyatt Sexton)"?
Honestly it's the same as it's always been, a 50/50 split in the fan base. It reminds me of the Adrian McPherson / Chris Rix saga. A couple of things about Weatherford though, people act like he isn't mobile. He's no Charlie Ward, but doesn't have concrete shoes like Chris Weinke either. If the revamped FSU offensive line can hold off the Tiger blitz, Weatherford will be just fine. If the Noles can establish a running game, Weatherford might even have a big night and eventually a big season. I just hope I don't have to watch Xavier Lee sulk on the sidelines AGAIN.
2) How has Antone Smith looked in spring practice? How much is the drop off from first string RB to second string?
Antone hasn't played tons during practice, which is more because of the depth issue than the "hurt" issue. Jimbo Fisher is banking a lot on a healthy Antone Smith, since even in Bobby Bowden's words "There's a big drop off to 2nd string at running back." Someone cue Jim Cantore with his "ominous" quotes.
3) Who should we be more worried about, Geno Hayes (LB) or Myron Rolle (RV)?
My initial reaction is Myron Rolle, however he's the main threat in the secondary. Clemson will do everything to avoid him, which makes Geno Hayes the bigger worry for the Tigers. There are 6-7 other guys up there, Geno is going to find a way to get free and make the big hit.
4) Any preseason inuries of note? Any notable changes except for the fact that your OL is on the Curves diet?
First of all, the OL went on Jenny Craig, not Curves. Get that straight. As for injuries, Joe Surrat is out for sure with a broken Tibia, however he was looking at second string most likely anway. Knock on wood the Noles should be pretty healthy for the showdown on Monday Night.
5) How will the new hires impact the season? Are we looking at the Seminoles second wind or an ugly three ring circus act?
From everything I've read, heard or watched FSU looks to benefit greatly from the coaching changes. Fisher looks like the Bowden heir-apparent and Trickett is going to have a mean & nasty line in the future. So, as a Nole fan I have to believe that this is a second wind for the program, and not the dagger in the heart of the program. That said, another failure to win some big games and you might count FSU as done for a long, long time.
6) The Noles always seem to have a really spectacular athlete Warrick Dunn, Peter Warrick, Chris Weinke... er... I mean... who is this year's freak?
Antone, Antone, Antone. Antone Smith is heavily underrated, and if he's healthy he's going to create some havoc despite FSU's offensive line. If, by some miracle the O-line can block someone once in a while FSU might be looking at a 1000 yard rusher. You can throw Greg Carr in there as a touchdown freak, since he can only catch the ball in the end zone, but his stats will be sick.
7) What percentage of grown-men FSU fans wear jerseys to games? 50% or closer to 80%?
It's way under 50%, believe it or not. Now if you want to throw in coaches polos or file everything under "Nike" gear, you're looking at close to half. The bigger question is how many lap dances will FSU men receive in the student section this year? (Just search for Lapdance On ScalpEm.com)
8) Bobby Bowden becomes the first active CFB coach with Alzheimer's in the next three years. Do you take the over or under on that bet?
"Dadgumit Wi... Ch... #38. That boy's mama makes the best walnut brownies you know. I like them a lot. They were real nice down in Apopka. Mmm, mmm. Don't you think Gene? Oh and look there's Thad Busby. He's a Junior this year, that #12, he's going to be a real star."
I'll take the under. [Insert winking smiley here.]
"GOD??! What the shit are you talking about! It's Maury!"Gentlemen, all that I have left to say is good luck, but not too good. I'll be watching from home Monday night, but I'm sure I'll enjoy the start of our seasons as much as you! May DannyFordIsGod.com thrive in some Garnet & Gold following the game, and may you kick the crap out of Georgia Tech down the road. God I hate GT. And tell Chili to stop shaking more than twice.
5 DAYS TILL KICKOFF
13 June 2007
KNOW YOUR NOLES: DINNERITME IN TALLAHASSEE (81 DAYS)
No idea for the pic this week, so here's former FSU grad Burt Reynolds and his pet bear.... No wait, here you go:
Presenting the FSU "Outside" helmet. A fully padded helmet for the special lil' FSU fan in your family when traveling outside the safeties of your home. Warranty only covers injuries sustained while walking.As part of our ongoing series with DFIG, here’s the key to game weekend dining in the Capital City.
Restaurant: The 4th Quarter Bar & Grill. – The 4th Quarter is a dive with fairly cheap food and drinks, and it is my favorite hang out in town. The only downside to it is that the local Gators migrate in there a little too often, but it’s a good place to watch other games in peace. And the drinks are pretty cheap on top of that.
Dish: Cardiac Basket (Cheddar Bacon Fries with Ranch Dressing on the side). If that doesn’t clog an artery, I don’t know what will. For dinner, get a Patty Melt, but make sure you ask the waitress to “Hold the Patty and Hold the Melt” after you’ve had a Maudite. Really, they LOVE that, I swear.
Booze: Yes
Open Sundays: Yes
Restaurant: Famous Dave’s BBQ – Okay, it’s a chain, but it basically put Smokey Bones out of business, and it has sauce called DEVIL’S SPIT. How can you beat something called Devil’s Spit?
Dish: From what I can tell, anything. I’m not the biggest Q fan, so I order burgers there generally, but EVERYTHING looks good, and numerous friends of mine have said it’s good. The only thing you might want to stay away from are the fried apples, since they aren’t mushy enough for me.
Booze: Yes
Open Sundays: Yes
Restaurant: Harry’s – It’s downtown at Kleman Plaza and everything is Creole / New Orleans style. It’s more upscale, but on a game weekend you’re fine in your Clemson polo and khaki’s (relatively anyway, it’s orange for crying out loud).
Dish: Check out the specials and go with whatever fish you desire.
Booze: Yes
Open Sundays: Yes
Restaurant: Momo’s Pizza – If you want something simple like pizza, but not necessarily cheap, head to Momo’s.
Dish: Pizza, DUH. Momo’s has slices the size of your head, and it’s the best pizza in town if you like something that is New York Style. You have anything from regular toppings to stuff like Bradley’s Country Sausage, a very good white pizza, or a Pesto style pizza. If you head to the Momo’s on the North side of town, you can get appetizers too, make sure you get some cheesy bread.
Booze: Yes
Open Sundays: Yes
07 June 2007
KNOW YOUR NOLES: SUPER SWEET LUNCH AND SNACK FOOD EDITION (88 DAYS TILL KICKOFF)
Chili, over at Danny Ford Is God, can kiss my rear end. SuperPerros this, SuperPerros that. He needs to understand that Colombian-style doesn’t mean he’s getting any Colombian women with the food. And on top of that, he uttered the words “pineapple” and “hot dog” in the same sentence. (In all seriousness I like SP’s just fine, but…)
It’s NOT Dog Et Al. That’s the best dog in town.
So, Tigers, if you’re in Tally this is where you need to head for Lunch, provided it’s not Sunday.
Where? Dog Et Al on South Monroe Street.
Why? NoleCC himself eats there once per week. They have the best hot dogs in town, with so many combinations you could have a different dog, every day for 28 years. I recommend either the Jumbo Corn Dog or a Coney-Style Super, but whatever floats your boat is good. The fries, homemade chips and onion rings are all good, and a combo meal include fries (or chips) and a drink is usually under 7 bucks!
What NoleCC said in the above paragraph, as recited by a GT student.****** CASH OR CHECKS ONLY! NO CREDIT OR DEBIT CARDS ******
Hot dogs not your thing? A) I don’t care, you’re not a real American and B) They have “uppity” dogs too, like sausages or brats.
And when you’re done with that, realizing that you should have gone to FSU instead of Clemson, it’s time for a little dessert. That’s when you drive your happy little Tiger ass over to Cold Stone Creamery on West Tennessee Street (Ignore the crappy parts of the strip on the way there). Enjoy the view of the North Side of Campus, and wonder why on earth you didn’t come to Tallahassee sooner.
Stick around; I’ll cover the important parts in my next editions, where to eat and what to drink for dinner and after! Check out Willy Mac's article here.
25 April 2007
KNOW YOUR NOLES: POST SPRING BALL EDITION
Mediocre Photoshop... check.
First photoshop ever. I think the picture itself paints a perfect picture of what's been extremely popular among Noles fans everywhere: Lowriders with FSU themed paint jobs.Continuing my ongoing series, I bring you "Know Your Noles". It's a pretty cut and dry Q&A with one of the top Florida State blogs in preparation for the Labor Day match up between FSU and Clemson that is just 131 days away. The first article, done with ChantRant.com can be found here. This second edition has been brought to you by our good friend and Blogger-In-Arms NoleCC over at ScalpEm.com. Our questions for their segment of "Know Your Tigers" can be found here.
DFIG: How has the new coaching staff melded together? Any signs of struggle or trouble?
Scalp Em': I think we're still at the honeymoon stage for the coaching staff. There were two noticeable differences in this staff though. The first is that these coaches get in players' faces. No more coddling, no more hand holding, just do your job and get it done right. Personally, I like that. The second is that when Bobby Bowden was asked about the QBs, he deferred to Jimbo Fisher. That says a lot, considering it was usually Jeff Bowden deferring to his daddy.
Depending on how the season opens, this story might change, but right now things are peachy.
DFIG: Is the quarterback picture for next year any clearer?
SE: For me, yes. For everybody else, no it’s not any clearer. After watching the spring game, it became obvious that Weatherford is ahead of Xavier Lee. Noles fans everywhere just wish that Drew had XL's arm. Weatherford did a much better job of buying some time in and out of the pocket, and made very accurate throws on Jimbo's crossing routes.
Lee, on the other hand didn't look like he was ready to play. His throws were generally inaccurate, he didn't generally step up in the pocket and he just didn't look "smart" out there. If history is any indicator, Weatherford will be hitting the playbook, film and gym all summer and will be the clear cut #1 in the fall. Many Seminole fans are in Xavier's camp still, but he threw another INT that looked like the Duke pick-six in the G&G game. I just don't think he's ever going to "get it."
On a side note, I really wish we could have seen Christian Ponder work with the first team. He throws a very pretty ball.
DFIG: Right now, who is/are the single best offensive/defensive player(s).
SE: Offense - Antone Smith is light years ahead of any other running back on the depth chart. He looked strong last year, and was a better option than Lorenzo Booker. Now that he finally has his shot, free and clear from anyone more senior than him, he'll make some big plays.
Defense - Andre Fluellen is going to be a force in the middle of the line. If he doesn't wreak havoc, then everyone else on the Defensive Line will this season, thanks to Fluellen, who will draw a lot of attention from other teams.
As for the next two years... go ahead and fill Myron Rolle in as your answer.
Myron Rolle giving the ol' Deacon Jones treatment to a teammate.DFIG: Have the pitchfork mobs subsided since last season, or is there even more bloodlust for Bobby.
SE: I think that everyone in Seminole Territory is optimistic. So, the bloodlust is gone for now. Where I think it might return is when the Noles struggle (and they will here and there) and it becomes obvious that FSU's goal this year should be an ACC Title and not an MNC. The guys that will go nuts are the overly optimistic ones saying that FSU is going to win 12 games this year. Quite frankly, that's crazy talk. 9 wins with FSU's schedule (only 5 home games) would be a huge improvement over the last 5 or 6 years.
DFIG: If Bobby has another bad year (if you can call an average year a bad year), does he hang it up?
SE: The only way he hangs it up is if his health goes, or if he wins another MNC. Otherwise, Bobby isn't going anywhere. And, contrary to the pitchfork masses’ desire, you can't get rid of the guy you name the field after. Too bad. Next time wait for him to retire before you name the field after him if you're so worried about it.
DFIG: Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel, discuss your thoughts.
SE: It's rare that a mini-series evokes an emotional response out of me. The only other one that has, is Band of Brothers. Planet Earth has been fascinating, horrifying, disgusting and beautiful, all at the same time. I enjoyed 'Shallow Seas' the most so far, but last Sunday's 'Caves' episode is a close second.
What blows my mind is how great Discovery Theater HD looks on a standard 480i Sony Wega. It'll be great to watch it again in HD someday when I have an HDTV.
26 January 2007
KNOW YOUR NOLES: 219 DAYS TILL KICKOFF
Throughout the next 219 days, we will not only be counting down till the first kick off of the 2007 Clemson football season, but we here at DFIG will be periodically posting a segment called... well... it's in the title you ass. Along with our blogger cousins from Tallahassee known as Chant Rant, we will preview the game as the off season progresses. The basic outline will be that we ask them questions, they answer, we post it here. It'll be vice versa on their site, so if you want to see our responses to their questions, go check out their site.
Let's hit the ground running:
DFIG: So, who's gonna be chucking the ball for the Noles next year?
Chant Rant: TBD. Bobby is on record as saying it's Jimbo's offense, implying he's not going to meddle. Jimbo has said everybody will get a fair shot in the spring. If it's truly a clean slate, many Noles think Xavier Lee will replace Drew Weatherford as the starter. Weatherford is less mobile and can't throw 70 yards downfield like the 6'4" Lee, but Bobby stubbornly stayed with Drew through most of the season. Why? Probably because of Weatherford's experience (he's started since the first game of '05). Lee has amazing talent, but he's inconsistent. X was probably caught in that vicious circle of not starting (unless Drew was injured) because of lack of experience — which only solidified Drew's tenure under center.
A dark horse candidate at QB is redshirt freshman D'Vontrey Richardson. This kid looked like another Charlie Ward at Lee Co. high school in Georgia. And if he impresses in spring practice, who knows? He could figure into the 2007 season. Maybe even in the opening game at Clemson — though not at QB. Fisher will make better use of playmakers than his predecessor. Richardson might show up as a wild card on certain plays — either as a QB, receiver or running back.
DFIG: What on earth is going on with your coaching situation??? How big of an effect do you think Amato and Jimbo will have on your team?
CR: The new coaches have made an immediate impact, both with current players and in recruiting. The well-documented problem from 2001 - 2006 was not only that Bobby couldn't fire his son Jeff who was under-achieving as O.C., but that the older Bowden had unfortunately replaced key assistants like Amato and Mark Richt with guys who, as it turns out, just weren't as good.
Mediocrity ensued. Finally, Jeff Bowden and our A.D. teamed-up behind Bobby's back to make a deal that would guarantee Jeff a secure job outside the athletic department. Bobby seemed devastated. But once he got over it, he re-dedicated himself to putting the best team possible on the field, as well as retaining his lead over Paterno as the winningest college coach of all time. With advice (and probably behind the scenes help) from people like his son Terry, Bobby put together what may be the best coaching staff in FSU's history, including:
Jimbo Fisher - Recognized as one of the very best O.C.'s in the country and possible successor to Bowden. Word is that LSU's offense would have been even more effective if Les Miles hadn't meddled in Jimbo's game planning and play-calling (apparently one of the reasons he left).
Rick Trickett - Molder of great OL at West Virginia. This guy is an old-school former Marine. Just what we need to whip our under-performing OL into shape, D.I. style. At Morgantown, Trickett consistently took two and three-star recruits and turned them into All-Americans.
Lawrence Dawsey - One of the all-time great Seminole receivers. Played several years in the NFL. Coached at LSU and USF. Great character guy who should get all the potential out of a talented WR corps that apparently wasn't well-coached in recent years.
Chuck Amato - Maybe a bust as a head coach, but a helluva defensive specialist that players loved. Also one of the best recruiters of that motherload of talent, South Florida. Chuck replaces Kevin Steele who went to Bama as Saban's D.C. Many Noles thought Steele would be the hardest guy to replace — as a coach, a recruiter, and as a guy the kids looked up to. Amato is one guy who can fill those shoes and we don't miss a beat. Besides, he coached at FSU for almost 20 years, so it's almost like he never left.
Bottom line on the coaches: Big upgrade in three out of four, and a wash with Amato replacing Steele.
DFIG: Offensively, are things looking up or are things looking dismal?? Who's the offense centered around this year?
CR: The offense should be more productive than last year... and more dangerous. The knock on FSU during Jeff Bowden's tenure was that the offense was too predictable. Fisher will fix that. He'll also do a far better job of developing our QBs than the former QB Coach. Meanwhile, Trickett will coach the OL to give QBs more time to throw, AND consistently open holes to improve the running attack. Dawsey will drill more disciplined routes and technique into receivers.
Who will the offense be centered around? Hard to say, since Fisher likes to have a balanced attack. But the RB who could get 1000 yards in '07 is Antone Smith, a great combination of speed and power. He reminds me of your guy, James Davis. I personally look for Xavier Lee to be Fisher's new Jarmacus Russell: a big guy who can throw it a mile, mobile enough to avoid sacks, and — while not Michael Vick — can pick up a quick ten yards or more if he has to run.
DFIG: If Bobby has another 7 - 6 year, what happens? Do you think FSU's crazy schedule (Bama in Jacksonville, @ Clemson on a Monday, @ Wake on a Thursday) will have a big effect??
CR: Another 7 - 6 year? I'm looking for at least 8 - 4, although we do have a tough schedule with 12 games and nasty non-conference showdowns with Florida, Miami and Bama. But if it's 7-6, I believe that will just fuel an even more intense desire for Bobby to win. Even at 7 - 6 it should be a much better team in '07, with a higher-scoring offense and a stingy defense (barring all the injuries to starters like we had in '06).
DFIG: Do you really think 2007 is a good turn around year?? Which players play the biggest factor in this turn around if it happens?
CR: 2007 should see a pretty dramatic turnaround. The new offensive staff will get much more out of the excellent talent that Bowden has recruited (Bobby may have become more of a CEO than a hands-on coach, but he's still as sharp as ever as a recruiter — and nobody closes better in a kid's living room). We'll be more balanced, able to run more effectively and throw to more disciplined receivers running a greater variety of routes.
Leading the way on offense should be: Xavier Lee at QB, Antone Smith running the ball, and 6'6" Greg Carr out jumping DBs for touchdowns. Another great talent that showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman is Brandon Warren. He is one of the top TEs in the nation coming out of high school, Warren has WR speed and moves.
On defense, just too many guys to name. But to spotlight a few: Andre Fluellen, who returns to DT from NG since Paul Griffin will be back from a season-ending injury. LB Marcus Ball (brother of former Ga. Tech QB Reggie Ball) would probably have been the ACC Freshman of the Year if he hadn't been lost to injury at mid-season. Look for Freshman All-American safety Myron Rolle to become a feared downfield headhunter after starting the last half of the year.
Just updated: Ooops. Been a Nole so long I still associate the words "Miami" and "non-conference showdown". So sub the word "Colorado" as at least a tough non-conf. game. Why? The Buffs came within a whisker of upsetting UGA last year in Athens. And since our game is in Boulder, the thin air will give them as much of an edge as the heat 'n humidity gave us when they played in Tallahassee a few years ago.
BTW, to the poster who caught the error: your name calling was a classy touch. Especially when you signed off as anonymous.
Just for fun, here's a random picture of William "The Fridge" Perry decked out in camo.
