If it's a Saturday with no sun and no football, is it actually a Saturday? No.
I would spend the day finishing Shūsaku Endō's Silence, but I'm tasked as the weekend editor, so I'm creating local #content for the next 48 hours (and finishing Silence).
Hey, Randy, ring the damn bell! I have aggression to work off from that heartbreaking BCS semifinal loss to Auburn.
THE BAD STATS. Anybody reading a mid-January Skully knows: Ohio State suffered another round of early exits. It ranged from the least surprising (Malik Hooker) to the not surprising but painful (Curtis Samuel) to the surprising (Noah Brown).
The number crunchers say the Buckeyes suffered the most grievous loss in the country.
From profootballfocus.com:
Underclassmen lost: 6 – CB Marshon Lattimore; CB Gareon Conley; S Malik Hooker; LB Raekwon McMillan; RB/WR Curtis Samuel; WR Noah Brown
One year removed from a record-setting draft class, Ohio State is once again set to be a major supplier of talent to the NFL, with six underclassmen declaring for the draft. In Curtis Samuel and Noah Brown, the Buckeyes lose their two leading receivers, with Samuel being the tougher to replace. A hybrid runner/receiver, Samuel was the most dynamic player on the Buckeyes roster. On defense, Raekwon McMillan has been excellent, but it is the departure of three members of the secondary that really hurts. Corners Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley earned coverage grades of 86.0 and 85.0, respectively, and combined for eight interceptions and 13 further passes defensed. Malik Hooker had seven picks and earned an 85.2 coverage grade, rangy ball-hawking safeties aren’t easy to find, he will definitely be missed. Few programs are as capable of dealing with attrition as the Buckeyes, but losing 13 underclassmen over the course of two seasons will stretch their resources.
I started to get mad reading that. But then I remembered all national pessimism towards my team from now until August is good. Honestly, I'll be shocked if OSU finishes above Maryland. The resources... they're just too thin. Somebody should just crown Penn State.
PAINT ME LIKE ONE OF YOUR SLOT RECEIVERS. Curtis Samuel will be one of the most versatile athletes available in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Samuel declared as a wide receiver on Friday. At this point, the only question is if the New England Patriots draft him in the second round or wait until Hunter Renfrow declares.
Here's Cleveland's conundrum: If Samuel lands with the Patriots, his jersey hangs in Canton one day. If the Browns draft him, the only way his jersey hangs in Canton is on a Wal-Mart discount rack.
None of this will stop me from blasting the Browns for passing on Samuel.
COLD TAKES. Sportswriters in the Nineties had it made. They wrote two "columns" a week, earned robust wages and benefits, and 99% of their published work wound up in a recycling bin at the end of the day.
But the game done switched. Here, on the gritty streets of the Internet, your takes are forever. And what is better than watching somebody get something wrong about the trivial entertainment we watch specifically because of its unpredictability?
From thecomeback.com:
I'm really not seeing the hype that is surround with Joey Bosa. .... He doesn't do anything that will wow you. He's just a motor guy. #NFL
— Brian Witherspoon (@Spoony29) February 5, 2016
I'm seeing more and more reports that are confirming my earlier beliefs that Bosa isn't displaying #NFL greatness as he did in college.
— AJ Atkinson (@AJ_Atkinson) February 29, 2016
What the hell, Chargers? Bosa is a 4-3 end, not a 3-4 EDGE. This type of stuff doesn't work See Bjoern Werner.
— Vincent Frank (@VincentFrankNFL) April 29, 2016
3 days later still can't believe SD took Bosa @ 3. Will he ever keep OCs/QBs up at night like Mack/Von/Houston? I just don't see it
— John Middlekauff (@JohnMiddlekauff) April 30, 2016
This is going to surprise you... but the Chargers pinching pennies on Bosa led to fans blaming the player. Remember, the Library of Congress entombs all tweets:
.@cannonhartman: "TRADE. JOEY. BOSA. NOW!" @XTRA1360
— Judson Richards (@Judson1360) August 8, 2016
This is something else. Bosa's career is practically over before it begins. He's not 'bout that football life. https://t.co/825z3qmHhc
— Damon Bruce (@DamonBruce) August 24, 2016
No idea why the Chargers drafted Joey Bosa in the first place. He's going to be a bust.
— Grant Cohn (@grantcohn) August 24, 2016
Me? Ohhhh just enjoying my M&Ms watching Bosa be a bust before he even touches the field. But how’s YOUR day going?
— Patrik Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) August 24, 2016
Looks solid to me @WillieMcGinest #Chargers pic.twitter.com/LgPh8Cf2f6
— Freezing Cold Takes (@OldTakesExposed) December 24, 2016
One day I will make a bad take—or worse, a typo. Do not cry for me when that day comes. My take won't be as bad as siding with a dirtbag owner in a peanut dispute.
MICHIGAN STATE: CHANGE IS COMING. Will Michigan State be good in 2017? The Spartans need to act quickly if they're to stay in B1G championship contention against Ohio State and an ascending Michigan and Penn State.
Sounds like it's a summer of self-reflection in Sparta.
From mlive.com:
"There's a lot of change that we'll go through," Dantonio said.
Dantonio said changes will come to Michigan State's offense, defense and special teams. Asked for specifics, he said changes will be "nuanced."
"I think what we've got do...critique everything in our program, take a systematic approach, identify problems and find solutions," Dantonio said.
Wow, blatant disrespect by the mlive.com staff referring to D'antoni multiple times as "Dantonio."
If this blatant disrespekt goes unpunished.... well, maybe it's curtains for the green gang.
CREATE OR DIE: CHOOSE WISELY. There's a trend of long-time readers logging on and commenting. Let's hope this continues. The secret of the Skull Session is the comments actually carry the water. So register and voice your opinions or continue to be scared about strangers downvoting you.
THOSE WMDs. On wielding a scythe.... Floating Alaska strip club owner says he was unfairly targeted... Drug smuggler becomes environmental hero... What happens when you die in space?
