SPECIALSLess regal, more rainy
What’s in a name? In Omaha — at the moment — a lot of angst. At least that seemed to be the tenor of the Internet alarms that started ringing Nov. 15 as the Omaha Royals announced that the team was now the Omaha Storm Chasers. It started locally on Twitter but ballooned to include a mocking post on Deadspin and a suggestion from ESPN’s Rob Neyer that perhaps the team could’ve been better served by combining all of our regional influences into one super-name: the BenevolentRailBombingHuskerStorms. Did Omaha embarrass itself with the change? I don’t think so and none of the 300 or so people in attendance at the big unveiling seemed to,…
entered on 11/23/10 at 02:46 PM | read more »
School Ties
The longest play Kansas managed came with about six minutes remaining in the third quarter of its 20-3 loss against Nebraska, when running back James Sims gained 23 yards over left end. The gain was nullified by a holding penalty on the Jayhawks. Nebraska defensive coordinator Carl Pelini referred to the play afterward. Kansas had lined up in the Wildcat formation, in a way “very different than anything we’d seen,” he said. “But we adjusted and hit it for a 2-yard gain the next time.” That wasn’t the only instance of the Huskers’ defense adjusting, just the most dramatic. The Jayhawks ran from different formations and different personnel groupings. They did all sorts of offensive things they hadn’t done previously,…
entered on 11/17/10 at 03:06 PM | read more »
Win Some, Lose Some
* You win some, you lose some and let’s just say Omaha’s had better weekends than the one just past. First there was the Creighton women’s soccer team, rallying Friday from a goal down to take a 2-1 lead on Minnesota in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Gophers out-shot the Bluejays 15-2 in the second half on their way to a 4-2 victory. Still a nice year for Coach Bruce Erickson, whose team set a school record with 15 wins. Then the top-seeded Creighton men lost to host team Bradley in the first round of the Missouri Valley Conference tournament, the Jays second loss to the Braves in less than a week. Creighton took a 2-1…
entered on 11/17/10 at 03:03 PM | read more »
The Quarterback Question
First of all, we knew Cody Green wouldn’t bring to the offense what Taylor Martinez does, right? That’s why Martinez is Nebraska’s starting quarterback and Green is a backup. So the Cornhuskers weren’t going to be as productive with Green starting, even against an Iowa State defense that ranked 102nd nationally, allowing well over 400 yards per game. Also, though Green was technically No. 2 on the depth chart, just ahead of Zac Lee, he had played briefly in only five games, most recently in the Big 12 opener at Kansas State. Green had thrown only 12 passes this season, completing seven for 79 yards. Against Iowa State, he completed, well, 7-of-12 passes for 79 yards (and one touchdown). How…
entered on 11/10/10 at 03:44 PM | read more »
Omaha Vipers vs. World Cup ’94 ...
* Alexi Lalas is coming to Omaha. Sure, the goateed, grunge hero of the 1994 U.S. World Cup squad is perhaps better known today as a goatee-free, goading soccer commentator on ESPN, but that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t want to see him lace up the boots one more time, right? You’ll get that chance Jan. 21, when the Omaha Vipers take on members of that ’94 squad indoors at the Civic Auditorium. Reportedly Marcelo Balboa’s flowing locks will be there as will Tony Meola of World Cup — and to a lesser extent for the general sporting public I suppose — off-Broadway, New York Jets and Super Nintendo fame. Considering that the Vipers’ team colors are red, I hope this…
entered on 11/10/10 at 03:41 PM | read more »
Game On
Has a major college basketball coach ever looked so darn comfortable in his new job? Rarely does a coaching transition go as smoothly and seamlessly as Creighton’s recent switch from longtime leader Dana Altman to new Coach Greg McDermott. And rarely does the old coach leave the cupboards as well stocked with talent as that which McDermott inherited with the Bluejays returning four starters from last season, including preseason Missouri Valley Conference player of the year Kenny Lawson Jr. “Dana left the program in unbelievable shape. Most of the jobs I’ve taken … they’ve needed to be fixed, but that’s not the case with this one,” says McDermott. “We just need to build upon the great tradition that he already…
entered on 11/10/10 at 02:34 PM | read more »
For The Record
Roy Helu, Jr. comes up big against Missouri Nebraska took a timeout with 2:17 remaining and the outcome decided. The timeout allowed Cornhusker running back Roy Helu, Jr. to catch his breath before carrying one more time, on fourth-down-and-1 at the Missouri 31-yard line. He gained 3 yards then ran to the sideline as fans chanted his name. Helu was oblivious to the chants. “I wish I’d heard it, though; that would’ve been cool,” he told reporters following the 31-17 victory against the No. 7-ranked Tigers. Near the end of his post-game interview, Helu asked a question of reporters: “So when they chanted the ‘Roy’ thing, how do you chant ‘Roy,’ because my name’s only three letters?” The chants were…
entered on 11/03/10 at 01:56 PM | read more »
Cosmic Forecast, May 2-May 8¿Cómo ésta? Happy Cinco de Mayo. This is the/a week to clean up, take care of and finish up your spring cleaning. Take care of all the/your loose...
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Cosmic Forecast, Apr. 25-May 1
Happy Full Moon conjunct a retrograde Saturn at 5° degrees Scorpio, at 3 ’til 3:00 on the afternoon of the 25th. Watch out! Responsibility is about...
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Cosmic Forecast, Apr. 18-Apr. 24
Welcome into Taurus, ruler of both the throat (the part of the body astrologically attributed to the second sign), and the planet of love, Venus....
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Cosmic Forecast, Apr. 11-Apr. 17
We just saw the start of the astrological New Year at dawn on April 10th; the Aries New Moon during Aries. That’s when to initiate your spring...
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Big Pharma and the Money-Go-Round
Another record fine has been levied against a Big Pharma company. This time it’s GlaxoSmithKline, the fourth largest drug company in the world with...
more »Nature’s Perfect Food? Eggs-actly!
It comes in its own package, albeit a tad fragile. It has a reasonable shelf life, even at room temperature. It has relatively low production costs...
more »It looked good on the label. And, to the best of my recollection, the product info described a loving pet owner in Colorado whose longtime canine...
more »“What are words for? When no one listens, what are words for?” So hiccupped Dale Bozzio in 1980 as I stood watching her and my friend Terry Bozzio...
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