Monday, October 31, 2011

Something About You

(Anonymous Student Submission)


There’s just something about you
Something I can’t resist
It may be in your eyes, 
Or it may be in your smile
I’m not quite sure what

No matter what you do,
I will still defend you
No matter how you act, 
I will still be there for you
I’m not quiet sure why 

There’s just something that keeps me around
Something I can’t resist
It may be in our future
Or it may be in my dreams
I’m not quite sure which 

No matter which it is, 
I can’t let go
No matter what happens in our present,
I won’t let go till I know the future 
I’m not quite sure why

Maybe I do know the reasons,
Maybe we do have a future together
Maybe it’s because I believe in us
And if we get through the present,
We will make it to the future, together

Cornhusker Football 2011: My thoughts of this season’s games


By: Evan Troxel

Well, here are my thoughts on Nebraska Cornhuskers football here in the year 2011.

Before we really get rolling, I’d like to say that Nebraska moving to the Big Ten Conference was stupid.  I think it’s just an easier way for Nebraska to get to the National Championship Game in Football.  I don’t like that. Why?  Simply put, I don’t think our football team will try as hard (in the long run).  The Big 12 Conference I believe has at least “a” tougher (and better) football team than the toughest football “teams” within the Big 10 (eliminating Nebraska from either conference). 

I wish Nebraska would renew their rivalry with Oklahoma and Colorado.  Maybe Nebraska should play Oklahoma two years in a row and then play Colorado two years in a row.  That way it only takes up one non-Conference game slot each year.  I definitely like the idea of Nebraska playing Oklahoma and Colorado in the same season and every year from now on.

Anyway, let’s get to the 2011 season.  Currently, Nebraska has six wins and one loss this season.  After each game that has already happened or will happen, I will explain my thoughts on each of them briefly within the following paragraphs. 

Sat., 9/3/2011-The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga vs. the University of Nebraska at Lincoln 40–7 Husker victory (1 Win and 0 Losses)
Glad to see the Cornhuskers start the season off with a victory.

Sat., 9/10/2011-Fresno State at Nebraska 42 – 29 Husker victory (2 Wins and 0 Losses)
Nebraska trailed at halftime of this game.

Sat., 9/17/2011-Washington at Nebraska 51 – 38 Husker victory (3 Wins and 0 Losses)
By far this might be the worst victory of the season.  Nebraska definitely could have got beat in this game.

Sat., 9/24/2011-Nebraska at Wyoming 38 – 14 Husker victory (4 Wins and 0 Losses)
Nebraska still has never lost to Wyoming in football…ever.

Sat., 10/1/2011-Nebraska at Wisconsin 17 – 48 Husker defeat (4 Wins and 1 Loss)
Not a good way to start the month for Husker fans.  Nebraska has been historically known to RUN THE BALL!  If we would have done that against Wisconsin the whole game then we would have won.  But no!  Nebraska threw the ball a lot and it cost them the victory.

Sat., 10/8/2011-Nebraska at Ohio State 34 – 27 Husker victory (5 Wins and 1 Loss)
I liked how Nebraska ended up coming back and beating Ohio State.  Nebraska pulled off their biggest comeback in history against any opponent in terms of the number of points they trailed by and how much time remained in regulation.  I just wonder though what Ohio State fans were thinking.

Sat., 10/22/2011-Nebraska at Minnesota 41 – 14 Husker victory (6 Wins and 1 Loss)
Head Coach Bo Pelini needs to stop complaining.  He looked pretty upset in the 3rd and/or 4th Quarter(s) against Minnesota when Nebraska was easily going to win the game.  As for the offense, no more interceptions better be thrown the rest of the season!

Here’s Nebraska’s remaining season schedule:
Sat., 10/29/2011-#9 Michigan State at #13 Nebraska-11:00 a.m. CT, TV: ESPN
I thought it was great to see Michigan State defeat Wisconsin on a 44-yard Hail Mary touchdown pass on the game’s final play from Michigan State’s quarterback Kirk Cousins.  It looked like to me when I first saw it that the only way the referees could have given Michigan State receiver Keith Nichol the touchdown was that the ball only crossed the goal line at the last possible moment he moved forward.  The ball looked like (to me) that it barely crossed the goal line by less than one inch.  

The last meeting (I believe) between Michigan State and Nebraska was in the Alamo Bowl in 2003 in which Nebraska won 17-3 and was Bo Pelini’s first career victory as the (Interim) Head Coach of the Cornhuskers.  This is Nebraska’s one chance to redeem themselves to prove that they are a better football team than Michigan State and Wisconsin and to keep any realistic National Championship hopes alive.  Also, Nebraska is 5-0 against Michigan State all-time.  

Sat., 11/05/2011-Northwestern at Nebraska-2:30 p.m.-Big Ten Network (TV) & Husker Sports Network (Radio)
Nebraska dominated Northwestern 66-17 in the Alamo Bowl back in the year 2000.  If Nebraska loses this game, they should really consider firing Bo Pelini.  If Nebraska doesn’t win another game the rest of the season (as of October 28th), they should fire Bo Pelini.  Also to note, Northwestern beat Iowa last year at Northwestern.

Sat., 11/12/2011-Nebraska at Penn State-To Be Announced
Nebraska has 6 wins and 7 losses against Penn State all-time.  Hopefully nothing controversial happens in this upcoming game.  After the Michigan State game, this (I think) is Nebraska’s next true test.

Sat., 11/19/2011-Nebraska at Michigan-To Be Announced
The last time these two teams met was in the Alamo Bowl in 2005 in which Nebraska won 32-28 and was Bill Callahan’s first Bowl game victory as the Cornhusker’s Head Coach.  I think Nebraska probably should have lost that Bowl game.  Anyway, Michigan’s football stadium dubbed “The Big House” will probably be more than filled to capacity the day these two teams meet.  The stadium’s capacity is 109, 901 and the biggest crowd ever at a football game at “The Big House” is 114, 804.  Nebraska and Michigan might break that record when they meet on November 19th.
 
Fri., 11/25/2011-Iowa at Nebraska-11 a.m.
Nebraska has 26 wins, 12 losses, and 3 ties against Iowa all-time.  Hopefully, there will be some exciting plays to watch in this game from both teams (even if Nebraska totally blows out Iowa).



Monday, October 24, 2011

One Object with Hundreds of Meanings





 
Photo Credit: Ashley Miller
Picture taken in North Platte, Ne.
Caption: As the sun rises each day, it is an opportunity to start fresh and be thankful for one more precious day given to you. 





Photo Credit: Ashley Miller
Picture taken in North Platte, Ne.
Caption: While looking at the sky, one imagines what there future has in store for them and the things they need to do to be the best they can be. 





 
Photo Credit: Ashley Miller
Picture taken in North Platte, Ne
Caption: Looking at the sky the mind can’t help but think of the “impossible” and dreams of how to one day make them possible. 


   


Photo Credit: Ashley Miller
Picture taken in Torrance, Ca.
Caption: A sunset can mean many different things but the most important meaning of them all is the meaning of life.

Major League Baseball (MLB) Postseason 2011: The St. Louis Cardinals are in the World Series! GO RANGERS!


By Evan Troxel

This article will be about the 2011 Major League Baseball Postseason. 

In the Division Series (DS): In the American League (AL), the Texas Rangers topped the Tampa Bay Rays 3 games to 1 and the Detroit Tigers topped the New York Yankees 3 games to 2.  In the National League (NL), the Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Arizona Diamondbacks 3 games to 2 and the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 3 games to 2.

For my thoughts on the Division Series, I have nothing to say about the Rangers and Rays and I was glad to see the Tigers top the Yankees.  But it took the Tigers five games to come out on top?  Really!  The Tigers played better in the regular season than what they showed in this year’s postseason. 

I was disappointed to see the Brewers top the Diamondbacks (D-Backs).  However, I was really excited to see the Phillies finally go down and the way they did.  The Phillies were overrated for at least half the regular season and what would have been more enjoyable would have been to see the Phillies get swept in the National League Division Series (NLDS).  Yeah, the Phillies probably had the best pitching staff this year and they won 102 games out of 162 possible games in the regular season.

I thought it was ironic to see that Alex Rodriguez of the New York Yankees and Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies again this year (like last year) ended the season for their respective ball clubs.  Rodriguez struck out again, but at least this time he swung through the last pitch instead of taking it like he did in the 2010 American League Championship Series (ALCS).  Howard on the other hand, swung at the pitch, made contact by hitting a groundball to the second baseman, and after taking a few steps out of the batter’s box somehow injured himself and was unable to run down to first base.  Then, the Cardinals second baseman made an underhanded toss with the baseball to first baseman Albert Pujols and the Cardinals advanced to the National League Championship Series (NLCS).

In the League Championship Series (LCS): In the American League, the Texas Rangers won the pennant by defeating the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 2.  In the National League Championship Series, the St. Louis Cardinals did their work and defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 4 games to 2.  The only reason I will sympathize with the Brewers is that Bob Uecker is “Mr. Baseball” and he will probably go down in history as one of the best baseball play-by-play radio announcers ever.

I cannot believe that the ALCS didn’t go all 7 possible games.  If I feel sorry for a particular player it would be pitcher Justin Verlander of the Detroit Tigers.  He had a great regular season by (I believe) winning 24 and losing only 5.  He probably would be a more legitimate shot to take home the AL Most Valuable Player award if the Tigers had made it to the Fall Classic.  He might win a Gold Glove this year at his position (pitcher) with that incredible record of 24-5 and a low ERA (which is good pitching).  I think the whole world will be shocked if Justin Verlander doesn’t win the AL Cy Young Award this year.

The World Series currently is tied up at 1 game apiece between the American League Champion Texas Rangers and the National League Champion St. Louis Cardinals.  This series is best of seven.  All the game times start at 7:05 p.m. Central Time on the television channel of FOX. 
Game 3 is Saturday, October 22, 2011.
Game 4 is October 23rd and Game 5 is October 24th.
Game 6 will be on October 26th and Game 7 will be on October 27th.

Who do I think will win the World Series this year: The Texas Rangers. 

Also, I think the World Series will last six games at the most.  I don’t think there will be a Game 7 of the World Series this year.