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Talk sports, pop culture and more with SI.com's Jimmy Traina.11/01/2006 08:54:00 AM A November To Remember
Sports is about hype. Games are hyped, players are hyped, coaches are hyped, recruits are hyped, trades are hyped, broadcasters are hyped and on and on. If it has to do with sports, it will be hyped. It's the nature of the beast, but it's also a reason why we're all sports fans.
His name is Borat. He like U.S. and A.Photo by AP
We thrive on looking forward. When's the next big game? Who is going to be traded? Who will make the playoffs? Well, if you like hype and like looking forward, let me throw this at you: This November could go down as one of the most thrilling and exciting months ever. (How's that for hype?) Let's look at calendar.
Actually, before I even get to sports, let's be clear about one thing: November could be memorable for one simple reason: the release of Borat. Speaking of hype, what was the last movie to generate so much buzz? The anticipation for this flick has been off the charts, and rightfully so. I haven't been this pumped for a movie since American Pie II. And I have no doubts Borat won't disappoint. Here are the first four minutes of the movie and here is Borat's very own MySpace page (thanks to SI.com college football guru, Stewart Mandel for passing that along). Enjoy.
On to the November to Remember:
Thursday, Nov. 2: No. 3 West Virginia (7-0) at No. 5 Louisville (7-0). If the winner of this game runs the table, they'll likely face the winner of the Michigan-Ohio State showdown in the national title game.
Friday, Nov. 3: Borat opens in theatres (Yes, it deserves to be mentioned again)
Sunday, Nov. 5: The league's best rivalry over the past few years takes center stage when the unbeaten Colts visit the suddenly surging Patriots. Let the Peyton Manning vs. Tom Brady debates begin.
Sunday, Nov. 12: Bears at Giants. With Chicago hosting Miami the previous week, I'll go out on a limb and say the Bears will enter the Meadowlands 8-0.
Saturday, Nov. 18: Michigan at Ohio State. Just the most anticipated college football game in ages.
Sunday, Nov. 19: Falcons at Ravens, Colts at Cowboys, Chargers at Broncos. This Sunday is about quantity more than quality. You don't have one outstanding game, but three solid ones. Michael Vick faces a dominating Baltimore defense. San Diego and Denver battle for AFC West supremacy and if the Colts get past New England on Nov. 5, they'll likely enter Big D 9-0 (Indianapolis hosts Buffalo on the 12th).
Thursday: Nov. 23: Thanksgiving is always a special day, even though one of the two NFL games always features the Lions. However, this Turkey Day is even more special because the NFL finally made the smart move of adding a night game. After you've watched the Macy's parade, after you've fought with the family and after you've eaten enough to make you unbutton your pants, sit back and relax with Broncos-Chiefs.
Friday: Nov. 24: There aren't any must-see college games this day, but anytime you can watch college football on a Friday afternoon, things are good. Texas A&M (8-1) at Texas (8-1) isn't a bad game, and neither is LSU at Arkansas.
Saturday: Nov. 25: Notre Dame at USC: The game lost a lot of its luster with the Trojans' loss to Oregon State this past weekend, but this will still be a must-watch with plenty on the line.
Sunday, Nov. 26: Bears at Patriots: Could Chicago enter Foxboro 10-0?
A month can't get much better than that, especially when you consider there are no playoff games involved. So, here are my questions for you guys: Which of these games will live up the hype? Which won't? Which games are you most excited to see? Have I left out any must-see events? And finally, are you ready for Borat?Comments:
ohio state v. michigan: as a proud citizen of the great state of ohio (although i now live in england) i have awaited a game of this magnitude since the days of eddie george. both teams look so unstoppable, it should be one of the best games in history. much better than usc v. texas last year, because we will see some flat-nosed big ten defense. the bad thing is i can only get the game on pay per view here...Borat---Sascha Baron Cohen...lets see...the last time he was funny was....ummm...never...and Borat shows as much promise, if not more, of being the most over-hyped, not funny movie in History. It doesn't even have the opportunity of being accidently funny...like "Terror of Tiny Town", although it shows about the same acting ability of your typical Nicolas Cage movie...you know, lead actor has the emotional range of a piece of furniture.East Coast Jimmy conveniently forgets USC vs Cal on Nov 18. Oh, but LSU vs Arkansas, no, that's a big matchup. mrmetal doesn't understand what Borat is about, so we will leave him to wallow in his own ignorance. It's sexy time!November is actually one of the worst sports months. Hockey and Basketball are at the beginning of their season and no one really cares, baseball is over, football is midseason and who cares about college football anyway. So I have to disagree.There will be no game on Thanksgiving night for 90% of the country because I refuse to call my cable operator and demand the NFL network. I'm not cheap, but I already have 125 channels and when NFL Network and ESPNU schedule 'exclusive' games just to demand that their networks are worthy of being added to the great abyss of a cable package, that's too much. Just put the damn games on regular TV already!Hey! Don't knock the Lions Thanksgiving game! They may be one of the worst teams, but around the Detroit area, the game is a big tradition! After the Detroit Thanskgiving Day Parade (yes, there is one OTHER than the Macy's parade!), people go to the game (and usually watch the Lions loose, but that's okay!). With the Lions back in downtown Detroit, it's a short walk from the parade to the game. It's great fun here!You forgot the release of the new JAMES BOND flick, "Casino Royale". Honorable mention to the release of the 1st new CD by The Who in 24 years (Endless Wire - and OK it was released 10/31). Good times."Michigan at Ohio State. Just the most anticipated college football game in ages."
Really? Moreso than last year's national championship? Does "ages" mean 11 months? My humble suggestion: go easy on the 'instant history' angle -- odds are, in a couple of months (let alone years) any column like this is going to look ridiculous.November is awesome!!! First off if you don't like college football you might as well go to another country & watch cricket! Starting this thursday with WVU vs Louis and stopping with U of M vs OSU. What matchup's...unlike early un deserved hyped games, these teams are now into the stretch of the season and have proven to be the elite.
Borat not funny? I bet you are just like the comic book guy on the Simpsons aren't you. Criticizing most things because your an isolated freak who talks down to people in order to make himself seem smarter.OSU v UM - agree (may be best "regular season" game ever), Borat- agree (could be funniest or worst movie ever), USC v Cal- agree (you missed the boat on that one Jimmy), November worst sports month- totally disagree! (did you even read the blog?), NFL network a sham- agree (along w/ridiculous ESPNU), Detroit on Turkey day- who cares really.Being from Detroit, I do feel bad that the rest of the country has to watch terrible Lions football on Thxgiving every year. I didn't think Borat was that hard for people to get--what Sasha Cohen is doing is unique and a breath of fresh air comapared to the generic "funny" movies coming out for the past few years. Too bad people like mrmetal have such a hard time understanding it. Oh, and Buckeyes win because of a better coach and a mobile QB---something Michigan never seems to have an answer for in big games.Chicago at New England is going to be a great game, regardless of whether Chicago enters Foxboro at 10-0. These are the two teams with the least question marks to answer at midseason and likely will be popular picks for the Super Bowl this year. Look for this game to be a preview of what promises to be an interesting postseason.A&M/Texas is more than "not a bad game" . . . russellDetroit Lions football on Thanksgiving is great. I love seeing a good example of college level football right before bowl season. As for OSU v. Michigan, the only thing disappointing about this game is that it can't happen as the national title game. If these teams weren't playing during the regular season, is there any doubt they would be the two most deserving to meet up in January?Colts at New England! Again we will see why the colts let Edge go and draft Addai. AND the difference will be Adam V.
OSU vs. Michigan!!! Last time OSU won at Michigan a flaming couch was thrown from the 11th floor of a building! Michigan can not stop Troy Smith nor Ted Ginn. OSU all the way!OSU - UM is MAYBE the most anticpated REGULAR SEASON game in years (Probably going back to ND-FSU). But please, USC-UT last year was the most hyped, anticipated college football game of our lifetimes. With good reason.I have no problem understanding good satire. I have problems with Hollywood and others continuing to put out junk by the same untalented people again and again. Show me something new. 'Borat' isn't. Its a rehash of satire. It's hackneyed. It's crap. Watch 'Spinal Tap' and tell me what other than the settings is different about this piece? It's a shot at America by a "comic" using a foreigner in a strange land. I understand it. It still isn't funny. It wasn't funny in the preview I saw, and I can't imagine other than cutting it to the opening and closing credits, that it would be funny in the final cut.Wow, MrMetal, I see that you only watch movies with actors who have incredible acting range. To dismiss Borat as not being funny is downright ignorant, if not stupid... If you don't like confrontational humor, or you don't get it... I don't know what to say to you... Most people who don't get Borat are those who the movie is satirizing... You do like satire, don't you? It is, afterall, the highest form of comedy...11/12 - 11/26... Monsters of the Midway on New York television!! Nothing better than watching bone crunching, smash mouth football, and the Bears leave Foxboro 11-0!Go bears!! Ben Ten is overrated. Lets see them play a schedule like auburn or florida.Let's stop bashing MrMetal. He's entitled to his opinion and he doesn't have to like Borat. Plus, he bashed Nicolas Cage, so he can't be all that bad.geeez everyone rippin on the Lions today. Sure they're terrible, what's new? But I sure remember watching the Thanksgiving game in '04 when Peyton Manning threw 6 TD passes on his way to the record. Peyton Manning owes the Detroit D for being so bad. And like every year, I will watch the Lions lose, and see someone eat one of the 8 legs of a turkey.I'm glad the rest of the country is forced to watch the Lions. Now they'll see what everyone who lives in the Detroit area has to go through every week. At least I'll have a full stomach on Thanksgiving. Think I can sue the NFL for making me watch the Lions?OSU and U of M is the most anticipate d game for a reason. It will be a nitty gritty defense first game, that will adventually break out into a game of who can make the big play on offense.It will not be overhyped, mark my words.It will be a great game in which hopefully Michigan wins and quiets all the OSU talks of a national title.How about a great early season college basketball match-up:
Nov 29: #4 Ohio State @ #2 North CarolinaBen Ten is overrated. Lets see them play a schedule like auburn or florida.----OSU has beat 6 teams so far on there schedule with winning records and Mich. has beat 5. Florida and Auburn, 4 wins a piece against teams with winning records. Just the hard facts, GO BUCKEYESHow come everything in November to Remember, other than Borat, is football related? Are there not any other sport reasons to remember November?To answer Anonymous at 12:12 re. Why no other sports besides college football and NFL: Very simply, regular season NBA is meaningless outside of a handful of games and the NHL overall is meaningless. College hoops will have some good tournaments late in the month, but it just seems too early to tout any matchups as being epics.You were excited to see American Pie II? Jimmy, you are an odd one.Don't forget - if Louisville beats West Virginia this week, then Louisville/Rutgers would be BIG the next week (11/9). If not, the WVa/Rutgers game in December could loom large.Hmmm Colts vs Pats in Foxboro.... How many times has Manning lost there now? 7? I can't wait to see Vinatieri line up to kick and choke on his own disloyalty.Borat video was pulled from "You Tube."
Don't forget the Redskins-Dallas Matchup, may not matter but always good.OSU-UM is the big one, of course that weekend, but that is Rivalry Weekend!!! They are all worth watching!For all those punks who complain about the big ten not havng a championship game, we have OSU - Michigan.
Every YearBig Ten overrated? How about the SEC is overrated. Div-1 college football is good no matter what conference your in. Its super-fast big men playing against super-fast big men. The top echelon of all players in the country. Big Ten, SEC, ACC, Big East, Big 12, etc. it doesn't matter, their all good. Sure there are dominant teams, but doesn't mean a conference is overrated. If OSU played in the SEC, they'd still be undefeated, its just their season to be dominant. Years ago, Oklahoma was unbeatable but still had tough games against Nebraska and Texas but that didn't make the rest of Div-I inferior to the Big 12 (or 8).Thanks to those of you who wrote in to tell me YouTube pulled the link I had to the first four minutes of Borat. I found a different one and it should be working -- for now.I suppose there are not that many boxing fans anymore (and with good reason), but I think the Mayweather v. Baldomir fight could be a good one to watch. For the first time since Marquez, Mayweather will be fighting a bigger, stonger, true welter-weight; it should be interesting to see what happens. Only porblem now is those rediculously high PPV prices. Black Box anyone?Watch Raising Arizona again and you'll find it in your heart to forgive Cage for what he's done since then.
Florida, Tennessee, LSU, and Auburn would appear equally unstoppable at this point if they didn't have to play each other and could beat up on Northwestern, Michigan State, Illinois, and Moeller High School every Saturday.
Whomever wins the "game of the century" will be outed in January.Just a couple of things:
1) OSU vs. UM is huge. I can't wait.
2) How can people say the Big Ten is overrated when no other team in the country could run the table with a Big Ten schedule (yes, this means any team in the SEC) just like most teams couldn't run the table in the other conferences either.
3) Why should teams ADD a conference championship game? Who wants to see UM vs OSU two weeks in a row? Do the traditionally weaker teams in the Big 12 north actually stand a chance against the champion of the south? I can understand why the SEC would be bitter about this considering what happened to Auburn in '04, but that just means we need a "plus 1 game", not an extra game at the end of the REGULAR season.Watch "Snake Eyes", "8mm", and "ConAir" and you'll see why his acting skills are best suited for a bad middle school Christmas play (although ConAir at least was a good movie dispite the ridiculous accent.
Also, for the SEC guy...lets not forget about: Ole Miss, Miss St., Vanderbilt and Kentucky. Every conference has their whipping boys. Good luck playing UM, OSU, Wisconsin, and Penn State. Regardless of PSU's record this year, they were one pass away from being undefeated last year.First of all, the Big Ten would have to add a team to be able to have a conference championship game. Second of all, conference championships are a waste of time, just look at the ACC last year with FSU winnning (How many games did they lose) and going to the Orange Bowl. Oh, by the way, I have tickets to the greatest football game in history on Nov 18th. WHen the Buckeyes beat Michigan and then win the championship game, they will have played and beaten three #2 teams this season. Auburn and Floida can stop bitching.To the moron who said the Texas-USC game is shaping up to be better than this year's Michigan-OSU matchup I think you need to be reminded that on top of being a 1-2 (regular season) matchup, it is also the greatest and most heated rivalry in sports going over 100 years strong. The only matchup that could quite possibly rival this athletic event in terms of collateral damage might be India against Pakistan in cricket. Last time I checked the universal scoreboard it read like this:
1. College Football
2. Borati like O.S. and U! do you like O.S. and U?!?! come 18th day of novembers, number 10 buckeye will crush opponent and take a many cheerleader for sexy time...I think it should be added that what could be the marquee college basketball game of the non-conference season is also happening in November with Kansas and Florida playing in Vegas... should be a good month.I prefer quantity over hype. My top 10 for November.
1. NFL week 12
2. NFL week 11
3. NFL week 10
4. NFL week 9
5. Thanksgiving
6. NBA's opening month (games do count)
7. NHL second month (ditto)
8. The election season ends!
9. College basketball tourneys
10. Casino RoyaleThere is also the small matter of a top of the table soccer clash across the pond CHELSEA vs MAN UTD on Nov 22.I can understand it not being mentioned by most people, but the GaTech/Georgia game should be pretty good this year (regardless of UGA's struggles). They've been close the past couple of years. Plus, how can you miss a game referred to as "Good Old-fashioned Hate"?have to agree with the person that election season ends...just yet another thing to make November great.The release of the Playstation 3 on November 17th and the release of the Nintendo Wii on November 19th will have a greater impact on society than all of those games and Borat combined.Got something to say?
Jimmy wants to hear from you. If there's a story you think he might find interesting or if there's a topic you want him to cover, let him know about it. If you just have a question or comment for him, send it along, too. You can email him here.
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