Now, let me preface this by saying as much as I enjoy Ted Miller, I have a sneaking suspicion he's a bit of a wolf in sheep's clothing on this issue.  He came to ESPN via the Seattle Post Intelligencer, and currently lives right here in Scottsdale (ahem, ahem -- good interview suspect, House of Sparky?).  But he was born in Atlanta and went to school in Virginia, so he's certainly steeped in the SEC mystique, and in various interviews I've read he has generally been admiring of that conference's tradition and power. 

All that said...he is a GREAT beat writer, and I'd kill to have him on staff at one of the local papers.  He did a piece on his blog presenting some *gasp* FACTS about recent SEC/Pac-10 tilts, and questioning the going wisdom that ASU is going to shrivel up in a little ball at the mere sight of those big, bad southern boys are visiting SDS tomorrow.  An excerpt:

As ESPN.com's Ivan Maisel pointed out this week: Eight SEC teams are in the top 30 in total defense.

But how many elite offenses have SEC teams faced so far? Check out the schedule. I'll wait here.

And it's not like those SEC defenses will face elite offenses in conference play, as Ivan also pointed out, "Four SEC teams rank among the top 50 in total offense, and only four rank among the top 59 in passing efficiency."

Now, Sun Devil fans certainly have reason to worry, given our collective fragile psyche after the shocking upset to UNLV last week.  And ASU's last several big stage performances certainly haven't gone particularly well (I'm looking at you, Oregon, USC, and Texas).  But it shouldn't be a surprise to see Rudy Carpenter & Co make some hay on the big, bad, Bulldawgs. 

ESPN: Should Arizona State be terrified of an SEC defense?

Came across an awesome article in the Washington Post via The Big Lead about the negotiation process between the Washington Nationals and their top draft pick Aaron Crow, who ended up being the only 1st rounder not to sign (I think -- max of 2.)  Unlike the NFL or NBA drafts, the MLB draft doesn't get nearly as much attention and the process is pretty opaque to alot of us.  This sheds a good light on what goes on with many players at the top of the draft and how it can often come down to the very last second, just like it did with Eric Hosmer this year and Josh Vitters last year.  Because of the type of players we are dealing with at ASU who are among the most talented in the country, we will probably see something like this situation just about every year with at least a few players.  It's long, but well worth a read.

More Than 3,700 words from Jim Bowden on Aaron Crow

UPDATE: Baseball America is reporting that Hosmer signed a deal with the Royals at the deadline.  Terms haven't been released as of yet, but I'll update when they are.

The deadline for drafted players to sign a contract is this Friday, 8/15.  As always, there's a handful of high picks holding out to the last minute, and in all likelihood, everyone will come to terms before midnight on Friday.  ASU recruit Eric Hosmer was drafted 3rd by the Kansas City Royals and negotiations are still apparently ongoing.  But much of what's been written seems to indicate that although Hosmer is still pretty likely to sign a contract, it's not an absolute slam dunk.

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This is a few days old, but I didn't see anything on it so I thought I'd throw it up here.  Via the Yahoo! BDL blog, a post about Tim Duncan's adventures to return some pants.  An excerpt:

Saleswoman: Sir, you can’t return these pants.

Duncan: (incredulous) Wha-what do you mean I can’t return them?

Saleswoman: Sir, these pants have obviously been worn a number of times.  It looks like you have also used them to paint in…

Duncan: (voice getting higher) What do you mean they’ve been worn?

Enjoy!

http://foodcourtlunch.com/?p=919

I will admit to having fond feelings for both UT and A&M, due to having friends loyal to both schools, but I thought you guys would get a kick out of this one in case you haven't made your way to Sunday Morning Quarterback yet today.  

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Congratulations from this ASU Sun Devil on your deserved victory in San Diego.  Your team came in focused and ready to play and it showed.  There was no "big-timing" about how mighty UT was too bored with the Holiday Bowl and as a result, my Devils got throttled.  In all truth, ASU is probably a year or 2 away from having the horses to compete with the Longhorns, but I had hoped for a better showing than we provided.  But didn't I tell you that we'd manage to make your defensive woes go away? ;)

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