Coach Pinkel was on ESPN Radio with Scott Van Pelt this afternoon. They'll have the archive up after while, but I jotted down what I heard.

On adjusting to expectations:

"Expectations come from the respect we're earning. You get expectations by working harder. Our kids are pretty focused. We'll see if we can have back to back high level years."

On his success keeping the same coaching staff together and that impact on recruiting:

"Every one of my coaches have been in the same area for 8 straight years. Our guys will talk to janitors, they'll talk to cooks at these schools. They're good guys."

On Missouri's record against the top Big 12 teams:

"I think you earn that. People should question that. Certainly we've made progress. We won the Big 12 North, that was a goal for us. OU played better than us, and they deserved that win. Our next goal is a big 12 championship. Anything after that is gravy. We're going to work hard and see what happens. I tell all my players, "you can talk all you want about football. You have to go do it. "

On goals coming into this weekend's game with Illinois:

""I think you just want to play well. You want to do the things that got you where you were in the past. You want to protect the ball and not have mental errors. We've known they're on the schedule fr a long time. Illinois' a great team, it's going to be a bowl-type atmosphere."

John Anderson was apparently egging Van Pelt on to ask about the gold pants for this year:

"That decision is up to the seniors and captains. John can call me directly if he wants to talk about that. (laughs)"

Three straight bowl games where you've scored 38 points. Do you think you could be scoring 38 points in a game with "BCS" in the title in January?

"I don't know. We'll find out. Hopefully we can make that kind of progress."

Do you think you have a chance?

"Oh, yeah. We've got a chance." 

• Win. I think this should probably be pretty obvious.
• Control the quarterbacks. Rollouts are not good for us. The ends need to keep them in the pocket.  Our secondary can take care of the rest. No running.
  
• Ease Coffman in. I know TNU wants to get going in a hurry, but we need him healthy for Big 12 play. He needs to come in, get his touches, but let the other receivers have a chance to shine.
• Hit them hard and fast. It's the first game of the season and we need to slam them quick to show we're not rusty. The slower we are to get off the block, the harder it will be to catch up.
  
• Find a running back. If we don't show that one of the young guns can be a threat, Zook's going to gamble on us. No good. SlapJack? I'm looking at you.
• Spread the ball. Chase is one of the absolute best at distributing the ball, and we need to get the rest of the weapons up to speed. Tommy? Get your hands up, son.
  
• Get nasty.  You always want to play physical in football. It's kind a physical sport, if you haven't noticed. But last year we had Pig who would set the tone. Someone, preferably one of the linebackers, needs to obliterate whatever QB they throw at us, and make a point. We're in control.
  

(Ed. Note: The goal is to make it through this post without a single Shawshank redemption. I think I can do it. Brooks Wuz Here. D'oh!)

The morning has come, and things don't look as bad.  Yes, we sucked. Mightly.  But maybe it was a perfect storm of being on the road, injuries, and us keeping the playbook vanilla. Maybe Brodie just had a bad game. Maybe... here's what I hope this season.  I don't have unrealistic expectations. I'm not hopeful of the playoffs, or of Bowe being a ProBowler.  But here's what I hope.

I hope Brodie gets to work in a system he's comfortable with, that teaches him to limit his mistakes but not be afraid of making them.

I hope the Show gets enough touchdowns for him to feel like he's a central part of this team for the future.

I hope Tony Gonzalez finds some comfort in teaching the new kids how to win, and how to do it with class. Then I hope he gets traded to a contender.

I hope Albert stays healthy enough to pancake a few guys and show Brodie that help is on the way.

I hope LJ stays healthy and motivated, and doesn't get ridden into the ground again.

I hope LJ stays out of trouble.

I hope Franklin, Price, SOMEBODY comes out as a viable #2.

I hope Chan lets the cuffs off sometimes, and Herm lets him.

I hope Tank and Tyler make the jump, and every now and then, just now and again, absolutely crush some quarterback.

I hope DJ takes this challenge as something to commit to, rather than get frustrated with.

I hope Hali makes Herm look like a genius for trading Drunky McDrunkerson.

I hope Pat Thomas turns into Kawika Mitchell 2.0, or at least Mazlowski 1.5.

I hope Brandon Flowers runs a pick six on Cutler.

I hope LaDainian Tomlinson doesn't kill us.

I *really* hope Darren McFadden doesn't kill us.

I hope Page and Pollard just get a _little_ better at attacking the ball and not just the ball-carrier.

I hope Page lights up people.

I hope Gunther makes them belive.

I hope we beat the Raiders, just at home.

I hope we beat the Broncos, just at home.

I hope we keep the margin of defeat under 14.

I hope we play with passion and pride.

I hope I don't drink myself into a coma.

via www.stickergirl.com

The possible #1 pick got busted for public urination the other night. Doors on Beale Street can look forward to Blake urinating on them next year.

Just think, terrible NBA teams. In a year, you'll have a chance at this kid. Those sunglasses look like something I used to get at the merchandising bulk store when I was a kid for a nickel.

Benson has been formally announced as a signee in France. No word yet on how this affects his blogging, but I'm betting it will only make it better.Congratulations on the gig, Rod, Ridiculous Upside wishes you all the best across the pond. We hope you come back soon.

To all NBA GMs currently wasting money on old rebounders that can't get up the floor to save their lives. Throw money at him. Now. You're letting one of the best rebounding prospects in the league get away.  Tragic.

Rod Benson is the most notorious former D-Leaguer.  There's guys that have gone on to play in the NBA with a lower profile.  In his latest column, he discusses the quandry of the blogger-athlete. He talks about how some teams might be concerned about his blog and that could impact his chances of getting signed. It's the usal knock-out that Benson delivers, hot on the heels of Boom Got Them Three.

An interesting note, though. He mentions that a player was banned from the D-League but currently plays in the NBA. Interesting.Benson refuses to say who it is he's referring to, but sources are percolating on it. I'll update when I get it confirmed.

We should have played worse earlier in the preseason. We should look worse when things are more vanilla. We should look worse when we've had less time together. Tonight we played what I am tempted to call the absolute, positively worst football game I have ever seen. I am prepared for losses. Even to the Dolphins. But not ... whatever that was. Because it wasn't football.  I wouldn't use footage of that as a torture technique.  I wouldn't make Raiders fans watch that.  I wouldn't watch that again if it meant Chiefs season tickets for the next forty years on the 50 yard line.

But I digress. We knew it would be bad. And it is still the preseason. We have to hold on to that hope.  We have to cling to it. We have to hold it like it is our last possession, because if we don't, well, we wont' have the heart to watch the kickoff of the Patriots game. It's entirely possible we'll play better in the regular season. Let's go over our goals.

1. To improve. In every aspect. From player development to play execution, to mental toughness. We want progress, nothing more.

2. To be competitive. We do have a number of first round picks starting. We have talent, and a few stars. We should at least be able to be competitive. If the Chicago Bears can be considered even a .500 club with Rex Grossman and Kyle Orton (who I would give an arm or a leg for at this point, preferably one of Huard's), then we should at least be able to be competitive.

3. To answer the questions at linebacker, defensive tackle, and quarterback, about whether we have sufficient talent, and if so, who that talent resides in.

We cannot start freaking out over losses when the regular season starts, because it will do us no good. While nothing we do will influence front office decisions, it will affect the course of discussion here at the Pride.  If you start jumping on Herm Edwards in week one, you'll be dismissed as a Herm-hater, and that's the end of you. If you say Croyle should be released, you're going to be considered an anti-Croyle elment, or worse, a (shudder) Huardite.  We have to give ample time to judge the players, coaches, and front office, before we begin the discussion .  To this end, I suggest the following time limits. 

Calling for Brodie Croyle's benching: AfterWeek 7 vs. Tennessee Titans:

We can criticize his performance for the first four weeks. We can start demanding he improve in the fifth week. If he manages to get outplayed by Vince "The Rose Bowl Will Be My Only Legacy" Young, at home, it's time to start looking at options.  It's after the trade deadline, I fear, which means if we don't have positive news, we should probably make a swing at Sims before, just to be certain. Even with a tough defense like that, he'll have faced the Falcons and Raiders, so we'll know if he has the ability to produce against bad competition. I'm not saying we ditch him after this game, but this is where I think it's open game.

Discussing the Effectiveness of Chan Gailey: Next year.

One season, trying to teach a bunch of rookies, young players, and veterans who are used to one thing a whole new bag? Not enough time. I'm willing to give Chan some time. 

Discussing if Gunther's lost his touch: After Week 12- Buffalo Bills

We'll have a better idea of Dorsey and Flower's potential by now. We can't ditch them by any means, they get a pass for at least two seasons.  But if we've been unable to be competitive defensively against teams and end up having issues with the Bills and Trent Edwards? Time to start looking at whether Gunther's still getting to the players the same way.

Double-guessing LJ: Never

We just gave him a bajillion dollars. We've married the guy, and a divorce is too costly. This is a done deal. Like him or not, LJ is our horse, and we can't trade for another one.

The inevitable Herm Edwards Discussion: After Week 14-Denver Broncos:

The eternal question.  At this point we'll have gotten through our toughest teams. We'll have played Denver and Oakland twice. We'll have gotten through the hardest part of our schedule. It's here that we can look at Herm and ask "How much have we improved? Are the rookies playing up to expectations? Has the offense improved? Do we look better than we did after that preseason game which must not be mentioned? Does it look like the plan is working?"  We can't necessarily answer these questions, but we can look and start to analyze the questions.  We can at least start to discuss them. And if the answer to those questions is yes, then we can quit with asking about Herm for another year.  But until this point, we can't even get a good perspective on it. You can't see the forest for the gigantic pile of crap.

I submit these deadlines to the Arrowhead Faithful for their ratification, this 24th day of August.

Nightmare Ant, or Mad Ant as he's known outside of the internet, is up for election to the Deadspin Hall of Fame.  Vote him in. Vote him in or he will make you pay!

We could lose.

The thought stops me now and then.  I'll be going about my day, plain as always. And my thoughts will slide to how Stryker's knee wil hold up, or how many yards Maclin will get this season, or if Danario can finally get off the damn injury list. I'll think about how it'll feel to march into Lincoln and march out with their nuts decisevely removed, crying about how good they used to be and how they'll definitely be back, they'll be back they say!  I think about putting Reesing's face to the turf again.  I think about what would have to happen to get to the national championship game (let's go Texas Tech!).  And the thought hits me.

We could lose.

Not that we didn't lose last season.  Lord knows I wouldn't just call what happened against Oklahoma losing.  I would define losing as what happened in Norman and San Antonio.  But they were the only team to beat us. They were the only one.  And they were clearly the better team.  And i think about how amazing that was for our program.  To not fall to a lesser team.  To not have any slip-ups.  The National Champion lost to a team we smashed into smithereens in the Cotton Bowl, for God's sake. And clearly LSU was a better team than us.  But it doesn't change the fact that at no point did we actually slip. We all waited for it, whether we want to admit it or not.  We waited for the Pinkel factor.  We waited for the inevitable moment where we stood, stunned and angry, looking at each other like "Why? Why did we ever believe anything else would happen?"  We waited for the loss that wasn't just inexplicable, it was embarrassing. And it never came.  Not against Colorado. Not against K-State. Not against Kansas.

This year, we're better. We're better at almost every position except offensive line, and that unit's starting to gel.  We're faster, bigger, more confident, more polished.  And above all, we're confident.  This is the first time I've ever walked into a season of any of the sports teams I call my own and have said "I expect us to contend for a championship."  And it feels good. But it's also terrifying.

The schedule looks daunting one minute and a cake walk the next.  Juice gave us fits last year.  But Mendenhall's gone.  Our history in Lincoln is the stuff of nightmares.  But we beat them so bad they thought they stole something last year, and there's even more turnover this year.  We took care of business last year.  That was last year. I go back and forth.

The absence of Oklahoma from the schedule heightens the feeling.  Because it's there.  Texas is a great program, and a good team, to be certain.  But really, there is a reason they're being widely regarded as overrated.  Even in Austin, it's a game that we should win.  And outside of that, is there another game we're even near likely to lose until the Big 12 Championship?  Illinois? K-State? Iowa State?  No. And that makes it even worse.  Because last year, if we lost, well, it would have catastrophic, but no more so than any other season where we blow our chance for redemption, our shot at the national stage.  This year?  It's disaster unknown.  If one of the non-cons give us trouble outside of Illinois, it'll be gut wrenching.  And if K-State should have one of those days, or if Iowa State decides to make their stand against us, or if miracle against miracle, the Nebraskans are actually right, and their program just has that much talent in its system... Catastrophy.  Pure castastrophy. 

Last season was the coming out party.  And we played with no regard for what we had on the line.  This year, we have everything on the line.  One more season to possibly cement ourselves in the top programs in the country.  Succeed, and they're going to rename College Avenue "Pinkel Ave." and Maryland will be "Daniel Street."  Fail, and we're the same Mizzou everyone thinks we are.

So the question then becomes, how much would a loss, two losses, (gasp) three losses suck?  I remember thinking last year that if we only lost twice i would go bonkers.  And hey, we did! Only one of them was the Big 12 freaking championship.  But this year, two losses would be a disappointment, especially if they were outside fo the Big 12 Championship.  The losses last year were respectable, understandable.  "Sure, it's Oklahoma."  The fact that one was in Norman and the other in heavily-Oklahoma supported San Antonio didn't hurt, either.  This is not to say the losses weren't decisive.  But they were respectable.  A loss to anyone oustide of Texas would be embarassing, and a loss to Texas would be a pretty big letdown.

We no longer get to play with nothing to lose.  We're a top ten program in the country, going in.  We have a relatively easy schedule.  We have enough SoS to make it into title contention, especially if we run the table.  And it's possible we can do all of it without facing Oklahoma (come on, Tech!).  But the idea of having all of that fall away, to be come irrelevant again, is crushing.

But then I think about how far the program, this coach, this quarterback, this fanbase, this team has come.  I remember that every time this team has faced a challenge that people said they couldn't reach, they've gone out and done damn near everything to overcome it (unless it's Oklahoma, which is a demon organization wrought from Hell).  This team has balls (Golden Watermelon ones of Fury, to be exact). And they can see the biggest chance they could possibly have, staring them in the face.

So yeah, we could lose.

But we could also win.