Darren Boyle's weekly words of wisdom

Its a big week of sports in our area. Not because the Vikings are playing, but because it is the week of the annual Jones County Invitational Basketball tournament. It has been going on for over 40 years and continues to be the area's social event each January. Things start out Thursday afternoon at 1:00 as the White River Tigers, the four time defending champion of the JCI opens play vs. Kadoka. Philip vs. Bennett County completes the afternoon session. The night session tips off at 6:30 with Lyman taking on Stanley County and Jones County playing Colome. On paper it would appear that White River will have no problem winning the tournament for the fifth straight year, but if you have followed the tournament for any time at all you know that some crazy things happen on Thursday. KPLO will again broadcast all 12 games of the JCI, and all games will be webcast at dakotaradiogroup.com. It is very fun for me because it allows me to return to my old stomping grounds, and harken back to my high school days where I didnt play much but sure looked good during warmups. I really dont have much to say about the Vikings and their matchup on Sunday against the Cowboys. Yes the Cowboys looked good against the Eagles. But didnt it appear to you that the Eagles are a team with alot of players that are too young and a QB that is too old? Wont old #5 look good in purple next year? The vote of confidence McNabb got from Eagles coach Andy Reid only made me think of alot of coaches who get a vote of confidence from the team owner a couple of days before they are fired. The one thing I know for sure, is expectations for the Vikings havent been this high since the last time they let us down so you know whats gonna happen next. Sorry Jon Drayer, mission Miami will have to wait. Did you guys know that Mark McGuire took steriods? Really? I just heard. Wow, I am as shocked as you are.

Rod's Monday Take n Things

Packer fans are in mourning today and should be after giving up 51, count em, 51 points to Arizona yesterday. Normally, 45 points wins you football games. Indoor Football (as in Sioux Falls Storm type indoor football) would be an exception, but yesterday was not your normal day of playoff football. Baltimore scoring 33 on New England? And what in the world happened to the vaunted Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday? Giving up 27 in the second quarter? I will predict that only 1 home team will win next weekend and it will be in the AFC. And it will be the lone west coast team left in the playoffs. Arizona at Dallas for the NFC championship? It's a real possiblity. Baltimore at San Diego in the AFC? It's a real possiblity. And after yesterday, Who is the Best Quarterback in the league? Brett Favre? No. Drew Brees? No. Not Flacco, Peyton, Tony or Mark either! I think an Arizona vs. San Diego Super Bowl would be Super! I don't think I have ever seen a line of over-under in the 80 to 90 point range, but we will if that is the matchup. And what would be the most least attractive Super Bowl? How about the Vikings-Jets? Or the Jets-Saints? Jets-Cardinals would at least be interesting from the Jets defensive standpoint. But right now, Kurt Warner is in a zone and before he comes out of it, He may very well be going into the Hall of Fame the same year as Mr. Favreulous. And with bigger and better numbers!

Andy Shoe's Scuttlebutts

College Football and I have a dysfunctional relationship. Usually I am very disappointed with the end result. I am one of the growing few that think division one A college football need to play a play-off to determine The National Champion. I just can't get over the BCS computers and the formula they have to choose who plays in a National Championship game. If you are a fan of Hollywood Sports Films, like "Rocky," then you want to see a small school like Boise State play for The National Title after an undefeated season. I don't necessarily agree with that philosophy, but I do think if they end up in the top eight they should have a chance at playing in the play-off for The National Championship. Sure, this too will be flawed but it would also be on the right track to a true title run. If a team that plays in The Western Athletic Conference runs the table and plays some tough non-conference games against teams from power conferences like the PAC 10, then they should get a chance at a high seat in the play-off. On the other hand if a team has a couple of losses in a power conference like the Big 10 and played no one tough out side of their conference, this team should play in a small bowl game for entertainment points only. I grew up in a small state, as many who read this did as well, and when the one and only four year institution in my state played a big game it was, for us, as big as the Super Bowl. So as you can imagine it would be nice to think that one day my team in my little conference could have a chance at playing for a National Title some day even though they don't play in The South East Conference. Until the day comes that I can cheer for that then I will continue to be a fan even if I am a little frustrated. Oh well it's on to college hoops and I do love my March Madness. Happy New Year to all. May the New Year bring you prosperity and love.

Darren Boyle's weekly words of wisdom

OK,OK the Vikings got the #2 seed in the playoffs and a first round bye. Yes they looked unstoppable against the New York Ghosts of the Giants. Didnt the Giants look like they would rather have been anywhere else rather than playing in Minneapolis yesterday. One of the terms I use to describe a defense that has given up is "they went matador. Well the Giants sure did. So did several teams yesterday. Let's see, maybe the Eagles, Cardinals, Colts, Saints, Bengals,and the Bronco coaching staff. Josh McDaniels decision to keep his best offensive player inactive for a must win game was another stroke of ego for the coach of the Broncos. Things would have been much better in the mile high city if the coach wouldnt have pissed off his qb the first week he had the job. Oh well, some folks dont have people skills. I promise you Mr. Fisher, next season you will like your QB. Keep an eye on things in Denver during the offseason. Anyway, I am glad that I didnt invest the time to sit at home and watch football Sunday. The total lack of effort of some teams would have ticked me off. I have gotten alot of flak from some of you about either my reluctance to jump on the Viking bandwagon, or that I have sold out and now am drinking the purple kool-aid. Well, neither is true. I am a Vikings fan, so I know what disapointment is. I watched the hail mary game with Dallas, saw the last three super bowl beat downs. Nobody is playing "Bud Grant 2010" on their video games if you havent noticed. And the disapointments have continued. Gary Anderson's only missed field goal of the year during the NFC championship game, the game last year with the Eagles. Do I need to go on? What is your "favorite" Viking playoff disapointment? That should get some responses. What I cant get out of mind is the thought that the Vikes will host the Packers on the 17th and how hard it is to beat a team three time in a year. How fitting would it be for Farve to have to face his old team to protect his legacy? After the play calling fiasco, do you really think Childress a.k.a. the real Viking Season Killer will want Brett around again next season? Especially if they dont make it to this years Super Bowl. On the local front, I broadcast games from the east-west shootout in Chamberlain over the weekend and saw some very good basketball. The best game of the five was the matchup between Belle Fourche and Beresford. Those are two very talented and well coached teams, and neither will probally make the state tournament because of the regions they are in. The local teams involved didnt fair so well, but should have gotten a glimpse of how much better they need to be. At this time of year, with alot of basketball to play that isnt a bad thing.

Rod's Monday Take n Things

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank the New York Giants for particpating in this year's NFL season. What a pathetic performance Eli and boys put on yesterday at the Metrodome. It was just as bad if not worse as the Bengals last night in New York. How somebody, who calls themselves a professional football player and plays the game for a living can put out an effort like the Giants did yesterday is baffling to say the least. You can not tell me that the Vikings are that, so much better, than the Giants. The Giants owner is one unhappy individual today and says heads are going to roll except for coach Tom Couglin and the General Manager, the two individual responsible for putting a team like the Giants on the field yesterday. Meanwhile, I am cautiously optomistic once again about the Bears. They looked like a team that knew what they were doing yesterday. Granted, they were playing Detroit, but it was at Detroit. Maybe, just maybe when the Bears get an offensive coordinator that understands the personell he has now and not 5 years ago they might make some strides. And for all of the Tavris Jackson nay sayers out there, Dante Culpepper will be available on the free agent market this off season. He was really not good yesterday and he was auditioning as the TV announcers would say for a job for next year. By the way, you can figure out the importance of the game by the pecking order of the announcers. The Bears and Lions had Chris Meyers and Trent Green yesterday. Meyers might be a good studio host but not as the play by play guy. And Trent Green comes accross as a nice guy but proving that quarterbacks aren't always the smartest guy on the team. Although I am living proof that the play by play guy isn't always the smartest guy on the team. And I in basketball anyway "is the team". Especially when it comes to describing the excitment of the athletic director's application of duct tape to hold the the rim of one of the baskets together. Always look for a ladder first is what I always say. (In case your unaware of what in the world I am talking about, go to the webcast of the Governors and Rapid City Stevens boys basketball game on www.dakotaradiogroup.com and listen in during the third quarter. Bet Joe Buck and Al Michaels couldn't of done a whole lot better). They might. They have higher contracts than I. But then some of the Giants players have better contracts than some of the Vikings players too. Eli is coming was more like Eli has left.

Some Sunday morning sports stuff from Rod

It was a happy new year beginning for the Pierre Governor wrestling team as they belted Watertown 37-16 in an ESD Conference dual match Saturday night at Riggs High Gym. The Governors won 10 of the 13 matches with Chase Lettau (160 lbs.) and Tanner Schaefer (189 lbs.) recording pins and Terrance Maier (171 lbs) won by a major decision for the Governors in the highlight matches of the night. With the win, the Governors improved to 1-1 in ESD duals and 4-2 overall. The Governor JV's won big also b6 a 60-24 score.


Despite a season high 27 point effort from junior Jake Miller, the Stanley County Buffalos boys basketball team was no match for Canton Saturday at the East-West Classic in Chamberlain. The C-Hawks rolled to a 77-57 win over the Buffalos behind Jake Twedt’s 18 points. Brady Aberle added 8 points and Latrell LaRoche and Austin Lapour had 6 each.

The defending State B boys basketball champion Sully Buttes Chargers made a statement Saturday night at the Parkston Classic. That statement was, if you want to win the B state title this year, you will have to go through Onida, Blunt and Agar. The Chargers upended top ranked Viborg 53-52 in the feature game of the Classic. Tate Senftner led the Chargers with 16 points while Mitchell Foth and Jordan Lamb each added 10 apiece. Foth and Senftner each had 8 rebounds for Sully Buttes as well. Cory Jacobsen led Viborg with 17.

The Stanley County Lady Buffalos basketball team suffered their 2nd loss of the season as they were beaten 64-44 by Northwestern Area at the Redfield Classic. The Lady Buffalos dug themselves an early hole trailing 13-3 after 1 quarter and were down 26-12 at the half as they could not rebound from their slow start. Brandi Prince scored 22 points to lead Stanley County. Kori Nutter added 8 for the Lady Buffs who did outrebound Northwestern 40-30 but could not overcome 30 turnovers. Micah Taylor led Northwestern with 12 points.

The Brookings Rangers scored 3 first period goals on Saturday night and made it standup as they edged the Pierre-Ft. Pierre Capitals 3-2 in a state high school league game at the EXPO Center. Max Hanson scored a first period goal and Andy Zarecky added a second period power play goal for the Capitals who suffered their third 2nd 1 goal loss to Brookings this season in state high school league play. Cody Bishop made 21 saves in goal for Pierre-Ft. Pierre which out-shot Brookings 36-24 in the match. The Capitals and Rangers play again this afternoon at the EXPO Center.

We will have more details tomorrow morning on the air of the Dakota Radio Group Stations and in tomorrow's edition of My Daily News.

Rod's Football Bowling Take

Between a break in watching college football bowl games, we had a chance to take our Christmas decorations down for the year. Inside decorations I should say. It is down right frigid to take down the outside decorations. Maybee sometime in May the snow will be melted enough I can get on the roof and get those lights down. Amazing. It took 2 hours to undo that it to close to 8 hours to do back on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Thirty some bowl games this year. I did not watch all of them. I did watch every play of the Holiday Bowl of course and was very proud to be a Husker fan. Gone are the days when there were just 7 bowl games. 4 on New Years Day and 3 others. New Years Day bowls conisted of the Cotton, Sugar, Orange and Rose. The other 3 that were played between Christmas Day and News Year Day were the Liberty, Bluebonnet (later renamed Astro Blue Bonnett)and Gator. The Liberty and Gator were moved to Monday Night's after NFL Monday Night Football ended. The Astro Bluebonnet was on New Years Eve. There were some others a little bit later that didn't make it. The Gotham and Tangerine come to mind. I remember when the first Fiesta Bowl was played. Florida St. played Arizona St. I think the bowl was created to give Arizona State a game to play in. It wasn't long and Fiesta overtook the Cotton as a fan favorite and while the Cotton stayed on New Years Day it became a lower tier bowl and the Fiesta became one of the big 4. But when January 2nd came, the college football season was over. Not any more. Not sure If I like the current set up with bowl games going from December 15 to January 7 or 8, as long as Network TV continues to suck, I guess it's a good thing.