Remember me? It’s been a while but after battling a nasty cold and then going on vacation, I am back in action so let’s get to it without any further delay.
Unrelated Chatter:
-I love America but its things like the Keith Ellison story that sometimes make me shake my head at this great nation of ours. I hate politics and I hate religion and usually refuse to talk about both but when they blend (which they usually do), it creates for some pretty dumb banter. It should not even be an issue that Ellison would like to be sworn in with the Koran instead of the Bible. I was unaware that politicians had to be Christians.
-I was in attendance for the Kevin Federline/John Cena match this past Monday and the only word I can use to describe it is, “fun.†I can totally see why many didn’t like it but in person it was very enjoyable with a crowd that was very loud although I have heard it didn’t come across that way on television. Let’s be honest, with the recent state of affairs in WWE the match wasn’t any more offensive than half the stuff we see on a weekly basis.
-Granted some time has passed but I have to give credit to Eric Szulczewski for the outstanding work he did in eulogizing Joe Barbera, James Brown and Gerald Ford. I’m a research freak (although you would never know it from my work), and the information that was included in the Barbera and Ford pieces were fantastic. The Brown piece hit close to home for me as well as a white guy who has a love for soul. Maybe one of these days I’ll put together one of those iMix things on iTunes so that I can expose some of you to some real music.
-First Pat Riley fires Stan Van Gundy so that he can win an NBA championship and then he just so happens to require surgery just as the Heat’s season is about to go up in flames. What a great guy…
-Congrats are in order to the Detroit Lions as they have amazingly decided to retain Matt Millen. Some jokes just write themselves.
Related Chatter:
-Nick Saban is getting a ton of heat from the media for taking the Alabama job and deservedly so. Saban has showed in the past that he is anything but loyal and it wouldn’t surprise me if he were to leave Alabama before his eight year deal expires. The money and Saban’s desire to return to the college game are certainly respectable reasons for taking the job but if I am a recruit I would have to have a hard time trusting anything that comes out of his mouth. He inherits an offense that returns 9 players next season and he should have the Tide in contention for an SEC championship. Mike Shula may not have been the greatest coach but he certainly left Saban with some pieces to work with.
-I don’t know if I have ever seen a better ending to a game than the 2007 Fiesta Bowl featuring Boise State and Oklahoma. I was at Monday Night Raw and didn’t catch the game until there was a few minutes left in the 4th quarter but luckily I caught all of the mayhem at the end. I think I am still giddy over the Statue of Liberty that Chris Petersen called to win the game for the Broncos. While Petersen pulled out every trick in the book, the man who deserves the most credit though is current Colorado coach Dan Hawkins. Hawkins put together that squad and left a great team for Petersen. Petersen no doubt has a bright future as a coach but he owes a great deal to Hawkins.
-Perhaps the head-scratcher of the year was Minnesota’s decision to fire head coach Glen Mason. Minnesota blew a 31 point second half lead in their bowl game against Texas Tech (the largest comeback in bowl history) but is in much better shape now than they were before Mason took over. Minnesota used to be the laughing stock of the Big Ten and with the wrong hire they could just as soon return to that status. Mason should land on his feet elsewhere and hopefully he will be able to turn around another program as he did Minnesota.
-There were rumors swirling that Tony Dungy may become the next Minnesota coach but as of now they appear to be 100% false. I say as of now because if his Colts suffer a first round loss to the Chiefs, Dungy might be in need of a job.
-I didn’t fully realize the powerhouse that Bobby Petrino is building in Louisville until this past Monday when I spent the day in South Beach. Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive were practically a sea of red as Cardinal fans took over the streets the day before their victory over Wake Forest in the Orange Bowl. The talent is obviously there in Louisville and if they can continue to get such strong support from their fan base than we may be looking at a power for years to come.
-Last but not least, as a journalist you are technically not supposed to have rooting interests but was there anything more enjoyable than the pounding Notre Dame took last night in the Sugar Bowl against LSU? I guess technically I am not a journalist so allow me to smile. Notre Dame proved to the nation that they were a greatly overrated football team who got by on name value alone. Since before the season I have been telling anyone who would listen how overrated they were and they did not let me down last night. Granted I have predicted many other things with much less success but hey, I’ll take what I can get.
Well folks, that’s all for today. Check back tomorrow for the college basketball edition of Campus Chatter but until then, enjoy the rest of your day.
