Song of the Day

Song: "Tonto"
Artist: Battles
Album: Mirrored (2007)

Battles may not be everyone's cup of tea. There is, however, no denying their originality. The accompanying video is also very original. And no, I am not on acid or any other illicit drugs.



Best line: Honestly, I have no idea what the hell the guy is saying.

A (Brief) Look Ahead

2007, I hardly knew ya! As the door closes on another year and the ball starts to slowly drop up in NYC, I've decided to take a look at the situations surrounding some of my favorite teams, players, bands, and life in general for 2008.

Kentucky Basketball
I thought I'd start here since I'm typing this during the commercial breaks of today's game against Florida International. So far, the Cats look like a completely different team than the one we've seen thusfar this season. This is a good thing. As Jasper and Meeks get healthier and team chemistry continues to develop, will UK be able to make any sort of run during SEC play? I think we will continue to see improved play and win a few games we're not supposed to win. But it's still going to be a struggle this season, and the Cats will be damn lucky if they make the NCAA tournament. Kentucky will be fun to watch in '08, but it may be October of '08 before the fun begins.

New York Jets
The Jets finished the season strong yesterday in the Herm Edwards Bowl against the Chiefs with a thrilling 13-10 overtime victory. I am as giddy as a high school virgin on prom night about the upcoming NFL Draft, but the Jets have so many holes to fill, I don't know where they should start. They are absolutely stagnant on offense. They have mediocre play at linebacker since going to the 3-4 defensive scheme. And their secondary is filled with a nice mixture of inexperience (Darrelle Revis) and geriatrics (Hank Poteat). Look for the J-E-T-S to have a productive draft and play better football in 2008...better than the 4-12 record of this year, but not likely to return to the playoffs just yet.

Minnesota Twins
So this off season has already seen the Twinkies lose Torii Hunter to Los Anaheim and shop Johan Santana around to an extent that would make Heidi Fleiss proud. On the plus side, they've added star-to-be Delmon Young and star-of-now Francisco Liriano should be healthy for the upcoming season. Throw in the mix the fact that there are sure to be at least two or three guys you've never heard of that will emerge and make a name for themselves this season, and things don't look terrible in the Twin Cities. Unfortunately, the American League All Star team (aka Detroit Tigers) play in the same division as my beloved Twinkies, and the Cleveland Indians still have a solid squad. Look for another third place finish by the Twins in the AL Central, and look for Joe Mauer to continue to break the hearts of ladies all across the country.



Chad Pennington
I am a big fan of Kellen Clemens. I think he gives the Jets a ton of options on offense that Chad just doesn't give them. But I also love Pennington. It was under his reign at QB that my "like" for the Jets became my "love" for the Jets. It saddens me that he is likely gone this offseason. I think he would be a great teacher for Clemens, a great backup in case of injury, and a great leader in a clubhouse full of young players. One of my biggest fears is that he will go to the division rival Miami Dolphins, since the Big Tuna Bill Parcells is calling the shots down there now. Parcells loves veteran QBs (see Drew Bledsoe, Brad Johnson, and goddamned Vinny Testaverde), so nabbing Chinnington would provide the young 'Fins with some stability at the position. It will be hard for me to root for a Dolphin, but I wish Chad the best of luck in '08.

Music
As I've said before, 2007 was a great year for albums. And a lot of those albums were released late in '07. That means there will be a lot of touring by a lot of great bands in 2008. I plan on attending as many shows, in-stores, and festivals as I possibly can in the upcoming year. First on my list is Band of Horses in Louisville on January 26th. I am hoping to see The National, of Montreal, Battles, and Jens Lekman, just to name a few. Unfortunately, I don't know if there will be as many great albums in '08 because there were just so damn many in '07. Here's hoping I'm wrong about that.

Life
2008 is the year when I finally graduate from pharmacy school and start a "real" job. This is both exciting and terrifying. I have no idea what I ultimately want out of my life, and I'm gonna be up to my ears in debt from student loans from the getgo. It should be interesting. I had a lot of ups and downs in 2007, but overall it was a good year. I am excited about meeting new people in the months to come and about the adventures that I'm sure to take with people I already know and love. I learned a lot about myself this year, which I have continued to do for a while now - that's always good. I still don't know anything about buying a house or negotiating a job contract, but I suppose I'll figure it out. Until then, I will continue to smile, crack smart-ass jokes, and continue to be cynical. It has gotten me this far.

Have fun watching the UK Football Wildcats scalp the Florida St. Seminoles. Whenever I think of Seminoles, I will always think about this. Have a fun and happy New Year full of booze and good food. And get home safely, whatever you get into. We would hate to lose one of our three readers.
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Bowl Preview (Part II)... finally

California v Air Force… Early in the season, Cal was a serious threat to win the national title. Then the wheels feel off. So why should they care about this game? Unless DeSean Jackson (is he even healthy?) goes crazy I’ll take Air Force to knock off the Goaden Bears.

South Fla v Oregon…. In what has hilariously been renamed the “Brut, son” bowl I like USF to beat the Nikes of Oregon. The Ducks haven’t been remotely the same since Dennis Dixon got injured against Arizona and USF rebounded nicely to finish the season. But if the Ducks wear the white tops, white pants, and white helmets, then we are all winners.

Ga Tech v Fresno State… Don’t have much to say about this one. Give me the Ramblin’ Wreck to beat Fresno and that strange little green V on the back of their helmets.

Kentucky v Fla. State… With the ‘Noles having 36 players out, things definitely look good for the Cats in this one. It would be nice to see the seniors go out with two straight 8-5 seasons and two consecutive Music City Bowl victories. Give me the Cats. Oohhhhh… C-A-T-S-Cats-Cats-Cats.

Indiana v Okie State – Mike Gundy is a grown man. He’s 40. I don’t recall Indiana having a good football team in my lifetime. After my first season of Madden 08, I drafted James Hardy (the 6’7” WR from IU) and he dropped lots of passes. Because of that give me the grown men of Okie State.

Clemson v Auburn… The strength of Clemson’s team is the running game and, just like every season, Auburn’s defense is tough. Assuming the SEC Tigers’ offense doesn’t kill them by being so terrible, I like Auburn to win this Tiger fight. Also a tiger fight would be a crazy thing to watch. I would have more respect for Mike Vick if he had been fighting tigers.

Tennessee v Wisconsin… I hate Tennessee and I think Erik Ainge looks like Christian Laettner. I’ll take the Badgers over Rocky Top based on hatred alone.

Mizzou v Arkansas… Not sure why Kansas deserved to get a BCS bid over Mizzou, who had just beaten the Jayhawks late in the season, so I would understand if the Tigers were a little disappointed to be playing in this game. And I’m staying away from all the Houston Nutt/Bobby Petrino stuff. Aside from that, I look for this to be a great game. Lots of offense, lots of fireworks and a loss for DMac in his final college game.

Meechigan v Florida…. The Gators have way too much speed for Meeechigan. Plus, Tebow is good for at least 5 TDs on his own. This is one of those games that will showcase the difference in SEC athletes vs Big 10 athletes. I look for Meeeechigan to lose by 2 or 3 TDs. Meeeeechigan.

Texas Tech v Virginia… Lots of good storylines in this game, the most important being that Mike Leach looks identical to Vince Gill. That’s reason enough to tune in. The Cavs love playing conservative football, winning games by one or two points, and their best player is Howie Long’s son (he’s also potentially a top 5 pick in the upcoming draft). The Gills throw the ball all over the field and put up video game numbers. The spread passing attack should somewhat neutralize Long’s pass rushing abilities. Give me the Gills in a very good game.

Illinois v USC… The Zooker has done a great job in just 2 seasons with the Illini. They’ll certainly be a trendy favorite to win the Big 10 next season but I don’t believe they can handle what some folks, earlier in the season, were calling “the greatest college football team of all time” in the Rose Bowl this season. Give me the Trojans.

Hawai’i v Georgia… As a huge underdog in this game, I look for Hawai’i to come out of the gates throwing the ball deep and slinging it all over the field. What? They always do that? Nevermind then. Bulldogs by A LOT.

WVU v Oklahoma… Coming off such a disappointing loss to Pitt and with Rich Rodriguez moving to Ann Arbor, hard to imagine the Mountaineers being able to rally to beat a very, very good Sooners squad. Plus, if it’s a tight game, either Slaton or White will get injured and miss some time. Either way, Sooners over West By God and Stevie Slaton to the NFL.

Kansas v Va Tech… Don’t believe the Jayhawks have seen a defense as good as VaTech’s this season. KU is going to spread the field but I believe VaTech has enough speed on D to suffocate the Jayhawks. Similar to the Auburn game, as long as the Hokies’ offense doesn’t make a ton of mistakes, they should be able to handle KU.

Ball State v Rutgers… I really like the Rutgers football program. My major concern for them is how long Greg Schiano can resist the bright lights and big money of the huge football programs. That being said, I’d really like to see Ball State beat the Scarlet Knights, but I don’t see them being able to handle all the Rice they’re gonna get. Rutgers wins comfortably.

Tulsa v Bowling Green… I’ll be honest, this is probably the game I care the least about in all of bowl season. I don’t understand why there are games played by mediocre teams in the days between New Years Day and the BCS Champsionship game. Give me Bowling Green.

More on the BCS Championship game later…

Also, I'm watching this Colts/Titans game and on a kickoff return, Chris Henry from the Titans just got hit as hard as I think I've ever seen a football player get hit. Did anyone else see that?

Song of the Day

Song: "Harvest Moon" (live)
Artist: Neil Young
Original version on the album Harvest Moon (1992)

A beautiful song. Neil Young's live versions of songs are usually the definitive versions of his tunes. Good song for a rainy day.



Best line: "When we were strangers, I watched you from afar. When we were lovers, I loved you with all my heart."

Will They Ever?

The year that was 2007 is dwindling down to a few measly hours now and the general sports writing consensus has decided on a year end review. As if maybe they are going to shed new light on these overblown topics or maybe you forgot about the Patriots demolishing the competition, Vick demolishing dogs or Tim Hardaway's hopes of demolishing homosexuals.

I've decided to go another route. A path that includes the opportunity for us fans to judge the teams that have often teased us in the past. Year after year we hear about how these teams will be showering their coaches with Gatorade, however they remains drenched only in their sorrows. Without further descriptions, lets play a little 'Will They Ever?' with some of the more notable suspects.

Team: Memphis Tigers Basketball
Goal: Final Four, National Championship
Case: It seems odd to think that it was all the way back in 2000 when John Calipari inherited a struggling Memphis team after returning to campus from New Jersey. The infantile stages of the Calipari era were littered with premiere athletes and mediocre records that included accompanying trips to the NIT. Now, the quality of the athletes remain and the end product has improved yet found a new obstacle in the form of the Elite Eight. Entering the tournament with one and two seeds respectively, the past two seasons have ended at the hands of the eventual National Runners-up in UCLA and Ohio State one step short of the Final Four. An early home victory over Georgetown did much to impress and upcoming games against Arizona and Tennessee will give us a true glimpse of a team that will find little in-conference bumps on their road to the tournament.
My Verdict: On paper, this is the best shot of the Tigers winning it all or at least playing in the Final Four. As of now, only Carolina and UCLA appear to be capable of defending this team who prides itself on the fast break and an inane ability to run the motion offense, whereas other teams may simply be awestruck of their abilities. Look for them to make it to the promise land this season, but Memphis fans need to be forewarned. Not only will they have to replace a top notch back court after this season, but I fully expect them to be searching for a new coach in a couple of seasons.

Team: Cincinnati Bengals
Goal: Playoff run, Super Bowl
Case: The Bengals have quickly vanquished whatever good will that was set forth by capturing the North Division in '05. Back to back disappointing season have allowed the rumors to float about around Marv Lewis and even that juggernaut of an offense has shown its vulnerability at times. The multitude of arrests coupled with an inability to stop anyone on defense have given whoever 'Dey' are, all the ammunition needed to pummel the Bengals. While they still may not be the 'Bungals' of years past, the play of Cincinnati has left many analyst and fans shaking their heads as they stand surrounded in shreds of paper that was once contained their playoff predictions.
My Verdict: The Bengals lack of defensive talent has been gawked at for years, but the true exposure of this season was how valuable Rudi Johnson remains to this offense. T.J., Chad and Carson have been at the front of many short lists of premiere offensive talent in the league, but the inability to have balance hurt the Bengals all season long. In short, this team does not respect their head coach who lacks authority and will ultimately destroy itself. Sadly, Cincy will not make a Super Bowl in the next couple of seasons and with a resurrected Steelers squad (matched only by the emergence of the Browns) will struggle to see the light of the playoffs.

Team(s): Big East Football
Goal: BCS National Championship Game
Case: Pittsburgh stood in the way of this not even being a topic. Within that defeat lies the true question behind this conference; Can they win the big one when they need it the most? In a year where most conferences tried to devour themselves to prevent one teams hopes of winning it all, the Big East was most notable. Even once admired Rutgers swam to the surface long enough to beat South Florida when they were viewed as a front runner to play for it all and Syracuse reminded us they still have a program when they defeated (a then one loss) Louisville. They just seem like that really cute girl in school you always had a crush on who was always single, but every time you mustered the courage to ask her out, she had just fallen for some other guy. Really frustrating, Big East (and Lauren from Bio 151), really frustrating!
My Verdict: Joke-girl names aside, the Big East is promising. For those out there who do not believe in the power of this conference, please take notice. The ACC looked liked the early victors of the move that sent Boston College, Va Tech and Miami among others away from the Big East. In the later stages the Big East has taken a sizable lead and is looking to expand it with reassuring play from Connecticut and the afore mentioned South Florida. The future is questionable at best for programs such as Louisville and West Virginia who either are or need to be looking for a new coach. Regardless, I look for the Big East in the final pairing within the next two years.

Team: Phoenix Suns
Goal: NBA Championship
Case: Once again we look into the 'What-if Machine' and think what could have transpired had Robert Horry not teed off on Steve Nash in last years playoffs. The Suns have been fixtures in the playoffs since the arrival of Amare, not Nash, but have only been viewed as a threat since his arrival. Behind the two time MVP, the Suns are looking to do more than ever with help from the oft overlooked Shawn Marion and new arrival Grant Hill. Eliminating the Lakers the past two seasons have been amusing to spectators, but the Suns are continuously bounced by teams who have the ability to hang with them defensively.
My Verdict: Unfortunately for the Suns, they play in the Western Conference which guarantees a tough road to the championship every season and usually San Antonio. This team only plays about seven players which leads for sticky situations in the playoffs should a starter get in early foul trouble. Even more troubling has been the fact that more attention has been paid to pity things such as Phil Jackson's artificial hip or his discretion of timeout usage than has defensive strategy in recent years. Realistically, Nash only has a few more great years in him and Marion does not appear to be in the picture for the '08 season which means a ton for this team. For these reasons, I see the Suns ultimately falling short of their hopes of a title, but damn are they fun to watch.

Here are just a sampling of the subtle nuances the sports world has to offer. In the weeks and months to follow look for more of these in the form of players, coaches, etc., but for now enjoy these nuggets. And to everyone reading this, Happy New Year from those of us writing this.
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Song of the Day

Song: "The Weight" (live cover of classic The Band song)
Artist: Gillian Welch & David Rawlings with Old Crow Medicine Show

This is a really cool cover by a bunch of artists I really enjoy.

Song of the Day

Song: "Whatever You Want"
Artist: Club 8
Album: The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Dreaming (2007)



Best line: "Am I okay, dear? I think you ought to know this"

Christmas Song of the Day

Song: "Christmas in Hollis"
Artist: Run D.M.C.
Non-album track (1987)

Merry Christmas from the Orange Blossom Special!



Best line: "It's Christmas time in Hollis, Queens. Mom's cookin' chicken and collard greens"

Song of the Day

Song: "I Turn My Camera On"
Artist: Spoon
Album: Gimme Fiction (2005)

Robert Palmer's got nothin' on Britt Daniel and co.



Best line: "When I turn my feelings on, I turn my feelings on inside...feel like I'm gonna ignite"

Song of the Day

Song: "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"
Artist: Morrissey
Album: Vauxhall and I (1994)

Only Moz could make a song that is essentially about stalking someone sound so happy and infectiously catchy. It's a far cry from his most thought-provoking or insightful work, but it's still damn good! Vauxhall and I is a vastly underrated album in Morrissey's strong catalogue of work. If you're a fan of the Moz, hearing this will probably make you want to hear even more of him (after which, you may lock yourself into a room and wallow in a blanket of self-pity). If you're not a fan, check out this vid, and maybe you will become one.



Best line: "When you sleep, I will creep into your thoughts like a bad debt"

Song of the Day

Song: "Mr. Pharmacist"
Artist: The Fall
Album: Bend Sinister (1986)

Given my chosen profession, I have a bit of a bias toward this particular song. But that doesn't mean that it isn't a great tune from a great punk band that often doesn't get the proper recognition that it deserves. And while it's true that the "pharmacist" in this song may practice a slightly different kind of medicine than I do, he was probably a lot cooler than me. Hell, Mark E. Smith wrote a song about him, and to my knowledge, there are no songs about me.



Best line: "Hey Mr. pharmacist, I’ll recommend you to my friends. They’ll be happy in the end."

Song of the Day

Today's song of the day brings me back to high school. Ah, the days of bad haircuts and infinite awkwardness. Luckily, amidst all of that nonsense I found some great music. "New Noise" by Swedish band Refused made an immediate impression on me. It was released on 1998's The Shape of Punk to Come...perhaps the most appropriately titled album ever. I shudder to think what this band could have accomplished had they stayed together. That entire album was filled with raw energy and emotion. It was the sound of a band doing something rather than just saying something. It was loud and raucous, yet still complex and sophisticated. This one never fails to get me fired up. Enjoy!



Best line: "Great words won't cover ugly actions, good frames won't save bad paintings"

Bowl Preview (Part 1)

So now it seems like I've copied an idea from one of my fellow bloggers, but since this was a piece I had been working on for the last few days, I'll still post it:

Some predictions for bowl season....

Navy v Utah…. If you’re a football purist, Navy’s triple option wishbone offense is fun to watch but with their head coach leaving to coach the Ramblin’ Wreck, I like Utah in this one. Plus, the Midshipmen beat Notre Dame this season for the first time since the FDR administration (or something along those lines) so isn’t that enough success for one season?

Florida Atlantic v Memphis…. I’m pretty sure UK beat Florida Atlantic this season and I don’t remember thinking they were very good at the time. I’m assuming Memphis is better than that. Give me Penny Hardaway’s alma mater.

Southern Miss v Cincy…. Brian Kelly has Cincy’s program moving in the right direction. The Bearcats play tough defense and have been tested numerous times by quality teams in the Big East. All I know about Southern Miss is that Boise State thumped them on a Thursday night game on the blue turf. I like the Bearcats in this one.

Nevada v New Mexico… or as Curly Davis would say “New Vada v New Mexico”. I love it that New Vada runs an innovative offense called the “pistol”. I love it that their freshman QB is like 6’8” and weighs a buck forty. Give me New Vada.

BYU v UCLA … Rematch from September (which UCLA won 27-17 in Pauley Pavilion). This time around, with UCLA’s coaching search still ongoing, I like BYU to knock off the Bruins. Also, I’m hoping Rick Neuheisel gets the job at UCLA. Currently, he’s the Ravens offensive coordinator, so the results speak for themselves. If not Neuheisel, then maybe Petrino?

Boise State v East Carolina… I like the Broncos to win, but for some reason, I really think this could be a great game. How much longer till Chris Petersen moves on to a major program?

Purdue v Central Michigan… Another rematch from September (Purdue won 45-22). Can I say that I hate it when the bowl people create rematches that aren’t interesting? Does anyone really think that when Central Michigan lost to the Boilermakers earlier, they all left the stadium thinking, “I’d like to see those guys again.” Give me Purdue. Again.

Arizona State v Texas…. I hope Mack Brown’s motivational speech before this game includes the line “Vince Young isn’t walking thru that door…. Ricky Williams isn’t walking thru that door.” Arz State is a program on the upswing. Texas lost the last game of the season to a Texas A&M program that is in a state of complete disarray. Sun Devils win in a high scoring game.

BC v Mich St… In Matty Ice’s last college game I see the Spartans leading 17-7 early in the 4th quarter only to see their lead evaporate when Matty Ice engineers another thrilling 4th quarter comeback. It would be a fitting end to a nice collegiate career. BC 21 Mich St 17

TCU v Houston… I like it that this is the Texas Bowl and both of these teams hail from the Lone Star State. Sadly, that’s pretty much the extent of my knowledge about these two teams. Give me the Horned Frogs b/c they have a cool nickname and LT played there.

Maryland v Oregon State…Even though they have some of the ugliest uniforms in the world of sports, give me the Beavers over the Terps.

UConn v Wake Forest... This would be a very interesting basketball game from like 5 or 10 years ago. Who knew they were both good at football too? I’ll take UConn.

UCF v Miss. St… Missississiisssiippi State completely embarrassed UK at Commonwealth this season en route to a 7-5 campaign. Turns out maybe Sly Croom actually does know what he’s doing as a coach and the gray mustache is simply beautiful. Give me the Bulldogs over the Knights.

Penn St v Texas A&M… Two traditional football powers colliding in the tradition rich Valero Alamo Bowl. With the Aggies looking for someone to fill the legendary shoes of Dennis Franchione, I’ll take Joe Pa’s boys to handle A&M and their 400 pound halfback.

Alabama v Colorado… I really like this game… seriously. Within the next two seasons I look for both of these schools to return to being major factors on the national level. Sure, Nick Saban is slimy, but I still believe he’s a hell of a coach (even though this season was a huge disappointment). Dan Hawkins might very well be crazy but I think his insane ways will eventually rebuild a very strong program for the good folks of Boulder. Since I’m blinded by my love for the SEC, give me the Crimson Tide. This ain’t intramurals, brother.

More to come in a few days....

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

Capitol One Bowl Week began on Thursday night with a couple of lackluster programs as Utah battled Navy. And while that is not a game that anyone wants to hear me or anyone else be incredible pretentious and give you the stats of an academy program quarterback or any of Utes' standouts that led to them arriving in Poinsettia Bowl, the silver lining is that the post season is upon us now. Here now for the adoring readership (I truly love anyone who reads our posts) is my thoughts on what is in store for the bowl season ahead.

1. Number one was a spot that was originally thought to be about the University of Kentucky and the culmination of all the struggles that Rich Brooks endured en route to making Wildcats football matter again with consecutive bowl appearances. Instead it is now an afterthought of how dumbfounded I am that one team could have over a third of their team wiped out due to an academic scandal. I am also well aware that Florida State is not the proud and prominent program that embodied college football for most of my childhood, however a win over the 'Noles, no matter how mediocre, would have meant something to Kentucky fans. Now that the suspensions have been handed down, UK plays them under such tumultuous circumstances that that it morphs this one into nothing more than an expensive ticket and a accompanying trip to Nashville to watch the Cats beat North Texas.

2. Boise State defeated Hawaii this year. While everyone out there will immediately double-take and then call me an idiot because they watched that game about a month ago, hear me out. Let us suppose for a second that Georgia wasn't the hottest team in the nation over the past two months and they were just another big school taking their place in a BCS bowl. The victory the Broncos mounted against Oklahoma in a historic game less than 100 hours into 2007 secured the big schools M.O. on how to play a mid-major in the spotlight. Have no mercy! While many people (Coach June Jones included) will have you believe that these defenders of the rainbow should be playing for a title, I expect the Dawgs to beat them handily in what is essentially a home game. Before the discussion is started about the fairness of this, let us remember that these same Rainbow Warriors are a staple in the Hawaii Bowl every postseason until now.

3. You'll find little debate from anyone that Missouri got hosed and Kansas is playing in the Orange Bowl for them. Much like a Cal team of a couple of seasons ago could not dodge the bullet, Missouri has to avoid the 'let down' factor of being left out of the BCS. Any other opponent and it would be a difficult task to convince me that Missouri is capable of doing this. McFadden playing his last game will be a sexy component to some people but Nutt's resignation will give the rest little reason to strap it up another time. Arkansas is an SEC-tested squad, but Mizzou sends a message in my opinion with a solid win.

4. I mentioned the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl earlier (foreshadowing) and there lies yet another storyline behind the bowl season. Boise State, a WAC competitor who have already made the trip once this year will take on East Carolina. Could the committee not find a team further away to come out to Hawaii for their bowl game? Seriously. Competition that you could only find this time of the year is the allure of the post season, but East Carolina traveling to Hawaii to play a game is ludicrous. Maybe the Pirate faithful travel stronger than I give them credit for, but people from Greenville migrating to Hawaii should be viewed as a much needed vacation rather than an opportunity to watch the Fightin' David Garrards in action.

5. LSU will beat Ohio State in what some people are brave enough to say a blowout. Whatever your feeling may be, the overwhelming blowout of the bowl season belongs to a team who've been no stranger to being on the receiving end of one this season. The University of Florida will travel all the way to Orlando to face Michigan in the Capitol One Bowl in what I am calling a fitting send off the Lloyd Carr era. Imagine the Oregon game only worse. Tebow is hated by many, myself included, but I am smart enough to know that if he played on any other team his dominance would be a simple annoyance at most. That being said, he is the best player in football and Michigan will game plan so much for his threat to run that all the other Gator options will get a chance to shine as Michigan gets destroyed.

6. Why do we have bowls in between BCS games and the BCS Championship game? Congratulations to the teams that made the International Bowl (Rutgers, Ball State) and GMAC Bowl (Bowling Green, Tulsa), but these games should be played this year. Sports junkies like myself want as many games as you can plate up, but this is the equivalent of the NFL having a consolation bracket and playing a few games during the idle week before the Super Bowl. Furthermore, why are BYU and UCLA playing in a rematch of a game held this September? I guess if nothing else BYU will get redemption for their earlier loss as UCLA is enamored with the prospect of finding a new coach.

Although my winners to the games are listed below and are welcome to further comment or debate, these are a few of the reasons that I love this time of the year. Playoffs would be great, but I nor my unborn children will live to see the day where a system is incorporated. So we do the next best thing and crown a champion which we can all debate upon while foundering ourselves on as much college football as we can handle. Enjoy with moderation.

Quick Hitter Winners: Utah, Florida Atlantic, Cincinnati, New Mexico, BYU, Boise State, Purdue, Arizona State, Boston College, Houston, Oregon State, Wake Forest, Mississippi State, Penn State, Colorado, Air Force, Georgia Tech, South Florida, UK, Oklahoma State, Auburn, Tennessee, Missouri, Florida, Texas Tech, USC, Georgia, Oklahoma, Va Tech, Rutgers, Bowling Green, LSU.

Song of the Day

Artist: David Bowie
Song: "Starman"
From a Top of the Pops performance on BBC1 in 1972
Original version on Ziggy Stardust

Simply a great performance of a classic, classic tune.



Best line: "That weren't no DJ, that was hazy cosmic jive"

Song of the Day

Song: "Glad Girls"
Artist: Guided by Voices
Album: Isolation Drills (2001)

An oldie, but a goodie! The video kinda sucks, but at least it's the album version of the song. A true pop rock gem for your listening enjoyment.



Best line: "Hey, hey glad girls!...I only wanna get you high"

Song of the Day

Sometimes things need a bit of a kick in the ass. Things have been a bit slow around here lately, and it is easy to fall into a rut. So I am going to try to start a new regular segment creatively titled Song of the Day. We'll see how long I can keep it up before the laziness overtakes me once again.

For this first installment, the song is "End of the World" by Shocking Pinks. Shocking Pinks is the moniker of singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Nick Harte. Now, I realize that being from New Zealand kind of puts you at a disadvantage when trying to get onto the indie music map, but I feel like their self-titled 2007 DFA records debut was greatly overlooked this year. I have yet to see it on anyone's Best Of year-end list. Either people are really overlooking this one, are discounting it as being a collection of previous EPs, or I just like it a lot more than everyone else. Whatever the case may be, you should check out this killer clip for "End of the World."



Best line of the song: "I wanna take you out, like it's the end of the world." I mean, what guy hasn't felt that way about a girl at some point? It's got that 80's tragically romantic feel that would make John Cusak proud. When Harte sings it, it sounds cool and sincere. If you were to say it to a girl, it would be the corniest thing you've ever said. So bite your lip and live vicariously through Nick Harte.

NFL Blah, Blah

We are currently in the midst of an NFL season unlike any other. While ESPN would have you believe that you need to pray to the Patriots to have mercy on your soul, the truth is that their task, no matter how overblown, is remarkable. Beneath all of the fodder and the deserved tributes to fallen star Sean Taylor, lies some truly great stories. So while the lawyers for Lexus work out the kinks of ESPN's usage of "Pursuit of Perfection" here are a few stories that have caught my eye.

1. During their Week 13 Thursday night showdown, much ado was made about Brett Favre's career record at Texas Stadium, which is now a dismal 0-9. While that does improve his worse all-time record by one quarterback at a visiting stadium it is not the worse of a quarterback at a single venue. Former Heisman trophy winner and current OsteoCal spokesman Chris Weinke started (and presumably ended) his career 0-12 all-time at what was his home field, the now Bank of America Stadium and still holds the record at 15 for most consecutive losses by a QB. Note that Weinke started most of the games for the Panthers during their joke of a season in 2001, where they finished with a single win, although two years later they would win the NFC Championship behind Delhomme.

2. The career passing leader of a single franchise is usually made into a bust and placed into Canton with usually few questions. Some big news earlier this year revolved around Peyton eclipsing the Colts' marks set by the great Johnny Unitas. However during the Week 12 game that was marred in a field goal controversy between the Browns and Ravens, Kyle Boller became the all-time leader in passing yards for Baltimore. Give this a minute to sink into your mind. Although Boller has officially been graded a bust of a first round pick, it speaks volumes about the Ravens franchise over the past five to six years. You mean to tell me that Boller has thrown for more yards than the greats like Elvis Grbac, Trent Dilfer and a full season from Steve McNair! While the lack of any type of quarterback has ruined Batimore's chances of ever getting another championship out of that great defense, what would our fantasy teams be without Matt Stover putting up the big points every year? I think its an even trade.

3. The biggest misconception behind the "Spy-gate" scandal is that New England had to forfeit all of their first round draft picks. While they have been penalized to give up their own draft pick (no worse that 29th, probably), they still have one from a trade made last year that was used for one franchise to draft offensive lineman Joe Staley. That franchise would happen to be the current 2nd overall pick in the '08 Draft, San Francisco 49ers. Just what we all need, right? A team that is dominating the rest of the league beyond recognition takes the field next year with Darren McFadden helping out that backfield. I'm sure kudos will be in order for the Patriots yet again, as they saw the opportunity to select high in a year where expectations for the 49ers were well warranted and unaccomplished.

4. A repeat of last year? All of this draft talk has got me geared up for the real thing but some of the big questions revolve around those left unturned a year ago. Who needs a quarterback? The top prospects have been thrown out there in the form of Matt Ryan, Brian Brohm and Andre Woodson, but the suspects needing their services may be inclined to fill other needs. Is there really a chance that a team could completely pass on all of these guys and get one of them in the second round? I played out last year's draft fifty times in my head and never envisioned a scenario that had the wonder boy Brady Quinn falling out of the top 15, much less 20. Free agency and trades will play a major part into this as guys like McNabb and possibly Derek Anderson may be in search of new homes.

These are just a couple of the things I've been bouncing over for a while now. Unlike all the rest of my days at home, I believe today I will watch a ton of sports culminating in the announcement of the Heisman trophy award. However the judges have voted, the only thing for certain is that it's probably not Chase Daniel. I'm OK with that.

Top 30 Albums of 2007

2007 was an absolutely great year for music. It seemed like I was eagerly awaiting the release of some new album every Tuesday. This was a welcome relief after a somewhat musically anemic 2006. And while my favorite record from last year (Camera Obscura – Let’s Get Out of This Country) still gets its fair share of spins, my record player and iPod were overflowing with new music this year. So if you have any comments or criticisms on any of these albums, please feel free to share them with me. And if you have not gotten to hear them or are curious about any of them and want to give them a listen, please get in touch with me...send me an email, leave a comment, message me on facebook...and I will get you a copy of any of these albums. So here is how my year in music 2007 shaped up...

30. Son Volt – The Search
29. Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs – You Can’t Buy a Gun When You’re Crying
28. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
27. Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
26. Deerhunter – Cryptograms
25. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
24. The Twilight Sad – Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters
23. Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature
22. White Rabbits – Fort Nightly
21. Feist – The Reminder

20. Iron & Wine – The Shepherd's Dog
19. Jay-Z – American Gangster
18. Thurston Moore – Trees Outside the Academy
17. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
16. Club 8 – The Boy Who Couldn’t Stop Dreaming
15. Menomena – Friend and Foe
14. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
13. The Broken West – I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
12. Shocking Pinks – Shocking Pinks
11. Blonde Redhead – 23

10. Kanye West – Graduation
9. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
8. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
7. Okkervil River – The Stage Names
6. Spoon – GaGaGaGaGa
5. Radiohead – In Rainbows
4. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
3. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
2. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala
1. The National – Boxer

Unbelievable

Say it aint so!!! This might have been the best regular season in college football history, but if Oklahoma can hold on to beat Mizzou, the BCS Championship is shaping up to be a complete mockery. Comments please.....