Super Bowl Pick

Championship Sunday: 1-1
Playoffs: 5-5
Overall: 175-83 (.755 average)

The success of picks on this blog has come way down to earth during the playoffs. In spite of the parity in the National Football League, or thanks to some dominant teams, this blog has correctly picked three-fourths of the games in the National Football League this season. Granted, this is straight up. I won't even pretend to pick against the spread. Nonetheless, it's been a good year for picks.

Sunday is the Really Big Game. If you're a company out there, and you're not an official sponsor, you can't even use the word Super Bowl in your advertising. You simply have to say you're giving away a trip to the Big Game in Glendale, Arizona in February. The Super Bowl is the mother of all American cultural events. It is where sports meets pop culture which meets American capitalism which meets overexposure which meets..well, you get the picture.

This year, the New England Patriots enter Super Bowl XLII with a perfect record. The Pats have won 18 games in a row, and are attempting to become the first perfect team in the era of the 16 game season. They are the most respected, but also the most hated team in America, due to their alleged cheating and the way they have pounded opponents this season. However, not even the FBI can stop the Patriots this season.

The New York Giants are the NFC representative in this year's game. The Giants built on a near-upset of the Patriots in Week 17 to go on a three-game tear through the NFC playoffs, winning at Tampa Bay, Dallas, and Green Bay. The Giants have made a run for the ages.

The Patriots have struggled in the last part of the season, relatively speaking. They aren't drilling teams any longer. Teams are at least staying on the field with them. However, the Pats can smell something special. The bye week will hurt the Giants by killing their momentum. The bye week will, conversely, help the Patriots, as will the controlled environment of University of Phoenix Stadium, where the game will be played indoors.

I'm hoping for a good game. I don't expect one. Patriots win by a score of 38-16.

The Other Half Of Division I

Where have I been? I’ve been off on a project for my company, and have been blogging more sparingly of late.

I have been working on the campus of my company’s client, Stony Brook University. Stony Brook is located on the north shore of Long Island, about 50 miles east of midtown Manhattan. It is one of the flagship campuses of the State University of New York. Stony Brook boasts 22,000 students, a medical school, and a dental school. It is a major research institution. The school has come a long way in its relatively short 50 year history.

Wednesday evening, thanks to the complimentary tickets from my hotel, I took some time and went to the Stony Brook Arena to watch the Seawolves take on the University of New Hampshire in men’s basketball. A tough season continued for the Seawolves, as they lost, 68-60, and saw their record fall to 4-16. They find themselves at #335 in one version of the Ratings Percentage Index, out of 341 teams.

What I saw was a team and an athletic program trying to keep up with the growth of its university. The team was spunky and competitive, in spite of its record. The arena was small and clean. It is currently a physical education facility with a running track at the top and a running track at the bottom, with bleachers pulled out on four sides of the court, and a few chairback seats on one side of the floor. The arena holds around 4,000 people, and was about ¼ full. My cell phone camera isn’t very good, so I couldn’t get a good picture. At Stony Brook, if you’re a booster, you get the opportunity to sit at a courtside table, and are served catered dinner in a tent in a corner of an arena beside the bleachers. They are working hard to grow their athletic program, and will begin renovation of their arena at the close of the season. The Seawolves have only been part of Division I since 1999.

It was good to go to a game. They didn’t pretend to be the Big East or the Big 12, but it was Division I basketball. I wish the Seawolves well.

The World Was A Better Place Then...Maybe

CSTV shows some really good classic games in the afternoons on their Retrovision series. Today, they showed an old game from 1990 between Loyola Marymount and LSU. There was greatness all over the court that day. Bo Kimble and the late Hank Gathers suited up for LMU, while Chris Jackson (now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf), Stanley Roberts, and a young Shaquille O’Neal played for LSU. LSU won the game, 148-141 in overtime.

Loyola Marymount played a breakneck style of ball, scoring over 100 points in 27 games that year. They ran up and down the floor, jacking up three-point shots almost at will. The team was best known for their run they made in the NCAA tournament. Star forward Hank Gathers collapsed and died during the middle of their semifinal game in the West Coast Conference post-season tournament. The team was given an undeserved 11 seed in the West regional, but went on an improbable run led by Gathers’ boyhood friend Kimble. Kimble is best remembered for shooting the first free throw of every game in that tournament left-handed, in honor of Gathers. The Lions ran over New Mexico State, Michigan, and Alabama before losing in the West regional final to eventual national champion UNLV (another great team).

Which brings me to an even bigger point: 1) The author of this blog is getting old man’s disease, and 2) college basketball was a better game back then. Quality players were playing at least a couple of years in college, if not three or four. Teams played a more entertaining style of ball, symbolized by teams such as UNLV, Loyola Marymount, and Oklahoma, who specialized in trying to score triple digits and trying to run other teams out of the gym. Getting to the NBA was very important, but so was winning at the college level. Winning at the college level is still important to today’s players, but getting to the Association is the primary goal. Winning at the college level is as important to coaches as ever, probably even more so as salaries have escalated. However, the college game just doesn’t look as fun as it once did.

I don’t know if the world was a better place back then, but the game was better then. The Loyola Marymount teams of the late 80’s were greatness.

College Hoops-Better Late than Never

Well, not really late, because they've been playing for two and a half months. Late as in my interest in the sport.

I used to love college hoops. I still love the NCAA tournament. The first two days of the tournament are my favorite two days of the year. I've just had the hardest time getting into college basketball this year. I watch games and barely know what is going on.

I know Memphis and Kansas are both undefeated. I know the Pac 10 has a lot of good teams. I know the Atlantic 10 is vastly improved this year. And, I know Drake, of all teams, has only lost one game all year going into today.

I can't explain my lack of interest in hoops. Maybe it's my age. Maybe it's because there are games every night. Maybe I like the once-a-week high that football gives me. I don't know.

But, better late than never. I'll have some hoops stuff later on. Coming later will be tournament field projections.

Oh, yeah, in the Alphabet Soup Game of the Week, IUPUI beat IPFW today, 77-59. There is not a school called EIEIO, and they do not have a basketball team. These weren't labor unions, either. Seriously, it was the battle of Indiana-Purdue joint campuses, and Indianapolis got the best of Fort Wayne. At least IPFW doesn't call itself IUPUFW.

In the meantime, there are just two football games left: the Super Bowl and the Pro Bowl. How sad.

Ugly Uniform Of The Day

UUOTD returns!

Last Thursday night, the Marquette Golden Eagles (they're no longer the Warriors) broke out these baby blue uniforms in a nationally televised loss to Louisville. They are similar to what Marquette wore in the 1970's when Al McGuire had them on top of the college basketball world. This design is making a comeback.

Needless to say, they're ugly as sin. They look like pajamas my kids would wear to bed.

Disgusting. Blech.

NFL Highway: Championship Sunday

Who would have thought on December 29, in Giants Stadium, that there was a preview of the Super Bowl. In hindsight, that's what happened.

The New England Patriots sputtered a bit, but handled the San Diego Chargers, 21-12. Tom Brady threw an uncharacteristic three interceptions, and Randy Moss only had one reception. However, the Pats, as always, found a way to win. They are 18-0 and headed to Glendale for Super Bowl XLII.

The classic was played in the frozen cold of Green Bay. The New York Football Giants won their league record tenth road game in a 23-20 overtime thriller over the Green Bay Packers. Lawrence Tynes missed two crucial field goals in regulation, but more than redeemed himself with a 47 yard game winner in overtime.

There is a lot to be said for how the Giants approached the season-ending game with the Patriots. The Giants had absolutely nothing to play for, as their playoff position was already determined. The Patriots were playing for a perfect season. The Giants went out and played hard, even whipping the Patriots for three quarters. They lost the game, but finished the season in a good groove, unlike their first two playoff opponents, who stumbled toward the end of the season. There is something to be said for trying to play hard and finish well, even when there is nothing to gain.

The Patriots will have a world of pressure on them as they try to become the first team to ever go 19-0. Also, the Pats will be going for their fourth Super Bowl win in seven years. The Pats have been installed as early 14 point favorites.

Get ready for the hype!

NFL Picks: Championship Sunday

Sunday is really the best day of the playoffs. Championship Sunday does not have all the hype, glitz, and glamour of the Super Bowl. It features four desperate teams attempting to get to the NFL’s biggest stage.

After the events of last week, I have a hard time getting excited about Sunday. Nonetheless, there are picks to be made.

Last Week: 1-3
Playoffs: 4-4
Season: 174-82

AFC Championship
San Diego at New England: The Chargers pulled an upset last week in Indianapolis, sending the Colts to an early vacation. They are now poised to finish better than last year’s early playoff disappointment. However, they are banged-up. QB Philip Rivers won’t play, RB LaDainian Tomlinson is injured but will play, and TE Antonio Gates will most likely sit this game out. The Chargers have a good running game. That won’t be enough. The Patriots are in the midst of a once-in-a-lifetime season. Tom Brady will strike early and often. This game will be ugly. Book the Patriots for an upscale resort in the Phoenix area next week. Pick: New England

NFC Championship
New York Giants at Green Bay: Excuse me while I throw up. Unfortunately, both of these teams deserve to be here, while the Dallas Cowboys do not. This game will be played in a deep freeze, with the temperature scheduled to be 5 degrees at kickoff (5:30 pm local time) and only getting colder. The Giants are hot, and have only lost one road game all year. They haven’t played in Green Bay in January, though. Get ready to hear a ton more about the great Brett Favre during Super Bowl week, because he’ll be there. Pick: Green Bay

A Random Question

Question while sitting in Hooters (the unofficial restaurant of this blog) in Islandia, New York: Why would anyone in New York be a fan of the Jets and/or Mets, when they could be fans of the Giants and Yankees? Inquiring minds want to know.

There are Jets and Mets signs in here, but none for the Giants or Yankees. I know the Jets train on Long Island for now, and used to play in Queens, while the Mets still play in Queens. But, why choose them over the Giants or Yankees? I have no clue.

Just a rambling thought on a Thursday night in New York....

NFL Highway: Divisional Round (or, Dead End in Dallas)

The NFL playoffs delivered some unexpected events over the weekend. Gone are the defending Super Bowl champions and the favorite to win the NFC.

The author of this blog entered the belly of the beast on Sunday, flying to LaGuardia Airport in New York on a work-related trip. As I was picking up my rental car, I heard some shouting and clapping in the back room. That meant one thing: Tony Romo threw an interception in the end zone at the end of the game, sealing the victory for the New York Football Giants. Terrell Owens was obviously not happy, as the video shows. But, instead of throwing his quarterback under the bus (like Jeff Garcia and Donovan McNabb), he cried for his man Tony Romo. I really blame the loss on my wife. Instead of wearing her lucky pink Romo jersey, she wore my white Romo jersey. Bad, bad, bad. The G-men move one game closer to an unexpected Super Bowl. The Cowboys have not won a playoff game in 12 years. Barry Switzer was the last Cowboys coach to win a playoff game. Ouch.

Another place where they are crying in their Cheerios is Indianapolis. The Colts lost to the Chargers, 28-24. It was a bizarre convergence of events for San Diego, as star RB LaDainian Tomlinson left the game in the first half with a bruised knee, and QB Philip Rivers left in the third quarter with a damaged right knee. Enter QB Billy Volek and RBs Michael Turner and Darren Sproles. They picked up the slack and brought the Chargers back in the 4th quarter for the win. Turner helped improve his free agent status in the upcoming offseason, while coach Norv Turner got the biggest win of his career. Norv might just be a head coach, after all. The Colts are left at home wondering what happened.

The Chargers next get to face the juggernaut that is New England. The Patriots got a challenge on Saturday night from Jacksonville, but pulled away for a 31-20 victory. The Jags really only made two mistakes all night, but a team can't make any mistakes at all and expect to beat the Patriots. Good luck to the Chargers. They'll need it.

It was a winter wonderland in Green Bay on Saturday. It's supposed to snow in Green Bay in January. The Packers used the elements and a hot hand from Brett Favre to pound the Seattle Seahawks, 41-20. Seattle used two early fumble recoveries to set up two touchdowns for a 14-0 lead. The Packers steamrolled after that. The Pack now get an unexpected home game Sunday night against the Giants.

NFL Picks: Divisional Round

Apologies for the lack of postings. My brain has been in Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. This isn’t a political blog, so I’ll quit there.

We have a set of four good games this weekend. Anything can happen, and probably will.

Last Week: 3-1
Season: 173-79

AFC
Jacksonville at New England: Patriots return after a bye week as 13 ½ point favorites over a good Jacksonville team. The scary thought: Vegas is probably right. The Jaguars are solid, but they can’t stop the Pats on a cold January night in Foxboro. Pick: Patriots

San Diego at Indianapolis: The Chargers have had a nice run, including a crazy win over the Colts earlier in the season in San Diego. However, the jig ends here. The Colts are rested and relatively healthy, while the Chargers are missing their leading receiver, TE Antonio Gates. Colts win. Pick: Indianapolis

NFC
Seattle at Green Bay: The Packers have been the surprise of the year. Brett Favre has had a season for the ages. The Seahawks have kept a low profile in the Northwest, but pounded the Redskins last week. The visiting team usually wins one of these games. This is the best chance for that. Pick: Seattle

New York Giants at Dallas: The Cowboys have swept both games this year. Dallas now comes off of a virtual two-week layoff, having rested several starters in the season-ending game against Washington. The Giants have shown strength in the last two weeks, playing the Patriots tough two weeks ago, and getting a road win in Tampa last week. They have a good chance to win this week. But, did Tony Romo have too much fun in Cabo last week? I don’t think so. Pick: Dallas

Coaching Carousel, Part 3

It’s been a few weeks since this blog covered the coaching merry-go-round, but the hires are almost complete. What are some of these schools doing? Actually, some of them improved their programs in the process. Here are a few schools with new football coaches:

UCLA: The Bruins fired Karl Dorrell and brought Rick Neuheisel back to Westwood, where he won a Rose Bowl as quarterback. Neuheisel drug Colorado (probation) and Washington (small-time NCAA tournament pool) into the mud, but went into the NFL as an assistant coach before getting the UCLA gig. Neuheisel will recruit well and coach well. UCLA is neither a small-time, nor big-time football program. Think USC basketball. SC is getting better in hoops in the shadow of UCLA. UCLA will improve in football in spite of crosstown rival USC.

West Virginia: The Mountaineers went through a soap opera after the departure of Rich Rodriguez. WVU was rumored to be chasing Terry Bowden, Florida State assistant Jimbo Fisher, and Florida assistant Doc Holliday. All of them had West Virginia connections, but none were able to win the favor of all of the different factions of boosters. The governor even got into the search process. Meanwhile, the team went to the Fiesta Bowl and thumped Oklahoma. The following morning, interim head coach Bill Stewart became the permanent head coach. While one night in Arizona made the school’s search easier, will this help the ‘Eers long term? The jury is still out on that one. The coaching graveyard is littered with the carcasses of “players’ coaches” who rode the players’ sentiments to a permanent gig, only to be fired a few years later. Still, West Virginia should be one of the top two schools in the Big East every year.

SMU: This is the home run. The Mustangs waited almost two months after firing Phil Bennett, but were able to hire June Jones away from Hawaii. Jones performed a miracle in the islands, taking Hawaii from 0-12 to a BCS bowl in nine years. This was done with inferior facilities and a very low recruiting budget. The recruiting budget at Hawaii was so low, their coaches could not personally visit recruits on the mainland. Jones tried for years to get raises for his assistants and to improve their facilities. When the administration attempted to put the BCS bowl money into the general fund, Jones balked. Enter SMU, with $2 million per year of old Dallas money. Jones now gets to perform the impossible: turning SMU into a winner. If the administration on the Hilltop cooperates with him, he can do just that. This hire appears to be well worth the wait for the Mustangs.

Same Song, Second Verse

In another uneventful BCS national championship game, the LSU Tigers became the first two-time BCS national champion, with a 38-17 win over the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Ohio State was drilled for the second time in a row in the BCS national championship game. This was the Buckeyes’ third appearance in the championship game in six years. Most schools would kill for that kind of success. But, it’s a Ricky Bobby world out there. Meaning, if you’re not first, you’re last.

It has become obvious that the Big Ten is not preparing tOSU for the next level. Ohio State has become the cream of a so-so Big Ten crop. However, when they get to a bowl game, they run into the brick wall known as the SEC. tOSU is now 0-9 in bowl games against the SEC.

LSU was a team of density. Actually, they were a team of destiny. The Tigers won several close games, and lost two games in triple overtime.

NFL Highway, Wild Card Weekend

The NFL highway has turned into a dead end for all but eight teams. What happened in the wonderful world of professional football this weekend?

On Saturday, the Washington Redskins did the expected and laid an egg in the Great Northwest, losing to Seattle, 35-14. The Seahawks returned two interceptions for touchdowns in this game. The Seahawks earned a trip to Mike Holmgren’s former home in Green Bay to face the Packers. Seattle is flying under the radar, but is a team to be reckoned with.

The best game of the weekend was Saturday night in Pittsburgh. There was no snow, only cold weather. Jacksonville won at Heinz Field for the second time in four weeks, 31-29. The Jaguars had a 28-10 lead in the third quarter. Pittsburgh came back with a vengeance, even taking a 29-28 lead before Jacksonville was able to earn a field goal and the victory. The Jags now earn the privilege of a Saturday night game in beautiful Foxboro, Massachusetts against the New England Patriots.

Another road team won on Sunday, as the New York Football Giants flexed their muscle against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a 24-14 victory. Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes for the Giants. The G-men now get a chance to play the Dallas Cowboys for the third time next Sunday at the stadium with a hole in the roof. The Bucs had the automatic bid from the NFC South, the NFL’s equivalent to the Mid-American Conference. They were promptly dispatched by a team from the greatest division in football, the NFC East, winners of 10 and participants in 18 Super Bowls.

In Sunday’s nightcap, the San Diego Chargers struggled for the first two and a half quarters against the Tennessee Titans. The Chargers finally broke through for two touchdowns, and won their first playoff game in 13 years with a 17-6 win over the Titans. LaDainian Tomlinson was held to 42 yards on 21 carries, but the Chargers were able to win in spite of that. The Chargers move on to a date on Sunday with Peyton Manning and the Colts in Indianapolis.

NFL Picks: Wild Card Weekend

We are now into the money week of the NFL playoffs. This is when the owners and TV networks cash in on the popularity of the league with an extra week of playoffs. The better teams are off this week on byes. It is a tall order to come out of this round of the playoffs and go on to win the Super Bowl, mainly because a winner this week will go on to play a rested, better team on the road. Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl two years ago as a wild card, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Nonetheless, there will be some good games this week.

Last Week: 12-4
Season: 170-78

AFC

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh (Saturday): These teams last met in December on a snowy day in Pittsburgh. Jacksonville survived a Pittsburgh comeback to win, 29-22. Now, the Steelers are without star RB Willie Parker, and are stumbling to the finish line. The Jags are good enough to make noise in these playoffs. Pick: Jacksonville

Tennessee at San Diego (Sunday): These teams met in November in Nashville, when the Titans gave up a big lead only to lose to the Chargers in overtime. The Chargers started slowly, but finished with the #3 seed in the playoffs. Norv Turner’s job is safe, after all. The Chargers have a habit of losing home playoff games. They win one this week. Pick: San Diego

NFC

Washington at Seattle (Saturday): The Redskins have won their last four games behind backup quarterback Todd Collins, while mourning the death of S Sean Taylor. The Seahawks rolled to another NFC West title. This is the toughest trip in football, with the combination of the Seahawks’ outdoor home field advantage and the long trip to Seattle. Redskins run out of gas. Pick: Seattle

New York Giants at Tampa Bay (Sunday): The Giants gave the mighty Patriots all they wanted for three quarters last week. The Bucs have been in neutral for the last month after clinching the weak NFC South. Tampa Bay puts it together for one game this week, with the return of QB Jeff Garcia. Pick: Tampa Bay

If You're Not First..

"If you're not first, you're last!" - Ricky Bobby

That is the sentiment of a large portion of Sooner Nation, after OU lost its fourth consecutive BCS bowl game Wednesday night. The Sooners were pounded by West Virginia, 48-28. The game shouldn't have been that close. In Norman, it's National Championship or Bust. Right now, it's Bowl Win or Bust.

It's a good thing bowl games are meaningless exhibitions.

The real game is Monday night, when Ohio State plays LSU for the crystal football.

On Frozen Pond

While there were bowl games all over the tube on New Year’s Day, NBC presented a treat. The NHL gave us the Amp Energy NHL Winter Classic. It was an outdoor hockey game at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo, between the Sabres and the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was good stuff.

The game drew over 71,000 spectators in the cold, sleet, and snow of Buffalo, the largest crowd in the history of the NHL. It was great television. At times during the game, attendants had to go out onto the ice and clear freshly fallen snow and ice. Wind and cold were a factor in the game, just as in football. It was a throwback to when players were growing up playing on frozen ponds and backyards. Oh, yeah, Pittsburgh won the game, 3-2 in a shootout. The NHL's new phenom Sidney Crosby scored the winning goal for the Penguins.

The NHL needs things like this to put it back on the map in this country. Outdoor games won’t work all the time, but one game a year, presented as a big event, would be great for the sport.

Bowl Picks, Part 3

Last set: 7-7 (yikes!)
Bowl picks to date: 10-9 (ouch!)
Overall: 192-103

January brings us more bowls, including the vaunted BCS. Here’s hoping these picks are better than the last set.

AT&T Cotton Bowl at Dallas, Missouri vs. Arkansas: Mizzou was hosed by the BCS. Arkansas got a better bowl as a result of their season-ending upset win over LSU. Since then, Arkansas has entered into a coaching transition, having pawned Houston Nutt off on Ole Miss, and stealing Bobby Petrino from the Atlanta Falcons. Reggie Herring is coaching the bowl game for the Hogs, in preparation for his new gig as defensive coordinator at Texas A&M. Is that confusing? I thought so. Pick: Missouri

Outback Bowl at Tampa, Tennessee vs. Wisconsin: Tennessee won the SEC East, thanks in part to a win over Georgia in October. This was a slow year in the Big Ten. Nonetheless, there are a lot of cheeseheads in Tampa this week. Go with the SEC in this one. Pick: Tennessee

Capital One Bowl at Orlando, Michigan vs. Florida: Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow leads the mighty Gators against the best of a bunch of Big Ten also-rans in Michigan. Michigan is playing their last game under retiring coach Lloyd Carr. Speed kills. Florida has speed. Pick: Florida

Konica Minolta Gator Bowl at Jacksonville, Texas Tech vs. Virginia: UVa has won a bunch of close games this year to land themselves in a New Year’s Day bowl. They haven’t seen anything close to Tech’s offense, however. Tech will sling it around in this one. Pick: Red Raiders

International Bowl at Toronto, Rutgers vs. Ball State: This will be played on Saturday. Ball State was the third MAC team eligible for a bowl game. Rutgers has had a disappointing season. Who would have ever thought a disappointing season would still end in a bowl game for Rutgers? Pick: Scarlet Knights

GMAC Bowl at Mobile, AL, Tulsa vs. Bowling Green: Bowling Green has a lot of tickets to sell to this thing, so they are trying to market tickets to Ohio State fans in nearby New Orleans for the BCS national championship game. On the field, Tulsa should be able to handle the Falcons. Pick: Tulsa

BCS
Rose Bowl at Pasadena, CA, USC vs. Illinois: The biggest farce of a matchup in all of bowldom this season. Illinois is a nice team, but they’re no USC. The Illini was the only Big Ten team outside Ohio State that qualified for a BCS bowl. Therefore, the Rose Bowl took them, because the Rose Bowl and the Big Ten are engaged in an evil plot to control college football. Maybe not evil, but pretty close to it. USC is healthy once again, and looks ready to beat anyone who chooses to mess with them. Trojans win the Sugar Bowl pre-game show. Pick: USC

Sugar Bowl at New Orleans, Georgia vs. Hawaii: OU vs. Boise State, Part II. The upstart underdog from the WAC meets the hottest team in the SEC. Going out on a limb here, but I’m picking the team from the islands. Pick: Hawaii

Fiesta Bowl at Glendale, AZ, Oklahoma vs. West Virginia: Two teams that had a chance to play in the BCS championship game, but lost some inexplicable games among the way. OU sent a player home (Demarcus Granger) for shoplifting, while WVU has been in the midst of a contentious coaching search after Rich Rodriguez bolted for Meatchicken. I’m a homer. This blog always picks the Sooners. Pick: OU

Orange Bowl at Miami, Virginia Tech vs. Kansas: KU has had a great year. Problem is, they only played one good team all year, and lost to Missouri. This big bowl thing is new to them. Tech bounced back from a 41-point whipping by LSU and a gag job against Boston College to win the ACC. Tech represents the ACC well in this one. Pick: Virginia Tech

BCS National Championship Game at New Orleans, Ohio State vs. LSU: Ohio State is the beneficiary of a weak Big Ten, getting through the regular season with only one loss. LSU is the best of a bunch of two-loss teams. Both of the Tigers’ losses were in multiple overtime. Throw in the virtual homefield in the Superdome, and it will be hard for the Buckeyes to get out alive. Plus, it’s the SEC vs. the Big Ten. Pick: LSU

Just Another Night In San Antonio

This Texas A&M fan was caught eating boogers on national TV at the Alamo Bowl last Saturday night. Enjoy...

NFL Highway, Week 17

We are near the end of the highway. Actually, we’ve reached the suburbs, as the playoffs are here, and Super Bowl XLII is the destination.

This week’s trip down NFL Highway:

The Dallas Cowboys appeared Sunday in Washington. Well, sort of. QB Tony Romo only played for a half, and the Cowboys went through the motions as they were pounded by the Washington Redskins, 27-6. The Redskins thus qualify for the playoffs, and get to go to Seattle for a playoff game on Saturday.

The other playoff spot in doubt was in the AFC, where the Tennessee Titans needed to win in Indianapolis to make the playoffs. The Colts had nothing to play for, as their playoff position was locked. Indy benched Peyton Manning in the second quarter, and Vince Young was injured in the second half for the Titans. Kerry Collins came off the bench for the Titans and led them to three second half field goals.

Some other notable NFL happenings:

The Cleveland Browns won on Sunday over the San Francisco 49ers, and finished 10-6. They missed the playoffs, however, on a tiebreaker with the Titans. The Browns blew their chance for control of their own destiny last week in Cincinnati. Still, it was an unexpected big season on the North Coast of Ohio. Now, the Browns must decide whether to keep this season’s star QB Derek Anderson, or this year’s #1 draft pick Brady Quinn.

The Houston Texans earned their franchise record 8th win on Sunday with a 42-28 victory over playoff-bound Jacksonville. This was in spite of a rash of injuries that placed almost 20 players on the injured list. The Texans demonstrated the strength of the AFC South by finishing in last place with an 8-8 record. They were the only team in the division to not make the playoffs.

Also finishing in last place with an 8-8 record are the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-9 winners over Buffalo. With Washington’s win, the Eagles are the only NFC East team to not make the playoffs.

The Miami Dolphins finished an awful season at 1-15. They are guaranteed the top pick in April’s draft. Bill Parcells has been hired to blow up the entire football operation and to rebuild it.

More NFL rumblings later…

A Few People Are Making Money

Scott Reid of the Orange County Register this week produced a great series of articles on the business of college bowls. What a racket!

The bowl system is a method of filling hotel rooms in host cities, and of filling bowl officials’ pockets. A majority of them enjoy a dubious non-profit status as charitable organizations. While the bowls do perform some good work in their communities, their foremost purpose is not charity, but economic development. The bowls also spend an enormous amount of money lobbying government officials and entertaining college administrators.

Most schools actually do not make money on bowl games, after expenses are taken into account. Both Florida and Ohio State ran a combined deficit of $600,000 on last year’s trip to the BCS national championship game. Teams going to lesser bowls are required to sell a certain amount of tickets, and often have to eat large amounts of unsold tickets.

I’m not going to reproduce his articles here, but here are some highlights:

Gary Cavalli, executive director of the San Francisco Bowl Game Association, which puts on the Emerald Bowl. Cavalli received $362,018 in compensation and employee benefits in 2006, accounting for 11 percent of the bowl's budget. The game cleared $271,412. In a filing with the IRS, Cavalli said he works 35 hours a week.

What a gig! The guy gets to live in San Francisco, with a job wining and dining corporate people and college presidents and athletic directors. He’s got it made.

Also, the following schools lost their shirts on unsold tickets and bowl expenses:

Northern Illinois, 2006 Poinsettia Bowl: NIU sent 434 people to San Diego, costing the school about $916,800 in expenses. The school's share of the payout was $598,901, leaving NIU with a $317,898 deficit, more than the school spent last year on six of its nine women's sports combined.

Ohio University, 2006 GMAC Bowl: Former Nebraska coach Frank Solich led Ohio to its first bowl appearance since 1968. The celebration in Athens, however, was short-lived. A $277,550 bowl deficit was more than an athletic department already awash in red ink and facing Title IX sanctions could take. The university was forced to dip into general reserve funds to pay the bowl tab and just weeks after the game the school dropped track, swimming and lacrosse, leaving 383 athletes without teams. Ohio spent less than $200,000 annually on the three dropped programs.

And, there's Coach Fran and our friends at Texas A&M:

The Aggies ran up a Texas-sized deficit — $489,978 — in San Diego. A&M's awards expenditures explain some of the red ink. The Aggies spent nearly as much on awards for players and staff — $133,645 — as Florida and Ohio State did combined. Two years earlier, A&M spent $198,395 on awards at the Cotton Bowl.

The bowl system is the biggest crock of bovine excrement out there. I’m no fan of the NCAA and their politically correct, pointy-headed approach. However, a handful of people are holding college football hostage, both politically and financially.

I have no problem with generating large sums of revenue. However, it is not worth it to take a bath on a bowl trip, and to cut athletic programs and scholarships as a result.

Another thought, anathema to proud alumni everywhere: If schools from conferences such as the MAC are going to lose large sums of money on bowl trips, perhaps they should move to the Football Championship Subdivision, where they can play in a less-expensive playoff system and contend for championships.

Links:

Special Report: Price of Success
Special Report: College Football's Money Bowl
Special Report: Having a Party
Special Report: Bowl Calculators in Overdrive

Now, to get ready for that titanic bowl game in Shreveport between 6-6 Colorado and 6-6 Alabama. Because, it's not Pearl Harbor. It's Division I football.