UUOTD-Thursday

Today's UUOTD is nominated by The Wife.

She has been grossed out by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' uniforms ever since they came out a few years ago. The pewter pants really bother her. From my perspective, the pants do match the helmet, but they are a little much with the red jersey.

In my opinion, though, they are an improvement over the orange Creamsicle uniforms worn under the previous ownership.

At least the jersey is all one color, and they don't have a silly stripe on the side of the uniform. Still, the pewter is a little more than I can handle.

College Bowl Picks, Part 2 (and Bowl Ratings)

It’s another weekend, and time for another batch of bowls. Or, at the Mother Ship in Bristol, Connecticut, it is Capital One Bowl Week. Time to pick more bowls, and also to cast judgment on the quality of the bowl.

Gaylord Hotels Music City Bowl at Nashville: Clemson vs. Kentucky. The Tigers were very up and down this year, and had the talent to win the ACC in a down year, but didn’t pull it off. Their high point was a win at conference champion Wake Forest. Kentucky is rebuilding their program from the depths of probation, and coach Rich Brooks has been on the hot seat for two years. The Cats have beaten all the teams they are supposed to beat. Clemson has more talent. Pick: Clemson.
Nashville isn’t a bad place, especially if you’re into music. It can be cold in December, though, and this bowl has had games in sub-freezing temperatures. It’s an 11:00 AM kickoff on ESPN, so it’s not the most glamourous of bowls. As long as the locals get an SEC team, though, they’re happy. Rating: 2
Brut Sun Bowl: Oregon State vs. Missouri: Oregon State has notable late season wins over USC and Hawaii. Missouri started strong, but finished inconsistently. The Beavers are hot, and I’ll pick them. Pick: OSU-West
Brut? I think my dad has some in his bathroom cabinet. El Paso isn’t a garden spot, but this is one of the longest-running non-New Year’s Day bowls. It has also been on CBS for four decades, which says something in this cable-dominated universe. They get middle-rung teams from the Pac 10 and, this year, the Big 12. This bowl has loads of tradition, which helps its rating. Rating: 3
AutoZone Liberty Bowl: Houston vs. South Carolina. The Gamecocks are in their second bowl game in a row under the Old Ball Coach, Steve Spurrier. The Cougars come in as champions of Conference USA. The Gamecocks play in a tougher conference, but I don’t expect them to totally stop Houston’s high-powered offense. Pick: Coogs
Any bowl game where you can go see Graceland isn’t too bad. Memphis has good ribs, as well. This bowl has been around for a long time, and has weathered a lot. They scored a coup this year by signing a deal with the SEC to provide a team to oppose the Conference USA champion. As far as non-New Year’s Day bowls go, this one is pretty good. Just as in Nashville, though, the weather in Memphis can be iffy in December. Rating: 3
Insight Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Minnesota. The Red Raiders had to endure the dalliance of their coach with the Miami job at the end of the regular season. They went 7-5, which is now unacceptable at Tech. They throw the ball all over the place. Minnesota rescued their season, closing out at 6-6 after starting slowly and nearly losing to North Dakota State. Pick: Tech
This was originally the Copper Bowl, played in Tucson. It then moved to the former Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, and has now replaced the Fiesta Bowl at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe. That gives the Valley of the Sun three bowl games this year. The game this year is on NFL Network, meaning most of the country will not have access to it. It’s a bowl, though, and Tech and Minnesota would rather go there than to not go at all. Rating: 2
Champs Sports Bowl: Purdue vs. Maryland: Purdue had an above-average season this year, but was not anything special. Maryland, after getting pounded by West Virginia in September, went on a winning streak and was in contention for the ACC title at the end of the season. Pick: Maryland
This was formerly known as the Blockbuster, Carquest, and Micron PC Bowl in Miami, and was moved to Orlando and took the name Tangerine Bowl, before Champs bought the name. The payout has gone way up, and the game has moved to the week after Christmas. There are much worse places for a bowl than Orlando, though the Citrus Bowl stadium is starting to fall apart. Rating: 2.6

Rating The Bowls

The division formerly known as 1-A has a quirky and antiquated post-season system, driven by tourist dollars, guys in loud-colored blazers, TV executives, and commissioners of power conferences. There has, in recent years, appeared a preponderance of bowl games. This year, there are 32 bowl games, including the BCS national championship game. As I've watched parts of them, I've often wondered: What's the use of all this? Wouldn't these cities be better off bidding on playoff games?

Before I go any further, I will make the following statement: As long as the bowl system is in place, any city/chamber of commerce/corporation/conference that can come up with the NCAA minimum of $750,000 per team should be allowed to have a bowl. If the folks in Shawnee, Oklahoma want to have a bowl game in Jim Thorpe Stadium (built in the WPA era, capacity 5,000), and they can come up with $1.5 million to pull it off, then more power to them. That's a bit extreme, but anyone that can do it should be able to have a bowl game in their city. With that being said, I have developed a rating system for bowls.

I rank bowls based on: payout, conference tie-in (prestige of conference and bowl's place in picking order), TV contract (network and time of game), location/stadium, and tradition. A newer, lower-paying bowl will obviously be rated much lower than bowls such as the Rose, Sugar and Orange. Each bowl will have a rating based on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the best.

I will rank the bowls for which I have already picked winners. I will also have bowl ratings with future installments of bowl picks.

Why rank bowls? To have fun with the warped system that we have. Each of these cities have their fine points, and some are better places to live than others. However, some bowls do nothing more than fill some hotel rooms and fill TV time.

Here are the ratings for bowls to date:

Poinsettia: San Diego is a great place, to which I have never been. From what I've heard, Qualcomm Stadium is beginning to fall apart, and the Chargers want a new stadium. This is a new bowl, the lower-paying of the two San Diego bowls, but a needed bowl for the Mountain West conference. They also have a deal for Navy to appear periodically. If there is a place that can handle two bowls, it's San Diego. Rating: 2.2
Las Vegas: Folks usually don't go to Vegas to catch college football. But, it's a nice diversion for traveling fans. This is the home of the Mountain West champion. The stadium is a little old, and is way off the Strip, in Henderson. Being close to Utah & BYU, it works for the Mountain West. Rating: 2.6
New Orleans: This bowl was created for the champion of the Sun Belt Conference. Conference USA provides a middle-rung team as the opponent. The Sun Belt has won this game twice in six years, but it gives their conference to shoot for. The Superdome is usually about a third full for this one. As long as the Sun Belt would rather aim for this game instead of the 1-AA playoffs, this game is fine. New Orleans doesn't need another bowl, but the Sun Belt does. Rating: 2
Papajohns.com: Birmingham got back into the bowl business this year. Legion Field, formerly known as the Football Capital of the South, is falling apart. Birmingham has hosted two other bowls: the Hall of Fame Bowl, and the All-American Bowl. They love football there, but there's a big difference between Alabama-Auburn and a couple of also-rans from the Big East and Conference USA. This is like having a bowl in Oklahoma City. A great place to live, but a questionable place for a bowl. Rating: 1.2
New Mexico: A brand new bowl, designed to give the Mountain West another bowl, and to promote the state of New Mexico. This year's title sponsor is the New Mexico Tourism Department. If it works for them, more power to them. Ultimately, though, another case of good place to live, questionable bowl destination. The MWC vs. WAC matchup isn't a lot to write home about, either. However, San Jose State enjoyed Albuquerque last week, a lot. Rating: 1.6
Armed Forces: Formerly known as the Fort Worth Bowl, this is played at TCU's aging Amon Carter Stadium. Fort Worth is a great place to live, and is underrated as a tourist attraction. However, the weather can be iffy, the MWC-CUSA matchup isn't the greatest, and one can only spend so much time in the Stockyards. This bowl has overcome it's birth pains, though, and is on the way to success. Rating: 1.6
Hawaii: This game was organized to give the University of Hawaii a place to go when bowl eligible. It is a roaring success when the Warriors are in it. It's also entertainment for Christmas Eve. Hawaii is always a good place to go, but you don't want to mess with the Warriors if you have to play them there. Rating: 2.4
Motor City: This bowl was created for the MAC champion. The bowl benefited from the construction of Ford Field, giving it a first-class venue. Problem is, outside the stadium, you're in Detroit in December. Brrr. Rating: 1.4
Emerald: San Francisco, with all its quirks, is a tourist attraction. This game is played in a baseball park, gets a low pick from the Pac 10 and ACC, and is a candidate for cold weather. However, they hit a home run this year with Florida State and UCLA. Rating: 2.4
Independence: You could say that if Shreveport can pull a bowl off, anyone can. This bowl was in Shreveport long before casinos were. They've struggled with sponsor names (Weed Eater), snow (the 1999 freak snow storm game between Mississippi State and Texas A&M), and the various other issues that a mid-tier bowl faces. Still, they press on. This is the little bowl that could. The Big XII and SEC like it. Rating: 1.8
Texas: This is the latest incarnation of the Houston Bowl, formerly known as the galleryfurniture.com bowl. The Houston Bowl needed help, as TCU and Iowa State have still not received total payment from last year's game. So, enter the Big XII, the Houston Texans, and the NFL Network. Those entities saved and restructured the game, believing that Houston was too large a city and Reliant too nice a stadium to not have a bowl game. Good luck. Rating: 1.6
Holiday: Easily the best of the pre-New Year's bowls. San Diego is a great place, and this bowl gets the second pick from the Pac 10 and the third pick from the Big XII. This has been a great game for just about all of its 30-year history, including several barnburners as home of the WAC champion. The only things this bowl doesn't have are a New Year's Day date, and a new Chargers stadium. Rating: 3.6

More bowl ratings to come, along with more bowl picks..

UUOTD

It's been a few days since there has been an Ugly Uniform of the Day, so I figured it's time for another one...

In many ways, the World League of American Football, now NFL Europe, has been good for the NFL. It has helped build the game of football overseas, and has given players the opportunity to jump-start their careers. However, that league has also given birth to some uniform trends that have hit the NFL, which have not been good.

The Buffalo Bills have caught this NFL Europe bug with their road uniform. Their home unis are still ok, because they are still one color. These road jerseys, though, break the rules. I cannot stand it when a jersey has a one color for the shoulders and nameplate, and another one for the rest of the jersey. This Bills jersey has a navy blue shoulder, and a white body. All it is lacking is a logo from a German beer company, and it is good to go for NFL Europe. The Arizona Cardinals have also adopted this style, with red shoulders to go with the white jersey.

The Bills have had some cool uniforms over the years. Their AFL throwbacks are great, and the ones they wore in four Super Bowls in the 90's weren't bad, either. These road jerseys, though, are hideous.

Do away with the colored shoulders!

Clash of Cultures

An interesting preview of the upcoming Holiday Bowl between the University of California, Berkeley, and Texas A&M University.

Berkeley is known for war protests and counterculture activity.

A&M is known for the Corps of Cadets, and recently lost its president to the Pentagon, where Robert Gates is the new Secretary of Defense.

A&M has a military-style band made up of Cadets. Cal has a traditional-style band, in contrast to hated archrival Stanford's non-traditional oddball band.

It should be interesting in San Diego.

You Know You're Addicted to Football...

....when Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee State is on TV, and you're watching it.

These teams would be first-round fodder for Florida and Ohio State in my playoff proposal.

Props to the little guys!

NFL Week In Review, Week 16

With two games to go later today, the NFL finds itself in a dogfight for playoff position as it leaves Week 16.

In the AFC, San Diego needs one more win to clinch home field throughout the playoffs. Baltimore needs one more win to clinch a bye in the first round. Indianapolis and New England have a chance at a bye, if either of them win and the Ravens lose next week. The wild card race is a dogfight, as Denver has a leg up for one spot, and the New York Jets have a an inside track at the other one. Cincinnati, Tennessee, Jacksonville, and Kansas City have an outside chance at the playoffs in the AFC. The Jets are set to play the Miami Dolphins in rainy south Florida as I write.

In the NFC, Chicago has clinched home field all the way throughout the playoffs. Good thing for Bears DT Tank Johnson, because he needs a judge’s permission to leave Illinois. The New Orleans Saints have now clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs. Philadelphia can win the NFC East with a win, and Seattle has won the NFC West, and is locked into the #4 playoff position. The wild card race is a zoo, as Dallas has clinched one of the spots, at 9-6. There is then a gaggle of 5 teams with records of 7-8: New York Giants, Carolina, Atlanta, Green Bay, and St. Louis. None of those five play one another in Week 17, and there is the slight chance that all five could lose, placing a team with a 7-9 record in the playoffs. As it stands now, there will be at least one team in the NFC playoffs with an 8-8 record.

The Dallas Cowboys got kicked all over the field by the Philadelphia Eagles, losing 23-7. Andy Reid is a genius, for picking up Jeff Garcia as a backup quarterback to the injury-prone Donovan McNabb. The Eagles have picked it up a notch, winning four in a row, including three in a row on the road in the division. The Cowboys are going to be in the playoffs, but are not playing like a Super Bowl team. At the same time, going in as the 5th seed earns them a trip to Seattle to face the reeling Seahawks. The way the Cowboys are playing at home, it may be worth taking a chance on a road game in Seattle.

The once-mighty Indianapolis Colts came to Reliant Stadium, and lost to the Houston Texans, 27-24. Peyton Manning had three touchdown passes, but the Colts’ rush defense made Ron Dayne look like the Heisman Trophy winner that he is. Dayne had 153 yards and two touchdowns, as the Texans scored their biggest win since their inaugural game against the Cowboys in 2002. The Colts are staring a first-round playoff game in the face, unless the Ravens lose to Buffalo next week.

Speaking of the Ravens, Baltimore manhandled Pittsburgh, 31-7. Pittsburgh still had a chance at a playoff spot, but chose to not show up on Christmas Eve, and got kicked by the Ravens. The Ravens are looking tough to beat. I wouldn’t want to go the City By Chesapeake Bay during the playoffs, if I were the Colts or anyone else.

Another AFC team that lost a big opportunity was the Jacksonville Jaguars. New England went into Alltel Stadium and came away with a 24-21 win. The Pats have clinched the AFC East, and have a slight chance to finish in higher playoff position.

The Cincinnati Bengals had their hearts broken. Down 24-17, and playing in the snow in Denver, Carson Palmer threw a touchdown pass to T.J. Houshmandzadeh with :41 left in the game. The Bengals then botched the snap on the extra point, and lost 24-23. The Bengals missed a chance to clinch a playoff spot, and the Broncos are now in line to finish as high as fifth in the AFC race. That’s too bad. I like the Bengals, though their uniforms are a little much. The Bengals still have a chance to make the playoffs, but will need some help in Week 17.

Don’t look now, but it’s Week 17, and Vince Young and the Tennessee Titans can still make the playoffs. The Titans are now 8-7, after a 30-29 win in Buffalo. The Bills are now 7-8, and would dearly love to be in the NFC right now.

The San Diego Chargers staged a comeback, as Phillip Rivers threw a 37 yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson with 29 seconds left, giving the Chargers a 20-17 win in Seattle. The Chargers can clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a win next week. The Seahawks have lost three games in a row, but clinched the NFC West title, thanks to San Francisco’s loss.

In the NFC, the Carolina Panthers rose from the dead, keeping their playoff hopes alive with a 10-3 win over Atlanta. Chris Weinke finally got off the schnide, winning the game as a starter for the first time in 18 games. Hey, a backup QB job in the NFL still pays well.

There was a wild one in St. Louis, as the Rams used a Steven Jackson TD run to beat the Washington Redskins in overtime, 37-31. The Rams are 7-8, but can still make the playoffs with a win and some help.

The New York Giants are still in command of their own destiny for the sixth seed in the NFC playoffs. However, they got kicked around by the New Orleans Saints, 30-7. The Saints have clinched a bye in the first round of the playoffs. The Giants, as bad as they have looked recently, can still make the playoffs with a win.

Last Thursday night, in the NFL Network special, the Green Bay Packers won a 9-7 snoozer over the Minnesota Vikings. All the Pack needed were three field goals from Dave Rayner. The Pack also finds themselves in that group of five teams at 7-8 with a chance to make the playoffs.

Also on the NFL Network, the Kansas City Chiefs got a win on Saturday night in Oakland, defeating the Raiders, 20-9. The Raiders are just plain putrid. The Chiefs have an outside chance to make the AFC playoffs.

A Christmas Gift

For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6, New International Version

This blog is normally about sports, and I have no intention of changing that. With today being Christmas, I want to extend to everyone in blogworld my wishes for a very merry Christmas, and a happy New Year. I also would like to write a few thoughts regarding Christmas.

Christmas is a lot of things. It is parties, shopping, giving, and receiving gifts. It is Santa Claus sliding down the chimney. It is staying up into the night, as I did last night, putting gifts together for the kids. It is watching faces light up with joy and happiness. There are a lot of good things about Christmas.

Christmas, though, is ultimately about God's gift to mankind, His Son, Jesus Christ. We celebrate a lot of things, but, most of all, we are to celebrate the birth of His Son, and the hope that comes with that. At the end of the day, or life, it is ultimately about what we choose to do with God's gift to us. It's not about good works, church organizations, or denominational background, though those are good things. It's also not about fallen leaders, broken relationships, or political parties. It is ultimately about God's gift, Jesus, and Him alone.

To learn more about God's gift to us, click here.

I will now go back to blogging on sports. Once again, I wish you a very merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year.

Cool Uniform Of The Day

I've had some fun throwing some teams under the bus for some pretty gross-looking threads. I'll do more of that later. Today, in the spirit of Christmas, I want to call attention to a uniform I noticed today, that I think is pretty cool.

The Indianapolis Colts have worn pretty much the same road white uniform ever since they were in Baltimore. They wore a little darker shade of blue in Baltimore, but, other than that, the unis are pretty much the same. The home unis aren't bad, but the road uniforms are just plain classic-looking. These are pretty much the same ones worn by Johnny Unitas, Alan Ameche, and Bert Jones in Baltimore, and by Eric Dickerson, Marshall Faulk, and Peyton Manning in Indianapolis. Just a white helmet with the horseshoe, a solid blue stripe, two blue stripes on the shoulders, a couple of simple stripes on the pants, and some blue numbers. No black alternate jerseys for these guys. Just a simple, classic uniform, not too generic looking (see Penn State), but not too wild looking, like their cousins down I-74 in Cincinnati.

These are cool-looking uniforms.

UUOTD-Saturday

One of the alarming trends over the last few years is the number of teams that do not have black as a school color, but use it as part of one of their basketball uniforms. Duke is the most high-profile program to do this, but schools such as Tulsa, Baylor, and others are guilty, as well.

This is so unstable. Duke's teams are the Blue Devils, not the Black Devils. Blue Devils are supposed to wear blue, not black. Black is not their color. I know they have blue trim and numbers on the black unis, but the black uniforms are just plain inconsistent. When Duke goes on the road, they should wear blue.

Schools like Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, with black as a primary color, are more than welcome to have a black uniform, in my opinion.

The black uniform needs to go, unless it is an official color.

NFL Picks-Week 16, Continued

Last Week: 12-4 This Week To Date: 1-0 Overall: 137-88

It’s time for the playoff push in the National Football League. Division titles and playoff berths are on the line. The wheat is being separated from the chaff. At the same time, teams that stunk last week become this week’s version of the ’85 Bears. It’s a crazy league, one that Pete Rozelle would be proud of.

On with the picks….

Philadelphia at Dallas: This is, for all intents and purposes, for the NFC East championship. The Cowboys clinch with a win, while the Eagles move into a tie with the Cowboys with a win, and the subsequent tiebreaker. The Eagles were given up for dead when Donovan McNabb was injured. Jeff Garcia has stepped up and led the Eagles to the brink of the playoffs. The Cowboys have recovered from the spanking by the Saints, going to the ATL and getting a big win last week. The Cowboys are in the playoffs, but want more. Pick: Dallas, of course.
Kansas City at Oakland: The best rivalry from the old AFL, but the Raiders totally stink. The Black Hole is more than a section of their stadium, it is the entire franchise. This team needs a new owner. The Chiefs have an outside chance at the playoffs, but need lots of help. The Chiefs take care of business this week. Pick: Kansas City
Chicago at Detroit: The Bears have clinched home field throughout the playoffs. The Lions are playing for the top pick in the draft. Do the Bears bring their A game? Do the Lions have an A game? Pick: Chicago
Carolina at Atlanta: The Panthers have been a huge disappointment. The Falcons took a major blow to their playoff hopes last week with their loss to the Cowboys. Atlanta bounces back this week. Pick: Atlanta
Baltimore at Pittsburgh: The Ravens need this game to stay in the race for a first round playoff bye. The Steelers have put themselves in a position to make the playoffs, with a lot of help. The Ketchup Bottle turns into a tomb for the Ravens. Pick: Pittsburgh
New England at Jacksonville: Which Patriots team shows up? The one that got skunked in Miami, or the one that drilled the Texans? Similarly, the Jaguars are also a Jekyll and Hyde team, as they play awesome at home, and mediocre on the road. Pick: Jacksonville
Indianapolis at Houston: The Colts looked awesome last week against the Bengals. The Texans looked awful against the Patriots. Does anything change this week? The Texans will be a bit more competitive at home, but the Colts win the game. Pick: Indy
New Orleans at New York Giants: Huge game in the NFC. The Saints lost a winnable game last week to the Redskins. The Saints need to win out to get the #2 seed in the playoffs. The Giants need a win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Weird things happen on top of Jimmy Hoffa’s grave at the Meadowlands. Pick: Giants
Tampa Bay at Cleveland: How would you like to be stuck in Florida or Ohio and have to watch this clunker of a game? Both teams are well on their way to top 10 draft picks. That’s the best you can say for either of them. Pick: Cleveland
Washington at St. Louis: The Redskins play their second dome game in two weeks, having defeated the Saints in New Orleans last week. The Rams are coming off a win in Oakland. This is the first blackout in St. Louis since the Rams moved there in 1995, as the game did not sell out, and will not be on local TV. The Rams don’t give the locals a whole lot to cheer about in this one. Pick: Washington
Tennessee at Buffalo: These teams have a playoff history with each other, as they will go down together for the Houston Oilers’ choke on a 35-3 lead in the 1992 playoffs, and for the Music City Miracle in Nashville eight years later. This isn’t a playoff game, but both teams have an outside shot at the playoffs. Vince Young is a hot quarterback. His stats aren’t always great, but the Titans are winning. Pick: Titans
Arizona at San Francisco: The Niners are 6-8, and have slight playoff hopes. They have improved a ton this year. The Cardinals have shown flashes of hope, but, at the end of the day, are still the sad sack Cardinals. Pick: Frisco
Cincinnati at Denver: Huge game for wild-card hopes for both teams. Cincinnati was a hot team before last week’s trip to Naptown. The Broncos are starting to get it together with rookie QB Jay Cutler. The city of Denver is still digging out of a blizzard. The Bengals are just a little better than the Broncos, even in Denver. Pick: Cincy
San Diego at Seattle: Another huge game. San Diego is playing for home field throughout the playoffs. Seattle is holding on for dear life in the NFC West, having lost in consecutive weeks to Arizona and San Francisco. The Chargers simply need to give the ball 40 times to LaDainian Tomlinson, and they win. Pick: San Diego
New York Jets at Miami: The Dolphins are a little mediocre, but are playing at home. The Jets are a surprising playoff contender, riding the arm of Chad Pennington. The Jets should have enough to hold off the ‘Phins. Pick: Jets

UUOTD-Friday

The football programs at California and at Oregon are joined at the hip. Head coach Jeff Tedford came from Oregon, where he was the offensive coordinator. Not coincidentally, the Oregon program began to slip, while the Cal program took off. The only thing Cal hasn't done in the Tedford era is make it to the Rose Bowl, or another BCS bowl. That will happen, eventually, as long as he is still the coach. Cal is lucky to have Jeff Tedford as coach.

Cal also has Nike as their uniform supplier. They use an alternate uniform that is a copy of the Oregon yellow jersey. To my knowledge, they haven't worn yellow pants with it. However, the yellow jersey is looking pretty loud. If they had yellow pants with it, they would look like bananas.

Note to Cal: Wear the blue, wear the white, but keep those yellow/gold jerseys in the laundry room.

College Bowl Picks, Part 1, continued

Bowls to Date: 2-0 Season: 188-84

I have some time to review a few more of the early bowls. These bowls primarily exist to fill some hotel rooms and to provide programming for ESPN. However, they’re a big deal to the coaches and players. I’d rather have a playoff, but the system is what it is. So, here it goes:

R&L Carriers New Orleans Bowl at New Orleans: Troy vs. Rice. The Owls are in their first bowl game since 1961. First-year Rice coach Todd Graham has performed a miracle down on South Main, taking his team from one win last season to seven this year. At this rate, he will be able to take a higher-profile job in the next few years, if he wants one. The Men of Troy, Alabama, are champions of the Sun Belt Conference, and have been competitive in games against higher-profile competition. Troy has played in more big games, and I give them an edge. Pick: Troy
Papajohns.com Bowl at Birmingham: South Florida vs. East Carolina. The inaugural game in Birmingham, former host of the Hall of Fame Bowl and the All-American Bowl. I like Pizza Hut pizza better. East Carolina is bouncing back nicely, but the Bulls should win this one. Pick: South Florida
New Mexico Bowl at Albuquerque: New Mexico vs. San Jose State. Another new bowl. I like Albuquerque, but do they deserve a bowl? If you can come up with the money, you, too can host a bowl in your city. As for the game, New Mexico won their normal six games this year, and became eligible to play in a bowl on their home field. San Jose State is one of the better under-the-radar turnaround stories of the year. Dick Tomey took one of the worst coaching jobs in America (decaying stadium, low budget, astronomical cost of living for staff) and built a winner. They have won eight games, and came the closest to knocking off unbeaten Boise State. Pick: SJSU
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces Bowl at Fort Worth: Utah vs. Tulsa. I love Fort Worth. I lived there for fourteen years. With that being said, I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to have a bowl there. But, if Shreveport and Birmingham can have bowls, then by golly, Fort Worth can have one, too. Now, it would be a coup if they could move it to the new Cowboys stadium in Arlington in four years. It is a nice touch to name the bowl in honor of our armed forces, as new title sponsor Bell Helicopter has done. As for the game, Utah peaked when they beat TCU in September. Tulsa went into a tailspin at the end of the year, but they are in their third bowl in four years under coach Steve Kragthorpe. Pick: Tulsa
Sheraton Hawaii Bowl at Honolulu: Arizona State vs. Hawaii. Arizona State is playing under a lame-duck coach, having fired Dirk Koetter in November. Hawaii is led by record-setting QB Colt Brennan. The Warriors score a ton of points. Hawaii is a nice trip. The problem is, a team like Arizona State has to play a good team when they get there. Pick: Hawaii
Motor City Bowl at Detroit: Middle Tennessee vs. Central Michigan. Middle Tennessee got thumped by Oklahoma, Louisville, and South Carolina, but beat seven other teams to qualify for a bowl. Central Michigan won the MAC title, then lost head coach Brian Kelly to Cincinnati. This is the first time a team from Michigan has played in this bowl. This is also the first time the Blue Raiders have appeared in a Division 1-A bowl game. Pick: Central Michigan
Emerald Bowl at San Francisco: Florida State vs. UCLA. This lower-level bowl got two big names for their game, as reeling Florida State goes to the West Coast to face UCLA. Florida State is 6-6, and is here thanks to the 12th game allowed this year by the NCAA. Otherwise, they would be 5-6. The last time we saw UCLA, they were dancing on the floor of the Rose Bowl after knocking USC out of the national championship game. Florida State has a better name, but UCLA has a better team. Pick: Bruins
SunPower Independence Bowl at Shreveport: Oklahoma State vs. Alabama. Both teams come into this game at 6-6. Alabama fired coach Mike Shula, and has spent the last month being turned down by various coaches. OSU beat three creampuffs in their non-conference schedule, won three conference games, and got to a bowl. It’s really hard to figure Alabama out. My gut says OSU, but my head says Bama. Pick: Tide
Texas Bowl at Houston: Rutgers vs. Kansas State. After an epic double-overtime loss at West Virginia, Rutgers stumbles onto the South Loop, when they had a chance to be on South Beach. K-State got a big win late in the season against Texas. If this were a regular season game, Rutgers would win by two touchdowns. This is a bowl game, though, and anything can happen. Rutgers should still win. Pick: Rutgers,SUNJ.
Pacific Life Holiday Bowl at San Diego: Texas A&M vs. California: Earth to Desmond Howard: Texas is not playing in this bowl game. Texas A&M is. The Ags parlayed their upset of Texas into a trip to sunny San Diego. Cal is an enigma, as they lit up the scoreboard earlier in the year, but struggled against teams like Tennessee and USC. This is the ultimate clash of cultures, as Berkeley is the traditional home of the anti-war movement, and gave six percent of their votes to George W. Bush. Texas A&M is home of the Corps of Cadets, and is the home of the George Bush library. Off the field: A&M. On the field: A&M.

UUOTD-Thursday

Oregon's ugly uniform combinations would make great fodder for an entire web site. I wonder if www.oregonuglyuniforms.com is available?

Tonight, the guys from Nike unveiled a psychedelic-looking new helmet for the Ducks. It is gold and/or green, and appears in multiple shades depending on the angle and the lighting. In tonight's Las Vegas Bowl, the Ducks wore green uniforms with those steel-looking things on the shoulders and pants. Ugly.

Deadspin.com says it would be cheaper for Oregon to simply buy LSD for everyone in the crowd. I don't endorse drug use at all, but it is obvious that someone at Nike was under the influence of an illegal substance when they designed these things.

I like green and gold. They are the colors of my alma mater, probably a polar opposite of the University of Oregon. Oregon and Nike are doing some really ugly things with these colors, and are bringing shame to them. It's really sad.

College Bowl Picks, Part 1 (continued)

The bowl season marches on...

Pioneer PureVision Las Vegas Bowl: BYU vs. Oregon at Las Vegas: BYU had a great season, winning a conference championship. Is this all they get? A pre-Christmas bowl game? Oregon's season went downhill after the questionable call in the OU game. BYU is a pretty decent team. Oregon is inconsistent. Pick: The Y

NFL Picks, Week 16, Part 1

There is a game Thursday night, and I won't pick 16 big ones here, but I'll pick tomorrow's game.

Minnesota at Green Bay: Could this be Brett Favre's last home game? The Vikings enter Lambeau Field with rookie quarterback Tarvaris Jackson set to start against the Pack. I had never heard of him until yesterday. I wonder if this is the first guy named Tarvaris to start an NFL game at quarterback. The Packers are trying to make a run at respectability, and play their last home game Thursday night. The Pack has not been a good home team, but they will be in this one. Pick: Green Bay

Mid-Major Win of the Night

The Cuse is in the house! Unfortunately for Syracuse, Drexel was in the house, also. The Dragons, better known as the odd man out of the Big Five in Philadelphia, went to the Carrier Dome and upset the Orange, by a score of 84-79. Frank Elegar scored 27 points for the Dragons.

Drexel plays in the Colonial Athletic Association, the same conference that gave us George Mason, Old Dominion, and Hofstra. Drexel has wins this year over cross-town rivals Villanova and St. Joseph's.

Remember Bruiser Flint, the guy that followed John Calipari at UMass? He's now the coach at Drexel.

Look out for Drexel in March..

UUOTD-Tuesday

No series of ugly uniforms is complete without mention of the Oregon Ducks. Their main benefactor, Phil Knight of Nike, uses them as a testing lab for multiple styles and types of uniforms. Knight is a graduate of UO, and donates millions of dollars each year to the school.

The uniforms come in multiple ugly combinations. The worst of the bunch is flourescent yellow. With the green helmet, yellow jersey, and yellow pants, they look like a bottle of dishwashing soap.

You have to take your hats off to them, though. Their ugly uniforms have brought a lot of attention to the school, and many look for their broadcasts and highlights just to see what threads they are wearing that day.

If it walks like a duck, and smells like a duck....

Bowl Picks-Part 1

Bowl season starts tonight. I'm not picking all 32 bowls at one time, but I can't forget tonight's bowl....

San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl, San Diego: TCU vs. Northern Illinois The Frogs are rolling, after losing their first two conference games to BYU and Utah. The Frogs are now 10-2, while the Northern Illini (oops, they're the Huskies) are 7-5. While NIU didn't win the MAC, they got the best bowl trip, as the other MAC bowls are in Detroit, Mobile, and Toronto. I hope they like San Diego, because they won't like the hurting TCU will put on them tonight. Pick: TCU

Stay Tuned

I am out of town on business, and currently only have access to the public hotel computer. Therefore, there is no UUOTD, or NFL Week In Review today. I should be in a position to have something up tomorrow.

Off to watch the impending point-fest between the Colts and the Bengals....