Happy New Year

I hope everyone had a great Christmas. I’m really looking forward to a New Year.

• 
  The last day of the NFL was very exciting. Of course for me being a Vikings fan, they are in the playoffs. First time in a long time. For the Eagles fan, the improbable happened. They needed 3 things to happen…and they did. The stories of the Falcons & the Cardinals are both great. Who would have thought the Chargers had a shot at the playoffs? But, they got hot at the right time. The Colts finished the season 9-0 and are the hottest team entering the playoffs. My prediction – the Colts go all the way. They will be playing Carolina in the big one. I think Carolina ultimately gets by the Giants.
• 
  I’m finally going to face the fact that the Big Ten is not all that tough. It’s hard for me to say it. But after watching Florida State completely dismantle Wisconsin, I’m going to accept it. The Big Ten is now 0-2 in bowl games. Northwestern gave Missouri fits last night, but still lost. I’m not sold on any other Big 10 team winning a game now.
  My heart says the Buckeyes will beat the Longhorns. My head tells me to believe the Las Vegas line – Texas by 9.5. I will root hard – but I believe Texas will prevail. I hope I’m wrong. Sometimes I love to be wrong.
• 
  At least the Big 10 is making waves in basketball. Just a couple of years ago the conference was blasted in the media for being a second tier major conference. Now, they are the 2nd highest RPI conference (behind the ACC of course). They are ahead of the Big East (who thought that would happen), the SEC (take that SEC lovers), the Big 12 (Kansas, Missouri, Texas) and the Pac 10.
• 
  I think the Big 10 basketball season is going to be a blast. It’s wide open. I honestly don’t think Ohio State will be in the mix. I’m picking them to finish 3rd or 4th. Michigan State, Purdue & Wisconsin will battle it out for the top. michigan, Minnesota, OSU & Illinois are in the 2nd tier.
• 
  I’m glad Anthony Crater is gone from the OSU bball team. After 10 games as a freshman he made the decision that he wasn’t playing enough. Let me say that again – after 10 games, the 1st games of his college career, he decided he wasn’t playing enough. That’s absurd. The expectations of incoming freshmen & their parents & aau coaches can be ridiculous. It’s better to cut them lose. They can be a cancer behind the scenes.
• 
  Brett Favre is done. His team collapsed, he was less than stellar, his coach got fired, his shoulder is an issue & he looks tired. It’s time. You’re a legend – walk away.
• 
  The Yankees spending spree is irresponsible. I know – they have the money. But they are also using public bonds to fund the stadium. All these people in this world hurting like they are – and they have to read about these crazy sums of money being paid to baseball players. Every day I am losing more interest in baseball. I don’t have a solution, but I fully expect this to be a year in which sports start to struggle economically.
• 
  This is the time for New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve failed so many times at these. I’ve decided to make it very simple for this year – I’m going to try to Live a little more, Laugh a little more & Love a little more this year. That’s it. It might sound a little soft, but it works for me. Hopefully I can succeed.

3 Days Before Christmas

• Guys - it's December 22, time to finally get out & get it done.
• I had a friend provide me with his random thought - "when did Jr. High start being called Middle School?" - I have no idea when it started. But I find it odd that the Jr. High that I attended now is called Willard Middle School.
• I have an honest question - is it ok for a person my age to have a Facebook? My kids say no. But I have several friends that have one & they say it's a great way to stay in touch. I'm on the fence on this one.
• The Big 10 has a tough road in the Bowl games. I will be rooting as hard as ever for all of them - truthfully it makes it easy for me given michigan is not playing a bowl game. - still can't get over the hilarity of that.
• Take a look at some of these matchups - if the Big 10 represents, they can certainly regain some national reputation. If they don't, the Big 10 will continue to be ridiculed in the media.
• Florida State is favored by 4.5 over Wisconsin
• Missouri is favored by 12.5 over Northwestern
• Kansas is favored by 10 over Minnesota
• Georgia is favored by 7.5 over Michigan State
• USC is favored by 9.5 over Penn State
• Texas is favored by 9.5 over Ohio State
• The only favored Big 10 team is Iowa - a 3.5 point fav over South Carolina.
• I predict the Big 10 will go 4-3 - winners will be Wisconsin, Mich St, Iowa & the Buckeyes
• Fantasy Football is wrapping up. I've come to realize that fantasy football is all about weeks 14-17. The other weeks only matter in that you don't want to be the worst team & not make the playoffs. The winner in one of my leagues was 6-7 in the regular season. But, his players scored in the only weeks that matter. So much of this is luck - with the weather (especially since many teams are playing in cold, snowy & icy conditions in these weeks), injuries and matchups (whoever plays the Lions or Chiefs). It's not always about the best players - it's about the weather, injuries & matchups in weeks 14-17.
• Have you ever noticed the padding (or lackthereof) on NFL players - especially the DBs & WRs. They wear only shoulder pads & a helmet. Why - one reason - SPEED. They need to be as fast a possible. Equipment only slows them down. Learned that one from the book "The Dark Side of the Game" by Tim Green. This book has great insight on the game from a former player's perspective.
• The NBA is being ruled by three teams - Lakers, Celtics & Cavs. They all have one common denominator. They all have stars, yes. But that's not the difference. There are many stars in the NBA. The difference - they all have stars THAT ACTUALLY PLAY DEFENSE. Garnett, Kobe & LeBron are consistently on the All-NBA defensive team. That's why they win.
• What was the attendance at the Bengals & Browns game yesterday? 500? Those stands were empty. I know it was cold - more on that later - but it's an embarrassment to Ohio pro football that these teams aren't better. Ohio has the Pro Football Hall of Fame & is the home to so many successful coaches at the pro & college levels - and we are the embarrassment of the NFL. This needs to change. Both of these programs need to clean some house & get it going.
• The basketball Big 10 teams have certainly not embarrased the conference. There are 5 teams in the top 25 and all teams but Indiana have lost 3 or fewer games. Moreover, many of the teams have high quality wins (michigan beat UCLA & Duke, Purdue beat Davidson, Mich State beat Texas, OSU beat Notre Dame and Minnesota beat Louisville to name a few). This conference is wide open. Should be fun to watch.
• What is up with this weather? - I woke up to 3 degrees today with a wind that bit my bones. Spring is just around the corner, right?
• Merry Christmas to all. I hope each of you enjoy your family & friends.

From South Bend

* I'm currently in South Bend, IN. I'm an assistant coach for the women's basketball team at Otterbein College. We play at St. Mary's College tomorrow - it's the sister school of Notre Dame. I'm not an Irish fan, but there is something very cool about this town. It's good for college football for Notre Dame to have a great program. I hope they start to get it together again. I know as a Buckeye fan it was fun to play (and win) the 3 games that we played a few years back.

* College football is now played almost every day. First, there were Thursday night games. Then they decided to play games on the sacred high school Friday night. Now we have games on Thanksgiving (they're invading the pro spot). The smaller conferences will do anything for TV time. The MAC, the WAC, and every other mid-major is finding their way to the alternate times.

* One trend that I love is the prime-time Saturday night game. It's great to cap off a great day of watching college football with a marquee matchup on Saturday night. There have been some great ones this year. The atmosphere of these stadiums definitely picks up at night.

* This Marbury saga makes me sick. Imagine if you were making millions of GUARANTEED money & you told your boss that you were going to do your job. You would be fired.

* Practice? Practice? who needs to practice? I really can't believe a smart guy like Joe Dumars traded for Allen Iverson. Did he really think that Allen had changed? The Pistons will regret this move this year. I'm happy - I think it makes the road for the Cavs a little easier.

* I love getting together for the holidays. Yea my kids argue & fight from time to time. But I love em and there's nothing better to me than having them around.

* That being said - I'm amazed with some of the mean things that people can say & do to people that they care about. I'm guilty myself. When I stop & think about how I sometimes treat people that I love, it's ridiculous. Sometimes I treat total strangers nicer than family and friends. It's dumb.

* There's so much to be thankful for. As I get older, I definitely become more appreciative of the great people that I've had the opportunity to meet and have fun with.

* Why is every good movie that Adam Sandler, Jim Carrey & Will Ferrill are in they play the exact same character? I remember Will Ferrill's attempt to do something different (Stranger Than Fiction) and how terrible it was. Same for Jim Carrey (The Number 23). Jim Carrey's new movie (The Yes Man) is the same movie he starred in several years ago (Liar, Liar).

* I will never understand the thrill of Black Friday. But, I do understand the thrill of shopping on Dec. 24th.

* I'm a Donovan McNabb fan. Glad he turned it around yesterday. I don't like the way he's treated in Philly. I'd love to have him in Minnesota. You put a good quarterback in Minnesota I think they might be playing for all the marbles. I want that just once in my lifetime.

* The OSU Men hoops team has a long way to go. I like the way they look - tall, long & athletic. But they have a long way to go. I'm interested to see how they get better thru the course of the year.

My Friend

Around the corner I have a friend,
In this great city that has no end,
Yet the days go by and weeks rush on,
And before I know it, a year is gone.

And I never see my old friends face,
For life is a swift and terrible race,
He knows I like him just as well,
As in the days when I rang his bell.

And he rang mine but we were younger then,
And now we are busy, tired men.
Tired of playing a foolish game,
Tired of trying to make a name.

'Tomorrow' I say! 'I will call on Jim
Just to show that I'm thinking of him.'
But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes,
And distance between us grows and grows.

Around the corner, yet miles away,
'Here's a telegram sir,' 'Jim died today.'
And that's what we get and deserve in the end.
Around the corner, a vanished friend.

It's michigan Week

* It’s michigan Week. Wow – doesn’t seem to have the luster that it usually does these days. There’s part of me that semi-roots for michigan just so The Game is big – no, there’s really no part of me that roots for michigan . This season has been so fun. They have broken so many records this year – losing 8 games, losing to a MAC school at home, not going to a bowl.

* Adding insult to injury – michigan ’s qb is doubtful for The Game. Quick – name michigan ’s quarterback. I couldn’t either. His name is Steven Threet. Just think of the last time you couldn’t name michigan ’s quarterback before The Game. Henne, Brady, Collins, Henson and…….Threet? Yes, it’s that bad.

* Just think their qb could have been Pryor. No that’s right he’s a Buckeye.

* I read a quote the other day that gave me a great feeling about baseball – David Price, rookie Rays pitcher, on how he coped with the pressure of closing out Game 7 of the ALCS – “In my mind, I was playing catch with my dad.” I’ve got a tear in my eye. That’s why I love sports.

* Then I have to read about a $140 MILLION dollar 6 year contract being offered to CC Sabathia by the Yankees. That’s why I struggle with sports. We have people getting laid off, housing values plummeting, government buyouts, etc… and we have sports continuing to act irresponsible. There will come a day when the fans show up less.

* The Jackets are finally putting a winner on the ice & the attendance is the lowest it’s ever been. Yeah- I know it’s hockey & that it’s not one of the big 3, but it’s a sign to me that the economy is playing a role in sports. Just ask the soon to be laid off many from the world of NASCAR.

* Did it occur to anyone that the biggest free agents in baseball are former Indians – CC & Manny?

* AC/DC has sold out its upcoming Columbus concert. The singer Brian Johnson is 61 years old, Angus & Malcolm are in their late 50’s – and they are selling out large concert venues. I challenge anyone to tell me which of today’s fresh acts will be selling out concert halls when they are in their late 50s. Can’t think of anyone.

* Hoops have started. This is one of my favorite times of the year. All of the hard work in the gym starting to be seen on the court. The Buckeyes men are tall & long – one of the biggest teams I’ve seen. Just think if they still had Koufas (who isn’t doing bad with the Utah Jazz).

* The BCS poll is fairly well balanced – 2 SEC, 3 Big 12, 1 PAC 10, 2 BIG 10, along with Utah , Boise St . This is close to how it is every year at the end of the year as the conference plays out their games.

* I’ve attached a great hockey photo that was sent to me by a friend. This is one of the funniest signs that I’ve seen.

* Did Donovan McNabb really not understand the NFL overtime rules?

* One last thought from the world of business – I recently read a book by Marcus Buckingham on the importance of focusing on your strengths. It is his belief, that by focusing on improving your strengths (& not focusing on improving your weaknesses) that you create the most value for you & your company. The interesting part is how he defines strengths & weakness. The more I think about this the more I agree. Interesting reading.
* Strength – anything that when you think about doing it, are actually doing it or after doing it that makes you feel stronger.
* Weakness – the opposite – anything that weakens you.

* GO BUCKS