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.