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Breaking in the New Year This is my first post of 2013. I've been too busy traveling and working to squeeze in a dose of "Ripe Gripe" to start the new year. After spending the first two weeks of the year in LA at the Rose Bowl and Miami for the BCS title game, it's time to let loose. First of all, I am so thankful that I don't gamble on sporting events. I would lose my shirt, pants, shoes and probably my home if I did. I was one of the idiots that thought Notre Dame would be competitive against Bama. It took all of 2 minutes and 57 seconds to be proven wrong....because that was how long it took Bama to shove it down the Irish throat on the opening 82 yard drive to start the BCS title game. It didn't get any better for Notre Dame from that point, either. As it turned out, it was another nightmare for ND in the BCS....the Irish are now 0-4 in BCS games and have been outscored 158-57 in those games. That's ugly. Bama was too big, too strong, too good and too well-coached for Brian Kelly's guys. The blowout loss was a bummer for ND Nation, but it doesn't detract from a great year for the Irish. As for Bama, that makes three of the last four BCS titles and there is no argument, debate or conversation that the gold standard in college football is found in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The SEC now has 7 consecutive BCS titles.....9 overall. The next closest conference can claim 2.....that's right, two BCS titles. Nick Saban has 4 to his name alone. Congrats to the Alabama Crimson Tide....the best team in college football....again. There sure was a lot made of ABC/ESPN's Brent Musburger and his comments describing AJ McCarron's girlfriend, Katherine Webb. I didn't hear it live since I was at the game, but I did catch the replay afterwards and I couldn't believe how people were going ballistic about what he said. He spoke the truth....Ms. Webb is smoking hot, and she even claimed that she wasn't offended by Musburger's comments. So why the need to be outraged and for ESPN to apologize? Who is offended? Musburger told the truth and said what every single red-blooded male was uttering under their breath during the telecast. The United States of the Offended strikes again. Plus, let's stay on track here....Webb also played it to perfection. She was soon on the Today Show and announced that she would be in the SI Swimsuit issue later this year. As far as I'm concerned, it is a win-win for everybody.....and that includes AJ McCarron. I see where the guys and Danica are testing in Daytona. I can't wait to unveil all my new material on the driver of the soon to be wrecked Go Daddy car this year. I already noticed that Danica Patrick has raised her game for the 2013 season. Her quote this past week about racing the Cup full-time instead of Indy says it all:
Just what exactly did Danica mean by "championship"? How about winning a race.....any race? I'm counting the Cup circuit, potato sacks, hot wheels, chugging contest, school bus races at CMS....anything. The fact that she believes she is running for a championship is hilarious. I can't wait for Darrell Waltrip to suck up to her again at Daytona and claim that she is the "Face of NASCAR". I started a new deal with WJZY-TV and My TV 12 where you can pick against me in the "Packman Pick 'Em Challenge"...where you go head-to-head against me in ACC basketball games. I would highly suggest that you sign up for free to win great prizes, because I have no clue what is going on in the ACC. After the opening week, it is wide-open once you get past Duke and NC State. In fact, I'm not even convinced that there is a 3rd place team after the first week of games. Duke and State are on a different level than everybody else.....after that, your guess is as good as mine. I thought UNC would be the third best team in the league, but the Heels have no center, no consistent guard play and look uninspired. It's early and they should get better....but good grief. Log on to the WJZY or My TV 12 websites to play.....it's easy to sign up and easier to beat my picks. You can thank me later. So, it appears that one of the great fallen sports icons wants to come clean (finally)....as Lance Armstrong is now willing to admit that he doped and was a total fraud. I've got to tell you, I have lost all respect for the guy. For more than a decade he has been running and cycling his way from all the media, experts and fellow competitors that claimed he was juicing up like everybody else. He would deny it in front of any camera or interviewer or cyclist. Armstrong always got the benefit of the doubt, because nobody actually proved that he was partaking in illegal drugs and the fact that he was winning in a sport that the French adore. Finally, Armstrong ran out of real estate....he couldn't peddle away from the scrutiny or the charges any longer. He cheated....and he got caught. He still denied it, but this time it was too late. For more than a decade, Armstrong accused others of being vindictive and vowed he did nothing wrong. All the tens of millions of dollars he pocketed from his fame and accomplishments were nothing more than window dressing. Now he wants to admit guilt.....and to do it on the Oprah Show takes it to a new low. I wonder how much Oprah had to fork over to land this interview? With the exception of OJ Simpson, I can't think of another pro athlete that has fallen so far in my eyes. Even Tiger Woods can't touch Armstrong. Lance Armstrong is a fraud....and to think that he is taking his apology to Oprah only makes it fitting. The NFL Divisional round of the playoffs was terrific. After a lukewarm wild card round, the NFL delivered with amazing comebacks, story-lines and great games. Now we're down to the conference championships with San Francisco and Atlanta in the NFC, while New England entertains Baltimore in the AFC. This has been a wide-open post-season, without a dominant team in the mix. Before the playoffs, I picked Denver and Seattle in the Super Bowl, so here's to guessing another week with the picks. Ray Lewis is a great story and he extended his career with a bizarre comeback win in Denver. I just can't pick against the Patriots at home. So let's pencil in New England as one of the combatants for Super Bowl 47. In the NFC, the Falcons' improbable rally from an epic choke job gives them new life and hope that they can get to N'awlins as the NFC's #1 seed. San Francisco is back in the conference for the second straight year under Jim Harbaugh. I don't trust the Falcons, and the Niners have never made it to the Super Bowl as a #2 seed.....I'll take San Francisco. I think the NFC is a coin toss game.....but either way, the NFL continues to deliver great post-season games....and I hope it continues this weekend. |
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