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Pig-Pickin' If you see esteemed Arkansas fans such as former President Clinton or golfer John Daly and they seem to look a little queasy, please give them the benefit of the doubt. After Arkansas was upset by Louisiana-Monroe, they might be feeling a little under the weather. I can assure you that all of the loyal followers that call the Hogs each weekend are feeling the same way. There were plenty of surprises this past weekend in college football, but the Hogs' loss to UL-M sent shock waves throughout the Top 25 and completely took the luster off the upcoming game with #1 ranked Alabama. The AP voters dropped the Pigs from #8 to "others receiving votes"....it was that kind of weekend in Little Rock. You've got to give credit to the players and coaches at UL-Monroe....they came to win the football game and proved this by going for it 6 times on fourth down. This week, the kids from UL-M play Auburn....the Tigers are off to a miserable 0-2 start, and if the Warhawks win that game, they will go to 2-0 in the tough SEC West. For the record, UL-M plays in the Sun Belt Conference. So instead of talking up Bama's visit to Fayetteville....the SEC focus shifts to Florida and Tennessee. It is also a reminder that it makes no sense in trying to predict what's going to happen....just sit back and enjoy the journey. Every week, college football paints an amazing picture. On Monday night, I look forward to speaking to the Orlando Touchdown Club. After a busy day of TV commentaries, radio interviews and of course hosting the SiriusXM show....I'm flying down to lovely Orlando, Florida to speak with the football fanatics in Orlando. It should be fun and I'm looking forward to interacting with the locals....there's nothing better than breaking bread and talking football. The Carolina Panthers (better known as FSBC, aka...."Future Super Bowl Champs") opened the 2012 campaign in Tampa Bay. Expectations are sky-high in Charlotte, based on the cheerleading taking place with local media members, but that couldn't help the team from being pushed around by the Bucs. It was a lousy team effort....there was nothing positive about the performance. The club was shutout in the first half, but the good news was that they were still in the game. Cam Newton had a couple of picks and a fumble....the running game was horrible....the defense is as bad as advertised....there was a blocked punt.....what else do you want to know? The FSBC now come home to regroup as they get ready for the New Orleans Saints. Unfortunately for Carolina, the Saints were beaten at home by the upstart Washington Redskins. The game in Charlotte will be critical, since you don't want to start 0-2 and it's another divisional opponent. I looked at the first month of the schedule: @ Tampa Bay, home games with the Saints & NY Giants and a road-trip to Atlanta, and thought the opener was the easiest game of the four. Based on this performance, that isn't a good thing. Sunday will be a big game for a team that wants to make sure its season isn't on a slippery slope. It's never easy winning that Super Bowl trophy....and the Panthers have proven that before. I can assure you one thing, this "Charlotte export" will be more entertaining than the Panthers when I invade Florida on Monday night. NASCAR's buildup to the final regular season race hit a snag....it's called Mother Nature. Eventually the race was completed and in the end, the biggest story of the night was the inclusion of every Hendrick driver in the Chase for the Cup. Somehow, despite all the bad luck, Jeff Gordon found a way to secure a spot and in the process kicked out Kyle Busch. It's pretty impressive that all four Hendrick Motorsports drivers made the Chase: Dale, Jr., Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and of course Jeff Gordon. Denny Hamlin enters the "post-season" as the top driver, but who wins is anybody's guess. Just like last year, any driver can get hot and win the title....just ask Tony Stewart. I personally don't think the "regular season" generates a whole lot of additional interest in the sport. Once the football season starts, NASCAR becomes a back-burner topic. Of course we'll continue to get updates about Danica Patrick finishing 30th with a wrecked car....but even her massive failures have become routine. The sport would be better off by cutting expenses and races....limit the season and create a demand at tracks. The economy has made it impossible for race fans to commit like they used to and the same pressures are causing companies to rethink how their funds could be spent more wisely. Tony Stewart won the title last year, and Office Depot recently announced that they would have to cut back on their sponsorship.....if it happens to defending champs, how do you think the rest of the race teams are doing? |
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