Saturday, November 30, 2013

EVERYBODY GETS INTO THE ACT

We're used to seeing athletes getting into hot water or making outrageous statements, but coaches? Governors? Even used-car salesmen are plumbing depths never before seen.

** College football rivalries can be a lot of fun and certainly very interesting.  USC & Notre Dame have a long-standing feud, but it isn't as intense as some of today's battles. One year, Notre Dame showed up for the game wearing gold helmets. At the Army-Navy game, the two corps would try to out-cheer each other. Syracuse-PennState was always very heated, but nothing like Auburn vs. Alabama.
Both schools are in the same state and are only about 150 miles apart. Close enough that there are many families in the state where one spouse went to Auburn, the other to Alabama. We've seen pictures of  houses decorated  Orange & Blue (Auburn) on one side, Crimson (Ala.) on the other. One Rabid (and I mean RABID) Alabama fan actually poisoned two iconic Oak Trees at Toomers Corner in Auburn. The perpetrator has been arrested, but I'll bet Auburn fans won't be satisfied until the punishment fits the crime.
So this game - called The Iron Bowl - goes on about 6:00 P.M. tonight.


** Up north, another civil war is taking place. Ohio State is in Ann Arbor, MI, to play Michigan. This little get-together has it's die-hard fans, too. A car salesman in Ann Arbor is offering free cars if Michigan shuts out Ohio State, while the governor of Ohio has issued a proclamation, forbidding the use of the letter 'M' on Saturday. This one's being played at noon.

** So lets all get ready for "Saturday Bloody Saturday"
Florida vs Florida State (Seminoles vs 'Gators in the "Non-PC Bowl")
Duke vs North Carolina (This is more heated during basketball season)
UCLA vs USC (Can this be called the "Initials Bowl?)
Baylor vs TCU (I think the TCU Horned Frogs were last in the team nickname line)

** We know athletes are always trying to get an edge on their opponents, even to stretching the rules when they can, but now coaches are doing it too.
 -- Steeler coach Mike Timlin stood ON THE FIELD during a runback against Baltimore, impeding the path of the Ravens runner, which may have prevented him from scoring. No call from the refs and Timlin just grinned. Nobody from Baltimore thought it was funny.
-- In a game against the Lakers, Brooklyn Nets coach found a way to stop the game to set up a shot, even though they had no time outs left. He "accidentally" spilled a drink onto the court, forcing the refs to stop the game while it was being cleaned up. Later, Jason Kidd explained that in the "...heat of the moment, his palms were sweaty."  Nobody could keep from laughing at that excuse.

** On the baseball front, A-Rod keeps adding to his lawsuit against MLB, the latest charging Selig for not testifying at his hearing. There is a rumor, unverified, that A-Rod's next lawsuit is against Bud Selig personally for having a "juvenile nickname."

Congratulations to Vin Scully who just celebrated his 86th birthday.  Probably the best sportscaster ever!

***THEY SAID IT***
"Georgia Southern beat Florida without completing a pass. That's right, no passes. Which reminds me: Kobe Bryant said he’s almost ready to play."  -- RJ Currie
" Dennis Rodman has a  new line of signature vodka: “One shot and you want a nose ring. Two shots and you’re flying to North Korea."  -- Greg Cote
"A celebratory balloon released during a Nebraska football game eventually landed in Ludington State Park in Michigan — 565 miles away."  -- Dwight Perry 
Alert statisticians immediately declared it the longest touchdown in Husker history.
" Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams shoved a referee. That's a new low - you're playing the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving and you end up looking like the bad guy"  -- Brad Dickson
"Denver blew a 24-0 half-time lead and lost to the Patriots in November's second-largest collapse. The largest was Heidi Montag having her F-cup implants removed."  -- RJ Currie
"There were something like five 5K runs in the Omaha area on Thanksgiving Day. Well, four 5K runs. The last one was a group of people chasing a turkey"  -- Brad Dickson

"The Bengals-Chargers game in San Diego will be the first NFL blackout this year. Yeah, that’s the way to raise interest in a team that can’t sell out its games – make sure local fans can’t watch."  -- Janice Hough
"A Target store in Jacksonville is giving away free Jaguars gear. A spokesperson said, What else can we to do with all this stuff that’s been returned?"  -- TC Chong

"At Walmarts around the country, fights reportedly were breaking out on Black Friday. The line continues to blur between holiday shopping and a WWE cage match."  -- Brad Dickson

CP-














No comments: