Smoaky and I have arrived in H Town. We are broadcasting this afternoon from the Westin Galleria. The same tomorrow and then on Wednesday from noon-3 at Reliant Stadium leading up to the Texas Bowl. Last night we ate at P.F. Chang's. It was awesome. Here are some quick thoughts from the week past and looking ahead.
1. Hate to see Mike Singletary get the ax in San Fran. The NFL is a QB driven league and they never settled that spot. He'll be a coordinator somewhere and a head coach again. It just wasn't his time yet.
2. Thank you Texans for what will be a week long Valentine to Tim Tebow. Great. Just great.
3. David Buehler is terrible. If this experiment continues next year, the Cowboys will be 5-11 again. The NFL is not a league with great separation. Having a reliable kicker can mean the difference between 8-8 and 12-4 for some teams. I remember something that Buehler said in training camp. "I am not a kicker. I am a football player who can kick." As cool as that sounds, sorry DB, the Cowboys need a kicker. And sadly they need some football players too.
4. Haven't watched a bowl game yet. And I won't until Wednesday at the Texas Bowl. I just don't care about all these others.
5. Good move by the Rangers signing Brandon Webb. Could be a boon for them if he is healthy. No risk, high reward. And hopefully they still go get Matt Garza. You can never have too much pitching. NEVER.
6. Great places to eat in Houston? Tell me. I am here for 3 more days. I am hitting Ragin Cajun. Anywhere else?
7. I am catching up on Rescue Me. Just started season 4. Wish that I would have been watching all along. That show is crazy good. Denis Leary is awesome on it.
8. Had a great Christmas with the family. My sister has 2 sons. Luke is 4 and Leo is about 18 months. Kids make Christmas so fun. And yes you heard that from me. But the big news to report is that Leo has finally identified me as Uncle Paulie and my dog as Woodrow. For the last 3 weeks we have both been known as "Doggie." I am glad to finally have the proper nomenclature. Even though he hasn't quite grasped it yet.
9. I watched Christmas movies in this order. Bad Santa, It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Story. Still haven't watched Home Alone or Christmas Vacation this year. But I will. And throw in Die Hard for good measure. Yes it's a Christmas movie.
That is all.
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Monday, December 27, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
What a rough time to be a Houston sports fan and other thoughts from the Island
1. The Texans are not going to the playoffs. Again. One day they'll make it. But who knows when that will be. And to be a sports fan in H-Town right now has to be a labor of love, because there is very little payoff. we've already talked about the Texans. The Rockets are nothing to celebrate right now and the Astros are bad and for sale. Keep your chin up Houstonians. It will all turn around. I don't know when though.
2. The Patriots have that championship feel. In a game that they didn't particularly play well, they still made the plays to win. Dan Connolly should get the ESPY for his 71 yard kickoff return. It was a banner day for lineman everywhere.
3. The Cowboys won. It wasn't dominant. They let a bad QB, Rex Grossman, carve them up in the 2nd half. But it's nice to see that the drama train left Dallas, at least temporarily, and has made stops in Minnesota and Washington. What the coaching staff is doing to Donovan McNabb is beyond me. I can't say they have handled anything right. One year in and McNabb will be looking for a new team.
4. Colossal choke by the Giants. Painful for their fans I'm sure. Matt Dodge is not punting in the right city to make a mistake like that. Wow. He is going to get booed when he fills up with gas. Tip for Matt Dodge, don't order food from a restaurant unless you don't care what's in your food this week.
5. Congrats to the Mart Panthers on winning the state title on Saturday. Hung in after making some costly early mistakes to win 28-7 over Goldwaithe. Smoaky, Lark Smith and I did the game. What a blast and a fun one to watch.
6. Zach Grienke to the Brewers? Have fun eating all that cheese and drinking all that beer. I actually think this is good news for the Rangers. Go get Matt Garza. He's a bulldog. He'll help.
7. Looking forward to watching Monday Night Football in a blizzard tonight. 6 inches of snow could fall before kickoff. Good luck Bears and Vikes. I'll be here in Central Texas for once thanking God that I don't play professional football for either of your teams tonight.
8. Ralph Friedgen is out at Maryland. Mike Leach is probably in. An upgrade yes, but Maryland handled it poorly. "The Fridge" was a good coach for the Terps, but the 2 seasons before this one have left sour tastes in the mouths of the Maryland faithful. Only a BCS berth could have saved them this year.
9. Almost got all the shopping done. One more foray into the breach tonight and I'll have it locked up. Thank you Amazon.com!!!
10. Going to see True Grit on Wednesday. Can't wait. I'll review it here on Thursday.
2. The Patriots have that championship feel. In a game that they didn't particularly play well, they still made the plays to win. Dan Connolly should get the ESPY for his 71 yard kickoff return. It was a banner day for lineman everywhere.
3. The Cowboys won. It wasn't dominant. They let a bad QB, Rex Grossman, carve them up in the 2nd half. But it's nice to see that the drama train left Dallas, at least temporarily, and has made stops in Minnesota and Washington. What the coaching staff is doing to Donovan McNabb is beyond me. I can't say they have handled anything right. One year in and McNabb will be looking for a new team.
4. Colossal choke by the Giants. Painful for their fans I'm sure. Matt Dodge is not punting in the right city to make a mistake like that. Wow. He is going to get booed when he fills up with gas. Tip for Matt Dodge, don't order food from a restaurant unless you don't care what's in your food this week.
5. Congrats to the Mart Panthers on winning the state title on Saturday. Hung in after making some costly early mistakes to win 28-7 over Goldwaithe. Smoaky, Lark Smith and I did the game. What a blast and a fun one to watch.
6. Zach Grienke to the Brewers? Have fun eating all that cheese and drinking all that beer. I actually think this is good news for the Rangers. Go get Matt Garza. He's a bulldog. He'll help.
7. Looking forward to watching Monday Night Football in a blizzard tonight. 6 inches of snow could fall before kickoff. Good luck Bears and Vikes. I'll be here in Central Texas for once thanking God that I don't play professional football for either of your teams tonight.
8. Ralph Friedgen is out at Maryland. Mike Leach is probably in. An upgrade yes, but Maryland handled it poorly. "The Fridge" was a good coach for the Terps, but the 2 seasons before this one have left sour tastes in the mouths of the Maryland faithful. Only a BCS berth could have saved them this year.
9. Almost got all the shopping done. One more foray into the breach tonight and I'll have it locked up. Thank you Amazon.com!!!
10. Going to see True Grit on Wednesday. Can't wait. I'll review it here on Thursday.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Cliff Lee must love cheesesteaks and other thoughts
1. Less money and fewer years to go back to Philly for Cliff Lee. It really is about winning. Nasty staff. My guess is Roy Halladay, Lee, Roy Oswalt, and Cole Hamels in that order. But mix and match. Whatever. And if they average 5 runs a game, they will 105 games. It stinks for Rangers fans, but the silver lining is that they have more money in the coffers now. Go get someone else. And if anyone overpays for Adrian Beltre, I hope it isn't Texas. If you look at his career arc, only good in contract years.
2. Poor Texans. Charge all the way back with two 90 plus yard drives in the final 6 minutes only to throw a pick 6 in OT. Gary Kubiak has to be scratching his head over this team's continued bad luck. Is a coaching change the answer? We'll see. The lockout may save him.
3. Brett Favre's streak is over. I am just guessing America doesn't feel the same pain they did when Cal Ripken Jr. sat down. Maybe because of all the drama. I was thinking last night that Brett Favre should run for Congress. What after all is more Congressional than waffling over decisions, creating tension, and making advances to younger female underlings? I give you Senator Favre, the gentleman from Mississippi.
4. Excellent finale for Dexter. The tension on that show just never ceases. Can't wait for next season.
5. Will Muschamp to Florida and Al Golden to Miami. Muschamp is a great hire for the Gators, even though many fans don't know it yet. Yes Gator Nation, I know you think that Mike Shanahan is coming back or the Jon Gruden has always pined for that job. But neither of those is happening. You got an upcoming young coach. (Odd side note-FSU coach Jimbo Fisher and Muschamp are buddies from their days at LSU together.) As for Al Golden, he did a phenomenal job at Temple. But didn't beat any of the good teams in the MAC. Miami might be reaching here. He is very buttoned down. Never been a good quality for a Hurricane coach. As a Nole grad, the one who scares me more is Muschamp. But we'll see.
6. I have yet to do any Christmas shopping. The mad dash starts next week really. Maybe get some done soon. Any tips? What's a good gift? If I got my Dad a bottle of Aqua Velva would that be awesome or lame?
That is all.
2. Poor Texans. Charge all the way back with two 90 plus yard drives in the final 6 minutes only to throw a pick 6 in OT. Gary Kubiak has to be scratching his head over this team's continued bad luck. Is a coaching change the answer? We'll see. The lockout may save him.
3. Brett Favre's streak is over. I am just guessing America doesn't feel the same pain they did when Cal Ripken Jr. sat down. Maybe because of all the drama. I was thinking last night that Brett Favre should run for Congress. What after all is more Congressional than waffling over decisions, creating tension, and making advances to younger female underlings? I give you Senator Favre, the gentleman from Mississippi.
4. Excellent finale for Dexter. The tension on that show just never ceases. Can't wait for next season.
5. Will Muschamp to Florida and Al Golden to Miami. Muschamp is a great hire for the Gators, even though many fans don't know it yet. Yes Gator Nation, I know you think that Mike Shanahan is coming back or the Jon Gruden has always pined for that job. But neither of those is happening. You got an upcoming young coach. (Odd side note-FSU coach Jimbo Fisher and Muschamp are buddies from their days at LSU together.) As for Al Golden, he did a phenomenal job at Temple. But didn't beat any of the good teams in the MAC. Miami might be reaching here. He is very buttoned down. Never been a good quality for a Hurricane coach. As a Nole grad, the one who scares me more is Muschamp. But we'll see.
6. I have yet to do any Christmas shopping. The mad dash starts next week really. Maybe get some done soon. Any tips? What's a good gift? If I got my Dad a bottle of Aqua Velva would that be awesome or lame?
That is all.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
10 Thoughts from the Island
1. If you think that either Tom Brady or Bill Belichick are overrated, please turn in your brain and try and find a new one. The Pats are getting better by the week. They have a young athletic defense and they have Tom Brady on offense. This is a team built for the long haul. They mauled the Jets. I am somewhat surprised that Rex Ryan's sweater didn't look shredded in the post game presser. He did get attacked by a large animal called the Pats after all.
2. Jason Garrett is going to be the next Cowboys head coach. It would be great to get Jeff Fisher or Jon Gruden, but I think that Jerry is going to feel very justified in his hiring of The Red Headed Genius 4 years ago. He is a fumble short of being 4-0 and against some good teams. 3-1 with wins over both Mannings is nothing to sneeze at.
3. Auburn vs. Oregon is going to be fun. TCU vs. Wisconsin should be a dandy. Stanford vs. Va Tech should be good. OU vs. UConn....not so much. But who knows, they could all be terrible. That's why they play the games.
4. The Cam Newton ruling is very scary. Parents are good at keeping things from their kids. And duplicitous parents are good at teaching their kids to lie and not leave a paper trail to show that they ever had contact with some of these people. Cecil Newton, Cam's dad, solicited money from Mississippi St. and never got it. Did he then let Cam go to Auburn for free? And if Cam really didn't know, did he wonder why his Dad was pushing Miss St. so hard? There are so many questions. And unfortunately for these young players, they are going to have to pay for their parents transgressions if this is going to stop. Maybe Cam didn't know, but the NCAA can't do anything to Cecil Newton or any parent to make it stop.
5. I missed my fantasy football playoffs by a point. 1 point. Uno. Une. Eins. Un. Ena. As you can see I am not taking it well. Finishing 5-8 means that I need to go back to the drawing board. Awful RBs this year. They should be ashamed. And Peyton Manning over the last 3 weeks did very little to help a guy out. 11 INTs!!!! ARRRRRRGHHHH!!!!!!
6. If anyone gives Cliff Lee 5 or more years, they are asking for trouble. He'll be great for anyone, but the odds are that a 38 year old pitcher is not worth that much money. And after 5 years that's how old he'll be. The Rangers need to keep emotion aside and do what's best. Bring Cliff Lee back, sure. But don't do it to the long term detriment of the team. That's what cost Tom Hicks. Nolan Ryan, Chuck Greenberg, and Jon Daniels know this. Lee is probably getting fitted for those awful pinstripes. Zach Grienke could be a Ranger soon. Cliff Lee is great, but he's not the only one.
7. Adrian Gonzalez is going to dominate in Fenway Park. Great trade for the Sox. GREAT. They will get him signed to a long term deal. He makes that lineup far better. Ellsbury-Pedrioa-Youkilis-Gonzalez-Ortiz is pretty solid core. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sox add another bat. Maybe Carl Crawford. That would really put them over the top.
8. There are several movies I am looking forward to. The Fighter with Mark Walberg and Christian Bale is high on the list. True Grit looks AWESOME. We never get westerns anymore. Tron Legacy looks good too. The Tourist has a very Hitchcock feel to it. Tons. I also still haven't seen Red, Unstoppable, and the Social Network. Also after seeing the trailer for Yogi Bear, I am glad I don't have kids. What a crap fest.
9. The finale of Boardwalk Empire was good, not great. But it set up next season very well. Great actors on that show. Really great.
10. I hate shopping. I really do. And I don't like decorating. But I love the Christmas season. How weird is that? By the way, we are having Catalina Christmas here in Waco this Saturday. 50 plus Catalinas in the same house. And many of them children who scream. If I am here blogging and talking on the radio next week it will be a miracle. A miracle I say. But I am looking forward to seeing the family.
That is all.
2. Jason Garrett is going to be the next Cowboys head coach. It would be great to get Jeff Fisher or Jon Gruden, but I think that Jerry is going to feel very justified in his hiring of The Red Headed Genius 4 years ago. He is a fumble short of being 4-0 and against some good teams. 3-1 with wins over both Mannings is nothing to sneeze at.
3. Auburn vs. Oregon is going to be fun. TCU vs. Wisconsin should be a dandy. Stanford vs. Va Tech should be good. OU vs. UConn....not so much. But who knows, they could all be terrible. That's why they play the games.
4. The Cam Newton ruling is very scary. Parents are good at keeping things from their kids. And duplicitous parents are good at teaching their kids to lie and not leave a paper trail to show that they ever had contact with some of these people. Cecil Newton, Cam's dad, solicited money from Mississippi St. and never got it. Did he then let Cam go to Auburn for free? And if Cam really didn't know, did he wonder why his Dad was pushing Miss St. so hard? There are so many questions. And unfortunately for these young players, they are going to have to pay for their parents transgressions if this is going to stop. Maybe Cam didn't know, but the NCAA can't do anything to Cecil Newton or any parent to make it stop.
5. I missed my fantasy football playoffs by a point. 1 point. Uno. Une. Eins. Un. Ena. As you can see I am not taking it well. Finishing 5-8 means that I need to go back to the drawing board. Awful RBs this year. They should be ashamed. And Peyton Manning over the last 3 weeks did very little to help a guy out. 11 INTs!!!! ARRRRRRGHHHH!!!!!!
6. If anyone gives Cliff Lee 5 or more years, they are asking for trouble. He'll be great for anyone, but the odds are that a 38 year old pitcher is not worth that much money. And after 5 years that's how old he'll be. The Rangers need to keep emotion aside and do what's best. Bring Cliff Lee back, sure. But don't do it to the long term detriment of the team. That's what cost Tom Hicks. Nolan Ryan, Chuck Greenberg, and Jon Daniels know this. Lee is probably getting fitted for those awful pinstripes. Zach Grienke could be a Ranger soon. Cliff Lee is great, but he's not the only one.
7. Adrian Gonzalez is going to dominate in Fenway Park. Great trade for the Sox. GREAT. They will get him signed to a long term deal. He makes that lineup far better. Ellsbury-Pedrioa-Youkilis-Gonzalez-Ortiz is pretty solid core. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sox add another bat. Maybe Carl Crawford. That would really put them over the top.
8. There are several movies I am looking forward to. The Fighter with Mark Walberg and Christian Bale is high on the list. True Grit looks AWESOME. We never get westerns anymore. Tron Legacy looks good too. The Tourist has a very Hitchcock feel to it. Tons. I also still haven't seen Red, Unstoppable, and the Social Network. Also after seeing the trailer for Yogi Bear, I am glad I don't have kids. What a crap fest.
9. The finale of Boardwalk Empire was good, not great. But it set up next season very well. Great actors on that show. Really great.
10. I hate shopping. I really do. And I don't like decorating. But I love the Christmas season. How weird is that? By the way, we are having Catalina Christmas here in Waco this Saturday. 50 plus Catalinas in the same house. And many of them children who scream. If I am here blogging and talking on the radio next week it will be a miracle. A miracle I say. But I am looking forward to seeing the family.
That is all.
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