Per the last post, yours truly suffered a freak injury which left me unable to rant with my usual insanity via this medium for a while. However, that didn't keep my feeble brain from noticing a few things going on in the sports world. So, in no particular order, here's a few idle thoughts on what happened during the last week.
The University of Michigan got lucky in winning the game at Northwestern. But make no mistake. The Wolverines are not a high caliber college football team. Brady Hoke can bluster all he wants about Michigan this and Michigan that -- but in the end, they are no more than average at best. Look for them to get blistered in their own Big House in Ann Arbor when Ohio State comes to town, then limp off to some third-tier bowl game somewhere. Tradition seems to have trumped reality. In recent years, Michigan has ALWAYS been overrated.
On the other hand, Michigan State appears to be the real deal. Not national championship caliber, ala Bama or Florida State, but pretty solid. Problem is, they'll likely have to face Ohio State in the Big 10 championship game. Most people think MSU will get blown out. They might indeed, but yours truly thinks the Spartans will give the Buckeyes a better game than conventional wisdom would seem to dictate. A big time upset is not out of the question.
Congrats to Jimmy Johnson on winning his 6th NASCAR title. That leaves him one behind only Richard Petty and the late Dale Earnhart. Let's not forget, unlike some of the "kids" that have arrived on the scene in recent years, JJ was already 26 as a rookie back in 2002. Six titles in 12 years is dominating stuff. Now at 38 years old, Johnson might have a decade of good racing left in him before Father Time starts to pull at his reflexes. And with a top flight organization like Hendricks Motorsports behind him -- he might well win several more championships before he's done. Like him or not -- he's just that good.
Pretty cool how they had a giant American flag draped across the field before the Monday night football game between the Patriots and Panthers in the shape of the country. Except for one major gaffe. There was Florida sticking out at the bottom right. There was Texas jutting down at the bottom center. There was Maine at the top right. But no "mitten", much less the upper peninsula. They totally forgot Michigan. I understand Detroit's been a train wreck for a long time -- but omitting the whole state that is blatantly obvious on any other national map? Something was seriously wrong with that picture.
During the same game, DirecTV was one of the sponsors. They featured their logo magically flying over the stadium during commercials. DirecTV is OK in it's own right and I once subscribed to it for many years, but I'm glad they're not in charge of televising major sports contests. Because if a thundercloud comes along, the viewer loses the signal until it blows by. There's pros and cons to all that satellite stuff.
Idle thought on Nate Burleson, wide-receiver for the Detroit Lions. Nate seems to be quite the spokesman. He's always available whenever a camera and a microphone are in the room. Thing is, Nate's always talked the talk, to put it mildly, but never been able to walk the walk for very long. After getting drafted by the Minnesota Vikings, where he had one good year, he bailed for big bucks in Seattle. $49 million worth. He tore a ligament in Seattle in the opening game and was lost for the season. On to the Lions. Last year he broke a leg, gone again, and this year somehow managed to wreck his car and break an arm in the process while nobly trying to rescue a damsel pizza in distress. Out for another two months. As a receiver, he ain't all that anyway. Never was. Earth to Nate.... Shut up, until you prove yourself as a worthwhile player that has a little more staying power than a container of cottage cheese left out on a hot summer day. Let the good players do the talking. And tell your buddy Dominic Raiola to zip it too. He's been a verbal loose cannon loser since he came out of Nebraska.
Ah. I feel much better now having got those rants off my chest.
I really didn't want to come back this quick, because I'm still hurting quite a bit. But during a confab with the boss, I was made to see the light. Who knew that sports editors had cattle prods? Ouch. There ought to be a law against such things. Nevertheless, it made me forget about my other injury, at least temporarily.
Tough job sometimes, but somebody's gotta do it.
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