Letters to Ramon

Actual calls from actual listeners...

"Okay, I am a big supporter of an NCAA football playoff. However, I have to admit that a lot of matchups (particularly in the Big 12) are more exciting knowing that a loss could leave a team out of the National Championship this early." -- Jerry W.

"TCU-Utah - TCU - Christians v Mormons II - Southpark said Mormonism is the true religion, but we don't care about that. The real question is 'who is better at football?' Jesus 2, John Smith 0." -- Jeff G.

"Notre Dame-Boston College - BC - two things are for certain when you get two micks together: drinking and fighting. When it comes to those, I'll take Boston over Indiana/Chicagoland anytime." -- Jeff G.

"Just mark me down as a 5-0 now. I've got a new method for picking games. Can't give away my secret, but it has everything to do with the alphabet and the sacrifice of two chickens. Don't worry, waste not want not... one chicken hits the grill and the other goes into the soup." -- Greg Biz.

"If the only thing President Obama accomplishes during his term is to institute a college football playoff, he will nonetheless be revered as the equal to Washington and Lincoln." -- Paul H.

"Wow, I can't believe I picked ND AND bama, the presidential election really messed me up." -- Trey D.

"Saw that Obama thing on Monday Night. Poor McCain cited something like 'performance enhancing drugs.' No wonder he lost!!!" -- Steve N.

"Yes, gentlemen, you've heard of the Bentonville princesses, now there is such a thing as a Fayetteville/Springdale princess. I found them this weekend while sitting in the corporate box at the game. Dressed like Paris Hilton with their oversized sunglasses and handbags and undersized sundresses, they had front row seats right by the glass like the Bentonville princesses. However Fay/Spdl princesses are a little older and they don't play Tetris on their regular flip phones. They have iPhones on which they text back and forth to each other. Also they play with their digital cameras on which they view the pictures of who/whatever they did from the night before." -- Cat

"Now that I put this into perspective, not submitting my picks last week is probably my most significant act of unintentional charity this year..... I hope Mr. Hicks and the other competitors appreciate me giving them another opportunity." -- Fleetwood

The Election: Executive Decision

Barack Obama is the new president elect of the United States. He will, of course, be dealing with many important issues in the next four years, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have opinions on some of the country's lesser issues. Luckily, SI.com's Arash Markazi got to ask President-elect Obama for his thoughts on the BCS as part of an extensive Q&A this week.

"I'm not sure who came up with the idea for the BCS formula we use today, but to borrow a phrase I've used over and over on the campaign trail, it's time for a change," says Obama. "I'm tired of all the confusion and controversy that boils over at the end of every college football season, and I think an eight-team playoff would make a lot of sense."

This week's games

President Obama said on Monday Night Football that one of the biggest issues facing sports is instituting a playoff for college football. No wonder so many people around the country were celebrating last night. This season more than any in recent memory warrants eight teams getting a shot at the end of the season, and more than half of the teams in this week's games might be in that mix. To those who say a playoff simply isn't possible, I say, Yes we can.

Here's Week 11, a taste of some teams that might be jockeying for a playoff spot plus the annual battle of Holy orders. For $800 and the Ramon Escobar Trophy, universally acknowledged by both the Jesuits and Congregation of Holy Cross, select your winners and e-mail them back to me by 5 p.m. Thursday. Don't forget to hit send.

TCU-Utah
7 p.m., Thu., CBS College Sports
Line: TCU by 2

Georgia Tech-North Carolina
11 a.m., Sat., Raycom ACC
Line: North Carolina by 4

Alabama-LSU
2:30 p.m., Sat., CBS
Line: Alabama by 3

Oklahoma State-Texas Tech
7 p.m., Sat., ABC
Line: Texas Tech by 3

Battle for the Ireland Trophy
Notre Dame-Boston College
7 p.m., Sat., ESPN
Line: Boston College by 3

Good luck.
****#****

Things I think I think

1. I think I think Texas Tech's win against Texas might have been one of the best second halves of football I've ever seen. Who wasn't amused by the TT fans charging the field after the TD, then being herded off? And charging the field after the PAT, and being herded off. Remember kids, don't hit the field until the clock strikes 0:00.

Good for the Red Raiders. And good for eccentric Mike Leach. College coaching needs more characters, instead of the coachbots who seem to have no interests outside of football.

2. Many bitter fans of Houston Nutt saw last Saturday's game against Tulsa and Gus Mal-a-zhan as a referendum on whether Frank Broyles was right when he said the hurry-up, no-huddle offense would work in the SEC. They gleefully danced a jig when Arkansas escaped with a win.

Of course, it was not a referendum on the HUNH. It was, however, one on the emptiness of the cupboard Nutt left.

3. Arkansas fans on the infamous message boards and sports talk radio shows were excited to hear Phil Fulmer was fired at Tennessee. I wonder if they'll be that excited to play the Vols if Will Muschamp is the head coach and Mal-a-zhan is the offensive coordinator?

4. I think your Halloween costume wasn't as good as this one ...



5. As always, I direct you to the SportsJournalist.com Top 25, where just one point separates No. 1 from No. 2 ... http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/index.php/topic,59980.msg2146154.html#msg2146154

And the AwfulAnnouncing.com's Pammy Standings ... Awful Announcing: Your Pammy Winners And New Standings After Week Ten

Magic 8 Ball Prediction

Another week, another loss for M8B as Arkansas covered the spread (and won outright) against Tulsa.

M8B, Arkansas is getting 10 points against South Carolina, so if a bettor was to take Arkansas and the points would it be a winning bet?



(Views expressed by the Magic 8 Ball do not necessarily reflect the views of this blog, the blog owner nor this post's author. Advice from the Magic 8 Ball is for entertainment purposes only and not for actual wagering ... especially since Magic 8 Ball is 3-3 in predicting Arkansas games.)

Tip drill

Sure, it's high school football. But it was too good not to share here ...

Letters to Ramon

"In order to maintain at least a shred of my 'independent' bona fides, I voted for Phil Wyrick over Buddy Villines (this is a "change" election year, after all). Phil came to speak at a Hillcrest Residents Association meeting earlier this year, and I was favorably impressed by the fact that his boots, belt AND cell phone case were all done in matching hand-tooled leather. It is a good look." -- GB

"In the words of Al Michaels... 'do you believe in miracles?' I was dreading looking at how far down I would slide after my dismal record on Saturday. Who knew that Jimmy "The Greek Orthodox" Daly would forget to submit his picks?" -- Geoff H.

JOHN DALY SETS THE RECORD STRAIGHT

In response to the bad press that always follows 24 hours in the drunk tank when you pass out at Hooters, John Daly has come forth to set the record straight on last week’s incident. And by “set the record straight,” I mean “confuse me with statements that don’t fit in with the police report.”

According to Winston-Salem police, Daly appeared “extremely intoxicated and uncooperative” when he was found outside a Hooters restaurant early Oct. 27. With no other means of transportation, he was taken to the Forsyth County jail for 24 hours to get sober.

Daly said it could have been avoided if his friends had realized he tends to sleep with his eyes open when he’s tired, stressed and has been drinking. He said the driver of his private bus, parked near Hooters, panicked when he saw Daly and called the paramedics. [...]

“The bus driver called 911 because my eyes were open,” Daly said. “I said, ‘What’s going on?’ He said, ‘We thought you were dead.’ Anybody who knows me … when I’m tired, I sleep with my eyes open. They know it takes awhile to wake me up.”

So, okay. The police report says Daly passed out in the Hooters, and his friends abandoned him. Daly says he was on his bus, and his concerned friends called the paramedics. I don’t want to sound like some asshole skeptic here, but maybe — juuuuuust maybe — we should take the word of the passed-out drunk with a little salt.

Auburn fans debate the coaching situation

Trey D: Fulmer agrees to step down as Vols coach.

Matt D: I guess Auburn will be competing with Tennessee for Leach and Muschamps.

Jeff K: No way on either... first CTT will be around next year.... second, if Franklin didn't work out, do you really think that Leach would???... third, I know the prevailing theory is that Mushchamp would be a great SEC coach, but he is too young with no head-coaching experience and his defenses seem not to play all that well in big games.....

Charles S: I think Muschamp does not have the mentality to be a head coach at this time. Case in point, look at him leaving Auburn in a hot-headed decision... or at least what was reported. I propose a dual head coach position: Tubs coaching defense at 2.5 per year and Leach coaching offense at 2.5 per year. The dynamic duo! That's a joke so you don't waste your time responding.

Robert S: If Leach was smart he would stay right where he is at.

Jerry W: Can they leagally fire CTT at Auburn until he loses to Alabama? Seriously, I think they should keep him anyway, but there has to be some kind of by-law at Auburn that says "you cannot fire a football coach that has over 3 consecutive wins against Alabama until said coach ends that streak."

Jeff K: That why he is still there.... provided Bobby Lowder is making all the decisions..... seriously, I can’t see him going anywhere this year.

Obama and McCain at Alcorn halftime show

Courtesy of Cat Sims.

The legendary Fire in action at the VI

Fire at the Village Inn (AKA the VI). The most electrifying busboy/mayoral candidate/interesting dude in Fayetteville history.