One
Several months I wrote about the changing sociology of college football. I decided that with the conference realignments, NIL money, and transfer portal nonsense it was time to dedicate my Saturdays to something more useful like taking naps or digging holes in the backyard.
Then just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
My hometown ASU had its greatest season in 30 years. Picked to finish last in the Big-12, it not only won the conference championship but gained a spot in the college playoffs where it took Texas to the brink.
This great story was personalized by the most compelling college football player in years, Cam Skattebo. Cam didn’t receive a single FBS scholarship offer coming out of high school and instead started his college career at FCS Sacramento State as linebacker. He transferred to ASU, switched to running back and became a human wrecking ball. Take a look at the highlights from the Big-12 championship game against Iowa State and last week’s playoff game against Texas.
With ASU out, I’m done with college football for good. For reals this time.
Two
Years ago I attended a conference where a speaker said that an incoming governor upon taking office needed to hit the ground running and run over the opposition like “he was Earl Campbell.”
Campbell was a bruising running back. As Washington linebacker Pete Wysocki once said, “Every time you hit him you lower your own IQ.”
I loved watching Campbell play ball, but that was a while ago so we need a new symbol. I think in honor of the incoming Trump Administration I would like to create a new word to explain running over the political opposition, “skattebo.” As in “skatteboed “ or “skatteboing.”
Usage: “Trump skatteboed his agenda through Congress.” or “Patel skatteboed the FBI” or “Biden spent four years skatteboing the Constitution.”
Three
Last night, we watched “Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.” I have to admit as time goes on I have warmed to the character of General Chang. A Klingon who not only goes around quoting Shakespeare but has an eye patch screwed into his head? That’s a proper villain.
The problem with the Democrats these days is that they lack the panache to be proper villains. I mean we had to hear from them for years that Trump was the Orange Hitler who would destroy America and catapult Liz Cheney into the sun. Then Trump won and they did nothing but just meekly acquiesced and showed their bellies. How pathetic. They should just sign the land acknowledgment that Trump lives permanently in their heads and go away.
So they have another chance to put their money where their mouth is. Today is January 6th and there will be a Congressional joint session to certify the Electoral College. There are rumblings that some Democrats will not certify Trump as the winner because he is an “insurrectionist.”
So here’s the deal. If the Democrats want to restore their honor they need to try and stop Trump’s certification. I need to see Jamie Raskin standing at the podium this afternoon with an eye patch screwed into his head, yelling “Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!” Do it, Jamie, fulfill your destiny.
Five
Given that he is a cruel, vindictive man, here’s an idea for Joe Biden. Start a rumor that there will be only a limited number of pardons issued for Administration officials, something really low like 20. Then sit back and watch the chaos begin. You want Liz Cheney to be the most hated person in Washington? Pardon her first.
Back in the day, the experts would rate the athletes going to various colleges based on athletic scholarships. There was one college that consistently fielded players that were lower ranked, or unranked, by the experts; and yet that college consistently ended high in the rankings at the end of the season. Finally, one analyst threw his hands in the air when in came to looking at that college’s recruits. As for following the game, I stopped when they moved the hash marks.
One thing I have noticed,e specially in football, is the growth of the “pundit industry.” At the beginning of the NFL season they were already doing mock drafts for 2025. At the same time, the college side of the business was breathlessly talking about where HS juniors were going to go for college
The supply of punditry, good or bad, rises to fill the demand.
To your point about the winning team with the poorly ranked recruits, David Burge (Iowahawk) likes to point out how Iowa does well year after year with poorly ranked recruiting classes.
So for the Electoral College certification today, no Democrats objected.
I find that gutless.
The whole point about not letting the Orange Hitler into office is that since he will destroy the government, you cannot let him in the first place. That’s the Hitler lesson, you cannot fight him after he takes office
So to follow the Democrats’ logic for the past four years, they just allowed in the man who was going to bring the dark night of fascism on America
So it ends, not with a bang but a whimper.
Somebody should ask those Democrats, especially Raskin, why they did nothing
Mike, the Donks did nothing as a party nor as individuals controlled by party alliance because of attempting to support Kamala’s vibe: We are civilized, peaceful, and do what is best for the country. (And, oh, btw, the Phants supported J6, making them utterly unlike us in their lack of concern for the country.)
Political theater rather than principled practice.
Let the games begin.