Drat

The game went about like I figured, but I really hoped Coach Brooks could finish with a win since I think this was his last game.
Instead all the streaks ended: the bowl winning streak, the non-conference winning streak, and most importantly, my perfect point spread record picking Wildcats games this season.

I think this loss proved me right in my analysis of UK's lousy passing game. I've been defending the play-calling all year against fans who are frustrated because of the lack of down-field passing.
These fans insisted Kentucky needs to 'open it up' more. I think the coaches would like to do so, but the offensive line can't hold blocks long at all, the quarterbacks are very shaky, and the receivers are even worse.
Tonight the QB played well, finally (or well by my lowered standards), scrambled and bought tons of time even with a bad line- but the receivers still could not get open and then could not catch passes in the rare instances when they did shake free.

Oh well. I think UK's in pretty good shape for next season, all things considered. And Newton did look like a very, very good freshman QB tonight.

Randall Cobb is a great player, but I'm baffled every time announcers call him a great receiver. He drops more balls than he catches. I'm not that worried about it because he's still a very inexperienced receiver since he was a qb in high school and he spends so much practice time doing other things. He has good hands but not yet good habits.
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And I'm 7-3 on my bowl pick'em so far. Not great, but not awful, and most of my high point games are not until week.

Music City Bowl

As of my point spread check last night, Clemson is a 7 1/2 point favorite.
I don't feel at all positive about Kentucky's chances of winning tomorrow, but the spread is large enough that I think I can continue my trend this season: take Kentucky and the points, but I don't think the Cats will win.
And again I think the score will be in the mid-twenties. I'll go with a 27-23 Clemson victory.


I did not know Christian Laettner played football for Clemson.

Thoughts From The Fashion Guy

-I hate neckties. Ties are uncomfortable and they serve no functional purpose. They get in the way. I suppose it is feasible I could someday use a necktie to hide a stain on my shirt, but so far all I've ever done is get stains on the neckties.

-I do not hate earrings, but I absolutely, totally do not understand them, on either women or men. Who first said "You know what? I bet it would look really cool if I gouged a hole in my head and dangled a piece of metal from it!" And who said "Hey, that does look cool!"

-I feel pretty much the same about all other piercings. Okay, I've seen some women who look great with pierced navels, but I think they would have looked pretty good with or without the piercing.

-Other jewelry is alright, I guess, but I don't really understand it. And toe rings? Seriously?

-I hate shaving. Shaving is a daily hassle; there are places on my neck, ears, and under my nose that seem geometrically impossible to shave, and yet I continue to try because the only thing worse than shaving my face is NOT shaving my face. I try that periodically but it looks awful and itches.

-Almost all sweaters are hot and uncomfortable. Sweaters do, however, extend the life of a shirt by a year or two. Thank you, George Costanza.

-Most clothing seems reasonably priced, with a gradual price increase for products of higher quality and with a wide variety of stops in between dirt-cheap and arm-and-a-leg. For instance, I can get a shirt for $12.99, or $20.99, or $39.99, or $59.99, etc., all the way up to the $40,000 Eton Diamond shirt (I just Googled 'expensive shirt). At each step, the increase in price seems reasonably in tune with the increase in quality.
As far as I can tell, there are only two exceptions to this rule of variety and price:
1) Athletic shoes. The more they cost, the more hideously ugly they are. Unless you like wearing space ships on your feet.
2) Mens' coats. There is no middle-range quality here. Functional, unattractive coats (the kind I wear) can be had for $60 or less, and nice ones cost a lot, lot more. There seem to be some coats priced in-between, but to get improved quality I think you have to jump from the $60 all the way to $150 or $160.

"God bless us, every one!" said the atheist, quoting Tiny Tim.

My recent bed-time reading has been Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time." I've been reading other things, too, but I usually finish my night with 7 or 8 pages of Hawking's book.
I sometimes think about skipping ahead to see how it ends- but I'm afraid it will give me nightmares.

The Guarantee

In answer to Dad's inquiry, my bowl picks come with Santa's ironclad guarantee. If you have been very, very good this year, then I have provided all winners. If you headline the 'Naughty' list, with your name highlighted and underlined and destined for a lump of coal (or designated for being pretend-kicked by six to eight black men, dumped in a sack, and carried off to Spain) then you get no winners. If you were just okay this year then they are half-right. And so on.

My Bowl Pick 'Em Picks

EagleBank Bowl was not included in the contest since participants weren't determined until yesterday.
It is the standard bowl contest- pick winners of all games, rank games 1-33 in order of confidence, most points wins. I expect to become very wealthy as a result.

And these geniuses have won 25 straight?!

After reading elsewhere about possible recruiting violations by the Tennessee football program, I again surfed over to the Knoxville News Sentinel. This poll question- and the possible answers- caught my eye.


I would like to suggest a couple of others:

Was Lane Kiffen's first season successful?
A) Tuesday
B) Cheeseburgers
C) Hostesses

Is Tennessee Orange the ugliest color in the universe?
A) Definitely
B) Bruce Pearl
C) Rocky Top