New Years Day---New Normal

New Years Day ain't what it used to be.

Once upon a time, college football ruled the day.

I know, some of you are thinking I'm nuts, because, what, six games were played today? But only one "mattered", and even that one has no implication on a so-called 'champion'.

New Years Day used to mean the Cotton Bowl on CBS with Lindsey Nelson, the Sugar Bowl on ABC with Keith Jackson, the Rose and Orange Bowl doubleheader on NBC, and the crowning of a 'mythical' National Champion. No BCS. Heck, I remember when the Fiesta Bowl was first moved to New Years Day!

Thus, no meaningless bowl games. Even if the two teams playing in a New Years Day bowl didn't have a chance to be voted number one, you were guaranteed the absolute best teams were playing.

As opposed to today, where Connecticut falls to 8-5 and Penn State 7-6. Texas Tech beats Northwestern. Yawn.

What should have happened today:

--Oregon beats Wisconsin in the traditional Pac-10/Big Ten Rose Bowl matchup.
--Arkansas outlasts Stanford in the Cotton Bowl
--Auburn beats Ohio State in the Sugar Bowl
--TCU upends Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl.

The AP votes Auburn, the UPI votes Oregon #1. And we all get to talk.

Yeah, yeah, this year we get to "settle it" on the field. But, do we really? TCU is unbeaten and proved today it can hang with "the big boys". No matter who wins in Glendale on 1/10, they won't be the only undefeated team.

And thus, not really "National Champs".

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In other thoughts to kick off 2011---

--Long live the NHL Winter Classic! Even with the rain, the game was awesome. Whoever came up with this idea should replace Gary Bettman as Commissioner. Immediately.

--Robbie's room is painted in one night. He, Travis, and later Rachel, get the job done. So, some of Robbie's UPS-made money goes to a room makeover. Red with some black. Carolina Hurricanes? Yu-Gi-Oh?

--New Years Day on a Saturday throws me off. Monday morning is gonna jolt alot of people, I suspect.

--Oh, and it sure didn't feel like New Years Eve/New Years Day. For the first time, last night driving home from Stafford and moving Daniel, Krista and Cora in, it didn't "feel" like NYE.

Bring on week 17 of the NFL! :)

questions while thinking out loud......

1) As of tomorrow morning, the Federal Government will become the majority owner of two of the "Big Three" automakers. Now you know why Ford rejected bailout money and chose to go its own way. I've heard the Government's involvement in GM ownership could be, at a minimum, five years. I thought the President said he didn't have time to run car companies.

2) The liberals and Dems used to scream to high heaven when President Bush went to Crawford, Texas. You know....."HOW DARE HE take a vacation when our troops are in harm's way!!!"

But apparently it's okay by them for President Obama to golf on Memorial Day (after the Arlington ceremony), then spend five figures in taxpayer money to "take Michelle on a date" to the Big Apple last night.

3) Companies continue to file for bankruptcy, and the monthly unemployment rate continues to climb and climb, with some experts expecting it to top 10% before the worst is over in this recession.

--When's the stimulus package gonna kick in??
--When does Obama begin to accept blame for rising unemployment rates, rather than saying they were "inherited"?
--When Joe Blow's road work job, provided for by stimulus money, is done and there's no more stimulus money, where does Joe Blow report for work the following Monday?

4) Why does the world care as much about Susan Boyle as they do Kim Jong-Il?

5) President Obama said he would meet with the President of Iran with no preconditions. Now said Iranian President wants to debate Obama at the UN. Was this Obama's idea during the campaign, or did the bearded guy get another one over on him politically?

6) Would anyone in the world watch Hugo Chavez on a four-day TV-thon if you, well, weren't forced to by his minions?

7) The Detroit Red Wings-----are they man or machine? Aren't half their players over 50 already? And they're still winning??

8) Me thinks Lebron James thought he was on cruise control to an NBA title. After losing last night, his season over, he left the arena in Orlando without going to the post-game press conference and without shaking hands with the Magic on the court after the game. Poor sportsmanship. Hopefully he will learn from this, because me also thinks he'll be close to another title shot again soon.

9) My Denver Nuggets and Carolina Hurricanes both fell a series short of their goals of the NBA and Stanley Cup Finals, respectively. My hats off to them, though, as the Nuggets hadn't been that deep in the NBA playoffs in 24 years and the Hurricanes had a coaching change in mid-season and didn't look like a playoff team.

10) Oh, and they're FINALLY playing the feud in the Stanley Cup Final!!!

Good night. :)