How About This Stimulus?

The ceremonial first pitch at the all-star game got me thinking....since our buddy Barack likes to hand out a bunch of free money to people that don't necessarily deserve it, how about giving the White Sox a nice, mid-season bailout, maybe giving them enough money to trade for and then sign Roy Halladay to a long term deal? That's one stimulus package that could actually turn something around.

Photo Credit: Jeff Roberson, Associated Press / July 14, 2009

Obama vs. McConiughey: Showdown in DC

If the Victoria Times needs anything to boost its readership, it's definitely an article on bowling. Last night, President Obama made a questionable comment on the Tonight Show saying that his bowling abilities are "like the Special Olympics." I'm not the type that gets offended over any little comment, but it probably was a little insensitive. Maybe he just figured that if the Special Olympics participants are benefiting from his "redistribution of wealth," he is allowed to belittle them. Well it turns out, Obama would get a bowling butt-whuppin' if he ever dared to step foot in a Special Olympics bowling competition. The smack talk has begun, as mentally disabled (and apparent Michigan alum...Big Ten fans insert jokes here) Kolan McConiughey has challenged our president to a bowling match. Kolan has bowled 5 300 games since 2005, which is extremely impressive for anyone, disabled or not. So I think America needs to see this showdown. Screw the prime-time press conferences about the economy, I want to see the bowling match of the century!

Think about this...

With Barack Obama's inauguration (right now!) today, it gives us time for reflection on where we are and how far we've come. This is a sports blog, and I am in no good position to remark on this. Think about this, however... the first time he makes a call to a champion's locker as president, it could be to the Arizona Cardinals. The times, they are a-changin'.

I guess if Obama wants a playoff....

I've been broken. I steadfastly protested a playoff in college football, but it's becoming increasingly clear to me that it would likely be in the best interest of the league. Let's get one thing straight though, I don't like any of the proposals out there. I don't like the plus one, I don't like the four team, and I don't like President-elect Obama's eight team playoff. Why?
What many people don't like about the national championship as it stands is that it doesn't reward quality teams that don't fall in those two top slots. I don't like the idea of an eight team playoff, for example, because in some seasons, it won't go far enough, and in others it will go too far. For example, this season, if we take the top eight teams in the BCS and through them into a playoff, we would end up with Alabama, Texas Tech, Penn State, Texas, Florida, Oklahoma, USC and Utah in the tournament. Three teams from the Big 12 South. Who wouldn't want that? Well, you know, besides the rest of the country. But really, those teams will have all played each other, and a winner has been decided. Like it or not, but Ball State hasn't been tested, and they find themselves undefeated. Why should they get bypassed when Oklahoma gets in?
That's all I want out of a tournament, without getting too deeply into it, (because Steve and I both have invested a lot of time in this topic before) just make sure that those that most deserve to be in a tournament that get in. In the basketball tournament, conference winners all make the tournament. In my mind, thats what we need to look at in a college football tournament, just an event that rewards teams for winning their conferences first.
As I mentioned in the parenthesees, we spent a lot of time on this last year, and we will be running the simulation based on last seasons simulation results leading into the bowl season. Just fair warning.