The Eating Season

It’s the eating season here at work. Tuesday morning we had Goldberg’s bagels. Then for lunch we had sandwiches and salad from Panera Bread. Wednesday a vendor surprised us with sandwiches from Einstein Bagels. Next Tuesday we have our annual Christmas Luncheon.

Thursday our department is eating lunch at the Norcross Station Café. Located in the old train station in downtown Norcross, freight trains rumble past just a few feet from your table. Back in the good old days we would eat there all the time. I already know my order: chicken fingers, broccoli rice casserole, and apple & cranberry cobbler. Can’t wait.

Tuesday night Anna had art class, and Ceil had a meeting. Matthew and I had to go pick up Anna. Later I had to go get gas in the van. Saw some of both NBA games. Also the Cosby Show, which Matthew loves. Saturday night Matthew found out a longtime classmate is moving away, and Matthew was very sad.

Will’s last final was Wednesday. He comes home Thursday. He was asked to speak at Walton High School’s Young Life meeting Thursday, but I’m not sure he will be back in time.

Don’t tell Ceil where the Container Store moved. She loves it.

Ceil and I (and Anna and Matthew) have been sleeping later and later on Saturdays. We don’t need the dog to sleep in our room, because he is a heavy breather, and the tags on his collar jingle. At my age I have enough going on to wake me up at night, and don’t need any more distractions.

Bowl Predictions

After several years of poor results, I did my homework this year…by watching games all season, as well as studying the polls and spreads. I’ve mixed in a few upsets, though I usually stick with the favorites. I’ve included each team’s won-loss record, as well as their Saragin computer rating. Enjoy!

NEW MEXICO: #76 Nevada (7-5) vs. #29 Arizona (7-5), Dec 15 in Albuquerque

IDAHO POTATO: #64 Toledo (9-3) vs. #25 Utah State (10-2), Dec 15 in Boise.

POINSETTIA: #36 Brigham Young (7-5) vs. #50 San Diego State (9-3), Dec 20

BEEF O’BRADY: #60 Ball State (9-3) vs. #59 Central Florida (9-4), Dec 21 in St Pete

NEW ORLEANS: #88 East Carolina (8-4) vs. 63 Louisiana Lafayette (8-4), Dec 22

MAACO: #33 Washington (7-5) vs. #42 Boise State (10-2), Dec 22

HAWAII: #40 Fresno State (9-3) vs. #78 Southern Methodist (6-6), Dec 24. June Jones’ triumphant return to the islands will be spoiled by the Bulldogs.

LITTLE CAESARS: Western Kentucky (7-5) vs. #120 Central Michigan (6-6), Dec 26

MILITARY: #30 San Jose State (10-2) vs. #75 Bowling Green (8-4), Dec 27

BELK: #45 Cincinnati (9-3) vs. #79 Duke (6-6), Dec 27 in Charlotte.

HOLIDAY: #20 Baylor (7-5) vs. #18 UCLA (9-4), Dec 27. Should be one of the better games to watch. The Bears are known to come up big in games like this, and their fans can be on the obnoxious side. The Bruins sometimes lack a finishing touch.

INDEPENDENCE: #98 Ohio (8-4) vs. #62 Louisiana-Monroe (8-4), Dec 27 in Shreveport

RUSSELL ATHLETIC: #66 Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. #46 Rutgers (9-3), Dec 27

MEINEKE: #72 Minnesota (6-6) vs. #27 Texas Tech (7-5), Dec 27. Texas Tech should win, despite losing head coach Tommy Tuberville.

ARMED FORCES: Rice (6-6) vs. #107 Air Force (6-6), Dec 29.

FIGHT HUNGER: #74 Navy (7-4) vs. #23 Arizona State (7-5), Dec 29.

PINSTRIPE: #28 West Virginia (7-5) vs. #53 Syracuse (7-5), Dec 29 in NYC.

ALAMO: #15 Texas (8-4) vs. #12 Oregon State (9-3), Dec 29 in San Antonio.

BUFFALO WILD WINGS: #26 TCU (7-5) vs. #41 Michigan State (6-6), Dec 29 in Tempe.

MUSIC CITY: #69 NC State (7-5) at #31 Vanderbilt (8-4), Dec 29 on Vandy’s home field. SEC beats ACC once again.

SUN: #16 USC (7-5) vs. #65 Georgia Tech (6-7), Dec 31 in El Paso. Will either team play motivated football? USC has been playing lackluster football. Tech returns to the distant Sun Bowl for the second straight year, and has lost seven straight bowl games. Matt Barkley wants to show out for the NFL scouts, and with his talented receiving core should be able to outscore any number the Jackets put on the board. Could be another ugly Tech loss, or it could be a high-scoring track meet.

LIBERTY: #38 Iowa State (6-6) vs. #57 Tulsa (10-3), Dec 31 in Memphis. Should be a close game.

CHICKFILA: #11 LSU (10-2) vs. #24 Clemson (10-2), Dec 31 in Atlanta. Battle of the Death Valley Tigers.

GATOR: #32 Northwestern (9-3) vs. #39 Mississippi State (8-4), Jan 1 in Jacksonville.

HEART of DALLAS: #61 Purdue (6-6) vs. #14 Oklahoma State (7-5), Jan 1 in the Cotton Bowl Stadium

OUTBACK: #10 South Carolina (10-2) vs. #19 Michigan (8-4), Jan 1 in Tampa. Michigan played undefeated Ohio State close, but will be missing several players due to injuries.

CAPITAL ONE: #7 Georgia (11-2) vs. #22 Nebraska (10-3), Jan 1 in Orlando. Nebraska gave up 70 to Wisconsin, and Aaron Murray is licking his chops. The Bulldog defense will be wanting to regain their swagger after being humbled in the SEC Championship Game.

ROSE: #21 Wisconsin (8-5) vs. #8 Stanford (11-2), Jan 1 in Pasadena. The Badgers lost their coach.

ORANGE: #34 Northern Illinois (12-1) vs. #17 FSU (11-2), Jan 1 in Miami. Northern Illinois lost their coach. Their talented QB will find the Seminoles speed faster than anything he’s seen before. FSU has been known to come out flat in big games, including their last two. The game may be closer than the 14 point spread, but it’s doubtful Northern Illinois can off the upset.  

SUGAR: #4 Florida (11-1) vs. #52 Louisville 10-2), Jan 2 in New Orleans. The Gators on a team on a mission.

FIESTA: #3 Oregon (11-1) vs. # 5 Kansas State (11-1), Jan 3 in Tempe. Collin Klein’s college career will end on a frustrating note.

COTTON: #9 Oklahoma (10-2) vs. #6 Texas A&M (10-2), Jan 4 in Arlington. The Sooners lost a coach, and there will be no Heisman slump for Johnny Football.

COMPASS: #37 Ole Miss (6-6) vs. #58 Pittsburg (6-6), Jan 5 in Birmingham. The Panthers always show up in big games.

GODADDY: #55 Kent State (11-2) vs. #48 Arkansas State (9-3), Jan 6 in Mobile. Arkansas State lost their coach.

BCS: #2 Notre Dame (12-0) vs. #1 Alabama (12-1), Jan 7 in Miami. The Irish defense is similar to Georgia’s, but their offense isn’t as strong as the Dawgs. Bama is peaking at the right time, and should win decisively.

Roommates & Abodes

I've lived in twelve different places…

Vineville Avenue, Macon (1959)
669 Wimbush Road, Macon (1960 – 1970)
Kathryn Drive in north Macon (1971 – 1977)
Long Island Drive, Sandy Springs (1977 – 1978)
Tempo Trail Apartment, off Shallowford Road in Chamblee (1978 – 1979)
Baptist Center, 750 Techwood Ave, Georgia Tech (1979 – 1981 and 1982)

Peachtree Park Apartments, Buckhead (1981 – 1982)
Goldsboro Road Apartment, near Little 5 Points (1983)
The Hubcap, Greenwood Ave near Piedmont Park (1983 – 1986)
627 Hillpine Drive, in Morningside (1987 – 1993)
East Cobb (1994 – present)

My roommates along the way…

1. Aunt Martha Wayt…Long Island Drive
2. Wayne Smith…Tempo Trail (FB)
3. Don Sells…Tempo Trail (FB)
4. Mike Kirkland…Tempo Trail (LI)
5. Wayne Price…Tempo Trail (FB)
6. Mike Jackson…Baptist Center (FB)
7. Tennis England…Baptist Center
8. Bill Headley…Baptist Center (FB)
9. Tom Leuze…BSU, Hubcap, Hillpine (FB)
10. Jeff Yearwood…Peachtree Park (FB)
11. Warren Hammonds…Peachtree Park
12. Eddie Parker…Peachtree Park
13. Jim Johnson…Little 5 Points (FB)
14. Lindsay McKinley…Little 5 Points
15. Brett Freemon…Greenwood Ave (FB)
16. Keith Harp...Greenwood Ave (FB)
17. Curt Shaw…Greenwood Ave (FB)
18. Billy Brundage…Greenwood, Hillpine (FB)

Hard to remember, but I'm pretty sure that I was in the following ten weddings: Mike Jackson, Tom Leuze, Jeff Yearwood, Warren Hammonds, Jim Johnson, Brett Freemon, Don Lott, Curt Shaw, David Walker, and David Hurt.

My mother went to North Fulton, and grew up at the house on the corner of Peachtree and Stratford Road, that eventually became the Christian Scientist Church. Her Uncle John Wayt Senior lived a few houses down Stratford. My grandmother eventually moved to a house further down Stratford…I think it was across the street from Mr. Key's house. Grandmother's house was eventually torn down when GA 400 was built. She moved to a Pharr Court high-rise just behind Brio, then later to the high-rise at the corner of Peachtree and Lindbergh. My grandmother was a charter member of Peachtree Presbyterian.

Last night on Costas, John McEnroe was talking about how he hated losing Jeremy Lin. Then he acknowledged that the Knicks were doing well without him. Charles Barkley was on Costas as well. Costas said it would be interesting if McEnroe announced a NBA game, and Barkley called a match at Wimbledon. Both liked the idea.

Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun Mon

Thursday night Ceil was exhausted after working for two straight days, plus carting Matthew around to several appointments. I drove her up to get Trader Joes frozen Orange Chicken dinner…Matthew’s favorite. Watched X Factor and Elf. Anna went out to Lawrenceville to crate up Operation Christmas Child boxes. She spent the night at Brittany’s. Friday morning I dropped off her school books.

For lunch Friday I had leftover roast beef, from our Wednesday night dinner. Friday night Ceil was waiting for her homemade pizza dough to rise, so she and Matthew went to the dollar movie. She cooked the pizza when she got home, and we didn’t eat until 10 pm. Took leftover pizza to work today. Then I had to drive over to Peachtree Corners to pick up Anna.

Saturday Ceil cooked cinnamon rolls for breakfast. After cleaning upstairs I took Matthew out looking for something to wear to his Christmas party. Finally found a fun vest at the fifth store we went to. By the time we got back home it was time to take his to his party, in Alpharetta. Drove back home, but later I had to go back and pick him up. Got home just in time to watch the Heisman presentation.

Sunday I finished cleaning upstairs and worked on my eBay for a while. Ceil cooked burgers for lunch. When it was time to go to church Ceil realized that Will’s care package had to be taken over to our friends, for them to deliver. That meant me. It was good I didn’t go to church, because I started sneezing at 1:30, and stayed really sick until I went to bed. I didn’t get into the Falcons game. I like the Giants but not the Saints, so I watched other shows. Later I watched the ESPN bowl special.

Felt weak this morning, but was better by noon. Had several customer emergencies, and also problems with our phone lines and computer network.

Watercolor

From: Dylan
To: David & Ceil
Subject: Anna Watercolor
Sent: Sat, Dec 8, 2012 1:11:16 AM

Hi David and Ceil, I just wanted to tell you how exceptional Anna did with watercolor. Watercolor is said by many to be the most difficult medium and many people try it in my class and decide out of frustration that it's not for them because it's too hard. I believe her ability to handle the medium is as good and better than many people who have done watercolor for months or even years. If she has the time, she is welcome to keep coming this new session for no cost. There is extra room in the Tuesday night class. Thanks, Dylan

Best Bowl Matchups

In the pursuit of revenue, college bowl games will always match nearby teams that travel well over a pairing of the highest possible teams. What follows is a ranking of the bowl games based on the lowest combined BCS ranking of the two teams. After ranking all bowls that included at least one team ranked in the BCS, the rest of the bowls are ranked based on the teams combined Saragin ranking.

This year the Chickfila Bowl boasts a higher ranked matchup than the Rose, Sugar, and Orange Bowls. In fact, only the Fiesta Bowl, Cotton Bowl, and BCS National Championship Game. The Cotton Bowl is played at Jerry-World in Arlington, and continues to give the Chickfila Bowl stiff competition for the best non-BCS bowl game. The poor Gator Bowl’s matchup ranks below the Alamo, Holiday, and Maaco Bowls. The first bowl game to be played this season, the Idaho Potato Bowl, boasts a team ranked in the BCS.

Since the BCS only ranks the top 25, the rankings for each team below is the Saragin Computer Ranking.

1. BCS: #2 Notre Dame (12-0) vs. #1 Alabama (12-1), Jan 7         

2. FIESTA: #3 Oregon (11-1) vs. # 5 Kansas State (11-1), Jan 3

3. COTTON: #9 Oklahoma (10-2) vs. #6 Texas A&M (10-2), Jan 4

4. CHICKFILA: #11 LSU (10-2) vs. #24 Clemson (10-2), Dec 31

5. CAPITAL ONE: #7 Georgia (11-2) vs. #22 Nebraska (10-3), Jan 1

6. SUGAR: #4 Florida (11-1) vs. #52 Louisville 10-2), Jan 2

7. ORANGE: #34 Northern Illinois (12-1) vs. #17 FSU (11-2) Jan 1

8. OUTBACK: #10 South Carolina (10-2) vs. #19 Michigan (8-4) Jan 1

9. ROSE: #21 Wisconsin (8-5) vs. #8 Stanford (11-2), Jan 1

10. ALAMO: #15 Texas (8-4) vs. #12 Oregon State (9-3) Dec 29

11. HOLIDAY: #20 Baylor (7-5) vs. #18 UCLA (9-4) Dec 27

12. MAACO: #33 Washington (7-5) vs. #42 Boise State (10-2) Dec 22

13. GATOR: #32 Northwestern (9-3) vs. #39 Mississippi State (8-4) Jan 1

14. IDAHO POTATO: #64 Toledo (9-3) vs. #25 Utah State (10-2) Dec 15

15. MILITARY: #30 San Jose State (10-2) vs. #75 Bowling Green (8-4)

16. GODADDY: #55 Kent State (11-2) vs. #48 Arkansas State (9-3) Jan 6

17. BUFFALO WILD WINGS: #26 TCU (7-5) vs. #41 Michigan State (6-6)

18. HEART of DALLAS: #61 Purdue (6-6) vs. #14 Oklahoma State (7-5)

19. SUN: #16 USC (7-5) vs. #65 Georgia Tech (6-7) Dec 31

20. PINSTRIPE: #28 West Virginia (7-5) vs. #53 Syracuse (7-5) Dec 29

21. POINSETTIA: #36 Brigham Young (7-5) vs. #50 San Diego State (9-3)

22. COMPASS: #37 Ole Miss (6-6) vs. #58 Pittsburg 6-6) Jan 5

23. LIBERTY: #38 Iowa State (6-6) vs. #57 Tulsa (10-3) Dec 31

24. FIGHT HUNGER: #74 Navy (7-4) vs. #23 Arizona State (7-5) Dec 29

25. MEINEKE: #72 Minnesota (6-6) vs. #27 Texas Tech (7-5) Dec 27

26. MUSIC CITY: #69 NC State (7-5) at #31 Vanderbilt (8-4) Dec 29

27. NEW MEXICO: #76 Nevada (7-5) vs. #29 Arizona (7-5) Dec 15

28. RUSSELL ATHLETIC: #66 Virginia Tech (6-6) vs. #46 Rutgers (9-3)

29. HAWAII: #40 Fresno State (9-3) vs. #78 Southern Methodist (6-6)

30. BEEF O’BRADY: #60 Ball State (9-3) vs. #59 Central Florida (9-4)

31. BELK: #45 Cincinnati (9-3) vs. #79 Duke (6-6) Dec 27

32. NEW ORLEANS: #88 East Carolina (8-4) vs. #63 La Lafayette (8-4)

33. INDEPENDENCE: #98 Ohio (8-4) vs. #62 Louisiana-Monroe (8-4)

34. ARMED FORCES: Rice (6-6) vs. #107 Air Force (6-6) Dec 29

35. LITTLE CAESARS: W Kentucky (7-5) vs. #120 Central Michigan (6-6)

Handicapping the Heisman

Heisman history will be made Saturday night. Either the first freshman, the first pure defensive player, or the first Kansas State Jayhawk winner will be announced. Here are the pros and cons, in order of my prediction…

JOHNNY MANZIEL PRO:

Led Aggies to upset win over number one Alabama.

In first year in SEC led A&M to 10-2 record & Cotton Bowl berth.

Great nickname: Johnny Football.

Exciting player to watch.

Great stats (superior to Klein’s).

QB rating was 16th nationally.

Rushed for 1181 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Responsible for 43 touchdowns.    

Most recently featured on the Sports Illustrated cover.

JOHNNY MANZIEL CON:

Many voters don’t vote for freshmen.

Media bias against Southern teams.

Plays in Texas, far away from voters in the east and west.

MANTI TE’O PRO:

Plays for undefeated, number one ranked Notre Dame.

A senior, with a great body of work.

Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

A good guy, doer of good deeds.

MANTI TE’O CON:

Plays defense.

COLLIN KLEIN PRO:

Led K State to an 11-1 record and a Fiesta Bowl berth.

QB rating was 15th in nation.

Rushed for 890 yards and 22 TDs.

Responsible for 37 touchdowns.

Led lowly Kansas State to national prominence.

Was the Heisman front-runner most of the year.

Played against tough Big 12 competition.

Featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

Great dual threat QB reminiscent of Tim Tebow.

A senior, with a great body of work.

A good guy, doer of good deeds.

COLLIN KLEIN CON:

Stats were not quite as good as Manzeil’s.

Plays in Kansas, far away from voters in the east and west.

Lost to Baylor.

Missed a game.

Voters turned off by his Christianity.

I’d like to see a Klein-Te’o-Manzeil finish, but the opposite is more likely.

Nov / Dec Reading List

Inside the Revolution: How the followers of Jihad, Jefferson, and Jesus are Battling to Dominate the Middle East & Transform the World, by Joel C Rosenberg (2009). The second non-fiction book written by Rosenberg, describing the Islamic jihadists and those fighting against them militarily, politically, and spiritually. Interesting first-hand account of the Christian revival taking place in the Muslim world.  

Tales From the Georgia Tech Sidelines, by Kim King (2004). Unlike UGA, there are few books chronicling Tech’s amazing football history. Assisted by writer Jack Wilkinson, the late quarterback/radio announcer hits on many highlights, but fails to color in the facts with much detail. The short read left me wanting to write my own history of Tech football. Not sure alumni would line up to buy it, considering the poor attendance at Grant Field these days.  

Pursuit of Honor, by Vince Flynn. Part of the Mitch Rapp series.

Rome 1960: the Olympics That Changed the World, by David Maraniss. USA vs. Russia. Cassius Clay. Wilma Rudolph. Decathlete Rafer Johnson. The Tiger Belles from Tennessee State University, and their coach.

Angelina: an Unauthorized Autobiography, by Andrew Morton. Jole is taken to task by Morton, for repeating sins that she disdained in others…particularly her father, John Voight.

Take Me Out to the Ball Game, by Timothy Baker Shutt. Part of a series of “educational” lectures published as audiobooks. Shutt lectures from notes (or memory), weaving rambling, inconcise narratives that pale in comparison to any average edited book. Decent baseball history, presented in an almost unlistenable form. The professor gets an F for this effort.

Rating NCAA QBs

The cream rises to the top when comparing the top college quarterbacks. Four dual threat QB’s had great statistical seasons, with three coming against some of the toughest competition in the country. But this season Georgia’s Aaron Murray may have grown into the most NFL-ready quarterback, with so many questions revolving around 7-5 USC’s Matt Barkley. And interestingly, a much-maligned option QB was actually rated higher than two more highly-touted dual-threat signal-callers.

THE DUAL THREATS

Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M redshirt freshman (10-2 in the SEC). Came up huge in upset of number one Alabama. Everyone loves a good nickname, bolstering his Heisman candidacy, but his performance trumps even the hype. Rushed for 1181 yards and 19 touchdowns. Edges Klein statistically.

Collin Klein, Kansas State redshirt senior (11-1 in the Big 12). Great dual threat kept unheralded Kansas State in national spotlight. Rushed for 890 yards and 22 touchdowns.

Marcus Mariota, Oregon freshman (11-1 in the Pac 12). QB rating was fifth nationally. Also ran for 690 yards.

Tajh Boyd, Clemson junior (10-2 in the ACC). Lots of touchdown passes, but also many interceptions and sacks. Piled up the stats playing deep into the fourth quarter against the weaker ACC defenses, then fell flat in losses to FSU and SC. Will have a long day against LSU in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. Rushed for 519 yards and 9 touchdowns.

THE QUARTERBACKS

Aaron Murray, Georgia junior (11-2 in the SEC). Highest yards per attempt, second highest passer rating. Played great down the stretch against Florida, Ole Miss, and Alabama.

AJ McCarron, Alabama junior (12-1 in the SEC). Bama threw less, helping his passer rating lead the nation. Only three interceptions.

Matt Barkley, USC Senior (7-5 in the Pac 12). Great skills, but can he be a winner in the NFL?

Landry Jones, Oklahoma Senior (10-2 in the Big 12 ). Had over one hundred more attempts than the next closest QB. Great stats, but not an elite QB. Zero rushing touchdowns because he came out in goal line situations.

THE IMPOSTERS

Tevin Washington, Georgia Tech Senior (6-7 in the ACC). Often ridiculed, but had a much better QB rating (& more rushing TD’s) than the more highly-touted Braxton Miller and Logan Thomas. In the first seven games Tevin rushed for 471 yards and 15 touchdowns, and Tech went 3-5. In the last five games Washington only had 167 yards / 4 TD’s…but GT went 3-2.

Braxton Miller, Ohio State sophomore (12-0 in the Big 10). Led these QB’s with 1271 rushing yards, but his QB rating was second worst.

Logan Thomas, Virginia Tech Junior (6-6 in the ACC). Ranked 89th in nation. Not an NFL QB. Virginia Tech was done in by his 14 interceptions and 21 sacks. With only 519 rushing yards, Thomas’ physical prowess did not offset his limited passing skills. 

PL…comp..att…yards..comp%..YPA..TD..int..sack..QB rating

AJ….191…286…2669…66.8…9.33…26…3…22…173.1 (1)

AM…231…353…3466…65.4…9.82…31…8…24…172.4 (2)

TB….251…377…3550…66.6…9.42…34..13..26…168.5 (4)

MM..218…312…2511…69.9…8.05…30…6…16…165.4 (5)

MB…246…387…3273…63.6…8.46…36..15..14…157.6 (11)

CK…180…272…2490…66.2…9.15…15…7…13…156.1 (15)

JM…273…400…3419…68.3…8.55…24…8…22…155.9 (16)

LJ….332…507…3989…65.5…7.90…29..10…12…146.5 (29)

TW….72.…128…1173…56.3…9.16….7.…4….9…145.0 (32)

BM…148…254…2039…58.3…8.03…15…6…28…140.5 (44)

LT….205…390…2783…52.6…7.10…17..14…21…119.7 (89)

5 MPH Bumpers

My meeting was at 8 pm last night. Left work at 4:30 and went for my usual run. Then traffic was heavier than usual, bumper to bumper. I was stopped at a red light, about 4 cars back. It had been bumper to bumper for a while, so I thought there were a line of cars behind me. All of a sudden BAM! The car behind me smashed into me. I hopped out of my car, still sweaty in my shorts and T shirt. I must've glared at the guy behind me, but he whimpered "The lady behind me pushed me into you!" I saw no damage, and we all drove over to the nearby parking lot. I checked my car over, and still couldn't find any damage. The guy behind me had a 92 Camry, and his wasn't damaged either. The lady's Camaro convertible had a small scratch. Thank God for 5 MPH bumpers. Later I worried about my neck and back, but I think I'm ok.

Took Anna to art, then drove to the Cumberland Galleria. Westbound 285 traffic was bad, so from Sandy Springs I took Mt Vernon to Northside Drive, the right on Mount Paran to Northside Parkway. An old friend was at the meeting: Lisa, whose son Curtis played ball with Will for years. Didn't get home until almost ten. Then I helped Anna with her paper and talked to Will. He had been at a church Christmas party in Watkinsville. It had been his last day of classes, and finals are about to start up.

Working on a comparison of some of college football's top QB's. Will share when finished.

Fred O is a grandfather now. He often grows a beard in the winter.

Trading Places

As predicted, the Braves traded Hanson. I thought Wren did well to get that Angels reliever.

BJ Upton: Perhaps our batting coaches can help keep the strikeouts down. Wren joked about having lots of strikeouts in the lineup. With Span traded to the Nationals and Victorino in Boston, will Bourn's price be driven down by the Phillies? Will be interesting to see if the Yankees make a run at him.

Twitter is great for information, but people are dumber than on the blogs. On Facebook's "Friends of Dave O'Brien" page there's one guy who acts like he owns the place. He has nothing positive say, and everything he suggests is dumb. Then he slams those who disagree with him. I'm still waiting to come up with the perfect slam.

Looks like we have lost "Bean", our helper here at work. In her eight months she had become quite helpful for the entire office. From the start I really didn't invest myself in her. She never listened when given instructions, instead interrupting with what she thought the right answer. She'd always explain everything going on, in too much detail. Her often tragic stories didn't always add up or make sense. She didn't eat meat, but ate veggie burgers, fries, and chips. Last month she called in sick for three weeks, saying she was going to homeopathic doctors for testing for several different ailments. She returned to work for two half days, and started explaining her medical plight to a co-worker Born, who's experienced in medical matters. Born started questioning the rambling story, and Bean hasn't been back ever since. When Bean texted, saying she wouldn't be in, I advised her to call our boss. She never did, and the Ogre finally got tired of waiting. Later Bean's temp agency called. Bean had told them she'd be out 3-6 months. I hope she gets help.

We may get a long-time worker to replace her, who'd been recently laid off by the traffic department. We'll have to train her ourselves, which sucks. There's some stuff Bean did that I don't know about.

Championship Saturday

The SEC championship game was a thriller. Hated that Georgia lost. Bama figured at Georgia couldn’t stop the run, and it was all over. Will be interesting to see what people will say about 680 the fan’s Chuck Oliver this week. In the post game press conference he asked Richt about not being able to win the big one, and Richt called him on it. Oliver will never admit to being wrong, but he will be taken to task by his co-host and the callers.

Like Alabama, Tech needed to keep running the ball against UGA. Had Tech run the ball on every play, they would’ve continued to get first downs. But Johnson would keep called a pass, or some trick play, and Tech would have to punt. Same thing in the FSU game. The Noles shut down the sweep, but Tech was running the ball up the middle.

Many Tech fans blamed Washington for the FSU loss. Without him, the game wouldn’t have been so close. Vad Lee is a great talent, but against Duke, Georgia, and FSU he proved that he’s too inexperienced to perform in big games against tough opposition. Things might have been different had Vad played more earlier in the year. I was thinking Tech might actually win the bowl game for once, until I learned they were playing USC.

I’m sure the Sun Bowl hates being forced to take Tech for a second straight year. They have a contract with the ACC, and the conference made them take Tech.

The BCS is a mess, and the United States Congress is partially to blame. They threatened hearings and legislation if rules were changed to allow consideration to the smaller/weaker conferences. Now the five BCS bowls have to invite teams ranked 15th, 21st, and even unranked teams, while half the top ten gets shut out. But we knew all along that the bowls are only interested in making money. Deserving teams like Louisiana State are shut out, while teams with losing records are in. Bowls pick teams in their region, whose fans will best travel to the game. Unless they’re forced by contract to take a less-desirable team.

Friday I shut my computer down at five. Just then my phone rang, and for the next 30 minutes I was helping correct a month end problem. I had pretty much worked from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm without a break. Hadn’t been feeling too good in the morning, so I woofed down my chili at 10:00 am. By the time I left it was too dark to run in the park. I didn’t think about running on the track. For the rest of the evening I was worn out and grouchy.

Saturday morning I took Anna up north of Alpharetta to her friend Emily’s house. Emily had shot a deer the day before. When I dropped off Anna I noticed a huge open field through the woods behind her house. Later I asked Anna, and Emily had shot the deer in that field.

Later I cleaned out the van and got it washed. I still wasn’t feeling well, so I took a nap. Watched the SEC and ACC Championship games, then drove up to Browns Bridge Road to get Anna, north of Cumming…a 65 mile round trip at midnight.

Sunday we finally put all the containers of summer clothes into the attic (It’s a two-person job). We got out the Christmas decorations. Then I raked leaves and finished trimming the hedges, blew the library, cleaned the kitchen, and did some laundry. Watched the bowl selection shows. 

Falcon Throwback

To get the maximum benefit from wearing their lovely throwback uniforms, the Falcons should more carefully select which games they wear them in. It’s a waste to wear them against the Panthers ugly modern uniforms. Instead they should wear them against opponents with traditional uniforms. Current NFL rules dictate how often throwbacks can be worn (twice) and which weeks they can be broken out (the middle of the season). These rules should be relaxed, to allow teams to wear throwbacks against teams with traditional/throwback uniforms.  

IDEA: If teams like the Falcons and/or Saints also had a white throwback jersey, teams could manufacture throwback vs. throwback games. Division rivals could play throwback games so their fans wouldn’t have to see the same uniforms every year. Hey NFL, more jerseys could be sold. MLB does this all the time.

IDEA: If the NFL allowed both teams to wear colored jerseys, certain matchups could make for a more colorful viewing experience. Falcon red vs. Saints black, or Bucs throwback cream vs. Falcons or Saints throwback black. You’d think the guys at Nike would suggest this.

A look at the Falcons 2012 schedule shows which games were the best candidates for throwback uniforms:

at CHIEFS: White throwbacks would look great against KC’s classic unis.

BRONCOS: Regular uni game.

at CHARGERS: Though SD wears powder blues, they haven’t been throwing back. Sad.

PANTHERS: Regular uni game.

at REDSKINS: Another good white throwback game.

RAIDERS: Best opportunity for the Falcons to wear throwbacks, to match up against Oakland’s traditional unis.

at EAGLES: Philly hasn’t worn their beautiful 1960 throwbacks lately, but they should.

COWBOYS: Another opportune throwback game, against the Cowboys traditional unis.

at SAINTS: A home & home throwback series would be great for the fans.

CARDINALS: No chance with Arizona’s ugly Falcon-like unis.

at BUCS: Have TB wear the cream unis, and go double throwback color-on-color!

SAINTS: Throwback vs. throwback round two.

at PANTHERS: Regular uni game.

GIANTS: A third great throwback/traditional game.

at LIONS: Another white throwback chance, should Detroit also throw back.

BUCS: Return the color vs. color throwback favor for the Falcons fans.

Interesting that the Falcons alternated home and road games all year long. Again, I need to write both the Falcons and the NFL.

This was written before the Falcons threw back this past Thursday night. Too bad the Saints didn't at least wear their throwback pants, socks, and helmets.

Twenty One

Not long ago an interesting topic came up on Uni-Watch: What uniform number is the most legendary number for a particular city?

For Atlanta the answer is obvious: 21.

BRAVES: Warren Spahn. HOF, winningest lefthander of all time. The Braves retired his number.

FALCONS: Deion Sanders. Soon to be HOF. Perhaps the greatest cornerback AND return man ever.

HAWKS: Dominique Wilkins. HOF.

GT FOOTBALL: Calvin Johnson. Perhaps the greatest receiver ever, according to Sports Illustrated. 

GT BASKETBALL: Roger Kaiser. Two-time All-American. Also played baseball.

UGA FOOTBALL: Frank Sinkwich. Heisman trophy winner. UGA retired his number.

UGA BASKETBALL: Again, Dominique Wilkins. All American.
CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL, MACON: Me. 

What number best represents other cities?

Don’t know what this means, but I was reminded of this topic in a dream.

BJ

Mixed feelings about the Braves signing BJ Upton. No move this off-season is perfect…either too expensive (Bourn), or not as good a player. Fans want a slugger who hits home runs, but sluggers strike out a lot. I hear they could still get Span from the Twins. Hanson may be moved to free up salary space.

Teams like the Giants and Nationals and Phillies win by hitting singles, not home runs. Seems like the Braves hit better last year, perhaps thanks to the new hitting coaches. Some hitters are stubborn, like Francoeur and Uggla.

Still slammed, but hardly anything going on outside of work anyway. Co-worker still out, and tomorrow is month end. No time to do my regular job. Stacks of past due work is piled up. Hacks me off when people wonder if we can do without the extra person.