Houston’s Cinderella slipper is captured by a Knight. Iowa’s bounce-back attempt didn’t make it out of the Horseshoe, yet the Buckeyes showed that they shouldn’t be forgotten. TCU unveils new uniforms and a stunning result while most of the top teams predictably held serve.
As I look ahead to next week, attention getters are few and far between. As far as I’m concerned, Alabama scheduling a non-D1 game at this point of the season is grounds for firing the AD. That’s pathetic!
On Additional Walls
Monday’s post honored the 20th anniversary of the Berlin Wall’s fall and attempt to stimulate thinking, along with providing a wonderful 2-minute NPR segment. Here are some additional thoughts about walls.
A conversation with one of my pastors produced this analogy: One aspect of Christianity is to turn walls into tables. Now that’s worth thinking about.
Secondly, I continue to see letters to the editor in the Cincinnati paper pointing to President Reagan’s 1987 “Tear down that wall” speech as a single historic moment regarding the wall. Historic? Yes. Significant? Yes. The key event? No. Let’s us not forget World War II and Winston Churchill’s iron curtain speech – “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” – as a line was drawn and the many events to come; including, but not solely, President Reagan. Here’s an interesting column from San Antonio’s Jonathan Gurwitz.
On Jobs and War NY Times columnist Bob Hebert wrote an interesting column this week focusing on what would he tell President Obama about jobs, the economy, and the war in Afghanistan. Although it’s not about independent moderates, to me he hit the nail on the head about why nonpartisan independents are discouraged. To me his words weren’t based on a party or an ideology, but on a nonpartisan reality. Here’s the column.
On Moderates and Fiscal Policy
One thing Republicans don’t understand about independent moderates is that we tend to be more sensitive to social programs, including health care insurance. One thing that Democrats don’t understand about independent moderates is that we tend to be fiscally sensitive. Although I don’t always agree with George Will, I do appreciate his columns – including this one about fiscal concerns.
On Interesting Football Stat
Cincinnati Bearcat QB Tony Pike guided the team to a 4-0 start before suffering an injury in game 5. Sophomore QB Zach Collaros has started 3 games and produced these unconscious numbers:
Record: 3-0
Rushing: 33 attempts, 172 yards, 2 TDs
Passing: 66-82, 0 INT, 8 TDs
Tonight the Bearcats host West Virginia at Nippert Stadium, one of the great old, on-campus sporting venues. (Here’s a prior post about the stadium.) I’ll be there so watch for me as I’ll be wearing red.
On the BCS
Since I mentioned college football, for those who haven’t seen the latest edition of the BCS Committee meeting from the Global Sports Fraternity, enjoy!
Yesterday was Veteran’s Day and since my work location was closed, I had the opportunity to watch more cable news. Sure the day is filled with parades, speeches, and moments of silence, but it is a day that should cause each of us to reflect.
I thought about Vietnam. Although I didn’t serve, I lived the times. Years later when the Vietnam Memorial design was proposed, I recall the outcry against it. Then again, I also recall visiting it and the special feeling I got walking down the ramp into the memorial. Wow – I guess the design was right after all.
I thought about my dad who served in WW II at age 18. He’s always kept in touch with his Army buddies, yet their numbers decrease each day. I heard a report today saying that there are over 2 million WW II veterans still alive today – yet I also read an estimated of 1200 of them die each day.
I thought about last year taking Dad to a reunion of a post-WW II group. Interestingly this group was made of a few who also served in WW II, but also some who where just getting started, thus eventually ending their military careers following Vietnam. The link to those two wars was right there in the room with me among them. I wrote about the reunion weekend last Veterans Day (here’s the link).
I watched President Obama’s speech at Arlington National Cemetery. It was a good speech that was full reflection – then again presidential speeches on this day are good for that, no matter who delivers it.
I also saw a report about Honor Flight – an organization that is funding trips so WW II veterans can visit the WW II Memorial in Washington. Very impressive, but I’m sorry that I was unable to find the online video version. In its place, please visit the Honor Flight site for more information about this noble cause, and here’s an ABC News video from 2007 about the person who started it.
Buffalo Bill is linked to the wild western frontier, but the reverse is a football team. Bill Clinton was a U.S. President, Bill Cullen a game show host, Bill Cosby an actor, comedian, and role model and Bill Bailey came home to a song.
Bill Gates founded Microsoft, Bill Murray makes us laugh, and Bill Cartwright was a pro athlete would wasn’t on Bonanza – but I do have a good friend Bill who is part of the dinner group on Gilligan’s Island.
Baseball is loaded with Bills. There’s the Yankee manager who loved to fight and got frequently fired and rehired; plus a former first baseman who went on to be AL President. The Hall of Fame even enshrines several umpire Bills.
With Bill being a common name, if you think an All-Bills team will be strong – you betcha – and upper division strong to boot! A team of all-Bills not on this team would soundly drub the All-Time Randys – much to the agreement to my college roommate (Bill) who tragically died in a car accident, who was also a good baseball player and also knew Randy. I even consider splitting the Bill and Billy, but Bills say they have been called worse.
By the way, for the other all-time teams, see Categories in the Sidebar, and then Sports > All-Time Teams or click here.
Ladies and gentlemen, now taking the field, the All-Time Bills.
Given the anniversary of an important event as the wall of the Berlin Wall, the trivialness of college football had to wait a day.
Last week allowed fans to witness Oregon laying an egg at Stanford, which leads to one reason why I like observing PAC-10 football – the leader continues to be surprised! Then there’s Iowa who got their eyes scratched out by regular nemesis Northwestern. The sweater vest vies for some respect with an impressive road win, but is it enough to get into this elite ranking? Interestingly, most of the this week’s upward movement had more to do with team’s losing rather than top teams winning.
But wait – next week is big as most of the top teams take to the road, so this angle is interested in next weekend.
