Back in the Saddle Again

After four months hiatus, The Blue Team has returned with avengence. And by avengence, I mean with little fanfare and many moans and groans. Kind of like your prom night.

Since we last met, there have been many huge news stories in sports, including an entire season's worth of college football, the NFL, the end of the NASCAR and MLB seasons, and the beginning of the NHL & NBA seasons. And of course, who can forget the exciting MLS Cup.

However, for the sake of time, let's just list everything I think about sports right now in this column, then delve in-depth in future weeks about the most important topics (i.e. Carolina basketball, Carolina football, Carolina recruiting, NCAA Hoops, the BCS/Playoffs, the New England Patriots, and gangsters. Correction, gangstas). So, here's what I think:

• The best team in college football probably has two losses (USC anyone? I'll still take LSU). Oregon was great, but Dennis Dixon's injury crushed the team and Brady Leaf plays like his brother did in the NFL.
• The best team in college basketball is UCLA. They have four players who are hurt and still have not lost. Imagine how good this team will be in three months. Plus, they are quite POed about losing in two Final Fours recently.
• The best team won the MLB Playoffs. Kudos to Boston, they are good now and will remain so for years to come. But, I had fun rooting on the Rockies for three weeks. Matt Holliday, a Hokie Diamond Thugs alum, carried this team at times, but they have a number of other great young players as well. Also, congrats to Jimmy Rollins, another Hokie Diamond Thugs alum, on winning the NL MVP. Guess that's why the Hokie Diamond Thugs won it all this year.
• I recently acquired a NY Yankees New Era ballcap. Not so much because I despise Boston or love (or like, or even tolerate) the Yankees, but because I think every dude who wears hats should have one. It's an accessory, not an allegiance.
• I quit watching NASCAR once the Chase for the Nextel/Sprint/whatever Cup started because I am tired of Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon winning everything. I honestly watched two laps of the last race. That's not good.
• I love the arrangement between Dale Earnhardt Jr's current sponsor (Bud) and new sponsors (National Guard and Mountain Dew/Amp) to allow for his merchandise to be sold the last few months before he moves over to his new team and sponsors full-time. Win-win situation for all. And I am a sports marketing nerd
• Speaking of marketing, I love the new Bud Light "Dude" advertising campaign. When they had the "What's Up" campaign a few years ago, it was clearly a target for the black audience. This is clearly a campaign targeted towards the white, 25-42 year-old demo. It worked before, it's working again. And what makes both so good is the day-to-day reality of both situations.
• On a fantasy football note, the Hokie Thugs are having a rough season in all three leagues. As in struggling to qualify for the playoffs in two and waiting to get healthy for a run in the other. However, props to Gramps for maintaining a 12-0 record thus far in the Phi Alpha League.
• Shout out to Appalachian St for beating Michigan three months ago. I promised I'd say that to a friend, so go Mountaineers. It's easy for everyone in NC to get behind App since they play I-AA football and aren't a rival to any of the Tobacco Road schools. It's like the little cousin you're happy to see every year at Thanksgiving. Speaking of...
• I put on the weakest eating display in my recent Turkey Day history this year. While I did pile my plate with multiple layers of food, nearly breaking it, I was not able to finish it in one sitting. Even after a timeout midway through the meal, I still struggled. It was like Kobayashi...except not.
• I am DVR-ing Heroes and Journeyman this season. I have watched neither as of now, so don't mention them to me. But I've heard bad things about Heroes, which is a shame. I'm just now polishing off last season and have much enjoyed it.
• I saw a movie on Thanksgiving night, as has become family tradition. American Gangster was full of drugs, naked women, brutal deaths, and lots of Denzel Washington. I was bothered by Russell Crowe being cast as a 1970s New York cop though (it took me an hour into the movie to remember his name, I just knew he was Australian). He played the part well, it's just tough to buy into an Aussie playing such an "everyman" role in America.
• Speaking of, the new Jay-Z album of the same name (American Gangster if you skipped the previous bullet point) is solid. Much better than his previous effort. There is some serious drumming, which Hova has worked into his last two albums, along with a great deal of background vocals. A slightly different sound for Jigga, but I like it. I also bought his MTV Unplugged Album (great) and The Roots Greatest Hits (looooove The Roots). New musical suggestions, especially of the rock variety would be much appreciated.
• Carolina is not winning the National Championship this season. I'll tell you why in more detail soon, but this team just doesn't have it. They are very good, but not the type to win the big one.
• I think Tebow or McFadden win the Heisman Trophy. The experts can talk all they want about Colt Brennan or Chase Daniel or Matt Ryan, but Tebow has the stats and plays on the right team to be recognized while McFadden has the pre-season hype and the future NFL Draft status. Remember the people who vote for this are not always completely intune with the season itself. They vote based on names, teams, and stats, not always the best players. If I had a vote, I admit I would vote for Tebow because he's nasty. But I could live with Daniel winning the thing.
• The Braves signed Tom Glavine for one year so they could try to solidify the rotation this year, and save their money up for a better free agent pitcher next year. Not that they can afford Johan Santana, but he will be available, as will Dontrelle Willis if he does not get traded this off-season. Others as well (Ian Snell anyone?) will be the long-term type of pitcher the Braves will look for to replace Smoltz.
• The Carolina Panthers are absolutely atrocious. Jake Delhomme haters have gotten what they deserved. Now, many of those same people want John Fox and Marty Hurney fired. Huh? Fox would be unemployed for about three days before someone hired him. This team needs re-building, yes, and it did prior to this year. I predicted six wins for this team in the pre-season. I would have been wrong if Delhomme stayed healthy, they might have won 8-9 games. Now, I will still be wrong, as they'll win but 5. My point is that the fans need to remember who they are (fans), who they pull for (a team with three playoff appearances in its history), and why the NFL is great (it's cyclical, everyone can win and everyone can lose). The Panthers are down now, but give it two or three years and they can be back up among the league's best.
• The New England Patriots are gross and I frankly enjoy watching it. Maybe it comes from picking them to win the Super Bowl the first year they won the thing (which was going way out on a limb at the time), but I've never had a problem with this team. I do think they run up the score and I don't think they are playing with a ton of class right now, but they are dang good. So if teams have a problem with it, then stop them and shut them up. Until then, enjoy the view.

Enough for today. I'm trying to pace myself. Like I said, hopefully we'll have some more in-depth pieces in the coming weeks as things slow down a bit at work. Tune in to watch the Virginia Tech Hokies in the ACC Championship game in Jacksonville, FL this Saturday afternoon at 1pm. Also, check out Bracketography in the coming months for written piece by me and others on our staff as we prep everyone for the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Chop with the straight shots and then pop bottles...