Thought for the Day: Breaking Out
December 30, 2005

First things first:
Yes, I know, I have been lax in my blogging during the holiday break, but I don't care. I am taking a break from a lot of things, and I decided to only blog if the mood struck me. Well, it has. By the way, I didn't do cut-throat update for this week in part because everyone's pick are in by default. If you really want to know, I've posted the spreadsheet in the usual place. Final results on Monday (since there is no MNF game.)

Part of the reason for the blog hiatus is the self-imposed "We're editing the Ann B. Davis and I can't mention things I would normally mention for fear of accidentally giving something away. Oh, gentle nudge, packets, in, as soon as possible, with the as possible referring to a certain level of quality.

Went to the GLi yesterday with Cardinal and it was quite fun, even if Michigan got smoked by Colorado College. But they are down three players to the World Juniors. Anyway, good times, good times, let's hope the Maize and Blue can beat Tech tonight for the face saver.

---

Anyway, the real reason I am writing.
The Song Lyrics Meme

DIRECTIONS:
On your current playlist, hit shuffle and pick the first twenty-five songs on the list (no matter how cheesy or embarrassing).

Write down one line of the song. Try to avoid putting the song title in the line. Have your friends comment and see if they know the songs (NO CHEATING by using google or other search engines...).
When someone guesses correctly, strike out the line and list the correct name of the song next to it. (In order of when I recieved the correct answer... so the first one to get it... is naturally, first on the list))

Notes: The Playlist I chose was "Songs added in the last 365 days to my iTunes." It's a wide assortment.

Have fun, gang!

---

1). "Feel the rhythm with your hands, Steal the rhythm while you can."
"Spoonman" by Soundgarden Raffy D.

2). "Just close your eyes and I'll take you there, this place is warm without a care. We'll take a swim in the deep blue sea, I go to leave as you reach for me."
"Someday" by Sugar Ray mb

3). "Ask me again, I'll take my chances, I don't know how to begin. You can't understand, I've got no answers, I can't explain where I've been."

4). "Going where nobody says hello, they don't talk to anybody they don't know. You'll wind up in some factory that's full time filth and nowhere left to go."
"Don't Go Back to Rockville" by R.E.M. Greg S.

5). "But life still goes on, I can't get used to living without living without. Living without you by my side, I don't want to live alone hey."
"I Want To Break Free" by Queen Flax

6). "But at night it's a different world, Go out and find a girl. Come-on come-on and dance all night, despite the heat it'll be alright."
"Summer in the City" by The Lovin' Spoonful Brian R.

7). "There's blood in my mouth 'cause I've been biting my tongue all week. I keep on talkin' trash but I never say anything."
"Portions for Foxes" by Rilo Kiley Chris M.

8). "I can picture every move that a man could make, getting lost in her lovin' is your first mistake."
"Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot Julie

9). "Tonight she's out to lose herself and find a high on Peachtree Street. From mixed drinks to techno beats, it's always heavy into everything."

10). "In my head there's only you now, this world falls on me. In this world there's real and make believe, this seems real to me."
"Let Me Go" by 3 Doors Down LDub

11). "I walked across an empty land, I knew the pathway like the back of my hand. I felt the earth beneath my feet, sat by the river and it made me complete."
"Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane mb

12). "'Till I opened my eyes and walked out the door and the clouds came tumbling down. And it's bye-bye goodbye I tried, and I twisted it wrong just to make it right, had to leave myself behind."
"Landed" by Ben Folds Stan

13). "Her life was like a desert flower burning in the sun. Until I found the way to love, it's harder said than done."

14). "And now you dare to look me in the eye, those crocodile tears are what you cry. It's a genuine problem, you won't try, to work it out at all you just pass it by, pass it by."
"Substitute" by The Who Brian R.

15). "You can take a picture of something you see, in the future where will I be? You can climb a ladder up to the sun, or write a song nobody has sung, or do something that's never been done."
"Talk" by Coldplay Rick T.

16). "You can make the mountains ring or make the angels cry. Know the dove is on the wing and you need not know why."
"Get Together" by The Youngbloods Mike P.

17). "Is it up to me? You won't wait to see. Screwed us both again, about as close as you dare."

18). "I'm seeing a whole 'nother world in my mind. Girl, I'm feeling an' breathing in love all the time."

19). "I'm taking out the trash and I'm sweepin' my floors. Crossin' my fingers, and countin' every kiss, Prayin' that it keeps goin' on like this."
"I Like It, I Love It" by Tim McGraw Brian H.

20). "Well, I've got to run to keep from hidin', And I'm bound to keep on ridin'. And I've got one more silver dollar, But I'm not gonna let 'em catch me, no."
"Midnight Rider" by The Allman Brothers Band Julie

21). "What the last ten minutes have taught me, bet the hand that your money is on. Where the hell I'd send these you bought me, you trade me away...long gone."
"Letter from an Occupant" by New P0rnographers Greg S.

22). "Dancin' out on 7th Street, Dancin' through the underground. Dancin' little marionette, are you happy now?"
"When the Stars Go Blue" by Ryan Adams JQ

23). "I have stood here before inside the pouring rain, with the world turning circles running 'round my brain. I guess I'm always hoping that you'll end this reign."
"King of Pain" by The Police Brian R.

24). "When you are out there on the road for several weeks of shows and when you scan the radio, I hope this song will guide you home."
"Such Great Heights" by The Postal Service Greg S.

25). "Boy, stupid boy, Don't sit at the table, until you're able to. Toy, broken toy, You shout and shout, you're inside out."
"The Electric Co." by U2 Bill
All right gang, that's the list, have at it.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, taking stock.

Thought for the Day: A board, the World According to Thomas Friedman, My new Monitor...
December 27, 2005

First things first:
Random blog comment...random oberservation...noteable in-joke...somber cross reference.

The Tuesdays with Greg Caption Contest:
Caption this picture of Al Michaels and John Madden

---

Cut-Throat: Week 16 Results

Here we go, into the home stretch. No need to send anything, we'll have results next Monday or Tuesday.

Current Leaders:

Tim Young Washington, DC 61
Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 60*
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 59
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 58*
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 58*
Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 58*
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 57*
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 57*
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 55*
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 55*
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 54
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 54*
David Wallace Livonia, MI 54
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 53
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 53*
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 52*
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 51*
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 51*
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 51*
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 50*
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 50*
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 50
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 49*
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 49*
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 49
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 48
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 48
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 48*
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 48*
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 48*
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 47*
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 47*
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 45*
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 44*
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 44*
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 44*
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 43
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 41*
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 41*
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 41*
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 41
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 41*
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 39*
Brian Long Redford, MI 36*
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 36*
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 33*
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 30*
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 23*


*-indicates that the player has used their bye.

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
12 people took Miami over the Titans.
I'm serious, next year, I want the Lions new head coach to declare during the first week of the season that he doesn't care about winning and losing. Because it REALLY seems to be working quite nicely for the Dolphins.

6 people selected Detroit to defeat the Saints.
Or were forced to. It's late in the season, that's my theory.

4 people chose Kansas City to get past the Chargers.
I think the Chargers really could have used Ricky Roma this year, because they needed a closer. Coffee is for closers, after all.

Big Losers of the Week:
18 people chose the Saints to get past Detroit. They were wrong.
I'd just like to point out that Jesse Palmer's reference to the end of game sequence as a "hurricane" field goal attempt was probably correct football terminology, if ill-chosen for the circumstances.

12 people foolishly picked the Eagles to beat Arizona.
Did anyone else know that Philadelphia still had a football team? I thought they fell off the face of the earth after that Seattle hammering.

4 people took the Rams over the San Francisco.
Whatever...Maybe Mike Martz didn't feel so bad about not being around for the end of this.

Boola Boola (got both games right):
Delano Detroit/Pittsburgh
Steven Kansas City/Tampa Bay
Jessie Kansas City/Miami
Tim K. Kansas City/New Orleans
Kevin Denver/Miami
Joel Q. Detroit/Miami
Tim W. Baltimore/Chicago
Tim Y. Miami/Tampa Bay
Geoff Detroit/Miami

I Got a Rock (got both games wrong):
Ryan New Orleans/St. Louis
The Bruce New Orleans/St. Louis
Noel Minnesota/New Orleans
Tyler New Orleans/Philadelphia
DEK Green Bay/St. Louis
Lucas New Orleans/Philadelphia
Brigid Oakland/Philadelphia
Brian L. New Orleans/Philadelphia
Greg L. New Orleans/Philadelphia
Mike P. Cincinnati/Philadelphia
Mark U. New Orleans/Philadelphia

Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
Mike B. (finished bye)
Raffy (finished bye)
Brian H.
J-Kel
Rob L.
Joe W.

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
Once again, no one gets the points because no one deserved it.

Conventional Wisdom:
House was watching his soaps and took local team Philadelphia as well as one of his byes. This means that Dr. House remains at a grand total of 50 for the season.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy took the alpha and omega of the NFL this season, earning 0 points for a Houston/Indianapolis double, and remaining at a scant 23 points for the year.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, trying to remember the name of Michigan's bowl game...

Thought for the Day: Pick up a book
December 22, 2005

First things first:
Just a reminder folks. It's a republic, not a democracy. I think a lot of times people forget that, and they really shouldn't. Anyway...

Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 16

Last call, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here.

That said, the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 16 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Jessie Connolly
Raffy Dakessian
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Michael Nathan
Chris Rodgers
Mark Urciuolo
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, finite.

Thought for the Day: Seasonal Flipping
December 20, 2005

First things first:
School's, out, for Winter. Just doesn't have the same ring to it.

The Tuesdays with Greg Caption Contest:
Caption this picture of Detroit "quarterback" Joey Harrington and Cincinnati quarterback Carson Palmer.

---

Cut-Throat: Week 15 Results

Oh, so anyway, simple thing, by next Sunday 1:00 PM EST, send me your picks (you can even reply to this email, since it will come back to me.) This, obviously, will be your last pick set of the year since I can extrapolate whom you have left and put them in the matrix.

P.S.: If you don't get them in by 1 PM, you can still pick from the late games, Sunday Night, and Monday night. You can also send along picks extending through the whole season, as several of our competitors have done.

(If the picks are done by SNF, I'll send them Sunday, otherwise, the wee Eastern hours of Tuesday)

Current Leaders:

Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 60
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 58
Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 58*
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 56*
Tim Young Washington, DC 56
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 55*
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 55
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 55*
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 54
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 53*
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 53*
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 52
David Wallace Livonia, MI 52
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 51
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 51*
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 51
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 50*
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 50
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 49*
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 48
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 48*
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 48*
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 48*
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 47*
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 46
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 46
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 46*
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 45*
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 45*
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 44*
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 44*
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 44*
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 44
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 43*
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 43*
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 42*
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 41*
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 41
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 39*
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 39*
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 39*
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 38
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 36*
Brian Long Redford, MI 36*
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 36*
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 31*
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 30
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 23*


*-indicates that the player has used their bye.

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
16 people took Miami over the Jets.
You know, next year, I want the Lions new head coach to declare during the first week of the season that he doesn't care about winning and losing. Because it seems to be working quite nicely for the Dolphins.

10 people selected Houston to defeat the Cardinals.
I just made sure and yep, all of the Texans losing by winning jokes have already been checked out, please look elsewhere.

6 people chose Baltimore to get past the Packers.
I think if you kept watching the game long enough, John Madden got a little choked up when Aaron Rodgers came in for Mr. Favre. Maybe NBC can hire Brett to work in the booth during Football Night in America. (Oh and by the way, I was distressed to realize that last night was the last "I Like It, I Love It" of the year. Can we get a season wrap up for the Super Bowl? Please?)

4 people took Cleveland over the Raiders.
Cleveland 9, Oakland 7 is not a football game, it's a bad Indians/A's pitching matchup.

Big Losers of the Week:
13 people chose the Raiders to get past Cleveland. They were wrong.
But we were so close. What Mike Carey giveth, Mike Carey taketh away.

7 people foolishly picked the Cardinals to beat Houston.
I really don't have anything funny for this game. Seriously, I am stumped. John Navarre has now played in two distinct seasons, so I mean, you know, that's something, right?

Boola Boola (got both games right):
Rocky Baltimore/Chicago
Delano Cincinnati/Miami
Gordon Denver/NY Giants
Steven Houston/Washington
Ryan Baltimore/Miami
Byko Houston/Miami
Jessie Pittsburgh/Seattle
Raffy Houston/Miami
James D. Houston/Miami
John H. Houston/Pittsburgh
Brian Miami/Pittsburgh
Lucas Miami/Washington
Tim K. Baltimore/Washington
Rob L. Miami/NY Giants
Mike N. Cleveland/Houston
Jason Cleveland/Houston
Mark U. Cleveland/Miami

I Got a Rock (got both games wrong):
Lauren Arizona/Green Bay
JQ Arizona/Oakland
Tim Y. Arizona/Oakland

Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
Cooch (.5 Finished)
Brian L.
Joel Q. (.5 Finished)
Crodgers
Geoff (.5 Started)
Jason Z.

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
Once again, no one gets the points because no one deserved it.

Conventional Wisdom:
House was clearly on clinic duty, and the uninteresting cases of New Orleans and Oakland earned no points. This means that Dr. House has a grand total of 50 for the season.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy went all cuckoo and took Atlanta and the Jets, and thus went 0-2 to keep him to 23 for the year.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, on a break.

Thought for the Day: There's a man in a hole.
December 19, 2005

First things first:
Weekend Update:
Actor John Spencer dies of a heart attack at age 58.

A great WW pub shot.

I was really saddened by this, because I always believed that Leo was the heart of the West Wing and he was the heart of the show because of John Spencer's characterization. Leo was flawed, but he knew it, and he accepted his flaws and bettered himself to make big things happen. He went to Michigan, which always earns bonus points with me, real or fictional, and he always got the best lines. In this case, I'll pay tribute with a story that I have taken and made a part of my life:

"This guy's walking down the street when he falls in a hole. The walls are so steep he can't get out.

A doctor passes by and the guy shouts up, 'Hey you. Can you help me out?' The doctor writes a prescription, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

Then a priest comes along and the guy shouts up, 'Father, I'm down in this hole can you help me out?' The priest writes out a prayer, throws it down in the hole and moves on.

Then a friend walks by, 'Hey, Joe, it's me can you help me out?' And the friend jumps in the hole. Our guy says, 'Are you stupid? Now we're both down here.' The friend says, 'Yeah, but I've been down here before and I know the way out.' "

---

Friday night
Pistons 110, Bulls 72 at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Second Pistons game of the season after opening night. As many of you know, Basketball, of the big four sports, is probably my least favorite, but I will say that I have come to love it more and more since the Pistons Renaissance began around 2000. The key is, these Pistons are special, and knowing that Dave is always up for a Pistons game, I am trying to get in quite a few Pistons game while this core group of five is playing together. We sat in the back row of the upper deck, but the Palace's great sight lines rendered it moot, because we could see everything beautifully.

Also worth noting that it was Mr. Davidson night during Pistons' Flashback Fridays and they raised his name to the rafters, which is only appropriate, since, as Tom Wilson points out, her build those raters himself. It's just stunning that you have the great owner in Bill Davidson and the awful owner in William Clay Ford, Sr., and the bipolar owner in Mike Ilitch. Wow. Anyway...

Here's the AP Game Story: Bull-dozed: Detroit gives Chicago woodshed treatment and here's your Box Score.
Dave commented about six minutes into the second quarter that he never felt like the Pistons were in any danger of losing, and he was right. No matter what the Bulls did, the Pistons brought it right back (look at the game flow, and you'll see he's right.)

Other than the Palace still being a maddening place to get into and out of on a weeknight, from the actual traffic in, to trying to leave and basically being in the arena's concourses and not going anywhere for a good four minutes and NO ONE KNEW WHY WE WERE ALL STOPPED!, and getting back to I-75 via Opdyke sucks, but beyond that, a good time indeed.

---

Saturday Afternoon
UCLA 68, Michigan 61 at Crisler Arena.

As much as I love the Michigan hockey team and get in as many games as I can, last year I threw a Michigan basketball game into the mix for the first time since I was a student (I did a grand total of two games as a student, one was a Michigan/Oklahoma State tilt during the 1997 NIT run and a 1998 Big Ten game against Purdue (where Brian Cardinal beat the crap out of the Faux Five.) Anyway, Crisler isn't the most beautiful arena, but it's a much better place to see a game than it used to be. The crowd was into it for most of the game, but the game itself was really kind of awful. A lot of sloppy play, a lot of ticky-tack fouls, a lot of awful execution by Michigan, and Tommy really failed to adjust to UCLA's double-teams down low (I don't actually know about the last part, but I was assured of it by everyone sitting around me.)

Anyway, it was Michigan's first loss of the year, I just hope they learn something from it, because they clearly still have a ways to go. By the way, in the last month, I have seen, in person, Michigan lose to Ohio State in football, to Minnesota in hockey, and to UCLA in basketball. Here's to hoping the GLI will turn things around.

---

Sunday: Week 15 of the NFL
Cincinnati 41, Detroit 17--There's nothing left to say.

I wish I could be angry, but really, I am just empty (strictly in terms of fandom...) The Lions gave up weeks ago which begs the question why the fans haven't. Seriously, the Pistons are winning at a ridiculous clip (18-3, are you kidding me?), the Red Wings have struggled a little without Manny, but still lead the West, and Michigan State is off to a hot start in men's hoops (and Michigan was at least until the aforementioned unpleasantness.) But no, like idiots, we're fixated on the Lions. Why? I think it has to be the unknown thing.

Think about the following:
In the Super Bowl era, only seven teams have never appeared in the Super Bowl:
The Saints, Cardinals, Jaguars, Texans, Seahawks, Browns, and Lions. This is not a list you want to be on. Consider that the Lions have hosted two Super Bowls, and appeared in 0. Consider that the Lions last playoff victory was in 1991, and before that, you have to go back to 1957. Consider that the Lions last hosted a playoff game in 1993 (well, 1994, but the vagaries of the calendar year vis-a-vis the NFL playoffs...anyway)...

1993 NFC First-Round Playoff, 01/08/1994: Green Bay 28, @Detroit 24
Green Bay overcame a 17-7 third quarter deficit, ending with Brett Favre's 40-yard winning touchdown pass to receiver Sterling Sharpe with 55 seconds left.
And what Wikipedia doesn't tell you is that Sterling Sharpe couldn't have been more wide open if he were standing in the middle of a field somewhere in Montana.

1994 NFC First-Round Playoff, 12/31/1994: @Green Bay 16, Detroit 12
The Packers defense held Lions running back Barry Sanders to -1 rushing yards and held Detroit to 12 points.
Yep, Wikipedia hits on the thing every Lions fan remembers, the -1 yards for Barry Sanders. As Mike pointed out, and I didn't remember, that was the year that every team in the Central except Tampa Bay qualified for the playoffs. And who made the Conference Championship game? The Niners and Cowboys.

1995 NFC First-Round Playoff, 12/30/1995: @Philadelphia 58, Detroit 37
The Eagles scored 31 points in the second quarter.
Scott Mitchell started this game and Don Majikowski ended it and it was the beginning of the end for the Big Buck, who, with 67 victories, holds the record for the most for any coach in franchise history...and the same can be said about his 71 losses. I can't believe we're left pining for the days of Wayne.

1997 NFC First-Round Playoff, 12/28/1997: @Tampa Bay 20, Detroit 10
Tampa Bay won their first playoff game since 1979 with quarterback Trent Dilfer's 9-yard touchdown pass to receiver Horace Copeland, running back Mike Alstott's 31-yard touchdown run, and two field goals.
What you don't remember about this one is Frank Reich spiking the ball to stop the clock late in the game, on fourth down.

1999 NFC First-Round Playoff, 01/08/2000: @Washington 27, Detroit 13
Redskins running back Stephen Davis rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns as Washington dominated the Lions.
I distinctly remember this one because it was a). the day I took my Michigan teaching competency tests and was peeved that when I came home, the Lions were already down 27-0 and b). I was peeved that I had missed the Music City Miracle. The Lions had no chance in this game, Gus Ferrotte was the quarterback, and they were playing in Washington, where the Lions last won in the Roosevelt administration.

I would also be remiss to mention the Paul Edinger issue. If Paul Edinger doesn't hit a fifty-mumble yard field goal on the last play of the last day of the season, the Lions eek into the playoffs under Gary Moeller, they don't hire Millen, they don't hire Coach Marty, they don't draft Joey, instead going with Quentin Jammer, they maybe don't go 20-58 since 2001. Again, what if is a powerful drug and should only be used under the supervision of a doctor.

Come on, the Cardinals have won a playoff game more recently than the Lions. So have the Saints, and the Jaguars. The Seahawks haven't, but that should change this year. The Browns are in disarray, but they at least seem to have some hope, if their first round draft picks didn't keep getting major career threatening injuries all the time, The Texans, well, Reggie Bush should turn that around. I know as a Detroit sports fan, it's all balanced by karma. Titles for the Red Wings, Pistons, Tigers, Michigan football, basketball, and hockey, all in my lifetime. But how, in the most parity-tastic league in existence can one team defy all attempts to even out the field? It's just stunning. Maybe Barry had the right idea.

Also, apparently: Fire Millen has it's own Wikipedia entry. I just like that Sheed joined in on Friday night.

Five-word Wrap-ups:
New England 28, Tampa Bay 0--Welcome back to playoffs, overlords.
NY Giants 27, Kansas City 17--Tiki just running like crazy.
Denver 28, Buffalo 17--Buffalo colder than Denver, baby.
Houston 30, Arizona 19--Houston can't lose to win.
Seattle 28, Tennessee 24--Seattle made it a challenge.
San Diego 26, Indianapolis 17--Pop the cork '72 Dolphins.
Carolina 27, New Orleans 10--A dish best served cold.
Pittsburgh 18, Minnesota 3--Three Rivers trump Twin Cities.
Miami 24, NY Jets 20--Brooks threw for 300 yards!
Philadelphia 17, St. Louis 16--Just playing out the string.
Jacksonville 10, San Francisco 9--Refunds available at customer service.
Cleveland 9, Oakland 7--Charlie Frye: We're Number 1!
Washington 35, Dallas 7--A woodshed would've been preferable.
Chicago 16, Atlanta 3--But baby, it's cold outside.

We'll have cut-throat for you tomorrow, but until then...

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, in the throes.

Thought for the Day: A Nation of Wimps
December 15, 2005

First things first:
So they let the kids out 33 minutes early today. They never would have done it back in my day. I am pretty sure that either we're becoming more wimpified as a nation, or more litigious, or both.

Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 15

Angry fan march, ho!

That said, the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 15 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Delano Barnes
Gordon Berman
Jessie Connolly
Raffy Dakessian
James Dinan
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Rob Long
Michael Nathan
Chris Rodgers
Mark Urciuolo
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, cold.

Thought for the Day: You can fool all of the people all of the time
December 13, 2005

First things first:
The Tuesdays with Greg Caption Contest:
Caption this picture of Pittsburgh-based one-year old Nora Groce.

---

Cut-Throat: Week 14 Results

Oh, so anyway, simple thing, by next Sunday 1:00 PM EST, send me your picks (you can even reply to this email, since it will come back to me.)

P.S.: If you don't get them in by 1 PM, you can still pick from the late games, Sunday Night, and Monday night. You can also send along picks extending through the whole season, as several of our competitors have done.

(If the picks are done by SNF, I'll send them Sunday, otherwise, the wee Eastern hours of Tuesday)

Current Leaders:

Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 56*
Tim Young Washington, DC 56
Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 55
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 53
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 52
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 51*
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 51*
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 51*
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 50
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 50*
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 50
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 50*
David Wallace Livonia, MI 50
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 50
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 49
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 49
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 48*
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 46*
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 46
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 46
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 46*
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 45
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 44*
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 44
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 44
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 43
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 43*
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 42*
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 42*
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 42*
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 42*
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 41*
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 41
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 40*
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 40*
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 39*
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 39
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 39
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 39*
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 38*
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 38
Brian Long Redford, MI 36
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 34*
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 34*
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 31*
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 28
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 26*
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 21*


*-indicates that the player has used their bye.

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
11 people took Green Bay over the Lions.
I am glad so many of you remembered my advice from so long ago.

7 people selected Tennessee to defeat the Texans.
Can anyone tell me what the deal is with Jeff Fisher's beard? Seriously, that thing is epic.

6 people chose Atlanta to get past the Saints.
You know what would be really evil? Only allowing you to pick against a team once a year, while still only picking each team to win once a season. That would be evil. We're not gonna do that.

5 people took the New York Jets over the Raiders.
I think people were calling NBC to start showing Heidi in the middle of the game. NBC, of course, was confused, since I think they were showing curling, or some form of insipid ice sport with a toe pick.

5 people selected Pittsburgh to defeat the Bears.
Again, the winner in this one was the weather, and we're all better people for it.

4 people chose Denver to get past the Ravens.
Brian Billick lost the straw draw to wear the NFL Properties leather jacket to remind people that they sell them just head of the final Christmas buying push.

Big Losers of the Week:
11 people chose the Chargers to get past Miami. They were wrong.
Here's the thing, I like Marty Schottenheimer, he seems like a nice enough man and seems to be effective enough as a head coach. However, I think if I were a Browns, Chiefs, or Chargers fan, I might be completely maddened by his seeming aversion to winning games after Thanksgiving.

5 people foolishly picked the Raiders to beat the New York Jets.
Tim McGraw got Tuiasosopo to rhyme, in rhythm last night during "I Like It, I Love It." I do hope Tim agrees to keep doing this for ESPN next year, because I actually find the highlights exceedingly entertaining when presented in this way. Am I alone in this regard?

4 people chose the Panthers to get past Tampa Bay. They should have thought better of it.
You know, honestly, I got nothing here, other than the Panthers are a little schizo.

4 people decided that the Texans were a good choice to beat Tennessee. Nein!
Jimmy Kimmel actually had a good bit on MNF about just how bad a kick that was in Nashville on Sunday by Kris Brown, so I'll just leave the humor to the "experts."

Boola Boola (got both games right):
CDB Green Bay/Tennessee
Gordon Atlanta/Green Bay
Mike B. Cincinnati/NY Jets
Byko Atlanta/Tennessee
Jessie Atlanta/Tennessee
James D. Atlanta/Pittsburgh
Brian Cincinnati/NY Giants
Lucas New England/Pittsburgh
Mark U. Denver/Tennessee
Tim W. Pittsburgh/Tampa Bay
Joe W. NY Jets/Tennessee
Tim Y. Atlanta/NY Jets
Jason Z. Pittsburgh/Tennessee

I Got a Rock (got both games wrong):
Rocky Carolina/San Francisco
The Bruce Arizona/San Diego
Flax Houston/St. Louis
J-Kel Buffalo/San Diego
Tim K. Houston/Oakland
Brian L. Houston/Oakland
Crodgers San Diego/St. Louis
Paper Baltimore/Philadelphia

Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
Mark C.
Noel
Joel G.

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
No one picked a road winner or a bad team to beat a good team. Tyler would have had it, but apparently, that was a legal form of forward pass, from your knees, being tackled, by a running back.

Conventional Wisdom:
House is going to the dispensary and finding that all that he has left is Carolina and Pittsburgh, so that earned him 2 points, for a total of 50 points, right on the heels of our leaders, meaning that the Wisdom of Crows is pretty solid thinking.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy went for that wacky Balmer/Philly combination, and like all Mid-Atlantic choices, was sorely disappointed, going 0-2 to leave him at 21 for the year.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, wait, you can't fool all of the people all the time?

Thought for the Day: Recommended by viewers
December 12, 2005

First things first:
Weekend Update:
I got nothing, really. Oh, if you're a fan of the World Cup and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, well, He's Back!

Sunday: Week 14 of the NFL
Green Bay 16, Detroit 13 (OT)--Can we pick our poison?

Major thoughts as I watched the game:

So, here's the thing, what exactly was the Lions' "New Way to Lose" this week? Was it:
a). twice taking the ball inside the Green Bay five yard line and only coming away with six points?
b). having a safety overturned on a rule where I am not sure if you can actually review the holding call or the intentional grounding by the RUNNING back?
c). allowing 46 seconds to tick off the clock before Green Bay punted late in the quarter?
d). Shaun Rogers getting a 15 yard personal four penalty in overtime?
e). Jeff Garcia's epically bad quarterback sneak attempt on fourth and one?

The correct answer is, well, it's any of the them really.

Five-word Wrap-ups:
NY Jets 26, Oakland 10--Jets play to win game?
Minnesota 27, St. Louis 13--Mike Tice: New Big Buck?
Pittsburgh 21, Chicago 9--Steelers we know and love.
Tampa Bay 20, Carolina 10--Gruden has Bucs playing well.
Indianapolis 26, Jacksonville 18--Where was the Santa Hat?
Tennessee 13, Houston 10--Hilarious end of game sequence.
New England 35, Buffalo 7--Pats just lying in wait.
Cincinnati 23, Cleveland 20--South takes Battle of Ohio.
Seattle 41, San Francisco 3--Seahawks just pouring it on.
NY Giants 26, Philadelphia 23--Jay Feeley gets his redemption.
Washington 17, Arizona 13--A lot of red here.
Miami 23, San Diego 21--Chargers: Just Marty being Marty.
Denver 12, Baltimore 10--What the hell is this?
Dallas 31, Kansas City 28--Flea flicker to Glenn? Brilliant!

We'll have cut-throat for you tomorrow, but until then...

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, down to six.

Thought for the Day: No no, the other football
December 9, 2005

First things first:
Since I had a snow day and some time, I want to write about football, in this case, the 2006 FIFA World Cup Draw.

Mike has made the point that the World Cup Draw is exceedingly compelling television, and he's right. Not only is the format of pulling balls with country names and positions out of clear bins exceedingly game showy, it also leads to the inevitable claims that the draw is fixed. Now, the NBA Draft could be fixed, we don't know because up until the past couple of years, it was done behind closed doors, but this is done right there, in the open, and yet, the fix is somehow always in.

Anyway, let's look at the draw:

Group A
Germany
Costa Rica
Ecuador
Poland

Group B
England
Paraguay
Sweden
Trinidad & Tobago

Group C
Argentina
Ivory Coast
Netherlands
Serbia & Montenegro

Group D
Mexico
Angola
Iran
Portugal

Group E
Italy
Ghana
United States
Czech Republic

Group F
Brazil
Australia
Croatia
Japan

Group G
France
South Korea
Switzerland
Togo

Group H
Spain
Saudi Arabia
Tunisia
Ukraine

Several things:
1). Is it possible to have two Groups of Death in a World Cup, because in looking at it, Group C and Group E could claim that mantle. Group E has three of the top 12 teams in the FIFA World Cup rankings. Really, it didn't work out like we had hoped did it.

2). As JQ pointed out, Group D's final game "will determine once and for all which nation is the greatest on earth - Mexico or Portugal!"

3). England draws Sweden. I am sure the British tabloids exploded when that news came out.

All in all, what is it going to take to get through to the knock-out stage for the Americans?
"Fast-kicking, low scoring, and ties? You bet!" Also, Kasey Keller has to stay healthy.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, reminding you avoid groups of death in your own life.

Thought for the Day: Out Sick
December 8, 2005

First things first:
So I was out sick today. It may be the first actual sick day I have taken in a while. Of course, I ended up feeling better by mid-day, but you know, such is life.

I do want to make one quick point about something I saw on Countdown last night. Apparently there are some people who are not happy that the official White House Holiday card does not say "Merry Christmas."

However, as they highlighted the card last night, I noticed something you can see in this photo here. The card quotes Psalm 28:7, to quote "The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."

So, let me see if I have this. The President acknowledges his faith by choosing an appropriate psalm, one that, in my mind, is a very clear expression of faith, and yet, because he puts "Best wishes for a Holiday Season", he's somehow firing a shot against Christmas?

I just don't get this country.

Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 14

Just remember, banners are allowed in cut-throat, we're big on free expression here.

That said, the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 14 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Delano Barnes
Gordon Berman
Jessie Connolly
Raffy Dakessian
James Dinan
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Jason Keller
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Rob Long
Michael Nathan
Mike Philpy
Chris Rodgers
Mark Urciuolo
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, getting better all the time.

Thought for the Day: Rolling downhill
December 6, 2005

First things first:
Happy Birthday shout outs to The Wee Groce, the Head Keenan, and Catherine. It's a Harmonic convergence.

Also, College Bowl Mania
Group Name: Barker Gang
Password: Barker

The Tuesdays with Greg Caption Contest:
Caption this picture of Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu.

---

Cut-Throat: Week 13 Results

Oh, so anyway, simple thing, by next Sunday 1:00 PM EST, send me your picks (you can even reply to this email, since it will come back to me.)

P.S.: If you don't get them in by 1 PM, you can still pick from the late games, Sunday Night, and Monday night. You can also send along picks extending through the whole season, as several of our competitors have done.

(If the picks are done by SNF, I'll send them Sunday, otherwise, the wee Eastern hours of Tuesday)

Current Leaders:

Noel Erinjeri Flint, MI 56
Matt Bruce Alameda, CA 51*
Raffy Dakessian The OC, CA 51
Tim Young Washington, DC 51
Brian Hight Brookfield, WI 50
Kevin Olmstead Ann Arbor, MI 50
Adam Kittle East Liverpool, OH 49*
Joel Gluskin New York, NY 48
Rob Long Sterling Heights, MI 48
Jason Pless Albuquerque, NM 48*
Gregory House Princeton, NJ 48
David Wallace Livonia, MI 48
Gordon Berman Ithaca, NY 46*
Mark Coen Beverly, MA 46
Chris Rodgers Columbia, SC 46
Craig D. Barker Livonia, MI 45
David Bykowski Irmo, SC 45*
Mike Burger Ann Arbor, MI 44
Jon Couture New Bedford, MA 44
Joe Wright Ann Arbor, MI 44
Shawn DeVeau Boston, MA 42
Geoff Zmyslowski Grand Rapids, MI 42
Delano Barnes Lexana, KS 41
Robert Flaxman Chicago, IL 41*
Mark Urciuolo Alexandria, VA 41*
Tyler Johnson Bryan, TX 40*
Dwight Kidder Bridgeville, PA 40*
Jason Zuffranieri Albuquerque, NM 40
John Haveman Cave Creek, AZ 39
Eric Bell Oklahoma City, OK 38*
Lucas Koerner Ithaca, NY 38*
Tim Kulhanek Croswell, MI 38*
Michael Nathan W. Bloomfield, MI 38*
Lauren Arestie Arlington, VA 37*
James Dinan Atlanta, GA 37*
Brigid Laurie Alexandria, VA 37
Greg Long Lincoln Park, MI 37
James Quintong Atlanta, GA 37*
Tim Woodward Salem, NH 37*
Brian Long Redford, MI 36
Joel Quintong Fairfield, CT 36
Jessie Connolly Irmo, SC 34*
Ryan Blay Chicago, IL 32*
Steven Bevier East Lansing, MI 29*
Mike Philpy McLean, VA 29*
Jason Keller Piscataway, NJ 28
Rocky Barker Westland, MI 26*
Paper Clippy Redmond, WA 21*


*-indicates that the player has used their bye.

You can access the spreadsheet that I am using to track at http://www.collegequizbowl.org/extras/cutthroat.xls

Interesting notes: (4 games or more only)
Big Winners of the Week:
13 people took Baltimore over the Texans.
I really don't know what you can say about this game.

11 people selected San Diego to defeat the Raiders.
I heard Al Davis was sporting an old-school Hypercolor tracksuit during the game Sunday night, turns out he was just choking like his team.

8 people chose Tampa Bay to get past the Saints.
Good news New Orleans, the Eagles saved you from the most embarassing loss of the weekend.

7 people took Chicago over the Packers.
You know, if they weren't the Bears, I could be happy for them. Since they are the Bears, however...

4 people selected Arizona to defeat the 49ers.
Word just in, the Cardinals suck, but not as much as you think that they do.

4 people chose Miami to get past the Bills.
Let's be fair here, like Wu-Tang, you loved the entrance of the 36 Chris Chambers.

4 people took New England over the Jets.
Remember when this game used to mean something, like you know, last season.

Big Losers of the Week:
14 people chose the Niners to get past Arizona. They were wrong.
Mr. Nolan, we have Mr. Bush's agent on line two...

6 people foolishly picked the Bills to beat Miami.
So if Nick Saban doesn't care about the outcomes of the games, we shouldn't be surprised by this result.

Boola Boola (got both games right):
Lauren Baltimore/Chicago
Mike B. Baltimore/New England
Byko Chicago/Tampa Bay
Mark C. Arizona/Miami
Jessie Baltimore/Indianapolis
Raffy Baltimore/Minnesota
James D. Arizona/Chicago
Noel Baltimore/San Diego
Flax Baltimore/San Diego
Brian H. Indianapolis/Kansas City
Adam San Diego/Tampa Bay
Lucas Kansas City/San Diego
Brigid Jacksonville/San Diego
Brian L. Baltimore/Tampa Bay
Rob L. Arizona/New England
Mike P. Baltimore/Miami
Jason Baltimore/Miami
Joel Q. Chicago/Tampa Bay
Mark U. Carolina/Minnesota
Tim Y. Kansas City/San Diego

I Got a Rock (got both games wrong):
Delano Buffalo/Cleveland
Shawn Buffalo/San Francisco
Tyler Houston/San Francisco
Mike N. Pittsburgh/San Francisco


Bye-Bye-Bye (took a week off):
The Bruce
DEK

Upset Special--Biggest Upset Pick of the week:
Once again, no one gets the points because no one deserved it.

Conventional Wisdom:
Sweeps are over, so House pulled a rerun, getting Balmer right, but San Fran wrong. This means that Dr. House has a grand total of 48 for the season, having missed just six games.

Clippy's Corner:
Clippy went all "mission statement" this week picking San Diego and San Francisco, and thus went 1-1 to take him to 21 for the year.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, reminding you to t-auk about the passion.

Thought for the Day: Taking stock
December 5, 2005

First things first:
Weekend Update:
Went to TrashMasters this weekend, had a good time, came in third, nearly won K-Tel Hell (Quote: "Wow, Craig, you're really getting better at this." Mike: "No, the music is finally coming to him." I mention this only because it's true. The five songs I got in the finals: "Sunny Came Home" by Shawn Colvin, "Virtual Insanity" by Jamiroquai, "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne, "Steal My Sunshine" by LEN, and "Tempted" by Squeeze. Yeah, there's not one of those not in my wheelhouse.) Anyway, I think besides the Sonic run (great for me, less good for Nate and Dwight who were without food for thirty minutes on a cold December night), it was just nice to have a chance to play. Beyond that, welcome back to the game, Nate, we were glad to have ya back.

Sunday: Week 13 of the NFL
Minnesota 21, Detroit 16--All that drama for this?

Major thoughts as I watched the game:

I didn't really get to watch the game, but here's the thing. When your fans are more interested in and excited by the guys in the stadium holding up the "FIRE MILLEN" signs than they are by the offense being on the field, shouldn't this tell you something. I wanted to believe, that the firing was going to be the catalyst for a turn-around, but the simple truth is, we're playing out the string, once again, a meaningless December with an interim coach, a washed up quarterback, a floptastic wide receiver (this is what we get for investing so highly in a player who went to Michigan State). We suck and it's not even clever we suck any more, it's just plain old, we suck.

Five-word Wrap-ups:
Indianapolis 35, Tennessee 3--Dirty Dozen for Peyton's Peeps.
Chicago 19, Green Bay 7--Bearing down on the record.
Jacksonville 20, Cleveland 14--Braylon: Knees don't bend thataway.
NY Giants 17, Dallas 10--Ugly but effective one here.
Tampa Bay 10, New Orleans 3--Offenses stowed for safe keeping.
Miami 24, Buffalo 23--Chambers made a great play.
Cincinnati 38, Pittsburgh 31--Steelers struggles still sustained sadly.
Carolina 24, Atlanta 6--Panthers make some Vick meat.
Baltimore 16, Houston 15--As ugly as you'll find
Arizona 17, San Francisco 10--Oh wait, never mind previous.
Washington 24, St. Louis 9--The 'Skins still plugging along.
New England 16, NY Jets 3--Your AFC East leading Patriots.
Kansas City 31, Denver 27--Chiefs in a good spot.
San Diego 34, Oakland 10--Raider Nation threatens to secede.

We'll have cut-throat for you tomorrow, but until then...

That's all for today, until next time,
I am Craig Barker, playing out the string again.

Thought for the Day: Going down to country
December 1, 2005

First things first:
Cut-Throat Call-Out: Week 13

Actual, if slightly not verbatim, explanation to one of my former students today after school:
Her: "Why are you going to the airport?"
Me: "To fly to Tennessee?"
Her: "What's in Tennessee?"
Me: "Sonic! Well, oh, and maybe the biggest pop culture trivia tournament of the year."
Colleague: "Wait, is that the thing you went to Canada to qualify for a few weeks ago?"
Me: "No, that is TRASHionals, this is TrashMasters. TRASHionals is like the U.S. Open, and this is like, well, the Masters."
Her: "So, how did you guys do last year?"
Me: "We won."
Her: "Year before that?"
Me: "We won."
Her: "Year before that?"
Me: "We came in third."
Colleague: "Wow, you guys sucks.
Her: "Year before that?"
Me: "We won."
Her: "Wow
Colleague: "Wait, so you're actually good at something?"
Me: "Lil 'bit. It's largely good teammates."

That said, it's gonna be the best field of the year I get to play in and I look forward to the BBQ and family reunion, I mean, tournament.

That said, the following people still need to get their picks in for Week 13 (please get them in by Sunday, 12:50 pm EDT):

Rocky Barker
Gordon Berman
Ryan Blay
David Bykowski
Jessie Connolly
Raffy Dakessian
James Dinan
Noel Erinjeri
Robert Flaxman
Lucas Koerner
Tim Kulhanek
Brian Long
Michael Nathan
Mike Philpy
Joel Quintong
Chris Rodgers
Mark Urciuolo
David Wallace
Geoff Zmyslowski
Jason Zuffranieri

Thank you for your cooperation.

That's all for today, until the next time,
I am Craig Barker, lookout!